Little Miss Sunshine

For the past month, or so, I have been blessed with 2 very SPECIAL house guests!

I love spending time with my sister - she's super generous with sharing her home with me, so it was nice to return the favor.

Addi was a fun addition to the party! She is truly a doll. It has been fun to hear her little phrases, listen to her mimicing EVERYONE, and watching her antics! She truly is a bright, little Miss Sunshine; bringing light wherever she goes.

The Cutest LUNCH on the Block!

So, I needed a good gift idea for my sister. She appreciates her accessories (as all women do)! I was invited to a Thirty-one party and had plans to order a lunch tote for myself, but then I had the brilliant, beyond brilliant, idea to order 2 instead - one for me and the other for Shawn.

Well, with Grandma's passing I couldn't attend the party. BUT - gotta love the Internet - I was able to order as if I'd been at the party. Shawn chose a white bag with colorful dots, monogrammed in bright orange. Here is my super cute monogrammed lunch bag (it only had a minor issue, but Thirty-one resolved it VERY efficiently, so no complaints)...

Feels Like Home

Grandma Dee passed away in late May and this post is just a simple look back into our dwelling places...

Well, I remember spending so much time in that little shop in downtown Phoenix. Grandma & Grandpa knew everyone! That store was theirs, arranged like a little Circle K...passers-by knew where to find things & everything was accessible.

Since we lived in different places, my family had lots of down time with Grandma & Grandpa. Time spent in their various houses, chating and enjoying a meal or coffee. Usually we spent Thanksgiving and part of Christmas together and her house always had the walking Santa ringing his bell and a little tree, with colored lights.

It wasn't until Grandpa passed away in 2000, that I really got to know my Grandma Dee--we reluctantly moved to CO at the same time and it was the first time I'd spent any extended time with my Grandma. Honestly, we were like roommates. We complained about CO winters, went shopping, ate Chinese, laughed, and learned about each other. Sometimes we went to a movie or just walked circles around Wal-Mart. Those first few years we shopped for everything to add that personal touch to our rooms and shared bathroom. Pictures, bathroom rugs with matching towels (straight pins), wall hangings, flowers, vases, potpuri, baskets, beds, dressers, bookcases, record player, chairs, YOU NAME IT! Grandma was estatic to move into a larger room & expand her interior designing...you could find her room anywhere!

In the final weeks with her she was so funny! She'd share stories and funny jokes...I think that's why even while she was in the ICU I didn't think she was ready. I mean, she was cracking my Mom and I up. Then Shawn came and they were laughing too.

I just remember Grandma talking about home. In the hospital and even once she came to my parents' house...always talking about HOME. I was like, "Grandma you're here" because I (wrongly) assumed she meant her room, at my parents' house. Not the case! She wanted to be home...with Grandpa & Jesus. In her heavenly home, her final and permanent residence.

I know heaven is the best home she's ever had! Many people will remember Grandma for her accessories and dogs...I remember those things too. I also remember that Grandma's house was always familiar, decorated in the same way no matter what address she had. Her house/room always had artificial plants/flowers, bells, teacups, and photos. She loved to move things around but no matter the arrangement, it always felt like HOME.


When I get there, I'll be sure to recognize Grandma's home - I can't wait for the reunion!

Books

So, below is the post I recently made for my graduate class. Post/comment books that have had an impact on your life...I'm such a bookworm & am always looking for books that challenge me, with characters I can relate to in some way.

Enjoy:

What literature influenced you at different times in your life? Describe each period of influence that you experienced.

As a young child, I memorized two books – Ferdinand & Are You My Mother? I remember really making a connection to these books, I truly loved those stories.

My grandmother was a teacher for 42 years. She had books everywhere in her house. I remember visiting her and feeling like I was in the library. In 4th grade she encouraged me to read Heidi. This book opened up the world of chapter books. I remember reading the following series: Ramona, Babysitters Club, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Narnia especially was an influence in the genre of fantasy, and introduced Christian allegory.

In junior high my parents required summer reading and visits to our local library once a week. Now these rules might seem strict, but I treated this time as a gift – my siblings not so much! I read all kinds of books Anne of Green Gables being one, but most weren’t in a series. I rarely checked out non-fiction. I preferred reading contemporary fiction, with characters that dealt with realistic situations. I remember checking out a larger chapter book and then asking my dad if I could keep it for more than the required one week, because I hadn’t finished it – he just smiled.

In high school I continued to devour books – I remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird, Inherit the Wind, & Of Mice and Men my junior year. I loved that English class. My senior year, I read Things Fall Apart, a novel I HIGHLY recommend. It influenced me and opened my eyes to another culture and how it was suppressed and eventually annihilated.

I had a hard time deciding on a major in college. I loved many of my undergrad classes. When I looked at my schedule and courses, I realized I had taken two extra literature classes than what was required. It took seeing this in print form for me to finally recognize that I LOVED literature, so English would be an ideal major. In college I read too many books to pick favorites (The Awakening, The Sound and the Fury, Great Expectations, Regeneration, many Shakespeare plays – my favorite “Titus”, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and the list goes on and on). I really enjoyed my Witches & Wise Women in Renaissance Literary History class – it was fascinating to read about witchcraft and the projection of that in history and literature of that time period. I continue to be amazed at how timeless literature is, how hundreds of years later it can still be relevant and contain issues that people still deal with regularly.I can say that I enjoyed every second of going to The Globe Theatre in London and seeing “The Merry Wives of Winsor” performed. It was so surreal, I cried…I know it’s sappy, but I LOVE BOOKS!

Yay for Creativity!

So I am a pretty crafty person. I am always trying this or that...hey, what can I say: I LOVE a craft project! And I come by it naturally...my sister, mom, and I are always sharing our creative escapades with each other.

My sister has been using "Pocket Books" in her classroom this year. I asked about them when she told me about them in Aug. or Sept. - but as any of you teach-peeps know, out of sight out of mind & I failed to get more info. or respond with interest, so Shawn stopped talking about it and the subject wasn't brought up again, until...

Now that I'm working on my Master's, there are a few more responsibilities as far as data & research are concerned. I do many of the things I've always done, now I just have to calculate and report out percentages of proficient students etc.

Well my action research project is about developing independence in descriptive writing by using small, differentiated groups. So I formed my writing groups, but to teach them I have to have something else for the kiddos-who are not in group-to do. Writing groups also run into my Science/Social Studies time, so integrating was ESSENTIAL for success.

So, who do I call when I need ideas & strategies...my sister!! She reminded me of the Evan Moor "Pocket Book" series -- I proceded to order Jan., Feb., Apr. - July. We're sharing...she has the others. So together we'll have the complete 12 month series.

Last week my 1st Graders started their first one...Famous Americans. And...they LOVE it! Today we started sewing bookmarks with their initals--to remember Betsy Ross. They know so much about her & because of the hands-on connections to making a 13 starred & striped flag & sewing an initialed bookmark, they have remembered EVERYTHING about this unit.

They are experts in: John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, & after Friday...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gotta love it when you see the light bulbs shining--so bright they're blinding me!!!

Any Takers?

So my mom received Amish Friendship Bread starter, and gave me one. I made the bread in a bundt pan & I LOVE IT.

However, it is a lot of cake for one person & now I have 3 starters to give away. Any baker takers? It takes about 10 days & then you can get started.

It's really easy & all it requires are baking things you probably already have:
eggs, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, & vanilla

Only ingredients that you might not have on hand are:
lg. box of instant pudding & add ins (chocolate chips, nuts, raisins)

I do have friends...just they don't seem to be baker-takers of this starter. It's really tasty...promise :0)! Let me know if you're interested...

Claustraphobic?

So I never thought of myself as afraid of enclosed spaces--elevators, closets, trunks, etc. Probably because I've never been locked in one!

Well, on Wednesday that all changed. Have you ever experienced that panic when you lose control & really aren't sure how to solve a problem?

I'm pretty sure that's what happened to me! I was leaving for work & my garage wouldn't open...the overhead motor was just blinking. I didn't start to panic until I pushed the buttons, reached over my car & reset the motor & it STILL wasn't working. Then I realized I wouldn't be able to leave, how would I get to work--how would I get my car out--did my car have to stay trapped in here? My heart started racing & I kind of freaked out--who was going to help me?

Oh, but the cord--THANK GOD for the pull cord thingy that allowed me the freedom from my beastly garage. It is amazing how little I stopped to assess a situation before panic ensued! I'm even more grateful that I didn't get in total freak out mode before I recognized that the escape pull cord was dangling there all along.

Oh and have I mentioned before ;0) just how FANTASTIC a brother I have? ;0) Called him on my way to work & he dropped by to save the day. He fixed my garage & my garage light--it was doing that annoying flicker thing (even with new bulbs) so he rewired a new ballast, which is MORE energy efficient--YAY for BROTHERS. Then Evelyn made dinner. Love those 2!