One Blogging Shelton

Teacher Tales

Kindergarten is almost over.  I had so many trepidations about my little baby entering the public school system at the beginning of the year.

Is he ready for school?

What if he gets bullied?

What if he doesn't do well?

How am I supposed to let go of my baby?

And boy did I ever let the tears flow. He's my only baby...and I'm letting go of him little by little to become this little, mini-man.

Wow...I look back at the fears I had....and I just laugh.  And laugh...and laugh some more. Big, fat, belly laughs

The instant we left Clayton's first Kindergarten parent-teacher conferences, the knot in my stomache unraveled. He was doing OK.  Better than OK.  He was excelling.

About a month ago, we had his second parent-teacher conference of the year.  I guess it's always a good sign when the teacher starts the conference out laughing about this or that, referring to the times Clayton has made her laugh. 

Mrs. Gilroy has always been great about relaying messages home in the form of a quick note jotted down in Clayton's assignment book.  Last week she made a note about how there would be a substitute teacher on Thursday and Friday.  I asked Clayton about it, and he said that her mom had passed away.

Instantly saddened, after having gone through the loss of my dad only months prior, I made a mental note to pick up a card over the weekend for her. 

Clayton and I picked out the perfect card. It had no religious fluff, and it had a pretty butterfly on it.  Perfect, considering their class had just finished studying butterflies.  Clayton and I jotted a heartfelt note, telling her how sorry we all were, and that cherishing the memories helps. Clayton even signed it with a heart following his name.

Today when he got home from school, he walked in and threw his bookbag on his bed.  I asked him how his day went. Fine.  What did you learn today? I don't remember. Did Mrs. Gilroy like her card?  Uh...mommy?

Just as I started to read his assignment book note:

"Hi guys. Just wanted to thank you for the beautiful card and thoughtful words.  However, THANKFULLY, my mother has NOT passed away.  I think Clayton may have been a little confused...etc."

The note went on and I could feel the heat moving up my neck into my face.  Wow...maybe next time I should consult other moms in the class first.  Wow...that is all I could think.  Wow.

Embarassed as I felt, I realized that I needed to get over it.  My little baby boy is turning 6 on Saturday.  I'm guessing that this little mix-up is NOTHING in the scheme of what I have in store for me in the years to come!

Oh Really?

Have you ever tried to say something to someone and had it come out so completely wrong that you just wanted to crawl under a rock to never come out?  That would be me...10 minutes ago.

It's been an exceptionally slow day at work, which just seems to amplify how tired I am tonight. Clayton had his T-Ball opening ceremony and pictures today, which was fun to see all of the cute little kids, but tiring all the same since it was right smack in the middle of when I sleep.

I came in to work a few hours early so it's a little disorienting to look out the window to see daylight!  Who knew the trees here were so pretty in bloom?

The Mother/Baby Unit seems to be abuzz with new moms, which makes me reminisce to almost exactly 5 years ago when we had Clayton (May 1st!!!)

Some of the unit techs were having a hard time ordering some cultures and we had been phoning back and forth. The funny thing about this place is that we talk to these units all the time and recognize everyone by voice, but rarely do we see them.

So one of the techs brought some cultures to the lab and when she was done entering them in the log, I asked if she was the one I had been speaking to on the phone earlier. She said yes and that she was the one who had placed the lab orders.  I was a little startled by her tone which was more in defense mode than friendly. Noticing this made my next sentence come spilling out before I could put on the brakes.

I said "because I hear the voices all of the time..." In which I had meant to say that I hear their voice on the phone but never see them in person. The look on her face...I cannot even begin to describe. I thought her left eyebrow was going to pop off of her face because she raised it so high.

So of course I start back-peddling... "What I meant was I hear your voice." Right eyebrow...prepare for lift-off...

"I mean I never see you guys, I just talk to you on the phone...". You would think I could force myself to just shutup at this point, but I must have left my white flag at home because I just kept on stumbling, trying to get her to crack a smile or show some sign of acknowledgement that she didn't think I was a complete moron.

Finally, defeated, I managed to tell her it was nice to meet her.  I noticed she didn't say the same.  But she did manage a smile. I'd like to think it wasn't a "get this crazy lady away from me" smile.

Oh well...I guess there's something to be said for phone anonimity after all!

1 Month Follow-Up

It's been 1 month since I fell UP the stairs and met my fate with a 2x4 post.  I just had a follow-up appointment with my doctor. I still get migraines almost daily, mostly in the evening. And every now and then I get the car-sick feeling. The bruising is almost all gone...just a little around my left eye.  Personally, I think it's been bruised so long, it just forgot what color it used to be!!!!! I still have a swollen ridge from my left eyebrow all the way up my forehead. The scar is still really red, but should fade eventually. The doctor is afraid that I may have damaged the layer of fat under the skin on my forehead. It may create a permanent ridge from my eyebrow up to the middle of my forehead.  He said only time will tell with it.  If after a year it doesn't get better, I may have to see a plastic surgeon to correct it if necessary.

Adding Insult (and another injury) To Injury

Don't read this until you've read the previous posts about my black eye.

My bad luck strikes again!

I have really done it this time! Monday morning as I was walking up the wooden staircase at Ashford University, my shoe caught the top step and I launched foreward.  Unable to get my hands up fast enough, I managed to slam my forehead into the wooden railing straight ahead. 

It was a sickening noise that I don't care to describe in detail. I saw stars and was confued when I got up.  Nobody was around to see it...thank goodness (i think?).  I stood up and noticed blood running down my nice white (NEW) shirt. I thought it was my nose so I put my hand up to it and started down the staircase confused thinking I was leaving for the day.  Then when the blood wouldn't stop coming, I realized it was my head.  It was then that I realized I wasn't leaving for the day...

So I turned around and went back up the staircase. I went into the school to see if anyone was in Student Services.  I was lightheaded and shaking so badly.  The nicest lady, Karil, was there. I felt so bad because I had blood dripping all down both of my arms with my hands to my forehead, which subsequently dripped all over her office floor.

She asked me my name and I explained that I worked on the 5th floor. She asked who my manager was so she could call her; I COULD NOT find the words!  Scared, I tried stalling...."I work on the 5th floor...I'm an enrollment advisor....on the 5th floor."  She wanted to call an ambulance but I resisted. I did NOT want to be any more of a spectacle than I already was. 

Finally the word Marla came to me, then her last name.  Yes, my manager is Marla Schultz. She called her and explained that she was going to take me to the ER in Clinton. Then she came around the desk to take a closer look at my head.  I removed the paper towel. She was amazed that my left eye was already so black...then I started just BAWLING.  Can you imagine how humiliated I was to explain that the black eye wasn't from the railing, but rather from the previous weekend on our boat?????!!!!!

She had me call Nathan to meet us at the hosipital.  We went to Mercy Medical Center a few blocks away.  There, I had the privilage of explaining the black eye 3 more times to various nurses and the doctor.  Nevermind the fact that my head was taking on the shape of a Klingon (sp?) from Star Trek.

The doctor was able to glue the split in my head together, so I shouldn't have to worry too much about a scar.  They took xrays of my nose because they were afraid I might have broken it.  As sore as it is, I can't believe it isn't broken! I don't even remember hitting it.

Nathan got there as the doctor was giving me a prescription for Vicodin for the pain. We got home and I crawled up on the couch and pretty much slept most of the day.

My parents watched Clayton for a while last night while Nathan did some mowing.  We went over there for dinner later.  I laid on the couch while my mom made dinner.  Clayton coverd me with a blanket, went and got the turkey baster out of the kitchen and put the end of it under my tongue.  He said my temperature was 94 degrees. Then he rubbed my head and kissed my eye.  He's such a fuuny little boy!

Silly Me....

Dumb Thing I've Done But Have To Laugh At #2,345,623. 

OK, so remember the freaky pictures on my camera?  This morning I went to take a picture of a deer in our back yard and couldn't get the camera to take the picture correctly.  It appears that I had the camera on a "stitch" setting that allows you take a picture, slide the camera over a bit, then take another and so on until you have created the image you want in a panoramic view.  Then when you upload on the computer you can "stitch" the images together for a seamless panoramic view.  Apparently I had put the camera in this mode when I went to shut it off the other night, which explains why the images of the basement are all next to each other.  I still can't figure out why it snapped the pictures though, without me noticing.

No ghosts in this house...just a silly, paranoid ME!

P.S.  No picture of the deer.  He heard me say 'what the heck' when I could get the camera to work.

OOoooppps

How do you fit 16.7 gallons of gas into a 15-gallon tank that is 1/8th full already?  YOU DON'T!  I made a big mess at the gas station about a week ago.  I started the gas pump and jumped back into my vehicle because it was so cold outside that morning.  I'm in there listening to my audiobook all toasty warm, waiting for the pump to click off. 

A man drove in front of me and pointed at me.  I waved, thinking he though he knew me or something.  Then the man pointed toward the pump.  My heart flip-flopped as I realized the pump didn't click off.  I literally had to pull my pant legs up to keep them from getting soaked with gas from the lake that started to swarm around my car.  The fumes were so overwhelming. I ran over and shut off the pump and went in sheepishly to pay. 

The woman at the counter made the unwanted, but anticipated "oh my goodness" scene. I though for sure I'd end up having to pay for the clean-up, but to my luck, I didn't.  Since my dad is on the fire department, I caleed my mom to warn her that he may get paged because of my stupid act. But he never did, thankfully.  I never would have lived that one down. 

When my mom drove by the gas station on her way to work an hour later, she could smell the fumes from the road.  What a day. I saved the receipt for your viewing pleasure.

Banning Myself From Pier 1

I'm finally some-what over the embarrasment, shame, and utter humiliation over what I'm about to admit.  3 weeks later, I can finally bring myself to share the gruesome details:

A few weeks ago, I had some much-needed, incredibly rare spare time in between getting my oil changed and picking up Clayton.  Conveniently, Pier 1 Imports is dangerously close to LuJack's Auto Plaza, so I stopped in for "just a few minutes."

Boy, did they have a great sale going on.  Vases were 35% off...and as I entered the store,  I just happened to spot a really nice one that would look nice by my front door.  So I made a beeline for the display.  The vase my heart desired was at about chest level with eucalyptus sprays in it (see pic).  I thought about asking an employee for help, but everyone was busy helping a million other customers.  So I took it upon myself to make sure that the vase wasn't hooked to anything else that could come crashing down.  All systems go.

So I started to take the vase off of the shelf.  Mind you, there shouldn't have been a problem...height was not an issue and no one was able to help me at the moment.  However, as I pulled the vase down, one of the eucalyptus sprays connected with another eucalyptus spray of another vase. 

Putting two-and-two together, yes...I managed to send another vase flying off of the shelf.  Oh, the horror doesn't start there...ohhh no, no, no.  The horror of the entire scenario unfolding in slow-mo before my very eyes was that the falling vase crashed into the dislay of wine glasses and plates right below it (at knee level), sending these items to the hard, concrete floor as well.

Have you ever had about 50 people gasp and stare at you for a minute straight as you don't know whether to cry, laugh, or be angry?  All the while my knees and hands were shaking uncontrollably as I'm trying to remove the glass shards from my sandle-clad feet. 

A very understanding female employee ran over and tried to make me feel better as I apologized endlessly.  She reassured me that I was not responsible for paying for everything...whew!  She told me that it wasn't the first time, or the most expensive demolish they'd ever seen.  (probably a close second, then?)

Two good things came of everything: 

1. No cuts on the feet. 

2.  The vase I wanted - perfectly unharmed!

So I bought the sucker and high-tailed it without looking back!