Christmas Pictures

Mom and Dad with Sam, R.G. Becca and Ben

Ben with his presents from Santa

Christmas Eve dinner...The table cloth Grandma June (Jason's mom) made. Isn't it pretty?! The kids made the gingerbread house.

All Sam wanted from Santa was the Bat Cave!!

Christmas Eve--- playing outside.

Notice how deep the snow is!!!!!!!!

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!! Sorry the pictures aren't in order-- sometimes the blogger doesn't like me:)

Songs we're singing....

We all LOVE this song--maybe a little too much because we walk around the house singing it NON-STOP!!! The video just makes me laugh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5rOO2v2dU&feature=related

This song is a favorite of Sam's- he sang it in his program. You should see him do the movements when it gets to the 'hula-hoop' part
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT2GLdWrqLM&feature=related

This is just one of my all time favorite songs---I think because it's all the 'cool' performers from my youth:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoJf-9j2kNs

Holiday Programs

Ben's program was today....he is in the white shirt with the tie. He did a nice job and kept giving me the thumbs up:)

Here is Sam at his program (on Monday) Jason went to it.... and he said that Sam did a super job!

Grateful

After spending the better part of a week 'mumbling and grumbling' (a nice way to say how bad I've been complaining) about the unfairness of life...I finally feel that I've seen the light at the end of the tunnel and can be positive about the following things:
*a grandma who is in the hospital-- BUT is doing much better!!
*a family that doesn't kick me out of the house-even when I'm grumpy
*the justice system-- my class was cancelled tonight because the instructor is on the jury in a federal trial-- what a GREAT surprise 2 weeks before Christmas-- an extra 3 hours!!!!
*gas at $1.59 a gallon!! If only I could stock up for our summer vacation to Maine!

Lots and Lots of family

R.G., Becca, Grandma Von, Ben, Sam

Sam, Nathan, Jonathan, Ben, Juliana

Joe and Jason

We have had a week of family!!! Joe and his kids came to stay at our house on Tuesday night.

My family came up to Milwaukee for Thanksgiving!!

On Saturday we headed to Gurnee to Key Lime Cove (a waterpark) with some of Jason's family.

The Big Game

On Sunday, Jason and I were lucky enough to get tickets to the Bears vs. Packers game!!! It was really cold- but a fun time! The 2nd picture shows the helicopters that flew over before the game started (very cool!!!)

Happy Birthday Sam!!

Happy 5th birthday to Sam!!!!!! He had a great day--- got a birthday crown at school, macaroni & cheese and fish sticks for supper (his choice) and then presents. Because it was his birthday he got to be 'batspider' at supper!!

Halloween fun

A lunchtime prayer

So...what is a teacher to do on a Tuesday (my most unfavorite day of the week) with a new student...brand new today at 9:00 a.m.-- a student with behavior 'issues'?! I am sitting at my desk looking out the window at a beautiful fall day-- eating a DELICIOUS apple-- you know the ones I'm talking about crisp, a little tart but still plenty sweet--- and finishing my big cup of coffee. I am enjoying 10 minutes of silence...trying to refocus and praying that there were not any problems at recess. I will also be grateful after recess because I know the day is more than 1/2 over.

Fall weekend

We had a fun but busy weekend! We went to Paris, IL (about 6 hours south of Milwaukee) to see Jeff, Angela and Oliver. Angela's parents have a pumpkin farm- called Pumpkin Works. www.pumpkinworks.com
We spent the weekend at Pumpkin Works...getting the VIP treatment because we were with Angela:) We went on mazes, took hayrides, picked pumpkins and enjoyed being outside.
On our way home on Sunday, we stopped in Elmhurst to see Emmett's football game. His team won...I think the score was like 47 to 16!!! Then to Jeff and Maureen's for a little visit..... We'll carve pumpkins tonight with Grandma June and Grandpa Buck!!

A great place to give

I posted a project on www.donorschoose.org for cooking tools (blender, griddle, plates, silverware, etc.) for my class. It was fully funded today and we will be getting the tools we requested soon!! If you are looking for a place to donate (it's tax deductible) there are a lot of great projects on the site so take a look around!!!

What a weekend...

What a fabulous fall weekend!!! Went to the Bong (state recreation area) the name kills me!!!---- camping!!!!!
We found a bunch of these signs around the campground.
The beginning of October--- who would have thought you could go shoeless and shirtless?!
The fire man....

Updates

This picture shows when crashed his airplane.
Sam as Humpty Dumpty in the play at grandparents day.
At school on Granparents Day!!!

Introducing....

Today Sam got his first pets.... Batman and Robin!!! He says "They are good and they eat their supper. They swim around and they are bored. They need something to look at."

Uncle Jimmy

Uncle Jimmy came to visit for a few days. The boys had a GREAT time with him!!! The top picture is at the Harley Davidson museum...they said it was pretty cool.

Catch Up!!!

Happy 8th Birthday to Ben on Sunday (9/7)!!!

Last weekend we went to Cave of the Mounds and then to Governor Dodge State park for a night of camping with the family!! Uncle Robbie, Aunt Lynnette, Becca, R.G., Grandma Jan, Grandpa Ger, and Aunt Josey all joined us! Everyone had a good time bonding:)

First Day of School!!!!

Ben's first day of 2nd grade-- on Tuesday 9/2/08

The boys walking toward school on Sam's first day Wednesday 9/3/08.

The big kindergartner!!!!

For Grandma Jan!!

To celebrate our last day of summer (Mom is going to work tomorrow without us) we went to the zoo. We know that Grandma Jan likes elephants...so here we are with them!!!

Vacation Pictures!!!!

Here are the pictures from our time up north...in the land of flannel.
Sunday-- long drive to Mellen and set up camp
Monday- went to the visitors center in Ashland (a favorite of mine!! it was AMAZING!!) then to Madeline Island (on the ferry) and exploring up there
Tuesay- to Hayward and fishing on the pontoon boat-- a very nice boat and a LOT of boat!!
Wednesday- back to the visitors center, to the casino (where Jason won!!) then to Ashland for a night at the water park
Thursday- back to Mellen, cleaned up camp and on a hike to Copper Falls...then headed home!!!

Monday, Monday

Fishing with 'Uncle' Kyle

Look who caught a fish!!!!
We had fun fishing!!!
We had a busy day--- we took things to my new classroom, went to IKEA (to get more things for my class) went to Red Robin for supper, and then the boys went fishing at the park!!!! What a fun day:)