Book It!

So, a few nights back I was reading my book before going to bed (a Dan Brown selection). Chap really gets a kick out of my reading choices…you may recall that during my Twilight Saga journey the Dracula voice I often heard. Well, this time he found humor in the size of the print (I personally think it’s just his way of getting some extra attention=). I guess it was a little larger than my usual books, as he referred to it: “What are you reading, the Bernstein Bears??” While giggling about my extra large print, it for some reason reminded me of ‘Book-It’! Does anyone remember that?? The reading incentive program that Pizza Hut sponsored, offering kids a personalized pan pizza for reaching their goal. So, I asked Chap about it.

Me: “Hey…did you ever do that ‘Book-It’ thing?”

Chap: “Of course I did, that thing was awesome!”

Me: “Yea, that was pretty fantastic, I wonder if they still do that??”

Chap: “That’s actually when I read all the Bernstein Bears books! Do your kids still read those?”

Me: “No, not so much hun…Bernstein Bears is more for first and second graders. Most of my kids read chapter books, there are two even reading ‘Twilight” (not sure how I feel about this…but that’s another entry)

Chap: “REALLY?? Bernstein Bears books are how I earned all of my personalized pan pizzas…in fourth grade. Those kids are NEVER gonna get pizza by reading Twilight!”


At which I began laughing hysterically at. He had a very valid point =)

So, the next day I did some research to find out that the Book-It program still exists! Being a reading and literacy fanatic, this excites me greatly! Most of my fourth graders had not heard of Book-It…but don’t worry, they know all about it now!

Also, while we’re talking literacy... for those that might not be aware, Dolly Parton started a foundation called ‘Imagination’ to promote early childhood literacy. By enrolling, your child will receive a free book (age appropriate), every month until the age of 5! How awesome is that?! Now, if we can just get more parents to actually READ these free books with their children…

http://www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com/howworks.php

I had to post this picture from last week when Chap came to visit my class. You would have thought a star walked through the doors…they were in awww of him. They thought it was an even BIGGER deal when he challenged them in a Geometry game to help them prepare for their assessment, of which they did REALLY good on…Mr. Chap might have to come back on review day more often =)

And this one is another very special visitor we had last Friday. My mom came to watch the kids read their poems at our “Revolutionary Tea Party”. Some parents weren’t able to make it, so Foxy Roxy got royal treatment from those children. Thanks for coming mom, we loved having you!

Tagged: My Firsts

I was tagged by Dionne...so here it goes!

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?..................We only had one prom (senior year) so that would be Steve Jensen (Dionne, you know that guy…right?=)
2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?...............Sure, I communicate with everyone via world wide web!
3. What was your 1st alcoholic drink?................................When I was looking through baby pics for our wedding slide show, I actually found one of my dad giving me my first sip of Coors Lt when I was NOT even 1 year old. Thanks Dad!
4. What was your FIRST job?...................................Lifeguard
5. What was your FIRST car?..................................It was a gray Ford TURBO Taurus (don’t be jealous)
6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?...................Chap…he works outside =)
7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?...........I had a dream about meeting my baby for the first time, so I woke up thinking about that (fyi: in my dream, my baby was born a toddler…kind of scary!)
8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?..................Mrs. Malone, but I can’t remember what state I lived in?? Maybe Rhode Island?
9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?........My dad and I went to visit my great grandmother in California for her 90th birthday party. That was a HUGE deal! I think the year before that though we flew out to Colorado to go skiing…I was maybe 8ish??
10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?........My very first best friend was Rachel Bick in Rhode Island. I actually have talked to her recently, and my mom and her mom have kept up through e-mail.
11. Where was your FIRST sleep over?......Pretty sure we used to sleep outside on our trampoline all the time. Other than that, I can’t remember??
12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?...........Chap…he called me b/c he heard there was a wreck on Twin Lakes Rd. He wanted to make sure I didn’t cause it =)
13. Whose wedding were you in for the FIRST time?..............My best friend, Amber Rankin. I was her MOH =)
14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?..........Turned on the TV to watch the weather forecast. I love the weather.
15. FIRST tattoo?......................................................Nope, not for me.
16. First piercing?...................................................... I actually got my ears pierced when I was VERY young b/c my friend cut my hair with the safety scissors causing me to look like a little boy…so Roxanne had to get the ears pierced to help people decipher my gender at age 5.
17. First foreign country you've been to?.....................Mexico
18. FIRST movie you remember seeing?.................Wizard of Oz. Still my favorite!
19. When was your FIRST detention?.............................Middle school, some friends of mine were trying to ‘skip’ school. Well, I chickened out at the last minute and just stood there watching them run. Well, the teachers came running out and of course I’m still standing there…stuck. So, I got to sit in detention the rest of the day while my friends were having fun NOT in detention =)20. What was the first state you lived in?........................Missouri

I tag: Amber, Krissee, Jenn, Stef, Courtney, and Brittany

Sugar Trip

My sweet hubby planned a little vacay for us this weekend to go skiing at Sugar Mountain. He did such a great job I might let him take over some of the planning in the future =) It’s kind of funny, he actually got on line and found the cheapest place possible ( this is what we usually do since we don’t really spend much time at the place except to sleep). Well, what we thought was a hotel turned out to be an adorable little bungalow! We got pretty lucky with the weather, it snowed almost the whole time we were there creating decent snow conditions (what Chap often refers to as ‘fresh POW’). All in all, it was a successful trip. No major wipeouts or disasters (unless you count the bowl of incredibly hot chili I decided to douse on myself while eating at the lodge).

Hey dad, guess what lift was open?? The last two Christmases my parents have rented this ski in/ski out condo for our family trips...the last two Christmases 'Big Red' has been closed due to snow conditions, which means no ski/in ski out...Chap and I laughed when we saw it open, this one's for you dad! Maybe we'll have better luck next year??

Lots of snow = lots of cold! I kept the toe and hand warmers in business this weekend.

Our little lucky bungalow...only the bottom floor was ours of course. Did I mention it was the cheapest place on the mountain??

Thanks for a much needed little trip, Chap! As always, I had so much fun with you!

An Overdue Update...

Well, I have no excuses for my absence to blogging…except for Facebook, does that count?? Seriously, I think they should make you sign a policy notice of some sort when you join stating: ‘Please be aware, you will waste countless hours sitting on the couch if you choose to join and your husband will probably get mad at you at least three times a day for thinking this is more important than him…dinner…movies….etc.’

Needless to say, not a whole heck of a lot is going on with us these days (again, this could be in part due to my new membership with FB). By far, the most exciting news is that our friends Matt and Mimi have been blessed with their beautiful baby boy, Lee (Andrew Lee Goodner). He is such a beautiful little boy, and his mom was nothing short of amazing throughout this pregnancy process. Lee was born Monday, February 9th with mom having NO epidural! The Smith’s and I went to visit her that afternoon and her little mommy self was up walking around, playing hospital hostess, and carrying on as if she didn’t push a 7lb 7oz baby out only a few hours earlier. It’s so amazing watching your friends become parents. It’s like meeting a whole new side of people you already thought were terrific! Matt was literally smiling ear to ear throughout our entire visit, and Mimi looked like she had been a mom for years already. We’ve decided it’s probably not best for us that Mimi went first; she’s definitely going to make us all look a little wimpy! =)

As for us, not too much to report. I’m still truckin’ it through this Master’s program and unfortunately I don’t get credit for any of the facebooking I’ve been doing=) My fourth graders are great, with only a few exceptions of course =) It’s getting close to that time of year when the class feels like an extended family. Everyone knows and understands eachother in a way that only develops with time. Its right about now, actually, that I worry my class could totally function without me. Unfortunately, I will get way too used to this feeling and then in a couple of months will get an entire new batch to start over with from scratch =)

Chap is working hard (woo hoo for a job still!) and is getting ever so close to finishing his PLS degree! I am so proud of him for all his hard work to reach his goal! There were several months when his full time job, part time student thing got a little hairy. But he stayed positive and determined and I couldn’t be more proud of him for this! He’s also been working really hard, with some help from Mike, Matt, and Justin, on building our new cabinets in our living to fit his new toy…the television. He’s taken some before pics, so I’m sure once the project is finally finished we’ll have those with the after pics to share =)

Brodey has adjusted quite nicely to indoor doggie style. I get the feeling that he thinks he’s a little ‘above’ being an outdoor dog now. He wants to be wherever we are, and it’s quite humorous if one of us is downstairs and the other is upstairs. He tries to split his time evenly, running back and forth to see us both. But you can see in his eyes he’s wondering ‘why can’t you guys just be in one room??’ It’s pretty funny. I took this picture last night when Chap decided to pick a fight with Brodey, which he does from time to time. He thinks Brodey wants to be held for some reason, and is relentless in his quest to pick him up! This usually ends with growling, wrestling, and lots of laughs. You’d think Chap would get the hint when Brodey plants all 115 of his pounds in the ground and head butts him??

All 8 in the air

Ok, after all this writing I see why I might need to post a little more frequently!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine’s Day with their loved ones!! My Valentine has already made me breakfast in bed and now it’s time for me to get ready for our date. =) Love to all my special little Valentines…especially Carter, Smith, Addison, and Baby Lee! xoxo's to you all!!!

Projects in Action

For Christmas, my parents got us some very creative gifts! We will definitely be busy for a while =)

Chap got a new 'Skill Saw'. I don't know alot about these things, but I do know that my dad was just as excited to get it open as Chap was (aren't they cute?!) Anyway, Chap has finished the fireplace mantle and the flower boxes outside...however, his 'to do' list is only getting longer =)

I got a new sewing machine, which I was thrilled about! I don't know a LOT about sewing, but that doesn't mean I can't learn?!

After I opened it, my mom quickly added one condition: I had to make her a quilt. Ha! I'm pretty sure it will be a couple years before I learn the quilting business, however, I did promise her the first "creation" which was this pillow that matches her new bedroom. Not sure if you can see, but embroidered on it is "No Place Like Home". Amber and Carter were kind enough to take a trip with me to the fabric store so I could get my new sewing basket and sewing essentials...thank you Amber & Carter!! =)


If Chap new how to post by himself, he'd probably add the fact that I had to keep my portable DVD player plugged in directly beside my sewing machine so I could watch and re-watch the machine tutorial over and over and over again. Ha!

My next project will be to make a doggie bed for our 'new' indoor dog =) Hopefully, after that I can move on from 'pillows' to something a little more exciting...

Happy Snow Day!

Hooray for snow days!! Alright, I know it isn't quite a 'winter wonder land'...but hey, it's still exciting! Yes, Chap and I were those kids glued to the news last night and watching every second of 'weather in motion' on weatherchannel.com. School was finally canceled this morning, and unfortuneatley, Chap did have to work today...so Brodey and I are trying to make the best of our snow day. We checked it out, still not quite enough to play in...but it was fun watching him sniff around.

I hope all my kids are enjoying their day off, and I’m SURE they are all watching and appreciating the historical inauguration ceremonies today so we can have great discussions tomorrow! =)

The 'Marley & Me' Effect

I took one of my old students, Bailey, to see ‘Marley and Me’ this past week. We both decided to read the book over Christmas Break, and a lunch/movie date was a perfect way to celebrate. Little did I know the effect it would have…

First of all, if you’ve seen the movie, and you have a dog, then you understand what I mean when I say you leave the movie a sobbing mess. Bailey and I immediately drove to my house to pick Brodey up and take him to the vet. He needed some more heart worm medicine, and since the beast seems to have enlarged since our last visit, I figured it would be smart to take him to get weighed on the ‘large animal’ scale they have...which I’m glad I did because he’s gained 10 lbs since our last visit a couple months ago, making him 105 lbs. This places fattie in the higher dosage/more expensive heart worm medication.

If any of you have ever met Brodey, you would understand why we decided to make him an ‘outdoor dog’ after moving into our new house. He has rather large jaws that seem to hold an enormous amount of slobber, which can be unleashed at any time without warning. Well, obviously after the movie this would change. Brodey got an extreme bath the next day so that he could come inside and hang out with his loving parents (yes, we put towels out for him to lay on and have been following him around with a slobber rag to wipe away any disasters).

Needless to say, Brodey has thoroughly enjoyed the effects that “Marley & Me” has had on ME. Our once outdoor, slobbering dog has now become an indoor, slobbering dog.