Friday, February 26, 2010

Hey Mama!

Question:

How does anyone take a shower and feel clean without using a rag?
The nap on the rag is what exfoliates your body and gets the crud off, no?
I just got caught in the shower without a rag...
Oh! The horror!
I could not get one, either...I could not get out and drip water, I could not holler (lest I wake up the baby). So, there I was...
Am I clean?
I think not {as clean}, vamos. :).

A party and a trip

In the past two weekends we have had two adventures of note:
1. A party in Grandma Eva's honor. The folks at the nursing home wanted to celebrate her two years of service having Sunday school lessons taught by her.
Foto:

One sunday Andy and I took the children to visit Grandma Eva and she was in the middle of her teaching and she ran us off! :) She is dedicated. She will be 97 soon. This week they announced that the ownership of her nursing home is changing hands and they are going to switch all the rooms around and that Grandma Eva's room will be changed. She will be devastated, to say the least. Things like this make little ladies cry and become upset.
2. We went to see our good friends Shannon and Joel in the country. We love to go and visit them. They are sooooo much fun to hang out with. Our children entertain one another wonderfully.
Foto:

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

There I said it... (again?)

I should be going to bed right now.
There is something that I just HAVE to write about.
One of my pet peeves is HOMESCHOOLING.
It just bugs me.
Now I know we live in the land of {personal liberty} so saying
something emphatic like, for example, "I think hom3school!ng should
be illegal," would really make people get out their rakes and start
chasing me...or maybe their B!bles.
There are several reasons that homeschooling bugs me:
1. Why would any person think --reasonably--that they can teach their children all that at least 13 different people over the course of 13 years can teach their child?
That is just dumb to me...b/c the answer is THEY CAN'T. pEROID.
2. It seems that one argument for the h0m3schooling crowd is relig!on. Doesn't the B!ble teach Christ!ans to let our light shine? Honey all the people around you might be raised in terrible heathen homes...but doesn't that just give these super-religious people the perfect opportunity to be an example? Should one run and hide?
3. H0m3school people talk about and discuss all these great ideas they have about teaching their children at home..you know what?
TEACHERS DO ALL OF THIS SAME STUFF AT SCHOOL AND THEY DO IT WITH 20 CHILDREN!! NEWSFLASH!!
Oh, and most parents do that stuff with their children..I mean haven't most of us at one time or another talked about sinking and floating at bath time? Or haven't we let our children cook with us? I don't consider that to take the place of school.
Measuring two cups of flour is not the same as --practicing 50 addition problems. Yes, our brains need to practice things that we learn that are new.
4. Children learn how to fit in {or out} at school. They find a place. They observe others. The learn to listen and respect other adults who have other ways of teaching and enforcing.
5. I have seen parents leave school. Then, they have special needs child--and they come back. That is right. There are trained/educated professionals in the schools who know how to work with children who have special needs. MOst of these folks enjoy working with special populations and most of them are good at it.
6. One more... Going out into the world, to school, gives life a rhythm. It gives children discipline. Getting up and getting breakfast and putting on one's clothes and going out to take care of one's duties is, well, purposeful. We need purpose. WE need occupation. Getting up and sitting in pajamas til 10:30, then sorting the colors in the cereal then going to the park with your siblings and then eating at out (social studies), then watching word world--that is called SATURDAY.


In other words...H0m3schooling is no good.
It is a cop-out.
Vamos..this is just MY OPINION. :)
I was educated to be an educator...and I think we do a pretty good job. ;).

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Success!!

I have just successfully polished off an entire box of
Caramel Deel!tes G!rl scout cookies!
It feels good to accomplish something.
I did share two of them with a student (It would have
been rude to eat them in front of her
and not offer her one. :))
She passed up her Ch33tos to eat the
cookies...I wonder how many points that was...
I sure do have lots of sugar-laden bounce off the
walls energy now.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A new...

TV! Yes!
This is definitely a milestone in my life.
Everytime there is a new TV!
I can remember every one that I have ever taken part in having.
We had one when I was a little girl...and I do mean ONE (we did not have
one in each room).
Then in about fifth grade we got a new one--you see the
old one had gone dark. This meant you could only see the apples
of the cheeks of very white people --and the whites of their eyes.
When this happened....
we had to break down and get a new TV.
Okay then, we got another one..well I got one when
Andy and I got an apartment! Yes...i went out and picked out a TV.
Then in the mean time several people thought we would be worthy owners of the
TVs they no longer wanted.
1. lyla gave us one when she moved to cali. it was a neat little one that could play vcr tapes...we still have it still use it.
2. shannon and joel gave us the grand daddy of all t.v.s...that just recently died this week..RIP jumbo mega TV that graced our living room for three or so years.
3. Grandma Eva gave us a hand-me-down chiqui little cutie that is in Victor's room (for when we run them off to watch a DVD, vamos, this is the 21st century, no?)

So when TV #2 started to whistle this 8000 hz whistle sound this week...it was time to say see ya...!!
This afternoon when I got home ...there was a new tele waiting! yippiee!!
I LOVE TV...I LOVE TVS THAT DON'T WHISTLE
I will remember this day until my old age...
Let's see..
TV number three
I am 3...hold on...
I am 31!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Go

to the Food lion (if you live near one), or to whatever grocery store you live
near and buy some
Cara Cara oranges.
At my Food L!on they cost 99 cents apiece.
Who cares?
Not me.
They are perfect.
The little plasticky packages tear off of each slice perfectly, and
well, hmm hmm...
That is how I eat oranges.
I tear off each little plasticky package.
If I cannot tear that stuff off...I really don't want the
orange that much.
These oranges are PERFECT!
Morgan, remember I used to give you pieces of my orange?
Now, I feed them to my children that way.
I just sit and peel and say, "open up" and I pop some yummy, perfectly cleaned
orange
into their sweet little mouths.
Am I spoiling them?
Who cares?
Not me. :)
I like my orange this way b/c my mama fed me mine this way
when I was {little} actually she still will if I don't want to mess
up my hands. :)
So, now I learned how to do it.
I bet they will too, if it is important enough.

yummy!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Enjoy!!

We got a good snow here last night!
We have been outside playing in it. :)
YAY Snow!
Elena and Andy went to a father/daughter Valentine's day dance last night.
Ahhh...so sweet!
She was absolutely BESIDE HERSELF with excitement.
We got her all ready.
Bubble bath, hair blown dry, diamond face powder, eye shadow (just enough to tickle her eyelids, vamos), cute dress. ...
Fun!
She and Andy went out to her favorite restaurant --Pizza Inn where they reportedly
"shared a salad"
Then the went dancing.




Friday, February 12, 2010

I love...

This was a cool idea from P.W.
I love...
cherries
snow
the beach
the ocean
salty crust on skin
spanish {language}
spanish {food}
mexican {food}
Mexican {spanish}
tropical
avocados
hazel nuts
blue
turquoise the stone
turquise the color
friends
family
more to come....
nursing baby
good beer
good wine
pralines and cream ice cream
sunny days
busy sunny days
errands and checklists
clean sheets
survivor
the amazing race
fools rush in
office space
the count of monte cristo
love in the time of cholera
more to come...
:)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

And one more...

There are three new posts tonight btw...

This one is a bit political, but it is so windy around here that if
I get on the soap box I might get blown off by the gusts of wind.

I am so so so so (fill the page) HAPPY! Pleased! that President Obama is answering and interacting
with his critics and naysayers.
Remember before? When questions or criticisms or suggestions were presented our PREVIOUS PRESIDENT just snickered or hid...or...snickered?
From what I can tell from watching the news every fifth night or so, this one
has been hollering back lately.
He is saying, "if you have suggestions of ways to help {whatever} or improve
{whatever} please tell them to me, don't just criticize"
YIPPIE!
I always thought this was thing thing to do as a leader..you know?
Get suggestions, answer your critics (within reason of course)
Now, we have a leader of our country who actually does this.
Agree with his politics or not, you can't disagree with that.
He even goes to their luncheons and invites ideas!!

Where is that other guy anyway???

Silhouettes


Today my mama and daddy took all three of my children to a little
shop downtown (my favorite shop) where a man was drawing silhouettes!
When I got off work this was what was waiting for me. :)
I knew this was coming b/c my mama had to plan a bit, of course, to
get all three of my children out of the house.

I think they turned out beautifully.
This man is famous for his craft.
He signed his work, and then they were framed, on sight!
What a treasure.
They are absolutely precious.

Isn't it funny, Bethany, that you just posted about this the other day?
Now, BOOM! I have some silhouettes too. They are pretty to have hanging up.

I am trying to find the perfect spot for these....

Valentine's day {already}

Valentine's day is my favorite holiday.
Usually it is simple.
Since I was a little girl my mama has always {contributed} to making this a special day.
We would wake up and at breakfast time find Valentine's day treats
on the table.
Some of the treats might include, Valentine's underwear, a little piece of
jewelry, some candy, and ALWAYS a box of conversation hearts.
I love the white ones. :)
My freshman year of college my mama sent a special box with
identical treats for my roomate and me.
My roomate LOVED THIS. :)
Her mama did not have the valentine's day tradition apparently.
Now, this was no invisible, magical valentine's creature/fairy/saint.
We always knew...my mama did this for us.
We, (my sister and I) always loved it.
It was just a little dead of winter pick me up to accompany our bowl of cereal
or grits and get us started for a great school day. ;).

I will also always do this for my children. :)
Here is a picture of my youngest Valentine's day cutie! :)


I bought her a Valentine's day outfit! :) Yes. We do this too. We buy Valentine's day clothes (consumerism at its best, no?) But fun indeedy.

Here are a couple snow pictures...did I already post some of these?



Here is a picture of my Valentine. :)
I have been making Valentine's for him for....hmmm..
15 years or so now. I make him one, every year...homemade. :)
Some of them from over the years are still around.



BESOS! :)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Confessions...

I guess this night is as good a night as any to confess....
I have no team spirit.
Never have.
For ANY TEAM. (EVen ones I was on) (I was TERRIBLE at sports by the way)
I simply do not care about teams, or sports.
No passion for a team exists anywhere en my mente ni en mi corazon.
I do not know where team spirit would reside b/c I have never had it.
Now, I have faked it...
Oh yeah..
Cheerleading outfits were too cute not to fake it for one football season and go
cheer.
Did I really care who won? {no}.
Did I like looking cute in that outfit? {yes}
Did I fake it?
I can also get a buzz (morgan can attest to this) and fake something
like team spirit...like, say at a carolina football game.
Now, not having team spirit does dampen the sports watching mood--say when I compare myself to a true fanatic...but I do enjoy watching sports.
I just pick a team for whatever reason...I like their color pants (I followed the Tampa Bay buccaneers for a whole season one time ..b/c of their pants color).
I have also been in the Dean Dome and watched UNC basketball and felt a TWINGE OF SOMETHING maybe like team spirit..but actually I think I was just into the game (Who would not be?)
I loved watching Andy play soccer in high school--he was really good at it, could run fast, made goals --I mean that is a turn on, right?
I love to watch boxing..Only the light weight people,though. oh, wait, that is not a team sport.

It is interesting to me, where this team spirit might come from, and why I do not have it.
Maybe it's b/c my parents did not go to college and we never watched sports?
Could be b/c...well, who knows..??
I mean I know plenty of people who never went to college and they still act like nut heads over some teams.
Professional sports following and spirit over them is A COMPLETE WASTE of money etc. in my opinion (eek..did I jsut type that?) That is one reason why following Prof. sports is not a thing I enjoy.
Those damn people get paid too much money, and all the people there paid too much money to go and see that--oh wait, they are PASSIONATE about the TEAM...SORRY.
Who cares what I think?

I am off to facebook world..which is probably a quiet place b/c everyone is watching the super bowl. :)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Definitely lost in translation...

At night, EVERY NIGHT, I read to my children.
EVERY NIGHT--they enforce this rule. :)

One of the books we read is a book of spanish nursery rhymes.
Spanish in language--not, for sure, in origen.

Under the spanish rhyme is the attempt to translate the rhyme
into english.

Here is a super funny one that cracks us up EVERY TIME WE READ IT!
Something is lost here....

Chiquita Bonita

Soy chiquita, soy bonita
Soy la perla de mi mama
Si me ensucio el vestido,
Garrotazos me dara.

Pretty little Girl
I am small, I am pretty.
I am my mother's pearl.
If I soil my dress,
She will beat me.

I cannot even type that out without laughing aloud!
Some bit of humor/gentleness from the spanish version was
totally lost in the english version.

HA! HA! HA!

Spot on!

Spot is our family's chihuahua.  He is what we call, "an evil dictator/stuffed animal come to life".  Sometimes, after he has ...