Yep, That's How I Feel Too.

Going back to work is not my favorite activity. 

I wanted to post these pictures before less important things take up my blogging time, you know, like work (ack.).

I've had such a nice, relaxing vacation catching up on blogs and looking up useless information all the while in my pj's!

I was inspired by Pioneer Woman's photography blog and decided to try my hand at a few interesting photos. Kinda hard with a point and shoot, but I'll wait on buying a new camera; it's not high on our list of priorities. Someday...

Anyhoo, I asked one of my favorite models to pose for me. She was slightly reluctant. 

Actually, Mom, I thought you wanted to tape a movie of me and my favorite tree ornament. 

No, Bibi, I want a pretty picture of you. Let's put the ornament down. No, down low...by your lap. Here, let mama hold it. Doesn't mama look funny? (Ornament hanging off her ear.)

Okay, I guess not. (Puts ornament down.)

Bibi, you keep making sour faces like that and I'm going to post them online.

Thought you'd like some un-posed pictures. One thing about Bibi, she's full of expression. She has more moods than a sunset has colors. 

Speaking of sunset, the late sun was coming through the windows, so I snuggled her on my lap and snapped a few shots with the macro lens. The coloring wasn't quite right. I still need to play with the white balance on my camera, but I adjusted the color later with my photo program. 

This one is my favorite.

And so, I'll leave you with a Bibi quote. After eating an ice cream sandwich in the car, she wanted wet wipes to clean her hands. I was driving and couldn't reach them. In frustration she threw her napkin down and said, "Sticky fingers are not my best friend!" Yep, I feel the same way too little Bibi. 

Domestic Diva Goddess? Ha! No More

A loaf of my homemade bread.

Today....I scrubbed my kitchen floor. This is a big deal because I'm not sure when I scrubbed it last. Now, don't get me wrong, it's received it's occasional sweeping, and I would scrub particular nasty spots, but an all out, pull out the furniture, hands and knees scrubbing? Nope, it's off the memory grid. 

Sigh. I used to be a Domestic Diva, the Goddess of my household, the Magic Fairy that would deliver clean, freshly folded clothes to their proper spots, and always have a clean sink. I baked almost everyday. I cooked. I cleaned. I folded my laundry in a way that would make Real Simple magazine proud.

Re-enactor at Genesee Country Village and Museum.

Spinners at Genesee Country Village and Museum, NY.

Loom, Genesee Country Village and Museum, NY.

Peace abounded. Flylady helped too.

And then, I went back to work, full time. Now I can barely keep my head above my growing laundry pile. I'm just happy when my dishes are done every night. I'd rather be playing with my daughters, or relaxing or reading a book. 

Being a teacher gives me long breaks of time where I can tackle my household issues. But who wants to spend their time off cleaning? Unless, of course, you have company coming. Ah! The motivation! Thus, the clean kitchen floor. 

Well, the dried-on green play-doh had to go. It looked like last month's dinner. And I let the girls put on their swim suits and "help" me. I should have taken pictures. But that's something the Domestic Diva would have remembered to do, in her non-stressful, slower paced life (I'm referring to myself only, cause I never went anywhere, lol!) 

Now I need two weeks to let my refried brain cells recoup. Over this past week and a half, I sank blissfully into the relative peacefulness that is my home, Little by little I got it straightened up, and I still found time to do my favorite things, read, write, blog... I asked myself, why did I go back to work? And then I remembered: the loneliness, the depression. It was time for a change. 

Re-enactor at Genesee Country Village and Museum, NY

Sometimes it seems to me like the grass is always greener. Yes, work is stressful. Yes, my house can get lost in the shuffle, but work is work, whether you do it in a different building or at home. And my girls are old enough now to go to school. I'm glad I stayed home with them when I did. And I'm glad I'm back to work now....

....eventually, it will all balance out. 

My Favorite Things

Yep. Your eyes are not deceiving you. I did change the background color on the blog from a blue to a slightly darker purple. I'm in love with purple for the moment. Actually, that moment has lasted for about 10 years. Guess I like purple. 

It's snowing, I'm drinking coffee and blogging. Yes, it's a perfect time. 

My girls have also decided it's a great time for a tea party. 

I adore these tiny ceramic tea sets.

So precious. Tea anyone?

Some Christmas Pics

Just some happy pics to add a little warmth to the day. 

My two little ones.

I don't think Emmy liked Bibi's chin digging into her arm!

Emmy, posing for the camera.

Enjoy the holidays everyone!

We Are Here, We Are Here, We Are Heeeerre!

***the following is extrememly opinionated and may or may not have actually happened. characters are a figment of one person's imagination which may or may not be a reality in some world somewhere. any resemblance to actual people is entirely a coincidence. 

hey you all. I'm still here. I've been reading blogs when I can, but not posting much. December has to be the busiest month of the year. Finally, we get a break! Surely the next few months cannot be as stressful as the past 5 months were for me. 

I think of the year in semesters, because of school I guess. This past fall was nuts. I lost my classroom at school because we added another regular classroom. So I had to teach music on a cart, 4 carts to be exact. We move desks, I push carts, we set up instruments. I really wanted to rip my hair out, or at least gouge out my eyes. That surely couldn't be as bad as hearing those desks scrape across the floor or, "waaah! so and so is in my space" (because they're squished in what little floor space we have). Or, "I think another peg is broken on the xylophone." (Yep, another casualty of being loaded and unloaded on a cart). 

And then I had to go and tick off the most difficult, mentally unstable mother in the entire school. Remember the boob twister student? This was his mother. We were having a meeting because she was of the opinion that we teachers were setting her child off. She was going on and on about how well her child did in a one on one situation. So I suggested home schooling. She didn't like that suggestion very well. She went the the pp and explained to her how evil I was. And she insisted that her son not be in music. 

Over the next few months, her son got a free pass to roam the halls. At one point he was in the school's electric box. This is a student who will be starting middle school next year. He was supposed to be with a particular teacher when he wasn't with me, so I started writing him up every time he was running  and roaming the halls. And...you guessed it, things came to a head again, the week of our music program. See, if a student gets too many write up's, they cannot participate in the 9 weeks reward. Mom did not like that one bit. So more meetings were held. Not sure what what my pp told her, but Mom decided to take her child out of school and...homeschool. Interesting. 

In the meantime, maintenance has been renovating a room for me in an adjacent building. They let me choose the floor tile and paint. I choose 2 shades of purple paint. The floor is light gray, with some darker gray tile as accent. I have now christened the room as the "Great Purple Room". There will be some offices out there too. Hope they like purple. It should be done in a few weeks. I'm so excited. I have large instrument pictures and I'm going to make some poster prints of some of my favorite pictures I've taken outdoors. I also want to frame and mat some poster prints of the students that I've taken. I think it will be a fun room. 

Here's to a calmer new year, less stress, and more peace and harmony.