You know I love the South...

but right now I'm irritated that living in the South can mean sharing my air with small-minded, uneducated people.
So, I'm "retiring" from public education. I love teaching; I hate all the other crap that goes with it. Working full-time in a career that seems to be spinning out of control because of the rules, regulations and beliefs of people who have never worked in education or who have forgotten what it's like to be a teacher, is just more than I can handle. So I'm not returning to the school I've been at this year. I LOVE the school, but it's just too much. (I didn't intend for this post to be about this, but I guess I needed to preface a little.)
Anyway, so I'm looking for a part-time preschool job. I LOVED teaching preschool last year. I loved the other teachers (not my two crazy assistant teachers who weren't worth a toot) and I loved the kids and their parents. And I got paid very well. Unfortunately I worked for a crazy lunatic who micromanaged everything (including how many paper towels we could use every day--seriously) and who needed medication to manage her OCD/ADD/Bi-polar disorders. A friend of mine who I worked with last year told the director of her new preschool at a local Southern Baptist church that I'm interested and that she should hire me. The director called and we talked tonight. All was going well until she said, "So Lisa told me you're Mormon." "Yep," I say. And she asked me to explain my beliefs. No big deal. She said it's not an issue for her, but she can foresee there being problems for some of the old men who sit on the church's preschool board. I have to write a "statement of faith" to let them know what I believe. She really stressed that I need to talk about my "walk with Jesus." (What does that mean, anyway?)
Seriously? In this day and age I have to defend my religion? I could understand that they don't want someone who's not Christian to work there. I mean, it's a church preschool that teachers Bible verses and stories and has chapel every Wednesday. And I understand that as a private facility they have the right to hire who they want. But good grief, who does not know that Mormons are Christians?

This is why I don't introduce myself with "Hi, I'm Wendi, and I'm LDS." Because I have had SO many friends and co-workers, who after knowing me for a while, say "You're Mormon? Really? You seem so normal." (I know--normal is relative and I'm not sure I'm actually a normal Mormon, but that's beside the point.) I wonder if I would've even been friends with some of these people if they had known from day one that I was LDS.

So, I wonder if I should include a picture of my family with my resume. LOL I'd probably have to write a statement of genetics to explain how Wesley is black and his parents are white. :)

Spring Break is Definitely over...

So I haven't posted since the first week of April. That's because Spring Break is over and we're all back to the daily grind of getting up (too early), going to school, working/learning/playing (mostly work for the two old folks in our house), coming home, eating, and going to bed. Not much else happens during the week, except for cleaning the house, taking Maddie to gymnastics, grading papers, doing things for my side business (monogramming/embroidery), umpiring (well, that's Aaron but he's gone most nights), dealing with a teething 11-month-old, doing Primary things, making meals for those who are sick or just had a baby--you know not too much to keep me busy. :) Seriously, I just have too much going on to post. In fact, I haven't even gotten on to anyone's blog in abotu two weeks. CRAZY! I can't wait for summer!!

It's finally been confirmed...LOL

TV Reviews

Self-Portrat

All right, my friend, Amanda (we go way back to high school--running around Brunswick with Leah and Elizabeth at all times of the night) challenged readers of her blog to post self-pictures. I told her I usually avoid pictures, but that I would do this just for her.

We've changed a little since most of you saw us last.

(Okay, I am totally cracking myself up over this one. Am I clever or what?)

CLEAN house

I LOVE having a clean house. And it used to make me crazy and grumpy when my house wasn't spotless. Unfortuntately my standards have slipped some in the past few years--especially this year. Working full-time will do that to you! Something has to give and it's usually housework.

Since I'm out on Spring Break this week and the weather has been cold, overcast, and just plain ol' yucky, I have been cleaning and organizing like crazy. For the first time in a long time, everything in the house (j the first floor--the basement doesn't count, although it's almost there) is clean. Well, okay, Maddie's room isn't but it's almost clean. I've stopped cleaning it and started packing up things that she leaves on the floor when she goes to bed at night. Mean mom, I know, but she's such a packrat (between the Clanton and Smith genes, she's doomed!!) and I can't stand the clutter that she thinks she has to have. Watch out--you'll probably see her on Oprah someday talking about her packrat disorder. :o)

Anyway, if you've ever been to my house and a door was closed, it's because the room was messy and I don't like people to see my messes. If you haven't been to my house, this is how my house ALWAYS looks. LOL

Living Room

Kitchen

(with UGLY fake green marble kitchen counters that I will someday replace)

Dining Room

Master Bedroom(The walls are really not purple--they just look that way at night. It's a pretty off-blue, I promise.)

Master Bathroom

My Closet

Kids' Bathroom

Wesley's Room

Maddie's Pigsty

They're BACK!!

Call me what you want, but I had to post after watching the Today Show this morning and seeing my middle-school hearthtrobs on the show. :) Yep, New Kids on the Block are back together, baby.
And I might be going alone, but I will be going to see them if they come to the Atlanta area on their new tour. :)