Kentucky Ice Storm

We have survived our first Kentucky Ice storm. What a trip! Monday we woke up to a dusting of snow, and of course no school for the girls. On the way to Tabatha's house to drop off the girls, the radio was all about the big storm on the way. It was supposed to start Monday afternoon and continue throught the night into Tuesday. By Monday night it had started raining, freezing rain. We went to bed and woke up Tuesday to ice roads and no school. It was back to Tabatha's and off to work. I was the first one in frommy department, and soon saw that almost no one was coming in. I was sent home at noon as the weather continued to deteriorate. By about 5:00 Tuesday school was already cancelled for Wednesday. I took these pictures out of my kitchen window and the patio window Tuesday night:

Out of the patio door; the ice skating rink

We woke up Wednesday morning to a whole lot of ice! I called in to work and left voicemail for my boss saying that I was going to wait until 9:00 and see if anyone was going to be in and if there was going to be any work for me to do. My manager called me a few minutes later to say that he was not going to be in, he was iced in and had had no power since the previous afternoon. I told him I was going to wat until 9 and then call in to see if anyone was going to be there. He agreed. As I started to make breakfast for the girls, I snapped more pitcures out of the kitchen window and the patio door.

My boss called me back a few minues later and told me to stay home. Around that time, Jeff's general manager called to tell him to stay home and keep the store closed. After a nice breakfast the girls headed to their rooms to watch movies and Jeff and I went back to sleep. We woke up around noon, and when we looked out the window, we found a whole new surprise: It snowed out.

We spent most of the afternoon cleaning the house. I then headed out to see what this "Historic Ice Storm" had left. It was beautiful!

I did see a lot of downed branches.

Ice encapsulated seed pods:

Closer up of the seed pods:

I love the starry effect of the ice and snow on the pine trees!

A whole tree encapsulated in ice! This tree has the coolest camoflaged looking bark. I hope it can survive the ice!




The poor berries, they came out too soon!

We received the text message around 4 that they girls have no school again tomorrow. Talk about a winter vacation! It is back to Tabatha's house. Poor thing, I hope she can take handle them for another whole day!

teaching

As we were preparing to move out here I found out my teaching license wouldn't transfer. I thought I would be ok with it. I saw it as an opportunity to embark on a new adventure. I did look around for a chance to teach, but no luck. Jeff wanted me to go back to school to get my masters degree so I can teach again, but I just wasn't sure that was what I wanted. With the economy as it is, I was desperate for any job, and I would up with my present job. Although just a temp, I know I will remain there as a temp until the economy improves and they can hire me full time. The pay is pretty darn good and the job is so easy. I work on a computer all day. I work on spreadsheets and databases. I work on quoting, pricing and marketing. I am allowed (actually encouraged) to bring my ipod so I can listen to music while I work. The people in my office are wonderful, my boss Mark is fantastic, the "office politics" are really not that bad there. Dream job? I miss teaching. It isn't just the kids, although I do miss them. I really miss having a job where I feel like I make a difference. I miss feeling like what I am doing is important. I miss all the million little things I had when I was teaching; the look on a kids face when they got something they didn't think the would get, the look of pride when the finished an assignment. All of it. I have decided it is definately worth going back to school to get my masters degree. Over this spring I am going to take the GREs and apply to UK and Georgetown College to the teaching programs. They both have this great program where I can get temporary license and teach while I go to school to get my Masters. Then this summer when all of the teaching jobs open up for next year I can start applying.

This past week I was looking through some of my work for poetry lessons I could let Ali's teacher use. She had asked for my help and I had a few ideas for her class. As I was looking through some of my student work, I came across this:


Mr. Confused
He seems lost like he doesn’t know his way
doesn’t know where to go or what to say.
He looks for direction like on a map
but he’s in so deep there’s no reason to look back.
Dazed look in his eyes,
he has no clue so its no big surprise
he doesn’t know what to do.
This is the way he lives all the time
doesn’t know what to think
even with all these thoughts in his mind.
He dresses mismatched
his brains out of order and his thoughts
jump around like a fish out of water.
He runs around and doesn’t know what he’s thinking
he reminds me of a no headed chicken.
Mr. Confused has lots to loose according to his name
but he can’t decide what to loose or what to gain.

Eric

Eric is now doing 18-20 years for attempted murder. As depressing as this seems (and is to a point) it reminds me of what I miss the most. I miss the chance to be a bright spot for these kids. Someone who is positive in their lives. Someone who for a small period of time believes in their capability to suceed. Granted, after they leave my facility I can't control what they do. Many of them will go back to their old ways. But you know what? Eric was pretty darn good at poetry and I let him know it. While he was with me, I told him he had a knack for writing. I can't wait to get back to that.

(and if you think that Eric's story is sad and should prove to me that what I do is in vain, be glad I didn't put Danny's poem up, he was murdered last year)

toys toys toys

Am I the only one who finds some of my child's toys more fun than she does?? This seems to happen just about every year, Ali gets a present that I enjoy way more then her. I think is all started with this:

She got this when she was about a year old (her's is purple). I spent hours on end trying to make that thing swear. I know, I know, simple things for simple minds. (It wouldn't swear!)

Then last year she got this:

My sister Julie and I had WAY more fun with this! We spent Christmas day at Nana's house giving Julie a red afro, and giving the twins (then just a year old) mohawks. Oh, a should I mention giving Laurie's fiancee Ray make-up and earrings.

And now this year. Her dad got her the very best present. Now she does love it, as does Julianna. However, Jeff and I love to make up stories as to what we are going to see with is. It is a digital pet camera from National Geographic. You can click the link to see all about it. The girls love to put it on the cat and dog and see the pictures, but Jeff and I take it so much further. We have always had suspicions about what the cat does when he sneaks out the door and is gone overnight. Buddy is a male cat and is not neutered yet (he will be soon). We are very excited about putting the camera on him when he sneaks out to see what he is up to. Jeff and I have already imagined the kitty club he attends. They serve cream, straight up on or on the rocks. There is a back room where the bad cats go to do catnip. Instead of poles for dancing, there are tree limbs. I am a little afraid that when he goes there with the camera one of the other cats will notice it and think he is a narc. I am a little afraid the camera might get poor Buddy's butt kicked!

Christmas Card

I know it is late, but I finally had a chance to figure out how to export it. It does have annoying lines in it that I can't get rid of. When it crops pictures, it leaves the very right edge of the picture. I have not figured out how to fix that yet. I am still pleased with how it turned out!

Christmas Christmas Christmas!

Last night was the Christmas Pagent. It never really feels like Christmas to me until the pagent. Luckily or new church (did I mention it already? Church of the Resurrection, we love it) has the pagent on Christmas Eve. I always grew up with the pagent on Christmas Eve, I have been to churches that have it the Sunday before, and it never feels right to me. Last night was the pagent. Julianna was one of the Wise People, there was three of them (of course) and they were the narrators. One of the other Wise People was Sara Beth, who is my mom's cousin's daughter. We came to this church because we had heard what a fantastic church it was from my Nana, and we knew that Lorie (Mom's cousin) was a parishoner. It just happened to turn out that Ali, Julianna and Sara Beth just love each other. Alison was a townsperson, she played the bells during "Hark! The herald". Here are some pictures. These are actually from the rehearsal Monday night. You may notice that Ali looks a little pale, she was sick.

From left to right, this is Julianna, Sara Beth and Kaelyn.

Here is Ali and Sara Beth on Christmas Eve. Julie mentioned the other day that in a picture from looking for Christmas trees she thought Ali looked just like my cousin Kristina. I said "Maybe that is who I have been thinking of. I know she looks like someone but I can't figure out who." Looking at this picture, I can totally see it.

And our church on Christmas Eve, doesn't it look fantasticly pretty? The candles in all of the windows were amazing.

I was able to snap these after Santa came but before the girls got up. I heard a noise which woke me up, probably Santa taking off. I know you are insanely jealous of our homemade stockings from Nana. Mine is far left, and of course the oldest. I don't know if poor Nana realized she was starting a tradition, but she made Ali one when she was born, Lily and Mia theirs when then were born, and when we moved out here I asked if she could make Jeff and Julianna one. Julianna loved hers so much she slept with it when she first got it!! Jeff was floored by his. He clearly didn't realize how talented Nana is at not only knitting but also at finding cool stuff (ie Patriots stuff)!

Although I would have liked to take a picture with the tree lit up, I coldn't plug it in with all of those presents underneath!

Now I am going to *TRY* to add a video from the pagent rehearsal. I am not promising anything.

Christmas Show

The girls had their annual elementary school Christmas Show (the first for them) this pasty week.The entire school participates, each grade at a certain level. The younger ones sing along with some of the songs, the older ones sing more songs, and the 4th and 5th graders act and dance also. The pictures are pretty self-explanatory. However, in this first picture, Ali had just walked in, sat down in front of the entire auditorium and decided to fix her hair. For those of you who were around when she was little, she fixed her hair ala "Strawberry Shortcake Shampoo". If you don't know what "Strawberry Shortcake Shampoo" is, ask my step-father Doug.

Ali and her good friend Elijah.

What a fantastic picture of a beaming Julianna. She had just walked in and spotted us.

This is Bayley, one the the girls' bestest friends. Bayley's mom Tabatha is the president of the PTA, but more, she watches the girls after school. Bayley is their special 5th grade friend, and they love her. As a 5th grader, Baylet acted in the show.


This is C.J., Bayley's little brother. He is a kindergartner, so where he was sitting wasn't quite as bright. He is autistic (fortunately very high functioning), and the girls absolutely love helping him out. They are fantastic with him, and he loves them.

Christmas Tree!

On Saturday we headed out to get our Christmas tree. I have not ever had a real one (allergies) so this was all pretty new to me! Here is Jeff leading us in.

The girls looking around.

What's out there?

The girls looking for the perfect one

Wishful thinking...

It's contagious!

Watching them chainsaw the end off.

Ready to go!!!

And for the decorating.....