Black Handle Squeezy Thingys...

So...I ventured out with my relator Mr. S and The Boy today for some house hunting.  Now let me preface all this with...1) The Boy is NOT purchasing the house with me...I need another set of ears and eyes to go with and today I learned he comes in handy when it comes to roofs!  Plus he will do a lot of the fixing up so if he can't do it...screw it!  2) Mr. S is the daddy of a good friend of ours so he is taking good care of us...oh and he is FUNNY!  3) This is a stressful thing to do but oh so exciting!

So we had 6 houses to look at today...our first was a lovely FIRST experience.

We knock on the door.  We were not expecting anyone to be there, but in true relator fashion we knock just incase!  Someone answers the door that spoke not so good English...he did understand why we were there and ever so graciously invited us in to look around.  Hmm...they were aware we were coming over...however I don't believe they cared.  The house was a disaster!  Besides the house being really dirty and some small things here and there like a whole in the ceiling...(no biggie right?) it just wasn't me.  On our way out our "friend" was sitting on the davenport (that seems to fit well in this post) with a pair of, what appeared to be leggings, on tucked into some maroon athletic socks.  I don't mean the latest ankle athletic socks...think slouch socks if you will.  He was working on his forearm muscles apparently because he had one of those squeezy things that have a black handle and some metal on them?  You know the kind that you squeeze together?  It's like the Thigh Master but for your hands apparently.  Watching Telemundo!  It was classic!  I wanted to take a picture of him and run out real fast!

The last house we visited today was said to have a small dog that was in the garage.  Apparently little dog grew over night to a full size PITBULL!  It appeared to have busted out of the garage and tore up some toilet paper through the house in the meantime.  Mr. S said a small prayer before walking in to take one for the team.   The dog ended up running away when the door opened but barked his head off and may have had a slight coronary!  Mr. S tried his hardest to get him in the garage but with no luck...we entered anyway.  Besides the Glamour Shots all over the house, the cat statue, the dog statue, and the broach collection...it didn't so much appeal to me.

Back to the hunt tomorrow...I believe I have much more blogging material nowadays!

I did however find a house I really like today...there are a few things of concern like it's bank owned...blah!!!!!  But it's definitely a good one that I like!  We will see...stay tuned for more Black Handled Squeezy Thingys!

Miss Linda came for a visit...

This was the look on my children's faces when they heard this today...

"Boys and Girls!  This is Miss Linda..she has come to help us today and she is my mom."

They are too cute...

One boy, Mr. D, says to her "I am certainly glad to know you are Miss MegPie's mother!"

He was probably thinking that I was so freakin weird he was assured I had someone to take care of me!

Of course it made mother laugh...she just called to tell me she was still laughing about it!

The Boy came today too...they had no clue who he "is" though so they didn't even ask.  The minds of first graders are so small!

That one time...

One day this summer our hike started like this...

and ended .2 miles (that's NOT 2 it's .2) into the hike with this... (I think if you click on the picture you may see it better)

We hiked the M!

So these pics are backwards, but you get the point.  We hiked the "M" in Missoula, Montana and watched the sunset while we were up there.  I LOVE this pic of us up there...you can see the WHOLE city.  I will post more pics of our trip later!

We send out apologies to all mailmen in our area...

Today was THE DAY!

The day the children of my school have all been waiting patiently yet harassing their mailperson incessantly to get "the postcard".  This said piece of mail is the highlight of one's summer.  They find out who their next teacher will be!  Who will be dispensing genius to me this year?!?!?

Back in the olden days (two years ago) we could post it in the windows of the front door of the school. Children would line up with their parents and wait and wait and wait for the secretary to post it.  (Okay maybe a stretch there, but it was close)

Anyway, with many last minute changes ( I was saved thank the good Lord upstairs) we sent the cards about a week late...it was really a bad move on the district's part as they will be paying for counseling for half the children due to anxiety issues they have developed this last week while waiting.

So apparently the kids got their postcards today...here was an email I got from one mom.  I know her because I have had her daughter in my class and she is super cool...I mean she has her own blog and everything!!!!

The email read:

hmmm, I have one VERY excited redhead here at my house..... I wonder why? Could it be that he yelled at the top of his lungs "I got what I wanted" Sounded like he was playing Go Fish.... but NO- he was grasping a yellow card from SME. He proceeded to take it to his room and place it with his most coveted trinkets. 

Godspeed to you Miss MegPie. I am going to get a new unlisted phone number by the first day.

Who doesn't love to be "what they wanted"???

I can't wait to meet all my new little friends next week.  My blog will be back up with frequent posts as I AM SURE they will be funnier than last year's kiddos!

Thankful...

This week has been another crazy one...crazy, sad, confusing, angry...you name it and I had the emotion...ask The Boy...he will tell ya!

Today I got the great news I will still be at my school...thank goodness!

I was called last Friday only to be told I would be getting a transfer just two weeks before the children arrived.  If you are a teacher you know that is NOT even close to enough time to pack, move, unpack and be ready...not to mention teach a different grade.

I was told not to pack this week as we were still in negotiations...lovely.  As the week went on...I got more nervous because time was running out... very quickly!

I had all sorts of thoughts about how my year would end up...would I have new friends?  Would I have to teach 6th grade sex ed?  Or would I have to teach at two different places?

My amazing principal called today...while I was at camp....(more on that later) to tell me I had been given my job back!  I was the only one from my school.  I am so thankful...it's bittersweet knowing there are more that didn't get theirs.

I appreciate my friends and family for their support.  I had one of the roughest weeks ever...until tonight when I realized it was really nothing...I sat through 48 young children tell why they were at grief camp...some lost one family member...some multiple...some friends, some other relatives.  Nothing is worse that people dying close to you...I remembered that tonight.

I can't wait to write about camp...and the wedding!  Yes all in one weekend!

I need to get to bed!

Party like it's 1999!

July 31st was my 10 year reunion!  It was fun, but some people never change!  Our shindig was at Kell's Irish Pub in downtown Portland.  We had a blast seeing all those familiar faces and their significant others.  3 girls were preggers, many already had kids, again...many have not changed!

I can't wait to see how everyone changes from this one to year 20!

Could someone else plan it?  =)

Here is a pic of The Boy and I at the party...

P.S. I am wearing my fabulous new dress that I love love love and I wish I could wear it everyday it's so fabulous and comfy too!  I will have to cover some things up to wear it to school and get some leggins and perhaps just a whole robe to wear over it...kidding...