Saturday, February 28, 2009

02.28.09


After the teacher conference, I headed further out of town for my church's Ladies' Retreat.
It's a shame that you have to go out of town and away from reality to be reminded how TRULY AWESOME your sisters in Christ are...
...and how GgOoOoOodD Krispy Kreme doughnuts are, especially when you're being BAD!

Friday, February 27, 2009

02.27.09



Thank you, Emily and family, for introducing me to Kovachi's (butter and cream!); entertaining me with American Idol (I'm now hooked!); and showering me with genuine Christian hospitality. I love ya'll!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

02.26.09


I have a teacher conference out of town for the next two days.
This was out my window on the way out of town this morning.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

02.25.09


We will miss you, Buddy...
(guest photographer, Mary Elizabeth, took numerous photos of Buddy over the last few days...this is one of my favorite)

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

02.24.09


This is Mary Elizabeth with Buddy now. She nicknamed him "Buddy-dog" when he first came to us. She's the one who will give him tummy rubs, even when he stinks and needs a bath!

Buddy is almost 14 people years (98 dog years). He's been having lots of trouble with his hind legs for a year now, to the point that we have to carry him in and out. The last few weeks we've even heard him whining for help to stand up to get water and food. He's still a very happy dog, but we realize that when we leave during the day he doesn't move anymore. We've decided to out him down tomorrow...we've cried buckets of tears about it and given him lots of loving tonight.
He's driven me CRAZY (especially his dog hair all over the floor and furniture), but I'm sure gonna miss him...

Monday, February 23, 2009

02.23.09


This is Mary Elizabeth with him on that first day...here are some memories...
* He loved to chase tennis balls and would scramble all over the place trying to get to one you threw. He could also jump and catch them mid-air.
* He went balistic when someone came to the door, which made him look and sound like a guard dog. In truth, he just wanted to wag his tail all over you and sniff you to death.
* That said, he was very territorial of us and did NOT like other dogs coming around. We could not walk him, because if another dog came into view, he'd take off! One time he got out of the yard and terrorized a small white fluffy dog down the street by sitting over him and growling onto his neck- but he never bit him. He just liked to LOOK big, bad, and mean.
* He HATED thunderstorms. He'd pee on the floor and tear stuff up if we weren't at home. There were quite a few times when we almost got rid of him because of this problem.
* He never came upstairs- unless it thunderstormed. Then he'd pee on the landing at the top.
* Sometimes he'd get into the bathtub when it stormed.
* He loved to ride in the van. He'd sit and look out all happy and excited.
* Mary Elizabeth was only one year old when he came to live with us, and he'd let her sit and lay all over him. He really loved people.
* Mary Elizabeth was also the only person he'd drop the tennis ball for- the rest of us had to fight him for it!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

02.22.09



This is our dog, Buddy. This was the day he came to live with us in February 2001 at the age of 5 people years (35 in dog years). The kids were really wanting a dog, and Buddy came to us from friends who could no longer keep him (and had had him since he was a puppy). He was so sweet and gentle with the kids and joined our crazy household very easily. I'll always remember that he whined some that first night, then never again. I have many "Buddy memories"...

life...

I am still here....

We've had to put our dog down.
I've been out of town.
We've all been sick- I'm still sick.
In that order.

...barely.

On to blogging....

Saturday, February 21, 2009

02.21.09


Ann and the *clean* van!

Today the weather was beautiful, crisp and cool, and I had a free Saturday, which doesn't happen often. So I got the van washed and oiled.

It won't stay this way for long...

Friday, February 20, 2009

02.20.09


Yes, those are my shiny hallway hardwood floors...
Aren't I the BESTEST mom?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

02.19.09



Jacob's last basketball game...they lost, but I got a cool shot! And he scored!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

02.18.09



Say *cheese*....gotcha!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

02.17.09



I hate homework.
I LOVE summer.

Monday, February 16, 2009

02.16.09



This is me...
(Mary E, guest photographer, strikes again!)

Sunday, February 15, 2009

02.15.09


Jonah and his bunny "hat"...

Saturday, February 14, 2009

02.14.09


For Valentine's Day dinner we went with our church family and all our children to On the Border, a Mexican restaurant, where they made guacamole "live" at our tables- the children were most impressed! And the guacamole was GOOD.

be my (thrifty) valentine...

coach sal is not really impressed with my idea of a "romantic" Valentine's Day gift. I tend to lean towards the practical. I also tend to want time by myself.

So, today I went thrifting all alone (aaahhh...) and spent some "girl time" with my daughter (ie, we went shopping).

I love to thrift. It's a treasure hunt. I'm also nostalgic, so I search for vintage items. I love to come home and google my finds. Knowing the item's history is important to me. Today I found...



Plates...I like vintage dishes and I've been looking for salad-sized plates. I found this set of 6 eight inch salad plates and 7 six inch saucers and a lone sugar bowl top for $4.99. They were labeled "Pickwick: Franciscan WhiteStoneWare". (Labeled= good find!) They were manufactured between 1965 and 1971 and are worth about $5/salad plate and $2/saucer. We live in a 1964 ranch house. These are the type of dishes that once graced my kitchen. I would love to know who owned these dishes and the family meals they've seen.



Blouse...I like to wear peasant style blouses in the spring and summer. This one is a light blue with darker blue detailing, and the label says Yargici, a popular Istanbul, Turkey clothing line/store. Authentic! Cool! And it only cost me $3.79.



Purse...the turquoise-blue color and the unique style caught my "snake eyes", as thrifters call it. I also noticed the imprinted designer name, Matt and Nat Montreal, on the bottom front. Go look at their website- I'm trying to decide if I keep this little gem or sell it on ebay. I paid $3.99 for it.




Christmas buckets...my grandmother had a set of holly/berry drinking glasses that matched these buckets. We only have one of them left. I bought some similar glasses off ebay at Christmas because I missed having them. So when I found these two buckets (they were supposedly used for ice) at a wonderful price of $2.50 FOR BOTH, I was silent screaming! I hate that I have to wait ten months before I can use them.

These were my favorite finds today. I also found some other clothing items (denim Ann Taylor Loft skirt, two pairs of Limited Two pants and a sweater for Mary E, an awesome pair of white denim jeans with tan/light blue detailing, and a pair of capri jeans for summer camp), a Melissa and Doug puzzle, two fun long winter-styled scarves at $1.25 each, and a tiny beaded necklace. I spent a grand total of $38.00.

Then we hit the jackpot at JCPenneys- 75% off all winter clearance! I bought a pair of brown boots; a pair of deep burgundy red boots; and a pair of patent leather wine colored pumps for a total of $30!!! My receipt said I saved $252!

So even though it wasn't a very romantic gift to coach sal, it was to me. I love that he appreciates my ability to shop frugally and allows me time alone to do it.

Happy Valentine's, sweetie...I love you too...

(oh...coach sal received two totally glamorous history books from me...Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man and The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe...and a little photo book of us that I made. But that's for another post.)

Friday, February 13, 2009

02.13.09


* Our lunchroom made 1100 pink cupcakes for the students today! They were not only beautiful, but can you IMAGINE how they smelled?...yum...

* I also wore my new pink heart pin I bought for Valentine's Day...on my pink denim jacket!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

02.12.09


Children all went to school today!
Today I passed my camera to Mary E in the back seat, since I've been a pretty boring photographer lately. And this is what she photographed...

I am out of a job.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

02.11.09



Children are still sick...

This is (some) of my grandmother's milk glass, which she collected and I inherited. I always liked it, how pretty and clean it looked.

I still like to look for pieces in thrift stores and at yard sales. I'll only buy the marked pieces (Fenton and Westmoreland).

I have a couple of favorites that I use a lot in my kitchen. I'll share those another day.

(And yes, that's my wedding cake topper and ring bearer's pillow in the background of the cabinet.)

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

02.10.09



Sick children, one with the flu and one with a head cold, have kept me busy.

I thought I'd share a photo of a plate I bought at the state museum when my third grade class went on our trip to Columbia.

I really liked it...a nice reminder of teaching third grade. I recently was told I'll be teaching kindergarten next year, which I am VERY excited about!

But I will miss third grade..."for such a time as this.."

Monday, February 9, 2009

02.09.09



Oh no...(oh yes)...

The youngest has the flu.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

02.08.09



* day of rest message...Esther 4:14, "...for such a time as this?"

* on our way home from evening church...coach sal's tailights ahead of us...yeah, it's a long, dark road...

Saturday, February 7, 2009

02.07.09



* It's Girl Scout Cookie time! These are our troop's cases, ready to sort.

* Jacob got glasses today! He'd told us that he couldn't see so well with his right eye- and a visit to the eye doctor today revealed he's far-sighted in his right eye. His left eye has been doing all the work, and they said if we didn't get him into glasses, his right eye would become lazy over time. He looked so cute in his new blue-gray frames (to match his eyes!), but he WOULD NOT let me take his photo! I'm sure it's the newness of it all...maybe in a few days. But I still have to JOURNAL about it! :o)

Friday, February 6, 2009

02.06.09


Mary E and I got Marble Slab while we waited on coach sal to get his haircut.

Hers- mint with cookie dough.

Mine- cheesecake with raspeberries in a heath bar cone.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

02.05.09


It's been COLD.
This is my favorite.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

02.04.09




I'm still here...barely.

Busy, busy, busy.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

02.03.09



Do you recognize this famous South Carolinian?

Isn't he the cutest (project)?

(And you'll also catch a glimpse of our governor in the background! Funny!)

Monday, February 2, 2009

02.02.09


Peppermints are my cure-all.
I eat them to keep from eating.
I give them to students with tummyaches.
Happiness in cellophane.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

02.01.09


This was *almost* as good as watching the Super Bowl...