Post Vacation

Well... the biggest news is that Dale and I went shopping and bought a sleep number bed yesterday. I thought I would get to sleep in it last night, but apparently you have to wait 2 weeks for the bed. I've been having back problems since August, so we have been discussing a new bed, even though Dale loves his waterbed. It helped that we slept on a sleep number bed at Tahoe for a week. I kept giving the salesman hints to Dale's heart at the sleep number store, so that Dale would be more likely to purchase.

I am still reeling from the relaxing/fun vacation. It was really nice to have Monday off. Only one person (a student) noticed that I got my hair cut at work today. I got the wispiest of bangs the Saturday before I left at SUPERCUTS. I was there with all of these men. I couldn't get in to see my hair dresser, and I couldn't go one more week with my heavy, long hair. So, I took the plunge. Quick and cheap and my haircut is OK!

And, did you know that you can get one annual credit report for free from all 3 consumer reporting companies? Yes, you can! Just log onto Annual Credit Report.

And... I helped my friend Amy start her blog Sunday night! My mom also started a blog.. Are you next? I would love to read your blog!
Thanks for stopping by!

Home, Sweet, Home

So... we are home. We had a wonderful day skiing on Friday. The weather was beautiful again. I was pointing out to S* the beautiful view of the lake when we were riding up the chairlift aptly named "First Ride," S* told me that he had already seen the lake, thank you very much! My favorite part of Friday was eating at Lakeview Lodge. We had a window seat right next to a heater with an astounding view of the lake. The scariest part was watching Z* snowboard up a hill and then flip over and fall on the other side. He's fine, but I had images of other snowboarders crashing down on him. The yukkiest part was carrying my skis AND S*'s skis down stairs to the car. Dale & Z* skiied down to our resort, whereas S* and I had to drive to our resort. We met my sister and family and her brother-in-law's and family at Chevy's Friday night for dinner. They are skiing until Monday.

Well.... we're unpacked and thankfully I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday! Yippee!

Few Thoughts

So... today was the big day, the first day of the high school exit exam for students across the state of California. I wore a pin all day that said, "I believe YOU can" (Nobody commented on it, except my doctor) I am keeping my fingers crossed for the students I have been tutoring the last few weeks.

We picked up some fast food and used baseball shoes for Z*. S* said that he never used a wood bat before, but maybe if he took steroids???!!

I was teaching 3 digit multiplication to 3rd graders today and the students asked me who I voted for. I told them that it was a personal question, and then all of those cute little boys and girls raised their hands and asked me, "Who did you vote for? Mharia toooooooold us." I can tell you, my blogger friend, I voted for Clinton. (I told them too!) Zachary wanted to vote for Obama. Of course, what I like about my job is "visiting" classes because at times I am like a friendly grandma who knows math.

So my doctor has joined a Primary Care Group. The friendly quiet office has changed into a bustling place with doors with signs "Employees only." I called today to get directions and was on hold for 5 minutes and then called back and was on hold for 3 minutes. I still like him, I just am having readjustment issues. So he used his laptop in his appointment with me and then, voila, he sent one of my prescriptions directly to Rite Aid. I asked him for the prescription and he tapped his head, as if he used mental telepathy to send it. I felt like my grandma, like I can't keep up!

Well, thanks for being an avid reader!

Wacky Wednesday

So.... not much to write, but I thought it was really cute yesterday when Sean asked if he could have sausage, eggs and toast for breakfast this morning. I informed him that our main cook (Dale) was sick and would be unable to make his elaborate breakfast (and that we didn't have sausage). Sean, nonplussed by this, said, "Well, wake me up early, so I can make breakfast." Then he proceeded to remind me 3 times last night to wake him up early. So I did. (This is probably modeled on how many times I remind him of things!) Sean made some delicious scrambled eggs ( I made the toast). I also made an egg dish last night, quiche. It was made from our newly purchased farm fresh eggs. Then I made an apple crisp. Sean asked if everyone could have there own topping on their part of the apple crisp. I didn't oblige. Unfortunately the apple crisp made me a little cranky (after slicing & peeling 10 apples) and then when I needed to make the topping it called for a food processor. We got a new food processor recently, but no one has washed it yet. Luckily, after the topping got stuck in the bottom of the blender, Zachary was able to step in and mix the topping with his hands. He loves getting his hands in cookie dough, etc., basically anything gooey.

So I decided to make the decorated brownies for Saturday. I am showing the professional pictures because I love putting pictures on my blog. It's like photojournalism. I was trying to take a cute picture of Dale & Sean, but they didn't want to be on my BLOG. Yikes! Apparently, you can run out of space and then have to pay to upload more pictures (I know this couldn't be a free hobby!) Anyway, I'll try to remember to take pictures of my homemade creations.

Last tidbit is my record for playing tennis in the coldest weather yet, 43 degrees. I was wearing a neck warmer the whole time. It always feels good to hit the ball in whatever temperature!

Snow Sports

A Big Happy New Year!



So, we did our "dry run" today at Mount Shasta (for our upcoming ski trip in Lake Tahoe in February). We were planning on skiing on Thursday, but there is a big storm coming in. The weather was beautiful. It was the ultimate in California skiing.
Great things:

• Seeing families from Chico


• Doing a family activity


• Lisa skiing again after 12 years!


• We are all intact at the end of the day


• Zachary went on a chair lift today!
  

Things we learned:

• Make sure everyone drinks lots of water


• Make sure people don't get too tired


• Have bribes ready to get Sean to ski


• Lisa will never get the hang of a toe rope!


• Make a master list

I was inspired by a woman I met at the chair lift who informed me that it had been 37 years since she had been on skis. I think she overheard me mumbling about going on a chair lift, and the fact that it had been 12 years for me. I met a lot of very friendly people at Shasta. At one point I was talking about the state of mathemathics education with a Shasta school board member. She was trying to encourage Sean to get back on the slopes and grabbed his hands to show him how make the "wedge" with his skis. And, on another note, Zachary's tailbone is hurting since I told Aunt Stephanie's tailbone story. (!)

Reading Update: I finished Fun Home and started Jesus Land (2nd book from Tess), it's a memoir of a 16-year girl who moves to the country with her family including her (adopted) black brother. It's a tragic, but heartfelt written story. It reminds me of The Glass Castle. I am enjoying it. I've been reading a lot of memoirs lately.