I got placed!

Doesn't this look like a lot of fun! I will be in 2nd grade in the district just north of us. I found these picture of the classroom on the school website. I can't wait to get started. I'm just not looking forward to getting all the kids off before I need to start work. At least I will have this fun place to go to after the stress of getting us out the door!

The prairie was calling me . . . .

and I was finally able to answer. I hope to visit again soon!

An Early Thanksgiving

Yumm--the turkey turned out wonderful!

The pies were delicious.

The company was the best!

My husband left early this morning for work, but not before he enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Saturday was a busy day, cooking pies, rolls, turkey, and yummy vegetables.

Everyone enjoyed the meal, but Anakin wouldn't let us call it Thanksgiving--it wasn't on Thanksgiving, so how could it be.

We had a lovely day, and were even able to play outside. It was a great day.

Busy, Busy, as a Bee

Monday: Mike took the kids to the Aquarium. Everyone else had the day off, and Anakin really wanted to go again. They had a great time, and I was able to get a lot of school work done, go grocery shopping, and even clean out the refrigerator.

Tuesday: I have night class. I like the class, I just don't like night classes because it makes it hard. I pick up the kids from school, drop them off at the sitter, then it is off to class. We got our big paper back: an A. Now I just have to put together a 5 minute presentation and take the final. It is starting to wrap up. We got home and quickly went to bed.

Wednesday: I had Anakin's teacher come over. Anakin is in a state funded preschool program so the teachers come to the homes for visits. Anakin loves school--he wants to live there. I feel very lucky that he got in. He is very smart (can do math in his head and is starting to recognize and sound out words.), but very shy, and he needs the structure of school. He is very blessed to have a teacher that helps him with learn how to talk to others, as well as try and challenge him in math and reading. After the visit, we rounded up the kids to take to babysitters, ect. Luke had woken up in the middle of the night with nightmares, so I let him sleep in. He slept all the way to 9:30. Yikes. Wednesday night we had gymnastics, then we came home and got ready for bed.

Thursday: Supposedly the day where we have no where to go, but we went to the Libary, Target, school, the kids got the regular flu shots (they all were very brave.) I really think its ironic that the nurse is holding down the legs of the kids, I am holding down their arm, clamping them down so they can't escape. The nurse says, "Now relax." Like who can relax in that type of position with a needle coming at you. They got the shots, and hopefully it will help them not get the flu this winter. We then went to a book night at Anakin's school. It really is a fun night. They have a police officer come in and read books, fire fighters, soccer players, free books, and a book fair. They know how to do school activities right: make learning fun! (Instead of just provide fun.)

School is going well for me: I got accepted to the student teaching program. They haven't gotten me placed yet. I know this because the director called me up and asked if I could be placed at a different school than I requested. I kind of like that they don't know either. I really hate when someone else knows something, but they don't tell me. Like when people buy me gifts, and tell me they bought me something. That is just not fun. I taught another lesson, it didn't go quite as well as the first. Some of it was that I didn't know how the teacher ran things in her classroom. Other was that I was too nervous to give good directions, and finally she is a totally different type of teacher than me, so it didn't mesh as well. I learned a lot, and I will go in one more time in December. (It was my son's class, and I want to go in before I start student teaching and do some fun winter math stations. Hopefully, I can get pictures this time.)

Finally, here is a picture of GG. This is what happen when you are reading/ doing homework with your oldest son, and you left a full box Lucky Charms on the counter. She was in pure heaven, and who wouldn't be with all the marshmallows you can eat. Everyone else was heart-broken. That was our last box of Lucky Charms, and I only buy them when they go on sale.

I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of school! It will be nice to have a break. I am already forming lists in my head of things that I want to accomplish during my break to get ready for student teaching. One of them is getting rid of 1/2 the toys in the boys room--wish me luck on that goal.

Halloween Pictures--Finally!

I found the ideas for the bats and ghosts from here. Since we did not do a themed Halloween this year (2008: Star Wars, 2007: Toy Story), I wanted to try themed desserts. The robot ideas looked too difficult, but Anakin is always pretending to be a ghost, so he chose the ghost strawberries. They were fairly easy, and a big hit at the ward party--they were the first things to go! I will definitely make them again!

Reluctant Eeyore, Cool fruit bat, and the greatest Robot

We had our GG dress up as Eeyore this year. Luke thought our Tigger costume would have been a better choice because she is happy and bouncy like Tigger, and not sad like Eeyore. Lately she has been grumpy--she is getting her molars.

Luke wanted to be a bat this year. Mike made both the costumes. It is so fun to have a six year old look like a six year old when he is dressed up in a costume.



Our Anakin designed his own costume, based on a character that he created. It is a robot that has all sorts of powers. I think it is so cool that he wore a homemade costume, about a character he created!

The Flight Home!

I wish I had pictures, but my descriptions will just have to do. Everyone was great traveling home. We returned the rent-a-car, and I piled piled everything on the wheel bag, and we got the tickets. Then it was on to security. The boys helped me load everything up: I counted the number of things we had loaded on: 10 items through security. They had to test the milk in the sippy cup. I had a huge bag of M&M's left over from the wedding. One of the security guards said that they needed to go through an E, A, T test. (Being extremely tired and terrible at spelling, I thought it was simalar to the test the milk went through.) I replied, "My milk was just tested to you need to test the M&M's." The security person said, "What does E-A-T spell." Now I got it, offered him some, which he couldn't accept. We made it to the gate (not as far this time.) They allowed me to board early, and this is the only time that my system failed. A gate agent asked me if I needed help, "No thank you." Another employee asked if I needed help, "No thank you." Then, someone came down the gang plank and said, "I'm a retired American Employee, and I am here to help you." He really didn't give me a chance to say no, thankfully. He helped me get everyone settled. This time the boys sat in front of me and GG. Again, the flight went smoothly. Anytime the boys would want some M&M's, they stuck their cute little 5 & 6 your old hands to the seat behind us. Love those boys! When we landed in Chicago, many people helped me get everything off the plane. This time I did not refuse! When we got to the gateway, several people asked if I needed help. I replied, "I have a system." Two lovely ladies who were going to the same bus said, "Are you sure, we are going to the same place." I knew at that point we needed to go to the bathroom, Mc Donalds, so I said, "No thank you, we will be fine." We went to the bathroom, Mc Donalds, the boys were great walking to the bus terminal. It is a very long walk! On the way to the bus terminal, someone said, "You have your hands full." I never know quite how to react. Sometimes I think people think, "How dare you bring children into a grocery store during the day." Other times, I think they mean it out of caring, and noticing that being a mom is hard." I decided to start replying, "Yes I do, and it is wonderful." When this fellow traveler said to me, "You have your hands full." I replied, "This is easy; they are wonderful." She then said, "You are a hero." I began to think about the opportunity I had to be a mother, and not just a mother, but a mother in the covenant. It truly was a privelege, wonderful, blessing. So few woman have this opportunity--there are many who long for this--some don't know what they want, others know and long righteously to have children born in the covenant. They are spiritually worthy--but for some unknown reason-- their physical body does not match their spiritual compacity. I thought of those years I waited with my hands empty, and now they are full. I truly am blessed to have the three bright, spiritually strong, capable children who were born in the covenant. One of those great tender mercies of the Lord that I hope I live up to. This experience was truly a miracle, but more so because it happened in the O'hare airport.

So I traveled through the airport with patience and a soft voice. The boys helped carry things when needed, stayed with me the entire time, and were the best travelers I could expect. We arrived at the bus terminal, bought our bus tickets, and the two lovely ladies that offered to help me--were no where to be found. I beat them--my system worked. When they showed up, I laughed, they laughed. We took the bus ride home. The boys had Bakugon McDonald's toys to play with on the home--one of those small tender mercies of the Lord. We got home, went to bed, and then the next morning we went to church.