Where to begin??????

Well, I guess I begin by saying.....I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK TODAY! I really could have climbed back into bed and stayed there all day. I know I haven't done much for a week...but get real, 6:00 is way too early.

I decided to start with a post of the "Florida Kristin" as my friends referred to me as during our first trip to FL. I don't think I have ever had so much R & R time in one week before. Daily routine usually looked something like this....7:30 get up and have breakfast....8:00 coffee on the Linie (I know this is spelled wrong but it is the other word for screened in porch -- pronounced len-i)....9:00 sometimes go for a walk or go on a mini outing...12 lunch.... and then usually pool for the afternoon....dinner....more porch time (spent reading or doing Stidoku (sp).......10:00 bed (on the most comfortable mattress ever).

Now you know why coming back to work and reality is sooooo hard. I had it made in the shade for 9 days.....I had a cook (mom)....a housekeeper (dad).....a laundry fairy that I wish I could have packed in my suitcase (mom)....a driver (Konnor, Kirk, and Kraig took turns (ok, really they fought over who would drive it every chance they got!) with the golf cart). What more could a girl ask for?! I think I will pack my bags again soon.

We're Baaaack!

Just a quick note before I go downstairs to finish laundry and do homework with Konnor....I know 36 hours in the car and not 1 lick of homework done by anyone. It probably didn't help that the 3 boys were constantly on dramamine (sp?) for car sickness. Yuck! I will start officially blogging again tomorrow...I have lots of pictures to share. Glad to be back....even if it is freezing!

I know I've forgotten something...

I know that I have forgotten something....but for the life of me I can't think what it would be. I will probably figure it out somewhere around Georgia...too late to turn around then. I figure that if it is something that we can't live without I know where Walmart is in Leesburg. I was really hoping to go back and edit the 100th blog yesterday...but as you can see it didn't happen. I was lucky to make it to bed by 11:15 (really, really late for me on a school night)

Well, we have just about everything in the truck and plan to pull out of dodge around 5 ish. Chloe can't go to the kennel until 4:30 so I know we will be hard pressed to hit the road by 5. First stop will be Louisville Kentucky sometime around 11. I already have a room so we won't be hunting one down like we did last year. Tomorrow morning we plan on hitting the road at6 and driving until we are there... probably around 7 PM. We figure tomorrow night will be hot tub and fuzzy navels for us and basketball pick up games for the boys. They love going to the court and finding boys from many different states to play ball against. Probably their highlight of the trip.

Well, got to get moving. One more day of work....and it looks like it will be nice enough to get out of the gym some today. Thank God! I can't tell you how blah gym has been this month. The kids are itching to get OUT!

My 100th post....

This is my 100th post and I want to do it up right....I will have to wait until I have more time to edit it. I just didn't want Kevin to visit this morning and not have anything new to read....Have a great DAY KEVIN!!

Plastic Bubbles....

This is the over 60 water volleyball game from last year that was such a blast...watch out seniors, I'm in for next Thursday!

This is one of those times in life where I wish we could live in a plastic bubble. It just hit me yesterday at school, when kids were yacking everywhere, that what if one of us gets sick before we leave and then we can't leave.....what a scary thought. To top off all of my fears, Kirk and Kraig both came home from school with sore throats. (think it is sinus drainage though) Now this isn't a problem for Konnor or I because we have soooo much Amoxicillon in our systems right now, I don't think we have even the good stuff growing in our bodies at this point. I told the boys to stay far away from everyone....keep your hands out of your mouth and away from you face....wash your hands every chance you get....and by all means DON'T GET SICK!! I hope that scare tactic will work for us. 3 days to go....really hope it works!

We leave in 4 DAYS....YIKES!!

Can't wait to see Big Al again this year!

I always wondered how does such an overly organized person (like myself) let things get out of hand. Do you realize that in 4 days I need to have everything ready to go and it didn't happen much this weekend. I went shopping of Friday night with Kayla for prom dresses. Very neat experience...and to have a body of a 17 year old that hasn't been abused by motherhood...was rather depressing. We found many nice dresses and I don't think we found any that didn't look good. Saturday I went to a Tea at Jen's house to meet her sisters from Ohio. First of all, let me rephrase, Tea doesn't always mean hot brown drink...in this case it stood for Te-quila. Jen had all of the fancy china, table clothes, candles, and plenty of Tea. It was a hoot listening to those sisters talk. I really think that there is some special bond between sisters (not that I don't totally LOVE my brother!) Their mannerisms were the same, their parenting was similiar, it was just a belly splitting time. Still trying to get over strep...those to activities just about did me in....Kirk and I watched a movie with Konnor (Chicken Little) and then went to bed. Sunday, I picked up, did laundry (surprise there I know), did the shopping, and then came home to organize and started pulling a few things together. Soooo....tonight it is hurry up and PACK!!

Got some SERIOUS packing to do!

Yikes, time flies when your having....life! I can't believe that in 5 days we will be rolling out of Hillsdale for what I hope will be a fun packed week of R&R. I just checked the weather and it looks like we should be basking in the sun most of the week with temperatures in the high 80's. I sure know I'm ready for warmer temps. and blue skies.

What on earth was that white crap falling from the sky yesterday? The flakes were so big, I thought they looked like snowballs falling from the skies. Enough is enough!

I think I will try to get somethings packed today. I am always packing too much and I hate it. Thank God mom and dad have a washer and dryer, so laundry isn't an issue. I can at least wash and have the boys rewear their shorts and t-shirts. Well, better get a move on. Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend.

It's Friday and I'm ready for work!

Shirley and I tooling around in Dad's new ride...I could seriously drive this golf cart around Pennbroke all day! I wonder if there is a tour guide position open?

Hmm...wouldn't you know it...I finally feel like I can tackle this work thing and it's Friday. Oh well, better luck next week. I did work Monday and Tuesday, so I guess it wasn't a total wash. I sure hope my kids are good today. Still a little tender when I swallow or talk, but not achy, temp., and whatever else I was feeling. I am hoping to play on their sympathy a little today. It will probably work with my older classes, but the younger one's won't give a rip. (even though they're the ones that I'm always coddling when they get a "tiny" boo-boo)

Well, tonight I get to go prom dress shopping. I am really looking forward to it. (No little Kirk is not cross -dressing these days) Kayla has asked me to go with her to Lansing to look at dresses. I figured it might be the last time I ever get asked to do something like this, so I should probably take advantage of it. If nothing else it will be fun to just hang out with "just" her for a bit. Well, I'd better get moving for work. Have a great day! K:)

I would rather be ...

I'd rather be soaking up the sun in a hot tub in Florida, than where I am today. Yuck! Day 2 of staying home with strep. I probably could have forced myself to go because I don't feel as bad as I did yesterday. It only hurts to swallow and talk....oh yeah, you have to be able to do both of those things to teach 175 kids gym in one day. MY BAD?! I found out this morning, when I dropped off my lesson plans, that the aides covered my classes yesterday by showing them movies in the Music room. Boy, doesn't that make you feel important. If another person tells me that what I do is important...I'm gonna scream! (maybe only whisper today) If that doesn't shout "Glorified Babysitter" ...I don't know what does. As long as the teachers get their 40 minute prep, who cares what they are doing. Just GREAT! Hopefully there will be a sub for me today....

I wouldn't do that if I were you.....

Sharing a straw with me would be a horrible idea today. I never went to sleep last night (until 5:00 AM) and woke up with really bad case of strep. The doctor said there was so much strep on the swab it ran across the counter by itself. Gross visual I know. Konnor had been complaining of an ear ache...so I took advantage of not feeling well myself and took the day to take us both to the doctor. Konnor has a cold and an ear infection. He didn't want to go to school after our appointment so his dad said he had to take care of me. Actually....he could have just left me to rot on the couch and I would have been happy. We are on movie #3 and not enjoying it much. He definitely doesn't know how to sit. He did however make me Chicken noodle soup by himself for my lunch. Pretty cute?! Well, I have just used all my energy typing this little blog and need to go lay back down.

Florida bound....

I know it was only a few short weeks ago that I was starting the last count down to Florida, but here it goes again. 10 days and counting....I just about can't stand it! Every morning Konnor says I wish we were leaving for Florida today....I know the feeling. This time I'm going to sit by the pool in the warm sunshine instead of huddling around the hot tub just to stay warm. Everytime I talk to Dad he says he is sitting in shorts and a tank top. One day they actually had the nerve to say it was a little too warm. Bring your tan bodies back to freezing Michigan and I bet you won't say that. 2nd day of springs forecast calling for snow flurries.....YUCK!! Have a great day and keep thinking Happy Spring thoughts.

PS Beth the plants are poking through down here too. We actually put up an electric fench around our landscaping to keep Chloe from eating any more bushes. We are hoping it is a temporary fix.

Weekend Update...

It is pretty sad when you have to go back to work just to get a break....what a weekend?! Kraig finished his basketball tournament up on Saturday. It was definitely ugly. I think this picture about sums up the last game....please don't score AGAIN and please let this end SOON! They played two very good teams that play all year together. That is the problem with a "tournament" team. You don't play enough together to really know what everybody is capable of doing. Kirk came home from Festival extremely pumped. This was the first time that Mr. Boswell has had an eighth grade choir get all 1's. He is even thinking about taking them to State Festival this year. I am sorry we didn't go now. They only sing for 5 minutes to the crowd....we went last year but decided not to this year. Konnor spent the entire weekend riding dirt bikes with his buddy Drew and helping the neighbors in their barns. He NEVER stops!! Thank God we have such patient neighbors because, quite frankly, Kirk and I need a break every now and then. Most of Sunday was spent doing HOMEWORK. The end of the marking period is Friday, so the crunch is on. Well, better get a move on....have a great day!

PS Thanks Kevin and Shirley for going to grandma's saturday. I finally remembered to call her last night when it wasn't Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune time. She sounded happy to have "good" hair. Now I just need to tend to the pedicure. My BAD!

Puppy Love?!

I needed to post something warm and fuzzy this morning because my mood is anything but that. Konnor and Chloe watching TV the other night. Not posed, but how cute. We went from Kraig's basketball tournament at 6:10 (they won) to Kraig's talent show at 7 (got 3rd place) to home by 9. Now we are up, had breakfast, 2 teenagers showered and dressed for their concert (now doing homework), 1 grumpy 7 year old in the tub, and a 11 year old MIA- (but I think he is still eating). We are off to Kraig's tournament games in Reading and the teens are on their way to Okemos for Choir Festival. We need to get to Sam's sometime today and the laundry is a mile high (mostly clean in baskets). So...needless to say...I'm not in the best mood! Hopefully I will feel better once everyone is at their destination and I can soak up a little sunshine. Hope your day is HAPPY!

Now I know why I was a cheerleader....

I definitely know why my HS career was spent as a cheerleader. I can't play basketball to save my soul. The only thing I can do on the court with any kind of success is play defense. I didn't even end up on my back last night...which is a plus. I did, however, dive out of bounds after a ball and took a 5th grader with me. Oh yeah, then there was the time that I almost crushed another 5th grader by sitting(falling) on him. Thanks to Mrs. Flynn, I was saved that embarrassment. I could see the Daily News headlines...."Gier PE teacher sends one to the hospital after crushing him under her fall". Of course they would probably put a picture of Godzilla in the article too. The teachers came out victorous in the end. We always wait to see how they act and then decide if they will win or loose. They had started talking smack early yesterday morning, so they were pretty much going to loose all along. Sometimes you have to take those extra precautions to make sure they learn a lesson in sportsmanship.

No WAY!

The minute Anne's camera flashed I knew that this one would take a lot of explaining. I just happened to be up stretching when "Hung" here walked by. First of all, who in their right mind would call your son Hung and secondly why would he have to walk through at that moment. I really couldn't sit any longer and I was trying to keep myself occupied until dinner was served. I met this nice little server....I think his name was Woody...not really but he was made of wood. They said that was the only new person I met the whole trip. Yeah, really FUNNY! NOT!!!

And the race begins....

It wasn't until 2 PM that Shirley and I just happened to be strolling by this sign and noticed that our flight to DTW was cancelled...not delayed...but CANCELLED! It reminded me a lot of a track event....runners take your mark....get set....panic! Shirley and I had the pleasure of hauling our very "happy" friends from the Sports Center Bar to the ticket counter where they informed us that it would be Thursday before we would be leaving. Of course this didn't go over very well. What were they thinking?! We had jobs, families, etc. waiting eagerly for our return. The second picture of me in my "Florida Kristin" pose was after I had accepted the fact that I was going to be there whether I liked it or not. At this point, all I could think of is get me out of this blessed terminal and into the sun already! The girls now tease me about my "Florida Kristin" personality. I guess they don't get to see that relaxed state very often, if ever. Shriley on the other hand was trying to nicely tell a day full of clients that she wouldn't be at work Tuesday and their bad hair would just have to wait. Glad it was her and not me. All I had to do was call the Sub lady and ask for another day of coverage....how hard is that?!

Finally....

I finally got the rest of the pictures to save to the computer....now I can start the recap of all the events of the Florida trip. As Kirk2 calls it "Florida girls gone wild"....don't really agree with the wild part but whatever?! I think it should be more like Michigan girls finally get to relax, or Mommies Madness finally takes a break...I'm sure there are a lot of other catchy slogans I will think of along the way. Anyways this is just a pic of Gloria and I (Donna is in the background) in the Hot tub after spending a gruling day at the airport (yeah, the one where they told us we weren't going home!) It sure did feel good to get out of the building and into the hot water. Ahhhh, relax...unwind...heaven.

It's beginning to look a lot like SPRING!

The title of this post can also be sung to the popular tune..."it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"...for anyone feeling extra joyous this morning. What an absolutely beautiful day! Konnor spent the entire day riding dirt bikes with Drew. They play so well together because their interests are so similiar and neither one of them ever sits down. Konnor usually gets frustrated with his buddies when they come over and only want to play video games or watch TV (both activities that Konnor RARELY does).

The big boys took a few breaks from homework to shoot hoops. I think they actually took more breaks than they studied, but how could you blame them (with snow in the forecast for Tuesday they didn't get a lot of guff from us) .We were trying to get ahead on homework this weekend because we are planning on going to watch HHS at their Regional game at the Kellogg Center on Tuesday.

Kirk and I spent the afternoon working on any project we could find outside. He spent most of his time trying to find out why my trailblazer smells like burnt toast (gross smell). He discovered that I have a little unwanted "passenger" who is carrying dog food into the engine compartment. Hopefully he got enough of it blown out that it won't stink anymore. I, on the other hand, gave the dogs a bath. Chloe was sooo dirty her water was running black. Did you know she is a light golden? I had forgotten that little fact until she was clean again.

What a COOL day!

Yesterday was very busy, yet very enjoyable. Kraig was in a basketball tournament in Camden-Frontier. He had a game at 8, 12, and 4. They played very well in all the games and only ended up loosing to Reading A in the final round. Of course, this meant that they got second place instead of first. All in all, I think they had fun. He has another tournament next weekend also.

Konnor got to go rabbit hunting and setting up a turkey blind with Drew and Darrin again yesterday. They went last weekend and shot 6 rabbits. Boy was he excited and told everyone he came across how they had to rip their heads off and squeeze the guts out. I know that sounds disgusting, but to a 7 year old, it was totally exciting! He also got to spend the night at Drew's house which is always a big deal.

Kirk3 had baseball practice at 1 and then met us at the 3rd round of the HHS district championship games. Hillsdale was behind for all but the last 2 minutes of the game. Not only did Marshall have talent, but they had some REALLY big boys. Needless to say, it was a very exciting game. Kirk 3 ended up on the front page of Friday's paper from Thursday night's game. Wouldn't his orthodontist be proud of the mouth?!

Well, I am off to go find a job outside to do. It is way too nice out to be inside (even if this means we're picking up dog poop or changing a rabbit hutch) Not great jobs, but at least we will be outside.

Eye Candy

This has got to be a speed post, but I thought I would share just some of the things you see as you pull into mom and dad's gated community. It is soooo beautiful down there. I am completely intrigued by the moss that is hanging from most of the trees. It makes it look almost "fairtale ish" (I know this isn't a real word but I couldn't think of a better one). One more day of lifting BIG WEAK students up the rope. Next week I think I will cut myself some slack and do something easy....like yoga....or naptime. My back is killing me!!

Whew! I'm back!!

No, I wasn't in Florida again, however it would definitely top the weather we are having today! There is one really bad thing about rainy days....inside recess! That translates into "kids out of their minds because they can't go out to play" for all of you non-teaching friends and family.

So where have I been then....well, let's see.....Monday and Tuesday I decided that my PE classes needed a little jazzing up (the winter is getting long, and the walls in the gym are closing in), so me and my brilliant mind decided that maybe Tae Bo was what we needed. 3rd-5th graders love to kick and punch, right?! So why not put that to use. Needless to say that after 12 hours of Tae Bo in 2 days I was not able to do anything but crawl home, sit in the sauna at the college, and veg at night infront of the TV (doesn't mean I was taking a break from laundry though). Yesterday started the 2nd rotation of the week (I have the kids 2xs a week) so I thought why not do gymnastic stations.....only I forgot what hard work it was to get EVERY child up the rope (no matter how big or how strong, and I've got some really BIG and WEAK ones this year). I was exhausted last night and now I've added some really sore back muscles to boot! Today and tomorrow are more gymnastic stations and then I think I need to plan something "low key" for next week. Need to give this old body a break!!

So that's the long and the short of it....didn't go back to Florida...didn't run off to join the Circus....just way to pooped to pop!!

PS Thanks for checking on me Kevin! I love that you look forward to reading my blogs on your 10:15 break every morning. And NO your not pathetic....we all do the same thing every morning! Thanks for the phone call little brother.

Time flies...

This is the clan of coaches wives/athletic trainers/sister-in-law. Thank god this lady took our picture from a distance. I would have hated to break the camera on such a pretty day. I can't believe that it has already been 1 week since we were in Florida. How come it always seems to take forever to get to a vacation and then it blows by without even barely noticing it?! We did have a great time and have already started brainstorming on next years trip. Who knows where we will end up. This was such a short weekend for having an extra day in there because of conferences...Friday we went to St. Johns to have our taxes done and then to dinner with Putnam's...Saturday cleaned the house and some laundry...went to dinner because we ended up with no boys home (WOW)...Today has been shopping, homework, and more laundry. Now I'm off to make something for dinner. I think I need a cook...wouldn't have to give it another thought. We have been going for walks everyday in order to get in shape. Will be on the beach again in another month...got to get rid of that middle. Talk later.

WHEW! That was a tough week...NOT!

I am the luckiest teacher alive this week. I only had to teach 1 day. We ended up have an ice day for students (1/2 day anyways) and then we had to report at 12 for conferences. Let me tell you a little bit about elementary PE conferences.....there aren't any. I do miss the social aspect of DMS conferences. It usually was a good time with great food in the lounge. I get to set here in my office for 7 hours today. Yes, 7 hours and no conferences. I'm doing a little spring cleaning, pre-planning some lessons, working on Gier Staff vs. 5th grade boys basketball night, track and field day (May) and I am still imputing scores from Presidents Physical Fitness testing in the fall. I just can't seem to get it done. Hmmmm...better get it done before the spring testing begins.

What happens in Florida stays in Florida....

Pictures? Didn't take any of my own, but I am waiting for my friend to snapfish the ones she took. I guess I didn't want to be strapped to camera for the few days of vacation. I am already looking forward to next years vacation. Pretty sad, huh?

Reason for cancelling....

So once we were at the hotel and had stripped down to bathing suits, we headed to the pool. It wasn't until then that we had the opportunity to find out why our flight was cancelled. It seems that the plane we were supposed to be on had some mechanical difficulties. Like in the doors kept opening and the cabin was depressurizing....NOT a good thing! Once we heard stories from the passengers on that flight, we decided that staying one more night wasn't such a bad idea. Can you imagine how terrifying that would be?! We know have free roundtrip tickets for our trip next year. We are also going to try to get reimbursement for the time we missed at work. They said it was their responsibility to take care of those items. Well, not getting around for work this way, so I'll close for now.

Our flight has been WHAT?!

I really don't care if I set foot in another airport for a looooonnnngggg!! while. I just spent the last 36 hours either waiting for a flight or waiting for a flight. We arrived at the airport at 12 Monday, 3 hours and 20 minutes before take off for DTW. We had lunch, did some shopping and at about 2:00 just happened to walk by one of those flight terminal signs that has the flights posted. I looked up and SXXX! the flight to Detroit had been cancelled. Yes, that's right not delayed, but CANCELLED!!! Panic set is as we went to the bar to grab the other 4 gals. They thought we were joking. "Does it look like I'm JOKING?!" NOT! Of course since we had been there for 2 hours and already had our boarding passes in hand, who would have thought that something like this could happen. We ran to the gate, stood in a very long line, only to be told that the soonest flight they had for us was Thursday at 10:30 AM. Yes, Thursday! We decided to let a little money talk and they were able to get us a flight out this morning at 10:30. They put us at the Crowne Royal, with vouchers for rooms, meals, etc. But we had now spent a SUNNY day in the terminal. Bummer. We had to get to the air port at 7 AM, just in case we ran into a snag. About 9:30 they came over the loud speaker and said that the flight was overbooked and they were looking for people to be bumped. Crap! We graciously talked a family of six to be bumped so that we could have their seats. They got their tickets paid for, 1500 voucher for another trip and 600 dollars. Not bad considering they left on an earlier flight and only got home an hour later. Anyways.....I am home. Exhausted, but we had a blast. I am sure I will give you more updates later. Glad to be home. Kristin :)

Greetings from Florida....

Just thought I would drop you a line to let you know that the plane ride was very uneventful (as hoped for) and I am not stranded on a deserted island with Sawyer or Jack (sorry Jill). The weather is warm but extremely cloudy. We spent the afternoon at the hot tub and pool with no sun. What a bummer?! We are all exhausted and cannot believe it is only 9:30 and we are headed to bed. I know if I weren't here, I'd still be scrappin' right now. Hey, I'm headed to Scrapheads tomorrow for the Surprise Sale. My dad scoped it out for me....how cute! We are trying to figure out what to do with the crappy forecast. The beach isn't the same without sun. Well, I'm off to bed....talk later. Kristin :)

The shuttle to Detroit leaves in 10 HOURS!

I can't believe that in 10 short hours we will be pulling out of Hillsdale for what I hope will be 4 of the most relaxing days the coaches wives have had in years. So far the weather reports are favorable. I sure hope that the sun is shining and the pool is warm. I am still in the process of packing and getting the Putnam homefront under control, so this will have to be a short one. Hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend. I love you all!!

PS Girls scrap a page for me tonight! Hope I will have some good shots when I get back that don't involve police numbers. Just kiddin'!

Dreaming of sand and sun!

I know that most of you are sick of hearing talk about my upcoming trip, but can I just say 2 MORE DAYS, 2 MORE DAYS, 2 MORE DAYS!!! Unfortunately, the "Family History" project is taking way too long and I have only packed 2 pairs of sandals and a beach towel. Now won't that make for an interesting trip. I told Kirk this morning I wasn't going to be able to go because my bag is not packed...his response was..."yeah right, you would buy clothes in Florida. " He knows me all too well. I am a little (very little) sad that I will miss Kraig's ballroom dancing debut. DMS has been hosting Olympic games for the last month during A/A time. (not Alcohol Annoymous, JILL!!) Ballroom Dancing is the final event on Friday. Oh well, that's what Channel 19 is really intended for, not smearing my embarrassing picture of me playing basketball from my back. Well, better get moving since I only have 2 MORE DAYS OF WORK!!

ONLY 3 MORE DAYS OF WORK.....

I can hardly keep myself under control, I am sooooo excited about leaving in 3 more days! Yes, only 3 more days! Just had to say it again in case you didn't catch it the first 1,000 times. We worked like slaves for two days with the boys and their 1 million projects that were due this and next week. Kraig is the only one that still has a boat load of work left to do. Kirk3 is sitting pretty. Wow, is that a statement I thought I would never be able to make.

The sideways flower is just a reminder that Orthodontist have feelings too. Yes, this is what you get when you have two kids in braces (to the tune of $5,600 a piece), and one of them has an appointment on Valentine's Day. Who in their right mind would schedule an orthodontist appointment on V Day? Oh, yeah, now I remember, I'm not in my "right" mind most of the time.

So tonight is the PACKING night. All of the laundry is done and put away (except for the stuff that we wore yesterday, of course, which equals about 2 loads). I will hopefully be able to stuff a few things in a bag between typing crap for Kraig. We'll see?! Hope everyone has a nice day. Later!

Cookies made by Crackers....

Konnor and Mitchell decided that I should drop everything and make Valentine cookies with them yesterday. Of course, being the push over mom that I am, I dropped everything and made cookies. They weren't the nicest looking cookies, but they sure did tasted yummy! I think that the boys had way too much fun frosting and putting on the sprinkles. On some of the cookies, you couldn't see the frosting.

Have you ever seen the movie Zathura? It's the new kids movie out at the video stores. We sat down as a family to watch it last night, and spent the first 1/2 hour of the movie giving Konnor and Kraig those "teacher eyes" that we both do so well. The 2 younger brothers in the film were an exact portrayal of a typical day at the Putnam's. They were doing all the same things that Konnor and Kraig do to each other. We actually thought maybe someone had hidden a Nanny cam in the house to give them ideas for the storyline. The teenage sister was still in bed with her Ipod turned way up, which wasn't as funny for Kirk3 because that fits him to a tee also, but that character was a GIRL (YUCK!!). I still have to watch the ending sometime today because I fell asleep. I knew it was a bad idea to lay on the floor with Konnor and Chance, but it looked to tempting.

Happy Presidents Day!!

Brrrrrrrr.....

Holy cow is it cold! I don't think I remember tempratures this low in a long time. This is what Chance and K3 thought about the cold weather and how to combat it. Sleep in to your little hearts content. I wish I would have slept in, but I got up early even though I went to bed at 1 AM. We went to the reverse raffle last night. No, darn it, I didn't win so I won't be putting in the hot tub any time soon. Shucks! It still was fun and there was alot of things to entertain you during the evening. No, not music, or juggling, just people doing "funny" things. Open bars can be dangerous in a crowd that large. The last 7 people decided to split the money, so no 1 person took home the $7,500. It wasn't as exciting as seeing 1 person get that rich that fast. Today is get all of the boys "projects" done and then laundry, cleaning, and YES packing for Florida. We leave Hillsdale at 5 on Thursday to stay at Donna's mom and dad's house. He is driving us to the airport on Friday at 6 AM. Our flight leaves at 8 AM and we will be hopefully stepping off the plane at 10:30 in Florida. I can't wait. It will be so great to get away from everything and everyone for that matter. Yes, I know that sounds cold, but I am "burnt out". I am sure that my blogs in the next few days will give you vacation plan updates because I can't really think about anything else at this point. Won't my mom and dad be surprised when the girls leave Monday and I hang around. Just kiddin', but don't think that I haven't thought about it extensively. Talk later.

Another round of tag....

Jill got me this time....so here it goes!

3 names you go by:
Kristin
Kris (usually on my dad, brother, and sometimes husband)
Hey, gym lady!

3 everyday essentials:
breakfast with OJ and cappacino
shower
time to read


3 things I am wearing right now:
Davis Volleyball t-shirt that is probably 6 years old
yellow shorts
undies - bet you didn't really want to know that


3 favorite songs
You're Beautiful - James Blunt
Breathe - ?
Anything that Kelly Clarkson sings

2 truths and 1 lie
I married my high school sweetheart.
I LOVE seafood!
I wanted to be a veternarian.

3 favorite hobbies
Reading
Scraping
playing on the computer (email, blog, snapfish)

3 things I really wanna do right now
go back to bed
go back to bed and read
not go to work and stay home to scrap

3 places I really want to go
To an Island paradise that has blue water and white sand
The Red Wood forest and Grand Canyon
Colonial Williamsburg

3 things I want to do before I die:
See my kids grow up and move out on their own
Ride a Clysdale
Be truly happy!


3 people you'd like to see answer these questions:
Beth, Jill, and Kandi. Hey, did you see that my brother left his first comment last week. It would be great if he would play along too.

Cheer up my buddies!!

Thought of this picture and couldn't resist sending it out to all of my Jackson/Lansing buddies that have the FLU. Wouldn't it be nice to be a hippo? Just let it fly whenever you get the urge, NOT! Maybe we should have these signs made for above the bathrooms. Jill's might need a Hippo puking, but.....cheer up and get feeling better REALLY soon!!

PS 7 days and counting!

Ways to spend Valentine's Day...

After doing 3 consecutive hours of fat burning aerobics with 3rd graders, I decided that this pace is definitely not beneficial to my health. I can't tell you the last time I sat in the tub....but today after school was one of them. Kirk said he would buy me the hot tub after he wins in the Reverse Raffle on Satuday. I sure hope he has the lucky number. I was also too beat to make dinner, so we dialed up Dominos. What a gourmet chef I am?! Kraig had to play an exhibition game during 1/2 time of the Varsity game tonight. It was very quick...but I think they had fun. The Varsity won tonight against CC and can't wait to see them beat Western on Friday. Sorry Hamlin's :(

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart

I just had my first day of my American Heart Association fundraiser event. Instead of only doing Jump Ropes or Hoops, I decided to have Stations. Students could choose to do as many of them that they wanted as long as they kept moving and their heart "pumping". No sitting or standing allowed this week. The stations I had were of course the obvious Jump Ropes and Basketball shooting. I also had hoppy balls, hula hoops, step aerobics and Chinese jump rope. It went really well. I gave them each a participation sticker and they got to sign their name on a giant heart posted on the gym wall. Now if I can only last 4 more days it will be great. I'll keep you posted.

Remember: February is healthy heart month....keep on moving!!

Another lesson in sportsmanship...

Yet another disappointing basketball game for Kraig's team. The final score was 19-32, of which, Kraig scored 15 points. There were however a few times in which Kraig used his very loud voice (don't know where he got that) to point out some calls that he thought were unfair. This morning over breakfast we discussed with Kraig that people do not like to watch "cry babies" on the court. We mentioned that there will be times that he doesn't agree with a call or there is a play that is missed by another player, and that he should not comment on those situations. It is better to be a hard working player, then one that is pointing out what is going wrong with the game. He took the conversation very well and I hope that he can remember that he doesn't control the game, and that he should just do the best job that he can. He did set some goals for himself after this game though. He is now focused on how to become a better player before 7th grade basketball try-outs next winter. Let's hope he sticks to those goals!

These shoes were made for walking....

I hated to take a picture of these shoes, but they go with this post, so bare with. There are 3 of us that have been walking the track at the college and then sitting in the sauna for 30 minutes. This morning we met at 6 AM. Wow, am I crazy or what?! I think it is the threat of the vacation and actually being seen in a swimsuit that has motivated us. I thought that my job was a workout, but oh my, can they walk fast. It must be my stubby little legs that aren't able to keep up. I hope that we can continue to walk....even when we come home and put a sweatshirts back on.

PS Beth imagine that, 2 blogs in 1 day! NEW RECORD for me.

A pretty ending to an UGLY week!

If you aren't aware of this already, I have been really struggling at work the last few weeks. The kids are nuts and doing "stupid" stuff and I am really feeling like a glorified babysitter most days. Well....today at 3 oclock when I was just hanging on to sanity by my finger nails I got a delivery. The first thing out of my mouth was "these better be from Scott" (my boss), but instead they were my Valentine Flowers from my husband. Ahhhh, how SWEET!! They are beautiful and smell very good. His comment was "that's all I got for $17 bucks?" Not really how I would have handled it, but....I'm not a man.

That 70's Girl

I've been waiting for the right inspiration to blog and it hasn't been coming too easily. It seems everytime I go to blog I just end up sounding whinny...and I HATE whinny!!!! But this morning when I read Kandi's email about girls growing up in the 70's....I said OH, MY GOD! That was me to a T. I think I have mentioned before I was in the Laura Ingles Wilder fan club and have a autographed picture to prove it. I also had a picture of Leif Garrett on the back of my bedroom door. Shut up! (as Beth would so eliquently say) These are the other things I now remember....purple banana seat bike, metal roller skates, crush on Gopher, moon boots (loved them), Holly Hobbie pants, poncho, Simon, metal swing set that came off the ground, definitely feathered hair, magic 8 ball fortune telling, shrinky-dinks and syrofoam cup barbie hats (man did they smell), many free animal posters, favorite book by Judy Blume (Are you there God, it's me Margaret, but what about Bonney Bell lip gloss and leg warmers.......

Tag You're It!

I've been blogger tagged by Kandi.

4 jobs you've had
PE teacher
Science teacher
Related Arts teacher (part-time: Library, computers, and PE)
Worked at the Accident Fund - temp work

4 movies you could watch over and over
Fun with Dick and Jane
Hitch
You've got mail
Wedding Crashers

4 places you've lived
Lansing, MI
Eaton Rapids, MI
Mt. Pleasant, MI (college)
Hillsdale, MI

4 TV shows (these are the only shows I have time to watch during the week)
2 1/2 Men
Lost
According to Jim

4 place you've been on vacation
Florida
Virginia Beach
Mackinaw
Traverse City

4 websites you go to daily
Weather
Beth's blog
Kandi's blog
Jill's blog

4 favorite foods
Ice cream and hot fudge with nuts
Chicken Alfredo
Mexican - occasionally can handle it
Lasagna

4 places you would rather be right now
Home reading One for the Money - Janet Evanovich
Scrappin' with my buddies
Tanning
Tropical desserted Island

4 Bloggers you're tagging
Sad to say, I only know Beth, Jill, and Kandi's blog addresses

Servant

ser ' vant: n : one that serves others; especially one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer.

Now I know I'm not getting paid a dime to do all that I do, but I am is feeling more and more like a servant around here. I can't tell you how much laundry goes through my machines in a week. It seems like I barely get it put away and it is pilled up again. I believe in cleanliness, but get real! The house is another story in itself....I think that it gets dirty while I'm at work. I don't know how it does it but it's doing a good job. Meals...meals what can I say....doesn't matter how much food I make....it always disappears. Think you can make extra for another meal...think again. If I knew how hard this job would be, I don't think I would have applied. How did my mom do it all and never seem frazzled?!

The Lion King

If it is at all possible to still get tickets to the Lion King at the Wharton Center, I highly recommend it. It was fabulous!! The costumes, music, special effects were all superb. The boys were completely entranced by the whole thing. Konnor's favorite character was Simba as a boy. This boy was about 9 years old, and boy could he sing. My favorite characters were Pumba and Timone. They were very funny. It is amazing to me that people can actually put on such a great performance. Can you imagine how many hours go into making the costumes alone? It was definitely worth not being able to watch the Super Bowl tonight. I have done the grocery shopping, started laundry, and now I'm off to clean the toilets. Hippeee! Hope you had a great day!

Uneven teams...

I finally got to see one of Kraig's basketball games this morning. What a poor job at splitting up talent, size, and age. I couldn't believe the other teams roster. I told the man that helps run it that next time I would be happy to help split up the boys more evenly. I have probably 90% of the boys in gym this year. Kraig, unfortunately, is on a team that stinks (putting it mildly). They went up against a team that was very skilled. We are trying to talk to Kraig about leadership and sportmanship qualities he will gain this year. He is very discouraged and can't wait until 7th grade basketball at DMS.

PS However, this morning ended well because I did get to go to the Dan Taylor Wrestling Tournament and had a great time. GO HORNETS!!

Great?!

My Miss Chloe Ann of Hillsdale is in heat. Yipee...NOT! What a pain in the rear to have to keep her penned up when your so used to the freedom of underground fencing. Trying to explain why Chance is ok to be around and other dogs are not was the first interesting topic of conversation...the second was trying to explain why her bleeding was ok. Konnor assumed this was a bad thing....but we just said she was "practicing getting ready to have puppies". Sounded better at the time. Any other suggestions on how to explain it all without giving too much away? He seems content for now.

3 weeks and counting....

Now without you feeling like I'm rubbing it in or bragging, I just needed to mention that it is now 3 weeks and counting before I leave for Florida with the girls. Just the coaches wives, the trainer, and Shirley (can't leave home without her) will be heading to my mom and dad's place in Leesburg FL. I really hope that I will get to see my parents while we are there. It feels like forever since I've seen them. We will be staying for what I hope is 4 fun filled days of lounging by the pool with our favorite tropical drink in hand. I so hope that the weather is wonderful. My mom has been laying out already, so I figure in 3 weeks we should be all set. I will have more on the trip news later....but today starts the 3 week countdown. Yeah!!!

**Watch out 60 years and over pool volleyball players, the girls are on our way!

Konnor's GREAT news!!

When I got out of my Curriculum Council meeting tonight at 5:15 there was a message on my cell phone...."hi mom, this is Konnor....it's...it's benign! I don't have to have surgery for another 6 months." What a great message that was. I know he probably doesn't fully understand the concept of benign, but he did know it was a good thing. I had been waiting all day (actually all week) to hear the results of his pathology report. And much to my relief, everything is FINE! How scary that is to not know what you're going to find out...my heart goes out to all those people who have had to live with this daily fear. We have a lot to be thankful for in this world...and good news like this puts things into perspective very quickly.

Konnor posing for a picture in Big SIS's sunglasses!

I need a sport....to watch!

Oh, these were the days. I don't know why, but wrestling is one of my favorite sports. I think it is the shear determination of the athlete all alone on the mat....I can't wait until Saturday when I'm working the Dan Taylor Tournament. Kirk3 won't be competing, but some of my former students will. It will still be exciting to watch!

Needed Invention

I think I have come up with a way to make all of our lives a little easier. Have you ever seen the movie Clockstoppers? In this movie, the characters have the ability to freeze time, do whatever needs to be done, and then restart time with no one knowing that time had stood still. Now think about it for a moment....it's 4 oclock the kids are hungry and tired demanding that you "do" something with them....you clockstop them, make dinner, pick up the house, throw in a load of laundry...and then start time again! No whinning, no fighting.... just start time up again, feed them, do homework, and sit down and relax. Man, that sure sounds like a great invention to me! I could definitely benefit from that.

Konnor's Big SIS!

I just loved this picture and had to blog it. Look at those EYES!! This is Konnor's adopted big SIS Kayla. She is a very important part of our family. I can't barely make it through a week of running without relying on her for an orthodontist appointment run, a dentist appointment, or just hanging out with the boys while I run! I am very thankful to have her in our lives. She is a wonderful kid. I don't know who will miss her more next year, when she leaves for college, Konnor or myself? I'm guessing that both of us will be feeling a HUGE void. Thanks for all your help!! You're the daughter I never had.

And I thought sports were time consuming...

As you all know, I have done my share of sitting, sitting, sitting at basketball games, football games, baseball games, soccer games, wrestling tournaments (my favorite)...but have you ever been to a Quiz Bowl tournament with 26 teams. WoW. We got to PHS around 8 am and finished up close to 2:30. Now at least at sporting events you can talk, get up and move around, munch...but at this type of tourney you had to stay in the room, keep your mouth shut (hardest for me SURPRISE!), and not eat a thing. This was Kraigs first attempt at something so BRAINY (besides his all A report card), but his team did very well. Hillsdale A came in 1st, Hillsdale B came in 3rd, and Hillsdale C came in 5th (Kraig's team). Hillsdale D got buried in the dust somewhere in the second round. I was really impressed with the questions and answers they came up with. I have never felt so "dumb" in my life. Where do they learn all that stuff? There sure is a lot of GREY MATTER in the heads of those DMS 6th graders! Great Job!

Relief 2

The little stinker did skate last night for about 30 minutes and then decided that it was not real comfortable and starting to swell. I think that he might listen to mom's advice the next time this happens. We are going to try to go to school today, but I'm guessing this morning will be a little rough. He has started his Reading Recovery tutoring at 8:00 am. So far it seems to be going well. He hasn't fought too hard on getting up earlier and being the first kid at school. He thinks it's kinda cool not to miss any classtime and recess with this new schedule. This is the story he wrote about his guinea pig after he took its picture the other night. I know you can't really make out the word from these pictures, but he was really proud of his story. He LOVES to write which is a big plus.

What a RELIEF!!

What a RELIEF!! We have now made it successfully through the first of 2 surgeries to remove Konnor's angel kiss. The doctor was able to get about 80% of it this time. He sent it off to the pathology department and we will receive those results at his follow up on Wednesday. He did great! He was very brave, as we thought he would be. I, on the other hand, know why I didn't become a nurse or vet after all. I did great until after his surgery, and then...oh boy! At one point, Kirk was feeding Konnor's ice chips to me,and I had the cold wash cloth over my face. I don't know why that happens...but it just does?! Of course, Kirk says it is because I'm a wimp...I think it's because I care. Konnor's school is going roller skating tonight and he is bond and determined to go. We might be able to watch, but skating on Tylenol 3 with codine is probably not a good idea! Talk later.

PS This a picture of Konnor and his new baby guinea pig Squeakers!

Things I like about my job....

There are 3 things I really like about my job: 2 hour delays, snow days, and summer vacation! No kidding, they are such welcomed surprises. It is like you are given some free time to get things under control again. Like laundry and picking up the house. This morning I was even able to make a new "PE " music disc for class. The songs (edited) are hard to find these days. I always worry that they will swear or talk about something inappropriate. It is definitely a calculated risk. Well, we are 24 hours away from Konnor's surgery time....so far it is a go.... not sick this week. Yeah! A little nervous and lots of tears last night, but I think we can distract him through the whole thing and be fine. Trying not to looked worried yourself is the hard part. Unfortunately, he has my ability to read people's emotions. Keep smiling is what I will keep telling myself today.

Missing Mommy and Daddy

I know that I am a little old to have such an attachment to my parents.....but I MISS MY MOMMY AND DADDY!! Can't help it. It just feels like when there at their home in Michigan, they are within a close enough distance that they could come to my aid at the drop of a hat. You know, like someone's watching your back. It's not that we don't talk every other day when they gone to Florida, but it's just that proximity thing?!I know neither one of them plans to fly in their lifetime, so that pretty much shoots that idea down too.

OK, enough whinning. They have a blast when they're at their Florida home. I know that, which does make the LONG separation easier. They are probably lazing by the pool as your reading this. Unless your a morning person like me, and then mom is probably taking Casey for her morning walk (with a baggie in her hand) YUM.
They now have their own golf cart which makes motoring around their gated community a blast. Hope you having fun sunning your bum....see you in the spring (well, for me, see you in February)