Last Few Days...

Two weeks of Christmas Break - and it goes by way too quickly!  I am trying to enjoy as much as I can before having to return to work on Monday.  The worst part of being a Special Education teacher is knowing that my students will be completely off schedule, and it's going to be difficult to get things "back on track."  I also know I'm walking back into 7 IEPs to be held in the first two weeks plus a two day training.  Yeah, the stress will hit hard and fast.  

So, going back to the attempt to enjoy my last few days..... I started the 15 Mira SAL, and it's going well:

Letter M by Nora Corbett:  01 Jan start

 

Sunflower Faerie - 02 Jan start

Yesterday, we received our order from the Williams-Sonoma after Christmas sale, and I laughed and laughed.  The girls had asked for new Christmas cookie cutters, and Mandy specifically wanted the really cool snowflakes that we saw in the catalog.  Each one was regular price at $12.99 and there was NO way I was going to pay that for one cutter.  So, when I saw they went on sale for $4.99, I bought them and added in a few more.  However, I should have paid attention to the dimensions of these things.  Imagine our surprise when opening the box:

Yes, that's right, they are HUGE!!    I am still laughing about this.  The Christmas Cookies this year should be complete works of art, and we won't have as many since these will definitely go a long way.  

For Saturday, I worked on getting my stitching organized.  That took way longer than expected, and suddenly I found myself having to get the older two girls out the door and off to our friend's Lodge for the Youth Lock-in.  Taylor and Mandy were not particularly excited about going.  Taylor wasn't looking forward to all of the "Jesus talk" and Mandy just doesn't like crowds, people she doesn't know, etc. Her shyness is overwhelming.  However, both girls were forced to go.


Here are some of the pictures of their adventures at the Lodge:

Taylor has a really odd-shaped shoulder - which is Mandy  hiding, of course

Ken managed to find a babysitter, and we were able to get out last night with two other couples, Tim and Deb with Rob and Bobbi.  We had a great time - first at a local restaurant and then back at Rob and Bobbi's house for some drinks and cigars.  With all of the fun, we suddenly looked at the clock and realized it was after midnight.  We had hired a sitter for Jordan, so we got home and then crawled into bed. 

OK, well, we couldn't actually crawl into bed until Ken cleaned up the garage.  See, I purchased a 6-pack of this really nice German bier that the restaurant had.  It was really, really good and authentic German, and I had to have some.  Unfortunately, when Ken went to bring it inside, the box gave out, so there was bier everywhere with a very pissed-off Ken having to clean in the cold.  Yep, I have one bottle left, and I will seriously enjoy it, since it is now the $20 bottle of bier.  

This morning, we dragged a bit getting ready for church, and met up with the other two girls there.  We are liking the new pastor - he has a great enthusiasm for the messages and he does well at focusing on what a Christian should be like (non-judgmental, helping, uplifting, etc.).  Unfortunately, I am completely distracted by the fact that he spends the entire time looking at his wife and occasionally, he will look around at others.  This annoys me.  It's petty and it's personal, but it completely detracts.  I am certain he is nervous (this is his third service at the church AND they just moved from a different state), so I have no doubt he looks to his wife to keep himself focused.  I'm starting to think I should look at my lap and just listen to his message rather than watching him for a couple weeks, and see if that helps me out.

Yeah, so back to being that non-judgmental person, right?!  I wish I didn't have a public speaking background and notice those things!!  All in all, he's doing well, and everyone loves him. 

When we got home, I made the family take snow pictures.  We had never taken any, and with the copious inches of snow, I didn't want to miss the opportunity.

The only one who does not seem thrilled with the snow is Addie.  She is not enjoying herself in the cold.

I was amazed that it snowed and snowed all day!  Ken even went out and shoveled a little this morning, but you can't tell!

This morning

This afternoon

We enjoyed a supper of chili and cornbread - both were perfect for the cold evening. Sadly, the girls and I spent the rest of the evening getting ready for School tomorrow - and NONE of us were happy about it.