Turkey Day in Flint Town

My favorite thing about being home for Thanksgiving Break was being home with the family and most of all, my doggie, Bear. I love that dog. She is so stinking cute, but so stinking stinky! My mom and I made cute little Turkey candies and lots of food for Thanksgiving dinner. Since it was just the three of us, the Rockwell's invited us over for delicious dinner. It was a lot of fun and very good food! We ate our little hearts out, then came home to watch a wonderful episode of Greys!!! Black Friday = shopping. We got up and left about 10:30 to go shopping. We were really in no rush to get anything REALLY cool, so we just went out and enjoyed our day. On Saturday we went out to get a heavenly Halo Burger and saw a marvelous movie, August Rush. After the movie, mom and I just hung out at the house and made yet another Thanksgiving Dinner. Grandpa Bill and Sharon came over and ate with us, then helped us decorate our Christmas Tree. It was such a fantastic and fun weekend, sad its coming to an end!

Disney Lights Parade

Let me tell you... this is the LIFE!! How many times have you had the opportunity to jump in a car and 45 minutes later be downtown Chicago on the busiest day of the year!? Well, it is FUN! Last night was the Disney Lights Parade and Jen and I went and met her parents there. It was SO crowded, it was ridiculous {first row, all the way to the left}! There were people EVERYWHERE! It was so cute though, first we saw Mickey, and Minnie, and all of those characters. Then came American Girls{top row, 3rd photo over} and the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL cast{2nd row, first photo} = amazing!!! After them, there was a few smaller vendors and then proceeded by fireworks, Santa was here {3rd row, second photo}!! After the parade there was BEAUTIFUL fireworks! Then, we drove to the North side of Chicago and ate dinner at a little Italian place. It was yummy! After a fun night in Chicago, Jen and I drove back to good 'ole Olivet! We watched Forrest Gump for a little bit then we were out! It was so fun, wish you all could have been here for it!

Miss Vargo

So, here it is . . . This is my future, Miss Vargo (as my second graders call me)! This week I had to teach three lessons in my practicum class, or as I call it, Little School. I am in a second grade classroom in Kankakee (similar to Flint for you back in Michigan :-/) I have really enjoyed my time in this classroom, all 55 hours! I have really grown to like these little sprouts, they are so cute! This week, I taught a lesson on the first Thanksgiving, Analogies (Thanksgiving), and Acrostic Poems (Thanksgiving). The kids really seemed to enjoy the activities, so that was good! We made "Tom the Turkey"{top right} cookies, a lovely paper turkey{bottom right} and they wrote what they were thankful for on their feathers. Alexis {Bottom left} was thankful for me, her teacher!! Ah, gotta love em! It has really been a learning experience for me, good and bad! It will be nice to have a little more time to do my homework and play now. . . I was there til 5:30 or 6 each night!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! :)

Day Light Savings = Life Saver!!!

Tonight, I was called to babysit for a few families while their parents got together and hung out. They were all college friends and back in town for Olivet's Homecoming. There were 8 kids... 3 of which were younger than two!!! There was a 6 month, 12 month, 2yr old, 3 yr old, 3 yr old, 6 yr old, and a 19 yr old!! WHOA!!!!! I know, right!! They just kept coming!!! Moses who was the 6 month was so cute but did not want to fall asleep! Finally, after many many minutes of crying, he did... after he spit up on me a few (4) times!! Hudson, the 12 month was a CHUNKER!! Carrying him around made me sweat!! It was a workout, but he was very good!! Ezra, the 2 yr old was a cute little Chinese and white mixed little boy. . . quiet but very cute!! Sam was 3 and is Mosses brother. . WILD. . . LOUD. . . cute as a button, but loud as a (insert something loud!) Kate and Clair were the other ones, so of course they were good! It was a lot of fun, but to say the least, I am EXHAUSTED!! Thank goodness for "Falling Back" tonight!

P.S. And, tonight, I felt OLD for the first time!! I asked Clair when her birthday was and she replied, "June 4, 2001" and then I said Kate, when is your birthday? She said, "January 26, 2004!!" Clair said when is your birthday? I said "March 25th" She said 2000 and what? I said, "1988" HER FACE DROPPED and her poor jaw hit the ground!! I thought, whoa, I am getting old!!!

Rent- A- Mom

{Top Center- Clair 6 yrs old, Bottom Left- Kate 3 yrs old}

So today I saw my future flash before my eyes. Let me explain! I had two children's car seats in my backseat, an embroidered gymnastics bag in my backseat, my teachers bag in my backseat, and to top it off, I had Parent Teacher Conferences this morning {Top Left picture}! I know, right!? I thought, this is what I have to look forward to!!!

Anyways, so, for those of you who remember my babysitter Amanda Asher - Mountain, well they just moved to Bourbonnais because Mark works for the President of Olivet. Well, they called for me to babysit their children, Kate and Clair. I was so excited, I jumped to the opportunity! I picked Kate and Clair up from Day Care at 4:15 and took them directly to their first day of Gymnastics. {See Blog below :-( } I watched them flip, twirl, twist, tumble, and just jump around. They were SO cute out there doing their thing and they were so excited to start!!! After gymnastics, we went to their house and made Mac and Cheese for dinner (yes, that is the only thing I can make!) After dinner, we played and played and played. We got ready for bed and read stories until their mom and dad got home. Clair read Kate and I two stories and then I read a few stories to them. Kate was so cute, she sucks her finger. . . not thumb and plays with my pinky finger trying SO hard to stay awake!! Amanda and Mark got home about 8:30 and back to my apartment I went to hang out with Jen, Tyler and Justina. It was a very fun night being a Rent-A-Mom!!

A WIRE!

So, today, while I was being a Rent-A-Mom, I picked the girls up from Day Care and was taking them to their first day of Gymnastics! Exciting right?! Well, Clair knows her way around pretty well, so I was told to take her directions!! We pull into the parking lot of the gymnastics place and it is a bunch of warehouses kind of so it is just one HUGE parking lot to 10 different places. Clair said, "Turn here I think," so I turn. It was so sunny out, I didn't even see this wire. First of all, why would there be a wire in the middle of the parking lot... and second WHY WOULD THERE BE A WIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT?! I ran right into the wire that anchors the electrical wires into the ground. Totally killed my car! I felt like such a bad person... I have two precious children in my backseat that CLEARLY aren't mine and I have just caused a huge dent in my car. It was not bad at all (the "collision") that I don't even think the children noticed what had happened! Lucky, no one was hurt and in reality, it wasn't all that bad. . . it is just very disappointing!! 2 and 1/2 years with no accidents, dents, or anything. . . until I run into a wire of all things!

So, as soon as it happened, I had to get the girls into the place to change and get ready, but by instinct, I called my mom to tell her what happened. Totally my bad, I called her and said, "Mom, I just got a dent in my car. I ran into a wire, Its not THAT bad, but I have to go . . . I will call you back in a few. Its really not THAT bad and no one was hurt!" Then I hung up. For you mothers out there, I know you know how she reacted to that!!! NOT A GOOD IDEA!! I called her back as soon as I could and told her what happened. Surprisingly enough, Dad took the news better than she did, but they both told me it was okay and it is really not a huge deal!
I am still not so sure of that but apparently they are. . . or they just told me that which works for me!!

I keep thinking about it and saying SHOOT to myself. . . . over and over... dangit!