Christmas Survey (stolen from Tif-do)

Have you been naughty or nice this year? - Just a little of both

What do you want most for Christmas? - If I could have anything, it would be the credit card bills to go away, next would be a week vacation with just me and Joe....it has been too long.

Do you believe in Santa? - Oh yes!

What is your favorite food at Christmas? - the veggie plate where you eat too many olives and sweet pickles

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? - a bit

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? -not a bit

What is your favorite Christmas song? - I love to play Silent Night and little drummer boy, I love to hear O' Holy Night

What is your favorite Christmas movie? - Christmas Vacation and Christmas Story

What is your best memory of Christmas? - A tie between getting a cow for Christmas and the year I got my trumpet.

What do you look forward to most at Christmas? - The family gathering on Christmas day afternoon. Bad games, bad jokes and we always laugh so hard we cry.

What are you doing for Christmas this year? - Another home Christmas

Who do you want to kiss under the mistletoe? - Joe but please bring me a stepstool

What kind of Christmas tree do you have? - A lovely plastic one

Do you go to any Christmas parties? - Family and church parties.

Have you ever had a white Christmas? - Several

How early do you wake up on Christmas morning? - As late as possible (7:00 if we are lucky)

Do you still get a stocking? - Yes, it has a pretty dragon on it.

How many Christmas cards do you normally send out? - I am cheap (sorry) and mail out no more than 25.

What is your Christmas wish? - To stop worrying about money and see happy boys on
Christmas morning

Banana

Surgery went....well we are not sure yet. The doctor didn't really give us an update. We see her on Wednesday where I am going to ask her million questions until she feels inspired to give verbal results to a patient the day of the surgery or the day after. Geez, it is a good think I am not waiting for a cancer biopsy or something or I would be ripping my hair out by now.

I have a boot on my foot. It is big black and we have a love hate relationship. I am not supposed to take this thing off, but I have woken up a couple of mornings this week where it is not on my foot. Meaning my body doesn't want it there and takes it off while I am sleeping. I did the same thing when I wore retainers in my mouth. I would take them out while I was sleeping and hide them from myself...inside my pillow, in the kitchen trash, and in the kitchen freezer. I hope I never break my arm and have to wear a cast because I don't know how my body would react to that at all.

I finished the bulldog in the Hohokam Middle School Gym. Here are a few shots. It is about 8-9 foot by 10 foot and turned out really great. Next time I am going to ask for some money for the work. This one was a freebie, I wanted to make sure I could actually do it.




I was talking on the phone with the Oregon brother about 20 minutes ago. I was about to eat a banana and I read to him the sticker on the banana. He didn't believe someone would put that on a banana so I posting this for his proof.

Halloweeny

Geez, talk about been forever. Tiny update for now and then I will write a better blog later.
School is great and sucks. You have wonderful moments where students have the most impressive epiphanies and then you have the worst moments when you break down and cry after sending a student to the principle. Too many stories to write.

New topic, I have had bone problems forever. I finally went to a doctor for some help. They said I have a bone disease that I can't spell to put on my blog. Basically chunks of bone are coming off and they need to be removed. We are starting with my right ankle this coming Thursday. It is a just arthroscopic so hopefully I will be up again in a couple of days.

Yeah for Halloween. After a long day of teaching and bloodtests, I got home, cooked dinner and got the boys dressed. Never took the time to put on my costume. Joe and I will pose for a picture later. Til then.
Collin was Shrek and Quintin was his sidekick Donkey.







Also we found a totally cool park in Athem (by Florence) It has two story tall slides and little fountain park that Quintin is in love with.

A birthday and some paintings

Another year. Collin has turned four. He so very badly wants to go to school. His best friend goes to kindergarten and he wants to go with him. I would take him to a preschool but there aren't any good ones in the area. Everyday after I pick him up from the babysitter, we sit at the kitchen table and practice "letters" He traces all of the alphabet upper case and lower case. He is getting pretty good at it. He also has become a master at puzzles. At first he would force pieces together. He finally realized they make a picture so he is very good with matching colors and lines together with the puzzle pieces. Yep, another year. So if we are past the terrible twos, tremendous threes, what does year four have in store for us?

Here are some paintings I made for the nieces' bedrooms.
Brit's Bears -2 feet tall, 1 1/2 foot wide



Allison's Deer - 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 foot



Samantha's dragon - 2 feet tall by 3 1/2 long This one is by far my favorite. Sadly it was hard to give away but I got past being selfish. The letters say Samantha.



I just got the principle's permission to let me do a mural in the school gym. He wants a ginormous bulldog (mascot) and an American flag with an eagle on a different wall. I am very excited as well as nervous. What kind of paint do I use? How am I going to get that high on the wall?

First Day of School!!!

Busy Busy Busy.... Ugghhh the minute I get home I want to go to bed and sleep. Maybe I will get used to this sometime. Things are going well. Most of my students enjoy my class. My last period of the day doesn't really enjoy the class and act up a lot. Hopefully they will get over themselves and start liking the idea of music....and hopefully I can stay optimistic.

I started CAC last night. That went better than expected. My teacher is very perky which by the time I get to class I need that perk to stay focused. My class and band overlap. My band director said that I am able to stay in the community band this year even though I am going to be 30 minutes late every time. I think he might be so forgiving because when I showed up last night there were only two other trumpet players and they need at least three to make pretty chords. (Last year there were 9 trumpets!) Anyway things are well considering I have a cold, my kids are exhausted because they don't want to take naps at the sitters house, and I have about 160 papers to grade before Friday. I will drop another line when I am bit more organized.

I start teaching music TOMORROW!!!! Well technically on Friday but they were nice enough to give me two whole days to get organized.....

So Who Is Cuter?

Poor Quintin had a fight with my parents' couch armrest. The couch won.

Bucket List part 1

Ok, Tiff beat me to it, I think it might have to do with being chicken to share my stupidity....but then again I haven't really been known to be shy. So here it goes. List will probably be revised and have many add-ons

Bucket List

Have a day where I don't yell at my kids but fully enjoy them
Finish school (at least a bachelor's degree)
Play another trumpet solo or duet in front 15,000+ people
Learn to play guitar
Learn to play violin
Go to Ireland
Go to Disneyland with kids
Go to Disneyland without kids, Just me and Joe
Make paintings good enough to sell
Make a beautiful wedding cake
Clean out the garage
Be healthy again
Run 1 mile under 10 minutes
Go on an overnight kayaking trip in Oregon with relatives
Dress up for Halloween every year
Be the "coolest" house on the block for Halloween
Go fishing in the ocean
Go to Hawaii
Finish painting house
Learn to cut hair properly
Go to Germany
Go on a roadtrip with Donna
Set a better example
Touch a killer whale
Write a song that becomes at least semi popular
Remember people's names when I am introduced to them
Finish my husband's Christmas quilt (5 years in the making so far)
Cut the cable tv off
Learn to tune a piano
Teach children the joys of music ( i am not asking for church calling)
Make a quilt for each sibling in my family
Sing karaoke and not just watch
Go on roadtrip with Leaner
Register to vote (i know i am bad)
Learn how to use my DVD recorder
Have horses again
Swim with a dolphin
Have food storage and let it be organized
Learn to play all of the church hymns
Go to all of the US temples
Actually learn to sing good
Go to the top of Picacho peak
Beat my mom and Polly in geocaching
Publish a children's book
Be a mascot at a football game

Ok, I need more time to think about this....

yay me

Ok, I did it. I went to NAU's office at CAC and found out what I need to do to get my Bachelor's Degree. Unfortunately I am missing 3 classes and two of which (are only 4 weeks long) are offered only in the spring......which means I can't get into the teaching program until Fall 2009. Stupid but in a small way refreshing. This will give me a chance to get back into a "groove" and maybe be able to take some extra music classes on the side. Just so I wouldn't talk my self out of this, I immediately walked to the CAC registering office and signed up for the 1 class that needs to be done. I still have till the 12th to apply for more classes if I want to but at least I can't back out.

As for the music teacher job that I want. The school district still doesn't have a music teacher and since I don't have a degree they can't hire me til last minute scraping the bottom of the barrel. I think it is sad that I am considered the bottom of the barrel when their options are hire a certified teacher that doesn't know a thing about music or hire an uncertified individual who has a AS and knows a lot about music. Anyway we will see what happens hopefully before the end of the week since school starts next week

bucket list

I was reading a friend's blog and she had a great idea that I think I want to try out, well "copy" in a sense. She made up a "bucket list" like the one from that movie.....bucket list. Anyways, since she isn't dying she got to actually think about what she put on the list... I think I will write down one for me, just to see what could happen. hopefully it will get posted sometime soon. And maybe yall could try it out yourself.

http://making-space.blogspot.com/2008/07/bucket-list.html

Donkey Cookie

It has been a nice quiet week. Collin has been at his Papa's house and Quintin has been a really good critter. I have been painting and baking a lot lately ( I will post pics later) I painted some wall hangings for the nieces new bedrooms, a taxi for Andrew's wedding, some pictures for our home and today I baked some donkey cookies. At the moment I have a friend mad at me and she wont talk to me. It was a major misunderstanding and with about 5 minutes of talking, I think we could clear things up with no harm done. Alas, she refuses to return my phone calls. I have decided to send her a box of cookies. On the box I wrote "Sorry for being such an...." and inside the box are a bunch of donkey shaped cookies. I hoping it will lighten her heart enough to want to talk......we shall see.

Photobucket survey

Her​​e'​​s​​ how​​ it works​​ (fi​​rst​​ copy and​​ post bul​​let​​in​​ - delete my answers then go to photobucket and​​ fol​​low​​ the​​ direc​​t​​i​​o​​ns​​ bel​​ow)
1. Go to www​.pho​t​obuc​k​et.com​ (do​n​'t sig​n​ in)​
2.Typ​e​ in you​r​ ans​w​er to the​ que​s​tion​ in the​"se​a​rch"​ box
3.Use​ onl​y​ the​ fir​s​t pag​e​
4. Cop​y​ the​ htm​l​ and​ pas​t​e for​ the​ ans​w​er



1. What is your name?


2. What is your current relationship status?


3. What is your favorite color?


4. Who is your celebrity crush?

Gerard Butler

5. What band are you currently listening to?

Great Big Sea

6. What is your favorite movie?
I don't have a specific favorite but a favorite


7. What kind of cell phone do you have?

Older than dirt

8. What do you want to be when you grow up?



9. What do you love most in your life?
I first looked up Joe and then husband, the results were horrible so I went to this


10. One word to describe you.

Sorry for the cuss word but it was the most appropriate picture I could find.

11. Where were you born?


12. WHA​T​ DO YOU​ HAT​E​?


13. WHA​T​S BET​T​ER BLO​N​DE OR BRU​N​ETTE​? Sorry Neither since I am inbetween

14.​WHA​T​ IS YOU FAV​O​RITE​ SHO​W​?

Futurama

15.​WHA​T​S YOU​R​ FAV​O​RITE​ PAS​T T​IME?


16.​WHA​T​ DID​ YOU​ HAVE​ FOR​ BRE​A​KfAS​T THI​S​ MOR​N​ING? (nothing)

17.​W​HAT KIN​D​ OF CAR​ DO YOU​ DRI​V​E?


18.​FIR​S​T ALB​U​M/CD​/TAP​E​ YOU​ REM​E​MBER​ BUYING FOR​ YOU​R​SELF​:


19.​IF YOU​ COU​L​D BE ANY​W​HERE​ RIG​H​T NOW​ WHE​R​E WOU​L​D YOU​ BE?​


20.WHA​T​ WAS​ YOUR​ HIG​H​ SCH​O​OL MAS​C​OT?

21.​FAVO​​RITE​ FLA​V​OR OF COFFEE (OR ICE CREAM)?


22.​CLO​S​EST THI​N​G TO YOU​ THA​T​ IS RED​: My son's sippy cup with below on it



23.​WHA​T​ DO YOU​ WEA​R​ TO SLE​E​P IN?​ It is TOO hot to sleep in anything but undies



24.​NAM​E​ OF THE​ LAS​T​ BOO​K​ YOU​ REA​D​:


25.​WHA​T​ IS THE​ CLO​S​EST THIN​G TO YOU​R​ RIG​H​T LEG​?​


26.​WHA​T​ DID​ YOU​ THI​N​K OF THI​S​ PHO​T​OBUC​KET SUR​V​EY?
Fun but took a lot longer than I thought it would

Change

Ok. this is it. I do not like me. Well, I do not like the way I look. I have a cute haircut, I have spiffy glasses and some fun shoes....but this does not hide what I don't like. In the last 2 weeks I have had 2 people ask me "Are pregnant again" or "how far along are you?" First off I know that I am fat. I know that I am short so this makes me look even fatter. And if you have seen me at least once a week for the last three months, why would you suddenly ask me if I am pregnant? I am not getting fatter (though I am not getting thinner either.) I have lost 13 pounds since Christmas but it isn't the fat the you can visually see a change.

I have to house sit for a friend while they are away for three weeks. I started yesterday. So last Monday I bought a bike and a little kiddie trailer. It is 3 miles total ride to go there, water dogs, and ride back. With kids needing me to stop to get them water and what not, it takes about an hour. I did it on Tuesday and today I rode to a friend's house (2.5 miles) to give her some money I owed for babysitting. If in the very least do this 3x a week, heat and all, I know I will be different. If not skinnier, at least feel better about me.

My goal is to be 20lbs lighter before the middle of September when Joe and I "might" see Carter. Or if we are unable to do that, be different before October which is Coolidge's homecoming where I play in the high school band with a bunch of fellow band geeks. I just want to look or feel the way I used to when I was in College. I wasn't super thin but I was a lot physically happier. I need to do this.....for once I need to follow through with something

Quintin's one year portraits

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

Growing up

I think I finally know what I want to be when I grow up. It only took about 10 years of trying different things, but
I had a recent experience that left me inspired in a way I haven't felt in a long time. I have been substitute teaching these
last two months and learned a lot about kids and our lousy Coolidge school system. Out of the three different Elementary Schools, the best one by far is Hohokam (the one next to the LDS church).

Their biggest problem there is music. I got to sub for the music lady their and found our she isn't teaching them anything, they watch disney movies all day if they are young or do very boring music theory if they are older. All of the kids their hate music and it made me sad. I ran home at lunch grabbed
my trumpet, violin and all the drums I could get and taught the kids all about instruments in the last 3 periods of the day.

I had teachers coming in during classes wondering what the sound was they were hearing through the walls, the kids and I looked up and said "MUSIC"
The teachers started congratulating me on this. I wanted to teach them all about history, cultures, sounds, ideas, and effect that music
had on the world,....I didn't want to leave these classes. I really think I want to be a middle school music teacher. Not a band director, but
the person the kids first meet to inspire them about music so they will want to play the instruments and join the band.