Happy 400 posts, me!!!

I've blogged on here 400 times, since August 14, 2005. Holy Moly. And you know what's funny? My very first entry "My First Attempt" http://lionheadden.blogspot.com/2005/08/my-first-attempt.html was written when Mason was only 7 months old!! Now, he's turning 4 next month and GRACE is now 8 months old. Things have changed a teensy weensy bit since then...

Who needs toys?

when you've got...

your Daddy's shoes...

A laundry basket...

Your brother's sunglasses...

And an inventive Daddy that creates a sled out of a diaper box and the dog's leash,

and a SUPER AWESOME big brother who's willing to drag you around the kitchen in your sled!!

A little prayer

Please God, let this upcoming election go according to Your plan. Let voters see clearly and make good decisions that would most benefit this country and represent our beliefs. I pray that whatever You have planned is recieved positively. We don't know what is coming, but I want to be a witness, no matter what. If Your plan isn't my plan, let me see why. Let the voters do the right thing and get out there and vote!! There are changes in our future and it scares us. I pray that we are clear headed and bite our tongues when our views get heated. There's a lot at stake tomorrow and I just ask that You have Your hand in it. Amen.



P.S. I really don't think it should be Obama, but it's your call. :)

Rawr!

Halloween was eventful. As with EVERY YEAR, my students kept asking why they had to have school on Halloween, and why isn't it at least a half day? Oh Jeez. At least it landed on a Friday this year. We also had a plethora of activities this week revolving around Character Counts. It kept them busy and distracted from costumes and such, but kept them equally as hyper and distracted. Yesterday, the students dressed up in colors according to the Character Counts pillars (red for caring, etc.) and stood out on the football field and a plane flew over and took an aerial photo. It was really neat. I can't wait to see it.

Later, I dressed up my kiddos for Halloween (Mason was a lion and Grace was a tiger) and we went to the circus-themed Harvest Party at our church. They had a lot of fun and were plenty tired and dirty when it was over.

Now it's time for Thanksgiving...

Grrrrr...

This little lion cub is 7 months old today!! That's amazing.

This was her coming-home-from-the-hospital picture.

Her feet come to the edge of that carseat. She drinks 6 oz. bottles and sleeps through the night. She makes all kinds of noises (often in a shouting voice) and can sit up for long periods of time.

She doesn't fit in her baby bath anymore and is working on some teeth. She eats baby food and wears 6-9 month old clothes.

And she loves to smile. At everyone. And everything.

We love our Gracie!! And her big brother too...

He'll be 4 in 2 months.

Today's humor

On the same note as my last entry, here's another picture from the LOLcats site. Enjoy!

I can has cheezburger?

Yes, you read that right: "I can has cheezburger?" I'd like to say that this was leading into a hilarious anecdote regarding a student flubbing up in Language Arts class, but alas, it is not. But is something just as funny, if not funnier.

My Hubby has discovered this sight called LOL Cats, and the website is http://icanhascheezburger.com/ OMG, you must go look at it. Right now!! Don't keep reading this! Go!! It is so random it's funny. If you're still reading this instead of taking my suggestion (then shame on you!!), then let me give you the gist: it's a website dedicated to funny pictures of cats, and people can add captions to the pictures. That in itself is funny. But the people who add the captions is another entity that is inexplicable. They have poor grammar and their spelling is more than atrocious. It makes my 7th graders look like geniuses!! Here's a peek at what's inside this alternative universe:

AHAHAHAHA!!! And another one...

How did they get our cat Charlie's expression so spot on?? And lastly...

Oh man. Even if you dislike cats (or even go as far as despise them), you still gotta get a kick out of these. If you have yet to visit the site, I bet you're at least a tad bit intrigued, huh? Go ahead, it'll make your day.

My job is done here. :)

Is there something wrong with this picture?

Okay, I love Christmas as much as the next guy (well, maybe even more than the next guy, depending on who the next guy is. Maybe the next guy is the Grinch!! But I digress...), in fact it's my favorite Holiday. And by Thanksgiving, I'm ready to yank down (or kindly ask Hubby to yank down) the bins of Christmas decor and splash the house with lights and red and green everything!! But the key phrase there was by Thanksgiving. October just started, right?

Well, apparently, October (and in some places SEPTEMBER!!) is the time to put out Holiday stuff. Here's the funny part. I walk into Target yesterday and I see a strange sight (or at least it seems strange to me): in the same aisle, they have spooky Halloween and fall stuff ACROSS from Christmas and winter stuff. In the same aisle, people!!

I know it's hard to see in the pictures, but believe me, it's true. Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat buckets on the right, Christmas cards and lights on the left. Can we at least get through Halloween before selling Christmas stuff? Apparently not.

And this is the sign that proves it:

Only 79 days, people!! Better get to shopping!!

Loungin'

I use the term loungin loosely, as there isn't room for complete laziness when you have two kids, but I alas, I am on Fall Break. That's nice. It's weird to be home on a weekday. I feel like things are happening out there, and I'm missing it!! Anyways, the break has started off nicely. Yesterday, we went to a wedding and took the kids. And they did pretty well. There was a Daddy/Daughter Dance and my Hubby danced with his little Gracie and then later there was a Mommy/Son Dance and Mason and I cut a rug (well, really, he just stood on my shoes and wiggled around). Today, I've done some cleaning and Mason is currently watching "Emperor's New Groove". Tonight, I'm meeting a friend for dinner. Tomorrow is Me Time. I'm dropping Mason off at school and taking Grace to Ms. Allison's. I don't know what I'm doing for the first few hours (probably Target and the post office), but later in the day I'm meeting a work friend at the movies.

No plans for the second half of the week. I assume it will fill up with household duties and perhaps a visit with a friend or two.

It's just nice to make my own plans. But it feels weird...

LOL

Okay, read the blog entry before this one first. Go read it. I'll wait...Doo dee doo...La la la...Done? Okay, now read the comment for that entry...

It just proves that there are websites out there that just look for key words in blogs to respond to. Because obviously it wasn't a person that read the blog and said, "Hmmm...it sounds like this blogger needs advice on where to find alcohol-free hand sanitizer!! I shall share my knowledge!" I was being funny in my blog. The kid I was referring to is a bit on the OCD side. He has also asked me if he could DIE from the germs on the railing of the stairwell. Die! I had to tell him to take a deep breath and that yes, he probably shouldn't necessarily lick the railing, but he probably won't die from the germs.

But hey, now I know where to get alcohol-free hand sanitizer for future reference!! Maybe I should pass this information on to my OCD student!! :)

Kids

I am surrounded by them all day. 24 hours a day. Granted, they range in ages depending on if I'm at home or at work (including some teachers that act like children!!), but either way, I'm around kids all the time. Which isn't too bad most of the time, but I feel like at least 90% of my day is spent repeating myself, trying to be patient, listening to whining, problem solving, disciplining, entertaining and laughing at ridiculous things. I am never bored. Never ever. That's good, right?

A few things to leave you with:

Something a 7th grader said not too long ago: "I just used hand sanitizer on my hands and then itched my nose, but then I read the warning on the sanitizer bottle and it said not to inhale, so am I gonna get high now?"

And something my 3 (almost 4!) year old sang the other day: (while playing with his Toy Story Woody figurine) "Old Macdonald had a Woody..."

Blue and Gold, baby!!

I live in what I would consider to be a fairly small town. And the town I graduated high school in is the neighboring small town. And if you have ever lived in, visited, seen or even heard of a small town, than you know what football means to them. And when you have two small towns that are practically touching, they are rivals in high school sports. And when it comes to football? It's on, baby!! Well, anyways, since I live in this particular town, I find myself supporting all of their sports (at least mentally, since I can't really physically be there) all year long. But on The Big Game of the Year, when they play against my alma mater, I can't help but root for my Badgers. So, I wear blue and gold to school. I did it last year, and just about regretted it. Word got around that a few of us teachers are graduates of said neighboring town and our cars magically got decorated with phrases supporting the local team. But I couldn't help myself again this year. I gotta be faithful (besides, my graduating school has been known to have a pretty kick-butt football team!!). Surprisingly, not a lot of students even noticed that I was wearing blue and gold yesterday. A few teachers commented on my bravery and that if I actually taught at the high school and showed up to work wearing those colors, I'd probably get tied up and stuffed in trash can! I'm sure my bravery would be nonexistent if I was actually employed at the high school. So to no avail, I didn't really rile anyone up with my rival colors.

We didn't go to The Big Game of the Year last night, because Hubby and I had a date night planned and we saw 'The Dark Knight" (very dark and bittersweet, I think), but I was there in spirit, cheering on my Badgers.

And guess what? They won! Again! In fact, they pretty much win every year against the other school (ahem, aside from last year. But we can give them 1 win in 10 years!!). 35-21. Hey, at least it wasn't a slaughter. Wasn't that nice of us? :)

Go Badgers !!

Perspective

Man oh man, has it been a very taxing week. I'm not getting into all of the details, as it might stress me out just retelling it, but let's just say I have had to mother one of my fellow 7th grade teachers and it's worn me thin. I guess I have to just (as the Vice Principal has said) "let him fall on his face". And today was Fantastic Friday, which was a crazy thing in itself.

But the beautiful thing about this week, was meeting baby Jillian. We went over to Ms. Cindy's house last night and I got to hold the baby. She's so tiny and so sweet. Here she is, with our little Grace. Boy, does our little girl look big in comparison!! I guess that's to be expected, since they're 5 months apart!!

So, all worked out in the end. And now it's Friday. That makes me happy.

P.S.

Baby Jillian is doing well. Ms. Cindy was discharged Sunday, but has stayed down near the hospital, so she could nurse and keep an eye on her. The baby is off breathing support (but will be using oxygen at times at home for awhile), is maintaining her own body heat and is eating well. A week stay in the hospital is not too bad for a baby that was 4 weeks early. What a blessing...

Yawn.

I'm tired. The days whizz past me faster than a blur (or even faster than I can say, "blur"!"), so I haven't written much. Sorry. I have a lot to say it seems, but my energy level dips below zero and now I am ready for bed. I will tell you that things are okey dokey around here. Mason's enjoying Preschool (he tells me ALL ABOUT IT after I pick him up everyday--he has a few friends and they like to scare each other, he likes to paint and sing songs, and sometimes other kids have to go to Time Out), Gracie still spits up, but is getting easier to care for. We go in for her 6 month appt. on the 15th, so we'll see if she's jumped up on the percentiles yet. Work is keeping me the most exhausted. Being a Team Leader is busy busy and I thank the Lord everyday that I have two students that are T.A.'s for me!! They do a lot of the grunt work and crap I just don't have time for! Other than that, I am whooped and need my beauty sleep.

Goodnight for now.

Baby love, my baby love...

Our dear friend Ms. Cindy had her baby this afternoon. (Forgotten about Ms. Cindy? See The many adventures of a chocolate goat, the closing gap and a pregnant babysitter http://lionheadden.blogspot.com/2008/01/many-adventures-of-chocolate-goat.html ) Long story short, she was 4 weeks early and was born via C-Section, partly because of the baby's enlarged heart. Her name is Jillian Marie and she was 6 lbs 4 oz. She's on a breathing machine, but I think she's hanging in there pretty well.

Top 10 Reasons My 30th Birthday ROCKED!!!

Whew. What a birthday!! It was amazing. Let me preface with saying that my Hubby is the greatest. And I don't deserve him. On to the list...

10. My students were super sweet on Friday. They made me cards, some brought me presents and they sang to me. A lot.

9. Mrs. Social Studies left 30 balloons in my classroom. And bought me lunch that day. Nice. The balloons don't look so pretty now, but they did, trust me.

8. Mr. Science gave me a bag of chocolate, and sent his entire ACE (Homeroom) class in with construction paper birthday cards. Some of the kids didn't even know me! He is awesome!

7. My Hubby threw me and his twin sisters (their birthday is today) a surprise party. Well, I knew there was a party, but I didn't know my parents and one of my BFFs and her girls would be there. Check out the cake. Yeah, even though his sisters are 8 years older than me, guess who had the "Over the Hill" candle? Mmm hmm.

6. I have discovered a new favorite coffee drink which I bought for myself Friday morning: a Strawberries and Cream Frappucino from a local place. Coffee? Yum! Strawberries? Really yum!! Happy Birthday to me!

5. My Hubby surprised me after the party with a super fantastic fancy shmancy resort for the night. It was goregeous. Here are many pictures of the beautiful place:

4. My Hubby (seeing a pattern here??) arranged for me to get my hair colored, cut and styled at an actual SALON on Friday evening. That was fun. They brought me wine and cookies! No snack at Fantastic Sams or Cost Cutters!!

3. Hubby is on the list again for getting me a MASSAGE this morning, before we left the resort. It was super relaxing. I felt a bit slick from the oils after the fact, but it was worth it.

2. This one is a biggie: MY HUBBY TOOK ME TO SEE THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND LAST NIGHT!! (A bit ironic that my last entry was regarding Leroi and I didn't even know I was going) He had actually joined their fan club months ago, hoping to get awesomely close seats, but there was a glitch with our credit card (a incorrect charge) and he couldn't get the tickets that way. So, we didn't have as nice of seats as he had anticipated, but it was still amazing. And they performed for 3 hours!! I was blown away. Sorry the pictures is unidentifiable. I took it with my phone and it was dark outside but really bright onstage. (but not as bright as it looks--that's not the actual sun on the stage, just to clear up any confusion!!)

And the Number 1 reason my 30th birthday rocked, is....

1. MY HUBBY STARTED PLANNING ALL OF HIS SURPRISES TWO YEARS AGO!!

That's right ladies and gentlemen!! He started putting away $8 a paycheck (not too much, so I wouldn't notice) for 2 years, made a ton of phone calls and searches on websites to get it right. Is that incredible or what?

My question is: What did I do to deserve him? Only God knows...

This is sad

One of my hubby and I's favorite bands of all time is the Dave Matthews Band. I subscribe to their myspace, and this was posted today:

LeRoi Moore 1961-2008
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

We will be praying for his family and the entire band.

It's party time, excellent...

Okay, for a brief moment in time, I had a fallish (I know it's not a word!!) background, because I'm already tired of summer, but I changed my mind. I decided to go with a more festive and fitting background--PARTY!! My big 30th is on Friday. Yep, I'll no longer be in my 20's. Yowza. It's good, but a little freaky too. Anyways, hope you enjoy the colorful and partyish (also not a word) look of things around here. Feel free to comment on your comments...Errr, wait...Whatever. PARTY!!!!

Hum De Dum...

I feel like I should write. It's been since Tuesday. Sorry about that. I feel like the major roles in my life of being a teacher and a mom have consumed me lately. I know as time rolls on, I'll figure out a way to balance it all out and still have time for you. Right? I hope so. Recently, I have taken a virtual trip back in time and scanned through some of my older blogs, including the very first one entitled, "My First Attempt". Check it out if you're a newbie, and gasp at all the time that has passed if you're a Lionhead Blog veteran. http://lionheadden.blogspot.com/2005/08/my-first-attempt.html Anyhow, it got me thinking and feeling a little sad, because I feel like my blogs have lacked luster for some time now, and I have missing gaps of creativity in my entries. For this I apologize. I'm sure a majority of my recent entries are read out of obligation--you've been a committed reader and/or you don't want to hurt my feelings by not reading it. If that's the case, then I feel like I have wasted your time. Well, maybe not completely. I should give myself a little credit. Sometimes my blogs have been sprinkled with a little humor or interesting anecdotes. I just wish it was more of a downpour, rather than a sprinkle. I used to write good stuff. I have friends out there that are reading this right now, and are thinking, "yeah, I remember Lionhead writing some good stuff!!" What happened, you ask? I don't know. Maybe in my aging process (I'll be the big 3-0 in 6 days, people!!), I have lost touch with my witty, creative blogger side. Or maybe I'm lazy. Or don't have time anymore with two kids. Or maybe--wait, I don't have any other guesses. What I'm trying to say is that I pray for creativity. I know that may sounds trite or silly, but I miss always having the right words, and words that came out funny and entertaining. I not only miss that in myself, but I miss being able to share that with you.


So, here it goes: Dear Lord, can I please find my creative side again? Pretty please? I would like to share the gift of witty words with the world (whoa, that was an illiteration...). Amen.