Feel Safe...or fail safe?

The other night around 11pm I was sitting in my front room reading before going to bed. Everything was quiet, until someone began pounding on my door. Then it was my heart doing the pounding. I did not know what to do. How badly did I want to know who it was? Did I need to know? I got up and went to my door- and made a decision and called out, "Hello? Who is it?" And yet got no response. I was hoping that it was Bone Junior or Yanaj simply playing an ill-chosen trick on me, which has been known to happen. So I quietly tip toed to my room and pressed "4" on my speed dial. "Yeah," I whispered, "hi Yanaj, are you at home right now?" Unfortunately, she did not give me the response I was hoping for... "Yup, whats up?" So I proceeded to explain the situation. I was grateful for Yanaj's calm response. She asked if I wanted her to stay on the phone while I answered to door to see who it was, or at least until I was sure they were gone. Well, as it turned out, I simply talked on the phone for a few more minutes, turned out the lights and looked out my front window. No one seemed to be there. So I have no idea who came knocking at such a late hour. But I knew what to do next.

The following morning I called my manager and asked if he would consider putting a peep hole in my otherwise peep-hole-less door. I am now the proud owner of this view...and NO it is not bars on my windows.

I was excited to use it for the first time too.

but apparently you can see the flash through the peep hole...

P.S. Summer Vacation Approaches

As the school year slowly winds down to a close (p.s. 3 hours left), I have been trying to plan special activities that will interest my 4th graders during this short week.

Tuesday's Special Activity: I was excited that after reading Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks as a class, we were given permission to watch an edited version of the movie. To make sure it was educational...we discussed the similarities and differences between the movie and the book- (p.s. I was hoping that they would "come to the conclusion" -on their own of course- that often the book is MUCH better than the movie) and especially remember that over the summer (p.s. is that teacher-y enough?)

Best part- we got to eat popcorn and otter pops while watching our movie.

Wednesday's Special Activity: a 4th Grade Water Party. Intrigued? (P.S. So was I.) A Water Party, is exactly what it sounds like. Water activities outside. 1) Sponge Tag (p.s. large buckets of water are used to soak sponges and then toss those wet sponges at opponents...the point being you try to get everyone else as wet as possible), 2) Bucket Relay (p.s. teams carry water in a dixie cup across the field to fill up the gallon bucket at the other end), and the famous 3) Water Balloon Toss (p.s. need an explanation for this one...really?).

Best Part- one of my students smuggled in a left over water balloon into the classroom after the party. Obviously if I would have seen it, I would have told him to bring it back outside. As it turned out, as he was trying to sit down and put it into his otherwise empty desk, it burst all over his lap. As it goes, most 4th graders have a highly developed sense of "fairness", so when the other kids yelped to tattle, he turned a guilty guilty face up to me and I BURST out laughing. (p.s. I decided right then and there that it was consequence enough for him to stand up with his pants conspicuously wet from the broken water balloon and go to the boys' bathroom to towel off as best as possible) How is that for the punishment fitting the crime?

Thursday's Special Activity: This is already the 1/2 day...last day of school. Not enough? Well, we are preparing the Miss HPLuvr's 4th Grade Class Talent Show. On the stage with microphones and everything. I'll keep you posted as to what Talent I will be sharing.

Best Part- did I not mention that this is the LAST.DAY.OF.SCHOOL?

We all need a Friend

I have been slowly crocheting a blanket over the past...well...little while. Ronald has been attempting to get my attention and stop me. I simply think this yarn is irresitable.

But when I wasn't looking: a friend found Ronald. One Saturday morning, I was startled to see a pair of eyes looking back at me from my front windows, as I think Ronald was too!

Meet Harry Potter.

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love My Mom

10. She is one of the few people who has been willing to help me move, many times. Whether it was to move to college (about 5 or so different times), or across the country to Houston to teach- she has been there in the thick of things. Especially when it means that she is running circles around the moving man, she is Super Woman. And even surviving the night at our "fancy" $30/night motel- where she was insistent about looking through our luggage for night clothes in the dark 3am parking lot.

9. She seems to enjoy our daily chats, even when the time change makes my morning phone calls her wake up calls at 6:45 am. In fact, many times she is the one who is more awake and ready to start the day than I am to teach my 4th grade kiddos. This call is something that I look forward to every morning.

8. Has a crazy wicked sense of humor and is always willing to laugh. I do believe she is one of the few people that I know who has more than once been accused (i.e. pulled over) of being drunk. Instead she had to convince those people that she was in fact NOT drunk, but instead was just laughing. Albeit laughing hard enough that she was swerving between lanes on the freeway and stumbling around 7-11's looking for a treat. Oh- and the random bouts of giggling, when asked why are you laughing...her response "I was thinking about something from The Office last night." ...or requesting a picture of the cockroach I found interloping under my front door and into my Houston apartment.

7. She has always supported me- Rain City Volleyball Team, school sports, typing school assignments late into the night, playing hookey from school together, keeping Snicket's personality alive to banter with Ronald's, helping me decorate new apartments and classrooms, and keeping my spirits up when dealing with my teaching soul in Texas.

6. Spending spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and summer holidays with me. Coming to visit me in Houston and traveling to New Orleans together (surviving exiting off the wrong exit in downtown New Orleans). Willing to celebrate a picnic Thanksgiving in 75 degree weather with me and my Dad.

5. Our shared Hobby Lobby and LOST obsession. Enough said.

4. Loves spending time with those she cares about (or wrangling the team): my Dad, my Sister, her close friends, Snickets, Weebo, and me.

3. She is an amazing gift giver. Knows what I need even before I do sometimes. Like a two month food supply. Who knew how great *giggle* my food supply would look and work as a side table in my living room?

2. Going to see the movie Dick and Jane, taking a gulp of soda, laughing and almost immediately having said soda come shooting out of her mouth and nose.

1. I couldn't imagine life without her. Not many people care about the people around them as much as she does.

April Showers Bring May Flowers?

Yeah...sure. We certainly have been experiencing some odd weather. My mom was recently in town visiting for my Spring Break. Prior to her visit, we were involved in one of our Daily Chats when she asked for my opinion about what type of clothes she should bring.

"Well," I told her with a sigh, "Definitely plan for layers. I think that we will have some warm spring weather interspersed between cold and windy days. Does that help much?"

Thankfully she fully planned with her shoe wardrobe. Thankfully also that I decided to purchase my first washer and dryer set, because come to find out, Mom had packed enough shoes, but somehow forgot the rest of her clothes. By this I mean she was already recycling tops and/or borrowing from me around the 3rd day of her visit.

As for the weather front: as I was driving home today in my very optimistic capris and sandals-

Toodles says it all...yup...it was snowing on my drive home and still no improvements.