As always Santa, family, and friends were good to me. Here is what I got:
silver chain (regift from last year as it was found in a box)
plaid dress
cream shirt
solid socks
winter socks
squeegee
silver watch
back brush
leggings
bullet blender
corning ware
jeans
Ovglove
massage gift card
Tarheel cookie cutters
Pear Pairs game
blue sweatsuit
class $
homemade lemon poppy seed loaf
purple shirt and tank
homemade stocking
backpack
calendar
homemade marshmallows
black shirt
black sweater
necklace/earrings with C
dip with dish
black stone necklace
chocolate bars
Godiva chocolate
homemade peppermint bark
Barnes & Noble $
Bag with chocolates
running shirt & gloves nuts
ornament
Santa light up hat
Bath & Body Lotion
$ from Uncle Duane
$ from G & G
Toni's published book
Fiesta ware mug
Fiesta ware salt and pepper shakers
beach bag
peppermint lotion set
IKEA knives
black boots
knee socks
lunch
short socks
California Pizza $
lotion set
people chopsticks
silicon hot pads
Then of course I received wonderful cards, emails, and facebook messages.
Thanks to all!
See why I choose to celebrate my half birthday. Who needs anything after a Christmas like mine.
(I need to learn how to do columns. I tried html code with no success. Sorry)
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Snow-Love it or Hate it?
December 18th should be an exciting day as a teacher since it is the last day before a nice long Christmas break and boy was it! With the threat of snow coming school closed at noon which was great to get on the road to Michigan earlier than planned. I was the first driver. We made it to Winston-Salem at a normal pace and then the snow really started coming down. The local weather said Mt. Airy was expected to get 12 inches which was not a good sign for us. We kept trucking along going anywhere from five to thirty mph. Once we hit I-77 in NC we saw accident after accident. People were spinning out everywhere so I slowed our pace down. We finally reached Virginia and knew we were not going to make it much further. There is basically only one city we pass which is Wyhteville so we called a hotel to check availability and canceled our reservations in Ohio. We were moving slow! 33 miles took us 5 hours. A mile from the hotel we came to a complete stop. Apparently there was an accident in the tunnel ahead or no one could make it through but whatever it was it closed the Interstate. We were lucky because we had gas and plenty of snacks. After 2 hours Dave decides to get out to clean off the car and walk up a bit. In the process of cleaning off his car he loses his wedding ring. So then Julie is out looking. This gets the truckers attention and they come out to help search. The wedding ring was never found but we made new friends. The truckers helped us get out by one of them backing up and we made the 1/4 mile drive to the ramp on the shoulder. We had to be in low gear and just keep going. Once off the ramp there was a Fed Ex truck blocking the way. This caused us to stop. Then Julie and I had to get out and push to get us going. Finally we made it to the La Quinta Inn in Wytheville, VA. Going up the hill to the hotel could be another complete post, but we made it. Thankfully they kept our reservation but they almost didn't. There was no food at the hotel so we went to bed having just string cheese and snacks for dinner. (of course Leah had dinner) Now we are up and just waiting for the roads to be cleared. I-77 is still closed so we may be heading to Knoxville which is 200 miles away and then up I-75. We just got a report that Charleston, WV is getting 10 inches of snow which would mean we would be driving into it again. Where we are we currently have 15 inches. Wish us luck! We hope to be in Michigan by Christmas!
Video and pictures to come!
Video and pictures to come!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Ruby
Today I bought a new car! Yes, it is a Saturn and it will be the last I ever own. She is my fourth. She follows Roxy, Elroy, and Flipper. I stayed loyal and saved money :) Her name is Ruby and she is ruby red with a tan interior. Perhaps she will make a debut to Michigan and then to Virginia but that is still up for debate.
I still have Flipper if anyone would like to buy him or has a friend interested let me know. Flipper is posted on Craig's List if you want more information.
Goodbye Flipper you were a good car.
Hello Ruby! I hope you will be even better.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Fall 2009
So once Carlos comes back to the USA and brings his camera I will continue to update Europe. We thought we had copied them all on to a flash drive but we ran out of space. We would have had plenty of space on Hao's external hard drive but we forgot it because we were too busy drinking and having a good ole time on my last night. It will be worth the wait because the pictures from the good cameras (not mine) are way better.
Leah's First Birthday
September 12, 2009
We have to take it back to September. Leah turned one! She was a bit spoiled and had two birthdays. Here are the pictures from her North Carolina birthday.
Walk for Education
October 17, 2009
I ran the 5K for my school district four minutes faster than last year. I was pretty pleased with my progress. I tried to keep up with a co-worker but I could not. However, it was quite sad to run it by myself. My running buddies (Hao and John) better get their butts back in shape. Claire, Julie, and Leah came to cheer me on. Well they went for hot chocolate then missed me but caught me at the end. Then at the end I was pleasantly surprised to see that my running buddies came out to support me too. The day ended with shopping at the outlets. Boy were my legs sore and tired.
Here are a few pics:
Daily Afternoon Routine
Leah and I hang out after work together. We either go for a jog, play, get the mail or do it all. She was looking particularly cute in her sweatsuit as we went to get the mail on a glorious fall afternoon. What do you think?
Leah's First Birthday
September 12, 2009
We have to take it back to September. Leah turned one! She was a bit spoiled and had two birthdays. Here are the pictures from her North Carolina birthday.
Walk for Education
October 17, 2009
I ran the 5K for my school district four minutes faster than last year. I was pretty pleased with my progress. I tried to keep up with a co-worker but I could not. However, it was quite sad to run it by myself. My running buddies (Hao and John) better get their butts back in shape. Claire, Julie, and Leah came to cheer me on. Well they went for hot chocolate then missed me but caught me at the end. Then at the end I was pleasantly surprised to see that my running buddies came out to support me too. The day ended with shopping at the outlets. Boy were my legs sore and tired.
Here are a few pics:
Daily Afternoon Routine
Leah and I hang out after work together. We either go for a jog, play, get the mail or do it all. She was looking particularly cute in her sweatsuit as we went to get the mail on a glorious fall afternoon. What do you think?
Monday, September 07, 2009
Frankfurt to Amsterdam
So the Labor Day weekend gave me some free time. Here is the first part of my European adventure.
To Amsterdam
We woke up really early in order to get to Amsterdam for Gay Pride. I think we ended up leaving around 7:30. I rode with Carlos in his BMW with Sally his GPS. I have to mention her because you will hear about her again. The 4 ½ hour trip took us at least 6 hours. Hao and John were extremely tired and had to make several stops for coffee and the bathroom. I couldn’t help drive because I don’t know how to drive a stick shift. Someone is going to have to teach me for future travels. The car ride seemed to take forever because Hao and John drive much slower than Carlos. I had a great time trying to decode the road signs. I did like the autobahn and the no speed limit but it would last for such short periods of time. Sometimes only 30 seconds!
Upon arrival in Amsterdam Carlos began to stress out. Driving on cobblestones in the narrow lanes is frightening. Sally had us all confused but we ended up finding Victoria Park Place easily. The only problem was there was no space to unload the cars so we parked in the bus/taxi lanes illegally. Carlos somehow forgot his passport and sent me to check in. That did not work but his German driver’s license did. The bellman took our luggage to our rooms and we were off to the P+R, which is Park and Ride for 8 Euros a day versus hotel parking for 50 Euros a day. Sally got us to the P+R easily but of course we still had to make a U-turn. Then we rode the tram to the hotel. On the tram we were yelled at for having 2 strollers because only one was permitted to be open but they let us get away with it.
Amsterdam
Day 1-So we decided to walk the city since we had all been here before and see if any Gay Pride celebrations were still happening. Our first stop was a Tapas restaurant where we had a bite to eat. Traveling with this crew is a totally different culinary experience because we share ALL our food. When the food arrives we immediately start cutting in to whatever looks good to share the flavors. After lunch we did some window shopping and some shopping. Both Ha Lien and Hoang Linh left with a Miffy purchase. (Thanks for teaching me about Miffy, Toni!) We attempted to walk to the west park but we didn’t find it so we walked to Vondel Park in the south part of town. I, of course, was a wealth of knowledge since I had just done a walking tour in April. In Vondel Park we watched some crazy rollerbladers and fed the ducks. For dinner we had some Italian food with a super rude waiter. I had to get the high chair and carry it downstairs. John did not like the waiter one bit! We had pizza and calzones then headed back for the night. We walked and walked and walked that day. If only I had worn my pedometer.
Amsterdam
Day 2-Ha Lien really wanted to ride on the canal so we got tickets for the Museum hop on hop off boat. As soon as we bought the ticket the captain led us to the boat. It was perfect timing. Hao, John, and the kids were off to the zoo. Carlos and I went to the Resistance Museum using Toni and Jesse’s museum card to get in free while John, Hao, and the kids went to the expensive but very nice zoo. Carlos and I learned that the Dutch only fought the Germans for 4 days. The museum had many pictures and items from WWII. When we finished at the museum we sat at the café next door and had a beer. Who knew that the café was in my Amsterdam Top 10 book! What a bonus! While sitting there I read the museum canal bus schedule and it looked like the captain told us wrong so we tried to text and call the zoo clan but did not get to them but it did not matter because the captain was correct. Never doubt the captain! We took the boat back to the hotel for them to recommend a place for us to eat. They suggested a Chinese restaurant in Dam Square called Asia Dam. It was up on the second floor overlooking the square. The waitress was not patient and had a blue tooth. Literally she had a blue tooth. We made jokes that she was on the phone so much that she couldn’t serve us. She was not Carlos’ favorite. We had fried rice, a tofu dish, beef and Chinese broccoli, and ribs. It was delicious. Afterwards we walked the Red Light district, had dessert, and went back to the hotel.
To Amsterdam
We woke up really early in order to get to Amsterdam for Gay Pride. I think we ended up leaving around 7:30. I rode with Carlos in his BMW with Sally his GPS. I have to mention her because you will hear about her again. The 4 ½ hour trip took us at least 6 hours. Hao and John were extremely tired and had to make several stops for coffee and the bathroom. I couldn’t help drive because I don’t know how to drive a stick shift. Someone is going to have to teach me for future travels. The car ride seemed to take forever because Hao and John drive much slower than Carlos. I had a great time trying to decode the road signs. I did like the autobahn and the no speed limit but it would last for such short periods of time. Sometimes only 30 seconds!
Upon arrival in Amsterdam Carlos began to stress out. Driving on cobblestones in the narrow lanes is frightening. Sally had us all confused but we ended up finding Victoria Park Place easily. The only problem was there was no space to unload the cars so we parked in the bus/taxi lanes illegally. Carlos somehow forgot his passport and sent me to check in. That did not work but his German driver’s license did. The bellman took our luggage to our rooms and we were off to the P+R, which is Park and Ride for 8 Euros a day versus hotel parking for 50 Euros a day. Sally got us to the P+R easily but of course we still had to make a U-turn. Then we rode the tram to the hotel. On the tram we were yelled at for having 2 strollers because only one was permitted to be open but they let us get away with it.
Amsterdam
Day 1-So we decided to walk the city since we had all been here before and see if any Gay Pride celebrations were still happening. Our first stop was a Tapas restaurant where we had a bite to eat. Traveling with this crew is a totally different culinary experience because we share ALL our food. When the food arrives we immediately start cutting in to whatever looks good to share the flavors. After lunch we did some window shopping and some shopping. Both Ha Lien and Hoang Linh left with a Miffy purchase. (Thanks for teaching me about Miffy, Toni!) We attempted to walk to the west park but we didn’t find it so we walked to Vondel Park in the south part of town. I, of course, was a wealth of knowledge since I had just done a walking tour in April. In Vondel Park we watched some crazy rollerbladers and fed the ducks. For dinner we had some Italian food with a super rude waiter. I had to get the high chair and carry it downstairs. John did not like the waiter one bit! We had pizza and calzones then headed back for the night. We walked and walked and walked that day. If only I had worn my pedometer.
Amsterdam
Day 2-Ha Lien really wanted to ride on the canal so we got tickets for the Museum hop on hop off boat. As soon as we bought the ticket the captain led us to the boat. It was perfect timing. Hao, John, and the kids were off to the zoo. Carlos and I went to the Resistance Museum using Toni and Jesse’s museum card to get in free while John, Hao, and the kids went to the expensive but very nice zoo. Carlos and I learned that the Dutch only fought the Germans for 4 days. The museum had many pictures and items from WWII. When we finished at the museum we sat at the café next door and had a beer. Who knew that the café was in my Amsterdam Top 10 book! What a bonus! While sitting there I read the museum canal bus schedule and it looked like the captain told us wrong so we tried to text and call the zoo clan but did not get to them but it did not matter because the captain was correct. Never doubt the captain! We took the boat back to the hotel for them to recommend a place for us to eat. They suggested a Chinese restaurant in Dam Square called Asia Dam. It was up on the second floor overlooking the square. The waitress was not patient and had a blue tooth. Literally she had a blue tooth. We made jokes that she was on the phone so much that she couldn’t serve us. She was not Carlos’ favorite. We had fried rice, a tofu dish, beef and Chinese broccoli, and ribs. It was delicious. Afterwards we walked the Red Light district, had dessert, and went back to the hotel.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Europe
Europe was great! I am home safe and sound and exhaused. Now I have to think about work :( I went to the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco. I will update all my travels with pictures and writing throughout the week. I could not update as we went because we left the powercord in Switzerland and I was too lazy to walk to the Internet cafe. (It was also expensive!) Never fear I did take notes so I could remember the funnies!
Monday, August 03, 2009
Frankfurt
Our first day in Europe was in Frankfurt. After unloading at the beautiful hotel where I got my own room (thanks Carlos) we headed out to explore Frankfurt. Our first mission was to see Carlos' apartment. It was just a few blocks walk from the hotel. When we arrived it had a cute courtyard but was up 5 flights of stairs! Ha Lien wanted to go up more. It was definitely small but we could fit. It has a living room, tiny kitchen (no oven but a washing machine) a hallway with a closet and bathroom, and a bedroom. I guess no bigger than 500 square feet.
Then it was off to lunch. We went to a Vietnamese infusion place. John and I had Thai curry mine with noodles his with rice. Carlos had the special of the day, Hao had some rice noodles on top of a salad looking thing and Ha Lien had Pho. It was delicious and we had a good people watching seat. In fact as mothers with strollers aka baby cars walked by Hao asked where we could get another. Then it was off to find the stroller. The street Carlos lives on is really cute. If only I could put a picture in right now. I will later but this machine costs 35 cents a minute. We walked all around the shopping area and could not find the Baby Walz. Finally after asking three people we found it. The stroller was purchased and we were off to have a drink by the river. Carlos' friend Miguel met us with beer and blankets. To get to the river was an adventure because there was a festival going on. Ha Lien rode a ride and totally tour up her Keen shoe and now is down to just Crocs. Then we sat by the river and had a beer. Well I didn't Ha Lien and I went to the children's park on the bank of the river. It had a really cool water/sand part. After lounging we picked up some wieners for dinner, payed to pee, and headed back to the hotel for some much neeeded rest.
Then it was off to lunch. We went to a Vietnamese infusion place. John and I had Thai curry mine with noodles his with rice. Carlos had the special of the day, Hao had some rice noodles on top of a salad looking thing and Ha Lien had Pho. It was delicious and we had a good people watching seat. In fact as mothers with strollers aka baby cars walked by Hao asked where we could get another. Then it was off to find the stroller. The street Carlos lives on is really cute. If only I could put a picture in right now. I will later but this machine costs 35 cents a minute. We walked all around the shopping area and could not find the Baby Walz. Finally after asking three people we found it. The stroller was purchased and we were off to have a drink by the river. Carlos' friend Miguel met us with beer and blankets. To get to the river was an adventure because there was a festival going on. Ha Lien rode a ride and totally tour up her Keen shoe and now is down to just Crocs. Then we sat by the river and had a beer. Well I didn't Ha Lien and I went to the children's park on the bank of the river. It had a really cool water/sand part. After lounging we picked up some wieners for dinner, payed to pee, and headed back to the hotel for some much neeeded rest.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
To Germany
The first stop on our trip was to Frankfurt. Getting to Frankfurt was a piece of cake. The two hours alloted at the airport gave us just enough time to get a snack and go to the bathroom and then we were on the plane. We were a bit delayed 20 minutes or so which meant we walked right on to the plane in Cinncinatti. The kids were great and we all got some rest. The bad part was we were not on an airbus so we did not have individual TVs which was a bummer.
Upon arrival we were the very last off the plane. It is tough to get a carseat off. So we had no one to follow. I ended up directing us to a line that was not customs. We were back in line to get into the airport. oops! Hao noticed and off to the right place we went which was downstairs. Of course no one was there so we walked right through only to wait on our luggage. The other car seat was the very last piece of luggage so we had to wait what seemed like an hour but was not.
The car rental was booked ahead of time but was wrong. The place closed at 12 and it was 11 and 40 minutes of city driving away. Hao said the lady on the phone said it was in the city center, but I guess not. So then it was the process of getting a new car. They originally switched us to a Ford Focus Station wagon which was fine but it did not have the car seat latches. After an hour we finally found a car in the same price range with the latches. We now have a Puegot!
Then it was off to Hotel NH for a shower. Carols would not allow us to stay with him. He said his place was too small but it was not.
Next we toured Frankfurt which will be my next post.
There is no working spell check sorry about that. I'll fix it at the next stop.
Tschus!
Upon arrival we were the very last off the plane. It is tough to get a carseat off. So we had no one to follow. I ended up directing us to a line that was not customs. We were back in line to get into the airport. oops! Hao noticed and off to the right place we went which was downstairs. Of course no one was there so we walked right through only to wait on our luggage. The other car seat was the very last piece of luggage so we had to wait what seemed like an hour but was not.
The car rental was booked ahead of time but was wrong. The place closed at 12 and it was 11 and 40 minutes of city driving away. Hao said the lady on the phone said it was in the city center, but I guess not. So then it was the process of getting a new car. They originally switched us to a Ford Focus Station wagon which was fine but it did not have the car seat latches. After an hour we finally found a car in the same price range with the latches. We now have a Puegot!
Then it was off to Hotel NH for a shower. Carols would not allow us to stay with him. He said his place was too small but it was not.
Next we toured Frankfurt which will be my next post.
There is no working spell check sorry about that. I'll fix it at the next stop.
Tschus!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Michigan-July 24
At the last minute I decided to go up to Michigan to help Julie, Dave, and Leah move down and to go to Maureen's bridal shower. It was a quick fun trip. Of course it started with lunch at Olgas then a visit to Aunt Paula's. My first night was spent at the Cavallaro's house. On Friday Julie and I did a little shopping and then went to hang out with Nicole and Anthony. That evening Tom and Nicole had a little cookout. I introduced the high school crew to bananagrams but they didn't love it. Saturday was the bridal shower. It ended up being indoors and a bit toasty since there were isolated thunderstorms all day. The shower was nice. The ending was the best. Eric showed up and was given the best gift of all...a velvet portrait of the alien ET for his initials. Maureen's aunt got it as a wedding gift so she was happy to have someone to give it to after 26 years. I hope it makes an appearance at the wedding. It would be a great photo backdrop! After the shower I went to Andy and Susan's but they were not here. It was good to see the family, meet Drew's adorable girlfriend and hold and spoil Allison. Sunday was spent with Tom, Nicole, and Anthony. I attempted to go to the pool, we went to the park and we had Thai food! Sunday night I stayed at Aunt Paula and Uncle Sal's in order for an earlier departure. I taught them bananagrams too and they liked it but need more practice. Mom and I took turns driving Julie's car to NC. Now everyone is here and I leave for Europe tomorrow.
Coshocton, Ohio-Roscoe Village
On the way up to Michigan my dad wanted to stop in a historic canal town. Roscoe Village is in Coshocton, Ohio which is in middle of the state. The town was really cute. You could buy a tour ticket and visit all the buildings where people would be in costume portraying what really took place during the 1800s. However, since my dad was in charge of the trip we missed the last tour which was at 3. We arrived at 3:15. It was a bummer but we could look in all the windows and visit the shops. Then it started to rain so we couldn't take a canal tour either but it was okay. Instead we went to Walgreens to burn a CD of my pictures and then to The Warehouse Steak n Stein for dinner and live music. The evening ending with a trip to the sauna and hot tub for me.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Summer Trip #2 Michigan June 2009
For my second trip of the summer I rode up to Michigan with the 'rents. We went for a visit, of course, but we primarily went to help Julie and Dave pack for their big move and to meet the newest member of my mom's side of the family.
The trip for the most part was uneventful. I spent most of my time watching Leah since the house became messier and messier with packing which meant it was less and less baby proof. We went to visit Leah's boyfriend Noah where Leah learned to walk with a toy which was pretty exciting and I had to have Olgas.
On Thursday I met Scott and Joe in Ann Arbor. As expected Joe and I got to Scott's house before he did. We wandered around looking for him only to see him pull up minutes later. Typical! He gave us a tour of his lake house he is renting with some other folks. Then it was to downtown Ann Arbor. Our first stop was a martini bar. It was early so they had mini martinis on special. I had a few of those and was done for the night. Joe and Scott continued to drink and reminisce about college. They did some dumb stuff! The end of the night was pretty exciting. As we were walking back to the car we saw an SUV with a bunch of black guys get pulled over by lady cops. The car was not speeding however they were dumb enough to have the windows down and solo cups hanging out. As they were pulled over Scott hid behind a billboard at a bus stop to watch the incident. While Scott was doing that Joe and I went to find a bathroom. We told Scott we were going to go to the bar/club right near the bus stop. When we got to the door we noticed there was a cover so we kept walking. We had to walk a good bit for a free pee but we figured Scott would be smart enough to call us. While we were in the bathroom more cops arrived at the scene but nothing major transpired. Scott says the cops saw him and asked him what he was doing in which he replied he was heading to his car or something. Scott then had to leave the scene and find us. He was silly enough to pay the cover to go in looking for us. After a few missed cell phone calls we met up and went home. I really wanted to introduce them to Bananagrams but I forgot it. Plus it was late and my Michigan mother, aka Julie, texted me to see when I was going to be home. She forgot to tell me I had a curfew :)
Julie and Dave had a wedding (Adam and Heather's) so my mom and I fought over who got to watch Leah. I did the rehearsal dinner and my mom did the wedding. Leah when you are old enough to read this I want you to know that you were great until bed time came and then you were t-terrible. You cried and cried and wouldn't let yourself relax. After more than an hour you finally allowed yourself to go to dreamland. Thanks for that! Please don't do that again :)
On Saturday I had plans to stay with Tom, Nicole, and Anthony while my mom babysat alone but Nicole was under the weather so the plans changed. We ended up going to Rochester and I hung out with the Chircos for an hour. They weren't as sick as I thought but I did not bring stuff to stay over. We also visited the Thielemans. Leah was a perfect angel! Then it was wedding crashing time. Julie requested we dress Leah up and meet up with them to take a few family pictures since everyone would be looking nice. That is exactly what we did!
The next event was to the boat. On the way over we stopped to meet Allison Anne Tuladziecki. She was so tiny and beautiful. Congrats Andy and Susan! Landon didn't want anything to do with her and Leah wanted to be able to do everything Landon did. At the boat we entertained the kids, took a dinghy ride, and ate lots of yummy food.
The last events of Michigan included a swim at the Forest Lake Country Club ,watching the movers load up the majority of Julie and Dave's stuff, and meeting Julie's neighbors. Why is it when you are moving your neighbors suddenly come out of the wood work?
Then it was home for me to tutor, dog sit, and just hang out at my pool. Money and sun are two of my favorite things.
Here is a slideshow of the trip. I am slowly trying to get better at this blogging.
The trip for the most part was uneventful. I spent most of my time watching Leah since the house became messier and messier with packing which meant it was less and less baby proof. We went to visit Leah's boyfriend Noah where Leah learned to walk with a toy which was pretty exciting and I had to have Olgas.
On Thursday I met Scott and Joe in Ann Arbor. As expected Joe and I got to Scott's house before he did. We wandered around looking for him only to see him pull up minutes later. Typical! He gave us a tour of his lake house he is renting with some other folks. Then it was to downtown Ann Arbor. Our first stop was a martini bar. It was early so they had mini martinis on special. I had a few of those and was done for the night. Joe and Scott continued to drink and reminisce about college. They did some dumb stuff! The end of the night was pretty exciting. As we were walking back to the car we saw an SUV with a bunch of black guys get pulled over by lady cops. The car was not speeding however they were dumb enough to have the windows down and solo cups hanging out. As they were pulled over Scott hid behind a billboard at a bus stop to watch the incident. While Scott was doing that Joe and I went to find a bathroom. We told Scott we were going to go to the bar/club right near the bus stop. When we got to the door we noticed there was a cover so we kept walking. We had to walk a good bit for a free pee but we figured Scott would be smart enough to call us. While we were in the bathroom more cops arrived at the scene but nothing major transpired. Scott says the cops saw him and asked him what he was doing in which he replied he was heading to his car or something. Scott then had to leave the scene and find us. He was silly enough to pay the cover to go in looking for us. After a few missed cell phone calls we met up and went home. I really wanted to introduce them to Bananagrams but I forgot it. Plus it was late and my Michigan mother, aka Julie, texted me to see when I was going to be home. She forgot to tell me I had a curfew :)
Julie and Dave had a wedding (Adam and Heather's) so my mom and I fought over who got to watch Leah. I did the rehearsal dinner and my mom did the wedding. Leah when you are old enough to read this I want you to know that you were great until bed time came and then you were t-terrible. You cried and cried and wouldn't let yourself relax. After more than an hour you finally allowed yourself to go to dreamland. Thanks for that! Please don't do that again :)
On Saturday I had plans to stay with Tom, Nicole, and Anthony while my mom babysat alone but Nicole was under the weather so the plans changed. We ended up going to Rochester and I hung out with the Chircos for an hour. They weren't as sick as I thought but I did not bring stuff to stay over. We also visited the Thielemans. Leah was a perfect angel! Then it was wedding crashing time. Julie requested we dress Leah up and meet up with them to take a few family pictures since everyone would be looking nice. That is exactly what we did!
The next event was to the boat. On the way over we stopped to meet Allison Anne Tuladziecki. She was so tiny and beautiful. Congrats Andy and Susan! Landon didn't want anything to do with her and Leah wanted to be able to do everything Landon did. At the boat we entertained the kids, took a dinghy ride, and ate lots of yummy food.
The last events of Michigan included a swim at the Forest Lake Country Club ,watching the movers load up the majority of Julie and Dave's stuff, and meeting Julie's neighbors. Why is it when you are moving your neighbors suddenly come out of the wood work?
Then it was home for me to tutor, dog sit, and just hang out at my pool. Money and sun are two of my favorite things.
Here is a slideshow of the trip. I am slowly trying to get better at this blogging.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Memorial Day 2009
Julie and Leah came down to NC for Memorial Day. I was excited to take Leah swimming in my neighborhood pool, however, that did not happen because my pool had a big leak. Instead we (yes me, Leah, and Julie) sat and played in a baby pool on the deck. We also attended the Birdsong Lane Pig Pickin' Picnic with the wonderful neighbors. To end the weekend we took a trip to Duke Gardens with lunch in downtown Durham at Alivia's. We ended the weekend with a stop at my house. It was a grand time for all! This is also my first attempt at using Picasa. I will get better with the pictures, I promise!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Summer Begins! Trip #1
School ended on June 10th and my first trip scheduled was June 12th. I didn't waste any time :) I went to Beaufort, NC with the Gaskin's and the Orr's. That would be 4 adults and 6 children and then me. It was a co-worker's beach house that we rented on the Bogue Sound. We left on Friday afternoon. The Orr's were scheduled to arrive before us and get everything ready. It was a four hour trip that went smoothly for the most part. We made one stop to get gas, drinks, and use the potty. Ha Lien is fascinated with every potty now that she uses it. She also was very impressed with the automatic paper towel dispenser. She just loves to say automatic. Then we were off! Within 10 minutes John was freaking out. When he left the gas station a man bumped into him and now he can't find his wallet.(Losing his wallet is pretty routine but he is convinced he was pick pocketed.) So Hao is calm and turns the mini van around. We pull off and John gets out to look more carefully. Low and behold it is in the center compartment where he always puts it. While we are driving the owner of the beach house calls and informs us that the Orr's just got there. 6 hours from when they left! Let's say they are not the best with directions. Let's hope they are happy when we arrive. 20 minutes from reaching the beach house my phone rings. Esther has made dinner for us but there is one big problem! It is an old oven with a latch that you only use when you do the self cleaning mode. Well she didn't know that and locked the oven with two chickens inside. This trip was going to be an adventure...
After an hour or two of trying to get the chickens out we called it quits and ate sandwiches. A huge storm rolled in and we prayed for the electricity to stay on. It did but it sure flickered a lot. We played Bananagrams and chased the kids around. Then it was bed time.
Sleeping arrangements were not my favorite. I had a pull out couch that I was sharing with Hallie, nine year old Orr girl. Then Marlee, seven year old decided she wanted to sleep with me too. I was freezing all night long with no covers.
Saturday-I was first up so I got my guide books (heading back to Europe at the end of the summer) and went to the dock. I swung and read my book and saw a dolphin. It was quite peaceful. About an hour later the gang woke up and the chaos began. Once all five kids were ready for the beach it was me and them. Hoang Linh was sleeping so Hao stayed up with him, Esther was cleaning, and John and Kym went to the store. So it was me and the non swimming girls. I pulled them on floats and carried them around the water. I broke up arguments about sand toys and we had a blast until the jellyfish freaked them out. Luckily jellyfish are slow and dumb so we could easily get away. At 10:00 I requested a beer! It felt like I had been out playing for 5 hours! Soon after my beer Hao informed me that her high school friend was stopping by. This meant two more adults and two more kids. Bring it on! This is also the same time the microwave stopped working. We had now broken the oven and microwave, not to mention we had to hide tons of stuff to kid proof the house.
The men returned with food and Lida, Alex, Sabrina, and Marcos joined us. We played on the beach all day. I ended up with a burnt back from leaning over and playing all day but it was fun! We grilled for dinner and had everything cleaned up just before the nightly storm blew in. The four extra guests decided to stay the night. Good thing Hao brought an air mattress.
Sunday-A leisurely breakfast was had by all and then the dolphins returned. We saw 2 more swim by. The kids loved it! Then it was back to the beach for everyone but Kayla. She was stung by a jellyfish (we think) and was terrified to get back in the sound. By this time all the kids were grouchy from too much fun, sun, and little sleep. Maya, Kayla, and Ha Lien had fun purposely leaving Sabrina out. Girls,are just so catty even at a young age. But we managed to have fun anyways. Originally we planned to stay through Monday but since we were so far from civilization with no cell phone service and definitely no Internet John could not work remotely. We decided to pack up and head home. I entertained the kids as the other adults cleaned. We left around 4. The big pain was we had to take all of our trash with us. This was yucky! It ended up getting strapped to the roof of the van and we were off. We tried to drop it off at a gas station but the owner came out and fussed at us. We had to dig a bag out of the trash. Luckily the local dump was about 200 feet from the gas station. All the man had to do was tell us that but of course he didn't. 4 hours later I was home and repacking to leave the following day for my next trip which was to Michigan.
Here are a few videos from the beach. I forgot to pull out my camera.
After an hour or two of trying to get the chickens out we called it quits and ate sandwiches. A huge storm rolled in and we prayed for the electricity to stay on. It did but it sure flickered a lot. We played Bananagrams and chased the kids around. Then it was bed time.
Sleeping arrangements were not my favorite. I had a pull out couch that I was sharing with Hallie, nine year old Orr girl. Then Marlee, seven year old decided she wanted to sleep with me too. I was freezing all night long with no covers.
Saturday-I was first up so I got my guide books (heading back to Europe at the end of the summer) and went to the dock. I swung and read my book and saw a dolphin. It was quite peaceful. About an hour later the gang woke up and the chaos began. Once all five kids were ready for the beach it was me and them. Hoang Linh was sleeping so Hao stayed up with him, Esther was cleaning, and John and Kym went to the store. So it was me and the non swimming girls. I pulled them on floats and carried them around the water. I broke up arguments about sand toys and we had a blast until the jellyfish freaked them out. Luckily jellyfish are slow and dumb so we could easily get away. At 10:00 I requested a beer! It felt like I had been out playing for 5 hours! Soon after my beer Hao informed me that her high school friend was stopping by. This meant two more adults and two more kids. Bring it on! This is also the same time the microwave stopped working. We had now broken the oven and microwave, not to mention we had to hide tons of stuff to kid proof the house.
The men returned with food and Lida, Alex, Sabrina, and Marcos joined us. We played on the beach all day. I ended up with a burnt back from leaning over and playing all day but it was fun! We grilled for dinner and had everything cleaned up just before the nightly storm blew in. The four extra guests decided to stay the night. Good thing Hao brought an air mattress.
Sunday-A leisurely breakfast was had by all and then the dolphins returned. We saw 2 more swim by. The kids loved it! Then it was back to the beach for everyone but Kayla. She was stung by a jellyfish (we think) and was terrified to get back in the sound. By this time all the kids were grouchy from too much fun, sun, and little sleep. Maya, Kayla, and Ha Lien had fun purposely leaving Sabrina out. Girls,are just so catty even at a young age. But we managed to have fun anyways. Originally we planned to stay through Monday but since we were so far from civilization with no cell phone service and definitely no Internet John could not work remotely. We decided to pack up and head home. I entertained the kids as the other adults cleaned. We left around 4. The big pain was we had to take all of our trash with us. This was yucky! It ended up getting strapped to the roof of the van and we were off. We tried to drop it off at a gas station but the owner came out and fussed at us. We had to dig a bag out of the trash. Luckily the local dump was about 200 feet from the gas station. All the man had to do was tell us that but of course he didn't. 4 hours later I was home and repacking to leave the following day for my next trip which was to Michigan.
Here are a few videos from the beach. I forgot to pull out my camera.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Finally Finished
So will I become a Nationally Board Certified teacher? Who knows, but I did put in many hours and lots of effort. The four entries I wrote added up to a total of 102 pages. Then there were about 25-30 forms and cover sheets to complete and two 15 minute unedited DVDs of me teaching small groups of students. It is now in mail and should arrive in San Antonio, TX on Friday. (I'll be tracking it.) However, my part is finished and it is now in the hands of the assessors. I sure hope my entries don't get graded on a Friday afternoon at 4:30, but that is out of my control. Pray or think good thoughts for me! If I fail, which is likely, I can resubmit 2 out of the 4 entries. The first time passing rate is very low like 22% but my school district's passing rate is closer to 50%. We'll see...I find out right before Thanksgiving. I guess that will either make or break my holiday. The last part is to study for the test which will begin this weekend. I checked out books from the library. I have to brush up on social studeis, art terminology, and science since the area I am trying for certification in is 7-12 year olds and I only teach 8-9 year olds. I feel pretty good with the math and reading but need to revisit history and areas of science I don't teach. I take the test on May 16th so I have some time. 
Here are a few pictures of my National Boards adventure:
Me reading through just one more time.
My laptop with the new wireless card that survived the journey. Thanks Mike for fixing it :) .
The plastic file container that was my life for the last 6 months. I carried this baby everywhere. Now it is filled with copies of my completed work.
All the drafts and student work piles really stacked up. I have two more grocery bag fulls in my trunk.Bob, the owner of the local UPS store taping my box and sending it off.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sweet Muffin
My typical weekends these days consist of working on National Boards (almost done) and maybe fitting in one fun event. This weekend's event was going to Phoebe's 2nd birthday party. Phoebe's nickname is Sweet Muffin and sometimes she will only answer to that. Phoebe is my co-worker Darlene's daughter. It was fun! We sat outside, ate great Italian sausage and peppers, drank, and chatted it up while the kids played. If only I could have captured Sweet Muffin's cute face.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Kids Say and Do the Darndest
During Word Study in my class we sort words into various categories trying to figure out the patterns of English.(All those exceptions to the rule certainly make it tough.) One of the sorts included silent letters vs. all sounds heard. For example the word soft has all sounds that can be heard but the word soften does not. One of the words in the sort was condemn. While practicing sorting one of my boys says quite loud, "Where does condom go?" I couldn't help but laugh :) He'll know where that goes soon enough. His mom found it quite comical too! I hope to share this with him when he graduates high school. I am sure there will be some tech savvy, super cool, way better than Facebook way to find my former students. I hope you had a little chuckle! I also had another funny moment. One of my new to the country students was wearing a zip hoodie. The zipper pull ended up breaking off. Moments later I saw him attempting to glue it back on using Elmer's glue. I guess he thought Elmer's was like hot glue. Too cute!
Monday, March 09, 2009
Gymnastics Meet
My heart still belongs to the gym! I am fortunate to have a little gymnast in my class this year. She is a level 3 moving to level 4 since just last week she got her round off backhandspring. Take a look at her floor routine. She scored a 9.35! Way to go! Her all around was 37.something. She is definitely ready for level 4 as is her teammate who scored a 9.95 on the vault forward roll.
Friday, March 06, 2009
My First Mixbook!
So here is what I made as a sample. I am looking forward to making digital books with my students and maybe some personal ones too!
My First Mixbook
Check out this Mixbook! It has some really great pages that I think you'll like. Have fun flipping through it!
http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/baby/my-first-mixbook-4021435
My First Mixbook
Check out this Mixbook! It has some really great pages that I think you'll like. Have fun flipping through it!
http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/baby/my-first-mixbook-4021435
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Tech Fun
Okay so everyone knows I am and continue to be a nerd. I have always loved school and learning hence becoming a teacher. So today I went to the NCTIES workshop http://www.ncties.org/ at the convention center in Raleigh. It was the spring technology conference. I learned lots of fun stuff. Let me share my 3 favorites that I explored this evening. You can get more information from the wiki at ncties2009conf.pbwiki.com
1. http://www.mixbook.com/ This site allows you to make scrapbooks and include writing. You can use real pictures or scan drawings or make drawings using drawing software. This site does not include sound in the stories. If you want sound you need to go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/PhotoStory/default.mspx or http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Super cool for using at school or for home use to make books of your kids.
2. Who loves to make To Do Lists? I do! I especially love to make check off boxes. Visit rememberthemilk.com for a To Do list maker with check off boxes :) Download the application or use on the web or computer.
3. Do you always lose your notes? Here is a site where you can put all your notes in one place and then check them on the web or your phone if you download the app.
Technology is so cool!
1. http://www.mixbook.com/ This site allows you to make scrapbooks and include writing. You can use real pictures or scan drawings or make drawings using drawing software. This site does not include sound in the stories. If you want sound you need to go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/PhotoStory/default.mspx or http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Super cool for using at school or for home use to make books of your kids.
2. Who loves to make To Do Lists? I do! I especially love to make check off boxes. Visit rememberthemilk.com for a To Do list maker with check off boxes :) Download the application or use on the web or computer.
3. Do you always lose your notes? Here is a site where you can put all your notes in one place and then check them on the web or your phone if you download the app.
Technology is so cool!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Franklin Zeta 5K
Remember the Central Michigan days? I do! I quit gymnastics pretty much because I hated to run. Running a mile in under 7 minutes was torture. Well those days are long gone but now I am choosing to run. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, by no means am I a good runner but at least I do it and for the most part enjoy it. Today's run was quite cold. I prefer to run in the hot humid weather. My lungs and muscles do much better the warmer it is. So when is the next one? I am not sure yet but will find one soon. Hopefully my time will improve!
http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=1213
Thanks to the Gaskin family who continues to motivate me and feed me breakfast after running. Will we train for a half marathon? Perhaps but it seems like torture to me.
http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=1213
Thanks to the Gaskin family who continues to motivate me and feed me breakfast after running. Will we train for a half marathon? Perhaps but it seems like torture to me.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Happy Brithday to Me #3
I'm telling you turning thirty was monumental. Jennifer (from college) now works with Elizabeth. Every year we talk about having a joint birthday party as do the November ladies but we never get it together. Well this was the year. Elizabeth organized her work friend and I had a few of my friends come over. It turned out to be a much bigger celebration than I thought. Jennifer and I were used to many people ditching us on our birthdays because of the holiday weekend. In total there were 20 or more people in my house. There was food and drinks galore. Since several people had to work the following day the festivities began around 7 and ended by 11. It was my kind of party--early start and early end. The best part was all the games we played. There were a few good rounds of Bananagrams in which Pandster dominated. Then there were many rounds of Wii Raving Rabids dancing and finally a few grand rounds of Catch Phrase which is now not know only as a "White Game". (Jarrett's terminology)
See the video and pictures below!
See the video and pictures below!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me-Party #2
Let’s start by saying I have the best friends in the world. Friends fly in to celebrate with me and then my local friends insist on having a party for me. Hao would not let me just have a casual 30th birthday celebration. She said, “You only turn 30 once!” However, as my Korean students would say I am already thirty if I was to use the Lunar Calendar. Luckily, I don’t use the Lunar Calendar and I am just now 30.
The good/bad part about my birthday is that it almost always falls on a holiday weekend. (Happy Birthday MLK.) That being said, means my friends are not always around to celebrate. Not this time! I had a swinging party of 11 kids-Ivey, Hoang Linh, Leah, Risa, Ha Lien, Peyton, Kayla, Maya, Marlee, Trevor, and Hallie and then 16 adults. It was loud and lots of fun.
Here is Steven & Ivey and Julie & Leah
I wish I would have taken a picture of all the kids and adults, but I was not used to having a good camera so I forgot and just celebrated. I'll get better. I promise!
I wish I would have taken a picture of all the kids and adults, but I was not used to having a good camera so I forgot and just celebrated. I'll get better. I promise!
Like always Hao had way too much food but it was delicious. There were ribs, meatballs, chicken wings, shrimp, baked spaghetti, and lots of sides. Not to mention the adult drinks were flowing freely. Of course there was a gigantic cake too. The afternoon/evening was filled with all kinds of playing. The two big hits were the kid’s DJ/MP3 player station and for the adults Wii Dancing.
I definitely enjoyed the singing to me and blowing out the candles which said 37 because no one had thought to bring/buy candles. I thought it was quite funny! I could be 3, 7, 37, or 73. I am sure you can see that 37 is closest so that is what we went with.
The afternoon turned into evening when the fun continued. After second and third rounds of food and games the night concluded outside at the fire pit. (It was like fall weather for you Michiganders who are thinking how in the world can you be outside in January.) We toasted and burnt marshmallows for s'mores. It was delectable.
A special THANKS goes to Hao and John forletting us all invade your house in my honor. What a fabulous party! Thanks again!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me-Party #1
Wow! Three parties in one weekend all for me was a bit much. I definitely feel loved and now also exhausted.
After opening presents and taking the few pictures below. Karissa joined us for a birthday dinner at Shiki Sushi. Toni and I shared sushi while the less cultured eaters had Hibachi. (However, there was some car seat issues during this time too but it all worked out.) Then it was home for ice cream cake. That was party #1!
Here is my first ever short movie clip.
Friday, January 16th (My 30th) was when the fun began. My assistant and I share the same birthday so the room parent arranged for us to go out to lunch. (We went to LaRussa's where I had a delicious Greek Chicken Soup and Eggplant Sandwich.) On top of that the kids piled in with cards and flowers. They were so sweet!
When the bell rang at 2:30 I flew out the door. I was anxious to get home to meet Toni and Risa who had flown in from Florida. My parents picked the two of them up. As soon 
as I opened the door I was surprised again. Julie and Leah flew in! I was totally caught off guard. Can you feel the l
ove? I'm telling you I am super loved!
After opening presents and taking the few pictures below. Karissa joined us for a birthday dinner at Shiki Sushi. Toni and I shared sushi while the less cultured eaters had Hibachi. (However, there was some car seat issues during this time too but it all worked out.) Then it was home for ice cream cake. That was party #1!Here is my first ever short movie clip.
I just love my new camera. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)
I am sure you are all looking forward to many more!
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