We had the best 4 days. Annie came to see us and we had a great time. We saw Twilight, Pink Panther 2 and made fun snacks, homemade pizza and watched a really funny comedian. Jack was laughing so hard, he almost couldn't breathe and Kate kept saying, "That's so true" and laughing! We talked and talked and talked and just enjoyed each others company. It was great. Hard to say good-bye today.
She is so easy to get along with and so fun. I hate that she is driving at night, though I know she can take care of herself.
Thanks for coming little sis and best aunt! we love you.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Just Gotta Laugh
I was playing around with how to post pictures and found these on photo booth from my college reunion this summer and from this Christmas. Both times everyone was playing around on the Mac and laughing hysterically. There are over 40 photo booth pics on this computer. I just remembered how hard we laughed that weekend and at Christmas, and how good it feels to laugh like that.
Just need something to laugh about!!! I realized how good I felt on Saturday at the movies.
We saw Mall Cop this past weekend...I started laughing as soon as the title came up. It was so stupid and SOOOOO funny. At one point in the movie, he is depressed and pulls out a cassette tape (he doesn't get technology) and it plays.....Barry Manilow, Weekend in New England. I laughed so hard, I couldn't even hear the singing. It was so ridiculous. So funny. My stomach hurt from laughing. I love laughing like that.
I finished Breaking Dawn this past weekend and stayed up until 2am to do it. I was hoping for more of a fight at the end but it was suspenseful and I enjoy that. Jack laughs about it, "you hang up first, no you, no you go first." He said the girls at school are always debating who they would want to date, Jacob or Edward. Vampire or Were-wolf....I go with the were-wolf.
Jack continues to be funny and fun and is actually enjoying scouts since his "fight". He is working on his Citizenship in the World merit badge with his history teacher, who is a detail guy and Jack enjoys details and History, so it will actually be fun for him.
Kate gave a Joan of Arc report this week and by all reports gave a great presentation. Jack and I snuck here Joan of Arc book when she was working on something else....what an awesome young woman! Kate is but I mean Joan. I never really read her whole story before and I was very interesting. Kate just came down and kissed me goodnight. She is a sweet, sweet girl.
I haven't cooked anything good this week, except homemade mac and cheese on Monday. I'll have to make something fun this weekend. What should it be??? Any ideas???
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Kindergarten Dinner
Tonight I made fries and terriyaki chicken nuggets and peas. Kate called it a Kindergarten dinner, because that is what I used to fix when she was in Kindergarten. You don't step it up one night and they call you on it. In my defense, I did make a salad, but they called me on the Good Season's packet and not homemade dressing. Tough crowd.
GOOD NEWS: Nick is good! Thanks for your prayers. Pathology reports are not back yet but it looks benign and the doctor's are optimistic for a full recovery. He is home now and doing well.
Kate is working diligently each night on a Newspaper for History class. It is due Thursday. It's only half done, I hope she gets it finished without too many tears. So far so good. Jack keeps giving her ideas for funny articles and she just rolls her eyes at him. He has had little homework the past two nights (but always has a bunch on the weekends!) and is working on a comic for the Middle School Paper and wrote a story for school. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Space...the Final Frontier. I am Jack Murphy, a Billionaire, who went on a journey through Space with Richard Garriott, Bo Bo the monkey, Donald Trump and Lee Majors. A few of our crewman featured Captain Kirk, Mr. Sulu, Scotty and a creepy man named Spock.
We were in our spaceship, The Excitement, and in a few hours we would be landing on Earth. Donald Trump was playing a game of checkers against Bo Bo the monkey and losing. Bo Bo took his last checker.
"You're Fired!" shouted Donald Trump.
Just then Richard Garriott walked into the room.
"We have to get some experiments done people," he said. "We haven't done any experiments for five days."
"Who made you the boss?" asked Lee Majors.
"Maybe," said Spock "We could try the Coriolis Effect."
Everyone in room stared at him in confusion.
"The Coriolis Effect is when a liquid rotates to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in Southern Hemisphere."
"So you want us to flush a toilet and see which way the water rotates?" I asked.
"Pretty much," Spock said.
"Awesome!" said Majors.
Everyone rushed into the bathroom.
"You know I never really thought about this before," Trump said to me.
"Me neither," I replied.
"Fire Scotty!" shouted Captain Kirk
"Aye Captain!" replied Scotty
Before I could see what would happen, Bo Bo jumped on my face and started screaming.
"My face, my beautiful face," I squealed.
Kirk tried to pull the monkey off of me but then Bo Bo jumped on his face too.
"Get your paws off me you dirty ape!"
Bo Bo went on a rampage and threw Donald Trump's immense wallet into the toilet clogging it up.
Nobody could see what happened when we flushed the toilet so we had to think of something else. We didn't have much time until we landed.
"We can see if a Fruit Rollup is really three feet," I suggested.
"Genius, pure genius," sobbed Majors.
Bo Bo started clapping.
"Scotty get a ruler, Sulu get a Fruit Rollup,” commanded Kirk.
Both came back with a ruler and Fruit Rollup. Garriott began measuring when Bo Bo lunged for the Fruit Rollup. Lee Majors saw what was going on and ran to tackle the monkey. He was able to jump in front of Bo Bo but instead of biting the Fruit Rollup, he bit Majors in the leg instead.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" screamed Lee Majors.
"Thanks Majors, you saved the experiment," said Garriott.
"Don't worry I'm fine," said Majors sarcastically.
"It's three feet!" exclaimed Scotty.
"Huzzah!" shouted Spock.
Everyone stared at him.
"We're landing!" shouted Sulu.
After that I never forgot the time I spent in Space.
GOOD NEWS: Nick is good! Thanks for your prayers. Pathology reports are not back yet but it looks benign and the doctor's are optimistic for a full recovery. He is home now and doing well.
Kate is working diligently each night on a Newspaper for History class. It is due Thursday. It's only half done, I hope she gets it finished without too many tears. So far so good. Jack keeps giving her ideas for funny articles and she just rolls her eyes at him. He has had little homework the past two nights (but always has a bunch on the weekends!) and is working on a comic for the Middle School Paper and wrote a story for school. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
SPACE....The Final Frontier
Space...the Final Frontier. I am Jack Murphy, a Billionaire, who went on a journey through Space with Richard Garriott, Bo Bo the monkey, Donald Trump and Lee Majors. A few of our crewman featured Captain Kirk, Mr. Sulu, Scotty and a creepy man named Spock.
We were in our spaceship, The Excitement, and in a few hours we would be landing on Earth. Donald Trump was playing a game of checkers against Bo Bo the monkey and losing. Bo Bo took his last checker.
"You're Fired!" shouted Donald Trump.
Just then Richard Garriott walked into the room.
"We have to get some experiments done people," he said. "We haven't done any experiments for five days."
"Who made you the boss?" asked Lee Majors.
"Maybe," said Spock "We could try the Coriolis Effect."
Everyone in room stared at him in confusion.
"The Coriolis Effect is when a liquid rotates to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in Southern Hemisphere."
"So you want us to flush a toilet and see which way the water rotates?" I asked.
"Pretty much," Spock said.
"Awesome!" said Majors.
Everyone rushed into the bathroom.
"You know I never really thought about this before," Trump said to me.
"Me neither," I replied.
"Fire Scotty!" shouted Captain Kirk
"Aye Captain!" replied Scotty
Before I could see what would happen, Bo Bo jumped on my face and started screaming.
"My face, my beautiful face," I squealed.
Kirk tried to pull the monkey off of me but then Bo Bo jumped on his face too.
"Get your paws off me you dirty ape!"
Bo Bo went on a rampage and threw Donald Trump's immense wallet into the toilet clogging it up.
Nobody could see what happened when we flushed the toilet so we had to think of something else. We didn't have much time until we landed.
"We can see if a Fruit Rollup is really three feet," I suggested.
"Genius, pure genius," sobbed Majors.
Bo Bo started clapping.
"Scotty get a ruler, Sulu get a Fruit Rollup,” commanded Kirk.
Both came back with a ruler and Fruit Rollup. Garriott began measuring when Bo Bo lunged for the Fruit Rollup. Lee Majors saw what was going on and ran to tackle the monkey. He was able to jump in front of Bo Bo but instead of biting the Fruit Rollup, he bit Majors in the leg instead.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" screamed Lee Majors.
"Thanks Majors, you saved the experiment," said Garriott.
"Don't worry I'm fine," said Majors sarcastically.
"It's three feet!" exclaimed Scotty.
"Huzzah!" shouted Spock.
Everyone stared at him.
"We're landing!" shouted Sulu.
After that I never forgot the time I spent in Space.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Fantastic Day
Actually it has been a fantastic two days. Yesterday morning I had to go to Pittsburgh and though the training left me overwhelmed, I got to spend it with Teresa, who is a wonderful teacher, extremely patient, intelligent and driven. I admire her a great deal. I also had her daughter in Sunday school a few years ago and she was the sweetest little thing. I find I love my friends kids as much as I love my friends.
When I got back to work, I found a surprise in my office. My dear friend and blogger Cathy K left me a gift of a beautiful scarf she had been knitting. It is so pretty, the colors match so well and I feel selfish keeping it. Thank you Cathy, not just for the scarf but the gift of your friendship.
We had planned to go to the movies with the tickets Linda gave me but we got a call from friends of ours and they invited us to go snow tubing at their farm. Jack and Kate had a great time, despite the bitter cold and wind. I helped make hot cocoa, staying out of the wind! We were there all afternoon and it took me most of the evening to warm up. It was totally worth it. It was a church gathering and everyone is so friendly. It was nice just to chat about everyday stuff and hear people who are committed to their faith. Our church doesn't have many gatherings beyond cake on the Sunday after graduation and the occasional pot luck.
Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. Though the Giants disappointed us, we will probably watch it though I won't stay up until its over like last year.
We are a truly blessed family!
Everyone that reads this, please pray for my friend Laura's (Cooch) son, Nick. He had surgery this morning to remove a tumor that is at the base of his tongue. They are not sure what type of lymphoma he has and the doctors have not seen a tumor typically located there. He is only 18 and a freshman in college. Pray, Pray, Pray!
When I got back to work, I found a surprise in my office. My dear friend and blogger Cathy K left me a gift of a beautiful scarf she had been knitting. It is so pretty, the colors match so well and I feel selfish keeping it. Thank you Cathy, not just for the scarf but the gift of your friendship.
We had planned to go to the movies with the tickets Linda gave me but we got a call from friends of ours and they invited us to go snow tubing at their farm. Jack and Kate had a great time, despite the bitter cold and wind. I helped make hot cocoa, staying out of the wind! We were there all afternoon and it took me most of the evening to warm up. It was totally worth it. It was a church gathering and everyone is so friendly. It was nice just to chat about everyday stuff and hear people who are committed to their faith. Our church doesn't have many gatherings beyond cake on the Sunday after graduation and the occasional pot luck.
Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. Though the Giants disappointed us, we will probably watch it though I won't stay up until its over like last year.
We are a truly blessed family!
Everyone that reads this, please pray for my friend Laura's (Cooch) son, Nick. He had surgery this morning to remove a tumor that is at the base of his tongue. They are not sure what type of lymphoma he has and the doctors have not seen a tumor typically located there. He is only 18 and a freshman in college. Pray, Pray, Pray!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
UPDATE
It is so weird how things change in a few days. Jack is now a hero among the older scouts and his peers. They think its great that he hit this kid. So no fear, Annie, Chris...Jack is fine. Kate is a little jealous of all his stories and said, "Why do you keep talking about it?" Before I can answer, Jack says, "Can't a mother be proud of her son?"
We are freezing downstairs in this house! I have some fun things I want to cook tomorrow to keep us warm. Torta with the homemade crust. (per Kate's request)It's a spinach, rice, cheese and egg dish my grandmother used to make. I remember calling her for the recipe when I craved it, when I was pregnant with Jack. "A little bit of onion, handful of cheese." How much rice? "Oh, I don't know, 2 cups maybe." And I want to make beef stew. Now that Jack is in scouts, he really does try new things. He had venison this weekend in a stew they made. I had some in a bread bowl at Cracker Barrell last Friday. It was really good and beef stew is not on my list of favorite foods.
I had a friend at work do the nicest thing for me. I had filled in for her at Reading Competition and she gave me passes to the movies and a monetary gift. It was very generous of her. Money is tight after Christmas and the kids really wanted to go to the movies. I was trying to figure out my budger without using the credit card and I wasn't sure how I would do it. Now I can!! and I might just pick up my own copy of Breaking Dawn. Everyone says its the best one....
The kids are too excited. They are hoping for no school tomorrow too. I will try to enjoy it now instead of being a pessimest and dreading the long weeks in the Spring.
I heard something kind of funny and kind of true on a TV show the other day. I was hating my job and it fit my mood. "If we didn't want to quit all the time, we wouldn't be doing it right." I have to write the Special ed plan and they changed how it is to be completed...AGAIN and I was getting myself worked up and hateful.
I'll let you know how my cooking challenges come out tomorrow!
We are freezing downstairs in this house! I have some fun things I want to cook tomorrow to keep us warm. Torta with the homemade crust. (per Kate's request)It's a spinach, rice, cheese and egg dish my grandmother used to make. I remember calling her for the recipe when I craved it, when I was pregnant with Jack. "A little bit of onion, handful of cheese." How much rice? "Oh, I don't know, 2 cups maybe." And I want to make beef stew. Now that Jack is in scouts, he really does try new things. He had venison this weekend in a stew they made. I had some in a bread bowl at Cracker Barrell last Friday. It was really good and beef stew is not on my list of favorite foods.
I had a friend at work do the nicest thing for me. I had filled in for her at Reading Competition and she gave me passes to the movies and a monetary gift. It was very generous of her. Money is tight after Christmas and the kids really wanted to go to the movies. I was trying to figure out my budger without using the credit card and I wasn't sure how I would do it. Now I can!! and I might just pick up my own copy of Breaking Dawn. Everyone says its the best one....
The kids are too excited. They are hoping for no school tomorrow too. I will try to enjoy it now instead of being a pessimest and dreading the long weeks in the Spring.
I heard something kind of funny and kind of true on a TV show the other day. I was hating my job and it fit my mood. "If we didn't want to quit all the time, we wouldn't be doing it right." I have to write the Special ed plan and they changed how it is to be completed...AGAIN and I was getting myself worked up and hateful.
I'll let you know how my cooking challenges come out tomorrow!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
?????
I am not sure what to call today's post.
Good stuff...Kate had a friend over and didn't stop talking for 5 hours. She had fun shopping, chatting and hanging out with her little friend. She got a pair of shoes and pants with her gift cards from American Eagle. I was glad to see her so happy. We watched Rocky II and had a nice evening. I love the scene where all the little kids are running with him through the streets of Philly and up the steps of Independence Hall. The scene brings tears to my eyes. Kate even got choked up with me and she was all hugs and kisses at bedtime.
Tough Stuff...Jack went camping with scouts and when I left him, he seemed happy. Every time I leave him at a scout function and he seems happy, the next day when I see him, something bad happened. This time, he got stuck in a shelter with two troublemakers who were picking on him, pushing him around, etc. and he lost his temper and took his flashlight and whacked one kid over the head a couple of times. The scoutmasters came in and yelled at them both and that was the end of it.
The end of it for them, but Jack isn't used to getting in trouble and no kid likes getting picked on. I am glad he stuck up for himself. I just wish things could be different. I know all the "lessons he is learning" and that "this will make him stronger" and "he's better than them". But knowing all those things doesn't take away the pain I feel for him or the pain he experienced. I came through the door from church and he was already here, showered, unpacked and washing his dishes. I could see the look in his eyes and knew something happened. I was ready to call the other kid's mother until he told me that he whacked the kid in the head a couple of times. I have got to get him boxing lessons! A flashlight (even his head lamp) could really hurt someone.
I think the frustrating thing is that, as a parent, you feel their pain and you (I) have worked so hard to protect both kids and make a happy, safe, comfortable home for them. Then these parents with nasty, rude kids, get their kids involved in activities like scouts and it ruins the experience for the kids who are there for all the right reasons. That is why Kate isn't in Girl Scouts, there it was the parents who screamed at the girls that had us drop out. It is bad enough when you have to sit next to these idiots in class, but when you spend the weekend with someone you don't even like and then they are mean to you...well... it is very frustrating.
On a good note, we all cleaned this weekend and the house is habitable. Annie got me beautiful placemats and table cloth from Peru and they look striking on my kitchen table and nicely polished cherry end tables and coffee table.
I finished Eclipse. I forgot to go to the book store when we were at the mall. I need to read Breaking Dawn. I am not sure that I liked the ending all that much. I don't want to see her become a vampire. It is too wierd and their "love" for each other is so "intense" it doesn't seem real to me. Then to hear her say that she loves Jacob Black too. Too wierd. I am reading some short stories by Damon Runyon. He is the inspiration for Guys and Dolls. We watched the movie last weekend. Some of the songs were good. I love Frank Sinatra. He was great in it. That voice! so clear and incredible. The play itself was OK but I have seen better musicals. It will still be nice to see our students perform it in the fall. I also got my computer to download movies from Netflix. I watched a Rockford Files. I love that old 70's crime shows. As cool as NCIS is, it is fun to watch someone solve a crime with just investigation and limited forensics.
I signed up to be the coach for reading Competition in the High School. We haven't had a team in a few years and it is a shame to see it fall apart. I go to the competition anyway, so I might as well bring a team along.
I hope this week is a good one. I already had a call from a parent this evening and she wanted to bitch and I totally turned it around on her. It was great and when she started getting hysterical, I told her I had my sister on hold on the other line, long distance and had to go. "I'll call you tomorrow." I can be tough when I need to be!!!
24 tomorrow night!
Good stuff...Kate had a friend over and didn't stop talking for 5 hours. She had fun shopping, chatting and hanging out with her little friend. She got a pair of shoes and pants with her gift cards from American Eagle. I was glad to see her so happy. We watched Rocky II and had a nice evening. I love the scene where all the little kids are running with him through the streets of Philly and up the steps of Independence Hall. The scene brings tears to my eyes. Kate even got choked up with me and she was all hugs and kisses at bedtime.
Tough Stuff...Jack went camping with scouts and when I left him, he seemed happy. Every time I leave him at a scout function and he seems happy, the next day when I see him, something bad happened. This time, he got stuck in a shelter with two troublemakers who were picking on him, pushing him around, etc. and he lost his temper and took his flashlight and whacked one kid over the head a couple of times. The scoutmasters came in and yelled at them both and that was the end of it.
The end of it for them, but Jack isn't used to getting in trouble and no kid likes getting picked on. I am glad he stuck up for himself. I just wish things could be different. I know all the "lessons he is learning" and that "this will make him stronger" and "he's better than them". But knowing all those things doesn't take away the pain I feel for him or the pain he experienced. I came through the door from church and he was already here, showered, unpacked and washing his dishes. I could see the look in his eyes and knew something happened. I was ready to call the other kid's mother until he told me that he whacked the kid in the head a couple of times. I have got to get him boxing lessons! A flashlight (even his head lamp) could really hurt someone.
I think the frustrating thing is that, as a parent, you feel their pain and you (I) have worked so hard to protect both kids and make a happy, safe, comfortable home for them. Then these parents with nasty, rude kids, get their kids involved in activities like scouts and it ruins the experience for the kids who are there for all the right reasons. That is why Kate isn't in Girl Scouts, there it was the parents who screamed at the girls that had us drop out. It is bad enough when you have to sit next to these idiots in class, but when you spend the weekend with someone you don't even like and then they are mean to you...well... it is very frustrating.
On a good note, we all cleaned this weekend and the house is habitable. Annie got me beautiful placemats and table cloth from Peru and they look striking on my kitchen table and nicely polished cherry end tables and coffee table.
I finished Eclipse. I forgot to go to the book store when we were at the mall. I need to read Breaking Dawn. I am not sure that I liked the ending all that much. I don't want to see her become a vampire. It is too wierd and their "love" for each other is so "intense" it doesn't seem real to me. Then to hear her say that she loves Jacob Black too. Too wierd. I am reading some short stories by Damon Runyon. He is the inspiration for Guys and Dolls. We watched the movie last weekend. Some of the songs were good. I love Frank Sinatra. He was great in it. That voice! so clear and incredible. The play itself was OK but I have seen better musicals. It will still be nice to see our students perform it in the fall. I also got my computer to download movies from Netflix. I watched a Rockford Files. I love that old 70's crime shows. As cool as NCIS is, it is fun to watch someone solve a crime with just investigation and limited forensics.
I signed up to be the coach for reading Competition in the High School. We haven't had a team in a few years and it is a shame to see it fall apart. I go to the competition anyway, so I might as well bring a team along.
I hope this week is a good one. I already had a call from a parent this evening and she wanted to bitch and I totally turned it around on her. It was great and when she started getting hysterical, I told her I had my sister on hold on the other line, long distance and had to go. "I'll call you tomorrow." I can be tough when I need to be!!!
24 tomorrow night!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
"Bitter Cold Day"
We had no school yesterday...too cold to run the buses. Diesel can gel up in this bitter cold.
We hunkered down and watched some movies under blankets, cooked some fun food, played some board games, some Dance, Dance Revolution (Kate..not me or Jack) and after lunch time I had the neatest surprise....the UPS man came and I thought it was with Jack's winter camping gear. Instead my dear sister Annie, knowing that I had finished New Moon, ordered and had Eclipse delivered to my door! How fun. No question that no future cleaning was going to happen on North Street in Berlin. I am happy to say that I am 1/2 way through and enjoying every bit of the suspense. I have to say the love story part holds very little interest to me. I just love the suspense.
I want to thank the 3 people that read my blog for your advice and moral support. Your encouragement and kind words about my kids....well it helps greatly.
I will still panic when Jack goes next weekend, but Kate and I will keep busy. She has some gift cards at the mall to spend. And I'll be ready for Breaking Dawn by then!
We hunkered down and watched some movies under blankets, cooked some fun food, played some board games, some Dance, Dance Revolution (Kate..not me or Jack) and after lunch time I had the neatest surprise....the UPS man came and I thought it was with Jack's winter camping gear. Instead my dear sister Annie, knowing that I had finished New Moon, ordered and had Eclipse delivered to my door! How fun. No question that no future cleaning was going to happen on North Street in Berlin. I am happy to say that I am 1/2 way through and enjoying every bit of the suspense. I have to say the love story part holds very little interest to me. I just love the suspense.
I want to thank the 3 people that read my blog for your advice and moral support. Your encouragement and kind words about my kids....well it helps greatly.
I will still panic when Jack goes next weekend, but Kate and I will keep busy. She has some gift cards at the mall to spend. And I'll be ready for Breaking Dawn by then!
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