Hamburger Hot "Dish"

A little example of how kids pick up on things when you don't realize it:
I wouldn't say Mateo is a picky eater overall, but he has never cared for red meat. He has never even wanted to try eating a hamburger. Anyway, this week when I picked Mateo up from daycare after the first day of school, he excitedly announced that he had tried his hamburger at lunch and had liked it! That was exciting news for me, too. When Troy got home, Mateo told him right away as well. Troy said, "Wow! That is big news!" To which Mateo responded in all seriousness, "Are you going to put it on Facebook?"

Twelve Summers

One week from right now, I will be in my classroom checking the clock for the last half-hour of open house to be over. Another school year will begin...my 13th to be exact. This also means I have had twelve summer "vacations". Each summer has been different in its own way. I got married the summer after my first year of teaching. That was a whirlwind summer which involved, among many other things, a lot of thank you writing. A few summers after that, we moved to our house...lots of packing, unpacking, painting, and calls to people who could install things like water softeners and heat pumps. That was the summer I also spent many hours taking classes towards my Masters. The following summer we hosted Troy's mother-in-law as she finished work at BSU for her teaching degree. I was also still taking classes, and Troy was working at BSU. We all had a lot of fun that summer. I think the next summer I hammered out my research paper and was happy to complete my Master's degree. The following summer will surely never be forgotten! It started on an exciting note as I was almost 20 weeks pregnant and ended on my red sofa on complete bedrest. To this day, lying on the red couch is a comforting place for me. The summers since then have entailed all the things that one does as a mom of an infant, toddler, and now a little boy. I try to soak it all in because I know how FAST it goes. I am so grateful, as a working mom, to have the opportunity to be home three months out of the year. And so each summer, as the warm days wind down and school bells beckon, I take a few deep breaths as the countdown to another summer begins.

Happy Homecoming Day!

So I was taking a little nap on my blue chair after being out on the deck removing screws from the boards because we are going to have a friend build us a bigger deck and I think I can save a little labor cost if some of the removal work is done. As Mateo said when he was helping me pick up the screws and put them in a bucket, "I think it's time to go in for a break." He had the right idea, so I finished what I could and went inside. It was close to supper time, but I had no idea what to make. My thought process was something of the following: if I fall asleep long enough, maybe Troy will make something. Wishful thinking! I woke up about 45 mintues later and he was still on the couch playing something on his iPod Touch which is what he had been doing when I drifted off. I then relayed to him what I had been thinking earlier, so he, being the kind husband he is (truly), got up and decided to make some mac and cheese and Polish sausages. While he was making supper, the phone rang. It was my dad calling from Alaska where my parents are vacationing. He wanted to tell me he was thinking of me and to wish me a Happy Homecoming Day--the day I arrived in the states when I was adopted. (I don't keep track of this date-I've heard of it but always forget.) It was 34 years ago today that I joined my family. I was nineteen months old and very ill. It was also the same day that my parents found out that they were expecting a baby! Can you even imagine?! I am always amazed at that part of the story. As an adult, I have pondered what that would have been like to be receiving this very sick child and then finding out another baby was on the way. My arrival was also during the time that my parents were being called to the mission field in Africa where my sister was born eight months later. My parents had amazing faith.

Even though my homecoming day was 34 years ago and now a somewhat distant memory for my parents, I guess it is worth a mention. And so I enjoyed my mac and cheese and Polish without feeling guilty that I hadn't made supper. Happy homecoming to me!

The Story of a Special Car and How God Provided in a Most Convenient Way

I'm not sure how many of you know how much Troy loves his PT Cruiser. He got a brand new Patriot Blue (that is the official name of the color) Cruiser eight years ago and has LOVED driving it. Towards the end of May, his much loved car got stuck in a ten minute hail storm and sustained enough damage that the insurance company said it was a total loss. The car still drove fine, but the hood and roof of the car looked like an attack of a thousand golf balls.

After much thought and discussion, we decided that it would be most prudent to take the insurance money and use it towards a new (used) vehicle. Preferably a PT Cruiser. I felt bad for Troy because I knew how much he loved his car and the color. I didn't think it would be possible to get the same color car within the price range we wanted to work with. Both of us did some Internet searches to see what was out there. There were a few in Fargo, no blue ones, but last Saturday we decided to go look.

We dropped Mateo off at Chae and Brian's and decided to stop at the car dealership down the road in Detroit Lakes which just happened to be the place Troy got his first Cruiser. There were a couple of used Cruisers in the lot. Neither one seemed right. Then the salesman said that he had just gotten a blue Cruiser in a couple days ago that wasn't even on the lot because it hadn't been detailed. He took us around the back and there was the twin to Troy's bruised Cruiser. It was identical from the outside (well, apart from the thousand dimples). We found out that it just happened to have 80,000 less miles, heated leather seats, a car starter, and was totally in our price range!! I started feeling giddy about it because I couldn't believe this was happening.

After taking it for a test drive, we decided to still go on to Fargo just to make sure we didn't miss anything there, but I had a feeling we would be coming back to buy the car. Of course we didn't even come close to finding anything comparable, but we did enjoy a nice lunch together.

We went back to DL and offered them $500 less than they were asking (just because you're supposed to) and they countered with a drop in price of $400. SOLD!! We could not believe our car miracle. I felt like God said, "I know the car you loved and wanted to keep driving was ruined, but here, I got you another one that is even better." It's a God thing.

p.s. The insurance company is taking the damaged PT Cruiser, but I couldn't help but snap a few photos of the "twins". Oh, and the little boy in the picture is Mateo's best buddy incase you were wondering.

Cajun Reunion

Our 4-H reunion was held in Crowley, Louisiana which is about two point five hours west of New Orleans. This year there were ten adults and ten children. The kids ranged in ages eight to almost two. We got to enjoy all kinds of Cajun cuisine including jumbalaya, gumbo, crawfish, etouffee, boudin (pronounced boo-dan, sausage mix with rice in a casing), cracklin, and beignets. When we get together, aside from spending quality time together, our other main concern is eating well! We didn't have to worry about that. Our hosts had thought of everything. Besides eating, we enjoyed visiting, swimming, and sightseeing in Crowley and New Orleans. All in all, it was a really fun vacation.

Summer so Far

Summer so far has been going really fast. I am in denial that next weekend is actually the 4th of July. It just can't be. The weather has been really rainy. This past week alone we have had over two inches of rain. Lots of green grass, mosquitoes, mushrooms in the yard, and slugs in my plants. Getting rid of the mushroom and slugs have become my new obsession. Actually, getting rid of the slugs has been on my mind more than the mushrooms. Aside from trying to pull out as many mushrooms as I can, I have postponed that battle. Right now, I have declared warfare on the slugs. Those ishy, tiny things can do a lot of damage. On the bright side, I am learning more about gardening which will help me for the future. Apparently there is more to it than just putting a plant in the ground and watering it once in a while. I'm kind of depressed about this discovery.

Speaking of discoveries, I have discovered Webkinz. I never knew what all the fuss was about, but Mateo got a Webkinz pet several months ago. I have to admit, I am kind of addicted to playing the games. So when I'm not hunched over my plants slaying slugs, you can find me hunched over my laptop playing some sort of game on Webkinz hoping to earn lots of Kinzcash. No wonder my chiropractor keeps telling me to schedule more visits!

Looking ahead: the forecast is supposed to be more summer-like with warmer temps and less rain. That should help the mushroom and, hopefully, the slug issues. This Thursday we are heading out on a road trip to Louisiana for our annual 4-H reunion. It is going to HOT and lots of fun!! I hope the hurricanes don't find us.

G.R.O.S.

Part of my summer to-do list is going to be cleaning closets and getting rid of stuff. Ever thought about that acronym? Getting Rid Of Stuff=G.R.O.S.

Summertime Blues

So I would never complain about having the summer off for many obvious reasons. I do sincerely love having the time off, but for some reason this year I am feeling overwhelmed by part of what "having the summer off" entails. I know, some of you are scratching your head right now and contemplating shutting this site down. Indulge me as I try to explain...

Having the summer off means that now I have to actually formulate my to-do list and complete the work. Last summer I took on too much at the beginning of the summer and felt as though I was going to have a breakdown the first week of break. (on the bright side, I did get a LOT done) This year, I decided I wasn't going to do that to myself. So I have approached the beginning of my vacation with thoughts of all the work I need to do swirling around in my head along with much anxiety about when and how it is going to get done.

During the school year, I can always use the excuse that I don't have the time or energy to do the bigger projects around the house. But once "vacation" comes around, no excuses. That is why I feel as though the summertime blues have hit me. No motivation and a long to-do list makes me uncomfortable. A part of me says I have all summer to do it, but let's be real people, I don't work that way. My Type A personality thinks all of this stuff should have been done yesterday. Are you getting to the source of my self-inflicted anxiety yet? Maybe next summer I will just do myself a favor and schedule some time with a therapist.

The Earwax Episode

Today was a busy day. I took Mateo to the doctor at 8:30 and then rushed him over to daycare just in time for my first class to start. I skipped my prep hour and walked into school with no time to spare as my students were already in their seats waiting to start class. Then after school I let my last class out a minute early so I could buzz out of school to pick up Mateo and take him to the elementary school so Mateo could get the hearing in his right ear tested. Good news! His hearing is fine...

Back up two weeks ago --I took Mateo to ECFE preschool screening and discovered he had almost no hearing in his right ear. I had a feeling it was a wax problem because of a history of waxy ear problems. We scheduled another hearing test in two weeks. I went home and covered up Mateo's good ear, the left one. Lo and behold, he couldn't hear anything that I was saying with his right ear. I put Debrox in his ear that night and the next morning. By the next day, I could already tell he could hear better. Since I figured it was a wax problem, I made an appt. to have his ear cleaned out. So, one week after his failed hearing test, he went in for the cleaning. The nurse worked at it for a while, but not much wax came out. The doctor told me I would have to continue the Debrox for another week in hopes that it would help dry out the wax. So another appt. needed to be made. Seeing as how I had already scheduled the second hearing test, but I needed to maximize the amount of time getting the drops in, I was fortunate to be able to schedule his second ear cleaning the same day as his hearing test in hopes that he would be able to take the test with a wax-free ear.

Good thing everything is close together in a small town because my time frame for everything was pretty tight. I was hoping the 8:30 doctor's appt. wouldn't go too long because I didn't plan to have a sub for my second hour which starts at 9:23. We didn't get in to the doctor until after 8:40 and then the doctor and nurse worked on shooting water in his ear for about 25 minutes. Just as Mateo was at the end of his rope, and I was nervous about the time, a bunch of wax finally came gushing out! Hallelujah! I was beginning to envision weekly visits in ear cleaning attempts. So we hustled out of the doctor's office, I dropped off Mateo, walked into my room at 9:20. Perfect timing! And as you know, from the beginning of this blog, the story has a happy ending.

This evening when I asked Mateo if he could hear better, he looked up and said very loudly, "Yes!" Poor guy. I wonder how long he was deaf in one ear!

Status Updates that Didn't Make the Cut

Since starting Facebook last summer, I've gone from posting a status update once a day to maybe once a week because I'm pretty sure noone is really that interested. However, I do find myself thinking a lot about things I do, see, or hear and how it would read as a status posting. Here are a few that didn't make it to print:
-Why doesn't Target stock the regular Northern toilet paper anymore???
-Good news: Troy got a free hair cute! Bad news: It's because the stylist cut his ear.
-I've managed to train my body to need an earlier bedtime, so why can't I ever get up on time?
-Attempting to de-clutter the house--again!!
-Oprah is wearing my mittens. (The ones from the Olympics, that I did post about.)
-I'm really, really tired of winter.
-All of those vegetables I ate a few hours ago aren't doing me any favors now.
-Troy and I both bought each other Valentine gifts online this year and both of us returned them. Note to self: save the shipping next year and just go out to eat.
-I'm sitting at the West Acres food court and there is a man here with two kids who is cross-stitching. True story.
-Eating leftovers for the fourth day in a row. Sometimes I am just really lazy.
-Me before bedtime: Mateo, is your Pull-up going to be dry in the morning? Mateo: We'll have to wait and see.
-I love my new Keurig coffee maker that I got for my birthday! (got a whale of a deal too)
-Not the best day, I cried in front of my students.
-Who knew new tires had so much tread?
-Real Housewives of New York is starting in two weeks!
-I wonder how much deer poop will be in the backyard when the snow melts?
-Read a really good book this weekend called Trouble.
-Does anyone else like ordering off the dollar menus at Burger King and McDonalds? I recommend the BK spicy chicken.
-Help! My skin is so flaky. Make it stop!
-Mateo: Mom, how can asparagus make your pee smell funny?

So there you have it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. As a favor to my friends (and other FB acquaintances I have known or met at one point in my life), I will continue my attempt to filter my FB posts because honestly, did you really want to know all of that?