A Sweet Friend

I visited some blogs yesterday. I haven't visited many in many months, but in my last few days of 'freedom' before classes start again I thought I'd check in on some friends. I left a comment on one, and got a very sweet email back saying that she missed me. It made my day and reminded me that even though I haven't met many of you, you are still a part of my life. Thanks, Natalie!

Happy New Year!

Wow, it has been a great start to the New Year! I got everything I wanted/needed for Christmas and more: a new-to-me Mini Cooper convertible! We were looking for a car for my son, and ended up with two.
School has started again and I am once again amazed at how being on 'red alert' always exhausts me. Classes start next week and I will be taking two and teaching one. While working full time and being a wife and mom. Pray for my survival!
Some friends got new phones, so we got their old BlackBerrys. We've upgraded, and as my sister said, I'm sitting at the 'cool' table now!
It's very cold here today, so I am going to get my book and curl up by the fire.
Be blessed!

National Spelling Bee

I was listening to Air1 while watching A at the skatepark this afternoon. They were having people call in to do an impromptu spelling bee in honor of the National Spelling Bee finals on TV tomorrow night. The words were like: onomatopoeia, pfefferneus (which I can't find the correct spelling of....Seth?), and some other word I'd never heard of.
I am not smarter than a fifth grader.

Really!?

This was at Wal-Mart the other day. Wow.

Thirty-One

Hey all! I'm having a catalog party for my friend who is selling Thirty-One bags. They are SO cute and you can have them monogrammed! Check out her website and let me know by Tuesday if you'd like to order something!

Stuff

Wow. I just can't keep it all up! I guess I'm just going to have to post once a week and make it a good one! I started classes again last week. This semester I am taking Small-N Design and Language and Literacy Development.
I *finally* finished the quilt to hang in the doorway of my classroom. It's been a hit. My first self-designed quilt. The flowers could have used some leaves, but it didn't happen.
I thought this was a cute self-portrait of one of my students. The blue line around his ear is his cochlear implant! :)
Here are some things I bought at the quilt show a couple of weeks ago. These fat quarters will be used for my Dear Jane quilt. Which should be finished in approximately 2030.
This was a cool pattern that looks kinda like circles, but it's not. It came with the triangle ruler to help out.
The pictures are from my camera, so the color's not so good, but these fabrics will make a cute bag to hold groceries or stuff. I have lots of stuff.
Random beads/sequins. I may do a crazy quilt someday....any advice?
This will be something new. It is a felted wool penny pincushion. (Not the bear, he's just there to look cute)

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.

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!!

Statistics

Hi all....I survived my first statistics class. Partly because I had already read the material, so that was good. The class is 5 hours a day and then we have homework assignments, so I have a feeling that I'm not going to be updating my blog very much for the next month. Not that I have been much lately anyway, this move and now class is eating my lunch!
I'll be thinking of you all even if I don't get to read ya!

Spring Break, Day 2

Sorry, I thought I had been posting comments, and I guess my cookie is disabled or some such thing. Disabled cookies...interesting.
Well, I didn't get my list completed yesterday, but I've almost done it all now. Except for washing the car and practicing my cello. But I am getting a lot done. Only one more IEP to do, and then I can start on progress reports. I'll be meeting a friend for lunch on Thursday to discuss our first presentation for class...Olive Garden...MMMmmmMMM.
My daughter stopped by to say hi. It was good to see her.

Spring Break

Well, it is my first official day of Spring Break. I have a really long (really) list of things to do.

Here's what I hope to get accomplished today:
1. Work out
2. Work on school stuff for about 2 hours
3. Take my sewing machine to another place to see if we can get it fixed and stop by Hancock's for fabric for two baby quilts I need to start on. Deposit checks, send off my taxes, go by the pharmacy
4. Practice my cello that hasn't been touched in approximately three years
5. Start cutting the quilts
6. Wash my car

I'm a list person. I like to write things down so I can cross them off. I've even been known to go so far as to write it down *so* I can cross it off! Yeah, I know....It's just what I do.

On another note, a dear friend has started blogging! Let's welcome her! I say she's a dear friend. We haven't talked in ages. I am a terrible friend, but she is one of the sweetest, kindest, most positive people I knew. I don't think I ever saw her upset about anything. And she's pretty. And she has two *sweet* kiddos! Ok, I'm starting on number one now. Have a great day!

Compassion

Meet my new friend!

A few months ago, I won a little giveaway over at Ree's (right!? I know). I say little, but this is big! A few Bloggers went on a tripto Costa Rica a few months back with Compassion International to meet the children they sponsor. I made some new bloggy friend through reading about their experiences, and it prompted me to want to sponsor a child. It was just before Christmas and so I was going to wait until after the first of the year to see if I could manage it. Before that happened, I was chosen to do this through no cost of my own. I finally got my sponsorship package in the mail yesterday, and I am very excited. They wanted me to sponsor an older child because they rarely get chosen, and I was happy to doso, so my young man is 18 and lives in Ethiopia. I can't wait to get the correspondence going.

Cutest Blog on the Block

As you know, I've been fiddling/waffling about the look of my blog. I decided to check out the website that lots of people are using (even though the name of it has been putting me off). I found this great background, though it was really dark with the template I had, so I changed it back to my old template, and I think I like it, what do you think!?

Have a lovely weekend!

Leather Tuscadero

I have this thing about funny words. Sometimes a random word or phrase pops into my head and I repeat it throughout the day, kind of like Elf saying "Francisco...." I always thought Leather Tuscadero from Grease had a great ring to it. I was kind of talking about this with my son the other day because he has to chose a song for his English class to analyze. I won't tell you what he thought would be a funny one, but it's by ACDC. Not appropriate. I was thinking more of songs that have a meaning to them, so I came up with The Flight of Icarus, by Iron Maiden. He thought that was funny. He kept saying "Flight of Icarus...." like Will Ferrell. Other things I find interesting or fun to say are: liaison, module,Tom Bombadil, quixotic, Uruk Hai, sagacious, Hedwig, rubric, oh there are hundreds more I'm sure of that I can't think of right now. Maybe I'll add them in the comments as I think of them and I'll actually have a lot of comments on a post and I'll feel all special! What words do you like to say?
Speaking of special....I have been nominated for a couple of awards recently. I don't mean to take my ball and go home, but I've decided not to participate in awards. But, consider you, my reader, nominated. If you would like to participate, bop on over and get the button from one of these two lovely ladies!

It's My Blogiversary

I just made up that word, I think. One year ago today, I began this awesome blog journey! I have learned a lot, met some awesome new friends, and have had a creative outlet that has lasted! When I started I wasn't sure it would stick. Not much does. I'm Teflon.
I thought of having a giveaway, but I've nothing to give away that would be legal (anyone for a teenage daughter?)...Then there was a chance of a new blog starting, but that hasn't come to fruition yet, so I figured I'd share some of the great friends I've found this year! I use the term 'friends' loosely, as some of these people have no idea I even exist.
Top Ten (in no particular order):
1. Ree~my motivation to even think about doing this. If you don't know her, go. Now. We'll wait. On second thought, you could be there for hours. Let's proceed.
2. Scrappy Gal
3. Alex
4. Tins
5. Ryan
6. Diber
7. Jess
8. Post Secret
9. Owlhaven
10. OMSH~though she's no longer blogging and I cry about it frequently....
As you can see I have varied interests. And these are just a few....I could go on.

Here are some people I know that have started blogs this year. I'd like to think I had some kind of positive influence on that happening, but you know, the whole big head thing....plus, half of them aren't even still blogging. Well, OK, not half because that would be 2 and 1/2 and that's not quite possible. OK, so 3 out of 5 of them still are. That's ok odds....
1. Kelli
2. Lisa
3. Caitlin
4. Taryn
5. Heather

Ok, two more, I couldn't resist:
1. Geo
2. Tallgrass~yummy eye candy!