"Honestly, a snow day is indescribable bliss, nature's mental health day, and one of the greatest occupational perks ever known to man or woman. Reason enough to go into teaching...though I must say, the kids are pretty fun, too!"

~Esme Raji Codell

One of the things I most love about teaching is reading books aloud to my kids. I have often thought of being a children's librarian and probably would if the job security were not so horrible. Esme Raji Codell is a teacher and author who speaks out for children's literature and reading aloud to children - one of the best things you can do for your child! If you are looking for quality books to read to your students or children she has timely and witty recommendations on her blog and also on her website.

Friday Favorites: Baby Name Voyager

Do not attempt this on dial up. Type in your own name - it's fun! It also may make you think twice about the name you have chosen for your future offspring.

Yesterday I gave my kindergarteners a snow picture to color. One boy was coloring his snow yellow.

ME: That's an interesting color for snow. Why did you choose yellow?

THEM: That's where someone peed. Oh yeah and Mrs. Robinson?

ME: Yes?

THEM: You can eat white snow, but don't eat the yellow snow.

ME: Thank you.

By the way, our snow is gone. As much as I miss it it was nice to get to work in half an hour this morning instead of an hour.

20 weeks = 5 months = halfway there!


Baby Robinson was 5 months old yesterday, meaning I am officially halfway through my pregnancy. As if on cue, I felt him/her move for the first time. He kicked me on the way to school in the morning. And amazingly, he let Paul feel him kick later on that evening. All in the same day. I haven't really been able to "for sure" feel him until now. I knew there was something going on in there, but never felt a definite kick until yesterday. Our ultrasound will be a week from tomorrow. We'll let you know what we find out.

And this was after a lot of it had melted. Sunny and cold today with the promise of more snow and freezing rain tomorrow. School has been two hours late every day this week, which is fun, but I feel like we're not getting a whole lot done here. My Costa Rican husband is in heaven. He has had three days off and goes for a walk every day in the snow.

Outside the snow is falling... this is before I left for school (two hours late)
this is on the way to school
this is an hour later (still on the way to school -usually only takes me half an hour)

So now it's 11:20 and school is already out and I am headed home to bake cookies and be cozy. Paul has the day off today!!!

Family is just accident.... They don't mean to get on your nerves. They don't even mean to be your family, they just are. ~Marsha Norman

Friday Favorites? More like Sunday favorites. Friday came and went and I never even once thought about blogging my Friday Favorites. I have three this week...

1. Chai Tea. I have always been one for "food phases" as I call them. Times where I can't get enough of a certain food. I have peanut butter phases, grapefruit phases and right now a chai tea phase. And that can be an expensive one. Fortunately, my brother in law Dan gave me a recipe for do it yourself chai tea, and it's wonderful. You do have to play around with it a bit until the spices are exactly as you like them.

Chai Tea

3 quarts water
20 tea bags (I use lipton but you could used the equivalent in loose black tea)
2 tbsp cinoman
ginger
cloves
allspice
cardamom - this is the most important ingredient, don't try making it without, it can be rather hard to find, I found my local food co-op the cheapest

Use generous helpings of the spices. After you have made it a few times you will know exactly how much you like. Simmer all this together in a big pot for about an hour, then strain it into a juice container (you will never be able to use this for anything else other than chai tea, I labeled mine chia tea only). When you are ready to drink, use about 2/3 tea and about 1/3 milk or soy milk and microwave or steam. Enjoy! Oh yeah, add sugar or honey, I use about three tsp for a big mug (I admit it). This lasts me a whole week, and I drink it every morning.

2. This American Life

All right, I am an NPR junkie. I really like to have something noisy around, it helps me work, and NPR, though liberal through and through, as my husband likes to remind me, is interesting to me. I love a good story, and This American Life has entertaining, witty, real-world stories. Listen sometime, you will bust a gut. Some of my other favorite programs are A Prairie Home Companion, Splendid Table, and Car Talk.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas By Vince Guaraldi Trio
A must have for any Christmas music collection. Need I say more?!