Carolina on my mind.......

Summertime.....

2009-06-29T18:38:00.001-07:00

...is in full swing at Casa Barker. We just returned from a visit to Florida to meet my newest nephew...Ethan...born Jan 18th. He is such a cutie-patootie (he takes after his Aunt--ME!)

Noah is playing baseball for the YMCA summer league and having a blast.

Mike is enjoying his new summer gig.....

I just started 4 weeks of summer school....

And we are looking forward to the upoming Fourth of July holiday and a visit from our friends from Virginia, the Brittons. Hopefully our celebration of the nation's 233rd birthday and our friends' visit will include a Greenville Drive Baseball game, some pool time, a cookout or two and lots of fireworks.....stay tuned...I will surely blog about it before summer is over, haha!!

A few days at the lake with the girls......

2009-04-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well it is Spring Break despite what the thermometer says...it is in the 50s today here in SC. I have great dreams of grandeur for the rest of the week..we'll see how much I actually get accomplished.

Returned yesterday from a few days at the lake with my girlfriends from Virginia. It was a great weekend...despite the rocky start. We all arrived Friday afternoon at different times from different locations (suburban DC, Virginia Beach, Jacksonville, NC and me from G'ville).

When a few of us met up to pick up the keys to our cabin, we were told that the previous tenants (a group of fishermen in for a local tournament) had not vacated the premises at 11am that morning as they were supposed to. In fact, the maid had been waiting outside the cabin since 10:30am and at 2:30pm they were no where to be found, and the cabin was full of their stuff.

Our realtor finally reached one of them by cell phone and told them they "needed to get their junk out." This apparently angered them because 2 hours later there was still no sign of them. By this time, everyone in our party had arrived and we were not happy. We tossed around the idea of going to get a drink and waiting them out. But common sense told us that despite our desire to start Happy hour, we needed to make sure we had a place to sleep that night.

So we trekked back to the rental office, and tried to find a solution. Fortunately, our agent was able to find another rental for us...and finally we were headed to our place.

Having seen both properties, the one we ended up in was WAAAYYY better than the one we had rented..more spacious, just perfect!!

Once we got settled in, the wine began flowing freely, we had a nice dinner and stayed up way too late catching up on each other's lives.

On Saturday we did a tour and tasting at Rosemont, a local winery, did a little shopping, and then back to the house for appetizers and drinks. We had all intention of heading out for an early dinner, but once again, our chatting went later into the evening than we planned, and since we were in a small lake town during the off season, we had trouble finding a place to dine later that night. We ended up at a Cracker Barrel of all places but that was fine.

Sunday the weather was gorgeous so after brunch we headed out to the deck and enjoyed the sunshine..too much. Most of us ended up with a wicked sun burn. But it was so much fun to relax, and enjoy the sun and conversation. Later that afternoon two of the girls had to head home (and back to reality). The remaining three of us had a relaxing evening (and more wine)..then headed out on Monday morning for our own return to reality. While I missed my family it was great to gather with friends and relax for a few days.

I have know these women for about 17 years and over that time we have married, changed jobs/careers, had kids, moved, bought/sold houses, etc. But somehow we have remained frends despite our lives beign so drastically different than they were when we met. And a few days away together once a year allows us to continue to remain friends, support each other through life and enjoy friendships that continue to stand the test of time.

Manic Monday.....

2009-03-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is 4 days away and I am sooooo ready for it to get here. I think this week is going to be a bit insane...if today is any indication. First of all it is Monday...enough said, right? Well today I was supposed to be observed at school during a math lesson. Mondays are crazy enough any way, so I decided to get to school early to make sure I was over-prepared for my day. As I was unpacking I realized that I left my flash drive at home (yeah, the one with ALL OF MY TEACHING STUFF!!) I told myself not to panic and went into survival mode..I have backups of most of what I needed for today...so that was fine. I fired off an email to DH who was at home to have him check and make sure my flash drive was in fact at home..it was (if I had lost that...well, we don't even want to do THERE!). The folks who were supposed to observe me ended up not showing up (all that planning for naught....anyway, I gave my boys a DARN good lesson on data, surveys and tally charts!!!)

Then one of my "little darlings" who is a bit of a handful (strong UNDERstatement) decided to show out ALL DAY TODAY!! Working my last nerve....

At about 11am my phone rings and the afterschool coordinator asks me if I can sub this afternoon for a 5th grade class...SURE!!!

Well...there is light at the end of the tunnel...I only have to teach for 3 more days because I took FRIDAY off and I am headed to Lake Gaston, NC for a girls getaway weekend....so in 96 hours I am not going to be thinking about flash drives, observations or my little darlings...I am going to be sipping a margarita and living the good life with my girls.....

How do you spell slacker...S-L-A-C-K-E-R!!!

2009-03-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, go I thought a fire had been lit under me by my friend Kris, who I had been bugging since I met her to start blogging. She finally started and I felt compelled to resume my daily (okay, weekly, um monthly posts)...I had great intentions, but then life got int eh way and as I was updating my blog title and description for a contest I was entering, I realized i had yet again fallen off the blog wagon.

I got into blogging because we had plans to adopt a child from China, so I started a blog (they told me that was part of the process). Seriously. I "met" a lot of very cool people online that way through their adoption blogs. And I have to admit, I blogged on a regular basis then. But then we moved from Virginia to South Carolina and I felt like I needed to start a new blog to keep friends and family posted on our life here in the South. So that is how this one got started. Either I am really busy or my life is really boring because I just don't seem to have that much to blog about lately.

I still read lots of blogs each week- blogs my friends write, blogs from teachers, blogs from people like me. And they all seem to have more to say than I do, and their funny. So I am going to try each week to find something witty or humorous to write about. My life is funny.....but by the time I edited to protect the innocent ..not so much!!
So bear with me..it may be a bumpy ride, but by gosh..I am going to blog!!!

I'm Baaaaaack.....

2009-03-09T17:51:00.001-07:00

...okay, I know it has been a while. Too long really, but a lot has been going on....Noah has been keeping us on the run between sports, scouts, AWANA and school. And work (school) has been keeping me pretty busy too. But I FINALLY got my friend Kris to start blogging, so how would it look if I continued to be a slacker on here. I promise to return soon with some pictures and updates on our life here in SC...it is exciting...at least to us, but since YOU are checking out this blog you must be at least sort of interested, right????

Time to Ketchup .....

2009-01-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

...but so much has been going one, and it is hard to put it into words sometimes. Anyway, a few of you have hinted to me about visiting my blog and finding nothing. So here goes....

First off- HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I had these dreams of grandeur of posting this whole look bak at 2008...well you see how far I got on that!! Maybe I will do one for 2009!!!

Anyway, here's the latest. In case you have not heard...we are no longer adopting from China. It is a long story...and one I don't really want out there floating in blog-land. I am not quite ready to share all the details...but some day I will. Don't worry we are fine..we actually made the decision back in October and pulled our dosier in November. This month will be a little hard because our LID group will be getting their referrals. We will share in their joy and can;t wait to see all the pictures, and stories from China. But we know this is God's plan for us, and we are confident that we will bring another child into our family year, she (or he) just won't be from China.

We had a great Christmas, right inthe middle of a glorious 16 day break from school. We spend a lot of time in our pajamas, playing wii, sleeping late after staying up late, watching movies., eating way too much, and enjoying time together as a afamily.

Now we are back in our regular routine...school, church, work, Scouts, Awana...in other words..craziness!! Noah is gearing up for the Scouts Pinewood derby and AWANA also has a similar derby this month. Mike and Noah (well mostly Mike) are busy designing and building both cars, and testing them out.

We finally found a church here in Greenville after looking for more than a year. It is called NewSpring Church and we LOVE it. It is very different from our church in Virginia. For one thing is is HUGE!! There are over 8000 members on 3 campuses (Anderson, Greenville and Florence SC) and they are opening another campus in Columbia later this year. Our Senior Pastor is Perry Noble and he is AMAZING. He actually preaches at the Anderson campus and it we watch him through live video feed in Greenville. It was wierd at first but he is very "larger than life" so you don't even notice he isn't right there. I was afraid Mike would not go for the whole mega church experience but he loves Perry, has connected with his message and he is on fire!! We went to a membership class last week and have begun to get plugged into a home group and volunteering (Mike has volunteered for the parking team...and is secretly wishing they let him drive one of the golf carts!). I want to do something in the Childrens Ministry but after dealign with little people all week, I think I am going to work on the registration team, which helps sign in kids and get them to the right classroom. Noah loves it too...they keep him "highly engaged" and he loves goign each Sunday.

Aside from that we are hoping to make a trip to Virginia early this spring, and we want to resume our famiy beach trip this summer. We also need to make a trip down to Florida to meet my new nephew Ethan, who was born just this morning!!

Well, that is all for now....I will work on updating this more often.....

Love Patti, Mike Noah

Wearing my Soccer Mom hat....

2008-08-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

...Soccer season started again last night (yep, we have practices on Friday evenings) and I am going to be the team mom again this season (because I have so much EXTRA time on my hands, especially now that school is back in session!).

Noah is playing for the YMCA again- this season on the Cyclones. He is very excited, and we watched along with the other parents from the sidelines as he practiced. He has really picked up some great skills since last season. And he loves it, which is the most important thing. He got a chance to practice as the goalie during the first half of practice. He missed one kick and dove for another one and caught it. Fast forward to the second half of practice and another kid is playing goalie. This kid missed a kick at the end (the only one that came at him during practice) and a boy and girl on his team (this was a team scrimmage) came up to the goalie and started yelling at him for missing the kick.

My first thoughts were 1) poor little guy 2) ITS ONLY A GAME!! 3) Who raised these little brats 4) if that were Noah they were yelling at, I would have been out of my chair and kicked some 7- year old butt.

We were sitting between both of the coaches' wives and both jumped up to tell their husbands what had happened (they were working on skills with other kids). I am glad they did because if they hadn't, I would have at the end of practice.

We try and encourage Noah to do his best, play fair and treat eveyone with respect. Kind of a no brainer when you are a parent..obviously these kids parents were absent the day they taught that in Parent School.

His first game is next Saturday! Go Cyclones!!!!

3 Word Sunday

2008-08-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

...it's official. We are back in school, both Noah and I. Tuesday was the first day back for the kids and it is safe to say, we were all exhausted Tuesday night (and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)....

I am excited about the new school year. I have 13 students and they are all boys!! I knew about that already. They are great kids, but each has their own quirks (as do I). Our first 4 days together (and now it looks like Day 5 too) were "Textbook Free, " where we were supposed to spend our days going over rules and procedures, and building a sense of community. So far, so good. We did have a few minor rule violations, but I tried to roll with it, knowing it was just the first week.

Noah is in an all boy 2nd grade classroom and he is really enjoying it. One of my teacher friends also has her son in that same classroom. We are hoping they will become friends like us. Noah has a wonderful teacher but what he is most excited about is the SOAR bucks he is accumulating. Our school does a Positive Behavior System school-wide called SOAR and kids get paper money "bucks" for doing good things...then they get to spend them in the SOAR-store buying goodies (ie junk they play with for 30 minutes then lose or break). It is a great program, and Noah is collecting his bucks!!! I am enjoying having him at school with me. He says he is a little bored but I am sure once they hit the books this week that will change.

Here is a picture of Noah and Ella on the 1st Day of school. Ella was wishing Noah a good first day and Noah was reassuring Ella he would be home that afternoon to play with her.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

2008-08-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

I love to read, and those who know me well know this about me. As a child I was always an avid reader and now that I am a Mom and a teacher I try and pass on my love of reading to my son and my students. When I came across this opportunity to read and review this book, The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson, I knew I wanted to to do this!! The preliminary info about this book hooked me, as it is geared toward boys. Boys tend to lose interest in reading as they reach 3-4 grade and this book is sure to lure some of them back!!!

I read the entire book the first weekend after I received it in the mail (only 272 pages). I enjoyed it so much that I decided to read this book to my 7 year old son as part of our bedtime routine each night (I know some of you are asking why I would read a book about aliens to a 7 year old as a bedtime story....you know your child, so guage if you think it might casue nightmares...it didn't for mine) . Each chapter in the book is about 3-4 pages long so we started out reading 1 or 2 chapters a night and by the 3rd night, my son was hooked and begging me to read more!! I think the length of the chapters will be a good selling point for struggling readers. They will read aq chapter or two and feel like they are making real progress in this novel.

The best part of this book is not the chapter size, it is the story. It is about a young boy who has superpowers..the powers to make figments of his imagination real, as well as manipulate himself into time, places and things. And he uses these powers for good...to hunt aliens....who live here on among the human race. My son loved the fast pace of the story and the detail Patterson uses to describe these aliens and Daniel's adventures. I think boys will relate to Daniel because they often see themselves as superheroes, as protectors and adventurers. There is just enough grossness in the battles scenes between Daniel and these aliens to draw these boys in and keep them hooked throughout the entire story. By the end my son and I were cheering out loud, wanting Daniel to triumph over evil and save the world.

If you like a good alien story, or have a boy who is losing interest in reading...check out The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson. There are enough twists and turns, with a little "on the edge of your seat" excitement thrown in to rival any video game or thrill ride.

BlogHer08 Swag Box

2008-08-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

I wanted to go to BlogHer08 this year, but it was not in the cards (or the budget). I followed tons of Mom Bloggers who went including Sarah who drove across country with 3 other moms and blogged the whole thing, and also Kristin who writes one of the funniest blogs I have ever read.

So I almost felt like I was there....ALMOST.

Then about 2 weeks ago I received an email from Amy at BSM Media. BSM markets to Moms, (and especially Mom Bloggers). Seems they had lots of swag left over from BlogHer08 and wanted to share it with those of us who couldn't go. FREE STUFF..sign me up....

So this morning the mailman delivered my box-o-goodies. Here is what I got....2 Disney Vacation Club Planner kits (yes, two- so if you want my other one, let me know. I share well with others!!!), plus a Disney Vacation Club luggage tag and lip balm, A Precious Moments Figurine, plus two cool Precious Memories books, a certificate for a free month's membership to Time 4 Learning(which I plan to use in my classroom), a certificate for $250 off the program fee for Cultural Care AuPairs, Two Kung Fu Panda Activity kits from HP, AND 60 FREE prints from HP as well, plus Tasters Choice Coffee Samples, brochures from some cool companies including Cookies by Design and Tail Wags (a company that makes the cutest bike helmet covers). I also received a free copy of All You magazine. I cant wait to dive into that one this afternoon while I am sitting by the pool.

Thanks BSM Media and all the companies that contributed free stuff. Hopefully next year I can make it to BlogHer and pick up my cool swag in person!!!

This is what we'll be doing at 7:30 tonight!!

2008-08-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

...watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics (from home of course!!!). We have been excited about the 2008 Olympics in Beijing since we started the process of adopting Maddy from China (over 3 years ago). Since tonight's broadcast is taped, due to the 12 hour time difference, I resisted the urge all day to look at photos from the event that were quickly posted
on the Internet.

I am excited about being able to visit some of the Olympic venues in Beijing when we travel to get Maddy. I really want to see Birds Nest stadium, where the Opening/Closing Ceremonies are being held. Travleling in a few months should make that easier. I know from at least one person who was in Beijing in the past 2 weeks that you have not been able to get close to the venues (especially Birds Nest stadium) due to security being so tight.

So we are having stir-fry and dumplings for dinner tonight ...and we'll be cheering on the U.S. athletes and enjoying the show.

3 Word Sunday- Going 2C Friends

2008-07-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Today we are taking a mini-Road Trip up to Charlotte to see 3 families we used to go to church with in Virginia: The Clarkes, the Dunphys and the Cochrans. The Dunphys and Cochrans moved to NC before we moved here, and the Clarkes live in MD. Nikki and her girls lived across the street from us in our first home in VA. She is the reason I went to All Saints. All our kids were much younger when we met (many of them still in diapers), and there have been 3 new additions in the last few years.

We are looking forward to a great afternoon of food, fun and fellowship. I will post pics later this week!!

Schools Out For Summer

2008-07-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

...now I know you are scratchng your head saying "Didn't school get out in June?"

Well some of us (well, ME) are INSANE and signed on to teach summer school. Yep. I have spend my days (Monday-Thursday) with a bunch of 3rd graders (soon to be 4th graders). Yes, I need my head examined, because now, I have exactly 18 days until I have to report back for the new school year.

My incentive was the pay of course---needing desperately to build up the "China Fund" since we are (finally) getting closer to getting our referral for Maddy (have you read my other blog??? Waiting for Maddy ) After Uncle Sam got his grubby hands on my summer school paycheck, it hardly seemed worth giving up relaxing days by the pool, eating bonbons and other things teachers do on their summer vacation.

So today, our summer school principal (not our usual principal-whom I adore) had the great idea to do a fun day for the final day--where the kids would rotate between a water/field day, a movie and a dance, spending about an hour at each event. Surprisingly it went off well, considering that 24 hours ago we had nothing organized (like filling 400 water balloons- "sure we'll get right on that!"). Oh, and there was the dance, which I was put in charge of organizing the music for (why, because I am so hip to what kind of music 5-11 year olds listen to)..I can tell you--these kids are cultural deprived...they didn't know YMCA, BrickHouse, or Funkytown, and if one more kid asked me to play the Cha Cha Slide (for the 40th time)...UUUGGGHHH!! Now, I cant get Hannah Montana's Rock Star or We're all in this together from High School Musical out of my head.

So whatever will I do with my 18 days..vacation??? nope, relaxing??? nope, sitting by the pool??? MAYBE...plus lots of organizing, reading (some for fun, more for school), sleeping late...and maybe eat a few bonbons!!!

3 word Sunday

2008-07-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Our nephew Jacob recently became a Marine. He is a great kid and has always wanted to become a cop like his uncle Mike (my husband). The USMC offered him the opportunity to become an MP and he signed on, knowing that he would see combat at the completion of his training. He is completing training to fulfill this dream and will assigned a permanent duty station shortly. After that, he has already been told to prepare to deploy to Afghanistan. We are very proud of him, and are praying for his safety as he trains and prepares for deployment.

He has grown up alot and we are very proud of him!!!

3 Word Sunday

2008-07-13T15:47:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It has been almost a year since we left Virginia, leaving family and friends, and our church. It is hard to put into words how hard it was to leave our church behind..it was home, family and friends all rolled into one. Our church was a very family-friendly, warm, spirit-filled place.

This week, andother family from our old church is preparing to leave. They are going to Belgium for 3 years. All of the Moms from the Moms group submitted recipes and one of the Moms created a beautiful digital cookbook complete with photos as a keepsake for this family. It made me realize how much I miss our old church and the friends we made there. Fortunately for us, we can drive back for a visit...and plan to next month. Blessings and hugs to our friends at All Saints!!

Looking for answers.....

2008-07-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was not going to post about this, but after returning to school today, my heart is still aching, I am still angry and I need to let go of this before it turns my heart to stone.

Last Monday, an 8 year old student from the school I teach at was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a 14 year old neighbor!!! Dy'Mia Janae Woody was not my student. But I knew her. We were not close, but she knew who I was and I immediately recognized her when her picture flashed on the screen last week, announcing her death.

When I woke up last Tuesday morning the news was on, and I heard a reporter say the body of an 8 year old girl had been found in an abandoned mobile home off Old Grove Road. I knew immediately that she was "one of ours," as we often refer to children in our school community. My fears were confirmed less than an hour later when I received an email from my principal.

We had the week off from Summer school last week for the 4th of July holiday. Had I been at school, the news couldn't have been any harder to take. I watched the news constantly and checked my school email for any news. My husband (a retired cop) and I watched an interview of a 14 year old neighbor of Dy'Mia's who had been one of the last to see her Monday night. My husband's radar immediately went up and he said "that kid either did it, or knows who did." By Wednesday, a suspect (the same 14 y.o. boy we watched being interviewed) had been named, and arrested. More details of her death trickled out later in the week as well as information about the funeral plans.

I was scheduled to go out of town over the 4th of July holiday, so when I heard the funeral would be on Saturday when I was still out of town I was sad to know I would not be there to give my condolences to her family, and be there to support my colleagues who knew Dy'Mia, and represent our school to the community.

Word came over the weekend that a crisis intervention team would be there to assist students and staff when summer school resumed today. I wondered how the kids would react, especially those students who knew Dy'mia. As I walked int he building, I was handed a letter by our principal about how things should be handled today. It was reassuring to be there, to be with our students, to hug them, to listen to them, to be the port in the storm they needed in their little lives.

Through this all I keep asking myself what makes a 14 year old do this to an 8 year old child. To any child? What kind of kids are we raising? My school serves a high poverty area of Greenville. Over 90 percent of these kids receive free or reduced lunch, they come from single parent homes, and are predominantly African-Americans or Hispanic. Their world is colored with drugs, guns, violence, sex, you name it, they have seen it. There is so much anger, and apathy, mistrust and abuse.

I went into education to make a difference in the lives of kids like these. Now I find myself so ill-equipped to handle it. When a child asked me "why did he do it" today, I didn't have any answers. I needed an answer too. Next week I will be attending a conference called "Boys in Crisis" as part of my preparation to teach an all-boy classroom of 4th graders next year. I need to understand where they are coming from a little better. So maybe I can still make a difference.

Rafe Esquith, one of my heroes, said (pardon me for paraphrasing here) that we can't save these kids, but we can teach them to save themselves. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

3 Word Sunday

2008-06-29T08:42:00.001-07:00

Okay, chances are, I am not going to see Paula Deen, but I am going to Lady & Sons for dinner next weekend!!! I am SO EXCITED!!!!

We are leaving on Friday morning and staying until Saturday evening. I think Savannah will be a great place to spend the 4th of July. I have been to Savannah once before about 10 years ago and I have to say, it is the quintessential Southern town. Very old, very beautiful, very charming!! I proimise to post pictures when I return!!!

A Wedding--Togo-Style

2008-06-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Mike and I were blessed to be invited to attend the wedding of the Mom of one of my students today. This boy, (I'll call him J for privacy), is an amazing kid. He is a musical prodigy. Plays the piano by ear and is a whiz on the drums. He and his family recently emigrated to the US from Togo, West Africa.

Anyway, his Mom got married today, and we were among the invited guests. I was a bit surprised at how "american" the wedding ceremony was. I was expecting it to be full-blown African. But it was traditional, as weddings go.

The real treat was the reception. In true Togalese style, the reception food was prepared by the women. It was AMAZING!!! And I knew it would be...see, J's Mom had cooked for our class this year. She made traditional dished from Togo...and my kids loved it. So did I.

So I knew the food at the reception would be "the stuff". And it was. There were all different types of meats and rices. And one of the dishes was the same as one J's Mom had prepared for my class. It was tomatoes, peppers and onions, all cooked together with african spices. YUM! It was all so fresh, like they had left the wedding ceremony and gone home and cooked it right then.

Mike and I filled our plates full and enjoyed every bite. A colleague of mine and her husband were also at the wedding and K's husband enjoyed the food too. In K's defense, she is 7 months pregnant and was afraid to eat too much because she didn't want to get heartburn.

An these folks were amazing hosts! Everytime we turned around they were bringing bottles of wine, and champagne to our table. They even got a bit offened when we tried to clear our plates from the table. They truly wanted us to sit back and rela, and enjoy the festivities.

I wish I has taken pictures of the food (as wierd as that sounds)...I wanted to but I was too embarrassed. So I googled some pictures and here is what I found...similar to what we ate.

Beef and Onion

Wagash (Fried Cheese)

Rice & Beans

There were a few things I was not brave enough to try..like the fish heads. It was a wonderful afternoon and we send our thanks to Olivier and Valentine for their hospitality in including us in their special day.

Kung Fu Panda...a must see!!!

2008-06-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Summer is the best time to go see movies and I think that is why the studios release so many during the summer. What a better way to pass the day than to sit in a cool, dark, theatre to escape from the heat (and reality). We are planning to see a lot of movies this summer and I was excited to see that our local theatre offers free kids movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer. Some of the free movies they offer we have already seen..but we are not ones to pass up a free flick.

We saw Kung Fu Panda last weekend. It was cute..but not as cute as I had expected. Of course I will probably buy it when it comes out on DVD, partly because fo the China connection. My favorite part is the relationship between Po (the Panda) an his father, who happens to be a duck.

The movie doesn't really explain the relationship, but we assumed they were a "foverever family". Noah really liked it though and laughed a lot throughout.

I Heart Summer.....

2008-06-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

...sometimes!!! In the interest of time, this post is going to be bullet-style. Here is what I love about summer.

*warmer weather (duh!)

*no school (except for me this summer!)

*vacations (although we will only be able to take a short one, SEE ABOVE)

*the beach, pool, lake, etc (except the swim suit factor!)

*cool beverages on the patio each night

*dining outside

*grilling out (a grilled "dog" just tastes better!)

*BASEBALL (go Red Sox...go DRIVE!)

*sleeping with the windows open (except when the air is not stirring)

75 things I may or may not be able to do....

2008-06-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Reba---The Rules: Bold the things you can do and you leave in normal type the things you can’t. Sarcastic comments in parenthesis are encouraged.

1. Give advice that matters in one sentence. (One of my best...: If you have a drink, you’ll feel better.)
2. Tell if someone is lying. (I am a 4th grade teacher after all...and married to a cop..I have this one in the bag!!!)
3. Take a photo. (Note: the word “well” wasn’t used.)
4. Score a baseball game. (I do not have a clue how this is done..even after looking over the shoulder of a man at a Nationals Game who thought I was stalking him.....)
5. Name a book that matters. (Ummm, the Bible?)
6. Know at least one musical group as well as is possible. ( Do the Jonas Brothers count?)
7. Cook meat somewhere other than the grill. (Like in the oven or stove top? Yes. And for the record, I am not allowed to touch the grill)
8. Not monopolize the conversation. (Have you met my husband?)
9. Write a letter. (A long, lost art.)
10. Buy a suit. (Like a bathing suit? Going to do that tomorrow. Say a prayer.)
11. Swim three different strokes. (I could at some point in my life..not so sure about it now)
12. Show respect without being a suck-up.
13. Throw a punch. (my husband says I hit "like a girl..whatever the hell that means!!)
14. Chop down a tree. (I thought when they fell a bunch of guys race out with chainsaws)
15. Calculate square footage. (But can I teach 10 year olds how to do it...NO)
16. Tie a bow tie. (Fortunately my husband has sworn off ties)
17. Make one drink, in large batches, very well. (They call this a gift)
18. Speak a foreign language. (After six years of Spanish, all I can recall are a few words but I am learning a few of the "dirty" ones from my studetns..go figure)
9. Approach a woman/man out of his/her league. (With a drink, of course.)
20. Sew a button. (But really, that’s it. No hemming. No Halloween costumes from paper patterns. No curtains into clothes for the family.)
21. Argue with a European without getting xenophobic or insulting soccer. (Can I kick?)
22. Give a woman an orgasm so that he doesn’t have to ask after it. (Who is he? and what is he asking?)
23. Be loyal. (To. A. Fault)
24. Know his poison, without standing there, pondering like a dope. (His current drink of choice is Blue Moon.)
25. Drive an eightpenny nail into a treated two-by-four without thinking about it. (Is this the foreign language question again?)
26. Cast a fishing rod without shrieking or sighing or otherwise admitting defeat. (I have done it but not very well. I am a firm believer that seafood belongs in a tank that I cna order for dinner.)
27. Play gin with an old guy.
28. Play go fish with a kid. (I think I can win this one.)
29. Understand quantum physics well enough that he can accept that a quarter might, at some point, pass straight through the table when dropped. (Enough with the foreign languages.)
30. Feign interest. (Again, have you met my husband? KIDDING.)
31. Make a bed. (Yes, everyday. I prefer to only do it when I have just washed the sheets, whn company is coming, or if I am bored out of my mind)
32. Describe a glass of wine in one sentence without using the terms nutty, fruity, oaky, finish, or kick. ( How about YUM?)
33. Hit a jump shot in pool. (I cna;t even figure out how to play pool on Wii)
34. Dress a wound. (Isn't that what EMTs are for???)
35. Jump-start a car. Change a flat tire. Change the oil. (I CAN put air in tires. Just did that yesterday. Go me! Oh, and I know where the spare is)
36. Make three different bets at a craps table. (My time in Vegas is best spent at the slots)
37. Shuffle a deck of cards. (of course..)
38. Tell a joke. (So, a horse enters a bar)
39. Know when to split cards in blackjack (see above question regarding craps)
40. Speak to a seven-year-old so he/she will hear. (Not as easy as it sounds. And sometimes money and/or candy is involved.)
41. Speak to a waiter so he will hear. (See previous answer.)
42. Talk to a dog so it will hear. (Try shrieking..and I might add I am the most successful with dogs.)
43. Install: a disposal, an electronic thermostat, or a lighting fixture without asking for help. (that is why I got married
44. Ask for help (still trying to master this one)
45. Break another man’s grip on his wrist. ( I would suggest biting.)
46. Tell a woman’s dress size. (Look at the tag.)
47. Recite one poem from memory. ( DO limericks count??)
48. Remove a stain.
49. Say no. ( I have gotten really good at this. Ask my husband and the PTO.)
50. Fry an egg sunny-side up. (I have tried..to no avail)
51. Build a campfire. (Again...this is why I have a husband)
52. Step into a job no one wants to do. (You mean like cleaning up after the dog or kid vomit? I so qualify.)
53. Sometimes, kick some ass. (See #13.)
54. Break up a fight. (Sometimes it hurts.)
55. Point to the north at any time. (Again with the math. Ugh.)
56. Create a play-list in which ten seemingly random songs provide a secret message to one person.
57. Explain what a light-year is (as in Buzz Lightyear????)
58. Avoid boredom. ( this is why the Internet was created, yes)
59. Write a thank-you note. (Another lost art. )
60. Be brand loyal to at least one product. (Starbucks, Diet-Coke, Pop-Tarts...I could go on.)
61. Cook bacon. ( Does heating Micro-Bacon count?)
62. Hold a baby. (Duh.)
63. Deliver a eulogy. (Can’t imagine.)
64. Know that Christopher Columbus was a son of a bitch (Hello, didn't I mention I teach 4th grade)
65. Throw a baseball over-hand with some snap.
66. Throw a football with a tight spiral. (How about loose spiral?)
67. Shoot a 12-foot jump shot reliably (no clue)
68. Find his/her way out of the woods if lost. (Why would I be in the woods???.)
69. Tie a knot.
70. Shake hands. ( Not that I like to. Ew. Germs.)
71. Iron a shirt. ( Not that I like to. Ew. Work.)
72. Stock an emergency bag for the car. (Have had one since 9/11)
73. Caress a woman’s neck. (Again, I’m confused. I could tell him how to do it but I have yet to hear the song “Kiss the Girl” enough to cross the line.)
74. Know some birds. (You mean like personally? Because that would make me really crazy.)
75. Negotiate a better price. (Just ask my dry cleaner.)

Tina's Wedding

2008-06-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

We went to Florida last weekend for my baby sister's wedding. It was a quick trip (with a VERY long drive after school on Thursday)...but it was so wonderful to be with family, and to see Tina and Chris get married. Here are a few pictures...I am going to upload the rest to Slide and add here later.

Here's the bride and her son ...isn't she beautiful!!!

Tina & Chris Matheis

And of course my handsome boy.......

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Many in my family have served, and are serving right now. I have have friends who have served, and are serving right now to protect our freedom. We have been fortunate that we have never lost a family member or close friend in combat. That said, our nephew Jake is currently doing his training as a Marine and will likely be shipped to Afganistan or Iraq before years end. Take some time today to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom.

And may God Bless America.

Happy Birthday to me!!

2008-05-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today is my 4_ birthday (how is that for shameless self-promotion!) And how did I spend it (you mean besides blogging?)? Well, today was the first day of the PACT (Palmetto Acheivement Challenge Test) testing. So yes, I was stuck inside, at work, with 14 10 year olds who were forced to write (not their favorite thing to do--but like we all had any say in the matter). I did gets some nice cards and a gift or two from my students, lots of goodies from my school Secret Pal, and cards and gifts from Noah and Mike, and cards from friends and family. Not sure what is on the agenda for this evening. I do think a meal cooked and served by someone else is on the agenda (and maybe a few glasses of wine!!!)

3 Words -Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to me, my Mom and all the Moms out there!! We are Super Moms even though we are the last to admit it. I waited 35 years to become a Mom and it was worth the wait!!

It is the toughest job I have ever done, and some days I wonder how I am going to make it to bedtime!! But I love being a Mom, I love my little guy (who is not so little anymore) and I am thank God everyday for him. If I could fgure out how to transfer from the video camera to YouTube I would post the pinnacle moment of my becoming a Mom (not the actual birth- YUK!!)....my now famous quote (at least in out house)..." that was so easy, I am ready to do it again. Well, I am ready to do it again...7 1/2 years later, just waiting for the Chinese Gov't to get their act together and make it so!! God-willing I will be a Mom to Maddy before this time next year!!

PEACE OUT.......

3 Words Sunday- Happy Anniversary Honey!!

2008-04-27T08:04:00.001-07:00

Our actual anniversary is not until tomorrow but I wanted to use it for my 3 words Sunday post. Here is a look back....it has been a great ride so far...can;t wait to see what God has in store for us in the future

3 words....

2008-04-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Okay..my text came out too small. It says Wants 2be Goalie!! Okay, I know I cheated a bit (technically its 4 words!!). Noah joined a YMCA soccer team this Spring. He has never played before (he dropped out of Soccer camp 2 years ago!). It is amazing to watch your child blossom at something...and soccer is it for Noah. He used to sit and pick rocks/grass during t-ball and baseball games. Not in soccer. He is an active and willing participant. He loves it!! And he is having fun. Yesterday was his first "official" game and he played 3 of the 4 quarters. He likes offense better than defense but put in his time when the coach played him at fullback. You could tellthough he wanted to be where the ball was. He wants to be the goalie though. Every time the coach put in player, Noah asked to be goalie. So far, he has not had a chance to play goalie even in practice. I am not sure what the fascinations is...maybe it is because the goalie wears a different jersey. Who knows!!! I am just happy he has found something he enjoys!!!

3 Words Sunday.....

2008-04-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

...despite the fact that we really need the rain we have been getting here in Greenville.....I am sick of it!!. It wreaked havoc on our plans last weekend (Greenville Drive Baseball!!) Today is sunny (but cool). Yesterday--totally different story. It started Friday about 11pm with a huge storm. Saturday morning..more downpour. Usually, that would have been a sign for us to stay in, watch moviews, bake cookies, and chill out. But NO!! We had tickets to Carowinds with Noah's Scout pack. We decided to get a later start to let the rain pass. No luck! So we thought " Maybe the weather will be different in Charlotte (1.5 hours North of here)"..still no luck. We arrived at Carowinds during a downpour. When it let up we got out of the car and headed inside only to be caught in another downpour. Then we paid $6 a piece for rain ponchos and decided to brave it. The skies finally cleared and we had so much fun we decided to go ahead and get season passes. The one silver lining was that Noah had a soccer game yesterday afternoon that we were going to have to miss due to the Scout trip. It got rained out so he didn't miss it afterall.

Girl's Weekend Rocked!!

2008-04-05T14:12:00.001-07:00

I am a bit late in posting this...but it has been a crazy week, and I finally downloaded the pictures from my camera. Anyway, last weekend 4 of my girlfriends traveled to SC to visit for a "Girls Weekend Away" I had not seen 3 of them since we moved to SC last summer. The 4th one I had not seen in several years (we debated the last time the 5 of of us had all been together throughout the weekend). We ate, drank, reminisced, laughed, joked, and pampered our feet. I showed them Greenville (Falls Park/Reedy River were a hit), and we shopped, ate, and drank some more.

I am so grateful they were all able to come visit. We all met at the company we used to work for. At the time we met, we were all single. Now we are all married, with children (some of us with children on the way!!!). These four women are all so different, and I often wonder if we met today if we would become as close as we have over the past years. But I am so blessed to call them friends and I truly treasure our friendship.

Below are some of the pictures from our weekend of fun!!!

Happy Easter....

2008-03-21T17:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter. This picture was too good not to use for my Easter post! Hooray....it is finally Spring Break. I am looking forward to some down time away from school. We don't have any major plans....just some fun stuff planned throughout the week. We are leaving in the morning for Atlanta (just for the day to do some furniture shopping, etc.--IKEA and Trader Joes...here I come!), then back to S'ville for Easter. I have four wonderful friends coming to visit on Thursday for a Girls Weekend. I can't wait....I miss my peeps.

Happy Easter everyone....

3 Word Sunday.....

2008-03-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

...for Spring Break. It starts Thursday at 2:15pm. Yes, of course I know the exact time...that is when I will be putting my students on the bus and sending them home to their parents for 10 days!!! Whatever will I do with myself for those 10 days????? We are making a day trip to Atlanta (IKEA and Trader Joes here I come!!!), theres Easter, and then three of my girlfriends from Virginia are coming to visit for a long weekend. I am looking forward to hanging out, showing them Greenville, drinking some Margaritas and relaxing!!! And even though I am not going to the paradise in this picture....it will truly be a nice relaxing vacation!!!

Is anyone else as excited to see this as I am????

2008-03-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

I am a HUGE Dr. Seuss fan. Love all his books. Last week for his birthday/Read Across America day, I wore my Cat in the Hat hat and read my students oodles of Dr. Seuss books. We even made Oobleck in science.

I was really against it when I heard they were going to make some Dr. Seuss books into movies.... until I actually saw The Grinch and I thought they did a good job (especially with Cindy Lu Who). Now Horton is coming out this week and I am trying to contian my excitement. I love both Jim Carrey and Steve Carell!!! So this should be really good!!! Fortunately I have a child to drag along to see this movie so I don't seem like such a dork!!! Actually Mike and Noah are excited about seeing it to (not nearly as much as I am, mind you). So you know where we will be this weekend....paying way too much for 3 tickets and even more for refreshments. But it's Dr. Seuss....so I couldn' bear to wait until it came out on video!!!

3 words....

2008-03-09T16:33:00.001-07:00

This is the first week of the 3 word challenge.
Here are the rules:
"Sum up your week in three little words. You can sing it, you can say
it, you can write it, you can draw it. It can be funny or sad or poignant as
long as it’s honest.”

He's 7. He loves to run, jump, eat, play, explore, eat, laugh, sing, eat, draw, tease, joke, oh and eat. He's a neat kid--one of the brightest, funniest, most energetic boys I know. He's smart as a whip, great at math, becoming an awesome reader. Quite frankly, he's my greatest accomplishment. I am so proud of him...and he is goign to make a GREAT big brother.

Ho-Hum Rainy Saturday....

2008-03-08T06:06:00.001-08:00

....it's Saturday morning and I am faced one again with the questions "what are we going to do this weekend?" Since going back to work last fall, weekends have become a chaotic yet precious mix of running errands, family time, grading schoolwork, household chores and soon-to-be sports practices/games.
Today we woke to winds and rain so it looks like our day will be filled with indoor activities. Noah and I are on our own as Mike is doing some training today. Personally, I am ready, after only one cup of coffee and an hour of housecleaning, to go back to bed, snuggle in with some movies or a good book and then maybe catch a nap. Noah of course wants my undivided attention as he richochets between watching TV, playing Wii, building with Legos, snacking, and terrorizing the dog. I am only to be a spectator and companion, not a participant, mind you.

Reedy River Run 5K Today....

2008-03-01T10:45:00.001-08:00

...Noah, Mike & I ran (okay walked most of) a 5K today here in Greenville...the Reedy River Run. Now I have to admit, I am not a runner, but it raises money for our beautiful Reedy River which is hands down, one of the BEST attributes Greenville has. The 5K took us though neighborhoods near downtown, along the river, past the amazing Childrens Park and ended at the Liberty Bridge at Falls Park. We fell in love with this park even before we moved here...while visiting my folks a few years ago. Here is a slide show of pics (some ours..some borrowed) but pictures really don't do it justice!!!

We "ran" with about 90 people from Grove(the school I teach at) but there were over 3600 people between the 5K, 10K and Youth Mile races. I hav to download the pics I took into the computer and I will post a few later....

You are what you eat???

2008-02-08T15:15:00.001-08:00

If this is true...than this is what I look like...as an M& M!!!

Wii are family....

2008-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

I am not a big fan of video games...in fact I was very adamant about Noah not getting a GameBoy until he could read fluently. But friends of ours bought a Wii last year (and the hubs had a blast playing with them). The more I read about it, the more I thought it might be a good "family" purchase. Some reports have even called it the only video game that gets couch potato video game kids off the couch and active (the Sports Pack- which features golf, boxing, baseball, tennis & bowling- requires lots of movement). Once I was on the bandwagon about the Wii, of course I could not find one in the stores. So last weekend, I sat down at the compter, logged onto eBay...and began bidding. I admit, I got a little carried away as the prices started out low but rapidly kept rising the closer it got to the end of the auction. So finally, I bit the bullet and kept upping my bid until VIOLA...I won one!!!! It arrived yesterday and Mike had it set up before I got home from school. We played, as a family, for about 1 1/2 hours last night. And this morning after Mike left for a SuperBowl& Poker weekend with his buddies in Virginia, I was in the office grading papers at about 9am. All of the sudden I heard the familiar sound of Wii coming from the 3rd floor of our house that Mike and Noah's self claimed "man cave" I headed up to find Noah engaged in a game of Bowling. He is a natural!!!

So far today...we have played about 5 games of Bowling, some tennis, golf and baseball. He is also a natural at Golf too!!

Dad and Missy are taking him to the Circus this afternoon and I will have the Wii all to myself!!!!!Haha!

Enchanted

2008-01-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

..okay, I LOVE Disney movies!! I'll admit it...but since I don't have a daughter(yet), I don't pay much attention to the ones with Princess themes. When Enchantedcame out..I really had no desire to see it until it started getting RAVE reviews. So this afternoon, Mike and my Dad headed to the International Auto Show so Missy and I took Noah to see Enchanted. I have to say... I LOVED IT.. and not just because Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy from Gray's Anatomy) was in it.

Although he is easy on the eyes!! The story was not too over the top cotton candy fluff...it was cute but not syruppy. And in true Disney fashion...they lived Happily Ever After....go see if if you haven't already.
PS- As soon as I came home I downloaded the soundtrack into my iPod too..even the music was good!!!

I didn't sign on for this....

2008-01-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

Did you know that is snows in SC? Yeah, I was under the impression we were leaving the DC area and moving to SC for the balmy climate( and to get away form the traffic, astronomical housing prices..etc). Well, apparently we picked a part of the state to re-locate to that actually gets snow!! Go figure! What was our first clue (aside from the familiar white stuff coming down Thursday, or the trademark rush to buy bread, milk and toilet paper at the Super Bi-Lo Wednesday night???? There are mountains nearby. Mountains=higher elevation. Typically higher elevations get snow, right (forgive me..I was NOT a geography major). You would have thought that we would have figured this out BEFORE we moved here.

SO anyway, we got a SNOW DAY Thursday (Teaching does have it perks---hello...Summer vacation!!!). And of course, a 2 day delay yesterday. By the time school let out Friday there was no strace of it. But guess what???? It is going to snow again today. 1-3 inches. On MY 3-Day weekend?? Seriously?!?!?!

Oh, and here is the real KICKER....we don't get snowdays in our school calendar in Greenville County so we have to make Thurdays up. Kind of s#@ks but....we still have Summer Vacation!!!!

I have added some pictures of Noah and Ella playing in the snow Thursday..they reall y had fun!!! (You can click on the image to see all the pictures or a slideshow in FLIKR)

I am so JEALOUS.....

2008-01-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

...of Kristen at Mommy Needs a Cocktail.... she was this close to Mr. Big!! If you are a huge SATC fan, like me..you can understand my jealousy!! I told her I stole this picture and cropped her out but as you can see...I did not. And she just returned from L.A. where she was in the Baby Boom Boom Room (at the canceled Golden Globes) representing her business Baby Brewing which has the BEST shirts ever for Moms-to-be, Moms, Dads and kids. She rubbed elbows with lots of celebs too..but seriously.....SHE TOUCHED CHRIS NOTH!!!!

Check out both her blog (which I have previously dubbed "the funniest blog I have ever read") and her website...she doesn't disappoint!!!!

It's Snowing!!!!

2008-01-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yep, it really does snow in South Carolina..at least in our neck of the woods (aren't I starting to sound like a southerner???). The original forcast said up to an inch of snow turning to a wintry mix..as of 5pm today the forecast said up to 2 inches which has now been changed to 2-4 inches!! WHOOO-HOOO!! Can you say "Snow Day"? Our principal even got on our school news program this morning and led the kids in the "snow dance"!!! I of course had to join the masses at the grocery store on my way home from school...Bread..check..milk..check..toilet paper...check...chocolate....double-check!!! Hey if I am going to be stuck inside with a 7 year old all day (who will ask me a million times..."can we go out and play in the snow?????") I HAVE TO HAVE CHOCOLATE.

I will post pictures of our "big storm" tomorrow...whatever that turns out to be!!!

Good bye retirement...hello X3!!!

2008-01-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

Well, retirement proved to be too much for Mike so he accepted a position with BMW North America and started last Thursday. He is actually working for a subcontractor of BMW and if he proves to be hard-working and reliable (come one..ex-cop--I would say he is both!!) he will likely be offered a position working directly for BMW. He has been in training and is giddy with excitement that he gets to go on a plant tour on Monday and will be in the mix of it all full-time on Tuesday. While it is not his "dream job" of working at the Performance Center as a driver-instructor....they indicated he will likely be driving in some capacity (perhaps even driving the finished cars off the line, loading them on carriers, delivering the to the PC, etc.) Ask me if I am more excited about the fact that he is back at work or that he can get a BMW (can you say X3???) leased to him for next to nothing once he is hired on permanently at BMW??? Cha-ching!!! I may even have to agree to part with my mini-van....

Happy 2008!!!

2007-12-31T07:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am a bit early. But it is not like I am going to be on here blogging at midnight or anything!! I am in denial that I have to return to school in 3 days!!! Where did the last 11 days go...oh yeah, shopping, wrapping, Christmas, cleaning up after the holiday, you name it. Anyway, I wish you all a happy 2008!! Be safe if you are going out tonight...

I miss Trader Joes!!!!!

2007-12-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

Today I was checking in with all my friends in blog-land and one of them posted about Trader Joes (specifically about Candy Cane Joe Joe's) . I know we don't have one in Greenville, but I got on-line to see how far away the closest Trader Joe's was..and there are TWO in Charlotte. Can you say ROAD TRIP....? I know, it sounds silly but TJ's has some of the BEST STUFF!!! Gotta go......

House decorated for Christmas

2007-12-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

Kris- this is for you (and anyone else who wants to see what the house looked like when I finally finished decorating--Christmas eve!!!)

Gingerbread House Part II

2007-12-23T17:15:00.001-08:00

Okay- here is the grand slideshow from our Gingerbread House making this afternoon. Let's just say if Charlie Brown made a Gingerbread House this is what it would look like!!! Right now, Mike and I have a running bet on when it will collapse onto itself. The cats even look at it strangely!!! Who cares..we had fun. And that is all that counts.

Hello....Extreme Makeover Gingerbread House Edition???

2007-12-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, this has gotten way out of hand. About 4 years ago, I decided that Noah and I needed a Christmas tradition. So we decided our tradition would be making a gingerbread house together (pretty ambitious for a Mom and toddler, I know!). Mind you, we are not making the house from scratch...we buy a kit. And it is NOT as easy as it looks (or the directions say).
So every year around Thanksgiving, Noah starts asking when we are going to make our gingerbread house. Each year it gets later and later and closer and closer to Christmas. So the crafty vibe hit our house today (more about that later) so we decided, it was time to make the Gingerbread house. Now, those of you who know me well (even those of you who barely know me) know what that I am a) a control freak and b) a perfectionist. SO you can imagine the dilemma I face every year when Noah and I start this project. The Martha Stewart in me comes out and I want it to look worthy of display in Southern Living. The reality is a) it never looks like the one on the box, b) Noah has his own "vision" of what it should look like and c) I need to relax, have a latte and let the kid work his magic!! So I let go of my pre-conceived notions about what it should look like and we always have fun, even if it looks a little pathetic. And my hope is that Noah will remember how fun it was and that is worth more to me than having a perfect gingerbread house!!!
I will post more pics later.

The Funniest Blog I have EVER read!!!

2007-12-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

I can't even remember whose blog I was reading when I found a link to this blog ...but it is absolutely hilarious. It is almost midnight and I am sitting in the office reading it and laughing my head off!!! You have to check it out!!!
Mommy Needs a Cocktail

Little Known Christmas Facts...

2007-12-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, before you go thinking I am really clever..I have to admit that I lifted this from another blogger (I am a teacher after all, and we "borrow" stuff all the time)...It was too good not to post on my own blog, but at least I am honest enough not to take the credit. Enjoy!
PS- Krista- Have to show Kaitlyn, although it might give her ideas about rearranging your Nativity scene!

While the 3 Kings get most of the credit for bearing gifts and traverse afar, it was the 3 Princesses who did the packing, arranged for the camels, got the map (really King, you're going to rely on a star? What are your plans for the daytime?) and of course, shopped for the baby.

Another PS- Those of you who have children and Nativity scenes can relate....several years ago we bought the Little People Nativity,a long with the Little People Santa and Reindeer complete with sleigh, Christmas on Main Street, and the Tree Lighting..yada yada. Noah loves to interchange the pieces and you never know where the baby Jesus is going to appear...one minute he is sleeping peacefully in the manger, the next he is either riding in Santa's sleigh or perusing the bakery on Main Street!!

Isn't he handsome????

2007-12-09T08:48:00.001-08:00

Of course I am a bit biased...he was off with Nanny and PopPop to visit Santa and have his picture taken. He managed to convince them to buy him a bear at Build-A-Bear Workshop (seriously, this close to Christmas???) . NO, he is not spoiled!!! Not in the least!!!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas.....

2007-12-02T14:24:00.001-08:00

...even when it is 65 degree here in SC!!! Yesterday we went downtown for the Poinsetta Christmas parade. It seemed like everyone in Greenville turned out for the parade. Lots of floats, marching bands, typical parade stuff. And of course Santa!!

Is anybody out there???

2007-11-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

I know there is at least one person reading this blog because they told me they read it (note to self...write something nice about my ONE READER!!!!) Did you know that you could post a comment on my blog?? So what are you waiting for..go ahead, you know you want to...just click on people who read this and care to weigh in (at the end of the post)...and leave me a "shout out"

Belated Post: Cub Scout Awards

2007-11-24T16:06:00.000-08:00

I was going through pictures today and came across these from late October when Noah got his Bobcat patch (his first big award in cub scouts). He was so excited and PROUD!!! We are very excited that he is enjoying scouts so much. While we were selling popcorn a few months ago we met several proud moms whose sons had attained the rank of Eagle Scout. They were so nice and encouraging to Noah, telling him to wrok hard, stick with it, and someday he could be an Eagle Scout too!!!

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

2007-11-24T07:17:00.001-08:00

I got off "easy" this year since we are not quite settled in the new house. We had plans to have dinner at my Dad and Missy's. All I had to do was make the green bean casserole, bring the rolls and make a few desserts. Then Noah decided he wanted to help. He wanted to make chocolate cupcakes. So I baked them and turned the decorating over to him. I must say, as biased as I may be, he is a NATURAL!! Here are some pics from his baking adventure. And NO, that is not canned icing you see in the picture. Shame on me!!! But my Kitchenaid mixers have not been unpacked yet......

What I am thankful for.....

2007-11-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

..okay, I promise not to get too sappy, but I wanted to post before the craziness of Thanksgiving sets in (promptly at 7am tomorrow morning as I head to Wal-Mart SuperCenter to beat the crowd). I spent the day today looking at my kids (the 14 I have at school not the 1 I have at home), and wondered what their Thanksgiving would be like. Since so many of them live in poverty, I wonder if there will be a turkey and the trimmings on Thursday. I know that many will get assistance to provide a meal but it really made me reflect on how blessed I am. So here is my list if things I am thankful for....
1. My family (Mike, Noah and Maddy {wherever you are!!} and my extended family- parents, sisters, sister in law, brothers in law, aunts, uncles, cousins, and nephews)
2. My health (it could be better, but it could also be worse)
3. My friends..too many to name but you know who you are. I love you all!!
4. My freedom...and those who are and have sacrificed so I can live free (a big shout out to Msgt Steve Williams- husband of Kaarin and dad to Karl Henry..be safe and come home soon!)
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Zoo Camp with the Cub Scouts

2007-11-18T06:58:00.001-08:00

Friday evening we headed to Columbia to the Riverbanks Zoo for a Camp In with the Cub Scouts. The Riverbanks Zoo does this for all kinds of groups and calls it Zoo Camp. It was a GREAT experience. Very well run, the zoo is gorgeous, the boys had a great time (and the adults too). Aside from sleeping on a cold, hard auditorium floor, the trip was great!! We got to go behind the scenes into the animal "barns" and see the animals up close. We saw giraffes, grizzly bears, koalas and a hippo names "Montgomery (he was born in AL at the Montgomery Zoo). We went on a night hike and then the next morning after another tour, we were invited to stay at the zoo as long as we wanted. After a carousel ride and visiting a few exhibits we headed home. Noah and all the scouts in his pack had a great time. As a bonus, the zoo was hosting a VIP event Friday evening and had the zoo decorated for Christmas and their annual "Lights before Christmas" event. Santa was there too! We can't wait to go back and visit again. We will definitely plan on taking any out of town guest there as well.

Weekend Preview....

2007-11-14T19:39:00.001-08:00

..okay, I know it is only Wednesday but I am REALLY looking forward to the weekend. Why, you ask???? Here is my list of top ten reasons why I am already looking forward to the weekend on Wednesday....
10. After the weekend, only 2 more days of school, then Thanksgiving break
9. I only have to write 2 days worth of lesson plans this weekend
8. I am finally going to get a chance to cook in my new kitchen
7. We are going to the Columbia Zoo for a camp-in with Noah's Cub Scout pack
6. I can catch up on my TIVO shows
5. I get to shop for Thanksgiving food
4. My friend Debbie from Virginia, her son Alex and her Dad (aka Big Papa) are coming to Greenville this weekend to visit family and I will get to see them Saturday when we return from Columbia
3. I get to unpack more boxes (no time during the week)
2. The weather is supposed to be in the 60's
1. I get to SLEEP LATE on SUNDAY!!!

Reason # 643 Why we moved to SC....

2007-11-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

...my dashboard thermometer read "81" when I left school at 4:30 this afternoon. And its supposed to be 76 tomorrow!! A week before Thanksgiving!!! Temps should be in the 60's next week. Love it!!! Of course, I think it is supposed to get to 70 in Virginia tomorrow too!!

Moving in....

2007-11-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

The closing went flawless, the movers arrived a few days later..we have most of our stuff inside the house (some still at storage until this weekend). We have phone, Internet, utilities (still no DirectTV), and a new washer/dryer. Beds are made (well one of them)...and we are getting settled. I promise to post some pictures once it looks a little less like a bomb went off inside. We are beginning to feel like WE ARE HOME...and it feels good!

Noah Turns 7!!

2007-10-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is hard to believe that our boy is already 7. Some days it seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital.
What he has done in 7 years...
...learned to walk, talk,write his name, count to 100, ride a bike, read
...lived in 3 different houses in 2 different states
...taken 7 airplane rides and a cruise
...traveled to 7 states, and the Bahamas (and is ready to travel to China)
...lost several teeth, and scraped several knees

He loves to read, draw, play computer games, run like the wind, meet new friends, go places.
He loves Scooby Doo, Spongebob, His aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and parents and God.
What more can you ask for??? We are TRULY blessed!

Catch-up

2007-10-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

...yikes...I have not blogged in 14 days!!! That is because SO MUCH is going on. Since my last post, Noah has turned 7, I returned to Virginia for a quick but awesome trip with the amazing women of All Saints, and the entire contents of our Virginia house have been packed and are ready to be loaded on a truck to FINALLY be placed in our new home. We have 2 closings in the next 4 days, Halloween(for which I have not bought a costume for my son), AND move-in day. Unpacking will have to wait....

PRICELESS......

2007-10-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

Cub Scout Uniform $55
Hours of sleep at the campout 3
Hours Spent Selling Boy Scout Popcorn 15

The look on the faces of 6 year old Scouts when the fireman tells them they can climb all over the firetruck, AND get theri picture taken on the Ladder truck....PRICELESS!!!

My little guy is not a baby anymore.....

2007-10-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

..he is almost SEVEN years old! Yikes! How did that happen? And tonight he is going to his first real sleepover. There have been a few false-starts before...and we got a call at about 10pm saying he wanted to come home. I think this time he is really ready...and he will only be across the street at his friend Damien's house. I just watched him walk across the street...Superman backpack full of books, his toothbrush, pjs and some matchbox cars...and his Cat in the Hat blanket in tow!!!!

SOLD!!!

2007-10-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Finally..after 4.5 months we have sold the VA house. Closing is supposed to take place at the end of the month, with our closing on the SC house the next day. HOORAY!!! I thought this day would NEVER come!!

Schmooney Day at Heritage Park

2007-09-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

We are so fortunate to be living in a family friendly area. Our neighborhood adjoins a city park-Heritage Park, which is one of the most fantastic public parks I have even seen. There is a state-of-the art sports complex with soccer fields and 8 baseball fields that would make some Minor League Baseball teams jealous...two great playgrounds and a brand new ampitheatre. Thrught the year, there are Major and Minor events there. Today was Schmooney Day at Heritage Park. Who is Schmooney you ask? He is the Literacy Mascot of South Carolina and also the Simpsonville city mascot.
Click here and read all about him.

Anyway, we went to Schmooney Day today. Here are a few photos...

Our Cub Scout....

2007-09-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Finally...I have gotten a picture of Noah in his Cub Scout uniform. He is really enjoying it and is getting ready for his first Rain-Gutter Regatta this coming Friday. He and Mike are going to Camp Old Indian on October for a parent-scout campout on October 19th (I will be off enjoying a weekend with the women of All Saints -our former church in Virginia, at their annual Womens Retreat).

House Update

2007-09-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

We have ask for and received a extension on our closing for the SC house. We STILL have not sold the house in Virginia. We do have an interested party..who is already selling a house in Ashland. They want to rent our house until they sell theirs, and then buy ours (it is a long story, and to protect their privacy, I won't go into the details here). Hopefully this will work out and will satisfy our Lender. We should know something in the next day or so. Mike is still haggling with the builder over the back yard. They fixed the gully running diagonally throughout he back yard, but did not build up the common area enough so when we got a HUGE rainstorm on Friday night, the water all puddled in our backyard. Moms of boys(and or dog owners)....you know what this spells every time it rains...I get muddy footprints tracked onto my beautiful hardwood floors!!!!

Aside from that, the house is coming together. We did have some disappointing news that we were NOT supposed to get a seamless shower in our Master bathroom, and the one they installed was correct. Mike & I could have sworn we selected that option BUT the good news is that when Mike had the windshield replaced on his car last week (another long story..it was the BMW and you know how he is about THAT CAR!!!) he talked at length to the glass guy about seamless shower doors and the guy told him they LEAK really bad. So I am moderately happy about our choice...I can live with that!

I can't remember if I posted this or not before, but Mike officially retired on August 31st. He received a nice send off from his squad and received the Lt. Colonel's coin in recognition for his 22 years of service (proud wife here). He has had 2 interviews here with BMW, and goes for a drug screen on Tuesday. Hopefully he will get some good news re: employment with them in the next week or two.

Well, I better run. I am actually supposed to be writing lesson plans but I HAD to take a break!!!

Miss you all.....Patti, Mike & Noah

Our Crazy Busy Life

2007-09-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been a whole month since I posted here. That has to mean that life has been busy, and that is really an understatement. Since my last post, Noah has returned to school (1st Grade) and I have started my new job teaching 4th Graders. Noah has also become a Cub Scout (that is another post for later next week when I get a chance to photograph him in his uniform before his den meeting). We are adjusting to life in the South! It is a bit of a slower pace, the people are Uber-Friendly and that is SOOOOO wonderful. We have met a few folks (mostly co-workers, and neighbors). Our house is almost finished and we are scheduled to close on Sept. 27. We are fighting with our builder over the shower in our master bath. We are 101% percent sure we ordered a seamless/frameless shower and they installed a framed one. We are hunting down paperwork to prove we are right. Without that, we are stuck with the one they installed. And this comes on the heels of a battle over a gulley they put diagonally through our back yard. They finally fixed that and resodded the backyard (as well as replaced a dead tree they planted--it was not dead when they planted it but died later). Oh, and we had a leak in the roof above our front porch which leaked into the dining room and roiuned a section of our hardwood floors.
But enough whining....the house looks great and we are excited about (finally) moving in. Our house in Virginina still has not sold so we dropped the price (again) and listed it for rent as well as sale (a stipulation of our financing).
But other than that...life is good. Busy but good.

Berry Picking

2007-08-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

We went to The Happy Berry last weekend to pick blueberries with the Moms Group I joined here. It was SO HOT but we still had a ton of fun and picked about 4 lbs of yummy blueberries. I made blueberry pancakes the next morning for breakfast, and I am going to freeze the rest to make something later. It was alot of fun despite the fact it waas SO HOT OUTSIDE. I am planning on going back later in August to pick grapes!! It is a huge farm and they have all kinds of berries and grapes.
PS- The picture above is my favorite of Mike and Noah walking back through the fields after our picking adventure.
PS- I found this pic of Pooh and Piglet and it reminded me of the one of Noah and Mike!!

KidSenses

2007-08-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

We discovered a new Childrens Museum about an hour away from here in Rutherfordton, NC called KidSenses.From the website KidSenses, it looked big and cool. It was cool, but it wasn't all that big. Noah ran from exhibit to exhibit all in the first hour. Then continues to go back and forth between the Shadow Room, the Magnets, Bubble-ology and the stage. On the way there we talked about getting an annual pass, but after the visit, we decided if we wanted to go again, we would just pay the admission price of $5 a head. They did have a good rate on the birthday parties ($95 for up to 20 kids) but I can;t imagine toting 20 kids an hour away for a birthday party or asking their folks to drive them. Anyway, it was a fun day and here are some pictures of our day. On the way home we decided to take a detour and drive towards Asheville to see if we could find Mike's Grandma's old farm. We are not 100% sure we found it, but what we did find was our next vacation destination- Lake Lure, NC. It was cool...we are already looking into booking a cabin on the lake for next summer. Take a look Lake Lure

I Got a Job!!!!

2007-07-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a BAD day. I spent a lot of time praying and thinking about the alternatives if A) we can't sell our house in VA and B) I can't fnd a teaching job. I was pretty depressed, but continued to send out resumes and call schools. This morning the phone rang and a principal I had called last week wanted me to come in for an interview. You know how when something is God's plan, you just know it? Well, me goign in for this interview was definitely God-driven. The interview went great. The principal is AWESOME (and so it the Asst. Principal), the school is FAB-U-LUOUS!! Lots of technology, new, clean, energetic, yadda, yadda! Long story short- the Principal offerered me the job on the spot!!! WOO-HOO!!! SO I am now officailly a 4th Grade teacher at Grove Elementary School-

Missing Friends....

2007-07-30T17:01:00.001-07:00

The reality of the move has not really hit Noah yet. But it is coming. Especially since his SC friend Eli, who he met here last summer is moving in 3 days (to MD--go figure!!!). Anyway--saying goodbye to Kaitlyn and her family last week was hard. They have been our next door neighbors and friends for 3 years and Noah and Kaitlyn are like 2 peas in a pod. They are almost like siblings. I had planned to make a picture collage for Noah to give Kaitlyn but I ran out of time (add to the to do list). So here is the next best thing....I did a slide.com show of some photos of the 2 of them.

Marine Corps Heritage Museum

2007-07-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Very cool experience. Noah loved the displays, the planes and the weapons. The climate even adjusted in certain exibits (cold for Korean War scens/hot for Desert Storm).

The Farewell Tour....

2007-07-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

Even though we have lived in DC FOREVER (okay, I have lived other places, but Mike and Noah have not)...we never seem to do the touristy stuff until someone comes to visit, etc. So we decided since we were leaving for SC soon, we would do some touristy stuff. So we went to the new Marine Corps Heritage Museum near Quantico and also a Nationals Game. I will post pictures in a seperate post.

New House Photos

2007-07-11T09:43:00.001-07:00

Here are the most recent shots of the new house.

Welcome to South Carolina

2007-07-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends and Family!
As you know, we are preparing to move to South Carolina this summer. It is going to be tough leaving friends behind in Virginia but we look forward to our new house, and building new friendships in a new and exciting city. We invite you to bookmark this blog and I will try to post once a week or so to let you know how we are settling in.
PS- We have lots of room, so get out your calendar and plan a trip to visit.
Blessings,
Mike, Patti & Noah Barker