The World According to Leslie

I need help! Those may three of the hardest words to say together in the English language. The other hard three word combos are "I am sorry" and "I was wrong". I've said all of these three word combinations so many times in my life, but for me, personally, the hardest three to say together are "I need help!" I'm a very, very, very (did I say VERY?), type A personality. According to Wikipedia (which is not always right, but can be used for fun information like this), a Type A person can be: "rude ambitious rigidly organized highly status-conscious sensitive impatient anxious proactive concerned with time management People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving "workaholics" They push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence." Except for the "rigidly organized" and "highly status-conscious," that's pretty much me!!! I work best in stressful situa...

This weekend was pretty good. Actually, I was so exhausted from the weekend that I took a TWO HOUR nap on Sunday!  (I haven't done that in a long time!) Friday, I went to watch my nephew play in a high school baseball game. He is a sophomore, but he's pitching for the Varsity team this year!  YEP!  He's that good!  He even made the local paper for his work at the end of the game on Friday. You can check out the article here . On Saturday, I taught the Sign Language badge at the Girl Scout Badge Bonanza. It's an event where the girls choose what badges they want to earn, and they can earn up to 4 in the day! It was fun!  I haven't done that in a couple of years! Sunday, we had the VBS meeting at church. It went well. We had a good turn out for the first meeting. I'm still going to need more volunteers, but I think I will be able to get them. After church, we met up with an old friend. She gave us some scrapbooking supplies for The Princess's Silve...

About 5 minutes ago, I published the post Making Room for God's Plan , I got a phone call. The previous day, I had applied for a job at a local Charter school.... teaching English. I hit publish on the post. Seriously, no more than 5 minutes later, the phone rang. They wanted to interview me. It was the shortest interview in the history of interviews. It only lasted 10 minutes, max! I left feeling pretty confident. However, now, I'm in the waiting game.  I don't like that game.... so..... I always find things to do while I wait. Here are the things I'm doing. Over the next few days, I'm going to give you more information about all of these things (like links to how to find me and things like that)!!  1. Substitute Teacher--I am working in the same county where I live and where I used to work. Last year, I covered two long term (8 week) assignments at two different schools. I usually work about 3-4 days a month. I'd love for it to be more. If you are a ...

About 18 months ago, on June 10, 2015, I did something I didn't really want to do. I walked out of my job for the final time. I had resigned (effective on the last day of school) a few weeks earlier. I didn't want to do it. My flesh was terrified. I'm sure I've shared that here. Tony and I had discussed it and prayed about it. We felt it was the right thing to do. We knew God would supply. He has. We have not gone without anything we have needed since I resigned. When I left the classroom that day, I was leaving a classroom I had been in for 3 years. I had been teaching a total of 4 years. I had a lot of stuff. When I say a lot of stuff, I mean a LOT! I put all my files and notebooks and books in crates and boxes and tubs. It took me 2 loads with the seats laid down in my minivan. For the past 18 months, all of that stuff... all the boxes, all the crates, all the tubs.... have been sitting in my office floor. If I needed something from the office, I had to move 4...

I took a few days off to spend time with my family for Thanksgiving!  I hope you all enjoyed your time with family/friends/co-workers--whomever you spent Thanksgiving with! There are links to all the other Writing Challenge posts on Day #7 . I know in the beginning I said there are 60 days to this challenge.  However, I have thought about it, and I think I'm going to do the first 10 days. I have started writing on a regular basis.... which was the point. So, now, I'm going to write about other things.... not just the challenge topics. Today's Challenge is actually quite appropriate.  It's about Thanksgiving. Today's Challenge: "Make a list of 10 things for which you are thankful." Making a list is easy. Leaving it just in list form is hard for me. :) I'm Thankful For.... 1. God--He is so awesome. He supplies everything I need. He is there no matter what and loves me no matter what. I have failed Him so many times, but He has never fail...

You all know I love a good countdown.  I countdown to Christmas, vacation, Friday, the end of the work day…. EVERYTHING!   Well, I think it is part of how I deal with stress.  When I am aggravated about something, being able to countdown to the end of it makes it easier!    So….here are a few countdowns (some are fun/others not so much)! (Some are vaguely close to the real dates….they will get more specific as the time comes!)   5 days until I pick up about 1000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies 8 days until cookie booths start 9 days until my birthday 37 days until the Art Gala and Auction at the Princess’s school ~12 weeks until Spring Break starts (April 18th) ~12 weeks until Easter ~15 weeks until EOGs start for the Princess ~17 weeks until Memorial Day ~19 weeks until school is out!   I’m a little stressed out this year with all the stuff I am doing.  I haven’t been able to scrapbook with my DIVAS since Sept. or Oct....

I have always hated making decisions.   Last night, I made a great one!   After being broken-hearted that I could not make it to scrapbooking, Tony actually got off work in time that I could go. However, after going by my Papaw’s how to get my mom… (She takes his car to him on Fridays.  That’s another story. )…I decided that I would not go scrapbooking. I could have made it for a couple of hours. I decided to spend time with my family.   We haven’t done that in a while. So, we went to the Chinese buffet. After dinner, we went to watch part of the race that is in town this weekend on my dad’s huge TV. My brother and two nephews were there. We stayed until about 9:30pm. Then we left and came home to get some rest.   I wrote my article about my Interpreting career. (When it is posted, I will link it here.)   Then we were all in bed by 11pm.   Now, Tony is already at work.   The Princess is eating breakfast and getting ready...

I have a writing assignment due today. It’s about my career. When it is posted online, I will let you know.     Today is “Favorite NFL Team” day at the Princess’s school.  I had to get her a shirt. It matches one that Tony got for Christmas. Now, they have two shirts that are exactly the same. They dress alike without even knowing it!  lol    I finished reading another book yesterday. If you get a chance, read The Invention of Hugo Cabret . It’s an easy read because much of the story is told in pictures, but it is a great story.    I’m so tired. I feel like I never get any sleep.   Last night we had 11 girls at Girl Scouts again. That STILL wasn’t everyone!   I’m supposed to go scrapbook tonight, but I’m sure I won’t make it. Tony has been getting home late all week. Then I’d have to leave early to get home to sleep so that I can have a 6am alarm tomorrow morning. (These double headers are killing me!)  BUT….no g...

I have been writing all week.   But, that is not all.   I have actually taken time this week to see my parents, supper 2x. I have learned new Nintendo DS games with the Princess this week. (Ok! Not really new. It was Super Mario! LOL) Tony, the Princess, and I played NFL Monopoly last night. Tony beat us really bad, but we played.  (No different that real Monopoly. Instead of street names, it has teams. Houses are “sections” and condos are “stadiums”.)   Tonight, we are supposed to go hang out with my parents, eat supper, and play canasta. We haven’t done that in a long time. So I am looking forward to it.   Tomorrow, I was supposed to go scrapbooking all day with my Divas, but Tony has to work. So, I will not get to go. I know my parents will be busy tomorrow, so I won’t ask them to keep the Princess for me….even if they say it is fine…..even if she helps them more than getting in their way!    So, I will go visit my Divas for a l...

So tonight we have softball pictures and practice if there is time (and an open field)! Then I’m going to join the Scrap Happy Divas for some late night scrapbooking!   It’s our NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY celebration….24 hours of cropping, scrapping, and talking!  (I won’t get to be there the whole 24 hours though. )   Tomorrow morning, we have the Girls on the Run 5K.  We have to be there at 7:30am!  SO glad Tony will be driving!   Our softball game is at 2:15pm.  Then my nephew plays at 4pm.  We will stay to watch him, I’m sure!  I owe him some pizza.  (I’ll tell that story soon!)   Today is Friday.  We only have 25 days left of school!  I’m getting excited, but still worried that I won’t get it all in!     This is going to be another of those BLUR weekends!

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...

I have always loved to write.  I hope I will always love to write. Recently, though, I have discovered a new love for writing.  By writing on here every day, I have learned that although I don't have absolutely fabulous things to talk about all the time (most of the time!), I love to write about the mundane things that happen in my life.  I just love to write. Last night, I decided that I am going to start a Scrapbooking Blog.  I love to scrapbook.  I love all the tools.  I love the new papers.  I love everything about scrapbooking.  I actually started a new blog on Blogger last night, but then I remembered that Blogger (for me at least) has been having issues posting.  (I am having to use my Windows Live Writer to post right now.)   So, I am thinking about using something else.  When I do start it, I will let you know here.  I’m sure some of you will come with me.   Some of you are probably scrapbookers (paper...

Before I tell why my heart is heavy, let me get some good news out! 1.  Chasity sold over 1000 boxes of cookies!  WOW!  That's a new record for her.  We are excited.  It means she will get a Kindle Fire.  (I think she is going to take my Kindle full time for now and we will share the Kindle Fire!) :)  2. Today is Friday!  That means that tomorrow is Saturday!  I get to scrapbook tomorrow for 12 hours! :)  LOVE IT!  Can't wait to see my triplets! :)  3. Our first softball practice is tonight!  We are going to get to meet team and see how things are looking. Now, for my heavy heart. On Wednesday, I got a message from my mom that my Uncle Bud (my Papaw Paul's brother-in-law) was in the hospital in critical condition.  It wasn't very long until I got a message that said, "I hate to tell you this over text, but Papaw just called and Uncle Bud passed."  :(  So, tonight, I will be getting in a car with ...

Monday was a day off school.  We celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. day.  (I posted about that here .) Yesterday was a Teacher Workday . Today the students are taking the final exam (last class) that they were supposed to have taken on Friday.  They get out for 1/2 the day.  As soon as I get my grades and stuff in the computer and get a couple more copies made, I am out for the day too.  (I might go have lunch with the Princess, if I can swing it!) Tomorrow begins a new semester.  I get new students.  The students all get new classes, new teachers.  I work in a high school.  We have 4 classes first semester and 4 different ones second semester.  Luckily for me, I only have to tweak what I did first semester because I am teaching the same thing this semester.  First semester, I only had 8 kids in my largest class.  This semester, my largest class will be 14.  That will be the biggest difference for me.  I have ...

I went to scrapbook with my Scrap Happy Divas.  That is ALWAYS very exciting.  We are going to be going to a different location (less than a mile from the normal one) on Jan. 26th to scrapbook.  We are scrapbooking to help raise money for Relay for Life.  :)  When the lady came to pick up our registrations, one of my "triplets" said she didn't know where the place was.  What did we do?  ROAD TRIP!  We, my other "triplet" and I, took her to show her where the place it.  Then we came back to scrapbook some more! About an hour later, a lady (whom I met for the first time yesterday) was talking to her daughter on the phone.  We heard, "They just put out the peanut butter chocolate donuts?"!!  What did we do?  ROAD TRIP! We went to Sheetz (in Salisbury) to get donuts.  Unfortunately, there for 4 of us in the car and they only had 3 peanut butter filled chocolate covered donuts.  There were 5 more people wai...

Last week, Tony informed me that he had to work today and tomorrow.  Luckily, he's in town, and not an hour away like normal.  Unfortunately, the last time he worked a weekend on the job he's doing this weekend, he worked Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday.  They all blended together though because he didn't get off work "Friday" until 2 am Saturday morning.  Then he went BACK to work 8am, and he worked until 3am Sunday morning.  Sunday he went back in at 8 am.  He got off at 5am on Monday morning, took Chasity to school, took a shower, and went back to work until 9pm on Monday night!!!  The GREAT thing about it?  The paycheck.  Saturdays are automatic time-and-a-half.  Sundays are automatic double time !!!  That paycheck was AWESOME!!!  The horrible thing?  We didn't get to see Tony much and he was exhausted the entire week trying to "catch up" on sleep! However, he says that is won't be that bad this weekend....

You know how sometimes life gets a little nuts? You know how sometimes, as women, we don't take time for ourselves? Well, I have found a group of women to hang out with, and it's better than therapy! I have been scrapbooking for about 3-4 years now!! (WOW! Time has really flown!)  Anyways, I started very simply.  I put pictures on a page and made sure there was pretty paper behind it.  Now, I take a little longer because I have been doing it longer and I like to embellish.  A year ago, my friend, who is a  Creative Memories consultant, got a group of us together.  We did not know each other.  The only common thing was our friend.  Now, three of us, "The Triplets" are best friends.  We call each other, have "Girls' Night", and help each other out! When we arrive at the crops, sometimes we have had a hard week (day/month/etc.).  After about an hour, these women have me laughing and crying and everything else.  With my dad ...

My high school band director used to say "Time's fun when you're having flies!" I always thought that was funny. I don't know why! :) Friday night, Tony found Chasity's pics from her 2nd birthday! She really DID have one! lol I was beginning to think I dreamed it! Later that evening, I went to the Crop with my friend. I finished Chasity's second book. Next time, I get to start on her 3rd book. Right now, it's going to be very small. I can only find Christmas and her 4th birthday! I'll add more when I can find more! lol I can't wait to start on her other books that I have to print pics for. I have LOTS of pics to put in them! :) Saturday, our Girl Scout troop went to Plaster Creations! It's an awesome place where you can pick a plaster piece and paint it (check out that alliteration)!! You dry it with a hair dryer. They seal it. You take it home the same day! I have pics of the pieces for a different post! Sunday we had an...

At 6pm tonight, I am going to a Creative Memories crop with a friend of mine. She is an awesome consultant. We have been hanging out for a while now! I started Chasity's 1st book in October 2008. I finished it about a year later. It was HUGE! Plus... I had to learn how to do things! It covers from the 1st ultrasound photo to her 1st Birthday. Now I'm working on her 2nd book. Somehow, I have misplaced several months of pictures. I know that I was still using my 35mm then. I know I had to have the film developed. However, I also know that I had friends/family there taking pics also. Unfortunately, NONE of us can find pics from Chasity's 2nd birthday. I have no pictures of Chasity to put in her book from May 2005-August 2005. Then, I have only a FEW pics of 2006. I know that SOME of the missing 2006 pics are on my digital camera memory card. I looked at them earlier today! Those start right around Christmas 2006. I do have her 3rd birthday pics. Right now, thoug...

So as you know, I won the Basement Bags Girl give away from The World From My Basement . I received my goodies and have been showing them off to EVERYONE. Everyone....except you guys. I totally keep forgetting to put pics up here. So.... I plan to do that in just a little bit (since I'm not with my camera at this moment). However.... I just received a comment on a recent post stating that I won the Scrapbooking Giveaway at Amaria's Reviews and Giveaways. If you click here , it will take you to a link of the post for the giveaway! All the goodies in that picture are mine.... and should be shipped to me soon. (I should probably give her my address....right?) I have a big scrapbooking thing coming up on May 21-22! I can't wait to TELL everyone about what I won! :) So.... I'll have pics of the Basement Bags goodies up in just a bit! Until next time........