Not My Brightest Moment

Decorating for the Christmas season - this is nothing unusual. Me having a "dahhhh" moment, also not unusual. This moment happened yesterday morning. I was helping my friend "Jd" put up a bulletin board. My stapler quit. I thought ... Oh man! Must be out of staples. I tried opening the top but it was stuck. So what did I do ? .... Look at the "posed" pictures below. They duplicate what I really did! (ey-yi-yi)

I faced the stapler at me (why .. I still don't know) and "pulled-the-trigger"!

Seriously, a staple shot out and landed right here on my sweater!

I was too scared to open my eyes - I thought for sure, even though I didn't feel any pain, the staple was in my eye!!

Only-2-Me

(ps - Please don't laugh at my dorky sweater ... it is SUPER warm and I keep it at church/school for when it get SUPER cold! I don't mind if you laugh at my blonde moment but no wise cracks like: Mr. Rogers called and he's lookin' for his sweater!) ;P

That Wasn't A Hint!!

When my sister and I were much younger we would take naps in the afternoon. One particular afternoon - right before her birthday - Rebecca asked me to give her a hint of what one of her presents was. I didn't want to do it because Mom had told me not to tell and I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

After asking me several times and convincing me to give in I said, "Vanna White." (or something very obvious like that) Oh did she ever get upset. Jessica - you totally ruined it! Now I know I'm getting the Wheel of Fortune game for my birthday! Good going! I'll have to act surprised when I open it up - thanks a lot! That wasn't a hint - that was practically telling me!

I got so upset - that's the whole reason I didn't want to give her a "clue" - I'm not a very "discreet" person. You either get all or none w/me! She rolled over in a huff and I felt soooooo bad. In my defense I'm almost 3 years younger, I didn't know any better.

Since that day I try my very best not to give hints or clues when things are up. It's not easy - but I always bring this story up if she starts asking questions and usually she'll say --- alright, alright already. I'm sorry I ever asked! I don't even remember that happening!! Never mind! :) Glad my memory supplied one moment in time that I can put to good use!

Kiddos

Glad he didn't use this "smile" at the photographers!! ;)

They're family - I gotta love 'em! ha ha ha ha I love .... "the eyeball!"

Such a cutie! Notice .... the Mitten and the Garden Glove ????? Hmmmm - who knows! He didn't seem quite this big to me when I was home, but now that I see this picture *sniff* it looks like he'll be out of that car seat in no time.

This is my bud. He was the only family member that offered to help bring in my luggage when I was home. He marched right out to my car with me, and after I gave him a little container of chocolate candies, and I think a soda to carry he says to me, "you have to hurry up - this is gettin' heavy." He also told me I had to shut the door b/c his hands were full. I had to laugh. I had my backpack on my back, a duffel bag strapped around my shoulder, my bathroom caddy, purse, and suitcase (on wheels) - but I had to get the door b/c his hands were full. I even made sure and repeated it just to see if he'd catch what he was saying in light of my predicament - he repeated it just the same. I chuckled in my head. Good help is hard to come by these days. ha ha (jk)

I went in and without putting down what I was carrying I repeated to my mom what had transpired outside. She laughed b/c Josiah was standing right beside me the whole time agreeing that I had to get the door b/c he was helping me and his hands were full and everything was getting heavy!!! :) Too cute!

Thrifty

I have piles and piles of material. I also have quilters blocks (but they're really rectangles), not many, but I've never used them. Well --- now I can say I've officially used them:

Fall Good Work Board

I can't take all the credit for this board. I am responsible for the wording going down a little bit - but the words are "falling"!!! ;) I had the general idea, but then the K-4 teacher said do you have this, this, or this? Most of the answers were no - so she came over and put up everything .... except the falling words! ;P

I think I got the tree leaves on sale one year. All we did was take one bunch and spread it open and then staple it. I love the 3-D effect! :) The thing w/falling leaves - there is no rhyme or reason. They can be strategically placed to cover up flaws -- like the flaws you don't see b/c we placed leaves over them.....ha ha ha ha The squirrel really isn't just hanging out in mid-air. He's in his hole in the tree w/all his acorns.

Thanksgiving Bulletin Board

Gerilynn made this board at church. I loved the "curtain" idea. She bought a lacy-looking table cloth and cut 4 rectangles. Then she stapled it behind the top of the window frame and I tied them back with cute little bows - so little in fact, you can't see them in this photo.

I also love the tablecloth, candlesticks, and table. (The fruitbowl is really neat up close too - it looks like a golden fruitdish from Bible times or something!) Gerilynn did the table freehand! :O The candlesticks are from the cricut and are super cute. The red tablecloth was for a round table, so she just cut a straight strip on the edge to get this effect.

If there were a chocolate cake on this table - I might just pull up a chair! ha ha

Fun Night

Do you remember having a sleepover with your friends? It's a great childhood memory. Of course as the kid it's great b/c there's no responsibility - as the adult it's entirely different. You have to look out for their well-being, and make sure they're enjoying themselves.


Tonight some of the kids from church/school had a sleepover.

They:

1.) Played with their friends


2.) Ate dinner sitting beside their friends


3.) Played "Duck-Duck-Goose" until their legs fell off and then started a beanbag relay


4.) Made a version of s'mores with WAY more marshmallows than I've ever seen before and added Reeses PB cups instead of "just" a chunk of Hershey bar.


5.) Created a campout on the living room floor with TONS of blankets and pillows and then settled in for the night.


I don't know about all the little campers -- but I'm exhausted!! I did NOT come up with this plan - I was just the helper, the extra pair of hands. At times like this though, I wonder - how do the Duggars survive?? I think it's probably b/c I'm use to "singular" and they've been wrapped up in "economy-size" for so long it's just a whole different mind set.


This picture is wayyyyyy brighter than it should be. Wouldn't you just love to be a kid again!! :)

A Slimy Situation

The other day in reading circle one of my students was putting their hand behind their back. I thought I saw a small dark colored object and wondered what "toy" they had.

Me: Student, what's behind your back?

Student: Teacher, my hand.

Me: What's in your hand?

Student: *pulls out hand from behind back and sheepishly says* A booger


Me: *gag, gag, gag, gag*

It was the most disgusting booger I think I've ever seen in my entire life -- and I've seen a lot of 'em! In fact, the Pre-K teacher chased me down the hall with a real slimy one, on a tissue from one of her kids, last year!!! I won't even tell you the end of that story - but it was pretty gross!!

Thank you Lord that I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye - otherwise I probably would have found it with my hand when I went to stack the chairs later!

A Small Miracle

I want to share a small miracle I experienced yesterday. Ten years ago when I was in college (*sniff* - now that's sad and depressing to admit -- not that I went to college, but that it's been a decade ago!!), I signed up for a store discount card at a store I patronized while in school. I never went to this store at home, but I kept the card for each year I went back to school.

Being the "ahem" pack-rat that I am, I never got rid of this card, even though I never used it anymore. I have been trying very, very, very hard to overcome my "hording" issues, and I have been going through boxes and piles and yadda yadda yadda.

This particular store has since become very popular among the people where I went to school b/c they run really good sales where if you play your cards right (sort to speak) you get a lot for a little. For example about $230 worth of groceries for $23!!! :O

Some folks I know will be in the area and coming back here and they are going to do some major shopping. They weren't sure if the "rules" had changed about only being able to swipe your card twice a day or what, so they were trying to see if anyone else has this particular card. Well, around here we don't even have this store.

I told them I "HAD" one in college, but I was pretty sure in all my purging I threw it out.

Man oh man did I give myself a lecture. Sure, the one time you finally throw something out it could actually work in your favor. Where's the line?? When do I throw things out and what do I throw out!! Oh, I was going on and on and on. Glad I live by myself - if anyone would have been there with me they probably would have hit me!

I knew I had put business cards and things that size in one particular spot. I thought that would be the best place to look first. Before I did I prayed. I said, Lord, I am almost 100% positive I got rid of that card, but if I didn't could You please let it be where I'm going to look so I don't rip my house inside out. I really have a lot of things I have to get done, and I won't stop looking for this card until I've exhausted every nook and cranny of my house.

Wouldn't you know it, I started looking through that stack of "business cards" and there it was. I couldn't believe it. I had just experienced and answer to prayer and I just stood there in "disbelief" even though I was holding the card in my hand!! I still shake my head b/c if you know me at all you know I can never find anything I'm looking for!! I have to "find it" when I'm "not" looking for it otherwise it just won't happen.

So now I'm able to help out in a small way, the cause of discount shopping for the financially challanged and I'm siked b/c I'm one of the financially challenged!! ;) ha ha (I tried to give it a more colorful name!)

Thank you Lord for your many blessings and for helping me with even the "little things." :)

Chocolate Pie

Thanks to my sister introducing me to recipes online I was able to make a chocolate pie for our bake sale at church.

A few ingredients

Three different things to make: Crust, Filling, Chocolate Curls

Most important supply -- Caffine!!!

Finished pie crust

Tadda!!! Finished pie!

dots, stripes, and anything else

I promise I did not help her pick out this outfit. I laughed so hard when I saw it though b/c I promise this is what I'd do when I was a kid -- an even now sometimes....on laundry day!

I don't think she wanted me to take this picture -- thankfully she doesn't know the whole world can see it now. Guess I should find an adorable picture of her too --- this one was a fluke, but I think that's what made it stand out even more.

This Little Piggy

My class hard at work finishing up their little piggies.

Late July 4th Humor

I just realized I forgot to tell you my July 4th story.

I went with some friends to someone's house and while there we were going to light off some smaller - sold by roadside - fireworks. All was going fine until......

One wasn't packaged right and when the fuze was lit it tipped over and fireworks were exploding everwhere!! I'm not exaggerating that part. They were shooting in front of the house, to the side, over the top, across the street into a field .... just EVERY which way.

I flipped out --- go figure. Started screaming and running, I didn't know where to b/c that's the closest I've ever been to a war zone! I was going to dive under a car but then thought, things are exploding at ground level and what if the gas tank is hit and the car explodes!!

I'm pretting much runnin and screaming like a chicken with its head cut off and one flew RIGHT BY MY HEAD!!! I'm not exaggerating that point!! That's when I really flipped out. Thankfully the Lord watched over me, but that was quite an experience.

My one friend says, after it's all done, "I told you not to move." HELLO!!! Do you know me at all!?!??!?!? I said, NEXT TIME GRAB ME AND PIN ME DOWN!!! I'm not rational in stressful situations .... I'm not even rational in non-stressful situations!! Too funny. Only-2-me ....thought I'd share.

Mental note: Next time .... watching "home" fireworks from INSIDE!!

PS - That particular lemon of an explosive was given free b/c "x" amount of dollars were spent.....They failed to say it was b/c the little child packaging it didn't do it right!! Maybe roadside explosives aren't the best! ha ha

9 years old again

In Arithmetic class the other day I was reviewing: if you add 0 to a number, your answer is automatically the other number b/c you are not adding any more to it.

~ ~ ~

Me: If I turned 22 on my birthday, but then every birthday after that I didn't get another year older how old would I be??

class: 22

Me: (mumble) Unfortunately since I turned 22 I've had 6 more birthdays and they all counted ... glad you can't add that much.

Student 1: You're not 22.

Me: *laugh* No, you're right, I'm not

Student 2: (had been thinking in the back of class) .... *shouted out* You're 28!!!!

Me: :O Yes, you're right, wow! Didn't really think anyone was paying that close attention to what I was saying. On my next b-day, I'll be 29

Student 1: And after that you'll be 30!!!

Me: Yes, thank you for that

Student 3: That's not even possible - you look like you're 9!!


---- Oh my word!! I laughed so hard I think I snorted ... but all the other kids were laughing also. I don't know if 9 just seems "old in kid years" of if he just took the 2 out of the 29 to be dramatic, but whatever the reason, he totally took me off guard and made me laugh really, really, really hard. It was hard to get back to the lesson after that, but we did.

This is the same student, that said "I'm almost as tall as you" when we were outside walking down the sidewalk. I don't know if he meant in shadow size?? Part of me thinks he really thinks that - bless his little heart he's the youngest and the shortest in my class - but he's definitely a firecracker!

How Many??

Our Fall Harvest Party, at church, went really well. I was helping Miss Tesfamariam with the 1st grade and under kids so I'm not 100% positive what happened with the older kids in the gym. I did have to go in the gym a couple of times and from the sounds of things they were all enjoying themselves immensely.

I don't have pictures from the room I was in b/c I was a little busy to take pictures - but we had a blast. There were about 20 kids all of which I'm sure had a stick of sugar BEFORE they came! ha ha

We also had a bake sale and I made a chocolate pie. All the proceeds went to the school. Every little bit helps.

It was a great night .... oh wait ... I can't believe I almost forgot to post this part.

At the end of the night I was by the front doors and someone told me something was on my car. It was pitch black outside. I thought they were just joking to see how hard they could get me to peer into the darkness. Since we were going to have visitors I parked as far away from the church as possible, and I locked my car - something I don't do a lot now since I'm in the boonies. As I "sarcastically" squinted in the direction of my car "just to give 'em a laugh," all of a sudden I did see lumps on my car. What in the world?? I ran up to my car and it had been T.P.'d. Not overly happy b/c you know Goldy is my baby, I started asking who did it b/c I was going to make them come out and clean it up. Then those who were by me started saying, look inside, look inside. And I thought -- I locked my car, I don't need to look inside, but again to appease them, I did - and there was stuff INSIDE my car too!! Now I'm starting to get really irritated b/c that means someone went through my personal things to get my keys. As I was leaning up against my glass looking in I felt something weird on the window but I associated it to the cold temps outside - like frost setting on or something. That was until I heard someone say, We told Tony not to poor the Koolaid on your car but he wouldn't listen! WHAT!?!?!??! WHAT!?!??! Now pure raw anger is washing over me. Someone pulled their car around with their lights shining on mine and I about cried. Red Koolaid was sticking to my car along with all the TP. I was soooo mad b/c I'm trying to think if Koolaid takes enamel off vehicles b/c I didn't learn that part in driver's ed B/C PEOPLE DON'T USUALLY GO AROUND BATHING THEIR CARS IN SUGAR LIQUIDS!!!

I had to walk away. I had to bite my lips. I had to LEAVE FAST!!!! I went inside, got my keys - which were right where I left them, and a garbage bag ... for clean up not to put dead bodies in or anything. I went back outside and all the teens (who were guilty of either the action or standing around laughing while others were doing it) all starting throwing away the tp. It was EVERYWHERE - tons of it was in the grass b/c since it was outside, and breezy, the tp not doused in koolaid or stuck to a windshield wiper blew off. The tp inside my car had fruity candy mixed in also - which I wasn't too happy about b/c again - it's dark out, I can't see in my car real well and if I missed some and turn my heat on ... fruity colored upholstery isn't the most desired thing. One of the mom's licked her finger and rubbed at the Koolaid and said, it will come off. Just poor some hot water on it.

Oh - ok ----and where would I get that from??? There's no hot water at the church - only on special occasions - Pot Luck - when we have to do the dishes afterwards. Then they said I could do it when I get home. Heat up some water and pour it on my car. Ummmmm - why is it these teenagers are the ones that did the damage and I'm the one that has to run back and forth with heated up water????

So I took a different approach. I drove to the nearest town w/a carwash - got my car washed and gave the bill to the teen who had the bright idea to pour this stuff on my car.

I like practical jokes --- the non-destructive kind. People move things on my all the time and make me feel like I'm losing my mind and I really do laugh. But just like in college when a "practical-joke" was wrongly played on me and things were ruined on my bed - I just don't go for that.

My "fun-night" kind of had a down-side to it. And then the extra 1+ hour(s) taking care of my car took away my extra hour of sleep b /c when I got home I still had to go over my S.S. lesson and clean up my kitchen from the pie baking from earlier. (*note* - it's really hard to study scripture when you know you have to get out of your flesh, but you're so irritated you know it's going to take longer than 5 min.)

Maybe I am getting old..er and I don't laugh things off as easily anymore. I don't know. I don't know how much I would have laughed this off at any other time in my life. I have a lot going through my mind....$$ ...my car's not paid off yet, I don't have extra doe for gas and car washes; time / responsibilities ... I was exhausted from going, going, going prior to the party, and then knowing I had things to take care of when I got home.

If it would have been summer and light out, and koolaid wasn't in the picture, I may have had a better attitude. Then we all could have just washed the car and been done with and had fun while washing it. Guess we'll never know -- and after this, I'm pretty sure I don't want another teenager touching my car again.

The really funny part is my friend told them where my car keys were .... yeah, it was nice of them to confess that, and I kindly informed them never to do that again. If my car is locked --- IT'S obviously done for a reason.

My car keys have not left my side since this blessed event, and I lock my car ALL the time again just like when I lived in a highly populated city. When I play the piano for church, my keys are on the piano where I can see them at all times. When I'm at school they're in my sweater pocket -- and my sweater's on me!

If you want to laugh - this "joke" was suppose to be funny ... "I Hit a Mummy!" Maybe I'll laugh in a few years - or when I'm in the nursing home looking back on my life. Right now, although I love our teen group very much, I want them to realize they crossed a line. I'm not an old fart - I really will laugh along with them at things they do to me ... just like I have in the past ... it's just that I do not appreciate jokes that take time and money away from me. I don't have a whole lot of either to spare. I'm actually spending time to update my lacking blog and I'm ridden with guilt. I know one day when they grow up they'll realize, and I don't wish for anyone to have to become an adult before they have to 'cause it's kind of a depressing / discouraging / stinky process .... and I know I have a long way to go yet.

Hopefully, the next "prank" I tell you about will be genuinely funny; one where I'm saying, 'You'll never believe the trap I fell into the other day!!!' Until then......

Fall

One of the ladies from church painted posters to hang in the gym for our Fall Harvest Party! I loved seeing which new one she was working on.

Big Girl

Why is my little girl growin' up??? Yesterday she read to me out of her 1st grade reader. *sniff* She's growing up! This is Savannah and me on her 6th b-day! SIX!!! I still feel like she should be 6 MONTHS old - not Years!! I went along for her piano lesson this week and I looked at my sister like I was going to cry. She just laughed (silently), as if to say - been there, done that, moved on. I'll get there - one of these days!

Red means S T O P ! ! !

When did a red light at an intersection become an optional stop? Has it been so long since I've taken the driver's test that the rules of the road have actually changed??

My mom and I were running errands the other day and I counted 5 -- F I V E vehicles that went through SOLID red lights - not pinky or orange colored -- RED!!! At one intersection it was actually 2 cars bumper-to-fender (not being towed) who went through practically attached! The first car was behind the intersection crosswalk when the light turned red - so why he and the car behind him thought they could legally, safely make it through the intersection I have no clue.

The other memorable Red Light Run was a SEMI!!! I stinkin' BIG honkin' SEMI!!! What in the world!! My mom and I had the green - but decided we should let him go. I know sometimes I'd like to be a little "flatter," but via semi squashing doesn't really sound appealing.

Maybe I've just been away from city intersections, and stop lights for so long that I just get way too worked up when fellow drivers don't do what they're suppose to -- not according to me -- according to the law! Thank you Lord for watching over us and keeping us safe on the road. :)

I want to post a comment - but this song sums it all up!

Hollie Steel

I love Simon's expression when she begins to sing. I wonder if her performance would have come off differently if Simon would have buzzed her. If I heard a BIG "X" sound right before my first note, I don't think I would have all my wits about me. Of course - we'll never know for sure b/c I'm not as talented as she! ;)

Connie Talbot

It's hard to believe two years have passed since this hit the internet. My niece is 6 now and I cannot imagine watching her on a stage performing in front of so many people. I think it's so wonderful that she'll sing for church - with other children. This video always makes me smile.

chickens....singing

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