i need a vacation!

yes i know,
we just returned
but the saying could not be
more true!

i need a vacation
to recoop
from our vacation!


we had a blast,
and have soooo
many things to blog about!


from earthquakes
to a donny osmond collision,
to aggressive squirrel families!

never a dull moment!


until then...enjoy...

{keeping secrets}

not usually a fan
i can keep them
but if it is a secret
of the surprise variety
it's hard to


but i have a secret
a big one
hubs and i know
the kids don't


and it is worth sharing
the daughter is no fan
of secrets and surprises
that she is not in on
this should be tons of fun!


i'll let ya in on it...
but don't tell...
we are taking the kids to disneyland!
their first time going!
{we will also hit legoland and the beach!}

i fully expect them to lose their minds!
that is, if i don't lose mine first
trying to pull this off!


have a great weekend
and
happy easter everyone!

setting the bar

i know
i know
two blog posts in two days...

enjoy, cuz this might not happen again!

so i know i need to get back into the swing of
blogging

it used to come so easy to me...
things to blog about were always
swirling around in my mind

but not lately...

so here it goes...
an attempt
if i start
maybe the swirlies will come again!

book club
i started a book club almost a year ago
we average a book every two months
cuz we are all too busy to meet more often!

here's a rundown of the books we've read...

the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime
by mark haddon
...love this book
...easy read
...loved the point of view
...highly recommend!

the thirteenth tale
by diane setterfield
...not much to say on this one
...i struggled to get through it
...not my genre
...will leave it at that!

the help
by kathryn stockett
...buy this book
...run! don't walk!
...thank me later!

the 19th wife
by david ebershoff
...another great one
...insightful
...spurs many many questions
...great for discussion! (and discuss we did! whew!)

the weight of silence
by heather gudenkauf
...this whole book takes place in one day
...what a long day!
...good, not great

and currently reading...

the girl with the dragon tattoo
by stieg larsson
...i think it might get good
...that is what i am told
...at some point it will grab me
...still waiting
...better happen soon!

so what are you reading?
i have so many books in my to read pile!

{uncertainty}

i know that a few months back
i said i'd return
i thought it would be sooner

but better late than never
i guess


where to begin???
remember this last year?
well, ditto for this year.
fully expected it, but sucks still
it was rescinded last year,
thankfully

and i hope it will be this year
but
there is still that uncertainty

so in the meantime
we wait
and wonder
and make changes
in case
i don't get called back

so many uncertain things right now

blog-pause

2 months and 2 days
since my last post

i've been
sidetracked
hijacked
derailed

i promise i'm working my way back
wait for it
it won't be huge
but i'll be back
promise....

you know you're an old married couple when...

...your dear husband tries to

pay you a compliment like

"you look hot"

and you reply by saying,

"no actually i feel just fine"

...your husband refills your

bottomless margarita glass

right after the last drink

without even being asked!

...he politely threatens to break

your arm if you bid at an auction

and it is considered being affectionate!

...shared desserts are a

highlight of your date!

...you attend a function that lasts until

midnight but you are home by 10:30!

1 down...179 to go!

for teachers, it's all about the countdown!

give me another day and i will have worked

out how many days until winter break!

anyhoo...here are the cuties from this am...

according to mason,

K is awesome

the only flaw?

he took an apple for his snack

he "ate it all, but meanwhile,

i missed all of recess cuz it took

me that long to eat it!"

different snack packed for tomorrow!

and the second grader?

stoked about no homework all week!

as am i!

baby steps please!

pass the tissues please

this handsome young lad
is officially a kindergartner



and this beautiful young lady
is a big shot second grader



and this is their mama
.

she is sad to be returning to work

but loves that the two cuties above

are with her at school!

lasting impressions

twelve years of teaching
that's a lot of kids
and every year
i hope i make an impact
on them
but what i bet they don't know
is that they make as much
of an impact on me

i remember them
the funny stories
the laughs we all shared
their personalities
they leave an impression
on me
it doesn't go away

so when i hear from them
after they move on
or they come back to visit
it is beyond wonderful
to just listen to them
to see how they've grown
it always makes me smile

so when i hear news
like the tragic news i got today
it hurts
it's beyond sad

a young person's life
cut way, way too short
he sat in my classroom
2 short years ago
but it feels like yesterday
he made quite an impression on me
but i bet he never knew that

so as a new school year dawns
i made a note on the last day
in my plan book...
it reads
"tell them how much they mean to me"

{PS...last night, i recounted a funny story about him
to some friends. the same night he passed away.
gives me chills.}

{oh no he didn't!}

if you know our
little big guy
in real life
you know he is a boy's boy
he is rough and tumble
he is hands on
he is passionate!

he loves nothing more
than wrestling with daddy on the floor

so about six months ago,
when he also wanted
to wrestle with his friends in preschool,
we decided to give him an outlet for his energy:
martial arts!
and a match made in heaven they are!
he loves every minute of it!
he is learning to defend himself,
when it is appropriate to do so,
and that discipline and hard work pay off!
he earned his yellow belt {with white stripe}
recently and is so proud of his accomplishment!
he has also filled us in on his plans...
to become an mma fighter when he grows up...oiy!




so last week, he went to
vacation bible school
on the first day he comes home with a shiner!
apparently he was intentionally
pushed by another
energetic young lad
{this according to the teacher}
and did a face plant on the play structure.
okay, those things happen, he shrugged it off,
and i was just thankful he didn't start it!
the next day i am buckling him in the car
and i see two red scratch marks on his neck
i ask about it and he says some boy did it
but he conveniently couldn't remember the rest!
alrighty then...maybe a lesson
on love thy neighbor
could be covered in vbs???
so a few days later, he asks me to feel
the back of his ear.
i do, and much to my surprise, it is all scratched up
and scabbed over!
i ask what happened and this is the conversation:


him: well remember the day i had the scratches on my neck?


me: yes...


him: well, i might get in trouble for telling you this...


me: just tell me, you will not be in trouble!


him: well, this boy, he scratched me on the neck
i don't know why, but i did what sifu said to do when
we get attacked...


me: {as the blood drains from my face} and that is?


him: i put him in a full mount



me: you what?!?!?!


him: i put him in a full mount


me: i heard you! why on earth did you do that? and at bible school?


him: cuz i was defending myself


me: ummm...okay...


him: it ended when he grabbed my ear


me: at bible school honey?!


him: yeah, and when i get older i am going to do it in one of those cages!


o heavens...a conversation followed
concerning the fact that he is going to K
in a few weeks
and he is NOT to touch another person
even if he thinks he is defending himself
i gently reminded him that mommy
works at the school and i will know
what goes on...
except i don't think he cares!
this might be a long school year!