Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
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?
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?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
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.
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.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
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.
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.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
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.
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.
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.
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