Dee's Blog

Gracie playing Wii Fit!!!

2009-12-28T09:42:00.002-05:00

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T22:26:00.007-05:00

Kid Pics

2009-12-27T22:19:00.007-05:00

Fair Parade

2009-07-27T20:47:00.003-04:00

With the small size of our school, the 8th graders are invited to march in the high school band. Alex got his first chance to march in the fair parade. Even with the heckling he got from his parents and grandparents, he was able to hold it together and look serious.

Abby's birthday

2009-07-27T20:42:00.004-04:00

Here are a few pics from Abby's birthday party. Her day started out in the emergency room with a horrible bacterial ear infection from swimmers ear. As you can see, she perked up a little. I LOVE the picture of the 2 girls!! And, we could not find the birthday candles and had to improvise.

Where have I gone???

2009-07-27T20:37:00.004-04:00

OK, I know everyone is upset because I have not posted in sometime. For that, I am very sorry. June was all about taking classes everyday at Miami. The classes were the hardest EVER!! Then after a short week off, it was off to teach SOSI. I now get 4 weeks off until school starts. Here are a few pics from my class so you know I have been working.

Kyler's birthday pics

2009-06-01T01:03:00.005-04:00

Grandparents Day

2009-05-18T14:55:00.002-04:00

Gracie has been SOOOO excited about today. Little Papa and Grandma came to her school for Grandparents Day. She has had her outfit planned out for a week, but the cold weather this morning caused a last minute wardrobe change. I am sure that they put on a great show for the grandparents and I hear the food was good. I know she was tickled they came!!!

Chris's Birthday Party

2009-05-10T19:27:00.004-04:00

Here are some pics from Chris's birthday party yesterday. A great time was had by everyone at Entertrainment Junction.

Concert by the Lake

2009-05-05T22:42:00.004-04:00

Here are Alex and Abby at our school's annual Concert By the Lake. As you can see by the pics, Abby is still the smallest kid in her grade (maybe even the whole school). As for Alex, we aren't sure he is even really playing that trumpet. We have never heard him play. He sure does love talking to the girls, though!

Lucy gets a pool

2009-05-05T22:37:00.002-04:00

Isn't he special...

2009-05-05T22:33:00.003-04:00

This is what happened when Alex put together the new dog cage. He had to call his father to get him out. Chris couldn't resist getting the camera first.

Back to normal

2009-05-04T20:22:00.003-04:00

I am sorry it has been a while, but nothing exciting is going on. At work we are finished with state testing (yeah!!) and are doing lots of field trips to get through the end of the year.

I am starting to feel better from my brush with Salmonella. I had an ultrasound today to check out my pancreas and liver and gall bladder. The last 2 have issues and I meet with my doctor on Thursday to discuss it.

Concert and track finals this week. Maybe more interesting poststo come...

This is what happens when Daddy takes me to the bus...

2009-04-21T19:49:00.002-04:00

What is that noise?????

2009-04-21T19:15:00.004-04:00

So, I am sitting in on the couch last night and I heard Alex snoring, louder than usual. I realized he was closer than usual. Apparently he thought the warm clothes were a good place to settle in for the night. Hard to blame him....

Montezuma has his revenge...

2009-04-19T23:15:00.005-04:00

For those not within whining distance of me for the last few days, I have been suffering from the worst intestinal infection EVER. I have not been this sick in years. I did sick it up and head to Morehead to see Kyler's soccer game since we were on spring break. It was fun to see him play. Here are a few pics from the game.

Mommy's Little Track Star

2009-04-08T19:49:00.002-04:00

Alex is running track this year. He runs in 2 relays and has thrown discus. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in heart...

Sam and Kyle's Big Day

2009-04-06T18:42:00.015-04:00

Alex's Track Schedule

2009-04-01T14:08:00.002-04:00

4-1 Bethel 4:30
4-4 New Richmond 9:00?
4-9 Western Brown 4:30
4-15 Finneytown 4:30
4-16 Home 4:30
4-18 West Union 9:30
4-20 West Brown 4:30
4-29 Goshen 4:30
5-6 SBAAC Meet (New Richmond) 4:00

Pictures of the runner to come after today's meet. He is running in 3 events.

Lucy's check up

2009-03-31T20:43:00.006-04:00

Lucy had her check up today (we are assuming 12 week check up). At 24.5 pounds, she has more than tripled her weight since we got her. She is becoming a very big girl. We are going to send her and Alex to training in hopes that one of them comes out behaving better. They other will be offered to the highest bidder.

Here is Lucy at the vet today. It is about the only place she holds still long enough to get a good picture. She may look a little pitiful because she threw up all the way there and all the way home.

The other picture is of a rare truce between Lucy and Rosie. Rosie really prefers her asleep.

The World Through Abby's Eyes

2009-03-30T22:33:00.010-04:00

Recently I put Abby's camera card in my camera and downloaded the pictures on it from last summer. I think it really shows how she sees the world. I thought you all would enjoy looking at them. If you are wondering how she got pictures of herself, she used the timer.

The Big Easy

2009-03-23T18:46:00.003-04:00

I am back from my trip to New Orleans. Susan and I presented our differentiated science centers to a captive audience of nearly 100 people. The presentation was well-received. We had lots of positive comments. I was disappointed in the rest of the conference. Lots of no show presenters. We made the best of our off time. We had some great food and great times together. I am hoping to do this again.

I found New Orleans a nice place to visit, but wouldn't want to live there. There were some interesting people (to say the least). We did not see too much hurricane damage, but we spent most of our time in the touristy parts of town. I would like to have seen the places still damaged from the hurricane (apparently there were lots). Maybe Chris and I will make it a long weekend.

How was your day?

2009-03-18T00:17:00.003-04:00

Here was how mine went...

5:45am: Alarm went off. Spent 15 minutes just getting kids out of bed.
6:00am: Abby spent next 20 minutes complaining her jeans were too tight (they weren't falling off her, which was too tight for her).
6:20am: Discovered puppy diarehea in the dining room.
7:00am: Went flying out the door 10 minutes late to take Alex and Abby to school
7:15am: Got a phone call from my friend Amanda asking me to bring her a serving spoon for our school luncheon, which reminded me that I forgot to make my item to bring.
8:10am: Arrived at podiatrist 10 minutes late after sitting in horrible traffic and getting lost.
8:15am: Dr. stuck a large needle in the side of my heel and dug around with it til blood ran down my foot, and that still felt better than the pain from before.
9:10am: Arrived 10 minutes late to a meeting with a parent at school.
10:15am: Finally get to class and back to normal, UNTIL....
11:45am: What appears to be a large shoe is thrown into my room from the hall. A few seconds later, we realize it is a large bat. After a long minute if all of us screaming and hiding under our desks, it slammed into the top of an open window and slid out.
12:05pm: Get a call from the nurse at the middle school, they thing Abby has pink eye.
12:20pm: Get Abby, bring her to my school for the nurse to check and then run her home.
3:30pm: Run all over at the last minute to get Gracie off the bus for Chris as he drops of Abby to take to the Dr. Nurse from the Drs office is a parent in our school picking up her kid, checks out Abby and confirms pink eye. Advises to call and just get meds, no need for appt. (YEAH!)
3:45pm: Help assemble packets for presentation; go over last minute things we need from school for trip.
4:00-7:00pm: Run around all over trying to get what I need and what Chris needs before I leave.
7:00pm: Finish power point for presentation Friday.
10:00pm: Begin packing...
12:30am: Sitting here now writing on my blog because I am stressing about flying tomorrow.

So, how was your day?

Lu's check up

2009-03-12T20:27:00.003-04:00

This week we took Lucy for her vet check up. We knew she had gotten bigger. We were shocked that she had doubled her weight in 3 weeks from 7 1/2 to 15 pounds! As you can tell from the pics, she is THRIVING!

She did not like the vet. She laid there on the table and pouted the whole time. She finally fell asleep and gave up.

Remember when I used to bore you with post about my kids?!? Good news I will be boring you with updates from New Orleans next week.

Yes...

2009-03-09T23:15:00.001-04:00

I am still reading that book on my shelf. It is a good story, but not a happy book. I am hoping to finish it by next Tuesday before I leave for New Orleans so I can take a new book with me.

Lucy: 3 weeks in and still alive!

2009-03-06T11:55:00.003-05:00

Well, we have had Lucy 3 weeks now and so far so good. She is getting SOOO big. She goestothe vet on Monday and I can't wait to see how much she has grown in 3 weeks. She is sleeping through the night and not going potty in her cage. We are still struggling with not going in the house. Even Rosie is warming up to her, and by warming up, I mean not biting her head off.

Soooo close....

2009-02-24T21:05:00.002-05:00

I was so excited. Neither Alex or Abby had ever wondered how babies got in mommy bellies until they were old enough to hear it. I was hoping that I would make a clean sweep and not have to answer that question in little people terms. But Jaimie and Robby has to ruin it!

Gracie curled up on the couch with me and wanted to know how babies got in mommy bellies. I explained that when people loved each other very much, they would be ready for a baby. Gracie quickly pointed out Emily and Joey who loved each other very much but didn't have a baby. I told her that would when they were ready, just like Jaimie and Robby who are ready now. Gracie thought about this for a second and then asked, "So Mommy, did Jaimie show Robby a lot of love to make the baby in her belly?"

So Jaimie, did you?

Lucy's car ride

2009-02-14T18:16:00.003-05:00

We took Lucy to the pet store to get a collar. She played outside and obviously had no trouble getting comfortable.

We Love Lucy

2009-02-14T11:26:00.004-05:00

My Mom yelled at me this week for not updating my blog lately. To my 2 readers, I am so sorry! :)

So, what is new at the Thompson house? Well, let me introduce you to Lucy, the newest member of the family. Kimmie found her and her brother on the side of the mountain under a rock. Alex campaigned hard to keep her, saying he was ready for the challenge and responsibility. In her first 24 hours in the family she has stolen the hearts of everyone in the family, even my jaded husband. Who could blame them?

Snowday!!!!

2009-01-28T00:36:00.005-05:00

Here are some fun pic from our snow day today! Rosie was loving the snow as much as the kids.

Which of my kids made a pretty cheerleader?

2009-01-24T17:39:00.003-05:00

Yeah, well, not the one you'd think. ALex decided to wear one of my old cheerleading uniforms for the girl's basketball game. Brave you might say? Daring? How about brilliant. All the 8th grade girls wanted to have their pictures taken with him and talked to him in the halls the next day at school. All of the parents thought it was great that he was that confident. Little do they know he just enjoys being the funny man.

Don't mess with me...

2009-01-11T11:44:00.002-05:00

If Tucker could talk, I am sure that is exactly what he is saying with this look on his face. I am sure he might have even slipped a baby curse word in there as well. And who could blame him...

Tucker had the Rota virus and hadn't kept anything down for 5 days. I met Kimmie at the hospital Thursday night and stayed there with her since she hadn't slept in days. He was severely dehydrated. They tried for 2 hours and stuck him everywhere from his feet to his skull to try and get an IV. He was so dehydrated, they couldn't get it. They even called in neonatal intensive care nurses but no luck. So Kim and I had to feed him 10ml of Pedialyte every 15 minutes for 6 hours from midnight to 6. Then we gradually upped the amount throughout the day.

He is doing better now. He threw up once yesterday, but has kept everything else down. I even got a phone call with him giggling in the background. I think Kimmie might take a little longer to recover. She accidentally locked him in the car yesterday because she was so tired. Mom went down to help her out yesterday.

Thanks for all your well wishes!!

Date night

2009-01-03T23:50:00.003-05:00

Tonight Chris and I got to actually go out on a date. My sister was nice enough to take the kids for the evening. Now, we are not used to having time to ourselves, so we wandered around the city for an hour and a half trying to decide what to do. We made our way up Interstate 75 (about 45 minutes from home) and found a new restaurant called Soho. It is a Japanese steak house where they prepare the meal at the table. We had never been to one before. We ran into a family from CNE who had been there before and were seated with them. We had so much fun I felt guilty not having the kids. We had a great meal. I even tried sushi (nothing raw). It was ok. Our entrees were incredible. We had shrimp and filet and awesome fried rice. I highly recommend it!

Now, no date night would be complete without stops at Home Depot and the bookstore. We bought paint and curtains for the for the kitchen and plan to paint tomorrow. I am trying to put off thinking about returning to school on Monday. I figure painting will distract me.

Why do I do this?

2008-12-25T22:40:00.004-05:00

This is the question I tend to ask myself several times during the week before Christmas. This week it came up...

while waiting in line at the mall for 45 minutes to buy Alex a pair of jeans
sitting in traffic for over an hour to drive less than a mile
lying on the ground at Skyline because I tripped on the ice and watched my new iPhone slide across the parking lot
wrapping presents until 3 am Christmas Eve

Well, it I wait long enough, I tend to get my answer...

By the way, the ABBA cd got the biggest reaction. She asked for a signed guitar from ABBA, but Santa couldn't get his hands on one. Darn Mama Mia movie...

Making Cookies/Cupcakes

2008-12-25T22:28:00.007-05:00

I know I have been slacking.... Sorry!

Last weekend we had Kyler over to make cookies and decorate cupcakes. Abby spent 2 hours designing these great 3 dimensional cookies. They were really works of art. Sadly, they all melted into one giant cookie while they were baking. She was a great sport about it though!

After wards, we decorated mini cakes. As you can see, everyone took great pride in decorating them. I think Kyler took 2 bites of his. Of course, Gracie had no problem eating all of hers.

"I am nervous, Mommy..."

2008-12-12T23:43:00.002-05:00

This posting is not about my kids, but my nephew, Kyler. He can be quite the handful. My sister has resorted to the form of discipline that all parents resort to at this time of year, "Santa's watching." Now, this worked for a while, but Kyler like all 4 year olds can only be good for so long. Even when he was honery, Santa watching was always in his mind.

Well, guess who came to visit Kyler's preschool class this week?!? I guess my little man was in quite a panic having to face the big guy. Kim said he was a wreck and kept telling her, "Mommy, I am really nervous."

Needless to say, Kyler might behave for the next couple days.

Can 2 songs count as a concert?

2008-12-11T21:29:00.002-05:00

This evening was a fun-filled night with a losing basketball game and then heading over for a chorus concert. But can a concert really be called a concert when there is only 2 songs (one of which was previous sung by a chipmunk)?

Well, at least she looked cute!

NSTA Cincinnati

2008-12-07T22:43:00.004-05:00

Well, I am just about recovered from my 4 days at the NSTA conference in Cincinnati. My friend Susan was in charge of the field trips for the attendees, and I was in charge of Susan. Both were more than a full time job. Mine was a job I enjoyed!

Our evenings were just work, work, work! On our first night after volunteering we had a reception in Meri's 2 story suite at the Omni Netherland hotel. We also had to go on a riverboat cruise one night and meet cute hockey players the next night. It seemed like our work would never end!

Not only did I get to spend 4 days talking about science with some of the top science educators in the state. I was able to meet and talk with two of my favorite authors. The best part was, I got to do all of this with a great friend! As you can see from the pics, we had a great time! Now, if we can stay out of trouble when we go to New Orleans in March...

Bad Hair Day

2008-11-29T12:04:00.002-05:00

I am finally able to talk about my traumatic experience on Wednesday. I had finally grown out my hair on the sides so I could get the chin length bob I have been wanting. I wanted to go to someone I trusted, so I tried to get into see Chris's cousin who works downtown at a salon, but she was off all week. So I went to my normal girl at a nice salon. I explained what I wanted and she even pulled out the side and said, "So this side length works for you? " And I agreed.

Anywho... she proceeded to turn the chair sideways and scalp me. I have no more than 2 1/2 inches of hair on my head. I spent most of Wed. hysterical. I normally do not get that upset about a bad haircut, but she left practically nothing to work with! This morning I had to curl my hair with a curling iron to straighten it out because my curls are so short and tight. All I can do now is grow it out. You will not see any pics to go with this!

On a happy note, I am looking forward to working next week at the National Science Teachers Associations Regional Conference which is here in Cincy. It is all science, all day long! It will be a nice warm up to the national conference that my teaching partner and I get to go to in New Orleans in March. Work, work, work!!

HE MADE IT!!

2008-11-13T09:16:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, Alex has been sweating basketball tryouts these last few weeks. He really has been worried about them for about a year. This is the first year he had to try out for basketball and he has some GREAT players in his grade level. I don't think the child had slept for a week. Yesterday morning he found out that he made the team. He got home from school yesterday and slept for an hour and a half! Talk about relief!

For those who live close by and want to know when Hoops will be playing, here is his schedule. Games are at 4:30.
11/20- Away: Clinton Massie
11/25- Home: Deer Park
12/02- Home: Williamsburg
12/04- Away: Blanchester
12/09- Away: Goshen
12/11- Home: East Clinton
12/16- Home: Bethel
12/18- Away: New Richmond
1/6- Home: Batavia
1/8- Away: Williamsburg
1/13- Home: Georgetown
1/15- Away: Williamsburg
1/20- Away: Mt. Orab
1/22- Home: Felcity
1/27- Home: New Richmond
1/29- Away: Batavia

Family Game Night

2008-11-08T22:21:00.006-05:00

We just spent more than 3 hours tonight playing Apples to Apples. Even thought the game says it is for ages 9 and above, I will have you know Gracie won both of our games tonight. The brilliance of the game is its simplicity. The green cards have adjectives on them like smelly, kind, gorgeous, etc. The dealer puts a green card in the middle. Each player has 5 random nouns in their hand. Each player picks which card they want to put with the adjective. It could be funny, opposite, whatever floats the dealers boat! Whoever's card is chosen gets the point. All 5 of us played tonight and all 5 of us had a great time! We also bought the grown up version which we will be inflicting on our family next weekend at Alex's birthday party. It is fast-paced and fun. I highly recommend this for everyone's Christmas list!

We survived!!!!!!

2008-11-02T00:02:00.003-04:00

We just got back from Alex's 13th birthday party. He shared his party with a young lady in his class who has the same birthday. We had a bonfire party at her house with 35 of their closest friends. The kids were very well behaved and a good time was had by all!

What may be even harder to believe is that as of 5 minutes ago I now am the parent of a teenager. I am glad we get to practice with Alex for 2 1/2 years before Abby becomes a teenager!

2008-10-27T18:23:00.001-04:00

35 seconds

Created by Bunk Beds.net

The Bandito

2008-10-25T16:59:00.003-04:00

NO, this is not a new look we are trying out on Gracie. We spent our morning going from our pediatrician to Children's Hospital getting tested for whooping cough. Gracie has not been feeling well and started with little coughing fits yesterday. And as luck would have it, we seem to have the beginning of a whooping cough epidemic in our school. You know it is bad when we walk into Children's and the girl behind the desk says,

"Let me guess, whooping cough?"

"How did you know?" I asked.

"I saw your CNE sweatshirt."

What a wonderful thing for our school to be known for!

Anyways, I don't think she has the whoop, I think she just has a nasty virus. But, she had enough of the symptoms that the doctor felt like she needed to be tested. So, I get to stay home on Monday and wait for the results. I will update when we know!

Alright, alright...

2008-10-23T22:02:00.002-04:00

OK, so it is no big secret I am not very good at taking care of myself. Last week I went to the doc for heel pain. She yelled at me for not being there for a while for blood work. She did some tests and turns out I had dangerously low iron and B12 levels. Now I am on very expensive drugs.

Today I went to the podiatrist for my heel. Turns out my freakishly large calves have caused severe plantar fasciatis in my foot. I got a steroid injection in my foot. For those who do not know me, I am a HUGE baby about getting shots. But, I took it like a big girl. So now I have to take more steroids for a week.

So now I promise to take my vitamins and behave myself! Maybe I might have more energy now!!

Sam and Kyle's Party

2008-10-19T19:35:00.003-04:00

We had a great time last night at Sam and Kyle's Halloween party. We got to ride 4 wheelers, make trick-or-treat baskets, go on a hay ride, and sit around the fire. Here are some fun pics from the night.

Everyone should have a Granny Smith

2008-10-15T20:51:00.001-04:00

I had a Great Granny Smith.

New Survivor Series

2008-10-14T22:56:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Rachel, who sent me this when I needed it...

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and
3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play
two sports
and either take music
or dance classes.

There is no fast food.

Each man must
take care of his 3 kids;
keep his assigned house clean,
correct all homework,
and complete science projects,
cook, do laundry,
and pay a list of 'pretend' bills
with not enough money.

In addition, each man
will have to budget in money
for groceries each week.

Each man
must remember the birthdays
of all their friends and relatives,
and send cards out
on time--no emailing.

Each man must also
take each child to a doctor's appointment,
a dentist appointment
and a haircut appointment.

He must make
one unscheduled and inconvenient
visit per child
to the Urgent Care.

He must also
make cookies or cupcakes
for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for
decorating his own assigned house,
planting flowers outside
and keeping it presentable
at all times.

The men will only
have access to television
when the kids are asleep
and all chores are done.

The men must
shave their legs,
wear makeup daily,
adorn themselves with jewelry,
wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,
keep fingernails polished
and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks,
the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches,
and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or
slow down from other duties.

They must attend
weekly school meetings,
church, and find time
at least once to spend the afternoon
at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to
read a book to the kids
each night and in the morning,
feed them, dress them,
brush their teeth and
comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information:
each child's birthday,
height, weight,
shoe size, clothes size
and doctor's name.
Also the child's weight at birth,
length, time of birth,
and length of labor,
each child's favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear and
what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island
based on performance.
The last man wins only if...
he still has enough energy
to be intimate with his spouse
at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win,
he can play the game over and over
and over again for the next 18-25 years
eventually earning the right
To be called Mother!

Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-11T20:10:00.005-04:00

Today we went to the pumpkin farm, along with everyone else in the county. It was a beautiful day. Our biggest problem was it was too sunny and we had big shadows in the pictures. Not a bad problem to have. Thought everyone would enjoy the pic of my son (yes, I am still claiming him after posing like this in public).

Gracie's new hair cut

2008-10-10T18:48:00.004-04:00

Well, my husband is basking in being right. He has been campaigning for Gracie to get a hair cut for years. After she cut it herself this week because it was in her way, we decided to go and get it cut. We had over 8 inches cut off. We are donating it so someone can have a Gracie wig. It looks so cute. These pictures do not do it justice. She LOVES it. We will cut it again when those weird side bangs grow the rest of the way out.

Flo and Rio

2008-10-05T15:28:00.005-04:00

Today Jaimie and I, being the great science teachers that we are, decided to get these little turtles for our classrooms. The lighter turtle, Rio, is a Rio Grande Red Ear Slider. The darker turtle, Flo, is a Florida red bellied turtle. The turtles will spend the weekdays at school and the weekends at home. The kids already love them. Alex was the only one a little weirded out about touching them and he quickly got over it. Jaimie bought 2 turtles also, one of them a more exotic brands. We are not sure that one is still alive. I bought the more "hearty" species that will do well with the young kids. We will update on sizes.

What Ike Taught Us...

2008-10-01T21:04:00.002-04:00

Coffee and frozen pizzas can be made on a BBQ grill. Hot pockets taste pretty good deep fried on the outdoor cooker!

My car gets 23.21675 miles per gallon, EXACTLY (you can ask the people in line who helped me push it).

He who has the biggest generator wins.

A new method of non-lethal torture -- showers without hot water.

TV is an addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are painful.

Flood plan drawings on some mortgage documents were seriously wrong.

People will get into a line that has already formed without having any idea what the line is for.

Cell phones work when land lines are down, but only as long as the battery remains charged.

Hampers were not made to contain such a volume.

If I had a store that sold only ice, chainsaws, gas and generators... I'd be rich.

Waterfront property can quickly become someone else's fishing hole.

Tree service companies are underappreciated.

MATH 101: 30 days in month, minus 6 days without power equals 30% higher electric bill??

I can walk a lot farther than I thought.

A MUST for all blackouts with kids... GLOWSTICKS!

It is a great time to teach the children the fine art of gambling (penny ante poker) card playing.

You can never have too many gas cans!

7 dogs that do not normally live together still do not get along during
a hurricane. They have no comprehension of sharing.

5 gallons of sweetened iced tea a day is not enough for 9 teenagers.

Suddenly you realize you DO have neighbors! Neighbors are much more sociable when your trees are being removed from their houses. That neighbor who knows how to use a chainsaw is your new best friend.

What looks acceptable by candlelight in your bathroom will scare you when you look at yourself in the mirror at the office

Coffee is NOT a luxury - it's a staple! And withdrawal is horrible!

Rather than campfires, you find families huddled about tiny battery-operated televisions to watch The Simpsons.

Peanut butter and jelly is a perfectly acceptable meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the same day.

Ice is a form of currency.

Coming home from work with a pizza and a charged-up laptop so the kids can watch a DVD makes you a hero.

You run out of things to barbecue after Day 3.

Hair can dry without a blow dryer, but it may not look the way you planned. Baseball caps go with any post-hurricane ensemble.

You can't train yourself not to flip on light switches when entering a room.

Lukewarm is the new cold.

It's easier to ignore a dirty house when you can't see it.

A new opening phrase when seeing someone: 'Got lights yet?'

Daydreaming consists of thinking about what you will do when the freak'n power comes back on!

Thanks for this email, Jen!

Meghan and Kyle's Ball Park Reception

2008-09-28T21:40:00.007-04:00

Last night we went to the most creative and fun wedding reception last night. Chris's lovely cousin Meghan got married last week to a great guy in a beach ceremony in Naples Florida. The reception was last night at the Red's Great American Ball Park. The evening was spectacular from start to finish. We got off the elevator to the Club Lounge and their initials were projected on to the wall. The tables were decorated with little chocolate baseballs, Cracker Jack boxes, and hand decorated sugar cookies (all hand made by the mother of the bride). The food was all Cincinnati food, cheese coneys, Montgomery Inn sandwiches and chips, LaRosa's pizza, and great cheeses and meats. The happy couples initials were also projected onto center field. The wedding video and the proposal video (remember from a previous post he proposed on Fountain Square) were playing on the club t.v.'s. After appetizers we moved to a 2nd lounge where a live band was playing and dessert was set up. Here is a great picture of Meghan with my father in law and her very favorite (and only) uncle.

Dessert was also unique, instead of wedding cake, we had gourmet cupcakes and ice cream sundaes in little Red helmets. The bride was glowing. It was a great party!! I am so sad I was sick and didn't get to taste a thing. But I am thrilled for Meghan and wish them all the best!

Monday's child...

2008-09-28T20:06:00.003-04:00

Today is my birthday. Alex asked my mom what she was doing 38 years ago yesterday. Mom told Alex how she was trying to have me before midnight so I could be Sunday's child which had everything in the poem. Well, I was born at 12:25 am on a Monday morning, which made me full of grace... NOT! Yesterday I got my foot caught on a curb and fell flat on my face (or really, my knee). Once my head cleared and I got to my car, and I had a good cry, I realized I was very lucky I didn't really hurt myself. Then to top it all off yesterday, I had a nice 24 hour stomach bug. We went to a fabulous wedding reception last night (more info on that to come) that I couldn't enjoy.

So today I got a nice meal at Brenda's since we celebrated Emy's birthday and I am feeling much better. Susan called and sang to me since she is happy I am always going to be 3 months older than her. I get to spend the next 3 months finding a card that will creep her out as much as the one she bought for me.

Spoke too soon!!

2008-09-21T11:48:00.002-04:00

The power is back off at our house! We are hoping it is turned back on so we can sleep in our own beds and get ready for school in the morning at home! We shall see!!

Let there be LIGHT!!

2008-09-20T20:51:00.002-04:00

Today after 6 days of chaos, our power has been restored! Many thanks to the Putnam's and my Mom for putting up with us this week. It has been a very expensive week of eating out and entertaining the kids. Tomorrow comes the additional cost of restocking the fridge!

Off to sleep in my own bed!!!!

Walking for the Cure!

2008-09-14T13:33:00.003-04:00

Today Spahr's Stars walked for a cure. By this morning we had 130 people on our team and have raised over $4,200. I know lots of people came with donated money, so I am sure we met our $5,ooo goal. Although the race is very uplifting, for us it was bitter sweet. I was very torn up at the end when the survivors walked through their own finish. I was wishing Charleen was able to walk through.

Susan made a great sign for us and we gave it to her son and his family to carry. It was a great morning. Next year, we will make our own shirts and have even more people!

Congrats Kel and Kev!

2008-09-12T21:39:00.001-04:00

I am so thrilled to be going to my oldest and dearest friend Kelley's wedding reception tomorrow. She and her lovely husband Kevin were married in a private ceremony in the Bahamas last month. After seeing her be soo lonely these last few years, I am so happy to see her married to her soulmate. I have always said she should never pick her own men! Match.com did just as good as a job as I would have done (even though you could have been a Zanchetti). I have never seen her so happy and at peace (except maybe when we were 19 and ruled the world). So I can not wait to celebrate with them tomorrow!

My last sad post...

2008-09-05T21:54:00.002-04:00

I am sure tomorrow I will wake up with my positive, let's move forward attitude, but I have to get this out. Tonight we said goodbye to Charleen. I guess I was thinking that tonight would bring me closure, but it did not. My heart hurts. It did help to go through all of this with my friends. Of course, Bobbi gave me specific plans on what I had to do at her funeral. Good thing she is never dying so I never have to use it.

So I promise after today, all of the mention I will make about Charleen is how we are working to celebrate all she did for the kids in our community. I will go back to channeling my energy into positive ways. But today, I am sad.

Didn't race fast enough

2008-09-02T17:31:00.002-04:00

Our friend Charleen lost her battle with breast cancer yesterday. This comes less than one month from diagnosis. It was a very hard, emotional day for us all at school. Mixed in with our grief are feelings of being angry with Charleen for not getting her regular mammograms and taking better care of herself. For those who do not know her, she is the kind of person who would never let us get away with not taking care of herself. These next few days will be very hard on all of us big kids who will miss our school mom and her wonderful baked goods she would make to show us her love!

So sadly, I am now racing in memory of instead of support of my friend Charleen. If you would like to support the race for the cure on September 14 or would like to contribute to our fundraising efforts, please click here.

"Run, Alex, Run!"

2008-08-31T22:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Alex had his first cross country meet. I could not believe how many kids were there. There must have been nearly 1,000 kids from grades 7-12. I was VERY proud of Alex. He has only been running for 2 weeks and he finished the race (7-8 kids dropped out half way). He was very happy he was not the last one to finish (there was one kid behind him). I think by watching the other races Alex learned that he should maybe be pushing himself a little harder. Regardless, I was SOOO proud of him!

Well, she looks smarter...

2008-08-26T20:35:00.003-04:00

Abby got her new glasses today. This came just in time for her to get her braces off her teeth next week. She is amazed by how crisp and clear things are around her. This year she is in middle school and has been put in a class that will be a challenge for her. This is the 5th day of school and she has already forgotten 2 of her homework assignments as school. She looks good, though! It is always the teacher's kids!

Anyone want to place bets on how long it takes her to lose them?

My big girl!!

2008-08-25T20:16:00.004-04:00

Well, its official. All 3 of my kids are in school. And although my childcare costs have cut dramatically, it was still very sad for me to have my last first day of kindergarten to get ready for this morning. She was up with the first sound in the hallway when Alex and Abby got ready. I was a little happy about this because I got to do her hair instead of Daddy. She decided to have Daddy drive her to school today so there are no getting on the bus pictures. She gets to ride the bus to the babysitters after school. When I asked her about her day she told us she ate all her lunch, colored a picture of an apple tree and played with boys named Thomas and Joey. What every girl wants from a first day of school!!!!

"Every Woman Should..."

2008-08-24T08:34:00.003-04:00

I received this in an email recently and wanted to share it...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
enough
money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
something
perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD
HAVE .
a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy
enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her
old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
one friend who
always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a good piece
of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her
family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight
matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for
a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of
control over her destiny..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit
a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without;
ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN
SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK
AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her
childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she
would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to live
alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a charming Inn in the woods....
when her soul needs
soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...

Thanks Aunt Martha! I needed this one!

Race for the Cure

2008-08-14T13:21:00.002-04:00

A much beloved teacher at CNE was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Although we can't help her fight her battle, we at CNE Elementary would like to support her by helping to fund cancer research. If you are interested in joining our team on September 14 or would like to contribute to our fundraising efforts, please click here.

Cruzin'

2008-08-10T22:54:00.008-04:00

I am finally starting to recover from our great vacation last week. We spent a day in Fort Lauderdale on the beach before heading out on a 5 night cruise to Key West, Cozumel, and Belize. We traveled in a group of 31 people (we tend to travel in packs). We had an awesome day in Fort Lauderdale. Our hotel was right on the beach. We spent the afternoon splashing in the waves and lying on the beach. We closed out the evening with a great dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

The next day we headed for the boat, the Enchantment of the Seas. We sailed off just before dinner time. We had a nice evening walking around and getting acquainted with the ship. Our first stop in the trip was in Key West. Jaimie joined us for a trip to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. Chris and the kids had their fill of the heat, so headed back to the ship. Jaimie and I explored the town a little more before heading back to the ship. This was our formal night, so we all got dressed up and got our pictures taken. Gracie started making a habit of taking her naps at the dinner table. We ended our evening with a big group of us getting up and singing "We Are Family" during karaoke.

The next day took us to Cozumel. To say it was HOT would be an understatement! Chris and Gracie didn't leave the boat. Abby and Mom made it to the shops at the end of the pier before turning back. I went into town with a group of our friends. Most of them went back after a few minutes. I ended up walking around the town with our friend Connie. We went off the main road and look around in some smaller shops. I bought a dress for Gracie from a shop that had a pet monkey whose hand I held. I wish we would have gone to the beach here because the water was so beautiful. The heat got to me before I could do too much shopping and we headed back. We closed out this evening playing a crazy game called "Quest." We worked in teams and the cruise director would ask for things like a woman from the team holding a man's watch. Teams that got there first got the most points. By the end of the game, my husband had taken off his pants, Sam had ripped off Joey's pants, and Joey was in drag.

The next day took us to Belize. Because Belize is surrounded by coral reefs, we had a 5 mile tender into Belize City. Chris and Gracie decided to stay on the boat again. Abby and I went on a tour with some friends that took us on a tour of the city before going on a air boat tour of the mangrove. I learned so much about this small country. The people that we met were so amazing and happy to have us there. I am so glad Abby was able to see what it was like to live in a country not as fortunate as our own. Alex on the other hand had quite a different experience. He went zip lining and cave tubing in the rain forest with some of our friends. Apparently he had the time of his life. That was the great thing about going with such a large group. There was always someone to hang out with. I could have spent all day on the air boat. The area we explored was so beautiful. We saw baby crocodiles and exotic birds. But most fun was riding around at top speeds on the air boat!! This night we were treated to a dance from our waiters in the dining room. My son decided to join them. He proceeded to dance around the large dining room with them in front of over 1,000 people. I wonder where he gets it? My other star made her debut that night for the Pirate Night performance. She was a shy, but VERY cute pirate up on stage.

Our last day was a very relaxing day at sea. I spent a lot of time laying by the pool. We really needed the down time after the very busy week. I would have liked to have had another day at sea in the middle to not make things so crazy. We said goodbye to our waiters who had been so good to us. We enjoyed the 80's dance party. Perhaps the most fun was had when we closed down the Schooner Bar that night. The Schooner Bar was a piano bar. The player was a great guy who invited people to come up and sing and play with him. He came out into the audience and gave my mom the opportunity to do what it was she had been wanting to do all week, sing into a microphone. It was a wonderful ending to a great trip spent with people that we love. We we got home yesterday and finally settled, it felt good to be home. This last picture of Gracie and Rosie I think tells it all!

Mr. & Mrs. Pollitt

2008-08-09T19:56:00.004-04:00

We got back today from helping Joe and Emily celebrate their honeymoon. We had a great time (more on that later). I wanted to post a few pics from their beautiful wedding.

More info later after my house quits rocking like a cruise ship!

Wedding day

2008-08-02T08:16:00.003-04:00

Here is a quick post before things get really crazy. I have to wake up the girls for their hair appointment this morning and drop the dog off to Susan before our trip tomorrow.

Here are a few pics from the rehearsal on Thursday. As you can see, it will be VERY beautiful. Then we are all off to the islands!

Check back next week for wedding and vacation pics!

Back to class...

2008-07-23T22:53:00.002-04:00

This week I starting teaching another SOSI group in Batavia. I have to teach the next 2 weeks. I have an eclectic group of 11 teachers this time. Because the numbers were lower for this session, I do not get to teach with the other half of my brain, Susan. It is proving to be taxing. today was the end of Day 3. 7 more to go. Then we have wedding and vacation, then a week, then school starts! UGHH! Hate to think about it. Oh well, as they say, one day at a time.

All because of Raymond and Gloria...

2008-07-19T23:41:00.003-04:00

The second part of our day was spent at the Knox Family Reunion. The Knox family is Chris's mom's side of the family. We had a wonderful afternoon visiting with our family. We had water balloons, kiddie pool, and lots of great food. We celebrated Chris's Aunt Mary's 60th birthday today as well. These would be the great-grandchildren of Raymond and Gloria. Although we are VERY done adding to this group, I know a few of the cousins are going to add a few more to this group! We look forward to seeing everyone at Christmas time!

Up on a Roof

2008-07-19T23:30:00.004-04:00

We had a very busy day today. We started out our morning at one of the most beautiful wedding showers I have ever attended. We had Emily's shower today on the roof of her aunt's condo in downtown Cincy right next door to the Taft Museum. Although it was a little toasty, the view was wonderful (and so were the quiches). Kyler and Gracie found a shady spot to hang out and got along for about a minute and a half until he tackled her to the ground. Everyone moved downstairs to the community room for gift opening. Emmy got lots of great stuff. We are all counting down the the big wedding in 2 weeks. We will be leaving the next day to join them on their honeymoon! We are a very close family! :)

Teacher Field Trip!!

2008-07-11T13:25:00.007-04:00

A couple week's ago, Susan and I got to take our fun group from SOSI last year on a field trip. We went fossil hunting, to the zoo, and to visit our friend John Gumm and Local 12. We got a tour of the studio and got to watch the noon broadcast from the side of the set. We completely geeked out and had a great time!!! John made a joke that we should tell them that we were his fan club when we showed up at the desk, so Susan, being awesome, went out late and got the stuff to make us John Gumm fan club shirts! He put these 2 pictures on the news the next morning.

What was the most fun for me was I got to see a friend I have not seen in a LONG time who works at Local 12. (Hi, Greg!) Seeing the look on his face as I was peeking through the window at him was PRICELESS!

Summer has finally begun!

2008-07-06T10:07:00.004-04:00

Well, as you can see by my lack of posting, summer has finally begun at the Thompson household. After The kids and I have enjoyed our first official week of vacation. We went to a poolside teacher meeting on Tuesday where Alex unfortunately got 2nd degree sun burn. The girls and I did a little fossil hunting on Thursday, but we still can't seem to find any trilobite fossils. Lots of little pieces. but no trilobite. We may go looking again this summer.

Our next big event is Emily and Joey's wedding. All 3 kids are in the wedding. We leave at 9:00 am the next morning for our cruise. It will be a 5 night cruise to Key West, Cozumel, and Belize. It was really nice of Em and Joe to invite all of us on their honeymoon! The kids are counting down the days.

On a side note, looks like I might get to help out with a great new family entertainment center opening in West Chester. My father in law has been volunteering for more than a year at a model train entertainment center appropriately called EnterTRAINment Junction. He took us on a tour last weekend and I kept thinking about all the field trip possibilities. After a talk with the director, it looks like I might get to help put together some kind of education program. None of the pesky down time for me this summer!

Feeling the love

2008-06-22T22:23:00.003-04:00

This afternoon, all the big boys went out on the boat to do some fishing. That left the girls alone to enjoy Tucker. I was trying to get in some cuddle time before I had to leave. Gracie was pretty tired from our late night drive down and snuggled up next to me. I got to enjoy this moment for a couple of hours. Even though I look like I have about 20 chins because we were pinned into the corner of the couch, I was very content. For those couple of hours, I forgot about everything else. Best therapy, hands down!

Tucker comes home!

2008-06-22T22:14:00.004-04:00

Tucker and Mommy got to come home from the hospital today after a little bit of concern for Kim. She is having some problems with her blood pressure. Kim called last night and asked for me to go to her house in case there was an emergency (Mom was there with Kyler and Alex without a car... long story). We got up this morning and started for the hospital only to have Kim call to say they were coming home. As you can see, Tucker was well received. Everyone, especially me, was eager get a hold of him. We had a great time spending the day with them. I am sure you notice Abby missing from the picture. She spent the night with Emily last night and since we left abruptly last night, I didn't go get her. We will get a pic of them all next week.

Tucker is here!!

2008-06-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

And, I won the bet on his weight. Tucker arrived around 8:40 Wednesday morning weighing in at 9 pounds 11 ounces. I had to wait until the afternoon to visit because of SOSI, but I finally got to go hold him. I know I am slacking getting pictures up. Blogger isn't cooperating!

A face only Aunt Dee Dee can love...

2008-06-16T19:29:00.003-04:00

Kyler had his 4th birthday a few weeks ago. All I can say is COWBOY BOOTS! That boy got those boots and took them off only to play on the Slip and Slide for a short time. Later that night after everyone left, Kyler and his parents were sitting on the porch. He was in his swimming trunks and boots just sitting on the porch, swinging those legs. All of a sudden, he looked at his mother and said, "Mom, let's go somewhere so I can show off my boots."

I bought him the Incredible Hulk boxing gloves that make noise when you punch with them. Now, I would NEVER buy them for my son, but that is why I get to the the AUNT! Let his mother worry.

Back in class!

2008-06-10T21:30:00.003-04:00

After a quick trip to Connecticut, I was back in class. The first of my summer workshops began yesterday. This will be a big group of teachers. I a very happy to be co-facilitating with my Wonder Twin and teaching partner. If it is anything like last year, we will have a great time with our participants.

The trip to Connecticut was great, but too short! My family of 5 managed to stay at Krissi's without without too much trouble. I think she will have us back! We loved having all that time with our Magical Trevor. Danny's graduation party was unbelievable. Great food and fun well into the night! My cousin Shelley has been blessed with wonderful twin baby boys that will go to anyone! We had loads of fun with them. Abby swam for 8 hours nonstop! I forgot my camera (hard to believe!), so I have no pics to post yet. I will get some from Mom's.

Back from DC (again)

2008-05-25T00:21:00.002-04:00

We just got back from our class trip from DC. We left at 5am Wednesday and got back at 1:30 am this morning. The trip was great! The kids were so well behaved, much better than the older kids there on their trips. At one point, a middle school teacher pointed our kids out to her students and told them they should be acting like them.

This year Abby got to go. Mom was her chaperone. I think a good time was had by all. I had to be "Mrs. Thompson" for most of the trip since I went as a teacher. I spent most of my time with Mom and Abby. We made a good memory.

10 things I learned this weekend...

2008-05-19T20:27:00.003-04:00

This weekend, Alex, Mom, Grandpa and I went to DC to see my cousin Danny graduate from Georgetown Medicine. We had such a wonderful weekend. We made such a great memory. I did learn a few things this weekend.

1. When surrounded by great architecture and monuments in our nation's capital, the average 6th grade boy will be most impressed by riding the subway.

2. My family are good people, so loving and caring, but can make the manager in an Italian restaurant twitchy with one look.

3. Once you use how to use the subway in one city, you really can use it an any city.

4. Drunk guys in bars still hit on me.

5. My Uncle Ron still sees me as one of the kids (and I'm OK with that).

6. I can eat calamari without throwing up (only with a really good sauce).

7. Georgetown is the most beautiful college campus I have ever seen.

8. My grandpa needs to write a book about his life. There is SOOO much we don't know.

9. A guy in a gown can bring 8 adults to tears in an instant.

10. Doctors can be brilliant even if they look like Justin Timberlake.

Congratulations Danny! You are everything that a patient would want in a doctor, smart, compassionate, charming, and a little scared shitless!

True Friendship

2008-05-15T13:42:00.002-04:00

My friend sent me this email recently and I was so moved by its message, I had to share it. I am touched that someone feels this way about me.

True Friendship

None of that Sissy Cr@p

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good? But never actually come close to reality?
Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship. You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card- Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much Worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay away from me until you are well. Again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy butt.

9. This is my oath.... I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask; 'because you are my friend'

Thanks Susan. I feel the same way.

How many tries does it take to get a good shot of 4 kids all together?

2008-05-13T21:34:00.007-04:00

52. Here are the highlights.

The Talk

2008-05-05T20:24:00.004-04:00

Well, the school nurse is having "The Talk" with the 4th grade girls on Friday. I figured I had better have the talk with Abby first. I was a little nervous, Abby is always the wild card. I was prepared. I borrowed the video from school, had a pad, and found some quiet time for just us. I started with asking what she already knew (for those school teachers-a little formative assessment). She knew about hair in places she didn't want hair and body odor. I then led into the differences between boy and girl bodies. She was very surprised about finding out girls had an extra opening down there (skeptical was more like it). The rest of the talk went SOOO well. Abby had very good questions. She was focused and not too weirded out like I expected. We watched the video from school. It was good. At the end she asked, "Mom, does this have anything to do with sperm or sex? Ella said on the bus that sperm and sex were 'The End' with a boy." Damn, I thought I got to her in time! Anyway, Abby was still great about it and when I started to explain she decided we had gone out of her comfort zone. I told her to ask questions if she ever heard anymore stuff on the bus again she didn't understand. Since she is starting middle school next year, I am sure she is sure to hear lots of good things!

Anyway, I am so proud of Abby. She was ready to go downstairs and play the Wii. She wanted a snack. I told her when she gets her 1st period, we would take the day off and have a special "Woman's Day." Abby wanted to know if we could make it 2 days. That's my girl!!!

Role Models for my Daughters

2008-05-05T18:53:00.002-04:00

Finally, in these times when girls like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are constantly in the media, some girls I can show my daughters. You will not regret watching this!

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3380875

Ruby's Final Bows

2008-04-27T20:10:00.004-04:00

Last night we had our final performance of The Music Man. The kids did a great job during this marathon performances. At one point during the 1st show Chris was worried that Abby was about to run off stage because she looked scared to death. Then he realized she was ACTING! She had a great time with the show and is already sad that there are no more practices!

I think Alex was feeling a little regret about not trying out for the show. I think he is worried it is not cool (even though the cutest 6th grade girls were in the play). Mr. Moore told Alex he better try out next year. But this year belonged to Abby and the littlest River City kid did a great job. Goodnight, Ruby Wright!!

Knee Deep in Music Man

2008-04-18T21:00:00.002-04:00

Today the drama club did their preview for the schools. The did a short preview of the show 4 times today. I think by this time next week, I'll be able to understudy anyone in the musical.

As you can see from the photo, this show has been quite the production. There are over 50 kids in 300 costumes. Next week it the big show. After this, no sports, no practices for ANYTHING! Yeah!!!!

Last Lecture

2008-04-09T23:10:00.003-04:00

Well, since I can't go to bed because I haven't quit crying, I thought I'd blog about what I just watched (and since everyone I know goes to bed earlier, you'll want to read this). Diane Sawyer just did a story about a professor from Carnegie Melon University who is dying from pancreatic cancer. He passed on his life lessons in his final lecture that has been made into a book. Watching him with his wife and 3 small children was so powerful. How do you plan your good bye? I don't know if I could do it with the dignity, grace, and humor that he has used. I know I am buying this book. The lecture is about acheiving your childhood dreams and enabling others. Between the fallen fire fighters in our area and the anniversary of Matt Maupin's capture, I cant watch the video right now. But I will. When you have an hour, here is the video from his last lecture.

Music Man Pics

2008-04-08T21:01:00.006-04:00

Tonight the kids had their pictures taken in their costumes for the Music Man. The show quickly approaching. Here are a few pics to showcase some of the costumes. This is Abby and her best friends Bailey (yes, Abby is that short and Bailey is that tall!).

Driving Susan Crazy

2008-04-02T23:56:00.003-04:00

I am getting settled after my trip to Boston. I had such a great week. I think that all teachers need to find something like this where they can become re-energized about teaching. I was so excited about all the stuff I learned that I know I am wearing my teaching partner Susan out. I think if I try and show her one more thing she is going to smack me.

As you can see from the pic, one of the highlights from my trip was getting to meet THE Bill Nye the Science Guy. He was really nice in the few minutes I got to stand with him as we took the pic and he signed a DVD for Abby (who is a HUGE fan!). I also got to meet Sally Ride, which was also a big deal for me. It was so cool to be surrounded my people who geek out about science like I do.

I also got to visit some of the sites in Boston. On my first day there we hit the Freedom Trail which highlights many historic places in Boston. We also had to walk past Cheers (but no one know my name). On Saturday, we traveled to Salem and visited the witch museum. It was very interesting.

So now I have been home a few days and I am starting to get back into the swing of things. I am working on writing a grant so that I can go to the conference again next year WITH Susan so together we can drive everyone else crazy!!!

Trying to get home!

2008-03-30T17:50:00.002-04:00

Right now I am sitting in a very nice bus station in Portsmouth New Hampshire trying to get home from Boston. My plane doesn't leave until 9:30pm, but I had to be out of my hotel at 1. So, since I didn't want to lug my VERY heavy suitcase all over Boston for some last minute sight seeing, I decided to make my way towards the airport. I had an awesome, extremely busy week that I will have to detail later. I am going to exhaust my principal and teaching partner with all the new things I want to do!

No I just have to figure out how I can get to the New Orleans conference next year (and this time bring Susan with me)!!!

Off to Boston...

2008-03-25T13:28:00.003-04:00

Well, early tomorrow morning, (like 2 am), I will be leaving for Boston for a national science teachers conference. Although I am really looking forward to the conference, the traveling is a little nerve racking. I am flying into New Hampshire on Skybus and have to take a shuttle into the city. I hate flying but hate riding in a bus even more! I am hoping to get to my hotel without throwing up!

The conference itself should be amazing! 4 days, ALL SCIENCE! I was suppose to go with my teaching partner, which would have made it 10 times more fun!! She had to cancel for various reasons which means I am traveling alone. Once I get there I will know a few people. I am looking forward to some quality down time in the evenings. All I have to do is get there!!!!

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-22T20:29:00.002-04:00

I love irony...

2008-03-17T20:33:00.002-04:00

Check out the title on the book...

TRIPLE Overtime!!!

2008-03-15T23:20:00.003-04:00

That's right, TRIPLE overtime. Today Alex's team played for the county championship. The boys have gone undefeated in both the regular season and the tournament. If they won this game, it was the perfect season, with only 6 boys on the team. The boys have played this team twice already and it was close both times, so we knew we had our work cut out for us. Jay had a great 3 point shot at the buzzer at half time. The boys went ahead by ten in the third quarter, but Batavia pulled up with us to tie it at the end . The highlight of the overtimes was Alex had to do a jump ball. It was hilarious! He was a wreck. Luckily the kid was little and Alex got the ball. After 3 overtimes our boys finally pulled ahead and won. The boys were so tired, I don't think it sunk in. One of the coaches owns a drive in in Owensville and treated the boys to ice cream after the game. I am not sure who was more tired at the end of the day, they boys or their families!

Why Rudy is the best movie ever...

2008-03-12T23:29:00.002-04:00

I just caught the end of the movie Rudy which, for those who know me, is my favorite movie of all time. There is no way that you can watch this movie and not be moved. Watching him take the field at the end of the movie and having his teammates carry him off the field has got to be one of the most inspirational scenes ever filmed. The struggles he went through, working in the stadium, living in the boiler room, applying each semester to Notre Dame only to be turned down just makes you ache.

If you have never seen this movie, you MUST watch it. It is a wonderful story about having a goal and not letting anyone or anything get in your way. I promise you will feel good at the end.

"Rudy... Rudy... Rudy... Rudy..."

WhoDey Snowman

2008-03-10T21:18:00.002-04:00

Abby made this a well-endowed snow woman with a few tennis balls, but I removed them.

Fun in the Snow!

2008-03-09T18:39:00.005-04:00

Blizzard '08

2008-03-07T23:44:00.004-05:00

Well, for those who do not live here, we are in the middle of now what is officially being called a blizzard. We are expecting 11-15 inches of snow by this time tomorrow with more on store for Sunday evening. Being the child of 2 teachers, snow has always been a source of celebration. Blowing snow made it hard to go out and play today but maybe we can get out tomorrow. Kids today at school were WIRED as the snow began to fall today. We early released about an hour too late and made it difficult to get them home. As you can see from the picture, Rosie is less than thrilled about the snow. I had to shovel the drift to let her get to the bathroom. Check back for more blizzard pics!

The Rock Star's Encore

2008-03-07T23:36:00.002-05:00

When Mom retired a few months ago, it was said of mom that no one knew what a rock star she was. Well, she had her encore when she received the Francis Hickey Child Advocate Award this week. She was chosen because she has spent her career speaking for kids who didn't have a voice for themselves. What made this award extra special is that Fran Hickey happens to be our pediatrician. We LOVE him and can never leave the Cincinnati area because we could never find a doctor half as good! WAY TO GO MOM!

Heading for the Championship

2008-03-02T20:13:00.002-05:00

Well after a long weekend watching basketball, I am proud to say we are heading for the championship game next weekend. The boys are so far undefeated and if they can win Saturday we will have the perfect season. They have already beaten the team we are playing twice, but both times it was a great game. Look for pictures next weekend!