OMG - It's New Year's Eve!

How in the world did another year fly by? It's scary really. Well, welcome 2008 anyway. So long, you were wonderful - year 2007!

So, I made tasty and beautiful homemade cinnamon rolls. . . And I can prove it!

Santa came and went, leaving happy little girls in his wake. My wii muscle are getting a workout! Boy was I sore after boxing a few rounds with Cat. She's good. And I confess to sneaking down in the morning to have another go at that tether ball chic from "playground" - I know I'll beat her dare one of these days!

Skiing! I haven't been in years, and although it definitely fell under the category of major ordeal, the girls loved it, and we loved it. We have the bug now, and hope to be a family of rabid skiers from now on!

Laura and Dan had us up to their cabin for a long weekend in Leadville. It was a great visiting with them. Inspiring to see the cabin. Relaxing to get away from the suburbs. Fun watching our kids play together. Rejuvenating to go skiing again!

Now we are home, I have a mountain of things to do - but it's OK! I still have. . . (dare I say it?) Heck, somebody has to...20 more days! I'll have to make my mondo TO DO list tomorrow! But until then, Happy New Year!

A Most Unbelievable Heavenly Home for the Holidays

Whatever that means!
Ah, Saturday morning, I woke up hours before anyone else, made my hot spiced tea, planted myself in front of 3 episodes of "sell this house" and 1 never-seen-before "big spender" - and it still hasn't really hit me yet. . . I have 5 weeks off!!

Today we made cut out cookies, watched Polar Express, the Grinch, and now Sky High - went shopping (see new Jammies modeled above) and out to dinner! I love Christmas, and take back any previously grinchy behavior. That was just the stress talking. Now the presents are all purchased and wrapped, the Christmas cards sent (it took 3 shifts, but I finally did it), and I think I'm shaking the cold I was working on. I'm about to finish a book I'm reading JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT, and tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I've made it through and even seem capable of relaxing and enjoying myself.

Kevin has been off since Thursday, and doesn't go back to work until Wednesday. The house is clean and there's all sorts of time to do what I want to do! This is a Happy Holiday!
Merry Christmas everyone!

3 days until winter break

Oh, my poor sad little empty un-updated blog! Just checking in, but I can't type now, Good Lord, do you know how many Christmas cards I still have to do! (I'm about 30 short I just figured that out last night.)
3.2.1 And it'll be Happy Holidays for me! Woo Whoo!

Camel Flog

Lily helps decorate.
Abiggigle and the "camel flog".
The Brownies/Daisies
TOTAL ARABIAN INTERACTIVE LEARNING program. All things I promise to blog about real soon.

13 days

13 days unitl break. One more week until my class is over.
I need to write up my "personal educational philosophy". 2 pages. I'm going to have to use a really big font to fill 2 pages with "we're all special!", and I'm tired!

Thanks! I needed that.

Even though I'm now ridiculously far behind on my EDFD600 philosophical foundations of education assignment, I need to take the time to say WOW! I so needed our little weekend break away from it all. I realized this as I was screeching at the kids a mere 5 minutes after re-entering our happy little home and our happy little lives. It hasn't stopped either. I'm feeling pretty agitated still. The tall ones refusal to go to school claiming to be "still sick" was not fun yesterday. Which is why I have to sign off now, get my cattle prod and go back upstairs. Anyway, I'm missing you pillow top matress with the 6 down filled pillows (not the pokey kind either). And although I skipped the spa because all I could comfortably afford was a lip waxing - It was nice to know I could have walked down stairs for a few hour$ of pampering.

AND The Count down is in full swing. . .

14 more days!

Success

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I will file this under "things I re-learned in 4th grade". (It's a BIG file!)

Dodi, You Are Marvolous!

I love love love the pictures Dodi took of the girls!
They look wonderful, and I'm happily mulling over them deciding which ones to use for what, because they are all so good it's hard to choose. (One of my favorite problems to have.)

This has been a really great 4 day weekend. Maybe because it sort of snuck up on me and I wasn't living for it before it even got here. I've been doing my hour at a time flitting from one thing to the next, making little dents in all the things I have going on. Hehe - just like the modification I'm making for an ADHD kid in class come to think of it. . . . Well, we are all alittle "special" right?

Thanksgiving was great. I was proud of my Mother, who was assertive without getting nasty at Thanksgiving dinner. It was great to see everyone. I've got near-christmas plans to see my cousins that I'm also feeling good about. The Family game night with Brother and family and Mom and Dad is still a go. I'm going to work on Christmas cards, study, clean, do laundry and as usual, orgainizing the basement. (I can except non-closure!;) Drives my husband batty.)

Thank You's

I am Thankful for:

my two beautiful girls who have changed my life into a playdough fun factory. I love you and you are my whole world.


I am Thankful for:

My Parents. They are always there for me when I need them. You are 2 of the finest people in the world. Thank you for all the things you taught me (by example) about being a good person.















I am Thankful for:

My husband. He's handsome, he's handy, and I'm lucky to have him. Thank you for being a great dad to our kids, and a wonderful, patient, loving husband to me.

I am Thankful for:

All of my wonderful gal-pals, sister-wives, coven-mates, cwafy-talkers and co-leaders. Whatever you call them, they make my life bearable when things get tough, and more fun when shared over coffee, via phone, blog, or in person. You make me feel understood and connected.

Thanks! (I am a Waspina - I new it.)

I miss my camera

I do. I so miss my camera.

It is a lovely Saturday morning. My early rising family has me up at 6a.m., and I've snuck off to be my grumpy-not a morning person-self away from the giddy squealing. (Well, the girls really. Not so much Kevin=) Is Christmas in the air alittle early this year ?)

I just had a look at my Gillis Family blog - and surprise surprise Cousin Les has updated it with a Halloween/grand baby picture! (The Gillis'es have proven to be non blogging folk so far, making this a major break through!) She didn't however link it to anyone, which I'm about to do for her to get this snowball rolling. Grandbaby Nolan is Charlie Brown, dogs are Lucy and Linus

I'm feeling a over the top, bristling need to clean something. But where to start. . . I think I'll have to go with my non-linear hour at a time method. Satisfies my urge to clean, but in a squirrelly chaotic pattern that helps me maintain my healthy chi. (I gotta have my chaos!)

Coffee. This calls for 2 cups I think! A rare treat. Have a fabulous weekend fellow bloggers.

Yadda Yadda Yadda blah blah blah

So, tomorrow is Friday, Next week is only 2 days long (thanksgiving break), I have a week off from Regis and I feel like dancing. Life is good! I'd take a picture of myself grinning if I had my camera, but I've cleverly taken it to the shop and they are replacing it for me.

Here's some Gillis stuff (maiden name) for a change.

November Haiku

By Audrey Nicole Hansen

November 12, 2007

Swirling, twirling, loud

Trees swerving and bending low

Windstorm at my house

Curious and fun

Fuzzy playful full of love

Dogs are a great pet.

Purring and lazy

Curled upon the couch so warm
My cats take a nap.

Audrey is my 2nd cousin(?) My cousins daughter- from Bellingham WA


Cousin Les has top billing, right next to Susan Branch on this website! How cool is she!
New Newton stuff

And just for fun - Cousin Kate sends this; good for building your word power and feeding the world. I was flying high with "vocabulary score" of 41 (whatever that meant) and then I plummeted down to 34 and quit in disgust! Maybe it was really a personality test - I have no staying power, and don't know how to quit when I'm ahead.

Free rice


Night night, happy Friday.

Happy Halloween 2007 from Rolling Hills

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

I just put this slide show together for my family of kids I worked with last year who had to move away. I do miss them, and hope they are doing well. I of course had my camera, and took lots of pictures of their old classmates. And, smilebox is cool! Thanks AT

27 days until Winter break

And I should be studying, but I'm watching HOUSE, lots and lots of House. I must be jonesing for an all nighter or two!

Go Abi Bear!

Ah, and our little goal scoring champion. . .






And team Bears! A very successful first season. GO BEARS!

Superstar!

You know, in defense of my daughter. . . . hahahaha. All almost all 8 -12 year old girl kind of make me giggle and think of Mary Katherine Gallagher, "SuperStar!"

The movie was on t.v. the other day, and I laughed my hinny off, not particularly at the stupid movie, but the painfully dead on borderline personality traits, making out with a tree trunk, ridiculousness of MKG , and therefore; all pre-pub. little nut jobs out there!

I remember as a kid being unable to watch Jan Brady as she made a fool out of herself when the dentist asked her to baby sit, and she had a crush on him and thought he'd asked her out on a date. Oh, it still makes me cringe! JB made me cringe, MKG makes me laugh. Maybe that could be my next years halloween costume.

THE TOOTH FAIRY CAME!!

Not only did the tooth fairy finally come, but she had green glitter, and left a hugs0 and kissesx thank you note AND GOLD COINS! Abi's favorite! Then the tooth fairy finished her power point ahead of schedule and breezed through her presentation tonight. All in all, I'd say the tooth fairy is having a great day.

Do I have a picture to show what a great day? hmm. How about a link to the Troop 349 blog, that has the GS 5k walk slide show I just updated? THAT would be the icing on the Tooth Fairies "I got my to do list- done" cake!

Foiled by a 5 year old

I remembered!! I did! I swear it! Early this morning I went out to my car to retrieve 3 of the $1 gold coins that Abi loves to play with - in order to shine them up and stick them under her pillow - because her dangly tooth that I've let hang on for most of the week FINAL fell out last night! So 5 a.m. I'm sneaking and creeping into her room thinking I'm so good - and she rolls over, obviously awake for awhile; " Hi mommy: the tooth fairy didn't come."

Unfair! Unbelievable! - (please oh please let me remember to do it tonight, I may need to set the alarm for 2 a.m.)

Halloween
A cowgirl and a cheerleader this year. I'd already disrobed from my Orange jack-o-lantern tshirt that I would classify as lame, but the kids thought it was great.

The real fun happened at night though. . .
Since Kevin already had his costume ready for a party the weekend before, he went ahead and dressed up, well, cross-dressed up for Halloween. Pretty funny stuff, particularly if you know my mild mannered husband.

Tommy, Aggie, Caitlin, Jeffrey and Abi all had a teeth rotting, hyperactive, fall over exhausted good time!

GS 5K and the little Troopers from troop 349!

They did it! Becca, Marcie, Cassidy, Molly, Caitlin, Jessica M. and Abigail, Eric and Colleen (not pictured) walked a whole 5K for the Girl Scouts! It was fun, and I bet we can beat our time if we do it again next year.

Cockadoodledoo!

Abi talks in her sleep. Well, correction. Abi barks, neighs and cockadoodledoos in her sleep. I asked her this morning because the hub and I had a bet; whether she had said "scoobydoobydoo" or "cockadoodledoo"- I won. She remembered her dream to. She said she was all the animals at a farm.

She also said (not in her sleep, just the car) "Boys have a nut. Girls have a china". She screeched at me that she can say it anyway she wants when I tried to correct her. She's alittle over the speech/ language stuff right now.

Oh, and the poor thing will be talking like a "sleeslack" real soon with braces - too! I try not to laugh. . . I must have a picture of her little pouty face somewhere - it just kills me.
(Oh she's pinchable.)

Caitlin's Pony team photos came in; They have 2 more games this season. Go ponies! The one I took standing beside the photographer is actually better. What's with the fence directly behind her head? Where's mine . . .
SEE- (this is such a misuse of my study time!) Somebody stop me. Too slow, gotta go.

46 = )

46 more school days until winter track off!
You're impressed, I know. (I'll spare you the "how many shopping days until Christmas, because THAT's scary.)

Tomorrow will be quite a day. Back to school/work after 3 weeks off - Abi has I think delibertaly lost her glasses and I have torn the house apart looking for them - nothing. Garden gnomes? They must have a stash - MC's remote control is probably there too.
Then there's Regis that night. The Philosophy of Education. At least the class has a name I can remember.

I'm sewing patches onto girl scout uniforms. Organizing my photo's thanks to Picasa. I think I've finally got a system that works for me. I managed to get through the 11 years of crap crammed into every nook and cranny in the 2 upstairs bathrooms. A good break. Despite dreading the thought of waking up early tomorrow, I think I'm up for it. Good night.

The Goings on over Track off

We do alittle singing, a little dancing. Sometimes we pretend the dog is a person, and let her drink from our straw cup. Sometimes we pretend we are dogs - and join them in their daily routine.

One day, I decide to make homemade bread. This is no small task you know. I was going to do it right. Get the butter and the eggs and the yeast to room tempurature first, and then make it. So I set those ingredients out, looking forward to my procutive day, and start doing something else. Suddenly I see something strange out of the corner of my eye - and could it be I hear digging? Yes, I did. My cute and clever little mutt has gotten up on the counter, stolen the stick of butter, climbed on top of the Ficus tree pot, and is burying it, with the arc of dirt flying across the room and everything. Yep, it's a laugh a minute over at the Dobsons!

And Abi got glasses! She was so excited - for about 1 day. Now she can't loose them fast enough each morning.

Whooooooooo Hoooooooo!

This one's for
Mild-Mannered-Middle-Aged-
Suburban -Housewives
everywhere!

I just finished my final presentation for my first class at Regis - and since it is the only thing left too be graded, I am almost 100% sure that I got every last 100% of the 100 assessment points!
That's right! Unabashed horn tooting going on, right here!

Was I better than the gaggle of hoodie-wearing, half my age - I know everything and want to prove to the class what a great teacher I will be - full time - no job or family having - power point lovin' - over achievers? Maybe, maybe not; BUT I'll bet you money I have my ego in check, read the syllabus and know how to tailor my papers, logs, outlines and presentations to get every point that was there to be gotten.

Bet'cha got a point for your 20 minute long power point presentation (but I bet I got that same point for my piece of paper with a graph on it). Bet'cha got a point for your 3 page long outline (but I bet I got a point for my 1 page outline). Bet'cha got dinged for turning it into your personal opinion presentation instead of the assignment that was "literature review" - that would be sans personal opinions (but I bet I got that point!). Bet'cha think 9 citations are plenty because you apparently didn't read 15-20 (pretty specific, bet I got a point!). Bet'cha you're pissed you did all that extra work (one of them actually had 2 presentations done and let us pick which one we wanted to hear - can you imagine!?!) and still didn't get all the points.

OH, I believe this is the first time in my life I've actually wanted the class stats to be posted on the door! That's right, I'm old, fat, and tired, and I've been to school so many times with so many teachers I know exactly how to play the game! Wow! were did this negative gloating behavior come from? I know my dislike of "the gaggle" is just me projecting my insecurities; well, perhaps now that I'm self declared Queen of the Hill I can be more charitable toward them. . . even if they still think the know everything. I was exactly that clueless once myself.

AH! FEELS GOOD!

Sorry for the poor sportsmanship-like blurt; but it's gone now. Negative feelings toward them and me - PURGED! Bring on the next class, I'm ready. Not tan, not rested, but ready.

Oh I'm still giddy -

Help! I'm stuck back in my basement!

I was out for a little while - but here I am again. Thankfully, I'm not at work! (One more week for those of you who are counting.) So since I was able to "rely on the kindness of others" - (that's classic Scarlet O'Hara right there!) Kevin and I had a lovely weekend away up in Salida. I was rather discombobulated before leaving and just happy to make a run for it, we did not have the GPS, or alas, even a map of the property! But, we went out to eat a few times, slept in, and had a fabulous picnic at the property on Saturday - deli sandwich from the Cotopaxi general store. (Maybe you've stopped there to pee on your way to somewhere else.) Anyway, we got thoroughly confused as to where the boundaries might be. I have alittle research to do. The good thing, - a secret goal, was achieved; getting the Hub on board. I was pleased to hear him say words like "our" and "we could" and "I bet" - other action words surrounding this dormant property.
And it's nice to get out of the basement even just momentarily mentally! Then it snowed the whole way home - which I kind of liked, being funny that way.

So my last class of my first mini semester is this week. I have to turn in a very long and dull paper, my field experience log and give a presentation on my long and dull paper. So, I'll be here, in the basement, if you need me.

Oh, and the highlight of my weekend was coming home and catching Desperate Housewives, which I haven't seen in ages; and getting to see Lynette doing charades of Edie hanging herself, and Susan going to a skanky transvestite OB/GYN that Brie picked out of the phone book because she's not really pregnant! Who Knew!

Women on the Ridge....but that was so last week!

Dinosaur ridge that is. This was a really cool Girl Scout event!

Join the Association for Women Geoscientists, the Denver Chapter of Women in Mining, Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council and many professional organizations for a fun-filled day of learning about the Earth and - for Girl Scouts - earning many different science badges. The Ridge will be closed to vehicles so that geologists and other scientists can explain the wonders of Dinosaur Ridge to visitors. Other stations at the visitor center and along the ridge will be specific to Girl Scout Badges. Emphasis on ALL DAY! The girls were troopers though, and learned lots of stuff.

Waiting for a group photo - my camera was toast that day.

The Circus - First time since I was 10

Tonight we girl scout type girls went to the Circus. I haven't been since I was a kid, and the girls have never been. It's pretty much exactly the same, (in a good way) - maybe alittle more pc with the animals, but let's face it, they're still doing tricks for their dinner, spending alot of time in a tiny little cage or in front of a screaming audience. Whoo! Didn't mean to go negative there. I'll stop before connecting to whales in captivity being kept basically in an echo chamber that is torturous to them. Oops. Too late. Well, Ringling Bros has alot of my $ and that's all that counts. Paid a ridiculously high price for some cute little animal souvenier cup sno cones, There were ponies, and doggies, and elephants, and Caitlin thought Bello the Clown was hilarious, and and I need to go to bed! Why you ask? So I can wake up and get to another Girl Scout activity by 8:30 am -

before

during

and after

11pm and all is well

I thought of dozens of things to blog about this week, as it sped past. Now here I am and all of them have fled.

OH, CRAP! The tooth fairy needs to get to work - 11pm and all is not well unless I go make things right. TTFN

Take Me Out to the Cheesecake Factory

It was an ordeal. But it was also alot of fun. Caitlin invited her little buddy Andrew to the Rockies Baseball game (Rolling Hills Elementary night). AT and I went along to chaparone. ;) The train was over packed so we missed it, the 16th street mall train was packed so we couldn't get on and we had to hoof it. We passed several fast food spots along the way, but the one that truely got us out of the flow of traffic was the Cheesecake Factory. Hour and a half later, we made our way to the stadium. Perfect timing really. The game was fun, we lost and the kids got to see there first display of unsportsmanlike conduct from the crowd and the Rockies.
OOHH - and then there were fireworks. The kids learned some new words, smelled some new smells, got an eyefull of downtown, and we went home. It was fun to see someone you know every time you turn around. A good way to go downtown. I wanted to stop at the CF on our way home, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Still One More Wake Up

Who knew that I would actually use statistics again! I was wrong. (I was 20 something, and thought I knew everything; I suppose there might have been a few other things as well!) Imagine my surprise when I had to look up Cronbach's Alpha I saw THIS


oddly familiar THINGY staring back at me - yes, yes. It's coming back to me I remember this. . . I remember a weird professor picking apart a bug on the overhead in a classroom in the Helms (sp?) building. That can't be right. And, upon further investigation, I still have no idea what this equation really means. I don't feel too bad, because I also remember thinking now and at the time -

"90% of all statistics are meaningless"

- ooh, that's almost good enough to make me change my Pavarotti-food-quote -signature, but I'm still too attached to it.

More importantly, I made it! My eye has stopped twitching, my first rough draft is turned in, I finished my observations, tomorrow is fun Friday, and only one more hellacious morning routine lies between me and 3 weeks of fall break.

OK - my pillow is calling me. One darling daughter soccer picture to leave you wanting more, and I promise I'll update all the rest whenever I get around to it - because I can!!

GO PONIES!!

1 more wake up!

And I have exactly 2 minutes to blog today!

I walked in on these 2 the other morning, so quiet I thought they were still sleeping, face to face whispering some sort of sister secret. Don't move! I shouted, and ran for the camera. They moved. But the're still cute.

C learned contractions in school this week.

Examples, Are not = aren't, teenager = t'nanger

That's my girl!

5 - more - days - !

This will be short because I'm off to do research. Caitlin had a fabulous birthday weekend. Jam packed with stuff and friends. She loved her presents. She thought the entire Bunk with the Beassts event was all about her. She drank root beer from the bottle, keeping the empties in her room (something to do with Drake and Josh? I'm not sure.) Anyhow, fun was had by all!

She is 8
and I can hardly believe it.

Do You feel LuckY?

This was alittle scary. Apparently I'm a real movie buff. Who knew. But fun if you like quizzes or movie trivia. (Most of the movies they referenced I have seen dozens of times. . . . talk about a miss spent youth!)

Make that 6!

Count down to fall break day 6 will be another ridiculously busy day! An example; My boss lady is coming to pick up my kids to take them to school in the morning. I get to go to a seminar - BUT, I have to leave the seminar 1/2 an hour early to get back and cover for 3 other people - and it just keeps going like that until September 29th! It's almost laughable. Except for the fact that my eyelid is twitching, which always makes me feel like I'm about to have a psychotic episode. . .

Tonight I found out I misunderstood our first writing assignment, meaning I haven't technically started it yet. So I have 1 week instead of 3. (And I wasn't even stoned during class.)

Hopefully my almost 8 year old daughter will forgive me for not being able to purchase donuts tomorrow morning - (another long story) - for her birthday treat snack. Instead, I got the frowned-upon frosted sprinkle cookies. You know, the REALLY icky ones that leave crap all over the carpet? Hopefully this will go by unnoticed so that I won't have to give her the "you ungrateful little ... kid" speech at 7 am in the morning.

Daisy update! AT did a lovely job today of not sticking her foot in her mouth EVEN THOUGH there where 2 great big wide openings in which to insert a humorous pagan gods/goddess comment at the start up meeting. Way to go AT !

10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 7 more days until fall break!

OK, I was going to update my blog, but thanks to MC I've been ring shopping through the goodwiccan.com site! Now I've blown my morning! Well, at least the count down is up,

and the only thing I was chastised about was the word "farts"

What's More Fun than a Bus load of 4th Graders?

What's More Fun than a Bus load of 4th Graders?
A bus load of 4th graders going to the Capitol and Molly Brown house with me on it!




With child like wonder, I was able to enjoy what almost amounted to a day off, be inspired with Victorian decorating ideas, reminisce about hearing the Molly Brown story for the first time as a girl, and brush up on my Colorado history; all in one day.
Last years field trips were alittle more . . .lively?, panicy?, worriridden?, harrowing.
My how my job has changed with the moving away of one family.

GO Broncos!

Denver has rabid Bronco fans. Maybe that's why I usually ignore the whole football thing. That and having girls, and being blessed with a husband who could careless too. That being said, we went to a Bronco party to watch the game this weekend and it was really fun! It's so much more interesting when there's a room full of people cheering or booing.

So now I'm going to give myself a little pep talk. It's time to get it in gear. I didn't go for a walk this morning - that was a missed opportunity! Get your butt out of bed tomorrow - if your lucky enough to have the hub home, and just go. Now at lunch, you need to wrap and hide Caitlin's stuff, and put the other 4 birthday presents away somewhere and lock the door!

• (The story behind this would be the girls taking one of the webkinz out - that we bought for the half dozen upcoming birthdays - leaving it unattended and the dog chewed it up. While I wasn't looking for a whole ten seconds.)

Or, maybe you should go to the library and study. You can start that tomorrow. OK, get upstairs and get the fire started under those girlies - breakfast isn't going to make itself. MOVE MOVE MOVE. Did I sound like coach Shanahan? That's ok, he reminds me of GWBush, only alittle more professional... and leather saddle bag tan these days. wow

Oh, and to all you slacker bloggers out there - get to it! Those posts aren't going to type themselves.

The Bears and the Ponies

Go Ponies!



Go Bears!