A Great Idea

In case you didn't know, I LOVE CAKEWRECKS!

Now, Jen and John (founders of CW) have decided to donate to a different charity each day from now until Christmas. They have a large audience, so the challenge is for each reader to donate $1 a day to each charity - or some other charity of their choosing. If all readers donate daily, each charity could receive $80,000. That's pretty staggering - and worth donating a buck, no? Check it out: www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com.

Sick, then sick with worry

So after eight days of being sick I think I may be almost entirely well. (I've just got junk in my chest and a persistent hacking cough as a result, but considering the last week, I'm not complaining.) What's getting to me now is that I can't stop stressing out and worrying about various things - and it's making me feel nauseous!

I realize nobody really cares, and I'm writing this more for my own mental relief than anything else, but here's what I'm dealing with:

1. The car situation.

Since we won't be getting back much money (they're paying off my car, but it was a lease, so we get money for Robb's car and whatever is leftover from mine. It will be approximately $4000.), do we get two cars? Do we need two cars? In our current situation I could more than manage with a bike and some cargo baskets. (I live 0.7 miles from work and two grocery stores are equally near.) Do we get a car and a moped or motorcycle? Used, certified pre-owned, or new? The only "new" cars that we could camp out of (as we did with Robb's Volvo) are Subaru Outbacks, and pre-2006 they have some major issues. Which means even if we go used, it's still somewhat pricey.

Oh, and all of this has to resolved before December 18, because that's when we fly to Ecuador.

2. The trip to Ecuador

Between the accident and the flu, planning got completely sidelined. We don't have anything lined up and I'm starting to freak out. Majorly.

3. Money

I know money is just money is just money. And we have enough money - we've got the beginnings of a down payment in the bank. So yes, we could afford a new car and a wild and crazy trip in Ecuador, but there goes the idea of buying property any time in the near future.

It's just all going around in circles in my head and I can't seem to let it go. Anyone have any sage advice?

You know you've been really sick when...

...a fever of 100.3 feels normal.

Stay well everyone - and do your best to avoid the flu. It's AWFUL!!!

Gratitude

This song has been on my mind a lot lately. I hope you enjoy it, too - and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

"Gratitude" by Nichole Nordeman

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

Total Car Annihilation 2009

Well, we've finally got some news. Thursday morning at 7:30 I was fixing my breakfast when a loud knock called me to the door. I opened it to discover three San Jose police officers on our doorstep. (Surprise number 1). I'm thinking, "Holy crap - what kind of a parking ticket IS this???"

Policeman #1 wished me a good morning and asked what kind of car I drove.

"A silver Matrix," I said.

The reply: "Not any more."

He then asked if someone in the household drove a grey Volvo. I responded that my husband had a grey Volvo. The response to that one was a grimace (from all three officers) and the comment "You're going to want to come with us and see this."

I call out to Robb, we grab our coats and walk out to the street with our company of San Jose's finest, where we saw surprise number 2. My car, completely annihilated and smashed up against Robb's, which is also looking somewhat smashed and generally off. Oh, and it was also up on the curb and quite cozy with a tree.

Turns out some guy driving a RAV4 was quite sleepy and ran into my parked car at 35 - 40 mph. My car smashed into Robb's Volvo, which smashed into the tree and a pickup and pushed the pickup forward about 6 - 10 feet. We're talking IMPACT.

The "sleepy" (possible extenuating circumstances, more on that later) driver was okay, just airbag-bruised. Robb and I are okay, just car-less. Right now we're just grateful that:

1. We weren't in or near our cars when this happened.

2. "Sleepy" is insured.

3. I'm free from my lease. Not that I had a problem with it or that I didn't like my car, but I'm trying to find the positive here and I guess it's nice to be free from that contract 18 months ahead of schedule. I guess.

So, we're all well, but I thought I'd share since we finally have some "big" news. Thanks to everyone who sent prayers, good thoughts, and positive energy our way. We love you all!

Halloween '09

Thanks to Google Image Search I came up with a costume idea, so here are a few pics of myself and my students. Happy Halloween everyone!

I need to come up with a Halloween costume

Any ideas? I know I should probably just hit up the local thrift store and make it work, but I thought someone out there might have a genius, quick, cheap, easy costume idea. So.....whaddaya got?


(Okay. I admit it. This post is also a necessary step to get the giant, bits-encrusted bear butt from being the first thing you see every time you come to my blog!) :-)

Not so Charmin

I HATE THESE COMMERCIALS FROM CHARMIN!

Seriously. They're unnecessarily explicit and I wish they'd stop.

For my readers who haven't had the misfortune to see the actual commercial,

I now give you the choice to change that - if you so choose.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Charmin Ultra Strong.

Fun stuff with Shaine WITH pictures

So we went wedding dress shopping again; no real pictures of that for (what should be) obvious reasons. If the reasons aren't obvious enough, please read the previous post. ;-)

Post-dress shopping we hit the outlet mall in Folsom for some spending - I mean BONDING - time. We discovered that the 80s are most certainly back, and they're mixed with other odd fashion bits. The result? A bunch of REALLY UGLY shoes. Of course we had to document them, so we took our time finding the ugliest shoes we could, and are generous enough to share the results with the rest of the world. Enjoy!

A multi-purpose

purse?

(Maybe if you're short and/or really like your abs.)

I've always known Shaine is fascinating and multi-faceted;

I just didn't know HOW fascinating.

She truly, sincerely likes these shoes and wouldn't mind owning a pair.

Wow.

These are the ugliest shoes I think I've ever seen. Ever.

Why would you own these? And for what events or moods would you wear them?

Never mind. I don't really want to know.

Me, mystery leg, Shaine.

So we thought these were ugly, then we put them on and decided we liked them.

For, you know, those days when you have the desire to know how it feels to be a hooker.

Ah the joy of guilty pleasures! ;-)

Correction

As Shaine pointed out, I have been doing many interesting things in her company.

BUT I CAN'T POST PICTURES (you know, the whole wedding dress before the wedding thing), SO IT'S LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED!

Not quite. She's right. We had a great lunch at a roadside diner in Oakdale, and the waitresses were...astounding. The cook/waitress sounded and looked like an anorexic chain smoker in a 50s style waitress outfit, and the lady on the register looked about 70 but had the attitude of a teenager. You couldn't get irritated, though, because it just FIT so perfectly. A sample of her style of customer service:

When Shaine asked what the cheese choices were and needed a repeat, she said (with overly clear enunciation and word spacing): "swiss, american, and pep...per...jack." We also got a look like maybe we needed a keeper.

Ah, the joys of small town American dining. We dare you: visit Snow White Drive In, today!

30 is how much more than 20?

Much, MUCH more than 10, let me tell you!

I have 30 students this year, and they're kicking my butt. I'm constantly exhausted and feel overwhelmed, even though I've taught third grade three of the past four years AND I have the same students. The district and my school have also been pulling me out of class pretty much every week for professional development, which is another contributing factor to my inner chaos.

Anyway, I realize this is boring, but I thought I'd explain why I haven't got anything interesting to share!!! Here's hoping I return to "normality" sooner rather than later.

Does this qualify me as passive aggressive?

I'm too proud to beg

for your attention and your friendship and your time,

so you can come and get it from now on.

My Song

Brandi Carlile

The Story of My Life,

OR Why I Will Never Be a Sexy Mama

Yesterday evening Robb and I walked out of our realtor's office (another post for another day). He was kind enough to tell me he thought I looked really good. He liked my outfit, my eyes were so pretty, and my hair looked really nice, etc.

Caught up in the moment, I decided to play along as we each headed to our cars. I slid my hair out of its ponytail and went for the sexy hair shake...

...and my sunglasses went flying to the ground. Noisily.

At which point I started laughing so hard I cried.

Maybe someday I'll get it down, but for now this type of scene is all-too-common for me to consider myself good at pulling off sexy. Guess I'll just have to stick with cute!

Summer School

For the first time ever, I decided to go ahead and teach summer school. My grade level preferences were (in order), 2nd, 1st, and 3rd.

They offered me 4th. Well...okay. It's only for 19 days.

Then they came back and said enrollment was off in the upper grades, but would I like to teach Preschool? Um.....not so sure about that one. So my assistant principal tracked me down and reassured me it would be fun, they'd provide curriculum, I'd have TAs, etc. So I went for it.

Now, let me just say that 24 four year olds is a lot of four year olds. However, it was only three hours a day, I had THREE TAs (one of my official TAs had a daughter who liked volunteering), and - best of all- preschoolers learn through play. Yes indeed, you read that correctly. They paid me to play blocks and play dough and paint with these kids. So we focused on letters and numbers and colors and shapes and had a lot of fun. In the end, they're just too stinkin' cute NOT to love! (Except maybe when they're throwing tantrums...but let's not get into that.)

(More for me than for anybody else:)

Lucia, Maria, Salma, Miriam, Andy, Virginia, Giovanni, Marisol, Sergio, Yenisis, Andre, Benji, Stefanie, Me

Maritza, Brenda, Diara, Karina, Reynaldo, Luis, Isabella, Brian, Viviana

Andre

He kept inviting me over to his house to watch a movie and eat popcorn.

Starting a little young, eh?

Parents - Yes! They still make bristle blocks! ;-)

Diara

(This little girl was SO tiny!!!)

Luis

He has the most beautiful eyes of any person I've ever met. Sigh.....

So long, summer!

Catch up

So...at the beginning of June we celebrated Robb's birthday with some of his friends. We had just bought a new game, Quelf, and we decided to try it out. In case you can't tell, we had a good time.

Me, having a "spastic fit" and reciting the alphabet backwards. (Hard to do mid-fit!)

I got a card that said "Act like you're a big shot photographer. Tell everyone to pose, give you their best smile, etc." Here's what I got.

(Tim, you win. Hands down.)

Robb, playing Fido - and doing a frighteningly good job of it!

Long story short: With the right group of friends (NOT shy people), Quelf is a lot of fun.

We recommend playing with two dice, though, since it can drag on.

Get yours today! (Or come visit and we'll play.) :-)

Attention, please

After lunch my kids lined up to come back into class.  While we were waiting for the stragglers, one of my girls showed me her red-stained fingers.  I asked "What happened to your fingers?"  She responded "I was doing an art project."  

Thinking that she had perhaps visited the art teacher or her first grade teacher during recess I asked whose room she'd been working in, and what her art project was.  "Oh," she said, "I wasn't working in the art room.  I was coloring my eraser while you were teaching us our science lesson.....but I was paying attention!" 

Easter

On Easter Sunday Robb and I sang in Sacrament Meeting.  Since my life was consumed with the stake musical (more on that later), we didn't have time to work on anything super complicated. We lucked out when we found a "new" hymn in the April Ensign.  It's called  "Behold the Wounds in Jesus' Hands" (and it's on page 61 of your Ensign!)  :-)  I just wanted to share it with you, because it's quite beautiful and definitely brought the spirit to our Easter Sunday.  Here's a link to listen to (I think) a BYU choir singing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRoy7P9W14Q

Super Green, or My Teacher was Weird on St. Patrick's Day

So I decided to indulge my weirdness on St. Patrick's Day.  It all started with the $1 display at the front of Target (gets me EVERY time!)  I found some sweet shamrock shades - with glitter, thank you very much - and had no intention of going beyond that.  Then my mother-in-law sent us a St. Patrick's Day package.  What can I say?  (Besides "You ROCK, Diane!)  No, really.  The cool striped socks and green carnations inspired me.  Needless to say, it was easy to get my students' attention.

What???  Why are you looking at me like that?

My kids dubbed me Super Green.

Don't ask what my super powers were - it's top secret.

Give me your take on having a Passion, please

Does everyone have to have a Passion?

Am I weird for feeling like I don't?

Some people experience extreme highs and lows.  I am not one of those people.  Some people seem to devote themselves to a cause with intense singlemindedness.  I'm not one of those people, either.

Lately I've been wondering if there's something wrong with me for being somewhat phlegmatic rather than passionate and intense.  I don't mean to say that I never feel strongly about anything nor that I'm uninterested in anything and everything around me, but I don't feel any burning desire to focus my time and energy on any specific cause.

It could come from reading the latest installment of "One Day", Teach For America's alumni magazine, which is filled with stories of TFA alums doing amazing and inspiring things, or maybe it's recent conversations with Robb about any of his various projects.  All I know is I feel staid and rather boring.

My diabetes does require that I carefully manage my energy expenditures and stress levels, but I hate to think that I'm...well...staid and boring.  So I ask you:  Is it odd to not have a Passion (yes, with a capital "P"), or am I A-OK?  What are your thoughts?

Readers, unite! (And help!)

The good news:  

I have been asked to begin a Book Club in my ward (I think as one of those optional Relief Society Enrichment groups).  This is good because it combines reading (something I love and am good at) with the opportunity to get to know other people (something I need to do and am NOT good at). 

The bad news:

I have been asked to begin a Book Club in my ward.  I've never been in a book club, let alone in charge of one!  

Thank goodness for the Internet, because I'm finding all sorts of helpful Book Club (caps? no caps?) information all over the place, HOWEVER (and this is where the call for help comes in):  

WHAT BOOK DO WE START WITH????? 

I have rather specific preferences and, therefore, no idea of widely-appealing books out there.  Therefore, if you have a favorite book and/or one you think a variety of people would enjoy, please share!  

For the Black Sisters :-)

I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw this - posted as a sidebar ad in Facebook, no less.  What do you think, Sarah?  Will Thor need one of these?  (Hey Julie and Meredith - you could potentially cement the whole "favorite aunt" thing...)  :-)  I'll include the link in case there are any serious buyers out there.

http://www.varsitybaby.com/order.html

The Best Valentine's Gift EVER

Random, and kind of gross, but VERY USEFUL

Odd tidbit #1

A missionary companion once informed me that your saliva has the enzymes necessary to break down your blood. This is useful to know in case you ever cut yourself and bleed on your clothes. Maybe I'm exceptionally weird, but YES, I've tried this (spitting on a blood spot on a shirt), and was able to completely remove the mark. I know it's a bit gross, but it's strangely fascinating, too.

Odd tidbit #2

If you can't sleep because you're coughing, put Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of your feet, put on some socks, and voila! Snooze away! Seriously - got this from my mom's friend who is Hawaiian, and had it corroborated by a friend of mine from Mauritius - plus personal experience. I don't know how it works, but I can tell you that it does!

Odd tidbit #3

WD 40 is REALLY useful when cleaning the bathroom. It works great on metal trim, glass shower doors, and even tile. And it keeps everything looking good for a month or two. Sweeeeet.

What??? No scissors???

Christmas break was great. We visited family, ate LOTS of holiday treats, spent some time at Joshua Tree, and even managed to make an Advent calendar. (More on that later. Perhaps.) Then school started again.

My class has been really good, actually, and I've been enjoying work. But now I have to attend a Professional Development. Not just any PD, but one that lasts FIVE DAYS. And they didn't put any scissors in our table boxes. How am I supposed to entertain myself? So far I've been pretty good and only made a post-it countdown of 10 minute intervals. Hopefully I won't get as crazy as I did last time. Only time will tell, right? (And maybe me. On here. In a few days...) :-)