Day 288

Dressed for Work

Since today was a Staff Development Day (which means no kids), a few of us decided to wear our Halloween pajama pants from our last year's costume.  I was sure comfortable!

Happy Halloween!

Day 287

Our Sunday Alarm Clock

It may look like a cute toy but no, no, no!  My mom gave this mischievous toy to Harley.  It chirps when it is batted and he LOVES to play with this toy BUT only in middle of the night or very early in the morning.  So, for our Saturday night sleep I made sure to put it in a basket with his other toys, under a blanket. 

I thought that Harley didn't know about this basket but clearly he did because a chirping bird was being tossed around the house at about 4 a.m. Sunday morning.  Harley batted it around the house hitting every wall with it and I even think he ran with it across the bed!  

All along, the bird chirped.  Chris and I just groaned, too tired to take it away from Harley! 

Day 286

FUN Downtown Event

The Festive Couple...Miss M&M and an 80s Hairband Rocker

The Non-Festive Couple...Shawna and Marc

It was the first Brew Crawl in Pleasanton and we had a blast.  We all headed downtown around 5:45 p.m. to begin the "crawl".  There were 16 locations (all retail stores) that received a one day liquor license in order to bring in breweries from all over the state.  Each location gave a pour of beer and a food pairing.  Some breweries were Firestone Walker (Santa Maria), Buffalo Bill's (Hayward), and many more.  Some of the foods were chili, meatballs, and shepherd's pie.  

After making it to about 10 locations (thanks to our Cruise Director, Marc), we finished the night off at Handles.  Fun, fun night!

Day 285

Halloween at School

Kona, the Race Horse

Dixie, the Bottom Dweller (Lobster)

Flirting with "Death"

Today was a looooong day!

I woke up with a headache and it sure wasn't a good day for one!  I had my M&M costume ready to match all the other 4th and 5th grade teachers. 

The school day started with our usual parade.  Then, the kids had to take a test, we did some activities, and we listened to some Halloween music (the kids started a conga line, oh my).  But the kicker...the kids kept on saying how they wanted to eat me, ahhhh!

We played Halloween BINGO, watched Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin, had a pizza party, made toilet paper mummies, and had eyeball races.  Fun day!

But it wasn't over.  I had to nap so that I could continue on.

Our local vet office had their annual Halloween party and we decided to check it out.  Kona put on her jockey costume and Dixie turned into a lobster.  Chris and I walked them on over and enjoyed a hot dog dinner put on by the vets and their staff.  We were so impressed by the turnout and the spread put out by the group.

When "Death" showed up on stilts, I was a little freaked out but Chris stepped in with the doggies to capture the moment.

I am now completely exhausted.  But, there was still time to watch those Cardinals win the World Series!

Day 284

Game 6...GREAT GAME

We were watching Game 6 of the World Series expecting Texas to win it all since they were up in the series 3-2 against the Cardinals.  But, no!  The game went back and forth...showing why baseball is such a great game.  Cardinals tied up the series 3-3 taking it to Game 7!

Day 283

It's Red Ribbon Week

For this past week we have been celebrating Red Ribbon Week.  The picture shows one of my favorite books that tells a story that loses hope until this wonderful, red ribbon unites them all again.  

Below are each of the days' themes for the week:

Monday-

I'm a "jean-ius"! No drugs for me!

We wore jeans and a red shirt.

Tuesday- 

Take a stand for a drug free land.

We wore red, white and blue.

Wednesday-

Be drug free like me!  Show school spirit.

We wore school spirit clothes.

Thursday-

Team up against drugs.

We will be wearing gear from our favorite sports teams.

Friday-

Scare off drugs.

The whole school will be in costumes.  (There is no school for kids on Monday due to a Staff Development Day.)

Day 282

LOL...What We Experience DAILY

You have to watch the following clip...hilarious!

A Bad Kitty

Day 281

One Week Completed

I have NEVER been a runner, it has always been a struggle for me.  But, I downloaded a free podcast entitled "Couch to 5K" and gave it a try.  For the first week, I followed the podcast three times (per the instructions).  For each of those times I would do a:

• 5 minute warm-up walk 
• 60 second run followed by a 90 second walk (8 times)
• 5 minute warm-down walk

I now need to download the podcast for week two...wish me luck!

Day 280

Like a Little Kid

Chris got a helicopter two years ago and bought the three dollar warranty.  Therefore, he goes in to get a new helicopter each year and renews the warranty.  The reason he needs a new one each year...Kona bit the first one and I believe the second one had a bad crash.

So now we have the toy back.  My "favorite" part is when Chris flies it over my head while I am grading papers and it kicks up a serious wind and it makes me oh, so cold!

Day 279

T-Shirt Quilt

My mom and I began a t-shirt quilt today!  I am so excited to have this project and am even more excited for the final product.

We decided on using 15 t-shirts.  I have taken 5 of my t-shirts from high school, college, and beyond, then did the same for Chris.  For the final 5 t-shirts, we have taken ones that Chris and I collected together or ones that have special meaning from our years together.

The first steps have been to cut up those 15 t-shirts and to buy the fabric for the quilt.  I have decided that I wanted every other square to be a t-shirt with a pattern in between.  

Next, I will need to put the interfacing on each shirt and clean the fabric.  Then, my mom will be showing me how to sew. 

Day 278

I'm One, Lucky Girl!

I remember my mom stating how I would need to find a man that cleaned, cooked and would deal with my moods!  Found him...well, he doesn't put up with my moodiness.  ;)

Chris vacuumed and used the Swiffer Wet Jet while I, ah...I put my feet up and drank a margarita :)

In my defense, Chris worked a half day and I will be on laundry duty this weekend.

Day 277

Brilliant!

After our "Soul Shoppe" assembly yesterday, I have been utilizing the "I" Message and The Clean Up, with my students.  I was on a roll getting these kids to take care of their own issues.  Next, adults need to all utilize these ways of dealing with each other!

Day 276

Baked Apples

I finally made some baked apples that I love.  My mom always makes these apples and I decided to try making them, myself.  Luckily, my parents had a bunch of apples to spare from their trees.

Recipe:

12 small apples (peeled and cut)

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon of cinnamon 

1 tablespoon of nutmeg

1 cup of brown sugar

Boil and then simmer on low fro 20 minutes.

Day 275

Arrr!  Dixie, the Pirate

Not quite yet...but someday Dixie will be a patch-wearing, basset hound pirate.

Poor thing.  So, last night Chris and I noticed that Dixie's bad eye didn't look right.  She has had glaucoma in both eyes for the past three years and we have been treating it with daily medication.  

We called Dixie's eye vet, after hours, and we were patched right through!  The vet impressed by how long she talked to us and by helping us prevent an after hours, office visit.

Through an increase in the eye drops and spoiling Dixie, we got her through the night.  Today, Chris took her in for a visit and learned that the pressure in her bad eye was on the higher end but still manageable.  A removal of her bad eye will be inevitable, someday.  But for now, she is still a two-eyed monster!

Day 274

New Kicks

While in San Diego, we stayed near the outlet stores and had to shop.  I was in desperate need of new sneakers and got a great deal on these...$39!

Day 273

A Soviet Submarine and the Star of India

Two ships, two very different eras.  In this photo you can see a Cold War submarine and an ironclad ship built in the 1860s.

HMS Surprise from Master and Commander

The HMS Surprise was used in the movie, Master and Commander.  It is a replica of a British frigate that may have been used during the Napoleonic Wars. 

Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Fire

We finished our San Diego tour at the Kansas City Barbeque.  This is where the scene from Top Gun was filmed.  You can see the piano behind Chris and it should remind you of the scene when Goose plays the piano and sings.

Day 272

Jane's 84th Birthday

The occasion for our San Diego trip was the birthday of Chris' grandma.  We had the chance to tour her new home and to share in a wonderful dinner celebration.  In this particular picture, Jane had just been presented a tower of desserts to taste. 

Day 272

Wet Willie's

The View from Our Hotel Room

We flew down to San Diego (yes, our arms were tired).  Since it was rush hour time, when we landed, we toured around the Gas Lamp District in downtown San Diego.

Our first stop was at Wet Willie's.  As you can see, they had MANY frozen drinks ready to go.  I tried a mango flavored daiquiri and it was yummy.

Next, we had ventured over to Whiskey Girl for some dinner.  I opted for the tator tots as the side...I never am given that option and it was wonderful!  :)

We checked into the hotel room and I loved the view from our balcony.

Day 271

Let's Discuss Teaching

After spending three nights/four days at camp with 77 fifth graders and completing 30 parent teacher conferences which equaled 15 hours of meetings, I am on my soapbox about teaching...

I want to start by stating that I love my job.  I love being a teacher and cannot imagine doing any other job.  But, I am tired of statements like, "Those who can't, teach," or when people tell me how I get out of work at 3 and get so much time off.

Today, a friend posted the following on Facebook and I felt it was important to share.  I went into teaching knowing that I would not be rich but I sure know I am famous from touching the lives of hundreds of children.

Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit! We can get that for 1/2 of minimum wage. That's right...

Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day ......(7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 mins off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours). Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations. LET'S SEE.... That's $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year. Wait a minute -- there's something wrong here! There sure is...

The average teacher's salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Day 270

"I'm hiding!"

I know, I know...I could do a photo a day just on my pets.  But, they are too funny!

This morning, I could not find Dixie.  I was looking for her all over the house and could not figure out where she was until I heard some movement in the guest room.  There she was UNDER the foam cover.  By the time I got the camera she had gotten curious and peeked her head out.

Day 269

My View As I Check on Dixie in the Garden

Eating a Snack

Had to PULL Her Away

Dixie will eat anything...she has eaten half a red onion, corn on the cob (cob included), and kitty litter is her all time favorite!  

But she especially loves our garden's tomatoes.  I had put her into our fenced-in porch so that she wouldn't wander off in the open front yard.  And then, I forgot about her.  Well, she was busy...busy eating all the garden veggies!

Day 268

In honor of Parent/Teacher Conference Week!

Day 267

All That Meat for $4.80!!!

Happy Grievance Day!  A day to commemorate all the hurdles that have been thrown at us and that we have overcome them stronger, better and more in love than ever!

So to celebrate, we started off with a Happy Hour at T.G.I.F. (if you haven't been to their Happy Hour...go, it is great!)  Then we went grocery shopping at our favorite store, Fresh and Easy.  We found this package of different meats for only $4.80 (because the expiration date was that day). 

Day 266

Pepperdine vs. Santa Clara

Action Shot

On this sunny Saturday, Chris and I drove down to Santa Clara University to watch them play Pepperdine.  Chris was a part of the Pepperdine NCAA Championship water polo team in 1997.  

Each year we try to make it to one of the Pepperdine games at UOP or Cal.  But this year we made it to a different school.  

In addition to watching a good game, with a Pepperdine win, Chris met up with his fellow teammate who is now the coach.  Then, during the game we kept hearing the name of a Santa Clara player that sure sounded familiar.  Chris realized that it was a player whom he coached back at Amador Valley High School.  After the game, he was able to talk to his past player.  

It was great to see a game and to try out my camera with some action shots.  The sun was especially amazing after the long week in the rain.

Day 265

The BEST Ribs

For ribs that have meat which falls off the bone, use the following recipe: 

• Cover, but don't smother, both sides of baby back ribs with rub of choice
• Place ribs (meat side up) in ceramic or glass baking pan.
• Pour Samuel Adam's Cream Stout (or, if you prefer, Guinness Stout) into pan, at least an inch deep.
• Cover with aluminum foil. Let sit for a couple hours.
• Preheat oven to 320.  Bake ribs (in the pan, covered with the foil) for two and a half hours. Turn off heat. Let ribs remain in closed oven for another hour.
• Braise ribs over hot BBQ grill. This is "show time;" all we're doing here is putting some grill marks on the meat. Usually start with about three minutes on the bone side, and then three on the meat side. While the bone side is up, slather a favorite BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays). After braising the meat side turn the ribs over and quickly slather the sauce atop the ribs, and then pull them off the grill and onto a serving plate. 
• Observing the ribs one last time, make sure there is ample sauce covering the meat.  
• One final note: place a roll of paper towels on the dinner table--you'll need 'em

Day 264

Moving Out-Day 4

It sure seems like all of Walker Creek was fun and games.  I do need to take some time to mention the many hours I, and other teachers, devoted to giving out medication to students, dealing with homesickness, tending to the injuries, and dealing with the behavioral issues.  

BUT it is all worth it because the students...

• gain independence and confidence
• learn about nature and science
• cope with difficult situations, especially homesickness
• have the time of their lives

Day 263

In the Garden-Day 3

Caterpillar...A Fuzzy Friend

Barnyard Boogie

Now the pictures sure do not show the MANY moments of complete down pour during our trip.  I have never experienced so much rain during an outdoor ed week.  It all worked out but definitely changed the week.  

In these pictures you see the beautiful sunflowers...my favorite.  These flowers in the garden were so cheery and bright.  Besides the beauty, we also tasted some of the products from the garden.  The best tasting treat was the tomatillo, yummy!

While in the garden, the kids found some furry friends.  I did hold one of the caterpillars but had to also capture it with a photo.

Our day ended with a blast...The Barnyard Boogie.  The kids learned the chicken dance, the funky funk, some partner dance (which was WILD with cootie feared children), and then it was time for the limbo and free dancing.  I saw just about every kid having the time of their life!

Day 262

Walker Peak- Day 2

Turtle Pond

The Creek...Walker Creek

Among the Trees

Our Foxy Friend

Living in Nature, Two of Many Deer

Day 2 brought about a lot of hiking.  Margaret (a teacher that joined me) and I went all around to observe the students, learn the area, and to capture the moments with photos.  

We hiked over to Turtle Pond and on the way found a group learning about science.  Then we crossed the creek by walking the plank.  We didn't get caught in the rain, thankfully, but found some serene spots.  

After leaving Turtle Pond, we found ourselves in a new ecosystem amongst the mossy trees and ferns.  The kids were playing a fun game called, "camouflage".  Someone was "it" while the others would try to blend into the surroundings.  That "it" person would then have to find the hidden people without moving around.  

Then, we went back to Turtle Pond to witness some "mud baths" and the "Polar Bear Challenge".  During this challenge, the kids had to stick their faces in the water for five seconds, off of the pier...they loved it!

On the way back to camp, we found some critters.  Seeing a fox always amazes me because they are so much smaller then I ever imagined.  The deer we spotted seemed so use to people, they just strolled along eating away...very sweet.

Day 261

Walker Creek Ranch-Day 1

Time for our annual trip to Walker Creek Ranch.  

This year we changed it a bit...from a 5 day/4 night program to a 4 day/3 night program and we went a few weeks earlier than our usual time.

Arrival day was a success, despite the rain.

Day 260

Happy Birthday, Dixie!

Dixie is now a 9 year old!  

Every year we have forgotten her birthday, poor thing!  But, last night I found her "file" and saw her registration, stating that she was born 10/02/02.  

I investigated more and it seems that she was bought, as a puppy, and named, Chasey Love.  She had all the right papers.  But, two years later she had a new owner and was spade by them.  We were thinking that she ended up being too small to breed by her first owners' standards.  

Well, now she has us...the owners that spoil her rotten.  She got a hotdog with a candle for her birthday and got away with everything, today.  We sure love our Dixie girl!