#59/365--Grilled Cheese

Cheese, cheese,
I like cheese.
Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese,
hot, melted, grilled cheese.
I like cheese.
(with my wine) ;)

After I made soup and grilled cheese for dinner, Mikey tells me, "I don't really like grilled cheese." Seriously? Who doesn't like grilled cheese??!!

#58/365--Saturday Pics

Baseball practice (and while Mikey was practicing, Lauren and I walked/ran the nearby track), baby gift shopping, the mall (bear paw ice scraper that we found at Brookstone), batting cages, then home for the night to play Madden 10 and Buzzword (no pics from that).



((I went a little CRAZY because Carter's was having a 50% off sale...I absolutely LOVE shopping for babies. The baby I was shopping for is a girl--and it took me back to when I used to shop for Lauren--oh, was I ever sappy at the baby store!))




((I know, I know-why didn't I take a picture of him actually hitting inside the cages...I just didn't think of it!! But I wish I had because he was killing the ball!))

What an awesome day!

#57/365--Lesson Plans

Part of my "to-do" list this weekend is to write lesson plans for the next week. Normally, I'm all planned out by now--centers set up and papers sorted out for the week--ready to go. But, with a short week, report card testing needing to be completed, and more teacher training, that leaves me with a blank lesson plan book for next week. Yip. EEE.

#56/365--Blocked Number Unblocked

I don't think I've been prank called since Junior High. Very odd call. Very odd caller. I guess since he sought out my number, and spoke to me with such familiarity, it's ok with him if I publish his number? I mean, any friend of mine is a friend of yours, right? Oh wait...that's not how it goes, is it?

#55/365--What a B-E-A-Utiful Day!

Wow. That's about all I can say. Wow. That blue you see--that's the sky. It was so magnificent. To be able to go out and get some fresh air and be in the sunshine...it was glorious. I love my snow...but a woman can only handle so much gloom and doom before she just can't take it anymore!! So here are my pictures from today.

#54/365--Pain Management

Ugh! I had a growing headache last night. It started out minor. And as the evening wore on, the worse it got. By the time I went to bed, I was ready to take something to alleviate the pain. Question is...which one do I really NEED...

#53/365--Experimental Cooking

I tasted this recipe when my friend, Allie made it for a church fellowship one afternoon. It is originally called "Tamale Round-About," and it's really yummy. I asked Allie to send me the recipe. Having wanted to try it for nearly a month or so now, and having purchased (or so I thought) all the ingredients, I proceded to take another look at the recipe to familiarize myself with it. It was at this point, I realized I didn't have all the "correct" ingredients. I'm known for messing with recipes to make them my own, anyway, so...off I went to the kitchen to tweak this one. Call it lazy...or call it creative...but usually my food turns out pretty good. (Now, I won't call myself a chef or an ace in the kitchen...or even domestic by any means...but I can alter a recipe).


Here's what I made--oh, and I "altered" the name a bit, since I didn't follow the exact recipe (which can be found by googling it--it's a "Pampered Chef" recipe).
Taco Round-About
ground turkey meat--browned and taco seasoning added
two packages of cornbread mix (mixed but not yet baked)
cheese, shredded
Layer in bundt pan:
cheese, meat, cornbread batter, cheese, meat, cornbread batter
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes (or so)
serve with Mexican rice and/or refried beans.
Also--if I had had salsa, sour cream, chopped tomatos, or guac, that would have been yummy.


After Lauren's first bite, she exclaimed, "Man this stuff is YUMMY!" And as you can see by Mikey's plate...he rather enjoyed it, as well. :)

#52--Dear John

After church here...

I had brunch with these two wonderful ladies...

Then we went here...

To see this...

During the previews, we saw this was coming out...

Now we can start planning another "girl's day!" :)

#51/365--Rearranging

Leave it to me to get a pregnant woman to help me rearrange my classroom! And then ask a woman who's just had surgery to come help me finish! ;) Thanks, girls, really, for your help. I truly hope I didn't ask too much of you. I do feel a sort-of sense of accomplishment even though I don't necessarily feel 100% satisfied. And so it goes in teaching...you rearrange, then you work, then you clean, then you rearrange some more. Maybe that's how it is in life, too.

#50/365--Bird on a Wire

Bird On The Wire

Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free

Like a worm on a hook
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee

If I, if I have been unkind
I hope that you can just let it go by
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you

Oh, like a baby, stillborn
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me

But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee

I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much"
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"

Oh, like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free

Songwriters: Cohen, Leonard; ((remade by Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson--I'm adding this song to my music player in case you want to hear it))

I had always imagined that "bird on a wire" meant "vulnerable." Watching birds on wires has been a recent development, thanks to Mrs. Burch, Lauren's and Mikey's 4th grade Language Arts teacher. As I was out yesterday, I decided to snap this picture. The birds, just hanging out on the wire. Sitting up there in the open, vulnerable, cold. Do birds get cold? Are they aware they are vulnerable up there in the open? Interesting comparison--"bird on a wire," and "falling in love..."
I'll leave it for you to ponder.

#49/365--"Dread"mill

Tonight, I walked on my treadmill for 30 minutes instead of my workout. I did the "hillclimbing" workout.

Here's the view from the "mill..." and yes, that is a basket of clean clothes that needs to be folded.

P.S. My clock needs batteries :)

#48/365--Sonic

Had to take the cutest kids on the planet to Sonic today for happy hour drinks! Lauren got a strawberry creamslush, Mikey got a cherry vanilla coke, and I got a strawberry limeade.

#47/365--That's the Stuff

My morning coffee. That, along with my morning quiet time, are what get me started each day! Can't live without it!

#46/365--Fattening!

Today we celebrated Valentine's day at school. I remember when I was younger, all we gave out were cards. We had treats, etc, at our party, but we only GAVE out cards. Times have changed. I think almost every kiddo in my class brought a bag of candy or some sort of Valentine gift along with their card. I got some goodies too! Seriously, I'm a glutton for chocolate. Good thing I worked out this afternoon, because for dinner we had...


It was our school's fundraiser at Cici's Pizza--how could I NOT go??
After dinner we headed across the parking lot to...

...to get some bird food for the TWO birds. Yes, Mikey's grandmother got him another new bird so the one remaining bird would have company.
((Anyone else notice that my "PHOTO" a day is turning into multiples?))

#45/365-Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday to Mike!
Last night, we went to listen to Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers--outfield) speak at Gateway Church in Southlake. Then afterward, we went to eat at Coal Vines. Yummy Pizza & Wine Bar.

#44/365--Snowball Fight

In this picture, Lauren and Mikey are having a snowball fight. They were outside quite a long time without actually "fighting..." Something about snow, I think...causes brothers and sisters to just get along.

The kiddos came in for lunch just a short bit ago, and what do you think happened? Yep. They found something to argue about. Heehee. Siblings. Whaddya gonna do?

#43/365--Flat Fixed

Yesterday I got my flat tire fixed. Well, no. That's not completely true. I actually found out that I had been driving on my tire "deflated," or "under-aired," for an "extended" period of time and had "ruined" the tire. So. That required me to purchase a new tire. Upon purchasing a new tire, I was told that my rim was bent due to hitting the curb one too many times. Yes. I've been known to do that a time or two. This is a picture of Sandy peering out the window as I left to get the tire fixed. I feel like saying, "Aunty Em, Aunty Em....I'm not in Texas anymore..." although I don't mind all the snow. I truly LOVE it.

#42/365--Record Snowfall

We woke up this morning to snow on the ground. Still, we had school, so we got ready and left at our normal time. Along the way we began to hear a loud, rumbly sound. At first I thought, "Wow, it must be really icy out there..." but then, it dawned on me..."oh. I have a flat tire." So we pulled off into a parking lot and sure enough...flat as a pancake.

The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was just too cold to worry about a perfect picture. Luckily, Lauren and Mikey's dad came and changed it for me. Lauren got to school via her stepmom, and Joanne stopped and picked up Mikey on her way to the school. It was a great day overall. And since there's no school tomorrow, the first thing on my "to-do" list is to get my flat fixed. Here are a few of the pics I took today. If you know me, you know how this weather truly blessed me. I LOVE snow. :)

#41/365--Flabbergasted

This is Mikey in his shirt that he painted for the Vocabulary Parade. "Flabbergast: To overcome with amazement." :)


So, at dismissal today, my co-worker and I stood, flabbergasted, at the traffic situation in the front of our school. Upon her suggestion, I took this picture of our parking lot--unfortunately, it is a moment of calm. If only I could have captured the *ahem* busier moments today...I think Joanne stated it perfectly...we were simply, "flabbergasted."

#40/365--Experimentation

Today is the 3 year anniversary of my dad's death. I decided to wear his t-shirt tonight in remembrance of him. My dad got this shirt after his triple bypass surgery in 1998. I've always felt bad because I wasn't there for him then. I had just moved to Texas and was young and very selfish...I should have gone to be with him during that time. Maybe I would have treasured the next 9, very short years. Maybe I would have hugged his neck a little more.

On a lighter note...I also did a little experimentation tonight. In case you ever wondered why regular dishwashing liquid should NOT be used in a dishwasher...here's what will happen:

And the suds just kept coming out...matter of fact...they are still there now.

#39/365--What's cooking

There was dinner....the easy way out tonight....




There were heart-shaped brownies for my small group tomorrow night (well, we had to taste-test some of them...)...


And there was the shirt Mikey painted for his "Vocabulary Parade" at school on Wednesday. He chose the word, "Flabbergast: to overcome with amazement."

Those were among the many different things "cookin' " at mi casa this evening.