Tuesday's Top Ten

1. I figured out how to use WW online, so now my activity points get used up before my special weekly allowance.

2. I lost 3 pounds last week. Yay!!

3. I have been over on my point totals every day this week, so I am not expecting another 3 pounds this week.

4. Boot Camp the first day was horrible. It was drizzly rain, and the class is held outside. We ran from 5th and F (the gym) to 6th and H, then down to 2nd and H, then to 1st and F. That was our warm up. I NEVER run willingly, so I was huffing away by the time we got there. (I was the lame girl who couldn't even run around the 1/4 mile track in high school.) The circuit training wasn't too bad, except we kept running up and down the boardwalk in between and my heart rate was just going crazy. I was the slacker/loser who had to walk. Then, I had to leave the class 20 minutes early due to a restroom emergency... There are no bathrooms on the boardwalk. Ugh! It was a disappointing morning.

5. On Wedneday I had a super sore throat and a slight fever so I had to skip bootcamp.

6. I finally made it back this Monday. It was pouring down rain, so we had the class in the gym in a little room. It was pretty smelly in there by the time the class was over, but I made it!! (There was no running required during that class, but there sure was a surplus of jumping!) Today my body is pretty sore, but feeling good.

7. My class of first graders is settling in to the routine. A couple of times this week I've looked up during groups and seen everyone engaged and busy at their independent work while I do guided reading at my table. Hooray!

8. Kyla's driving test to get her license is in 7 days. My heart palpitates just a little when I think about it.

9. I am falling behind on picture editing, housecleaning, laundry and dishes. I haven't reached the point of panic yet, though, so like a true procrastinator I will probably not take care of these things tonight.

10. Yesterday Mark and I went to all the floor places in Eureka and looked at flooring and counter top possibilities for our kitchen. It's such a big decision, I am having a hard time deciding what I want. Help me out, What is your dream kitchen?

Weight Watchers

So I've broken down and joined WW online. I've been on for a day and a half. I went over my Points total yesterday, and cut into my weekly splurge points. However, it doesn't take into account your activity points for the day until after you have used all your weekly splurge points. I just don't get it. I was looking forward to that splurge on Friday... pizza and a nice girly martini...I hope my activity points will carry over.

Also, tomorrow I am back to boot camp. They cancelled my T/Th night class, so the only option is M/W at 5:30 am. I had a little mini heart attack this morning when I realized what I'd signed up for!! Guess I'll be in bed early!

Oh, my sad little blog...

I can't believe I only blogged 2 times last month. I think my average for the past 6 months is probably 2 times per month. Sad.

I guess I have lost my voice.

Will you help me find it?

I am thinking of the things that happened this month I could blog about... Hmmmm....

1. Kyla NOT getting to take her driving test.
2. The Women's Retreat
3. My work life
4. My lack of photo editing/scrapbooking
5. How I never print photos out anymore
6. How I rarely take pictures because I don't like editing them
7. Recipes I've been trying
8. What I've been reading

That's all I can come up with.
Now, let me know what you'd like to hear about... or see (if I actually get my camera out, take a picture and edit it to post/print)

Thanks! Nancy

Today....

working: On little school projects here and there. Hanging art, taping down nametags on desks since we've worked out the kinks, assembling assessment binders, copying homework packets and putting papers in folders to take home.

reading: Middlemarch by George Elliot. It is taking me FOREVER to get through. Did you know it was actually written by a woman and is the most acclaimed Victorian novel of its time? Still only on page 257 of 800 or so.

feeling: Content. It has been such a good day. Sunshine, work, laundry, shopping. Normally these things do not breed contentment in me, but today they did.

listening: To Pepper whine because we had chicken for dinner and he didn't get any. Also, there is Sportscenter on in the other room. (Football season is back!)

cooking: We had Rotisserie chicken from Costco for dinner, but I did make some pasta and some sauteed zucchini and yellow squash to go along with it.

worth thinking about: There is this great blog called "The Generous Wife." She sends out a daily email to her subscribers to help them to be more generous to their husbands. I am by no means super generous, but it has helped me to lean more that way. :-)

Happy Saturday! Love, Nancy

The first week

I have been a first grade teacher for 5 days now. It was a good week. I've been meaning to take some pictures of my room, but I keep forgetting to take my camera to school. Also, Kyla is taking digital photography, so she is using my camera a couple of days a week. But, here are some highlights without pictures.

1. I have a cute little guy who stands up at the rug a couple of times a day and says, "Teacher, I need a hug."
2. On Monday we started learning about having our own supplies in our tool kits. We learned about sharing a "double desk" with our neighbor. We practiced lining up in alphabetical order. We talked about the rules. We met "Herm the Worm".
3. On Tuesday I tried to have a discussion about what "Working Hard" looked like and sounded like. From the blank looks on all their 5 and 6 year old faces, I realized I have to act it out, not talk about it!
4. On Wednesday we had our first minimum day. We were sad not to have P.E. I went to my first staff meeting. It was over at 3:15. I was amazed.
5. On Thursday we did our first Science lesson. It was about weather. We learned to play "Ro Sham Bo" to solve a dispute. We got to the part in our pirate book where the mean pirates and the good kids finally meet. I made myself cough from using such a growly, loud voice for "Cap'n Bones".
6. Today we had a few people absent on early vacations. We watched a "Between the Lions" video. We played duck, duck, goose.

It was a good day.

A Wedding (Part 1)

So my cousin asked me to take pictures for her son's wedding. I was super excited and nervous. I went over to Hayfork at around 10:00 to take pictures of the bride, groom and attendants getting ready. Here are a few of my favorites...

The flowers

A belated birthday post

I had a fabulous birthday this weekend!
1. I had a great dinner with the other Bergenske family up at their house...

2. I made myself some yummy yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Look at how I even used a pastry tip to pipe on the frosting!!

3. I went to the movies with Cindy to see "Crazy Stupid Love" and after she gave me a plate of these delicious homemade "hostess" cupcakes. They were even filled!!

Wacky Wednesday!!

On our last night in Vegas, the girls and I lined up for our habitual evening photos. This time I put a chair in the area where we usually stood and told everyone to get comfy.

Aren't we cute? Then I yelled "SWITCH" and set the timer again...

Now I've got Gina laughing...SWITCH!

Now we're having a good time!

OK... one last time... SWITCH!

Awwww... we lost it! But now we are ready to go see Carrot Top!!

Top Ten for Tuesday

1. Mark and I drove to San Francisco on Sunday afternoon where we stayed in a pretty posh little boutique hotel in San Bruno. We walked to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner. SF really is the best place for Chinese food. The wonton soup was none of that broth in a cup with one wonton floating around... It was this big bowl with huge, meatfilled wontons, prawns, mushrooms, pea pods (super fresh and tasty!), carrots, and sliced pork. We also had chicken salad, mongolian beef and prawns in lobster sauce. It was great.

2. The reason we were in SF was so that Mark could fly to Santa Ana (south of LA), to pick up the boy's new Mazda RX8. It is an awfully sweet car. So yesterday Mark went to the airport at 6:00 a.m. for his flight, while I slept late, did yoga in the hotel room and missed the complimentary breakfast by a half hour.
This is the car he got...

3. I ended up on the road by 10:05 and made it home at around 4:00.

4. Mark ended up on the road by 10:15 and made in home at around 10:00.

5. We are both tired today... He at least deserves to be tired, I am just pitiful! :-)

6. I stopped in Pepperwood at my parents' house on the way home and picked up the first bag of zucchini of the season. I will be generously supplied with more zucchini than any one family could possibly eat for the next couple of months, so any good zucchini recipes would be greatly appreciated!

7. I have been plotting all weekend to make plans to see my sweet Michelle before summer is out, and we had a plan all worked out. I was floating around... so looking forward to spending the weekend with her... Then, BANG! my brain actually kicked into gear and I realized I have a cousin getting married that weekend! I really hope we can reschedule. I miss her smile and voice and laugh.

8. All of my boxes of school stuff are officially INSIDE my new classroom now. I took the last 2 loads over today. I couldn't unpack anything, though, because the 2 foot wide strip of linoleum in front of my wall of cabinets had just been waxed.

9. I am still reading One Hundred Years of Solitude... It feels like it's taking 100 years to get through!

10. It was actually raining here in Eureka this morning. I couldn't believe it when I let Pepper out and saw the wet patio. Pepper wasn't too thrilled, either! It did get sunny later in the day, though. Now, the sun is setting, and it is lovely.

Happy Tuesday! Love, Nancy

Thankful Thursday

I am trying to get back in the habit of practicing gratitude as often as possible. So, if I find myself in front of the computer on a Thursday, I might as well make a list.

1. Thankful I got to babysit Sophia again this week (and will get to see her again next week). She's just getting to be so much fun!!

2. Thankful my friend Cindyanna came over with her 2 kids while Sophia was here. It made the time fly by!!

3. Thankful I have finished cleaning out my Fieldbrook classroom. I turned in my keys today. It's bittersweet. I will definitely miss my friends there, but hope to keep in touch as much as possible. It just feels good to have accomplished something between vacations.

4. Thankful for a weekend of catching up with the girls in Vegas. We laughed and danced and chatted. It was good for my soul.

5. Thankful for the Tour de France. It is something Mark and I are both interested in, so we watch it together and talk about it.... so important to share interests in a marriage. Who would have ever guessed I'd become a cycling fan? I didn't learn to ride a 2 wheeler until I was 11 or 12! I am considering asking for a new bike for my birthday which is coming up soon.

6. Thankful for completing the editing of the Cabo pictures. Now I just need to figure out what to do with them. I am considering a pre-made photo book. That would be something I have never tried before. Here's one of my favorites...

7. As always, thankful for YOU... someone actually reading my blog!! Would love it if you'd leave a comment!!

Love, Nancy

Tuesday's Top Ten

1. I have been plugging along steadily in my new classroom this week. I have a vague idea of where most things will go... Now I just need to figure out if they will fit where I want them.

2. I got to babysit Sophia yesterday. She is so funny now. I was chasing her around the house saying "I'm gonna get you!", then I would catch her and hang her upside down. Every time I tried to stop she would look over her shoulder and say, "Get oooo" and run away. Who can resist that?

3. Tonight we had kebabs for dinner. They were really good. I made some with chicken marinated in a lemon pepper marinade and some with shrimp. I also made two veggies (which I ate). I sauteed the mushrooms before I put them on the skewers. I think it made all the difference.

4. Of course, the difference could have also been the garlic butter. I was worried that the shrimp kebabs would be plain, so I made garlic butter with a whole cube of butter. Mark put so much on his that his rice was swimming in a lake of butter. He looked pretty happy while he was eating it!

5. I have been meaning to edit my pictures from Cabo all week, but I seem to keep getting caught up playing Bejeweled Blitz or Zen Bones instead.

6. Tomorrow I am heading out to Fieldbrook to pack up my classroom there. My whole Volvo is filled with the boxes I have emptied at the new classroom. I wonder if I will be able to fit everything in one load or not?

7. I am officially un-addicted to Diet Mountain Dew. I couldn't have any of it while we were in Cabo because they don't sell it there. Then when we got back I decided to just keep going with Coke Zero. Some days I don't even have any caffeine. I just have a Minute Maid Light Lemonade. Shocking, I know!!

8. I have been reading this blog I found called "The Organized Classroom". It has some pretty good tips on it and many links to cool (FREE) stuff.

9. I had a really sore throat and extreme sneezing earlier in the week, and I was worried I was catching a cold, but my hearty immune system seems to have fought it off. All those years of teaching Kindergarten still come in handy!

10. Tomorrow I'm leaving to spend the weekend with 3 of my dearest friends in Las Vegas!! It should be a blast!! Hopefully none of us will suffer from heatstroke!

Happy Tuesday. Love, Nancy

Savory Sundays... The Senor Greenberg's Edition

So before we went to Cabo, Kyla said to me while riding in the car one day..."I am so excited to go to Mexico! I will get to eat Mexican food every day!" Little did she know, her favorite Mexican food (bean and cheese burritos) would not be on any menu in Mexico, and waiter's would all look completely perplexed when she tried to order them in fast English.

One night when we went shopping down at the big mall at the marina, we were hailed by yet another host trying to convince us to eat at his restaurant. Kyla looked at the menu and was sold when she saw that they had "burritos". So, being my carb loving daughter. She ordered bean and cheese burritos with a side of mashed potatoes. Here is her dinner:

Mark ordered the Filet Mignon which came with mashed potatoes and asparagus:

The boy had steak with Ranchero sauce. He loved it:

I went a little crazy with the tapas menu. I had Asian Beef Skewers with peanut dipping sauce:

Jalepeno Macaroni and Cheese

and Angus Beef Sliders with Swiss Cheese, Carmelized Onions and homemade pickles.

I couldn't eat most of my dinner! Maybe because we had gone to Hagen Daas a couple of hours earlier!!

Cabo Trip

Mark spent most of his trip golfing. He golfed 6 times in 7 days. We never set foot on the course, though. He found a friend who liked to go out at 7 am, so we were just getting out of the shower around 11 when he would get back from golfing.

The first day we spent quite a bit of time at the pool.

Kyla met the iguana.

Then we went to the marina for dinner. Mark and I shared this:

I had too much to drink.

The rest of the week was mellow, but nice. We shopped a little.

This is still my favorite store in San Jose del Cabo.

We spent a bit of time in the condo just hanging out and at the pool.

Our big event was going to on a Snorkel Tour on the Pez Gato.
I'll have to blog about that one later! Adios!!

Cabo... a look ahead

Tomorrow we are leaving to go to Cabo. It will be our first time bringing the kids along. Hopefully we will have fun, get to relax and make some great memories together.

I am looking forward to introducing the kids to this iguana who hangs by the pool.

And to drinking many refreshing drinks during happy hour. (Did you know that in Cabo "Happy Hour" goes from 10 am to 6 pm?)

Mark will probably golf a few days with "the boy" (I am still not allowed to say his name on the internet for fear of high school girl stalkers!) in tow. Maybe Kyla and I will ride along in the cart and take pictures. Kyla could practice her driving. :-)

I am also bringing along a prodigious pile of books to read. Even bigger than this one! I can't wait to update you all when I get back. ]

Love, Nancy

Changes

Well, since I've been a missing in action blogger, many things have been going on around here. I plugged along and finished my school year with a lot of laughter, a few tears and a huge rush to complete the things I thought were important enough to work on as the school year drew to a close (and the students became less and less focused on academics). The 4th and 5th graders chose "Animal Abuse" as the topic for their Project Citizen venture. Most of them were extremely passionate about it. They are sweet kids with a great love for animals.

In the couple of weeks since school has been out I've been taking walks with my wonderful sister and these two adorable girls.



I've been bravely taking this girl out for a couple of driving lessons.



And, just today I found out some very nice news. I will update you soon. After everything is settled.

Love Vacation Reading

Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was just right up my alley. It's historical, with many references to Renaissance Italy and real works of art. It made me want to travel to Milan to view the last supper and to the Louvre to see the marble bust of Beatrice d'Este. I liked the rivalry and jealousies of the two sisters.... I could never decide which one I liked best. And Leonardo da Vinci was a fabulous character. His character stole the novel.



View all my reviews

Book Review

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Written in the 1960's, this is a vision of a futuristic, ultraviolent England where teenagers spend their evenings drinking drug laced milk then beating, raping and stealing from the "starry" (old) people who just happen to be around. There is an entirely new vocabulary included which is based loosely on Russian, rhymes and happenstance. Luckily for me the version I read contained a glossary. After about 70 pages of senseless violence without a hint of remorse, our "suffering Friend and Narrator" Alex lands in jail. When he proves himself capable of murder even there, he gets to be the first candidate to try a new technique of rehabilitation which promises he will be a model citizen in a fornight. This rehabilitation forces him to always choose "the good"... and brings up relevant questions about free will, as much as I despised "may faithful Narrator and Friend". Thought provoking and well worth reading.



View all my reviews

White Knuckled

Yesterday as I was driving home I got a phone call from the girl. She was home from school and wanted me to take her driving when I got there. For some strange reason I agreed. Without hesitation. What was I thinking?

I hadn't driven with her in a really long time. Our first try at driving she freaked me out so bad I had her pull over. She swerved to the edge of the road without slowing down. Later she very matter of factly said, "That's how Juno does it."

The second time I let her drive she got so mad at me that when I had her pull into my parents' driveway she jumped out of the car with out putting it in park and stormed off leaving the driver door open and the car rolling forward.

So you can see why it surprises me that I readily agreed. What was I thinking?

She has been driving with Mark twice now. To a parking lot. She has also had her first official driving lesson with the paid instructor. So, I guess I thought she had improved. What was I thinking?

Anyway, we got into the car and she pulled the seat up as far as it will go so her short little legs can reach the pedals. Then she adjusted her mirror and looked over her shoulder. Then she waited a few minutes before pulling out.... without looking over her shoulder again. Luckily no one was coming. We drove around a little in our neighborhood before heading out onto the real road. We have really wide streets in out neighborhood, and she did pretty well. She didn't really slow down before turning the car, however. She does all of her braking in the middle of the turn. I mentioned that, and on we went.

Unfortunately, we were out right around 5:00, so the traffic was pretty thick. She was going well below the speed limit and had trouble keeping the car in her lane. I am sure some of those impatient drivers backed off because they thought they were traveling behind a drunk. Maybe I should make a "Student Driver" sign to put in the back window.

We drove through town on some not too busy roads and out onto a country road. I hung in there for 30 minutes. I tried to keep my voice steady and my hands from clutching the door for safety. She almost veered off the road several times while looking into her rear view mirror. At one point she said, "You really make me nervous." I just sighed and didn't answer.

On the way back she was more steady. She kept the car in a somewhat straight line and only veered out of her lane twice. She even did a perfect parking job by the curb in front of our house.

When I walked into the house, Mark said, "You look haggard." I guess my face was somewhat tensed up and crinkly from the stress. Again, What was I thinking?

The next few times it's his job to take her out. He's supposed to be the one teaching her anyway. I did the boy's driving lessons. And since he's always making fun of me for being a bad driver, he shouldn't be relying on me to teach both of our kids to drive!!

A Saturday...

reading: Watership Down

feeling: very low on energy

cooking: steaks, broccoli au gratin, rice pilaf, & rolls for dinner... with brownies for dessert!

completing: laudry, shopping, paper correcting and recording

watching: Inception on DVD from Netflix ( I liked it)

worth thinking about: I have looked down the long days of our lives together, she said & in all directions, there is no future without love. -Brian Andreas

Thankful Thursday

The exhausted edition....

1. Thankful that I got home at a decent hour today and already have all my papers corrected and entered into the computer gradebook except the American Revolution Narratives.

2. Thankful for friendly coworkers who pop into my classroom and chat.

3. Thankful Kyla had her first driving lesson with the paid instructor today and arrived home safely. She said that he said she "did a good job, but neede to practice".

4. Thankful we had one day this week with some sun shining down on us.

5. Thankful I have almost all of the laundry completed before the weekend. (I didn't start last weekend's laundry until Tuesday, so I just kept on washing everything, and I should get by doing only one load this weekend.) Yeeeee!

6. Thankful I bid on a Family Portrait Package at the Luau for Learning (a school fundraiser), and I won it!!

7. Thankful the Luau for Learning earned around $15,000. Nice job ladies!!

8. Thankful my kiddos have been coming to church with me on Sundays since I re-offered the "If you come to church, I will take you out for lunch after" deal. Last Sunday they both came along, and we had a terrific discussion about God's path for each person's life over chips and salsa at Rita's.

9. Thankful the engine light on my car has been off for 2 days straight. I keep looking down there thinking something's wrong since there is no light shining up at me.

10. Super, duper Thankful that Mark booked our airfare to Cabo this week. My soul is thirsting for some relaxation and my body is yearning for some sun. I just keep closing my eyes and imagining I am here:

(This picture was actually taken in La Paz, but you know what I mean!)
Happy Thursday!
Love, Nancy