Christmas Spirit...

Due to the fact I am in Washington for Christmas, without Sai, I was slightly in a humbuggie mood this year. I did not put a Christmas tree, and had no intention of hanging up lights, but I did in a moment of weakness. It is definitely only a small part of my usual . But it is festive and one of my neightbors told me she leaves her blinds open so she can look at them. I also made goodie plates for my neighbors, and for my Instructional Leaders meeting.
Again, I love the holidays because I get to make food, that other people can enjoy. And Sai and I also enjoy sampling all the yummy things.
This was my best divinity to date.
Very Exciting!!!!

Aahh...I am enjoying winter break.

Sai is at her dad's for Christmas this year, so we did Christmas early at my mom's on our way up to Ellensburg. Her cousin X-man was VERY helpful. :)

Personal Space???

Just recently it seems that I am no longer allowed personal space.

I come home and when I sit down here come the pets...

First, Max jumps up and cuddles up to me, and then of course Tabitha is not going to stand for Max to get more lovin' than her. Finally, Buttercup jumps up and gets as close as she dares.

Sigh Now how can I possibly get up and accomplish anything????

November 30th...

Fourteen years ago on this day I lost my best friend and sister, after a bruttle and long battle with cancer.

In so many ways she is my hero, she was so brave through the whole ordeal, and her sense of humor saved us all as we struggled with her battle and her loss of that battle.

I just want kiss her bald head, she had a beautiful head. :)

We shared EVERYTHING!!!! And not always willingly, she was my polar opposite, which kept me grounded. I miss her beyond measure.

I can honestly say that some of my biggest regrets are with things I didn't do with her.

We talked about taking a road trip, but I worried too much about the money. I didn't get to share an apartment with her and go to college together.

I didn't tell my dear friend, that my sister was dying.

I robbed him of his chance to say goodbye, all because I allowed a jerk to control my life.

I wasn't there when she died.

But I have learned many things about myself and life since she died.

First of all, it is only money, you only live once, treasure every moment.

Treasure every moment you have with the ones you love and care for.

Don't beat yourself up, because you made stupid choices.

Just be sure to learn from them. :)

Which I work on doing everyday.

This leads me to my First Happy November 30th in a long time.

On November 30th, a daughter was born to a student I had my first year teaching at THS.

It is shocking to me that this is my 6th year teaching here. That is the longest I have ever stayed in one place.

My student babysat Sai, help me move into my house, and after she graduated would come and visit with me for hours.

My student became my friend.

I love it when I make the connection with a student and that connection sticks.

It is wonderful watching a person grow and change, get married, have a baby and be happy.

She is going to be a great mom.

Here is my "baby"

It was nice that someone else said that it is wrong that she is so grown up.

First Snow!!!

We finally got our first snow. It really seems like it is late this year.
Tabitha found sanctuary in Sai's pile of school stuff.

Sai had friends come over to practice for their try-out for the winterfest concert.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

First of all I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Second, what happened to November...October just ended!! I can honestly say I can not account for most of the month of November, it just went by too fast to notice it. :)

And finally, my FAVORITE part of the holidays is getting to prepare food for people I love.

Below is really the one I enjoy the most.

BAKING PIES!!!!!!

I tried something new with my yams. Instead of just brown sugar and butter, I also added some peaches and cashews. They were VERY tasty.

My "little" bro and Sai getting ready to feast.

My mom and step-dad came to visit as well.

Of course, you can never have a holiday dinner without the traditional rolls.

Sai actually got her uncle to play her Polly pockets game.

:)

I LOVE spending time with family, playing games, and just talking.

This was definitely a good holiday.

Destiny?? or Decisions??

Here is a quote from an online article that I so agree with!!!! It is a conversation that Craig Harper had with a mother and a daughter. I feel it is so true!!!

She then shared that she didn't "feel it was her daughter's destiny to live the life she was living."
I told mum that I didn't believe in the (mainstream) concept of destiny.
I told her that I believe it is the refuge of the indecisive, the lazy and the deluded.
I told her that destiny was a convenience for people who didn't want to take responsibility for what they make (or don't make) of their life.

"I believe your life is a disaster largely because of the decisions you have and haven't made, and the things you have and haven't done."

It's about choices.
Simple.

"If you decide to do different, think different, react different, eat different, live different and communicate different.... you'll be different."

Better.
Leaner.
Lighter.
Healthier.
Excited.
Happy.
Fulfilled.
Content.

"But creating your best life has nothing to do with destiny... and everythig to do with decisions."

People sprinkle conversations with terms like destiny, fate, chance and luck, so they don't actually have to take responsiblity for their reality.
Historically, now or in the future.

If destiny is some pre-ordained series of events, circumstances, situations and experiences which are to 'happen to us' over the course of our lifetime, then we don't actually have to do anything....
because whatever will be, will be.
It's all beyond our control anyway.

Pathetic.

http://www.craigharper.com.au/2006/11/destiny-or-decisions.html

Whoahoo!!!

Sadly, I am EXTREMELY Excited about filling my gas tank, for UNDER $30.00

Who would have ever thought I would be excited about $2.499 per gallon.

It is a crazy world!!!

Life has gotten slightly crazy, Sai is so busy between Swimming and Basketball. She has the potential of playing 5 basketball games this weekend... It is tournament time for Jam League and the first game of the YMCA league.

Here is a cool picture I took of her during a past game...

Yesterday I was able to relax at a Starbuck's drinking a pumpkin spice latte and eating a piece of lemon pound cake while I read the book "Twisted".

It has been since before school started that I have been able to sit and just read... I miss summer.

It was most enjoyable to have "me" time. Except now I want more!!!!

This book is the book that the student book club is reading. I have really gotten involved with the library and librarians (although I don't beleive we are suppose to call them that anymore). I can't wait to sit down with students and discuss this book. It was really good. It was about a boy, who like all teenagers did something stupid, and how the adults and his peers labeled him for as a LOSER, Even though who he is, is Good. I get really frustrated with people, especially teachers who label teenagers, and expect only bad from them when they make a mistake. Especially, when they do it to my Teen Parents.

I can't wait for the book club meeting. :)

I think my kid is tired...

On Saturday Sai had her second swim meet. We had to get up REAL early, especially for a Saturday to go to it. After it was over I need to go into to work to help make name tags for an FCCLA Conference. Sai used the office chairs to make a bed. She slept for about 1 1/2 hours. She won first in her heat for the Breaststroke. That is her favorite stroke.

I remember when she was struggling to learn it and we went to the pool over a weekend to work extra on it. Wow, it feels like yesterday, but sadly it was definitely NOT yesterday.

Sai's first swim meet!!

Here is her coach overseeing their warm-up.
Getting ready to dive in...
Waiting to start her backstroke.
Waiting to do the freestyle in the 100 meter medley.

Once upon a time... Sai's "nemisis" (and yes, that is what she called it) was jumping off the side of the pool.

It is amazing to think how much she has grown.

She was soooo little!!

My little fish!!!

Welcome my Newest Nephew....

Isn't he just sweet... I can't wait to hold him. My mom says he smells wonderful. I love the smell of babies. There is nothing like it in the world. :)

Full Moon

So... For the last 5 years I have been admiring this dead tree. It sits in the middle of a field and is absolutely beautiful.

As we were leaving Swim practice tonight the moon was so big, and Sai really wanted to

go some place to draw the moon.

This is a picture with the flash.

I was having troubles getting my camera to take a picture. So after many tries, I pointed the flashlight at the tree, and finally the camera started working. :) Sai got very freaked out because there are obviously two screech owls that live in the tree. She said it was a freaky field, that werewolves would hang out in. Clearly, I have allowed her to watch and read too mch SCIFI. :)


It is amazing to me that the above picture was taken at night.

I even picked up the brown and green colors.

Sea World- Orlando

While in Orlando we went to Sea World. Again there just wasn't enough time to see everything. Must go back. :)

The artic exhibit.

If you look closely you will see 2 large walrus.

These three insisted on sitting in the SPLASH Zone!!
What is amazing to me was that I was the only one who got drenched!!

Here is Shamu's tail ready to splash us, or should I say ME!!!

This is what it looked like when Sahmu splashed the other side.

Here is a cool sequence of pictures on him sliding across the platform. There are actually nine pictures in the entire sequence, I only uploaded four.

John F. Kennedy Space Center

While in Florida I had to opportunity to go on a tour of the Space Center. We only had 4 1/2 hours, which was not even close to enough time. I definitely need to go back to Florida with my daughter. This is a picture of a painting in one of the buildings.
I can not remember where I heard the story, but I was telling a couple of students about how the turkey vultures know when the shifts change at the space center, and they get ready to eat road kill. Then, just as we were getting ready to leave we saw these turkey vultures hanging out, waiting for the shift to change.
Here is a picture of a rocket engine, that was actually used several times. What really amazes me is that as huge as the engine is they still use five of them to launch the Apollo rockets.

The size of these things are amazing. It is breath taking.

The rocket garden. The size of these rockets was overwhelming. It is so cool that they can actually get these rockets into space.
The next two pictures are from the Early Space Exploration Exhibit.

I can't wait to go back and see ALL of the space center.