Birthday Fun!

In addition to Mike's sweet birthday post there were many things that made my birthday celebration special!

I had never had to go to school on my birthday until this year.  The running joke was that for my birthday I was going to get the rest of the summer off.  Not a bad gift!  Since it was the last day of school everyone was a little crazy but overall things were not too bad.  It was my day to ride one of the bus routes but once I got on the bus half of the students decided they would rather walk home.  My friends at school made it a special day for me!  I got some sweet cards, a few gifts, flowers, a tasty chocolate cake, and plenty of smiles and well wishes.  When Mike came at the end of the day to help me with the last of my end of the year tasks, he brought me the most beautiful fragrant roses.  We took it easy on Friday since we were both exhausted from wrapping up the school year.

Before our dinner date on Saturday Mike gave me my birthday present.  Since our finances are a little tight because of our recent pricey purchases he picked out a few small items that were just what I wanted.  Mike is great at picking out cards and making secret plans.  I didn't know where we were going for dinner but the card mentioned fondue.

Check out my handsome date!  The lighting at The Melting Pot is pretty low so the pictures are a little dark.  Dinner was the big part of my birthday gift.

The birthday girl!  (My students decided that females under thirty years old are still considered girls.  Guess I won't be a woman for a few more years.)

Cheese Fondue with garlic, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes! 

Salad with tomatoes, mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar!

Plate of raw meat with accompanying raw veggies and sauces! 

So much fun!  I love how we never run out of things to talk about!  We laugh all the time!

I think I like fondue because I can take my time.  I'm known to be a slow eater (possibly because I talk a lot) and fondue is definitely my speed.  When we were first dating Mike purposefully slowed down his eating speed so that I wouldn't feel rushed.

They knew it was my birthday so they put a candle in the cheesecake on our desert plate.

White Chocolate Fondue!  It is simple but my favorite.  (I'm also a vanilla ice cream fan.)  This the first time I have had rice crispy treats to dip in fondue and they were amazing.  I think my favorite is still the marshmallows and Mike is always a big fan of brownies.

Even Sadie was tired after all the birthday fun.

I do need to admit something that I have already laughed about with my twin sister.  The past two years as my birthday has been coming up I have somehow forgotten that it is Christine's birthday too until the last minute.  I don't know why!  She is quite forgiving and her theory is that since our birthday comes right at the end of the school year I'm probably plenty busy with school stuff.  I haven't ever totally forgotten.  The card and gift are quickly purchased and end up arriving just in time.  She is much better about planning ahead when it comes to getting a card and gift for me.

Alex took Christine on a dinner and dancing cruise run by the Gateway Clipper Fleet in Pittsburgh for her birthday.  Sounds like they had a great time!

We usually spend more talking about how we are different than how we are the same.  In many ways we are polar opposites.  Looking at this picture made me think of two similarities.  We both like hanging out in our pajamas and love our dogs.  Happy Birthday Twinkiekins!

Happy Birthday Suzi!

Happy Birthday Suzi!

You are so wonderful and I am the luckiest man in the world to be married to you and get to love you everyday.  I think about you throughout my whole day and am always excited to hurry home to see you.  I hope you enjoy your gift of no more school for the summer - it was hard to arrange with Spring ISD but I made it happen for you - just kidding!  I hope this has been a great day for you and I am excited that I have gotten spend it you.  You are so special to me.

Love,

Mike

Furniture Shopping & Assembly...

A few weekends ago we decided to go shopping for a dinning room table and chairs.  We saw a lot of furniture!  (I snapped a picture of the Rogers St sign from the moving vehicle in road trip style.)

This is the first set we saw that we were interested in.  I tend to be a quick shopper.  I either really like it or really don't.  Mike said we would keep it in mind and keep looking at what other stores had to offer.

This is the next table we were interested in.  You are suppose to select the top, legs, color, finish, chairs, and all that stuff.  I'm not much of a "designer" so picking various options for things slightly terrifies me.  I'll pick out bits I like but probably won't be happy with the finished product once it is put together.  I would rather see something all together and say "That's the one I want I'll take it".  It was very tempting though.

This table honestly isn't our style at all but it was pretty cool to look at.  It was one of those times when I had to think to myself "it looks great and I kind of want it buy could I really live with it".  Typically the answer is "no" and I move on after taking it in just long enough to start listing reasons I don't like it.

This was yet another interesting option.  I sat on a lovely chair nearby that I couldn't afford and thought about our options.  With all the new house stuff going on I have gotten into the habit of taking pictures of rooms in the house and possible items for those rooms because it helps me picture everything together a little better.

One of the furniture stores had friendly ponies outside to welcome us.  This one kept trying to taste my purse.  I wonder if the store trained him to take wallets from people.  I guess he has to earn his keep.

This pony was sort of lazy.  He better be careful or he could become an upholstery option.

Her is an example of what I was talking about a few pictures ago.  I took picture of the space where we wanted to put the table (and of course measured the space) so that I could remember  what it looks like.

We did have to wait for the table and chairs we ordered to come in because apparently it is a very popular set.  In the meantime we had a busy few weeks since it is the end of the school year.  We went to the high school's band banquet and had a great time with the other directors.

Isn't there a saying that says "things will get worse before they get better"?  I hadn't considered how many big boxes there would be.  We saved some money by picking it up from the warehouse and putting it together ourselves.  Mike put together the table and I put together the chairs.  It all went very smoothly with just a few slight challenges.

What do you think?  It was the first dining room set we saw.  Does anyone want to come give it a try?  We did sit in all the chairs and gave them the wiggle test.  As you can see they all passed the test!

Bridal Shower!

Last weekend I helped host a bridal shower for my college roommate Amanda in Dallas.  My proudest contribution (other than the previously posted bridal shower invites that are a close second) were the cupcakes.  Since I don't live in Dallas my mom was a huge help finding a bakery and handling the details.  We got vanilla and Mexican chocolate cupcakes with icing similar to the color of the bridesmaids dresses.  Most had a daisy accent to represent one of the bride's favorite flowers and the bride's cupcake had an edible "A".  Can you tell by that long description of the cupcakes that I was really excited about how they turned out?  They tasted fabulous!

The shower was held at the home of the parents of one of the bridesmaids.  The moms and bridesmaids present pulled together a spectacular shower spread.  (We definitely missed the friends who were not able to make it.)  We even got to use fine china!

Amanda put on her best bridal smile.  Gift cards were my favorite wedding gift because they were portable and provided numerous options.

Amanda was very excited to receive her prized Kitchen Aid mixer from all her favorite ladies!  Big thanks to her sister Laura for making it happen!  (She didn't look nearly as excited when we dropped off the stackable washer and dryer.  For those of you who are wondering...it traveled well and is already happily swishing away at its new home.)  

Congratulations Amanda!  Only about one month to go!

Almost Famous...

K L E I N N E W S 

Office of Public Information

Klein Independent School District

7200 Spring-Cypress Road

Klein, Texas 77379

Phone (832) 249-4000 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 5, 2009

Mike Rogers Builds a Strong Band at Klein Intermediate School

During the four years that Mr. Mike Rogers has directed the band at Klein Intermediate School, the band has grown from 72 members to an enrollment of almost 300. Since beginning his career at Klein Intermediate, Mr. Rogers has relied on his training in music education at Baylor University, his musical history, and his guidance from the Klein Intermediate administrative team to assist him in building a successful program. 

Mr. Rogers began his study of music by taking piano and clarinet lessons. In the sixth grade, he discovered that the trumpet was the instrument for him. He continued in band through MacArthur High School in Irving and at Baylor. The selection of music education as his major seemed natural for Mr. Rogers. He loves music. He learned leadership skills that would be valuable in a teaching career while earning the Eagle Scout rank. And he had enjoyed leading youth in a church setting. 

In working with students and their parents, Mr. Rogers tries to maintain a servant attitude. He listens to discover what the parents and students want and how he can work with them to meet their needs. 

As momentum has grown for becoming a member of the Klein Intermediate band, Mr. Rogers has worked to take care of his students. He has found ways to teach the knowledge and skills required by the state curriculum while allowing students to play songs that are similar to their musical interests. As a result of his awareness of the interests of students, they have become more willing and excited about playing more traditional intermediate school band music. After broadening students’ horizons, they also have begun to listen to and enjoy music of various cultures. 

Words of praise from officials at the South Coast Music Festival reflect the team work and discipline that Mr. Rogers’ students learn while they are growing as musicians. After the recent festival, an official indicated to Mr. Rogers that Klein Intermediate students knew what to do when they performed and when they were a part of the audience while other groups performed.

Mr. Rogers is assisted by Mr. Chase DeBord. As time allows, he is also assisted by Mr. Paul Worosello, Ms. Lynda Eubanks, Mr. Ryan Barker, and Mr. Ray Ulibarri who are members of the Klein Forest band staff.

Mr. Rogers is married to Suzi Rogers who is a teacher at Dueitt Middle School in the Spring ISD. She, like Mr. Rogers, graduated from MacArthur High School and Baylor University.

* I'm a very proud wife! *

Cheerleader Tryouts...

I was a little stunned when one of my friends at work asked me to judge cheerleader tryouts.  I know very little about cheerleading and the little I know came from watching Bring It On with my college roommate.  The girls were absolutely precious!  They were so excited and nervous at the same time.  I made sure to make eye contact and smile at each one individually.  I can remember standing before a judge at many events (never in court) and I would have loved for someone to ease my nervousness a little.

As many things do, it makes me think of teaching.  Students are successful in positive learning environments where they feel safe to ask questions and share thoughts.  I think adults need that safety too.  I was at a district meeting yesterday related our TEA and OCR audit next week and the board room was noticeably tense.  The tension has been building since the being of school all over the district.  I've been nervous at times but overall I've been able to control my emotions and maintain my sanity.  I've spent a great deal of time this year focused on helping prepare the people at my school for this audit.  Now that it is so close I realize more than ever how important it is to be positive and build their confidence.  Next week is going to be tough but I'm looking forward to getting through it and being finished with the process. 

Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

When I make Sopapilla Cheesecake it doesn't ever turn out this pretty but it is always tasty!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2- 8oz cans crescent rolls

2- 8oz packages cream cheese (preferably at room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

sugar and cinnamon mixture

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 13x9 baking pan with non-stick spray.

Use one package of crescent rolls to cover the bottom of the baking pan.

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.

Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom layer of crescent rolls

Cover cream cheese layer with 2nd package of crescent rolls.

Brush melted butter over top and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!!