Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful, blessed Christmas. As you can see by the last couple of posts, we spent a lot of time around the house due to the weather. It has been a nice break, though. I have worked many hours on the quilt I plan to hang in the doorway of my classroom, but am not sure if I will finish in time or not as we are off to Hot Springs tomorrow! One of my husband's friends from high school invited us, he will be proposing. It should be a nice little get away before reality sets in again. School starts back on the 4th, and I begin college classes again on the 20th. I will be taking one and co-teaching one this semester.
Hubby and I are going to try an Irish pub tonight for date night. I hope it's good. It may not really even be Irish!
We have enough candy here from Christmas to last us until Halloween next, which is not good for my waistline.
Talk to you when we get back! Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, Part Two

Here we are on Christmas Day! Did you get everything you wanted? I did, and my family was happy, which is what I wish for the most!

This drift is in our neighbors yard...A. dug through and poked his head up!

Here he is before the digging commenced. We had a nice lunch with our neighbors, and a relaxing afternoon. Off to watch more movies.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

We've already had a wonderful Christmas! We drove down to the Metroplex and had Christmas with my in-laws and their families.

Yesterday we were in San Antonio with my Mom and family down there and it was 75 degrees. We had a great visit and had a delicious "Christmas" dinner of homemade lasagna, stuffed mushrooms, and Milky Way cake. Dear Daughter got to make the rounds with us, so it was nice.

We got home just in time for this! Blizzard in Oklahoma. It started with sleet this morning, then turned to snow, with winds gusting around, it's crazy! The dogs don't want to go out. Hubby's mom was supposed to come up and dear daughter was supposed to come back, but it's just the three of us. We have a fire going, I quilted all day, we're going to open one present and watch movies.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas. Stay safe and warm!

Last Day of School!

Last day of school before Christmas Break (well, they call it Winter Break, but I call it CHRISTmas break). Lots of assemblies and parties and goings on, the kids had a blast.
We are leaving to make the rounds, I'm so excited to see my mom and other family. We will be in the Ft. Worth area and San Antonio.
I hope you have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

Wordless Thursday!

I wonder if those are 3D glasses on their tree!?

Christmas Parties

We've been going to a lot of Christmas parties lately. "White Elephant" gift exchanges here in Oklahoma are called "Dirty Santa." It has nothing to do with being dirty. Today was our school Christmas party. It was Bring Your Own Snack, Drink, and Gift. You know those plastic Solo cups everyone uses for parties? Yeah, my principal filled hers up with whiskey and drank it. Straight!

I really hate it that I'm getting old enough that I have to floss after eating meat.

I love Christmas nougats that have the little Christmas trees in the middle. I eat all around the outside to leave the Christmas tree in the middle.

We have two more days of school and then we're off for Christmas activities. We leave to see my in-laws Saturday morning and then off to my Mommy's. We'll be back here for Christmas Eve and Day.

What are you getting for Christmas?

Interpreter's Test, Part Deux

If you remember, I took the interpreter's test previously. The last one was for the state of Oklahoma. I took another one today. It is called the Educational Interpreters Performance Assessment (EIPA). It was very different, and the people were very nice. I actually feel pretty good about it. I won't have my results for a few months at most, so we'll see!

Finished!

I have returned from my last class of the semester completing my eighteenth hour. Whew! I also stayed and talked to my professor about getting some paperwork turned in, my timeline for graduation and my dissertation topic. She's on board with it all and I am pumped!

Christmas is sneaking up on us. I have most of my gifts purchased and wrapped, but not all. This weekend will be the huge baking weekend! Oh yeah!! Cookies for everyone.

We've been to two Christmas parties already and we'll have two more this next week. We'll be headed down Texas way to see the fam for Christmas, I'm so excited to see my Momma. We'll be back here for Christmas Day, first one in our new house!

I hope all is well with you.

Fatherly Wisdom

I had a great Thanksgiving, how about you? We traveled to see my hubby's family on Wednesday and Thursday, and then I flew out to North Carolina to see my grandmother who isn't doing too well. It was sad, but I'm glad I got to see her.

My dad teaches college. He shared a story with me he always tells his students on the first day of classes. He asks them to imagine their lives as a long lake. Would you rather cross the lake in a rowboat or a canoe? After discussing the pros and cons, he impresses upon them that we should strive to cross the lake of life in a canoe. While canoes may be more unsteady and take more effort, you are facing forward. In the rowboat, you are facing backward looking back on things that are in the past.

I hope you are all in canoes!

Monday Musings

1. I'm a lame blogger.
2. I am very busy. I did complete one more class this week, however. Special Ed law...I will not miss you.
3. I sent a child home with lice today.
4. I think we found a church. We're going to Sunday School and everything.
5. One more day til Thanksgiving break!
6. I still haven't finished the quilt for the opening to my classroom.
7. There's a car that sits about a block away from my school. After seeing it there for a couple of days in a row, I began to wonder what it was doing....a spy for the principal to see how often I'm late? Nope...she's the crossing guard!
8. I missed Pioneer Woman on her book tour through OKC.
9. I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm taking another interpreters test Dec. 13th.
10. I have no idea what to get my husband for Christmas.

Funny Kid Story

We gave out surveys to all the teachers, parents, and students at our school. One little boy in the third grade class I go into had a novel idea. In response to the question "What would you change about our school if you could?" he said "I would change all the people into dinosaurs."

Happy Veteran's Day!

It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle. ~General Norman Schwarzkopf

Monday Musings

I saw a beautiful rainbow on the way home this afternoon.

I finally met the little lady across the street from us. She'll be 85 soon. She has four children, but doesn't seem very well taken care of. Sad.

I wonder if my daughter will ever change?

Why are kids so fascinated with knowing their teacher's first names?

How exactly do first graders know how to pole dance (Yep, had to stop a couple a few weeks ago)?

Shadow Box

Beautiful shadow box
Originally uploaded by miadca

This is the shadow box hubby received. They did a most excellent job in placing everything. There is a flag coming that was flown over Baghdad that will have a certificate and everything. Just wasn't here in time. How neato is that!?

For those of you that know my husband, he will no longer be shaving or getting his hair cut. If you'd like to follow the hair saga, check his Facebook page.

Hubby is Retired

When did my two beautiful children grow up!?

They used to be this big

And this big.....

Hubby had his retirement ceremony on Friday. We had a great lunch with lots of friends and cake!

Someone cleverly swiped this picture from hubby's Facebook page and made a great cake.

And cuz It's Just What We Do, we like to take the piece right out of the middle!!

Catching Up

Hi! Yep, still alive. A dear friend called last night and in the course of the conversation apologized for not calling much, but said that she reads my blog to keep up with us. Oops! I've been so delinquent here she's way behind, and so are you! One of the problems (excuses?) is that I love to put pictures. Well, with the moving and the wayward child moving back in, classes, new job, yada, yada, I just haven't been as diligent. This will be a catch up post, nice and random, just like you like 'em!

Here is some delicious new fabric I got to make a quilt for a Christmas present. At the rate I'm going, it will be for *next* Christmas.

Yesterday, we decorated pumpkins at school. We used pipe cleaners, yarn, sequins, fabric, googly eyes, markers, and hot glue. Ouch. I think they turned out really cute.

We did our dress up/fall parties last week. Michael Jackson showed up.

A friend of mine gave me this series of books a looong time ago. I finally dug one out a couple of weeks ago and devoured it. If you like quilting, you might like these books. Harmless, easy-to-read. Thanks, Sherilyn!

My son is taking art this year. He recently completed a drawing of the Kool-Aid guy. The bottom is the original, the top is his version. Nice job!

Hubby showing his dark side.

I found a pretty mushroom in one of my plants.

We found a snake in the yard.

Earlier this summer hubs taught me how to put up a fan. Boy, were my arms tired, but it's always fun learning something new. Thanks, honey!

I also have been teaching one of my classes. I love it. By the end of this semester I'll have 21 hours. Only 500 more to go. Kidding, but it feels like it.

We've also used our fireplace. It's so much fun, I love it!

My job is getting better. Don't think I'm cut out for it, I like the babies with more severe disabilities, but I do love my hearing impaired kiddos.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!!

Fall Break

Oh how I love Fall (break). I get so much accomplished when I don't have to work. The weather is so nice and the sun is finally out. I am happy, happy!

I have already changed my address at OU (bout time, dontcha think!?), found a quilt store and bought fabric there, bought fabric at Hobby Lobby for the back of the quilt to cover my door, mailed hubby's birthday present back for a larger size, took my less-than-two-month-old laptop in for repair (they better not charge me), and made bread and stew for dinner.
Now all I have left to do is write a lit review, do a mid-term, finish the quilt, get my oil changed (the line was too long today), and watch UT beat OU. :)

Joke in the Bus Line

The running/current joke with the kids in my bus line is:

Kid: Why were you under there?
Me: Under where?
Kid: You said Underwear!!

Elementary school humor. Gotta love it.

Funny Sign

There's a sign at a local liquor store....100% alcohol, no gas.
I think it's so funny and clever. I smile every time I drive by. I keep meaning to take a picture, but I never do, so the words will have to suffice.

I did, however take some pictures of my kids at school today with my phone. Can't put them on here, but they looked so cute! I have these plastic Harry Potter 'glasses' that we read with. I call them our reading classes, they help us read better. One kid was having trouble today, and he said "I think I need to wear the glasses!"

Update

Hi all, nothing to report. Just homework, homework, and more homework. But I love school. I love Fall! It only got to 57 today. So nice. We are doing some work on our back porch. Hopefully I'll have some before and after photos soon. It looks great.
Back to work on my Selective Mutism lit review! TTYL

Wordless Wednesday

Early Halloween Decoration

Yuck.

A's Birthday

A turned 15 last week. He wanted an ice cream cake. An *OU* ice cream cake! I cried.

He got the requisite skateboard along with a video game and money from the grandparents. He's saving all his money for the next time he needs a deck or shoes. They don't last long in this house!

And the he had a nose bleed!

Don't you like his hair cut!?

Oh My!

It's Official

I live in Crazyville. If everything else I've ever told you on this subject wasn't enough....

When I left work for lunch today at 12:00, there was a field blocked off for parking. It included lights and porta-potties. Hubby said when he left, there were people buying permits to set up their canopies for tailgating across from the stadium. The game isn't even until tomorrow! After dinner we drove through campus so I could see. All the restaurants were packed, as I'm sure the hotels were. Nola, are you up here!? Someone had even spray painted their front lawn (nice house) with a big OU, spotlight and all. I wish I had had my camera, but didn't and there's no way I'm leaving the house tomorrow! I'll have to get a picture of it next week. I'm sure it's not going anywhere.

On another, sadder note, hubby got word today. He will be out of the Navy soon. He will be looking for a job. It is ironic that we hear this news on 9-11, eight years after the events that prompted us to re-enlist in the Navy in the first place. We knew it was coming, but it's still sad, though not nearly as sad as this day eight years ago. I mentioned it at school today and we were struck by the fact that the children were babies at the time. They have never known a world without terrorism. Hopefully they will someday. Hubby is one of the heroes that helped in the plight. Thanks.

Good Idea!

I was in one of my Kindergarten room yesterday and the teacher was giving the procedure for the stamping center. She has large washable stamp pads, paper with words printed on it, and alphabet stamps. She was explaining that you need to find the correct letter to match each word, dab it in the stamp pad, and stamp it onto the paper to spell each word. This little kid yells "Yeah! And don't lick it!"

Labor Day Weekend

It's been a great long weekend. We had some new friends over for dinner on Friday night, some of Hubby's friends from high school Saturday and Sunday, and slept in today! I've been working on a quilt for my classroom doorway. There is a doorway but no door, and people put curtains up. Well my dumb self decides to make a quilt instead of just buying some curtains, so I still have nothing up there. Between all the food and brownies and cake I think I gained back the two pounds I lost during the week.
I've also been working diligently on homework, and have more to do this evening.
I'm glad my sister has joined us in the computer age because I get to see pictures of my nephews more frequently!

Half a Vitamin

OK, so what do you do when you get to the bottom of the bottle of vitamins and there's one that's just a piece? Do you take it? Do you take it by itself, and only get half the daily recommended allowance, or do you take it with a whole one and get one and a half times the recommended daily allowance? I feel like an LD child that won't take a broken cookie!

OU Mania

OK, These people are crazy! I've talked about this before, but now we actually live in the same town as OU. I never thought it possible, but it's worse. I even have put an OU license plate on the front of my car so that it doesn't get vandalized.
So this morning, I'm riding with my windows down, music on loud, and I stop at the red light. The man next to me rolls down his window, jerks his thumb backwards and asks if that means I'm a Texas fan. I said, No, sir, I'm just from Texas. He says, Oh, good, well, and I said, I figured I better put that thing on the front so my car doesn't get vandalized. He says, well, you need to add an upside down Longhorn to the back.

No, sorry.

He did have me laughing the rest of the way to work!

Funny Teacher Story

We were making paper stars at school the other day. A 'getting to know you' activity since I am new at the school. I had them write their names in the middle, and on each point of the star, a different fact about themselves: favorite color, brothers and sisters, favorite food, what they wanted to be when they grow up, and if they had any pets. So, this one boy gets to the What do you want to be when you grow up? question and says he doesn't know. I said, well, just think about it, I know you can come up with something. So he finally says: "I know!! I want to grow up and be married to a woman and not be gay like my uncle."
Um...
This is one of those moments when you pray your face will remain motionless. He finally decided he'll work in a fish store.

On another note, I am taking three classes this semester. I am pretty excited about it, too! It may kill me, but at least I'll go happily! Ha.

Week Two, the Trip

These picts got a little out of order, but I'm too lazy to fix them, because I am leaving for San Antonio to see my Momma on my last free weekend before school starts, even though my room isn't ready yet. Oh well. It'll get done.

Obviously, we went to Vegas. This is a cousin that came with us. Couldn't pass up this shot!

Hubs won $550! Woo-hoo. And I bought a new pair of shoes, and it was gone. Just kidding. About it being all gone, not about the shoes. They're really cute.

This is where we camped at the Grand Canyon. We drove to a place very remote called the Toroweap Overlook.


As you can see, you can get very close to the edge. Too close for my comfort! Ha. It was beautiful!




Before we left CA, we drove into LA and toured Hollywood.



Hubs got better picts than I did at these two places. There are more on my Flickr page.

A also learned to surf at the beach at San Marcos. He loved it and wants to move to California.

Have fun!

Then we were off to Colorado. Now there I could move. It was awesome, and the weather was nice and cool. Glad I brought a jacket. We stayed at Purgatory, but no skiing this time. We rode the Durango-Silverton Railroad and had a blast.


This is what my husband looks like!

Aspen trees. So beautiful, and I remember them from when I was a little girl and we went skiing every year.

Here are my two clowns.

Don't think I told you guys....I got A's in both my Stats classes I took this summer! Woot!

The End.

San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo!

Cool lizard. Yep, it was real.

The requisite hippo photo for my daughter.

Really big water.

Messin' around!

Yeah.

Week one of Trip

We had a great trip. We drove from here (Norman) to Carlsbad, NM. We stayed the night and then went to the caverns the next day. We took the Natural Entrance self-guided tour and also did the King's Palace ranger-guided tour. It was beautiful. It was interesting to learn about the young man (Jim White) who discovered the caverns thinking the bats were smoke from a fire.

We stayed until the evening to watch the bats come out of the cave. No pictures allowed, but it was awesome the number of bats that come out. They come out in a spiral formation counterclockwise and we watched for at least thirty minutes.

We drove to El Paso for the night and then on to Yuma, AZ for another night. It was interesting to see the fence demarcating Mexico.

A had never seen a cactus so big!

I loved these flowers.

We then drove to my husband's cousin's in Escondido. I've never had an In-N-Out burger, so of course we had to stop there. Pretty delicious!!