April Fool's???

Thursday Thoughts!!
( I have lots of them today.)

I am wearing my new shoes today and I love them. They are snakeskin like and have a 3 1/2 inch heel. I feel so tall and in charge today! And my feet are doing good too!

The weather sucks so bad. I feel like it is April in Wisconsin...not almost June. This is enough for me to crawl back into bed and stay there until Spring/Summer truly arrives. Please Mother Nature....let me see the SUN!!!!

Since the weather sucks so bad, my kids are wearing jeans/pants, etc. However, they have grown so much that it seems nothing fits them. E had to put on at least 3 pairs of pants this morning before anything fit her. I refuse to buy pants at this time. It is short/capri season.

I am sick of wearing pants too! I want to wear shorts, bermudas, cute skirts, and tank tops!!!

There is nothing on TV in the evenings anymore. Usually it wouldn't bother me because when it is warm in the evening you can bike ride, watch the kids play in their sporting events, take a walk, etc. But the weather sucks so bad that the sports are cancelled and who wants to ride their bike when it is foggy and misty and COLD!

No more complaining about the weather... I heard maybe, just maybe it could reach 70 tomorrow. I won't hold my breath.

Cheers to Thirsty Thursday!! ( I am not in the mood for that either!)

A New Diet Plan

How do you avoid temptation when there is this really delicious piece of chocolate cake sitting if front of you?

Bring it in your classroom and put it out so everyone can see....you get "Can I have that piece of cake?"

I did all of that on purpose because I am "cycling" and I would REALLY love that piece of cake, but I don't WANT it, because of the guilt of it all, so I did this instead.

I put it on the auction block this morning in class. I told the highest bidder they could have the cake for snack, but they couldn't bid money. They had to say something that I would want for it. I told them if they had listened to my stories, my ideas, and my passions this would be EASY!!

They were awesome at this challenge. These were their barters...2 new necklaces because you broke your favorites, earrings, a case of Diet Mountain Dew, new shoes, a movie to watch, the DVD of the seasons of American Idol, pink nailpolish, candy bars, shirts, a bigger cake, a playmate for my dog Zena, 3 movie tickets, lunch, a box of chocolates, a cat, and a new car.

How could I chose the highest bidder? They all know me so well. I decided they were all winners and I cut the cake into 16ths and they all enjoyed just a small bite. I thanked them for taking my calories away! They didn't get that at all. Problem solved...no guilt...just watching them was a treat itself!

It is in God's Hands

I had a great weekend, but will post more on that later. I have pictures to share and good times to talk about, but first I want to share an update.

About a month ago I wrote about a little boy in my class and his Mom has ALS. She was diagnosed last summer and her condition has since deteriorated and right now, things don't look good. She got pneumonia over the weekend and is in the hospital with a breathing tube. Just last week, the boy's father told him that his Mom was not going to get better. He never told them that she would die, but just that she won't ever be the same.

They will be removing her breathing tube either tomorrow or Thursday. My prayers are with this family. My heart is breaking for this little boy and his siblings. He is such a strong little guy. All I want to do is hug him. The kids are getting baptized tonight.

Who's That Girl?

I can add Taxi service to my list of job titles. I spent 2 hours in the car shuffling the girls to and from baseball practice. Hubby actually took the boy to his game. (phew) It wouldn't be so bad, except all of their games and practices are 10 miles from each other. Crazy stuff.

I felt so completely overwhelmed by all of my "to do's" that I melted down like a crazy woman last night. I was a bit irrational. I couldn't help it because I hate leaving town when the house is in disarray. I haven't had the time to keep up with the mounding laundry, the dust, the candy wrappers that E loves to leave around her room, the backpacks, my DVR, and just day to day picking up. Hubby is a great helper, but sometimes that doesn't seem to be enough in my mind. I just SNAP and WHAM, I turn into a crazy nut! (gotta work on that)

We are leaving town for the weekend. Our first camping trip of the season...so excited, but OMG there is so much to get done. I took off tomorrow...

Spoiler Alert...Hubby spoiled it for me last night....he was watching the Brewer game and kept flipping channels to see if they announced the Idol winner..while I was upstairs watching it on the DVR and I was about 45 minutes behind the live time and all of a sudden I hear him SHOUT YES!! At that point I knew it was Kris...he despised Adam this season. So, I decided to fast forward and see the end....no surprise...but I missed Queen and some other performances. I did see the Black Eyed Peas.....love that song...BOOM BOOM POW!! Pumps me up. I also enjoyed KISS....my oldest daughter was disgusted at the fact that they were in their 50s and dressing up like that and couldn't understand that whole tongue thing....I can't either, but it was a good performance. I loved Keith Urban....when I heard that song on the CMAs, I bought that one right up.

Can't wait for this weekend....camping, friends, no schedules, chores. Just good times!

Wife What???

"Hey, Mrs. S."

"It's so hot out here today, I think I should wear my wife beater to school tomorrow!"

I laughed so hard, I thought I was going to cry! Straight out of the mouth of an almost 8 year old!!

My question of the day is What do you want to be when you grow up?

Here is what they said....

• fashion designer
• astronaut
• doctor
• professional baseball player
• professional football player
• vet
• a gamer
• detective
• engineer
• football coach
• professional bowler
• teacher
• spy
• fashion model

I hope someday they achieve their dreams. What were yours?

Bargains for Babies

You never know what you can find at a garage sale. I love "g-saling!!" We had our neighborhood sale this weekend. I didn't have a chance to shop the sales, but did make some good shopping money. My youngest and loudest had a great time going from sale to sale. She bought Webkinz for 50 cents each ( no tags for the game world), lemonade, cookies, and something she was so proud of.....

She came up to me and told me how she found the cutest shorts for the beach. I said that's great, how much did you pay for them...25 cents. I asked to see the cutest shorts for the beach and I did see the cutest shorts for the beach on 6-MONTH OLD!! Yes, everyone, my daughter bought 2 pairs of the cutest beach shorts made for a baby. I guess that is what I get for letting my 7 year old daughter go down a few houses and let her go wild on her allowance. We got a bag full of Webkinz, 2 pairs of shorts that fit no one I know, and styrofoam cups with lemonade remnants.

What a great weekend!

To Be A Winner is to ACT LIKE ONE

Should sports be ALL about the winning? Or games? Or anything for that matter?

I love to be on a winning team don't get me wrong, but I also think it is okay to lose. Even the best of the best lose SOMETIMES!!

Lately, certain kids brag about how their teams slaughter the other ones and how they have NEVER lost a game since they started playing sports. Or telling everyone that they win in EVERYTHING they do.

What are parents teaching their children? Shouldn't parents show or explain to their children that it is okay to lose. I think you can improve and try harder the next time.

Or sometimes kids say it was the referee's fault they lost. What do you all think? Am I wrong? Is it okay for teams to win by 40 runs? If I were the coach and my team was beating the other team by that many runs or points, I would back off and not rub it in. Has anyone ever heard of sportsmanship???

Dragging or Lagging

One of the DJs this morning on the radio summed up a headline for American Idol that made me laugh because I SO feel the same way as he does.

A Drag Queen and Two Good Singers...love it!!

My take on last night's performances are this.....

Danny....What was Paula thinking giving him a song that nobody knows....he did good, but a better song choice. His second song was good. I like it when he really gets into it. Overall good performances. He seems solid every week. Is it enough? I voted for him 10 times or more.

Kris...I think he did the best last night out of everyone. His version of Heartless was awesome. I think I will be downloading that song from I Tunes. By the way, I thought him playing the piano was terrific. His voice is easy on the ears.

Adam...not a fan AT ALL. He is so theatrical and I believes someday he will win an award for his performances on a stage, not mainstream radio. His version of the song One was good until he started his screaming. The Aerosmith song hurt my ears.

According to Dial Idol, Danny will be going home tonight. Who knows? It could be wrong.

One more thing...Kara drives me crazy as a judge.

Whys and Knows

Why is that every Monday evening when I go to my workout class that "this guy" always is DYING to tell me how he did in his 5K race that he has pretty much signed up for every weekend for at least 8 weeks in a row. I NEVER ask him because yeah for him!! He told me his goal is to beat me in a race. Glad the guy has a mission, but Hell no that ain't gonna happen.

I am glad that he has a goal, but he hunts me out every Monday just to tell me his time. I did notice he didn't tell me Monday, instead he said "Aren't you dying to know how I did?" He said he choked and did horrible. I didn't have a chance to reply, he just told me.


Why is it that everytime I need to use the bathroom at work, I walk into a cloud of room spray and the door cracked open. Yeah for me...not really, or the toilet seat up and not down.

Why is it that today the sun is shining and tomorrow, once again there will be thunderstorms and junk weather?

Why did payback have to come so soon. My oldest daughter and her hormones, moods, and her telling me I get on her nerves. Not so yeah for me....That is WHY I am getting more gray hairs!!!

This is what I do know....21 more days of school before summer vacation, going camping in 1 week for Memorial Day weekend, and thought the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was cute, AND I really want to read the book My Sister's Keeper before the movie comes out. I cried just seeing the preview at the theater. Did I mention SCHOOL IS ALMOST OUT FOR SUMMER!!!

AI Madness and More Nonsense

Thursday Thoughts

• Saturday is my day of pampering and hanging out with the best girls ever! My 2 sisters and my Mom. We are getting a pedi, going to see the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and lunch. I am super excited!

• Tomorrow is Danny Gokey day in Milwaukee. For anyone who doesn't watch American Idol, he made the top 3. I was a little nervous watching the results last night, but he made it!! I was so excited. I wasn't that thrilled with his performance on Tuesday, but still he is one of my favorites. I think it would be fun to go and see him perform at the Summerfest grounds and everyone who attends gets a free ticket to Summerfest. Now those of you who don't know what Summerfest is, it is a HUGE 10 day musical festival in Milwaukee. Not only top music acts, but food, and lots of beer. He is also singing the National Anthem at the Brewer game tomorrow night. Go Brew Crew!!

• Making Mother's Day projects in my class. We painted pots, planted Marigolds, drew our Mom's self portrait ( they are adorable), typed out a poem, and filled out a questionnaire about their Mom. It was quite funny reading their responses to questions about their Mom's favorite music, food, clothing, friends, tv shows and wishes. Some responses were, My mom's favorite TV shows are all violence, musical singers from Elvis to Led Zeppelin, the wish that broke my heart and made me have a tear in my eye, is the boy who's Mom has ALS. His wish is for his mom is to walk, talk, and use her hands again. I felt like hugging him.

• The weather is perfect today (at least right now)...not a cloud in the sky and temps rising into the mid 70s. I think this afternoon it is Science outside!!

• Looking forward to Thirsty Thursday. I will do my run and celebrate with a Corona Light. I didn't celebrate on Cinco de Mayo, so I guess it is Siete de Mayo instead. :)

Leg Breaker Leaps and Junkyard Jam...Interested?

I heard about this on the radio today. It is a 6K race called The Warrior Dash. It is no ORDINARY race....With the map reading something like this...Hell's Hills, Chemical Chaos, Junkyard Jam, Walk the Plank, and Leg Breaker Leaps...what's not to be curious and want to join the fun.

Check this out The Warrior Dash. If you are interested in a CRAZY and CHALLENGING time....seriously check that link out. I am thinking about it. It would be the ultimate and most stunt like thing I have ever tried. I would have to put on some armor on for sure in case I got hurt. I think of it like Fear Factor without the eating thing. If you like running, crawling through mud, and maybe jumping over and around junked up cars, this is the race for you!

13.1 Here I Come

Well I did it! No turning back now. If I do then I lose my well earned $65.00!

I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon in September. I'm pumped, excited, and happy. I told my husband to let the madness begin!! Training in the summer should be fine because I won't be working (summer's off...bonus of being a teacher) and my oldest daughter can watch the other 2 while I run. I may just get up early and do it before the heat of the day! That would only make sense. Again...pumped!!

Great day...great weekend and looking forward to my day of pampering this Saturday with my sisters and Mom.

Wisconsin Marathon....The Cheesiest

My sister, BIL, and BF did the 1/2 Marathon. What a beautiful day for a run. They all did awesome!!

My sister ready to finish...woohoo

My niece and daughter cheering everyone on at the finish! Yeah we did it!

I decided I am going to sign up for a 1/2 Marathon. I am so excited. Either the Chicago 1/2 in Sept. or the Madison one same month.

Let the training begin!

Tagged Again!

I was tagged by Jennifer at Another Online Mom to do this fun questionnaire. So here goes....


1. What is your current obsession? Working out and thinking about my future race goals. I know crazy.

2. Which item of clothing do you wear most often? Lately...layers...the weather has been up and down.
3. What's for dinner? Grilled Chicken

4. What are you listening to? Annoying show on Nick...Fairly Odd Parents.


5. Say something about the one who tagged you.
Her blog is so fun to read. She has great fashion tips and links me to the sales and trends. Oh and her kids are so cute and they love Disney.

6. Favorite vacation spots? Camping in Wisconsin State Parks

7. What am I reading right now? New Moon and my Runner's World Magazine
8. Four words to describe myself: Friendly, Outgoing, Energetic, and Loyal.
9. Guilty pleasure? Dumb reality TV (The Cougar, Rock of Love Bus and I will be DVRing the new season of the Housewives New Jersey)
10. First spring thing to do? Organize and plant flowers.

Now I will pass this fun questionnaire onto...

Hairbows and Guitar Picks
Dr. Wifey
Wacie's Way

Running Passion and Bags!

Everyone knows how passionate I am about running and working out. I really enjoy the rush, sweat, and adrenaline I get from doing those things. It keeps me SANE and forget about all the crap that comes into our lives. This weekend, I am going to be the cheerleader instead of the participant. There is the inaugural marathon in my town this weekend. It is called the Wisconsin Marathon "The Cheesiest." It is either a full 26.2 or half 13.1.

I will be at the finish line taking photos of my sister. I am so proud of her. She has trained so hard and has been focused on this goal for months. I will be yelling for her as she crosses that line. Her husband will also be doing this as well. My cheers will be as loud for him too. My best friend will be doing it and many other people I know from the gym. It will be exciting and the rush and adrenaline will be no different. It is a passion either way!! (pictures next week)

I am 90% sure that I am doing a half myself....if Chicago isn't filled already....I am signing up.

*** One of my favorite bloggers More Wine Please is celebrating her 1 year Blogaversary. In honor of her Blogaversary she is having a giveaway. A really cute monogrammed bag giveaway. Go check out her blog and enter yourself in the giveaway and let her know I sent you there! ***