First Day of School - 2015

It's already back to school time at the Wagner household.  

We had such a wonderful summer and I am sad to see it end.  I truly enjoy having the girls home with me during the summer.  I feel like a big 'ol mother hen, having the chickadees at home with me.  That's the way it should be... or at least, that is how I feel.  There are days that I feel that I would have been perfectly content to have homeschooled them, but then I realize that I am not equipped to teach. So, off to school... and the world they must go.

I enjoy the summers because it is a time for them to get back to the basics.  By the end of the school year, it seems they are so tired, stressed out and moody.  Plus, we get the added bonus of attitude and mouthiness, to which I blame their friends.  It's true as I've seen it time and time again.  Once summer hits and they've spent the first two weeks at home, the attitude and mouthiness completely disappear.  Like, it's a stinkin' miracle!  So, yeah... I'm never too excited to see school start up again.

The last couple of weeks I have watched Elisan talk incessantly about high school.  She is so super excited to be a Freshman!  I'm glad to know that she loves school as much as she does.  Granted, her graduating class will be less than 30 students so her "idea" of high school is a bit skewed.  A friend of mine said her kid's 9th grade class at Round Rock High School was over 900 kids.  That just blows me away.  JUST THE 9TH GRADE CLASS!  I think Elisan's hair would catch on fire if for some reason we had to enroll her in public school.  I just feel blessed that we are able to continue her in private school where she can receive a solid CHRISTIAN education, that values morals and Christ-like behavior.  

Kyla has been a bit reluctant to starting school again.  Although she's a really smart kid, she had an incredibly busy year last year with her school schedule, school sports, club soccer and additional training she did.  She literally did not have a break all.year.long.  It was maddening for me to watch, but she and Randy were all gung-ho about it.  However, by the end of the school year, she was done.  She was done with her extra training, done with her select team (they weren't a nice group of girls to spend time with - on or off the field...) and the school work seemed never ending.  She was tired and I feel, we, as her parents were to blame.  I think that is why she was reluctant to start up again. Not necessarily school as much, but the crazy schedule that accompanies it.  But, this year, Randy and I are working to make it not as stressful on her.  Plus, we encouraged her to take study hall as an elective this year to help with the homework/study load.

All in all, I think it will be a great year for both of them.

This year, I am planning on taking off from most of my volunteer roles I have accumulated over the the years.  Last year, I was homeroom mom (3rd year in a row), Booster Club board officer (2 years in a row), track coach (4 years in a row) and graphic designer of all things Booster Club related (two years in a row). 

In my now free time, I've signed up for a new Bible study called "Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks" by Priscilla C. Shirer.  I'm excited about it, because let's be honest, we could all hear from God a bit more these days.

I'm also going to focus more on my photography business and I can't do that if I'm spread too thin.  It's something I enjoy and think I'm getting pretty good at.  I've already had 4 parents say they want to book me for senior sessions and that is AMAZING to me.  It's exciting.

I would like to find a volunteer/serving role that uses my gifts and talents, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for that opportunity.  Until then, I'm going to be an official homebody and that's okay!

Why I loathe Craigslist

This is my mean face.

I have always been a fan of Craigslist, that is until recently.  In fact, I have listed many things on Craigslist lately only to end up at eBay because of the CL spammers and/or losers.  

But, I like to try to deal with people locally and this morning, I listed a Wacom Drawing Tablet (that I just had to have, but never got the hang of using it.)  As with all Craigslist listings, you add your location so people will know where the item is.  For example, I would not contact a seller for an item that is more than 25 miles away unless I really wanted it and was willing to make the drive to get it.  That's just me...

So, I get this email today regarding the tablet.  Read on:

First email / reply

• Danielle@maximus.com:  I'm interested in the tablet.  Please contact me if it's still available.

• Erica: Yes, i still have it.  I'm in Georgetown.  I can meet as far as round rock most afternoons around 3pm. You can pick it up in Georgetown anytime.

Second email / reply

• Danielle@maximus.com: If you can only come to RR around 3pm, I can pick up it up Saturday at one of the shopping plazas.  I could pick it up sooner, but I'm working long hours right now and Georgetown is too far.

(She did not specify which “shopping plaza” so I threw out Georgetown again…)

• Erica: Saturday works.  Around 2-3?  In Georgetown?  I pick up kids from school in RR, so unfortunately, that is a M-F thing.

(Meaning, I can meet in RR at 3pm ONLY on M-F’s.  Otherwise, here's a time frame to work with on Saturday...)

Third email / reply

• Danielle@maximus.com   I can't do Georgetown and I work 12 hours days.  If coming to Georgetown is a stipulation, you'll probably have to look for another buyer.

• Erica:  Ok, Thx anyway.

(This is where I expected it to end… but now, seconds later I get this email….)

Fourth email / reply

• Danielle@maximus.com   Cool, when you realize you're making a mistake by forcing people to come to Georgetown and if I haven't gotten my replacement pen for my other tablet, feel free to contact me again. I might still be interested, but chances are slim.

• Erica: I live, work and play in Georgetown and NOT that desperate to sell it.  I’d rather keep it for my kids than deal with buyers like you.

("Forcing people to drive to Georgetown..."  Really?  You contacted me.  So, yeah... I threw out the "buyers like you" sentence, but really... we were done... you are now harassing ME.)   

Fifth email

• Danielle@maximus.com Then don't waste people's time.  It's ignorant people like you who give Craig's List a bad name.  Don't e-mail this address again.

(Oh yes, like I’m going to further engage is THIS conversation... DELETE...)

Or, rather, "SAVE"... and publish on my blog... because I like to get in the last word. 

Seriously people.  You would not order something from Target and then expect Target to meet you halfway for pick up.  Nor should you expect it from a seller on Craigslist.  I was willing to meet her.  I was willing to work with her...what I was not willing to do was drive all over town to accommodate her schedule.  

Ugh.  Craigslist... I'm done with you. 

Whole lotta nuthin'

Ever since my friend (who shall remain nameless) mentioned that my ever popular "Blog Brain Dump" title gave her bathroom imagery, I've been hesitant to use it.  (Use it... the title... not USE IT... the bathroom.)

So,  I have no title other than what you see.  For now, it will do, but I'll be honest... it doesn't speak to me.

Randy's company sent him a FITBIT Ultra about a month ago as a nice little gift.  It's supposed to be a "we're a company that believes in healthy lifestyles" type thingy, which... hey, is pretty cool if you ask me.  Anyway... since Randy is not into wearing a little gadget that tracks his every move, he passed it along to me.

I have to say, I like the FITBIT. It will estimate your burned calories for the day, track your sleep (and sleep pattern  - awake/sleep), track floors climbed, etc.  You can also log your food intake via desktop or app and it will track your caloric intake.  Pretty nifty.  (Calculations are based on your age, weight, height, etc.)

Might be a cool little Christmas present for that hard to buy for person on your list!

Okay, so this is going to seem like a weird little story, but here goes.  So, I was browsing Pinterest the other day and a friend pinned a cute little pup on her Christmas Wish List.  The pup was a white fluffy and he looked remarkably like TJ... only the breed was a Coton De Tulear.  I had never heard of this breed of dog, but couldn't get over the fact that that dog looked so much like TJ.

See, here's the thing... I've always had a sneaking suspicion that TJ was not a true Maltese.  Why?  Well, because his coat is not silky like a Maltese's coat.  Instead, it is cottony and puffy.  Second, Maltese dogs are small and petite averaging between 5-7 lbs.  TJ is a whopping 10lbs.  Still small, but not Maltese small.  Even the vet agreed he was too big to be a Maltese.

We adopted TJ from a family that bought the dog from a lady who claimed that he was Maltese, but they didn't have papers yadda, yadda, yadda... so, it was by word of mouth that he was a Maltese.  I can just hear it now...

"Well, Bubba, whatcha think this here dog is?"
"I don't know Sissy... must be one of those fancy Maltese dogs because of it's white hair, dontcha think?"
"Well, I'll be... you must be right about that. He IS a Maltese dog then."

And so... TJ was declared a Maltese.

But, after researching the Coton De Tulear, we're under the distinct impression that he is NOT a Maltese, but a Coton.  Here's why...

• Coton is the French word for Cotton. Like the name suggests the most conspicuous feature of the Coton De Tulear is its coat, which is cottony or fluffy rather than silky. (White Fluffy Cotton)
• Height:  10-12 inches; Weight:  12-15 pounds (Yep and Yep!)
• Very friendly, gentle, affectionate, and alert. Very attached to its home and master. The Coton makes a great watchdog. (Like he's only the BEST dog in the world!)
• He's related to the Bichon Frise and Maltese but has his own distinct style. (Well, duh...)
• When your doorbell rings, the Coton may bark once, then politely accompany you to the door to greet your guest.  (I could have written this description myself!  This is exactly what TJ does!)
• He likes to "talk" to his people, using his own special language of unique vocalizations, including grunts and growls.   (Yep... he "talks" to us often.) 

And here's some pictures to prove it...
 

I mean... c'mon.  Any one of these dogs could pass for TJ, right?


So, we've decided that TJ is a Coton dog and will henceforth refer to him as such.  Who's gonna dispute it?

Formula One is coming up in less than two weeks.  Unfortunately, BOTH girls have soccer tournaments the SAME. EXACT. WEEKEND. as the race.  Que lastima.  Luckily, it's a three day event with pre-race practice sessions on Friday.  So, we've decided to take the girls out of school so we can at least enjoy some F1 festivities, since we can't attend the actual race.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but we have front row seating in the main grandstand right in front of the finish line and pit crew area.  Should make for a fun and exciting day!

We'll be right here... with ear plugs...

 

That's all for today my friends.  Enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord has made.

WARNING: Rant Ahead

So, I'm at the gym this morning and I'm in the free weight area lifting weights. There are several of us in there in front of mirrored wall, dumbbell racks and benches. All's well until about 20 minutes into my workout, two ladies come in and plop their stuff on not one, but TWO benches and proceed to stand there and chit-chat while holding 5 pound dumbbells.

They mostly talked (loudly) and every once in a while one of them would do some bicep curls for good measure.

So, not only were they taking up valuable real-estate in front of the mirrored wall and dumbbells, they were hogging two of the five benches that we all use to lift weights on.

I thought about asking them to move their stuff several times but chickened out. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who didn't have enough "balls" to tell them to move on since no one else bothered to ask them to move the chit-chat elsewhere.

Why is that?

Sheesh... I need to get a backbone or something!

As if I needed another thing to annoy me...

If you've been a reader of my blog for any length of time, you know I detest poor cell phone etiquette and people who yak on their phones constantly while driving.

If you need a refresher course on how badly it irritates me, you can read about it here and here.

My newest cell phone pet peeve... as if, there could be another one... is people who talk on their cell phone AT THE GYM - WHILE WORKING OUT.

Let me repeat... WHILE THEY ARE WORKING OUT for crying out loud.

Can you please remove that appendage... um, cell phone, from your body for one hour while you work out?

And the people who are on their phones seem to be oblivious to the people around them who are trying to have an enjoyable workout.

Leave the phone in your locker, in your car... somewhere! But, please don't bring it into the gym. Have a little respect for those around you.

There. I feel better now.

Rough Weekend

I don't know, but something went awry over the weekend and we never quite recovered from it...

You know that old sayin', "something must've been in the water" or something like that, because everyone was getting on everyone's nerves on Saturday and Sunday.

Randy was constantly telling me to 'settle down' or 'you're too stressed out', etc. and the girls were fighting non-stop. If they weren't yelling at each other, I was yelling at them. Literally.

Just ask Randy how much fun I am to be around when I start yelling.

And, to top it off, nothing was ever good enough for my precious (or should I say precocious) nearly six year old. The crafts were not good enough, the game was not long enough, the movie was not right, the shopping did not involve buying her something new, the restaurant wasn't right... you get the gist.

And, finally... the rain. But, finally... I think we're going to see a turnaround this week in the deluge of rain we've had the last few weeks. Yippee!

There's nothing more enjoyable than two kids who are literally wiped out from a day's worth of swimming. It's mom-bliss.

So! Tomorrow? We swim. And then poop out on the couch! They'll be too tired to fight and I'll be too tired to care.

Then, we'll do it again on Wednesday!

I'm all out of light bulbs

Elisan is sick... or maybe she isn't. Honestly, I'm not sure. But, we're home and she's not going to school.

She's five! Shouldn't I be able to tell when my child is sick? Her complaints are headache, tummy ache and sore throat. What is that? Oh, and she has 99.5 fever. Is it the flu? Or is she one good actress?

I don't know. So, meanwhile, she's barking orders from the couch, while I'm worrying whether or not I made the right decision to keep her out of school. I guess only time will tell.

Like I said, my light bulb must've burned out 'cause I can't make heads or tails out of this one.

EDITED TO ADD:
I got my bulb back... she's sick, but not with the flu, or strep... but, with some nasty virus that "been goin' around." And to further solidify the findings, she threw up while I was at the store picking up some weekend provisions. Joy.

Two-Hole Punch

Back in the day, I was a file clerk at one of the largest law firms in the city. That's where I met my friend Angie.

It was a "dream" job since I was studying Criminal Justice in college. I was working at a prestigious law firm, rubbing elbows with some of the most brilliant attorneys in Texas. I have a lot of fond memories from working there. That's why when I spotted this during my weekly trip to Goodwill, I just had to get it.

For those who don't know what this is, it's a two hole punch - which is synonymous with file clerking.

I recall toting my two-hole punch from one office to the next, as I did my work. In fact, every work station and secretary had their own hole punch, but there was something about having your own hole-punch that made your work easier. Maybe it was the familiar squeak it made as you put all of your body weight on the handle to try to punch holes in 45 pages at once, I don't know.

I do know, that I needed to buy this hole punch at Goodwill for a whopping $1.99 this weekend. If anything, it brought back many memories of my file clerking days. I've since cleaned it up and stripped off the "this is mine, don't touch it or I'll kill you" post-it note that was taped on the top of it. No two-hole punch is complete without that. But, alas, I did remove it, since I don't live in the 11th floor supply room. I know Angie would agree, that she would have bought it too, had she come across it.