Friday, December 18, 2009

Rejects for Christmas...
Here's some pictures that didn't make the cut.










I really love this last one. But I don't think Mark would let me use it for the Christmas card.
Ding Dong, Finals Are DONE!!!!
In my head that's sung to the tune of ding dong, the witch is dead... It's funnier. I can not even begin to tell you about all the crap that has happened in the last month. Let's put it this way, I have not quilted in almost three months and my house has not been properly cleaned in almost two. I haven't gone Really grocery shopping in 3 or 4 weeks and the house has had a permanent 'tornado just came through' look that makes my skin crawl for-EVER. That's how busy this semester has been. But it's over!!! And I'm expecting pretty good grades. I even managed to get a 95% on my history of mathematics final. That's right, I got an A in a history class!!! Where's my damn jr high teacher now!?! That's the only grade that's being reported so far. So here's the highlights that I can remember right now.
*I passed the Praxis 2. This is a content specific exam to get your teaching license. I realize that no one else was concerned about me passing but I was. If I had failed it, I did not have enough time to take it again before student teaching started and you have to have a passing grade to student teach. So, lots of pressure and I was very worried about it but I passed with flying colors and checked that off the list!
*I'm missing pictures. One of my lovely children got ahold of the camera. I'm not sure but I'm guessing Aidan. Somehow, the memory card disappeared out of it with all of Halloween and most of November on it. I'm sure someday we'll find it, somewhere weird, long after memory cards have changed and it's useless.
*I turned 31! And did absolutely nothing!!! Seriously! We celibrated on a Sunday and Mark made me food, I watched a movie, took a nap. It was glorious! And I paid for it the next day when I had to make up the lost time. But it was worth it!
*Isla has 6 teeth now and is too scared to walk. I'm waiting for the day she forgets what she's doing and just let's go. She's growing like a weed and is already into 12-18 month clothing. That's nothing too surprising with our children. I need to measure her though because she just went through a growth spirt where she was sleeping 14 or 15 hours at night and taking 3 hour naps and any time she was awake, she was eating! Her clothes were a little big and now they look just right.
*Cecelia had a little holiday concert at her school. It was cute and funny and AWFUL! I wish I felt bad saying it but we had to sit through all the grades and there was the classic 4th grade boy who didn't realize everyone could see what he was doing who made the best faces. The chair in front of me was empty until a guy showed up late and then didn't take his hat off. So I moved down a couple of seats to video Cecelia singing only to have a woman with hugh hair in front of me start leaning over into the isle and get in the video about half the time blocking Cecelia. Plus, NO ONE was in tune. Only 20 more years of these horrible concerts!
*Aidan has also been growing. I can always tell because he gets really clumbsy. It's hard to judge based on food intake with him because he always eats. But a couple of weeks ago, he started running into stuff and somehow fell in his socks in the bathroom and hit his face on the toilet seat. I was in the living room so I'm not entirely sure how this happened but he did do a reinactment that was pretty entertaining where he tried to show me how both his feet went backward while he was facing the toilet and then he smacked his face right in the middle of the lid. You can see the shiner in the Turkey day pictures. I'm still not sure this could happen like he said but he was in there by himself so I'll have to take his word on it.
*Things I did manage to get done: laundry (sort of, that's a never ending battle), most of my christmas shopping, I got the glass to fix the broken windows. There's two now instead of one. However I haven't found the time to put the glass in the window frames. The frames and the glass are both in the garage. It's a lot colder with just storm windows on so I'm planning on fixing them today or tomorrow. I've managed to make the fudge for the kids' teachers' christmas presents and keep the dogs and children fed. Although maybe not as healthily as I would have liked. Every once in a while I even remembered to hug a kid or two;)
Today, I will be hanging out with Aidan who graciously waited until after my finals to start projectile vomiting last night and make me a liar about the laundry. I will be cleaning my house. Deep, deep cleaning my house. Putting plastic on the bedroom windows, which normally happens in October. And the tonight, I'm going to sit down and quilt. It will be glorious!
That all being said, here are some pictures!
Turkey Day! (with 30+ people)


This is Olivia and I think this is my favorite picture of her! She's so cute!

This is almost everyone sitting down. Notice Chuck in the background standing on a chair. He's mocking me because I had to stand on a chair to get everyone in the shot.

I actually got everyone to look for a second.

Mom, Dad and Aunt Lee

Randy is one of the adoptions. He's been around for several years now. I really like him.

Mark got caught with a sleeping baby. Isn't she sweet!

Chuck and his daughter although I really only see her mom's side in her. I'm not sure his genes even got invited to that party.

John and Aidan as only they can be. Notice the shiner...

Olivia playing on the floor with Isla. She gives me such good smiles! It's because I'm her favorite!

This was just a cute moment where all three where clean and happy and on our way out the door to Turkey dinner.

Look how long Cecelia's legs are getting!!!

This was a couple days later and Allison and the girls came over to play.

Okay, I have to upload all of my December pictures still and please don't think you've been forgotten. I have not gotten the Christmas photo done yet. I actually tried twice already but neither try ended with a single good shot. Third time's the charm, right?