A small distraction...

I know I have been a bit neglectful about updating my blog; life gets in the way sometimes. It has been a busy couple weeks and it looks to continue to be that way. But, this is my favorite time of the year...I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, and November is just around the corner!

So, for the past week, I have been hobbling around like an invalid. Not to be outdone by my old junior high buddy Leslie, I took a small spill as we were leaving the stadium at the Penn State/Michigan game 2 weekends ago. I have had a weak left ankle for years now, and it just gave out on me as we were headed to our car. Unfortunately, when I fell, I injured more than just my ankle. I landed really hard on my right knee and smacked it off the pavement. Imagine the scene as more than 110,000 people are trying to exit the stadium! There were lots of drunk people at that game, but I can honestly say that I was stone cold sober when I fell! Guess that's how I earned the nickname Klutzman, a play off my maiden name, Stutzman, when I was in college. It's a week later and my ankle is still a tiny bit swollen, but I am in much better shape. I wore an aircast for a couple of days and my students got a good giggle at my expense as I hobbled around the classroom.

Even though I was on the injured reserve list this week, I still found the energy to try a little seasonal craft. It's a lame attempt, but with my schedule, it's the best I could do. I am up at 5 every day during the week, and my head usually doesn't hit the pillow most nights until around midnight. Some days I walk around in a drowsy haze. Anyway, I found these little black tins at Wal-Mart for a dollar and just used some paint and ribbon I had in my craft drawer. Once they dried, we filled them with Hershey's miniatures and set them out in the dining room. I made one for each of the kids, as well as each of their teachers. Now if we could just find some time this week to carve our pumpkins!

Fall has always been my favorite time of year...leaves changing, weather cooling, college football season starting. So, it's no surprise that I couldn't wait to rip my summer flowers of the ground and start planting huge pots of mums. I restrained myself until September 1st, but then I could wait no more and I dug out the fall decorating bins from the basement. Just a few pictures to put you in an autumnal mood, too!

The sideboard in the dining room

Our corner shelf in the dining room...I painted the little candy corn figurines at a local ceramics place and welaughed after they were done. Their facial expressions look like the animated chicken nuggets from McDonald's!

Our living room mantle

The table in our foyer - my mom painted that little pumpkin in 1981 and we've managed to hang on to it without breaking it since then! It's almost as old as my brother!

A little project idea that I stole from the friend of a friend. This frame came from the Dollar Tree store and I just put some scrapbooking paper I had lying around in each of the squares, painted black some chipboard letters I had lying around, and voila! This one is in our kitchen, and I made another one that says, "EEK" and put it in our new guest bathroom.

Time flies...

I realize it is October, practically the middle of the month actually. So, it might seem untimely to be posting pictures from the first day of school. But, I didn't start this blog back in August, when it really was the first day of school, so here are a couple shots of the kids as they got ready to shake off the last of their summer vacations and head back to school.

Olivia started 6th grade this year, and I will admit, without shame, that I cried a little. Next year, she will be at the high school with me..and I have been teaching long enough now that I have seen the kids come in to 7th grade, and then faster than you can blink your eyes, they are graduating. Wasn't it only yesterday that she was crawling around on the floor with big brown wide eyes, amazed at everything that crossed her path?

And Darren...our little guy started 3rd grade this year. Hard to believe how much he has grown. He brings so much joy in to all of our lives with his infectious giggle...anyone who has spent time with him knows exactly what I mean. He worked really hard all summer at his occupational therapy sessions and there is definite improvement in his fine motor skills. He also worked hard at swimming lessons and learned how to swim right before we left for our week in Cancun. He has a long way to go, but it is so encouraging to see Darren making progress in some of his delays. Now if I could just get him to keep his eyes open for a picture!

Hangin' Tough

As many of you know, I took my daughter to the New Kids on the Block concert last week! It was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!! The arena was sold out and we had excellent floor seats; I don't think I have ever been to a louder show! Yes, they played lots of great songs from the late 80's and early 90's...and my daughter knew them all because I burned her a cd a little while back. They also played some of their newer stuff, which was good, but no where as good as the classics, like "Cover Girl," and "Right Stuff." They looked great, sounded great, and we were pleasantly surprised by what a nice city Cleveland is. How I wish I could score tickets to another show before their run is over...

One of the funniest parts of the night was seeing all of these grown women with the NKOTB memorabilia. Lunchboxes, pillowcases, Jordan Knight dolls, sweaters, old concert tees, beach towels...you name it, we saw it! We went to the Hard Rock for dinner before the show, and there was a man - definitely older than I - in an embroidered New Kids jacket that he had autographed by Jordan Knight. He was probably wearing about 15 New Kids buttons and a Jordan tee. And to top it all off, he had a big homemade sign; one side read "NKOTB 4 Ever!" and the other side read, "I Still Love Jordan." At the end of the night, Donnie Wahlberg pulled that guy's sign up on stage and was waving it all around during the encore. God Bless that man's little gay heart; I bet he was thrilled.

The night also inspired Olivia's choice in a Halloween costume: 80's chick! There were so many women walking around in bright neon colors with crimped hair and side ponytails. We've already gathered her some fuschia legwarmers, black scrunchy boots, jelly bracelets, and fingerless lace gloves. Any other suggestions?

For those of you who can't make it to the NKOTB reunion tour, I will leave you with a little clip of my main squeeze, Jordan, singing "I'll be Loving You Forever." Enjoy!!

Welcome!

Inspired by some friends who have their own blogs, I decided to start one of my own...I don't know that our lives are that interesting, or that I will even have time to keep up with it, but it's a great way to keep in touch with all the people I love who are scattered all over the world. Bear with me as I learn the ropes...