Twas The Night Before Christmas

Saw this on another blog and knew that I wanted to share this with everyone.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town,
St. Joseph was searching, walking up roads and down;
Our Lady was waiting, so meek and so mild,
While Joseph was seeking a place for the Child;

The children were nestled, each snug in their beds,
The grown-ups wouldn't bother, there's no room they said;
When even the innkeeper sent them away,
Joseph was wondering, where they would stay;
He thought of the caves in the side of the hills,
Lets go there said Mary, it's silent and still;

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Made pathways of light for their tired feet to go;
And there in a cave, in a cradle of hay,
Our Savior was born on that first Christmas Day!

The Father was watching in heaven above,
He sent for His angels, His couriers of love;
More rapid than eagles God's bright angels came;
Rejoicing and eager as each heard his name;

Come Power, Come Cherubs, Come Virtues, Come Raphael,
Come Thrones and Dominions, come Michael and Gabriel;
Now fly to the Earth, where My poor people live,
Announce the glad tiding My Son comes to give;

The Shepherds were watching their flocks on this night,
And saw in the heavens and unearthly light;
The Angels assured them, they'd nothing to fear,
It's Christmas they said, the Savior is here!

They hastened to find Him, and stood at the door,
Till Mary invited them in to adore;
He was swaddled in bands from His head to His feet,
Never did the Shepherds see a baby so sweet!

He spoke not a word, but the shepherds all knew,
He was telling them secrets and blessing them too;
Then softly they left Him, The Babe in the hay,
And rejoiced with great joy on that first Christmas Day;

Mary heard them exclaim as they walked up the hill,
Glory to God in the Highest, Peace to men of good will!

By: Sister St. Thomas, B.N.D. de N

Life is flying by....

Life just seems to be flying by at a much faster rate this year.  The past ten days are a good example.  During this time many things happened that showed that my girls are growing up. 
On October 7th we started off with Senior night for Both Band and Football. Senior Night is the last home game of the season and the seniors are always honored as it is the last time they will perform on the home field. The night started off with the band and a small reception for Seniors and their parents

After the band reception was over we went back out for the football game.  The parents of the senior members of the football team, cheerleaders, cross country and boys golf were to meet at the west end of the field  before the varsity game.  At this point all of the players were introduced as they walked to midfield on the track with their parents.

After the game the seniors line up at one end of the field and walk the field for one last time while the underclassman are applauding them for their years of service.

 thanks to a friend for a few of these pictures.  My picture taker was crying so hard that she couldn't get a clear shot

So that was my first night of the 10 days, just a few days after this, Sarah had her birthday and is now an adult.  So funny to think that my child is grown up.

I ended the 10 days with yet one more activity that showed that my girls are growing up.  Kristen was the acolyte at church for the first time.  She did a great job.  It seemed so strange to sit by myself and not have to remind a child to be quiet or pay attention. 

5QF 7-29-11

Yep, once again I am running a tad bit late with this.  How in the world am I going to stay on top of it when school starts. 

1. Vow renewal ceremonies-yay or nay?

Might be kind of fun to do, especially if I could lose enough weight to get down to what I wore when we got married.  Of course if I could do that then any celebration would be worth it.
2. What sound/s annoy you the most?

Fingernails on a chalkboard.  Oh how I hate that sound.  Sends shivers down my back.  Thankfully anymore most classrooms have a white board in them.  So much nicer, plus there is no chalk dust.
3. If you had to pick, would you have only all boys, or only all girls for kids?

Since I have 2 girls, 2 fur babies that were girls and no boys, I would have to say all girls.  I am not sure what I would have done with a boy.
4. Do you believe in alternative medicine?

it really depends on the type of alternative medicine.  Some of the alternatives are very successful, but some of them in my opinion may be a hoax.  You really need to look into what you are putting your trust into and make sure that it is legitimate.

5. Would you take a family members children and raise them if they needed it?
Of course, they are family after all.

7-22-11 5QF

It is time for another 5 question Friday and I am actually on time for a change


1. If your husband had the BIG V and you got pregnant what would your first reaction be? For the dudes, what would your first reaction be if your wife told you she was pregnant after the Big V?


I would probably be in shock and then want a test done to make sure that the process hadn't reversed itself.  I do know someone who became pregnant after her husband had the big V.  After testing, they discovered that the process had reversed itself on him.

2. Best memory about this summer so far.

I was able to go to the Model Schools Conference this year.  What a great and exciting time.  I learned so much and was refreshed.
3. How often do you change your sheets? Your kids sheets?

I am ashamed to actually admit this, but we change at least every season, and then only as necessary. 

4. Having just gone through TSA, would you rather have a full-body scan or a pat-down?

Full body scan.  I just went through the system and didn't find the process that bad.
5. Since it is fair time...what's your favorite fair (county or state) memory?
Now this one is easy.  We just ended our county fair and the best memory for this year is my youngest daughter earned reserve champion junior exhibitor, in other words out of all of the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade 4-H members in the county she had the 2nd highest point total of all of them. 

A late 5QF, but so busy with the fair

So I have been so busy with the fair this week and prep stuff for the fair, that I am off by 2 days.  This years fair has been so full of ups and downs.  Good things happen only to get disappointed with something else, or thanks to all of us being ill we ended up forgetting important things like judges comment sheets.  However, there have been a few good things as well, including a surprise award this morning. I will post more about it tonight or tomorrow along with the pictures from the fair.  Another thing that happened at the fair is that I finally upgraded the phone plan so I know have a smart phone.  Still trying to learn how to use it however.  Haven't got it all figured out yet.

Well on to this weeks questions
1. If you knew your best friend's spouse was cheating on her or him, would you tell her (him)?


Good question.  Since I have never been in this situation it is hard to tell what I would do.  I do have a friend whose husband was cheating on her and then got the other person pregnant so I know how bad that hurt her.  I guess I would hope that I would tell this person, but also be able to find a way to do it as gently as possible.
2. Soda in a can or a bottle?

I will take my pop any way that I can get it, however, I have really been trying to cut down on the amount of pop I drink and instead drink more water.  Sometimes however (like at the county fair where there is a heat advisory) it is really difficult to do.  I do kind of miss the old glass bottles that pop came in, compared to the new plastic versions.
3. What do you wash first, hair or body?

I start first with my body, then move to my face and finally my hair. 
4. What advice would you give to any new mama?

First off, don't worry about the house, sleep when the baby sleeps and second, do not make night time changes and feedings a fun time.  Keep the house quiet, be very business like with the little one.  He or she will soon learn that it is more fun to be awake during the day and sleep during the night.  Also, don't bring the baby into bed with you no matter how easy it is. 

5. What is your best hangover remedy?

No idea, never been drunk or in need of one, but I have heard that coffee works.  And I will never forget watching the old Little House on the Prairie movie, where Pa keeps dunking Mr. Edwards in the water to bring him out of it. 

Another 5 question Friday

I don't know if anyone is really reading these, but the questions are making me think and I am having fun with them.

1. Do you think cursive writing is overrated? (Schools in Indiana have now voted to take teaching cursive writing out of their curriculum.)

With the advent of computers and most students having to do their work on a computer I would have to say that yes, cursive writing is sadly on its way out.  With that being said I will admit that as a teacher I prefer to have students turn in work that was done on the computer. It is so much easier to read than some of their handwriting and this way there can be no discussions that the word was spelled wrong.

2. Do you still use a pocket calendar or notepad or do you keep your info on your smart phone?
Since I don't have a smart phone, I use the calendar on my email system to record everything.  This is so easy to do and I can find something in a minute or two. 
3. What 3 things would you save if your house was burning down? (family & pets are already safe)
The first thing that I would go for is all of my pictures.  So many cute and adorable family pictures including family members that I never knew, but I would hate to lose them.
The second thing would probably be the computers, because anymore it seems like so much data is stored on them.
While there are many other things that I could grab at that point I am thinking everything else would be replaceable, or at least easier to replace and wouldn't matter as much.
4. Country Mouse or City Mouse, err Person?
I grew up in a town, but am proud of my families farm background.  I spend many days on the family farms as a kid and have fond memories of most of it (except for gathering eggs) and feel sad that my children will never experience this kind of life. 
5. If you could pick ANY reality show to go on, which would you pick?
None, I think that they are stupid, but I did hear of one that has been proposed (tongue in cheek).  Something like this I would support.  I am not sure that the general business person in the United States really knows what it is like in the classroom setting.  Now don't get me wrong I love teaching and my students, just getting tired of teachers getting all of the blame.  I don't want a lot of bad comments because of this, yes, I know that there are bad teachers out there, I have had them, my kids have had them, and yes I may have even worked with some of them at one point, but I just spent last week with over 7000 highly committed teachers and educators learning all of the new things and ways to get every student involved. 

I have received this in many emails. 
Next Season on Survivor….
Have you heard about the next planned “Survivor” show? Three businessmen and three businesswomen will be dropped in an elementary school classroom for 1 school year. Each business person will be provided with a copy of his/her school district’s curriculum, and a class of 20-25 students.
Each class will have a minimum of five learning-disabled children, three with A.D.D., one gifted child, and two who speak limited English. Three students will be labeled with severe behavior problems.
Each business person must complete lesson plans at least 3 days in advance, with annotations for curriculum objectives and modify, organize, or create their materials accordingly. They will be required to teach students, handle misconduct, implement technology, document attendance, write referrals, correct homework, make bulletin boards, compute grades, complete report cards, document benchmarks, communicate with parents, and arrange parent conferences. They must also stand in their doorway between class changes to monitor the hallways.
In addition, they will complete fire drills, tornado drills, and [Code Red] drills for shooting attacks each month.
They must attend workshops, faculty meetings,and attend curriculum development meetings. They must also tutor students who are behind and strive to get their 2 non-English speaking children proficient enough to take the state’s standardized tests. If they are sick or having a bad day they must not let it show.
Each day they must incorporate reading, writing, math, science, and social studies into the program. They must maintain discipline and provide an educationally stimulating environment to motivate students at all times. If all students do not wish to cooperate, work, or learn, the teacher will be held responsible.

The business people will only have access to the public golf course on the weekends, but with their new salary, they may not be able to afford it. There will be no access to vendors who want to take them out to lunch, and lunch will be limited to thirty minutes, which is not counted as part of their work day. The business people will be permitted to use a student restroom, as long as another survival candidate can supervise their class.
If the copier is operable, they may make copies of necessary materials before, or after, school. However, they cannot surpass their monthly limit of copies.The business people must continually advance their education, at their expense, and on their own time.
The winner of this Season of Survivor will be allowed to return to their job!

5QF a little late

Because I was gone this week, went to a totally awesome conference.  The Model Schools Conference, learned so much, met some neat people, and hope to go again, I am late getting this weeks 5 question Friday done.  I am way behind on my blogs and am playing catchup. 

Here are this weeks questions

1. If you had the opportunity to bungee jump, would you?


Are you kidding?  I value my life.  There is NO way you are going to tie some elastic band around my ankle and convince me to jump from some really high spot. 

2. Would you rather go to the movie theater or to the drive-in? 

I actually went to a drive in once when I was very little.  Saw Bedknobs and Broomsticks and then fell asleep during some movie about monkeys.  I don't remember much else about it, except that mom popped a bunch of popcorn.  I might be willing to go to a drive-in again if the conditions were right. 
3. Do you have your groceries delivered?

No, I am not even sure if that is an option where I live.  Even if it was, I don't think I would get them delievered as I actually enjoy grocery shopping.  Of course, the girls are old enough to stay at home, so I either get to go by myself or with the hubby.  I find it to be a relaxing time with no arguing.
4. Eyebrows: Do you wax, thread, pluck, or stay au naturel?

I go au naturel.  Not really much of a makeup person
5. Would the people you went to high school with be surprised by your life today?

Possibly, I was kind of quiet in high school.  I am still kind of quiet but get out more and am involved in several things.

5QF 6-24-11

1. What is your current favorite tv show?

I can honestly say that I don't have any current favorite tv shows.  I am not really impressed with  the new shows, but do enjoy watching some of the older ones that are rerunning on a couple of the older channels.  We are enjoying Everyone Loves Raymond, The Nanny, Bewitched, Cosby Show, Our House and Highway To Heaven.  Why can't they put on more family friendly shows?
2. What's the worst haircut you ever got?
I honestly can't think of anything for this question.  Of course, I can say that I don't like my hair and would love to find something new that also looks nice, but is easy to care for.  I don't want to take the time to use a curling iron.
3. What was something that you did as a child that you thought you were so cool for doing?Boy I must live a really dull life, because I can't think of an answer to this question either.  Don't recall doing anything that was considered "cool" or that I thought I was cool for.  Of course I do remember being afraid to do much because of the fear I had of my dad and how he would disciple. 
4. Do you have any GREAT frugal family fun tips?
Get activity tickets and spend time at your local high school and their athletic and activity events.  Many schools now have a family pass, then the entire family can get in to most events.  Much cheaper than professional sporting events or the theater and concerts.  Plus the kids really do a great job and need the encouragement.  Just make sure that you feed the kiddo's before hand and then set a limit on concession stand food, or bring in your own snacks.
5. Would you drive across country if you had the money to fly?
I would if it was for a vacation and we were going to take our time and do some sightseeing.  Many landmarks, historical places, and other things I would love to see and expose my children to.  If I had to be someplace for a meeting and didn't have time to spend, then yes, I would fly.

5QF 6-17-11

Before I start with today's post, a simple shout out to my Husband of 22 years.  Thanks for the past 22 years.

Now on to the topic at hand

1. What is your favorite summer time activity? 

 I guess I would have to say county fair and when we can make it The Iowa State Fair.  I have been going to the county fair since I was a little tyke, then became involved in 4-H which meant going to the fair for the full 10 days.  Now my girls are involved in 4-H, I am a leader, and am also on the Creative Arts committee.

2. Do you have one laundry soap you stick to, or do you buy whatever's on sale?

My husband does the laundry and he likes Era, so that is what I stick with.

3. What is your favorite dinner to make in the summer?

My girls say it needs to be fajitas.  When I make them I prepare both steak and chicken, plus a vegie side that includes sweet peppers (as many different colors as I can get), onions, and tomatoes.  My youngest surprised us and loves just having the vegetable fajita.  I would say anything that is done on the grill so it doesn't heat up the house.

4. Do you have any talents?

I use to play the clarinet and alto clarinet in band.  Now my oldest plays my clarinet.  I enjoy sewing, but wouldn't say that I am an expert at it.

5. If you could instantly be an expert in something, what would it be? Why?

Since I teach high school and have a high school student in my house, but a middle school student in my house, I would say that I would love to be an expert on dealing with teenagers.

5QF 6-10-11

Found a new idea, think I will give it a try.  It is called 5 question Friday.  Each week there will be five different questions asked.  You post those questions on your blog, answer them and link up to this blog.

So here are the questions for this week and my answers:

1. How close to your childhood dreams is your life now?
I would say that I am fairly close.  I dreamed of being a teacher my entire life.  Yes, I am teach English/Language Arts and At-risk classes for a local school district.  As a child I knew I wanted to teach and then as I progressed through the school systems I couldn't decide between English and Science for a subject area.  I ended up choosing English because of my love of books.  At the time, I had never heard of at-risk, but found that I had a desire to help those who needed a little more assistance, so the at-risk became a natural extension for me.


2. What is one must have item for the summer?
I am not sure about this one, except maybe for shorts.  I stop wearing pants the day the school year ends (students, not teachers) no matter what the temperature and I don't put them on again until the first day of classes.  Of course, lately there have been these wonderful things called capri's so I am able to put of pants longer in the fall. I will wear them on the weekends as long as possible.
3. Do you have your kids stay up on school stuff during summer vacation? (Or, if you don't have kiddos, did your parents make you keep up on school stuff during summer?)
I have found other ways to keep their minds sharp during the summer.  We are actively involved in 4-H.  The girls are 4th generation members, so summer is a time of learning still, we just learn different things.  The girls carry such projects as sewing, clothing, food & nutrition, music, leadership, health, pets, computers, music, child development, home improvement, etc.  After the projects are completed the girls need to write about their projects so this keeps their writing skills intact also.  I also try to encourage them to read, but have found that is a losing battle.  Believe me it is really disappointing to be such an avid/lover of reading and teach language arts, and then produce children who don't enjoy reading. 
4. Do you can or freeze fresh produce?
I don't.  As a girl we had a huge garden and would always can and freeze fresh produce and other goodies, such as our own tomato sauces, pickles, jellies, etc.  While I don't miss the work of the garden, I really miss the fresh food and having the produce all winter.  If I could find a CSA or some other arrangement so that I could get plenty of fruits or vegies, I would enjoy canning/freezing them.  I can taste those homemade pickles, jellies, and frozen vegies now. 
5. Do you get ready for the day first thing in the morning?
Yes, I am one of those people that need to get up and get moving right away.  I have discovered that I am a morning person.  I can get tons of stuff done in the morning, but once I take a break, it is hard to get moving again.  Maybe that is why I get to school a half hour earlier than I need to in the morning.

Why I haven't blogged in forever

 It has been a long time since I have blogged and I thought that maybe I should do an update.  Figured the best way was to show you why I haven't blogged in forever.  The following pictures and video are from my weekend.
This weekend Sarah was in the pit for the high school musical.  We haven't seen much of her the past month, between cheerleading, pit rehearsal and work she has been a busy girl.  Friday night we went to see "The Music Man" at Clinton High school.  The kids did a great job.

On Saturday, not only did Sarah have another performance, but Kristen was competing in the Awana Games held over in Moline, Illinois.  This group of girls did really well and it was fun to watch them compete.  Learned that Kristen is a speedy little girl.  Time to look into a pair of spikes for her maybe?  She was paired up with another girl for the three legged race.  Those two were awesome and  lapped the other teams. 

The Clinton team came in second place.  They lost by only two points.  They were DQ at one point and had a couple of other things that kept them from scoring.  When a team is tagged from behind as they are being lapped that team is supposed to leave so that the other team can keep going.  The team that Clinton tagged didn't get out of the way and kept the other teams from passing them.  Way to go Kristen.

Finally on Sunday, while Sarah was busy performing at the Music Man, Kristen was showing off her musical skills also.  Kristen's piano teacher was holding her annual piano recital  She holds the recital at a local assisted living home in their chapel.  Many of the residents look forward to this every year.  I even heard a couple of them talking this year about how fun it has been to watch musicians grow and progress.  This year Kristen not only played the piano but also shared her first public performance on the flute.











Here is a video of her flute solo



And a video of Kristen's piano solo,

Sorry it is crooked at the beginning, I have been taking photos with a vertical tilt and flipped the camera out of habit.

Reading Challenge for the year

Do you love to read books about the Amish?  I know that I do, so was excited to see this challenge.  Come join me with this challenge.

21 days to organize challenge

as part of goal to get more organized and purge stuff that we don't really need I am going to try and participate in this challenge.  Yesterday's assignment was to clean out your junk drawer and then organize it. I was supposed to take a picture of my drawer before it was organized, but I forgot.  So instead I took a picture of all of the stuff that I pulled out of the drawer.   Can't believe I had that much stuff  in the drawer. 
The bottom picture is of the drawer after everything was straightened out and organized. This will make it much easier to find items.  Now if only the rest of the house (or at least the two girls) will actually take the time to put things back away in the right spot. That is what usually keeps me from getting and keeping things organized. 

Book Blast Event

I just heard about a book blast event that will be taking place on another blog.  As an English teacher I am always up for hearing about more good books.  Of course my beliefs surrounding books is too many good books not enough time. 
Any way head on over and check it out.  I can't wait to see what new books I am going to want to add to my list.


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