Guilty Pleasures...

You know what they are...those things you shouldn't watch, do, or have but just can't resist. Here are a few of those things that I enjoy (but hate to admit it) :)

- Spaghetti-O's: I love them...they remind me of rainy days when I was a kid at home and mom just happened to have them around, usually because of some sale at the store. To this day, every now and then I get a craving for a bowl of the soggy rings in tomato sauce.

- America's Next Top Model: I hate the idea of models and what they represent. Too skinny, self conscious, mean and nasty, drama-filled who all have that same *sniff, sniff* dream to be on the cover of a magazine that has more adds than articles. But I enjoy watching the last 20 minutes of the show where they are at the photo shoot and then Tyra critiques each girl's picture. I, of course, share my criticisms of the photos and predict who's picture was the worst...and the entire time sit there saying..."I should not be watching this."

- Cookie-Dough: I know, raw eggs and salmonella...you should not eat cookie dough. I do. And I love it. Most times I make cookies for the sole purpose of eating the dough as I spoon out the drops of chocolaty goodness. I argue that I have spent my entire life sneaking bites of cookie dough and never been sick from it, and I will continue to!

- Trashy Celebrity Magazines: Sometimes I don't mind having to wait a long time in the grocery store line. That is the only chance I get to read the magazines that rumor the next big couple or baby bump. I could really care less how they live their lives and think I could do a much better job at spending all that money they unfairly earn...but I do enjoy reading about it.

I am sure I am not alone in enjoying these "should-nots." What are some of your guilty pleasures??

I'm Baaaaaacccckkk!

I know it has been a while since I've blogged. Call it being busy, call it writers block, or call it plain lazy, but never-the-less all 3 of you who read this blog will have something new to read.

I thought I would write just a few things that have happened since I last wrote something...

~ I survived another round of coaching seasons enjoying the new volleyball coach, who taught the girls so much more than I could have. I was able to coach the JV this year and it was nice to be able to work with girls who already knew how to serve the ball over hand. We had a good season and I look forward to next year. I absolutely LOVE coaching middle school girls' basketball. The girls this year were GREAT and it really is just so much fun. Even though this year I had to actually coach in some tight game situations...we won some, we lost some.

~ Ethan and I had our first Christmas together where we actually got each other gifts, did family Christmases, and combined incomes to come up with gifts for everyone. It was a great Holiday season and I'm already looking forward to the many more to come.

~ Ethan and his dad are close to finishing the bathroom! I'm looking forward to actually having space to shave my legs in the shower, decorating the new space, and not having to walk across the house in the middle of the night to go to the restroom.

~ I survived the flu season with only one bout of the flu that lasted just a couple of days. I did not however get hit with H1N1 and did not (and will not) get the vaccination.

~ We sold the waterbed, and purchased a new King size bed from Denver Mattress. We have not slept on it for 2 nights and I think Ethan is slowly starting to adjust... He is still going through his "mourning period" after loosing his beloved waterbed. (I tease him, but I love him for being willing to give it up).

~ My sister is playing in her last competitive basketball tournament this weekend...I am so proud of her, and can't believe that it is all coming to an end.

~ Ethan and I have booked and paid for our honeymoon. We are going to Rio de Janiero, Brazil and I can't wait. I won't say that I'm more excited for the honeymoon than the wedding...but it is Rio... :)

~ We found out the CO Rockies are playing the Royals in May. I have saved my last personal day for the Friday of that weekend so we can go to as many of the games as possible.

~ Finally the weather has started to pick up some...I have hated, HATED this crappy winter weather we have had this year and am so ready for nice temperatures and sun that I can hardly stand it.

~ My grandpa turned 80. Bryson turned 2.

~ I finished our wedding website. Feel free to visit it anytime. http://www.wix.com/augustynjill/ethanandjill

~ Less than 4 months till the wedding!

Cause I Teach Middle School...

I can:

~ Tell you all the different flavors of Axe body spray for men solely by their sent.

~ Speak fluent sarcasm. I've got the eye roll down too

~ Give you great gift ideas for either a teenage girl or guy. Girl...anything with Twilight or make-up (bonus points for anything that's sparkly). Boys...Axe body spray for men or flat brimmed hats.

~ Identify the names of songs that I have no desire to listen to. The same goes with the singers who sing them.

~ Say with confidence that middle school students should NOT have a cell phone of their own!

~ Persuade a 13 year old boy to clean something for a mere Jolly Rancher. (the blue flavor)

~ dream of the day when alcohol is allowed at the work-place. There are some days when a Tylenol just won't cut it and I need something just a little stronger...

~ Be cheered up immediately by a silly story or a kind gesture...yes they do happen!

~ Argue why there should NEVER be year-round-school. Spend 9 months in an 8th grade classroom...by month 8 you are inches away from a break-down.

~ Know now that when my own kids are middle schoolers they will not like me. No cell phone of their own. No skimpy skirts or inappropriate shirts. I will not call a coach to tell him/her that my kid needs more playing time. I will not tell a teacher that my child's poor performance is the teacher's fault. I will not hold drinking parties for my kids and their friends. I will NOT be the cool mom... (and will be thanked for it later...Thank you mama Julie!)

Thank You...

...to all the men and women who serve our country.



I lived for a while in Emporia, KS. The birth place of Veteran's day. Veteran's Day used to be called Armistice day, which celebrated the cease fire of WWI that is said to have occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. A business man in Emporia worked to get it changed to Veteran's Day in order to honor ALL veterans of the military. Because of this, Emporia takes great pride in Veteran's Day and everything is shut down. Businesses are not open, there is a very large parade and other events, and of course there is no school. Now, ever since having lived there I have always taken the stand that there should be no school, just like other national holidays.

Today was different. I went to school knowing that today would be a different type of school day. The kids were going through a health fair in the morning and then after lunch we were having a Veteran's day program to honor all those who have served or are currently serving our country. Little did I know just how powerful today would be.

At 12 we all gathered in the gym and welcomed local veterans into the gym with the band playing. We had Veterans from every war from WWII to one individual who was leaving at 2:00 TODAY for Afghanistan! They were all recognized, the choir sang the Star Spangled Banner, the band played, students read Veteran's Day essays, and many of us had to blink back tears throughout the presentation.

After this the students were lucky enough to be able to listen to our heroes speak about their experiences. We heard stories of years at sea carring bombs to the Pacific Islands, having to pull the bodies of fallen soldiers on the beaches of Normandy to be buried, flying aircraft in Vietnam, experiencing "friendly fire" and marching in the hot desert in Kuwait. WOW. What an awesome lesson our middle school kids learned today.

I now firmly believe that EVERY school should do something like this to honor our Veterans. If we would have let out school not one of those kids would have showed our soldiers the type of respect they saw today. What our teenagers learned today was far more important than any algebra problem or science experiment they would have done otherwise.

Far too often we take for granted the things that are most important...for all you who have served, are serving, or have lost loved ones, thank you.

Be careful what you say around your little ones...

Me: Hi "John" how are you?
"John" (Name has been changed to protect the innocent...or in this case, the cute kid): Hi
Me: Have you been practicing your 10 Commandments?
"John": Kind of.
Me: ok...why don't you give them a try.
"John": Well...I really only know the first one "You shall have no other gods besides me" and the 9th one "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife." Cause that's what our neighbor does!

I love 2nd graders!

Happy Halloween!

Our Little Houdini

I awoke Tuesday morning to barking dogs. This is not unusual. Ethan and I live out in the country a bit and there are many things that grab the attention of our two "guard dogs." However this was different. This was louder. Hmmm...I wondered what had those to all wound up, so I got out of bed (moving rather slowly, as it was the 2nd day I was waking up with the flu) and checked out the window. All I could see without my glasses was some blur of a shape that looked to have four legs. Great. Some animal has our girls all excited and I'll never get back to sleep. I grab my glasses and go to the front door to see if I can't make out exactly what is causing all the commotion.

It was Breck!

How in the hell did she get out of our fenced in back yard???

After getting her safely back inside and causing enough commotion for Ethan to decide to come upstairs and see what was going on. (He slept downstairs while I was sick...how nice of him to give me the whole bed to myself!) He bundled up and went outside to investigate the situation and see how our little magician worked her way outside. All gates were closed. No chairs were next to the fence. Hmmm....

He decided that there was a tree branch that had grown low enough for her to use that to propel herself over the fence, and we decided to keep her inside the crate until he could cut down the branch.

True to his word, Ethan got the chainsaw from his parents house and cut the branch off the next day, and just to make sure the problem was solved we took Breck outside to see if she could still get out...

Yeah, she climbed the fence.

I'll tell you again...SHE CLIMBED THE FENCE!!!

There is roughly 1/2 acre of fenced in backyard for her to run and play in. There are many dogs who would give anything to have that much yard. Not Breck. She needed more.

We should have named her Houdini...