In A Moment...

Evolution of the Nursery

2011-06-18T22:05:00.001-07:00

The Before Shot

Cleaning...

...and More Cleaning!

Taping...

...and More Taping!

Painting...

...and More Painting!

Taking a Break With the Furbaby!

The Evolution of a stencil!

Aaron Gets to Play With Sharp Tools

Applying the Stencil

Voila! It's Finished!

24 Weeks down, 16 to go!

And Another Furbaby!

I'm Back...But Not Here

2008-07-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! (Or anyone brave enough to actually check into my blog after no posts for two years!) If you're looking for a new post (Yes- believe it or not I actually did one!) you won't find it here. I decided to start fresh with a new blog. Please visit me at my new place.

In A Moment's Time

See you there!

Friday Fifty Six

2006-08-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, a Chelsea Morning is my mom. Well, today is her birthday. In honor of this day, I have decided to tell the world 56 things I love about her. Just so you know, this was a totally random number I chose because it sounded good with "Friday." Really. Mom is turning 30 today. Again.

56 Things I Love About My Mom...

1.She is one of the most creative people I know. She says she isn't, but you should see the things she's made.

2.She is a great teacher. She has taught me cross-stitch, crochet, sewing, and soon cooking.

3.She has always encouraged me to follow my dreams.

4.She has supported me in everything I have ever done. She spent a great deal of my childhood sitting on bleachers watching gymnastics meets, softball games, volleyball, basketball...She even spent four days in California with a particularly terrible group of teenage girls so that my cheerleading squad could be in a parade.

5.She shares her computer with me. This is seriously a big deal, because this time of year, the amount of school stuff I need to get done is insane.

6.She humors me when I get excited about something. She is always listening to me talk about my students, and even reads their papers if I insist she just has to see how cute or how good it is.

7.She is an excellent helper, and always willing. Last year, she spent an entire day with me shopping for school stuff and then setting up my classroom.

8.She never hesitates to loan me her couch when I get homesick on the weekends.

9.She also never hesitates to let me use her washer and dryer (and laundry soap) on those homesick weekends.

10.She always knows exactly what you need to feel better. Right after I moved out, she gave me my favorite blanket of hers that I always cuddled under. It helped a lot with the homesickness and still does.

11.She pulls off the absolute best Christmases ever! As a child and as an adult, my Christmases have always been extra special, even when times were tough for all of us.

12.She pretty much gives the best parties, period. Anybody who has never attended a holiday, shower, or bunko party at her house is truly missing out.

13.She is a great nana. I don't have kids right now, but watching her with my sister's son, I know she will be a great nana to my kids too some day.

14.She has an incredible love of reading, which she has passed down to me. She began reading to me before I could even sit up on my own, and to this day I still love to curl up with a good book. I will never forget this gift.

15.She is really smart. She grew up at a time where schools emphasized home economics and secretarial classes more than academics for girls, but she is still really smart when it comes to the bookish stuff. (Like kicking my butt at scrabble).

16.Education has always been important to her, especially that of her daughters. She was always there to help with homework and projects, and was our biggest encourager when it came time to make decisions about college.

17.She is addicted to TV shows, you know the "reality" kind. This sounds like a silly thing to love about someone, but I can't tell you how great it is to have someone to watch these with, and get as wrapped up in them as I do.

18.I can talk to her about anything. I never hidden anything from my mom.

19.She taught me how to play Rummy. Again, this sounds silly, but as a female in this family, this is a highly important skill to have.

20.She plays other games with me, too. Even as a little kid. I still have very fond memories of Mom playing Sorry or Monopoly with my sister and me. Most get-togethers don't end until Mom has gotten out at least one, sometimes two, games.

21.My mom is fun! She loves to have girls day out, and go to lunch or a movie or shopping. One of my favorite ways to spend a day is a margarita afternoon with Mom.

22.She would do just about anything for someone she cares about. Last year, she spent hours and hours making tons of beaded spider Christmas tree ornaments for me to take to school and give to the staff.

23.She is a fabulous cook. There is absolutely nothing in the world better than a meal made by my mom. I'd prefer dinner at Mom's house to a night out any time.

24.She always makes me feel at home. Even though I have my own place now, when I stay at her house, I never feel like a guest. I feel like I never left. This is probably why at 25, I still refer to my Mom's house as "going home."

25.She is the only person who will humor me when I start going on and on about this or that in teaching. I am pretty sure that many times she is zoned out, but she lets me get excited and ramble, and that is enough for me.

26.She took care of my Grandma when she was so sick. This act of love says a lot about her patience and her heart, and when you look at all she did, you can't help but be in awe of her.

27.She still has a friend from years and years ago (long before I even existed to her). This says a lot about her loyalty.

28.She has never stopped being a Mom. My sister and I are both grown up and (kind of) out on our own, but my mom is just as involved now as she was when we were toddlers. Just because we grew up didn't mean she stopped taking care of us.

29.She is sentimental. She appreciates the smallest of things, and always knows exactly what to do or say or give to make you feel just the right way. I still have little trinkets and treasures that I found in my stocking or Easter basket over the years that are even more special today than they were then.

30.She is one of the most caring people I know. I have seen her cry and fervently pray for people she has never even met - soldiers, hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11 victims, people in Bloggersville who are hurting. She cares so much that her heart aches for people she doesn't even know.

31.She laughs out loud when she reads. I know, another silly thing, but there is nothing more comforting on a "lazy day" than Mom reading her book and laughing out loud, completely clueless to the fact that everyone is watching her.

32.She is a great decorator. Every time I move into a new little apartment or house, I call Mom, and she comes and arranges the furniture, and hangs things and gets the decorations set out just the right way. Once, I left her in my apartment for an afternoon while I went to work. When I got home, it was like walking into a new place.

33.She finds humor in just about everything. No matter how bad I think a situation is, she can always figure out a way to make me laugh about it.

34.She gave me a past I can be proud of. I know a lot of people who don't talk about their past or their family, because of embarassment or shame. I love telling people about my family and my past. My mom has given me wonderful memories to share.

35.I had a fabulous childhood, and blame it on my Mom.

36.She laughs until she cries. Anyone who has never seen my mom really get to laughing might not understand, but when she laughs, it is the most infectious thing. Even if the thing she is laughing at isn't even remotely funny, if she laughs, you will laugh. We're talking tears and snorting. Really, you need to witness it. I love it when my mom laughs.

37.She always did what she had to to make sure my sister and I had what we needed. I don't remember having a lot of money growing up, but I also don't remember ever having needed or wanted anything. No matter what the circumstances, she somehow always made sure we had enough.

38.She knows me inside out- probably better than anybody. She never follows a Christmas or Birthday list, even if she asks for it - she already knows exactly what to get. She always knows what to do or say to make me feel better.

39.She loves everything living. People. Animals. Humming birds. If it breathes and moves, she gets extremely excited over it. (unless it slithers, I think she draws the line at slithers).

40.She is wise. Not only was she concerned about our academic achievements and success, she was worried about our success as people. She taught us the really important stuff - you know the stuff you don't learn in school. Manners, caring, how to treat other people, what to do when other people don't treat us well, empathy...She taught us this through words and her own actions.

41.She is okay with who she is. I have never known my mom to be too overly concerned with her image, or what other people have to say about her. She is who she is, and she is okay with that.

42.She is capable of finding beauty anywhere, any time. I can't tell you how many times she has made me drop what I am doing and come outside. Then she says "look!" and points at the night sky. You would think she has never seen the stars before.

43.She is capable of unreal levels of excitement. I have never met anybody who gets more excited than her over weddings, new babies, a new hobby, a puppy, a humming bird in the yard. It is like everything is new and different, even if she has seen it a hundred times.

44.She is more dedicated and devoted that anyone I know. When she takes on a new challenge, hobby, or task, she puts her whole self into it, yet still manages to hold down all her other forts.

45.She is the queen of clean. We kind of give her a hard time about this, but I have seen some kids come from really awful homes. I don't think she knows how much my sister and I appreciate having had a clean home to grow up in.

46.She wants to be a part of my life. Not just in the "oh, that's nice" motherly sort of way. She really cares what is going on and wants to be a part of it. I have seven and eight year olds come to me daily whose parents aren't in the least bit concerned about their lives. What a difference it makes.

47.She lets me be a part of her life. She tells me things and has real conversations with me. She doesn't hide things that are going on in her life, which to me is the ultimate relationship to have with your mother as an adult.

48.She still takes care of me when I am sick. If I have to get a sub at school, I drive straight "home" to Mom's house. I heal faster there.

49.She has unbelievable family values. I can't think of anything that is more important to her than her family. Her own parents, her siblings (esp. her sister), her neices and nephews, her husband and kids, her grandson. There is no one in this family that is not at the top of her priority list.

50.She is a born caregiver. She takes care of grandbabies, pets, daughters, hubby, plants, fish. It's like she can't help but take care of things.

51.She can fix anything. A tear, a stain, a spill... if there is something that is broken or needs fixing, you can bet she will figure out how to fix it. (And, she only uses four products to do it!) This is truly a gift!

52.She is forgiving. I have given her some not-so-nice looks and said some not-so-nice things in moments of high anxiety and low levels of sleep. (I do not handle stress well.) She has always forgiven me for these moments.

53.She can be a big mean mama if she needs to. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, but if someone wrongs her family, you better watch out. I have seen her go from zero to mean in about 2 seconds flat. She stands up for me like no one else (except my sister, who clearly learned it from her).

54.She is lovable. Every one of my friends who has ever met my mom loves her.

55.She is beautiful. My friends are always telling my how pretty she is, and how young she looks despite being a whopping 30. I get so proud you would think they were telling me I was a knockout, or that I was somehow responsible for this beauty. Yes, it's a little shallow, but my mom is pretty, and I am proud of having a pretty mom.

56.I am who I am, and where I am, today because of my mom.

Happy Birthday Mom!!! I love you to pieces, and I am so happy that I get to come "home" today and spent at least part of your day with you.

Tuesday Treasure #1

2006-08-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

This wonderful little treasure I found is a bird nest that sits right above my front door. When I was moving in, I knew it was there, but I thought it was empty. After I settled in, during a quiet afternoon I heard lots of chirping. I went and peeked outside, and discoverd three baby birds crying for food. It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen!

When I first discovered these tiny critters, they were so little you could only see their beaks peeking out over the top. Now they are getting so big, and they are climbing all over each other. You can look at the nest at any time and see all three of them.

This little nest is a wonderful symbol of the major change I made recently. I went from a terrible apartment that was hot, smelled bad, and had terrible neighbors to an adorable little house with the sweetest little creatures ever right outside my door. When I discovered this treasure, I knew I had made the right decision.

All that's missing is the white picket fence!

Just Another Day

2006-08-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Did I say there were 315 days left until our wedding? I did? Oh. Well, I meant 322...

It has been a long time since any of us has done an update on the wedding planning. Several weeks, actually. Know why? Aaron and I have been loafing around the last few weeks. We have done a lot of talking. We've discussed colors, decorations, location, the wedding party, you know, just basically how fabulous it's going to be. What have we actually done this summer? Well, let's see...um...NOTHING!!!

My mom (A Chelesa Morning) has been telling me all summer, "You know, you're not the only couple getting married next June. You really ought to start confirming some stuff." Thankfully, my mom has not been under the same impression as me. You know, the impression I had that the world revolved around MY wedding. Guess What?!! Mom was right! (I wonder how many times I will have to admit this before I start listening to her the first time.)

So the other day I called Enterprise Hall. (See the post titled A Site to See). I told them I wanted to go ahead and confirm the 16th for our wedding. Guess What?! There is another couple in the city of Grand Junction who is getting married on the 16th of June. And it gets better - they already confirmed Enterprise for that day. Imagine!!!

After hanging up, crying, telling Mom nobody cared about MY wedding, and just generally freaking out, I calmly called them back and asked them what days they did have available. The 9th and the 23rd. I told her I would call my DJ, and then get back to her. After two calls to the DJ and several calls/emails to Aaron, I had the "go ahead" to confirm for the 23rd.

I called Enterprise back and told them I would like the confirm the 23rd instead, and that we would be in the next day to pay the deposit. Here's how the converstation went:

Her: "Oh, I'm sorry. I just booked the 23rd."
Me: "What?!! I just talked to you and changed the date with my DJ and photographer!"
Her: "Oh, wait. It's you I just booked with. You're Amanda, right?"
Me: "Yes! Thank You! Can I come in and, like, pay now?"

So, now it's all said and done. Aaron told me he was proud of me for how well I handled the situation. (What he does not know will not hurt him). Our official wedding date, confirmed and everything, is now June 23, 2007. As Mom pointed out, at least we have another week to plan it!

Only 322 days to go. I better get busy...

Home Sweet Home

2006-08-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the delay everyone! I have been busy packing, moving, unpacking, getting settled...you get the picture! Here it is! This is my little house, and my home for the next year. I must give my mom (a Chelsea Morning) all the credit. She took all the pictures, picked which ones to use, and then put together the slide show. Really all I'm doing is claiming the post. Thanks Mom!

I'm Still Your Friend!

2006-07-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

It has been well over a week since I have posted anything. I am generally really bad at keeping up, but this is pushing it, even for me. In a sense, I feel like I am ignoring my friends. So, here I am, with an update.

As you all know, I was in desperate need of a home. At one point mid-month, I asked myself why I ever got the idea to turn in notice on my apartment. There are pretty slim pickings here in good old Montrose, and I was having no luck finding anything better than what I already had. Now, as I sit in said apartment, I am reminded why I am moving...again. I should be packing boxes right now, but just moving is a challenge. It is so hot that I am afraid if I even adjust myself in my chair too quickly, I will overexert myself and pass out. I survive by carrying around a little fan.

However, I have been blessed. My fiance went into superman mode, and drove down here last saturday, vowing that we would find me an apartment before he left. We found better than that. I am now the proud tenant of a little house. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen. It is one bedroom, one bathroom, and very very tiny. It isn't cramped clausterphobic tiny, but cute tiny. And the owners just finished remodeling, so everything, even the siding on the outside, is brand new. It has an air conditioning, also newly installed, a little patio, and a storage shed. It has a cute little yard, that my landlord will take care of, and a tree. I have also inherited a pet. There is a bird nest on the porch, with two little birds. I demanded that the birds stay.

So, that is my excuse for having been absent from the blogging world. I am in the process of moving into my new home. I promise that I still really like everyone, and that I am not ignoring you. You are still my friends. I also promise to post pictures as soon as Mom gets up here with her camera. You will love it!

So, in my absence, just know that I am here, and I am in the process of figuring out how to fit a large apartment into a small house. And, I am loving every minute of it (and purging a lot of stuff).

Happy Birthday Krissy!

2006-07-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Missing Marbles, known to me as Krissy, is my big sister. Well, today is big sis's 27th brithday! In honor of this big day when she makes the transition from mid-twenties to late twenties, I decided to do a post and call it:

One Million Reasons Why My Big Sister is the Best Big Sister in the Whole Wide world!

But then it occured to me that there is no way I will be able to type all one million reasons before my turn on the computer is officially over. So, here are the top ten... (for full benefit of these photos, click on them)

#1. She is always watching over me, the great protector. Everyone knows not to mess with "Krissy's little sister or else..."

#2. I always have someone to go to for fashion advice. She is the only person I will ask, because I know she will be honest with me.

#3. She always has me practically rolling on the floor laughing. She is seriously funny! Okay, so it's usually at my expense, but she's still funny.

#4. Growing up, she went out of her way to toughen me up, make sure her little sister wasn't a sissy. Okay, so I kind of am a sissy, so it didn't really work, but she tried really hard. Really hard! How sweet can one sister be?

#5. She is always there to support me in whatever I do. Even if she isn't, you know, thrilled about the activity.

#6. I always have a place to rest my weary head. Even now, I still turn to my sister when I need someone to listen, or just need someone to let me cry and litsten to me sniffle and whine.

#7. She is concerned about my welfare, always making sure I do the right thing. Even as kids, she felt a responsibility for me. Sometimes, though, as little sisters do, I would mess up. When this happened, she always knew who to run to and tattle. But she always did it out of love and concern for me!

#8. Even when it is my sister's turn to shine, she always finds a way to make me feel special and involved. She's never left me out of anything, not even her prom. (Unless she had a friend over, then it was SCRAM!)

#9. Even though she's known as "the tough girl", she has a very sweet and tender heart. She has an amazing capacity for love. (And a soft spot for furby).

#10. My sister is one of the most beautiful people I know. Growing up with her, I always had someone's footsteps to follow and someone to want to be just like.

Growing up, I sometimes took for granted just how lucky I was. Now that I am older I realize how blessed I am to not only live close to my sister, but to be close to her.

Happy birthday, Krissy! It shouldn't take a birthday for me to express my love to you. So just know that 365 days out of the year, you are one of my best friends and favorite people. Thank you for giving me someone to look up to.

I should have titled this post: One Million Reasons I am the Luckiest Little Sister in the Whole Wide World!

Now I've Said My ABCs MeMe

2006-07-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

My mom tagged me for this, and I'm going to do something I have never done before. I am going to respond to a tag the same day I got it!

*Accent: Pure Coloradan. Born and raised. Except for the short period of time in Missery, I mean Missouri, but that doesn't count.

* Bible Book That I Like: I am still learning, via my student bible, so I am not familiarized with many. Right now I am studying Luke, and I am enjoying it. I love learning about Jesus' life.

* Chore I Don't Care For: Vacuuming. I am not fond of loud noises. When I was little, I was afraid of the vacuum. Dad still teases me.

* Dog or Cat: Definitely dog. I had cats, and I loved them with all my heart. But, after my recent apartment experience, I do not think I will ever own one again. Besides, Aaron wants a Great Dane so bad, I just can't say no. (or get a cat).

* Essential Electronic: My discman. I know! It is almost obsolete these days, but I love listening to it as I fall asleep.

* Favorite Movie: Annie. Believe it or not, the original with Carol Burnette and Aileene Quinn, not the remade Disney version, which is totally not the same thing.

* Gold or Silver: Diamonds. Wait, that wasn't an option. Okay, silver. I don't own much jewelry, but what I do own is silver. Except my engagement ring. That's white gold (and beautiful).

* Handbag I Carry Most Often: I don't. I don't even own one. I carry the daytimer my dad bought me, which contains everything I need. Except chapstick, but that's what pockets are for.

* Insomnia: Not at all! I usually stay up so late reading that by the time I lay down I fall right to sleep.

* Job Title: Elementary School Teacher. Currently third grade.

* Kids: None. Unless you count 19 eight-year-olds that I will meet in August.

* Living Arrangements: Ha! You added this just to mock me! Currently, my parents' couch. But I promise, I am not a bum! It's just that my apartment is not... ideal. I am in the process of fixing this right now! Really!

* Most Memorable Moment: So far, the day Aaron proposed to me. I am sure my next one will be June 16, 2007.

* Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Sock fits. Really. When I was a kid, I had an issue with the way my socks felt. If they weren't comfortable, I would rip them off and throw them down the hallway in a fit of tears and rage. I have outgrown this. I do sometimes have the urge to do this with my bras, but I have outgrown the sock fits.

* Phobias: Spiders. And bees. And spiders.

* Religion: Christian

* Siblings: An older sister and a brother-in-law. Aaron is an only child, so Andy will be my only in-law sibling.

* Time I Wake Up: Right now, at 7:30, when Krissy, I mean the baby shows up. During the school year 5:01. I have issues that if I set it right on the hour, it won't go off.

* Unusual Talent: The only thing I ever had a talent for was cheerleading, but that is not exactly unusual. Umm... I am not particularly talented at anything. Oh! I can stand on my head for an unreal amount of time!

* Vegetables I Refuse to Eat: None. I am not in love with any, but I don't particularly dislike any either. I do like fruit better, though.

* Worst Habit: Okay, so this was the toughest one for me. In my notebook, I had written hangnails. (I pick at them and my hands look terrible). But, I was afraid to admit to my real worst habit. I am a smoker. I picked it up in high school, and I hate that I do it. I do it in the closet, few people know, because I never want one of my students to find out, but I do it. But! I did set a quit date. Aaron and I set "wedding day goals" and mine was to quit smoking. So, I am on my way. Pray for me!

* X-Rays: My mouth in middle school. This ended in braces. My neck in college when a cheerleading stunt fell on me. This ended in a neck brace. I do not like X-rays. They do not typically end well for me.

* Yummy Stuff I Cook: Kraft Macoroni and Cheese. Okay, so I am not real "up" on the cooking thing. But I still have 340 days until I become a wife, so there is still time to learn! (Mom, can you help me?)

* Zoo Animals I Like Most: Regular zoo: penguins (I collect them). Petting zoo: llamas. (long story).

Okay, did anyone notice that there is not "O" or "Q"? I know my mom didn't, since she eluded to 26 categories, but anyway...

There's No Place Like Home

2006-07-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking the other day, "I am not nearly stressed out enough." I mean, all I have to do is plan a wedding, figure out how to budget said wedding and still have somewhat of a life, keep up with summer projects I have been assigned by my school, and somehow get to Montrose and get a classroom going again. I mean, really, nothing. So I thought to myself, "What can I do to liven things up a bit?" And then it came to me. "I know! I'll move into a new apartment!"

So, on June 30, I made the 90 minute trip to Montrose and informed my property management company that I would be out by the end of July. Sounds like a rash decision, right? Allow me to take you back in time about a year...

About a year ago, I moved in with a friend. I had just finished the teaching program and was working as a summer nanny for a family that didn't pay much. I was also working part-time for a golf course. After a year long full-time teaching internship with no pay, I was broke. My friend offered me a room in her condo to help me out. She was wonderful - a good friend and sister in Christ. But I longed to have my own place. I wanted my dishes and furniture and "stuff" out of storage.

A few months later I got a teaching job 61 miles away. After nine weeks of driving three hours a day, a friend of mine from the teaching program (who got a job at the same school) offered me her spare bedroom. Within a week the move was done. She, too, was a great roomy. We had a lot of fun together and became great friends. Despite the fact that splitting bills and rent made life easier, and we had a blast, I still really wanted a place to call my own.

In March, everything started falling into place for me. I got an apartment right by the school, and was able to move in on April 1st. April Fool's Day was an appropriate date for this move!

The day I moved in, Mom, Dad, Aaron and I walked in to a peculiar smell. Upon walking around, we quickly realized that the place had not been shampooed (or cleaned at all for that matter). We figured the smell, whatever it was, would go away whenever they got around to their responsibility of having the place cleaned. We went ahead and started moving in the boxes we had brought with us. Right after we finished unloading two trucks and a jeep, a guy from the property management company showed up (a day late) and offered to shampoo around my stuff. As soon as the carpet got wet, we realized what the smell was... cat pee. Everywhere. The living room, the upstairs bedroom, all the closets. Which is funny, really, because this is a place that does not allow pets. We immediately reported it to the company. They responded by spraying deoderizer on the spot in the living room. Instead of spending my first night in my new apartment, I drove back to my parents' house to sleep a few more nights on the couch, because it simply was not livable. This was only the beginning...

Other than the fact that my mom spent the day cleaning bugs out of all the light fixtures and replacing every lightbulb in the apartment, while I peeled chewed up gum out of 13 places, the smell was by far the biggest issue. The company told me they would not fix anything until I turned in my move-in checklist. I filled it out in detail and turned it in the next day. I also mentioned that none of the four blinds worked, and that there wasn't a single screen on the windows. I also made sure they knew that all the towel racks were being held up by rubber bands. They assured me that they would fix everything.

What was the result of this check-list? Another layer of febreeze on the carpet (which really made it worse since it got it wet again) and my dad spending a small fortune at Ace Hardware and making another trip out to fix everything for me. To this day, I still have one set of working blinds, because they decided to fix 1/4 of the broken ones. At this point I was getting mildly irritated.

Over the next two months I put in six complaints about the horrid smell. The result? Six coats of deoderizer on the carpet. This gave me about 18 days total of relief from the smell. At one point, they told me that if I moved everything out of the room, they would fix the smell. So I did. I spent an entire evening (on a school night) transplanting my living room into my kitchen. The next day I came home to an incident report letting me know they had sprayed deoderizer. Yay!

Over the last three months, I have spent more nights on my parents' couch than I have in my own apartment, and I haven't spent a single night there since the last day of school in May. I have gone back a few times to water plants and work on classroom stuff. Each time, the smell is worse. There is not a single cooling thing in the apartment (no a/c, swamp cooler, fans, nada). Do you have any idea what cat pee smells like at 110 degrees?

To make a short story long, I will be out by July 31st, and this really was not a rash decision. The decision to move in was. I should not have been so desperate to have my own place. So, even though it will be a lot of work, and I am (mildly) stressed out about it, I still look forward to having a "home sweet home" I can breathe in. Please pray for me as I begin yet another quest for a decent shelter. (And forgive me the tangent I just went on).

Anyone have any ruby slippers I can click together?

Thursday Thirteen #4

2006-07-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Thirteen things I would do if money were no object...

* I would bet married on the Disney Cruise. Or at least honeymoon there.

* I would buy a home. I am just about completely over renting. (Stay tuned for future post)

* I would hire a personal hairdresser. I cannot stand getting myself ready. I like being ready, but getting myself there daily just about kills me. I have to start about three hours ahead of time and take many breaks during the process.

* I would buy a Toyota Rav4. I love my little jeep, but these things are so cute! I would buy a pink one.

* I would buy Aaron a boat. When they sold theirs, it broke his heart. (Even though his truck won't pull it, so he's used it once in the last three years).

* I would buy Aaron a new truck to pull the boat. Then I would buy Krissy and Andy another truck identical to the one they just bought, so they would quit squabbling over who's day it is to drive it.

* I'd buy a personal jet. It would make these trips back and forth from Montrose to Grand Junction a lot easier. Seriously, I am making the drive today to get my roller blades. It would be cheaper, and quicker, to just go buy a new pair.

* I would buy my parents a motorhome. Actually, due to issues of grinding teeth and snoring, I would buy them two motorhomes. His and Hers with matching towels.

* I would buy Aaron a Great Dane. He wants one so bad. We have decided to get one when we are married and have a proper home, but think of all the quality time they are missing out on between now and then.

* I would buy a golf course for my dad. Then neither time or money would ever get in the way of his addiction. After that, I would buy one for my Grandpa so he would quit hogging my dad's.

* I would pay air fare and hotel acommodations for every out-of-town guest on my wedding guest list.

* I would buy two more computers so that my dad and I could blog every now and then, too.

* I would buy a llama.

A Site to See

2006-07-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

We Did It!!!

Aaron and I have officially had our first meeting regarding the site of our ceremony and reception. I am pretty sure it will be the last place we visit, because we both fell in love! Enterprise Community Hall is an old school house that has been remodeled to host many affairs, but is known for its weddings. We both feel it is appropriate for a teacher to get married in a school house. They even have an old-fashioned school desk that many couples have used as their guest book table. How cute is that?

The whole inside has beautiful hardwood floors. There is plenty of room for a head table, buffet, cake table, and a number of guest tables. Off to the left is a full kitchen, perfect for any caterer, and upstairs is a bridal suite perfect for us gals to get ready in. I have seen photos of weddings held here in the past, and the decorating these people do is absolutely beautiful! The even have all needed resources to "deck the hall" in splashes of pink! (Not to mention a PINK front door!)

For occasions involving larger guest counts (like, say, a wedding), they have a beautiful and spatious outdoor area. It is complete with a flowing fountain, large rosebushes, twinkly lights, an abundance of trees, a dance floor, and an adorable patio. And, perfect for our male guests, a horseshoe pit. Perfect for our tiny guests, a full playground area. It seems there is nothing they have left out.

Aaron and I both have our hearts set on an outdoor ceremony. This is me standing on what would be (will be, I hope) the aisle. I am a little nervous about maneuvering this in heels, seeming as I cannot walk in them on flat ground. I have been looking for an excuse to wear sneakers like the ones Annie Banks wears in Father of the Bride. Do you think stepping stones is a good enough reason?

So there you have it - our first big step to making our dream wedding happen. Now we can just sit back and relax. I mean, really, there's not a whole lot left to do, is there? Just the wedding gown, cake, flowers, catering, bridesmaid dresses, tuxes, flower girl and ring bearer details, invitations, preacher, out-of-town guest acommodations, save-the-date cards, rehearsal dinner, party favors, decorations...

Seriously, I don't know what everyone is making such a fuss about. We're almost done already, and we still have 11 months!

Well, 346 days anyway...

Happy Birthday Grandma

2006-07-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

Born on the Fourth of July! She's a Yankee Doodle sweetheart! She's a Yankee Doodle Gal!

Many of you have become acquainted with my Grandma. In Bloggersville she is known as Judith and can be found at Flight Song. To me she is, and always has been, Grandma Judy. Many, many people have been touched and entertained by her beautiful writing and heartwarming stories. I was lucky enough to grow up with her. Anyone who does not know this women is truly missing out!

This is me the day I met my Grandma - the same day I met the world. At the time, I had no idea who she was. I was unaware of the relationship she had to me. At the time of this picture, I had no idea how much of a role she would play in my life. This was the beginning of the best kind of friendship - the Grandma kind!

When I was real little, I didn't live close to my grandma. Many of these years we spent separated by cities. Other times, it was by states. But I always knew her. I remember talking to her on the phone on holidays. There were always presents from Grandma under the Christmas tree or on the birthday table, even if she couldn't be there in person. There was nothing better than her visits. I remember how the school day seemed like it would never end on the days that Grandma was arriving. After school, I would run the whole way home to see her.

These pictures were taken on one of those visits - one of the best ones. Grandma came to visit and went with us to the Denver Zoo! (The cutie brunette in puple is Krissy, aka Missing Marbles). She was always a fun grandma - chasing after ducks with us and sharing our ice cream. There always was (and is) a part of my Grandma's heart that remained a child. That's the best kind of Grandma to have!

When I got a little older, Grandma moved into a cute little house right down the street from us. During the summer months, I spent nearly every day there. I would get up, get dressed, and tell Mom, "I'm going to go play with Grandma." And boy did we play! We did puzzles and played board games and watched movies (our favorite was Pinnochio). Once we even baked a cake together. What a disaster! Not only did we get more ingredients all over the kitchen than in the mixing bowl, but the cake was a wreck! We accidentally put the thicker icing between the layers and the thinner icing on the outside of the cake. The top layer kept sliding off! Finally we got the thing to stay together, but to this day the whole family still teases us about our "Leaning Tower of Piza" cake! Needless to say, I will not be asking my Grandma to bake our wedding cake.

It wasn't always about playing, though, especially as I got older. My Grandma was a great teacher. She influenced me in my love of reading. She was always reading to and with me. Even now she is always handing me books to read, asking me to overlook her highlighting and margin notes. My Grandma was also my main influence in writing. She was always writing stories for my sister and me. She used to record them onto audio tapes and then send them to us. We would listen to them over and over again! At one point she gave me an old typewriter and taught me how to type - long before the schools were teaching keyboarding. I still have a love for both reading a writing today, and still vow to dedicate my first published work to her (a promise I made at age 7).

As I continued to grow up, our relationship changed, but never lessened. We remain close, and now we play "big girl" games. Grandma bought me my first prom dress. She was there when I graduated from high school. This is her and I on my 21st birthday - she came all the way to Grand Junction to have a margarita with me! She was there at my college graduation. She will be there when I become married. I hope to someday have a picture of her holding my newborn child.

Now Grandma is finally in Grand Junction. She is finally home. We get to "play" again, and for the first time in years, I get to be with her on her birthday. Life could not be better!

Those of you who do not yet know my Grandma, go to Flight Song (in my sidebar) and prepare to be amazed. Those of you who have met her, you are very lucky. Those of us who are blessed enough to call her Grandma - we are the luckiest of all!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Judy. I love you!

7 Things About Me...MeMe

2006-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, my mom tagged me with this forever ago. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not good at the juggling act, and as I do have a few balls in the air right now, it took me a while to get to it. But here goes...

7 Random Facts About Me

*I am obsessed with Disney. Seriously obsessed. I own almost every Disney movie ever made - even the made for TV ones. I still watch the Disney Channel at 25. The best vacation I ever took was when I went to Disney World at age 17. I will never grow out of it.

*For most of my life my passion was cheerleading. I started at age 9 with midget football, and continued until age 20 at Mesa State College. Then I went on to coaching. I guess once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader.

*I still sleep with a stuffed animal. I always said I would give it up when I got married. And I will. Until then, he makes a great pillow!

*I inherited the anti-driving gene from my mom. I was 17 before I got my license, and even then I still walked to school.

*Despite my aversion to insects, I love rodents. I have had every gross pet imaginable. I have had frogs, lizards, rats and mice. I love them!

*I still have my bottom retainer from when I got my braces off in the tenth grade. I don't need it anymore, I don't think my teeth are going anywhere. They just haven't taken it out yet.

*If I don't get a cup of coffee and one chapter of my book before starting my day, I cannot even remotely function.

7 Things That Scare Me

* Spiders. But you all already knew that, right?

*Bees. They're not as bad as spiders, but just hearing one buzzing around me is enough to turn me into a screaming break-dancing idiot.

*Tornados. When I was a teenager, I would not stay home alone in the summer, because I was afraid the sirens would go off.

*Lightening. It is beautiful if watched from inside a shelter, but if I am outside, I flip out.

*Scary mean women who drive black SUVs.

*Wild animals. Aaron is begging me to go camping with him this summer, but I have nightmares about being ripped from my sleeping bag by a mountain lion or a bear.

*Child birth. I do plan to go through it some day, but it still scares me.

7 Random/Music At the Moment

*"When God Ran" by Philips, Craig & Dean.

*"Where Did I Go Right" by Hilary Duff.

*"You've Got the Touch" by Alabama.

*Okay, so I can't think of 7 right now. Pretty much anything by Hilary Duff, and anything on KLOVE, my favorite Christian radio station.

7 Things I like the Most

*My engagement ring (and the fiance that comes with it)

*Pink (my signature color)

*Penguins (I collect them)

*Books

*Coffee (I get teased for drinking it all day, especially by my students, who always give me mugs.)

*Entire seasons of tv shows on DVD

*Puzzles - word puzzles, and the kind with lots of pieces.

7 Things I Say the Most

*In a moment...

*Dude!

*You Know?

*Whatever.

*Right on! ( or in the classroom- write on!)

*You rock!

*Yea buddy!

7 People To Do This

Okay, so I am not going to tag anyone for this. First off, my mom tagged me almost a week ago, so I am already a little slow on the uptake. Secondly, my mom pretty much covered everyone with her seven. Third, if she didn't tag someone, it's because they either tagged her or already got tagged by someone else.

So, I hope you enjoyed random me. It wasn't as easy as I had thought it would be, but I gave it my best effort!

Happy Birthday Cameron!

2006-06-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

I still vividly remember the day my sister found out she was pregnant. My mom only had to tell me three times to walk down and see my sister before I finally complied. Apparently she had gotten tired of waiting for me, because as I was walking down the driveway she was running up it, pregnancy test in hand. She had tears in her eyes and looked happier than I had ever seen her. She didn't have to say a word - I knew. I was overjoyed. I was happy and excited. I had no idea what was in store.

Nine months later I found myself sitting in the delivery room where we were to meet Cameron for the first time. My sister was a champ through the whole ordeal. Me? Not so much. The only labor and delivery I had ever seen was in the movies. This was nothing like that. At one point I think her doctor was worried he might have to revive me. I probably should have been in Biology the day they showed the "Miracle of Life" video. But I wasn't. I was sick. I had the same thing I had come down with the day we disected the pig. Go figure. Anyway, this should be some clue as to how well I handled Cameron's entrance into the world. But we all survived it - Krissy probably better than any of us. 36 hours later Krissy was in recovery and Cameron was being passed from one loving set of arms to the next. When he finally made it to my arms, the world stopped for a brief moment. He was the most precious thing I had ever laid eyes on. At that point, I knew next to nothing about babies. I also had no idea how much I would learn over the course of a year.

In the last 365 days I have learned that few things are grosser than a bad diaper, and few things are harder than changing a squirmy baby. Few things hurt worse than the pinch of a baby who needs his nails trimmed, and nothing is more impossible than the act of trimming them. "No" does not have to be in a child's vocabulary in order for him to express that he is not hungry. There is no such thing as too much Baby Einstein, and Sesame Street and Teletubbies are actually not bad shows. Whoever invented the baby swing should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. There is no need for an alarm clock when the baby shows up at 7:15. Bath-time takes on a whole new meaning when it involves a newborn.

Most importantly, I learned that there is truly nothing better than being an auntie. There is truly something wonderful about the lighted-up grin you receive when your nephew sees you. The first time you can make him laugh is unforgettable. I feel so blessed that I have been around this year to form a relationship with this little man. He knows me, he recognizes me, and he wants to crawl over and say hello when he sees me. There is nothing better than that. I never knew how much I could love until this little boy became a part of my life.

People say that having a baby changes everything. who knew how much this baby would change my life. Thank you, Krissy, for all that you do, and for making me the happiest auntie in the world.

Thursday Thirteen #3

2006-06-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

Thirteen Things About Summer I Could Really Do Without

All of the accounts below are absolutely, positively true. (And I am only 3 weeks into my summer vacation.)

1. Spiders on the shower wall when you really need to bathe.

2. Spiders in the garage when you really need to get something out of your finace's truck.

3. Spiders that fall down when you open the front door to your apartment.

4. Spiders that hide in your bath towel when you really need to dry off.

5. Spiders that fall down when you open the door to your classroom.

6. Spiders that drown in the hot tub when you really need to just relax.

7. Spiders on your review mirrow when you really need to watch the road.

8. Spiders that play in the sink when you really need to brush your teeth.

9. Spiders that swim in your wine when the rest of the wine in the house is gone.

10. Spiders that live in the bathroom corner when you really gotta pee.

11. Spiders that reside in the corner of your kitchen when you really need to get the toaster.

12. Spiders that live in your mom's tulips when you really need to get close enough to water them.

13. Bees.

A Piece of (wedding) Cake!

2006-06-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, my mom mentioned a wonderful little book she found: 101 Best Wedding Tips. After the fabulous advice she found (I now know to shave my legs that day), I just had to check it out. These are some of the lifesaving tips I found:

1. If you feel your nails are too short, consider nail extensions...
2. If your arms feel rough and look blotchy, try a daily skin-care routine that includes showering or bathing...
3. Using a medicated shampoo daily is the best way to control flakes...
4. For the best skin protection, apply a sunscreen 20 minutes before going into the sun...
5. To ensure your headpiece stays in place, anchor it with bobby pins...
6. Put on your accessories after you are fully dressed...
7. Make sure your fiance and his groomsmen try on their tuxedos before leaving the rental shop...
8. Regarding the honeymoon: the more you can afford, the more upscale the hotel...

What great wedding-saving advice! I mean, really, who would have ever thought to bathe, get their nails done, or put their jewelry on after they're dressed? It never even occured to me that the kind of honeymoon we would have would depend upon our budget! I am so thankful for these wonderful tips. And I'll be sure to let Aaron know that it's a really good idea to try on his tux before he rents it!

While I obviously couldn't possibly need any other preparation tips for the big day, I still decided to flip through some bridal magazines. Believe it or not, I came across more great ideas! Now these are some I fully plan to utilize. In excess!

1. Laugh if Off: "researchers...recently found that laughing heartily for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn up to 50 calories...so go ahead - laugh yourself into a smaller dress size."

With Aaron for my fiance, this should be no sweat! (pun intended).

2. Pucker Up: "Grab your fiance for a smooch! Kissing may strengthen the immune system and make us more resilient to stress simply because it makes us feel good."

Who knew healthy living could be so much fun? Being in the psychology field and all, Aaron is pretty big into research. He's gonna love this study!

So basically, a week into my wedding planning, here is what I've learned: in order to have a fairy tale, perfectly pulled off, clockwork-like wedding, I need to shave my legs, bathe, get my nails done, apply moisturizing sunscreen, make sure my veil is securely fastened to my head, kiss my fiance a lot, and just laugh it off. I can handle that!

Pulling off my dream wedding is going to be a piece of cake!

Road Rage

2006-06-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

I am a careful driver. I am a safe driver. Careful and safe - that's me. I wear my seatbelt religiously and make my passengers do the same. I drive the speed limit. Unless I am being tailgaited, and then I drive r-e-a-l-l-y ... s-l-o-w. I have never been pulled over. Okay, except for the time I was pulled over on my 17th birthday, but that's because I lived in Frederick, population:50. All the cops knew me and this particular one knew it was my bithday and wanted to wish me a happy one, and let me know my tail light was out. I've never really been pulled over. I've also never been in an accident. Okay, except for the time that blind girl pulled off the curb right into my passenger side door. But she was blind and had forgotten her cane that day, and clearly didn't see me. That car had so many dents and scrathes that I figured Dad would never notice anyway, so I excused it and drove on. I've never really been in an accident. I am a safe, careful driver.

So the other day I had errands to run. As you all know, we have a wedding to plan, and we need supplies. A stack of bridal magazines, a binder, dividers with pockets, sheet protectors - you know, the basics. So I got in my little jeep, and off I went. After gathering the needed materials, I headed to Barnes & Noble for the third book in the Left Behind series. You know- for my sanity during the planning. It was a beautiful day. Strong winds that rock the entire vehicle, 102 degree temperature, not a cloud or shady spot in sight. It was fabulous!

So here's the deal. When you are driving along at 45 mph, and some woman pulls out in front of you to make a left turn - and stops - careful kind of goes out the window and mere survival becomes key. I had three choices: run into her, slam on my breaks and get rear-ended by the bozo on my bumper, or move. I chose move. I very calmly moved into the right lane. Okay, so I should have checked my blind spot more carefully, but my eyes were kind of fixated on certain death five feet in front of me. Unfortunately, there was a black SUV in said right lane. Fortunately, I did not hit her. Less fortunately, I cut her off pretty close. Oops! It was a close call. That's were we could have left it, a close call. But no, we just could not leave it there.

After a few seconds, my heart started beating again. However, before I had a chance to breathe a much needed sigh of relief, all Hell broke loose. Ms. SUV started laying on her horn behind me. When I looked up, she was making a most inappropriate gesture with her middle finger. At Me! As if that wasn't bad enough, she cut off the bozo who had been on my bumper, still laying on the horn (just in case she hadn't gotten my attention yet) and pulled up beside me. She was yelling something, but we both had our windows up so who knows what profanities she was screaming (At Me!) . To top it off, the person three inches in front of her stopped, and because she was more interested in me than the road, she almost rear-ended them. Thank God the light in front of us was green, and that we were turning separate ways, or she probably would have tried to drag me from my car!

As I drove away, I was surprised at how rattled I wasn't. I actually wasn't even embarassed about my blunder, because I was too embarassed for her. In her explosion of rage (At Me!) she almost got us all killed. I also remember thinking "boy, this would make great blog material!".

Road Rage is a terrible thing. It causes people to make complete idiots of themselves, puts lives (and cars) in danger, strains your middle finger and voice, and enables blog-addicts to feed their habit. It just basically puts everyone in a really bad mood.

Needless to say, I have come to the conclusion that there are two types of people who should not be allowed to drive. Those who are too blonde to check their blind spot, and those that are too mean to just let it go.

A Man of Many Hats

2006-06-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

Many of you who follow the dynasty know who my dad is. To some he is an uncle or a brother-in-law. He is also a husband and a son-in-law. He is a grandpa (or Papa) and a father-in-law. For many, he is simply known as Curmudgeon Central. For my sister and me, he is Dad.

Growing up my father's daughter, I have had more that just a dad. He is my dad, and a great one at that, but there is so much more to him. Over the last 25 years, he has played many roles in my life. Here are some of the hats he wears.

My Father the Teacher
Growing up, my dad was always teaching me things. He taught me how to brush my teeth, and braid my doll's hair. He taught me how to make macaroni and scrambled egg sandwiches the good way. I learned from him how to play both solitaire and pool. He even taught me how to play chess, although I have never beat him. He showed me exactly where to stand in order to bowl a strike every time (it doesn't work). As I got a little older he taught me how to drive a car, clean a fish, and swing a golf club (and actually make contact). The list of things my dad has taught me over the years is endless.

My Father the Coach
When I was real little, I played pee-wee softball, even though I was terrible at it. One day before a game, my dad spent about an hour doing batting practice with me. The first time I went up to bat that day, I remembered what he taught me, and actually managed to hit the ball. God must have been looking out for me that day, because as I ran around the bases the other team over-threw the ball at every single one. As I rounded third and headed home, my dad was standing there waiting to congratulate me. Even though it was my first (and last) home run, and it was due entirely to the other team's lack of throwing and catching abilities, my dad was proud of me, and that was all that mattered.

My Father the exterminator
I am 25 years old, and as most of you know, I am terrified of spiders. Well, I did not have to kill my own spider until I was 19 and living in my first apartment. (I did call him, but he refused to drive from Denver to Grand Junction to kill it for me). Growing up, all I had to do was yell "Daddy, it's huge!" and he would come running with a tissue. A few years ago I found out that he isn't real fond of 8-legged critters, either. Now that's love!

My Father the Camp Counselor
At my elementary school it was tradition for the sixth graders to go to Eco-Week. This was a four day field trip during which we all stayed in cabins and learned about the outdoors. My dad went on this field trip when my sister's class went. I was heartbroken when it was my turn to go and Dad didn't have enough vacation time at work to go with my class. I begged and pleaded, but there was just no way around it. At some point I finally accepted it. However, a couple days before the big trip, my dad pulled me aside and let me know that everything had worked out, and he could go after all. I was ecstatic! It wasn't until a few weeks later that I found out that he had given up having Christmas day off in order to go. That Christmas when we all got up at 3am to open presents before Dad left for work, I was reminded of how big a sacrafice he had made for me.

My Father the Security Dude
When I was in the eighth grade, my dad's company hosted "Take Your Daughter to Work Day." My sister and I were both so excited. Not only did we get to skip an entire day of school and hang out with dad, we got to see what this Rocky Flats Dispatcher thing was all about. All we needed was a picture ID and we were set. Naturally, being 13 and even less organized than I am now, I could not find my school ID anywhere. I looked everywhere, but to no avail. I had to accept the fact that Krissy would get to go to work with Dad, and I would have to go to school. I was totally heartbroken and cried and cried. When the day of the event rolled around, and Krissy got up to go with dad and I got up to go to school, my dad surprised me with the best news ever. Somehow he had managed to work things out so that I could go with him without the picture ID, as long as I stayed with him. It seemed there was no limit to what he could do.

My Father the Hero
For most of my childhood and teenage years my dad was a firefighter. I thought this was a pretty cool job and I loved to brag about him. (I still love to brag about it - firefighters rock!) I guess I never really understood the extent of what he did. That is, until one day in the park with my sister and cousin. I will never forget the day the Farmer&Miner building caught on fire, one of the very worst the small town of Frederick has ever seen. The world seemed to move in slow motion as we stood on the top of the tallest slide and watched my dad run in to a burning building. I was terrified for him that day, but also really proud. It was that day that I realized that my dad was not just a hero to my sister and me. He was a hero to a lot of people.

I could go on and on about the many other roles my dad has played in my life, but there is simply not enough time. I just wanted to let the world know on this special day what a wonderful man and father he is. I am truly blessed to be his daughter.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

a Past...a Present...and a Future

2006-06-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

As everyone already knows, Aaron proposed to me this week, and of course I said yes. Most of you have seen the ring, have seen a great picture of him, and now know lots of reasons why I love him so much. All of you are here in the present moment with us as we share our exciting news and get ready to embark on the adventures of wedding planning. Today I have chosen to take you all on a little journey into the past. Not the extreme past, just a few years, back to where our story begins...

I met Aaron in college. It was my last year of college, to be exact. We were both Psychology majors, and had most of our classes together. While we saw each other almost every day, I spent most of the year eyeing him from a distance. We would have brief conversations in passing, and occasionally sit together in class, but not much else. All of this changed Graduation Sunday. The day of the rehearsal, I walked into the stadium and was completely overwhelmed. There were hundreds of future graduates there, and not a single familiar face among them. I felt so completely alone. Until I turned around to leave and saw Aaron, who had also just walked into the chaos. Apparantly he was relieved to see a familiar face too, because he walked over to me. Throughout the course of the rehearsal we talked, and we both agreed that we did not want to walk alone on Sunday. We decided that he would pick me up that morning, and we would walk together.

Graduation day rolled around, and he picked me up at the Adam's Mark where my parents were staying. After suffering through pictures being taken by a bunch of people he didn't know, away we went. I don't remember much about the ceremony, but I remember every detail of that day. I spent the entire time lost in conversation with him. I remember thinking to myself that this guy was really funny, very nice, and super smart. And he looked so good that day. (I still melt when he wears a black shirt, backwards cap, and sunglasses.) Needless to say, I did not have to think twice about accepting an invitation to his graduation party that afternoon.

The graduation party was a blast! I didn't know anybody there, but he stayed by my side the entire time. After all his guests had left, he took me on a short hike on the river behind his mom's house. In an effort to impress him, I climbed over rocks and slid down dirty hills - in a skirt and dainty sandals. It must have worked, because as the sun was going down he walked me to my car and ended the day with a kiss. That sealed the deal - he had me. I went home with scratches and bruises all over my legs and arms, and mud all over my skirt, but I was on cloud nine.

Since then, Aaron and I have been up, down, and all over the relationship charts. There were times when we were hot and heavy, going strong. There were times when it all seemed a little too fast a little too soon. The first time my mom met Aaron she told me, "I know you don't believe me now, but this guy's the one." I think in my heart I always knew my mom was right, but I needed to figure it all out for myself. There was always a part of me that always felt like I wasn't quite a women yet - I still kind of felt like a little girl trying to make sense of it all. I needed to explore the world, try to figure out where I fit in. I needed some time to grow up. I expressed these feelings to Aaron, and told him maybe we should go our separate ways. He accepted this and let me go, even though I know it broke his heart. Up to that point, he had always told me that he loved me. It was at this moment that I realized that he truly did.

The thing is, we never really did go our separate ways. He remained by my side as I moved 60 miles away and survived (barely) my first year of teaching. He shared with me his experience of the GRE and graduate school applications. We both unknowingly shared the same fear that he would get in and go away. We ran up phone bills and gas mileage. We hung out as friends, both of us blushing when we would accidentally slip and arm around a waist, or address the other with "Babe". We never really did let go, we just loosened our grip a bit.

Today is June 16th. In exactly one year I will marry this man. People ask me, "Doesn't this all feel kind of sudden?" My only response to that is, "No, actually, it feels like perfect timing." I truly believe that God knew what He was doing when He planted in my heart the desire to change my major from English to Psychology. He knew what He was doing that crazy day He placed Aaron and I at the gates to Stoker Stadium - both of us late for reasons out of our control. He knew what He was doing when He decided that Aaron needed to wait one more year for graduate school.

So here I sit, in love, happy, with a gorgeous ring on my left hand, and a wonderful man who still wants to marry me despite it all. The ring is a three-stone engagement ring, the stones representing a past, a present, and a future. This couldn't be more appropriate for us. We have no idea where the wedding will be, what colors we want, how many bridesmaids or groomsmen we will have, or really anything for that matter. But that's okay - we have 365 days to figure it all out. For now, my heart is full, and I am completely content knowing that I am going to marry the person that God made just for me.

The Best Day of My Life...So Far

2006-06-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know everyone has been waiting for my new post, so here it is. Today I have chosen my own Thursday Thirteen to let the world know.

Thirteen Things I Love About Aaron, My Fiance...

1. He is passionate about everything. Whether he is working, playing, or having an in-depth conversation, he does it with passion. Most importantly, he loves me with a passion. I can feel this every time I am with him, no matter what we are doing.

2. He is loyal. He has remained true to me since the day I met him. Even when I moved 60 miles away, after catapulting us into a "friends" status, his heart has never changed. He has always been there for me even though I didn't always deserve it.

3. He loves my family almost as much as he loves me. He has been a part of every single family gathering we have had, regardless of our current status. This may just be because he gets fed (two) steaks just about every time he is here, but I'm pretty sure it's more than the meat. He loves my mother to pieces, talks to my sister on the phone and all but ignores me to go do "boy stuff" with my dad in his garage. He can't wait to be "Uncle Aaron" to little Cameron.

4. He values education. He was the star of the psychology program we both graduated from at Mesa State. He graduated Cum Laude and worked his tail off to earn every single cord and medal he wore as he walked the stage to receive his diploma. He has quickly become one of the top employees at the mental health facility he works in, even being awarded "Employee of the Year." He is determined to go to graduate school, and excel. He will not settle for less than he is capable of and he won't accept anything less than the degree and program he strives for.

5. My dreams are just as important to him as they are to me. He knows that my passion and calling is to teach school and he has made it very clear that my dreams will not sit on the back burner while he pursues his own. He supported me through the teaching program, accepted my putting miles between us to take my first job and was there for me as I took my first terrifying steps into my own classroom. He's aware that I, too, would like to continue my education and he encourages me to do so. His philosophy is that we will follow both dreams and we will follow them together.

6. He is funny! Really funny! He has a quick wit and a fabulous sense of humor. He does voices (a trait he receieved from his father) and is constantly clowning around. If he cares for you at all, he gives you a hard time. Considering how big his heart is, he gives a lot of people a hard time. I cannot remember one time that I hung out with him and didn't laugh out loud at least once.

7. He can laugh at himself. Through the course of our history, he has done many things that are laughable. We had a few incidents with the lawn mower that no doubt left him feeling sheepish. We also had some issues with the grill that threatened his manliness. He has almost given himself a concussion while digging around in the fridge and strategically placed one of his golf clubs dead center in a lake once. While many of these things left him a little pink in the cheeks, he never lost the ability to laugh about them.

8. He humors me. If I am into something, even if he thinks it is the cheesiest thing in creation, he will go for it. He once sat there for almost an hour and endured the voice of Hilary Duff because I insisted he just had to hear "one more really good song- I promise, just one more." He also sat through the first three seasons of Dawson's Creek when I received them for Christmas. He also earned brownie points for staying awake during Annie and My Fair Lady because he knows I love them. He only mumbled "kill me" twice when he took me to see "The Full Monty" at our local dinner theatre.

9. He is just as avid about reading as I am. Not only does he value literature, but when he finishes a great book, he will give me a copy and insist I read it. He has read every book I have passed his way as well. He even read "The Five Love Languages" when I asked him to and he admitted to liking it. I am so hungry for reading and it means a lot to me to have someone to share that hunger with, especially someone who will get in to deep conversations about what is written.

10. He is a Christian. I could not marry a man that did not see a relationship with Jesus as important. I truly believe that having a Christian foundation on which to base our relationship will make all the difference. We are both baby Christians and I can't wait to grow together in our faith.

11. He has strong family morals and values. His mother is truly one of the most important people in his life. He shows her so much support, love and respect and truly loves spending time with her. He also refused to go anywhere near taking this next step in our relationship until he talked to my father and obtained his blessing. Although we have decided to wait a few years, I cannot wait to see him step into the role of father himself.

12. He is my best friend. Aaron and I have entertained every title we possibly could in the past few years. Aaron has been my friend, the guy I'm kind of dating, my boyfriend, my ex and now my finace. In another year, he will be my husband. His title in my life has changed many times but his presence never has. The one thing he has always been to me, and always will, is my best friend.

13. He has gorgeous red hair. Okay, while I do find him to be utterly gorgeous, I threw this one in for Mom. Maybe she will get those red haired freckle faced grandbabies yet...

So now you know. Aaron proposed to me yesterday and we are getting married next spring. For many of you, this probably seems very sudden. Trust me, it is not. We have a history that spans over two years and apparantly everyone in our lives has seen this coming. I wanted to introduce everyone to Aaron and make our announcement. I promise to follow up with more later about how this man came into my life and how we ended up where we are today. But for now, everyone, meet Aaron.

One Moment Please

2006-06-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so everybody is probably wondering where the heck I have gone to. I am still alive and breathing, just so you know. This is the first time in 3 days that I have even sat in front of the computer. There are many reasons for this...

First, as I mentioned before, A Chelsea Morning, Curmudgeon Central, and Flight Song are all strong competitors for the computer. I choose my battles, and this is not one I choose to fight.

Second, I am pretty preoccupied outside of the house. I am helping my Grandma (Flight Song) find a place to live and a job so she can finally be settled and at home here with us. I am truly loving the time I get to spend with her, so I do not mind the absence of computer time. I am also preoccupied spending time with Aaron. He is one of my favorite people, so I also do not mind this reason for the absence.

Third, I just started reading "The Five Love Languages," and am totally involved in it. I have a hard time putting it down, but it is a good thing. Just so you know, I have three more unopened books sitting on the table, so this is probably not the first extended absence from the computer I may have.

Just so we are clear, I do have a post in the works, and will post it shortly. It is a very good one, so I promise it will be worth the wait. (I hope it is worth the wait - it was for me).

So, with that said, I love you all and I promise I am not ignoring you. Be patient with me, I will return, in a moment.... (or a few)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #2

2006-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Thirteen Things I Love About Myself

So I was tagged yesterday. I knew I was tagged, because my mom told me I was tagged, but I actually did not touch the computer yesterday. A couple of reasons. First, I am living in a house with A Chelsea Morning, Flight Song, and Curmudgeon Central, with frequent visits from Missing Marbles. No further explanation needed. Second, I was two thirds away from finishing The Davinci Code, and could not even fathom putting it down until the last page had been read. Third, well, read the blog title - in a moment. This is just how I do things sometimes.

So, here I am, doing the Thursday Thirteen. Yes, I am aware it is Friday, but I cannot do a Friday Fourteen, because my mom did not give me an icon for Friday Fourteen. She gave me the icon for Thursday Thirteen, so that is what I am going to do. Actually, I did think it was Wednesday yesterday until about 4:00, but I do have my days straight now.

Well, here goes nothin'...

1. I love that I am somewhere between girly and gross. I do have girlish qualities. I love pink, baths are one of my favorite things, and I really do like to get dolled up every now and again. I can't stand spiders, and an insect that was born with wings, in my opinion, was a big joke on God's part. They are bad enough when they can't fly at you. I truly believe he chuckles ever time I squeal and do a tuck and dive when I hear a buzzing. However, I wear make-up sporatically, I shave my legs when I want to, my least favorite thing in the world is "getting ready", and I have no problem getting really dirty and staying that way for a while.

2. I love that I love to learn, and I love to teach myself. One of my favorite books is my Student Bible, so I can devour it on my own terms and at my own pace. My bookshelf is filled with self-help books, and I keep a copy of all of my third grade textbooks on my desk at home. I figure if I can get excited learning all this stuff, surely I can get my kids excited about learning it. I also love to learn new things from mom - every craft I do was learned from her.

3. I love that I am a born cheerleader, and will die a cheerleader. This was one of my more girly qualities. Many people are annoyed by it, especially when I accidentally do something "cheerleaderish." I love it. I am so unathletic, very clumsy, and somewhat of an intellectual. When someone finds out that I was a cheerleader for most of my life, and still coach it from time to time, they don't know how to take it.

4. I love that I am sentimental. This sets me far apart from my mom, the minimalist, and tends to make clutter a problem. This is not to say that my mom is not sentimental, because she very much is, but in a more organized fashion (scrapbooks). I cannot throw anything away. But I love that I can easily take a trip down memory lane by merely opening a box - cards, pictures, trinkets... Anything that ever meant anything to me is saved, and when I find it years later, it tends to mean even more to me.

5. I love that I am able to have a wonderful repoire with my students. One of my students wrote in my yearbook: "You have a very small brain." I love that I have taught them to be honest and tell me exactly what they think.

6. I love that I can't take things seriously. Sometimes this annoys people, but I just can't. I would rather laugh at a situation than take it seriously. I think it irritated my teaching team a little, especially regarding an all-important trip to the recycling center, but oh well.

7. I love that I can seriously stress. I know, this sounds like an oxymoron according to the one above it, but they kind of go together. After an extended period of time having not taken things seriously, I look up and realize "Oh boy, this is serious." Immediately I go into hyper-stress mode, and miraculously get a lot done. It has to be really piled up and a huge mess before I jump on it, but when I do, the mess doesn't stand a chance. After a few days of cranky, stressed-out, on the verge of tears me, it is all done, and I sit back, chuckle, and say "I just can't take this serioulsy."

8. I love that I am a fast learner. I tend to catch on to things quickly - the computer, crafts, third grade curriculum... I love figuring things out, especially new things. If I can't figure them out, I will keep at them endlessly until I do. There is nothing better than the satisfaction of finally conquering something that originally had you so stumped. I guess I am not really a fast learner, as much as a persistent one.

9. I love that I cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. Seriously, I can't. It falls right out of my mouth, and then I step in it. I like this, because it makes me truly special. Okay, so the term is thrown around a lot, but how many people can REALLY claim it literally. I can. I am one of a kind.

10. I love that I am a chatterbox. One day I grabbed the white board marker, and went up to the board to answer a student's question, and one of my girls actually said "are you going to talk again?" Ouch! But seriously, I love it. Know why? When I want quiet time to myself, and I grab a book or a pen, everybody is so thankful that I finally shut up, that they leave me alone. No interruptions! This has been a strategy I have used for years. "Hmm, I really want to finish that book, with no interruptions, so I am going to go in the kitchen and talk everybody's ear off for a while, so they will be afraid to interrupt me and get me going again..."

11. I love that I have small boobs. I can wear anything I want: it is easy to make them look bigger for a certain shirt, but making them smaller is nearly impossible. I can run around in my pajamas without worrying, I can run period. No pain in the bra strap for me! (Sorry, girls, I had to cheer for the other team).

12. I love that I am addicted to books. I spent an hour in Old Navy yesterday with my mom and grandma, and resisted spending a penny. I was in Pier One, and Michael's as well. I resisted. Then we went to Borders, and that was the end of me. I went in for one book that my principal recommended, and came out with 5. It is like going grocery shopping - never go hungry. When I walk into a bookstore, I am always hungry.

13. I love my ability to play. I know that there are times when I have to be serious and responsible and an adult, and I try really hard. But life is just more fun if you can play as hard as you work. When I do recess duty, I play. Field day was my favorite day of school this year. I love to color, play with my mom's puppy, and an amusement park is the best date you could ever take me on.

So, there you have it. Thirteen things about me. I already mentioned in a previous post just how uncool I am, so I am sure many of these will be no surprise. For those of you who may be embarrased for me, read my previous post.

Spiritual Meme

2006-05-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was tagged earlier today by Brenda. I apologize for the delay, but there are four bloggers living under one roof right now. I doubt I need to explain myself further. As Brenda mentioned, I am a new Christian. A very new Christian. Some of these questions were a little hard for me, but I did my best.

What is Your Life Verse?
Luke 16:10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." I don't know why this verse has always stuck with me, but it has. I have a really hard time with people who are obsessed with material things, and especially people who are obsessed with image. When I was out of school, working a terrible job that was putting me in debt faster than I could keep up with it, falling behind on rent with my roommate, and trying in vain to find a teaching job, I was in a position where many would have lost faith in their God. This verse saved me. Every day I thought of this verse, and what it meant. I realized that God had a purpose for putting me in the situation I was in. Miraculously, this was the time in my life that I felt closer to God than ever before, and I was happier than I have ever been. I was newly baptised and on top of the world. Just when I thought my window of opportunity had closed, I got a call from an elementary school 60 miles away. My whole life changed at that point. I give all the credit to my God, and I will forever live by this verse. I trusted Him when I had very little, and now he has given me much more than I ever dreamed.

Give a bit of your testimony.
My journey to a relationship with the lord kind of happened haphazardly and unexpectedly. After about two years of living in Grand Junction, being totally lost, and making a million mistakes, I met a guy named Luke. I can't say we were dating, because we had just met, but he invited me to his church. I went with him, and fell in love with the church. I was a little uncomfortable going into it, but coming out, I just remember wanting to go back. And I did, again and again. It has been about four years since then, and I still go to the same church, although not as often as I would like to now that I have moved. Last July I was baptized, and I got involved in the children's ministry, working with 3-5th graders. Funny, but I never heard from that guy again. It's like he disappeared from the face of the planet. I am having a hard time now, because I have not found a church in Montrose, and I am having a hard time letting go of the Fellowship Church, but I will figure it out.

Do you have a favorite preacher?
I am with my mom here, I love Dan Hooper, executive pastor at the fellowship church. He is by far the best speaker I have ever listened to. He is the kind of preacher who can have you rolling in the aisle laughing one minute, and sobbing the next. Very captivating and inspiring. I, too, have read "All Out," and would recommend it to anyone. If he would start speaking at a church in Montrose, my dillema would instantly be solved.

What's the best bible study you have ever done?
It's hard for me to say the best, because I have only done one. The one I did was Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life". I loved it. I actually followed it daily from beginning to end, and I feel I was changed by it. Anyone out there who hasn't read the book and done the bible study that goes along with it, I would definitely recommend it. I don't know if it can actually be considered "a bible study," but it definitely opened my eyes and changed the way I think about and live my life.

What do you feel is God's calling on your life?
This was an easy one for me. I have no doubt that God's calling for me is teaching. When I was a little girl, everyone would tell me that I was meant to be a teacher, but I didn't believe them. When I was in high school, one of my teachers told me that I had the handwriting of an elementary school teacher. When I started college, I was an English major. I wanted to write the next Great American Novel. Then I found out that pretty much all I could do was teach English. I changed my major to Psychology. My guidance counselor kept suggesting I become a school counselor. When I went to do my internship, I ended up in a school. That was when I fell in love with teaching, and went back to get my teaching license. Now I am officially a teacher, and more in love with my job and my students than I ever thought possible. It is really obvious to me that God has been leading me on this path since I was a little girl.

A Beginning...And An End

2006-05-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

This is me last August. Three days before the first day of school. One day after I got hired.

When these photos were taken, courtesy of my mom who came to Montrose that day to help me get set up, I was frantic. I had just gotten hired the day before, had to quit my job at Redlands Mesa Golf Club with no notice, was still living 60 miles away in Grand Junction, and had nothing but an empty classroom to work with. Needless to say, the reality that I had just landed my dream job had not yet set in. I was still in that phase where I couldn't convince myself that it had actually happened. I had become a teacher.

Three days later, my classroom was set up, complete with a cursive alphabet, name tags on all the desks, and a word wall. My classroom was ready for the arrival of 19 seven and eight year olds, and I was terrified. I had no idea what to expect, or how to kick off the school year. But, low and behold, that bell rang, the kids entered, and so began "the first year to end all first years," as my principal calls it.

On the first day of school, I had a student throw up. Everywhere. That was the day that I found out how wonderful day-time custodians are. I would have this happen two more times before the end of the year. Within days I had a little boy tell me there was a spider in the doorway. I looked and saw that it was my favorite species of spider - the black widow. I ushered all my kids to the other side of the room, and called the custodian. An hour after he killed it, there was another one in the same spot. That was the day my students learned exactly how I felt about spiders. We would discover three more of them in our safe little classroom before Christmas break. The first time my room mother came in to help out, I took the presence of another adult as an opportunity to run down the hallway to use the staff restroom. That was where I was when we had our first fire drill. That was the day I found out how wonderful my room mother was.

Over the course of the school year, I learned many lessons. I learned how much fun a 90 minute commute to work isn't, and quickly moved in with another teacher at the school. I learned that third graders have a lot more wit than I ever gave them credit for. I learned that forgetting to send in your roll and lunch count isn't the end of the world, but it drives the secretary and cooks crazy. I learned that meeting with a group of six kids and keeping the other 13 on task is harder than it looks. Make-up work is a pain in the rear - for the absentees and the teacher. Science experiments are a lot of fun, but they are also messy, so don't do them on the day that the custodian quits. Popcorn is not the best snack to have during a movie. If a kid brings cupcakes to school for a birthday, have the party right before the bus bell rings. If a child tells you they need to use the bathroom, believe them, even if it is in the middle of a math lesson. It is never a good idea to go out with your co-workers on a school night. Seeing the look on the face of a child who struggles, when they finally get it, is priceless. A hug a day is good for you. 19 hugs twice a day is better.

Most importantly, I learned this year that being a teacher is the best decision I ever made. Throughout this school year, it never really occured to me that I was getting up and going to work. The only time I felt like I was "at work," was during staff meetings and inservices. When I did need a day off, and called a sub, I felt guilty all day that I wasn't with my kids. Paid days off are great, but they aren't that special when you actually like what you get paid to do.

This week, I was able to forget that it was the last week. As I gorged myself on Dominoes pizza with my students, ran the bases in the staff versus 5th grade kickball game while hearing my third graders cheer me on, doused myself, my students, and my classroom in shaving cream, threw myself head first down a slip and slide fully clothed, and got attacked by 19 kids with wet sponges, I was able to forget how soon I would be putting them on the bus for the last time. It was a spectacular week, where I got to be a kid with them. It was a spectacular week that ended in tears and tough goodbyes.

If I would have had a camera yesterday, the shots would have been very similar to the ones taken at the beginning of the year. Text books collected, counted, and put away. Student work coming down off the wall. Desks and chairs cleaned and stacked. Word wall taken down. Tons of cards, pictures, stuffed animals and plants, given to me throughout the year, packed up to go home, because I cannot bear to get rid of them. Computer unplugged, and overhead covered. Yesterday, I literally put away my first year of teaching. It was a lot harder than setting it up, in many ways. And, although I only had one day rather than the three I was granted in August, I was anything but in a hurry.

So here I sit, my first day of summer break. All my little busy bees have flown away. I will see them all again in 12 weeks, but they will not be my kids anymore. They will continue to move up the hallway, until they eventually graduate out of elementary school status. I can only hope that they will continue to come see me, at least for a while, and that they will look back fondly at their third grade teacher- the teacher who was terrified of spiders, was late everywhere she went, and had the "ballerina hairdo."

In August, I will head back into my deserted classroom, and begin the process of getting it ready again. There will be new names on all the desks and mailboxes, and new faces staring back at me on the first day of my second year. I am sure that I will love my second class just as much, and miss them just as much when the final bell of the school year rings. But I truly believe my first class will also be the most special, because they were the ones who first taught me what it means to be a teacher.

By the way, the reality that I have landed my dream job has still not yet kicked in!

Cleaning Product #5

2006-05-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

I learned something new today. I learned something from a group of 9 year olds. And my mother would be proud, because I learned about a new cleaning product. A while back, my mom posted about cleaning tips. As if the fact that she febreezes her shih tzu wasn't amazing enough, what wowed everyone is that she only uses four products (light maintenance products not included). Well, add another product to your list, Mom...

Shaving Cream!!!!!

As you all know, the school year is coming to an end. This means many things for many people. For moms, it means daycare, sending kids to summer camps, going to summer ball games... For kids, it means running through sprinklers, sleeping in, and many many days off... For teachers it means the grueling task of shutting down the classroom for 12 weeks of vacancy. I started this task today. We started by clearing out the desks. That part was pretty easy. 10 minutes, 3 full trash cans, 2 full recycling bins, and 19 bulging backpacks later, it was done. Easy enough. Then I told them to pull the name tags, cursive letter lines, and homework charts off their desks. Now, at the beginning of the year, I had the fabulous idea of attaching all of these things with double sided tape. As the year progressed, my students had the fabulous idea of adding more tape, all the way around everything, when I wasn't watching (or they thought I wasn't). I thought it was cute. I had a thing for scotch tape myself when I was there age, so it was a bonding moment. I also thought it was cute when they spilled water, soda, punch, and other liquids on their desk during various parties. (I also had a thing for spilling things at their age.) However, I did not think it was cute at all when they began pulling at these various desktop items, and I realized immediately that tape and spillage do not mix! I was horrified to see that half of it came off, half of it didn't, and the desktops, in a matter of seconds, were sticky, gluey, gobby, terrible messes!

I had no clue what to do! So, I did what any cool as a cucumber teacher would do when faced with unexpected disaster (and a very angry custodian). I laughed and said "start picking!" They did not laugh. As a matter of fact, as they set to picking, they began grumbling under their breaths about how no other teacher made them do this. Somewhere in all the grumbling and complaints, I overheard some girls talking about how in second grade they used shaving cream. Shaving cream? I never thought for a minute that it would work, but it was worth a shot. While the kids were in PE, I ran across the street to City Market, and bought five cans of the stuff. When the kids returned, I told them that we were going to do the last science experiment of the school year. Then I proceded to walk up to a table group and unload an entire can all over their desks. What followed was a few moments of dropped jaws, staring, silence, and a chirping cricket. (No joke, there really was a cricket - the second one we have had in the room this year.) Then, they dove in!

We had so much fun! It was a party! The desks were covered, the kids were covered, even I was covered in shaving cream! They played in it, and drew pictures, and giggled, and gabbed about how much fun I am! It was a hoot! And, for the miraculous part! When I went around with a wet rag, and a dry rag, and began cleaning the desks one at a time, there was not a sticky spot on them! The tape and stick washed away when I rinsed the rags and we washed our hands. I even had a parent come in and comment on having never seen the desks so clean! It was fabulous and fun!

But...and there is always a but...I don't think my principal was as impressed as I was. At some point in all the craziness, I looked up and realized that my principal and his second in command were standing in the doorway. I have no idea how long they had been watching my fantastic teaching methods, but the looks on their faces told me it may have been a while. I quickly mumbled something about testing a theory on the cleaning properties of common hygiene products. I don't really know if I was trying to be funny, but they didn't laugh. As a matter of fact, the only response I got was "you're not getting that on the carpet, I hope." I quickly choked out, "no" as I used the toe of my shoe to cover the most obvious spot. When I looked up, they were gone.

However, the classroom now looks spectacular, with clean desks and a spotless carpet. This is all a good thing considering our janitor decided to quit last week, and my room hasn't been cleaned in days (nor will it be cleaned tonight). So, I'm pretty sure I still have a job next year, and now I have a new cleaning product sitting in my shower that I didn't even know about! Life is good, even when it's hectic!

So, now that I have informed everyone about a revolutionary new product, I must tend to the cupcakes I promised my students for tomorrow. I am not thrilled about pumping them full of yet more sugar this week, nor am I thrilled about getting crumbs all over our squeaky clean desks, but I promised, so I must come through. If I get my counter sticky, which is inevitable, at least I now know how to clean it up. (This is a good thing, because I used all my simple green killing a massive spider. I wonder if shaving cream works on bugs....)

Thursday Thirteen #1

2006-05-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

I was tagged again today, this time by my mom. For once, I didn't have to think long and hard about how to respond. I was more worried about only listing 13 things I love about summer.

1. Sleeping in
Nothing is better than waking up to the birds chirping, except for doing it without an alarm clock. (Or a screaming 10 month old, but I already went there.)

2. 12 Weeks Off
Okay, so this will be my first real summer vacation, so who knows if I will even like having nothing to do for three months. Okay, who am I kidding...I'm going to love it!

3. The Ice Cream Man
Yes, I still get excited when I hear the melody coming down the street. Yes, I still chase him down. The ice cream man is so cool!

4. The smell of summer rain
There is just nothing quite like a summer rain storm, and nothing better than the smell it leaves behind with the rainbow.

5. The sound of lawn mowers
There is something about the sound of lawn mowers going, and the smell of fresh cut grass that just says "summer". This sound is especially nice if you are not the one pushing the mower, and if it is not before 8am.

6. Birds in the morning and locusts and night
Birds chirping, and locusts...doing whatever it is they do... are two of the best sounds. In the summer, you get to wake up to one and fall asleep to the other. Bliss!

7. Running around barefoot
I hate shoes. My feet hate shoes. I loves socks, though. In the summer, you can run around in sock-clad feet wherever you go, indoors or out. Except local businesses, such as Wal-Mart and City Market. The don't like it. They don't seem to mind fuzzy slippers, though.

8. Wearing my hair up
There is nothing more irritating than hair in your face. Yet, I look really bad with short hair. If you don't believe me, ask my mom to post my second grade school picture. In the summer, I have an excuse to pull my hair up on top of my head, and nobody gives me grief about it. At least not as many people. (They just don't know how cool a bun on top of your head is. The first graders call me "The ballerina teacher".)

9. Lounging Clothes
In the summer, I can wear lounging clothes all day if I want to. (Believe me, I want to). And I don't even have to worry about being seen out in them, because I don't have to go anywhere if I don't want to. (Believe me, I don't want to).

10. Golf
In the summer, I love spending time on the golf course with my dad. This is not to say I actually play golf. I do have a great set of clubs my dad built for me, and really cute golf shoes. I do indeed swing those clubs around, and occasionally I make contact. Sometimes this contact is actually with that little dimply ball. But I do not claim to be a golfer. My dad actually quit as my coach last year, after I washed too many of my cute pink golf balls in a rather monstrous lake. He said it was a puddle. It was a lake.

11. Fishing
Spending time at the lake with my dad is another way I love to spend summer days. Once again, I do not claim to fish. I go through the motions, but Dad says that catching lakeweed does not count. Catching his fishing line also does not count. Even though the last time I went fishing my dad made me clean all the fishies, and stood back and laughed while I turned green and gagged, I still look forward to going again soon.

12. Ball Games
Okay, this sounds weird, because I am not actually remotely good at any athletic event involving a ball. However, I do love to roller blade around the park, and nothing is more summery than a little league game going on the park while younger siblings occupy the playground, and dads grill burgers and dogs. I love eavesdropping on these moments.

13. Cool Breezy Nights
I, unfortunately in my state of the art apartment do not have the luxury of air conditioning. Or a swamp cooler. And until my mom and dad get out here to help me, I do not have ceiling fans either. I cherish the moments when the sun goes down, the windows are open, and a gentle summer breeze drifts through my apartment.

14. 12 Weeks Off
Oh, you said thirteen. My bad...

Works For Me!

2006-05-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Bev tagged me today. I cannot tell if she is making fun of me, or being serious, but since she hasn't actually seen my apartment (or car), I am going to assume she was serious and humor her.

Here's the deal. I got to school this morning, and my mentor teacher asked me where I was last night. After a moment lost in deep thought, I realized she was refering to the teacher-inductee meeting. The last one of the year. The one I forgot about. A while later I went to pay for some lunch tickets, opened my checkbook, and guess what? No checks! It took me three trips from the library to my classroom in order to be fully prepared for today's after school meetings. My apartment is a disaster, my car is worse, and it took me 20 minutes to find the check replacements when I got home. To make a short story long, I am not organized. Not one bit.

I do, however, have one of the most organized classrooms in the building. There is a slight chance that this is because I am a first year teacher, have not lost my sanity quite yet, and I have less stuff. I prefer to think that it is because at least one area of my life is organized. I do realize that not everyone reading this post has a classroom, and therefore this will probably be useless chatter to many. I am, however, going to talk about it anyway, if only to make myself feel a little bit better.

In the morning, when my students walk in the door, there is an assignment on the board. They mark their lunches by putting a pink or blue push pin by their name on the bulletin board, and get right to work. This gives me a few minutes to go through their homework and parent folders, which they placed on the back counter upon arrival. When they are finished with their work, they will go to the hanging files on the counter, and place it within the file for whatever subject we are doing. If they need any sort of supply, they will go to the borrowing bins, which I somehow manage to keep fully stocked with paper, pencils, markers, scissors, etc. etc. If they need to sharpen a pencil, they know to do it before we start reading block, or they will use a dull pencil all day. If they happen to need to use the restroom at any point in the day, they will go and get both boys passes or both girls passes. One of them they will place on their desk, so that if I look for them, I know where they are. The other they will take with them so that the hallway police do not arrest them. (a little joke I share with my class) When they walk in to the room after recess, they will immediately grab a barrier (folder to hide paper), and get ready for the multiplication minute drill. When I say stop, they will pass their papers, get out their math notebooks and be ready for the problem of the day. When this is done, they will get out their math textbooks. This is because we do the same routine daily. At about 2:45 when I suddenly start calling out names, they will grab their mail, collect their homework, get their parent folder from me, and put it in their backpack, no questions asked. At 3:05 when the bus riders leave, the car riders and walkers will busy themselves with whatever classroom jobs need to be done until 3:15 when it is their turn to go. At this point, I am left with a sparkly clean and organized room, all ready for the next day.

You may be wondering, what the big deal is. It is a BIG deal to psychological well-being. I do not have to spend half my morning trying to locate homework that may or may not be completed. I do not have to rally my students to sit down after every single transition. I do not have kids freak out when they lose a pencil, or need a piece of paper. I do not have to listen to the constant dynn of a pencil sharperner grinding away all day. I am not asked a million times a day "can I go the the bathroom?", "where do I turn this in?", or "what do I do now?" When I call out a student's name, "what?" is never the response. I have seen these things happen. I have experienced these things. It is not pretty.

Okay guys, so I realize I am totally pushing it with this one. I apologize, but when I realized that the mere thought of actually responding to a tag about organization was completely ridiculous, I developed somewhat of a complex. I had to brag about something. There are seven days of school left. When it is done, I promise I will talk about something else. I also promise to make my first big project (after hybernation) organizing my apartment.

So, one more thing to share. I already mentioned completely missing the meeting last night. (I was probably off somewhere blogging.) Did I also mention that I double booked our class auction and the third grade movie? Did I mention that my stack of grading is now taller than I am, and report cards are due Monday? How about the fact that I still have not gotten cable, and can't imagine being able to relax in front of it anyway. Sometimes dinner is forgotten, until I wake up the next morning starving. I am consistently a minute or two late getting my class to every special, and occasionally a few minutes late to recess duty. Oh, and I forgot about my bus duty last Thursday. Are you sensing the pattern?

So, now it is my turn to tag. I need some major help with time management. I am clueless. I try, I really do, but I can't seem to figure it out on my own. So, I am officially tagging my Aunt Bev, my cousin Sarah, my mom Barb, my Grandma Judy, Brenda, and anyone else who would care to share.

Is that all I do? I just say "tag you're it", and the game begins? Or have I done way to many playground duties this year? Do I have to pick a title? I can't do that! I guess I'll find out.

I'm Not Cool

2006-05-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever sat back and just watched a group of kids? I don't mean siblings, or even cousins. I mean a group of kids who are unrelated, and forced to interact with one another in a social setting. Have you ever just observed?

I have. I do it almost every day of my life. As I was going through the daily routine today, watching my students work in small groups, play together on the playground, and have conversations in the cafeteria, something occured to me. "Cool" is not in their vocabulary. Okay, so they say it all the time: "that is sooo cool!" or "Mom, stop, you're being uncool!". But do they really know what it means? I am convinced that they do not.

I have a little girl in my class who came to school today in a Tweety Bird jumper with bows in her hair. She looked absolutely adorable, but I do not think she was worried about looking "cool". There is another group of girls who bring their dolls or ponies to school every day and carry them everywhere with them. Is this sweet? Absolutely. Is it the "cool" thing to do? Probably not. I have boys who pick pink when asked what color construction paper they want. I have girls who play football at recess, and boys who play house. I have boys who draw flowers and girls who draw dinosaurs. When we turn the cd player on for class parties, everyone dances, and they don't seem to care who is watching them.

My point here is that when you are in the third grade, you are who you are. There is nobody more real than a little kid. They are not busy trying to be somebody they are not, or pretending to like someone or something they don't. They are into what they are into, and that is that. Until about 5th or 6th grade, when "fitting in" becomes a life goal, I truly believe that kids just really want to have fun.

I went into this school year hoping to teach my students some valuable lessons they could take with them up the hallway. As it turns out, they have taught me an important one: just be youself and enjoy the life you are given.

The next time I am at a get-together with my friends, I will dance too. Who cares if I can't follow a beat to save my life? This does not make me an uncoordinated idiot. It just means I can't dance.

The next time somebody asks me what shows I am into, I will tell them I like the Disney Channel. Who cares if it is a kids' channel? This does not make me immature. It just means I like Disney.

The next time someone asks me what music I like, I will admit to them that I like Hilary Duff. Who cares if she is a teeny-bopper craze? This does not make me a teen idol wanna-be. It just means I like her music.

The next time I am running errands with no make-up, my hair a mess, and wearing "lounging clothes", I will not worry about running into someone I know. Who cares if I don't look my best? This does not make me a slob. It just means I like to be comfortable when I can be.

And the next time someone asks me if I am a Christian, I will tell them yes, without hesitation. Who cares what they think of it? This does not make me a person who will judge their every move and preach at them. It just means I have a relationship with my Lord and Savior.

Most importantly, I will try to remember that people can easily lose respect for someone who hides things, lies, or tries to be someone they're not. Nobody can really lose respect for someone just being real.

There is a song I hear occasionally on the radio, and I love the chorus:
"I'm not cool, that's okay, my God loves me anyway. I'm not cool, that's all right, I'm still precious in his sight. I'm not cool, I don't care, how I'm supposed to do my hair. I'm not cool, that's okay, my God loves me...my God loves me anyway."

I find these lyrics to be totally liberating.

Because Of My Mom

2006-05-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have the perfect mom. I know what you're thinking - I am only saying that because it is Mother's Day. While it does sadden me that I don't say it enough, I kid you not - every day of the year, she is a wonderful mom.

Growing up as my mother's daughter, I have a lot of good memories. Some are happy, some are sad, but all of them are good. For 27 years now, my mom has been a mother, and this is the calling to which she has faithfully devoted her life. There has never been a moment when I did not feel fully loved, and there has never been a time when she has not come through for my sister and me. These are just a few of them...

When my sister and I were kids, the big craze was Teddy Ruxpen, the talking bear. Of course, my sister and I had to have one. We already had a talking Big Bird and Mother Goose, but we needed the bear. And, of course, they were completely sold out everywhere. One day my mom got a call that one store had just gotten one in, and would hold it for thirty minutes. She left work during the storm of the century, drove like a mad-woman in dangerous conditions to get there in time, and walked through the parking lot in ankle-deep water - all to get some silly toy that her daughters couldn't live without. (She even sustained a rather unusual injury while on this mission, but she will kill me if I go there, so I will not.) That bear is long gone now, but the knowledge of what my mother did that day stays with me. Becuase of my mom, Christmas was extra special that year.

When I was a sophomore in high school, my cheerleading squad won a trip to Hollywood, California to march in the Hollywood Christmas Parade. A week before we were to leave, the mom who was supposed to chaperone backed out. Our coach gently informed us that we could not take the trip. We had been practicing the routine for weeks, and had already received our uniforms and plane tickets. It was devastating, and I was inconsolable. My mom knew how big a part of my life cheerleading was, and how much going on this trip meant to me. Somehow she managed to scrounge up the money, get the time off work, and muster up the courage to spend three nights in a hotel with 12 high school girls (not all of whom were the nicest young ladies, might I add). Because of my mom, we got to go on the vacation of a lifetime.

A year later, when I was a Junior, prom time rolled around. This was not a happy time for me. I did not have a date, or a dress, and was heartbroken to accept the fact that I was going to have to miss out on the big night. About three days before prom, I met a guy from another school that I wanted to ask, but there was still the issue of the dress. There were only three days remaining, and I was so busy with cheer practice and a part time job, that it just wasn't going to happen. One night I got home late from work, and found my mother waiting for me - with a gorgeous dress, two tickets, and the phone ready for me to call this guy. Her and my grandma had gone shopping while I was at work. Because of my mom, I got to be a part of the biggest event of the year (with no curfew!).

Because of my mom, I had the best childhood. I got to experience the zoo and the circus (even though she fears circuses). I had the best birthday parties, even one that involved a dozen 13-year-old girls asleep in the living room. I had someone to watch every new cheer and dance routine I ever learned - twice. Because of my mom, I had cupcakes to bring to school every year on my birthday. I had the most magical Christmases (she still writes "from Santa" on some of the gifts). I had someone to read to, and someone to play board games with on rainy days. Because of my mom, I know how to scrapbook and cross-stitch and sew. I know how to crochet and cook (well, kind of). Because of my mom, I am officially addicted to American Idol and blogging. I have a place to sleep on the weekends, because I cannot stand to spend more than two weeks away from her.

Most importantly, because of my mom, I am truly blessed. God was definitely looking out for me when he gave me the mom he did.

Happy Mother's Day, mom. You truly have no idea how special you are. You are my best friend, and one of my favorite people.

Tuesdays With Barb

2006-05-10T18:50:00.001-07:00

I spent the day with my mom Tuesday. It was one of her many days to watch Cameron, so I got to see first hand what her life is like. Usually I am only there on the weekends, so I just hear about her typical weekday. Yesterday, I got to witness it. . .

The day started out okay. All right, so it really didn't. I was woken up at 7:45 by a screeching 10-month old. I'm the type of person who likes to wake up slowly. I purposely set my alarm an hour earlier than I need to so I can have a cup of coffee and read for a while before I start my day. I didn't get to do this so much on Tuesday. Instead of waking up peacefully to my alarm (the kind you can shut off with the simple push of a button, might I had), I woke up to the lung capacity of a very unhappy baby. Instead of reading the next chapter in my very enjoyable book, I had the privelage of watching Sesame Street, and then Dora the Explorer. This was just the beginning. . .

About halfway through Dora, Cameron started getting fussy. Enter Super Nana! I watched as my mom came in and started entertaining the baby. First it was patty cake. Then climb on Nana. Then it was to the exersaucer. Then it was bouncy seat. Then more patty cake, and a little more climb on Nana. Then, crawl around on the floor for a while, with Nana chasing behind like crazy. This went on for an hour or so before it was time for lunch and a nap. The amazing thing about it, was that this entire time, my mom's dog, Chelsea, was also crawling and jumping all over her!

Around noon, Mom finally got Cameron to go to sleep. Not two minutes later, the lawn guy showed up. Boy did Chelsea love that! Not only was nap time over for a very cranky baby, we got to listen to her bark non-stop for about 10 minutes. During that time, I think the phone rang about two or three times.

After the lawn guy left, and the dog was banished to the back yard, it was back to the cycle: patty cake, climb Nana, exersaucer, bouncy seat, crawl everywhere, patty cake, climb Nana, exersaucer... you get the picture.

My mom did this from 7:30am until 8:00pm. During this time, I think the phone rang at least a dozen times, the dog continuosly hopped around her feet (she tripped over her twice), the dog threw up the fruit loops she stole from the baby, and Mom still managed to fix a wonderful pork chop dinner for my dad and me. Miraculously, she seemed to enjoy every minute of it, and was still smiling when Krissy showed up to take the sweet little cherub home. I was over it by 11:00am.

My mom and dad are going to Kansas for a few days this summer, during which time my mom is turning this job over to me. Yay!!! I truly can't wait. (big sigh).

The next time my mom tells me she has a migraine, I will know why.

The next time she says she is exhausted, I will believe her.

The next time I sit down to one of her fabulous meals, I will truly appreciate how much went into it.

The next time I go into her blog and there is no new post, I will not question her about it.

The next time my mom invites me over on a Tuesday, I will politely decline.

I am in awe! She truly is a super nana!

What I Have Learned

2006-05-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have officially expended my extended weekend. Yes, I do still have tomorrow, but I have to factor in a drive back to Montrose, and getting my act together for school in the morning. Tomorrow is officially a school night. Many of my colleagues would have spent a four day weekend painting their nails, taking bubble baths, and catching up on re-runs of their soaps. Not me. I spent most of my time off grading papers, shopping for our third and final auction, re-stocking our treasure box, and figuring out how the heck I am going to teach fractions and plate tectonics by May 25th. What can I say, I am addicted.

My mom and I spent part of our day together shopping. We went to Barnes & Noble to check out their newest selection of Jodi Piccoult books, and the fishstore to check out their newest selection of neons, and starbucks to spend a gift card so generously given to me by a student for "Teacher Appreciation Week", and the Christian bookstore. It was a lot of fun. As we were driving under an overpass, I found it crucial to inform my mom that at this moment my kiddos were getting ready to start the Problem of the Day in math, and boy I hoped my sub knew enough about perimeter and area to help my struggling mathematicians. What can I say, I can't shut it off. I am a teacher, even on my days off.

I chose to spend much of this particular day off grading papers, especially writing. I love grading writing. I find myself chuckling out loud, and handing off various papers to my mom, so she can chuckle too. As I sat there reading their laborous paragraphs, it occured to me that I only have 12 days left with these guys. While a part of me is very excited about having 12 weeks off this summer (I have two Max Lucado books and a penguin puzzle, not to mention the first and second seasons of One Tree Hill on DVD I got for my birthday waiting for attention) a part of me is really sad about the close of my first year. Everyone tells me "you'll be at the same school next year, and you'll get to see them in the fall." Anyone who is a teacher would understand that it is not the same. There is a world of difference between having kids in your class, and seeing them in the hallway. As of May 25th, they will no longer be my class. This thought got me reminiscing about some of the funny and unexpected things that have happened in the classroom since August. Mostly, some of the things that have come out of their mouths.

My students and I have a pretty laid-back relationship. I use sarcasm often, and they know they can use it (within limits) with me. One day, I had the class get in to groups to work on a Science activity. I told them they could work with a partner of their choice, as long as they "used their time wisely." A few minutes later, one little girl came up to me and said, "Can we work with a friend?" I said to her, "I just said you could work with someone." She said, "Yea, I know, but can it be a friend?" Without thinking I responded with "No, work with someone you hate!" Without a moment's hesitation she smiled sweetly, linked her little arm through mine and said, "Good, in that case I'll work with you." There was another teacher in the room who almost choked on her diet soda at this point, and I was left speechless, trying to get over the fact that I lost a battle of wits and was completely burned by an eight year old. (Note to self: don't teach third graders sarcasm).

One day I was working with my high reading group. This was a small group of kids who were reading a pretty difficult book. In the story, one of the characters was grumbling about the salaries of baseball players. I asked the kids if they knew what a salary was. One of the smartest boys in my class looked at me and said, "Isn't that a green vegetable that gets stuck in your teeth?" Somehow I managed to keep a straight face. (Note to self: just tell them what a new word means, don't ask).

My student are right at that age where they are losing teeth left and right. I think I have a tooth pop out about twice a week. The nurse has these cute little plastic boxes that are shaped like teeth and attatched to a string. This way, students can wear them around their necks and keep track of their teeth until the tooth fairy comes to claim them. The other day, one of my boys came up to me, stuck his plastic tooth container in my face and said, "Look! It's a pregnant tooth!" I almost died! I actually wasted about three minutes of our precious instructional time just laughing, and letting the rest of the class laugh. (Note to self: Never ever mention the birds and the bees in a third grade classroom.)

The teacher across the hallway shared this one with me. She was reading one of the Little House on the Prairie books to her third graders. In one scene, the girls were present while a mother cow gave birth to a calf. In the middle of her reading, one of her students began waving his hand in the air. When she called on him, he had much to share. "There's more to it than that," he said. "Before the mother can even get pregnant with a calf, she needs the boy cow's squirm." Don't ask me how she managed to get through that with a straight face, but I seriously could not have done it! (Note to self: Skip this chapter next year.)

I was told I would learn a lot in my first year of teaching, but I never dreamed I would learn this much!

I love being an elementary school teacher. I actually feel really lucky that I am only in my first year and have many more years of this kind of stuff to look forward to. I hope those of you who visit my blog don't mind hearing about it. Often. While I do have tons of other things to talk about (ask my family how much I talk), some of my favorite things to talk about are stories from the classroom. What can I say? Teaching is not just my job. It is pretty much my life.

I've Caught the "Bug"

2006-05-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

I am not fond of the internet. To be more exact, I am not fond of technology in general. I enjoy doing things the old way, it feels safe. For example, when I write things using a pencil and a piece of paper, I do not have to worry about my work suddenly disappearing into cyberspace never to be recovered. I do not have to worry about it suddenly being reformatted into some illegible sequence of letters and symbols. I do not have to resave every few minutes just to be safe. I have had two computers die on me (one right in the middle of my on-line teaching classes). I do not like computers, and they (apparently) do not like me.

For this reason, when my mother called me a little over a week ago and told me she had a blog, my first response was, "A what? Is it contagiuos?" After she explained what it was, my next response was to write down her address, set it aside, and go back to grading papers. When she continued to ask me about what I thought of it, and I was running out of excuses as to why I had not had a chance to look yet, I decided I had better just comply and give it a peek. I finally did about a week ago.

Since then, I have let my grading pile up so high I fear I will never get through it all by the end of the school year; I completely forgot about midterms and sent them home a week late; I have not gotten to bed before midnight yet this week; I forgot to eat dinner Wednesday night; I completed my sub-plans for Monday at 6:15 Friday after school; I even forgot to bake the cupcakes I promised my class I would bring in on my birthday. (Thank God for thoughtful room mothers with baking abilities.) To make a long story short, I became addicted to reading the blogs posted by my mom, aunt, and cousin. I immediately found out that I could not yet post comments, and so here I am, creating my own blog. (Yes, it is contagious.)

So here I am. In a Moment... It took me a while to think of a name, but chose this one for a number of reasons. I got the name from a Hilary Duff song, Fly. The opening lyrics to this song are: "In a moment, everything can change, feel the wind on your shoulder. For a minute, all the world can wait, let go of your yesterday." These words, and the song in general, are so fitting of my life right now. I listen to it when I feel like I am losing my grip, and I am immediately calmed. Looking up and realizing that not one aspect of your life today is even remotely the same as it was a year ago is unnerving. I love my life now, but sometimes have trouble letting go of my yesterday.

Another reason for this title choice is my undeniable ability to procrastinate. (See above paragraph about the midterms and grading.) I often joke about "why do today what can be put off til tomorrow?" I tend to see many things as capable of being done in a moment, after I finish this one. I can't help it, I juggle too many balls sometimes, but I always manage to get things done. I also find it therapeutic - I am quickly learning how to handle stress.

Last, but not least, I chose this title on account of a phrase I am famous for in my family: "Okay, just a moment." It doesn't matter what I am asked to do, it can be coming to the table because dinner is ready, run to the garage and get something for mom, get my jeans because mom is doing laundry, come to the phone, its for you...the list goes on. My classic response is "Okay, in a moment." I don't do it consciously, it just happens. It is not my fault I am always in the middle of something. I am not a sitter. I can't just sit. I am always doing something. So, when you ask me to do something, there is a good chance that I will need to come to a "stopping point," before I comply. Sorry.

So here is my first post. Mom and Aunt Bev, I know you have been waiting patiently for me to get this far. I am sorry for the delay, I just needed a moment. After reading the posts of both you and Sarah, I have come to realize that I come from a line of very gifted (and funny) writers. I sense a memoir being published soon. I look forward to joining this legacy.