I'll probably be driving you all crazy with this

But the countdown is 24 days(after today that is)! Everyday we sing a countdown song to the tune of 99 bottles of beer on the wall...though the kids don't know the orginal version. Today we will be singing 24 days left of school in the year. Next week we hit the teens! Oh, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm so darn tired I need that summer break. I have signed up for a one week graduate course, and perhaps some professional development on top of that.

In Massachusetts we have to renew our license every five years, with a fee of course! This weekend I have to work on all of the paper work. It is funny that when I first got my degree it was a life time license but now I have to pay to get it renewed!

Here's wishing you all a great start to the weekend.

take care,
Dawn

Just a quick little post today.

This is just a quick little post to share a picture I took the other day. A friend gave me a Gerber daisy for my birthday. It was in the kitchen window the other day and the way the sun was shining on the plant looked so pretty that I just had to get a picture of it. It was such a beautiful sunny day and as the sun was setting and shining on my plant it made me smile. I hope the picture makes you smile!

take care,
Dawn

YUM!!!!!!!

First let me say that I found this picture online posted at the Boston Phoenix. It is not the tips I made, but looks just like them! (Ok, I didn't take time to take the picture before we ate them).

Last week on a local radio station, WCOD the two morning DJ's raved about a steak tip marinade that they had made. They posted on their site. I decided to try it on Mother's Day. I love steak and can never find the perfect recipe. This is as perfect as I have ever had!!! I bought all of the ingredients and let it marinate more than 24 hours before we cooked it. I cooked 7 steak strips/tips and Rich ate 5 of them. (I had one and saved the other to add to my salad for lunch the next day.) Last night at dinner Rich proclaimed that the recipe is now our new "house blend".

I am posting it here to share with you.

Dan and Stephanie's Summertime Steak tip Marinade

1 Bottle Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce

1 cup Fat Free Italian Dressing

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp A-1

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 Zip lock bag-Freezer size

Marinate tip in sauce for 6hrs flip bag and Marinate 6 more...even if you don't have time to marinate that long they are just as good on the fly!

Enjoy!

take care,
Dawn

I did it!

I got my grade for the course I took this past winter/spring. I got an A+. All my efforts paid off and I am proud of how hard I worked. That is the reason I took the blogging break.

There are three more course in the certificate program but I do not believe I will be continuing. It was quite a stretch doing the assignments for kindergarten students, especially since they really can't read or write yet! That was my biggest criticism of the course. I had to write lesson plans having kindergarten students learn with spreadsheets, concept maps (like a graphic organizer on the computer) and hypermedia (web pages, PowerPoint presentations etc.,). This was not easy but it is done and I am doing a HAPPY DANCE!!!

take care,
Dawn

How was your Mother's Day?

Mother's Day was lovely here! I woke up early yesterday morning, but fell back to sleep. About 8:30 I woke up to smell breakfast cooking. Within seconds Rich and Tim were bringing me breakfast in bed! I had scrambled eggs (piping hot!), bacon, sausage (cut to make an M for mom), orange juice, coffee and an English muffin. Tim told me that he wanted to make me eggs. It is his favorite breakfast. I really don't like eggs. I told Tim if that's what he wanted to make me I needed to have them PIPING hot!!! He filled the order perfectly! Tim presented me with a bill when it was done:

bacon 1 hug

sausage 1 kiss

eggs pipen hot (his spelling) with pepper 2 hugs 1 kiss

english muffin with butter and strawberry jam 4 kisses 2 hugs

TOTAL: 5 hugs 6 kisses

Tim and Rich gave me a hanging inpatients plant. I am happy to have the colors in my yard. I feel summer just around the corner.


I went to visit Britt and her family. Jay was planting some shrubs, plants and bushes for Britt. He told me that he had some hydrangeas for me. YAY! I ended up bring Mackenzie home with me for a few hours.

I also stopped to visit my mother and bring her a gift.

I had a big long list of things I wanted Rich to do for me. He did them all with a smile! What a good guy!

The weather yesterday was just beautiful! It was great to finally see the sun!

I hope you all had a wonderful day and enjoyed time with your family!

take care,
Dawn

A sign of spring

I came home from school yesterday and pulled my car up to the mailbox to check my mail. Tim was in the backseat and notice a robin in the maple tree in our front yard. I just happened to have my camera with me and snapped this picture. I really have spring fever. If only the weather would cooperate. We had one really BEAUTIFUL day and then back to cool rainy weather.

Now, for my embarrassing story. In kindergarten we have poems and songs on charts. In May we all hang up charts we made of Raffi's song Robin in the rain. I searched for some coloring page to trace and hang on my chart. One of my friends and fellow teachers came in one day and had to let me know that robins are not blue. I guess I was confused because of the color of a robin egg. I've since fixed my poster and have learned the difference. ☺

take care,
Dawn

Poor Kenzie

Poor Mackenzie! I was talking to Britt on the phone about two and a half weeks ago and in the middle of our conversation she had to hang up because Mackenzie was crying. Britt called back later to tell me that Mackenzie fell and hurt her elbow. Later that day she ended up taking her to the hospital and the doctors told her that they believe Mackenzie fractured her elbow. They weren't quite sure so they set up an appointment at Children's Hospital in Boston and she came home hours later with a purple cast on her arm. She has to keep in on for three weeks. She goes back next week to have it off. She has been doing just fine with the cast. It doesn't even seem to bother her.

What a little trooper she is. I, of course, had to stop by and bring her presents! That's what Grandma's are for!!


I was at Brittainy's the other day and Mackenzie was sitting at the table rolling playdough out with her casted arm and she did just fine!

None of my children (knock on wood) or myself have ever broken anything. Well, I take that back. I've broken my teeth many times.

take care,
Dawn

I am happy to say that just yesterday I sent in my last assignment for the class I was taking. I am DONE! I am sorry for being so negligent in my blogging but I needed to do my best for the class! I’m also a bit of an overachiever so I did some extra work LOL!


Now that the class is done I can get back to some of the normal things that I have neglected (like cleaning my computer room), and of course blogging. I don’t know where to begin. I think I am going to have to make a list so I don’t forget everything I want to share.
>


I’m going to start with the newest member of our extended family. Last month my daughter, Brittainy, adopted a dog from Adopt a pet. His name is Joey and he’s about a year old. Actually, Britt said that they think he was born the beginning of March last year, just a couple of days after Jack was born. He is really good with the kids and they love him. I think the biggest drawback is that Britt’s husband’s name is Jay, Jack is my grandson and Joey is the dog. Britt’s always calling them all the wrong name LOL! I’ve been looking on Adopt a pet as well and I have to keep myself away from looking because we can’t get one until school ends. I did see one the other day that I would like to have. I called Britt to tell her about the dog. His name was Jacob. I think Britt would be awful mad if I added another J name to the mix.



I will try to do my best to start visiting you all again. It’s been nice having you all check in with me. I have just been a bit overwhelmed. My next course is only a week long in August. I should be able to handle a weeks worth of work.

Take care,
Dawn