Where did the Smurfs Go?

I was talking to a friend recently about cartoons that some of my students watch these days, and the topic of cartoons when we were little came up. My brother and I ADORED The Smurfs. I even had a Smurf sleeping bag and sheets, and of course stuffed animals. I realized that you don't see Smurf stuff anywhere now, not like Garfield or Strawberry Shortcake or Charlie Brown or any other cartoon character that was around when I was little. What happened to The Smurfs? My parents didn't really save any of their favorite cartoon items from their childhood to share with my brother and I, but my uncle did, and he gave us a copy of The Little Rascals when we were younger. My brother and I loved it! We bought more episodes to watch, and I'm thinking that I want to buy some Smurf episodes on DVD now so that one day when I have kids I can show them the stuff that I worshiped when I was little. So that's my goal this week (Week 3 of summer vacation): find some Smurf DVDs on ebay to bid on and save for my own kids one day. And in the mean time, I'll keep the DVDs warm by taking a trip down memory lane all by myself, with Kenny sitting right next to me, of course.

5 Things

I was tagged by Tasha.....here goes!!

5 things in my fridge:
1. Dannon Water
2. Sierra Mist
3. Old Milk
4. Weight Watchers Yogurt
5. Iced Tea

5 things in my closet:
1. Golf clubs that I don't use
2. Shoes
3. Purses
4. Christmas decorations
5. Some classroom stuff

5 things in my purse:
1. Wallet
2. Phone
3. Hair ties
4. Hand sanitizer
5. Kenny's Costco card

5 things in my car:
1. Hair ties
2. CD's
3. Teaching stuff (in the trunk)
4. Sunblock
5. Sunglasses

Happy 4th of July

We spent the weekend at Kenny's family lake house. It was soooooo relaxing. I took my fun books and my college books and read both, okay, I really only read the fun ones, but you know how that is! We spent hours and hours doing NOTHING sitting on the deck and the pontoon (sp?) boat. Including in the festivities were 3 days of fireworks and firecrackers from neighbors, playing catch, learning to play golf, and fishing. Kenny and his nephews did the fishing while I relaxed on the boat. When we came home last night, it hit me just how much I needed to get away. It's been waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long since we got away like that. Here are a few pics from the weekend. Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Guess Who's Birthday??

Happy Birthday to the sweetest and goofiest guy ever!! I LOVE you!!

I confess.......

My confession...........I have been getting a massage every Tuesday since March. And I love it. And I'm not going to stop going. Sometimes I feel guilty about spending the money, but it's much better than shelling out money for an expensive purse that I'll use for a month and get bored with. And it's really not that expensive. Because I have a regular appointment, I get 40% off. You realize I'm just trying to justify WHY I get a weekly massage...I don't care...everyone needs that selfish moment every so often. My selfish moment just happens to be a weekly habit.

First week of vacation

So my first week of vacation has came and went, and I'm still busy...something's not right here...oh yeah, cause I'm teaching summer school for the first time EVER! It's really not so bad. Only 2 days a week, 3 hours a day. I can survive it. And the money goes right onto our house fund, so it's totally worth it. And after teaching, I can be home for some sun, iced tea, and Dr. Phil. Gotta love it. Here are some pictures from the last field trip with my students to the Toledo Zoo. The pics aren't that exciting for 2 reasons....one, I had to use a disposable because I forgot Kenny's digital, and two, I didn't download any with kids in it for obvious reasons. So the pictures are boring and not that great, but nevertheless, here they are! I loved the giraffes. Their necks are amazing! Then there's the eagle, which is breathtaking when he decides to spread his wings. I couldn't get a picture of that though because he did it so fast (if I had the digit, I probably would have gotten the shot).

The animals that you can barely see in this picture are impalas, which look kind of like deer and run super fast, which is how the Chevy Impala was named. The polar bear was completely showing off for the 50 people that were watching him. He kept ramming his front legs onto the empty barrel and pretending he was crushing it. What a nut. The next picture looks like nothing, but if you look at the tree in the middle of the picture, you'll see a giraffe and a cute zebra to the left and a broken down jeep to the right, put there for asthetics making us believe we were in a real african safari. It worked. Then there were the large birds (for lack of memory of their real names) and then you'll see 2 large lumps. Those lumps were actually tree stumps that started rotting, and termintes came along and started building on them. At least that's what the lady on the tour train told us as we rode by. Crazy, right? But I believe her.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my dad, John, and my Grandpa! But also to all the dads in the world!! I love you both!!

Completely done

I am officially COMPLETELY DONE with school for the year. I am teaching summer school starting next week, but that's only a few hours a week, nothing big. This year has been a tough one, and I can't even begin to say how glad I am that it's over. This fall I will be teaching a first/second grade multi-age after teaching second grade for 4 years. So I'm looking forward to a change, but more importantly, I'm just looking forward to SLEEPING IN this summer and doing something mindless. Ahhhhh, no more "Ms. O, can I.....?" or "Ms. O, I need...."

MS. O. needs a break! And it starts RIGHT NOW!!!!

True Talent

I never thought he'd actually keep this picture on the camera. Oh well. One day, when I'm rich and famous (cause that's what happens to teachers), this picture will be worth a lot!!

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!