Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from February, 2013

POTD 02.27.13

We are all enjoying these. . .eating them about as fast as she can make 'em.  Marie was very specific, had a definite idea in her head of what she wanted to make. . .cookies with a caramel filling and chocolate ganache too.  We googled thumbprint cookies. . .and I suggested just cutting up caramel pieces and adding it to the mixture ( every caramel cookie we found on Pinterest used some form of candy in the middle. . .and she wanted to make her own caramel! ).  She knew what she wanted -- and the caramel had to be homemade, nothing less was acceptable. So. . .we found the thumbprint recipe somewhere online. . .and then I dug out my old Cooking Club folder and found how to make caramel with sweetened condensed milk and she used left-over ganache (Alton Brown) from my birthday cake for the topping. They are so, so good.  I'm really glad she stuck to her guns and created exactly what she wanted.  What a girl :) Any requests?  Send them on. . .she'll be happy to try!

02.25.13

TOO TIRED TO THINK.  That's what I said to Frederick when he asked me if I wanted a "small glass or big glass" of juice at dinner tonight.  I said I was too tired to make that decision. No picture of the day.  I knew I didn't have one about 8:15 and was just too tired to go out to the car to get the camera and try to find something to take a picture of. Busy day. . . 6:55 - out the door with all 4 kiddos because I have car duty this week 7:45-8:55 - plan time. . .get prepared for the day! 9-3 - teach, teach, teach. . .I didn't even eat lunch (catching up on grades and e-mails) and existed on left-over candy in my drawer until way after school. 3:15-4:30 - faculty meeting -- Thomas had soccer practice, I missed my tennis practice (and then I was told that coaching responsibilities trump faculty meetings -- who knew??? -- and so I was bummed because it was a *perfect* day to be outside on the courts!) *I ended up paying someone $50 to do my car duty thi

POTD 2.24.13

Can you guess what this is??? A Sunday night grading session.  And I had two great helpers this weekend :) I make it a point to take Saturdays off. . .but then Sundays usually look like this. . .on-and-off most of the day.  This was taken about 8:20 p.m. -- almost time for bed.  For anyone ever wondering. . .teaching is NOT an 8-3 job.  From 8-3 we t.e.a.c.h.   At some point we are also expected to write lesson plans, make up tests/quizzes/worksheets, run copies, grade papers (113 for every assignment I collect), enter grades into a database, justify these grades when asked, keep up a website, respond to e-mails, bus/car duty at least once a month which adds an additional 5+ hours onto the working week, if we want to take a field trip or buy anything we need to fundraise. . .and I coach (for free). . .grade state assessments because I'm told to (whether we're getting paid for that is still up in the air -- this is after-school time and not my subject area). . .and, in cas

POTD 02.23.13

They won!!!  After a very up-and-down season, Frederick's basketball team ended up taking home the 1st place trophy in their county youth league this year.  And I forgot my camera :(  I didn't, however, forget my phone (which I often do) so at least I have this.  Frederick was so happy. . .what was supposed to be an 11:00 game Saturday morning turned into a loss, taking us to a 1 p.m. game and a season win!  Here's a picture of their entire team. . .a good little group of boys. . .what is funny about the season is that we begged Frederick to play on a basketball team (just to keep him active during the winter) and he didn't want to.  Not Upward, City League, nothing.  Then, a day or two before registration closed Coach Bobby (on left) called Tom and asked if Frederick would play on his team -- he was allowed to roster up to two boys of his choice.  All of a sudden Frederick wanted to play -- and never missed a practice or a game.  He *loves* this coach -- he was hi

POTD 02.22.13

This picture was taken in my classroom, about 9:15 tonight (I was trying to get the clock in the picture).  Yes, this is the fun we have around here, in the middle of Tennessee, for sure!  I had to stay late to grade state assessment tests so Tom came to get the kiddos after work and take them to basketball and soccer.  After soccer practice (and a W for Frederick's basketball team) he picked up some pizza and they came back to school, where I still was, and we ate together.  I needed some help hooking my computer up to my board and the kiddos are happy when I have the computer cart because then they can all have their *own* computers.  Beautiful Marie was helping me grade :)  14.5 hours after I arrived at school today I left.  Onward and forward into the weekend!

POTD - 02.21.13

Thomas had a scrimmage with his U14 team against the club's U17 girls team.  That is rain that you see coming down!  And it was cold.  While 18 states, according to CNN news, were dealing with a raging winter storm this is what we had. . .I don't mind it at all :)  I only stayed about 10 minutes of the game. . .Marie was at her select practice and Margaret was at her Power practice and so we were running around keeping all the balls in the air. We're looking forward to a long spring soccer season. . .this is all I could get this night.  The boys won, 4-1.  Yea! (His middle school team had a pre-season out-of-town game on Tuesday and they lost so it was nice to have this win.)

POTD 02.20.13

I know, I'm way behind on this. . .so thought I'd just jump right back in and move forward. It's the little things in life. . .really, it is.  A random picture at a dinner table in the middle of the week.  I said, "I don't have a picture of the day yet, will you please all get together" -- and they did!!!   In fact, this is the second shot because the one with the flash didn't turn out as well.  My blessings overflow. Just keeping it real. . .Frederick was in tears within three minutes of this shot (it was late -- 8 p.m. maybe?) and after our meal was served Tom was between the two boys. . .but for this one moment in time I have an in-the-moment memory :)

Birthday Weekend

It is Sunday.  It is late.  This is the first opportunity I've really had to sit down and share. . .but it won't be much (sorry).  And I know I'm *really* behind on picture-of-the-day.  NO TIME these days. . .happy, full, lively days :) I turned 41 yesterday.  Not a very big deal at all.  But I love that the kids are getting older and *want* to make birthdays (even mine!) a "big deal".  Tom bought me a new point-and-shoot camera a month or so ago and I've been enjoying that.  It fits in my purse and I actually remember to use it most days -- ha! The day started with this: I couldn't really have asked for more!  I love, love, love sunshine.  It was just perfect.  I don't think we've seen much sun this week so it was just a beautiful way to start the day :) Tom sent the flowers to me at school on Friday.  The mess around them are the snacks and such from having some friends over Friday night to make wreaths. . .another post another time.

01.27.13 - Last Day of 3rd Grade

Our lesson today, our last day in our 3rd grade Sunday School classroom, was the 10 commandments.  Marie baked the cupcakes for me, Tom printed up the "flags", and I assembled everything.  We wanted to have something special for our 3rd graders today. This was our little class.  We usually had between 7-9 every week.  About half the size of our class last year -- ha!  Interestingly enough, they all seemed to be working and engaged in this picture.  Sometimes that's hard. . .to keep a group of third graders all on task at the same time :) I had cut out flags for each of the commandments and put them on the wall number-side out.  We first had the children tell us which ones they knew and I turned them over.  I remember last year we made it a month-long project to memorize them all (not in order) and then if they could get up in front of the class and say them they got a "big" treat.  Obviously we couldn't give a challenge like that this time but it'