solids?

so we decided to give solid foods (can rice cereal really be categorized as a serious solid?) a whirl this past weekend.  not sure if the scoob is really into it - he seemed to like it the first night but since then he seems more enthralled with his chair than the food.  anyway, here are a few pics of the process we like to call "feeding" and my attempt at video.  =)

christmas 2008

yay!  christmas!  we had a very busy but fun christmas.  we started the holiday at papa and kimma's house on christmas eve where jack got his new jammies.  he tried them on and then hung out with daddy-o by the fireplace.  we also had our white elephant gift exchange that night - it got a little ugly when it looked like grampa dan wasn't going to get the fish... but it worked out - even though we lost the red blankie we wanted.  

we woke up early on christmas morning and headed over the gramma and grampa's house for cinnamon rolls, quiche and presents.  jack got the most adorable rocking giraffe from santa and a bunch of cool new toys.  jack didn't last too long there, so he snuggled up with gramma for a while before we started back up the hill to papa and kimma's again.  jack got a "penquin" from papa and some osh kosh b'gosh overalls from g. grampa wayne and just in time because his jammies were doneskies.  after that we went to uncle mike and aunt jenny's house and the sumners so it was a looooooong day for us.  

all in all, i think we had a great first christmas with the scoob.

christmas critters

'twas the middle of december

and in our small house,

we had just escaped

the wrath of a louse.

in room 25

the first grade - that is,

lice had invaded

all of the kids.

so back at our home

in our jim-jammy-roos,

matt, sam, and jack

were ready to snooze.

when all of a sudden

i heard a "scritch-scratch"

i leapt from the bed

and lit up a match.

"i'll burn the place down!"

the words flew from my mouth

but the look on matt's face

told me things had gone south

"critters!" i cried

"the small furry kind"

"the ones with the tail

coming from their behind"

"bologna" said matt

"and i don't mean for dinner"

"if we're telling whoppers

you're surely the winner"

meanwhile, the scoob,

with a smile on his face

quickly whipped up something

that stunk up the place.

"they're coming for jack!

they'll get him - i know it

where's lady and the tramp?

do you need me to show it?"

"you've worked yourself up

into quite a tizzy -

do you really base all of your facts

on walt disney?"

"so" matt continued

"what should i do?

tear down the walls 

and give them the shoe?"

"yes!" i replied

and that turned his head

"maybe we'll just

call the landlords" he said

"well, while you're at it

perhaps be so bold

to inform them of

our problem with mold"

"it's under the sink

coming from the baseboards

and in our bathroom

it's working towards

becoming a problem

and we do not need

to have that - so

hear my words and take heed.

tell them to fix it

and please make it quick

i don't want my house

a mess for st. nick"

so we gave them a call

and the verdict came in

"we'll gut the whole kitchen - 

when can we begin?"

so the moral, my friends

is really quite clear:

don't rent-

buy your own house

this upcoming year.

rockin' and rollin'

we can roll over!  i promise we can...  i tried reeeeeeeeeally hard to get it on video, but the scoob wasn't up for a performance.  he rolled over like 5 times and then as soon as i grabbed the camera - he was over it.  and of course the video won't upload so.....  no video for you.

great week

man... i just can't tell you all how nice this week was.  it was beyond great spending each day with the hubby and the scoob, relaxing a little, seeing family and friends...  i could really go on and on, but i'm just going to say that i am extremely grateful and thankful for a job that lets me have time off like this.  

on monday matt and i went to disneyland with a bunch of our peeps and despite being there from 8:15am - 12am i only took two pictures.  really?  yes.  so they are remakes of pictures that matt and i took a while ago... i think right before we got married.  

we also did some shopping already!  i'm sure you'll never guess who walked away (was carried away?) with the most items bought.  so i took a picture of the scoob with his new hat that is absolutely too much!  we got it and a couple other cute things from the h&m down at plaza bonita because they have a kids and baby section - and kristi with a kkk works there.  now...  if you haven't been there in a while (or ever) it really is a very nice mall!  they even have a cream puff store called "beard papa" (weird?  i think so) and a tollhouse cookie store where you can make your own ice cream sandwiches.  

sadly, i have to go in to school for a couple hours today and get ready for the next three weeks....  i know this sounds awful, but i'm dreading these three weeks.  i have a feeling they are going to be really rough with the combination of my class being who they are and the excitement of christmas coming.  eh.  we'll get through it i suppose.  =)

tgitb

thank god it's thanksgiving break.  we get this whole next week off and it's just in time.  as another teacher put it, i've got a class from "down south".  i think it's just a bummer because they're so mean and disrespectful to one another.  in the past week i wrote 5 infraction slips, broke up three fights, soothed numerous crying children, and probably should have lost my voice from "raising" it so much.  eh.  i'm beyond exhausted and totally thrilled that i can spend this week with my hubby and my scoob.  yay pilgrims.

halloween pictures

okay... here they are FINALLY.  these are a bunch of pictures from the halloween carnival up in valley center (the scoob was in charge of drinks) and bates nut farm.  it was super hot and bright so pumpkin shots were kind of out...  we'll have to get more creative next year.

is that a banana in your pocket or what?

so im driving down the street this morning with the scoob in the back.... minding my own business when i come to a stoplight.  and i get that feeling - you know the one where someone is watching you?  i look over to my right and here's this hoity toity looking lady staring me down in her fancy shmancy black highlander.  THEN she has the nerve to stick her tongue out at me!  i'm starting to freak out - who is this &*%#$???? - so i do the mature thing and flip her the bird.  then she rolls down her window and says,

"you really should update your blog... you know some people use it to keep up to date with you."

oh.  hi, kelly.  

so here you go.  a quick update - because i got home and tell hubby the story and he says,

"well, she's right.  you really should be updating that thing every week"

thanks, honey.  =)  scoob finally did it.  we got a laugh the other night as we were out the door to vote.  we were making ridiculous faces at him as we often end up doing, and he did this little chuckle.  i smacked matt in the arm and screamed,

"that's IT!!!  he laughed!"

i was a little excited.  we did our first trip over to bates and up to julian with papa and kimma and the family (pictures are on the way) and we had a great time.  scoob has been lucky enough to go to gramma and grampa's house on tues. wed. thurs. lately and he LOVES it.  apparently he's been trying to say "uncle"....  =)

quick classroom story from room 25.  we were all sitting around the calendar the other morning and i hear from behind me

"is that a banana in your pocket or what?"

i froze and thought

"sam, you're a sicko.  there's no way i heard that correctly."

so i turn around just in time to see "cheese" pull..... a banana out of his pocket and say

"yep!  it's my snack!"

oh man.  i was in hysterics for a good 3-5 minutes.

the camera's on

so my class this year includes the usual suspects - a few hyperactives, a couple space-cases, and then the new cast of characters.  in the past i've had "fleapox", "the sailor", "the lurcher", "my package", and "triple espresso".  "mentiroso" and "cheese" (the child formally known as "match boy" for those of you who speak to me in real life) are the newbies.  it changes every year.  anyway, here is the story of "cheese".  "cheese" is new to my school and the first grade having completed (if you can call it that) kindergarten twice and then transferring to our school.  he was kicked out of an afterschool program for stabbing another child with a pencil and then attempting to do so several more times.  he was suspended from kindergarten (the first time) because he kicked his teacher (who was 9 months pregnant - wow.  just missed that one, huh?) in the stomach.  he's been medicated since he was in preschool for a ridiculous amount of disorders, including oppositional defiance disorder, bipolar, and possibly schizophrenia.  anyway, it all came together for me last week when i met his mother during parent/teacher conferences.  she tells me:

"oh!  if he ever acts up, just tell him the camera is on"

i said, "and what does that mean?"

"oh! you'll love this!" she gushes.  i doubt that i will.

"his father and i have told him that we've implanted cameras behind his eyes so that we can see when he gets in trouble"

i stare at her with my mouth wide open.  ya right lady.  i'm gonna tell your schizo son that you've secretly implanted something in his body.  sure.  and i wondered why he was so messed up.  say cheese.

scoob-a-rama

here are the latest scoob pix.  i don't know why they're so wonky in their placement.  don't hate.  just love this smile!  =)

we're back.

so much to say.  not enough time to say it.  not enough fingers to type.  =)  so i'm just going to start spilling out everything and add some pictures too.  

1.  the other night the scoob and i shared an experience that was absolutely supernatural.  he had just finished eating and i was giving him the burps.  when all of a sudden and without warning, he burped - along with a fire hose of spit up.  it was like that scene in the exorcist with the pea soup.  we had spit up all over me, all over the scoob, and all over the couch (i guess he wants to make sure we get new couches soon).  it was pretty disgusting but he was totally fine with it and didn't seem disturbed by it at all.  hmmm... should i be worried?

2.  matt and i just finished up parent/teacher conferences.  wow.  to all of our friends who are parents and those who may become parents in the future...  i issue a warning:  DON'T BE A WACKADOO.  i learned more disturbing information about some of my students and their families than i care to know... and the problem is that the disturbing parts are usually on the parents end - not the kid.  and then i see why my kiddos are soooooooo messed up.  although, with that said, let me issue a second warning:  DON'T LIE TO ME TO TRY AND COVER UP YOUR WACKADOODLE-NESS.  i will find out.  your kid talks to me.  i know your messed up little secrets whether you want me to or not.  so don't lie to make me think you're normal.  we both know that you're not and it's going to come out eventually - either here with me, in the middle of a class discussion, or in a meeting with all of the school support staff (when we talk about how messed up you are) and it will be VERY EMBARRASSING.  trust me.  

3.  i have several students (with nicknames to maintain their anonymity - you know how i do) that i need to blog about, but this is not the blog.  stay tuned.

4.  on to more important news.  the scoob has been smiling like a crazy person!  smiles all the time!  and newly added cooing and gurgling.  we're getting lots of "ah-goo" action.  sometimes you make a sound for him and he looks at you with his mouth wide open and it looks like he's trying SO HARD to make that noise himself but his little mouth just can't do it yet.  i can't help it that he's absolutely adorable.  neither can he so don't be jealous.  =)  i'm adding some new scoob pics at the top.

We've Moved!

Okay - not physically...  technologically?  I mean we have a new blog.  This one.  I figure it can be used for the whole fam to detail our complicated lives (it's complicated) from school to home.  Matt and I both have jobs now; I'm First grade at Juniper and Matt is 5th grade at Rose.  I've got a bunch of thugs in my class (more on that later).  Jack Crash (we call him "The Scoob") is awesome.  He has a whole entourage of loving peeps to watch him while Mom and Pops are at work.  I've got some good posts brewing about him too...  Anyway, we're starting up this blog.  I'll keep a link to Jack's old one but this is the one to watch.  Excitement is in the air...  =)

love, sam