Free Learning... Ask Me How!

Some people think that just if you're a teacher, especially even a math teacher, that if they know you and they don't know the answer to their problem, that you'll stop what you're doing and answer their question. This tends to happen to me when I am especially busy.

I used to help former students, or even children of fellow teachers for a small fee. I figure that is what my extra time is worth when I could be doing something else. But lately, I've only been helping those people that are of the sort that don't feel they need to compensate me for the hours that I spend imparting wisdom on them that they didn't feel the need to listen to in class the first time. It drives me crazy!

Tonight, I had the brother of a former student come over, and he stayed for about two hours. This time, though, when he left, he asked me if I wanted anything for my time. I almost cried! Instead, I told him not to worry about it this time. He then told me that he would probably need more help, and I told him that we would deal with money later. I'm thinking that maybe I finally found a student that understands that a teacher is supposed to be paid for the wisdom they impart.

I'm officially off the soap box now. Anyone else?

Childcare Tips

When leaving your child with someone else so that you can try to get some of the overdue errands done, there are a few things you should look out for beore trusting your beloved child with them.

They should:
- know your child's name.
- have changed a diaper before
- have some experience with kids.

They should NOT:
- gag when changing dirty diapers.
- allow your child to chew on broken glass.
- leave the diaper bag at home in the driveway when going to dinner (and almost run it over).
- close the child's fingers in the bedroom door.
- watch while child pulls four foot tall photo tower over on himself.
- put child in bed and shut the door when child is screaming and they don't know what to do.
- fall asleep on the floor while child is playing in other room.

Of course, all of this advice is null and void if the "someone else" that you leave your child with is your husband.

Things...

There are things that I know about my sister (lots of things) and things that I don't know about my sister (probably even more things).

There are things that I would like to know about my sister (what her heart desires), and there are things that I would not like to know about my sister (what she looks like naked).

Anyone who has a sister will understand these feelings, including my sister.

However, sometimes I think she forgets which topics should be part of the conversation and which parts should not! For instance...

Recently, we were discussing the fact that a certain lingerie store was having their semi-annual sale and that she had found pretty good deals on some over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders. I also decided that I needed to update my undergarment wardrobe and should go there as well. This kind of conversation is not irregular with the two of us, and we have learned to keep it pretty low-key, because my husband doesn't really like hearing about her undergarments. Let alone seeing them. Yes. she. did.

I stupidly asked my sister what her new undergarments looked like, and she proceeded to lift her shirt and show me! Now, this wouldn't have been a problem with me usually, because she has seen plenty of my undergarments and such with her being around so much when Micheal was little and still nursing. But, this was no such instance! There was only a small part of the support system made of opaque fabric. That is to say, I saw way more parts of my sister than I was ready for! If she had given me a little more preparation for what I was about to see instead of just flashing me all of a sudden, it might not have made such a stir, but OH. MY. GOSH!

My sister is definitely more endowed than I am, which I knew about way before she ever thought it appropriate to raise her shirt at me.

So, the next time my sister brings up certain topics of conversation, I guess I will have learned my lesson and I will either talk with my eyes closed, or not get on this topic before it ever gets to that point again. :)

When I grow up, I want to be a...

When I was younger, there were many things that I wanted to do with my life when I was done with school and out on my own.

None of them, though, involved being poorer than dirt and living in the sticks.

Well, not that I'm starving or living beyond my means, we live comfortably and we get the things we want, eventually.

A few of my options, though, were jobs in the city, making lots of money, married to a man with even more money. Being able to go shopping when I didn't feel like wearing any of the clothes in my closet, things like that.

Sometimes I feel envious of those people that do live that way. And then I look at my life and the situation I'm in now, and I realize that God put me on the path that was exactly what I wanted, even if it didn't look the way I thought it might look. I have the means to live the way I like, I have a husband that loves me unconditionally, and I have been blessed with a child that God chose especially for me.

So, even when I am doing things in this little country home of mine that I would have never in a million years imagined myself doing, then I try to remind myself that it's nowhere near where I thought it would be, but there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

Happy 4th!

Call for help... or so I thought!

It was a hot sunny day one day this week when I was doing nothing hanging out with my child and my phone rang. Thanks to the miracle of caller ID, I recognized the number and excitedly answered the phone. However, when I said, "Hello?" there was no response. So, I tried again, "Hello?" still with no reply.

Now, here is where I now realize that I watch too many detective shows on television. Instead of hanging up, I know that she must have called me for a reason, so I start listening. I can't hear her, but I can hear movement, and a little bit later, I hear a man's voice, but I can't tell what he's saying.

I am thinking that she must have called my number for a reason, maybe because she was going somewhere she wanted me to hear, or that something was happening to her and she wanted someone to be able to find her and help her, or... my imagination was running away...

I knew that it was none of these, but it still peaked my interest just the same.

I continued listening, and then I thought I heard her voice, so I started calling out her name, hoping that she would hear me and realize that her phone was on. Now, knowing this person, I figured that her phone was in her purse, which stays open, and that she would be able to hear me if I yelled enough. So, I kept trying. Then my little Micheal decided he wanted in on the fun, too, so he "yelled" into the phone, too. All, however, to no avail. So, figuring that she would eventually figure it out, I turned off my phone, knowing that would close the line.

However, the higher powers that be decided that this was not to be the end of our encounter. I turned my phone back on to make sure that it had ended the call, only to hear the man's voice again, with more movement.

Now, I'm thinking that this is the perfect opportunity to get some dirt on this person that called me, but my conscience got the best of me and I decided instead to keep yelling. This time, I just plain yelled, and the top of my lungs, in the highest note I could reach, until my breath ran out. Still, she never came to the phone. So, I turned it off again.

You'd think that the dang line would be cut off, but it wasn't. She was still connected. So, she was still subjected to my rantings. Now, though, I decided that if she was going to be wasting her minutes and not even talking to me, I was going to have some fun with this...

"This is your purse talking to you.... your purse is possessed!!!"

"Is there anyone out there? I'm trapped in here!"

"Somebody, anybody, tell her that her phone is talking to her!"

"Hello, can you hear me? I've fallen and I can't get up!

You get the picture. Finally, after about five minutes of continued attempts to disconnect the line, she finally figured out that her purse was making noises, and she picked up the phone to find me laughing at her.

Who was this bright person that I speak of? Who forgot to lock her keypad before putting her phone back into her purse?

I don't think it would be fair of me to divulge the identity without the person having a chance to defend herself, and since she's not writing this, I guess you'll have to wait and see if she 'fesses up!