Welcome, Xavier!

I recently visited my brand new 9lb, 21 in. nephew. He's a cutie! His mom and dad are doing well. His older sister is already learning to share (she put her favorite blanket over him and let him "hold" her new paintbrushes she got from NaNa and Poppa). Pretty good for a two year old.

Circle Game Saturday - One Day Late

Sorry it's a day late - but I had a good excuse. I was celebrating a beloved friend's birthday.

So here it is...

In honor of St. Patrick's day....What are your family roots? German, Italian, Hungaria (inside joke - let's just say that it's a good thing I teach Math and not geography)? And...Do you have any traditions that stem from family origins? This answer may have several parts to it and feel free to share more than one.

I am a European mutt. On my mom's side I have Irish, Welsh, Swedish, and I think a little French. On my dad's menno side we have a little French (I think), German, and some Russian. Any one of my family members is free to add, delete, or correct this list. As far as traditions...my cousin A. makes some YUMMY swiebach (sp?) - type of bread and my uncle D. always makes great pfernessee (sp?) for Christmas. There might be some more - but that's currently all I can think of.

Nicknames

My mom had five other siblings in her family. One of her siblings produced a boy and four girls all with names starting with "K" (they are my first cousins). I always find it amusing that these four women who are in their mid 30s and 40s are still referred to as "the girls". Even my cute, little cousins who are 7 and 11 year refer to them as "the girls". And if I had to take a wild guess, they will be affectionately known as "the girls" for the rest of their life.

Anyone else have affectionate nicknames for family members?

SUPER DUPER EXCITED

Tomorrow my brother and sister-in-law go to what is supposed to be their last doctor's visit before their little bambino is born. I am super excited. Boy? Girl? No one is sure yet. Either way, I can't wait to welcome little Xavier or little Keri to our family. This will be our fourth neice/nephew, and they all make T. and I very happy. Above are our nephews on T's side.

I *LOVE* Airports

I love airports! They are the best place to people watch. I think the true personality of people appear when they begin to rush, squeeze, and politely step their way into Southwest's "A", "B", and "C" lines. My heart always goes out to the mother and/or father with young children who inevitably end up in the "C" line who are forced to beg and barter so that they don't have to sit seven rows away from their five year old. And I am amazed with the man who, out of hundreds of seats, has to sit right next to me. Does he have no sense of personal space? And my last observation...what crazy restaurant puts raisins in their yogurt parfait. I was so dissapointed...I thought they were blueberries. It was a sad discovery.

GRANDMA TURNS 90!

Grandma Ann turned 90 yesterday. I will post some pictures, but take me at my word...grandma is AWESOME. She looks wonderful. At 90 years old she never took a nap yesterday while I took two. The woman has raised or helped raise 6 children and their spouses, 20 grandchildren and 13 of their spouses, 30 great grandchildren and 2 spouses, and 3-4 great great great grandchildren (I have a little trouble keeping track that far down the line). She is a role model to all 80 something of us, and we are so proud of her!

21 of us showed up to help her celebrate in Winter Haven, FL where she still lives by herself in the winter time. It was a terrific weekend, and it was wonderful to see some family members that I hadn't seen in years. It is a large family, and I have to be honest, I didn't know how to handle them when I was younger. It was an intimidating environment for me. But as I grow older, I am starting to appreciate the advantages of our large, loud, electic, wonderful family. I had a great weekend and it was hard to leave everyone (especially to come back to the 40 degree Ohio weather).

Free Directory

There is a NEW, free directory. Avoid the crazy fees charged by 4-1-1. Instead call
1-800-FREE - 411. So what's the catch? You have to listen to ads before you get what you want.

Weird Science

Missing: a chunk of earth's crust. Interesting article . Click here to read. In many ways it is comforting knowing that we do not know many, many of our world's mysteries.

Sick

It's been a while since I have been what I consider truly sick. Don't get me wrong, I have had plenty of colds this season...I work in an older, dirty building with teenagers...it's bound to happen. However, I don't consider myself "sick" with a cold (because it happens too often) unless it forces me to the doctors. Today, however, is weird. I am fine except for the fact that I have a little bit of a hacking cough and can't shake a fever for the past 24 hours that is fluttering between 100-101. The worse part is that I am constantly COLD! I just had to take a break from typing to put my hands in my sweater so that I could cuddle up in a ball to keep warm. Perhaps I am not doing the best thing by heating up my body, but I can't help it. I am tired of being cold! Here's to hoping this thing breaks SOON! My wish for the day is to be WARM!

Quote of the Day

In regards to what education has become...

"Come as you are, leave as you came." - Dr. M's Wife

Some follow up thoughts...
1) Should education be an agent of change?
2) Whose vision should be taught?
3) Are we including all of the voices that need to be part of the educational conversation?

Calling all Verizon users

Did you know that you could send text messages from your computer to a loved one's cell phone? I didn't until my MIL (mother-in-law) clued me in (she's a technologically savvy gal). It is soooo much easier to type a message on a keyboard rather than your cell phone. I am a "ITAP"/ ("T9 Word")...whatever you'd like to call it...user (which is relatively fast), but I might be hooked on this method for the rest of my life. Why? Because I can write really long text messages to my husband (and other loved ones) now within the blink of an eye. I am sure he'll love it. If anyone can fill me in on anymore text messaging tips, please feel free to dole out the advice. And in case there are some out there that have not tried this yet, here's how you do it. Type in the 10-digit cell phone number (no symbols) then @vtext.com. Ex. 5551234567@vtext.com. If you try it, let me know what you think of it. Happy texting.

Circle Game Saturday

February is finally complete, March is here, and spring, in my mind, is just around the corner (hopefully). Here's the new question...(sorry, it is aimed at people who experience or have experienced seasons):

What is your favorite sign of spring?

Now that we have moved into our neighborhood, one of my new favorite signs of spring is the blooming pear trees that line the streets. They are gorgeous. It was a wonderful surprise last spring when I saw them and I can't wait to see them again around mid-April.

Sadness

My prayers and thoughts are with the Bluffton University and community.

Sensitive

It could be the 13 hour day I just worked (hip hip hooray for parent teacher conferences), but I feel like my emotions are being thrown up and down and side to side today. Happy emotions, sad ones, feelings that spring from fear of change, thoughts that spring from guilt, emotions that emerge from pride in something I have accomplished. Change, good and bad, seems to be swirling around in my world. The change is not necessarily impacting me directly but, rather, indirectly. Guilt, unfortunately, seems to swirl in my world too. Is there anyway for any of us to get rid of that feeling? I know some people that say they regret nothing. I am not there. And I am not sure I wish to be there. For better or worse guilt is sometimes my best motivator and teacher. Fortunately to balance out the moments of uncertainty and insecurity there are moments of pride, happiness, contentment, and satisfaction. For some reason I feel more subjected to all of these emotions today.
Here's to a more stable day tomorrow.

February

February has always been the toughest month for me. The dark effects me; the holiday season is a fond but distant memory; my patience level with students, co-workers, and loved ones decreases. Historically it has been the month that I look for other jobs even though I enjoy my job and feel that it is the career for me right now. So I am overall relieved that March is just a few short days away. I am looking forward to longer days, warmer days, new beginnings, and outdoor activities with loved ones.

Life Time Firsts

My niece ate her first Chipotle (as did her mom and dad) on Sunday. Much to her dismay she got a spicy bite of chicken. Her Chipotle experience went down hill from there as she continued to rub her tongue on her arm to remove the spicy taste and inspect her food with the utmost care. (Fortunately her parents enjoyed the experience a little more.) Oh well...I was only lukewarm with Chipotle on my first experience. There is still hope for her.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Fish don't see the water in which they swim. ~Dr. M

Cookie Decorating '07

It was postponed but it happened which is all that matters. It was WONDERFUL to see everyone. Thanks to our wonderful host - M, you did a great job. The MA was a perfect place and I am sure the Hummels now have much to talk about (DC - get that book started). Thanks for travelling, good food, fond memories, laughter and conversations, and your time. For those of you that couldn't make it, you were missed. See you at Cookie Decorating '08 (or hopefully sooner!).

Tortilla Pinwheels

I recently took an appetizer to a party that people seemed to enjoy. The best part of this appetizer is that is it incredibly easy. Cut a few things, mix things together, plop it in the frig...and there you go. I have to give credit to a cousin-in-law, P., who does tortilla pinwheels for family Christmas. (I LOVE THEM). This is not his recipe but his pinwheels are what inspired me to find something like it.

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies, well drained

1 (4 oz) can black olives, well drained (optional)

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 c. chopped green onion

5 burrito sized tortillas

Mix all of the filling ingredients together thoroughly. Divide the filling and spread evenly over the tortillas; roll up tortillas. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, twisting ends; refrigerate for several hours. Unwrap; cut in slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Can serve with salsa (optional).

Saturday Circle Game (One Day Early)

Prologue:
I missed last Saturday circle game because of painting. I refuse to miss another. I enjoy them too much. There is a good chance I will not have access to a computer tomorrow, so I am writing it one day early.

History & Question:
In 2000 AD I had a good friend start a tradition that involved cookie decorating with our college friends. It is a wonderful tradition that I certainly enjoy and, I think it is safe to say, many others do as well. So the question is what is your favorite tradition that you either started or participate in?

Another favorite: T. and I host Memorial Day Picnic for both our families...I feel so grown up hosting parents, aunts/uncles, brothers/sisters,...and I love spending time with them all.