Heather's Random Ramblings...

Almond Puff Pastry

2011-10-20T18:12:00.003-05:00

I made this yummy, awesome dessert today. I've had it several times at various occasions, but have never found or asked for the recipe. I crossed paths with this yumminess this past Sunday at church and decided to look for the recipe online. After searching, I found a recipe with a picture that looked fairly similar, so I decided to try it.

I found the original recipe on this website, but after making it, I need to tweak the recipe a bit, so I'll post it here as well. (The main reason for me writing this blog post is so I can find the recipe again if I need it. :) So without further adieu, here goes...

Almond Puff Pastry
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cold butter, sliced into ½-inch slices
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend butter and flour with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water, and blend until dough forms into a ball (might have to use hands). Do not over-blend. Divide dough in half. Press each half into a 3x12-inch oblong on an ungreased baking sheet (line with parchment paper if you like; prevents sticking and makes for easy clean up). Set aside.

Puff:
1 cup flour
1 cup water
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs

Place flour in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract, and with the mixer running on low, pour the water all at once over the flour. When the flour and water are combined, turn the mixer up to medium speed and with it still running, beat in each egg, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Spread batter equally over the two pastry crusts on the baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly puffed and golden. (Watch carefully toward end of baking time. I baked mine for 45 minutes--as stated in the original recipe--and I think it overcooked.) Cool for 10 minutes before icing. (The puffs will collapse a bit upon cooling; that’s fine.)

Icing:
2-2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon soft butter
¼ cup cream (perhaps a bit more)
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

To make icing, combine powdered sugar, butter, cream, and extracts, and blend until smooth (add extra cream, a small amount at a time, if icing is too stiff). Spread over warm, not hot, pastry. Top with sliced almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be made one day ahead.

Signs of Fall

2011-10-04T00:15:00.004-05:00

brilliant colors painted on the trees...

a brisk coolness in the air...

leaves crunching underfoot...

yes, fall is here... and I love it!

Annual McCarthy Beach Camping Trip

2011-09-11T23:02:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures from our annual camping trip to McCarthy Beach State Park. We had gorgeous weather and a wonderful week with family.

This Erin's cell phone, attempting to recover from an accidental swim when Erin swamped the canoe ten minutes after we arrived at camp. I can't even believe that no one had a camera handy. She was somewhat of a celebrity, as we heard from fellow campers that "a girl swamped a canoe earlier today." The only injury was her cell phone... well, and her pride. Needless to say this will definitely be a topic of conversation for many years to come.

Mom and Becky in the "kitchen"

The girls in the "dining room"

Micah and Ryan at their table

Samantha and Natalie enjoying the campfire

Watching movies in the camper

Makin' dough doggies

A gorgeous night for sending up lanterns into the sky

Micah and Ryan getting ready for a boat ride with Papa

Samantha and Natalie get a turn

Callie and Ashleigh fishing with Chris and Ben

Ben the mighty fisherman

Chris with his big catch

They kept us well supplied with fish

Games, games, games...

One of our favorite reasons for loving McCarthy Beach is the little gas station that has hard ice cream cones. We made the half-mile hike a daily ritual.

Callie Nicole

Ashleigh Rebecca

Samantha Ryleigh

Natalie Christine

Ryan Aidan

Micah Christopher

Tyler James

Cousins hangin' out

Samantha and Natalie

Ryan and Micah with their favorite activity--TRAINS!

Tyler and Natalie

Erin and Tyler

Ready to go swimmin'

It's a yearly tradition to build a sand castle on the beach. When they started this year's masterpiece, we overheard words such as vision, essential, critical, level.... Yes, our sandcastle building is serious business!

The girls were in charge of building the moat around the castle.

The finished product--looks like a northwoods bear sphinx pyramid

Ashleigh's art as we were packing up camp...

Goodbye McCarthy Beach State Park

See you next year!

Summer Fun

2011-09-11T19:51:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous summer, with lots of family time. Here are some of the highlights.

Ryan opening birthday presents from Gramma and Papa.

Samantha's turn.

Ashleigh and Samantha rollerblading.

More birthday presents!

Trampoline time!

Sandbox fun

Cousin love!

Ashleigh's Soccer game

The cheerleaders!

Ash got to play keeper! She did a great job.

Cousins having fun during Ash's game.

Tyler loves Gramma!

'twas the night before school started

2011-09-05T23:47:00.005-05:00

'twas the night before school started

when all through the town

the parents were cheering...

it was a riotous sound

by eight, kids were washed

and tucked into bed...

where memories of homework

filled them with dread

new pencils, new folders,

new notebooks, too

new teachers, new friends...

their anxiety grew

the parents just giggled

when they learned of this fright

and shouted upstairs

GO TO BED... IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT

disclaimer: i read this online tonight and thought it was so cute, so i had to post it so i could remember it later :)

The Many Faces of Tyler

2011-05-15T11:46:00.000-05:00

Meet Tyler James

My newest nephew

Born January 22, 2011

Adored by all

A very happy babe

With very kissable cheeks

Couldn't you just eat him up?

My week in numbers...

2011-05-12T14:10:00.006-05:00

* this was supposed to post yesterday, but blogger was down...*

10... years ago today that I graduated from St. Cloud State University

150... days since my last blog post

19... number of times I have looked outside to see the brilliant green on the trees... and smiled!

14... days remaining in this school year

3... number of DVD slideshows I have to create for preschool graduations

2,583... pictures I have to sort through for said slideshows

78... temperature I loved yesterday

14... minutes it took to sunburn the part in my hair

23... number of students who couldn't wait to play outside

61... number of dandelions in the bouquet my students brought to me

29... hours until I experience my first Twins game at Target Field

127... number of pictures I hope to take at baseball game

1... days until I get to see my good friend from college!!

Monday Morning Marvel

2010-12-13T15:30:00.003-06:00

The beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me!

Truly indescribable!

Museum Memories (Kern Series, Part Three)

2010-12-02T00:34:00.001-06:00

While Erin, Samantha, and Ryan were here this summer, we went to the Children's Museum in Grand Rapids.Their friends Chloe, Ethan, and Charity came along also.

Of course the trains were a big hit with Ryan.

Ethan constructed a building before the earthquake hit.

Chloe and Charity went for a cruise in a taxi.

And more trains...

Every girl's favorite... dress-up!

Fireman Ryan

The Marketplace

Floating boats through the locks

Super-sized sandbox!

Oh the terror of encountering a stuffed lioness...

Visiting the Judy Garland Museum

Ethan with his dinosaur buddy

An adorable "Dorothy"

My Day in Numbers

2010-11-30T12:23:00.000-06:00

7... preschool students in my classroom
6... water balloon ice balls we played with today
18... outside temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
23... minutes to get ready to go outside
0... "real feel" temperature with the wind blowing
17... minutes we played outside in the snow
134... things I need to get done this afternoon
1... tired teacher who had fun outside today

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-24T13:19:00.000-06:00

I Love This Baby

(and the Mama carrying him!)

Beautiful Boating Days (Kern Series, Part Two)

2010-11-21T23:55:00.001-06:00

On a beautiful July day, Ryan finally joined the ranks of Papa's boys who got a ride in the boat. Micah had his ride here. It was only right that Ryan had his turn also. Ryan and Micah... the only boys in a family otherwise outnumbered by females. For several months, these two best buddies had been talking with anticipation about riding in Papa's boat in the summertime.

No more waiting. The time was finally here. Ryan and Samantha were so excited! Well, except for the brief meltdown Ryan had when he was unhappy about having to wear the lifejacket. Mini tantrum averted... let's get this show on the road! Ryan's ready!

The smile tells it all!

Anchors aweigh!

And a good time was had by all....

Birthday Bash (Kern Series, Part One)

2010-11-17T23:52:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm playing catch-up on blogging. Yes, it's been four months since we celebrated Ryan and Samantha's birthdays, but better late than never, right?

I hope so.

A new puzzle...

...and Lincoln Logs from Auntie Rah.

Ryan's favorite... new trains!

Ryan loved his homemade card from Samantha...

...and was completely thrilled with the Tidmouth Sheds from Mommy and Daddy!

Blow out those candles, Ryry!

Cutest three-year-old around!

Barbie pool...

...and a new Barbie from Auntie Rah!

Make a wish, Samantha!

A very sweet seven-year-old.

The Buck Stops Here

2010-11-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

It's deer hunting season eve. It's the time when avid, die-hard hunters are sharpening their knives, checking their guns for the umpteenth time, packing lunches, snacks, and hot cocoa for a day in the woods, telling tales of "The Hunt of 1957" (or some other magical year), and dreaming about that trophy buck.

I am not a hunter. I have never donned the brilliant blaze orange apparel required for a day of hunting. Never once have I sat on a teeny tiny deer stand to freeze my extremities. I have never experienced the pride and joy one gets after bagging their first deer.

Until last night.

Traveling home after a ladies' dinner at my church, I was less than a quarter mile from home when I spotted a car on the side of the road. As I passed, I spotted a dead deer behind the car. A big deer. I wondered if the driver needed help, so five minutes later, Dad and I were back at the location but the car had gone. Dad checked out the deer and found that it hadn't been dead too long. A nice, big buck with both antlers broken off. (I have yet to go back and check the ditch to see if I can find them.) After a few phone calls (thanks to a tip from our neighbor), I was speaking with a conservation officer, getting permission to take possession of the deer. They are mailing me the license tag. Me--the non-hunter. I made the call... I get the deer!

So, here's my hunting claim to fame. I can't guarantee I'll ever have another deer to pose with, no need for a taxidermist any time soon. Like it or leave it, I got my deer with no blaze orange, no license (until it arrives in the mail), no bullets, no gun, and no smashed car!

I think this picture is hilarious! It looks so sneaky or something. Almost like Dad and Uncle Eric were gutting a deer before the season opened or something.

Getting ready to hoist it up.

My trophy buck!

Happy hunting tomorrow to all you real hunters. Be safe!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T09:26:00.001-05:00

"Paging Dr. Lutterman... " AKA "Papa"

2010-09-30T20:55:00.002-05:00

the consultation...

pre-op examination...

going under the ~~knife~~ pliers...

post-op recovery...

ready to be discharged...

S'MORES, which loosened tooth... $ .50

doctor bill... $0

having a Papa who provides a ~~blood-free~~ pain-free experience--PRICELESS!

*Disclaimer: No children were hurt in the pulling of this tooth."

The Bare Bear Necessities

2010-09-17T15:33:00.001-05:00

Earlier this summer, my sister Becky, Mom, and I were playing a game late at night. With the windows wide open on the warm night, the sounds of summer were easily heard... traffic on the highway, frogs croaking, crickets singing, wind blowing through the trees, plastic breaking....

Wait a minute. Plastic breaking? Did we just hear plastic breaking?

After ignoring this sound for a few minutes, Mom finally got up and looked out the window to the backyard. In the pitch blackness, it must have taken a couple seconds for her eyes to focus with only the small yard light for illumination. Finally, she said, "Ummmmm..... there's a bear out here."

What???? A bear? We haven't seen a bear around here for years!

Becky and I went to the door quickly, in time to see a rather large black bear munching happily on sunflower seeds which were scattered on the ground after he'd completely destroyed the bird feeder. He dined for several minutes, then lazily got up and lumbered around in the driveway, coming over to the back steps to check things out.

We watched for several minutes before I went to get my camera. It wouldn't focus through the door and screen, so we decided to crack the door open a bit. Mr. Bear decided that was enough human contact for the day, and he high-tailed it outta there, back behind the garage toward the garden. The following day, I took some pictures of the evidence.

The contraption formerly known as a bird feeder.

The flying saucer remains of said bird feeder.

Mr. Bear approached these steps, as we gazed out the window. Yes, he was probably less than 8 feet away from us.

This electric fence surrounds my dad's corn in the garden. Mr. Bear must have been running lickety-split and once he hit the wire and got a good shock, he tore up the wires pretty well!

A few raspberry plants met their demise in the run-in with Mr. Bear. Branches were broken off from the entangled wires.

My dad has a fairly large hand, so you can see how big Mr. Bear's paw is in comparison.

Tea Time (Swanson Series, Part Three)

2010-09-16T22:43:00.002-05:00

One of the girls' favorite activities at Gramma's house is having a tea party, complete with Great, Great, Great Grandma's china tea pot, with its stains from years of use. Of course, the "tea" that is enjoyed at these modern-day tea parties is really some form of juice, but when you hold up your pinky and talk very properly, it's nearly authentic.

Many concertos are composed by small hands right here.

Another favorite activity? Rummaging through Gramma's many totes of fabric to find the perfect piece for dress-up. Here Callie models an old dress, with a improvised veil.

You just never know what Ashleigh is going to come up with. She's sportin' a mascara mole to complete her "flapper" look.

Natalie's a vision of blue in her Indian sari-type dress. Looks like she has the model hand thing figured out as well.

~~Two~~ Three peas in a pod...

What does little man Micah do during such girlie activities? He bonds with Papa of course. They putz in the garage, play trucks, and have their own party, without all the dainty foods and pinkies in the air, of course.

Back to School in Numbers

2010-09-07T00:30:00.004-05:00

100... hours of painting this summer

7... butterflies flying on the walls

140... photocopies made

489... books waiting to be read

3... classes I'll be teaching

10... boxes of brand new washable markers

2... spotless, handprint-free tables

15... flowers growing in our room

12... chairs

2,500... sheets of construction paper

20... students registered

9... boys

11... girls

200... fingers ready to fingerpaint

13... new toys bought this summer

31... calendar numbers laminated

6,327... stickers (not that I really counted)

836... Clorox wipes to be used this year

8... hours until school starts

1... teacher excited for tomorrow!

Of Boat Rides, Swimming, and Lawnmowers (Swanson Series, Part Two)

2010-09-02T10:05:00.096-05:00

For months, my nephew Micah talked about "riding in Papa's boat." One day, Papa fulfilled Micah's dream. A boat ride on a beautiful day.

Gettin' ready to go!

Lifejacket? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Backwards hat? Check. One little boy bursting with anticipation? Absolutely.

"Can we go already, Papa?"

Bon Voyage!

Callie and Ashleigh waiting for their ride.

Here they come!

Bon Voyage take two.

After the boat ride, Micah talked non-stop about Papa's boat. First boat ride? Complete success.

After the boat ride, I took the girls to the lake for swimming. It was a hot, humid day--perfect for a cool down in the lake.

Let the water fight begin!

Second only to Micah's love of the boat is his thrill of riding Papa's lawnmower. While he doesn't necessarily like the loud noise, once he is standing by Papa, hands on the steering wheel, all fear of the loudness is forgotten and complete joy takes its place. See?

Big boy driving all by himself. **

Natalie LOVING driving fast!

Ashleigh... eight years old and driving already.

Callie not to be outdone by her younger sister gave it a try also.

**No child was injured during the riding of the lawnmower. It was not even running.

Minnesota Logging Camp (Swanson Series, Part One)

2010-09-01T09:23:00.003-05:00

I was able to spend a lot of time with my nieces and nephews this summer. I'm going to do a series of posts from our activities this summer.

My parents and I took Callie, Ashleigh, Natalie, and Micah to the Forest History Center, an authentic 1900s logging camp. Costumed employees portrayed lumberjacks, camp cook, blacksmith, and clerk.

Accordian player in the bunkhouse

Camp Cook (incidentally, the highest paid person in the camp)

The camp horses--very hard workers

The Blacksmith

The Clerk

The girls were impressed with the checker game.

One tired boy, after he woke up from a nap on Papa's shoulder.

All winter, the lumberjacks would cut the trees and haul them to the river. They were marked (shown below) to record the length, estimated board feet, and logging camp from which it originated, to ensure the right logging camp was credited for the logs.

When spring arrived, log drivers would float the logs down river to the sawmill. They would get their meals from the river wanigan during the log drive. After visiting the wanigan, the girls posed for a picture.

We visited the 1930s Forest Service patrolman's cabin. Nearby is a lookout tower where rangers would spot forest fires.

Callie, Ashleigh, Mom, and I started the long trek up the lookout tower. Halfway up, Ashleigh got a little scared of heights, so I turned back with her. Callie and Mom made it all the way to the top, and Callie even got a certificate of achievement!

The old fire engine was a hit!

Back in the visitor's center, Callie explored a logging truck.

Ashleigh trying her hand at the sawmill.

Natalie in a machine much bigger than her!

This tree was large enough for Micah to walk through.

The Forest History Center is great fun for everyone. If you're ever in the area, you should check it out!

Museum Fun

2010-08-18T23:01:00.001-05:00

My sister's four kids came for a visit and we went to one of their favorite places in Grand Rapids--the Children's Discovery Museum. With free tickets from the public library, what entertainment could be better?

Micah setting up the blocks before hitting a button to create an "earthquake"...

...and giggling hysterically when the blocks fell.

"May I please have the keys?"

Trains, trains, trains

Thanks for fixing the track, Papa!

Playing Post Office

Ashleigh creating a wacky Mr. Potato Head

Natalie with her favorite doll in the museum

Wizard of Oz dolls

More trains...

Welcome to the bakery

"How may I help you?"

Callie, Natalie, and Ashleigh playing dress-up

Of course, the boats in the locks are always a hit. Free reign to play in water!

Swing those hips, Callie!

Callie, always a silly nut, wanted to pose with the scary lion.

Ashleigh preferred the less scary animals.

Best part of the day... peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch!

Attached to the children's museum is a Judy Garland museum, which doesn't particularly interest me. A lot of hype for a person who only lived here for the first four years of her life. We were able to walk through the house she "supposedly" lived in... I've heard conflicting stories as to whether this was even her house. Anyway, the girls enjoyed seeing all the "olden day" decor. I wouldn't mind having this piano, either!

Lots of fun... lots of giggles... and when all was said and done, I got to take home four adorable munchkins!

Singin' in the Rain

2010-08-11T12:34:00.018-05:00

I'm singin' in the rain,

just singin' in the rain
what a glorious feelin'

I'm happy again
I'm laughin' at clouds

so dark up above
the sun's in my heart

and I'm ready for love

let the stormy clouds chase

everyone from the place
come on with the rain,

I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane

with a happy refrain
just singin',

singin' in the rain.

Lake Superior Railroad Museum

2010-08-11T09:34:00.001-05:00

Earlier this summer, my sister Becky and I took her four kids to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

Model Train

We were able to tour many of the trains. The kids had fun exploring. This was the snowplow, used to clear the tracks after huge snowstorms.

Callie in the caboose.

Playing around in the mail car.

A few pictures of the trains on display.

This is Minnesota's first steam engine, The William Crooks, built in 1862.

The perimeter of the train depot is lined with small shops and businesses. Of course there is a train station, as well as a drug store, candy shop, clothing store, hardware store, soda fountain, dentist and doctor's office, and more.

Attached to the depot is a children's museum. The kids had fun playing with the pulleys, trucks, and cranes in the construction zone.

Micah was fascinated by the "floating" ball, caused by air blowing through the orange cone.

Climbing the spiral stairs inside the giant tree brought us upstairs to another level of the museum. Here you can do art projects, play music, and explore a campsite.

Near the entrance to the depot, there was a military museum with memorabilia from various branches of the armed forces.
The kids are standing in front of an 1818 U.S. flag. The lower right star is literally held together with a thin thread. In fact, the plaque said they had to place the display case at an angle to ensure that the weight of the flag didn't cause the threads to break.

Four hours at the museum + zero naps = an exhausting, fun-filled day for everyone

Swanson Crew

2010-08-09T01:14:00.001-05:00

It has definitely been a summer full of activity. I'll try during the next couple of weeks to catch you up on what's been happening. These pictures are from earlier in the summer when I was visiting my sister Becky and her family.

Lover of books
Strawberry blond beauty
Wonderful big sister

CALLIE NICOLE

Artistic protégé
Beautiful blue eyes
Loves to laugh
ASHLEIGH REBECCA

Kindergartner in the fall
Dimpled darling
Heart of gold
NATALIE CHRISTINE

Independent two-year-old

Amazing hug giver

Melt-your-heart smile

MICAH CHRISTOPHER

Ticket to Ride

2010-07-19T23:57:00.002-05:00

No, this is not a post about the popular song released by the Carpenters in 1969. I am not offering you free passage on an airline of your choice. Or an amusement park ride for that matter.

On the contrary, I am finally getting around to telling you about the game I wrote about in this post. Hopefully you didn't hold your breath too long waiting for a review. So, without further adieu...

Ticket to Ride Europe is a fun, entertaining game for all ages. It is a lot like the USA version, with a few variations. After reading the directions, Mom and I played. The instructions were easy to understand, and this could have been partly due to the fact that we already knew the basic rules of the game.

While looking at the game board, I decided that I should look at a map of Europe to learn what the cities are. Several of them are easy to guess, such a Kyiv (Kiev), Roma (Rome), and Athina (Athens), while others are more difficult to know what the "modern-day" name is--names like Brindisi, Dieppe, and Sevastopol. I guess I'm not too up on my European cities. Hmmmm... I guess this game is also educational--if I took the time to look up the names!

The game board is a map of Europe with various routes between cities. Each route requires a certain number of a player's trains to be played to connect the cities--as few as one train or as many as eight trains.

Destination tickets (pictured above) show a train route between two cities. Each route is worth a certain number of points (the minimum number of trains required to connect the two cities) and there is no limit to the number of destinations you can gather during the game.

At the end of the game, points are awarded for each destination you successfully complete; however, points are deducted if you don't complete a destination.

The player having the longest continuous train at the end of the game receives ten bonus points. As my niece Callie found out the hard way, make sure you are familiar where the cities are or you may end up going to Stockholm when you really needed to go to Smolensk. Oops! I'm sure she'll remember that part of geography the next time she plays.

After all our points for destinations and longest train were calculated at the end of the game, you'll see how Mom and I ended the first game.

Yes, it was a tie!! However, because I had the longest train, that was the tie breaker. This is definitely a game I would recommend, and I can't wait to play it when we go camping next week!

A House-Building Contest

2010-07-18T23:47:00.000-05:00

What is there to do on such a hot, sweltering day in Kansas City? We broke open Ryan's Lincoln Logs and proceeded to hold a building contest. I was to be the judge. Erin and Samantha formed one team, while Ben and Ryan joined forces on the other team.

Let the construction begin!

Progressing nicely!

After construction was complete, each team presented their project, adding miscellaneous details in an attempt to convince me to choose their team as the winner. They sure knew their audience well.

Samantha and Erin's dwelling boasts two bedrooms and one bathroom. The retractable roof on the left and right sides of the house allow you to see the sky. Large windows offer a wonderful view of the gorgeous mountains in Estes Park, Colorado (one of my favorite places, by the way). A serious contender for the grand prize.

Ben and Ryan's house is actually a duplex. The microscopic windows give the illusion that the house is larger. The back entrance easily accesses the pool, overlooking the gorgeous landscape of Italy (my lifelong dream is to visit Italy someday. Good call, Ben.). The highly-coveted award may be within your grasp!

Being the wonderful judge I am, I actually awarded two prizes in this tough competition. Samantha and Erin received the $3 million prize for best artistic design. Their home will be featured as HGTV's Dream Home. Including large windows in this spacious house make it a photographer's paradise.

Ben and Ryan were the winners of the "Green Home" award. With the simplistic yet ingenious design, this house uses little energy to heat or cool. No trees were logged to construct this home, as the trees were already cut. Their $3 million prize will undoubtedly be used for installing solar panels to conserve energy, re-planting the rainforests, and of course, saving the whales.

Congratulations to both teams on a job well done!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

Congratulations on your monster fish, Dad!

There She Stands

2010-07-04T12:34:00.003-05:00

Today is July 4th. America's Independence Day. To those in other countries, it is just another day. The fourth day in the seventh month on the calendar. Nothing special.

But for me, an American living in this great country, it is a day of remembering how blessed I am to live in the United States of America. On this day, I'll see Old Glory flying with her brilliant red and stark white stripes and a field of royal blue boasting fifty stars representing our states. I may hear the familiar strains of My Country 'Tis of Thee and even hum along.

On this, our Independence Day, I'm so grateful to God for the liberties I enjoy, many of which I take for granted. I am extremely thankful for those who have sacrificed so much so I can live in the greatest country on the planet. Today as I see our nation's flag flying in the breeze, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and a sense of pride that I can call myself an American.

Inspired by the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, Michael W. Smith wrote a song called There She Stands. In the weeks that followed the attacks, our country was unified in a way it never had been in its history. When I see the red, white, and blue, it's more than a symbol of my country. It's a reminder of the many blessings that God has given me! Happy Independence Day!

Review Coming

2010-06-11T16:08:00.003-05:00

Yes, summer is here, and I'm "working" at school. Actually I'm getting a few things organized for the homeschool part of my job that I'm taking on this fall. But, I decided it was time for a break. And since I don't have a comfy sofa to relax on, what better way to relax than write a blog post!

All the rain we've had the past couple of days has made me think about camping. Not because I would like to be camping in the rain.... it's just that we usually have rainy weather when we are camping. When such weather occurs, we usually find ourselves spending time in the screen tent, playing games for hours and hours. Our games of choice? Well, we have several. Various card games, Farkle, Scattegories, and Upwords to name a few. A new game my sister Erin discovered a couple years ago has also become a favorite. It's called Ticket to Ride. We've spent many hours enjoying this game and my sister Becky even dreamed up some alterations to the game.

Several months ago, I received an email from Ashley at CSN stores asking if I'd like to do a review of one of their products. I'm embarrassed to tell you that it was a looooong time ago. And yes, I'm finally getting around to writing this post. After searching through a lot of their products, I decided it would be so much fun to introduce a new game at McCarthy Beach Camping 2010. So... keep your eyes open for a review coming sometime soon (you can determine what "soon" means) for this product. I can't wait to try it! I would say "hold your breath for a review coming soon," but I don't want to be responsible for injuries caused by my tardiness!

Summer's Here

2010-06-09T20:11:00.007-05:00

It's been busy month since I last blogged. I guess that's to be expected with the end of the school year approaching. Now it's officially summer, and it's time to catch you up on the last month. My to-do list seemed to grow by the minute. You know... pictures to take, DVD slide shows to make, cakes to order, decorations to buy, kids' books to assemble, butterflies to release, parties to plan... the list could go on. There were many late nights (or rather, early mornings) just trying to squeeze everything in. I managed to finish everything on time and the parties were a lot of fun, although I was extremely exhausted at the end of the week.

Then when the dust settled, I was left with many happy memories of a great year. Yes, there were stressful times, but overall, we had a lot of fun. It was such a joy to see the excitement in the kids' eyes as they discovered a new toy or the pride in their smile as they showed me their latest art project or handwriting. And listening in on their conversations? Wow, I could probably write a book of cute kids' quotes!

I was showered with gifts at the end of the year, great reminders of the precious students I had this year. Several gift cards (who doesn't love those?), a yummy candle and much-needed CHOCOLATE, a brightly-decorated terra cotta flower pot which all the kids from my afternoon class signed, an adorable Caribou Coffee mug and tea set, yummy-smelling lotion and shower gel, a pretty butterfly stained-glass box, and gorgeous flowers flowers flowers! I just had to take pictures because they're so beautiful. Don't you agree?

Yes, summer's here, and even though I have things to do at school yet (moving to a new classroom, arranging furniture, dreaming of decorating possibilities), I am enjoying a break from hectic schedules and long working days.

Winter Blossoms

2010-05-07T22:11:00.003-05:00

Living in northern Minnesota, you never know what our weather will bring. We've enjoyed a beautiful spring. Temperatures were in the 70s (Fahrenheit) in March. Lakes were open and snow was completely gone by April.

Until today.

Yes, it is May 7th. It has been snowing all day. As disheartening as it may be, the white blanket covering the ground creates a beautiful canvas on which the flowers' vibrant colors pop. I may not be too crazy about seeing snow in May, but at least we know it won't last long. Here's a glimpse of the beauty surrounding us on this frosty, wintry, unpredictable northern Minnesota spring day.

An Ugly Duckling Transformed

2010-05-06T23:45:00.000-05:00

Tonight as I traveled over the river and through the woods toward home, it was the over the river part that completely thrilled me. As I crossed the bridge, I glanced at the water as is my usual custom, and I spotted what appeared to be floating white blobs. I quickly turned the car around and headed toward the public access, all the while thinking Those better not be buoys I'm seeing.

I was not disappointed.

As I slowly pulled in to the public access, I had a wonderful view of eight graceful, elegant, beautiful swans gliding on water as smooth as glass. The calmness of the water created wonderful reflections in the fading light.

After spending thirty minutes with these amazing creatures, the fading sun brought a chill to the air. I headed for home, thankful for this incredible display of the beauty of God's creation.

Which showed not even a hint of being a transformed ugly duckling. Wouldn't you agree?

Where I've Been...

2010-05-04T23:25:00.002-05:00

... in the last six weeks.

...shopping for fabric.

...enjoying my nieces and nephews.

...playing in the sand.

...attending Callie and Ashleigh's acting debut.

...sipping tea with the ladies.

...witnessing little gardeners in the making.

...marveling over beautiful spring colors.

...admiring new life.

...drinking in blossoms.

...completely loving my favorite season of the year!

Not Me Monday Tuesday

2010-03-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

Okay, here it is... my procrastination post that should have been posted yesterday. But other priorities got in the way and I just plain did not have time to finish it.

Last week, I was not completely shocked when I saw this van. I was making a quick stop at Goodwill to check out their preschool games, but I was not sidetracked when I saw this van pull into the parking lot. Brand new van, I might add. The license tabs were January, so this van must have been purchased only a couple months ago. I did not see drink cups, bags upon bags upon more bags piled to the ceiling of the van. I was not thoroughly baffled as to how this lady found a place to sit to drive this van. I was not bummed that I'd left my camera at school. Oh, I have my phone. Maybe that will work. I did not try multiple times to get a shot through the windshield, so I didn't have to be obvious. With the sun blazing through the window, it was difficult to get a distinguishable photo. Realizing that I had to go to extreme measures, I did not turn on the camera mode on my camera and step outside my car. So I didn't look like an idiot, I did not pretend to be talking on my phone as I took some pictures. Of course, I was not talking out loud, carrying on a conversation with no one.

Mission accomplished. I entered the store and as I began my search for games, I did not overhear a store employee ask the van lady, "Oh, is this your first time here today?" Hmmm.... so that's where all those bags came from....

As I grabbed a quick bite to eat in the Burger King drive thru, I was not completely embarrassed by what I heard. And it wasn't even for ME to be embarrassed about. There was one car ahead of me, filled with what appeared to be teenagers. Now, I've never worked fast food, so I don't know if this is a common occurrence, but these teens were not extremely obnoxious as they ordered. They were rapping, saying their order very quickly, and then said, "Did you get that?" to the girl on the other end. Then they would turn around and look at me and just laugh. The BK worker came back with, "I'm sorry. I guess I must not be a very good listener. You'll have to repeat that, and speak in a normal voice." These kids did not proceed to order as they were before, rapping and speed-talking. After this went on for a couple minutes, they finally said, "Did you get that??? Thank you." and then they sped off.

When I approached the ordering window??? Not a female voice that greeted me. I'm sure she got an early lunch break or something! That day I did not develop a new level of respect for fast food employees.

Well, it wasn't a whole lot to wait for, but at least I have a blog post for ~~today~~ this week! Visit MckMama's blog to read more Not Me Monday posts!

Not Me Monday

2010-03-22T22:15:00.004-05:00

I am not going to postpone my Not Me Monday post until tomorrow. I do not have a bunch of things to do tonight, and I do not have to get them done before school tomorrow.

Just just a taste of what's not to come....
the truth about this messy van. drive-thru manners. designing business cards.

See you tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T21:23:00.005-05:00

And you thought my car was messy???? I seriously don't know how this lady found a place to sit to drive the car!

Check out more Wordless Wednesdays at Miller Racing Family.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T16:09:00.003-06:00

(My type of art!)

Not Me Monday

2010-03-01T21:56:00.000-06:00

Wanna have some fun??? Then you should join in the blog carnival created by MckMama. Check out her blog to see what she and others have not been doing this week.

I am not totally super psyched for my upcoming craft weekend. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Three days of non-stop crafting. In preparation for this weekend, I did not visit Wal-Mart and make another fabric purchase. You know, just in case I don't have enough fabric as it is. And of course, the lady cutting the fabric did not ask, "Are you making more purses?" Shortly thereafter, another associate approached the table and asked the same question. Yes, the ladies at Wal-Mart know that I make purses. Usually I spend money at Wal-Mart, but this trip did not have a money-making opportunity. One of the associates did not approach me, asking, "Do you make purses for people? If I bought fabric, would you make me a couple?" Ummmm... sure!

Today she did not call me and I do not have orders for two purses!

My fish tank at school had stared at me long enough. It was time for a good cleaning! So, on Sunday while I was at school working on plans for the week, I decided to bite the bullet and get it done. Things were going remarkable well, as I scrubbed the tank, changed the filter, and drained the water. Wait a minute... something doesn't sound right. As I looked toward the sink, I did not see the water draining not into the sink, but rather onto the FLOOR! Oops! Fortunately I caught in quickly and not too much water soaked the floor.

And finally, the story ~~you all~~ my sister has been waiting for... the truth about my toe. It was a dark and stormy night... Okay, not really. It's not at all that glamorous. I was getting ready to head to bed. Just needed to put my socks in the laundry basket. The socks still on my feet, that is. No problem. I'll just slip them off and kick them into the laundry basket as I've done hundreds of times before. Right sock off and in basket. Success. Left sock off and... OUCH!

I did not bring my foot into full contact with the door jamb in my attempt to kick my sock into the laundry basket. Please take my advice and do not try this at home, or any other place for that matter.

So, another Monday has come and gone. Join the fun next week!

It's a First...

2010-02-23T22:49:00.000-06:00

That's right. I have not broken a bone in my life. Well, until now. I tend to prefer muscles and tendons, as you can read about here.

Of course there's a little disappointment that the story doesn't include something more exciting... a courageous rescue, a struggle with the elements outside... anything.

Believe me, it was nothing like that.

I may just leave it up to your imagination to create a story in your mind. It would definitely be more interesting that what actually happened! And maybe someday I'll tell you "the rest of the story."

Marshmallow Pops

2010-02-11T12:20:00.003-06:00

I love the idea of MckMama's snow pops which were featured on her blog here. As Valentine's Day school parties were approaching, I briefly considered making these artistic delicacies, but time got away from me. Okay, to be honest here, I knew that my three, four, and five-year-old students would not appreciate the design, creativity, and simplistic beauty of these snow pops. So, putting my creative juices to work, I was inspired as I walked up and down the aisles of my local grocery store.

Almond bark. Hmmmm..... What could I do with almond bark? A few steps further down the aisle.... Marshmallows. BINGO! I grabbed a couple bags of each (having absolutely no idea how far the almond bark would go), red and pink sprinkles, and toothpicks and I was set to go.

So here's my adaptation of MckMama's snow pops. Please forgive my simplified version, but I still think they're adorable.

Strawberry heart-shaped marshmallows worked perfectly for this treat, since it's, um, Valentine's Day or some such holiday.

I stuck a marshmallow on the end of a round toothpick, being careful not to poke it all the way through. (Trial and error would prove that the marshmallow would slide down the toothpick if it were poked through.)

After melting vanilla flavored almond bark in a double boiler, I dipped the marshmallows into the hot, gooey yummy-ness. Then I, you know, tried one to make sure it was edible and was pleased to find out it was.

While the almond bark was still warm, I added red and pink sprinkles to the hearts. Ohhhh, they're so cute! (You know, if food really can be adorable.)

I found a 4-inch styrofoam ball and cut it in half, which I then covered with a pink napkin. Well, that wasn't the first thing I tried, and I'm not even going to tell you what I did try. Just believe me, it didn't work! After adding the sprinkles, I stuck the marshmallow-clad toothpicks into the ball to let them dry.

Marshmallow bouquet complete... put in refrigerator to harden.

Aren't they cute?

The only decision now? Which one to eat first!

Maybe someday I'll attempt the real thing, but for today, I'll just pop a marshmallow in my mouth and call it good.

Not Me Monday

2010-02-08T17:25:00.001-06:00

After the things that did not happen to me last week, I'm not sure I have the courage to write this post today. This blog carnival was created by MckMama. Check out her blog to read some other not-happenings this week.

Last week we did an "ocean" day, because we were on letter "O" for the week. I had seen an adorable art project. Kids color a scene with crayons, pressing hard on the crayons. Then you color over the entire picture with watercolor paint, giving the effect of an underwater scene. Well, how much fun is it to have to dip your paintbrush in those paint sets that have 8 colors, and the color is barely visible. So, I did not go against my better judgment and use liquid watercolor paint. Non-washable liquid watercolor, mind you. Because we have carpet in my preschool room (not sure of the thought process for that decision), I was worried that the kids would spill the paint and it would drip on the floor. So, I stayed at the table and got more paint on the brushes when the kids needed it. The project went well, and they turned out very cute. Wow, I can't believe we didn't spill anything, I thought, as I was cleaning up. I set the small container of paint on the counter and started cleaning the brushes. One brush done.... As I reached for the second brush, I did not hit the end of the brush and completely tip over the entire container. Liquid watercolor all over the counter. Non-washable liquid watercolor. Thankfully, I had diluted it with some water, so it was relatively easy to clean up. Note to self: Be careful when using liquid watercolor. ~~The kids~~ Miss Heather might make a mess!

Along with our ocean week, I filled the water table with "ocean water," seashells, and ocean animals. Since there isn't a drain in the table, I had to scoop the water out with a bucket, but toward the end, it was difficult to get any water in the bucket. I did not pick up the table and endeavor to blindly dump the water into the small sink in my classroom. When I say small, I mean 10 x 12 inches, roughly the size of a sheet of paper. Well, you can imagine where I'm going with this. I definitely did not spill water all down the cupboards and onto the floor. Yet another mess I did not have to clean up.

After the paint and water incidents, I figured I was about done with messes for the week. WRONG! Being the nice teacher that I am, I gave my students candy after class one morning, with strict instructions NOT to eat it before lunch. Class done. Jar on my desk. Students gone. Eat lunch. Move box on desk. CRASH! I did not move the box and sweep the candy jar, the one that I had place there no longer than an hour before, onto the floor, shattering it into thousands of microscopic pieces. After rescuing the candy from a sea of crystal, now for the unfriendly task of cleaning up the tiny glass pieces that covered my desk. No problem, I thought. I'll just sweep them into the garbage can. For lack of a broom nearby, I did not use the closest thing nearby... my hand. Wrong decision! Tiny glass shards embedded themselves into my fingers before I realized that my fingers were in pain. And then came the tiny drops of blood on the fingers that had made contact with the glass. Oh, what was I thinking?

At no time during this week did I scream in horror as my beloved Mylo had a near-death experience as he plummeted from the heights of the counter to the floor below. No worries, folks. Mylo is recovering nicely and is resting comfortably as we ~~speak~~ read.

Yesterday I made my ~~weekly~~ daily trip to Wal-Mart before heading to a Superbowl party. School supplies... check. Snacks for party... check. Eye drops for tired eyes... check. I paid for my items, exited the store, walked to the car, attempted to unlock the car. Oops, wrong key. Tried again. What in the world? Glanced up to realize I was not attempting to unlock someone else's car! With all the salt and dirt on the side of the car, it looked just like mine. After looking down the row, I saw my car two parking spaces away, calmly walked over, unlocked the right car, stored my treasures inside, put my embarrassed self inside, and drove away to the Superbowl party.

Speaking of the Superbowl, as I was talking to my sister Erin during my Wal-Mart excursion, I did not ask her, "Who is playing in the Superbowl anyway?"

Thus proving my true feelings about football.

Ahhhh, when does baseball start?

Things I have done during my lifetime...

2010-02-06T23:02:00.001-06:00

I saw this on Facebook today, and since I haven't blogged all week, I thought I'd borrow this so you have something to read in the wee hours of the morning when you have insomnia. (Bold items are things I have done.)

* * * * *

Gone on a blind date
Skipped school... During my first year of college, my friend and I went shopping when our Spanish class was canceled. Upon our return to class the next day, the teacher said, "We missed you yesterday." It was my first (and only time) skipping class. I thought I would die. Years later, I wish I would have skipped class when the Harlem Globetrotters were in town. I'll always regret not seeing them. How important was that drug class anyway?
Watched someone die
Been to Canada... I live so close, I could almost walk there!
Been to Mexico
Been to Florida... I flew in to Orlando, but didn't get out of the plane. Does that count?
Been to Hawaii
Been on a plane... See #6.
Been on a helicopter
Flown in a glider
Rafted the Grand Canyon
Been lost... I was traveling late at night to join my parents for a weekend of camping. I completely missed a turn, ended up on dirt logging roads, and had no idea where I was. My mind started playing tricks on me, and I thought for sure I'd have to spend the night in the car and figure out where I was in the morning. I was completely lost for over an hour, and as panic started to set in (especially when I thought about how my parents would be worried), I came around a corner and saw them standing on the side of the road, at the entrance to the campground. To say that I was completely relieved is a definite understatement.
Gone to Washington, D.C.
Gone swimming in the ocean... I can't say that I've technically been swimming, but wading in the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and Costa Rica... hopefully that counts.
Cried yourself to sleep... Who hasn't?
Played cops and robbers... Believe it or not, even though I grew up with two younger sisters, I have played cops and robbers.
Recently colored with crayons... I teach preschool. Need I say more?
Sung Karaoke
Paid for a meal with coins only... When you're a teenager, what else do you have?
Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch... Incredible view!
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't... Student teaching. I almost didn't major in early childhood education because I was scared to death of student teaching. But I'm glad I did. It was one of the best experiences of my life!
Made prank phone calls
Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose... My sisters are Becky and Erin. Enough said. Especially when playing Balderdash!
Caught a snowflake on your tongue... Plenty of opportunity for this in MN!
Danced in the rain
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Been kissed under the mistletoe
Watched the sunrise with someone... On my last night in Costa Rica in the spring of 1994, some friends and I stayed up all night talking and we say the sunrise over the city. Beautiful. I also saw the sunrise from the airplane when I went to Alaska in the summer of 2008.
Blown bubbles... Oh yeah! And did you know that at -20 degrees Fahrenheit, they shatter?
Gone ice-fishing... Dad and Grandpa Lutterman picked me up from school one day to go ice fishing. We drove for a while and when we reached the lake, we parked the truck and got on the "snow machine (Grandpa's term for a snowmobile). In the middle of the lake, we set up five-gallon buckets to sit on, drilled holes in the ice, and waited for the action to happen. I don't remember how many fish we caught, but the thing that stands out in my mind is the homemade handwarmer Grandpa made. Empty coffee can + roll of toilet paper + kerosene = toasty warm hands. Ahhh, good times!
Gone to the movies... First movie memory? Bambi.
Been deep sea fishing... Oh yes. Halibut and salmon fishing in Alaska.
Driven across the United States
Been in a hot air balloon
Been sky diving
Been hang gliding
Gone snowmobiling... See #31.
Lived in more than one country
Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets... Erin and I laid outside and marveled at the northern lights. Beautiful display of vibrant colors. I'm sure there were crickets chirping, but that's not exactly what I remember from this experience!
Seen a falling star and made a wish... Yes, but if I told you, then it wouldn't come true, right?
Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser... Incredible display of thousands of gallons of water shooting 180+ feet into the air every 90 minutes.
Seen the Statue of Liberty
Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
Been on a cruise... Does a week on a private sailboat in Alaska count?
Traveled by train
Traveled by motorcycle
Been horseback riding... Yes, and one time I flew off the horse and landed on my back on a rock. Hmmmm. I think that was the last time I was on a horse.
Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
Been to Disneyland/World
Been in a rain forest... Costa Rica and Wrangell, Alaska. Two completely different locations, but rain forests nonetheless.
Seen whales in the ocean... Up close and personal. They were diving under our boat in Alaska. Incredibly breathtaking!
Gone swimming on the Great Barrier Reef
Been to Niagara Falls
Been to Stonehenge
Been to the Vatican
Ridden on a camel
Climbed Mount Fuji
Ridden on an elephant
Been swimming with dolphins
Been to the Olympics
Walked on the Great Wall of China
Seen and heard a glacier calf... Once again.... completely AWESOME!
Been spinnaker flying
Been water-skiing
Been snow-skiing... I tried cross-country skis once. And only once.
Visited Westminster Abbey
Been to the Louvre
Been swimming in the Mediterranean Sea

Not Me Monday

2010-02-01T07:27:00.001-06:00

Monday's here!!! It's time for Not Me Monday, a fun, creative idea started by MckMama. Check out her blog for more Not Me stories.

This past week, in an attempt to offer a delightful, squishy, not-your-typical-everyday kind of experience for my preschool students, I did not endeavor to cook ten plus pounds of noodles (we were learning letter "n"). I was not super excited about this week, since I did it last year and it was a definite hit. Well, trying to save time so I could move on to bigger and better things, I did not put five pounds of spaghetti noodles in one pot, hoping it would all fit. One pound... no problem. Two pounds... piece o' cake. Three pounds... getting full. Four pounds... can I fit one more in here? Five pounds... ahhhh, I made it!

Little did I realize that my frequent stirring would be insufficient. I did not begin to smell an unpleasant aroma. Probably something on the burner I thought. WRONG! Draining the pasta did not reveal nearly a pound of the noodles scorched on the bottom of the pan, stuck together where the spoon did not reach during stirring. Hmmmm. I hope four pounds will be enough!

After cooking three other varieties of pasta, a new complication presented itself. How do I transport all this pasta to school tomorrow? My brilliant plan? I did not grab an 18 gallon tote and dump all the pasta inside, slight burnt stench and all.

At school the next day? My students were not thrilled with the opportunity to play with "food," as you can see here. Of course I did not join them!

Three classes, seventeen grubby pairs of hands, and one tired teacher later, I decided the noodles had served their purpose and could happily be thrown away. Since they were still wet, I did not opt to leave them uncovered to dry out overnight, thinking clean-up would be easier. What greeted me Friday morning was not a child's sand table filled with slightly-dried, somewhat slimy, completely rancid noodles. I was not glad I had skipped breakfast that morning, because I probably could not have kept it down! I did not find rubber gloves and after lining the same tote with a huge garbage bag, I did not dump all the noodles inside and put the lid on, only to dispose of them after class.

Class done. Kids gone. Clean up. Friend called. Go to movie. Out to dinner. Home to PJs.... I did not completely forget to get rid of the stinking, rotten mess what was in my classroom!

So there's a look at my week, and if you really think about it, I'm sure you could come up with something great to write about, so why not give it a try! It's fun and it's cheap therapy also.

A Family Heirloom

2010-01-31T22:45:00.002-06:00

Tonight as I was sewing and admiring fabric, my mind drifted to a handcrafted piece of history that I love.

This quilt belonged to my great grandfather when he was a baby, born in 1903. His mother used scraps of satin, taffeta, and velvet from dresses to create each hand sewn block. Back then, quilting was not a hobby like it is today. Quilts were made out of necessity and were not a "showcase" item.

As can be seen in these photos, a lot of care and love went into making this quilt. One square boasts an embroidered design, surrounded by otherwise plain blocks. The hand stitching is very precise, which is proven in the fact that this quilt is still in one piece after more than a century, and it has survived countless moves as well as years of use by who knows how many children.

Although I was very young and have few memories of my great grandfather while he was alive, this is a family heirloom that I love to admire and imagine the history that could be told in every stitch.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T15:26:00.000-06:00

'nuff said......

Not Me Monday

2010-01-18T23:05:00.001-06:00

Well, seeing as how January is almost over and I haven't blogged since last year, I thought it was about time I did something about that. So here it goes... it's another edition of Not Me Monday! Check out MckMama's blog too, to find out what other people have not done this past week.

Since we've only been back to school for two weeks after our Christmas break, you wouldn't think I'd be ready for a day off, right? Wrong! Yes, I love my students and I love teaching, but I must admit that I love my days off too. So it was definitely not me who discovered that I'd made a HUGE mistake on the calendar that I sent home with parents the first day back from vacation. After looking at the school district's calendar, I did not realize I had marked today, January 18th, as a "day off" instead of next Monday. I did not drive in to school to verify the information. I did not have to inform all the parents on Friday that we would have school on the 18th but would have the 25th off. I guess there wasn't too much harm done, but how embarrassing.

Once I got over the disappointment about the fact that I had school Monday, I thought the calendar fiasco was over. So as I sat at my sister's house this weekend, I was not completely embarrassed all over again. As I checked my email at 12:26 a.m. on Sunday, this is not the subject of an email I received: "NO SCHOOL" is coming up. Yes, this was an email reminder I received from the calendar on my class website. Oh no, that means this message was sent to all the parents too, after I told them today that we would have school on Monday. As if the first time telling everyone I messed up wasn't bad enough, I did not have to tell them twice... first when I told them in person and second when I had to update the calendar and re-send the message.

Now that the Do we have school/Do we NOT have school issue was solved, I thought it would be smooth sailing the rest of the week. No more embarrassing, humiliating, I-can't-believe-I-did-that moments for me. Boy, was I wrong. Our family weekend stretched out until 10 PM Sunday, and then I had to drive two hours home. Normally that would not be a problem, since I'm usually up until midnight anyway, but it's different when you're driving that late. I had to stop to take out my contacts, since my eyes were getting quite dry and gritty. Solution in case? Check. Left contact out? Check. Right contact out? Check. Lids secured on contact case? Check. Ahhhhh, that feels much better.

Today as I attempted to put in my contacts, there were no problem with the left one. Only a slight problem with the right one. The problem? I couldn't find it. I did not think I'd lost my mind as I tried to look for it. How does a contact just disappear? And that was my last one, too! I did not search for five minutes, and as I continually came up empty, I did not just give up and put on my glasses. As I got into the car, I was not expecting what I found. I did not see a dried-up, crusty, crunchy contact lens flipped upside-down on the dash. No, I did not completely miss the contact case and put my contact on the dash. Not much I could do about it during the school day, so I did not leave it there for another eight hours. Once I arrived home, I did not fill the contact case, drop in the shriveled lens, and hope my contact would be revived. Fast forward three hours... TADA! Contact lens was not completely re-hydrated and ready to be worn! YAY!

Try Not Me fun next week! You'll love it!

Wordless Wednesday--Winter Wonderland Style

2009-12-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

Christmas Traditions.....

2009-12-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

Growing up as a young girl in northern Minnesota, Christmas was always a favorite time of year. No school, no homework (not much anyway), shopping, fun with friends, Christmas baking, playing in the snow, special programs at church, trudging through knee-deep snow to find a Christmas tree, decorating the tree, listening to Christmas music... The list could go on endlessly.

But perhaps my absolute favorite memory about the Christmas season is a tradition that started many years ago. On Christmas Eve, my Mom, sisters, and I would go to the Christmas Eve service at church. After the last song was sung, we would rush to pick my Dad up from work, where "neither snow nor rain, not heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." In other words, because he worked at the Post Office, my dad usually worked Christmas Eve to deliver last minute cards and greetings.

Once Dad got off work, we would travel thirty miles over the river and through the woods to my Grandma and Grandpa Kading's house. We would hurry inside their cozy one-room cabin, and after a few hugs all around, the crackling fireplace beckoned us to enjoy her warmth, as sweet aromas filled the air, leaving our mouths watering in anticipation of a delicious meal. Our eyes adjusted while a small kerosene lantern glowed on the table, providing just enough light to create a wonderful ambiance.

At last it was time for dinner! Our whole family enjoyed close fellowship around the small dining room table as we laid our eyes on a wonderful feast! Our traditional Christmas Eve meal included ham on bun, potato salad, cranberries (Grandma usually had both kinds, since us girls were picky and only liked the ones from the can!), frog eye salad (it's not gross like it's name implies), lime jello with pears, cottage cheese, carrots, pickles, and probably something else that escapes my mind at the moment. After the delicious main course, the best part was yet to come. PIE!! As if one kind of pie weren't enough, how could you possibly choose between three different kinds? So, we usually sampled all of them. Pumpkin pie (Dad's favorite), apple pie, and filled cherry pie (Grandpa's favorite). And what piece of pie would be complete without a ~~little~~ rather large glob of real whipped cream, not Cool Whip, the whipped cream wanna-be. When our stomachs could hold no more, we'd get the kitchen cleaned up as quickly as our food-laden bodies would allow.

By this time, my sisters and I were nearly bursting with excitement. Either that, or it could have been the yummy food still in our stomachs. It was finally time to open gifts. Mom and Dad would usually bring one gift for each of us, and of course there were gifts from our grandparents. They would look on with enjoyment as my sisters and I rewarded them with shrieks of delight as we discovered our treasures! One Christmas in particular stands out to me. Or rather it's one gift that stands out. The details are slightly fuzzy, but I do remember playing with my new Tiny Tears doll under the dining room table. This was usually our place of choice for playing, probably due to the lack of room with all our gifts strewn about. Somehow my sisters and I felt like we were in our own little world, and imaginations would run wild as we played "house."

After an evening of extreme excitement and fabulous food, we would begin our journey home. Our loot would be carefully packed into the car and the rounds of hugs and kisses would begin. Before we left, Grandma would hand Becky, Erin, and me an individually-wrapped gingerbread man. I remember we usually didn't eat these for a couple weeks because they were special cookies.

In my memory, it was always snowing on those Christmas Eve nights when we left Grandma and Grandpa's house. The frosty night air would instantly chill our bodies, but out in the woods where my grandparents lived, one of my favorite things to do was gaze up at the beautiful night sky. In the stillness and intense blackness, the stars seemed to twinkle a little brighter than they did at home. An occasional tree would crack as it swayed in the wind, and often you could hear forest creatures utter their goodnight to their neighbors. Not wanting the Arctic temperatures to completely freeze us, we would quickly load into the car, with us three girls huddled together in the back seat. With stuffed tummies and hearts full of love, we would usually fall asleep only a couple miles down the road. We'd arrive home and head straight to bed, with the knowledge that tomorrow would also bring more excitement.

Christmas morning dawned bright and early. My sisters and I had bedrooms upstairs, but we knew on Christmas morning we were not allowed to go downstairs the minute we woke up. You see, Mom and Dad usually had one gift for us that they did not wrap. When we woke up, we would holler downstairs, signaling to our parents that we were ready for the day to begin. I don't remember what time we usually woke up, but shortly thereafter, Mom and Dad would join us upstairs, bringing breakfast with them. After eating, Dad would read the Christmas story from the Bible and then we'd head downstairs to open our presents and stockings.

We'd play with our gifts for the rest of the morning, and then it was time to head to my Dad's parents' house. This journey was much shorter, only 2 miles. A flurry of activity would follow, as aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered for a Christmas dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings. And of course, more pies, cookies, and candy..... The house was usually buzzing with excitement and chatter as people watched football, played games, and opened gifts. After round two of food, we were ready to head home.

Over the years, our traditions ad locations have changed slightly, but every Christmas brings my favorite tradition... celebrating Jesus' birth with family. As you gather with family this Christmas, please take a few moments to celebrate the real REASON we celebrate this wonderful season.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. --Isaiah 9:6

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. --Luke 2:10-14

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's Official!!!!

2009-12-23T15:25:00.004-06:00

The last cookie has been frosted...

A child's yearly quota of sugar has been consumed...

Veggie Tales have entertained hyper children for the last time this year...

Glitter glue is no longer taking up eternal residence on the table...

Students have been introduced to Miss Heather's favorite Christmas book The Crippled Lamb...

Miss Heather nearly teared up while reading The Crippled Lamb...

Thousands of bits of wrapping paper are no longer peppered on the floor...

Miss Heather has checked and yes, she does still have all her hair...

The shrieks of excitement are a silent memory...

Sentiments such as Merry Christmas, See you next year, or I'll miss you have been uttered...

The anticipation of a huge snowstorm is lingering in everyone's minds...

The last student has been picked up...

The lights are turned off...

The door is closed....

IT'S VACATION TIME!!!!!!!

Not Me Monday Tuesday

2009-12-22T23:58:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a week it's been. In fact, it was so busy that I took the liberty of creating a Not Me ~~Monday~~ Tuesday post. Just couldn't get it all done yesterday! You can still visit MckMama's blog to see those who were not procrastinators like me.... they actually got their Not Me posts done on the right day. But the way I see it, I'm just spreading out the fun, right? Okay, I know I'm in my own little world, but you can just humor me.

Anyway, getting on the the point of this post....

On one of my many late nights at school this week, I got a taco. Softshell chicken taco to be exact. About half-way through, I did not chomp on a chicken bone and feel like I nearly broke a tooth. Hmmmm.... maybe I should call my sister Erin for tooth-gluing tips.

Friday night after school, I did not travel to Duluth (80 miles from home) with two friends to look at Christmas lights. Why didn't you look at lights in your own town? you might ask. Well, if we were honest here, I'd tell you that the real reason we went to Duluth was not to eat at the best place on earth--Olive Garden! While there, I absolutely did not order manicotti. And if the server accidentally placed such a hideous dish in front of me, there is definitely no way on Earth I would take a picture. No, that would be totally inappropriate in a nice restaurant!

After a scrumptious dinner, we layered on our warm clothing and headed to Bentleyville, an outdoor light display in downtown Duluth. We did not nearly freeze, since we were near Lake Superior and it was rather windy. Seeing the outdoor ice skating rink, literally thousands of lights, and snowmen and reindeer roaming about, I did not envision myself in a movie. With the cheery Christmas tunes from the likes of Bing Crosby and Gene Autry, Jenny, Rebecca, and I would never have embarassed ourselves by linking arms and skipping down the path, all the while singing. No way... not us!!! Here are a couple shots from our night.

After gallivanting around on Friday night, I did not sleep in on Saturday. And when I finally woke up in the land of the living, I did not have 5 purses to finish and get in the mail. With the hand-stitching completed, I did not have to rush to the post office to meet the deadline for mail pick-up. There were not 6 people ahead of me in line and when it was all said and done, I did not have only 3 minutes until the truck came to whisk away the packages mailed late by procrastinators such as ~~myself~~ all those other people ahead of me in line.

Because I'm not the cool teacher I am, I did not bake sugar cookies for my students. In case you have me confused with that other crazy teacher, I did not put a couple of spoonfuls of frosting on a plate and let the kids go to it. Even more exciting, some of the frosting even make it onto the cookies!

Okay, here's the Wal-Mart story I promised you...
Yesterday I went to the Wal-Mart photo center to print out 4 pictures I needed for a school project. 4 pictures, people! I looked at the Kodak machine and there was a message saying it was out of paper. Once I got the attention of the ~~lab technician~~ social chatterer, I mentioned that the printer was out of paper. He looked at me like I had an alien head and said, "Yeah, that machine isn't working right now." Fine, I'll go to the next machine. As I started to touch the screen, Mr. Helpful did not say to me, "That one doesn't work either."

Okay, Buddy, would it be easier for you to tell me what machine DOES work?

"Only the Fuji machines work right now."

Is that because you don't want to take the time to add more paper? Okay, now to find a Fuji machine.

All full. Of course they are. Okay, I'll wait.

~~Three hours~~ fifteen minutes later, a machine opened up, so I started to upload 300+ pictures. Once I found the ones I wanted, I tried to order the specific size I needed. When I didn't see the mini prints, I hit another button for more sizes. BIG MISTAKE! The 300+ pictures were not gone from the screen, and I did not have to start over.

So starting over once again, this time the computer did not freeze at picture #26. For four minutes! Yeah, this isn't going so well.

Back to the counter to speak to Mr. Not-So-Helpful, I mentioned that the computer was frozen. He did not walk over, hit a button, speak not a word to me, and head back to whatever it was that was consuming his time.

Another four minutes pass... computer still is not on.

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

In the meantime, another computer opened up, so I moved to that machine, loaded pictures (all 300+ of them), and looked for the mini print option. When I couldn't find it, I decided once again to solicit the services of Mr. Not-So-Helpful. "Excuse me, how do you do the mini prints on this computer? You know, the ones that print 4 small prints on a standard 4 x 6 print?"

This was not his reply: "The Fuji machines don't have that option. The only machines that print the mini prints are the Kodak machines."

At this point, I was not trying to hold in a very rude comment. So I politely said, "Like Kodak as in the 4 machines that aren't working now?"

"Yes, that's right. Or you could do a collage print and print out an 8 x 10 size or larger."

Not really what I wanted, thank you. That's why I asked about "mini prints."

As I left the photo department completely defeated, I glanced at my watch. I did not waste 45 minutes and have absolutely nothing to show for it! My next step? I did not head to Target to print out my pictures... and I was not successful. Thank you, Target.

Do you have some moments you'd rather not claim? Try a not me post and see how therapeutic it can be!

Oops!!!

2009-12-22T13:00:00.003-06:00

For those of you who get this emailed to you, that last post was an oops..... I was searching for something on google, hit return, and didn't realize i'd jumped back to another window, the one that had my blog post up. So.... I'll finish it later. Although, just re-thinking about my Walmart trip, I'm mad all over again! :)

Not Me Monday--Postponed until Tuesday

2009-12-21T23:27:00.002-06:00

To all my faithful blog readers--yes, all 4 of you--I will be postponing my Not Me post until Tuesday. I actually have a really ~~good~~ annoying story for you, but it's going to take too long to write tonight.... so you'll just have to be patient and wait till tomorrow!

Sweet dreams!

Crafts with Auntie Rah

2009-12-14T23:39:00.007-06:00

Tonight Callie, Ashleigh, Natalie, and even Micah got in on some crafty action with Auntie Rah. Yes, I know I'm a little adventurous to try something involving paint, especially with almost-two-year-old Micah, but it was fun!The ornaments turned out as unique as those who made them. And we had ZERO mishaps with the paint! (Becky, you have to act surprised when you see these!)

Of course, Micah had a few other things on his mind....

Not Me Monday

2009-11-30T22:46:00.006-06:00

When I saw that MckMama was skipping her Not Me Monday post, I was not tempted to do the same. However, since you are reading this, you will know that I was not successful in convincing Myself that I would ignore my blog today. Myself had a thousand things on the "To Do" list, and even though I told Myself to scratch the Not Me post, Myself won the argument. (Are you as confused as I am yet?)

Okay, enough of that rabbit trail.

I did not realize that it has been almost two weeks since I've paid any attention to my blog. TWO WEEKS! So for the ~~many~~ two people out there who actually read my blog, I hope you're glad to know I'm still alive.

Today I was practicing songs for my students to sing in our annual Christmas program--which is not coming too quickly, I might add--and I did not call my sister Erin, who happens to be very gifted musically, to beg for her assistance with some chords. I did not decide it would be easier/quicker to call her rather than try to figure them out myself. Thanks, Erin!

After playing the piano for 2 hours, my neck and shoulders were not entirely numb and throbbing.

I have never ever ever worked at school/church past 7:30 p.m., so you can rest assured that it was not me who left the building at 9:30 p.m. recently. Nope! Not me!

Have you ever had a "Better you than me" situation? Here is something that I would refuse to own up to... therefore you know it did not happen to me. Let's just say it happened to my friend H. Oh, she would be so embarassed if she knew I told this story, but she's not here, so don't rat me out, okay? While H was in the drive-thru recently, she did not reach for her drink with a gloved hand. Hmmmm... plastic cup + gloved hand = a bad combination. While the unsuspecting drive-thru worker was transferring the up, it did not slip from H's hand, to the point that it was completely upside-down. Thankfully, the girl had no let go yet and she was able to right the cup to the correct position and hand it to H, while the cover was completely drenched in root beer. What do you think was the next thing handed through the window? Not a pile of napkins. H gingerly wiped up the messy lid, gathered up the soggy napkins and her pride, and pulled away from the window, grateful she was in the semi-privacy of her vehicle and not inside the restaurant! Once again, this is our secret, right?

As if it wouldn't be bad enough to stretch out these events throughout a week, I have not just described my Monday. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, these things did not all happen TODAY!

Stop by MckMama's blog to read some more great stories, and maybe you'll be inspired to join the fun next week!

It's the Little Things...

2009-11-18T23:37:00.007-06:00

... that I'm thankful for.

Let me explain. Tuesday in preschool we made ice cream. Oooooo, it was yummy! The process wasn't completely painless though, and I mean that literally! Each child had his/her own bag to make their own ice cream. Well, after about 4 shakes, they asked in a chorus, "Is mine ready now, Miss Heather?" Wait a minute, didn't something like this happen once to me before? Ahhhh, yes, I remember now. Does "butter" ring a bell? (If not, read here.)

Well, Miss Heather ended up shaking bags for four very adorable preschool students who suddenly developed weak muscles. By the time the liquid had thickened to ice cream consistency, my fingers were rather cold. At least I think they were. You see, they were so numb that I could hardly feel them.

As I considered what to do for class today, I knew ice cream was on the "menu," but to be honest, I wasn't looking forward too much to making their ice cream, too, especially since I have a total of 12 preschool students on Wednesday. I figured I wouldn't have any fingers left at all!

Stopping at Walmart on the way home, I picked up the few things I needed and while taking a detour through the housewares department on the way to my destination, my eye was immediately drawn to an end cap filled with... you guessed it! ICE CREAM MAKERS! I was not expecting to see them in the store, let alone buy one. But the "Clearance" sign piqued my interest. I didn't see a price, so in my mind I determined the maximum I would be willing to pay for it. When I found a sales associate to scan the price, imagine my utter surprise when the price same up $6.00. $6.00??? Are you kidding me? I should take two at that price!

So today in preschool, I was once again excited because there were no frozen fingers in my future. Just some absolutely yummy, extremely delicious ice cream that I didn't have to make by hand!

Thank you, Jesus!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At times, I'm amazed at God's timing, although I shouldn't be. On Monday, I received a call from a Cubbie leader saying she wouldn't be there Wednesday night. Not a major problem, since there are two leaders at most tables. Tuesday I had a similar message from another leader... I can't be there Wednesday night. Okay, no need for panic. We'll be fine. A while later, I heard from yet another leader that she had to be gone for a few minutes tonight to speak to another group. Okay, that's three leaders. I think I'll stop answering my phone now.

After school today when I was in my "Cubbie prep mode," I had a call from a friend of mine. Her first words?? "Do you need any help in Cubbies tonight?"

(Enter complete and utter shock here!)

Why, yes, I definitely do need help tonight!

She then proceeded to tell me that she'd felt a nagging today to call me. Coincidence? I don't think so! God knew exactly what help I would need tonight. Not that God "nags" us to do anything, but in His own sovereign way, He impressed upon Katie the need to call me to volunteer herself... AND her husband!

Exactly ten minutes later (yes, I checked the time on my phone), Cubbie leader #3 called to say her son has pink eye, so she wouldn't be coming tonight. Once again, God took care of my needs even before I knew what they were! As Cubbies started tonight, one parent asked, "Do you have anyone to replace the leader at the purple table? Do you want me to help?"

I had three leaders gone tonight, and three people randomly volunteered to help. Let me rephrase that... I don't think it was "random" at all. It was totally God taking care of my needs even before I knew I would have a need! Isn't God great?!?!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So today I'm thankful for the little things... things like ice cream makers and volunteers! What are you thankful for?

Not Me Monday

2009-11-16T22:52:00.002-06:00

MckMama is back for Not Me Monday, so be sure to check out her blog for more Not Me fun!

Hmmmm..... what to write about. Let's see if I can find any blogworthy news that ~~happened~~ did not happen to me this week.

I did not thoroughly enjoy my 3-day week last week at preschool. Let's see... Monday was a day off. End of the quarter or something like that. Let's be honest here. It was not a hunting day here in Minnesota. Tuesday, three-year-olds. Wednesday, four-year-olds, Thursday, three-year-olds. Friday... I did not take the day off to spend the weekend at my sister Becky's house. On Friday night, Becky and Chris renewed their vows. We were planning to take pictures outside, but it was not raining most of the day, so we ended up doing all the pictures in the church. It was a beautiful evening with family and friends as Becky and Chris committed their marriage and children to God. Here are a few pictures from the event.

The rest of the weekend at my sister's house was not spent in watching movies, enjoying slumber parties with the girls, playing Farmville with Callie, plenty of tickles with Natalie, trying to keep up with Micah, and losing a game of Clue to my 7-year-old niece, Ashleigh. It was not a great weekend!

Back to reality and preschool. Since we're on letter "I" this week in preschool, I did not contemplate how easy it would be to simply make ice cubes for the students to play with. You see, I usually try to plan activities that reinforce the letter we're learning for the week. So, how easy would it have been to simply make ice cubes? Maybe add a little food coloring for something more exciting? Well, I did not opt to go all out and make something more exotic. Can you guess what it is? (Mom, you can't answer!)

After several incidents with Internet Explorer crashing, stalling, not responding, and generally annoying me to no end, I did not finally give in and download Mozilla Firefox on my laptop. I've used it before, and I must admit that I hated it. But, the hopes of writing a blog post without receiving an error message that IE has unexpectedly closed... well, it is not wonderful! And I am not a converted Forefox supporter!

I did not write this entire post with zero error messages! And the pictures did not upload very quickly! I love it!

A Blaze of Glory Orangey

2009-11-07T22:36:00.000-06:00

Once again, it's that time of year when Minnesota hunters hit the woods in search of a trophy buck. That is, all except for my dad. His reason for hunting? Purely for the meat. You won't see him pass up a doe, just because "the big one" might be out there still.

I have fond memories of hunting season. No, I've never ventured out in blaze orange clothing, sporting multiple layers of clothing to keep warm, trudging through snow to the perfect deer stand, and lugging a heavy gun on my shoulder. Quite the contrary. My parents used to hunt with my Grandpa, which meant that my two younger sisters and I spent lots of quality time with Grandma.

The trek to their house was filled with excitement. We always were thrilled to visit my grandparents in their small, one-room, lamp-lit cabin. You see, for most of our growing-up years, my grandparents made their home in a secluded cabin in the north woods of Minnesota. While they decided to build their home without electricity or running water, that was part of the adventure for us girls.

Some of my favorite memories... standing in front of the wood stove on a chilly evening, hiking the boardwalk to the creek out back, the smell of Grandpa's shed in the "boneyard," the sound of the red hand pump, feeding the deer and seeing them on the edge of the woods just waiting for us to leave so they could make their way to the feeder, the moose antlers hanging over the wood stove, Little Red (resident red squirrel), playing thousands of card games on the porch, sitting in the "dark" watching the lamplight flicker, making "craft projects" and using so much tape Grandpa would say, "I should have taken out stock in 3M," playing "house" with our dolls under the table, and Grandma's pancakes!

Okay, back to hunting season.

Once Dad got off work, we would make the 30-mile trip to my grandparents house. After a yummy supper, we do the dishes (with water heated in the tea kettle, of course) and spend the evening in the light of the flickering lamp on the table, listening to the wood crackle in the stove which radiated its heat through the house. Before we knew it, it was time to hit the hay because the hunters would be up in a few hours to prepare for the day of hunting.

In a matter of a few hours, it was opening day! As I mentioned before, it was basically a one room house, and no matter how quiet their voices were, it was inevitable that my sisters and I would wake up as Mom, Dad, and Grandpa prepared to leave. Of course Grandma was up making breakfast, lunches, and multiple snacks for their day out in the elements. Knowing the fire had long since burned out, Becky, Erin, and I would stay snuggled in our sleeping bags and only sit up for a quick hug and kiss before the hunters were off.

After a few more hours of sleep, we'd no doubt hear the familiar squeak of the stove door and a thump as Grandma started a fire. I can almost hear her saying right now, "Girls, just stay in your sleeping bags until it warms up in here." We'd giggle and wiggle as we waited for the temperature to rise and would often jump into bed with Grandma to snuggle before we got the okay to get up. In didn't take long for Grandma to ask, "What do you girls want for breakfast?" I really don't know why she always asked this question, because she knew we would chime in unison Pancakes!

Thus would begin our fun-filled day of cartoons (yes, they had a battery-operated TV), games, craft projects, and so much more. Later in the afternoon, we would keep watch to see the hunters returning, hoping we'd see a deer in the truck as reward for their long day in the cold. The evening was filled with stories of the day, every detail told with exact preciseness so we could feel like we were experiencing the day with them.

After quite a few years of not hunting, my Dad got back into it a couple years ago. As I said earlier, he's not obsessed with getting a huge, mount-it-on-your-wall, trophy buck. This year was no exception. A run-down of his day:

5:15 AM Wake up call
6:00 AM In deer stand
6:30 AM Daylight
7:30 AM Shoot deer
9:30 AM Arrive at home
10:30 AM Deer hung and skinned
11:00 AM Out hunting once again

For not being a trophy-buck hunter, he sure got a nice deer. An 8-point buck! Biggest one he's ever shot. Way to go, Dad!

Doesn't he look proud?

Not Me Monday

2009-11-02T23:31:00.001-06:00

On Friday night, I did not have 7 girls come over for a movie night. Knowing my past track record, I did not resist the urge to make manicotti. I did not make something else that was almost as delicious! Here it is: Garden Ranch Pizza

Want a closer look???

Friends, fun, fellowship, food... it was a great ~~evening~~ (well, evening into the morning), and once everyone had left, I did not fall asleep in the chair for several hours. When I finally became conscious, I did not look at the clock and see the numbers 4, 3, 0... I'll let you decide if this was the order I read them off the clock. And Saturday? I did not get up at 12:00 p.m.

Daylight Savings Time... how exciting to be given, free of charge, an extra hour of sleep. Okay, I know we have an hour stolen from us in the spring... but for now, it seems free! What did I do with my extra hour of sleep? I completely enjoyed it and took advantage of it. I definitely did not stay up an hour LATER than I should have. So my "free" hour of sleep ended up being NOTHING!

I'm always trying to come up with something interesting for my preschoolers to play with. Today was no exception. I did not find an ooey, gooey, sticky mess for their enjoyment today. I did not dump an entire box of corn starch into the water table, add water, and let the kids mix up the delightful concoction. How messy was it? you might ask. I did not have to stick a girl's pigtails under the faucet to wash out the starchy substance!

MckMama didn't post a Not Me Monday today, but you can check her blog for an update on her son Stellan. Keep praying!

A Few Random Questions... and Answers

2009-11-01T22:07:00.005-06:00

Due to the fact that my brain hasn't been too creative lately, I found some random questions and decided I'd let them fill up a blog post. Hey, you just might learn something about me!

1. Do you speak with an accent? according to some people, yes
2. What was your last thought? I should go to bed
3. What book are you currently reading? She’s All That by Kristin Billerbeck
4. What food do you dislike? Broccoli and Chinese food
5. Have you ever played a prank on someone? oh, yes. My sisters and I once played an amazing prank on our parents and their friends. Ah, the memories!

* * * * *

6. What kind of pasta do you like? MANICOTTI, spaghetti, lasagna… pretty much all of them
7. Do you have a nickname? Auntie Rah, Heath, RahRah, Heathery, Teacher, Miss Hedder
8. Do you own a cell phone? Yes, a purple Motorola W755
9. Are you a night owl or a morning person? definitely a night owl
10. Who is your favorite actor/actress? As far as acting goes: Tom Hanks or Mel Gibson. An actor to look at? MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY Favortie actress: Sandra Bullock

* * * * *

11. Would you rather watch TV or a movie? a movie… no commercials
12. What kind of eggs do you like? scrambled with cheese and ham
13. What's your dream honeymoon? forget the honeymoon… dream vacation is definitely ITALY!
14. What is the last movie you saw in the theater? Love Happens
15. What do you do for fun? photography, play piano, read

* * * * *

16. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Peppermint Bon Bon or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough… it’s a tie!
17. Do you use a Mac or a PC? Toshiba
18. Do you like strawberries? Yes, especially from my parents’ garden
19. Have you gone to college? Yes, I graduated in 2001
20. What is your favorite number? 9

* * * * *

21. What was your favorite high school subject? Algebra
22. Are you an only child? No, I have 2 younger sisters
23. What is your favorite cartoon? Bugs Bunny
24. What is your least favorite song in the world? definitely Fur Elise
25. Do you prefer McDonald’s or Burger King? McDonald’s for fries, Burger King for cheeseburger

* * * * *

26. If you could make any junk food super-nutritious, which one would you pick? Pizza
27. Do you prefer apple or orange juice? Apple
28. What foreign countries have you visited? Canada, Costa Rica, and Guatemala
29. Do you have a college degree? yes, Early Childhood Education Degree
30. What musical instrument do you play? Piano

* * * * *

31. What is your favorite football team? I HATE FOOTBALL
32. When you look at the color blue, what does it make you think of? the sky
33. Do you like thunderstorms? absolutely
34. Do you drink coffee? NO!
35. If you were one of the seven dwarfs, who would you be? Sleepy

* * * * *

36. What color are your eyes? 10 years ago? Blue… Right now? Green
37. What is your favorite hot drink? Hot cocoa
38. Have you ever broken a bone? nope, knock on wood!
39. Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right-handed, although I always wanted to be left-handed
40. How many hobbies do you have? too many to count

* * * * *

41. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? that's a tough one. I've always wanted to live in the mountains in a log cabin, and I definitely want to visit Italy someday, but I don't know if I'd like to live there
42. If you had friends coming for supper, what would you cook? definitely NOT manicotti… long story (read here)
43. What makes you cry? goodbyes, movies, pain
44. What makes you laugh? my nieces and nephews, my sisters, my preschool students
45. What do you do for fun? photography, play piano, read

* * * * *

46. Do you have any pets? I have 3 fish in my classroom at school… does that count?
47. What is your favorite place to eat? Olive Garden
48. Would you kill a spider or let it outside? KILL IT
49. Do you shower every day? Yes… usually. Except for when I don’t.
50. Do you prefer flip flops or tennis shoes? flip flops

* * * * *

51. Do you like bananas? Yes, but not banana flavoring
52. Have you ever caught a snowflake on your tongue? oh yeah
53. Do you prefer the beach or mountains? Mountains, definitely
54. Have you ever been on TV? Yep, in KC sitting outside Best Buy on Thanksgiving, waiting for the sales to start
55. What is something weird about yourself? I have to have my pillow a certain way when I sleep?

Well, there you have it. A ~~few~~ lot of question and answers about me. Maybe one day soon I'll get some inspiration and do something a little more original.

Wordless Wednesday... a Few Days Late

2009-10-24T14:31:00.004-05:00

Not Me Monday

2009-10-19T23:34:00.002-05:00

Oh, don't you just love Mondays? No, I'm not suffering from an illness... Who wouldn't love Mondays because it's time for Not Me Monday! Check out MckMama's blog to read more.

A while back, I wrote this post about an upcoming contest. Well, Saturday was not the big day. My Etsy shop was not featured on MckMama's blog. Since I've been waiting for this for a long time, it certainly was not me who didn't even read her post until my sister told me about it. I was not on my way to bed, and I did not stay up for another hour and a half to read the comments. In the few hours after posting, there were not 331 comments, and as of today, the grand total was not 1034! I did not read EVERY SINGLE COMMENT. I am not super excited about the possibilities that could come from this type of promotion. Thanks, MckMama!

After reading this post, one would think I've learned my lesson when it somes to cooking a certain Italian dish. That is why there is absolutely, definitely, not-in-this-lifetime even a slight change that I would have given into the temptation to purchase a package of that delightful tube-shaped pasta today. I will absolutely, definitely, bet-your-bottom-dollar, NEVER EVER make m@#$*&%^! again. And if I do happen to make it anytime this week, you can be sure I'm not going to let anyone know when I'm making it. (And by the way, if any of you happen to feel the slightest bit under the weather this week, please do my self-esteem some good and don't tell me!

Well, since it's nearly Tuesday, I better get this posted, so I guess that's all for this week. Happy Monday!

Not Me Monday

2009-10-11T01:26:00.003-05:00

It's that wonderful day again... Monday! No, it doesn't just mean the end of the weekend, the start of another loooonnnnngggg workweek. It means it's time for "Not Me Monday!" If you're as excited as I am, check out MckMama's blog to read more.

It's been a pretty boring week for me, but I do have a couple things that ~~were funny~~ absolutely did not happen to me this week.

I'm getting busy with making purses now (check out my Etsy shop here), so I decided to get some more fleece before I run out. When I stepped up to the cutting counter at my local Wal-Mart store, the clerk did not say to me, "Are you still making purses?" Really, am I here that often that you know that? Oh, that is just sad!

The following day, after my Wal-Mart excursion, I received my shipment of fabric from my sister in KC... for the 6 purses that I am making. Knowing that I would need to buy the matching fabric before I cut them out, I headed to Wal-Mart again before going to "craft night" at church. Oh good, it's another lady this time. Since I only had 1 bolt of fabric, not 400, I felt my confidence rise as I waited to have the fabric cut. My hopes were soon dashed. Enter lady 2: "Are you making more purses?" Um.... no, I'm NOT making purses. As you can guess, I am not well-known at my Wal-Mart fabric department.

As I mentioned earlier, every month we have craft night at church for people to come work on scrapbooking, sewing, knitting, etc. Some ladies come just for fellowship--and snacks! My project for the night: cut out purses! For the first hour or so, there was only one other lady there, and she was concentrating very hard on sewing together a quilt, so I was in my own little world cutting out purses. My friend Sue arrived with a friend of hers and we were getting acquainted. (We figured out that she attended the same school I did, but after I graduated. She was actually a friend of my younger sister.) Anyway, in the course of the conversation, Anna asked where I work. My reply: I teach preschool at this church.

I was in the process of making another comment as she asked another question, and the timing was not the greatest. Her question: "Are you married?" My reply (which was meant for a comment on my previous statement about where I work): It's what I went to school for.

After realizing that she had asked another question as I was talking, it kinda came out like this...
"Are you married?"
"It's what I went to school for."
Oh my! We did not laugh about that one for a few minutes!

During my extremely concentrated, thoroughly focused time of cutting out fabric, there is absolutely no way that I mis-measured as I was cutting. Nope, I always follow that old saying Measure twice, cut once. Since that for sure did not happen, there is no way I could have done it twice, let along three times! Well, I did measure twice... It just wasn't on the same piece. You know what they say... ~~Third~~ Fourth time's the charm!

My Week in Numbers

2009-10-01T20:19:00.005-05:00

So my sister Erin did this post yesterday and it was really cute, so I thought I'd give it a try.

40—kids in Cubbies on Wednesday

100+—temperature in Cubbie room on Wednesday (might be exaggerating a tad)

117—preschool pictures I lost when my camera read "card error" and I'm unable to view pictures on that card

1—memory cards I've thrown away this week

3—days I've forgotten to wear my watch to school and been totally lost without it

2—days we've had frost this week

0—days I've worn socks to school this week

5—number of times my preschoolers shook the jar while making butter

7,597—number of times Miss Heather got to shake the jar to finish making butter

4—hours until I'll probably go to bed

19—hours until the weekend officially starts

0300—time I'll probably go to bed Friday night/Saturday morn

12—minutes I've wasted writing this post when I should have been sewing

Not Me Monday

2009-09-28T19:03:00.004-05:00

Ready for some good clean fun? It's time for Not Me Monday again. MckMama ingeniously created this hilarious therapeutic blog idea, so check out her blog to read more.

Well, as I stated in my last Not Me post, I said I would try to post something before this week's not me post. I tried in vain to post yesterday, but something was messed up with blogger and I wasn't able to upload pictures. Therefore, to keep my "promise" from last week, I did not publish this post 10 minutes before I started to write my Not Me post. And I did not change the date so it looks like I posted it yesterday.

On the first night of Cubbies, I mentioned here that we did not have 37 kids. That's a lot of preschoolers in a small room! As I was ~~dreading~~ looking forward to this past Wednesday, I was not completely overwhelmed with the thought of that many kids again. Our final head count? Well, it was more than 37 and less than 41. But it most certainly was not 40. No, we definitely did not have 40 Cubbies in the same ~~small~~ microscopic room.

Because of the many bodies in the room, 48 in total, I did not feel the need to open the window so we could breathe in the suffocating heat of the room... all the while telling myself Remember to shut this window before you go home.

The evening went on and we survived, and I must say I was relieved when it was done. As I cleaned up, still sweating from the busy night, I decided to leave the window open a while longer. Note to self: Remember to shut this window before you go home. I was finally ready to leave 30 minutes later, gathered my stuff, and headed home.

Upon reflection of the evening... 40 kids, not enough leaders, loud preschool conversations, suffocating heat. Wait a minute! Suffocating heat? My mind ran in fast rewind. 40 kids, very hot, open window, Remember to shut this window before you go home. There is absolutely no chance on this earth that I would have exited the church without shutting the window. And if I did by chance forget to shut the window, there is no way I would have gotten in the car, left the parking lot, and driven ALL the way home before I remembered that the window was still open.

Knowing that I couldn't be responsible for any damage that would happen if any person or creature entered the window, I did not jump back in the car and drive all the way back to church. As I was driving, what was going through my head? Did I really forget to shut the window? Maybe I did shut it. Hmmmm. Well, I arrived at church and was not relieved to see that I did leave the window open. Well, I wouldn't want to be the person who thought the window was open and realize that I'd closed it. No, I wouldn't want to be that person.

After a long day at school on Friday, I for sure did not stay up WAY too late once again. This time, I for sure did not stay up until 3:00 a.m. And I absolutely, positively, most definitely did not stay in bed until 12:00 p.m. the following day! Nope, not me!

In preschool today, I did not have a messy painting project for the kids to do. I'm sure some of the parents probably think I'm crazy, but last year parents were thrilled that I did some of these activities, because they said their kids would never get to do anything like that at home. Anyway, have you ever heard of bubble painting? It's really fun. And for all those times that kids have been disappointed when told not to blow bubbles in their milk, today made up for it. Here's how it works:

Mix water and liquid watercolor paint in a bowl.
Add a few drops of liquid soap.
Protect table with tablecloth.
Use straw to blow bubbles in the paint mixture.
When bubbles spill over the edge of bowl, place white paper on bubbles.
Voila! A beautiful bubble print will emerge.

This activity was a huge hit with the kids, which resulted in many sheets of paint-soap-water-soaked paper strewn across the table. Since drying space and time was limited, I did not dry nearly 30 sheets of paper under the automatic hand dryer to speed up the process. Well, who says teachers aren't ingenious! :)

So that's a little glimpse of my week. Join the fun! I'd love to read what you have not done this week!

Go Twins!

2009-09-27T12:50:00.012-05:00

Last Sunday, my parents and I travelled to Minneapolis to cheer on the Twins one last time in the Metrodome, since they'll be playing in a new ballpark next year. Even thought the final result of the game was a loss for the Twins, we did have a good time. Here are a few snapshots from our day.

The Metrodome

Twins' Mascot TC

Soon-to-be-three-time A.L Batting Champ JOE MAUER!

Players stretching before the game.

A good-sized crowd in attendance.

My parents after the game.

It's been fun at the Metrodome, and I'm looking forward to outdoor baseball next year.

Not Me Monday

2009-09-20T22:59:00.009-05:00

Ready for some hilarious, entertaining, all-around clean confession? Well, here it is. Be sure to check out MckMama's blog also (after you read mine).

After glancing at my last Not Me post, I did not realize that it's been a week since I last wrote. And at the end of my previous post, I was determined not to wait a whole week before I posted anything. Well, there you have it... it's been a week and no blog posts. Oh well, Maybe this week? Oh who am I kidding? It will probably be next Monday before I post anything. (If I say this now, you'll be surprised when I post something this week right?)

As I was leaving for school on Tuesday morning, I for sure did not hit a wheelbarrow that was taking up residence on the side of the driveway. Not a big problem, right? WRONG! The contents of said wheelbarrow? Definitely not rotting, rancid, soon-to-be-moonshine corn cobs that my parents had processed the day before. And me? I was almost late for school, so who got to pick them up? For sure not my mom! Thanks, Mom!

This past Wednesday was the first night of Cubbies at my church. Since I'm the director, I decided I better show up, but after my long day at preschool, I was tempted not to show up. Well, when 6:00 arrived, I must admit I was feeling fairly ready. The registration forms were photocopied, the tables arranged, crayons placed on the tables along with the paper. All we needed were kids. Boy, did we get them! In all my years as Cubbies director (I think this is my 8th year) I have never seen so many kids. They just kept coming out of the woodwork! When all was said and done and I did the final headcount, we did not, I repeat, we absolutely did NOT have 37 kids! And with 5 tables in the room, you can do the math to figure out how many each teacher was responsible for. Wow, what a night.

As I was working on my computer after Cubbies, I definitely did not fall asleep only to wake up a few hours later in the recliner. The time? It most certainly was not 3:00 a.m. Oh, it was hard going to bed knowing I had to be up in t 3 1/2 hours. Wow, what little children will do to take the energy out of you!

Last night after getting home from a Twins game, I did not remember that I had neglected to purchase a couple items that I needed in class today. My solution? I'll just get up early and stop at Wal-Mart on my way to school. Yep, that's what I decided to do, all right. Because it would be foolish to make a special trip to Wal-Mart when I could do it before school. Nope, I definitely did not drive to town at 10:00 p.m. to buy 6 apples, butter, and oatmeal, and then drive back home. I would never do something that dumb!

Well, that's about all for this week. I'll see you next week when I fill you in on what did not happen to me this week (unless I bless you with a surprise post sometime later this week!).

Not Me Monday

2009-09-14T12:06:00.009-05:00

Wow, where did the week go? It's already time for Now Me Monday again?

This past week, being the first week back to school, I did not receive my full-time preschool initiation by having not one, but TWO, kids have potty accidents in the same day. On this same day, I did not also have a student with a bloody nose. Now if this nasal mishap had been the result of an injury, I would have to seriously consider what I was doing in the preschool classroom, but I assure you it was NOT (for real, people) injury-induced.

During class today, I did not hear a student say, "Miss Heather, K is stepping on something sticky." Upon taking a closer look, I did not see something that resembled dried apricot, yet a slimier, stickier, incredibly messier substance. What did I do? ~~Cleaned it up right away, of course!~~ What I did not do was fold the floor mat in half to cover the ooey, gooey mess while deciding to clean it up later. I did not consider the ramifications of this action. The ooey, gooey sticky mess was now on both sides of the mat, resulting in having twice the mess to clean up.

I had to go to the Post Office today to mail... um... something. *Details to follow soon.* Anyway, I was ready to seal the package and realized I was going to enclose a note. Hmmm... what can I write one. Any paper around here? After fumbling around for a minute, the only thing I could find was the art sample from class today. I did not tear off the part that didn't have writing and proceed to write my note. Who does that? Write a letter/note on a piece of paper you ripped (quite jaggedly, I might add) off a craft sample from your preschool class? Oh well, I hope she doesn't mind.

Well, that's a glimpse of what I did not do this week. Hopefully it won't be another week until I visit with you again, but we'll see. Life is getting busy with everything starting for fall schedule. ~~While you wait on the edge of your seats for another appearance from me~~ Instead of holding your breath for another post from me anytime soon, head over to MckMama's blog to see what others have not done.

The Night Before...

2009-09-07T23:26:00.001-05:00

...going back to school. Ah, the memories. When I was growing up, I remember feelings of excitement, anxiety, and sadness on this night.

Excitement... seeing friends again.

Anxiety... What will this year be like?

Sadness... summer is over.

I think the feeling of excitement usually dominated and my sister Becky and I would talk late into the night about what the following day would bring. That is, after I bribed my sister Erin to let me sleep in her bed so Becky and I could talk. Since I was the oldest, I had my own room and Becky and Erin shared a room. I usually liked having my own room, but on going-back-to-school eve, I would try to convince Erin that it would be fun for her to sleep in my room, and this convincing usually required some small bribe. I can't remember what it would have been, but probably something extravagant like a piece of gum or maybe a quarter. She was usually fairly easy to please.

Becky and I would then talk about random things like classmates, teachers, school work, and probably a bunch of nonsense until Mom would tell us to go to bed because we had to get up early the next day. While our lips were silent, my brain would be in overdrive and usually took a while to slow down enough to fall asleep.

The next morning we would wake up with excitement... to see our friends, arrange our desk stuff, and best of all... break open the new school supplies!!!

I won't be talking to my sister "late" (as in 10:00 PM) into the night, but I do have a feeling of excitement and anticipation... for new students (currently at 16), new activities, and a new adventure of teaching preschool full-time. This year I won't be splitting my time with preschool and the junior/senior high class as I did last year. It feels a little weird that I won't be with the older kids, because I was their teacher for 5+ years, so it was with mixed emotions that I chose to do the preschool full-time this year. But I'm sure it will work out fine, and I'm excited to see what God will do this year!

Now I'm off to bed to "dream" about school!

Good Night!

Not Me! Monday

2009-09-07T11:30:00.004-05:00

This is not going to be the shortest Not Me post in the history of such things.

I am not practicing the true meaning of the day... Labor Day. Nope, I'm not at school and I'm not wishing I was outside (well, to be honest, anywhere but here) to enjoy this last day of "freedom" before my crazy life otherwise known as "school" begins.

I did not stop and buy a Papa Murphy's pizza on the way here, knowing that I'd need something for lunch and dinner because that's probably how long I'll be here. Goodness, I'll probably need a midnight snack as well.

As much as I hate to admit that summer is over, I am not completely excited about my new adventure teaching preschool full time!

I am not avoiding working right now by writing a Not Me! post. Oh, I guess all good things must come to an end.

And there you have it... the shortest Not Me! post ever!

Check out MckMama's blog for other Not Me posts ~~every~~ most Mondays.

Happy Labor Day everyone!