When I was little I used to sing a song all the time..."I'm a little coconut, sitting in a coconut rut..." It garnered me the nickname Amy Coconut (although rumor has it that nickname actually stemmed from the fact that I was slow to grow hair and my head resembled a coconut being covered only in fuzz...whatever). Anyway, I'm in a rut now, but it's a happy rut. My Mondays are all pretty much the same - I rush to grade journals and look at behavior charts from the previous week. I try to get kids back in the groove of school after they've stayed up late all weekend. My week slowly progresses from there until it's Friday and I'm shocked at where the week has gone. School has been stressful, but enjoyable. My kids are frustrating, but overall they are terrific. I have some absolute stars. We do have parent/teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday, so that will be a nice deviation from the norm. I do have a lot of positive news to pass on...(and just a little bit of "needs to improve" news).

My weekends have started to run together, too, since Will has been here for the last few. We sit around, do a little bit of work around the house, then do some more relaxing. We talk about taking advantage of this time, knowing that in a few short months he'll be deployed again, but then I think we realize how nice it is to just sit around together. Yesterday, we spent almost two hours on the phone with Mom and Dad D. Will and I were laying on the couch, they were probably doing the same in Texas, and it was like we were all just sitting around chatting (we all love the speakerphone). It was a nice way to spend an evening. Just relaxing...enjoying each other's company.

So here I am in my rut, starting a new week that will probably look a lot like the last several weeks. The ground is covered in a heavy frost this morning and as usual for a Monday morning, I'm not in any hurry to get out the door. I hope it's warm where you are. I'm eager to get out in the yard, clean up the weeds, and get some new things in the ground - but I think I'll wait until my fingers won't freeze (and neither will the new plants I find). On the upside, it's not raining right now. My windshield wipers will get a break this morning - that is, if I ever get up and get moving. So, happy Monday all. Enjoy your week in or out of your rut (and if it's in, I hope it's a happy rut like mine).

Spring Break? Ha! We are still three weeks from Spring Break. In the middle of those three weeks is the second round of parent conferences. And then, in true brilliance, our state testing starts immediately when we get back from break. Nothing but a rip-roarin' good time up here.

On a much lighter note, Will and I spent the better part of the weekend lounging. We did venture out to an Irish pub on Saturday night with some friends, and lo and behold, there was a reggae band playing. Yep, reggae. Nope, not Irish reggae...just plain reggae. And I'll add that none of the band members were from the island most famous for reggae, unless I'm way off base and reggae is really from the island of Hawaii. But I'm pretty sure it's not. Well, it was an experience to say the least. An experience devoid of green beer, however, which was a minor disappointment...as opposed to the Polynesian reggae band, which falls in the major category.

Today the state is supposed to go green (-er?) for St. Patty's day, but it's raining so I'm definitely not riding my bike to work. That and I don't know where I'd carry my econo-sized box of Lucky Charms for our math lesson...nothing like percents, ratios and decimal conversions with sugary cereal. I promise to recycle the box.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, y'all.

Livin', learnin', and havin' a little fun...

As we are hurtling towards our state standardized test at a rapid pace, I decided we needed to slow down and change things up a bit. We have no mandated curriculum for reading, and the provided curriculum is stale and boxed. So, on Thursday we stretched our brains and our creativity and had a day of silent communication. Our two most recent stories in our textbook have been about the Stone Age and about Louis Braille. Well, both stories demonstrated the ability to communicate ideas without verbalizing them (a total dream for a sixth grade teacher - especially since my class this year talks more than any other class I've ever had). Well, it was rough going at first, but it ended up being so much fun - for the kids, too! They blow me away sometimes with their insights. Let's just say we ended up feeling blessed that we all have our sight, and that we can just record our thoughts and ideas in writing instead of having to draw them primitively!



Now, nose back to the grindstone! We're in the thick of our algebra unit - scary, but so much more fun than I imagined. There's something so comforting about math...when you do it right, it works. Even when you throw letters into the mix. To be quite honest, I didn't know sixth graders learned algebra until about three months ago. However, so far, so good! We'll see how it goes from here...

Busy, busy.

I'm not entirely sure that my purpose is to be an elementary school teacher. I find myself having conversations with itty-bitty ones in the hallways and then walking away in a state of wonder. Now, it is nice to have little, smiley faces greet you every day, but I am always glad to retreat to the comfort of my sixth graders - they understand my jokes, they are really trying to figure out who they are, and they (at times...) have rational thoughts. The itty-bitty ones are kind of like my comic relief. My sixth-graders are like my prime-time drama.

Despite the shiny faces and hugs from the wee ones, I find myself craving the humor and interaction, challenge and growth that came with teaching in middle school. It's funny how you can actually want to go back to something that made you want to pull your hair out or cry, or maybe both simultaneously, because at the end of the day, life had been rewarding. I just don't know that my ultimate place is in a middle-class, predominately white elementary school. However, I have to constantly remind myself that skeletons lie in closets, and these kids face exactly the same issues that my other kids faced, but oftentimes they go overlooked because they seem "okay." Like our runner (yes, my JLMS friends, we have runners, too) - when they finally got him back to campus, he was lectured on all of the trouble he was in before anyone bothered to ask why he decided to run away from school. Where's the love and logic in that? Safety, first, of course - but he didn't leave to be ornery or funny.

So, I flip-flop on what I want to do and what I feel I am called to do, and if there is a difference - some days I feel there is a HUGE disparity between my purpose and my current employment, but some days the fact that I am in the midst of a mission field for 7 hours hits me smack in the face.

I might not have to worry though, because our district has to cut millions upon millions of dollars from the budget due to a failed initiative on our February ballot. What this means for me is that, due to this being my first year, I will likely not be offered a contract for next year until/if another initiative is run and passed. Our school has few enough kids right now to put 30 kids in two rooms, making mine the expendable job (I've been there the least amount of time out of our entire staff). So, maybe my theoretical musing about my purpose v. my place with become an issue of my purpose v. my unemployment. We'll see. At this point, the cliche response of, "Only time will tell," is apropos.

Never mind, though, because I don't have time to think about all of that today - it's Science Fair day! I need to get to school to help my kids set up their projects, mend their boards that have been mangled by bus rides, and consume enough caffeine to keep me going until the gym has been cleaned and I can go home at 9 tonight. No boring days, here!

Weekend at home...

This being Will's first weekend home in a long while, we debated going out of town - a short getaway somewhere fun, slightly romantic, quiet, and without chores. However, after a late night picking up Will at the airport Thursday (essentially spending two and half hours together for Valentine's, which is a record!) I am so glad we opted to stay home. We celebrated Valentine's on Friday night at a great sushi restaurant in Olympia. We've enjoyed this place before, but we were pretty impressed this time as we made some good picks on rolls...my favorite is topped with salmon and a paper thin slice of lemon. Yum.

We spent a lazy Saturday at home after a futile attempt to watch the A&M basketball game at a sports bar (no one carried it). The evening was spent at the neighbors' house, catching up. Yesterday, we went to church and then out for pho, which turned out the place to be for people from the church - the service starts at 10:30 , not 11 like most of the other services around here, so we tend to beat the lunch rush. I spend the afternoon finishing a book and napping. Divine. We rounded out the night with dinner at home and a movie.

So far, we only have plans to hit Costco and Wal-Mart today...maybe a movie? Maybe Ikea? We shall see. At the very least we're spending time together, which beats the heck out of the last five weeks!

Last, but certainly not least, today is my dad's birthday! Happy birthday, dad! I hope you've got the day off as well, and that you can spend it fishing on the boat. In your honor, we might stop by Cabela's today and peruse the lures. Love you!

***Update: Here's the link to Ben Stein's Valentine's Day commentary.


I believe I have already shared my love of CBS Sunday Morning. This morning did not disappoint. I always love the opinions by Nancy Giles and Ben Stein, even though I may not always agree...usually, though, they hit the nail on the head like Ben Stein's commentary on Veteran's Day. His commentary today was on love - loving his wife and how scared his is to one day lose her or leave her alone. He wonders how many Valentine's Days they have left to spend together. He recalled how his dad was lost after his mother died, leaving his dad alone after 61 years of marriage. The commentary is not available online yet, but I'll link to it when it is...It was just really touching.

As Valentine's approaches and I don't know if my husband will be here, it's easy to get sentimental. It doesn't matter that I know how commercial and cheesy this holiday can be - when your husband isn't home, it doesn't really matter which holiday it is...MLK day, Labor Day, or Valentine's. The fact that it's a holiday makes it stand out a little more than a regular Thursday alone, you know?

Okay, here's the deal. Leslie posted this on her blog, and as I was reading it I thought about my answers, although the parameters make it a bit hard -- one-word answers only!

1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Your significant other? Oklahoma
3. Your hair? bedhead
4. Your mother? grandma-itis
5. Your father? fishing?
6. Your favorite thing? companionship
7. Your dream last night? forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? security
10. The room you're in? living
11. Your ex? Texas
12. Your fear? grief
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? South
14. Where were you last night? movie
15. What you're not? liberal
16. Muffins? nah
17. One of your wish list items? help
18. Where you grew up? Indiana/FloMo
19. The last thing you did? slept
20. What are you wearing? sweats
21. Your TV? flat
22. Your pets? annoying
23. Your computer? white
24. Your life? full
25. Your mood? tired
26. Missing someone? husband
27 Your car? new
28. Something you're not wearing? socks
29 Favorite Store? Costco
30. Your summer? distant
31. Like someone? usually
32. Your favorite color? brown
33. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
34. Last time you cried? yesterday
35. Who will/would re-post this? Alicia/Charla

The Super Bowl holds special meaning in our world. Four years ago this weekend Will and I met. There were attempts at a meeting before that, but it just never happened. Thankfully, our matchmaker was persistent. Thanks, Charla!

I can't decide which fits more...

• Can it really only be four years?

• Has it been four years already?

...I keep flip-flopping on which feels most accurate.

It started long-distance and stayed that way until we were married. A move, a deployment, countless other shorter separations...sometimes it still feels long distance, but in reality it just makes us truly appreciate the time we do get to spend together. This year we celebrated our first Christmas together (in the same place) and it looks like we'll get to spend Valentine's together, too (another first). However, we haven't spent another Super Bowl weekend together since. Maybe next year?

Snow Day! The only downside is that we have to make it up at the end of the year...but we already go well into June, so what's one more day?

The snow is PERFECT for sledding, snowmen, and snowball fights, and it's supposed to keep coming. I hope my kids have a great day off. I am going to take full advantage of it by staying in my pjs, drinking coffee and reading books.

No morning commute today!

"Uh, I'm not sure I want to go out there..."

A little romp in the snow to start the day off right.

"Okay, that was fun!"

I'm blogging from the office which has become my favorite room in the house. I like being able to look out and see the neighborhood and the people walking by - although, that's one aspect of NW living I can't embrace, walking in the cold/rain/sleet/snow. Yesterday we had brutal weather...what started as sleet turned to big, fluffy snow for all of 15 minutes before turning to pouring rain. It alternated between sleet and rain all day, but tapered off overnight. In the midst of the worst weather, I had to run to Lowe's to pick up some stuff for the pipe repair, and wouldn't you know there were people out walking. I usually feel sorry for the people I see walking in the rain/sleet because a lot of them are walking to the bus stop (public transportation is utilized heavily up here), not for pleasure. And most stops don't even have an awning to stand under. Brr. But these people power walked right on by the bust stop. They were out in that weather on purpose. For exercise. At least they were bundled up. I'm all for being outdoors and walking, especially with the dogs, but not in inclement weather. I prefer to stay as dry as possible, which is why I'm inside blogging....in my clean office which has gotten more use in the last week than in the previous 18 months we have lived here.

The dogs like the office, too. Usually Dixie is right by my side or underfoot. Maddie likes to guard the door.
And sometimes Dixie likes to copycat Maddie and be a guard dog , too. They look mighty fierce, don't they?

"Don't bother Mom while she's blogging. Or. Else."

You wanna know the sunny side of having a pipe burst and having to have your water shut off until someone can fix it?

You can't mop the floors with no water and you can't clean the shower with no water, at least not the way I clean them. Darn. Guess those chores have to wait.

I'd like everyone to send up prayers of thanksgiving for my friends/neighbors who helped me today, and who are going to fix the pipe tomorrow...For the neighbors around the corner who spotted the water gushing from the front of the house (while I was conveniently 25 miles away, on base at the doctor) and for the neighbors who that couple contacted because they knew they'd be able to find me. It is truly divine intervention that we live here...and the funny thing is that my sweet friend (who lives two houses down) and I just had this conversation last night, remarking how God put us by each other for so many reasons - and then His grace was confirmed (as always) when they swooped in to save the day today. So, THANKS neighbors and God. Why these things happen when I am alone makes me wonder what I am being groomed for, what I may endure one day, but for now I'm so grateful for the help of friends. I'll take it as it comes. And next time I'll know how to cut out the drywall, fix the pipes, and patch the drywall all by myself...which sounds like a nightmare, so here's to hoping there isn't a next time!!!

Have a great, dry weekend.

Well, it's been a long weekend...a really long weekend. I've gotten a lot done, and it feels good. My body, however, it tired. I slept fine, but my projects have been nagging at my mind. Today I wrapped up my part of the office and garage cleaning - Will has some things he needs to go through and throw out. I filled the garbage twice over (which isn't hard because it's tiny) and the recycling bin is stuffed (which is pretty impressive because it's large). The garage still needs a lot of work, but I can park inside and not worry about hitting the doors on any junk when I get out of the car. I also was able to keep the treadmill down (it has been folded up ever since it was donated to me by my sweet neighbor) - I need to get an extension cord tomorrow and it will be ready to use! There is still a lot of trash and cardboard to be recycled, but both bins are full for the week, so it's staying for now.

The office is so, so near to being done. So near that only I know it's not done. There are several piles of mail and mementos that Will needs to sort out, but they are inconspicuously in some cute baskets, so it almost looks like they belong. Other than that, there are some random cords (to what, I have no idea) and a pile of books to be moved to the bookshelf that is waiting to be built. Once I have help to put it together, it will go in the living room, and the rest of our books will have a home. And once those books are put up, I will have room for the magazine files that are still sitting on the floor. Oh, and the (deer?) skull/horns needs to be hung...nice touch, don't you think? It's no Martha Stewart office, but it's functional, clean, and will finally be used. This is the one room that has been forgotten, shut off, and filled with random junk since we moved here. It has never been finished until now, which is sad because we bought IKEA furniture for it right after we moved in and almost killed our marriage putting it together. It was a relationship builder to say the least, putting that stuff together, so now we can enjoy the fruits of our labor and you know, use the printer. It's the little stuff that makes me happy.

So here it is...only those of you who have seen it in all its cluttered glory will really know the magnificence of its new state.


And now I really need another day off to enjoy the work - at least I will come home to a clean house...or to be honest, a clean downstairs...depending on your definition of clean.

Now, don't fall out of your seat when you hear this, but --drum roll-- we've had sun two out of the last three days! I feel renewed. The dogs had good, long walks on Sunday afternoon and yesterday evening when I got home from work. It poured buckets on Monday, but I'm focusing on the here and now. We're supposed to have another day of sun today. It has been bitter cold, but there's nothing like seeing Rainier on my way to work. I'll take a clear, freezing cold day over rain.

There is never an end to keeping the house organized and clean, but I've given myself a deadline (February 15th) to get the office cleaned out, organized, and functional, and to get the garage back to organized - after the camping this summer, hunting this fall, and Christmas decorations, it's gotten out of control. I can barely get the car in to park - which is a must for me because I don't want to have to scrape ice off or go out early to warm it up in the morning. I have a long weekend coming up, plus another the first weekend in February (we can work from home on the 1st, which is a semester prep day). So, there it is. I can get it done with a little hard work and purging. It's much easier to get rid of stuff when Will is not around to pack rat it all! Don't worry - I won't throw out anything that is important to him (I'll stash all knickknacks just in case, Charla!). I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Snow, ice, brrr....2 hour school delay. It's a delicious morning where I am. I think Starbucks is in order. I wonder if they still have the pumpkin scones? I'll let you know.

Well, Christmas decorations have been put away, the house has been rearranged and is somewhat clean, and I feel ready to start the week. Starting back to school last Wednesday was tough - I was tired, my house was a disaster, and my suitcases were still packed (okay, well, maybe that last part is still true). After a weekend at home getting things done, I feel much better about heading into work this morning. Hopefully, when I get home I'll find my camera and dock and download some pictures from our holidays. Happy Monday!

Hello darkness, my old friend...


After two weeks spent under the sun in the south, we're back to the dreary skies of Washington. Thankfully, it was a short work week. My body clock is still tuned to a different time zone, so this weekend couldn't have come fast enough. Today will be spent putting away Christmas decorations, and maybe catching a movie. We've been on the go long enough.

I've got scones in the oven that are just about ready, two lazy dogs by my side, a sleeping husband, and a house full of things needing to be done. I think I'll enjoy my coffee a bit longer before tackling any chores.

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas, and I wish you an abundance of blessings in 2008.

So, so much to do. So, so little time. So, so cliche´. So, so true.

By they way, Happy Birthday, Alicia! My big sister had a birthday today, her first as a soon-to-be mommy. Can't wait to love on the belly!

My Bloggy Christmas Tour

Thanks to my mom and dad's visit at Thanksgiving, I have Christmas decorations up. I have never been the type to get super excited about seasonal decorating. I absolutely love Christmas and love the decorations, it's just the actual decorating part I can't get motivated for. But with a Christmas decor-loving mom in town, it got done. And I've been enjoying it ever since, so I thought I'd follow my sister's lead and share with you the fruits of our (or my mom's) labor of love.

Come on in!

Here are some decorations gracing the table in the entryway (thanks, Mom D.)...

and another on the closet door (from a Southern Living home party years ago, and just finally put to use)...
Here's a side table in the living room - the tree decoration is from a dear friend and former co-worker.

This is the other side table in the living room - I love Aggie decorations!

My advent tree with magnetic ornaments - I picked this up in my dad's hometown at a great Christmas shop.

On the kitchen table...

Our stockings - thanks Charla!


And here's the tree! This is the first year I've had a full-sized tree since living with my roommate Julie our first year teaching.

The rest are ornaments that I love - it was hard to narrow it down, but for the sake of a shorter blog post, here are the highlights:

This technically isn't our first Christmas as a married couple, but it will be the first we spend together - and I can't wait!

"Go U.S.A. - You rock!"
(as written in a Veteran's Day card for Will from one of my students)

Oh, Texas, how we miss thee!

This tree-topper is from my mom (she took me shopping for Christmas things while we were here). I don't think we could have found one more perfect for our tree! The wooden ornament towards the top is from my Grandma Margaret - she sends an ornament each year. This is one that she picked up at Ten Thousand Villages, a store that purchases and sells fair-trade items from villages in over 30 countries around the world.

Looks like Maddie girl - in pajamas!

And this concludes our tour. I hope you have enjoyed the little glimpse into our home this holiday season. If you want to share, please leave a comment so we all know to check your blog, too! Merry, merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Well, the storm's over...

...and we didn't blow away, or flow away, or lose power. Our house isn't under water, and we don't have any trees down. However, the state is in a state of emergency and there is water still standing pretty much everywhere. Our schools were able to go on as normal because the buses could run - no bridges or roads washed out in our town. Neighboring towns weren't so lucky.

I have been remembering back to this time last year - Will was deployed and our house was leaking. More specifically, our back doors were leaking, and leaking a lot. The builder was giving me the run-around about getting it fixed and they had to rip up our hardwood floors to avoid mold and rot. It was bad and I was alone. In typical fashion, Will has missed out on this bout of bad weather, too. I'm just glad it was short-lived.

I hope the weather where you are is nice and mild. We're looking forward to getting a good dose of unseasonably warm weather (fingers crossed) when we venture south during the holidays. Too bad we can't stay longer!

It's possible that we'll either blow away or flow away today. Crazy weather. I just hope the power doesn't go out at school.

Heavy Rain / Wind

High 53° F

Precip:		100%

Windy. A steady rain. The rain may be heavy at times in the morning. High 53F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. 1 to 2 inches of additional rain expected. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.

Food, shopping, decorating, micro-brews, great wine, more food...

I love having family in town.

A man and his dog...

Our Dixie girl has been a handful, but we love her just the same. I was looking back at pictures of her taken right after she joined our family - and holy cow, has she grown! She's not a big dog, but definitely fits solidly in the medium-sized category. I have no idea how much she weighs, but I'd guess between 35 and 40 pounds. It's supposed to be sunny for the rest of the week (fingers crossed) and I can't wait to take her over to the park and let her run herself ragged. She's got some energy!

My mom and dad are coming, and "Grandma" is bringing the girls some treats. Dixie has not yet met my mom and dad, so she doesn't yet know the sheer joy of a visit from the grandparents. Let's just say the dogs never go hungry. I would love to see the look on the face of the airport security guard who inspects my mom's suitcase...

Thanksgiving at our place...

...is going to be a pretty small affair. My parents are coming up, and we've spread the word around Will's squadron that anyone who would otherwise be spending the holiday sans family is welcome to join our festivities.

I think I'm going to put up my Christmas tree tomorrow. I don't want to waste a whole day of my parent's visit doing that, and if I wait until after they leave, I know I won't get it done. Little by little, the holiday will creep up and then it will feel like it's too late. You see, I'm convincing myself, too.

Car buying..not fun. A stressful way to spend a day off of work. But we're close. Very close.

We may soon be the owners of a vehicle made in this century.

A couple of thoughts on my parent-student-teacher conferences...

-When your phone rings? Three times? Don't answer it. Even if you have a Bluetooth deal and it "will only take a couple of seconds." It's rude, and we only have 20 minutes. And most likely, I've been needing to talk to you for some time about your child...and when I called, you didn't answer, or call back. Irony?
-Leave your dog at home. Yep, your dog - your Yorkie. The one that shivers and whines like a Chihuahua. It's rude.
-Even if you are having trouble with your kid at home, when I praise your child for responsible behavior, at least smile or nod or something. This is time to hear about your kid at school - please understand that sometimes kids act differently in their different realms. And I love your kid, and it breaks my heart when you ignore what I say to tell me how terrible they are at home (especially when they are sitting there with us...).
-Thank you, thank you, thank you for finding something to tell your child that you are proud of - even the smallest thing - because that pride makes my job easier.
-To the mom who cried because I told you that your child has every single quality a parent could ever hope for in a kid - the whole package? You are blessed as can be, but obviously you had such a part in this and I am so thankful for you, too, even though I'm pretty sure I never said that. Thank you for coming to the conference even though you don't speak English (only understand it a bit) and even though I could see it was uncomfortable for you. What an amazing family you have.
-I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the books you bought for me at the book fair. I know that it was a clever marketing scheme for us to have a "wish list" at the book fair so strategically open during conference time, but I really do appreciate the books. Our class will surely enjoy listening to me read "The Teacher's Funeral" aloud.
-Thank you for making the time to come. I don't know why the schools do it this way, on weekdays, and I know you had to take off work to come. I appreciate the sacrifice and I hope you found it worthwhile. So many of you responded so positively and wanted to hear what I had to say. And I know your kids were excited to show you their work, whether they looked like it or not - we've been working hard and they've done a great job.
-One last thing...If you hear something that you've heard before, like, every year before, maybe you should not respond, "Oh, he/she has always been this way/had this problem." How about we try to fix it? Together? When you say that, it's like you accept and don't care if it continues down the line...And when it's something like the fact that they don't know their multiplication tables, I guarantee it will be a benefit to the kid if we help them fix it now. But really, I can't do everything alone. Help me out, okay?
-I lied about the one last thing...Here's one more. When you can't even pay attention for 20 minutes, it's really NO SURPRISE that your kid can't either. And that's called learned behavior not a disorder. Just sayin'.


All in all it was a totally new and rewarding experience to have these conferences (never having been in elementary before). Overwhelmingly positive, and only one unruly parent. It was very interesting, and at times hilarious, to see into the other life of my kids, the home part. They are a fantastic bunch and I hope their parents know it. Getting to know them is really the best part of my job.

The daily grind...Usually when I get to school there is only one other teacher there. It is so quiet and peaceful. I love the planning part of teaching and getting ready for the day. Researching lessons and finding new ideas is just so fulfilling to me. The part with the kids - not always so fulfilling. It's a job where you have to wait for the little glimmers of hope - and sometimes wait a long, long time - to keep you going.

A glimmer of hope made it's way into my classroom last week. Because of Halloween, I kept hinting to my kids that I like sour candy and Baby Ruth candy bars. You know, just throwing that out there. On Thursday, several kids dropped little pieces of candy on my desk, sharing their loot...all the sweet kids who turn in homework and smile and can walk in a line without being reminded how that particular task is done. But then, like a shining star, my not-so-sweet-tough-guy approaches my desk with a FULL-SIZED Baby Ruth bar in hand. "For me?" I asked. It sure was! Turns out my tough-guy was given a full-sized Snickers from a man (of course this kid went to the right neighborhood so that he would end up with the best stash) - and instead of taking the candy and heading off to the next house, he asked to trade it for a Baby Ruth if the man had any. Tough-guy proceeded to tell the man why he wanted to trade, and the sweet man let him keep the Snickers and gave him a candy bar for me. Two other boys in the class, both trick-or-treating with tough-guy, corroborated his story. So, on my desk sits a delectable treat, although I'm not sure I am ready to devour it just yet - it's a nice reminder that it's the little things, the ones no one else sees, that make this job warm my heart. A candy bar on my desk.

Sounds trite, but I'll bet teachers (and moms, too) will know just what I mean.

This place is definitely not rubbing off on me...

It's cold here, y'all. Really cold. So cold that I'm finding myself needing a second cup of coffee to keep warm in my frigid classroom. No one makes good coffee at school, so I bring a thermos. However, bringing a thermos for cups two (and three) AND carrying a travel mug is not only cumbersome, but provides for more things to wash. So I'm thinking about buying some of these (at Wal-Mart, of course - they're even made by Dixie, so it's like a piece of the South in my hand...don't think about the disposable part):


Maybe the coffee part is rubbing off on me. But the "environment first, at all costs" part - not so much. So, more trash...but less water, right? Maybe I'm becoming a conservationist after all.

Had a bad day again...

Earlier this week the local paper came to our school. They took pictures of my class using the computer lab. The article the picture was printed with had nothing to do with us, but with a technology levy our district is putting on the ballot in the Spring. No big deal, right? Well, this afternoon I found a card in my box at school. It was addressed to me (well, to they way the paper incorrectly spelled my name). Inside was the ugliest comment, a personal attack, about the way I was dressed.

Our district is very casual, which I think I've mentioned before. I was wearing a pair of blue khaki pants (which did look like jeans in the picture), a jean jacket, and Birkenstock clogs (which are pretty typical here in this part of the country, not surprisingly). The note basically said that the way I was dressed undermined the fact that teachers have had to work hard to be recognized as professionals. Excuse me! What century to we live in? Not to mention it's elementary school, full of glue, glitter, sitting on the floor and playing with kids at P.E. and recess! Just to make sure I wasn't breaking any sort of rules with my dress, I checked the dress code for teachers - nothing revealing, nothing with inappropriate logos or writing...we can wear sleeveless tops, jeans, and flip flops for goodness' sake!

I recognize that my job is a public job. I would welcome anyone into my classroom to see the quality of instruction and the way we conduct ourselves. With all of the stress surrounding our job as educators, the last thing I think we should be concerned with is dressing casually (especially when it is allowed!). Of course, the note was anonymous, because they commenter knew there was no merit in their malicious remark. I wish people would realize that if they would just become more involved in their local schools (especially if they have the time to sit around and write nasty notes all day) they might actually know what is going on and have something a little more substantial to talk about.

Grr. No wonder this guy wrote this and this.

I don't think I've ever done a meme. I saw this one on another blog and it looked like fun. Something to get my mind off of the Ag's loss.

Directions: You bold all the things that you’ve done (after copying and pasting). Play along if you want to! I know it's long...

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (does it count if I "climbed" in a car?)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree (with my husband in CA, a HUGE sequoia)
10. Bungee jumped (only once and never again!)
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne (it can't go to waste on New Year's when everyone else is asleep!)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (Um, Charla? Do you remember that one time in Subway?)
27. Had a food fight (at Pine Cove on a work weekend)
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two harddrives for your computer (well, we have an extra hard drive that we use for both of our computers, and I think that counts)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales (this summer on the side of a highway in CA)
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe (I don't think backpacking is my thing...)
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing (in the Rec at A&M)
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke (with my gals Erica and Tiffany - 'cause we don't want no scrubs)
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business (lemonade stand?)
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites (Tikal, Guatemala)
70. Taken a martial arts class (once or twice at Knollwood Country Club, I was very young and not at all into yelling and fake kicking)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (I don't even know what this is)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (we wanted to ride the gondolas at Venice in Vegas, but it was ridiculously pricey)
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the snake river
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason (well, not on a holiday/birthday/date or anything, and it was from my parent's - first day of teaching)
84. Performed on stage (middle school choir, very professional)
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music (I've recorded myself singing on tape...and so has my sister...and the evidence is in my parent's outbuilding)
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date (my husband!)
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone (not actually, but I'm with Will in my mind every time he goes...)
92. Buried one/both of your parents (Grandparents are hard enough)
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently (in my dreams I'm fluent in Spanish)
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (well, we drove over it very slowly)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking (pretty much every morning...Thank God for Spirit 66 on Sirius)
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray (only at SeaWorld)
110. Broken someone’s heart (I hope not)
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone (nose)
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild (yep, but I didn't do the gathering)
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (sinuses, twice...brutal)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame (only after that major surgery)
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (all the time)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper (a couple of times, as a kid - dressed as a witch in a pumpkin patch, and at school while we were tele-conferencing with a teacher's husband who was in Iraq)
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions (haven't had any, yet)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (in Haiti)
139. Been elected to public office (5th Grade Class President - Go Pumas!)
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (in many, many ways)
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care (I didn't do the putting, but I watched...Grandma Trudy)
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair (highlights?)
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Here's what's going on with us....

I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies - definitely a taste of fall. I'll post the recipe later. They weren't a sweet cookie, more like a bread or muffin, and were best straight from the oven (before they got soggy). I even stuck them back in the oven about 3 days after I made them to crisp them up - delicious.

Dixie eats outside, Maddie eats inside. Maddie is not quite the hog that Dixie is, so sometimes she doesn't finish her food. Dixie has taken to stalking Maddie's unfinished food, and looking rather pathetic in the process. However, she doesn't eat it! She's a good girl.

We got BOO-ED! I now have all of my supplies, so the boo-ing will commence when Will gets home.

Yesterday, my kids "buried" Dead Words. It was a blast! They gave creative eulogies, were very dramatic, and came up with some excellent replacement words to use in their writing. It was the first time I felt at home teaching here - one of the first days I scrapped our "Bed-in-a-Bag" curriculum (thanks, Leslie, for the term!) and did a lesson I was comfortable with, and one that I know the kids would both enjoy and learn from. I'm settling in.


More on the teaching thing - I'm constantly fighting battles here. I want to do what is best for my kids, but it's not what has always been done. Using our reading books, with packaged spelling lists, vocab words, workbooks, and a schedule with the whole week laid out is the norm. To me, this is crap. It doesn't follow our state standards, it doesn't integrate writing, it allows for NO creativity on my part or on the kids' part. The stories are boring. The worksheets are basic. So I'm scrapping it. I came with five file boxes of authentic, teacher-created and proven curriculum written by some of the best teachers I've ever known. So, DUH, I'm using it! Bring on the backlash.

It was clear last night. This is from the Wal-Mart parking lot. See, I could get a good shot - I drove around the whole parking lot until I found a place that I could get Rainier without the surrounding buildings in the way. It wasn't too hard seeing as how the parking lot was nearly empty, what with Wal-Mart and liberals being like oil and water.

Just outside of my neighborhood. Gorgeous night.

And finally, a fall sunset (view from my driveway). Could not be more beautiful. And Will missed it...which is the main reason why I took these pictures. He has missed every nice day we've had in the past month (all three...).

I woke up this morning to clouds and promises of rain by noon. However, yesterday's weather will do a lot to keep my spirits up until the next day we see the sun. Maybe less than a week this time? We'll see. Until then, I'm enjoying warmed-up Kona coffee (I couldn't resist making it yesterday morning). I'm blogging when I'm normally at work, because I just can't bring myself to get there as early as I normally do. I still have an hour until I have to be there. I'd rather spend that time with you. Here's to Hump Day - hope it's a happy one for you!

Will had to go to Hawaii last weekend for work, and I had to stay home. To combat the unfairness of the situation, he was to bring me Kona coffee. I have been saving it all week (I didn't even open the bag to have a whiff) - I just didn't want to gulp it down on my way to work, or sneak sips of it in between answering the same questions a million times and collecting lunch money. So here I sit, enjoying it to the fullest, and wondering if he could go back every month to bring me some of the delicious beans straight from the source. The perfect weekend brew. Mmmmm...

Oh, and they go well with four-day-old Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, about which I will post sometime later.

Please don't rat me out about the Yankee...especially to my husband!

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 10% Dixie 5% Yankee 0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Do you think I'll end up with a headache if I drink wine with my dinner of beer bread and garlic dip?


A couple of weeks ago, my friend Rhonda and I went to a Tastefully Simple party. I had never been before, but Rhonda had and she convinced me to go. She knew what was up - the consultant made all kinds of things for us to sample, like a buffet that we passed around. The beer bread was unreal (so were the cheese balls, soups, dips...but I digress). So tonight for "dinner," Rhonda and I are getting together. I'm brining the wine and a mini-loaf of beer bread, and she's making the garlic dip (also from the party). This is what happens when the husbands are away...

Mesmerized...

I think this is where I'll be this weekend. I'm more than ready for it.

Finally updated the linkage! I love all the new bloggers (or not so new...apparently I'm a little late to catch on). However, reading about the lives of all of my old friends makes me feel so, so far away. I mean, I am far away, but I feel far removed, too. And sad...Happy for everyone, and their babies, and football games, and kids doing great things - but I want to kiss those babies, go to those football games, and see those kids doing great things, you know? So, kiss your babies for me, cheer on those Ags, and keep posting about your kiddos. Some days I really need it, you know? It's like therapy...but free, and I can have a glass of wine and sit on my own couch.

It's snowing in the mountains, just an hour or so away. It's raining here, and has been for a week. They're calling for thunderstorms this evening, which would only be our second thunderstorm to see (hear?) here. It's not common. Oh, and they said hail is possible. It seems like we've skipped right over fall here and catapulted into winter in WA. It's really no wonder coffee is a bazillion dollar business here.

I have been fighting a cold for a few days now, which last night developed into a stomach thing, and nothing sounds better to me than a Route 44 Diet Ocean Water from Sonic. This is partly fueled by watching TV this week (I'm so glad my shows have started up!) and watching national TV broadcasts of football games - Sonic likes to advertise! However, like many, many other things, we don't have a Sonic.




So, because I don't feel very well, and whining always helps, here's a list of restaurants that we don't have here that I so, so wish we did...

-Sonic
-Chick-fil-a
-Cheddar's
-Chili's (which I used to get so sick of - the only one here is in the airport)
-any real Mexican food (at a place where I can sit down - we do have pretty good Mexican food, but it's from a trailer that parks in various lots around town) - I'd take an El Chico or On the Border, too...we got nothin'.
-Wings 'n More
-Freebirds (I'd even take a Chipotle if it was close)

I was going to go on to add things like "nice people" and "smiling faces" and "sunny skies" but I've reached my whine limit. In order to lift my spirits, I might head to the KOHL'S which opens today. Finally.

So all you down South, enjoy a Sonic drink for me. And know I'm green with envy (and a bit of a stomach bug).

She's a huntin' dog...

I remember watching the news...

...seeing the looks on their faces when they finally realized that the fire wasn't just a fire.

...that the small plane (probably a personal jet) wasn't a small plane, but was an airliner.

...and finally that it was happening again as we all watched.

Watching it unfold is something none of us will ever, can ever, forget. Horror. Terror. Exactly what was intended by those actions. But, we live free - so free, in fact, that today when I talked to my students about the significance of the day, one said "Oh, so that's why the date looks familiar." We're so free that parents don't have to talk to their kids about what happened that day six years ago. We don't have to remember. We don't have to act. But we do remember and we do act...for the very reason that we are free. Thank God for that.

Thank you for your prayers! The meeting went just about as expected - the principal ended up attending, and it was so nice to have his support. Pretty much nothing was resolved with the one (uncooperative) teacher. However, the other teacher, who is pretty shy, has opened up and finally spoke her mind today. She definitely wants to do a good job, and she and I are going to teach cooperatively - I'll teaching Reading/Writing to my class and hers, and she'll teach Science/Social Studies to both of our classes (she has taught S/SS block to sixth graders, and she is certified in Biology as well). We'll teach our own classes Math - this will work out well because we have three pretty even blocks of teaching time in our day. I think it will be best for us and our kids - we'll have fewer preps and our kids will being taught by teachers who specialize in the subjects we're teaching. The principal not only agreed to this, but was impressed at our willingness to adapt to this situation (which would be so much better if all three of us were doing it - we'd have a teacher for each subject). I'm excited to get started and see where it leads.

Open House was tonight and I met about two-thirds of my class. I have some truly precious kids and I am ready to get the year underway. However, right now I'm exhausted after working an 11-hour day, which started with shaky nerves and a confrontational meeting.

But before I go, here's a praise God moment for you - I have told some of you about the lady who also interviewed for the job that I got. She's an awesome Christian woman, her daughter and son-in-law attend Dallas Theological Seminary, and she was always one of the most pleasant people to be around at this school (she worked as an aide there for five years). It was bittersweet when I got the job, because it meant that she didn't. To make a long story short, she was told she could have the Kindergarten job that opened up a few weeks ago, but only if they got enough kids. They were six short as of Friday when she interviewed (and she came by my room to ask me to pray for God to bring at least six more kids in K to our school, mere days before school started). They were still one short this afternoon, just two hours shy of our Open House. And, because God is good and gracious, they are now over the numbers needed and she 100% has a job! I am so relieved to know she will be at my school permanently, and I'll have a prayer partner and a friend.

Prayers needed...

I'm about to go to work for our first official grade level meeting. We have had several informal ones that were disastrous - all culminating this weekend with a series of emails between myself and one of the other sixth grade teachers (who is very dominant). It was not good. Nothing I say or suggest is well received, and she hates the third teacher on our team - she went so far as to call her a "crappy teacher" in an email to me. I think she is trying to form an alliance with me against the other teacher (a la Survivor), but she's trying to bully me into it. So, prayers needed. Thanks!

I need to:

-update my blog.
-add some (okay, lots of) pictures from this summer.
-clean my dirty house and do loads and loads of laundry.
-go to the dentist (it's been a year).
-update my blog links (I love new bloggers!).

But FIRST of all, I need to find out if I'm actually staying at the school where I have an almost-decorated room with all of my stuff, or if our numbers will be too low and I'll have to move to an over-crowded school. I need to figure out the millions things that come with a new school and district, which is hindered by the fact that I am the only teacher new to the school this year (actually in the last three years!!!) and no one seems to have time to help me. I actually have a theory of sabotage working in my head, but I'm trying not to think so negatively about my situation. Right now I'm headed into work to spread some sunshine as everyone there was so grumbly yesterday. Ugh.

Some very positive things - I have a great principal, I only have 20 kids as of now, I don't have to be at school until 8:30 a.m. every day, and I have my room very, very organized and clean. I did a very cute bulletin board yesterday, only to have a co-worker tell me that "At our school, we don't cover the hallway bulletin boards with paper, we leave them just cork." Well, not me! Sorry, sister, but I didn't read that in the rule book. I've been wracking my brain to try to remember if I've been praying for patience or something (you know how that works - you pray for patience and God gives you situations in which to learn it!).

Y'all don't even know the joy I face each day at work. And off I go! I really will update when things settle down. I do have a three-day weekend coming up!

There is something supremely satisfying about being in my own home with my husband and our dogs. It has been a busy couple of weeks, and for now, we'll just enjoy the peace, take in a movie, hang out with friends - no home improvement projects, nowhere to go. On Tuesday I'll start work and on Thursday Will heads out on a trip, but until then we're going to enjoy normalcy. I have tons and tons to share about our adventures this summer, but not yet...I just don't have the energy!

Hope all is well in your world.

Keepin' busy...

In-laws in town...lots to do...or not do. We're taking it easy and having fun. Updates to come.