Have a laugh!

We have been besieged by sickness: me with kidney stones and other plumbing problems, the Bean with upper respiratory problems, and A. with a bad case of croup that required steroids. We are emerging from this state slowly (A will be on a humidifier every night for the next two weeks), and even got to go to the soccer games and birthday parties this weekend. I am off to a conference about all things financial for three days and then home for Halloween. May there be more treats than tricks for you and yours. Hopefully the picture above (Bean at his best and craziest) will give you a good belly laugh. :)

OUCH!

Sorry that I have not posted lately. It has been a VERY busy week at school. While we are doing our Fall standardized testing I have been teaching an Algebra Readiness class so that a teacher would have more time to work with her class. As a result, the days seemed to fly past, and I found myself with more to do than there was time in the day. I spent today in Irvine from 8 AM until 12 PM and just made it back for the last half of A and Bean's soccer game (after stopping at Target to get the team snacks, of course). I had an extreme pain during the week that I thought was just advanced warning of my monthly visitor, but while at the symposium this morning I felt the ever familiar searing pain again and knew that I was passing another kidney stone. I am having pretty bad bladder spasms to go with it. Apparently I am one of the "special" ones whose stones tend to be infected and result in the pain with a UT infection to boot. Prayers will be greatly appreciated as I can't get into the doctor until Monday (or I could pay $100 for ER care..NOT) and have a PACKED schedule for next week.

Another Friday

Yeah! It is finally Friday. I had to be at school every day last week so I am looking forward to going home. Luckily there is no local football game either so I can go home and...do wash. A mom came and gave me a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvingon Blanc to thank me for turning them on to it, so I have some good relaxation time to look forward to as I fluff and fold. A and Bean have early soccer games tomorrow so I will be getting up at the usual weekday time. They got their school pictures pack and they look great! I will be sending them on or at least trying to scan them so all can see. I have a few pictures from the crush up in Stockton that I will post now and then go snuggle my boys! Love to all :)

Sunday

I don't have much time to write but just wanted to put my 2 cents in for the newest Disney release. The boys and I LOVED Beverly Hills Chihuahua! It was the biggest audience we have seen in some time for a children's movie, so I expect it will do well in the ratings race for the weekend. Dad had to take the boys to soccer as I was in a training/brainstorming class all Saturday for a Transforming Congregations process my church is going through. I learned some very interesting stats: the US is the third largest pagan nation in the world (China is first and India is second), Only 18.7% of people in the US attend church during the weekend, the average church size is 75, and even Lutherans usually only attend church twice a month. Something pretty powerful to think about! There are more Lutherans in Africa than in the US. Our best mission field in right outside our doors!

Pray for Bean

Today was one of those days where you feel that you are always running around but that you haven't accomplished anything! I started with a PTL meeting. My school is so blessed to have an amazing Parent Teacher League who are super dedicated to the school. The ladies are working hard to make sure that our school is the best it can be. Today we finalized the Country Fair carnival that takes over our campus. We have large "flying" swings, go-carts, super slides, petting zoos, and a variety of games and crafts. My favorite is the karaoke where I school the children on the classics like "These Boots Were Made for Walking" and "I Will Survive". I had to go to the dentist and my usual kind, gentle hygienist was replaced by a very amiable person but she could have given Jack the Ripper a run for his money. I left bruised and bleeding and ran back to school. I helped facilitate the annual CLCS flag football draft. The 8th graders are coach/managers and draft a team from a pool of 4th to 8th graders. It was a lot of fun but very time consuming. Since I have become principal I have learned a slew of other jobs: secretary, gardener, exterminator, traffic cop, IT specialist, and facilities manager. I know that this is part of God's plan, and I am so lucky that He has my back. I am doing so many things that I never was trained to or thought that I would do. I took Alex to soccer practice and then needed to step in and coach Christopher's soccer practice. When we got home Christopher was pale, clammy and crying. He is very sick and has a seal-like cough for the last two days. He has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and will not be going to school. Please give him some love and pray for his recovery. He does not get this sick very often, and it breaks my heart to see his heart shaped lips and beautiful full eyelashes set off by alabaster white skin as he sleeps off his fever. I have rambled on enough. May God bless you and keep you , may He make His face shine upon you and give you peace.

No Need for Words

Sorry that I cannot get more than one picture on a line, but these are worth one million words!

P.S. Happy 3rd birthday Little Chicken! I hope you like the Cinderella dress and tiara :) I am so happy that my parents are having an AMAZING time at the Inn at Little Washington.

Here, There, and Everywhere

Alex and Riley (his future wife) at their K graduation

Me and a few of my past 8th graders at the WWII memorial

Bean looking suave

Today was a day for travel. I started with getting into an argument with a guy who decided to park his flatbed in the middle of our parking lot so that he cold unload a 12 ton asphalt paver. He was belligerent from the get go and was screaming about how a church really should be more "christian". He did not buy the argument that my parents and kids might need the parking spaces and it might be a little unsafe for them is he was there. The first day of school his equipment failed at the top of the hill right by our school. He took out two cars, three light polls, and a couple of trees. Needless to say, his foreman found out about it and came and apologized later. We are getting parts of our parking lot repaved for free now!

I had to go to our District Office in Irvine for a curriculum task force meeting. It was a lot of work and fun, too. I love working on ways to help teachers and students learn. Being with like minded individuals is really inspirational. There was a freak rainstorm there. I wish that it would travel up to us. We have hot, muggy conditions with a smog bank that keeps getting worse as the days go on. They are switching air quality regulations at the Port soon so I hope to see an improvement in the air soon. All in all, it is still one of the most beautiful places that I have ever lived.

This evening I got to go out to dinner with a representative from the Lutheran Special Education Ministries. It was a great night of telling our faith stories and what led us to be called to teach. We have been working with them to get a Special ed person at the school for over two years. J. H. broke the news to me that he has found a great person and will give us double the time that we pay for for free as we have been very patient with them. God's grace knows no bounds!

Speaking of God's grace...my Mom turns 60 today! My Dad turned 59 last week. I am so blessed with the best parents I could ever want. They are generous to a fault, love their families passionately and completely, and sacrifice much for others. I am so very proud of you two and thank God every day that you are back safe and sound in the States.

That's all for today. For Aunt B I will put up a few more pictures: (I still cannot figure out how to put the pictures at the bottom of the page rather than the top!)