Awesome.

I blogjacked this from Kerri, so thanks Kerri! So awesome.

Somehow, while no one was looking, Lexi snaked the chocolate syrup out of the door of the refrigerator. She took it over to the edge of the kitchen, out of my sight line, and had a blast. Sean and I were standing there talking, and here comes Lexi all happy and covered with chocolate. She had it all over her feet and legs, on her clothes, in her hair. Stinker pants. With good taste, though. And she managed to get most of it in her mouth instead of on her face, so that's good I guess.



We went up to the lake and went camping yesterday. It was 40 degrees when we woke up this morning, and that's just too cold for me. But it was beautiful up there, as always. One of my favorite places to go.


The lake through the trees


Courtney and Josh taking a walk


Brittney climbing a tree

School is going pretty well, I think. I'm supposed to write up a little blurb about the last book I read for my principal to display in the office, and as an English teacher I feel the need to Represent. The actual last book I finished was #14 in the Stephanie Plum series. I feel like I need something more high-brow and dignified than that... Ethan Frome or Discourses on Mark Twain or something scholarly sounding. Hmmmm..... I'm in the middle of reading a Dean Koontz novel and a biography of Kurt Cobain. Are either of those any better? Oh well. Guess I should just fess up and be myself, right? I realized one day that I am totally the Michael Scott of teaching! Sometimes the kids' negativity just sucks the life out of me... School sucks so bad, homework sucks so bad, everything sucks so bad... and I get all pissed off... like the Prison Mike episode! One day I could snap and do a Prison Mike on my class... You think school sucks worse than prison? Me wearing a do-rag and trying to be tough LOL Sometimes it just sucks the life out of me to feel like the enemy. Luckily I do have some fun classes and we laugh a lot, but I also have a few that I want to smack... there are times when they're giving me that blank-look-rolly-eyed stare, and a former student will wander into class to bring me a treat or to give me a hug or wave "hi" and I just want to say, "See! Some of my students do like me, really! I promise!" LOL

Soccer and Camping

Well, Britt's soccer game went well. They won 6-1. Looks like a good group. Coach had her playing middle, though, which she hates, so we'll see how that plays out. Josh... well, who knows about that kid. He was so excited to play... and then he got there and refused to step foot on the field. He's claiming that he's all ready now and will be playing this Saturday, so we'll see how that goes.

Camping was fun. We went up in the afternoon and made dinner in the dutch oven, played around, sat by the campfire, and just enjoyed being outdoors. It was butt freezing COLD at night, though. Holy cow. We're planning to go again this weekend, and I am bringing my long johns and my parka. So glad the heater in the trailer works.

Well, that's about all I have to report. School is... going. Everyone is surviving. This is really going to be a hard year for all of us, I think. Both girls have a heavy load, and I have a heavy load as well. Lexi was all bundled up and snoozing this morning on the way to school, and Courtney and I were both like... Man, I wish I was all comfy like that... going to go play with toys all day... and getting to take NAPS on mats! Forget the toys; we both just wanted the nap.

Back to School

Everyone went back to school last week at our house. So far, so good. I think. We're all still alive, anyway. My wallet, however, is dead. Deflated. School registration fees.... School supplies... Activity fees and class fees.... I'm up over $400 and still not finished. Oh well. It's worth it.

Seeing how I'm not one of those kind of moms (you know, the good kind) who remember things like, oh, taking pics before rushing out the door in the morning.... my first day pics of the girls are from *after school.

First day pics:




Josh and Lexi didn't start daycare until Thursday of the week we all went back. I totally didn't even think to take their pics that day. So here are some random pics of them that I'll pretend are from the first day. Hey, that's the shirt Josh wore, so no one will know. Except that I told you.




My birthday was last week. Sean fixed me a great dinner, we had pie, unwrapped presents. Then we went out to dinner with my mom and siblings on Friday, and that was lots of fun! I wish we could get together more often. We had an interesting debate/discussion and some tasty food.

For Labor Day weekend we went to Lava Hot Springs and then stayed over in Pocatello. It was really nice to get away with the kids for a little while.


Sean and Britt at the pool


Sean and Britt jumping off the tower


Joshy


Sean jumping off the highest tower

Messing around at the hotel:





At the fabulous Pocatello zoo:








This school year is shaping up to be a difficult one, but I think it will be rewarding as well. We have a few more weekend camping trips planned, so hopefully that will help me get through the weeks with something to look forward to. Josh and Brittney start up soccer this Saturday, and I look forward to that as well. Josh should be pretty cute. He was so excited when he got his uniform. He immediately put it on, had to demonstrate how fast he can run in it, ran around kicking a pretend ball, and slept in it that night.

The Daily Grind

I went back to work this week. I'm just not ready for summer to end. It's too soon! I really do enjoy this time of year... The possibilities are still endless. The realities haven't set in. I haven't met my students and become disillusioned. Just kidding. Sort of. I love my job and am excited to get back to it... the part I dread is trying to juggle it all with the rest of my life. Doing the daily dance of getting the kids up and out the door in the mornings, trying to get dinner at night and get to all the places everyone needs to be, keeping up with household chores, getting enough sleep.... Not looking forward to that part. But... Like Tuti and Blaire taught us back in the day... You take the good you take the bad you take em both and there you have the facts of life. I got you singing it now, too, didn't I? Have no idea why that just popped into my head.

Sean and I had a nice little getaway last weekend to Wendover. I have a lot of fun going down there. It's just nice to get out of town and go somewhere with only adults. I work with kids, I live with kids.... sometimes I really like to get away from kids. And there is great people-watching potential there. And the bright lights and the sound of money mesmerize me. :) I'm sad to report that we didn't win any jackpots. Before we left we decided to stop at the Rainbow and play a few dollars and Sean asked me if we should just stand at the door and throw our money at them or actually go and play. We decided to play, but the result was the same.

Courtney finished her last clinical yesterday. Now all she has to do is pass the state test and she'll have her CNA. It amazes me that she is able to do this stuff at her age and that she seems to enjoy it. I would never have wanted to then, and I don't think I could do it now even if I had to. She got a kick out of the old people... one of the old guys told her, "You're a very nice girl, but I think you're too young for me." She was like, "Ya think??"

Family

My family came over to hang out the other night. It's been so fun having everyone living close by this summer!


Lisa swimming


Emily jumping


Lexi running around


Scott and Eric


I read this article in the Trib last week. It's written by a retired public school teacher and aspiring writer. Here is an excerpt:

"Personal blogging is the technical phenomenon I have the hardest time getting my brain around. I don't care how people spend their free time or what they're angry about. Very few of these opinionated ramblings are interesting or important. The whole concept seems incredibly narcissistic. If it's the 21st century version of a diary, then it misses the point: Diaries are private."

Obviously, this guy was not an English teacher, because he totally doesn't get irony. Here's a guy who is not an expert in his subject, he's just a regular Joe, puts his "opinionated ramblings" about modern technology down on paper and sends it in to the newspaper for everyone to read. And yet, he thinks that other people who do THE EXACT SAME THING, just on their own personal web page instead of for the newspaper, are narcissistic and he isn't interested in reading it. Guess what! I feel the same way about some opinion pieces in the newspaper. If I don't care about the topic, I don't read it. That doesn't make the author a narcissist for writing it and sending it in. The beauty is, we only have to read what we want to. I happen to enjoy reading my friends' blogs, thankyouverymuch. And yah, blogging is somewhat narcissistic. So what? So are a lot of things we do. It's not like bloggers are out there bugging everyone they know to read their ramblings... you read if you want to, you don't if you don't. The other reason I know he wasn't an English teacher is because any writing teacher will tell you that people need an avenue to publish their work. Sure, some things that you write are meant to remain private. But, by and large, there's something artificial about writing for no audience. That's probably the reason that many people who don't enjoy writing in a diary or a journal do enjoy writing a blog. It's not that you necessarily care whether anyone reads it... it's the fact that it's out there. It's "published". It *can be read.

Here is an excerpt from an article from last Tuesday's Trib about the high caloric content of restaurant kids' meals.

"America's chain restaurants are setting parents up to fail," said the center's nutrition policy director, Margo Wootan. "McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and other chains are conditioning kids to expect burgers, fried chicken, pizza, French fries, macaroni and cheese, and soda at almost every lunch and dinner."

Ummmm... no.... their PARENTS are conditioning them to expect junk food at every lunch and dinner. It's not like Burger King and KFC are coming to their homes and feeding their kids. If you go out to eat a few times a month or once a week, and then eat nutritious foods the rest of the meals, how will your kids be conditioned to expect burgers, fried chicken, pizza, etc at every lunch and dinner? Take some responsibility, people! Sure it would be helpful to have some extra nutritional info about what's in kids' meals, and it's great for restaurants to offer some healthy choices. But none of that is better than just limiting the food in the first place. Common sense. Personal responsibility. Are those really such foreign concepts?

Parade

Here are pictures from the parade last week.











Between my family and Sean's, we had family fun every day for like a week straight and now I'm having withdrawls. I went camping, to the parade and fireworks, out to eat, had Heather and Pete over for a BBQ, swimming, saw The Dark Knight with Sean and Steve and Curtis, took care of some family business with my family and then went out to lunch and had a nice visit.... It's a bummer having to go back to regular life. And mine's been just so difficult... playing in the pool, working on the kids' memory books, watching Judge Judy... A real hardship, I tell ya.

I've been going a little crazy without a car for a few days now while mine is in the shop, but I'm trying to keep reminding myself how much gas money I'm saving. The worst thing is that I couldn't get to Salt Lake yesterday for American Idol auditions. I was all set to sing Lady Marmalade for Simon and Paula, and I was going to rock it, man. If you've ever heard me sing (which you haven't, because I never ever sing in public) you know that I totally would have made it onto those audition episodes they do at the beginning, where all those really cool and talented people like me somehow get rejected. Bummer. Anyway, as soon as Sean gets home from work, Courtney takes the car to get to her night class. Every night at like 9:30 pm when she gets home I'm running for the car like an inmate trying to break out of the asylum.

Well, that's about it for here. Sean's mom is driving him to work tomorrow (Hallelujah and thank you Marilyn) so I have the car. I need to go to the library, the grocery store, take the kids school clothes shopping, take myself work clothes shopping, go to the post office, Wal-Mart for pool supplies, run up to do some business with the water utility people, and buy a birthday present. Hmmmmm.... it's about midnight... maybe I should start right now.