Today's Announcements

1) I do believe I will be employed next year. There is nothing in writing, but I'm hired. I will be teaching one (ONE!) Algebra class to four (FOUR!) 8th graders. I will be paid hourly instead of salary and the principal even said she can get a list of parents who might be willing to babysit. I won't be required to go to most staff meetings and I may get a room so I have use of a SmartBoard.

It really works out best for me and the principal. I have a part-time, local job and she found a teacher who is licensed to teach Algebra and willing to work for 45 minutes a day.

2) I went to my first Major League Soccer game on Saturday with Chris and Ukie. We were given free tickets to the Columbus Crew and even managed to wrangle a babysitter. It was so much fun! It was a faster pace than baseball or football, not quite as violent as football or hockey. The stadium wasn't packed, but the fans who were there were all involved in the game. There was lots of cheering, a little booing. My favorite part is even when the Crew missed a goal, fans still applauded the effort. So many other places the players would get booed for missing. The hooligans had seats in the corner and during one corner kick, they threw streamers and smoke bombs on the opposing player.

The Crew won 2-1. I may have to knit myself a Crew scarf.

3) Chris found the poison ivy that caused his previous rash and then passed onto me. He removed the ivey, but seems to have contracted another rash. I am absolutely paranoid that I will catch it. I still have marks from the last one, they kind of look like bruise-scars.

4) Chris has finally talked me into selling the grocery-style bags I've been making. I don't think I've posted any pics of those yet. But they have been so handy for me and I keep getting compliments. Chris keeps bringing one into work to try to sell, but he brings the first one I made so it is ugly and messed up. I've been making more to give away to a few people just so I can practice.

I'll probably go through a 'green' church group to try to sell them first. Depending on how many I can whip out, I may open an Etsy shop.

That concludes today's announcements.

They might like me

I have an 'informal meeting' with the principal tomorrow about the Algebra position. Those were her words, not mine. I'm taking her up on the 'informal' part by bringing Xander. I cringe at the unprofessionalism (spell check says that isn't a word, but since when do I care what spell check thinks) of bringing a nine month old to an interview, Chris needs to work, it's too early in the day for the neighbor to babysit and also awkwardly overlaps with playgroup time so no one there can help.

I figure I can pitch it as 'my salary is going directly to his school savings for when he attends here.'

A trip for ice cream

Yesterday, for Father's Day, we walked a couple of blocks to get ice cream. Along the way is the neighborhood pond. Here are our conversations.

On the way to get ice cream:
Hugs: Look, there is the mommy duck with her baby ducks! I want a closer look! *runs up to the fence*
Chicks: *rolls eyes*

On the way back home:
Hugs: Look, that isn't a duck down there swimming! What is it?
Chicks: It's a muskrat.
Hugs: Really? Cool! Wait, do we like muskrats? Are we pro-muskrat or anti-muskrat?
Chicks: I guess it depends. I mean it's one of God's creatures. But muskrats eat baby ducks.
Hugs: *shock*

I forgot to tell you

That adoring husband of mine had abandoned me to go gallivanting across England again (at least that's the way I tell it to get sympathy). He's back now and earning his keep as is proper. But while he was gone I had to pick up his slack. That includes (but is not limited to):

a) Cleaning the cat litter. It's not hard. It's not even terribly gross. But it's two cats and one box, so it's often.

b) Mow the lawn. That's right, I took Rocky the reel lawn mower out for a spin. I was nervous because the last time I tried it I had to give up when about 1/3 of the back lawn was done. Granted I was 6 or so months pregnant and it was summer. It was so easy this time! I couldn't strap Xander to my back like Chris, but I had him next to the window so I could see and hear him. And away I went!

c) Taking out trash and recycling on trash day. Once again, not hard or gross.

d) I actually had to wash more dishes even with Chris gone because we only have four baby bottles and that was right when Xander was on formula.

I know there was something else impressive that I did, but now I forget.

Thanks again to Ikkin, Trisha and Lori for helping me to pass the time. Also to my neighbors (who don't actually know about this blog)(or maybe they do and I don't know they know) who helped me and Xander the day I had a fun migraine.

Decisions, Decisions

This past year I stayed home instead of teaching, but did some tutoring on the side. But I miss teaching and getting out of the house. But when I teach I'm 'all-in' meaning I dedicate a lot of time to grading, making plans and projects and especially staying after school to work with students. That doesn't mesh too well with Xander's plans for me to wait on him hand and foot.

So the perfect plan would be a part time teaching position. But it would have to be local, because part time would not pay enough for daycare and gas prices. And of course, it would have to be math. That's not to much to ask, is it?

Apparently it's not. A local grade school (actually it's the school for the parish we belong to) is adding an 8th grade Algebra. A set of parents we know have been mentioning it all year because they are interested in me teaching it.

So I'm dusting off the resume and cover letter. No j0bs are actually listed on the website, but I'll just email them to the principal.

I'm surprisingly nervous about this. Maybe they won't be interested in me at all (why hire a teacher for one class, even if she has that special Algebra license?) or maybe they will love me (daycare? lesson planning? 8th graders??).

Botched

I love telling you about the crafts I do because it makes me feel like I'm doing something fun and important. In reality, I figure many of you tune in to read fun antidotes and when you see a craft story, you skip it. For those who don't skip it, you are either amused at my sudden shift to knitting and sewing or you are aghast at how badly I do at it. Either way, I've only told you about my successes, such as they are. Here's a few that haven't gone over so well.

I bought material to make a pillow and curtain for Xander's room almost a year ago. I finally finished them last week. The pillow is nothing great at all. The curtain is not wide enough. I knew it would be close, but after washing and trimming and the seams it has to hang flat and even then there is room on each side. Chris said to just make another one, but I don't want to spend more money on it.

I tried to reconstruct a pair of jeans into a skirt ala the Pink Shoe. Um, it's definitely a skirt. It took so much work that towards the end I was just making it up as I went. The edges are really ragged, which will only get worse as I wash it.

I tried my first skirt from a pattern. I knew that sizes on patterns were not 'vanity-sized', but I forgot that I still wasn't back to my pre-pregnancy size. So it's too small and I haven't bothered to seam the bottom of it. It is sitting down on my craft table mocking me. I should just finish it and give it away already.

But here is one new project that did turn out well. While shopping I found a remnant that I liked, so I bought it (I've got to be careful not to become one of those people). I figured I could at least make another bag. But it was too pretty. So while sitting at the table pondering I noticed a water ring forming around my glass and thought about how Chris likes to put coasters on the table to stop the water rings but coasters on the dining room table drive me nuts. Oh, a table cloth! Or a table runner! But there wasn't enough material. So... place mats! They aren't normal size and have no backing or second layer, so not the greatest place mats. But I like them and when I'm done they will fit nicely around the table. Plus, I learned to miter corners and get to practice stitching straight lines. The fun doesn't stop around here!

Last Saturday was gorgeous, so Xander and I went window shopping with Ikkin. We found these fun aprons called Kitsch'n Glam that are awesome. They are much more fun in real life than on the website. That is totally something I would love to do.