Sleeping in the first day of spring break...

Yippee!! It's my spring break. All weekend I looked forward to sleeping in on Monday. I had even convinced Ashlyn, Brenna, and Don that I must sleep in on Monday. We had a plan. For the first time, I wasn't going to have to get up to help everyone else get ready.

Too bad no one informed Riptide of that plan. I awoke at 5:30am to a special little whine that he reserves for me that means: "Let me out NOW or I will PEE ON YOUR BED!" So I let him out and headed back to bed. (Some readers may be wondering where my husband was and why he didn't take the poor little puppy out. Well last night he fell asleep on the couch. In the basement. He would hear nothing of the rest of the house until he decided to come up stairs.)

Then, at 5:55 am Don's alarm went off! He had set it for Sunday morning softball and neglected to turn it off or set it for later. Well, as mentioned earlier, he was downstairs, so up I go to turn it off. But in the mean time, the rest of the dogs decided that since the alarm went off, it MUST be time to get up. I finally convinced them otherwise, but by then it was 6:15, and Don had finally come up. Oh, I forgot to mention that Ashlyn had fallen asleep in my bed (maybe that was why Don slept downstairs...) and her alarm went off in between the Riptide wake up call and the other alarm.

So from 5:30 to 6:30 I was awake.

Finally I drift back to sleep. I was in the beautiful place between sleep and awake, and I was going over my day in my brain, which includes taking Riptide to the vet. He was going to our old vet for the the first time and I was so excited for them to meet my boy!!! In that special place of dreaming and alertness, it dawns on me (pun intended!!!) that I missed Reba's annual exam. And shots. And heartworm test. How could I do that? I am a horrible dog owner! And she travels. And she has been unprotected!!

I jump up and by this point everyone else is gone. (Don had fed the dogs and made coffee which totally  fulfilled his part of the plan. Thank you honey!) I get the Dog File and look for paperwork that proves me wrong. There is nothing. I call the vet and their computer shows they hadn't seen Reba last fall. RATS! I did goof. So I set it up to take both Reba and Riptide to the vet. I arrange to get the truck with kennels from Don and set about trying to figure out how we are going to pay for two annual check ups and shots. (And Max is due soon too!!!) Ok, I think to myself, it will all work out. Reba is fine. Her rabies is up to date. Her teeth are clean...

Wait a minute! Her teeth are clean? They got cleaned last fall. By the vet! I search the Dog File again and there it is. Proof of vaccinations and exam. She didn't just have shots; she had a spa treatment. I call the vet and Don and change the plans back to the way they were. I feel like an idiot, but at least I am not as neglectful as I thought.

This would be enough wouldn't it? Enough to convince you and me that work is less stress and easier on my mind? One would think, but no, there is more. Maybe tonight I will share it. This entry is long enough!!!

The Many Faces of Becky

I hate getting my picture taken. Wait. That's a lie. I HATE seeing myself in pictures. I never look good. yuck.

Regardless, over the last few years a friend of mine has taken many pictures of me starting a dog in flyball. The joke became that most, if not all, are not very flattering pictures of me. Mouth open, eyes intense - they make me look like a wild woman out in the ring. Over the last year, others have unknowningly joined her in capturing me in these moments. I thought it was time to put it all together.

And the reason is this: They are funny. Each and every one of them is funny in their own way. It might be my face, my hair, my arms, or my eyes. Or it might be the way my body is contorting or how poor Wrigley and Reba are reacting to my craziness. Either way, they are funny. And while I still hate seeing myself in pictures, maybe finding the humor in them will help me accept them. So enjoy...These show the good, the bad, and the ugly of me as a dog handler. Snarling, yelling, kneeling, squatting, spitting, screaming, intense...here they are!

Photos credits: TTL Photo, William C. Moore, Melissa Manley, and Stephanie Smith. (Mostly Stephanie Smith!!!)

Forty One-derful!

Today I turned 41...forty ONE-derful. And what a birthday it has been! School was canceled for a blizzard, the girls got to stay home too, and best of all...I got to wear my pajamas ALL DAY LONG! As if that wasn't enough there was a SyFy marathon and February is I <3 SyFy month! (In addition to Dental Health Month, Black History Month, Valentine's Day, President's Day, and Chinese New Year. whew!) I also had a ton of birthday wishes on Facebook. I have the best friends! I really didn't think this day could get any better.

Then Don made meatloaf and homemade scalloped potatoes - my grandma's recipe even! As if that wasn't enough, NCIS is brand new and the Illini are playing. I think I might burst. Oh, then there is the chocolate cake. With homemade chocolate butter cream frosting. (Sorry ladies, Don is taken!!!) Oops, I just remembered I will have to weigh in on Thursday. I better not eat at all tomorrow!

I had finally settled down to do a little farming and watch Mark Harmon when BAM, BOOM, FLASH, there is thunder and lightening. Are you kidding? Thunder snow? The dogs jumped and I think I peed a little. After my heart stopped pounding, I hopped on Facebook and my BFF suggested I blog about it. She rocks! :)

Now if the Illini can pull out a win over Penn State, this might just be the bestest birthday ever. Oh and I haven't even mentioned all the hugs and love I got from my girls, the awesome Sons of Anarchy t-shirt from Krista, the darling boots from Micky, the fiestaware from Dad and Trudy, and....drum roll please...the homemade flyball jumps that Don is making for me. (Yup, girls, he is still taken.)

Yikes, there is more thunder and lightening. Please don't let the power go out!! What will I do then?

Thank you for sharing this awesome day with me!

Slogger

I am a slogger - a slacker blogger. My intentions are good. But when I finally get home or have free time I would rather numb my mind by playing Bejeweled or Farmville than put forth the effort to blog. In reality, I am a slogger. But I am working on fixing that and as long as y'all don't mind writing that hasn't been revised (sorry Lucy Caulkins!) then here we go. I will attempt to catch you up on some events that have happened over the last few weeks.

Riptide at School...

My first graders earn I Care Awards for exceptional behavior. When they earn 10 of them they get to vote on a special reward. Some past awards have been a movie party, pajama day, and Reba day. Some of the suggestions were:
crazy hair day
funky sock day
Riptide day
extra recess
show and tell day

As the title might suggest Riptide day won. And as you all might realize, I could have nixed it. I am after all, in charge! However, I really liked the idea of bringing Rip when he is young so he can get used to coming to school and  then maybe, just maybe, he could come more often. Plus, the kids were so excited about it. Reba day had been such a success! Well it didn't work out as planned. First he pooped in the hallway. Then he whined in his crate. Then he ignored the kids. Yes, my friends, ignored the kids. He only had eyes for me. I had to bribe him to sit still long enough to let them pet him. I might try him again. I'm not sure. We'll see.

But I told the kids I would bring one of the others if they could remember my other dogs' names!

Grilled Cheese
I hate to cook. It's not that I don't know how or can't cook, I choose not too. I have no patience for it. And my off task behavior usually causes problems like burning, over boiling, and ugly food. Last night I was making grilled cheese and tomato soup. And I was on the phone. If I am not on the phone, I am on the computer or reading or watching tv. Rarely am I not doing something...unless I am napping! Anyway, I burned a grilled cheese. Just one side, but burned nonetheless. Brenna walked up to the skillet, looked at the sandwich and said "I need to take over." wow. Maybe I should have been hurt, but I was relieved. Now I could talk on the phone unencumbered.

So this morning Brenna wanted pancakes for breakfast. I offered. A couple of times. "No thanks mom, I got it." And she did. There are 3 happy girls eating breakfast (Ash had a friend over) and one happy mom blogging.

Life is good. ;)

Goonies

Brenna and I had our first "official" visit to the orthodontist today. She had x-rays and a mold taken for braces and I had a mold done for a mouth guard so I stop grinding my teeth. (I decided that something must be done or my molars will be gone by the time I am 50!)

There is a big area where there are 7 or 8 chairs in a row. It is like an assembly line.  The orthodontist goes up and down the row working on whoever needs him or the assitants take care of the patients. It was pretty impressive and everyone was so friendly. I figure they must all like their jobs! Anyway, in front each chair there is a flat screen TV hanging on the wall near the ceiling. Not huge TVs, but big enough for the kids to see while they are getting their teeth fixed.

Today they were showing "Goonies". Of all movies, really, Goonies? I watched it reluctantly, as I as a captive audience sitting there with yellow goop in my mouth.

Once in the car, yellow goop all rinsed out of our mouths, Brenna noted that they were showing "Goonies".
"I think it was a weird movie to show at that kind of place," she said.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Well, what are the kids out the waiting room with no TV thinking when they hear the kids in the movie screaming? Will they know it's a movie? Or will they think it is the kids getting their braces on?"

This will be a good thing to remember in college!

Do I like my job? I love it! But I get asked all the time how I can stand being with 24 first graders all day. Maybe it is a gift. Maybe it is a desire to help better our future. But maybe, just maybe, it is because they are so very funny!

Today we were writing a shared story about something that happened at recess. Usually a shared story is something that we all shared together, but today, they really wanted to write about something that happened during indoor recess, when I was at lunch. Fine, I said, I was intrigued by the hook..."Ants in Your Pants started playing all by itself!". Really? A YouTube video came on by itself? I had to hear to the whole story.

I asked, "Well, what did you do when the music started?" B. said, "We started dancing!" with that DUH look on his face. I cannot imagine what the recess supervisor, was thinking she saw them start dancing. But I know what I started to do when they just told me what they did: laugh out loud. And I laughed for quite a while before I could start writing their story on the chart paper. And of course, they laughed with me!

After going through the proper planning of a personal narrative we came up with a story. Here it is! (more or less. I can't remember the exact words and I forgot to take a picture!) :
We cleaned up from recess. We went to line up for lunch. The song Ants in Your Pants started playing. We started dancing. J. did his own silly dance. Miss Jenny handed out the lunch cards and we went on with our regular day.


Yes, one of them came up with 'regular'.

This story will morph into something else as the days go on - we are working on revision.  But the best part of this time with my kids was when I was writing it and laughing; and they were telling me what to write and laughing and G. says. "THIS will be a good thing to remember in college!"

I hope so sweetie, I sure hope so!

And for anyone interested in seeing the video that started it all, here is the link. You really should click this link. It's funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYWycl8vR5c

I had a great first day back at school with my little darlings! I thoroughly enjoy my job as a first grade teacher and I have to say that a lot of the funny stuff in my life happens in that classroom. The children are so uncensored and honest. It just makes me laugh out loud!

Today during our morning meeting I asked the kids how their break was. The responses were instant: "I got a blah, blah." "I went to so and so's house." "Santa brought me fa-la-la..." And in the midst of it all, louder than all the rest, comes a "How was YOUR Christmas, Mrs. Rulis?" Everyone fell silent. Including me. I looked at the little culprit - how dare he think of someone besides himself! - and smiled. "It was wonderful," I said. "Thank you for asking."

It made my day. And made me glad to be back at school.

Always forgetting...

In the middle of the night I thought of a really funny story that I just had to post to this blog today!! It was hysterical! I even started laughing out loud while in bed. I couldn't wait to share it in the morning. Well, morning came and it, the story, was gone. POOF! Just like that gone. I don't know where it went.

So welcome to another huge reality of mine. Always forgetting. Always. Forgetting. 

If it finds its way back to me I will share it. But it probably won't. My apologies...

Brenna was thrilled to be my New Year's Mascot!!

New Year's Resolutions

Rarely do I make a resolution at New Year's. And if I do I never follow through. Honestly, I can't even remember a resolution I have ever made.

So this year I'm doing it. But differently. I am going to make a new mini-resolution each day. I've made a list of possible daily resolutions. I'm going to keep track of them each day. Does that mean I do indeed have a resolution? To maintain the daily resolution resolution? sigh...it is the first day of the year and already my resolution has me confused.

In addition to daily resolutions I came up with "bigger" resolutions for the year that will require regularly daily resolutions dedicated to the bigger one's completion. Like redoing the downstairs bathroom and losing weight. Those will always be around but I don't want them to consume all my resolution energy. So there are some smaller ones that are more fun like writing a book for children or printing pictures for all the empty frames I have.

And there are some serious ones like spending time with the girls and a regular date night with Don and playing with Rosie and Max. Those are things that if I don't do, I will regret it.

But it is the daily resolution that I make that will count the most. Here is a short list:

• Call an old friend.
• Cook a meal.
• Walk one of the dogs.
• Eat 3 pieces of fruit.
• Find everything funny.
• Exercise
• Play Wii with the girls.
• Read a real book for fun.
• Clean out a drawer or closet.

The list is longer, but you get the idea.  And if anyone has any other suggestions for small daily resolutions, please let me know! New ideas are always welcome.

So Happy New Year my friends. May 2011 find you healthy and happy.

Giving this blogging thing a try...

I love to talk. I'm not sure people want to listen. Or care to listen. But I thought this might be the perfect way for me to tell my story and if someone wants to share it with me, they can choose to read it. If a person doesn't care, they don't have to read it. Sounds ideal right?

I find my life to be somewhat hilarious. Downright funny even. But it is real which is where the name "Almost a Sitcom" comes from. It's funny like a sitcom, but real unlike a sitcom. Don didn't get the name. He thought the "almost" meant I hadn't found someone to play me in the sitcom yet. See? Hysterical!

And while Facebook statuses provide a great title to my silly situations, they rarely give the whole picture. I am hoping this will do that.

Plus it will give me something to do in 2011. Even help me with my resolution - which will be a later post.

So if you want to join me on this journey, welcome! I'd love to hear from you. :)