Before I sign off for what may turn out to be a few days, I'll leave you with some classroom funnies. 

R: Mrs. Mongoooold! (whining) C. is being popular to me.

Me: What does that mean?

R: It means she's being sassy to me.  She wants to be the princess so she can be mean to me. 

J: Today is my Mom's birthday!  She's thirteen.

D:  Mrs. Mongold, you look nice.  You almost match.

Me (talking to myself and looking through my desk for something): Where in the world could I have put it?

J: Maybe you put it in your bra?  (said with a big grin on his face)

Me: Is that a respectful thing to say to your teacher?

I need to give myself a swift kick and get on the treadmill nwo.  This is going to be a busy week, and even though I got de-railed by the conference last week, I will get back on track with the running thing this week. 

I wasn't going to have to do any of the driving, because (and I know this is quite old fashioned) Phil does all the driving when we're on trips.  He gets motion sick unless he's the one driving.  Either that or he can't stand my driving and he's trying to spare my feelings.  His work schedule was changed, and can't be adjusted, so now he can't go.  That's right, now I have to do ALL the driving.  So much for the book reading and relaxing.  I've done this trip many times, from when the girls were babies until 2 summers ago when I ended up driving them across half the country and camping with them.  I am woman, hear me roar!!  I know I can do it, I just don't want to (can you hear my whiny voice?)  They are old enough to entertain themselves (aka: change the dvd's in the player), and thanks to the new van they will have enough room to sprawl and not be in each other's space (aka: not fight "She's touching me!") 

The great things about this trip are:

1.  My brother is getting married!  That's very exciting, and I love his wife-to-be Sara. 

2.  All my family will be in one place at the same time.  I will actually get to see my aunts and uncles on this trip.

3.  I'm staying with my bestest friend from middle school and high school.  On Sunday I get to hang out with my friends from Reilly, and lots of other great friends. 

4.  Tim and Sara's wedding is 1950's/Rockabilly themed.  It's going to be a lot of fun!  If only I could find what I want to wear. 

5.  I get to go to Rita's, eat a hoagie, and some Tastykakes!  I think I'm not going to be making very good food choices on this trip. 

The not-so-great things about this trip are:

1.  I have to do all the driving.  All of it.  I hope I still like my new van after this trip. 

2.  I'm taking two days off of work, which means my class will have a sub.  It's way harder to plan for a substitute teacher than for yourself.   The girls will miss two days of class and have to get caught up. 

3.  It's going to be too short.  Philadelphia is a long way from Indiana (the northwest corner near Chicago) for only two days of time spent with friends and family.  It'll be worth it though.

This is the Sunny Side though, so I'm looking for the bright side.  I think I should find a rockabilly cd to listen to on the road.  I know it'll be a great trip!  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

Every year on the school calendar there are two days off from school for "fall break".  This is a bit misleading as the only ones getting a break are the kids.  The teachers go to the annual ACSI conference.  For the past few years it has been a one day event, and we had Friday off.  Yeah for that!  This year they went back to the two-day conference.  Apparently some people voted (I'd like to know who they were) that the two day conference was better than one day.   Other times when the conference was two days, we would stay in a hotel and hang out by the pool.  It was fun.  Since all of our teachers are women, it was kind of like a girls get-a-way.  This year it was decided that South Bend is close enough to where we are that we didn't need to stay in a hotel.  So last night we made the 2 hour drive home, only to have to leave again this morning at 5am to go back again.  Did I mention that South Bend is on Eastern Time, and we are on Central? (I need another piece of chocolate...hold on.) 

Ok.  I'm good.  Anyway, yesterday when we finally got back to the school/church, our midweek service was going on.  Turns out my kids were there, but my husband was not.  I had to stay till service was over so I could take them home.  I'm pretty sure I fell asleep 2 or 3 times during the message.  Today was tough.  Getting up before 4:00am is just painful.  I tried to sleep on the way there, but with seat belts digging into my side, and feeling like I was going to fall every time the van braked, at best I slept for 10 minutes. 

As far as the conference is concerned?  It was ok.  There just wasn't a lot for EE (early ed) teachers.  Translation:  all the workshops were for older grades and way smarter teachers than I.  The problem is that this conference just makes me feel stupid every year.  I didn't go to college.  I don't have a piece of paper that says I am qualified to teach preschoolers.  What I do have is almost 20 years experience working with kids.  I may be more practical than someone who is "book smart" and can talk a good game, but it works for me.  It's taken me years to figure out what works and doesn't, and since everyone learns a little differently you have to adapt all the time.  At these conferences so many of the speakers use big words and lofty ideas, when what I want is practical stuff I can use.  The one "course" I took was called, From Acting to Actions.  I really didn't know or understand what the 6-part workshop was on though.  I thought we might learn songs with actions to them in order to tell stories.  Not even close.  One part was on using art in story telling, another on puppets, and then today's were on acting.  Yes, acting.  As in acting workshops.  Where I had to do the improv skits like on Whose Line Is It Anyway?  That is soooo not me!  And the teacher pegged me as the "grumbling" one who didn't want to participate, and so I was chosen.  A lot.  Let's just say you'll not be seeing me on the stage anytime soon.  Or ever.  

The one thing I did learn after all the talking and all the big words: I'm doing a lot of the things they do, only I use regular words to describe it.  I know I'm a good teacher, and no guy with sixteen degrees and big words is going to convince me otherwise.

Now I'm falling asleep at the keyboard.  It's either time for coffee or a nap. Or both.

*Update: After sleeping 5 hours this afternoon, I'm going to eat some soup and go right back to bed.  Seriously!  I think something is wrong.  I cannot keep my eyes open!

Along the roof there are drop-down storage bins, and a green, irradescent "glow" (kind of like the lights in an airplane.)  It's called halo lighting.  Neat, huh?  Very futuristic.  The other great feature (that I said was a non-negotiable must-have) are the stow and go seats.

Today when Marissa wanted to take her new bike and go with me when I went running, I was excited to stow the seats.  As I was standing there by the van reading the manual on how to go about it, Marissa just pulls a few tabs, pulls a lever and there they go!  The seats are stowed.  Amazing.  Apparently all new vehicles need to come with a teenager so you don't have to mess with reading the manual.   So far she has had to show me how to operate the automatic doors (which I still keep pushing the wrong side on the key fob), the seats, and how to lock the windows.  All in all, I'm pretty happy with it.  It's color is "modern blue pearl" and the interior is dark gray.

It's got a great sound system, and the one thing any car we would even consider had to have, an mp3 port!  Oh yeah!  This is the best feature for me.  With a big trip coming up next week we're going to put a lot of miles on this thing, but at least we'll be comfortable while we drive, and the girls should have enough room that they won't kill each other.

I did not photoshop this picture!  That is Marissa standing in front of a Hummer.  However, this picture does not tell the whole story, so I will.

Last Wednesday the transmission on my husband's van went.  It's dead.  Before it was his van it was mine.  A blue Ford Windstar.  I hate mini vans, and Fords.  So there is no grieving here on my part.  The only problem is that this leaves us with one vehicle, my gas-sucking Trailblazer.  We need two vehicles in this family.  As I was sharing with a friend (a very good friend) at the girls' soccer game that we had to buy a new car that day, he offered us their car to use while they were out of town.  Only, it's really not a car.  It's a tank.  Yes, my blogging friends, I have been in automobile heaven since Saturday as I have been driving this black Hummer.  It's always been a dream of mine to drive one, owning one would be more along the lines of miracle.  Now I've gotten to live the dream!  If only for 4 days.  My time runs out tomorrow when they get home, and I have to turn the black beast back over to it's rightful owners.  I love the black beast.  Fully loaded, black leather seats, satellite radio, oh my!  Love it.

Cinderella's coach turned into a pumpkin.  The question is, what will I be driving come Wednesday?  Sadly, after running the numbers, haggling with car salesmen (don't get me started on that!), and driving a few different types of cars on Saturday it comes down to this: I may have to go back to...gulp...a mini van.  Nooooo!  I'm pretty sure you may have heard that wail all the way from wherever you are.  I'm trying to come to grips with it.  Really I am.  But come on!  After driving a fully loaded Hummer for 4 days then having to go to the quintessential mom-mobile is like pouring salt in an open wound and rubbing it in.  Hard.   

Seriously, I know that God has the right car out there for us.  We just need to find it.  I just keep fighting the feeling that time is running out.  It's hard enough when your own stress is telling you to make a decision and possibly "settle", but when outside influences (those sales guys) start up too, well it can be overwhelming.  For right now, I think I'll just go for a drive.  It'll be worth the $50 in gas!

Marissa turned 14 today, and I really wanted to post a ton of pictures of her from newborn until today.  As with most things I want to do, they don't seem to happen.  Time and crappy scanner/printers are preventing this today.  I do have a few pictures to share, though.

Being at our friend's farm in Missouri can bring out the country in anyone.

When she was 11 Marissa rode in the county fair in Missouri. 

Marissa and her friend, Lauren, at the Rain Forest Cafe in Chicago on her 10th birthday.

For her birthday this year, we got her a new bike.  She has been riding while Phil runs his five miles.  She chose the Olive Garden for lunch after church today.  Even though Phil had to work, the girls and I had a good time.  Happy birthday, Marissa!!

This picture also brings me to the next drama in our life.  Behind Marissa and her new bike, you can see our old, blue mini van and the back of a large black vehicle.  Yes, there is a story here, but I think I'll save it for the next post. 

Wow.   I have so much on my mind and so much going on.  I'll just share the latest and one of the reasons I feel like life is  moving so stinkin' fast.  A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine decided she had had enough, and she was going to get in shape.  Good for her, I'm thinking, but leave me out of it.  See, I recently found out that this mentality of mine (that when something is too hard or seems insurmountable, you just give up and don't even try) is a trait of firstborns, well it all made sense.  That is so me!  Why try to get in shape, when it's going to take so much and I just don't have it in me?  Doomed before I begin. 

Just like the chicken pox, exposure to her and her "plan"infected me.  And just like you can't ignore an itch, I had to do something about it.  Since we're good friends, and friends talk, I already knew how she planned to go about this.  My first rule:  I DO NOT diet.  I will not do any artificial sweeteners, no crazy eat-only-this diets, and I will NOT count stuff (be it points, calories, or whatever.)  So, as far as food is concerned, I'm just eating smarter and trying to follow the food pyramid and eat more fruits and veggies than anything else.  She's doing her thing and I'm doing mine.  It works for both of us. 

The excercise aspect we're tackling together.  We started by walking and it was good, but we decided running would be better.  Problem.  I can't breathe and run at the same time.  Sounds stupid, I know.  Again, my friend the planner gets online and does some searches.  In 8 weeks we will be able to run for 20 minutes and not die.  Or so the plan goes.  Last week we walked for 5 minutes, then ran for 1, then walked 5, etc.   We did three reps of that ending with a 5 minute walk 4 days last week.  We even walked extra.  Bonus points:-)  This week is walk for 4 minutes, run for 2.  I did this by myself yesterday, and thought the last 15 seconds of the first rep was going to kill me!  Oh my goodness!   I was even focusing on the whole "breathe in for 4 secs, and out for 4 seconds thing."  I really think it was because I had to go by myself.   My friend couldn't make it yesterday.  It was a test for me.  To see if I would really keep this up even if I was all alone.  I passed!  And since she can't go again today, I guess I have to do it again. 

The other thing that is keeping me going is that I have a goal.  I've never been goal oriented, but this is goal enough!  So, by May I am trying to lose 35-40 pounds.  Yep, that much.  If you go by the height and weight chart at the doctor's office, I am "officially" obese.  I should be between 135 and 150 lbs.  Let's just say to be at the top of that scale I'd have to lose 45 lbs.  If you're really, really curious and want to know what I weigh now, you can do the math.  I don't really care about the weight so much as I care that I feel good about myself.  I'm starting to.  I really should take a before picture, but I'm not feeling that good about myself yet.  If any of you, my blogging friends, live in NWI and want a walking buddy, let me know!

*Coming soon: the post about the dreaded "d" word