My Candidate Results...

...are weird.

Mike Huckabee, 47 (gee whiz)

John Edwards, 38 (yikes)

Mitt Romney, 33

John McCain, 30

HILLARY ClInToN?!?!, 27

Rudy Guiliani, 26 (that's about as bad as Hillary)

Barack Obama, 20

Ron Paul, 17 (at least I know I'm not a nut-case)

And I voted for MCCAIN in the primary...

POTW...Words

I got our 2007 Storybook today!!! YAHOO! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Bad news- it has an ink mark smeared on one page, so I have to send it back so that they can send me another one. I posted a few pages for you to see!







Now, this picture below fits the POTW theme, but I took it last summer in Rome, Italy- I love how I was able to take such an AWESOME close-up of some writing from so long ago...not sure what the words ARE, but they are words!


I've got some more ideas, so hopefully more later...

Want to figure out who to vote for????......

Take this quiz and let me know...
A) who it says you should vote for and
B) who you were planning on voting for.

I'll post my own results soon...

Candidate QUIZ

The 101st thing about me...(beware, squeamish)...

Pulling teeth gives me the willies. Gross.

I teach little people and have three children, so don't get me wrong. I can handle blood, poop, snot, and throw-up (unlike coach sal, who will just stand outside the bathroom door when you're sick and ask you "do you need anything?", hoping that you'll be so *busy* you won't respond). I've had my fair share.

But nothing makes me more nauseous than people pulling teeth- their own or others. I'm getting a bit queasy just typing this.

It came to true realization on Thursday and Friday. Two pulled teeth Thursday. Two pulled teeth Friday. TOO much.

It started Thursday at lunch. (Like I said, gross.) We have a kindergarten teacher who is THE BOMB at pulling teeth, according to my first graders. So AS I'M FIXING MY LUNCH, one of my children runs up and says, "Look, Ms. S just pulled my tooth!" and shows me the *lovely* gapping hole in his mouth. LOVELY. Great. Ok, please go eat your lunch. (Did I just say EAT?!) No more than 5 minutes later and here comes another one. Ms. S strikes again. So I go find her- fixing her lunch.

I ask her what's the deal, pulling my children's teeth at lunch while I'm trying to eat? Her response- "I figured I'd pull yours, because I don't have to eat with them." Oh, GREAT, thanks. I'm not going to be eating with them either.

Move ahead to Friday morning. J. asks me can he pull out his tooth. Can you really do it, are you sure?, I ask. Yes. Ok, go ahead- but do it in the bathroom. He tries. But not hard enough. So Ms. T. (who appears to be Ms. S's sidekick, unbeknownest to me) comes over and tells him to TWIST IT. I about LOSE IT. TWIST IT? ARGH! As student E. is reading to me, I bury my head next to hers and tell her to read louder (she's giggling and asks me what's wrong) and they POP it out. And I am MAJOR nauseous. REALLY. I needed air. Ms. T thinks I am a *hoot* and I think I'm gonna be sick...

And yes, it gets BETTER. At the orthodontist that afternoon (poor Jacob now has an expander on his upper palette- blog for later date), Dr. C tells a young client to "go ahead and YANK that tooth out". Which she does. Right next to me. Lots of blood= not a problem. Her hand in her mouth twisting and yanking= BIG problem. Waves of nausea. I need to buy a surfboard.

FOUR in TWO DAYS.

I guess it comes with the territory. Little people need big teeth. I just wish it wasn't on my watch.

Long time, no blog...

We're back at school!

Can you tell? :o)

Bliss...

...is truly an Urban Nirvana massage, from head to toe!

I was given an hour massage as a gift for Christmas, and I took full advantage of it yesterday before I head back to school. I even added on my favorite, a 15 minute Bed Head massage. It was bliss. I almost fell asleep. I could barely move when it was done. I had to regroup before I walked out. Awesome.

It's amazing that they can always find every knot in my back and massage them completely out. Knots I didn't even know I had.

Afterwards I went to Starbucks...aahh, bliss! (You should remember from my January 07 posts how much I love Starbucks). And yesterday I discovered Skinny Lattes!!! 90 calories!!! BLISS again. (I sat by myself for about 30 minutes reading until I had to pickup David from bball practice. Lovely.)

Wow...three in a row. It was a nice way to end my holiday break.

Hate/Hate Relationship...

I hate Blue Cross Blue Shield.

That's all I have to say about that.

Miss you much...

I actually miss school. My colleagues, my students...my routine. If it was summer, I'd probably be more content to be at home. But I really DO miss seeing everyone and doing what we do each day. We have fun together and we're good at what we do. :o)

I do not miss the crazy part of our family routine. Meaning, Monday night we have Girl Scouts; Tuesday night David has a bball game and I start my class at CoC; Wednesday David has bball game and we have church; Thursday Jacob has an orthodontist appt and guitar; and Friday we breathe! THAT I don't miss.

So we start back Monday- it's been a great holiday.

POTW...

Well, this isn't exactly "hats off", but I had some nice catch-lights coming through the window, so I just snapped a few shots. Jacob wears his Cowboys hat a lot, it's his favorite team.


I'm having a terrible time getting *sharp* focussed photos!?!?! I think it's the camera- Mary Elizabeth said, "Momma, I think that means you need a new camera." Girl after my own heart!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Ok, I'm officially ready for summer...anyday now would be fine.

I do not like cold weather. Period. I can never get warm enough. But you can always get cooler when you're warm, especially in Charleston. Two words- THE BEACH.

I am SOOOOO ready to...

...wear skirts and sandals...

...go barefoot...

...sit on the beach...

...get sun-kissed...

...eat ripe fruit...

...do nothing just because I feel like it...

...search for sharks' teeth...

...BBQ...

...go to the water park...

Are you feeling warmer yet???

The Biggest Loser...

We, as a family, love watching The Biggest Loser (NBC) on Tuesday nights. It's really inspiring to see reality TV that actually changes people's lives for the better. Now, granted, they do vote off someone each week, but the voted off person still goes home and stays motivated because they have to come back to the Grand Finale lookin' good.

The new season started last night with couples as teams- first time they've ever done this. Teams of mother/son; husband/wife; EXhusband/wife (that's the drama thrown in there); friends; teammates; etc. One set last night was a dad and daughter who's combined weight was way over 600 lbs- dad alone was 400+. The saddest part- he really didn't want to be there and she did. She wanted to change her life, save her dad's, bond, etc, but he just didn't have the motivation and drive that she did. (Ironically, he lost 19 lbs in the first week, and she only lost 7 and was in the gym WAY more than him- he kept sleeping.) They were the first team voted off- she was so upset.

I think what hit me was he had THE OPPORTUNITY of a lifetime and he blew it. I mean, can you IMAGINE how many people try to get on that show and don't? It was disappointing to see someone disregard something so exciting and so important. I don't think he realized how hard he was going to have to work. I guess he really WAS the "biggest loser".

It just made me think about oppotunities that pass us by all the time because we are too lazy to accept the challenge. I'm too tired, too busy, that's nice for someone else, etc...and we BLOW IT. We miss something awesome that could change our lives forever.

Keep your eyes open in 2008. And watch The Biggest Loser- you'll be inspired to at least TRY.

Bloggin about my bum...

Now isn't this a great way to start the New Year? :o)

Today I went shopping for pants. Pants are a REAL issue for me...and for every other woman in America, I'm sure. It seems like designers and manufacturers must all be male, because I have the hardest time finding pants that fit my hips and thighs (wide) and also my waist (narrow). They ALWAYS are too big in the waist. (And I am too frugal to pay someone to tailor, although Stacy and Clinton keep telling me I MUST. So I may.) No one seems to *get* it. I'm shaped like a pear.

Ok- I'm gonna brag. (Sorry. It's part of the story here.) Since May of 2007, I have lost almost 20 lbs and about 2 sizes. SO- just so you know, ladies- it's STILL hard to find pants that fit! Size doesn't always matter. I'm still shaped like a pear.

And jeans are actually easier to shop for. Probably because most jeans have a little *give* and stretch, so I can go a bit smaller to get them to fit in the waist, knowing they will stretch out the in the thighs and hips.

So today I was in Banana Republic. I had a gift card. I normally do not shop here, simply because I am frugal and just can't bring myself to pay $60 for a pair of pants (nor can I afford to). But today I discovered that EXPENSIVE PANTS FIT! Ok, maybe you knew this- but I was VERY EXCITED. And also frustrated. Because now I'm spoiled- I will definitely be shopping here more, and paying more for pants. But, my job requires that I wear *nice* clothes, so I guess I'll just have to...*sigh*...

And by the way- my pants were $24 and $17! Not too bad- sales are a good thing.

Thank you, BR, you must hire someone who knows how to dress a woman. Anyone know where else I should shop??

What's this post got to do with my bum? Three to four miles 3-4 days a week on the elliptical can make your bum look goooooooooooooood in pants that fit...;o)