Life of the Party

      Somedays I wish life would just go back to normal. A time where all I had to worry about was going to work and feeding my dogs. Now there are so many extra chores, worries, and overall stress. I spend days just trying to get through.      I've started to resent living on a small hobby farm. The constant battle with neighboring rogue dogs has become quite the hassle. As it turns out, sometimes you just have to put them down. It was just Taylor and me yesterday when all heck broke out. I was surrounded by a pack of dogs with my toddler. One got into the pen with my goats, five whom are heavily pregnant. I didn't have anywhere safe to put Taylor so I had to make the split decision to shoot the dog to save my goats. If I would have been in there by myself I probably could have caught it and tried to figure out whose dog it was. With no collar I assumed it was a stray. Poor thing was emaciated and it looked pitiful.  I must have only grazed it, becaus...

      Right here is the most loyal man I know. He is one of two dachshunds in my household. Mr. Buck has been my right hand man from day one. He is around 15 years old and still a spring chicken when someone knocks on the door.      Today, has been really rough on Mr. Buck. His seizures have returned and he is currently stable, but due to his advanced age it will take him more time to recover. He has them several times a year. We had him on medication to prevent them, but it caused other issues that were worse.      He has been my cuddle buddy for so long I don't know what I'd do without him. He is my little guard dog who always protects me. Even with his low stature and all 13 lbs of him, he still manages to bite whoever is horsing around.  I'm hoping he will recover to 100% in the next few days. 

      Book 5.5 in this series was wild. It didn't even have anything to do with the main set of books. These are characters aren't in the main series. This could have served as a stand alone book.      I would have loved for this to be book one for a separate series. Carrie was a strong female lead and diving deeper into the breed world  fascinates me to no end. Once gain, let me reiterate: this should be a solo stand alone book!     I would happily rate this book a 3.9 out of a 5 for sheer annoyance of deviating from the original series it's supposed to be a part of. I also feel like I over paid for this VERY short piece of literature. I just had higher expectations. I would love to learn more about Geminis and their powers. I think randomly throwing this into the mix loses the appeal of the main books. 

      I finally took a picture of my new babies. These are the three that I decided to keep. I have been handling them daily and feeding them out of my hand. I"m going to have these juveniles well trained before the fully feather out.      My toddler absolutely loves to go down and play with them too! Now I need some cute names. There are two females and one male. Any suggestions? 

      There's exhaustion and then there is teacher exhaustion. It usually takes me around two weeks to fully adjust back into "teacher mode." I have around 124ish names along with a million passwords that I have to know by heart by the end of the week. Those first day jitters you get as a student, well teachers have those too. We want everything to be a smooth transition into our grade band.      Up by 5 and on the go until sometime after 10. Yeah, I'm going to have to adjust to that as well. We get lazy over the summer and our routines are altered. So for the next two weeks I'm going to be fighting sleep and adjusting.     My students were and are the absolute sweetest! This year is going to be fantastic! One student even left me a small sticky note telling me thank you for posting her birthday on the wall. 

      Where do I see myself being at in the next ten years? This question was presented to me on the radio this morning via station 99.9. I'm not so sure what my future holds in the years to come. Hopefully, I will still have the same career and my child will be 12. I plan to live in the same area and expand my fencing.      I can see myself possibly going back to school yet again, but I'm not sure what additional degree I would want or need. I can also see where that might be a waste of money if I don't have a set plan. Maybe I will have more of a functional farm by then? Who knows?      It was a great way to advertise a lasting roof. I did sit and actually think about what the announcer said and how the choices we make today have a lasting impact on our next ten years. 

      Asheville Outlets had a "Back to School Bash" today, and honestly I wish I would have known prior to making the two hour drive. It's not often that I get to make the rather long journey to Asheville, so I feel somewhat annoyed with a wasted trip.     The outlet was beyond packed. In the Croc's store alone I must have bumped into thirty people. Trying to shop with a toddler in tow is  ridiculous, even with a husband there to help; I felt overly boxed in. People just let their kids run wild and didn't even seem to care if they were making messes and being rude. I ended up only going into three stores in total, which is a shame. I had several coupons clipped and ready to use. Too many people and too many unsupervised youth makes for a disastrous trip.      There were small booths and family games set up throughout the loop in the outlets. Small children were running here and there. The restrooms were nasty. By the way, the outlets are...

      In my own community, I see so many children with tablets/phones stuck in their faces when I go out and  about. Even in the grocery store they are handed a tablet to appease the child instead of the parent actually dealing with their behaviors. Soon the child learns if they pitch a fit you will simply hand over the tablet. With that being said, I'm completely against children having such technology at a young age. It is my belief that it ruins their attention span. You do you, though. In my house we read, practice, go outside, and do crafts.      I want my child to transition into school flawlessly. I'm not sure how it will go, but I'm determined to work with my child. We read several books everyday along with using flash cards. I have purchased workbooks to work on Taylor's fine motor skills (tracing). She gets to use scissors weekly to hone in on that skill. It's my job to help prepare her. I spend an average of 2-3 hours daily working on school...

      I had to take a break from Ms. Dark. My current favorite  series isn't cheap to continue to buy and our local library doesn't have a copy. This book by Nick Jones was free in the Audible Plus catalog.      I didn't even realize I was entering yet another series, but this book took me by surprise. The life of an unexpected time traveler trying to save his sister who was abducted 20  years prior. I think this book really makes it evident of the mental load that the families have to endure when their children are taken. We usually read stories in the girl's perspectives, but this book is in the brother's point of view. My heart cried out for our main character on and off again. His emotional state of reliving moments made me sit and day dream of what I would do with this power. What would you really do, if you could travel back in time? The possibilities are endless.      Slow pacing made this book very boring for the first five ...

      You just cannot beat a veteran teacher's resourcefulness and how they use that to make their classroom flourish. I think a veteran teacher is defined by teaching experience, so 15 years plus. That will be something I will proudly be that teacher at my school one day.      Today, I just couldn't figure out how to write in bubble letters, and my fellow teacher took time out to show me how they did it the "old school way." She can freehand cut lettering to look like something you purchased from the store. No  templates, no prepunching tool, just pure creativity. Practice makes perfect and I will be spending time this weekend finishing up my letters for my last bulletin board. 

       Oh, girl! This is your next must read/listen. I have really enjoyed this book and the recent developments of characters. The intwined love story of Logan and Silver is phenomenal! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. All male characters that care for Silver are exactly what I want in a man. Where are the overprotective men?      All joking aside, this book is a 4.9 out of a 5. The ending didn't seem to fit the overall storyline. I like that the author leaves you guessing at what will happen next with this dynamic duo.      I don't want to be a book  spoiler, but Justice and the  healer are overall steamy with their on and off again fling. I would love to just read a series about him! Maybe a spinoff? 

      Today has been absolutely peaceful. We had an open house event that was beyond smooth, where I got to meet more than half of the student's parents. I love meet the teacher nights! I hope this tradition continues until my child gets the chance to go to school.      I had a very tranquil drive home as well. I spent the hour listening to Audible and planning ahead mentally. The time passed by so quickly. Peace also came from knowing my child was safe at home with my mom. I didn't have to worry about her as I was gladly meeting parents, siblings, and catching up with my old students. My babies are having their own babies. It's such a blessing to get to be there for that. Seeing their excited faces as they show off their new bundles of joy. I have finally come full circle. This was the year and moment I have anticipated for. It is also a blessing to see how my old students have turned out and to hear where they are now in life.  FYI: I finally got som...

       I was walking out from lunch today and took this photo. Perseverance at its best. When everything is completely against you, you only have you to rely on. Hope is everything in moments like this. You have to have grit to make it through to the light at the end of the tunnel. No one can do it for you.     This small maple tree is growing even against the odds. It has planted itself in a grove that will grow in time as the roots expand. Personifying this tree seems overly strange, but if would did you would know that it had hope. Hope to grow,  flourish, expand, and go through the cycle of photosynthesis.      Today I had hope. The inspiration may have come from an odd plant, but it's there and I'm happy with it. I hope for a better future for my family. We have come so far in the past few years. We are like the maple sapling. Growing against all odds. I have hope that one day we will succeed in meeting our goals. 

      It has been an absolute pleasure to not have all the tourist traffic to deal with. I just couldn't believe how many people actually use the parkway. I was able to make my commute in less that an hour for the first time in forever. I didn't even get stuck in the road construction out my way.  I know it might be harming local businesses in that area. I shouldn't be enjoying the lack of people. The tourist is what stimulates that economy on both sides of the parkway.      I will have to go the long way to Pigeon Forge if the road closure continues. Both routes are stunning and relaxing to drive, so there will be zero complaint from me. 

       Impulse was a please to listen to via Audible. The narration was on point and while I decorated my classroom, I listened to this book. I couldn't get my hands on a digital copy nor a paper version, so Audible was beyond convenient. Silver's character spends the entire book getting into trouble and being weak, but this time she discovers that her cheetah has her back. I absolutely love this series and cannot wait to see what happens next.      All the male characters in this series are heartthrobs. I would go crazy over a movie made from this series. The rating is obviously going to be high in my opinion, so with that being said... I would rate this book a 5 out of 5. This world of breed is captivating in itself and the more I learn about Dark's world the more I hope series like these continue and overlap with her other pieces of literature.       Do yourself a favor and give Dark's various series a chance. I love to both list...

      Sometimes we just need time to be real, time to relax, and time to breathe. I need all three of these things at the moment. I feel as if everything is moving too fast to even really put first things first. I got home tonight and barely had enough time to get all my outside chores done with Taylor in tow.      Time is a thief and it is currently taking all of my precious time with my child. It was so hard leaving her this morning to go to work. She spent the day with her dad, and I felt guilty for not being there. Does this get easier with time?

      This upcoming week will be our first full week back, and I don't know how to feel. I have had a very difficult summer with my toddler and at the same time I'm going to miss her like crazy. I miss work, but I also have this great need to be home. I'm nervous as to what this year holds. I'm also worried about dealing with traffic in the morning and after school. Will I be able to pick Taylor up in time? Oh the stress. I guess everyone goes through this at some point. Now I have to worry about getting new tires as well. I didn't even stop to think about checking them until tonight. Uh!!!! How infuriating!      List:  1. Packed my book bag. 2. Made lunch/ packed it. 3. Packed Taylor's bag with all of her stuff, so her dad doesn't have to panic when he has to leave for work.  4. I spent time answering all my emails from Friday afternoon. 5. Spent around 30 minutes printed materials that I need to finish my bulletin board.     

      Can I say more? No, because Dark's spell binding storyline has taken me away, again! I'm in absolute love with Logan's cheetah character and cannon get enough. In this book, we learn that our main character Silver is in trouble again. She has been captured and in a plot twist has added an additional "family" member, Finn.      She seems to be surrounded by men who will risk their lives to protect hers. Who will she choose; her guardian, friend, or lover? One word.... Cheetah.      With our doubt, I would rate this book a 5 out of 5. I love the characters, storyline, dialogue, and overall message. I would highly recommend this series if you are in need of a heart throbbing tell of disaster and duty as these characters are trying to find their way. 

     I ended my first day back at school with a load of hay. Let me tell you something. It's humid and miserable. Loading hay sucks and it's so time consuming. I don't know if I will be able to move tomorrow morning or not. My arms are already sore!        This is a chore out of love because my goats will need this in the coming months. We will have to go and get at least two more loads to get through the winter months. We buy hay ahead of time to beat the price gouging that happens during the Fall season. I would kill to have a hay barn or simply a building for food storage only. We have several sheds in different locations that we store our food in.      I would always suggest to buy more than you think you'll need. It's alway good to have extra than to run out completely. Kidding season is fast approaching, and I will need this hay for that as well.   

  Our new friend is a very loving calm deer who has completely caught my toddler’s attention. She is a welcomed member to our herd. I’m joking. She thinks she is a goat and willingly hangs out with my girls.  She has been jumping over our fence for a few weeks now. I finally remembered to grab my phone and take a decent photo. She grazes and sleeps with the herd. I have seen her come up to the hay feeders and eat the grain we put out also. I have approached her to encourage her to leave, but she has zero fear of me.  I don’t know if this is normal or not? I do however think she knows she is safe. We have been calling her Little Mama. She has a super fat fawn that has recently lost its spots. She must have gave birth to it in the lower field. We have been leaving the gates open in hopes that her baby will follow her.  

      This is my second day of waking up at 5ish and I'm dog tired. This happens every year and yet I'm still surprised at how hard it is to adjust back to a set schedule. Yesterday, I spent most of my day arranging my classroom and putting away last year's items.      Today is full of potential! I might even come close to finishing my last online class, or maybe even start planning out my first week of school. I probably should also make a flyer for open house. The possibilities are endless. Who knows; I might even rearrange my classroom once again.      I do miss waking up to hear my toddler greet me. Leaving before day break really is for the birds. lol