Flashback Friday

Our Mother was notorious for First day of School pictures

and this is one of them!

Date on the picture says May of 1972 so that means

that it would have been taken Aug of 1971.

You know rolls and rolls of undeveloped film syndrome?

This would have been my first day of 2nd grade

and my big bro's first day of 7th grade.

Check out the shortness of that dress? REALLY!

My mom made that dress.

Big Bro, are those red converse high top peeking in the bottom of the picture?

Taking this picture (& at least one other first day of school picture) was the only time I ever remember going out the front door of this particular house.

When we get together we all talk about how snaky that front yard was!

Yep, you read that right!

Guess that's why you don't see us stepping off of the front porch!

For that fact ~ the entire house was snaky.

Our kindly visitor "Sickness"

Yes, our kindly ever patient visitor sickness it still here. W is back at school, I've in the depths of visiting with it now, hubby is fighting off (and living in denial) the ever persistent visitor, and Little G is just beginning to noticing it's here!

W thinks the thing that kicked his nasty cold was 14 hours of sleeping! Well, I don't have that luxury, I've been spreading the sickness all over! I finally did clear my calendar and managed to stay home all of today, sleeping about 4 hours of it. I'm hoping to see a better day tomorrow. Hubby is just beginning to sneeze, and little G has that tight little cough that starts it all.

Little G's 'game day' at school is tomorrow so he's very eager to NOT be sick tomorrow, but from my experience he should make it though tomorrow but getting worst through the day. Just in time to miss all the sporting events of Saturday!

Cub Scout Wednesday

Tonight was our Cub Scout Annual Pinewood Derby.

For the past few evenings hubby and little G have been slaving over this little car.

The night of the race....

They made last minute adjustments

Pre-Race pictures were taken..

and the end result was.....

3rd place!

The "sickness" has arrived

BUT it's not as bad as it could be. W went home from church with a constantly running nose and slept the rest of the day. I laid down to take a nap and woke up with a tight chest by the time I went to bed I had the cough to go with it! The other 2 seem to be fine. W stayed home from school yesterday to sleep, continue to sneeze and wipe his nose.

W predicted that the full blown cold would be in swing Tuesday morning and I think he's right.

I've been taking Airbourne for the past week in anticipation of this and I'm fairly good at this point. I know I have a cold but it's not as bad as W. Crossing my fingers that it stays that way.

AT LEAST it's not the high fever pukey thing that is going around!

It's here!

I can't believe it IT'S HERE!

Oh, this isn't going to be good,

I can just feel it....Not good at all!

Sunday thoughts

This Sunday I got to church on time, but our seats were already taken (by the family that walked in right before me), so I sat in the comfy chairs of the foyer and waited for my family. At this point I was sitting alone and as the services started they came to close the chapel doors. I didn't like that, I felt like I was being shut out, but in a effort to sit with my late family I had to be sitting in the foyer....again.
This week in the foyer was different, there weren't any little children sitting out there with us, only us and a couple of other quiet people, thus I was able to focus on the words and thoughts being spoken.

Forgiveness ~
* God Forgives, and we should too!
*it's not just forgetting, it's a process of forgiveness
*We don't have control over other's activities, we only have control over ourselves and how we react and feel.
*As Christ hung on the Cross, He asked for forgiveness for those that had done this.

Hope ~
This man spoke of a story that he'd heard of 2 football teams, one that didn't have any fans, or support from their community and the other that had overwhelming support. The fans from the supportive school, divided up their fans, and cheer leaders to go to the 'other side' for the night and what a difference it made in the game and in these boys playing. Those boys had hope!
*You are just as valuable as anyone else
*What would happen if someone suddenly showed love, care, and hope for you?
*What would happen if you suddenly showed love, care and hope for someone else?'
*the greatest gift we can give is hope
*Hope comes from Christ, we are all weak and he gives up hope.
*Christ gives us all Hope and our Hope through Him makes us strong.
*Hope ~ Faith ~Love ~ Testimony

Cub Scout field trip

This morning I took the little cub scouts on a Field trip.

When I left the house it was 9degrees, burr, but the cubs had lots of energy.

We were headed to Moon Marble.

We watched Bruce make a marble (that was cool), and then we learned to play "shoot out" and how to "knuckle down" from Jay (he was funny). The cubs got to pick out marbles for themselves. They picked from a wall of marbles with names like, cub scout, Blue jay, Saturn, frosty blue, asteroid, mars, and cotton candy.

What a blurr.....

W was a blur of activity today. I suppose it's the life of a teenager! Hubby is coaching W's recreational basketball team. They plot and plan all of December at which boys they are going to recruit to play and hope that things work out in the draft the way they want it! They're funny! This morning at 11am was the first practice.

We all met at home for lunch and then headed off to W's indoor soccer game. This was hubby first experience with the game. W played last year but hubby was in the hospital recovering all last season. Indoor soccer is much faster, and alot different than out door soccer. There are only team and they play both defense and offense, they play off the walls, with very few time stoppage. It's quick, 2 twenty minute halves, people subbing in and out while play is still going on... did I mention how fast the play was???

It's always fun to watch W play keeper. He's good and it's fun to hear the crowd around me says so (not knowing who I am). It's also fun to watch the frustration of the other team grow as the ball is shot but doesn't go in. W's team lost (they always do) but they kept the score in single digits. I need to also say W doesn't ever get to play with these kids, they are all of a rival school, but they asked him to be their keeper last year. It's a fun way to stay in shape in the winter.

Then W was off to play Futsal (another type of indoor soccer) with the kids from his high school team. They have a retire professional player from Brazil that has worked with them for years. When he heard that W was not going to play College soccer he got upset with W and I believe gave him a (gentle but firm) lecture! Thank you Derci! Then told him of a position on his sponsored Futsal team has a back up keeper. Derci had to check with the sponsors before officially offering him position. Derci really likes W and wants good things for him!

When W came home and collapsed in bed at 9:30pm.

Adventures in Subbing #14

Yes, it's January but the weather was a balmy 65 degrees with a light southerly breeze! It was wonderful.

AND yes, I had recess duty.

I would say that I have recess duty 95 % of the time that I sub! It's even gotten to the stage that it's laughable, if I'm subbing then they must have recess duty.

I've been out to recess when it's blistering hot and when it's bitterly cold. The schools sit up on a hill so there is always a breeze (and sometimes breeze is putting it calmly!)

TODAY it was wonderful I was so excited to go outside this afternoon! We let them have a few minutes extra but when the rest of the kindergartner teachers came to lead them inside, they decided that that we could stay out longer! So we did, it was beautiful! Today makes up for the entire week I subbed with the weather too cold (wind chill under 25) to have outside recess.

Cold and flu season is here and it's beginning to hit the schools ~ As soon I walked in I was approached by another teacher asking if I was available to sub for her tomorrow! It not the teacher's so much but they all have sick children!

AND it seems to be everything, colds, pukey flu, high fevers, strep, you name it some one's got it. Maybe we should have a lottery to pick the date I come down with it!

Organized people are just

too lazy to look for things!

Inauguration Day 2009

Those 39 words ........

Make a president!

"To Preserve, To Protect and To Defend"

A peaceful transfer of power in the most powerful and blessed country on the Earth!

Martin Luther King

When I substitute in the 2 grade class there is a 'Foster Grandma' in that class, she is a sweet little grandma that never says a word, just goes about grading her papers.

I was teaching the morning after Barack Obama was pronounced the President Elect. I asked her what she thought of that. She simply replied, "well, I guess it's good, he seems like a nice man." When I asked her about her experiences with discrimination she told of how she moved to the 'prairie' when she was 2 and didn't ever really know of anything that discriminated against her. She and her brother had gone to Memphis when they were little (which would have been in the late 40's). Their aunt took them on the bus, her brother just plopped down on the first seat he found (in the front of the bus), their aunt jerk him up by the arm and told him that he wasn't to sit in the front of the bus. That was the only time they ever knew about discrimination.

I suppose we have wild John Brown to thank for our equal rights on the prairie!

I found the closing of the speech that Dr King gave the night before his assassinated.

Here are his prophetic words......

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Bloomin' Monday

This cactus always makes me smile when it blooms. Some years it is just covered with little white blooms but this year not so many! I think I've discovered that the more I water it in the winter the less blooms I get. Next year there's going to be a winter drought.

thoughts from Sunday

Today we were all late for church. Usually hubby and G leave ahead of W and I getting 'our' seats but today we all left at the same time thus losing 'our' seats!

Don't those people know that those seats have our hinney's impressions in them!?

We sat in the foyer, in the most comfortable seats!

Sitting in the foyer is always a challenge for me. I'm a visual person making it difficult to focus on a speaker that I can't see. I like to focus on what I can see ~ the children playing on the other side of the foyer!

The talks were focused on the atonement, and the first man discussed learning to see ourselves as the Lord see us. What a challenge that is! He talked about what we may think is the most perfect body may not (quite possibly isn't) what the Lord thinks is our most perfect body. He told us he thought his perfect body would be a 6' 4" 235 pounds with 6% body fat and not the 5' 7 3/4" that he was!

We have a young man (19) that is leaving this week for Mexico on his Mission. He was excited to go out and share the gospel with the people of Mexico.

This Sunday also was a challenge because of my double duty. I had to do things with both the Relief Society Secretary and the Cub Scout Leader. I felt like I was running around just trying to get things done today. This Sunday wasn't they typical and next week will be better.

adventures in subbing #13

Goodness what an afternoon!

First of all I was asked to only work a half day, but just any half day, FRIDAY afternoon half day and not just FRIDAY afternoon but a FRIDAY afternoon with snow on the ground half day! I wasn't looking forward to this at all. The kids were going to be wild! I just kept tell myself it was only 3 hours, I can do anything for 3 hours!

I get into the class room at 11:55, was met by the teacher with her coat on her arm and her keys in hand. I apologized for cutting it close, she being very sweet said it was "no, problem" she was headed off to Indiana to hug her grandchildren! AND that there was a Student teacher in the classroom so all I needed to do was sit there and do crowd control!

WHAT? did I hear her correct? Student Teacher, sit there, crowd control? As I stood there trying to register what had just been said, I saw this young girl in front of the class. I could have swore she had an aura around her ..... a Student teacher aura. It was true I had a student teacher and all I had to do was sit there and do crowd control.

Even the crowd control turned out to be nothing. It seems that the 4th grade do their 'specials' (out of the classroom classes in the afternoon). These students were in the classroom for about 45 minutes this afternoon. Here I'll do the math for you I get paid $95 per day, half day $42.50. So I made just under a dollar a minute today! Well, not really but for teacher student time I did!

I like Friday afternoons after all!

Flashback Friday

This is my brother, my dad and me!

I was 2!

Taken at the JC Nichol Plaza fountain in KC
Is my brother showing off his 5 year old manly chest?

I love those socks with the high top converse!

AND don't you think my dad looks like he should be

smoking a cigarette with Frank, Sammy, and Dean?

Little-known reasons why January Rocks

I thought you might need a reinforcement of why

January and it's COLD are a good thing!

by cat at Shoe Box Blog
-not Africa hot
-parkas make everyone look cute
-mosquitoes don’t like January
-no stupid carols about January on the radio 24/7
-not swim-suit season
-year not screwed up yet

Ties that Bind

For years our family has had a daily calendar that sits on our kitchen table.

At first we had Far Side Calendars for years! and absolutely loved them.

When Gary Larson decided to retire I went in search of something that (hopefully) we'd love as much. Fortunately I found a game Calendar put out about Cranium (the game), we were challenge everyday, usually beyond our limits.

This year I thought about going without a calendar.

Until the question started coming "hey, when are you getting us a calendar?"

I was even out shopping one day when W met me and reminded me to get a calendar

and then help me pick out a new calendar.

This is the Calendar we have. Amazingly we all gather at some point in the day around this calendar. We have all tested our skill of finding the difference on our own but

then we come together to see who did the best and share our finds!

This Calendar is a tie that binds our family together at least once a day!

BRRrrrrrr

When I got up at 7am it was -0.4!
but the cars are started and the seat warmer on!

Cub Scout Wednesday!

Tonight we played games that have to do with our eyes!

First we started by playing with the Find It tube. In this game you're given a list of about 30 items that then this tube is filled with those items but also a bazillion little plastic beads (sand like) that shift and move revealing and hiding the objects. It's fun to play with and for kids that busy themselves with!

Then we played the Classic game of putting several items out on a tray, study the items, close your eyes while someone removes an object. Then they tried to figure out what was missing!

We finished up with our NEWEST favorite game in our house so I took this to play with the boys. It's easy, it's quick, and it's fun!

Wordless Wednesday....

OK not so wordless ~

We had the missionaries over for supper

(Hooter's Chili, magic sandwiches and Sticky pickles)

on Sunday evening and before the night was over we had

clone Missionaries!

Holding on to the past....

This is hubby's favorite sweatshirt!

(Notice the stained collar and the holes in the sleeve?)

I believe it's about 13 years old. Hubby also has a 'Maryland' sweatshirt that I bought when little W and I went to visit my brother in Baltimore (when W was 2). I know that this sweatshirt is 'newer' than that sweatshirt. These two sweatshirts are the last heavy sweatshirts that hubby got that are made out of 'real' sweatshirt material.

For years hubby would ask for sweatshirts every Christmas only to reject them when they were lined with fleece. I finally figured out that he didn't understand, sweatshirts aren't made out of sweatshirt material anymore!

Every year I cringe when this sweatshirt makes it's appearance. That cringe came around last Saturday morning as we were getting ready for G's ball game. I found hubby clipping off the strings from the worn out spots!

Oh, well even a 50 something year old man can have a security blanket!

Need a reason to celebrate?

Here are few thing to celebrate this week.
National Book Week
**Let the laundry and dishes pile up... I'm reading a book!?
National Bowling Week
**I think I can regain my Queen of the Wii bowling alley this week
National Pizza Week
**I think we gladly celebrate this every week!

12th :: Today is National Marzipan Day
13th :: National Peach Melba Day
14th :: National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
15th :: National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
16th :: National Fig Newton Day
17th :: World Religion Day
18th :: Winnie the Pooh Day
18th :: Is also Thesaurus Day.
19th :: National Popcorn Day

boomin' Monday

Sunday thoughts

I really enjoy going to church so I can refocus my life spiritually week to week. Today the economic situation of our temporal life came to light in our church services. Today the talks and lessons were focused on our temporal welfare in the coming months and years.

These are my notes from today's meetings.
*The grime economic situation is real and will effect all of us to some degree
*Love each other as Christ loves us
*Fast offering should be generous
*fast offering is a measure of gratitude
*Fasting with prayer vs. going hungry
*We, as church members will not be immune from economic crisis
*challenge vs. opportunities
*"every trial you pass through is necessary for your salvation" Brigham Young
*during a crisis .... we need to have.... Faith in the Lord, Hope things will get better, and act responsible for our situation.
*in times in crisis do as often as we can ... serve others, attend the temple, give charity.

What I need to do....
Make and stick with a budget
work as much as I can
shop wisely
look for ways to eliminate the unnecessary

Basketball.....

G's basketball season has started. He is so excited because he has moved to the 'big' gym. This also means the basket level is regulation and not lowered. This should be a great year for G and Basketball!

adventures in subbing #12

Yesterday as I sat at G's first basketball game of the season there were a lot of kids that I know because of subbing. At one point I had a couple of little girls from one of the kindergarten class that I'm a regular in sitting next to me. They also have brothers G's age. They, as all little girls are, being silly and fussing over me then at one point they asked to sit on my lap. I allowed that. Two girls one lap.

W, who had been sitting behind me a couple of rows, came up to me and asked, "What's with you Mom, do you even know those kids?" I'm sure he was having a "Just How can this be?" moment.

A warm January day!

Today was warm and sunny. Not warm like a nice wintery day, but warm like a nice spring day. I opened a few windows to breeze out the house (shhh don't tell hubby he has a thing about having the windows open in January) It was bright, sunny and 63 degrees when I picked up G from school. I had the sun roof open, the windows rolled down and wishing I didn't have a sweatshirt on.

We then headed east about 6 miles east of the school, I started rolling windows up, closing the sun roof, and wondering what happened to the sun! I noticed that the temp had drop to 60 degrees! Even though I wanted to I didn't turn around, I continued on my errand.

By the time we got home an hour later, it was really cloudy and 55 degrees! I guess this spring day in January is over!

In true G fashion ~ he came home and checked the weather website. It says 'just cloudy'.

Pulling double duty

I have recently been 'called' to be the secretary in the women's organization at church (Relief Society) along with still being the Cub Scout den leader (yea for that!). It's a mixture of mature women and silly little boys ~ who could ask for anything better?

I've been in up to my elbows in bookmarks and a newsletter for the last 24 hours. Honestly, I love it. I love having a task that is to be done and then finished. None of the that lingering over my head stuff for me!

Now I'm off to clean the bathrooms. Honestly, I don't love that!

Cub Scout Wednesday......

This month is "A-mazin' games" so tonight we played Mad Libs. This is always good for some silly laughs.

Then the cubs created and played a Button Skeet Game. It was fun to watch them measure, cut, glue and then enjoy their work.

thoughts from Sunday.......

As I sat in church today I jotted some things to ponder this week......

* Listen and do as the Spirit directs you to do
* families are eternal
*Be Grateful
*A good marriage is difficult
*Doubting Thomas ~ faith with seeing vs. faith without seeing
*Goal ~ "to hear the voice of the Lord" as I study my scriptures
*Pray and take the time to listen for an answer... maybe listen all day.

What I've CREATED today....

I created a clean space for G to play, live, and sleep. OK, I cleaned G's room, with G's help of course. I'm always amazed how just how big our small bedrooms are when everything is picked up.

I purchased this handy dandy little "p-touch" label maker. It added interest to the project as G printed out the labels, put them on the bins and then to the appropriate shelf.

After that I created labels for my bathroom storage drawers....it's clear that "organization was here today".

Now if I could just get W from labeling the Highlighter with "highlighter" and the printing out other useless things!

BUT ... in creating a clean room for G..... I've created a messy front room with all that needs to go some where else! OH well, tomorrow is another day......

I laughed out loud!

Starting the year with the Rice family

click on the collage for a bigger view

Happy Birthday Hubby.....