It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Getting ready for Christmas has been different this year with me working. In the past, I have gotten the 14 rubbermaids out of the attic while the kids are at school. I also set up our 5 trees (I love trees, OK?) so all we need to do is decorate them when everyone comes home at the end of the day. This year, I had to get all the rubbermaids out with the kids opening each one and squealing as they pulled out all the stuff. They also bugged me to no end about how long it was taking me to set up the trees. We did get their trees in their rooms set up last night and they decorated them. I have my Barbie tree set up, which is proving to be almost too much of a temptation for a 4 year old girl. She wants to take everything off to play with. The kids helped decorate the hearth room tree last night, too. It holds all our personal ornaments from travels, interests, hobbies, etc. After the kids went to bed, Brent and I did the Santa Tree that is in the living room. Every ornament is a Santa. The newest Santa is a marionette that really moves. I am TERRIFIED of puppets and marionettes, but this is pretty funny. Now I have the rest of the stuff to put out, not to mention the outsides stuff. Plus, I got my first Christmas card today. I haven't even begun to get mine out!!! It will all come together, though. It might be by New Years, but it will happen!!!

Major award

I grew up being able to quote every line from "A Christmas Story." In my family, we always refer to the scene when the dad opens his lamp and calls it a major award. I got a major award today...Teacher of the Month at school. I got a gift card, but I asked if I could trade it in for a day off. No such luck! Seriously, I am very honored to have been given this and I know every day that I am where I am supposed to be.

Men-folk go hiking

Cades Cove Thanksgiving Day 2007

Thanksgiving in the Smokies

We spent Thanksgiving in Townsend, TN. The kids were really sick Tuesday, and both were puny and whiny the entire trip. It was great anyway. I am going to post a few pictures this morning and I will post more later today.

Look Alike Meter

My college friend Lana showed me this!

Roll Tide!

Roll Tide!

My parents, Becky, and I went to Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Alabama game. We stayed at the base. It was graduation, so the hotel was full. They put us in the overflow base housing. It was pretty funny.
The game was shameful, but we had a great time. We bought lots of good Alabama stuff that you just can't find in Tennessee and we ate nothing but JUNK all weekend. My stomach is still recovering.

2 posts in 1

I got glasses when I was 8 years old. They were very 80's, but it WAS the 80's, so it didn't matter. My eyesight changed very quickly over the next few years and I went through many pairs of glasses, all pink by the way. They put me in contacts when I was 11 to slow down how quickly my eyesight was leaving me, and I think too that glasses were just getting too thick. I had no need for glasses until I was in 10th grade. I was in a biology class where we disected weekly, and we were not allowed to wear contacts. I guess we didn't have the money for glasses, but I had to wear some old ones of my dad's. I could see pretty OK out of them, but they were huge. Big brown things that would only stay on my face with the goggles over them. Way cool. I think I remember Dad buying me a purple strap with pink flamingos on it to try to keep them on my face. Anyway, by the time I went to college, I did get new glasses. I was so excited. I could just picture how cute they would be. Then they came in. Giant coke bottle things. This has happened over and over since. I get new glasses, each promising that the newer lenses are thinner than ever. Then they come in and they are hideous. Last year in Disney World, Tyler stepped on my glasses and I have been without ever since. I went last Monday and picked out some trendy new frames. I hoped for the best, but knew that the worst was likely. I got them today and I am DELIGHTED! They are so cute. As thin as I have ever had glasses. Maybe there is hope for me afterall.

On another note, Emily got her hair cut today. It looks so cute. It is now cut to her shortest layer from her butcher job a year ago.

It's over

My school was evaluated today for our accreditation. It was such a stressful week. They choose the class they will observe by picking a name out of a hat the morning of the observation. It was another class today, thank goodness. Now we don't have to have this kind of stress again for another year. And now we can actually get back to teaching.

Tyler came home yesterday with the F-word added to his vocabulary. He asked me if it was a bad word and I did not freak out. Apparently "Williefromnewjersey" as Tyler calls him, told him that it was a bad word and Tyler asked his teacher. He said Mrs. Moore took Willie in the hall.

I had the best cookies this week...sugar cookies iced with marshmallow fondant. I have been searching the internet this afternoon for recipes. Bakeries charge big bucks for them, apparently. I am sure I can figure it out. I just don't know when I will find the time.

One year ago today...

It's the anniversary of the Great Hair Disaster of 2006. Emily cut 10 inches off her hair. A year later, it is still not as long as it was, but it has still grown so much. We go on Friday to have it evened up. The areas that she cut to the scalp are now about to her shoulders, so we might have it cut to there.

Prayer request

Tyler has a magnet prayer book that tells about different kinds of prayers and has all kinds of magnets for kids to write their own prayers. I found Tyler's prayer book open on his bedroom floor. If God does answer this prayer, I hope his super powers will help me around the house.

It's time for Goldie

Brent and I are not on the same page about warmth needs in the bed. Before I was married, I kept an electric blanket on my bed year-round. I just need to be very warm when I sleep. Then we got married. Brent sleeps in his underwear on top of the covers. We have tried many options. I just froze during the first few years of marriage. Then, I got a heated throw. It was one of the original, very itchy wooly ones, but great anyhow. I would sleep with that on my side of the bed. Then, one glorious night in December, I got under the covers and my side was wonderfully warm without my throw. My darling husband had gotten a heated mattress pad for me for Christmas. It was the greatest thing. We used that for years, but last year, I finally burned it up. They are really costly, and it has never been replaced. But, I got a new updated softer electric throw last year. I named her Goldie. It has been cold enough this week to need Goldie. Let's just hope she holds out all winter!

Good Day

It was a good day. I got carded at Target when I bought Musinex. It made this tired preschool teacher feel good for a moment, at least!

Turn it down, please.

Wow. What a week. I am now feeling semi-normal, but not 100% yet. I have had something the past few days that I have missed terribly...silence. I live with 2 men who fear silence. The TV or radio must be on at all times. Some days, Emily and I don't even need the TV on after the necessary Clifford and Super Why. I didn't even realize how much I miss just THINKING until I got this little break. It's been nice, despite the illness. I guess I used to spend a whole lot more time in silence before going back to work than I thought.

Our Preschool's assessment is a week from Thursday and I am a nervous wreck about it. We are meeting tomorrow to go over some things. Oh, I dread this. Please pray that all goes well.

Daylights Savings Time is here, for sure. It was dark outside and we were eating dinner tonight and I wasn't even 6:00. I am going to miss my sunshine!

Nice nap

I have been so sick. I figured out today that I slept 21 hours between yesterday morning and this morning. I am feeling some better, but it's far from over. Emily did a great job taking care of herself for the most part yesterday. She would come in and sit on the bed and talk to me and bring me things. At one point, she brought me her Cabbage Patch Kid and said, "Can you watch my baby? His name is Baby Jesus. Or Taylor. Whichever." She is so funny. The kids went to my parents' last night and have just gotten home. I did shower today, so that is progress!

One big Pow-Wow

In the world of youth ministry, there is something unprepared teachers use. It is called a Pow Wow and the kids go around and tell a Pow-something bad in their week, and a Wow-something good in their week. This week has been one big Pow Wow for me.

POW- After my flu shot on Sunday, I started running fever and itching all over. I woke up Monday feeling like my chest was on fire.

WOW- We carved our pumpkin Monday night. Brent made the guts come out it's mouth like it was throwing up. Emily just about wet her pants laughing. She has talked about it all week.

POW- I was so wiped out I forget to take any pictures of this.

WOW- We had our Halloween party and parade at school on Tuesday. Everyone did a great job. I went as "Laundry Queen." It was pretty funny. I got my very first teacher gifts. When you teach in the ghetto, you don't get teacher gifts. That was a nice little happy!

POW- I could hardly squeak out a sound on Tuesday. Some might consider this a blessing.

WOW- Tyler went to his first musical field trip this week. They went to see "A Day With Frog and Toad." He loved it and drew a picture for the cast. Apparently, it was so good that he had to take it and show it to the princpal.

POW- We had school pictures yesterday. It was awful. The people were so slow...it took an hour to do my class of 20. I just propped myself up on the stage and directed the kids. I felt awful.

WOW- I have great co-workers that understand when someone doesn't feel well.

POW- Brent had to work last night, on Halloween. I was so sick. But, I took the kids to the Hinkles for the High School party so the teens could take them Trick or Treating for me. I rested in the Hinkles playroom.

WOW- My kids had so much fun with the teens; they never even missed me.

POW- I went to the Dr. today. I have a viral infection. The Dr. gave me some cough stuff that will knock me out. I hate going to the dr. It takes too long.

WOW- I have wonderful friends. Betsy took Em to school. She is still with them and Brent and Tyler are going to eat dinner at the Hutchins and pick Em up.

POW- I missed Hilarious Hair day at school.

WOW- I am going to take my medicine and go to bed!