Shiny Green Apples

School Daze

2012-01-11T22:01:00.000-08:00

Crying, crying, crying! That was my day in second grade today.

One girl came in crying for her mommy (that's all I could get out of her). She continued to sob for almost a half an hour before I sent her to the office and she went home. Then someone was crying because her loose tooth was bleeding a little. Another one got in trouble for not walking in line. Instead of just going back and walking, he had a complete melt down and had to miss all of P.E. Those were just the main crazy things that went down today in room 145. I was yelling and grouchy all day. No one can tell me that a full moon doesn't affect kids!

Oh, and one of my students informed me that her mom is getting close to having her baby because "last night she was dilated 2." Not something I ever expected to hear from an eight-year-old.

Winter Blues

2012-01-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

From the Mouth of Babes...

2011-10-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

I wrote a much longer post, but then Blogger ate it. So here's the Cliff Notes version.

I was being lazy at the end of the day and asking students to do little things for me--hand me that paper, put this away, etc... At this age (2nd grade) they are still pretty enthusiastic about being helpers. One of my little helpers turns to me and says, "Hey, Miss Weathers it's like we are your minions. . .and you are our master!" (skips happily away to do what I asked him)

How right you are! :)

Beach Vacation Part 2

2011-09-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

After driving through the quaint beach town of Ocean Shores and getting some lunch at a very disappointing local burger place, I stopped at a small random beach. It was much sandier than the one I was at earlier, more loose hard-to-walk-on sand instead of compacted. By this time it was late afternoon so it was very warm, but the breeze off the water made it just perfect.

Annabelle keeping a look-out

After picking up some dinner at a local grocery store, I headed up to where I was staying. Along the way I stopped off at the third beach of the day. This time I was brave enough to drive right on to the beach. Everyone else was doing it and it looked really fun, so I did it too. Hmmm...luckily it wasn't illegal or dangerous so I guess it was okay to give in to peer pressure just this once. :)

Annabelle was still very unsure about all this water going in and out.

The tide was going out and we found a small tide pool that was pretty calm and warm, but she still wasn't loving it.

I was fascinated by the rippling effect the out-going tide left in the sand.

I'm totally going to get me one of those beach houses someday!

The setting sun.

I'm a little confused by this sign. It was at two of the big beaches I was at. I don't understand why they would prohibit cars on the beach during the main summer season, but it's allowed the rest of the year?

The view of the setting sun from my room.

I was planning on watching the sunset at the beach, but to be honest I got a little cold and hungry. It had been a very busy day and I knew I would have a pretty good view from the room.

Speaking of my room...

I would advise anyone thinking of staying here to take the word "resort" with a grain of salt. Maybe it was considered a resort back in the '60's.

Retro room key.

Unfortunately the decor was probably "updated" sometime in the '80's, so it wasn't so much retro as just plain old. My philosophy is--the room you stay in isn't as important as the sights you are there to see, so I really didn't mind too much.

Love the politically incorrect housekeeping sign!

My "happy and content" face. You can't really see my wind-blown hair in this picture, but it was pretty tangled.

Beach #4--Sunday before heading back home I stopped at one more beach.

I love the wind-blown shape of the trees on the hill and the striations of color in the hill.

A flock of some sort of teeny-tiny sea birds--sandpipers? They were really cute.

I met some nice ladies from Olympia and Kelso who wanted to come over and say "Hi" to Annabelle. I took a picture of them and they took one of me.

Luckily there were no tsunamis while I was there!

Coming back home, my house was stuffy and hot, and it had me wishing I was back at the beach. So...

anyone have plans for next weekend?

Beach Vacation Part 1

2011-09-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

A last minute effort to get away from the "heat" wave that has been plaguing the Seattle area this past week, led me to jump in the car and head to the coast. Some ocean air seemed like just the thing!

The instant Annabelle's paws touched the sand, it was like all she could think was "Must run! Must run fast!"

Aahh! Fresh ocean breeze!

Pelican?

More pelicans?

Pelican flying away from Annabelle.

While at the first beach, we came across some sort of kite festival.

It was the perfect day for kite flying--a strong breeze, blue skies, and warm but not hot.

Next I headed down towards Ocean Shores...

2011-08-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Before, my fireplace was fine but looking a little shabby and out-of-date with the brass accents. Now it's a little less shabby (more chic, perhaps) and all it took was a can of high heat paint and a few hours out of my Saturday. I first got the idea here, and thought it sounded simple enough to try.

I removed the handles and lightly sanded the brass.

Then I taped off the glass and the tile in front of the fireplace (since I tend to be messy when painting).

I bought a cheap, disposable brush since the paint is oil-based and I didn't want to deal with the clean-up. I'm kind of wishing I would have used a higher quality brush, since I had problems with the brush marks showing and some difficulty covering the brass completely.

Overall, I'm happy with the results. I wasn't sure that I wanted to paint the handles completely black, so I decided to leave the wood part its natural color. I still can't decide if I like it that way or not. Luckily I have TONS of paint left, if I ever change my mind.

My New School

2011-08-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

I stopped by the site of my school Sunday to see how they are progressing on the new building and the demolition of the old building. We are scheduled to open for the first day of school on Tuesday, September 6th. If you don't have a calendar handy, I will let you know that it's 2 weeks from tomorrow. Let's just say it's not as far along as I pictured it considering how much time is left before eager young students are expected to walk through the door. Hopefully those construction workers are going to work a miracle.

Where the office used to be.

What's left of the old bus loop, looking towards where the primary wing, or "pod" as we called it, used to stand.

Where the parking lot should be (I think)

Don't you just love the bright, cheerful (read: retina burning) colors they chose?

I'm pretty sure that trailer is about where my classroom used to be.

The cement pad of my old room is still there.

The play shed and gym. I think the playground is going somewhere near here.

At first I was just going to peek at the site from the road. . .

But I got more and more bold, and finally I ended up peeking into my new room.

(Don't tell anyone, seeing how technically it could be considered trespassing!)

At least it looks like it's ready for students.

A Successful Saturday!

2011-08-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

I got lots of new Pyrex. But the best thing of all...I found a hutch to put it all in. I don't have it yet, since I'm waiting on the delivery. Surprisingly, it wouldn't fit in my Civic. I can't wait! It's cute, mid-century ('60's, maybe '50's), in really good shape and it didn't set me back that much.

Sometimes I Forget...

2011-08-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

...that I have a slow cooker. Well the other day I was off work and trying to get some little project done, but I felt like making something yummy for dinner. And that's when inspiration came.

Chicken? Check.
Mexican frozen veggie mix? Check.
Corn tortillas? Check.

All the makings for tortilla soup.

I always forget how easy it is to just plop the chicken in the pot with some spices and onions and then come back in a few hours and it's done. Then I just opened the bag of frozen veggies, tossed them in with a few more herbs and spices, cut up some tortillas and left it all for a little while longer. Voila!

My Name is Wendy...

2011-08-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

and I'm a Pyrexic.

"Hi, Wendy!"

In other words, I suffer from a debilitating disease known as Pyrexia.

It is a condition that has become more common in women (and some men) through out the United States and Canada in recent months. Symptoms include compulsive shopping at thrift stores, garage sales and estate sales, with the occasional visit to antique shops. All this in search of colorful bowls, casserole dishes, and the occasional refrigerator dish.

Initially my prognosis seemed good. I figured I would be on the low-end of the Pyrexia Disorder Spectrum--a mild interest in vintage kitchen ware. I would have a lovely collection of useful and beautiful kitchen accessories. But then I found that I couldn't stop. Every time I'm out running errands I think how I can make my route take me by one of the local thrift stores. I even got up at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday to go to an estate sale because the pictures posted on-line showed they had Pyrex. (Good thing I did, too, because I scored this beauty. A rare, and very large, New Dots mixing bowl. For only $6!!)

So now I'm a full fledged addict. (I think my metaphor just shifted, but go with it.) While I am a member of two different support groups, I actually think they are making my condition worse. It's taking over my life. I am quickly running out of cupboard space and will soon be out of space on any horizontal surface in my kitchen, dining, and living rooms.

And yet I can't help myself. It's just so pretty! These Butterfly Gold casseroles, while not my favorite pattern, just couldn't be left behind. They look so nice all stacked up and shiny, just waiting for me to whip up a pasta salad or tuna casserole. I recently scored the little one and the big one half-price at the Salvation Army. Eight dollars for both, including the lids. When I got home and remembered/realized I had already picked up the middle one a while back, I was so happy to have put together a complete set that I could not bare to put them away in the cupboard (also, there really isn't room in the cupboards any more.) They are currently sitting on the bar area of the counter for all to admire.

The high of finding any precious piece of Pyrex on the dusty, jumbled shelves of a thrift store is amazing. But when one finds an especially rare or coveted piece, well, I'm pretty sure it's like being on drugs. The other day I went to my new favorite Goodwill. (Favorite because it is well stocked AND the prices reflect that they are in fact a thrift store selling second-hand, donated items, and not in any way a high-end retail department store! Okay, little rant over.) As soon as I was in the store, I made a bee line to the glass kitchen wares aisle. It was a little crowded, but through the cluttered, precariously stacked shelves I spotted something turquoise! As I moved in, not too quickly so as not to alert the other customers of the presence of a desirable item, I was delighted to discover not one, but two, square Pyrex bowls.

Now being the informed collector that I am, I immediately recognized them as a chip and dip set. As I greedily grabbed them from the shelf, I'm pretty sure I said out loud, "Where's the bracket?" You see to make it a true chip and dip set, you need a little metal bracket to hold the smaller bowl full of dip above the larger bowl full of chips. Genius!

Well the bracket was nowhere to be seen in the glass kitchen ware aisle. So I did what any normal (read "crazy, obsessed Pyrex-hoarding") person would do. I started searching the store, muttering to myself things like "It's got to be here somewhere." and "Where could it be?" You get the picture. Pretty sure people were starting to look at me strange, and that's saying something when you're talking about the thrift store crowd. After I finished emptying the metal home decor knic-knac shelves, I was starting to feel a little dejected.

But I reasoned that the bowls surely had only recently been placed out on the shelves, given the fact that no other crazed collector like myself had snatched them up. That, and the fact that the bowls were in super great condition (shiny without a scratch or mark on them, like they had never been used), led me to believe they must have been donated together with the elusive bracket. Some uninformed Goodwill worker just separated them. Racking my brain, trying to think of which section said worker would have tossed the precious bracket into, I headed over to the "random, manly tool section". After politely pushing by some Mexican guys digging through the electrical cords bin, I started scanning the "metal things" bin.

Is that?...Could it be?... (cue the parting of clouds and angelic swelling of music) There it was!! I found it!! My heart started pounding. I snatched it out of the bin and immediately put it together. Here she is, in all her glory:

I walked around the store for a little while longer, carrying the set in it's assembled state with what I'm sure was a giant, goofy grin on my face. But I couldn't concentrate on shopping any more. All I kept thinking was I have to go pay for this--like I was afraid if I didn't buy it right away some Goodwill administrator was going to come out from the back room and take it away saying they weren't going to sell it to me. Luckily that didn't happen, and for a mere $8 the whole set was mine! (The little bowl was $2, the big one $5, and the priceless bracket was priced on par with a piece of worthless metal at $0.99!!)

Oh, how I love my turquoise chip and dip set! I told you I have a disease.

But seriously, does anyone have a nice china cabinet I can have?

Noooo...Summer, you are going by to quickly!

2011-07-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

After all the craziness with school ending...

I've been enjoying a pretty relaxing break. Even though I am working a summer job, I am still able to get some "vacationy" things into my schedule.

I've been cooking some yummy dinners. (It looks so much better in one of my new Pyrex dishes!)

What's more summery than watermelon? (Again, all the more delicious when served from yummy turquoise Pyrex!)

I finished a baby blanket for a friend who had had her baby awhile ago. I realized I hadn't taken any pictures of it after I had already wrapped it. This was my first quilt done all by myself--from start to finish. And it was the first time I machine quilted a quilt. (Yeah for the internet!!)

I think I'm addicted...

I wonder who this could be for?

Oh yeah, and my Pyrex addiction--I mean collection--has gotten a little out of hand. I've given myself a budget for how much I can spend each month. I spent the entire summer's budget in just one month!

Thanks to my mom for finding these beautiful casseroles with cradle.

Beautiful yellow Daisy casserole.

Pink! I love pink!

Oh, no! Another project. I wonder who will get this one?

And that's pretty much my summer so far...it's going by waaaay too fast!

The End of an Era

2011-06-26T20:28:00.001-07:00

They are tearing down my old school starting Tuesday. Needless to say wrapping up this school year has been anything but normal. In case you were wondering what it takes to get a typical elementary school classroom from this...

to this...

it would be five 8-hour days and 100 boxes, give or take.
Such fun!

I did have some great helpers.

Thanks Tami and Elizabeth!
They packed up my entire classroom library in no time at all.

Luckily, I am not responsible for moving all 100 boxes. The district is hiring movers to move all of the boxes from our whole school to a warehouse until the new school is ready for us--hopefully before school is scheduled to start in September!

One last look

I was a little sad walking out of my room for the last time. It was my first classroom that I got to stay in for more than one year. And while the 70's-colored cabinets and leaky roof were more than enough to make me welcome a new school, I will miss our little "pod." Here's hoping the new Lakeland will be just as wonderful.

What's In Your Purse?

2011-06-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

The other day I was reading a random blog and the author had taken everything out of her purse and documented it. Then she challenged her readers to do that same thing and there was going to be a prize. Anyone who linked to the photo of their purse contents was entered into a drawing. I was reading this weeks after the contest had ended but was still entertained by the random things that women carry around with them. You could definitely tell who the mothers were--they tended to have a lot of fruit snacks and Polly Pocket dolls in their bags.

Anyway, it got me curious to see what was in my purse at that moment, so I went over to the kitchen table and dumped it all out. Here's the picture of it all, after I organized it and got rid of all the gum wrappers, receipts and lint balls, of course! :)

The contents, starting with said purse and going clockwise from the edge towards the center, are: make up bag, doggie treats baggie, wallet, 2 necklaces, pair of earings, 26 cents, instant oatmeal, Handi-Snacks plastic cheese spreader, 2 packs of gum and 2 half pieces of gum, 3 gift cards, car insurance cards, ipod, keys, water bottle, purse hook (for hanging your purse on the edge of a table), sun glasses, glasses, 2 bottles of foundations, round mirror, power compact, eye shadow, cuticle cream, 4 tubes lipgloss/chapstick, bobby pins, movie ticket stub, Crystal Light drink mixes, 2 pens and a pencil, paper clip, Advil sinus pills, and a bottle of hand sanitizer. (My camera was in there too, but it is obviously being use to take the photo.)

I had no idea I was carrying around that much stuff. Are you brave enough to post what's in your bag? I double dog dare you! (Leave me a link in a comment so I can take a look. Hey--I showed you mine.)

SILHOUETTE MACHINE GIVEAWAY!!!!

2011-05-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

SILHOUETTE MACHINE GIVEAWAY!!!!

I thought that I wanted a Cricut machine...but now I want a Silhouette!! Who knew there was even such a thing. Here's hoping I win!

A Disappointing Weekend

2011-05-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

True it is only 3:00 pm on Saturday, but my weekend has been a big disappointment all around. Wednesday through Friday this week was the first glimpse of spring here in Seattle. It was sunny, blue skies, and warm (if you consider mid-60's warm). Friday was the best day of all; we reached 70* for the first time this year. It was bliss.I woke up this morning and it was like it had all been a dream. It was back to gray and cold and raining. To top it all off, I was planning on going to the huge Kent Lakes multi-community garage sale. I had a few things in mind that I was looking for: dining room chairs, children's books, and vintage Pyrex. Well, with the weather the way it was it was a huge let down. Hardly anyone was out and most of the places I stopped didn't have much stuff at all. I did get a couple of books for school and the book Water for Elephants. I had been meaning to get it from the library, but knowing me, I probably would have paid more than the $.50 I got it for in fees. A good find, but not exactly thrilling.

I thought, to make up for the disappointment I would hit up a few of the nearby thrift stores. I fared a little better at Goodwill. I found these interesting Pyrex coffee mugs from the 60's-70's. (Sorry for the horrible pictures. They're from my crappy phone as I left my camera at school.)I had never seen anything like these before. They are clear Corning Ware glasses with plastic, removable bases. They caught my eye right away and then I turned one over and the bottom said PYREX and the price tag said $.69...SOLD. I only bought 4 out of the 12 they had. Other than these, nothing I was looking for. And a big fat nothing at Value Village and St. Vincent de Paul. :(

On my way home, I stopped at an antique mall here in Kent. I had driven by this particular place many, many times but never stopped. Today I thought, "Why not? It can't hurt anything." So I went in. It was one of those places that has lots of little stalls for different vendors. There were 3-4 other Saturday wanderers in there, but I pretty much had the place to myself. My main mission was to find some Pyrex. I knew I would probably find some, but I also knew that antique malls are not the place to get good deals on Pyrex.

In between all the knick-knacks and random old stuff I did find various Pyrex pieces. Some were ones I already had or wasn't interested in. (Can you say brown?) Then I ran across a turquoise and white casserole dish with a lid. It was $14, but 35% off. I put it on my "maybe list". Luckily I found something better, because I don't know if I would have been able to find my way through the maze back to get it.

What was that something better you ask...

It's my very first pink piece. It was "only" $8.50. But it was pink and a regular mixing bowl, which I like better than the Cinderella bowls with handles on the side. I also found this little Butterfly Gold Cinderella bowl. It was $5, but 15% off.
Even though I did get some good things today, it's still cold and raining, so I think I just might get my new book and curl up under the covers.

P.S. If anyone ever finds this at a reasonable price, please, please, please buy it for me! I actually already have the large bowl. I just need the little bowl and the metal bracket thingy.

Eavesdropping on 6 year olds

2011-04-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my job is entirely too entertaining, especially when I overhear completely honest conversations between 6-year-olds. It was the beginning of the day, I'm running around like crazy and the kids are supposed to be unpacking, turning in homework, ordering their lunch and finding something quiet to do like read books. The conversation I overheard between Kira and Blayke went something like this:

K: They pull the brains out through the nose!

B: Nu-uh

K: (pointing to a recently discovered book about Egyptian Mummies) Ya-huh. It says right here in this book.

B: Well I don't trust that book!

Identity Crisis

2011-04-11T21:11:00.001-07:00

So, it's official. With help from my mom, I finally have all of my earthly possessions in my new home. I can remember a time, not so long ago, when all my earthly possessions fit in my little Toyota. Now a 14' U-Haul can't even contain all the junk I have managed to collect.

But the point of this post is now that I no longer live in Tacoma the name of my blog, Tales from Tacoma, no longer is relevant. I need a new name, but I have no good ideas. Help me please! Any good ideas...anyone?

I Have A Confession...And No, It's Not Another Cyber Boyfriend!

2011-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

I live like a hoarder. Now I don't think that technically I am a hoarder. I just live like one. Ever since I had to move from my crowded one bedroom apartment into a studio, I've been living like a hoarder. Not one of those that you see on T.V. who has 17 dead cats in her bathroom and sleeps sitting on a pile of animal feces. More like I have a path to get in the door and make it to my bed. On either side are just piles of things that I don't have a place to put. Up until about three days ago, I couldn't even sit on the couch because it was piled high with things.

"Well, Wendy, why don't you just put the stuff away and then you can live like a normal person?" You may ask. I will tell you why. I am bitter and unmotivated. Bitter because I had to move, against my will, out of my nice little apartment that, while did have a view of the alley and dumpster, I liked very much. Unmotivated because hopefully (no word from the bank yet) I will be moving into my very own and much larger townhouse in anywhere from 30-45 days. Why would I waste my time trying to come up with creative places to put things when I will just have to move it all again?

So instead, I resign myself to living like a hoarder. At least now I can sit on the couch. Although it really wasn't that bad, because I can see the T.V. and everywhere else in my apartment from my bed. Here is a little tour to give you an idea of my current living conditions.

Coming in the front door. Say "Hi" Annabelle.

Closet to the left.

Bathroom to the right.

Main living area.
Somewhere under there is a couch.

My bed/computer desk/dining table

View from my bed.

View towards the kitchen from my bed.

Dining area--Somewhere under there is a table.

Rest of the kitchen.

Now go clean out a closet or something. For my sake.

Shoe Sugar Month: Day 13 SIZZIX BIG SHOT GIVEAWAY!!

2011-01-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

Shoe Sugar Month: Day 13 SIZZIX BIG SHOT GIVEAWAY!!
I wish I had more time to be crafty. Maybe if I win this machine it will help. Oh, and summer would help too!

I'm Not Crazy, I Swear!

2010-05-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Guess who's now officially Facebook friends?

I debated about admitting what I'm about to admit, but it's just too funny not to. I love "The Deadliest Catch", that show on the Discovery Channel about crab fishermen in Alaska. Maybe it has something to do with my Native roots or maybe I'm just a nerd. Either way, I watch it and love it. But that's not the secret.

The other day I was watching reruns of a past season and I got a little crush on one of the captains. Captain Eric Nyhammer of the fishing vessel Rollo. He is one of the younger, less nicotine- and tobacco-soaked captains. Naturally I wanted to know more...

What does a girl in the 21st century do when she wants to know more about a cute guy? I Googled him, of course! I found a few articles about him and learned: he's 48 (a little old), lives near Seattle (yay!), likes to paint (hmmm), and has 2 sons (double hmmm).

So then I went to facebook. On his facebook page I could only get limited information due to the fact that I'm not his friend--just cyber-stalker. (And no, I haven't sent him a friend request--yet.) I was able to learn that he is single (yay!), not gay (double yay!), and has a funny photo of himself posted (aw, so cute).

Finally, I went to YouTube. And that's when it gets creepy. You thought it was creepy before, but it wasn't. Besides a couple of clips from The Deadliest Catch, there were some videos posted by a woman of her son. And in some of them there was Dad. I was curious to see if Dad was actually my bf Eric. Well, in most of the videos Mom was focusing on filming the little Tike so all you could see of Dad was from the neck down. Not enough to make a positive ID. Until I got to the video of little Tike's first hair cut. And we have a winner--Captain Eric! It was very strange watching what are basically his home videos--baby's first haircut, trip to Disneyland, the petting zoo. Don't worry, I didn't spend my whole day view strangers' home videos. But I couldn't help thinking, that here I was a stranger sitting in my house watching his home videos. Very strange.

The next day I continued my cyber-search. It wasn't that I wanted to know more about my imaginary boyfriend, but I just wanted to see how much more information I could get about one person, for free, using the internet. A technological experiment.

I now know the exact address where Eric lives or at least used to live. And from Google maps I can see an actual photo of the house at said address. Now if I was a real stalker, this would be scary. But never fear, I am not going to drive all the way up to Bothell to drive by his house.
It makes me wonder, how much information would someone be able to get about me from the internet? Hmmm...

Home Sweet Home

2010-02-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

I want this one:

or this one:

or this one:

Actually I need a compilation of all three. One is a good location, one is a good price, one has super cute curb appeal and yard. House hunting is hard work, especially with a limited budget. Anyone have half a million dollars I can borrow?

Attack of the 50-foot Girl

2010-01-09T23:23:00.000-08:00

I just had to put this out there in the blog-o-sphere. This girl is one crazy girl. It takes only one little prompt, "Look at you, you're a giant," and she just runs with it. Hilarious!

Airport Scare

2010-01-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Now this didn't happen to me, but it did happen to someone I know. She was going through the airport this holiday season with her three-year-old daughter. When they got to the security check-point the worker took their boarding passes and ID. Except that she didn't have any ID for the three-year-old because, well, she's three. So the guy reads the boarding pass, turns to the little girl and says, "Rachel? You're Rachel?" And the little girl replies, "No. I'm Ariel." The mom had a little panic attack. Somehow she explained to the guard that she really likes princesses and that The Little Mermaid is her favorite and she pretends that her name is Ariel. Luckily they got an understanding guy who let them through without a problem.

So before the return trip, the mom explains to the little girl that when they go through the airport her name HAS to be Rachel, she can not be Ariel. The mom emphasized how important it was until the little girl seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation. Now they are at the security check point. The guard is checking their passes and calls her name, "Rachel?" The girl replies, "When I am at the airport my mom told me I have to be Rachel." What?! Can you imagine how that statement can be misunderstood? You gotta love the blunt honesty of children! Again, miraculously, they were able to explain the situation and get through the security line without having to talk to the FBI.

A Glimpse Into the Mind of a 7-year-old Part II

2009-12-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Miss Weathers (handing her a coat): Here's your coat.
Rylee (pointing to the sweatshirt she has tied around her waist): I have a coat.
Miss Weathers: That is NOT a coat! Here.
Rylee: But I don't like this coat.
Miss Weathers: Why not? It's cute.
Rylee: It makes me look too fat.
Miss Weathers: We all look fat in our coats. Look at Sebastian. (points to the boy who is wearing a fluffy down coat) He looks like a marshmallow. Everyone is fluffy in their coats...and warm.

*She did take the coat with her to recess. I don't know if she wore it, but at least I can tell her mother I made her take her coat.

P.S. We have had record low temperatures here in the Seattle area this past week. It was 9 degrees at my house overnight. Nine! And another interesting tidbit--this morning it was 20 degrees in Seattle, while it was 30 degrees in Juneau. So, to enjoy warmer weather we just need to head up to Alaska!

A Glimpse Into the Mind of a 7-year-old

2009-12-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

Overheard as my class was lining up for lunch today:

Hunter (to a classmate): No, the Tooth Fairy isn't real, but Santa is. I'm not sure about the Easter Bunny.

Such important things to contemplate! I'm just sad I didn't hear the response from whoever he was talking to. I was too busy trying to get all these crazy, Christmas-hyped-up kids to lunch without anyone dying.

Annabelle

2009-11-01T20:42:00.001-08:00

My new roommate is a little Chihuahua-Dachshund. You might say she is a Chi-weenie! She kind of looks like a miniature Golden Retriever, but much, much smaller. She's only 7 1/2 pounds--a pocket Golden, if you will. It was a rough go at first--getting used to having a dog around. But we have gotten in to a nice little routine.

Annabelle is a crazy girl. She is perfectly content to sit on the couch and nap while I grade papers or watch TV. (Like she is doing now.) But when she gets outside, watch out. Especially if you are a bird or a squirrel. She really wishes she wasn't on a leash so she could go after all those dang squirrels in the park. She even chases birds while they are flying overhead. I don't know how exactly she expects to catch birds in midair, but she sure does try.

Here are some pictures especially for my niece and nephew. It will be so fun at Christmas when you can play with Annabelle!

All Creatures Great and Small

2009-07-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

*I know I should be blogging about my amazingly fun trip to New York/Europe, but it's just so overwhelming that I'm putting it off. Instead you are going to get this random story:

I love all of God's creatures. Sure there are some that I would rather not occupy space near me, but I generally can tolerate, if not adore, most critters. I honestly didn't mean to harm that poor innocent animal.

This morning when I went out the my car that was parked on the street in front of my building, I almost had a heart attack. There under my car there was something...something that should be alive but no way was it alive based on its position under the back wheel of my car. At first I thought it was a little dog, and I almost fainted. Its head looked like that of a little terrier or chihuahua. Then I came to my senses and realized it was actually an opossum. I see them around here all the time. (I had a picture of one, not of this opossum, but of one that was cutely scampering along the fence. Alas, I can not find it anywhere. Don't worry I won't subject you to the horror of what this one looked like.)

So, back to this traumatic event in my life. Before I vomited all over the sidewalk, I raced around to the driver's door and got safely inside. As I'm starting it up, buckling in, etc..., I started thinking clearly again. Yesterday--morning as a matter of fact--(a little detail that will come in handy later on in this story, as will the fact that it's been about 90 degrees here the past couple of days. Just file those little tidbits away for future reference) as I was parallel parking my car, I recall that I went up on to the curb. At least I felt that little bump that means I've gone up on to the low curb where I usually park. I guess it wasn't the curb after all. We are all going to agree (for my poor heart's sake) that the animal was already dead before I pinned it under the wheel of my car, okay? Okay!

Well, now remember how I told you I parked my car in the morning, it was actually around noon so I guess it technically wasn't morning, and how it's been so freakin' hot here lately? Well, just imagine the smell. I'll give you a moment to really picture it. It was odorific as I started the car and turned on the air conditioning. The first place I went was the car wash. I'm hoping that "The Works" car wash is worth the eight bucks and works at getting rid of roadkill fumes. I'm not going to be sniffing around the back end of my car anytime soon, though. But I am going to be extra careful about where I park my car from now on!

The Finish Line!

2009-06-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

It seems like just yesterday that I wrote this. The school year has past so quickly, although while in the trenches it does seem to drag by in slow motion. I got everything done that I needed to get done to close out the year. I HATE the end of the school year! Not because I don't like summer vacation or because the kids are bounce-off-the-walls crazy the first day the June calendar goes up. It's just I have sooo much to do and the kids have nothing to do.

I mean, I have to finish up grading, do report cards, do Scope and Sequence reports for my English Language Learners, add comments to both, clean out piles of paper work, pack away EVERYTHING in the room, sign certificates for the awards assembly, oh yeah still gotta finish those report cards, more papers to file, make a slide show of all the pictures I took this year to show on the last day of school (I bring that one on my self, but the kids just love it), and finish cleaning up the room--it is amazing how much random stuff gets collected in that room over 9 months, including giant dust bunnies. All the while, I have to keep 23 very excited 7- and 8-year olds occupied so they don't kill each other and are doing something somewhat productive.

Can you see why I hate the end-of-the-year? I'm lobbying for a new approach to the last day of school. We tell the kids that, yay, the last day of school is June 17th. But then, they come to school on June 12th and we say, "Surprise! Today is the last day of school! It's been fun, have a nice life." Then the teachers get the last three days to do that they need to do with no kids to worry about. I just don't know how to handle the parent factor. Any ideas?

So, back on topic--I survived. Here's what my room looked like when I finally left for good for the summer. (I had to go back in for one day after the last day, but that's pretty good for me.)

The view from the door. And looking at this picture just now I realize I forgot to take down the flag and put it in the cupboard. Oops!

My former teaching station almost bare--I left some stuff up, cuz, hey, I'm going to use it next year!

The whole room (almost) stacked up in the corner. It looks like so much less stuff like this.

The back of the room totally bare.

The cupboards stuffed to the brim with all my random crap. It's not quite this bad during the year!

Only a fraction of the amount of garbage and recycling that cleaning up produced. I lost track of how many recycling bins I filled.

All-in-all it was a good year. I was actually sad to see my kids go, unlike last year when I couldn't get rid of the fighting, arguing stinkers fast enough. And we actually had a really nice last few hours. We watched our slide show, listened to a story, went out for recess, signed yearbook/memory books, played some games, and watched a story on DVD. Then it was time to go. There were some tears from some of the girls who knew they were moving, but overall very low key.

And now--time for my big trip to NYC and Europe. I'll try to update this blog along the way. We'll see how much blogging internet access and time allows. Otherwise, there'll be a lot of posts after the end of July!

And the Oscar Goes To...

2009-05-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

I'm just saying--I should have won an Academy Award for my performance at work today. I was pushed to my physical and emotional limit and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep. But I couldn't because 23 8-year-olds were waiting for me to pull myself together. So, instead I splashed some cold water on my face, put on my lipstick and tried to earn that Oscar. I'm happy. This is fun. Smile! Happy! Fun!

Okay, Here I Am

2009-04-12T21:29:00.001-07:00

One of my friends commented (after I commented on her blog) that she couldn't figure out who I was based on my blog. I don't have too many pictures of myself, but I was looking through my pictures and I found these.

It was one night at my friend Clint's house. He had a recipe from his mom for "Chocolate Mug Cake" you make in the microwave. It was very exciting to watch it almost explode as it cooked. As for how it tasted--it was very dense and needed some salt. Other than that it was yummy. Next time, though, we decided to split them, cuz you can really only eat half of it.

Yum! "Mug Cake with Ice Cream"

Clint, very excited about his microwave mug cake.

Zeke already chowin' down.

I love Josh!

2009-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

aka Paul Rudd and I love How I Met Your Mother's Jason Segel and I love Les Miz. So when I watched this video I almost had a massive coronary I was laughing so hard.

Bonus Video: I love Doogie Howser and I love Megan Mullally, too!

An Interesting Find

2009-03-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

I love the look of this blog. Wish I could be as creative.

Random Facts About Me volume 1

2009-03-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

I sometimes write things on my "To Do" list after I do them just so I can cross them off. What does that say about me, I wonder?
I always have to sleep with the closet door closed--ALL the way!

Just some random things I was noticing about myself today.

I Wish...

2009-03-02T22:56:00.001-08:00

That I could sing like this--even just a tiny bit.

Reason #127 Why I like hanging out with my gay friends:

2009-02-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

One word:

Musicals

The scene:

Saturday night Game Night, one girl kicking a lot of trash in the game "Ticket to Ride."

Me: (pointing to the game board) Oh, there's New York. I think I'm going there this summer.

Gay #1: You're going to New York, again?

Me: Yeah, my sister...blah, blah, blah. And--I'm sooooo excited about seeing 9 to 5 the Musical.

Gay #1 (excited): What?! Are you serious?! I love that movie!! I'm totally going to go see that!

Everyone: (continues to talk about the awesomeness of said movie, Dolly Parton, and Broadway in general)

[later in the evening]

Me: Oh, look, I just went to Santa Fe. (bursting into song) Santa Fe, are you there?

Gay #2 (bursting into song): Do you swear you won't forget me.

Both: (continue singing that awesome song from the musical movie "Newsies".)

To summarize: Bursting into song is awesome, especially Broadway musicals, and gay guys tend to be more accepting of and willing to participate in this. I'm just saying...

My First Fan Letter!

2009-01-27T22:47:00.001-08:00

So, I wrote my first fan letter the other day. (Technically it wasn't a letter in the sense that I didn't write it on paper, put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and send it in the mail. I did compose an e-mail and push send.)

Where to begin? Well, last spring I went to New York City for my Spring Break. Of course, I went to see some Broadway shows. One of them being "Wicked". The actress who played the Wicked Witch of the West, Stephanie J. Block, was amazing! You should check out her web site. I love the song that plays when you first log on--"Never Neverland."

No seriously--I love it! When I searched for it on itunes, the only version available did not sound like the one on Stephanie's web site. I was bummed, because, did I mention, I love that song? So I was on her web site and I saw the link that said "contact". I thought--why not just send her a little note telling her I think she's awesome and I love that song and is there a way I could get the version of the song that's on her web site? So that's what I did.

I was a little nervous, but I sent it off. Only two typos--darn! I immediately got this response:

Hi,

Thank you for your email! I make sure to take the time to read every message but responding to each one has become an impossibility due to my crazy schedule. Please know how much I appreciate you reaching out to me.
The support of my fans means so much to me, so thanks again for your message.
Much joy,

Stephanie J.

So, that was that...except the very next morning guess what was in my inbox. A message from Stephanie J. Block! I was nervous when I opened the message. Was is going to be another automatically generated one? Or had she actually, personally responded to my e-mail? It was the latter:

Wendy-
Thank you so much for your support and kind words. You can find one version of me singing the song on Scott Alan's album "Dreaming Wide Awake"... or you can wait just a few months and listen to it on my solo cd coming out in Spring.:)
Again, thank you!
Much joy,

Stephanie

I felt like a little "tweener" after reading that. Totally star struck and immediately wanting to respond now that we were BFF's. Don't worry--that was just a temporary delusion. But if you think I'm ever going to delete those e-mails you would be mistaken. And you better believe I'm going to do everything in my power to go see Stephanie in "9 to 5 the Musical" sometime after it opens April 7th. Anyone up for a trip to New York?

The awesome cast of "9t05 the Musical"

Sometimes I Like to Take Quizzes...I'm a Nerd Like That

2009-01-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

Your Home Says That You Feel Settled and Calm

You come across as very intellectual. People take your wisdom seriously.

Your hygiene is passable, but you may be hiding some dirty secrets.

You are a very domestic person. You enjoy decorating, cooking, and making things homey.

You are a very nurturing person. You find meaning in taking care of others.

You feel settled in your life. You have enough time to focus on little details.

You are a very self sufficient person. You can get along well without much help.

Your friends see you as honest, humble, and responsible.

What Does Your Home Say About You?

Let It Snow, Let It Snow...Make It Stop!!

2009-01-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

So, as many of you have heard, Spokane got a freakin' a lot of snow this December! It seemed like every day I was there I would walk upstairs and look out the window and the words, "It's snowing!" would come out of my mouth. The first few days in a tone of joy, then surprise, until finally exasperation. It just kept snowing. Good thing I was on vacation, so it didn't matter to me that we couldn't go anywhere. Here are some shots of all the crazy snow. The videos are especially for my sister Kim.

I love the icicles on this house.

Just checking the mail.

My car--I parked it the first day I got there and didn't drive it again for about 10 days.

Allie riding the tube down the sledding hill. Notice how far into the neighbor's yard she goes. Eventually that would be the second farthest distance. Kim and I hold the record, although I don't think anyone recorded. We could have reached out and touched the corner of the house.

Kim and Tyler attempt to beat Allie's distance record. Alas, they did not succeed. They had to steer around a stupid little kid who did not know how to get out of the way. (Notice at about :12 Tyler's little, "Oh, dear." I love it!)

For Dinner I Ate...

2008-12-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

microwave popcorn
and
cookie dough

You infer the mood I'm in.

Expectations of a Man

2008-11-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

When I came to Tacoma I had expectations of what I wanted from a man...

So, I think this song is totally hilarious. I can relate. Don't worry, though, I'm holding out for a man.

As an aside--the girl singing, Bridie Carroll, is an up-and-coming musical theatre performer. She is staring as Jan in the First National Tour of Grease, coming soon to a town near you. I love her voice and her interpretation of the song. Isn't she adorable?

I Voted Today!

2008-11-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Well...I dropped off my ballot to be more specific. Although I didn't get my free Starbucks or Krispy Cream or Ben and Jerry's ice cream, I did bake some "I Voted" cookies. Oatmeal Walnut Toffee cookies. Yum!

"I voted for Obama. Who did you vote for?" That is what I heard all day at work today. No, I do not have incredibly rude or tactless co-workers. My second graders were saying that. (Oh, really? You voted?) I took it as a good indicator that Washington State was going to go "Blue."

After much debating and searching for a "none of the above" option, I cast my vote. I was definitely one of those undecided voters. Conflicted would be a more accurate description. My conservative and religious family background fiercely battled my union-member-work-for-the-government-professional self and, in the end, the former came out on top. Just barely. My professional self, however, prevailed in the Washington State Gubernatorial race. Sorry, Dino. (And what kind of word is "Gubernatorial" anyway?!)

When it comes right down to it, I really don't like politics or elections. All the teachers at my school were so excited about this whole election season; lunch hour was starting to get on my nerves. I think I've figured out why I do not like elections--someone has to lose. That makes me sad. As I think of all the time and effort each candidate put forth, it seems like such a waste that someone had to lose. Senator McCain's concession speech was, while heart breaking, so eloquent. He was a very gracious loser, and frankly it was the most respect I felt for him to date. Too bad there had to be a loser.

Aaaarrrrrrgh!

2008-10-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Can I just tell you how annoyed I get when I log on to read your blog and I am forced against my will to listen to a random song you just love? Usually when I'm blog stalking I'm doing something else--like listening to my own music or watching TV or grading papers. Unsuspecting, I click on your blog and I'm rudely interrupted by some loud, obnoxious (no offense) song that I don't really care for. Then I am forced to search for the embedded player, usually scrolling down through pages and pages of pictures and quiz results.

Please, I beg you, don't force me to listen to random songs. It makes me not want to read your blog. It makes me not want to know that the Internet exists. It represents everything inherently wrong with the Internet. Just let me read your blog in peace.

Good Thing I Don't Teach Kindergarten Anymore!

2008-10-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Avoiding work by taking super reliable on-line quizzes. This was totally random--how many 5-year-olds could I take in a fight?! What?! Looks like I couldn't quite take on a full kindergarten class, but I could hold my own. :)

17

Three Words...

2008-10-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hil. Lar. Ious.

Take a look at the calendar...

2008-10-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

And you will see that yesterday was a full moon. Now, according to National Geographic, "there is very little evidence that full moon has a direct effect on human or animal behavior." But what about the behavior of darling little second grade children? I would argue that it has a huge effect on their behavior.

Yesterday, by the end of the day I was exhausted just from trying to survive the day--it was like herding cats! No one was listening or paying attention. Everyone was talking, all at the same time. I couldn't figure it out. I was tired and frustrated and at my wits end.

At the end of the day, some other teachers I was talking to also said they had had a horrible time with their students that day. I jokingly commented that there must be a change in the barometric pressure or something. Upon coming home, I glanced at my calendar, and there it was--a full moon. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I beg to differ.

A Night on the Town

2008-10-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the main reasons that I moved to where I did--an urban apartment in a vintage building versus a big box complex in the suburbs--a fabulous night on the town and no need to park the car!

Dinner? No problem. Let's walk to that restaurant across the street. Yum! A show? No problem. Let's walk over to that community theater and see a seriously funny Shakespeare comedy. It was so fun and I can't say enough about not having to worry about finding and then paying for parking.

On a side note, if you have not ever seen "Much Ado About Nothing" you need to. Right now. At the very least rent the Kenneth Branagh movie version. It is so funny. So funny that you almost forget that you are watching Shakespeare and having to concentrate very hard to understand what's going on. Believe me--you won't be sorry.

Are you drunk?

2008-10-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

So I was at my friend Amy's house for a Cookie Lee jewelry party. Kind of like Mary Kay, but with jewelry and way better because you can take almost everything that you want to purchase home with you that night. But I digress. We were all hanging out snacking and trying on jewelry. Some of the ladies were having wine, since this was not a Mormon activity. I was talking to another teacher from my school, when Amy's husband came in and was saying hi to everyone. Then he looks at Amy and asks in all honesty, "Are you drunk?" Her casual answer, "No." And that was that. It made me do a double take, though. Just not a question I usually hear at Relief Society gatherings.

Please cover your mouth!

2008-09-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

I really should be cleaning my house since my parents are coming to visit me tomorrow. Instead I'm reading blogs. Very productive, I know. I just am not feeling very energized. I've been feeling on the brink of getting sick since before school started a few weeks ago. The start of school is always stressful, then to top it all off I get sneezed and/or coughed on at least once a day. Luckily I wasn't the one to get thrown-up on the other day. Poor little Jacqueline, she didn't even know what hit her. My rug, a some pillows and a couple of books were also counted as casualties in the "incident". Ahh, you gotta love second grade.

Mmmm...the best tasting weeds ever!

2008-09-10T20:54:00.001-07:00

BLACKBERRIES! The kind you eat, not email on.

One thing I still can't get over since moving to Western Washington, is the existence of a delicious and, if you BUY them at the store, expensive berry as a WEED! They grow without any help, and actually take over if you let them. They are on the side of the freeway, in parking lots, on school and library grounds, along walking trails, everywhere. (As an aside, those are all places where I have actually helped myself to blackberries.)

A lady that I work with was begging people to come pick some from her yard since they were just ripening and falling to the ground. Oh, what a waste! I went over there one day after work and picked my fingers raw. Then I had this scrumptious treat:

Yesterday, as I was walking to my car at school I happened to look up and what did I see? Some plump, dark berries glowing in the setting sun. They were just begging me to pick them. I left my car door hanging open, and, in my dress shoes, climbed a low rock wall to reach over the chain link fence in order to snag a yummy treat. Of course one of the other teachers came out to the parking lot while I'm standing up there. Don't mind me, I just love to snack on weeds!

No, I Have Not Dropped Off the Edge of the World...

2008-09-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

I've been getting ready for the first day of school. After weeks of cleaning and sorting huge piles and cupboards full of left over junk from last year, I finally got my room totally cute and organized and just perfect. Yay!!

My desk area

*note the slippers under the desk :)

My teaching station

My literacy board

A look towards my classroom library and word wall.

Work tables (I got rid of student desks this year.)

Student cubbies and a small group teaching table.

And then the kids showed up today and messed it all up! Rude! Actually, they seem like a pretty good group of kids, but kids will be kids. I just have a figure out new routines for everything now that I don't have student desks. It is amazing how used to my old routines I am. It kept throwing me off all day that I couldn't do things like I had been doing them the last three years. Oh well, I figure something out. I just like all the extra space not having 24+ individual desks in the room.

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

It almost makes me want to take up sewing. Hmmm....maybe I will. :)

You're HOW old?!?!

2008-08-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of this girl? When I first heard of her, I couldn't believe it. Oksana Chusovitina is competing in her FIFTH Olympics. Pretty impressive, huh? Well, it gets better...her fifth Olympics in gymnastics! What?! How is that possible?! I know I thought the same thing. She is 33 years old and still competing at the international level in gymnastics. It is unreal. You should watch her bar routine at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. (Gymnastics certainly has changes!) And here's her vault that won her a silver medal in Beijing. She is 33 years old! I still can't get over it. I tried doing a back bend the other day and nearly had to go to the emergency room. Oksana says she might even try to compete in London in 2012--do the math! That's gotta be some sort of record.

P.S. On a different, but still Olympic, note--on one of the blogs I read, the girl made an observation that American gymnast Shawn Johnson looks eerily like a beloved cartoon character. Take a look--I think she's totally right!!

Slurpee Salvation

2008-08-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a Slurpee saved my life.

It has been very hot here in the Seattle area the past few days. (Thankfully a sweet storm is rolling in right now, taking the edge off the miserable heat.) The news Friday night said there was an "excessive heat warning" in effect--whatever that means. I guess it meant it was going to be 90 degrees or above the next few days. Now for you Arizonans, that may not seem like anything compared to 115, BUT we don't have air conditioning in our homes!! You sit and cook in your house and think of reasons to drive places, because at least (if you're lucky) there's air conditioning in the car.

I was doing just that--sitting in my oven...I mean...house, cooking. It was so hot I could hardly stay awake and yet I couldn't sleep because it was too darn hot. Finally, I couldn't take it any more so I decided to walk to 7-11 to get some liquid refreshment...ah, a Slurpee.

The good news--7-11 is two blocks from my house, just a quick walk through the park--literally. The bad news--I had a bit of a panic attack on the way there, brought on by a heat-induced headache. What if there are no Slurpees at this 7-11? Gasp! Is that possible? Knowing my luck it just might happen. Never fear, there were some Slurpees left by the time I got there.

The Slurpee area looked like it had been ransacked. Very few cups were left in the dispensers. (I had to get a 32 ounce one since all the 24 ounce cups were gone.) Straws and lids were strewn about. Sticky puddles of melted Slurpee coated the counter and floor. And the Crystal Light flavor was out of order. Sad. But I got a Gatorade/Mountain Dew Slurpee. I know it sounds kind of disgusting, but it didn't actually taste too bad. In fact it was the best Slurpee in the world! It saved my life...at least that's what it felt like.

Speaking of the Olympics...

2008-08-14T20:21:00.001-07:00

**Spoiler Alert--if you don't know the results of the women's gymnastics team finals, DO NOT read this.**
I'm watching an average of 17.5 hours of Olympic coverage per day this week. Mostly gymnastics, with some swimming, diving and equestrian thrown in for good measure. China is apparently ahead of the US in the medal count now. I don't know for sure, but I think the US usually comes away from the Olympics with more medals than any other country. China is really asserting itself as a sports superpower. But I don't think they are playing fair. Case in point:

1. Cute girl singing during the opening ceremony. Remember her? Well, she was actually lip syncing, because the little girl who was actually singing had a good voice but was just not cute enough. Come on, she a little Asian girl. She's adorable.

2. Firework during the opening ceremony. Some of them were digitally inserted into the broadcast. Reportedly, the Chinese officials were concerned that the cameras would not be able to capture the awesomeness of their pyrotechnics well enough, so they doctored the video.

3. 16-year-old Chinese gymnasts. Yeah, right! Did you see them?! My bet is 12, 13 years old, tops. But they won the team gold, so the end justifies the means, I guess.

**Spoiler Alert #2--If you don't know the results of the women's all-around final, DON'T read the comments!** I'm just saying...you can if you want to know that the winner was....j/k But seriously, you need to watch it already, because it was awesome. I don't know why you didn't just watch it live. I mean it didn't go that long, just like 1:30 am. Come on, it's not like you have to go to work...oh wait, you have to go to work, but I don't. Sorry.

A Walk in the Park

2008-08-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

I'm still loving my park. (It doesn't hurt that it's been perfect summer weather recently. Can you say 78 degrees?!) As I was enjoying a walk yesterday evening, I saw a cute, pudgy little girl come trotting along the trail right in front of me. She had just arrived with her parents and she made a bee-line to a puddle left over from a Seattle summer rainstorm the other day. The little blondie pranced right up to the edge of the puddle, she dabbed the toe of her shoe into the muddy water, then hesitated as she looked to her mom. Mom was oblivious and the girl took this as a green light. She energetically jumped in with two feet and splashed a few times. Then, as she exited the puddle, she proudly raised her arms above her head in a two handed salute that would make any Olympic gymnast proud.

The questions begs to be asked...Why do kids LOVE jumping into puddles so much? I see it in my line of work more often than I would care to (remember this is Seattle). I am forced to be mean by insisting shoes stay ON at all time--I don't care that your socks are wet, you should have thought of that before jumping in every puddle on the school grounds, no you may not call home, or go to the office, or spend 20 minute cleaning your shoes. And still they jump in puddles. A mystery of the universe.

We get it China...

2008-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

You invented EVERYTHING!

Unless you live under a rock, or possibly are on a mission in Georgia, you know that last night-- 8-8-08--was the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics. (I LOVE the Olympics!!) China really put on a show. They spent a reported record amount--tens of millions of dollars. It really was quite entertaining. Just ignore those guys yammering away in the background--how many times do we need to be reminded that "This is China's coming out party"?

The sheer scope of the performance was amazing. Thousands of performers all perfectly unison with their choreographed drumming or light-up unitards or jack-in-the-boxesque printing blocks. And the fireworks...amazing. Not that all those pyrotechnics really helped with the city's smog.

China showing itself to the world. We get it China, you invented gunpowder, and paper, and printing, and kites, and computers, and dancing, and painting, and sports, and boats, and water, and air, and fire...London I don't know what you are going to do for your little show. What did you invent? Nothing, just stole everything from the Chinese--not very entertaining.

Sky Harbor International Airport

2008-08-06T21:10:00.001-07:00

I always thought that was a lovely sounding name for an airport...Sky Harbor. So much better than SeaTac. But I don't think those Phoenicians (or whatever people from Phoenix are called) have their act together as much as it sounds. Here is a recreation of a sign I passed on one of my many trips to that airport this past week:

"There are THREE terminals: #2, #3, and #4."

WHAT?! I understand that terminal #1, the original, was bulldozed quite a few years ago, but really--you couldn't renumber them? That is ridiculous. Plus, even with that sign, it is a very confusing airport to navigate. I'll take my brusque-sounding, but easily navigated SeaTac International any day.

It's after 7 pm and I just...

2008-07-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

took a shower. I know it's extremely lame, but I just felt like being lazy and wasting time today. And I thought I would waste some more telling you about it. So, here is some important things that I accomplished today:

1. I got up before 10 am. (One of my goals this summer. Yay me!)
2. I ate breakfast before noon. (Always a sign it's going to be a good day.)
3. I blog stalked a lot of people. (If you haven't done it before, you should. It's very informative and you can find awesome blogs like this.)
4. I read about an interesting new pedicure option now available for nature lovers and other brave souls. (Check it out.)
5. I made a list of all the things that I'm going to accomplish tomorrow. (Ahh, tomorrow...what would I do without you?)

I love it...

2008-07-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

I had my first experience playing Wii yesterday. And I must say it was very fun. My new friends from my ward invited me over for dinner and games. We played a Jenga-like game and I was rocking it pretty good. Apparently I have natural Wii wrist action. Mario Kart was fun with the steering wheel. For once it was not totally ridiculous that I was moving my hands to get my little guy on the screen to avoid hitting that tree. And yet 9 out of 10 times my little guy still ended up face to face with the trees, poles, and really anything near the side of the road. So the little steering wheel didn't help my Mario Kart skills, but still fun.

Panic! at the Dentist

2008-07-19T13:05:00.001-07:00

Usually I have no problem going to the dentist. Growing up with a mom who is a dental assistant is probably the reason. But this week it was different.

It started off with a hygienist who I hadn't met before getting me numb. She was not as gentle as the other lady. Then the nice assistant, Kim, came in to put the rubber dam on. I hate those things. As she is putting a ring around my back molar, it just wouldn't go. So she puts a little more effort into it; that little lady was surprisingly strong! Suddenly I am thinking about a certain sister who had her jaw dislocated at the dentist recently, and I start to panic a little. I think she figured out something was up when I started to slide down in the seat like I was trying to escape. She backed off a bit. Then, after a piece of metal shot out of my mouth and across the room, they came up with a plan B for how to get the rubber dam to stay on.

I hadn't reminded anyone that I usually have a really hard time getting numb, so when the drilling began, I literally jumped a foot out of the chair. A little sensitive still...yeah just a little. I then had a bit of a panic attack. The rubber dam was making it feel like I couldn't breath and my heart just started racing. It took all of myself control to focus on breathing normally, ignore the large needle being shoved into my gums and just watch the episode of "Friends" that was playing. Two more shots later and I was finally numb enough to let the fun begin.

It wasn't all that bad. When the doctor was finishing up, he informed me that I have perfect cavities. So perfect, in fact, that he had been tempted to photograph them before gouging them out. I guess they are very concentrated in a small area and not very deep. "The perfect cavities to get--if you are going to get cavities," said Dr. Hodges. So for those of you that care (mom) the fillings were tooth 3 MO, tooth 5 DO, tooth 4 MOD. Whatever that means. All I know is that they were the best little cavities ever!

My Park

2008-07-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

My new apartment is less than a block away from a great park. Wright Park is 27 acres that was donated in 1886 to be used as a public space. It was recently remodeled and spruced up. There are lots of walking paths, a pond with a bridge, playground, wading pool, basketball court, and a bowling green (whatever that is.) It is very scenic and I love it. I've been trying to do a couple of laps everyday this week. I've notice a few regulars: homeless-looking people with their various bags and blankets, families picnicing, couples strolling, teenagers hanging out, and joggers. A pretty normal crowd for a city park I think.

Today as I was walking along a jogger passed me. Nothing out of the ordinary. As he went by me, though, I noticed that he was packing heat. That is--he had a gun. A handgun was strapped into some sort of holster on his hip, just sitting there...in case he needs it? Wow, it made me re-evaluate my personal safety. Was he in need of protecting himself, and therefore, I'm going to need something to protect myself? It was only 6:00 in the evening, still lots of daylight. What is he worried about? Or should I be worried about him? Well, these thoughts only occupied my mind for a few minutes before I got back to enjoying my walk. It was a beautiful evening. One of those days that reminds me why I live here. It makes up for the other 9 months of the year.

Lisa Loeb Live!

2008-07-13T16:00:00.001-07:00

If you don't know who Lisa Loeb is, I don't think that we can be friends and/or related anymore. Unless you were born before 1960 or after 1990. Then I guess you have a good excuse. Anyway, she is a singer/songwriter that was popular back in the 90's--you probably know her song "Stay." Call me and I can sing it for you, or you could probably just listen to it on itunes.
Anyway, the other day I awoke to my radio alarm in a very groggy state of mind. I don't know how long I laid there listening to what was playing on the radio before I regained the ability to think. Finally I realized it was Lisa Loeb doing an in-studio session at a local Seattle station--103.7 KMTT the mountain. Check it out if you are around here.
Lisa is promoting her new CD (more about that later) and informed us that she would be doing a performance and CD signing at Barnes and Noble the following day. Of course I wanted to go. I was really sad that Jana wasn't here. She is the real fan. She's how I got to listening to more than just her "one big hit." (She also had a reality show on E! that was fairly entertaining.) So, long story short, all my local friends are lame and I had to go by myself.
Her CD "Camp Lisa" is a collection of children's songs inspired by summer camp. The proceeds from the sales will go to help kids who couldn't otherwise afford it be able to go to camp. I really liked the first song she played "Best Friend", so check it out.

I got the CD--more songs to teach my 2nd graders right? She was very nice talking to people, signing autographs, and taking pictures. Here are some pictures I took. Notice the one of her and I--I'm a towering giant compared to her.

When she came out and started introducing things, she shocked her mouth on the microphone. Here she was nervous about getting too close to it again.

In the "100 Acre Woods" in the Barnes and Noble children's department.

I don't know how a 40-year old women can pull off pig tails without looking ridiculous, but I think she does it.

It's not often that I tower over someone!

An '80's Classic

2008-07-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

If you all haven't heard, they are making the classic 1980 movie '9 to 5' into a Broadway musical. Now when I found out about this (I don't recall exactly how I came into the know) I was VERY excited. I have fond memories of watching this movie as a child. So, last night as I was spreading the good news, (not the Good News, but still good) Reese and I decide to watch it, and as it turns out she owns it ond DVD so it all worked out great.

All I can say is 1)I didn't really remember anything about the plot of the movie and 2)kids really shouldn't have been watching that movie--mom and Aunt Jill! But as an adult it was hilarious and I really can't wait to see it as a stage musical. You should tell all your friends and check out this little teaser.

Downtown Adventure

2008-07-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

These are the shoes that ruined my downtown adventure. I thought it would be more humane to show you the shoes and not what the shoes actually did to my feet. I live close enough to downtown Tacoma that I can walk there. It's kind of fun. The farthest I had gone was the library. So the other day I thought that I would go down to check out the Tall Ships Festival along the waterfront. It sounded fun--watch old-fashioned sailing ships in a sort of parade. I guess I had never worn these cute shoes very far, even though I've had them for awhile. So I start walking and after a few blocks I notice that my heal is kind of hurting, but I keep going. After I go about 7 or 8 blocks I am in real pain and I realize that I'm not going to be able to continue, but more than that I don't even think I'm going to be able to get back home. One of my heals is totally bleeding and there is no way that I'm going to be able to walk back up that hill I just came down. So, I walk another few blocks to the main transit station and use the map to find a bus that will take me as close to my house as possible. The #13 bus came a few minutes later and I only had to walk another block once the bus let me off. So much for seeing the tall ships, and now I can't wear any shoes with backs on them. Good thing we've been having lots of good flip-flop weather lately!

My New Place

2008-07-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

I am still settling in to my new place. It seems that every time I unpack one box, two more appear from out of no where. After weeks of sitting on the floor I finally bought a couch. I love it. It is very soft and a lovely shade of chocolate brown. I spent quite a bit to get 'big girl' furniture, but I think it was worth it. Soon my place will be presentable to visitors.

This is what the dining area of the kitchen used to look like; I cleaned it up a bit, but I still don't have a table.

Here's my living room before getting my fabulous new couch...

and after.