Men your age don't climb trees...

As you know, this summer I'm teaching students who are labeled, 'Trainable Mentally Handicapped.' I am having a blast. My kid who makes phalic symbols with the play dough has "graduated," so things have eased up a bit. I do miss my blind student, who by the way told me his mom was friends with the lady who took the cat I got out of the shed by my house. Anyway, he now has the cat! I love small towns! Anyway, the point of my blog tonight...

One of my students asked me if I had a boyfriend. Then she corrected herself by saying, "Oh no, you should have a husband." I laughed and said, "No, honey. He hasn't fallen out of the sky yet." My motto is until a man comes to me with a sign from God that says, "take him he's yours," I'm not dating anymore! Of course my sweet little student didn't understand my whole joke about falling from the sky. So, she giggles and says, "Miss Tucker, you're so silly. Guys your age don't climb trees!" Man, do I love my job! Hey, I guess I better stop looking up then.

Tonight, I dropped off birthday presents to my surrogate neice and nephew. As I was about to leave my 5 year old neice, who ran out of the bathroom wearing ONLY her costume jewelry, puts her hands on her hips and says, "Aunt Janie, you're NOT leaving until I get a kiss!" How sweet!

I love children. I love all kinds of children. I don't even mind typical high schoolers as much, now that I don't teach them. My neice had her summer dance recital Saturday evening. It was absolutely terrific. However, it was absolutely long! Next time, I'm bringing a pillow to sit on. Just kidding. Besides sitting on the seats, the other hard part was watching all of those kiddos and wanting one of my own. I know God has plans for me. I also know his timing isn't mine and lord know's I can't exactly have a child right now (no husband, no room, $$). It just wouldn't be fair to the kiddo. Well, that's enough blabbering for now. Oh, the picture at the top is of my neice and I at her dance recital. Is she a princess or what? Who does take after? Love, J

Life, or something like it...

So, I'm teaching summer school. Its funny b/c at my last school you had to beg to teach summer school. At this high school they begged me to teach b/c nobody wanted to do it. I figured, whats a month? Besides, I could use the money. I never know when somethings going to need fixing around my new place. Anyway, I am having the best time. I had my doubts at first and almost quit. I knew I was going to teach students who are labeled 'Trainably, Mentally Handicapped.' I was looking forward to it. I'd planned on taking them on field trips and just basically having a great time. Then on Tuesday morning when I arrived they gave another student. He is a typical kid except that he's visually impaired. He has tumors that are causing him to go blind. He is in summer school to improve his Science grade. The problem is since he can't see, guess what he needs me to do? Read and help him answer the study guides! So, I thought, how the hell am I supposed to devote all my attention to him and work with my other kids? I'm glad I didn't quit. I am having so much fun! The kid whose blind, is absolutely amazing. He is so cool with my two TMH kids. (sorry, that wasn't politically correct.) One of my TMHers gets really paranoid for no apparent reason and then gets irate with me. The VI kid will talk him out of it and helps him feel involved. My other TMHer has Down Syndrome. She is hillarious, and quite smart. She is in love with everybody and is always doing great, as she puts it. Anyway, its amazing how its all worked out. I've been able to put one kid at the computer while the other one does seatwork and I can work with my VI kid. The other two ESE teachers have been sending me kids who finish their assignments early and they will read with my VI kid so I can work with my TMHers. God really does provide! My latest issue however has been this new kid they sent me who is Emotionally Handicapped. He enjoys making fallic symbols with playdough and saying totally inappropriate things. Only five more days with him! He has spent quite a bit of time running errands for me and sitting in the hallway to read his novel he is using to earn his credit to graduate. That makes it not so bad. I love my job. There was a time not too long ago when I had lost my zest for teaching. Praise the Lord I think its back! Well, its late and my dog is telling me she needs to go out. Take Care!

Life in the Big Woods

As I mentioned in my last entry I am a princess. I don't know much about fixing things. My way of fixing things is to cover them up. I thought it would fun fixing this place up. Its something I've always wanted to do. It is fun, but it gets frustrating when I have to rely on other people. My parents have been absolutely terrific. I owe them big time! My friends have been awesome as well. Despite all the mishaps, I absolutely love it here. My yard is going to be gorgeous once I grow some grass... yes, the legal kind! I need to haul off some old metal and close in the ditch that goes to my well, too. I've really enjoyed making curtains, hanging pictures and coming up with themes to meet my creative style. The hard parts have been having tons of iron in my new well and having to change the filter weekly, coming home to a wet kitchen floor b/c the pipes are leaky. Discovering a soft floor b/c my dishwasher wasn't installed properly and now my floor has rotted, and then bending down to put my scale under my bathroom sink and noticing that the pipes are duct taped! On the positive side, I've called the guy I am buying the place from and he has made it all good. Its just a roller coaster ride not knowing from one day to the next what's going to happen. What is it with me and water???

Oh yeah, so now I'm living in what I'd like to call the country. I figure since I'm right next to the national forest, don't get reception on my cell phone unless I stand in a certain spot outside (remember the show Green Acres?) and Dominoes doesn't deliver, I can say I live in the country. Its relatively quiet except for the crickets and occasional snake slithering by. Its funny, I can handle police sirens and bass from cars driving down the road but you let me hear a bump or an animal rustling by and I'm freaked. I've decided that I have mice or birds living in my ceiling. Some nights I can hear them running back and forth making their little animal noises. I don't really like them being here since they don't pay rent but what can I do?

Today, I was out finishing my flower beds when I heard this crying noise. I tried to ignore it but soon realized it was a kitten. I'm a glutten for strays so I went over to see if I could find it. There is this old runned down house next to mine that has a shed behind it. The dad gum kitten was stuck behind the water pump inside the shed! I prayed a huge prayer and climbed into the shed and got the kitten. It was so cute and little. It couldn't even walk yet. I couldn't keep it so I took it to the animal shelter. I felt bad but I really don't need a cat. It ended up being a good thing b/c the lady at the shelter said the kitten was so small that it needed to be bottle fed every hour! Not me. I sure need my sleep. Well, I've rambled enough! Take Care! J

The Princess of Quite Alot

I am a princess... there's no doubt about it and for those of you who know me, you know that I am the girliest princess there is. I don't like to sweat, I own lots of pink, and I absolutely hate to get dirty. Anyway, I thought I'd "set the stage" with that lead in to tell you about my gardening experience. I don't know if its because I turned 30 last Friday or its my Grandma Tucker's genes coming out in me, but I've gotten into this planting flowers thing. I'm trying really hard to spruce up my "new" house. So, anyway, I went to ACE yesterday and filled my CRV with all types of flowers. Marigolds, Heathers, some bushes I forgot the name of, a small palm tree, those elephant ear looking plants and a plant that attracts butterflies. I bought a ton of potting soil and a couple of bags of mulch too. I forgot to buy a shovel so I had to go back inside and get one of those. Of course, I'd been collecting "yard ornaments," as my friend Jes would say, along the way. No pink flamingos, Rebecca! No, just those little windchimes, fake rocks and flower markers.

I'd been racking my brain as to what to use for a border around the plants when low and behold on my way home what to my wandering eye should appear but a huge area under construction. For those of you that aren't familiar with Wakulla County, its loaded with limestone. Well, tons of that stuff had been broken up into small rocks and it was lying everywhere! I pulled my car into the site and loaded it with limestone.

You should see my yard. Its looking better and better each day! I had to go back to ACE today and buy more flowers and bushes because I just didn't feel like the job was complete. I also stopped by my rock bed and loaded up on some more limestone. I sure hope that stuff isn't toxic.

So, anyway, back to me being a princess... Of course, I don't think to put on tennis shoes. NO, I had on my Old Navy flip flops. This would have been ok, if I hadn't of gotten a pedicure last Friday. Despite the scrubbing and lathering of lotion, my feet still look like I went mountain climbing! Its a good thing I stopped getting acrylic nails. My finger nails looked like I had been digging for worms! My mom bought me the cutest gloves but I forgot to use them. My body hurt soooo bad when I got finished planting. Needless to say, I slept like a log. When I get it all land- scaped I'll send you some pictures. Love to all! J