10 Things Thursday

10 things about my summer vacation.

1. It's only half vacation. It's half teaching day camp at our school.
2. It's filling up. I sat down with a calendar last night and wrote down some of what we have planned so far.
3. One thing is an Indians baseball game this Saturday. Julianna is the most excited about it. She can't wait to see...the mascots!
4. Another is summer theater. The first show is tonight and I can hardly wait until then. Hello, Dolly!
5. I have yet to make my chores-to-do list. I guess making a list should be the first thing on the list.
6. Josh and Adam are playing baseball this summer. With practices and games, that should keep us busy.
7. Whenever I ask Jules what she wants to do this summer, she says, "Catch butterflies!" A girl after my own heart.
8. I have a stack of about 50 books to read before fall. You think I'm exaggerating. I'm not.
9. Oh, another thing on the calendar is to see Brave. I am way more excited about this animated movie than I probably should be. But, c'mon, a red haired, blue eyed, Scottish heroine? Perfect.
10. But in spite of the part time work and the full calendar and the long to-do list, it's still SUMMER VACATION!

New List

So you know I love to read. But saying just that I love to read seems like such an understatement. I LOOOOVE to read is a little better. I have a book with me at all times. If it's not in my hands, it's in my bag just waiting to be in my hands. Lately I've been reading a lot of young adult fiction. I like young adult lit because I don't have to wade through all the language and graphic scenes to get to the story. And the stories I've been finding are good...really good. I love a good story and one of the reasons why is because...


I am a writer. At heart if not in print (yet). I have all these stories floating around in my head just waiting for me to stop being afraid of them and pick up a pen. But until then...


I will read. I have discovered that reading the blogs of my favorite authors comes in a close second behind reading their books. They are writers after all, so their blogs are interesting and entertaining and often funny. And the only thing I love better than a good story is a true story. Blogs are true stories. And when you throw in good writing and people from whom I can learn how to write, it's even better. So over the last few weeks...


I have discovered Ally Condie's blog. She is the author of Matched and Crossed and Reached (to be released in November). She has a recurring blog post called "love right now" telling about things that, well, she loves right now. I may steal it. 


Then there's Kristin Cashore's blog. She wrote Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue. This blog is where I found this quote...

"Then, at last, sitting on her stretcher-bed, she took from the very bottom of her pack an old peacock-blue scarf folded around a heavy, square book. She unwrapped it and opened it very carefully, as if guilty secrets might fall from between its pages like pressed flowers. This was Harry's secret. She was a writer."  -from The Tricksters, by Margaret Mahy

I knew after reading that, that this was somewhere I needed to be. 


And last night I found Brodi Ashton. She is the author of Everneath. Which I haven't read but am on my way to get tonight simply because I laughed and cried and dreamed after reading some of her blog posts. How did I not know about her?! 


Because of these lovely ladies and their wonderful blogs, I created a new list on my side bar called Author Blogs. Check them out. And watch for additions. Because there will be additions.  

Blessed Sunday

So, so many blessings!

Summer vacation

Healthy family

Successful school year

End of school year

Wonderful church family

Amazing extended family

Summer job

Love and laughter

Summer theater plans

Answered prayers

A promotion to a new, better, perfect job for Arrty!

God is good! So very good!

Miss Julianna Turns 4

You'd think I'd be used to it by now. I've been through this twice. This growing up of my children. Josh will be 13 in a few months and is so, so close to being taller than me. Adam just turned 11 and is barely a half inch shorter than his brother. I know how fast it goes. I've seen it and felt it and watched it happen. In the blink of an eye.

But with my sweet daughter it's just so bitter sweet. She's my baby. My no doubt about it very last baby. And in the last month or so she has changed into a little girl right before my eyes. No more babies at my house. Sigh. That's okay, though. Because as much as I loved having babies, I adore having older kids. In the last few days, I've been able to plan a party with her. And believe me, she helped in the planning. She has some opinions, this daughter of mine. And she's not afraid to share them. We've been shopping and made invitations and picked out decorations. We've made cupcakes and frosted cupcakes and re-frosted cupcakes after she stuck her little fingers in half of them to sample the frosting. And it's been so much fun. Fun that we haven't had before.

So, yes. My baby is growing up way, way, way too fast. But the growing is so incredible to watch and be a part of. It's amazing that four years have passed so quickly and yet it seems like I've known Julianna forever. I can barely remember a day without this precious girl in my life. But maybe that's because I think she has been in my heart forever. God just waited until the perfect time to put her in my arms. And it was well worth the wait. She is funny and sweet and smart and so, so adorable. She is a gift and blessing in every way.

So happy, happy, happy 4th birthday, sweet Julianna. Mama loves you more than words can say.  

10 Things Thursday

10 of my favorite "words of the day" from www.mirriamwebster.com.

1. cachinnate: to laugh loudly or immoderately
The lady in front of us at the movies cachinnated through the whole thing, which was rather surprising considering it wasn't a comedy. 
2. lunette: something that has the shape of a crescent or half-moon
The boy who threw the rock got in big trouble after it left a lunette bruise on his classmates forehead.
3. bon vivant: a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes especially in respect to food or drink
Considering that my idea of fine dining is soup and salad at Olive Garden, it's no surprise that I've never been accused of being a bon vivant.
4. menagerie: a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition
My kindergarten class is often turned into a menagerie on show and tell day.
5. agog: full of intense interest of excitement; eager
A forty year old mother of three should not be agog while waiting to see The Hunger Games.
6. tranche: a division or portion of a pool or whole
The huge watermelon will be doled out in tranches to the guests at the bar-b-que.
7. shanghai: to put by trickery into an undesirable position
I was shanghaied into teaching Bible class this summer because someone said, "I'll do it if Jen does."
8. hypnagogic: of, relating to, or occurring in the period of drowsiness immediately preceding sleep
Why is it that my best writing ideas occur while I'm hypnagogic and I have to get out of bed to write them down so I don't forget by morning?
9. argot: an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group
Part of the argot I share with my sister is the word "daugherty."
10.maffick: to celebrate with boisterous rejoicing and hilarious behavior
On June 7th at exactly 12:00, the CCS staff will maffick as the last student exits the building!

Adam's 11th Birthday

Adam has, from the day he was born, been the kid that I look at and wonder just where he came from. He was the most adorable baby with his blue, blue eyes and blond hair. So cute and sweet. An easy baby to care for and an even easier baby to love. He was a good eater and sleeper. His smile would, and does, light up a room. He has always been so charming and sweet and funny. But he can have a temper and we called him Jack-Jack when he was little because when he got mad he would turn red like that character from The Incredibles. He is wicked smart (can I get away with using wicked right there?) and hilariously funny and  has been for as long as he's been able to talk. He's a thinker and continuously surprises me with his insight. He has a keen sense of right and wrong and the wrong sincerely bothers him whether it benefits him or not. He worries about me, sometimes too much, and cares about my feelings. He is silly and mischievous and excitable. He can be extremely quiet or extremely loud and is rarely anything in between. And all of that, and much more, is why I often wonder just where he came from. But I really don't need to wonder. Because I know. He came straight from above. He's just an amazing kid. And I'm blessed to call him my son.

Happy birthday, Adam D. Mama loves you more than words can say.

10 Things Thursday

10 things that make me happier than they probably should.

1. Free chai lattes. The free ones taste so much better than the ones I buy for myself or make at home.
2. A gift of flowers. I love flowers. Love them. But I, nor they, should be happy when I am in charge of them. I can kill a cactus. Can and have.
3. A brand new box of crayons. They are so perfect and lovely. I almost hate to let my students use them.
4. Clearance sales. I have to repeat to myself over and over, "Just because it's cheap doesn't mean you need it."
5. Clearance sales on things I'm actually shopping for. I found a great deal on a camera for Josh for his last birthday. It was what I was shopping for and I got a $200 camera for $40. And then a few weeks ago I found a $150 camera for $30 for Adam's birthday. I know! Happy!!
6. Reality tv. It's one of my guilty pleasures. Survivor, American Idol, Pawn Stars, Deadliest Catch...
7. Movie trailers. I pay $9 to see a movie and my favorite part is the trailers for movies I'll have to pay $9 to see later.
8. Comfy shoes. I haven't worn heels since 1991. And gladly so.
9. Someone else taking the garbage out. Anyone. Anyone at all.
10. A whole Diet Coke. A whole one. One that I don't have to share with anyone.

What makes you happier than it probably should?

Mother's Day

This year Mother's Day was much like it's been the last few years. Lunch at Mom and Dad's with my family and my sister's family. The kids are bigger this year and the dad's are slightly wiser and the moms are a little grayer. (Well, at least I am, the only one who doesn't enhance my natural color.) But still, to sit around a table with the Delicious Dozen of our family is just as sweet as ever. If you know us, you know that there is a lot of laughter and stories and food...oh, the food. But to see us all together is more than all that. Twelve people. Three generations. Seven boys and five girls. All loving each other. It's kind of amazing. I hear about families that are estranged or don't see each other for whatever reason and can't imagine it. We all get along. We all support each other. We all share so much that sometimes it's too much. And all of that happens a midst cooking and cleaning and diaper changing and toddler tantrums and dirty hands and muddy feet and video games and go carts and hyper dogs and sibling/cousin spats and lots and lots of popsicles.

And yesterday was one more of those days spent with my two favorite moms in the whole wide world, their kids and mine, and the dads that made it possible. And really, what is Mother's Day about if it's not about watching kids play, eating food grilled by dads, and drinking Diet Coke while sitting on the porch swing in the shade on a sunny day? It was as close to perfect as it could get.

And I have to add that all of this is only possible because of my mom. Many years ago I realized that she is our rock. Our glue. Our north star. Without her we would not be who we are or where we are or what we are. She gave birth to my sister and I and I'm sure she would agree that that was the easy part. Through all of the ups and downs and trials and joys of all these years of mothering all these people, she still is, and will ever be, the very best of the very best. I adore her. 

Wanna Hear A Ghost Story*

I know you do. So here it goes.

It was a dark and stormy night...or a bright and sunny morning. Whatever. The children and teachers were all gathered together in chapel listening quietly to the day's lesson...or wiggling and whispering and not listening at all. Whatever. The school administrator, Fearless Leader, was leading songs, sharing scripture, and telling ridiculous stories just like usual. All of a sudden he told the kids to turn around and look at the back of the auditorium to see the spirit reading the prayer cards covering the whole back of the room. Well, I assumed that it was more of his silliness. But I warned him he better be careful. Kids sometimes see things we don't. Just as I finished saying that, the little boy in the seat in front of me turned around and without hesitation and with big eyes, said, "I see his wings flapping!" My friend, and preschool teacher, Lynelle heard, too, and we looked at each other with surprise. I turned around quickly to see what he was talking about. I saw nothing. But have wondered ever since what he saw.

Fast forward to this morning. I asked Fearless Leader if he heard what the little boy had said that day. He said no, but went on to tell me the rest of the story. While standing in the front of the chapel, he noticed that the prayer cards taped to the wall in the back were fluttering as they hung on the wall. Moving enough that he noticed all the way across the huge room. It was weird, he said, since they hadn't done that before. He had stood in that same spot every single day with the same cards on the same wall for weeks and weeks. No fluttering. Until that day. "It must have been the fan or the heater vent," he suggested.  "Or the flapping wings!" I countered. After chapel this morning I did a little investigation. There is only one vent anywhere close to the mysterious site. And it blows in the opposite direction. And the heat and fans are never on during that time of the day. It wasn't the fan or heat. It couldn't have been. It was the flapping wings. It was. I know it. I just wish I would have seen them, too.

*Okay, so it's more of an angel story. But isn't that better, anyway?

Blessed Sunday

I was blessed to have a movie date with my favorite 12 year old today. He finished reading The Hunger Games last week, so I kept my promise to take him to see the movie. I don't know who was more excited, him or me. Even though I'd already seen it, it was like seeing it for the first time through his eyes. He surprisingly had some opinions about things they left out of the movie that he thought it needed from the book. What fun to share this book and movie with him.

On the way home from the movie, Josh requested Domino's pizza. I obliged (even though it's my least favorite pizza). After we picked up the pizza, he said, "Thanks for taking me to the movies...and for the pretzel and pop...and for the pizza...and for giving birth to me." Well, it's about time he thanked me for that!

Found Pictures

I was going through all my blog post drafts and came across these never published gems. Julianna on her second birthday. All together now...awwwww.  (Update: Turns out they were published back in June of 2010. But you can never get enough cuteness, right?)

Wednesday Word

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.  Matthew 5:9

This verse and verse 10 about being persecuted because of righteousness are my class's memory verses for the week. They have been working on all the beatitudes--Matthew 5:3-10. But this one I spent extra time on. Peacemaker. Shouldn't we all be peacemakers? Don't we wish there were more peacemakers? When I asked the kids what they thought being a peacemaker meant, one said that it was trying to make a problem better. One said it was someone who tried to make peace. Well, yes. A peacemaker makes peace in any and every situation. But even more, a peacemaker doesn't cause unpeaceful situations...someone who carries peace with them and shares it with others. I explained to the kids that the opposite of peacemaker is troublemaker. If you are a troublemaker, you are most definitely not a peacemaker.

And look at what you get if you are a peacemaker. You get to be called a child of God. Picture this. You are playing a game. Any game. With a bunch of other people. And all of the players' parents are standing on the sidelines. And your parent in attendance is God. The father of all. And he is watching you. And he is smiling. And he is leaning over to the parent standing next to him. And he says, "See that one. That one right there making all the peace. That one's mine." Ooohhh. Don't you love that? Don't you love being called a child of God...by God himself. I do. I really, really, really do. That makes me want to be a peacemaker more than anything else.

I get peace. I understand it so completely because I've been without it so completely. I have felt it to my core and I've longed for it without success. I've had my soul flooded with it so powerfully that I felt the very presence of God and I've grasped at it and missed miserably. And through all of those times with peace and without, I've learned that peace, the true peace that passes all understanding, is my favorite gift from above. The one that holds all the others in its hands. The one that can ease my soul, heal my heart, and quench my thirst. The one that guards my heart and mind. The one thing that I never want to be without again.

So a peacemaker I will strive to be. I will carry it with me. I will share it. And I will be blessed. I will be called a child of God. And I will shout from the rooftops that the peace I have is not my own. It has been given to me by the ultimate Peacemaker. The peacemaker who has been and is and will ever be.

Moments

So today Jules and I were running some errands after school. One of the stops we made was the post office to pick up our mail. When we were walking in, she asked me if she could open the mail box. I told her she could and handed her the key. With a few instructions she was able to unlock and open the box and then close and lock it after I emptied it. Then she asked me if she could carry the keys as we walked back out to the car. As I told her she could, I had this vivid memory of having the same exact conversation in the same exact building with Josh nine years ago and Adam seven years ago. That moment, and others like it, make me smile and get all misty at the same time. I smile at the joy and wonder of my children as they do the smallest things and all those amazing memories that I've stored up over the years. And I get all misty because those little kid days are over with the boys and going by so fast with Julianna. These days with the boys have joys of their own, even with the teenage moments sprinkled in. Even those moments have a special place in my heart. And as I repeat these early years with Jules, I am enjoying, savoring even, every single moment. Even the littlest things like getting the mail remind me of what a blessing it is to raise my own children. What a gift they are. What an answered prayer. What an amazing purpose God has given me as I walk hand in hand with these three little souls toward him.

I'm Afraid So

Did you know that the first music video on MTV (back when they used to actually show music videos) was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles? Yep. A song about videos. Now, all these years later, it seems The Buggles were wrong, because I listen to the radio every single day and haven't watched a music video since 1998. But I was thinking the other day as I posted on Facebook that Facebook is killing the blogging star. Well, maybe not all of them because some of them are getting book deals and making money from blog posts. I am doing neither. But maybe that's because I'm finding it much easier to post a short little update on Facebook than sit down and compose and edit a full length post. It's not for lack of ideas. I have those to spare. Maybe it's lack of screen time. Maybe it's lack of motivation. Maybe it's just more satisfying to see that little number pop up beside the notification button on Facebook and know that someone commented on my silliness. Either way I have posted a lot less on my blog since I joined Facebook. I don't know if that's true for all bloggers, but I'd be curious to know. But for now I'm going to cut this short and see if I can figure out how to add a "share on Facebook" button to my blog.

Wednesday Word

Hope.

Blessed Sunday

I was blessed today to spend some time alone with my Adam. He was a great help setting up the book fair. And besides that, he's an amazing kid. Sweet. Smart. And funny. I love him all to pieces.

10 Things Thursday

10 favorites I listed on an info sheet given to the teachers at school by the PTO...

1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Chai latte
4. Toblerone
5. Tacos
6. Movies
7. Daisies
8. Trail mix
9. Oreos
10. White board markers and erasers (not a favorite, but what I could use in my classroom)

Two For Tuesday

The ride home after a day of garnet digging last summer. Mining is hard work.

Blessed Sunday

It was just Julianna and I at church this morning. Well, not just us. There were a few hundred other people, but just the two of us from our family. We sat, us two girls, in our regular seat. She with her books and a bag of pretzels. Me with a Bible and a pink stuffed dragon. (The dragon was hers, too, but I got to hold it for awhile.) For most of the service, Julianna sat on my lap. She got up and down a few times, but mostly she sat with me. And most of the time that she sat with me she was wiggling and squiggling and putting her feet on the seat in front of me and twisting to whisper observations to me. She reached for her pretzel bag and turned pages in my Bible and almost made me spill the communion tray. But I did not make her sit beside me in the long pew. I did not make her get off my lap. Because the one time I thought about asking her to move, I thought of Josh and Adam. My two little boys who used to sit on my lap at church. Now they are as tall as me and are no longer those little boys who wiggled and squirmed there not so many years ago. Jules will be four in a few short weeks and I know from experience than in the blink of an eye, she will be sitting across the auditorium with her friends in the youth group. But for today, and for as many more as she will, she sat on my lap. And I treasured it in my heart for those days when she doesn't.

Spring Break Staycation

It's the end of spring break. The end of a fun filled, but very short week. We thought about going away, but decided to save the money for a longer summer trip. It turned out to be a good decision. Julianna started getting a really bad cold last Thursday that led to a trip to the doctor on Saturday and a round of antibiotics. She wasn't really ready for much fun until Wednesday. With that and a rainy forecast, we made the best of it.

The boys had sleepovers on Sunday night. Adam spent the night with Aidan and Josh had a friend over to our house. Monday afternoon there were naps to recover.

Tuesday was movie day at home, Josh's first spring break request. Always a fun time for us.

Wednesday we all went to see The Lorax which was quite entertaining and reminded me how much I love taking my kids to the movies. Then lunch at Outback and dessert at Jamms. Pretty much a perfect outing if you ask me.

Thursday we headed to Spokane despite another day of rain. We headed way up north to Cat Tales, a cat rescue and training facility. (Adam's first pick.) It was just sprinkling when we got there and wasn't too cold, so we braved the weather to see the cats. The first cat we came to was this amazing white Tiger named Apollo. He is beautiful. But he apparently doesn't like umbrellas because when we got too close to the fence he roared at us to let us know to get back. And we did...quickly.


There were lots of other, less grumpy cats, too. Lions, tigers, leopards, mountain lions, and lynx. There was even a black bear to complete our lions and tigers and bears (Oh, my!) adventure. Since it was raining, there weren't a lot of guests, so we got a lot of attention from the staff. They walked with us and told us the story behind each cat. Some are rescues and some are movie and tv stars. Two of the leopard brothers were the first live leopard birth on tv.







And later, they took the cats out of their enclosures one at a time and went in and hid chunks of meat around for them to find. When they let the cats back in, it was like watching a big, furry egg hunt. It was really fun to watch the cats be so active and playful.





We had a great time despite the rain and were so glad we made the trek.

After Cat Tales we headed to Chuck E. Cheese's, Julianna's one and only spring break request. She loves going there and playing the games and climbing and sliding. She is an expert at the spider stomp game. Probably because it is kind of like dancing...and stomping spiders! She loves the place and the games, but she does not like Chuck E. Whenever he makes his hourly appearance, she dives under the table and hides until he is no longer in her sight. Then she's back on the go. Funny!

Spider stomping...

Spider sitting...

Alien hunting...




And finally, yesterday, we took Josh and Adam to see John Carter of Mars, Josh's second pick. You know I love going to the movies. I love going by myself. I love going with my friends. I love going with Arrty. But I especially love going with my kids. They are terrific movie buddies. All three of them started going to the movies when they were very young since we go to the free movies during the summer. (I think Julianna was about two weeks old when we took her to the movies for the first time.) Josh is great because he gets really into the movies like I do. He laughs and gasps and reacts without worrying about who might hear. I love that. I know that the day will come when he does worry about what the people around him might think. But that day hasn't come yet. And Adam. Oh, Adam. He vibrates with excitement. Literally. I sat next to him yesterday and loved being able to sense what he was thinking just by feeling. During the exciting parts he would just shake. I love that! And besides loving going with the boys, I loved the movie! It was really, really good! I know it hasn't gotten much good PR, but it deserves better. It's a great story and a well made movie. I hope it ends up getting the recognition it deserves.

Today we still have bowling to do. Adam's other pick. Arrty had to teach today so it will have to wait until this afternoon.

It's been a really great week off from school. Some fun. Some rest. I think I may just be able to make it through the last nine weeks of school now. Maybe.

Wednesday WORD

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

History Fair

We had our history fair at school on Thursday. Each class preschool through 2nd grade did a class project with each student helping with the presentation. Julianna's class did their project on George Washington. They colored pictures of our first president and made cherry trees out of toilet paper rolls and construction paper with red fingerprint cherries. The four year olds did a project on the history of macaroni and cheese complete with macaroni sculptures. My kindergarten class's project was based on our social studies unit on children of the world. We learn about how children around the world live and our project shared what we learned. The first and second grade class have been studying several presidents and presented their artwork and writing about them. The third, fourth, and seventh grade students chose historical figures to study and present. And the fifth and sixth graders did a written project about a country of their choice and an oral presentation about a historical figure.

To start the program, the preschoolers led the Pledge of Allegiance and sang and signed "Glory, Glory Hallelujah." Then they and the kindergartners and first and second graders sang "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Skip to My Lou." It was so cute. And only one little boy announced that he "had to pee" during the show. Julianna and Abby were, of course, the cutest ones on the stage. Here's some proof.

They worked on the railroad all the livelong day...

They skipped to the Lou my darlin'...

But mostly they giggled...


Then the third, fourth, and seventh graders gave a dramatic reading of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. It was quite inspirational. And finally, the fifth and sixth graders did their portrayals of historical figures including Mary Queen of Scots, Daniel Boone, Sacajawea, Louisa May Alcott, Thomas Edison, Teddy Roosevelt, and Amelia Earhart. They all did such a good job.

Here are Daniel Boone and Teddy Roosevelt...well, younger, cuter versions of them.

I was very proud of all the kids and what they accomplished. They did a great job.

10 Things Thursday

10 things representing the countries in the kindergarten "Children of the World" history fair project.

1. Australia--stuffed koala
2. China--paper lantern
3. Japan--origami dragon
4. Japan--bowl of rice with chopsticks
5. Kenya--toy animals (elephant, giraffe, hippo, rhino, zebra, cheetah)
6. Mexico--paper flower decoration
7. The Netherlands--tulips
8. Israel--Adras game
9. Italy--plate of pasta
10. Peru--picture of rainforest plants

Blessed Sunday

So I turned 40 today. 40 is a lot of years. 40 years worth of love and laughter and memories combined with some trials and mistakes to make me who I am today. 40 years spent loving and being loved by parents who chose to be a family for me. 40 years for my spirit to grow and learn and follow a path that leads upward and homeward. 40 years filled with people who have touched my heart and helped form my character. 40 years spent watching sunsets, chasing butterflies, and marveling at His creation. 40 years in which I have been a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, wife, mother, aunt, student, teacher, friend, and Christian. 40 years worth of reading books and watching movies and singing songs. 40 years to dream and write and search. 40 years of life lived full of all kinds of wonderfully good things. Yes, 40 is a lot of years. And I have looked forward to this day for a while. Because somehow, it feels like a new beginning. A good time to start living the life I'm meant to live. A good time to look at where I've been and where I'm going. A good time to start living every day with purpose. A good time to count the blessings I have and embrace the ones that come my way each day. So here's to the wonderful, amazing, crazy 40 years I've lived so far...and to the many still to come. I can only imagine what they have in store for me!

10 Things Thursday

10 things in our "100th Day Trail Mix." (To celebrate the 100th day of school, each student gets 10 each of 10 things brought in by the students...and me since I only have 7 students.

1. Honey Nut Cheerios
2. chocolate chips
3. vanilla cupcake flavored goldfish crackers
4. Apple Jacks
5. M&M's*
6. mini marshmallows
7. peanut butter pretzels
8. mini pretzel twists
9. valentine heart candies
10. Nerds

*Why is there an apostrophe in M&M's?

Road Report

As part of Arrty's position with the Transportation Department, he plows snow in the winter. Like big time plowing with the huge, yellow, state trucks with the flashing lights and everything. He leaves the house at an hour that I consider to be the middle of the night and braves the dark and winter weather to go to work to make the roads safe for all of us who will be driving to work or school several hours later. He even plows the highway from town north to just past our house. So most mornings, and especially if there's any weather to speak of, he calls just before we leave for school and gives me my own private road report. He tells me if the roads are dry or wet or slushy or icy. He warns me if there might be black ice or fog. He alerts me to any accidents or other things to watch out for. I really, truly appreciate his updates. It's good for me, a nervous winter driver, to know what I'm getting into. And he knows that about me. So his road reports are much more than just road reports. They are one more way he tells me he knows me and loves me...and is protecting me in every way he can. What a blessing.

10 Things Thursday

Josh and Adam are working on projects for the history fair coming up in March. They each had to choose a historical figure to portray on stage and a country for a written project. Josh chose Daniel Boone and Peru. Adam chose Teddy Roosevelt and Australia. It's been interesting learning along with them. So here are 5 people and 5 places I would choose if I were in their class.

1. Amelia Earhart
2. Georgia O'Keefe
3. Harriet Tubman
4. Laura Ingalls Wilder
5. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
6. Ireland
7. Brazil
8. Greece
9. Switzerland
10. Kenya

Who and where would you choose?

Idol Shmidol

I like to watch singing competition shows on tv. You know, like American Idol and The Voice (which I just discovered and LOVE). I have often caught myself thinking, "If I were on this show I would sing...(fill in the blank with any one of a million songs that I love)." I love to sing and have for as long as I can remember. I sing often. I sing at home and at church and at school and in the car...especially in the car. I sing by myself and with my family and my students...and especially with my kids. I sing when I'm happy and I sing through the tears when I'm not. And even though I'm way to old to try out for Idol or Voice, I don't need to. Here's why.

Sunday at church I was singing, like usual, when Julianna motioned for me to hear a secret. She then, in her most precious little girl voice, whispered, "Mommy, you have a beautiful voice." I was surprised. Not by her sweetness, because that's just the way she is, but by her observation and thoughtfulness in sharing such a compliment. I said, "Thanks, Julie," and went back to singing...even though I was tearing up a little.

So Steven, Jennifer, and Randy and Adam, Cee Lo, Christina, and Blake, I really like you guys and wish you all the best, but I've been judged by a much more important person. She's three years old, her name is Julianna, and she's way, way, WAY cuter than any of you.

10 Things Thursday

10 questions about Facebook.

1. First, why, oh why, did I fall into temptation and join? It is not a good place for someone who is naturally nosy...I mean, curious...to find themselves.
2. What am I supposed to post? Does anyone really care that a kid threw up in my class or that my daughter calls lullabies "luvabies?"
3. What am I supposed to "like?" What if someone posts something sad? Can I "like" that?
4. How can I not confirm friendship? I've taught kindergarten for 7 years. It goes against everything I know to say no when someone asks me to be their friend.
5. Why is it impossible for me to write anything, including a Facebook post, without using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation? (At least to the best of my ability.) It must be just me because lots of other people don't seem to have that problem.
6. Can I really call someone my friend if I haven't spoken to them in over 10 years? Or ever.
7. Isn't it wrong to find out really important information on Facebook? Seems to me it is.
8. When someone is on chat, do they really want to chat? Because I'm not so good at chatting in real life so I'm probably not good at it online either.
9. Do I get free stuff if I "like" a product or business? Because if I get free stuff, there's lots of things I "like."
10. Where does Mark Zuckerberg get all his money? It's free to be on Facebook. There really aren't that many ads that I've seen. The aps that I've seen so far are free. I'm confused by how he can be so rich. But since joining Facebook, I'm obviously confused by many things.

Valentines

The dictionary defines valentine as "a sweetheart chosen or complimented on Valentine's Day." A sweetheart is defined as "one who is loved, a generally likable person, a remarkable one of its kind."

That being true, I have lots of valentines. My four favorites though, are the four I live with. The one who's been my valentine for well over 20 years. The one whose birth made me a mommy. The one who makes me laugh more than any other person in the world. And the one whose perfect pinkness has brought completion to our family. They are all loved. They are all generally likable people. (Generally.) And they are each one a remarkable one of a kind. And today, on this, my 39th Valentine's Day, I am overjoyed to have four such amazing, wonderful valentines.

I love you Arrty, Josh, Adam, and Julianna. You are my valentines today and every day.

Neon

I was walking through Target the other day and saw their new line of neon clothing. The brightest green and pink and yellow seen since the 80's. It gave me a serious flashback to high school and jazz choir. The first year we chose to have our costumes be bright blue, pink and yellow. (Well, they decided. I was too shy to say, "Ummm...really?) It was 1988 though. Those bright colors were cool. So not only did we stun the audience with our talent, we blinded them with "rad colors." And lucky me, I got to wear yellow. (Once again done in by my shyness.) Even in 1988 it was impossible to find a bright yellow dress so Mom had to make me one. It was a very simple pattern. Long sleeves, straight skirt. But paired with the wide black belt and black bead necklace, I was only the fifth silliest looking person on the stage.

The second year of my jazz choir experience we mixed it up a little and added black to our bright colors. Black pants for the boys and black skirts for the girls with neon tee shirts on top with black tees underneath so we could roll up the sleeves and have black edges. The boys wore their black shirts on top and had neon edges.* There was no yellow that year. Only pink, green and orange. I got orange. I know. Super cool. But it was better than yellow.

So either Target is going retro or we were way ahead of the times. Either way, I've done my neon time.

*I only remember the details because I found the pictures when we were de-flooding the basement. I will post the pics for a small fee.

10 Things Thursday

10 things we found while de-flooding the basement.

1. That we have too much stuff.
2. 2 boxes of VHS tapes with stickers that said things like "Seinfeld Finale" and "90210." (The Brenda and Brandon and Dillon and Kelly 90210. Obviously, if it's recorded on VHS.)
3. Several blank VHS tapes. Anyone need them? Kathy, maybe?
4. Boxes and boxes of books. Some that I knew about and some that I didn't. About a third of them survived.
5. That if you have brand new puzzles, they are in plastic bags inside the box. Even if the box is ruined, the puzzle might be saved.
6. Wet carpet is very, very heavy.
7. Bags and bags of stuffed animals that I had stealthily moved to the basement. Julianna has now carried, by the armful, many of them back upstairs to her room...and the couch...and the living room floor...
8. Everyone has a flooded basement story of their own or at least of someone they know. And plenty advice for the clean up.
9. Did I mention that we found that we have too much stuff? Oh, I did?
10. We found out what's important. Everything in the basement could float away today, but as long as the people upstairs are safe, we're good.

When It Rains...

it pours.

Ever heard that saying? Well, I've had one of those weeks. The big finale (at least I hope it's the finale) began early yesterday morning when my husband woke me up at 3:40 am and told me that our basement was flooding. How could that even be possible? We live on the prairie! But with all the melting snow and heavy rain overnight, our backyard was a small lake and we had water about a foot up on our sliding glass door in the basement. That foot of water outside had leaked inside around the door and was covering every inch of our basement in 2 inches of water. Arrty called my dad (because that's what you do when you need something fixed) and he came out to the house and helped block the water from coming in. That was the easy part.

Arrty spent all day Monday getting the water out and when I got home we began the slow process of drying everything out. It took Monday evening and all day yesterday to get everything moved, the carpet up, and the things that weren't salvageable thrown away. One of the hardest parts was the books I lost. I had to throw away at least 6 boxes of books that were ruined. I looked through the first few to see what was in there, but after that I just carried them to the trash pile. I didn't want to know what was in there. It just made it worse. There were a few things that I checked on right away...the safe box holding birth certificates and other important documents and my scrapbooks. They were safe...or so I thought. For some reason Josh and Adam's first year scrapbooks were not on the shelf with all the others and were found yesterday afternoon after sitting on wet carpet for over a day. That's when I lost it and cried hysterically for about a minute and a half. Then I pulled myself together and made a plan. I ran into town and made color copies of all the pages and then laid them out to dry to see what could be saved. They aren't looking so good, so the color copies may have to work as replacements. But I will include a note to the boys reminding them that at one time their scrapbooks were lovingly handmade. Most everything else of significance was either well protected in Rubbermaid boxes or put on shelves. It looks like we will be able to save all the furniture. So we lost our carpet, lots of books, some jigsaw puzzles and board games, and a few other odds and ends.

Now we have to continue to dry out the concrete floor with fans and heaters and then put everything back where it belongs. It was bad, but certainly could have been much worse. It sure is a hard way to get the basement cleaned up.

Oh yeah, and did you know that homeowners insurance does not cover loss or damage caused by ground water? So it looks like we'll have no carpet in the basement for awhile. But the floor sure is clean!

10 Things Thursday

10 things about the dentist.

1. I took all three kids for their 6 month check-ups on Monday.
2. The boys have always been great patients from the time they started going to the dentist and Julianna is following in their footsteps. She was perfect in the chair. No fussing. Opened and closed at all the right times. Shook hands with the doctor. Even chatted a little with the hygienist.
3. Adam is a get-in-and-get-out kind of patient. No small talk, please. (Must get that from me.)
4. Josh is really good at the small talk. (Must get that from his dad.)
5. Julianna chose the pink Snow White toothbrush and pink chapstick and pink flossers. And a purple flower ring from the treasure chest.
6. Adam chose a green toothbrush and orange flossers.
7. Josh chose a red toothbrush and a grown up flosser.
8. I don't know what or if the boys chose anything from the treasure chest.
9. We still visit the same dentist that I went to as a teenager. Somehow he looks exactly the same as he did 20+ years ago.
10. 76 teeth checked, one cavity.

Perspective

It's a good thing I have a 3 year old who still thinks I'm "the best mommy in the world" to balance out the 12 year old who often thinks I'm "the meanest mom in the world."

WooHoo!!

Snow day!!!!

Tagged

Alyson tagged me and I don't want to be it so...

First Things First, The Rules:
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4. Tag eleven people and link them on your post.
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 fun facts about me.

1. When I was 13 I went to Sea World in Florida and wanted to be a marine biologist for about a year. Funny thing is, I can't swim.
2. I have 33 teeth. The normal person, with wisdom teeth, has 32.
3. This year I will celebrate both my 40th birthday and my 20th anniversary.
4. I always eat two fries at a time. And I separate them out into pairs with similar lengths.
5. When I was a teenager I traded babysitting for art lessons. But I still can't draw. Even my kindergartners laugh at my white board drawings.
6. I lettered in high school...in choir...two years in a row.
7. I also took drama in high school. Which if you know me probably sounds unlikely. But that's what I get for letting my dad take me to register for my freshman year. (He also convinced me to take French instead of Spanish because, "Everybody takes Spanish.")
8. Until age 16 I declared that I was never getting married and therefore not having kids.
9. I watch Hollywood awards shows. I know how ridiculous they are and don't really care (or remember the next day) who wins. But I still find them entertaining.
10. I have taught every grade from kindergarten to 7th grade in my 16 year teaching career.
11. I was voted 3rd best speaker in my college Speech class. I guess they didn't notice how terrified I was every.single.time.


Now to answer Alyson's questions.

1. Would you rather be in prison for the rest of your life, or stranded on a deserted island with your closest loved ones for the rest of your life? (Assuming this is a tropical deserted island with plenty of food and such.) I actually had to think about this one for a minute. Of course I don't want to go to prison, but would I want my family to be deserted with me and deprive them of their lives off the island? But then I figured that since there would be fishing for Josh and bugs for Adam to study and a beach for Julianna to play on and seafood for Arrty, they'd be just fine. So I'd pick the island.
2. What was your biggest worry in high school? (Friends, grades, boys, acne, sports, something else?) I surprisingly had a pretty worry free high school experience. I just went, sat, learned what I could, didn't bring any attention to myself, and went home. I got good grades, didn't want a boyfriend (until I had one), had a few close friends (which was all I needed), and made jazz choir both years I tried out. I did worry, though, that my typing (yes, typing) teacher would stand behind me when she yelled "STOP" during timed tests and scare me so that I jumped and squealed. She always seemed to stand behind me for some reason.
3. If you had to be a character in a movie, who would you want to be? Wow. That's a hard one. Scarlett O'Hara? Strong, independent, but such a drama queen. Princess Leia? Confident, able to hold her own, but weird hair. Bella Swan? Two cute boys to choose from, immortality, but I don't think I could deal with all that angst. Thelma or Louise? Cool car, young Brad Pitt, but, well, they die. Dorothy Gale? Cute shoes, cute dog, but wicked witch to contend with. Clarise Starling? Umm, no. Sandy Olsen? Cool boyfriend, great hair, but I would never, ever wear skin tight leather pants. Hmmm. Oh, I know. Belle. She loves to read, is adventurous, and ends up being a princess. All I'd have to do is fall in love with a beast.
4. Would you choose an all-expense paid trip around the world (as many destinations as you want, for however long you want it to be, including your spouse and family if you want), or would you rather have $1 million cash here and now? I want to say cash, but the "for however long you want" part makes me think that I could travel for the rest of my life and have it paid for. I could "travel" in Ireland for a few years, then go on to some tropical island for a few years, then to Australia...
5. If you had to go a year and eat only 5 foods, what would you choose? (Let's assume your nutritional needs are taken care of by a vitamin of some sort.)
1. chicken (it's very versatile)
2. tacos (could be made into taco salad if I got bored)
3. pizza (a variety if I could have it, or pepperoni, mushrooms and olives if I had to pick just 1)
4. watermelon (summer wouldn't be summer without it)
5. potatoes (mashed, baked, fried...)
6. What is your favorite physical feature on yourself? My hands. I don't know why. They're not especially attractive. I've never even had a manicure. And I can't remember the last time I even painted my nails.
7. What is your very first memory as a child? Walking down the path from our house to my grandparents house in West Virginia. It's very green and lush and warm.
8. If you had to move to another country, which country would you choose and why? That's an easy one. Ireland. It would give me opportunity to research my family's genealogy and I would be able to understand the language (sort of). I've read of people who travel to a different country and feel like they are coming home. I think Ireland would feel like that to me. Hopefully I'll get to find out someday.
9. What movie can you watch over and over and over again? I'm not an "over and over and over" again kind of movie watcher. But I will watch "Grease" every time I catch it on tv. Oh, and the Fast and Furious movies. I love them.
10. What is one job that you'd like to do, but can't or wouldn't because of circumstances? (circumstances such as: it doesn't pay well enough, the hours are bad, you don't live in a place where there's a great need for marine biologists, you don't have the body type to be a professional figure skater...) A professional dancer on Broadway. (Stop laughing, all of you.) I am fascinated by the effect dancing has on people. Just watching a really good dancer can be really moving. I have just in the last few years learned to appreciate dance as art. But I am way to old to start now. (At least I'm going to blame it on my age.) I'll just have to enjoy the kitchen dance sessions that I have with Julianna.
11. What is your secret phobia? (I'm not talking spiders or being alone or public speaking, I'm talking about the weird and totally irrational one that you don't like to admit to.) Oh, there are so many. I guess they all stem, though, from the fear of severe anxiety attacks and having one when it might be dangerous to me or others to be irrationally afraid. I am blessed to have very few these days and to have learned to control them most of the time.

Now, 11 questions for those I tag.

1. What was your favorite subject in school?
2. Pepsi or Coke? Chocolate or vanilla? Soup or salad?
3. If one holiday was going to disappear forever, which would you vote to lose?
4. Who was your favorite teacher and what subject and grade did they teach?
5. If you could only own 3 books, what would they be?
6. If you would have been able to name yourself, what would your name be?
7. Do you have reoccurring dreams and if so, is there one you're willing to share?
8. What is your favorite season and has it changed over time?
9. What is your dream vacation and what 3 things would be "musts" while there?
10. What 5 television shows, past or present, are your favorite?
11. If you were a tree (or plant of any kind), what kind of tree (or plant of any kind) would you be?

The 11 victims. (I don't know 11 bloggers (counting the ones that Alyson didn't already tag) well enough to tag them, so if you are not a blogger and I tag you, you can email me your answers and I will post them for you on my blog.) And if you choose not to play, that's okay, too. But it is a good exercise in creativity.

1. Ada
2. Kelly
3. Kathy
4. Marci
5. Amelia
6. Francis
7. Mom
8. Monica
9. Kim
10. Phil
11. Mel

Girl Time

Yesterday after school, the boys wanted to hang out in the youth center with some of the other kids from church. I told them they could since I had a few errands to run anyway. So Julianna and I went to Target to look around and pick up a few things. We still had time after that, so I asked Julianna if she wanted to go to the library. She said, "What's the library?" After I stopped crying, I told her what it was. I guess she doesn't remember the few times we've gone in her short life. Working at a school, having book loving friends to borrow from, and having a "library" of our own at home doesn't give much cause for using the public library.

When we got there, I was surprised at how busy it was on a Tuesday afternoon. But when we walked in I saw why. Every computer station was full while very few people roamed the book aisles. I headed toward the young adult section to look for "Fire" by Kristin Cashore and was glad to find it on the shelf. Then I led Jules to the kid's area. She loved it. She looked in every nook and cranny at all the books and toys and puzzles. It was really fun to explore with her. After a while I let her pick out a few books to borrow. It was all very exciting. But the best part of going to the library is that it's quiet. My life doesn't lend itself to being very quiet. At the library you don't have a choice. It's just quiet. So wonderfully, gloriously quiet. I think my little girl and I may just have started a new Tuesday afternoon tradition. Girl time at the library.

If...

If I asked you what one book you would say I must read, what would it be?

Bedtime Conversation

The other night when I was tucking Julianna into bed, she told me that she needed to take her phone to bed. Here's the conversation:

Jules: Mommy, I need my phone.
Me: Why do you need to take your phone to bed?
Jules: Abby is going to call me.
Me: She is? Isn't it her bedtime, too?
Jules: Yes but she is going to have trouble.
Me: Trouble? What kind of trouble?
Jules: Trouble with her light. I might have to use your car.
Me: Use my car? Why?
Jules: To go help Abby with her light.
Me: Umm, I'm pretty sure her mommy can help her with her light.
Jules: Oh. Okay.

Recess Duty Today

Recess duty today felt like recess duty in late March or early April. I loved it. The kids were running and chasing and playing soccer. I walked around the playground five times and enjoyed the activity of it. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and my hands and toes stayed warm. It was lovely...well, as lovely as a walk in the sunshine can be while supervising 45 children. But, I am not fooled. I know full well that it's still winter. And in a few weeks, when there is three feet of snow on the ground, I will remember this day, this warm, wonderful day, and smile. And I will look forward, once again, to a North Idaho spring with days that feel remarkably like today.

2012

Christmas Weekend

Christmas this year was pretty much perfect. I had a week of vacation before the holiday weekend which gave me plenty of time for all the preparations without feeling stressed. I also didn't get stressed at all because I didn't let myself get stressed at all. I was determined to have an easy, smooth, relaxing holiday weekend. And it was.

Monday I finished my shopping and didn't even mind standing in line which I only had to do a few times. Besides that, waiting in line is a perfect time to watch people, one of my favorite past times. Tuesday I cleaned house and played with the kids. Wednesday I wrapped presents and played some more. Thursday Arrty and I split up the kids and took them shopping. Adam chose to spend his own money on a gift for me. He was determined to get me something perfect. (And he did. The new Lady Antebellum cd which I love! He's a very thoughtful kid.) Then Thursday night I watched Christmas movies with some of my favorite girls who could hardly believe that it was my first time seeing "A Christmas Story." (Thanks, Katrina.) Friday was spent making goodies (lemon bars, cream cheese drops, fudge, chocolate covered pretzels), finishing up the wrapping, and making a pre-Christmas dinner (ham, augratin potatoes, green beans, apple asiago bread). And all that was done with very minimal, if any stress. Aaahhh.

Saturday we went over to Mom and Dad's house for lunch (West Virginia sandwiches, homemade fries, and cookies for dessert). Then we opened our traditional Christmas Eve gift--pajamas. Since we were getting ready to go to church, the kids held their pajamas in front of them instead of wearing them in the annual "jammies in front of the tree" picture. Then we went with the family to their church's Christmas Eve service. It was nice to get to sing and worship with Mom, Dad, and my sister and her family. Then we went back to Mom and Dad's for cookies and tea. Then to our congregation's first annual Christmas Eve service. It was lovely. I enjoyed it very much. After all that, it was still before 6:00, so Arrty drove us around town to see Christmas lights. There were lots of great displays, but my favorite was the one in a local neighborhood that played to music on the radio. It was very entertaining. Then we headed home for snacks and animated Christmas movies. It was a great day.

Sunday morning we got up early and opened stockings and presents. The kids were thrilled and that means I was, too. This was the first year Julianna has really been able to participate in the whole process. It was so fun watching her open presents and appreciate each one. She was laughing and jumping and absolutely loved every minute! It was different this year with the boys. They are at an age where they've kind of outgrown most toys. So they got video games, movies, and books. Which they liked a lot, but I so missed the scattering of Transformers and Legos and Matchbox cars. But I did enjoy the scattering of Barbies, Littlest Pet Shop and Fur Real pets. After presents we ate egg nog french toast and ham. (Yes, I made egg nog french toast.) Then we all got ready and headed into town for church services. (That made three times to church in two days. The kids were a little overwhelmed with that prospect when we told them the plans for the weekend. And, honestly, I was, too. But it turned out to be such a blessing. It was a great way to keep Jesus at the center of the holiday.)

After church, we went back to Mom and Dad's. We had lasagna, salad, and Ada's homemade bread sticks for lunch. Even though some people around the table thought it was a weird Christmas meal, I loved it. It was simple and yummy. After a record breaking fast clean up, we all gathered in the moose room to open presents. Dad and Mom had a special treat in store for us. They had planned to share a childhood Christmas memory with us. As they told their stories, the room was silent as all eyes and ears were on Grandma and Pappy. Their stories were wonderful and will make for a good blog post someday. Ada had suggested that we open gifts one at a time so everyone could see what everyone else got instead of a free-for-all like last year. So we went around the room from youngest to oldest and opened gifts. It went amazingly smoothly and even Julianna and Abby were very patient while waiting their turn. Only one gift was opened out of turn when one of Dad's "fell off" the couch and mysteriously came open. It was all very suspicious, if you ask me. It took awhile for 6 adults and 6 kids to open several gifts each, but it was well worth it to see the faces on all the recipients as they opened their gifts. Every one was happy and overwhelmed with all the gifts...especially when we had a $10 limit for the grown ups. (Amazingly, we all won, earned, or were given things that we gave to others in the family...books, gift cards, movies, and I even got a beach blanket and umbrella from mom. The creativity of sticking to this new limit was one of my favorite parts of the day.) After we picked up all the paper and boxes, the boys took their new air-soft guns outside to shoot, Abby vacuumed with her new mini pink vacuum, Julianna got all dressed up in her new princess dress up clothes, and Asher watched it all looking adorable as usual. After a little more clean-up and visiting we headed home.

Christmas night we watched movies and played and just kind of soaked it all in. It was an amazing weekend. So peaceful and full of love. And so full of Jesus. Just as it should be. A lot of Jesus and a lot of family with a few gifts and some really good food thrown in for good measure. Hope yours was just as merry.

Blessed Sunday

Christmas vacation.

Reason for the Season

I've always shied away from cards and gifts that say "Jesus is the reason for the season." Not that there's anything wrong with that saying. I guess I just feel like everybody knows it already. It's the celebration of his birthday after all. I don't need my Christmas cards to remind anyone of that. But over the last few weeks, I've needed reminding myself. I had lost sight of the reason for the season. I was preoccupied with what my kids would like to find under the tree and the fact that I wouldn't be able to buy every single thing on their lists. But the sad thing is, their lists were in my head. The boys have asked for only a few things...airsoft guns, a game for their DS, and a silver dollar (they both collect coins). And Julianna, for the last several weeks, only wants "a dog that walks." (Luckily she means a toy and not a real dog. We already have two of those.) But my list was full of electronics for the boys and sparkly, pink things for Jules. And I was beating myself up over the fact that I couldn't provide all their (well, my) heart's desires. Until last week when I voiced my concerns to my friend Kathy. She didn't say much, but her just listening and me being able to share it, helped so much. And for the last several days, God's been reminding me of the reason, His reason, for the season. Like when my sister told me the story of a 6th grader at a local middle school asking for laundry detergent, toilet paper, and dishes and silverware for her family on her Christmas wish list. And the outpouring of support for that child and others. And when I went to the church giving tree to pick a child for my class to support and received two gifts the very next day from the parents of my students. And I'm sure that by Friday, our little one year old boy who likes balls and puzzles will be well supported by all of the families in our class. And then there's the fact that our school (with 50 students) has collected well over 100 books to donate to Books for Tots. Giving, sharing, loving. That's the reason we're here. That's the reason for this season and every season.

So on Christmas morning, my kids will be spoiled because not only will they have a warm house and clean clothes and an amazing Christmas meal, they will each have three lovely gifts and a stocking full of treats. They will have two loving parents who are willing and able to provide for them. They will have smiles on their faces not just because they are unwrapping presents, but because they have people and a place that make them feel safe and loved. And they will know, because their mommy knows, the reason for the season.

Books, Burgers, and Trader Joe's

I went to the Scholastic Book Warehouse sale yesterday. If you've never been to the book warehouse and are a book lover, you should go. It's literally a warehouse full of books. Shelves from the floor to tall enough that I have to stand on my tiptoes to reach the highest one. (And yes, I know that's not that high. But still.) You can find everything from board books for the youngest reader to kid's picture books to young adult lit to adult best sellers. With some pencils and posters and bookmarks thrown in for good measure. And right now almost everything is 50-80% off. To give you a little perspective, Kathy and I were in the warehouse for 3 hours. 3 hours. Granted we go up and down every aisle (sometimes twice) and pick up anything that looks remotely interesting and read the back. And I couldn't help but think, "So many books, so little time." It would take me year to read all the books I picked up and thought, "Oh, this looks good." (I chose 4 including The Reading Promise.)

During this trip we were looking for books for our classrooms, Christmas gifts, and Books for Tots*. The best deal is the "Build-a-Box." For $24.95 you get all the books you can pack into the provided box. The books for this are usually older or something they have an overabundance of, but there are still lots of good finds. The average person can probably pack around $100 worth of books in the box. Kathy can pack $300 worth of books into the box. That's why I go with her. So for 25 bucks I got at least 20 books for Books for Tots with a few extras for stocking stuffers for my students and kids thrown in for good measure.

After our book shopping, we were hungry. We had decided to go to Wolffy's, a 50s themed hamburger joint. The lady in Kathy's phone told us how to get there, but when we got there, it was gone. Hmmm, we were just there...12 years ago. So we decided to eat later and go on to our next destination, Trader Joe's. The phone lady led us right to Trader Joe's and guess what was right next to it! Hogan's, a 50s themed hamburger joint! We happily went in and ordered. Kathy got the bacon cheeseburger and a chocolate shake and I got the bleu cheese burger with bacon and a hot chocolate with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkles. (I was freezing!) The food was yummy and the service was good and the music was wonderfully retro.


Then to Trader Joe's we went. Neither of us had ever been there, so it was a fun little adventure to explore all the quirky, unique items. And the employees seemed thrilled to be there and were so friendly and helpful. I bought a few snacks and treats for my family and a few stocking stuffers. Then we headed for home. We were happy with our book finds, full of yummy food, and thrilled that we got the last four boxes of Trader Joe's Candy Cane Coal to be found in the Pacific Northwest. It was really fun. And a much needed break from real life for me. I think this little excursion could easily become a new tradition.

*Our school is collecting books for Books for Tots until Thursday, December 15th. Our goal is 150 books, so if you'd like to donate, just drop them off and we'll add them to our collection. Thanks.

Wednesday WORD

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ~Luke 2:8-12

Dilemma

Every year at this time I have a dilemma. It's this. Do I do a gift exchange in my class? Some teachers do. Some teachers have a book exchange. Some do treat bags and everyone brings a little something for everyone else. I can never decide what to do. It's really fun for the kids to bring a gift for a classmate. They love the giving. And it's fun for them to get a little toy from someone else. In the past, when I've had a gift exchange, I've had all the boys bring something for a boy and the girls bring something for a girl with a $5 limit. (I always bring a couple of wrapped gifts in case someone forgets.) It's always been fun with a few exceptions of kids not being happy with their gift or wanting what someone else got. But is a traditional gift exchage outdated? Unwanted? Silly? What do I do. Here are my options.

A. Traditional gift exchange with $5 limit.
B. Book exchange. (I give my students a book every year no matter what we do.)
C. Treat bags with everyone contributing small treats for each other.
D. No gifts exchanged. Just a party with treats and games.
E. None of the above. (Share your ideas.)

What do you think?

10 Things Thursday

10 things you can find at our annual CCS Craft and Gift Fair this Saturday.*

1. This Stephen Lyman "Moonlit Flight on Christmas Night" signed and numbered print. I've had it for years and have never been able to frame it or display it. Even though I love it, I'd love even more for someone who would enjoy it more to have it. (And I really hope to sell it so that I have some money for Christmas shopping.)
2. Bubble bath. Avon bubble bath. I have a few craft fair customers who come every year and buy bubble bath.
3. Jewelry. Avon and Silpada along with others.
4. Stocking stuffers. Lots at my booth and even more at others.
5. Rice bags. You know. The wonderful ones that you can heat up in the microwave to keep you warm on those cold, winter nights.
6. Photography. A budding photographer friend will be taking shots with and without props. A great time to get those Christmas card photos. One pose will be provided free as a way to promote her new business.
7. Booths to benefit World Vision supporting children sponsored by our school's classes.
8. Yummy baked goods. Our PTO is famous for their amazing bake sale booth.
9. Lunch. Mr. D. is cooking up a full turkey meal available in the kitchen. I know you just finished off your turkey from last week, so you're bound to be ready for some more.
10. 35+ vendor booths selling a huge variety of handmade crafts and gift items. You can get all your holiday shopping done in one stop!

Bonus: Me! I'll be in booth #14. Stop by and say hello.

*Coeur d'Alene Christian School on the corner of 4th and Hanley.