Saturday before the first day of school

I've been painting my ladder back chairs to match the shelves in my classroom. It is so cozy looking. I hope the kids don't try to peel it off. I'm really bumming today. I guess it's because I am starting another school year in the "shome" (shop/home). I don't even try to pretend it's a little "apartment" anymore. I can't keep the floors clean, there is not enough room to hang our clothes up, our stuff is still packed in boxes behind our faux "closet" and my kitchen is a joke. The DH and DS leave their stuff everywhere with the thoughts that I will pick it up. If it were a nice house I would but it is a SHOP for crying out loud. I'm just sick of it. The house in Wax.? you ask? DH is trying to sell it himself.... and that is not working out too well. My suggestions of trying a realtor again get me a wierd look. I give up.
I dread Christmas in here again. I dread winter in here again. We have to keep wood burning in the stove for it to stay warm in here. That's not too bad until the wee hours of the morning when the cold wakes me up and I have to put more wood on. All our clothes smell like smoke in the winter. Poor Riley, I am even irritated with him and he is the cutest puppy in the world. Don't know what to do.

Back to Work

I say this is the first day back to work, but I have been going up there for two weeks trying to get my classroom set up. It is the first day that I HAVE to be there, though. We bought a new camera. It will be so much easier to put pictures up here. I will try with some shots of Dane.
This is Dane after a morning of football practice and a huge lunch (large order of bean and cheese nachos, hamburger, with bacon, and french fries and 3 Dr. Peppers). He's a tuckered turtle. This is also a picture of his new shoes. He says they are "fresh" and only a size 13. He is ready to be a sophomore and is really going to try to keep all his grades a B and above. Should I thank his girlfriend, Kathleen, for this new attitude?
Speaking of Dane, I guess I'd better go pick him up.

School Days

Not yet, but so close. I have been working so hard on my classroom. It is more work than I thought being I had to take everything down to have my walls painted. Dane has finished week two of 2 a days. I have been walking at the park after I dropped him off. Sometimes I take Riley (my dog). It's so funny because last year at this time I thought I was doing something so cool for Dane. I sent him to California to stay with Kelly and he went to Surf Camp. I never even thought about Freshman orientation or 2 a days. So he missed his orientation and the first week of football, which meant he lost the position he wanted. Once again, I lost the nomination for Mother of the Year.
The count-down has started for Dane's driver's license....4 months and 26 days. And dating too!! Of course, if his girl-friend is allowed to date when she turns 16....he'll be able to date next month.
Haven't heard from Charlie is over a month!!! Call him or not?
Kelly is still in Asia...haven't heard from her in over a week.....trying not to worry.
The house is still on the market!!! Lots of people looked at it over the summer but no bites. That just means that life in the shome goes on and on and on and on....but, it's not driving me crazy.

Teacher Whine

I might as well begin this today....nooooooooo, 12 more days before I start work. Am I ready? no. Is my room ready? hahahahahaha.....it's been painted and all my stuff is crammed into the middle of my room. Have I lost the ten pounds that I was going to lose? no, but I have lost three. I have walked 2 miles 4 days this week. I had to skip Thursday because of an inservice day but I was there by 7:00 a.m. (thanks to 2 a days) walking with my dog. It's so much cooler at that time of the day. What was I thinking earlier walking at 6:30 p.m. Sweat like a pig at that time. I went ahead and bought some new "fat" clothes so I don't have to wear the same 3 outfits. Enough whine. (maybe I should have added some cheese?)

Ready for What?

I am going to track the next three years of my life as a digital diary. Right now we, my husband, youngest son, and I are living in the shop we built ourselves. We are waiting for our house 70 miles away to sell so we can build on this land we bought 6/7 years ago. We are starting our second year in the shop while we wait for the housing market to pick up. I am being quite patient, I believe, because I have a really cool house plan ready to put into action as soon as the house sells. I am going to blog this waiting period, the building experience, and the last three years of my youngest child living at home. As of right now, I am dreading the empty nest. I love being a mom and it has been so much fun raising D. I will truly miss him when he leaves for college. My husband travels so that will put me by myself (well, with the four dogs, one cat, and a horse) when that time comes. My kids are scattered. One lives in California and one in the south (this in my wanderer so no telling where it will be next year). I am not putting any names as of yet just because I am not comfortable doing so right now. This may change. This is my initial post telling why I am here.