We've Arrived!

The drive was very nice. No snow on the road but there was quite a bit of snow on the hillside....very pretty. I miss the snow. I don't realize how much I miss it until I see it again. Nancy put a pic of her old house on her blog (you should check it out) and it has LOTS AND LOTS of snow all around it......so pretty.

Tomorrow will bring lots of adventure for Dennis and I, as we will be watching the Brady Man!!! He's so sweet and such a happy baby!

The Phone is Working Now

Yup, we've been without a phone for a couple days now. Something with a bad wire or something. The guy came out today and fixed it....although (before he did anything), he was almost positive it would end up being a problem inside our house.....but he was oh so wrong. I think the wire went bad with our last wind storm we had.

We head over to see J, K, and B-Man tomorrow! We're pretty excited about it. Brady's walking now, so it's gonna be pretty cool to see that. J and K have to work on Monday so we get to babysit the B-Man! We'll be coming back on Tuesday....and that is when I will finish my little project. I am about 98% finished! Woo hoo!

I need more time!

I'm working on a project that should have been finished last month!!!! And with me going over to Y-town for4 days has put me way beyond schedule. I'm maybe only 10% finished....15% if you squint your eyes. Another draw back to visiting for so long.....my hands are soooooo dry! I'm totally use to the humidity here and over there it is dry, dry, DRY! And the problem I have with lotion is that when you go to wash your hands afterwards, they get all slimy...ewwww!

Happy, happy, Friday!!!

Home Sweet Home

I got home around 1pm and was napping shortly there after. It snowed most of the way and when it wasn't snowing it was raining. It was kinda sketchy going over the pass because my windshield washer lines were frozen!!! I couldn't spray off any of the mud and grime that got on my windshield and it was getting pretty hard to see......so I improvised! I slowed way down and rolled down my window just enough to get my arm out. Then I poured water from my water bottle on my windshield....it worked pretty well......However, as I found out later, if you drive too fast the water doesn't go down the windshield, it comes back in the car. I stopped at the next gas station to fix the problem...which didn't work. I then drove another 45 minutes and stopped at McD's for breakfast and to kink the lines to break up any ice......and.....viola'! It worked!!! Although, I think I only needed to use them maybe once from then on. Oh well, at least I fixed them.

Here are a few pictures from the holiday!

Spirit Fingers!!! Crazy Aunt Cindy made them do it.

Me and my baby brother! I really like this one.

My super cute nephew Hunter. He was trying everything to not have his picture taken, but then I snapped this!

Merry Christmas!!!!

I hope y'all are having a very merry Christmas! It's been great seeing all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. There will be one more addition to our family in June. My cousin and his wife announced today that they are having a baby! My nana was soooo excited!.....She was just beside her self. After spending Christmas morining at my nana's, I made several merry ho-ho phone calls and visited my friend and when to my mom's house. I also made a trip out to see my older brother. He came down with the flu yesterday morning so he steered clear of human contact so he would spred his germs. He was feeling much better today....almost back to normal. My baby brother has also been in town since early December. We've had fun just hanging out and picking on one another. I got a really great picture of us....I'll have to post it when I get back home.

Well I wish everyone had a very merry Christmas. Till next time......hasta pasta!

Bitten

That is what my wonderful husband got me for Christmas! It is the new clothing line from Sarah Jessica Parker!!!! And I love, love, LOVE her! You can only get buy it at the handful of Steve & Barry stores in the US......but he found some on eBay!!!!! I told him I wanted to be surprised for Christmas and he did it! I had no clue that's what he got me.....besides I had only mentioned it once after watching an episode of Project Runway (which the challenge was to make an outfit for her clothing line). He picked out the greatest things!!!!!! He's so sweet!!!! I love you honey!!!!

I'm off tomorrow. I leave about 7am. I'm not sure how the blogging will go because I don't know if I will have access to the internet. So in case I can't blog, I wish everyone a very happy holiday!!!

Preparations

Monday I leave to visit family so I have been making sure Dennis has everything he needs while he's home and I have everything I need. A complication has arose for Christmas Eve afternoon, so I'm hoping I can work through it. Frustrating, it is....but I guess it'll just make me a stronger person. However, bigger than that, Dennis will not be coming with me because he has to work the day before and after Christmas. We were planning on both going over for Christmas, but because of a change came up, he was only able to get Thanksgiving off. So, I will be making him a Christmas dinner tomorrow and we'll be exchanging our gifts then too! I got him some really cool stuff....He's just so sweet and loving I just can't help myself!

Collateral Damage

After dropping off a friend at her house, I was almost collateral damage in a slow speed chase. As I was approaching a traffic light, I noticed a car parked all wonky and a guy talking to a cop. Then the guy ran into his car and took off, which just happened to be right behind me. So, to avoid being hit by the guy or possibly the cop, I moved to the left as much as I could without entering the intersection. Then the guy went around me followed closely by the cop. Since I turned down the same street, I watched as the guy served in and out of traffic and then I think he turned and got blocked in by the cop car. It was all very exciting and made my adrenaline pump like crazy. I was on the phone with Dennis when the whole thing went down and in the middle of our conversation I said "Oh sh**! I gotta go!" and then hung up the phone. I imagine he was pretty freaked out by that so I called him back when I was in the store to let him know what happened. I always wondered what I would do if I had a chance to block someone from running.....and now I guess I know. You never know how crazy these people are or what they are capable of......and if that person is running from the cops, you know they're not all there to begin with!

Otherwise, my day was lovely!......And I hope your day was too!

Amish Bread

I'm on my second round of Amish Bread. You know, that bread starter thing that was very popular in the 80's?.....Well, it's back....kind of. Dennis got it from someone at work and I just put the second batch in the oven. Although, I'm having trouble giving the starter to people. I asked Nancy but it was like I was asking her to do something....um...not quite right. She then proceeded to tell me that she did it in the 80's and had so much starter lying around and couldn't bring herself to just throw it away. Needless to say, she didn't want to go through that again. I can't blame her really....you make bread every 10 days! I'm a little concerned because I'll have to make it again on the 30th, but we won't be here....hmmmm....I need to figure that one out......Or I guess I could give it all away?

As I hoped, I was productive today......so was Big Kitty, although she was taken against her will. She got her manicure today (worth every penny) and went with me while I ran errands. I don't think she exactly liked it. However, when she was a kitten, I would zip her up in my jacket and take her EVERYWHERE with me. She didn't seem to mind then. But now in her old age she's gotten cranky (that's one of Nancy's words....I would have like to use "blasted," but it just didn't sound right).

Just remember, only 254 minutes till Friday!

Relaxing Day

Today I did nothing. Absolutely nothing......and it felt great! I watched Ratatouille and loved it! The rats are so realistic in their movement and I just love the detail in their hair and whiskers. Tomorrow I will make up for today.....at least I'll try. Big Kitty needs to get a manicure and I have to get her in by noon. I still need to get Dennis a Christmas present. I have some ideas so I'm not too concerned about what to get.

I hope everyone had a great Wednesday.....I know I did!

Last Bunco

Tonight I attended my last Bunco game. It was a nice evening and we got to give gifts to our secret pals. Everyone gave very nice gifts.....Next year they want to do a White Elephant exchange...that's gonna be way cool. However, I will not be attending Bunco next year. I'm gonna put myself on the sub list instead. I loved playing, but committing the time was difficult for me as I think I only went to 6 or so games throughout the year.

As you may know, today was my last day of work before vacation. I got quite a few things done and have a list of things I need to do when I get back. A few of my friends at work gave me very lovely gifts.....Thank you very much!!!!........and Nancy made me cry with hers. It was very, very sweet and I love it!....Thank you Nancy!

Tomorrow, I tie up loose Christmas ribbon....not literally, but you know what I mean. Wish me luck!

What A Day!

My cookie platter was a hit and was gone within hours. I finished and scored all the GATE tests today! Woo hoo! All I have to do is write notification letters and send them out. I probably won't start on that until after break. Since tomorrow is my last day before break, I'm planning to DIBEL all my students....I should be able to accomplish this (I hope).

Things kinda went awry after lunch. Remember how we were going to hitch a ride to the GATE Academy with a school south of us?....Well, because of a miscommunication at their school, we no longer have a bus. Therefore, it's back to parent drivers and getting all the paper work in on time to be approved. This includes myself. All I'm waiting on is a fax from my insurance company, which is proving to be a rather difficult task as I can't get a hold of my insurance guy. This whole situation has left me agitated and stressed out! On a high note though, I was able to ship all the Christmas packages I needed to AND get some stamps. The UPS store was packed, but all the customers in there were pretty nice and smiley. Thankfully, by checking that to do off my list really lifted my spirits. Good thing because of what came next....

I got a late start on dinner because of the errand, but because we were having tacos I wasn't worried. I buy spices that I use often from Costco....they're cheaper and I don't have to replenish them often. Anyway, I reached for my taco seasoning and noticed as I was shaking it (to loosen it up) it was pretty loose already. So, I began to shake it vigorously onto my hamburger. I began to notice a wonderful smell and realized that I wasn't pouring taco seasoning onto the meat, it was cinnamon! I contemplated removing the tainted meat, but it was all over and I would end up throwing away most of it........so I added at least twice as much taco seasoning to cover up the oh so very cinnamony taste. Thank goodness my red onion was really strong because it helped mask the taste pretty well. I think I will be double and triple checking my spices before adding them to anything!

Thanks for reading!

All Ready

Cookie packages are all ready to go out. I've even got a platter arranged to take to school tomorrow. I think next year I will have to double some recipes....i.e. Fudge Crinkles, Thumbprints, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Thanks to Dennis the kitchen looks somewhat back to normal. He has been doing the dishes almost as fast as I dirty them. Thanks honey! Plus, he folded all the laundry while I took an unplanned nap on the couch. I was just so warm and cozy I couldn't resist.....although my arm wasn't too happy.....I cut off the circulation to it and it was fast asleep.

I'm really excited because we bought Ratatouille today! Not sure when we're going to watch it with all the Christmas movies I have planned out, but it'll be first in line when the holidays are over.

Happy Sunday!

Brady's Walking!

Yes, you heard it correctly!....BRADY'S WALKING!!!! Jonathan and Kelly sent us a video this evening of his first few steps! It's totally adorable! And he's only 9 months! We can't wait to go visit them again!

Potter and Pizza was fabulous! It was pretty good, but they always have to take out so many of the small things that make the books really great. Now I want to watch all the other Potters and read the book again.

The cookies are all made!!! I started baking at 8am and finished around 4pm. I didn't do all that by myself.....that would be crazy. I employed the help of my friend to roll the balls and decorate sugar cookies. Dennis did the dishes and was my official taste tester. I made 7 different kinds and should have the packages all made within the next few days. Last year I used cookie tins, but this year I thought I would try the holiday glad ware. They're bigger than the tins, cheaper, and I think people could use them again more easily.

Happy Baking!

Better Late Than Never

Well I didn't finish making all my cookie doughs as early as I wanted, but I did get them done. However, I did get all my other Christmas shopping done today! Woo hoo (cough, cough)....That was for Nancy :)

No Potter tonight :( However, we are going to watch it with some of our friends tomorrow.....if that falls through, I think I might go crazy! Just kidding :) It's gonna be an alliteration night!....Potter and Pizza!

No Elf yet. I was hoping tonight since Potter was canceled, but we've discovered Fight Club on TV and that is throwing a wrench in my plan.....cuz it's one freaking awesome movie!

Toodles!

100th Post!!!

I can't believe this is my 100th post already!!!!.....although I do have to admit that I am a blabber mouth. I don't think I've ever kept up anything for this long before (unless you count showering, brushing my teeth, or taking out my contacts each night). It's all kinda exciting!!!

Tomorrow begins the prep work for the cookies. I hope by tomorrow evening (before Potter) that I will have made all the doughs I need to make. However, I could not find two basic ingredients at the store today....Hershey syrup in a can and Hershey Kisses....kinda weird that their both Hershey products isn't it? I'll have to pick them up sometime tomorrow or maybe Dennis might grab them for me. We'll see.

I may also brave the Post Office tomorrow. I desperately need stamps. Plus, I have to mail off some gifts too. I don't think it should be too bad since it's still pretty early.

Well, wish me luck tomorrow on my adventure. By days end I'll be covered with flour and a smile!

Ingredient List

Tonights goal is to complete a list of ingredients I need to make all my Christmas cookies. This way, I can go shopping on my way home from work tomorrow and sleep in on Friday morning. It doesn't seem like I've slept in in ages....although I know that's not true.

Potter mania swept through the school today as the latest movie was released on DVD yesterday. Specifically, my third graders REALLY wanted to talk about it. Dennis and I bought it of course but we are waiting (sniff, sniff) till Friday to watch it since it's about 3 hours long. So I'm hoping to fill the void by watching Elf instead....although I've met some resistance with this suggestion.

I have to apologize in advance to all my co-workers (specifically to Nancy and Barb as they sit the closest to me). I will be having leftover pesto tomorrow for lunch and this batch is REALLY garlic-y. :)

Happy Wacky Wednesday!
Only 3 more days till I make Christmas cookies!

Christmas Party

We had our staff Christmas party today and it was fun, fun, fun. Good food, good people, and good conversation. Another fried egg dinner to say the least! Off to watch a movie!!!!

Happy Day!

A Bus for Us!

Today I got word that we have a bus to go to the GATE Academy! Turns out that a school south of us is volunteering to pick us up on their way to the Academy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I'm so relieved I won't have the responsibility of driving other people's children whom I'm not related to. I just couldn't bear it if something happened to one of them on the way up there.

So my husband is being ultra cute tonight. He's pretty cute normally, but tonight he's just over the top!.....and I love it!!! Plus, I'm making Amish bread which smells REALLY good and he's begging to have some of it. However, it's not finished baking yet and it has to cool down A LOT before you cut into it......I'm not sure I can resist his adorableness for long and cut into it before it's ready.

Only 5 more days until I make cookies!

So Pretty

Isn't our house so pretty!!! Dennis put up the outline of the tree yesterday and the little snowmen today. It's kinda hard to see, but the lights are really bright since we used those LED lights. Plus, each strand only uses about 4 watts.

My mom went back home this morning. We had a wonderful visit and I miss her already. Last night we watched the fight together. She must have been exhausted from the crazy day because she kept dozing off even threw my yelps and pleadings during the fight. I won't spoil it for those who are trying to hold out till it shows up on regular HBO this weekend.....but it was pretty cool! Let's just say I almost cried.

I'm definitely not ready for work tomorrow. I woke up really early every day so I haven't been able to get any of the catch up sleep I usually get on the weekends. Oh well....I just need to tough it out......it'll make me a stronger person right?

Only 16 days left to make cookies! Next weekend looks like a great time to accomplish this!

Shopping Shopping Shopping

From 10am till 5pm that is what we did....no down time either unless you count eating lunch...but I don't...it's just like refueling your car. I was able to cross 5 people of my list today which was nice. The only place that was SUPER crowded was the mall. In one of the stores I bought only 1 item and I got 2 really awesome things for free with my purchase! After the mall is when the fun really began. We had 45 minutes to pick up a pizza (uncooked) from WinCo and head home before we would be cut off by the parade and before the Mayweather vs. Hatton fight began.....Well, things didn't go according to our plan:

1. Time = 5:40
2. They said the pizza would be ready in 10 minutes
3. They lost our pizza order tag.
4. 30 minutes later, we got our pizza
5. Time = 6:10....and the parade started at 6:00
6. Get about a mile from home and we get turned around
7. A new route = A new detour
8. Nancy calls and gives me the tractor parade route.
9. Follow car that appears to know where they are going.....They don't
10. End up lost on a dead end street.
11. Wind up seeing a beautifully decorated house....It had snowflakes and was mainly blue and white lights
12. Find our way back to the main street just past the detour
13. Hit another blocked off street.....the one I need to turn on to get home.
14. Then suddenly!.......The tractor parade!!!!
15. Turned off the car and watched the parade with the pizza dough rising from the heat in the car
16. Made our way home with the help of some very nice vehicles who let us cross major traffic to turn left

Result: We were able to grab dinner, watch the parade (which I really wanted to do), and make it home in time for the fight....Actually, the main fight hasn't even started yet because there is 3 fights before it. And the moral of the story is......Everything happens for a reason.......It all worked out in the end you see!

Only 17 days left to make Christmas cookies!

Happy Birthday Jenny!

It's my friend Jenny's birthday today! We went through middle and high school together and had some great times! Now she has a beautiful family and I wish her all the best on her special day!

More wind and rain

That was most likely the cause of the power outage today while I was at the doctor office. Funny thing was....my friend had power at her office and she was right across the street!

My mom got into town about 12:30 today and it was go, go, go. I gave her a quick tour of our house then headed straight down to my school to do a little shopping at the local shops. I didn't find much except some little things for Dennis and some REALLY cute silver heels at Girlie Girl. Then we headed home, walked her dog, and headed to dinner. The meal was fabulous as I was starving! Dessert followed along with a headache from too much sugar. The evening ended with a wonderful little film called The Devil Wears Prada. Tomorrow we head to the craft fair! Woo hoo!

Only 18 days left to make Christmas cookies!

Mommy!

My mommy is coming to town tomorrow! This is the first time she'll see our new digs. It's a pretty good weekend to come over because there's a lot to do. Tomorrow will be spent showing her around my school and shopping down there as well. Saturday we are going to a craft fair (which I'm totally stoked about) and on Saturday night there is a trucker parade. I've never seen it before but I've heard it's really awesome. Saturday was also going to be the day we watch the Mayweather vs Hatton fight on PPV, but we've decided to wait a week and watch it at no extra charge the following Saturday. I just really hope we don't hear anything about it from now until then.

As you can see it's way past my normal posting time so I must be going to bed......And Nancy, I suggest you not read my last sentence to avoid additional stress.....but it keeps me on track :) .....Your tree is lovely by the way!


Only 19 shopping days left!

Drawing a Blank

Not Feeling Well

I'm not feeling so well today. I'm super tired and normally I can snap out of it by afternoon, but it was getting worse. Therefore, I started to just not feel well and left school early. I slept for about 2 hours when I got home and felt a little better. I really hope I'm not coming down with a cold or worse. Thankfully, Dennis has been reminding me to take vitamin C and H2O.

Only 20 shopping days left!

Crazy Wind

We have crazy wind and rain here today. Unfortunately, we still had power at school so we all had to go to work. Some schools south of us were lucky enough not to have power and were able to sleep in in a warm and cozy bed.

I tell you, who ever discovered cous-cous is a genius! I absolutely love it! And until a few months ago, I had never eaten it before. We went over to a friends outs at the end of the summer and they made it for us. It had toasted pine nuts, tomatoes, bell pepper, shredded carrot, and sliced green onions in it......and I totally fell in love with the dish! We had it several more times within the next month. However, I've had to start serving chicken with it because Dennis says the cous-cous itself is not enough for dinner......so we get a Costco chicken and call it good!

Anyone craving for a taste of their childhood?......Well, my suggestion is to make some Rice Krispie Treats! I made some last night and I forgot how good they are!!!.....Plus, they remind me of when I was a little kid and what a special treat it was to have them......Find them a little too crunchy the next day? Just nuke 'em for 10 seconds in the microwave....that's what Dennis taught me tonight. They get just gooey enough without falling apart! Mmmmmm.

Only 21 more shopping days left!

Dropped Pancake

That's what happens when you get Pam cooking spray on the floor. The funny this is, is that I had already slipped on that spot BEFORE I dropped the pancake....and thought to myself "I better be careful, that would suck if I got a pancake on the floor or fell on my a**".....and look what happened. Luckily, I had enough ready made mix to cover my slippage.

Our weather has turned cold, windy, and rainy. It's great but all I want to do is nothing. I did however get the ornaments on the Christmas tree. We also picked up a wreath from Costco and it's beginning to smell all Christmasy in here. I've got to start thinking about my Christmas cookies soon.....another project I'm not completely prepared to begin yet.

Only 22 more shopping days!

Human

Definitely human this morning. No headache whatsoever.....thank goodness! I think the amount of sleep I had played a huge role in that.

Dennis, the wonderful husband he is, steam cleaned the carpets today and they look wonderful! Then he played basketball while I negotiated my way through Winco grocery shopping. I thought it would have been extra crazy today since it's the first of the month, but it wasn't. I think it was because they had over half the parking lot blocked off because they were painting new lines. I got lucky and found a parking spot pretty easily. Afterwards, we went over to Dennis's co-workers house for an early pizza dinner. They have several rats for pets and I do have to say they are pretty cute. One of them fell asleep on their lap and it was pretty adorable.

Well, my dad and step-mom should be arriving in Hawaii shortly. For the past several years they have been going there during the first part of December. A few years from now, we may all go on a trip together.....their thinking of a cruise....It would be one huge family vacation!!!!.....I really hope we end up doing that.....it'll be so much fun!!!

Back on the mainland, Dennis and I will be looking at more Christmas lights to add to our fence. I hope we get one of those lighted snowmen or something.....I just love those! I also really need to put the ornaments ON our Christmas tree. It's not totally naked though....I put the lights on it when I first put it up but I just haven't gotten to the rest of it yet. Beaumont Livingston is pretty upset with me because I have moved all the presents closer to the truck so he can't lay on them anymore. He'll get over it soon....I hope.

Happy 1st day of December! Only 23 more shopping days till Christmas!!!!

Drinks

My lovely friend Barb invited my other lovely friend Nancy and I Over for drinks tonight.....cosmos it was and boy were they lovely! My husband was supposed to drop me off but because Barb and her husband are oh so nice they waved and waved Dennis into the house. He stayed the whole time and witnessed cosmo after cosmo go down into my stomach. They were lovely really....not too sweet and nnot to alcoholly. We had fabulous conversation......although I think I only remember about 40% of it....there was so much going on after all. We showed up about 4:30 and arrived back home at 8:30....I think. I hadn't had dinner before I left so I was pretty hungrey when we got home. I heated up leftover stir-fry for Dennis and I made fried eggs for myself...very YUM-O if I say so myself. Anyway, I think we need to get together more often. I had so much fun just laughing away! I really hope I'm not all yucky in the morning....If I go to bed now I have at least 12 hours before I become human again.......Hopefully, all will be well by morining. I feel like dancing.....maybe I'll do a couple of turns int he kitchen...that sounds like fun!

I hope eavery one had a great Friday! Thanks for readiing!!!!

No Messes

Big Kitty seems all better as she didn't have any "messes" on the bathroom floor last night or today. She was very happy to have reign over the house again. I'm pretty sure it was plant related that caused her illness in the first place.

Yesterday I put up Christmas lights in my room and today my students were all excited about them. One of them said (before he opened my door), "Let's pretend it's Candy Land!" I think I should put up some more next week.

Today was a day for bodily harm. My poor friend Nancy had half her nail ripped off when it got caught underneath a chair. Then, my sister left me a message saying that she had to pick up Hunter from school because he threw up in class. And poor Dennis....he was standing on a stool trying to put in a plant hooky thing when his knee kinda gave out and yelped with pain....and if that wasn't bad enough, he straightened back up only to be hit in the back of the head by the ceiling fan. Thank goodness it was on the low setting!!!

I don't work tomorrow and I have canceled my massage as I find myself in more pain afterwards. I plan on vacuuming and shampooing the carpets....oh joy!!!

Happy ice tea Friday to you all!

Poor Kitty

When I got home from work I walked in the house and was over come by a nauseating smell. Our poor Big Kitty had gone to the bathroom all over the house. It was EVERY WHERE!....and most of it was in liquid form. Poor, poor, kitty. Dennis and I spent the next hour or so cleaning up the house. We had to go out to dinner just so we could get away from the smell of the house. We also stopped by the pet store and got some cat food for sensitive stomachs. Now, Big Kitty is locked in the bathroom crying and crying to get out. We feel so bad for her! I really hope she's not super sick. Beaumont Livingston is concerned about her too. He was trying to lick her while we were cleaning the house.....and he never does that. Hopefully, she doesn't have another episode tonight or tomorrow while she's in the bathroom. Otherwise, I think we'll have to take her to the vet.....poor thing. :(

No Words

Today I have no words to share with you. I'm tired and wanting to go to bed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, coffee had no effect on me today. Maybe tomorrow.

Thinking of You

My friend and colleague was in a car accident today on her way to school. Thankfully, she and her son were okay. All of us at school are thinking of them and wish them a speedy recovery. I was called in to sub for her today at 10:30 as the morning sub could not stay the rest of the day. I know most all of her students anyway, so I was a real pleasure to be their teacher for the day.

The first day back at work from a week and a half hiatus, has wore me out! I cooked and ate dinner in slow motion. Then I fell asleep shortly after that....around 6:30 or so. I've been awake for about 30 minutes now, but I think I'm going to call it a night. I'm just exhausted.

Happy Monday!

Sunday

Today we did our usual Sunday stuff. Target was pretty busy and it took us a good half hour to decide which Christmas lights to put up on the outside of our house. I wish they would make the more decorative lights longer....it would be crazy expensive to put them up when a strand is only 9 feet long! In addition to the lights, we bought stocking holders since our new house has a mantle over our fireplace. Actually, we have two mantles. The second mantle is home to the lighted ceramic city that my sister gave us a few Christmas's ago. We finally have enough room to decorate like that now....it's so exciting. Dennis hung up the outside Christmas lights when we got home (his very first time doing that). They look so great! Plus, they're on a timer and should go on about 5pm and off at 10pm. I on the other hand, hung up lights in our kitchen. Some people may think it's tacky but I just can't get enough of the twinkle lights.....and I can't realistically spend all night outside looking at the ones on the outside of our house. Therefore, they just have to go up on the inside too! :) Thankfully I don't have to cook tonight because we're having leftovers. I'm still pretty tired so that's a really good thing.

I hope everyone has a great week.

Saturday

Yes, I forgot to blog yesterday....but after all the excitement of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and waking up several hours before I normally do, I was exhausted. However tired we both were, Dennis and I still had to go grocery shopping and use several coupons that were only good for that day. So we braved the crowds of people again and went to WinCo, Michaels, and Joann Fabrics. The lines weren't that bad, but because we were pretty tired it took us (me especially) way longer to decide what I wanted to purchase at each of the stores. When we got home we did slow down. I was desperately craving the twinkle lights and festive colors of Christmas.....so I decide it was time to put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house. Instead of taking a nap which I really wanted to do, I made a second Thanksgiving dinner. We had bought all the stuff we needed before we left and since we didn't bring home leftovers, it was a logical choice for dinner. It turned out really well except about 10 minutes before everything was supposed to be done, I remembered I forgot to make the stuffing (bad, bad, wife).....so I made it and covered everything with a double layer of heavy duty foil. Thankfully, everything was still piping hot by the time the stuffing came out of the oven. Dinner was very yummy and my wonderful husband did all the dishes. At this point I should have just stayed on the couch and relaxed a bit, but oh no I have to be super crazy and wrap ALL the presents we bought. It took a little less than 2 hours, that's all. And let's just put it this way, I slept very VERY well. So well in fact that I didn't get up until 11am!

Black Friday

Well we weren't those people who got up at 4am today! Our day revolved around the Brady man because he is oh so cute and adorable! Plus, he can stand on his own for about 5-10 seconds now! Anyway, the lines weren't that bad except for a Kohls. The lines were really REALLY long and we hopped in the shortest one we saw....that was a mistake. There was a reason it was short.....it's because it wasn't moving. We waited in line for an hour for about the 20 or so people to go ahead of us. We attempted to change lines, but the other one was so much shorter we thought for sure it would take less time. However, as we overheard other people's conversations, we discovered the other much longer lines took a lot less time to go through. Oh well...line waiting is part of the experience on this day anyway. Last year my job at Best Buy WAS to wait in the line. I was in it for over 2 hours!!!! I'm having deja blog here....I think I've said that before. We got the most stuff at Kohls but totally scored on a 18 piece Pyrex storage set for $10 at JC Penny. I think we ended up getting more stuff for us than we did for other people......but there's still 32 days till Christmas so I think I still have some time!

I hope every had fun today with all the super crazy awesome sales!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! I hope everyone has a wonderful day filled with family, food, laughter, and love. I am thankful that Dennis was feeling much better at 4:30am when he woke me up to get ready....and we arrived safely at J, K, and B's around 8am. I've got the green bean casserole in the fridge and the guys have run to the store for some last minute supplies. The stores that stay open today must get some good business from all the forgetful cooks.

Anyway, I do have to say that I am thankful for my husband. He is so kind and sweet and makes me laugh oh so much! I just love it when he dances with me in the kitchen or is just plain silly with me. He is a rock I can lean on and has made my life wonderful. I also am thankful for my family. Their love makes everything go down a little bit easier. Finally, I am thankful for my father. He is always there for me no matter what and will always make time for a phone call from me. Daddy, thank you for always being there.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Still at home

Yup, still at home. Dennis still has a little bit of a sore throat. We are going to wait until tomorrow morning and then we'll make our final decision. I really hope he feels well. However, both J, K, and us have planned for the worse. We all went out and got the rest of the supplies we needed to make our own dinners.

Here's hoping my next post will be in another city!

Back to normal (almost)!

Ah, I believed in the Zicam and Nancy believed I wasn't sick....and, well....it worked!!!! I feel so much better today. My nose is clear and no more sneezing! My voice sound a little off, but I feel like myself again. Wooo hooo!!!!

Because I did nothing yesterday, I had to accomplish a lot today. I'm making a list because lists are fun, and I'm inspired by all of Nancy's list making on her blog! :)

1. Woken up by my big brother at 9am to help him make lemon frosting for his scones. He's becoming quit the cook thanks to Betty Crocker.
2 Sewed Christmas pillow shams for the living room.
3. Sewed 2 Christmas pillow cases for the guest bedroom.
4. Made 4 quilt squares with some of the leftover fabric.
5. Got fish food at our local pet store.
6. Went to Joann Fabrics and was disappointed the selection of holiday fabric.
7. Swept
8. Cleaned the cat litter box
9. Took out the trash
10. Put away all the clean dishes in the dishwasher.

Told ya I accomplished stuff today! :)

Nothing

Nothing....that is what I accomplished today....unless you count going to Target and getting Zicam, Zinc, and Echinacea. Yes people, I have caught a freaking cold!!!! It's a minor one (thank goodness), but a cold none the less. Which means we may not be able to go over to J, K, and B's for Thanksgiving because I can't get Brady sick. Let's hope all that crap I bought works. My sister said if I believe in the Zicam, the Zicam will work. I believe....I believe....I BELIEVE!!!

Silly Kitty

Beaumont Livingston has been following me around like a lost puppy. He's the type of cat that likes to lay kinda near you, but doesn't want to be touched. Well, today (and yesterday too) he's been following me around and laying on my lap.....And when I pet him he just stays there and makes little meowing noises. I believe he's growing into an old man. Big Kitty use to be the same way...she definitely wasn't a snuggle kitty. But a few years ago that all changed. Now she wont stay off you....she practically molests us at times! Silly kitty!

Since I don't have to work all this week (hehehe), here is what I hope to accomplish tomorrow:

1. Sweep
2. Sew some Christmas pillow cases
3. Organize my dresser
4. Cat litter (I dread this with all my being! Dennis [the wonderful husband he is] has been doing it the past couple of times)

Wish me luck tomorrow! And I wish everyone a happy Monday!

Bill

My little brother, Bill, called me today! He was just hanging out enjoying his time back in the states. I asked him what was the first thing he ate when he got back.....he said it was a double whopper from Burger King. Since it was Veteran's Day when he got back, he didn't have very many choices for dinner. It was really great to talk to him and he sounded really happy to be back. I can't wait till I see him at Christmas. I wonder how muscular he'll be? I have this one picture of him and his buddy in Iraq holding their guns and his bicep is as big around as my head practically!

So, I've got all of my Thanksgiving grocery shopping done. We're going over to J, K, and B's house so they're also doing part of the shopping. Now all I have to do is make a blackberry pie, Portuguese sweet bread, and cinnamon rolls. I'm just not sure if I'm going to have everything made before we head over, or if I should make and shape the bread and cinnamon rolls and then bake them over there. I'll have to think about what would work best. I also have to find my cooking timeline. I've been using in for the last several years and it works out pretty well.....most everything is ready to eat at the same time.

I'm off to slice the banana bread....it's cooled down just enough to eat! Yum-O!

11 Year Anniversary

Today my husband and I have been together for 11 years. It's very exciting and I can't believe I love him even more than I did back then! He brought home roses for me when he got home after work...11 red, for the years we have been together and 1 yellow for the year to come. He's so sweet and adorable! He just melts my heart!

Happy Anniversary Honey!

Darn Computers!

Our computer has been having temper tantrums. In order to fix the problem, Dennis had to completely reboot (not sure if that's the right word) our computer which means we had to move everything to an external drive.....Therefore, no blog yesterday.

Goodie day went well and everyone enjoyed all the yummy food. The mini dogs I made were oh so cute and I ended up making a whole lot of em too! In fact, I have two paper plates full of them in my fridge. Unfortunately, I think they'll end up meeting the trash can before to long.

Today begins my vacation. I don't have to go back to work until a week from Monday. My goal while I'm off is to get some Christmas preparations done as well as some sewing and reading. I borrowed like 4 books from Nancy in August and I have only been able to finish one of them! I just started "The Magdalen" and so far it seems promising.

Here's to not forgetting anything!

So I have everything ready for the goodie day tomorrow. This is what I'm bringing:

1. Pecan Tartlets
2. Pumpkin Cheese Balls (yes, there will be two...and no pumpkin was insured in the making of the balls)
3. Mini Hot Dogs with Honey Mustard and BBQ Sauce

Now, lets pray that I don't forget anything. In fact, I have made a list of all the things I need to bring to prevent any problems. However, if I forgot to put something on my list that will foul my whole system up anyway.....darn. Oh well.....I'll hope for the best.

My little brother made it to Colorado yesterday morning. It's great to have him home. He is scheduled to come home December 6th.

Today flew by in a kind of haphazard way. Because we had Monday off, I was completely thrown off my schedule. Luckily, it didn't seem to affect my kids because they were able to keep it together! :)

Hunter's Birthday Party

Here are some snapshots of the day! Enjoy!

The treasure chest cake! My sister is so creative! Because she always makes the coolest cakes, everyone expects one of their own on their birthday!
Here are Hunter's new Superman PJ's! I just love this picture....I think it's the way he's sitting.
Check out those dimples!
Aunt Cindy, I just want to eat the bug guts!

Long Drive

That was one long drive! I was so tired from the lack of sleep this weekend that I ended up taking a 2 1/2 hour nap. I only woke up to watch Dexter. I actually didn't wake up on my own, Dennis had to get me up because I out cold!

No pictures today. I still have a sleep hangover. Oh, for those who were concerned or excited (depending on where you live) about my last post, Dennis and I are not thinking about moving right now. We are not in a position to do so. Man, if we moved as much as we talk about it, we would have lived in Mexico, Canada, Africa, and (most recently) Texas....specifically Austin. Thus, if you see me wearing my Austin t-shirt, it is because Dennis had talked about moving there and his sister-in-law thought they should move too. Dennis's brother and I were not in agreement....and so for my birthday, my sister-in-law bought me the Austin t-shirt.

I promise I'll have pics tomorrow. Sleep well and enjoy the holiday. My brother will be home tomorrow at 10:30am Colorado time!!!!

Super Fab Saturday

My day started promptly at 6:00am! Due to the fact that I was not in my own bed, my back was killing me, and I was listening to puppies whine at the front door...I couldn't sleep any longer. Now, I can barely keep my eyes open! I have to get up early again tomorrow because I'm heading back home, so Monday will be my sleeping in day (thank goodness).

At 1pm today we had a joint birthday party for my niece (Kayla) and nephew (Hunter). I helped my sister with decorating both cakes. Hunter's cake was a treasure chest. It was so awesome. My sister always makes the coolest cakes. I am hoping to have a picture of it up tomorrow. Kayla's cake was about 6'' wide with two layers. It had chocolate frosting and pink and turquiose polkadots. One of Hunter's birtday presents was Spiderman pajamas. He was so excited about them that he had to put them on......another picture I hope to post tomorrow.

After the party I headed to my dad's house where my niece Krista was waiting for me. It was great to see her since I wasn't able to catch up with her on Friday. I can't believe she's a senior already! She's so grown-up and really has her stuff together. She is hoping to attend UC San Diego or UCLA to major in Writing. I found out she has posted some of her stuff on her blog and I can't wait to check it out. While we were visiting, we discussed her sister's 21st birthday coming up after Thanksgiving. I really want to come over for her party (at a nearby casino), but I'm not sure if I will be able to make it. Afterwards, we went to Chinese......and it was soooo good. I haven't had good Chinese in a couple of months.....not since Choo's Too.

Anyway, I think I might call it an early night. It's been really great visiting with my family. I wished we all lived closer. If we lived in the same town as J, K, and B, we wouldn't be that far from anyone. Plus, when Dennis and I have kids, the Brady Man could hang out with his cousin. That would be pretty cool.

TTFN

I made it!

I finally made it to Y-town. I arrived about 12:00 and headed straight to my old high school to say hi to my very favorite teacher, Mr. Matts. Then (because it's such a small town) I ran into my sister-in-law and niece. It's like I hit two birds with one stone! Anyway, then I checked out Hunter's class. He is so cute! I loved seeing him interact with the other students and work at his centers. Then I headed over to see my old kindergarten teacher. While I was waiting for her class to get out, I saw my nieces aunt and my niece! Totally awesome since I wasn't sure if I would be able to see my niece this weekend.

Now, while I borrow my dad's computer to write this, I am going to get gas and go to my sister's house. There, we will finish decorating birthday cakes! But before I go, a story.

As I was driving along 101 minding my own business and singing along with the music, I spied a highway patrol heading the other direction. This promted me to check out my speed....which was 80 mph!!! Freaking out, I lightly tapped the brakes and slowed down to 65. Then, to my horror, I saw the HP flip a Uie. I watched and watched but I didn't see him come up behind me....but then he was right there! He put on his lights and I pulled over. He said he pulled me over for having a tinted licsense plate frame and because I didn't merge left when car was entering the freeway........then he mentioned the speeding. "I also noticed you were speeding a bit. But the hill might have just caught up with you." Yeah, a small hill can cause a speed of 80mph! Thankfully, he said he wasn't going to write me a ticket and he wasn't going to give me a lecture......he just wanted me to be safe. I was so relieved! And the whole time he was asking me questions, I was my usual perky and smiley self. That may have had something to do with not getting a ticket as well. My sister says I need to buy a lottery ticket now....and I think I will.

Well off to fill up my tank! Have a great weekend y'all!.....and watch your mph's! :)

Y-Town, Here I Come!

Tomorrow morning (bright and early thanks to the recent time change) I'm off to Y-Town for Hunter's birthday party on Saturday. I'm going to be dropping by his class and then checking out the first grade teachers at his school. I'm pretty excited.

Things to NOT do at the same time:
1. Walking and Reading
2. Watching TV and blogging
3. Walking and drinking (whatever the alcohol content)
4. Talking on the phone and straining ravioli

Unfortunately, number 4 happened to me today and I ended up scalding my index finger and thumb in the process....that is why they should never be done together. Number 1 should not be because you end up walking into a pole or not see the curb ahead. Number 2 is pretty obvious because you get distracted and end up with very VERY odd sentences. Finally, number 3 is to avoid choking and/or spilling the beverage down the front of you. If you avoid these 4 situations, you will live a long and happy life! :)

Doctors Smoctors

ARGG! I hate searching for a doctor! It seems when you finally find one you like you either "A," end up moving shortly after or "B," the doctor relocates. Both have happened to me within a too short time period. About 6 months ago, I went through 3 doctors within 2 months because they ended up leaving that office. I ended up leaving too because there was no one left to see. I've been on the hunt now for about 4 months or so. It's more difficult because I have a workers comp claim and so far no one is excepting current claims.....new claims only. It's so frustrating!!!!

On a much happier note, my little brother is on his way to the states. He left Baghdad today, but it'll take a couple of days for him to actually reach the states. It's nice to know he's out of there now, even if he's not in the states yet.

GATE Academy registration is tomorrow. This is where we place around 500 students in their classes. I only received 12 our of 19 registration forms back from my GATE students. Last year, we didn't have enough room for all the students that turned in their forms! I don't know what's gotten into them this year. And I know that those remaining 7 will be so upset when they remember in December they hadn't turned in their forms (even though I had reminded them several times). But I guess that's a lesson they will have to learn.

Mmmm Massage

I had my second massage today (with Devin) and I'm so relaxed! I don't want to do anything. Even typing feels like work. Luckily, I have a easy dinner planned tonight, so I'm not fretting about that. I'm really hoping that having frequent massages will help my sleeping as well as relax me.

This week is parent teacher conference week at school. It's been a great time for me to get organized and do all the other little things that come with my jobs. Super fab! My word of the week. Oooo, I used wonky (one of Nancy's favorite words) the other day in a conversation with my sister. My nephew, Hunter, was asking what a "W" looked like. I said "A 'W' is an 'M' that's gone all wonky!" I thought it was a pretty good explanation.

Oh, my brother comes home from Iraq in only 5 days!!!!! We're all very excited for him to come back to the states. He's still planning on visiting in December before he's completely out of the Army in January. It's all so very exciting!!!

Happy Birthday Hunter!!

Today my nephew, Hunter, turns 5!!!! He's so adorable and so very smart! I would love to be a fly on the wall in his Kindergarten class. My sister is throwing him and his sister joint birthday parties this weekend. I'm planning on going. I haven't been to Y-town since my 10 year high school reunion which was at the beginning of August (pre-blogging days). I'm really excited about seeing my family. It'll be a high energy day that's for sure!!!

See Aunt Cindy, starfish aren't gross.

Lazy Sunday

All day Beaumont (a.k.a. Little Kitty) took advantage of the plentiful sunshine today. He layed in the warm sun all afternoon only getting up to switch spots between the living room window and the sliding glass door. Sometimes, I wish I were a cat. It's a sweet deal really. First, you have nine lives. Secondly, you end up sleeping most of those lives on a comfy bed, in the sunshine, or in front of a crackling fire. Lastly, you can pretty much do what ever you want and your owners will dote on you even more if you look remotely adorable.....Sorry, Beaumont took over the keyboard on that last one. I don't dote.... :)

Goodie Day

Next week I have goodie day at my school. I haven't finalized plans with my other goodie contributors, but I totally want to do an appetizer theme. Appetizers for me are right up there for the same reasons as cupcakes. They aren't so adorable, but they can look pretty amazing. Anyway, I want to make these pumpkin cheese balls that I saw in Taste of Home and I want to make mini creme filled cupcakes too. Plus, I've been tossing around the idea of bringing homemade mini corn dogs or mini hot dogs with smoky ketchup and honey mustard. Both recipes are from Everyday with Rachael Ray. The key for a successful goodie day is to make a lot of whatever you bring. The reason being...it has to last through 3 lunch periods. More often than not, by the time the junior high teachers get there lunch there isn't that much left of anything. Appetizers might be a good solution to that problem. It's easier to reserve a portion of the appetizers for the later lunchers than it is to reserve a portion of lasagna or soup.

All this food talk has made me hungry! Good thing we're headed to dinner in 2 minutes!

So full and so sleepy

I am so incredibly full! I made homemade sweet and sour chicken and I ate way too much....just like I do every time I make it. It's just so good though. My mother-in-law gave me the recipe and I just can't get enough of it. So I've eaten way too much which means all the blood is going to my stomach to help digest all that yummy food. Therefore, I'm getting rather sleepy. Plus, I had a massage at 4pm which started this whole sleepiness. My massage person was a guy and I was totally freaked out about that....which is what I told Nancy yesterday on the phone while she was at the library. I knew she was somewhere "odd" because she answered the phone in a whisper. Luckily, it was just the library than some other compromising position or place.....not that she gets into those things. She's a Kindergarten teacher after all. But I digress (another word I've used for the first time today).....back to the massage. I was concerned because it would be totally weird if he ended up being some young cute guy or an old creepy one. I don't get practically naked for just anyone. Luckily, he ended up being a hippie guy....I was put at ease at once! My next appointment is on Tuesday!

Halloween Candy Update:
We ended up having only 1 group of trick or treaters which has left us with an entire bowl full of Halloween candy. Dennis keeps on telling me I should have given the kids a handful of candy instead of just one piece. Even if I did, we still would have a whole bunch left and besides, it was our first trick or treaters at this house and I got all excited and didn't think of giving them more than one. Next year Dennis is taking over handing out the candy. He's so funny...and still blonde!!! Anyway, as I was alone in the house all day, the candy just stared at me all day and wouldn't leave me alone....so I took one piece and told it to...um....go someplace very hot. I'm sure we'll rekindle our relationship tomorrow.

Happy weekend!

Aren't they so cute!!!!

Aren't my nephews soooooo cute!!!! I sometimes wish adults could trick or treat. It use to be so much fun!

Here's Hunter walking in his first Halloween parade!!! He's too adorable (especially with those dimples) to be an intimidating pirate. He is in Kindergarten this year and will be 5 in only four days! They grow up too fast!

Here's Brady in one of his costumes. If you look closely you can see is super cute teeth!

Here he is again but in his Lion costume this time. See that little pumpkin? It looks familiar, huh. Well that's the pumpkin Uncle Dennis said he needed to have when we went to the farmer's market.

I'm sure one lucky aunt to have such adorable nephews!

Happy Halloween

Well the day has arrived. School was buzzing with excitement and anticipation of the days events. All the K-3 students went on a walk up town to parade around in their costumes. Several of the Main Street merchants were kind enough to hand out candy (not that the kids needed a jump start on their sugar consumption or anything). Unfortunately I wasn't quite in the mood to join in in the celebration. But I did see several interesting and elaborate costumes.....I wish I had their imagination when it comes to costumes. I think one of my New Year's resolutions will be to dress up for Halloween....and actually start on my costume several months in advance so there's no excuse.

Anyway, tomorrow will be quite interesting. All the kids will have sugar hangovers. My sister does a clever thing with her kids. She lets them eat all the candy they want on Halloween night and then takes the candy away. This might seem a little extreme, but they usually eat enough candy to make them sick enough that they really don't want anymore for a long while. Then my sister has control over the rest and can dish it out sparingly.

One more thing....I dyed my husband's hair blonde last night. His hair is normally a very dark brown, but now it is oh so blonde! He still looks totally adorable though! I'm hoping he'll grow it out and not dye it back. We'll see!

Happy Halloween!

Rocky Path

Today started and ended a little rocky. My GATE matrix isn't working out and it's frustrating me. I gave it to my husband so he can take a look at it and help me out. Thank goodness he's amazing at math! The CELDT isn't finished yet and it has to be picked up at the end of next week....I'm just not feeling very peppy...no matter how much coffee I drink. TTFN.

Halloween Candy

First things first though, my husband is back at home. Yes, I know he was only gone for 24 hours, but it sure seemed a lot longer than that. He had a good time at the game even though the 49ers got crushed.

Anyway, as Halloween is looming so is the candy that comes along with it. We bought ours about a week ago and I have been pretty darn good about not eating it......especially since we bought all the kinds I like....Butterfinger, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, etc. But I'm growing weaker by the hour. I brought some to work and that was a mistake because as I left work I had a piece of candy in each coat pocket, plus a small cup of Reeses Pieces and M&M's. However, I only had a couple Reeses and M&M's and 1 of the candies in my pocket. I really should have eaten the other half of my apple like I had planned, but I was pretty hungry and when that happens I usually don't make the best food choices. I should have eaten more at lunch today to avoid this situation....I'll know better tomorrow.

Thank for reading!

They've all gone

It's so lonely in my house today. Everyone left this morning....and I mean everyone. My husband took off about 5:30am to head down to the 49er game with his friend. Then J, K, and B-Man left a little after 7:30am. Being alone in the house knowing Dennis won't be home till tomorrow feels totally different than just waiting for him to get off work. So I've been busying myself with our typical Sunday routine.

In the meantime, I've been kinda watching the 49er game that Dennis is at hoping I might just see him....even though I have no clue where they are sitting. It looks like they have pretty decent weather in San Fran today. I may just have to turn the channel though. I really don't like football and I watched quite a bit of it yesterday. Maybe I'll go watch a chick flick! Or more SATC! But first I must rotate and fold the laundry. Wish me luck!

The Zoo

Checking out the Monkeys with Uncle DennisThose are weird looking birds Aunt Cindy!Smile for the camera!

We had a brief moment of sunshine today before the clouds took over again. Fortunately, the sun was shining during Brady's first visit to the zoo. I think we had more fun watching him watch the animals rather than looking at them ourselves. We observed the monkeys, bear, flamingos, goats, and several other animals. It's not your typical zoo. We really don't have the climate or space for a big city type zoo, but they try their best. We can't wait to take him back when he gets older.

Before the zoo (and the sunshine) we took everyone to the farmer's market. Brady was so good the whole time....he just chilled out in his stroller while we walked around. Then his uncle decided he needed a pumpkin. We found the perfect one and I think Brady likes it too.

Good Morning

Good morning y'all! Yes, I know it is a shock to most of you that I am up at this hour but I couldn't sleep last night. Plus, I'm all excited waiting for Brady to wake up. Once everyone's up at at 'em, all be making their choice of pancakes: plain, chocolate chip, or toasted pecans with banana.

It looks like it's going to be a nice day today. Only a few wispy clouds in the sky. And now to make your day even brighter....here are a few pictures of the Brady Man!

He's here!!!

Brady's here! They came over a few hours early than expected so they saw me making the surprise birthday cake for Jonathan. It was still in the beginning stages, so I was able to hid the development from then on out. The cake turned out pretty good. A little too much frosting (yes, I know it was a shock to me too) and I realize I need to practice handwriting on cakes. My writing looked pretty shaky.

Anyway, Brady is getting so big! He can wave hello and he's interacting with his toys and people. Plus, he can crawl!!!....pretty fast too!!!! It's been so much fun playing with him and crawling around on the floor with him. J, K, and B are staying in our second bedroom and today we put up sea life decorations. We got them several months ago and finally put them up today. The room is really cute now...it'll make a cute nursery when that time comes. I'll see if I can put up a picture of it within the next few days.

Have a great weekend!

Brady's on his way!

Just got word an hour ago that Brady (and family...after all, he can't drive yet) will be heading out this weekend. Very exciting! I really hope the weather holds up. Their from a much warmer climate so our weather will be a shock to their system. We do have a chance for some sun, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I've been watching a show on Showtime called Californication with David Duchovny. There is only 1 more episode left and I'm totally bummed. At first I wasn't quite sure about it, but now I'm loving it! I've seen him in so many episodes of the X-Files and it's nice to see him as a completely different character. Plus, Harry from Sex and the City is in it. I also think his character's secretary was also on Sex and the City. The episode where Carrie sees Big in the Hamptons with "The ugly stick figure with no soul"---a.k.a. Natasha....She was the chick who followed Carrie around and wanted her to help her write a book.......but wait let me check on that........I WAS RIGHT! Her name was Laurel in that episode. Thank you Internet Movie Database! Her character on Californication is completely opposite of the one she played on SATC. I totally knew that was her! Sweet!

I have a business card!

My school ordered business cards for all the teachers...and I got mine yesterday!!! I was so excited I squealed and then jumped up and down. I've never had a business card before! I feel so professional!

Well, the weather has turned cold today. The past two days were very very warm and today was pretty chilly. Even my cat has noticed, which is why he is standing on my lap and leaning against me while I write this. He's making it a little difficult to type, but it's better than having him meow his head off (which he normally does if I don't pay attention to him). We got him from a shelter because his owners had abandoned him as a kitten. I think he needs some therapy to work out some of his issues. I have never heard a cat meow as much as he does.....and it's not just a quiet soft meow...sometimes it's almost ear piercing. His meowing has rubbed off on Big Kitty too. She use to be as quiet as a mouse, but now she meows too for no apparent reason. Cat's are so funny. Unfortunately, my husband is oh so very allergic to them. I think when their nine lives are over, we won't be getting anymore so my husband will be able to breath normally again.

It's minestrone tonight for dinner. Not my husband's favorite, but it's warm and I'll have leftovers for tomorrow. Happy Wednesday!

Funny thing....

A funny thing happened today at school. But first the not so funny thing.

My first class in the morning is a group of 4th graders. Today we were working on the rules for dividing by 0's and 1's. I started off by telling them that dividing by 0's and 1's is one of my favorite things (I over exaggerated of course)! In the middle of my lesson, the principal walked in and my heart practically jumped out of my chest and I felt I had tried to swallow a handful of cotton balls. Anyway, he jumped in and posed the question "Well, what is 0 divided by 0?" Good freaking question! He totally caught me off guard and unfortunately, I didn't know the answer right off the bat and I had to think about it....so I began thinking about it out loud (which isn't a great thing when your principal and/or students are present). I started to think that the answer was 0, but that just didn't make sense....I think my principal noticed my contemplation and piped in that it can't be done just like you can't divide 5 by 0. Then he left. That scene will haunt me for quite some time. I felt so silly for not knowing the answer right away. Arg!....yes I've turned into a pirate.

Now for the funny thing....

When he left, I resumed my normal state of excitement about what we were working on. After we were finished, I had the following conversation with one of my students:

"Mrs. Taylor, why are you so hyper?"
Student laughter.
"Well, Sam, I had coffee this morning and dividing by 0's and 1's is really one of my favorite things."
More student laughter.
"Yeah, but Mrs. Taylor, what did you put IN your coffee?"
Even more student laughter and a bit of chuckling from myself.
"Well, I guess some people just refer to me as a 'Morning Person.' I'm always like this in the morning."

That conversation ensured me a wonderful day. Every time I thought about it, I just started laughing out loud. Good thing that only happened when I was in my room. Otherwise, people would start to think I was going crazy!

Retake? Or not to retake?

That is the question. Picture retakes are on Wednesday, and as much as I don't like my picture being taken, my current school pic has made me think otherwise.....it shows my wobbly bits. Plus there is this lame-o tree that we had to lean against. I know it'll be there again, but I'll be prepared this time. I haven't made up my mind for sure yet and I probably won't until the last minute.

So I've been feeling very scattered at work lately. I have so many programs and plus with this whole RtI thing I've been trying to provide the best intervention programs for my students as I can. But I feel that I'm lacking in this way. Dr. Feldman says that the moment you begin to bore over your current program...you keep going with it because that is best for the students. However, there does come a time where you just have to move on. I think I have hit that time. So I have taken another look at what I'm doing. I'm going to try and reinforce what is currently happening in the classroom rather than using a completely separate program. I was kinda doing that before, but I really think I need to align myself more with the classroom teacher. But what do I know? I am still so new to this profession, that I question myself all the time. The teachers I look up to are so seasoned and I hope one day I know half the stuff they do. This seasoning that I lack is so frustrating, specifically during student study teams and such. Maybe it's all just nerves or something, but when it comes time for me to add something to the conversation, I feel like the cat has got my tongue. It feels like nothing intelligent is coming out of my mouth. Today for instance, I just couldn't find the words to make my point. Then, while I'm talking, I realize this which starts to freak me out and I try to end my part of the conversation as soon as possible. I think I just need more time to process what I have to say. I'm much better than I use to be and I hope I can get over this in time.

Here's hoping your Monday was better than mine!

Do I have to go to work tomorrow?

I really need another day in this weekend. I'm not ready to go to work tomorrow. I'm so tired. Not sleepy tired...I just don't want to do anything except lay on the couch watching really bad TV. But given that it's 4pm, I have to start thinking about making dinner. Luckily, I already know what I'm making (Chicken Curry) and we totally dig it! No funky new recipe for us tonight!

So yesterday when we were grocery shopping, there was this little girl (around 18 months) screaming her head off.....I mean REALLY screaming. The mom, however, seemed not to notice this behavior....or if she did, she was doing a great job of ignoring it and I didn't even hear her talk to the daughter about her behavior. She just went along shopping. Anyway, I saw them later on in the store and the little girl was doing just fine.....until I saw them checking out. Again the girl was screaming and SCREAMING so loud, which made everyone turn around and stare at the little girl and her mom. I felt so bad for the mom because everyone just kept staring at them. Then (whether it was due to the screaming or the little girl hitting her head on her mom's shoulder over and over again) the little girl got a bloody nose. Yet this whole time (and even outside the store where you could hear her screaming several hundred yards away) the mom never said a word to the girl. Very, very odd. Later that afternoon, I kept on wondering what was going on there? Was the girl sick? Did she have some disability? Or was this a normal temper tantrum for the little girl? Whatever it was, the mom deserves some major props for staying so calm! I have never seen a child throw such a fit, especially in public!

I hope y'all had a great weekend. Let's hope by some miraculous miracle that we wake up and it's Sunday all over again (and all of our dishes, laundry, and cleaning are already done too!).

Just Under the Wire

Today was a day for sleeping in, shopping, and watching movies. Last night we had rain so crazy it woke both me and my husband up. In fact, it was so hard I could even see it without my contacts in! Those of you that know me, know that's something.

It's much colder in the house now that we have cold weather moving in. This morning it was 61 degrees in the house. Not sure what it is now, but definitely chilly.

Well, gotta post this now to just get it in for today!

Christmas

Yes, I know it's not even Halloween yet, but I have to start thinking about Christmas projects. I'm really not sure what to do this year. I'm kinda out of ideas. I've done soap, scarves, pillow cases, and so on. I think I need a new Christmas gift book....or a new craft book. The ones I have are several years old and are not providing me with much inspiration. I think I'll make a trip to Michaels this weekend to check out what they have to offer. Wish me luck!

Today I didn't get up until my husband called me, which was around 10am! I was completely sound asleep when he called. I haven't been sleeping very well, so I really was thankful I could sleep in today. I ended up being somewhat productive though. I put away a whole bunch of movies we had lying around, cleaned the Cadillac, brushed the cats with the furminator, and....most importantly....cleaned our shower!!! It's all tile, which if you live on the coast, is your worst nightmare....especially in bathrooms. Anyway, it's all nice and clean now and doesn't have any questionable coloring in the nooks and crannies of the grout. Grout...such a funny word. Although, wonky is pretty funny too. It's one of Nancy's favorite words.

Happy Friday!

GATE Meeting

Well, no one showed up! Yup, it's true. I was there (along with the principal) until about 7:30pm. However, we did a very GATE thing.....we hung art! We have around 40 art prints (the size of posters) in the cupboard in the teacher's lunch room. The principal found them as he was trying occupy himself while waiting for the parents. At first we only hung 2, but then we ended up hanging 9 posters. The first 3 on the right as you walk in are my favorite (because I know your going to drive all the way here to see my favorite ones).

During the 4 hours I was waiting for the meeting to start, I got a lot accomplished. I am about 95% finished rewriting out our GATE identification process. Next week sometime I hope to send out referral packets. I also planned for most of next week. Very cool.

Hasta pasta!

November 11th

That is the day my baby brother is coming home from Iraq!!! I'm so excited he'll be out of that mess soon. He will be stationed in Colorado when he comes back. That is until the end of January when he gets out of the Army. But, he is going to try and take a week leave at the beginning of December. Only 25 days till he will be safe at home!

Work is crazy busy! I have so many things going on with all my different programs. Plus, tomorrow I have a GATE parent meeting. I'm totally nervous about it. This is only my second year in GATE and there is so much I don't know. I'm totally freaked out that I won't be able to answer parent questions or that they will be upset how the program is running. I wasn't happy with last years program at all, but this year is looking up. Last year I felt the same way about the meeting last year and it all went fine. It ended up that only 4 parents showed up and they were all so nice. We'll just wait and see how it goes. But the really sucky thing is that I have to stay at school until 7pm (all by my lonesome). Positive spin: I'll get a lot planned and organized during that time!

Totally Tubular Tuesday!

Today was a great day....hectic as ever, but I got a lot accomplished. I cemented the GATE parent meeting date in and sent out all the invitations. I also have time slots for 2 new GATE classes....Drama and Origami. This is all thanks to Jeremy (our music teacher) who will be teaching the Drama class and Diane (the Kindergarten teacher) who will be teaching the Origami class. I will be taking Diane's class while she is teaching mine.....but absolutely...under no circumstances will I touch or handle the play-dough during choice time (sorry Diane, but you know my policy :) Furthermore, my 4th/5th grade GATE students said they wanted to do a soap carving class. I thought it was so odd and random but I'm totally stoked about it! I have to remember to do a purchase order now....where's my list?

Anyway, yet another teacher has benefited from my new coffee maker! I believe he will be making a coffee run a couple times a week to my room. But it's really the stopping in of all the teachers I love. I feel so isolated in my little room sometimes and I really like when other teachers "pop in" and say hi. Now with the coffee, they have a reason. There are some teachers who say hi even if they don't get coffee though. But I'm such a social person, I need constant human contact. On Fridays when I don't work, I end up talking my husband's ear off when he gets home because I haven't talked to a human all day.

Thanks for reading!

Please Drive Safely

The past several days have brought rain and foggy conditions. Unfortunately, this weather caused some major car accidents. Two separate accidents on Saturday caused the death of 4 people (3 of them were teenagers). Then on my way home today, I passed by two car accidents. I am asking everyone who reads this to please drive safely especially during the rainy, snowy, icy, and foggy conditions. Tell your friends and family too. We just need to remember to take a few more minutes to get to work or school during the fall/winter weather....and slow down. Yes, I am at fault here too, but I just have to remind myself it's better to arrive a few minutes late than not at all. So, please, please drive safely.

New Recipe = Bad Idea

Sometimes trying new things isn't a great idea....especially when it comes to dinner and you don't have a plan B. Tonight was that night. I saw a recipe for a sausage and potato salad. So (brilliant me) thought "I could serve that hot and it would be great for dinner!" Wrong....oh so wrong. First of all, I bought Italian sausage and I really should have bought the Kielbasa it called for. But the Italian sausage was chicken and the other stuff.....well, you've heard the rumors. Anyway, all was going well till I added the mixture of vinegar, Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper to the mix. Very odd smell, mostly due to the fact that it was being heated. The onions soaked up all the vinegar and the sausage....well let's just say I only could eat one small piece. The potatoes weren't so bad...just different really. Thank goodness I made a lot of corn! And the leftovers....what leftovers? My refrigerator would revolt if I put something like that inside it. They found their way to the bottom of the trash can as soon as they cooled off long enough not to melt the liner. I also threw away the recipe book I got it from. I felt the rest of the recipes were tainted after what happened. Tomorrow's dinner won't have the same fate. A normal, well used and liked recipe.

My Husband the Handyman

Today my husband played handyman around the house. He changed all of our light switches to the cool flat ones....I'm not sure of their official name. Last weekend he added a new outlet in the kitchen too. Anyway, as I was about to take a shower, I realized the water was still only luke warm.....very odd. He figured out that the pilot light had gone out and then proceeded to light it again.....but it wouldn't stay lit. A few minutes later, he comes back in the hallway (while I'm trying to get it lit) and says the something something coupler needs to be replaced. How is it that a man can figure that out when it's his first time encountering a problem like that? I just don't get it....and here I was ready to call the PG&E guy or whoever the f*** you have to call for a problem like that. Anyway, we go out, get the part he says we need.....and.....viola'! He fixed the darn thing lickety-split! He just amazes me sometimes. He can just figure these things out and I feel completely clueless! I guess I make up for it in cookies and pies. So that was our Saturday. The B-Man's Saturday was worse than ours though. It turns out he has an ear infection. Poor little guy. We're so sad for him. I guess it was best after all that they didn't come over. Lot's of hugs and kisses for the B-Man. Your aunt and uncle hope you get better really soon!

B-Man Rescheduled

I wasn't at 100% this morning, so B-Man had to reschedule. It's totally cool though....I would hate to think that I got him sick. They're going to come out the first week in November instead.

Funny thing. I had two students within two days give me stickers. I use quite a few stickers in my class to reward students . I have never had students give me stickers before. It was oh so sweet. All the stickers were different. They gave me gold stars, Scooby Doo, Sponge Bob, and puffy Halloween stickers. Those kids just crack me up.

Today was my day off and I broke the vacuum cleaner. I sucked up the cord to my husband's headphones. Before it happened, I thought "It would totally suck if I sucked those up." And what happened....I did. Well at least I only had about a 2x2 foot section left to vacuum right?.....but it is kinda actually bugging me more than if I had just started. After I untangled the wires in the brush thing and couldn't find another belt to replace the one I broke, I continued on my Sex and the City marathon. I have watched the complete series from start to finish at least a half a dozen times. And now from an approximately 5 month break, I have begun all over again. I just finished with the first disk of season 2. Season 3 used to be my favorite, but season 4 is starting to pull ahead just a bit.

Well, I'm off to decide what's for dinner. Happy Friday!

The B-Man

So our nephew, Brady, and family were supposed to come over this weekend. However, my husband and I have colds, so I don't think they'll come over so the B-Man won't run the chance of catching our cold. It's a real bummer because we were looking forward to their visit. They don't come over often, so when they do, it's pretty special. Hopefully, we feel 100% tomorrow. I'm going to call them in the morning to give them the latest update. I feel about 80% right now.....just a dry cough and I sound like a man (as Rachel put it the other day as she was suffering from the same ailment). Well, I'm off to cuddle up with Ben and Jerry!

The New Cadillac

The new Cadillac (a.k.a. my new cat litter box) seems to be working well. No leakage so far and Big Kitty doesn't appear to be completely freaked out at the new "thing" in the room.

Not much to say today. I'm distracted by Mythbusters and my sofa is calling my name. I just pulled out my heavy quilt for the first time this year. It's oh so cozy! My husband doesn't care for it much because he says it's too busy (I kinda have to agree with him on that point). However, the reverse side is made from a calming light blue flannel with sheep and clouds all over. Don't ya feel calmer all ready?

Cat Litter Mayhem

Ever since we have moved to our new house, our cats seem to have forgotten how to use the cat litter box properly. Basically, they face the wrong direction and their pee ends up going outside the box rather than inside where it belongs. Therefore, I have been having to clean up grotesque cat urine that gets under the bottom of the litter box and all around. Well the mess today was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was like the cat had a bladder the size of a five year old! So, we made an emergency trip to the pet store an hour ago to purchase a new and bigger litter box. The one we got is like the Cadillac of litter boxes....not the supreme model (that would be the electric Litter Mate) but it has quite a few bells and whistles. Here is my Step-Up to Writing paragraph to demonstrate what I mean:

My new cat litter box is awesome for several reasons. First, it has a high back to prevent pee from leaking out the back. Second, it has a lip that surrounds the entire inside rim to prevent leakage as well. Next, it is much bigger and roomier which my cats will appreciate. Finally, it has a flap in the doorway just in case my cats face the wrong way again when they pee. As you can see, my new cat litter box is awesome.

Happy Tuesday!

Blah Monday

It was a blah Monday. The day just kinda drifted by without much recollection of what happened. Although, I made really bad coffee this morning. I committed the cardinal sin of buying cheap decaf coffee. It was horribly bitter and I had to use so much creamer, I just might have well drunk the creamer instead....But even though I had coffee that bit back, my day wasn't thrown off by it. I'm still CELDT testing and I have so much left to do still. I feel really bad giving it to kids who I know they won't do very well or don't even understand the directions. And because it is measuring their English language, we can't translate anything. So, I give them candy at the end of the testing day for putting them through academic torture. Oh, one key note for the day.........the second grade teacher's snake escaped in the classroom. No one's found it yet.....so I'll be keeping my door shut till it's located......I so hope they find it soon. I'll have the hebejeebies till then.

Hasta Pasta!

Out-of Staters

While I was trying to enjoy my apple-walnut-caramel crepe this morning sitting in the parking lot of Target, I was completely distracted by some out-of-staters. My husband didn't seem to mind them so much, but they were driving me crazy! We always park on the very left side of the parking lot. There is room for two lanes of traffic. Well, these tourists (I won't say where they were from, but let's just say they have a thing for ducks) were parked on the side of the parking lot blocking the cars going the opposite direction. Okay, so they weren't blocking any cars at this point, but if a car went down that way they would have a "What the f***!" moment. And those people were just chit-chatting away!....with all 4 of their car doors open!!!! What on earth would possess these people to think that it was perfectly okay to park their car there? No one could park a car in the 3 spaces they were blocking by the way. Thank goodness I'm not a rude person, because I so wanted to say something to them. I find it odd that this weekend I have encountered so many inconsiderate people. But this poses the question "Maybe I'm the inconsiderate one?" This maybe true for the person who is constantly upset, angered, or frustrated by the oddity or quirkiness of others. However, I try to find the good in people.....I look for the happy place. Unless it's some duck loving caravan blocking traffic! Hehehehe.

I hope ya'll had a great weekend!