Someday...

...I will get some pictures on here! I have tried a couple of times, but I'm still having computer issues!

Anyway, a brief summary of the last month:
Paige graduated from 8th grade. She looked beautiful in her purple dress! They have a ceremony here, followed by a dance for the graduates. She will be taking Driver's Ed this summer (my condolences to the instructor-she must have the patience of Job), playing basketball, and running to build endurance for cross country. She also works a few days each week for Jason. She'll be busy!

We've have a few "teenage/mom" clashes already, but they seem to be under control for the moment. Sigh.

Lane loved every moment of second grade, and he adored his teacher. He wrote several books over the school year. As you all know, he has quite the imagination, so the stories are pretty funny!

Lane is in swim team and minor league baseball this summer. He says that he "has just been so busy." Hmmmm, those two activities take about two hours out of his day sometimes. Usually it is only about one hour. Poor guy. I'm such a mean mom.

Jason is busy with everything: carpet cleaning, air duct cleaning, supervising our truck driver, farming, cattle, and basketball. Oh, he does manage to find time to make it to men's league golf night each week.

I survived the school year. Those last few days were torture! The students had checked out (mentally for sure) about a week before school let out, but we still had to keep busy. Glad that's over.

I passed my math test!!!! Now I get to study for an ESL test that I will take at the end of July. Fun times.

Paige and I went to Boulder, Colorado over Memorial Day, and I ran in the BolderBoulder 10K race. I didn't feel well, but it was a fun place to be. Approximately 50, 000 people participate, and then at the end, there is a professional race with international runners. That was fun to watch. I kind of felt like we were at the Olympics! That's the closest we'll ever come, anyway.

Signing off....

The End is in Sight!

The end of the school year, that is! I didn't officially start counting down until today. Today I looked at the calendar, counted the days remaining, then did a little dance. On the inside, anyway.

I took that darn math test again yesterday. I feel pretty good about it. There were only a couple of questions that I totally had to guess on. I won't know my results for 4 weeks, though, so I will be in a continual state of anticipation. Or dread.

Jason tells me that I need to brag a little. Paige broke the school record in the 3200 meter race at her track meet on Thursday. She had worked really hard with her coach to prepare for the run. She knew exactly what her split times needed to be, and she did it! She broke the record by 10 seconds, even.

I am so thankful I was there to see it. I don't get to go to all of the kids' activities (work, ya know?), so I was especially happy I got to be there on Thursday.

I have a goal this week, too. My goal is to post some pictures on this blog and on Facebook. We'll see if I accomplish it.

Look! I'm a Superhero!

This is fun! You can create your own superhero. I've always wanted blue or purple or pink hair! This was my chance. Wanna create your own? Follow this link.: http://www.cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/

Spring Break 2009

We had a great time skiing at Keystone in Dillon, Colorado! As you can see, there wasn't much snow. Paige learned how to ski this year. She had to sit out last year because of her broken shoulder. Jason only skiied for half a day. Skiing just isn't his thing. But he and another nonskiier in our group drove up to Blackhawk for a day and spent many hours in the casino. Jason finally found someone after his own heart-Diane! She was as excited about gambling all day as he was. We were all happy-I got to ski all day, and Jason got to gamble all day.

We ate at Macaroni Grill in Denver on our way out. Lane convinced a girl sitting behind him to let him try on her beanie (complete with propreller). Only Lane....although he had a little help from Mark (a guy in our group).

We also did our part to support the beef industry. We ate at this place in Silverthorne called The Historic Mint. Each patron chooses his/her own steak and then grills it. I had a filet (yum!), and it was divine. I also had the best cheesecake I've had in awhile (double yum!). We left the kids at the condo and told them to fend for themselves. There were 13 adults in our dinner party, and we left 15 kids ranging in age from 8 to 17 back at the condos for 3 hours. No harm done (that we know of!).

These last pictures are from the first weekend in March. Luke, Jackson, and Lane played hard all afternoon. It was so warm out that they ate popsicles on the front driveway!

Well, I won't bore you with details of my life. School is going okay. I survived my first round of state testing (thank you, No Child Left Behind), and am geared up for two more grades to test.

Paige starts track practice tomorrow. Yea! I love track meets and I hope to attend most of them.

Home at Last!

It's been a CRAZY six weeks! I am so happy that I am home this evening, and that I actually get to cook a meal. We're having spaghetti, fresh salad, beer bread (from scratch w/ melted butter), and chocolate mousse (made w/ whipping cream-hello, calories).

Paige's basketball season ended yesterday at the league tournament. They only had 6 girls on their team, and it wasn't a very successful season. She is looking forward to basketball next year with her dad as her coach. ;) She's also ready for track season!

Lane is busy going to basketball games. If you asked him, he would reply that he "hates basketball games." However, he always finds someone to hang out with OR he attempts to spend as much money possible at the concession stand-until I shut him down.

Jason's girls are 6-10 right now. Not the record he was hoping for at this point in the season, but they have played some state-ranked teams, so there has been some very tough competition. The team has had their ups and downs, but everything is running smoothly right now.

I start junior high quiz bowl season next week, so that means I'll be gone another couple of nights most weeks. Ho hum. Actually, I have fun...I know most of the answers at the junior high meets! It makes me feel smart. :)

We get to go watch the Lady Wildcats at Manhattan on February 21. The high school girls basketball team gets in free, and Jason, his assistant coach, her husband, Paige, and I also get in free or for a discount. The Wildcats are having an awesome season, so I'm excited to watch them in action. Maybe I need a new purple shirt....?

Ta Da!

Well, of course I uploaded my photos in reverse order again. Wouldn't want to surprise you or anything.

The office is done! My Christmas break project was to redo our home office/computer room.

I'm all smiles in my new room. All smiles with hair in my face apparently...What can I say? Self-photos are tricky. Lane is hard at work at the computer. He was watching a video demo how to make a turkey out of Crayola Model Magic. Hmmmm.

Cool new pictures-1/2 price at Hobby Lobby, thank you very much! And thanks to Jen for picking them up for me when they went on sale (the check's in the mail!). And thanks to Jen for spotting them while we were browsing in Hobby Lobby.

Some more cool pictures and my newly painted bookshelf

The "Before" picture. It wasn't this bad, promise. I had already taken out my bookshelf and computer desk, so everything was piled on the floor.

Anyway, it's finished. Next project...figure out the laptop! I got for Christmas.

My Grandmother...

I just wanted to update the family. My grandmother, Helen Muret, has taken a serious turn for the worse with her health. She hasn't been well for about 6 weeks now, but the last two days have been decidedly more serious.

Mom & Dad drove down to Winfield today and picked up my Aunt Jeanne in Great Bend on the way. Uncle Bill called them this morning and told them Grandmother was unconcious this morning.

Please keep my mom, her sister Jeanne, and brother Bill in your prayers. Grandmother is 91 years old, but I know that Mom wants to talk with her again!

Photo Fun, Take Three

Kim and Jennifer got me started on this. It's fun!

Here are the rules:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same - NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing etc.)

This was taken in Las Vegas last December. Jason and I went with friends for an extended weekend. Jason LOVES Vegas. Me, not so much. We had a lot of fun, though, and our friends knew some amazing places to eat.

A little more about the picture. Jason is not much of a walker, and so we were always waiting on him. The three of us would take the stairs while he made sure to take all of the moving sidewalks and escalators. He is pretending to be nonchalant in this picture, but he knew we were cracking up watching him!

Bill Cosby Don't Lie

Lane had his tonsilectomy today. My sis told me I should listen to Bill Cosby's monologue on tonsils http://www.imeem.com/popmusic/music/66AKwPKe/bill_cosby_tonsils/before Lane had his surgery. It's a long one, but if you want to listen to the monologue, click on the link.

Yep. It was pretty much like Lane's experience! Lane was all pumped up for the fun and games he was certain to find waiting for him at the hospital. Didn't happen quite like he planned.



He's a little grumpy already at this point. And this was before the third try for the IV. After that little ordeal, Lane was beet red and sweaty. Poor guy.
Post-surgery. Still pretty woozy.

Lane's opinion of the entire procedure:

He is doing fine now. He has had some broth and a popsicle. Aunt Jen sent lots of DVDs for Lane to watch while he is recuperating. According to the doctor, Day Two will probably be the worst. Too bad Jason has to stay home with the patient for that! :) I must go back to school. My students need me.

Seriously, though, Lane was so brave and tough. He's a trooper. I know several of you prayed that everything would go smoothly, and it did. Thanks!

Shop at home

I "winterized" my bathroom. I bought new towels at Target a couple of weeks ago, so I needed to redecorate my bathroom to coordinate with the towels.

So, I "shopped my house" and came up with an old black picture frame with a broken easel stand. I wrapped the mat with Christmas wrapping paper (it looks like hot air balloons in this picture, but it's actually pretty cool), and tacked a black ribbon on the back of the frame to hang it.

The greenery is from my yard (we'll see how long it lasts), and the picture frame & box are from my closet.

Close up of my new towels. I don't have a super camera that does everything justice, but I love them!

My little darlings. These pictures were taken about 4 years ago.

Post #2-The reason I feel stupid today

Now I really feel like an idiot. I was thinking that the next post (about the Christmas program) would be first today. Pretend you read these in reverse order!

About the math test? I didn't pass. Missed it by 4 lousy points. My comps for my master's degree were not this hard.

I'm mad at everything.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Our church had its annual Sunday School Christmas program last Sunday.

I have no idea why this is underlining as I type. I would fix it if I could. I'm feeling rather stupid today-you'll find out why in another post.

Anyhoo, the program was great! Lane played the part of a Sunday School student who did not appreciate the true story of Christmas. There was a live play, and a powerpoint slideshow to go along with the Christmas story from Luke.

Lane was(okay, now I have a different font color and no underline. This is fabulous.) a shepherd for the nativity.
Lane as a Sunday School student.

Paige was one of the three kings who "saw a star in the East." Doesn't she look regal?

Waiting, waiting, waiting

I think I have been online at least 50 times in the past twenty-four hours to see if my test results are available yet! Nope.

The test? Remember the math test I had to take in November? Yeah, that one.

I have to wait until tomorrow afternoon for results. I thought they would be available TODAY. Arrrggghhh.

Well, at least our deductible was already met!

Yep, you guessed it! Emergency room visits & x-rays again. We met the family deductible way back in March when Paige had her second surgery to remove the pins from her shoulder. So, here we go again.

Paige broke her "naughty" finger (as the athletic trainer called it) at the first basketball game of the season on Monday. We didn't actually make it to the doctor until Friday morning. She saw the athletic trainer on Thursday, and the trainer recommended x-rays just to make sure it was a clean fracture. It is, so Paige just has to wear a splint for a few weeks and "buddy tape" the broken finger to its neighbor for practice and ballgames. Painful, but not a major injury.

Then, this morning Lane woke up with a sore throat AGAIN. I looked and immediately diagnosed strep throat. I'm actually getting quite good at recognizing it. So, it was either take Lane to the ER or wait until tomorrow and try to get him in to the clinic. Since this is the third time in about 8 weeks that Lane has had strep, we opted for the ER. After all, our deductible has been met!

He will get to see an ENT specialist sometime soon, and will likely get to have his tonsils removed. We'll call in the morning and schedule an appointment. As you can imagine, Lane's imagination is already running away with visions of surgery and "a deep sleep shot."

Here's to hoping for a less eventful week!

Happy Birthday, November Babies!!

Happy Birthday, Dana!!! November 9


Happy Birthday, Grandpa Earl!!! November 19


Happy Birthday, ME!!! November 20


Happy Birthday, Aunt Gin!!!! November 20 I always think of her on this day, because we shared a birthday. Aunt Gin would always send me a card or call me to wish me a "Happy Birthday."


Happy Birthday, Aunt Jo!!!! November 22


Happy Birthday, Aubrey!!!! November 28 (She'll be a teenager!)

I think Jeremy Samp has a birthday in here somewhere, too. Happy Birthday, Jeremy!!!

I Survived!

I took my big test yesterday, and I did make it out alive! It wasn't as difficult as my study guide had led me to believe, but I won't know if I passed until December 15. It will be a long four weeks!

Paige has her first basketball game tomorrow, and Jason starts practice with his high school girls tomorrow. Goodbye evenings at home, not that there were very many of them! Actually, I like to go to basketball games, but when there are 3 in one week, it gets a little crazy. I guess I appreciate my time at home even more that way.

Have a great week everyone.

Test Anxiety

So, some of you know that I have to take a math test next Saturday in order to be endorsed to teach middle school math. Well....

I found out about this wonderful news in September. No worries. How hard could a middle school math test be? I figured that I would need to brush up on my Algebra I skills and review some more geometry than what we cover in 8th grade math.

Then I ordered the study guide for this *&%#@ test. I started reviewing & studying, but I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble comprehending the graphing & function stuff in the study guide. It seemed way beyond Algebra I. So I had a student in Algebra II look over it for me (thinking that she could tutor me). She informed me that I needed a junior or senior to help me, because they were studying this in the upper level math classes. Great.

So, long story short, I am searching for a high school senior or college level student (who is good at math), and could pass for me in 15 years with a little wrinkle cream, age spots, cellulite, etc. I am offering a nice sum of cash to said person if they will take the test for me. Seriously.

The funny thing is, I keep having flashbacks to the 80's movie Spies Like Us. Remember when Chevy Chase was trying to pass the secret agent exam & he wore an eyepatch and cast & sling on his arm so that he could write answers on them? That was one of my favorite scenes from the movie! Oh & when Chevy & Dan Akroyd had to pretend to be doctors in the Bedouin camp in the desert! Anyway, I think I might try something like that.

Please pray for me on Saturday!

Go, Paige!

Paige won the league cross country meet on Thursday! She is excited to be the league champion for the second year in a row. She won her race by 42 seconds.

Here is an action shot during the race. I obviously need to work on my photography skills!


And...

Paige & Coach Mehl after the race. The conversations usually go something like this:

CM: "Well, what do you think?"

P: "My time was horrible."

CM: "Okay, so winning by 42 seconds isn't good enough for you?" Smile

P: "Well, yeah, but..." smile.

Smiles all around.

We're excited for next year when Paige will learn how to race. She will run a 4K in competition as a high schooler. There are some excellent freshman runners in the area, so it will be fun to watch Paige learn to compete with "the studs!"

Paige has a volleyball tournament on October 27 & 28. Then she will start basketball practice November 3. Whew!

Paige on YouTube

You can watch a little of Paige's cross country meet at Syracuse on YouTube. Just click on the link below. You will get to see two of her teammates win the 7th boys race & 8th boys races first. They are wearing red & black jerseys.

Paige said her form was horrible, but she posted her season's best time at this race, so it must not have been that bad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSfQeKFqJ1I

Birthday Boy

Lane turned 8 on October 8th! He was so excited that he had trouble sleeping for about a week. Remember those days? The anticipation? Ahhh, to be 8 years old again.

Jason took brownies and juice boxes to Lane's classroom for his school party. In Lane's 2nd grade class, the birthday boy or girl gets to sit on a chair and then choose four "very strong" classmates. The chosen students then lift up the birthday boy or girl in their chair (with a little help from Mrs. Brown) the number of years old that they are. Lane thought that was awesome!

We had Caramel Apple Pie on Saturday to celebrate. Lane's present from Jason & me....a new garbage truck, of course! Complete with a conveyor belt to lift the trash dumpster up & dump it in the bin.