Have I reached my censorship line?

When Harry Potter came out and so many families deemed it unfit for their children, I was annoyed. I understand the point trying to be made regarding magic and all that, but goodness, should Emily not watch Cinderella? And yes, I read the 2006 Newberry award winner with the word scrotum on the first page, and I got over it. Not. A. Big. Deal. Both Harry Potter and The Higher Power of Lucky are sitting in my classroom.

I believe kids can be culturally aware without being consumed. Books with different ideas and messages birth conversations about beliefs that allow children to define themselves and their own beliefs... if parents are willing to allow that sort of independence. But it is this independence that grows a faith in oneself, grounded in the identity of the individual, not a reflection of a parental pair. Therefore, I have books in my classroom that reflect different viewpoints from what many hear at home, hear on the news, or even hear in other books. We read them, discuss them, and through much thinking, I believe kids in my class learn to develop their own beliefs regarding the material. Of course these beliefs are formed not just by the experience in our classroom, but I know the experience helped them own an idea that they might not have otherwise paid any attention. This makes them responsible thinkers who form opinions after reviewing different viewpoints.

However, there is a book that is getting a lot of attention lately because a movie coming out next week is based off of the trilogy. The movie is The Golden Compass, and the book trilogy begins with His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman. Now at first I got that simple comment from a friend about this book being "harmful to kids" and "it is against God" and such. And then I got the mass forwards talking about how irresponsible we would be to allow a child to watch the movie, or worse read the book. Honestly I thought this was another christian bandwagon to jump on, similar to Harry Potter. But I did some research and what I found was specific. Apparently this author wrote the series as a direct opposition to C.S. Lewis. The first was published in 1996 and the next two followed. In this book Pullman "kills God." Now I haven't read the book (though I think I will) but I read multiple reviews, and an article the BBC put out after interviewing Pullman. He says that he believes the world would be a better place without God, and that religious tyranny has caused much pain to the innocent. Yes, he is an atheist. It's not the beliefs that I have a problem with but it is that he says he needs a way to infiltrate the relationship between parent and child so that children won't be brainwashed into religion. Thus, the book. Hmmmm. Okay, so yes I have a problem with his motives, and of course I don't agree with his opinion of God or christians.

But here comes the hard part. Would I keep this book out of my library? I'm not saying I was even thinking about buying it before the controversy came about, because I had never heard of it. But would I make the choice to keep it out, or do I include it to offer an opposing viewpoint, similar to the books I have on both sides of other issues? And if I do keep it out is it because I would not be allowed, if the situation arose, to have a conversation with a child reading this book regarding religious beliefs as per the law regarding such? Or would I be keeping it out because it conflicted with my own personal beliefs about God? I ask because I seriously don't know. If my reasoning is because of separation between church and state, well then fine. I know I couldn't sit and chit chat with a student about religious beliefs. But if my reasoning is because it just makes me uncomfortable, well then I am not comfortable with that either.

Anyhow, it's been on my mind for a bit. Just curious as to your thoughts while I am trying to sort through my own.

Home body

This evening when I got home from work all I wanted to do was stay home. I think maybe because it was raining? Sometimes I turn into the biggest home body, and it seems more often than not when it is rainy. Not because I don't like to drive in the rain, or anything, but rather because I think rain is my symbol of relaxation and comfort. I put on a pot of chili beans, and while they stewed on the stove Emily and I played and read books. The t.v. stayed off (an indication of a good evening) and we made a huge mess out of her toys. After dinner Scott bathed Em, and Linda and I cleaned up the kitchen. Now Em is in bed, the rain has stopped, and I am enjoying the house aired out with the windows open.

Pictures As Promised

Emily playing ball in the backyard with Dakota

Singing and dancing in full dress-up costume

Me and Em playing "we're asleep" to Scott

Emily sitting in my vinca.

Fair Highlights

Some of you probably know that I am not the best at being still for long periods of time (I know, shocking isn't it?) which makes me not the best person to go to a concert. However, I can handle a fair concert which lasts only ninety minutes or so. By the time the did their couple of encore songs, I was ready. Don't get me wrong, I like Third Day a lot, and was enjoying it, but the length was perfect for my short attention span.

Of course we ate way too much food last night. There was great greasy food everywhere. I have to chuckle at the person from the Pepto Bismol advertising department who decided it was a good idea to pass out free samples in the middle of Food Row. Nice. Scott made sure to pick up plenty. We had corn dogs, fries, lemonade, and funnel cakes. Yum! I love funnel cakes. Now I am not the type that likes that canned fruit compote garbage on top. Just the word "compote" sounds nasty. Too close to "compost." Maybe the same idea. Just some powdered sugar and cinnamon for me please.

We met some friends there to go to the concert, and the three wives went on some rides together. The husbands all made dumb comments about not wanting to go on the rides... something about not being bolted to the ground... meh, whatever. We did the twirling swings, the spinning cars that go round and round, the euro slide, and that ride that you lay down on and it makes you look like you're hang gliding. Fun fun fun. I seriously felt ten again.

After we looked at some exhibits, we decided to head out for a beer before going home. I had such a great time, and I think Scott did too. I haven't seen him that relaxed in months. The fair is always a good date.

wednesday ramblings

This is what's on my mind about now:
* Going to the fair tomorrow. We're seeing Third Day, eating food, and hopefully going on the big people swings. I sure hope the huge thunder storms and possible "severe weather" doesn't ruin our fun. I have been looking forward to this date for weeks.

* Oh darn. I forgot to tape Grey's Anatomy. Shoot.

* I love my job. Have I said that lately? I love it, love it, love it. I had a fabulous day today.

* Emily went to bed so much better tonight. I tell ya, the kid hasn't been falling asleep until well after 9:30 this week. I can't deal. Finally today she went right in and read her books, I turned off the light, she fell asleep. Just as it should be. Thank goodness.

* I probably need to wash the car this weekend. Boy do I procrastinate with that. I hate washing the car. Anybody else want to do it for me?

* Only a few weeks until Becky and Jay get here, which is great because I am really having issues with missing my friends and family as of lately. Their visit is going to be so needed. I can't wait!

TODAY'S THE DAY!

This morning at 5 am, Emily and I dropped Scott off at the airport here in Columbia. He will fly to CA and meet up with his mom and they will drive back here. For those of you who don't know, Linda is moving to Columbia with us for awhile. The plan is she will find a job here and then find and buy a house. For the past year or two we have anticipated this happening. We knew that when David was gone there would really be no reason for Linda to stay in San Bernardino. (Seriously one of the ugliest cities I have ever visited, among other things.)

Now I have really been thinking about this, and gearing up for it since August. I joke around with friends about how miserable I am going to be, and how mother-in-laws should never move in no matter if they are nice or annoyingly awful. But really, Scott and I are thinking this will be okay. Linda really has no relationship with Emily, as they have never spent any length of time together. This will give them the opportunity to learn how to interact with each other. I know Scott likes the idea of being able to help her out, and we're both glad that she will finally be closer. (Though in another household is preferable of course.)

I know there will be rough times as we transition into the new addition to our home. I know that uncomfortable conversations about disagreements are things that come with the territory. But these conversations are quite necessary if we are ever going to spend more time together, same house or not, and I do want to get to know her better.

Above all, I am proud of myself for being the wife that says this is okay, I am proud of Scott for being such a loving son to his mom, and I am so thankful that God provided us with a house with an extra bedroom.

We're already off to a great start because she sold her house and it successfully closed escrow Friday, she bought a new car (something she completely deserves), and she is all packed up. Scott hopes to have the drive finished by Thursday. I will keep you updated.

Monkey Bread

I don't make it that often, but it goes great with a big cup of coffee and a newspaper.
INGREDIENTS
3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

The one and only Emily

A good friend of mine got these shoes for Emily when she was shopping for her own daughter. They were on the front step when Emily got home, and wow was she excited!

Now that a couple weeks have gone by, I thought that maybe the princess shoe fixation has worn off. But alas, this evening we found a new love for the shoes. Emily insisted on wearing them outside. She provided me with a lengthy explanation about how these fabulous shoes actually make her princess, and that she must wear them.

So out she goes. And what does she do? She found a snail, and two lizards. “Mommy, look! The lizard is just a baby, and he isn’t green!”

What I just love about her personality is she loves so many things. She isn’t just a tomboy, and she isn’t just a princess. She isn’t a drama queen, though she can throw a good fit. She will eat sushi, yet doesn’t care for ranch so much. She is so unpredictable, but yet so Emily. She’s not like anybody else, and that is probably my favorite thing about her.

What a Saturday

This morning started off like any normal Saturday. But it just seemed better. I'm sure my good mood began because Scott and I got to sleep in until seven. That's late for Emily. But also, I loved waking to the house nicely chilled with the widows open. I think Autumn is my favorite season followed by Spring, both of which are longer here than I am used to. Everything is just so fresh and airy when you can leave the windows open and the air conditioner off.

Emily and I made monkey bread together while Scott got ready for his class. It turned out great, and Emily loves making things in the kitchen with me. He had breakfast with us before heading out. I had a women's ministry meeting at our house, and then Emily's friends stayed for lunch and to play. Our playroom was a wreck, but looked like a playroom should. After picking up a bit, she took a long nap, and I got to spend some time reading before Scott got home, and Em woke up.

We grilled outside for dinner, and now we're watching Toy Story. I am the only one who has seen it here, and I guess I forgot how cute it is. Emily loves it and Scott thinks it is pretty cute too.

Once Emily goes to bed, we have some blended fuzzy navels in the freezer. Yum.

I haven't even stepped foot in the car today, the laundry is still piled up, there's homework to grade, and the bathrooms all need to be cleaned, but I've had a great day playing. Oh, and the Gamecocks beat Mississippi State, but that's just icing on the cake. :)

It's Been a While . . .

During the summer I tried to get better about posting but this semester has been brutal so I won't be posting all the much. And if I'm that busy than Malisa is picking up my slack.

My reading schedule has been pretty demanding this semester. The amount is quite extensive but it's not the most I've had. It's mainly WHAT I'm reading. One of my classes is Anthropological Inquiry. I was excited about this class but I've been disappointed due to the teacher's lack of teaching. Each week she has apologized for not doing a good job of explaining some pretty difficult concepts to understand. So far we have read people like Darwin, Marx/Engles, Durkheim, Mead, Foucault, Spencer, Tylor, Malinowski, Boas, etc. These are the foundational people in anthropological thinking. I have little background in anthropology so understanding social Darwinism, functionalism, historical particularism, etc. has forced me to do lots of research on my own. My teacher's explanations are just as clear as these people's writings. I will admit one thing - I understand atheistic perspectives a bit better. I'm not going in that direction but it's a perspective that's important for me to understand as it pertains to culture and sociocultural perspectives.

My other two classes alternate on Saturdays so I have class all day every Saturday. They are my typical education courses - challenging but comprehendible. So I teach my Reading Assessment on Tuesday and head to my anthropology class. I supervise student teachers on Wednesday. I have anthropology again on Thursday leaving my Monday and Friday. Except in two week I will begin volunteering at an orphanage so that will take up several hours a week.

What's hard to imagine is in December I will begin studying for my comprehensive exams so I will begin my dissertation this time next year.

So sorry I won't be posting as often but I will be trying to read everyone's blog as often as possible.

Scott

Restaurants.com

I thought I would pass this deal along since this is the last day at Restaurants.com. You can buy $25 gift certificates to many restaurants in your area for $4 and you get a free $10 gift certificate to wherever. There are some limitations: only good Monday - Thursday . . . you can use one certificate once a month and with one party . . . you can't combine certificates.

Scott

8 things

Here are the rules:
- Each player starts with eight random facts about themselves.
- Those who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight facts and post these rules.
- At the end of the post, choose some people to get tagged and list their names.


So here are my 8 facts about myself:

1. When I was little I decided I didn't really want a little sister, so my parents helped me put postage stamps on her forehead and tried to put her in the mailbox to send her back. It didn't work, but by the time I figured that out I decided I didn't want to send her back after all. I bet my parents counted on me changing my mind, but I have always wondered what they would have done if I hadn't?

2. My favorite time of the week is Sunday morning before church when we all eat breakfast together, followed by Scott and I drinking coffee and reading the newspaper while Emily watches cartoons.

3. At school I like getting the "bad kid" that nobody wants. I guess I am prideful in a way that makes me think I can do what they can't.

4. I was born in Taft. (big sigh)

5. One of my biggest fears is that one day Scott is going to get so mad at my cat's (ethel) devious acts that he will make me get rid of her, and I know nobody else would want her, and a shelter would euthanize her. I think about this too often. (and it doesn't help when she goes into Scott's walk-in closet and pees all over his silk ties. or when she waits for the moment we get home from a trip, makes eye contact with us, and pees all over the kitchen rug.) Thank goodness I have a patient and loving husband.

6. I have an addiction right now with a local Italian cafe that makes their own gellato. I could go there every night.

7. As a nine year old I remember watching the coverage right after the 1989 San Fran earthquake. While taking a bath that night my dad climbed under my bed. Then when I climbed into bed for the night and the lights were out he started jumping up and down, shaking me and my bed. I should be seriously scarred for life after some of the crazy things he pulled with us.

8. One of the biggest things I miss about CA is sitting on our back patio with friends late at night.

Justin, Julie, and Dana... if you take the time, you're next.

"Looks like somebodys got a case of the Mondays"

Fifty percent of my struggle with going to the gym is getting my bag together the night before so I can shower there and make it to work on time. So last night when I was getting things ready for the week I put together my bag of things for the morning shower at the gym. I put everything in the car, including my school bags, lap top, etc.

So this morning when the alarm went off at 5:15 I didn't mind getting up because I was well prepared, and that's half the battle, right? I even had new gym clothes which is always a plus. I change and walk out the door and drive the few miles it is to the YMCA.

WHen I get there I realize I can't find my gym card. As I rummage threw my bag I feel a sting on my pinky finger. I take it out to look, and realize I have caught the tip end of my finger on the four-bladed razor in my shower bag. Oops. The darn thing took the entire top off, making my nicely rounded finger into a flat top. It was bleeding like crazy.

Luckily I found a wash cloth and wrapped around my profusely bleeding finger so that I can drive home. It didn't stop bleeding for long time, and now it looks gross as you can see the actually chunk that is missing. I bet if I go back to the razor I could actually find it.

Ughh. And all I wanted to do was get a workout in.
Other than that, my Monday went fine. Anybody else?

And... they're off!

We are back from our trip. We spent time with family, the funeral was arranged beautifully, and Scott gave a beautiful eulogy that I know honored David. Seriously, the boy can write. It couldn't have been worded more eloquently, and I was proud of him for it all.

Now school has officially started. We got back for CA in the wee hours of Monday morning, and then I was up at 5:30 to get to work early and make up all that I didn't get to do the days I was out the week before. Meetings, and then Thursday was our first day with students. I have a great class of 20 (how I love not teaching in CA) who all seem excited to be fourth graders.

Luckily, Scott's start is a little slower than mine, as he began with student interns this past week, started a class today, begins teaching and taking another this week, and then his final class he's taking doesn't begin until mid-September. He is busy, don't get me wrong, but it is staggered. This has been great, because of all that he has done around the house to make up for when we were gone. How thrilled I was to return home last Mon to have my laundry all clean and folded!

Emily started back with Ms. Shari, and she is thrilled. The only drama in her two year-old life is that her special friend T.J. went to Kindergarten this year, and she misses him. Other than that, and she's having a ball.

Today I made a to-do list that included going to Sam's, the market, cleaning toilets, and vacuuming the carpet. I got the shopping done, but think I'd rather take a nap. It's been a long, but good week.

(my first day of school picture to follow)

Sad News

Many of you had the chance to meet my brother at our wedding a while back and said how much you enjoyed meeting him for the first time. Sadly enough, my brother David passed away early this morning. We believe he died in his sleep and the nurse was alerted when his ventilator alarm went off. The paramedics, and later the emergency personnel, attempted CPR on him but couldn't revive him. We don't believe he was in any pain. We are not sure what he died from but it seemed he may have died from a massive heart attack. When I visited last month, he had two orange-size cancerous tumors, diabetes, he couldn't eat, couldn't drink, malnourished, we could no longer understand his speech, and he was extremely depressed. Because of the pain he was in, they had him on many drugs to make him comfortable. While he was painfree for the first time in months, we only shared about 20 words during my 7 day visit but it was enough time to tell him I loved him.

We are heading to California tomorrow (Tuesday) until Sunday to help with arrangements and the funeral. You can contact us through email or cell phone. You are welcome to the funeral once we know when and where it is.

Scott

Heat = Lazy

This week was my last full week off before I return to work Thursday 8/16. Normally before school starts I have this unyielding list of things that I want to do around the house in order to make the return to school more pleasant for everybody. The list usually includes things like cleaning out the pantry, donating used clothing to Goodwill, cleaning out the garage, and weeding all the flower beds. Basically things that will surely get put on the back burner once the shot gun start signals school.

However... this year is quite different. In case you aren't like my grandpa who watches the weather channel regularly, I'll update you to our heat wave weather in the Carolinas. Yesterday the temp was 107 with a heat index of 118 with the 90% humidity. It was the hottest day on record ever for our state. Holy Crap. It was hot. It has been like all week. We have a break today with the temp only reaching 99 (normal average temp for August is 90) with a heat index of 110.

Now I have had plans in the back of my mind to do fun stuff with Emily like go blueberry picking in Lexington. Not-a-gunna-happen. We have stayed in-doors all week, literally not using a backyard once, and Emily has broke records herself with the amount of t.v. she's watched. Typically I turn off the t.v. and make everybody mad at me, but lately there just isn't anything else to do. There is only so many pictures you can water color paint, and animals you can make out of play dough. We have spent time at the library, and reading many books. Emily has been quite taken with Peter Rabbit.

Add to that the number of times we have eaten out this past week (1- because we just needed to get out of the house and 2- because I wasn't going make anything that required using heat) and you have a truly disrupted Johnson household.

So please, somebody tell me that my child's brain isn't going to fry from too much television this week, and that the Johnson's will transition to the school time schedule even easier after this much needed lazy time. Please somebody, reassure me! :)

Heat and two year olds

It was 106 today in Columbia, with a heat index and humidity making it feel like 115. It hasn't been this hot since 1901. What do you do when it's this hot? Emily doesn't seem to notice, and can't understand why Scott and I won't go out to play. Seriously, when it's in the nineties by 8 am we just aren't going to be going out to play. So that leaves us with an ancey toddler stuck indoors for multiple days at a time. Oy Veh. We have watched entirely too much television. I have refused to cook, resulting in eating out way too often, and eating only fresh fruits and other cool things at home. And it feels way too hot to be so close to the end of summer.

On another note, there were two shark attacks on our favorite local beach (Isle of Palms) today. Yes Jenny, this was where we played in the ocean with Ryan and Emily. Oops.

facebook

Okay, so I finally broke down and got a facebook account. I tried the myspace thing, but after I kept randomly sending out porn, I decided that was a no go. So, I will try out the facebook thing and see how that goes. If you have an account, find me because I am having a hard time figuring out how to do that.

ED in 08

I came across this website via one of my RSS feeds and I had to get this to Ed in some way. Make sure you order the T-shirt in the free kit.

Living in the moldy south

Houses in the south are composed of brick, vinal siding, or a combination. Our home like most in our neighborhood, has vinal siding. It is white with black shudders. The worst thing about vinal siding is the mold that grows all over it. I am not sure if brick grows mold too, but I think probably so. We get an average of 48" of rain, so you can imagine the brown and green guck that attaches to the sides of our home.

When we first moved in Scott immediately went out a bought a preassure washer to take care of the mold. Our neighbor gave him a quick schooling of what chlorine product to buy, how to apply it, and how to spray it off. He took care of it, but now two years later it has to be done again. The process is he sprays a chlorine product on, lets it sit, scrubs it with a nylon brush, and then sprays it off with the high power preassure washer. That would be easy, except for the two story part. Scott has been dragging that ladder all over the house, raising, leveling, lowering, and climbing it. Poor Scott. I feel bad sitting inside with the air conditioning.

Ma Bell

"It's a great day for education, because we now have substantial alignment among all the key constituents--the public, the education community, business and political leaders--that results matter." -- Harold McGraw III of McGraw Hill speaking at a dinner hosted by President Bush back in 2002. What he really meant was, "It's a great day for textbook companies. This new pres is going to make me rich!!!"


Looks like Houghton Mifflin is buying McGraw Hill for a reported 4 billion. I guess if I wanted to be rich I could have trashed this whole teaching thing and gone into the textbook industry. That's where the money is, apparently. I hope some antitrust lawyer is pursing her lips together...thinking... Hmmmmmmm.

Oh, and Murdoch bought the Wallstreet Journal. Fabulous.

Summer re-run funny

I love Chris Rock. Scott and I just caught the opening of SNL which originally aired in March. I remember Juila Louis Dreyfus hosting, but I don't remember the opening with Rock talking about the next president. Lots of funny in that opening, but the finale made me laugh so hard I cried. "Is America ready for a black president? Why not, we just finished with a retarded one."

Oh my. Funny. I think I need to rent Bigger and Blacker one more time. It's been awhile.

Johnson's July

Seriously, where did this month go? A couple of July highlights:

** Jenny, Debbie, and Ryan visit at the beginning of the month

** Emily decided she wore big girl panties... a few accidents, but over all going strong

** vegetable garden completely ruined by lack of water (half me not watering, half drought) and squash bugs. Ughh

** seminar all week this week, and lots of upcoming planning for school

** Emily's big girl bed (finally) arrived this afternoon. Complete pictures with her new pottery barn bedding and drapes to follow. It couldn't be more cute, and she couldn't be more big. Wasn't she just born a couple weeks ago? Oh she's so big!

** Finally, an Emily quote. Daddy's painting her bedroom a lovely color of lavender. Emily walks in and says very articulately,
" Daddy, thank you for painting my room... it's a lovely color... I like yellow."

I could seriously squeeze her until she pops! I continue to be totally taken by her.

Best Places to Live . . . Where Homes are Affordable

Most people think we live in Columbia, SC but we actually live in a little suburb outside Columbia called Irmo. It's not a very big town but there is much to it since it is spread over quite a bit of land - the city planners did a good job of annexing quite a bit a land some time ago. Many of you have heard from how affordable the housing is out here. CNNMoney.com has rated Irmo as one of the top 25 Best Places to Live Where Homes Are Affordable. This is mainly due to the schools, Lake Murray (you can buy lake front property for cheap), and we're pretty central to rest of the state and other big cities (4 hrs from Atlanta, 1 and half from Charleston, 6 hrs from Tom, 8 hrs to D.C.).

Mary Poppins

This summer I will remember of being the summer of many things... the summer of the great disneyworld trip, the summer we went to Charleston four times, the summer we spent hours at the pool.

But this summer will also be the summer of Mary Poppins. We bought this movie as one to watch while in the car, but it has quickly become the favorite above all Disney Princess movies, cars, or little einsteins. Emily loves the dancing and singing, and I find I don't mind watching it over and over again. I wonder if we will feel the same way about Bedknobs and Broomsticks? We don't have that one, but maybe Emily will love it too. But like it or not, I don't think anything can replace her love for Mary Poppins.

Saturday evening T.V.

Lately I've been paying attention to the commercials that are during shows we watch. This evening Scott decided to show us this new t.v. show on the network G-4. The show is called Ninja Warrior. Think of it as a mix between American Gladiator and the Most Extreme Challenge. Emily loves to scream at the athletes "DON'T FALL IN THE WATER!!!"

The commercials during the show are hilarious. First of all there were the variety of video games rated "M for Mature," and then there was the male enhancement pills and finally the commercial for cheap student loans. Finally, totally not fitting, was a commercial with Lindsay Wagner for a sleep number bed.

HUH? I don't get it. Who is the target audience here? I guess this network wouldn't expect me to be tuning in either.

Tag . . . You're It!

Since Kelley ushered this little challenge (and to show her that I read her blog often), I (Scott) will respond to her tag:

What were you doing ten years ago?
I had just finished the teacher ed program and was living with Justin, Ed, and Slappy . . . Ed took me to get my tattoo . . . I was to begin my first year of teaching . . . I was single and not dating . . . that's about it.

What were you doing one year ago?
I was on summer break and was about to begin teaching my first course in the MAT early childhood program . . . I discovered poison ivy in the backyard and it took me two months and 3 bouts of steroids to get over it.

Five snacks you enjoy.
1. M&M's
2. Red licorice
3. Pretzels
4. Boiled peanuts
5. Cheese

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics.
1. Most of the songs by The Wiggles
2. Tom Sawyer (Rush)
3. Keep the Car Running (Arcade Fire)
4. Pyramid Song (Radiohead)
5. Upside Down (Jack Johnson)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire.
1. Pay off all debt.
2. Make sure family is financially stable.
3. Purchase home along the lake.
4. Take a vacation once degree is completed.
5. Move my brother and mother to South Carolina.

Five bad habits.
1. Biting my nails.
2. Not being more affectionate.
3. Not making better use of my time.
4. Late night snacker.
5. Not admitting bad habits.

Five things you like doing.
1. Completing an assignment.
2. Sunday mornings with my family.
3. Snuggling with Emily while watching movies.
4. Reading
5. Watching brainless TV.

Five things you would never wear again.
1. Tighty-whities
2. Cavaricci's pants
3. White Levis
4. Knee-high socks while wearing shorts
5. Black heavy metal shirts

To repeat Lefty's idea of concluding his post, I would wear an earring again if I had more hair, I still think slip on checkered Vans are kind of cool, parachute pants around the house might be kind of comfortable, and I hear Underoos are next years lingerie . . .

Scott

Four things I'm happy about right now

1. Now that we're home, I'm back to cooking real meals, and not eating out. I really like to cook, and just tried some great new recipes. Friday night it was curry chicken with couscous, and last night it was chili verde casserole thanks to the RBC women's cook book (specifically Debbie Enns' recipe!) Both were a hit with the husband.

2. The new bedding set that we picked up for Emily at Pottery Barn kids. Lovely lovely! While shopping at the very upscale Charlotte Southpark mall ( Tiffany's & Louis Vuitton were some of the first stores we saw) I was waiting for Scott to come out of the Apple store and Hark! There was the Pottery Barn kids where the very set I wanted for Emily was marked down incredibly low. So low that I bought this set (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/sw4660/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C16%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cjordan%20bedding&cm%5Fsrc=SCH) with these window treatments (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/srch/index.cfm?words=dragonfly+drape&search.x=0&search.y=0&search=search) with a green canvas drape over it. Lovely lovely. So of course Emily doesn't have a twin size bed yet, so that's what we ran out and did after we got home. She was ready. The new bed will arrive from Ashley furniture 7/16. Pictures to follow.

3. The neighborhood 7/4 party. Thanks goodness somebody organized it, because the past two years we have been able to see most of the fireworks that the neighbors down the street have set off, but we aren't the type of people to go out and blow $200 on fireworks. But we sure don't mind pitching in $10 for a big neighborhood show. This year everybody will now be at the pool across from our house for a cook-out and a firework show. There are really very few limitations on the purchase of fireworks (which you can buy at warehouse stores year-round) so it should be fun and hopefully not too dangerous. I like watching, but don't like my husband to be the one lighting the things off.

4. Marry Poppins. Bought this movie for Emily because she needed a new movie to watch in the car with all the driving. We never got around to it on the trip, but we all sat down to watch it last night. Scott had never seen it all the way through. We did a field show in high school to the music from the movie, and I remembered it well as we watched it. Emily loved the movie and I think it will quickly become one of her favorites, which is good because it's one of mine too!

Anyhow, happy fourth if I don't post before then!

Back to Bloggerland

I am going to try to make the commitment to blog more often. We have been really off schedule lately, due to all things good, but still.

Got back from the whirlwind Florida trip with the in-laws. We really had a great time. Paul and Mary got into Charlotte on Monday of last week (6/18) and stayed in a hotel until we picked them up the next morning. We went to our house, and gave them a tour of our city highlights, including the university. Then the next day it was off to Charleston. Seriously that is one of my favorite cities ever! We have made it a habit to bring guests to Charleston when they visit and to attend a late night walking ghost tour of the city. A great way to see the city buildings and such.

Then it was off to Orlando. We went to every park with breaks in between to visit friends and family. We spent Saturday with the Widlund's which was great to see where they live, their church, and life in Florida. Also it showed Scott and I that the drive really isn't that long from our house. We also got to meet Scott's great-uncle Arthur. Or if you are from Lynn, Mass like him you say "Authoer" or whatever a Bostonian accent would sound like. I could listen to him talk all day!

The "kingdom" is rather large. We left most mornings to a park around nine, and didn't get home most evenings until after nine or ten. Em was a champ, and took her two hour naps easily in her stroller and awoke for more action. We spent a certain somebody's 27th birthday in Epcot in "Italy" where we had a nice dinner, bottle of wine, and Italians playing the accordion and singing.

All and all, a terrific trip. We drove up to Charlotte to drop off Scott's parents, stayed in a hotel (it was late) and then left for shopping (more on that later). We finally got home on Thursday afternoon. Now the laundry is finally finished and life is slowing down. :)

Home Inspection Nightmares

I came across this website on home inspection nightmares from This Old House as I was reading Lifehacker.com. I knew Adam would be interested in this but thought others might get a kick out of some of these pictures.

Scott

Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches

These are possibly the best things ever! Has anybody else tried them? I seriously believe that if there are any hopes to me following the weight watchers points system, it will be because I am able to reward myself at the end of the day with one of these. (And hopefully not devour two of them in a row like I did last night... that was not so good!)

Anyhow, I took a rep/cardio class this morning with a friend at the gym, and have also been to the gym both Saturday and Monday. I am feeling sore, but the good sore. I need to decide next if I am going to get in a great day of cardio by means of the treadmill, or swimming laps. I love swimming, and that would be the obvious choice if it weren't for my iPod and the marvelous new songs i have on the "workout" playlist. Can you say Fergilicious? Do you think they will ever make a waterproof iPod? That would be fabulous!

Saturday meanderings

Please somebody come to my house and make my child take a nap! Seriously... Ughh. I think in the next ten I will give up and let her out of her bed. She obviously feels she doesn't need a nap today.

On another note, i wish I would've taken a picture of my last Friday. The first night with all my family here and at dinner Emily decided to poke me right in the eye, bursting all blood vessels to the right of my pupil thingy. It was gross. It hurt. and I was furious. It is almost gone, and though it did heal quickly, I couldn't believe a two year old burst my eyeball like that. Who was giving Emily self defense classes when I didn't know it?

Fam left yesterday. Sorry they're gone, going to miss them, but incredibly joyful to have my own family of three in the house to ourselves. I love my three. We hang rather well with each other.

Family on Friday

My mom, dad, sis, and grandma fly in Friday. I am thrilled! However, I wish that I would have thought this through a little more before I had them fly in the day I was done with work. A couple of days to clean and prepare without work would have been beneficial, but oh well. They are staying until the next Friday (can't stay that weekend because of Denise's wedding) and then we have another week until Paul and Mary come. We are going to Disney World with them. They will be with us for a couple of weeks. Then, a couple weeks later, Jenny flies in! I'm so excited about everybody coming. Scott has been painting the upstairs hall, stairwell, and living room. It looks great! One day when we get new flooring this house will look really fabulous. Until then, I just hope our guests don't mind the gnarly builder-grade beige carpet!

How long again?

Not too much excitement, but here are my random thoughts:

1. School is out next Thursday. We have school on Memorial day (blah). Check out www.wltx.com and click on the "some kids in school link or whatever it's called and they show my school to talk about the district not being out for Memorial Day.

2. The day after school's out, my mom, dad, sis, and grandma come. Can't wait. Got some serious house cleaning to do and all that, but I can't wait to go to Charleston and hang out with them.

3. Emily is saying some crazy things. The amount of talk that comes from her is simply astonishing. Wherever did she learn to talk so much?

4. Went out for sushi at this great new restaurant last night called Saki Tumi for a friend's birthday... just the girls. Stayed out entirely too late for drinks and dancing. Didn't have too much problem getting up this morning though... haven't had that much fun in a long time.

5. How awesome is it that I didn't have to worry about Scott and Em? Seriously, he's the best husband ever. Did I mention that he takes care of Em for the month of May? The zoo, park, ect. and he manages to have the house picked up. He's fabulous.

6. Have a church softball game tonight. If I miss a pop fly like I did last week, I think I may cry. :)

7. How long until school's out?

The neighborhood grump

So we have this middle school kid in our neighborhood with one of those pocket bike things. This one seems particularly loud, as it can be heard throughout the entire neighborhood... no exaggeration. The kid drives this thing around and around our neighborhood going in and out of culdesacs and ignoring stop signs almost getting hit by a car at least twice that I have seen. But beyond all of that it is just flat out annoying! He seriously needs a hobby because he rides around for hours at a time. Once a couple months ago he was already at it when we got home from church at 11:45 and he didn't stop until we went back to church later that evening. He must have a gas can stored in his garage because it never stops.

Well, last night Emily was trying to go to sleep at her normal 8 pm bed time. I know the sun is just beginning to go down at this time, but it is still bed time. She was stirring and waking up each time the loud thing went by. I walked out and waited in the middle of the street until he came by, and motioned for him to stop. I asked if he could please not ride after eight in the evening, as little ones like mine find it hard to fall asleep. (Never mind the problem of nap time but since that is in the middle of the afternoon I find that to be my problem and not his.)

He kind of grunted this caveman like grunt and then off he went home. I didn't feel to bad about it at the time, and I was quite please with myself for not going off on him like I have done so many times in my head when he goes by. But this afternoon when I got home Scott pointed out that he was riding his skateboard around and not the pocket bike. I have to say I felt just a little bit guilty... but I soon got over it.

Is anybody else totally annoyed by these things? I grew up in the country with lots of four wheelers and such, but people rode them around the fields where it didn't bother anybody and we couldn't hear the noise over and over and over and over and over again. Would anybody else have done the same thing I did, or am I just a grouch?

This is for Adam

Isn't she a beauty?

My Friday Night

Church is having a dads and kids camp out night tonight on the green in front of the building. Scott brought Emily with the idea that they would try it, and just come home if she didn't get to bed, and go back in the morning to take down the tent. The women had a pizza get together at a house, and I just got home. I called Scott, and Emily is asleep in the tent, and all looks like it is going well.

I have never spent a night a night by myself since we moved into this house, and I think it is truly only the second time I have been in the house by myself since we moved in. (the first time was last mother's day... I kid you not.) Not to mention this is the first time that I have ever spent the night away from Emily.

And I'm not complaining. I like having a night all by myself. There is laundry to do, a dishwasher that needs to be unloaded, but I think I will go start reading the stack of magazines that I haven't even looked at from the past four months.
:) It's a one of a kind Friday night.

Harvest Brown

I had a project planned to start and complete over spring break. I go back to work Monday, and there's no way it will be done then.

I know I have mentioned before what a crappy paint job the previous owners did. The bedrooms aren't so bad, but the worst is the common areas like the upstairs hall, the stairwell, the living room, and the little inlet between the downstairs bath and closet. This was all the same color. Now their color choice I don't mind, it's just that the job was so bad, that you can see all sorts of brush strokes, places where they missed, and then on the white trim where they didn't tape and got the wall paint all goobered on the frames and base boards. It drives me nuts. Not to mention the job around the fire place mantel. Atrocious.

At first I thought that I would do the same color that they did which was more of a carmel latte', but then a friend talked me into doing something different... going to all the trouble, might as well have a new color. I agreed. So I went with "Harvest Brown," which is more a Frappacino brown base. This is very similar to what Scott and I (really what Adam) painted in our bedroom on Floradora. I love love LOVE the color now that we have gotten started, but it is taken for freaking ever! So far we have finished the upstairs hall and laundry area and put the first coat of white trim. I hope to finish the second coat today during Em's nap time. Seriously though, the entire project is going to take us forever. And also Scott had declared me the messiest painter ever. I get paint all over the plastic covering, the paint brush, myself... I changed out of my paint clothes and Scott was amazed that somehow I'd even gotten paint on my stomach under my shirt....? Who knows.

And then there's the problem with the stairwell. We have a two-story tall ceiling that goes from the bottom of the stairs all the way to the top. The guy at Lowe's said to get an extension latter and then put a cinder block under the one side that is on the lower stair to make them level, and then have at it at the top to do the line at the ceiling. That just seems crazy scary to me.
Any other ideas?

Happy Easter!

I hope your Easter is a little warmer than ours. Our low was in the low twenties last night... not normal at at all for this time of year. But a few flannel sheets over the vegetables and berry vines, and all is well.

This is Emily in the car after church. Everybody had their Easter dresses on, but with added long sleeve shirts, jackets, and leggings. Emily's dress wasn't nearly as cute as it would have been if the weather would have been above 80 like last weekend. To compare, I heard the weather man say that our low last night was twenty degrees lower for Easter than the low last December for Christmas.

It was just the three of us this year, which was okay. I asked Scott what he wanted for Easter dinner (thinking he would say something like a ham, turkey, or possibly even grilled steak) but all he said was the chipped beef cheese ball that Mary makes with Ritz crackers. Hmmm. Okay. Easy enough. I made that, but added a glazed ham and a few other things. Entirely too much food, but we have great leftovers.

This morning at church for the second Easter in a row, we watched a short clip from a sermon. The tag line through the entire thing is "But it's only Friday... Sunday's a'comin'. " Anybody else ever seen this? It apparently is famous, and part of a sermon. It took me a month last spring to get it out of my head (it's catchy) and now I've got it stuck in there again after this morning. I want to try to find the entire sermon. I bet it's good.

Happy Easter!

Weekend update

It was beautiful this weekend, and the pollen seems to have let up... some. Here are some of the highlights:

- Went to Kids Day on Friday evening. Ate fair-like food, watched Happy Feet on the lawn once the sun went down. Very fun. Emily got to play with her friends Sara and Noah, and I think she enjoyed dancing around before the movie started even more than the movie.

- Had a great time with friends last night at our our house. Scott grilled chicken and shrimp, and I made roasted red potatoes, green beans, and a salad. To add to that (Scott and my highlight of the evening) was some "Monterey Sourdough Bread." We were skeptical, but seriously, it was the real thing. It tasted soooooooo good! We also had stellar chocolate cake with coffee. WOnderful time with friends.

- Church Easter egg hunt was this afternoon. We almost didn't make it because EMily had a napping mishap today and only slept for twenty minutes, but luckily for her and her sweet tooth, we made it. She was so excited about all that candy.

And: Here is my question, speaking of napping mishaps... is it awful to scream at a kid who rides his little miniature scooter-like thing around the neighborhood? It runs on this loud motor that drives us crazy, and wakes Em up during nap time. I can understand the fun he has, but seriously, he was on it going around the neighborhood when we returned from church at noon, and was still on it at three when we left for the egg hunt. Twenty minutes was all she napped. Is it wrong to ask if he could give it a rest? I thought surely he MUST run out of gas sometime, but he must store a refill in his garage because he seriously didn't stop the entire three hours. Where's Bessie's potato gun when you need it?

Spring

Here are a few reasons why I know spring is here:

First off, it was 88 on Sunday. Quite warm and humid. Not too bad though. I love that in SC we have an actual spring and fall. That is probably my favorite thing about living here. I love to have all the windows and screen doors open so that breezes come in.

Then there is the pink blossom tree beside our house. It butts up to our bedroom window on the second floor, and I love the blossoms. They aren't those almond tree-like blossoms that make you sneeze though, so that is good. It's a beautiful tree, and they grow wild in the woods around our house as well.

And of course the yellow pollen. I have never in my life seen pollen that is actually a visible coating on vehicles. I washed the car Saturday, and the water that went down the driveway was literally yellow, and it stained the driveway yellow, just like yellow side walk chalk.

Finally... the deer. I went to the gym this morning (which in itself is a reason why I know it is spring... bathing suit time is getting close and I hit the gym) and I passed a "herd" of deer. Yes, I have learned they herd. I counted eight of them, though there were probably more. They came across the street right in front of me just around the corner from our house. It was great.

Now the bad thing about spring... the rabbits are in my garden eating my broccoli plants. Any suggestions about that one?

Reason 1001 why Scott is cool

If I have never mentioned the issue of ugly wallpaper in excessive amounts all over our house... ask and I will tell. But I think I have mentioned it to almost everybody.

So, in December one night while Scott was putting Emily to sleep, I was using the downstairs half bath. I hate the wallpaper in there, and was thinking I should just go ahead and pull it off. So when Scott walked downstairs and turned the corner, there I stood. Halfway out the door. Hands full of sheets of wallpaper. Grinning that "I'm so in trouble" grin. He merely says, "What did you do" with a stunned look.

It came off so easily. I am going to take care of it. Don't worry, I know you don't have time to mess with it. It's the smallest room in the house, how hard can it be?

Very, Very, Very, hard.

The paper was stuck with adhesive directly to the drywall with no sealant to protect the wall. So after I spent hours and hours of sanding to get the adhesive off, I painted and it went through the particle board, and bubbled. I was frustrated and very upset.

And this is where Scott is wonderful. He took over in there, and for the past few weeks has been sanding, and re-sealing, adding joint compound, sanding more, priming, and finally painting. The walls look like brand new. Beautiful. He puts in a new light fixture, toilet paper roll holder, towel holder, and all he has left to do is prime the base boards and paint them white. He tapes (very meticulously, Adam knows this about him) and primes all afternoon. I leave right after dinner for craft night at church and when I get home I expect that he probably would have gone ahead and painted the baseboards after Emily went to bed.

Oh no.

I walk in the house and he just points to the bathroom. I walk in and there is finger marks and brush marks in white, all over the beautiful green walls. He had taken off the door to get the door frame (meticulous, remember?) and Emily had gone in while he was doing the dinner dishes, which I left for him, and and painted the wall white.

Did he get mad? No. He was just worried that the scrubbing on Em's hands to get the paint off was going to hurt. He seriously had the patience of a saint. I wish I was cool like that.

Happy Birthday to Emily!

Last Wednesday (3/7) was Emily's birthday. She is already two! We had some of her friends over today for a birthday party. They topped their own pizzas, hit the pinata, and of course had cake and ice cream all decorated with Dora the Explorer of course!

She is just getting so big so fast! This was a favorite shot, actually taken this morning before church. I love that her tongue is out. I am chasing her when I took this. Too cute!

Happy Birthday to Emily!

Dailey Elementary Class Action Lawsuit?

Has anyone heard about a class action lawsuit against my old school site Dailey Elementary? My dad said I received a letter about some lawsuit and Dailey but thought it may have hit the news. If anyone of you may have heard anything can you post some information?

Scott

My Celebrity Look-alikes

In the spirit of playing along with Justin, I to, have added my profile to MyHeritage. Of course, all my suspicions have now been erased - Fabio eat your heart out! There's a new poster boy for the love novel on the horizon . . .

http://www.myheritage.com

Anybody else ever had strep throat?

Emily came home from church last Sunday saying she was tired and was ready for night night. We knew something was up, and sure enough she had a 103 fever.

I stayed home with her Monday, went to the doc, and yes she was positive for strep. She has never had that before, and neither had I. But just one more day home with some good antibiotics, and she was ready to go back to childcare on Wednesday, and I got to go back to work.

And then Wednesday night, in the stretch of one hour, I went from feeling fine, to feeling like I was dying. Of course Wednesday is the one evening class Scott takes this semester. Poor Emily. I got "sick" in the kitchen (TMI--sorry) and it was the first time I think I have ever witnessed Emily actually show fear of anything. She freaked.

Well, Thursday I got some antibiotics, was out Friday too, and still on Sunday I feel like I am nowhere near recovery. The poor kids in my classroom must think I have abandoned them. And it's not like I am going to be working at 100% when I see them tomorrow.

Anybody had strep before, or have any advice? I am on erythromycin (allergic to penicillin) and I think I should call the doc tomorrow to tell her nothing is getting better. And if you have your tonsils taken out, are you immune to strep? Thank goodness Scott seems to be skirting by this one. But his tonsils are out.

I can honestly say that with the exception of being on bed rest when I was pregnant with Emily, this is the most miserable I have ever been with a sickness. Blah!

Completed the First Hurdle

As of today I am an official doctoral candidate! Over the Christmas break I was working on my qualifying exam which was basically a paper discussing my theoretical journey past, present, and future. I had my interview with my doctoral committee who read my paper along with another paper I turned in. The interview went better than I thought and I left feeling very confident. They have been please with my work and notified me right away they wanted me to continue my studies in the program.

So what's ahead? I have a little more than a years worth of coursework left if I can get all my classes, which realistically, doesn't always happen. The next hurdle are my comprehensive exams. Luckily I have a while before I need to think about those.

Scott

I'm only 26 and I drive a mini-van

We bought a Kia Sodona late Thursday evening. We weren't really planning on getting one so soon, but just like when we bought the Honda, we felt like we were getting a good deal. I couldn't believe they agreed to buy the Honda at the price we needed them too. Then the payments for the Kia are almost exactly the same as the Honda.

The big selling point for a mini-van is that we have four groups of guests flying in to visit this summer, which was going to mean four different van rentals to fit everybody in a vehicle. That adds up. And if people are flying in, the least we can do is have transportation that fits everybody. The Honda and Toyata models were SOOO expensive, so we bought this. It had almost everything on it but a DVD player, which i'm okay with. I really like the dual power sliding doors. That's awesome. And the windows on the slider doors go down like normal windows, not like other vans that do that strange pop out thing.

So yes, I'm 26 and I drive a mini-van, but it's okay. I was bummed seeing my honda go not only because it is a GREAT car (I LOVED THAT CAR) but also because I know that a car won't be as practical for our livestyle for a long time. I may not get to drive a car for awhile. Oh well.

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and & Rhymes

Tonight there is and interesting independent film on public television called Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and & Rhymes. The film takes a critical look at the masculinity, sexism, violence, homophobia, etc. that runs rampant through rap and hip hop lyrics and video. I think this film will offer up an interesting conversation. The film is on at 10 pm eastern time so I'm not sure when it runs on west coast time.

Scott

President's Day, Sodoku, and potty training

...yeah, not a whole lot going on here.

First of all, I bet I am the only one who has to work on President's Day. Oh well. Kids don't have school, but we have a professional development day. Not a big deal since we get to listen to Peter Johnston talk about his book, CHoice Words. Once again I am amazed at the great people who my school district get to come talk to us. (Brian Cambourne came to speak to the district in 5/2005) I loved this guy's book (about the language that we use with children, and how it impacts them) and we read it for staff development. Scott read it for one of his courses. It's great.

Second thing is my lack of reading. Fun or professional. I blame this solely on sodoku. I love playing those puzzles, and I found this great site www.counttonine.com where I can print out as many as I want at whatever degree of difficulty that I want. I sit half hazardly watching T.V. and working on the sodoku puzzles. Yes, I know I should be reading but these have me captivated. At least I hear they could prevent Alzheimer's.


ANd finally, Emily has decided that maybe it would be a good idea to potty in the toilet. This has been a very slow process, but one that i would call almost natural. She kind of goes through phases when she will tell us when she wants to go sit on the potty, and she immediately goes. Fabulous. But other times, she is too wrapped up in what she is doing to be bothered. I try not to push. She isn't even two, but hey, maybe she will get it sometime soon. More than any other reason, I just don't want to spend the money on diapers. I truly look forward to that.

Could snow late Saturday night (yeah right over eager weather man on the local news!) I shall let you know!

Anna Nicole Smith is dead?

That is weird. Anybody know any other details? Doesn't she have a little baby?

Our first snow!

We spent the morning glued to the window and watched the sleet and freezing rain (the weather man says there's a difference) turn into big beautiful snow flakes. The snow was coming down in very thick amounts, and I thought for awhile that we were really going to have a go at getting some inches on the ground. We played in it, and then I heard the school bus... huh? I was shocked. I thought for sure we would be having a cancelation (snow isn't too frequent, and people don't know how to drive) but i had to go in and hurry off to work. While I was getting ready for the delayed school day, the snow turned to rain, and eventually melted most of the snow. Oh well. Emily has now seen her first snow, and she didn't have to leave her own backyard!

Ramblings

So first of all, we have this major freezing rain storm that is to come through and drop some snow up a little higher from us, and drop freezing rain and sleet all over the roads where we live. Every school district in the entire state has a 2-hour delay already place. A couple of weeks ago a much smaller storm came through, and every school district in the entire state had a delay... except ours, which wasn't called until after 6am the next morning. Now I am all about not calling a delay until you KNOW it is needed, however, on this day we had a scheduled early release at 11:40. So the kids came to school at 10, and literally stayed for an hour and a half. During this time we had to feed them lunch, for a 25 minute period. What a waste.

Now tomorrow we don't have an early release or anything, so a delay would be fine... except for the fact that the weather men are calling for the sleet to be a 100% chance, and that it won't stop until the temp rises after 2pm. We get out at 2:40. It just doesn't make sense to wait for the inevitable. And basically I am just complaining because I would like to go to bed and not wake up to an alarm clock.

And the other thing I am doing: I have taken my flute out of the garage, polished it up, and have started practicing. I have this idea that it may be good to volunteer to play at church during the offertory. There is another gal who wants somebody to play with, and it has always bugged me that I played so long, and then just stopped. And I wasn't really that bad either. My flute needs the pads changed, and a hinge replaced, but I think that after that happens that it will be as good as new. I can't wait to get it in and out of the shop. ANyhow, that is what I am up to.

J.C. Penny "Pacesetter"

So Saturday we went out shopping at the mall. We were in J.C. Penny and meandered over the the children's department because of a huge sale they were having. We really didn't go to shop for Emily, but as we were looking through the sale items a worker approaches.

"Would you like to save 10% more today?"

We all have been in this situation before. Of course I don't want a credit card for J.C. Penny or any other place for that matter. Scott and I are glad to be free of credit card balances for the moment, and have no intention of putting anything on a card. I tell her no, and she says to me, "Oh, now everybody wants to save money."

I told her that the money I would save wouldn't be enough to cover the divorce that would occur if I opened a credit card. She didn't get the joke, and kept going, and as Scott and Emily approach she tells me that we could talk "him" into it.

Oh my gosh, I was really bugged. For the final time (at least what I thought was final) I told her we didn't want a credit card, no thank you.

Once we had picked out a couple of things we walked over the counter. Three sales associates were behind the counter, including the debt diva. She jumps over to the cash register to check us out and proceeds to tell me one more time about the money we could save by opening a credit card. I said no, and I wasn't so cheerful as before. Now I was really annoyed. Her name tag said, "Carol" and below that it said "pacesetter."

Am I wrong to think that this woman is evil? I think that America has a serious problem with debt. I am glad that my husband and I have sat down and discussed our financial responsibilities, and they they don't include credit cards for shopping trips to Pennies. Who is this woman to question me, Scott, and our decision. What if he wouldn't have been there? Does she try to persuade every customer to take out a card? Ugh. She really bugs me. ANd what is this "pacesetter" garbage? Do they have quotas to make sure employees sell the credit card? Ugh. Does anybody else think that is as wrong as I do?

Happy Birthday Scott!

Yes, you are loved. For the way you wear cargo shorts even in the middle of winter, for your necessity to use only .5mm bic needle point pens, for the way you grab the sale ads from the Sunday paper before reading anything else..you are loved.

Happy Birthday

howd y'all talk?

Irish Great-grandparents, Okie grandparents, california upbringing, and throw in a year or two of the South. Interesting. Though it did make me wonder if Emily will pronounce caramel with two syllables like her mother, or with three like her father.
**Side note for Justin. Remember that conversation we were having about calling each other "mommy" or "daddy" in front of Em? Well today she called Scott "honey." Just had to share.


***Your Linguistic Profile:***

70% General American English

20% Dixie

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofamericanenglishdoyouspeakquiz/

Appl iPhone

Today Apple unveiled the Apple iPhone. It is a beautiful piece of technology. There is too much to share about this phone so go check it out. It is a combination iPod/cell phone/hand held computer.

Scott

Baby toe jam

Baby toe jam was something Scott discovered when Emily was very little. The idea that babies actually have toe jam was something that he found funny, and we always laughed at the lint between her tiny toes. Kinda gross we realize. But now that she is older, she takes off her socks and laughs as we say "ew... baby toe jam! Yuck!" Silly I guess, but she thinks it is funny.

Tonight the fascination with toe jam hit an all new level. Emily watched Scott pull of his socks before he got her bath ready (she likes to splash water everywhere) and she pulled apart his toes just as we have to her. She was amazed at all the lint to be found. ** seriously, Scott can pick up some lint!**

It amazes me all the little trivial things that Emily has fun with, and that we to have fun with because of her. Who knew toe jam could be such a form of entertainment?

Unethical teaching? Maybe. But I'm over it

I have this student who never does his homework. I know there is something bigger than homework going on at home, but the school psych and I can't figure out what it is though we know it is something, and I can't wait around and let him fall behind by not doing anything until we figure out what is making him so lacking in motivation.

Anyhow, I have tried everything to get this child to do his homework. I hate that it brings his grades down so much. We have tried motivational things, getting to visit the counselor, blah blah blah. Many of the things we tried I didn't even really agree with, but I felt I had to do something.

Well then I decided I would threaten him with retention. I even made up fake retention paperwork that he had to sign. It listed the reason for him being retained as failure to complete assignments, and he had to write up an explanation. I even pretended to have to take it into our assistant principal. I felt pretty deceitful about it, but I got over it when he brought in the entire week's worth of homework completed perfectly. I didn't even check on Friday, I just took the homework home to grade from all the students, and since school starts again on Wed. I thought I had better get to it. WHen I pulled his out I practically did a back flip. Hopefully this will happen again next week. Cross your fingers.

Malisa Johnson

My year end review

So when I sit and reflect on 2006 nothing really jumps up and bites me as all that important.

2004 we got married... pretty big deal.
2005 we had Emily, moved to the other side of the country, my grandpa past away. All big deals.

Then 2006 came and though we had a great year, nothing major happened. But I guess that is a good thing. I don't think that we are ready for many new changes. But then I think that maybe the reason why 2006 was so stable is because of what is to come in 2007. Hmmm. Scary, or exciting, I don't know.

I guess if I had to pick the biggest deal about 2006 it would be our three week trip to Ca to see Matt's wedding, David's graduation, and visit with friends and family, and again to visit in December. Oh, and I guess I did start a new school in 2006.

What is the biggest thing that happened to you (positive, negative, or neutral) in 2006?

Sadaam hanging

So does hanging Saddam Hussein make him a martyr? I hope not. They rushed to get the hanging finished before an Iraq holiday began 12/30. Now the news interupted the 20/20 special on about the top youtube videos of the year. Scott and I were enjoying that. Now they are showing all the different reasons why Sadaam was horrible. Did they just have that cuued up, waiting for the word that he is dead?

Meanwhile, 2996 confirmed US deaths as of right now. iCasualties.org keeps record.

Dinner on 12/27

Okay everybody. It looks like we aren't going to get to Fresno. However, my parents said they would love to see everybody too if you wouldn't mind making the drive to Bako. Then hopefully bako people could make it too... Dana julie jenny phil and the woody trio.

My mom even promised to make that roast or whatever that Woody liked so much. Let me know if that will work. Sorry that we can't make it up there like originally planned. The week with Scott just filled up so fast. And dad promised beer for all.

Teacher Fired Over Ass Art

I came across this post on one of my education blogs and I thought of all my artist friends out there. I wasn't sure how to post video so here is my Shared Items from Google Reader

California on Friday

Emily and I will fly out this Friday to Bakersfield. Scott is not coming until the next Thursday, 12/21 I believe, so that he can get some work done and actually enjoy a vacation rather than worrying about schoolwork.

Anyhow, we are looking at trying to come to Fresno either 12/26 or 12/27 before we fly back 12/28. THat is hopeful, but I don't know. Those days get so packed. We really want to see everybody though. Who will be in town? I'm finally getting excited to go. I miss friends and family.

Cupid

You Are Cupid

A total romantic, you're always crushing on a new reindeer. Why You're Naughty: You've caused so much drama, all the reindeers aren't speaking to each other. Why You're Nice: You have a knack for playing matchmaker. You even hooked Rudolph up!

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Hmmm. I guess I am a good match maker. I thought Becky and Jay should get together long before they did... or long before they both figured it out at the same time. :)

Hmmm. I like to talk. Big surprise!

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Black Friday anyone?

Now we didn't go out and do the 5am thing. (did any of you?) But we did go out for pizza for dinner, and then hit up a couple of stores. I thought it was going to be crazy, but it wasn't that bad. We went to Toy's R Us, and got four different gifts for Emily, and spent only $25. Lovely jack pot. We got her the Fisher Price Doctor's kit, a kitchen clean set (for her new kitchen set my mom bought for her earlier this month) a string puzzle, and her first Barbie doll. Very exciting.

I plan to pack all of these things in the bottom of my suitcase when we fly out to Ca for Christmas, and then pack them up to fly them home once Emily opens them. Scott thinks I am nuts, but I want Emily to have presents under the tree, not have to open them two weeks before Christmas and leave them behind.

Then we went off to A.C. Moore. It is kinda like Michael's but has a much better scrapbooking selection. I had the token "60% off one non-sale item" so I got a tool kit that I have been wanting. (Sam's probably the only one who knows what I talking about) and also picked up some great paper, and some basic solid color packs. Also I got some storage filing systems for my paper. I have been waiting to get this organization stuff for a long time. Merry Christmas to me! I feel kinda bad that I spent so much, but most of it was all on sale!

The best thing... our state has made this "tax free weekend." Everything is tax free... from Christmas gifts, new cars, and cigaretts. As if we needed another reason to get people out shopping this weekend?

Rodeo Drive anyone?

So this would be my Sunday afternoon. Emily playing dress up, Scott calling from the airport saying his flight is delayed, again. Stupid Washington Dulles. I hate that airport. I'm ready for him to be home. I had big plans to make homemade calazones and watch a movie together tonight, but I guess that's not going to happen. (By the way, I am really into baking stuff lately using yeast. All of those recipes that called for yeast that I used to shy away from have now become mine to conquer. So far, so good. Nothing has been yucky yet. And calozones are my favorite.

To me this looks as close to Beverly Hills shopping as a toddler in SC can get. I think shopping was what she was doing. She kept taking things out of my closet and putting them in her purse. Too funny. Of course, Boots the monkey had to fit in the purse too.

Yes, I know she is a mess. The hair, the scabs all over her chin, the stained onesie. It all goes together to show how much fun we are having doing nothing today except playing. But we are reading for daddy to be home. The past couple of mornings we have had to look around the entire house as Emily wouldn't believe that he wasn't here.

But anyhow, back to the picture. I thought it was cute.

All by myself...and other rambles

My mom left today. She had been visiting all week. We had a great time... that's a whole additional post. However, she flew home today.

Also, Scott's NCTE conference is this weekend in Nashville. He missed his plane Thursday morning (after Wednesday night's storm) and finally was able to leave this morning. He's in Nashville now, but they lost his luggage... again that is a whole additional post.

But what I DO want to post about is how excited I am to have this weekend to myself! I know we all feel a little bit of relief when visitors end their stay, even visitors that make life easier when they are around, like my mom. But I am just glad to have this weekend with Emily to myself. Even Scott being gone doesn't really bother me. I'm sure after a couple of days I will want him to come home, but right now I am good! Emily and I made a big bowl of popcorn and watched a disney movie tonight until she fell asleep on me. Loved that. And really we have no plans besides grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner and cleaning some house. Maybe some scrapbooking.

Life is slowing down, and I am thankful.

On another note, we did get struck by the big storm on Wednesday night. This was the same storm that hit North Carolina, killing eight. Just about the entire state was under a tornado watch at some point, our county was under a watch for over ten hours. That didn't make for good sleeping. Besides the lightening and thunder was so loud and bright. Emily didn't sleep so well, so nobody slept well. My mom was here for that, and I don't think she liked it very well. The weather alarm radio goes off every time the NWS issues a warning or alert for our county. After the "tornado watch" went out (a watch means conditions are favorable, warning means an actual tornado has formed) we sat waiting to see if the alarm would go off again. At one point it did, and I started to race down the hall to get Emily, but it was a flood alert. My heart was racing a little bit, but other than that we didn't have any actual cells form around us. It was quite inconveniant to sleeing though.

Anyhow, I hope everybody has a great weekend!

Election Day...

I remember sitting in the Portela's livingroom during the 2004 Presidential election and thinking I really couldn't imagine what it would be like if Bush won again. He did, and I think I was in denial. I was really upset over it. Quite different from the 2000 election, when at 20 I really couldn't make up my mind about who I would vote for, partly because I was still so self-absorbed that I didn't pay attention. How sad is that?

Today in our lovely blue state, South Carolina's republican governor is ahead by 2%. What a bummer. I won't get into all the hairy details as to why this guy is a moron, but much of it has to do with his view of education. But another big deal to me, us I guess, is the school board race. Kinda of interesting in our school district. It sits in two counties, seven members, the majority of the population in Lexington county, so that county gets five seats on the board. The smaller population of the school district sits within Richland county (where we live) and gets two seats. What makes it interesting is that we can only vote for the seats within our own county. So there are people on my school board who i will never get to vote for or against.

Oh well. I guess I will be thankful that I can remove the school board election propaganda from my home and car. Hopefully those people will be voted in. In case you were wondering... Scott and I have huge magnets on our car for the school board candidate, bumper stickers, and signs in our front yard. We did our part I guess. Now I can take it all down.

So all of you Californians... my daddy tells me he is sick of the recorded phone calls. Sounds almost obscene how many phone calls they get (cel phones too). Anybody else been getting them?

I hate Rush

...and no I don't mean the band. Of all the things to talk about on his show, Limbaugh has to chose somebody with a disease whose drug makes them shake. Interesting choice their Rush. How are those prescription drugs working of you? Oh... they're not? Well that's too bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyODxggQpAw

And my dad listens to this guy daily. Ughh.

What are you watching this fall?

Each season there is always a big hit show that I didn't watch, and by the time everybody says it is good, I am too behind to start watching it. I guess I am too lazy to reinstate our Netflix account and order the past seasons. (Though the series that tempts me the most to do this with is Grey's Anatomy.)

Anyhoo, at the beginning of fall when all these new programs came out I felt I had to pick one to invest in, and I picked Heroes. Kinda freaky at first, but once I got over the Vegas stripper girl's slaughter scene, I really liked it. My favorite is the asian character who can teleport himself.

Anybody else watching this show? What are you watching?

**By the way, i used to be a mediocre Desperate Housewives fan, however last night's episode where Gabriel tricked Carlos into thinking he had a chance, but then slept with a random guy from a nightclub REALLY made me hate the show. I didn't even like the Carlos character so much, but that was just so evil and mean. Ughh. I think I'm done investing time into that show.

Lack of posts

First of all, this is us at the fair. Animals, stinky pig pens, rides, and yes... funnel cakes. It was a great day. I love going to the fair, and there was just something about the SC State fair that was much more wholesome than the fair I remember growing up with.
Speaking of wholesome... I have stopped using myspace. Not so much because I feel some sort of moral obligation to stop (I loved checking my myspace and running into old friends) but because I literally cannot log in anymore. My account through myspace was sending out rather vulgar adult sites and it got beyond my control. I tried to change my password, and now I can't log in at all. It was like the entire account was taken over beyond me. So... yeah, sorry. I won't be checking my myspace. Kinda bummed about that. I had all sorts of old high school people on my friends list, and I am surprised how much I enjoyed seeing how everybody was doing. I guess I just should have put up with the porn sites being posted. Oh well.

Other than that, sorry I haven't posted. Things are kinda busy. Scott is always running around (see below) and Emily keeps me on my toes. OH yeah, school is busy too. We just got our SMARTboards installed today and got to take home a new laptop. Awesome. I just have to figure out how to use the board now. So many new things!

A Quick Update

I thought I better do a quick update so that people won't forget about us. I know it's been almost a month since our last post but a lot has been going on in the Johnson household. I brief everyone on what's going on with me and that might force Malisa to begin updating our blog again since she was the one who was really good about posting.

This has been the semester from hell!!! It's not that the classes have been difficult but I have been inundated with a lot of work and little time to do it. I used to have several days a week where I could stay home and focus on nothing but work. Not any more. Here's the lowdown:

1) I supervise 13 student interns. at two different school each about 30 mintues away. This means I'm away from home at lease twice a week for about 3 hours. Doesn't seem like much but that's a big chunk out of a day. That also doesn't entail the paperwork that needs to be filled out on each intern which adds another 5 hours a week.

2) For two of my classes, I read an average of 400 pages a week. After I read, I either post messages to Blackboard or type of notes on all my reading. And of course, both of these courses have all their assingments due at the same time! Damn conspiracy agains me!!!

3) My research internship is going well but means I'm gone from home often either during the day or in the evening. The families I'm interviewing live about an hour away which means a two hour round trip sometimes 2-3 times a week. My interviews last between 20-30 minutes and conversations have to be transcribed for analysis, A 15 minuted conversation can take 6 hours to transcription.

4) And on top of the two projects that are due in two weeks, I also have my qualifying exams which are due. I'm not officially a doctoral student yet in case all are wondering. I'm just a doctoral candidate.

So all I do is pee, crap, read, type, and drive. I don't do a whole lot of anything else so I'm sorry for not posting more often. When I take a quick break, I read everyone's blogs so I try to keep up with how everyone is doing. Malisa, Emily, and I will be in Bakersfield/Fresno at Christmas for a week (have to finish that exam) so hopefully we'll see everyone.