Why Why Why...

WHY had a never used NetFlix until 2 days before my Spring Break was over? WHY had I never discovered the beauty of instant play? OR that I could sit in my pajamas in front of the fireplace for hours and hours on end watching the comedic performances of Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin to pass the time until Paul got home from school? It's a cruel cruel world... but yet... better now that NetFlix is in my life...

BIrthday Kites

I've been told since day one of teaching... "take your birthday off!" As my birthday approached, I thought more and more about it. Then I remembered just how much I love my kids and how much I really would enjoy spending my birthday with them. So, I decided that instead of writing sub plans we would have a party and fly kites instead. :)

One of my darling girls made me this "cake". Each layer had a different homemade gift in it... and the best part- (I neglected to take a picture before I tore into it) she hot glued Smartie packages on for candles!
This guy decided to "dress up" for my birthday :)



Could my students really be any more darling? I just love them. I'm preparing myself for the fact that we only have 6 more weeks together. They've all grown up so much!

101 things

I realize that this is not a super interesting post... but I can't find my camera cord! I'm bored (I never thought I would say that on my coveted and much anticipated Spring Break) so I thought- why not. I decided to bold the things that Paul OR I have done. 

1. Ridden in a train -Paul rides one just about every day!
2. Slept under the stars 
3. Played in a band/orchestra- Paul- the trumpet! I used to make fun of him so much when we were in elementary school for it. 
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World- I was only 2...
8. Climbed a mountain -lots. 
9. Held a praying mantis- I had some strange obsession with them when I was younger. We used to even go to the nursery to BUY praying mantis EGGS!  Now I think they look positively evil.
10. Sang a solo- "Oh Happy Day"- take that Sister Act!
11. Bungee jumped- never never never never
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea- maybe Lake Powell counts?
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning- Poor Paul.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Had a letter to the editor published
20. Slept on an overnight train 
21. Had a pillow fight- One of the many things that kept my sister and I up at a young age.
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when not really ill -I can make myself sick pretty fast. Is that bad?
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping yessssssssssssssssssssssssss- ask Lindsey White.:)
27. Run a Marathon 
28. Seen the running of the bulls
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise 
31. Hit a home run-YES! one of my finest moments. 
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Been on a draw-bridge
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Received a traffic ticket Marianne only. The ratio of tickets I've gotten to tickets I should have gotten really helps my score though.
41. Sung karaoke- "Lucky" by Britney Spears. Remember when that was a popular song? I feel old. 
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing -yeah, didn't catch a thing
49. Been a story on the news
50. Seen a wild mustang
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling -
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud 
54. Gone to a drive-in theater  my parents used to make a bed in the back of the truck and we'd lay down in it and drive all the way there! What were they thinking? We didn't wear helmets either. Its a miracle we're still alive.
55. Been in a movie- The ultimate in sappy, mormon media. "charly"
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Received flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving- never never never
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check- Yeah, everyone needs to at least once in their life. I like to think of it as a "reality check"
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square with my mom:) 
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Won a contest
77. Broken a bone- nose. it was beautiful.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle- I speed on my own scooter (I realize its not a motorcycle) and went on a stupid stupid stupid date once where he thought he should impress me by speeding on his bullet bike. Once again; it's a miracle I'm 24. 
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person- well, kinda. My dad and I share a morbid fear of heights. Our family drove all the way there and we weren't allowed out of the car.
80. Published a book
81. Been in a cave
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible or other religious book
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous Glenn Beck! I loved him! 
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Been to the top of the Gateway Arch
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person 
101. Learned to play an instrument

I'll try to come up with something more amusing later. 

Fiber

I have A LOT of posting to catch up on, but I had to share something funny one of my darling students said to me today. Twice a week I take my kids outside to run a mile in an effort to combine our mileage and make it to Disneyland by the end of May. (Figuratively, of course.) The dialogue went something like this...

"Mrs. McAllister, do you know what fiber does to you?"
(I am usually fairly blunt with my students) "Yes, I do. It makes you have to poop."
"Yeah. My mom fed me Fiber One cereal this morning, and it just hit," says this darling girl as she books it into the bathroom.

I don't think I would have ever shared something like that with my teachers, but it sure made me laugh!