Lucky Lilac's Day

It's a little shaky - but that's because I had to use Highspeed to get all the fun in!

Lucky Lilacs truly is my favorite holiday, and when I tell people that, they look at me really funny!!!

In need of an update...

I need to update, but frankly life is pretty boring these days...I'll try a bulleted list to add excitement!

• We got a new computer! We've been struggling to share the laptop, so we decided to use part of the tax return for a nice desktop, it's pretty sweet - sitting over there on the desk - all shiny and new - while I sit here using the old laptop, I''ll get my turn!
• The house is still for sale...know anyone that is looking? Send them our way!
• Our fifth grade informance (it''s a fancy made up word that means a performance that shows we're learning something!) Anyhow, our informance is coming up in 2 weeks and most grades just dance a dance and call it good. Somehow I always seem to end of writing a play for ours, (how does that happen?) I always have fun coming up with lines and connections between curriculum, dance and song. This year our group is a little 'different' so I wasn't sure we could handle a full live performance so I wrote a script that involved making music videos with each of the classes. This week each class made their first video, have to say, they turned out so cute! I got to take each class and spend an hour taking their ideas and a favorite song and making eMTV (that's educational Music TeleVision). This week we are filming the second videos so we'll be ready for our show next week. I'm feeling hopeful and excited because not only are our videos cute but my class gets to dance my two favorite choreographers and they do it so well!
• Tomorrow is a big event, Rudy will be turning 1!!! I only know this because a year ago today I tried to take a very pregnant Lulu to the park for a walk, she got half way around and just couldn't go any farther. We came home and I knew puppies were pending. I spent the night with her as she labored, (Even dogs need a Dula) She was pretty miserable all night and so neither of us slept too well as she stirred and nested and fussed. By 9 when Art was headed off to teach primary she was in the heat of labor. About 9:30 she got up and started turning around, I sat by her and gave her pets, the next time she turned around out popped puppy #1. I helped her clean off the first puppy, she and I were both a little nervous, and about 10 minutes later she had puppy #2. I had Heidi come up after #2 to assist in birthing because I was nervous without Art home yet, Roxy got to watch a puppy be born which was pretty cool. It took until about 4 in the afternoon for all 9 babies to be born. (5 girls and 4 boys)... The cutest one of all was our Rudy, who is now a big loving loud-mouthed goof!
• 
• It's bed time - I think that's enough excitement.... (I'll be sure to post pictures from his One-Year-Old party with all his doggie friends - ok, I'm kidding, I'm not that nuts...I think I'll just steal him a tennis ball from school...)
  

Life in a Nutshell

So the play is over...WAHOOOOO! It went really well, the kids were adorable, and the superintendent started our standing ovation...can't complain about that! I don't have ANY pictures because we have a Mom who is a professional photographer who took our pictures and I didn't have to! I've seen some, but the rest will be proofed on her website (www.amandalewisphotography.com) starting tomorrow. The only bad part about the play being over (I really do love the chaos) is the clean-up! I never realize how much crap I've hauled to school until I begin loading my car and it fills completely to the top! Thank heavens my Mom has such a lovely costume/prop room, but I'm afraid we're going to need more space!

Other news in life..yes there is life outside of the play...
The house is STILL on the market. Things are slow, which is expected, but not enjoyed. So if you know anyone who wants a great house in a wonderful neighborhood.... Check out the house blog: http://perfectsandyhome.blogspot.com/

Art and I went camping this weekend, sort-of, it's a long story. We took some beautiful pictures and saw some amazing things. The dogs had the time of their lives and wonder if we can go camping every day?? I am working on the video and then I'll upload.

CRT's approach, summer vacations are being planned, we are trying to live "Penny-clean" (just in case we need to show the house), I'm thinking of taking up gardening, and I'm off to make a sugar-cookie cake (you've got to do something fun and creative on the last day of spring break!) -and that is Life... in a Nutshell.

Play Week...

Need I say more???

It's very crazy to think that all this chaos is finally coming to an end. We've rehearsed for months. Danced our hearts out. Sang til' we all lost our voice, and this week we prove it was all worth it.

I started my morning with an apology to my class for the potential irritability and lack of patience. I told them I still loved them, but that I wouldn't be able to successfully show it this week.
I reminded them that I would return to a loving, kind, well-planned, over-achieving teacher...next Monday. And then I proceeded to burn my finger with a glue gun (dog costume made entirely of velcro and hot glue - i have skills...) and yell in a very loud voice..."sh.....HOT!" Yes, I editted the word that was coming out of my mouth - there are certain things you can't yell across the classroom.

I could have yelled far worse things when my less-than-muscular stage crew attempted to pick up the scenery and popped the hinges off and I realized I was going to have to rebuild in 2 days. I didn't cuss at all ...... I just pondered the strength of hot glue...

But alas, I did not settle on hot glue as the solution to my scenery, I have an alternate plan that I really hope is going to work. I am taking a drill, rope, and washers to school in hopes of creating a free spinning orphanage and mansion. (You may need to pray for me)

And so play week goes on, my room is constantly full of kids running lines, I put together scenery finishing touches during spelling tests, we dance "Hobo Man" one more time, and I have a constant barrage of kids at my door wondering, "What time is dress rehearsal?" "What if I fall down on stage?" "Where am I supposed to be in Scene 10?" "Can I save seats?" "What if my microphone breaks?" "Do you think we're ready?"
(deep breath) "Of course we're ready!!! We've been practicing so hard, it will be great!"
Oh the joys of Play Week....

On Second Read...

Circumlocution...look it up... or read previous blog post for example.

It was our vocabulary word last week, and man does it accurately define me! I really shouldn't do anything after 9 pm.

You Really Ought to Blog...

I've been pondering, puzzling, debating, and struggling over a new blog post. It's been a while; I like to keep things fresh, but, no matter the thought I put into it, I come up with nothing. It's certainly not because I'm sitting around twiddling my thumbs wondering what to do with life. In fact, my thumbs have been especially busy lately. Just this morning as I was driving to work I was pondering what to do for math that would be an entertaining review of Add/sub of Integers, when I thought of a swell holiday themed game, a game that would require me to die-cut and number 60 + shamrocks and about 30 gold coins, and hide them before the bell rang. I put my thumbs, and the rest of my fingers, to work and got it accomplished and it was actually a good game, and I am proud to say my kids can add/sub integers. Which meant that during math I had to do my before school chores of getting ready for "workshop" and figuring out whether to dance or draw magnetic fields. And with the play approaching (April 2-3 - so soon!!) I have my recesses fairly booked to organize costumes, do fittings, sort tickets, and build NY. By the time the bell rings I usually have 10 kids at my door that need "something" and we only have 12 minutes to get through them all. And so the day progresses, bouncing from one activity to the next; I made hats during writing, I built a powerpoint during Lit. Circles, I wrote a to-do list during an assembly. Frankly, I've been going all day, and so when I sat down to write this I reflected on a statement made by one of my students when we were brainstorming about Spring...as I called on him to share his idea for our web he said, "distracting, Spring is distracting!" And so all my random rambling, inability to focus, and last minute scrambling are the fault of the ever so present spring! Sorry, can't do anything to change the seasons!
(And Yes, I took this picture. It was a beautiful lily I planted last year that just sparkled one morning and caught my attention. Good thing I took the photo last year, this year I'm only growing dirt. Can't really blame Spring for that can I?)