Thankful Thursdays

So I decided to start a new routine of posting things I am thankful for once a week... and what better day for that than Thursdays. (I had to go for the alliteration.) So here are some things from this week:

1. I am thankful for the opportunity to interview for a job and the hope of teaching in my own classroom for the 2010-2011 school year.

2. I am thankful for this puppy who loves me unconditionally and cuddles with me and seeks me out and always wags his tail and looks adoringly at me.


3. I am thankful that the girl wanted money and did all the vacuuming and dusting and bathroom cleaning this week so I didn't have to.

4. I am thankful that the boy now has a job and even though he comes home really tired and sore from all the work seems more focused and happy than before.

5. I am thankful that I have a husband who takes such good care of me and our children. This week he was commited to finding a reasonable car for the boy to buy, and he spent many hours on the internet looking and bidding until yesterday he finally succeeded. (More to come on that later...)

6. I am thankful for my new camera... which I haven't been using as much as I thought I would, but I love nonetheless.

7. I am thankful for our county library where I get numerous books at absolutely no cost. I had to stop reading Vanity Fair on page 452 (about half way) to read Eat, Pray, Love which I only had 6 days to read since there is a long list of people waiting for it after me.

8. I am thankful that I finally took the time to put some family snapshots in this photo holder that has been present in 4 different living rooms in 4 different houses in the last 6 years... just empty. Now it has a few pictures in it. Hopefully more to come soon.

So here goes....

Wish for your deepest desires, she said & when I asked if they'd come true, she said they always do, so you might as well get them out in the open while you're still young enough to correct any serious mistakes. -Brian Andreas

Wednesday at 1:20 I have a interview for a 1st grade teaching job. So there it is... my deepest desire right out in the open.

Almost here....

Well, my camera has left Seacaucus NJ and is now in Vernon CA.... I can't wait to meet it!

Waiting

So here's a picture of my new beloved camera. It is somewhere in transport on its way to me... although I can't track it yet via the internet, so it can't be too close. I am such an impatient person when it comes to waiting for things I want. I don't want to wait 7-10 business days for my camera to come. I want to hold it in my hands today. I want to take pictures of my breakfast and my crazy dog and my kids. I want to read the manual and figure out how to do things I couldn't do with my old camera. I want to take pictures and post them here 30 seconds later. I also don't want to wait for someone to call me and offer me an interview or a job... I want to unpack my supplies in a new classroom today and start dreaming about my new students and my new classroom set up and my new curriculum. I am impatient. I am tired of waiting.

Today

1. I got up later than I wanted to. (9:09 instead of 8:00)
2. I got suckered into watching "Make room for Multiples"
3. I didn't have time for a "real" workout, so I only walked the dog... although I did go up the BIG hill
4. I had to drop off Kyla at a friend's which made me even later...

BUT...

5. I picked up Madi and Livi at 11:40
6. We went to McDonald's for lunch
7. They played in the Playplace
8. We ate our burgers and fries (McDonald's has the best fries)
9. They played in the Playplace some more
10. They got fudge sundaes
11. We drove to the library
12. They each got their own library card
13. They picked out 2 books each (both wanted these fairy stories)
14. They checked out their own books
15. We went to the Summer Reading activities
16. Livi got picked to put letters on the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree
17. Madi got to be a "wild thing"
18. They made art (lots of art)
19. We went back to the children's room and did a couple of puzzles
20. They played outside on the boat thingy
21. We went home at 3:00

It was a great day....
Notes to self for next time: bring camera and a book to keep myself busy

Available

I am always available for babysitting. Last night I got to hang out with this handsome 3 year old. Check out those muscles!! We read lots of books. He is becoming one of those boys who LOVES nonfiction. He had this dinosaur book with oodles of text (which I very aptly paraphrased) and a field guide type of book about reptiles and amphibians. He wanted to read every page. I tried to convince him to choose his favorites, but he said, "My mommy reads every page." So I did my best. In the middle of the text he would interrupt me and say, "Is it a mean snake?" That was his main concern. I kept trying to figure out what "mean" meant. Does it mean poisonous? Does it mean carnivorous? He just wanted to know if it was mean. I am glad I have all this extra time and energy to spend with my nieces and nephews. What blessings.

Group Therapy

The day after we went to Yosemite, Mark went golfing and these 2 girls came and picked me up to go wine tasting in Murphys. It was a great day. We caught up on old news and new news. We laughed and talked and drank wine and laughed some more. We had lunch then were back at it... Closing down the wineries. After that we went to the condo and sat on the deck. When Mark came home we were still chatting. When Mark wanted me to leave and go with him to drive the girls to the movies we were not finished chatting. So he had to go alone and we went and had a very late dinner with martinis and more laughing. We closed down the restaurant. It was a great day. It was the kind of day that fills my heart up with hope. I stored the memory of this day away to savor when I am sad about my career, when I am lonely and have no one to talk to, when I am stressed about stupid stuff. I am so thankful for these kinds of days and for these 2 girls.

Yosemite

We had such a beautiful time at Yosemite on our little vacation. The weather was gorgeous. The sights were spectacular. The company was pleasant. I just loved it. It would be wonderful to have the time/resources to spend days there just savoring and exploring the goodness. We saw a deer super close up and birds and squirrels galore.

On our way into the park we stopped at a Vista Point where a fire had obviously been through at some past time. The girls posed for a shot for me anyway.

Not too far down the road we stopped at another little viewpoint with a pretty little waterfall by a bridge.

The girls can always use some time outside the car to check their text messages.

Once we were in the valley. We parked and wandered around until we found somewhere to eat. We had burgers and fries. I went over to the store and waited in an extremely long line to buy bug repellent and bottles of water for the hiking ahead. The girls loved the squirrels and birds and kept sneaking food to them until I pointed out the $5000 fine for feeding the animals signs. Then we were off to Yosemite Falls.

It was roaring and lovely from our long winter.
I convinced the girls to stand in the spray for a picture... despite the hair-related consequnces that we would all suffer from.
>
We walked out by a different path and enjoyed this view.
Then after much confusion, we found a bus and hopped on to go and hike to the footbridge at Vernal Falls.

This is the view of Vernal Falls from the footbridge. We were planning on only going this far then retreating to do the short hike to Mirror Lake, but Mark is always up for a challenge and insisted that we climb to the top of the falls.

We stopped about half way up the climb from the footbridge to the top of Vernal Falls and I asked some unsuspecting hikers to please take our picture. You can see they obliged me.
Before long, we were hiking up stone steps that were taller than my shins. It was 'strenuous' as the brochure promised. But, I took a second and looked up, and the scene just took my breath away. It was truly spectacular.Not long after this, we got to the most difficult part. The spray from the falls was pelting us like an ice cold shower, the rock was wet and slippery, and the climb was steeper than ever. Neither of the girls complained too much about her sopping wet hair, but they were both displeased by soggy shoes and socks. We rested for a while and munched on some fruit before descending.

After hiking to the top of the falls, we decided Mirror Lake would have to wait until our next trip. So we hopped back on the bus and made our way back to the car. As we were driving out of the valley we were treated to the warmest evening light shining on the sheer granite cliffs.

I just adore lupine. I had to get a close up of this gorgeous creation as our parting shot. I would love to go back again.

A graduate

I am proud of this boy for many reasons. He graduated high school. He is planning to go to college in the fall. He has a beautiful, sweet girlfriend and he appreciates her. He is kind. He always makes me laugh with his great sense of humor. He takes good care of the dog when we are out of town. He is responsible and doesn't party or get into trouble. He hangs out with lots of different kinds of people and gets along with them all. He cares about his family... especially his grandparents. He knows himself well. He is articulate. He thinks about things... I mean, really, thinks about them. He is a really good kid. I am proud of this boy.