Football Food!

I just got home from our 8th grade Regional game and I am shocked to report.... we won! We played Pana and the boys did well. Coming up next week: 8th grade boys play Central A & M on Monday. Our 7th graders play for the Sectional title in Vandalia vs. Madison on Weds. We need revenge again Madison. Alex's team lost to that school in Sectionals last year during a CLOSE game. Go Hawks!
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Doug found a delicious recipe last week and I thought I would share it with the world. It may be a great choice for Superbowl food!

Potato Skin Poppers

Ingredients:
3 cups frozen hash browns
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz. Daisy Brand Sour Creme
3/4 cup cooked back pieces
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 dash salt & Pepper
14 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook potatoes according to package directions. In a bowl, stir together cooked potatoes, cheese, 1-cup sour cream, bacon, onions, salt & pepper. Warm the tortillas, then spoon equal amounts of the mixture in the center of each. Roll tortillas burrito-style, brush with melted butter and place seam down on a baking pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into halves. Serve with remaining sour cream!

ENJOY!

25 Random Things

1. I am getting ready to go to a PTO meeting because it is my job as the only non-tenured 5th grade teacher to represent our grade level :) (Just kidding!)

2. I absolutely love wearing sweatpants. I have enough pairs of PINK pants to wear them 7 days a week.

3. I am a huge Cardinals fan and look into purchasing season tickets every year... One of these years I will impulse buy. Until then, thank you Jimmy for letting me use yours.

4. I am working towards my master's degree so I can one day be a principal and run my own school. The thought, however, scares me.

5. I am getting married Oct. 10th and wish it was tomorrow. Doug is everything I have ever wanted and more.

6. My New Year's resolution was to not get behind on grading papers. Jan. 29th- I have already failed it.

7. I am obsessed with Wii Fit and wish I had time to do it all day, every day.

8. I coach middle school cheerleading. Very interesting.

9. I would spend time with family over friends any day.

10. I love my job, I love my co-workers, and I love my school district.

11. I'm scared to death I will lose my job and have to look for another great school district to work for.

12. I bite my fingernails when I get nervous. I know it is a gross habit but I can't think of anything else to do.

13. I have an obsession with Coach purses. Luckily, I am marrying a guy who also secretly has the same obsession!

14. I love going to Grandma's and spending time with all my cousins. I about dropped dead in college when friends told me they didn't even know their cousins. Mine are almost like brothers and sisters.

15. I have an American Eskimo dog who I swear is 99% human.

16. I work for the park district in the summer and enjoy being somewhat in charge of people.

17. I love going to the Decatur Celebration and eating all weekend long. My favorite stand is alligator on a stick. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

18. I am my brother and sister's biggest fan. It makes me sick to my stomach when I have to
miss a basketball or softball game.

19. I have a psycho neighbor who makes me have nightmares almost every night. Last night I was walking out to my car (for some reason it was in a parking garage) and got attacked because my windows were rolled down and I couldn't get them rolled up fast enough. He is very creepy.

20. On the other hand, I enjoy being a homeowner... it makes me feel grown up.

21. I am a worrier. I worry about everything. My biggest worry is that I will come home one day and Izzy will be gone. Bob will be to blame for his hatrid towards her.

22. I hate the winter. I would be okay if I never saw snow again.

23. I look forward to my girl's nights. I don't know what I would do without weekly dinners with them.

24. I yelled at a student today for not respecting me and now I am stressing out about it. I hate being the mean one. I also hate when children back talk.

25. I am an internet addict. I can spend hours online without looking at one particular thing. I am trying to figure out how I lasted a whole year without it.

Exciting Times...

I realized today that I never posted about my exciting weekend. On Friday, Doug and I had a double date with our dear friends. We absolutely love hanging out with Chad & Lauren and are already looking forward to our next gathering. I love it because the gossip between Lauren & I doesn't change one bit, but the guys at least have a companion to roll their eyes at! (Lauren, I'm thinking since both of our men are now laid off~ Maybe they will cook dinner for us!! It's worth a try anyways.) We went to Lincoln and ate dinner at Guzzardo's. I LOVE THAT PLACE! Every time I go I say I am going to get JUST the soup & salad bar. The meals are way too big for my tummy to even attempt. BUT.... once I get to the delicious restaurant, I cave because the pasta smells amazing. Needless to say, I got a salad from the salad bar, a bowl of french onion soup, and a ginormous order of spaghetti & meatballs. YUM! I swear they use an entire box of spaghetti for each meal. I only ate a tiny portion of my main course, but had enough left over to eat lunch on Saturday and give Mark the rest of it for his lunch on Monday.

After Guzzardo's we headed to McLean to prepare for the big I.C.E. race. I was very nervous about attending the race on Saturday because I'm convienced that I am bad luck for Todd. The only race previous to Saturday's I have been to was in Casey... Todd crashed. We did not attend last year's I.C.E. race because Doug worked for Todd at Grady's Pizza. Todd was only an amateur last year... now he's a pro (he even signed a few autographs and had his picture taken with little kids during intermission!). The race had all different events. The races included amateur quads, pro quads, pro dirt bikes, mini bikes, and go karts.

I can not believe how intense those races are. I am so glad Todd does not race the bikes. I have included a picture of random pro. races to show how intense it really is.

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Todd's first qualifier went well. I was sitting by Patty who was a nervous wreck. Most of the guys who race preform every weekend in random locations. Todd is not a long distance traveler, in fact, his last ICE race was last year in Bloomington. He dirt races as often as he can, ice isn't much different...right? He was very excited but I think a little nervous. I wish I would have taken a picture of his tires with the 2,000 studs in place. They looked pretty cool!
First race, like I said, went well. I think Todd (#118) used it to get familiar with the ice and with the small track. The second race... well.... He was doing great! Going in to the third lap he was in second place... hooray! During the fourth lap he took a turn a little wide and then tried to nudge his way back in the pack when his quad flipped over (Told you I was bad luck!). I stood up I was so nervous! Todd was okay.... in fact.... he was so mad at himself that he flip the 4 wheeler back over like it weighed 2 pounds. I know he was disappointed in the way he finished, but we were very happy for him and glad he returned home with all four of his limbs!

I'm already looking forward to next year's race. I'm hoping I will be able to talk Alex in to going with us! After a night of high blood pressure and being loopy from all the exhaust, I can honestly say that my future children will not be following in Uncle Todd's footsteps!

From the Sister's Point of View: What makes a good coach?

WARNING: THIS POST IS FOR VENTING PURPOSES ONLY! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

ALLIE & ALEX: I AM ALWAYS YOUR NUMBER 1 FAN!!!

I was very relieved that Alex had a really good basketball game tonight and I did not have to go ballistic on his basketball coach. I try not to be an extremely over protective big sister, but I absolutely HATE seeing my "little" buddy upset. Trust me~ I went to the game expecting myself to get mad and say a few things I probably shouldn't... luckily, I was able to remain calm and lived to blog about it!



I have been a little stressed the last few weeks as I try to figure out Alex's freshman basketball coach's strategies... or lack there of. Alex, the last three years, has been a starter for the Hawks. He does not bring a lot of attention to himself but works very hard and plays his heart out when he is on the court. The last few weeks, however, the coach has given up on his team and plays random people as he sees fit. Last week, Alex didn't start but went in to the game quickly and played a majority of the entire game. Good. We are very proud of him. We don't think any less of him when he does not start. I appreciate the coach giving other kids an opportunity to start. We love him no matter what!



On Monday the freshmen had two games at Central A&M. Again, Alex did not start ~ no big deal! ~ but practically played less than a minute in BOTH games. Weird?! Alex was not happy! Can you blame him? My mom even jokingly ask him during the game if he was ineligible (HAHA). For my readers who don't know my brother~He is a straight A student. And by straight A student, I mean his lowest semester grade was a 97% in PE... definitely inherited his study skills on his own! Back to basketball~ A good coach would explain to his good kids (AKA ALEX) why he is not playing. He will also explain mechanics that need worked on instead of just benching his players. A good coach will never let a player sit on the bench questioning if he has done something wrong or if he is just down right worthless.

Then tonight, Alex starts and plays two whole quarters. ?! Is there a rhyme or reason for the basketball madness... NO! Alex~ please don't hold your breath for next week's game. You are #1 regardless!



On top of trying to figure out Alex's playing time, the coach is DEGRADING. He is so mean to those 15 year old boys and it make me sick to my stomach. All he does is YELL! YELL! YELL! I think I probably take it a little too personally. I try to keep my professional and my personal lives separate but as a teacher~ I spend my day making people better. I get a kid a band aide when he has a scratch. I discipline the class bully for taking magnets out of a girl's locker. I help with homework when someone just really doesn't understand how to change a mixed number to an improper fraction. I give hugs when there is a tummy ache but no temperature so she can't go home. So why do I take freshman basketball personally? Because I don't have a magical bottle of pick-me-ups to cure their self-esteems. If the coach wants respect, he's gotta give it. If he wants to coach the boys, he has to have practice. AND... If he wants to win the games, he has to eliminate the "f word" from his vocabulary!



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On a more positive note: The district spelling bee was today (4th-8th grades) and one of my very own got 2nd place!!! Good luck Hayden in the county bee! Woo Hoo!



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Goober~ I too am interested in hearing more about your change in status :)

Not So Great...

Doug got the dreaded news yesterday that he will be laid off from Cat starting this Friday. His crew was told that the lay off was strickly due to the economic problems the company is facing. They could be laid of 3 months, 3 years, or forever. So the job search begins...

The lay off could be bitter sweet. Doug has decided that he will go back to school and work towards his degree. Hooray! I know he needed a break but I think having a degree, ANY DEGREE, will be very beneficial. Worst case scenerio~ He can be a substitute teacher.

Now my fingers are crossed that I will be rehired SOON for next school year! I'm looking forward to April and I don't think it could come any quicker.

Happy Birthday, MLK

No school today thanks to MLK! It seems like I haven't worked in a long time with our 5 day weekend! Honestly, I don't even remember what I have planned to teach when we finally go back tomorrow! It's almost like Christmas break all over again. I am pretending like we deserve this break since we don't get a Spring Break this year. It's actually turned out nice since I had class on Friday and Saturday. I forgot to mention in my last blog that Mr. Bowman, from Girard, is in my School Law class. What a small world!

My Bloody Valentine was a really good movie. What I saw of it anyways. When there is a lot of blood I usually spend half of it turned looking at Doug or Alex so I don't get too grossed out. The 3D was intense and a lot of fun. I found myself really dodging a bullet towards the end to save my life! The movie was really good regardless of what dimension it was shown in. If you like to sit towards the end of your seat during movies, this is a much see!

Shelly~ I can't believe I have never introduced you to Sonofagun. It is a famous family recipe that we got from the Keller's when we lived next to them in Girard. It's kind of like a taco but instead of the taco shell, use spaghetti noodles and don't season the meat (unless you are looking for a Sonofagun twist). Here's how you make my FAVORITE recipe, EVER!

Sonofagun shopping list:

spaghetti noodles (cooked)

hamburger meat (cooked)

shredded lettuce

shredded cheese

chopped onions

chopped tomatoes

Sour Cream

Taco Sauce

How to Make:

I put all of the ingredients in separate bowls and let each person create their own masterpiece individually. I layer my Sonofagun on my plate this way:

Spagetti noodles --> hamburger meat --> lettuce --> cheese --> onions --> taco sauce --> sour cream (no tomatoes because I pretend to be allergic!)

Enjoy!

Sonofagun Tonight!

Doug has been busy cleaning my house all day today while I was trying to become smarter at my School Law class. 8-4 classes really are a drag! Adam & Grace are coming over tonight to eat the famous Sonofgun and play a little Wii. I really need to practice some Mini Golf before they get here as I would HATE to lose to Adam at my own game! We have that kind of friendship. I have only had Sonofagun once over the past year so I am really looking forward to delicious eats!

I have attempted to attend law class with an open mind. My grandma said that law classes were my grandpa's favorite while he was working towards his degrees and I really hope to follow in his foot steps as a successful educator. My teacher is actually a really cool guy and the information we have discussed so far is very interesting. Unfortunately, most of the words that we are reading about are too big for me to pronounce. How in the world will I learn what they mean? I guess I should start studying for our April final now. This weekend we discussed mainly the issues between Church & State and picked our law research topics. Alex was very excited to hear that after he turns 18 my parents can not legally check his grades or be informed of any misconduct at school (since he is such a troublemaking, straight A student!). I think he is now determined to sue the school and retire before he ever graduates from high school. Good Luck! My topic for the 7 - 10 page paper is student speech referring, of course, to the 1st Amendment. I never thought it was possible to have too much information on a research topic until I began to Google my assignment!! Watch out D.C.- I have a feeling I will be the next Elle Woods!

Alex and I have a date tomorrow to see My Bloody Valentine in 3D. I think it is rediculous that 3D costs an extra $2.50. Which is why we will be attending the early show! He has been looking forward to seeing this movie since he first saw the previews so we should have a good time! We always pick the gruesome shows to see together.

Best Speaker Ever

"Teaching is the profession that makes all other professions possible."



Normally I don't look too forward to in service days that consist of sitting in bleachers/chairs for multiple hours and watching the minute hand sloooowly tick. Today, however, was different. Our county institute day was held at Mt. Zion Intermediate for all Mt. Zion & Meridian teachers/staff from 8:00 - noon. Todd Whitaker was the guest speaker and presented about "What Great Teachers Do Differently." He was absolutely fantastic and very inspirational to all of the teachers & principals I have talked to about his presentation today. He not only has a very strong outlook on what a great teacher should be, but has great stories and is quite the comedian. He is an author of several books,if anyone in the educational field (or just for fun!) is looking for some good reads. He has written The 4 CORE Factors for School Success, Seven Simple Secrets: What the Best Teachers Know and Do!, Dealing With Difficult Parents(And With Parents in Difficult Situations), Dealing With Difficult Teachers 1, Dealing With Difficult Teachers 2, Feeling Great! The Educator's Guide for Eating Better, Exercising Smarter, and Feeling Your Best, Great Quotes for Great Educators, Motivating & Inspiring Teachers, Six Types of Teachers, Teaching Matters, What Great Principals Do Differently, What Great Teachers Do Differently, and What Current Research Says to the Middle Level Practitioner.

Before I started this blog I ordered What Great Teachers Do Differently. I think it will be a great book to read and then to have on a shelf to re-read when things get a little stressful. Isn't it funny that I just posted about me being stressed with ISAT? This speaker could not have come at a better time. I feel like I needed to hear that other people have struggles like I do on a daily basis, BUT that I need to choose to be the GREAT teacher instead of the mediocre.

One of his key points was to "Raise the Praise, Minimize the Criticize." Not only should teachers live this but people in general should keep this in mind. It seems like everyone is so negative these days. I can't help but think about watching Alex's freshmen basketball games when I think of "Raise the Praise, Minimize the Criticize." Someone is ALWAYS being criticized and they are ONLY 15 years old. It's horrible when a grown adult is hollering at a young man in front of all his peers that he is an embarassment to the team. Is that really going to make the athlete play better? I know it sure wouldn't be a motivation for me to get my butt in gear! Coaches and teachers (and adults) have to remember that kids WANT to please. But how can they please if they are never taught?



I can't even describe how I felt after leaving the institute. I really felt proud to be a teacher. Todd said it perfectly. Teachers have the most difficult job ever. We are teaching the future. But WE chose to become teachers and we have to work hard to be the absolute very best teachers. As I get ready to head to my administration class tonight and learn about School Law, I will be thinking about how I can take the extra step to be the GREAT teacher and do things differently.



Todd Whitaker's Quote of the Month:

"In a great teacher's classroom, every students feels like the favorite."



http://www.toddwhitaker.com/

Too Cool For School

I got my School Reach phone call at about 9:30 p.m. last night. As much as I will dread going to school one day past Memorial Day, I am enjoying the day off underneath a warm blanket! Since we don't have school today, we will have a 5 day weekend thanks to our school calendar. Tomorrow the teachers meet at Mt. Zion Intermediate for a meeting from 8:00 - noon and then have a half day off. Monday is a holiday~ thanks MLK!

Since there is no school today I decided to start my soup extravaganza a few days early! I made veggie soup today and it turned out to be delicious. I'm proud to announce that it tastes almost as good as Grandma's... lacking her love of course. I made enough to freeze and last me at least three weeks. Tasted great on such a nasty, cold day.
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I received some very sad news this evening that my dad's dear friend and co-worker, David Wilson, died after a long fight with cancer. Please say a prayer for the Wilson family, my dad, and the other fire fighters that were so lucky to work with such a nice and caring man before going to bed tonight. He was a great example of a man who truly loved the Lord.

No Soup for You!

I decided this morning as I was driving to work in snow that tonight would a good night for some delicious soup. Where could I possibly get yummy soup for a minimal price?... PANERA! I am obsessed with Panera's French Onion soup and decided while I was looking at the menu that I might as well just order the Soup for a Group instead of just a bowl. Yummy! I have also been inspired, thanks to Jon & Kate Plus 8, to make a variety of soups over the weekend to freeze & store in my new freezer. I've noticed myself getting very lazy when it comes time to fix my lunch. So what better thing to have stored away for a cold day like today? I am planning to make veggie soup (cross your fingers that it tastes just like my grandma's!), baked potato soup, and french onion soup after I finish up class on Saturday. Below I have included Panera's French Onion Soup recipe for my BFF, Lauren, who has made a New Year's resolution to cook one new recipe a week (Tell Chad that it does not include anything green!)!

I am patiently laying on the couch waiting for my cell phone to ring. I just know that at any time I will hear Taylor Swift singing to me and a 764- number will show up on my caller Id. At that time I will be informed via School Reach that school has been canceled for tomorrow due to dangerously low temperatures/wind chills. I know that there is of course a negative side to an exciting phone call. One snow day means we are in school past Memorial Day... but, a snow day tomorrow means a 5 day weekend for the Meridian students. Oh no, as I type, my weather bug dropped from 10 degrees to 9 degrees. That must be a sign! Regardless if there is school or not, Alex has already told me that he can not go to school because it will be too dangerous for him to walk to the school bus stop one street over.... he will do ANYTHING for an extra day off!

Panera Bread's French Onion Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 c sweet cream butter
8 c sliced yellow onions (4 to 5 med. onions)
Two 14 oz cans beef broth
3/4 c chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c water
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic power
Drops of Tabasco pepper sauce


Garnish:

Croutons
Shaved Asiago cheese
Onions


1. Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. When butter is melted, add sliced onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until onions turn brown.


2. Add remaining ingredients (but not the garnish) to the pan and stir to combine. Heat soup until it's boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.


3. Make croutons for the top of the soup by slicing foccacia bread into 3/4 in thick slices. Butter both sides of those slices, then cut the slices into bite-size cubes. Bake the bread in a 425 degree over for 15 minutes until crispy. Shave some asiago cheese by simply dragging a potato peeler over the edge of a wedge of asiago.


4. Serve the soup super hot with a handful of croutons floating on top followed by a couple of tablespoons of shaved cheese!

ISAT Blues...

It is official... 31 school days until ISAT testing begins. Ugh! Blah!! Yuck!!! I think that may be every teachers worst nightmare! And as the days get fewer, I am getting more and more frustrated in the writing department! It's not that I don't have confidence in my students' abilities... or that I don't feel like I am preparing them enough. I have been cranking out some pretty decent sample expository papers if I do say so myself! Trust me, we are writing more than my little 5th graders desire! Today we wrote about the many jobs people have. Each student had to pick one job they would like to have when they grow up. Then the more difficult task~ They had to each write a 5 (or at least 4 really, really good!) paragraph expository paper about that ONE job. All while showing voice, using "adult" vocabulary, and really impressing complete strangers who clearly don't understand 5th graders and what level they SHOULD be at. (Note: If someone is reading this and has graded 5th grade writing on the ISAT, please leave me a post showing guidance!). Needless to say, we still aren't ready for the test. We've been in school for 90 days and still aren't ready. They will do fine. I know they will do GREAT on both reading & math. Most will do fine on writing, but some of my outstanding students will be below and some of the weaker students will either meet or exceed. It will all depend on who grades the individual paper and how the grader uses the approximate 3 minutes per paper to evaluate my student(s).

The only reason I am posting this is because I would rather vent to the keyboard (and all my worthy followers) instead of one of my 22 5th graders!

Happier note~
Our 8th grade basketball team beat Maroa -Forsyth on the consolation side of the conference tournament! They played great and my cheerleaders looked mighty fine! I also signed up for my last evaluation of the year. As a non-tenured teacher I have to be evaluated twice a year. I of course chose my favorite subject, math, for my first observation in early October. My second observation will be at the end of January. I am planning to be observed in Science since it's one of the only subjects I haven't been observed in. Luckily we will be studying the Solar System, one of my favorite topics, during this time! I guess I better get busy planning!

Let's All Go to the Movies!

I have been inspired to begin a blog thanks to Dr. Grissom (technology master's teacher) and three of my lovely cousins - Tara, Carrie, & Shelly. I find myself daily checking their interesting blogs so I will attempt to make mine worth reading.

Now, I'm not really in to movies. Doug makes fun of me on a daily basis because I don't have the knowledge on movies that he does. No, I have never seen Men in Black, Varsity Blues, or Dazed & Confused; but I am a TV junkie with at least one favorite show DVRed every night. I also have not been to the movies in a really long time because I think it is ridiculous to pay $8 a person for admission plus an additional $4.5o for a small drink. This weekend I have been a changed woman. And by changed woman I mean I saw TWO movies in TWO days! Both very good movies.... both very different.

On Friday night I went to see Bride Wars with the girls. Lauren, Shelly, Beth, Megan, & I met at Cheddars for dinner at 6:15 (Luckily Beth was there early to put our name in). The movie wasn't scheduled to started until 7:45 so I thought we would have PLENTY of time to eat, catch up, and then head over to the theater. After waiting an hour for a table, we rushed through dinner and made it to the movie just in time to sit in the front row of a packed place. I can't remember the last time I had to sit in the very front row (okay it was second but the first row was used to put our feet up). The movie itself was a very good chick flick. I think it is safe to say that I am definitely the Anne Hathaway of brides. A school teacher who has random job assignments (like the pep squad!). I really recommend seeing it with a good girl friend.

Saturday night was a different story. Mom, Dad, Allie, Alex, Doug, & I went to Guadalajara for dinner (my favorite!) and saw Marley and Me at the Strand Theater. I thought Alex & I were going to get kicked out of the theater for laughing at Allie who was, of course, hysterically bawling during the movie. I think all of us teared up at the end when we thought about little Izzy & Sport who were both at home. Doug & I were so happy to get back to my house and play with Miss Izzy. Even though she is a demon dog, she's our dog and we love her!