The best week to be a teacher...

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Good Morning Lovelies!!! Its Monday again, but it may as well be Thursday around herer because your girl Pooka has a two day week this week!!! This is the week we all strive to get to.. two days is a piece of cake...

What you are seeing above my message is my final Groopdealz purchase... I may be able to get away with using groopdealz for  Christmas presents.. but beyond that.. I'm done... but you see how I HAD to get this top... the black and white plaid is ALL the rage right now.. 

Here is how I spent most of my weekend...

thats right... sleep.. wonderful sleep... but I did manage to get out and go to 1,2,3... no 4 Goodwills!!! I swear... the Goodwills must have a stash of Christmas stuff in the back that they are holding onto until Black Friday... because every Goodwill I go to has NOTHING for Christmas... and come Friday.. I am READY for some Christmas!!!!

Have a wonderful day my friends.. its going to be a GREAT week!!

What A Week!!!

Girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrllllllllllllllll.. its been a five day work week and I worked every damn one of 'em!!! This week has been Loooooong!!! I feel like Monday was about a month ago..

My house is in transition because I'm sloooowly preparing for my tree... so I am starting to move stuff around, but its in flux... 

Heres the thing... to clean my house.. like REALLY clean it.. I have to have everyone out of the house... therein lies the problem.. NOONE ever leaves... My hubsband NEVER leaves.. my son rarely leaves... I need them to leave so I can go from room to room and not disturb anyone while I dust,vaccuum, disinfect.... I have to FORCE them to leave the house so I can clean...I'm hoping I can do it this weekend!!! 

Thanksgiving is around the corner!!! My last Thanksgiving was a bust... My hubsband and I fought the whole time.. I'm hoping this one will be better.. but my hubsband is in a real FUNK!!! He still can't find a job.. this is a real blow.. Do you see why my week felt so long? Dirty house, sad hubs, rowdy kids.... but I'm thankful!!!

What? You think you're better than me???

Life is seriously one Seinfeld episode after another.. I swear... even the episodes that you think can't happen to you.. they will... Today I am feeling this one... where Mr.Mandelbaum keeps challenging everyone... the line is , "you think YOU'RE better than HIM???" I am feeling alot like Izzy Mandelbaum today... so many times I get in these conversations with people who tell me how wonderful their kids are, how great their parents are, what great vacations they've been on, etc.. and I can't help but think (channeling Carrie Bradshaw here) "Well aren't you just the winner??" and I get super defensive... I have been working really hard on not looking at other people's lives through rose colored glasses, but its hard.. the hard part right now is I know alot of people whose kids have been accepted to the college of their choice...Jack is still waiting to hear from Northern.. but his motivation is very low.. he isn't doing the things he needs to do to get funding for college and his grades arent' that stellar either...College has to be his choice and his actions... I keep telling him that... Jack has a lot going for him.. he just has to channel his potential and get his butt in gear... heres where I feel like bad mom winner of the year... because I dont' know how much to help him... how much responsibiltiy to take... UGGGGGGGGGGGHhhhhhhh...  too many deep thoughts for the morning.... 

On a brighter note.. my chair came... 

(excuse the Family Guy in the pic... )

arent they cute??? So pray for Jack today.. pray that he gets the inspiration he needs to move forward... 

Its What I Wore Wednesday!!!!

Good Morning Lovlies!!! Its Wednesday and that is linkup day... Head on over to thepleatedpoppy.com, tuckerup.blogspot.com, and cappuccinoandfashion.com for their What I Wore linkup!!! I am joining the fur vest revolution!!! To be candid.. this is NOT my first fur vest.. I actually have had like 3 but the first one I had my kids said I couldn't pull it off.. then I got one from Target but it was not long enough... this one is quite nice as it covers all the problem areas most notably, my muffin top and my backside... I actually changed like 3 times before this was deemed blogworthy... I tried a black little dress with black leggings and the boots, but it was too... black.. too... exposing... My girl Amanda from goatandlulu.blogspot.com wore the vest like this:which I really liked  so I think it would look cute with a little dress like shes wearing it..

I have also noticed that the little point at the toe of the boot makes my legs look slightly  slimmer so that needs to be investigated....

In any case.. the most important message of the day... LINK UP!!!

Material....

I put together this little birdhouse lantern... I saw this one blog where the gal kind of had a seasonal birdcage... thats what I'm trying to do with it...

Good Morning!!!! Its Tuesday.. and I don't know if you know this or not but its a blistery  10 degrees in Illinois!!! what?? I think its contributing to my Christmas spirit....

Yesterday was my sister's birthday.. seen here

and not that that news isn't blogworthy.. but its not blogworthy... I bring this up because my number one reader of the blog my dad scolded me for not mentioning her birthday on the blog... In my opinion, birthday shout outs are for FACEBOOK... that is what facebook is for... blogs are for clothes, decorating, an occasional funny/deep thought, and above all television/movie recommendations... not birthday shout outs.. so as much as I love my sister her birthday cannot be a blog topic... 

Do you have anyone who tries to drive your blog?? When I write the blog entries its like Carrie from  "Sex and the City"... its what I'm thinking... but my dad thinks I don't have enough material so he feels the need to give me suggestions... I have told him a million times to start his own blog and then he can write all his thoughts down.. but he says its too much work... oh well... I guess when you open yourself up you gotta learn to accept the criticism... 

Have a lovely Tuesday my friends!!

In the Christmas Spirit!!!

Good Morning Lovelies!!!!!! I am back and energized after some shopping, some decorating, and some blog hopping... I gotta tell you.. I dont' know what it is this year... but I am seriously ready for some Christmas... Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I always feel like it gets pushed under the rug for Christmas... but this year.. bring on the Christmas....

I went on alot of blogs this weekend and there are so many Christmas home tours to take I swear I had to stop myself from going to Hobby Lobby or I would buy out the place...

But I did what I always do on weekends... went to Goodwill... I got some ornaments and some garland which I am turning into a project... (details to follow...)

I also went on Target.com and got this chair... now it goes nicely with this chair currently in my living room..

 plus also (to quote junie b.) it looks like a candy cane... I looked on Craiglist for another chair and I found this ad for two for 80.00... but they were sold.. wah wuh... this Target chair was on clearance and I got 5% off with my Target card.. ( I am not being paid by Target, but if they want to pay me for mentioning them like 9 times in this post.. OK!!!) 

Now... all I have left to do is get the chair, put it together, and convince my hubsband that it has always been there so we dont' get into f ight about my spending.... wish me luck!!!

What we've been watching...

Good Morning!!!! Its Wednesday...so that means linkup!!! Go on over to thepleatedpoppy.com and tuckerup.blogspot.com for their What I Wore Wednesday linkup... you'll be inspired... I promise....

I am including two different outfits.today because I have been deeply into the Pinterest looking for a cute little outfit.. so.. I am seeing alot of the combat boots with leggings...My legs are super short so its not AS cute as the pinterest gals.. but you know.. I try... Next up is the aztec sweater.. now.. I got this at Goodwill... it is a cross between something you would find at Forever 21 and something someone probably sat in while they smoked themself to death.... but its warm .. so... yeah...

Now... FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY... I have some good shows to report  to you...

1. The Comeback.. on HBO... now...this show was on 9 years ago and this is the second season... I liked it the first time it was on because the premise of the show is that you're not supposed to like Valerie.. you know her.. she is very shallow, very clueless, and yet very holier than thou... once you realize you're supposed to be uncomfortable.. its really good!!

2. Getting On again.. HBO... this dramedy was semi funny last season.. this season.. kicked up a notch.. I literally laughed out loud like 5 times on Sunday....

3. Foxcatcher  I have been hearing about this movie for about 3 months and now Steve Carrell is out promoting.. I cannot wait to see it on Friday when it comes out!!!!

Have a GREAT Wednesday lovelies...

a terrible picture but a good story...

Girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllllll.. I KNOW... this is one horrible picture!!! but my photographer had theapy this am at 7:30 so I had to take the picture my darn self.... as you can see I tried to compensate with clipart and text but in the end.. its a bad pic.. I know it...
Every Monday I go on these fav blogs of mine and all my bloggers out there are like, " Oh My God..I had like the BEST weekend!! LOVE LIFE!!'.. while I'm like, " I did laundry... grocery shopped, and watched "Shark Tank".... but this weekend was different.. I had a very nice little weekend... I still did laundry, grocery shopped and watched 'Shark Tank".. but my son was OUT of  the house so I had some nice time with my hubsband.... we see each other all the time now, but when you have a 17 year old boy hangin around all the time... you're not really gettin romantic..but hes trying to get out of the house now to be with his friends and that leaves more time for romance... I am actually dare I say it?? happy!!! This is the part when I feel like when we were first dating... back then it was my parents who we had to skate around.. now its my son... We haven't lived alone with each other since I was pregnant with my daughter 21 years ago... and next year when my son goes to college we'll have the house to ourselves again... ahhhhh... to be 22 again....

The smartest first graders I know...

are in my class..... I have to take a minute today and write about these little puppies I've got in my class this year... My three readers know about my class last year.. they were:

1. huge.. like the biggest, tallest boys... hormones are real and affecting our youth

2. hyper... very busy all the time with tattles, throwing things, crawling, talking... 

Now this year my team and I have switched it up a bit... I have the class with the highest reading levels.. that doesn't mean theyre the smartest.. they just all can read... but  they are smart!!!  

For example: as you all know.. pooka is like my favorite word.. for all my teaching  websites my username is always pooka... so I put up my website on the smartboard and my little student Kenaris says to his friend, "I'll bet its pooka"... how did he know??? 

today I gave a lesson on true or false.. like 4+7+6= 8+4+6 true or false... they have to find a ten and add from there... I have kids who can do this and explain exactly how they got their answer... 

These are some smarty smarty had a parties!!! I hope I can keep up... every time one of them goes, "I don't get it".. I'm like, "VICTORY!!!"

nothin but comfy!!!

Good Morning Lovelies!!! Its Wednesday..you know what that means.... What I Wore Wednesday over at thepleatedpoppy.com and tuckerup.blogspot.com  today's look is nothinn but comfy... is it stylish?? I don't know.. my style is stunted for the time being.. I look at all my clothes and I'm wildly not inspired...I want to wear boots, I want to wear a maxi dress, I want to wear a sweater... I don't k now.. hopefully the linkup will help me today... Have a great Wednesday!!!

The Documentary Train...

Hey all... Look at me.. two posts in one day... I am sitting at school waiting for my next conference to show up... so I may stop at any minute...
I told y'all about how the TV was slim pickings right? Like I look at my DVR and it is a ghosttown I tell ya... there is nothing on there but Judge Judy and an old "The First 48"... it is sad... so I have been using the documentaries on HBO and Netflix to get me through this drought.... this is what I found so far...
1. Project Nim... you'll come for the chimpanzee... you'll stay for the injustice... this documentary was FASCINATING!! It is about an experiment done in 1975 I think it started and goes through what this poor chimp had to put up with... its like Blackfish meets Grizzly Man meets Planet of the Apes....

2. Mea Maxima Culpa...
this was another injustice documentary... it is mainly about a priest that abused about 100+ boys in a Catholic School for the deaf.... sooooooooo disturbing!!!!


I'll keep looking for those documentaries for all of us who are wildly disillusioned by the fall tv schedule!!!

Who are you?

look at one of my little projects....

Now that I've been banned from Groopdealz I have been forced to make my own  banner... Call me Martha!!!

Good Morning Lovelies!!! Its Monday again and its a brand new month this one... so that is exciting... this month, November is my FAVORITE month of the year... today and tomorrow are parent teacher conferenences which is like.. ughghhh!! but there are no kids tomorrow so I get to go home at 10:30!!!! yeah!!! and all of these conferences are my payment for the 2 day week I get on Thanksgiving week!!! I love November... its fall.. its cold... LOVE IT!!!

now... my hubsband on the other hand is having a very hard November so far.. his government job is slowly but surely coming to an end... as in, no longer will be paying him... and he is at the verrrrrrrrry least... nervous...... he doesn't have another job lined up and hes afraid we're going to be broke... so hes running around trying to refinance our mortgage to get a lower payment, trying to tie up loose ends, etc... but the real reason for his stress is he is in a transition... who is he if hes not working? Who is he if he has to take a pay cut? He is having a HARD time with this... I am unusually calm... if we have to live on my salary alone.. we'll be ok... I have faith that he will find what hes looking for...God has a plan for us.. he does.. We just have to look for it.. He knows what to do.. I can't wallow in despair and ask, why us??? This is an opportunity.. and I have to look at it that way... Let go or be dragged... So we let go.. let go of the worry, let go of the anxiety, let go of the pain, let go of the stress....We are children of God.. if we are nothing else.. we have that..