"Looks like somebodys got a case of the Mondays"

Fifty percent of my struggle with going to the gym is getting my bag together the night before so I can shower there and make it to work on time. So last night when I was getting things ready for the week I put together my bag of things for the morning shower at the gym. I put everything in the car, including my school bags, lap top, etc.

So this morning when the alarm went off at 5:15 I didn't mind getting up because I was well prepared, and that's half the battle, right? I even had new gym clothes which is always a plus. I change and walk out the door and drive the few miles it is to the YMCA.

WHen I get there I realize I can't find my gym card. As I rummage threw my bag I feel a sting on my pinky finger. I take it out to look, and realize I have caught the tip end of my finger on the four-bladed razor in my shower bag. Oops. The darn thing took the entire top off, making my nicely rounded finger into a flat top. It was bleeding like crazy.

Luckily I found a wash cloth and wrapped around my profusely bleeding finger so that I can drive home. It didn't stop bleeding for long time, and now it looks gross as you can see the actually chunk that is missing. I bet if I go back to the razor I could actually find it.

Ughh. And all I wanted to do was get a workout in.
Other than that, my Monday went fine. Anybody else?

And... they're off!

We are back from our trip. We spent time with family, the funeral was arranged beautifully, and Scott gave a beautiful eulogy that I know honored David. Seriously, the boy can write. It couldn't have been worded more eloquently, and I was proud of him for it all.

Now school has officially started. We got back for CA in the wee hours of Monday morning, and then I was up at 5:30 to get to work early and make up all that I didn't get to do the days I was out the week before. Meetings, and then Thursday was our first day with students. I have a great class of 20 (how I love not teaching in CA) who all seem excited to be fourth graders.

Luckily, Scott's start is a little slower than mine, as he began with student interns this past week, started a class today, begins teaching and taking another this week, and then his final class he's taking doesn't begin until mid-September. He is busy, don't get me wrong, but it is staggered. This has been great, because of all that he has done around the house to make up for when we were gone. How thrilled I was to return home last Mon to have my laundry all clean and folded!

Emily started back with Ms. Shari, and she is thrilled. The only drama in her two year-old life is that her special friend T.J. went to Kindergarten this year, and she misses him. Other than that, and she's having a ball.

Today I made a to-do list that included going to Sam's, the market, cleaning toilets, and vacuuming the carpet. I got the shopping done, but think I'd rather take a nap. It's been a long, but good week.

(my first day of school picture to follow)

Sad News

Many of you had the chance to meet my brother at our wedding a while back and said how much you enjoyed meeting him for the first time. Sadly enough, my brother David passed away early this morning. We believe he died in his sleep and the nurse was alerted when his ventilator alarm went off. The paramedics, and later the emergency personnel, attempted CPR on him but couldn't revive him. We don't believe he was in any pain. We are not sure what he died from but it seemed he may have died from a massive heart attack. When I visited last month, he had two orange-size cancerous tumors, diabetes, he couldn't eat, couldn't drink, malnourished, we could no longer understand his speech, and he was extremely depressed. Because of the pain he was in, they had him on many drugs to make him comfortable. While he was painfree for the first time in months, we only shared about 20 words during my 7 day visit but it was enough time to tell him I loved him.

We are heading to California tomorrow (Tuesday) until Sunday to help with arrangements and the funeral. You can contact us through email or cell phone. You are welcome to the funeral once we know when and where it is.

Scott

Heat = Lazy

This week was my last full week off before I return to work Thursday 8/16. Normally before school starts I have this unyielding list of things that I want to do around the house in order to make the return to school more pleasant for everybody. The list usually includes things like cleaning out the pantry, donating used clothing to Goodwill, cleaning out the garage, and weeding all the flower beds. Basically things that will surely get put on the back burner once the shot gun start signals school.

However... this year is quite different. In case you aren't like my grandpa who watches the weather channel regularly, I'll update you to our heat wave weather in the Carolinas. Yesterday the temp was 107 with a heat index of 118 with the 90% humidity. It was the hottest day on record ever for our state. Holy Crap. It was hot. It has been like all week. We have a break today with the temp only reaching 99 (normal average temp for August is 90) with a heat index of 110.

Now I have had plans in the back of my mind to do fun stuff with Emily like go blueberry picking in Lexington. Not-a-gunna-happen. We have stayed in-doors all week, literally not using a backyard once, and Emily has broke records herself with the amount of t.v. she's watched. Typically I turn off the t.v. and make everybody mad at me, but lately there just isn't anything else to do. There is only so many pictures you can water color paint, and animals you can make out of play dough. We have spent time at the library, and reading many books. Emily has been quite taken with Peter Rabbit.

Add to that the number of times we have eaten out this past week (1- because we just needed to get out of the house and 2- because I wasn't going make anything that required using heat) and you have a truly disrupted Johnson household.

So please, somebody tell me that my child's brain isn't going to fry from too much television this week, and that the Johnson's will transition to the school time schedule even easier after this much needed lazy time. Please somebody, reassure me! :)

Heat and two year olds

It was 106 today in Columbia, with a heat index and humidity making it feel like 115. It hasn't been this hot since 1901. What do you do when it's this hot? Emily doesn't seem to notice, and can't understand why Scott and I won't go out to play. Seriously, when it's in the nineties by 8 am we just aren't going to be going out to play. So that leaves us with an ancey toddler stuck indoors for multiple days at a time. Oy Veh. We have watched entirely too much television. I have refused to cook, resulting in eating out way too often, and eating only fresh fruits and other cool things at home. And it feels way too hot to be so close to the end of summer.

On another note, there were two shark attacks on our favorite local beach (Isle of Palms) today. Yes Jenny, this was where we played in the ocean with Ryan and Emily. Oops.

facebook

Okay, so I finally broke down and got a facebook account. I tried the myspace thing, but after I kept randomly sending out porn, I decided that was a no go. So, I will try out the facebook thing and see how that goes. If you have an account, find me because I am having a hard time figuring out how to do that.

ED in 08

I came across this website via one of my RSS feeds and I had to get this to Ed in some way. Make sure you order the T-shirt in the free kit.

Living in the moldy south

Houses in the south are composed of brick, vinal siding, or a combination. Our home like most in our neighborhood, has vinal siding. It is white with black shudders. The worst thing about vinal siding is the mold that grows all over it. I am not sure if brick grows mold too, but I think probably so. We get an average of 48" of rain, so you can imagine the brown and green guck that attaches to the sides of our home.

When we first moved in Scott immediately went out a bought a preassure washer to take care of the mold. Our neighbor gave him a quick schooling of what chlorine product to buy, how to apply it, and how to spray it off. He took care of it, but now two years later it has to be done again. The process is he sprays a chlorine product on, lets it sit, scrubs it with a nylon brush, and then sprays it off with the high power preassure washer. That would be easy, except for the two story part. Scott has been dragging that ladder all over the house, raising, leveling, lowering, and climbing it. Poor Scott. I feel bad sitting inside with the air conditioning.

Ma Bell

"It's a great day for education, because we now have substantial alignment among all the key constituents--the public, the education community, business and political leaders--that results matter." -- Harold McGraw III of McGraw Hill speaking at a dinner hosted by President Bush back in 2002. What he really meant was, "It's a great day for textbook companies. This new pres is going to make me rich!!!"


Looks like Houghton Mifflin is buying McGraw Hill for a reported 4 billion. I guess if I wanted to be rich I could have trashed this whole teaching thing and gone into the textbook industry. That's where the money is, apparently. I hope some antitrust lawyer is pursing her lips together...thinking... Hmmmmmmm.

Oh, and Murdoch bought the Wallstreet Journal. Fabulous.

Summer re-run funny

I love Chris Rock. Scott and I just caught the opening of SNL which originally aired in March. I remember Juila Louis Dreyfus hosting, but I don't remember the opening with Rock talking about the next president. Lots of funny in that opening, but the finale made me laugh so hard I cried. "Is America ready for a black president? Why not, we just finished with a retarded one."

Oh my. Funny. I think I need to rent Bigger and Blacker one more time. It's been awhile.

Johnson's July

Seriously, where did this month go? A couple of July highlights:

** Jenny, Debbie, and Ryan visit at the beginning of the month

** Emily decided she wore big girl panties... a few accidents, but over all going strong

** vegetable garden completely ruined by lack of water (half me not watering, half drought) and squash bugs. Ughh

** seminar all week this week, and lots of upcoming planning for school

** Emily's big girl bed (finally) arrived this afternoon. Complete pictures with her new pottery barn bedding and drapes to follow. It couldn't be more cute, and she couldn't be more big. Wasn't she just born a couple weeks ago? Oh she's so big!

** Finally, an Emily quote. Daddy's painting her bedroom a lovely color of lavender. Emily walks in and says very articulately,
" Daddy, thank you for painting my room... it's a lovely color... I like yellow."

I could seriously squeeze her until she pops! I continue to be totally taken by her.

Best Places to Live . . . Where Homes are Affordable

Most people think we live in Columbia, SC but we actually live in a little suburb outside Columbia called Irmo. It's not a very big town but there is much to it since it is spread over quite a bit of land - the city planners did a good job of annexing quite a bit a land some time ago. Many of you have heard from how affordable the housing is out here. CNNMoney.com has rated Irmo as one of the top 25 Best Places to Live Where Homes Are Affordable. This is mainly due to the schools, Lake Murray (you can buy lake front property for cheap), and we're pretty central to rest of the state and other big cities (4 hrs from Atlanta, 1 and half from Charleston, 6 hrs from Tom, 8 hrs to D.C.).

Mary Poppins

This summer I will remember of being the summer of many things... the summer of the great disneyworld trip, the summer we went to Charleston four times, the summer we spent hours at the pool.

But this summer will also be the summer of Mary Poppins. We bought this movie as one to watch while in the car, but it has quickly become the favorite above all Disney Princess movies, cars, or little einsteins. Emily loves the dancing and singing, and I find I don't mind watching it over and over again. I wonder if we will feel the same way about Bedknobs and Broomsticks? We don't have that one, but maybe Emily will love it too. But like it or not, I don't think anything can replace her love for Mary Poppins.

Saturday evening T.V.

Lately I've been paying attention to the commercials that are during shows we watch. This evening Scott decided to show us this new t.v. show on the network G-4. The show is called Ninja Warrior. Think of it as a mix between American Gladiator and the Most Extreme Challenge. Emily loves to scream at the athletes "DON'T FALL IN THE WATER!!!"

The commercials during the show are hilarious. First of all there were the variety of video games rated "M for Mature," and then there was the male enhancement pills and finally the commercial for cheap student loans. Finally, totally not fitting, was a commercial with Lindsay Wagner for a sleep number bed.

HUH? I don't get it. Who is the target audience here? I guess this network wouldn't expect me to be tuning in either.

Tag . . . You're It!

Since Kelley ushered this little challenge (and to show her that I read her blog often), I (Scott) will respond to her tag:

What were you doing ten years ago?
I had just finished the teacher ed program and was living with Justin, Ed, and Slappy . . . Ed took me to get my tattoo . . . I was to begin my first year of teaching . . . I was single and not dating . . . that's about it.

What were you doing one year ago?
I was on summer break and was about to begin teaching my first course in the MAT early childhood program . . . I discovered poison ivy in the backyard and it took me two months and 3 bouts of steroids to get over it.

Five snacks you enjoy.
1. M&M's
2. Red licorice
3. Pretzels
4. Boiled peanuts
5. Cheese

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics.
1. Most of the songs by The Wiggles
2. Tom Sawyer (Rush)
3. Keep the Car Running (Arcade Fire)
4. Pyramid Song (Radiohead)
5. Upside Down (Jack Johnson)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire.
1. Pay off all debt.
2. Make sure family is financially stable.
3. Purchase home along the lake.
4. Take a vacation once degree is completed.
5. Move my brother and mother to South Carolina.

Five bad habits.
1. Biting my nails.
2. Not being more affectionate.
3. Not making better use of my time.
4. Late night snacker.
5. Not admitting bad habits.

Five things you like doing.
1. Completing an assignment.
2. Sunday mornings with my family.
3. Snuggling with Emily while watching movies.
4. Reading
5. Watching brainless TV.

Five things you would never wear again.
1. Tighty-whities
2. Cavaricci's pants
3. White Levis
4. Knee-high socks while wearing shorts
5. Black heavy metal shirts

To repeat Lefty's idea of concluding his post, I would wear an earring again if I had more hair, I still think slip on checkered Vans are kind of cool, parachute pants around the house might be kind of comfortable, and I hear Underoos are next years lingerie . . .

Scott

Four things I'm happy about right now

1. Now that we're home, I'm back to cooking real meals, and not eating out. I really like to cook, and just tried some great new recipes. Friday night it was curry chicken with couscous, and last night it was chili verde casserole thanks to the RBC women's cook book (specifically Debbie Enns' recipe!) Both were a hit with the husband.

2. The new bedding set that we picked up for Emily at Pottery Barn kids. Lovely lovely! While shopping at the very upscale Charlotte Southpark mall ( Tiffany's & Louis Vuitton were some of the first stores we saw) I was waiting for Scott to come out of the Apple store and Hark! There was the Pottery Barn kids where the very set I wanted for Emily was marked down incredibly low. So low that I bought this set (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/sw4660/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C16%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cjordan%20bedding&cm%5Fsrc=SCH) with these window treatments (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/srch/index.cfm?words=dragonfly+drape&search.x=0&search.y=0&search=search) with a green canvas drape over it. Lovely lovely. So of course Emily doesn't have a twin size bed yet, so that's what we ran out and did after we got home. She was ready. The new bed will arrive from Ashley furniture 7/16. Pictures to follow.

3. The neighborhood 7/4 party. Thanks goodness somebody organized it, because the past two years we have been able to see most of the fireworks that the neighbors down the street have set off, but we aren't the type of people to go out and blow $200 on fireworks. But we sure don't mind pitching in $10 for a big neighborhood show. This year everybody will now be at the pool across from our house for a cook-out and a firework show. There are really very few limitations on the purchase of fireworks (which you can buy at warehouse stores year-round) so it should be fun and hopefully not too dangerous. I like watching, but don't like my husband to be the one lighting the things off.

4. Marry Poppins. Bought this movie for Emily because she needed a new movie to watch in the car with all the driving. We never got around to it on the trip, but we all sat down to watch it last night. Scott had never seen it all the way through. We did a field show in high school to the music from the movie, and I remembered it well as we watched it. Emily loved the movie and I think it will quickly become one of her favorites, which is good because it's one of mine too!

Anyhow, happy fourth if I don't post before then!

Back to Bloggerland

I am going to try to make the commitment to blog more often. We have been really off schedule lately, due to all things good, but still.

Got back from the whirlwind Florida trip with the in-laws. We really had a great time. Paul and Mary got into Charlotte on Monday of last week (6/18) and stayed in a hotel until we picked them up the next morning. We went to our house, and gave them a tour of our city highlights, including the university. Then the next day it was off to Charleston. Seriously that is one of my favorite cities ever! We have made it a habit to bring guests to Charleston when they visit and to attend a late night walking ghost tour of the city. A great way to see the city buildings and such.

Then it was off to Orlando. We went to every park with breaks in between to visit friends and family. We spent Saturday with the Widlund's which was great to see where they live, their church, and life in Florida. Also it showed Scott and I that the drive really isn't that long from our house. We also got to meet Scott's great-uncle Arthur. Or if you are from Lynn, Mass like him you say "Authoer" or whatever a Bostonian accent would sound like. I could listen to him talk all day!

The "kingdom" is rather large. We left most mornings to a park around nine, and didn't get home most evenings until after nine or ten. Em was a champ, and took her two hour naps easily in her stroller and awoke for more action. We spent a certain somebody's 27th birthday in Epcot in "Italy" where we had a nice dinner, bottle of wine, and Italians playing the accordion and singing.

All and all, a terrific trip. We drove up to Charlotte to drop off Scott's parents, stayed in a hotel (it was late) and then left for shopping (more on that later). We finally got home on Thursday afternoon. Now the laundry is finally finished and life is slowing down. :)

Home Inspection Nightmares

I came across this website on home inspection nightmares from This Old House as I was reading Lifehacker.com. I knew Adam would be interested in this but thought others might get a kick out of some of these pictures.

Scott

Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches

These are possibly the best things ever! Has anybody else tried them? I seriously believe that if there are any hopes to me following the weight watchers points system, it will be because I am able to reward myself at the end of the day with one of these. (And hopefully not devour two of them in a row like I did last night... that was not so good!)

Anyhow, I took a rep/cardio class this morning with a friend at the gym, and have also been to the gym both Saturday and Monday. I am feeling sore, but the good sore. I need to decide next if I am going to get in a great day of cardio by means of the treadmill, or swimming laps. I love swimming, and that would be the obvious choice if it weren't for my iPod and the marvelous new songs i have on the "workout" playlist. Can you say Fergilicious? Do you think they will ever make a waterproof iPod? That would be fabulous!

Saturday meanderings

Please somebody come to my house and make my child take a nap! Seriously... Ughh. I think in the next ten I will give up and let her out of her bed. She obviously feels she doesn't need a nap today.

On another note, i wish I would've taken a picture of my last Friday. The first night with all my family here and at dinner Emily decided to poke me right in the eye, bursting all blood vessels to the right of my pupil thingy. It was gross. It hurt. and I was furious. It is almost gone, and though it did heal quickly, I couldn't believe a two year old burst my eyeball like that. Who was giving Emily self defense classes when I didn't know it?

Fam left yesterday. Sorry they're gone, going to miss them, but incredibly joyful to have my own family of three in the house to ourselves. I love my three. We hang rather well with each other.