Winter Break

Well we've been on break for almost a week and a half now; wait, what break?  It's been go go go for us lately. 

Saturday and Sunday right after break weren't too bad.  We slept in, ordered pizza, watched football, played Wii.  Good, relaxing times.

Monday we had breakfast about 45 minutes away with John's grandma and her husband.  That's always a good time!  We then ran errands and acting bored, although looking back it would have been nice to come home and hang out.

Tuesday was organizing my craft room (although no crafts have been done lately) day.  I also had to babysit and we had dinner plans on the Plaza with some friends--always a good time. :)
Wednesday I went shopping with my dad and sister all day while John did ALL his Christmas shopping and then played video games with his friend.  That night I got to see all my AX friends finally for our annual Santa Clause marathon.  (Although there was more talking than watching!)

Thursday we left for Lindsborg to visit my family for Christmas Eve festivities.  Thursday also included a pit stop in Manhattan to eat dinner in Aggieville and a drive through campus to revisit the good ol' days.  Then that night was Christmas with my mom's aunts/uncles/cousins including caroling in the nursing home and on the surrey around town.

Friday/Christmas Eve brought us to Salina for our annual Christmas Eve activities.  Shopping/being obnoxious followed by a picture with Santa followed by Cozy burgers. 

Santa picture in the mall

Friday was a late night as we drove home after the festivities at my grandparents.  We arrived home without incident around 12:45 Saturday morning and were in bed by around 1:30 Christmas morning. 

Saturday/Christmas day we woke up and had our own little celebration of opening gifts and sitting by the fire.  We then headed over to John's parent's house for celebration with his family.  The addition this year of my 10 month old nephew made things a little bit more exciting this year!  We had a wonderful meal and opened some great gifts, but we were exhausted!!

At hubby's parent's house.

 Uncle John helping our nephew with one of his new toys.

 He loved the toy his auntie (read: me!) got him.



I CRASHED when we got home, even though John's parents and Grandma were supposed to come over.  Whoops! 

Sunday brought a semi-normal day.  Church followed by errands (including day-after Christmas sales!) and a quick bite to eat.  We then headed over to my parents' house for the last of our four-day Christmas festivities.  Presents followed by dinner and a movie. 

Monday was our 2 year anniversary.  REALLY hard to believe that we are now on our "third" of everything.  (Third New Years, third Valentine's Day....)  We celebrated by making biscuits and gravy for breakfast, babysitting our nephew for a little bit, returning Christmas gifts (at least he tried...).  We then headed back down to the Plaza for some more shopping and dinner at Cheesecake Factory topped off by our own pieces of cheesecake.  Delicious.  We ended the night pretty typically with a Redbox (Date Night, awesome!) while laying on the couch.

We're ready today to get back to "break".  Ran some errands this morning then spent the afternoon sitting on the couch (John playing XBox, me on the computer).  Later we'll work on a whole list of things to accomplish in the next few days, hopefully that won't overwhelm me too much!  We're wishing right about now that we were where we were 2 years ago! Jamaica!

WOW, what a post!  I guess it's pretty obvious I've got my laptop back (yahoo!) and should be blogging more often now.  (Famous last words huh?)  I'll try to post the few pictures we took yesterday for our anniversary.

No Laptop=No Blogging

My laptop was a high school graduation gift almost 6 years ago (WOW!).  I have gone through 2 batteries and now 2 power cords.  Not really sure how this has happened, but oh well.  So now, I have a laptop that has no way to turn on because the battery is dead and I have no way to charge it.  It's been lovely! (NOT!)  The good thing is that all of my final papers and tests for my masters classes were either already printed or saved elsewhere otherwise we'd be in a world of hurt.  Also, good news is my sister has the same type of laptop (only newer) and will be on her way to KC tomorrow!  So I should have at least temporary use of my computer once more!!  I'm really hoping for a new cord for Christmas (although what I would really want is just a new computer but that's out of our Christmas spending budget). 

So although I have quickly changed the background, I have not been able to do the title the way I would like.  Hubby's desktop just doesn't have the things my lovely laptop does.  So bare with me for a few more days.

In other news, winter break officially begins tomorrow at 3:35.  I only need to make it through ONE MORE DAY!  Although at 1:00 today I didn't think I would even make it through today.  The kids are SO checked out and are just as ready for break as I am.  I have spent the better part of the last 2 1/2 weeks testing 1st-5th grade and am exhausted.  So these last few days have been reward/free days which is nice, but also gets a little old.  I'm actually looking forward to teaching again in January! Ü

We're working on getting our Christmas cards sent out tonight.  (If the printer ever stops printing nonsense and prints my labels!)  Otherwise it's been a quiet week at our house with masters classes done and the semester winding down.  I'll work on getting some pictures posted soon.  Until then, stay warm!!

Random Thoughts

I don't really have any formative thoughts for this blog, just felt like it had been awhile since I posted anything.  For whatever reason I'm feeling the urge to blog but don't know what about...

School's being going well, both teaching and the classes I'm taking.  I'll be ready though when winter break rolls around!  I have 3 classes left for the semester which is awesome.  I'm not taking any weekly face-to-face classes next semester and I'm looking forward to having my Wednesday evenings back.

Well, I think I'll leave you with some pictures to wrap it up.

Dino-Austin came Trick-or-Treating to our house on

Halloween!  He's such a cutie!!

Hillbilly John and Marylin Monroe for Halloween!

Eve the dogs had festive scarfs!!  And a rare picture where they are both looking. :)

Love this picture of Jennifer getting Austin in his

Dino costume to trick-or-treat at his great-grandmas.

Our Jack-o-Lanterns and Moe's Mums.

Pretty fuzzy but still pretty darn cute. :)



We also went to a close friend's wedding this last weekend but I haven't loaded those pictures on my computer yet. 

TGIT and tomorrow's FRIDAY!!

Questions to Ponder

I enrolled in classes for next semester a couple of weeks ago.  As of now, I'm enrolled in 8 hours, 1 more than what I am in now.  It would consist of 2, semester long, on-line classes each of which are 3 hours.  Then 2, 2 Saturday, face-to-face classes on 4 separate days.  These classes are each 1 hour. 

3+3+1+1=8

The dilemma I am facing now though is not wanting to feel over-extended or overly stressed.  But, I want to get as much done at this point in my life as I can (sine I don't feel like I have a lot to do outside of work-school).  So...do I try to "rush" through my masters to move on with my life like I did my undergrad?  Or take my me so I can "enjoy" life and not worry about what's coming next?
Oh how I hate making these kinds of decisions...

The second question I am pondering at this time is not quite as deep. Ü
What to be for Halloween...
I didn't have any ideas at first, but after doing some Google searches today I've come up with a couple of options:
Lady Gaga--Fun, creative, not very easy, possibly expensive, and very risque
Marilyn Monroe--Easy, already have the dress, hair would be difficult, not so risque
??????

My third delimma is about our friend's wedding that is coming up.  It's the first weekend of November and it's been YEARS since I've gone to a fall wedding and I'm not sure what to wear...
Short-sleeved dress and cardign?
Capris and boots?
Pants?
Dress and leggings?
??????

Life is so tough!
Hey, at least conferences are over and the 3 day weekend has started!!

TGIF!

I am so excited that it is the weekend.  Not only just the weekend, but the first weekend since school has started that we don't have t entire weekend booked.  SUCH a nice feeling!  The only plans we had for the weekend was dinner tonight with some church friends and we've already done that so relaxation here we come!!

I am so excited to make a to-do list for tomorrow and feel like I will have the time to actually get it done!  Cleaning, laundry, homework, grocery shopping, lawn mowed (John). 

It also helps that K-State totally dominated KU on Thursday.  That was a FANTASTIC way to start the weekend!  I was last minute invited to watch it with some friends.  That was fun because it had been way too long since I had seen them and it was nice to catch up. 

Today was a professional day which meant no kiddos.  One benefit of the position I'm in is I didn't have to go to any meetings this morning.  We were supposed to met at 12:30 and go to 3:30.  Luckily, we were able to get out early (YAHOO!) which was really nice because it wasn't the most exciting of meetings.

John had meetings this morning at my school so he was able to see my room.  I got a TV instead of a projector so he was able to see that.  He also saw my new trick I got from a fourth grade teacher.  I have desks positioned in groups in my room.  I wanted desks because of their flexibility.  But I didn't think about one thing...since the desks are empty they are very easy to move.  And trust me, the kiddos found that out VERY quickly.  I would have to spend at least 3 minutes, 3 times a day straighting the desks and putting them where I wanted them.  It doesn't sound like much but it was extremely annoying.  So to help remedy this, I put industrial strength Velcro on the front 2 legs of the desks.  Just the rough side.  Now, the desks "stick" to the carpet!  I thought it was a genius idea and it seems to be working!  Some kiddos have figured out what's going on, but others are like, "My desk won't move!  It's stuck to the ground!"  Haha!

Otherwise, things have been trotting along like normal. I'm hoping to be able to get back into blogging on a more regular basis!

I'm Still Alive!

WOW!  It's been FFOORREEVVEERRRRR!!!

Let's just say that life has been a little crazy since school started. :)

Teaching "full time" (even though plans are practically handed over to me) has been eye-opening.  It doesn't help that I'm also starting my masters (7 hours).

And now that I have some time (not doing what I should be doing) to sit down and post something, I'm having Bloggers Block.  How about I just list some things that have been going on...

1. School has been chugging along.  It's a lot of practice in classroom management which has been good for me!  Lessons are all pre-provided but most need plenty of adjusting.  It's been nice to have such consistency in my life and to be able to see the same people everyday.

2. The curriculum is DVD based meaning I show a video for about 10-15 minutes, then teach the remaining time.  My classroom was probably one of few in the district that did not have a projector mounted to the cieling that connects to my computer and a DVD/VCR.  I had the pleasure of having a very large, black cart that had to sit in the middle of my room with the projector on it.  Let's just say that the kiddos LOVED putting their body/body parts in front of the projector.  It also was a huge inconvience to have the cart in the middle of the room to try and manuever around.  Anyway, I had been talking to my "supervisor" and principal about getting me some better technology.  Thursday morning I walked into my room to see a 47" flat screen TV in the front of my room!!  I was ESCTATIC!!!  My computer is FINALLY connected to the TV so I can use ppt and SMART notebook.  I also have an Airliner, wireless keyboard and wireless mouse.  MUCH better than the previous technology.

3. Classes have been good.  I'm taking 7 hours this semester.  2 face clases that will last all semester (Wednesday nights), 1 face class that was 2 Saturdays that I finished up this weekend (1 small paper to write and it will be done), and 1 on-line class that finishes this weekend.  I didn't realize when I enrolled that the 2 short classes coinceded so it's been kind of crazy.

4. My "first" dog was given to me for my 10th birthday.  Prince Maurie von Burki.  He was the cutest puppy I had ever seen, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.  He loved to play catch with tennis balls, was the most social dog (would never be a good guard dog), loved to chase bunnies, played soccer with the family (and once with my team during a game!), loved going for long walks, hated getting his feet wet, and was overall a fantastic dog.  He always had allergies and would lick his feet tell they were raw.  The last 5 years or so he began to develop arthritis.  It didn't help that we used to let him jump in and out of the van when we would travel.  He began to have a hard time going up and down stairs.  The last month or so he started having bladder problems and we found out he had some sort of chronic liver infection.  Two nights in a row he pottied in his kennel and was unable to do anything but lay in it.  Both mornings my parents brought him to the vet for a check-up.  The first morning, he got antibiotics and was sent home.  They obviously didn't work so the next morning when they brought him in and the vet thought it might be best to put Moe down.  It was obvious that he was in pain and there was nothing else that the vet could do for him.  Wednesday I was able to take the afternoon off and spend it with Moe.  Then at 4 they took him in and he peacefully went around 4:20 (I was in class).  It's been hard because he's been a part of the family for so long but we know that it was the "right time".  Our other dog Curlie seems to feel a little lost and needy at times, but overall doing allright.  Anyway, here are some pictures.

Time to get my CRAFT on!

Finished my craft room paint job this weekend!  It still needs stuff to be hung on the walls, but according to DIY (about the only channel I watch!) I need to wait 2 weeks to hang anything.  Plus, the frames I had in there had pictures that were at least 5 years old...John insists I update them! :) 

From the doorway.  The table is my scrapbook table.  Also need some blinds.  The ugly blue and green plaid curtains are now back up for the time being...

More inside the room.  Sewing machine desk to the right and Mollie's HUGE kennel.

Sewing desk and Mollie's kennel again.

Closet.  Taken from behind my scrapbook table.

Need to work here a bunch before school starts again!!

Door to the hall from by the window.

The poor guest room, and this is even AFTER I moved everything back into the craft room.  Unfortunately, the black boards used to be shelves that were poorly hung on the walls and probably not going back in the room.  Everything on the bed once sat on those shelves...I'm hoping my dad will build me a bookshelf instead!

Classroom Pictures

It's coming along!!  I can't even imagine what time and energy it would take to put together a K-5 classroom.  Still need more border/posters, but I'm now waiting for my district credit card so I don't have to spend my own money (cheap I know).  So here it is...

Wall of bulletin board is coming together!!

Back of the room.

Right by the front door, behavior chart for the different classes.  The school's theme this year is Hollywood, hence the Hollywood Stars.

Close ups of the different parts of the bulletin wall.  This one still needs some help...

Los Colores

Sideways, but made that myself!!  Spent a long time on it...

Also made the Vocabulario poster...

Desk and window

Back of the room above the white board.  Spanish alphabet and rando number line :)

Calendar and season chart.  I need more border for this board obviously, but again, waiting on district $$!

Jorge la Jirafa!

(George the Giraffe)

He came from Dave and Busters on my second bachelorette night. :)

I'm getting REALLY excited, espeically after spending the weekend with a few sorority sisters who are also in the process of setting up their classrooms for the first time.  One of whom is moving to Texas to set hers up!  CRAZY!!

Dogs

I'm borrowing my dad's nice SLR camera (SOOOO want one of my own!) and have been a picture taking fool!  (Explains all the pictures of my nephew!)  This morning I decided to make the dogs my subjects and thought I'd share them!

Trying to lick the camera!!

Queen of the col-de-sac!

Mollie giving her sissy kisses!

My baby's getting big!  50 lbs!

No mischief in these eyes at all!! haha