Jacobson Wedding

Kenny and I went to our friend's wedding last month in Portage. We had a great time despite me still getting over that nasty sinus infection. We really did have fun though. The first picture is us, Kenny AS USUAL being goofy. Then the bride and groom (blurry), and then us dancing. I don't know what the look is on Kenny's face.....he was seriously cutting up the floor dancing! I asked him what the look was all about, and he didn't know. Anyway, we danced forever and had a great time. Kenny flung his Joseph Abboud tie around and then it disappeared. Ooopps!! Bet he won't do that again! He's always the life of the party:)

Celebrate

Thanks to all those who have given their lives for our country, to those who have fought and come home safe, and those families who have lost a loved one or supported a loved one fighting for our country. I hope EVERYONE has a restful, peaceful day today, whatever you are doing. And cheers to a 4 day week!!

Soul Patrol Soul Patrol Soul Patrol!!

Yay Taylor!!!!!! Congratulations on winning American Idol!

Pistons vs Heat

DEEEEEE-TROOOIIIT-BASKET-BAAAALL!!!!

Click here to hear the real thing!

Who will it be??

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm into American Idol this season. I didn't watch it from the beginning, only for about a month now, but nevertheless, I'm hooked. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope Taylor wins because he isn't the typical American Idol. He's kinda goofy looking but he can move and sing and he's entertaining as anything! Katherine McPhee has the look, but not the talent, and she most definitley CANNOT dance. Usually the chic wins because she has the "look," but maybe this time it won't be like that. What do you think?

Be Kind To You

I stumbled across this quote today:

"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." —Eleanor Roosevelt

I think it fits just perfectly. There's SO much truth to it. If someone says something that makes you feel like crap, there's a chance you've already judged yourself. Be kind to you...sometimes, no one else will.

Twenty-one things

I received this email (forward) today and even though everyone sends these things constantly, I really think this one is worth reading again. Here it is:

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

I can honestly say that I do many of these things, and when I think about it, it HAS made me a better person, and more importantly, a loving person.

One Half

I've just about wrapped up teaching fractions to my second graders, and I pulled out the old Judy clock today to see how much they could tell me about telling time. I'm counting the hours and moving the big hand around the face of the clock, all the usual stuff you do when you first introduce telling time. They seemed to get telling time on the hour, so I showed them the half hour concept, and one of the girls says (after she raises her hand politely, of course), "That's like one half!! I get it! When you say the 'hour' and then 'thirty,' it's like a half of a circle, that's why it's called a half hour!" I had to wipe the tears away. No really, it was cool. These moments don't happen too often this year, as it's been a tough bunch of kiddos, but when they do happen, I savor every second of it and go home feeling like I did something right.

Yet another tale from the classroom...

This one is classic. Every day I invite a student or two to "lunch with the teacher." These kids have been good and earned it. So they bring their lunches and we sit in a cozy room next to the cafeteria together for the 7.5 minutes we are given to scarf our food. Nice, eh? Anyway, one of the boys today asked me if I was ever a baby. It went like this:

Student: Miss L, you were a baby once?
Me: Yes, I was a baby. I was born just like you, and I grew up just like you are doing right now.
Student: How did you get to school?
Me: What do you mean?
Student: Who took you?
Me: Well, my parents took me to school, just like your mom brings you to school.
Student: YOU HAD PARENTS?!?!?!??!?!

The conversation went on, but I won't bore you with the rest of it. This was the best part. I've heard stories about how teachers were asked questions like this, but I never expected to really hear it. Do I have parents? Wait till the kid gets to health class in 6th grade. He'll really be in for a surprise when he finds out how HE got here.

What's a Michigan Spring Like??

This is a poem that a kid wrote (not one of mine). This kid MUST be from Michigan. Note the quick change in weather:)

Spring, Almost

The sunshine gleams so bright and warm,
The sky is blue and clear.
I run outdoors without a coat,
And spring is almost here.
Then before I know it,
Small clouds have blown together,
Till the sun just can't get through them,
And again, it's mitten weather.

Proof that spring is here (other than my allergies)

Here are a couple pictures snapped while I was getting my weekly massage. Kenny took the camera outside the office and captured these cuties at my request. He then took one of me after my massage just before he got his. He's always being so sneaky/creative with the picture-through-the-plant thing and all. I look SO disgusted with him. But I really wasn't.

Out Driving Around

KAL and I were tooling around the countryside (suburbia) a few days ago enjoying the sunshine, and we came across something interesting. To build condos, an old, large building was torn down. The crazy thing is that the FACE of the building was left standing and it appears that it will be used as the front of the offices for the condo complex. What a sight!