Friday, February 20, 2009
you got the news twice...
Well, I'm not too sure how I posted that twice, but it's worthy of being repeated!
WOO-HOO!!!
We just received some great news! It looks like this:
Congratulations! You have been matched to an internship position.
This is the residency required for the doctorate. Derrell is among the 60% of applicants nationwide who got matched on the first go 'round.
We are so happy! We are so blessed! Thank you for your support and prayers. We need them.
The end is coming into view:
Congratulations! You have been matched to an internship position.
This is the residency required for the doctorate. Derrell is among the 60% of applicants nationwide who got matched on the first go 'round.
We are so happy! We are so blessed! Thank you for your support and prayers. We need them.
The end is coming into view:
- Finish Classes--April 2009
- Defend Dissertation--Summer & Fall 2009
- Complete Residency--Summer 2009 thru Summer 2010
- Graduate!!--Fall 2010
WOO-HOO!!!
We just received some great news. It looks like this:
Congratulations! You have been matched to an internship position.
This is the residency required for the doctorate. Derrell is among the 60% of applicants nationwide
that got matched on the first go 'round.
We are so happy! We are so blessed!
The end is coming into view.
- Finish Classes (April 2009)
- Defend Dissertation (Summer & Fall 2009)
- Complete Residency (Summer 2009 thru Summer 2010)
- Graduate!! (Fall 2010)
Thank you for your support and prayers. We need them.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Two weeks ago:
The Snowman that turned into a Chair. (I don't think I ever wanted a snow chair when I was a kid!)
AE begged to go outside
with her cracker.
It shortly became
"Ritz a la mode".
Today:
And tomorrow it's supposed to get up to 70 degrees.
The weather is one of the nicest things about this area. We get some cold and snow, but nothing like the negative 40 temperatures of Anchorage, Alaska where a friend lives. The summer can be uncomfortable, but nothing like Melbourne, Australia where a friend is experiencing 115 degree weather presently. For the most part it is quite mild.
OK, I better be more specific. The weather is one of the nicest things to me about this area. It is WAY too warm for my hubby's tastes most of the time, but I think he's part bear. (hee, hee)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Saving of the Cookies
I like to cook.
I'm not the greatest, but most of what I make is edible. The kids don't usually complain. I'm not very adventurous, but I am adaptable. Recipes are guidelines. If I don't have half of the ingredients, I just throw in what I do have. Some of the greatest compliments come when I have modified a recipe. What this means, however, is that I can never recreate my best meals.
It also means that sometimes I really mess up.
Unfortunately, because I never keep track of what I've thrown in, I don't really know what the problem is. Mayhem really breaks loose when I venture into a world almost completely unknown to me, like Asian food, or baking from scratch.
Such was the case one evening when I decided to make my family homemade cookies. A little bit of this and a lot of that. I was following only a partial recipe. After the first batch came out of the oven, I knew we had a problem.
Two people instantly came to mind: a good friend who has finally perfected her own (somewhat secret) chocolate chip recipe, and my eldest sister-in-law who represents a good homemaker to me. My friend lives a mile away, and I knew exactly where she was at the moment, so I tried her first. She couldn't hear her phone over the bath water she was drawing for her children.
I was somewhat reluctant to call my S-I-L because it was around dinner time in her part of the world. But, I figured my options were to throw out the dough or interrupt their dinner. I chose the selfish option, which luckily turned out OK. B-I-L wasn't home from work, yet!
It took longer for me to explain the problem, than for her to fix it. More flour!!! Thank you, LaD!
Can you guess which is the before-the-saving, and which is after?
I'm not the greatest, but most of what I make is edible. The kids don't usually complain. I'm not very adventurous, but I am adaptable. Recipes are guidelines. If I don't have half of the ingredients, I just throw in what I do have. Some of the greatest compliments come when I have modified a recipe. What this means, however, is that I can never recreate my best meals.
It also means that sometimes I really mess up.
Unfortunately, because I never keep track of what I've thrown in, I don't really know what the problem is. Mayhem really breaks loose when I venture into a world almost completely unknown to me, like Asian food, or baking from scratch.
Such was the case one evening when I decided to make my family homemade cookies. A little bit of this and a lot of that. I was following only a partial recipe. After the first batch came out of the oven, I knew we had a problem.
Two people instantly came to mind: a good friend who has finally perfected her own (somewhat secret) chocolate chip recipe, and my eldest sister-in-law who represents a good homemaker to me. My friend lives a mile away, and I knew exactly where she was at the moment, so I tried her first. She couldn't hear her phone over the bath water she was drawing for her children.
I was somewhat reluctant to call my S-I-L because it was around dinner time in her part of the world. But, I figured my options were to throw out the dough or interrupt their dinner. I chose the selfish option, which luckily turned out OK. B-I-L wasn't home from work, yet!
It took longer for me to explain the problem, than for her to fix it. More flour!!! Thank you, LaD!
Can you guess which is the before-the-saving, and which is after?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
NE's Shopping List
Me: I need to go to the store. Do you want to come with me?
NE: What store are we going to? Walmart?
Me: Nope. I just need to run to the grocery store close to our home to get a couple things.
NE: I want to get some things at Walmart.
Me: Well, what do you want to get? Maybe we can get them at the grocery store.
NE: I want sandwiches and ham and hamburgers and butter and turkey and ham and five books. And are there snakes in there?
NE: What store are we going to? Walmart?
Me: Nope. I just need to run to the grocery store close to our home to get a couple things.
NE: I want to get some things at Walmart.
Me: Well, what do you want to get? Maybe we can get them at the grocery store.
NE: I want sandwiches and ham and hamburgers and butter and turkey and ham and five books. And are there snakes in there?
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Season
The kids participated in Lowe's Build & Grow workshop on Saturday. They built gingerbread houses, and had a ball!
Dad was planning to join us, but I insisted he just stay home (with the baby) and relax. He should have come. It was designed for children in grades 1 through 5, but I figured LL would be fine since she's in K, and I could help NE.
It was a little too advanced for a five year old, and WAY too difficult for a preschooler.
Maybe if we lived on a farm, and the kids were accustomed to building chicken coops and fences and out-houses, then they would have been fine. But, we live a life of luxury with our indoor plumbing and central heating system. Gratefully, some friends of ours were there, too, and they helped us out.
I'm really impressed with Lowe's. The kids each got their own work apron, safety goggles, and hammer, plus a certificate and patch to be sewn on the apron. These workshops are free! I think the kids will participate again--with both parents.
We have one deciduous tree in our yard. It has skinny leaves that sometimes slip right through the tines of the rake and the blades of the lawn mower. It doesn't really bother us, though. Where we get our "fun" is from our neighbor's trees. Last year we filled over 30 garbage bags with their leaves. (We live on just less than one-fifth of an acre, so I think that's pretty significant.) This year, we decided the time had come to purchase a leaf blower. Now, we just blow them back into our neighbor's yard. Just kidding! We really
have the best neighbors ever!
We've had a little snow, which is rare for December here, but mostly we've had amazingly mild weather. Today it got up to 66 degrees! It felt like spring. Supposed to be freezing again tomorrow.
Dad was planning to join us, but I insisted he just stay home (with the baby) and relax. He should have come. It was designed for children in grades 1 through 5, but I figured LL would be fine since she's in K, and I could help NE.
It was a little too advanced for a five year old, and WAY too difficult for a preschooler.
Maybe if we lived on a farm, and the kids were accustomed to building chicken coops and fences and out-houses, then they would have been fine. But, we live a life of luxury with our indoor plumbing and central heating system. Gratefully, some friends of ours were there, too, and they helped us out.
I'm really impressed with Lowe's. The kids each got their own work apron, safety goggles, and hammer, plus a certificate and patch to be sewn on the apron. These workshops are free! I think the kids will participate again--with both parents.
We have one deciduous tree in our yard. It has skinny leaves that sometimes slip right through the tines of the rake and the blades of the lawn mower. It doesn't really bother us, though. Where we get our "fun" is from our neighbor's trees. Last year we filled over 30 garbage bags with their leaves. (We live on just less than one-fifth of an acre, so I think that's pretty significant.) This year, we decided the time had come to purchase a leaf blower. Now, we just blow them back into our neighbor's yard. Just kidding! We really
have the best neighbors ever!
We've had a little snow, which is rare for December here, but mostly we've had amazingly mild weather. Today it got up to 66 degrees! It felt like spring. Supposed to be freezing again tomorrow.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
50's Day
All the kindergarten classes celebrated the 50th day of school by having 50's day. The children were encouraged to dress up. A friend let us borrow this Halloween outfit. LL had a ball! They had a bubble blowing contest with gum. They learned the twist. She came home wearing a "Rockin'" hat made with a paper record. I had to explain to all the children what an LP is. :-)
I had my doubts about sending our little girl to school this year. After watching her thrive and learn so quickly--and having her teacher literally beg me to let her stay in (she is one of the few well-behaved students)--we decided to let her stay. She is doing very well, and loves every day.
It's not all roses, of course. She is a little more clingy at home, I suppose because she isn't getting the same kind of love and acceptance at school. I'm not so naive to think she would be loved as much as I love her, but I wouldn't mind a little more positive environment for her first school experience. (was that a run-on?)
LL is almost always happy and positive and considerate. She doesn't like it when a sibling snatches her things. And she is all tears when she is tired. But for the most part, she reminds us what we love about life. She has a different viewpoint than most people. It is always interesting to hear her thoughts!
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