They'll thank me for this...someday.

Whew! I'm pooped!

Today was the big day. I had my kids stay after school today for our four hour read-a-thon. Out of 23 students, 15 stayed and read from 3:00-7:00pm. Sure, it made for a long day, but in the long run, it was worth it.

The kids spent the first 30 minutes or so having snack, doing a little socializing, and slipping into something a little more comfortable. I told them they could bring their jammies and slippers, pillow, and blanket so they could relax and spread out while reading. This actually worked out pretty well. By 3:30, they were all snuggled into their comfy clothes and sprawled out around the classroom reading. It does a teachers heart good to see her kids curled up with a book!

I made sure they had plenty of reading material. I spent a good part of my planning period and lunch in the school library choosing books that they could easily read quickly and test on. I tried to get a variety of topics to meet everyone's needs and I think I did a pretty good job of that. What I wasn't able to do, the librarian finished and by 3:00 I had a cart filled with about 60 books for the kids to read and test on.

Some had their own books and that was fine, but a good deal of them spent time in the books that I had brought in for the night. I tried to find books that they could easily read and test on so they could read several books and start racking up the points. Although the goal was for them to earn at least 5 points during the read-a-thon, some were able to exceed that number while others didn't fair quite as well. Overall, my 15 students had earned about 100 AR points tonight, collectively. Not too shabby!

They did really well, you could hear a pin drop, for about the first 2 hours. Then they got hungry. The pizza arrived about 5:30, and even though they had their snack at 3:00, they were all starving! For a short time after the pizza they got back to work, but the last 45 minutes was a little noisier than it probably should have been.

They enjoyed the pizza, loved the hot cocoa with marshmellows that I had brewing all afternoon in the classroom, and nibbled on pretzels and cheetos. Their tummies were full by the time they left to go home tonight.

Parents seemed to be pleased with the opportunity to spend a little time "Christmas shopping" or enjoying a quiet dinner without having to worry about their little one. Tonight I was a cheap babysitter as it only cost them 50 cents to attend.

They'll really thank me next week when the AR store is open and they can spend those points on various prizes that the librarian supplies. I wonder if they will remember me and buy me something?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Usually we don't decorate much at Christmas. We're just not around that much to appreciate the beauty of it all. This year, however, John decided that we'd start early and maybe actually enjoy some of our own decorations. So that's just what we've been doing.

Today we did some decorating outside. We hung the wreath on the door during the week and decided we'd add a little more to it. John got up on the Little Giant Ladder (you gotta love that thing!) and strung the icicle lights around the front of the house. He did a great job I think. They really brighten up the house. (We're not like you northerners who have REAL icicles. We have to use the pretend kind. ;) )

My job today was to do the yard card and Christmas trees. These things both required some assembly. I think John made it my job because he didn't think I'd be able to do it. But I did. Sure I needed a little help with the yard card as it was rather windy today and it's made of garden flag or windsock material. Other than that, I did them all by myself! Go me!

We're thinking about getting a spot light for the yard card, but now that the icicle lights and trees are lit, it almost doesn't need one.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

Vacation over--back to work

Well, it was back to work today. That really stinks! After being off for an entire week (9 days if you count the weekends, which I do!) it is tough to get back into the swing of things again. Just when I finally get the hang of it again, we'll be on another vacation.

The break was quite productive though....for John. I spent most of my time supervising him while he worked very hard at his "honey do" list. One of the things he had on his list of things to do was to paint the family room. He did just that. Two of the walls are now red. And before you say "ewww, red", know that it's a deeper red not fire truck red! He also had to do some wiring in the divider wall so we can have outlets on the shelves that he is putting up.

This is John, hard at work. You can't see me in the picture as I was behind the scenes chanting "What a great job you're doing, honey" and "You are so good with a hammer! You could do that for a living!" just to keep him motivated!

This picture really doesn't do the "red" justice. It's much nicer in person than this photo.

I did get some work done this week too. Not much. I spent more of my time on crafty things rather than home improvement things. On the plus side, I did manage to get a few Christmas presents done, so that's a good thing!
But now the break is over and it's back to the old routine. We both had a tough time getting through the day and came home dog tired. We were both ready for bed by 8:00! Just have to keep my happy thought...only 14 more school days until Christmas break!

And I helped

John and I have been painting this holiday vacation. Actually, if truth be told, John has been doing "house" painting and I've been doing craft painting. Since we're off this week, we decided to take advantage of the time and do a few home improvements and I am working on some craft things that I just never seem to have time for during the school week.

Well, yesterday John and I both were outside painting. We put a piece of plywood overtop a few outdoor end tables to fashion a table to work on while painting. Needless to say, if we're outside, so is Shae. And, well, she likes to help. So Shae helped daddy paint the boards white. If you look closely, you will see that my black dog now has a white tail.

It's a little hard to see against the white floor, but her tail is white and so is the underside of her tail.

I thought it was quite nice of her to help. John got mad because the board he was painting now had white paint smudges with black dog hair.

All she wanted to do was be close and be involved. So now when you come to my house and look at the shelves John was painting, Shae will tell you..."and I helped"!

Only 30 shopping days til Christmas!

Today was day two of my vacation and it was also day two of attempting to Christmas shop. Neither day has been very successful I'm afraid to report. Although, I've found quite a few cute things for my new great nephew! It seems like any store I go in to, I gravitate to "baby" stuff and just can't seem to resist. Ok, so when you go into Babies R Us, it's hard NOT to gravitate to baby stuff, but you know what I mean. Yesterday, the most successful gift purchased was for the only person who won't even be around for another 3 months!

I was bound and determine to buy gifts for those outside the uterus today. Paula and I went to the mall and I found some cute little things for the grandkids of my partner at work. I also stopped at Bath & Body Works (I love the smell of that store) and picked up a few things for myself and a few gifts for others. Finally, we were off to Macy's. Two Christmas's ago, one of my students gave me a gift card to this store. Well, since I don't get to the mall much, let alone Macy's, I figured I'd better use it before it cancels itself out.

Once inside Macy's, I realized I'm gonna need so much more than the gift card! The card was only for $25 which, when shopping at Macy's, isn't enough to buy much of anything! I thought I'd buy a nice new bra. Nope...not paying $51 for a bra! Then I thought I'd buy a nightshirt. Nope, not paying $67 for a nightshirt. Cologne? Forget it! Purse? Nu-uh, not gonna happen. Socks? Not even socks! I was about to give up all hope when I happened across the baby department. Ooooo

Believe it or not, the baby clothes prices weren't terrible. They weren't good either, but $25 could go a lot further in the baby department. Looked and looked and looked...nothing. Until I saw it! It was the perfect gift! And, it was only $25!! And I knew "Jack" would love...eventually. Until then, I'd love it for him!

So once again, people in utero-one present; everybody else, still looking. At this rate, I don't think I'll ever be done! Only 30 more shopping days til Christmas!

Global warming? I don't think so

For those of you who think I'm crazy every time I say it's cold down here, I'm putting my money where my mouth is. Just take a look at this!

This is my backyard this morning. Notice how white the grass is? That's frost! And, by the way, that only happens when it's cold!

So the next time you feel like giggling under your breath when I say it's cold, or you roll your eyes and say "yeah, sure, cold in Florida", remember this picture.

You may have taken this girl out of the cold north but the cold north has followed this girl south!

Global warming? I don't think so!

It's a boy!

Meet Willy-the latest branch on the family tree.
My oldest brother, Mark, and his wife, Barbara, recently lost their beloved dog Reagan. He was a good dog and it was very sad to hear that he was ill and not doing well. He passed in September and Mark and Barb had been going back and forth trying to decide whether or not to get another dog. They're just dog-people and they need to have a dog to share the joys of life with.

In comes Willy.

He's a 3 months old Shih Tzu. Cute little thing. Sure looks like he'll be fun to cuddle with. They've only had him about a week so it's too soon to tell but I'm willing to bet he's going to be a little rascal too! At least he's just a little guy...that should make it easy to travel with him.

So break out the milkbones and celebrate because it's a boy!

Random thoughts

John saw the lowest gas price we've seen anywhere in awhile today. $1.87 per gallon. Wow!

The kids at school are driving me nuts! (Not my homeroom, but the other class.)

I NEED a vacation! And I'll have one in 3 more days!

Christmas is only 37 days away!

It's been cold here. I know you northerners are saying "you don't know what cold is", but I do. And it is. But I kinda like it. At least there isn't any snow.

Sometimes my dog just puts her head on my lap for no apparent reason.

Did I mention...only 3 more days until I'm on vacation????

I had my car professionally cleaned inside and out the other day. It looks so pretty in the sunshine...sparkly!

John accidently dropped a bottle of my perfume on the floor and it shattered. The smell lasted for a week! (Good thing the bottle was about half empty.) It was a pretty smell.

I have a little tiny hole on my left temple. Do you?

I wonder what George Bush will do with all his free time once he is no longer the president.

I signed up for two workshops today (both starting in January). One is a book study on teaching vocabulary. The other is Intermediate Spanish. Yo quiero taco bell!

Three days equals VACATION. (It's the new math)

If I could, I would. But I can't so I won't.

I'm going Christmas shopping next week. I have no idea what to buy or where to buy it, but I'm gonna finish it in one day if it kills me!

My Christmas cactuses have blossoms on them.

I have so many papers in my bag to correct, and I don't feel like doing a darn thing!

I bought my favorite Christmas movie the other..."Miracle on 34th Street". The original version with Natalie Wood as the little girl. I love that movie!

I'm going to share that movie with my kids on the last day of school before winter break. (Have to be politically correct and not call it Christmas vacation even though it occurs at that same time of year every year. You think the "bah humbugs" have figured that out yet??)

I'm wearing a flannel nightgown and my legs are still cold. What up with that?

Tomorrow is Wednesday and that means early dismissal. Woohoo!

Only 36 more shopping days until Christmas! Did you get my gift yet?

In 3 days, I'll be ON VACATION! I think I'm ready!

Beer & wings

About three months ago, Paula and I started a new tradition. We were going to get together every month (on a payday week of course) and go for happy hour. Even though we live basically around the block from each other, we don't get to see each much. Work and life just seem to get into the way too often. Well, yesterday was our November get-together.

Each time we go, we try to find a different bar to go to. Since we've moved down here so many years ago, neither one of us really go out so we really have no idea where a good place is to go. Our first happy hour we went to a local place called Gators. It's a decent place...clean, friendly, reasonably safe (as safe as bars can be anyway), good food. We'd been there several times in the past so we knew we'd be ok there.

Last month we went to a wings & beer food chain called "Buffalo Wild Wings". Paula had not been there before, but both John and I had been several times. It's a nice place. They have lots of TV's inside so sports are a big draw plus they have controllers that they pass out to guests who would like to play games like Poker or Trivia with other guests at this location and other locations around the US. The food is good too if you are a wings kind of person. Lots of sauce varieties and temperatures (from "is there anything on this mild" to "omg my mouth is on fire hot") to choose from and please everyone in your group. But if you're thinking of going here, I have an even better suggestion for you!

Last night we tried another place called "Buffalo Wings & Rings". It's reasonably new here (they just opened in September) and there are franchises all over the US. If you have to choose between this or Buffalo Wild Wings, I highly recommend you pick this place! You wouldn't think there'd be much difference...wings is wings, right? NOT!

We tried a sauce called "Crazy" which is a mix of roasted garlic and sweet BBQ. Our temperature choice was "medium"--not too mild, not too "melt my fillings" hot. They were AWESOME! The flavor was great and it didn't burn my mouth! Plus, the size of these wings, well, let's just say someone out there is raising very large chickens! These drummets (I think that's what they're called) and wings were at least twice the size of what we consider "normal". They were delicious and very meaty. They were so big, we couldn't eat our order of 25 wings. We ate what we could and each took 7 wings home with us.

Also, unlike most places anymore, we got celery and ranch automatically with our order! Seems like anywhere else we've gone, you have to order celery and carrots separate for a fee. This place, celery included...no extra cost! It wasn't a huge order...maybe there were about 15 thin sliced celery sticks...but still, we got em.

They also have the TV's and interactive games that you can play. And there prices are no worse than any other wings and beer bar/restaurant.

As a special bonus, we got to watch the space rocket launch as we sat at our table outside. Now that's what I call entertainment! (The little dot of light at the top is the rocket. The bigger dot of light below it is the moon. The biggest dot of light below the moon is the parking lot light.) Oh, and that's the back of Paula's head at the very forefront of the picture.

So if you're looking for a new beer and wings place that you can get excited about and enjoy good food at a good price, look to see where you might have a local Buffalo Wings & Rings. I guarantee you'll like it!

Gas prices update

Just a quick update on gas prices in lovely central Florida. Depending on what side of town you're on, the prices range from $1.99 to $2.13 gallon. Of course, I live and work on the $2.13 side of town, but John works on the $2.09 side of town. If we're willing to travel a little (and buy a $50.00 membership to BJ's) we could be paying $1.99 per gallon. Might be worth the membership just for the cheaper gas!

Telemarketers

You know what the problem is with telemarketers? Well, I know there's many problems, but a big one is that they don't accept the answer "No". I try to be polite when I say no, but they just keep pushing.

Tonight I was called by the benevolent order of police. Now, I'm all for the cops. Theirs is a job that I would never want and I give kudos to those who are willing to stick their necks out to protect others. You can't get much nobler than that.

I realize that many police officers are underpaid. I can totally relate to that. I'm a teacher. I'm at the top of the list when you talk about professionals that are underpaid for their job. However, I knew that going into the profession. It was a downside, but I was willing to try to do my part to make the world a better place and went into the field anyway.

The police (who, by the way are not the only civil servants that do this on a regular basis) contract a telemarketing firm to cold call people to make donations to their fund saying that it benefits the families of the fallen and those that are no longer able to serve. Heart strings sufficiently tugged, thank you. However, I can't help them. I too am an underpaid professional who is not receiving a pay increase this year due to poor economic conditions. I too have to pay for my hospital and medical insurance at a higher rate this year.

"But we're only asking for a $50 donation, ma'am". Uh huh. I understand that. However, I have my own insurance and doctor bills to pay. "Well, then maybe you'd be more comfortable with a Silver level donation of $25". Uh, no. I have a $400 electric bill to pay and I need to get to the grocery store yet. Sorry, can't do it.

So now, after they realize that this isn't going too well, "We're sorry to hear that you are having such difficulties, but perhaps you could still donate. No amount is too small. How about $10 and you'd still qualify for the sticker?" Ummm, as much as I appreciate what the police do, (and I think that sticker for my car window is totally bitchin!) I cannot help you at this time. No. No. No. No means no. Sorry.

"Well, fine then."

Yep, that's right. The guy got so pissed at me, he hung up on me.

Maybe I'll contract a telemarketing firm to collect donations for teachers. As a bonus for their donation, they can receive a sticker for their car window of a little kid with a drippy nose, empty book bag, dirty clothes, broken lunch box, and a clock with whacked out arms that says "Teachers support your kids. It's time to support them".

So don't be surprised if your phone rings and it's a telemarketer asking for your help. Give til it hurts, because after all, your kids getting the money!

Pillows make me happy

Earlier this week I bought new pillows for my bed. I have this thing about pillows. I like em...a lot! Lots of pillows make me happy.

I need a lot of pillows when I sleep. I usually steal them all and leave John with one while I have four or five. But our old pillows were flat and lifeless and in need of change. So I bought new ones. And boy, do they make a difference!

I bought two king size pillows. Now we have a queen size bed, but I like pillows so I bought 2 that were king size. Then I bought 4 standard/queen. That gives us a total of 6 pillows on the bed. And they're firm. Not hard as a rock firm, but I really hate a pillow that you head sinks into. I like them a little bouncy. (That must go back to my childhood as a couch bouncer!)

Normally, I buy the cheaper pillows. You know the ones...they cost $5.99 each or 2/$10. Well, I haven't had much luck with those pillows so this time I stepped up a bit. I paid $15 per pillow. The kings were a little bit more. I know, you're wondering how I could spend so much on pillows! Did I mention I like pillows? Plus I figure I spend so much time sleeping I might as well spend that little extra to make sure I'm comfy. Not to mention the fact that I end up replacing the cheap ones quite often so I probably spend more buying the cheapies then I did buy a better quality pillow. (But I said I wouldn't mention that!)

So I've had these pillows on my bed since Sunday. If you could see me now, you'd see I'm smiling. I love going to bed and sleeping with my new pillows. And yes, I miss them when I'm gone and think about the time I get to go back to them. I've been sleeping great! And they're so fluffy/full that I don't have to steal John's pillows anymore and he has more than one pillow to sleep on so he's sleeping better too.

I guess my message today is...if you want to be happy and well rested, get some nice new pillows. Your head and body with thank you for it!

Things that make you smile

Yesterday, I bought gas. Not an exciting story, I know. But wait...there's more. I stopped at the gas station that I pass every day on my way home from work. It was time to fill the tank since I had less than 1/2, but more than a 1/4, of a tank. So I pulled into my friendly, neighborhood Hess station to take care of it.

Guess what??? A little over 1/2 a tank of gas went in and only $18.27 came out of my bank account! Can you believe it? It cost me under $20 to fill my tank! Under $20? Heck, it cost me under $40 to fill my tank!!! Gas at that station was $2.19 a gallon.

Driving home from work today, their price on gas was $2.16.

This is an example of "things that make you smile".

A movie and dinner - that's a date!

What a great night! This afternoon John asked me to dinner and a movie. How exciting! Here it was Saturday night and I had a date!

We went to see "Eagle Eye" with Shia LaBeouf. What an awesome movie! I don't want to spoil it for you if you are planning to see it, but if you're a fan of Jason Bourne movies then you should love this movie. Lots of action. Fast paced...never a dull moment. And Shia LaBeouf...oooh la la! If only I was younger, and thinner, and singler (yeah, it could be a word) and lived in California, and, and, and...he's such a hottie--for a baby.

After the movie, we went to Books-A-Million. I bought a couple of things, one of which is a Christmas present for John. After spending some of my money there, we went to dinner and home. Ok, dinner was KFC/Taco Bell...not quite a romantic gesture, but John was paying and I didn't have to cook.

That's it. A great night on a date with my husband. Life doesn't get any better than that!

Been awhile but I'm back

Been awhile since I've written. I've been pretty busy with school stuff and my own classes that I just haven't had the chance to write. Not to mention that I'm so dead tired by the time I get home from school, it's all I can do to stay awake long enough for dinner. But, I said I wouldn't mention that.

We've made it through the first report card period at school. Time is just flying by! Anyway, report cards went home October 30th and I received no requests for conferences, no threatening phone calls, and the principal hasn't called me in for any conferences. That is a wonderful thing. Probably because I have a great class this year. They're bright, motivated, willing to work, etc. I'm thrilled! My only complaint, if any, is that they talk too much. They do like to chatter at the most inopportune times and that causes them to miss some instruction, but not to the point of hurting their academics.

Now I understand that talking at this age is normal. They are becoming very "social" beings in 4th and 5th so talking is a natural part of that growth. However, they need to learn to control it. It's ok to talk at certain times, but not at others. It's ok to talk to ask a question, or to say something that you are just dying to say, but then get back to work. It's the latter part they have the most difficulty with as the "talking" part they've all mastered! In time they'll improve.

These are some pictures of my babies with their "babies". We have made friends with a Kindergarten class and meet with them once a week. During that time, my kids are helping the Kindergarteners with their reading skills. They read books together with the 5th graders acting as "teachers" for their little friends. They love doing this and this is the first time I have a class that actually can handle it and whose behavior is good enough to take out to another classroom. I want to use these pictures to put together a book for both classrooms. I'm hoping to get it done by Christmas so I best get started on it!

Well, that's it for now. I will try to do better with blogging. I know my millions of fans are counting on me (roflmbo). Until the next time...

Calgon take me away

It was a productive day. The temperature, although quite warm, wasn't unbearable. As a matter of fact, we had a beautiful breeze all day. It was that breeze that made being outside working very tolerable.

I told John that we needed to cut the lawn. Our backyard has a tendency to grow very quickly. I don't know why...maybe it has something to do with the fact that our backyard seems to retain every drop of rain water that hits it and is quite swampy at times. Our front yard on the other had, always seems dry and the grass doesn't grow as quickly. Since it was my idea, and he was going to weed eat everything, I said I'd help and cut the lawn. It was a beautiful day and I thought I could use the stress reliever.

After working in the backyard for several hours, we decided to head out front and see what we could do. I'd been hounding John to cut the bushes out there as they were totally out of control and looked overrun and horrible. So I grabbed the electric clippers and started hacking at the gardenia bush first. That went very well and it looks so much better now that it's back to manageable size.

Then I had at the other bushes. Half way down the front yard, I cut the cord in the electric clippers. Oopps! John came out to see what had happened (as I flipped the circuit breaker) and he pulled out another extension cord for me to use. I continued on my quest and John took care of some of the other bushes and the tree in the front yard. Suffice to say, by the time we cleaned up and put everything away, we had spent the better part of the day working in the yards. But it all looked good!

As you know, I've been having some trouble with my right leg. I was surprised with pushing the lawn mower and all the bending and walking I did today in the yard, that it didn't seem to aggravate my leg at all. Of course, my lower back hurt a bit, but that wasn't anything unusual. Once we had cleaned up, I made dinner and we sat down to relax a bit. That's when it hit. The pain in my back was killing me and my leg was screaming at me for cutting the lawn. All I could think of was Calgon, take me away!

I was telling John about the pain I was having and he went in the bathroom and fired up the whirlpool bathtub for me. We've had that thing for a couple years now, but I've never used it. Until today. I had some smelly bath salts to pour in and climbed in the tub to relax. The jets were pulsing in the perfect position to be pounding away at my hip. The smelly salts were filling up the air and smelled great. I was relaxing and enjoying every moment of whirlpool bath.

I sat in there for a good 20-25 minutes. I probably could have stayed in there a lot longer, but I decided that I should get out before my muscles turned completely to mush! I felt great! The pain in my back was almost gone and my leg, although still sore, felt a little bit better. Heck, I felt better just for being in the tub.

Now that I've tried it, I think that whirlpool tub will be getting a workout a little more often!

Name the baby

Since I have proclaimed myself "Namer of the the new baby", I've been tossing around names that I'd consider acceptable for my new great nephew. Finding just the right name is indeed a difficult task so the other day I decided to recruit some helpers. I asked my class of 5th graders to write down their favorite boy name on an index card. I explained that my niece was having a baby and that it was going to be a boy. I told them that I was trying to help them find the perfect name for the new baby, so tell me what names they liked for boys. Now the girls really got into this activity and wanted to write more than one name as they have 5 or 6 favorites. I relented and allowed them to write as many as they like. The boys, however, mostly only had one name on their cards....their own name. Talk about thinking outside the box.

Anyway, I collected the cards and was reviewing the names they had suggested. Since there is a large population of hispanics in my area, there were a lot of hispanic names that were suggested. And I could immediately tell who each girl liked in the classroom based on the names they wrote on the card. Let me just say that Nick and Joshua are popular boys in my classroom!

While their suggestions were nice, there weren't really any names that popped out at me. Except for one. And believe it or not, it was suggested by a boy. The boy that suggested it is what we call NES...a non english speaker. He does speak and understand some English, but it is very limited. When I asked for a name for the baby, he was very excited about participating and eager to fill out and return his card to me. When I read it, I immediately saw the potential in the name.

What was the name he suggested? It was ROVER! Personally, I like it. There are not a lot of Rovers around...at least not ones that walk on two legs. Rover May. I can see it. I like it! If that ends up being the name chosen, I'm buying that kid a pizza!

Transformation Deactivated

I feel like I've been going through some changes. I guess I'm at that age when things change, whether I like it or not, and I'm not really against all the changes happening. However, there was one transformation that I didn't like and today I did something about it.

About 8 months or so ago, my left front tooth chipped. It wasn't terribly noticable, but I could tell it was there. At first it bothered me, but then I eventually ignored it. Except for the occasional seed that might get stuck, it wasn't anything bothersome. However, that was the beginning of the transformation. I was starting to turn into one of the those people you see on TV that lives in a trailer...the redneck, white trailer trash person. The teeth are the first thing you notice about them and it ain't good.

Well, over the weekend, I found myself playing with the part of the tooth that was still there. Naturally, my tongue pushing at it caused it to loosen and I was able to push it out of place and then flip it back into place. Now you know how it is when you can do something like that and you know you shouldn't because it will cause a bigger problem. I realized that, but I played with it anyway. So, as you can imagine, since I played with it so much, it eventually just fell right out of my head! Stage 2 of the redneck, white trailer trash transformation was complete.

I let it go on Sunday. It felt like a huge gap when I played with the new hole with my tongue, but when I looked in the mirror, it was barely noticable from a frontal view. As a matter of fact, unless you looked at me from the left side of my face, you didn't really even notice the gap. I thought...I can live with this. No worries. Then Monday came and I went to work. You have no idea how difficult it is to teach Phonics (letter sounds for those who don't know) to your class when your teeth are jacked! I was whistling and having difficulty pronouncing sounds and letters with that small piece of my tooth missing. I sounded funny when I talked. I could not go through life like that so Monday afternoon I called the dentist.

Today I went in and the dentist was able to repair the tooth. I told him he had no idea how difficult it was to speak with just that little sliver of tooth missing. After about 45 minutes, my tooth was fixed and I was able to speak again. Yippie! Redneck, white trailer trash transformation is now deactivated!

Of course, yesterday was picture day. I didn't smile.

Here's the latest installment of "From Womb to Crib...The life of Baby May". The latest doctor appointment was the sonogram that allowed my baby niece to find out whether she was going to have a boy or a girl. Everything checked out fine. The baby is healthy and has all necessary parts...including a penis. Yep, that's right. She's having a boy! Although I was secretly hoping for a girl, I am equally thrilled that she's having a boy. Boys mean you can buy all the "cool" toys. Boys mean you end up having a little rough and tumble bundle of joy. Boys means I have to get to work on finding just the perfect name! (Up to now I've been working only on girls names!) I know Sara and Aaron both are depending on me to find that perfect moniker (at least, that's what I keep telling them) so I'm not going to take that responsibility lightly!

Barack Obama May? Hmmmmm...he could be president some day!

Day of Beauty

Friday, I took my dog to the vet for her monthly bath and nail clipping. Yes, I know these are things I could do and save myself some money, but she's a big dog and truly hates getting her nails clipped. It's really worth spending the little extra to have professionals do the job.

Regardless of that fact, I usually explain it to Shae that's she's going to have her "day of beauty". She always smells so wonderful (at least for a few days) and her coat looks so shiny when she's gone to the puppy spa for the day. Plus she comes home with a new hair accessory and what girl doesn't feel better when her hair looks good?!

Anyway, I got to thinking about it. Each month I take her to the puppy spa for this regiment of beautification. She gets attention, pampered, and to stick her head out the window as we ride in the car. But what do I get? Sure, my dog smells better, but I'm the one who gets to drive the car and pay the bill. What about my day of beauty? I want to be pampered. I want someone to brush my hair and do my nails. I want to bathe in a tub with pretty smelling oils. And yes, I even want a new hair accessory! My dog enjoys this luxury every month and I have to cut my own nails.

There is just something wrong with that! I want to be able to stick my head out the window too!

It's amazing what drugs can do

It's been awhile since my last entry. Honestly, I just haven't felt like writing. I haven't felt like doing much of anything.

Today however, was different. Today I made a nice dinner. Today I did 8 loads of laundry. Today, I finished my lesson plans for next week. Isn't that amazing? For the last month or so I haven't felt like doing much of anything. I would come home from work and be so tired that I'd barely eat dinner before falling asleep. The weekends were just as bad. I loaf around doing not much of anything, and if I did do something like empty the dishwasher, I was so tired I needed to take a nap. For the last month one of the two weekend days was spent sleeping. I could barely get out of bed.

So I talked to my doctor. After talking with him for about 10-15 minutes, he deduced that I was depressed and put me on some medication. It took a little while for the meds to kick in but I think today they really worked. Today I felt great! I had energy and drive again. I was motivated to work and get something accomplished. As a matter of fact, I even got ahead on my lesson plans! That, in and of itself, is amazing! It's amazing what the right drugs can do!

Do you know my grandma?

There comes a time in everyone's life when they realize that they have made a shift from one level of life to another. When you're a kid, you dream of hitting your teens. Once you hit 13, you can't wait to be 16. After 16, you long for the day you're 18. After 18, it's just a mere 3 more years and you'll finally be 21! Ahh, to be 21. I knew it all then. I could do it all then.

I'm still 21, but now I have 26 years of experience. Body parts are seeming to wear out. I can hear my parents voices when I say things to kids now. "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." "Turn out the lights if you're not in the room! Do I look like I'm made of money?"
"You'll do it because I said so." These old adages seem to flow out of my mouth more and more as I grow older. Usually, when such things happen, I pour myself a drink, curl up on the couch with my worry beads, and meditate on how I'm DIFFERENT than my parents! Eventually, it passes.

Today, however, I was just slapped in the face with reality again. One of the students in the 5th grade (not one of mine and that's a good thing -- if she was mine, she might never get out of the 5th grade!) came up to me and asked "Do you know my grandmother? Her name is (another problem with age, short term memory isn't wasn't it used to be)? Now, there was a time that kids would ask if I knew their sister, their mother, their aunt, and maybe even an uncle. That phase of my life is over. Now I know their grandmothers. Keeping in mind that these kids were born in 1998 or 1999, I guess I shouldn't really be so shocked.

Kids ask me things like this all the time. But, for whatever reason, it hit me differently today. I could know somebody's grandma. I could have gone to school with them. I could have grown up with them. I could of hung out with them. I could still be friends with them.

So kids who want to ask me if I know their grandma or their grandpa or their great great aunt Lulu or great great uncle Bubba, to all you little people who will never know the joys of record players, roller skates with keys, and the Beatles, to you I say....

Yeah, I know them. So what of it!?

Bad karma

I had to go to the doctor today. I was long overdue. I was supposed to have had blood work done late March or early April, but I never got around to it. I finally remembered a couple weeks ago and had the blood work done last week. Today was supposed to be the follow up to review the results.

So today was the follow up day. I left work about 5 minutes early so I could drive across town to make my 4:00 appointment. The traffic wasn't bad at all and a I made pretty good time. I actually arrived about 15 minutes. As I turned into the parking lot, I noticed that a car had taken up two spots when it parked diagonally rather than straight in. As I got closer to the vehicle, I understood why the unusual park job...it was a hearse! This is NOT a comforting sight when you are going to see your doctor! (Upon closer inspection, it was an old hearse that probably wasn't used for that purpose anymore, but still!)

I went inside to check in and said to the nurse, "Did you know there is a hearse in your parking lot?" She kind of giggled and said yes, they were aware. It belonged to a patient who was here for a scheduled appointment. I told her that it isn't very comforting to see a hearse in the parking lot when you're coming for a doctor appointment. Is he prepared for the worst when he examines me? I know my blood pressure is a little high, but isn't a hearse a little premature? She just laughed a little and said "nooo" the way people do when you're just being silly.

When I was taken back to the exam room, the nurse followed the usual routine of temperature, weight (which I don't want to talk about), and blood pressure. My blood pressure was a little high but I think I know the reason for that. Besides there being a hearse in the parking lot (did I mention how unsettling that is?), the nurse had just told me that I'm scheduled for my annual exam. What? No way! I was not prepared! I didn't have on the right underwear! No NO NOOOOOO! She kind of looked at me oddly, like most people do, and said ok, but she wasn't going to tell the doctor, I had to do it. I agreed to accept the responsibility and she left.

Well I don't want to bother you with the test results, just suffice it to say that nothing is what it should be. My blood pressure was a bit too high, my cholesterol is still too high (it's still under the suggested level, but the bad cholesterol is too high and the good cholesterol is not high enough), my weight is still too high and gaining (no pun intended), and my sugar level is too high. Add to that that my buttocks/hip/thigh hurt for some unexplained reason so I need to get that X-rayed. But I didn't have to have my internal! HA! Something went right today!

I'm blaming all my problems on the damn hearse in the parking lot. Bad karma led to bad doctor visit. It's a good thing I didn't have my internal today. With all that bad karma, who knows what might have happened! He could have pulled something out that should stay in!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Yep, that's me!

I know you're all wondering who is that adorable baby in the picture? Well, it's me. It's one of the few pictures of me I actually like so I decided I'd post it so everyone can put a face with the blog.

I imagine that when Sara has her baby, she'll look exactly like this...cute, adorable, irresistible. That describes me to a tee!

I look exactly like this now, only I have all my own teeth and my hair is a little longer (and grayer).

Did I mention I have a wonderful sense of humor? Sara, you're going to be so lucky to have a baby just like me!

Yo hablo espanol

Hola! Que tal? Nada aqui.

I know you have to be impressed! In case you couldn't tell, I'm learning Spanish. I have 3 non English speakers in my class this year. Actually, they do speak some English, but it is minimal so they are considered non English speakers. So I decided this is the year that I learn Spanish. The kids are helping me some, but I knew that wouldn't be enough. I actually signed up (and paid for by myself, thank you very much) for a 15 week Basic Conversational Spanish class. I've gone for 3 weeks so far and it's been fun. I'm actually recalling a lot of what I learned in high school, which was just a couple years back. (Ok, get off the floor and quit laughing!)

That's right, I'm conjugating verbs and everything! I'm not good enough to write my blog completely in Spanish, but I could at least ask to go to the bathroom or where can I get something to eat if I was in a Latin country. That's gotta count for something.

Hasta luego ustedes y buenas noches!

Time for a change?

Today was not a good day. It started at 5:00am when the stupid alarm went off. That's the time I had to get up this morning. Who in their right mind gets up that early in the morning? Whoever thought that was a good time to start the day should be tarred and feathered! Nevertheless, I had to get up early today to get to a meeting at 7:30. I agree 5:00am was a little early, but it gives me time to stare into space and veg while trying to wake up.

The traffic was a bear. I left home expecting to be at work about 20 minutes before the meeting, but it ended up being only about 3 minutes by the time I actually got there. It wasn't just regular traffic, but the school traffic that messed me up. I pass and high school and a middle school prior to getting to my school and that really slows you up. Parents dropping off their little darlings at 7:00am. It ended up taking me about 15 minutes to travel 3 blocks because of school traffic.

After my 7:30 meeting, the principal asked to meet with the teachers a few minutes before returning to their rooms. She asked if anyone would like to "volunteer" to transfer to another school as we have to cut another teacher. Our budget for this school year is pretty much non-existent and our numbers are down. In order to try to stay in the black, we're going to have to cut a teacher. Is anybody willing to leave? Hmmm...

This is big cause for concern for me. I'm not low man on the totem pole, but I am next in line. With the low man being forced now to leave, that puts me at the bottom of the pole. If anything happens, I'm next to get cut. And if prospects are not good for 2009-2010, I can pretty much count on not having a job next year. Granted, they do what they can to place you in another school, however, there are no guarantees. And, who knows if you will like the new school, principal, co-workers, etc? It's not a good situation. For the moment, I'm safe. But the way things are going, I don't see that cushion lasting for too long.

It worries me...it makes me wonder...they are making changes that are causing complete turmoil at the schools. (Ours is not the only school having this problem. Many schools had to cut teachers at the end of last year preparing for this year.) Perhaps the time has come to think about a career change.

A Nice Touch

I went grocery shopping today. Actually, I was just going to get bread, water, and dog food, but once I started down the aisles, well it turned into a regular shopping excursion. As I wandered through the aisle, I saw things on sale that we could use and a few things that I just thought would be good to get. Anyway, what was supposed to be a $20 quick trip to the store, ended up being a $108 grocery stop.

At the checkout, the cashier was very friendly. She made a little small talk, making sure I found everything I wanted, and talked a little about the lovely weekend weather. (It was pretty hot today and sunny.) A young guy came over and began packing my groceries and putting them in the shopping cart. I paid my bill and was ready to push my cart out the door, but the young guy that packed my groceries continued to push my cart and make small talk with me. I thought he'd get me as far as the door and then I'd be on my own.

We got to the exit and he asked where I parked. I told him and he pushed the cart to my car and helped me to unload all the groceries. I've never experienced that before so I didn't really know what to do. I wanted to offer the kid a buck (sadly, I didn't have any cash on me to speak of) but he said, "No thanks. I'm just happy to help." He then bid me a good day and took away my empty shopping cart.

Normally, I push my own cart, unload my own groceries, and walk my cart to the cart return. It was a nice touch to have this kid help today. I smiled all the way home.

I'll be shopping at that Publix more often and be certain to carry a couple of bucks just in case this kid should be there to help another day.

Vick's the magic cure all

Take a minute and flash back to the past with me. We're little kids again. And we get sick. What was the first thing that mom always got out? That's right, Vicks Vaporub. That stuff was the cure all for everything. Stuffy nose, runny nose, stuffy head, congestion, itchy eyes, dry eyes, green eyes, blue eyes, anyway you get the idea. We'd rub it on our chest, our back under our nose, behind our ears, where ever we thought it would do the most good.

This holiday weekend I've been sick. Mostly stuffy head, congestion, and itchy eyes. Actually I think it's more allergy related than cold related. But the first thing I did when I was having problems breathing was dig out the Vicks Vaporub. That mentholatum would move its way through the toughest nose block and for the briefest of moments, I could breathe again. I also got the humidifier out and put some liquid vicks in the water. All night long I was inhaling that wonderful smell that would eventually help my runny nose, itchy eyes, and stuffy head clear out.

Today I was feeling much better so I decided to do a little grocery shopping. While at the store, I wandered through the cold and allergy remedy aisle and happened across an old friend...the Vicks Vapor Inhaler! Quite costly these days, but I didn't care. I bought one and couldn't wait to get home to try it out.

Hello old friend. (Sniff Sniff) Ahhh, it's like being a kid again!

Mini me

Ok, tell me she doesn't look exactly like me!

It was a great night

We had a nice night tonight. After yesterday, I really had nowhere to go but up. But it was an unexpectedly good evening.

Uncle Paul and Aunt Dawn came up for the evening. They are flying out of Orlando airport tomorrow to go to their grandson's wedding in Minnesota so they came up early to spend the evening with Paula, John, and myself.

We all went to dinner at Logan's Roadhouse. John and I like that restaurant as we really enjoy a good steak or prime rib dinner every now and again. It's not usually overly crowded and loud, so it's a good place to be able to talk before, during, and after your dinner. I suggested the restaurant and everyone seemed to be very happy with their meal so I was happy.

Anyway, we don't get to visit too often with Uncle Paul and Aunt Dawn. They aren't in our neck of the woods too often and we don't get down to visit them as often as we should. We're only a couple of hours away, but we just never seem to make the time to visit. So it was nice that we were all able to get together and visit. It's terrible that we don't as Uncle Paul and Aunt Dawn are a hoot!

After we finished dinner, we sat at the table for a good 30 minutes just chatting about family and traveling and whatnot. Finally, we took the conversation outside. We stood in the heat and humidity another 15 minutes or so before we finally bid our farewells. They will be spending the night at Paula's and she will drive them to the airport tomorrow.

So it was a good night. We had a great dinner and some great company. And there was more than enough laughter going around! What more could you possibly ask for?

Oy vay, it's Monday

It's days like today the give Mondays a bad name.

First, I overslept. When the alarm went off at 5:45am, I reached up to hit the snooze like I always do. Today, however, instead of hitting the alarm, I shut it off. That's not a good thing, but I knew that I had my phone alarm still set, so I didn't worry about it. Instead I got up, grabbed my cell, and crawled back underneath the covers.

At 6:00am, the cell phone alarm went off. Since I had it in my hand, I hit the snooze right away. I had the TV on and "Becker" was on so I knew I still had a little time to play with. Becker is on from 6-7am every morning on USA. I also had another alarm set for 6:30am on my phone, not to mention that I only hit the snooze button when the last alarm went off so I still had my emergency back up alarms ready to go. No way I could over sleep. The next thing I know, Becker is over and it's 7:00am. Damn! Now I'm going to be late.

I got up and gave John a nudge to let him know he should be getting up too. (Actually, I think it was my loud "SHIT" that woke him!) I zoomed to the kitchen to get coffee, and then to the back door to let the dog out.

I zoomed around trying to get ready for work and make sure that I was taking everything I needed to take with me. Back to the door to let the dog in. Of course, she needs a cookie now because she was a good dog and went out and came back in just like she's supposed to do.

I always wait until morning to pack lunches. That works out best unless of course you get up late! But, being the loving wife I am, I still took the time to pack John's lunch and mine. Zoom, zoom, zoom, some more and I'm finally ready to leave at 7:25. Not too bad considering, but I am late leaving. I could still be to work before 8:00.

After saying my goodbyes, I kiss my husband, pet my dog, and zoom out the door. I toss all my stuff into the car, hop in the drivers seat, buckle up for safety, and back out of the driveway. As I'm driving down the street, I hear "thump-a-da, thump-a-da, thump-a-da". Crap! The car is driving funny and that sounds like a flat tire. I double check the dash and sure enough the "flat tire" light is blinking. I only made it as far as the corner before I turned around and headed back home.

Into the driveway I pull and turn the car off. I double check to make sure I was right about the flat. Yep. There it is. The drivers side back tire is flat. Crap again! Now I'm really going to be late!

I run into the house and tell John we have to switch vehicles because I have a flat. You gotta love having a man around sometimes. This was one of those times.

John comes out to inspect my problem and verifies that I do indeed have a flat. So he pulls out the air pump while I'm moving stuff from my car to his and from his car to the van. I don't have time to wait for the tire to be pumped up...it's already 7:40. So I kiss him goodbye and zoom off down the street in his car, leaving John to deal with my flat tire.

Finally, I arrive at work, 10 minutes late. (I probably broke a few traffic laws, but hey, I was in a hurry!) I got things ready for my class to start and sat for about 1 minute before the kids started coming into the room. So much for taking a breather.

I have Law as my block class today, which means I have no chance to relax and recover from my morning as the kids are still in the classroom. So I'm zooming around the hallways trying to make sure I have everything I need for class. A parent had stopped at the office to drop off his child's back pack that she left at home. I said I'd take it since the student was in my class. So I picked up her backpack and, yep, you guessed it, everything fell out! All her books, papers, everything, scattered on the floor. Oy!

The book I wanted to read today, I forgot, so I had to juggle a bit. I didn't have any coffee and there weren't any cups to use in the lunch room so I wasn't going to get any from the community coffee pot. Suffice to say, it just wasn't one of my better days.

If I didn't have a calendar or any way to keep track of time, I would have known today was Monday. I'm going to bed early and pray that Tuesday is a better day.

Shopping

Have you ever noticed how people will just stand in the middle of an aisle in the grocery store and block traffic coming in both directions?

I just went shopping today and noticed an awful lot of that happening. What ever happened to being a courteous shopper? I always pull my cart over to the side as far as possible and stand on the side that I'm traveling while looking at an item of interest on the opposite side. If I want a closer look at an item, I take it and move back to my side of the aisle so the flow of traffic can continue on around me. Not so most other shoppers. They don't bother pulling their cart aside. Rather it remains in the middle of the aisle and they take up the rest of the aisle to stare at the products on the shelves around them.

And heaven forbid you ask to pass through. Usually you get the evil eye look followed by the disgusted "sigh" as they slowly move their cart. Just to make sure you realize the inconvenience, they don't move their cart completely out of the way...just barely enough for you to pass. I've scraped my knuckles so many times or locked wheels of shopping carts, that it makes the shopping experience less than pleasant.

Of course, I try to be the better person and I thank them for their (minimal) effort as I pass by cautiously. What I'd really like to do is to equip my shopping cart handle with phasers! Then when I come across the inconsiderate boobs that block aisles, I can just lock my phasers on stun and ZAP them! Then I can just push them out of my way and not lose so much skin on my knuckles! What normally takes me several hours to do, might actually reduce my shopping time by one half.

Just the thought of having phasers may be enough to help me keep a smile on my face the next time I'm shopping.

Weather

Ok, now I'm really mad! Let me ask you a question. What usually follows the first day of school? Anybody? Raise your hand. Don't be shy. Usually the first day of school is followed by the second day of school. (See? I knew you knew it!) Not for us. Our first day of school was followed by a hurricane day! That's right. What should have been the second day of school ended up being a day off because of Tropical Storm Fay.

I realize that hurricanes and tropical storms are serious weather conditions. If it had been a hurricane, I guess I could have dealt with it better. But this is just a tropical storm. They are projecting it to become a category 1 storm which means it will have winds between 74 and 85 miles per hour. I'm not suggesting that those winds can't be damaging, but after dealing with Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jean a few years back, all of which were Cat 3 or better, this panic over a tropical storm is really pulling my chain!

It was a beautiful day here. The sun was shining. There was a breeze and some rain later in the day but nothing that I would consider life threatening. Usually the reason we have to have the day off is because all the people down south in the areas that are getting hit hard by the storm evacuate north. Since I'm in the center part of the state, people evacuating make it as far as us then stop. The schools end up being used as shelters so we can't be there if people are coming for shelter. This time was no different. Several of our county schools were open to the public as shelters from the storm.

The wind had picked up about 6pm. But again, we've hand thunderstorms that have caused as much, if not more, problems then what we experienced today.

When the kids found out yesterday that there would be no school today, they were all smiles. I told them that it's ok to smile, but to remember, we have to make up this day so that means one of our days off will be changed to a school day. Some of the smiles disappeared. Some smiles shortened. And a few of my kids just kept smiling. They'll whine about it later when they have to come to school on a day that they planned on having off.

I got a call this afternoon saying that there will be school tomorrow. As long as the storm doesn't make any sudden changes in direction or pick up speed to make it a category 2 or 3 storm (which is unlikely as the storm is over land now and that usually causes it to lose speed), it'll be back to business as usual tomorrow. There better not be any changes. If I get up early, I might as well go to work!

Back to school

This has been quite a hectic week. Since I didn't hit it big at the casino's this summer, I had to start preparing to go back to work. This was my first week back.

It's been a long week! The beginning of the school year is always tough. I have a million and one things to do to get ready and no matter how much time I have, I'm always busy up to the last second before open house. And it doesn't stop until next summer vacation. I'm always working on a project, grading papers, planning lessons, whatever. This year I've taken on the added responsibility of being on the Social committee at school. And they're looking for a chairperson as last years committee chair is no longer at the school. Somehow, I get the distinct feeling, that I'm going to end up with that chair.

Anyway, my room is ready and open house is over. Almost all my kids came with their parents. It's great to meet them all. Some parents I will get to know better and others will blend into the woodwork and I won't see them again until graduation in June.

I have 3 non English speaking kids in my class this year. Non English speaking...nothing...nada! I guess this will be the year I learn Spanish! My high school Spanish still comes back to me sometimes, but not enough to carry on a conversation with either my kids or their parents. I know a few key words, but otherwise, I'm a English only speaker. This will be a learning year for both them and me I think.

I'm looking forward to this year. I have 24 students in my class and from what I could tell at open house, they are all great kids. I have some great projects planned. Hopefully some of them will photograph well enough to include on my blog.

My first week is done. The kids return starting on Monday. To quote those great Disney characters, "Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to school I go!"

Some butt kicking is going on

Ok, I don't care who you are, this is just too funny!

Kick his ass

The house that George built

Our vacation was quite eventful this year. During the drive north, we decided to make a stop at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, located in Alexandria, Virginia. What an estate! During that time, everything you needed was on your plantation/farm which pretty much made it seem like a city unto itself. Shoemaker, bakery, blacksmith, gardener, etc., were all located somewhere on the farm.
This is a view of the farm as you begin to approach from the road. The original house that George had was quite smaller than this, however, George spent many years adding on to it making it quite an exquisite home. By the time he got it pretty much finished to their liking, he died. It took about 35 years to build (remember, he was off soldiering and being president while building this home so that put a crimp in how quickly things would get done). But if you think this looks spectacular, just wait!
This is the rear view of the house. Equally as beautiful as the front view. They have a bunch of chairs on the back porch that you can sit and look at the view of the Potomac. Now that's an exquisite site to see!

Can you just imagine sitting on your back porch and having this to look at? It was just gorgeous. I could picture George and Martha sitting out there on a cool summer evening enjoying the view. Of course, they were very busy people, always working and putzing around the house so they probably didn't get to sit and enjoy as much as I did. It was hot in Virginia while we were there, but there was a beautiful summer breeze blowing as you sat on the chairs that made it quite comfortable.

These are all the picture I have of the house. They don't allow you to take pictures inside. Guess they don't want the pictures to get out and prevent people from actually visiting the estate. Pictures don't do it justice anyway. You really have to go there and see for yourself. The view of the Potomac alone is worth the trip!

On the estate, like I said, are many different buildings of all those who helped to make the place work. The gardeners home was a very simple place.
The kitchen was a separate building just outside the house. In those days it wasn't uncommon for fires to start in the kitchen and rather than lose the entire house, they built the kitchens separately. Pretty smart thinking. Easier to rebuild a kitchen rather than an entire house!
And of course, the garage. Or more aptly, the stables. George happened to be on the wealthy side. He had a couple of different carriages for his personal use. One "family" vehicle in which they could all ride comfortably. Looks a lot like a stagecoach, doesn't it?
And, to suit George's boyish needs, he had himself something that not many people had in those days. He had himself a sportster model, big enough for one!
When George died in 1799, he was laid out in the last room he added to his house...the fancy dining room. There he laid for 3 days while visitors came to pay their last respects. On the fourth day, they carried him to the tomb that was also on the property. This is now known as the "old tomb".
George isn't in there so don't go looking for him. Martha isn't in there either. They've been moved to what is now called "the new tomb". Prior to his death, George had written that he wanted a new tomb to be built. It didn't get finished while he was alive or in time for his burial. Several years after his death (I don't remember the exact number), the new tomb was finally finished. This is the new tomb.

That is where George lays now. And Martha. And about 24 of their closest family members. Interesting fact about George Washington. He had no children of his own. However, Martha, having been married once before George, had two children that she brought into their marriage. (Her first husband had died at war.)

So if you're ever in Virginia and you're looking for something to do, I would recommend stopping to see George Washington's home. It's worth the trip.

This little piggy . . .

During our trip to Pennsylvania, we stopped in Virginia to visit family. Uncle Aubrey and Aunt Hilda have a huge farm on which they raise pigs. Prior to our arrival, one of the pigs gave birth to 4 little piglets. Sadly, the weather was very hot and she didn't pick a very shady spot to have babies. She didn't survive, but her piglets did.

They were just a few days old when we arrived. They had them penned up in a building near the house as they had to feed them every four hours. So during our stay, I got to feed the piggies! They were so cute. Just like a real baby. They would cry until the nipple of the bottle finally made it into their mouth and they would suck like there was no tomorrow! Suddenly, they'd stop and take a snooze. Just when you'd start to take the bottle out of their mouth, they'd begin squealing again, squirming in your arms, until you stuck the bottle back in and they could suckle again! Once they ate, they'd quiet down and take a nap.

Aren't they cute?

When they were hungry, you knew it! They would squeal and screech like crazy. They would travel in a pack back and forth along the fence until you would pick them up and feed them. They are so cute when they're little but once they become hogs, they're not quite as cute.

So these little guys got all the attention they needed. They were gonna make it...at least until New Years. By then they'd be so big, they'd be ready to be dinner!

Sunglasses update

Here's a sunglasses update!

Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, I now have 2 NEW pair of sunglasses! One pair has white bows and the other pair is yellow and black and is a tad more sporty looking. Also, when we arrived home last night, I found my favorite pair of sunglasses sitting on the kitchen counter where I put them so I wouldn't forget to take them with me on our trip! After the luck I had with the other two pair, perhaps it's a good thing I forgot them!

So there you go! I'm back to three pair again. I thank you all very much for your concern but a special thanks to Maryann and Bill!

My eyes are winking at you right now!

Jake's Wedding

Well, we finally made it home from our long vacation north. It was worth it though to be able to attend the event of the year! Jake's wedding. I still can't believe he's married. It seems like just yesterday he was just a little guy, refusing to wear zippers and buttons and playing with pinwheels and flags. Now he's all grown up and married.

The wedding was very simple and beautiful. The bride looked beautiful. She wore a long sash that wrapped around her waist and trailed behind along with the train of her dress that was the same color as the bridesmaids dresses. I'd never seen anything like that before and it looked really nice. The groom and his men were all dressed in black tuxes wearing vests and ties that matched the color as well. They all looked really sharp. The girls all wore the same color, but their dresses were all different. Some were knee length while others went to the floor. Some were spaghetti straps at the top while others were more like an around the neck halter. It distracted me and wasn't quite that "uniformed" look you usually see at weddings. It wasn't bad, just unusual and I'm not completely sold on it. Of course, it wasn't my wedding so who cares what I think! They still looked beautiful.

Of course, the bride and groom looked very happy. I don't think the smile ever came off Jake's face! He was grinning from the time he walked on the altar until I left the reception. I'm sure he continued smiling well after.

The cake was very nice and quite tasty.

At the reception, which was at the Shrine Club (very nice set up and location), a good time was had by all. I tried to look for those Kodak moments and caught a couple of good photos during the reception. Of course, we had the bride and groom dance....

The bride and daddy....

And the groom and mommy. . .

The groom tossed the garter and Jaron, the ringbearer was the big winner. It's not that the line of 5 single guys really wanted it. They looked more like a firing line than a garter toss line. They just stood there and watched Jake toss it...twice. He needed a do-over as the first toss was a miss fire into the ceiling!

As you can see, Jaron was the only one who even made an effort to get it. And just for the record, there were a few more single guys at the wedding. They just chose not to participate. Remember the old myth about how the person who catches the garter and the person who catches the bouquet were the next to be married? That's not the case. Apparently, nobody ever told these guys!

The bride then tossed her bouquet. She was able to toss it on the first try (unlike the groom). Looks like some of the girls need to be informed about the myth of catching the bouquet as well. There were still a few more single females at the wedding but they didn't wish to participate either. At least these girls all made an effort to catch the bouquet. The winner was another little one on the bride's side. Guess it's become a kids game!

And no wedding would be complete without the Bird Dance! Some people call it the Chicken Dance. Either way, your flapping and shaking!

That's it! Once you've done the Bird Dance, you know the party is over! This is pretty much where my pictures ended. I have lots more of the ceremony and reception, but there's just too many to share them all here. All in all it was quite an eventful and memorable day. Definitely worth the trip (not that I would have missed it for the world!).

Another milestone has passed. My babies are growing up.

Bad week for sunglasses

This has not been the vacation for sunglasses for me. After we left the family in Virginia (I'll post more about that when I get home as I will have many fun pictures to share), and we're driving along, I happened to spot a sign that boasted being a memorial for General Stonewall Jackson. I'm a little into the American Revolution and Civil War eras right now as that's big in the5th grade Social Studies curriculum. So I wanted to stop and see what the memorial had to offer.

We pulled off the exit and had to drive about 5 miles down the road before we got to the park. There were a few display boards in the parking lot that showed what the land looked like during that time period. It also had a prerecorded explanation of the events that you could listen to while looking at the boards. Turns out that it was at that very place that Stonewall Jackson died. He was shot by his own men (they claim that it was accidental, but who knows for sure) at a nearby battlefield. Just so happened that Dr. Chandler had a plantation down the road. So they put Jackson in wagon and brought him down to the doctor. (As part of the life saving efforts on the battlefield, they ended up having to cut off his left arm prior to him coming to see the doctor.)

Anyway, they took the general inside the doctor's office and that's where he tried his best to save him. Unfortunately, it didn't help as Stonewall Jackson eventually passed away never recovering from his wounds. The rest of the plantation buildings are gone, including the doctors house which burned down, but the building in which they tried to save Jackson still remains standing and is a National Park now.

So by now you're wondering, what does that have to do with my sunglasses? Well, I had to go to the bathroom before we left. Everything went fine until I turned around to flush and my sunglasses fell right into the toilet bowl. They were too big to flush so I wasn't worried about that but I couldn't leave them there. I quickly removed them from the toilet bowl and deposited them directly into the garbage can. End of pair number 1.

I had another pair in the car so all was not completely lost. I got those out and was fiddling with the lens when it snapped. A piece of the corner of the lens chipped off! It was ok. I could still wear them. Today we went to the casino. I hung them on my shirt like I always do. As I was leaving the casino, that's right, no glasses. They had fallen off somewhere. Well, I wasn't about to try to retrace my steps and just chalked them up to another loss.

Now I can't find my favorite pair that I had. This has been a bad week for sunglasses!

I'm on vacation

It's been awhile since I've written but there is a very good reason for that...I'm on vacation! Just saying that word can put a smile on your face. Vacation. Another warm fuzzy moment.

Anyway, we've traveled north to attend the event of the year. My nephew, Jake, is getting married! Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday he had a toothless smile and was running around the yard to make sure all his flags were straight! But here he is getting married. We've been looking forward to coming home for this event for a long time. I've been able to catch up with most of the family and will be able to meet and greet a few extended family members that you just never see unless there's a wedding or funeral.

Tomorrow is the big day so I'll be writing more about the wedding and hopefully posting a picture or two. I'm sure there will be some good kodak moments that I'll want to share.

In the meantime, I'm still on vacation and loving every minute of it. Our hosts are doing a fabulous job of keeping us entertained, well hydrated, and fed. Uncle Joe and Aunt Lucy, you're the best!