Thursday I was pretty stressed out and it just seemed like nothing was working out. I mentioned this to Brooks and when he came home he had a bag. No it wasn't flowers but just as thoughtful. He bought me "Aqua Globes"!! I was very touched by his thoughtfulness. I had been wanting this for quite a while but wouldn't buy them off the TV. So when he saw them in Walgreen's he knew it would be just the thing to cheer me up. And he was right.
I put one of the Aqua Globes in my big plant in the kitchen. It's really pretty and actually works! I'm going to put the other one in the huge peace lily that's in the living room, as soon as I re-pot it.
Thank you, Brooks. I love you.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
80's Skate Night
My sister, Cathy, & her hubby, Luis, (first pictures) have birthdays that are weeks apart so they have combined the two together. This year it was an 80's skate night party. We had a blast skating to all the 80's hits and playing limbo. It was so much fun.
Also, we all had such a great time finding just the most wretchedly 80's thing to wear. Cathy found her whole outfit at Target. I think that's a little sad that all this stuff is coming back in style. Luis founds his at Goodwill in about 2 seconds flat. The headband makes the outfit complete!!! I found an outfit at Goodwill that was scarily similar to an outfit I had when I was a little girl. To complete the ensemble I added tights and, of course, bright red jelly shoes. Brooks decided to go as Magnum P.I. We couldn't wait to see what each other had found. Here are some pictures of our ensembles:
Also, we all had such a great time finding just the most wretchedly 80's thing to wear. Cathy found her whole outfit at Target. I think that's a little sad that all this stuff is coming back in style. Luis founds his at Goodwill in about 2 seconds flat. The headband makes the outfit complete!!! I found an outfit at Goodwill that was scarily similar to an outfit I had when I was a little girl. To complete the ensemble I added tights and, of course, bright red jelly shoes. Brooks decided to go as Magnum P.I. We couldn't wait to see what each other had found. Here are some pictures of our ensembles:
Thursday, July 3, 2008
A change will do you good...
I changed my blog format because I didn't like having two inches for my posts. I felt like it was a lot of wasted space and lots of scrolling down. Now I have more room and you have less scrolling down. It's a win/win situation.
What IS That?!!
Last night I kept hearing this strange scratching noise. I couldn't figure out what it was and was too tired to go find out. I heard it once and then it stopped, then I heard it again, this time I tried unsuccessfully to wake Brooks up and just went back to sleep. Then I heard it a third time. I looked at the clock and it's 5:15. Great! I'm awake and annoyed. I go to the sight of the noise only to realize that the noise is coming from our bathroom!! I open the door. Out comes poor Gracie and lets out one little whimper. meow. She is so excited to see me and to be freed from her unintended prison.
How did this happen? To find out I woke Brooks up, successfully this time, asked him if he'd been to the bathroom last night, and told him about Gracie. He had been to the bathroom at around 4ish but says that Gracie wasn't in there with him. She must have gone in there without him realizing it and just shut the door behind himself.
Poor Gracie hasn't left us alone all afternoon. Brooks thinks she has "abandonment" issues. I think she's just afraid of being shut up in the bathroom again!!!
How did this happen? To find out I woke Brooks up, successfully this time, asked him if he'd been to the bathroom last night, and told him about Gracie. He had been to the bathroom at around 4ish but says that Gracie wasn't in there with him. She must have gone in there without him realizing it and just shut the door behind himself.
Poor Gracie hasn't left us alone all afternoon. Brooks thinks she has "abandonment" issues. I think she's just afraid of being shut up in the bathroom again!!!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Summer Time
My mom mentioned to me the other day that she keeps checking my blog to see if I've made any updates. I figured that I didn't really have any stories to tell since school was out but I got to thinking and that's not true. The summer has been quite eventful. So, Mama....Here it goes....
Let's start with the last day of school. The last day of school with my little kindergarteners was so much fun! It was a half day that was over before I knew it. We, of course, did nothing educationally productive but they were incredibly productive at cleaning our room!!! I gave them all a Lysol wipe and said "have at it. Find something and clean it!" And off they were. The whole room was cleaned 20 times over. We watched "The Mouse & the Motorcycle" which was a huge hit, we went outside for about an hour and then went home! The day was filled with mixed emotions for both me and my kids. All of us were happy & excited to be out for the summer but sad because we would all miss each other. At dismissal, one of my girls, (the one that got sick at lunch a few days earlier) said "Mrs. Whitlow, I wish you were my mom." It was so sweet & sad at the same time. For weeks after school was out I would dream about my kids. I pray for them often and find myself hoping they're okay. I love those kids. They taught me so much. In many ways, I grew up too last year.
I have been wanting a kitty for a long time so we decided to wait until school was out to get one. I went to the Humane Society and got a kitty. I walked in and was told which room the cats were in. When I
went into the room, I was immediately greeted by the cat in the first cage by the door. It was like magic! Our eyes met and she just starts meowing as if to say "Where have you been?! I've been waiting for you!" I open the cage door to pet her, she put her little paws up on my shoulders and I was instantly hooked. I wanted to look at others cats though so I shut the door, took two steps and said to myself "what are you doing?" so I turned around and got my kitty. Her name on the paper read Penelope: medium hair calico. (She's got a freckle on her nose!) When they looked for her paper work, they realized that she had come in with a different name than Penelope. Her name used to be Poo Poo. Yes, that's right: Poo Poo. The vet even commented indignantly, "Who names a cat Poo Poo!?!"
It took her a few days to get used to her new home and to us. After a few times of calling her. We decided that the name was just too hard to say: Penelope, Penelope, Penelope. It's a mouthful. So we decided on the name Gracie. We like that a lot better. Now she is part of the family and we are so in love with her. She is so sweet and will let you do anything to her. Her hobbies include: sleeping, eating, being petted, laying in the window, and spending long minutes playing in a converted mesh laundry hamper. (Converted in the sense that it's no longer used as a laundry hamper but a cat toy, not to be confused with converted as in it is now a Christian.)
Here's Gracie asleep upside down.
On to the next interesting thing that has happened this summer.....
I've always wanted a yellow kitchen. I called on my lovely sisters and my wonderful mother to help me paint it. Taping w/ blue tape took FOREVER!! Some of us thought the job would only take 45 minutes but instead it took us more like 4 or 5 hours. We had a lot of fun though. Yes, we did. I couldn't have done it without them. It would have taken me days to paint it. The kitchen looks great. It's a lot brighter and very cheery.
My theme is "old country veggies". I had some plates that an artist named David Carter Brown did and used them as an inspiration. They look like these. I don't have these two, so if you find them, let me know - especially the blueberry.
I have one large pear up above my cabinets. It looks like something out of Veggie Tales. I keep expecting it to start telling me a Bible story at any moment!! I like it though. It fits the theme. :) I'm planning on adding more large fruit to my kitchen as well.
In addition to painting my kitchen, with the help of my lovely sisters and my wonderful mother, I also painted my bathroom - by myself this time. It was a very dark navy blue which we loved when we moved in. After two years, not so much. I painted it a light, creamy brown like coffee w/ lots of cream. The color is called "Warm Buff". It feels so much more relaxing. I love it.
Before:
After:
Let's start with the last day of school. The last day of school with my little kindergarteners was so much fun! It was a half day that was over before I knew it. We, of course, did nothing educationally productive but they were incredibly productive at cleaning our room!!! I gave them all a Lysol wipe and said "have at it. Find something and clean it!" And off they were. The whole room was cleaned 20 times over. We watched "The Mouse & the Motorcycle" which was a huge hit, we went outside for about an hour and then went home! The day was filled with mixed emotions for both me and my kids. All of us were happy & excited to be out for the summer but sad because we would all miss each other. At dismissal, one of my girls, (the one that got sick at lunch a few days earlier) said "Mrs. Whitlow, I wish you were my mom." It was so sweet & sad at the same time. For weeks after school was out I would dream about my kids. I pray for them often and find myself hoping they're okay. I love those kids. They taught me so much. In many ways, I grew up too last year.
I have been wanting a kitty for a long time so we decided to wait until school was out to get one. I went to the Humane Society and got a kitty. I walked in and was told which room the cats were in. When I
went into the room, I was immediately greeted by the cat in the first cage by the door. It was like magic! Our eyes met and she just starts meowing as if to say "Where have you been?! I've been waiting for you!" I open the cage door to pet her, she put her little paws up on my shoulders and I was instantly hooked. I wanted to look at others cats though so I shut the door, took two steps and said to myself "what are you doing?" so I turned around and got my kitty. Her name on the paper read Penelope: medium hair calico. (She's got a freckle on her nose!) When they looked for her paper work, they realized that she had come in with a different name than Penelope. Her name used to be Poo Poo. Yes, that's right: Poo Poo. The vet even commented indignantly, "Who names a cat Poo Poo!?!"It took her a few days to get used to her new home and to us. After a few times of calling her. We decided that the name was just too hard to say: Penelope, Penelope, Penelope. It's a mouthful. So we decided on the name Gracie. We like that a lot better. Now she is part of the family and we are so in love with her. She is so sweet and will let you do anything to her. Her hobbies include: sleeping, eating, being petted, laying in the window, and spending long minutes playing in a converted mesh laundry hamper. (Converted in the sense that it's no longer used as a laundry hamper but a cat toy, not to be confused with converted as in it is now a Christian.)
Here's Gracie in the window. 
Here's Gracie asleep upside down. On to the next interesting thing that has happened this summer.....
I've always wanted a yellow kitchen. I called on my lovely sisters and my wonderful mother to help me paint it. Taping w/ blue tape took FOREVER!! Some of us thought the job would only take 45 minutes but instead it took us more like 4 or 5 hours. We had a lot of fun though. Yes, we did. I couldn't have done it without them. It would have taken me days to paint it. The kitchen looks great. It's a lot brighter and very cheery.
My theme is "old country veggies". I had some plates that an artist named David Carter Brown did and used them as an inspiration. They look like these. I don't have these two, so if you find them, let me know - especially the blueberry.
In addition to painting my kitchen, with the help of my lovely sisters and my wonderful mother, I also painted my bathroom - by myself this time. It was a very dark navy blue which we loved when we moved in. After two years, not so much. I painted it a light, creamy brown like coffee w/ lots of cream. The color is called "Warm Buff". It feels so much more relaxing. I love it.
Before:
After:
So far, that's it for my summer time update. I do have some exciting events happening this weekend. My sister & her hubby are having a birthday party. The theme is '80's skate night. We're all dressing up in our ugliest 80's outfits. Oddly enough, the best place to look for such clothes is Target not Goodwill!!! There will definitely be pictures!! So stay tuned.
If anyone else reads this blog, thank my mom for giving me the boost to blog again! :)
If anyone else reads this blog, thank my mom for giving me the boost to blog again! :)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I See The Light
Today's count down is 6 and a half more days. I can see the light. I know the end is near; it's so close I can taste it. Before I get to the end though, I have a lot to do: finish testing kids, do report cards, have meetings, clean my room, pack up my stuff.... It's just a long, dauntless set of tasks to do.
If you think of me and my fellow teachers, please say a quick prayer for us. It's a stressful time right now.
If you think of me and my fellow teachers, please say a quick prayer for us. It's a stressful time right now.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Lunch Time Dramas - Kindergarten Style
Our daily schedule is after lunch we go outside for recess and then to the bathroom. My very helpful, "Suzy" tends to take a really long time in the bathroom. I didn't realize that she wasn't with us until everyone was asleep. Another teacher was coming down the hall and I mentioned that I think "Suzy" is still in the bathroom. She said, I just heard in the office they're calling for her mom b/c she threw up in the lunch room. She came back to the room and I asked her if she was feeling okay. "Was it something you ate?, I asked. "No." she said, "Julie" stuck a pea up her nose. " Once "Suzy" laid down for nap time, I went to my desk and started laughing, I just couldn't help it. Oh, boy. Kindergarteners are one of a kind.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Spring = Crazy
I've heard that kids go crazy in the spring but I thought that it was a bit of an exaggeration. I can now contest that it is a real phenomenon!! My wonderful, beautiful kids have gone CRAZY!! Let me tell you about what happened today!!
I have a student in my class who is very smart and is usually very sweet but I must admit he loves attention. I look back at the sink where he is at and I watch him spout out water from his mouth into the garbage can as if he were a fountain. I asked him later why he did that and he lied, with a sparkle in his eye, and said that he was choking. I mentioned that I saw no coughing and he said, "I hold my coughs inside". Crazy!!
Later I saw this same boy flip off another boy in line - plain as day.
During math, we are doing math centers where they go to different areas and do different math skills: adding, subtracting, writing their numbers, and creating numbers with pipe cleaners (fuzzy sticks). Two of my sweet, mild mannered boys start fighting over one fuzzy stick. It didn't seem to matter to them that there was a whole bucket full of the sticks right in front of them. Again, crazy!
Maybe it's the growth spurts they're going through, maybe it's the 12 days of school left, who knows but my kids are a little nutty right now. I still love them and they are obviously very entertaining but they are giving me gray hairs.
On the 12 days left of school my kindergarteners gave to me:
12 Homework papers
11 Frowny faces
10 Coloring creations
9 Tattle tales
8 untied shoes
7 "I love you's"
6 Skinned up knees
5 Flower Weeds
4 songs to sing
3 hugs to give
2 beanbag chairs
And a gray hair that shouldn't be there!!
I have a student in my class who is very smart and is usually very sweet but I must admit he loves attention. I look back at the sink where he is at and I watch him spout out water from his mouth into the garbage can as if he were a fountain. I asked him later why he did that and he lied, with a sparkle in his eye, and said that he was choking. I mentioned that I saw no coughing and he said, "I hold my coughs inside". Crazy!!
Later I saw this same boy flip off another boy in line - plain as day.
During math, we are doing math centers where they go to different areas and do different math skills: adding, subtracting, writing their numbers, and creating numbers with pipe cleaners (fuzzy sticks). Two of my sweet, mild mannered boys start fighting over one fuzzy stick. It didn't seem to matter to them that there was a whole bucket full of the sticks right in front of them. Again, crazy!
Maybe it's the growth spurts they're going through, maybe it's the 12 days of school left, who knows but my kids are a little nutty right now. I still love them and they are obviously very entertaining but they are giving me gray hairs.
On the 12 days left of school my kindergarteners gave to me:
12 Homework papers
11 Frowny faces
10 Coloring creations
9 Tattle tales
8 untied shoes
7 "I love you's"
6 Skinned up knees
5 Flower Weeds
4 songs to sing
3 hugs to give
2 beanbag chairs
And a gray hair that shouldn't be there!!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Hair
I haven't had a hair cut since August. I was just so busy & tired that I just didn't do it. Also, my hair stylist moved jobs and I couldn't find her - until today!! Since this week is spring break, I had some extra time to look up hair styles and I felt brave to try a new stylist. I just happened to go to a new hair salon that hasn't been open too terribly long and....da da ta da.... guess who's there: my hair stylist!! I was so happy to see her.
My hair grows extremely fast and it had gotten very long. It had gotten so long, in fact, that today I had 5 inches cut off my hair. I just can't believe it had gotten that long! It looked okay long but now it really looks cute and you can see my beautiful face again. :) I now wish I had taken a picture of it before I had it all cut off. Before & after shots are always so dramatic. :)
Here are some benefits to shorter hair or just getting a hair cut:
1. No more headaches when I put my hair in a ponytail.
2. No split ends.
3. Compliments: "I like your haircut!"
4. Conditioner no longer needed.
5. Now my shampoo will last much longer.
My hair grows extremely fast and it had gotten very long. It had gotten so long, in fact, that today I had 5 inches cut off my hair. I just can't believe it had gotten that long! It looked okay long but now it really looks cute and you can see my beautiful face again. :) I now wish I had taken a picture of it before I had it all cut off. Before & after shots are always so dramatic. :)
Here are some benefits to shorter hair or just getting a hair cut:
1. No more headaches when I put my hair in a ponytail.
2. No split ends.
3. Compliments: "I like your haircut!"
4. Conditioner no longer needed.
5. Now my shampoo will last much longer.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I love my kids!!!
I know they're not really my kids but I love my kindergarteners!! I love them more than I ever expected to. At the beginning of the year, honestly, I didn't care for them too much. They were really needy and very annoying. I mean: What do you mean you can't stand in line? Why don't you know how to tie your shoe?!! WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING MY NAME!!!!
They can still try my patience but I seem to have more of that now to be tried. Boy, can 20 kindergarteners teach you patience. :) I've learned to remember that they're only 5 and they really just don't know and they're usually not doing it on purpose. And if they don't understand just explain it again and move on. And if they're talking and not being crazy who cares. And who cares if the line isn't exactly perfect.
They're a great bunch of kids. I've been very proud of how much they've learned. It's amazing how quickly they have grown up just in a few months. It's funny, I think I've grown up a lot this year, too. :)
They can still try my patience but I seem to have more of that now to be tried. Boy, can 20 kindergarteners teach you patience. :) I've learned to remember that they're only 5 and they really just don't know and they're usually not doing it on purpose. And if they don't understand just explain it again and move on. And if they're talking and not being crazy who cares. And who cares if the line isn't exactly perfect.
They're a great bunch of kids. I've been very proud of how much they've learned. It's amazing how quickly they have grown up just in a few months. It's funny, I think I've grown up a lot this year, too. :)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Tie Your Shoes
I just wanted to share with you that my student that tied his shoes together a few months ago - DID IT AGAIN!!! Bless his little heart!!
Waiting: Just Another Part of Life
"Be still & know that I am God" (Ps 46:10). God seems to remind me of that verse a lot and it also seems like we spend most of our time waiting. We do a lot of waiting: waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting at a red light, waiting for a parking spot, waiting for grandma slow poke to move out of my way so I can get home. grrr. Well, you know all about waiting.
I remember as a little girl saying, "I can't wait to be 10 then I'll be a big girl. Double digits!" After turning the big 1-0. I grew up and couldn't wait for a car. I got an '86 Toyota Corolla manual with plaid interior that burned oil quicker than gas and I smelled of exhaust whenever I got out of the beloved mode of transportation! Ahhh... but I couldn't wait for a car!
Life moves on. I couldn't wait to be done with high school so I could move on to college. Then I couldn't wait to be out of college so I could have a "real" life and "real" job. (What I wouldn't give to be back in college.) I waited for my "real" job after having some very unrealistic ones. Now I can't wait for the school year to be over, to have a nicer car, to have kids. Fill in your own blank.
Constantly waiting for the next mile stone is often how life is lived; being so impatient and not enjoying the moment given. Luckily, those times of waiting haven't gone in vain. God has taught me a great deal while waiting (usually after I have cooled off and didn't kill grandma slow poke).
I remember as a little girl saying, "I can't wait to be 10 then I'll be a big girl. Double digits!" After turning the big 1-0. I grew up and couldn't wait for a car. I got an '86 Toyota Corolla manual with plaid interior that burned oil quicker than gas and I smelled of exhaust whenever I got out of the beloved mode of transportation! Ahhh... but I couldn't wait for a car!
Life moves on. I couldn't wait to be done with high school so I could move on to college. Then I couldn't wait to be out of college so I could have a "real" life and "real" job. (What I wouldn't give to be back in college.) I waited for my "real" job after having some very unrealistic ones. Now I can't wait for the school year to be over, to have a nicer car, to have kids. Fill in your own blank.
Constantly waiting for the next mile stone is often how life is lived; being so impatient and not enjoying the moment given. Luckily, those times of waiting haven't gone in vain. God has taught me a great deal while waiting (usually after I have cooled off and didn't kill grandma slow poke).
- Waiting teaches patience and by gaining more patience we do indeed become more like Christ (Galatians 5:22 ).
- Waiting has made me trust God whole-heartedly. God is truly in control. My favorite verse, Jeremiah 29:11, reminds me so clearly of that truth.
- It also has made me slow down and appreciate the moments I am living in right now - not looking forward to the next mile stone.
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