Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Thanksgiving to all family and friends!

I am truly thankful this year. I am 3 months away from obtaining my masters degree. I have a very special significant other in my life who has been a true light where there was dark. I have a wonderful son who is surpassing what's expected of a 1st grader, even though we have other areas to work on. I have a good job w/ good kids and good people to work with! Overall, the health is good; could be better ; however, I am still working on it!

I have a great family and friends who have been very supportive and loving! I wouldn't have made it w/out them! THANKS!

To all my blogging friends, I wish you the happiest of holidays. I will try to blog a tad more the rest of this year. Once the masters is complete, I will be a tad more free!!!

Have you hugged your Turkey today???

Love this video!

Gone too soon......

Yes, I know that's a title of a song done by Michael Jackson, but this week it fits the news down here. The week of the 12th, one of my former students passed away due to complications of diabetes that no one knew she had. They haven't come out and said what actually made her sugar spike over 12000, but there are a few theories floating around. The week before she took the Flu Mist and then took ill later in the week. By Sunday she was worse, then by Wednesday morning she was gone. From what I was told an autopsy was performed and we won't know when those findings will be released or if they will be.

On the 19th was her viewing, which was also my birthday. The next day they laid her to rest. A sixth grader is way too young to pass. She was a great person deep down and had dreams of wanting to become a doctor. Now, those dreams are gone along with her presence. Many of my former students took it very hard b/c they have been classmates since 1st grade. How do you say good-bye to a friend that you've known most of your life.

Just in the last 4 months, I have had too much loss affect my life. I can't take another loss this year. Please make sure you protect yourself from that dreaded H1N1 by washing your hands or at least using sanitizer. Also, drink hot liquids and gargle w/ salt water or Listerine. Those steps help kill the bacteria that enters your body via the nasal passages, and mouth. I don't want anyone to have to go through what these families are going through losing children to this flu!

I will hopefully be blogging more.... just been very busy w/ school and graduate school. Only 4 more months and 2 classes!!!! Then I will have my masters~!

Have a great weekend and Halloween!

Time to get back to blogging!!!!!

There's been so much going on in my every so simple, no stress, can't get anything accomplished life over the past few months; that it would be insane for me to apologize for not blogging. Since the end of July, things have been just feet to the ground and I'm off...... literally!

The end of July found me in Ohio for my Aunt Janet's funeral. She's finally free of that ugly disease Cancer! After that, I found out that just a day earlier a May babies 2003 friend of mine lost one of her triplets to Leukemia the day before my Aunt passed. Talk about torture for that family. (Long story)


August found me:

• Preparing for a new school year at a new school at a new grade level
• Cleaning this said classroom because it was just NASTY!
• Having everything up and ready for the first day of school- tough job b/c there was SO MUCH cleaning to be done!
• Lil man having a week's vaca in Ohio w/ the folks and DG!
• Having the first day of school.... which brings this every so not simple part

First day of school-

---- started out great. Met my students, gave them the rules and we were off to a great start... then around 9:30----

• heart starts racing and I am feeling faint Take kids outside for recess... heart still beating like crazy...
  
• another teacher says, go to the nurse. I walk up to her office, she takes my BP it is ok, but not normal. Heart rate.... 140 beats per min. WTH!!!
  
• Sit in her office, chilled, sweating, and well, just not feeling right.
  
• About noon she and the principal rush me to the hospital..... Lucky me!
• Get to the hospital, sit in wheel chair, nurse starts vitals.... rips cuff and stuff off me and rushes me to room.

This is where it gets good:

• 1st EKG 250 BPM---- WTH!
• Doc comes in tries some really cool things, but no luck
• Doc orders meds, these meds stop the heart to get it back into a rhythm. Talk about scared!
• Heart stops for a second and starts right back up.
• I get to stay for a couple hours. OH THE JOY!!
• No work on the second day of school! WHAT??? Do you really know what you're asking here......
  
• Go to my dr. on Wed. Tells me the following-- no unusual stress, no heavy lifting, and no exercise programs! Oh Darn and I was going to join the gym that day..... NOT!.

Now, for the no stress/exercise/ lifting part that doesn't help any......

• Go back to work Thurs and Fri. Then on Fri afternoon.... again something comes up!
• I was told, we need you to move schools b/c of numbers.... get this... BY MONDAY! WTH???
• I am not to be stressed--- oh ok
• I am not to lift heavy stuff-- who's going to do it???
• I am not to exercise---- who's going to take the stuff to my new school???
• Well, the latter two were taking care of the WONDERFUL maintenance staff @ my school district. They brought it to me. Thankful that one of my teacher friends packed all my stuff in less than an hour... WTG Jodi!
• New, school.... no stress.... YEAH RIGHT!

Now, it's September:

• The ex leaves for Afghanistan again... lil man is worried and sad
• Been trying not to catch that ugly flu virus that's been going around our school....
  
• Cardiologist said my heart is ok, the CVT won't kill me, however got to take it easy!
• Started the 3rd to last class for my masters!!!!!!!!
  
• Graduation is getting closer and closer!!!!
• Birthday's galore of my friends of this month!! One is turning 40--- sssshhhhhh

October brings:

• Trip to OHIO to see DG and family b/c I've been out of HS now for 20 years.... WHAT 20 years how is that possible?????
• My birthday and birthday's of many friends
• Halloween!!! Last trick-o- treat w/ my best bud, Rachel and her kids. Her hubby has been transferred to Ft. Campbell for Feb. :( Stupid Army!

More to come----- Hopefully I will get some more information out there and quicker this time. I am also on Facebook, MySpace, and I might just look into Twitter...... we shall see!

I am trying to raise funds for these hand-held remotes to improve my student's learning with technology. If you know of anyone who would like to donate or a company that's looking to help a school in need, please forward this information to them. I really did not want to ask via my blog, however I do not have any other outlet to get my word out. I have researched these remotes and they have improved learning by over 80% in a year. My student's would make great growth in Math if I had access to these; however, the cost is to high for just me to purchase them.

Thanks for reading.

Sorrow and Joy

Over the past few days, I had a major loss in my family unit. This evil disease call CANCER took the life of my Godmother/Aunt Janet. She fought a long hard battle. Diagnosed in Oct. 2007 and passed away on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, just 7 days after her birthday. She was 55 or 56. Too young to be taken from her devoted and loving husband and her two incredible boys.

However, I know that she's in heaven with the Lord, Jesus, and the angels. She's probably walking around right now talking to her dad, who she lost back in 1989. Twenty years almost. He passed away on Nov. 14th, 1989; his birthday was to be on Nov. 21st. Ironic isn't it? It also was the day of my first anniversary as a single woman. The date my divorce papers were signed.

I just learned today that a friend, who's triplet girls are 9 days older than my lil guy, lost one of those girls to CANCER! This one they call Leukemia. Only 6 years old and wiser than I this little girl was. She knew so much in the short little time she lived. Her sisters are grieving because they always slept together, now there's this empty space. Her mother, not accepting the fact that one of her first born is gone. Another family separated by a deadly disease!

If anyone has in their family a history of cancer, please request that your doctor take the necessary tests that might just save your life. A colonoscopy, a blood test, a MRI or CAT scan, are all ways to detect early signs.

Our family is requesting donations to be made to St. Jude's in Memphis, TN. This wonderful hospital has done great research and development in Cancer treatments and has cured some children who have walked through their doors, some never walked out, but they had the opportunity to receive top notch medical treatment that they would never had at their home hospitals due to high cost.

Thankfully St. Jude's does not turn away those who are unable to pay. That's where the donations come in. They help pay for those tests, treatments, and even for a place for their parents to stay if they need it.

Maybe your school could do the Math-a-thon. A wonderful way to sharpen math skills and to raise money for the children of St. Jude. You or your family members may never need their services; however, there may just be one child in your county or school district that will. I know in two schools that I taught at did Math-a-thon and raised significant funds for this wonderful hospital. We later found out that two or three children from those districts were at St. Jude's for treatments. What a feeling it was to help someone we didn't even know! To make their life a little more worth living.

My joy is that I know that my aunt and little Izzy are now with God and they are not being tormented by this crazy disease they call CANCER! They are whole again with those they have mourned for just a few or for many years.

God rest your souls, Aunt Janet and Izzy!

I love you!!!!

Again, why?? Just WHY??

This young lady is wonderful... and get this... no teleprompters!!!! POTUS (President of the US must learn.... he doesn't need a TOTUS (Teleprompter of the US)! ROFL!!!!



http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/07/atlas-exclusive.html --Read this too!



Gotta love Ronnie!!

National Health Care posters....

Some Posters that I found on MySpace that helps to give a picture of Nationalized Health Care. WE DIDN'T NEED IT WHILE I WAS GROWING UP; WE SURE DO NOT NEED IT NOW!

Stop the Government before it stops you! DEAD!

This is really scary that our US gov't wants to do this to our people. I do understand that there are people out there w/o insurance; however, let me tell you if the crack heads to were sue happy would for every little tiny thing didn't get their case through the courts, then we wouldn't have the high medical care rates today. Insurance companies are the other problem. I will attest to that.

WE DO NOT NEED GOVERNMENT RAN HEALTH CARE!!!!!

What we do need is some overhaul, cutting back, and sensible solutions. The less government is in your life and mine the better!! How many more freedoms are you going to allow them to take before enough is enough?? What will it take, another American Revolution/ Civil War??

Stop the INSANITY!!!!!!

What Testing does to Teachers........

This is how any teacher who goes through testing looks like after 5 or more days! We're End of Grade Testing this week, having remediation for those who did not pass next week and then testing them again the first week of June. I will really need summer vacation then!!!!!!!

Mother's Day 2009

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's in Blogger World!!! Have a wonderful and peaceful day!

So much to do; So little time

Just dropping into Blogger world for a few minutes to let everyone know that I am still alive, but have been extremely busy with my school work, teaching, and lil man's activities after school. Also, having the new man in my life has been wonderful too.

I hope everyone is enjoying their spring and counting down the days until school ends!!!!

Have a GREAT MAY!

Busy!!!!!!

My new/ old look. My hair has been cut since this picture; however I can still achieve this look!
I liked my longer hair, but let's face it summer is coming and it was just too long and heavy for summer!

This is the young man who has been trying to win my heart.
He's a total 180° from my ex.
A very good man!

I haven't been blogging too much b/c I have been busy with school, both the one I teach @ and the one I am attending. Lil man has kept me busy too. He's getting ready for T-ball!!! This should be an exciting adventure. I can't wait to cheer for my boy!

School is winding down. We just finished a monster week of TESTING~~ yes testing once again! I am beginning to agree w/ the kids on this testing crap! Now, we have 2 months before they take the big test! I hate all this pressure on kids today. When are they to be kids????? Oh yeah, when they have time...... well, when is that?????

Anywho, I am tired of all this BS about Obama..... he's an idiot... I see him as the Emperor in his new clothes.... if you can remember what happened in that story.... you get my drift. He's soooo disconnected from the people it's not even funny. In my county we're the poorest, yet we have the highest taxes in the state.....What's up w/ that?

This past school weekend, I learned how to write HTML for web pages. I had so much fun this weekend! This was the best class ever!!!!

Have a great SPRING!!!! 2 weeks to SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!

HELL NO TO PORK!!!

http://nostimulus.com

Go to this link to sign a petition that says you are against the Stimulus Package that will be in front of the Senate next week!

My Conservative American Friends who read this blog; I want you to join with me to say HECK NO! to this stimulus package that's going to the Senate next week! Our conservative Republicans in the House stood strong. Now we need to go and call our Senators and tell them:

"WE DO NOT WANT PORK, WE DO NOT WANT FEDERALIZED HEALTH CARE, AND WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO INTERFERE WITH THE AMERICAN DREAM!"

I am so sick and tired of someone saying... well they don't have health care. Growing up, my parents didn't have health care for us children until we were much older, or if they did it was horrible to say the least. We did not go to the doctor for every sniffle, sneeze, or throw up! We used home remedies and by goodness my siblings and I are still ALIVE!!!!

Being a former military wife, I can tell you socialized health care sux! Granted, I was well taken care of, but waiting 2-3 hours with a sick child at the hospital b/c that is where the doctor's are is HELL! Waiting 4-8 hours( or a whole heck a lot longer) in an ER... not much fun either!

Taxes will be raised on all of us; just not the rich! We will suffer like our parents did in the Carter years. Do we want a country that others laugh at or fear? Do we want our freedoms slowly taken away by our gov't. Our forefathers said we need to fear gov't b/c a big gov't is a problem. The less government is in our lives the better we are.

Look at our education system. Crap didn't start falling apart until we got the United States Department of Education (thank you Mr. Carter, NOT!). My parents received a great education. All their class mates could read. Can we say that of our entire graduating class of 2009 in the US???? There are some that can't even read the same books my students, who are gifted, are reading today. I am an educator, yes, but first and foremost, I am a MOM! I want the best for my son. I want him to be able to read as well as his classmates. I don't want to pass a kid on just b/c they are a problem. Could the problem be that he can't read and he's trying to compensate for it???? Makes you think now doesn't it!

I love my country. My grandfather's fought for my right to write this blog. I'll be damned if I let my gov't take those freedoms away from me! It is not right for them to impose their will on us. Do not let them!!!!!

WHAT THE.........

This is what I awoke to on Tuesday morning! 2 - 4 inches of snow on the ground in North Carolina!!! Very beautiful... very nice. School closed!!!
Well, for a teacher's workday anyway. LOL Lil man awoke and said.... "We got snow last night?". I just laughed. We did get out in it and had some fun!!

This is Pepper out in the snow. I bet she thought she would never see this stuff again! LOL

We had a great snowball fight, and of course lil man won! I gave it my best. Gotta love the weather. The kids did not have school Mon, Tues, or Wed. They had their mini-vacation again. Too bad they all had to come back Thursday.... they surely weren't up to it! LOL

Well, the new President is in office. I am giving the first 100 days to see what happens before I pass any judgment. I am not happy..... but if there is anything positive that comes out of the first 100, I will give it a chance....... but until then....

ME-

Happy New Year!!

Well, as 2008 comes to a close, I am sitting her reflecting on the ups and downs this year has brought me. 2007 left with a huge bang considering I was asked for a divorce from Afghanistan the day before it rang out.

January and February were just a blur... don't really remember much there b/c of all the emotion whirling around....

In March, I started seeing a gentleman who I thought at one time would possibly become a person more permanent in my life.... that didn't turn out so well.

April brought a move to Laurel Hill- the best decision I ever made. I enjoy my home and it's a comfy place for 2 people.

May brought more strife b/c the ex came home from Afghanistan. Talk about a whirl wind of emotions there. Couldn't even enjoy his homecoming b/c he was such a jerk.
- It also brought me starting my MASTERS!!!

June brought the end of a wonderful school year! Also, brought Johnathan spending almost a whole month with his father!!!! That was enjoyment for me for the most part.

July brought freedom day. No, I am not talking about the Fourth of July, I am talking about July 22nd. The day our divorce was final. A sad day too, but more relief than anything.

August brought a new school year, a new principal, and a whole bunch of new things. Knowing that our team was rock solid, was proof enough for me it was going to be an awesome year!!

Sept. brought problems and other things, however I got through it with a few bumps and bruises.

Oct. brought a 38th birthday and Halloween. It also brought more bumps.... but I got over them.

November, brought one of my friends @ school leaving us. Her decision was difficult, but we all knew she was needed with her family and to be closer to home. We surely miss her... but we know she's happier!

- It also brought a trip home to Ohio for Thanksgiving with the family. I was able to see family and go to my cousin's wedding in VA. There I got to see my Godmother who is suffering from cancer. I am thankful that God gave me the opportunity to go. I love her so!

Now December... WOW where did the year go... Christmas is already over, and the New Year is just a week away. What's up with that? This month has been crazy.... crazy I tell you. I don't which is worse... going to work every day or being home w/ a very strong willed 5 year old. LOL
- This month has also been trying with the passing of two co-workers parent's and a student losing his mother in a car accident. It wasn't the way any of us wanted to start our Christmas season, but we all know that they are not suffering any more and that they are with our Lord in heaven!
- Also it has brought me 4 classes closer to my master's with a 4.0 through 3 classes. We shall see how this last one pans out by mid-January. YEAH ME!

Looking back, I have so much to be thankful for:

Friends: Jodi C, Nicole K, Rachel M, Angela L, Tina S, April W, my classmates and professors, who have understood some of my issues, other friends around the US, and all my virtual friends who have lent me support from afar.

Family: Who have been strong for me while I was weak. Who have given me a lot of support from so far away.

My son: Who through it all has been my sunshine and my strength b/c w/o him I wouldn't have had anything to hold onto with one exception and that is...

My faith and My God. I know he's been holding me through all of this. Good times, bad times, and chaos times, He's been there. I am thankful for him and his grace that he's shown me. I can only hope that 2009 brings me a little closer to standing on my own and being able to be stronger and better for myself and my son!

May the Lord's face shine down upon you,
May the wind always be at your back,
May the Lord's grace always be with you, and
May the Lord always hold you in the palm of his hand!

God bless all of for this New Year 2009.