Happy (uneventful) Halloween!

So my Halloween started on Thursday...and is blissfully close to an end.

The kids at school were wired all day Thursday and that culminated with a Halloween parade where, as usual, I'm the M.C. I don't mind, it's actually kind of fun and I can blabber on and be my cooky self. The only downfall is the sore throat afterwards but that is quickly rectified by endless amounts of cupcakes and candy--supplied of course by every student in the school.

Yesterday was the ward Halloween party and although it was not fun for me...most of it is actually a blur or chili, bowling pins, and endless amounts of yummy goodness...I think it went well. Not fantastic, but well. I don't think I spoke to anyone, I was too busy running around making sure everything was going relatively smoothly.

And now, we sit and wait for Shadow to bark like a maniac which means that 'strangers' aka 'trick or treaters' are coming to the door. But I am actually ok with that. I like seeing the kids in their costumes and I like that I have any excuse to sit around.

WAIT!!!! A major surprise! Lela, Linda, Scott, and Spencer just made a surprise visit and I am STILL giddy about it! We took Shadow with us while we went trick-or-treating up and down Kate Terrace and I have to say I had a great time. Yeah for great surprises!

Fun with animals! But not fun for the animals!

The stage was set perfectly. It was a great Sabbath day, very spiritual. I had been at church for most of the day. Kathy was with her sister and friends scrap booking. I came home late and was greeted by Kathy and Shadow. Always great. Around 9pm, we let Shadow out to use the potty and we started smelling an awful odor that seemed to envelope the house. Yup, Shadow got sprayed by a skunk.

We bathed him in tomato juice, and then in a peroxide, soap, and baking soda mixture to get the smell off. Then we cleaned up after the mess we made. We got to bed around 11:30.

Monday we went to PetSmart in Bridgewater to get some other stuff to clean him with because he still smelled a little bit. We wound up staying up until 11 o’clock with that as well. Also because it was the season premier of Heroes. Shadow is getting better smelling, though. And the house is getting better smelling.

With all the fuss about Shadow, we did not realize until Tuesday morning that we had locked one of our cats upstairs in one of the bedrooms. On Saturday. Poor cat was locked in the bedroom for three days with no food, water, or litter box.

Yeah, its been a bit nutty around here.

Happy Anniversary?

So today is Kathy and my 10th wedding anniversary. Yes, I cannot believe it has been 10 years. Today is also the day both of us went back to work and had students. Not much to celebrate.

My school day was some what uneventful. The student teacher I am supposed to be working with did not have his background check done so he cannot be in the school. He cannot be my student teacher if he cannot come in the school. I am also mentoring a new teacher this year and her computer (which is my old computer, by the way) decided to crash 15 minutes before school started.

None of this really affected my school day, though until they called me to the main office at the end of the day. Kathy was on the phone. She left her school to go buy lunch, only about a mile and a half away. When she tried to start her car to return to school, she heard a bang from under the hood and smoke came out. Turns out the battery over heated, popped one of the caps, and the car would not start. She called her school, but no one picked up to drive her back, so she walked back to her school, arriving five minutes late for a class.

Long story short, for her tenth wedding anniversary, Kathy got a new car battery. Only the best for my girl!

Wet Dog!

We went to Kathy's sister's house the other Sunday for her younger brother's birthday.

They have a pool.

We brought the dog.

Yeah, he was soaked! It is about 90 seconds long if you want to watch.



Shadow is kind of a chicken when it comes to going into the pool. He likes the water but he has to be able to feel the ground with his feet so it cannot be too deep.

...but I did it.

So I have been thinking about this a lot and I finally am posting this.

I went on trek this year as the water guy. I drove my truck around and made sure everyone had water. No one drank anything without me getting it for them. Well at one point, a couple of the adult leaders that were trekking needed a ride with a couple kids that were trekking and they shared a story with me.

One young lady was really concerned about hiking up a pretty steep hill with the handcart. She was tired and doubted her ability. Well, she made it to the top. After arriving at the top she told this leader, "It was hard, but I did it."

What a wonderful declaration! What a great thing to be able to feel, and to say! It made me excited to be there. Her excitement and exclamation made me feel like I too can overcome my trials. I want to say, "It was hard, but I did it."

More Outdoor Projects

Wahoo!! Outdoor projects are almost done! The past two weeks we've torn down the walls of the deck, painted the floor, beams, and steps red, the base black, and hung up cedar colored lattice. It is a MAJOR improvement from what was there...it's funny how you don't see how bad something is until you see it in a picture. Anyway, here's a picture of the ugly deck, and then the new deck.



Today we tore down the ugly red shed...it was a little harder than I thought it would be, John's Dad made a very sturdy shed back in the day! Scott had his trusty sledge hammer though and down that eyesore came! The yard looks huge now! Here's some pictures!









I'm so excited that the backyard is starting to look so good!

Pictures of Lilies!

Kathy and I planted these lilies last year and have been super excited to see them come back this year. They are bigger than when we planted them. I am not sure why I was so anxious to see them but I am. Enjoy!

Done! (almost) Part 2

Here are Kathy’s dad and brother helping with the shed.


Another with us. I am not amused.


Kathy MUST get herself on camera.


Shed done! Almost.



I say almost because we did not realize until later in the day that they shorted us four skylights. Yes, as it stands, right now, we have four holes in the roof of our new shed. Kathy called the company and they are shipping them out. We should have them by the end of the week, just in time for the rain.


This project is nearly complete. We have one other shed coming down. I am going to plan with the Teacher's Quorum when they want to come over the house and tear down our other old shed. Not this weekend, though, we are planning on having a garage sale this weekend. If anyone wants to come by the house on Saturday and give me money for some of our old stuff we don't want any more, come on over. I will gladly take your money.

Done! (almost) Part 1

Project tear down two sheds, construct one officially started a while ago. We tore down an old metal shed a few weeks ago. It came down super easy. I had to extend the concrete foundation it was sitting on because the shed going up is larger than the old one. I poured the concrete last week and Kathy’s father and brother came down to help me build the new shed. Here are a few pictures.


Preparations for the concrete are under way!




Concrete is done and dry. Fortunately it has met Shadow's strictest quality control standards.


While I was waiting for Kathy’s dad and brother to come, I decided to empty all of the boxes and set all the parts out. They drove an hour and a half to help me out, I did not want to waste their time. That’s a lot of parts.

Impromptu day at the beach!

So Kathy says to me at ten o’clock this morning, I want to go to the beach, a phrase she has never uttered in her life. At eleven o’clock this morning we pulled out of the drive way headed towards Point Pleasant. At twelve thirty we parked and headed toward the sand. At four o’clock, we left the beach about 60 dollars poorer but 3 pictures richer. Enjoy!



I am playing a game on my iPod! Super fun!



Kathy holding the life saver of the day. Good thing she thinks about these things, 'cause I sure don't.



This last one is just a random seagull.

Algebra Angels

I have been holding on to this picture for some time now and decided that I had a few minutes to post it. I think it is funny. You'll have to click on the picture to read the caption.

Transform and Bark!

I realize Kathy and I have not posted in a while, but such is life. Kathy made these funny pictures of Shadow that I wanted to share with the world. Linda gave us the idea and Kathy excecuted the plan to perfection.




We took down a 30 year old shed from the back yard and we are building a new one in its place. I have to mix and poor concrete to make the foundation big enough to hold the new shed. I am kind of excited to do it because it is something I have not done before and it seems pretty easy. I know I just screwed up the whole operation by even thinking it but I am still hoping for the best. I will be sure to post some pictures when things go further along.

Lets hope it won't be another month before I post again. We are on summer vacation after all.

Good News and Bad News by John and Kathy

Ok, so if you don't recognize the title as being an old SNL skit...well ok, but you missed a funny joke. Anyway...

Bad News: Apparently me even being in the presence of poison ivy means I'm going to get it. Poison Ivy is my nemesis...oh and John's got it too. Grr.



















Good News: Went to the Auto Show and got our picture taken with Bumblebee!

Scooby dooby do...

I found him!

At least I found the Mystery Machine. We were coming home from Kathy's niece’s 4th birthday party and happened upon this.



I also posted a picture of the original for those of you who would like to compare.

Previous Post

I just want a few things to be clear:

Kathy DID post that message. I showed her the school's website so she could see what the district had done. I did not know she was going to show the world. I do not mind, but, I am not one to show off my own accomplishments like that. I am grateful for a wife who knows that I don't and is willing to share good news with all of you.

I did not know I was even nominated for the award until I won the award. I was nominated without being told. I did not know the award even existed until I won it. Our school has a couple math contests throughout the school year and apparently our school did well enough to be in the running for the award.

The $100 is NOT coming from any federal stimulus money. It is a private organization with members donating and has its own resources, so no one should demand their tax money back, no one needs to tax it 100%. I earned it fair and square. I think it is going toward a new iPod touch, so, hands off my money.

My Famous Hubby!!

Watch out for Winston!

Yesterday was real nice out, so Kathy and I took Shadow to a local dog park. We've never gone to one before, so neither of us really knew what to expect. Shadow had a blast, though. At first, it was obvious that he had a sensory overload, but he got acclamated after a short while.

There was a small Terrier named Winston who was VERY interested in Shadow and just would not leave him alone. I thought it was kinda funny. The owner was very appologetic and got him off of Shadow. It was fine. Another dog, a yellow lab, I think, stole one of Shadow's toys and was running around and playing with it for a while. We eventually got it back. All in all we had fun, Shadow had fun and after only an hour, he was exhausted and slept like a baby for a couple hours afterward. Next time we will bring the camera, promise.

Last night, the whole fam got together over Scott & Linda's house for cookies, pudding pies, and games. We had fun their, too. All in all, it was a good day.

Ode to Simpler Times

*Riding the 'Kit' Big Wheel on the front sidewalk.
*Putting up this huge tent in the back yard and playing for hours, never actually getting the courage to sleep in it overnight.
*These brown and white striped cushions that we would jump on and play with in various ways for most of my childhood.
* Making forts with the couch cushions and blankets.
*Playing Barbies and using the encyclopedias to make her house (ok, her manshion).
*My Mom breaking the chair when she was pregnant with Jamie.
*The Scoobie Doo camera.
*Bandit and Laddie.
*Watching Elvis Presley on the TV while eating M&M's and my tooth fell out.
*Going to the Mennen Picnics.
*Having a flute glued to my face and dreaming of being in an orchestra.
*Mrs. Green (the math teacher) letting us make Mickey Mouse faces using the compass.
*Moving into my first college dorm room.
*How beautiful the day was when I went to orientation and the excitement that we all felt starting our new adventure of college life.
*Practically living in the practice room.
*The house on Seaman street with the dogwood tree outside my window.
*Spring Break 1996.
*May 11, 1996.
*Freshness, newness, exciting, happiness.
*Sept 3, 1999
*First apartment together, the colors and borders in the dining room--laughing that the color was called coffee and making stupid mormon jokes about it.
*Disney World and the bats
*Driving to Mt. Rushmore, the music museums, the ghetto pioneer car museum, the corn palace, taking pictures of random mileage markers whie driving.
*Re-doing the kitchen, washing dishes in the bathroom sink, the elders arguing about how to lay the tile, the granite people almost dropping the countertop, Tommy putting in the cabinets with us.
*Driving around and looking at the Christmas lights.
*August 5, 2006.

Oh how I wish that things felt fresh and new, exciting and unencumbered. Free, carefree, and without a worry in the world.

Mamma...

..don't wanna go to school today. I think I'm gonna go outside and play.

You thought you liked snow days as a kid. Ten times as fun as an adult.

My crazy leg, over saturation, and invading the Holiest of Holies.

I appologize for the rant, but I need to get stuff off my chest.

Since after Christmas my right leg has swollen and gotten red. Kathy took me to the ER and after waiting 5 hours to get an ultrasound on my leg, they sent me home and told me to return the following day. It was diagnosed as a simple infection and I am treating it with antibiotics. No worries. I guess ultrasound operators have more of a life than I do.

I understand some of you voted for the guy, but I am so tired of hearing about our next president. The media is doing a fine job of shoving him down my throat. I fear they are setting him up for failure. People have such high expectations for him and his tenure as the president(king, god, take your pick, he's being treated like all of these), I don't know if anyone could live up to what they are wanting. I have an honest fear that he will not survive four years as president. Some idiot will haul off and shoot the guy. Just what we need, this guy becoming a "martyr for the cause".

And if it is not enough that he is on every tv channel, website, magazine, and newspaper, he is invading the Holiest of Holies. Yes, that is correct. Marvel comics is including Barrack Obama in the next Spider-man comic book. Is nothing sacred?

Dreams Update

So I didn't dream that I won 10 billion dollars..... *pout*

But I did dream that Ewan McGregor was the manager of the dollar store by my house *runs to the dollar store just in case*

Hey, everyone needs an autograph of Obi Wan Kenobi!

I've stepped into Bizarro World

You know how you wake up in the middle of the night and then go back to sleep...well for me my dreams get REALLY weird after that happens. Last night I woke up (well Shadow woke me up...well, John yelling at Shadow woke me up) and I fell back asleep and I dreamed that the boiler in the basement of the school (next to my classroom) exploded and flooded the basement with water. Not a majorly weird dream...not like my crazy chicken dream. Anyway, I get to school, open the basement door and see water all over the floor--probably 1/2 an inch deep or more. So, here's the bizarro-ness that just fits perfectly into my wack-o week. The boiler actually did explode and flooded the basement. How weird is that?

Tonight I plan on dreaming that I win 10 billion dollars...we'll see how that works out. :-)

Knowing

So, if you knew that something was going to happen---for sure, no if, and's, or but's about it, you knew that something was going to happen and all you had to do were four simple things that you do (or should be doing) already....wouldn't you want to make sure that you were ready?

Here's my frustration....I teach in a school that was visited by the Superintendent (and his croonies) in September and on a scale of 0-4, rated our school a 1.9. Why such a low score? 4 reasons: 1. Lesson plans were not done using the district template. 2. No one had Data Binders (or they weren't in a visible location). 3. Objectives and essential questions were not written on the board. 4. Bulletin Boards did not have current student work on them.

So at the moment, all of you are thinking--well duh just do those four things! Exactly. EXACTLY! 4 little things that would ensure that we received a 3 point something. My principal has given extensive training on the first three (last one is really a no brainer) and has checked over and over again to make sure we are doing them. Today we get a notice from her stating that people are still NOT writing their objectives and essential questions on the board. YOU'RE KIDDING ME!!! We all know that the Super' is coming back sometime this month---we know it...in fact the principal said that he's coming THIS WEEK!! THIS WEEK and people still aren't doing their job???????? Come on...where is your school pride? Do you want us to get another failing report? Do you want people to think that our school stinks? I'm so mad. I actually went off at the faculty meeting about it (little embarrassed about that) but I'm so incredibly dumb founded that we know what we have to do to get a good report and we're not doing it. That's pathetic. I could never be an administrator, it would kill me to see people not doing what I've told them to do over and over and over and over again.