Happy Weekend

The weekend has been the best weekend of Madgette's 7 years. As yesterday was Halloween, we started our day off early with crafts at Michael's, then went to Toys R Us for their festivities. We folllowed those up with an event some of the local retailers were having. After that we went to the grand opening of a vet clinic in Porter. We really hit the jackpot there. Chloe must be very lucky because I don't win stuff but with her by my side we won the cakewalk (A Red Velvet Cake) and then won the first big raffle of the day. She got a 40 lb bag of Purina dog food, rawhide chews, a leash, doggie shampoo, a ball cap, and 2 days of hotel and spa at their doggie lounge. Talk about cool!
This is a snapshot of Madison at the Toys R Us event, then this is Chloe with her fru-fru collar.

Today was Madgette's 7th birthday. It is so hard for me to believe she is that old. (Much less that in about 2 months I will have been married for 10 years). The pictures above show her with her BFF in the purple, and then two of her other good friends. The little girl in the red dress is her friend from softball, the other girl in pink is a school friend.

The girls got to dress up, have their hair and makeup done, nails painted, and do a fashion show on the runway. The fashion show was followed by a dance party on the runway, and a ride in the pink limo. I had been telling Madgette for over a month that she would NOT get to ride in the limo because it was to expensive. But, she was so good hearted about it I decided to get it anyway. She was so thrilled to find out she was getting to ride in it!


After the limo ride was over, we came back to the store and the girls changed back into their normal clothes. They had some of the High School Musical birthday cake (which were actually cupcakes) and each got to pick out their favorite "Ragmonster" thanks to Momma Pug. In the pic aboove each girl is holding their own.

**Side note: the Razorback talked to the host girl when she commented how cute the ragmonsters were and told her that their creator was with us. He mentioned that their store really should carry them to which the girl throughly agreed. She then connected Momma Pug with the store manager who is going to call MP next week to discuss this possibility. Woo-hoo! One more step towards the ragmonster empire!

Once we got home, Madgette played with her new toys and gifts then asked me to lay down with her on the couch. Her Poppa Reed called to wish her a happy birthday, then she crashed. And I do mean hard!

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

REALLY???

OK- We all know that I like to talk a little bit. Maybe a few times in my life I have gotten in trouble for talking a little more than I should. So are any of us really suprised that my daughter is a talker?
Her teachers tried to be all nice about it, especially since I am an administrator in district, but what they said in "teacher-ease" is that she is the kid that could run the class for the day while the substitute teacher sits at the desk and eats bon-bons.
She is extremely strong in her English reading and comprehension skills but rather low on Spanish reading and comprehension. Really? My child reads and comprehends better in English than in Spanish. Imagine that! What got me was that when they delivered this information, they cringed like I might explode. Somehow that doesn't upset me. Would I like her to be knocking the socks off of both languages? Sure! But realistically, I am not much use to her in the Spanish language so I kind of expected that.

Are any of you suprised?

Still Trying!

My dear friend Nana tells me that I need to keep writing even though no one is reading blogs anymore, so Nana- this one is for you!

We have had a great day. Madgette and I got up early and went to my appointment with the chiropractor. Had my neck and upper back adjusted. You should have heard all the popping that my spine did! Then we ran into a neighborhood garage sale (it was my friend Catfish and her husband Phruitz neighborhood). Bought a few beanie babies, then we headed to the grocery store.

HEB (my favorite grocery store in the whole wide world) didn't seem to be nearly as busy as usual, so we took our time and did a little shopping. We ordered her birthday cake, which actually turns out to be a cupcake creation with a High School Musical theme. We finished up the shopping then headed to rent a couple of movies.

The Razorback had invited a friend over for dinner so we invited a few other folks over as well and have had a relaxing evening with friends of all ages. I thought we were going to watch movies, but it turns out that the MSU vs. Florida game was to good to turn off so the men overruled us.

Madgette doesn't have school on Monday because of parent teacher conferences. Razorback has to have his stomach scoped on Monday morning, and a gallbladder ultrasound, so Madgette is going to spend Sunday night with a friend and they are going to the movies and play put-put on Monday. She is looking forward to it, but she told me she can't wait for this week to be over because she is ready for her birthday party.

I have several meetings off campus this week. I think I am traveling 2 days. So a lot coming up in the next week...

Questions and Comments

I doubt that anyone still reads this because I have been so lacking in the posting of blogs. I truly apologize, I just can't get it together in the evenings to even blog. As Dr. Gabbert would say, I "Used all my words for the day" by the time I leave school.

I just wanted to let anyone who is still checking the blog that this years exchange student has been moved to another home. She is now located in Magnolia, TX. We are very happy with the move as I am sure that she is. She just did not fit into our family at all.

I hope you are all doing well!

Life for Us

I have finally slowed down enough to blog this evening. Perhaps that is because the hubs is in class, and being a little tired I decided to hit the drive-thru. Claudia is on the other computer in the dining room leaving messages for all her friends in Spain. She is NOTHING like our Julie was last year. Today I had to tell her that I was getting very frustrated with her and explain why. Did I mention she is nothing like Julie?

Speaking of Julie, she called one night last week and is back in the USA. She was able to secure a 5 year visa, and locate a host family in Wisconsin. However, she did not have an easy time traveling- they made her throw away something that was liquid she forgot to put back in her suitcase on a layover. Then when she got to Wisconsin the airline had lost all her luggage! Can you imagine? Plus, her host family is a single older woman who has not moved into the technology age yet. There is no internet, one TV in the house, and phone restrictions for when she is allowed to use the phone. She cried- I cried. I miss her, and feel so bad for her that she isn't happy this year. She said she really misses Madgette a lot.

The Razorback has started the school year with all of us this time. He is working full time during the day in the same school district as me as a special ed. paraprofessional (aide). He comes home and tells me about his day and sometimes it's hard not to laugh because he is going through some of those things every first year teacher goes through. But when I went through them, he thought I was just being a little whiny-- now he is gaining a little more perspective.

I do feel a little sorry for him. He is also taking a full class load this semester with several online classes as well as night classes on Monday and Wednesday until 10. He can do it- I know he can, but a little empathy never hurt anybody~

As for me, I am still loving my job. We have only been in school for 3 days but it already feels like I have been working forever! I have been called many bad words already and today I was nailed in the mouth with one of those stress balls. Luckily, they are little kids so I was able to recover fairly quickly. Tomorrow is a new day and definitely a new adventure!

Madgette is back to liking school. Her arch nemesis is attending a different campus than her this year and she loves it. She tells me on the days she has Spanish class that she doesn't understand anything they say. I think she is putting on just a little! (I know you can't believe that she would be dramatic ;-) Sometimes I just can't understand how she has gotten so big.

That is all the news at our house for now. All the animals are doing ok, and the mail continues to run...

I LOVE My Job

It has been a week since my last post and I know I am falling down on my blogging. Sorry about that- but I am here to tell you that I am definitely a happy woman. I have been on the job for one week and have truly enjoyed every minute of it. From outside sweating painting door announcers, to inside revising handbooks it has been great. I know that I am probably just having a honeymoon period in a new job, but it is a wonderful time none the less. I am looking forward to the upcoming year even though I am worried that I may not measure up or do a good job. The challenge that this year represents is absolutely wonderful.

I am so happy that I am annoying. You ever meet one of those people that you wonder "Who stuck a ray of sunshine up your rear?" Well, I am that person. I know I am annoying and I can't even stop. At the end of the day today our superintendent was talking about how many challenges we would have this year and all I could do was sit there and grin like the cat who ate the canary!

I guess I will just get up each morning, think positively, and pray hard. Here's to a fantastic year!

First Day of Work

Today was my first planning day at the new school. A majority of the staff was there, and I was super excited. Many of you know how I get when I am "on" because I am a little hyper, very outgoing, and a little on the annoyingly positive side. I was definitely like that from 7-4 today but then on the way home I calmed down and became an exhausted woman. I am so tired! It was a great day, but this was the first full day I have worked since the surgery. Did I mention I am exhausted? Night ya'll- It's only 8 o'clock but the bed is calling my name!

Catching Up

It has been a few days since I last wrote. The Madge_and_a_half family has been a group of road warriors as of late. Last time I wrote, we were in Austin having a blast. At least my family was having a blast while I sat in class! One evening we went out to see the nations largest urban bat colony. We got there early and took a seat on the hill beside the bridge. Madgette and the Razorback played a game of catch while we waited, and after about an hour we looked up to see our hill covered with people and all these people lined up along the bridge waiting for the bats to emerge. If you look closely, you can see all the people lined up on the bridge. When the bats began, it was a sight to see! We could hear them chattering before we could see them and it was definitely cool, and as Madgette reminded me-educational.

The next day the family went on a trolley ride, visited the state capital, and visited another museum where they watched a couple of I-MAX movies.

We returned home for the night, and then headed to Arkansas the next day to visit all the family and friends there. Madgette was uber-excited to see her cousin and was extremely annoying the entire drive. The girls have been playing for the last few days and done very well together. For the 4th of July they did fireworks and we watched old home movies. If you want to really see how everyone has changed- go back and watch your Christmas movies from 20 years ago!

One night I did manicures and pedicures which of course they had messed up before they went to bed. But, we had tons of fun! My niece normally has very curly hair, so I straightened it out and she looked like a different child! I straightened it again today and we took her down to get her hair cut. She has only had 2 trims in her life so she still had baby hair on the ends. After they trimmed it all and shaped it she absolutely looked like a little movie star. She was so proud.

Tomorrow we lwill head back to Houston. We hope to get on the road about daylight or maybe a little earlier if possible. We will stay home through the weekend then head for Mississippi the first of next week. I told you we were road warriors lately!

Austin

So the three humans of our family have abandoned all the critters and made off for Austin, TX. No hate mail please- the animals are all being well cared for by a girl that lives in our neighborhood. If they are in any danger it is of being over-loved.

Anyway, we made the trek last night so I would be here bright and early to make it to the conference on time this morning. It was a super long day for me. All I can say is "Thank You" to the people who made a version of Tetris and Brickbreaker for the Blackberry. I think I might have gone stir crazy if these had not been available.

Austin though is such a pretty city. Rolling hills with the mountains off in the distance, and a beautiful hotel room. We are on the 9th floor, and can see downtown shining at night. Madgette (of course) went and tried out the pool today after the rain stopped. Yes- I said RAIN! No one complained about the rain because we were all so happy to see it. I was beginning to think I had forgotten what rain looked like.

Luckily, tonight we get to go eat dinner with a cousin of mine. It is my dad's first cousin who he really likes (which is saying a lot for my dad). She is bringing her son who Madgette absolutely loves because he will play with her. Her son is probably about my age and extremely handsome so all you lovely young ladies- you are missing out with this one!

Then it will be back to the hotel to rest before 2 more days of training. At least tomorrow afternoon I will get to start taking the tests you must pass before your appraiserertificate can be issued. I know I will get to work at my own pace, and get it done. If I can pass both of them on the first shot, I will be done testing and just have one more lecture. If I don't pass on the first try I get to stay late on Thursday and take another test. I have decided I will be done tomorrow.

I hope you all are planning on a great July 4. We are heading to Arkansas to see the Razorbacks family. His mom has had knee replacement surgery, and his dad is having cataract surgery on the 6th. So we are going to attempt to be helpful. Leave me a comment and let me know what your plans are!

You Get What You Pay For

I know you have heard the old saying "you get what you pay for" and here is yet another example of how true old sayings can be. Back in April, we decided to get a new set of mattresses due to back pain when we woke up every morning. We looked and looked around town but just didn't want to pay what was being asked at all the furniture stores.
So we looked online and found someone off of Craig's List that had a storage unit of mattresses left over from a closed mattress store. (So the story goes) The price was reasonable, and they were willing to deliver so we called them up and ordered. Neither one of us had anymore back pain even though the mattress was a little more firm than our previous set.

On another front, our cat has decided she wants to be an indoor/outdoor cat instead of a permanent indoor cat. She comes and goes as she pleases, but spends most of her time outside. She seems to enjoy the outdoors more- I guess there is more to do. She started coming back in during the day and sleeping during the day on our bed.

Soon after we began to notice that we were getting bitten every night while we were in bed. After a little looking, we discovered that we had bed bugs. I was honestly suprised! I didn't think they were real- I thought it was just another old saying "don't let the bedbugs bite" So we aren't sure if the little critters came from the cat, or from the seller. According to what we have read on the net, animals don't usually carry them which leads us to believe that we definitely got what we paid for!

Anyone have a great idea where I can get a free set of mattresses without bugs? Mine are sitting on the front porch...

Update on Summer

Well, The Razorback has purchased and set up and 18 ft. round pool that is about 4 feet tall. That is his solution to his public pool phobia. This week is also vacation bible school week and Madgette looks forward to that all year long. So- summer is definitely looking up for Madgette.

My day was made yesterday when my friend Catfish agreed to meet me for a manicure and pedicure. We tried a new place that had been recommended to her, and it is our new favorite place. The price was good, and the atmosphere was comfortable. After we got done we decided to go to Panera Bread for lunch. We had such a good visit-it was nice to have some girl time, and I am SURE the husbands were relieved not to have to mess with that stuff.

Last night Madgette's best friend Sof came home with us and spent the night. We took them to a huge aquarium store and they saw an ugly electric eel and were all squealing about how scary it was.

On our way home our good friend Momma Pug called and they were having AC problems at their house so she and her 3 dogs came to hang out with us for a while last night. Texas is just to dang hot to try to live without air conditioning! I was sad that they didn't stay the night with us- but they made their way home after an AC repair man visited their house. I have to give it up for her husband- The Mark Up- he stayed in all the heat for hours waiting for the AC man and then waiting for the house to cool off again.

This morning the girls woke up bright and early, and they have been fed some pancakes, and are outside playing a little basketball and loving on the rabbit before we take them to VBS. This is turning into the type of summer that we normally have. That is very comforting and I am still spending a lot of time lazing around in my recliner. So the latest update is that summer does not totally stink- it is turning very aromatic!

Summer

Most of the time Madgette and I have a summer routine that rocks. We get up and have breakfast, clean up around the house, and then head out to do something fun like go to the pool, go by the library, or something cool. I feel SO bad for her this summer. My heart just breaks for her!
Since I have had surgery I have not been able to drive or take her around like we normally do. The finances also are not helping us much. Maybe I shouldn't have had this done- we would be in much better shape if I hadn't. I am trying to follow doctor's orders by resting and not driving or lifting anything. It is really hard though! I am bored out of my mind- books have helped some, but they only occupy me for about a day and then I need another one.
Anyway, since R quit coaching softball Madgette has nothing to do and she is driving us up a wall with her energy. Which in turn makes me feel extremely guilty because I know that I normally keep her more occupied. Her dad has a phobia of public pools and we don't have a neighborhood pool so she is about to die to go swimming. I have taken her out and let her play in the sprinkler, but it's just not the same.
So the sum of summer so far is that it stinks!

I'm Back!

The surgery is all over and I am trying to be patient and heal which most of you know is not my strength. Madgette had a softball tournament this weekend so my friends JP and Momma Pug came to hang with me. JP and I watched several movies that we had missed throughout the school year, and Momma Pug and I caught up while watching Marley and Me.

The Razorback had a HUGE run in with a couple of parents. These parents chose to let their daughters attend a dance recital yesterday instead of the tournament games. Today the children had to take their turns sitting out an inning and one set of parents threatened to take their child and go home. The second set of parents (of which the husband is the president of the league) decided to chew the Razorback out because "their" daughter had been sat out. When he explained that even Madgette sat out, they replied that she was not "their" daughter.

The Razorback finally had enough and quit. He handed off the coach's bag- gave away the trophy the girls earned and walked away. Madgette is extremely sad that she doesn't get to play with her friends anymore, and to be honest I am a little sad myself. We will miss the last 2 tournaments, and I have no idea if Madgette will be able to talk to her friends anymore. I guess time will tell...

Here's to hoping for a better week!

A week in pictures

A quick update: Julie is feeling much better, but the Razorback's foot is not much better. It is still hurting him and is swelling pretty bad.

Madgette's kindergarten promotion was Tuesday night, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Lucky for our friend Tree, I mentioned it in my blog on Tuesday- otherwise she may have missed the momentous occasion! Madgette was dressed by her teacher Ms. B who is moving to College Station, TX this summer and getting married.

We left her with the other students in her class, and went to secure some seats. Before the ceremony started, the entire theatre was packed. My friend Tree informed me that she had counted the number of seats and their were 1,200 seats. At least 1,000 of those seats were being used. Of course, they were promoting 13 kindergarten classes that night and had 13 more to do the following night. When Mrs. C's class was announced I snuck up front to snap a few pics.

After it was all over, her daddy gave her a small bouquet of flowers and told her how proud of her he was. Somehow it just means more for a little girl to hear those words from her daddy. Today she had her last day of school party and I was able to get away from my campus long enough to go pay a visit. She is very happy that summer is here, and so am I! Mommy-daughter time is about to begin. Woo-hoo!!!

Crazy Days

Julie has hurt the back of her foot somehow and her school nurse sent her home. I had to go pick her up and she was more upset that she wouldn't get to spend time with her friends than she was about her foot. Today was one of the last few days the school was running a normal schedule so she would go through class with her friends.

My heart goes out to her. She cried most of the way home today. We stopped and checked Madgette out of school so we wouldn't have to drive back over and pick her up. She has her kindergarten graduation tonight, as well as her awards ceremony. She is supposed to be recieving two awards tonight- that is a blog to come.

The Razorback made us an excellent lunch today since we camoe home early. Yum, yum! I was starving! Then he took on the job of figuring out Julie's insurance and which doctor we could take her to without paying a fortune. Well, it is time to get off and take her to the Doctor. There is more to come soon!

Memorial Weekend

Well, I will give you a guess as to what our family will be doing this weekend.


It seems to be a growing weekend trend for our family. We will be out of town for a softball tournament. Last weekend there were 10 teams in our bracket and we came in third. This weekend there are 6 teams in our bracket and we have high hopes of coming in 1st. Madgette is not being consistent on her batting, so we are planning to head to the batting cages here in a few minutes once we finish dinner. Last weekend she hit one single and one triple, but Tuesday at practice she didn't hit even one pitch. Thursday night she hit 2 well past the pitcher. Anyone have ideas to help with getting her hitting consistently?

Softball will take up both Saturday and Sunday, so we are hoping to take the girls on Monday down to the beach in Galveston. Julie has never seen the beach in America, and none of us have been there since the hurricane so I am looking forward to seeing how much they have recovered. We were planning to have a little BBQ on Monday for Julie but that has been nixed- (note to self- call MP and tell her it's cancelled)

Oh, I forgot to mention that the Razorback hurt his foot Tuesday night at softball practice. He is making it ok, but he is not following the doctor's orders. Of course, we really don't have time to follow the doctor's orders- I am keeping him contained as much as I can, but our crazy schedule requires him to help.

I hope everyone has a great and relaxing 3 day weekend. I know we will! Then we only have four more days of school. Two whole days and two half days. Woo-hoo!!!

People in Your Life

People come into our lives for a reason. The older couple that we bought our home from are one of those sets of people. The woman from the couple has gained a special place in all of our hearts- she is amazing. She and the love of her life (her first husband) were married for many years and were unable to have children. A few years back, he got ill and passed away. You can tell that she is still in love with him every time she talks about him. I believe she misses him every day.

Since then she has been remarried and divorced and according to her will remain single. Since she has no kids to help her out around her house, or to check in on her, we have taken on this role. It is a joy to go by and talk with her, and she spoils Madgette to death! Madgette loves her with all of her heart- she even wrote her a note this evening telling her so.

The Razorback has agreed to take on a couple of home repair/improvement projects for the summer when he is not coaching ball or in class. I am proud of him, and Madgette will enjoy getting to spend some time with her favorite local lady!

Tournament Update

Saturday we had 2 games. We lost the first game to a team that was not playing by the rules. Well, it turns out that the tournament director had changed the rules the night before the tournament started without telling anyone. Also, this league plays with a super bouncy softball where our girls are used to a hard softball that doesn't bounce. Did I mention that they played this game at 12:30 in the TX heat?

Our girls then had a 5 hour break to wait on their next game. The awesome parents on our team set up camp with 2 huge canopies under the tree's. Everyone had brought games, snacks, little fans, and lots of camp chairs. The girls had a blast playing and wasting time. The second game time arrived and the opposing team didn't have enough players. We had the option to make them forfeit, or let them play and receive one out for each time the missing player came up to bat. The Razorback just didn't have the heart to make them forfeit (especially after they had been forced to forfeit their earlier game). We won that game so the girls went home feeling a lot better about themselves.

This morning we played at 9 am so we left the house at 7:10 to make it to the park on time. The girls slammed the first team 11-3. We had an hour and a half break then the girls played 3 games back to back in the very extreme heat. We fought our way back from the loser's bracket, and made it all the way to the championship game. Our girls played so hard today-it was amazing. Madgette only let one ball get past her all day. Even then she hustled to get it, turned and threw it back in. In 6 games, she NEVER struck out at the plate. Now, she did get out twice at first- but every other time we could count on her for a run. Saturday she was the only one of our girls to score in the second inning of the first game.

Each and every one of our girls did an amazing job. The Coaches and parents were all extremely proud of our girls. The ending up placing second in the tournament but it was not for a lack of heart. They each went home with a medal, and they recieved a team trophy that is about 3 feet tall which goes to the head coach (The Razorback). Go Purple Panthers!!!

Our News

As usual at this time of year, life is hectic, crazy, and wonderful. This week Julie had her Athletic Awards Banquet on Monday night and it went very well. Tons of people showed up and when her coach called her name he introduced her as our guest from South Korea who was extremely sweet and a joy to have on the team. Also, if he could talk the athletic director into it, he would like to give her a letterman jacket. It made her very happy!

Madgette had her end of the year honor choir performance last night. There were 7 schools participating all the way from kindergarten to seniors in high school. Each choir performed 2 songs, then they came together to sing one song for the grand finale. Over 300 students crammed onto the stage. It was amazing! Brothers and sisters who were years apart in school got to sing on the same stage. The sound was wonderful! They sang "Step into the Spotlight" and the chorus to that song has been stuck in my head all day. (At least it's a good song)

I am so thankful that we have been blessed to be able to have music in Madgette's life and that she loves it. There is nothing about music and dancing that child doesn't love.

This weekend we are in a softball tournament for her league team. We know we play Saturday at 12:30 and at 6:30. It is going to be super-hot so please keep all the girls on your minds. Depending how we wind up in the bracket on Saturday, we will play several more games on Sunday. So we will be working on our tans this weekend for sure!

Oh- I almost forgot to tell you about the latest addition to the family. Today we (which means the Razorback) got a new puppy for our house. We have had so many things stolen here, we decided we wanted a big dog that can scare people away from our back yard. So we now have a German Shepard, Lab Mix puppy. She is extremely smart and has shown that already today. She watches the other dogs and learns from what they do. She responds to the name Cloey so that is what is sticking so far. I think we are only a few animals short of being named as a branch of the Houston Zoo...

Hope everyone has a great and safe weekend- Happy Mother's Day to all the other Mom's out there!

JAGS

I am here asking for your help dear friends. Many of you are extremely creative and I need you to tap into that creative energy for me.

I am looking for a cute, positive, and powerful motto for the acronym JAG(S).
My new school will be the Jaguars and we are planning on calling them the JAGS. The other early childhood center (kindergarteners and preschoolers only) are the CUBS- Children Understanding, Believing, and Succeeding. Their mascot is "Cubbie Bear" which is a big cuddly bear.

Obviously, our mascot will be the Jaguars and we are looking at baby ones who are just getting their spots. Please help with something awesome and educational!

Purple Panthers

Thanks to one of the mom's on Madgette's softball team, we have a few pictures from her season. We are supposed to be on our way to the fields right now to play game 2 in the end of season tournament, but due to rain last night, the fields are muddy and play has been postponed this morning.

Madgette is giving it her all- trying to get that ball where it needs to go!

This was her batting stance for most of the season and it wasn't really successful for her. Last Sunday afternoon we went to the fields with her friend Lesly (who is our star first baseman) and has now acquired a new batting stance. Since the chance in stance she is hitting off the pitches now instead of having to hit off the tee. Woo-hoo!

This was a shot of the girls in the dugout at the very beginning of the season at a scrimmage. You can tell Madgette thinks she is in charge. She is the one who is marching in front while the rest of the girls sit patiently.

This dugout shot was taken during a real game. Doesn't Madgette look enthused?

For a lot of the season she played catcher. Here is my girl in all of the catcher's gear. She complains sometimes that it is heavy and she can't move. But she sure does look cute!

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

In the picture the mailbox is really on the edge of the street, and the light pole is on the other side of the street.

Well folks,
This was the scene in front of my house this afternoon by 2 pm after the rain blessed us. There was a large number of stalled out cars in the main street we turn off of. We decided to park at the end of our street in a neighbor's side driveway (thanks neighbors!) and wade home. Razorback went and spoke with the homeowners just to make sure it was ok, and off we went. I am sure we looked like the village idiot family. We were holding an umbrella and wading through water on the sidewalks that went up to our knees. The Razorback finally got tired of waiting on us slow girls and took off. I know he was probably home a good solid 3 minutes before we were.

When we made it to our front porch, we stood and watched some teenagers swimming in the middle of the street. They were standing up straight and the water went up to their armpits. They were having a blast! Madgette called it a "halleluejah flood" which just cracked me up.

We are all just waiting for it to go down so we can go back and get the truck, then go pick up the dogs from the groomers. We also have tickets to go see the Astros tonight- so we are really hoping that the weather clears out before tonight's game.

Purple Panthers

The title is the name of Madgette's 6U softball team. They are currently 9-0 which means they are undefeated. All the parents are SO PROUD. (Can you see my chest sticking out in pride?) We have 3 more league games before the end of the regular season. Thursday is the next game and probably the most important of the 3. We will be taking on the 2nd place team who has only had 3 losses all season. Unfortunately, all 3 of those losses have been to us. Their coaches and their girls want to take us down so bad they can taste it! Needless to say, we have a huge target on our back.

We are going this weekend to play with the "big girls." We are going to a tournament in Deer Park, TX that has 11 different 6U teams signed up to play. We will see how good we really are playing against people that aren't in our league, and who have done well in their own leagues. We will be playing on Saturday and Sunday- so we will have some tired little girls.

Saturday morning before the tournament, we have all star tryouts. The Razorback is coaching this team also so we will all be up early headed to those tryouts then onto the tournament. So a busy weekend for the Madge...and a half family. Is it sad that it is only Tuesday and I am already planning for the weekend? Or does it show that it is getting to be the end of the year and time for school to be out?

Astros Rock!

So Madgette and I went to the exhibition game Friday night and had an absolute blast- the wind was super cold, but it was a great game. We even got to stay and watch the Friday night fireworks which were amazing. Madgette decided her new hobby would be to collect all the really cool hard plastic Astros cups that she passed, so we came home with a collection of about 12 new cups. That's fine because they hold a lot and I take one to school almost every day.

Madgette was proud of her Carlos Lee jersey! She got it signed and authenticated.

We got home and to bed about 11, then Julie and I got up at 3 a.m. to go sit in line for Astros fanfest. (click the link to see a picture)

Madgette with her hero... well at least a cutout...

Madgette wanted to meet her hero Carlos Lee. She was able to come later in the morning, and was super excited about meeting him. When she got in line she started doing a little dance with a cheer for Carlos. Momma Pug and I shamelessly bribed the child to do her cheer in front of Mr. Lee. Well, she got up to him and he actually danced with her and gave her a high five before he signed her jersey. The whole event maybe took a minute, but she was so excited when it was over that she couldn't talk. For those of you who know Madgette well, you will understand why this is such a momentous time. I do have a video of this performance but I am having trouble uploading it. If I can figure it out I will load it- it is so cute!

Carlos Lee signing autographs

Later she talked the Mark Up into letting her go with him to see her number 2 favorite player- Lance Berkman. She was able to get him to autograph a baseball for her along with the other 3 players at his table. She continued getting players autographs throughout the day and now her ball probably has 10-12 different signatures on it. The Mark Up even introduced her to Jimmy Wynn, and Mr. Wynn gave her an autograph!

Madgette with dos los Caballitos

Momma Pug signed Madgette up for the Astros buddies program which is endorsed by Berkman. With the sign up you get a discount on certain game tickets, an Astros Buddies hat, and a Berkman jersey look alike backback. When Madgette was getting all the goodies she looked at the salesperson with a dead pan straight face and asked, "Do you have a backpack that says Lee?" to which Momma Pug and I just about bust.

We got face painting, balloon animals made, ate ballpark food, met players, and even made a wax hand. Madgette was exhausted by the time the game actually started, but Julie had never attended a baseball game so we stayed for the game. Julie was amazed at all the people, and I had to explain a lot to her but she really enjoyed it. We stayed until the 8th inning (you just can't leave before the 7th inning stretch) and then headed home. By this point Madgette was so tired she was past the point of friendliness. I must admit I was getting there myself-- we had been at the park for the last 12 hours!

This is a picture that shows how tired she is- a fake smile and an expression like "Mom, can I just eat my popcorn?"

ASTROS!

Madgette, Julie and I are all looking forward to this weekend.

Last night a friend of mine texted me that she has 2 extra tickets to the Astros exhibition game Friday night. Would Madgette and I like to go and make it an all girls night? Well, of Course! Madgette doesn't know yet- I think I will let it be a suprise. She and I rarely do an event together without all the rest of our crew.

Then Saturday is Astros Fanfest, and Momma Pug and the Mark Up have been talking to us about this for the last year. Madgette wants to meet Carlos Lee extremely bad. She currently has an autographed baseball and one of his figurines. We want to get her an autographed jersey and let her meet him, which she will have the chance to do at fanfest.

However, we do have a little kink in our plans. Madgette has a softball game at 9 am. So here is how this will work- 4:30 am- Madge, Momma Pug and the Mark Up will get in line at Astros stadium to get wristbands so we can get the autographs we want. 7 a.m. if you have a wristband, you can buy your tickets. 8 a.m. I will head back up to Humble for the softball game. 9 a.m. ballgame. 10 a.m. head back down to the stadium for the autograph session that has Carlos Lee, Roy Oswalt and one other person.

If we have any more energy, we will stick around for the afternoon ballgame. But after getting up so early, I am kind of doubting my energy level...

Can you tell we are ready for the weekend?

Extreme Hope Women's Conference

Today I was able to attend the Extreme Hope Women's Conference in The Woodlands. I won the tickets last night on my local Christian radio station KSBJ. I love KSBJ but today I actually got to meet Jen Driskell in person. She was there to give out the extreme hope awards and I won one! I have a free one hour massage--- I can't wait to use it! Jen was so cute and funny today. We only got to speak for a couple seconds; she had to call out the other prize winners.

Anyway, they started out the day with some awesome praise and worship. They even played my new favorite song- "Free to Be Me." As I was asking about the group later in the day it turned out that they are just a few friends that like to get together to play music from time to time. They aren't a band with a name, nor do they have a CD out. That was a little disappointing because they were obviously very gifted.

They had many interesting speakers that spoke to us about finding your purpose in life, gave their testimonies of hope, shared healthy eating habits, discussed how to handle stress, and many other topics. My friend JP went with me, and we both enjoyed the day. I think the day made me recognize how blessed I am, and how much hope I have in my life and surrounding me each and every day. It also made me want to be more of an inspiration to others around me. I am extremely blessed and I don't think that I am shining that light for others to see nearly enough.

You never know how you can affect other people's lives, and I want to be a much brighter beacon for those around me. Thanks so much to KSBJ and the ministry of Melinda Gordon- Extreme Hope. JP and I had a great time, then stopped at Jason's Deli for lunch. That was quite a treat since the Razorback does not ever want to stop there! It gave us some time to just talk and get to know each other better, and it reminded me of how lucky I am to have her as a friend.

I hope everyone has as wonderful of a weekend as I am having!

Hello Again!

I am sorry that it has been so long since I have posted last. There has been a lot going on at the Madge...and a half home (as usual). First, I have bronchitis and have been hacking away with that and taking lots of medicine to try and get over it.
Second, we attended the Livestock show this weekend and the girls had a blast. In the future, we will know that we need to attend more than one day. There is just to much to do and see for only a one day trip.
Sunday I stayed home to get some rest, get caught up on laundry, and get some work done for my classes. I was able to get a couple of assignments done. Now I just need to get 2 more assignments completed and I will be done with this course. I really need someone (or more than one) to start bothering me about getting my classes done more quickly.
Last night I attended our school board meeting, and was approved as an Assistant Principal for next year. If I was any more excited about this new opportunity, I think I might explode. The funny thing is, I said I was not going to be a teacher. That slowly became "Well, I might be a teacher, but I will NEVER be a principal!" Now look at me. It just shows that you should never say never.

I still need to post the pictures- at least a few- of the trip to MS. I hope to get that done by this weekend. Madgette has a ballgame on Thursday and Saturday, so it will be a fast end to the week. Did I mention that they won their first game 13-5? Madgette is playing the position of catcher and seems to enjoy it. She liked it even more when she found out that she could take the catcher's mask off and drop it on the ground when the ball comes her way. Gotta love a girl and her drama!

Catching Up

I sat down tonight to load up the pictures from the trip to MS, and realized that I have gotten pretty far behind in my blogging and my loading of pictures. So, here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks.

The first picture is of Madgette dressed up as what she wants to be when she grows up. As a wrap up for college week, she dressed up as a vet. Gancack- looks like there might be another one!

When I was getting ready for my interview Momma Pug dragged me out of the house telling me that I MUST do something with my nails, and I also had to get my eyebrows waxed. Well, guess who jumped right into the car with us when she heard the word "manicure"? You guessed it-- cheesy! Her nails were SO cute!

This picture was taken after the girls played their first scrimmage game at the opening day for Humble Girls Softball League. Culver's was having a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, so we went out to try and support the ACS. The girls had such fun! Of course, they were already in a good mood since they won their game 10-5.

The Razorback (isn't he handsome?) was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa the honor society for Community Colleges. We are so proud of his good grades, and all his work. Madgette had a fight with the chili on her lunch tray that day, so we had to stop and buy her a new outfit on the way so she wouldn't embarass him! She was determined that she was pushing her bangs back under that headband. Yuck!

This very broadly covers the big events of the last few weeks. Sorry it has been so long getting posted!

A Glorious Day

Well dear readers, today was a wonderful and glorious day. We started out by helping my parents finish up some last minute errands, then headed out to Cotton Branch for lunch and a little fun with the animals. I will blog again tomorrow when I can upload some fantastic pictures. Madgette was in awe of all the animals, and Julie was also. Julie took some amazing pictures- some were even better than mine. The one thing I can't believe I forgot to do was to take a picture with Nananotes! After we pulled back onto highway 98 I realized it, but it was to late to turn around and go back.
We took a couple minutes to stop in Meadville to visit with family and friends which went over suprisingly well, then on to Gancack and PawLarry's house. Madgette made a new best friend that for our blog we will call "Busy." They played hard the entire time we were there, and had a blast! Busy and Madgette were each very happy to have another kid around to play with. Time slipped away from us, and it was late before we knew it.
As we were leaving, Gancack was wonderful enough to send some bread with us, some cake from a recipe that belonged to my mother, and a High Road CD. I was so excited about all of them, but we listened to the High Road CD all the way back to Brookhaven. Some of the harmonies are so tight and beautiful it just gives me chills. I know we will be able to hear the entire thing on our trip back to Houston. I am definitely looking forward to that!

So thanks Nana and Gancack for a wonderful, enjoyable, and relaxing day with friends!

Excitement

Can you remember when you were a little kid and you were SO EXCITED about what was going to happen the next day? You can't go to sleep because you are thinking about it, then you get in trouble when your parents come in to chek on you for not being asleep. (Unless you are a good faker!)

Madgette definitely felt that was this evening. She started about 5 p.m. asking if it was time to go to "Tree Branch" a.k.a. Cotton Branch. When I had to tell her that we were going tomorrow, she was very sad and said "OK. I'll get up early in the morning!" to which the Razorback and I both replied, "no, no, no- you sleep in as late as you can and we will still make it in time" because when Madgette decides she needs to get up early, she gets up at about 5 a.m. We don't want anything to do with that hour of the day during spring break.

Tonight I heard her in bed talking to Julie about tomorrow. Actually, I can't tell who was more excited- Julie or Madgette! Today they both got to ride on "Maybelline" my dad's motorcycle. They both took pictures, and had a total blast. We also got the paperwork done which was the whole reason for our trip. So business is complete, and the fun can begin.

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful spring break!

Is there anyone out there?

Dear Readers,

I believe I have lost every single one of you. I have had no comments on my last three or four posts. I know someone is checking my page because I went into my analytics page just to see if anyone was even reading. There have been over 200 page views over the last month, so this leads me to believe that someone is reading.
The Person who is married to Madge should leave a comment occasionally- especially since his life is constantly put up on the blog.

Please leave me some comments! This makes me feel left out of the world...

To Tired to Title

Ever have one of those days when you finally get home and sit down just to realize you are absolutely exhausted? This is definitely one of those nights for me. This has already been a wonderful amazing week, but the hours I have kept and the amount of emotion I have put into these 2 days has just worn me out.
I have to be on campus by 7 in the morning to go through some training, and then I have been asked to attend a field trip to the Houston Rodeo with some of our 4th graders.
I have never been to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo so I am definitely looking forward to the trip. I plan on hitting the bed here in just a little bit to try to catch up on some rest. I just hope I can shut my brain off long enough to get to sleep.
This weekend will start Spring Break and I cannot wait. I am so excited to get to sleep in a few mornings! We are going to head to MS to see my parents and take care of a few things while we are there. Madgette is really looking forward to that trip. She loves going to MS, and we are hoping to have a nice leisurely drive over and geocache along the way. Usually we are so focused on getting there as soon as possible we don't enjoy ourselves. I plan on a picnic lunch, and having fun. Isn't that what Spring Break is all about? By the way, some of you FC people- when do you have spring break? I would love to ease into the great FC and stop by the school one day. I would be even more please if there was a stop at Cotton Branch for Madgette and Julie to see and the farm animals. Can you believe that MY daughter knows little to none about the country? (But she does have the cutest pair of boots ever!)
I would also love to get a starter for a certain ladies bread... it is only the best homemade bread in all three of the states I have lived in. Yes, Gancack- I am talking about you!
Well, here's to making it the last few days until Spring Break. Cheers!

Life is Never Boring

As we all know, life is never boring-- especially if you have kids. Today we spent most of the day at the softball fields. Today was opening day for Madgette's softball league. She was able to play the position of catcher, which is good for her. She is pretty good at fielding ground balls and this gives her a chance to practice her throwing. Her team won today 10-5, and they kept the other team from scoring for 2 innings straight! We were very proud of them. Madgette has to get back into her old batting form- she lost it since last season.

I have gotten an interview for an Assistant Principal position. It is at 11 a.m. on Monday, so keep me in your prayers and thoughts. They are interviewing 14 people for 2 positions, so I need to get my PPT created, handouts created, and my resume updated. I should actually be doing that instead of blogging.

So, I am going to get busy- have a great weekend everyone!

Depression

I have depression I do admit,
Admit that I have been depressed,
Thinking how much I wish I could be happy,
Thinking how much I want in life,
Thinking how much you can miss someone you love,
When I look back I can see how much this depression has been there in my life,
I need this to be fake,
I need this not to be true,
Yet again its true I have this depression that makes me sad inside and the outside,
My depression has caused me to see how sad I can be,
How it makes me feel,
How this depression makes me think of cutting and suicide,
But we are all human,
We have all have something to overcome,
I will overcome this depression once and for all,
I fight back some how,
This depression I will get rid of someday,
For now I have to deal with it.

Jennifer Rondeau

Standardized Testing

This week will begin the first in a series of tests that our students will take for standardized testing. My fourth graders will be taking the writing portion, while the third and fifth graders will all take the reading portion. Our students did amazingly well last year, and we received the status of recognized. This year they have been pushed to achieve the highest standard of exemplary.

I hope each year that the stress is not to much for them. I try to make it as positive as possible, and reinforce the fact that they have learned all they need to know, and that they are just getting a chance to show off those big brains. So please pray for all our students in Texas on Tuesday. They have had many lessons, tests, and pep rallies to get them ready. Pray for stress relief for the students and the teachers, and fresh well rested minds for our children.

Since I have been placed back in the regular classroom to try and get a group of students ready for the test, I am more worried and anxious than I have ever been for a testing season. Please pray that I will be able to sleep between now and Tuesday. I know there is nothing I can do at this point, but I just hope they can and will show just how smart they are. I also hope their families do not have crazy events happen so they are not bothered by outside circumstances during this time.

Mothers

I was reading about Momma Pugs new nephew on her sister's blog and it made me think about how and who you choose to model yourself after. There have been many people who have passed in and out of my life, and quite a few of them have had a lasting effect on me. Grandma and Grandpa Pug (MP's parents) were one of those sets of parents. They were always supportive of their girls no matter what their goals were, and they were even willing to be nice and help take care of their kids annoying friends--(me)-- which says a lot to me. As Madgette has grown older, I have thought many times on their tolerance for annoying little girls and have tried to be as patient with Madgette's friends.

Another person who definitely needs to be recognized is our old high school band director. He and his wife while a little odd, were amazing people who cared about kids. We all know high school kids can be a pain. They knew this and still cared about us. There are several phrases that I still use that came from him. For example, 10 pounds of sausage in a 5 pound bag.
He was there when I lost my favorite great aunt in the whole wide world, when I went through quite a defiant stage, and when I totalled my truck- just to mention a few.

There are so many others that I should mention like P.J., R.Y, B.H., C.C., and J.C. all from MUMC. They showed me how life should\could be lived in the joy of the Lord. Many of those homes were open to me as I made life changing decisions. I would never made it out of High School without the people I have mentioned and several more. I guess I should probably sit down and write a few letters and tell people how much I appreciate them and what a profound effect they have had on my life...

BARNES AND NOBLES SUCKS!!!

UPDATE: I returned the less expensive book since I still had the receipt for it. However, I will stick to my word. I will NEVER spend even one penny in ANY Barnes and Nobles for the rest of my life!

ORIGNAL POST: I am highly pissed right now. It is a rather rare occurance these days that something can truly get my dander up, but boy they have! I went in about 2 weeks ago to purchase several books for my principal certification courses and was disappointed to find out that they only carried ONE of the eight books I needed. As we went out to search for the one book, we came up fruitless. One of the employees was able to locate it in the back book room. It had been entered in the system but not placed on the floor. She went and got it, and it had not even been removed from the shrink wrap. As I went to purchase my book, I decided to renew my membership for another year. This added another $25 to my total for the day.

I was lucky enough to find another copy of the book for half the cost at another store. Today I went to go return my brand new shrink wrapped book and I was told NO. I had misplaced my receipt so there was nothing they could do for me. --Now let's think about this for one moment. They have a database of my information that they tap into each and every time I make a purchase! They cannot pull up my data, and give me my money back?

Someone in charge was called to deal with me since I was not accepting what the poor guy at the cashier stand was telling me. She continued to tell me that there was nothing she could do. That was store policy. However, she could make an EXCEPTION for me and give me a store credit! An EXCEPTION!!! They will give me a special allowance of a store credit. I told her I did not want a store credit- I wanted my money back. She said the only one who could authorize that was the store manager. Of course, I asked for the store manager. He was on vacation (imagine that) and no one in the whole store knew how to get ahold of him. NO ONE!

I told her that the entire policy was a bunch of crap. (Keep in mind that this was the strongest language I used-- Madgette was with me) She had the nerve to ask me to watch my language! I said, "Excuse me?" because I was sure that was not what she said. She repeated herself and told me that they had children in the store. Then my smartass side started to show up. I told her that I had a child of my own, and that I had not used any bad words. Of course, if she needed me to, I definitely could. I also asked her if she needed to call security- to go ahead. This was the most ridiculous policy on the planet- especially when people are paying them for a member ship! They are one of the largest bookselling chains in the country, and they treat their customers this way! I told her I wanted to be completely removed from their system. I was a loyal customer before, and had spent several hundred dollars there in books for my classroom, but they would never see another penny of money from me or anyone I know.

So I implore each and every one of you-- do not shop at Barnes and Nobles! Shop at your local mom and pop bookstore, or visit http://www.amazon.com/, but do not shop at Barnes and Nobles---- they SUCK!!!

...and a half

UPDATE:

We met with Madgette's teachers this afternoon. We all agreed that she should have not put her hands on another student. However, I am still of the firm belief that she was provoked. My little girl would not attack another human being. In all the privacy laws, they weren't able to tell us much but they will be moving the girls apart from each other. They will also be keeping a close eye on BB to make sure she doesn't push another child's buttons. As an after thought, I guess I should just be happy Madgette didn't use any Tae-kwon-do moves on her!

Original Post:

Today has been a traumatic day for Madgette. She has been in the school environment since she was 2. The only behavior color she has ever gotten has been green which is the best color you can get. She has never, I repeat never, gotten in trouble at school. Today was a different story. For the last 2-3 months she has been coming home telling us about a certain little girl who is in her class. For the purposes of this story let's call her betty bully (BB). Well, BB has had quite a few run-ins with the law (the teachers and administrators).
BB has spent several days this year in "in-school suspension" because of various crimes committed to other students and to her teacher. BB seems to have no motivation to behave like a regular law abiding citizen. Today, Madgette was assigned the glorious position of caboose for her class when they are moving about the building. If you know me very well, you know that I love to have a title--anything will do-- and when I get that title, I take my position very seriously. Obviously, my daughter has the same affliction.
BB waited for the teacher to get out of sight when the class turned the corner, then made her move. She attempted to take over the position of caboose. Oh boy, that did not go over well with Madgette. They took several turns going to be last position in the line, then Madgette finally reached her breaking point. Months of being teased and bullied all came to a head. Madgette shoved the other little girl and told her to get out of her spot. A shoving match ensued, and the other little girl pulled Madison's pinky (which Madgette had surgury on at the age of 2).
Needless to say, Madgette came home with her very first red frowny face. We are attempting to schedule a parent teacher conference for tomorrow. We will see how this all turns out.

Want to know what my dad, the former elementary principal asked her? "Madgette, did you win? If your gonna fight at school, you at least better win!"

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

As I am sure the pictures illustrate, we all had a wonderful time at the TCEA convention. This was my first time to attend, and we made the most of it. Our keynote speaker for the opening session was Lisa Ling. She was an amazing speaker who made me smile, laugh, and cry at some point through her presentation. We were all able to attend some very educational sessions to gather information we can take back to our campuses. The best part of the whole convention had to have been the exhibit hall. It was huge! Most of the latest and greatest school technology was there on display. It is amazing to see what has been developed to try and help kids in their classrooms.

I found what I wanted to for my birthday present, and before the conference was over I went back and bought it. It is a D-Note Digital Note Recorder. It is amazing! I also like the fact that they are giving me the interactive whiteboard software with it. I can't wait until Monday when I can break it out in my classroom.

As much as we enjoyed our time in Austin, we were very glad to be able to come home. We made tracks getting back to Houston so we could be there in time to pick Madge up from school. We were all happy to see each other, and the we picked up Julie. Our friend Tree had let Julie stay with her- thanks Tree! When we got home we dug through all the free stuff I had collected and just hung out.

Tomorrow the Razorback has his first team meeting for his/Madgette's softball team. He has a couple of folks coming by the house to look at the Camaro, then Madgette's children's choir will sing in both services on Sunday. So we are looking forward to a fun filled, fast paced family weekend. I hope all your weekends go just as well!

The City of Happy Hour

Well, this week The Razorback and I are in Austin which I have decided is the city of Happy hour. I have been here for 2 days, and my colleaugues and I have been able to hit a happy hour for dinner every night. Last night we went to a really cool Jazz bar, where they had very expensive food and at half price it was reasonable. The other ladies and gents had some cocktails but I just went with a water. Tonight we went to another restaurant near the convention center called the "Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill" where we sat outside around the fire and had a wonderful meal. We all ordered different appetizers and stuffed ourselves. Did I mention it was also happy hour there? All the appetizers were half price, and some drink were also. We had some wonderful spinach and artichoke fondue, fried asparagus, brick oven pizza, homemade chips, and "corn dog" shrimp. We have decided that if we just go to a different happy hour each night, we will actually be able to stay within our food budget this week. Isn't that wonderful?

However, this week has already reminded me of how perky and annoying I can be. Some of these people are so blah, and grumpy in the mornings. Some are that way all day long. What joy can you get out of life if you never get excited about anything? I am looking forward to each and every day that I will be here. Tomorrow the exhibit hall will open with all the vendors- that is one of the absolute best parts! Free stuff, plus you get to see all the cool new stuff that is out on the market for the technology departments. Woo-hoo!

Anyway, guess I should get off here and pick out my classes for tomorrow!

Girls!

So I need some of you "old hand" parents to answer this question. Does every little girl go through phases of acting out? Of acting like their mom (in particular) is the meanest person on the planet?

Why do girls act like that? Do boys act the same way? I know Madgette has to learn about responsibility, but does it have to be so hard? She was required to clean her room today, which I must say she had trashed rather well. She was determined to play instead of clean her room. So when the Razorback and I took the dogs for a short walk, she wasn't able to go. Why? Because her room wasn't clean. (Does that sound unfair or unjust to anyone else- or just if your 6?)

She told me I was mean, then tore up a picture she had drawn for me and told me "That WAS for you" on her way to put it in the trash. Oh my goodness! That child can be so sweet and wonderful, but when she changes her mind she can be the most hateful child.

So, do any of you have any suggestions?

MIscellaneous Information

Momma Pug has inspired me with her random facts so I thought I would do random facts and general updates as follow ups for what is happening in our lives.

• The Razorback traded the motorcycle for an '85 camaro. It is not in great condition, but it is not a motorcycle which makes me happy.
• The Razorback purchased a '94 Toyota Four Runner. He is happy and it actually runs.
• The lesson in the classroom went well, except I planned to much for the amount of time that I actually had.
• I am SUPER excited about going to Austin next week for the TCEA conference.
• Julie is going to stay with my friend and best HS drama teacher ever- Tree
• Madgette is going to stay with another teacher in my building and her daughter who also goes to Madgette's school. These little girls ride the bus together every morning. However, I am not real comfortable with Madgette's arrangement, so pray for her, the family that will be keeping her, and me. (Anyone want to get out of AR? There's no ice here and you could have my bed...)
• I have 2 MRI's scheduled for tomorrow. The UTI and kidney infections are gone, but the tailbone is still hurting. Trying to find out why.
• Got asked to work the music portion of VBS for this summer. Of course I said YES- that is SO much fun!!!
• Got a text from my middle brother tonight saying that my 93 year old grandad is back in the hospital with bi-lateral pnuemonia.
• Really need to clean house this weekend to get it ready for us to be gone all week. Catfish-want to drop by a feed dogs for us Wed. and Thur? (Phruitz can you ask her since she doesn't read my blog?)
• Waiting anxiously for my first real course for my principal certification to be opened. What is taking them so long?!

I guess that is all for now. Have a fantastic Friday everyone!

Over Achievers

Does everyone have a little bit of an overachiever buried deep down in them? Or are some of us just blessed with a little extra helping?

I am going back into the classroom tomorrow to teach a science lesson and of course will be using technology during it also. But, I am such an overachiever I want it (totally expect it) to go completely perfect. I have planned group activities, whole group experiments, video clips, and a short quiz with a classroom response system (remote controls for each student). I am really looking forward to it, and hope that this will be a lesson that also motivates the teacher I will be modeling it for.

I want to be effective and motivating in everything I do. A collegue kindly pointed out for me this morning that I was anal. Maybe so... or maybe I was just given a little extra helping of overachiever!

TGIF

We have all heard the phrase from time to time, but the end of the school day today just could not come fast enough. I truly love my work, but this week has been insanely crazy. Starting with the ER visit, then the inauguration and all the logistics of 700 kids watching it, the Razorback getting sick, Madgette performing in front of the school board, and Julie's first tennis match.
The kids acted today like they had no idea what the word "whisper" meant, much less "be quiet." They were ready for the weekend, and so was I. Fortunately, the Razorback is no longer running a fever which makes us all happy. We have no plans this weekend except the quarterly gathering of the FC transplant club plus a few other weirdo's who fit into our odd little fray (hi tree!)
There really is something to be said for a weekend without plans. We are all really looking forward to our chance to be bums!

Hello Doc!

For the first time today I am sitting up and somewhat coherent. I have had pain in my lower stomach area since Friday night. Saturday is kept hurting, but not to bad. Sunday was a whole other ballgame. I felt like my uterus was about to fall out everytime I got up to walk. By Sunday night, I was ocassionally double over by stabbing pain. The Razorback decided it was time to make me go to the ER. We went to the one closest to our house, but as we drove up we could see that it was absolutely packed, so we made the decision to go to the next closest ER which was in Kingwood. We pulled up and thought, "Great, this one only has a few people! We will get in here pretty quickly!"

Well, to make a long story short, 5 hours later we made it back to see a Doctor. I had finally laid down on 2 chairs pushed together and the Razorback gave me his jacket to use as a pillow and secured me a heated blanket. When they finally came out and called us, the Razorback woke me up and we moved to a bed. The nurse named Joel was very nice, and gave me a freshly warmed blanket. We were able to watch the 3 a.m. version of "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and a odd little doctor came in. I tell you- this Dr. could not have been any older that 26- he was a child.
He came in and says, " Hello, pyelonephritis my name is Dr. McLaughlin" and shakes my hand. He finally broke it down to say that everyone has a little bacteria in their kidneys, but mine looked like the salmon trying to swim upstream. The bacteria had gotten from the urinary tract and infected both kidneys. I will save the graphic details as they were a little gross.
They hooked me up to an IV and blasted me with a bag of fluid, a seriously strong antibiotic, an awesome pain medicine, and an anti-nausea medicine to back up something else.
They released me this morning around 6 with strict instructions to see my primary care physician in 2 days and if it was not cleared up to pack my bags to be admitted to the hospital. Also, if I got really bad again before the primary care visit to report back for admittance.

So, I have spent most of the day passed out on the couch. My family has kept going today as normal- filling prescriptions, etc. I know the Razorback is exhausted. He needs to go to bed. I love him very much and am very thankful I have him to take care of me. I think we will all go to bed early tonight, because we are all supposed to go back to school tomorrow.
Just another day in the life of the Madge...and a Half family.

What Does the Future Hold?

I sometimes marvel at the fact that the Razorback and I have already been married for 9 years. We have both changed each other for the better over these years. He has decided to go back to school and get a formal education rather than his education from the school of hard knocks. I am so proud of him. Since he has made this decision, he has applied himself and has a 4.0! Did I say I was SO proud of him?
Madgette is turning into the performer this year. You would think she was going to a magnet school for theater arts! If I had to tell you what she will be when she grows up (based on her actions at this moment) I would tell you she was going to be an award winning movie star that is adored by her audience. Thank goodness I know she will change many times before she is grown up and has to choose a career. Does anyone else ever wonder what their child will be when they grow up?
As for me, I am extremely happy where I work. I have my Master's degree and am working on my principal certification. Who would have ever thought I would follow in my father's footsteps? I definitely didn't! Hopefully in the future I will secure a position as an AP and eventually (not anytime soon) a head principal.
The future looks bright for our family--by this Christmas The Razorback will have his certification and his Associate's. Madgette will be a year older, and I will be a happy momma! The only other thing that I can hope is that our plans will be the plans that God has for us.

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End