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.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
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."
Friday, January 20, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 09, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
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.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Monday, December 26, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
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, December 07, 2011
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
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
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?
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?
Thursday, December 01, 2011
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.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
A short story...
Once upon a time, there was a kindergarten teacher who loved her job...most of the time. She loved teaching children their letters because she knew that would lead to teaching them to read. She loved teaching children numbers because she knew that would lead to adding and counting money and telling time. She loved teaching art and poetry and songs. She loved new crayons and glue sticks and even the smell of new Play Doh. She loved teaching. But she didn't love child care. You see, every afternoon, this kindergarten teacher gathered all the school's preschool students into her classroom to provide child care for working moms and dads. And as much as she loved each little soul who walked through her door, she did not love all that it entailed to care for them. She did not love the fight to get them to be still at rest time. She did not love the bickering over toys or the tattling. She did not love the mess that the whirlwind of 18 preschoolers left in its wake at the end of each day. And this teacher, as much as she fought it, began to have a bad attitude about her job. She didn't like that. She wanted to be happy about the place God had placed her. She wanted to laugh and play and make school fun for all her students--morning and afternoon. So she decided to make some changes. She was going to be more consistent and firm about the rules. She was going to have more structure for the students to follow. And she was going to pray really hard for each little child in her care and for herself to have more patience with them. She wondered if it would make a difference. She hoped, for all their sakes, that it would.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday
I stayed home from church with Julianna yesterday because she was up all night coughing and just didn't feel good. She laid on the couch or sat on my lap all day. It made me worry a little because even when she's sick, she is normally up and around some. Then at 2am this morning she was fussing in her bed and I went in to check on her and noticed she felt a little warm. By 4am she was throwing up. So I'm home with her today, too. Really?! Whooping cough isn't enough? We have to have every cold and flu, too? That's it! We are doing whatever it takes to build up our immune systems. Eating more veggies. Taking more vitamins. Washing our hands until we no longer have fingerprints. I am sick of any of us being sick...and it's not even December.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Breaking Dawn
Yes. The title of this post is referring to the latest installment of the Twilight movies. I saw it yesterday afternoon with two of my Twilight pals. We are not those silly kind of fans who wait in line for days and see the midnight showing on opening night. (Although we know some of those.) We are those silly kind of fans who at least wait until Sunday of opening weekend. The funny thing is, I've read the books. I know what's going to happen. There's really no big surprises in the movies. Especially at this point with this being the 4th movie in the series. Bella is going to be angsty and awkward. Edward is going to have great hair and be charming in a teenage vampire sort of way. Jacob is going to be angry...and shirtless. And the plot is the same as the book. Human bride/vampire groom wedding. Some sort of weird, time warped pregnancy. Wolves growling. Crazy baby name. Disgusting birth scene of half human-half vampire baby. It's all in the book and all in the movie. But I went to see it anyway. "Why?" you might ask. Well, these movies are just so bad that they're good. They will never win any Oscars. But they are fun. Just pure fun for anyone with an open mind to the ridiculous. And I guess that fits me.
So here are my thoughts about the major scenes in the movie.
The wedding scene. Nervous bride. Smiling groom. Unsure father of the bride. Human and vampire wedding guests. (Including a cameo by author Stephanie Meyer.) Lovely dress. Sincere vows. Romantic kiss. It was sweet.
The wedding toasts. Emmett...umm, are you sure you want to give him the mike? Charlie...so hilariously protective. Renee...really, lullabies? Edward...so sweet with his promises of love...forever.
The honeymoon. I loved that the bride and groom were nervous on their wedding night. It was so refreshing to see two teenagers in a movie who were nervous about the whole consummation thing and who knew it was a big deal and took it seriously. And if you've read the book, you know that vampire/human relations are not, ummm, normal. The broken furniture and flying feathers were hilarious.
The wolves. It's no secret that I am a wolf girl. The vampires are nice and all. But, come on, you have to admit the wolves are more fun. They laugh and play and howl at the moon. The scene where they are reading each others thoughts but we can hear is so very cheesy and great. The whole mysticism part of the book was well portrayed, I thought. So compared to other movies with mind reading werewolves, it was really good.
The pregnancy. So creepy. So gut wrenching. So weird. So good. And drinking blood through a straw out of a Styrofoam cup with a lid. Priceless.
The names. E.J. for Edward Jacob if it's a boy. Okay. I get that one. But I loved that they kind of make a joke of the whole Renesme thing. The look on Jacob's face when they tell him is perfect. He's thinking what we all were when we read it in the book. Really? Renesme? Really?
The delivery. Okay. It's disturbing to say the least. I won't go into details for fear of spoiling it for those who plan to see the movie. But be prepared to groan and look away for at least a part of it. And plug your ears if you can.
The baby. She's cute. After she's cleaned up a little. But please, call her Nessie.
The imprinting. Jacob imprinting on Nessie is very interesting. I know the whole subject has caused a lot of controversy, but I liked how they showed it in the movie. It was less creepy than it could have been.
The change. We all know that Bella becomes a vampire. But watching the change is kind of fascinating. This is one scene where having read the book changes things. You know that she is feeling what they all felt as they changed to vampires...excruciating pain. And yet she is lying there motionless, controlling her screaming so that she doesn't upset Edward. Such a Bella thing to do. The movie doesn't go into that and you'd miss the importance if you didn't go in knowing it.
The final shot. Unexpected. And pretty much perfect.
So there it is. I am slightly embarrassed to say that 1) I paid (matinee price) to see this movie and 2) I not only admitted it on the world-wide web, but spent more minutes of my life that I will never get back writing about it. But it made me happy. It gave me two hours of uninterrupted silliness in an otherwise mostly serious life. And, if you must know, I'll even buy it on dvd when it comes out so that I have the whole collection. You can come over and we'll have a Twilight marathon. Come on. You know you want to.
So here are my thoughts about the major scenes in the movie.
The wedding scene. Nervous bride. Smiling groom. Unsure father of the bride. Human and vampire wedding guests. (Including a cameo by author Stephanie Meyer.) Lovely dress. Sincere vows. Romantic kiss. It was sweet.
The wedding toasts. Emmett...umm, are you sure you want to give him the mike? Charlie...so hilariously protective. Renee...really, lullabies? Edward...so sweet with his promises of love...forever.
The honeymoon. I loved that the bride and groom were nervous on their wedding night. It was so refreshing to see two teenagers in a movie who were nervous about the whole consummation thing and who knew it was a big deal and took it seriously. And if you've read the book, you know that vampire/human relations are not, ummm, normal. The broken furniture and flying feathers were hilarious.
The wolves. It's no secret that I am a wolf girl. The vampires are nice and all. But, come on, you have to admit the wolves are more fun. They laugh and play and howl at the moon. The scene where they are reading each others thoughts but we can hear is so very cheesy and great. The whole mysticism part of the book was well portrayed, I thought. So compared to other movies with mind reading werewolves, it was really good.
The pregnancy. So creepy. So gut wrenching. So weird. So good. And drinking blood through a straw out of a Styrofoam cup with a lid. Priceless.
The names. E.J. for Edward Jacob if it's a boy. Okay. I get that one. But I loved that they kind of make a joke of the whole Renesme thing. The look on Jacob's face when they tell him is perfect. He's thinking what we all were when we read it in the book. Really? Renesme? Really?
The delivery. Okay. It's disturbing to say the least. I won't go into details for fear of spoiling it for those who plan to see the movie. But be prepared to groan and look away for at least a part of it. And plug your ears if you can.
The baby. She's cute. After she's cleaned up a little. But please, call her Nessie.
The imprinting. Jacob imprinting on Nessie is very interesting. I know the whole subject has caused a lot of controversy, but I liked how they showed it in the movie. It was less creepy than it could have been.
The change. We all know that Bella becomes a vampire. But watching the change is kind of fascinating. This is one scene where having read the book changes things. You know that she is feeling what they all felt as they changed to vampires...excruciating pain. And yet she is lying there motionless, controlling her screaming so that she doesn't upset Edward. Such a Bella thing to do. The movie doesn't go into that and you'd miss the importance if you didn't go in knowing it.
The final shot. Unexpected. And pretty much perfect.
So there it is. I am slightly embarrassed to say that 1) I paid (matinee price) to see this movie and 2) I not only admitted it on the world-wide web, but spent more minutes of my life that I will never get back writing about it. But it made me happy. It gave me two hours of uninterrupted silliness in an otherwise mostly serious life. And, if you must know, I'll even buy it on dvd when it comes out so that I have the whole collection. You can come over and we'll have a Twilight marathon. Come on. You know you want to.
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