Nothing Important...

...just a few bored ramblings.

This week I am filling in for my step-dad's office manager while she's on vacation. I'm doing little more than answering the phone, so I've had lots of free time to play on the internet, read blogs (why don't you people update every hour to give me something to read?). and read books. I've got 3 going at once now - a TD Jakes book about men's emotions, a Lee Strobel book about marriage, and a James Pattterson novel. I've given up on the Ruth book; the forward was the high point. Got boring and a little frustrating. The author's views of women and their place was a little too 19th century for me, which surprised me - the opposite of what I expected.

So I'm a little bored now. And I'm having a big-time chocolate craving.

I'm seriously bummed about our principal leaving us. He's the only principal I've ever worked for, but I know how good I've had it. He's always supported me on everything, gives us whatever we need... he's an incredible boss and friend. I've heard plenty of other horror stories about principals who don't back you up, don't care, aren't involved... I'm worried about who will take his place. Plus I'll miss him terribly. AND I can't go up there to talk to him this week and who knows if he'll even be at our campus next week... Pooh.

This weekend is our family reunion - Christmas style. Chrsitmas on Mom's side of the family was always a very big deal - everybody came home then. But now families are growing and spreading out across the country. So we decided that since it's easier to get everybody together in the summer, we'd just move Christmas to July. We have a tree, gifts, and turkey and dressing Christmas dinner. We did it for the first time last year, and it was a blast. I'm looking forward to it - I'll get to see my cousin's 9 month-old who I haven't even met yet. And the best past is that it's here in SA, so I can sleep in my own bed at night. Sweet.

The days of summer are dwindling... I have less than 4 weeks until I start back. And I'm still not 100% positive what I'm teaching. I'm really hoping bossman will finalize staffing before he leaves. If he even can. Ugh, I'm dreading a week and a half of staff development with anyone other than him. He manages to make it not boring or useless.

Ok, back to a book or two.

Thoughts

I just read a very thoughtful, insightful post on an old friend's blog - one that really bares her soul... and I wonder why I can't bring myself to write like that. To just write and not worry about if I sound stupid, or if I'm going to inadvertently hurt someones feelings or offend or tell too much.

I actually have a couple of drafts of "real" thoughts posts that I do want to finish writing and set free to the world wide web. But I haven't. Because I'm worried that someone might take my words the wrong way, and the last thing I'd ever want is to hurt feelings. And even though I'd like to consider myself to be an open book, having no problem talking about myself - even regarding my struggles and vulnerability, I realize I am not. And then there's my ultra-private husband...

But even so, I think I'm ready to be more open. I'm reading a book about Ruth and Naomi, and in the forward it talks about how women essentially live in two worlds - one public and one private. Things that we often know to be true in our private worlds are not always so accepted and acceptable in public society. But I know that my private world is not so different from the private worlds of many other women. And one of the things I'm tired of is having my private world so private. I need to learn to communicate my joys and even my heartaches without fear.

More on this later, but I feel God is calling me in a direction that would require embracing and expressing my vulnerabilities... so I guess I better practice. And what better place than the blogosphere. To quote a sweet friend-of-a-friend that I hope to meet soon, I may sometimes be "splattered. So bring a raincoat. You've been duly warned."

Tater Funnies

Tater fell on the playground at school Thursday and got a skinned knee. Being the drama king he is, he's been milking it ever since... yesterday he told me he needed an ice cream pack for his owie.

He found a calculator, and I was showing him how to make numbers come on the screen. He punched a few numbers and matter-of-factly said, "I talkin' on my email."


He has 2 new favorite songs. Here's how they go:

"Jesus loves me, I know!" (repeat this line over and over)

"Row, row your boat go down across the street!"

OK, be honest...

Do you like this layout? Is it hard to read? I really liked it at first, but now the blue on blue is starting to wear me out...

Even sillier...

Tater has a new game. I'm not sure of its origin or its logic, but it goes a little like this:

Tater: " I want a snack."
Mama: "Ok, what do you want for snack?"
"Um, I want a... um... bubby."
"You want a bubby? What's a bubby?"
"I want a moomah."
(Mama catches on)" We don't have any moomahs"
"I want a pppbbbttt (blows raspberry at me)."
"You want a pppbbbttt?"
"Yeah, I want a pppbbbttt."
"OK, you can have a pppbbbttt when you get up from your nap."
"OK."

And off he goes to play. Weird kid. :)

Silly boy

I'm trying to get out of the habit of holding and carrying Tater so much. He's too big, and I have to let him grow up sooner or later. :)
So this morning he's desperately attempting to get me to carry him to the pantry to find a snack, but I resisted. I told him he could walk and I'd go with him. He looked up pleadingly into my eyes and sighed, "But you love me!"
Manipulative little devil. It didn't work of course, but still...

I wouldn't have survived the 1800s

I know this because as I sit here in my 83 degree house wearing as little as possible, I am thinking of those poor pioneer women who crossed the plains in the heat of the summer wearing ridiculously long dresses with *ugh* tight bodices. I am so spoiled by air conditioning.

Except right now, I mean. Ours broke yesterday.

And considering the fact that it in now 3 pm on the Thursday before a holiday weekend, the prospects for being cool this weekend are getting slimmer by the second.


UPDATE: we are now the proud owners of a brand-new outside unit for the cooling and conditioning of air. They came to put it in at 6 pm on the 3rd. We were without air for less than 36 hours. Hallelujah! And with our home warranty, we paid very little towards the cost of the air conditioner. Now if I can just figure out how to "break" the inside unit too... :)