Year End Round-Up Meme

Stolen from Drowning In Kids

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

Made it through without depression!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I did keep them, but I didn’t start them until November, so does that still count?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No, but a bunch are preggers!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

A good friend’s mom.

5. What countries did you visit?

My own!

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?

A house?

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

March 13th, the day my good friend’s mom was buried, very cold and sad day.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Starting a new multi-age classroom at my school

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not blogging enough:)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

A few sinus infections, nothing to complain about

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A new bed!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My mother’s

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Probably my own at times, but I wasn’t so bad this year

14. Where did most of your money go?

Out the window...HA!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The possibility of a new home!

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?

Breathe from Grey’s Anatomy

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?

Happier, thinner (finally!), and richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Visiting family members

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Complaining

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Traveling

21. Did you fall in love in 2006?

Yes, again, to the same man:)

22. How many one-night stands?

HA!

23. What was your favorite TV program?

Desperate Housewives

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No

25. What was the best book you read?

Letters From Sam

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

My rediscovery of VanMorrison

27. What did you want and get?

Peace of mind

28. What did you want and not get?

A house...it’s in the works!

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

The Sentinel

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was sick when I turned 28, but I managed to make it to my dad’s house for a while.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I can’t think of anything....guess that’s good!

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?

Smaller sizes PLEASE.

33. What kept you sane?

Work

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Not Oprah!

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

The War In Iraq

36. Who did you miss?

My parents that live far away and my brother

37. Who was the best new person you met?

Tasha & Lindsay

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.

Fear is projecting yourself into the future...live for today.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Sometimes you need a little help from your friends....

So long 2006!!

New





This is new. To me anyway. I won this cutie Cabbage Patch doll at an auction. I had two Cabbage Patchers when they popular way back when, and when I see them for sale now, I get all nostalgic for them. Like I just have to buy another one, like two aren’t enough already. The cool thing is, this darling redhead is straight out of the 80’s. She’s from 1984, and she came with the real box and certificate and all that jazz. And here’s a little side story to go with her....

I was on my way home from the auction, and Kenny and I were driving separately, he in his truck, me in mine. I wasn’t too sure about the direction I was supposed to be going in, and we had been separated in traffic, so I was doing my best to navigate home by myself. I pulled up to a stop light, and because I was talking to my mom on the phone, I didn’t pay attention to the street name (I was supposed to turn left) so I went straight through the light and then did a U-ee in the middle of the street praying a cop wouldn’t see me. No one saw me do that. Whew. The light was red, so I stopped, checked to see if anyone was coming, then turned right. Just as I was gushing to my mom about the cute Cabbage Patch doll I now had, I see the blue and red lights in my rearview. I said a string of bad words, and told my mom I had to call her back ‘cause I thought I was getting pulled over. Turned out I was right. Dammit. I was pulled over NOT for the U-ee turn (he didn’t see that), instead for turning right on red when there was a sign that said NO TURN ON RED. Ooops, I told him, I’m not from around this city. All the while this is happening, the Cabbage Patch doll is sitting next to me in the front seat, out of the box already, like a passenger in the car. I always do this with new things....I have to look at them in the car after a purchase is made. Fun? Yes. Safe? No. But so necessary in this situation because I didn’t get a full blown ticket and I ALWAYS GET A TICKET A L W A Y S. Everyone else gets out of tickets from time to time. Not me. So he gave me some bullshit thing with no points...whew hew! I still had to pay up the wazoo, but I don’t care ‘cause there’s no issue with my insurance. My point of this long and drawn out story is that I think he saw the Cabbage Patch doll in the seat next to me and thought that I was an innocent girl who didn’t know her way around that city. Who else would have a Cabbage Patch in the front seat like that?

*Sniffle*

As I'm reading through other blogs this morning, I see that it's not just me that's feeling that after-Christmas letdown. Like someone let the air out of your tires feeling. I know I've already whined about it, but really, where did the time go? I feel like I still need to wrap presents and shuffle around looking for that "one more" gift for someone. Then I look under the tree and see all the presents unwrapped, and remember that there's no more shopping needed, except of course with the gift cards I received as presents, and I can't wait to do that! But, seriously, every year, there is this ho-hum feeling between Christmas and New Years, like I'm floating somewhere, not quite sure what to do. School starts again January 2, which is coming WAY TOO SOON. Our vacation time gets whittled down more and more every year, but seriously, January 2? If I actually drink on New Years Eve, I will have only one morning to sleep off the hangover!! That's not fair! I have spent these last few days spending gift certificates, working out till exhaustion at the gym (too many Christmas temptations that I didn't say no to), and visiting family members that I didn't get to see at Christmas. Since Kenny is back to working, I've been watching some of the new movies we got and completely avoiding the last bit of masters work I have to do. I also committed to making a quilt for St. Judes, and the fabric has been purchased, but I haven't started it yet. My point is that I have plenty of things to do with my time off, and I'm not complaining about the time, but I am just sad that Christmas is already over. Can we do it again?

Thirteen Special Ornaments

On Our Christmas Tree

1. Wooden Santa Clause from my dad

2. Handmade snowman from Tracy

3. Rocking horse from when I was a kid

4. Our names last year

5. Hunting ornament (I gave to it K a few years ago)

6. One of many frogs on the tree (I collect them!)

7. Handmade Florida sand glass bulb (from when my brother lived down there)

8. My VERY first teaching ornament from a student!

9. Circa early 1900s ribbon

10. Carousel from our tree when I was a kid

11. A bulb from my childhood Christmases

12. A new Big Boy ornament, bought last week

13. An antique cardinal, VERY OLD, from my childhood Christmases

*As I finish this post, I'm a little sad. The holidays are almost over! Where did the time go? At least I have good pictures to scrapbook the memories now*

Done Christmasing!

We had our last Christmas celebration yesterday, so we are officially home to stay. Yay! Traveling every day makes me so tired. But it's worth it to be with family, especially for Christmas. Now we can count the days left in December until....*gulp*....2007!

Ahhhh....home at last!

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Christmas!

Our's was very busy. First, Christmas between Kenny and I. That was on Christmas Eve (Kenny couldn't wait to open presents until the morning). Then we went to his parents' house in the morning, and then to part of my family's gathering in the afternoon. Whew! And there was a long drive in there....twice. So now we are home, happy, full, and pooped!

Tomorrow we are off to my other family Christmas, so the holiday is most definitley not over yet. There is still more celebrating to be had.

Kenny's favorite gift is the thumb drive. I'm surprised, because usually he likes the fun stuff, like candy or sweatshirts or blankets that I make him. He didn't know what a thumb drive was (and I didn't before I bought it!) but now he knows and LOVES it because soon he will be back and forth between 3 computers. I also got him a cute MICHIGAN lanyard to put the thing on, so he really loves it now!

My favorite gift....there are way too many. My mom made me a stool for my classroom, that was pretty cool! And she didn't put a topcoat on it so I can have my students put their hand prints on it, then I'll seal it up. I love everything I got, but most of all, I love that I was with LOVED ones today. I have so much to be grateful for.

Here are a couple pictures...I am trying to make a slide show, so stay tuned!

I think he thinks he's like the 3 Stooges...almost, but not quite...

Even Sparky was celebrating Christmas, even if he wasn't happy about it.

Merry Christmas!!

Love,

L & K

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all,

and to all a good-night."

Scavenger Hunt Photo: Lines

The LINES of a rainbow.....

I was on my way to my mom's house today, about an hour drive, and it was raining. I see the sun come through the clouds on my left, and somehow, I notice this beautiful rainbow on my right. I'm not sure what made me glance to my right, but I did, and there was the rainbow. It's been such a long time since I saw one, and I actually said outloud, "Oh my god it's so pretty!" No one was there to hear it, but I really did say it! Crazy how one minute it's raining hard, skies are all gloomy, and the next minute the sun peeks out from the clouds and there's a rainbow. It was an unexpected and welcomed sight!

** For more info on Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunters, go here http://tnchick.com/archives/686. **

Relaxation....at last........

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

The first day of Christmas Vacation. What to do with myself?? I actually set my alarm and got up at 9am to work out. Then I'm going to get a massage. I used to get them often, not anymore though, so I'm treating myself. Too bad vacation doesn't last forever.

I thought I was done Christmas shopping, but I remembered that I have one gift left to find. And it's a hard one to locate too. I can't tell you what it is because the person that asked for it is reading this blog, so I'll have to save the story until after Christmas.

Have a great Friday!!

I already miss my students. Does that explain what a great class I have this year?

Thirteen Reasons I Am Happy Today!!

1. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

2. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

3. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

4. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

5. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

6. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

7. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

8. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

9. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

10. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

11. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

12. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

13. It's the last day of school before Christmas Vacation!!!!

I'm home now, and I am just so excited I don't even know what to do with my time. I'm done Christmas shopping, the presents are wrapped, and I actually have TIME to myself for a minute!! This never happens, so I'm taking full advantage of it while Kenny is out and about because the minute he comes home, he'll want me to run around to all the stores and last minute shop with him.....NO THANKS!

Here's a picture of what my students made their parents as gifts for Christmas. They turned out really cute!! And I got rid of all the straggler puzzle pieces that I've been storing forever. As always, they used WAY TOO MUCH glitter, but that's okay because it makes it that much more sparkly. Anybody get a cool handmade gift from your kids?

Christmas Meme

Thanks Tee for this meme!!

Egg nog or hot chocolate? Egg nog!

Does Santa wrap presents or simply leave them open under the tree? He used to do ALL the wrapping. Not anymore though. I think I might hire him again when we have babies.

Do you decorate with colored or white lights? Colored.

Do you hang mistletoe? I wish!

When do you put up Christmas decorations? As soon as I'm allowed to!

What is your favorite holiday dish, excluding desserts? Stuffing.

What is your favorite childhood holiday memory? Walking with my mom, dad, and my brother to our woods to find the perfect tree every year, watching my dad cut it down, yelling TIMBER, and then taking turns pulling the tree back to the house on the sled. Priceless memories. Some of the VERY best I have.

How and when did you find out Santa wasn't real? I was about ten years old, and I FORCED my mom to tell me the truth.

How do you decorate your tree? TONS of colored lights, ornaments from my childhood and ones that Kenny and I have bought together, as well as some very pretty ones my dad bought for me a few years back.

"Snow: Love it or Dread it? LOVE IT!!!!

Do you know how to ice skate? Once upon a time, and then an ankle was busted. So, no.

What was your favorite gift ever? Either the Barbie Dream House (1980's), my Pound Puppy (the 1980's again), or my sewing maching....it's a toss-up.

What is the most important thing at the holidays? Remembering past Christmases and being with loved ones.

What is your favorite holiday dessert? Frosted sugar cookies....yum!

What is your favorite tradition? Listening to Christmas music while relaxing at home.

What tops your tree? An antique star/snowflake with tiny pink lights....very pretty!

Do you prefer to give or receive gifts? To give them....and like Tee said, especially if the gift is perfect for the person receiving it.

What is your favorite Christmas song? Anything with Bing!

Candy Canes -- Yum! or Yuck? Nice to look at, but not a fan of eating them.

Christmas

Okay, well, it's happening again. It's something that should NEVER happen, but it does, every year, and it happens to most people. What? you ask?

Forgetting the true meaning of Christmas.

I do this every year. I make lists of what to buy people for Christmas, and without a doubt those lists are way too long, and then I stress out over how much I spend on each person and by the time the holidays are over, I cringe when I *balance* the checkbook. EVERY YEAR. And I know this going into the first Christmas shopping trip...and it still always happens.

But this year, I didn't get sucked into buying too many gifts and spending too much money. I almost did, I felt it coming on, and then, about 2 weeks, ago, I was reading someone's blog, (I can't remember who's it was!!) and it dawned on me AGAIN that Christmas is about Jesus's birth, the meaning of Christmas, and being thankful for the loved ones we have around us. After all, there wouldn't be this beautiful holiday without His birth and the story surrounding that magical moment. There wouldn't be a need for all the pretty lights and delicate wrapping paper and bows that we buy or make. There wouldn't be that urgency to get "the perfect" gift for that "someone special" on our list. And we certainly wouldn't be out spending money on all those gifts. But is this holiday really about spending money? Is it about giving gifts? Is is about receiving gifts? The wise men gave gifts to Baby Jesus in the manger, but they were different kinds of gifts, not the kind that we rush to Best Buy to get on sale or thos gifts that we go broke buying. The gifts that we sometimes forget to give are the ones that matter the most...the gift of love and forgiveness, and somewhere in there, spending time with people that matter the most to us.

I actually whipped out the Bible today just to read the story of Jesus's birth. I've heard it a million times, especially around Christmas time. But I wanted to really sit down and read it, and think about how "Christ" mas the day He was born was compared to how we celebrate Christmas now.

It's so different! Back then, the gifts that the wise men gave to Jesus were gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts that were made for "royalty" and someone very special. Is that how we give gifts now? Do we give the most important gifts to the ones we love? Do we give them unconditional love and accept them for who they are? Do we do this now? I don't feel like I do. Of course I give the gift of love to everyone around me, and most of the time forgiveness, but that's not good enough. It's not just what you give at this time of year, it's what we give ALL the time, all year round, because that's the time when it really matters, in the off-season.

This just really has me thinking about the true meaning of Christmas, the most colorful, wonderful, special, magical holiday of the year for Christians. I'm proud to be a Christian, and I'm proud to say that the true meaning of Christmas KEPT me from spending too much time in the malls and too much money from the checking account. I've always known that the best gift to give to anyone is love, but this year, I'm really giving it.

Happy Birthday to the creator of

My Spatter Painted Life, LINDSAY!!!!

Click on over to her site and wish her a Happy Day!!

Putting up the tree.....AGAIN

We put up our Christmas tree on November 25th, right after Thanksgiving. Usually Kenny makes me wait until December 1st, but this year, I just couldn't. It's too exciting!

So we put it up. And then last week half the lights went out. Damn those light strands where when one light goes out, half the strand goes out too. I took ALL the decorations off and put on new lights and the decorations went back on. All done, right? Wrong.

Tonight we were shopping at Tar*get, and Kenny had his eye on a HUGE tree that was on sale. We had already decided to buy a new one after Christmas because the one we have now is the one I used in college and it's only 3 1/2 feet tall, so have always put it up on a table or something to make it seem bigger. The tree Kenny was drooling over was 8 feet and gorgeous....very real looking, as real as fake can get. And it had pinecones too. Bonus.

So we bought it. And when we came home, we took the decorations off AGAIN, then the lights came off, then the little tree went back into its box and into the closet. We put the new tree together, added more lights, the decorations and wah-lah, we're good to go.





And the best thing about it is that I made a new Christmas tree skirt while I was sick this past weekend (I had nothing better to do while I was laying around). I made a pretty big one because I knew that we would have a bigger tree next year, and it looked silly under our old dinky tree, so we weren't going to use the skirt until next year. Well, now it's in use!





For anyone who is crafty, it's all felt, and I hand sewed the trees and candy canes on it, as well as the rope border. Nothing fancy, but it was fun to make.

So that is the saga of our Christmas tree this year. Again.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 28th birthday!

There are several reasons why I haven't posted in 4 days:

*Wednesday was Parent Teacher Conferences.....LONG day.

*Thursday Kenny took me to a Red Wings game as an early celebration for my birthday since he's out of town now.

*Friday I called in sick because I REALLY WAS SICK.

*I HAVE BEEN FEELING LIKE SHIT.

Back to the Wings game. They won in over time! It was awesome! I knew at the game I was getting sick too, but I still enjoyed myself and loved every minute of it. I went to bed wondering if I was going to call in sick the next day. Sure enough I woke up feeling awful. Urgent care was a horrible experience. Usually, I can be in and out of there in 45 minutes, and that includes a prescription! But this time, with a fever, my head pounding, and the bones in my face aching so badly, I waited FOREVER! I knew I had a sinus infection. And I was right. So 3 hours later and in MUCH MORE PAIN, and got home and went to bed for the rest of the day. The pain in my face finally stopped at about midnight. The worst part about it was that I had to cancel my birthday party with my girls on Friday night. I hated making that phone call. We had all been looking forward to it since our last get-together in August. But I couldn't go sick! So Kenny took care of me on Friday and yesterday I sent him to work promising him I was fine alone, and I was. I slept a lot, and I feel now like I just have a cold.

Last night Kenny's parents gave me a cake and my present, and because Kenny is leaving to go out of town today, I am going to my dad's house for part of the day. Then a couple friends are meeting me for dinner tonight, and tomorrow my mom and I are going shopping together (I took a personal day off). Kenny comes back on Tuesday, and he'll take me out for dinner and then a surprise, whatever that means. When Kenny says "surprise" it doesn't usually mean that. It means something silly, but I love it anyway!

So despite the canceled plans and sickness, I'm still having a Happy Birthday!

All too busy week...

I have so much to talk about and ZILCH time!

So I will leave you with this:

Here is the beginning of what has turned out to be a fabulous fairytale written by one of the brightest girls I have ever met! We had just finished a discussion on remembering to indent....

And on the same day, by the same child, this was given to me. I love the drawings I receive....I actually have a "figure" even if it's a boxy one! And I always seem to have big hair and rosy cheeks.

I can't do my work....

I have lots to talk about....but right now I'm trying to do some school work and this is what I have to contend with......

He was sitting next to the computer desk, where the tree is, holding a wrapped present (not for him, I'm smarter than that!) pouting for attention. How can I not stop working with this face?

Hope everyone had a great weekend! All hail the snow falling!