Random Tid Bits

I know I've been pretty absent. I'll try and pick up the blogging speed here soon. I missed Tuesday because I was at my Grandpa's funeral 2 1/2 hours away. It's been a week of getting caught back up.

1. I learned to not miss work if at all possible. Obviously I had to miss. On Friday I left perfect instructions with another co-worker about what to cover. I had a PowerPoint on two famous designers. I also left a link to a full length movie that's on Prime (which she has), and bought microwave popcorn and kettle corn for the students. She had plenty of time to review the stuff ready for her.
   
   From a student I heard, "Ya she just went through that PowerPoint really fast, and didn't know what anything was." I left notes in the PowerPoint, so there really wasn't any reason to not understand some of the slides.
   
   With the movie I said they could work, while they watched it. I even bought boxes of microwave popcorn and kettle corn for them. She told me later, "No one watched it." Guess what? I wouldn't of given the students popcorn or kettle corn then. I must be a hard ass I suppose. I was/am annoyed.
   
   

   

   Source

   
   I've covered for many other teachers on the spot, and feel like I did all I could when I was need. I hardly miss class. I expected the same treatment as I give others. 


2. I bought these towels at World Market. I had a GC I won, so it went towards the towels. I only use them when company comes over. Red-Orange is my favorite color, and Blue-Green is Travis' favorite color. I have plain grey ones, for all other times. 





3. I offered to go through the remainder of my Grandpa's things last weekend. I was told, "Nope. We have it paid until the end of September, so we're taking our time getting stuff out of there." Now they decided to move that stuff on Thursday night. Wait for a weekend, when we all have more time! Travis models, and the boys more than likely will have homework, and Mica won't get home until after 6 because of Quiz Bowl practice. Now I feel guilty, for not helping. I'm getting group texts about the move. (Writing this on Thursday)


4. I had a friend come to interview me, for a grad paper he's working on. He wanted to interview people that have had drug/alcoholism in their family. My parents drink maybe once a year, just a single glass. My older sister, who I shared a room with growing up had a lot of issues with drugs and alcohol. I covered up a lot of shit, just to not be the crappy younger sister. Kind of brought back a lot of not so pleasant memories. She's much better as an adult. Do you have/had family members with drugs and alcohol abuse?


5. Isaak's taking Piano Lessons as a class at school. He likes his teacher. He was getting ready to play a song he wrote on his keyboard. The teacher said, "Wait a minute!" He put an app up that had a curtain draw open, and there was clapping. Then he encourage the rest of the class to clap. Hearing this made me smile.
   
   
   
   
   

Isaak's Getting Braces Soon

In October Isaak gets braces. Ekk!

I did what the Orthodontist said, and got him a toothbrush that brushed in circles. Then I turned around and did what I thought was logical, and got him a water pick to review.

I did have to wait a bit, for it to come in the mail. It wasn't like Amazon's 2 day shipping. It did come. We weren't in a hurry, for it, so yay.

I've never used one. At first I was thinking it needed batteries. No it doesn't need batteries!

You just take the bottom off, and fill it with water until it hits the Max line. It squirts much like a spray bottle does.

Uses:

Braces

Food Trap

If Teeth are Close to Each Other

Sensitive Gums

If You Don't Like Flossing

I bleed when flossing, and it's not because I don't ever floss. It's from being on Aspirin. I may have to get my own Water Pick! It looks handy! 

The only things I could see being a problem is that if you don't use it a lot it, you may have to change the water out each time you use it. Just like some spray bottles stop working, this could to. Right now it works great!

Where to Get it:

You can pick one up here: https://madebeats.com/product/dental-flusher-eater-powered-water-jet-cleaning-tooth-pick-floss-air-teeth-massager/ for $43. Usually they are $49.

Have you used a water pick before?

Disclaimer: I got this for free, or a discounted price in order to help with this review. All opinions are my own. 

So Long Grandpa

My Grandpa made it to 93 years old. Mica wishes he would have made it to 100 years old.

It's crazy how not too long ago he was in the hospital, loosing a ton of blood, and made it when he probably shouldn't of. This time he fell. He had a black eye, and skin tears, but certainly no one thought he would die. They did find that a vertebrae in his was fractured from a previous fall. He was living with that pain. Ouch!

On Labor Day we had lots of family over for August and September birthdays. Grandpa was there.

We giggled when he couldn't get out of the chair, and I had to push his butt to help him. The old man could help, but to fart when he got up. We all laughed. It is what it is.

He got up twice to get food. The next day is when he fell hard. 

I got a text from my mom saying that he was having a seizure, which he's never had that we're aware of. The next text said, "TOD 1:41." Non medical me looked up "TOD" thinking it was a medical term. There are a lot of nurses in the family, so they talk in medical lingo a lot. After about 5 minutes I did a face palm, "Time of Death". 

After things cooled down, I told my mom my face palm moment. I could giggle and cry at the same time. 

These photos were taken this year:

What my Grandpa was like:

He loved to drive around after church on Sundays.

On drives he always had butterscotch, or coffee hard candies.

He'd drive around a fountain that changed colors and say, "Oh there's blue Kool-Aid, look now there's orange Kool-Aid"... Kool-aid was first made in Hastings, Nebraska where he's from.

He liked Johnny Carson, Dallas, Dynasty, Days of Our Lives, Football, Wrestling, and Baseball. I just remember because my parents didn't like any of those shows. Days of Our Lives wasn't a show he'd admit to liking. It was "Grandma's show", yet he sat there and watched it everyday with her. 

We'd eat popcorn out of wooden bowls whenever it was time to watch evening T.V.

He loved to start fires on cold nights. 

He'd rock the baby grandkids to sleep and sing, I've been working on the railroad.

Going to garage sales, looking for tools was a favorite pastime.

He built many things for us. Including a shelf for my doll clothes to hang, bucket seats for my sister Terra and cousin Brad, and wooden puzzle rocking chairs for my younger cousins. 

He played football and baseball. 

He was in the Navy and served in the Korean War. 

He enjoyed traveling to Texas for the winter months. 

He had friends he'd get together with to play cards and drink coffee.

I'll miss his smile! He's always been there, so it will be odd not having him around. 

Random Tid Bits

1. On Thursday I couldn't stop crying. I guess it was just my time to cry. I haven't cried, for a really long time prior to Thursday. Sometimes one just needs to let it all out. 


2. The school I worked at got broken into on Monday night. My bosses got dings on their phones that there was activity. They looked, and called 911. It was 5 punk kids that realized the back doors didn't get shut all the way. Possibly the cleaning lady. It doesn't matter. Anyhow all they stole was zucchini I gave my 3rd year students, and candy on someone else's desk. I had a chuckle about the zucchini. Since they were young punk kids, I can only imagine that they were being goofy with the zucchini like it's male's 3rd leg. 4 were arrested.
   
   
   
   
   
3. We had a garage sale, and made over $100. After we had it we sold just about as much on Facebook Marketplace.
   
4. I just wish we could sell this stove! It's an antique, and in great condition! We've used it, but it needs a new flue. With my asthma, it's not great to breathe in any smoke, even if it is limited. We really could use the room. It's in our living room. One of Travis' sculptures would look great there, so would a Christmas tree. Online it's selling for $600, and that's a beat up stove. I put ours on FB Marketplace for $500, then $400, then $300, and now $200. No one wants it.
   
   
   
   
   
5. I questioned weather to blog about this, or not. I just won't, for it's own post. Isaak has a kid at school telling him that his hair is ugly. It's crazy to me because Sports Clips posted his hair on their facebook page. Two people worked on it. Isaak loved it!
   
   
   
   I want to scream at this punk ass kid that's making fun of Isaak. Seriously! Isaak doesn't even know his name. I can't do anything about it, even if I wanted to. This punk doesn't know all the crap he went through last year. Isaak's an empathetic one! The one friend he's made sat down with the punk kid at lunch. Isaak sat by himself. He's like me, social around people he knows, and shy around people he doesn't know. I said, "Honey you should just sit with people you have classes with."
   
   He took that as me being mad at him, ran off into his room and sobbed.
   
   We tried to comfort him, but left him be for 20 minutes. I said I was sorry, that I'm not at all mad at him. He proceeded to cry and talk to himself in the 3rd person. Things like, "Isaak stop crying!" and "Isaak you need to quit!" I just wanted to yell, "STOP! You are a good looking boy!" or cry right along with him.
   
   The next night math homework was what he cried about. He knew how to do it, but kept saying he didn't know.
   
   These crying episodes started last year. They took a break over the summer, and now they are back again.
   
   What freaks me out is that he doesn't know how to talk to us. He says he doesn't know what's bothering him. I know. The talking to himself in 3rd person bothers me a lot!
   
   I did ask his friend Daniel to come over. They had problems over the summer, but they have each have each other's back at the school where they know no one. It just sucks that Daniel doesn't have lunch at the same time as Isaak does.
   
   I contacted his doctor. Isaak may be seeing a Therapist soon. I at least want the school councilor to help him. It's horrible that everything is happening at once. We have the crappiest of insurance. Isaak needs braces, Travis messed up his elbow, and probably needs a scan and surgery, and now Isaak needs help with his feelings. I wish there was a video to watch, where I could snap my fingers to know how to deal with this! Worrying about him is part of why I was crying non stop! Why say anything on here? I think mental health isn't talked about enough. If someone has a medical problem it's no biggy, you talk about it. If someone has a mental health issue it's frowned upon, with talking about it. We all have lows in our life, our struggles, and we should talk about them.
   
   
   
   
   

Caring for Baby’s Bedding

Parenting can be fun. But it’s never easy, especially for new moms. Babies are known to sleep anywhere between 10 to 18 hours, making it all-important to have the perfect baby bedding for their survival. But even the highest quality bedding will never last if you don’t know how to handle them. Without much ado, here are the top 6 tips for caring for your baby’s bedding.

1. Use Baby-Safe Detergent

Every mother’s wish is to give their baby a sparkling sleeping space while maintaining their health and comfort. But unlike adults, your baby’s skin is extremely sensitive meaning, not every detergent is befitting.

Using strong cleaning agents with intense scents when cleaning your baby’s bedding is never the best option. With several detergents that are specifically designed for baby clothing and bedding readily available in the market, finding the most suitable option with low complications should be easy.

2. Use Warm Water

Using cold water to clean the baby’s crib sheets is the most common practice in many households. But is it really the best option? No. In fact, it is never recommended by health experts. Instead, you should use warm water because it disinfects the bedding besides removing the stains easily.

3. Cotton Bedding

Buying cotton bedding should be your priority as a caring mother. Why? Because cotton never holds odor like other materials. The ideal material for your baby’s bedding should be natural and durable to make it easy when it comes to stain removal during cleaning. Cotton has both characteristics. Stain removal has never been easy. But the cotton sheets can make it a lot more fun if not easier.

4. Get the Right Fit

That your crib sheet should have the proper fit cannot be stressed enough. Your chosen crib sheet should perfectly fit on the mattress with no excess fabric left. It's unsurprising that trusted bedding companies provide flexible crib sheets that cover all the edges of the sheet.

5. Always Read the Labels

Whether the pre-treaters or detergents, ensure they have enzymes. Most of the traditional fabric softeners have chemicals that soften your bedding and clothes but this doesn’t mean you will want such chemicals near your baby’s skin. Keeping that in mind, it’s all the more imperative to read the labels before making your purchase.

6. Have More Sheets

Let’s be honest here; you need more than one crib sheet for your toddler if you are going to maintain their comfort and health. Babies are known to soil the crib sheets when least expected so what happens when they do so in the middle of the night? Do you have a backup plan? The only known backup plan is to have more than one crib sheet.

Conclusion

Give your baby the quality treatment they deserve by safeguarding their health and comfort. Parenting has never been easy but the highlighted tips should make it a lot more fun and easier for you. Find quality queen bed frames Australia at competitive prices from reliable companies online for cheap to give your baby the best experience.

Random Tid Bits

1. I had a past student pass away. It just breaks my heart. He wasn't ready for college when he went to school. That doesn't mean he was a bad guy. His sister went to the school as well. He left behind two very small children, a wife, his sister a young brother, and his mom. I don't know what happened, but I feel for their family! 


2. Since school started 3 kids have died because they got hit by cars at crosswalks. One had no reason to be in the middle of the street by themselves (that one was a 1 year old). It breaks my heart!
   
   We had a close call. Travis is in a mini class. He got accepted into it through a grant. He had a critique of his work. He was at a stop light about to go. Someone went through a red light. Had Travis gone he would have gotten hit. With metal sculpture in his vehicle, that would have more than likely been really bad!
   
   Be safe! Drive safe! 


3. I won these chocolate bars off Instagram. I wasn't expecting to get so many! For breakfast I give each of us 3 or 4 bars off a big bar. I started with Blood Orange. None of us tasted orange at all. It was still good though. 











4. I had to break up some talkers in my first year class. It's hard because I don't like to tell my college students what to do. They are exploring adulthood. I want them to make friends. I don't want to treat them like children. But when they act like children...
   
   A group of 5 students were standing around shooting the breeze for an hour or more. I let it happen. Then when they got together in the afternoon I said something. I happened to notice that a girl behind them was trying to work. She had her headphones on, and looked annoyed. They just wouldn't shut up. A few of the people in the group didn't do all they could for my other class, and weren't far along in that class. I said, "Ok...enough chatting. Time to get to work." I do have progress grades. That whole group didn't get the full points for the day. 


5. Travis decided he was going to shave his stache all strange.
   
   Get this...Mica's now the same height as Travis. He's 6 foot. He just turned 14. How tall is he going to get? My Dad was 6 foot 3 inches before he shrunk.
   
   
   
   
   

Protect Your Laptop With a SHIELDON Bag

I just got my first call from Isaak's school. I wasn't thinking I'd get a call this early in the year. Apparently on Monday he tripped, fell, and along with him falling so did the school's laptop. It's broken. They won't charge us, but will charge us if it happens again. He did show the teacher right away, and apologized. Accidents do happen, but I was hoping nothing like that would happen this early. To be honest I didn't even know they got laptops. Had I known I would have made sure he got a laptop case/or bag!

He gets a sleeve, and will carry it in his padded backpack.

Travis gets this SHIELDON Bag, for our Macbook that he carries to and from a class he's in. 

We're doing our best to protect our laptops.

Size:

I have to be honest it's hard to find a case/bag big enough for a bigger laptop. I'm glad this one fits!

It's 16.5 x 12.6 x 5.9 Inches.

It can be strapped in:

Lots of Pockets!

I do like the many pockets it has. I try not to fill mine up too much, as I have had straps break at the clips where the straps clip on before.

If you carry just a few things it doesn't get too weighted. If you have a lot to carry, just hold it by the handles.

There's a pen/pencil section, a spot for a book, a spot for a notebook, and even a spot for printer paper. It holds paper bigger than the standard 8 1/2 x 11 inches. You could put in a small umbrella, and a water bottle. Best of all it has pockets for chargers!

Strap:

There are handles if you have it loaded well. Again I've had on other bags the metal where the strap is attached break. If all you have is your laptop, a notepad and some pens you're good to go. It can be carried around Indian Jones style.

Colors:

This bag only comes in black. I do wish it came in a few other colors. I'd pick brown if given a choice. I got brown wood for my keyboard cover. 

Cost:

$59.99 on Prime. 

You can get it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TZPF9CC

Durable:

• It's waterproof
• It's scratch proof
• It feels durable

I'm so glad I got a laptop bag that I've been needing! Do you own a laptop?

WW: Paddle Boats {Linky}

Every time I go to Mahoney State Park I want to go horseback riding. Travis says, "I don't see your obsession about horseback riding. It's not that fun." I reply back with, "Every kid needs to try it. I thought it was fun as a kid." Every year he wins. Not because he's right, it's either too hot for the horses to be out, or they don't have a time slot open that will work for us. 

We decided to go paddle boating instead. Someday we'll go horseback riding. 

We got there before the ticket stand was open. In the mean time we looked at geese.

Geese were all over! Isaak was trying to charm them in his direction. I'm not so sure it worked. He didn't have any food for them. 

We did get pretty close to them! 

The geese decided to leave Isaak behind.

We waited, and waited for them to open their doors...

Mica with his creepy grin:

A little better:

Isaak looking natural:

After a bit it was time to get tickets. Is it just me, or does anyone else get highly annoyed when people just get someplace, and run to the door? We waited a good 40 minutes. I wanted to yell out, "Stand back!" I've been watching way too much Curb Your Enthusiasm, and pulled a Larry David. I stood in line, and talked to my kids about how rude it is to cut in front of people. It was probably rude for me to complain, but dang it, didn't they learn not to cut in line in Kindergarten? 

Paddle Boating we went:

I was only at the angle to get shots of Isaak, and the water. Mica hates photos of himself right now anyhow.

We got food to feed the fish geese. The geese liked us a whole lot when we had food!

I thought it was fun. Travis on the other hand said, "I'm never getting in a boat with those two again!" Mica would flat out stop steering, or pedal backwards just to piss Isaak off. Isaak steered us into the side, where we couldn't get out. Ha! I just sat there and giggled, while Travis looked a bit like his head was going to pop off he was was so annoyed.

The side looked like nature glitter:

Now we can say we've been paddle boating. 

Have you been paddle boating? Did you get steering into the wrong direction? 

Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. I got no compensation, for writing this post. All opinions are my own.