Charmed

My friend Teresa has been a Charmed fan for a while and often talked about how much she liked the show. This summer during my vacation I started watching in and became hooked! I have since ordered season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on DVD. I just finished season 6 last week and feel like I am in withdrawal waiting for season 7 to be released. I've already pre-ordered and now have to wait for a month to get it.

Now to confess one of my odd character traits. I watch the show on TNT and my DVD viewing has coincided with the airings on TNT. They just started airing season 7 this week and while I'm video taping it off the tv (for back up emergency purposes LOL!) I don't want to watch that season until the DVD arrives. Since the release of season 8 (and final season) hasn't been set I'm at a loss!!! I don't know how long I can wait. I think I'll probably tape that and watch the videos. The show is so good that I know I will be putting season 1 back in the DVD and watching from the beginning again.

Yup, I'm hooked! :)

take care,
Dawn

Memories

I came home from school today so tired! I thought that I would just skip taking down a totes worth of decorations until I read Debi's blog. She mentioned that what I wrote yesterday was an inspiration for her to take town her own decorations. I decided that I should stay true to my word and packed up another box. Three down and four or five to go :).

While I was looking at the decorations, they reminded me of things I crafted years, and years, and years ago. I started feeling nostalgic for those days when I had time (or was it that I gave myself time) to craft!

The first "craft" I learned was knitting. I remember I was five years old when my mother taught me how to knit. When I was in my 20's I made this Christmas stocking.

The other craft I learned as teenager was needlepoint. Again, in my twenties I made this wall hanging. Of all the needlepoint kits that I completed I only have two left. This comes out every Christmas.

I am treating myself to some of my old indulgences again. This month I am planning on taking a sock knitting class with a friend. I'm actually excited about knitting some socks LOL!

take care,
Dawn

Time to say Good Bye to the holidays

I broke down and started packing up the Christmas decoartions today. I'm sad to see it have to come down. I think Timmy feels the same way. He still wants to listen to the music. Tomorrow it's Kidz Bop Christmas for the ride to and from school. Ah, that's my boy!

I know how much work it is to take every thing down so I've made it my goal to just do one bucket at a time. The biggest thing to pack up is my collection of Byers Choice Carolers and figurines. Each one gets wrapped individually in tissue paper and placed in the bin. I used to get one or two every year but I stopped buying quite a few years back. I've run out of room!

My favorite of the collection is the Christmas Carol figures. I think they were the first that I bought. My mother bought a few of the Nutcrakcer series. They aren't really my interest but I appreciated the thoughtfulness that came with them. Timmy likes the "rat head guy". :) Packing these up is my goal for tomorrow.

take care,
Dawn

It's a New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I swear it seems just like yesterday everyone was worrying about Y2K! Where has the time gone?

We had a wonderful Christmas here. Timmy was lost in a sea of gifts :) I think he got every Pirates of the Caribbean toy there was! Oh wait, no he didn't. He went out shopping with his Christmas money and came home with another pirate ship! My living room has been a sea of pirates for the past week! He plays with them for hours on end!

Britt, Jay and Mackenzie came over for breakfast Christmas morning and this year Mackenzie had more interest than last year with her gifts :) She seemed to enjoy throwing the packages a bit more than opening them. I had Britt take a couple of pictures of Mackenzie and I since I don't have many with her.

I bought Mackenzie a wiggles song book. She was enjoying it with her mom and dad!

I have spent my vacation week doing a lot of nothing! It has been grand!!! I am looking forward to doing the same thing for my vacation in February.

I hope I have enough to tell you all about our family to keep my goal of more frequent posts a reality.

Happy 2007!

take care,

Dawn

Tis the Season

I'm sure many of you are feeling the same as me, overwhelmed with the amount of things to be done and the short amount of time you have to do it in. I feel like I have been so neglectful of many things. Brittainy called me today and told me it was time to update my blog. :)

I bought a new bay window a few weeks ago and Rich and a couple of friends put it in. It took about two weeks to have it ready enough for me to start decorating the living room. I still feel behind in all that I have to do!

Timmy went to see Santa on the 2nd and asked for two things that weren't on his list before. Those elves have been busy trying to get everything for the big day.

Last weekend Miss Mackenzie spent some time with me and while I didn't get much done while she was here I enjoyed every minute of it. A few weeks ago Brittainy called to tell me that Mackenzie got a sweater that she knew I would buy for myself if it came in my size. She was right! Look at cute Mackenzie is in it!

take care,
Dawn

I've been a bad blogger

Friday morning Timmy woke up feeling a bit under the weather so I kept him home from school. I was already to go so I ran to school to drop of my plans for my sub. On the way home my car all of a sudden became so LOUD! I had an appointment for yesterday to get an oil change so I had the dealership look at it. I needed about $1200 worth of repairs on my 12 year old car. I didn't want to put that kind of money into it so I bought a new car! Ten years ago I bought a used Saturn (2 years old) and it lasted me 10 years. I guess I got my moneys worth.

I hope this new one serves me just as well :)

So, this is my new baby!!! What do you think!

take care,

Dawn

Ahhhh, YOUTH

I was introducing the letter "A" to my kindergarten class today. I was showing them a series of cards with words that begin with the letter A. I got to antenna and of course they asked what that was. I told them long, long ago before there were remote controls and cablevision people had to use an antenna to be able to watch TV.

One of the girls raised her hand and asked how people changed the channel if there weren't remote controls. I showed the class how a person would have to get up, walk to the televison and actually turn a knob!

In disbelief she looked at me and said...."you mean EVERY TIME they wanted to change the channel?".

take care,
Dawn

Happy Halloween

Are you surprised that Timmy was a pirate? I think I heard somewhere that being a pirate was one of the top costumes for boys this year.
Timmy posed for a series of "dramatic poses" tonight. You'd think his mother had a camera in front of him all the time LOL!

Timmy is the only child in our neighborhood. We usually visit 10-12 houses and are done. One of our neighbors fills a plastic pumpkin for him every year. Sadly, I usually end up throwing that candy away because they smoke CONSTANTLY and the candy stinks! I still, however, appreciate their kindness.

Well, let's hope blogger is working since I couldn't post anything at all this past weekend.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

take care,
Dawn

A new beginning

Yesterday Brittainy and Jay got married. It was a beautiful day. Brittainy looked very lovely and Jay looked quite handsome :). It feels a bit odd to say I am a mother in law. I've considered Jay a member of the family for quite some time now. It is just that title mother in law that is hard to comprehend. As long as I don't become the brunt of anyone's jokes I guess I'll be fine with it.

I am very happy for the two of them and wish them a long, happy life together. Congrats Britt and Jay!!

take care,
Dawn

Things that make you smile :)

This year in my kindergarten class I have a little boy who only speaks Spanish. I speak NO Spanish. Ok, I lied...I can count a little bit in Spanish. It has been a struggle to try to communicate with this child. I try to speak in Spanish to him. Apparently I don't do it well because he laughs at me when I try. We have had some difficult days to say the least!

At the end of the day today when I walked the children to buses, this little boy headed towards his bus, turned around, came back to me and hugged and kissed me. Then he ran off to his bus.

Oh, it just touched my heart and I can't stop thinking of the look on his face. It makes all those difficult days all worth while to have a moment like that!

take care,
Dawn

Things that go bump.

I was sitting in my class this afternoon working with a group of children. We were enthusiastically reading Little Me, our first book with more than two words, when the phone rang. My assistant answered the phone and I heard her politely say "she's busy with a lesson now". Then after a few moments of listening she passed me the phone.

It was the school nurse. It seems my son ran into the playground and got a nice goose egg on his head along with a bloody nose! She suggested he go home to rest and take it easy. I brought him to my mother's and headed back to school.

I'm sure the picture doesn't do it justice, but here's his poor forehead.

One of the joys of being the mother of a boy!

take care,
Dawn

The beginning of number 9.

Today after school I went to the dentist to begin the first stage on my ninth crown...yes, I said 9! Three are due to falling off my bike when I was 12. The rest are age and poor dental care when I was a kid. Because the first crowns were done when I was 12 (33 years ago) they needed to be redone.

I am still feeling the effects of the novacane. You know that feeling that you have had a stroke and feeling like your lip is three sizes it normal size. Friday I go back for the second step in the process.

I joke with my dentist. I tell him that I believe he is cursing my teeth. Once I think I have everything taken care of another tooth breaks.

I remember when I was a child my mother would have me write 10, 15, 25 times (depending on the infraction) I WILL BRUSH MY TEETH EVERY DAY! (picture Bart Simpson at the chalkboard here LOL!). I should have listened to my mother better!

I expect to be the only elderly lady in the nursing home without dentures :)

Take care,

Dawn

Aren't they cute?

I know, I know I am not posting enough. I just don't have too much happening in my life to write about. School is keeping me VERY BUSY. I promised my friend Beverly that I would update my blog. So here goes.

Today Mackenzie came over to play in the yard a bit. Timmy and she had fun with the ball and some of the old toys that Timmy hasn't been able to part with yet. :) Mackenzie adores her uncle Tim and he feels the same way about her.

Yesterday Mackenzie, Britt and Jay went apple picking and brought some apples back to us. Tonight I am making some apple crisp to have after dinner. I love the smell of fall and "fall" foods. The weather is just a bit warm for my idea of fall but it's still lovely out.

I have had an awful headache all day. I am hoping it's an allergy related headache and the Allegra I took will help it go away. I was really hoping to get more done around the house but I'm feeling a bit under the weather. Only one day of my three day weekend felt productive. I feel like I wasted my time at home.

Well, friends I told you I was boring :)

take care,
Dawn

Ahoy Matey!!!

Yesterday was Timmy's birthday party with his friends from school. I had eight boys here living the life of a pirate :) I am thinking I don't have too many years left of having the boys do a craft at a birthday party so I took full advantage of it this year. They boys made hooks for their hands out of black paper cups, cardboard and tinfoil.

Here's Timmy doing his best pirate interpretation LOL!!


I bought some wooden boxes at A.C. Moore and my sister stained them for me a couple of weeks ago. I filled them with plastic gold coins. The boys used glue dots and attached jewels to their treasure chests. They also added a few jewels to their treasure chests as well.


















They all had a great time, enjoyed their pizza, played hard and we are done until next year!
Today is the party for my granddaughter who will be one on Tuesday. It's also her dad's birthday today. This is a busy month in our family!!! Hopefully next weekend I'll get a break LOL!

take care,
Dawn

School is back in session

The beginning of a school year is just so exhausting!!! I don't think a lot of people realize how much work the first week of kindergarten is. The children come to school so excited and ready to "play" and the poor kids need to practice waiting: waiting for everyone to check for notes, waiting to see who is buying lunch, waiting to find out who brought peanutbutter (we have allergies in our school), waiting to learn routines and schedules, waiting to take a turn to talk, waiting for a turn with a favorite toy. All they really want to do is play with their friends. We spend the first week slowly introducing rules and routines.

We also have a lot to do to get ready for these little guys. I felt like a walking zombie these past two weeks. I don't seem to have much of a break for the next couple of weeks either.

take care,
Dawn

Back to School!

After a glorious 70 something days off it was back to school today. I don't know why after 16 years I had the "can't sleep because school starts tomorrow jitters". I woke up at 2:00 this morning and at 4:15 when I was still awake I chose to just get up! I made a lasagna for dinner and another to freeze. I emailed a few people and took a leisurely amount of time getting ready!

Most of my friends think I'm a little "off" because I like to go to school early. I get there at 6:30 some mornings and 7:00 others even though I don't need to be there until 8:15. I really enjoy the quite morning when no one is there. There's not waiting for the copy machines or laminator. I can get some work done on the computer. It really lovely!

The thing I haven't figured out is how the staff can't seem to realize that we need the same things on the first day EVERY YEAR!!! Why is it a shock when we ask for, oh say, a class list, appointment schedules, bus lists etc. Every year there is always mistakes over the schedule, this year has been no exception.

We spend the next three days meeting the incoming kindergarten children one on one and then they all come for the first full day on Monday.

Here's to another school year. I hope it's a good one!

take care,
Dawn,

My baby is 8!!

Yesterday was a happy day in our home for Timmy. He can't believe that he is 8 years old LOL!
It was bittersweet for me. It was exciting that it was Timmy's birthday but sad that it was the last day of my summer vacation!

I asked Timmy was the best part of his 7th year was. He said Mackenzie being born was the best. He liked that Philip Jr. (the fish) didn't die. First grade was pretty good too! The worst part of his seventh year was that three fish died.

My birthday wish for Timmy is to always be happy, enjoy his creativity and to continue being the great kid that he is!

take care,
Dawn

TO ALL THE KIDS

I know this has been around hundred's of times....but it's so true!!!

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!


First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.


We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank koolade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because .

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING !

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.

And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride downthe hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers!, no Internet or chat rooms.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!


We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rangthe bell, or just walked in and talked to them!


Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!


These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them . . . CONGRATULATIONS!

take care,
Dawn

What was that sound?

There are nights when I lie in bed and out of the blue hear a popping sound. This has been going on for a couple of years. At first I really didn't pay too much attention to it. Then I began to try to figure out just where the sound was coming from. When we first bought our house 10 years ago the outlet in our bedroom needed to be repaired. After hearing the popping sound I thought maybe it was the outlet. As often and as hard as I tried I couldn't pin point the origin of the sound. At one point I would put the extension cord on the bed so I could tell if the popping was coming from that. Every night (not that it happened every night) that I heard it I thought I really need to call an electrician. By morning I would forget about it until the next time I heard the pop! Finally after months and months of trying to figure out what it was I had an idea. There was "something" in my room that I thought could be making the noise. I took it out and what do you know? The popping started in another room. I found the source of the pop. It was my rainstick!!!! After I solved the mystery all I could think of was how embarrassed I would have been had I actually called the electrician. He would have laughed all the way back to the shop thinking that this was the fire hazard I had been so afraid of!


take care,
Dawn

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Rainsticks are ceremonial musical instruments used to invoke the rain spirits. They are made by people who live in the deserts of northern Chile. In Chile, rainsticks are traditionally made from dead cactus tubes with hundreds of cactus spines hammered into the tube. Tiny lava pebbles cascade gently through the tube, sounding much like rain.

Plastic Surgery

We had the news on the other night and the story was about plastic surgery. Timmy asked me what it was. I explained that it was an operation that people have to change the way they look. I told him that lots of times people have this surgery because they want to look younger.

My *sweet* boy looked at me and said, "Do you need plastic surgery?".

Kids....gotta love 'em!

On a side note, what is it with "older" actresses who think that using botox to make their lips look obscenely HUGE is attractive!!! UGH!

take care,
Dawn