Her Last Birthday Ever!

Christy celebrated her 39th birthday at our house on Friday. She asked for Spanish rice with tacos. We had a nice dinner and then had her favorite cake: cherry chip with almond butter cream frosting. She swears that this is her last birthday ever. She's not celebrating next year.

No Boys Allowed!

On Sunday night I was walking down the hall and saw this note posted on Alyssa's door. Despite the spelling you can understand what she's saying! I thought it was funny, so I thought I'd share.

And now with the Sports....Here's Curtis

This is what I saw walking into my classroom after school. His class is doing book reports. His group picked a book called, Running out of Time. They read it and now have to do a presentation. They are doing a newscast. Curtis' teacher told me that he has whipped up replicas of a cell phone, a laptop complete with a USB port and removable drive, microphone, etc....

Apparently he has also whipped up a mustache for his role as sportscaster and man on the street reporter. I always considered this kid shy and quiet. This special class has done extraordinary things for him. He is showing his real, creative, wonderful self. His teacher is fabulous and really gets wonderful things from him. I am thankful for her!

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth

My little late bloomer is finally losing teeth. He lost 2 bottom teeth about 8 months ago, but hadn't lost any more. Last week he lost one of his front teeth and the other is hanging by a thread. I hope he looses it fast! It so grosses me out to see him pushing his tooth back and forth.

The Fairy Party

Alyssa chose to have a Tinker Bell birthday party. I thought maybe she would just want girls at her party, but she has some boys that she just loves so much and has to have them there too. Thanks to Aunt Jamie, who gave us a great idea for fairy wings and Aunt Christy for whipping up a Peter Pan hat prototype, we were in business. I borrowed some green butcher paper from school for the Peter Pan hats. They are a simple paper hat with some feathers tucked into the brim. The wings are made from tissue paper, gathered in the middle and tied with a pipe cleaner. The kids seemed to love them. From the pictures you'll see how great the kids looked.

We also had a treasure hunt. We found clues in Nana's doghouse and by the mermaid's pond. The treasure was a box painted gold. It was full of gift bags full of fun treasure.

We also ate fairy sandwiches, fairy wands (pretzels dipped in chocolate and rolled in sprinkles), fruit kabobs, potato chips, and cupcakes.

We had a fun Tinker Bell shaped pinata. I think a great time was had by all.

We also had a great family party. Alyssa picked lasagna, garlic bread, and jello for our family dinner. She wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. She also wanted pink writing on her cake. She seemed thrilled with her cake. I was thankful that she picked a simple cake.

Alyssa got some fun stuff from everyone. Thanks to all our wonderful family who came and celebrated with us. We have been blessed with wonderful family and friends. We are lucky people.

Alyssa is six!

Alyssa turned 6 on November 20th. She is told me the night before that she wanted a donut with a candle in it for breakfast. She loves donuts! She takes after her Grandma Carla in that! She could eat one every day. So I got the donuts and she was thrilled. I also gave her a new shirt to wear to school. She was the happiest little birthday girl there ever was!

Curtis

Let me tell you a little about this cute little boy. He is usually the easiest kid in the world to parent. He is kind, thoughtful, sensitive, intelligent... The list truly could go on and on with all of his positive attributes.

One thing he isn't though is organized. If any of you have seen this child's bedroom, you could testify to this. Another problem is mornings. You would think that this child has never had a working mother, and that getting ready in the morning is a new thing.

Yesterday was particularly awful. It was well past our time to leave and he didn't have his shoes on, hadn't fed or watered Rory, hadn't combed his hair, or brushed his teeth. He was reading in his bedroom. When I called for us to get into the car and discovered that nothing had been done, I was upset. I was very calm though and we had a discussion in the car on the way to school. Now, this discussion has happened many times in the past, sometimes loudly, sometimes patiently. He always says, "Yes Mom, I will try and be better." I truly despaired of anything changing.

Fast forward to this morning: when I called he got right up. I asked him to lay out his clothes and he said it was already done. I looked over at the couch and sure enough there they were. He told me he'd laid them out last night so he could get ready on time. I still didn't think anything of it, although it was nice to not have to say it fifty times. Next he quickly ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, and got dressed. All with out me asking. I complimented him and he told me that he'd thought a lot about what I'd said and made a list last night of all he had to do and he was checking them off as he did them. Here' proof :

Here is the list. It is also more proof of what a truly wonderful kid he is.

Here's another reason I love this kid: For the culminating project for his class' study of Egypt they made death masks. Curtis' teacher told me his was the best. If you can't tell, it is a dog. When they brought the masks home he had made himself a tail and had drawn paw prints on the palms of his hands. I asked if everyone else had made tails, etc to go with their masks. He told me that he was the only one. I asked if anyone had laughed at him. He told me that some did, but he didn't care, because he was having fun. I am so glad he isn't like his mother. He didn't care what the other kids thought, because he was having fun.

Sweet!

Before going to bed I always check on the kids.

I find myself standing and watching them for awhile, thinking how sweet they look. Last night I thought they were particularly cute. What do you think?

Poker Run

About a month ago, Mike took both kids to the Poker Run. The poker run is where people take 4 wheel drive vehicles and drive from point to point gathering playing cards and then at the end, those with the best poker hand win prizes.

I was really excited because they were going out Friday evening and would be coming back Sunday morning. I was thrilled to have some alone time. Christy and I also planned to do some things together.

Late Friday night, just as I was going to go to bed, the phone rang and it was Mike telling me they were coming home because there

had been a little mishap. They got home and Mike explained that about 10:30, a guy was driving up a hill and hadn't secured his tailgate or his spare tire. It came rolling down the hill

and hit the truck with some force. I was really upset, but Mike said he was glad it had hit the tent instead of the tent. He said that it had hit with such force that had it hit the tent it would have seriously hurt or killed one of the kids.

The next morning when I got up, Alyssa was sitting on the couch and I hugged her and told her that I was glad she was home safe. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, we were protected and blessed." I got tears in my eyes and agreed with her. I am so glad my family was protected and that I had them home safe, rather than having a "free" weekend.

Old Fashioned

We had pack meeting a couple of weeks ago. The boys had a great time. Sister Duhrmeir did a great job! She told the boys that they were going to bob for apples and asked if any of the boys knew what that was. My son piped up with, "Yea bobbing for apples is an old fashioned game." I looked at Mike and he looked at me and we both were thinking, "Where in the world did he get that?" It was really funny!

When Sister Duhrmeir asked who wanted to go first Curtis readily volunteered. He worked and worked at getting that apple. After awhile, he got it and in the process got thoroughly drenched.

Then they went outside to find ghosts in the trees (suckers wrapped in kleenex) tied up in the trees. The boys had a great time and Curtis talked about it the whole way home. Alyssa also had a great time. I wouldn't let her bob for apples, since she was just getting over a cold.

That disppointed her, but when she got to find ghosts, that cheered her up.

The cousins

Margo and Clay brought Tyler and Joel to Trunk or Treat on Halloween. Joel was Buzz Lightyear and was thrilled about it. Right before he would start to run, he would punch buttons on his arm, just like Buzz. It was soooo funny! Tyler on the other hand was not exactly thrilled to be a mouse. As you can see. Curtis and Alyssa were thrilled to have them there.

October

October is a blur, as was September. My class this year is difficult and it has taken awhile to get them under control. I can now say that I love my class and am glad they are mine. We are still working on getting some of the kinks out and unfortunately I got a new student with severe behavior problems a couple of weeks ago. I have already written a referral for shouting out during the math test, "Mrs. Buma is the worst teacher!" Needless to say I have not been very good about updating the blog. So basically I will update the month of October with a few pictures. So here are some Halloween pictures from tonight and some from the pumpkin patch last week. I'll try and add some pics from Curtis' birthday party (from September) at a later date.

Alyssa and one of her favorite people in the world, Chris Davis. She was so excited when he had dressed up as Batman.

Curtis dressed up as a Clone Trooper and Alyssa as Bat Girl. We also got some pictures of the kids with their little cousins, Joel and Tyler, but I will post them later, I can't get the computer to load more pics to this post.

Easy cheesey quiche bites

My friend from work made these for a potluck. I modified them just a bit. But yum! Try them as soon as you can!

1 can of of the Grands butterflake biscuits (the ones that are in layers)
5 eggs (the original recipe called for 4, but I used 5 and I'd do it again)
2 cups of cheddar jack cheese
2 green onions chopped, fine

Separate the biscuits into 3 layers. I bought the staters brand and I could only separate them into 2 layers, so that's what I'd do again. Press the biscuit into the bottom and up sides of lightly greased muffin tins.

Mix eggs, onions, and cheese together. Fill the tins with egg mixture. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until they are golden on top. This made 12 quiche.

The original recipe called for regular butterflake biscuits and to put them into mini muffin tins. That would be great if you were making them for appetizers, rather than for breakfast like I did. My friend made them without the biscuits and they were still good, though I highly recommend the biscuit layer.

First Day of School

Today was our first day of school. I wasn't ready for it. I was stressed in fact. The budget in California is horrible and as a result school funding is being cut right and left. Many, many teachers were pink slipped and didn't get rehired for the school year. Supply funds have been slashed as well.

A consequence of all this, is that the state and district no longer think that small classes in the lower grades are important. Kindergarten, first and second grade have in the past not had any more than twenty students. Supposedly, they were going to cap classes at 25. Bad news: I have 26. Good news: only 24 showed up. Bad news: I might be getting a new one tomorrow. More Bad news: They are the most ill mannered group of children I have ever met. Good news: I have four great students from last year and there are a couple of other nice kids, including Harrison, David and Starr's son, to help make me believe maybe there is a chance for this class.

Curtis and Alyssa were excited for school today. Curtis was a bit nervous, because he would be going into the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade Gifted and Talented Class. He thought he wouldn't have any friends, all the kids would be bigger than him, it would be too hard, etc. Alyssa was just excited. She has been telling anyone who would listen this summer that she is a first grader. So here are the official pictures of the first day of school:

Junior Rangers

Curtis and Alyssa participated in the Jr. Ranger program while we were visiting Yellowstone Park. They had several tasks to do. Curtis had more to do than Alyssa because he is older. The morning we left, we stopped by the Visitor's Center by Fishing Bridge to turn in their assignments. The rangers asked them questions about the things they did and looked through their papers well. When they were finished, they made an announcement to the visitors that they had two special Jr. Rangers that would be getting their patches. The kids were thrilled. When they were finished with the presentation, the Ranger had them try on her hat. The program was good for both of them.

To be continued.....

More Summer Fun...

When we left Yellowstone Park we drove through Idaho to Utah. We made a detour and stopped to visit the Bailey family. Monica and Lauren weren't there. They were doing a Pioneer Trek. Curtis and and Judd were so glad to see each other. Whenever they get together it seems like they have never been apart. Alyssa loved playing with Will, the youngest. I enjoyed catching up with Jeff and Grandma Judy. Here are some pictures from our visit.

As you can see there was lots of Star Wars playing involved. The kids also checked out the Bailey farm. They saw calves, horses, cats, dogs, and chickens. There was much sadness when it was time to leave.

To be continued....

Lemon Streusel Muffins

I got this recipe from www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com a long time ago and finally made it for the secretaries and the custodian at school. It is always a good idea to keep them on your side. They deserve to be recognized for all they do, plus they do nice things for you if they like you.

I have to say it worked, because as a newbie at this school I kind of have crappy furniture in my classroom. Mr. Mike, the custodian brought me a brand new filing cabinet for me this afternoon and took away my old, rusted in places one.

So here's the recipe with the change I made:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup melted butter

1 Tbsp lemon zest (I have truly learned that lemon zest is important. It makes all the difference in the recipes I have used it in. I suggest using a microplane zester. )

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (the recipe called for 2 tsp, I liked it with 2 Tbsp)

For the streusel:

3 Tbs. flour

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. cold butter

For the glaze:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, melted butter, zest, and yogurt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix just until combined. Let batter rest for 5 minutes. Grease or paper line muffin cups and fill cups 3/4 full. In a small bowl combine streusel ingredients, using a pastry blender or your hands, until it resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove to a wire rack.

Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over the warm muffins.

This makes 12 muffins.

These were great. I loved them. The secretaries loved them and raved about them. Mr. Mike (the custodian) loved them. My kids loved them too. Make these as soon as you have fresh lemons. You will be happy you did.

This Summer, Part 2

I thought I would continue where I left off....

We went to Old Faithful. They are building a new visitor's center. When it is finished, it will be awesome! They said it will be done next summer. I would love to go back and see it. Alyssa was very impatient while we were waiting for the geyer to errupt. She couldn't understand why it wouldn't go off immediatly. There were also some people sitting by us who were very rude and pushy. She got pushed a couple of times by them and I thought she was going to lose it, but she didn't. So whew... Crisis averted.

When it did finally go off, she loved it. Curtis did too. I think they were amazed at the height the water and steam reached. As for me, I am always thrilled and amazed when I see a geyser erupt. They are so beautiful!

We saw many more examples of the geological wonder that is Yellowstone National Park.

We saw many different kinds of animals in the park. I think Alyssa's favorite was the pelican. We saw lots of those. Although I didn't get a picture of one. Curtis loved the bison. We saw lots of them. At one point we came upon a here crossing the road. Traffic was stopped as the mosied across the road. I think there were several hundred, including many calves. It was a neat experience. We also came upon about 5 elk lying in the shade near a picnic area by the Mammoth Hot Springs visitor center.

Summer fun to be continued...