I told all of you she is painting something for the set of her show.  Well I need to give you a little bit of background on WHY she is painting what she is painting.  The set director knew that she had done other paintings and thought he’d give her a moment to shine.  Also, he is trying to include a set piece or reference to every show he has built a set for at this particular theatre.  So… you will recognize the image and wonder what in the world that has to do with The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  It is a reference to a previous show and it will be hanging in a “posh Paris restaurant”.   She is not done yet.  There is still more to do, but you will get the idea of what she is painting and how it is going so far. This has been done in about 3 settings.  She paints some and lets the paint dry for a while and then adds more paint.

The blank canvas… ok.. there is a pencil sketch on there so it isn’t really blank.

A close up of her sketch.

Getting a shape and a form.

The was taken about 5 minutes ago.  She is wearing an apron because she always gets paint on her shirts and then can’t get the paint out.  But this is getting a little closer.  Still much to do, but I think it looks good so far.  She likes it too.

That is the painting progress.  I’ll show you more photos as it gets closer to done.  And now.. I have to take her to rehearsal. 

Have a happy day!

Leaves are starting to fall.  I think every one knows what you are supposed to do with leaves.  THIS!

I would be willing to bet that everyone reading this page has done this at some point in their life.  It is fun!  And strangely, it gets kids to rake in the first place so that can’t be a bad thing.  Little sister told me a story the other day that just left my a bit dazed and confused. 

She was playing at recess the other day.  There are a few trees on the playground, but not a LOT.  So there are leaves on the ground because… well it is fall!  So some kids start to pile the leaves up into a pile.  That is what I’d do if I saw a bunch of leaves.  I suspect the kids were getting a bit excited about making that pile and then jumping in.  Now, I must share my opinion.  There are some stick in the mud adults in this world.  Apparently, one of them was on recess duty that day.  She told the kids to stop making a pile.  She sent a kid inside to get a trash bag.  So then the kids filled a trash bag instead of jumping into the leaves.  Where is the fun in that?!   Little sister was happy because she was one of the ones helping to fill the trash bag and the teacher told her thanks.    I didn’t share my annoyance with little sister.  I let her enjoy being praised by a teacher.   But seriously?!   Elementary kids can’t jump in leaves?  I think that is really pretty dumb!!!

Now just for some fun,  imagine going outside to find this.  Ok, maybe imagine it is not yours, but someone else’s.  HAHA

Have a happy day!  And jump in the leaves if you want!

Big sister is going to start working on a new painting.  We are going to go right now and get some supplies.  I’ll take some photos of her art in progress.  I’m also working on a rope project.  We are working on set pieces for her latest play.  She and little sister were both cast in the show “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”.  It should be a lot of fun!  Oh…… and my parents get to come see it live!  I’m so excited.

Happy Sunday everyone.

• Played a game with the children last night.
• Hubby played too.
• We laughed so hard I was having trouble breathing.
• Then we laughed some more.
• I lost the game. 
• Hubby and little sister tied for the win.
• There is no school today
• I got a call to sub for a “technical institute” in “industrial arts”.  HAHAHAHA
• Yeah.. I’m not even sure what industrial arts means.
• I didn’t realize our school district had a technical institute.
• I turned down that job.
• I am going to make beef and broccoli for dinner.
• The kind you get at chinese restaurants. 
• I hope it turns out.
• The girls want to go look for some costumes for halloween
• Thrift store day!!! (for costumes)
• Parent/teacher conferences yesterday.
• No surprises at all.
• Well, ok, one surprise. 
• One of big sisters teachers told us she was a very quiet child.
• I had to make sure she was talking about MY child.  Quiet has never been used to describe her.
• Hubby is getting to attend a men’s retreat with our church this weekend. 
• This is his first time.  I hope it is a lot of fun and growth for him.
• There was snow here yesterday! 
• Officially I think we got 14 flakes of snow. 
• Hubby said, since it snowed,  we were going to listen to Christmas music while we played the game.
• Discovered the CD player was not working.  sad……..
• The whole family needs new underwear. 
• Why does it all give out at the same time!?
• That is inconvenient!
• I wonder if there is a group discount for underwear purchases in bulk?!
• I should ask!
• I bet the sales clerk at the store would look at me funny.
• HAHAHA  It makes me laugh just to think of it. 
• Maybe I will do it and then blog about it tomorrow!
• That is it for now. 

Have a happy day

Sometimes you just have to ask for what you  need.  It’s true.  I, personally, have a very difficult time doing that.  I’m being totally honest.  Somethings I don’t mind asking for at all, other things are more difficult. 

If I need help reaching something off the top shelf, I’m going to ask the nearest person taller than me to help.  It might even be a 5th grader.  HA   If I need help moving furniture, I’m going to ask for help.  If I can’t find something important, I’m going to enlist everyone to help me find it.   Those are the easy things. 

If I need to ask you something that could be tricky, I’m going to try to find any other way to deal with the question instead of asking.  If I need a shoulder to cry on… well…. there are only about two shoulders I find comfortable enough to cry on and even then it is hard to ask for that shoulder.  If I need someone to tell me the truth about how a dress looks on me,   hahahah…. I will find a 5 year old, they tell it like it is and if I don’t like what they say, I can excuse that opinion because they are five.  That might be cheating!

Earlier this year at the ladies retreat I went to for our church we talked about love languages.  If you have never read the book called “The Five Love Languages”, then you should run out to the local bookstore or library and get a copy of it.  I think it is a fantastic book and it will make an impression on you.  At the retreat various women were talking about their love languages and finding themselves at a point where they were not getting what they needed to feel loved.  Maybe they needed a hug or maybe they needed someone to just do their dishes or go to a movie with them or write them a note or buy them some flowers.  They were fairly small things to need but everyone sort of felt the same thing.  If you have to ASK someone to do these things for you, does it really even count?   If I tell you I need you to buy me flowers and you buy me flowers, that somehow feels insincere.  And yet, we can’t expect anyone to read our minds to know what we need if we don’t tell them in the first place.

So how do you answer that question?  If I have to tell you that I need ____________ and you do that for me, does it count?  I have a friend that tells her husband after a fight,  “I need you to say the words ‘I’m sorry I hurt your feelings’.  I know we have resolved this problem, but until I hear those words, I won’t be able to move on.”   So he says he is sorry he hurt her feelings.  How does that work?  She already knows the problem is solved.  He just repeats what she says.  I don’t understand how that can be meaningful.  But, that is not my husband and it is not me.  I’m glad that works for my friend.     If someone asks you for a certain set of behaviors or words and you comply, is that really sincere or is that just saying words?  Just curious. 

Unrelated… Hubby and I happened to both be off at the same time today and we got to go to Olive Garden for lunch!  WOO  HOO!!!  Soup, salad and breadsticks.  YAY!!!!!   We had a fun time. 

Have a happy day.

I meant to blog on Wednesday, but I went grocery shopping instead.

I meant to blog on Thursday, but I taugh pre-school and then went to a play in the evening.

I meant to blog on Friday.  I even had the page open to add a new blog.  But then my little daughter asked if I wanted to sit on the couch with her and watch her favorite TV show. 

I meant to blog on Saturday, but big daughter had done some homework wrong and so we had to go downtown to measure some buildings using a protractor, a straw, a string, a washer and a tape measure.  AGAIN.

So here it is Sunday again and I’m finally able to blog.  I suppose I’ve come to this conclusion.  It is better to live life than to blog about it.  The time will open up eventually to blog, but you only get one shot at living life and so I took it this week.  I lived life. 

Maybe this week, I will have a few more open slots to add more blogs.  That would be fun!

Have a happy day!!

I taught on Monday, and will teach on Tuesday.  Potentially, this could end up being a long term assignment.  It is the same class I was in last year.  YAY!  But that means not much Xanga time.     I’ll catch you when I can.

Have a happy day! (or days)

If you are under the age of 13, you will need a parent to read this first to see if it is suitable for you. 

I think I am pretty safe in assuming that I do not have anyone underage that reads my blogs anyway.  But I had to say that just in case.  I can now say that you were given fair warning.

Today, will be the tooth fairy blog.  (ok.. those of you that wandered over here because you were curious about my title but don’t know me.. you have permission to leave due to being disappointed that PG 13 doesn’t mean what you thought it might mean.)  I am going to tell you the true and  undeniable facts about the tooth fairy according to my nine year old daughter. 

She lost a tooth the other day.  This is no longer the celebrated event that it was when she was 5.   Still, she lost a tooth and put it in her tooth fairy pillow that my mom made.  Or maybe under her pillow.  I don’t really know.  I happened to be asleep when the tooth fairy came that night.    She woke up and found some money, put it in her bank and that was that.  ALMOST a non event.  But….. she found some evidence that the tooth fairy had an accomplice or something. 

Apparently she left a note for the tooth fairy with her tooth.  She found the note stashed under the sink in the master bathroom.  (I have no idea why she was getting under the sink…maybe to get a new tube of toothpaste).  Anyway, she found the note she had written… did the math and confronted her dad!  BUSTED!!!!  I wasn’t there for the confrontation, so I don’t know if there was sadness or confirmation of a suspicion.  At any rate, the story was that the “tooth fairy” couldn’t read the note and was going to ask for assistance from a certain teacher he knew, but he forgot he put it there. Oh well.

SO, later we were discussing the tooth fairy.  She said, she still has teeth to lose and she is going to keep on beliveing in the tooth fairy and “forgive” her dad for beating the tooth fairy to her tooth that night.  (sounds like a scheme to me…)  Well naturally, I wanted to know what she thought of the tooth fairy.  Turns out, she has a whole little backstory to the tooth fairy.

Every single person who is capable of losing a tooth (naturally, hockey doesn’t count) has their very own tooth fairy. There are millions of tooth fairies around the world.  They live in the backyard of the house where the kid lives.  If the kid happens to live in an apartment, well there is a tooth fairy apartment hidden on the property somewhere.  All of the tooth fairies are girls.  OK… hold on.  I had to ask.  If every single tooth fairy is a girl, do they live forever?  She said no, they die when they get old just like people.  So how do you get NEW tooth fairies then?  She had that worked out too.  See there is ONE male tooth fairy and he lives forever.   He will find a fairy somewhere, and put a tooth on her head like a crown.  When the tooth is on her head, it is magical and the one fairy becomes two fairies.  The man tooth fairy then takes the magic tooth back until another fairy is needed.  Then the tooth fairy knows when you lose a tooth.  She sneaks in when you are sleeping, takes your tooth and gives you money from the coin bowl in your parents bedroom.   Then she takes the tooth and gives it to the magic man tooth fairy.  She then comes back and lives in your backyard till you lose another tooth.  Apparently, she is also immune to lawn mowers, weedeaters and snow. 

That is the whole truth and nothing but the truth…. according to the tooth fairy authority that happens to live in my house.

Have a happy day!

I was going to blog about the tooth fairy today.  I think it would be a very funny and entertaining blog.  But I’m going to save that till tomorrow.  Instead, I will tell you about my drive home from school.

Every Thursday, I teach a pre-school class across town.  I have a little guy that car pools with me which allows me to drive in the HOV lane and for his mom to get to work on time.  Everybody wins.   After school, I drive him to the school where his mom is a teacher and she picks him up there.  It works pretty well. 

Today, I left pre-school and was heading back to my side of town with the little guy in the backseat.  We were on the highway driving.  The section of road we were on was a three lane road in both directions.  Possibly four if you count the entrance ramp.  I was in the center lane, driving along about 60 miles an hour.  The soundtrack to Tarzan was playing (little guy picked it out) and the sun was shining.  I needed to get in the left lane fairly soon because I was coming up on the exit ramp from the highway to the HOV lane and it is a left exit.  I was watching my rear view mirror and the side mirror.  The traffic was heavier than usual and it was pretty much bumper to bumper in all three lanes.   I saw an opening in the left lane, but I didn’t take it.  I watched the opening, seeing that there was PLENTY of time and room for me to get over.  But I didn’t go.  Eventually, the car at the back of the opening was right next to me, and the open spot was right in front of him. 

Then, for reasons I don’t know, the car just in front of the car in front of me (so one car between me and this other one) lost control.  She went wildly into the open spot in the left lane, veered off into the shoulder, turned back across the left lane, in front of the car in front of me, spun around and was now FACING the cars coming towards her, crossed over into the right lane and squealed to a stop.   It happened in a few seconds.  I only had time to get my foot off the gas pedal when I saw all of this happening.  God was obviously protecting everyone!  That out of control SUV did not hit a single car, or the median or anything.  The driver was able to stop, turn her vehicle around and continue on.  I don’t even think she dropped her call on her cell phone.     But the fact that it was bumper to bumper traffic, and she went across all three lanes with cars going about 60 mph and didn’t hit a thing was incredible.  I thanked God right then as I was driving for keeping everyone safe.  I was in a little car surrounded by big cars.  I was so close to the out of control SUV that I would have been in the thick of a pile up and likely been pretty badly hurt if not worse.  All I could think of while it was happening was the little guy in my backseat.  There was no way anyone would know that he wasn’t my son.  I was worried about how his parents would be notified or not and what that would do to a mother’s heart. 

My own heart was pounding till I thought it might just come out of my chest.  It took me a long time to get my heart slowed down to a normal rate.  Little guy said as soon as the SUV stopped in the right lane… “Miss Donna, why did that lady do that?”  So sweet and innocent.  I just said I didn’t know.  That was good enough for him.  He sang some more Tarzan songs and then fell asleep without a care in the world. 

God is so good.  I didn’t change lanes and that open spot was there when the SUV needed it.  Not a thing was hit.  No people were hurt.   It was scary, but God was in control.  Sometimes, I think life is like that but we get a little too caught up in the scariness to notice that God is in control and no one is hurt.  YAY God!!!

Have a happy day and drive carefully.

Someone asked me if it was hard to teach one grade one day and a different grade another day.  Generally speaking, no, that isn’t hard for me.  I follow the plans a teacher has left and that is it.  Sometimes, though, I forget what grade I’m teaching and I might have some unrealistic expectations.  That has happend a few times.   Monday a little guy told me he couldn’t read what I had written on the board because he didnt know how to read cursive.  Things like that happen.  You just adjust and go on.  Usually it is not a big deal. I have been known to call a class the wrong grade too.  For example… “Ok third graders, we need to walk quietly in the hall.”  Some kid standing near me will usually say.. “um.. we are fourth graders”.  Oops!   Part of being a good substitute teacher is being flexible and being able to just go with things.  I like it.  Fun times.

On a related note, I want to talk about grades and classes.   I remember when I was living at home, my mom would talk about how different my class was from my sisters class.   She said one group was very organized and efficient (as a group) and one group was a little more flighty but they seemed to have a lot of fun.  I can’t remember which group was which because I had a lot of fun and went to several organized things.  I was thinking about class differences the other day actually.

Big sister seems to be in a very social grade.  She could call a friend and they’d get together in a heartbeat.  It has been this way since kindergarten.  She is even in a different school with different kids and yet the pattern still seems to hold.  Those kids in that grade level really enjoy going to each others homes or hanging out together or sending emails to each other.  They really just enjoy each other.  Friends are always around.   If they aren’t around, it is only one phone call and suddenly, there is a group! 

Little sister is in a grade that seems a lot less social.  She will call 6-8 people and not one of them will be available to come play or talk on the phone.  They may have lessons or practices or something.  Sometimes it is… “they aren’t old enough yet to have a sleepover.”  What?!!   I don’t see kids in her grade level hanging out with each other or doing things together.  Again, it has been this way since kindergarten through two different school with two different sets of kids.  That makes me sad for little sister.  She takes it personally when she can’t find a friend to come over.  I try to explain that it isn’t because of her, it’s soccer practice or piano lessons or a parent that doesn’t like sleepovers with anyone.  Still.. it is tough when it happens again and again.  I know  it isn’t just her.  There is a kid two doors down in her class and he never has friends come over either.  I have a social child in a non-social grade.  Bummer!

So…. I figured out a birthday thing for little sister.  Obviously, I haven’t told her yet because her birthday is not till Thanksgiving.  Anyway, she is a social kid and also very very active.  We traditionally do a birthday party every other year and just a fun family thing on the non party years.  This happens to be a non party year.  HOWEVER, she is turning ten this year and her birthday is ON Thanksgiving day.   So…. we are going to surprise her by having a party for her and take some of her friends to a place where the floors and walls are all trampolines.  She will be so excited!!!   I just hope we find a day where a bunch of her friends can come and they decide to have at least ONE social day. 

Have a happy day!