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.