Quick! Take me to Vegas Baby!

My husband is saying it's my "Born-To-Bingo" Blood that I get from my Grandma.

My mother-in-law is saying it's something like voodoo magic (the same kind I used to get her son to marry me!).

My friends are saying I cheated (some friends!).

I'm just shrugging my shoulders saying "What can I say?"

Last Thursday our whole family went to an event at Caleb's school known as the Pie Social. There is pie of course, a carnival, and raffle items. I went ahead and bought $10.00 worth of raffle tickets and then proceeded to fill them out. The man selling them to me laughed as I crinkled and kissed every one of my tickets. "Does that help you win?" he asked while smiling at me.

"Every time" I told him. "Every time."

It's all in the crinkle and kiss folks.

The first time my name was called I didn't even know what we had won. It was called a surfing board. Huh?

Then when I went to pick up my prize I realized what it was. In 2nd grader terms, it's a ripstick. I think of it as a fancy skateboard. Mark loved the fact that I had won a skateboard. (Ask him sometime how much he loves skateboarders!) We went home after that since it was late and heck, we'd already won something. What were the odds of winning something else?

The next day at work, my friend, whose children also go to school with Caleb, said to me "You're name was called like 2 or 3 more times after you left."

"Really?"

I went down after school to check it out.

Sure enough. My name had been called 3 more times. Caleb won a new bike. Owen won a gift certificate to Albetsons and we also won a large family-style pizza at a place here in town. Jeez, Louise!

Mark and I decided to go ahead and trade in the skateboard (much to Mark's relief) and get Owen a new bicycle also. Here was the ripstick:

And here's the bike we now have instead!

Caleb doing a happy dance for his bike which he has named "My Beauty."

   

Then to top it all off, when I went to a Garden workshop today at church I won a door prize! This basket is filled with all kinds of awesome stuff! After I won it, I texted Mark and told him to book our tickets to Vegas. I just might go out and buy some lottery tickets tomorrow. You never know!

Teaching

                                                          I love teaching.
                                                    I specifically love teaching 2nd grade.

The year I spent in Kindergarten is still to be recalled only when I am wrapped up in a comfy blanket and I have a hot drink in my hand. And all the doors are locked. And my own children are in bed. It was that scary.

But 2nd grade is just right. It is perfect. The students are oh-so-sweet and so ready to learn. I fall in love with them and believe they are mine for a whole year. I cried on the last day of school the first two years that I taught. Now I only sniffle since I'm more prepared.

There are so many things to love about teaching that it would take at least 572 more blog posts to describe them all. The fact that I'm someone's hero. The way I can see the "lightbulb" go off when they understand something. The way they react when they see me in public - like I'm a movie star.

The hugs. 2nd Grade hugs are the best.

Before teaching I would have never considered myself a "techy" person at all. In fact, I still don't. But I have come to use and LOVE so many things in my classroom that are considered "techy" that I have to share them. My job is becoming less and less a job and more and more just a place I go to in order to hang out with some cool 2nd graders and have fun.

Meet my laptop and document camera. Her name is Looloo and His name is Elmo. Together they make me very, very happy. I have only had Elmo for 2 years and I still sometimes pet him and whisper sweet things to him. You may mock me now but just wait until you have one of your own!

This is a projector. Not a glamorous job but an essential one nonetheless. Without Eppie here, my life is very dull and gray. If her light doesn't come on, the students and I just slump in our chairs and twiddle our thumbs because we have no life without Eppie.

Now this, this is my Promethean Board and I still sing in the shower songs of praise to my bff Cindy who included me in her grant so that I could have one of my very own. She doesn't know this, but I have pledged myself to her for eternity because of this board. You should see the things the students and I do with this bad Larry. It would take your mind to places it has never gone before. Seriously - that's why I named it Bad Larry. You don't say it like Bad (meaning bad) Larry. You drag it out a little and nod your head slowly saying bad (meaning the coolest thing ever) Larry. He's pleased to meet you.

Some plain old boring computers in the back. (just kidding they're not plain or boring but you all know what those are!).

Now this I-Touch (and one other) are on loan to me right now. My students are having a ball with them. I give them passages to practice reading and then they read with the I-Touch. It records them with that little white magic thing on the bottom of the I-Touch and then it allows them to listen to how fluently they are reading. They love it, I love it and they can't get enough reading time in. I am working on getting them to write class news and things of interest for our school so we can branch out into podcasting. How fun is that!

(P.S. Couldn't I totally be a hand model? I mean, look at those fingertips!)

On each desk in my room, there is a little handheld thingy-majiggy called an ActivExpression. These work with LooLoo and Bad Larry to create such an interactive classroom that it would boggle the president's mind if he ever chose to visit. These things don't just do multiple choice, they do everything.

We can use these to text spelling words and share ideas, answer math questions and put numbers in order. They can instantly show me who answered what and create a graph that allows me to see if the majority of the students have answered the question correctlly. They are sheer awesomeness.

Now this cute little etch-a-sketch looking thing just came to me today. It is something a friend told me to try out (my students love him because he brings the best "toys" they say. I have to agree). It is a slate that works with Bad Larry and it allows me to control the Promethean Board from wherever I am at in the classroom. I can walk around and talk to the students and move things on the board at the same time.

Can you see why teaching is the best job on the planet? I didn't even get into the students and how awesome they are!! That post would blow your pants right off and I would really hate for that to happen, so I'll save student awesomeness for a warmer day!

State of Happiness

Life has been good lately.

No. Not good. It's been great.

Mark got a promotion at work.

 Caleb received an award at school on Friday for being Caring.

Owen is loveable and laughing as always.

As for me, well I did a little something.

Something that starts with a B.

Has to do with the big G.

Would you like to C?

I got baptized.

It was at our church, Pilot Rock Baptist, and it was with lots of family present rather than during a Sunday service. And while I have been a Christian for several years, I have never been officially baptized. Mark has tried to bring it up a couple of times, but true to form, I would dig my heels in and tell him that when I was ready, I would. End of subject.

I finally decided it was time. We had found a church that we were wanting to become members of and I was ready to take the plunge. I even heard myself agree to be baptized in front of the whole church, which gave me the hives just thinking about it, but if that's what I needed to do, then I would do it. (Contrary to popular belief, I do not like to be the center of attention.)

Once I had made my decision I was filled with peace. I could do this and I would do this. Then Pastor Harley called me and asked if I would mind if Grandpa was also baptized with me. Then he went a little further and asked if it could be a family affair so Grandpa wouldn't be rushed. I quietly (and thankfully, oh so thankfully!) agreed to a family affair and it was one of the most fun times ever.

My favorite part? The kids. They were so excited and we let them sit right up front where the action was.

Mark's grandpa went first and it was awesome. Just awesome.

           

Then it was my turn. The water was a wee bit cold. And like normal, when nervous, I got the giggles.

See? Still giggling and I got Harley into it also.

Luckily, I stopped before he dunked me.

Then, as soon as I was done, they were back.

It was great and I am great and life is great and most importantly of all:

God is Great!!

Boys vs. Girls

I have started to reread the book Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson and I crack up every time while reading the lists that little boys and girls have created saying who is better and why. Here are a few things from the lists.

Girls Rule Because:

girls chew with their mouths closed

girls are more talented

girls don't let stinkers as much

girls are more smarter

girls walk more politely

Well of course, some little boys read this and were highly offended. Here is their rebuttal:

Boys Are More Better Because:

boys don't worry about "diet-this" and "diet-that"

boys are way more cooler

boys learn to make funny noises with their armpits faster

boys don't cry and feel sorry when they kill a fly

boys eat with a lot of heart

Being a girl myself, I have to admit some of the things "boys" brag about do not appeal to me at all. But being the mother of  2 boys, I am making myself sit up and pay attention to what makes little boys tick. I am constantly surprised by what they say and do and as of this morning, by what they argue about.

I was in the bathroom putting on my makeup and the boys were eating breakfast at the counter. This is the part of the conversation I could hear because voices were starting to be raised:

Caleb: Owen! You did fart two times! I heard you!

Owen: I did not! I only did one!

Caleb: You did two! I heard them. One right after the other! I heard them!

By this point I had made it down the hallway to intervene. I asked what was going on.

Caleb: I was sitting by Owen and then he started to fart and didn't say excuse me and he did it two times and he says he didn't! (please note that this was all said with much finger pointing and a voice filled with accusation)

Owen: (with tears in his eyes and a quaver in his voice) Mommy, I only did one! I would feel it if I did more than that! (at which point his voice broke and the sobs started).

Once I controlled the tears and got apologies from both boys, I walked back down the hallway thinking that I have never had to deal with an arguement about that before. Boys! Yeesh!

When I got home later that day I noticed Caleb had a new sign on his door.

Upon closer examination I finally sounded it out.

You give it a try.

No Owens

I am serious

No Owen

While reading Dobson's book he brings up the fact several times that boys are

different than girls. God made them that way for a reason. Before I had children I did notice this in the classroom but since becoming a mother I notice something new every day. This last month I decided to take a few pictures to show you what I mean.

Saturday is laundry day at my house.

It is always fun to see what treasures the boys have "pocketed" away during the week.

I find things like marbles and dinosaurs.

7 sinister swords.

And what is this? A headless soldier?

Oh. Whew! He survived the washing machine and is ready to do battle again.

Only question is,

 am I?

Dave Jr.

Dave Ramsey's Steps to Financial Peace:

1. Save $1,000 fast

2. Pay off all debt except the house

3. Finish the Emergency Fund (4-6 months worth of expenses)

4. Maximize Retirement Investing (12-15% of income)

5. College Funds for the Kids

5b. Brainwash Your Chidren

6. Pay off the Home Mortgage

7. Build Wealth Like Crazy

Step 5b doesn't really exist but Mark and I thought it would be fun anyway. Since step 6 was going to take us awhile, we needed something to entertain us! For Christmas we bought the boys this:

It came with all this:

Mark and I sat down and listed out the chores we wanted the boys to be responsible for, as well as how much money they would be paid at the end of the week for doing those chores. We then put up their charts on the fridge and each night one of us will do the checklist with them. It is awesome! I am no longer picking up after them or cleaning their rooms! They are setting the table and clearing if off when we are done eating. They feed and water the dog and best of all, they have special shovels and pails to clean up her poop each week!

We sat down with the boys and explained that they would be receiving money for doing these 5 chores each week and if they didn't do the chores, they didn't get paid. We told them that they would have 3 envelopes to put their money in: 1 for spending, 1 for saving and 1 for giving. They were thrilled.

I took the boys on a field trip to Wal-Mart (don't tell Mark!) and they each chose something to save for. Then I took their picture and we put that up under the chore chart on the fridge.

Owen chose a Star Wars light saber and Caleb chose an army vehicle of some kind.

Then we started. The first couple of days we walked the boys through each chore and told them what we expected and what they needed to do to meet those expectations. Then we started to just remind them to do their chores. Now, they are doing them on their own and I'm telling you - my life is suddenly much easier!

Owen keeps telling everyone "If I don't do the work, I don't get paid!"

Here they are - doing the work.

And here they are - getting paid.

I am loving every minute of this and I can't think of a better way to start teaching our children about money - the responsiblities of it, the work ethic behind getting it and the fun there can be found in having it.

I love the fact that they have to save up their money for a special something.

I love going to church and seeing their pride in placing their "giving" money into the offering plate

I love how people are offering our children money to come do a chore at their house - mainly cleaning up dog poop, but hey - it's money, right?!

Loving it!

Spreading the Love

The other night I went out to dinner with some friends and then took in a comedy show. By the time I got home, the boys had been in bed for a while and most of the lights were off in the house. I noticed a cute little heart drawn on a small piece of white paper taped to the door of the fridge.

"That's sweet" I thought.

Then, when I went to open a cupboard, I noticed another white piece of paper containing a cleverly drawn heart.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw another one. And another one. Upon closer examination of the house I realized they were everywhere.

Can you find the 8 in this picture?

How about the 10 in this one?

 You can only see 7 in this picture of the laundry room but there are actually 15 in there.

They are bringing smiles to my face wherever I go, even if it's when I'm using the boy's bathroom.

(There was one on the toilet paper roll.)

             

I spy them when I am cleaning out the dishwasher,

   

and using the printer. The boys told Mark they wanted to surprise me. Well they sure did!

Battleship Caleb received some of the love.

As did some of Daddy's hunting stuff. I wonder if he's noticed that one yet or not.

When I came home from work on Friday, the boys had set up shop in the kitchen were they were mass producing hearts. I was informed that you could buy them for the price of a hug. I bought a couple.

There are still more so come on over and "buy" some yourself! The boys would LOVE it!

The Last Game of Pinochle for 2009

To ring in the New Year, Mark and I hosted a pinochle party. Pinochle is a HUGE deal in his family and I had to take lessons in order to marry him. If I hadn't passed my final test (playing with the fam.) I seriously don't think I would have been allowed to walk down the aisle.

Luckily enough, I am a natural (Ha!).

Once everyone arrived, we got down to business. We had a table of 4 and a table of 6. Losers had to rotate and I kept track of wins and losses in order to award prizes at the end of the night.

This is Mark, Poppa G., Wade and Mark's Dad.

Dawn was also there along with Grandma G., Mark's Mom, Harley and Johanna.

As we played, there was a pinochle necklace floating around and if you had 300 in pinochle you had to wear it. Whoever was wearing it at the end of the night won a prize.

Dad was the first to have it grace his neck.

We finally called it quits and looked over the scores to see who was the big prize winners.

The Biggest Winner: Harley

His Prize: A new deck of pinochle cards, junior mints and 12 different kinds of hot cocoa.

The Biggest Loser: Mom

Her Prize: A box of kleenex and a deck of cards with (adorable!) dogs on them.

The Pinochle Necklace Winner: Grandma G.

Her Prize: A pot of gold candy box.

It was also Grandma and Grandpa's 63rd anniversary! Woohoo!

It was a great night and a very fun way to ring in the new year! I hope all of you had a great time also whether it was a low key evening at home or a night out on the town.

 Happy New Year Everyone!!!