I’m Coming Out

I’ve been doing this blogging thing for the past 3 years. I’ve been to BlogHer, I’ve met many people whom I adore and hope to meet many more in the future. I’ve blogged under a pseudonym, one that I have learned other people share, and one that means something not so great. (Go ahead and google it. It’s kinda gross.) I’ve been on internet radio shows where I have heard people mispronounce my name. I’ve corrected people who mispronounce my pseudonym almost as much as people have mispronounced my actual name.

So today I’m here to clear the air.

The correct pronunciation of my pseudonym is Sh-aw-sh. with an aw. Rhymes with gosh.

However, you may also feel free to call me Shari. It rhymes with Atari.

(Something I spent many hours playing when I was younger)

I’ll answer to either name. I’ve also been known to answer to mom, mommy, hey you, and you there. For the record, I’m not a big fan of the ones except mom or mommy. Those I love. There are scads of books about baby names, so some thought goes into what parents name their kids. More’s the better if you learn to say it correctly. I promise to do the same. Pinky swear.

It’s so nice to meet you. I’m so glad you’re here.

Rainy Day Activities

The boys and I have spent today watching rain fall, then the sky clear, then rain fall again.

We’re exhausted.

So, because we are stuck inside, we decided to give the video games a break and play some of our games we keep in our game table. We have a HUGE coffee table that has a cavernous inside. In it, we have many games. One of these games is called Spinner. It’s a family favorite.

Um, it’s kind of been awhile since we played.

He’s contemplating his next legendary move…

Then Scamp decided to show off his superhero skills:

All while listening to this song:

Just about perfect. Except I didn’t win the game. I may or may not be a sore loser. You’ll have to play a game with me to find out…

A Meme I Can Sink My Teeth Into

I’ve got nothin’ folks.

Right now I truly believe I am suffering from some sort of PTSSD (Post Tropical Storm Stress Disorder) although the darn storm HASN’T LEFT YET. so I don’t know.

What I DO know is that I have no school tomorrow (3 storm days to make up and counting!), and I have added Chips and Salsa to my Storm Survival Kit.

Oh!, and I think I need to do this. Hey, don’t judge. It might lower my stress level.

So thanks to Karl, I have a meme. See? just when you think I have not brought in any culture, I dazzle you yet again.

It’s a gift, people. Enjoy.

1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4. Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Like, Karl, I’m adding a step in which I italicize anything I’ve never heard of.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile – No, but I’ve had gator tail.
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Oxtail
33. Curried goat
34. Whole insects – This is why you will never see me on Survivor.
35. Phaal
36. Goat’s milk
37. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
38. Fugu
39. Chicken tikka masala
40. Eel
41. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
42. Sea urchin
43. Prickly pear
44. Umeboshi
45. Abalone
46. Paneer
47. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
48. Spaetzle
49. Dirty gin martini
50. Beer above 8% ABV
51. Poutine
52. Carob chips
53. S’mores
54. Sweetbreads
55. Kaolin
56. Currywurst
57. Durian
58. Frogs’ legs
59. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
60. Haggis
61. Fried plantain
62. Chitterlings, or andouillette
63. Gazpacho
64. Caviar and blini
65. Louche absinth
66. Gjetost, or brunost
67. Roadkill
68. Baijiu
69. Hostess Fruit Pie
70. Snail
71. Lapsang souchong
72. Bellini
73. Tom yum
74. Eggs Benedict
75. Pocky
76. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
77. Kobe beef
78. Hare
79. Goulash
80. Flowers
81. Horse
82. Criollo chocolate
83. Spam
84. Soft shell crab
85. Rose harissa
86. Catfish
87. Mole poblano
88. Bagel and lox
89. Lobster Thermidor
90. Polenta
91. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
92. Snake

Mmmmmmmmm, delicious!!!

Feel free to copy and post. The more the merrier!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to raid our refrigerator.

Side By Side

This is one of my favorite photos. Though they may fight, and they may not know how to share very well, they make a good team. I thought I would leave this here to remind them of that.

Happy Love Thursday, everyone.

My Morning, If I Had My Way

This is a Test, This is Only a Test

For those of you who are living under a rock, Florida is currently being pummeled by some strong winds, some rain, and a few tornadoes.

You might know of it? The weathermen have named it Tropical Storm Fay.

I call it a mighty pain in my asteroid.

That’s because we started the new school year on Monday. And it went incredibly well. My kids were dressed and ready and we were on time. I feel the need to write that again:

We. Were. On. Time.

That rip on the space-time continuum? Blame that one on me. You’re welcome.

I work in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom this year. (Yes, I asked for the position. No, I’m not crazy. Okay, maybe I am a little.)

This year’s Pre-K program is LOADS better. We no longer have 36 children. It’s 18 kids for at least half a day, several stay for the full day. There’s lunch in the lunchroom. We go to enrichment specials. We have playground time only once a day.

In short, Heaven.

Monday was an incredibly smooth day. All the kids came to class. Not one of them screamed or cried or held onto a parent. (Last year? We had a child run AFTER her mother screaming for her. It was wrenching to have to hold her back once we got her.) We ran ON TIME. The kids even got rest time. I got a 15 minute morning break.

I have worked for almost two years now and this was the first time I have had a “break” that wasn’t lunch. It was surreal. It was also nice.

I could get used to this.

So, Monday went great. All the kids had a great day, my sons LOVE their new teacher/teachers/classes, and we’re excited about the new school year.

Until they found out that we would be home from school the next two days because of Tropical Storm Fay.

Then they got downright apoplectic. What did you say? NO SCHOOL FOR TWO DAYS? Yes, please.

The only problem that I have with all of this is that the first day was SO GOOD that now all it can be is a practice run. Thursday is now the official First Day of School.

I’m hoping for the best but fearing the worst. I can’t help it. Monday went WAY too well.

See, Northern states? We’re inching ever closer to your start dates. That’s progress, yes?

No Blood Was Shed

…in the making of this photo wall:

It looks great and I love it. Now I just need to learn to take a more flattering picture of my family room.

Hands off, ladies. He’s MINE!

At Least He Won’t Be Leaving Me For Someone Else

I just hope he doesn’t replace ME when we’re done hanging these babies. I take a darn fine photograph, if I do say so myself.

I’ll post the end result. If I’m alive.

Take This Job and Shove It

I call the boys into the family room to pick up their piles of freshly folded laundry. This time, it is socks and underwear instead of the shirts and shorts of earlier. As they approach, the following happens:

Scamp: MORE? I HAVE MORE TO DO?

Me: Yep. Your socks and underwear. Just put them in the drawer.

Scamp: AUGH! Can’t I be DONE ALREADY? Sheesh!

Me: Sure! I’ll just stop washing your clothes from now on. Sound good to you?

Scamp: YES! That sounds great! Yippee!

Me: Then you can go to school naked. Okay?

Scamp: Um, no. Not okay. Can I still be DONE NOW?

Me: For now, yes.

Great Expectations

This time next week Spiff will begin his final year of middle school. Scamp will begin first grade. Me? I’ll be back in the classroom, helping teachers keep their classrooms running smoothly.

I’ll probably also have lunch duty, where I will pretend to steal kids lunches and make them think twice about starting that food fight they so want to try. I’ll also see students who pack nothing but snack food for lunch. I’ll worry about those kids, because it will take everything I have not to buy them a hot lunch so that they will function better in the classroom. I’ll also try to stop the kids from making “science experiments”; the thing they do when they take their milk and anything they don’t like to eat on the lunch tray and mix it up into something gross. I’ll greet them with smiles and high fives as they sit down. I’ll tell them how great it is to see them again, all grown up and one grade higher then the last time I saw them. I’ll remark how much they have grown over the summer, and ask what they did, where they went. It’ll be great to see them again.

I’ll watch Scamp head into first grade, thankful that his kindergarten teacher prepared him so well for what was ahead of him (even though at first I doubted her abilities and motives). I’ll worry that he might lag behind, maybe even struggle a little bit. I’ll secretly hope that I get to see him during my lunch duty, just like I did last year. I’m hopeful that his new teacher will appreciate the quirks and the genuine joy of my son, and try not to browbeat him into submission. I’ll pray that he forms a bond with a classmate like he did last year that carried him through the school year. I’ll pray even harder that child is in his class again.

Mostly, I’ll pray we both get to school on time. (Please pray for us as well. Every little bit of good karma helps, I think.)

I’ll think about the kids I worked with last year, and hope the person working with them this year loves them as much as I do. I’ll worry about a few of them; will they like the new teacher, the new assistant. I’ll hope the summertime break mellowed one of them out, and that child is ready to come back better than ever, and ready to learn. I’ll secretly wish I was there again, but remembering that change can be good, even for those who abhor change in any form. I’ll make sure to stop in to see them, to applaud their great works and cheer them on. I’ll miss them.

I’ll worry about Spiff no matter what I’m doing or where I am. I’ll worry that my phone is going to ring, telling me that he can’t cope again, that we’re back at square one. I’ll remind them that this is to be expected, we go through this every year and by now should know it will happen inevitably. I’ll pray that his team has a Plan B in place since his aide has been cut by the county and the fantastic man who served him so well for two years moved back to his home state with his family; on to better things for them. I’ll try not to secretly be angry at him for leaving us at such a crucial time; I’ll remember that his family deserves better too, and are working toward that goal. I’ll wish he was still there though, that can’t be helped. I’ll hope that they have someone to assist when the need arises. Mostly, I hope his new teachers appreciate his “Spiffness”, and try to understand him. I also hope he makes new friends this year, for he so desperately needs a friend.

We all do.

I have great expectations for this school year. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I think I’m ready.

I hope.