One of THOSE Days...Make it TWO...

It's been a couple of difficult days around here.

We still have two teenagers at home. 

Have I said enough already?

And to think...we're in the process of adopting another one! (Sometimes it gives you one of those "what-were-we-thinking" moments. Brain, be still!)

I divorced before I married Keith. My ex is an overall good person at heart. But, of course, as is with ANY divorce, there are two viewpoints to every story. It's something like two different viewpoints to a car accident.

His & hers.

"Ex"...in a polite way...tells his view of what happened. I...in a polite way...tell mine.

This divorce happened over six years ago.

 I also tell them that this isn't a "taking sides" issue, and never should be. I tell them that it happened between adults. They know they weren't the cause of it. That's not the part that bothers them, though. It's the part where their father makes it sound like they owe him & makes it seem like I abandoned them by separation & divorce. He has said to me, "How can Oldest Child treat me that way? Look at all I've done for him since YOU LEFT." We have joint custody, but they spend most nights with their dad & days with me since I am a teacher & take them to school with me. I teach at a K-8. We've both tried to be there for them as parents as much as possible. We are not rude to one another in front of them, nor are we typically when we meet or talk on the phone.

Most people would say that if there is any such thing as a "good" divorce, it would be ours. We strive to get along. We're both with our kids every day. However, since I have remarried & their father is alone, Middle Child thinks he owes his dad his loyalty & pledge of honor. He says he's going to live with his dad & take care of him the rest of his life. To me, this is not a healthy thing. I understand why he feels this way. But since he feels he owes his dad his allegiance, Middle Child has felt that he doesn't have to show respect to me. He feels he can be "in my face" about things...cops an attitude. He has hit a newall-time functioning high as a teenager.

He has been this way for two days. I guess I should be grateful it isn't a week yet. (Knock on wood...)

The brother he typically argues with is now teaming up with him. So it's "double trouble"...

2 kids, 2 long...oh, so long...days.

I'm fortunate to be a teacher & to be a mom who understands a lot of this is due to a teenage period of growth & striving for independence. The hormones are raging.

I also know it means he's grappling with issues of a divorce...he said/she said. I've told him that there are no sides to take & all you have to do is love your parents. Respect & love them for who they are, and let them love you back. Let it go. Be at peace.

See, I know what's really in their hearts. I know why they are at this point in their lives.

But it really hurts...to tears...when your "baby" uses it against you. The child you bent over backwards for just so you could stay home with them. The child you quit your job for so you can hold them & love them. The child you bond with through nursing...so much so that you come out looking like a National Geographic Special in the end. The child you went through gestational diabetes for..to have a healthy child. 

A child whose face you look at now & you only see disdain. There's also glee & gloating in the fact that you've hurt your mom.

And what really hurts is when you realize that this is the one child...out of all our children...who doesn't have as much common sense. He's a child with a lower average I.Q. Literally. Literally.

So then I wonder...

When he acts like this, WILL he ever mature out of it? Does he have the mental capability to do so? Will he be the child who grows up & away to never come back to see me or talk to me again?

Will he love me?

I remember when they were born. The utter joy. The disbelief of producing sucha wonderfulcreature.

How is it then that they are capable of bringing you to an all-time low?

My ex used to say: They're devils in the daytime. Then they go to sleep & the angels bring back your child.

My dad has always said: They're cute when they're puppies...but they sure grow up to be mean dogs.

Of course neither of them has said that in front of the children. But there are days...like these two days...when you really wonder.

And cry....and wonder...

Double Entry Today...Act II

What a cool game!

I found this on Gretchen's blog, which led me to a newly discovered blog by Dawn. (New to me!) See her link below left.

Here's how it goes:

Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names, things, etc...

NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it & come back to it.

You CAN'T use YOUR name for the girl/boy questions.

Your Name: Sherri
Famous Music artist/group: Simon & Garfunkel
3 letter word: Sit
Color: Silver
Gift/present: Sapphires
Vehicle: SUV
TV Show: Saturday Night Live
Country: Scotland
Boy's Name: Seth
Girl's Name: Siobhan
Alcoholic drink: Strawberry Daiquiri
Occupation: Sales
Flower: Sweetheart roses
Celebrity: Shania Twain
Food: Strawberries
Something found in a kitchen: Strainer
Reason for Being Late: Sleeping in
Something You Shout: SH*T!

Have fun! sher

Love Is in the Air...and on the Bracelet

Hi, Ya'll!

Since last blog, Keith & I have celebrated our SIXTH wedding anniversary. YEA!!! WOOOHOOOO!!! Yes, thank you, thank you. We had a beautiful day. For once, I just felt...serene. I wanted a "laidback" day. You know how often when you think anniversary, you think "dress up"? Well, I don't mean the bedroom kind...I mean the "going out to somewhere fancy" kind, not meaning by any means to be putting down the bedroom kind. Heaven forbid! But for once, I wanted a calm, take-it-as-you-may day. And we did. Nothing unusual or much different. Had breakfast together. Watched some movies. We DID exchange gifts. A friend of mine, Emily, is an artist. (Her link is up in the right column.) Keith knew how much I liked her work & he got one of her paintings for me at Christmas. Little did I know, but he had another one waiting for me for our anniversary.

Geez, he's just so sweet to listen for what touches my heart (yeah, honey...I said "listen"!). He's always been that way. Once, when we were dating, I told him how my dad used to call me "strawberry girl" because I loved strawberries, especially strawberries over angel food cake with (HOMEMADE) whipped cream on top. And I had a book called "Strawberry Girl" that I'd read when I was little. It's a Florida story about a farmgirl. I reminisced about it with Keith. He never forgot it. When Christmas came, he sat me down one night & presented me with a present. It was a wrapped copy of that book he'd been able to track down on Amazon! Then he topped it off with strawberries, angel food cake, and whipped cream! TA-DA! Is he something...or what!!!???

He has done things like this for me on a number of occasions. Emily's paintings were no exception. The man definitely cares! Not that he doesn't catch hell now & then...often more now than then. But once again, he made a special occasion even more special.

I gave Keith a CD with Spanish guitar music on it. Also a book with photos of the universe. You may have caught on to a theme here. We give gifts of books & we write messages to match the gift and/or occasion. My message was about my "spaceman". You get the idea.

One final gift for him was a stainless steel I.D. bracelet. I emphasize the "stainless steel". This for a man who has his armsinto soil up to his elbows at times...and even worse substances, like the stuff that lurks at the bottom of a cageless pool when it's waaaay overdue for a cleaning. I figured this bracelet might survive for use on a DAILY basis, not like the "14kt gold" railroad link bracelet I gave him a few years back.

We'd decided to take a vacation out West. Literally the West coast. We arrived in Seattle & drove from there to San Diego, stopping along the way to visit my brother & his family in The Dulles, and winding our way down the coastal highway. We paused here & there to camp. Evidently at one of our wonderful campsites, Keith managed to "lose" the "14kt" bracelet. Or perhaps it was the street magician in San Diego, though the bracelet didn't seem to be missing (if I recall correctly) when we checked out the video footage we'd made. So someone...or someTHING in CA is enjoying a beautiful gold bracelet. It made him sick. I didn't feel so great, either, admittedly. I did replace it later. (You see, he likes steam engines, hence the chosen railroad link design.) But now you can see why the man needed "practically indestructable" stainless steel.

There was an even more practical reason for the I.D. bracelet. See, Keith has only "promised" me THIRTEEN years together. He says that's how long his other marriages lasted, one due to divorce & one due to passing, so that's all he can allow for! Double HA! So on the back of his I.D. bracelet, I had inscribed "HALFWAY THERE". We are actually at 6 1/2 years together now. We met October 2000 & married March 2001.

 My happy & warm thoughts for the day...week...years. Lingering with me. Neatly tied with a heartstring.

I adore you, honey...Here's to THIRTEEN MORE!

Yours, sher

***FIVE THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR***

1. The love of a good man...here's to you, Charlie Brown!~Lucy

2. Six and a half years of the true lovin' stuff.

3. One gorgeous day to kick back & remember it all.

4. Nine days of Spring Break (even if it's now over...)

5. And the beautiful flower garden he's planting...and the one he's tending within my heart.

Darn...tears...

Tags: Strawberry Girl, Spanish guitar

Spring Break Update

Geez...sure been a while. Can't believe it's been about a week since I last checked in here. I think I mentioned in the last entry that I was going on Spring Break. Well, obviously it's here....BEEN here. I've been taking it easy so much & so well that I haven't even made an entry.

So, what's happened on Spring Break. We have seven kids altogether. Only two are still at home. No, we didn't kick the others out. They just grew up & moved on like Mother Nature intended for it to be. Ha! Funny thing is, we just can't seem to let go of the parenting. Since becoming Guardians Ad Litem & discovering how many children still need & WANT homes, we found we have no excuse for not adopting children to add to our clan. So we're almost done with our paperwork. We've already taken classes for fostering to adopt. We've already attended the Heart Gallery & chosen children we are interested in. We've decided that the teens need us the most.

Unfortunately, most people skip the teens. They either want younger children, or they have unfounded fears of teens (TEENS???!!!) primarily due to the fact they've been in the foster system longer. People often assume this means they have more behavior problems. Not that some don't, but most teens are wanting their "forever home" & the years just keep ticking by. The closer they get to eighteen, the less hope there is for them to ever have a family & home. So the system starts preparing them, giving them "life lessons" as early as the beginning teen years. This still seems so sad to me. I mean, yes, they need those skills & it's much preferred over nothing. But at the same time, it means "hey, kid...you've entered the Last Chance Years." It USED to be..at least Down Here...that when kids reached eighteen, the powers that be would load the young adult into the car, take them to the Salvation Army, and give them a choice: "You can get out & go to the left, or the right, or you can go in here." WOW! Dumped. So yeah, thankfully they are teaching them life skills. They've also just started a program where, if a teen so chooses, he or she can extend their stay at the foster parents' home until the age of twenty-one, IF the foster parents agree to it. As you can see, still an "iffy" state.

You can now see why we are determined to add children to our family who truly need us, as we do them. My hope is that someone out there reading this will also think to get involved. If my hubby & I can do this during our "we're seeing a light at the end of the tunnel from kids" years, why can't more people do so? He's 55, and I'm almost 45. Our youngest is thirteen. We don't see how we CAN'T enjoy more children. (Hubby is probably reading this & laughing right now. Natural reaction sometimes when we stop & really think about it.) I hope more people will see this about adoption & realize it about themselves, too. Just in our city, there are 500 children needing homes, free for adoption, parental rights severed. Imagine how many there are just within our STATE, let alone the COUNTRY.

So...all this to say...we have a young person in mind...17 yrs old. We saw the pictures at the Heart Gallery display & heard about this young person. We just got word over Spring Break that there is a special meet & greet Family Night being held April 14th. We'll finally get to meet him, and him us. He has been let down before...many times. We don't want him to be let down again. We hope he'll want to be a part of our family as much as we'd like to have him as a son. *Check in after April 14th for the outcome.*

Now back to the youngest two who are still home...

Our youngest was the first to say "adopt", by the way. It all started when he met foster children at school. He's a neat kid, really.

But for Spring Break, the boys & I went to our fav Saturday breakfast spot where they serve Cuban toast & cafe con leche. The boys often complain..as kids will...that they "never" plan anything on vacation. So we made a list of things we wanted to do over S.B. Then we did them, crossing them off as we went. They were all quite simple, thank goodness! They wanted to go to Barnes & Noble. We purchased books & had a Starbucks together. The next day we went out to eat at Fresh Mouth in Ybor City (the oldest's request) before going to see "Bridge to Teribithia"(sp?). Beware: don't go if you aren't prepared with Kleenex.

Another day we went on a picnic with my parents. We met at Philippe Park in Pinellas County, just over the bridge from Tampa. I failed to mention that when you tell my mom "picnic", you might as well just bring yourselves & nothing else. My mom makes the best chicken salad...ya know, that one that has either raisins or grapes or dried cranberries?? Yum! She came last year to help me get my bulletin boards done at the beginning of the school year, and brought this fabulous chicken salad, and it looked just like a chef's presentation. Yea for moms!!! Well, Mom brought the chicken salad, fruit salad (pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, light sour cream, and coconut mixed together), and brownies. Her new trick is to pour half the brownie batter in the pan, lay a whole chocolate bar in it, and then pour the rest of the batter in & bake. Then she topped it with marshmallow cream. Let's just say this is not a picnic you'd want to do EVERY day. Oh, and she brought baked beans. Mom DID allow us to bring our own choice of drinks & allowed for us to grab a bag of chips. I added some cheese & crackers. It was all delicious!!

Then the boys went around nearby on their own adventures while I sat & talked with my parents. They're retired teachers, but since I'm not retired, I don't often catch this chance just to SIT & talk with them. Usually just phone time. (They live a little over an hour away.) It made for a wonderful day. We didn't leave until close to sundown, after taking a walk up to the Native American/Indian mounds left years ago in the park, and then down around by the water. Cross this one off the S.B. list. The next day...yesterday...was the day the boys went to spend time with their father at his house. He keeps them busy, too, so I know they'll be thrilled with the way they spent their time this S.B.

For the rest of MY Spring Break, it will be cleaning house. Our house has been sorely neglected with the way my teaching year has gone. (Replacing a teacher six times over on my grade level & trying to work with them & train them since I'm the designated team leader.) So our house needs some catching up. Hubby & I are also making visits to our children we're in charge of with Guardian Ad Litem. Carlene, stick with me! I haven't even gotten around to trying the fun things you sent me. Spring Break sometimes equates to "lazy". HA!

'Til next time, folks...

sher

Tags: adoption, fostering, Guardian AdLitem

The Little Bit of THAT on a Three-Dog Night

I laugh. Mood: quiet. How could it NOT be?? Hubby is out of town AGAIN for work, and I can't sleep. Even the three DOGS are all down for the night.

Ok...so..."THAT". What is "a little bit of that"???

Keith finished his triathlon as I mentioned last. Can't believe I haven't posted here since Sunday. But it's been tiring. Keith's race had us away for the weekend & up early both days. With the time change, we were out while it was still dark, too. Eerily beautiful with the rolling hills, low-lying fog, and haze-ringed moon. I laughed out loud on the drive into the park for the race. I mean, how many nutty people do you think would get up this early just to throw themselves into a 69 degree alligator-stocked lake to swim one mile, only to get out & then bike 17 miles & run 3 more miles??? I think those numbers are right...but even if they're not, they're still crazy numbers at this time of day! The answer...just in case you are wondering...is about 500 people. What's even MORE amazing is to see how many beat you out there BEFORE the two hours early WE got there. Anybeeehoooova, Keith did a great job!!! He's always so hard on himself. I think anyone who even CONSIDERS doing a triathlon is just amazing...or completely off his rocker! ha! For some reason I always feel a little shocked that people put themselves through this & actually live to tell about it after stumbling across the finish line. Way to go, Love, way to go!!! Give yourself some credit, will ya??? And dang...you're so sexy....

Been a busy week. Obviously... since I haven't been writing. This is the last week before our Spring break. Just two more days!!!!! Yipppeeee!!! Trust me, you'll know when it's Friday this week! I just can't WAIT to be off so I can....do Spring cleaning of the entire house. Yep...that's a Spring break for ya, huh?? But that's the reality of it. The irony is that we are cleaning for an inspection so we can adopt a teenager...who will probably return the house to its natural disorder in less time than it took for me to clean it.

What I REALLY can't wait for is summer. The calendar has been changed this year in our school system, so we will have a longer summer. I have SO been looking forward to the time off. Saved parts of my paychecks ahead. (No, teachers DON'T get paid during the summer.) Then today, my AP asked me if I'd teach summer school (or what is politely called camp now). My off-the-cuff reaction was to laugh. I even had the audacity to ask her if she was kidding & why would she even DO that to me...make me feel guilty if I don't teach summer school. I always feel like the kids will miss out if I'm not the one there teaching. Elementary teachers are known for their "just no way to say no" hearts & minds. That's why we are underpaid & often taken advantage of by school boards who ask us to do it...and MORE... for "the children's sake". It never ceases to amaze me how the junior high & senior high school teachers don't get roped into these guilt trips. So have I given my AP (and friend) an answer?? No, not I! Grrrr...

On a funny note...

While I was in a faculty meeting after school, my two youngest kids were waiting for me in my classroom. My youngest son (13) called my older son (20) at his work to ask him how to spell "psycho". Yeah..."psycho". You aren't the only person wondering "what in the heck??" Turns out he was submitting a joke online to a kids' magazine. Laugh for the night: "How did the psycho find his way out of the woods? He used a psychopath." **Har...Har...chuckle...**  That's our boy!

Had a wonderful dinner with my parents & the oldest son tonight. (The other boys were at their father's house.) Mom's chicken jubilee, green bean casserole, freshly baked yeast loaf of bread, salad, and mashed potatoes. Top it off with brownies. Cool idea on the brownies I didn't know about...Pour half the batter in the pan...lay a large chocolate bar in it...pour the rest of the batter in the pan. Bake. Fabulous!

My dad had a mark on his neck. A red line...about 5 inches horizontally. Bless his heart...he tried to chalk it up to Mom giving him a hicky. Sorry. Woozy feeling here thinking about this happening with MY PARENTS who are 69 & 70. Right, Dad...a hicky. Like, I'd fall for that. Turns out he did something even better. Thank goodness, though, he didn't break his neck. See, his driveway slopes & he has those newer trashcans that are huge & you set them out at your driveway with the handle facing the street for the new-fangled garbage trucks to pick up...literally pick up the cans with one of those mechanical arms. Well, the can got to rolling a little faster than Papa was walking behind it. It slid down on its side & my dad slid down with it...and landed head first inside the garbage can. Instant reaction: I laughed my butt off! Then I felt guilty. I just don't always remember that my dad is 70 & could get hurt. He's always been a jogger, weight lifter, and weight lifting coach at his high school. And I still couldn't help but crack up!

I'm so bad!

 

A Little Bit of This & A Little Bit of That...

Today I am thankful for...

1. One heck of a hubby...AGAIN...and again, and again...

2. That my hubby finished his second triathlon today in Clermont, FL & survived healthy & whole from the gator waters.

3. People who believe in the freedom of speech.

4. People who stand by what they believe.

5. The quiet retreat of our bed...

BONUS: I am thankful for new friends.

"A little bit of that" to come later...

sher

Tags: Clermont Florida, triathlons, Dixie Chicks, freedom of speech

A New Thought? No, Just New Meaning

I just came from a blog by a woman named Gretchen. You can visit it at the link I added to the left.

Gretchen taught me something new today. Maybe the right way to put it is...she reminded me of something I knew, but gave it new meaning. Gretchen often posts five things she's thankful for. You may not think that's so unique. But in the every day grind we all go through, I think we often forget the good we have & in what's going on around us. Even more inspiring is the fact that Gretchen thinks to do this in spite of even the "bad" moments. You see, she's lost several special family members this past year. Yet she still finds bright spots out there.

Thanks, Gretchen!

Five Things I Have to Be Thankful for Today:

1. The love of an awesome man. (He picked up the pieces for me, too, Gretchen...)

2. My children (They aren't perfect..they each have their "oddities" or even difficult times they give us..lol...but that's kids for ya!)

3. I'm part of a neat family!

4. We had gorgeous weather! (Here's wavin' atcha Northerners from down here in sunny Tampa! 78 degree high today!)

5. I have a job where I can make the difference in the lives of people...I teach. Today was a good teaching day.

hugs to all, sher

Tags: thankful, Tampa Florida, teaching

Faster than Dr. Love's Medicine Bag, Swifter than the VCR Man's Rewind Button...Chef Keith Arthur

Ok, I've had a day of rest here. First came the tale of Dr. Love. Now the VCR repairman...not quite as lengthy as Dr. Love. But along the same line of thought.

Not long after Dr. Love appeared, along came TA-TA-DA....VCR Repairman. Once again, "he" appeared at my apt door. Once again, it took more than one blonde moment to realize who "he" was. I mean, who expects a man to come to your rescue in the middle of the evening...DARK OUTSIDE...to repair ANYthing. Handsome dude, though. Had to have been 'cause now I can't recall if he brought the VCR with him or just repaired one I had.I'm sure VCR repairman will call me on this one. It's not that he wasn't memorable. The problem was...HE WAS! He looked quite handsome in that repairman's suit. Must be something like what men in the armed services' uniforms must look to some women. Just not to me..until now. Whenever he finished whatever had to be done to the VCR, we enjoyed a movie. Little did I know THEN what a movie aficionado my soon-to-be hubby was!(IS!!!)

You may wonder what gives with all the dress-up. Is my hubby just one of those "let's dress up & have fun" kinda guys?? Well, I believe he could be...EASILY! You see, he's been an actor, writer, producer, director for the past twenty years. He owned Future Productions...actually still does in name...up until last year when he retired. After I met him & married him, I began acting with him, too. I'll have to remember to post my fav pic of us from that time. My character was an aging rock star trying to make a comeback with her group, and Keith's character was a music critic from a magazine We staged the murder mysteries at the Gibson Inn in Apalachicola, Florida. Now one of our former actors has taken it over for us. (His company is Clark & Dagger...get it??? Cloak & dagger???.... a name I'm proud to have come up with...) But we had quite a few fun & CRAZY times up there. Check out the tag below. So you see, dressing up is nothing new to this family.

Suddenly, though, for those romantics at heart following this long story...just yesterday, along comes "Chef Keith Arthur". I had to ask Keith if he'd make dinner for us before I couldget home. Our "third in braces" had another orthodontist apptmt. I got the following email from him at work:

"First, there was Dr. Love, then the VCR Repairman, and now 'tis, Chef Keith Arthur (use French accent..I guess that'd be Chevvvv Ket ArTHUR)- plenty of shepherd's pie and pizza leftover."

HA!!! My kind of chef! Quick, to the point, and a wee bit easy, if I say so myself! ;->

Well, I must say...at least Dr. Love/VCR Repairman/Chef Keith Arthur is truly a versatile man! 

And he DID finally figure out how to add me to his blog list. 

Morning, Sweetheart...I adore you!

sher  

Tags: Apalachicola, Gibson Inn, Clark and Dagger

Starrin'....Dr. Love

Hey, Kim! Thanks for the response! (See Kim's blog link in the left column.) You even beat out my DH in leaving me a post!  Speakin' of pajama party, which is kind of like dressin' up  ;-> ...

I promised to tell about Dr. Love & the VCR repairman. I know I told you that my hubby is the type every woman dreams of. I said that, & just now he tells me he doesn't know how to get back to my blog on his laptop. I tell him to save it to Favorites or Bookmark. He says there's too much in there to add it. Thanks, my Knight-in-Tarnished-Armor!  Just for that...here's a kiss-&-tell! hehe...

My DH & I met online. Yeppers!!! Online. Back when Love@aol had only just begun. I had been out late dancing. Figured I'd take one last look at the site & then hit the bed. Something about his picture just pulled at me. And the way he spoke of time with his son..that was love. We ended up emailing one another for about 2 weeks. Then, one day he asked if I'd like to meet him somewhere for coffee or tea.

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!!!!

Wow!!! He didn't say "drinks", as in "alcohol"...not that I don't drink now & then. But, how intriguing. A man who can hold his own over coffee or tea. Safety in numbers, right?..if you've ever met someone in person for the first time. So I told him to meet us up at the Ale House where I'd be with some friends that next week. But after the talking we'd done, I knew the minute he walked in, he was "The One".

During our courtship, I came down with a very nasty type of bug. Happens to us teachers every so often. He called that night & wanted to see me. I told him he'd be better off if he stayed away for a bit. I didn't want him or his son to catch what I had. The stuff I had was awful! He insisted, though, he was coming over. Not too long after, I heard a knock at my apt door. I went to the peephole expecting him, possibly. But I was bewildered! Here was a person...who looked like a....doctor??? Someone in a lab coat. And he wouldn't look at the peephole in such a way that I could figure him out. So I asked...of course, "Who's there?" "Eet iz I, Docture Luf," he replied. Huh??? So I asked again...and got the same response. Bear with me here...I'm blonde. It takes a few "WHO is its??" before it dawns on me. Lo, & behold...it is my sweetheart...dressed as Dr. Love. "Heeer to take care zuf yu." (Best typed dialect I can do, folks...) He walked in carrying a MONSTROUS doctor's bag...ya know...the real big black doctor's bag you always imagined or saw in movies? But this is actually the real thing, 'cause I find out later it belonged to his grandfather...GREATgrandfather, I believe. (Maybe if he can find my blog, he can correct me on that...right, sweetheart??) And just what DID the doctor order that night? Dr. Love opens his cavernous bag and starts taking out his "remedies". A half gallon of o.j., zinc cough drops (in vogue at the time), the biggest can of chicken noodle soup I'd ever seen, or SINCE seen, a loaf of French bread, and to top it all off...a bouquet of flowers. Yes..all in that one bag! Oh  my gosh..the man still makes me swoon! (Just today he emailed me & told me he wished HE'D had a teacher as cute as me! Sigh...But I digress...sorry...) So Dr. Love took really good care of me that night, in spite of the fact that he did catch what I had. Or was that the NEXT time Dr. Love appeared?? Hmmm...

 And if ya come around when I'm sick, you may still hear Dr. Love taking "caaare uf" me. I could stop there & I'd be happy.

Ya know... I think I will. Still gives me smiles... tears in my eyes...and a glow that won't go away...even six years later. (It's our wedding anniversary this month.) I think I'll go to bed on that thought. Shucks...gonna join Dr. Love!

So..tune in tomorrow for---

"As the VCR Man Rewinds..."

Workin' for the Weekend...

Not much to say, but...

Lots to be happy about today, besides just being alive! First, we hired a new teacher for Second grade. Long story short: we've been through six teachers this year in that position. All left for various reasons. We now have someone who is very mature for her age, experienced with 3 yrs teaching, & on the ball. I'm thrilled as our team leader because I now have 29 children (was 30) due to so many teacher changeovers. So does the other Second grade teacher. We didn't want to put the kids through any more changes, so we agreed to do as administration asked: split the class & put 10 more in each of our rooms. Confused??? Trust me...it's been that way since..the beginning of the school year!! Now at least the new teacher will be able to pull some of our kids & work with them. This will give us smaller groups & more one-on-one time. For those of you who don't believe in a class-size amendment, I challenge you to work in my room for the rest of the year. But needless to say, I'm feelin' good about this weekend, knowing that another teacher will be in to help take up some of the workload.

Another reason to be happy~

My hubby is back home. He had to go out to Shreveport on business for four days. I'm very thankful that he's home safe again tonight. The news of the tornadoes & the damage they've done is just horrendous. My thoughts go out to the people who were involved in the demolished high school that made the nat'l news.

 I don't sleep well when my hubby is gone. I didn't...couldn't..fall asleep until 3a.m. on two nights he was gone, and 1 a.m. for the third night he was gone. I was so tired that I didn't hear the alarm & had to call my admin to say I was running late. Welcome home, Baby!!!

Well, there is a gorgeous weekend ahead. Think we'll go for Cuban toast & cafe con leche in Ybor City. Go to the Y. Then maybe take our greyhounds to the beach park on Davis Island. It's too beautiful outside to pass up being out there, although housecleaning is required. Checked out some movies for a movie fest. Yes, life is slow & boring sounding here, but I live for that on the weekends.

Coming up:

~Finish telling about Dr. Love & the VCR repairman! ;-)

Tags: Florida class-size amendment, Ybor City, Davis Island Florida

The Latest on HPV...Men, Listen Up!!

Whaddaya know?! Another article on HPV. Out just after yesterday's blog entry. And wait till ya hear the latest. Men, your part in helping with HPV is also very important. Front page of our paper today (Tampa Tribune)....

HPV appears to be more prevalent in MEN!

Yep.

Men, it is just as important for you to do your part in preventing cancer in women AND men. Certain strains of HPV put men at risk of penile & anal cancer, according to a study that has been ongoing for nearly two decades at the Moffitt Center in Tampa. Preliminary research on men shows a prevalence of 59.4 percent. (For women it is 26.8 percent.) Source according to the article: a report published Wednesday (2/28/07) in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. About 9,600 women develop cervical cancer each year compared to 10,000 cases of HPV-related cancer for men each year. There is not a test available on the common market yet for men to be tested for HPV. Four out of 100 strains are linked to cancer.  

Again, parents, consider what is best to protect your daughter with the HPV vaccine. With almost 60 percent of men having HPV, do you really want to chance your daughter contracting it & possibly developing cancer?? I'm living proof (fortunately) that it's very possible. I know we hear so much about this cancer or that cancer or some other cause that has a colored ribbon. I'm certainly not trying to make light of them. I just worry that we are becoming desensitized to these causes & may not take new concerns like HPV seriously.

Parents, love & protect your children.

 

 

Tags: Journal of the American Medical Association, HPV in men, cervical cancer, HPV vaccine