Today I:

* Sketched Elsa's painting onto canvas.  Just have to add the black and it'll be done!

*Did some paperwork.

*Watched a movie.

*Watched my girl dog hump my boy dog's head.

*Watched people get their ears candled.

*Got really bored at work.

*Was driven crazy by my dogs who want to go for a walk when it's still pretty hot outside.

*Ate pizza and strawberries.

*Did laundry.

I haven't even done very much, but I'm pretty exhausted.

Ok, so if I said that last statement out loud to anyone recently, I'd usually get this reply, "Well if you think you're tired now, just wait until the baby comes!"  or something else about how I'm going to get less sleep once she's born.  AS IF I'M NOT AWARE AND IT'S SOME KIND OF JOKE SURPRISE I'LL GET IN NOVEMBER.  As if I'm totally not aware that I'm going to be tired when she gets here with the nighttime wake ups, breastfeeding, etc...
As if moms need to tell expectant mothers this while laughing.  Let me just tell you, it's freaking annoying.  It makes me want to slap them when they say it.
I have a right to be tired now, just like I have a right to be tired after I give birth.  I wish I could expect people to comprehend how stupidly annoying they're being, but it seems like common sense and courtesy fly out the window sometimes from mom to mom.  I will remember all these rude and irritating comments I'm getting now and will do a good deed by not saying them to an expectant mom in the future.
Another fun comment I'm getting is something to the extent of, "Oh you have no idea about [insert ANYTHING here] until you have a baby!"  Obviously I don't know how exactly things will be AFTER she is born because SHE ISN'T BORN YET.  So right now, I can say what I want about how I'm feeling or any subject and it is OK.

Goodness gracious, is it that hard to comprehend?!

I read http://www.STFUParents.com before getting pregnant, and I used to think comments like this were atrocious when sent in as screenshots.  It's even WORSE hearing it firsthand and having it on my own facebook wall.

/Rant.

Ben and I rearranged furniture in our bedroom last night (and by we, I mean he and some friends moved it).  I cleaned up and mopped.  It really opened up the room a lot and gave us some more room.  We also got the treadmill out of the nursery, so that's going to be my project this weekend....arranging it how I want it!

That's all for now, I'm going to take my dogs out for a walk before they have heart attacks.  Holy moly.

Good news!

I found out yesterday that I was officially approved to go see the cardiologist I requested in Amarillo.  I'm pretty happy about it.  Yes, it's more of a drive, but I think the drive outweighs the crap I had to go through with the one in town.  Stressing out a heart patient isn't exactly the smartest idea in the world.

Made it through my first week of work back at school.  Next week, the elementary and up kids come back to school (which is how the higher ups will decide if they will hire me for a new classroom).  The pre-K kids don't come back until the 29th.  We've got another week in the school without kids.  The class is pretty much ready...I guess some decorating could be done.  I just wish I knew if I was getting a class so I could start preparing for it. I'm stuck right now, so I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

At a meeting yesterday, my coworker saw my stomach popping while Baby Ward was moving around.  So weird!  She is so strong!

I'm off to shower and get ready for the day.  Working on a painting for my friend!

SOOOOO

I have been working this week (yes, as an EA...no, it's not the greatest).

I got a call on Monday from the district office asking if I would come in for an interview.  They are needing to open up classrooms (various schools and grades) depending on enrollment.

I had my interview today.  They emailed me a list of three different benchmarks, one for K, one for 3rd, and one for 5th.  We were to create a lesson plan that was to last 10 to 12 minutes and complete it with the interviewers. I chose the K benchmark about place value.  It was similar to ones I had done with my first grade room.
I was nervous at first, but as soon as I got into the room, I did my lesson and then answered 10 questions that they had given me.  I feel like it went well, but I feel like that after a lot of interviews...
Anyway, if I get one, it'll be awesome.
If I don't, I still have a job.

Either way, I'm gonna be OK.

ABC.....Z

A. Age: 26.
B. Bed size: Queen.
C. Chore you hate: DISHES (Although, I am ALWAYS the one doing them.)D. Dogs: Rilo and Otis!
E. Essential start to your day: a shower
F. Favorite color: Green
G. Gold or silver: White gold
H. Height: 5’4"
I. Instruments you play: I used to play the flute....it was boring.
J. Job title: TEACHER (but I don't get paid for it.)
K. Kids: On the way!
L.  Live: The butthole of America. (New Mexico)
M. Mom’s name:Cindy
N. Nicknames: Dani
O. Overnight hospital stays: 2 pacemaker surgeries
P. Pet peeve: Shitty indulgent parenting, habitual lateness, excuses, laziness
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: 1 younger brother 1 older sister
T. Time you wake up: Soon 6:00am
U. Underwear: Yup, I wear it.
V. Vegetables you dislike: Carrots
W. What makes you run late: Usually nothing. I always like to be early or on time.
X. X-rays you’ve had: Dental and then of course for the pacemaker.
Y. Yummy food you make: I've posted pics of some, but I am known for my delicious cookies.
Z. Zoo – favorite animal: giraffes, tigers, and elephants.

Where did my summer go?

I start work tomorrow.

I must say...I'm not excited.  This is year 2 of me working at a job that isn't for my degree.  I'm paying back student loans on an education for a job that I don't have.  It's kind of depressing.  I'd do something else, but there really isn't anything else in Clovis.  This is a dead town.  UGH.  I know I've complained a lot in the last few posts, but it's getting really hard to find something good about this place.  Every day, I hope that Ben goes into work and finds out that he has orders elsewhere.

YAY! I made scones!

MMMM.  SO GOOD.

Margot is always pleased to be laying on my belly.  Even when Baby Ward kicks her.

He isn't spoiled at all.  (Resting after a walk)

My sweet girl.

Ben and I are a great team.  A friend needed an emergency sitter for tonight, and we said we'd help out.  She has a son (12?), and 2 daughters (3 and less than a year).  I began to make dinner (BREAKFAST!), and Ben hung out with the kids.  Got her son set up on Halo, helped the 3 year old play with the dogs, and played with the baby.  When the baby got fussy, he began to feed her, but she wasn't having it.  So we switched.  He took over dinner while I fed the baby.  We bot got everyone's plates ready, and while they ate, I took the baby into the nursery and laid down in bed with her.  She fought sleep, but sleep won.  I went to go get my dinner and Ben had cleaned up most of the kitchen (the remainder of stuff that was left out was stuff I'd need for my dinner).
I'm a lucky girl.
He's a lucky boy.
We're a happy family.

The sandwich effect.

6 months today!

I didn't end up getting the job.  

My name was put in for the teaching position, but at the last minute the district decided to shut down another classroom at another school and just transfer a teacher over instead of hiring someone new.  

Cram more kids into a classroom so that the district can save money.

Because that'll help our AYP (annual yearly progress), right?  (That's how schools get funding each year)  More students with less teachers.

There are positions at the district office being done by 3-4 people that should be done by 1 or 2.  That's where our money is going...instead of into the schools to help our kids and teachers.  Have the people who run the district really been out of the classroom long enough to not remember how things actually work?  

This system is really messed up, and I'm not just saying that because it's IMPOSSIBLE to get a job out here. One principal told me that 45 people applied for ONE position.  That is how awful it is out here right now.  

I honestly can't wait to get orders out of here.  A teaching job would have made me hate this place less.  I've been positive for over 3 years, and I'm just done with this place.  The majority of the people out here suck, it's dirty, the restaurants/stores in town don't even try because there's no where else to go, it's ugly, and you have to drive 2 hours to get any kind of break from this place.  

Sorry for the negativity, but there aren't a lot of upsides to this town.  I'm just thankful that Ben is here with me.  You can surely bet that when/if he gets deployed, I'm fleeing from this town back to Missouri.  My mom and dad talked this morning, and if I came back while Ben was deployed, I wouldn't have to pay for rent/utilities/groceries and they'd fence in the backyard for my dogs.  

Yeah, my parents rule.  

Goodnight!