Monday, February 28, 2005

The Trap is Set!

I'm sitting at the computer, reading blogs and minding my own business when I realize that Clover's cage is on the floor of the dining room and she's making little squeaky noises. I investigate. What do I see??? SPARKY!! She's chatting with Clover about how to get into the cage for a little dinner & drink. Clover, being very happy to be safe and caged, has no idea how to get out to let Sparky in.

I set Sparkys cage on the floor, door open and place a huge bowl of mouth-watering hamster kibble inside (the far side of the cage of course!). Pretty soon she ignores the fact I'm sitting on the floor next to the cage & comes to check it out.... the smell is too tempting. Sparky starts up the little ramp that is her cage door, realizes it's a trap and tries to turn around and run. HA! I anticipated that and was too quick for her - I flip the door up & shut sending Sparky flying across her 12" wide cage only to land in the kibble. She's too happy to have food to worry that she's been caught.

Sparky's caged again, mission accomplished.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

Sparky is MIA - again

That hairy little beast is an escape artist! She's gotten out of her hamster cage again. I hope we find her before the cat does!

Friday, February 25, 2005

TGIF?

I started my day thinking "Thank God it's Friday!" I've been fighting off bronchitis and battling the cough from hell all week (makes for a great night's sleep). There was a full moon this week, add that to 19 preschoolers & you've got a killer combo (literally).

It's the last Friday of the month so it's P.J.'s day & we usually only have about 12 - 14 children, not our usual 18. I love Friday. Everything was crusin' along just fine until I'm pulling into the parking lot from lunch, my cell phone rings - it's alien #1's school counselor - he's been in a fight on the playground & is deep in the poo-poo. I get that settled and walk back into my classroom and the little critters are STILL awake - they should all be napping soundly by now. Then I realize I still don't have the monthly classroom newsletter done (due yesterday!) so I run out and finish that off quickly. I come back, give a few of them "the look" and for the most part, they quiet down & go to sleep.

Nap is over, kids are up, snack time is done, we're down to 8 little critters and life is good until........... we find out that another teacher has to leave early so "a few" of her little critters will be joining ours. My aide goes down to find out how many "a few" is and comes back with EIGHT of them! Our numbers have doubled and the fun has just begun.

It's a bit hairy but we muddle through and about 4:30 my aide leaves me with 6 kids - NO PROBLEM! (HA!) Who knew that the intestinal tract of a 4 year old child held enough of anything to plug up the sewer system of the entire building!

O.K. well, maybe not the whole building but it sure made one big mess in our bathroom. One toilet in our bathroom overflowed and continued to do so every 10 minutes for a half an hour! I spent 30 minutes cleaning up that crap (no pun intended) then had to send someone else's aide to go get disinfectant to mop the floor with. Geez what a way to end the day. I need a drink, make it a double.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Actress Sandra Dee Dies at 63
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 20) - Actress Sandra Dee, the blond beauty who attracted a large teen audience in the 1960s with films such as "Gidget'' and "Tammy and the Doctor'' and had a headlined marriage to pop singer Bobby Darin, died Sunday. She was 63.

In my dreams......

You are Betty Grable!
You're Betty Grable!


What Classic Pin-Up Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Illinois Temperature Conversion Chart

@ +70 degrees
Texans turn on the heat and unpack the thermal underwear.
People inIllinois go swimming in the rivers.

@ +60 degrees
North Carolinians try to turn on the heat.
People in Illinois plant gardens.

@ +50 degrees
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Illinois sunbathe.

@ +40 degrees
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Illinois drive with the windows down.

@ +32 degrees
Distilled water freezes.
The Wabash River water gets thicker.

@ +20 degrees
Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and woolly hats.
People in Illinois throw on a flannel shirt.

@ +15 degrees
Philadelphia landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Illinois have the last cookout before it gets cold.

@ +10 degrees
People in Miami all die...
We from the Land o' Lincoln lick the flagpole.

@ -20 degrees
Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Illinois get out their winter coats.

@ -40 degrees
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Illinois are selling cookies door to door.

@ -60 degrees
Polar bears begin to evacuate the Arctic.
Illinois Boy Scouts postpone"Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.

@ -80 degrees
Mt. St. Helens freezes.
People in Illinois rent some videos.

@ -100 degrees
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Prairie Staters get frustrated because they can't thaw the keg.

@ -297 degrees
Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products.
Cows in Illinois complain about farmers with cold hands.

@ -460 degrees
ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero in the Kelvin scale).
People inIllinois start saying, "Cold 'nuff for ya?"

@ -500 degrees
Hell freezes over.
The Bears win the Super Bowl!

Hamster Hunting

I'm sitting here, minding my own business & catching up on some blogs when I see something move out of the corner of my eye.... it's Bubbles (the hamster). She's just cruising along, three rooms away from her cage.

Alien #1 (oldest son) grabs a glass to catch her in, she runs under the backpack left lying on the floor (it's usual spot). Alien picks up the backpack, Bubbles doubles back past the cat's water dish.

I move my foot, scare the hamster & it jumps straight up, landing in the cat's water bowl. She quickly recovers and dives for the ever-growing pile of crap next to the alien's boots. The alien trades in a glass for my good Pyrex measuring cup & captures her. The wild beast is returned to her cage.

You have no idea how funny it is to watch a 4-inch long hair-cover sausage waddling along and suddenly jump straight up. It looked like a loaded spring had been released right under her and she went straight over the edge of the cat's water bowl.

My life, never a dull moment.

Update

It's been a long time since I've even been online. Between work, my car and all the garbage with my children, there hasn't been much time for blogging. So.... let's see about a little update here....

*car has been fixed (again), I got it back a couple of days ago
*youngest son has lost a couple of teeth
*older son has had his first detention (didn't turn in book report)
*my friend, the model, is getting married & I'm helping plan the wedding
*still searching for counseling for the aliens
*we have a new hamster (Sparky)
*kids let Sparky loose in the house 2 days after getting her (found her 3 hrs later)
*Mom had the flu
*Mom got better, Dad had the flu
*Dad got better, I got the flu
*Sister is still trying to import her husband from Costa Rica (they were married last October)

*I was stupid enough to get my naval pierced (what the hell was I thinking???)
*Job is going o.k. I guess, still looking for work elsewhere
*Still can't find a date (If you're single, age 35 - 50 & are gainfully employed, drop me a line.........just kidding!)

Not much happening as you can see.

I am looking for a new name for my blog so..... if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.

Now I'm off to catch up on blogs I haven't read in a long, long time......... until later.