Oh, yeah...

I remember now...

Thomas had a scout event last Friday and the craft they were doing was making "record" bowls out of old LP's that were slightly melted in the oven... well, it was a good thing that Andrew was there, because someone donated a whole box of albums and Andrew saved them from the "fire". We are now the proud owners of 59 LP's (in addition to the few we owned before) and have decided we are going to become collectors-- LOL. Lots of fun hunting is ahead I am sure, but can you imagine someone just melting Billy Joel, Eddie Money, Chicago, Stevie Nicks, Christopher Cross, Styx, Heart, LoverBoy, Billy Squire, Bonnie Tyler, Asia, Duran Duran... need I go on?

What's really crazy is looking at Andrew's CD collection... um, this is only *part* of it... notice the double rows on each shelf...

some family photos...

Took these pics at a family bday party a couple of days ago... been playing around with hues, shadows, etc. I'm thinking I may have to start a photo blog soon-- all these photos I've been posting without words-- LOL. I know there was something else I've been meaning to post, but for the life of me... hmmm... maybe it will come back to me. In the meantime, enjoy some baby cheeks and some smiles, too. :)



















L

just call me grasshopper...

I'm learning. ;)

begin where you are, but do not stay there...

I think that's right-- it might be a paraphrase, but it is the devotional reading on my desk calendar today. I actually read it yesterday, as I was flipping to get to the right day. Interesting... and then, this afternoon, I was talking to a parent who is looking into a career change, and she was talking about doing something totally different than what she has been doing, but still something that would relate to her experiences. I heard myself saying things about the seasons of your life and just because God is calling you to do one thing for a particular season, doesn't mean that you will always be called to do it. We all have different seasons of callings I think and God puts them together to make sense down the road. It's easy to give that advice and I firmly do believe it... I'm just antsy myself right now I guess.

Andrew had a great day at work today and things are looking really promising for him. It is so awesome to see him so excited. :)


Hm... no pictures or videos in this one... I'll have to add something to change that in a bit.

ETA: Okay, stumbled on something interesting... have you heard of ideablob? Interesting concept for people to enter their ideas for a contest for money to fund their idea... I like their promo piece (below), but wonder if the people entering are actually trademarking some of these things before they offer them up to the free-world on there. Been there, understand that. ;)



L

young@heart

I've been wanting to post this for a couple of days... Andrew stumbled on this group the other night as he was working from home... I'm thinking that this is the type of old person I want to be... hip. ;)



(Yes, this is indeed the Ramone's "I Want to be Sedated"...)

This one (below) actually made me teary-eyed-- made me listen to the lyrics of this song (by Coldplay) in a whole new way. (If you have trouble with the audio on this one, click on youtube, it seems better there.)



And... from the old to the young... Tyler told me on the way home tonight that he is going to start looking for a girlfriend tomorrow--LOL. Apparently a couple of the kids in his preschool class have decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend. I told him it was fine for him to be friends with a girl, but to save all kisses for Mommy and Daddy. I told him he had all the time in the world to do that, and at first, he said he might wait until next year... then, he said, "nah, I'm going to start looking tomorrow". Oiy!

And just to even out this old/young post (can you tell aging is on my mind? LOL), this Rod Stewart song always makes me think of high school... my AP English/History teachers ended the year with this song and a slide show of all of us. A little poem I wrote was read at the end. Think I've posted it before, but it's fitting here too, so...

If the stars will tell us where we'll go, then ask them not for I do not wish to know.
For, if we know what lies ahead, then surely our dreams shall all be dead.



L

The Weepies...

Just re-read my pouting post and realized I made a round-about Weepies reference, so thought I'd share my favorite from them. This is down on my sidebar, but thought I'd post it here, too. Love the Weepies and they so "get" me, LOL. ;)

With apologies up front (a whine-fest)...

Sorry... I know this is going to make me sound like a big, fat baby, but I've been holding it in all day and it's been making me sad, so I feel like if I let it out somewhere, I'll let it go.

My birthday was Sunday. In the middle of a 3-day weekend, which turned into a 4-day weekend due to snow. I was very happy for the break, but it's kind-of one of those things where the winter is such a drag, it's always cold and/or snowing and it's within that "let down after Christmas"... so, it's always been kind-of "weepy" for me, LOL.

Anyway, I had a nice birthday lunch with my whole family on Sunday, and the kids woke me up that morning with a bagel in bed (LOTS of butter-- ha ha)... so those were very nice things, so that is not at all where my whining is coming from... I am very thankful that my family is so close together and that I can spend birthdays with them. And, Andrew bought me tickets to Dancing with the Stars back in November, and so that was my present from him, so I cannot complain there. The boys didn't get around to making me a card like they usually do, and because I don't eat sugar, we didn't have a real cake, we went and picked up some sliced lemon bread, which was dry and I ate about 2 pieces of before it was gone... I know, whine, whine, whine... sorry. Nobody at work (and I mean fellow teachers, my Secret Angel, nobody) mentioned anything about my birthday before the break and then today I finally get back to work after the long break, and still no one remembered.

I know I am just feeling sorry for myself and I'm a big baby, but I guess turning 35 has me in a funk or something. When I turned 30, I had this same funk. I just feel insignificant. I don't know... I just find myself wondering if I *matter* you know... and really, that probably has more to do with turning 35 than it does with no one at work remembering, but it would have been nice if someone had noticed there.

I've been struggling with wondering if I am where I am supposed to be... and if I am supposed to stay there, so I guess if you combine those thoughts with nobody acknowledging my birthday at work, I guess that's why I'm whining... I know there are much bigger things I could concern myself with and lots of things that are WAAAAYYYYY more important than whether or not someone tells me "happy birthday", and so I humbly apologize again for whining, but I had to get it off my chest so I can move past it. Just a piddly little thing that I am sure I will get over... just needed to pout a little.

Now, on to other issues... my supernatural post from the other day... apparently, my dog must be quite gifted, because today, the barometer was on the floor with the top wooden piece popped off. The glass isn't broken, and I can glue it back on, but it was in the floor this time, so it must have been him. Now, how he got it into the chair last time, I would still love to know, but I guess my mystery is solved. I'm going to have to move the barometer or the lamp or something. Weird dog! LOL

L

a million things

I could have done today-- a snow day. :)

What I ended up doing was some laundry, dishes, a little photo-reading, some more planning for school and ran to town for some index cards to make sight word cards for my class. I guess I did okay. I struggle on days "off" because there are always a million things I *want* to do, and it's like sensory overload-- I can't ever decide because all the other days are so over-programmed. I'm hardly ever home with any time to spare these days and I feel like I spin my wheels a lot. It's really hard to get any work done at the end of the day with the boys in my room-- I go from classroom management to managing my own kids in my classroom while I try to get work done. It doesn't work very well.

So, anyway, I had this day to "pick" what to do, and that's what I did. I've had some other thoughts about the future, and have thought about posting some ideas, but I have decided not to post them for now... I'm in a "learning and waiting" stage, so I don't want to go over-board with that, but at least I am re-discovering an interest... sorry to be so cryptic... just still thinking, ya know...

OH-- and I wanted to post the pic of the Bare Traps shoes... I know they don't come across as "that cute", but WOW, do they feel awesome! I could wear them everyday I think! LOL



L

thinking out loud...

First off, just look at my doggie's face... ah, who could resist? Then, there is a plethora of photos that won't make any sense, LOL... a fire in the fireplace all day today, some sunrises, one inverted to show the "coldness" of what it feels like here now... brrr... and then the flowers at the bottom were a birthday gift from a parent-- too sweet. :)




















L

Just playing around...

L

thirty-five, dancing and supernatural stuff

I've had several things I wanted to post this week, but report cards took over, so I am just now here... I am now (well, officially in a couple of hours)-- 35. I didn't think I looked my age until one of the kiddos in my class brought in a picture from Christmas-- um, yeah, I look my age. Sigh... guess not much more to say about that except that I miss the days when you counted down the days until your birthday and had slumber parties... I fell asleep in a chair last night at 11:00. Gotta laugh I guess. The positive side is that I have made the realization that it really doesn't matter how old you are, you can still re-invent yourself, start something new, turn a new leaf, etc. Getting older makes you realize that the things in your life are but a season until the next, so that part of getting older is okay.

Anyway... on to Dancing with the Stars... it was cool... makes you want to learn to dance (and have feet that could). They are just amazing! Can you believe I didn't get one picture? I took my camera out of the camera bag, put it in my purse and then when I took it out to take a picture, my batteries were dead... extra batteries in my camera bag in the car, of course. That was just as well though, as the security people were being pretty bossy about the "no flash photography" rule. This one guy stood in front of me yelling at a girl behind me threatening to throw here out if she took one more picture. Not a real nice way to treat people who paid that much for a ticket to see the show. Understandable for safety reasons not to allow flash, but not from those seats-- we weren't at the tables on the floor after all. So, anyway, got to see Drew and Cheryl-- they were the best-- and then Monique was there, too-- her calf muscles are scary! Wayne Newton sang Danke Schön-- and we didn't have to go to Vegas to hear it. ;) It was lots of fun! The next day, I took my personal day and even got to go have lunch with Andrew, which was really nice. :)

On to the supernatural...

On Thursday night, Tyler and I came home in the dark, while Andrew and Thomas were at scouts. We came in, got settled, and then I noticed that the barometer from behind my desk was sitting upside down in my computer chair, propped on a pillow. Now, there is no way that our dog could have done it-- there is not a scratch on the thing. Not only that, but I have three lamps in the line of fire-- two are on my desk, and one is a floor lamp... and the chair was at least four feet away from the wall. Just as a visual (please forgive the mess)...






Now, I thought, well maybe the floor lamp hit the bottom somehow, but that would have caused it to break-- and it would never had landed where it was, not to mention the lamps would show signs... AND, it was upside down, but face up on the pillow (see the read pillow in the chair)... and look at that distance and all the messy obstacles between the barometer and the chair (why I left the mess for you to see in the pics)... I just have no explanation at all-- makes no scientific or mathematical sense, no matter how I look at it. So, just chalking it up as one of those weird things that never make sense... just creepy...

We're going for family lunch today for my birthday and then I have an extra day off for MLK day tomorrow! Gotta get some more work done, but at least the report cards are behind me. :)

OH-- and Andrew is still in the midst of working out those cool things at work. Prayers still very much appreciated. ;) (sorry if that is clear as mud, but thanks for prayers--LOL).

Lynn

I should be working...

and I will... have some lesson plans to get to for the week, and I'm taking my personal day on Wed. and I have report cards to finish before Friday, but... I just had some things to post and a few moments to jump on.

I'm going to Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday night-- tickets a birthday present from DH. My Mom and I are going-- we NEVER do things like this, so I am REALLY looking forward to it! Anyway, hope to get some pics maybe-- we have decent seats, thanks to Andrew. :)

Anyway, just had to post about my new shoes, LOL. (Isn't my life way too exciting- ha!) I've been contemplating what to wear and finally settled on black slacks with a burgundy sweater that has some froo-froo around the collar. Then, it hit me, with my feet, I don't have a lot of choices, and somehow crocs just won't work I don't think, so I had planned to go buy some SAS shoes... expensive yes, pretty, not so much. So I looked around a bit and discovered some that were a bit "prettier" (within my standards of pretty these days, you know that does not mean heels or anything). AND not only that, but they were even cheaper-- go figure. So I am wearing them now to make sure all will be well come Tuesday, and let me just say-- if you have trouble with your feet, you need to go buy some of these! They are called Bare Traps. Not at all narrow and pretty darn comfy... YAY! I have some black "dress shoes" that seem do-able at this point! :)

I also wanted to post some pics here-- they are pretty much for me, they probably won't make any sense to anyone reading this, but I just wanted to get them on here for my reference... got my reasons. Just one comment about a couple of them though... the trees are in my "backyard"... I love this view and the fog rising up. These were early last spring before the trees came back to life... come on, spring-- I hate winter! Anyway, here they are...













That's about it. :)
L

What if you could do anything...

you wanted? This thought has been with me this week... it's been a strange week for me going back to work after the holidays... I've been thinking about what I would do if I could do anything I wanted. Andrew's been hard at work on some proposals for work and the thought of those possible changes has caused my wheels to spin I suppose. Then, yesterday, was an, um eventful day, is what I will call it, at work and I've just been pondering my future a bit I guess.

I could go back for my Master's... but what would I want to pursue? Library Science? Writing? I could really get serious about learning photography. I could write. I could design as a freelancer. Teaching is what my degree is in, but do I see myself always doing that? I guess I'm struggling with that. I felt God leading me to do what it is I am currently doing, but was that just for a season? Not sure... as the boys get older and Tyler begins school and homework, can I see myself juggling all that? So I am just pondering... what would the dream / ideal thing be?

Then, I've still got ucky health crud going on... too gross to discuss, but I've got to deal with it somehow.

Just wondering how it all fits. But, if I have learned anything over the last year, it is that *I* am *NOT* the one in control of my "destiny". How limited a life it would be if I were, and I know that I should thank God for that, really. Just got my wheels spinning and curious about the next season.

L

So many things

to write about, and I had every intention of doing so over the break, but there were too many other things to do. It was a good break-- a much needed one and probably the best Christmas break I have ever had. Makes it really hard to want to go back to "normal life"... and I even got an extra day-- we were supposed to go back today, but can you believe we lucked out with a snow day? LOL I REALLY wanted an extra day to try and get my brain back to "Mrs. Baker"... planning to do today for school... sigh...

Anyway, got some pics to share from Christmas, so I'll add those here. Also, so many things I haven't written about... the publisher of my book, sadly, closed. Such beautiful people, I wish them all the best... anyway, got my last case of my books and the rest are being sold through various places online now. Sad> :( It's like another chapter closing, but I know it all fits together somehow. I miss writing and creating, I really do. I know I am where God has planted me for this season of my life, but it makes me curious as to where He will lead me in the future, too. So many different places He has taken me.

I really need to take care of some planning, laundry, etc., and have lots still to write... I need to come back. Andrew showed me a blog yesterday and said that was what a blog looked like when someone actually blogged (meaning I don't enough)-- so maybe that will be a New Year's resolution for me (though I don't believe in making them)... anyway, I digress...

Here are some pics from the break... I WILL write more later. :)

There's just no getting rid of a dog's red eye sometimes... sorry. ;)


















OH... and we had family pictures done with Andrew's family over the break, too... these are some framed of the boys, now hanging above the fireplace... thought it was okay to post them this way (excuse the angle to avoid flash). :) I am going to put 5x7 pics on either side of each of the boys and then add our family picture on the mantel under the pictures. Will post the final view when it's all done. :)



Happy New Year!
L