Sad news

Update: this is a picture of Giggy (on the left) and Chad Olson (another teacher). They brought a box of pink cigars, roses, and balloons. Some of his comments about me:
1. Stafford retains more water than the Devil's Lake basin when she's pregnant.
2. Give Stafford a baby to hold, and she has a baby nine months later.
3. You look like a human speed bump.
4. I am going to call social services since O.G. isn't enrolled in violin lessons yet.
5. Next year Olivia Grace gets a pony.
6. I just feel bad for Thad.....for having to put up with you
Don't worry, the banter between us went both ways. There is a facebook group about him already. 600 kids and counting have signed up to be a part of it.

My colleague & possibly a former teacher to you or a spouse, Kurt Gigstad, passed away this morning. It was not expected. For those of you who remember him (AJ do you remember always talking to him by our locker?) he was the funniest guy. He was also the most caring guy I know. He visited me just two hours after Olivia was born. He brought her a gift when she turned two. We were so thrilled to watch him become a grandpa in February. I could go on and on about the Gigster, but the theme is the same: He genuinely cared for others, and in turn, we all loved him. Our department will never be the same.
Please go to the Wright Funeral Home website and leave any kind thoughts or memories to share with his family.

Things I have learned

1. That I am a total wuss when it comes to pain in my ear. I was shedding tears yesterday at the ENT. Maybe it is because I thought that the doctor was just going to look in my ear. Instead he did a surgical procedure to put together my broken ear drum. It was very scary, painful, and did I say scary!?!?!?
2. If you have a damaged ear canal on top of a broken ear drum, it is very, very painful. Enough said.
3. Hydrocodone is very helpful!
4. Homeade cards from your kids makes any dreary day brighter.
5. When you call a colleague to tell her you can't come back to work but instead a student answers the phone, you will look like an idiot because you can't stop crying.
**EM vacation has come at the right time!

What?

Last night the girls and I were playing beauty shop while Thad and Ryan were at hockey. All of the sudden Olivia put a qtip in my ear so far that I was in severe pain. I jumped up and was running around freaking out. Then I felt blood coming out. I called ask a nurse, and she told me to go right to the ER. By now Olivia is crying, Kate is scared, and I am freaking out.
To make a long story short, I likely have a perforated ear drum. The ER doctor couldn't tell for sure because there is so much blood in there. He said flushing it out would have put me through the roof with pain, so I get to go to the ENT on Monday. Currently, I can't hear out of my left ear, it's ringing like crazy, and at times it's very painful.
This is one for the scrapbooks!

Entourage

See this hottie? My main squeeze Jeremy Piven just won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Now that I have Netflix, I have become addicted to the television show Entourage. I am halfway caught up through season 3. I think in two weeks the second half is available.

Anyway entire cast is awesome. I have a few new crushes because of that show: Adrian Grenier...Jeremy Piven...the other boys aren't necessarily my type, but I definitely think they are all awesome.

God he is HOT!

In my inbox....

...was this very sweet email from Ryan today.

I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD.

Kids...

My friend AJ blogged today about how her oldest daughter is just like her. I can't decide if any of my kids are truly like me. I see parts of myself in each of them, but it's another story really feeling like they are just like you. Let me run through my kiddies:
Ryan: defiant, sassy, loves to test his limits at home, very well behaved at school, argumentative, soft hearted even though he doesn't want people to know it, kind to all types of kids, a perfectionist at school, enjoys being active, curious about the world around him, a very sensitive kid but I think only a few lucky people have seen that side of him.
Kate: genuinely kindhearted, sensitive, whiny, shy, friendly all the time, nervous for new situations, affectionate, quick witted, doesn't like to be overexerted AT ALL, a follower, loves to ask why, a drama queen.
Olivia (so far): funny, smily, becoming defiant, only does what she wants, stubborn, cuddly, sassy, loves to talk back, enjoys being active.
Honestly I think that our kids are a combination of us both. Thad claims that our kids' negative attributes come from me. The good ones come from him.
What do you think?

Adjusting...

Being back at work & now having two kids in school has been an adjustment. I can't believe how exhausted I have been. When summer vacation began I remember thinking how tiring it was to run my kids around all day. Now that I am back at work, I find myself thinking the same thing--only opposite of the summer issues.
Is it the weather? Maybe it's because there are so many things to be done in the evening. I haven't even mentioned activities yet. The older I get, the more I realize that I am not a fan of change. It always takes awhile for me to grab my bearings and get used to it all.
So for now I will keep plugging away waiting for my mind and body to 'click' with this schedule.
**Note** for the majority of you mothers who work a fulltime job year round...bless you!