In 3 1/2 Months Time.....

I have been sitting here thinking of all of the things that occur in three and a half months time. I go from the end of one school year to the beginning of another....well into the beginning of another because summer vacations are no longer three months long. Seasons change..winter, spring, summer, fall. You complete a trimester of pregnancy. If you are me you can put on and take off ten pounds over and over again!But nothing is any bigger miracle than the changes in a newborn in three and a half months. I have forgotten, or else when it is your own child you see the changes occur gradually and maybe you are not as amazed by it all. I have been lucky enough to see Brooklynn about once a month since she was born. I have a son and daughter in law that provide multiple updates every week. But to go back and see where she has come in this short amount of time is nothing short of miraculous. From a tiny newborn to a baby who has just made incredible strides and and is progressing so much every single day.

They will be home this week. I cannot wait to see them....all of them. They will be visiting their house at the lake. It is their first house and it will be the first time they will spend the night there together as a family. By next summer Brooklynn will be running across the yard and mom and dad will be running behind to make sure she doesn't get too near the water or put some foreign object in her mouth. Those are big changes yet to come but I am not sure they will compare to the progress made in the first 3 1/2 months.

Just Call Me June Cleaver....

Whatever happened to dinner? You know that evening meal when everyone gathered and ate real food, off real plates, with real silverware and napkins and engaged in conversation with each other. I asked my students how many of them ate dinner together at night with their families and you can guess what the poll revealed...about 3 out of every 25. Life is different now. I think I am a dinosaur and so do my students. I believe that it matters. Food is a bonding experience and not only do families eat at different times now but they also dine in different rooms...bedroom for dinner anyone?

This all came to light last weekend when we had some dinner guests, young dinner guests. Son #3 was thinking that sitting at the table was really not necessary. Oh, but it was. And then we had to decide who sat where because we don't know anymore. We had assigned seats in our old house. Everyone knew where they belonged. We moved here after the kids had left home and we just have not decided where we go now. So, Chad (one of our guests) choose a chair and declared it his seat. Tim move over, you have been replaced! And we ate together and remained at the table for about 30 minutes afterward just talking. It was great. It was as it should be. Restaurants are nice but the quiet of the kitchen table beats everything. Family time!

I am teaching etiquette and we are going to watch an episode of "Leave it to Beaver"..in black and white. They are going to see June dressed in pearls and heels serving dinner to her family at the dining room table with a table cloth, and all of the finery needed to eat a proper meal. It is not odd to me. I was raised that way. No, my mom did not wear pumps and pearls but she did insist on dining together and we did ask to be excused when we were finished eating.

And when my students finish watching life in the 50's and listening to this dinosaur talk about life back then, they are going to learn what side of the plate the knife and fork and napkin go on and someday they will realize that a little manners never hurt anyone.

Travelin' Man (Woman)......

I fully intended this post to be about "The Bachelor" and my thoughts on the saga of Jake and his harem...but oh goodness, it is far to weird for me to even wrap my mind around. Last night left me wondering if there was any reality in the reality show. To my amazement Ali is still in the running but that is about all I can say that is positive. Then I thought I might set my sites on writing about "American Idol" and the Pants on the Ground jingle. Love it!! Who does not think some 62 year old man that writes a song like that should make millions. I can relate because I see pants on the ground every day. I just wish I had been clever enough to create a tune that laughs at the idea of saggin' britches. But...instead I am going to blog about the fact that I have finally unpacked my suitcase.

I returned last week from Tampa, only to unpack, wash, and repack for a trip to the hill country for a convention. I was dreading it. Believe it or not I would rather teacher school that sit through hours of endless classes and meetings. Teachers are a hard group to entertain.

But it was GREAT! We stayed at a perfect ranch/resort hotel that came with wonderful amenities and decor. My own room for three days, maid service, meals paid for and no kitchen to clean. It is a working woman's dream.

Yes, I am glad to be home for awhile but in a week I made my way over thousands of miles, took lots of pictures, learned lots of stuff about new curriculum and held my grandchild. Just more stuff to put in my memory bank and blog about and I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to experience it all.

Now I have to make up for lost time and do all the chores at home that were left undone while I was gone. Great to be back!!!!

City By The Bay....

Tampa Bay that is. What a beautiful place! I have been to the other City by the Bay...San Francisco...and I think I would choose this bay any day. San Francisco is a great tourist spot. Lots of great sights to see, pictures to take, food to eat, and things you will always be glad you had a chance to witness. But, for just place to hang out and enjoy, I believe Tampa Bay wins hands down.

I did not get out and do any sightseeing while I was visiting the fam but within a two mile radius I encountered some great scenery. While Brooklynn was napping I put on my walking shoes and decided to take a stroll. It was fantastic.

The squirrels in the park were glad to stop and pose for me. Amazing that they did not even move as I took several shots of them climbing the tree.

Off again down the road lined with huge moss laden trees. It was beautiful. I wanted to grab a lawn chair and just sit and enjoy the quiet but it was getting dark and I was a long way from home.

One of my favorite things were the roads....brick roads. Reminders of my grandmothers house in Illinois. It is strange the memories that you draw from your childhood. At my grandmothers it was the brick roads I loved and the bread man driving down them...Ray..I even remember his name. We always got to pick out a sweet roll when he stopped. What a treat. Brick roads were normal then. Now it is cement and blacktop. Not nearly as much fun. I am sorry that my kids do not have memories of brick roads....makes me curious as to what things will be stored for them to draw on when they get older. I just hope they enjoy walking down memory lane as much as I do.

Precious Brooklynn....

Just got home from spending a wonderful four days in Florida hanging out with my family..mostly hanging out with my grandchild! As you can tell from the picture she has a total fascination with her hands and her mouth. It is so much fun to watch her inquisitive little face examine the details of her fingers and the toys she can grasp.

Being a grandparent is great. I think you tend to be able to spend more time enjoying and less time worrying. The worrying is left to the parents.....been there done that four times...and oh how I worried about everything back then.

I do not have to devise a plan for feeding times and sleep patterns. Mom and dad do that. I just follow instructions as to not upset the work in progress and enjoy it all.

It is fun to sit back and watch your child parent their child. Tim is a great dad. I guess I knew he would be but it is fun to watch his interaction with his daughter. Mandy is the perfect mom. She has worked through traveling from one side of the United States to the other and set up housekeeping in far too many places with a new baby. And yet she is calm and firm in her purpose to make sure her child is the happiest and healthiest baby she can be.....and it is working!!!

And when Brooklynn manages to remove her hands and othe foreign objects from her mouth that precious face is just about as cute as it can possibly be!

Wonderful Trip, Wonderful Life Lesson....

I just got home from an absolutely wonderful trip to Florida to visit Brooklynn, Tim and Mandy....well, mostly Brooklynn. I sat in the airport with wonderful memories of four great days loving on my grandaughter and feeling a little bit sorry for myself because I was leaving and they were 1300 miles away. After all that means I cannot just jump in the car and visit on a whim. Poor me!!!

I got on the plane and sat down next to a very elderly woman...to learn later she was 86. I avoided conversation because I wanted to finish reading "The Energy Bus"...a book on getting rid of negative and putting positive in your life. We all need motivation, right? So for an hour and a half I read and avoided eye contact. Until, the elderly woman asked me nicely if I would reset her watch to Colorado time for her. Well of course..I can do that. That is it, we are now talking. This nice woman had flown from Colorado to Tampa for a Jazz Festival. It was her passion. Further conversation revealed she had run the gift shop at the Air Force Academy for 30 years...we have something in common. I told her about my boys and the Naval Academy. Her favorite place to go was to San Diego..we have something else in common...that is my favorite place. She talked for 45 minutes about all the things she loved with tears running down her eyes. "Oh honey, I am not crying, I can feel the sun coming through the windows on my face and it feels so good that it brings tears to my eyes." This lady was blind. I did not know it. She had macular degeneration and lost most of her sight in 2003. Her cane was a cane so she could feel her way around. She was incredible. She traveled alone. "Oh honey, someone is always there to help me. I have learned how to live with very limited sight. I will live with very limited sight until I die with very limited sight, but I WILL live." She is a lesson much better than any book I could have been reading. That was a lesson in positive that no literature could teach. What an incredible lady and I do believe that I was in that seat for a reason today.

I got off the plane with tears running down my face. Yes, I miss my family but I got to go see my family. The time I spent with them is a gift. They will be back home and we will have plenty of time to visit. Until then we will SKYPE, and call, and make trips back and forth and I am blessed. And I realize that even more today after sharing 45 minutes with a really inspiring lady.

Coming soon...posts about my beautiful grandchild!!!!

Addiction.......

It is sad...but yes, I am totally addicted to the Bachelor. I REALLY do not want to be. I am sure I could find something better to do with my time but I just cannot seem to pull myself away from the TV on Monday night.

I am quickly tidying up before packing and flying to Tampa in the morning to see my precious grandchild!! I was standing with remote in hand looking for some entertainment while I am doing last minute chores, and wishing it was Monday night so I could catch the next thrilling episode of Jake and the women. Sick, you say???? No, just the eternal optimist who is always looking for happy endings. I want to believe in love at first sight. I want to think that the bachelor is really looking for the love of his life. I want to believe she is one of those 25 women and it will result in happily ever after. I am sure it can happen...I mean Trista and Ryan are happy, right??

So, while Jimmy is mourning that there is no longer Monday Night Football, I am celebrating that I can spend two hours analyzing women and making my choice for the perfect wife for Jake. And when it is over...I am hoping that the new season of Dancing With The Stars is not far behind.

Gramma's Coming......

I am so excited. I am off to see my grandbaby on Friday! It seems like it has been forever. The last time I saw her was December 10th...over a month ago. I know it could be worse but this is such an important time in a babies life...so many changes so quickly. I hear she talks up a storm, laughs, and even rolls herself over. Mandy and Tim are so great to send mini movies and texts but I just need the real thing!!

We've missed her, and her mom and dad. Christmas was just kind of empty this year without them. So, I am anxiously waiting, trying to get through this week at school so I can go get a baby fix....and then I will be set for another month or two!

Global Warming......

I am freezing. My ears are cold...and my nose, and my hands and I am not sure I will ever be warm again. Tonight we are expecting the coldest temperatures we have had in the last twenty years. They are fearing main water line breaks and possible shortages of gas. The news says keep you car filled so the lines at the gas station to stand in 13 degree temperatures to pump gas are five cars deep. And just holding on to the handle of the pumps is trecherous. I am afraid it will stick...like your tongue on a frozen pole (Dumb and Dumber, remember?)

We've had our own set of problems at work this week. Seems the pipes in the building are so old that they feared freezing so they closed down all of the water fountains and turned off the water in the teacher bathrooms...have you ever shared bathroom space with 30 teenage girls in the 7 minutes you have between classes.....just does not work! So we all took roll and ran quickly to a semi empty restroom before starting the days lesson.

Then there issues with just staying warm even at home....it is not fun to jump out of that very warm bed at 5 am and go into that very cold bathroom to get dressed and then jump into a very cold car to drive to work. I know I will be wishing for cool when it is 110 degrees this summer but for now...oh to be warm!!

So, global warming. Tell all of us in the south that are either covered in snow or looking at temperatures of 14 degrees with a wind chill of 2 degrees that the ozone layer is wearing away and the earth is too warm....I don't believe it!!!

Happy Birthday Matthew Phillip....

Happy 1st birthday Matthew Phillip Schwalbe. Today you are one year old. I cannot believe how quickly this year has passed. I think of you often and want you and your parents to know what an honor it is to have you named after our first born son Matthew. Your dad and mom are very special to our family and were to our son Matthew. He loved both of them dearly.

We were blessed to be a part of those that remembered you in this special way today. We added our own balloon to the ones from your mom and dad along with our own message on the card. It is my hope that whomever finds this will also remember you with a prayer. You are very much loved and have touched so many people as have your parents with their incredible strength.

God bless you and your parents today. As they celebrate this special day just know that many of us are remembering with them. You are a gift if only for a brief time on this earth.

I am posting a quote that I read on your mom's page today because I thought it was so appropriate. It is from Steel Magnolias. "I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." You were indeed wonderful.

Great Time To Be A Fan....

I guess I am a fair weather fan. Today I love the Cowboys. Who doesn't??? Nothing beats being able to root for the home team....a winning home team. I am the first to be down on Tony Romo. He is inconsistent, he wears his hat the wrong way, maybe he should shave.....yep, I said those things. Today...I LOVE Tony. I am usually a fan of the underdog. I am the cheerleader for the one who is behind the pack, the one who just needs a push to get there...so I don't know why I have not been in Tony's corner but for some reason it has taken me awhile to warm up. I have a Cowboy jersey but it is an antique. It says AIKMAN on the back. I love Troy and I want Tony to be the seasoned athlete that Troy was. I guess it just takes awhile to get there. So, I am patiently waiting for this next weekend to wear the blue and silver and root for the "Boys" and even if they loose, I have officially jumped on the Tony bandwagon!

It's Over :( .......

Yes, the glorious two weeks of no alarm clock, no schedule, sleeping in, and doing whatever I wanted is over. YIKES! I enjoyed every second of it...and it is over. Tonight when I get ready for bed, I will set the alarm for the dreaded 5 am, and go put my gradebook back in the car. I will probably lay there for hours knowing I have to get up and not be able to go to sleep! I enjoyed my vacation. It was everything I wanted it to be....friends, fun and being lazy. It is over!

Tomorrow is meetings and seeing my co-workers after a two week break. "How was your Christmas, did you watch the bowl games, what do you think about Mike Leach, guess who I saw over the holidays?" and so on. And then things will seem normal again. Tuesday brings 150 new faces in my classroom and new challenges and new personalities. Wonder if my kids will be as good as last semester? Gosh, I will miss Grace and Tony during A1. Wonder how I can make recipe reading more interesting? Okay, now I am back on a roll. I think I am ready.

I wonder how I would feel if I retired and I knew I was not going back. If I knew that no alarms was permanent, if I let someone else teach all of those kids, how would I feel? So many questions to ask yourself when the reality of not being there is so close.

Tonight I have to set my alarm, it is over, but I think that it is okay.

New Year's Wish....

As we begin this new year I have posted my thoughts on 2009 and my goals for 2010. Now it is time to write down wishes to everyone for this coming year. It is a verse I read years ago that I have over my computer and it always catches my attention at the beginning of a new year. It is a humbling thought as we continue to become a society that always wishes for more...

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough"Hello's" to get you through the "Goodbye's"

May all of you have a blessed 2010.