Christmas Time Is Here

The calendar presented a shorter amount of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

(Well, in my mind it did...even if it really wasn't shorter, please play along.  Thank you.)

In those short weeks, I spent most of my school days assessing kids for report cards.

The other part of the days were spent entertaining said kids and peeling them from the ceiling because Christmas is almost here!  SANTA is almost here!

It's a fabulous time of the year to be a teacher.

Exhausting, but still fabulous!

Our time in the evenings was spent with volleyball practice

 and watching the kids do

 a.  LOT.  of.  HOMEWORK.

And I DO mean a lot.

We decorated the tree and mantel the weekend before Thanksgiving. 

It's what we do.  I simply can't wait any longer.

We got out of school for the Christmas vacation on Friday!

Friday afternoon was a whirlwind of shopping with Courtney.

Friday evening we took the kids to the movies.

Saturday Cory and I shopped

 while the kids went to Grandma and Papa's house to enjoy lunch out with them.

Last night we piled Grandma and Papa into the car with us,

 and we drove through the "Way of Salvation" light display in Carthage. 

As our tradition goes, we followed the lights with an ice cream treat.

Today is the day for making Christmas cookies, candy and treats!

I've made one batch of Chex party mix and another is ready for the oven. 

These are the days that I love most about Christmas.

My shopping is nearly finished.

The kids have NO HOMEWORK!

I am excited to just see their faces and do some fun things together.

Tis the Season to be Jolly!!!

I'm on it!

Christmas is so delicious!



Traditions Old and New

Every Halloween for the past 13 years, we've had the same tradition.

We go to Grandma's house.

We eat dinner.

The kids pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters.

We trick or treat in their neighborhood.

The kids did not really want to trick-or-treat this year.

I convinced Courtney to dress up anyway.

We partially followed our annual tradition with only one kid going door to door.

...and truthfully, she didn't go door to door.

She only went to about a dozen houses
 before she said she was ready to go back to Grandma's house.

It was cold.

There weren't as many people out.

There weren't as many houses with their porch lights on.

When we returned to Grandma's house,
we certainly didn't find our kids on the floor in the living room

 with their piles of loot all spread out around them. 
They helped themselves to more pizza and disappeared to the basement.
Sigh.
It might be the start of a new tradition.

Despite the fact that we didn't go all out on costumes and trick-or-treating,
it was fun. 
It was fun to hear the kids laughing.
It was fun to talk about scary Halloweens past. 
It was fun walking through leaf piles on the edge of the road.
It was just nice to start the holiday season with our tradition.


I will have to get creative next year.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my family to participate in the neighborhood walk again.


In my defense...it's the kickoff to the holidays. 
It's family time.
It's memory making at its' finest.


I'm the mom.
It's my job to hold on to these things, right?
I'm supposed to keep trying to pull us together before they grow up and move out, right?
It feels right.
It feels like the right thing to do.
Just one more Halloween before Corbin graduates from high school.
Just.  One.  More.
Yes.
I think I'll just keep trying with the traditions.


Seven Years Later

My most recent post was in August. 

It is Crazy how fast time goes. 

Seven years ago today, I sat by my daddy's bedside as his body shut down

 and he took his last breaths on earth. 

We knew it was coming. 

We'd spent the 2 weeks before watching his body shut down.

We planned Hospice visits. 

We cooked meals and made a LOT of coffee.

We entertained visitors.

We deep cleaned momma's kitchen,

and we cried in my sister's camper.

We tried our best to mentally prepare for what was coming.

  As much as it hurt to lose him, we knew that he was suffering,

and by letting go of his battle, he would be healed in Heaven.

Much of what I know about how to live, I learned from him. 

He was a quiet, kind hearted man. 

He liked to laugh.

He played prank jokes on others.

(I was a common target.)

He worked hard.

No.  Really. 

He WORKED HARD.

Every. Single. Day.

He gave his best to everything he did.

He loved us girls as if we were his own.

When I was 5 years old, my momma met that ornery guy. 

Mom was working in the tavern which was owned by my grandparents.

One night, he walked in, and my Granny said,

 "Larry Jo, are you looking for a mother in law?"

His response was classic....  "Why?  Are you available?" 

 I just think that is hilarious.

He met momma on that night in November, and they were married in February. 

At the time of their meeting, he was engaged to be married to another lady.

Her name was Trudy,

and my sister and I thought it was fantastic

that he was choosing all three of us over Trudy,

a woman we'd never met or seen before. 

Any how...back to the real story....

The four of us become a family instantly. 

They took us on their honeymoon with them.

We went on vacation after vacation together. 

They never went anywhere without us. 

We were his girls.

Tonight, I celebrate the life of my sweet daddy.

I've looked at old pictures.

I've laughed at him for having an opossum for a pet.

(yes, it's true)

I've looked at pictures of him holding our babies at their baptism ceremonies.

I've been reminded of how much time he spent with all of us.

We've watched the video that was played at his funeral. 

More than anything, today I have mourned our loss.

I mourn the fact that my kids are missing out on making new memories with him.

I mourn the empty place at the dinner table at family meals.

I mourn because I don't see him walking in my front door for a visit.

I miss his ornery giggle, the twinkle in his eyes.

I miss his deep belly laugh

and seeing him lay in the middle of the floor to watch tv.

I miss telling him all about the kids' activities and school stuff.

I miss his crispy edged pancakes...fried perfectly in oil.

I miss his empty Dt. Coke cans sitting everywhere after his visits.

I miss many, many things about him, but

Most of all, I miss his smile, his comforting hugs, and his friendship.

He was an incredible man, full of integrity and goodness. 

Heaven is a better place because he is there.

Tonight, I am eternally grateful for the thirty years which I spent getting to learn from him.

I am a better person because he was, and continues to be, part of my life.

Being his daughter certainly has made life delicious!

I saw it on Pinterest first, but...

Because someone we love is in heaven, we have a little bit of Heaven in our home!



1st Day of School!

Summer has come to an end for us.
We all know that when one thing ends another begins!
What a beginning!!!

These are pictures of our babies on the first day of school!
Courtney is starting 8th grade.
Corbin is starting his Junior year of high school.

And they are standing in front of
"Fernando"
a.k.a.
"Alfalfa"

As of Thursday I am semi-retired from my Taxi Service. 
Corbin drives them to school and brings them home from practices.
Sigh.
Sniff.
Tears.

 

This is a picture of the sweet treats my

Fabulous First Graders brought to me

for the 1st Day of school.

I'm in love with these little people. 

(even before they brought sweet treats)

I can't believe the year has begun!

 

Firsts.

First day of school

First day of riding to school by myself in 12 years.

(Seriously, that's CRAZY!!!)

First graders.

 

Firsts are delicious.

Enjoy all things new this season, my friends!!

Our 1st Grade Classroom 2014-2015

These are some pictures of our classroom.

 

We spend so much time within these 4 walls.

I love to use coordinating colors throughout.

 

This year's building theme is

"CJ Bulldogs Arrrr a Treasure!"

I kept some of my sock monkeys.

There are a few here and there. 

I simply added pirate hats and eye patches.

 

 

Summer Vacation in Pictures

Our summer vacation was a blur!

It went so fast.

I still can't hardly believe it's over.

So, here are some pictures,

randomly placed,

and not in chronological order.

 

 

I finally did it.

I let go of my trusty wall phone.

We cancelled our land-line phone.

It was a sad day.

I still can't believe we did it.

 

(Is it bad that I miss sitting and

 visiting on the phone

while playing with the chord?)

 

I can't believe it, but Corbin had his 1st semester as a college student.

He took 2 classes this summer.

 

Cousins at the 4th of July celebration

 

Corbin got this new ride!

Ford Fusion

 

We took the kids on a camping weekend at the pond.

We picked blackberries, cooked hotdogs and s'mores,

and slept in the pop up.  It was a terrific weekend.

We made lots of incredible memories!!

 

 

 

There were several Starbucks stops this summer.

 

Amy and I met for our birthday lunch.

My baby sister joined the 40 club!

 

Did we get enough fireworks??

 

 

Cutie Pie

 

Crab hunting in Florida

 

Friends

 

Getting ready to leave for vacation:

Our caravan met and started the drive from here!!

 

Good little travelers.

It is always fun to road trip with these two.

 

Transylvania???

EEEK!

 

Simply enjoying the day on the beach.

 

The view from our deck.

 

The donut cart.

We walked 4 1/2 miles round trip to get donuts here.

(well...I say "We," but I meant almost everybody.)

 

 

Oh my!  We found this giant Blue Crab.

I still can't believe I held it.

It had pinched a pair of goggles and was NOT letting go!

 

Just relaxing.

 

Friends

 

Friends!

 

 

My People!

I'm so blessed to belong to this family.

Incredible Summer Bliss

Swimming

Walking

Day trips

Lunch out

(That one is huge for teachers!)

Sleeping in until 6:00

Sipping coffee from a real mug on the deck as the sun comes up

First camping trips

Feeding humming birds

Rummage sales

Porch sitting in the evening

Farmers market foods

Gardening

Watering flowers

Pretty green grass that turns brown and crispy

Seeing the bottom of the laundry basket-almost daily!!

Sports camps

Grilling dinner and eating before 8:00 pm

Shopping

Time with family and friends

Birthdays

Time to refresh, reflect, and rejuvenate as a teacher

-as a mom

-as a wife

-as a person

Time to clean closets and junk drawers

Family vacation

Late night trips out for ice cream

Reading books for fun!!!!

(Even my kids love that one)

Time for family

Time for friends

Time for books and crafts and mending socks!!

School supply ads

New crayons, glue, markers, and pencils for the new school year

All good things must come to an end,

But....

With the end of summer comes a new school year

A fresh start

A new curriculum

Some new faces

I'm not quite ready to give up our vacation just yet.

I'm getting close, though.

We have three weeks and  two days before school starts again. 

 Until then, I will soak up as much summer vacation fun as possible

Summer vacation is as delicious as it is blissful!

I hope you are able to find some bliss during these last weeks of summer vacation, my friends.

Paying Respect

Late last night I found out that two very special people had passed away.

The first was an older gentleman from the church which I attended as a child/teenager.

He and his wife would have been happily married for 65 years in August.  

His name is Earl.
 

The second was a lifetime friend of my Daddy's. 

They grew up together.
They goofed around and laughed together.
They were blessed to call each other true friends.

His name was Raymond.

Raymond's visitation was before Earl's early in the afternoon.

I left our home and drove two and a half hours to his visitation.

While driving, I was sad to think about how quickly he lost his battle with cancer.
(It was just 3 weeks from the time he found out until he passed away.)

My heart was at ease, though, when I thought of Daddy and Raymond catching up in Heaven.

I stopped to get a water at a Casey's store on my way.  

As I was making a dash down the candy aisle,

my Daddy's favorite chocolate covered peanuts jumped out at me, and I had to smile.  

They were Casey's brand, and he ate them a LOT.

I bought them. 

I also bought a lottery ticket because Daddy would also have done that.

Sometimes I get my $2 back from a ticket.

Well, as luck would have it, or not, 

the chocolate peanuts were NOT in the least bit yummy, 

and I did not win the lottery.  

I ate every single peanut, and I talked to my Daddy until the bag was empty.

Then a song came on the radio which assured me that he and God were with me, 

and that I would be okay while I was at the visitations.  

(Sometimes they are harder than others.....)

When I hugged Raymond's sister and told her who I was,
she just smiled really big, hugged me again, and said, (grab a tissue) 

"Just before Raymond passed, he opened his eyes and said,"

( ....got the tissue? )
 

"Oh look.  It's Larry."
I know...tears.
Me too.
 

My daddy met his buddy as he transitioned from his earthly body into Heaven.  

I've read stories.  

I've heard stories of people seeing Jesus.

I know He is real, and I also knew that Daddy was in Heaven.

I just can't tell you how reassuring it was to not only know that a friendly face met Raymond, 

but also that it was my sweet, ornery, loving Daddy who was there for him.

God is good.

At Earl's visitation, I saw many people I knew from my childhood.

(My pediatrician, elders from the church, 

some of my high school teachers and even a few of their parents, 

as well as many friends)

When I talked to Earls wife, she said how happy it would have made him to know I was there. 

She couldn't believe I was there.

She said that I was like their daughter.  

Wait.

Rewind.

What?
 
Yep.
She said it again.

"You were our daughter, and we love you!"

I had no idea.

I mean... I admired them.

I loved them.

They were happily married.

They were active in church.

They respected each other and had a happy life.

Their daughter lived away and was such a sweet and successful girl.

They were always very kind to me.

I. Had. No. Idea.

I didn't know.

Oh boy, how I wish I had known how strongly they felt about me.

I have thought of them often throughout the years,

But I always just smiled and kept on doing my thing.
Apparently that was a nudge for me to keep in touch.
I should have known.

I should have picked up a pen and wrote them a note

Or picked up the phone and called them.

Today I was reminded of how important it is to tell people how you feel.

We must take time to say thank you.
We MUST take time to tell people how important they are in our lives.

As for paying last respects?
The grieving families helped ease my own grief.
I just THOUGHT I was there to support them.
It's so backwards.
How did that even happen?
I learned so much in just a few hours.

I'm on a mission now.
The mission is to appreciate the small stuff.
The little things are the important things in life!

Life...is delicious.
Live everlasting is even MORE delicious.
I'm excited to know that one more friend is there...
waiting for me on the other side!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is a really cool day in the history of "us."

 

On this day in history,

my Mr. stole one of my rings in order to ask me to be his girl.

 

I said yes.

(I had no choice.  My daddy bought the ring which was stolen!)

 

The rest truly is history.

 

Today happens to be the 27th anniversary of us.

This guy has been my boyfriend for 27 years!

In the crazy, hectic day to day life, sometimes we find ourselves going through the motions of raising a family, working full time jobs and then following the kids to events.

Well, today, I'm stopping to think about the blessings he brings every day.

 

 

 

 

He's been my best friend.

 

He has seen me at my best and my worst.

 

He has held me when I was happy.

 He has held me when I was so heartbroken that all I could do was cry.

 

He spoils me rotten.

By that, I mean he brings me chocolates,

changes light bulbs,

dusts the ceiling fans,

kills spiders and bugs,

and scrubs the toilets!

 

This guy is hilarious.

He knows how to make me laugh!

 

He supports me.

He doesn't get upset when I pro-craft-inate.

(Yes...there are many days that I do no housework because of craft projects.  heehee!)

Did I mention that he brings me chocolate?

 

He takes great care of me.

He goes to the grocery store  - sometimes very late at night -

for the milk/bread/coffee, and he even brings back chocolates.

 

He is a terrific dad to our kids!

I can't even begin to tell you all about that.

 

He shares my history.

He's been right there - by my side - through it all.

High School

College

Raising babies

Chasing kids

Losing my Daddy

Job changes

Plan changes

Highs and Lows of life

This list could go on and on.

 

 

I'm so very lucky.

I certainly don't deserve to be this happy or to be loved so much.

 

I am proud to have been his girl for that many years.

...and just for the record,

our wedding anniversary is just 2 short weeks away.

 

That's another beautiful post all in itself.

 

LIFE is delicious.
Have a terrific day, my friends!
 

 



 

Shortie

I knew it was coming.

I thought it wouldn't happen until summer vacation, though.

 

I am officially the shortest person in the house.

Courtney has passed me in height.

Sigh.

 

The good news is she and I can still share sandals.

(this year)

 

Healthy kids ... that's delicious. 

 

 

 



Mother's Day

Long before I held the title of "Mom,"

I was a daughter.

I was a grand-daughter.

I was a sister.

 

I remember the days of making little Mother's Day treats

 for my mom in elementary school.

I loved the feeling of running home

to treat her with carefully and lovingly made gifts and cards.

 

Over time, the gifts have changed.

Once I went to college and married, the gifts turned to flowers

and sometimes decadent chocolates.

Then...the kids were born.

That is when the gifts REALLY changed.

It seems that pictures of my sweet, chubby cheeked children

were the only gifts she received for several years.

What will we treat her with on Sunday???

I'm not sure.

It might be more pictures of the kids....

less chubby cheeked, but sweet none the less.

 

My paternal grandmother used to enjoy having us spend the night at her house.

She was quick to bake cookies, play board games, play the organ, and even play cards with us.

She was a farmer's wife, so her time was spent working on the farm, too.

She raised chickens and helped however she was needed around the farm.

Corbin saw her once in his life.

Courtney never knew her.

Courtney would have loved her.

Grandmother loved to cook and bake and clean.

(That woman could CLEAN!!!)

 

My  maternal grandma, Granny, is still with us, and boy is she a fighter!

She is a tough one.

She worked her whole life.

Nine years ago she broke her back as a result of being attacked by a dog.

Since then, she's had a stroke,

fallen and broken her hip,

and BEAT cancer!

She makes the best coconut cream pies.

She spoils me silly.

She loves her family, and she worries

about the long time spans between our family gatherings.

(She loves her great grandchildren to pieces!!!)

 

My own daughter will one day be a Mother.

When she is a Mother, a Mommy, or a Momma,

I know that she will do it well.

She has a huge heart, a loving heart,

a giving heart, a gracious heart.

 

This weekend, we will celebrate all the Grandmas in the family.

They range in age from 62 to 99.

I am so lucky to be able to spend time with such incredible ladies.

My kids will give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek

and they will tell me "Happy Mother's Day,"

on their way to the breakfast table.

 

I will cherish every minute of our Mother's Day time together this weekend.

Having four generations together in one place for family time is rare.

We are so lucky to have each other.

My kids are lucky to have three great-grandmothers who are still living.

Who am I kidding?

I really am the lucky one.

I have incredible women I call Mom or Granny,

and I am blessed beyond measure to be called Mom

by two of the best kids I know!

 

That blessing is a gift in itself.

May your Mother's Day be simply delicious, Friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Crazy Spring Weather

The weather in our neck of the woods is always entertaining, to say the least.

This past week we finally had some really nice spring weather!

It was nice to be outside enjoying sunshine.

The temperature got up to 80 degrees a few days.

It's been windy.

...VERY windy.

Since we have had so much cold and snow during this very, very long winter,

I've really enjoyed the warmer temperatures despite the crazy wind  the BAD hair days.

Today, we have highs in the upper 70's with more crazy wind

and a chance for severe thunderstorms this afternoon and this evening.

 

As I write this post, I'm sitting in front of my butterfly garden at school. 

On Friday, there were a few little signs of spring.

Birds hopping around.

New flowers starting to poke through the mulch.

There was no indication of the butterfly bushes thinking it was spring, though.

TODAY?

It's a completely different story.

  I see little leaves budding out on both of the butterfly bushes.

I also see new border grass poking through. 

I love to watch the plants and trees as the season changes.

I'm so excited that the garden will be full of colorful plants, birds, and butterflies very soon.

My students love it as much as I do.

They will be excited to see the changes tomorrow!

 

Speaking of tomorrow....

Would you like to hear the forecast????

 

Lows near 28 and a high of 41!!!!

There's a chance for rain/snow mix!

I guess I better think about covering the new little flowers.

We are in a freeze warning until Tuesday.

Isn't that crazy?

 

Crazy Spring weather....

despite the unpredictability, it's delicious! 



Oops!

Just for future reference....

IF one were to get spray paint on a bathroom counter

(Hypothetically speaking, of course)

One can remove said spattered spray paint 

By using nail polish remover on a cotton ball.

Even if spattered paint is ALL over the counter.

Just sayin'. 

Early Morning Track Practices

Whoa.

It is D.A.R.K. at 5:45 in the morning. 

The kids had track practice

...at 6:30.

That's right.

6:30 a.m.

That means they had to be ready to run at 6:15.

We stopped for apple fritters on the way.

(they were not done baking yet. Grrr.)

We also picked up a couple of friends.

 

Did I mention how dark it is?

 

I'm okay with it.

Next year Corbin will be driving them to the practice. 

My taxi service days are numbered.

(sniff, sniff, tear.)

I am happy that they have found activities that they love.

 

Being a mom of busy kids is delicious.

(even when we get up at o-dark-thirty.)

 

Happy Spring Break kick-off!!!

 

 

 



Anticipation

Time flies when you're having fun!

I've said it a hundred times.

I've heard it a million more.

I can't believe that it's already March.

Yet at the same time

it seems like we've been waiting for this for a long time.

Maybe it has something to do with all the cold and snow we've endured this winter.

Spring has felt so out of reach this year...

until now.

 

Yesterday it was a sunny 77 degrees outside!

(It hasn't been 70 degrees since November.)

I was so excited about the forecast that

I dusted off a dress and sandals to wear to school!

Along with the warmer weather,

there's certainly a different atmosphere in school.

Today everyone seemed more relaxed.

Everywhere I looked, I saw smiles on faces.

Sunshine does that to people.

So do vacations.

We just happened to have both at the same time!

 

The countdown is ON.

We have one day of school with students, and then 

 one day of teacher's inservice before our Spring Break begins.

Tonight, as I sit here, I am giddy with the possibilities for the week ahead!

I'm not kidding....GIDDY!

I am smiling from ear to ear.

Mr. took off for the week, so

we'll ALL be home together...

 

...FOR. THE. WEEK!

 

I'm so happy.

What will we do?

The possibilities are endless.

...

Sleep in.

Work on home projects.

Clean the attic.

Clean out the butterfly garden and flower beds.

Get the garden ready for planting.

Clean up the flower pots and gardening tools.

Spend time at the Pond.

Take some day trips.

Have a lunch date as a family!

Oh my.  I could go on and on.

...

 

Only time will tell.

We know that we are ready for a break.
We are ready for some family time.

We've been talking about the week

and our lack of plans for a month now.

We're excited that there are no plans!

It will so good to just "be."

I am more relaxed just thinking about it.

 

I cannot wait to see what Spring Break has in store for our family!

If you are celebrating a spring break, I hope it is everything you desire it to be.

Most of all, I hope it finds you happy, healthy, and loved.

 

Anticipation is delicious.

 



My Favorite Girl

 Volleyball picture day.

I love her sweet face.

I love her sweet, sweet heart.

I'm so lucky to be her Momma.

 

 

 

Pretty young ladies.

I can't believe it is their last season of  club ball.

It's gone so fast.

 

 



Chocolate Treats

My name is Chrissy.

I have a problem.

I am terribly in LOVE with chocolate.

I love everything about it.

 

It's no secret.

 

My family knows it.

My friends know it.

My students know it.

Their parents know it.

 

I had a rough week.

One momma sensed it.

She showed up on Friday with this bag filled with

"Hugs and Kisses"

along with a bag of Pretzel M&Ms.

 

(You can't see the M&Ms, but they are there.)

 

 

 

I have refrained from opening the bags so far.

I'm sure they will have their debut this week.

 

Special treats from special families...

 DELICIOUS.

Is it Spring Yet?

 

These chip clips were a Valentine's Day gift from one of my students.

Aren't they the cutest things?

Yes...

I put four clips on one bag of chips.

They make me smile.

They make my heart happy.

I love that they are so colorful

and that they carry the "be happy" theme.

 

It's the little things.

Spring IS on its' way, I'm sure of it.

Until then, though...

I'll count on the chip clips to give me some sunshine.

 

Spring...it WILL be delicious!

Have a sunny day, friends!

In like a Lion

The month of March certainly came in "like a Lion!"

The entire winter has been bitterly cold and snow-filled.

March 2nd brought another winter storm warning

Complete with freezing rain, sleet, and snow.

At one point it was raining Sonic ice.

Needless to say, we had another snow day.

It was our 11th for this year.

I made our traditional snow day muffins.

 

We built a toasty fire in the fireplace.

 

We had a movie marathon that went on and on and on.

We baked a special dinner complete with homemade bread.

We hope it was our last snow day of the year.  

This makes our last day of school May 30.

I know that many of my friends and coworkers 

complain about snow days.

I know that snow days are also an inconvenience 

to those who work outside the education field.

I wish that everyone had the opportunity 

to stay at home with their kids, 

spending time together 

and just enjoying each other's company.

If they were able to do that, they would understand

My childlike excitement for snow days.

Snow days...even in March...are so delicious.

100th Day of School

"Time flies when you're having fun!"

I've heard it said a million times.

It's NO JOKE!

 

I am back in Kindergarten this year.

I have 21 littles who keep me on my toes.

Tomorrow will be our 100th Day of school.

They are dressing as 100 year old people.

I have planned several station activities such as

counting to 100 by 1's, 5's and 10's,

making 100 tally marks,

stacking 100 cups,

reading 100 words,

writing 100 words,

reading 100th Day stories,

making a 100th Day crown,

and eating a 100 - piece snack.

 

My favorite thing, though, is

a writing activity that includes a picture of them as Old People.

I bought an 'Aging Booth' app.

I took each child's picture and put it in the app.

The aged picture has wrinkles on the forehead,

crows feet at the eyes,

sagging eyes and

droopy skin. 

They are HILARIOUS!

They laughed and laughed as they watched the transformations.

I am excited to send the pictures home to the parents.

It's not every day you get to see what you will look like as an old person.

 

The 100th Day.

I still can't believe it's already here. 

Only 74 to go???

 

There's so much to do.

So much to teach.

So much fun to be had.

 

Kindergarten.....

it truly is delicious.



Snow Days

This has been a year for snow and ice in our neck of the woods.

We have had NINE snow/ice days already this year.

We had three of them just last week!

 

Don't misunderstand.

As most people already know,

I'm a SUCKER for a good snow day.

There's something about being "snowed in" that makes me sit back and relax.

I use the time to clean house, bake, read, watch a movie or play a game with the kids.

I KNOW that we are going to have to make them up at the end of May.

I KNOW that the kids won't want to be learning then.

I KNOW that we won't have a break between regular school and summer school.

I still.  love.  snow days.

 

 no expectations

 just breathe

 

Tomorrow's forecast is calling for 1-3 more inches of snow.

Last week's snow hasn't melted yet.

Here's to secretly wishing for another snow day

and putting spoons under pillows while wearing PJs inside out and backwards. 

(wink)

 

Snow days are DELICIOUS!

 



Full Moon???

Such a sweet treat from an even sweeter student!!

 

Whew!

Some days are just days for chocolate.

Today is certainly one of them.

A full moon akwats brings out the best in kids. 

HAHA!

 

Chocolate....

sweet, melt in your mouth little morsels.

 

It doesn't get much better than that.

Simply delicious. 

December

What?

Where did December go?

On December 1st, I told Mr. that I wanted to just relax.

I wanted to make sure that we took in every little thing during the month of December.

I wanted to enjoy the holiday details with our little family.

I tried really hard to do just that!!

After school, I made gifts for our family and friends.

I sang silly songs with the kids.

Mr. and I shopped til I could shop no more to finish the gifts for the kids.

 

School was quite hectic, but it is every December.

Grade card testing.

 Making gifts for the parents.

Peeling children off the ceiling because it's almost Christmas.

 Making/getting gifts for the kids.

  Wrapping all of those gifts!

THREE snow days before the break.

Peeling the children off the ceiling.

Teachers playing bells for a Christmas assembly.

(We needed lots of practice.  haha!)

Planning the class Christmas party.

More grade card testing.

and yes...

more peeling students from the ceiling because

IT'S.  ALMOST.  CHRISTMAS!!!!

 

It was a challenge, but I tried really hard to keep perspective.

We finished testing.

We helped Santa's elves and made cute gifts for their parents.

I scurried around and got gifts for each of the children.

My new favorite gift wrap?

DECORATED TREAT BAGS!

I tied them up with pretty tissue and ribbon.

Nobody even noticed.

I could have wrapped them in toilet paper, and they would have been happy.

The Christmas party came and went.

Corbin and Courtney helped me clean up Christmas in the classroom.

Tree--taken down and put away until next December.

All decorations--put away.

Books--put away.

We walked out the door and wouldn't return until break was nearly over.

(I NEVER do that.)

Okay.  I lied.

I had to stop at my classroom to pick up the gifts that I had hidden.

But I only ran in, grabbed the loot, and left!

I did not work one bit!

I know.  I'm such a rebel.

 

Christmas vacation was just that.

We traveled to see family.

We stayed up late.

We slept in.

We stayed in pajamas until dinner time.

We built cozy fires in the fireplace and hung out at home

 with movie marathons and homemade popcorn.

It was the best.

It was relaxing.

It was refreshing.

It was everything we wanted it to be.

In front of Grandma's tree. 

Merry Christmas!

The best mess is the Christmas mess.

And then...

we got three more days of vacation

for FREEZING cold weather and icy roads.

Overall, many memories were made.

Christmas is different now that the kids are older.

Different.  Not better or worse.

Our kids are big kids.

They still get clothes and toys for Christmas.

It's just that the clothes are much bigger and much more expensive.

The toys are smaller and MUCH more expensive.

The excitement is still there, though.

The fun family time also remains.

I'm a happy Momma.

My heart is full.

 

December.

It was Delicious!