justjennifer

Wow! Pretty clouds!

2012-01-27T20:21:00.001-08:00

my son's first words as we walked out the door this morning on the way to school

With all the grief he has brought me in the past few weeks, my son can still make me smile.

It must be done

2012-01-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

I find it ironic that the week I have a root canal, the City decides to clean out its canal, too. Blogging has been the last thing on my mind, as I have barely been keeping my head above water for the past two weeks. Incredible pain in one of my molars sent me running to the dentist. Two visits later, I still can't open my mouth wide enough to eat a cupcake, but I have a temorary fix until my next appointment when they will crown the little beast. I hate teeth.

http://newsok.com/everything-from-skateboards-to-shoes-in-bricktown-canal/article/3641447

TMI

2012-01-14T06:47:00.000-08:00

During an early morning Walmart run, there was only one lane open for checkout. The young female employee greeted us and began a conversation with

"So . . . a little while ago, I was standing here, fantasizing . . ."

I wanted to yell, "WHOA! STOP RIGHT THERE! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE!" Fortunately, for A and me, she finished the story with a lame ending about how she had been so deep in thought that another employee had startled her.

BTW, young vocabulary-challenged Walmart employee, the word you were looking for was . . .
daydreaming, not fantasizing. BIG difference!

The Yellow Book

2012-01-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

Our family fundraising efforts continue! This time, the whole family helped earn band trip money. We picked up, bagged, and delivered 276 Yellow Books. It only took us about 4 hours. (Sarcasm doesn't play well in a blog.) I think the secret to delivering Yellow Books must be a truck. If only we had borrowed a truck, we could have delivered them all in one trip. Instead, we refilled the back of Super D's hatchback at least 4 times.

This week we will pick up more books and deliver the remainer of the route. We have about 350 houses and businesses left to do. Then, we have 3 more routes. I think we will earn about half of the money for A's trip with this fundraiser. It was a bit tedious, but we enjoyed being together. It was nice that the kids got to help with this one because we want to teach our children the value of working to earn money. We won't break it down for them and let them know how little they are making per hour.

Is this a kissing blog?

2012-01-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

Super D [to me]: Let's go!
C: Can I go to the store, too?
Super D: No, it's just me and your mom.
C: Why can't I go? Are you going to kiss Mom?
Super D: Yes. I'm gonna kiss her right on the mouth.
C: That's why I'm not looking forward to puberty.

A New Experience for New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T09:27:00.001-08:00

As 2012 begins, I won't pass on any great wisdoms learned from the past year. Today doesn't feel any different from yesterday. I don't have any great hopes that the next 366 days will be any better than the previous 365. 2011 was actually pretty good to us, and, as an optimist, I hope that each day is better than the previous one. As a school teacher, I tend to think of my life in semesters and summers anyway. A new year doesn't necessarily begin in January.

So, today doesn't really feel like a new beginning. It simply feels like a morning in which I am sleepy from staying up too late the night before. But what a great night it was!

In the same untraditional fashion as we spent Christmas 2011, we did something completely new and out of the ordinary. We skipped the obvious New Year's Eve parties. Super D and I worked a concessions stand at the local NBA arena. (Thunder up!) A is going to be in the high school band next year, and the band boosters let us work the gig to earn money for her high school band expenses. In addition to the usual uniform fees, the band will take a trip at a cost of about $1000 per student. In a single evening, Super D and I earned 1/5 of the cost of her trip!

And we had so much fun! We had been scheduled to work the condiment carts, restocking and keeping them clean, which could have proved to be a menial task. Instead, we were moved to a hot dog stand. I worked the register while Super D made the super-dogs for me. They have this giant footlong called the "Thunder Dog" which seemed to be a fave among the fans. Loaded with chili, cheese, and onions, it was enough food for about 3 people, although I suspect some of those men intended to eat the whole thing by themselves.

The crew we worked with had been working concessions stands for over 10 years, and they were a blast! We laughed all night long. Early in the evening, Super D and I had planned to stay downtown after the game to attend the New Year's Eve celebrations, but by the time we were finished at the hot dog stand, we opted for a late fast food dinner and a quiet celebration with the kids and my mom. We arrived at her house just before 11 p.m., and we rang in 2012 an hour early with the Big Apple and the crystal ball as we wore our hats and tiaras, blew our horns, and drank hot chocolate.

We had an exciting ride home when an overeager police officer looking for drunks pulled us over, tried to claim Super D had run a red light, and let us off with a warning. Right. You can't argue with a policeman, but all four of us know that Super D stopped and waited at that light.

Instead of celebrating a second time, 2012 slipped quietly in at our house as we all played separately on our electronics and went to bed just after midnight. (*Correction: Super D was up until after 3 a.m. watching Dog the Bounty Hunter, which my mom got him hooked on over Christmas Eve!) We were exhausted!

Happy New Year!

The Diabetes Games

2011-12-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

I took C to a new endocronologist yesterday. I like him. Unlike our previous doctor, I believe he will provide us with quality health care. Before we left the office, he gave us five contact numbers: office, home, pager, cell, and wife's cell. He told us that any time we have concerns about C's health, we should call him. Wow.

The doc also challenged us to play in The Diabetes Games. This is a system he invented to interest children in becoming involved in their own diabetes care. He claims that if I don't get C actively involved now, and give him some incentive to work at it, then getting him to manage his own disease in his teens will be a real struggle.

Part One of the Games is the Over/Under Game. C earns a point each time he tests his blood glucose (BG) level before a meal or snack. That's 5 points per day just for checking his BG. Then, if his BG is in his target range (70-150), he earns another point, for a total of up to 10 points per day. At the end of the day, Super D and I settle up with him and pay him up to $1.00, depending on how well he managed his diabetes during that day. As C ages, we can pay more, which will probably equate to gas money when he is old enough to drive.

Part Two of the Games is the 100 Game. Each time his BG hits his target (100), he gets a Bonus prize. We haven't decided yet on the prize, but it can be a game download for his iPod Touch, a new book, or a new toy. Maybe we will give him a choice between the three.

Part Three of the Games is the 7% Game. Every time we visit the endocronologist, they take a sample of C's blood and test his HbA1c. This test measures his BG control over the past 2-3 months by measuring the percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin, or HbA1c, in the blood. (I don't get it either.) The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends a level of 7% or below, while other health care professionals recommend less than 6.5%. Yesterday, C's A1c was 8.8%. Our doc has promised that when C's A1c results are less than 7%, he will give C $20! You should have seen C's eyes pop out of his head when he heard that.

We are on day 2 of The Diabetes Games. So far, C has raked in 80 cents. The doc changed some of the settings on the insulin pump, so it may take a few days for his BG to level out to normal levels, but C has been eager to test and disappointed when his BG is too high. Before yesterday, he didn't show any care about testing or good levels. The doc talked with C about diabetes management being C's job, and if he does his job, he gets paid. I think the doc is right; this may work yet! We just had to find the right motivator - money!

Tradition

2011-12-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

I am fascinated by holiday traditions. This year, I enjoyed reading about my friends' Christmas traditions as they posted on facebook. One family hops in the car on Christmas Eve in their jammies and goes out to look at Christmas lights. Another family reads by candlelight the story of Jesus' birth. Some families open one present the night before Christmas. Others get new Christmas pajamas.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has served the same Christmas breakfast. I think she learned the recipe from a high school Home Ec teacher. On Christmas Eve, she prepares a Pillsbury hot roll mix and lets the dough rise. Instead of shaping it into hot rolls, she rolls it out with butter, cinnamon, sugar, and pecans and fashions it into the shape of a Christmas tree. She bakes it that night and leaves it for Christmas morning.

After all of the presents have been unwrapped, she quietly slips into the kitchen to reheat the tree, and she "decorates" it with green icing and sprinkles. In previous years, the tree has also contained raisins and been ornamented with candied cherries, but since most of us don't like either ingredient, they have been omitted. The tree is then served on Waechtersbach Christmas pottery with orange juice, coffee, or homemade hot chocolate. Leftovers don't usually survive to lunchtime.

Considering that some years she has made more than one cinnamon roll Christmas tree, I would guess that my mom has made well over 50 of them through the years. I have made a few of my own, too. I love sharing it with my coworkers and friends. And I plan to pass on this family tradition to my children.

My mom and the 2011 tree

2009 tree (We didn't have any candy sprinkles that year.)

I got a hippopotamus for Christmas!

2011-12-25T18:32:00.000-08:00

Only a hippopotamus would do!

No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses!

I only like hippopotamuseses!

And hippopotamuses like me, too!

The stocking were hung . . .

2011-12-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

We had no trouble getting C to bed tonight. He told me that despite what everyone thinks, Santa does not visit our house at midnight. He said there was no point in waiting up for Santa because Santa comes sometime between 12 and 2. C knows this because last year, he checked the living room at midnight, and there were no presents. He went back to sleep, and when he awoke at 2 a.m., the presents had arrived. I guess he knew he couldn't stay awake that long, so he just went straight to bed at his regular bedtime.

The Grinch who almost stole Christmas

2011-12-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

My mom bought herself a Christmas gift - a new T.V. She purchased it online and expected it to be delivered a day or two before Christmas. It was delivered early. Normally, this would be an occasion for a happy dance, but on this particular day, Mom wasn't home.

Most people would not be able to see a box at her door if they're just driving by. Mom shares a short street with about 23 other families in a dozen duplex homes. Her door doesn't face the street and sits in a small alcove, so you would have to walk up in her yard to really get a good look at her entryway. But when the FedEx man pulled up to her door and delivered a large box marked "T.V.", I guess some of those families were bound to notice.

Mom doesn't know many of her neighbors, but she has spoken with a few of them. One man, who lives across the street, is, at first glance, a nuisance. I have noticed him on several occasions making lots of noise in his garage late at night. It's not the sweet sounds of the Whos down in Whoville, but we do hear loud music and, sometimes, power tools. Fortunately, I don't think Mom can hear the din from inside her house, so I haven't made a big deal of it. But Mom met the Who neighbor, has spoken to him on several occasions, and has said he is very nice. I wasn't sure I believed her. Well, not until yesterday.

You see, he was one of the neighbors who noticed the FedEx truck. And he noticed that another neighbor, a Grinch, had seen it, too. When Mom returned home yesterday, Neighbor Who came to her door and told her that he had her T.V. in his living room. He said the Grinch had walked past her house several times, looking toward her front door. Mr. Who knows that the Grinch is a thief. So, Mr. Who saved Mom's T.V. from the Grinch, who had already backed his truck into the driveway next door. Mr. Who brought Mom's new T.V. back to her.

While I'm a little mad that FedEx would deliver such an expensive package without a signature, I am overjoyed that there are people in this Grinchy world who still do good deeds. They have a heart for others. They look out for their neighbors. They care. I'm especially glad that one such Who lived across the street from my mom. Maybe we need to watch a little Dr. Seuss on her new T.V. this Christmas.

I'll never be a Martha.

2011-12-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

I've never been that mom who makes a fruit bouquet. Or the mom who makes cute little brownie bites that look like Santa hats. I'm not even the mom who makes homemade cookies. I'm the mom who makes a side trip to Walmart on the way to school to grab a bag of Chips Ahoy! cookies for the class party.

I want to be that Martha Stewart mom. I want everyone to "Ooh" and "Ahh" as I take the lid off the cupcake holder to reveal snowman cupcakes wearing earmuffs. That's why, as I was pouring myself a bowl of Rice Krispies, I decided to release my inner Martha. The picture on the back of the box was of the cutest little Tree Trimmer Treats.

I've made Rice Krispies Treats before. Surely I can make these adorable edible ornaments. How hard could it be? Snap, Crackle, and Pop and even the plain M&M guy seemed to be cheering me on. "You can do it. You can do it. You can do it."

I had no idea how hard it was going to be to find the Christmas M&M's at the SuperCenter or that I would have to make an additional stop at the 7-Eleven to find cherry Twizzler ropes. If that wasn't bad enough, I almost gave up on Step 1: Fold each licorice piece in half and push ends through centers of marshmallows. "No problem," I thought. "I've got this." After all, I took Home Ec. I can read and follow directions.

For future reference, licorice rope ends don't push through the centers of marshmallows. Not without a few marshmallow deaths. But I was determined. I made a slight design change, and, thirty minutes later, I had a small arsenal of marshmallow/licorice nooses.

Since I've made Rice Krispies Treats before, I know that once you add the cereal, you have to work fast. Otherwise, the Treats begin to set up. The key to these ornament Treats is that you must use "buttered hands". Eeww. So I shaped the Rice Krispies into little round ornaments and let them cool. The next step was to decorate with frosting and M&M's.

Obviously, this didn't turn out the way Snap, Crackle, and Pop's did. This is when I was within seconds of calling it quits. I was ready to concede that I am, indeed, not a Martha. I have no business in the kitchen. I can't even get a stupid red M&M to stick to a Rice Krispie ball.

But when I thought of my 20 adorable 2nd graders who will be celebrating Winter Break tomorrow, I knew I couldn't show up empty-handed. Forget the picture on the box. The kids don't know how cute that Treat is. They just want sugar. So, I made another design change and carried on.

My ornaments don't have hangers, but they have marshmallows and frosting, which is all the kids care about anyway.

I'll never be a Martha. I'm okay with that. Super D says I make the best carrot cake ever. I'll just hold on to that.

"God sure is smart!"

2011-12-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

Super D and I went to the health food store. Don't get me wrong, we don't usually shop there. I just have to buy special shampoo and conditioner that is fragrance-free, and the health food store happens to carry it. But since we were there, we walked up and down the aisles to see what kinds of crazy things they sell.

Super D pointed out this cereal:
Strange name for a cereal, right? We almost passed it by, but my curiosity got the best of me. Who would name a cereal after a Bible verse, and what did the verse have to do with cereal?

Here is how the side of the box reads:

Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Cereal is inspired by the Holy Scripture verse: "Take also unto thee Wheat and Barley and Beans and Lentils and Millet and Spelt and put them in one vessel and make bread of it..." We discovered when these six grains and legumes are sprouted and combined, an amazing thing happens. A complete protein is created that closely parallels the protein found in milk and eggs. In fact, the protein quality is so high, that it is 84.3% as efficient as the highest recognized source of protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. Plus, there are 18 amino acids present in this unique cereal - from all vegetable sources!

So there we were, Super D and me, standing in the middle of the health food store, grinning from ear to ear, with tears in our eyes, in awe that modern science has proved that such an ancient combination of foods would produce such a super-food. Super D said, "God sure is smart!"

And how does it taste, you ask? Super D suspected it might taste like cardboard, but it isn't too bad. I wouldn't eat it by itself, but with milk and fruit, it just might do.

The Fashion-Challenged

2011-12-13T04:40:00.001-08:00

C often dresses himself like this. He has no sense that two plaids don't work together. When he came out of his room with this ensemble on, I just said, "No." He tried again. Note the aqua shoes in the second attempt. Some battles simply aren't worth fighting.

Say what?

2011-12-09T19:55:00.001-08:00

C asked to watch TV. He said he wanted to watch "The Kinga Dyson Amir".

Need a clue?

I whistled for a cab and when it came near, the license plate said "fresh" and had a dice in the mirror. If anything I could say that this cab was rare, but I thought nah, forget it, yo homes to Bel-air!

Plural nouns

2011-12-09T03:14:00.000-08:00

C read it somewhere, but you should know that the plural of "rabbit" is "rabbi". (It's the same rule that is used for hippopotamus.)

Rudolph, the red-nosed teacher

2011-12-01T18:07:00.001-08:00

Tonight we had our faculty Christmas party, so we all wore festive Christmas attire. After last year's ugly sweater theme, I decided to go tacky and wear every Christmas item I could find. Between my small stash and my mom's closet, I put together this lovely ensemble. It included blinking antlers, a candy cane turtleneck, embroidered sweater, two necklaces, three jingling bracelets, two curly elf shoes, and a flashing red Rudolph nose. We all displayed our Christmas cheer throughout the school day and even paraded across the stage during our assembly. The looks on my kids' faces was well worth the humiliation brought on by my blinking nose!

Merry Christmas!

Presenting the Great C-ini

2011-11-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

My magician son performed magic tonight. I don't know if it was a success or an epic fail. When I arrived home from my book club meeting, he informed me that he had done something really bad and was afraid I would be mad at him. He said he tried to do a magic trick with a penny, but he accidentally swallowed it. Oops. I still can't figure out how a 9YO boy can accidentally swallow a penny. The nurse said that since he was able to swallow, the penny probably was already in his stomach and would pass through his intestines in the next few days. Super D suggested that C inspect his poops to see if it has a "cent". I told C that it was a fantastic trick because he made the penny disappear!

FREE Holiday Fun

2011-11-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight I surprised the family and took them into the city for a ride on a riverboat. They are giving FREE water taxi rides every evening through Christmas. We have always wanted to take this tour, and tonight, the price was just right. It was cold, but we had a great time. As a special surprise to all of us, they served cookies and hot chocolate at the end of the tour!

The walk along the river is beautifully decorated.

Super D and me

A and C

Best. Carrot cake. EVER!

2011-11-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

No points for presentation, but a 10 for flavor!

Every year, I make Super D's favorite cake for his birthday. I only make it once a year so it is hard to perfect it. Almost every year the cake sticks to the pan, and I have to scrape the cake out in pieces. The first layer was so bad this year that Super D joked about just scooping it into a large bowl and covering it with frosting. Fortunately, the second layer made it out almost intact, so I pieced together the bottom layer and held it together with frosting. Although it looked hideous on the plate, it was indeed the best carrot cake I have ever made. Light! Moist! Creamy! De-licious!

Birthday suggestions

2011-11-12T20:29:00.001-08:00

When I gave no hints as to what I want for my 40th birthday (Wow, it seems so old when I type it!) Super D began making suggestions.

"Clothing? Accessories? Something monogrammed? A purse? Underwear?"

And A jumped in with, "Monogrammed underwear?"

Dr. Mom

2011-11-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

I may be a worrier, but I'm not when it comes to my children being sick. I assess the symptoms and deal with illness efficiently. Well, that's what I think anyway. I'm sure that I must have let it go to my head when our pediatrician told me I should study nursing because I knew so much already. (Big head alert!)

Super D is my nemesis in situations of childhood illness. Either of our children gets the slightest sniffle, and he wants to rush them to the doctor. He thinks I don't worry enough.

So today, I channeled my inner Super D and took our son to the doctor. He had gone to the school office, complaining of being able to taste blood in the back of his throat, and he said his chin itched. He had no other symptoms, but the look on his face told me all I needed to know. Because of multiple cases of strep throat at our school, I called the doctor and scheduled an appointment. I mean, tasting blood in the back of his throat didn't sound so normal to me.

The 5-minute test was negative, but the doc said his throat was really red with lots of pus. (Pus. Eww.) She said she didn't believe the test. Apparently, they get lots of false negatives - in 20% of the test results, she said. We could wait around two days to send it off to a lab for further testing, but with the pus and all (Eww.) she called it strep and prescribed an antibiotic.

So, in a way, Super D saved the day in this case.

A Super Date with Super D

2011-11-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Super D and I bought our family two season tickets to the Broadway season at our local theater. I went to the first show, Peter Pan, with A. Tonight it was my turn to go to the theater with my honey. It was his suggestion that we dress for the theater, so he looked pretty spiffy in his suit. The show was Memphis. We knew absolutely nothing about the musical, but we were excited nonetheless.

Super D was shocked by how bad our seats are, but when you buy the cheapest tickets, you get the seats in the very back. And I mean VERY back. There are only two rows behind us. I don't mind - I am so excited that we have season tickets, I don't even care. It's not any worse than the seats we had when we went to the circus. (The pooper-scooper barrels were on the floor below our seats!)

It was me. I let the dogs out.

2011-11-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite internet photo. Love it! It makes me giggle!

Epic Fail

2011-11-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

Ever since a friend introduced me to the concept of laundry nirvana, I have been obsessed with it. If only every bit of fabric in my house was clean at the same time! I finally had a long weekend, due to a day off from school because of parent teacher conferences, and I determined to attempt it. I figure I completed approximately 22 loads of laundry throughout the weekend. I washed, dried, and folded inbetween spending time with my family, watching movies, doing schoolwork, and watching TV. We even ventured out of the house several times; all the while my laundry was spinning back at home.

At 11:00 p.m. Sunday evening, my excitement began to grow as I took the last load from the washer and placed it in the dryer. Had I finally done it? Everything was finally clean! But, no, I had forgotten to throw 3 tea towels in with the final load.

One trend I'll never do

2011-11-05T09:36:00.001-07:00

I'm not a fan of the hair bump. I couldn't tell you why - until today.

I bumped my hair as a joke for Super D. He thinks the hair bump is silly, too.

Once bumped, my hair reminded me of something, but I couldn't figure out what.

David figured it out:

I think I may have my Halloween costume for next year!

You know you're getting old when . . .

2011-11-02T18:52:00.001-07:00

. . . you crank up the car radio to sing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" at the top of your lungs, comment that the song is from Top Gun, and your teenage daughter says, "What's Top Gun?"

Mr. President

2011-10-29T05:55:00.001-07:00

C gave his JFK book report Friday. Our school district doesn't allow kids to dress for Halloween, but C's class does a Biography report that is due at the end of October, and the kids can dress up as their subject.

When C chose his subject, I asked why he picked JFK. (Frankly, I thought it made for a pretty boring costume in comparison.) He told me that other kids were choosing people like George Washington and Albert Einstein. "Mom, I just didn't want fuzzy hair!"

Batman vs. the Bee

2011-10-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

I've seen a few commercials on TV recently that cause me to furrow my eyebrows and ask, "Who is running their marketing department anyway?" Granted, I am more than a little on the conservative side; some might even use the adjective "prudish". But their ads are having an adverse reaction on me. Maybe they don't want parents to buy their products. Maybe I'm not the target audience.

But I'm proud of my son for recognizing a company's lack of morals. A little boy dressed like Batman for Halloween approaches a house where he finds a bowl of candy with a sign which reads "Please just take one." He puts a piece of candy in his bag and contemplates taking another one. Just as he decides to do the right thing and only take one, an adorable little girl in a bee costume arrives. With her pigtails bouncing, she grabs a fistful of candy and shoves it in her pumpkin container. Batman points out that the sign says to only take one, and she replies, "I can't read." And the little thief walks away as she rolls her eyes.

And C's comment? "That's wrong." Without any prompting from us, he knew that wasn't the right thing to do. I do worry that as our society makes light of lying, stealing, and cheating, most children won't see a clear line between right and wrong. Like the little Bee, they will think the children with morals are the dupes.

Crazy Hair Day

2011-10-25T05:30:00.001-07:00

It's Red Ribbon Week!

Aerated milk chocolate? Really?

2011-10-22T07:28:00.001-07:00

Why do I need air in my chocolate? Is this a new diet trend? Are you really going to try to sell me less chocolate for the same price? Does anyone really fall for this? I wasn't born yesterday. If I eat chocolate filled with anything, it won't be air; it'll be caramel. Yum!

Who is Riffin?

2011-10-21T16:01:00.001-07:00

Another family favorite sign:

(I think they forgot about the Gs.)

Love my new iPhone!

2011-10-20T10:06:00.001-07:00

We upgraded all of our phones. A and I got the iPhone 4, and SuperD got the 3G. His was FREE! I love free! So This is my first blog from my phone. Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3 . . .

Internal Clock

2011-10-20T04:06:00.000-07:00

Having an internal clock comes in handy most of the time. I rarely oversleep. I don't have to worry about being late to work. I typically awaken at the same time every day unless I I stayed up really late, like when A and I go to a Harry Potter premier.

On days like today, I'd like to throw my internal clock across the room and smash it against the wall. It's the first day of Fall Break, and I'm up at 6 o'clock. Most teachers are sleeping in. I guess instead of sleeping late, I get to take a nap today.

Meet Lady

2011-10-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

Her full name is Milady Clarick de Winter. She is named after a character in Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers. She received her name when we brought her home and she tried to commit suicide by leaping from the PetCo box to the kitchen floor. Fortunately, she was simply stunned. (Technically, Milady de Winter didn't commit suicide in the book, but no one in my family knows any story other than the movie version.)

Lady is a Roborovski hamster, or robo-hamster to us. They are the smallest of the hamster varieties and apparently extremely skittish and fast. Unlike Peanut, she doesn't like to be touched, but she is more active than Peanut and more fun to watch. If I ever do get to hold her, she is supposed to be hypoallergenic. She seems to be getting used to me, since she lets me touch her a little. Her favorite activity is running on her wheel, as the wheel squeaks all night long.

Cake Wreck

2011-10-18T03:32:00.000-07:00

This could be the ugliest cake ever. But C is mighty proud of it. He won it at a Cake Walk at our school's Family Fun Night. It was a little naked when we got it home, and he wanted me to write "Family Get-Together" on it for when my mom came over for dinner. All I had was a pastel green frosting. I blobbed the green all over it to cover up the holes in the original icing from where the lid messed it up. It just got worse and worse. But would you look at the smile on sweet son's face?

Heelys Horror

2011-10-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is what is left of C's elbow after the Heelys crash. This picture actually makes it look good. It looks more like he had an accident with a cheese grater. I guess he will have to wear elbow and knee pads anytime he wears his beloved shoes. I was so excited about the great deal I got on them, and now I despise them. He never stops skating. I have had to ban them both at school and at church. He got in trouble at the zoo for skating on the sidewalk. He rolls up and down the aisles of the grocery store. His favorite place to wear them is at the mall. I just know we're going to get kicked out one of these days!

What if...?

2011-10-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

My son is forever asking "What if..." questions. It drives me crazy. His latest obsession has sparked a ton of "What if..." questions: McDonald's Monopoly. One of the game pieces he pulled from his Hash Brown was Indiana Avenue. He was SO excited! He thought he had won $50,000! I nearly broke his heart when I explained that he had to collect all three red game pieces in order to win the prize. Of course, he was convinced he could find all three. His excitement grew when he found Illinois Avenue. He still doesn't realize that his chances of finding one of the eight Kentucky Avenue pieces is pretty slim. His eye is on the prize.

So...
"Mom, what if you won the $50,000. Would you buy me the LEGO Death Star?"
"Yes, C, if I won the $50,000, I would buy you the LEGO Death Star?"

And later...
"Mom, what if you won $50,000? What would you buy?"
"Well, C, I would buy you the LEGO Death Star. I would take us all to Disney World. And I would make a down payment on a house. Oh, and maybe buy me an iPad."

Even later...
C recounted to Super D that if I won the $50,000, I would buy the LEGO Death Star and a down syndrome on a house. (I think everything after the words LEGO Death Star just sounded like, "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.")

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-10-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

No, it's not Christmas. My favorite time of year begins with a trip to the grocery store. I know it's coming when I see displays of Brauch's Candy Corn. No, it's not Halloween. I begin to make frequent trips to the produce section. And yesterday, it arrived!

It's Honeycrisp Apple time!

My family waits all year for these sweet apples. If you haven't tried one, you must. I suggest a little peanut butter with every bite, but the apples are definitely yummy enough to stand alone. Honeycrisps have ruined us for any other variety. If it weren't for the Christmas season, we might all go into depression when we have to settle for Red Delicious.

A Hamster Obituary

2011-10-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

Peanut

August 2010 - October 2011

Peanut died peacefully in his sleep early Thursday morning, October 6, 2011. Peanut was a gentle hamster, known as "Tink-Tink" to his family because he liked to prank them in the middle of the night by incessantly ringing his bell. As was common to nocturnal animals, he slept most days and played hard while everyone was trying to sleep. He enjoyed travelling in his ball, rearranging his bedding, and climbing in and out of toilet paper roll tubes. He is survived by his family: Super D, justjennifer, A, and C.

We awoke Thursday morning to find that Peanut had died sometime during the night. He could have been sleeping, had we been able to see the rise and fall of his back; he looked so peaceful. A was very sad. I'm glad she held him Wednesday night. I woke Super D because I figured him to be the only one who would touch Peanut. I woke C, expecting him to be sad, but I didn't expect him to cry so hard. So, we stood in the rain as Super D dug a small hole in the backyard and gently placed in the hole the glasses case which acted as the hamster's coffin. A and Super D said a short prayer. C said he was too sad to go to school.

Call me callous, but I found no sadness in our hamster's death. I knew from the moment A purchased him that his days were numbered. I played with him. I babysat him while A cleaned out his cage. I watched him play. I even took him to school with me so that my class could enjoy him. I enjoyed having him in the house. But I never thought of a hamster as part of our family.

What did break my heart was the look on my son's face when he learned of Peanut's death. I broke down and cried, too. It hurt when C asked to pet him one last time. And I tear up every time his voice shakes as he says how much he misses Peanut. I wish I could spare him from that pain.

Social Studies according to a second grader

2011-10-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

According to one of my students, the Judicinal Branch of the government is made up of the Superb Court.

The Crush

2011-10-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

This is C's fourth crush. The first was in kindergarten, and she was, perhaps, the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen. She was in C's class and had gorgeous near-black hair that was never out of place. The second was a cute little girl with freckles and a mousy-brown bob cut. She seemed to be a bit of a tomboy, and her mom looked like a biker babe. She was in another class so C admired her from afar. The third was a tall brunette whom Craig claimed was "the most beautiful girl in the second grade." I had thought that another little blond girl was prettier, but C proclaimed that he didn't like "blondies." Apparently, they're not his type.

So he was a little hesitant to reveal his latest (third grade) crush. He and his grandmother have a bet going about the color of his future bride's hair. He swears he won't marry a "blondie." But when he admitted her name, I convinced him that she has beautiful strawberry-blond hair. He's okay with liking a little red-haired girl.

Well, the other day he was talking about how much he likes her, and he said he "like-likes" her. I asked him what that means, and he said he think he actually loves her. He came home telling me that he "said his first sentences to her." Huh? Oh, he talked to her for the first time! I guess Shoulder Buddies are a good conversation starter.

Last year it was Silly Bandz. This year it's Shoulder Buddies. These cute little relatives of Troll dolls are all the rage at our school. They sit atop your shoulder via a strong magnet placed under your shirt. C pestered me until I bought him one named "Baker." I had planned on getting one for him anyway. But I also came home with one named "Cents" for me!

Sounds like me

2011-10-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Overheard at school:

Daughter: Mommy, will you tie my shoe?
Mom: Sure, honey. Put your foot up here. Mommy's too old to bend over.

Lost lyrics

2011-10-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

At the theater last night, I spied this movie poster. I turned to my daughter.

Me: Cut loose.

A: Footloose.

Me: Kick off your Sunday shoes.

A: [inaudible] No weed.

That's right, sweet daughter. This may be your time, but no weed.

Never give up!

2011-10-01T15:53:00.001-07:00

I found my flash drive. I washed my flash drive. I dried my flash drive. Twice. And it still works! I'm elated! All of my SMARTBoard lessons open. I checked every page. And I immediately saved every one of them. Twice.

Never again will I place a flash drive in my pocket. (I don't even remember doing it.) I will keep it in the zippered pocket of my purse or my briefcase, but nowhere else. "Backup! Backup! Backup!" is my new motto.

Feel like giving up

2011-09-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

I've lost my flash drive. And I'm sick about it. It carts documents from home to school and back again. And before you ask - yes, there were some things on it that I did not have backed up on my laptop. I know, it was stupid of me. The plan was to create the documents at home on my laptop, take them to school on the flashdrive, and save them to my school computer. My files at school are automatically backed up by the school network, so I didn't see the point of backing the documents up at home, too. That would just take up memory, right?

Despite me normally calculating all of the things that could possibly go wrong in any given situation, I didn't foresee losing the flash drive. Seven very important SMARTBoard lessons were loaded on that drive. Seven documents which represented at least seven hours of work. Seven documents which I will now have to spend at least seven more hours of my time in order to recreate. You can bet I will personally back them up next time.

I knew there was a reason to hate carnies.

2011-09-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

They prey on 9-year-olds. One of them made my son cry. And tried to blame it on Super D.

As we walked past a carnival game, the carny "dropped" a baseball, which rolled toward my son. Being the good boy that he is, C reached down, picked it up, and took it back to the guy. Of course, the con man immediately started in on his line, offering C a free throw. Super D simply said, "No." My husband wasn't born yesterday. He knows a set-up when he sees one. C begins to cry, and the carny had the gall to say, "Good job, Dad!" He doesn't know how lucky he is that one of those baseballs didn't make contact with his forehead.

What did you expect?

2011-09-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

C had been looking forward to Book Club for weeks. It meets before school on Wednesdays, but he missed the first two meetings. He was really excited when we left for school yesterday. I forgot to ask him about it until this morning.

ME: Tell me about Book Club. How was it?
C: Boring.
ME: Really? Why?
C: All we did was talk about books and what happens it books.

Fare Thee Well

2011-09-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

Maybe we just watch too much T.V. Our family can't just say "good-bye" like a normal family. We aren't even like a normal family in another country, saying "adios," "auf wiedersehen," "au revoir," or "ciao." No, we emulate the dysfunctional Barone family from "Everybody Loves Raymond" and say, "Habanadah!"

RAY BARONE: That's the restaurant where the crazy old Chinese lady yells at you while you're leaving, right?

DEBRA BARONE: You know what she's yelling, right?

RAY BARONE: Yeah, "habanadah!"

DEBRA BARONE: She's saying, "Have a nice day."

RAY BARONE: Oh. [pause] Well, maybe she isn't crazy.

Bilingual

2011-09-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

One of Super D's favorite stories if from when A was little. She was learning to talk but hadn't mastered it yet. Many a day, we couldn't understand a word she said. One day she looked up at him and said, "Sah'-buh-doh duh-poo'-tee-tay." "Huh?" Super D was confused. "Sah'-buh-doh duh-poo'-tee-tay," she repeated. It was obvious that she knew what she wanted, even if we didn't. To this day, we don't know what she said, but "Sah'-buh-doh duh-poo'-tee-tay" has remained a catch phrase in our household.

Fear Factor Failure

2011-09-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Super D bought a cut of meat that we have never had before. I think if he had prepped it and served it without me knowing what it was, I might have been able to eat it. After all, I eat hot dogs, right? But, as it was, I couldn't hold back a gag as I chewed a bite of cow's tongue. I couldn't get the image of the tongue on the cutting board out of my mind. I quickly swallowed it and declined any more. All four of us decided we just couldn't eat it. I guess I wouldn't fair well on a reality show where the contestants have to eat or drink something vile.

Poor baby!

2011-09-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

A, the texting queen, complained tonight about doing her math homework, saying that she her fingers were tired from having to press too many buttons on her calculator!

I won't grow up!

2011-09-14T04:22:00.000-07:00

And Tuesday night, I felt just like a kid again! For my 18th anniversary, my husband bought our family 2 season tickets to the Broadway season at our local theater. The four of us plan to take turns using the tickets since none of us are jazzed about all five musicals, and last night was opening night of the first one - "Peter Pan". I have wanted to see "Peter Pan" forever! About 12 years ago, I barely missed seeing it when it travelled through Tulsa. We had absolutely no money for the theater. This was especially disappointing because a high school friend had the role of "Slightly Soiled", and I missed his performance. In an effort to assuage my sadness, we eventually purchased the VHS that A&E had produced. My family watched that video so much that we nearly wore it out! My daughter was particularly fond of the musical. She used to watch and rewind during the song "Ugg-a-Wugg", trying to learn the choreography.

So, A and I went to the theater. We left in plenty of time to find parking and get in our seats. Unfortunately, we were halfway there when I discovered I had left the tickets at home! By the time I turned around, drove home, and drove back, we were about 10 minutes late. We missed the Overture and part of the first scene. We made it just as Mr. Darling was putting Nana out in the yard. I would have again been the "Worst Mom Ever" had we missed Cathy Rigby's entrance!

Speaking of Cathy Rigby . . . from our seats in the nosebleed section, we couldn't tell that she is nearly 60 years old! She was bouncing, tumbling, and flying all over the stage as she has done off and on for 21 years!

From the moment the music began, I was grinning like an idiot. And when Peter Pan flew onto the stage, I was literally on the edge of my seat! There's something about the theater that makes me feel like a child again, giddy with excitement. There's something almost magical about it. I was on a high all day yesterday, with "I'll Never Grow Up" running through my head nonstop!

It's David's turn next. He's taking me to see "Memphis". I have never heard of it, but I'm sure we will have a fabulous time!

I don't need the headache

2011-09-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

I came home from church with a horrific headache. I had been feeling fine before I arrived. It occurs to me now that my headache began in the bathroom, and it plagued me throughout the evening. I am now aware that there was a smell in the bathroom that I carried out with me when I washed my hands. The soap I used was a Milk and Honey scent which had permeated the room. It's a pleasant smell, that is, until it forms a dense cloud around your head that follows you wherever you go, leaving no fresh air anywhere. I could have done without a headache tonight.

A Family Favorite

2011-08-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

A fellow teacher introduced my family to this YouTube video. It has zoomed to the top of our faves list. Now, we quote it all the time. Thanks, Helen!

'>http://www.youtube.com/v/FtX8nswnUKU?version=3"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true">

Missing kitten

2011-08-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

Super D fixes computers. He comes home with all kinds of stories about people and their computers. My favorite is the woman who came into the store and told him that she needed him to diagnose her computer. Her home page was set to Yahoo, and the cute kitten picture that was on there had disappeared.

Growing up

2011-08-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, C told me that he cried at recess. Knowing that he is very sensitive, I hoped he hadn't cried because someone had hurt his feelings. I asked what had happened. He and another boy had collided on the soccer field, and their foreheads had bumped pretty hard. He ended up with a headache. I told him I was relieved that he was okay and that he hadn't cried because of something someone has said to him. C looked at me with a look of exaperation and said, "Mo-om, I'm in third grade now."

A New Musical Journey

2011-08-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

A and her new guitar

She signed up for guitar class at school, but they don't let her take the instrument home to practice. Super D has wanted a guitar for a long time, so he bought one for the family. C wants Super D to buy another guitar for him, a drum set for Super D, and I (with more musical training than anyone) get to play the triangle!

Dog Days of Summer 2011

2011-08-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

C, with his new school haircut

A, as she enters her final year of middle school

(Look out, Super D! The high school boys are beginning to flirt with her!)

Super D Fails Chemistry

2011-08-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

In honor of our 18 years of marriage, Super D decided to blow up the kitchen. It all began with a trip to the grocery store and the purchase of some dry ice. (You can see where this is going, can't you?) Super D and C had a grand time making drinks that fogged out the top. Strawberry and grape seemed to be the favorites.

It all went wrong when Super D missed the website which warned not to put dry ice into a closed container such as a soda bottle. The next thing I know, I was frightened off of the living room couch by a loud BANG, closely followed by a CRASH! I expected to find half of the kitchen gone. What I found was the light fixture broken on the floor, liquid dripping from the ceiling, and my son on the far side of the kitchen, plastered up against the door, crying.

Thus, for the next 30 minutes of our anniversary, Super D cleaned the kitchen and receives an A+ in Home Economics!

Speechless

2011-08-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

This is how we found C at bedtime.

I have no words.

Write your own caption.

Pet Humor

2011-08-10T20:07:00.001-07:00

I have an allergy to pet dander, so we don't have a dog.

This is A's hamster, Peanut.

Every time I hold Peanut, I have to wash my hands so that my eyes don't swell.

I think it's funny when Peanut licks his fur when A puts him down.

Maybe he's allergic to her.

More weird weather

2011-08-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

As if it wasn't bad enough that our state had the hottest July of any state, EVER:

I was up late late last night, playing LEGO Harry Potter, and I was so into the game, that I didn't even notice that the electricity had gone out. Once the light from my iPod Touch was out, I could see that my ceiling fan was slowing, and there was not a single light on in the room. It was a little weird to not hear the air conditioner humming. It has been my constant companion since June.

A smile crossed my face as I heard rain gently hitting the windows. Boy, do we need rain! So, I went back to my game. It didn't last long. I began to hear what I thought was hail. When I looked outside, I realized that it wasn't hail - the wind was blowing the rain so hard that it was pelting the windows. As I stood in the doorway, watching the tree in my front yard being whipped around by the wind, I heard a loud snap. I have never seen anything like that! I starting shaking uncontrollably. The storm woke A, and she was so frightened, that she didn't want to stand and watch it.

And to think, we didn't get the worst of it on our side of town. I can't imagine what hurricane force winds must be like. We were blessed to only have some fallen limbs. My hammock was blown over, but my patio furniture was still standing. Others in our city had trees uprooted and have lost their roofs. One church even lost their steeple.

the tree in our front yard

my neighbors to the west

neighbors down the street

limbs from our neighbors tree in our yard

Our Family Pasttime

2011-08-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

One of our family's favorite things to do is spot retail signs which have been made humorous when one or more of their lights burn out. These are our all-time faves. We have laughed about them so much that we actually refer to these stores and restaurants by their new names. Can you guess their origin?

the der

Hobb Lobb

1-hour phoo

um's

SMO

Honorable mention goes to : elf Storage (which was eventually disqualified because the missing letter was simply hiding behind a tree)

There is, indeed, no place like home

2011-08-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

Someone started a "Remember [my hometown] When..." group on facebook this week. I was invited to join and spent nearly an hour and a half in NostalgiaLand. I currently live in the town where I grew up. My family moved here when I was almost 2, so I spent nearly my entire childhood in this town. That's what it was back then - a town. A small suburb to the north of a big city. Of course, today, it is a city of its own, big enough for 3 high schools which are again close to bursting at the seams.

I attended university almost an hour away but came home on weekends when I could. And I lived with my parents during the summers. When I graduated, I married Super D and moved 2 hours from home. And that's what my hometown has always been to me - HOME.

My parents continued to live here, and Super D and I came home to visit several times each year. We lived in the next closest big city. I found out that while I enjoy living in the city, I don't enjoy living in a BIG city. So when life offered me the chance to move back home, I was ecstatic. Super D had mentioned many times in the past that he would love to live here and raise our kids here. I found it was very easy to move from the place which had always only felt like a second home. I think he would say that this truly feels like home to him, too. It always was.

I love my suburb. I like that I can drive anywhere I want to and be there in 15 minutes. I like seeing remnants of my childhood hangouts. I enjoy telling my children about the box store that used to be a Godfather's Pizza or the cable building which used to be a skating rink. It is pure joy for me to make new memories with my family at some of the same places which hold my old memories, like the bowling alley or the library. We still attend the same summer festivals which have been city staples since I was my children's ages.

Some things have changed very little, but most of what I remember has been altered or is simply gone. But the memories are there. And apparently, other people remember them, too. That's comforting.

Harry Potter mania continues

2011-08-02T04:51:00.000-07:00

Like a good mom, I awoke at 4 a.m. and helped my daughter find the magical quill to gain early entry to Pottermore.com. I guess J.K. Rowling doesn't have enough money yet, so she will soon release a new website to further the Potterhead experience. To fuel the mania, she is allowing a lucky million fans early access to the site, if they can answer one of 7 daily questions in order to find the hidden magical quill somewhere on the web.

A was forlorn that she missed the first day. Yesterday, she arose early, but registration had already closed by 6 a.m. So, she set her alarm for 4 a.m. today. At 5 a.m., the question was posted. It was a race through "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" as we sought to find out how many points ahead Gryffindor was over Slytherin when Harry caught the Snitch in the Quidditch Finals. (Am I a geek, or what?) Next, we had to multiply that number by 35 to find the right answer. Then, we had to type in the proper web address with our answer at the end of the address line. Once we had found the magical quill, we had to levitate it, which took several tries. We were redirected to a registration page to complete, given a login name, and told to wait for a verification email.

A is still waiting for her email. I went through the whole process again and received my verification email about an hour later. Fortunately, I verified my email quickly enough and received my reward:

It will be the world's biggest bummer if I get to play early and she doesn't. Well, maybe I'll let her watch over my shoulder. ;)

A mother's work is never done

2011-08-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

Why do I bother sweeping the kitchen floor? As soon as I sweep, my family messes it up again. Just now, I swept up 4 dead leaves, 3 (diabetes) test strips, 2 Walmart receipts, pringles crumbs, elbow macaroni, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Gardening - not so fun any more

2011-07-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Gardening isn't nearly so fun when all my plants are dying. With over 50 consecutive days in which the high has been over 90 degrees, my beautiful garden is looking pretty pathetic. Maybe that's because about 30 of those days have seen triple-digit highs.

I stepped outside to do some maintenance in the heat this morning. I snipped dead roses, pulled weeds, and extracted grass which had crept its way behind the stone barrier. As I moved a stone to get a better grasp on some of the stray grass, I spied a spider web and a giant egg sack. I tried not to be creeped out by it, but the moment I saw the mama spider move, a shiver ran down my spine. I ran inside and yelled out to Super D, "What kind of black spider has red spots on its back?"

Yes, I don't know one arachnid from another. How many species of spiders can you name? I don't even know if I could correctly identify a daddy long legs spider, considering that there are three different types of spiders which are generally given that name.

But after confirmation from Super D and Google images, I am convinced that I have a black widow spawning babies in my garden. Super D, for whom spiders are his kryptonite, tried to kill it with a garden spade, but I think he only succeeded in pushing it into the dirt.

Do you really think I am ever going to do anything in that part of my garden, EVER, again? I think not!

I could have gone forever without knowing that!

2011-07-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

"I woke up and saw a figure in our hotel bedroom, and I thought I was dreaming.

And I realized immediately that someone had been in the room.

And, uh, I put on my underwear and ran down the hall to see if I could find her..."

- Alex Trebek, who chased the alleged thief and ruptured his Achilles tendon

The Mystery in the Freezer

2011-07-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Super D opened the freezer this morning to discover this:

Okay, Nancy Drew, any guesses as to what it is and why it is in our freezer?

We figured C had put it there. Does this help you figure it out, Mr. Monk?

(HINT: The correct answer is not a balloon filled with frozen water.)

Maybe this will help. No? Rokay, Raggy! (Are you distracted by my son's fashion sense?)

The correct answer is - a sausage! Here's what happened: once C told us what it was, I kind of remember him telling me that he was going to make his own sausage. I am pretty sure I was busy at the time and gave him a half-hearted, "Okay. Whatever." As you can see, he is extremely proud of his creation. I don't think he realized quite how cold it would be. He couldn't hold it in his hands for very long. He took it outside, and it only took about 10 minutes to melt on the sidewalk. Did guess correctly? We didn't!

Thanks to the firefighters!

2011-07-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, several of my friends were evacuated from their homes because a fire was dangerously close to their neighborhood. I had trouble determining exactly where the fire was burning, but I knew that it was within the same square mile as my son's school where I also work. I now know that I have to say a big thanks to the 50 firefighters from 3 departments who deployed 12 brushpumpers and 5 tankers to keep the fire from spreading any further. And a special thanks goes to the National Guard who sent a helicopter to drop water on the fire. If not for them, I might not have a classroom this year.

I took this picture from the edge of our school parking lot. Families dropping students off for school often see turkeys and deer in these woods. I was shocked that the fire burned this closely to the school.

The path of the fire is harder to see in this picture, but the shadow in the center background is not really a shadow. The grass has burned very close to our school playground. You can see the playground equipment in the distance. Between the woods and the playground is our blacktop and soccer field.

So, in thanks, we helped take baked goods from the residents of the neighborhood and families from the school to the local firefighters.

The kids were treated to a tour. Now we have actually seen a brushpumper and a tanker.

My childhood is over

2011-07-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

July 14th almost went all wrong. For the past 4 Harry Potter movies, A and I have attended the midnight premier. For anyone who has waited several days to go see the films, you have no idea what you missed. Seeing a Harry Potter movie in a theater full of Potterheads was the ultimate way to experience it. This time, we purchased tickets to a double feature. Harkins Theatre showed The Deathly Hallows Part 1 at 9:00 p.m. I purchased the tickets online for the CineCapri Theater, which is the largest screen in our state and has the best sound system. A wouldn't have it any other way.

You should have seen the look on her face when we discovered that the tickets I had purchased were for the screen across the hallway. You would have thought I had killed her hamster. I am now forever endebted to a kindhearted and diligent movie manager who was on the lookout for returned tickets so that we could swap ours out. We jumped lines and still had a good place in line.

This is how her face looked after we were in the right line.

We arrived 4 1/2 hours before the first movie was to begin. Waiting in line in the hall is part of the fun. In our years of midnight premiers, we have met a wide variety of Potterheads. Many are in full costume. I think the best one this year was Luna Lovegood. This tall, skinny girl had a long blond wig pulled to the side in a ponytail at her neck and a cap on her head. The key to passing the time is a backpack full of fun. A and I prefer to play Phase 10 and Mancala.

They let us in to take our seats at about 7:00. Our seats were to the side this year because I discovered, a little too late, that 250 people were already seated in the theater because they had been part of an all-week marathon of all 8 movies. The lanyards they wore gave them advanced seating. But our place in line meant that we were still in the top section of the theater, and we didn't have to sit in the first few rows.

I have never enjoyed movies like I enjoyed the midnight Harry Potter films. Potterheads are generally respectful (except for the dodo who yelled "Deatheaters rule!" during the opening of the movie). They don't whisper or talk. They turn their phones off and don't text during the movie. They don't move around a lot. They hardly even cough. In fact, during the quieter scenes of the movie, I was completely into the movie, unaware that there were 600 people around me. They take it very seriously. But it's fun because they laugh, cheer (a lot), and cry more than any other movie audience. They have a lot invested in these stories.

These 5 evenings are among my all-time favorite memories. They are made even more special because I share those memories with my daughter. The girl on the other side of me expressed her sadness by saying that with this movie, her childhood was over. I feel a little like that for A. She is a teenager now. She has literally known Harry Potter all of her life. He was a huge part of her childhood. I wonder what the next phase of her life will have in store.

For now, I am the cool mom who stayed up until 3:30 a.m. and went to work with only 3 hours of sleep so that she could go see the midnight movie. Sure, we'll go with that. I did it all for her. ;)

My very own Hufflepuff. Or is she a Gryffindor? She can't seem to decide.

Why mess with a good thing? (HP SPOILER ALERT!!)

2011-07-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not normally one of those people who is upset when their favorite book is butchered in order to make a movie. I am realistic. I know that a director cannot put every character, every scene, and every line of dialogue into a movie. There simply isn't enough time. (Although, Peter Jackson gave it a good go with Lord of the Rings.) Frequently, I am mildly disappointed that one of my favorite parts in the book didn't make the cut, but I don't let that ruin my enjoyment of the movie. The fact is: I love movies, and I love books. I usually try not to compare them.

That being said, I was a little disappointed with the final Harry Potter film. The final duel between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort has been changed. I am okay with the change in the location of the duel. I also don't mind that the duel occurs not in front others but between just the two of them. What I like about Rowling's scene is that it is not a long, drawn-out duel. In fact, she wrote over 6 pages of dialogue between Harry and Lord Voldemort. Harry once again proves his character when he attempts to show compassion toward his enemy and tries to talk Tom Riddle into showing remorse. Even in the end, Harry does not try to kill Voldemort; he simply disarms him. The epic duel consists of Voldemort casting one curse and Harry casting one harmless spell. It is Voldemort who kills himself when his killing curse rebounds. Harry is depicted as a true hero. Not one who defeated his enemy in battle, but one whose good character triumphed over evil.

I think Harry's compassion was lost in the movie. We have seen him display his compassion toward his enemies many times throughout the series. He saved Dudley from the dementors. He rescued Draco from death by Fiendfyre. And although Harry has acted out of anger, he shows remorse for his actions. I would like to think that he has grown and matured during the series. I don't want to think of him as someone whose anger has festered to the point that he abandons his character and desires to kill. In the movie, we see him aiming his wand at Lord Voldemort over and over as he appears to both defend himself and attempts to kill his enemy.

It simply didn't feel the same to me. So, while I loved the movie, I was left a little sad because I felt that the character I had loved so much and the qualities I had loved so much just weren't quite there.

Where have all our manners gone?

2011-07-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a teacher. I see examples of this almost every day - bad manners. I have come to expect it from 2nd graders. After all, they have a lot to learn. I hope that those young lives who leave my classroom at the end of the year have learned a little about good manners. You know, thinking about others more than you think about yourself.

But it never fails to shock me when I see bad manners in adults. Odd, because bad manners are more the norm these days. I guess I just still expect the best of people and am disappointed when I see otherwise. Sometimes it even angers me.

For example, just this week I attended a workshop. I entered the classroom, put my purse on the floor next to my chair, and placed my folder and pen on the table at my place. I left the classroom for a few minues, and when I returned, I discovered that someone was sitting in my chair. Because I expect good manners, I assumed that the woman, once realizing her mistake, would move to another spot. Instead, I found that the woman already knew that someone was sitting there, and she chose to ignore her error. She mumbled something about not knowing that I was sitting there (which was a lie because my purse was now sitting on the table), and she continued on with whatever she was doing. Clearly, she expected me to find a different chair.

Now, my mom taught me that when I make a mistake, I fix it. In her place, I certainly would have apologized for my error and immediately moved to another chair. But not this rude woman. She obviously values herself above all others and doesn't give a thought to those around her. Our society is raising a generation of selfish people. You have encountered them. You know, the woman who cut in front of you in line. The man who didn't yield at the onramp of the highway. The neighbor who has late-night parties in his backyard during the week. People who double-park. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at bad manners anymore.

Would it surprise you to know that the woman in my story is a teacher? Yes, she could be in charge of your child for over 6 hours each weekday.

Harry Potter!!!!

2011-07-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Can't wait!

The tickets read "Double Dose Deathly".

Cool, huh?

2 days!

Justice

2011-07-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

The Casey Anthony trial has caused many discussions in our household, but none like the argument that sprouted when the verdict was announced. It was on its way to being very heated. Super D and I are in agreement that we think she killed her child, if not by her own hand, then by neglect. We each have our own theories about how her daughter died, but those vary.

Where we disagree is with the verdict. While I believe in my heart that Casey is guilty of something, I don't think there was any way to convict her of anything, based on the evidence that was given. I don't know how any child can go missing for a month and a mother not report her missing. How could she not be paralyzed with worry and grief? How could she even think about partying? This is the biggest indicator that Casey is covering up some shady activity. Super D takes that and says she deserves the death penalty. And she may. I think he believes that even if she didn't murder her child with her own hands, her lack of action led to the little girl's death, and Caylee's death is the responsibility of her mother. I see his point. But can we legally do anything about it without concrete evidence? Apparently not.

I'm so stubborn that I was prepared to argue my opinion (which I think is right, by the way), but is this case worth the argument that results between my husband and me? Absolutely not.

Green is the color of my daughter's hair

2011-07-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

The pink in A's hair began to fade so we decided to recolor it. The hair stylist told us that the hardest part, the bleaching, was already done, and we could manage the color at home, thus saving ourselves money every two weeks as it fades. Off to the beauty supply store we went to buy more pink color. Alas, they had no pink, so I talked A into a beautiful shade of turquoise. At least it looked beautiful all over the saleslady's hands when she accidentally broke the bottle on the floor.

The first attempt yielded a horrible shade of pale green. A was so disappointed. She hated it. She said she felt like Anne of Green Gables, who said, "I thought nothing could be as bad as red hair. Green is ten times worse!" A good friend of mine was concerned that she may be in the depths of despair.

On Day 2, we went swimming, which faded the green even more. For the second attempt, I decided to leave the color in longer before rinsing and to rinse with really cold water.

Here, you can see how fabulous the turquoise was supposed to be. This is almost the exact color of the hair sample on the shelf - and the saleslady's hands.

And this is how it looked after rinsing. Slightly brighter than the first attempt, this particular shade of green is only slightly better than its predecessor. Since we are swimming again soon, at least it probably won't last long. I already have a request for red the next time. We'll see!

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2011-07-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was awakened in the middle of the night to a very loud noise from down the hall. Quite frankly, it was so loud, that I froze as I listened to see if I could hear anything else. I was seriously afraid that someone was in our house. I was terrified. When I recovered my nerve, I rose to investigate. What I found was my son, standing in the hallway. I tried asking him what had happened, but he was mumbling nonsense. It seems that he had been sleepwalking. The door to the hallway was nearly closed, and in the dark, he ran straight into it, slamming it closed. In the light of day, he has no memory of it whatsoever!

The End of the World

2011-06-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

I have lived in Oklahoma all of my life, and I don't remember temperatures like these!

We have been staying inside a lot. In the air conditioning. Under the ceiling fan. Like slugs. The kids and I did get out to swim with friends today. If half the pool hadn't been in the shade, I think I would have melted. I am already dreading the Fourth of July parade on Monday. Note the high for the holiday. I think this may be the first year EVER that I have considered not going, and I don't know that I have missed this parade since we began attending it in the early 70's. I have 3 whole days to talk myself out of it. I must be getting old if the heat zaps me that badly.

Mirror image

2011-06-28T22:24:00.001-07:00

C constantly asks me "What if..." stories. Usually, in the car. Most of the time, I have to stifle my laughter because they are often WAY out there. For example, in the car, he asked me, "What if the C in the mirror was really from an alternate universe, and he comes to the mirror at the same time as me and does the same thing as me?" Interesting. So, I asked him what the Mirror C does when he walks away. C was confused. And I said, "You know, when you are doing other things, what is Mirror C doing?" He told me that the Mirror C was playing video games.

I suggested he write a story about it. Sounds like some great Sci-Fi to me!

Recipe

2011-06-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 freezer door, left ajar
juice of defrosted chicken breasts
3 hot June days
a dash of oversight

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 100+ in a preheated garage, until the smell of death permeates the entire house.

*I can't say I recommend this dish. In fact, it should be avoided at all costs. It could be a rather expensive entree.

(Maybe I should retitle my blog "If only...", as in "If only I had cleaned a little more thoroughly...")

A Costly Mistake

2011-06-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've known all along that our freezer didn't seal well. Super D and I have even warned the kids about making sure the door is completely closed. But a late-night snack raid (shame on me) produced some natural consequences.

I also know that I shouldn't eat late at night, but Saturday night, I took some cookie dough from the freezer. (I have no will power against the Monster Cookies!) After Sunday morning church, I discovered the freezer door, wide open. Fortunately, this is our garage freezer, which holds anything that won't fit in the kitchen freezer. Inside, I had stored 5 pork chops, fudgesicles, phyllo dough, 2 loaves of bread, 18 hamburger patties, and about 12 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

I tossed everything but the hamburger and chicken. Super D quickly grilled a dozen of the hamburger patties, and I cooked the rest as ground beef. With it, I prepared spaghetti sauce and froze it for a later meal. We have already had hamburgers for 2 meals.

The chicken was a bit trickier. Super D hates frozen meat to begin with, so finding something to prep which he would find edible was a challenge. I ended up cooking some of the chicken and prepared 2 pans of King Ranch Chicken which we put back into the freezer. I also cooked another pound of chicken and diced it for Poppyseed Chicken. Later, I will defrost the meat, put the other ingredients with it, and bake it. Finally, Super D put the remaining chicken into a pressure cooker, shredded it, and threw in some barbeque sauce. BBQ Chicken will make some yummy sandwiches.

So, in the end, very little was wasted, and I think we will get about a dozen meals from all of the meat. All it cost me was a trip to 2 different grocery stores, 4 hours on what should have been a lazy Sunday afternoon, and about 250 calories from the lime sherbet I inhaled when it was all over!

The Fog

2011-06-26T09:29:00.001-07:00

It sets in every Sunday. The morning starts beautifully. I wake in a great mood to the sunlight spilling through my curtains. The birds are singing sweetly. I awaken my family, and we begin to prepare for church. I am ready for the day. I am ready to worship God.

Ten minutes into the service, the fog hits me. It's everywhere. I can't escape it. I need fresh air, but there's none to be found. The fog affects my brain, making it hard to concentrate. Before long, the headache begins. If only I had taken some Tylenol before I left the house. I still wouldn't be able to breathe, but at least my head wouldn't hurt. Next comes the nausea. I refuse to throw up. "I can make it another 15 minutes," I tell myself, "and next time, I'll sit in the balcony; maybe the fog settles closer to the ground."

After months of conditioning, I am like Pavlov's dog. Church = headache. Now, it's hard to get out of bed on Sunday. I know I'll spend the rest of the day trying to recuperate.

So, friends, please spread the word: God doesn't need you to smell prettier on Sunday than any other day of the week. Hundreds of women, all in one room, each wearing a different perfume, creates a toxic perfume cloud that could kill us all!

Finally, a successful birthday party!

2011-06-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Me, my mom, C, and A

C had no idea that we were going to dress like clowns.

I was worried that he would be embarrassed,

but he told us to go ahead and keep our costumes on.
C's 9th birthday was a circus/carnival theme.

We had two carnival games:

Pin the Nose on the Clown

Knock Down the Cans

(Aren't the cans cute?)

As the boys played the games,

we gave them party favors to put into plastic peanut boxes.

As always, C requested a "cookie cake".

Every year I try to talk him into a real cake, but he won't have it.

But the best part of the party, by far, was the balloons!

This is Marie.

We met Marie at IHOP, where she was making balloon shapes

for the customers while they were waiting for their food.

C loved watching her create things.

I kept her business card in a safe place for months

because C wanted her at his party.

We were fortunate that she was available.

The boys loved her!

Well, mostly they loved the swords, light sabers, and space guns she made for them.

If you need someone to do balloons for your party,

email her at francesmarieknight@yahoo.com.
She is very friendly and has quite a list of balloon shapes she can make.

The party was exhausting, but this is the first of my son's parties

that has gone as planned.

It was loud, as always,

but the boys had a great time!

Faces of C

2011-06-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!

All aboard the Laundry Train!

2011-06-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

It's scheduled for a weekly stop at our house, although its schedule varies slightly as to time and day. Super D hates the Laundry Train. You see, he hates piles. I tend to leave piles everywhere when left unattended. Piles drive him nuts. This creates a little strife, to say the least. He would call me a Piler. I prefer to be referred to as a Pilologist. My piles are organized. I know where everything is.

As to the Laundry Train, in the absense of a station, I have no platform for boarding. So the train pulls into the hallway. I have to keep the cars moving quickly so that they don't remain in the hall too long. As the Conductor, I think I do a pretty good job. Most of the time.

Naturally, Super D doesn't like the Laundry Train. To him, it's just more piles. But he likes clean shirts, so the Train keeps chugging down the tracks!

Hogwarts: A History

2011-06-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

"Don't judge a book by its cover." I would like to think I follow that rule, but I'm not perfect. I often tend to make hasty judgments, only to force myself to back away and take a fresh look at things.

This is what happened when the first Harry Potter book hit the shelves in 1997. I was too easily swayed by people who criticized the book for being about witches and wizards. As a conservative Christian, I am wary of anything which openly contradicts my religion. I am ashamed to admit that I formed an opinion of HP without even reading a page. It was my aunt who convinced me that I should read the book and form my own opinion. So I did. And I was hooked.

By that time, the second book was out, and I was a mom. What I discovered was a fun children's story that I couldn't put down. I no longer carried my original concerns. After all, how many times had I seen "The Wizard of Oz" as a child? And wasn't "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" one of my favorite childhood books? My faith was strong even though I had read and seen many stories with such fantasy characters in them. I knew that my children would love these characters, and so long as I taught them the difference between fantasy and reality, they would be fine.

My daughter was just 4 years old when the first film was released. She couldn't yet appreciate the movie, but as soon as she was old enough to enjoy it, Super D and I let her watch it, as well as the other movies which had been released. With the premier of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", I made the decision to take her to the midnight showing on opening night. She was 7 years old and one of the youngest moviegoers in the theater that night.
Since then, we have attended the midnight premier of each movie, even
when we had school the next day. She raves about it to her friends. I'm pretty sure they're jealous. It has become a special time between mother and daughter. (We took Super D and C once, but they were party-poopers. They didn't like waiting 5 hours in line or staying up until 3 in the morning.) We have made memories that will stay with us the rest of our lives.

That being said, I am seriously excited about the final movie! I can't even explain the giddiness I feel when I watch the trailers! In fact, I found my eyes tearing up a bit as I watched it. It's extremely childish of me. I know. I just can't help it!

We purchased our tickets the day they were available online. This time, A and I will be there to watch Part 1 at 9:00 and Part 2 at midnight. We will be at the theater for nearly 12 hours! And i can't wait!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 from Warner Bros Pictures

Helicopter Moms

2011-06-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know who coined the phrase "Helicopter Mom", but it certainly fits.* As a teacher, I see examples of this every week. Those moms who hover near their children. They hang out at school more than is necessary. They constantly call, text, or email their child's teacher. They are indignant when their children get in trouble because, of course, their child never does anything wrong. They become angry when their child has to face consequences for their poor choices. Their children need praise just for writing their name on their papers.

I can't blame them for their instincts. I struggle with this, too. I try to micromanage my daughter's homework. I mean, why would I want her to make a 'B' when I know she is an 'A' student? I make excuses for my son because I think he may be dealing with undiagnosed ADD. (That's a topic for another blog. Super D has been diagnosed with ADD, so it is a possiblility.) I have to remind myself that while that may make school more difficult for him, that is not an excuse for him to be lazy. And with C being diabetic, that gives me a great excuse to hover.

But as a member of Gen X, I want to teach my children to more independent. I want to teach my daughter to use her agenda so that she can manage her own homework. I want to teach my son that his reading log is his responsibility and that it is not my responsibility to dig it out of his backpack.

I don't want them to ever experience pain, disappointment, hurt, abandonment, teasing, or anything else which would make them unhappy. That's the Helicopter Mom in me talking. Can't I just create Utopia around them? Responsible Mom knows that these things are life lessons. I can't shelter my kids from unhappiness. It is a part of life. Parents used to tell their children that they had better learn how to deal with things before they are adults because Mom and Dad won't always be there to do it for them. But in today's society, that's no longer true. Mom and Dad are still there, sometimes in the same house.

I don't want to be that mom. When my son and daughter become adults, I want to push them out on their own, like little birdies. Maybe I'm a bit selfish, but I want my husband all to myself again.

So when I saw this story on "The Today Show", I was nodding my head, agreeing with everything the experts said, incredulous that this is news. Shouldn't this be common sense? It only takes 5 minutes, and I wish I could play it for every Helicopter Mom I know. We need to hear it.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041445/ns/today-parenting

*Very little research yielded an answer. "Helicopter Parent" is a term from the book Parenting with Love and Logic, by Cline and Fay. Sound familiar? That's because I mentioned this book in my June 11th blog. It is the second parenting book I plan to read this summer. Obviously, I haven't made it through the first one yet. Still reading!

Supreme Couponing

2011-06-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

This was Super D's Father's Day gift.

It's the Sodastream soda maker.

It turns tap water into sparkling water in seconds

with this CO2 carbonator.

This one liter bottle holds the soda.

fast fizz

To make soda, you simply add flavored syrups,

which happen to be available in diet, too!

I originally purchased the soda maker, 2 spare bottles, and three flavors of syrup at Kohl's.

I bought them on sale and used a 30% off coupon,

for a total which was 40% off the original price.

With my purchase, I received $10 in Kohl's Cash,

which I redeemed online for 2 more bottles of a flavoring I couldn't buy in-store.

My total cost for this order was $1.96 because of shipping.

Because our Kohl's store has been remodeling,

they sent me a coupon to apologize for the inconvenience of construction

and to encourage me to shop in-store.

I picked out 2 more flavors of soda, used a 15% off coupon,

and they were FREE!

So, when all was said and done, I bought Super D's gift at 50% off!

I LOVE a bargain!

Dad

2011-06-18T21:17:00.001-07:00

I miss my dad. He died 3 years ago, and I think about him a lot. Of course, I miss him on major holidays, but I miss him at the most unexpected times, too. That first November without him, Super D and I were in Walmart, and I saw a display of Brach's chocolate-covered cherries. I started tearing up, right there in the middle of the aisle. Super D panicked. He didn't know why I was crying or what to do. You see, my dad used to buy a box of chocolate-covered cherries for me every Christmas. It was our thing. Super D, sweet husband that he is, offered to buy my box that year.

I have a whole list of things that remind me of Dad: carousels, convertibles, the theme song from "Somewhere in Time", golf, pineapples, M.A.S.H., Liquid Smoke, softball, "Victory in Jesus", and raccoons. It's hard not to go through life without those small reminders.

Even more than that, I think about Dad while simply parenting my own children. The other day, I heard someone say that we often look to our parents' mistakes in parenting to guide our efforts. But as I look back at my dad and mom, I think they were fabulous parents. I know they weren't without flaw, but I wouldn't change a thing. I learned a lot from their successes. They were a team. They showed my brother and me what love is by pointing us toward God and by modeling it every day.

So, thanks, Dad. I love you. And I will model that love for my children, too.

Happy Father's Day, Super D!

2011-06-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

I had the morning all planned out. It was supposed to be an entire Father's Day weekend celebration. Super D hates yardwork. He hates mowing. He hates weed eating. He hates edging.

So, the kids and I were going to begin the weekend doing all of the things he dreaded. And then we were going to wash and vacuum his car. What a great gift! Right?

Wrong. What I didn't know is that ever since Super D has been really concentrating on making the yard look beautiful, not only has he begun to take pride in the way it looks, but he has also begun to enjoy the work. He enjoys it all the more when he does it himself. Oops.

So as he stood watching me edge the lawn, all he could think about was how I was not doing it the "right" way. Eventually, we all ended up doing it together. It turned out to be a great Father's Day gift after all. The front and back yards look beautiful. And even though we couldn't give Super D that Maserti he has always wanted, his Aveo looks like new.

No soap in the eyes.

Super D and the kids washed my car, too. Isn't that sweet?

Should VBS make you think of cookies?

2011-06-17T20:13:00.001-07:00

Probably not. Vacation Bible School should probably make you think about Jesus. But in my house, VBS means Monster Cookies. It's tradition.

My mom has been making Monster Cookies for almost 40 years now. People still ask her each year if she's going to make them. She got the recipe from a member of her Extension Homemakers group. The recipe makes 12 dozen cookies. (That's 144 cookies for those of you who hate math!) And I'm not talking normal cookies - these are scooped with an ice cream scoop. They're HUGE! They are the best of all other cookies, rolled into one. They contain oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M's. The batch is so large that Mom made it in a turkey roasting pan, and my dad had to help stir. Weak arms wouldn't hold out through that 18th cup of oats.

Anyway, they are way more cookie than any small child needs, so mom made them every year for the VBS volunteers. (I don't even want to know how many calories are in each one; although, I probably should calculate the carbs for my diabetic boys.) While everyone else was busy donating dozens of Oreos, strawberry wafer cookies, and plain-ol' homemade chocolate chip cookies for the kids, my mom was making the granddaddy of all cookies for the workers. Word spread quickly as the Monster Cookies entered the workroom. Volunteers gathered like moths to a flame. Lucky for me, Mom always reserved some cookies at home for us.

Well, Vacation Bible School was this week, my belly is full, and there a dozen and a half cookie dough balls in my freezer for later. Thanks, Mom!

Tech Savvy

2011-06-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

I love technology. I don't get it, but I love it. Super D gets so frustrated trying to explain computer things to me. I think maybe, after 17 years of marriage, he missed the memo explaining that his wife is a visual learner. If you want me to understand something, give me a book. Let me read the instructions. I'm more likely to get it, and remember it, if I have read it. But Super D continues to tell me how to do things on my computer, expecting me to remember how to do it the next time on my own.

That's because Super D is an auditory learner. You tell him how to do something once, and he's got it. (Oddly, that doesn't translate to our family schedule. I can tell him every day for a week that we have a family event on Saturday, and he still wonders why we are all getting up and dressed so early.)

Today, I attended a fascinating educator workshop on technology in the classroom. I thought it strange that the presenter began her program speaking about the generation gap. (I discovered that I should have been a Baby Boomer. I identify more with their traits.) Then I realized that she wanted us to understand how our children learn, so that we can be better teachers. In a world of cell phones, MP3 players, game machines, and computers, my students have never known life without technology. Media is what holds their attention. And if I intend to be an effective teacher, I must teach in their world. I must teach to my visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners with the technology I have available to me.

Enter the SMART Board! When my interactive whiteboard was installed this January, I quickly put it to use. I used it every single day for the remainder of the year. It's uses are endless! Despite that I hated giving up one of my summer days for a seminar, I left with a book full of information which inspires me to be more. And I can't wait for next week, when I attend a 2-day workshop to learn how to create high-quality SMART Board lessons.

Mystery Flower Revealed

2011-06-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

And the mystery flower is . . .

a dahlia!

A is so happy! This is her favorite variety of flower, and she has been awaiting its bloom!

True Colors

2011-06-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched Warehouse 13? As I've stated before, I'm a bit of a Sci-Fi geek. I'm not hard core, but I love a good story. When the SyFy Channel aired Warehouse 13, my whole family was hooked. My daughter loves this show. A is particularly intrigued with a character named Claudia. She is a young, quirky, electronics/computer wizard, played by Allison Scagliotti, who provides much of the comic relief in each episode. She is definitely lovable!

Claudia's uniqueness is accentuated in her hair. She has a streak of color which cascades down the right side of her face, and its color changes with each episode. A loves it! Last year, she cut her hair to the same style as Claudia's and really wanted a streak of color, too. Alas, bright hair colors are against her school's dress code (although mohawks and feathers aren't). She has talked about her hair sadness numerous times.

While A was away at camp, I decided to take her to the salon when she returned and get it colored for the summer. I hoped the novelty hadn't worn off. Sure enough, she couldn't get to the salon fast enough. Super D drove her there to set up an appointment. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait - they took her as a walk-in! And this is how my beautiful teenager returned home:

She can't stop smiling! Her friends are fawning! I figure it's not rebellious; it's not permanent; and it's incredibly cute! It was worth every dime we paid to see that smile!

Parenting

2011-06-11T05:45:00.000-07:00

It's odd. This is the week I decided to read three parenting books. I felt there is room for improvement. I know what kind of parent I want to be, but I often fall short. My kids are good kids, but I think there is room for improvement there, too.

I tire of saying the same things over and over. I get frustrated when my kids don't listen to me. I deserve respect that they often don't give me. This is nothing out of the ordinary. All parents feel this way. I know. But I tire of raising my voice. I get frustrated with how I treat them. They deserve respect from me, too.

So, I am reading Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman. I hope this will help me in my interactions with my son. I don't expect miracles. I know he won't change by the end of the week, but maybe how I deal with him will. And if this makes our relationship better, than I will have gained.

Then I will read Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay, followed by Parenting Teens with Love and Logic. As my daughter enters this new phase in her life, our relationship is bound to change. I hope to remain consistent in my parenting so that I will be a constant in her life as things change all around her. I want our relationship to stay strong and not deteriorate, as I see so many mother-teen daughter relationships do.

It's odd. This is the week my neighbors praised Super D and me for our parenting skills. They think our kids are terrific. Despite my insecurities, I guess we're doing something right.

My Reward

2011-06-08T07:09:00.001-07:00

My garden is in bloom! Twelve different varieties of flowers are growing there! I would like you to enjoy them with me.

I can't count my Milk and Wine Lilies because they bloomed a couple of weeks ago and have since withered and died. They were lovely while they lasted! And the beautiful green leaves are still growing strong.

This rose bush was here when we moved in. During the early spring, the roses are huge and so fragrant that when you come up the walk to our front door, you can smell them.

I have reserved the front bed of my garden for annuals. I plant petunias for the spring and pansies for the fall. These petunias have flourished and now form a giant petunia bush. All from 12 little plants.

A second rose bush was also already in the garden and produces smaller roses.

I have no idea what this plant is. I was convinced that it was something I planted from a seed and not a weed. Super D wasn't so sure, but I refused to pull it. If you look carefully at the top, I think you may see the beginning of a flower that looks like a fuzzy caterpillar. I can't wait to see what blooms!

I nearly killed this plant. Purchased at Lowe's, this plant was a beautiful green with the prettiest leaves. I was in love with the picture of the Banana Cream Shasta Daisies that the tag promised. Two days after I brought it home, it was a shriveled mess. I planted it, watered it, and nourished it with Miracle Gro, praying that it wouldn't die. You may not be able to see, but the petals of these daisies are the most beautiful pale yellow.

Super D brought home some more petunias, and I had little hope that they would survive. He bought a trunkful of plants for only a few dollars, and most looked pretty pathetic. I planted these at the base of my birdbath, and they are beautiful now.

I love Gerber daisies! This is the last surviving flower since an adorable bunny began feasting on them. This one has been sprayed with Repels-All. I don't think the bunny cares for the stench.

We have been watching these plants carefully, hoping that they are dahlias. I planted several bulbs for A because they are her favorite flower. Three plants, evenly spaced, have popped up, and two of them have a bud on top like this. What could they be?

One of my prettiest roses. It's not as big as the spring blooms.

And the cannas. Last year, they dominated my garden. Their big green leaves provided a beautiful background for my few spring and summer colors. This year, they are not as prominent, but they sure are healthy.

My Life with Diabetics

2011-06-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've talked about diabetes in my blog before. I guess I spend so much time with it that I get tired of it. Super D has been diabetic for years. Life with him has been mostly being on the lookout for hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). You learn the subtle cues. When Super D's blood glucose (BG) begins to decline, his speech slows, and his sentences don't make much sense. He pauses more often to put his thoughts together. Severe low BG looks like he's drunk. He thinks he's funny. But he's not. Well, maybe that day when we were dating, and he threw his shoe across the room. That was funny. When we first married, he wasn't able to notice the symptoms quickly enough, and he would let it drop so fast that he had seizures. Scary.

When A was born, Diabetes Watch began. We knew that diabetes tends to have genetic links, so the chances of us having a child who develops diabetes was high. Fortunately, she has shown no signs of the disease.

When C was born, we were equally concerned for him and continued the Watch. He developed normally with few childhood illnesses. Neither of my children was sick very often. When C was 2, he began potty training and started giving up his afternoon nap. Everything was good.

But when he was 2 1/2, he began wetting his pants again. He started falling asleep in the afternoon. I didn't think much about it. I missed the first signs. All of my friends were struggling with their children, too. Why should I be concerned if he wets his pants? The day I realized something was wrong was the day I found my son drinking rainwater from a puddle because he was so thirsty. I still feel like a lousy mom for that. Here I was, supposedly paying attention, and I missed it.

A visit to the doctor. Lab tests. Waiting for lab results. A trip to the ER. A shot of long-lasting insulin. And we found ourselves at the Endocronologist's office for 2 days of intense diabetes training.

Caring for a diabetic toddler is much different from living with a diabetic husband. It was almost as if I had contracted the disease. I had to check blood sugars, count carbohydrates, give shots, and go to doctor's appointments. I had to be on, every second of the day. Even during the night, because if his BG dropped too low, his body would go into Todd's Paralysis, a condition where he can't move. Scary.

As C has aged, I have tried to educate him, letting him be in control of his disease as it is age-appropriate. He now checks his own blood sugar, calculates his carbs, and gives himself insulin through his insulin pump. I've tried not to be a helicopter mom. I don't want to hover. I will always worry. I think the hardest time for me is still ahead, as he enters his teenage years and becomes more independent. I can't even conceive of what it will be like when he is driving and out on his own. I will have to pray that he takes care of himself as good as I would. Scary.

And Diabetes Watch continues, as I pray that my daughter doesn't develop it, too. After all, her dad was a teenager by the time his pancreas shut down. Scary.

Walking the Plank

2011-06-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm a little ADD. I find that I get bored with any exercise DVD. I haven't found a single one that made me want to do it a second time. So, because I'm already bored with the boot camp, I pulled out Denise Austin's Shrink Your Female Fat Zones. My goal: to just make it to the end of the DVD. Do as many reps of each exercise as I can. Take a break if I need it. Just make it to the end.

This exercise, the Plank, made my ab muscles shake so badly that I could only manage 2 reps of "kissing" each knee to the floor. What a loser, right? Wrong! I did 2 reps! Success! Next time I'll do 3!