Earthquake (for real this time . . . ) :o)

BREAKING NEWS: North Texans experienced a couple of earthquakes overnight. A magnitude 3.0 quake shook much of Dallas Tarrant and Counties. The epicenter of the quake was measured four miles southwest of Irving just after midnight. Another one hit earlier last night, registering at 2.5. Reports came flooding into our newsroom of people saying they heard rumbling and felt shaking in cities like Irving, Euless, and Bedford. Seismologists are looking into whether natural gas drilling may have caused the tremors. No damage has been reported. We'll have much more coming up on News 8 Daybreak starting at 5am.

By the way . . . Happy Halloween!!!!!

Ahhhhhhh . . .

Image Source:  http://www.shinygloss.tv/pedicure.jpg

So about a month ago - ok - almost two now - one of my student's gave me a gift certificate for my birthday for a free DELUXE pedicure at his mom's spa.  Woohoo!  It's quite a ways away - but I sure wasn't going to pass it up!  

I'd never had a DELUXE pedicure before - and holy cow!!!!  I just sat there thinking - what else can they do?!?!?!  And sure enough - they clearly came up with more and more to do.  It was more of a foot/leg thing.  There were sea salts, mud smearing, hot wax dipping, warm rocks, leg slapping (I was trying not to laugh on that one.  It was kind of a cross between 'hey buddy - are you getting your frustration out on my leg?!?!' or 'Are you just making this up?!?!?'  But actually it all felt so good.  It lasted about an hour and by that point I think I could have stayed all day.  They did a great job and it was such a treat!  What a perk!!!!!  :o)

Lovin the burn!

Image Source: http://www.prevention.com/pvnstatic-assets/images/298x232_article_size/fitness/298x232_FT_exereq_treadmill_ST.jpg

I'm so excited!  Tomorrow Kbugs and my Bud are coming to the gym with me.  They had to complete a youth course in fitness and how to work the machine - which they did on Saturday - so now they can come with me!  Woohooo!  It will be a workout party!  Woop Woop!

PECS

PECS stands for Picture Exchange Communication System.

I spent two days in Fort Worth this week being trained on PECS.  I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am about this system.  Virtually all of my students at school are non verbal - or unable to communicate clearly enough to express their needs and wants.  This system was born out of a similar need - for one student in a classroom who was not responding to the typical methods of speech therapy, sign language and other systems.  It's a system that teaches children (and non-verbal adults too) how to exchange pictures to a teacher or a parent to express their wants and needs.  It starts out simply and progresses in different stages so they can include expressing their observations not just requests.  They can build complete thoughts rather then just one-word communication.  Research has shown that it often enhances development of speech as a students vocabulary base builds through pictures.  

Perhaps one of the hardest parts of my job is watching parents grapple with the needs of their sweet young children - wondering how they can help them best while coming to terms with such a recent diagnosis.  They search for whatever resources they can find - whatever they can do to help their children.  I watch them - seeing the depth of their emotions and their intense desire to find ways to communicate with their children.  

In a tiny small fraction - that I really can't compare - I recall a time when Cowboy T was very young and he was not talking at all.  He was well past the time his vocabulary should have been building.  We worked and struggled and worried and wondered.  There is one instance that stands out in my mind that I will never forget.  He was crying - clearly hungry for something specific in the fridge - but all he could do was point.  I remember frantically going through the fridge grabbing everything I could find trying desperately to meet the need of my sweet son.  He was sobbing and crying and as I emptied the fridge I felt so utterly helpless.  I began to cry in complete frustration at the situation.  I just wanted so much to help him as we both stood there crying in front of the fridge.  

Now - Cowboy T is clearly a talker and doing a-ok.  But I am so grateful for that experience and I will never forget the emotions of that moment as he tried to communicate with me and I could not understand.  I often think of it when I speak with parents - as we brainstorm how to help their child.  This system has the potential to make the bridge for those children and families.  Not just at school - but at home too.  I can not wait to get back to school and start using this one student at a time.  If I accomplish nothing else this year . . . I want to help these sweet children and parents be able to communicate!

Piano Festival

The boys participated in their first piano festival this weekend.  They had practiced hard and felt good about their songs.  They both did an outstanding job in front of the judge!  Cowboy T made a 1 (which is the highest score) and my Buddy also made a 1 with the judge adding a + to it!  They really worked hard and I'm so proud of them!  Good job guys!

Katie participated in a district speech tournament.  Her group received third place and moved on to the next round - but due to time constraints didn't get a chance to preform again!  They also worked really hard on their events and it was a great experience for her!  Way to go Kbugs!

We went!!!

We managed to squeeze our schedule around the tickets I won from WRR!  Hooray!  It was so fun!  It was actually a Texas Ballet Theater production.  The first half was the ballerina's of the company dancing to Judy Garland songs.  It was really beautiful.  I guess it's not a pairing I would have thought of - but it was so beautifuly done.  We were very impressed.  The second half was the men of the company dancing to Mozart's requiem in a tribute to all soldiers.  It was quite moving and impressive as well.  The Schola Cantorum of Texas and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra accompanied them!  Talk about a sensory feast!  Wow!  Bass Hall was absolutely beautiful too!  We just really had a good time.  I won two tickets - so Bob and I went - which made for a really wonderful date together.  That by itself was heavenly too!  What a treat out of the blue!  

The Brazos Drive-In Theatre

Image Source: http://www.musa.org.nz/orientation/images/Drive-in%20Movie.jpg

Ok - so I just realized that I don't think I've ever posted about this.  It's one of the funnest things to do.  The Brazos Drive-In Theatre is located in Granbury.  They usually try and show family friendly movies.  Each week it is different movies - always a double feature (so prepare for a late night!).  They start after sundown and it's currently $18.00 for a car load.  We've been a few times over the years.  Once with our big old van which was fun.  One time with our truck - with lawn chairs in the back.  You can do a picnic dinner or snacks.  It's just a fun thing!  The audio plays over a radio station.  The last time we went Bobby took a small radio with headphones . . . such a smart kid!  

Check it out here:  http://www.thebrazos.com/home.htm

Shin Splints Hurt!

Okay - three things I learned this week:

1.  Always always stretch before running.  Even if you are in a hurry.

2.  You really need good shoes to run.  Not Walmart shoes.  Harumph!

3.  Always take the time to cool down after a run.  Don't just hop off the treadmill from a full run to go get your kids.

Ok - let's make it four . . . 

4.  Shin splints hurt really really really bad (or maybe I'm just a big wimp!)

ok - one more . . . 

5.  When you get them - don't keep running day after day - trying to work through it!  Stop until you mend!  It won't get better - only worse.  In fact it could create a fracture should one keep going!  (so glad I read about that!!!)

Lesson learned!  I think new shoes will be on my Christmas list!

Ok - I'm coming back to edit . . . because there's one more very imporatant thing I learned:

6.  When I don't feel good my kids are the sweetest and most helpful children in the world!  They cared for me and went the extra mile in helping around the house and with dinner and even little school projects!  I love them so much and am so grateful to them for taking care of me!!!!

My Knight in Shining Armor

Image Source: http://www.beautyfromtheheart.org/uploaded_images/knight-725847.jpg

Not only had he gotten up at 3am to catch his flight - had a layover in Philadelphia - changed planes - drove himself from the airport and picked up the kids after school - but he also answered my desperate call from Northwest Fort Worth that my car was dead and raced to save me during Friday rush hour without ever getting a chance to stop and rest.  (big run-on sentence!)  He is my hero and my true love!  He fixed my car and I got to follow him back home - which was great - because without him I would have inevitably made a wrong turn on the way home and doubled my travel time and my anxiety level!  :o)  Thanks Love!  I really appreciate all the millions of things you do to make our life a little more peaceful each day!   

My Boyfriend's Back!

Heh heh heh!  Bob's back home!  Hooray!  He was out of town this week.  It'd been a while since the last trip and this week just seemed pretty rough in general.  I'm so glad he's home.  I know it was just a short trip and it could've been more - but still - I'm so happy to have him home again!

I Won!!! I Won!!!

Woohooo!!!!  I've been on a classical kick lately and was looking up something on the local classical station the other day.  My buddy was sitting next to me and noticed a drawing for some tickets and said I should enter it - so I did . . . and I won!!!  It's for Mozart's Requiem at Bass Hall on Saturday!  The odds of us going are slim - given that a million things seem to get scheduled on the same Saturday at least once a month - and this month - this Saturday is that Saturday.  (well that was wordy!)  :o)  But either way - I won!!!  And it's so exciting!!!  Woohooo!!!

Looking towards Turkey Day!!!

Image Source: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Wildlife_images/turkey_Joe-Blake.jpg

I'm usually not a big fan of broccoli - but I love this casserole. We have it every Thanksgiving at our house.

Broccoli Casserole

1 pkg frozen broccoli heads, cooked and mashed
1/2 c chopped onions
1-2 eggs
1 pkg Ritz crackers crushed
1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom
grated sharp cheddar cheese (apx 2 c)
1/4 c mayo

Mix together - add cracker crumbs last to judge thickness. Salt and pepper to taste. Put in dish; cover with cheese and Ritz crumbs. Bake at 350 for 45 min - 1 hour. (until light brown on top). 

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Here's another must have for us at Thanksgiving. Sooo yummy - and it doesn't even have marshmallows! (I thought that was the only way they could taste good!)

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 med size sweet potatoes (or 2 large cans drained!)
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c milk
1/2 c butter (melted)
1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 c finely chopped pecans (or more) depending on size of casserole
2 TB all-purpose flour (or more)
2 TB butter

If using fresh SP - cook sweet potatoes in boiling water 45 min - 1 hour until tender. Let cool to touch' peel and mash. Combine sweet potato, sugar, egg, vanilla, milk, 1/2 c butter; beat at med speed of an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon into lightly greased 12x8x2 baking dish. Combine brown sugar, pecans, flour, 2 TB butter - and sprinkle mix over the casserole. Bake at 350 for 30 min. 

PS – I have ALWAYS just used the canned sweet potatoes and it's delicious that way! 

 

Earthquake

Image Source:  http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/BHS/Juniorprojects/Hopkins01/miguelo23724/Epicenter.gif

There must have been a slight earthquake here today.  The epicenter was apparently located at UTA directly under my feet.  It was strong enough on the Richter scale to knock me off my feet.  I landed on my left hand and I think I've sprained my arm pretty good - wrist to shoulder.  Honestly - I don't know what happened.  There was a curb - but that's all I remember.  I just tripped for no apparant reason - of course it was right in front of a tour bus full of people too!

Actually I think it was probably karma.  Kbugs had just finished her violin lesson and we were walking through the campus.  It was such a beautiful fall day and she was chatting away.  I was sipping my water bottle when the deliciously devilish thought struck me to squirt her with my water bottle.  I think it stems from being the youngest - with no younger siblings to pick on.  At least my kids are good natured about it.  It was seconds later that I tripped.  Seriously - I couldn't get mad when Kbugs happily pointed out the irony!  She had a point.  :o)

Why our kids never come in our room . . .

Image Source: http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/07/30/mice_5638.jpg

The year was 2001.  My little Buddy was 3.  Poor kid . . . his life was about to be forever altered.

We were living in a rental house.  I was 22 months pregnant.  No joke.  Our neighbor had mentioned that an exterminator had been to their home for their mice problem.  Hearing that made my hair stand on end - which was actually quite a sight!  I remember mentioning the conversation to my Mom and she said - be careful - the mice will be looking for a place to go and head your way.  Tuck that thought into my never-resting brain - and it just combined into the perfect storm.

About 2 am my sweet baby boy came toddling into our room.  To this day I don't know why.  Perhaps a drink of water, maybe he couldn't sleep, or maybe a bad dream.  I hope not - because it was only about to get worse.  Much much worse!

I was asleep.  And so - to wake me up - he reached his sweet pudgy little hand up and tousled my hair.  Me in my ever foggy between-sleep-and-reality stupor combined with the recent memory of the mice conversation could only think that the worst had inevitably happened.  There was a mouse in my hair!!!!  

Now I ask you . . . if you thought there was a mouse in bed with you - in your hair no less - what would YOU do?!?!?!?!?!  I didn't know my sweet baby was standing there.  I didn't know it was him trying to wake his Mama.  So - I shot up in bed with blood curling screams that woke half of the city!!!!!!  There was some frantic flailing - you know - just to make sure I got the mouse far away in case it was still on me.  Only then did I wake up enough to notice my poor son - wide-eyed and trembling at the response he had elicited from this woman called Mom who was supposed to protect and soothe him - not recoil and scream.  

I'm sure we will pay for years of therapy down the road - which will all lead back to that one horrifying memory.  It has made a lasting impression on my children - which is why they never come into my room in the middle of the night - at least not without staying a safe far distance away from my side of the bed!  

PS - the picture is seriously creeping me out!!!!

Oil - Black Gold - Texas Tea!!!

The Pipeline.  This is right off the side of our house.  It's huge - it runs at least a 1/4 of a mile.  They are currently welding it together and it blocks every u-turn that I normally use!  ARGH!!!  At first I was feeling very Texan and patriotic that our state pipeline is running down our street.  A while back I read an article that told where it ran to.  Something like Tyler, Austin, Mexico . . . I can't remember.  (just kidding on the Mexico part).  Anyhow - I tried looking it up for this post - but when I googled it - all I came up with was our city's disaster plan.  Ummmm . . . bad sign!!!!

Here's what it said:  "The two most significant pipeline incidents were the 1984 petroleum leak in R.L. Park and the natural gas pipeline fire in 1993 that burned through TU Electric power lines causing 17 towers to collapse."

Okee dokee then!  So if you hear a big boom - and don't see anymore posts . . . just know I was a proud Texan!  heh heh heh!

YEE-HAW!!!!!

At least once in your life - you must try . . .

Pretzels crumbled over vanilla ice cream!  Mmmmmm!!!

Sounds strange I know - but be brave . . . You won't regret it!  :o)

Chicken Dressing Casserole

This is an all-time family fall-favorite! It's like having Thanksgiving dinner on a regular day! 

Chicken Dressing Casserole

box of chicken stovetop stuffing mix
4 chicken breasts (I've used canned chicken before & a rotisserie chicken from the store too in a rush!)
can of cream of mushroom soup
1 c sour cream

Cook chicken, cool and shred into pieces. Prepare stuffing according to the directions. Spoon into a 9x13 dish or pan in a layer. Spread evenly over chicken. Combine soup and sour cream. Spread over stuffing. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 min. Stir and serve.

The Regency

Ok - I can't help myself . . . one more van story.  The above picture isn't an actual picture of our old van - but it's very similar.  One difference is that across the top of the windshield the word Regency was scrawled out in a fancy script - why? - I don't know - it came that way.  Anyhow it ended up for the makings of a great story.

Bob had taken his sister to the airport to drop her off for a flight.  As he sat at the curb - waiting to make sure she got in ok - he noticed a man rushing towards the van.  Imagine Bob's surprise when the man walked briskly to the door of the van - hopped in and pulled his luggage in.  He turned quickly to Bob and said "Does this one go to the Hyatt Regency on International Parkway?"  Bob was so tempted to just take the guy to his hotel anyway - but he explained that he was NOT the hotel van - just a private citizen dropping off his sister.  The man was mortified and apologetic as he quickly got out of the van.  Little does he know - he's forever immortalized in our family dinner table repertoire of stories that leave us chuckling.  

Mask Gas

Recently we went to the store to get a respirator mask for going up in the attic . . . (it's a jungle up there).  Anyhoo . . . it reminded me of a HIL-arious experience a few years back.

We drove around town in a beast of a van at the time.  It was one of those enormous custom vans that have the huge windows down the side.  Well - I had to pick up a few things at the dollar store.  The boys were with me and as we poked our way around the aisles they asked if they could each get one toy.  I mean - come on - everything's a dollar right???  So I said yes - and let them hyperventilate over making the choice of just one thing out of the hundreds lining the walls.  

So - they're boys . . . what do they choose????  As Travis calls them . . . a toy "mask gas".  I was a little hesitant - given that I was raised in a family of girls and all that boy stuff seems to escape me - but then I defaulted to what I knew my husband would say - who grew up in a family with mostly boys.  So we got the gas masks and headed out for more errands.  

What I didn't realize for the rest of the ride around town - is that the boys had opened their gas masks and put them on.  I can only imagine what the people driving past us - and pulled up next to us at stoplights must have thought.  Me in the front driving around - while my two boys - strapped in their car seats next to those giant side windows - wore gas masks that looked all too real.  I laughed for hours the rest of the day as I thought of the curious looks we must have received and the confusion people must have had when they saw the boys.

Still makes me laugh!  :o)