Happy New Year!!!!

May you all find Peace, Love and Joy in the year to come. Hang onto the Hope, for that is what gets us through. That and a lot of hard work! Party hard and sleep well. See you in the new year.

I mentioned before about the allowance system that we are now using, didn't I? Anyway, the way it works is that for each chore we do, we earn cash. Jobs we hate (laundry) earn more ($4/week) and easy jobs (straightening the living room) get less ($.25/day). We have chart up the tells the chores and the wage and then as we choose to do something, we mark down that it is complete. At the end of the week we tally up the earnings and that is the spending money we get. There are also some fines in place. Leaving dirty dishes around costs you $.25/each time and I have to pay $1 for each hour of TV I watch beyond my three favorites and the news. (I get a little slack here because if we are eating or if I am doing another chore, like folding laundry, it's okay.) We started the system yesterday and so far we have gotten lots of things done. The part I like best is I don't have to nag Mikey to do things. Either he does them under his own steam or eventually I get to them and then I get paid. Nice. Much better than feeling driven to do things and then resenting the fact that he wasn't driven the same way. Plus, I am looking forward to payday. I have already earned a good $10 or so beyond the $10 base pay. This is money that I can spend however I choose without feeling like I have to check with Mikey and without feeling guilty. Very nice.

I also have the "New Year/ New Look" bug. I am rearranging and redecorating all the rooms in my house. I have started a picture wall in my hallway. I hung up the beautiful print of falling leaves that my daddy sent us. I totally rearranged the bedroom. I really enjoyed that because we have had it exactly the same since we moved in. That's a long time for me! Oh! and I hung up a big laminated map of the world that I bought at Costco. It fills up a big empty wall in the bedroom very nicely and adds quite a bit of color. And it's educational! : )

My other big accomplishment for the day was practicing my guitar. I started the program taught in the book I bought and it was FUN. It only takes 10 minutes of drilling, but it shows me things that I wouldn't be doing on my own. When I am done I fiddle around or try to hear phrases and chords on my own. I can hardly wait for the fakebook that I ordered so that I can really start learning an actual song! I really want to learn Happy Birthday so that I can play for all the kiddo's when it's their special day!

So, that was my day...I TOLD you I was feeling productive. : ) Have a nice night.

So where is everyone??? I want all 3 of my avid readers to return from their holidays and resume talking with me. I'm LONELY!!!

Hee hee! This is so scary that it's funny.

Thanks to Zander for helping me with my new hit counter. You're a pal!! : )

Just one more example of science doing what it CAN without thinking about whether it SHOULD. What more can you say? I know that there are people born every minute who have illnesses or deformaties or whatever makes them different from everyone else. But that is EXACTLY what genetics are all about...diversity. Being different. Personally, I feel that even if we were able to be 100% sure that there were no side effects or unseen negative consequences we STILL shouldn't be cloning people.

1. Doing so attempts to define perfection and sets a standard by which all humans will be judged. Either that, or it creates a sub-race of people who are seen as less than human. I don't want to be around for either of these possibilities.
2. Cloning removes all possibilty for the human race to evolve. Granted we have been pretty stagnant for hundreds of years already, but as a species we are still able to adapt to changing viruses. Oh wait - we could always throw some genetic manipulation into the mix. (Wipe away the dripping sarcasm and see above comment regarding sub-human race.)

So to sum it up, I think this is a very bad idea and I am deeply disturbed. Of course, any of you who read regularly know that I have serious concerns about the direction the human race is headed.

STOP THE PRESSES...
"Clonaid was founded by Claude Vorilhon, a former French journalist and leader of a sect called the Raelians. Vorilhon, who calls himself Rael, claims a space alien visiting him in 1973 revealed that extraterrestrials had created all life on Earth through genetic engineering. " (CNN.com/Health article)

OH! Well that makes PERFECT SENSE. I take it all back. Full steam ahead!!!

We worked on our 2003 budget and our New Year's Resolutions. They were more like a series of goals.

"I will save my babysitting money every week to go towards my trip home in late May."
"I will contact each of my siblings by phone at least once a month."
"I will take one class covering something of interest to me (sign language, cooking, sewing, etc)."

There are many. I won't bore you. We also developed a chores/allowance system so that we can have guilt free spending money. However, this means that anything we want to buy or do (games, eating out, movies) will be paid for by allowance money. We are hoping that we will end up actually saving money now that there is a specific fund for that sort of "fun" spending. One of the best things about being married to a game designer...he can make ANYTHING into a game. This actually sounds fun! I hope we manage to keep it going for awhile!

So what are YOUR resolutions/goals? Do you intend to keep them?

We watched Insomnia this afternoon. It is a very dark movie that explores what happens when someone becomes severely sleep deprived. There are other factors involved, of course, but the main idea is that when you lose sleep you suffer from all kinds of hallucinations and faulty thinking. Your ability to analyze a situation and make decisions becomes seriously impaired along with your attention to detail and reaction time. Lack of sleep got Detective Dormer into some serious problems in the movie. The whole thing was shot very dramatically. Lots of playing with light and angles and flashbacks. I had to pay very close attention during the whole thing to follow the story. I would recommend it, but only if you are ready to see the not-so-nice side of humanity. I was particularly disturbed by how adamantly the killer denied his guilt. "It was an accident. I didn't mean too. It's not my fault." BLEH.

Poor Mikey is sick. It's my turn to baby him like he babied me. I'm off to be a good wife. : )

Friday Five
1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year?
Hmmm. It would have to be landing my current teaching contract. Or possibly landing my current husband. Altho neither of them was very hard to get. It was all a matter of being positive and being patient. : )

2. What was your biggest disappointment?
The continued fighting and pain happening between my parents. Although it is slowly getting better now, it was very ugly there for awhile.

3. Will you be making any New Year's resolutions?
Yes, of course. I am big on introspection and planning. We both are. I have a feeling there will be personal resolutions, family resolutions and for Mikey, business resolutions. These will be in the areas of finances, employment, travel, health/fitness and relationships. They will be discussed for hours and carefully analyzed. They will also probably fall by the wayside within a month. Sad, but true.

4. Where will you be at midnight? Do you wish you could be somewhere else?
I will be here at home with my Mikey playing board games and drinking sparkling juice (I saw some great flavors on sale at Albertsons!). Hopefully, I will also have my friend Angie and her husband here. That would be my first step towards reaching my 2002 Personal Relationships goal. (Spend more time developing local friendships.)

5. Aside from (possibly) staying up late, do you have any other New Year's traditions?
Nope. I don't remember even having any big traditions while I was growing up aside from playing board games and laughing alot. I guess, we all had to share some kind of resolution. Or maybe I am making that up. I don't know. I don't really remember.

We're all done building the coaster. It is awesome. Thanks, Sue!!! Here's a pic of the happy rollercoaster owner starting it up for the first time...



Click here for some other coaster shots.

I love talking with my brother. He turns 18 tomorrow (egads...it already IS tomorrow...I have to get to bed!). I called him earlier and talked with him for some time about life, girlfriends, music, family...it was nice. I miss him. I worry about him. I hope that he has an awesome birthday and has fun with my gift. : )

Happy Birthday, Brooks!

OUCH!!! The tips of my fingers HURT! I made a feeble attempt to tune my guitar...I think I need new strings, because I can't get the low E to be low enough without it buzzing against the fretboard. I was able to tune up the rest tho and then I practiced the fingering for some chords. I hope it doesn't take too long to build up some protection on my fingertips! Hee hee hee. I am having fun with this. I found a Guitar Noise, a really great website with lots of articles about chords and songs and all kinds of things. I want to have a real live teacher, but this site will be a great resource. I think tomorrow I will go out and get new strings and any little gadgets I might need. I am considering getting an electric tuner thingy, but I really want to train myself to be able to HEAR the differences. We'll see. Today I was using a handy dandy midi tuner, called Guitar Assistant, that I found here. You play into a mic and it tells you what you need to do. Oh, and another one called Tuner Tool. Download it free from here. (WARNING - this is an immediate download link.) This one doesn't evaluate your pitch at all...you have to listen carefully!

After we buy a new vacuum (Ours died a loud, painful death a couple days before Christmas) Mikey and I will still have some cash to spend. I know that Mikey's share will go towards video games and 80's music. I am writing up a list of CDs and DVDs for my share of the loot:

CDs:
Indigo Girls
John Prine (Acidman got me missing all my dad's old CDs)
David Wilcox
Pete Seeger

DVDs:
Forrest Gump
Princess Bride
Dogma
Usual Suspects
American Beauty

It's not easy to find the Indigo Girls and David Wilcox that I want. Maybe I will be feeling ambitious and I will search them out. Otherwise they will stay on my wish list.

Mikey got a 6 ft long, 3 ft high K'nex rollercoaster set from his sister. We started putting it together this afternoon. Fun, fun, fun.

What a wonderful Christmas! We had so much fun at Julie's - enjoying the baby, playing games, talking, watching movies (James Bond marathon!), eating fabulous food, exchanging gifts, basking in the glow of togetherness and love. It was wonderful. I got to talk to my family on Christmas and although I wasn't there to celebrate with them I was consoled by the feeling that I was at least in the same time zone. Funny what makes us feel better.

I am feeling incredibly spoiled and guilty about the number and quality of the gifts I got this year. I am overwhelmed. I received so many wonderful gifts. I feel very undeserving. I will do what I can to justify this plethora of presents and enjoy them in the spirit they were given.

Aside from all the wonderful family time, my favorite gift was the little accoustic guitar that Mikey got me, complete with a coupon redeemable for lessons from the place of my choice. I have been wanting to learn how to play for some time now and I am eager to see if it is something I can follow through with. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Now I am going to go eat something and watch Mikey play Tony Hawk 4. : ) Merry Christmas to you all and I hope you are writing up your New Year's resolutions! : )

I went to the babysitting gig and got to enjoy the boys playing with and being thrilled over the little gift I got them. Sometimes they are incredibly materialistic and greedy, but yesterday they didn't even ask if I got them a gift and when they got to open it they said "thank you" repeatedly. Maybe I am having some kind of influence over them after all! : ) My voice is returning and I still feel pretty good. We're rushing around getting packed up to stay with Mike's folks tonight and then we are going to San Antonio for a couple of days. To my family: I am bringing a calling card so that I can call everyone on Christmas day. : ) Gotta go shower.

We wish everyone a super, duper, fabulous, wonderful, cheerful, merry, happy, better-than-you-could-have-imagined, terrific, outstanding, perfect holiday. Peace, Love and Hope to you and yours on this most joyous of days. Now put on the Nutcracker Suite, break out the eggnog and holiday punch, stick an extra bow on the gift you are wrapping and get into the spirit! : )

Yep, today is going to be a quiet day for Soso. I've got nothing above a whisper. The only question is: do I cancel the babysitting job or go anyway?

In the middle of last night, I was pretty sure I would be facing the wild exhuberance of my class voiceless and with a fever. Thanks to Tylenol Sinus (or the cheap generic equivalent) I was able to breath and talk for most of the day. And the chills that had me shivering most of the night were gone by morning. Hooray for that wonderful concoction of drugs they call Tylenol Sinus. (Yes, that is a shameless plug, but DANG that stuff has always worked like a charm for my worst sinus headaches.) : )

We partied the day away. It was pouring rain all last night and into the morning. Enough that there was water starting to come in through the classroom roof! We got our 2 little tests out of the way and from 10:30 on we did nothing but fun things. The kids got an extra long recess, then we did our book exchange, then they had lunch, then we had our class party and then they got to do their Friday Club activities. Fun, fun, fun. I think the best part was during the party when a bunch of the parents were there. Those kids just LOVED showing off the classroom and their friends and their teacher to their families. I got to talk to several parents I hadn't met yet AND with the plethora of adults in the room...everyone was on their best behavior. On behalf of all teachers I hereby officially thank any and all parents who take the time to come in and participate in classroom activities. Everyone benefits from it - parents, teachers and, most of all, kids. Thank you for caring and being there for your child. THAT is what it's all about. THAT is the thing that makes the difference. THAT is what is going to help your child succeed in this crazy, mixed-up world. Thank you.

Right around the end of the party my voice finally gave out and I spent Club time whispering. After cleaning up the room and participating in traffic loop duty, I headed home - tired but energized. As if that wasn't a nice enough way to end the day, I was given a special treat. Turning the corner from the school I was met face to face with a very energetic rainbow. Not a shy, quiet rainbow that you had to look for. A bold, cheerful, joyous rainbow that started in a dark rain cloud in the sky and lept its way to earth. It was beautiful. The perfect way to start my vacation.

Now that Firefly is over, I am going to tuck myself into bed and hope that this throat thing goes away quickly. I really don't want to be having sinus and ear problems when I fly to San Antonio on Sunday. We'll see.

Peace to you all. Goodnight.

Ouch. My throat still hurts. The kids were so good today. I told them at the beginning of the day that they would have to listen very carefully because I couldn't talk very loudly and they tried really hard to do just that all day. I was very proud of them. I am looking forward to our day of fun tomorrow. I always like the days when I don't have to push them through a PILE of work. It's nice to be able to just have fun with them every once in a while! And this group does a really good job with fun days. They enjoy themselves and most of them manage to not go crazy and wild while they are doing it so I can have fun too! : ) I really just adore each and every one of these kiddos SO MUCH! Even the ones that bug me sometimes...I would do anything for them. It doesn't keep my throat from hurting...but it sure makes the rest of me feel good! : ) Night, all!

I found this over at Zander's place. I stole the beginning...if you want more (there really are 100!) then go see him.

This Evil Overlord List is Copyright 1996-1997 by Peter Anspach. If you enjoy it, feel free to pass it along or post it anywhere, provided that (1) it is not altered in any way, and (2) this copyright notice is attached.

Being an Evil Overlord seems to be a good career choice. It pays well, there are all sorts of perks and you can set your own hours. However every Evil Overlord I've read about in books or seen in movies invariably gets overthrown and destroyed in the end. I've noticed that no matter whether they are barbarian lords, deranged wizards, mad scientists or alien invaders, they always seem to make the same basic mistakes every single time. With that in mind, allow me to present...


The Top 100 Things I'd Do
If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord

1. My Legions of Terror will have helmets with clear plexiglass visors, not face-concealing ones.

2. My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.

3. My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.

4. Shooting is not too good for my enemies.

5. The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. The same applies to the object which is my one weakness.

6. I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them.

7. When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. No, on second thought I'll shoot him then say "No."

8. After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.

9. I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labelled as such.

10. I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well.

Just in time for the holidays - a story to warm your heart and freeze your tongue!

Head on over to Joanie's new digs to hear about the ICEE corporation and how wonderful they are. It is a very sweet story. Nice to know that not all companies are peopled by scumbags and criminals! ICEE has my highest recommendation! : )

Wanna know how big a geek I am? Mikey and I went to see The Two Towers today. Opening day! I am such a geek! : ) It was very good, although there were quite a few things that made me wonder...just some inconsistencies or very unrealistic moments. Not enough to detract from the story however.

There were some very good antiwar scenes - a close-up of a scared little boy (about 11) all decked out for war knowing that he was going to die - but much of that message was counteracted by the fact that no one important ever dies. I realize that this is an epic adventure and it just isn't right for main characters to die...but unfortunately that leads to a very twisted view of war in our young people. They grow up thinking that war is bad, but only in the sense that strangers die. People we LOVE don't die. Main characters can't die. I wish.

I really enjoy the strength of the bonds between the characters. There is very obviously love between them all...Pippen and Merry...Legolas and Aragorn...Aragorn and Gimly...Frodo and Sam. They take care of each other and stand by one another. But it's more than that. They tell each other how they feel. They cry for each other. They openly and honestly love. To me, that is the most important part of the whole story.

I also liked the Ents. The biggest mistake the bad guys made was pissing off the trees. You can't mess with the land without paying a price! : )

So that is my review. It was good. Go see it. Enjoy.

Grr. I am missing a perfectly good conference about guided reading and literature circles because I am still sick. I hate this kind of sick. It is just enough that I wouldn't be able to be at work (takes too much energy) and no one wanted me to go to the conference (who wants to be stuck in a car for hours with someone who is sneezing and wheezing?) but not so sick that I am laid up in bed all day. So instead of getting paid today or learning something useful, I am here feeling guilty. Bleh.

I am going to work tomorrow, no matter what. I only have 2 days left until winter break and I am not using up my sick days on them. (I am only using a sub today because I already had one lined up due to the conference.) It should be interesting on Friday tho, because I have this tendency toward losing my voice and our holiday party is Friday. Hooray! Good thing there will be lots of adults there to supervise!

Buffy is so cool! The last line of tonight's episode...

"There is only one thing on Earth more powerful than evil. And that's us. Any questions?"

Whoo hoo! : )

Whoo hoo! Now you can all see how i am feeling...tons of fun! Thanks to Mikey and Zander for getting me through it! :)

Been messing around with the blog a bit today. (In between errands and resting - I think I spoke too soon about whipping that cold into shape.) Nothing too drastic being done. I just break it when I try to do drastic!

I have added a new friend to my list. Zander is a teen who has had more than his share of experiences (com'on, leave some for the rest of us!!) and plenty to say about it. It's been a pleasure to get to know him better.

Gardenwife, Laine and Joni all have blogs that I have begun frequenting. Such an interesting mix of people I read! : )

I have put up a couple of pictures of our Christmas tree for those who are interested. Also one of Mikey's nephew. Enjoy!

(Manny the Mammoth) "That's what you do in a herd. You look out for each other."
(Sid the Sloth) "Well, I don't know about you guys, but this is the strangest herd I've ever seen!"
~ Ice Age

Yet another reminder of how lucky I am. I have a great herd. Strange, but great! : )

"She didn't whip on my head or put out cigarettes in my armpits or anything like that, but so what? I mean, big whoop. I've never had any kids, so I guess I can't say for sure, but I somehow don't think being a great parent is about the stuff you didn't do to your rug monkeys." ~ Stephen King in Everything's Eventual

Exactly.

About 4 pm on Saturday I started feeling crappy. Sore throat, headache - typical junk. I have learned that if I totally give into a cold immediately...just give up as soon as I feel it coming...then I can stop it before it gets miserable. It's when I try to push it and maintain my usual speed despite the symptoms that I get really knocked on my ass by an illness. So I took it easy Saturday evening and Sunday morning. I was feeling better by yesterday afternoon and spent much of the rest of the day on the phone with various family members. During the middle of the night I woke up feeling like the inside of my nose was on fire (it's really dry in here!) and this morning my sinuses were going crazy. Fortunately, I have a darling of a husband who ordered me back to sleep, brought me breakfast, fluids and Tylenol Sinus. He made a special trip to the drugstore just for me! Even surprised me by renting Ice Age on DVD so I would have something to do as I rested myself back to health. Now after a dose of the meds, a watching of the movie and a couple of naps I am feeling pretty good. I have that "I am just getting out of bed for the first time in two days" feeling but I don't feel sick. Ah, the healing powers of sleep. And the adoring hubby. A very nice combination, if you ask me.

I have experienced a couple of personal revelations in the past few weeks...

1. I don't get personally attached to cars.
I used to. Our family cars all had names and I picked out my first car not because of price or looks or style, but because it called to me. I named her Mary Jane and I adored her. She was decorated all up and greatly loved. She was more like a beloved pet than a machine. Then came the fateful day that my mom had to use MJ to get to work in the middle of a snow storm. She ended up in the ditch. Mom was fine and MJ wasn't damaged. Dad and I figured it would be no big deal to get her out of the snowbank she was buried in. Wrong. The bully of a pickup that the other end of the tow chain was attached to yanked so hard that MJ's axle was broken. Dad realized he was going to have to call a tow truck to bring her into town. Upon hearing this, I patted my dear little car and said goodbye. I don't know how, but I knew that I wouldn't be seeing her again. A few weeks later all that was left was a $500 check presented by the insurance company of the repair shop she went to. While welding the axle, the man had gone to answer the phone and returned to find the whole building on fire. It burned to the ground. A tragic story, I know. After several troublesome vehicles (including one that reminded me of "Christine") I have finally settled on a trustworthy, hard working, little Ford Escort. It has faithfully transported me for 4 years but I am unable to name it or develop more than a working relationship with it. Poor thing. Just it's luck to end up with an owner who has "issues".

2. My principal reminds me of my dad.
I have felt an instant connection with the principal of my school. I automatically considered him someone who I could trust and go to for help. At a meeting the other day I realized that he looks like my dad. He has the same facial features, expressions, and coloring. He even approaches things in a similar manner (although personally I think my dad surpasses him in many ways). It was an interesting revelation to see that I was so easily influenced into trusting someone just because he looks like someone I have the ultimate trust in. Interesting.

There is my personal introspectiveness (is that a word?) for the month. What do I do with this new found knowledge? Who the heck knows! : )

Dogma is on. That is one of my very favorite movies. I hvae to get it on DVD. I NEED to see it with the commentary. Really...I need it. : )

Mikey and I are really bad at waiting and at keeping secrets. Therefore we have developed a game. Our own little version of the 12 days of Christmas. Literally. It required fitting the gifts into categories such as "for work", "for play", "to smell", "geeky", "for indoors"...there are 20 categories, but many can be covered by more than one gift. Sounding like fun? It was. But that is just the beginning. We numbered the gifts and put those numbers in a hat. We get to draw a number each day. The 12 days of Christmas. Fun. Having a game designer for a husband has it's perks! : ) Anyway, so far I have gotten...

slippers (something I really wanted)
a Sugarcult cd (to hear)
peppermint pattie type mints (to taste)
and a book about composting (to smell)

Christmas is fun!!

Today I looked like Alice in Wonderland and there was nothing I wanted to do more than find a magic looking glass and crawl through it. I was feeling like a raging bitch all day. I almost felt sorry for the kids...almost. If they really wanted my sympathy they should have been listening and following directions. Ugh. Sometimes it's like their heads are filled with fluff. Or, as is the case these days, visions of sugarplums. The only things they can get done with any semblence of proficiency are the holiday activities. *resigned sigh* I guess I will have to be patient and wait for my adorable class to return after the winter break.

From In Passing

"But if I were rich, I wouldn't have to deal with reality."
--The most somber and scary and utterly serious seven year old I've ever overheard in my life, outside The Cheese Board.

My classroom is looking more like the holiday season now. We have a bulletin board called "My holiday wish..." that displays short essays written by the children. They were all so good at thinking of important things to wish for, including stopping child abuse, feeding the hungry, peace and hoping that all people have a good holiday whatever they choose to celebrate. I have a group of students who are very empathetic, perhaps because they have been through so much themselves. It is touching to see how very caring and giving they really are. We also have a butcher paper tree which we will be decorating over the next couple of weeks and we have made and hung stockings above the whiteboard (closest equivalent to a chimney in the room). It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Sat in on the Site counsil meeting at school this afternoon. That is the group of teachers and parents that the principal has to talk to about budget and how and where the money is being spent. I was totally lost. It was quite and eye opener though. Here we are, half way through the fiscal year and the state is cutting $1 BILLION from the education funds due to the overwhelming deficit we are in. For districts that have already spent all the money they were allocated, this means they are going to be put in the red for the next year. Fortunately, I am in a fairly conservative (in OH SO MANY WAYS!) district that forsaw this crisis. There has been a freeze on district spending for some time and when the state comes to take back our money we will have it for them to take back. Not good for this year - classroom funds are gone, repairs on laminators and copy machines aren't happening - but at least we won't be starting with negative dollars next year. Ugh. If my head didn't hurt so much tonight I would really get into how frustrating this is...but for now I just can't get up the steam. Suffice it to say that this is bad. Very, very BAD.

Mikey's birthday went well. First, we spent the day hanging around the house. We watched several episodes (with commentary) from the Buffy DVD he got from his sisters. I also cleaned house and mowed the yard (my in-laws were coming, what do you expect?) but Mikey was not required to do any of that. Later, I surprised him with a trip to the mini golf course (lots of fun) and dinner at the new Chinese place in town. Yummy food. We all (Mikey, his parents and myself) decided that it was some of the best Chinese we had ever had and the waiter was lots of fun too. He gave us a free dessert! It was a very enjoyable day. I hope he thought so too!

Happy Birthday, Mikey!!

Today the love of my life turns 28. A grown-up, mature age. He is a grown-up, mature person. Someone who you can trust to be responsible, caring, logical and stable. He is careful about money, he remembers to do his chores, and he can do the dishes without breaking things. He is everything you could ask for in a grown-up.

But he is also the kind of someone you can buy video games for. Someone who wakes up at 6:30 am on his birthday because he is so excited. Someone who still has that spark of joy and curiosity that I love so much in the children I work with. He has a fabulous imagination and uses it every day. He likes to be snuggled and hates to do his chores. He has retained many of his endearing childlike qualities.

My Mikey is a wonderful balance of adult and child that keeps our life fun, safe, adventurous, silly, protected and happy. He is the very bestest and I can't imagine life without him. I love you, Mikey. Enjoy your birthday. PBWY.

Isha

I recently learned that Isha means woman in Hebrew. That makes me like the title of my blog even more. As I explained recently in a letter to a loved one...

"When I was a kid, my dad wrote me stories about a little creature called Isha who lived in the rainbow. Each birthday I would get a story about some adventure Isha and I had when I was small. Usually they would tie into some picture of me as a child. (The one where Isha has to free me from an evil trap came with a picture of me about 4 years old with my head stuck in a turtleneck shirt.) I still get an Isha story a year for my birthday. She's kinda like an imaginary friend. I don't know if he knew what Isha meant when he named her, but thinking of her as a kind of future me, a grown-up me to help the present one, is a comforting thought! : )"

Yep, it's nice to think that I have a little guardian angel who knows me even better than I know myself!

Tis the season

Hooray! The tree is up, the wreath is hung, the windows and doorways are draped and there are lights on my front porch. It is officially the Christmas season in my house. Huzzah "helped" me decorate by rolling in the garland, pouncing on small ornaments, trying to eat the bows, attacking the tree and generally making a nuisance of himself. Adorable. Zazzy just watched. Mikey provided encouragement and speculation as to what might be in the multitude of packages with his name on them. I think he is excited. :)

Despite my joy at decking out my house in holiday spirit, I am also feeling some of that famed holiday melancholy. Growing up my house was steeped in tradition, and it always made me feel good to know that even when I wasn't home, I could guess what was being done. The 15 foot tree was being hunted with spiced cider and singing. The Nutcracker was being read to the little ones at bedtime. Mom was making eggnog. Everyone was together and somehow the differences and disputes were put aside for a time. This year, I don't know what they are doing at home. There are new people, old traditions are being abandoned and new ones developed, presents are being mailed to numerous addresses instead of just one. Everything is changing and although I can handle that any other time of the year, I don't like it at Christmas. I want every one of my Christmases to be just like the ones I used to have - back when I thought everyone and everything would always be the same. Back when I was young enough to think that all those sad and mad feelings actually went away instead of just being masked for a month.

Yep. That Christmas melancholy. But it doesn't last long. Pretty soon I hear a favorite song, or pass a smiling face and remember that change isn't always a bad thing. Change means growth. New people sometimes mean new friends, new loved ones. Old traditions aren't really lost, they are adapted. This is the season that brings out the best in people. Hearts are filled with love, voices are filled with cheer and for one month the evening news acknowledges the miracles that are happening every day. I lap it up until I can't hold anymore joy. I wallow in it until I am wrinkled and pruny. I love Christmas. I wish you a happy holiday season, whatever holiday you choose to celebrate, and I wish you enough.

Peace be with you.

Sorry I haven't been around...been working and babysitting and just plain being too busy to turn on the machine at all. Today I will put up our tree, clean the house, and transfer all my necessary files over to a new computer. Yep, using a new (well, new for me) machine for the third time this year. What a pain. See ya later.

From a forward I received this morning (or possible several days ago...it's been awhile since I turned on my computer!)...

I Wish You Enough

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye.""

I feel wordless lately. Several times I have come here, wanting to post, wishing for inspiration...but there is none. I guess I am too overwhelmed by the length of my to do list. Egads.

I have always wondered if all the training and dieting and bodily abuse necessary to become a gymnast was healthy. After all, those are still young, developing bodies. Now I have my proof! This picture shows one of the horrible things that can happen when you push too hard for that perfect gymnasts body.

Brr. It's cold in here. And messy. I suppose I should do something about both of those things. Hmph.

Thanks to Joanie for aiming me towards the official Adam Sandler website. I got to hear 2 versions of the Chanuka song, plus see some funny shorts based on other songs. Laughter abounds. Not for the faint of heart, however. Consider yourself forewarned.

Just for some laughs...

First, go see Kikkoman, the king of sauces. Yes, he's a superhero! We are saved!!

Then, you should check out the Banana and Shrimp Show. They are the evil enemies of Kikkoman. They sing. They dance. They are delicious!

Okay, so I wanted to have this up yesterday, but I was too busy enjoying these things to take time out for writing about them. Happy Turkey day, all. I hope yours was as filled with turkey, love, laughter and pie as mine was, but without the demon winds! Enjoy your weekend.

1. Mikey - there isn't a person or thing on earth who can make me smile more or laugh harder, he is my rock, my pillow, my sanity.
2. Mr. Otti - my principal and the man who hired me even though I showed up late the the interview and stumbled over my answers.
3. my house - after a year in my house I am still amazed at how good it feels to have a place that belongs to me.
4. Zah and Zazzy - nothing quite as soothing as a purring kitty on your lap.
5. my siblings - three people who broaden my horizons and share my most enjoyable childhood memories.
6. my parental units - so many different characteristics, so many wonderful qualities to pass on
7. my in-laws - a whole new family that has accepted me, loved me and supported me like one of their own since I moved out here.
8. the hundreds of people in my various extended families - I am blessed beyond belief to have so many people in so many places from so many walks of life that would be there for me and protect me if it were needed. If all families were more like my family the world would be a much more loving (and CRAZY!) place.
9. books - my passport to places, real and imagined, that I may never see in real life
10. music - so many of my memories, good and bad, are tied to music of some sort, all I have to do to remember is find the right cd.
11. our turkey - I thank the turkey that gave up it's life to fill my tummy, he was delicious and well appreciated by all.
12. my computer - to be able to share thoughts, e-mails, pictures, with my family and friends who are so far away is truly a blessing. through the computer I have learned, loved, laughed and found fabulous new pals.
13. Mother Earth - despite all we have done to her, she continues to feed, support and love us.
14. America - even though I deeply fear the direction we are headed, I still realize that there are no better alternatives out there. I am greatful that I live in a place where I CAN express my doubts and fears. I am not giving up on her yet.
15. Christmas shopping - it's done. I am OH SO greatful for that.
16. the wind - finally stopped sometime during the night. All these Californians were so enthralled with it, this Minnesotan was envisioning Dorthy's house flying through the air. That tornado I was in as a babe made enough of an impression that I DO NOT LIKE high winds.

I could go on and on...I have often thought that I am one of the luckiest, winningest, most blessed people in the world. I have so much love and joy and peace - my cup runneth over.

Thank you, all of you, for being alive, for being you, for being a part of my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you all.

Today I cooked. I literally spent most of the day in the kitchen. First, I cooked up some wild rice. I made breadsticks out of that. I didn't cheat and use the bread machine either! It was fun to watch the yeast bloom. These breadsticks are yummy and they look BEAUTIFUL. After you roll them out you snip the ends so they look like stalks of wild rice. If you serve them all bunched together standing in a bowl, it is spectacular! The recipe I linked to is similar to the one I used, but it doesn't require rye flour and it doesn't make them into cute shapes. I will post the actual recipe later. When that was done I made the Sweet Corn Tomalito - a mexican dish. We had it at Chevy's the other day and it was SO GOOD. Chevy's, by the way, also has very good salsa. I was told by a chef there to look for it at www.topsecretrecipes.com. The only problem with the Tomalito recipe is that it claims it will be done in an hour. My first batch steamed for nearly 2 hours and the second batch is taking just as long. Dinner is going to be GOOD tomorrow!

Our little nephew Trey is SO adorable. We had fun going to the park and feeding the ducks with him today. Everyone enjoyed it. Especially the ducks!

And guess who didn't get called up during her week of jury duty? : ) Hooray! My time is up and I am free for another year. I am very glad that I didn't get called for tomorrow becuase I have Wild Rice Breadsticks and Sweet Corn Tomalito to make. Yum. Only one day left until I stuff myself sick on turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce and bread and corn and gravy and PIE!!! I LOVE TURKEY DAY.

'Night all.

My horoscope for today
Sudden possibilities open up in your career field. Spend part of the day planning for a better life and honing your creative talents. A chance to display them and move your life forward is coming.

"Sudden possibilities"...well, maybe that is just a little late...'cause I sure was getting sudden possibilities there for awhile! But today, I am not thinking about my career at all! I spent part of the day washing my clothes. Clean clothes makes for "a better life", right? My "creative talents" will be displayed as I color the name tags for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not sure how it will move my life forward...but we'll see! : )

Mikey's horoscope for today
Money is needed to resolve an urgent problem. Days like this may be frustrating, but today is actually a good moment for Sagittarius to wrap up long-term projects. Focus on making some relationships immune from your financial situation.

Mikey's "urgent problem" is that his birthday is coming and he has to make sure everyone knows what he wants! He has spent the day refining his wish list. He doesn't care about our "financial situation" right now as long as the money that is being spent is on video games and toys. He's so cute!

Today the Homeland Security Act was signed into being. It was passed by overwhelming margins in both the house and the senate. I have read many praises of the new department

"the department will reduce America's vulnerabilities and help the country respond better to any future terrorist attacks." ~ CNN

as well as some serious concerns.

"The bill passed over Democratic objections that it was loaded with provisions having nothing to do with homeland security, such as liability protection for vaccine manufacturers and exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act." ~ CNN
"Among the implications...new authority for agencies to collect and mine data on individuals and groups... Limits on the information citizens can request under the Freedom of Information Act, and criminal penalties for government employees who leak information...more latitude for government advisory committees to meet in secret..." ~ CSM

Tom Ridge is in charge of coordinating the 170,000 people and $37 billion worth of funding. What do I know about this guy? He was in the running for Vice Presidency a couple of times, he was re-elected as Governor of Pennsylvania 6 times, and he has signed 200+ execution warrents. Beyond that, I don't know much.

Sources:
Christian Science Monitor
CNN News

I am highly offended by the crap they make and sell as children's toys these days. Who needs a 3 foot tall Barbie princess? There are so many garbage toys that in no way exercise a child's mind or imagination. So many toys that a kid will beg for nonstop from now until Christmas just because his friends all have one, only to ignore it after playing with it for 5 minutes.

I know, I know...that is how kids are...but IT ISN'T! That is what we have turned kids into by giving them everything that they ask for. By stuffing their rooms with so much junk that you can barely get the kid in there to sleep. We entertain them every minute of every day with tv and movies and video games and toys that do nothing but occupy their time and they have no need or desire to entertain themselves. We can change it, if we are willing to listent to a lot of whining for awhile.

When they are bored give them the choice...A) find yourself something to do...or B) complete a household chore. If you have a list of chores that they can do whenever they say "I'm bored" I guarantee that they will stop saying it. Either that or your house will be cleaner. Teach them to use their brains to think instead of just imitate what they have seen on tv and they won't BE bored. Stop accepting this inability to entertain one's self as normal. It isn't.

Parents need to fight their way out from under the corperate toy maker's thumb, ignore all those saccharine sweet commercials and start giving their children the tools to make their own toys instead of shelling out thousands of dollars a year on "5 minute toys". Keep the kid supplied with markers and glue and scissors and paper and tape. Make sure they have a big box of PLAIN Legos. Not the fancy ones that have special wing pieces and prebuild drawbridges...the ones that are nothing but rectangles of different sizes and shapes. Or Lincoln Logs. Don't by a cute little fake plastic vacuum...let them play with the real thing. Don't buy your toddler a pretend laptop...let them help you wander around the internet! Instead of a fake cell phone, teach them how to use the real phone appropriately and let them call Grandma or a cousin or a friend. Not only are they learning a useful life skill, but they are getting some genuine one-on-one time with a real person. Can't beat that.

I wish the heads of every major toy company had to sit in a room full of kids who's brains had been melted by these idiotic toys every day for a week...no, a month...make THEM figure out how to entertain a child who's attention span has been cut to a fraction of a minute. Not that it would make a difference...

Okay...I'm down off my soapbox. Sorry. I now return you to the regularly scheduled programming...

Hm.. I am bored. What I really want to be doing is hanging out with a couple of friend and watching really bad old scifi movies...drinking hot cocoa and eating popcorn. Maybe playing a board game in a half-assed manner. What I don't want to be doing is cleaning my house and washing the laundry. Bleh.

Today is my half-birthday. That means it is also Thom and Kathy's anniversary!!!

Happy Anniversary, You Two!!

They make a good couple. I love them both dearly. I hope they are having a great day!!

(hmmm...i was trying to change the color to something cool, but i couldn't. anyone have any suggestions?)

I am thinking of changing the spelling of my name to Soleil. Of course then it would be pronounced slightly different. Hmm. And it would REALLY confuse people. But that is kinda fun. : )

What a fun weekend. Aunt Kakey told lots of stories about the sibs when they were younger. Everyone likes to hear Mikey stories best. Everyone except Mikey! We also went out to a yummy Japanese place. I am liking California rolls more and more each time I try them. Soon I will graduate to sashimi! *small uncontrollable shudder*

Mikey's nephew, Trey is the cutest, most adorable thing. I never thought that I would see a kiddo who was a cute as my own neice and nephews...but Trey is right up there! And he is SO smart. He is saying all kinds of words and putting words together to make short sentences (more nanna). He even knows the sign language for some words!! Last time we saw him he was barely walking and this time he was having fun running up and down a small hill. He was so proud of himself when he managed to go down without falling on his nose! Speaking of which, he can point out his eyes, nose, ears, mouth and toes. He is very clever. Uncle Joe thinks that he is going to be a brain surgeon. : ) The only thing he won't do...say my name. He says mama, dada, News (Sue), Mike, Kakey, Joe, Grandpa...everyone else's name. But when he is asked to say my name he just says "no". Oh well. Someday!

Mikey's aunt and uncle just got back from a trip to France and while they were there they took all kinds of pictures which they shared with us. I love seeing pictures of other countries! One of the pictures was of an ice cream shop called "Soleileil" that sold olive oil ice cream. They said is was very good, but it sounds odd to me. I will have to go try it myself sometime. Anyway, go see the picture - it was a cute shop. They also went to a perfume factory that sold "Soleil" perfume. Guess who got a bottle? : ) Also bath wash and a bar of soap. It smells loverly.

So, we had a wonderful trip up north and are planning to head south this afternoon to have dinner with the parents and sisters-in-law. Lots of driving, but I think it's worth it to see family. Esp. when I can get Mikey to do most of the driving! 'Night!

This morning we are off to Mikey's aunt and uncle's house. We will get to see not only them, but also Mikey's two sisters and his little nephew. Hooray!

The only dark cloud is that I am stressing about my jury summons. I called when I was first notified and had it postponed to Monday so that I wouldn't have to miss a work day. Now I call (as instructed on the summons) and am told to call again on Monday evening. Damn it. I mean, I am glad I don't have to go on Monday, but I don't want to be going the day before Thanksgiving and I REALLY don't want to be going after school starts again. I get paid jury leave now, but those poor kids have been traumatized enough already! I just want to get it over with. Bleh.

Anyway, have a good weekend. I will see you later, tator!

For Joie

Guess what I watched tonight?

"I eat pieces of s**t like you for breakfast."

"You eat pieces of s**t for breakfast??"

Free Game for YOU

Yes, that's right. Mikey has made yet another 48 game - Hitsuji: Shears of Fury - and it's available at the low, low cost of $0.00 at his website. This one is a ninja game starring a cute little sheep with a red bandana. In Mikey's own words...

Ninja sheep battling evil construction workers. Need I say more? Another 48-hour contest entry. This is a very fast paced, intense game, which requires great finger twiddling skills to do well at. Try it out, and post your comments on the Gamelets Forum, because we always like feedback. If you get a great score or combo, let us know! You can find complete source code at www.ludumdare.com, along with the original 48-hour version of the game (this version has been fixed up a little, and the other 2 characters and 7 levels added).

So go see. Tell all your friends. Shout it from the rooftops. We could use the extra business! : )

And that is the news this Friday afternoon. hehe...

I really wish that Joie were here. I want to talk to her. I NEVER get to talk to her anymore. JOOOOOOIIIIIEEEEEEEE.......I miss you. : )

Laptops

are dangerous. I feel sorry for this poor guy. I think he should sue.

Attack of the Black Hole

I didn't even know that black holes could move. Interesting.

I don't think that I will be mentioning this to my 3rd graders during our space unit. They are already concerned that a meteor is going to crash into the planet.

Aww...

how sad for all the naked bikers. (Go ahead, click it. I promise there are no actual nude bikers.) Although, honestly, I would think that biking in the nude would be painful! I'm not gonna try it.

Taken from LJFF...

1. Did you enjoy school as a child/teen? If enrolled in some educational program, do you enjoy it now? Why or why not?

I think I liked school. As I have said before, I have only a limited number of hazy memories of my early years so it's hard to say for sure. I know that I have always enjoyed teaching and I think it is hard to do that without enjoying the learning process too. I do remember that I was a lazy student in my childhood/teen years. I got by with as little work as possible. College, however, was a different story. I put a lot of effort into my college learning, probably because I wanted to be the best damn teacher I could be. Currently, I am on the educator (as opposed to educatee?) side and loving it. It is my calling.

2. What were/are your favorite subjects in school? Why?

Science was fun. I like hands on things. And I always liked the reading parts the best. Mostly because it was fun and easy for me. Writing was harder, but I still enjoyed it.

3. What were/are your least favorite subjects in school? Why?

I hated math with a fiery passion. I don't like feeling stupid and that is how I always felt after about 10 minutes of math. I was totally uninterested in social studies or history until my junior year of high school when "Super G" made his world history class fun and meaningful.

4. What subject surprised you? In other words, which subject did you dread taking, then found you later enjoyed or had an aptitude for? Did that influence your life? If so, how?

Remember how I hated math? In college I was required to take a Logics class. I was sure it was going to be impossible and frustrating. Turns out I have a fairly logical mind. I loved the class and did very well in it. After finishing that math class with an "A" I had to re-evaluate my ability to deal with all math. It really boosted my self-esteem in that area. Even tho I am still slow, at least I know I can do it. Well, most of it. : )

5. Have you ever cheated in school? If so, why did you do it? If not, were you ever presented with an opportunity to cheat? Why didn't you cheat? Would you ever consider cheating now?

I don't remember ever copying someone else's work or using crib notes on a test or anything. I didn't cheat because I really wanted to know the information. I wanted to learn and (at least by my college years) realized that I would be learning if someone else did the work. I did cut corners sometimes. One assignment for my Nutitional Living class in college required us to keep track what we ate and what physical activity we did for a week and then do all kinds of nutritional analysis based on that information. I didn't even think about the assignment until 2 days before it was due. I did the analysis from completely fraudulent, made up on the spot numbers. Fortunately, I am a good BSer because not only didn't I get caught, but the teacher commended me on my excellent work, saying it was the best in the class. I felt a little guilty.

Did you know

that Micheal Jackson has two sons and one daughter? Did you also know that BOTH his sons are named Prince Michael? Well, that isn't exactly true. There is Prince Michael and then there is Prince Michael II. I didn't even know you could be named after your own brother. Those poor kids. That is all I will say on the subject.

Woke up early this morning with bad dreams running in my head. Tried to sleep them off, but it didn't work. Instead I woke up and read about 100 pages of King's "Wastelands". Didn't drag my lazy self out of bed until about 10:30. Ahhh. Reading the morning away, wrapped up tight in my blankets with a kitty snuggled nearby and the day passing without any help from me. That is one of the true pleasures of my life. I even managed to get a couple of granola bars hand delivered to my cocoon of happiness to avoid starvation. I am a clever girl. Sometimes.

I am sleepy. Off to bed. Tomorrow I will post. I miss posting. I was thinking on my way home from work today about how nice it is to have a place to express all the rampant, random emotions that wing through my head every day. The good, the bad, the really horribly ugly...it's good to get it all out so that it isn't just rattling around inside my skull. Thanks for reading. You are great therapists! : )

Did you like the Pee-Mail? I told you that you should go see it! : )

hee hee...

You really have to go see this...

No, really...I'm serious. Check it out. Go on...

As I mentioned before, this week is conferences. I have only been in the classroom for about 3 of the 9 weeks, so I am not really qualified to do conferences. However, my partner managed to get a whopping case of strep throat! Most of the conferences were cancelled, but there were some parents who just had to know how their child was doing (I completely understand that.) I talked to 3 such parents today. I really enjoy doing parent/teacher communications. I think the kids need to know that their teacher and their guardian have a good working relationship and constant communication. If they know that, then they also know they can't get away with being lazy or dishonest! I think I went a long way towards developing good working relationships with these parents. If nothing else, they know that they can come in and see me with any questions they might have.

Today, in their journals, the kids had to tell me what they thought they did well this trimester and what they thought they needed to work on. I was very impressed with how introspective the answers actually were. They KNOW exactly what they are doing right and wrong. Of course, that doesn't always mean that they are going to change their behavior. But at least, I know that they know!

I love using the journals because the kids are willing to write things that they don't feel comfortable saying and I am able to hear things that we don't normally have time for. It is nice to have a steady form of communication that is non-threatening and private. I think the kids like it too.

What a wonderfully productive day!!!

It all started when Mikey woke me up with crepes in bed. Yummy. Then we spent the morning cleaning up the house. The kitchen is sparkling and the living room carpet is once more suitable for walking on! Mikey did a great job of cleaning up the whole living room while I scrubbed the kitchen counters with the cleaning wonder of all wonders - Soft Scrub!!

After a conversation with my grandmother, we walked to the pizza place down the street and ate pizza and played video games. More yummy! After returning home we did some yardwork and took out the garbage. Then Mikey finished a jigsaw puzzle and I planned the entire next science unit (we are going to learn about space - kids LOVE that!). All done just in time to watch the new Simpson's and Angel.

Oh yeah, and Mikey did all the laundry too. Doesn't seem possible to get so much done in ONE little day, does it? We are awesome. Especially Mikey! : )

My leg and butt hurt so much! Yesterday I pitched several innings of an intense kickball game for the 3rd graders. Pitching for kickball is like a series of lunges and since I only pitch right handed...my left leg got a serious workout! I have been limping all day.

Added new pics to my photo album. Go see!



The lastest wonder from our garden.

Tomorrow is World Peace Day (at least according to the guy who's site I found and I think it's a good idea) so I will try to post thinks relating to peace and peacefulness. Please take a moment to think about what peace means to you and what you can do to share it with someone. The more we pass it on, the better our chances of making a difference. Check out my link to the right for ideas or information. Thanks! Peace be with you.

What a day! Going out in public is so interesting...I should do it more often! First, we bought our ticket to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, then we went to Johnny Corino's - a "country Italian" place - to celebrate my new job. While sipping our Italian sodas and contemplating the menu Mikey noticed that the table next to us was returning their food. They had found a WORM in their meal. The manager came out and was very apologetic and it was all handled very nicely, but combining that with the not-completely-clean knife and glasses on our own table...well...let's just say we were dubious. We stayed anyway, mostly because neither of us wanted the embarrassment of leaving without ordering. (I know, that is pretty weak.) Mikey's pizza looked great and my Scampi was good, if a little short on shrimp and long on noodles (hehe...pun unintended...hiya, Grampa!) I will say that their tiramisu was good. However, I don't recommend anyone go there. I don't like checking my salad for worms before eating it. And the atmosphere was severely lacking. Not at all worth the $45.

Next stop - Harry Potter 2. A decent movie. I was disappointed in how violent and gorey it was. They certainly weren't making any consessions for those who don't approve of spells and wizardry. I have no problem with magic, but there were several moments of unnecessary violence. I wouldn't take anyone younger than about 12. But I am probably a bit prudish about those things. There were tons of kiddos in the theatre and I truly enjoyed the spontaneous bursts of applause as Harry and friends routed the badguys. I think I will go to more kid's movies just for that. Adults just don't get into the story enough! Also got a quote which I think will be made into a poster and placed prominently in my classroom:
"It's not your abilities that make you who you are, it's your choices."
Yup. Exactly.

All in all, a very enjoyable day on the town with my darling. : )

Off to play with my hubby for the day...the new job has been giving us too much time apart! :) Back later.

I have spoken about 9 Chickweed Lane before. Remember - the siamese cat named Solange? This one struck me as particularly wonderful. (Look for Nov. 16, please.) Or maybe I can get this right and make it show up here...



Oh my gosh!! I think it worked...AND I was able to put it on my pic page, too!

I am so excited that I get to be in charge of the writing lesson for awhile...I love to see how creative kiddos can get! We have been learning about the writing process in class. Together we decided on setting, characters, problem and solution. We plotted the events of the story on a story line. I modeled writing the first paragraph for them.

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Suzanne and her friends left ofr home. They sky was cloudy and damp. Suddenly, Mike stopped and pointed. "There's a light on in the old haunted house," she said. "Let's go see who's there." The friends decided to look around. They walked up the cracked sidewalk and onto the rickety, old porch.

From this point on they have free reign over their own stories as long as they remember to follow the story line. Each of them has found their own unique way to do that. Some of my favorites (copied exactly as written):

by Ashley ~
They trnd the dron np (doorknob)and walked in. They trck one step and flale in a chrap (trap). Ten days latr a grly name Abigail and Sandra saw the haunted house and whent in and look and saw the childen. Abigail and Sandra got the detective. The detective's name was Mrs. Hommel shes the dest detectives in the world becouse she owas finds the plob(problem). Abigail and Sandra tod Mrs. Hommel we went in a haunted house and saw some childen in a trap. "You wont" went in a haunted house. (not sure what she's saying at the end here...)

by Timothy ~
...all of sunded a green thing grabed Timothy and poot him in a dungeon...

by Andrew ~
And when they got inside the old house Andrew spotted something shadowy and started to folow the mistireus figure (can you believe that word choice? wow!) Sarah saw him and followed it too the mysterios figure saw the chidren and looke dup and the children screamed "I'm sorry guys did I scare you" "yes you did" " I'm dective Worley I'm trying to find clues about the children hwo got lost and wnet here." "can we help"

Aren't they great? notice how they each play a major roll in their own stories...still in that "i am the center of the universe" phase. and yet beginning to gain the perspective that allows them to think about and care for others. I really enjoy 3rd grade! :)

Oh...and one other thing...anyone have any advise on how to handle a neighbor who plays extremely loud music at bad times? The house on the other side of our back fence has been playing their stereo SO loud lately. They have extremely good taste in music and when they play it in the afternoon I open up the windows and listen...but this morning they were blaring a variety of blues albums from 5 to 7 am. So loudly that I could clearly hear it with all the windows closed. Ugh. I would just go over and let them know...but they are in a gated community...I can't get in. Any ideas? I don't know how many mornings worth of sleep I can miss without going off the deep end!!

I apologize for the dearth of information. I have been running like crazy to get all the paperwork and prep work for my new job in line. And to top it all off, tonight was "Zooland" at school. All the third grade classes have been making animals (paintings, pillows, paper mache, etc) and writing reports on the different regions of the world. Tonight we had it all set up (my class was in charge of the Polar Region) and parents came in from 6:30 to 7:30. It was a big success, but I am exhausted. For many of the parents there this was their first chance to meet me. I am always tense when I am on display like that! It went well though, and I think that I made a very good first impression. Now I am off to bed. Goodnight, all. Next week is conferences! Whoo Hoo! Talk about stess...

Busy day today. Or maybe it just felt that way because I didn't sleep well last night. I was too keyed up about making this job thing official, I suspect. I got that all done bright and early this morning and then came home and took an nap. I am just SO excited about our new insurance package. We now have REAL coverage - including dental AND vision!! You have no idea what a relief that is to me. Now we can stop wasting our money on the insurance we currently have just in case and actually start taking advantage of the preventative medicines that are available!! Hooray for us.

Now I am off to have dinner with some girlfriends. Fun, fun, fun! Hope everyone else is having a good night.

Joie also reminded me about this scary bit of news. Erika Dahlquist, a young college girl from Brainerd, MN is missing. She was last seen leaving a bar on Oct. 29th. Go to this site for more information. Pass it along. You never know who might have some useful info. Her parents and her brothers are desperate to find her.

Why Can't I Get A Burger Before 10:30?

I hadn't ever thought of this until it came up as one of the searches that linked to my blog. But it's TRUE! If you wake up with a hankering for a thick juicy burger with mayo and tomatoes and lettuce (oohhh...now I'm hungry!) where do you go??? McDonalds and the like are so elitist about their meal times...morning=breakfast, later=burgers. No ifs, ands or buts.

OOOHHH!!!! I KNOW!!!!

While talking this over with my pal, Joie I stumbled across the answer. When I was in Russia my host mother would make us spaghetti noodles, hamburger patties and salads for breakfast. Although, on second thought...I don't think we ever woke up before 10:30! So maybe that doesn't count. Ah heck, I am counting it. So there you have it...if you want a burger before 10:30 you have to go to Russia. At least until those jerks at McDonald's lighten up! : )

On Wicked Step-mothers

I have one. Have for nearly 18 years now. She's a blast! We have always gotten along well and I truly enjoy her company. She is quite a night owl like me so when I go visit we stay up late talking and doing odd chores. She has shared her love for chocolate, sewing, origami cranes, tea (Black Cherry flavored??) and jello molds with me. She helped me make a cake shaped like the Easter bunny one year. She is a Lutheran pastor and one of the only people in my life who follows an organized religion. Her faith and spirituality are strong and perfectly meshed with a wonderful sense of humor. Although she has always shared her faith with me and welcomed me whole heartedly into her church I have never felt pressured in any way to conform to any particular belief myself. I have always felt that she played an important role in keeping my father and I from losing touch when I was in my ugly pre-teen years and for that I am eternally greatful. She worked with me to write up a wedding ceremony that I will treasure deeply forever. She has toughed my life in so many wonderful, countless ways. I wouldn't be me without her. Kathy, I can't thank you enough for being my wicked step-mother. : ) (And thanks for the great phone call, too. It was fun!)

Look Out!!

Solee's messing with the html code on her blog.

Update: It worked! WOW!

Whaaaa?

HERE is the trouble with the media these days..."Secret countdown begins for shuttle launch"...not much of a secret anymore, IS IT???? : )

Mmmm...
Blueberry pancakes for breaky! Delish!

The sun is out!!

As much as I know that we need the rain, I still don't like rainy days. If the sun isn't shining it is just too hard to function. I am a Sun Angel. I need large doses of solar energy to overcome my laziness. When I don't get enough I can't do anything but sleep, eat, read and watch tv. I become a large lump on our kooshy couch. I was pleased this morning to wake up with sunlight streaming in my bedroom window, warming my face and providing instant energy. Hooray!

Mikey is still working on his contest. The game play theme was "construction AND destruction" and the cosmetic theme was "sheep". Hitsuji: Shears of Fury is shaping up to be a cute game about a ninja sheep who must stop the construction of a slaughterhouse. He fights evil construction workers (both living and zombified!), bags of cement, piles of bricks and those ever present pelicans. Interested yet? 6 more hours and it will be done. Everyone should play it - silly games are GOOD FOR YOU!

Feeling Better

Not only did I finally figure out how to get stupid paint shop pro to do what I wanted (thanks to some extremely patient tutoring on Mikey's part) so that I can make the Christmas presents that I wanted to make, but I also learned some html and fixed up my picture page. It has a new look AND new pictures. Go see!

Now I am off to watch Trading Spaces...tonight they are playing the episodes that ended in people HATING their new rooms. Hee hee. The cruel, sadistic side of me LOVES those episodes. BAD SOLEE! >: ^ )

*string of curses*

I hate EVERYTHING about electronic photographs. I hate my paintshop program, my printer, metric AND non-metric measurements, my computer and anything else that is in my sight at the moment.

*further string of curses*

Mikey is in yet another 48 hour gaming contest. Check back in several days for the results. But don't be a stranger until then! :)

Ona totally unrelated note:

Hooray! Mikey found my favorite sweater that I thought was lost forever. *clutching it tightly* I MISSED my sweater!

MMmmmmmm

I get to have pizza tonight.

Ode to my Mom

It was my mother's birthday yesterday. It had me thinking about how wonderful she is. My mom is and always has been one of my best friends. She has been my biggest cheerleader, my strongest supporter, my closest confidant for my entire life. My mother taught me how to cook, how to care for a garden, how to take care of animals, how to wrap a present, how to hold a baby. My mom raised me with large doses of love, respect, trust and honesty. She cooked four of us kids gourmet meals, doctored us through colds, and kept us safe and happy - all while working her way through medical school. She cares passionately about the welfare of her fellow humans. She has a sense of humor with a wicked edge, but she never uses it against others. I have laughed, cried, celebrated and mourned with her. She has been there for every big event in my life - my birth, my 3rd grade halloween party, my first boyfriend, my college graduation, my wedding - she was a major part of it all. She is my mommy and I love her. If everyone had a mom as wonderful as my mom, the world would be a much better place. I love you, Mom. Happy Birthday.

One of the joys of my life...

standing in a cold, sideways rain on a Friday afternoon alternately waving parents foward in the after school pick-up line and encouraging students to stand under the eves rather than jumping in the puddles

and all of it happening at the school where I work. Life is good.
(I can say that because I am no longer soaking wet!)

You are reading the blog of the newest addition to the 3rd grade team at Helen Hunt Jackson Elementary!! I am officially hired for the position! I am a teacher. For real. Not a sub. A really real teacher. YEEEEEEEEHHHHHAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been working towards this goal since I was very young. I remember forcing my sister, who didn't even like school in the first place, to play school at home for hours. I have a picture of me reading to a circle of stuffed animals and looking very stern. I am a teacher thru and thru and finally I have a place of my own. I sat in my room for hours after school today - working on plans and organizational stuff. Every few minutes I would look around and think "This is MY classroom. These are MY students. I BELONG here." I am happy. And tired. Goodnight.

Deciding who to vote for was a challenge, given the derth of decent or even acceptable candidates. However, deciding who NOT to vote for was pretty easy. The guy who was running on the "Legalize Ferret Adoption" platform was quickly eliminated. As was the guy who is most concerned about the height of dividing walls in public restrooms. Personally, I also eliminate anyone who refers to God more than once in their discription of their platform. I don't feel these people are looking out for MY best interests. After weeding out the truly disturbing and the truly criminal (read Dems and Reps) I look at whomever is left and try to guess which one is most honest/trustworthy/intelligent/caring/etc. Not an easy task considering that you can't believe anything anyone says. Ugh. But despite it all, I thought, decided and made a stand. That's something.

"Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!"

We voted.

Did YOU??

Okay, I promised pictures and here they are. There's lots missing and I am having a hard time deciding what to add, but these are some of my favorites. Enjoy. Or if you don't, at least don't leave nasty messages for me! : )

Some Good News for Joie

Adam Sandler's 8 Crazy Nights (2002)

Synopsis: Davey Stone, a 33-year old bully, finds himself in trouble with the law after his wild ways go too far. In keeping with the holiday spirit, the judge gives Davey one last chance at redemption--to spend the holiday performing community service as the assistant referee for the youth basketball league or go to jail. Davey thinks he's gotten off easy until he meets Whitey Duvall, the eccentric, elf-like head referee. The mismatch between Whitey's good heart and optimism, and Davey's constant troublemaking behavior soon have them both wondering if going to jail wouldn't have been easier!

Click here to watch the trailer!

Hmm...Don't know anything about this guy Barkley, but I am liking the rebeling against either party. Some day there will come a time when not voting dem or rep will not automatically mean that you are "throwing your vote away". It'll be interesting to see how this all turns out. Thanks to Rob for bringing this to my attention. I have no idea how it is possible to so strongly agree and strongly disagree with you at the same time, but at least you are never boring! : )

I spent 4 1/2 hours shopping today and actually enjoyed it. I was all alone so I was able to move at my own pace and I found so many awesome gifts for Christmas. Of course, Mikey is a little nervous about how much I spent, but I was actually pretty good! Not as bad as I could have been at least!!! : )

December is a killer month for me...Christmas and SO MANY BIRTHDAYS!! I feel like I am shopping for everyone twice! It's especially hard to shop for Mikey because I want to just go nuts and buy him everything he has ever said he wants (and he wants me too also!) but I have to keep reminding myself that we are on a limited budget. Oh well. He will like his presents. ; )

I took Dr. Phil's Test. The results seemed fairly accurate to me...what do you think?

"Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is ever broken."

Hooray!!! Now I have proof!

We just got our wedding pictures!! Mikey's pal Brian was nice enough to be our photographer for nothing but the cost of flying him out here. He spent several days with our crazy families and took nearly a gazillion pics. They look awesome. There are some really adorable ones of me and Mikey as well as fabulous ones of our friends and family. There are a couple of me and my 3 sibs that are totally awesome and reminded me that we are one kick ass bunch! We all look so grown up tho! He was kind enough to put them on on disk for me so when I get a chance I will upload a bunch of them and link them here so you can all see. I have all the negatives so if there are any family members who would like certain ones copied I can do so for you. : ) Hooray for Brian!!

Whoo hooo! I am started on my holiday shopping. I LOVE THIS SEASON. I so enjoy picking out just the right thing for each person on my list...of course, some are harder than others...

Yet another way to get your voice heard...

"I just sent a fax to the leaders of the five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council asking them to resist a war in Iraq. I thought you might want to learn how to do this kind of thing too. I've decided it's about time I started taking my citizenship in this country and this world seriously."

True Majority is an easy way to get information about what is going on and take action regarding it.

Exerpt from an e-mail conversation I had. A fairly clear glimpse into my more recent thoughts and feelings.

> To "be", we all need to recognize who it is that resides within our skin.
> At least for me, that is a given to achieving some sort of productive and
> happy life. Otherwise, we are undirected energy spilling out of a vessel
in
> physical form that is not quite human.

I have been living this directly for the last month or so. The whole school year when I really think about it. Inside me is a teacher. Without a classroom to aim that at, I have become dissatisfied, distracted and aimless. My energy is simply being expended, rather than making a difference. As I have told so many principals lately - I am someone who can make a difference. Not knowing how to go about doing that is frustrating and defeating.

> After thinking on those questions for years I can only guess that we are
a
> continuous cycle of "perception" that is created by thought, which in turn
> creates feelings about that which we think and consequently leads our
minds
> into directing our bodies into action.

This idea/thought/interpretation of life struck me as true when I heard it first explained in my high school history class and I still feel it is very accurate. However, I also think that it is not neccessarily a one way street. Actions can change thoughts and emotions, emotions can cloud thoughts...they are all intertwined. I take this to mean that it is very much my responsibility to keep tabs on my emotions and actions. That I need to work hard to know what I think, understand what I am feeling and choose appropriate actions.

Easier said than done. I have battled my entire life with a fierce temper and impulsive nature. (I thought it was very obvious, but recently discovered it may have been more internalized than I thought.) Although I have grown in my ability to blend my thoughts, emotions and actions into productive, balanced, healthier patterns, I still have to work hard at it. Recently I have been interviewing and waiting for responses. My desires for particular jobs, my fears, hopes and frustrations - all led to a period of lethargy, inertia and depression that I have only recently been able to shake. I had to re-evaluate my goals and intentionally change my actions in order to overcome the emotions that were incapacitating me. No one could do it for me, although Mikey wanted to. And I couldn't change anything that anyone else was doing. I couldn't make the principal hire me or the teacher call me. I had to go within.

I read many authors in "The Sun" who follow this or a similar philosophy on life. What I hear many of them saying and what I disagree with is that desire is a bad thing. Without strong desire I wouldn't have the Loving home or the (soon to be) fulfilling job that I am currently blessed with. Or if I had them, I wouldn't be able to keep them. Desire is the driving force in my life. The trick for me is to make sure that I am desiring the right things. When I start wishing for a bigger house or a newer car or a fancier vacation - that is when my desire starts to get me into trouble. I expend more energy on those less important things than I do on the most important thing I have...Love...for my Mikey, for my students, for my fellow human.

I have no idea if my own thoughts mesh with anyone else's and honestly, I don't really care. It works for me, for the moment and that is what is important. It is my current idea and as they say in the movie Dogma, "Ideas are much easier to change than beliefs." I hope some of what I have rambled here (I call my blog RAMBLING with Isha for a reason!) gives you the information you were seeking.

It is so hard to watch someone go through pain that you can't help them with. All I can do is think strong, empowering thoughts and send them in your direction, Joie. I truly consider you a kindred spirit and I am so sorry that you are going through this. You will make it through and so will your Mikey. All my love and healing vibes for you.

Today was my day of luxury. I read late into the night last night, lounged around in bed this morning, then had a yummy breakfast of blueberry waffles (homemade). The rest of the day was spent vegetating in front of the boob tube...tried to re-watch Gosford Park (didn't work, i nearly fell asleep i was so disinterested), then watched various television gems - trading spaces, stargate, clarissa explains it all - while working on my latest cross stitch endevour. A very lazy and wonderful day. Tomorrow I will do something productive. Maybe. : )

Today was the best day ever. I was sure it was going to be tiring and frustrating, but it wasn't.

My class was so wonderful today. We had tons of tests and big projects to finish up. Much of the day was chaotic. The children had many opportunities to make choices about what they should be doing while I was distracted by someone or something else and they were consistantly making good ones! I am very big on giving my students the responsibility of using their free time wisely. When they finish ahead of the others they are allowed to read a book, do a little math activity, color a picture, write a letter or story, or some other quiet, respectful thing. I use the words "good choice" and "poor choice" repeatedly every day and rather than getting angry and wasting my time doling out punishments I usually tell the offending student "I see you making a poor choice. What would be a better choice for you right now?" This is usually all that is needed to redirect them to something appropriate. Makes for a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

If someone is being particularly troublesome I will give them two viable options. Today a girl was very upset because she didn't get to go to the activity she wanted and intentionally stepped on her own foot and burst into tears, hoping I would allow her to stay in the room with me (an activity she really wanted to do). I simpy stated that she had two choices - going to the activity she was assigned to or going to the nurse to treat her foot. She wanted "tooo goooo hooooommmmee!" I'm sorry, that isn't a choice right now. You may choose...etc. etc. She finally chose the nurse, went and was promptly sent to the computer after the nurse looked at her foot and proclaimed it fine. The student ended up where she was supposed to be, I covered my responsibilities regarding an accident (even if intentional) and the student was allowed to make an appropriate choice. And all with minimal fuss.

We finished stuffing our animal pillows this afternoon. They painted polar region animals and we stapled around the edges to another sheet and stuffed them with paper scraps (good example of recycling in action!). In a couple of weeks we will be putting on a parent night with the other 3rd grade classes and everyone will be able to see how hard we worked. The animals look great and the students have done a fabulous job of researching about them and writing up little reports for the display. It will be great!

I am now very tired and looking forward to the weekend! I will sleep in tomorrow! : ) I LOVE MY JOB. *sigh of contentment*

As usual we only had a handful of kids ring our bell this Halloween. Just as well for a variety of reasons. First Mikey and the kitties get all jittery when the doorbell rings. Second, I like having left over candy. And third, I spent much of the evening having a fabulous conversation via phone line with my daddy. It has been a long process, but we are back to our comfortable selves when conversing and that feels better than I ever would have guessed.

Hmmm...I have been posting long enough that there are a few interesting searches pointing to me...most of them vulgar enough that I don't want to repeat them (what is with the sickos out there?) but the one I am really wondering about is "Wheeeee hampster". Huh?

I have learned that there is a book (or perhaps just the start of one, hard to tell) called "The Empire of Solee". Cool. I always wanted an empire. : )

One one last comment on hits...there are at least 20 people who have been to my site today...WHY IS NO ONE SAYING ANYTHING???? Ugh. Now that Amy and Joie are off doing other things (I think we need a 12 step program to get Joie off the Sims) this place is like a cone of silence. Bleh. I need some grown up interaction (Not THAT kind of interaction you pervs!), people!! I spend all day with 3rd graders! Help me!!!

The Simpson's are so funny and yet so profound. The episode tonight got me thinking...

You wanna know what bugs me? (I'm sure you are all jumping up and down with excitement!)

People who claim that not voting at all is the same as saying "I don't like either candidate" and then complain about how the country is being run. In my humble opinion, not voting is simply saying "I don't care." If you don't like the democrat or republican candidates, then vote for one of the others. If you don't like any of the names on the ballot, then write someone in. Make a choice and commit to it. VOTE. Otherwise you are just another person who doesn't have an opinion. No matter how opinionated you happen to be on non-election days.

"I just want to be
safe in my own skin."

Dido

I am not the only one dealing with the agony of interviews and waiting for phone calls. Joan is out there pounding the pavement for her dream nursing job and from the sound of it, doing a damn good job of it. Good luck, Joan!!!

Speaking of the agonizing wait...

MINE IS OVER!!! I have been unofficially informed that I am being offered the 3rd grade jobshare position. I still have to wait for the official red tape to be cleared and all the final hurdles of agreeing on details and signing contracts to be leapt, but the job is MINE!! Whoo Hoo! I am very excited and ready to jump right in with both feet. I am going to be a REAL TEACHER!!!

Watched "Fraility" today. I am not sure I like it. It was a well done story (for the most part) and of course it had the little interesting twist at the end that I like so much, but I don't think I agree with the philosophy of it. Hmm. I hate to say too much here for fear of ruining it for someone. Watch it and then send me an e-mail - we'll talk.

OMG! That was SO fun! I don't know about you, but I love those adventure games were you have to click on things and figure out clever ways to use them to solve puzzles. When I was much younger I played Leisure Suit Larry (hehe...you could make him jump into bed with a girl!!! At 12 years old I thought that was quite funny. Come to think of it...I think it's funny now! So much for growing out of my sophmoric sense of humor!) and I currently have a copy of Douglas Adam's Starship Titanic. However both of the aforementioned games were much too hard for me and I never got to finish them. This little adventure is just the right amount of difficulty for me (probably means that it's TOO easy for many of you - you guys are SO CLEVER!) Anyway, go check it out...but be prepared to spend some time there...I think all in all I was adventuring for 90 mins or so and there is NO SAVING.) Thanks to Joanie for sharing it!

I was having trouble yesterday...Is blogger working today?

Today's news...
Mikey got his new computer and has spent the day setting it up and transfering files and whatnot. He likes it but it is full of differences and he's having trouble getting everything back to the way he likes it. For my special treat, I got the fancy new black and silver keyboard, because Mikey uses the split keebie (he bought it special). It types so nicely. I like it. I don't like the huge mess of computer parts and packing boxes that has taken over my entire house! Oh well.

Still no news on either job. I was told they would be making a decision on the 3rd grade position today and I am really hoping that Kelly (the other teacher) lets me know ASAP like she said she would. I am not even thinking about the other job any more. I am sure they have filled it and I have just not received the little postcard telling me so.

I spent the day cross-stitching and lounging about. Lazy me. I also watched Gosford Park, which was not at all what I was expecting. I am going to have to watch it again to truly get the idea because I think it is a good movie...just not the thrilling comedy murder mystery I thought it would be. More of a commentary on English society and the difference between the upper class and the serving class. There was also a well done "ugly American" character who I thought was quite amusing.