Good Timing!

Last year when the power at school went out I was one of the confused newbies.  This year I sound like a veteran assuring students and new teachers that "it happens all the time" as I go on with my lesson in the dark.  I know where my flashlights are and I'm capable of finding them in the dark in mere seconds.  We've had some flickers and instances of momentary power loss so far this year but today the power went out and was not coming back on anytime soon.  It is important to remember that my school has no windows which means no chance of natural light sneaking in.  Luckily, it happened right at dismissal time though some students did learn that I am perfectly capable of writing referrals in the dark.  I am very glad that the PA system is one of the few things that works off of a back up system.  The other good part is that those of us who stay at work long after we have to were forced to leave since we couldn't possibly get anything done.  When I left the proper district people had been notified of the problem.  The power will probably be back on tomorrow but I'm dressing comfortable just in case history repeats itself!

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  It was a fairly relaxing day for us.  We had a traditional lunch with Mike's parents and brother and we made a less traditional Asian inspired dinner with my parents.

Surprise!  Mike's parents have a bird that a customer found and decided to give to them.  The bird didn't seem very friendly to us.

After a traditional Thanksgiving lunch we were strongly encouraged to participate in playing the game pictured above.  Is it ironic that my blog from yesterday discussed my love for Cranium games and then today I found myself trying to be the first to collect a hound dog, satellite dish, television, recliner, jerky, and fly swatter to fill my trailer?  For the record, we did not win the game and we were not upset.

 

It was a lot of fun having my parents help us make our Asian feast.  We had a modern Japanese chicken noodle soup.  It is pretty basic but has a soy sauce, garlic, ginger, white pepper, and green onion reduction that gives it a nice little kick.

We needed a vegetable so we tossed some green beans in the wok with diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chili paste.  They are pretty good if you can take the heat.

My dad isn't usually a fan of Asian cuisine so we put together a simple beef and brown rice dish as a safety item to make sure he would have something to eat.  He seemed to like everything.  He especially liked that we did the dishes at the end of the meal.

One of my favorite snacks are pot stickers so I had to have some!  Mike has made them from scratch before but the ones we had today were frozen.  We were already having to wash pots while we were cooking so we decided to take a little help from the store.

We also had to have egg rolls!  Again, we decided to take a little help from the freezer section at the grocery store.  We got the mini ones because they were so cute.  When we make our own they never come out quite this pretty.

I totally forgot about planning dessert until we got to Dallas so I asked my mom to be in charge of that.  She baked an apple pie and made some mini pumpkin cheesecakes.  I had a mini pumpkin cheesecake and it was very tasty with a little bit of cool whip!  I might break out this recipe for the next Starting Point event.

I love how Mike can always make me laugh!  It's like a challenge for him to see how much cool whip he can pile on his dessert.  The best part is that I didn't see this until I was loading pictures from today onto my computer.  I guess he wanted me to find out but not before he was able to enjoy his mischievous creation.

Pre-Thanksgiving...

Today we drove to Dallas to spend Thanksgiving with our family.  Though the drive was fairly uneventful, there are a few things worth blogging about.

Starting Point Ladies Night wasn't tonight but when I was going through my pictures I realized I hadn't mentioned it yet.  Five of us met at The Cheesecake Factory and had a great dinner on Saturday night.  Lindsay has the group shots on her camera so all you get to see for now is my dulce de leche cheesecake and cafe mocha...Yum!

My contribution to dinner tonight was the appetizer.  This is the second time I have made mini caesar salads and they turned out pretty good.  The first time I made them was for the last Starting Point Game Night but I think I chopped the lettuce too small that time.  They are so easy to throw together at the last minute.

We went to Starbucks with my mom after dinner and saw a new game we had to have.  We love Cranium games!  This one involves creating a bracket of people, places, things, and actions and then playing a tournament with challenge questions until a winner is decided.  It includes a "sweet" decider finger for tie breaking purposes.  It also includes "a lovely, lovely ham...If ham is not in box, it may have been confiscated by the food police...Apparently, there is some law about sending hams along with outrageously fun board games."  My first thought after seeing the game was how much fun it would be to play the game with Katie and Sean!  "This game is for adults or people who are adult-like."

Before going to Starbucks we had to drop by Target to make a holiday return.  I bought my mom the light-up snowman pictured above as an early Christmas surprise but it didn't work.  We were able to exchange it for a new one that did work without much trouble.  Don't forget to save your receipts from your holiday shopping!

Mom bought Sadie an early Christmas surprise!  Sadie can now sport her soft pink hoodie when she goes on walks instead of going out in her pajamas.

 

In our quest to get our lazy beagle to get a job we are now turning our attention to the music industry.  All she needs is some 'bling' and she will be the cutest chart topping rapping beagle ever!

Next Year...

One of the funniest blogs I read is called "Hobo Teacher".  It's really funny because the situations that are written about are truly  characteristic of working at the middle school and high school levels.  Katie might have Turkey Hat Day, but next year I'm starting my own school Thanksgiving tradition inspired by Hobo Teacher.  I can already imagine the reactions I'll get!  It plays into my favorite discipline strategy of convincing the students that you could snap at any moment and anything could happen.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

A Turkey Shoot

Just like my kids the day before Thanksgiving Break, I have zero interest in being here today. I’m thinking I’m just going to respond to each question with a turkey call.

“Are we doing anything today?”

"Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!"

“Can we just not do anything today?”

"Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!"

“Do we have—“

"Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!"

“Why are you—“

"Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!"

Two Weeks of Randomness!

The past two weeks have been sooo busy! This past week at school holiday fever hit the students. The eighth graders were so blatantly and outrageously naughty on Tuesday and Wednesday that they were actually quite manageable Thursday and Friday because the were so worn out! Though I could go on explaining the details for quite a while, I will instead focus on other highlights of the past two weeks.

Since it has finally started to get a little cooler Sadie has been shivering like crazy!  We decided we needed to find a sweater or something for her so that she would be so cold.  Stephanie recommend a little shop and we decided to stop by.  We couldn't find a sweater we liked but we did find some dog pajamas that are really cute!  Sadie looks really cute and I think she likes them because they cover most of her body and keep her toasty.

The sixth grade students taking home economics at my school had a very interesting project that was seven days long and ended this past Wednesday.  They created and carried around Flour Babies!  It gave all the teachers plenty of opportunity to debate whether or not this was a good idea but overall I found the project very entertaining.  Some of the babies were very cute and some of the sixth grade classrooms had nursery or daycare areas so that the babies would not be too much of a distraction.  One of my students made me the Abuelita (grandma) of her flour baby pictured above.  My mother would probably not be happy to know this means she is already a great-grandma.  Unfortunately, after school on the last day of the project some of the babies did not make it home safely.  The front lawn of the school was covered with a fresh layer of flour and it wasn't too hard to figure out which students had participated in the shenanigans.

Last weekend Mike and I wanted to try a new Thanksgiving macaroni and cheese recipe so we figured why not make a mini Thanksgiving dinner.  Our meal resembles college cooking more than gourmet but it wasn't bad for only two hours of work.  The new recipe was great!  I apologize to the mashed potato lovers out there.  We considered making some because we found a great recipe for smashed potatoes last year but they just weren't necessary.  Our must haves are green-bean casserole and stuffing.

Today we joined Michael Weyler at Mission Greenspoint to give out items for Thanksgiving dinner and give some love to people who really need it.  Most people know that I like sleeping late on Saturday mornings but getting up early was totally worth it.  We were blessed to see so many volunteers ready to help.  We spent a little while packing bags with two cans of green-beans, a can of cranberry sauce, a can of yams, a box of cake mix, a container of frosting, an a package of stuffing.  People also received some materials about dedicating their life to Jesus as well as a Kroger gift card.  Call me OCD, but I was very focused on making sure I matched each cake mix with the correct flavor of frosting.  Talking with some of the people who came to receive the bags was the best part.  Weyler did a great job sharing the gospel.

We love to volunteer because it provides such great opportunities to have an impact on our community.  As teachers we see our students and their families going through some of the same difficult situations as the people we talked with today at Mission Greenspoint.  Even though we didn't know any of the people who were helped today, I know that there are volunteers in our school attendance zones who are helping our students and their families.  Mission Greenspoint will need volunteers to help with Christmas and I hope we will be available to help.

Classroom Move!

This week my classroom was moved from the 6th grade hallway to the 8th grade hallway. The good news is that the janitors moved all of my boxes and furniture for me over the weekend. The bad news is that they left all of my boxes and furniture in a big pile in the middle of my room. If you have ever played the Rush Hour game pictured above you can start to imagine my frustration with getting my room arranged. Usually, teachers have plenty of time before school starts to get everything arranged and decorated. On Monday morning I had about thirty minutes!

I was sweating like crazy all day on Monday from pushing furniture around. If you haven't seen school furniture you should know it is usually pretty big and heavy. I scooted it all around the room for hours trying to figure out how everything would best fit in the room and I kept changing my mind. The Rush Hour game comes in because I was working in such a small space. To move my desk I had to push the file cabinet (completely full) a few feet in one direction, the bookshelf (with books) a few feet another direction, and my big blue cabinet (totally stuffed full) a few feet another direction. I had to constantly reshuffle the furniture just to move each piece a few feet. If I wasn't so impatient about getting everything organized I would have called in the Starting Point Moving Crew. Luckily, I  only ended up with a few broken fingernails and sore legs and arms.

I'm having to get use to sharing my new room with another teacher.  We have classes in there at different times so it isn't too bad.  She and I have very different teaching and discipline styles.  I haven't had to write up any of the students in my classes but I did have to write up one of her students today.  Things aren't perfect but they aren't too bad either.  I was really disappointed about having to move classrooms in the middle of the year but there are definitely many advantages.  I know I've got to stay positive and make things work!  If they move me again I'm going to campaign for an ESL tree house behind the school for my classes!

Birthday Earthquakes!

Happy Birthday Dad!  I guess those couple of earthquakes will make this birthday unforgettable!  I never would have thought there would be earthquakes in Irving.

Seasonal Ick...

Everyone around me is really excited about the weather getting cooler but I have not found joy in the lower temperatures yet.  Every year I get sick the first time the temperature starts to drop significantly.  I'm not sure if it is allergies or something else.  Other than this time of year, I am typically fairly healthy.  Even when I do get sick it usually isn't bad enough to miss work.  That is pretty amazing for a teacher!  I'm also very gifted about putting off being sick until weekends or holidays.  I start feeling bad on a Thursday or Friday and am over it Monday morning.  (Note to the people I saw at the Halloween party on Saturday: I checked my temperature and it was 97.5 so I didn't endanger anyone...not with my germs at least.)  As I continue watching Mike do all the chores, I would like to give a shout out to all my favorite remedies.
This is our favorite soup!  It is the kind my parents made when I was sick.  They also gave me lemon-lime Gatorade.  Isn't funny how the soup makes me happy but the Gatorade makes me want to throw up?  One of the ways Mike and I knew we were meant to be together was when we discovered I like the broth the best and he prefers the noodles.  A few weeks ago we tried a new recipe for a modern spicy Asian chicken soup and it was so good.  I don't think it is a good idea to eat it when you don't feel well because it has some serious flavor that could be upsetting to a sick stomach.  It would definitely clear out your sinuses though.  We have a bunch of really great soup recipes...that could be an entirely different blog post on its own...hmmm....Even though we don't have kids, Goldfish crackers are still a staple.  I introduced Mike to the idea of floating the crackers in the hot soup.  You have to catch and eat them before they get to soft.  This is probably the point when I usually start feeling better since I'm playing with my food.
I am definitely willing to admit that I am typically a brand conscious girl.  I don't take it to a ridiculous level but there are just some that I gravitate to.  Typically we buy Kleenex brand facial tissues but my raw nose needed a little relief.  My choice was to purchase the Puffs brand tissues with lotion in front of me or continue searching for other options.  My nose is currently soft and smooth.
Even though I don't drink sodas I should drink more water everyday.  Usually when I am sick I hibernate and end up dehydrated which makes me worse.  This time I was able to drink plenty of water and I think it definitely helped me get better faster.
My family always had really awful tasting cough drops so I was amazed when my college roommate introduced me to Fruit Breezers.  They don't taste bad at all.  In fact, they taste like candy.  Better than that, I can feel them working right away.  They soothe my throat and even help clear out my nose a little.
Mike and I try not to take medication very often.  When I have to take something to make it through the day I take Tylenol.  The Rapid Release Gels are amazing when you have a headache because they work so fast.  Sometimes it seems almost instantaneous.  The Tylenol cold products are pretty amazing too.  They manage to make a sick day at school very tolerable.  I'm so busy I forget that I am sick...until it is time for another dose.

If I have time to be sick you'll find me on the coach with my pillow and favorite penguin blanket.  I am blessed to have a very comfy sofa.  (Picture Note: this isn't my sofa or my living room...I'm sick and there are dirty tissues all over the place.)

Though I love napping on my couch I do relocate to my real bed at night.  It is also really comfortable.  When Mike and I bought our mattress we made sure to get a good one!  (Picture Note: you are correct...this isn't my bed or my bedroom.)
Finally, the only good thing about being sick is having my dear sweet husband take care of me!  Most of the time he makes me homemade chicken soup.  I can usually even convince him to give me a massage, put my socks on my feet, and tuck me in.  I think he ends up getting less sleep than I do when I am sick and restless.  I do my best to take care of him when he isn't feeling well.  Luckily, we aren't sick very often and it is even more rare that we are sick at the same time.

Family Vacation!

I've been having trouble coming up with something to blog about.  I don't really want to talk about work and right now there isn't much else going on.  As I searched for inspiration I came across some family vacation pictures from summer 2006.  It was our last four person household family vacation before college graduations and weddings.  We went to Arizona and had a great time!  Most of the picture are quite random so I'll do my best to dazzle you with commentary.

My family does enjoying eating out, but we also enjoying being able to cook in every now and then even while on vacation.  Don't get the wrong impression, our plates almost never look this healthy.  I guess pretty scenery makes you want to live life to the fullest...that or all the walking around reminds you that you should really shed those last few holiday pounds so they don't follow you to the pool.

Beautiful!  I can't remember the name of the hotel.  I would love to go back...and actually swim in the pool this time.  Our family spends our vacations doing a bunch of stuff instead of relaxing.

One of the things I remember most was talking to my sister as we went to sleep about the future.  We were very excited that this would be the last time sleeping on the pull out sofa bed together.  We were both planning weddings and looking forward to the days of not sharing a hotel room with our parents and therefore having the nice bed.  (Sorry Mom and Dad!)  We laughed and gave each other a swift kick for old times sake.

I think I took of picture of these ducks because I couldn't take a picture of the quail that were everywhere.  Ducks I can keep up with and take a picture of...quail not so much.  The quail were really cute though.

I'm starting to notice I have lots of pictures of random things and almost no pictures with people.  I know what they look like though.  If I hadn't taken a picture of this frog statue, I would not have remembered it at all.  The frog looks really grouchy.  I think I would be grouchy if I was in the sun all day too!

Have you ever had that moment when you wish you took a picture of something before devouring it?  I attempted to artistically arrange the forks as a short-term monument to a really good piece of chocolate cake.  The more amazing aspect of this is the fact the four of us shared one plate...and germs!  

Have I mentioned my family is from Wisconsin?  We were really excited to see this Wisconsin theme restaurant!

Only a Wisconsin theme restaurant would have an entire section of the menu dedicated to cheese.  Take that you California cows!  They didn't serve California cheese because they knew they could do better!

If you are in Arizona during the summer you should definitely drink lots of water because dehydration sneaks up faster there than it does in Texas!  The murky glass of water is actually lemonade....Dad always has to be "special".  I did appreciate the really big glasses of water...until I had to go to the bathroom every ten minutes.

As a trained history teacher I appreciate historical things...most of the time.  I was pretty lost as to what all of this was about.  It was one of those "let's stop there" kind of moments that didn't turn out to be very rewarding.

Why look at old stuff when you can take pictures of random lizards?  This reminds me of the lizard that is currently inhabiting my classroom at school.  He is more like a gecko though.  He spends most of the day behind my file cabinet but does enjoy greeting me when I walk in every morning.  Hopefully he fares better than my pet ladybug last year...he fried on my windowsill.  We he hadn't moved in a few weeks I knew something was wrong.

This is the kind of old stuff I find interesting.  You can't tell from the picture but this dwelling was unbelievably far up the side of this cliff.  I would need an insanely tall ladder.  The natives living in this area carved all sorts of cool  buildings into canyon walls.

We also visited a little place called the Grand Canyon.  Mike always talks about going to visit and taking the tour where you ride a mule all the way down to the bottom and camp there for the night.  No thanks!  I would be interested in going rafting on the part of the Colorado River than runs through there though.

Unfortunately, our vacation ended abruptly when we realized that everything really is bigger in Texas.  I couldn't live with ketchup bottles this small!  No wonder they give you so many at one time!  The novelty of these did eventually wear off though when I realized there are a lot of places where you can buy both mini ketchup bottles and their tiny Tabasco sidekicks.

I forgot to mention we saw lots of cactus while we were there.  Though they are potentially violent, I do think they have a fairly friendly appearance since they always seem to be waving at you.  The blurry guy in the back ground is my dad doing his best cactus impersonation.  For those of you who think he is doing a good job...my dad is the one on the left.  See him now?

Overall, it was a great family vacation!