Never had a better day

Update on Ms. Kelly and other random tidbits

2012-02-06T19:39:00.000-08:00

God is good! After ten hours of surgery, the doctor was able to remove 60% of the tumor on Friday. The rest of the tumor will be removed on Friday morning, due to scheduling issues with the hospital. Best of all, the tumor is BENIGN! Kelly is in great spirits. I spoke with her on Sunday and nothing about that girl has been altered! Time will tell what the full effects are, after this last surgery, but all signs point to a good recovery.

I'm sorry I didn't post sooner but I have this nasty sinus cold. I can't remember the last time I couldn't knock a cold right out of my head, after a few days of Theraflu. I even left a Superbowl party at HALFTIME to crawl into bed. I never leave a party! This bugger is all up in my sinus cavity and down in my chest. It's a doozy.

If you happen to have any prayers left over, Dad has gallbladder surgery on Wednesday. Rather routine operation but with Dad, there is no such thing as routine! Please pray for no complications and a smooth recovery.

Tomorrow, my niece, Lorelli, turns 9.

My nephew could be born any day.

I sure have a lot to be thankful for.

prayers for kelly

2012-02-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

If you read my last post, you know how much important my students are to me. A few favorites have moved past that place of being a former student into that of a friend. There is a select group of six who mean the WORLD to me. I mentored them throughout high school and even went with them on their senior trip to Disneyland. I've watched them travel their paths through college, boyfriends, marriages and births of children. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of the women they have become.

This last October, four of them gathered and took me out to lunch.

Tonight, sweet Kelly (far right in the red), is at Harborview. Tomorrow she is scheduled to have a tumor removed from her brain.

Please pray for her health, doctor's steady hands, no sign of cancer, calm for her worried family, and a speedy recovery so she can get home to her sweet baby girl, who was born in December.

Be strong, Kelly

a reminder

2012-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. ~Jacques Barzun

Today began with telling two students I wasn't going to change their classes for second semester. There is no way I am allowing ANY student to drop an AP class to leave a gaping hole in a transcript. Both want to attend college.  One conversation ended with a girl in tears.   The other conversation ended with a very mad boy. Both agreed to stick it out. Both are scared of failing. Both are at a crossroad to decide how they want to tackle the academic challenges that face them. And I am commited to do my very best to help them in the next six months.

A few hours later, another junior walked into my office to ask me to check his grades. This is one I have been working with for over a year. He just needed to grow up and figure it out. After seeing a report card filled with Bs and Cs for the FIRST TIME EVER, he has clearly figured it out. And he was so excited to share it with me.  As a teacher, there is no better feeling than seeing a student filled with pride in what they have accomplished.   Challenges remain for him but he is starting to learn that hard work pays off with success.

And the day just kept getting better.

An email popped up from a former student who is in their second year at WSU. Just a quick check in to tell me how they are doing. Good grades. Healthy choices. Learning from experiences and a story of how they were able to use their leadership experience from ASB in a situation his year. All good.

At 2:00pm, a former student, from the class of 2006, walked into my doorway. I couldn't even contain my excitement. In fact, I'm about 99% sure I squealed when I saw his face. Of all my 18 years of teaching, the class of 2006 remain my favorite class. Why? Because they were "my kids" during the dark days of infertility. I couldn't have a child of my own so I made this group mine.   It wasn't like I would bring any home but oh, how I adored that group. All of them. Their paths would be different from one another; some would struggle, some wouldn't. The one who walked in my door today has struggled. Has seen his share of bad times. I last saw him five years ago, a lost young man, moving away to start fresh. Today, he walked in, a new man, ready to face his next chapter in life. I spent an hour talking with him, peppering him with questions. At one point, he put his hands on his head and said, "I knew you would do this when I walked in but I had forgotten how intense you can be." He paused. "I forgot how much you cared. Keep going. It's good for me."

Eric asked me if seeing my former student felt good because it was validation as a teacher. The thought had never crossed my mind. My happiness had nothing to do with my valdiation. I'm past the time in my career when I need validation. I simply want this young man, who has seen more at the age of 24 than I have at 40, to be happy and find his own path. It's what I have always wanted for any of my kids.

Any of them.

who knew i could be so productive

2012-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

Apparently, all it takes is a few days of ~~being stuck at home~~ winter wonderland to inspire me to finish tasks on my to-do list.

To-Do List

~~Write Alexander's thank you cards.~~

~~Write a reference for a former student~~

~~Write a letter of recommendation for a former student~~

~~Put together packages to be mailed~~

~~Send Eric to the store for cat food~~

Grading papers for current students

~~Write the leadership final test~~

~~Put laundry away~~

Watch Season 3 of Brothers and Sisters

~~Enter several blog giveaways~~

~~Stalk people on Facebook~~

Now that Alexander is down for his nap, guess I better get to the remaining items on my list!

let there be light!

2012-01-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

We started the day without power and the generator ran out of gas about 7:30. By 8am, all three of us were bundled up and clearing the driveway of branches. We lost two trees and there were branches in all the yards around us. One neighbor had a tree come down across his front yard and we suspect another neighbor had his truck crushed but it was hard to tell.

We lost the lilac tree.

And the cherry tree.

Both were favorite tress and we were saddened to see them go. However, we're very thankful nothing hit our house. Trees can be easily replaced. Houses take a bit more effort.

The level of freezing rain was ridiculous and made the roads really treacherous.

When Eric ventured out to get more gas for the generator, he said the entire hill, down to IKEA was blackout! That's a lot of people in the dark! The freezing rain just wasn't any good around here. We had to knock all the ice off of Umma's car (the one with 4wheel drive!)

As soon as the power came on, we all showered, I started the dishwasher, washed ALL the dishes that had been piling up, ran the load of clothes that had been sitting in the washing machine (YUCK) on hot, and flushed the toilets. We are on a septic system. Guess what doesn't work when you lose power?

Yep, it's been a long couple of days!

Poor Eric didn't have his beloved computer and internet. Surprisingly, he was good sport about it. He decided we should clean out boxes that we had been storing in our closet for five years, clean his computer area, and we rearranged our bedroom furniture.

Needless to say, we're needing a run to the garbage dump in the near future!

When all was said and done, we were without power for about 40 hours.

The peace and quiet was nice.

But there is no way I'd make it as a pioneer lady.

No way.

living in the dark

2012-01-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

power went out for a few hours last night and then back on.

until 6am

we have been without power ever since. tree branches have been breaking off all around our house. the generator has been running all day.

so we spent time cleaning the closets upstairs and rearranging our bedroom furniture. played board games. finished a puzzle. and watched trees fall.

right now alexander is watching toy story on my laptop and eric and i are reading.

the last time we had a storm this bad we were stuck at home with a 2 year old.

this time we are better prepared.

cell phones. plenty of food. a generator.

and plenty of red wine and beer.

stay warm

snowmaggedon 2012

2012-01-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

The best part of today's snow day is that I am home, celebrating my son's 5th birthday with him.

The worst part of today's snow day is I haven't left our house since Sunday.

Oh wait.

It turns out I actually don't mind Snowmaggedon (thank you, local news!) 2012 rolling in and shutting down our lives for a few days. We're up to six inches of the fluffy stuff and it is COLD out there. REALLY cold.

There are toys all over our living room and playroom. There is a pile of laundry that needs to be put away and dishes that need to be put in the dishwasher. There are the front steps that need to be shoveled. And I have a pile of papers that need to be graded.

Yet, I want to do is sit on my couch and watch old episodes of Brothers and Sisters.

I'll get back to the real world tomorrow.

Uh-oh, the power just started flickering! Better go check the generator!

check out this giveaway!

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Rachel, over at If It's a Hero You Want (one of my favs), has been blogging like a fiend lately. I love it. I've followed her blog for about a year (or longer?) and really enjoy what she has to say.

Right now, she has a week long giveaway going.

Click HERE to check it out!

snow days

2012-01-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

I do love me a snow day!

Well, I don't like driving in it. And I barely like playing in it.

But I really like having school canceled for the day!

1-16-12
View from our living room; overlooking the neighbors house.

See, in the PNW, schools are closed just about automatically when snow threatens the area. Last night, I went to bed with a 2 hour delay report. Eric said it snowed all night so having the day canceled came as no surprise. There is no better feeling than pulling up the school report list, seeing your school district closed and then rolling right back over and falling back to sleep.

My sweet husband is going to drive my dad to dialysis and help my parents today.

I guess, that means Alexander and I will have to spend the day together, coloring, working on our GeoTrax train tracks and venturing out into the snow.

Oh, how I love a snow day!

Tripp

2012-01-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sweet little Tripp is pain free and at peace.

I pray his mom finds peace as she says goodbye to her sweet boy.

i'm all over the place

2012-01-14T22:16:00.000-08:00

It is a rare time in my life when my emotions are running rampant and I can't reign them in.

I typically have my shit together.

No, really. I do.

Today? Not so much.

It started this morning. In talking with Alexander about tomorrow's birthday party, it hit me that my sweet baby

is turning 5.

As naked as the day he was born.

What really hit hard is that no one from his preschool has RSVP'd. Naturally, I assume the worst. They aren't coming. Despite knowing he will be surrounded by friends who have RSVP'd, knowing the ones he cares about the most will be in attendance, knowing he won't even notice who is in attendance, I keep wondering if that will be enough. All my childhood angst of wanting to be liked, having grown up in a neighborhood full of kids, comes to the forefront. What if my kid doesn't have friends? What if he isn't well-liked? What if he is that kid sitting in the hall, by himself?

Oh, my heart breaks at the very thought.

On top of all that, we have weather reports of impending snow storms that threaten to force a cancellation of the party. Which means Jodie isn't here for Alexander's party. Before I get into the emotions of not having Jodie here for Alexander's birthday party, let me remind you I spent the day with Jodie, as she tried on wedding dresses. It is highly possible I was already an emotional wreck before I had to go into final party planning without her.

Here's what I discovered when watching someone you love try on wedding dresses. It takes you back to when you bought your dress and all the angst and excitement of that time.

I loved my dress but it was the first one I tried on. I didn't trust anyone to give me input so I picked it out completely by myself. Knowing where I was in that time in my life, a 25 year old with not-so-great self esteem, I'm not surprised that I had a huge veil to cover me up. I mean, look at that thing! I do think if I had the same confidence I feel now, I would have worn a completely different dress. Knowing that almost makes me regret the dress. But I was a princess. Remembering the feeling of being a princess makes the regret disappear.

Jodie found her perfect dress and the day could not have been any better. I would show you a picture but I think we'll leave that little tidbit for a surprise. I dd try on three bridesmaid dresses today and we would have taken pictures of those lovely things but the place was anti-cameras. Whatever.

So many emotions. Jodie not being here, on the night before Alexander's party doesn't feel right. To not have her here making cupcakes with us, while we drink Capt is the strangest feeling. It's just weird. She has ALWAYS been here the night before his birthday party. Always.

I knew this time would come. I mean, she does have a life of her own.

Doesn't mean I have to like it.

I mean, who else wears kid party decor

Or frosts a better giant cupcake than that girl?

No guilt, Jo-Jo.

We're just never going to like it.

roller coaster of life

2012-01-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

It seems like the roller coaster of life continues to throw me up and down on it's tracks.

Or maybe I'm stuck in a loop-da-loop and the ride feels like it's never going to end.

Either way, life is feeling a bit crazy these days!

Doesn't it always seem like life has these moments?

Moments where you find yourself just holding on until there is a lull and you can catch your breath?

Ever since winter break ended, I have been sitting in that roller coaster car and man, I haven't had a chance to stop and even think about what's been going on.

Loop #1:

First four days back and my office was filled with students who wanted to share every last detail about their winter breaks. Normally, I don't mind these "mini-counseling" sessions. I like to help kids and part of that is listening to their teen angst. For some reason, their teen angst was exhausting last week! But they vented, I listened, and thus, didn't really do anything productive for my job. Obviously, that means I feel like I'm drowning at work. And today, I found out a former student committed suicide over the weekend, so I suspect this week is going to be a repeat of last.

Loop #2:

After a long week at work, I found myself supervising two varsity basketball games on Friday night. On a week where I'd rather do nothing than put my feet up, I found myself at the high school, frantically running around, trying to put together the halftime shows. Uh, yea, organizing half time shows isn't even my job! However, when the community asks for your help, you definitely do not want to say no. So, there I was, organizing a halftime drawing and a half court shot competition at the last minute. Oh well. At least both teams won!

Loop #3:

After a morning of cleaning the house, I jumped in the shower so I could go meet Jodie for a little shopping and talk wedding plans over a few drinks. Her wedding is in August and we had a little pow-wow about the show. It's going to be a fantastic show. Fantastic.

Just like the drinks we enjoyed.

Loop #4:

From there, I drove out to book club to spend time with my fabulous friends. It was a smaller group this month and, as predicted, none of them liked the book (read my review here) I suggested. It made me laugh and I wasn't all that surprised because it is very different. Next book is Unbroken and after that is The Unquenchable Thirst.

I'm so excited to read these next two books, that I suspect I'm not going to be able to wait for the local library to get them in stock. It was a super fun night, filled with great conversation, excellent wine, and delicious treats. Thanks for hosting, Mari!

Loop #5:

After a late night, I was able to sleep in until 9ish. But soon after waking up, I had to finish cleaning the house so we could host the virtual baby shower for my brother. You can read about it here. I couldn't have been happier to see my brother and my sister-in-law, surrounded by their loved ones. The baby is due in four weeks and we are all over the moon to meet the little man. After seeing my brother's ~~giant~~ head on our big screen, I'm even more convinced to make a trip to Florida in June, a reality for us.

Loop #6:

Today, Dad had his eighth surgery in two years. The doctor snipped and realigned the vein in his upper arm for a better dialysis connection (that's the easiest way to describe it in non-medical terms). And he came through with flying colors! Mom, Kim, Auntie Joanne and I sat in the waiting room for most of the day. He's home and resting, and hopefully, his new fistula is healing so he can begin home-dialysis in early April. I was able to answer a few work emails from the hospital but most will have to wait until tomorrow.

So, the ride keeps going and going, with all the ups and downs that life has to offer! With wedding dress shopping, Alexander's birthday party, and family photos scheduled for this weekend, I don't see it stopping anytime soon.

Tonight, though, I'm going to sit on the couch and watch Captain America with the boys.

And a beer.

Such is the chapter in my life.

3 days back to work and...

2012-01-05T16:51:00.000-08:00

2011 rewind

2012-01-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

2009 rewind here

2010 rewind here

2011 - here we go!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Disciplined students. Anything from emergency expulsions to lunchtime detentions. When I taught PE, I rarely had to discipline kids. They just knew better.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
When the school year started in August, I decided I wasn't going to spend my time at home on my work email or working on projects. I would say, for the most part, I have kept that resolution.

As for this year's resolution, read here what I plan to do in 2012.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
At 40, Eric and I are kinda moving out of the baby phase in life. However, a camp family addition was born in August to Patrick and Andrea. And I'm REALLY looking forward to meeting Baby Braillard, Baby Rankin, and Baby S in 2012!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.

5. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More confidence in myself at my job. It's year two in the position and I'd love to be at a point where I stop questioning my abilities and skills.

6. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
When we were in Disneyland, I was in line for the monorail to enter Disneyland with Alexander and my in-laws. My phone rang and my mom told me that she was on the way to the hospital with my dad, who had had a heart attack. Eric was mid-flight, my son was bouncing up and down to get into Disneyland, and I was crying. I was torn between my role as a daughter, my role as a wife, and my role as a mother. I felt helpless.

Celebrating my 40th birthday in Vegas with all my loved ones. Laying in the sun. Jello shots and drinks for days. Gambling with Eric and Jen until 5am. Floating the lazy river while Jodie told me she was getting married. I felt joy.

Two memories on two ends of the emotional spectrum.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finishing year one of a job that challenged and pushed me

8. What was your biggest failure?
Many times, I put work before my family. I don't think that has happened as much since August but I know I was very guilty of it all last school year.

9. What was the best thing you bought?
My 40th birthday trip to Vegas

10. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Eric. He encouraged me to take a new job and supported me as I bounced all over the place with the experience. He was my partner as we worked on our marriage this past summer. He worked the 17 day diet with me so we could be healthy parents. Every single day, he puts himself aside and takes care of our son.

11. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A co-worker who's energy will not taint me in 2012. I will not allow it.

12. Where did most of your money go?
My personal allowance to feed my shopping habit! A girl has to look good at work, right?

13. What did you get really excited about?
When my brother said, "I'm going to have a son." I cried. I cheered. And then I cried again.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Family Dance Party - "Dynamite"

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? Happier.
– thinner or fatter? Thinner.
– richer or poorer? Financially poorer but infinitely richer for all I have around me (same answer as 2009!)

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Running and working out

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Attacking Eric

18. What was your favorite TV program?
GLEE!!!

19. What was the best book you read?
Oh, that's tough! The Kitchen House. Cutting for Stone. And the fourth book of the Eragon series. SO GOOD.

20. What did you want and get?
Personal validation that I am good at my job and having nothing to prove to anyone.

21. What did you want and not get?
The fire marshal signing off on our house so we could move forward with the remodel.

22. What was your favorite film of this year?
We don't see many movies in the theater but the one that we did see and I loved was Fast Five. OMG.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We went to Vegas for my 40th birthday and were joined by 20 wonderful people! Memories to last a lifetime!

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Setting a goal to exercise (i.e. a half marathon) that would have kept me focused during the school year.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Long cardigans. Boots. Skinny jeans. Sweater/tunic dresses or skirtts with leggings.

26. What kept you sane?
My husband. And the captain.
this answer will never change.

27. Who did you miss?
Mika

28. Who was the best new person you met? Zarah. I work with her, she joined us in Vegas and bought Jello shots for the group for breakfast. Anyone who buys me Jello shots for breakfast is going to be the best new person. Duh

29. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Everyone has a love language. When those closest to you know how to read that language, it feeds your soul. And brings pure joy to your life.

high hopes for this movie

2012-01-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

I literally squealed with delight when I saw a commercial for this movie.

Are you kidding me?

I'm giddy with anticipation.

Rarely do I have any interest in watching a movie that was adapted from a book. I refused to see Water for Elephants because I loved the book so much. I haven't watched any of the Twilight or Girl with a Dragon Tattoo movies because I enjoyed the books so much. I just can't do it.

However, I'm definitely making an exception for this one because the book was SO visual.

Remember my review?

I want to see this book on the big screen. I want to see the visuals as written by the author come to life.

Oh, and I kinda love, love, love Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, who play Oskar's parents.

Thomas Horn plays Oskar.

Better known as the kid who won Teen Jeopardy by betting $12K on the final question.
That's totally something Oskar would do.

out with the old; in with the new

2011-12-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

As a teacher, I gauge time by the school year calendar. Daily life is lived through back to school days, grading quarters, spirit weeks, vacation weeks, standardized testing dates, and end of year festivities. Thus, New Years Eve has never ranked high amongst holidays to be celebrated. In fact, we usually celebrate it with east coast time and Alexander and I are in bed by 10.

That doesn't mean I haven't set my fair share of resolutions. One year, I resolved to lose to 20 lbs and I did it (2000). One year, I resolved to run a 5K (1997) and ended up running a 1/2 marathon (2010)...13 years later! Truthfully, once I'm back in the school routine and counting down days until mid-winter break in February, resolutions are quickly forgotten and I'm back to my old ways. Something about the daily grind keeps me from focusing on a list of events or behaviors.

Sooooo, this year, I'm choosing something different to celebrate the new year.

As I was blog hopping yesterday, I came across the blog of a woman who chooses a word for the year. The idea instantly resonated with me because it involves MY choice and is under MY control.

I choose

Now, I'm going to go search for wall decals so I can decorate my bathroom to remind me to choose joy each morning. I think I'm also going find pictures of friends and family that fill me with joy and hang those up on my mirror, too! Oh, I do love a fun project!

As you bring in the new year, what word you would choose for 2012?

CHOOSE IT!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Book Review - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

2011-12-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

This one surprised me.

Months ago, this book was suggested to me on FB when I asked what people were reading. At the time, I put it towards the bottom of the list. I didn't have any interest or time for reading what I call "a heavy book-club type book". When my mom recently loaned me a bag o' books, this one was in it so I figured, "what the heck".

I was wrong to think I wouldn't enjoy this book. It is so well written that I didn't want to put it down.

The story follows the lives of orphaned twins, Marian and Shiva Stone and how fate leads each of them down a different path to a life in medicine. The author provides vivid description so the reader truly can picture themself in Ethopia, amongst the smells and sights of the convent where most of this book takes place. Interwoven are stories of betrayal, hope, and the deep love between siblings.

I truly enjoyed this book. For what it is worth, it has a slow beginning so be patiend. Don't put it down until you work through the first part to about where the twins are born. THAT is where it gets really good. I'd love to know what you think of it!

my muscles are soooooore!

2011-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

My body may have had no problem running 2 miles yesterday but TODAY?

Holy crap. Muscles are hurting! Feels like I had volleyball tryouts, conditioned like a fiend...and didn't make the team.

Maybe I should pull a Jodie (I'll have what she's having) and start a Pilates program.

Or find a yoga class.

Let's face it.

These old muscles are going to be sore, no matter WHAT I pick up!

why wait until January 1?

2011-12-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

I went out for a run today. 2.0 miles. It has been over a year since my last run (18 months, I think!) so I was curious as to how I'd feel while running. It took about a half mile for the kinks to wear themselves out but the ol' muscles remembered just what to do. There weren't many people out on the trail, the weather was perfect, and I felt TERRIFIC when the run was over.

Wanna know why I started running again?

Because, like an idiot, I agreed to join my bozo friends at the Survivor Mud Run in June. Yes, I was drunk when I agreed. No, there is no way they are going to let me out of this commitment...especially once they offered to give me their free beers at the end.

Check it out.

Suvivor Mud Run

I may need a beer before we begin.

checking in

2011-12-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

I thought I would have blogged more now that I'm on vacation.

Turns out, being on the computer is the last thing I want to do.

The weekend flew by. Eric has a new computer game so he hung out upstairs. Alexander and I spent most of the Saturday, hanging out and working on a new puzzle before getting ourselves together for a holiday party with friends, playing rockband and eating delicious treats (and drinking delicious cocktails with whipped cream vodka! NUMMY!).

Naturally, Sunday was low-key...until Alexander and I started this...

Apparently, after a few cocktails on Saturday night, I agreed to play LEGO Star Wars with my almost-5 year old (who is WAY better at the game than I am) on Sunday.

WTH was I thinking? I don't game.

I admit, we had a pretty good time. So much so, that Eric finally told us to go to bed at 11PM!

Ooops!

Vacation rocks.

24 hours to go...

2011-12-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

...until I have TWO FULL WEEKS of vacation!

You see, lately, this is where I can be found most nights.

Sound asleep by 8pm.

I had forgotten how a short month of work is more exhausting than a long month with five weeks.

10 hour days.

Evening events.

A spirit week.

Add all the homefront tasks that come with the holidays...and I'm more than ready for the break!

Speaking of all the holiday tasks, we did put decorations up a few weeks ago.

Christmas cards have been mailed and holiday packages have been sent,

which means all we have left is SHOPPING!

My favorite part!

Ugly Sweater Day

2011-12-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Or, as I like to call it,

"Take your mom's sweater to work" day.

Don't be offended, Mom. The sweater was a big hit!

random acts of christmas kindness (ROACK)

2011-12-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

My super awesome Aussie friend Sarah came up with the idea of doing a random act of kindness for twenty-five days. My first thought? "Yes, please!". Sarah's one of the Seven Strong (read about them here) and is one of the most compassionate, caring, generous people...I have ~~never~~ met. Right now, one of the seven is especially on my mind, as she spends her days at the Children's Hospital in Texas, fighting with doctors for what is best for her young son, Cael. You can read about Liz and Cael here.

Sarah's vision is for everyone to participate in a Random Act of Christmas Kindness in the days leading up to Christmas. No grand gestures or acts are necessary. Just think about being kind. Here's what I've done:

Day 1

Gave 1 month's worth of lunch money to the school coin drive, which will be donated to the local food bank.

Day 2

Gave a poinsettia to my ASB bookkeeper, whose infinite knowledge keeps me from making mistakes and getting fired.

Day 3

Alexander and I helped a mom carry out a HUGE order of food from the gluten-free bakery to her car so she wouldn't have to make multiple trips in the cold.

Day 4

Alexander and I are going to bake cookies for my ASB kids, who spent all day Saturday decorating the school for Snowcoming.

Pretty simple gestures that go a long way to make someone else feel good.

i'm so vain

2011-12-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

I admit it.

I am vain.

Luckily, I have this blog to blame when I pull my camera out of my purse. And I'm lucky enough that my friends and family have come to accept it and have become used to posing with me.

Well...most have.

This week, I set a goal to wear my new pretty shoes to work.

Super cute, right? ! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! The problem is I haven't been able to convince myself that I can wear them. It's a combination of 1.) I'm too old to wear them and 2.) the lack of an outfit.

This week I was bound and determined to figure this out!

I decided I would take a picture of myself and what I wore to work each day, in the event of finding the right outfit for the best shoes. I saw the idea on another blog and thought it was pretty creative. And we all know how I like to steal others creativity.

I may not have found the outfit but I definitely found my favorite new way to justify my vanity.

Excuse the TERRIBLE quality of photos - I used my phone.

MONDAY

Every Monday, I wear some sort of dress/skirt/tights/boots combination to work. I'm only on year two of grown up clothes so I'm slowly working new pieces in as I find them. I found this cute sweater tunic at Fred Meyer, of all places, and thought it looked pretty cute with leggings and boots.

TUESDAY

In hindsight, I think this sweater would have looked great with a black skirt.
And maybe the new shoes.

I'll have to try it another time.

WEDNESDAY

I used to think I could never wear skinny jeans.
I have since changed my mind and love to pair them with boots.

THURSDAY

I wore the shoes! Under a long pair of jeans but hey, I did it.

BTW, I orginally had this top paired with a long scarf and no cardigan.
Once I took the picture, I saw ginormous hips so off went the scarf and on a whim, I threw on the cardigan and long necklace.

FRIDAY

Typically, Fridays are dress down days. However, I had to dance in the assembly and didn't want to look dumpy in front of the entire student body.

I TOLD you I was vain.

Oh, how I love the cardian, skinny jean and boot look!
AND these jeans have been sitting on my shelf when I bought them 10 lbs ago. so BONUS to a new pair of jeans!

So, there you have it. One week of what I wear to work and my vanity at it's finest.

Book Review - One Second After by William Forstchen

2011-11-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

One Second After by William Forstchen

I love when other people suggest books to me. A co-worker and I have similar tastes in books so she thought I'd enjoy this one.

The story opens one second after the US is hit with an EMP wave. It is a story of how one little town, in the Black Hills, survives, battles, and learns to rebuild after this catostrophic event. Little things like medication become a matter of life or death, relationships between neighbors are tested as they fight to defend their town, and young men and women leave their childhood behind.

This book isn't a heavy read but it is a thought provoking one.
How would we survive an event like this one and how likely or realistic is an EMP attack?

Could we live a year, or more, without power, phone, radio, etc? Do we have enough survival gear to survive a winter? Do we have the skills needed to feed our family, once we ran out of food? Do we have the skills to survive with the basic necessities of food, shelter, and clothing?

Could we protect ourselves from looting and stealing?

It is a fascinating story about survival.

And it made me want to go to Costco to buy food and propane to last a year.

apple cup

2011-11-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday! I'm loving the long weekend and I hope you are, too! It's SO nice to spend time at home, just kicking it with my boys. I did a load of online Christmas shopping yesterday, Eric and I helped my parents put their tree up (which I'm dying to do at our place but can't until after Eric's birthday), and watched a lot of mindless TV. While I thought the weekend would include sleeping in, I should have realized that a certain 4 year old would want his mama up to play with him. So, I'm up early. Drinking coffee, working on a puzzle, and finishing laundry. And soon, I'll drag myself to the store to buy a few things for the party, party we're going to tonight.

Because, people, today is APPLE CUP!

Can I hear a WHOOT! WHOOT!!

Today's the day one of these teams will earn bragging rights for a full year. Admittedly, neither team is very good but that won't matter come game time. Somehow, the season always seems to start fresh when it's time for kickoff. It's going to be a great day...even if I have to spend it surrounded with the dreaded Purple and Gold!

GO COUGS!!

black friday? no thank you!

2011-11-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

I had every intent of waking early and shopping Black Friday sales.

And then I remembered how much I hate crowds.

Instead, I'm going to pour myself a cup of coffee, cuddle up on the couch with my laptop, and surf a few websites like these

http://www.ebay.com/

I've never been disappointed with pricing of toys. I love to find a good deal on ebay and know I saved money, too!

http://www.amazon.com/

Most members in my family create holiday wish lists with Amazon, which makes Christmas shopping SO easy! Just remember to delete items as you purchase! Not that I'd mind ending up with two pairs of these bad boys.

For the big guys in your life, I found this sweeet website. I haven't ordered from here before but I found a few great items that I couldn't pass up for my daddio!

http://www.rockysbigandtalldiscountstore.com/

I ran across this website and thought instantly of my darling nieces! Another sight-unseen purchase but the hairbands are so cute, I don't know if I can resist!

http://fabricheadbands.net/

Every holiday season, I'm drawn to this last website. Maybe you can find the perfect someone who would love one of these necklaces!

http://www.thevintagepearl.com/categories/simple_c4

thankful

2011-11-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

Every single day.

i'm still here

2011-11-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

things haven't been easy at work lately.

I need...

self-reflection.

self-preservation.

time.

healing.

purpose.

The long weekend couldn't have come at a better time.

Book Review - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

2011-11-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I often forget how long it takes me to read a book during the school year. Mostly because I fall asleep after reading three pages. However, I ALWAYS trudge through a book to the end. I can't leave things undone.

In August, a co-worker suggested I read this book. She's an english teacher, uber-smart, and always spot on with her recommendations.

She didn't let me down.

Meet Oskar Schell. He is nine years old, living in New York in the aftermath of losing his father on September 11th.

Oy.

As you can imagine, the book tugges at my heartstrings as this orphaned boy searches for meaning of his life, without his dad. What makes this book outstanding is the author's writing. It is all about the voices of the characters. It is powerful. It is moving. It is GOOD.

Admittedly, you have to follow the book closely because it does bounce around. I can see where some might not enjoy this book, due to how strange and wild the ride can be with Oskar. Not everyone in my booclub will like this but secretly, that is why I suggested it! I liked it and the ending was so sweet that everyone should stick it out to the very last page.

i told you i met a seahawk

2011-11-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, there are perks to being the one in charge!

not everyone is as freaky organized as me

2011-11-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

Part of my job this year is working with select students on their planning and organizing skills so they can be more efficient with turning in assignments, writing in their planners, and learning routines that can help them be successful. It's a long story how this job fell into my lap but truthfully, I like working with kids one-on-one to help them make good choices. Making a difference is kinda why I got into this job in the first place!

I spend about 20 minutes every other day, with three different students, helping them stay on top of things.  The current plan is to work for a full month, set goals, and re-assess what is/isn't working at the end of the month. Truthfully, it isn't a ton of work and I'm blown away by the progress and confidence these students are making every time we meet.

I was telling Eric about this facet of my job today and how much I enjoy it. He listened and then said, "you do realize not everyone is as freaky organized as you, right?"

WHAT? Not everyone loves to write down to-do lists? Not everyone loves to write in a planner? Not everyone loves binders, dividers, and how pretty an organized notebook looks?

I'm flabbergasted.

Actually, I jest. I know all to well not everyone has these skills.  Once upon a time, I worked closely with one young man for two full middle school years on these skills. Last year, he sent me an email telling me that he was graduating from college, with a 3.8 GPA, and going into business. When I first met him, I don't know that anyone thought he would have graduated from high school and without learning those skills, he might not have.

That's the key...

ANYONE can LEARN them.  It is a long road and change doesn't come overnight.   It takes hard work, diligence and patience. However, change will come and students will start to feel confident and realize the importance of the skills. In the past week, all three students are caught up in missing assignments AND have turned in all current assignments. All have written in their planners every day and all have a to-do list. One told me today that this is the best he has felt all year because he turned in every single assignment. They know it will take time for grades to improve. It's a whole lot easier to dig the hole than to climb out of it.  But at least they are moving in the right direction. All I do is sit across from them, ask what needs to be done, sit there while they do it, and then follow up the next time we meet. They have to do the hard work. So far, so good!

So, I know this is a lengthy post and I'll wrap it up. I'm not writing this to say "oh, look what a great person I am". I'm writing it because I love when students learn. I love teaching others. When it comes to these skills, all I know is they come naturally to me.  It comes from the years when my parents sat all three of us down, starting in middle school, and we had study hour, from 6-8PM at the dinner table. We had to be organized. We had to be prepared. And we had to work. My brother struggled the most and I watched my mother show infinite patience with him. I remind myself of that patience when I work with these students. It doesn't come naturally to them but they can learn.

Thanks, Mom and Dad. I'm paying it forward. Just like you taught me.

time to de-clutter

2011-11-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

I pride myself on not being much of a packrat. Yes, I do admit to owning a hope chest, full of high school and college momentos. Yes, I do admit to owning three plastic bins, filled with Alexander's clothing. Yes, I do admit to owning five bins filled with Christmas decorations.

But there are times when enough is enough!

Lately, the disaster known as Alexander's closet has been bugging me. It all started when I came across this lovely item in a catalog.

http://www.currentcatalog.com/

I decided right then and there, I had to have it. I knew it would be perfect for organizing my mess!

THE MESS

This is one of THREE boxes that had gotten out of control. A few weeks ago, Eric moved Alexander's clothing to a lower rack so Alexander can pick out his own shirts. We love the independence this gives our little man. However, it also meant that I could now see more and more of the ~~crap~~ items.

So, this morning I went to task. I pulled the boxes out and started sorting the items into piles. I knew most of the stuff was old cards and Holiday pictures. I had just never taken the time to sort it all out.

Time to sort!

The recycling pile kept growing by the minute!

Turns out I'm a holiday card junkie. I just love them. And it seems I have kept everyone of them, along with baby announcements, since 2005. Once I had all of those sorted out, I put them into piles.

With each pile, I added our Christmas card from the year, too. Apparently, there is a small part of me that thinks I'll actually scrapbook again. I sure hope that small part of me figures out when I'm going to find the time!

Finally, after I had looked through every card, sorted way too many piles, and put together my cute little organizer box, I had a final product!

The bag is filled with cards from my baby showers and cards sent after Alexander was born. For some reason, I can't part with these cards so I'm going to buy another organizational box for THAT ~~crap~~ stuff and put them in my hope chest...if I can make room for it.

Finally, the closet was put back together. It looks just a little bit better if you ask me!

In case you are wondering, the Pull Ups box is filled with gift bags. Unless someone has a better suggestion, I think I'm going to buy a skinny plastic bin (the kind you use for wrapping paper) and put them in there, along with the rolls of wrapping paper that are behind it. I had a skinny bin for that ~~crap~~ stuff but that is being filled with Alexander's projects from school.

No, I don't keep every project.

Just my favorites.

For the hope chest.

Book Review - State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

2011-11-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

I have to admit, I was not very excited to read this book. Since I hadn't enjoyed the first book by Ann Patchett (Bel Canto), I couldn't imagine how I would be able to like a second book by her. However, I kept my opinion to myself and went along with the book club decision to read this one.

I had a hard time convincing myself to open the book. If I knew I wasn't going to enjoy it, why bother reading it? I would read a few pages, ~~fall asleep,~~ put it down for a few days, pick it back up again and repeat the pattern. It is only because I didn't want to let my book club crew down that I kept going (even though only a few of us ended up reading it!)

But then came the day when I could read more than a few pages at a time and I fell in love with the story. So, if you find yourself wanting to put it down, kept at it. It's worth it.

A young woman experiences the adventure of a lifetime in the Amazon jungle, searching for the answers to the death of her co-worker and scientific research for the pharmacutical company she works for. This is a captivating book that meshes personal with professional responsibilities. I really enjoyed how the author placed the main character into situations simply to see what she is made of. I believe in pushing people so they learn resilience and grit so finding that theme interwoven into a book was fantastic.

It's a good book that is worth reading. Not a summer vacation book but more of a long weekend type of book. If you have the chance, pick it up.

P.S. Mari, from now on, I'll post my reviews before book club just for you!

jo-jo's big news

2011-11-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, my kid says some funny stuff. And that funny stuff becomes blog worthy. For example:

Alexander: "Mommy, do you think Jo-Jo and Zak wrote their letters to Santa, yet?"

Mommy: "I don't know. Why do they need to do that, Alexander?"
Alexander: "Well, Mommy. Last year, Santa didn't know where to send their presents so they didn't have as many presents as me to open up. This year, they should tell him REALLY early so they get their presents at our house."

Mommy: "What if Zak and Jo-Jo don't stay with us on Christmas Eve this year?
Alexander: "Don't be ridiculous, Mommy. They love me. They will."

Naturally, this story made me laugh. And made me think of Jo-Jo. My favorite.

And THEN I realized I hadn't written about Jo-Jo and Zak's BIG NEWS!

THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED!!

Zak proposed the night Jodie arrived home from our Vegas extravaganza. Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!!

The wedding is in August. And you can bet these faces will be grinning and taking a WHOLE lot of photos!

It's kinda what we do.

15 things you don't know about me

2011-11-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

I admittedly stole this post idea from Heather over at Live.Love.Laugh. Check it out.

15 things you don't know about me...or maybe you do.

1. I don't eat anything that has a pit in the middle of it. *shudder*

2. At the end of every work day, all papers on my desk have to be in a pile and the pile has to be as straight as the edge of the desk.

3. When I need to de-stress, I clean. Everything.

4. I love to play music REALLY loud when I drive.

5. When I want something immediately like a new skirt or a Halloween costume, I will obsess and drive to as many stores as it takes to find it THAT day.

6. I used to be thousands of dollars in debt until Eric told me he wouldn't marry me until I cleared it. Took me less than a year to clear it.

7. After a summer of working in Alaska, I came home, weighing as much as a polar bear. Well, not really. More like a teen polar bear.

8. I changed my major in college 7 times.

9. I have recieved three tickets - one for blowing through a stop sign, two for speeding. All three occurred when my mind was pre-occupied by a tragedy or worry. I didn't fight any of the tickets. Nor do I think I should have gotten them but that's another story...

10. I knew the night of our first date that I would marry and spend the rest of my life with Eric.

11. I once had a total breakdown watching Battlestar Galactica. The cyborg could get pregnant but I couldn't. Needless to say, I was a little emotional during the infertility phase of life.

12. Seven years ago, I joined a pregnancy forum and became close friends with six women. I have only met two of them, have never been in the same place with all of them, but love them as dearly as my friends who I see and talk to all the time. They were my lifeline during that somewhat emotional infertile time in my life.

13. I often make fun of people when I shouldn't. It isn't nice. It doesn't make me a better person. But I love to do it, even if the thoughts stay in my head.

14. I don't like to miss out on a social event, knowing others are having fun without me.

15. I'm 7 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight and most days, I don't care if I lose them or not.

can't say i am not a team player

2011-10-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Of all the holidays that are celebrated during a year, Halloween is my least favorite. And by my least favorite I mean, all-time-dislike-the-day least favorite.

Always have disliked it. Always will.

So, you can imagine my distress when my coworkers put together this little beauty

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/WAOnVOqVjg5L6Cbt

(can you figure out which one is me?)

AND announced we were going to dress up for Halloween.

WHAT THE HELL?

I do NOT dress up Halloween. You have GOT to be kidding me.

But I'm a team player and said I'd do it.

And so, I did it.

And after school, I immediately trick or treated at my parents house for a cocktail.

A Captain and Diet Coke.

Naturally.

post filled with random updates

2011-10-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Since I can't spend my morning updating grades due to a server crash at school, I thought I'd spend the time updating the blog. During the school year, it is so hard to find the extra time to post but I'm bound and determined to try to update more than once a week.

You're welcome.

*Monday - Actually made it to Curves after work. It was awesome.

*Tuesday - I met a super nice Seattle Seahawk. I wish I had a picture but it's on that server I can't access right now. Boo.

*Wednesday - Alexander and I had dentist appointment. I don't know about you but we have the BEST dentist and dental staff. When I was a kid, I hated the dentist (different person) because the office was so sterile and cold. Luckily, our dental office is very kid-friendly and my kid doesn't mind going to the dentist one bit. I still hate it but at least the people are nice, which makes it bearable.

*Thursday was 80's Flashback day. This was my Facebook post:

Started the day with Chuck's Donuts and Pat Benatar. Ending it with Star Wars and a LHS soccer game. Is it 1986?

*Friday - date night! Mom and Dad have taken Alexander once a week for a playdate for the past year. This school year we settled on Friday nights, based on preschool and dialysis. Bet you don't pick your schedules based on those two things! Before Alexander was born, Eric and I used to set aside Friday's as date nights and I'm glad we're back to that day. There's nothing better than being able to relax all night and know I don't have to get up early the next day!

*Saturday/Sunday - Curves, laundry, cleaning house, playing with toys, working on a puzzle, and I wrote seven letters of recommendations (gotta love a template!). We're heading to my parents today so Alexander and Lorelli can trick or treat at their place and we can have family time for a few hours. If all goes well, we'll also go to IKEA because I have a little project in mind and I can't wait to get started.

Which brings us to tomorrow.

My least-favorite-of-all-time-overly-commercialized-non-holiday.

Halloween.

This year, I caved to the peer pressure at work and am dressing up with the rest of my team.

Thank goodness, trick or treating later that evening will involve wine.

I'm gonna need it!

lazy sunday

2011-10-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Not doing much of anything feels really good.

Last night, we celebrated Christmas with the in-laws. Our favorite snow birds leave for Arizona next weekend so it makes perfect sense to celebrate the holidays BEFORE Halloween.

We had a great night, eating, drinking, and opening presents. Ya know, kinda like Christmas. In October.

Apparently, the more wine I drink, the more likely it is that I will cut off my head in photos.

Alexander is having his last sleepover with his grandparents so Eric and I are happily doing nothing. In fact, it is highly possible that Eric is still in bed. I've done a few loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and drank a few cups of coffee while flipping between PennSt vs Michigan volleyball match (PennSt=AHMAZING) and Seahawks game (not as AHMAZING).

I may or may not shower today.

I may or may not eat loads of chips and salsa.

I may or may not spend the day watching terrible television.

I may or may not take a nap.

It's a lazy Sunday.

I am loving it.

time for a new chapter for dad

2011-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

After a three surgeries, half a dozen dialysis treatments, endless blood pressure checks, and too many bad cafeteria meals, Dad is home!

THANK YOU to everyone who prayed and/or sent positive thoughts to us during this latest adventure.

Eventually, the doctors will determine when and what type of heart surgery will have to happen and we'll start that chapter.

For now, we're just going to live it day to day.

And celebrate the big guy being back home!!

Book Review - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

2011-10-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Oh boy, did I love this book! So well written. So enjoyable. So, so good.

One of my favorite genre of books is historical pieces. Be it from the Victorian era, the Wild, Wild West or the early 1800's, I love it. The Kitchen House is based on a southern plantation when slavery was in full swing. The story revolves around a young, white servant girl names Lavinia. She eventually bonds with her adopted slave family and her loyalty becomes questioned when she is finally accepted in the world of the white people in the Big House. Love and loyalty are two themes strongly interwoven into this story. The author masterfully writes with suspense and had me hooked from page 1.

It is a story of relationships between man and wife, mother and daughter. sister to sister. It shows the best of humankind and the absolute worst.

I had to reserve this book months in advance from the local library. It was worth every minute of waiting for it. It is highly possible that this book has made it to my top five list.

Read it. You won't regret it.

kickin' it in critical care

2011-10-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

so my pops has had a rough week.

1 surgery to put in a tunnel dialysis line when he blew the fistula in his arm so he could do dialysis treatments

1 surgery to put in a new fistulas which resulted in a massive deep muscle bruise but thankfully not the infection they originally suspected

1 iv put in his neck so the docs could push blood pressure meds because his heart has a leaky valve

1 silent heart attack in the middle of dialysis

1 blocked artery in his eye which was originally thought to be a stroke but that was ruled out today

kinda puts the little things in my life into perspective.

like that speeding ticket i got this afternoon

please pray for his health to improve and for the doctors who are watching out for him.

please.

vegas recap

2011-10-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

*Warning: there's a whole lot of pictures ahead!*

Homecoming week begins tomorrow. Thus, begins a week of high energy, very little sleep, and no time for blogging.

So, I better make use of this free time to fill a post with photos from the Vegas trip. The three of us are sitting on the couch, watching Jurassic Park, so I don't plan to write a lot so I can get back to movie night.

One fun filled weekend.

Two days with a cabana.

Three days of sunshine by the pool

Four buckets of jello shots (or maybe more).

Five hours of playing blackjack with Eric and Jen in the wee hours of the morning.

And eighteen of my closest friends and family to surround me with love and laughter.

The crazy group photos begin...with dinner on night one.

Fidelia and Kimmie

My sister sure let loose on this vacation!

Pedro (Jen) crashed the party...and I loved it!

It's my birthday!!

So much love for these girls.

Mom and I played slots for a few hours. It's how we roll.

We had no idea what this game was doing so I took a picture of us enjoying whatever it was doing.

Cheers!

J-E-LL-O!

Ahhhhh....

He loves me.

Thanks for the good times, Cabana 7.

Gypsy arrived Friday afternoon and quickly made up for lost time.

Sitting at a bar in NY, NY around midnight on Friday night.
I woke up from a nap (which began halfway through dinner) to meet up with these girls.
I'm pretty sure I was hungover.

Jen (middle) flew in from Portland. Kristen (right) drove over from Arizona.
I'm so lucky to have friends like these girls!

On our way to my birthday dinner!

My favorite.

Family.

My mama and me!

Our kids are best friends and so are we!

The ladies of our family.

Jen and Eric. New BFF's.

Happy Birthday to me! After a great dinner at Mon Ami Gabi (Paris).
SO DELICIOUS!!

Blackjack team at 3AM.
And, yes, I am wearing blinky rabbit ears.

Eric and I wrapped up the weekend with a trip to Old Town.

It was the best adult vacation we've had since Alexander was born. It was the best way to turn 40.

And this was the best face to come home to!

lordy, lordy. i am 40!

2011-10-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is what I arrived to this morning.

My ASB students sure had some fun while I was gone.

I have a ton of photos to load from the Vegas extravaganza but frankly, turning 40 is a lot of work.

I'm wiped out.

I can't begin to thank the friends and family who surrounded me this weekend with love and laughter.

I can't begin to thank all who gave me cards, presents, sent text or emails filled with love and birthday wishes.

Silly as it seems, even the FB messages are greatly appreciated.

Each and every word helped me transition to a milestone that I have dreaded for the past six months.

I don't know that I'll ever enjoy saying "I'm 40", when someone asks my age.

I don't know that I believe those who tell me that their 40's are better than any other decade in their life.

I know I don't believe anyone when they say age is just a number.

All I can do is make the most out of it.

And party like a rock star every chance I get!

viva las vegas

2011-09-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

4 days

18 people

it is about to get real

ready to go

2011-09-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Shopped.

Nothing says classy better than posing my new swimsuit on the stairs for the photo op and using a stock photo of my new jeans.

Tanned.

Pedicured.

Clothes piled, waiting to be packed into the backpack on Wednesday night.

Yes, all those shoes are going with me.

Everything is done. Except for one thing.

Getting rid of this terrible head cold.

Cuz I really don't want to bring it to the party!

Book Review - Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter

2011-09-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Book Review - Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter

I enjoyed it. It is based in the PNW which made it a fun read because I could picture the locations.

The main character is a weathly woman, happily married with three little girls who discovers her inner resilence when faced with financial crisis. When I say wealthy, I mean WEALTHY. It was humorous to read about income levels that I have never, or will ever, experience in my lifetime.
I just don't know rich people!!

This book was an easy read. The type of book that is easy to blow through and requires little thinking. Yet, there was a deeper message if you choose to find it. I really like books that make me think so I was surprised when I found myself asking myself questions like:

Do I know the details of our current financial status? YES

Do I know the details of our future financial status? YES

Do I have the skills necessary to keep our family afloat if we did face financial crisis? YES

In my opinion, every woman should ask themselves these questions and be able to say yes.

I'd say this is a good vacation read or simple weekend read.

I liked it.

My Brother

2011-09-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

My brother is six years younger than me. He is the youngest of three and has always had two sisters ~~mothering~~ hovering over him.

What a good looking crew.

He is the peacekeeper of the family. And a whole lot of fun.

We stayed awake the entire 36 hours we were in Vegas one time.

Yea, we're rock stars.

My brother is an incredible uncle to his nieces and nephew.

And, in a few months, he and my sister-in-law Lissa are going to become incredible parents of their own little BOY!

Anyhow...

Over the years, my brother has transformed from high school actor to college actor/director. After Lissa and Patrick married, they moved to Florida. Patrick has moved up the ranks from African Safari guide, Fear Factor host (Eric and I saw him in this role and almost pee'd our pants with laughter. My brother is funny.) to currently residing as a fancy pants Universal Studio mucky-muck (Eric and I have not seen this role but we greatly anticipate the perks of free park tickets).

To make a long story short, my little brother is the director of Halloween Horror Night and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure at Universal Studio Orlando. I'm not 100% sure of his title and I'm fairly certain I inaccurately described what he does but he'll forgive me for it. He's nice like that.

He is a pretty big deal.

http://www.wesh.com/video/29277367/detail.html

Last week, he sent this picture to us.

This little gem is part of the set he is working on. It is tucked away on a little newsstand that hardly anyone will notice.

He may be 3000 miles away from us but he always has home in his heart.

countdown continues

2011-09-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

The past two days of Vegas preparation included the return of my backpack and a tanning session.

And a shopping trip.

Thanks to dress #2 winning the battle for Saturday night's attire, I only have two other nights of clothing to figure out. I figure Sunday night will be pretty laid back since we'll all be tired due to sun, booze and excessive birthday celebration. I have a skirt and black top planned for that evening. Or sweats if it comes to a night in the hotel room.

Friday night's attire has been bugging me a bit. Hence, the need for my shopping trip.
I found this shirt at Nordstrom Rack today. The jeans and shoes were in my closet. I figure I can glam it up even more with a chunky black bracelet and big earrings.

Yes or No for Friday night in Vegas?

countdown to vegas - single digits style

2011-09-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Nine days to Vegas.

No workout or tanning session today due to a staff meeting. I didn't do much of anything in preparation for Vegas, actually. Well, I can't say that. I did make arrangements for my co-worker to return my travel backpack so I can begin packing. Are you a person who packs days in advance or are you a last minute packer? We rarely check baggage so planning ahead is a necessity when one knows they have to pack everything in a carry on!

At this point, it appears sixteen of us are going to roll into town. Dinner is planned for Mon Ami Gabi, a delicious French Bistro at Paris to celebrate the big milestone.. Check out their menu here...Mon Ami Gabi menu. Doesn't it make your mouth water? The bestest part is my sweet hubby shouldn't have any issues since they have a gluten-free menu.

Thanks to everyone who sent a vote for a dress. My favorite vote might have been from my friend Ann, who sent an email to my work today, with "Dress #2" written in the subject line.

So funny.

And dress #2 is in the lead.

the countdown begins

2011-09-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Vegas is in ten days. If you are going with us, you are super excited. If you aren't, curb your jealousy. I plan to spend the next 10 blogs telling you all about my prepping for the trip. Will you care? I don't know. It just sounds like a fun way to spend my time blogging for the next few weeks.

Today, I worked out for the first time in almost a month. The ladies at Curves were surprisingly enthusiastic to see my return to the gym. Am I that witty and fun during a workout that my antics are enough to make someone I don't know well miss me? I say yes.

After the workout, I went tanning. I didn't enjoy it. It was a stand up bed. Not a fan. Which reminds me that there wasn't a fan in the room which is why I must have ended up so sweaty after 15 minutes.

I am stinking and sweaty. And drinking a cocktail to prep my body for the onslaught of alcohol that will occur in Vegas.

In the meantime, I started packing this weekend. I want a fun black dress for the birthday dinner on Saturday. I have two options for dresses. Anyone who knows me, knows I will pack both but I thought I'd get YOUR opinion.

Forgive the crappy lighting and phone pics. And ignore the messy, messy bedroom.

Please.

Option #1:

Purchased at Ross for a whopping 18.99. Had a toddler in tow who said Mommy looked pretty. It was an obvious purchase after that compliment!

Option #2

Purchased about a million years ago for a cruise Eric and I went on in 2001. I had completely forgotten I had the dress. Eric and Alexander were reorganizing Alexander's closet and Eric came across it. He reminded me of how much I loved this dress. I did...and still do.

10 years later.

So, now I need your input.

Which dress should travel to Vegas when I celebrate the big 4-0?

roller coaster week

2011-09-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

As predicted, last week was crazy busy. It was one of those weeks where I didn't have time to reflect on an event because I had to pivot and face the next thing. Meeting after meeting. Back to School night. Endless stream of students in my office throughout the days. Dad was in the hospital. Friday night football tailgate, game and dance.

I literally felt like I was on a roller coaster.

Whoa, Michelle, what's that you said?

Dad was back in the hospital? Yep. Blood pressure was low on Tuesday for no apparent reason so the docs put him in the hospital overnight to be observed. He is home now and feeling better.

With this last trip to the hospital, Dad decided it was time to stop announcing the high school football games. For the first time since I was in high school (almost 25 years), Dad's voice wasn't booming through the speakers. It was weird. Super weird. Even one of my high school friends said it was like going to the first Mariner game without Dave Niehaus announcing.

It is definitely the right decision, even if it hurts. The entire community supports Dad and will miss him. I was asked over and over again how my dad was doing, if there was anything they could do for him, and was told everyone is praying for his health. I fully admit that I was an emotional mess but one thing was clear: Liberty's got your back, Daddio. No doubt about it.

Thankfully, the weekend has been much calmer than the past 7 days. I think I've slept 26 hours since I walked in the door Friday night. We've watched the final episodes of Glee: Season 2. I've cleaned, done laundry and basically hunkered down at home.

I think the roller coaster has leveled out.

For now.

Haunted

2011-09-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

There are two events in my life that have left me feeling haunted.

One: Titanic (the movie)

Two: 9/11

Two completely different experiences but the same feeling comes over me when I think of either one.

I can't explain why I feel so haunted by Titanic but I swear to you, I had goosebumps through the entire movie, sobbed like a baby for most of the movie, and was left with a sense that I may have drowned on that ship in a former life. I can see visions from that movie in my head right now as vividly as if I was watching it on TV. That movie haunted me and I've never been able to watch Titanic again. I have never been able to read a story about it or see a exhibit on it without feeling totally haunted by the story. It's like nothing I have ever felt before. Have you ever felt that way or am I totally crazy? Not the drowning on the Titanic part but the part where you've felt like you have been in a situation before but it is impossible because it happened a long, long time ago.

I also used to think the little old lady that owned our former home before us used to watch me work in the yard and then, on a day when all my rose bushes were in bloom, she disappeared. I'm not kidding. The sense of her watching me simply wasn't there any more. Imagine my surprise when I found out she died before we bought the home. I know. Weird.

9/11 is the other haunting event that left a lasting impression. I wasn't going to post about it on the actual date because I often feel sick to my stomach and can't put together coherent thoughts. I'm actually surprised I'm writing about it now...but not surprised that I feel haunted as I write the words.

Like everyone, I remember where I was on 9/11/2001. I was teaching at a middle school. Just as I pulled in to the school parking lot, the first plane hit the towers and the story was instantly all over the radio. I sat, completely stunned and listened to the reports about the second plane. I decided I would run into the building to watch the rest and hear the reports. Only I had forgotten that it was a brand new school and most of our technology was still left undone.

No cable. No internet. No radio reception.

The rest of the day was very surreal. All I knew was this terrible tragedy had occurred, I had to teach school, coach a volleyball match, and I felt completely cut off from the rest of the world. I called Kate and Eric when there were breaks between classes for the latest news but had after a few hours I couldn't take another report.

It was 11PM before I finally SAW any footage.

I totally freaked out and I have never watched another minute of footage after that night. The images I can recall are vivid and painful. So much pain. In 2006, Eric and I visited the Twin Towers memorial site in New York. I just remember feeling silent inside, despite all construction noises going on around us, as we looked into a cement hole in the ground. It was the eeriest feeling I have ever had.

I'll never watch Titanic again in my life. I'll never watch footage of the towers again in my life.

Two completely different experiences that left lasting impressions on me.

For reasons I will never be able to explain.

Book Club

2011-09-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, I hosted book club. Or, as some call it, wine club.

Jennifer brought this one, which describes why so many of us look forward to this girl time.

Super funny, right?

After much discussion, we came to the consensus that very few of us enjoyed our last book.

Remember my super awesome review of it?

We dissected the book for a bit, chose a new book (State of Wonder by Ann Patchett), chose another meeting date and THEN we got down to business.

Talking and laughing about girl stuff.

We talked kids. Husbands. College days. And typical girl stuff.

It was a smaller group than normal. It was a combination of my worlds colliding but that's to be expected. I'm the one who sends out the invites, right?!

It was a great night. Followed by a great day of house projects.

Which you can read about on our other blog: Us 3...Under 1 Roof.

This week is going to be a busy week. I have meetings on two nights, Curriculum night and the first home football game.

It's gonna be a long one!

missing out

2011-09-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

I try not to dwell too much on the guilt I feel from being a working mommy.

Most days I'm pretty successful at supressing the guilt.

But then are days when the guilt overwhelms me.
Like today, for example.

Alexander had his first day of Pre-K!

And I missed it.

Logically, I know he was just fine without me. All I would have done is ride shotgun in our carpool drive and held his hand as he walked to the front door.

Emotionally, I'm so not fine with missing the day.

I wasn't home to take pictures (which is why there are none for this post). I wasn't home to watch the excitement build or help him pick out his first day of school clothes. I wasn't home to listen to his first day of school chatter on the way to school. And I wasn't home to listen to stories upon his return home from school.

Instead, I came home (late) to a sleeping toddler who, upon waking from his late nap, didn't want to tell me anything. As in, "I want to have secrets, Mommy, and what I do at school is a secret".

Ouch.

Fortunately, this working mom spends her days prying secrets out of unruly teens so his four year old tricks are no match for a seasoned vet like me. Fast forward a few hours and you'll find us sitting on the couch. He's wrapped in blankets and in between episodes of Dirty Jobs, I ask question after question about his day. I'm not ready for pre-k secrets. Alexander is tolerating me well enough but in his little 4 year old way, he's done with me. And my questions. But I'm winning.

Sometimes, I simply want to go back to the days before mommy guilt.

Can you blame me?

Hanging out in Chelan

2011-09-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, the fun we had on our ROAD TRIP to CHELAN!

Upon arrival (almost immediately), we jumped into the pool to cool down.

This little guy couldn't get enough of jumping into that pool.

After a couple of hours in the pool, someone was REALLY hungry.

And tired.

We wrapped up the first night by playing trains, solving puzzles on Mom's phone, and playing Go Fish with Karolyn.

Day 2 began with us in the pool by 9AM.

A massive meltdown may or may not have occured by 10AM.

Followed by a nap in the warm sun by 11AM.

And a phone call to Daddy, who made Alexander feel so much better.

So, we spent a few more hours by the pool, until naptime.

Not all our time was spent in the pool.

Alexander had a chance to explore a bit with John.

Upon his return, he and Karolyn headed to the lake steps.

And that's when Alexander found this....

A log that became a boat.

When he had enough of the waves splashing him, we jumped back in the pool for a little more fun.

By 7PM, Alexander had put himself into pajamas and decided it was time to kick back and enjoy the view.

And then it was time for bed.

On our final morning, Alexander joined Umma and Karolyn on a canoe ride.

It was a weekend of relaxing in the sunshine and the perfect way to wrap up the summer.

Thanks for the fun weekend, Umma, Karolyn and John.

Same time next year?

PLEASE?

Did ya miss me?

2011-08-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the thing...school started so I don't have a lot of free time these days. And I forgot to download our pictures from Chelan from Mom's camera. She took a lot of great ones and I didn't take a single one on my camera. I'll try to update soon.

Chelan is really the best way to end my summer. Three days in the sun. Three days in the pool with my kid. Yea, I got tan. And I had fun. So. Much. Fun.

So until that post, let's see what other random thoughts come to mind.

School is kicking my ass only because I'm so freaking tired. Apparently, I had ~~blocked out~~ forgotten how frantic the start of the year is for our team. We have two new administrators so things are going very smoothly, despite their "newness" to the job. For me, there is a huge difference because I know exactly what is coming and the learning curve is much smaller. Instead of being told what my job is (i.e a coworker says, "hey, Michelle, you're in charge of picture day." Me: "Oh. I am? Ok. Picture day is tomorrow? Oh, ok...I'll get right on that."); now I know what to anticipate and am prepared and organized. And I'm not reinventing the wheel because it turns out I wrote amazing notes to myself at the end of each event last year (and completely forgot I had done so).

The ASB students are fantastic. Get this: 40 kids cut out paper "Liberty L's" for 1200 students, wrote a name for EVERY student on a L, and hung them up on the main walls to welcome back kids on the first day of school. Cute, right? I'm super excited to work this crew.

But I'm tired. At least this year, I committed to staying away from my emails or listen to voice mails at home this year. So far, so good. When I'm home, I want to be home.

So tonight, Alexander is at my parents and Eric and I watch are The Expendables. And I'm blogging because a movie with aging 80's action stars is NOT keeping my attention.

And blogging is keeping me from falling asleep on the couch.

Tired. Very. Tired.

Book Review - My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler

2011-08-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Book Review #4

Let me start by saying if you reading this blog AND you are in book club, LEAVE the blog NOW (that means you, Mari). I'm about to share what I think about the book selection for September.

What did I think of Ms. Handler's book?

Terrible.

Maybe if I was in my mid-20's, drunk, and having sex with all sorts of strangers, I would have thought this book was hilarious. But I'm not. Nor have I ever been "that" girl. I've been in my mid-20's. I've been drunk. And I've had my share of one-night stands (sorry, Mom Dad and Grandma). But come'on. I might have been a sorority girl but NONE of my sisters, nor myself, were this trampy.

I kept asking myself if these were true-stories and when I discovered they were, I was pretty much grossed out by this woman. And decided she wrote the book once she became a celebrity in order to prempt the men who could sell their awesome stories about shagging the celebrity.

I was grateful that the book was short. I'm not a prude. I love a good sex story or escapade as much as the next girl. The stories kept repeating the same theme. If only there was some variation to her discussion of drunken one-night stands; I might have enjoyed the book. But truthfully, how can you dress up being a drunk skank...over and over and over again?

So, I wouldn't suggest this book. It's rare that I find a book with zero redeeming qualities so maybe I could suggest it as a vacation read...to someone who I greatly dislike. Ms. Handler and I will not be opening a bottle of wine together, anytime soon. I don't know much about Chelsea Handler other than she does stand-up comedy, an irritating voice, and, one night after a long night of drinking, I passed out, watching her TV show. Talk about uber-irritating voice as you are passing out.

No one should spend money on this book.

Ever.

we're outta here

2011-08-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, Alexander and I leave for Chelan, with Ho-Ho Umma.

I would direct you to a link so you could read about last year's trip but...I didn't write about it.

The day after we returned, I had a new job and Chelan memories quickly fell by the wayside.

Or we spent so much time by the pool that I never took pictures.

Not this year.

Three days of sun.

Three days with my son.

Three days of fun.

I'm going to cherish every moment.

random, random, random

2011-08-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

I woke up with a headache. I fell asleep with the same headache. I think I felt a little stress over the Daddio situation last night. A situation which has worked itself out. I think.

Despite the headache, I walked almost 3 miles with my mother-in-law and my son this morning.

My sweet husband slept in.

The walk was gloriously sunny with perfect temps and upon returning home, my headache went away. And my sweet husband woke up.

I'm currently writing this post, taking a break from laying on my lounge chair, baking in the sun.

Did I mention it is super warm here today? I'm in love.

The birthday-extravaganza Vegas trip is coming along quite nicely. We have 10 confirmed "yesses", and several "maybe's" on board. I'm thinking there will be about 15 in attendance, when all is said and done. I love that I'll be surrounded by loved ones, who will bake in the sun with me, drink endless cocktails with me, play hours of blackjack with me, or will surround me with laughter as we do the old folk shuffle out on a dance floor. I love knowing that the day AFTER we return from Vegas, it will be my actual 40th birthday. By that point, I will have officially milked my 40th for 5 straight days...and I am hoping for a girls weekend following my birthday, too. Not to mention, my ASB kids are bound to do something fun my ASB kids at my expense during the week because that's what kids do.

All in all, I may end up celebrating for 8 days. That's good stuff.

I'm not sure anyone enjoys their birthday more than I do.
Even at 40.

Alexander and I are going to Chelan this weekend. Temps are expected to be HOT HOT HOT! You'll find us in the pool, pool, pool and loving it. I will especially love it when he is taking his four hour nap mid-day and I'm back at the pool, baking in the sun. Woo-hoo!

Kinda like today. Without the pool.

I was in the building all day yesterday and it was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I just have to believe the learning curve won't be as severe and I'll find myself enjoying part of the year more than last year.

I've re-discovered flavored sparking water. Love it. I drank loads of it when pregnant and then I just stopped.
Why did I stop? It's good stuff.

There you have it. A random post.
Filled with love and good stuff.

from house addition to house remodel

2011-08-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Lately, Eric and I have started to think the house addition isn't in our family's best interest. Even though it pains me to admit it, Eric and I need to be uber-responsible and plan for our future. Since the design plans were drawn up four years ago, we have spent money for the plans, a building permit (which expires in November), and widening the driveway. At this point, we haven't felt a huge financial hit when it comes to the house because of the the investment from the sale of our first home.

However, in the past four years, we have also lived life with one income. A teacher's income, no less. Living on one income is dipping deeper into our savings account than we anticipated, even with a tight budget. If we begin the house addition, payments for the the house loan immediately go into effect. Immediately doubling our mortgage payment. Immediately sucking more money out of our savings account.

I am NOT okay with this scenario. AT. ALL.

Losing our savings account on a house isn't a smart move. We haven't made the final decision but the thought of letting go of the house addition feels right. It saddens me but I think it's the right decision, based on our current financial standing.
Sometimes, being a grown up sucks.

On the up-side, we have created a list of what we will remodel and landscape in the yard.
On a budget we can afford.
Just like we did with our first home.

For what it is worth, I am insisting we begin with the upstairs bathroom.

Where Eric swears he can put in my Jacuzzi tub.

I've got my fingers crossed for a walk-in closet, too.

everyone needs something to look forward to

2011-08-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Flights and hotel rooms are booked.

Three days of laying poolside. With cocktail in hand.

Three nights of gambling. With cocktail in hand.

Three days of crazy Michelle birthday-fun.

final week of summer

2011-08-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I find myself sitting on the back deck, watching Alexander play in his sand box, listening to the neighbor mow his lawn. Hoping neither of us will be hit by any flying rocks from their riding mower. A healthy fear.

One week of our summer remains. Are you kidding me? The weather has only felt "summer-ish" the past few weeks so going back to work indoors seems dreadful. I suspect this is the last summer where my son will nap for four hours, letting me bake in the sun. A girl needs her Vitamin D.

I want more time with my boys. Alexander keeps us busy and Eric is my favorite person right now. We're in a good place.

For the first time in fifteen years, I'm not ready to go back to work. I'm not ready to live life at a frantic, exhausting pace. I'm not ready to field phone calls from parents about schedule changes that should have been requested last spring. I'm not ready to think of ALL the tasks that need to be done before the first day of school. I'm not ready to read all the emails sitting in my inbox. Oy.

And I'm certainly not ready to start shopping for back to school clothes.

Sigh.

What a pity party.

I want the laziness of summer days. I want warm sun on my shoulders as I watch the boys dig in the yard. I want to wake up at 8AM to the pitter patter of little toes as Alexander runs to our room to jump in bed with me. I want to play, play, play and never stop playing.

I want summer to last forever.

Weekend Recap

2011-08-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm...what happened this weekend that was so exciting? Oh, I remember.

The Cousin Reunion. Part Deux.

My mom's side of the family has a family reunion the third weekend of July. For as long as I can remember, the date has never changed. We've shown up to state parks, muddy water pits in Mossyrock, awesome camp sites in Oregon, Cannon Beach, and backyards to spend the weekend together. We held it at our house this year and, for whatever reason, most of the family couldn't make it that weekend. Those who could showed up at our house and we had a delightful afternoon. However, Amy and Matt had to leave early, deflating a little of the fun balloon when they left. My generation enjoy playing together so much that we decided to have another reunion...this weekend! Alexander and I packed the truck, picked up Ho-Ho Umma and drove to Marysville.

Enjoying company...and a little bit of wine.

Amy, Kim and Kilynn. The younger generation.

RJ and Ken happily discuss politics.

I don't think this is the tattoo Karolyn dreamed of having but she was a good sport about it!

More politics? I sure hope not!

Lorelli and Alexander spent time coloring with one another. For the life of me, I couldn't get my sweet niece to take photos with me.

I tried a pouty face. Nope.

I tried a happy face. Nope.

So I gave up and started trying to make this little face grin instead. And oh, how she loved the camera!

Within minutes, Sydnee and Alexander were grinning for the camera.

With the sun pouring down on us, the kiddie pool became Alexander's favorite place to hang out. He'd get in, swim, and hop out. I'd dry him off and within 20 minutes, he'd want back in again.

We started reminiscing about former reunions where it wouldn't take much before my dad would hop into a kiddie pool. Since Dad wasn't able to join us, John said he'd take one for the team, in Dad's honor.

Finally, Sydnee had enough of the water and cuddled up with Grandma.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and it was time to pack up and head home.

Within 20 minutes of the drive, this is what we glimpsed in the back seat.

Unfortunately, my body hated everything I ate and I woke up at 1AM, puking my guts out. It turns out that carb overloading after eating nothing but salads and lean protein for two months isn't a smart move.

So, if we end up having a Cousin Reunion, Part Three...I'm packing a salad!

The faces of leadership camp

2011-08-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Why do I give up a week at home during the summer to attend leadership camp?

Because these people are good for me.

My golf buddy, Bryant.

Katie and Cori. Pretty faces.

Angela. A best friend and mentor.

I don't look 15 years older than this crew...right?

Fab Four.

Cathy. Soul Sister.

Jen - the "tender one"

Kim Kim. We totally would have been best friends in high school.

Andrea, Patrick and Jo-Jo. Need I say more?

August Goals

2011-08-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Review of July goals:
1. Update blogs at least once a day. I was doing pretty well with this goal until I went to camp for a week. I should have updated when I returned but there are so many photos and I simply haven't had the time to sort and edit them.

2. Update Book of the Month, with my review, the last weekend of the month. By then my book club will have met so I'll have plenty to talk about! I have three reviews done! I'm way ahead of the game!

3. Work out 5 of 7 days at Curves. Add 30 minute daily walk 4 of 7 days. I did add the Curves days but not the walking. Maybe this goal was a bit unrealistic with a busy summer schedule.

4. Clean out old clothes and take them to Goodwill. Not yet...but I will.

5. Give a strong presentation at leadership camp. I was nervous because it was the first time I had given it and my heart was passionate about the subject so I didn't want it to flop. I rocked it. There will be the necessary tweaks but overall, I am very happy with how the presentation turned out.

August Goals:
1. Recommit to 17 Day Diet so I can drop another 5 lbs before school starts.
2. Stick to my school clothes budget and be uber-efficient shopper so I can get the most from what little money I can spend this year. Thank goodness I have the essential pieces of a wardrobe!
3. Check my school email twice a week from home. I have an obsession with checking my email and I need to cut back on it and enjoy the time at home instead. I want to keep this goal during the school year.
4. Find an affordable photographer that can do outdoor pictures for our family photos. I didn't have pictures done when Alexander turned 4 years-old so we're way behind. I thought it would be fun to do something different this time.
5. Clean out clothes and take them to Goodwill.

Book Review - Fortytude by Sarah Brokaw

2011-08-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Book Review #3 - Fortytude by Sarah Brokaw

It is no secret that I am struggling with turning 40. For what it is worth, my birthday is in October and thus, I have invited everyone I know to join me in Vegas for a weekend blow-out. If I gotta roll into a new decade, I'm going to have one hell of a time doing it! When my girlfriend, Cyndee, said she was reading this book, I thought "I need all the help I can get; I'll give it a try."

And I haven't regretted it for a single minute. I checked out the book from the library and after reading the first chapter, I bought a copy for myself. I want to read it a second (or third) time, able to highlight main concepts and/or quotes. According to the author, who interviewed over 300 women from across the nation, there are five core values for making the shift into my fifth decade of life: Grace, Connectedness, Accomplishment, Adventure, and Spirituality.

"With grace, you rise above your difficulties with a calm wisdom, judging neither yourself nor others. Through connectedness, you form and maintain mutually supportive relationships with other people. When you are accomplished, you have mastery over one or more areas in your life, deriving a well-deserved sense of pride from these activities. Adventure leads you to take on new challenges regardless of your age, making the most of the opportunities that surround you. And spirituality brings you in touch with your innermost essence, offering you access to strength and joy through hard times as well as brilliant ones. " Pg 258

The author impeccably wove interviews throughout the book, giving the reader a strong sense of connection to each core value. The author gave personal stories for each core value, as well. Thus, as with Tina Fey, I felt myself wanting to sit with Ms. Brokaw, a glass of wine, and chat it up. The book was laid out well and easy to follow. And, it made me think. I'm a big fan of a book that makes me think. If you are someone who is struggling with change in age, then I highly recommend this book. And if you are one who is ok with your change in age, I applaud you. You're a better person than I.

Can I say that I'm that much more ready to turn 40 because of this book? Hell no. I still hate the very idea of turning 40. But I'm going to do my best to accept it with grace, connecting with loved ones, celebrating my accomplishments, enjoy the adventure of my new job, and learn to find my innermost strengths.

Why aren't I packing for camp?

2011-07-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be packing for leadership camp. My ride will be here at 8AM tomorrow and I'm no where NEAR being ready to go. This is so unlike me but I can't really bring myself to care.

I still have loads of laundry to finish. And then I have to go through allllll that laundry to figure out what to wear (based on what I can fit into). The weather should be decent so a week of capris and t-shirts should suffice but figuring out shoes and which dress for banquet should take extra time.

I need to go to the grocery store to grab more green tea and margarita mix for Eric, who is home 24-7 with Alexander while I'm gone. Which reminds me, I think I have to go the pharmacy, too. Shoot.

I still have to dig out all the ~~crap~~ important stuff needed for a week at camp and sort through what to take this year. Which means more laundry. Oh man...

And I need to finalize my presentation which I have to have ready to go by Day 2 of camp. It's a brand new one to me and I'm ~~kinda freaking out~~ sure it will be fine. I just need to make sure I can coordinate the Glee clips with the powerpoint. It's camp. I'm sure it will be fine...I'm just nervous. Which is so dumb because I'm only speaking in front of 300 high school students and one presentation in a week isn't going to make or break their camp experience.

In the past week, Alexander has had two nightmares that he can't find me and this morning, he crawled into our bed sobbing that he couldn't find me and misses me already. So, that adds ANOTHER layer to leaving. I'm hoping that printing some pictures of my face and putting them in his room will help. Plus, his cousins come into town for three weeks so that should be a dandy distraction. I just don't want it to be too rough on Eric.

The reality is...I'll pull it all together tonight. I love going to leadership camp and once I'm out the door tomorrow, I'll be so much better. The boys will find their routine and be fine, too.

It's just getting to that point that is a little rough.

Jonah and Tripp

2011-07-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I stumbled upon a blog about a little boy named Jonah. Jonah has EB. You can read about Jonah at his mom's blog http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/. Believe me, once you do, you will adore this sweet little boy and admire his mom's strength and honesty, as I do. Oh, and that Jonah? Well, his smile is as bright as the sun.

Another little boy with EB, named Tripp, has also captured my heart. Right now, at the sweet age of two, it appears Tripp may be ending his journey here on earth. You can read about Tripp on his mom's blog http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-think-hes-known-it-all-along.html?spref=fb. As you read Courtney's words, you can feel her heart is breaking about losing her son yet, she is ready for him to be in Heaven and pain-free. I can't begin to imagine the conflict her heart must feel every day.

Be aware if you choose to read the blogs, you may see some pictures that will bother you. EB is an ugly disease. There is no way to make it pretty. But I hope you can see past the wounds and look into their eyes and see what I see.

Just a couple of cute kids. Who shine from the inside out.

Book Review - A Reliable Wife

2011-07-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Book #2 - A Reliable Wife.

My friend, Laura, suggested this book to me. She says it is one she has read two times and she never reads a book a second time. I figured it had to be good.

I was not disappointed.

I'd easily give this 4 1/2 out of 5 stars and I'd have a copy on my bookshelf to loan out and read again and again.

It is set in rural Wisconsin, in the dead of winter in 1907. The main character, Ralph Truitt writes an ad for a reliable wife and Catherine Land responds. After a somewhat slow start to the book, the words come alive. The author writes about love and marriage, with all of it complexity. I was most surprised with all the references to sex, with its physical and emotional connections. I didn't expect this angle at all and was fascinated how the author weaved the theme throughout the book, without it feeling trashy. This book is not a Fabio-romance novel. It is complex and beautiful and will grip you. I typically flip to the back of the book to find out how it ends. I like to know if I have predicted it correctly or not. In this book, I predicted correctly how it would end but how the author brings you to the end cannot predicted.

Should you read it? Yes.

It may not seem like a summer read but it is a short book and was quite easy to read over a day or two.

Theme of the Week: DETOX

2011-07-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

How much can one family cram into one week?

Let me tell ya...

Dad's Birthday party?

Check.

Doctor appointment, hair appointment, work appointment?

Check.

Thomas the Train adventure?

Check.

Sleepover with Jo-Jo?

Check.

Family Reunion?

Check.

It was the best of times!

Eric and I did our best to stay with our diets but endless carbs and booze isn't exactly on the list of "must eats". I have leadership camp in a week and would really be pleased if I could continue to fit into my summer clothes.

So, I'm in detox mode. We don't have a busy week planned so it should be easy to fall back into our routine.

At least that's the hope. Otherwise, my big ol' arse is going to need a shopping spree.

Discussion with my hair dresser

2011-07-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a snippet of what you would have overheard at my hair appointment yesterday. I should clarify; the snippet involving my hair. Other snippets would have involved an armadillo, a bike ramp, swimming boys, and other miscellaneous conversation that fills 2 hours.

Me: "Suzy, it's time for a change."
Suzy: "Oh? What were you thinking?"
Me: "I don't know but I don't want it short any more."
At this point, she's walking around me and I can see the wheels of thought turning.

Suzy: "Ok...do you want me to cut it all one length so it can grow out?"
Me: "Not yet. It's too short in the back for that and I don't want a bob again. And I like the length in the front. I just know I want a change."
Pause. Suzy's wheels are still turning but I can tell I'm no help.

Me: "I'm not much help, am I? I was kinda hoping you'd have a thought."
Laughing Suzy: "It is hair, Michelle. There are only so many option - long, short, layers or no layers. You've kinda seen them all."
We laugh because after 13 years, I really have seen them all.

Suzy: "How about we do this...?"
Me: "Ok. I trust you. Work your magic."

It may not look much different than before, but it is. More blonde. More angle.

Love the magic. Just as much as I love the idea of growing it out again.

It's been a busy two weeks

2011-07-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

So much for my goal of posting every day, huh? Just when I thought I'd have more time, time was snatched away from me. Last week, we had visitors 2 nights, a date night on Thursday which consisted of setting up the new TV and entertainment center, projects at my parents house and then a weekend filled with this...

Motorcycles. Drugs. Violence. And really, REALLY good writing.

Katey Sagal = AHHHMAZING.

When Eric and I find a show, we immerse ourselves. We spent all weekend watching and loving this show. Check it out. You won't regret it.

Anyhow, we came up for air on Sunday for Dad's birthday party. Sadly, I didn't remember to take out my camera out so I have to wait for Mom to send pictures. It was a nice day for the guy....and his gnomes.

This week is filled with a doctor appointment, a hair appointment, meeting with the administrative team from work, and a visit with Thomas the Train on Friday. And then the reunion on Saturday!

In between all of THAT, we'll be cleaning the house for the reunion and hopefully, find time to finish up the yardwork. The weather isn't exactly cooperating.

THEN, it's time for leadership camp! July seems to be flying by faster than months during the school year!

Have a great week!

Book Review - Bossypants

2011-07-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Rather than wait until the end of the month, I thought I'd write my review now. Why?

I have the time.

Soooo, what did I think of Tina Fey's Bossypants?

I liked it. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. Reading this book made me feel like I was chatting with Ms. Fey, as she describes the chapters of her childhood, career path, and family life. And it made me want to sit down with her, drink a glass of wine, and laugh. I'm not a huge fan of biographies. The middle of these books often drag and I feel like the author is reaching for stories just to fill pages. I don't recall many times during Bossypants where I sensed she was reaching for stories and several times, I think I snorted in laughter. In my opinion, Tina Fey is a brilliant screen writer (have you seen Mean Girls? Enough said) and some of that brilliance was in the book. But not as much as I would have liked. I haven't seen 30Rock and I won't be setting up the DVR to start recording the show, simply because I read the book. However, I did look for old SNL clips of her doing the news and as Sarah Palin (brilliant, I say. Brilliant).

I connected with her as a working mom and never thought there was someone who put in more hours than I do but this woman does it. She makes fun of herself and her childhood in the same manner I do. And she embraces her successes, which is always great to see in another working mom. I could tell she likes who she is now, but there was a time when she didn't...just like most women I know.

So, should you read it? Sure. A nice easy summer read. I loaned the book to my sister and she's eating it up. I wouldn't buy it but see if the local library has a copy for you to borrow. And then let me know what you think!

The Super Awesome Husband and his projects

2011-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

20 years ago, I met this guy. Er...maybe it was 19 years ago. Yea, it was 19 years ago. Weird.

Since then, the man has put up with my shananigans. And let me tell you, the shananigans aren't always pretty. When I'm tired, stressed out, and fed up with everyone else, he's the one I take it out on. He listens and then...he walks away to let me be until my head stops spinning like the girl in the Exorcist. In the meantime, he stays at home with Alexander, puts up with HIS shananigans, and has created a routine for the two of them that works for them. And he does all the cooking. BOO-YAH!

Lately, the super awesome husband has been at it again. Every summer, the guy puts up with a mommy who completely disrupts their routine by creating her routine (I have control issues, remember?). So, what does he do in response? He creates projects for us. All our projects can be found at this blog.

Lately, the projects have been at my parents house. Eric creates the project, tells my parents what he wants to do, and then...he just does it. What started with replacing a pipe turned into a kitchen remodel. What started with a garage storage space for medical supplies turned into removal of 30 years of crap and a cleaner garage. Eric has the amazing gift of telling my parents what they are going to do and then before they can say yes or no, Eric gets to work. My dad doesn't exactly embrace change and, more times than not, he remains very silent while Eric works. Yet, he trusts Eric to make the changes and I don't think he's been disappointed by any of the ideas.

The first project was the yard, earlier this spring. Eric called the tree guy to cut down a couple of trees, called Tim to clear the yard and bring in topsoil, and left it to Dad to find a yard guy. Now, my parents have a beautiful yard for his grandkids to play on and neighbors stopping to ask if they are going to move.

Once the front yard looked so good, Eric decided it was time to tackle the deck. The deck had terrible storage bins that needed to be removed...so Eric removed them, along with a rotten board. He sees a project, he tackles the project and then it's done. That's just how the guy works. Now that we have warm weather, they are really enjoying the space.

Next project was painting my dad's room. Since he is retired, we've been trying to make the bedroom Dad-friendly. This meant the mauve (yes, I said mauve) paint had to go. Eric told Dad to pick out a color and voila, the pink room turned to blue! Again, I forgot to take an after picture but the place looks better. Trust me.

The projects nevert feel like a chore to us because Eric and I really like working together and Alexander REALLY likes hanging out with his grandparents.

The Super Awesome Husband and I may not be able to give you a kidney, Dad, but we hope the few projects we have done have made life a little bit more enjoyable for you and Mom.

Love you!

July goals

2011-07-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

First day of the month and I'm bringing back the monthly goals. The last time I made monthly goals was JANUARY! Apparently, I couldn't find the time, one day a month, to keep myself on track in the past six months. Needless to say, work was busy, life was busy, and I didn't take the time to update the blog as much as I could have...which leads me to my first goal.

1. Update blogs at least once a day.
2. Update Book of the Month, with my review, the last weekend of the month. By then my book club will have met so I'll have plenty to talk about!
3. Work out 5 of 7 days at Curves. Add 30 minute daily walk 4 of 7 days.
4. Clean out old clothes and take them to Goodwill.
5. Give a strong presentation at leadership camp.

Nothing about weight loss, being stressed out, or balancing work with home. Nothing but fun, simple, relaxing summer plans. Kinda like the plan to head out to my deck right now to sit in the sun.

Man, I love summer.

Same ol', Same ol'

2011-06-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have a friend vacationing in Hawaii right now. I have a friend vacationing in Greece right now. I have a friend vacationing in Germany right now. And yet another friend is vacationing in Italy.

Sigh.
Italy.

Oh, right, back to MY boring life in Washington.

Our days of vacationing are behind us. We did a lot of traveling before Alexander arrived so we are happy (only slightly jealous) spending most of our summer at home.

We do just about the same thing every day.
Alexander wakes up between 7 and 7:30, with his "I go pee! I go poo!" announcement.
I drag myself downstairs to clean him up, turn on his TV shows, and start my coffee.
We go to swim lessons, followed by daily errands that vary from grocery shopping, going to the library, or any other random event that is necessary.
If the weather is bad, we come home and I clean house while the boys work on a puzzle or play with toys. I also go work out, which is great for my alone time.
If the weather is good, we all head outside to work on the yard with a roaring fire, burning everything we cut down.

Why all this yard work? Well, our house is the site of the D family reunion. That's Mom's side of the family. And the reunion is in two weeks. ACK! There is SO MUCH to do to get the yard in party mode. Granted, we kinda thought we'd have an addition on the house by now so we let a few ~~weeds~~ flower beds grow out of control. I've spent the past week or so, tackling those areas, while Eric plays with fire. Oh, and Alexander? Well, he digs. And digs. And digs. Duh.

My awesome family says they don't care a lick how the house or yard looks. But I care. And Eric cares. So we work.

Today's big project was moving the maple tree we planted a few years ago. It kinda grew out of control (like everything else) and we wanted to move it. It was blocking the view from my kitchen window and I was tired of it.

See what I mean? The big purple tree is out of control!

So, Eric rolled up the Land Cruiser and pulled that sucka right outta the ground.

We were going to transplant it but decided, no matter where it went, it was going to be too big.

And WAY too much work to dig it up.

Once the area was cleared out, we moved a little rhody into its place.

This little rhody was initially planted the spring we moved in, right after we found out we were having a baby.

It's my favorite.

All we have remaining in this area is to put down bark and edge it a bit.

One project done.

About a zillion to go!

What are YOU reading?

2011-06-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

I asked this question on Facebook last night. I finished the Game of Thrones series (excellent!) so I needed something new to read. The only books on my nightstand are education-related books and I am NOT reading those during the summer! I'm a self-admitted book freak who must have at least 8 books in her library queue to look forward to and, right now, that queue needs some filling!

Turns out I'm not the only book freak out there! Take a look at this great list!

Darkfall by Dean Koontz

The Help by Kathryn Stockett *

The Pact by Jodi Piccoult

Pioneer Woman

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick**

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins *

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls*

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness **

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden*

A Good Earth by Pearl Buck**

Pillars of Earth by Ken Follett*

World Without End by Ken Follett *

Captivating by John Eldredge

Two Kisses for Maddy by Matthew Logelin

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah**

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom **

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen*

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

Violets of March by Sarah Jio(local author!)

BossyPants by Tina Fey *

Boleyn Trilogy *

The Red Queen and the White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Shangai Girls by Lisa See **

Fortytude by Sarah Brokaw **

* I've read it and highly recommend
** I haven't read it but put it on my library list

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

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A Quiet Weekend

2011-06-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

I remember a time when Eric and I would wake up on a Saturday morning and make a spontaneous decision about our day. We may end up on the mountain, hiking a trail,or maybe we'd be in Seattle, at Pike Place Market or waiting to board a ferry boat.

Fast forward ten years. When we wake up, our options are now cleaning the house, yard work, or watching TV - three things that never seem to get done when Alexander is around.

It was a sleepover weekend and we had the house to ourselves. Saturday morning, I went to the mall to return a few items (and didn't buy anything) and worked out while Eric slept in. The day was perfect for yardwork so we built a fire and burned a bunch of trees. Ok, Eric built the fire and burned the trees while I sat with a cocktail and watched my man work. Sunday, I laid out in the sun all day and soaked up as much Vitamin D as possible while Eric gamed. We did watch a few episodes of Sons of Anarchy. Never a show I would choose for us but it isn't half bad...if you like bikers, blood, and great writing.

This morning, we will meet Alexander and Umma at swim lessons and make the swap. And life will go back to normal.

The house may not get cleaned or laundry finished. And I'm sure we won't want another episode of the show anytime soon. That's ok. I'm ready for the loud chatter of our son to fill the house again. More than ready.

One Year Ago

2011-06-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

I did this.

And it was awesome.

Learning to love green tea

2011-06-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

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So, I hate tea. Iced tea. Hot tea. Long Island Iced Teas. There was a phase when, out of total desperation, I choked down raspberry iced tea for a few months. A friend told me it helped her get pregnant and after three years of infertility, I was willing to try any crazy tricks. For what it is worth, it totally worked. Ok, I think it was actually the thyroid meds that led to pregnancy but I like my Raspberry iced tea story better.

Eric and I are continuing to follow the 17 Day Diet. We help keep each other accountable in the hopes of a healthier us. We're in the second cycle and it is wonderful doing this together...probably because he does all our cooking and is much more creative than I am with food! It isn't a terrible diet to follow but we miss eating out and having cocktails. We certainly don't miss the weight we have lost!

Anyhow.

By far, the worst part of the diet is drinking green tea. Three times a day. Blach. Blach. Blach. Three times a day. As you can imagine, it's the worst part of the day for me. But I'm learning to like the stuff. Ok, that's a reach. I'm not actually liking it at all. I'm simply drinking the stuff and trying not to dread it. I don't know that I'll ever like it. But a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do.

If you drink green tea, I'd love any brand suggestions or tricks for making it taste less like dirt and more like sweet heaven.

Pi, Pi, ADPI

2011-06-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

I spent the last hour reading up on the ADPi Convention. Oh, that is Alpha Delta Pi, for you non-Greeks. I joined ADPi in 1989 (technically initiated in 1990, but whatev) but haven't been an active alum. At all. The blog has some good stuff on it and reminds me of the good ol' college days. When life was full of simple choices. And the consequences weren't much more than having to ask Mom or Dad for more ~~beer~~ grocery money or explaining that the reason your GPA dropped wasn't because you were having slumber parties at your boyfriend's fraternity but in fact, it was because the professor clearly didn't like you. Duh.

For me, college was the stepping stone to grown-upville. For example...

I changed my major seven times. Yes, seven times. Now, I end up changing outfits seven times and make myself late for work.

I learned all about booze at college. Ya see, I never drank alcohol before college. Good ol' WSU broke me. I learned that turning 21 after all my pledge sisters sucked ass. I learned to like beer. Most importantly, I learned to not mix beer and hard alcohol, even on your 21st birthday. I'm planning to remember that rule when I turn 40.

I learned about boys too but my grandma reads this blog so I'll refrain from saying much more on that subject.

I learned that a dessert fork or spoon goes at the top of your plate and you use utensils from the inside out. I learned that you pass the salt/pepper together, with the pepper on the outside (in case the person you are handing it to is blind). Or was it salt on the outside? Damn, I always got that part mixed up at formal dinners. But at least I know what to expect for dessert, based on the silverware.

I learned how that it didn't matter how out of tune you sang an ADPi song, as long as you sang it as LOUD AS YOU COULD, just to see if you could make a sister break out in laughter. Turns out this skill works well in the classroom, when your students need a shot of laughter..

There are days when I would gladly flash back to that time...except for that super-fat stage I had. Blach. Let's not go there.

I don't have many online pictures from college but I did manage to sneak one or two off of facebook. Matching shirts. A definite must-have in a sorority.

Over the years, we would gather for weddings, baby showers, or in support of our beloved Cougs during Apple Cup. Again, if I knew how to work the scanner, I'd have some lovely photos for you from the past 20 years.

By 2005, I met up with the digital age and had someone take our group photo.

This was a meet and greet a few years back that I couldn't attend but sorely wanted to.

Last year, we met up to celebrate Marianne's legacy (baby M). Notice Marianne is wearing the shirt from the above 1991 picture. This is particularly funny because she didn't understand we weren't wearing our shirts. Next time, Marianne, I promise.

Several from our "group" couldn't make it and they were missed.

Obviously, these pictures don't include everyone that I hung out with for four years. Several of us meet once a month for book ~~wine~~ club and even though we end up reminiscing about something and drive everyone else batty with our stories, it's just so fun to see their faces again. I love these girls.

These are my sistas. They loved and accepted me when I was at the peak of insecurity.

And they made me a better person.

Good people.

It's a good kind of sore

2011-06-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

Yard work. Oy. It's nice to have a yard looking good but my muscles are feeling the two hours of holding that monster weed-eater!

Last night, we started a fire in our fire pit. We bought the pit a year ago, maybe two, and it was the best seventy bucks we've ever spent. Everytime we cut down trees, instead of paying to dump them at the compost place (not that this is a bad option; we're cheap folk), we burn everything.

Before the night was over, we burned a sad, sickly lilac tree that Eric pulled out with this Landcruiser, most of a tree he cut down last week, and all of the giant rhody limbs that we cut back from a tree in the yard. It's drizzling this morning so our plans of a repeat performance is questionable.

In the picture, you see Alexander clearing out dirt from the round that sits in the middle of the yard. Normally, that area is nicely weeded and edged. Not any more. Once the peonies bloom, we are transplanting everything and leveling the round. Eric also has grandeous ideas of another rock wall but I'm dragging my feet on that project.

Even the cat wanted in on the yardwork business.

I wonder how I can put him to work.

What? Another post?

2011-06-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one week? Can it be true? Yes, yes, you can believe your eyes. I'm posting twice in one week. I'm actually hoping to keep both blogs a little more updated during the summer months.  You'd think we'd be too busy in the summer months to stay updated but truthfully, life is very different for us in the summer months. For example, today. Instead of waking to my alarm clock, I woke up at 6AM to "I go pee! I go poo!" being yelled from the bathroom. This is how my child often wakes me up on the weekends so it is nice to see his consistency with summer months. Lovely alarm clock.

After several cups of coffee, an updated Alexander blog update, and an hour spent re-vamping my leadership camp presentation, Eric came downstairs.  Alexander headed to the sand box and I headed into the great, overgrown yard to weed-whack the hell out of the weeds that are threatenin to take over everything.

Our poor yard. It has become so overgrown. In our defense, we thought we'd be working on the house addition at this point so, the area that is the most overgrown is where the addition is supposed to lie. However, we're still waiting for the stupid fire marshall to give approval. I will say, cursing our architect and the fire marshall did anger me enough to keep me motivated to finish the last bit of the yard. I totally kicked ass over the weeds. Just hope no one needs me to lift my arms in the next day or so!  We still have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks before we host the family reunion but that's ok. It keeps me busy. The weather turned gross today, which definitely dampens the summer mood. Hopefully, we won't see a weather pattern of sunny-rainy-sunny-rainy all summer long!

The boy is now napping, Eric is on the computer, and I'm about to clean a bit, read a few blogs, and then get back to reading the third installment in the Games of Thrones books. If you are much of a reader, you probably ~~definitely~~ want to pick up this series. Especially if you enjoy time pieces and sagas. My brother is watching the series on HBO and says it is really good, too. Maybe that will be next for me.

In re-reading this post, even I can admit that it is rather boring. However, it's summer and right now, boredom is ok with me!

Mama Bear is out of hibernation

2011-06-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

The school year is over! Can I get a HIP-HIP-HOORAY? Or a great big WOOOO-HOOOOO?

Even if you didn't yelp for me just now, I know you are feeling my excitement. And maybe a little jealousy if you have to work all summer? Yea, that's ok. I forgive you. I wouldn't like me much either, if I were you. Of course, your paycheck is probably a bit better than mine so...we're even. hahaha

School ended in its traditional way, with a golf tournament and lots and lots of beer. It was SO much fun and I love finishing the school year with a fun celebration.

But when my nasty internal clock woke me up at 5AM on Friday, I wasn't in any hurry to begin the summer celebration. Instead, I rolled right back over and slept for several more hours.

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For about 48 hours post-last day of school, all I have done is sleep. Alexander has been a champ and slept in until at least 7 every morning since summer started and Eric has been very understanding of my need to catch up on rest. Normally, I don't require this much sleep after the year ends but this was a year like none other.

Yesterday, I finally felt human and made it to Curves, did loads of laundry, deep cleaned 1 of 2 bathrooms and helped Alexander clear books off his shelves to give to Marigold. It wasn't the most eventful of days but it was something.

I'm officially out of hibernation and looking forward to all the summer should bring. Plus, the sun is shining today and that is always a good thing when you live in the Pacific Northwest!

Weekend Recap

2011-06-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

I wish I could announce that the weekend was filled with all sorts of fabulous events.

But lying isn't very nice.

Friday was graduation and I didn't get home until midnight. I love graduation and watching the kids finish a milestone. It's the accumulation of four years of work with students and, as a teacher, I love seeing their faces as they close this chapter in life. It doesn't hurt that after the ceremony, the staff wander over to a local bar and celebrate the end of another year. This night is always loads of fun and I look forward to it for weeks. Beer and pizza with colleagues makes me happy. And I was happy until my body reminded me I am on a non-carb diet and I felt gross. Luckily, this weekend was an Alexander-sleepover at Big Papa and Umma's so a Saturday nap did occur, as well as a lovely sleep-in today. Feeling less gross tonight.

Let's see...what else. I took a few items back to stores and then proceeded to buy a couple of cardigans that were on sale. What can I say? I love me a cardigan.

One in blue and one in black. They will be just perfect for the summer months, don't you agree?

After the finishing not-so-exciting tasks of laundry and cleaning the house, I read a bit, watched some TV, hung out with Eric, and that was that. The weekend is now over. Eric and I probably should have done yardwork but ya know, I'm going to be home for the next nine weeks. We'll have PLENTY of time to work outside. Besides, it isn't as much fun to work in the yard without a four year old's voice, babbling at us the entire time.

The last day of school is Thursday. This week marks the end of my rookie year as ASB Activity Coordinator and Dean of Students. It was such a whirlwind but I loved it. Most of it is a blur but that's how a rookie year is supposed to go.

I am super excited to be home with my boys. It never fails to amaze me how ready I am for the end of the school year and how ready I am to start it in August. Only a few days to go...

Have a good week!

Dance, dance, dance!!

2011-06-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

I wish I could dance. I so wish I could dance. And I don't mean, "dance in the living room dance party or crazy chaperone dance moves", I mean DANCE.

As I watch So You Think You Can Dance, I am simply in awe. First of all, the bodies are ripped. Second, the dance moves are amazing. Third, the bad ones are so bad, that my dancing looks good! If you haven't seen this show, you gotta see it.

I was never the little girl who spent her days in dance recitals. Just the very mention of it would send me into a state of fear.  Turns out shy little girls and dance recitals don't mix. I bet I would have rocked the tutus, though.

Instead of dancing, I spent my childhood on clay soccer fields. I loved it. Well, I loved it when I was little and played forward. I could run fast and score goals. Who wouldn't love that, right? Then my stupid coach moved me to goalie. WHAT?   No more fun for Chelle. Now that I am a mom who is dreading a potential future of soccer games on cold Saturday morning (pick swimming, son.  Pick swimming.) I now understand why my mom cheered so loudly when I announced my decision to quit soccer.

About the same time that I began kicking the ball around, I started throwing and catching a softball. And spent the next 20 years on dirt fields.  I. LOVED. SOFTBALL. Athletically, I wasn't a superstar. Not by any means. I had the chance to play at that next level and was surprised to learn that the game stopped being fun. I could hold my own physically but mentally, the pressure was too much for me. Despite that slight blip, I learned a lot about myself and continued playing as close to year-round as I could.  High school teams. Recreational teams. Intramural teams in college. Adult teams. I hung up my glove in 2006 when I started having back pain but secretly hope to break it out again when Alexander discovers his love of baseball (pick baseball, son. Pick baseball.)

I wonder if they would have let me wear a tutu on the ball field...

The day after I ran the school...

2011-06-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Nothing. Nada. Zip. It was just another day. So booooring. I did start making a list of what I will do the next time they leave me in charge. It may have something to do with having a catered lunch brought in to the staff. On the building budget.

At least it officially feels like the end of the year, though. I'm not sure how life will be when I'm not going at a frantic pace, wearing many hats and living life as a master-multitasker, but I'm willing to try it for nine weeks.

We had the moving up assembly today, where we say goodbye to seniors. I can't really say I'll miss this class of 2011. There are some great individuals in the group but as a whole? Eh.

Today's assembly was the last of the year and I couldn't be happier. I suppose I should say Eric couldn't be happier. Assemblies are high-stakes and bring great anxiety to my world. In other words, I don't sleep the night before or eat the day of. Which means I'm loads of fun at home.

At least graduation is tomorrow. My entire alpha (A-G) made it and I'm thrilled. Of course, I didn't have much to do with it but hey, I'll take what successes I can in year one of a new job. This time tomorrow night, I'll be sitting on a bar stool in Seattle, cheating on my diet. Won't be as much fun as running the school but I'll take it.

P.S. for those who care, one week into the 17 day diet and I'm down six lbs. Eric is down 5 after 4 days (men and their stupid metabolism). Try it.

The day I ran the school...

2011-06-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

Apparently, in June, they let the new kid run the circus.

My fellow administrators ~~ditched me~~ spent the afternoon in a district meeting today. That meant it was me and our building cop, with 1200 inmates (uh, I mean, students) for several hours. While this hasn't been the first time my colleagues have attended meetings out of the building, it is the first time ALL THREE were gone AT ONE TIME, leaving me leave me ~~to freak out~~ in total control. Granted, it is finals week and most kids were taking exams so the halls were relatively empty. Granted, with seven days remaining, there isn't a whole lot of ammunition in the discipline arsenal so discipline is at a virtual standstill. Granted, the day went smoothly and was completely uneventful.

Nonetheless, I was in charge so I took on a few tasks:

I completed the master schedule and gave PE teachers the best prep periods and smallest class sizes. I switched offices so I now have the largest one, with the best view. I wrote myself an awesome letter of recommendation and signed it with my boss's stamp. And I left cheery notes on their July calendars (with my picture to keep them company) to encourage them while they are busy at work and I'm at home, enjoying my summer vacation.

They are totally going to thank me when they get back.

Why 17 days?

2011-06-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

My bloggy friend Kayla asked what this 17 day thing was all about so I thought I would explain it (you're welcome, Kayla!)

Here's the deal. You diet follow a diet for 17 days.

There are 4 cycles in the diet, each lasting 17 days. In those 17 days you shock your metabolism and keep it guessing. And you drop weight. Seriously. That's all there is to it. The book is an easy read, there are suggested meals and suggested recipes too. And, if you think about it, you can commit to anything for 17 days, right?

In the three months of working out at Curves, I have lost inches. But not a single pound. And it was driving me nuts. When a trusted someone who-shall-remain-nameless told me I would actually lose weight with this diet, I admit, I was sceptical. Another diet? Another fad? Really? But when she told me how much she had lost in such little time, I was sold. I ordered the book on Amazon and started last Thursday.

I wouldn't say I'm starving but, as with any weight loss plan, I do have a vicious headache. It is a serious struggle to figure out how and what to eat with my busy work day. And I am a tad bit crabby. Poor Eric bore the brunt of it when he couldn't remember where he hid the scale and I spent an hour tearing the house apart to find it. I just wanted to know if this diet was working. And I needed a scale. Was it too much to ask that the man remember where he hid it from me? In the end, I found it (hidden in the desk) and lo and behold, I was down four pounds!

Four pounds in two days. Holy Mother of Pete. Talk about instant gratification and motivation!

17 days. With results like this, you bet your ass I can do this.

17 Days

2011-06-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

starting the 17 day diet tomorrow.
wish me luck.

Dropped off at the front door

2011-05-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, Eric and I shopped HomeGrocer.com. Log online. Order food. Food delivered. Easy - Peasy. We probably weren't saving a ton by shopping online. At the time, we had two incomes and we had money to spare.

Oh, the days of two incomes. How I miss them so.

Anyhow, a few weeks ago, we received a promotional flyer from Amazon.fresh. Eric had to try it.

Yesterday, he ordered. Today, it was delivered.

In 5 plastic totes.

Locked zip ties.

Styrofoam packing (dry ice included)

And a little treat from my hubby.

I don't know that we will do this again, however, Eric was able to find a lot of gluten-free items so this time was worth it to see him find foodie happiness.

I also don't know what we are going to do with the extra totes.

Long weekend filled with

2011-05-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

sleep. play. workout. laundry. clean house. grade papers. night out with friends from high school days. sleep. work out. more laundry. yardwork. grade papers that were not finished the day before. nap. playdate. sleep. kung fu panda 2.

13 more wake ups until this becomes my daily routine.

i cannot wait.

Quantifiable Feedback

2011-05-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

I attended a workshop yesterday about servant leadership and character training. IT. WAS. AWESOME. It is everything (and more) that I want my student-leaders to have learned when they walk out my door at the end of the school year.

Part of the program is challenging students to work daily on character traits. As I sat and listened to the presenter, I started to reflect on which trait I need to work on...I know I need to work on most if I want my leadership to grow but how do I know which is my weakest?

So, I thought I would start to ask people in my life for feedback. I'm going to take a simple survey and give it to students and staff members in my building, family and friends in my life, and to you, my blog readers. PLEASE BE HONEST! I can only be a better person if people are honest with me. My husband has taught me that golden rule (yes, he answered VERY honestly when I asked for his feedback!). And you won't hurt my feelings because, after all, I'm the one asking for the feedback. If I can't handle the answers, I never should have asked.

THE SURVEY
I want to let you know that I am committed to being the best blogger that I can be. (The word "blogger" should be changed, based on who you are asking to fill this out).

In order to achieve this, I need you to do me a favor. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being poor, 10 being excellent) could you tell me how I am doing?

Great, THANK YOU! Now, tell me how I can be a 10. Typically, people leave 1-3 comments so do what is comfortable for you.

If you want to take the survey, please leave your comment. Or you can email me (chelle). Or you can move on to the next blog on your list of blog readings and that's great too!

Have a great day!