That Was Close..

Sorry I've been MIA, I was rather sick last week and then got wrapped up in the weekend. Now I'm doing everything I can to avoid homework/schoolwork, so here I am. But you're getting a list because I spent approximately 3.5 hours analyzing data for a huge meeting I have this week, so my brain is a little mushy.

1. Being sick, sick is actually no fun. Being stuck in bed feeling like you were hit by a truck and getting ABSOLUTELY nothing accomplished in 48 hours really puts a damper on things. It's like I lost two days this week.

2. My kids were good while I was absent, but they gave me huuuuuuuge hugs when I came back. Golly I love those munchkins.

3. The Boy gave me a really awesome surprise last week-- a flying lesson. This is really awesome because I would love to get my private pilots license one day. Flying has been a huge part of my life since I was little, so this is really awesome. The best part? It was a surprise for no reason. Those are the best.

4. I'm watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion show? Wow, these ladies are fake. Like really fake. Plastic is oozing from them.

5. Secretly? I kind of hate Valentine's Day. First of all, I hate hearts. Like hate them. When I was looking for wedding stuff, I vommed everytime I saw hearts. They make me sick to look at them. I also hate the idea of being forced to shower someone with affection. Gag me. Except, I love the idea of it in the classroom-- but I take the love part out of it and make it about friendship.

6. Ya'll! Big news! Be looking for a few changes around here. I'm in talks with miss Pink Lou Lou to get a bloggy make over. She's been SO awesome to work with. I can't wait to see what she whips up!

That's about it. I must get some homework and school work done. Stat.

Say what?

I'm feeling a wee bit overwhelmed right now, so I'm thinking bullets are totally appropriate.

• I was asked to be a guest blogger over at Seasoned with Words!! I'm totally excited and feel so honored that she asked me. I'm also feeling a bit anxious... what if her readers don't want to read what I have to say? What if I'm not nearly as witty as I usually am? Eeks!
• My eye doctor was wearing a Three Stooges tie. Seriously, who can take a man seriously when he's wearing Larry, Moe, and Curly on his tie? I about choked when I saw him walk in.
• I'm a little worried about Mother's Day coming up. It will be my mom's first Mother's Day without her mother and I won't be there. I can't imagine a Mother's Day without my mom, so I can't begin to understand how sad this day will be for her.
• I've been feeling a little under the weather lately, so my abs are really sore from coughing. Who knew coughing could be such a workout?
• I'm trying to be a better teacher and using some other strategies with my kids. They are LOVING the alternative assessments and our open conversations about text. I thought they might be bored hearing eachother talk, but it turns out.. they are learning more while I'm talking less! I love hearing their thinking.
• One of my struggling readers came up to me today and said, "Ms. L, I don't think I need your help reading today. I know how to read now." What an awesome feeling. He continues to need intensive interventions for reading, but to hear his confidence made my heart smile.
• A kid called me out for faking it today when I told him that I loved it when he frowned at me. He replied, "You're faking it! You don't love it!" and one of the other students said, "Ms. L doesn't lie and she would never fake it!" Bahahaha! They have no idea that I fake it quite often. But they'll never know!

Headache Help...

Okay, Ladies..

I'm looking for some help here. I've been having some pretty bad migraines and headaches lately. What can I do (besides prescription-strength meds because clearly, I have no access to a doc at 7:00 pm) to make these go away? We're talking wake up with a headache, go to bed with a headache. Regular 'ol asprin just isn't doing the trick.

What do you all do to help these?

On an unrelated note, I think Big Dog has finally wised up to our tricks. First of all, we've always used baby gates to keep her on whatever floor we're on (she's a naughty, naughty devil...) and to keep her out of trouble. We've never had to lock the gates, just had to lean them up and she's left it alone. Well, enter the teen years.. and now she's realized she can knock them over.

As if that wasn't bad enough, she's also decided that NOTHING will get her inside. I used to ask her if she was hungry and she'd go flying in. Or I'd even pull out the, "Where's daddy?" and she'll go running. On occasion, I'd even get away with, "Who's here? What was that?" and in she goes. Now? Nothing. I have to literally chase her inside. We used to do treats and I'm thinking we're going to have to go back to that to train her again. Then, we'll wean off the treats.

I'm Horrible..

If there's a hell for doggie owners, I'm going there for sure. Let's examine the evidence..

Exhibit A: In the first 6 weeks of having Big Dog, we came home to find an empty bottle of Tylenol PM on the floor and destroyed. Crap! Call Animal Poison Control and they tell us to induce vomiting. As she begins throwing up, I realize the bottle she ate was the empty one, the full one was put away already. Oops. My bad.

Exhibit B: Within the first month of moving into our new house, Big Dog got into the closet that housed the medicine bin. She tasted like 5 different medicines and the whole time I was on the phone with Animal Poison Control, they couldn't understand how I didn't know what she ate. Um.. hello? She was left alone for 8 hours and could have eaten the whole thing for all I know. Crud. I'm horrible. Again, induce vomiting.

Exhibit C: She consumed cold medicine and Benadryl. I follow the standard operating procedure, call the vet, they tell me to call Animal Poison Control. There, they say.. you guessed it, induce vomiting.

It wouldn't be quite so bad, except when she threw up I found things in there I had no idea she had eaten. You know, things like grass, plastic, a sock. Yes, she threw up grass, plastic, a sock, and the pills. I'm a really spectacular dog owner.

Anyone want me to puppy sit?

Ugh.

A migraine while working with 6 six and seven year olds, one who is a screamer and one who can't keep his mouth shut, plus an IEP meeting makes for one pretty lousy day.

It was so bad I had to turn off one set of lights so I could avoid any unnecessary light. Of course, I really wish I could have turned off the mouths, instead.

On a better note, only four days left with kids and they are all half days.

Sick.

How about the woman at TGIFriday's who had her head down on the bar and proceeded to puke on the floor. I'm pretty sure she was over 35. And no, it wasn't the flu. It was probably the mass quantities of alcohol she consumed.

I'll bet someone is pretty proud of her.

Dear Medicine...

While I appreciate your ability to keep me less crazy, I do not appreciate that you have a warning label on the side of you that says I shouldn't drink while taking you. You have the ability to keep me less crazy, yet you make me feel as if I've downed 10 shots after only consuming one drink. After two drinks? Definitely feel as if I've downed 20 shots. You can imagine what drinks 3-4 felt like.

It's always fun when you have to face your parents and grandmother while being completely hung over like a 21 year old. I tried to blame you, dear meds, but they weren't buying it. Even though it really was true.

It's even more fun when you have to delay your 9 hour drive to the following day because you just can't seem to function.

Oops.

Loser...

Yup, that's me.

Today I made the brave decision to give blood. I've only done it once before and I'm scared crazy when it comes to needles and my own blood. I can handle anyone else's blood... just not my own. I was so proud of myself when I watched the woman prick me AND I took a look to see where all that blood was going. I was pretty darn proud.

This is where the loser part comes in...

I stand up and make a joke that the comfy seats are just so hard to get out of. I walk to the canteen and BAM! fell to the floor, only to feel like I was going to vomit all over the lady's shoes. They rushed me to the gurney looking thing and tell me to lay down while they place ice cold paper towels on my head and neck. They then close the curtain and bring me a barf bag. Sweet.

Fast forward about 5 minutes and I'm feeling better. I sit up and make my way back to the seat I was supposed to sit in. It hits again, I'm going to pass out or vomit. I'm rushed back to the gurney. After about 20 minutes, I feel MUCH better and am actually able to sit up and eat something.

Damn. I was so proud of myself, too! That's what I get for not eating a huge breakfast before I gave blood. Next time, I promise.

So.. next time you're donating blood and you see someone who doesn't look well, don't laugh. It could be me.