in my backyard

There are so many pretty sights and smells going on in the backyard right now. Let's take a little walk around the yard.

In the island we have this. We don't know what this is. When the shoots first started, Greg thought it was the garlic he planted after it started sprouting in the kitchen.

When it first started to bloom, I told him that I didn't know garlic had such pretty flowers. And I'm thinking these are too big now to be garlic. But, what do I know, right?

Then I remembered that on impulse he bought some bulbs one day while he was shopping for other yard stuff. Was that last year? Or the year before? He usually keeps careful record of what we plant. But this impulse was left unrecorded.

Regardless, we have a few of these pretty little plants in the island that smell good too. I'm thinking maybe it's some sort of iris.

Last year we planted vines around the posts of the pergola. One of them is a honeysuckle vine. Oh, sweet honeysuckle. The smell reminds me of being a child and living in Texas for a few years. Our neighbors had these trailing all over the fence that separated our yards. We used to spend idle time sucking the nectar out of the flower.

Apparently, Greg used to do the same thing as a child.

So we stood out there the other night, trying to relive the past & find that elusive nectar. Nothing. We tried several different ways only to be left unrewarded.

Huh.

Oh well, they still smell reminiscently beautiful.

We also have jasmine vines working their way up the posts. These have a different olfactory memory for us.

Greg and I were married outdoors in the month of May. All around the gazebo, jasmine bushes were abundant and in full bloom. When I smell them I am reminded of that sweet day I married the love of my life!

The daisy bushes are working on being fully covered in flowers. Such a simple, easy to take care of bush with a very pretty result!

  

here's a sign

Greg's cousin, Kayla, got married last Saturday. It was such a gorgeous wedding. We had a nice time catching up with family members we don't get to see very often and those we do see more often. Everyone was dressed up with somewhere to go!

For their wedding gift, I wanted to make something just for them. I wanted it to be personal. I thought this sign would be a perfect addition to the new house they bought and are fixing up.

I do have to confess ~ I totally copied this idea from Sasha at Lemonade Makin' Mama. I wasn't sure what colors they used to decorate their house, so I picked colors that I think will go with just about anything. Pretty neutral.

I love the soft blue of the background and how it takes on a subtle & worn look when I antiqued it.

We had a chance to visit Kayla's new house this week. The colors of the sign are just right and will look awesome in their new home.

I pretty much love how the sign turned out!

So, why stop there! I'm on a roll. While Greg was cutting the length of the wood down for me, I had him cut a few other lengths as well.

For this sign I used the same colors again. I added more of the scroll work behind the letters.

This sign will be perfect for a kitchen, dining room, or anywhere else people eat. I distressed and antiqued it. It's a little bit shabby and a whole lot of chic!

I already started another one with a different (yet equally neutral) background color. What should it say? Any ideas? Leave your ideas in the comments!

  

because we are classy like that

You know that I am all about being a little more green and doing what we can to be nicer to the planet, right? The kids and I usually take cloth napkins in our lunch. We try to use containers in our lunches rather than plastic baggies. We do what we can.

I am especially all for being a little more green when it requires little or no work on my part. For a while now, the kids have been saving soda cans and redeeming them at the recycling center for cash for the ice cream man. They are learning about recycling, responsibility, and that hard work can sometimes be rewarded with monetary gains. Plus we don't have to shell out money for the ice cream man! Little is required of me except to nag remind them to take the cans to the big bins in the garage on a regular basis. Once we have several trash bags full of cans, the kids crush them to take them to the recycling center.

To crush them, the kids set them up on the driveway. Um, yeah, we might drink a lot of soda. Then the crushing can begin.

This time, their buddy, Austin helped out. After the cans are set up, the kids sit in the grass and watch the show. (Oh my! Check out those filthy knees!)

Daddy does the crushing! He drives up the driveway and back, crushing the cans with his truck. The kids scream in delight as the truck comes closer. I'm the lookout. I make sure the kids stay where they are supposed to.

This time we had a little audience because Greg's mom, his grandma, and Danny happened to be at our house. They were alternately amazed and amused. Greg told his mom how his dad used to do this to help him and his sister crush cans when they were little. She had no recollection of this event taking place in her driveway. Danny? He just thinks we are all nuts!

After the truck was done, the kids finished off the job with their scooters. Really, no additional cans were crushed, but they had a good time screaming their way through the pile.

Me? I just kept taking pictures and more pictures. I'm about to get that look from Greg because I keep getting closer and he knows that all photos may potentially end up all over the internet. Here he's still amused by me, but I'm pushing my luck. Hee hee.

Since the cans now have sharp edges, Greg shovels them in the bag while the kids hold it open. Five or six big trash bags of cans were crushed and fit back into just one trash bag. The kids made out with $17.55 for their efforts these past few months. I think I hear the ice cream man.

And yes, the irony that we are using up perfectly good diesel fuel to crush cans to be kinder to the environment is not lost on me. Maybe one day we will invest in one of those crushers that hangs on the wall. But for now, this is fun that can't be missed.

    

tales from the schoolyard

Here I am in my much anticipated return to blogging (hmpf).  I thought I'd kick off our spring break week with a few tales from the schoolyard. With moving from a year-round schedule back to a nine-month schedule and Easter being so late this year ~ the students and teachers are very much in need of a break. We spent the last few weeks in survival mode ~ counting the days ~ and there may have been just a few testy moments.

However, this particular moment is one for sharing:

At the end of the day, during clean up time, a student comes up to me to share something.

Student:  Mrs. Robinson, I eat carrots like junk food.

Me:  Oh yeah? Do you know what carrots are good for?

Student:  Uh-huh, your eyes. (pause) So I usually make sure I eat an even number of carrots ~ for each eye.

I had a good belly laugh from that little guy.  He made my day.

Our weather has been unseasonably cold and unseasonably warm ~ sometimes in the same week for the past month or so. I have worn capris and sandals in the same week as my winter coat and gloves! The air conditioning and heater at school is controlled by our central school district office. {They don't trust us?}

Getting the right type of air flow through the vents is apparently pretty tricky because one particular afternoon the air should have been on. It wasn't. During math in the afternoon I started getting that dizzy, nauseous feeling. I was being bugged by the fact that my hair was touching me! I needed a ponytail holder.

I rummaged through my purse. Nothing.

I rummaged through my desk. Nothing.

I am usually better prepared for these sorts of things. I sent one of my students to Heather's room to see if she had one in her backpack. {My students are no longer phased by my unusual requests!} Nothing. I was forced to use an office supply rubber band. Boys, ask any girl and they will tell you this is a hair no-no and painful to remove.

The next morning after a meeting, I found this pony and note on my desk. Heather made sure to bring one to school just for me in case I needed it later. It's now sitting in my desk for the day I have emergency pony needs. I'm willing to bet she has a spare in her backpack too.

One of my students is absent a.l.o.t. Her parents claim she is sick every time, complete with a fever.

Right.

I think she has an acute case of I'm-spoiled-and-don't-want-to-go-to-school-itis. She was absent twice last week. After the first absence, I got this note.

Please excuse {Absent Allthetime} from school Tue. 12th She stubbed her big toe and counldnt put pressure on it.

First off, maybe mom needs to come in for a little lesson in punctuation. Secondly, really? That's funny ~ she was walking just fine on Wednesday even with closed toe shoes.

Here's to a great spring break! I promise not to stay away so long this time.

  

tales from the schoolyard

The clock in my classroom has been wonky off and on for a while now.  Usually it speeds ahead exactly one hour. We deal with it. 

But last week it was turning in warp speed and the minute hand was not even correct. We could not deal. I asked the custodian to help me. He put in a work order for me. Sure enough, the clock fixed itself and went back to normal. Of course.

I have no idea how these things happen. It's hooked up to something and syncs. Sort of. Apparently not very well, though.

Yesterday afternoon I looked at the clock and panicked. How had a complete hour gone by without me noticing?! We still had so much more to do today! For someone with passage of time issues, this was not good news. 

Until I looked at my watch and realized the clocked had shimmied ahead an hour again.

Coincidentally, the school district guy came to fix my clock yesterday just after my mini-panic. He replaced it with a clock that has a yellower face. It doesn't look right.

Yes, I noticed.

Starting our wants & needs unit, I asked the kids to make a list of everything they cannot live without. I told them to write down everything they must have to live.

The first item on one boy's list was glue.

I hear ya, buddy!

If you've been reading along, you know that I had finally found my joy again this year only to have it ripped out from under me. (Read here if you need to.)

Last Monday I came home in a super pissy mood and was boo hooing about lots of stuff. Considering we had staff development (with no kids) that day, this was not a good sign. While sharing my misery with Greg, he shared some wisdom with me. He told me that I let one seven year-old kid single-handedly rob me of my joy. I let him be in charge. I had given him my power.

There he goes being right again!

So, while crying at the kitchen sink, I made a decision right then and there that this joy thief would no longer be able to steal my joy. If he cannot follow the directions then he will be asked to leave the room. If he wants to be part of our class, he will play by my rules. He is becoming very familiar with the tile spot outside my doorway. This way he is not part of the room, but can still hear every word I utter because the door is always open. He will not ruin this year for the students and me. One child will not dictate how this classroom is run, especially to the demise of the other twenty students. I'm in charge here. The end.

Since then, things have been much better. The joy is coming back. Of course, yesterday was a super-sweet day because he got in trouble for fighting last week and had in-school suspension all day. That's too bad.

    

potpourri

No, not the aromatic kind of potpourri ~ just a mish mash of stuff. I'm working on some new items for the upcoming holidays.

The kids were glad to get packed lunches three days last week. That's a miracle these days because I seem to be pushing the time envelope in the morning closer and closer.

Friday night I stayed late at work to write report card comments. This can take a while because I want to make sure to say just the right thing for each child. There are some global statements, like reading levels, that go in every comment. But I also try to mention specific praises or areas of concern/suggestions for improvement.

I came home to this message. It says, "Reserved for Mommy!!" in case you can't tell.

Greg and the kids were watching a movie with popcorn, of course. Heather insisted on saving me some. How sweet!

I spent most of the day Saturday and Sunday at the computer working on my third of the yearbook. I may or may not have waited until the 11th hour to start this. I have one more weekend to work on it and I'm about 33% done. 

I relearned a lesson the hard way on Saturday. I was clipping along working on two collage pages at once. I had the layout done and about half the photos selected and cropped.  All I had to finish was the rest of the selecting and cropping then finalize placement. All of a sudden my application "unexpectedly quit." Those are the computer's words, not mine. When I reopened the files I was met with the unpleasant realization that I had worked for over an hour without saving. 

I know better than that!

That's when my migraine started. 

Sunday went much more smoothly.

I am thankful for Greg for going grocery shopping for us. I am not thankful for the rising prices of food.

    

daddy's little helper

Greg has been working on some problem with the sprinklers all.the.dang.day ~ that is after he went grocery shopping this morning after dropping me off at work. I know. Spoiled! He's all mine, girls. You can't have him! Anyway, after he picked Heather and me up from school after her drama practice and went to yet another store with us for some value priced hamburger meat, Heather was excited to hear he wasn't done with the project that never ends sprinkler repair so she can help. Greg was not so enthusiastic about having to work on it now that the sun has gone down and there is the possibility of getting wet.

Greg is always super thrilled when I pull out the camera in the middle of a frustrating job and take pictures of him endlessly. He's filled with an extra measure of joy when he finds out these pictures get plastered on the net for the whole world to see. {Please read with a sarcastic voice.}

Apparently Heather is the hold-this-glued-up-piece-so-dirt-doesn't-get-on-it girl. It's a small, but crucial job.

She, on the other hand, really was super thrilled for me to be messing around with the camera during her helping job. And of course, she wanted to know if these pictures were destined for blogland. Hello? Do you know me at all?

    

from february into march

Can February really be over? Time for the February goal recap!

Read 2 books. Nope. Read one. I'm a little behind here.

List 5 new items in the shop. Nope. Listed three.

Clean out and organize the 4 drawers in the kitchen island which have inadvertently become semi junk drawers. Nope. Maybe I'll move this task to spring break.

Make a bread recipe at least once. Nope ~ well, only if you count the cinnamon rolls I helped Heather make on President's Day.

Iron our school clothes the night before to help alleviate morning screaming stress. Yes, but only a few times.

Complete my February photo project. Yes. I might have cheated a little. Like, I meant to take the photo above yesterday, but got busy and forgot. So I took it this morning. This might have happened another time or two, but I'm not saying for sure! 


So, I'm thinking I wasn't so successful on the actual goals this month. But I did finish two big projects that were a challenge for me. 

And there's always March ~ so let's try this again. Let's start fresh. But I'm going to keep it simple. Maybe we can shake it up a little more in April.

1. Read 2 books.
2. List 5 items in the shop.
3. Iron our school clothes the night before.
4. Make a bread recipe at least once. If I keep saying it maybe it will actually happen.
5. Complete the March photo project ~ same as February, different month. I hope you are ready for more pictures of fun stuff plus some very random things thrown in. 

Our flowering plum has already begun to flower. I love it when it is covered in the delicate pinkish white blossoms. It's like a beautiful promise.

    

coloring outside the lines

I'm a hard one to live with. I'll admit it.

I'm full of crazy contradictions.

I am a rule follower.

But don't tell me what to do.

Sometimes those rule following tendencies follow me into the creative world. There must certainly a right way and a wrong way to do things. Right?

As I grow older and more mature (ha!) I am finding out that there are many ways to do things, all of which are not necessarily right or wrong.

I've been wanting to try a mixed media art piece for a while, but it took a long time to find the courage to do it.

There are no rules! You can color outside the lines and it will still be right.

So here we have my first mixed media piece. After letting it sit for a little while and looking at it a lot, I decided it was done. I really could have fussed with it a lot more, but then it might have become too muddled.

Some of my favorite parts are the details that I didn't plan. I love how the piece of magazine with the roses crinkled with the moisture, making it look very vintage and cracked.

There are a few spontaneous swipes of paint here and there that I find quite lovely. I couldn't have planned such loveliness. It had to just happen. This is so true of life, as well. We cannot always plan the lovely moments. Rather they happen spontaneously, sometimes when we are not quite paying attention even.

I've already started another one ~ or two. Everywhere I look I see things that I can incorporate into a piece ~ papers and textures and such. Kim sent me a note in the mail and the front of the card is gorgeous and has a great embossed texture. That will be become part of a painting at some point. I found a library card (where it came from I have no clue) on the floor the other day. Like a bird gathering for her nest, I swiped that baby and put it in my stack of findings.

Oh, don't worry. This girl will remain very much a rule follower. Rules are safe. It gives life a certain needed order. But I won't be so afraid to color outside the lines from time to time.

Linked to Show and Share Day with Just a Girl and Sew Many Ways - Sew Darn Crafty Party.

 

something sweet adds up to a lot of hairspray

Spice cake with cream cheese frosting is one of Greg's favorites! On Valentine's Day I tried a from-scratch recipe. Fail. The taste was good, but the cake was crumbly and stuck to the paper. He did praise the frosting over and over and asked what else we could put the frosting on.

This was on the heels of an even bigger fail from a from-scratch cupcake recipe that I tried to make for my class. Those went in the trash unfrosted! I bought Little Debbies instead.

I gave in and used a mix for the cake with the original cream cheese frosting. Success.

I am keeping up with my 6th grade math skills by helping Stephanie with her homework. I wonder when she will reach the point where I can no longer be helpful. I took Algebra II/Trig in high school and did well...but now?

This reminds me of a funny story. Last year a substitute didn't show up for one of the 5th grade teachers. So I sold my prep time to take over the class for an hour. It happened to be math. I came in and told the kids to hold on a minute while I took a glance at their math lesson for the day. One of the kids raised his hand and asked if I was going to be able to teach them the math because I was, after all, only a 2nd grade teacher.

He got the classic raised eyebrow from me as I told him that I am more than capable of teaching 5th grade math.

Hoodlum.

Here's a look at the electronics that I have been wearing on a daily basis at school. On the right is the new microphone we got this year. It's works wonders, I tell you.

On the left is a timer that vibrates. I have been wearing it to monitor the behavior of my new student. It vibrates at the interval whatever interval you set it. I was monitoring him every.ten.minutes. After two weeks of this, I decided this was not the answer. I was being held hostage every ten minutes. Every ten minutes I was getting resentful all over again of him coming to our class. I was starting to go nuts! {Ask Greg & the kids!} Thursday I decided that I was going to another monitoring system ~ every hour. Much more manageable and no more nutso...much.

Wendy took the kids and me to dinner and a production of Hairspray put on by the arts high school. It was amazing! I was so impressed by the talent and caliber of production. Wendy knows one of the girls in the musical. When she met the kids after the show, she invited them to come to her senior dance choreography show. The girls are excited about that.

We had a great time. Thanks, Wendy!