Unbelievable

It's a terrible, damp, rainy Saturday in CNY. All my scrapping friends are doing just that, scrapping. There's a virtual crop over at Susan's Scrapbook Shack. The We B girls are at an all day scrapping retreat. And here I sit. Doing nothing.

I have news! I'm starting a new job on Monday! I guess my days as a SAHM are officially over. I mean I've been working more since ds went to kindergarten, but I had Mondays until 4pm and all day Tuesdays to myself. Now, I'll be working Monday thru Friday. Some of my older blog readers (not older as in age, older as in reading my blog longer) may remember my dilemma a few years ago about being certified as a teacher's assistant and whether I should take a job with the school district or stay at my current job where the flexibility was key. Thursday one of the department heads from high school called me and offered me a job. He knows my brother really well. Anyway, I accepted. The only thing that caught me completely off guard was when he said he needs me so badly, he will get me started on Monday. I was practically speechless! When I hung up the phone, that's all I could say was, Oh shit! How am I going to go into work tomorrow and tell them this is my last day?

Well, I survived my last day at work on Friday. I gotta tell ya, it wasn't easy. I had to tell the story to my coworkers with tears in their eyes. I could hardly look at them because I was fighting back tears of my own. I guess it's kinda hard when you work with a small group where everyone gets along. They are like a little family, a second family, that I am leaving behind. My boss was very gracious I have to say. He told me if I didn't like it at the school, I was always welcome to come back. Gotta love that safety net.

So Monday, I am off to the high school (a "tough" high school) to be a teacher's assistant to special education students. I am happy, excited, worried, scared...you name it! I don't know what I'm in for, I've never done anything like this before! I haven't completely stressed out yet(which is my usual nature). I'm figuring the unbearable panic will set in sometime Sunday evening!

Maybe I'll go over & join the girls at the shack for some scrapping time. It'll help me relax, gotta keep that panic at bay! lol

Blindsided

Today is October 25th. Do you know what that means? 2 months til Christmas!! Can you believe it? Where does the time go? I think (at least around here anyway) that the unusually long summer we've had is going to do a number on us. I mean really, weather wise, most people are thinking that it's still oh early to mid September. But no. One week from today it will be November 1st! So brace yourself and prepare to be blindsided by the holidays!

Carving

Wanna hear a silly secret?

My kids & I have never carved pumpkins! My mom gets angry when I say this, she seems to think we carved pumpkins every year. I, on the other hand, have no recollection of this. I was the youngest child, my oldest sister being 12 years older than me. I think mom & dad carved pumpkins with her and my brother, maybe my other sister too. I think I was forgotten...or as I like to say to tease mom..."you were burned out by the time I came along." Boy, she really hates when I say that! LOL

So, I believe as a result of all this "pumpkin carving neglect", if you will, my poor children have never had the experience either. I simply never thought about it. (To make matters worse, would you believe dh never carved pumpkins with his family?) As my sister-in-law learned of this shocking fact over the weekend, mortified, she thought it necessary to remedy the situation immediately. (I'll save the I've-never-been-sledding issue for another day) So here are my children (along with my niece) carving pumpkins. I love the faces they're making! My only regret? That I didn't have my sister-in-law take a picture of me pulling all those yummy pumpkin guts out! I, personally, loved the squishy guts!

I was tagged by Nicole. http://nicolemartel.blogspot.com

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person (or in my case person(s) that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself (on your blog, we all want to know them).
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Let's see, what can I share that won't bore you all to death:

1. Dh & I were born 2 days apart. As a matter of fact, we were in the hospital together. (he was eyeballing me way back then! lol)
2. A few years ago I swore I would never fully embrace digital photography. Well, we've been huggin' quite a bit lately.
3. I'm shy, until I get to know you.
4. Going out on a limb with this one, you're all going to think I'm crazy. When I was a fashionista (pre children), I used to write down, on a calendar, the clothes that I wore each day. This way I could see what I wore and not wear the same thing again for several weeks. Sick, I know.
5. I have been a bridesmaid 5 times and maid of honor twice. (Oh God, I'm really scraping for random facts! lol)
6. I once went out to a club (when I was in college) with a mini skirt that was so tight, I couldn't sit in it. It had a zipper up the back from top to bottom so I literally had to unzip the skirt so I could sit & drive in the car. My girlfriends had to zip me back up in the parking lot! Ahhh, the 80s!
7. I often watch Christmas movies & listen to Christmas music in the middle of the summer!

Here is who I'm tagging:

1. JenCoen http://jencoen.blogspot.com
2. Holly http://itsallaboutholly.blogspot.com
3. Shelley http://scrappingoodness.blogspot.com
4. Leslye http://doyougiveascrap.blogspot.com
5. Ellen http://closeyourears.blogspot.com
6. Denise http://deniseg.blogspot.com
7. Tricia http://tricia-mycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com

Another year older

Today is my birthday. My last year of being in my 30s. Did I just admit that out loud to all of blogdom? Anyway, it wasn't a particularly exciting day, birthdays as I get older never are. I mean what's to be excited about, I'm getting older...old...ehhh!

So, to completely change the subject, I had a dentist appointment today, for a cleaning. Is it just me or is everyone in pain after having their teeth cleaned? Or am I the only one who has a crazy pain inflicting hygienist?? When I got home, my gums were throbbing to the point where I almost thought I'd have to take Tylenol to get me through the night at work. And now, some 10 hours later, I can still feel a sore aching pain. My dentist is an extremely exceptional practitioner, but the hygenist...I just don't know. What's the deal here? Do I need to change dentists?

The big 0-6!

It's hard to believe that 6 years ago today, this little guy was born...a 4 pound, 5 ounce preemie. I can remember so vividly that dd (3 years old at the time) decided, upon leaving my sister's house that night 6 years ago, that she needed to take my sister's box of marshmallow pumpkin peeps home with her because as she said, "just in case my baby comes tonight." I remember looking at my sister & saying "I hope she doesn't know something we don't." Sure enough, 3 hours later, my water broke, some 5 1/2 weeks early. Amazing, isn't it? 6 years since this one entered our lives and I can't imagine life without him. Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Something to think about

I saw this post yesterday on Two Peas and I just can't stop thinking about it.
Is scrapbooking losing its popularity? I have to admit (and I really hate to admit it) but so much of what the ladies posted has rang true with me. I was a die hard and now I feel like I'm losing my devotion to this hobby. I keep trying to tell myself that it's only because I've moved my scrapping room and can't get my wits about me yet, but I don't know. Maybe I'm just going through a phase or something? I used to eat, drink & sleep scrapping and now I don't feel that same "oomph" for it. The worst part--and this I really hate to admit--when I went to my not so local LSS on Saturday, I didn't get crazy excited over anything. There was a time I would nearly hyperventilate in a scrapbook store! So tell, what do you think about all of this and is there a cure for me?

October

October is here! Definitely my most favorite month of the year...so many birthdays & events for us every October...I'm looking forward to it.
And now, time for my public service announcement:

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I encourage each & every one of you from my legions of devoted blog readers (lol) to have a mammogram if you have not had one this year. I am happy to report that I survived the old pancake press of the "girls" this morning. (I don't know the results yet, so keep me in your good thoughts.)
Here's to a good week ahead for all!