Memories of Christmas past

As I sit here and think about my Christmas and all the things that happen and taken place it takes me back to a few Christmas to when the kids were younger.

Like Amy....she ALWAYS asked for Tonka trucks, you would give her a catalog (because back then you could look at a catalog and not the internet), she would sit with this big book on her lap and circle everything she wanted. The thing she circled were trucks, farm sets, more trucks and did I mention trucks. She did grown out of that stage but not for a really long time. Now she is married to a man w loves trucks...hummm was there something in all the truck liking....

David was more on the Techie side. He always wanted things that were more electronics's. They had these small computers he would sit and play with for hours...no wait that is what he still does...hummm in the blood I guess. He also loved taking things apart to see how they would work. One Christmas he wanted an Alphie robot type machine where you would put in a card and he did things like talk or you could play games with him. David you won't believe this but I did see an Alphie of today they still are selling him.

Stephanie was all girl!!! She wanted shoes and dress-up clothes and beads and jewelry. she would take off her shoes, hat and dress and lay them next to her so she would have them ready to be put on in the morning when she woke up. She loved and still loves pretty things!!!

Beth she had many interest but the one Christmas that comes to mind is when "Santa" brought her her play vanity. She was so surprised and just LOVED that piece of furniture. We put it in her room and she would sit there and put on her play makeup and she would get her sister's nail polish and put it on. By the age of 3 she was an expert in how to apply makeup and nail polish.

Those were the days and there were many more Christmas with all good memories. Some day it would be nice to be able to get them out of my head and on paper some where. Things to do when I no longer work I guess...

New Years Eve Eve thoughts

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. (Author Unknown)

That quote kind of saids it all. Every year I seem to want to change some things that did not work so well in the previous year. Like lose weight, travel more, eat healthier, be nicer and kinder, keep a better house, don't shop so much (this one is really hard to keep), go to church more, have people over for dinner more and so on.

I want to be better and do better but time just gets away from me. Here it is the Eve Eve to a new year and I am wanting to make more resolutions that I know will be hard to keep past the first few months. Why is that??? I have good intentions! I want to change or do better at what ever I say but still I just can't seem to do it....

Sometimes it is a time thing, I either did not realize how much time it would take if I do this or that. Sometimes it is are you kidding me thing. Or a how much it that????

I then think why change, we are who we are right!! But we all seem to want to do things different no matter who we are or how good our lives look to others. So is that the reason we all want to change. So the appearance will seem better??? I know I have spent a lot of time looking at myself this year and the decisions I have made. Some good some did not turn out so good.

I think instead of changing things for other people I will change as I go along. As I see things work and not work. Say things I hope will lift others. Help in any way I can. Be there to listen, hug, and just cry if need be. I don't think that all changes are meant to be KEPT they are meant for us to take a better look at ourselves and change the things that we SEE can be changed. If we make a pre arranged plan and things don't go according to that plan we are more likely to not change anything.

So this year my New Years resolution will be to take each day as it comes, and go with the flow. I will said what is wrong at the time it goes wrong, help when I see the need, pray when it is called for( which for me is every second of the day), always have a shoulder for others to lean on. I just want to be more aware of my surroundings and with my eyes open.

So I wish everyone a very Happy New Years and may this coming year be all you would like it to be!!! Love you all!!!

What the Store Clerk Won't Tell You

I don't know if it is legal to use someone else blog post but I will give credit to the writer she has a blog called Joyful Living and her is her most recent post. I just thought with the Holidays coming up and all of us shop I thought her blog hit home. Please enjoy reading and maybe keeping somethings in mind when we are shopping this holiday season!!!


What the Store Clerk Won't Tell You

A trip to the mall yesterday was a vivid reminder that the busiest shopping season is almost here. Through the mall there were huge signs posted for Christmas "Be the Santa", Christmas music playing and plenty of merchandise being put out. If Thanksgiving had already passed, I would have fallen in the Christmas spirit, but I like to wait until Thanksgiving is over before jumping in to celebrate the season.

Here is a cute reminder to think of the hard working store clerks as they deal with the Christmas rush. Let's spread Christmas joy and good will when we shop by being good customers and bringing a spot of cheer with a smile and kind word.

13 Things Your Salesclerk Won't Tell You


1. The greeters who welcome you to our store aren’t really there to greet you. If we look you in the eye as you’re coming and going, you’re less likely to shoplift.


2. I won’t ask a yes-or-no question like "Can I help you?” Instead, it’s always an open-ended “What can I help you find today?"

3. Many retailers count the shoppers who come in, then calculate the percentage who actually buy something. If I don’t “convert” enough browsers to buyers, I hear from my district manager.

4. New merchandise goes at the front of the store, bargains at the back. The end caps on the back side of aisles at Target, for instance, usually have items 15 to 75 percent off. If you want a deal, try to figure out when your favorite retailer does its markdowns. Some do them on Thursdays or Fridays, others at the end of the month.

5. When you ask me if something looks good on you and I suggest a different style, take the hint.

6. Sure, I’ll put that sweater on hold for you. But most of the time, you don’t come back. So don’t blame me if I sell it to someone else.

7. My pet peeve? Customers who paw through a stack of shirts. Now I’ve got to spend 15 minutes board-folding that whole pile again.

8. Even though most of us don’t work on commission, sometimes we’re given a sales goal for each customer. If we meet it consistently, we’ll get bonuses and, eventually, a promotion. So when I tell you about a pair of earrings that would go perfectly with that sweater, I might have an ulterior motive.

9. Please don’t tell the cashier no one was helping you after I brought you six different sweaters in the fitting room. It’s rude.

10. We do a lot more than unlock fitting rooms. We scrub the bathrooms, Windex the mirrors, dust the shelves, answer the phone, and clean up after our customers. And that includes two-year-olds.

11. And what is it about fitting rooms that brings out the worst in people? You stick gum to the walls and even leave dirty diapers in there.

12. After you buy something, keep your receipt and pay attention. Most mainstream retailers promise a refund if the item goes on sale within a certain number of days after you buy it. Websites like priceprotectr.com track the prices of hundreds of products from retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, and Sears.

13. With savings clubs, e-mail deals, coupons, Internet discount codes, and other incentives, fewer and fewer people are paying full price.

One year older

Well I hit the 55 year old mark this year in October. A girl at work asked me my age and I said "I am 55 years old today!" and she said " that isn't an age thats a speed limit!".

So here I am a speed limit. A little over half way to a 100. I now can get some SENIOR CITIZEN discounts in some places. This I really don't mind, but I don't even feel close to 55. I mean in my head I am still that 18 year old person who wants to have fun, like sledding...I think if I got down on a sled today I would break a hip or something. I thought of this today as I bought tubes for Beth to have for the snow this year.

I may not be able to sled but I can go tubing!!! I know this because I went last year and had a blast! In my head I can walk the mall for hours shopping, looking in windows, watching people....but now the next day my hips are so sore I have to relax and not do much for the day. The mind is willing but the body is not. Famous words from my father. I now am beginning to understand those words.

I know I push myself to do things because I don't want to admit that I can not do them as well as before. I believe I can do all I used to do but in a more slower relax and careful way. Anyone who knows me well knows I am not careful or slow. I walk with a pace most have a hard time keeping up with, I am so spontaneous it is not funny, I don't look before I leap, I go full speed ahead.

Age is that funny thing that creeps up on you and one day you look in the mirror and wonder who is looking back. I can't be as old as my reflexion shows can I? I have wrinkles where there was none just a few short years ago. I now have white hair, which I do like but it is a age meter to people who I meet. They see the white hair and just assume I am old.

The wisdom I have learned thought the years is such a hind site thing. If I had only known then what I know now. I hope to past this insight on some things to my children.

Well age will come every year and I will get older. I want to live my life best I can, take care of this body I have to enjoy this life with, give wisdom when needed, be able to have a good relationship with my children, make them proud to have me as their mother and be someone they would like to share things with. I do have experiences in life to share.

I would not trade my life so far for any thing, the good and the bad because that is what makes me me. I will grow old, that is the way of life, white hair and all. I want to enjoy my life and not put a number on it because age will keep knocking at my door.

A Contracted Employee Finally!!!!!

Well I am finally an employee of the Christina School District!!!!! It has only taken me 6 and a half years to get to this point but I am there now and that is all that counts.

I got the call on my birthday to see if I would like to accept the position that I am already working in and that I have worked in for the past 4 years. Nothing changes with my duties but a lot will change with this new temporary contract. Don't let the words "temporary contract" scare you, it is just because they offered a contract to me after the start of school.

What will change for me:
1) I GET PAID IN THE SUMMER!!!! Yes I now can have my pay for 26 pays which will enable me to get paid though the summer.

2) I get benefits at little or no cost to me. The state will pay for me to get health, vision, and dental free. I get a stipend allotted to me which covers this. I might be able to cover the family but will be looking into more.

3) I get personal and sick days!!!!! Before if I did not work I did not get paid. This will be nice.

4) I get paid holidays!!!

5) I get a pension!!! I know how much can be put into it since I am 55 years old but something is better then nothing.

6) I get a pay raise!!! Have to find out how much but then again anything is better then what I am getting now.

7) I am thankful to have a job. At this time of year and the way the world is today I am so thankful to have employment and be able to contribute to m,y family and the comforts we are able to have. I also am thankful to be able to help the children I work with. They learn so much and get such a jump on their education. They also teach me a lot so it goes both ways.

The winter is coming and hopefully we don't get a bad one again this year but what ever happens I will be warm in the knowledge that I have a job.

Autumn

Well it seems that Autumn has finally come for a visit. The weather is nice and crisp today and we are hoping it will stay around for a while. I am not a fan of hot weather once the pool and the beaches are closed (beaches without lifeguards, because the beach is always open).

Halloween is just a day away and the children I work with were so excited all week and could not wait for it to come. Here at our house, we are getting ready to open the door to the little ones who will be venturing out on a Sunday night. I have made up my bags (yes I do bags and fill them with candy) and have them waiting. I didn't decorate as much this year. Time seems to go by so fast, I find I blink and the holiday is upon us or is over.

Speaking of time NEXT weekend we will be turning our clocks back and getting that precious extra hour of sleep. I loved when this happens. When I was young and going out, I would try and convince my dad that I could stay out an extra hour but it didn't work. Not only did it not work for me it also did not work for my kids. I guess life does look different when it is you who wants something that another person will have to be evolved in. Oh well!!!

The holidays are just around the corner and then things will pick up. Getting ready for Thanksgiving and all the trimmings that go with that holiday. It will be a very blessed holiday and we have a lot to be thankful for.

Then Christmas will be upon us with all the busy and bustling we do to get ready for that holiday.

We will be busy with:

buying
shopping
wrapping
writing cards out
planning parties
buying food
baking
cooking
writing up lists
family to visit and friends to enjoy
eating
relaxing
traveling
worshiping

There is so much to do during the holiday but it is a time of year I just LOVE!!!!! I love all that comes with it. All the fun and busy times. The laughs and the enjoyment of just being loved and loving the people around me.

I will be starting to plan out my strategy of how to tackle such an undertaking but it will be done with love.

Wish me luck and I hope I will get to see if not spend time with one and all!!!!

Start of school for Barbara

Well summer is over for me and time has come to get back to the real world and put in my time in the working field. I have started back to work and it has been an interesting start to the new year.

I was told I was going to have a Temporary Contract this year. This coming only after I have worked for the district for 6 and a half years. I was so excited because this not only gave me benefit ( which isn't important because thank goodness Rob provides this for me and Beth), but I would get "SICK" days!!!! I would not only get the sick days I would also get to have my pay stretched out for the whole 12 months instead of not getting a pay check in the months of July and August. I also would start putting money into a retirements account, This was all very exciting. BUT..... The hitch is that the director of the pre-school never summited my name so as of right now I am not under contract and will continue to be a time reported para for the time being. I was reassured that I will be getting one just we don't know when HR will be doing that.

We also have 3 new pre-school class rooms added to our team!!! Yea for that. We had only 2 classrooms in years past in our school (19 classrooms thru the district), so now we have 5 classrooms. They have no furniture or supplies all this was ordered and was expecting a delivery Thursday some time. BUT..... We found out that the order was never put in so they are without ANY furniture or supplies. We have Orientation on Monday and the children start on Tuesday. The furniture and supplies will not be delivered until the TUESDAY AFTER the Labor day weekend. How is that for a school district!!!! I can't believe that someone dropped the ball on this. So we got together and pulled resources from the other two classrooms and the school, to see if we can get the room's set up and running. We only need to have this arrangement for 3 days as we have Orientation on Monday, and we are off on Friday and the following Monday for Labor day weekend until it all can be delivered...

What a start to the school year. I am hoping that it will get better and that this is not an indication of things to come.

Our day has also changed from the way we were use to. They pulled all the different programs that existed within pre-school that use to have separate classrooms. We now have a mixture of children ( these can be children with IEP's, our ECAP,and tuitions paying) in one classroom so we can serves more children. My program if yo remember was for low income children, IEP's are children who may delayed in an area,a tuition are household who can afford to paid for day care. Good idea!! BUT.... We now have 3 year olds, new time structure to our day and possibly not enough time to do it all.

Our day will start at 9:00am with 3 year olds; this brings with it...diapers (possibly- most likely), snack (which we have never done before), criers, and children who have never been in a classroom let alone away from their moms. This is not as bad as it sounds (I hope) and I am looking forward to having the experience with them. They leave at 11:30am on BUSES and some pick-up. The afternoon children will be getting off the bus at 12:00pm!!!! Yes I said 12:00pm!!!!!! How in the world are we to get 3 year olds on a bus, eat lunch and get the room set up for them in a half an hour???????? What were they thinking. This doesn't account for if we have late buses (and we always do).

So I guess I am trying to say that my year will be a very trying one and if I seem grouchy and snappy please don't take it to heart, I just may need a hug!!!!

I do love working with children!!! I do love getting out of the house and spending time with adults!!!! I do love getting a pay check!!!!! I do love having my summers off!!!! I do love having time off around the holidays!!!

I choose to be here and I will make this a good year if it kills me..........

My thoughts for today!!!

Wow it has been awhile since I have written on this blog. I guess you can say I have dropped the ball so to speak. I started this blog because I want a place where I can write down the things that were going on in my life when they happened. I didn't count on that sometimes I would get a mental block on what to write about.

Do I write about my feelings? I don't think that would be too interesting or sometimes I think it would be to depressing.

Should I write about my every day life? There again sometimes it would be to much to write and other times my life can be boring and not so interesting.

Then when I do find time to sit and maybe attempt to write something, I get interrupted by others and my train of thought gets side tracked.

This summer taught me a lot about human behavior. First, if you don't do anything neither will anyone else. For example if you don't call people and ask to do things with them or be included, you don't get to do things with them or have them call you. So I am left to surmise that I would not have been included or thought of in the first place.

If you stay in your house, you get to be alone with no thought of you on any ones mind.

If you initiate a plan and then call people they would be more then willing to get together to do things, but if you do not make that first step you are left by the side lines.

I guess what I am trying to say and it is coming out as depressing is that we are in control of our lives. WE need to make the first move or do things by ourselves. No one is responsible for your life but you. But there are things that are confusing to me.

Then it got me to thinking? What makes a friend, is it someone who listens, cares, feels your pain, laughs with you, cries with you, but in the end is there to have spent some time to be with you. Or is a friend just someone who puts up with you and is not willing to have you as a part in their lives but puts on a good front. I have been confused on this matter for awhile now.

I know my true friend and yes I said the singular friend. She is there no matter what, she will listen and love me for who I am. I can count on her no matter how much time passes or what gets in our way. So why doesn't this seem to work with other people.

I have tried to give space, but that comes off not interested. I have tried to be more aggressive but then I am to pushy. Maybe it is the way I talk, how I laugh a little too loud, have not enough to talk about at times( but my one true friend and I can talk for hours) hummmm.....

Most times I don't do things because I don't feel truly welcomed. I always feel like an outsider. Sometimes in my own family. Is this just my mind thinking this way for some reason or is it truly something that hinders me from making friends.

I guess I will have to ponder on this matter more to find out. I only know I try very hard to be the best person I can be, love who I am with, do things for others, try and be a good listener, be funny when I can, be sorry for things I've may have done wrong, show interested in others, try and be of service the best way I know how, be available to others and still I am doing something wrong.

One day I hope to find out what that is.

Why????

Not sure if I like this new blogger template thingy...I have tried and tried to get my blog to look good again and I can't seem to get it right. What did they mess with a good thing????

I apologies for the way the blog is looking but I will keep trying to get it they way I like!!!

Spring Break so far!!!

Spring break started on Thursday night with Stephanie and Amy coming over to make Tada!!! Not sure of the spelling of this word but that is what we call out Easter Bread. Each of us made our own bowls full of dough to let raise over night. Well the next morning when I got up Amy's bread rose beautifully, Stephanie's was falling over the side and then mine...it only moved a hair...oh well I will bake it any way..not a good idea, it did not raise in the oven either so they are not fluffy.

I baked Amy's for her as she had to work and Stephanie came over on Friday morning to cook hers which I must say came out great.. After we got all the Tada cooked I ran some errands then we headed to the mall and meet Amy there. Mat took off so he and Stephanie went their own way. Beth, Amy and I had lunch and then went and shopped our little hearts out..

Saturday we were busy around the house, I made the potato salad, went and got Beth some shoes to wear later in the day, cleaned the house, showered and then we went to PA. to Bill's house to have our family Easter together..Mom and Dad were not able to come due to the fact that Dad was not feeling good. Stephanie and Mat got to PA. a little early so they stopped by to see mom and dad.

We had a very good dinner and as always a good time with family. We left around 7:15 pm and headed to the bowling alley down in Middletown. Stephanie and Mat couldn't make it because they still had to visit his mother. We went with Dave, Danny, Floyd , Amy , Beth , Rob and I. We got 2 lanes and split up into teams. Rob went up to throw a practice ball and fell hurting his wrists so he sat out. David loved the seats they had and him and I were pretending to be on a ride at Disney world the whole night which was super funny to us but very mildly funny to everyone else. We had a great day and night.

Sunday was Easter and as we were celebrating the Risen Christ. David and Danny stayed over and helped Beth and also them hunt for their Easter baskets. Then they hide Amy and Floyd's and Mat and Stephanie's basket for them to find later when they came.

We had a veal and scrambled egg breakfast with Tada and OJ, which is a tradition in our family. I remember having it at my grandmothers and we have had it every Easter since then. It was Danny and Mat's first time eating that so it was fun to see them try it and like it. I also cut up my Tada and a piece of Amy's to see if anyone could tell the difference between the two. Needless to say mine were the last to be eaten. We then cleaned up Stephanie and Mat left to go shower and come back for dinner,and we all went to see Amy and Floyd's house and how far they have gotten with building it. They had the second story framing all done so we were able to walk around upstairs. They are going to have a big back yard and lots of room to move around. I had put the ham in the oven before we went to see the house, so I went home and finished up getting things ready for dinner while the kids went to see Mat and Steph's apartment.

We had dinner early so that the kids can all go to what other houses they needed to go to, David and Danny and Amy and Floyd stayed for awhile to play games...still don't get how you got banana split??????

Monday got up early and did some wash and straighten up from dinner on Sunday. Did some errands while Beth was over Mandee's. Grab a bite to eat and came home to find the girls coming down the street. Had Mandee for dinner and they got to try my new recipe of Chimichangas which turned out really good.

Tuesday nothing but cleaning up the house, doing wash so I will be free from it for a few days.

Wednesday we are going to Washington D.C. to see if the cherry blossoms are out and walk around.

Who knows what the rest of the week will bring, but I hope to enjoy every minute of it!!!!

My Food Lion Experience

Today I went and checked out the new Food Lion in Bear Delaware. It is on my way home from work and they had some things I wanted to try out. It was not crowed at all. I walked in and had the whole store to myself. It was strange to see how they have laid the store out because the front of the store, down the right side, is really different then any of the other supermarkets I have been to.

I got my list out and my coupon binder (thanks to Kara and Maren for showing me how to set mine up and how to make the most of my coupons) and off I went. I found things to be neat and clean, the sale items were easy to find. Their cereal section was not as extensive as other stores but I did find the cereal we like to eat.

The store was very neat and clean and bright. The people shopping as well as who worked there were very friendly. I picked out my list and then I went to check out.

I found out they do not double coupons!!!! I was so disappointed with that, because I thought I found a new store to shop at, it was convenient because it was on the way home from work but

I guess I will have to stay with the stores I shop now. Oh well such is life.