Mi Vida Ocupada

After dinner last night I noticed that my Australian Opal was missing from my favorite ring.  I remember seeing it at dinner but by the time we got home, it was gone.

I searched all over my house, but did not find the stone.  It could be anywhere.  Very sad, this was like my pseudo-engagement ring.  Oh Saint Anthony, please help me find it.

(Taken with crappy camera phone)

I did, I did it!! I blogged every single day in November.
Shizam!
It really wasn’t even that hard to do once I got into the swing of it.  I know a couple of my posts this past week shouldn’t really count because I forced myself to blog under duress, but I don’t really care!  I. blogged.every.single.day.for.a whole.month.  For the most part I have actually enjoyed getting back into blogging more.  Have you enjoyed reading them or are you guys sick of me yet?! lol  I don’t think I have posted enough photos lately, probably because I haven’t taken many.  I have come down with another cold so not only did I lose my voice for a day, I have been extremely stuffed up and not sleeping well.

You know who is extremely happy November is over? My brother Jeff (and even more so is his fiance, Amanda) was able to finally shave his mustache.  He alone raised over $500 for men’s health awareness and his team tripled that.  Way to go guys!

Alrighty, I gotta run but more than likely I will be back soon ;)

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On this date I have blogged about…..

• On 12-01-09: Read Photo Hunt #5 ~ Details & Sign-Up (12-01-09)
• On 12-01-09: Read Tueday’s Top 10: My Christmas List (12-01-09)
• On 12-01-08: Read Was it the carrot cake?? (12-01-08)
• On 12-01-08: Read Little Red Corvette…. (12-01-08)
• On 12-01-07: Read 1st day of Dec=1st Big Snowfall (12-01-07)
• On 12-01-05: Read My Pride & Joy (12-01-05)

Four days off of work!  Just what I needed before a very busy week at school.

It has been a boring, if not lame, Thanksgiving weekend.  I alone have had time off of work so I have been holding down the fort; cleaning, baking treats, reading, streamin’ Netflix, and hanging with friends.  I’ve left the house only once per day.  Boring, but relaxing ;)

5:03 Wake up

5:11 Shower, Make Up, Dress, Curl Hair

6:17 Leave Home, Drive 21 miles to Mpls

7:03 Arrive at Four Star Auto to have the headlight replaced in my Mazda Cx-7

7:40 Leave auto shop, head back east toward St Paul via University Ave.  Major construction zone.

7:52 Drive thru for breakfast sandwich

8:03 Arrive at school, unpack my lunch, computer, etc.

8:10 Check work and person e-mail for the first time today

8:20 Morning duty: Greet students (by name!) in Main Hallway as they head to class, wish them a good day. Bright and cheery

8:35 School starts.  School-wide Morning Meetings in every classroom.  I talk with my Secretary, Principal and Hmong Language Educational Assistant about tonight’s Open House.  Run back to desk to eat cold breakfast sandwich

8:55 4th grade math problem solving

9:35 3rd grade math

10:05 1st grade math

10:40  My planning period

11:30 5th grade math problem solving

12:00 Lunch at my desk.  Leftover broccoli cheese with potato and bacon soup.  Check e-mail

12:30 6th grade math problem solving

1:15 Kindergarten class 1

1:40 Kindergarten class 2

2:05 Kindergarten class 3

2:30 Kindergarten class 4

2:55 Take a breath, run to bathroom

2:57 1st grade enrichment

3:55 Bus Duty.  Say goodbye as each class parades by, one by one (nearly 700 in all!)

4:17 Head inside as buses leave.  Put up a few signs on main doors informing parents of my room number for a Pre-Open House mtng about the Lego League

4:20 Bathroom break

4:25 Start setting up Legos for tonight’s Open House

4:27 Visited by one of my Lego League students and his three younger brothers (ages 4-9).  I had them put  Legos together for this year’s Challenge, Food Factor

4:58 Parents and students start arriving to my classroom.  At least nine kids sprawled out on my area rug, putting together Legos

5:03 I start Parent Meeting.  Inform parents about the program, discuss commitment and carpooling, explain some of the missions, answer questions.  Hmong Interpreter interprets  for me

5:28 Usher parents and students from my room down to gymnasium for beginning of Open House.

5:30 Open House begins with assembly in gym, band ensemble plays several songs

5:42 Staff Introductions

5:50 Head back to my classroom.  Non-stop visits from parents and students all night.

6:54 School-wide announcement thjat Open House is coming to a close

7:09 My last family finally leaves

7: 12 Call for Chinese take-out

7:37 Pick up Chinese

7:56 Arrive home, talk with my sweetie.  Sit down for the first time today

8:30 Eat Dinner

9:02 Clean up dinner

9:13 Put on comfy jammys

9:18 Sit on sofa with laptop.  Eat small scoop of ice cream.  Check e-mail.

9:33  Start writing this post.

10:15 Finish this post.

And now….

Shower and Bed!!

Thank you and Goodnight!!!!!! (Its been a long day)

I’ve had a lot of things I’ve wanted to blog about here, I just haven’t made the time to do it.

So what have I been up to for the past month?!

*Trip to Chicago.  I know I posted the Sade concert photos a few weeks ago but I haven’t posted any of the photos yet.  The reason why is because I haven’t looked through them yet! Well, that isn’t quite true.  I went through all the food photos I took while we were there and then I wrote mini-reviews of all the restaurants we visited (check them out!) Lou Malnati’s Pizza * Mitsuwa Japanese Marketplace * Casa Margarita * Portillo’s * Billy Goat Tavern * Maple Tree Family Restaurant * Irish Times Pub * Harry’s Sports Bar * Al’s Char House.  As soon as I can get to the photos and video I took I plan to make a video.  Stay tuned… I hope it happens!

* Two week-long workshops held at my Teacher’s Union.  One was on Foundations of Effective Teaching and the other was Managing Anti-Social Behavior. We get paid a stipend to take these workshops so attending has turned into one of my summer jobs.  Getting paid to learn? Sign me up!

* I read a TON of books.  Great reads, too.  The History of Love, The Shadow of the Wind, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Help and I am now finishing up The Hour I First Believed.  260+487+290+451+353= a whole lotta pages in one month!!

* Watched a few teeny-bopper TV shows on Netflix (The Hard Life of RJ Berger, Switched at Birth, Friday Night Lights)

* Went out to eat.  A LOT.  Met my bestie Mary at ZPizza in Roseville, Dinner at Santorini Taverna in Eden Prairie with Heidi, Burgers at Tin Cup’s and Matt’s Bar, more burgers at Scooter’s in Chisago City, Houlihan’s, Murasaki Japanese Steak  House and Sushi Bar.  And those are just the new restaurants that I haven’t previously reviewed!!!

*Hung out with Bradie and Heidi over at Bradie’s house.  It was great to sit on the patio and enjoy a glass of wine chatting with my girls.  I have known Bradie for 31-32 years (yes we were practically toddlers!) and Heidi for 16 years.  The two of them have known each other 25 years (they danced together at Larkin Dance Studio as young girls).  Later that night Heidi and I went out to Santorini Taverna for a really great dinner on the patio.

*My dear Noemy is in town from California.  Noemy is Denise’s BFF and I am very close to both of them.  I am so blessed to have Denise (and Darrell!) as next-door neighbors, love that I met Noemy through Denise.  Anyway, we have all gone out to eat a couple of times and hung out on many other occasions

*Visited the Minnesota State Fair.  This one deserves a post of its own….. the photos are still on my camera.

*Went back to work for the 2011-12 school year.  I taught summer school and got my new classroom all set up to come back a few weeks later to find that it had been dismantled to clean the carpets.  Tons of books, etc were taken off of book shelves and places all over randomly.  Not. Happy.  Oh well, it is looking ready for school next week ;)

*Attend a Coaches Training on Lego Robotics.  I will be coaching a team of 5-6th graders to program the robots and complete in Mission Challenges at regional tournaments.

* I am very excited about this upcoming school year.  I have big plans, i just hope I have the time and energy to execute it all!

So that is a brief summary, I hope to post photos and blog more details about many of the above if i ever get around to it ;)

Hello bloggy peeps,

I just wanted to say hi.

I have a ton to blog about, just short on time.  I have worked way too much this past week and will be back as soon as I can to give some updates :)

I have been a “Big Sister” my whole life (since I was 2, anyway!). Brian was born just after I turned two and Jeff was born when I was four.  I think it is awesome that we are all close in age ;)

How do I feel about my baby brother turning 30? Makes me feel kinda old but I am also very proud.

Brian and I could tell a lot of embarrassing stories about Jeff but I wouldn’t want to embarrass him on his big birthday, would I? Sure I would…  but he would get me back and I am sure he has plenty of embarrassing stories to tell about me too ;)

I distinctly remember the day Jeff was born.  My Gram came to pick me up from school at Oak Hill Montessori and told me the big news, I had a new brother! I remember being slightly disappointed that the sister I had been wanting turned out to be a new brother but I was very excited to meet him.  He was pretty darn sweet so I guess we decided to keep him! Before visiting him at the hospital, my aunt Carol french-braided my hair and I wore my favorite periwinkle-colored dress.

Jeff was one of the cutest kids with his white-blonde curly Jeff-fro.

How cute is he?

I don’t have any pictures handy of Jeff as a teenager (I was away at college) but here are several posts/photos of different Family Gatherings that Jeff was likely a part of if you’d like to take a look back ;)

…… and now 30 years later he is a partner in a successful company, has traveled all over the world and is engaged to marry Amanda sometime next year.

Not bad for 30 years young :)

Happy Birthday Jeffrey, I am very proud of you.  I hope you have a very happy birthday!

xoxoxoxoox

ETA: Jeff blogged this morning about turning 30 so head on over to his blog and wish him a Happy Dirty Thirty! lol

So yes, I have been in a funk.

I was feeling slightly better after catching up on sleep and taking it easy this past weekend.

Then I get word Monday morning (yesterday) that my Gramps had another stroke (the first was a few months ago) and was in the Mayo in Scottsdale near where he lives.  There is nothing worse than that helpless feeling, and being far away from him and many of my family members.  After fearing the worst all day (it didn’t sound good) I was encouraged to hear that Gramps was conscious last night and was visiting with my aunt and Gram whom passed on his message that he loved all of us.

I am trying to be strong but the truth is that I am very sad.  I haven’t had to deal with death of those close to me very often. I can be an emotional wreck at times.

I have also been very sad lately because my cat Dusty, is also on his death bed.  He is 16 1/2 years old and has gone from 12lbs to just 6lbs in a matter of months.  He has a bad tooth and is now eating only soft foods.  I have to make sure it is all mushy before I feed him.  I swear he is hanging on just for me, he loves me that much.  There has never been a more loyal cat in the history of time.  Anyone who has seen me with Dusty can testify this is true.

Dumb as it must sound, I see a lot of parallels between Dusty and my Gramps.  I am already mourning the loss of both of them, premature as it may be.  Getting my mind set to let go when the time comes.

I really wish I were in Arizona right now.

Several other major disappointments lately have not helped to improve morale but I am hanging in there.  Shake it off and move forward.

Sorry for the Debbie Downer blog post

Thanks for any positivity that you can send my way!