25 things....

25 things...got this from Martha Just visiting...

1. I am getting better at asking/talking/believing in/ and having faith in God.  Being overly self reliant is distructive...for me.

2.  I love my family above anyone or anything.  They are my heart. 

3.  I was married the first time on a dare in 1985, got divorced 5 years later. 

4.  I never married Liz's birth father, and am thankful every single day

5.  I knew of my husband in high school ( 1973) but we never spoke until October 2, 1994, and have been together ever since.  We are best friends.

6.  I adopt people, animals and ones other people ignore or avoid.

7.  My brain is always ahead of my fingers or my mouth, so sometimes I write or say things that don't make since to anyone but me. 

8.  My spelling stinks, I was once told by a temp agency to carry a dictionary.

9.  I enjoy the outdoors, the beach and water are my hearts desire

10.I am a good listener, people tell me their darkest secrets.

11.I am getting better at keeping them...gossip is my curse

12.I live in the same town that I grew up in...my children went to the same high school I attended, so did my husband.

13. I worry about paying the bills, but never want for myself, only my family

14. I learn quickly, but become bored easily

15. I love my job as a bus driver...kids are smarter then most adults

16. It hurts me to see people crying.  I don't like to have people see me cry.

17. I am very hyper, therefore I am small.  I was  a chubby teenager.

18. I love to grow and eat my own veggies

19. If I had a million dollars I'd give it all away...

20. I worked for a newspaper as a paperboy for 6 years, I worked 1460 straight days without a day off.  My motto was give me something to throw and I'll do it. 

21. Death to me isn't scary...I am not afraid to talk to people about their losses.  They need to heal too.

22. I have a degree in Early Childhood Education

23. I used to be very quiet and shy, but that passed.

24. When I was in high school I was on the radio for Junior achievement ...I was Rosie the weather girl.

25. My dream is to sell everything I own, buy a hippie van and travel all over the US with my hubby...and of course visit the kids!

OMG. as my smarty pants kid would say!  I've been away for a whole week!  I do have a good excuse.  They are called grandkids!  They came to stay on Wednesday while Tracey went to see her dad.  We had a bunch of fun.  They spent the day checking out my house, and we played outside.  When it was time to go home Jacob cried his eyes out.  So she brought  him & Dakota back on Friday and they stayed until Saturday afternoon.  We went to the old park, which was fun because there was roads under construction and they got to see all the heavy equipment working.  Then we went to the new park, that is really neat and  brand new.  They both were very well behaved.  They are growing up so fast.  Dakota is really talking a lot, he still calls Liz, Lala. 

I do have pictures and will promptly post them when I get them developed. 

I go back to work full time on Thursday.  Today was a Mock school day.  Our department still has issues, like the fact that we have to come into work at 6:30 which is an hour and 15 minutes before my scheduled first pickup, which I think is crap, but I am being paid to do nothing for most of the morning so.......I'll shut up.  Then I got on my bus and it was full of dry muddy foot prints.  It must of been used for one of the football games Friday night.  I know who the driver is, (his bus inspection sheet was signed) and will be having a discussion about this with him.  I ended up taking it to the shop and mopping it out myself.  I'd rather go to the driver, not my supervisor.  It could have been an honest mistake.  Otherwise it poured all day, but my routes went fine.  For my midday I ended up getting a Early childhood route which only attends 4 days, no Wednesday.  I have my old monitor from last year.  So I am very pleased.

We have a quick meeting tomorrow for the whole district...I call it the annual brainwashing...but it's a must.  Mark's boss has already called off work for him for tomorrow so he will be around too.  Tracey has her 6 week check up, I am supposed to keep the kids, but Jeremy will be home too, so we shall see.  Wednesday I have appointments and getting Liz's last minute stuff for the first day of school.  She is my last one, so it will be my last 'first' day of school.

Unless somebody leaves a kid on my doorstep ;)

school buses, routes and kids

First of all YES the kid gets a discount!  YAY!  I am very proud of my child in that she presented herself in such a manner that they called her right away for the job.  Plus I am one of the ones who really loves that store, especially when they discount an item, they discount it really well.

Above is one of my many sunflowers.  I love these giant beauties...they grow so straight and tall and the bumble bees love them.

Today was our route bidding.  A couple of more people quit so I ended up getting a pretty sweet route.   I did not get the grade school that I usually get, but I need a break from those kids anyway.  The school is an A-1 pain to get in and out of, the neighborhood is still under construction and besides the Junior high that was offered in this package was a good group of kids so I took it.  I can tell by the neighborhoods or subdivisions which kids are good or not.  Some have some awful reps for being holy terrors and their parents back them.  Makes me sad. 

Our routes are set up into packages.  Usually a senior or a junior high route and then a grade school route pickup in the am, then you go back in the pm and take them home.  We used to be able to do all three school levels, but the powers that be changed all the school times and the area is gotten bigger so it's pretty much impossible to do that.  So again this year I actually only will be working 1/2 of my guaranteed hours.  Again...SWEET!  We go back on Thursday to bid on our Midday routes, which is usually kindergarten or early childhood.  I want early childhood because they don't go on Wednesdays I like having 5 hours off during the middle of the day.  A person can get a lot of errands done during that time.  I am only a mile from my bus barn...so for me it's perfect.

The bus I picked was bus 60, it's a 2004 model, with the manual service door I like.  I know the girl who drove it last year.  She is neat, a bit neurotic and I know she took good care of it.  It also does NOT have a camera box in it.  The newer buses all have cameras that run on a hard drive.  While camera's are nice when you have trouble they are a pain when you are just driving.  I hate the thought of being watched.  Call me paranoid, but that's me.

Oh yeah Happy birthday J-land ... 3 years... a lots changed, but nah it's the same!

Love you guys...

she got the job

See this girl??!!  She is now, (ok after some 'official' paperwork) an Kohl's employee!

friday

It was supposed to rain all day and into tomorrow, but it didn't enough to call off work for Mark.  It drives me nuts that my husband has a job that is dictated by the weather, but it's what he does, he's happy there (most days), and it pays well.  There does seem to be a huge amount of whining there though.  No more than most jobs, but my husband is a perfectionist and it drives him crazy when people  either don't do their jobs or they comment on his.  Or traffic, he just two wayed me to complain about that.  Right now the guy is making time and half to sit in traffic in a semi...boo hoo!  Sorry had to get that out. 

Today we had a very good meeting regarding student management.  It included the dean's from the 4 junior high schools.  I learned a lot, and will be implementing it.  We finally have a policy that is uniform and printed out in black and white, and will be enforced by all.  I had thought I would like to bid on an early childhood route, but I really don't like the layover time, which is the time you have to just sit and wait for the next school.  Junior high/ grade school routes are quick and don't require much time sitting idle.  I hate that.  But like my hubby I get paid to sit, so I will see how I am feeling Monday during the bidding process.  I am a lot higher in seniority than I realized so I should have a lot of choices.  No matter, the year will go how it will and I will make the best of it.  I still love my job and enjoy the kids, my coworkers and the whole bus thing.  Plus I have great hours and lots of time off ;)

My neck has been killing me since yesterday.  I took two advils and they are starting to wear off.  My husband was teasing me saying it was because I am spending too much time on this thing!  But I am so glad to be back into my groove of journals.  I missed you all so much...I believe my funk is finally gone, and I am back to my lovable, upbeat, positive self. 

Now if only my tomatoes would redden up, we planted them from seed in our little greenhouse and they are huge, but not red....I LOVE TOMOTOES!!  I am off to do my little voodoo dance!

 

 

 

2 weeks until school starts and training

Two weeks to go until school starts and I am mentally getting myself ready!  Sorta...On Monday Liz had an interview for the new Kohl's that will be opening in October.  It was really funny because I went with her and they thought I was applying. They thought she was 12!  Poor kid always gets mistaken for a little kid, they even give her the kid's menu in restaurants!  She'll be happy about that someday! 

Afterward, my father and stepmom stopped by because they are up from Florida to attend my stepbrother's wedding tomorrow night.  My father looks great for 70, tan and healthy looking.  My wonderfully disfunctional family did everything right on cue.  I had told my brothers (I have 3, all younger) that Dad and Toni would be in town & to call my father, and find out the dates.  Nobody of course did and now they are all upset that he didn't call them!  My mother died in 1999, she was the glue that held this family together.  My stepmom is 53, she has only a 25 year old son, she has no clue as how to function in a family our size.  She pretty much follows what my father says to do.  Oh well, gotta love your family no matter what right?

We had training yesterday all day for work.  As I said in my earlier entry we bid on our routes and buses all according to senoirity.  We have a union and everything is supposed to go by the book.  I get more choices every year, because we have many employees who retire each year.  I move up each time somebody ahead of me leaves.  We have 3 pages of employees and I am now in the middle of the 2nd page!  Last year I moved up 3 spots because they had my start date wrong!  The routes are posted for a week and we are allowed to go in look them over, make a list and then we all assemble together, hang out outside the building, usually we have  a cookout, and then go in by 3's & bid for routes, by senoirity.  We are only allowed 5 minutes, otherwise we'd be there all day and into the night.   I am going to work today to look over the routes.  I haven't decided whether or not I'd like to drive special service (a PC way of saying special ed) or regular route.  I pretty much know the neighborhoods, and schools, last year I got a great route with good kids, but as I said before I was talked into switching.  I will NOT let that happen again.  I did learn a lot though about student management.  I will be using my experience from last year, this year.  Tomorrow we have a 1/2 day meeting about that very subject--student management. 

As far as buses go our fleet has close to 100 buses.  The newer styles (2005 - 2007) have all electric doors with the controls on the steering wheel -- including the buttons that control the amber and red 8 way system, which lets others know we are picking up kids.   They are automatic and basically drive like a normal vechile, but longer & of course bigger.  I perfer manual parking brakes and the manual style service door (the door the kids enter).  Less confusing...that is the type of bus I am going to try and bid on.  Some people like the newer buses, some like the buses that are parked close to base as we have assigned slots.  I guess we all have our preferences.

Liz is at the White Sox game today with Mike (boyfriend), he is leaving for Southern Illinois University for school tomorrow.  Hopefully, this year she won't go into a tailspin and get depressed like last summer.  We both have projects to do around the house though so I am sure she will be fine.  She told me that she is having a hard time hanging out with her girlfriends as they seem to only want to party and drink.  My child is very sensible when it comes to this.  I am glad, it seems like such a waste to me to spend your senior year drunk...one of the girls is one I used to have in my brownie troop, many years ago.  She brillant, but so insecure, her parents are both high up in the school district, I remember mom being very critical.  It's all such a waste to me.

It's hard to be a kid, so much pressure.  We all partied in our day, but I never did in high school, I wasn't in a hurry to grow up.  Some days I still have that problem!!

 

 

quiet around here

It's been a quiet week ... it's already Thursday.  I have tried to not worry about little things, Mark's job has been slow, although he is working today in a thunderstorm moving heavy machines.  I know I really needed to work this summer, for our own bills, but when I hear Tracey tell me how good the boys are becoming I realize I did a good thing.  Bills always get paid, I just need to have the Faith to realize things always get taken care of.

When I see the insanity of the word, the problems others have, sickness, real poverty, jobless folks with no hope, I get the cold slap of reality and realize I have so much.  A good job, a husband with a great job, family, a feeling of security that not everybody has.

So I have been concentrating on doing work around my house.  I have a few closets that need to be de-cluttered of old papers and leftovers from the boys.  Liz and I have been scrapping the trim work on our house.  It needs paint very badly.  She has an interview at Kohls on Monday.  They are building a new store that will open most likely right when she gets her driver's license in October.  We are both finally confident with her driving.  I think she is finally ready to drive.  And I am finally ready to let her!

Otherwise, it's been a nice break, when I have not much structure in my life I tend to go to weird places in my head.  So I have tried to keep physically busy.  That helps a bunch!

I have a refresher course for work tomorrow night, they are usually useless and boring.  The shop where they repair all the buses is down the street a few blocks from my house and I did notice a bunch of new buses down there.  So officially my old bus 30 is gone. 

We bid on routes in two weeks then I will find out what bus I get.  I am hoping for a three year old model.  They have the manual doors and I just like the way they drive better than the new fancy ones.  We shall see.  They moved the buses around in the parking lot and most of the drivers are too lazy to walk to the buses that are far from base.  That will also give me more opportunity to get a bus I want.

The rain has stopped and I have few errands to run!

quiet around here

It's been a quiet week ... it's already Thursday.  I have tried to not worry about little things, Mark's job has been slow, although he is working today in a thunderstorm moving heavy machines.  I know I really needed to work this summer, for our own bills, but when I hear Tracey tell me how good the boys are becoming I realize I did a good thing.  Bills always get paid, I just need to have the Faith to realize things always get taken care of.

When I see the insanity of the word, the problems others have, sickness, real poverty, jobless folks with no hope, I get the cold slap of reality and realize I have so much.  A good job, a husband with a great job, family, a feeling of security that not everybody has.

So I have been concentrating on doing work around my house.  I have a few closets that need to be de-cluttered of old papers and leftovers from the boys.  Liz and I have been scrapping the trim work on our house.  It needs paint very badly.  She has an interview at Kohls on Monday.  They are building a new store that will open most likely right when she gets her driver's license in October.  We are both finally confident with her driving.  I think she is finally ready to drive.  And I am finally ready to let her!

Otherwise, it's been a nice break, when I have not much structure in my life I tend to go to weird places in my head.  So I have tried to keep physically busy.  That helps a bunch!

I have a refresher course for work tomorrow night, they are usually useless and boring.  The shop where they repair all the buses is down the street a few blocks from my house and I did notice a bunch of new buses down there.  So officially my old bus 30 is gone. 

We bid on routes in two weeks then I will find out what bus I get.  I am hoping for a three year old model.  They have the manual doors and I just like the way they drive better than the new fancy ones.  We shall see.  They moved the buses around in the parking lot and most of the drivers are too lazy to walk to the buses that are far from base.  That will also give me more opportunity to get a bus I want.

The rain has stopped and I have few errands to run!

grandparents

Friday night we went to the fair. We have many fairs around my area each summer, but this one is a small town, 4 H type.  Friday night was the tractor pulls and I always humor the men folk and go and enjoy.  This year I actually didn't have to act!  When Jacob was 1 he stood at the fence and screamed his little head off at the tractors...this began his love affair with all things motorized!  That summer started our tradition of going to the fair with Jeremy & the boys. We had an enjoyable evening.  The kids road some rides, ate some fair food and watched a bit of the tractor pulls.  I am just upset I didn't bring my camera!   Every year I look forward to the homemade blueberry pie, those old grandmas didn't let me down this year...yum!

I managed to get my overly crabby hubby to the camper on Saturday.  First we had to have a 'talk', which usually starts out as yelling then, we calming talk.  He got me to admit that I am having a hard time letting my daughter grow up.  She is my baby after all.  This is why I am NOT in a big hurry to have her get a job or drive.  I think he is on to something.  I'll be ok though, I think it's perfectly normal to be sad when your kids grow up, I am happy in some respects, but the last one is hard, not having children around all the time seems unnatural to me.  Unless somebody leaves a kid on my doorstep, which is possible.  All night on Friday Jacob kept asking to go to my house, or my camper!

We had asked to keep the boys on Saturday night at the trailer, but ended up watching them at their house until midnight.  Some of their friends wanted them to come to a birthday party and since Tracey hadn't been out since Dayton's birth we agreed.

Jacob wasn't feeling well, Dayton woke up I fed him, and he screamed for an hour and a half, so here I was juggling a screaming infant, and 'directing' my husband on where to find stuff to make dinner for the boys.  Whew!  We all lived through it though.

Yesterday was a lazy day at the campground.  The Club is very small withonly 20 or so campers spread out among the campground.  We decided to stay last night and we were all alone.  Weird though because you hear every little noise.  Right before we turned in 3 deer walked through only pricking their eyes up to watch me watch them.  The moon was nearly full and we had  a great campfire. 

I feel my blood pressure going back to normal...ah...bring on the week!

And yes this kid is a stinker!

I've been bummed

I was pretty bummed out at the beginning of the week.  Most likely a grouchy, bossy husband and the heat.   I actually avoided the computer...so much so that I had a full mailbox!  I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with the boys, that really helped alot.  They are so silly and much better behaved now that they have their momma home.

It finally cooled off yesterday, and with it my mood...lifted...

Going to go out and enjoy the weekend...There's fairs and a campground to go to....

 

Here's the new grandson....DAYTON!

 

Newborn...

Liz and Dayton....Tuesday