Ebay

Needing some advice from my blogger friends. I'm just not having the luck on Ebay as I usually do. I'm wondering if it is ME or the Economy!?!

I have some smocked dresses-really nice/expensive ones, Gymboree clothing, Lily Pulitzer dress, etc. and I'm afraid to put them on because lately I've been paying seller fees and NOT selling! Quite frustrating.

Here's one of my frustrations--they separate the 6-9 and the 9-12 when you know most clothing is runs 6-12 months. So do you usually do it 6-9 or 9-12 or do you do both and pay additional fees? I know I usually do it closer to how it runs..whether it runs smaller or larger, but it is still really frustrating!

So, do you have any advice? I almost am thinking about putting them out here on blogger world and if you are interested you can pay me through Paypal. Do I have any lookers? Buyers? Is this legal?

Help me out!
Thanks!

D.R.A.M.A. at the PreK level!

I don't even know where to begin! Small town drama is getting very old and I wish our house would sell so that I could just whisk myself away from it all.

Long story short...my son's school (church preschool) has got some drama going on with it right now. It is not a big school, just some mother's morning out programs, 2 year old classes, 3 year old classes and then a prekindergarten. I'd say they have about 80 kids there total--including full and part time. It is only a 9am-1pm program. Quite quaint, you'd think. The administration--director, assistant director and 'helper' (I guess you would call her) all stand outside each morning and afternoon to greet and wave goodbye to parents. We've now coined them with the term "Walmart Greeters" because apparently that is all they do.

I've begun seeing how great the teachers are, how hard they work and then see how little the administration does. For example, they'll have 7 2 year olds in a classroom with one adult and nobody helps them in the bathroom--which is down the hall, I might add. Shouldn't this poor woman have help when taking all these kids to the bathroom?

Well, just recently another parent and I arranged a field trip to Publix--the local wonderful grocery store--and when the teachers told the director the plans, she told them we couldn't do it because she didn't feel like dealing with another field trip. The thing is, THEY don't deal with the field trips--WE do it all along with the teachers--WE drive, WE make arrangements, etc. So, the other parent went in and talked to the director and she was very positive saying that she'd look at her calendar and see if that is something they could work out. I'm thinking, "Just look at your calendar right now--is there anything on it? Ok, let's send out the permission slips then." It's about power with them.

Here's the other biggie--I worked there. I worked there 2 years ago and I KNOW how they work. They weren't too bad with me, but bad enough for me not to go back. The other thing is I can't say much b/c I worked there and know too much. I know that they tout that they have Chapel once a week and Music once a week and they don't. I know that they tout having field trips almost monthly in their advertising...and they don't. I know that the teachers need help and they don't help them. I know that instead of subbing for a teacher who is out, they take the helper from the other classroom to fill in so that they don't have to.

It is also important to note that the only reason I sent my son there this year was because the school I was going to send him to had to shut down their prek class b/c they didn't have enough kids. I had him enrolled somewhere else and then last minute had to put him here.

I really like his teachers though. And that is what I have to remember is most important and is who he deals with on a daily basis. I have to remember that they are the ones influencing his life.

Here's the next thing....in his class of 13 there are 2 teachers. They've been there since day 1. Well, one of the teachers--the teacher assistant--got called into the director's office and told that since there are only 13 kids in the class and not a higher number like last year that they are probably going to have to cut her down to 3 days a week because they can't pay their bills for the summer if they keep paying her. Well, it's practically FEBRUARY people. Wouldn't you have thought about this back in SEPTEMBER when there was STILL only 13 kids in there? This poor girl is so stressed about money and how she is going to pay her bills if they put her down to 3 days a week. And the big thing is that they aren't telling us parents. Well, this parent knows and is going to keep an eye out and see if they really do take her down to 3 days a week. And what really gets me is that the director and the asst. director pay themselves all summer long, too, when they aren't even there. So, maybe they should cut down what they get paid all summer long in order to keep their teachers there for the kids? The assistant director just now came on as working 5 days a week--she did only work 3 until this year. And now she's on 5 days a week this year! Shouldn't they have thought about that at the beginning of the year?

It is making me crazy. And it is so small town drama-ish. It's like middle school. I want to go in there and scream at the top of my lungs that I'm sick of them getting away with this! They are blaming the 'preschool board' saying that they don't know how they can justify this to the 'board'. The board doesn't know ANYTHING that's going on...it was like that when I was there!

I actually called a couple of other schools to see if I could get Big Brother in there, but they are full. Plus, I have to remember his teachers that he deals with everyday are great. It's the administration I can't stand.

Hopefully Daddy can start taking him to school and picking him up again now that he's back in town b/c I hate it!

Thank you for letting me vent. I was told I need to just 'kill them with kindness', but that would be killing me!!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I'm so sorry I've not been around! I've had several things on my mind to post about, but then reality sets in and I'm off to do something else. Lately, I'm a little 'twirly' my friend likes to call it. I guess it is hyper and stressed at the same time, possibly is the way to explain it? I have so much on my mind, the biggest being big brother's tonsil surgery on Monday. It is just weighing very heavily on my mind. For some reason I've just been overboard in letting us have fun and do stuff because I feel like he's going to be down and out for so long that I want to make it fun now.

I even gave in and just off-the-cuff bought him the Diego Halloween DVD at Target. I swear that place is like crack. It is so addicting. I could've just spent and spent and spent. Bought Miss Bug some cutie pie socks and found some cute shoes but not in her size. Will be buying them online thankyouverymuch. Then bought a light-up spiderweb for outside so we aren't lame-o's!!!

For some stupid idiotic reason I have decided to be into making the kids costumes this year. It is just easier that way. Big Brother wants to be Wall-E. In the catalog he's $54.99. I.don't. think.so. Now if only I can make a cardboard box not look like a cardboard box but like Wall-E, we are in shape!

Since we call Babygirl Miss Bug, I thought she'd be DARLING as a ladybug! She's just little and it's so freaking HOT here that I can't buy her costume. I don't want her throwing a fit, pulling at her clothes and burning up. Would not make a pretty picture.

So what does my dumb a$$ do? I go to JO-Anns. I find the ladybug pattern. I go to the correct bin to purchase it. Nope, not there. I call my mother, panting, hyperventilating. Sewing IS NOT NOT NOT my thing. It scares me to death. I can't draw a straight line with a freaking ruler, so please don't put me behind a needle for heaven's sakes. I tell my mother that this place is freaking me out. She says no worries that she'll bring her sewing machine and we'll do something simple. I'm all about simple. I've got a red onesie, black material, a head band, etc. I'm on it. Miss Bug is only going to be 1 year old for crying outloud. This means she'll go to maybe maybe half a dozen houses..probably just my friends/neighbors, and then she's done. finished. over. it.

So here I am rambling again. I guess I needed to let all this out.

My parents are coming over the weekend to help out with Big Brother's surgery. He has no clue. I think it's best that way, but it is weighing heavily on my heart. Poor little guy. He has no freaking clue. Hubby and I have decided he 'works' better that way. He's such a trooper. I told my mom that she has to be the strong and rational one during surgery. I told her I'm the one allowed to be twirly, she's not. She has to be the strong, he's-just-fine-I-promise person. This is Daddy. He is the stable one. He is the calm one.He is the easy-going one. He's the one going to be out of town. We knew this when we planned it, but I am coming to regret it a little. I know we'll be fine. It's just that he's my rock. He really is...always makes everything okay. But he has to travel that week. And so we asked my parents. My mother is WONDERFUL with my son. They ADORE each other. He likes her better than me! :) I guess that's what Grandma's are supposed to be for, right?

And Miss Bug's birthday is October 18th so you know I found the perfect invites........it's not a big party. But the invites must be as stinking cute as she is, you know? I'll post them soon, I promise. Must get camera ready, etc.

Ok. Have to finish the cupcakes I baked for Big Brother's class because they learned about the letter 'c' this week. And am putting candycorns on the top.......another 'c' word. So clever I am!
And then must watch debates..........which is a whole new post, if you know what I mean!

I am a dork

I'll admit it. I'm a dork. I stress and perseverate on the weirdest things. Okay, so maybe they aren't weird, but they definitely aren't life-threatening or life-altering situations. Here's an example of what I'm talking about: it's our daughter's first birthday next month. I'm already fixated on the 'perfect' birthday invitation.

Will we be having a big shin-dig? No.
Will we be inviting everybody and their brother? No. (Not yet--hee hee)

But I'm ALL ABOUT the invite. I have issues. I love paper. So, at times like this I get literally giddy about getting to pick out invites, announcements, Christmas cards, etc. ( I also love address labels/stickers, notecards, wrapping paper...) I am on the hunt for the perfect 1st Birthday Party invitation for Miss Bug. I don't want it all foo-foo. We aren't foo-foo people. I don't want princesses, tiaras, castles, and blush and bashful everywhere. But I do want cute. I want it to fit her personality (or mine--plaid of course--just kidding--not really). I'm thinking about going to my favorite little shop on the Island to look at their stationery. I usually buy their card stock and print it myself. It's SO much cheaper to print it at home. (The whole 'lining it up just perfect and centered and matching font is a whole 'nother post.) I found Miss Bug's birth announcements there. I also found Big Brother's previous birthday party invites there. Of course I also have to try to think up some cute and catchy phrase to go with the invite. That about puts me over the edge, but I have a friend MixMingleGlow who sometimes helps me out. She is THE master party planner. The pictures from her kids parties are INCREDIBLE and make me want to be 7 again just to have her plan my party. Seriously.


I also have other things I'm picky about like this though. I'm wondering if you guys do too? What are you so so so selective about? For example, I'm also picky about bedspreads/comforters. I bought a comforter for Big Brother and wasn't 100% satisfied with it. Did it last? Not so much. It was cute for that 'time' but as he got older he just outgrew it. I did trains. This time I picked a seersucker. I like the seersucker because I feel it is more timeless. You know? I'm also like that about photographs...........and what to dress my kids in for them. It's school picture time for Big Brother and his little private Pre-K has an awesome photographer come in who I probably wouldn't afford on a regular basis, so I take advantage when he comes to their school. Last year Big Brother's pictures were awesome. Of course he wore a blue Polo. What will he wear this year? The typical white Polo? The red Polo? blah blah blah. And you think I have good enough shopping to just go and pick up something cute? Not so much. What to do? What to do? That will consume a few moments of my time until I realize I don't have time to fester on this crap and just pick something out. I'm a mom of two now, not one! And you KNOW if I pick out a nice white crisp shirt that it will be all nasty by picture time. Unless I turn into that high-maintenance mom-you know the one--who brings the shirt on the hanger and has the teacher put it on the child right before pictures and then take it off right after? That may be me....


So, this is officially a rambling blog from the Plaid Girl. I just am realizing this is why I don't post when I'm tired. Because I risk the chance of boring my girlfriends!

In conclusion, what random silly stuff do you become consumed with when you know it's doesn't really matter? And do you have a new cute shirt for my boy for school pictures?