Grandkids... at least the ones that are potty trained.

I love weekends like this one. Becca brought Seth over on Friday evening to stay the night. We didn't do anything special; ate Pappa John's for dinner, played some games, watched some TV, and just sort of chilled out. We were both pretty beat from a full school week, so we went to bed pretty early. I was feeling a little disappointed because we weren't going to be able to spend Saturday together due to the weekly football game. Lucky for me, my disappointment disappeared when not only Seth, but Maggie came home with me for another overnight visit.

Here are a few of our "exciting" moments.

We played flashlight hide and seek... Maggie is actually pretty good at hiding. She just doesn't quite get the "count to 20" idea. She will usually say "1, 2, 20!" So, you have to hide pretty quickly when she is it.

We took some pictures... I was trying to snap a picture from time to time. Even Seth snapped a picture of me. We tried to get Maggie to take a picture of us, but she kept taking pictures of our feet, the ceiling, her fingers, etc. We just settled on the picture Seth took.

We at lots of yummy food... Our bedtime snack was tasty PB&J on whole wheat. I actually think it was probably the most healthy thing we ate all evening. Brownies, pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, and popsicles were the menu for the evening.

We worked puzzles together... Seth was so thoughtful. He would wait until Maggie had her puzzle taken apart, and several pieces were put back in before he would actually start on his.

We played video games... Seth brought over his Nintendo DS and held Maggie on his lap while he played. We also played some cool math games on a web site his teacher showed him. We even tried out some games on NickJr.

When Saturday evening came, both kids were pretty tired so we got to go to bed early again; always a plus for Mimi! Sunday, we woke up to eat waffles before Seth went home and Maggie & I headed off to church. What a great weekend!

Things I have been meaning to blog about...

I thought I would post a few pictures that have been taken over the past few weeks. It is an attempt to make up for the posts that are photo-less.

Football season continues to move along. Seth's team lost their first game today. Luckily, Seth doesn't get that bent out of shape over a loss, so the day isn't totally ruined by a loss. Leslie, G, and the girls didn't make it today because they are in Houston visiting G's family. These are a couple of shots I took last week.

Look at that cute, pink face. Sophie may have some Hispanic blood in her, but that pink glow is proof positive that she has some Anglo-European blood too.

Becca found these awesome chairs at Academy. They are regular camp chairs with a twist. They have a little awning on top of them, which will make them perfect for watching games in the hot Texas sun. Last week was especially warm. Even Maggie, who usually seems impervious to the heat, snuggled up with Aunt B under the awning.

This next picture is for Mom and Dad. They said they couldn't figure out which player was Seth. He is #11 and the only one wearing gray socks. He couldn't seem to find his purple ones. Becca found them yesterday, shoved under her seat in the van.

After the game, Maggie came home with me. I had intended to get some lesson plans written, some papers graded, and entered into the online grade book. As you can see, Maggie ended up using my laptop for other things.

Here is a picture of my beautiful girls. I had a doctor's appointment one day a week or so ago. I decided to take the entire day off. The girls came over and we ended up having lunch, making a trip to Hobby Lobby, and making Christmas gifts for the great-grandparents. Because it is only October, pictures of the craft will have to wait until December. But, they turned out really nice. Can't wait to share pictures of them.

Another thing I have been meaning to blog about is my rain water collector. The kids got it for me as a Mother's Day gift. I love it! I have been able to water my potted flowers on the deck the entire summer; even in Texas!

The prettiest flower in the bunch is Sophie.

The rainwater collector is attached to a rain gutter on the corner of the sun porch. It can either be used with a hose or by filling a bucket. My yard is so small, that using a bucket is so much easier than fighting with a hose.

I managed to harvest enough water from the collector to keep my potted plants watered through the entire summer. That is pretty impressive because there are 4 pots like the one below as well as 6 medium sized pots. Not bad for a TEXAS summer!

I wasn't going to put any flowers out this year because I knew I would be recuperating for most of the summer. But, the rain barrel motivated me and I was able to enjoy these beautiful flowers for the entire summer.

Luckily, because of this wonderful Texas weather, I should be able to enjoy these gorgeous flowers well into December.

Well, that is it for another week or so. Nothing super interesting; just

some of the simple pleasures in my life.

Texas football... I just don't get it.

When I grew up, football was not part of my life. Dad never watched it or talked about it. My brothers didn't play it in high school, because we went to a little country school that wasn't large enough to have a football team. Our community didn't even have peewee league football, because our school didn't need a "feeder" system to prepare boys for the sport when they entered high school. As far as I was concerned, it didn't exist. And then I met Ron. Ron went to school in a town large enough to have all of those things, and he loved the sport. His parents loved the sport, had season tickets at the high school, and they actually watched it on television each weekend. I honestly tried to understand the stupid game. I remember spending study hall in the library trying to research the game enough to understand it. It didn't work. Once we were married, I would find other things to do when Ron was watching "the game" on television. Unfortunately, we had sons. Luckily, only one of them (Ryan) played in high school. So, as a mother, I ended up sitting on the bleachers through many ballgames. I still didn't grasp the concept of the game and never grew to understand the fever that seems to consume true fans. Once Ryan graduated, I moved to the soccer stadium bleachers. Finally, here was a game I understood and actually enjoyed watching. All the while, Ron is next to me saying, "I hate this commy sport. Look at that arm on Scott. He would have made a great quarter back. Look at the size of Scott. He would have been great on the line." I sat there and pointed out the many obvious facts. Scott didn't like football as well as he and Ryan. Scott is a very different person than he and Ryan. AND, Scott was a little more like me than him. Now, Scott does enjoy an occasional Cowboys game, and he does back Ohio State. So I guess you could say that Scott is a blend of our points of view.

After the boys graduated from high school, Ron and I went back to our usual routine. He watches the games and yells at the TV, while I putter around in the sewing room, do yard work, bake, or read. All the while, shaking my head at the strange effect that football has on my husband.

Now, the vicious cycle has come around again. Seth is playing football. In Seth's defense, I have to say that he will readily admit that he doesn't like football as much as his Poppy, or his mother. He would rather play baseball, which, thankfully, is something I enjoy and understand. But when you live in Texas.... football is king.

Here are a few pictures I took at the game on Saturday. To show how fanatical the parents are, look closely at the following picture. Parents bring in portable awnings and set up house underneath. The younger brothers and sisters are dressed in team T-shirts or little cheerleading outfits. Older brothers and sisters come to talk to their friends about last night's high school game.... It is crazy! It is part of the small town Texas culture and ingrained in these people!

In this picture, you can see Seth's (#11) team. His coach is Terrance. Terrance was a big time high school jock who grew up, stayed in Gatesville, and is now raising a tribe of little football players. He has had Seth on his team since the boy started playing. That's him on the right in the background with the black head scarf and his hands on his hips. And those of you with sharp eyes will see Ron standing along the sidelines to the left. Yep, Ron helps coach the team.

The next picture shows the "officials" and the 2 opposing teams taking a knee. There aren't enough funds in Gatesville to actually hire trained officials, so the community volunteers to call the games. At least they are teaching some manners to the boys. They do take a knee whenever one of the players gets the wind knocked out of him.

Seth isn't fleet of foot, but he is a pretty big kiddo. He usually spends most of his time during the games pushing on the chest of 2 players from the other team. I am not even going to try to explain what position he is playing, because frankly, I don't know.

So, that is a look at Texas football; Gatesville style. Seth plays because all of his friends do, his Mommy expects it, and Poppy helps to coach the team. Now here I am again, sitting along the sidelines watching a game I really don't understand OR like. But, I love the men in my life.

The perils of mixing photography and your blog...

It is Labor Day weekend and I had intended to post a picture filled blog today. There were several important events that took place this weekend, and I had every intention of photographing them specifically for the blog. Unfortunately, my plans often go amiss.

On Saturday morning, the fire academy hosted a family event for the current class of firefighters. The class has been practicing repelling down the sides of buildings all week, and ended the week of training by inviting the families to meet at the Plaza Hotel in Killeen to watch them descend the tallest building in the city. ( It is all of 6 stories high.) I had my grandson Seth with me and we headed out the door, camera in hand. Unfortunately, once we got there I discovered the battery was dead. As a result, the only images I have of Scott smiling, joking around with his buddies, and thoroughly enjoying himself are in my memory. I did, however, find a picture online of the hotel. So imagine, if you will, a bunch of firefighter cadets standing around on the roof, on the ground and 3 repelling along the side of the building near the giant P.

The second event that I had intended to photograph was Seth's first football game of the season. His team is once again called the Horned Frogs. Seth was telling me that he didn't expect to get a break during the game. I asked why, and he said was on all 4 teams; defense, offense, punt, and punt return. Their team won the game, 18 to 0, and he came off the field a tired, sweaty kid. But, do I have a picture of him? No; the battery was dead. So here is a picture of the college team that they use as the theme for their colors and mascot.

The third event that I had intended to photograph took place on Sunday afternoon. My brother Larry, his wife Kathy, and their daughter Hannah are in town visiting my parents. I invited them all over for family dinner on Sunday. Luckily, I had charged my battery and had the camera waiting. I snapped a picture of my granddaughter Maggie setting the table and then put the camera on the bar. Did I take any more pictures, NO! I just got caught up in the hustle and bustle of making sure dinner was prepared and then sat down to visit. So, here is the one and only picture I took of family dinner.

Ron and I do have a few more things planned for the last day of our long weekend, but I don't promise that I will take picture and blog about them!

Faces I love...

My Sugarbear, Ron...
My Dad...
My Mom...My oldest son Ryan...

My youngest son Scott...

Son-in-law Ed...

Oldest daughter Rebecca...

Son-in-law Gerson...
Youngest daughter Leslie...
Grandson Seth...
Granddaughter Maggie...
Granddaughter Sophie...I am blessed.

Back to school again...

Another school year is about to start. I am teaching in second grade again this year. I will have the dyslexic students in my class again. Hopefully, now that I have actually attended the dyslexia conference, I will be able to better meet their needs.

Here is a quick picture tour of my classroom.

This is the view of the room as you enter the classroom. I use tables with seat sacks as opposed to desks. I have found that missing assignments are no longer a problem because there is nowhere for the papers to get lost! The usual number of students in my class each year is around 20 - 21.

Moving on around the room, this is the view from the corner near the guided reading table. You can see the student cubbies, mail box and student tables.

This is my guided reading area where I do most of my small group instruction. I don't have a teacher's desk. I found that I never sat at the thing and it ended up being a dump zone.
This is the math center. The drawers will contain separate activities/assignments. Materials for math activities are kept in the two shelves to the right.
These are the tubs for my literacy centers. Students work in small groups on assignments that cover anything from word work to comprehension skills. I also include center activities that review science and social studies lessons. The tubs are taken to the tables and worked on while I do small group instruction.
Here are the student mailboxes and the center folder storage boxes. As the activities in the center tubs are finished, the students file them inside their folders. At the end of the week they turn in the folders and I grade them in time to be "mailed" home the following Thursday.
This is my shared reading area and where the class gathers for most whole group instruction.
This is the classroom library from the outside...
Inside view of the classroom library...

And another view of the classroom library.
So, this is where I spend the majority of my time from August until June.

Uncle Eddie...

My oldest daughter, Rebecca, has been married to Edward Joseph Castello for 10 years now. They were married on Grandma Shirley's birthday, and I think Becca did that on purpose so that her forgetful mother wouldn't forget her anniversary.

If I had to pick a husband for Rebecca, it would have been Ed. He is the perfect match for Becca because he seems to be her polar match in all areas. They compliment each other so well.

Ed works overseas; coming home every 6 months or so for some time with the family. He recently got home and we went up for a potluck dinner and some swim time.

Becca does such a wonderful job of holding down the fort while Ed is away. She sometimes takes on some pretty big challenges, just to make Ed happy. She oversaw the entire construction of their house, starting with drawing up the floor plans and purchasing the property. Another of the things she did, was put in an above ground pool. And I do mean, SHE put it in. She had some help, but most of the hard construction work was taken care of by Becca. She is an amazingly independent woman and I am very proud of her.

Miss Maggie Lyn LOVES Uncle Eddie! While we were visiting, Maggie played in the pool with her "favorite uncle" and kept asking for doughnuts. I couldn't figure out why, until Becca told me it was because of the tattoo on Ed's stomach. It is of the words, Fat Boy and the o in boy is a doughnut. Crazy Maggie!

Sophie is at that age where she is still a little stand-offish. Is that actually a word? Anyway, she enjoyed watching the other kids play with Ed and Becca in the pool. She finally got in once her Dad decided to swim.

But, the person that enjoys having Ed home the MOST, is Seth. He is the spitting image of his dad and I love watching them interact. He is especially excited that Dad will be home for Meet the Teacher night, and the beginning of football season. Isn't that the face of a happy little boy?

We all know how hard it is for anyone to find a descent paying job in this economy. I know that the time Ed is working overseas is not easy for anyone in Becca's little family. We all hope that this will be the last year that Ed works overseas.