Mother's Day Spruce Up

I have a picture of them doing this when they were teenagers. There was the inevtitable "whoops" (something you don't like to hear when your hair is being cut) and "how do you feel about a shorter hair cut?" Dan's hair started out about 5 inches longer (not kidding) than it is now.

Wes and Paul share a love of books, books, books. Wes seems to be fixated on a certain page of this I Spy book. It's seriously all he ever wants to look at.

Paul and the fam have started demolition of Kyle and Anna's bathroom in thier NEW HOUSE. They had fun tearing down walls and pulling up floors, now comes the hard part of actually putting the bathroom in.

Paul got the internship! Also, it will turn into a part time job in the fall (he has a few more classes to finish up) if they feel they work well together. This development is moving at the rate of six (cookie-cutter) houses a month, so you can imagine that it will be a busy place. Paul is excited! He will be working on scheduling and infrastructure (i'm not really sure what that means) and helping manage things.

Paul has an interview today: Please pray for him if you get a chance! It is for a summer internship with a developer in the area (and by area I mean our county, which is what were hoping for).

Also, our chicks are beginning to hatch. Every year we hatch chicks in our classroom. I love this celebration of life. They are so fragile and have to be handled with care. It's good for the kids to have a part in such an important task. There are two that are just beginning to poke holes in thier shells, and I hope is that the students will be able to watch the hatching process from beginning to end.

Wanna buy a GOWN? I am selling my wedding dress. I told someone and work this and they said, "Oh, so you're not sentimental, eh?" I guess not, it will be hard to see it drive away though. I never wore it with the train out because I had an outside wedding (five years ago if you can believe it). If I wait too much longer to sell it, it will be out of style. The proceeds will go to our church's Alaska missions trip.

The sweet potato quesadillas were very good! I was surprised and I will definately make them again. I used goat cheese, since I don't do cow's milk (I'm not snobby, it's a crazy sinus thing). And I made Paul's with cheddar. I would post the recipe, but I am afraid of copywriting. It's from a book that my dear friend Kara got me, Simply in Season, GREAT book, especially if you like vegis, or even if you don't, you will after this book.

I have been teaching about non-fiction procedural writing, which is fancy for "how-to". One of the things we are studying right now is recipes, and I thought it would be cool if each child brought a recipe from home and I made a recipe book for each mom for mother's day. So I ask each child to bring a recipe from home, one that's special to them or that they just like a lot.

Child: "In our family, we don't use recipes, we just eat normal food."

I ask you, what has this world come to? Now I am one that makes more homemade food than most, but NO recipes? All food from a box? I find it hard to believe. Anyone, woman or man, with the least streak of domesticity would have at LEAST one favorite recipe. Do people not ever cook? At least on Christmas?
I do find that the freezer section at my local Walmart is strangely crowded. And I do admit, I have a weekness for fish sticks. And when I am busy I do pop a 50 cent chicken pot pie in the oven. I guess I just found this comment very sad, because I love food so much.

To each his own, however unhealthy it may be.

Currently Reading: Dwelling Places

This is a little bit depressing, but has me hooked and I really want to finish it.

Currently listening to: Watermark "The Purest Place"

I love this!

Thirty more school days and counting...

and I can't believe all I need to do before school gets out. Did I really teach them all I needed to? I guess it'll have to do. This is that panic time of year again, but also exciting because, well, thirty more days until FREEDOM. I am planning a very full summer. My brother and sister in law might start a fruit stand that I will help with, I am going to camp, going to Alaska, I have a week long math class to take, actually, I am a little afraid that I won't get my canning done. Ah, that would be a tragedy. Paul and I are on a high-stress course until classes are over for him. If you know us, you know that we are low-stress people. We really try hard to live slowly and purposefully, but the world has gotten the better of us. We miss having people over for dinner and hanging out, just the two of us.

Yesterday I took care of my two year old nephew for the whole day. It was a lot of fun, but I think I tried to have TOO much fun. We played at the playground, and we went swimming, and we went to McDonald's (this is his restaurant of choice) and we played with Paul and we played at Grandma's house. By the end of the day he was ALL wound up, but also really tired, so, you know the rest of the story...

The whole day I kept apologizing to him. "I'm sorry, Wes, Aunt Nanny doesn't know how to put on the swimming diaper." or "I'm sorry Wes, I don't know what 'nee' means." Sooner or later I will get the hang of it, I hope.

Today we witnessed the baptism of some of our friends, Brandon and Casey, and I always cry at baptisms but this was really special, it was really neat to see their enthusiasm for Jesus. And then we took the membership class for our church. So now we are enjoying the calm before the storm of the week takes over, maybe watch a movie from the library. I am off now to make "sweet potato quesadillas", I know it sounds like a bad idea, but it's from a reputable source. Have a great week!

"To go faster you must slow down."

— John Brunner, Author

"It is very hard to interupt a man with a beard."

-Aunt Bea, "The Andy Griffith Show"

Some Things:
This is my nephew, Wes, hunting Easter eggs yesterday. I fear I will never live down being known as "Aunt Nanny" - the aunt who spilled wine on her nephew. It's a long story. He's two now. I just can't believe how many hours of enjoyment can be found in playing with a two year old. He has a toy train and he makes it go through the "nunnel" (tunnel), where he thinks that it goes "nigh, nigh" (good night) because it's so dark in there. I'm getting a bit anxious to have some of my own!
Anyway, today I stayed home sick. I can't wait to go back to work, it's pretty boring here when you're sick. I actually felt aweful this morning, but after my regimen of Emergen-C and EHB I feel much better, besides a really bad headache.

I just love to tell when I find something I love, and I love Radiant. I just got the magazine. It is a magazine for Christian women, without being too wishy washy or touchy feely. www.radiantmag.com

"You can move heaven and earth but providence knows you can't bring a Methodist and a Presbyterian together."

-Mrs. Rachel Lynde

Easter at the Tupper's house:

(from left) Dan and Alicia

Kyle, Wes and Anna

Dad and Mom

Paul and Annie

Grandpa and Grandma

Every year for Easter we try a different cuisine. Two years ago it was Greek, last year Cajun and this year German. Next year we are thinking Thai.

I wanted to share some pictures with you of Unalakleet, AK, where I will be going this summer with some people from my church. I was actually watching the Iditarod this past week and they went right through Unalakleet on thier way to Nome. I was really excited to see the flyover shot of the village. It's really small. We will be teaching teens to share thier faith at a camp called Christian Youth In Action.
This is obviously only what it looks like in the winter. Since we are flying in small planes we can only take 30 lbs. with us. Yikes!

Please enjoy pictures of our Spring Break trip to Klamath Falls, Oregon!

We took a trip to the wildlife refuge and saw some beautiful birds.

On the way to Crater Lake, we figured there was about 15 feet of snow on the sides of the road.

Paul's parents came with us. Happy Aniversary to them!

We went snowshoeing at Crater Lake. You can see the lake and Wizard Island behind us. This was my first time to Crater Lake. It was beautiful!

We stopped at the Greenleaf for lunch in Ashland. It was one of the best lunches I think I have ever had! It was awesome. I loved walking around Ashland too. It reminded me a bit of Hood River or Port Towsend.

The handsome driver. Actual conversation:

ME: There's a food co-op in Ashland, let's stop!

Paul: (rolls eyes)

ME: Aww, come on, you love me and my ways, I'm good, I'm fun!

Paul: (under his breath) You're expensive, lady.

As we head north from Ashland on I5 we have a long trip ahead of us. In the middle of our trip we were both very tired of driving. We saw a sign for "Dancing Oaks Nursery". Paul mumbles, "I'd like to see that." (meaning that he would like to see oaks really dancing) We both laugh so hard that we have tears in our eyes. I think we had been driving for too long. Paul is not one who likes to take breaks from driving, no, he's is actually pretty insistant that I keep my bathroom breaks to a minimum. Stopping for lunch? I'm sorry - no.

We stopped in Monmouth at the Peter's. Jeff has been a good friend of Paul's since Multnomah days. It's really convenient that he married Alysun, because that gives me someone to talk to when we go visit them. I love talking to her about being a mom. They are those kind of relaxed, laid-back people that we love to be with.

Emma waves goodbye to us. After dinner at the Peter's we headed home, after a quick stop at Trader Joes in PDX of course (no trip is complete without it). We got home about 10pm last night.

Student: I hate bein' sick. Last time I was sick I had to go to the place where they take your coffin.

ME: Your coffin?

Student: Yeah.

ME: Where do they take your coffin?

Student: You know, the doctor, that place where they take your coughin'.

*note*: Please pray for divine intervention in my life. I literally feel as though I am being coughed and sneezed on in all directions. Hey kids, have you ever heard of PERSONAL SPACE? It will be an act of GOD if I make it through this round of sicknesses unscathed. And you know I don't want to be sick on spring break. I'm off to the store for more emergen-C.

Yesterday we went down to Portland to help our friends Kara and Jason out with a house they are buying. But first we went to the early service at Mosiac, our old church in Portland. It still feels very much like home and it really blessed me to see what God has been doing there. These are some of our friends at Mosaic.

Kara and Jason are OUR HEROES (or are they just crazy?). This is Paul consulting with Kara about rebuilding the front steps.

This is a two ton dumpster full of debris that they removed from the house AFTER the tenants had been evicted and moved out.

Kara and I worked on cleaning the kitchen. It was literally the filthiest place I have even set foot in in my entire life, and I am not exagerating. There were cockroaches (which I wasn't aware could even live in our climate) and maggots EVERYWHERE. I told Kara that this was my own personal version of Fear Factor. The walls had crusted food all over. Yes, that is a mask I am wearing.

There were dead bugs encrusted all over the cieling of the kitchen.

Great podcast:

http://www.derekwebbchat.com/audiochat.php

A conversation with Derek Webb (of Caedmon's Call) and Don Miller (of Blue Like Jazz) on theology and social issues.

We are *NINJA* entertainers!

Yesterday we had people over after church, Casey and Brandon Korpi, who by the way OWN snowshoes and LOVE to backpack. How lucky are we? Now if we can only lure them into being friends with us!

And then, we went to a community worship / prayer event (for http://www.convoyofhope.org/) at Bethel Church and had five people over after that! We didn't get to bed until 10, which is late on a school night for us, but that's OK. We love hanging out. Actually, we were in bed last night and realized that we had completely forgotten to eat dinner.

On Friday we both had the day off so we went snowshoeing at Mt. Ranier. It was beautiful and then we had coffee at Copper Creek Inn http://www.coppercreekinn.com/, we decided to go back for breakfast or lunch sometime, dinner prices looked a little steep for us.
I am going home and taking my report cards with me!

*Ninja is code for "the best" or "really good at something", Paul and his construction buddies made it up I think. Also, if something is "not so ninja" it's not up to par.

Students found a note on the floor today and were trying to discern whether or not it was from a leprechaun.

"No, I think leprechauns write cursive."
-student

Tornado (this is our classroom pet) says, "Happy St. Patty's Day to you!" I know it's fuzzy but I thought he was so cute.

Our class is celebrating St. Patrick's Day tomorrow because we have no school on Friday. It's a big deal and something that the students asked me if we were going to do at the very beginning of the year, because they remembered it from last year. I pretend that there is a leprechaun on the loose in our school. I have a green wig this year and I am planning on really playing it up. It's also a great time to talk about St. Patrick because he was a missionary, and a Christian. I am also getting some Lucky Charms at Walmart so we can graph them. I was thinking about making green jello jigglers, but I don't really think I will have the time. This is one of my favorite days, besides the 100th day of school. Happy St. Patty's Day!

I was listening to our local Christian radio station when I went to work this morning the impossible question of the day was, experts say doing 15 minutes of this everyday with make you less stressed. Guess what it was? journaling! Which is almost the same as blogging. I have been needing this validation for some time because this means,

blogging is good for you!

I spend at least 15 min to half an hour looking at other people's blogs everyday, and sometimes writing my own. But this gives me a REASON, you know, other than just blogging for blogging's sake. Right now, for example, I am sitting in my classroom, blogging, when I should be planning, cleaning, and so on. But no, I'm eating peanut butter and blogging. Well. Stress relief.
Stress relief is something I need. I have spent 27.5 hours in the last month just going to classes on top of my work. I can't complain, I volunteered for most of it. And I really do enjoy most of it too. But it's still work and if there's anything I've learned from being a teacher for the past year and a half it's that work that's fun it STILL work, and you need to take a little time to blog now and then.
Speaking of, horror of all horrors, I woke up on Saturday to about 2 inches of snow. And what did I have planned for Saturday? I had to go to a math class. I can really identify with children who have to go to school when it snows now. It's tough to leave all that white stuff because you know it will be melted when you get back. Paul had a good time playing in the snow. He grew up in Costa Rica, so snow is quite the novelty for him, and he loves it.
Well, blackboards and lesson plans await me....

Currently reading: How come no one told me that Sherlock Holmes was so good? I have to tell you that I have given up on new fiction. Rarely does something come out that is worth reading. I have reverted to classics. Right now I am listening to the last book in the Anne of Green Gables series in the car, on the way to and from work. I also just finished reading God's Smuggler, by Brother Andrew, which couldn't really be considered a classic, but good anyway. Please give me suggestions on what to read next. What is your must-read right now? Leave comments.

Snow!

I took this picture early this morning before I went to work.

Readin' writin' and 'rithmetic were a lost cause today! It would take a magician to calm these kids down.

Quote 'O' the day:

"Math? BRING.......IT.......OOOOOONNNNN!!"

-first grader

This day just keeps getting better. Smokey the Bear is coming to our classroom on Friday, and I wanted the kids to guess who the special guest was.

ME: There's a special guest coming to our classroom on Friday. He's tall, and he's furry, and he wears a hat. Can you guess who he is?

Student: My dad?

Snow showers forcasted for Thursday / Friday!

My favorite thing that happened today was when I asked a student to use the word "ditch" in a sentence. Here is what he said:

"Throw the deer in the ditch....(long pause)....unless it's a good one."

It would be really funny to wear a tape recorder for a whole day, there are some pretty funny things about working with kids and one of them is that you tend to say things about six times, and find yourself saying laughable things. So I wrote some of those things down today when I said them:

".... and a pencil is not a weapon ..."

".... your mother would not be happy if she knew that you had a staple in your mouth ..."

".... do NOT flick green beans with your spork ..."

Can someone tell me how to play?

So today I was tricked into playing a "staff vs. students" basketball game. As in, I came with my class to watch and they said, hey, you have to play or we won't have a five people. "Why me?" I said. "You're young" they said. This is often thier explanation for asking me to do things, and it's true. There are only about three people that work here that are under 40, and the other two were already playing, in fact, the other two coach basketball. I did alot of running back and forth, and somewhere in the middle on the first quarter I said to myself, "Gee, why do they assume that I know the rules of this game. Could someone not have taken the time to give me a refresher?" By refresher, I mean, I need to be told the rules because seventh grade was a long time ago. I did alot of laughing, and I realized that seventh graders have alot more energy than I do, even at 28. In the end we won, all because of me, I'm sure!
Have a great weekend!

Stay away from ME!

This is a good invention for anyone who has a cold. I spent a majority of this weekend in bed with a roll of toilet paper. My poor husband did a really good job of taking care of me, and only left me twice to go to church and Starbucks (I think he had to get out of the house). He took me for a drive yesterday when I felt good enough. I also spent a lot of time watching the Olympics. I am a real sucker for women's figure skating and I am really looking forward to watching that tomorrow. Never fear, I am on the mend and at school preparing for next week.

Signs of Spring! Our dafodils are coming up.

Here I am in the marina by downtown Olympia. We had fun rowing around in between all the boats.

VALENTINE'S DATE
Paul and I went on a Valentines date yesterday. We went to Tugboat Annie's in Olympia. We rented kayaks and had breakfast.

One day this week I pulled my car up in our driveway beside the muddy patch that is our garden in the summer to find a green onion growing there. After being absolutely drenched with rain the last few weeks we have had a really sunny, springy spell. It is a little bittersweet because you know that it can't last for long, it's February for goodness sake. But it's nice to dream and enjoy for a little while. Well, Sring Fever must have hit Paul too because a few days later I came home to find that Paul had tilled our garden up and had tilled the poor little guy under before I had a chance to eat him! "Did you save the green onion?" I asked. He gave me an incredulous look as if to say, "I do not brake for green onions!" 

The mountains behind me are the Olympics. You can only see them about half the time because they are clouded over. A common phrase in Washington is "the mountain is out". As if it is not there when we can't see it! 

The other day in class we were talking about symbols that we use, like a heart, a plus or minus sign, an arrow...someone mentioned the cross. I siezed the oppurtunity to talk about what it means and where we find them.

Where do you see a cross?

they said:
in churches
on people's necks
in dead peoples yards (cemetaries)

Also, another little piece of God humor from my day:

"Teacher, I don't think that God could know everything because he lived a long time ago and they didn't have homework back then."

Student 1: Look! I wrote my name in cursive.

Student 2: I don't speak cursive.

I am sorry for my embarasing lack of postings. I love blogging but sometimes things eat up my time (we can all identify). I think there is a pattern. I lose about two weeks of blogging every time report cards are due. ha, that's one thing I wouldn't mind giving up.

Big News: I am probably going on a missions trip with my church to Unalakleet, Alaska this summer. What's the first thing any Gen-Xer would do? Google it of course. It's actually ZERO degrees there right now. I don't think I really even have any comprehension of that kind of temperature. More on this later.

We saw elk in our playground today. Yep, we's country folk.

I know that my husband studies way too much. This weekend he had gotten some blueprints for a class he is taking. Usually blueprints are huge pieces of paper but these were smaller with tiny print.

"They're called a halfset. Aren't they cute?" he said.

My husband and his cute blueprints...

Is it bad to wish that Walmart gets flooded? Maybe then I wouldn't have to shop there because they are so cheap. No more crowds!

The part with the trees is a golf course, and then you can see the airport behind it, and behind the airport is the mini-city that having a Walmart in our town has created. The stores there are convenient and affordable, but has created more of a big-city feel. Photo from the Chronicle.

ARG, the dreaded story problem...

I know I have been lax about retelling cute classroom stories, but it's not because I haven't been laughing a lot lately.

I was reading story problems to my first graders. After a confusing one, one girl scrunched up her face in confusion. "Thoooo....what'th the thituathion here?" (so, what's the situation here? with a lisp)

It was noisy in my room and I was standing a little boy, I was frustrated and he gave me a look of understanding. He said, "Don't you wish your ears were turn-off-able?"

Yes, yes I do.

Have a great three day weekend.

I got this picture from a Seattle news station. I think this is Lake Samamish. This is what it feels like there though. I have to get out and take some pictures! We had a few dryish (and I mean that in the loosest sense) days but we are in for more rain. I just took my kids to lunch (we have to go outside to get to the cafeteria) and it was that blowing sideways type of rain. You know how they say Alaskan people have 100 different words for snow? How come Washingtonians don't have 100 different words for rain? We must either be less verbal or more distracted.

Thank goodness this isn't our playground! If it keeps raining much longer it might be.

My Kara has a blog now!!! See the link on the side? Click on it and leave her a comment. Or else.

Things I am proud of:

I know what to do with 30 pounds of fresh tomatoes.

Seeing a gutted deer hanging from a tree in someones lawn doesn't bother me anymore.

I can't remember the last time nylons and high heels were even an option.

A date with my husband is a long walk on a country road.

When I ask what I can bring over for dinner, they always say pie.

I think about my garden in January.

Paul and I used our new snowshoes today at White Pass 

Highlights of our "Portland" Christmas

-Braving the after-Christmas crowds for some cheap sheets with Rebecca.
-Going to the Laurelhurst with Dan (Robinson). Dan is the great movie connoisseur and Portland has more than it's fair share in the theater pub category. We watched "The Constant Gardener". A bit graphic but pretty worth it. I would like to watch it again to understand it better.
-The REI Buyback Sale. One of my great loves in life is the love of the GOOD DEAL. I will garage sale as much as my husband will let me. There is not much that I wouldn't do to get something that I need or want for really cheap including standing in the rain and wind for two and a half hours. This time we were joined my my brother Dan (Tupper)(who scored us some great spots in line by arriving at the sale at 5am, that's right, he stood in line for four hours(it's in the Tupper blood, but that's another story)), Alicia (his girlfriend), and Rebecca (Paul's sister). Our spoils include: two pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs of snow shoes, a bivy sack and snow boots.
-Catching up with "the Paul's" - a family that we love but had lost track of for a while.
-Watching Dr. Phil with Kara
-Lunching with the Tupper's at Kennedy School for my Mom's 52nd birthday
-Walking at Mt. Tabor with Barbara and Paul
-Coming home - as much as I love Portland, it was so nice to come home to our little barn. I stayed in my pajamas all day and just enjoyed that "home" feeling.

Christmas Dinner at the Robinsons: Barbara, Mark and Dan 

Rebecca, Olivette, Imanuel 

Christmas 2005