Nag Diaries - Top 10 Things I Learned While Packing

1. That old box of books sitting in the garage has been food for the moths.
2. KEEP YOUR ALLEN WRENCHES!
3. Dont have a quickie in your now empty but staple, tack and screw laced bedroom floor.
4. Lock the door if you do so.
5. Dont pack all of your clothes if you are not sure of what day you will actually leave.
6. Same goes for clean underwear.
7. Don't let your husband pack.  That box with no label and taped up neatly is full of trash.
8. Your 10 year old REALLY doesn't need ALL of those stuffed animal toys.
9. Husbands who are not caprentry inclined should stay AWAY from taking furniture apart.
10. If all else fails and you have too much crap to put on your truck, craiglist it.

Bye, Bye Bye

Credit

One more day.  Tomorrow I will be leaving the state of Texas to start anew with my husband and daughter.  Wow.  I am scared a little.  I have never really lived on my own so far away from my family.  Granted I have been here in Texas with my sudd-muffin and daughter for the last year in my grandmothers house but this is different.  We have to rent our own apartment - never done that before.  We have to start a new life in Gulfport - is it possible?? 

Today is my 32nd birthday.  I can't believe God blessed me with another year.  The last 2 years my life has been a valley, a pathway though hell.  Although I don't speak much about the REAL dun, dun, dunnnnn issues I have had, I am a different woman, still changing, morphing, learning.  I pray I am able to find the balance that I seek in this new place.  I pray that 32 will be a turning point.  I pray God will put people in front of me to bless.  He has blessed me so much.  I could be dead.  So thankful. So thankful. So thankful. 

So my prayer for today is that the Lord will create in me a clean heart so that I can serve him, that he would bridle my tongue, help me to pray for my enemies, help me to see the enemy in me, help me to be thankful for the storms that he brings me through, help me to see opportunities where I can be a blessing and help me to not be so shallow at times because I am.

I also pray for my folks that I have come to know in Texas. I thank them for letting me in their lives a little bit and allowing me to be in theirs.  Pray for me.

Change baby change

I'm going to be changing my blog soon.  This one is soooo boring and I would like to capture my move from the "North" to the South, me being a California girl and all....most people that fountd out I am moving to Mississippi gave me this, "You're moving to Mississippi, why there?" line of questioning.  I know what they say about the South.  Yes, I am black.  Yes, I am moving to Gulfport, MS. 
Yes, I am intimidated just a bit at the possibilities of......but at this moment in time, those possibilities are just that - possibilities.  I have no idea what will happen in MS.  That isn't my concern right now.  I am trying to focus on making this move as smooth as possible, making sure baby girl is in a good school, can adjusts well and getting my mind/body back on track so I can continue to be a good wife and mama and make an impact in this new community I will be moving to.

First up - the schools
I wanted my daughter to go to Bayou View Elementary because according to the reports is the Highest Ranked school in that district and a National Blue Ribbon school but I found out the school is full and was directed to Anniston Elementary.  I did not want my daughter to go to 28th Street Elementary School at all. So I have to fill out an In-district transfer request.  Yay. 

I went to each schools website to compare Anniston Elementary vs. 28th Street Elementary School.  Yes, those are the websites for each school.  *Sigh* - my first thought, "who is the webmaster & why are they stuck in the land before Steve Jobs, Java, Dreamweaver, xhtml and all the new-fangled website making tools.  I am moving past the aesthetics though.  The state of Mississippi has got some things right. 

Teachers are not allowed to teach in a public school WITHOUT certification, at all, unless you go through Kelly Education Services (they handle ALL the substitute teaching jobs for this area and you just have to have a Bachelors degree).  The state of MS is a strict follower of the No Child Left Behind Act. Their report card is here.  Honestly, I did't know what most of that stuff meant except the MET and NOT MET so it looks to me Annistonis doing just fine.  I am calling them tomorrow though to get more info. 

Next up - School Lunch 
I have had issue with my daughters current school lunches for some time which is why I usually make her lunch to take but since we are moving, I gave myself a break.

They cant even call it lunch or breakfast because they give the bare minimum to meet standards and get the maximum back for the free school lunch program. 

The vultures.

Yesterday I took lunch to my daughter & sat down with her.  On the menu for yesterday was pizza, broccoli, pineapples & milk.  The pineapples looked good.  That was about it.

After reading Mrs. Q's blog Fed Up With Lunch about school lunches I was really intent on finding out what MS schools would be serving.  So I went back to their dinosaur website for the Gulfport School District and wouldn't you know it, THEY POST PICTURES OF THEIR FOOD ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.  I couldn't believe it!





Credi

They even have school cooks, something I haven't seen in YEARS. 

  I was impressed but I am all about the seeing it with my own eyes so we will see when we get to Gulfport next week what the real deal is.  Until then.  I still have to pack.  The house is a mess.  I don't want to pack anymore.  I'm going to be a southern belle now so I's wants my sweet tea and umbrella so I can sit in tha shade and fan myself.  But dang it, I have to find a girl scouts troop in Gulfport.  Shoot.

Southern Miss I will be......

So, I agreed with the sudd-muffin to move to his home town of.......drum roll please...........

Gulfport, MS.  As if I needed more Podunk than Grand Prairie, TX.  Gulfport is beautiful!  There are lot's of trees and it is right on the water - I love the beach.  We tried find a place WAAAY away from the water.

They have some nice apartments there and it is a Military city.  The entertainment industry is non-existent though.......which is a bummer.  Their schools on the other hand have pretty good reviews believe it or not.  I have to apply for my baby girl to go to another school outside of our neighborhood though - yay.  The on apartment that I REALLY wanted is not in our budget right now per the sudd-muffin.

So we found cheaper digs which in the long run will save us money and give us time to pay off bills and save up for a house!  The apartment had a screened in porch which I thought was AWESOME!!!

The carpet was nice.  My daughter was soooo helpful by taking off her shoes. 

If anyone ever decides to move to Gulfport, The Columns is THE BEST and Dina was the greatest leasing agent EVER!

I have already quit the J-O-B so there is no turning back.  Then again even if I weren't moving, I still would have quit.  It was draining.  So glad to be leaving.   Excited about moving and tired from apartment hunting.

Next up....I will post some of my FAV memories from my last job.  This. Should. Be. Good.