Where Have I Been?

A new job. Goodbye to the old, yet back again to something from the past...
A new pet that's a hamster named Manny (let the revolution begin!)...
Grad school that's sure to put me away for stress...
New York City!!! New York City!!!
Hanging out with a Russian friend - the coolest babushka chica ever!
Sunstroke...
The pool club for lessons, and then on the run to everywhere else. Oh so antisocial...
Learning Latin, and French, and practicing Spanish...
Praying for Dad...
Hanging with the kidlets...
IMing Carroll the Third, King of Portland...
Swatches...
Lacoste...
Starbucks...
Paul McCartney with a Memory Almost Full...
A summer where everything seems to be finally making sense.

Rebel Cat

I just went downstairs and found my cat had been playing (or perhaps not?) with a sticker my art **friend** had made that states, "Censored for your protection by order of the United States Government." The cat had put it in my RIGHT SHOE. That's one smart kitty.

Tripping!

So, I'm home with the kidlets today, with one under the weather. We're spending quality time playing games like hangman (working in those vocabulary words) and watching TV. Yes, I'm watching cartoons with my kids. Quote of the week came forth from one such show. I couldn't but laugh at the title, "My Gym Partner is a Monkey!" Ok, that alone wins an award. The school goes on a field trip, and one animal screams, "I'm a chaperone, not a flight attendant!" Love it. Just love it.

Perhaps only educators get the humor. Perhaps it's because when I wheel my multi-media cart around my foreign language classroom I joke if students would like a beverage or peanuts, and that we'll be landing in about 53 minutes. Learning is definitely an adventure, a voyage. Sad but true, teachers in the US are only seen as the flight attendants, or less.

Go Greased MCAS!

I live in a state that promotes testing for all in public education. Aren't y'all jealous? Well, the idea of having anyone take standardized testing for four hours straight just frustrates me, so in a gesture of good will I made my MCAS room brownies for the break today.

Unfortunately I left the big Tupperware container at home, so I only had about ten brownies for the break, and the rest arrived for the end of the test. The kids were psyched. The MCAS guru at my high school was not.

"GREASE COULD GET ON THE EXAMS! FOOD ISN'T ALLOWED IN THE ROOMS!" I was curtly told.

"But what about the chips they pull out of their bags during the ten minute break?" I asked. I just received a quick side glance. Perhaps no one thought of the reality of a student actually bringing in salty and greasy snacks. Or perhaps highly caffeinated beverages. What if a venti mocha spilled on an MCAS exam? Would a HAZMAT team from our school come in?

I'm waiting for the Fox News team to investigate me. Watch for the 10:00 PM news.

Stream of Blogging

I just looked at my last blog entry and realized that I haven't blogged once in the new year. Hence, now it is time for a stream of consciousness entry of all that has been going on.

My dad and cat have something in common. Rooty the Blind Cat (or now we find out perhaps not so blind) has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and may have to have chemo. I just had to laugh at the thought that perhaps we could get a two-for-one deal, and have my dad and Rooty Cat go together. But then I always confuse chemo with radiation. Radiation is the Star Trek stuff right? Where they scan it at you, right? And chemo is the intravenious thing, right? I need to learn my cancer terms, don't I? I'm not good at this cancer thing. So, Rooty Cat is a slim Kate Moss 12 pounds, is on a special diet, and has special meds. His heart rate was 240, which should have been 80. He's recovering, and hopefully won't need surgery or chemo or anything like that. He's right here, and hopefully I won't need meds to sit next to him soon, because...

On Wednesday I start the process to see if I can go off my allergy meds for the cats and begin the allergy shots. This will be a bit scary, as the last time I went to the allergist for shots, I needed to be Epi'ed in the office. Wish me luck. Considering the last allergy meds led to the beginning of blurred vision, a hit at the Epi-pen is something I can deal with. Purr, Rooty, purr!

I'm just about finished knitting a sweater for my son's Ugly Doll. I love that stuffed animal. He has Tray. There's something about them that's just so loveable and REAL. They're not all pretty and fake. Call me STRANGE (as some of have this week - heck, they've even published it on a website on the net, for goshsakes!), but I think they promote acceptance that difference is OK. And knitting a sweater for an Ugly Doll is easy. He won't complain. He's small enough for the project to go quickly. And my kidlet will have a smile the size of Spain when he sees Tray wearing it.

And the update on the bulbs - a few have grown a bit tall. However, Annabelle the Bloodhound has been known to suck on the them. I kid you not. Every now and then I look over and she's sucking on the hyacinth bulbs. That really can't help, can it? If they do ever bloom, I'll be sure to post.

Happy New Year!

I received an email from my friend in India awhile ago wishing me a Happy 2007, as it already is 2007 there. I replied back with, "Yeah! I feel embarassed, as here in 2006 I'm still in my pajamas and am cleaning the house!"

We were explaining to the boys last night about New Year's resolutions. I have a love/hate relationship with resolutions, because I feel that the media moguls and advertising idiots play on them to make us go out and buy all those exercising plans, clothing, and diet pills so we'll be a size four by beach time. Alas, welcome to America. (That's UNITED STATES to you, people! AMERICA is really ALL of the AMERICAS!) In any event, Kidlet B said he wants to help more people, and Kidlet A said something about wanting to create a Star Wars figure. I, myself, want to eat the way the French do - eat what I like, and no more of this eating junk food. Have you ever noticed how the French revel in their food? It's because they have such beautiful, gorgeous, delicious food! They don't eat crap! They don't eat stuff that looks like it grew out of a pile of slush in the backyard! However, that would mean that I would need more time to cook. We'll have to see where yet again this Kristin dilemma takes us.

An update on the bulbs - they are only an inch tall. Katherine and MonkeyDragon - WHAT HAVE I DONE? MY BULBS ARE NOT GROWING! Today is really the first sunny day we've had, so I'm thinking perhaps the lack of sun could be the reason for the midget pseudo-paperwhites. They're hyacinths (I think - I forget which bulbs I bought). I really wish they'd grow. I want happy bulbs. Perhaps I should consult my local library for bulb therapy books.

I found an old college friend on the net today. Check out Jess Fenlon's art work online. I can't believe she lived near me for a few years and I didn't know it. Jess is not only a talented artist as you can see, but an incredibly true person. She rocks. I truly hope I get to see her again soon. That would be one heck of a great 2007 gift.

Happy New Year to all! May your days be filled with happines!

Real quick...

One of the kidlets is sick, so we're stuck at home for the rest of vacation. We were suppose to have the boys go to a birthday party tomorrow, and then to a friends' house for New Year's Eve. Kidlet B has one of those strange ten day viruses where he's sick one day, and kind of OK the next. He looks so sad; it breaks my heart. So, we're hunkering down with knitting, correcting papers, and chilling at the casa de Volvomom over the next few days. I'm hoping snow comes into the scene soon, because I'd really like a snow day for a free school day this January!

Happy day, everyone!