Yum Yum!!!!

From school - for me and my TA. We have close birthdays. The parents surprised us with flowers, balloons and this absolutely sinful and delicious cake. Mmmmmm!

21 days!

21 days and I will begin my return to life as I knew it.  I will slowly begin to recall that there is a house I live in and hobbies I like to do.  My dedication to the gym will be stronger than ever and I will start to return all the many emails I have been silent on.  I may even begin to cook good meals again.  (Gasp!)  21 days and I will luxuriously sleep past 4:40am.  I will stay up late with no frantic dread.  I will frolic and laugh with my children until they can't stand me anymore.  (that may not take too long! hahaha)  I will laugh in the face of school zones and crossing guards.  I will shun the halls of the school.  I will turn my back on the never-ending paperwork and reports.  

And I will miss my students so very very much.

Thank You Google!

As of this moment there are:

259	days until Christmas
(6194 hours : 32 minutes : 49 seconds)

---

75063044

million gallons of water will come down the Mississippi before Christmas

0.00842

years on Uranus until Christmas

0.377

Martian years until Christmas

Your hair will grow

86.04

mm before Christmas

10.17

days on the Sun until Christmas

April Fool's Part II. The Final Conclusion

Bath toys swimming in the toilet on April Fool's day!  

All three screamed or let out some kind of hilarious unintelligible exclamation!  

It made my day.

Part I of our April Fool's Day can be found by clicking here:  Just the Beginning!

Part II

I emailed all their teachers the night before and asked them to wish them Happy Birthday for April Fool's day - which they all did and got a big kick out of. (every morning - as they leave the car - I tell them I love them - happy halloween (or some other random holiday) and happy birthday! Kbugs instantly knew when her teacher said it. She asked her teacher "Have you talked to my mom recently?" :o) Cowboy T's entire class sang to him.  She said the perplexed look on his face was priceless.  My Buddy's teacher is a fellow prankster and gave them a fake test they all fell for.  She's my kind of teacher!

Then the final kicker was late that night. Bob was in Canada - so we set it up about a week in advance - he started dropping hints that some departments at work were relocating there. So when he called home tonight we had this whole fake discussion about moving to Canada.   I acted all suspicious & went in the other room and closed the door - knowing with their curiosity they're ears would be glued to the door! It worked perfectly! When I came out they kept saying Is anything going on? I neither confirmed or denied - but they were all egging each other on and building it into something - all on their own. Buddy said he'd never leave the United States of America - Cowboy T was panickedly musing that we only have 6 license plates left to find in our license plate game & we'd never get to find them. I simply suggested that certainly there are license plates in Canada too - just different ones! Kbugs said she'd refuse to go to Girl's Camp in Canada because it would be too cold! Finally after a little bit of letting them dig themselves in deeper and deeper Buddy said - if we are moving - when would it be - and I replied on April 1st - on APRIL FOOLS!!!! Muwahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  They couldn't believe they'd fallen for it! We laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed.  Then we called Bob and let him know how it went.  Ahhhh the success of a parent team!!!  :o)  Their favorites of the day was Canada and the rubber ducks! I feel like we had a wonderfully successful day - and I've already got quite a few things in mind for next year! hahaha :o)

Heh heh heh! My Favorite Day!!!!

Already the day has been a success!!!!!  :o)  Before 6:30am I have proudly launched and carried out 4 April fool's jokes on my children!  Muwahahahahahaha!!!!

I have been so nervous trying to think of things to top last year - but so far - it's going swimmingly!  (For last year - click here:  Last Year's April Fools!)

First was the rubber duckies floating in the toilet!!!!  Boy were they surprised when they each opened the lid!  hahahaha!!!!!  Then the toilet paper roll had a little piece of scotch tape - so it just rolled and rolled as it spun around!  hee hee hee  Then came the green milk for breakfast!  (gotta love food coloring!) and finally (for now!!!) the clocks all set two hours ahead!  hahahaha!!!  

And the day has just begun . . . 

Muwahahahahaha!

The Nutcracker

Image Source: http://www.thedctraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/nutcracker-girl.jpg

This year a local law firm very generously donated tickets to the Nutcracker by the Metropolitan Classical Ballet so teachers and their families could attend.  It was first come first serve and luckily we ended up with tickets.  It was so fun for our family to go.  Until school was out we hadn't really had a chance to get too holiday-ish - so it was the perfect thing to get us feeling Christmasy!   My favorite part was after we got there and sat down I realized that Cowboy T had brought along a children's storybook of the Nutcracker from home so he could follow along.  To be honest - I didn't even know we had a children's storybook of the Nutcracker!  :o)  He was absolutely mesmerized by the ballet and really did follow along - even though it was dark.  It melted my heart! 

Quick update

School was really rough this week.  One of our students from last year passed away.  That's always difficult - especially at this time of year.  Certain students are facing big behavioral challenges and the usual tricks up our sleeves don't seem to be working.  Also there are some really heartbreaking situations for some of these tiny little guys.  It sure puts things in perspective.  Hopefully this week will be better - but I'm learning not to ask "I wonder what today will be like . . . "  

On the other hand I'm really excited for Christmas with the kids.  We put the tree up - but haven't decorated it yet.  The kids make everything so fun.  Just the excitement they have is contagious and I can't wait to be home with them for Christmas break!!!  It will be heaven!

Ho Ho Ho! Jingle Jangle!

101 Classic Christmas videos (posted 2006)

101 Classic Christmas videos (posted 2007)

Ok - so I know.  It's obscenely early to think about Christmas . . . but just click on the links above and look at all the videos there are to watch!  Holy Cow!  You'd better get started!!!  I'm just trying to make sure you have plenty of time to get in all the specials!  

I love these sites because inevitably our favorite specials come on the same night we have something else going on!  Now we can watch them at 4 in the morn or just after a new cousin is born.  We can watch them in a box.  We can watch them with a fox.  We can watch the Grinch - We can!  We do like them - What a plan!  (too much PreK . . . sorry!)

So have at it!  Sit those kiddos in front of the electric glow of the yuletide laptop with a splash of egg nog and cocoa (freeze-dried crunchy marshmallows included) and have a hap-hap-happy holiday!  Ho Ho Ho!

Halloween!!!!

Man!  I'm toast!!!!  My kids are old enough to reach the mailbox.  Usually I chucked all those catalogs that would come - you know - the ones with all the costumes in them.  It was so easy!  They didn't even know they existed.  Then - being one of those particularly uncreative mom's - I would spend the build up to Halloween convincing them to wear their red pajamas and just be a red gumdrop - or something terribly effortless.  

In a stroke of genius - when I was just a toddler - my Mom would make my sisters and I dress up as bunny rabbits and give us un-naturally giant carrots to munch on as we went trick-or-treating!  Yeah - guess who wasn't hungry by the end of trick or treating?!?!?!  I can't believe I fell for that!  (three years in a row!)

Anyway - the jig is up!  They now know there is more to Halloween then red pajamas - or taping Smarties to your pants (Smarty pants!  Get it!!!!  Hilarity at it's best - you gotta admit it!)  They found the catalog and have poured over and over it.  Last I heard - we have a trio of super heroes in the house.  Supergirl, Flash, Indiana Jones, Catwoman, Batman, a cowboy, a fighter pilot - you name it - I've heard it!  Honestly - it's kind of fun hearing their excitement.  But wishes and reality - well . . . we shall see . . . 

When I heard Bob looking at the his and her pirate costumes . . . well - let's just say - the catalog just might mysteriously disappear!  Muwahahahahaaa!!!!  Aaaaargggghhhh matey!

April Fools!!!!! 2008

I have to say - this may have been one of my finer years! I started off with the old lame I-can't-think-of-a-better-joke-then-this Hey! It snowed out! ha. ha. ha. - just to throw them off. I could see the looks of disappointment - like - that's the best she's got this year? I knew they thought I'd forgotten!!!! Muwahahahaha! Never!!!! Thus falling even further into my masterful plan! Truth is - the hoax of the year had been in planning for several days and by many people.

I know this will come as a shock - but our children are rather opinonated people - particularly on social issues and current events. So . . . what better way then force them into one of their perceived unjust situations!!!! Year. Round. School. Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!! Oh the hilarity!

Since I now work for the school district - it was all too easy. One of the secreatries provided the letterhead, a clerk gave me the envelope. One teacher addressed the envelope - another one signed the offical signature. They couldn't wait to hear how it went down!

The letter follows below:

To the Parents of K and R,
Congratulations! Your children have been selected to participate in a trial program set up by the district as we consider the options of year-round school. As participants in this trial period we have hand selected students to begin the year round program at various schools. We feel that by attempting this program we can reduce overall operating costs of our schools thereby saving money for crucial programs for our children. In addition, studies have shown that the retention level of students is 73% higher when they participate in the year round program. This increases test scores in the districts that participate.

With an understanding of the program we are hoping you will be willing to participate. School will begin on June 16 at your home campus. school will begin at the standard Elementary time. July 25th will be the end of the 6-week grading period and then children will be given a week off with the next grading period beginning on August 4th.

Congratulations and welcome to the new program! We are excited to have you join us on this exciting educational journey. Sincerely, The Superintendent

Muwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! I could hardly contain myself! And for this reason - I had to enlist Bob! He opened the mail slowly - appeared puzzled when he reached this letter and then casually asked the kids "Have y'all heard anything about year round school?" The looks on their faces were priceless! They slowly asked "Whhhhhyyyyyyy???????" (heh heh heh!) My stomach was shaking I was laughing so hard inside!!!! He handed them the letter and they began to read it. Their eyes got wider and wider! I thought of all the times they had loudly proclaimed their stance on the absurdities and injustice of year round school. Hahahah It was beautiful! B was first to begin "Congratulations!???? Congratulations!!!!?????? How in the world can he say congratulations about something like year round school!?!?!?!?! Like it's a good thing!!!!" At this point I have to turn my back and look away! K then chimes in "Improve our TAKS scores?!?!?! I made a 100 on my benchmark test! Why would I need to improve my TAKS test scores!!!!" Someone said "Well - I'm not going!" Bob calmly replied - "Oh yes you will - we will support the new program. We don't have any big summer plans anyway!" (Oh the beauty of a united front!) K then started shaking her head - threw her hands in the air - and started to walk out of the room muttering "Just shake your head and walk away . . . Just shake your head and walk away!" hahahahahahahahahahah! hohohohohoho! heeheeheeheeheehee! It was utter panic and chaos. At about the same moment B said "Hey wait - why does this envelope say Kooken on it?" I new in seconds the jig would be up - my kids were too smart to pass up such a glaring mistake! I yelled "Gotcha!!! April Fool's!!!!!!!!" Hahahahahahaha! The tradition lives on! If I could have videotaped it I would have. The looks of disbelief mixed with relief were priceless! Ahhhhh! Another year of success! They admitted they were a bit disappointed at my pathetic morning joke and yet completely taken in by the letter. I did not fail them this year! We laughed about it all night. I kept telling them we could do year-round anyway since they really seemed excited about it!

Last year we did legos and macaroni in their cereal boxes and I sewed their underwear in one big long line - so when they pulled one out of their drawer they all came out. One year was plastic fruit in their lunchboxes (with real food underneath). Another time we put the couch in the kitchen and the table in the family room - just to throw them off a bit. One year I put fake notes to their teachers in their notebook saying they loved homework and really wanted more. And one year - we tried to move them around into different beds after they were asleep - but they weren't sleeping hard enough. That would have been a good one too. Anyway - my policy is - nothing mean that would cause tears. Afterall - I'm wise enough to realize there will someday be paybacks. I was worried T would be distraught about year round school - so he remained our innocent bystander this time around. He did enjoy the green food colored milk suprise in our fridge. (Always a favorite standby at our house).

Hope your April Fool's was as enjoyable as ours! :o)