Christmas Chatter

~ Santa was really good to me this year. The two best gifts...1) A new golf bag!!! 2) a wireless Internet router!

~ I decided to hang out with E on Tuesday night instead of going straight home for Christmas. Everyone has been giving me such a hard time. (I kinda like it...)

~ Everyone was home for Christmas this year...it was so nice to have us all together.

~ Dad had to work nights through the holiday.

~ I have arranged a way to be "favorite aunt Jill" for the next few years. I got Bryson a little basketball goal that he can play with for the next 2-4 years! Great toy for the baby...and great for drinking games for the adults!

~ The swimming pool at the rec center in Burlington is about 4-5 degrees warmer than the pool at the Y. You would be amazed at how much harder it is to swim in a few degrees warmer water. I miss my Y!

~ Santa still comes to our house. The youngest in our family is 21 and Santa still brings presents and we all get so excited to open presents!

~ We opened gifts on Christmas Eve around 4 in the afternoon so dad could be there with us. Of course since Santa still comes to our house we all had to go in different rooms so that he could deliver the gifts. Jamie told dad to yell "ho, ho, ho" when they were ready for us. About 1 minute later dad yells out "Jamie, Jamie, Jamie!" HAHA!!! (My idea :))

~ I wrapped all of my gifts in Victoria Secret bags this year. It was so funny to see my brother open his present wrapped in pretty pink bags that smelled good!

~ We got a new game for Christmas this year (we always get a new game, we love games). This year we learned how to play "Buzz Word." It is a fun game...I am undefeated! However we did have a ping pong tournament too...I was defeated (many times).

"Because Everyone Else Does"

One of the childhood favorite responses is "because everyone else..." I remember using those words to try and stay out later, or get the newest CD, or desperately try my parents for anything. And the usual response is "well...if everyone jumped off a bridge, would you want to?" As I have reached adulthood (sometimes that's still debatable) I have found myself uttering the would-you-jump-too phrase. But I still find myself saying...well, everyone else gets to. There are times in life when we should definitely NOT do something just because everyone else does, but there are also times when I think it is OK to "run with the pack."

Here are some things we should NOT do "because everyone else does"

~ Buy homes that are too expensive

~ Wear legging with a big shirt/dress and furry boots. (That style is not for everyone folks!)

~ Get a boob job. (or a face lift, or liposuction, or botox)

~ Be in a more serious relationship than you are ready for. Just because your friends are getting married and having babies does NOT mean that you have to!

~ Sing loudly. There are some people who really should take up a non-vocal activity.

Times when I believe that it is definitely OK to follow the crowd.

~ Vote. No, I don't mean voting for the same candidate, I mean voting in general. We should all vote.

~ Learn how to use cell phones and computers. It's the technological age people...you may not like it, you may wish for simpler times in the past, but it's here. Deal with it, and learn!

~ Try something new. Whether it's a new dish off of the menu or learning ti-kwan-do, trying new things can open doors to whole new worlds.

~ Read. If millions of people like a book, there's a really good chance that you might like it to. Take the chance. What do you have to lose.

~ Get out of school on Friday before Christmas. Everyone else is done with school and enjoying their break with family...Me, I'm still in school. UNTIL TUESDAY, DEC. 23!!! How I wish our school would "follow the crowd"

Sunday Chatter

~ I have most of my Christmas shopping done, with just a few spare items left to get. The problem is that I hate shopping on weekends during this time of year, so I'm not so sure when exactly I'll be getting the last few things.

~ My 7th graders are still undefeated with only 4 games and a league tournament left. I am finally seeing some improvement in how we are playing together as a team. It has gone by so fast!

~ My brother Joe got his buck this week. He is excited, and I am excited to get some of that deer meat. (Yes, I eat Bambi...good burgers!)

~ It's cold! (I could probably post this on every Sunday Chatter from now till March...)

~ I love to eat out at restaurants. I love the atmosphere and trying to decide between old favorites and new creations. It's just too bad that I'm cheap, I'd be going out to eat all the time...or I guess that's a good thing.

~ We have to go to school the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas. How ridiculous. Our school starts earlier in August, we get out the same time (or later) than other schools, AND we have to go those two extra days before Christmas??? Our board must think that quality learning goes on those two days...HA! (Movies, talent show, dances...what a waste of time!)

Yeah!

THE HOUSE IS CLEAN!!!

Dishes done.

Last load of laundry in progress.

Floor vacuumed.

Bed made.

Candles smell great.

Any bets on how long this lasts???

Yuck!

My house is a mess...I need to clean it. If someone can figure out a good way to motivate me to fold laundry, do the dishes, vacuum the floor, and clean the bathroom I would really appreciate it.

My problem is that I have zero motivation to do anything in the evenings work related. Maybe once basketball is done in January and I have my afternoon's off, I'll be able to keep things picked up during the week, so the weekends aren't spent knee deep in a weeks worth of crap.

What I really need is a bigger place to live. That way I have more places to keep my crap and I won't feel like everything is spilling out of the few cabinets and closets I have. So if anyone has a lead on a nice rental that has a garage and won't cost me a month what I could pay in a house payment, that would be great!

Happy Birthday Mama!

Today is my mother's birthday. She is turning...well, a lady never reveals the age of another lady :). We will celebrate at my sister's basketball game and dinner after. It should be a great weekend!

Scruff

Yesterday was my little brother's 23rd birthday. Joe, the third born to our wonderful family, has been dubbed "Scruff." I don't know why I call him that, just something that started a while ago. I'm not sure if he likes it when I call him that, but I do it anyway...and will continue to call him Scruff until we are well into our 70s.

Out of all my siblings Scruff and I are probably the most alike. We share similar temperaments, likes/dislikes, are very competitive, we both have undefeated state basketball title (although my game was more exciting and we were 4A not 3A), and tend to be a little more layed back (although Jamie and John might disagree).

There are so many wonderful things about him, I thought I might share what I most admire about Scruff.

~ His laugh. He has this deep belly laugh that just makes everyone in the room want to know just what is so funny.

~ His athletic ability. Joe is so talented in every sport he decides to try. He played football, basketball and baseball in high school, played baseball at Pratt CC and Emporia State U, and has recently taken up golfing. I believe the guy could decide he wanted to become a curler and he would have success.

~ His loud voice. Something else we share, we both have volume control issues...although mine is all the time, and his just happens after a few beers...

~ Joe cannot tell a lie. He's a dead give-away. I love it!

~ His people skills. Scruff is someone everyone knows and or they want to know. He's who you want to hang out with at a party, at work, or at church.

~ His love for Bryson. Little B is just over a year and Joe is learning and growing as a parent and doing the best he can to be a good example to B.

This list could go on and on. It is true how much closer you are to your siblings as adults than you were as kids living in the same house. I hope things never change!

State "Trivia" Assessments

Teachers of all kinds are required by the state to teach certain information to students. It is outlined in our state standards what specific criteria the students are required to learn. Those of us who teach core subjects (math, reading, social studies, and science) also have to pay special attention to those that indicate "testable material." I teach social studies. According to the state, those "testable indicators" consist of material that should be vital to students understanding of history, geography, economics, and government. Now, I love my subject, and I believe that having knowledge about social studies will make a person a more well rounded and intelligent adult. BUT...you can be a full functioning adult, with a job, family or whatever you choose without that knowledge (not that I recommend it...). Tonight I have spent the better part of my evening creating a PowerPoint lecture for my kids that is filled with random trivial history that the state has deemed "testable." This is not the first time I have been frustrated with what KS thinks students need to know...Honestly can we be a full functioning, well educated adult without the knowledge of the following events?

~ The Sand Creek Massacre
~ The Monroe Doctrine
~ Benjamin "Pap" Singleton
~ The Court case of McCullough v. Maryland

Seriously...trivia questions that show up on a state assessment, and frustrate me. Why? These tend to be the more boring historical topics that the kids will memorize for the test. What a waste of time!

***Author's Note***
I spent probably about 10 minutes at the beginning of class today being drilled about my social life and E (who he is and what he does), so I guess not everything in my class is based on state standards... :)