No Plan, Stan

There is still no power at my house, that I know of. I'm still hanging out in Mesquite, doing my in-law's laundry and other things that need doing around the house since I have nothing else to do, and I can't sit on the Internet all day long. I'm avoiding balancing the checkbook, because I don't want to see how much money I don't have. I was going to try to have dinner with my friend here, and get away from the house for a little bit, but timing isn't good right now, so instead I am thawing out some steaks for dinner tonight.
The work day that they scheduled for school today was cancelled because of no power at school. Today the phone call was that there was power in one of the buildings, but not mine, and that we were going to shoot for school on Thursday. So, that means I'm going to go home tomorrow afternoon. This should be interesting. I'm hoping that my house will have power by that time, and then I won't have to try to find someone that will let me borrow their couch to sleep on and a place for my child to sleep that would be air conditioned.
I haven't seen my husband since Thursday evening, and it has been almost a week. I know that he misses me, but I know that he REALLY misses little Micheal. He calls as often as he can, working daily 12 hour shifts, and I know he is dead-dog tired from all that stress. I just want all this to be fixed already and life to go back to normal. I like schedules and I like plans. I don't like this taking it one day at a time type of living. I wouldn't do good in the wilderness.

Keep praying for all those people that still don't have water or power.

Give me a Marga-Rita

As my sister already informed most of my friends and adoring public, Micheal, Melinda and I rode out Hurricane Rita with the In-Laws in Mesquite. That wouldn't have been as upsetting if it had been my decision, or had only been the five of us. But, my father-in-law also wanted his parents away from home, and since they couldn't fit in my car, he came down and got them.

Seeing as how there is still no power at my house, and my husband is having to work 12 hour shifts every day, instead of 3 or 4 days a week, and how my school still has no power, I was told that there was no reason to come home. ( No electricity at home = no blog updates or Internet games when bored.) I keep getting daily updates from school saying no school tomorrow, as they are looking at it on a day by day basis, which is bad planning and not very helpful for those of us that are not at home right now. The phone call today was that our superintendent (who before this I thought was an intelligent man) wanted the teachers to come to school tomorrow, electricity, water, nor gas or not, and we could call it a work day. I told my go-between that there was no way I was driving all the way home just so that I could sit in an un-powered, no AC house for however long it takes just to go up to school for "at least an hour" when they don't even have electricity there. This is bad planning. It's interesting how many flaws in an emergency plan come out when there is a real emergency.
So, when I do get a phone call that there is school tomorrow, I guess I have to quickly pack up my car and my child and pray that there will be electricity (and water) at my house when I get there, so that I can go back to work. And if not, I guess we'll be bathing with the two cases of water that I bought before I left the house, and cooking whatever food I can find on the grill outside.

Bad weather sucks.

Drive Thru Window Now Closed

Tonight was Open House at our school. I don't mind Open House, not at all. I do, however, mind the mindset that some parents come to Open House with. They don't come thinking that Open House is really just a high school version of Meet the Teacher, like they should. Instead, they come thinking that Open House is more of a Parent-Teacher Conference, in five minutes or less.

I don't like this because I have three or more sets of parents and students in my room at one time, and I have to do group "individual" conversations with each child and their parent(s), in front of the other parents and their student. How nice is that? If you were worried about your child's grades, just wait in Mrs. A's room and you'll hear how bad other kids are doing, and you won't feel so bad about your kid anymore!

I got smart about it this year. I didn't talk about specific grades, instead, I pawned it off on the kid. When Mom asked how little Johnny's grades are, I asked little Johnny why Mom hasn't seen his assignment sheet that should have all of his grades written in order?!? That way, it was off my shoulders and onto L.J.'s! :) Can you say grounded?

The majority of my parent contact this evening was with parents of my Geometry students, who on Friday while I was in school working on my Master's, were in class cheating on a test with a sub that just let them. There are so many things wrong with this situation that it's a whole 'nuther post all in itself. And, seeing as the drive-thru window has now closed, I am going to save that one for a rainy day and go to bed now. Long story short is that a few kids didn't even tell Mom and Dad that they had a test, let alone that they all failed it after they all cheated. Can you say even more grounded?

I'm exhausted. I wonder if this is how speed-dating would feel at the end of the night?

Anything to help a friend!

I'm not a very superstitous person, but I will try anything, especially if it's to help a friend in need.

My wonderful friend Amanda Sue is 41 weeks pregnant, and waiting to see what her little angel's face looks like. I told her all the remedies that people told me when I was pregnant and wanting to be able to see my toes again, and so far, none of them have worked. So, yesterday, I went home and got to work.

I cooked three pans of enchiladas, one for my family, one for the other Amanda that has her one month old, and one for my friend Amanda Sue and her family. I know that the way to Daniel's heart is through meat and lots of cheese. I figured that if I started preparing for Dillon's arrival, then I might be interrupted during my well-intentioned cooking, and get to be there instead. Well, that didn't work.

So, I tried Option #2. When my other Amanda was pregnant with her first child, her water broke in her kitchen, and then we got to see Reid. Then, when I was visiting their new baby, Layne, four days before my due date, my water broke in her kitchen, and then we had Micheal. So, I figured that there had to be something lucky about that kitchen, so I went to deliver her pan of enchiladas, hoping that my presence in my friend's kitchen would cause Amanda Sue's water to break. Again, no such luck. Maybe it's because they moved and it's not the same kitchen. Maybe I should take Amanda Sue to the old kitchen and see if it's powers will work on her as well! :)

Like I said, I'm not really superstitous, it's just anything to help a friend out! :)

I've Learned...

I've learned that...

- I can run as fast as an Olympian when I hear a scream coming from my child, no matter where he is in the house.

- A gagging child is not the same as a choking child, and that crying is a good sign of choking, because it means his airway is clear.

- Happiness is always intensified when near a child that is laughing.

- When I hear bad news, I immediately think about how it would affect my child/family.

- I can't remember what I did in my spare time before I had a child.

- No matter how much my child wants to be a "big boy," sometimes he just needs to still be a baby, where Mommy fixes all wrongs and heals all ills.
And the funny part is, I need him to be a little baby again, too. I like to be able to hold him like I did when he was born and wanted to be held.

I've learned that I define myself by my child and his personality, whether I'm supposed to or not, and am striving to be a good mom to a great child.