Almost to my vacation...

I only have a few days until my summer vacation starts. And I can't wait! Teachers get criticized for "only having to work 10 months a year" and "they get summers off so why are they complaining." Yup, we now get about 6 weeks off in the summer, and we do only go to work for about 10+ months a year. But in those 10 months, we do more than most people do in a year. And I mean A LOT MORE. I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. Ask any teacher, you'll get the same answer. Anyway, I'm looking forward to not getting up to that nasty alarm clock, not having to rush to shower and get ready, not drive 25 miles to the D half awake. I'm really looking forward to not having to be "on" for 8 hours a day without a sit down break too. Or staying after 2 hours for meetings or making copies or what have you. I love my job, wouldn't want to do anything else in the whole world, but every year at this time, I am BURNT OUT!! Completely! Every summer my creative side kicks in again and I start making things....scrapbooks, Christmas presents, afghans, quilts, whatever I can make, I do it. Because I LOVE to be crafty and make things and give them as gifts. Kenny always says I should sell them, but I don't have the "business" knack for things like he does. So my creations are generally given as gifts. Here are a couple pictures of quilts I recently made for friends that were having babies. Aren't they cute? The little boy's quilt (his name is A.J.) has a piece of *MASH* fabric in it from his dad's pillow case that he used when he was a kid. I thought it would be a neat idea to put that in there, and as it turns out, my friends Tim & Amy (the parents) loved it. Tim had no idea that Amy had given me that pillowcase a long time ago. He thought it had just been thrown away. This is the kind of stuff I LOVE to make, and you can bet I'll be making more stuff like this on my summer vacation!

IKEA

It's finally here!! The new IKEA store is finally here!! I have never bought anything from the store, but I've looked for countless hours, milling over furniture and just plain dreaming of our house and how we will fill it. Tomorrow is the first day people can "get in line" for the grand opening on June 8th. I guess the first X-amount of customers in the door get a free chair or something, so you know there will be the insane die hards lining up for 3 days starting tomorrow! Hey, if I didn't have to work, I just might do it. Check out this website for a virtual tour http://info.ikea-usa.com/IKEAVirtualTour/?store=canton. In a few short days, I won't need a virtual tour. I'll have the real thing!! Woo-hoo!! This is perfect timing as everyone around here is getting over the "awful-ness" of the end of the Pistons' this season. Don't even get me started on that. I'm just happy that there's something to occupy my mind and probably countless other people's minds too. I wonder if Tasha over at http://cheeka-beeka.blogspot.com/ will be making a shopping trip to the new IKEA?

My brother's new place

These are pictures of my brother's latest business adventure....I'm such a proud sister! This is a VERY historic hotel built in 1925 that was made into classy apartments & corporate suites. He and his business partner are fixing up what needs it and starting to get people in there as we speak. It's gorgeous!

Called out by kids....

Now that my students can tell time, they are realizing that their teacher (me) is ALWAYS late. For everything. During community time today, one of my girls passed me a note. Keep in mind that my students are 7 & 8 years old, and they are NOT allowed to pass notes let alone bring a pad of paper to community time, and wait a minute....should 7 year olds know how to pass notes yet? Anyway, she hands me this note and I look at her like “what are you doing passing your second grade teacher a note?” She smiles and whispers that I NEED to read the note. I look at it and it says,

“Ms. O, it’s 1:25. Look at the clock. Remember we were supposed to have our ice cream party at 1:15? You’re late.”

I never should have taught them how to tell time. Now my secret is out of the bag. I AM ALWAYS LATE! Late to lunch, late to recess, late to specials, late getting the kids ready to go home....LATE LATE LATE! Next year, I think I’ll just skip the unit on telling time.

Oh Yeah....

THE. PISTONS. ROCK. HARD.

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!

Bye Bye Boys

I'm sad. I recently found out that my favorite band EVER, Aerosmith (you can stop laughing now), has canceled the rest of their tour. Steve Tyler's voice gave out after 40+ years of screeching. I think Kenny and I have been to 4 Aerosmith concerts and I've met everyone except Tyler, and Kenny has met all including Tyler. I'm still getting over the fact that he went to their hotel in December WHILE I WAS STILL AT WORK. Ugh. I forgave him though because had he not gone while I was working, he never would have got to meet Steve Tyler, so I got over it quickly. Kenny pulled his truck up to the curb, got out with his camera and there was Tyler doing a photo shoot in the middle of a minor snow storm. Kenny snapped a shot of Tyler and then the real photographer yelled at him. Tyler told the photographer to shut up and invited Kenny to take a couple more shots. As if that wasn't enough, after the photo shoot, Tyler came up to Kenny's truck and knocked on the window (he touched MY window!) and asked him if he wanted to take more pictures of him. I think I will always be jealous of Kenny's experience. Anyway, th picture that Kenny took are the ones with snow, and the other two are just a couple of my favorite from their sites. Since Aerosmith may never tour again, I will treasure these pictures always. ***sigh***

Home + Clutter = Allergies

I hate clutter. I always have. That's not to say that it doesn't exist here where I live. It's here, but I still can't stand it. Since I've been feeling better, I've started to de-clutter my place. There are no longer things on top of things. And I plan on it staying that way. I accidentally came across this article and it made me feel very good about de-cluttering because the article says that clutter can lead to aggrivated allergies. That is the best reason I've ever heard to THROW THINGS AWAY!!! Read it for yourself at http://www.clickondetroit.com/seenon4/8489091/detail.html. GO SPRING CLEAN YOUR PLACE!

Waaaaahhhhh....

Today is the last week day of my spring break. And because of my sinus issues, I stayed home THE WHOLE TIME driving Kenny crazy. I had all these fun things planned for my break: spring cleaning, car cleaning, sewing, scrapbooking, spring clothes shopping, and lunching with friends. Since I didn't start feeling better until Wednesday, I didn't get a whole lot done. I know I shouldn't complain and just be grateful that I got the time off, I know, I know. But I can't help thinking that I GOT JIPT for this break. I'll get over it tomorrow. And of course, thank you Kenny for taking care of me. I love you.

Men and Women (the difference)

I found this picture today on another blog. I thought it was perfect.

This is SO TRUE.

Easter Memories

I have tons of fun Easter memories....the most vivid are the ones where Mark and I found our colored Easter eggs where the "Easter Bunny" hid them in the woods behind our house. It was always chilly in the morning, but Mark and I bundled up and walked with Dad out to the woods to find the eggs. Mom got to sleep in! Dad always seemed to know where the last few eggs were when Mark and I were sure we had them all. Hmmm, I wonder why:) And then there was the Easter when I was obsessed with New Kids on the Block, (aka NKOTB) and the Easter bunny knew just what NKOTB T-shirt I wanted in my Easter basket. I believe that T-shirt still exists in my mom's blanket chest. Once we went to Minnesota to my Aunt Charlotte's house for Easter and the night before, my cousins and I were getting ready to go to bed and my Dad told us to look out the window. We did, and we saw the real Easter bunny! A more recent memory was about 6 years ago when Dad and I left the Osborn Easter festivities early so he could drive me back to K-zoo to the dorms. Once there, we spent about 2 hours in a stuffy dorm room disassembling a loft that Amanda and I bought to use the next year. Dad is such a trooper! Anyway, there are many more stories I could tell, but I won't bore you. This year, Kenny and I are going to church and then spending the day with his brother. I hope you make special spring memories with your family. Happy Easter!

VERY Belated Party Pictures

My birthday was in December, but it's taken me this long to get my act together with downloading the pictures to this site! Bad bad me! Here are a couple fun ones! You won't see all these people in the pictures, but along for festivities were Bethy, Amanda, Danielle, Bryan, and of course, Kenny. We went to Lucky's which is like an adult Chucky Cheese place with slot machines and a dance floor. Thanks for the pictures Bethy!

Nano

April 9th marked six months that my aunt Nano has been gone. She passed away on October 9th, 2005, just a week after her 42nd birthday. She lived with and fought cancer for almost 10 years before deciding enough was enough. It was about this time last spring when she decided to stop the treatments and have hospice take care of her at her home. Through the spring and summer, she and Uncle JR graciously left their doors open constantly for family and friends to come and share stories, laugh, cry, and just BE with Nano. Along with a lifetime of memories with my Aunt Nano, those months were precious. So precious. (Thank you Uncle JR for the pictures)

VACATION?

As this week started, I was so EXCITED because we had kids until Wednesday, then an inservice (professional development) on Thursday, and then SPRING BREAK!! To me, spring break is more exciting than Christmas vacation. Why? Because there's only 1 holiday to worry about, it's time for spring cleaning and spring clothes shopping (which is another topic for another day in itself), and summer vacation is just around the corner. So, needless to say, I was looking forward to a short work week and beautiful weather! After sending the students packing on Wednesday with their VERY THICK homework packets ("Aw, Miss O, do we have to do it all?"), Thursday was sure to go by speedy quick. When I woke up, my throat hurt a little, but I figured it was because I slept with the window open. I dressed in my favorite "dress down day" joggin suit and drove the 25 miles to work on a natural high, along with a double-double from Tim Horton's. Yeah!

I spent 2 hours in my classroom getting things cleaned and ready for when we come back. I chatted happily (chirped, as Kenny would say) with co-workers, then we went upstairs to the meeting. As the day progressed, my throat got worse, and I started to ache. Not the ache that means you're just tired, the one that means you need to get to a doctor for antibiotics. I declined a lunch date with a couple other teachers and spent the hour and a half at my desk trying not to sleep. The rest of the afternoon I nodded off so many times during the meeting that I lost count. I felt miserable, worse with every hour. I went straight home and straight to the couch with Tylenol and water, and of course Kenny insisted on giving me tea too. I felt like it could be allergies, a bad cold, or a sinus infection. Friday morning, the first day of my VACATION, I felt 10 times worse and went to the doctor. By 3pm I was in Kenny's truck going to pick up my meds...it was a sinus infection. The rest of Friday was a blur between sleeping, sneezing, taking meds, kicking the covers off or complaining that I didn't have enough on. Poor Kenny, he didn't know whether my moods were coming or going. But he was awesome and got me through the worst part of it. I woke this morning feeling slightly better, less pressure on my head but still REALLY tired and congested. I hope to feel well enough for us to go to church tomorrow on Easter Sunday.

I've had a sinus infection before, and it's no trip down pleasant lane. At least this time I know what to expect. I'm just bummed that the first part of my vacation will be spent recooperating from a sickness, when I should be recooperating from the kids! Oh well, either way, I'm on the couch at home in my sweats. That's still a vacation, isn't it???

Early Easter

We celebrated Easter with my mom yesterday at her house and talk about beautiful weather!! It was sunny and kind of warm, the best spring day yet! My cousins, grandma, aunts, and Mark were all there. It was so nice outside that Mark got out the 4-wheeler and we tooled around the yard.

A day in the life of....

Just about every day something crazy happens in my classroom. Today, there were a few crazy things to say the least. One of my students (keep in mind they are 7 years old) was leading the class through the daily news routine. This particular student, we'll call him Mike, reminds me of PigPen, you know, Charlie Brown's buddy. Mike walks around all the time with his shirt mis-buttoned, fuzz in his hair, wader pants with holes in the knees, shoes untied, shirt dingy and untucked (they wear uniforms). So today I asked him to fix himself because "a leader needs to look like a leader." He takes a look at himself and just doesn't see the problem. Sitting on the floor in front of him is one of my naughtiest students, we'll call him Jason. Jason is very quiety leaning over his criss-crossed legs tying Mike's shoes for him. This actually took my breath away. None of us even noticed Jason tying Mike's shoes and then I noticed it and when Jason realized I saw what he was doing, he froze, like I was going to yell at him or something. Mike thanked Jason and the routine went on, but just that little act of kindness from Mike (this was a HUGE deal for him to do someone a favor) made me smile and remember why I do what I do.

This next paragraph will remind me why my job drives me nuts. I picked the kids up from music and when we entered our classroom, one of my girls puked all over her desk. Lovely. I quickly call maintenance and then as I'm trying to call her mother, I'm faintly aware of 2 other girls whining and tapping me and calling my name. Well, as all teachers know, I have learned to ignore this action. Not 2 seconds later both of these girls wet their pants. As if I don't already have enough drama for the moment. A puker and 2 pee-ers. What next?

Once again, never a dull moment.