Hymns

I have always loved the Hymns and feel peace when I listen to or sing them. Today has been a marvelous day.

Wishing you a peaceful Sabbath.

Green Day

I know what you are all thinking, Green Day, we just had Earth Day. Well, I am talking about a different type of Green Day.

My eight year old son has a system in his 2nd grade class for tracking their behavior each day. Green means you have had a great day. Yellow means that you misbehaved (didn't do what you were told, were playing around in class, etc.) Red means you had a really, really, really bad behavior day (hitting another classmate is a good example). The goal is to have green days for the entire month so that you can be a Super Star. Being a Super Star means that your name is placed on the board at the front of the class room with the big star. You also get to leave the room without a hall pass. I'm sure there are other benefits but my dear son isn't great with the information.

My son was having a great month (all green) until yesterday. Here is how the conversation went this morning:

Son: Um Mom, I'm sorry I was in yellow yesterday.
Mom: Why did you have a yellow day yesterday son? And why didn't you tell me yesterday?
Son: Because I was playing around in class. (no answer to second question)

Conversation as soon as he walked in the door from school today:

Son: MOM!!! I HAD A GREEN DAY TODAY!!
Mom: I'm proud of you son!

Wouldn't it be great if we all could have a system like this? I have been thinking about this quite a bit since this morning's conversation and I wonder what color of day I would have every day. Would I be a Super Star at the end of the month? Maybe the "powers that be" at work could use this system for employees. I was thinking about tracking my own green days but I probably should come up with some guidelines and then ask someone else to rate my days.

How many GREEN DAYS would you have?

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!!!

For as long as I can remember I have loved sports. During my younger years, baseball and softball were my choice. I played softball for many, many years. I loved it. As I grew older I played some basketball and volleyball. After high school that was the end of my participation in sports with the exception of the occasional church volleyball game.

Since meeting my husband I have found a new love for more sporting events. With him I experienced my first NHL hockey game. How can you not love hockey? I must admit though, after eight years, I am still trying to understand some of the rules.

I am not a big fan of professional sports. I prefer collegiate sports. There just seems to more to it when the players are not being paid millions of dollars. It makes it more fun.

With that said, I always have been and forever will be an Atlanta Braves fan. I grew up watching Dale Murphy, Terry Pendleton, Phil Niekro, Chris Chambliss, Glenn Hubbard, the list goes on and on. I am so glad baseball season is back.

Welcome back boys of summer!!!

New Neighbors

A few months ago someone actually bought the house next door. I didn't think it would ever sell. The last tenants (it used to be a rental) who lived there told me that there we bugs in the shagg carpet and the house reeked of animal urine. They only lived there for a couple of months. I had only been in that house a couple of times prior to the former owner's passing. I don't remember much about it.

Anyway, when I saw the For Sale sign down I couldn't help but be just a little anxious and excited for our new neighbors. I envisioned a family with children close by our boy's ages. Children they could play with, go to school with and become good friends with. A family who we could have back yard BBQ's with. A man that KD could do "guy" things with and a woman that I could do "girl" things with.

Over the course of several weeks I saw various repair trucks in the driveway and sports utility vehicles with trailers behind them full of furnishings. I just knew we would be seeing this family soon.

All was quite until one night...the most obnoxious, horrifically loud noise came from the house next door. How fun for us, the new neighbors liked really loud music. I sometimes get taken up in the moment and turn our stereo up a little too loud so I could understand. Besides, they were probably fixing up the house and unpacking so they wanted/needed music to make it a little easier. The music stopped right around 9:30 pm.

The next night as I was tucking the boys in for the night when they asked me what that "pounding sound was". Not only was there pounding (base) but this time there seemed to be some yelling (singing) with it. I went out on the back porch to see if I could tell if this "music" was coming from inside or outside the home. It was from inside and I could literally feel the ground shake under my feet. Drums, guitar, singing, this was no stereo it was a real live punk rock band. Complete with, I later found out, band members with colorful mohawk hairdos, a pirates flag (skull and crossbones) hanging in their living room and all black clothing.

The band members purchased the house and use the large back room as their practice space. They are very courteous...they do not play after 10:00 each night. This happens to be, according to the city ordinance, the beginning of "quite time".

Heaven help me, it is going to be a very long, long summer. I have nothing against the type of music they play, I just would prefer not to have to listen to it. Especially when I am trying to catch some zzzzzzz's.

April Fool's Gifts

This is the view of my desk I had as I walked into the office after taking April 1st off to take my boys to the eye doctor. When they told me the only time that they could get all three of my boys in on the same day was April 1st I hesitated...and hesitated...and hesitated. You see, my boss LOVES April Fool's Day. By not being in the office on this day I just knew I was going to come in on April 2nd to something pretty good. And boy, did I ever.

Last year my van was seran wrapped. I was running late for a doctor appointment and rather than go back into the office to retrieve my scissor, I thought it would be faster to just use my keys to cut the stuff off. I should have just cancelled the appointment. I wish I had a picture to share of that experience.

This year I received gifts. I'm not sure if they were gifts for being out of the office or gifts for coming back. Literally everything on and under my desk was wrapped including my little fridge and the Dr. Pepper cans inside of it. Even my plant was subjected.

I am sure that most of the day on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 was spent in joyous antics in my office to celebrate the day of the Fools. I have never been a real fan of the day (with the exception of my second son being born on that day). I have experienced some pretty unethical and down right mean jokes in my time. But the great people I work with are turning my attitude around.

Thank you to my co-workers for thinking of me.

I LOVE MY JOB!!!