It is a woman's prerogative to change her mind!

OK, so I have kind of done a 180 on the whole new house thing. I thought about it a lot, and decided I was being a little bit nit picky about the whole kitchen thing. I mean, I don't even cook that much! And, I got hubby to agree that if we do get it that we have to buy a new dining set with a nice china cabinet which would move a lot of stuff I currently have in the kitchen into the china cabinet, solving the too little space thing. Besides, even if we waited until next year and got a more expensive house then, it would probably make it a lower likelihood for me to stop working, which is my ultimate goal. I can still see myself making my two year goal even if we get this house. This house is very nice, would be brand new, with a nice brand new pool, and would be closer to my work, which is also a plus. So, I changed my mind and told hubby that we should explore the possibility further which of course made him happy.

House Hunting, Part Deux

Well, last night, the hubby madde an appointment for us to go look at a new housing development. We looked at two different houses, and both were pretty nice. Hubby is just psyched and excited over these houses, but I cannot muster even one "woo hoo." It would be nice to have a new house... with a swimming pool. But a couple things keep coming up in my mind. I do not like the kitchen. It is too small and will not hold all of my kitchen stuff. One of the reasons for moving into a new, bigger house is so I will have room for all of my "stuff!" I should not have to get rid of stuff, even stuff I may not ever need or use, to move into a bigger house! Second, there are only two lots available that will accommodate the house we are looking at. And neither one is extremely appealing to me. But they will be opening a new part of the addition next year, but I don't think I can get hubby t want to wait. Wish me luck when I talk to him tonight.

Disappointed...

So, we made an offer on te house, but unfortunately someone else made a bid too, and they apparently made a better offer than we did. I had gotten my hopes up way too much, and so now I am very disappointed. We hadn't even really been looking for a house and David just happen to come across this one by chance, but I really liked it and could picture us there. Oh well, shit happens. I have to tell myself it just wasn't meant to be and that there is a perfect house out there for us and it will come along when things are better for us financially. So, now it's back to concentrating on paying off bills, and doing some things to this house to get it ready to sell. And, I need to find some way to get things more organized here so I am not so miserable trying to keep this house functioning. So, it will probably mean another trip to IKEA to get some cool organization things, which always cheers me up.

My sister told me to think about all the things I didn't like about the house. I am trying but it's hard.....

WOOOO HOOOOOO

Thanks to Cassy I was able to get my ticker working, as you can see at the top of this page. It seems that lately it doesn't take much to make me happy. Which if you are my husband, my employer, or friends, is a good thing, because you really don't have to do much to keep me blissfully happy. And, I am not even taking any happy pills! Wouldn't THAT be scary! I guess having a job I enjoy going to has helped with my outlook on life a great deal!

Anyway, there is also a Woo Hoo about our house buying endeavor. We got pre-qualified for enough to buy the house we are looking at without having sold our current house. Which means we have a bit more time to worry about our house and I don't have to go crazy trying to get it ready to sell. I still have to do that, but not so it can be sold TOMORROW! Of course, we also can't afford to be carrying two house payments for too long, so we would want to get it sold ASAP. Anyone want to buy a nice 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage house in the nice quiet town of Trophy Club (a suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth for those unfamiliar with Texas)?

House Hunting

Well, earlier this week the hubby just out of the blue decided to look for houses for sale in our area, and found one that we really like. We weren't actually looking and had discussed moving in a couple of years, but this house just seems perfect for us. It is a lot more space, has a swimming pool/hot tub, and the master bathroom is just awesome. It has twice as much square footage as the house we are in now with lots of storage space. I am trying not to get too excited but I would really like to get this house. I will be calling a mortgage agent tomorrow to see if we could qualify for the house even if we aren't able to sell our current house in a short period of time. We have so much to do to this house that trying to get it ready to sell while we are still living in it just doesn't seem real likely. So, we'll see what happens, but I will be keeping my fingers and toes crossed!

I hate it when I can't figure things out....

So I like the ticker Cassy has on her blog, so I decided I would go make one myself. Well, I did but then when I tried to figure out where to put it in my blog template I couldn't figure it out! I'm usually pretty good at technical things but I suck at this!

Anyway, here it is:


http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/2;10100;0/st/20040412/n/Lanie/dt/-1/k/78c5/age.png

If I can ever figure out how to put it at the top of the page, it will reside there.

So, I can blog from work.... kinda...

Well, I took my laptop to work today because I had heard that there is a wireless network at the church across the street that I might be able to access the internet through. Well.... I can.... but not from my room. I am currently standing in the hallway across from my room, which is the closest place I have found where I can maintain the connection. If I attempt to return into my class, it's gone. So, here I am between groups, typing this message. Well, at least it is something!

Blog comment spam

I was just saying to my hubby earlier this evening that only one person ever comments on my blog, and so I was so excited when I looked at my blog and my latest entry had two comments. Then, of course, my excitement turned to sadness when I discovered it was just some blog comment spam! Do people have nothing better to do? And who exactly do they think they are going to reach with their spam? Me and the one other person who reads my blog?????? So I have added the little word verification thing on my comments.... so, Cassy, it will take a little more effort to post your comments. ;-)

Can't believe this is the 5th week of school....

It has just flown by! I guess it is true, time does fly when you are having fun. I have not found any reasons yet to be unhappy with my job, and find more and more reasons every day to like it! Yesterday, I actually got positive feedback from my principal. I just about fainted. I can't recall that EVER happening at the hell hole. Here, we turn in our lesson plans every Friday, and the principal makes any comments/suggestions that she has. Well, I got mine back and had a smiley face sticker and she had written "Nice ARDs last week." ARDs are our meetings for special ed students to discuss their placement and individual education plans. Well, I had the first ones that I really had to present anything at last week, and she apparently liked how I conducted myself. It's always nice to get some positive feedback! Additionally, she seems to like how I am handling the Student Council thus far. We are just getting started with the election process, and so far I think I will enjoy being the Advisor. It's just so weird being at a school where they actually have extracurricular activities for the students. In addition to Student Council, there are sports, a chess club, cheerleaders, a garden club, and several other things I can't think of right now. And they are getting the PTA started right now, and it sounds like they do a whole lot for the school.

And besides all the extra stuff, I really like the students I work with. They are respectful and I actually get to teach them something. It's a whole new world for me! So, overall, I am very happy where I am and now I know what it is to truly love your job!

I love being a mom!

I think the best thing I have ever done in my life was becoming a mom. Alana makes every day so worthwhile and all I have to do is look at her, and I smile. 'nuff said!

I've been tagged...

So, I've been tagged by my good friend Cassy to list 100 things about myself. I think she did it because I haven't been posting at all, and have been a neglectful blogger. So here it is... not very interesting, but it's me.

1. I was born in California.
2. I have the greatest parents in the whole world.
3. I have a sister who I think is wonderful, even if she drives me crazy sometimes.
4. I have been married to David for almost 6 years.
5. We met on AOL, in the San Francisco Bay Area chat room.
6. No, we did not have a long drawn out internet romance.
7. We met in person for coffee the same day we met online.
8. We lived together for over 3 years before we got married.
9. We bought the house we live in together before we got married.
10. We have one child, Alana, my beautiful little girl, who is the center of my world.
11. I had Alana by c-section because she was transverse and we thought she was 10+ pounds.
12. My parents watch Alana for me while I work.
13. I work as a Special Education teacher.
14. The teaching job I had for the last 4 years was hell.
15. I love my new job.
16. I am a Special Ed Resource Teacher in an elementary school.
17. I am the Student Council advisor at my new school.
18. I could be a better teacher but...
19. I am lazy.
20. Which is one of the things I am trying to work on.
21. I am overweight.
22. I am working on that too.
23. My self esteem could use a boost.
24. Yeah, working on that too.
25. I am a Pisces.
26. I am very emotional.
27. I worry too much.
28. I am a bit paranoid.
29. I am a people pleaser.
30. I have been hurt by too many people I considered friends.
31. Which makes me a bit weary when trying to make new friends.
32. I think I have some great friends.
33. I wish I could spend more time with my friends.
34. I grew up going to church at the Salvation Army.
35. I became disillusioned with the church during my senior year in high school.
36. When we got a new minister who ended up sexually harassing the office staff.
37. I knew there was some reason I didn't like him.
38. I went to college at SMU in Dallas.
39. I stopped going to church when I went to college.
40. I majored in Sociology and Religious Studies.
41. I had a minor in Medieval Studies.
42. I studied in Oxford for a summer.
43. I was not in a sorority.
44. But was in a co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega
45. I graduated with honors.
46. My friends are amazed I did as well in college with as little studying as I did.
47. I wish I had put forth more effort in college.
48. I have thought about going to law school more times than I can count.
49. My first job out of college was as Assistant Manager of a clothing store.
50. After job hopping for a while I ended up working in politics.
51. I was a Republican before I became old enough to vote.
52. I had Bush/Quayle posters up in my dorm room my Freshman year.
53. By the time I was old enough to vote I was much more liberal, and very much a Democrat.
54. I voted for Ann Richards in the first election I could vote in.
55. I worked on the 1st Clinton/Gore campaign.
56. I was Vice President of the Texas Young Democrats.
57. And served on the State Democratic Executive Committee, which I thought was really cool when I was 23.
58. I met President Clinton in 1995.
59. I have an Official White House photograph of me and Clinton.
60. I don't like what Clinton did in his personal life.
61. But, I liked his policy and think he is a great politician.
62. I also got to meet Hilary Clinton once.
63. I worked for a Democratic congresswoman from Dallas.
64. That was the only job I have ever been "released" from.
65. I still resent that, because I think I was doing a good job.
66. That was in 1995, one of the worst years in my life.
67. In addition to losing my job, my boyfriend at the time moved out with no explanation.
68. After he had neglected to change the oil in my car like he said he had, so the engine seized.
69. So I was in Dallas with no job, no roommate and no car.
70. So I moved back home with my parents.
72. I got a job with the county doing Eligibility Work.
73. 4 months after moving back to CA, I met David.
74. We moved to Edmond, Oklahoma in 1997 with David's company.
75. We moved here to Trophy Club in 1999 when David got a job down here.
76. I did social work with Child Protective Services for 3 1/2 years in OK and TX.
77. I didn't feel my life was complete until I had Lanie.
78. I would like to have another child, but I am happy with her for now.
79. I am 6 1/2 years older than my husband.
80. I don't think that really matters or makes that big of a difference in our lives (except when he was under 21 and couldn't buy his own beer!)
81. I bowl in a league with my husband every Sunday morning.
82. Yes, that means we don't go to church.
83. I have a hard time with organized religion.
84. But miss the community it offers.
85. I think I am a spiritual person, but not a religious one.
86. I think it is more important to be spiritual.
87. I think a lot of "religious" people are a bunch of show with no substance.
88. I am pretty much apolitical now.
89. I still am pretty liberal when it comes to social issues.
90. I find myself becoming more moderate to conservative fiscally though.
91. I more closely identify with democrats still, but my husband is more republican in his views.
92. I don't like our current President's policies, positions, anything!
93. I don't think enough money is spent on education, and not just for teacher's salaries.
94. I hate the TAKS test, and none of my students even have to take it.
95. I teach in public school but want my daughter to go to private school, so I guess that makes me a hypocrite.
96. I don't read as much as I would like.
97. I love to scrapbook but don't do it as much as I would like.
98. I take pictures of my daughter every chance I get.
99. I think my little girl is the cutest baby in the whole world.
100. I love my little girl more than I ever thought was possible.

Well, that's it.... well not really. As I got to the end of this I thought of a lot more I could write, and considering I thought I was going to have a hard time coming up with 100, I think that is amazing. Well, 100 is all I was tagged for and 100 it is! Guess if you want to know more, you'll have to come over and have a bottle of wine with me!

Hmmm..... I guess my only other blogging friend that hasn't already done this is Stephanie, so tag you're it!