End of the Year Goal Analysis...

Have I made the grade? Status report after the year in review...

1) Credit cards will be paid off monthly. Well, #1 on my list was a huge bust...still working on it though....

2) Join the Do not call registry. Crossed off the first week of this challenge (pats self on back).

3) Clean out the closets and Rotate seasonal clothes. I claim to check this one off... but is a constant work in progress. Much harder to do with the kiddos because they're growing like weeds.

4) Train my kids to clean up after themselves. Alas, still working on this...it's a daily battle of wits. It's interesting to say the least, and still an uphill battle. Often debate with myself if that's a battle I'm willing to take, or just break out the garbage bags and vacuum (which enjoys eating LEGOS).

5) Extend this new mantra to my classroom. I will claim victory at this one, but am still chipping away at this, but the bug outbreak assisted as we had to clean everything prior to Thanksgiving and again before Christmas break so the exterminators can spray. A bit frightening to hear that they don't know the KIND of bugs, just hoping they stay there and not follow me home...

6) Eat through the pantry and freezer before shopping for more. Freezer was emptied and defrosted (though the power outage from the Halloween snowstorm assisted this one) and the pantry is in progress of being rotated through. Beginning to stock up canned goods for the eventual storms and power outages that will occur after this year's encounters with Mother Nature.

7) Pay bills online and automatically. Still in progress here, but making more steps to complete it.

8) Automatic savings transfers CHECK! Both the kiddos accounts and mine are automatically added to each month. Every penny counts.

9) The year of the backyard vacations. Not achievable as Natalie convinced me to journey down to AL during the summer. Enjoying hunkering down at home though, spending quality time with kiddos and day trips around the Valley. Hiking is now a new favorite - when the kids are in the mood and the dogs need the exercise. Also trying to convince them that Geocaching is fun...

10) Assault the piles of junk. They do seem to multiply...like Gremlins...with water. Still in progress, but don't know if taking on a room at a time is the strategy or if I should just move at will with the garbage bag in hand.

So, after one YEAR, the list is progressing but still has a ways to go. I think I'll reevaluate for 2012 and set myself some goals, both superficial (as this list seems to be full of the 'stuff' that I have accumulated) and metaphysical. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Emoticons and Drawings... White Christmas

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° *_██_*˚ °。°/♥ \*˚°。°*。°*★*˚°。°*。°*★*˚°。°*。°*★
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. ° ( . • .) ˛° . /• '♫ '•\.˛*./_______/~\*˚°。°*。°*°*❤ ˚°*★
.* (.. '•'..) *˛ ╬╬╬╬╬˛°.｜田田❤｜門｜╬╬╬╬╬*˚°。°*。°* ♥
★*˚°。°*。°*。★ MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ★ Warm hugs, lots of love to everyone and the glow of flickering candlelight. May you all be blessed with good health, food, warmth and shelter. Enjoy your family and friends. Many wishes for a more prosperous New Year

On the road again...

Heading back from a whirlwind of a trip to our nation's capital with the eighth grade. Always an adventure, always in flux, but after recuperating, I can say was a successful trip.

Overall, my question becomes though: "what is our goal". I think that I have some personal goals that I could like our students to reach - how they fit into the world, how they fit into history, how they fit into our country... and respecting those who came before them. It is overwhelming when you think of the enormity of what is available in DC, and I think that it is unfortunately impossible to see it all, but being able to form it around a theme would be wonderful. Getting everyone to agree on a theme will be the challenge.

Of course, it is important to me that the kids realize the sacrifice that veterans made to establish and maintain this countries liberties. The war memorials and Arlington National Cemetery are always my favorite places to visit to have that moment of awe. Unfortunately, for me, the fast paced aspect didn't allow for that quiet moment to soak it in. I'm continuously kid-wrangling.

Pausing a moment to reflect is especially important for our town in the past several years, and nationwide important in election years. Being able to reflect on where we've been will help in planning for where we're going. I think that we as a society tend to forget that. The media certainly helps facilitate much of the negativity. But kids are so impressionable and are becoming much more of a 'sound bite' generation that they don't study the big idea. That really concerns me.

I also have decided that I am very scattered, but have high energy during trips like this. My goal for next year is to script that energy into something that can be in hand for other teachers. I don't really think about it, but others have said that I do a 'good job' at it, so I really should get it on paper. Maybe I do have a future as a tour guide! The high energy though does come at a price. I'm spent...and sick. My body has hit a wall and I need to sit back and take care of myself to gear up for what the next week has to bring...

Get into the groove

The summertime loose schedule was wonderful - it seemed that I was able to get chores done at my leisure, yardwork and exercise when I wanted to, a feeling of satisfaction as I could immerse myself in a book or craft project.

Now, the school year has thrust itself upon me. Commandeering the classroom, the homefront, and the scout pack is a juggling act in and of itself. But while that is a true balancing act I still need to ensure that I can keep a balance for myself.

Back to the AYF way of thinking - the Four-Fold way of life: PMSR - physical, mental, social & religious. As the weather cools off, I do notice that my physical self slows down (no more mowing lawn, less geocaching, less gardening and hauling plants) but I still need to find ways to motivate myself through the winter. Mentally, keeping the monotony of school (perpetually being in the 8th grade...) at bay is a challenge. The same problem can be twisted around to become fresh and exciting for both the students and for myself. Socially, even though my social circle is actually fairly small, I need to solidify my friends vs. my colleagues. Talking shop at social events does need to be limited. I'm quite guilty of that myself. My religious side is one that is definitely becoming more spiritual as opposed to a physical location. Finding peace with my contributions to the larger society is one way that I have found a way to get in touch with my spiritual self. Meditation, slowing down to enjoy the small things, appreciating nature and the little quiet that I have with a cup of coffee are becoming more and more precious. It's interesting to me to see how my perspective has changed in the last few years. What is important: self-preservation, family, standing your ground for what you believe, health. Looking ahead while learning from the past.

Summer, it was nice knowing you...

Time flies when you're having fun. Summer has come to a close as we hunkered down for Hurricane Irene - fortunately, a bust around here, but other places are seeing swollen rivers and cars bobbing downstream like rubber ducks. Dangerous - and hopefully, people took precautions and aren't being stupid.

The kids are excited that they have an extra day off (call it a snow day for lack of another term) but I'm surprised that the delay isn't posted online on either the school site or the television station. We received a phone call on Saturday from the Superintendent, enough to ease my mind prior to the storm, but I assumed that the television stations didn't post it yet...focusing more on the canceled church services and shelter openings. However, it is now Sunday evening and it still isn't posted. Of course, the kids were expecting to go on Tuesday anyway...so maybe it will show up on the scroll tomorrow.

As for summer, it was a blast - busy, busy, busy. Still have a long list of items that weren't accomplished, but did get through many of the little items on the list. Throwing in the towel on some of the items that I am perfectly capable of, but choosing not to (painting rooms, major cleaning), I think I'll give in to the hiring squad. I can't do it all of course, but would like to have a clean house for more than 10 minutes.

Awaiting the onset of fall weather to make the switch for seasonal clothes. Might be able to get a few more weeks out of the summerish items before packing them up and finding the wool sweaters and snow boots. And then I'll be eagerly anticipating the next real snow day!

Pollen + Car = new paint job

So Mother Nature emptied her dustbuster on the neighborhood and covered everything in a fine layer of yellow pollen. Though I enjoyed the new color of my car, I also totally appreciate the fact that she turned on the water works yesterday to give everything a shower. Unfortunately, that might screw up some outdoor plans for the next few days, but if it keeps the temperature down, lets the new grass grow, and sets the future up for some nice gardens, I'll be OK with that. Now, if I could only get the gutters fixed so they aren't bowing in the middle...

I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness. - James Thurber

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. - Roger Miller

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" - Robin Williams

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. - e. e. cummings

Constant dripping hollows out a stone.- Lucretius

April showers will help the garden

The nice weather has gotten me out from behind the computer and into the yard. The rototiller has been primed. The garden is prepped and ready to go. Now, if I can only get the grubs to stop eating my grass!

If I have some patience I'll learn about the chemistry behind this stuff. For some reason though, I can't wrap my mind around lime and ph and phosphorus and calcium... Where is my sister and her chemistry degree when I need her?

I'll just grab some worms out of the compost and wait for the ground to warm up. Ought to be an interesting summer!

Coffee is my drug of choice

I think I'm looking into stock in Colombian Coffee Fields... I may not be a connoisseur of the 'finer things' or names of things or flavors - but my taste buds know what I love!

Nothing special, just the little yummies that start my day off on the right foot! And it's interesting how much I am affected when I don't get the caffeine I need...dramatically alters my mood in fact...but if I am a true creature of habit, I'm OK.

Funny how weekend mornings actually throw me off of my game more than the routine of the weekday. I think I'm going to get another cup. Cheers!

Spring into action and stand up for yourself

To know oneself, one should assert oneself.
Albert Camus

Soul searching is a good way to pass the time. Identifying your interests, your dislikes, what makes you. My creative side is coming out...as I find junk to make into something new.

Inspiration hits me especially when Spring finally rears it's feeble head after the winter we've had!

The grass is finally visible. The Derby is done. Testing is around the corner. The garden is being planned out. And I'm down to my last jar of salsa! Let spring hit.

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Mother Nature is laughing her ass off. I can't believe the amount of snow, water, snow, ice, snow, rain, ugh! I'm so sick of it. I almost am ready to welcome the mosquitoes...but then, with our luck from this bizarre weather forecast, we'll most likely have a drought!

The water table has risen and the sump pump is running, although now at a non-constant rate. The Worcester girls had a good 4 inches in the basement and a lot of crap that had to be hauled out. What a mess! At least now we know where NOT to store items. A very messy lesson learned.

I am looking forward to planning out the garden this spring - that is, if I can ever see the backyard again (it's currently still buried in snow and dog piles). Unfortunately, I forgot to till up the soil before it froze, so it's going to be a mess when the ground finally thaws. I'll have to haul in the compost.

As for the winter blahs - they definitely have hit. Enjoying driving to school in the light (barely) and coming home in the light (barely) rather than the darkness of the deep winter. Days are getting longer and the school year is on the downhill slide (although the kids have been sliding downhill since Christmas...)

Post Winter Vacation Clutter Update:

Have I made the grade? Status report after one week of tackling the crap in my house...

1) Credit cards will be paid off monthly. Have to check in on this, however, I did add some to the cards to complete the insulation in the attic. Hopefully the tax rebate will offset the expense, and I'll save money on the heating oil.

2) Join the Do not call registry. Cross this one off the list

3) Clean out the closets and Rotate seasonal clothes. Waiting on this one for the warmup in the weather. Maybe Spring Break will be a better check in point.

4) Train my kids to clean up after themselves. Still working on this...it's a daily battle of wits, though they're better at emptying the dishwasher and (partially) folding clothes...cleaning up their own rooms is definitely an uphill battle.

5) Extend this new mantra to my classroom. Of course, didn't set foot in the school over break, so I can't claim I did anything to chip away at this one...seems that I can work on this one one piece at a time. 5 minutes of cleaning each day is a good way to start. Break out the timer!

6) Eat through the pantry and freezer before shopping for more. Breadmaker is running; muffins in the freezer; this one is in progress, but can't quite cross it out yet.

7) Pay bills online and automatically. Still in progress here, but making more steps to complete it.

8) .Automatic savings transfers CHECK! Both the kiddos accounts and mine are automatically added to each month. Every penny counts.

9) The year of the backyard vacations. Once the mortgage situation gets finished and I can figure out what my work status is for the summer, I think I can start thinking about this one...but we certainly are taking a journey to the river this summer!

10) Assault the piles of junk. Worked a bit on this one, but still need to hit the boxes of stuff that I've set aside. But the basement workshop got sorted (still need to go through the drawers, organize & label). Once the weather warms up, we can tackle the garage (yet again, this seems to be an annual event!)

So, after one weekend, we are in progress. I may not have completed EVERYTHING on my list, but did get several big things accomplished. Vacation week is a success!

Declutter and de-debt my life

As I'm working towards streamlining my life, I am officially on the 'declutter' and 'lower my debt' campaign.

I have too much stuff. I routinely clean out the junk drawer, sort through the closet for Goodwill, clip coupons, and send the hand-me-downs to my nephews. However, there also seems to be a perpetual wave of stuff...I have a new mission to assault the debt and clutter in my life.

1) Credit cards will be paid off monthly. This will be a challenge for me. I typically haven't had this as an issue, but realize that I need to use the cards as only an emergency lifeline, not as a normalcy for life.

2) Join the Do not call registry. and are resources that can begin the process of eliminating junk mail and phishing phone calls. I also will begin calling catalogs that I don't want anymore (somehow I keep getting added to many more mailing lists...) and removing my name from their registry.

3) Clean out the closets and Rotate seasonal clothes. I like the idea of having a new wardrobe each change of season, but often I forget what I have until I open the box. Feel the need this year to organize a bit more, so in the 'off season' I will remember if I have a pair of khaki shorts or black wool pants. Getting the body in shape is also affecting my wardrobe (a good problem to have I suppose) but I also need to not go crazy over work-out clothes, hiking shoes, or flip flops.

4) Train my kids to clean up after themselves. A never ending battle, but still a valuable skill that I alone am responsible for. Cleanliness = rewards. Whatever their currency is, I need to capitalize on it.

5) Extend this new mantra to my classroom. Clutter and my classroom seem to be attached at the hip. I need to make an effort to clean up and organize a piece at a time, then maintain it. I'd like to see my desk BEFORE the last day of school.

6) Eat through the pantry and freezer before shopping for more. A slow process, but a necessary one. The pantry doesn't have to be full, but does need to be eaten. I think I can save money in shopping this way if we just ate what we had and didn't throw away food. I also want to utilize the breadmaker & wafflemaker more this year.

7) Pay bills online and automatically. This will allow me to save money on stamps as well as manage the bank account with more accuracy, especially with only two paychecks per month.

8) Automatic savings transfers. That 'rainy day fund' and 'college savings account' that doesn't get added to needs to have constant attention, without getting ignored with some excuse. To I pay myself first? That's a goal for this year. Get the accounting in order and take care of those emergency funds NOW!

9) The year of the backyard vacations. This year will be the year of the 'staycation' where we will visit family & friends, rather than the monumental trip. Documenting these trips also make the journey last longer - a DVD of pictures or a scrapbook book that we can look at over and over again.

10) Assault the piles of junk. Each day, I'm going to tackle a pile of junk in my house...and not just to 'move it to another room'. I want to trash it and pop it in a box for later. If I haven't looked at it in 2 weeks, maybe I don't need it. The problem I do have, is I put much of it aside until I 'have the time to deal with it'. This is the week to deal with it...

Status report in a week. We'll see what kind of grade I'll give myself!

Groundhog Day

The last three weeks have been like the movie Groundhog Day...I feel like I'm constantly snowblowing, shoveling, roof-raking, and trudging through the snowdrifts. My backyard now looks like a white wasteland...I think there was a swingset and a chimnea back there, but they are now covered...a 20 gallon Tupperware bin is completely covered.

Yet, the groundhog in Pennsylvania predicts an early spring. We'll see if it happens. I predict the weather may warm up, but the next prediction will be when the last of the snow pile out front will melt away and I'll get my front yard back. And if I can ever get to wear my flip-flops again. At this rate, I'll be wearing a hula skirt and flip-flops to teach class in July!

Winter Wonderland

Well, as Mother Nature decides to grace us with her coating of ice, my back is deciding that it doesn't like her as much. It's invigorating working out in the cold though...who needs a gym to get a workout! However, I'm noticing that the snowblower handles are a bit too low for me and when I run out of gas and have to push the monster back into the driveway I feel extremely OLD!

I'm looking forward to sledding and snowshoeing again...unfortunately, finances aren't going to allow for skiing this year. My eyes are open for a good deal on skis though. The boys are becoming more adventurous in the weather, but, like me, also enjoy hibernating in the cold months. The TV does need to be shut off on a regular basis or they will be sucked into that catatonic state.

I also have to get going on my vacation plans for next month...can't wait to go south and visit with my sisters. We'll see what chaos ensues.