news: bad vs. good

So, do you want the good news first or the bad news? How 'bout I just choose for you and we can get all the bad stuff out of the way.

The bad news:
My sunglasses broke. The sunglasses that I spent approximately $20 on early in the spring. I never spend $20 on sunglasses. This is a reminder of why.

The air conditioner in my car died. This most likely happened on the way home from the beach when we heard some very scary strange noises coming out of the engine. Here we thought we just needed new spark plugs and a fuel filter. The day after we got the car back from its back-to-school-tune-up, we learned the truth when we went to turn the air on. The noise we had heard was probably the air compressor dying a slow, cruel, painful death.

My school, trying to cut costs, dropped the pharmacy plan from our insurance. Not that I need a lot of drugs, because I'm not certainly not doping out on prescription pain pills every night or anything, although, in my line of work. . . .(I'm kidding, people) but my simple get-on-the-computer-and-order-a-refill plan just got a little bit more challenging. And most likely more expensive.

My school switched to a new math and spelling curriculum. Since I'm teaching two grades, this means I have five new teacher's manuals needing my attention. 1st grade math, 2nd grade math, 1st grade spelling, 2nd grade spelling, and 2nd grade Bible (combined). I should also mention here that none of the math manipulatives for said new curriculums have been ordered. Yet.

There is a cricket outside our sliding door that is completely driving me nuts with its annoying and incessant chirping. It's so stinking loud that I can hardly concentrate on this post. He and his comrades have eaten far too much of my basil.

The good news:
Phil505 found out he doesn't have to work Friday nights anymore. He gets to go back to his regularly scheduled programming of 4:30 - 1. Yes, that's 4:30 am. Before the sun rises. I know. I couldn't do it either.

I got another first grader this week. That moves me up to 15. I have six boys and nine girls. Eight first graders and seven second graders. Now I need some new ideas for the first week of school because I can't do the same stuff I did last year.

The secretary told me today that she talked to one of my parents and he said his son is so excited about coming to school next week. He shared with her that little Mr. J. S. and I had such a good relationship last year and he really appreciated that as a parent. He said it felt great to know that his kid can't wait to come back to school.

We bought a freezer. We feel so grown up. It's a little 7.1 cubic foot chest freezer. It's already happily holding the blueberries we picked, the raspberries and peaches we got at Costco, and the green beans and zucchini from our garden. We've been looking and pricing them for a while. Got this one for a steal at a scratch and dent place. I'm so happy that when I open the freezer side of the fridge in my kitchen now I don't have to worry about everything falling out and landing on my toes.

In trying to use our new little freezer to its fullest capacity, I invested in a new cookbook. There were actually three different ones that I was looking at including Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer & More Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer, but I chose this one. . .

I've always wanted to go to one of these places and prep a bunch of meals, but I never could because we didn't have the space. Now I can prep the meals in the comfort of my own kitchen. Or have friends over and prep together. I like how the book is set up so you can fix one meal and be done, or prep three meals, cook one and freeze two, or freeze all three, or take one to a new mom (Sandra, I'd be all over that), or whatever the heck you want to do. I've already invested in the freezer bags and heavy duty aluminum foil. I can hardly wait to get groceries and get started :)

Thanks for reading. Here's to new and improved new news next time.