Relax…

…that I’m not participating in the Biggest loser competition. I have been eating huge amounts of food. Not all of it is bad for me, but when I get on a food kick I can’t stop. Today I took the kids to Chucky cheeses with one of Joey’s friends from school. I made a huge salad so that I would eat less pizza. That didn’t work. There is something about CC pizza that makes it possible for me to consume twice as many slices as any other pizza. I don’t know how much I really ate because I was sharing with Quinn and force feeding Joey, but we had at least six slices between us. Its now 9pm and I am still not very hungry, but saw some left over pasta in the fridge. So after eating a bowl of veggies with the kids an hour ago, and a granola bar just before, I ate the whole dish of left over pasta with veggies mixed in. And now Im craving another granola bar…I will try to resist though.

The Y can’t afford to pay for two Kinder Klub teachers unless enrollment is consistently 8-10 kids. We currently have 6 or 7. So today my boss called me and Ann (co teacher) into her office. She gave us the low down on numbers and wants us to share the teaching time, but only one at a time. We are supposed to work out the details, maybe every other week trade off. I still have some unanswered questions, but part of me just wants to say forget the Klub, pay me the same rate and I will stay in childrens corner. But part of me expected Ann to say that since I was given the position first. Our boss said she wants to keep us both in Kinder Klub, maybe because she feels responsible for putting us in this position to begin with…she knew our numbers were low and had just let the aid go (she was sick of this job and wanted to focus on the school site job she has) why did she hire offer a pay increase and new job title to Ann to begin with??? I enjoy teaching with her and I guess I am willing to see how trading off work out, it just feels not quite right; not to mention being weird for the kids and their families.

I was cooking a healthful dinner of top ramen with peas. The stove was turned on high, but the water was taking forever to get hot. I decided it was because I had just added frozen peas, so I was patient, stirring the noodles and peas trying to mix stuff together. Quinn was fussy so I picked him up and was holding him while I stirred. All of a sudden there was a huge explosion…glass flew EVERYWHERE! I had accidentally pushed the button for the wrong burner on the stove. A stack of three Pyrex baking dishes was sitting on the burner (Quinn had pulled them out of a cupboard a few days ago and I put them up so he couldn’t get them). Apparently when the burner heated up it caused the glass to melt some and then explode. I still am amazed that Quinn and I made it without getting glass in our eyes or embedded in our bodies somewhere. There was glass around the corner at the front door, and all the way to the window in the dining room, as well as covering the stove and counter area and the entire kitchen floor on both sides of the peninsula. It took a good hour or more to clean up.

This weekend was a whirlwind reunion with four friends from my past. Saturday morning the kids and I dropped nathan off in Orange County, and then headed down to San Diego. My friend Sally, whom I have known since I was two, was having a baby shower. We arrived an hour late, but in time to eat a little something and watch her open presents. It was fun to see her again, and pregnant (very cute) and to see her mom…Its been a while. Then Joey Quinn and I went to my friend Marina’s house; well actually her parents house. We visited with her and her mom for a while catching up on the past two years that its been since I have seen them. And then the interesting part started. Our friend Heather showed up…Yes she had been invited. Heather, Marina, and I grew up together. We had the most bizarre friendship that went from best friends to worst enemies at least three times a day. For reasons that are really vague in my mind, I have not seen or talked to Heather since graduation. Apparently she didn’t even really know that I had moved to Camarillo. Marina had had a similar disconnect from Heather, and they had rekindled their friendship in August at our 10 year reunion…I never received an invite… Anywho, I can’t explain how grateful I am for this two hour reunion between the three of us. It was so awesome to see Heather again. We didn’t even really talk about anything in particular, just that the three of us were together again, what a blessing.
After all that excitement we went and had dinner with one of my best friends from childhood, Kathy, and her family…husband, son, mom, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. Fun to get together with the extended family, I have always felt very much a part of their family.

Good times!!!

The day after my boss said no to moving the cupboard, I arrived to the worst closet mess ever. Actually a major safety hazard including a large knife sitting on one of my boxes. I begged…”Please let me move into childrens corner?” She asked me if we had already measured the space…yes…and if I was sure I could it in the one cupboard…yes. She agreed!!! There was some confusion and ins and outs, ultimately it ended up that the children’s corner staff cleaned ou their cupboards and emptied an even bigger cupboard than I already had. So yesterday after I got off work I moved out of the closet! YEAH!!!!!! There are still some things on the closet, a little rug, a parachute, and the kids cubbie boxes, but for now that all will stay because I still need to do some organizing; I ran out of Quinn-free time and then time all together, but I am feeling much more relaxed about things.

My boss said that they can’t take my cupboards out of the closet because there is nowhere to put them (at least nowhere they are willing to put them), so I’m stuck with the daily task of moving gym equipment to dig my way to the back my classroom stuff. If I haven’t described my “classroom” before, it is a racquet ball court that has been converted into a “teen” room. Three quarters is covered in carpet, the other is wood floor with 2 basketball hoops on the walls. Separating the carpet from the wood is a mesh screen hanging from the ceiling which hangs a foot or so from the floor. On the carpet side, there is a fooseball table (no balls) a pool table, and just last week an air hockey table appeared. There is also a built in desk with three dividers, two space have very old computers set up and the third is empty (maybe to study or something?). So, basically there is very little space to work with and nothing I do to set up for 3-5 years olds is allowed to be permanent, I have to leave the room free of stuff the teens will break into or steal (apparently a major problem). Yes there is someone being paid to supervise this room while in use, and yes my boss is aware that her staff seems to be somewhat negligent, but no, nobody is being fired or reprimanded or otherwise.

For months Johanna has been waiting for Curious George to come out in the theater. Finally its here and we promise to go this weekend, so after a fun filled day of CPR training for me and park and BBQ nathan and the kids, we head off to the theater for a 6:50 showing. We get our tickets and go inside, Quinn and I hang out by the wall while Joey and nathan buy popcorn and pop. Joey comes over to me while nathan is paying and says she needs new pants, hers are wet. I look and see nothing, feel her butt and fell nothing. So I say, no they’re not. She says yes they are, so I stick my hand in her pants and feel her underwear….wet. Huh? I peek down her pants, major diarrhea. I ask if her tummy feels okay and she says no. So we get our money back and come home, Joey crying the whole way…”I want to see Curious George” Poor baby, we felt so bad for her. As a side not, my daughter has never had a poop accident in her pants since she was 18 mos old wearing pull ups.

To whoever gave my husband the stomach flu. He’s in the shower puking in a bucket. Yuck! Hopefully God will protect me and the kids from this unwelcome guest.

Hours of fun for everyone. Until I have to clean up the kitchen. Or rather nathan has to…teehee

Tomorrow is my first official day taking over Kinder Klub at the Y. I bought some new puzzles and “table job” manipulatives so they have something new to be excited about. I also cut some hearts out and punched holes along the edges, they can weave ribbon to make little envelopes for valentines. I bought glitter and puffy heart stickers to decorate them with. From my experience last week that should last all of twenty minutes and then Abie will say, “Teacher Lisa, can I run in circles now?” So we will see how it goes. I’m not excited particularly, but I feel content with how things have gone and I’m ready to find a “curriculum” and schedule that works with the kids, me and Quinn.