Good News

My big boy lost his first tooth on Monday. It doesn't show up real well here, but it is the bottom front tooth. He's so excited. Tony and I already talked with him about the toothfairy when his tooth started getting loose last week.

If you look really close the tooth is there, in the baggie. He put the baggie under his pillow and managed to get $1 from the toothfairy! Her rates sure have gone up since I was losing teeth! Colten said that the tooth fairy must have run out of "real money" (coin change) and had to give him paper money instead.

If I'd been awake yesterday morning, (I wasn't it was a sleepless night for me) I would have taken a picture of him with his dollar and note the toothfairy left for him.

Other good news is that I have a guaranteed job next year! I signed my contract yesterday and have a continuing contract for next year! YES! No job hunting for me, which is good because there are absolutely NO jobs out there for teachers. I don't know how many other people got their jobs back, but I think it was around 15 of the 20 RIFs. I'm praying that the other 5 get their jobs in some way. It is tough times and they are getting tougher each day.

Great Weekend

Here's some pictures of the boys helping me gardening.

Carson loved filling the empty planters with soil and dumping them back into the bed.

Colten took care of any pesky bugs with his squirt gun and helped dig a hole for more dahlias.

Carson is so into wearing his goggles (from the tool kit of Colten's) and insisted on wearing them for storytime. I did coax them off him when he went to bed.

You can't see it, but one of Colten's bottom front teeth is loose. We are just waiting for it to fall out. The toothfairy has been explained.

Today we went to Mt Rainier. It was a beautiful day and there was lots of snow (12+feet)! We had a great time seeing the new visitor center and playing in the snow.

This and that

I realized today that I kinda left everything hanging with the job and life here.

Tonight I went on a date with one of my favorite guys, Colten. We had sandwiches at dinner and then saw "Night at the Museum" in the theater. Colten had a great time and loaded up on popcorn, soda, and candy. It was a great time just to hang out with him and have fun.

Work is going ok. Memorial weekend is here and the countdown is on. I have a vision of extreme busy-ness for the next month. It will be enough just to survive the next month and end the year with everything complete. Between planning outdoor school and the yearbook for next year, and dealing with my pet project and grading for the current year, I'm swamped. The district posted 17 teaching positions this week, and I am hoping to hear some good news jobwise this next week. I've filled out the right paperwork and hey, there aren't very many crazy people who volunteer to teach bad-mouthed, hormonally charged teenagers all days, so I'm really hoping for some good news.

When times get tough it is so very easy to get down and nasty. I've found these last few weeks so easy to look at friends and think, they've never had to worry about money and can still do what ever they want. What about me? This week I realized how pitiful that attitude has been. I talked with a friend who lost her baby to pre-term labor the day after Christmas. Now, their home is being foreclosed upon, they're moving in with the folks and selling ALL their belongings, like open up the doors and if you like something make an offer selling things. Her husband is having difficulties finding work in the construction industry, and they have so very many bills. I would be devistated, sad, mad, and everything in between, yet my friend tells her kids it is just another adventure in life and that somewhere out there, God's got something better. So can I really wallow in my rediculous RIF when this gal has had so much loss in the last 6 months and she can still smile and look forward. So I'm trying not to look at what everyone else has that I don't, but instead look at the blessings I do have and how I can share what I've got. It's not easy, but the sunshine helps make it work.

RIF

Three little letters that change a life in a moment. R...I...F.... So similar to RIP

For those of you not knowing that term, RIF mean "Reduction In Force", in other words: laid off. I started my day at school with my superintendnet announcing that the school board authorized RIF'ing no only the previously known 6, but was giving notices to 20 teachers! We only have a staff of 38! That meant that while I was under the impression I was "safe" from lay offs, I was now without a job for next year! Scary!

Good news is that it is likely that I am going to be hired back, but I don't know what I'll be teaching, or when I'll get hired back. I can only be happy that I am higher up on the list and have the option of getting hired back. Other teachers are getting their jobs eleminated or are having their programs cut. Just pray that I find out soon about the hire backs and can get a job for next year.

Mother's Day Reflection

I didn't go to church today. They were doing baby dedications and the sermon is usually about mothers. Much as I love my church, I just couldn't go and watch the babies today. This was the day we had Carson dedicated two years ago, and is the day we should have dedicated Taylor. So I stayed home and enjoyed my morning.

As far as mother's days go, this was one of the best. When you are a mom, it is easy to think that you want the "Hallmark moment" mother's days. You know, the kind where the mom gets to sleep in, is fed breakfast in bed, then is presented with some lavish card and jewelry. Well, my morning wasn't that, but it was a great morning to be a mom. I woke up before Tony, but the boys woke up late so I did get to sleep in. I spent time snuggled up on the couch with both boys watching Disney cartoons. A simple cereal breakfast for all of us and the boys headed outside. I got to catch up on some reading and then out to attack more weeds. Carson has been fussy this morning, but it is nice to be needed. Later today we are off to Tony's Aunt's house.

One thing has been going through my mind all day: I am so very blessed. I am blessed with healthy, happy children and a wonderful husband who is a wonderful father. In thinking about all the things I have, it is hard not to think about things that are lost. I can't help but think about how this day could have been different; I could have been awakened bright and early to nurse my baby instead of sleeping in. As blessed as I am, it is difficult not to be jealous of all the babies out there. I'm hating my body for making this cycle different and am just wishing I were pregnant.

When reality hits

It has been easy for me to for the most part ignore the economic problems our country is facing. That is until this last week. With both Tony and I employed by city and state governments, the economy has been something we've chatted, but not in a worried sort of way. This last week the state released the budget for next year. The education budget is much better than initially expected, but it is still 3 billion short of what is needed. To larger districts, their portion of 3 billion could be cut by re-assigning some teachers and eliminating some programs. To my small district, that means major cuts. They are cutting 6 full time teachers next year. That is like 1/5 our teaching staff!! I am lucky that I've been teaching long enough that I am #8 on the seniority list and will not be cut, or even getting a slip. But it scares me. Even more, a friend of ours that works for a computer company just this week lost his job. The family has 4 kids, just built a million $ house last year, and now will lose this six figure income. I am grateful for the job I have, and just pray for those people who are struggling, not because of their own poor financial errors, but because they've lost their jobs in this poor economy. It is easy to watch TV and think that stinks but when people I know are losing their jobs I just wish I could fix the world.