Secret Treasure

Q,
I'm glad you're mine.
Love, Mom

Community

In general, I'm really enjoying my little adventure back into the college world.

But every now and then, the class discussion takes a turn that makes me ask myself (again), "what exactly am I paying for?"

Join me for a few highlights of World Lit. at NWACC

Class discussions/Comments made by other students

-Student: "But WHY would anyone even need the Koran if the Bible already existed so everyone could be Christian? This book is just a load of crap. I didn't read it."

-Teacher: How was this particular assignment more difficult to read than the others we've studied so far?
Correct answer: because it was written in middle English.
Answer given by student: because there was no movie for this one.

-Discussion: how dirty jokes you heard in 7th grade compare and contrast with Boccaccio's Decameron (followed by a bunch of examples of dirty jokes given by students...just in case you've forgotten them)

Student: "So... if we got all these stories because people back then didn't have DVD players or music to entertain themselves when they traveled, then why didn't they just knit? Then they could have had socks. I think I could knit while riding a horse. If I practiced. Yeah. I definitely could."

-Student:"When you say the test is gonna be matching and multiple choice, is that like letters to numbers? or the other way around?" (I think the best part about this is that we have already HAD one test, and he still hasn't figured it out.)

We've also had a few ethics debates...

-"Would you rather be with a beautiful mate that is unfaithful, or have him/her be super totally ugly but love you unconditionally and remain by your side?" (About 99% of the response from class members were leaned toward the first. I guess fidelity is for losers.)

-"poor Tiger Woods." (really guys?)

-"poor Paris Hilton." (REALLY guys?!)

And the big topic tonight that ate up 30 minutes, but was actually most relevant what we are reading:

-How to split up a fart into 12 different ways

seeds of love

Dear Aaron,
Just wondering if your eagerness to spend 8 hrs in the car this weekend "to go to the temple" has anything to do with the NCAA games scheduled to take place in OKC....particularly the BYU game(s).

That's right.
I pay attention to things you care about.
Boom.
Roasted.

Nice try.
Love,
Your Wife

get your printable bracket here.

{Runner #937}

My 2nd Half Marathon!

This race was HUGE compared to the last one. There were 1500 runners registered, and we were reminded of that every time we came to a hill and could look ahead or behind us to see a huge mass of runners.
Why is my mouth open? Depeche Mode. That's why.
They got me up the hill when I wanted to just die instead.
I had some good jams today.
Thank goodness, or I might have punched the kid banging on the drumset at the top of mile 12 right in the face. Or at least given that snare drum a wee push over the cliff. So annoying.
Three cheers for the best running buddy EVAH...who was willing to come run with me, even though we hadn't trained, she has a sinus infection, and she had DONATED BLOOD on Wednesday. Hip Hip Horray. Love this girl.

and no, the #2 is not because we looked/felt like "number two"....although we were feeling pretty crappy physically, nothing beats the adrenaline rush of sprinting across a finish line.
L-R Me, Kasey, Tia, Puan, Lara and Vera

I hate going for runs alone. Mostly because it is dark when we leave and I am a total sissy and assume that every squirrel in the woods is actually an attacker waiting to jump out and kidnap me. Plus, it's so much more fun to get to the top of a huge hill, look 200+ feet down at what you've just climbed, and have someone to "high-five". (that's right. I'm down with the high-5. Don't knock it, and plan to participate in the high-five if you ever run with me. Sweaty hands and all.) I'm pretty lucky that so many of my friends are running so I rarely have to brave the trails solo. It was so fun to see so many of those friends there, today. Great Job Ladies!!!

These gals rock, and each are such an inspiration to me.
Great job to Jocelyn, Catania, Stacie and Becky, too! We never seem to manage to get everyone in the same group picture. Next time. It's happening!

Thanks, Katie, for coming just to cheer us up the final uphill-stretch-of-death! What a friend! You're the only person I know that is crazy enough to go run 7 miles with me when you are pregnant! There should be an award for that!

This is starting to sound like an Oscar speech.
I'm just so excited.

But unlike some Oscar winners, I will not forget to thank my husband.

I love you, baby.
If there's anything you lack, it is doubt in my capability.
My confidence rides on the road you pave.
You saw this long before I did.
Thanks for your support!

13.1 miles

It was a really good day.

Meg vs the Internets

The other night I curled up with one sleeping husband, two pink fuzzy slippers, and too many girl scout thin mints to count, but let's just be honest and say there were zero left by the end of the night, and had me a nice little movie marathon.

It was a double feature of Some Kind of Wonderful, and Pretty in Pink online.

Partway through Pretty In Pink (during Duckie's dance in Trax, to be exact) my laptop was attacked by a lovely little virus.

That's what I get for not already owning either of these movies.
Especially when they are only $1 at the Associate's store.
For Shame.

Reason to Carbo-Load

MONTHS ago, Kasey tried to talk me into running this race.
I had a zillion excuses, and talked myself out of it.
And now the race is this Saturday.
I can't stop thinking about it.
It's supposed to be 40 degrees with a chance of rain.
And do you see the 200 ft climb at mile 12?
Who designed this course? What were they thinking?!
If you come to cheer, that's where I'll be, possibly passed out.

But I'm going to do it!

I know. C-R-A-Z-Y!
I'm just glad Kasey has a little crazy in her, too...as it is much more fun to run 13.1 miles with your bestie!

Half Marathon #2, here we come!

I'd better go eat another cookie.
You know, for my health.

Busy Bees

On the Farm
Book: Moo Moo Peek a Boo by Jane Dyer
Book: When the Rooster Crowed by Patricia Lillie
Share: Bring an item that begins with letter U (we had Underwear, an Umbrella, a Unicorn, the movie UP!, and Utensils)

Dramatic Play: Farm Prop Box (straw hats, bandannas, plastic shovels and play vegetables, plastic farm animals, plastic fence pieces, buckets and stools)
Sensory Animal Sounds Guessing Game
The baby animals have a sound byte button on the bottom. I placed all of them in a bag, and the children took turns guessing what animal was making the sound in the bag.
Fine motor: Farm Animal Puzzles


Sensory: U is for Udder! I filled rubber gloves with milk/water for the kids to squish and squeeze and pretend to milk. (singing to Row Row Row your Boat: Milk Milk, Milk the cow, I'm sitting on a stool, squirting squirting squirting squirting, now my bucket's full)

Art: Cotton Ball Sheep

Art: I filled one of the "udders" with watered down white paint, poked a hole in the finger tips, and the kids "milked" their artwork! This turned out to be much more successful than I had anticipated. The kids loved it.


Science/Cooking: Homemade butter
1) Fill baby food jars 1/2 full with heavy whipping cream
2)Tighten the lids on and let the kids shake shake shake their sillies out.
3)They got creative and rolled the jars down the slide
4) After awhile it will look like this
5) give it a quick stir with a Popsicle stick. The butter will immediately separate from the liquid. Dump the liquid, add a little salt and serve on crackers (...ahem, or a baguettes)

Language: Sharing Day and add to our list of U-words

Practical Life: We need animals. Talk about where we get wool, eggs, ham, beef, and milk (and from milk, cheese, yogurt and butter)
Music and Movement: Farm Animal Songs
Mr. Conway's Farm (animal sounds)
Old MacDonald Finger Puppet Play
The Animals on the Farm (sung to farmer in the dell)
The Animals on the Farm The Animals on the Farm Hi ho the Derry Oh The Animals on the Farm. Other verses (The cows give us milk, the chickens give us eggs, the pigs roll in the mud, etc)