Wordless Wednesday

You don't see this very often....

In case you don't understand what I'm referring to, that is a line of men waiting to use the restroom (at Lambeau Field a couple of weeks back).  I can't say that I've ever seen that before.

Lucky for them, the line moved three times faster than any I've seen going into the women's restroom at Lambeau.

As the Holidays Roll Out

I've told this story before, but it means a lot to me. I hope that it means something to you, too.

Christmas Eve is a pretty big deal around here. We have a tradition of going to church in the afternoon, coming home and opening new pajamas, and eating a formal dinner by candlelight in our pj’s. The year that Great Grandma Florence had passed away (two days prior) was a somber one.  Family from Michigan had joined us here (for the funeral that would take place on the 26th), and although everyone tried to get into the Christmas spirit by wearing pajamas to our house, it was tough. I can’t tell you about the depths of my husband's father's sorrow that night (the computer screen becomes blurry just thinking about Grandpa 4444's seemingly-bottomless grief).  Normally very jovial and full of Christmas Spirit, his heart was empty that night. He had lost his mother, his best friend, and a larger-than-life personality that helped define our family’s character.

Earlier that day, I had bought a tall, burgundy-colored pillar candle and a gold stand to hold it in a place of prominence on the mantel. As we gathered that night, I shared my idea to light the candle and keep it lit throughout our Christmas Eve celebration as a way of remembering the four 4444 family grandparents we had lost in the past couple of years, including Gram Florence. Bob seemed unimpressed, but he did consent to lighting the candle for me.

I don’t remember anything else about the night except the ending. After hugs good bye, as Bob was heading out the door, he called out, “Don’t forget to blow Gramma out--She’d hate like hell to burn the house down!”  That gives you a glimpse of the sense of humor he had and how much someone like that in a family would be missed.  Sadly,  Bob too passed away unexpectedly, six weeks later, due to a massive heart attack.  It was another crushing blow to our family (especially in the span of six weeks); it was like a kick in the stomach; we couldn’t breathe, and we wondered about the injustice of it.   

Our identity as a family took such a hit, it was hard to believe we would ever be anything special without Gram and Bob. However, we have made it. We have “regrouped,” so-to-speak. I still miss Gram’s and Bob’s great senses of humor and their thoughtfulness, among other things. However, I see their spirits in my husband and children, who are their offspring and have inherited their wit, generosity, and fun-loving personalities. I wear the sweaters Gram lovingly knit for us, and I see Bob’s influence when my husband demonstrates (constantly) what an amazing dad he is to our kids.

While our family will never be the same without Gram and Bob, it is still special. What I’m trying to say is that if you have lost a family member this year, or if you just miss someone who is no longer with you this holiday season, I appreciate your pain. I understand your sense of loss, and I care. Hang tough; the pain of loss softens over time, even if it doesn’t completely go away. Remember the good times. Start a new tradition in the name of family. Pray for healing.

You are in my prayers…

Oh, You Shouldn't Have (Really)

There's a funny video on YouTube called Present Face. It's about the faces people make when trying to be gracious about unwelcome gifts.  The video I'm sharing today is one that Kendall and I filmed a few years ago, when we presented Grandma 4444 with a "kitten" as a gift.  You should know that Grandma 4444 is not a fan of pets (at all) and is, in fact, allergic to cats.  We often tell her that she should get a puppy to keep her company in her old age, and she gives us that "over-my-dead-body face," which cracks us up. It's kind of an ongoing joke, now, and she loves us enough to go along with it every time.

You should also know that Grandma 4444 is the kind of grandma who typically loves any gift you cared enough to choose for her.  Actually, you could probably give her a dog turd wrapped in pretty paper and she'd be gracious about it. Her new kitten, though, kind of threw her for a loop.

You'll be glad to know that once the the shock wore off, Grandma 4444 embraced her new companion and, in fact, named her "Lola."  Three years later, Lola purrs comfortably on the fireplace hearth (and has gone through several batteries).

Just thought I'd share this with you to remind you to prepare your "Present Face" for the holidays. 

(Sorry about the snorting.)

Sundays in a Long-Ago City

This week, kids across the United States went to "Grandma and Grandpa's" house for Thanksgiving dinner.

Back in the day, the holidays meant getting dressed up, too. 

Before the days of iPods and handheld electronics, that meant some boring moments for kids with few cousins their own ages.. 

Clearly, Mr.4444's and his brother made the best of it.

Bob and Mr.4444

Dorks. (Ya gotta love 'em.)

*And no; I don't know what that is in Mr.4444's hand. Cap gun, maybe?

To check out scenes from around the globe today, visit Unknown Mami.

Hello Again, Grandma D

I remember very little of Grandma D (my mom's mom). I do remember her delicious chicken and rice dish, the marathon Scrabble games she and her daughters played, and the time my sister Judy got caught in the rope swinging in Grandma's barn and was swinging by one ankle! (We were so scared we'd get in trouble!) I also remember that Grandma loved roses.

I remember more about Grandma's house; the farm. There was an old, dilapidated outhouse beside the garage, and we "city" kids delighted in using it, even though there was a perfectly good toilet inside the house! There was a tiny, charming kitchen inside the house, and a big walk-in pantry. Grandma's house was full of healthy, flowering plants; clear evidence of her "green thumb" (something my own mom inherited from her!) Her many flower beds outside were a sight to behold.

This is part of the foreword I wrote in a family cookbook that I organized in 1993, when Kyle was just a baby. I was 12 when Grandma D passed away, and as I got older and became a mother, I felt a strong need to know more about her. There were about 30 D first-cousins at the time, most who were older than I was and had lived closer to Grandma growing up, so I asked them (and my siblings) to send me recipes and memories of Grandma for a cookbook. They did not disappoint. As the recipes and memories flowed in, I got a better glimpse of what she was like. But while some gaps began to fill-in, I still felt a deep need to know more.

Then one night, I had a beautiful dream. Grandma came to me and took me back to her farm when I was a young girl. We picked flowers, went for a walk, cooked, and talked, spending the day together, just the two of us. She was very warm, loving, and she made me laugh. I felt very comfortable, and loved, and when I woke up, I was filled with a sense of peace and joy like I had never known. It was as if Grandma's spirit knew I'd been seeking her out, and she wanted me to know she is here. I have never had such a touching dream, nor one that felt so very real.


Guess who this is...

No, it's not my mom; it's her mom, goofing around in her one of her brother's Navy uniforms in what I can only imagine is around 1918 or so, given that she was married and had her first baby by 1922. [This photo was recently shared with me (thanks to Facebook) by a distant cousin-in-law whom I've never met. Thanks, Michael!]

What I love about this photo (what made me get choked up) is that it's like my grandma is saying hello again, and since I've rarely seen photos of her as a young woman, I'm getting an even greater glimpse of who she was.  It's clear who my mom got her playful spirit from, and I'm happy to say that it carries on in me.

What a gift; awareness of our roots.

Friday Fragments, Episode #173

Do I look fat in these fragments?  If you're like me and you celebrated Thanksgiving today (or yesterday for that matter), you're still full from your feast.  Hopefully, unloading fragments will help with the bloat. [New to Friday Fragments? Please embrace the FF philosophy and rules here. (Or you will be doomed.)]

***WELCOME, new fragmenters,Kristin, of Feast on Farrago and Homegrown Family. I'm glad you found your way here! :)

***Last weekend, I threw my cellphone into a toilet. My search for a new phone is well-documented on G+ and only gets me worked up, so I won't go into details here, except to say that I'm not happy with the (demo) that I was talked into by my current carrier. It's going back asap; I want the Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket, and I'm not going to settle for anything else (except maybe the Nexus).  


***Tonight, I met a brand-new blogger and young mom who's having a Zoobies Blanket Pet Giveaway. If you are grateful for those who helped you get on your blogging "feet" way back when, please stop by A Young Mom's Journey and welcome her to blogland!  (You do not need a blog to enter the giveaway, and the blanket pets are adorable.)


***I lost all of my phone contacts; if you haven't heard from me lately, that might be why. Text me if you'd like to help me put things back in order. Thanks.

***Melanie Shebel shared a link to 36 Funny Email Signatures, which I found inspiring and very funny. If only I could choose just the right one. Here are my top four choices:

1) Save time; see it my way!
2) Everything is always okay in the end, if it's not, then it's not the end.
3) Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away, and you have their shoes too.

***I'm especially grateful today (after reading contrary status updates elsewhere) that it never occurs to me that holiday gatherings in my family are experiences to be endured. We had a nice time today (and watching the Packers win didn't hurt).

***Amy Austin of Pretty Babies shared Mouthing Off: If Pizza is a Vegetable, Then Why Am I Getting Fat Eating DiGiorno?  on Google+ this week.  Very funny.


***My daughter, Kendall, was featured on both HPKT and Mrs.4444 Cooks this week. If you missed her very impressive parking job or Turkey cake pops, I highly recommend them.


***I am not going Black Friday shopping, but I am excited about a Christmas gift vlog I'm working on. It's going to have my favorite-favorite "stuff" lately; things that make great gifts. Keeping in mind that vlogs should be relatively brief (a couple of minutes), I'll be working to include only the best stuff (and no compensated reviews). If you do the same, let me know, and I'll share yours in my post.


Okay, it's your turn to purge! FRIDAY FRAGMENTS POSTS ONLY, PLEASE.  All others (or those not following the guidelines) will be deleted.

Heard in the Classroom: Fall Funnies

***We have been quadblogging with three other schools from around the globe. Quadblogging involves four groups of bloggers from different schools across the globe taking turns visiting each other's blogs.  A few of our students wrote about going deer hunting.  A student from Ireland commented on the post:  "I have never really heard about deer hunting before, I didnt know people still did it :L What does deer taste like? Do you not feel bad when you kill an animal?"        Isn't that interesting? 

***First thing in science this morning....."I had a taco for breakfast this morning; excuse me, if I'm gassy."

***In the hallway...directly after a science class human body lesson during which a student asked if your nails keep growing after you die:  "I want to be naked when I die (like, in my coffin); I just want to be free, ya know?"  [Not surprisingly, this particular student feels the same way about homework.]

***I was having J do his third retake of a quiz on six vocabulary terms (orally, this time).  After two completely wasted minutes of my life (He couldn't answer a single question.) something "clicked," and he spewed an entire line from the notes given in class. "Wow!" I exclaimed. "Look at you!"  He excitedly replied, "Wait!! I have this in my brain! I just had to figure out how to open it again!"    Story of my life...


We actually have no school today; it's the first day of Thanksgiving break. Just wanted to say "Thanks" for stopping by :)  If you live in the U.S., Happy Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. For everyone else, may you have too many blessings to count, as well. :)

A Tight Spot

First, I want to thank my 16-year-old daughter, Kendall, without whose permission I would not be allowed to share this story.

See this impressive statue? It's the great Vince Lombardi, posthumously lording over Lambeau Field on a gorgeous, sunny day.  Over to Vince's left is another statue, of Curly Lambeau.

photo credit

Not what you'd consider a treacherous place, certainly, but add crowds of people, the dark of night, rain, and  a teenage driver, an unfamiliar parking lot, and you have a recipe for a crisis.  (see red arrow for the location of this particular crisis)

photo credit

On Saturday, I was at the mall when I got a frantic call from Kendall, who was at Lambeau Field for a choir event. She was still in the parking lot, though, in a terrible fix.  At first, because she was so panicked (and crying), I thought that she had been in an accident.

"Mom, no; I didn't get in an accident, but you have no idea." [sob] It's really bad. Everyone's staring at me and pointing.[sob]  Mom, I don't know what to do! Can you come down here?"

Of course, I assured her that I'd be there asap. I arrived about 10 minutes later.

To give you some background...the stadium parking lot was packed; the organization had invited the community to come for a free holiday kick-off (inside the atrium). There was all kinds of activity there for that. Plus, there was a home-game Sunday and thousands of people in town for that, many who had come to the stadium to visit the Packers Pro Shop. (And remember; it was dark and raining.)  Take all of that and add the stupidity of the parking logistics--some genius had closed two rows of parking with a gate at the end, resulting in a one-way entry to those rows and no way out!  Kendall (like many, many other drivers behind her) had driven down there, only to find there were no spots and no outlet. She had no choice but to either do a y-turn in a tiny space (with a line of cars behind her, the drivers of which having no way of knowing what she was doing or why) or pull into a handicap space and back out again. She chose the latter. However, she was nervous and driving a Suburban (when she's used to a small car); two minutes later, she was in one of the tightest spots of her life.

These are actual photos of the predicament Kendall had gotten herself into; they are not doctored photos.

I know, right?  Could you even do that if you tried?!

She was afraid that there was no way to get the truck out of situation without hitting the car next to her.  People were stopping, staring....pointing...commenting...all not realizing that Kendall was still in the truck, paralyzed, with no idea how to get out of her predicament.

When I arrived, I quickly realized what had freaked Kendall out  and set out to explain to other drivers what was going on (I needed them to back up or at least stop driving down into the quagmire. I had to leave my vehicle in the way while I got the truck out.).  Kendall came over, still sobbing and saying, "I'm sorry." (Poor kid! ) I assured her that it was no big deal. I sent her inside (she had a concert to perform) and backed the truck out without any problem. (There was lots of room on the other side, so all I had to do was crank the wheel and slowly back up.)

Don't worry-- the choir performance went off without a hitch; Kendall and her fellow songbirds sang like larks, and the acoustics inside the atrium were fantastic. I'm pretty sure that Kendall will never forget the night that she found herself too close for comfort, right beneath the shadow of Vince Lombardi and Curly Lambeau.

No harm done. No foul. [She had not touched the other vehicle, believe it or not.]  We all have memories of tough spots we've found ourselves in with cars as newer drivers. Help Kendall feel better; if you haven't blocked yours out, please share your embarrassing moment as a new driver.

Heads Up!

As long as I'm in a good mood when you do it, if you jump out and scare the crap out of me, I love it. I'm not much of a daredevil, but I do love the quick rush of adrenalin that comes from a sudden startle. This new video from Just For Laughs TV made me laugh out loud (hard); just what I needed after a long, busy day.

Sundays in My City: Dressing for Lambeau

Sundays in My City is a weekly photo meme hosted by Unknown Mami. Visit Unknown Mami for scenes from cities all over the globe.

I took a great photo this morning at Lambeau Field.  I was bundled up to work outdoor concessions (34 degree high today) and asked a friend to take a photo with my cell phone, since I had forgotten my regular camera. Sadly, I can't show you that photo, because shortly after it was taken, I went to the restroom and basically threw my phone into the toilet.

Yes, it was before I sat down.
Yes, I did fish it out with my bare hand.
Yes, it's sitting in rice right now.

In my defense, the phone was in my pocket, not in my hand, when it flew out and jumping into the toilet.

Anyway, as I stated earlier, it was chilly today (though actually balmy, by Green Bay football standards). The concession stand was outside, though, and I was scheduled to be there from 9:30am until 2:30pm, so I knew I had to dress warmly. For your amusement, I had Kendall videotape me when I got home, before I took everything off.

No, not everything, Silly.

If you ever get a chance to work concessions to raise funds for a non-profit, I recommend taking it; it's actually pretty fun, and even though it eats up a good portion of a day, you won't regret doing it.  I'm scheduled to do two more games, not because I'm altruistic or anything; I just know that the music boosters benefits a LOT from having their two booths.  Last year, they earned about $10,000. It's crazy to let that slip away.  This year, they need extra help because our high school band is playing in the Rose Parade again, and most of the people who normally volunteer for concessions will be with their kids in California over Christmas and New Years.

I'm a little worried about working outside New Years Day.  Somebody--Talk me out of it!

Stadium concessions trivia:   
*We make 10% of what Levy & Associates earns each week in our booths. Last week, alone, we earned about $1800 between a big beer station and a small beer stand. 
*A 12-oz bottle of beer costs $6.25 at Lambeau Field.
*Today, the four of us sold more than 1000 bottles of beer in the span of four hours

Friday Fragments, Episode #172

Would you ever got to a party, hand out invitations to a party at your house, and leave without even greeting the host or hostess?  Neither would most people with manners. Allow me to graciously point newcomers to the Friday Fragments expectations (which address drive-by linking, as well as instructions for how to thank the hostess (a.k.a. me).   Off to fragment!

***Wow--That was less than gracious, I know, but I'm writing this fragment after deleting several non-FF posts that were rudely linked up to last week's post. One of them even had the gall to somehow block me from deleting their link! (Don't worry--I figured out how to shake it off.  I won't mention the name Wind Photographs, and I hope they don't do it again.)

***I laughed so loud when I read Unknown Mami's comment on my Halloween party photo last week:
I don't know how you do it, but you manage to look attractive with a mustache and here I have to wax mine.


***A friend of mine took the following photo at Monday night's football game. Nice :)  Too bad it didn't make the broadcast, so I'm sharing it here.

***We finished state testing this week, and I mentioned that some teachers in a district cheated in their testing (somehow).  One of my students pondered and then said, "Cheating on an important test like this is wrong, but if it's just a friendly little competition between you and your brother, it's perfectly fine; I do it all the time." [He grinned.]

***If you'd like to get the full effect of the preceding fragment, replace all the "r" sounds with "w" sounds, as that's how this little cutie talks.

***I'm thrilled to say that I got to every single fragmenter last weekend, and it was a real pleasure catching up with you. I want to say a special thanks to those who enrich our little FF community by visiting and commenting on other Fragmenter's blogs--Everyone loves company. Also, if you are a new fragmenter, will you please put a "*" next to your name when you enter it in the linky? That way, we can all easily see that and welcome you! :)

***I also laughed out loud when I saw this sketch of me, on Starla's blog, Stars Rain:

Starla, I hereby award you the coveted honor:

***The Difference Makers' Run/Walk Against Cancer wasn't a dismal failure, but it was disappointing; very few people turned out. On the bright side, many sweet folks donated cash, so we raised $106, which is $106 more than we started with. In addition, we got a lot of raffle prizes donated (Thanks, Dawn and Michelle), so a lot of people (including some Difference Makers) won prizes. Tonight, we're having a meeting (They insisted on still meeting tonight, even though the run was Tuesday.), and I'm tired, so I'm going to insist that we just relax and eat pizza or something. (I'll let you know how that goes.)

***Last Saturday, I deleted about five FF drive-by linkers and two links to posts whose authors included a teeny tiny Friday Fragments link buried among about 25 others at the bottom of their posts, and I was offended. I thought it went without saying, but I guess I have to say it (to the drive-by linker): This is a FRIDAY FRAGMENTS post. IT IS RUDE TO:

A) LINK AND RUN (AND NOT COME BACK)
B) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE  BLOGS YOU LINK TO BY ALMOST HIDING MENTION OF THEM
C) NOT VISIT A SINGLE OTHER FRAGMENTER IN THE PROCESS.

RUDE RUDE RUDE.

Dear Readers, if you happen to notice a link that doesn't respect FF, please bring it to my attention via email.   Thanks.

***Did you like that "Dear Readers" reference? I think I was inspired by reading a classic this week (Pride and Prejudice), the passages of which I have to read over and over and over before fully understanding what I'm reading. I think the "Dear Readers" thing comes from Jane Eyre, another classic (which bored me to tears, sorry).

Winning, 50's-Style

See that pretty lady in the photo below? Guess who that is?

That's right! That "Mrs. C" is my mom, somewhere around 1959 or 1960, when she had only five kids and probably a bun in the oven. I just loved finding this newspaper clipping among a bunch of family photos in a long-forgotten box in the attic. [I only wish the quality was better, but it's the best I could do with the scanner.]

How proud Mom must have been that day!  She said that she completed a crossword puzzle from the newspaper as her entry into the contest.  Times were really tough back then; a win like that was a very big deal.

There are some noteworthy aspects of this photo. First of all, isn't Mom beautiful? Second, look at my sister Geri, demonstrating classic, well-behaved-oldest behavior. She and Mary look so sweet.  In mom's arms is my brother Tim, who is reaching out to grab the ownership certificate from Mr.Gordon. Oldest bother Jim is standing in front of Mom.  Most interesting to me, though, is my brother, Tom.  That's right--brother, standing in front of the dryer. [Take another look.] Why in the world is my brother wearing a skirt?!

I called Mom, just now, and asked her why Tom's wearing a skirt in the photo, and she insisted that it couldn't possibly be a skirt. (She hasn't seen the photo in years.) I assured her that he very clearly appears to be wearing a skirt.  She laughed and said she has no idea (and she looks forward to seeing the photo).  Perhaps Geri or Mary will be able to shed light.

I'm thinking the answer to the mystery is simple--her dryer at home was broken, and Tom got the short end of the stick that day. Regardless, the photo is a classic and is dear to me.

How about you? Do you have a favorite family photo that makes you smile? If you happen to have a blog post about it, I invite you to share the link in a comment below.

6h Grade Bonding

Our 6th graders at Tinytown Middle School come from five different feeder schools, 

so they come to middle school a little nervous and afraid, knowing little of what to expect,

wondering how they will fit in and whether or not they'll be accepted.

Earlier this school year, 

I helped organize an event to help develop a sense of community across the sixth grade.

We took that valuable instructional time because anyone who knows anything

 knows that kids who feel like they belong to something great are more prepared to learn.  

Two months later, I can honestly say that the couple of hours that we spent working on team-building 

and positive climate development was very much worth it.

Our "house" of 83 students (There are three houses in 6th grade.) has jelled.

Tell me again why that's a good thing?

Mom's Old-School Bullying Intervention Program

Back in the day, there were very effective methods for thwarting bullies.

In this video, my mom shares the trick that worked for her.

Note: This is not an endorsement of physical violence against bullies in today's world. 

Bullies need understanding and hugs.

(That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.)

City Chicken Feast 2011

This year, there are Packers games on Christmas Day, as well as New Year's Day. It's annoying to me (long story), but I can't do a thing about it, so I'll have to survive. To keep it simple on Christmas Day, Grandma 4444 is making pasties ahead of time. Those will be a huge hit, but they will replace our annual City Chicken Feast, so that has been moved to tonight!  (There's a big football game on Monday night between the Packers and arch-rivals, the Vikings, and Mr.4444's brother and wife are in town.)

The City Chicken Feast is an important part of 4444 family tradition, and I'm looking forward to it, even though part of the gang will be missing (lots of college kids in this family these days).  Read the post below (originally from December 2007) to learn what makes it so special.

Mr. 4444 and his mom, the City Chicken Mistress of Ceremonies

Mr. 4444 is one of two children. While my clan (my brothers and sisters and their kids and kids' kids) totals more than 45, his includes a whopping 11. However, they do not lack for fun. Since his manager brother works in retail, our Christmas with his family takes place just before New Year’s Eve. We meet at Grandma 4444's house, exchange gifts, and obsess with electronic games for a day or two.

The climax of our time together is the City Chicken Feast. "What is City Chicken?" you ask?  Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger asking this question, for I, too, was in the dark when I attended my first Feast. As long as Mr. 4444 can remember, his mom has made city chicken, which is also known as mock chicken legs. They are made with pork and veal cut in chunks and placed on 5-inch skewers, rolled in cracker crumbs, salt and pepper, browned, and then baked in a big roaster. Mashed potatoes and gravy are staples of the city chicken feast.

Each year, there is a family competition to see who can eat the most city chicken "legs."

There is much brouhaha and speculation on the day before the CCF. There are no “teams,” just individual contestants…. Not everyone knows who will become serious competitors until the last minute, but Uncle Mark and Uncle Bob are for-sure contenders. Of course, the women drop out quickly, as none of us eats more than three or four legs. So far, Kyle and his male cousin of around the same age have not seriously entered the competitive action (they've always known they were out of their leagues at this point, but this may be the big year!)

Uncle Bob displays his tally, 2006

Every year, Hubs pretends that he’s not competing. He sits down at the table with a poker face and calmly begins eating as though he were just one of the others; no title at stake. Uncle Bob, too, acts cool, but soon, there is giggling and all eyes dart from one brother to the other to gauge the standings. Sticks are counted, and before long, everyone knows there is a real competition going on.

Most city chicken feasts go off as usual. However, last year, Uncle Bob inspired shouts of “He’s cheating!!” and hysterical laughter when it became evident that he had secretly squirreled away unused sticks before dinner and pretended to try to pass them off as sticks used at the meal. Of course, he did this for entertainment value; if the meal goes by without belly laughs or someone choking from laughing with a mouthful of food, it’s just not normal.

Tonight’s the Big Night. Hubby and his brother will probably politely decline lunch today, claiming “I’m just not that hungry, thanks,” but we will all know that they are getting ready, preparing the way and psyching themselves up for the family entertainment event of the year. I’ll be ring-side, camera in hand, belly full of chicken, and heart full of love.

Halloween Hate

Because I am a sick individual, too, I found this video 

(shared by Unknown Mami, courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel) hilarious.  

In fact, the audio is playing in my earbuds right now, for the third time, and I am still laughing.

In fact, I kinda wish I had done it to Kendall.  

(She has a big sweet tooth, so yes, she did go trick-or-treating.) 

I am laughing again, just picturing her face, were I too tell her I had eaten all of her candy
or donated it to needy children or troops in Iraq.

Hey, kids can't grow up without a little trauma to round out their character, 

can they?

I'm tempted to plan something for Christmas.

Just kidding!! (I swear.)

Friday Fragments, Episode #171

I can't tell you how happy I am that it's Friday. I'm looking forward to defragging! Thanks for joining me!

***Is there a language you'd like to see HPKT translated into?   Last week, at the conference I attended, I learned how to translate a blog into a number of different languages. In fact, you can translate any webpage into the language of your choice, and it's pretty simple. Just go here and scroll down to Translate a Webpage.

***While cleaning in the liquor cabinet, I found 10 empty Crown Royal bags and wondered what could be done with them. Look what Michelle found for me!

I'm not sure Mr.4444 would wear that to our Halloween party.  I've decided, instead, to make a dress, though I clearly have a few more to collect if I want to keep more covered than the item pictured above.

***Speaking of funny photos, I love when guests from our Halloween party send photos they took. Here's one of my favorites, which I received a few days ago.  Mike won "Funniest" in the costume contest; he was cracking everyone up all night, especially when he went around sharing his mustache. (Don't worry--it was transferred by hand-only.)

***I really like the Disqus commenting system, but I don't like that you have to have your profile filled out in order for your comment to link back to your blogs. If you simply have your name there, I can't find your blog.

***I've had a rough work week. Powerlessness over mental illness is difficult to accept sometimes. (No, I'm not talking about my own.)  I dug up a folder that I've kept up over the years; it includes positive notes I've received over the past 15 years or so of teaching. Reading them was a nice pick-me-up.

***My favorite thing in my folder was a copy of an email reply that I sent to a smartass at work who sent me an email that basically said, "Don't send me emails. I don't care about what you're doing."  My reply to Mr. Smartass was priceless, very satisfying, and private (sorry).

***The Difference Makers planned their 5K Run/Walk Against Cancer tonight! It's going to take place at school on Tuesday. We've had a lot of support from teachers in the building, who have donated items for a raffle at the event.  This is heartwarming to me, as these kids really are dedicated, and it's nice to see support for their efforts.

And the Fun Begins!

We got our first measurable snow today. This is what it looks like from the front door of my school.

A Winter Advisory is in effect until 7pm.

I thought it was March that came in like a lion!

Funny Monday: Beach Bunny Photo Session

In case it's getting cold in your neck of the woods, too, this might warm you up. If nothing else, it might make you laugh :)

Have a happy Monday!

Elsie's Dream

It's been forever since I wrote a post that includes my mom. 

Because I know you love her, I brought my camera to her house today,

 when I helped her make these for a Red-Hat "tea party" she's going to this week:

(The sprinkles are little leaves.)

After we made the cake bites, we chatted, and Mom shared a dream she had Saturday night.

What do you think? How would you analyze Mom's dream?

Friday Fragments, Episode #170

Welcome to Friday Fragments, the perfect place to unload the random bits floating around in your head this week.  Ready to purge?

***If you arrived here earlier tonight and found a half-dressed blog post, I apologize. I'm was out for dinner and threw the post up here in a hurry. Thanks for understanding!

***If your head starts to spin when you hear words like Google Apps, collaborative documents and Chromebook, then you should be glad you're not with me, at the Google Apps for Education Summit in the Wisconsin Dells. My head's spinning a little, and I'm still going back for another day, tomorrow; I am in total geek heaven here.

***The Wisconsin Dells is the self-proclaimed "Water Park Capital of the World".  No, I did not bring my swimsuit. (Yes, that was intentional.)

***Mr.4444 will be cheering the Packers on to victory from San Diego this weekend. Sadly, rain and a high temperature of 60 degrees are forecasted for San Diego (3 degrees warmer than the rainy forecast for Green Bay). I suspect that he will have a wonderful time anyway.

***I received a voicemail from a frantic parent one night last week. The parent stated that her son had left his cell phone at school (and I quote), "It is extremely detrimental that he get that phone back tomorrow, because he really, really needs it."  Okay....

***I still laugh when I think of my Zombie Anatomy Lesson post from Tuesday.  I guess I"m just that immature (which makes the fact that I teach 6th grade very fitting).

***When checking into my hotel room (which I shared, incidentally), I overheard the man behind me telling his companion about The Dells; "It's basically the Disneyland of Wisconsin."

***My Difference Makers students are extremely excited about their first big event of the year; they've planned a 5K walk/run to raise money for their Relay for Life team. (I know, right? Nothing like hitting the ground running--One meeting, and they're already full of enthusiasm.) If you're in the Tinytown area on November 15th, it would thrill them to have you register.(It's only $5.)

Okay, I feel lighter now. How about you--Got fragments? Frag away!and link up your FRIDAY FRAGMENTS post here (Sorry--Other links will be deleted. To learn more about Friday Fragments, click on the tab above.)

Lessons in Zombie Anatomy

In case it's been a while since you studied the human digestive system, I'm opening this post with a reference:

Photo Credit

Mrs. K is a great science teacher. She really knows her stuff and is very comfortable talking about gross things (as well as touching gross things, like pig hearts). Heck, she's a hunter who even guts her own deer, so that tells you a lot. The kids love her bold delivery and no-holds-barred openness to all things gross.

Today, though, students were directed to practice labeling human organs.  Just for fun, Mrs. K invited them to create zombie bodies for labeling. The kids loved the idea, even  more so because they got to work in their lab groups.

Mrs. K asked the students to write little narratives about how something their zombie ate made its way through each part of the digestive system.  The kids had a lot of fun with it.

The completely-innocent girls who worked on the next masterpiece were so focused on dissing Justin Bieber (apparently not all girls love Justin) that they failed to notice something very, very important.  I don't believe I have ever laughed louder or harder than I did upon receiving this photo from Mrs. K via email and the subject:  Do you see anything wrong with this picture?

Sometimes, no matter how clear you try to be, the kids are going to get it wrong.  It looks like we have some explaining to do....

LOL!! I'm only KIDDING. Mrs.K and are are certain the poor girls had no idea, at the time, that their depiction of the rectum and anus might look like something else. (After all; even the one in the example I provided here could be considered suggestive, if you really think about it.) We feel confident that the girls in this group are perfectly-innocent 11-year-olds with pure hearts (except for the Justin Bieber part).

You'll be glad to know that no middle schoolers will be scarred for life by this, though.  (Can you imagine how mortified these girls would be to be accused of intentionally sketching pornographic zombies?) Mrs. K simply erased the offending part and plans to do a little re-directing in the morning.  She'll be very smooth about it, I'm sure.

After all; this is a woman who can say "anus" with a perfectly-straight face.