Good-Bye 2010, Hello 2011

So, I've been trying to decide what I was going to blog about to end the year. I could detail my frustration at the grocery store on New Year's Eve (seriously, where did all those people come from), but that's news we all can relate to. Let me try something different. What will not be part of our lives in 2011?

Good-bye 2010, Hello 2011

Good-bye swimming, Hello water polo
Good-bye 1 baseball team, Hello 2 baseball teams
Good-bye frozen tundra family get-togethers, Hello graduation get-togethers
Good-bye braces, Hello beautiful smile
Good-bye summer vacations with Ky, Hello Camp Cho-Yeh ALL summer long
Good-bye grad school reading, Hello Nook reading
Good-bye 8th grader & senior, Hello Freshmen
Good-bye 130, Hello 115
Good-bye weddings, Hello great niece or nephew (can I be this old?)
Good-bye work OCD, Hello relaxed family time

2010 was a great year, no complaints from me. My hope for 2011 is that my family and friends find peace, happiness, and health knocking on their door. God bless!

Random Thoughts From Trip to Iowa for XMAS

Over the past week, there have been many things I could've blogged about. Many days I could've blogged, but just enjoyed "the moment" and didn't feel like sitting in front of a computer. So, I've decided to just put all my random thoughts in one post. Are you ready?

~Snow is snow! Although it may look pretty at first, I still don't like it!
~Jeans made in Texas are definitely made out of thinner cloth!
~Thank you Uncle Jeff for telling me Victoria's secret!
~Fast food has an entirely new meaning.
~Without electronic devices, I'd be able to catch-up on my sleep while traveling.
~Our kids have no idea how lucky they are with the modern "travel conveniences."
~Cabana boys sometimes go on strike.
~Sitting around a big table playing a silly game is lots of fun, even if I didn't win!
~4 year olds are remarkable in so many ways! Why don't all children have the same advantages my niece has been given?
~Sometimes I just couldn't advance the pages fast enough in my Nook.
~Some meals can be served mostly all from the white family (mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes, turkey deli meat, bread, lemonade)
~When it's cold enough, van doors can freeze and not open for several days. Good thing the kids are still small/agile enough to climb through the back end!
~Attending XMAS Eve service in the church I grew up in is very comforting.
~Often the elderly are as anxious as a 4 year old to open gifts.
~Even a driver's ed instructor might have difficulty with snowbanks.
~Dogs can get lonely after being around so many people and Murphy.
~The movie "Christmas Vacation" was really just a warm-up to "Home Alone"
~Where was Jesus' birthday cake? Oh well, we had plenty of other festive goodies to choose from!
~My brother DOES know how to cook! I must get the corn chowder recipe.

Oh, I'm sure I'll lay in bed tonight and think of many others. But, I must go serve Jesus Birthday Cake before the big Iowa bowl game. And why is the game being played so late...(I know, another random thought!)

What's Up With These Appliances???

Horrible flashbacks to last year at this time and our washing machine went out--granted a brand-new one less than a month old! The part was ordered, then on back order, and then the wrong part arrived. We had to take garbage bags of laundry to a laundromat--not an exciting way to spend our FRI nights! It took almost a month before they realized/accepted/just plain got tired of my phone calls to them before they gave us a brand new washer. We haven't had a problem since; however, it was so much NOT fun!

While I was in grad school, I did some baking, but nothing like I enjoy doing. Once school was over, I was looking forward to returning to baking goodies and new main dishes for the family. My first few attempts at baking were not ones to brag about; however, I just chalked it up to lack of practice. As the months went on this fall, it wasn't getting any better--things just weren't turning out and it seemed like everything was taking forever to bake. Right after Thanksgiving, we tested the temp of the oven. It was off by about 25 degrees, so I just adjusted my temps to 25 degrees greater and was starting to have success. Last weekend, I had the oven on for about 6 hours straight baking so many different things and it all turned out. This weekend I wanted to try a few different new recipes to take to Iowa and to share with neighbors and the swim coaches. I tried 2 different things and they were both TOTAL flops! I was so frustrated!

Our oven has an oven sensor, not a thermostat that is/has apparently gone out. The part has been ordered and the "some assembly" Kev is confident he can handle! If that $43 part isn't the answer, it looks like I'll be appliance shopping for the new year.

I do know they don't make appliances like they used to. My grandma still has the same WORKING refrigerator that I remember her having growing up! Please, with all our advanced technology, wouldn't you think they could make appliances that would last?

Finals Week

Why is it with grad school over, I'm still involved with finals? High school finals week was a breeze, I think Ky only took one. However, she did manage to make a bulletin board, watch Legally Blonde, and play several games of cards. Rough life as a senior, but I when you've worked that hard for 4 years, you deserved some stress-free finals!

Then there's middle school finals. OMG! Not only do they have finals but several teachers have assigned projects as well. Apparently it's really only a 3 week grading period, so they are doing everything and anything to get grades. In Spanish II, Kole had to write and illustrate a 10-page children's book, translate a set of game board directions into Spanish, make and decorate a maraca (really?), and draw a map of a zoo with at least 20 animals labeled on it (realized that project at 10:00 PM the night before it was due!) His English class isn't much better!

Seriously, shouldn't the focus be studying and getting a good night's sleep!

Kindergarten Cop Promoted to Sheriff

So, for those of you've who read my blog last week and wondering "So, what's going on?" here's the update! Let's just say there's a new sheriff in town!

1. We walked to our room in 4 minutes and 30 seconds today! (Last week it took over 30 minutes)
2. "Mrs S I like you. You care about me." (Last week, "I want to go back to my class NOW!" and screamed and kicked while saying it.)
3. We read 3 books aloud with discussion! (Last week it took over 30 minutes to try to get through one book and the only discussion was me explaining how to sit and listen to a book!)
4. Each student read out of their book bag and felt like they were readers! (Last week they were throwing their book bags and shouting I CAN'T READ.)
5. They were attempting to write words and stretching sounds on their own with a dry erase board and marker. (Last week they were fighting over the markers and pressing with the tip of the marker into the board while scribbling with the markers.)
6. Words heard from the students today: "Thank you." "You look nice today." "I like your haircut." "Yeah, you can make a lower case e now." "You waited for Mrs. S to call on you." (Last week: "Shut up" "You are stupid" "I don't like you" "I'm going to hit you" "My momma will come after your momma" "I will poke you until you cry with my pencil")

So, how did the cop become sheriff? It wasn't the $$$ I spent on different motivational things. It wasn't the time I spent trying to find the "just right book" that would make the point. No, I think it was the expectation I had for them and the love I showed them "no matter what". Oh yes, there were times I wondered what I had gotten myself into. (After the first day I was asking the entire admin team and otehrs for ideas to survive as I've never seen anything quite like it.) Although these children's home situation is so different from anything I've ever worked with so closely, their needs are very similar--treat me with respect and love and I'll do the same (eventually!)

Being sheriff is so much easier than being cop!

What a Fun Night!

Oh, was the Rattler Party Saturday night at our house fun! I'm not sure I've laughed that hard in a looooong time. When the coach has a chance to "cut loose", he sure goes to town! Clear beverages and table dancing were a winning combination for him. I didn't know he liked so many things that started with "S"! Glad he finally had a chance to unwind!
The players hung out upstairs with the gaming systems while the women shared bottles of wine and the men hung outback. It was a beautiful evening. We served fajitas and eveyone else brought the side dishes. 35 people filled our home, so it was very cozy!

Besides the coach unwinding for once, the other highlight of the evening was the gag gifts he had for each of the players to coincide with their nicknames. He was quite the comedian pulling the gifts out of the bag.

What a great group of boys! We are very blessed to have been a part of so many of their lives. What great families!

Puny Pointsettia

Something is working!

It still took 30 minutes to get to our area; however, that included a restroom stop that seemed like it would never end. The 2 girls haven't yet learned how to tolerate each other, so when we got to the restroom, I decided to send them in one at a time so they'd both have a chance of coming out unharmed. After the first one comes out, I send the second one in. She's scared to go into the restroom by herself, so she stands in the doorway crying. Now I can't go in with her because the remaining students would...well you get the picture if you've read previous blogs. I suggested she not use the restroom but of course she HAD TO or else. Thank goodness an assistant principal walked by at the time to help her in the restroom!

When we got to the room, the first minutes of what seemed like an eternity, but it probably was only 2 minutes, the students screamed, crawled around, and basically got in each other's faces. Trying my endless list of tricks to get them calmed down wasn't working until I finally started whispering and that was the calming factor--never forget that one with this group! After about 10 minutes, the KGN AP joined us and gave them their "heart to heart" talk after they all spent their recess yesterday practicing walking in the hall and became experts at it! I guess experts aren't always long-lived? After her visit, my mention of the video cameras, and I documented everything each child did (positive & negative) in a notebook, they all came together. We read a book in less that 15 minutes, carried on a conversation about the book, and drew a picture of their learning. We then read another book and our time was up.

They are learning consequences. Long story short--one boy lost his beanie baby privilege, cried for 25 minutes about it, (while the others did a good job of ignoring him), one boy finally said, "You know if she says you're playing with it that you'll lose it, she means it. Stop crying and make good choices so you get another chance." MUSIC to my ears!

These are great kids that need structure. I feel like I'm providing hope for them and hopefully lots of hope for their teacher! Granted I've had to readjust my time-frame of accomplishing some of my goals with them, but I still think I can get them there. I won't be seeing them again until MON, so we'll see what MON brings.

So, why did I title this Puny Poinsettia??? One member of the admin team gave me what she called a "Charlie Brown Pointsettia" as she wanted me to have something to brighten my time in my space. I suggested I not pick it up until I was done, as I was uncertain the condition it would be in after we got done. She insisted it couldn't be that bad, so I took it with me. Although it did survive the intial scuffle, by the time we left, half the dirt was dumped out and some of the leaves pulled off. Now, it really is a puny pointsettia!

Baby Steps

So, I began my role as Kindergarten Cop today. Here's how my 2 hours went:

First 30 minutes: Time it took to walk from point A to point B with my 6 students.
Next 30 minutes: The time it took to read one book from cover to cover.
Next 15 minutes: Work with magnetic letters. Only 2 children threw them and no one ate them. They did a very nice job of cleaning up by the time I counted to 20.
Next 20 minutes: Time it took to take students to the bathroom, drop one off at the nurse, one in DMC (one girl slapped another girl), get a band-aid for another (injury caused by sliding on floor and getting a carpet burn), and time to walk back to my teaching area.
Next 15 minutes: writing HFW on dry erase boards, earned 2 minutes free draw
Last 10 minutes + 20 additional minutes: Time it took to walk back to class with only 4 boys, since one girl was in DMC and the other girl walked back with another adult since she was yelling in the 4 boys' faces.

Then, as I was leaving, one of the 4 boys (who had spent at least 30 minutes crying because he wanted to be with his other teacher) came up and hugged me and asked me not to go. Those are my baby steps!

Tonight's To Do List: Revamp thinking for TH and find an adult book to read about children who come from poverty. I have to better understand these children so I can better help them and their teacher.

OK 5 Year Olds, I'm Ready 4 U!!!

I never thought the Kindergarten Cop movie could ever be true; however, today I realized I may be living that as a reality for the month of DEC.

So...for tomorrow I have
1. Quiet as a Mouse hallway game
2. Beanie Babies
3. Mechanical pencils
4. Scavenger Count hallway game
5. Secret ID
6. Cotton balls to fill the jar (wanted pom-poms, but they were twice as expensive and for 1/2 the amount)
7. Magnetic puzzle
8. Lots of colored markers "pip squeak size"
9. Magnetic alphabet letters
10. Large paper

And this all for only 6 students who are only 5 years old for 2 hours!

Blog Balance

As I was reading over some of my recent postings, it's obvious the Grinch has been submitting these blogs. Time to find some positive balance!

Congrats to Kylie for receiving an AP Scholar Award. We all know she's very smart; however, she doesn't always see that in herself. All her classes are "smart people" classes (okay. maybe minus swimming) and so today when I showed her on the district's web page, that she received that award (only about 18% of those who take the exams qualify for the award), she felt pretty good about that. She was reading over those who'd received the award and they're in her classes. She's one smart cookie!


http://www.cfisd.net/newsmedia/press/2010/1123ap.htm


A&M, watch out!

Good-bye November!

Some months go by so fast, yet November could not end soon enough for me!

It just seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong--cinnamon bread 0 for 5?, ooey gooey cookies turned out hard as a rock, car battery dies, prescription refill unavailable, XMAS yard Santa blow-up hole in it, numerous strands of lights not working, XMAS yard reindeer dead, daughter unhappy for 36 hours, XMAS online orders unavailable, technology issues at work, accidentally erase all of Kole's ITouch purchases (thanks Ky for finding them!), sticker burrs in KJ's feet while cutting down XMAS tree, forgot one of the Thanksgiving sides in the fridge and didn't discover it until dessert (7-layer salad or dessert? not much of a choice!), misplaced a bread cutting knife--now seriously, how does that happen?

I try to live by Pastor Dave's "Smile Be Happy" sermon, but it just wasn't happening in NOV. I can't complain, I rarely have days like this, so to have an entire month of days like this was too much!

November 2010--see 'ya! Please NOV 30, be good to me.

December is only 28 hours away. Bring it on!

It All Began With a 5:30 AM Shower

So, the alarm goes off at 5:20 AM to make sure Ky is up and moving for swim practice. Before she is downstairs, Kev is up and in the bathroom with the lights on. No idea what he's doing as this is totally not him. Decided he must've thought about going running, so don't think anymore about it. A few minutes later I hear the shower going. OK, I guess he's not running. 5:30 Ky is out the door. 5:30.30, Kev comes out dressed and goes to tell Ky bye. When he comes back in, I ask him what he's doing. "Going to work," he replies. My response: "YOU--going to work at 5:30 AM?" He looks at the alarm clock and realizes he was an hour off. Back in bed he goes with the reply, "Well, at least I know what I'm wearing."

6:30 AM we hear this horrible sound unheard before. Great, Kev's electric razor basically just burned up. Thank goodness he shaved an hour earlier!

7:00 I head upstairs to do some work on the computer before my shower since I was leaving the house at 8:00 for my first campus appointment. Still dressed in my pjs, I wish the boys a good day. A few minutes later they are out the door. One minute later Kev is back in the house asking for a ride to school--dead battery in the Honda. Gee were they lucky I hadn't already left! So, in my pjs I take them to school.

7:15AM-1:45PM: UNEVENTFUL!!!

1:45-3:35 Meet with a technology coach to try to do something needing done that I can do with my home computer but unable to do with district computers. She was baffled as well, but I did teach her something, so for a moment it was a good day! Decision reached was that special software was needed on district computer to convert mp4 files to mp3 files. However, the person I need to get approval for to make this happen is out of town until after the Thanksgiving holiday. So, I will be bringing my laptop from home to work and working off 2 computers.

4:00 time to go home! Oh, wait, I had 2 errands to run first. Stopped by Roadhouse to pick up rolls for Thanksgiving. Although I didn't have to get out of the car, the wait was not fun.

4:30 reach Kroger for 2nd errand. OMG you would think it was almost Thanksgiving or something. Cars EVERYWHERE--where were they this weekend? I had to drive down 3 aisles before I could find a parking place. I wasn't even being picky, any place would do! 3 items on the list and actually found a short line. Take bag to car and get a call from Kole--could I come pick them up from school? Off to Aragone I go.

4:50 get home and put rolls in freezer. Take grocery store items into the house and go to put sausage in the fridge. Wait, no sausage! Check the van to make sure it hadn't fallen out. No sausage. Found the receipt, yes I paid for the sausage! NO--there is no way I'm battling Kroger again! Kroger, I'm sure you greatly appreciate the donation! Meanwhile the boys are out jumping the Honda so they can go get the battery replaced. Shortly after 5:00, they are off to get a new battery.

5:00 I'm busy whipping up some chocolate rolled cookie dough for turkey cookies. Spent several minutes trying to find the vanilla--why wasn't it where it should be! I had just bought a new big bottle, so I knew I had plenty. In the middle of doubling the recipe, Kole calls and asks for a ride home. They'll explain later! So that I wouldn't forget where I was, I finish adding the baking soda and then leave to get them. Great, the boys used the truck to jump start the Honda and parked behind the van. Now, I have to drive the truck--which I hate doing! I get in and about lose it--the inside of Ky's truck looks as good as her room. She has &*^# everywhere and her gas light says low fuel. I'm about to lose it--how can she be so irresponsible and I keep telling everyone she's more than ready for A&M! Upon picking the boys up I notice the gas gauge starting to move (Yes, I forget she has a temperamental gas gauge--good thing I didn't call her on that one!) I pick up the boys and they proceed to tell me that there is green crusty stuff on the battery. Someone else with a Honda just had their car in the day before, but had way more green crusty stuff that had progressed into their cables and it cost her $500. We are lucky though as the battery will only be $100 (special Honda batteries) and since they caught the green stuff early, it won't cost us $500. Merry Chrismas Kev, I hope you like your new battery. I couldn't have chosen a better gift!

Home by 5:15 and ready to finish making the cookie dough when I discover that all the ingredients I had doubled EXCEPT the baking soda. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal--just add more; however, I had tripled that ingredient and already had it added. Hmmm.... I wonder what will happen when I bake those cookies. Still no tears! While mixing the cookie dough, Kev asks if he can help. Sure, go ahead and make pancakes for dinner (would've been much better with sausage!) Chose pancakes because Ky had been at the ortho and knew that would be easy to eat. Why my family doesn't appreciate breakfast for dinner I will never understand! Kev makes a total of 8 pancakes--no idea what he was thinking, maybe he's been up too long! Within a matter of a few minutes we are all staring at our empty plates wondering what we were going to eat next. No, I'm not going to Kroger tonight!

I decide on a glass of wine. The rest of the family--you are on your own!

Thursday Edition of "Glad Wednesday is Over!"

I think Monday-Wednesday was the longest 1/2 week of my life! Each day I was convinced it was Friday.

First, Ky was teaching her lesson to kindergarten on Wednesday. She was so excited all week and planning everything out through the final "what if..." detail. I was so nervous for her as I hoped it was going to go as well as she KNEW it would. No lack of self-confidence in her--she nailed the lesson! But more importantly, she left her class with her students LOVING her even more. They were excited to have "fun" in kgn--broke my heart at the same time it warmed it.

Second, basketball try-outs were MON-WED. Kole was trying out for the 8th grade team and the 8th grade coach is Kevin. Both of them were stressed beyond belief (but wouldn't verbalize it to each other) about the "what if" Kole doesn't make it possibility. 4 new boys had moved into Aragon who were all SURELY basketball players, which meant some of the players who made it last year wouldn't make it this year. Oh, the tension was high! What was really hard on Kevin is he's known many of these boys since they were very little and played on various teams with Kole. 80-something players cut to 30 wasn't fun, but Kole earned a spot on the team! WHEW!!!

So, I'm glad Wednesday is over and that it was win-win for all involved!

Burst of Energy!

What happened to me today?! I had the best day visiting a KGN classroom that was really first grade--I'm convinced! I then zipped to the office and got stuff xeroxed and organized for the rest of the week and next! YAHOO!

Off to TSO for an eye appt! I used to get upset that my eyesight always got worse, but now I'm just glad I can still see! Stronger prescription, but it sure makes night driving easier! And...after all my battles with eye infections the previous year, my eyes are now the healthiest he's ever seen them. I'll stick to daily contacts!

While waiting to pay, I get an email with a new recipe for cookies. Since Kroger was just around the corner, a quick stop was made to get necessary ingredients. Dinner was in the crockpot and everyone had already eaten by the time I got home, so it was Monster Cookie baking time. KJ loved that she got to lick the peanut butter spoon before I put it in the dishwasher--the simple pleasures!

After the cookies were done, it was only 7:30. The night was still young! So, I re-created a game I had made a long time ago for our teachers. It really took no time at all and I've already posted it for teachers.

This last hour I've enjoyed talking to Tina. How I miss all our times to chat!

What a great day filled with energy to keep on keeping on!

Lessons Learned This Weekend

This weekend was amazing! As much as I love presenting to teachers, I wasn't excited about starting my SAT that way; however, that was the beginning of lessons learned this weekend.

* Presenting to 50+ people is a good feeling; however, presenting to groups of 10 at a time was just as amazing. They were so appreciative! I love PK!

* Leah is a star! Teachers were very impressed with her ability to read a book in a "4 year old way." NO MORE EXCUSES!!!

* Famous authors are just down-to-earth people like the rest of us who care about our children's future. They don't try to impress anybody!


* All the time and effort taken to fill a roster for a tournament is a good thing.

* 14 year old boys have hearts so HUGE, even when they act so cool & tough!

* Never give up--no matter what!

* Officers can be so kind to those in tears.

* UT is not "all that!"

* Always remember to "save as"

* Some families just aren't as devoted to their kids' lives as we are :(

* Yes, I'm tired of running all the time, BUT, in a blink it'll be over.

* Cold temps aren't that cold when you're so INTO the game!

* My shelves of children's book do come in handy for a senior.

* Some of the kindest people are those you don't know well.

* An extra hour of sleep really doesn't make much difference.

* Having batteries in a camera helps it to work better.

Where Have You Been?

WOW, it seems like forever since I've blogged. And, looking back on my last entry, it has been quite some time. So, where have I been?

*Planning mini lessons each night for lessons I'm modeling
*Reading professional books to try to better understand it all
*Going to baseball games and swim meets
*Finishing my TYES responsibilities
*Preparing for mom's visit--clean windows!
*Attending Shrek--awesome!
*Trying to cook again
*Decorating for fall
*A&M "stuff"
*Encouraging Ky to work on her scholarship stuff!
*Thinking about XMAS lists
*Teaching classes

So, I've been a little busy. I'll try to write more often as I've missed you!

13 Doesn't Have to be an Unlucky Number

OCT 13, 2010--Today when I realized it was the 13th, even though not a Friday the 13th, I wondered would it be an unlucky day. Some may think, yes, but as I've had a few minutes to process the day's events, I think no.

OCT 13--Tonight Kylie talked to her club swimming coach, who she calls Dad #2 about possibly stopping swimming. She's been torn with this question for the past 6 months, but always talked herself into "I can do it!". It just never happened, she never regained her love for watching the black lines night after night. With as much courage as she could muster, she talked to Coach Dennis and made the decision to stop club swimming. She'll continue on her high school team so she can play water polo. She plans to continue to teach LTS lessons for Team YES and help others develop the "love for swimming." Although I saw it coming, I guess I didn't realize the impact this would have on me. Ky's love of the sport helped me take on new roles and pour my heart into the team because she loved it. I will never regret that time, even though there were many headaches along the way, especially JB! I look at this as God's way of helping me prepare for Ky's graduation. Rather than everything ending at the same time for Ky, this is God's way of helping me prepare one little step at a time. A chapter in our family has closed, but that doesn't mean it's unlucky.

OCT 13--Tonight was Kole's last middle school cross country meet. He has never "loved" cross country like Ky loved swimming, but he participated to be part of the group and stay in shape for baseball. Although he had a goal of running under 13 minutes and "leaving it all at the park", he missed his goal. He was very upset with himself not ending the way he wanted to. He realized he maybe didn't give it his all, and to me that was a victory in itself. A chapter in our family has closed, but that doesn't mean it's unlucky.

In high school, Kev wore #13 in baseball. He never once thought it was unlucky, and he was pretty dang good. So, tonight after chapters closing, I too don't think of 13 as unlucky. Rather, I'm going to look at 13 as opening a new chapter with lots of lucky happenings in those chapters.

The Heavy Heart of a 17 Year Old

It is so hard to watch my own daughter carry such a heavy heart. She always wants to give 100% and I think she's feeling she can't do that this year without letting something go. She wants to continue to do so well in school, but can't possibly keep going on no gas each night. Swimming used to her "outlet" to release her stress; however, now swimming just seems to be one more stressor for her, one more thing to fit in on MON and TUES.

If it is time for her to hang up her goggles, then I support her decision. Swimming has been such a big chapter of her life, it is hard to see her end it unhappy. She wants someone to tell her what to do; however, this is a decision she has to make for herself and no one else-- not her parents, not her friends, and not her 2nd dad "Coach Denny". She has to do what is right for Kylie.

Random Thoughts

Why can't the Houston weather always be this nice?!

Do I really want to consider being an AP when seeing all the discipline they deal with?

Would I want to be a 5-year old again?

Why recite the Pledge of Allegiance if you don't know the meaning?

What's so hard about reading teacher directions!?

Why don't parents come watch their swimmers swim their SR year, even after a "cheer leader" email from me encouraging their support and photo ops?

Why does the media only focus on the bad?

Hope Shrek is a good production!

Don't think the blinds will get cleaned or windows washed before mom's visit.

Will the A&M visit be as much of a WHOOP the 2nd time as the first?

A Friday night with a tuna sandwich is not as good as a Friday night with Mexican.

Can the freezer really be almost empty of the "cookie stash"?

Living a Dog's Life

For those of you who don't have pets, this blog might not be for you. (You've been warned!) However, for those that do have pets, you'll get this.

There are some things that KJ does and we don't get it--why are you barking, I'm right here! You can't be hungry again! Do you really have to bark between 8:30-9:00 every night telling us you are ready to go to bed--just go without us!

But, there are some things she does that are sneaky and we can't catch her! She knows not to get on furniture (unless of course my dad begs her to jump on his lap when he visits). I guess she doesn't think of our patio furniture as furniture. The loveseat out back has lots of evidence of KJ enjoying a "comfy couch", yet we've never seen her on the furniture.

Well this week I ran by the house one day in between schools to grab a sandwich for lunch. Usually when we come home, KJ hears the alarm and is at the back door ready to greet us. I even made quite a bit of noise in the kitchen, still no greeting at the back door. So, I looked through the window by the loveseat, and sure enough GUILTY!!! She thought she owned the place!

And now, just this morning, as I'm sitting out back blogging, she climbed up on the loveseat and pretended it was her throne again. Such a dog's life!

My Daughter Knows Me So Well

Okay, how come she was the only one able to get the multiple choice quiz right regarding 3.65? It's because she knows me so well-read her comments on the quiz and you'll get it.

The one thing she doesn't seem to understand about me today is--making a banana cream pie, cleaning bathrooms, and mopping floors is a good thing!

Love you Ky!

3.65

So, what do you think 3.65 means to our family?

A. Price I had to pay for gallon of gas this week
B. Amount of minutes I went over on my cell minutes for the month
C. Interest rate we re-financed our house for
D. Number of months Ky has left for wearing her braces
E. Grade point of one of our children
F. Total dollars worth of change I had in the bottom of my purse
G. Number of miles I ran this week

What's your guess?

Are External Incentives Bad?

When I was still in the classroom, I would hand out stickers as something to motivate students. 5 year olds were motivated easily back then! Although I totally believe in being internally motivated, sometimes the motivation must begin from the outside.

Where am I going with this? Last week, Kole ran his first cross country meet of the season. Although his time wasn't that great, he had a huge KICK left in the end. He also got beat by what Kev and I would consider a "non-athlete", which didn't go over well with us! This "non-athlete" beat Kole by 1.5 minutes--OUCH to us, but for Kole, "Hey, he's gotten good!" So, I decide to go out on a limb and offer some external motivation. So, when the boys got home from football TU night, the external incentive was made...

"Kole, for every second you beat .... by, I will give you $1." I really wasn't worried about the deal because he had so much time to drop. Well, last night Kole passed .... right before the finish line and he dropped 1 minute and 20 seconds! Although Kole won't know the exact difference until tomorrow, I think I probably owe him only a couple dollars! Thank goodness I didn't offer to pay him $1 for every second he dropped. Should I give him a bonus for good effort?

Now, will he be internally motivated now that he knows he can do it? Only next week will tell!

Can you say "TIRED"?

Oh my--this week has been long! I taught MON night, TU night, swim board meeting WED night, taught tonight, and teach SAT!

And the family is probably saying, "Can you say NO MORE SANDWICHES please!"

God's Hand

Okay, I have never considered myself a very emotional person that cries easily. However, for some reason, I "lost it" in church today.

Today was the first day at our new location for the 10:45 service. Seeing the church FULL and hearing such beautiful praise music, made the tears just start flowing. I think there was more to it, but I definitely felt God's hand touching me. Here's what His touch told me:

* Being 1200 miles away from family is tough when your dad is in the hospital, but prayer can happen EVERYWHERE at anytime!
* Watching Kylie and the other youth praise God with song and motions is very touching and uplifting, especially knowing next year at this time, she'll be attending church in College Station
* Watching Kole run cross country and give it 110% at the very end when the body is tired, shows me just how awesome the body is, but more awesome is the "Desire"
* Returning to PEO after not being able to attend due to water polo and grad school is God's way of saying, reach out to others
* Take some time for yourself! This school year has been an amazing start! It's re-energized me when I was starting to reach burn-out; however, I need to do a better job of balancing home and work. Sometimes I get so caught-up in my work, that family things are passing me by and I'm not realizing it until it's passed me by. Even 17-year olds can express that! Many of my tears today were due to God's hand on my shoulder telling me to BALANCE, and I know he was saying balancing family, work, faith, and friends.

Unfortunately, this week will not be a good way to start my balancing attempts. I teach MON, TU, TH night and SAT. I have a board meeting WED night after cross country. Since I go into work at 6:00 AM and this week won't be ending until 6:30 PM, I think 12.5 hour days are long enough at work. When I''m home, I want to be just mom/wife and thank God for giving me that opportunity.

Thank you Lord for letting me feel your touch today. Now, if I can just act on your touch!

Check That Off My List

Attend last 10:45 church service at Ridge Park location--check
Attend youth parent meeting at church--check
Get groceries--KJ3 went, check
Do laundry--family effort, check
Bake chocolate angel food cake--check
Bake snickerdoodles for Coach Kris' birthday--check
Read PK online book study discussion--check
Iron--check
Download new book to Nook--later tonight, check
Skype with parents--later tonight, check

Family Game Night

Although the first half of the weekend was filled with lots of work-related tasks, of which I enjoy doing, just can't get to it when at schools all the time. Being at schools is a good thing though and I wouldn't ask that time back for anything! So, Saturday Kylie and I did manage to leave the house for about 1.5 hours before we got back to work, yes, she had some lovely English reading to do that I don't envy her one bit for!

Before starting dinner I announced it would be family game night. I had no idea that meant "UT" and "A&M" football! We did manage to get some darts and pool in, but Kev won it all every time, so that part of family game night ended quickly. It then became who could raz who the most. At one point in the evening, Kole came out wearing every bit of UT garb he owned. Ky was gagging! The 2 of them went back and forth with each other the majority of the night. We all were laughing pretty hard.

I can't begin to image what Thanksgiving will be like when the 2 teams play each other!

Dumb Question

I'm sure we've all heard--there's no such thing as a dumb question. I disagree for a question I've heard many times, but apparently today it finally got to me!

Ran Kole into the DR today as it appeared to be more than allergies. WRONG, but they switched his allergy medicine to see if that might make a difference. ANYWAY, the DR walks in and says, "So, how are you today?" Seriously, if we were fine would we be there!?

Labor Day Weekend Alphabet Time

One of my favorite things I liked doing with my class was summarizing something we'd been working on through Alphabet Time. Let me show you how it worked by summarizing my weekend:

A: apple pie
B: baseball scrimmage, wish the other team would've shown up
C: chocolate chip bars
D:
E: email box cleaned up and filed
F: fajitas and friends
G: Garman nightmares
H: house cleaning
I:
J:
K: Krolczyk time
L: laundry overload
M: margaritas dripped in hair--thanks, Kev!
N: NOOK book finished
O:
P: playing pool with Avery
Q: quiet early mornings
R: refinancing mortgage
S: Star Wars Marathon
T: too many hours spent on the computer
U: UT and A&M football games
V: volumes of rain dumped on Monday
W: writing mini lessons
X: xtra time with family
Y:
Z: zzzs sleeping in until 7:00

~~Even in my class, sometimes letters were left unclaimed!

That's Good, No That's Bad

One of my favorite books I've always enjoyed reading to students is That's Good, No That's Bad. Parts of the past week were good, no bad.

I visited 9 schools this week, that's good!
No, that's bad, I had to fill my van up with gas!

I made meals every night this week, that's good!
No, that's bad, tonight's meal was popcorn!

My knee is feeling so much better, that's good!
No, that's bad, still can't run :(

Got to see some awesome lessons by our model teachers, that's good!
No, that's bad, because now I want to be in their classrooms EVERY day and I can't!

Heard several positive comments from teachers on support they've received this year, that's good!
No, that's bad, now the bar has been set and I need to continue to live up to that standard!

It's 8:00 on a Friday night and I'm still awake, that's good!
No, that's bad, I need my sleep!

We have a 3-day weekend, that's good!
No, that's GREAT!!!

Fantastic Friday, Scholarships/Scotcheroos/Surprise Saturday

Although bummer news about my knee on Friday, it ended up being a great day! When I got home, I started and finished all but one load of laundry, and got groceries bought for the week. Our typical "who can get to the couch and stay there the longest" didn't happen. I wanted to see if I could get most of my SAT stuff done on FRI night so it would feel like I'd have a weekend. Although I was extremely tired, it was like any other day coming home from work--more work to do! I hope I can stick to this plan because it was a good feeling when I woke up Saturday and all that was done. Plus--hardly anyone shops in HEB at 8:30 PM on a FRI--nice!

Saturday I was up early to get the guys off to baseball and run a few quick errands before we left for Cedar Park. After baseball showers we headed to Cedar Park to help celebrate Peyton's first birthday. It was such a role reversal to see Ky toting Peyton around when 17 years earlier it was Andrea toting Ky around. Where have the last 17 years gone? When Andrea babysat for us, one of her favorite things I'd have for her were scotcheroos. So, we had fun surprising her with a pan of scotcheroos also.

We left Cedar Park about 4:30 to head back to H-town for a 40th surprise bday party. It was fun seeing Anne and meeting all her friends and family.

Scholarship Saturday was all about reading up on college scholarships on the way to and from Cedar Park. This SR year is going to be quite a year!

I need to spend my SUN getting ready for a training I'm doing at a campus all day MON and TUES. I need to re-oganize some parts of presentations and go through my school bag getting that organized. It was an awesome week at work and looking forward to week 2!

Knee Update

Heard from the DR today about the x-rays. There is something "suspicious" that could be causing my pain. I understood it as "calcification that had built up, broke off, and is floating there." So I have an appt on SEPT 15 with an orhopedic DR for a consult. Limp along for a few more weeks.

Nagging Knee STILL

Err...the steroids aren't doing the trick! I thought after the first 24 hours, it was better, but this last 36 hours has been a different story--no relief. I was given a vicodin prescription on TU if the pain was too intense, but chose not to fill it. After work today, I went and got it filled. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! X-rays aren't in yet, so it's still a waiting game!

Mixed Feelings About the Start of School

So, the first day of school was Monday. I usually handle that day pretty well; however, for some reason, this year seemed to be different. Was it because I have an 8th grader and a SR and these are BIG years for them? Was it because another chapter in our family was beginning to end? Or was it because I'm really missing being at a campus? I'm unsure what it was, but I knew I could control one of those factors--off to a campus I went on the 2nd day of school! Although I could hardly walk, it was so good to see little ones and to see them "approximating reading" on day 2 of school!

I think this will be a "big year" for me to consider professionally what my next step is. I LOVE curriculum so much, but I am really missing the constant campus atmosphere. Maybe I'm just being a big dreamer, but I would love to be an instructional leader--I'm ready to take all I've learned at Lamar and put it into action. And yet, this past summer and start to the school year have been FANTASTIC!

There are days when I'm so confused, but one thing I'm not confused about is the desire to be more in tune with my family. The entire time I was in grad school, I felt like I was just there for my family "in body" with a few meals here and there, cheering kids on at their events, but not really knowing their years in school. I feel like I know more after 2 days than I knew all of their 7th grade and JR years. That's sad, but I can't go back and change it. It is what it is and I move on.

My wish for our kids is that they have the best year yet. So, we have a bad day, where's the silver-lining? I will definitely be making this my best year yet and trying to model for them how to find that silver-lining. Big years for both of them and should be filled with many memories. I can't wait to be part of that--wait, slow down, Wendy! SAVOR the moment! In a year, it'll be too quiet around the house.

Dr. Visit

Quick summary: (Thanks Missy & Ky for modeling writing in phrases!)

Dr. appt today 1:30
Explained what was going on
Dr. Irving maneuvered my good knee, whole time hoping she wasn't going to do that to my bad knee
Dr. Irvin maneuvered my bad knee--she saw a different side of me when I reacted to what she was doing!
Since no swelling, doubt there's a tear.
Severe strain diagnosis
X-rays just to be sure
Oral steroid treatment for 9 days
After healed, no running for another week, then gradually walk and run
If steroids don't help, see an orthopedic DR
Glad nothing serious, but miss my running, miss just being able to walk now!

Dr. Suddendorf Not Finding the Right Remedy

I don't think standing up all day WED and THURS did anything to improve my knee. Friday I tried to just sit at work to make-up for WED and THURS, but it still bothered me. SAT I could hardly walk up/down the stairs, it hurt so bad.

I did get out my huge ice pack that's like a wrap I had from my shoulder surgery. That did help provide relief for a few hours at a time, but when I woke up this AM, still not the "better" I was hoping for.

I do have a DR appt on TU so hopefully I can get an official plan of action to get on the healing road. I soooo miss getting up and running in the morning, and I'm serious, no sarcasm there. I had been experiencing the "runner high" and now I miss it tremendously!

Bum Knee

The running had been going great. Able to push my body further than I thought. Unfortunately, I have seemed to injure myself and have a bum knee.

Saturday when we went running, it was still dark out. Maybe that was mistake #1--running on a SAT before the sun came up! Kev and I went running around the lake and as I ran down a washed out part of the path I somewhat tripped/twisted my knee. It really didn't bother me though. I went walking on SUN before church and my knee wasn't bothering me.

Monday morning it was a different story! 5:15 the alarm goes off and we are out the door before 5:30. After the third lap, I had to stop because my knee was throbbing. I walk the rest of my time before heading home. I got home and took an Ibuprofin (so the bottle expired last year!) but didn't find much relief. That evening I found the "tender spot". At that time it was getting hard to walk on. No time for a DR visit as there's so much to do for district staff development, so Aleve and non-expired Ibuprofin will need to do! Tuesday it started feeling better. However, now WED night, it's not good--very sore and a bit swollen. Maybe it had something to do with being on my feet from 6:30AM-4:30PM non-stop presenting staff development from 8-4 and wearing 2" heals.

Yes, I'm a "real blonde", so maybe that explains some of the choices I've made lately. The smart blonde is taking over and going to try to limit the amount of walking/standing--after THURS that is, when staff development is over. This does totally bum me as I had really looked forward to running each morning. Hopefully with a little R&R and off it for a few days, I'll be back running the lake in the mornings.

Ready!

Well, I've officially been back to work for a couple of weeks now. This is usually one of the busiest times of the year for the curriculum department. Monday I was feeling very overwhelmed about getting everything ready for presenting on WED and THURS. However, today at noon, everything had fallen in place and if I had to go teach in one hour I could've. GOOD FEELING!

This year I feel like there is a lot of "energy" in the air! All the teachers seem pumped about another new year. Our department is running circles right now, but we are excited about another year as well! GOOD FEELING!

This is going to be a great year. I AM READY--GOOD FEELING!

The Weekend Following Friday the 13th and the Big SURPRISE

So, I survived my Friday the 13th and was looking forward to the weekend. I really had planned to make this weekend an entire family weekend, not working on WORK unless everyone was sleeping! So Saturday morning Kev and I get up to go run at
6:30. We got back in time for the boys to head out the door right away for baseball practice. Ky was still asleep, so my time to work on work! I got a lot done in 1.5 hours and then started laundry and other house tasks. I made brownies for dinner at Krolczyk's that night and a fresh peach cobbler. I got laundry going and picked up the piles that keep appearing on the kitchen counter. Then around 12:30 Ky and I picked up Renee and went to Sam Moon while the boys went to see a movie. Got my ironing done and grocery list made.Productive afternoon for everyone. Good thing I didn't walk at graduation or I wouldn't have gotten nearly this much accomplished!

It was 4:30ish and Ky was going with Renee to Andy's house for a SR High Youth Group swim party. She promised she'd be out to Krolczyk's by 6:30. 5:00 she texts me she's at Andy's. I "chilled" for just a little while and then decided maybe I should change before going out to Krolczyk's, not that they'd care, as we've seen each other at our worst many times, but the peach cobbler and brownie baking was evident. Threw some clean clothes on, brushed my hair, and even put on a bit of lipstick--WOW, I ended up going way out for "hanging with my best friend."

As we're driving out to Krolczyk's Kev is worried we'll get there too early. "Good grief," I said. "They won't care!" As we pulled up their driveway I was admiring their new flowerbeds. They looked great and I was thinking that I couldn't even imagine how long it took them to do all of that. We knock on their backdoor and then go in...but what to my wondering eyes should appear but a home full of my closest friends surprising me with a celebration of completing my master's. I was TOTALLY surprised. Kevin and Tina were a bit worried that I'd be upset with them because they both know I HATE surprises! However, I wasn't upset in the least. I was so glad to be with everyone as for the last 1.5 years unfortunately friends and get togethers didn't happen due to grad school. They all were supportive of me completing my degree and knew that I needed to give 100% to learning and getting that 4.0! We had a great time enjoying fajitas, variety of beverages, appetizers, cake and brownies, along with wonderful conversations. (I took the peach cobbler out there as well because I like trying new recipes out on others; however, it really wasn't in presentation style so I asked Tina NOT to put that out. This morning I tried it and it was much better tasting than it looked!) Everyone was in such a festive mood. All the kids played great together. Still, 23 hours later, I can't believe Kevin and Tina pulled it off! Everyone was really great at keeping a secret, even Kole (Perhaps it was because he was just as surprised as me! He was not part of the planning because he "lets things slip" very easily!)

Driving home last night, I really got thinking how blessed I am. For the past 1.5 years, I've tried to balance my family, work, and grad school. And it wasn't easy! But it was POSSIBLE because of who I choose to spend my life with--everyone understood "this too shall pass"and were there to pick up the pieces. And, when the 1.5 years was up, everyone was there to celebrate with me and we picked up where we left off 1.5 years ago. THANK YOU to a wonderful family and friends!

So..I went to bed well after midnight and was up by 7:00 to go walking rather than running since SUN is a rest day in our exercise routine. We then went to 8:30 service, got groceries, played with my NOOK, made waffles and sausage for brunch, and then headed down to watch the Astros. Very pleasant afternoon.

WOW! What a weekend--one I will never forget!

Friday the 13th

So, it's Friday the 13th! I kept wondering all week what this day would bring. Since I was up at 4:00 AM with Busy Brain disease and it's now 10:20 PM (way beyond the lights out at 8:00 on a Friday), I'm beginning to think it was the 13th for sure!

Busy Brain woke me up with "things to do", all work-related. Why cleaning the bathrooms dusting don't cause me busy brain I'm unsure...Anyway, I decided to lay in bed until the alarm went off at 5:15 for a run. When the alarm went off, Kev slept right through it. This was a sign he was not going to be getting up with me, so I decided to instead run upstairs to start acting on things on my busy brain list. 6:00 I'm in the shower and out the door at 6:45--feeling guilty the entire time that I didn't go run :(

Had an awesome day at new teacher staff development. Saw some awesome math instructors who are dynamic presenters--they even made math look fun to me once again! By the afternoon the teachers were looking very glazed over as they had reached brain overload. Maybe they too were suffering from busy brain.

Tonight was mine and the kids' night together as Kev was "hanging" with some of his old coaching buddies! We went to dinner at Chili's, ran to Staples for printer ink, spent what seemed like an eternity in Academy while Kole was getting his CO2 tank filled, and then went to Walmart. I usually save Walmart runs for SUN but just can't stand to wait in those lines! Since we don't lead a very exciting life on FRI, I thought the place would be empty--guess again! Way more shoppers than people checking out--again it felt like an eternity. Walmart then didn't have a can of Hershey's syrup for brownies, so we had to make a Kroger run. The entire time, Kole and I were planning on running when we got home. NOPE--it was 9:00 and we were both beyond tired. No running today :(

So, I decided to print all Kole's baseball forms off instead for him to take to practice in the AM. PROBLEM--all of a sudden I can't print from my laptop. I problem-solve the best I can, but with no luck. I then go to Dell chat online but they were unable to help at that time due to volume of calls or they were in break--still not sure. I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!! I keep working at it and discovered that somehow I messed with the pop-up blocker which messed with the printer connection--I still don't get it, but when I resumed my pop-up blockers to original state, all of a sudden I can print.

So, it's 10:10 and I'm ready for bed. Ky walks into the office and says, "Gee, you're really slacking on your blogging!" Great, another challenge! So, here I am blogging. I have been up nearly 19 hours and the alarm is going off at 6:00 to go run! I won't miss another day of running, as I'm beginning to think maybe that's why the day went downhill...Not that I'm superstitous or anything.

The best part about Friday the 13th--Ky learns she's in the top 4% of her class rank. YAHOO for her. I'm so proud of her. One more week and she begins her senior year. Watch out A&M, she's almost knocking on your door!

Some Days Are Just Meant to Stay in Bed

Friday night I had busy brain and was working on the computer from 2:00-4:00 AM, so I was so looking forward to sleeping last night since I didn't get a nap in. I didn't wake up until 6:45 when KJ was insisting eating breakfast. I noticed the sun was already up and thought "I've got to go run now or it'll be miserable." However, crawling back in bed seemed like a better plan. 7:40 I felt guilty and got dressed to go run. Kev joined me.

To say it was miserable was an understatement! It was so hard to breathe and the sun was already pounding on us. We were only able to get half our run in and ended up walking the rest. We were gone an hour and were dripping went when we got back.

We had talked to Ky while out as she was letting us know she was heading home from camp. So we decided to have some muffins ready for her when she got home--one small problem--short one egg. Forget muffins--move onto marinating the kabob meal. One small problem--the red cooking wine needed was nasty! Off to the grocery store Kev went to get eggs and the red cooking wine. He gets home from grocery store only to realize we are short a few other marinade ingredients--oh well, improvise! (So out of my comfort zone, but we did anyway!)

After I get out of the shower, I hear Kev say "XXXX" only to discover he had forgotten to put the toppings on the muffins that were already half done.

So between attempting to run in the heat and humidity and then bake/cook, nothing seemed to be working out!

The only thing that made it better was Ky walking in the door after being gone to camp for 3 weeks. Hopefully lunch will turn out good as she's not a fan of new recipes but she did say "There were times I was so hungry at camp I didn't care what they were serving, I just ate!" Maybe today is one of those days!?

Have You Seen My Wedding Ring?

So, today was baking day #2. I had 2 different types of cookies that I had to roll the dough into balls in my hands, so I took off my wedding ring so it wouldn't get gross. It was on the kitchen counter in plain view!

Perfect timing when I got a phone call as I was cleaning the kitchen so Kevin finished for me! (Yes, he works for cookies!) I then mopped the floor and did a few other things before heading into the shower at 3:00 PM (Yes, that's how long it took me and I started baking at 8:30!) While in the shower, I discovered I hadn't put my wedding ring back on.

After getting dressed I walked out to the counter where my ring was last seen--no ring! I asked Kev is while he was cleaning did he move it--nope! OK, my heart started racing at that point. We did have an alarm guy at our house today, so of course I blamed him for taking it, but Kev said he wasn't anywhere near the counter. So we started tearing the house apart--went through the garbage, checked the bottom of the dishwasher, checked the washer and dryer, dumped out dirty laundry, crawled on the carpet, opened drawers we never open, BUT NO RING!!! Kole even thought it fell on the kitchen floor, KJ ate it, and we'd have to search "elsewhere" in a few days--what a detective he'll make!

Since the alarm guy never took it and none of us had left the house, I knew it was in the house somewhere. I was convinced it would show up, but just not know when. And when you've worn a wedding ring for 22 years and only take it off for baking needs, it feels pretty weird! I decided to go work on the computer for awhile and "take my mind off it", knowing I wouldn't be able to, rather just reliving the afternoon events. As I sat down to put a folder away--ta da--there was my ring. I have no idea how it got there as I seriously don't recall picking it up--why wouldn't I have put it back on when I picked it up? I know--KJ took it and played a trick on me, right Kole?

Oh, the hazards of baking!

Baking Marathon--Part 1

Today I decided to bake cookies to stock up the freezer for when school starts. I made M&M, peanut butter, waffle iron, and Snicker's bars/cookies. I then made the most awesome, new dessert recipe. You should try it!

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR CREAM

5 cups diced white bread
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
3 cups milk
3 Tbsp chocolate liqueur or creme de cacao
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp chocolate liqueur or creme de cacao
ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine bread and chocolate morsels in a greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Stir together milk and next 6 ingredients; pour milk mixture over bread mixture. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until puffy and set.
3. Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add 2 Tbsp. chocolate liqueur, beating until soft peaks form. Cut bread pudding into squares, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks--And I'm the Old Dog, Not KJ!

OK, so after completing grad school I felt like I needed a new challenge. Why I always feel I must challenge myselfy, I'm not sure. Over the last year, making exercise a priority was not in the picture. I've always admired people who ran--not that I'd ever want to do a marathon--but it's the great feeling that they experience after running, a way to release stress, and a way to get in shape.

So this summer I read a book on running. I've attempted running in the past, but one day of it was all I could take. I really convinced myself I couldn't run--I knew it was a mental thing, but couldn't get past it. So, I thought I needed to learn more. I found a book that inspired me.

I've followed the plan, beginning with my week of walking and this week started the running plan. The plan is a gradual plan that will build up to 30 minutes of running after 10 weeks. So this week it's walk 4 minutes, run 2 minutes, repeating they cycle for a total of 30 minutes. After the first day, it was only 15 seconds before I looked at my watch wondering when the 2 minutes running would end! Today, I made it to 1 minute and 45 seconds before I looked at my watch. I'm getting there!

Things that have made a difference: invested in a good pair of running shoes at a running store (so worth the money), reading about it so I could have a deeper understanding of what I was about to embark on and how to prevent injury, taking KJ with (if I get an injury it'll be due to tripping over her leash!), going early in the morning, knowing that if Kole can do this for cross country--surely I can support him also!

Please don't ask me how many miles I'm running as my focus is on amount of time. I'm looking forward to cooler weather--why I decided to start this the hottest time of the year, I'm not sure--maybe it's one more challenge!

Laundry Lessons

Before Ky left for camp, we had some laundry lessons. She did several loads of her own laundry. So today, she's at the laundromat and texts the following questions:

~Would I be able to put my 2 towels in with my colored laundry?
~Okay, if it's tiedye is it white or color?
~Can you dry colors and noncolors together?
~How long would you guess they would dry for? Because you only pay a quarter per 8 minutes.
~OK, I'll try 40 minutes and it'll just have to work. The only laundromat in Livingston is crowded!

Do you think she'll have this perfected by college in a year?

Houston Dog Show or County Fair?

We went to the Houston Dog Show today. We enjoyed seeing all the different dogs and watching them get "foo-fooed" up by groomers. We watched agility races, flyball, frisbee & dance competitions, along with obedience training. Kevin has fallen back in love with Golden Retrievers and also likes the Cocker Spaniels. Kole just would like a second dog. NONE came home with us!

I couldn't help but remember my times walking through the cattle barns at the fairs back in Iowa while at the dog show. Instead of kids with their calves, it was adults with their dogs. "Camping Out" was the same. I do think the smell at the dog show was doable, although can't say the same about cow barns!

Dogs are soooo smart and loyal. It's hard to imagine us ever having a home without a dog. God and dog have the same letters--I wonder if there's any meaning behind that?

Beware of Clouds

OK, this morning I promised myself I'd get up and walking before 7:00 so it wouldn't be quite so hot & humid for KJ and me. As we were walking out the door, Kev said "Don't get wet." I told him the route it was going if the clouds burst open so he could come rescue us. I even asked him to repeat the route to me to be sure he was listening, and he was!

We started down the bike path--water everywhere! We went through the water-filled sidewalks anyway, anxious to get to the pond. The path around the pond was very easy to walk on since it had rained. The cloud cover provided awesome relief. After we finished our first loop, it started to rain. KJ and I seeked cover under a tree close to the street for Kev to find us. OMG--did it rain! Kev never did show up, and trust me after a few minutes, the tree wasn't providing much shelter. We were drenched and to make matters worse, KJ was constantly trying to shake the rain off her fur, getting me all the time! Finally, the rain let up enough for us to leave the tree and head it home--still no Prince Charming! (By the way, did you know that geese don't like the rain either, but seek shelter under a tree also?!)

We went around the pond until we get to the West Road entrance/exit. STILL NO KEV! By now the rain started picking up again and let me tell you--passing cars have no mercy! You would think they could slow down, but NO, they continue on their fast speed and spray water everywhere. I am further drenched. Oh yes, I'm sure many drivers were gawking at me as I looked like a wet rat; however, Kevin was NOT one of those drivers! I finally made it home, went through the garage, and who should pull up but Prince Charming! A little late now!

Recipe Relief

Well, after Kev tipped over the recipe box by accident, I decided maybe it was time to sort through the recipes, as I knew there were several "non-favorites" in the box. I threw out tons, many were very similar to others. I plan to try several new recipes within the next 3 weeks before I return to work, and then 1 new recipe/week--just to torture our kids! They HATE new recipes! Although it's really only been 2 days, I've enjoyed getting back in the kitchen. Today I'll cut out recipes from magazines and organize my pantry--AGAIN!!!

While going through the recipes, I found an old favorite I haven't made in years. I thought I'd share this nummy dessert with you.

SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE

2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese
2 (8 oz) pkgs refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Using a 9x13 pan, unroll one pkg of refrigerated crescent rolls and line the bottom of the pan, flatten the dough. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and extract. Spread over the crescent rolls. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place on top of cream cheese mixture. Pour one stick of melted butter or margarine over the top and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Any good recipes to share with me?

Saturday Symphony

OK, I have finally been able to sleep in, until 7:00 at least, which is sleeping in for me. However, the last 2 days I've gotten up and went for a walk. Since I'm taking my furry companion with me, we try to go out early in the AM. I'm thinking 7:20 isn't early enough in Houston!

Today as we were leaving, Kev said, "Do you want your music?". "No," was my response. It's rare I just get to hear the beauty of nature. Today I heard the Saturday Symphony in full force--birds chirping, lawn mowers and weed eaters revving up, geese talking at the lake, some children already laughing in their backyards, KJ lapping water in the street when she was might thirsy, and other dogs defending their homes as we'd walk by. Who needs music with the Saturday Symphony?

The Rest of the Vacation

Saturday, July 10 Gary and Kathe hosted a potluck lunch at their home for friends and families of the bride and groom. Although it was a bit warm (for Michigan standards, anyway) it was an enjoyable, relaxed afternoon. That evening, Erich and Steph opened wedding gifts that were at Gary's home. We then said our goodbyes to them as they were going home to get ready for their honeymoon on a Carribean cruise.

Sunday was spent sleeping! Ky, Kole, and Jessi played cards with the grandparents. They enjoyed dethroning the grandparent's many victories! We had a delicious dinner at Ron and Sandra's and watched the golfers go by their home. We also enjoyed some Michigan beers.

Monday we went to see Jessi and Michael's new home out in the country. They are really going to enjoy all that land and peacefullness that country living has to offer. Kev spent many hours trying to get the doorbell to work for them, but no luck! He was successful at raising the lighting fixture above their kitchen table though! That evening we ate at Beggar Dave's, a hamburger place which had the most delicious sweet potato chips! NUMMY!!!

Tuesday morning we left at 7:00 for Dubuque. We made a stop for doughnuts and lunch. We arrived in East Dubuque to pick up the guys root beer and say good bye to Gene and Max. We had a couple of hours to "chill" at Amy's before they got home from work. Leah was in rare form that night, entertaining us all! We enjoyed Happy Joe's pizza which brought back many memories to Kev and me.

Wednesday morning we left Dubuque at 4:00 AM for Houston. We pulled in the drive at 10:40 PM. Enough long-distance driving for us for the summer!

Thursday we did endless laundry, cleaning, and getting last minute things for Ky for camp. I even cooked a real meal and had a coffee cake made to throw in the oven this AM. I'm looking forward to being able to spend more time cooking and baking now that grad school has ended.

Running some errands this afternoon before we enjoy a Mexican dinner tonight. The last "hurrah" before Ky leaves for camp tomorrow afternoon. Good thing I have lots to do the time to keep my mind occupied while she's gone; otherwise, I think it would be a long 3 weeks!

Saline, Michigan: Part 2

Thursday was the dress rehearsal. We arrived at the church by 4:00. The priest was quite a character. Kevin had to step in for Matt who was unable to make it to the rehearsal--he was not always on his best behavior--imagine that!

Following the rehearsal we went to downtown Ann Arbor to a pizza place. There was a room reserved upstairs for all 50+ guests. They had a pizza buffet with breaksticks and salad set up. Kev and I tried a new beer that's made in Michigan. It had a fruity taste to it. We're going to see if we can find some to bring back to Houston with us. Kylie really had fun with all her future "cousin-in-laws" as she likes to call them, especially getting attached to Sydney the flower girl.

Friday morning I took Ky to meet Jenna (the other JR bridesmaid) to get her hair done. They decided to go with a half-up/half-down, but Ky's would have curls and Jenna's would be straight. It turned out great. I then ran through McDonald's to get Ky some lunch. When we got back to the house, I joined the guys in eating a egg casserole--nummy! The 4 of us all got ready. I must say our children were very stunning and looked much older than they were!

We left for the church at 12:15. The wedding was beautiful! Steph was a beautiful bride and Erich didn't appear as nervous as I thought he'd be, although he was a bit anxious (twice) to say his vows. There were many pictures afterwards before heading to the reception. Happy hour was from 5-6 and then everyone sat down to eat dinner. Our family sat with Gene and Max, Ron and Sandra, and Judy and Della. Wonderful toasts were given, and I think it hit Kev and I at about the same time that the next big Suddendorf get-together would be one of our children's weddings. Although that's still quite a few years away, it's hard to believe how fast they've grown up! We enjoyed lots of dancing! Ky was having a great time dancing with lots of different people. Kole was not so excited about dancing, but I did capture some slow dances with him. Per Kole's suggestion, Kev requested "Butterfly Kisses" to be played which is a very special song between Kev and Ky. We played musical chairs (and the bride won!) before we left at 11:30. Lots of fun.

And now today--potluck lunch at Gary's for 70-some people!

Saline, Michigan: Part 1 Visit

We arrived in Saline, Michigan Monday afternoon around 3:00. It was a beautiful drive from Dubuque. We only stopped twice, once to stretch and once for lunch. Ky drove a 2 hour stretch in the middle of the trip. Kev drove his folks out in their car. We would alternate who was leading the way, which appeared to make Kole nervous as he thought only Kev knew the way. It was a very short drive compared to the other driving we've done!

Everyone except for Kathe's brother was there for dinner Monday night. We enjoyed visiting with everyone prior to dinner. After eating sloppy joe's, we took Ky to Stephannie's grandma's to try on her dress. It fit great. The hem was measured and grannie will finish that up. We then went and saw Erich and Stephannie's house and then Ron and Sandra's house. Both homes are beautiful and they should be very proud.

On Tuesday, the guys began their golf outing. It was one of the hardest courses they played, and yet Kole insisted on driving from the same place as the big boys! While they were golfing, I worked on some workshops I'm giving when I get back. Ky played cards with Jessie and the grandparents. That night we enjoyed a nummy chicken dinner. After dinner the cousins played frisbee and then some rough-housing inside. Lots of laughter!

Wednesday the guys were off golfing again. I enjoyed finishing another book, Little Bee. Kathe's brother Steve arrived in the morning and we caught up with him. While Jessi was at the gym, Ky and I went and did a little shopping. They have the most amazing Borders book store, although I told myself I wouldn't buy anymore books. Thank goodness someone called from work that I needed to leave and get some information off my laptop, or I may have broken my promise of not buying anymore books. I've been going back and forth about investing in a Kindle or Nook. I'm really leaning towards the Nook, but won't make a decision until I finish all my books "waiting to be read" pile--hopefully before school starts! On our way home from Borders we picked up Gene and Max so they could play cards with Jessi and Ky. Wednesday night we enjoyed a Mexican dinner at Ron and Sandra's, along with a nummy oatmeal cake.

Today the boys are off golfing again. Dress rehearsal is at 4:00, so it'll be a R&R day for us prior to rehearsal. I think I'll start a new book!

Dubuque, Iowa: Part 2 Visit

We left for Dubuque Friday morning. After taking the "scenic route" (that error could be blamed on me as I was reading a book and not paying attention, plus get a little car sick at that point) we arrived at Amy's house before lunch. Leah got to ride back to Dubuque with us, since Amy went back on Thursday. We enjoyed hearing her sing to Taylor Swift. Although she had heavy eyes and big sighs, she never did fall asleep. Amy grilled delicious burgers that had different marinades. Even more inspiration to get back into my cooking/baking habits after a 1.5 year hiatus! The guys went golfing, while we ventured to the pool. Amy and I watched Leah and Kylie. Although Ky really wanted to teach her how to swim, Leah enjoyed someone knew to play with. It was good cousin time! By the time we got back to the house, Leah was ready for a nap, so Ky and I headed to the mall. Kev's back to school shopping is done! After Leah's nap and the golf outing, we met the guys for dinner at a Mexican restraunt. Dan had ordered a 24 ounce margarita and was on a roll! We enjoyed hearing their golf stories and watching Leah jam to the mariachi (sp?) band.

Saturday my dad met the boys for golf outing number 2. Kole enjoyed playing the exploding golf ball trick on my day. My mom came down later in the afternoon. About 3:15ish we headed to the river for the airshow and fireworks. We camped our stuff out on a hill. There was a big shade tree close by that some of us enjoyed while the kids (big and old) tossed a football around and kicked a soccer ball. The air show went for 3 hours, with the fireworks beginning around 9:45. I don't know how anyone can't feel a hint of patriotism after watching the fireworks and hearing patriotic music accompanying the fireworks. Although it's hard to beat fireworks shooting up over the Washington Monument, it was a great show. We were back to the van by 10:30, but didn't make it back to Amy's until midnight. That's VERY LATE for the Suddendorfs!

This morning we slept in until 9:00. We've enjoyed a lazy day (except for those competing in the WII challenge) of R&R, which was definitely needed. Up early in the AM for our drive to Michigan.

Iowa: Part 1 Visit

We arrived in Postville on Monday, June 28 at 10:30 PM after leaving Houston at 4::07 AM. Pretty uneventful drive until we saw all the deer at night in Iowa. Good thing Kev was driving then! All Bambis averted!

Tuesday we went up town and visited with Kev's folks and enjoyed a lunch with them. Later that afternoon we went out to Grandma Overland's home and got her mail for her, visiting briefly. That night Grandma came out to the folks' home, along with Doug. We enjoyed a grilled turkey--nummy. I'm thinking that might be a new adventure for Thanksgiving as it sure frees the oven up.

Wednesday Kole and Kevin went fishing with Gene, while Kylie and I enjoyed watching Leah play school. Boy, did I learn a lot about her teacher Ms. Jessica. She has quite the vocabulary for a 4 year old! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! She had all her babies lined up, had a circle time with them reading them books and reviewing flash cards, and then putting children in time-out when they were not following the rules! Sounds like a teacher in the making! That afternoon we went to the river and rented a pontoon. Kylie water skiied and even was able to perfect slalom skiing. Kole enjoyed tubing. I apparently enjoyed getting burnt in only 4 hours. Becky joined us from Des Moines around 6:30. We enjoyed steak, corn on the cob, and raspberry pie. I think Becky was ready for a night of "something" but all of us were too tired from the river that we called it quits early!

This morning Kev, Kole, and Amy went golfing. Becky, Kylie, Leah and I played Chutes and Ladders and put a puzzle together. I managed to sneak in a little "work" part of the morning as well. Tonight Doug and Dawn joined us for dinner which we enjoyed eating outside. The weather has been perfect! Tomorrow we head to Dubuque.

part one of Iowa road trip--new discoveries

1. How did I survive road trips when I was younger without all the gizmos and gadgets?
2. Pandora's box comes in handy when few radio stations can be picked up.
3. Twizzlers are a great pick me up when you are tired and the designated driver.
4. Kev and KJ both drool when they sleep.
5. Even for a dog who sleeps most of the time, 19 hours is a long ride.
6. Spicy McChicken sandwiches are not sold in Iowa.
7. In Texas when there is road construction advising drivers to merge drivers wait until they are on the cones. In Iowa drivers merge immediately when they see the sign 2 miles before the actual merge.
8. 55 mph is a LOT slower than 70 Mph.
9. Phone apps come in handy when you don't have a book light.

Heavy Heart

Today was a big day for Ky swimming at Ponderosa and I was so looking forward to seeing her swim. She had qualified for the 3 events that were happening today. She knew her best chance for qualifying for finals was her 100 free. When that didn't happen, the flood gates opened. I didnt' know if she was upset because she didn't final, because she wanted to be part of the finals hooplah tonight, or she was realizing that summer league was coming to a close. I think it was a combination. Her coach and her 12 year old swim buddies tried to cheer her up, but it wasn't happening. Her heart was very heavy which made mine even heavier as well. Swimming has been such a part of our lives since Ky was 4 and now that chapter of her life (summer league swimming) has come to a close. It is a very strange feeling. She did end the meet well though, as the relay team she was on set a new team record. So both relays she's been part of, she is now part of both team records for 15-18 year old girls. It was a great way to end the meet that didn't start out so great.

Ky is going to go back to the meet to support the rest of the team tonight. She won the team spirit award this season and it's obvious why--she gets everyone else psyched up to swim a great race! I'm so proud of her.

Change Blog Name???

I did it! I took my last final early this morning and all my grad work is submitted! Now, I just have to wait for my certificate/dilploma to arrive in the mail late August. I did something I really didn't know if I could accomplish when I began this January 2009.

When I decided to start blogging, I really thought "busy life" was perfect for a blog title. Now I wonder, will I still be busy? Although I am looking forward to a few weeks to somewhat chill, I can't imagine not still being super busy. I can see my "busy life" shifting/having a new focus--preparing good home-cooked meals and desserts again, trying to make time for some form of exercise, "maybe" watching NCIS that my family keeps begging me to do with them as they are all addicted to that show (I just don't like to watch TV, but I know that's not what this is about!), reading a book "just because", maybe finding a book club to join. I don't know, I just know it needs to be something.

A New Reason to Blog

OK, lately my brain has been going wacko by hiccupping some days with information and vomiting other days with brain overload! Last night, my brain was a little clearer after sharing my recent learning at a workshop and submitting my final assignment. So, I got thinking (no time not to think!) about blogging.

When I first started blogging in January it was a way to create a digital family scrapbook and a way for me to chill. However, after the last couple of weeks, I think I have found another reason to blog. When I went to NYC last summer, I then started reading a lot more for reasons other than for grad school. I realized the significance of my life as a reader and the impact that would have on teaching others to learn to read. Some days I really tried to think about what I was doing as a reader, although there were many times I just read to read. My reading experiences have helped me to become a better teacher of reading. And so I got thinking...Hmmm I wonder if my writing experiences will help me become a better teacher of writing? Yes, I think so! When I first started blogging I really struggled with "What should I blog about today?" just as a five year old thinks, "What should I write about today?" I do think this blogging has really helped me to get an even clearer picture of writing. AMAZING!

Read on? Write on? You bet!

Submit!

I submitted my last grad school assignment tonight! Now, all I have left is my final on Friday. I'm thinking of setting the alarm for 5:00 AM and taking it before I teach that day--oh what a feeling!!!

Watch Out For Whitesharks

Yesterday was the summer league divisionals meet. It's where all the teams that Kylie swam against as dual meets this summer came together in one big meet. There were over 1000 swimmers there. They were able to sit in an air-conditioned school until they swam while the parents sat out on the hot concrete parking lot! I wanted to get some work done before the meet, so Ky and Kev left at 6:00 AM. Kole and I didn't leave until 7:45. The meet began at 8:30. Ky swam her seed place in almost every event and dropped time just a little. Throughout the entire day the team leaders were going back and forth between Wortham and Coles Crossing. It was predicted that it would come down to the final relays to determine the winner. Ky's relay was the final relay and Ky led it off--she swam the best she had all day--you could tell she was determined! The girls finished first. When the anchor got out of the pool they all started screaming--whoever won the final relay won the meet. So not only did the girls win the meet, they also set a new record. What an amazing feeling after seeing them work so hard.

But, as I write this, I also realize there will be an emptiness in my heart as this was probably the last divisionals meet Kylie will ever swim since she hopes to be a counselor at camp next year. She's been swimming divisional meets since she was 4 years old, and now it's over. I wonder if Ky has realized that yet. Although it makes me sad, it also makes me so proud. The first meet she swam, she had to pull on the lane ropes to get to the other end of the pool. We really wondered if we were doing the right thing by putting her on a swim team. Then, 13 years later, she is on the winning relay team that sets a new team record and made sure the Whitesharks won the meet. I am so proud of all she's accomplished as a swimmer! I know swimming has caused her many heartaches at time, but in the end it has contributed to so many wonderful happenings--setting goals, doing something you didn't think you could do, being a leader and mentor to others, learning how to study while looking at lane lines, becoming a pro at multi-tasking, learning to do a lot on little sleep, being impacted by wonderful coaches, leading to a new love of water polo, and learning how to give it your all when the tank is empty! Ky has given it her all!

The Help & The Energy Bus

These past 4 weeks have been jam-packed with 2 classes of grad school, closing out the school year, preparing for Cancun so I didn't have to take any work with me, being in training all last week, and preparing for delivering training all this next week. The last thing I needed to do was read for pleasure! However, reading for pleasure is something I thoroughly enjoy and in order to help students be lifelong readers I need to model being a lifelong reader myself.

Two books I recently read were The Help and The Energy Bus. The Help was recommended by my mom. She said it was a "can't put it down book". I was worried about taking it with me to Cancun because if I truly couldn't put it down, my family would not be happy with me! I started in on the airplane and read one day on the beach. I could see if I had an entire day to just read, I probably wouldn't have put it down. I don't think I would've chosen it by reading the blurb on the back, but I went with my mom's recommendation and it was a good book. The Energy Bus was one recommended in my training this last week. It was a quick read (about 1.5 hours) that I read last night after being out in the sun all day at a swim meet. My brain was too tired to think about my upcoming workshops, so I decided to do a "no think" read instead. The problem was it did make me think! Again, a good book I hope to be able to embrace many of the concepts in it.

Looking for some new book recommendations to take with me on our trip to Iowa and Michigan. Any suggestions?

Brain Overload

Have you ever thought your brain was just going to splatter out onto someone because there just wasn't room for anything more? WOW--did I feel that way this week.

Last year I had the opportunity to go to New York to receive some training from the Teachers College. It was an amazing experience and the most worthwhile training I had ever received. This year, the training came to our district. Although parts were similar, there was a lot of new learning as well. It made my brain hurt and I most often had "busy brain disease" at night, unable to stop thinking about all me learning.

Now, it's applying it all--more restless nights of busy brain disease ahead.

Vacation's Over :(

So, Sunday morning I had laundry done by 11:00, went to church at 11:00 for Kole to be commissioned for his mission trip, took Kole for a hair cut, helped him pack for his missions trip, left at 2:00 for Ky's swim meet, got home at 9:00 from the meet, took my mid-term, and crashed!

Monday I left for work at 6:30. The Teachers College came to our district this week, so I'm attending that training again and learning LOTS. My brain hurts! I got home at 3:30 and did a little grad work before eating dinner and heading to the pool. I got home at 8:00 and started working on swim team stuff and preparing for TU training. Although I went to bed by 9:30, Ky and Renee stayed up until 1:45 AM tie-dying.

Tuesday I was at work by 7:00. I checked on a few things and then went to the training. Again, my brain hurts! Tonight there's a swim team meeting at my house at 6:30.

Kevin has been awesome--done the grocery shopping, picked up the house, swept, cleaned bathrooms, and made brownies for the meeting tonight! He managed to do all of this and golf 27 holes today. He can be pretty good at multi-tasking himself!

Only 10 days left of grad school--can you tell I'm excited or what!? I have some of that work left to do, but my big "hanging over my head" is the training I'm doing next week. It's based on our training we're receiving this week and then we turn-around next week and present it. Although I'd love to have handouts ready, can't happen until we get through our training--so you know what my weekend will consist of! And that's around a swim meet on SAT that we'll need to leave for around 6:30 and it'll go until 3:00ish. It's okay--it'll all get done! I'm working off adrenaline now!

Cancun Memories Cont...

Friday was a big day for us. We got a private driver (only $20 more than taking a bus and having to wait for all of them to board by day's end!) and headed to XCaret. It's a park of wildlife (marine and land), along with shows. We had arranged for the driver to pick us up at 9:00; however, the room service that was to be delivered between 8:00-8:30 didn't arrive until close to 9:00 so we got a little later start than anticipated. It took us about 1.25 hours to get there. The driver walked up and got our tickets for us so we could walk right in--best extra $20 ever spent! We walked some underground caves, saw animal exhibits, rested in some hammocks and headed to the dolphin swim. Both Ky and Kole wanted to swim with the dolphins so we arranged that for them. Kole was a bit nervous, but not Ky! They were in a group with 2 others and swam for about an hour with the dolphins. Ky loved it and Kole did also by the time they finished. If only one wouldn't have to study science, Ky would love to explore marine biology! Kevin and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their expressions throughout the entire experience! We then watched some flying men and headed for a late lunch (Yes, Ky had plenty of snacks up to that point!) After lunch (4:30ish) we went swimming in the underground river. It was COLD but yet refreshing on such a hot day. After the underground swim, we went to a cultural show of the history of Mexico. The music and costumes were amazing! We only wished they would've interpreted the words in English as our Spanish interpreters (Ky and Kole) couldn't translate all of that for us. The show ended at 9:00 and we got back to our hotel about 10:30--a long day!

Saturday morning we headed down to the beach and pool for one last time. We checked out at noon, ate lunch, and then waited for our ride to pick us up and head back to the airport at 2:30. Our passports had fallen out of my carry-on bag in the van, but I caught that before we got out at the airport. Ride back was smooth flying! We landed in Houston about 7:30, were home by 8:45, and Ky had friends over by 9:00.

What made it so great? No phone, no internet, all of us together for everything, no food tried, lots of sun, few disagreements, a time to just be ourselves and not worry about anything!

Yes, I did get one book read--The Help. It was a book I normally wouldn't have selected but was recommended to me by my mom--good book!

Cancun Memories

What a vacation--some of the best family time--long-lasting memories!

We left TU for the airport a little after 6:00 AM. We weren't planning on leaving until 6:30, but we were all anxious and ready! After parking the car, we headed to Continental terminal to find we were a few pounds over 50 in one of our bags, so I threw out the shampoo and conditioner (is that why they make travel-size) and we were good to go! While in line waiting to go through security, we run into a Cy-Falls baseball coach who was going to Dominican Republican to have a baseball clinic. Then while waiting to board the plane, Kev notices a Langham fball coach. I swear Kev knows more people! Kev was just hoping the Langham coach didn't recognize him--the last thing he wanted to do was talk fball!

The flight down was uneventful. We made it through immigration and customs without any problem. We found our travel company waiting for us to take us to our hotel. Who should be on our van ride? Yes, the Langham coach! However, when we were dropped off at our hotel, it was not the Langham coach's destination.

We checked out the hotel and started thinking about our excursions. We went down to the beach and stayed at the hotel the rest of TU.

WED we booked our excursions for TH and FRI and then spent the rest of the day enjoying the beach, pool, unlimited beverages and snacks! Ky did taste margaritas and prefers strawberry to regular. What we learned that day--expired sun screen is not a good thing!

TH we left the hotel at 7:40 AM to go snorkeling. We rode about 45 minutes to the site. Our guide was excellent. We snorkeled at two spots--God's underwater beauty is amazing! The guide then offered for anyone who wanted a chance to do a version of parasailing in which you swing on a parachute and then they drop you in the water. Ky was the 2nd to try it. She asked to be lowered into the water when she was done swimming rather than be dropped. Not to be outdone by his daughter, Kev tried it too. His entry into the water wasn't as graceful!

We then enjoyed appetizeers and drinks at the snorkeling site while waiting for our bus to pick us up. However, while waiting, Ky passed out. Yes, she said it was the similar experience of when she passed out at school. We got some suger in her quick and the medical staff checked her out. She's usually pretty good about snacking throughout the day, but with it being so hot, she really didn't feel like snacking. Lesson learned!

More another day--too much work to do!

Reveal or Cover Up?

OK, so I got up yesterday at 5:00 AM (Yes, a Saturday that early!) and decided to work non-stop on work and grad school so I could be ready to spend getting ready for our trip. At 7:00 PM I finished, but got almost everything done I had hoped to. With that being done, I could now concentrate on getting ready for our trip.

I realized it had been 7 years since I last purchased a swim suit. Although I have no idea if it still fits, my family insisted I buy a new one. So, Ky volunteered to help me swim suit shop. And to be honest, there is nothing I dread more than shopping for a swim suit.

After church, Ky and I headed to Memorial City. We went into Macy's. The first suit I saw that I would agree to try on was $89 for the top alone! Not willing to pay that, so we looked some more. Finally we found the section that fit my budget. As Ky was showing me different suits I realized her purpose in a swim suit is to reveal and my purpose is to cover up!

In the end, I found more that would work than I realized. I found 3 that I couldn't decide between, so Ky took pictures of me in each one and sent them to Kev (the benefits of a cell phone!). I had decided I would buy 2 (who knew, it might be another 7 years before I did this type of shopping again!). I knew the one I liked the most, but asked Kev to make his vote. My #1 choice was his #3! So I decided I'd buy all 3! And all 3 cover up rather than reveal!

22 Years Later...

Friday was our 22nd anniversary! Seriously, how can 2 people who look so young have been married for so long?! As usual a few days before our anniversary, we checked with each other to see the status of gift giving. We learned early on--don't guess! So, rather than one person surprise the other and the other get upset because they weren't surprised with a gift, we just ask! Please don't tell me we're the only ones this has happened to! As usual, the end of the school year brings to much "to do" to think about gifts and we're okay with that. Kev knows to ALWAYS GET A CARD (we don't even ask that!) and his card to me was perfect!

Well, a romantic dinner wasn't had either. We were at a baseball game as Kole's team is in a tournament this weekend. The game was UGLY and even though it ended sooner than expected, both 22 year old newlyweds were not in a great mood due to the embarrassing loss, so we ordered pizza and had a cold beer to go with it. Exciting, huh?

We had contemplated celebrating our anniversay today, but that wasn't to happen either. Ky had a swim meet. She went on her own at 6:30 and I joined her before her first event at 8:30. It was in the upper 90s and no breeze whatsoever! Ky swam her "off" events this week to try to get times for the big invitational meet at the end of the season. SCORE--she got all her times and even looked good in her fly! Watch out Ponderosa--here she comes!

The meet ended at 2:30 and Kole's game today began at 2:00 so I zoomed over to the diamond for a continuation of a HOT afternoon. I knew how hot I was, but couldn't imagine how hot the boys were in their long pants. They ended up tying. We won't know until closer to 11:00 tonight what time they'll play on Sunday. They will play until they lose, so hope for a LONG day!

I got home a little after 4:00 and then started my next adventure. Ky had an opportunity to go to her camp this weekend to "hang and bond" with all the camp workers. It all began FRI night, but due to the swim meet and Megan's graduation party, she wasn't available until late this afternoon. Her plan was just to drive their on her own. Well, her plan and our plan weren't exactly the same. Neither Kev nor I felt comfortable with her driving 1.5 hours away on her own after being in the hot and tired, plus she's never driven there before, so we were a bit worried about her finding camp okay. Kev and I agreed that I would follow her up there to make sure she made it safely and then tomorrow she could come up on her own. So, 4:30 we left, pulled into camp at 6:00, and by 6:05 I was headed back home, pulling into the garage at 7:30.

I have at least 12 hours of grad work awaiting me (but that's to finish one class entirely and get through week 3 of class 2) so that I'm ahead and don't have to work on anything while sitting on the beaches at Cancun. Unfortunately, I'm too tired to tackle any of that tonight as the heat has worn me out. And, with the Rattlers planning on winning all day tomorrow, it looks like Monday it will be!

So, no we didn't get a chance to celebrate tonight either. I had an ice cream cone and strawberry limeade from Sonic, while Kole and Kev had Whataburger. It looks like we'll have some time together in July to celebrate 22 years!