Surprisingly, DH seems to really like them--in fact he suggested that I do the dining room table with them so he could show them to DS and any friends who come by! Hmmm! Maybe he's gonna become a dishaholic too! Wouldn't that be great? LOL I'm not usually into logos on things, but I think I will try to use these once a month or so for DH to enjoy. (And to remind him of how lucky he is to no longer have to work those long hours and deal with all the problems for his union members.) DD, yes, he is a locomotive engineer. Just got his 30 years in so that he can retire! He has been a local chairman also for the last 28 years! Being local chairman helped with the time off part at least to some degree, but you are so right, they get called to work any time of the day or night and can work from 6 to 16 hours and never know which it will be! Can be really hard on marriages and families--luckily I had allot of training before hand--he was in the military for 11 years too! How long until your DH will get to retire? Tell him to stay safe, and bless you for always being there for him when he does get to be home. ;o) Luvs

You are probably well aware of what YOU'D like to receive as a little gift, Stacie... your hubby no doubt has favorites, too, and probably a list of "Oh, no, not another one of THESE!" LOL!! Here are some ideas for you... Great Gifts for Teachers Special Gifts Ideas for that Special Educator Better than apples! A+ gifts for teachers Great Gifts for Teachers After you read through these ideas, you will see that most teachers like something they can actually use... at home or in the classroom, like a gift certificate, cookies, homemade breads, a supply of pencils, markers, a tote... Bet you'll find something that is just what your hubby would like to receive! So probably his colleagues would, too!

Don't give him cold shoulder. Lay it all out. Specifically. I don't like it when you _____________ because I feel _____________ when that happens. Then tell him what you will do. Example. My 7 year old (yep, because that's how old your dh is acting!!) keeps not appreciating what I do for her. Not only that, but acting like a little brat prior to us doing fun stuff. I finally told her today that I am tired of feeling like this. I told her I cannot control what she does, but I can control how I react to it. So the next time she doesn't listen to me about eating in the living room or whatever, I'm not going to get all upset. We're just not going to do the fun stuff we had planned. Then I won't feel that she's taking advantage and martyr myself. End game. I think she got it. So, what will you do when DH does something like that? DH: I think your tattoos are hideous. You: I apologize for my husband. That was innappropriate to say to you, a guest in our home. Would you like to come with me to the patio for some tea? DH: Rush Limbaugh is an idiot, I don't see how any smart person could listen to him. You must be an idiot. You: It's obvious we have different opinions on this subject. Aren't politics a heated subject!! By the way, Aunt Jen, this is a lovely coffee cake. How did you make it so fluffy and light? By doing that, it takes the attention from him, lets him and everyone know that you won't stand for it, and lets him off without the humility of being kicked or told off. Just smile, and cut him off at the chase. Diffuse while in the heat of it, then when you get him alone have specific things to tell him, without anger or blame.

Oh yeah, he loved it! I've got a Christmas morning picture, haven't had time to get it off the camera yet.. I'll get to it this weekend. That is a cat in the background. That's Riley. I was working in his space. He lives in the garage. Can't come in the house, he has a spraying problem. He's been neutered, but the behavior won't go away. It's a shame because he's such a sweet boy. We have 5 cats, 3 of which moved here from neighbors homes. We tried returning them, but they wouldn't stay. Liked it better here, so the owners said "just keep them, they obviously like you better". Cats know where they want to be. You never "own" them. Another one moved here from Tennessee while we were visiting there last February. It was about 20 degrees and he camped outside our door. He was huddled on a plastic grocery bag. By the 3rd night he was sleeping in our bed, when we got ready to come home he got in the car and moved to NC. His name is Gatlin, he came from Gatlinburg. Totally off topic, the old lady is rambling now. I'll post the Christmas picture soon! Ramona