Cleaned the Closet

And I cleaned the bathroom drawers too! I think I ended up with about 10 bags of clothes. I can't believe how much clothes I accumulate. Most of it is stuff I just never wear. Lots of things I own I will buy for work and then wear once and decide it's  not all that comfortable. I'm really bad about that. Or I will buy something cheap and then it doesn't last and looks cheap. One of my new goals is to not buy such cheap stuff.  I buy cheap because I tell myself, well I won't buy nice stuff in case I loose weight. haha FAT Chance. Well the pictures are the before and the after. :) Feels good to let go of all those things!!

Happy Birthday Mom

My mom is 79 years old today :) Here's to you Granny!!! 

Hope I can keep up with you this summer in New York!! 

Miss. I Just Don't Have Anything To Write About

 I like Blogging. It's becoming something I look forward to at night.

 But sometimes it is hard to find something to write about. 

Then I will look at pictures. 

Then I might be inspired. 

Is this how teenagers feel when we ask them to write?

 I would say 95% of them just start writing. But what about the rest...the Miguels in my class? Here is a kid who skipped all last year. He's lower socioeconomically and from a single parent home. At the beginning of this year he wouldn't make eye contact with me. He speaks in whispers. He is uncomfortable in school and yet you can tell he's OK with being in my class.  In fact just recently he complimented me on an outfit I was wearing. That was HUGE coming from him. This year his mother who doesn't speak English walked him to class, sat with him and to this day walks him into the school every morning. It's because of her efforts that he now comes every day.  He's a junior. She is a GREAT parent. Miguel is in class!!!!But he won't write. Oh he can because I know he is smart. He's yet to write an essay though  because he says he just can't find the words. 

I told him:  Write about your MOM. He smiles: OK ...yet he produces nothing. He's got to pass the TAKS test in 6- weeks or he won't graduate. :) 

I have a tough job ahead of me. I think I'm going to give the class a project. They have to bring 5 pictures from home and can be current or old. Next week we will write about them :) These journals, writer's notebook....will be their blog on paper. I hope they can be inspired.  Who knows I might have a future blogger in my class :) 

Excuses Excuses

Ever have one of those day where you just have a brain fart and forget something you normally do? I did yesterday. I didn't blog. hahahah It didn't even occur to me to do it.....:)Yeah, that's a good excuse..uh huh....I really wish I had a better excuse...like the ones above...hahaha But I don't. Oh well, so much for blogging everyday for a month....:) Today is the end of the semester at my HS and we tested all week. So glad it's over....Monday is a holiday!!! YEY....Tuesday we start in full speed. We are going to be studying mythology and The Odyssey. Here are some of the excuses I have on my white board for kids not doing homework. I think over the years I've heard just about all these!!! Who knew I'd need one for yesterday!!

Acquiescence

ac-qui-es-cence--noun

the act or condition of acquiescing or giving tacit assent; agreement or consent by silence or without objection; compliance ( usually fol. by to or in): acquiescence to his boss's demands.

Weird thing about this word. I haven't heard it in ages. Then yesterday two different students in two different classes brought up the word. How strange is that? I like when things like that happen. It makes me think that the world is somehow really closely connected. Just like Jan. 1st. I was thinking of a neighbor and wondered how she was doing.  I had driven by her house earlier. Well, that day she called me. It freaked me out. I think our thinking minds must be more at work than we realize. It must be somehow what connects us together. Which reminds me. I want to do a Vision Board. But that isn't this topic. I think now I will acquiesce to the lesson plans awaiting me

Topicless

Blog Block.

Nothing.

 

No Topic.

 

I've drawn a blank.

So I will let these pictures of Parker getting his dinner and Molly watching and hoping speak for me. 

Do you spy a trend?

I like pens, pencils~ well any and all writing utensils. These are the various containers I have around the house, and doesn't include the ones I keep at school.  I have to make myself not buy them at the store. I get panicky if my favorite pen runs low on ink. So to stop that I will buy three more of the ones I like.  But... what always happens is I get bored with it before I need the next one and then I'm stuck with all these pens!! Oh well, it's better than shoes, purses, men or cars...haha

My Sunday Starts

...with a cup of coffee and a scone and Post Secret. The only thing missing this morning was my sister. We usually chat every day. I had to rush this morning because we go to church at 9. That is if we are able to go at  9 or if we go at all. We are really making a commitment to go for Parker's sake. The reason we slacked off had a lot of factors concerning the church, one of which was that  the new assistant priest didn't speak clear English. In fact he really didn't speak English at all and was just learning. The Homily was quite difficult to follow. Anyway he is gone and today we found out we are getting a new young man just ordained. I'm hoping we can understand him :) 

The Game

These are pictures of Parker's basketball game this morning. These are from his high school team.  He is doing really well this year.  My goal for him starting HS was to just make the team so he'd have a place to belong. He made the team and is really loving it. Who knew my little three year old boy who was obsessed with basketballs would continue his love this long!! 

Molly and Me

When ever I come home from work, no matter what, Molly is there to greet me. She will follow me around all night until we go to bed. Yes, I'm the one that feeds her and gives her special treats. But I like to think it's just because she likes me best. I can count on her to be there when I take a nap and still be there when I get up. She won't let me out of her sight, unless she is sure she isn't going to miss something important. We got Molly aftey our yellow lab, Macy died. Parker and I went to the animal shelter for a puppy,but they had very few to choose from and we didn't want a HUGE dog which is all they had for puppies, so we checked out the older dogs. We found one we liked, but he wasn't good with kids, another one had to be outside all the time, and another one didn't like to be around other dogs. So as were were getting discouraged and leaving, we went down one more area we had missed. We rounded the corner and there she was with her feet up on the cage, saying, "Here I am. Pick me!" and so we did. She is part border collie and part we don't know. She was 1.5 years old when we got her so now she is 9 years old and has the herding instinct and a mind of her own. Molly is passionate about "cookies," walks, and squirrels. She is my girl and I love snapping pictures of her :)