Weekend Knowledge

I spent this weekend taking my final class to renew my teaching license this summer. All month long I have been dreading an entire weekend taking a class. When choosing classes I tried to pick one that would be interesting and convenient. Therefore, I chose "Recreating History in the Classroom," which was held at the Johnson County Museum. This museum is minutes from my house and I have actually been to it several times. Even though I have browsed it before, I was still able to learn a bit more. I actually learned quite a bit of information about Johnson County. My favorite part of Saturday's class was being able to go in the basement of the museum and learn about how everything is archived and preserved, an organizer's paradise.

Lanesfield School 1869-1963

Inside of the schoolhouse, setup as it would have looked in 1904.

School supplies

Today was spent in rural Gardner at the Lanesfield One Room School House. I actually have taken a class here on a field trip before, so I knew the drill. The visitor's center has a great display on the history of one room schoolhouses. The curator of that museum is the costumed teacher and is hard core. She slaps your desk with a stick if you cross your legs, corrects your posture, etc. We had a geography lesson, spelling bee, arithmetic, and a handwriting lesson with ink bottles, blotting paper, and quills. I really enjoyed that part, just sitting quietly and writing.

I did learn that Johnson County was named after a missionary by the name of Reverend Johnson. The dirt in the museum community is that he was actually a very shady guy, not well liked, who had lots of Native American mistresses and was actually shot by an angry mob outside of his house. They believe his wife pulled the trigger. The town of Lanesfield was named after a guy with the last name of Lane who was Anti-Slavery. Come to find out he was only anti-slavery because he didn't want any African Americans at ALL in Kansas. It is believed that he haunts the schoolhouse. Why do they name things after creepy guys?

One of my thoughts throughout the course was that I noticed all of the handwritten journals throughout the museum, which are primary sources. I started thinking that in a way, this blog is recording our history, just as the farm wives were doing back in the late 1800's. Another thought and current theme discussed in the class was the lack of funding in schools presently, and the first thing cut would be field trips. On that note, it reaffirmed my goal of enriching the girls' education by taking them on little trips, we might hit this school house this summer.

On Saturday night, Bradley and I attended Trivia Night at G.S. I have been several times and often leave feeling, well, not so smart, or maybe it is the wine? I believe last night I knew more answers than normal, and Brad knew quite a few more than me. Too bad none of them were about Johnson County history, I would have been all over that. Here are a few I knew, but I actually knew many more (remembering them the best I can)..........

1. On Friends, who is the character that has a twin and what is the twins name?

2. This television event had the most viewers and was on September 6, 1997.

3. What former OU basketball star, NBA star turned Jazz musician died in the summer of 2009?

4. Who was the most recent actor to win an Academy Award posthumously?

Answers:

1. Phoebe & Ursula
2. Princess Diana's funeral (This was Labor Day weekend my freshman year of college. First time home and watched it all weekend long.)
3. Wayman Tisdale
4. Heath Ledger

Did you learn something from reading this?

Crushin'

I wrote earlier about Mia Kate blossoming in school this year and that she is the only girl on 2 days. Apparently, she is okay with this. We ask her who her friends are and she tells us the names of 4 boys. I hope her taste in friends in preschool carries with her throughout life, because these little lads seem to be good kids. Anyways, one seems to always come up in conversations, Jake (well, I call him Jake the Snake, not that he is one, but a friend in Wellington always used this term) anyways she always says "Jake was sick" or "Jake is so funny" etc....

Last week one day I dropped her off and she ran in and sat by the same boy and they started giggling. I scooped up Jilli and was walking away from the door when I heard her teacher say "Did you know about that little crush?" I didn't see her teacher, but thought she was talking to me so I went back and she was at the door smiling. I said "Mia Kate & Jake?" She said "Oh yes, they seem to really enjoy each other and have lots of giggles." I don't even know what I said back to the teacher because I was in complete shock that her preschool teacher was telling me this. So what do I do, go to the car and texted her dad "Start cleaning your gun." Just kidding. I called him and we laughed about it.

Yesterday, I dropped her off and this awesome little guy Daniel said to her "Hey Mia Kate, nobody is sitting by Jake." She quickly said "I know!" and ran off and DIDN'T.EVEN.KISS.ME! More giggling. More texting. More laughing.

Brad and I do not believe in teasing her about it, so I guess me writing about it doesn't help matters.

p.s. Brad only owns a bb gun.

Obsess Much 2

I bought this dress last winter on clearance at Target for $2.98. Jillian has worn it for the 3rd time this week, as she is insistent on wearing a "dress" daily. To those who have seen her closet or know me well, she has way to many clothes. However, in the play dress category that she is obsessed over, she is rotating 4, and when Valentine's day is over, that will be down to 2.

She is also obsessed with holding her bladder, which led us to the pediatrician yesterday. The girls and I had an UGLY case of the stomach flu this weekend. I think this scared her and she then decided to withhold all bathroom functions, for 12 hour stints. She SCREAMED and YELLED at me when we even came close to the bathroom. She has a little issue with going to the bathroom for others, like her dad and babysitter, but never for me. Until yesterday. I thought something was wrong because she said she "can't go" and "it hurts."

We get to the pediatricians office and she marches in like she owns the place. The ped asks if she has to potty and she says smiling "No, I don't have to potty." Then the pediatrician tells her that she has to pee in a special cup, oh boy! Yeah right, I thought. Once in the bathroom there she proceeds to SCREAM and YELL loud enough for all to hear. After some extreme bribery and 15 minutes of me squatting on the floor holding the special cup, she went. Back in the room, doc says all clear but then instructs me on giving her special baths 3 times a day. As the doctor was taking a quick breath Jillian looks at me "Awww, MOM! Why do I have to take baths?" The doctor just started cracking up laughing. I got in the car and texted her father "Piece of work, but she is fine."

Where/Wear did I learn to spell?

Improper spelling, punctuation, texting, grammar, drives me nutty. Sometimes I re-read my blog for fun and to laugh at our stories. Tonight, I noticed that I can't even use the word where/wear correctly. I am really embarrassed. I am pretty sure these were spelling words in the 4th grade, yes, unit 12 I believe.

Wear: I am going to wear the softest pajamas to bed.

Where: Where are you going for dinner?

No excuses Stace, that is so sad.

Smuggler

It's been said many times, many ways, but my youngest child is a real piece of work. The things that happen to her or she does never cease to amaze me. In the last month if one saw her face you might think she was a little fighter, she scratched her nose on the fireplace when a sitter was here leaving a great scab for the holidays and then she tripped in her room while jumping during our nightly rendition of "You Are My Sunshine" and hit her eye on her chaise lounge. Therefore, she has a nice shine of her own and large scab on her eyelid.

Well today, she pulled a good trick. We started off with baths in the morning, which I normally do not do. While trying to dress her in the bathroom she was messing around with a plastic headband, with little plastic teeth on it. It is her favorite, complete with princesses on it. Somewhere between dressing her and assisting to dress MK the headband disappeared. I thought MK hid it, she swore she didn't know where it was. Jilli was whimpering because she couldn't find it. Then I started drying her hair, she forgot about it. Our bathroom is small, we looked everywhere and I couldn't find it. Later I went back in there and thought "That is weird, it couldn't have left this room."

Please note, it disappeared at 8:20 a.m. I then proceeded to shower and dress. The girls played dollhouse and dolls. Then I did coats/hats/shoes/snacks, loaded them in the car. Unloaded them at dance, I even carried Jillian in and out. While MK was at dance, Jilli sat in her car seat while we got gas, went to Sonic, and dropped things at the Goodwill. We then went back to dance, carried her in, watched MK for a good twenty minutes, changed MK's clothes (are you exhausted yet?) and reloaded into the car. We then drove to the dentist. I unloaded them and MK had to go to the bathroom.

So the three of us file into the large stall. It was here that Jillian started wiggling and mumbling "Something is hurting me." and was picking at her underwear. I thought it was just a little wedgie or something fun like that. Please note this was now 10:55. I lift her dress, nothing, pull back her tights and low and behold the missing headband, under her tights, yet on top of her panties. It was around her side a little below her waist, the top of her headband was on her side, so her front area and little cheek were in the headband. I started dying laughing and Mia Kate did too, the people next to us surely thought we were nuts. The little stinker had been wearing it all morning under her tights, it had to hurt, but she never even mentioned it. All she said was "Oh, my headband."

Never a dull moment folks.

Weekend Review

This weekend we took the girls to see the Chipmunks movie. We really wanted to see Princess and the Frog, but it was showing only in the morning at the theatre near us. I thought the movie was pretty cute, especially the Chipettes!





The movie was close to being over when Jillian whispered in my ear, "Mom, where is the princess and the frog at?" Bless her heart, she still thought we were going to see the other movie. Mia Kate LOVES going to the movies and wanted us to sit up high in the theatre. She had a smile the entire show.


I also finished reading a wonderful book, The Help. We are reading it at church as a discussion book, and it is a great story, I highly recommend it. It isn't too fluffy like other things I find myself reading. I am trying to convince Brad to read it so we can discuss it together, I think he would find it intriguing.

We also introduced Mia Kate last weekend to the Ramona Series by Beverly Cleary. She really enjoys when we read her chapter books. We finished Ramona the Pest and are now flying through Beezus and Ramona. I read them out of order and made the mistake of telling her because now she wants to re-read Ramona the Pest in the right order. Brad doesn't think we should read them because Ramona isn't the most behaved child. But, she also enjoyed the Junie B. Jones series, which the child is ornery as well. I am trying to find a series that doesn't include a kid getting sent to the principal's office in every other chapter.

Jillian actually likes to listen, and the little stink actually comprehends really well. Several pages later she asks questions about certain events in the story.

Shake It Up

An assignment for my online class this week was to view this clip and reflect upon it.



I really don't know what to think, except that it is frightening.

How Time Flies

5 years ago, one evening I found myself wandering the clearance rack at Old Navy. I also found myself buying 3 little dresses. My thought was "I can just return them if I have a boy." Brad laughed at me when I laid them out on the living room floor, it was the first girl thing that I allowed myself to buy. I almost thought I was jinxing myself. Sure enough, the little girls came, both in time wearing those dresses.

Tonight, I ran up to Old Navy for something else, but found myself back at the same rack. This time I came home with a sack of 4 knit shirts, two navy blue, two white. Uniform shirts folks, uniform shirts. Once home, I again, laid them on the same living room floor for Brad to analyze. He seems to be the in house uniform guru, as he currently has a white Old Navy knit shirt from his high school uniform days hanging in the closet.

The last five years have just went by so fast. I can't believe that she will be in school next year. Seriously, I remember laying those baby dresses out like it was yesterday. I was hugely pregnant. I also remember dressing her in them like a little doll for her first Christmas. I read somewhere that "The days go so slow, but the years so fast." What a true statement!

But then again, she is beyond ready for school. This afternoon she asked me "Mom, isn't 32 degrees when water turns to ice?" Uniform boy must have taught her that.

Healthy Choice

Dinner Conversation: Monday January 11, 2010

We are all seated at the table, eating the dinner of champions, an assortment of cereal, Brad had leftovers. At least we were all together. Anyways, Brad made a point to note that his meal, baked chicken and green beans was the healthiest. Mia and I had cereal, and Jillian was feasting on frozen blueberries.

MK (mad because her meal wasn't as healthy as Brad's): I am drinking water, that is healthy.

Jillian: Um Mom, I didn't get a drink. Kool-aid and water is what I ordered. Yeah, kool-aid and water.

Brad: Jillian can you ask nicely?

Jillian: Mom can I please have kool-aid and water?

MK: Kool-aid is not a healthy choice.

Brad: Yeah Jilli, kool-aid is not a healthy choice.

Jilli: MOOOOMMMMMM! Dad said kool-aid wasn't a healthy choice.

Me: Well, he is right, it isn't healthy. Do you still want it?

She then looks around the table at each of them, slowly pondering her choice. Then straight at Brad

Jilli: Dad, I still want the kool-aid.

Reading

I am currently taking an online course titled Authors in the Classroom. I am really enjoying it, especially because 1) I love reading, especially to my kids at home and school 2) I am loading up on great ideas for the library and 3) I am "attending" class while laying on the couch under a warm blanket.

While doing my homework I stumbled across this article. I thought I would share, it is about encouraging your children to read. My girls had better like to read, several times this fall we have went from "work" as in G.S. school library, straight to the public library.

Also, for my homework I have to research author websites and create lesson plans. Do share your favorite author of children's books please!

White Dad

I was tired of labeling my posts about snow, couldn't quite come up with anything witty. So I came up with this...............



THE.MOST.USED.TOYS. in our house is the dollhouse collection. Mia Kate got the house for Christmas when she was 21 months old. It used to sit on our elevated hearth and she would kneel and play with it for hours. We moved it to Jilli's room a long time ago and it all sits neatly in her closet. I can count on a good hour worth of play from the girls when I get it out, they are quite imaginative. We have added the Dance and Twirl Palace and the Barn, along with many modes of transportation and excursions (camping, doctor, etc.) Nothing fancy at all, but they love it.

Years ago we noticed that the people were looking a little rough, their noses had rubbed off the color. I think that happened on the brick on the hearth? We have tried to be politically correct naming the different families that they have, but they call it like they see it.

Today we added a new dimension to them, "white dad" plays in the snow!

and a few more of our snow.

My boxwoods are under there somewhere.

Our driveway.

No, we did not play outside today, but we ventured out to collect the snow for the bathtub.

28 Days

Well, I can't really complain about my job. The last day I taught students was December 14th, and considering that we are having a snow day on Friday, that makes it 28 days off for me! I love the snow! Like the song says "Since there's no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Actually, Brad just announced he was taking my car to work tomorrow, so I might have a problem just mentally knowing that I can't leave. His truck is the opposite of my car in the snow, horrible.

For those of you not living in my area, we had snow Christmas Eve through the early morning of December 27th. More on the 30th, and the 2nd, and today is just a downright blizzard. Not much has melted. I was putting MK asleep tonight thinking if they would cancel on Friday, if they would remember to call me since I am only there Monday and Friday, about 10 minutes later, ring a ling, see you Monday!

Mia Kate had school cancelled today so her first official "Snow Day" we did some fun things. I wish I could take them sledding on a real hill, but they are just too little and it is too cold. Brad wants to take Mia Kate, but is looking for another adult/child combo.........any takers?

Don't you love Target's dollar aisle? We picked up these little mailboxes last week and added the puffy paint and stickers this morning.

I got crafty and made these felt Valentine's for the girls to play with in their mailboxes. Mia Kate did the tracing of the hearts with a cookie cutter. We found some buttons in our button box to add a little pizazz to them.

A few have special messages.....

and since it is 2010

Ha Ha!

My girls love play things like this and spent this afternoon mailing letters to each other.

While Jillian napped, Mia Kate and I broke out......

a Christmas gift that somebody has waited SO patiently to do. Apparently, I am not as smart as the "Easy" bake oven, I was trying to put it in the wrong side. Sometimes I seriously scare myself (and Brad too.) I read the instructions, bought the correct light bulb for it, installed the light bulb, made the dough, re-read the instructions. The instructions show the "cooking" area and the "cooling" area on the right side. Not working, Stace. We unplugged it and waited on Brad, as Mia cried I said, and I quote "Your dad can do it, he is the engineer."

After dinner, I plugged it in and got out the instructions again and started dying laughing. Of course you put it in on the left side. Brad didn't even know how to react. I know I am throwing myself under the bus on this one, but it is a true, yet pathetic story.

Clearly, the label should have said 30+ or I should not be allowed to raise children.

Sugar cookies before

Sugar cookies after....and the nifty hot pad my mom made for Christmas.

What's For Dinner?

Sometimes she is just so stinkin' funny and cute you just want to nibble on her.........

Silly face!

Jilli face!

Brad, Mia Kate, and I spend 80% of our dinner smiling at each other, trying our hardest not to laugh out loud. It isn't specific things that she says, but how she says it and she has facial expressions to go along with it all. Also, we only smile because it is hard to get a word in edgewise. She even makes up words and then goes with that word forever. I will try to explain.....

Tonight at dinner her bib scratched her neck, so she took her bib off. Meanwhile, Brad and I were trying to have a conversation. She started in "Oh this bib left a softer on my neck. Mom, do you see this softer?" Rubs her hand on her neck. "Oh the softer, oh that bib. Mia, do you see my softer? The Big Bird bib left this softer on my neck." Picks up the bib, examines it, "Dad, see this bib, this part left a softer on my neck." Puts the bib down, picks up her napkin. "Mom, I am done, I wiped my face, do I still have the softer?" I reply, "That was nice of you to wipe your face." She responds, "Oh, my hands, I forgot to clean my hands." and it goes on and on.........

p.s. We have no idea what a softer is.