Moo Goo Gai Pan & Kindergarten

Summer has now officially started since Carroll County's last day of school was May 21. I have now been out of school a little over a year. On February 2nd I started a job as a long term substitute in kindergarten @ Sand Hill. Kindergarten of all things! I DID NOT think that I would be able to teach kindergarten. But, believe it or not, I turned out pretty darn good @ it. Even with having a degree in middle grades education. I helped with their little graduation ceremony & had to go up on stage to announce their little names. They were such good kids & after 4 mos of being with them, I sure do miss them.  

It's weird too, that's it's all over with. I feel like I have no closure. The year is just over with. Kids are gone. No job. No income. What do I do now? I have tried to find a job for the summer. So far, no go. Tomorrow, I'm going out to some schools in Douglas Co on a cold call so to speak. I have portfolio's made up & I'm going to drop them off at a few schools that are hiring. I have filled out our summer calendar w/ local free stuff that is available in our area. See the calendar on the side of this blog. Any suggestions for free stuff this summer are always welcome. I have a really hard time relaxing when I have nothing to do. I usually wander around my house & wonder what it is that I should be doing. Or sleep. Or nap.

Last week when I was going through some recipes. I found this great & simple recipe for Moo Goo Gai Pan. I LOVE Moo Goo Gai Pan. But I'm on this kick lately where if I pay for the food, it better taste AS GOOD or better than what I can make @ home. I can't stand it when I pay for food & I'm still hungry, or the food isn't so good, or I would make the same things @ home. We (I) cook a lot @ home. But this summer, I'm really going to try to cook things that I've never made before or things that sound too hard to make, etc. If I'm off all summer, I should have plenty of time to cook. Back to the Moo Goo.

I made this simple recipe & bought some frozen egg rolls. It tasted JUST like what you get at the restaurants. WOW! was I happy.  Why go to Kong Long's when I can make it myself?

This summer, when I make something new, that I haven't made before, I'll take a pic & post it. I'll be sure to take pics & video's of our summer adventures. I'm so looking forward to going to the beach for the first time in 14 yrs. We saved the money up (thank you long term sub job). We are staying here.While I haven't been able to get into the shape that I want to to go to the beach, I'll try to relax in my bathing suit. I'll try. Be sure to check out my You Tube channel to see Ethan's band concert. Wish me luck tomorrow.

What are you good at?

Ok, so I'm sitting here watching "Enemy at the Gates." This movie is about two snipers, one German, one Russian, that are battling it out - so to speak, during the battle of Stalingrad during WWII. I got to thinking that these must be some darn good snipers in order to be immortalized in a movie right? Then I got to thinking what am I good at? Am I good enough at any one thing that I can have a movie made about me? Or have I done something so wonderful to have a movie made about me? Or have I had something done to me, either good or bad, that I can have a movie made about?  Heck, would I even want to have a movie made about me? Mmmm...probably not.

But anyway, I wonder what I'm good at. Recently, I've tried hula hooping. But that didn't work out too well for me. I've also tried juggling. While I can get two balls going around, it's that third ball that's giving me the most problems. I tried learning Spanish while I was going to school, but was too busy to stick w/ it. Now I don't really have any desire to learn it. I've also tried learning a few magic tricks, like palming a coin. But what am I good at? Can someone say "Wow, that Nicole, she's so good at...." Right now, I cannot think of any hidden talent that I have. I have made some good bread in my bread machine. Hmm..is that the hidden talent?

& I wonder is it better to try a whole bunch of stuff & figure out that your not good at them or not try anything?

So here's my question to you...What are you good at? What you are your hidden talents? Are you a closet hula hooper? Can you hoop, juggle, & speak Spanish all at the same time? haha

I look fwd to your hidden talents reveled.

Farm Animals @ Stockmar Park

 

It's been a while.... & updates

Hello,
I can't believe that it's been since Aug that I actually updated this blog. I really like my blog & I enjoy the idea of keeping some record of our adventures for the kids to read when the get older. But August...geesh! I really need to make some sort of monthly goal for updating "Daisy Mae's thoughts."

There is really too much to give you a play by play of what's been happening so I'll do the best I can & hope I don't leave out anything too important.

D - got promoted to Lieutenant of patrol shift. Yay for the promotion! Boo for the shift(1800-0600).

E - Started 7th grade. Currently, dating a "Rebbecca." Still in band. He played basketball for the Upward league and is currently playing rec soccer. It's been a bit of a struggle getting him to keep his grades up this yr. He participated in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. He is now a teenager. ugh.

M - Started 2nd grade. He's doing really well in school. Such a social butterfly! He calls in friends on the phone all the time. He's even been known to call his coaches to chat on the phone. He loves to spend the night at his friends house. He has played fall soccer, Upward basketball, and now spring soccer. M is an amazing goalie & the last game he scored a really cool goal when playing offense.

Me - You know I didn't find a job when I graduated in May. So what have I been doing since then? I have put my name on several substitute teacher lists with different counties. Well, since then, I have been working most everyday. While it's not a whole heck of a lot of money, it does get my name out there. The hard work has seemed to pay off a bit as I was able to land a long term sub position. I started subbing for this kindergarten teacher in Feb. I will be there 'til at least the end of April. That's pretty cool huh? I NEVER thought that I could teach kindergarten & I was really scared to take the position but I sure am glad that I did. It has really given me a lot more experience than I had when I graduated.

Daisy Mae, Barnaby, Bandit, Squeakers, Rupert, (and the occasional visit from Stranger Cat), are all doing fine.

We are trying to save up money to make out fantasy vacation real this yr. You can ask me what the heck a fantasy vacation is. We have decided on Panama City Beach in this listing.

D & I took a trip to Huntsville, Al in Sept to visit the Space & Rocket Center. We had a free pass.

We have been walking a lot over at Stockmar Park. They have added farm animals to their exhibit. The pigs are SO cute. You can feed them saltines. When you walk by their pen, the pigs run up to you & wag their little piggy tails & snort & drool. So cute.

I have been taking video's with my phone and uploading the video's to my channel on YouTube. Be sure to check that out.

'Till nxt time :0)

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas

Matthew's teacher wanted Matthew to bring in pictures of the raccoon. Then he decided to take pictures of things around the house that are important to him. This is a brief look @ that.

Rupert makes a friend

This movie is about Rupert, my cat, meeting Herbert. I really wanted to use the Mission Impossible theme song but it would not play no matter what I did.

Balloons part two

 

Ok, it's was HOT. Very HOT. When I get hot, I get irritated & tired. Needless to say, I was both. The Youth decide that they want to GO BACK to the festival at night when the balloons are back. Great! (suppress an eye roll) This time D accompanies us. This time however, we decide to just meet @ the V-Plex instead of meeting @ the church first. Rebeka is already over there in line (THANK GOD!) when we get there @ 1830. We actually broke in line w/ her (i still feel really bad about that) so that we could ride the tethered balloon. Then more youth come & they break in line too. Yes, this is a Christian youth group and evidently we are line breakers too. So we all, (except D), rode up in a balloon about 20 ft & then back down again. It lasted about 30 seconds. I won't tell you how I had to get my short little legs in & out of that basket. After the balloons were over we took Georgia & Ann out to eat at Iron Horse BBQ. Then around 9P something, we made it home. Then back to church on Sun to teach sunday school. whew!

Ballons Part one

 

The Wesley Chapel youth group took a trip to the West GA hot air balloon festival on Aug 8th. We were told that there would be hot air balloons, tethered balloon rides, mobile Braves, Hawks, Thrashers experience, etc. We arrive at the church around 0830 so we can eat & then drive to the V-Plex. We arrive at the V-Plex a little around 930A & it's already HOT. So, we're looking around for balloons - it is the hot air balloon festival after all. So far we don't see any. We start too look around & there is the braves mobile experience, hair & face painting, some food vendors, old timey tractors, and the moon walk & slide. That's about it. Where are the balloons? We are at the hot air balloon festival right? Turns out the balloons weren't going to be there 'til 7P!! Arugh! I can't believe that. Thank's a lot VR for publishing the schedule of events so we know what time to show up.

We youth decide to head back to the church to eat lunch & play board games 'til 1430 when parents would come to pick up their kids.....

Stupid Balloons!

Stars n Strikes

 

On Wed, Aug 5 I found out that there is a special @ the Dallas Stars n Strikes bowling alley. We could bowl for $.97 cents per person + shoe rental. So we piled up in the car & went to the bowling alley. It's really awesome w/ lots of lanes; they even have dedicated Cosmic lanes. They also have an arcade, laser tag, & bumper cars. We got a great deal on lunch - the lunch menu was $50% off, so D & I got hambergers & fries for $2 a piece! We had a fun time!

Vader hooping

 

 

These are some of the antics Matthew provides me w/. He comes out of this bedroom grinning like a Cheshire cat in his Vader outfit & starts hooping. He also likes to hoop naked. Want pictures of that too?

Hi, my name's Nicole & I'm a loser

Ok, so after a series of false starts and dodging obstacles, I finally graduated from college. WHOO HOO! What a day. Not too shabby of an accomplishment.

Now, there are no jobs....No jobs anywhere. I just found out that my last prospect has been filled & the lady doesn't even remember receiving my application. Which I HAND DELIVERED! So, if there isn't an application, I can't even be considered for a job.

That application required me to fill out several essay's. I stayed up late to finish filling all that out....grrrr.....& she didn't even GET the application! I had to go out & BUY a report cover! I'm SO frustrated.

It turns out that my resume/portfolio/application sat on the wrong desk for 2 wks, so the head master never even saw my application. It was there, just delivered to the wrong spot.

So now I'm a college graduate w/ no job & no prospects. D is breathing down my neck to find a job doing SOMETHING, & I've ALREADY applied for 15 other jobs at Drugstores, Autoparts stores, and etc. Nobody is calling.....

My checking account balance is $0.78 & my savings is -$5.21. I thought I would have a job when I graduated & I wouldn't have to deal w/ this anymore....I'm sad & angry

Sponge Cloud

I have been having a "crick" in my neck lately. I am happy to announce that I convinced D to buy me a new pillow. I love this pillow! This morning, while lying in the bed,in the moments when you first start to wake up but aren't quite conscious, I decided what my pillow felt like. It feels like a beautiful sponge cloud....Sponge cloud, I love you. I haven't had neck cricks for 2 whole days now! And now we have a new member to our family....a pillow named Sponge Cloud.

GACE

Hi All,
I passed my Early Childhood GACE!

Tallulah Falls Collage

 

13 years

13 years ago today, D & I got married. How are we going to celebrate it? We are going to use a BOGO coupon to go to Medieval Times!

Ethan & Matthew's Adventures

This week Ethan has gone to Jekyll Island 4H camp. Ethan will be doing so much this week, including going out on a shrimper boat, meeting the Coast Guard, and performing a shark dissection.

Matthew is spending the week attending the Villa Rica day camp at gold dust park. Today he visited the Pine Mountain Gold Museum and went panning for minerals & went on a hike. On Friday he will be go to the Midtown water park in Carrollton.

In two weeks, both Ethan & Matthew will attend the Gold Dust day camp. Their field trips will include the Turner Field tour and a trip to White Water in addition to going back to the Midtown water park twice. Then it's back to school!

I'm still looking for a job....keep praying.

I'll post our zoo outing as well as our Adventure in Apple Mountain soon -

Pickett's Mill

Today we went to Pickett's Mill historic site.
This was the 145th anniversary of the battle. There were several actors dressed up in replica suits. It was pretty cool, all in all.


There were also several flags that were displayed from both confederate on the left,and union troops on the right. I thought that I had taken more pictures of flags....but I didn't.








We walked around the Blue Loop, which is 1.5 miles. The kids & I were a bit tired & sweaty after it all. I don't know how those soldiers did it in the wool suits & 40 lbs packs! Whew! It really makes you have more appreciation for their hard work & air conditioning.

On the loop we saw the corn & wheat fields where battles were fought. Also the area where Pickett's Mill was. We saw trenches where the confederate troops had dug in for a defensive position. We even saw some defensive lines (replicated of course) where troops had constructed them from trees. It was really great to be able to imagine how things were 145 yrs ago. Then we jumped in the van & blasted the a/c all the way home.

Awards

On May 2o, 21, & 22, E & M started having their award ceremonies.

E won awards for being on the A/B honor all year, reading one million plus words, and participating in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. This was the first time that a Carroll County School even placed in the bowl & they came in 3rd! Pretty Awesome huh?




M won an award for running the most laps of any first grader. He ran 68.5 laps for the year. 9 laps = 1 mile. WOW! M also won an award for being a best friend to everyone. On the last day of school, M participated in a Reader's Theater of sorts. I'm going to have him record his lines in a podcast so that we can keep them for posterity. Stay tuned for that!