BUSY WEEK/WEEKEND - RANDOM BITS AND PIECES :)

Well, today is the day!  Gwen starts college!!! I hardly believe I am old enough to have a college Freshman! But alas, there I was wishing her a good first day.  She was nervous but I know for sure she shouldn't be. She will do great!  School is her thing, she is good at it and she wants to spend her life being a teacher so I think she will be fine once she gets used to the freedom that college allows.  She is all set, she has her own car, her school, and her job. We couldn't be more proud.

We have had a sickie on our hands over the weekend. Miss Crazy had a high fever and a sore throat.  We were thinking strep, but the fever broke and she was running around and playing so we will sit tight for now and see if the fever comes back or if the sore throat persists. Don't you love school germs?  Especially when they come home the first week!!!! I am just glad that I don't have to send my sick kids to school and risk losing my job like some parents do.

Lil miss Little Butt is coming down with a cold but so far no fever thank goodness.  I'm just waiting though, waiting for it to spread through the house. :(

My car broke down the other day.  We aren't sure what happened to it yet, but I sure hope it isn't anything too expensive! On top of everything else, my wallet went missing.  I'm pretty sure I left it at the dentist's office on Thursday, but they say it isn't there.  I've checked everywhere else it could have been left. Now we have to tear the house apart to see if by some chance it isn't lost in the big bad world, but in our very own house.

I had my book release party the other day and it was really fun!  I hope some of you were able to join us.  We had contests and giveaways and sneak peeks at the next book.  I also had book 1 of the series set for free on amazon.  We had a great response and I even sold my first book overseas! I mean actually sold, not given away!!! And we actually had a bestseller rank to be proud of - click on the picture to see what it was!!! :)

I want to share a facebook post I made today because this means so much to me and kind of rejuvenated me after I had the depressing time after finishing my book. I hope you will check it out.

Have you ever had a review that made you cry? A review that reminded you why you became a writer? A review that let you know that you accomplished exactly what you set out to do with that particular story/book/article? This is one of those reviews. One that I will cherish forever! Could I please get some YES votes on it? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1QLHAP976O3E6/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00EP01L2W&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text

Until Next Time...Don't fret when your oldest starts college (or gets married or has kids) because if they are at that milestone it means that you have done something wonderful.  You got them to where they are and they are alive!!! ;)

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND POLITICS

We just got back from school shopping for the kids (supplies, not clothes yet)  We spent almost eighty dollars on supplies for a kindergartner, second grader and maybe 1/2 of the supplies the 10th grader might need.

Holy cow.  That is insane.  I remember when my dad used to freak out if he had to spend more than five dollars for my school supplies.  Of course back then we didn't have clorox wipes and the school supplied the tissues and ziplock baggies and their own chalk (now dry erase markers). I complained for years about the Clark County School District because truthfully it wasn't that great, but now after having my kids in Wyoming school districts for the last nine years, I will never complain again.

You know, the joke used to be if we messed something up we would say, "well I went to the Clark County school district after all."  Now I'm seriously thinking of changing it to, "well, my kids went to NCSD1 after all" but then that wouldn't make much sense would it. But it would still be fun as hell to say.

I've come to realize that all districts have politics that I won't like, but you have to look deep down and see HOW and WHAT your kids are learning.  Now I truly wish the heat hadn't bothered me so much because I truly wish my kids could go to CCSD again.

The only good thing is that the colleges here in Wyoming are really good.  Casper College is a top rated community college and UW is a great school especially for certain majors.  Their education department is fabulous so hopefully we get some great teachers and future administrators that can affect changes here. Unfortunately my kids won't see it.  Unless they are willing to stick it out here and become teachers (Gwen's going to be a teacher but I have no clue where she will end up).

The good thing in all of this is that I got to go to the store and soak up all of the lovely school supplies.  You all know from previous blogs that paper and pens make me very very very very happy. :)  I even bought myself some! You know, if you go to our walmart at this time of year you will see this strange lady standing in the middle of the school supply aisles with stars in her eyes and I was going to say sniffing the air for the scent of paper and pen and glue but I really don't do that...much. ;)

Until Next Time...I know it's hard but when it comes to things like jobs, hospitals, schools and other things like that, sometimes you have to look really hard past all of the politics to see the good.  Sometimes you won't find any good, but sometimes you might just be surprised.

THE EXCITEMENT OF GETTING READY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

Well, it's that time again. Nope, not time for school quite yet, but it sure is time to get ready for school. And there is so much to do.

First we need to get Mr. Insane ready for school. I taught him his ABC's years ago but now he isn't grasping them so much.  That is why I will never again teach a child under the age of 3.5 anything of importance. The chance that they will have academic trouble later in life is too great, but that is a story for another time.

Miss Crazy is going to be the easy one this year. Just buy her school supplies (OMG so many needed and little money to do it on. I miss my old district where you needed pencil's paper and crayons...the end) and send her on her way.

The Sophomore has to go to schedule change day because they were once again stupid and gave my kids a teacher I will not allow them to have.  Gwen had one history teacher who didn't teach fact, but his opinion and tried to convert everyone to his political party.  Yeah, not putting up with that crap. He passed all the jocks so he was allowed to stay until he retired a couple years ago.  As for The Sophomore, she had a teacher last year who only went by test scores not previous experience or recommendations from other teachers. So the minute she stepped into this woman's classroom, not quite meeting the test scores, she was doomed and when the woman found out she was autistic well it just got worse.  I guess the teachers in this district aren't taught that autistic kids can be brilliant just like other kids.  So The Sophomore kind of stopped trying in her class and couldn't put up with the treatment so we had her drop with the official reason of teacher conflict.  Well, she got her schedule yesterday and guess who her math teacher is again???  Yep, isn't going to happen on my watch.  I usually let teachers do their job and teach, If my kid gets in trouble or a bad grade it is because they deserved it, but this isn't about grades or discipline. These two are just horrible and I truly believe they are two of the few teacher's I've met in the is district who really can't teach. And then there will be registration which will be a fight because they broke her computer and are trying to charge us for repairs. Yeah, again, it isn't gonna happen.

Then we get to Gwen.  She has books to buy ...OMG have you seen the price of text books lately?  Holy cow, easily double what I spent in college twenty years ago! RIDICULOUS. We will probably get her a few school supplies because her scholarship doesn't cover them and then it is off to college with her! How exciting. She gets to experience the joys of long boring lectures, long exciting lectures, crazy professors and the indescribable feeling of being part of a college community.  Damn, now I'm jealous, can I go back to college??? ;)

So, as we go broke shopping for  paper, pens, pencils, crayons, rulers, pencil boxes, kleenex, hand sanitizer, erasers, glue, calculators, dry erase markers, highlighters, colored pencils, scissors, and school clothes (And yes those are all actual supplies that we have to buy for all four kids - The elementary supplies just times by two) we are also a bit excited because of all of the fun and crazy adventures four of our five will have starting later this month.  Kindergarten and college adventures for the first time, second grade and sophomore adventures, just continuing along.  And then there will be me at home with only one child. My last baby. As the tears begin to fall at this bittersweet moment I get sad of course and excited too.  My baby and I will have such fun together but in a few short years it will be just me. And then the tears will really fall.  Heck don't be surprised if I'm writing novels every week at that time because what else am I to do without a kid at home.

Until Next Time...No matter how much something bothers you, if any part of it gives you joy don't deny it, embrace it!  Back to school is like that for me.  I hate the district and I miss my kids (sometimes) but dang the whole back to school excitement thing is just indescribable!!!!