Breaking my dry spell

I have not forgotten that I am a blogger. I am in a flurry of new schedules and the record setting heat here has totally zapped my enthusiasm or any creative thread that may run through my mind during the day. But I am so tired of opening my 'new post' page and sitting here looking at a blank slate, that I am just going to write and see what comes out. Hopefully it's something nice, positive and a little entertaining.

1. Two weeks ago, I started as a part time teaching assistant at our local neighborbood school. The first week of working at the school and then spending an hour in the car picking up my 2 daughters from their 2 schools, I would come home barely able to complete simple sentences and eyes glazed over. This week has been good and I feel like I am really starting to mesh with the teachers I work for and the children. Oh, the stories and snippets I could write about the children there. That will have to come later.... The complete sentences have come back to me but the eyes are still a little glazy.

2. My 17 year old has started her new job doing after school care at the place I worked at last year. She will come home and talk about the children she watches and tell stories. Then in the middle or beginning of the story, I stop her and say, "You mean Anthony?" or "You're talking about Kaitlin?" She likes it and I am vicariously reliving it through her stories. It's all the same stories, but the kids are another year older. I liked that job, but I think that working in the classroom suits me better. I do better with children (and like them more) in structured settings, instead of day care setting where it's freetime all the time. *shakes head and makes the 'yudda da yudda da' sound* (maybe you just have to see that in person, it's not translating well in type)

3. My oldest daughter, Hannah, is currently trying to decide whether or not to move to Phoenix and live with us again for a while. There are lots of pros and cons, but eventually she wants to make the move for schooling and she has a possible job opportunity here opening up soon. Hard life decisions! (I am rooting for her moving here of course.)

4. I am planning Maggie's birthday party for Sunday, late afternoon. It was a juggle to fit it in this year!!! She is turning 10, a double digit, which is a milestone here at our home. (meaning Charles will talk about it to the point of making us all roll our eyes and go, "yeah yeah whatever". lol)

5. I was going to announce that our puppy was completely housetrained....but....grrrrr And no one will yell at her about it except for me. Well I am the mother I guess, so it's my job to induce severe guilt and trepidation about tresspasses around here.

6. The first year of my dad's passing away has passed now. My mom is doing great, but it was a hard week for her. I kind of want to write about his death experience, but I am not sure what is appropriate or beneficial, so I am mulling that over. I feel like I was only slightly prepared to be with someone who was in the final stages of dying, thanks to Hospice. The people assigned to our family were very informative and helpful. And because of that....because they talked so openly and frankly about what could happen during those hours, I was better able to handle it. Some things may have scared me if I had seen them without prior knowledge of those things. So I feel like sharing our experience might help others to understand death better and not to be afraid to be there for someone who is dying. Any thoughts on that would be appreciated by comment or email...thanks.

7. With all the busyness this summer and now with work and school starting up, I feel more and more isolated and removed from my friends here in town. I depend more and more on my friends online, fellow pastor's wives at a forum I go to. They are very supportive and we connect really well because we all have so much in common. But I am thinking I need to try to build my 'in town' relationships more. I need some real arms to hug me sometimes and real women to connect with. (absolutely no offense my fellow pw's! I love you guys much much) So even though my brain is saying "stay home and relax quietly in your jammies", tomorrow night I'm going to a friend's house to watch a fun movie with some of our church women. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I wore my jammies either, but I think I will wear clothes....and shoes.

8. It is HOT here. Normal temperatures for this time of year in Phoenix are 90's or so, which is very liveable in the dry climate. The past 2 weeks and more have been 110ish and over. It makes ordinary errands, waiting at the curb to pick up kids at school, playground duty and going out to get the mail sheer torture! It also makes people grouchy. So imagine living in a large city of tortured, grouchy people. bleh The hot spell is supposed to break over the weekend....we'll see.

9. Ummm, I forgot what I was going to say....I'm trying to listen to Maggie read a story out loud on my right, Emma is practicing on the snare drum in the background, and Bethany is talking to me on my left side and typing away with homework. (I wish I had an icon face to insert here to show how I am feeling in my head, but I don't think one exists. But if you ever find a smiley icon with eyes that fly open wide, continue to grow until they pop and drumsticks pounding on it's ears at the same time, please send me the url....thanks.)

10. I may do a Friday's Feast for tomorrow. I will have to look at it first. Last week had hard questions for this pw of very little brain.

11. I do NOT know where my pretty blog outfit went. I am very sad seeing my page without the flowery swag at the top.

ETA: I went to the website where my blog design comes from and it has exceeded it's bandawith or something like that. So I think it's just temporary. ;)