On The Flip Side

I have started subbing again. I am in the school that houses first and second grade now....all this month, actually. I am, of course, in special ed. They work their program a little differently there. Instead of working all day with the same 1 or 2 kids, every para works with all the kids. It gets broken up into 30 to 60 minute blocks. I can see definite pros and cons with this system. About the time you are needing a break from the kid you are working with...you get it as you move on to the next one. On the flip side....the side that matters most....the kids don't get a lot of continuity. Kids like my Shelby and others like her need consistency. They need to know what to expect and how things are going to be handled. Some of the others....the higher functioning kids....handle the change in paras quite well. So, there are a few tantrums and what not but all in all I like getting to know all of the kids. I do find myself focusing on Shelby a lot. She is still the sweet kid that she was last year. I just really like her. I have met some new friends. They are a funny bunch. I do think we will be great friends before my term there is over. I was pleasantly surprised while walking the halls my first day there. My friends from the classrooms I was in last year actually remembered me. My sweet (but slightly naughty) Dominick remembered me, and of course Max, "king of the wild things", told all of his buddies that I am the lady that read him his favorite book for the first time. Most of Shelby's class from last year gave me a hug or a high five. One little girl even said she missed me. ((sniff)) How sweet....So while some of the kids were the same and there were new faces and names to learn the feelings were a lot the same. I feel like I can make a difference with these kids....I feel like I am king of the munchkins when I walk down the hall fielding high fives. I actually like being around (most of) them. You know....until they try to (or successfully) bite me, or use me as a human tissue (ick, gross, gag) or screech really loudly. It is then that I do question my sanity. But mostly I look forward to seeing them and hearing about their triumphs and giving them a hug when they are down. Whoda thunk it. On the flip side...a lot of projects that I have been dying to start or have started have been put on the back burner. I have cabinets to paint and birthday presents to make....but they will have to wait. My days of endless "creative time" are over. It's back to reality. hahaha Yeah, me and reality have never been good friends. I'll get my projects done. It's just going to take a while. In the mean time....you'll probably be hearing about more of the insanity that happens when I am set loose in public places. It happens, that's all I can say.

On The Road Again

On Saturday, Jim and I did something we haven't done in almost 3 years. We took a 4-wheeler ride. We used to own Hondas. They were fun and we used them a lot. Then, when we moved to the The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes (they're not kidding about that BTW), we sold the ATVs and bought a boat.We used the boat a lot the first 2 summers we were here. This summer has been a bust for the boat. It has been either too cold or too windy or we were too busy to use it. Not fun. Due to a slight (almost) detour in our geographical area, we sold the boat. Traded it in, actually. A Polaris ATV is parked in the boat shed now. So, we looked up some trails on-line and found some not too far from home.(Yes, I know I look like a pirate, sans the patch) Of course my idea of not too far and Jim's idea of close to home are very different. I don't love the car ride. It is a necessary evil. The trail head wasn't easy to find either. I want a neon sign pointing me in the right direction.
So when we found it....I might have been a little pissy. Maybe. Jim was afraid I would be that way the whole day. He might have been right. Except. Except when we got on the ATV I relaxed and was able to enjoy the scenery. There were beautiful wild flowers and patches of fall foliage.
We passed quite a few big groups of riders enjoying the day. I did appreciate the fact that we were in the front of our group (truth be told, we were the only part of our group, so we were also in the rear). But we didn't get nearly as dusty as the poor souls in the rear of this group.
The sun was shinning, the wind was slight and the temperature was perfect. I loved looking around and snapping pictures. Jim asked me a few times if I wanted to drive, but I was having such a good time that I didn't want to spoil it.
If you know me, you know that I wasn't a fan of this bridge. Especially when Jim stopped on it. Chills. It was sound enough. I just didn't want to be on it too long.
Hey, look Renae!! Proper foot wear!! Oh, and just because you remember to bring the detailed map.....doesn't guarantee it is accurate!!!
Did I mention the sun was shinning? It was and it was brilliant! Just what we needed after a month of indecision and unsure footing.
Fall is quickly coming on....but I think I will be OK. The great part of it is I am friends with 2 of the biggest Fall Freaks around and I will enjoy the season through them.

It was a quick ride. We were only out for just over 3 hours. It was a great day just the same. If all Autumn days were like this....I just might be convinced to be a fan of fall.

Laundry Room Madness

I have linked up today with Rhoda from Southern Hospitality and Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Such lovely women....who don't know me from a hole in the wall....but with whom I have so much in common. I have decided to show you my laundry room make-over even though it isn't quite finished.....because frankly, if I wait 'til I'm done....you may never see it.
A while ago Jim went to Arizona for a few days and left me to contemplate the sad state of the laundry room. When we moved in 2 years ago, the color (2 tone pinkish rusty blah) didn't bother me. It was, after all, only the laundry room. No one would really see it.....right?? Sure. Unless the garage door is open and then it becomes Grand Central Station. The longer we have lived here the more distressing the color has become. So with so much time on my hands....I went and bought paint. I have read a lot of blogs over the last year and have jotted down various shades of wonderful that I have wanted to try. One that has popped up frequently has been Tobacco Road from Lowes. I managed to get the "recipe", since it has been discontinued, and took it to Fargo. I will just tell you right now I am TERRIBLE at "before" photos. I just get so excited to get started (so I can be finished) that I forget to document the "before". Here are a couple of laundry room "befores". Obviously this is after I took down the border. I did get a photo of it laying around. (The blue sticky notes have been on the closet door since 2/10/08. They are laundry instructions that I left for my kids just before I went to stay with my Mom....it turned into a month stay to help my Dad after Mom my passed away and I just can't stand to take them down yet.)
It's not a terrible border. Just not my thing right now. It was (thankfully) easy to take down.
I painted 2 coats on the walls and hung a new mirror with a cute saying on it. I got the mirror at a yard sale this summer and wanted to put it in my daughter's room. She didn't really want it...so I kept it!
I transformed this framed art piece into a lovely vinyl letter sanctuary.

These are some of my Good Will finds that I have spray painted and put on the shelves. The shelves are also holding my owls while the pumpkins have taken over the living room.
The 2 small shelves were found at Good Will, the larger one was in my closet.

I got a cute little lamp that needed a new paint job for the big shelf. Now I just need to decide how to refinish the lamp shade. It really is dreary.

More vinyl for the wall and it is mostly finished. I am going to paint the door that goes into the garage. Someone painted it to look like an oak door. It's not. It's metal...and it should be black. That an a few changes to the accessories and it will be finished.
I would love to hear what you think about it. What would you do differently? Make sure you go check out what Rhoda and Susan have been up to. They really do have some fabulous ideas.

links for kitchen redos

Here is the first of many...I hope....inspirational kitchens.

And here is a link to a craft I want to try. And here is another one!! Here is what I want to do to my bathroom mirrors.

A Link and a Wink

Over at Between Naps on the Porch I have learned a great many things. I showed off a bit yesterday and made the photo REALLY BIG. Why, you ask? Just because I could. It wasn't hard. It did require that I change my template to "Minima Stretch"....instead of "Minima". And I had to get a new background. Click here for very easy to follow instructions. Her post yesterday had some other very easy to follow instructions too. Click here and then scroll down a bit for those. Easy peasy...right? Right!!And there is your photo for Wordless Wednesday. (Love ya, 'Chelle!)

Big Shot

So, I'm trying new things. True....I don't usually fall into the "Adventurous" category...but here I go. See, I found this blog that I lovelovelove and I am taking some of the advice found there. Susan is helpful and oh so talented. I love it there. So I learned to do this...and WOW!! I love my pics that big. I will admit to being somewhat loud so big photos work for me. Also....I like options. I like that I can make photos big or small. I like not having to have any photos at all. ((small chuckle)) I kind of like thinking outside the box. Blog rules need not apply to me!! ((again with the chuckle)) In case you are wondering about the strange mood I've fallen into.....let's just say that I LOVE it when I can feel the hand of God guiding my family through life. Love it!! Thanks for listening.

Another First Day

As I sit here listening to the dogs wrestle in the other room I am reminded of a time when the sounds from the other room belonged to my children. The quiet play or the noisy rough housing seemed to be a never ending phase at my house. I will even admit to wishing they would hurry and get past the bickering-over-every-dang-thing phase. Now in the quiet I am reflecting back on the things I thought I would never miss. The night time rituals, the constant noise, the sticky hands. Even grocery shopping with my kids was a HUGE event. They would bicker and rant and beg and annoy until I wanted to pull my hair out. After every trip I would vow that there would never be another. Until the day came that it wasn't torture. It was actually a good time for talking. I'm not sure if all of you know this....but kids... especially pre-teens and teenagers talk more freely with their parents when the kids are semi-focused on something else. Like grocery shopping, for example. My kids and I have covered every topic from menstruation to sex to school and almost every other touchy subject you can think of in some form of grocery store or other. After Kevin graduated from high school, I would schedule my shopping trips around his classes. Some great conversations with my now grown (hard for me to admit that) son have taken place over the last year....in a Wal-Mart. One thing that I have never wished away or hated at all is our yearly "Back to School" photo. Somewhere in the pre-teen years each of them has expressed their displeasure toward this ritual...but I have persevered. I have some nice photos measuring their growth and physical changes from year to year. But this year I only had one photo to take. I think she looks older that her almost 16 years. That. scares. me. to. death. So here she is in all her 10th grade glory. Ready to be filled with the knowledge and wisdom that time and experience (and public school) offers. Here's to you my last born. Just don't fly off too fast.