WW: Little Foot {Linky}

My gecko Warhol shed, and I found this Michael Jackson glove that he left behind.

I Hope to Get Vaccinated Tomorrow

The stressors of these last few years:

• The unknown - Getting laid off, and having a family isn’t fun. 
• Being the new person four times over again - There’s something energizing about being the new person. Like, “Wow they picked me!” It’s also very hard not knowing answers to questions, feeling like I should know this or that. Yep it was hard being the newbie at Fresh Thyme, Williams Sonoma, Midland and AIM. 
• The non mask wearers - Not knowing if I’d get this awful virus that’s leaking in the air is an odd feeling. I just don’t know how my body would react to having Covid + Asthma. 

There’s more things (like unemployment and everything being remote) that have been hard, but those things above top them. 

I got a Facebook message from a friend I haven’t seen for awhile. I mean even before the pandemic hit. She works at a clinic, and said there’s a slot to get the vaccine. It’s surreal. Am I really getting it? I’ll believe it when it happens. 

I’ve been told to sign up because people with weakened immune systems are up, but teachers worked their way in - not saying they shouldn’t get theirs. It’s just like the excitement went to blah, that sucks. Then I was like, Hey I am a teacher at my second job. But every site I looked at had teachers connected to a union. The the school I worked at opened getting the vaccine, but it was just full time staff, and that county. Well now I officially have a time slot! Let’s hope it happens, and I don’t have a bad reaction. At least I’m getting it in a clinic, so if a reaction does happen I’m in good hands. 

Random Tid Bits

1. Mica is 6' 1". Considering that he's 15, he'll probably grow more.  If his back was straight, he might be taller yet. He has an appointment coming up to see a specialist about his scoliosis in a few months. I thought may be had it because he grew so fast, but apparently that's not how it works. He was more than likely born with it, but it doesn't show up until their early teens. 
   
   
   
   
   
2. The boys have to switch their main doctor out. I'm kind of sad about this. I have zero ideas on who to switch to. I don't even like my regular doctor. Errr
   
   
3. Considering that Mica's tall and lanky, I need to buy him new tops. He's not fat, but some of his sleeves are 3" from his wrist. Have you ever bought clothing from Tall stores? Boy are they borings styles! If some stores actually do have talls, online they are slim pickings, once I do find something it's super expensive. 
   
   
4. Mica's tall, but such a scaredy cat. If a bug flies in his direction, he screams, and runs away. Often times I don't know what's up with him. It's a surprise to me to. Like...why is my child screaming? 
   
   

   

   
   
5. My niece Margaret is cute. She tests to be like a 4 month old, when she's 6 months old. It's higher than Emerson, her brother with Trisomy 18. 
   
   I said to Travis, "Isn't she cute?" He responded with, "Ya she's cute. But she'd be cuter if she didn't have that stupid bow on her head." I laughed about that off and on for a whole afternoon. Especially since I just got done telling my boss that I want them to be up font with me. 
   
   

   

   
   

   
   

Times are a Changin'

I feel bad because online learning hasn't been Isaak's jam for awhile. He used to be an A, B student, but his 5th grade teacher was all kinds of difficult. I've never encountered a teacher that isn't a good teacher throughout my boy's education except for her. In 6th grade he was new to middle school. Lots of emotions went with that. He only struggled grade wise at the quarter marks. 7th grade hit, emotions were better, but the pandemic is here to stay for awhile. He followed in Mica's footsteps, and stayed home. The poor boy struggled big time with online learning. He was sad because he doesn't have any friendships, and he was confused on different levels with each teacher. I felt bad for him. His report card came in and he had 1 C, 1 F and all the rest D's. 

Off to school he went. I really wanted to get vaccinated before this happened, but what choice do I have? It's depression and a child that isn't exceeding in school, or more success in his academic endeavors with the possibility of picking up this asshole of a virus.  

Isaak went back to school on Monday. Schedules had to change. I am worried about picking up covid. Isaak has managed to pull up his grades just in 3 days. He now has 1 B, 1 F, 2 C's, and one D. 

I wish parenting came with a direct handbook, for your specific child. Like - Oh you have an empath artistic child much like yourself, this is what you should do... Except I did my homework always. I didn't test well, so I did all my homework to compensate for that. He must get his lack of wanting to do his homework from his father. 

Here I thought less distractions from other kids would help him to focus. No chance of getting into middle school drama when a child is at home. Skip over that awkward voice changing time. Teachers and school rule. 

He went to school on his first day back with this hoodie on. It says, "You Can"! I do believe he can.

WW: Trees {Linky}

I had to do a ton of photo retouching for work. 

I presented to them some images that have homemade brush I made in Photoshop. It took them awhile for them to decide what they wanted to run with. We shall see. 

How to Improve the Curb Appeal of Your Home

Are you planning on selling your home? I think we'll stay in our home until one of the boys moves out. While you will typically zone in on your house's internal aspects, ensuring everything from the kitchen to the living room is visually appealing and functional, it is vital you do not overlook how the property looks on the outside from the garden to the sidings, it all adds to the first impression.

Curb appeal is imperative if you want to not only capture the attention of potential buyers but to ultimately sell your home. The good news is that you do not have to reinvent the wheel to create an excellent first impression for passers-by and those scrolling through property websites looking for a new house.

As proof, here are a few tips to implement when improving your home's curb appeal.

The design of the house

Before you start looking at the garden and other areas, you should focus on the house's actual design. For instance, the color of the external walls can play an important role in your property's overall aesthetic.

The roof is another area that requires consideration. Even if the roof is structurally sound, you could decide to go with a roof design that features more attractive tiling. When considering changing the roof, ensure you consult a professional like Signature Roofing. The last thing you want to do is try and attempt to do the work on your own.

Manicure the garden

The front garden is obviously a key aspect of your home's curb appeal. If the grass is unkempt or plants are overgrown, this is going to create a bad initial impression. As a result, you must manicure the garden regularly to stay on top of such issues.

Aside from manicuring what you have, look at ways to improve your garden's overall quality. Could you install a water feature? Perhaps go with a more vibrant selection of flowers? Maybe bespoke screening for your bins would work?

Front door revamp

Your front door is a statement maker, one that represents your entire house. When it is impressively designed and well-maintained, it will create a welcoming impression – ideal when selling to prospective buyers.

As you would expect, it is relatively easy to improve your front door situation. A fresh coat of paint can add extra character and color to your door. If it is suffering from weather-beaten wood, rejuvenate with a quick refinishing. Alternatively, you could simply replace your current door with a new one. Travis made our door out of a scrap door that someone was throwing out. It's so cool! I love it!

Keep it clean

The good news is that not a lot of work is required to keep everything clean and organized. Ensure your windows are kept spotlessly clean, and your pathways are free from any rubbish or stains. Regarding the latter, a power wash can help to provide your pathways with a pristine appearance.

Random Tid Bits

It’s been a really LONG time, since I’ve done a Random Tid Bits post. Here goes:

1. Isaak said, “Mom are you in the middle of a work meeting?” I said, “No.” He said, “Oh good! I get to go to the bathroom with the door open!” 
   
   
2. Mica had an assignment to make a vlog. He made one about taking care of a gecko. We had to shoot it so many times. Now it's so big he can't get it uploaded onto Canvas - what his school uses.
   
   
3. Whenever we do anything as a family, if the clock strikes 9 pm, Mica wants to go to bed. I don’t know that many 15 year olds that are bound by a routine as much as he is, nor do I know any that go to bed that early on the weekend. 
   
   
4. I wanted to get vaccinated before either of my boys went back to school full time. Our state along with many is super slow in this process. I was going to be up with high risk asthma. Teachers complained, as they should, and snuck in there. I’m like, I’m a teacher, I’ll get in that way. Nope! Schools with teacher unions are getting in, and I teach college.
   
   Isaak goes back on Monday. His grades were horrible. It’s a mix of depression, lack of drive comes with that, and confusion from being online. I hope that going in person helps.
   
   Mica’s getting A’s for the most part, so he’ll stay home with me. I’m thinking about having him sign up for a college course, for the summer, to see if he likes it. 
   
   
5. With work I have my most excellent days, and frustrating ones. The frustrating days are typically because I can't get ahold of anyone that's associated with a task I need to get done.  Which brings me to tears. I think a lot of it is the change I’m going through. I don't get hot flashes, but I do get anxious and tears just flow. I like to stay busy, get things done, and do a good job.
   
   I try to compensate the frustration with positivity. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   What frustrates you at work? 

Essential or Non Essential?

I saw this on Facebook, and just had to share. It was posted in Singapore in April. Right when their shutdown began. 

In case you are wondering what a "Hawker" is... it's a hustler. Someone that runs errands for people, or quick venders. In the U.S. Doordash and Uber would be considered "Hawkers", as well as food trucks. 

The best part is the comments, after someone broke it down:

I agree with A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. An artist literally does so much, and they get very little credit for it. All advertising, package design, clothing, theater, music, websites are all artist made. 

Who defines what's essential or non essential anyhow? It seems crazy that sports are play, and become essential. Tests for covid are available for people that play sports. Somehow those that are in the arts suffer. Even though artists had to make commercials, ads, merch, gear, and videography for all the sporting events. 

Picnic for Parrots 🦜

One of my past students is an author and illustrator.  

I want to present to you the book Picnic for Parrots By Allison Sojka. 

You can get this fun book on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Picnic-Parrots-Allison-Sojka/dp/1736140302/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Picnic+for+Parrots&qid=1613949289&sr=8-1 for $8.99 (soft cover) and $15.99 (hard cover). Lucky for me, she sent over a PDF to review. 

It's for ages 3-8. The book has 40 pages of colorful illustrations.

I enjoy that colors are talked about in the story a lot. So much of me feels that colors are learned from reading and watching simple shows. Have you ever noticed that there's just about every color used in the puppets on Sesame Street, the same goes for the trains on Thomas? Colors are drilled in young readers. Once children grasp their colors, they start to associate them with letters and words. 

There's a lot of play with fun foods and drinks. Like Beetle Spotted Doughnuts, Pomegranate Pie,  Cinnamon Sprinkled Water, Pineapple Cupcakes with Kiwi Cream Icing, Coconut Croissants, and the list goes on. Even I wanted to try some of those treats. 

I could see a fun plush bird paired up to go with this book. Possibly a different direction, and have a recipe card at the back of the book, for one of the treats. 

It's a good length. 40 pages at first seemed like a lot to read, but there isn't a ton of text for each page. 

I do wish there was more to the backgrounds of each pages. Possibly hands on techniques mixed in with computer illustrations just to add some variety. Seeing more gives kids and parents different things to point out. 

It was fun that a student of mine wrote and illustrated it. 

What was your favorite picture children's book, from when you were little?

Disclaimer: I got the PDF of Picnic for Parrots book for free. All opinions on this post are honest, an I was not told what to write. 

WW: Heart Cookies {Linky}

Reminiscing to when I worked in the office. I would have made cookies for Travis' work and my own, had I been at work in an office. Instead these go to just my husband's work. 

They got more than what's pictured. I made chocolate cherry chip cookies as well. 

I planned on writing words on them like: Cute, Hawt, Sexy, and Empowered. It's not hitting on anyone if they get to choose their own cookie. BUT I ran out of frosting. Oh well! I still love the colors.