The Latta Family

 I may  have told you a time or two- I am a special ed teacher.  I tend to work with students who have learning disabilities, ADHD, or Autism.  Occasionally I get to talk to the faculty and try to advocate for my kids. When that opportunity presents itself- I like to try to help teachers realize that areas where they struggle and how that feels . . . is how our students feel.  I think it helps people to be more empathetic.  I start this post- to say that I am NOT making light of the struggles that students or adults with special needs experience.  I have experienced something this morning- that made me go, "My God- how do people with special needs do this everyday?!  No wonder some of our kids behave the way they do!!!" I started exercising again.  I started back in April.  One of the women I work with- has a side gig as a certified personal trainer.  I asked her- if she would be willing to help me.  I reached out to her.  She is someone I feel safe with.  I knew she'd pu

 I am having a hard time getting myself in the mood to go back to school.  Between my struggle to sleep without a heavy dose of melatonin and my weirdo dreams- I believe I have some nerves about the upcoming school year.  I went by school today to beg one of our front office staff to print something in color for me- so I can make a super cool bulletin board for one of our hallways.  While I was there a student that I know well was there.  He was telling me a story and I was totally cracking up.  It reminded me that over the years- kids have said some pretty dang funny things to me.   Today's story:  this young man apparently encountered another young man- who just graduated- at the grocery store.  The other young man "was bucking up" and today's young man said, "C'mon man!  Not in front of the steaks!"  I agree.  Fighting should not happen in front of steaks.  Probably keep that kind of activity to the beer aisle, or in front of the paper products.  Defi

 I missed out on being an evil overlord.  Well, maybe I didn't.  Maybe I needed years of being a high school teacher, a wife, and a mother to develop my manipulation tactics?  I am particularly impressed with my most recent  . . . we'll say "handling" of my family.   Many many many years ago, some friends introduced us to the game of Dominoes.  We love to play Mexican Train.   In case you've never played- the overall goal is to place all of the dominoes you selected- in a train/row- so that you have zero points.  We play this game a lot.  During Quarantine- we played every night.  We've been playing fairly frequently this summer.  The trouble is . . . some of my family is VERY competitive.  VERY.  So there's a fair amount of trash talking by those family members.  The other trouble is we have different types of strategies- and sometimes some people don't like the strategy style of others.  In order to combat some of the negative feelings and make our g

 My inner monologue has been real weird lately.  Weirder than even usual- sooooo that's pretty weird. There's this account I follow on Instagram.  The man is a landscaper and makes content showing him edging sidewalks and other areas.  Whenever I watch him edging, it is so soothing.  I mean- look at the before of this spot, it's all overgrown and weedy.                                                                  Now look at it!!  The edges are so straight and tidy.  How productive does this guy feel when he completes this task?!?!?! Look at this edge.  The grass is growing over the timber.  It's all scraggly and messy.   Now look!!!!!! Last one- I promise.  Look at this messy walkway!!!! And now . . . . .  There's just something about the tidiness, the accomplishment that appeals to me.  This has become one of my favorite accounts.  Just watching him make these nice straight lines along walkways and stones.  It's oddly soothing.

 My gardening endeavors feature heavily onto this little spot of the web.  Mostly because I use this as a memory to myself of what worked at what didn't.  What I loved and what I didn't.  What I can look forward to- and what I hopefully do not repeat again.   This years garden situation has been filled with deeps lows of frustration and high levels of love and hope.  This sounds like the beginning of an epic love novel!  I am so poetic.  LOL  Anyway- let me refocus back to the garden.  To start this year- I was sooooo hopeful and CERTAIN- beyond a shadow of a doubt this was going to be my best garden year EVER.  People would stop as they drove by in amazement for this lovely patch of yard.   I began prepping last fall a full 6 months before I planted the first plant- with some top quality manure from a friend's horse barn.  I knew this manure was going to be like magic fairy dust.  It was going to be so magical- that I would simply just have to sprinkle seeds gently over th

 I have just finished my 23rd year of teaching . . . I think.  Or maybe it was 24?  I don't know- that's not the point of today's post.  The point is- I have a lot of summer's under my belt.  Enough summer's that I have a pattern.  Four stages that I go through.   Stage 1: This stage happens the day summer begins for me. I am a whirlwind of productivity.  I cannot be stopped.  It lasts approximately 2-3 weeks.  This year I ran several errands: making deliveries to the Goodwill, Spectrum to return cable equipment, and a variety of other errands I put off during the school year.  I also wrapped up several projects: getting Alexa's new desk done, my desk done, the garage cleaned, shelves hung, the baseboards wiped down, floors mopped (behind the fridge too), and light fixtures cleaned.  Every day- I am a BUSY BEE.  I have completely wiped school from my brain- and ain't no one gonna talk to me about it or think about it or do anything for it.  I forced Alexa to