slice of my life

Monday Journaling

2011-07-20T14:36:00.003-05:00

This is a "would you rather" post. I'm behind a few days, but I hope Bess is at camp writing away!!

Would you rather have 20 dogs or no toes?
20 dogs! but on a lot of land.

Would you rather have a pet elephant or a camel and a llama?
I think the elephant.

Would you rather not be able to speak forever or only be able to sing instead of talk?
Singing!! At least you could get your points across and talk on the phone still. Maybe I could sing in a way that was kinda monotone and not be too weird. I'd hate to stand out.

Would you rather be mistaken for the president or for a trash can deliverer?
Trash can deliverer. It would be less pressure.

Would you rather have permanent socks or permanent bracelets?
bracelets. I like to wear sandals and have pretty toenails every once in a while!!

Pink lemonade or regular?
regular

What is you favorite color to highlight with? Why?
I like purple, although yellow is good for some things. Yellow can be seen through the best, I suppose, but purple is not common, so it is more noticeable.

Okay, Bess, I hope you read all this typing I just did!!

Journaling at Camp

2011-07-18T16:52:00.004-05:00

Bess is off at camp this week, and she and I are still writing. I think she's shy about sharing what she writes---so it's funny that she wanted the blog! I don't know if she'll bother putting up her writing she's doing during "rest time" these hot afternoons this week.

She picked the topics out of a hat before she left and made tiny envelopes for me to open daily. Of course, she did NOT get around to doing her turn at putting the dishes away before she left, but took time to do this instead. Sigh. But I digress.

Sunday I was travelling back and forth with Larry as we drove the kids to camp. Despite that, there was a topic:

What are the three worst and best things you have smelled?

Worst:

Vomit

strangers' B.O.

diarrhea

Best:

Cologne on a date night

Bath and Body Works' pomegranete lemonade

baking cookies

I'll get Monday's topic going here in just a bit!

Photo Hunt 7-9-11

2011-07-10T16:39:00.004-05:00

Today's photo challenge is Near.

I'm a a day late on this---just busy yesterday and when I could've done it early, the picture I wanted to use was in another city on the camera, with Larry and Bess.

I got very near to this bee while taking this picture. This is a sunflower that Bess has been growing from a seed in the front of the house. We have some in the back, too. I got very near the flower and used the setting for objects nearer than 28 inches.

If you want to see more near photos, then go to TNChick's website. Her picture is cute! (Jamie says I use that word too much. I have noticed I use it a lot, as he's pointed out every time I say "cute.")

Next week's theme is backwards. I wonder what I will find?

Blog Questions

2011-07-05T15:05:00.004-05:00

Today's weird blog is a series of questions. This doesn't seem to really inspire "writing" like I had hoped, but we'll go with it.

Would you rather live in a bowl or a bucket? A bucket, because it has a handle. You can carry it around with you.

Would you rather be a newt or a mouse?

A newt because they are so many pretty colors.

Would you rather yell at cheese or sit on a cookie.

I guess I'd rather sit on a cookie. Although that might ruin the cookie, and I guess I could still eat yelled-at cheese.

Would you rather eat Christmas lights or a garden hose?

Christmas lights are so much lovelier than a garden hose.

Would you rather eat only yarn or only grass?

Grass is a plant and you could live on it for real, so I would pick that!

Okay, now we'll see what Bess has chosen!

Photo Hunt 7-2-11: Busy

2011-07-02T08:13:00.003-05:00

This week's theme is something I can look back on, and it's not this week. Thank goodness. I'm not busy and my body and mind are thankful.

My busiest time of year is probably during the end of the school year, April through May. It's that way for any parent as we're wrapping up the year with awards and recognitions. On top of that, I'm a teacher, so I'm behind the scenes getting awards and recognitions ready, plus report cards, final assessments, and parent-teacher conferences. It's something to be endured and I just ride the wave, doing my best!!

My classroom of first graders is busy, and they get busy on the playground, too. I wanted to post some of the classroom, but I can't post someone else's kid's face! So here they are on the playground on a field trip we did last fall.
I try not to give "busy work," but I choose activities that help them along in their progress. Instead of just keeping them busy on worksheets, I hope I can keep them busy doing hands on games that go along with the skills they're learning in other lessons. If they're done with work, I like for them to choose reading or writing, but I am working one getting a "centers" choice going for the fall. The problem is space in my classroom. I guess my mind is busy thinking about school even when I'm not there.

If I really wanted to show "busy," I might have to post a series of pictures.

If you want to join in the photo hunt, it's open to all at TNChick's website. Next week's theme is near. I will be taking more pictures this week since there's a holiday and we'll get together with my parents.

What is the person in The Scream screaming about?

2011-06-27T14:15:00.007-05:00

The Scream

by Edvard Munch

(in Norwegian, it's Skrik)

created 1893-1910

I know wikipedia is much decried for inaccuracies, but I used it for information and the article is here.

This painting has always given me a creepy feeling if I study it long enough. I think the screaming figure is especially weird because he's bald. No one in real life looks like this, so it's otherworldly. He looks afraid. There are two people coming toward him, but he's looking off to the right and something there is scaring him. The transliteration of the Norwegian word is "shriek," and that seems even more appropriate for the picture. A scream of surprise.

I often have dreams about the end of the world. I am trying to deal with people chasing me, dangerous terrain, aliens, natural catastrophes. My family is in danger and I'm trying to help get us all to safety. I guess watching shows like Falling Skies on TNT doesn't help me at night!

The scenery in The Scream is the kind of imaginary world I might see in my dreams of the end of the world. One of the theories about the red sky is that there was a volcano eruption that spewed a lot of ash into the sky and gave Edvard a red sky at sunset which inspired him to paint this painting. The sky seems almost to be moving around like the stream going under the bridge, or even as the body seems to be moving. I feel like the screamer is about to slip down to the ground, melting down with fright.

But the question today is, "What is he screaming about?" I think something is just off the other side of the bridge. Something is coming out of the water. Something so scary and threatening that it scared the hair off him! It's a man with a knife and a heavy brow, storming his way up the bank of the river, coming right at the screamer. The two people coming up behind him are going to catch him if he tries to run the other way. There is no escape . . .

What will you be like when you are a grandparent?

2011-06-26T16:46:00.005-05:00

I hope that I will be much much older when I am a grandparent!! At least 12 or 16 years older. That's not too much. How can my grandparenting years be so close?? Woah! I have a lot to learn in 12 years. My kids have a long way to go in that short time.

I hope I'm a hands-on grandparent. I'd like to live close to my grandkids, but I know that life in the US has families moving around all the time. Who knows where we'll end up.

I want to be that grandparent who bakes cookies and teaches the kids crafts. I want to take my grandkids to the store and let them buy treats. I want to read to my grandkids, and rock them to sleep and let them sleep over. Maybe I'll get up early and make sausage gravy and biscuits for them. Maybe we'll write letters to each other---or e-mails.

The bad thing I'm realizing as I write this is that I'll probably not be retired before I have grandkids. But maybe I'll still be a teacher and have summers and holidays off similar to my grandkids. I will have to be a working grandparent---like my Mom is and my Dad was for a while. That does mean I won't be available as much as my grandparents were to me.

Jamie reminded me he's going to make his kids call me Moogi. That's Fernegi for Mom. (You know, Star Trek!) I don't know if we'll really go through with that. Since I have some Scottish ancestors, I could go with "Seanmhair." I don't even know how to say that. Or I do have one leg of the family that's French, so how about "Grand mere." Or we could do like I did with my parents---the first grandkid makes it up when they say whatever they say!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt 6-25-11

2011-06-25T13:33:00.005-05:00

This week's photo hunt challenge is Card(s). I had to go back and really search for some cards! These are from my birthday back in 2007.

Looks like Bess made a card for me and Jamie went for the funny Peanuts card.

I had to go snap a new picture, too----cards of all kinds from my purse and wallet. I Have a lot of cards right now since I have been saving some of them to use in the summer! One of the special days we had at school during the Teacher Appreciation Week was a gift card day, and a few students brought those. A few of the cards there are kinda old and I should go check their balances to see if they're good. My first aid card is there. Jamie got CPR certified this spring at school. A couple of those cards are for discounts at those stores. That can save you some money. I love it when we get free food cards at sporting events or whatever.

I am not sure about next week's theme, but if you want to join in this week, go over to Photo Hunter's at TNChick's website.

If you were a magician, what would your signature act be?

2011-06-24T20:40:00.004-05:00

Guess who's brain this question came from?

I would like to saw a person in half. Wouldn't that be a dramatic act!?! I think I would need to wear a red sequined dress and definitely have some spooky, suspense-building music.

Maybe I should make it a levitating act, though.

I laughed when I first heard this. I can't imagine me doing a magic show. :-) I do enjoy seeing a good one, though!

We did get a blog for Bess, although it was a lot of work! She's still trying to get it looking the way she wants, so no links to her yet. Coming Soon!

What would your ideal vacation be? Where would you go?

2011-06-23T21:15:00.005-05:00

I have always wanted to go on a Mediterranean cruise. Think about all those wonderful countries around that Sea: Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, and now I'm even intrigued by Tunisia. Take a look at this:I didn't realize that Tunisia had Roman ruins. Now I say this is my ideal vacation----not necessarily the place I think I'd be comfortable visiting. It's a little too dangerous over there right now.

Ever since my high school art days I've wanted to go to Italy and see all those famous art places and walk in the steps of the great ones: Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, you know those guys. After watching Under the Tuscan Sun and listening to Sting talk about it, I'd love to go to Tuscany. And Venice! I'd have to ride a gondola with Larry and kiss under every bridge.

Greece is a must see with all the Greek ruins. Living in such a young country, we never can see such old structures. I'd like to see all those white buildings they build to keep the rooms cool.

I'd like to visit all the cities that have a book of the New Testament named after it. Or the place where they were. I can't imagine those places very well from the Bible texts, and they would be different now, I know. But still would be a thrill to see all of those places.

I think cruising around on a ship would be the way to get around. I'd of course want to be in a big cabin with lots of room and good food. I would not be seasick in this ideal vacation, either. Would my whole family be there? Maybe, or maybe just Larry. Bess wants to come already, though.

Of course this would have to be a very long vacation! That seems ideal to me. :-) Leave a comment if you have another suggestion for me!

What is your dream job?

2011-06-22T16:52:00.004-05:00

Bess and I are writing this summer---she asked to repeat my at-home work I was requiring last summer and some summers past. This is always something we start, but it kind of peters out as the summer wears on. But maybe not this summer!! I have great hope (as I always do). In the past, we were supposed to write a sentence for every year we'd been alive. I've already said I am not writing that many sentences anymore!! I have other things to do (like go check my Facebook or de-clutter). She could still write 12 this summer "or more," as she said. Oh, she is such an overachiever. Sound familiar?

The title is a question Bess wrote. She and I wrote questions yesterday and put them in a cute little bucket.

Actually, I think my dream job would be writing. I have this idea that I keep coming back to that I should write curriculum. I'd like to do this after the charm of being a classroom teacher has worn off, or when I am too worn out to do it!

Meanwhile, I am doing my research and getting ideas while I teach. I enjoy being in my own classroom, too! I've thought lately if I could just be a teacher right where I am--- in a small Christian school, small class size, pleasant co-workers, involved, caring parents---but have a permanent assistant (doing all the things that are tiresome or things I wish I could get done but can't alone) then I would do this forever. I'd do it for free if I didn't need the money.

The awesome thing is, I DO have a free assistant this fall! I will have a student teacher from the very first day of school, 5 days a week, all day until about Thanksgiving. She was my "senior methods student" in the spring, and I am so looking forward to working with her. God answers prayers, and even gives me the desires of my heart sometimes!

If I could use what I know and will learn, I would like to share ideas about Social Studies and special units that could be used in a Christian or any kind of school. I have realized I love Social Studies. I'm also still interested in language acquisition.

Oh----time to check on my Facebook account.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt 6-18-11

2011-06-18T08:48:00.003-05:00

I'm getting back in the swing of things and posting a Saturday Scavenger Hunt Photo! I haven't been blogging---I think Facebook has taken the place of that.

This week's theme is Informative.

Last weekend the Texas Nonprofit Theaters had their youth conference in Bryan/College Station, and Jamie was a part of it. Here, his group is getting informed about their performance. Critiqued, as they say. Jamie got complimented on his "attitude" in one song. He wasn't the one in the forefront, but they he was singing the backup and looked good.

Informative---they got good information to improve the show. They are going to expand this production to show the rest of our community this musical, which the kids wrote. It was based on the TV show Glee, which the other conference attendees really liked. Their show was called "Gleeked!"

Next week's theme is Card(s). See you then!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt---PUBLIC

2010-07-31T09:12:00.003-05:00

This week's theme is Public. Here are some of the things we did out in the public areas of Seguin, TX, last week.

B is looking over the public memorial to POws---MIAs in front of the Guadalupe County Courthouse. We were trying to figure out if the pictures were carved into the stone or what. The surface was very smooth to the touch. B thought it was pretty and after I explained what POW and MIA meant, she was touched to the heart.

J took some time to love the world's biggest pecan in public. He has no qualms about standing out in a crowd.

This building is a house built back in the 1850s when Seguin was known as"Concrete City." They built almost 100 homes out of "limecrete" as they called it. It's a public historical site.

You can read about it on the historical marker.

That is my group of public photos for the week. Next week's theme is colorful. Ooooo! :-)

If you want to see more photos on the theme, o see TNChick's website.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt---TRIANGLE

2010-07-17T09:25:00.004-05:00

Today's theme is triangle. I have a few pictures for your enjoyment.

This first one is of the show my son's in this summer---Beauty and the Beast, Jr. Cogsworth's costume is almost a triangle. (My son is Lumiere, the candle.)

This little student of mine had triangles attached to his bottle rocket. The launcher was pretty awesome and sent those rockets FAR! The bottle rockets were the most popular booth at our end-of-year carnival.

And on oldie, but a goodie. I used this one before for Photo Hunt, but it's always the first triangle I remember in my photo collection. It's a triangle made of us. It was college---weird things happened. :-)

Those are my photos for the triangle theme! If you'd like to see more triangles, go to TNChick's website.

Next week's theme is hanging. That could be a little morbid! Or artsy. :-) Have a good week!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt---FREE

2010-07-10T11:23:00.003-05:00

This week's theme is Free. Feel free to leave me a comment!

I like this one---the free feeling of a spring day, the freedom of childhood.

J is free to be himself. I think B took this picture.

The kids in my class were free to make their own design with shapes. This one is very symmetrical.

If you want to see some more Free pictures, go see TNChick. Next week's theme is triangle.

Thanks so much for visiting my site!

Palo Duro Trip---Part 4

2010-07-06T09:30:00.003-05:00

Here's a view from the rim of the canyon. When you drive up to the park, you're riding along in this pretty flat terrain, and then the land just drops down and you see this beautiful striped land. The horseback guide told us it's not usually this green this time of year.

Palo Duro is the second largest canyon in the country, formed in the same way the Grand Canyon was---a river. This river is (wait for this very long name) Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River.

This is a good shot of the visitor center to the right. This was about 8:30 at night, so they were already closed.

The next morning we went for our horseback ride. B took this picture of me.

Here's the rest of the group. We're all ready with our jeans! We were fortiunate that it was a cloudy morning with fairly cool temps.

Here's the guy who owns the business, and he gave us our initial instructions. The main thing was to Stay on the Horse. They would take care of us if we were up on the horse!

Palo Duro Canyon---Part 3

2010-07-06T09:14:00.002-05:00

Here's some more pictures from our trip. One of the first things we did when we got to camp was cook dinner. Each adult lady was resposible for one cooked meal, along with 2 scouts. This one was my meal. Of course, no one took a picture of me, but here's Ricky and the girls. I am not the best fire starter, but the girls and I got it going just fine. In the end, we decided we needed a lot more wood to get the food all cooked over coals. B is the one in the black shirt, and the other 2 were my helpers.

This is after we pulled them off the fire.

This picture is before the cooking---we cut up potatoes & onions, and had baby carrots, salt and pepper, a little cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup, and our hamburger meat.

The deer were very tame! Firearms are not allowed in the park. We also saw wild turkey going through the campsites.

Up on the rock there, someone had put a wooden cross. I took this picture so we coud zoom in on it and look at it up close on my camera display.

That's the next installment! I may do another one right now.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt---OPEN

2010-07-03T08:56:00.002-05:00

This week's photo hunter's theme is Open. Here are a few open-themed photos I took during the past year.

This first one has the kids singing through the open windows of the bus. (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, from last summer. My kid is the one with the hand in front of his face! ooops!)

This next one is from this summer---an open-air theater in Palo Duro Canyon.

Here we have an open food packet we cooked. I was calling them Hobo Packets, but B made them at Girl Scout Day Camp and called the Silver Turtles. You put in a patty of hamburger meat, onions, potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper to make your delicious meal in a pouch over hot coals. When you opened them up, the smell and warmth was just delicious.

If you're interested in more Open photos, go to TNChick's website. Next week's theme is Free.
I'll be up working at the theater space today and hopefully finishing the interior castle backdrop. The shows start next Friday for J, who is playing Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jr.
Over 50 kids are involved on stage and backstage. It's going to be a great show! They got some costumes yesterday, and were so excited to try them out. J has gotten his knuckles scraped kinda bad holding his candle hands, so we plan to get some moleskin to cover them.

Have a great weekend!! Please leave a comment---especially if you're from out of town. I love to see where everyone is from.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt---PURPLE

2010-06-26T09:37:00.004-05:00

This week's theme is purple. I thought of this picture right off! I am sure there are many more purple photos in my past. I was in the Flag Corps in high school, part of the marching band. These were our purple outfits we wore during the football games.
Our colors were purple and gold----and I still love that combination! :-)

Check out more photo hunters' submissions by checking out TNChick's website and looking in her comments section.

Next week's theme will be OPEN. That's a word with many possibilities!

Palo Duro trip---part 2

2010-06-25T18:06:00.003-05:00

We spent the first night in Abilene. WooHoo! Larry and J had just left there the day before. Didn't know that town was such a happening place? I've even got plans to go back the first weekend in August. :-) These girls are hanging out in the lobby while we check in. The highlight of this evening? Swimming in the pool. Lis has the pictures of them jumping in that I'd like. I took my knitting ot the pool. It was "Knitting in Public Week." (I saw it on Facebook, I'm sure it was true.)

That night a terrible storm blew in. It rained very hard, and we all took turns at the window, watching the wind blow the waves of rain across the parking lot to the gas station. I did not sleep well! I was aware of a time that the power went out, and it was really dark.

After breakfast in the hotel, we went north towards Lubbock. This was the first time I'd seen wind energy farms up close. It's hard to tell how large these windmills are, but they are HUGE. There are a lot of them between Interstate 20 and Lubbock. (B took this picture through the car window.)

We ate lunch in Lubbock and picked up a scout who'd been staying at her grandmother's house there. We ate at Rosa's Cafe, which we have right in our own town, so nothing new. It was very crowded.

This picture is pne of the first looks we had of the canyon. I didn't get a good picture of the road winding down into the floor of the canyon, and I should have---it's pretty awesome. The CCC built it in 1933-1934. This state park opened in 1934.

We set up out camp, first thing. This tent was my home for 3 nights. :-)

And this is the view from our camp, looking at a canyon wall. It was awe-inspiring, actually. I kept thinking it was like Niagara Falls, in that you cannot do it justice with photos, and you can't imagine how big it is unless you're there in it.

So that's the next 5 pictures from our trip!! I will keep sharing 5 until I finish.

I will go to "Music Americana" tonight to see J sing and dance. He has parts in "Codfish Ball," "Walking on Sunshine," and Chatanooga Choo Choo.

Have a good evening!

Palo Duro Trip---Part 1

2010-06-22T09:33:00.004-05:00

I'm going to do our Girl Scout trip a few pictures at a time. We planned this 5 day trip for a long while and we saw so many cool things!
First stop---the DrPepper museum in Dublin, TX.

They gave us each of us a small bottle of DrPepper at the start of the tour. I'm holding 4 of them for the girls who are going to wait and have it later. B loves DrPepper!! In Dubin, they make DrPepper with the original formula---with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar. No corn syrup in these batches. They have a couple of rooms of DrPepper memorabilia that was a lot of fun to look at.

The guide told us about the machine they use for the rebottling. This is at the end of the process. The bottles are filled with syrup and then carbonated water. The bottles need to turn in a full circle 3 times to mix it, a process they used to have people do by hand, but now the machine will do. This lady was very gracious and helpful!!

One wonderful thing that happened was that we were offered the back room to eat our lunch in. We were planing on our picnic lunch in a park, but they had a room in the back with booths and bathrooms nearby. We ate while we waited for our tour time to begin.

Here we are at the end, posing by the statue outside. We are only beginning our journey, and we hadn't picked up the last scout yet. Lots of adventures still to come for our scouts!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt---SIX

2010-06-19T13:48:00.005-05:00

I missed last week, I only realized today! Anyway, today's theme is SIX. I've been camping this week in Palo Duro Canyon State Park with the Girl Scouts. I'm going to just show three of my pictures from the trip.

This is the rock formation everyone wants to see when they go to Palo Duro Canyon. It was named the Lighthouse by the Spanish explorers. The Native Americans who were here before them didn't call it that (they were not sailors like the Spaniards), but they did build signal fires on top. One of the Park Rangers told me that!

If you look closely, this is the lighthouse from another angle. They were right on top of it! There are 6 people in the photo, and it is a 6 mile round trip hike to make it here. That was quite an accomplishment for our scouts! I am sort of kicking myself now that I didn't do the longer hike---I volunteered to do the 3 mile hike and take back the ones who were not going to make it.

This is where I was when I started back. You can see the Lighthouse just over my right shoulder. It was still a long way away! It was already pretty hot by then, even though we got going as fast as we could that morning. My 3 mile hike was just under 2 hours and the longer 6 mile hike was just over 4 hours.

It was a great trip to end our year, and I'll be blogging about it more this week. You can see more Six photos over at TNChick's site. Next week's Photo Hunter's theme is Purple. I bet I have lots of that---it was my high school's color.

Please leave me a comment and have a great week. :-)

Home Alone

2010-06-10T12:57:00.004-05:00

I'm home alone. And I've wasted a lot of time today on the computer.

Larry and J are at the TNT youth conference. I know they're having fun, because they are tweeting and updating their statuses on Facebook. The group will perform tonight. They did this show back in the spring, and have re-vamped it for this conference---cutting down from 40 cast members to 18. There were a lot of songs re-cast, but J gets to keep his song where he is wearing a dress and singing in falsetto. I think he was excited about getting attention at the conference for such a role. I wish the guys luck!! There are a lot of props for this show, and I hope it goes as smoothly as it did this past weekend when they practiced it before and audience twice.

B is on her own adventure tonight---staying over at Girl Scout camp. They have Day Camp this week, but B gets to spend one night with her age group. This is complicated by the almost 5 inches of rain we got yesterday. There is still a chance of afternoon showers, and if they get heavy, the camping overnight might get cancelled. They had to cancel camp completely yesterday because of the rain. B was so disappointed. I woke yesterday morning with thunder rolling and the rain coming down hard already, enough so that the satellite dish was flipping on and off. Usually that means it's thick clouds overhead. When I checked the radar on the computer, it just looked like it would keep on training over our area all day. The girls had already endured some rain the day before---they pulled out their trash-sack-ponchos. So B was telling me that we should drive over there and see if it was on. I was thinking we should wait until it stopped thundering. About that time we got the call from her leader telling her to stay home. Very sad.

This very well may be my fault. Last week they were predicting the temps to be about 95 to 100, and high humidity so it was going to feel like 110 degrees. I was praying it would cool off for these Girl Scouts! I got my prayer answered, but it involved rain. OOoops!

I think I am going to take my sister's advice and watch a sappy movie and shop for some shorts, which I need. I need to figure out what I want to do for dinner all by myself, though!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt 6-5-10

2010-06-05T09:52:00.003-05:00

Today's theme is Sparkles. We have a son and a daughter, but our daughter isn't a girly girl, so I don't have a lot of stuff of hers to pull from. But she did do dance when she was 5, so here's a sparkly outfit she wore.

I just put this picture on a post from Monday---and it's very sparkly.

Our son is into theater, and they just had their awards ceremony last Sunday. These are the awards he won. He has been doing this outside of school since he was in Kindergarten, and has really found something he loves to do. He has two shows today, in fact. I listed his various awards in the other post, so scroll down if you're interested.

Thank you for stopping by! Please leave a comment if you stopped, and I'll visit your site as well.

Next week's theme is Bubbles. Go by TnChick to see who else had a sparkly picture to share.

food and fun

2010-06-03T20:54:00.006-05:00

I finished my knitting and I kinda want to give it to my sister. It's red, white and blue, and her birthday is close to Independence Day. I guess I better get a picture. I am still thinking of doing a dish towel to match.

It has been RAINING! and I love it. Our high today was in the 70s I think. I sure wish it would be this cool for poor little Girl Scouts at Camp Howdy next week! They will be out (in the shade, mostly) from 8 to 3 every day, and it will be a scorching kind of day for them. Our girls will be in the cool Campcraft, which means they will spend the night there one night! Very exciting.

The very next week is our troop's trip and we'll camp out 3 nights. We are so brave.

I went to yoga today!! After having tight shoulders all day yesterday, I was very glad to go stretch out. Whew! I feel better. I walked the neighborhood the day before with Jamie. I plan on walking again tomorrow. I am going to get more fit this summer!

I thought I'd tell about all our dinners we're having lately.

I'll go back a bit and forward.
Sunday---out to lunch (Casa Ole) and then Ovies (we made stuffed mushrooms and mini cupcakes)
Monday---We had a potluck lunch with friends and I made a pasta salad and more of those cupcakes.
Tuesday---Steaks, salad (thanks, Dad, for the Omaha Steaks!)
Wednesday---B's meal: bowtie and shell pasta, corn on the cob and garlic bread. She is not a fan of meat.
Thursday--- breakfast tacos (bacon and egg). Salsa on the side! I used reduced-salt bacon and didn't sat the eggs.
Friday---B's turn again: Betty Crocker Julienne Potatoes with Savory Garlic Pork chops (the recipe she found on the box of potatoes!) I think this will turn out very yummy.
Saturday---TROUPE is doing dinner and a show for $15. I think Hamburgers and chips are on the menu. Larry will be doing some grilling for this event.
Sunday---I have a gift card for Papa Perez we may use (thank you Medina family!)
Monday---The last night we're all together for a while!! I will cook a chicken in a crock pot and we'll have either mashed potatoes or rice, and Mediterranean veggies (carrots, califlower, Italian green beans, zucchini)
Tuesday--my guys will be gone to Dallas!! They will go see Wicked with the TROUPE peeps and then onto Abilene for the Texas Nonprofit Theaters youth conference.
B and I may have chicken tortilla soup.

We have a very busy week, and we will be split up as a family for almost two weeks straight. Boys go together to Abilene the first week, Girls go with scouts to Palo Duro Canyon (stopping one night in Abilene) the next week.

I'm trying to de-clutter and orgaize again. I hope next week when B is gone I can work alone (and not play on Facebook all day!).

Have a good week everyone!

Accolades and Promotions

2010-05-31T20:15:00.007-05:00

Here's my life in pictures from the last few weeks.

School has come to an end, and with that brought two "promotion ceremonies." I hate to say graduation, but I do think it's significant they were both promoted to a new grade and new school.

J has finished 8th grade and will go to High School next year. J is the one on the far right in a black vest and orange shirt. We never got good pictures that day!Two days later, B had her ceremony. She was in the first group of 5th graders to graduate from that campus---ever!! Here she is shaking her principal's hand. My grandmother visited Texas for the first time in a long time. One weekend I took J to see her. We had 4 generations together. All of us in this picture are oldest children. Disclaimer---Granny was not ready & we made her have her picture made in clothes she did not like. :-)

The next picture is the very next weekend. I took B to see her great-grandmother this weekend. Again, it's 4 generations. I had a great time visiting with my family. The kid who didn't go----he/she was busy at home that weekend. I couldn't figure out how to get us all there at the same time. Disclaimer---I don't like my hair in this photo!!

Notice how much more the snowball bush has bloomed over the week?

This summer I'm getting the kids to plan and make one meal a week. They have to help me make the grocery list and then I will assist them when they're cooking, too. This meal was J's. He had seen a recipe in a magazine when he was taking the TAKS test in April and asked his teacher if he could copy the recipe. It is Sausage Arugula Pizza. We didn't really know what arugula was!! This will be an adventure. :-) This meal was good!

Sunday night was Ovies night for TROUPE. This the Ovation Awards ceremony for the end of the year. This picture is Larry and J presenting awards.

This is J after receiving one of his wards.

These are the awards he got---I'm so proud. :-)

Most Memorable Character---his Chef Ludmilla from Dear Edwina
Best Vocal Performance by an Ensemble----"Book Report" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!
Outstanding Backstage Crew Member----during Seussical, Jr.
Teen/Youth MVP
All Star Cast
People's Choice Award
The Backstage Award (for kids who were understudies & mostly didn't get on stage!)
And the Best one----The Wanda Daisa "Heart & Soul" Award

This award goes to someone who's got all their Heart and Soul into TROUPE. Which Jamie does. It's named after one of the founders of Troupe who has passed away now. It's a great honor.

Larry also got two awards!! We're proud of him, too. He got the Outstanding Member Award for the "Nostalgics" (the adults who sing and act), and he also got a Director's Choice Award.

We were at the Woimen's Club in Bryan----A great facility!

This is the People's Choice Award recipients. This category was a write in vote for the people who voted. I think this is a wonderful one to win because it's people who the crowd loves to watch on stage. I love to see all these guys!!

Here are the wards Jamie got!

M.A.'s Angels?

B and I are picking up our knitting again! I am starting this washcloth and actually it's 3 times that big now. I might finish tonight or tomorrow! B thought I ought to make a dishcloth to match. I had the same thought. I love the Yarn. It's Sugar'n Cream "American Stripes." Great Memorial Day Project!

Hope you've enjoyed your weekend as I did. we went to some church friends' house and met up with people who've scattered far and near. It's a tradition, and I really love getting together with this group. Food is good, and it feels really comfortable.

Remember the sacrifices made so we all can enjoy our freedoms, not just on Memorial Day, but every day of the year.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt 5-29-10

2010-05-29T08:22:00.004-05:00

This week I'm back in after a long hiatus! The theme this week is Memorial. You can check out other Memorial pictures on tnchick's website.

I chose this photo I took at a parade in Granbury, TX, at a 4th of July parade. The float was a tribute to local men who had served in any branch of the service, but this is always a reminder that others made a greater sacrifice---their very lives.

Next week's theme is sparkle(s). Sounds like a girly theme, perhaps.

I hope you're enjoying your summer---if it's begun at your house!

New Beginnings

2010-05-24T08:59:00.003-05:00

I'm going to blog again this summer. I haven't done any blogging in so long, but I still remember how. I think my Facebook page has taken the place of blogging, which is fine, but there are times I can't say all I need to say on Facebook.

So we'll see how long I actually keep this up . . . will it be another 7 months before I post again?

School is out for me, and even though I started a week and a half before they did, my kids are out of school, too (thank you Bryan ISD for FYP). They both got commended scores on their Math and Reading TAKS tests and were at school the required number of days, so they were able to take an early leave of school. The kids who didn't do so well and missed a lot of days will be toiling away at school until June 4th.

So we're out. I finished all the teacher work I had to do last Friday, and I'm free! I always have big goals for the summer, when I have the time to take care of me and the house more. That's sad, isn't it? I put all my energy into my work, just about. That, and driving my own children to their "stuff."

Here are a few things we've got on the schedule this summer:
Howdy day Camp (B---Girl Scouts)
Softball season (Lar and B)
TNT Youth Conference (J----drama)
GS trip to Palo Duro Canyon (me and B)
BVT's production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. (J)
Library actvities (including B volunteering with the programs for little kids) (both kids?)
$1 movies at Cinemark (me and the kids)
teaching Tabitha class and a 3s Bible class just for the summer (me! and J helps in another class)
Regional Track meet (Larry and B---and training her beforecompetition)
Church Camp---Bandina (the kids)
a visit with my sister and family when they come to Texas in July (all of us)
swimming (all of us)

We actually have a full summer planned out, and we'll be busy, but not too busy. Summer is full of freedom! Keeping everyone doing the things they love doing is my goal. Summer is when we actually have the time to enjoy our hobbies.

So, spread out, relax-----summer's here!

I'm Back!

2009-10-11T13:14:00.006-05:00

I haven't posted anything since school started, and it's because I've been so busy. Things are slowing down, and I'm getting first grade figured out. Here are some pictures of what we've been doing.

Here are the shoes of my students.

J made cupcakes for the fellowship meal at church in September. His October cupcakes were "bagels with lox" on top of a carrot cake cupcake.

At school, in science, we watered one plant and didn't water the other. Guess what happened.

B had her birthday. here are cards she got from family and the lap desk she had really wanted. I've already used that thing, and it's a great help!

B had a party with 4 friends. She's doing some charades here.One friend made a paper sub sandwich for her. Her favorite!!

They did crazy hairdos.

They decorated their own cookies for the birthday dessert. At school, we are making Bible projects. This first one is Noah's Ark, and the one below is the Tower of Babel.

So that's what's up around here. Leave me a comment!

First Day of 2009-2010

2009-08-24T20:52:00.004-05:00

Since everyone else was doing it, I had to post our first day pictures as well! It was kinda dark---it was about 6:55 when I took these.

Here's B going to 5th grade. We found the BEST backpack (originally $50, for $20!!) in the colors she likes. We got a big lunchbox this year so she can put her nifty new cereal bowl in there. It keeps the milk cold in a special freezer compartment. Yes, cereal with milk for lunch!! Not that keeping things cold will be a problem---lunch is at 10:45. Geeze! Last year she was at the other extreme: 12:50. Here's J with his orange and black outfit he pulled together. The laces were not original to the shoes, but a good touch. He's going to 8th grade. He will be taking these classes:
Computer (BCIS)
P.E.
Spanish 3 for Native Speakers
U.S. History
Biology
Algebra
English
Band
S

He did not take a backpack today, and will get his computer about a month from today. (Someone's birthday!) J is riding a bus home many days.

I got a Sonic drink today that didn't have sonic ice in it!

To be or not to be

2009-08-22T18:01:00.006-05:00

J and I started watching Hamlet on the Ovation channel Thursday night, and I was excited to see it was back on this evening. I had to miss the last 30 minutes! So now I'm finishing it up.

It has been 17 years or so since I've studied Shakespeare, but I still love it. I don't understand all of it, but I like it! I took two semesters of Shakespeare---one at Texas A&M and one at UNT---and I still have my BIG Complete Works of Shakespeare (somewhere). It's best watched, not read.

I'm glad J was interested in watching Shakespeare with me. He's an actor, so maybe he'll get to perform it one day. At Christmastime, he will try to get in a school production of "A Christmas Carol." He is not getting to take drama this year after all---he has to take a technology class instead because of the program he's in. Jamie wants to see "Twelfth Night" tomorrow, so we're setting the VCR.

This version I'm watching now was made in 2000, and is set in NYCity. Ethan Hawke is Hamlet. I'm enjoying it!

Here are a couple of pictures from the last few weeks.

When I top this hill, and start down this long stretch, I know I'm almost there. (Do you know where?)

I did a beginning of year activity in my classroom using this book. Each child brough a rock, as did I, and we will keep them here as long as we're in the class.

This is me on the first day of school. One of my students took it for me.

Here are all the new shoes! and legs, and knees, and khaki shorts.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, August 22nd

2009-08-22T08:09:00.004-05:00

Today's theme is ripples. I'm waxing philosophical!

I couldn't think of any shots I have of ripples on the water. I should have looked or some this week and got a shot, but have been busy---my school has already begun. We're well on our way into the 2009-2010 year!

As I woke this morning, I thought about the ripples our decisions make, or the ripples the circumstances make in our lives and again in the lives of those around us.

This is my paternal grandmother and her brother. They lived in Tennessee and grew up during the depression. Their circumstances---including a father's illness with tuberculosis---led to certain attitudes and personality traits I can see in me.

This is Larry's family. I can't think about the ripples unless I think about the "looks" of people, our genetic heritage. Larry's grandmother is the third woman from the right, and seated are her parents. There is a certain body build in all the men on Larry's side that are descended from Larry's Dad. Another ripple was that Larry's grandmother was the one who taught him to read at an early age.

Both Larry and I come from stock that's not so tall! While our J has passed me by and already has feet bigger than his daddy, I still think he won't get over 6 feet tall. This shorter genetic heritage ripples on by . . .

Here is my short family. I'm the one in the white skirt in the front. And I am only 5'2". Even our men are only about 5'7" or so.

And another choice that's rippled down for the benefit of me and my kin---that my grandparents on my Mom's side even got together. None of his other 3 siblings ever married. I'm glad he made the leap to do it!

Life is full of these ripples, both good and bad. I hope my own actions are rippling into my children's lives in a positive way.

Check out more ripples at TNChick's website. Next week's theme is Surprise!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, August 15th

2009-08-15T07:57:00.004-05:00

This week's theme is artificial. Check out more photo hunters on TNChick's website.

Last Saturday morning, this is where I was. It looks like a resort, and I guess for some it is a vacation spot. But this is my Granbury, my hometown. I went back for my 20th high school reunion. The reason this picture is artificial is that this is on the lake, and it used to just be the marina. It was the turnaround spot for "the drag." But now, they've made a nice beach there, with pretty sand and the Tiki Hut (for snacks). It's right next to the Hilton. Granbury with a Hilton? A nice beach, on Lake Granbury, artificially trucked in.

J reminded me of his artificially altered photos. He has made a picture of himself look like the Joker. Kinda creepy! He altered this photo to give me artificial colors (kinda like Kool-Aid colors?).

Next week's theme is ripples. I'll try to keep up, but I've already started back to teaching school, so I'm busy with all that beginning of the year stuff. Have yourself a great week!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, August 1st

2009-08-01T11:34:00.002-05:00

This week's word of the week is Entertainment. For better or worse, my son has always been an entertainer. I'm highlighting some good entertaining he's done in the recent past.

This is his latest role in a BVTroupe production: Peanuts' Schroeder. This is the end of "his" song, Beethoven.
This is J in a skit where he's a sportscaster. It was "extreme," man.

This one is from last summer's BVT production of Annie. J played Rooster, Ms. Hannigan's shady brother. Here he si reading a note that says, "The jig is up." He was very good at playing the mischievous part, and I still think his rendition of "easy Street with Ms. Hannigan and his girlfriend was top notch. Great entertainment!

This week's theme was SO easy for me to come up with. J has been entertaining us his whole life, but his time spent on stage (which he loves) is entertainment others seem to enjoy as well. I need to remind him every once in a while that he's not supposed to be an entertainer at school in the classroom!!

***

Go by TNChick's site to see more entertaining posts. Next week's theme is low.

Suppertime!

2009-07-29T15:41:00.005-05:00

What we've eaten lately. (I see Mrs. H's weekly menus and get inspired.)

this week:

Monday: Beer Battered fish (I know, frozen from a bag, but, some nights are just this way!!)

HEB Edamame, broccoli, red pepper (that was delicious!)

Tuesday: (Lar not home) Make your own nachos---Jamie had some leftover shrimp and made his shrimp nachos. very interesting! Mine was more like a taco salad.

Wednesday: (tonight!) Enchilada Bake (Granny's recipe) It's something like this picture, and a recipe you can use what you have on hand. Start with a bag of Doritos crunched on the bottom of the pan. Add on in layers: taco meat, can of corn, can of black beans (or any kind), can of Rotel, cheese. Bake until heated through.

Also, a green salad

Thursday: Stromboli and some zucchini, steamed

Friday: Taco Salad (old school kind with ranch style beans, Fritos, and Catalina dressing) Mrs. H has a recipe! We have gotten out of the habit of making this one (I can blame it on the kids.)

Saturday: J's Paninis---or possibly another Rachael Ray recipe. His choice!

Sunday: Sandwich supper @ church. I think J might make his Turkey/Provolone sandwiches and some panda cupcakes!

Monday: Ham hock/bean soup

I've been waiting for this one!!

The afternoon is quiet (except the gong sound that happens when J's txt message comes in). I told the kids no more computer or TV until they practice their instruments! heehee! All I'm asking for is 20 minutes. Is that so hard? But I have kept them busy with learning a new game, too---Mexican train. Or as one friend of Mexican heritage calls it, "Train." ;-) I just learned it at a teacher gathering last Thursday night.

I about have all my ducks in a row for getting B taken care of when I start back to teacher days and they don't go back for 2 weeks. It's hard being a working Mom!!

I've been good and walked twice this week. I was fast walking today with no walking companions, but was glad to have B with me yesterday morning. We walked all around the neighborhood on the other side of the park from me. I'm feeling good! I started my cholesterol medicine this week, too. Bleh! I'm high blood pressure, high cholesterol and overweight. Bleh!!! Maybe I can stay inspired even when school starts back up.

Walking on Wednesday

2009-07-29T09:21:00.003-05:00

A lot of songs on my playlist are from the A section!

Cowboy Take Me Away (Dixie Chicks)
Ain't No Other Man (Christina Aguilera)
Pride (In the Name of Love) (U2)
All You Need is Love (The Beatles)
Velvet (Fergie)
All for the Best (from Godspell soundtrack)
On the Last Night (Rockapella)
Play That Funky Music White Boy (Wild Cherry)
Always on my Mind (Pet Shop Boys)
Kiss From a Rose (Seal)
I love that song!
American Woman (Lenny Kravitz)
An American in Paris

I'm coordinating the lunch for my first teacher workday---it's coming up in one week!! We are pot lucking a baked potato lunch. I love it!! I'm bringing dessert---just need to decide what it's going to be! Lemonade cake? Eclair pie? Cherry Dump Cake? Chocolate Chip Cookies? (leave your opinion.)

Today holds a trip to Wal-Mart. I'll be looking at paint samples with Jamie. We're painting his bed!

And for anyone who doesn't already know, my Mom's surgery went well. She came out of the anesthesia much better this time, and she was up making her own sandwich and iced tea as soon as we got home. It was SO much better. She has another surgery on the 22nd. It could be the last one or there might be another one. This time, the bottom of her nose---the part around her nostril---is starting to look like a regular nose. And it seems like it's staying healthy and coming together the way it ought to. Whew!!

Have a great week!!

Songs to Walk By

2009-07-22T08:51:00.003-05:00

Mad About You (Sting)
Love Me Do (The Beatles)
Love Song for No One (John Mayer)
Love Shack (B 52's)
Look What You've Done (Jet)
Long Time Gone (Dixie Chicks)
Locked Out (Crowded House)
Livin' on a Prayer (Bon Jovi)
Little Wing (Sting)
Linus and Lucy (Vince Guaraldi)
Light in Your Eyes (Cheryl Crow)
Lift Up (Rockapella)
Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts)
Life in a Northern Town (The Dream Academy)
Let it Be (The Beatles)
Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz)
Last Train to Clarksville (The Monkees)
Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer)

This is in reverse order. I think My player must be on a "play through all the songs in alphabetical order" mode or something, which works for me. I started where I left off yesterday with "Kiss Me" and worked through my Ls this morning. Some of these at the end---I was sitting in front of the computer uploading photo sot Wal-Mart! I just kept liking the songs, so I kept listening. I did actually walk a good 45 minutes.

Enjoy your day!

I'm Walking . . .

2009-07-21T09:42:00.003-05:00

Today I walked alone. J is at church camp, along with little sis B. I had gotten used to his company along those neighborhood streets. But my music keeps me company, and often inspires me to walk faster. My years marching to band music always give me the urge to keep my steps in time to the music. It's more so when I was walking at the track. It's smooth, flat and even. Out on the streets, I almost always have a slant to the side. And rocks and sticks to maneuver around.

Here are my musical accompaniments:

If I Fall You're Going Down With Me (Dixie Chicks)
New Year's Day (U2)
Back to You (John Mayer)
Can't Buy Me Love (The Beatles)
If I Needed Someone (The Beatles)
It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (Lenny Kravitz)
Bali Ha'i (Charlotte Church)
Jesus Take the Wheel (Carrie Underwood)
From My First Moment (Charlotte Church)
Superstition (Stevie Wonder)
Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer)

Larry and I were at dinner when that storm popped up over us last night. We were eating out for our 18th anniversary, and I wanted it to be kinda romantic, so we went to the restaurant Larry took me to the night he proposed. Its' Cenare, on University Drive near the A&M campus. He didn't propose there, but under the Century Tree on campus---a traditional spot.

We sat right up front by the windows, so we had a real great view of the wind, rain, and little bit of hail we got in that part of town. The really bad stuff was south of us. We did not see the funnel clouds! Our view was looking east. We waited at the restaurant about an extra half hour for the weather to calm down enough for us to drive in it. Nothing much more to report!

Dinner was yummy---we started with stuffed mushrooms and both had a salad. I ordered the Pollo Carciofi, and Larry had Tortellini Toscana. We finished by sharing a chocolate dipped Cannoli (there's a picture of one from our restaurant on the top of this page!). I really enjoyed eating the delicious food and enjoying my delicious company. I even did the healthy thing---I brought about half of my entree home with me. I can't wait for lunch!

Have a happy day!!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, July 18th

2009-07-18T21:19:00.003-05:00

These are all mixed up chronologically, but I am late enough as it is. Today's theme is ROCKS. I went with a literal, concrete term, and pulled out many from my files. My rock collage:
When we took our spring 2008 Girl Scout trip, we crossed the Paluxy River during our breakfast time. On the rocks!

Here's our B on a rock in the river. Look how long her hair was!!

The year before that, we took our Girl Scouts to . . . Natural Bridge Caverns! It was inside some underground rocks. B is the 4th from the right.

This is a honeymoon picture of my Mom's parents. It was 1947, and they are near Fontana Dam, sitting on the rock wall.

This is my Mom by another rock wall in East Tennessee, circa 1950.

I took a trip to the Grand Teton National Park with the church youth group. These are the biggest rocks!! This is Jenny Lake. IT IS SO PRETTY THERE!!

These are the rocks on the seawall in Galveston, TX. On the rocks are my hubby and my two kids. They were 2 and a half and 5 and a half in 2001.

This last pic is my college friend and I near a rock riverbank. I think this is at Camp Hensel.

I hope you enjoyed my rocks! Check out more rocks at TNChick's website---follow the comment links.

Next week's theme is Utensils. I may not get to it---I'll be going to my Mom's to be there after her surgery, which happens on Saturday. I didn't even know they scheduled surgeries on Saturdays!!

Everyone have a great week! Hi Kelly!

San Antonio #2

2009-07-16T10:14:00.008-05:00

Guest writer---our B!

In this picture, Bananas is in front of a building that we thought looked cool in downtown San Antonio.

This is Bananas in front of a sign at Mission San Jose.

Bananas and me are park rangers at the mission!!!!

In this picture Bananas is sitting by a hole in the wall that people who were fighting there would stick their guns through.

Me and Bananas are sitting by some baskets in a fireplace thing in the corner.

This is me and Bananas sitting in a window behind the church part of the mission.

Bananas is sitting in the opening of an oven.

Now Bananas is sitting on the oven!

Bananas is in the corner of the mission.

That's Bananas in front of the church dome.

This is Bananas on top of a well.

In this picture, me and Bananas are sitting in a window.

This is a little water bowl in the wall in the church.

This is Bananas in the back of the mission.

This is me and Bananas sitting in a different window.

Bananas thought this mission was kinda big.

Bananas really liked how we rode back to the hotel---we rode there on the bus.

Summer Photos

2009-07-16T09:42:00.004-05:00

This summer has been full of activity! The Troupers sang a parody at the airport for Stanley Wayne Mathis as he came into town. J is the one in the scarf. (Don't ask why)

We went to the Granbury parade. J was loud and crazy enough to get people to squirt him with the water. It's been SO HOT this summer.

On the square in Granbury. Strike a pose, J!

J and my dad are Vannah White-ing the BIG ice cream cone.

Me and my dinner. I went to the square hoping I could find this stand with the Shepherds' Tacos. They're pork, and you squeeze all that vegetable goodness with lime juice before you eat it. Under there, it's 3 tacos. Yeah, it was messy.

Dad's Big Band---they're cool!

B keeps herself busy during the break in the concert. She has finished TWO library reading charts already, and is on her way to finish #3.

The band played into the night, leading up to the fireworks show. We all wanted to just leave after the show, though! It was hot, and we'd had to leave my Mom at home. She's recovering from some surgery on her nose.

The new-to-us car. I didn't know this was blurry until I got it on the computer. I really am enjoying it!

It's been a Charlie Brown Summer. Get on the bus!!

J is Schroeder. He's frustrated here with people disrupting the peace he needs to be his artistic self. A role J has embraced.

The song---Beethoven Day. The crowd surrounds Schroeder as he sings about his love for Beethoven and the holiday he looks forward to the most.

This is my favorite song---The Book Report. Schroeder likens the book Peter Rabbit to one he likes, Robin Hood.

The song---The Baseball Game

These three actors also sang last summer in "Easy Street." J was Rooster, the girl in the left was his girlfriend, and the girl on the right was Mrs. Hannigan (Rooster's sister).

The end. The blur on the left is someone's hands clapping! J is the one with the blond-haired mask.

It's been a good summer---but it's half over!! :-(

2009-07-16T08:40:00.004-05:00

Jamie and I walked for about an hour this morning. That's three times this week so far!! GO US!!

My song list this morning:
Song 9 (Rockapella)Hello, Goodbye (The Beatles)
When You Come (Crowded House)
I Want to Tell You (The Beatles)
Sh-Boom (The Chords, from the Cars soundtrack)
Shape of My Heart (Sting)
Don't Tell Me You Do (Rockapella)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U2)
Clumsy (Fergie)
Phantom of the Opera (Sarah Brightman)
She's Too Good for Me (Sting)
Sweetest Thing (U2)
3x5 (John Mayer)
Blue Canary in the Outlet by the Lightswitch (They Might Be Giants)
Doctor Robert (The Beatles)

I haven't compared the list here to what I wrote on that other post---to see if they're the same. I have about 250 songs on my little off-brand MP3, and I keep it on shuffle. It's funny how often I get the same artists on the same trip. Of course, what you see here repeated---Sting and The Beatles---that's pretty well represented in my collection.

Summer Food

2009-06-30T20:23:00.004-05:00

I think I like Summer. I've got time to take care of myself---I walked 3 miles yesterday, and did yoga today. There are dollar kid movies---Madagasgar this morning. There's swimming and the wearing of shorts. I wear makeup about once a week! And sandals. I have one pair I really like this summer.

I am so much more relaxed, and I can really get to cookin'. I have popsicles in the freezer all the time. We eat fresh vegetables and fruits so much more often. I enjoy seeing every-blogger's weekly menus, so I thought I'd share what I've done this week---and what's coming up in the near future.

Saturday
Benefit Hamburger Cookout for Camp Bandina

Sunday
leftovers, sandwiches

Monday
Spiral-sliced honey glazed ham, watermelon, green salad

Tuesday (today)
"Easy Ranch Chicken and Corn", baby carrots, dessert:Blue Bell Key Lime Pie ice cream

Wednesday
Eating out? (I'm itching for Panda Express whenever we do eat out next) if we don't eat out, I'll do the Stromboli

Thursday
Ham/Provolone Stromboli OR hot dogs, chili, chips, cinnamon/sugar apples

Friday
eating on the road to my Mom and Dad's

Saturday
At Mom's---I'm not sure how she will be feeling, but I think we'll eat a lunch together at home (something grilled?) and I'll do potato salad and pickled beets. Dad will be playing a concert just off the Square, so maybe we'll eat on the Square. Shepherd's tacos? Those were delicious on the Square one year.

After soliciting responses on my Facebook account, I'm going to use the hambone to season beans sometime. Not that B will eat beans!! She'll have to figure something else out for herself that night. She didn't even like the ham very much---and it was De-licious!!

Happy eating this week, everyone!

Walking Music

2009-06-29T10:04:00.002-05:00

I got up this morning and walked 3 miles at the neighborhood park. I woke of my own accord just before 6:30, and laid in bed trying to talk myself into going back to sleep. The sun was already coming up, though, so my body wouldn't let me go back to sleep. I'd already had a good 7 and a half hours, so why would I sleep more?

I thought I'd give a highlight of what was on my MP3 player while I walked.
Shape of My Heart (Sting)
Clumsy (Fergie)
3x5 (John Mayer)
Something About You (Level 42)
Dr. Robert (Beatles)
A Change Would do You Good (Sheryl Crow)
The Way (Fastball)
Stuck in the Middle With You (Steeler's Wheel)

My banana is too sweet. Bleh.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, June 27th

2009-06-27T07:34:00.003-05:00

This week's PhotoHunters' theme is flags. I know we'll see a lot of patriotic submissions this week! My mind went a different direction, though.

I was on the flag corps in high school, and I loved it. It's one of the fondest high school memories I have, to be part of the big moving organization on the football field Friday nights. So I submit two flag photos related to that idea. This first one is a pre-game flag tunnel we made as the rest of the band would file into the stands. Imagine a drum cadence playing in the background while we flag girls stood to the sides making a pointed arch overhead. I think that's me---the first flag on the left.

This second one is in the parking lot in front of the Winn-Dixie (I think Brookshire Brothers now). I don't know why we were performing there! We had these pink flags for a certain song, and the yellow shirts we have on were our Friday uniforms for school. They say Color Guard on them, I think. My hair is weird in this one---I think it's in a braid in the back. Thanks to my parents who must have taken both these shots!

I hope you'll go see some more flags on TNChick's website. Next week will be pretty in pink!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, June 20th

2009-06-20T10:34:00.004-05:00

This week's theme is creamy. B got some frozen treat recipes from her American Girl magazine. We also caught Blue Bell ice cream on sale! Yea! And here is her creamy creation.
This one is Homemade Vanilla With Strawberries ice cream and Cran-Grape juice. This is slightly modified from the recipe in the magazine, but came out deliciously!

There was another set of creamy pops that I didn't care for---peanut butter and strawberry yogurt. Another is untested in the freezer---vanilla pudding and blueberries---but that sounds good to me. Yum!

B has made several things in her Easy Bake Oven also. We had the standard cakes from the packages you buy, but she found a recipe on the Internet for Pizza. Pizza cooked by a lightbulb! We all got a piece, and it wasn't too bad! ;-)

I'm not sure about next week's theme, but if you want to see more creamy foods, check out TNChick's blog.

Embracing Sweat

2009-06-17T16:19:00.006-05:00

I have been SWEATING here in Bryan. We hit 100 degrees yesterday, and expect to today----it's 4:23 and 96 degrees. We may still make it! But I really don't want to, of course! I do not take the heat very well. I have a fair complexion, burn easily, and just wilt in the heat. My face turns red, I feel weak, and when it's bad, I start to get white around my mouth and eyes. My raccoon look!

The disturbing news is . . . the average first 100 degree day in College Station is July 16th. We were one month early this year! Doesn't bode well for us.

I feel like I have to learn to embrace the sweat, because I can't get away from it. If I have to get in the car without cooling it off, I'm instantly drenched in sweat. If I go outside for any length of time, anywhere under the hair on my head, it's hot. As soon as I get out of my almost cold shower, I start sweating. I can't dry off before the sweating begins!

But one time of the day, I have been sweating on purpose. Bess's track camp is in its middle week, and I have been taking advantage of being there at the track. I walk around the track for about one hour each day. This week, I walked 11 laps (2.75 miles), Tuesday 12 laps (3 miles), and today I walked 3 miles again, 12 laps. Both weeks, I've only gotten to walk 3 times. This week we have a track meet on her 4th day. But last week, I did yoga two times, too. I'm proud of myself.

It may be my imagination, but I feel like since I've done this 3 times in the last two weeks, my stomach is smaller. This is my least favorite part of the body---this fat stomach!! But I really think it's getting better. I have one more week to walk during Bess's track, and after that, I plan on walking at 7 am instead.

Oh! Did I say it's 9:15 before I begin walking? It's very hot even by then, but the saving grace has been the clouds. It's been cloudy in the mornings. Of course this means we have high humidity, but at least the sun isn't beating down on us all.

This past school year I got into some bad habits and gained some weight. Here are some good habits I have been trying to nurture this summer---now that I have no excuses:

Walking 3 miles 3 days a week

Yoga twice a week (one 30-minute DVD, one 50 minute DVD)

high fiber breakfast (I'm looking for >5g of fiber)

less soda, more water (or decaf tea with Sweet n Low)

a daily SPF 15 lotion on my exposed body parts---face, legs, arms, neck, ears

Hope you're enjoying your summer! I'm feeling good about myself again.

2009-06-13T11:00:00.006-05:00

We now have time for a guest blogger! It's our B. She will be blogging about her trip to San Antonio in March. Her Webkinz elephant, Bananas, saw all the sights!

Hello! I want to tell you about my vacation to San Antonio. Here are 10 pictures of the beginning of our trip.

This is Bananas sitting on the bed at our hotel.

This is Bananas standing in front of the 2-story McDonald's.

This is Bananas standing on the Riverwalk.

This is Bananas drinking my coke at the Hard Rock Cafe.

This is Bananas in front of some guy's guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe.

This is Bananas outside the Hard Rock Cafe under an old car.

This is bananas in front of the Alamo.

v This is Bananas in front of a little stage on the Riverwalk.

This is Bananas and me and my dad standing by a well thingy by the Alamo.

This is Bananas eating a french fry at McDonald's.

Well, I guess that's enough pictures for one post, but I will do another post to show you more pictures.

reviews

2009-06-10T21:49:00.002-05:00

I ate at Yum Yum's this evening. It's a new restaurant in the old Oxford Street location. The parents of one on the girls on B's softball team runs it. It was de-licious!! Twice I caught myself saying "Yum!" Try it out---the buffet had many choices, and everything I ate was great---really! Here's what we saw tonight:
baked chicken
stuffed peppers
stuffed pasta shells
chicken noodle casserole (J got seconds of this)
rolls
squash/zucchini with tomato sauce
green beans
salad bar

I can't remember much more. The Mom who runs the place made us a cake for the team. Yea for the Banana Splits!! It was a good year.

We saw "Night at the Museum"---Smithsonian version a few nights ago. If you liked the first one, you'll like the second one, too. It was fun and witty in parts, and enjoyable. No Oscar nominations, I'd guess, but fun for the family.

B and I saw "Up" in 3D, and it was worth praising. I was surprised that the characters didn't annoy me like some animated (and live action!) characters do. The dogs were really funny; I enjoyed the vocalization of doggy traits---it seemed right on. The little boy was very sweet and not smart aleck-y. And the way they told about the man, it was very touching. B and I saw it the night after Diane's funeral (if you know her), and it was almost too much emotionally! But I'd enjoy watching it again---and that's saying something. I have fallen asleep in the theater during many kids' movies---"Monsters vs. Aliens," "The Tale of Despereaux" (the first time, but not the second $1 time??), "Cars." Sometimes, it just feels so predictable, I can't help using my time wisely and taking advantage of the dark and sitting still. It's usually just a 15 minute power nap! ;-)

Leave me a comment if you've seen these films or gone to Yum Yum's!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, June 6th

2009-06-06T09:54:00.003-05:00

This week's photo theme is advertisement.

I've used this picture before of our little B. This was the summer of 2005, on the shores of Lake Michigan. We were in Holland, MI for the wedding of my cousin Dan. B looks like she is in an advertisement for Caffeine-free Coca Cola.

Next week's theme is lock.

Check out TNchick's website for more advertisements---no purchase necessary.

Bet You Can't Lick Your Oboe!

2009-06-03T19:45:00.005-05:00

I'm online looking at oboe sites. I bought myself a reed just recently, in the hopes that I can learn a song to play with J and B. Oboe-french horn-cello trios are hard to come by!

I found a fingering chart and I can play the notes as I look at the chart. Now, for reading the staff again and remembering what notes are played with which fingers---that'll be the hard part!

B is sick, but the throat swab this morning was negative for strep. So we'll wait it out, and keep looking for those white pustules on her huge tonsils. I am a good Mommy---I don't give antibiotics unless it's bacterial, and the Dr. said it's likely it's a virus. Her fever has been going up over 102. I was sure it would be strep, and then I knew she'd be well feeling again 24 hours after the medicine got going. This is a lot harder---not knowing when she's better.

J and I listened to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" today along with watching The Wizard of Oz. This is apparently called The Dark Side of the Rainbow. Larry and I had done it before. It's pretty weird. I was surprised when the song would change right as a scene was changing in the movie. B was laying on the couch in a fever stupor (it was kinda bad!!) when we did this, so I bet it was a weird experience for her . . .

One year, B dressed as Dorothy and J as the Tin Man. They were so cute! . . .

I'm back from my remembrances. I found a few websites talking about how it all works and how to start the CD at just the right moment. This site had a "list of coincidental events" I followed as we listened to the CD.

Here were my favorite parts (some of these are direct quotes from that website):

At the beginning, Dorothy is balancing on the fence (before she falls into the pigpen) and the line is sung "balanced on the biggest wave" (song is Breathe)

Alarm bells ring as Miss Gulch, who appears as the Wicked Witch of the West in Oz, enters riding her bicycle.

During "Breathe (Reprise)" you hear "Home, home again" as Professor Marvel tells Dorothy that she should return to her home.

The song ends as Dorothy opens the door to her room and approaches the front door of the house. On the original LP, "The Great Gig in the Sky" is the last song on side 1. This song concludes at the same time as the film switches from black-and-white to color. In other words, side 1 of Dark Side of the Moon is the same length as the first black-and-white portion of The Wizard of Oz.

The sound effects that open "Money" begin when Dorothy opens the front door and the movie shifts from black-and-white to Technicolor. Adherents to the notion that Pink Floyd created an alternate soundtrack for The Wizard of Oz suggest that the band was equating money with color.

During the line "And who knows which is which and who is who" the focus shifts from Glenda, the Good Witch, to the Wicked Witch of the West.

The Wicked Witch of the West, who is wearing a black dress, is on camera when you hear "Black, black, black". (29:11) Then Dorothy, who is wearing a blue dress, is on screen when you hear "Blue, blue, blue".

Dorothy and the Scarecrow are on the yellow brick road when you hear the line "Got to keep the loonies on the path".

That isn't even the half of it. :-) I really enjoyed going through that with J. We both think that it was pretty coincidental, and it would make even more sense if you were high when you did it. (Which was suggested on several of these websites.) Or at 2 a.m. Everything is much funnier then, even if you're sober.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, May 30th

2009-05-30T14:38:00.004-05:00

Today's PhotoHunt theme is books. Ahhh . . . summer . . . the time for reading club at the library. Half of our books are from the library here in this picture. These are the books we are reading currently. B has the record of 3 books going---A Brief History of Pants (Poskitt); Eggs (Spinelli), and Pizza, Pigs and Poetry:How to write a Poem (Prelutsky). J and I have two each, and Larry has only one. We haven't moved on to new books from what I wrote in the previous post!

If you'd like to see more books, go to TNChick's site and have a look! next week's theme is advertisement.

Currently Reading

2009-05-28T12:14:00.002-05:00

Larry---Novelized form of The Phantom Menace

Me---Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl (Fannie Flagg)

I got my Cliff's Notes for A.K. yesterday. So far, so fgood for my classical challenge

J---Hot Lunch (Alex Bradley)

A Brief History of Pants (Poskitt)

Eclipse (Meyer) he is still not done!!

B---Pippi Lonstockings (Lindgren) (a chapter in Spanish, then in English to check for understanding)

I, Freddy (Reiche)

It's Summer!

2009-05-28T11:54:00.003-05:00

I'm out of school, the kids are out, and MY DAY is on my schedule once again! Sorta.

I'm SO glad to get the summer going.

I input all the summer options into the Yahoo calendar and we have an option for almost every day this summer. Included are calendars from:

The Library (both the regular program and the Teen program J could go to)
The Movie Theaters ($1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays @ 9:30---both our local ones!)
Troupe activities (J)
Summer Track (B)
Church camp (J and B)
Craft days at Michael's
Softball (we're stil not done)
Paydays!
Middle School band camp (J)

That's a full summer. Of course many things are just optional.

B is already half-way through her public Library reading chart---and she's doing 45 minutes per segment! J has an hour per segment, and he's doing fine. But B is reading like crazy. It may have something to do with computer time being tied to reading and chores. But it really doesn't---B just loves to read.

I'm also making an effort to raise my kids' appreciation for the lowly sandwich. I even got some Provolone for J---he makes a wonderful warm Turkey and Provolone on white bread. I got some beautiful tomatoes for my sandwiches! Kroger had some yummy ones for $1 a pound. And chicken tenders on sale for a great price---making a casserole for Diane's family tomorrow.

I've been successfully limiting computer time around here. I have an equal work for equal time on the computer plan, for the most part. B picked up dog poop for a 3 times bonus this morning! ;-o It was really yucky----I had to help her at least this first time. So 10 minutes of gross work got her a half-hour on the computer this afternoon. J got 5 minutes for taking out the trash (this one takes so little time, I just had to give a whole 5 minutes). I'm adding onto a list as I think of some more unusual jobs or things that need to be done only occasionally. The hard part is (and I saw this coming), there are chores that need to be done more frequently that the kids don't really want to do. But we have to do them! So far my plan is that I expect them to do about 3 jobs a day, and I get to pick one. Hopefully this will get the more necessary jobs done.

And get our house back in order!! Yikes, it's so out of control right now.

I have great hope for our summer, though! ;-) Hope you are already enjoying yours.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, May 23rd

2009-05-23T11:56:00.003-05:00

This week's theme is plastic. I had my last week of school this week, and Wednesday was our Carnival Day, where I tookthis picture. These plastic flags, and the little sister of a student running her fingers along them, caught my eye. My school year is finished, right down to getting my first grade materials moved into my classroom for next fall. I feel relieved and excited about the summer! I will be finishing up those little details of getting my certification. I put this to the side while the end of the year got so hectic. I have one big test to take. My money's almost all been sent (one more paycheck garnished), and the ducks are lining up. Almost done!

This summer, I'll be able to be chauffer and just be "Mom."

Next week's photo theme is Books. Great! Go by TNChick's site and check out some more plastic!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, May 2nd

2009-05-02T08:47:00.004-05:00

Today's PhotoHunters theme is walking. My daughter B reminded me of the pictures we took when we did the Ten Commandments Hike in Houston in February 2008. We walked 5 miles that day! We saw 10 churches along that walk.

Here are the girls at the beginning of the walk, when energy was high and the day was cool.Here are a bunch of girls walking to the next stop. I had the girls take notes along the way about the buildings or the talk that we heard at each stop. Each church had a speaker talk about one of the Ten Commandments.

Here is one of the churches with people walking in front of it. This is an event sponsored by the Boy Scouts, but it is really beneficial for anyone who can go. We tied the walk in with a Junior architecture badge.

Next week's theme is called "In Memory" which sounds like I better get serious. Check out more walking photos at TNChick's website.

Enjoy your weekend! We are going to a Secret Keeper Girls show---B and I, at noon today. Looks to be fun!

A&M vet school and "stuff"

2009-04-27T16:44:00.005-05:00

Saturday at 4:16 a.m., I was awake! We had a BIG storm rollling through, and I couldn't sleep until I knew it passed. Our part of the county got 4 to 6 INCHES OF RAIN! It was exactly the kind of rain burst we got when our house flooded two years ago. I was awake from about 3:30 to 5 a.m. that morning. Which made the day that much harder. I was praying at 4:16 a.m.

At 4:16 p.m., I was sitting at the A&M Vet School, waiting on parents to pick up their scouts. We had ten of our Girl Scouts attend this event from 8 a.m. to 3. I enjoyed seeing the room full of animal bones, the Large Animal Clinic (and the giant rooms and equipment for bovines and equines), and the petting zoo.

This is Teddy Bear Surgery. B's bear is there, getting his bottom sewed up after he fell on his roller blades. B left to go to an Aggie softball game where their team was hosted by the Aggie team, so she couldn't miss that. But her friend took in her bear, who had an actual tear in his bottom. :-)

Blue Bell Ice cream sandwich after watching the milking demonstration.

Here, B is feeling actual lungs inflate. Kinda cool and weird and yucky at the same time, all the girls agreed.

Sunday at 4:16 I was driving up to the library and we took Flat Ethan's picture by the big bell. It's a treat for kids to ring that bell when they come to the library, and they're welcome to anytime. It is LOUD, and B chose not to.

Today at 4:16, I was driving in my neighborhood toward home. It was raining lightly, and we had just come home with bacon especially for the TAKS test morning tomorrow.

Yes, the TAKS test is this week, and my kids are taking the same ones as each other again: Math tomorrow and Reading Wednesday.

B can wear a pair of my dressy Sunday shoes. How can this be possible? They fit perfectly.

Today is my daughter's BFF's birthday. She caught up to her again---they're both 10. Happy B-day A! and M.A., and Barbara W. :-)

more "me time"

2009-04-23T16:46:00.002-05:00

Today I was making chicken enchiladas in the kitchen at 4:16. I'll heat them up right before Larry gets home. Yummy! I hope! ;-)

Friday (4-18) I was with B @ Villa Maria and 2818 listening to "Love Song" by the Cure.

Saturday I was in the parking lot of the Granbury WalMart. We had just watched "Monsters vs. Aliens" at the theater.

Sunday I was just south of Calvert listening to "The Long and Winding Road" by the Beatles.

Monday I was driving to pick up B--again, in the car!!

Tuesday I was in a Teacher's Meeting discussing next year's curriculum.

Wednesday I was in a Girl Scout meeting, looking at the kiln at the junior high. We had just taken our creations out that we had made two weeks ago. Fun meeting!

Now I am off to J's junior high to pick him up after his Writing Club meeting. I volunteered to get the dinner theater "dinner" organized, and I am excited about the "Red Riding Hood's Basket" meal I'm planning with Buppy's. any suggestions??

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, April 11th

2009-04-11T22:23:00.005-05:00

Today's Photohunt theme is triangle. This is the photo that just came to mind.

This is me (in the plaid shirt) and my friends Janet and Kevin, during the A&M years. Crazy stuff----but no alcohol involved. We were on a baseball road trip to Monroe, LA.

Next week's theme is PURPLE, my J's favorite color. I'll have to get him to help me with this one. Go see TNChick's website to see more triangles or to join in. :-)

Friday at 4:16 I was in my hotel room in Houston and walking to the elevator. I was going back down to the lobby to meet up and get my "observer" wristband for the convention.

Saturday I was pulling away from my church after getting back from Houston.

We went to Houston for LTC (Leadership Training for Christ) for the kids in our church. It's a pretty big event! My kids were involved with Drama, with most of the other kids from our church who went. J also was involved with an older kids' Chorus, but it wasn't coming together and the decided not to do it a week ago. I'll try to post pictures soon!

The bad news is, we had to leave Larry at home. His leg is hurting him A LOT and he couldn't sit in the car for as long as it takes to get to Houston. He thinks he'll make it to church tomorrow, though. Pray for him.

Thursday

2009-04-09T21:19:00.002-05:00

At 4:16 I was standing in an elder's house with his wife, while my daughter was getting coached on her last few details on her painting for LTC---Leadership Training for Christ.

Pictures to come later!

We will attend the convention in Houston this weekend, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. (I think I got that right---I'm going off memory). B is doing Drama, Bible Bowl, Art, Service Challenge, and Scrapbook. I am pulling my hair out (only on the inside, mind you) becaus ethere are a few things left to do with the scrapbook, and B is fussing with me and doing something totally unrelated. ug.

4:16

2009-04-08T22:44:00.001-05:00

Monday at 4:16 I was in the *new* Village Market buying refried beans for the food/supply drive for the children's homes we support at church. I also had dish detergent and cereal in my cart, and I got some green sauce and tortillas with which to make chicken enchiladas. Yum!

Tuesday at 4:16 I was in a teacher's meeting talking about Bible curriculum.

Wednesday at 4:16 I was at the Girl Scout Meeting, making a pinch pot, and coaching one of the girls at making her little bowl.
When I told Larry at dinner about this, I said I had my hands all over clay at 4:16. He asked me if our friend Geana knew about that. Her husband is Clay. Haha, Larry!

I wish I had one more day of this week to get our LTC stuff done!

I went on a field trip to The King's Orchard this morning with Kindergarten. Strawberries are in season right now, so I picked about 2 lbs. It was a delightful trip out there, if a bit windy. I recommend going! I want to try taking my kids back in June when the blueberries and blackberries are in season.

My printer won't talk to the computer!! I'm really frustrated by this!

Sunday

2009-04-05T19:26:00.002-05:00

Today at 4:16, I was on the living room floor helping B paint her LTC painting of a lighthouse. B was working on the top of the lighthouse today, and getting her horizon line straight. Water cannot make a hill on the horizon line like land can! ;-)

Today is 4-5, only 11 days until "my" day, 4-16! I'll be working, but I like to bring popcicles to school on my birthday for my students. Bomb Pops are my favorite!!

My minutes

2009-04-04T17:19:00.004-05:00

Tuesday, the last day of March, I was in the drive thru at my bank, depositing my paycheck.

Wednesday at 4:16 I was turning onto 2818, singing "heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend who . . . " (That is REO Speedwagon.)

Thursday I was in my driveway with J, talking to him as he was getting his stuff out of my car.

Friday I was on 2818 again, going to get J at school. I was listening to the radio, but it was comercials! Bummer.

Saturday at 4:16, I was in the shower, washing off all the sunscreen. I was watching B at her 2 o'clock softball game, and I just Have To use sunscreen. The weather was beautiful today, but it was sunny and bright on my legs and arms. B got sunburned on her shoulders after being out all day at her ballpark.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, April 4th

2009-04-04T17:07:00.003-05:00

This week's Photohunt theme is stripes. I saw these at the store last night and thought they would be a perfect fit for the theme.

The ones above are Bavarian Long johns, and the ones below are a Mexican pastry, La Concha. They are pan dulce---sweet breads. I am always more excited by the look of them then the taste of them, however. ;-)

I hope you'll come back for next week's Photohunt post. The theme is triangle. Sounds musical to me!

Visit TNChick's site for more striped entries.

I am all worn out because today was busy---for me, the Fun Run at my school. I decided to do the 3K walk---and finished in the last group. I was out for the conversation entirely! J went to the George Bush Presidential Library and sang. He had solos on Cruela DeVil and Supercalifragilistic . . . . They sang a set of Disney songs during the big Egg Hunt day. Larry and B were busy with Little League opening Day. We all were able to attend the first softball game of the season. Don't ask B what the score was---it wasn't in their favor, and she was a little sad about it. Busy day and typical for our weekends here on through the end of school.

2009-03-30T19:39:00.004-05:00

Sunday at 4:16 I was watching my daughter zoom by on a zipline! It was exciting. She loved it.

Monday I had just picked up B from the lady's house who picks her up from school and was heading home so she could get her project all finished up. On Westwood Main, to be exact. :-)

I feel really good today! I got a good night's sleep, and I know that helps. 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

My Larry started a little bog--by that I mean that his entries are short and to the point. He's decided to blog "his minutes" every day. Here it is: http://larrysminute.blogspot.com/

Bookmark it! ;-)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2009-03-28T21:36:00.000-05:00

Larry says I didn't explain what "my minute" was on my first post about this! oops! It corresponds to my birthday---April 16th is 4:16. Here's my 4:16 wrap up of the week---what I can remember.

3-22 Sunday: I had just sat down at the computer

3-23 Monday

3-24 Tuesday: in a teacher's meeting about our Stanford Achievement Test we're giving next week

3-25 Wednesday: at a Girls Scout meeting, listening to a talk about gemstones---specifically, my birthstone

3-26 Thursday: in the car at SW Parkway and the bypass

3-27 Friday: in the car, at the corner of Russel and Texas

3-28 Saturday: sitting at the computer with B, looking at Internet sites about Cynthia Ann Parker.

The lesson here is that I should blog this much more frequently! I don't remember for very long what it was I was doing!

This week really scrambled together, though. I was very dizzy on Tuesday, and I just didn't know why. I figured it was inner ear. But it turns out it was high blood pressure! I went to doctor and got on a medication for it---this is the first time for me to be on something like this full time. I was really scared because I had never seen my blood pressure so high. I wasn't sure how high it would be to go to the emergency room immediately. Was this dizziness a pre-cursor to a stroke? Was I going to blow my top?

Here are my changes I should make:
* cut the caffeine
* lose 10 lbs.
* exercise
* not get stressed ??

I am somewhat worried about this still, although I have felt better since taking the medicine. Or maybe it's because I haven't had a caffeinated drink since Tuesday. The doctor will check me again in 2 weeks.

I'm a real worrywart, but I'm trying to replace my worry with praying and action.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, March 28th

2009-03-28T08:04:00.004-05:00

Today's Photohunt theme is Hands. These are B's hands when she was 9 months old. This was about the time she started pointing at things---a milestone for little ones. Now she's writing her own project about Photosynthesis! We've come a long way! ;-)

I heard an essay once about appreciating hands for the many jobs they do. Your hands have done so many things---comforting a sick child, reassuring someone who's uneasy, holding the one you are falling in love with, preparing meals, washing your baby, petting your dog---the list is endless. You should appreciate your hands and the hands of those you love.
After posting, I thought of another set of hands I had to post, too. It's Larry and me. Maybe we ought to re-create this image on our anniversary. Our hands are changing after 17 and a half years.

The Photohunt is hosted by TNChick. Check out more hands and join in! Next week's theme is stripes.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, March 21st

2009-03-21T12:28:00.004-05:00

Today's Photohunt theme is Yellow. We were in San Antonio this week, and I found some yellow there.

Yellow Umbrellas on the Riverwalk
Yellow Flowers at the Alamo

and leaves!And at Sea World

More Yellow Flowers

A Yellow Sign

A Yellow Display of DNA at the Witte Museum

And one Yellow Souvenir
We had a great time on our vacation to San Antonio. It is about a 3 hour drive from our house, and we spent 3 nights. I'll be blogging about it later!

Next week's theme is Hands. If you're interested in joining in or seeing more yellow today (it's better than "seeing red"), then go to TNChick's site!

Dinner this Week

2009-03-20T12:37:00.002-05:00

I'm getting ready for the store with Jamie---and planning out some menus.

Tonight (before B and Lar have softball practice): Parmesan Chicken with Pasta Rags and a green salad
Tomorrow: Steaks, baked potatoes, and green beans
Sunday: ??
Monday: (back to school) Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I'm using the Betty Crocker website to get my recipes this morning. J is complaining that he has to go to the store with me---but he's going to go anyway.

2009-03-20T10:24:00.003-05:00

Wednesday at 4:16, I was watching sea lions play and bark at Sea World.
Thursday at 4:16 I was in a gas station waiting to pay for some cokes for the family while Larry was pumping the gas to take us home.

I uploaded my pictures from San Antonio to the computer---all 367 of them. I won't blog about all of them, don't worry! I still need to wade through the mountain of them and pick out the very best. Some I'll post on Facebook, some will go to webshots, and some will get blogged about.

B had the idea of taking one of her stuffed animal Webkins and taking a picture of it in all the places we went. I thought it was a great idea---so she will be a guest blogger sometime soon. We took 78 pictures of her stuffed elephant, Bananas. B was also saving her money to buy a Webkins in San Antonio, and she got to do that, too. There was a sale, and she got two---a Clydesdale named Heidi and a camel named Hamlet.

Lots of fun on vacation for each of us!

San Antonio

2009-03-18T08:27:00.002-05:00

My 4:16 entries:
Monday---in the gravel overflow parking lot of our hotel, carrying a suitcase
Tuesday---in the hotel room holding the ice bucket about to go get ice. Jamie and I drove the car back to the hotel after a visit to San Jose Mission. (We only got around to one mission so far, besides the Alamo.) Larry and Bess rode the city bus back. Bess was happy to try out something new.

Our hotel is really nice for our price, and we've enjoyed being downtown San Antonio. We've walked A LOT and taken over 150 pictures already. I can't blog more---it's my turn in the shower. Today is another perfect day for walking around outside, which is good because we're going to Sea World.

Various thoughts

2009-03-16T10:49:00.002-05:00

At 4:16p.m. Saturday, I was in the kitchen, getting a pot of beans ready for dinner.

At 4:16 Sunday I was in the Tabitha Class room and working with Bess on the LTC scrapbook.

Monday, I should be in San Antonio. We aren't gone yet, but will be soon.

I just spent $200 on Sea World tickets. It's crazy how expensive it is to go! I think I got the best deal. It was the best I could find, anyway! HEB sells them for $50 apiece in the store, but I got an online-only special for $46 each. That is the child price---and both my kids have to get the adult ticket as of this year! 10 and up for adults!

Have a great week!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, March 14

2009-03-14T09:52:00.004-05:00

This week's theme is four. There are few pictures of our family of four, at least lately, but this is the first thing I thought of. It's probably the most significant 4 in my life.

This was when Jamie was in 1st grade, so probably 2003. Jamie had made a program for his school program---without anyone telling him to. Some of the adults at school thought it was a real program for the performance.

I thought of this picture first---it's when we first became a family of four. Sept. 1998. :-)

Join other Photo Hunters or see other interpretations of the theme at TNChick. Next week's theme is yellow.

4:16

2009-03-13T16:16:00.002-05:00

Our family is weird, I know this. And I started many of the crazy ideas. This is one of them.

I say that "my" minute of the day is 4:16p.m. Well, I have two--- the other one is in the morning, and I'm asleep for it. But for the afternoon 4:16, I would tell the kids, "Wait! this is my minute---let me enjoy it!" And I recognize the same for the kids---B's is 9:24, and she's awake for both of them, quite often. J is awake for his morning minute more often than the night one---10:30. Larry doesn't get into this craziness as ofen, but he's awake for both his minutes, very often---8:30.

I was tellling J one afternoon recently about where I was during my minute. I was thinking about posting where I was and what I was doing during the minute. J suggested that I put a timer on my cell phone so I pay attention every day---great idea! Here are my results for the week, 4:16 p.m..

Sunday---inside the public library
Monday---in the car, going to drop off library books, 27th Street
Tuesday---Friends of Cornerstone Meeting (like public school PTO). I was surprised by the alarm. This was the first day for it, and I didn't recognize what it was for right away.
Wednesday---at a Girl Scouts meeting, listening to members of the 4-H talk about horses
Thursday---at Walmart buying seeds (for the Kindergarten)
Friday---at home on the computer. Spring Break has begun!! I'm playing!

I will continue this until I get bored with it. Next week will be more exciting---we'll be on vacation.

I have often thought about "my" numbers in the Bible, too. Maybe one of these verses will have some special meaning to me? Probably not!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, March 7th

2009-03-07T09:00:00.003-06:00

This week's theme is space---the final frontier. I thought about some photos we took at the Ft.Worth Museum of Science and History. This was in the summer of 2007, and my parents and kids and I went to see a special exhibit about Star Wars.

Here is J next to the same prop as above.

There were some really cool displays there that day!

I love movies about space---and I'm looking forward to the Star trek movie this spring. Star Wars, Star Trek---I like space!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, February 21st

2009-02-21T10:01:00.005-06:00

First and Foremost---I recieved word today that I passed my EC-4 Content Area test. This is one more step towards the goal of certification! Yea! I am now enrolled on another course through iteachtexas, and after completeion, I'll take yet another test, the PPR. I have a couple of observations to endure and the year to finish out and them I'll be done.

on with the show . . .

This week's Photo Hunters theme is warm. I had to stop myself from posting a HOT picture.

This is one of B riding her bike on a warm January day. The very next day . . .

. . . she was in her heavy coat!

Have a happy weekend and support your local Girl Scouts! They're trying to wrap up sales this week. help a girl reach a goal---even one box will be appreciated, I'm sure!! We are also collecting boxes of cookies for soldiers, so if you don't want any for yourself, buy one for a soldier---they love them, too. :-)

Volunteerism

2009-02-15T20:46:00.003-06:00

I sometimes have felt guilty for not "volunteering" to a cause like homeless soup kitchens or at-risk youth or something like that. But I already volunteer quite a bit. I just had never felt like it was volunteering because it was for events my kids were involved in.

This cookie season has had me volunteering at an all time high. Friday I worked 4 hours for the Girl Scouts (banking, math, booth sales, carrying boxes). Saturday I worked another 2 and a half hours. I guess I got a break today with only a couple of phone calls.

My mental time is being taken up on this also, though. Last night I went to bed thinking about it, and I woke up this morning thinking about it. There are not even any problems going on---I'm trying to figure out how to shift cookies around to other girls or how to make a few more sales (we're not quite to that goal!) or whatever.

I ought to be thinking more about my job, maybe! or my marriage!

Lar and I did go out on Valentine's night. We were going out about 6, and the restaurants were all very crowded. We ended up getting Mexican food at a new location, which was a second choice. For some reason, I think Italian food is more romantic! The parking lot where I wanted to go was all full, though, so I suggested the second place. It didn't have "atmosphere" and we were in the middle of a crowd of tables, but it was Delicious and we had a nice time.

Friday night was the Not So new Newlywed game at church. This is usually kind of romantic---we do think about our coupledom a lot through the course of the evening, adn we don't have kids with us! ;-)

J (and Larry) think it really was my fault we missed 2 questions! One involved my thinking I'm a little more risk taking than Larry thinks. The other question we missed was about what Larry was like in high school----is he more of a "Mac" or a "PC" in character? (Like the guys on the TV commercial---was he more hip and trendy or more traditional and stodgy?) If you knew him then, you can leave me a comment.

Well, it's the end of a weekend, and we're back to the ol' jobs tomorrow. It kind of bums me out!

More slices of our lives

2009-02-14T13:16:00.006-06:00

I wasn't even going to do Photo Hunt today, but instead do a "what's up with us" post. That's long overdue.

I had another thought about GWDG (Growing weary doing good). The Bible verse says

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up." Galatians6:9

I have always thought that this verse means that if you're asked to do something good, then you ought to be able to handle it because you should not grow weary when you're doing good. You should be able to keep on doing good, and know that God appreciates it, and God will fill you back up again.

I had let myself get very busy and feel obligated to too many things. I was growing VERY weary. My brain was so full of the next activity I had to get ready for that I couldn't really appreciate the now. Oh, brother. Or I was thinking about one part of my life so much that I was forgetting the details of the other parts of my life.

I'm letting go of a few things, and it's been good for my mental health.

On other fronts . . .
B was at a Book Club this morning for the book Harriet the Spy (by Louise Fitzhugh). I didn't get to read it before the club, so I didn't even stay for the club meeting. Although I did have a wonderful tomato sandwich (just what Harriet eats) that the hostess had toasted. B really enjoyed that meeting, and I enjoyed the part of the discussion I got to hear. I know I read that book long ago, but had not remembered much of it.

Yesterday I was off from my school, and it's just what I needed to get caught up on . . . well, nothing is quite caught up, but I did make headway on washing the clothes (but not folding) and getting a big deposit ready for the GS Cookies.

Speaking of that, we worked one more booth yesterday and between 2 girls we sold a total of 89 boxes of cookies. B has 44 boxes unsold, and 13 days left to sell. It's totally possible, but she will not get to the goal she made herself. :-( On the bright side she is over her total for last year. I'll have to see what she wants to do about that.

J is getting ready for Junior Science Bowl, where he is a team captain this year. His school did really well last year, coming in 9th out of 25 with only 6th graders on the team. The competition is sometime in March. He is not involved with any Troupe show right now.

Larry is busy with the Little League Board, LTC drama (at church), Troupe Board, and oh, yeah, Work. His schedule makes Me tired.

We're the family with too much going on!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, February 14th

2009-02-14T12:43:00.005-06:00

Today's theme is nautical, and this is as close as I've gotten! I don't live near the water, and we haven't vacationed much near the ocean, so I'm not around boats and such. This picture is from Captain Sundae's in Holland , MI. We had fun at this loacl hangout eating ice cream, of course. My dad and the pirate are great friends.

And J was a friend of his, too. ;-)
I'm cracking up at how little J was in this picture back in June of 2005.

If you have some nautical pictures to share join right in! Go to TNChick's site and see other nautical photos, too. Next week's theme is warm.

GWDG

2009-02-07T11:39:00.003-06:00

I was browsing through some of my favorite blogs and came upon this one post at Virtue Alert that had an acronym for just the thing I've been experiencing in my life: GWDG. It's Growing Weary Doing Good. Ug. I have filled my time with good things, and stuff I am weary doing. Also need to sloooooooooooow dooooooooooown as she mentioned in the article!

The blog has some good parenting advice for teenaged kids. It's the kind of stuff I am encountering as J enters this up and down time of life. Advice about texting, info about teen virginity pledges (whether they're really worth it or not)---the stuff of my real life.

I did this past week let go of two responsibilities, and I am in the mood today to let go of ALL THE HOUSEWORK.

I rested yesterday in sickness. My hubby says, "I'm proud of you" after I told him I hadn't done anything but sleep and watch TV before noon. But this morning, with the fever gone, the floors really dirty around the dog crate, and laundry becoming ever more wrinkled in a basket by my bed, It's still overwhelming. It's bothering no one but me. So it has to be done by me. ??? I am still tired, so it's still not getting done. But I will do something, a little thing.

But slowing down is not an option in some ways. Softball season is here, and as much as it is NOT my thing, I am obligated to go and do because I just have to. I can't disappoint B, most of all.

I've slowed J down---but it's been because of his poor choices at school, academically and socially. Big Sigh. My brain will never slow down thinking about the kids. He's content to be at home, though. B just better be glad school is going well for her! She'd be so mad if she was grounded.

There's my brain on your computer screen. A slice of it, anyway!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, February 7th

2009-02-07T08:50:00.002-06:00

This week's theme for the PhotoHunt is Bridges. Now I thought of Lloyd Bridges, but not having any personal photos of him, I had to pass on that idea.

My thoughts first went to the bridges in Memphis, TN---the M Bridge, as my sis and I called it, and the Old Bridge. But I am not finding my pictures of those bridges this morning.

So here are my honeymoon bridges, abridged. I had a few more!

This is during the first full day of marriage after we crossed the bridge from Texas to Oklahoma. We were on to our next stop in Tulsa, OK.This one was in OK as well. The McDonald's is on the bridge that crosses the highway! I had written that it was the largest McDonald's in the world. That may not be true anymore?

And this last bridge was the one I was thinking of when I got out this album to scan. We had stopped for a break in Ohio, near Cincinatti, at this scenic overlook. We saw many more bridges on that 3-week trip across the US and into Canada.

Next week's theme is nautical. Go to TN Chick's website to see more bridges and get involved with the photo hunt yourself.

Support your local Girl Scouts by buying some cookies this month!!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, January 24th

2009-01-24T08:41:00.003-06:00

This week's theme for Photo Hunters is chipped. B helped me think of something to take a picture of, and I got it done and onto the computer in the last 15 minutes. I love technology! ;-)

I have a set of Noritake "Stepping High" dishes I registered for when I got married. This was just before Target and Wal-Mart had bridal registries--can you imagine that? I registered at Dillard's and my college friend Janet was with me when I picked them out. I remember her telling me, "Just pick something already!" But see, I'm talking about my dishes 17 and a half years later. It was an important decision, and extra time than thought was needed.

This pattern is discontinued, so I was really upset when I chipped the first dish and broke a dinner plate completely. I had 9, so I'm still good to host a party of 8. (I'll take the chipped one.) By the way, do not set dishes directly upon a hot eye on the stove---that's how I got this lovely center cut of my plate. I think I will put it into a backsplash someday.

Happy birthday, Janet!!

Go to TNChick's site to see more chipped pictures or join in the hunt. Next week's theme is furry. I will be busy next Saturday taking a test for my teaching certification, but I hope to post my selection sometime that day.

Have a nice weekend!!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, January 17th

2009-01-17T09:49:00.003-06:00

Today's theme is hats. Check out TNChick's website for more hats and learn how to join in.

This photo of me and my husband jumped to mind when I saw this theme. Here we are on our honeymoon in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and we're riding the Maid of the Mist boat, up close to the Falls. I know I've used this photo for the hunt before, and recently, but it's perfect for hats. We wore these hats on our honeymoon all across the USA.

In my mind, the hats were a symbol of Larry and I together. When I was taking a drawing class at UNT during the next year, I was challenged to draw a series of 6 self-portraits, and this next shot is one of those. It hangs in my bedroom.

I had a floral bucket hat I wore on the honeymoon, too, and it was green. I worked from life sketching it out and coloring it in using pastels. All the portraits were symbolic and many of them clothing----married life (this one), work life (my Taco Bueno apron---I really like that one), being a woman (pantyhose and high heels), childhood (my doll Gaga, some green overalls, and I think my flag corps gloves). I've forgotten the other two! I must have not liked them as much !! ;-) I was 21 years old and a newlywed when I did those, and I have a few more portraits I could add to that list. I've added many more hats to my life as I've added responsibilities. Mother, teacher, blogger!

Next week's theme is chipped. Hope you will come back and see what's found!!

Part 2

2009-01-14T17:20:00.006-06:00

My next strength is Intellection.
People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual conversations.

One of the answers on the test I took for this was "My mind is always thinking." or something like that. I put YES. EXTREMELY. I have discussed this with Larry. My mind is always turning something around in there. I am thinking in the shower, while I am driving and especially when I wake up in the night.

The bad news is, it's great fodder for the devil to get me. I worry about stuff that possibly could happen or about things I'm trying to figure out! I second guess decisions I made. I am driving today, trying to figure out why they cone off a lane in front of the junior high, on the bypass, and why they need a traffic cop there and why my son's school that is built just the same doesn't do that, and is there more traffic there, or is it because they are on the feeder road of a freeway, or maybe because there's . . . . blah blah blah. Who knows where else my brain was going.

I'm totally introspective---I'm very introverted if left in a strange situation. I'm happy with my own thoughts. But I do love to have quiet conversations with others, and I do appreciate another thinker.

Larry was the valedictorian of his class. I found this out one evening when a group of us were at his apartment before we were dating. It upped his status in my mind a bunch. Made him even more attractive! ;-) The fact that he could keep up with me or excel past me was a necessary thing when I was looking for dates and spouse. But I don't even know if Intellection is in his top 5. Could be!?!

This strength is developed in quiet, though, which I do not give myself enough of. One of the suggestions was to schedule this quiet alone time. Made me think of the special I saw about Einstein---he would spend days just looking out the window. Being brilliant (not that I have achieved this!) takes some time to think---it's not automatic. It makes me not feel so guilty for wanting more down time.

That last bit flows well into my next strength: Connectedness.
People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a purpose.

See? I made a connection between something I saw on TV, this class's material, and myself.

Doesn't everyone think this?? I am sure things happen for a reason. I've been even more sure of it since I taught through the Old Testament a few years ago. To see the stories of Ruth (a foreign born woman), Rahab (a prostitute), and the family line of Jesus all come together, it makes me think about how I am part of a chain of events that God's controlling. I'm a piece of the puzzle that God is putting together.

I have always said Jamie and I were saved from harm in my 1995 wreck for a reason. Maybe I was saved for my own great plan. Or I was saved so that I can help raise a great child to manhood. Or maybe we are just pieces that had to be there for someone down the line that God will use in another way. On the other hand, we're here in the now for doing what God has put before us. I like what I heard about Mother Theresa: that she just did her little tasks to her best ability. That's what we all can do.

Another thing I do---if I hear about something three times from different sources, I try to pay attention to that thing. It can't be a coincidence that I'm hearing about it. It happened at school one day concerning a song that was running through my brain. It's base don the scripture in First Samuel---be strong and courageous and do not be afraid. The will go with you each and every day. I mentioned it to Jason, that I'd love for him to lead it in Chapel soon. he said he was thinking the same thing in his office that very morning. See? No coincidences. Who needed that song? Someone did, and God used me and Jason to make it happen. I like to think so, anyway.

Of course this strength is strengthened by my faith that God is up there, in control.

My number 5 strength is Belief.
People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their lives.

Well? Doesn't everyone with a faith in God have this? Nope!

I've never thought that I have a stronger belief than anyone else. It goes along with how I feel about the connectedness of things. God is unchanging, so my beliefs are also. Well, sorta. I think I'm developing my thoughts and beliefs as I go along in life. But the core of it is the Bible. It has to be based on that. I'm still learning (my Learner strength again) and want to have a deeper understanding of the Bible.

I have never been able to read the Bible in a year. It's too fast for me. I like a more pondering study, where I can really think about something. (That's my Intellection talking.) But I really do want to acomplish that! (And that is the Input talking---one more collection of info for me to grasp.)

One aspect of this strength is that belief gives life meaning and that your job needs to be meaningful. I do have this in teaching. I'm supposedly "consistent" and friends view me as dependable and trustworthy. I hope so!

That's all ! Now I can go to class tonight satisfied I've done my homework. ;-)

2009-01-12T21:23:00.003-06:00

I may have to do my writing in installments because I think I have a lot to say about this, but it's overwhelming me to think about getting it all out! So I must start somewhere. Here goes!

I am taking a class at church using the StrengthsQuest materials. Our teacher has taken this secular training and added a Biblical perspective. I LOVE doing stuff like this.

StrengthsQuest helps a person identify his strengths and then has some training on how to capitalize on the strengths. It's being used in the corporate world and also with college students to help them get into work that suits them best. There are 34 strengths, and you're given your top 5 after you take a test. It's a long test---it took me 25 minutes to get through it.

Here are my top 5:
Input
Learner
Intellection
Connectedness
Belief

Each one of these Strengths were given to me by God. They're my talents, if you will, my unique qualities that help shape who I am. My homework is to write a bit about each one and what it means to me.

Starting with my number 1, I begin.

INPUT
"People strong in Input have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information."

What is my blog except an archive of my life? I usually feel a little bit guilty when I blog because it's not "productive" enough, but I really do feel a drive to do it! I also love to scrapbook, and I have had them since high school. One of my biggest collections is my files for teaching---I have numerous boxes of Alphabet ideas, seasonal activities, Bible stories, information about countries, and everything else I think is useful. I also have some photo collections---Texas county courthouses and those trains we had around our town. Here are some more phrases the literature mentions----

You collect it because it interests you, and so many things are interesting to you. This is true of me!
You are inquisitive. Isn't everyone?
Why are these things worth storing? At the time, it's hard to say, but they might come in handy sometime. This has been my teaching file theory!
You don't feel comfortable throwing anything away. Yes . . .
Acquiring and compiling stuff is interesting and keeps your mind fresh.

This strength definitely applies to me. I am always asking questions about things and finding things interesting. I have said that if you watch any Biography show, you'll find something interesting about it. I like to watch the History channel, too. I'm not into war-type stuff, but even some of those shows interest me, too.

This pairs SO much with my 2nd strength, that at first, I didn't know what the difference could be. But I knew that my J had this same strength (his #2), but he didn't have Learner. And as I read more closely, learner is different. And it SO me, too.

LEARNER
People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

I LOVE school, a conference, a new class, the beginning of a new school year, a new idea. LOVE it!! I do like the process of learning---and I really do think that if the outcome still isn't as high as you thought it would be, it's still been beneficial. I do have a desire to learn---and I'm sure this makes me a good teacher. I hope I can inspire my students to want to learn also. I hope they can see that it's fun and interesting.

I am enjoying being a grown-up learner. I can't see ever NOT wanting to learn. I like that now I have the freedom to learn whatever I want! I was always excited to begin a new semester. I was excited about getting all my materials together and the books.

J has Input, but he doesn't like to do all the processes in learning. I do. I sort of like "showing my work" on math problems and diagramming sentences.

I really enjoyed looking at the "professional Action Items" from the website. These are things to point you in the right direction using your strengths. Some of the things in the Input strength that hit home are making time to read stuff that interests me, reading the dictionary and deliberately increasing my vocabulary, finding ways to share the information with others, and accept that I will never feel like I know enough. The professions they mention with Input are teaching, research and journalism. Hello! I'm a teacher! ;-)

The Learner Action Item that most touched me was that I should honor my desire to learn---and I am at a point in my life where I am really doing that, and not just for my certification training. I found that I really enjoyed reading "classic" books (books I think I should have read in college?), and that if I got the Cliffs Notes, I enjoyed learning more about the novels. I love the backstory, and reading the Cliffs Notes gave me that extra info I liked.

Well, there's more, but I am tired!! My last three are Intellection, Connectedness (which is on J's top 5, too), and Belief.

Resolutions

2009-01-10T09:23:00.003-06:00

I am just now crystallizing my thoughts on resolutions. I am getting a late start on beginning the resolutions, but I have some good ones. Ones that I can strive for, and ones that will make a positive change.

*I will keep the top of my new dryer cleaned off.

*I will get my lesson plans typed up---and turned in on time! (This one is already late for this week!! But I am striving for the goal.)

*I will clean up the kitchen in the evening before I go to bed.

*I will cut back on soda consumption. This is the hardest one. I am saying what quantities, because I need to think on this a bit more.

*I will get my certification to teach EC-4th grade this year.

*I will cut back on my outside obligations. I have to do this or I'm going to implode.

We'll see how I do! Happy New Year!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, January 10th

2009-01-10T08:40:00.006-06:00

This week's theme is aftermath. Besides my first thought about the aftermath of our flooded house (I am so ready to forget about that), and the aftermath of the most recent hurricane (which I don't have pictures of anyway), I thought about the aftermath of the forest fire in Yellowstone. The fire was in 1992 and I visited in 1993.

Here's my shot of the aftermath:

By this point, the underbrush was beginning to grow and the ground was all nice and green. The burned tree trunks were still standing in place. And the good news is, because the trees were not there, and we had some more spectacular views. In the aftermath, the earth benefited, I am told. I wonder if these wildfires are nature's way of replenishing the earth and have been going on for all of time.

For more aftermath pictures or to join in yourself, go to TNChick's website. Next week's theme is hat(s). Come back and see what I find!

Good Things

2009-01-03T21:52:00.002-06:00

Some really momentous things happened today.

#1
I bought a new dryer! Hallelujah!!!! You don't know how long I've waited---longer than a lot of women would have. I really got used to "living green" and hanging the wash. Not as bad as you would imagine---you just had to plan ahead and learn to live with stiff clothes and towels.

#2
B was riding a bike! She is determined to learn how, and at age 10, it's time. She is really proud, and I am too.

#3
J shaved. Enough said about that.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, January 3rd

2009-01-03T09:38:00.003-06:00

Today's word is Hope. The first thing I thought of when I heard the theme was my children.This first one is J and the next one is B. They are each 13 months old in these photos. They are so full of potential! As they have grown, the possibilities for their futures are narrowing, becoming fine tuned. As a parent, you are full of hopes for your children. You hope they will live through their illnesses. You hope they will sleep through the night. You hope they will listen to you and learn to behave. You hope they will grow and become a strong child. You hope they make friends at their new school.

Above all the minor things, though, you hope for their future. You hope the world will be a safe and happy place for them. You hope they will fulfill their purpose in life, that thing they were created by God to do. With all the personality traits and struggles and experiences and love and ups and downs, you hope through it all they find a niche in the world that was made for them, and that they use their talents to do it the best they are able. At least this is my hope.

Some people feel great hope because of the coming presidency. Some feel hope every new year---I do this year. But these are things we're just wishing for. There is no certainty in this hope. No one knows what the coming year holds.

I love the verses in Romans 5 about hope:

We rejoice in the Hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

There are certainties about this life, but only the things associated with God--the unchanging great I Am, who is the same today and before time and forever. In him I put my hope---that He will continue to love me and work things out for the betterment of my soul---and the souls of my children.

My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness . . .

Next week's theme is aftermath. Go see other hopeful posts through TNChick's site---the hostess for the Photo Hunt.

New Year's deliciousness

2008-12-31T11:24:00.004-06:00

I always try to cook black-eyed peas for a New year's lunch, and I don't remember a year that I didn't eat them. The last couple of years I have made them with some jalapenos and really enjoyed it. This year, I found a recipe on the myrecipes.com website (associated with Southern Living and other magazines). I can't wait to make it tomorrow! I still won't get my children to eat the peas, I'm sure. They're missing out on some good luck!!

Although, you know, B is plenty lucky without any black-eyed peas. I don't know how she does it, but she wins things all the time. The latest was her bike she won in a drawing for having perfect attendance the first semester. (See the first picture in the post below.) That's not even a tardy! But her first win was a blanket in a raffle when she was 2 months old. And shortly after that, a $100 gift certificate to Toys R Us. What's her secret?

But I digress. Here are the delicious (I hope) menu items for January 1, 2009.

Black Eyed-Peas with Caramelized Onion and Country Ham
Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip with Bagel Chips (from the Betty Crocker website)
Basic Cornbread

I hope you all will enjoy your new year and the last few minutes of this one!

Christmas Regrets and . . . what's the opposite of a regret?

2008-12-28T20:51:00.010-06:00

I probably shouldn't talk about this so soon, but I have regrets about Christmas. It's the time for Christmas letdown, isn't it? Here's a list a of a few things I regret about Christmas 2008:

I didn't take enough pictures of family.
I didn't make a gingerbread house with my own children. (Do I give too much to my class and the scraps of me to my kids?)
I never did get any Christmas cards mailed. (But I did give some out by hand.) Never mind the Christmas newsletter!
I didn't get the Christmas lights on the house. The tree does look nice through the window, however! Putting lights on the house is one thing that gives me a lot of holiday joy, and I didn't do it. Sigh.
I didn't sit with my hubby enough on the couch and watch Christmas movies. I watched his favorite without him---while I was sitting at the computer, no doubt.
I didn't buy those Christmas music books----one for french horn, one for cello, at least. Maybe next year, when the kids have even more experience under their belts. I think B wasn't ready anyway.
I didn't make enough Christmas food "goodies" at home.
We didn't mail packages to Memphis or Michigan. I still might . . .
I didn't make a popcorn garland. I really enjoy that.
We didn't do a Christmas countdown calendar or an advent calendar. I did buy one for next year, though, and I LOVE it.

But along with the regrets are the nice things that happened.

We wore our Santa hats for fun times.We attended Christmas music concerts. I was able to go to B's school and help with her Christmas party!!

I enjoyed seeing B in a Christmas play---using her Spanish.

I enjoyed some hot spiced tea mix by the Christmas tree.

I was able to find some presents that really were unexpected and liked. Like this back scrubber for B. She was really eyeing them one time at the store, and I remembered. I also got her a card game called Go Fish for Art----the Renaissance set. She says she'd like all the sets: VanGogh and Friends, Impressionist, and Modern Artists. I also found a pretty hummingbird feeder in the winter for my Dad. I love finding things that people like but they didn't have to ask me for. But isn't that almost impossible sometimes?

We had some time for being silly---even with strep throat!!

Here's a gift Larry had to wait years for. A shirt that says, "Who's your Daddy?" with Darth Vader on it. I finally got it, and he really liked it.

I am glad we got to go to my parents' house. (It was warm when we got there---hence the capris and bare feet!)

So Christmas wasn't a total let-down, of course! I had a great Christmas---despite not being able to do it all. Who can? I think I'm still trying to figure out what's most important to me. This year has been especially challenging since I'm working full time. I'll just be sure to put out my lights on the house right after Thanksgiving next year!

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and will enjoy a happy New Year in 2009. Can you believe it's already 2009? Where has this decade gone?

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-24T17:05:00.004-06:00

Our wonderful Christmas Eve celebrations have been interrupted by B's getting strep throat!

I usually love Christmas Eve, and I had still two presents I HAD to get today (one more paycheck under the belt!). I was looking forward to shopping and watching Christmas movies today and playing with the one present we opened up this morning. That's the house rule---one present on the Eve, and it can be in the morning. Lucky for them the kids opened up their own gifts to each other, which both happened to be board games. We played B's first---the Littlest Pet Shop Monopoly. Of course with her being sick, we put the game on hold after an hour or so and I took her over to the doctor's office.

We saw a doctor we'd never been to, but you take what you can get on Xmas Eve. I had suspected it was strep in her throat, and as soon as he looked in there he said he'd bet it was, too, and that he'd jump out the window (3rd story) if it wasn't strep.

So now we're on an antibiotic for 10 days and hoping she feels better after a few doses of medicine. I did leave B with J for a little while this afternoon to get those last presents, and I found exactly what I needed. B called me as I was finishing up, saying, "Mommy, are you coming home soon?" I was! But I hurried!

December Performances

2008-12-22T12:36:00.006-06:00

Old Armadillo.mov

B had a "Reader's Theater" performance for the parents at her Christmas party. The kids didn't have to memorize the lines, but just read them. It was quite entertaining. I could tell who the real characters were in her class!

B's group was doing a Spanish version of Merry Christmas, Old Armadillo. The old armadillo thinks he's forgotten at Christmastime, but his friends are outside his house decorating and eventually wake him to wish him merry Christmas. B got to snore a lot in her play, but I taped the end when she hugs her old friends. Enjoy!

She also played in the orchestra concert.

100_2774.mov

This week's thoughts

2008-12-15T20:06:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately.

I don't think foaming soap is a good idea. Kids love it, though! When you rub your hands with soap, and then rub them under the water, the rubbing action is the most important part of the hand-washing action, I think. You can't just put the already foamy soap in your hands and get all the germs off. The action of rubbing your hands together to get the foam is something important, and I urge you to do so this cold season! Sing the ABCs before you rinse. ;-)

I came across a cool website you should check out today---and tomorrow---and the next day! I was looking for Christmas Traditions around the world, and this site came up in the Google search. Check out this Online Interactive World Advent Calendar. Each day you can see a country's flag, guess what it is, answer a trivia question about that country's Christmas traditions, and read more about the traditions there. It's on an elementary level, which is perfect for the Girl Scouts I was researching for.

There are some things I love doing in my classroom each holiday! I must post about my favorite things.

There are too many good things to do in this season. Including parties. I can't do them all! :-(

I love Christmas trees. Mine especially.

About 25% of my high school class is on Facebook.

I am tired of teen angst and backtalk. Mostly of the backtalk and bad attitude.

That's all for now!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, December 13th

2008-12-13T18:52:00.004-06:00

The theme for this week is favorite. These are a few of my favorite things . . . (sing along, folks!) Product endorsements for your consideration!

My husband and daughter's favorite drink is Dr. Pepper, but these are my favorite cans because they are so big!! And because they are in two languages!

This dinner kit was my favorite kit ever because it tasted so great. I would recommend finding it on sale, though, because you have to add your own chicken, and it's not cheap. It really did taste like it came from the restaurant.

This is my favorite necklace. I bought it for myself this fall and took this picture of myself. It's from Premiere Jewelry----the kind you go to a home party for.

This steamed vegetable pouch is my favorite variety---I love those baby corns. I recommend this brand! It was easy, and the family liked it.

I just bought something I hope becomes a favorite tool around the house---a new Swiffer Sweeper and Vac. On our first go with it, I liked it a lot. B even said she wants to use it for her household chore. Hallelujah!!

That's all my favorites for this week!

Uh-oh---next week's theme is WIDE.

Please comment!

Winter pictures

2008-12-11T06:44:00.005-06:00

Sunday I forced the family to dress in coordinating outfits (except Larry!). There's a cute little tree in downtown Bryan I knew would work for our Christmas Card photos. I am still trying to get Christmas cards out despite grand intentions every year and oftentimes failure to make it happen!

As you can see, it was pretty warm. It was a bright blue sky without a cloud anywhere close. Here is the one I'll use for a card (cropped to my liking).

I think J snapped this one of me and B.

B set up this shot.

J being himself

It snowed TWO TIMES yesterday! It was sleeting I think about 4:30 in the morning, and then when we got up, when daylight came, there was a kind of hard crunchy snow on top of the ice. I wonder what the Eskimo (Aleut, is more correct, right?) word for this kind of snow is?
It started snowing again about time for pickup from school. It was really awesome! And since the roads were staying clear, it was really cool! This is our house in the afternoon.

Larry wanted to take the dog in the snow, and B took this shot above. J wanted to make a snow angel, so he did. He came back inside and said that the person who made that up was insane. I think he didn't like getting all wet and cold.

And now today, I am home in my cozy abode. J is sick! He woke up and went in to get a shower and moaned really loud from the bathroom. Larry checked on him, and he was sitting on the floor and said his head hurt so bad he couldn't get up. When he gets a fever, he gets a bad headache. And this was the case---he's got a 101 degree fever.

B was so jealous I was staying home---but it's just what I need to catch up on some things here at home. Yahoo!!! And my principal really made me feel like I was doing the right thing staying home with him. Perfect!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, December 6th

2008-12-06T08:44:00.003-06:00

This is my 500th post on this blog! That's seems impossible. How much time have I wasted here?

On to other matters . . .
Today's photo hunt is brought to you by the word Breakfast. I am trying to eat a more healthful breakfast every day, and part of that is eating a high fiber cereal. I have a few favorites---

This morning I ate shredded mini wheats for breakfast. The store brand. They're okay, but name brand is better! I especially like the vanilla shredded mini wheats. I also have another high fiber cereal in the cabinet, Go Lean Crunch. This is my first box of that, and I've had 2 bowls. It's pretty good. I also get Cranberry Almond Crunch (I think that's the name). My Mom is big on good ol' Raisin Bran.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I need my energy to keep up with the Kindergartners in my care. My son is not big on breakfast, but I'm working on him.

Next week's theme is favorite. I may have to show you my favorite Christmas ornaments or something. Is anyone in this family the class favorite?

Winter Concert

2008-12-03T21:12:00.004-06:00

Our J is in the Winter Concert playing french horn. Nothing is more lovely than a junior high band on a late fall night. (Ahem)

J is on the second row right behind the clarinet in the middle. But you won't see him, probably!

You can see him after they played---in a blue polo. That's a funny pic!

Happy Holidays!

morning thoughts

2008-11-24T06:46:00.001-06:00

You know this bad auto industry situation could affect my husband's job? He works for a company that has a computer program for all aspects of an auto dealership.

Pictures of this weekend

2008-11-22T19:48:00.004-06:00

J had a show this weekend---Flashback Fever. They are singing songs from the 50s and 60s. Here are some good shots of J---in the blue bowling shirt.

"Oh Boy"

"Maybeline"

J's song is "Traveling Man" and the girls are lining up behind him, giving him the stink eye because he's got so many girls.

B was involved with UIL events this weekend. Her event was Art Memory. B has been saying for weeks that L would get 1st place and she would get 2nd. I knew there'd be a lot of competition, and she said there were about 20 fourth grade kids in the room. We were surprised she got 1st place in district! Her BFF L was second place. Those are two smart girls.

They are posing with their coach and Art teacher,

Mrs. M. We all love her. ;-)