The World According to Leslie

Over the weekend, Tony said that our Xbox Live membership had expired.  He said he meant to check the prices when we went to the store.  (If you get the card from a store, it’s usually cheaper than getting it straight from Xbox!)   He forgot to check.   So, yesterday, the Princess and I went to the store with my mom.  We got him a new membership for Xbox Live.   I didn’t make a big deal out of it or anything.  I just laid the card on top of his phone.  Then I went to bed.   He came upstairs, card in hand, and said, “Where did this come from?” Me: “I don’t now what this is.” Tony: “An Xbox card.” Me: “I guess it just fell into my purse at the store.” Tony: “Please tell me you didn’t steal it!” Then we all laughed as he thanked us and went back downstairs!   Sometimes, the little things make the biggest impact!

So, I can’t believe that today we have less than 30 days left at school.    As of today, counting today, we have 29 days left!  6 of those are exam days.  23 actual teaching days left! I’m nervous and excited!  I can’t wait to see how the kids do on their end of the year stuff. I am also a little anxious about what to teach the kids next year! The good thing is that I know, unless something drastically changes, that I have a job to go back to next year! I just can’t believe how quickly this year (especially this semester) has flown by!

When I was in school, (elementary, middle, and high) I would write my papers by hand, and them my mom would type them.   Today, the Princess just read to me the first paper that I had to type for her.  She thought it was hilarious that I stared at her most of the time, instead of looking at the keyboard!   She says, “I’ll never be able to do that!”   I say, “That’s what I used to tell Grandma!”    So…. I guess it’s the “Circle of Life!” 

Today is going to be used for softball and relaxing.   I have another really bad headache today.  However, I won’t be doing any of the driving today.  I will only be sitting down at the games…..under a canopy in the shade.  So, I think I will be fine. Then I’m coming home after our double-header to rest.  I might even take a nap…..if I can get still enough!     GO TARHEELS!

I should probably mention that yesterday was my hubby’s birthday!  If you follow me on Facebook, you already knew that!  However, last night, we had an impromptu party.  After Girl Scouts, my parents came over for cookie cake and ice cream!  (Tony doesn’t eat real cake!)   Today is going to be a relatively easy day at work.   I have planned an easy lesson for my kids today because my last class is only going to be in the room for about 45 minutes.  We are having a special WHOLE SCHOOL ice cream party today!  I love my job!  I really love this school!   Tomorrow is going to be a long day.  We have the double-header tomorrow. So we will play from 12:30pm until……  well…. until we are finished!     I hope we have better luck this weekend!   Tonight, while Tony and the Princess are at practice, I think I might go hang with the Scrap Happy Divas for a bit!  I need some time to organize my stuff...

This is what I was going to say on Tuesday morning, but I somehow erased it before I could say it.   So today, I wrote it in WORD and copied and pasted so I wouldn’t “erase” it again!   In this space, I am purposefully vague about many details. I don’t tell you where I work. You know I’m a teacher. I don’t tell you the name of my daughter’s school. You know she’s in 4 th grade. I don’t reveal her teacher’s name. (Probably to keep the “innocent” protected.)   However, today, I am going to tell you something that really ticked me off!   Every quarter at my daughter’s school, they do awards. They have a time set aside when family can come to see the kids get their awards. Unfortunately, at her current school, we don’t have much communication. For example, skate night papers come home ON the afternoon of Skate Night. The paper to order pictures came home 2 days prior. (What if I didn’t have the money? Then what?) If a student is struggling (as The Princess w...

I really do need to rewrite the post that disappeared on me yesterday morning…about Awards Day.   However…    This morning, I’m feeling a little lightheaded.  I’m just hoping I don’t fall down the stairs when I go to eat breakfast.

So, I was typing away….  a really long post.    Then all of a sudden…. *POOF*   I have to start over.    So…..  I will start over, but I don’t have time right now.    I have to get ready for work!    I will write about the Awards Day debacle at my daughter’s school later…. maybe this evening!   *ARGH!!!!*     I can’t believe it went….. *POOF*

The current countdown is for the number of days left in school. Unless I counted incorrectly (which is totally possible) we only have 34 days left of school!  That means that we have 7 weeks (excluding ONE Monday for Memorial Day!)   That means that I have 6 weeks and 3 days to finish everything I am going to finish with them!  I have to get a lot of stuff completed, but my kids are great!    At the end of this week, they will have fewer than 30 days left!  I think that will excite them.  I’m hoping it will get them working harder!     We are starting something new today.  I hope they will like it!

Yesterday, I had a million RANDOM things to do. Surprisingly enough, we got them all done.  We (the Princess) played softball.  They lost by 4, but it’s better than losing by 10 like the last time they played this team! GO TARHEELS! Donnie had to work (umpiring games) so he got there late, but Tony did a great job with the girls until he got there!   We got the van checked out.  Turns out that the Check Engine light was on because I put too much gas in the van.  Hmmmm…. on newer cars, there is a sensor in the gas tank.  If you get it wet (with gas) it will turn on the Check Engine light.  If you do it repeatedly, it will ruin the sensor.  How do you NOT get gas on it?  Well, when the gas pump clicks to say that the tank is full, just stop pumping!  (Who knew?!?!?)    After that, we went to watch my oldest nephew play baseball.  Then we went to supper at Mayflower (a seafood place) with my parents.  ...

Do any of those sound like they have something in common?   No?   Well…..   Today, in my world, they have something in common.   That is what I am doing today.  1. Going to watch the Princess play softball (Go TARHEELS!) 2. Going to get the van checked since we didn’t get home in time to do it last night 3. Putting lots of Spring-y dresses on eBay to make some cash…. hopefully! 4. Working on shrinking my final exam for school so that it fits in 2 hours instead of 4!!!!  I am giving my final exams on Friday, May 31 and Monday, June 3!  I don’t have much time left to teach these kids!  I hope they are ready for full-speed, overdrive to get finished!   My weekend plans often have a way of connecting really random things!    LET’S GO TARHEELS!!!!

This weekend, the plans are a little less blurring than last weekend.   If it doesn’t get cancelled because of rain, we have softball practice tonight.   We have a game tomorrow at 12:30pm.   Then I have nothing…. absolutely nothing…to do the rest of the day!   And I’m okay with that!   If it does rain tonight, and practice gets cancelled, we are going to watch the staff from the Princess’s school play the staff from another elementary school in basketball.  It’s to help buy school supplies for the two schools!   I need to take my van to have it checked.  For some reason the “Check Engine” light came on in my “new to me” van yesterday.  God knew what He was doing when He let us get the other car fixed and inspected last week.  I had to drive it to work yesterday and I will today too!  (Tony and I didn’t get home in time yesterday to have it checked!)   Other than that…. I am going to get some rest th...

Normally I don’t complain about my job because I love it! Normally I don’t complain about my students because they are wonderful!  Obviously, this is extremely different than I felt last year, but I did keep most of that OUT of this space.  I would just talk about vague things….never specifics.  That’s what I am going to do here.  Because….what I am going to say has happened to EVERY teacher…. I’m sure!   I was not in class with the kids on Friday.  I had a meeting.  So, I left them PLENTY of work to complete.  They were left with instructions that if they did not complete the work in class, they should do it for homework.  So yesterday, we needed to discuss three pages of study guide questions they were given on Friday.   Of my 36 kids, only about 6 of them had all the questions complete.   So, instead of going over them yesterday for the test on Friday, we are doing that TODAY!    Unfortunately, that ...

Today is one of those days where I just can’t seem to think straight.  The bad news is that it is only 5:20am!  Wait….maybe that’s the good news!  Maybe my brain will wake up ASAP!   I think I dreamed up a new seating chart for my classroom last night!  Even the kids in it!   I haven’t written more than about 5 sentences in my book in over a week!  I just can’t seem to get the time or the thoughts.   Yesterday, I had to work the gate for the baseball/softball/soccer games at work.  1 table—1 price—3  games!   I got there a little early and went to watch a little of the JV baseball game!  When I was leaving, I saw Mr. C!  WOW!  Mr. C is the reason I’m an English teacher! When I was in 11th grade, Mr. C told me I could do anything I wanted to.  He re-instilled my love for reading.  He helped me to overcome all the bad that I had faced in previous English classes!  HE is awesome!  Last...

I guess yesterday will be one of those days where I will remember exactly where I was and what I was doing….  tragic!   When I heard the news about 9/11, the first person I called was my mom.   When I heard the news about the Boston Marathon yesterday, the first person I called was my mom.    I was in the car.  The radio announcer had just said, “There were a couple of explosions at the Boston Marathon today.  Several people are injured.  More information on our website.”  That didn’t really help me while I was driving.  So I called my mom.  I was on the way home.  I had to grab something and leave again, so I didn’t have time to stop for the news at that moment.   Mom looked it up to see what was online.  Very sketchy details.    I ran my errands I had to run.   Then as we sat at the middle school baseball game for my nephew, more details started coming out online.  People ...

After this weekend, I can’t even ask “How did Monday get here!?!”   It really was a BLUR!  I hope we don’t have many more like that coming up!   This week is going to be interesting. 1. I have to go today to get the tag for my car.  We finally got it fixed and inspected.  I can get the tag now.  Actually…it’s a stupid little sticker for the tag! 2. I have to work the gate for the softball and baseball games at work tomorrow.  So I will get the Princess from Girls on the Run and then run back to school to work the gate until about 8pm.  Luckily the Princess will be with me and can get her homework done there. 3. I have to go get the ACTUAL tag for the new van.  They sent a letter and called to say that it is in.    4. We have softball practice on Friday.  Then we have a game on Saturday.  However, after that, we don’t have any plans this week.   I might go watch my nephews play this week!   Thi...

Yesterday was the BLUR! Finished burning CDs for the LUAU. Food shopping for the LUAU. Store the food in a cold place until the LUAU. Softball—we won!  By 1 point! Pick food up and get to Luau location. Decorate and cook (with the help of about 20 people who came!) LUAU! Tear down and clean up! (With the help of lovely people!)   The only problem with a day like that is that I am not supposed to stand up/be on my feet for more than about 15-30 minutes at time.  I went from 5pm-8pm without sitting.  I was running around.  Finally, I had to stop and ice down my back. This morning, my head was throbbing. My back hurt so much I could barely breathe. My feet were still swollen. I was just exhausted.   So….  we didn’t make it to church.  I got up.  Ate breakfast.  Sat on the couch for about an hour.  Came back upstairs and went to bed.  I finally got up at 4pm.  I think that going back to work...

I went to bed at 2 am! The alarm went off at 6, but I didn’t get up until 8. I just finished the CDs for the Luau music.  (That took FOREVER!) They are burning now! I have to get the Luau food.  I have to get to the softball field. I have to get to the Luau. So glad this is almost over! I hope the girls have fun tonight!

Starting today, this weekend is going to be a BLUR! Today, I have a meeting.  It’s like a teacher workday when the kids are in school!    It will be fun.  The girls I will be with are fabulous!   Then we have softball practice tonight, if they don’t cancel it from the rain we had LAST night!   Then I have to get the food for the Daddy-Daughter Dance (LUAU) for Girl Scouts.    I have to come home and make new CDs for the music.  The ones I have are good, but they aren’t long enough… not enough songs.   Tomorrow is softball.  Dance decorating.  Dancing.  Cleaning!   Sunday, I’m supposed to do the induction ceremony for Phi Kappy Phi at UNC, but I don’t think I’m going.    I have choir practice at the  same time.   So…. here goes the BLUR!!!

Apparently, yesterday was National Sibling’s Day!  I had NO idea!    My sister tagged me and our brothers in a post on Facebook.  That was the only way reason I found out.   So… let me tell you a little about my siblings. Donnie—3 1/2 years older than me; married; 5 kids (ranging from 17 t0 9—every 2 years); works in the school system; my daughter’s softball coach; 6’4”; loving; kind; awesome!   Lisa—9 1/2 years younger than me; married; no kids, yet; 2 dogs—Toby and Dozer; works in a daycare (and has since she graduated from high school!); nanny in her “spare” time; 5’4” (on a good day); wears the same size shoes as my 9-year-old Princess; loving; fabulous; a little airheaded sometimes (but aren’t we all?); lives around the corner from me (literally—we could walk there!)   Cody—4 months older than me; “adopted”—great family friend; lived with us (when we were in high school) for about 2 years (on and off); talented singer and songwri...

My wonderful Monte Carlo is getting some much needed rest!  As you know, Tony and I recently got a 2nd vehicle.  We have been needing one since….well….since the Princess was born!  (She has always had a busy schedule—dance, Girl Scouts, baseball/softball, gymnastics, school.  We have always needed a 2nd vehicle.   So now we have one, but the Monte Carlo needed some love.  It has some things that need work before it can be inspected.    It is getting that love today.  I just really hope that the guy gets it done before Friday.  We have WAAAAAAAAY too much to do this weekend to only have one car!     Hopefully, he will call today and let us know that he has loved on her and gotten her ready to come back home!       42 days…. and counting!

WOW!  It’s amazing how much frightening high school can be.  I was never afraid to go to school in high school.  I had great friends.  Some of them are still my friends today.   However, as an adult, I guess I am a little more (LOT MORE) conscious of how I look and everything.  I was terrified yesterday to go in with my farmer’s tan and raccoon eyes!    The kids did mention it.  Mostly, they wanted to know if I had gone to the lake or the beach or something for break.  When I told them it was from a double-header for my daughter’s softball team, they all wanted to know if she won or lost!  (One of each, actually!  Won one.  Lost one.)   High school is not as bad as I thought it was going to be for me yesterday!   Of course, I don’t know why I was worried.  I really do have the best kids ever where I’m teaching now!     43 days counting today!

I love my job.  The kids are great!  The people I work with are fantastic!  I don’t dread going to work.   You know, we’ve all had a job where you dread going to work.  There is that one part of the job that you just hate!  Last year, we just really hard for me.  It was very hard for me to drive 90 minutes to work.  It was hard for me to take even longer than that to get home.   I have had jobs where it was miniscule things that I didn’t like about them, but there was always something. Cleaning Certain customers Phone calls Getting leads Always working at night Working every Sunday   Something….   Now, I don’t have that!  I don’t mind the drive.  I love the people I’m working with.  I really want to stay there.   However, the job that I think will be my dream job when I get it, was available.  I just found out, through an email, that I didn’t get it.  Ok…so, I never expre...

We all know I love a good countdown! So…  not that I will do this EVERY day, but I will update some.  The official get-me-to-summer-break countdown is on!   9 more weeks 8 more Mondays (We get Memorial Day off!) 38 actual teaching days 6 exam days   So, that means… 1 more progress report.  1 more report card. And, for me, 36 happy students!    I think I might actually put this up as a countdown on my board today!  Think the students will mind?   I think they will get REALLY excited to see it in three weeks when we have less than a month left in class!   Now, the concern here is…. how in the world am I going to get everything taught that I still need to teach???  OMGeeee!    It will all get done!  Luckily, I don’t have Seniors!  Luckily, I’m not still in school myself!     So….  say it with me now….. THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!!!!!

Today, we have a pretty busy day! We have church this morning.  Lunch.  Then....  the dreaded getting ready to go back to school/work tomorrow!  I'm not looking forward to 4am!  However, if I look at it really well, I only have 9 more weeks to do that!  Then.... it's SUMMER break! Today is going to be a classic Sunday.  It's what we do for 10 months.  Church. Lunch. Get ready for school/work on Monday!!! I'm kind of excited to see what my kids did over the break!  :) 

Softball started today!  (If you couldn’t figure it out, the Princess is playing for the TARHEELS!)  We are UNC fans anyways; so this just made it BETTER!!!   We had to pick up uniforms before the game.  Her pants didn’t fit.  Had to get the right ones.  Other kids’ didn’t have pants that fit.   CHAOS!!   Then we had TWO games.  Double-header!  We will have that every 3 weeks.  There are only 3 teams in the age division.  Tarheels.    Pirates (ECU).  Nationals (Washington).   We won the first game, but some of the girls (5 of the 9 there today) have never played before!  They were TIRED!  We lost the second game.    Some of the umps calls were HORRIBLE!  For example, he called a pitch a ball, but the batter swung at it.  (Anyone explain that to me!?)  No…. he couldn’t explain it either!    For now, I’m sporting my farmer’s tan sunburn and racco...

  I have been trying really hard to figure out what to write for my 500th post.  Really, it got here much more quickly than I would have imagined.  (I guess when you write every day, milestones come up more quickly!)  So, today, I’m going to show you some of the Easter goodies and cuteness that were at my house.   As you know, we had SONrise Service at 6am on Easter Sunday.  That presents an issue for the Easter Bunny presents/candy.  He normally leaves them, but then the Princess doesn’t get them until after church. This year, she wanted them BEFORE church.  So she got them…..only after she was ready to go for the SONrise Service. Here is what the Easter Bunny left for the Princess: (Ignore the Girl Scout cookies and my WONDERFUL Redskins blanket in the background!) For SONrise, we wear jeans and t-shirts.  Then we go home after breakfast to change clothes.  So the Princess came downstairs to see her goodies!   ...

I’m not sure it’s Spring outside today.    Right now, I can hear the sleet hitting my windows.    Earlier this week, it was 70 degrees.  Next week, it’s supposed to be 80 degrees.  I guess the sleet and cold temps just came to say good-bye.        I love the cold weather!  This year, I guess since I’m getting older, the cold has been harder on my body.  I have had a harder time getting warm than normal.  But, I still prefer cold weather to hot. My philosophy: You can add more layers than you can take off.  After a while, someone will call the cops if you take off too much!   Today I have two sleeping 9 year-olds in the next room.  When they get up, they are going to play and play and probably play some more!    Tonight, we have uniform pick up for softball.   Tomorrow we have practice.   Saturday we have our first two games!  (We have the double header thi...

Today, I got up at 8am.  I have been searching online for houses for a friend.  She and her family are looking to move and I was helping search.  I found a few and sent them to her.  Hopefully, she will find something.     I am in the middle of planning the Daddy-Daughter dance for Girl Scouts.  It is going to be a Luau this year!  At this moment, I have no one to help me.  But…. it will all work out.     Yesterday, the Princess and I worked on her bedroom.  Then we worked on the playroom.  My parents came over and Mom helped in the playroom.  Today, we have to finish her room so that my niece can come stay tonight.  (She and the Princess have been plotting this for WEEKS now!)    Today, I have some errands to run. We are working on the bedroom.  Then I might take a nap.  It IS Spring Break after all!