Purple's Latest Adventures

Purple has been on a streak of adventures here. Clare's enjoyed seeing where she will pop up next!

Her stocking...

The towel holder in the her bathroom...

With a monkey friend on the dresser in her room...

With mermaid friends in her bathroom...

In the light fixture in the kitchen...

The Nativity scene...

Even the Christmas Tree...

Or the poinsettias...

Christmas 2010

Purple is ready to drop into her skirt.

Clare hanging ornaments.

Clare perfecting the tree.

Our tree with Angel Scotch at the top.

Clare's Playmobil Nativity Set

Countdown to Halloween.....

A WEEK AND COUNTING....

HAPPY HAUNTINGS!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I love my wreath....the shiny spider really makes it complete. You can't really see the cute bat in the top corner, but she's cute too.

Week 5 and counting....

I am on Week 5 of the Couch to 5K program.....only 4 more weeks to go until completion. This is what is left in store for me:

Week 5
Day 1:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Day 2:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Day 3:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
Week 6
Week 1:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Day 2:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
Day 3:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
Week 7
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
Week 8
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
Week 9
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Also, I have started a beginners sewing class. I just have a few basics left to get and then I can get started. Clare has started a 2 day a week preschool (Tues/Thurs) at the Keller Methodist Church. It's called Building Blocks. She has 2 teachers & there are 14 total 3 year olds in her class. She goes from 9:15-2:15. She absolutely loves it! Clare also started soccer this week. Her practice is on Wednesday & her games are on Saturdays for the next 6 weeks. Another thing she is super excited about. She continues with ASI gymnastics on Wed. mornings and will start back up with swim lessons in October on Mon. afternoons.

What have I been up to lately?

I have spent the whole summer with Clare. We have had lots of excitement doing simple and fun things. No work, no time to be places, no worries. Well, I have been classes to get my TX teacher's certificate and taking the Generalist EC-6 test and the Special Education EC-12 test. I have also started this Couch to 5k interval program. It combines walking and jogging, and it is tolerable in this 3 digit heat. I have just finished week 1 of the series. Although it says to do it 3 days a week, I try for 6 just to keep up my momentum. Hopefully after the 9 weeks, running won't be so horrific to me!

1. (DAYS 1-3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2. (DAYS 1-3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3. (DAYS 1-3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4. (DAYS 1-3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5. (DAYS 1-2) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
(DAY 3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6. (DAYS 1-2) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
(DAY 3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
7. (DAYS 1-3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8. (DAYS 1-3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9. (DAYS 1-3) Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).


http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Scotch (April 29, 1999 - June 12, 2009)

It doesn't seem like it's been a year since that fateful day. We know you are still with us even though we miss you dearly. I hope you have enjoyed your year in Heaven and haven't gotten too fat off of your endless supply of pizza.

Captain Hook Clare

Clare had fun at Casa Manana today. We saw Peter Pan. She sat through the entire show and loved the flying scenes. She especially liked the goodies she got---an eye patch and pirates hat, complete with hot pink feathers!

HAPPY EASTER FROM MY BIG 3 YEAR OLD GIRL!!!

HOMESICK FOR WHO DAT

Well, game day is finally upon us. While I am very excited, so excited that I couldn't sleep last night, it's not the same watching the game in Texas and not in Louisiana.

First, you cannot find any Saints paraphernalia, even after a week of the Saints winning the NFC Championship game. I looked at Academy, Sports Authority, Dick's, Foot Locker, etc., and NOTHING! I was told they only carry the local teams. Well, the local team is sitting at home.

Second, people assume you are a bandwagon fan. I have suffered through many, many years-the bad and the ugly. I remember the Aints, the paper bags, the almost wins-year, after year, after year. I remember when they won the first division championship (that pennant hung in my room) and lost to the Vikings in the playoffs. That was the big year of the Benson Boogie (that was recorded on a VHS on tv and a tape from the radio at home); the big year of the Dome Patrol (that poster hung in my room). For those who don't know or don't remember: The Benson Boogie was the owner, Tom Benson, dancing with a black and gold umbrella on the field at the end of every victory. The Dome Patrol was the 4 defensive frontmen including Sam Mills (RIP), Pat Swilling, Rickey Jackson (Congrats to the NFL Hall of Fame), and Vaughn Johnson---a very feared unit of men.

I used to go to the games. I was at the game when the Super Dome caught on fire. Yes, caught on fire in the middle of a game!!! During halftime, fireworks were used. Then during the first 3rd quarter drive, the Saints drove down to kick a field goal. Immediatly prior to Morton Anderson kicking the 3 points, a piece of the Dome came falling down from the top, flames attached!!!

I know Buddy D, the beloved radio/talk show host, is having the time of his life from inside the pearly gates. He never was afraid to call out Tom Benson for not spending enough money on coaches, players, etc. He must be having a ball seeing what has transpired over this Saints season. FYI---My brother went to his show once and was actually on it, asking a question for a player to answer.

I hear the state is uniting young and old. Everyone is sporting Saints gear, even nuns and churches! There are black and gold king cakes, Buddy D parades, state holidays proposed. Those outside of the state do not understand what this means to the people in and from Louisiana. It's more than a football game! Katrina explains it all. Katrina devestated the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. The Super Dome was turned into a morgue. Death was everywhere---literally. No one knew why people would return to that area, but they did. The Saints did. The Super Dome and the Gulf Coast was immediately rebuilt. And this rebuilt the state of Louisiana. If you aren't from there, you don't understand.

I miss blending in with the crowd of Who Dat....no one cared about that saying until 2 weeks ago. The NFL all of a sudden like to say they coined that phrase. SO UNTRUE! The substitution of d for t is a dialectical speech issue, not a coined phrase. Back in 1983, Aaron Neville, a few Saints players, and a WWL sports broadcaster made a video about Who Dat. There was not one NFL connection to that video. If the NFL would visit the depths of Louisiana, they would realize that people truly speak that way, and the fans coined that phrase!

Although I will be watching the game with family from LA, I sure wish I were truly there. If the Saints win, I am not sure what I will do. Cry-yes, Sleep-no, Pee in my pants-probably! Go to work on Monday-unfortunately, yes. Give me more and more reason to move back HOME---without a doubt!

WHO DAT, WHO DAT SAY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS, WHO DAT!

What BREATHE means to me....

So, I was supposed to update this a long time ago and just never had time; hence, the motto: Breathe. I always try to have a New Year's resolution but never follow through with it. So this year I came across the idea of a word for the year on several blogs. The idea is similar to a resolution, just not as binding. Basically, you determine a word that you hope will sum up what you want out of the upcoming year. It can be as specific or general as you like. I had several choices, but decided on "Breathe" after a particular day at work. Anyway, I chose this word because I realize that I try to do too much, that my priorities are not what they should be, and that my mind is just too crazy. I hope that "Breathe" will help remind me of what is important both in my personal and professional life; therefore, I will have a great 2010.

I hope to BREATHE everytime I am teaching 4, 5, and 6 year olds. I must realize that although the curriculum that I teach is quite advanced for their age, that they are just 4, 5, and 6 years old and act that age (or younger). They don't have to master all that the curriculum and/or their parents expect them to master before going to the next grade.

I hope to BREATHE when my 2 (almost 3) year old tries my patience on an ongoing basis. Again, she is really still a baby. Even though she thinks she can do it all herself, I must let her try even know I will have to clean up the mess and/or do it in the end.

I hope to BREATHE and not worry about being the best teacher possible. It's ok if they kids don't have crafts to do every single day/week. It's ok if they don't get to all their worksheets. It's ok if they don't get a concept. They don't have to have extracurricular lessons every single day. They will survive!

I hope to BREATHE and stand up for myself when I am sick or Clare is sick. It's ok to miss a day of work. It's ok to be 5 minutes late. I hate to do it. I hate for my classroom to miss me as their teacher. But my family, my child's health, and my personal health is ultimately the most important thing.

I hope to BREATHE and do what I want to do when I want to do it. I love to scrapbook and I have so many unfinished projects. Why....not sure. I have all the materials. It's because I am so wrapped up in my work, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. that I don't take the time for my most favorite hobby.

I hope to BREATHE and take time to play with Clare and my pets on a daily basis. I feel they miss out on me so much because of my work. It's all about my classroom---my family (including the furry variety) needs me.

I hope to BREATHE and focus on Chris. We never have time alone together. Either he is traveling to Chicago or we or both dead tired from our jobs. When we are alone, we eat, watch tv, then go to bed. Both exhausted from the day.

BREATHE. BREATHE. BREATHE.

So, the trend is simple. Work cannot be the priority. My family, my daughter, my husband, my pets, my hobby.....that's the priority. Work can be the backburner now. I am tired of my head spinning from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed. And even then, I usually dream about it. How am I doing thus far? Well, since I am just now posting what "Breathe" means to me-well, I guess I am doing fair. Better, yes. As good as I hoped, no. But it's just January techically.....

DRUMROLL PLEASE........

MY WORD OF 2010 IS.......



BREATHE



explanation and details to come......

WORD OF THE YEAR?

So, I've been reading other's blogs about their Word of the Year. Sounds intriguing. Not sure what mine will be. I've come up with 4 so far. Trying to narrow it down. That's the hard part. Stay tuned for my word. Here's some blogs that have inspired me.

http://www.mymojoy.com/2010/01/word-of-year-2010.html

http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2009/12/my-one-little-word-story.html

http://macchio4family.blogspot.com/2010/01/pray.html