Thursday Thoughts

Well, here we are at Day 2.  Out of school because of snow, snow, snow.  Yesterday it snowed here from about noon until about 10:00 last night and we ended up with about 8 inches or so.  "Mommy, the driveway and our yard is as white as a ghost!" exclaimed Lydia this morning.  She seemed to be surprised that the snow was still here this morning.  Actually, I am not really sure if she and Emily were surprised it was still here or that there was more of it since they came inside, from playing in it, last night. 

It is pretty the way it lays on the trees and when the huge flakes are falling to the ground, but I still hate it!  It completely delays your life.  I suppose I should not complain too much.  Last year at this time, we had around 18 inches!  Multiple times!  Alas, the two days in which the snow is here, and needs shoveling . . . Mike is working.  Just like last year, I will shovel again.  It is supposed to be a balmy 39 degrees today and the sun is shining . . . sort of.  I am going to wait until after lunch and head on out and see what kind of dent I can make in the driveway.  I am seriously considering that move to sunny California!  I would go to Florida, but you can't breathe in the June, July or August so I figure snow, 3 or 4 times in a winter is better than 12 weeks of not being able to catch my breath. 

This is my first snow season working in a public school.  I have never seen so many people get so excited about the possibility of snowfall and a day off!  They actually email each other weather forecasts!  :)  Lots and lots of them!!  My mom, who taught for 35 years, never got that excited about snow days.  She would rather have been off in the summer than have to go extra days to make up snow days.  Clearly, not everyone is like that :).  Make up days are now set aside during the year so you don't mess up graduation.  I imagine that makes things a little better unless you get too many snow days. 

This past Tuesday, Emily said the Pledge of Allegiance at school!  She said it during morning announcements and was over the PA system so the entire school heard her!!  So great!!  This privilege came as a result of trading in her Lion Paws for this "prize."  The kids get Lion Paws as an incentive to make the best choices they can.  Once you receive 10 Lion Paws (in Kindergarten anyway) you trade them in for different things.  You can go read to another class (Ryan and Emily have both done this), you can have lunch with the Principal, you can get a book, say the Pledge of Allegiance with the morning announcements, teacher for the day, etc.  Some rewards require more Lion Paws than 10.  You must learn to save yours up.  Mike and I are so proud of her for picking this reward, saving her Lion Paws, and having the courage to speak to everyone!!  On the microphone!!  Ryan said she was the best 5 year old he had ever heard!  A compliment like this, coming from Ryan . . . about one of his sisters . . . is pretty rare!  Lydia said she heard her too and so did the little boy (3rd grade) who lives in our cul-de-sac.  I wish I had a movie or a tape of it or something.  I did not know she was doing it until she came home that night and told me.  She mentioned it when she chose that reward, but she did not know when she was going to be doing it.  Anyway, pretty exciting!!

Well, hoping Groundhog Day brings good news in a few days!  I hope Spring is early this year!!  :)  I just have to keep telling myself . . . it's not as bad as last year.  So far. ;)

I am a slacker!

Gosh, now that I don't have a job with a "naptime" of two hours, I am really slacking on this blogging thing.  Christmas was great!  We got together with my family, but we are waiting until spring to get together with Mike's family.  Seems to be a better time for them to get together and have their family Christmas. 

My f'ree time has been taken by being part of my high school class reunion committee.  Sad thing . . . it is our 20 year class reunion.  I can't believe we have been out of high school for 20 years!  It seems like just yesterday I was in school and working at Food Lion to pay for my car, gas and insurance.  A much simpler time for me :).  However, not as great as my life is now!!  I can't believe how difficult it has been to find these people that went to my high school.  Each committee member was assigned a list of people to find and inform of the events.  I thought "Wow!  This should be pretty easy!"  Not the case!  Several people I am friends with on Facebook and several people I was able to find on Facebook even though we are not "friends."  They were pretty easy, but then there is this whole group of people who don't do the Facebook thing or at least I can't find them there.  It has been really much harder than I thought it would be.

In addition, I am planning our trip to Disney World this spring.  I am so excited!!  I can't wait to go!!  We have scheduled to do the breakfast at Cinderella's castle which will cost my family of 5 . . . $213.00 to eat there.  $213.00!!!  I have been assured that it is completely worth this much money.  I hope so!!  Actually, I am pretty excited about it.  We apparently get our picture taken with the princesses and that is not an additional cost.  Ryan is not too excited about taking this picture, but I have told him we will find other people that he will like to see and that I need for him to take this picture with us.  :)  We are hoping, however, that we will have enough money left over to get back home ;)

Thankful Thursday--on Wednesday

It is Thursday again.  I have wanted my Thankful Thursday posts to be regular posts, but unfortunately it does not seem to have turned out that way.  This week has been full of thankful things.  It started out on Saturday, which I suppose was last week--who is counting though.  On Saturday my family celebrated our Thanksgiving.  With all the craziness of the Thanksgiving weekend, we never had the chance to do it.  Mike had been wanting to try deep frying a turkey so we purchased a turkey fryer at a Black Friday sale.  It was  a great deal!  To date, the turkey was the best we ever had!!  So flavorful!!  We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, dinner rolls, gravy and pumpkin pie.  We also made a ham--thought we would make one just in case the turkey did not work out.  We sliced it up and put it away since the turkey was so wonderful!!  It was such a wonderful time with Mike and the kids.

Tuesday, I experienced a first for me.  I am part of the "Kindergarten Team" at Cub Run Elementary School.  Our team decided to have a cookie exchange.  I had never done one of those.  Everyone made 2 dozen cookies (in some cases people made more) and we brought them to school yesterday so that everyone could make a plate of cookies.  It was so fantastic!!  You only make one kind of cookie, but you get to have a bunch for the holiday.  Loved it!

Today is Thursday.  This means tomorrow is Friday.  Yet another wonderful thing to be thankful for.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Introductions Please

I have this habit of introducing people to my husband multiple times. I tend to forget if I have introduced him to people that I know even if I have known them for years. Many times I have said "Have you met my husband, Mike?" and both Mike and the person I am introducing him to say "Yes, we have met several times." It has become quite the joke now:). I believe I have passed this trait on to Lydia.

Today I took the kids to the library in the morning and then we stopped by Wal Mart on our way home. While walking through Wal Mart, we ran into Lydia and Emily's Pre-School teacher. Before today I had not officially met her. I had seen her a few times last year while volunteering in Ryan's class and seeing her in the hall, but had not been introduced. We were on vacation during orientation so we did not have the opportunity to meet then. Lydia and Emily were very excited to see her and (Lydia in particular) began to dance around and became very giddy to see Ms. Warner there! After Ms. Warner talked to the girls for a while, I said
"You must be Ms. Warner. I am Stacey." and extended my hand.
She looked up from her crouched position and said "I am Therese" and extended her hand as she stood up.
Lydia and Emily were standing near her and Lydia said "This is my sister, Emily."
Ms. Warner said "Yes, I know. Remember, she is in class with us everyday."
I laughed so hard! I guess if you are going to pass something on to your child--make sure it is good manners :).