Family Storytime ... Making Homemade Ice Cream

Family storytime last night had a very small group, but that's okay.  They did a fun activity, and it required some patience on the part of the kids.  They all did excellent, however.  They made homemade ice cream.  Allison and her friend, Aleah, were partners, and tossed the bag of milk & sugar back and forth to form ice cream.  It did a good job, but Allison didn't like the taste. I didn't try it, but Aleah thought it tasted like salt, so we are thinking that the bag must've leaked a little bit.  It was a great activity and great fun.We really ought to try it here at home.  We really ought to try to make some snow ice cream, too. 

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Dad Training His Some-Day Replacement

Went to Hiawatha with dad last Saturday afternoon for the championship game of the Hiawatha Girls' Invitational Basketball Tourney of which the Marysville girls were playing.  I hadn't gone to a high school basketball game for a number of years. I had always gone with Bruce to football and basketball before Allison was born, but once she came along I stayed home.  Well, as Allison got older and it would have become easier to go along, I lost interest.  It was nice to just stay at home. It was nice, however, to go along this time.  

Bruce had also commented awhile back that we needed to get more pictures for the radio station website/Facebook page of staff doing things, getting out and about, etc.  So, these pictures served several purposes.  Allison looks so important.  Radio is just going to be second nature to her, and she's even pretty comfortable public speaking already. I hope that continues. 

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Allison's Snow Pet

I forgot to post this pic right after it was made, but this is Allison's first 'big' snowman that she has made by herself.  She's made little bitty ones before, but this one was about as tall as she is.  I am so proud of her.  She rolled the body pieces herself, and lifted them up by herself.  She came in the house for carrots and whatever else, which ended up being a dried fruit mix and spaghetti for the arms(!).  I love the little ears on top, thus it is a snow pet. 

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Stay at Home Mom?

When Allison was born, I was fortunate enough to be able to become a stay-at-home mom with her.  It has been a wonderful experience.  I am especially so happy and blessed to have been able to be at home with her especially during those first few years of her life.  As she has gotten older, it's gotten to be more of a challenge, really need those "mommy time" breaks, as she is a great kid but can be strong-willed and challenging at times (as all kids can be at times). 

Well, Allison is in kindergarten now, and goes three days a week to school.  Next year, she will be in school all day, every day.  The dilemma I face is whether or not I should look to return back to work, full time or part time, etc.  Bruce has told me that I don't have to, and I definitely appreciate that.  I would really like to return to the classroom and teach again.  It would be a HUGE adjustment again, basically going through that "first year" again.  Plus, I really don't see myself teaching in the public school setting again.  I just find it extremely daunting, and looks very stressful.  I still really want to teach at Allison's school, but who knows when a position may open up.

Sometimes when I tell someone that I'm a SAHM, but then go into some of the other things that I do, they do comment that I don't seem to be at home all that much.  Then I think that they are actually very right.  I keep very busy, and if I did go back to work full time I would have to give a lot of this stuff up.   Let's see, homework center three afternoons a week, tutoring 5 to 7 or 8 kids per week, Allison's afterschool activities such as dance, subbing at Allison's school (although that ebbs and flows), our church's Board of Christian Education (which can take a lot of time, especially when it's time to prepare for VBS), teach Sunday School and preparation each week for that, two other volunteer board positions, which don't take a lot of time, but board meetings at least monthly; currently I am on a committee for school for Lutheran Schools Week in March, and that is starting to take a lot of planning and organization time.   Like, seriously, I don't have TIME for a full-time job!


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Roller Skating

We very possibly have a new recreational passion at our house -- roller skating!  She had gotten a pair of Disney Princess skates as a birthday present a few years ago, maybe when she turned 3 or 4, and she did pretty well with them at home.  She liked to skate with them around the house, but we never went any place else, primarily because I don't know how to skate -- I can't balance on them for NOTHING!  She outgrew those, her feet got too big, so she asked for another pair of skates.  My mom/her grandma bought her a really, really nice pair of roller skates for her 5th birthday, I think.  They are super nice, and still fit.   She took them to use last night, and when I went to pick her up she was rolling round and round the floor like a little pro.  She went with some friends of ours, and the older sister said that "Allison was persistent...when she would fall down, she would just get back up and keep going!"  I think that is super!  I wish I had my camera!!!


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Last Hump Day of January

I just kind of figured I ought to come back and update the blog somehow.  However, I can't think of anything intelligent to write about today.  Oh, it's not that things haven't been going on; it's just that nothing 'exciting' has been going on....same old, same old. 

Another snow day last week, some more snow, a little icier this time, school this week going well so far, tutoring good, meetings fine, Sunday School and church were fine.  Bruce's cousin from Smith Center and his family came for a visit Sunday afternoon, so we weren't able to go down and see mom and Amy, Tim, and Shelby, however, on Sunday :(    I miss that little baby girl!  She's so doggone sweet!

Allison had another basketball clinic day Sunday afternoon.  They will 'perform' Friday night at the boys' game.  I am not terribly excited about going; I do of course want to have and see Allison do her basketball thing, but I don't necessarily want to go fight the craziness of the crowds up there. It's nuts.   However, the girls are actually in a different tournament this week, so they do not have a game, so it is just the boys, so maybe it won't be quite as bad of a crowd, so I suppose we can go.

The next week, however, Allison is going to a cheerleading camp, and they will also perform at a high school game. Now, that one is one that I am SURE I don't want to go to...it's both boys and girls!  We'll see what happens.

Allison went with Bruce to Hiawatha yesterday afternoon to broadcast the high school girls' game from that tournament they are in.  She didn't say much, but I think she must've had a pretty good time. I think dad liked having her along. :)


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More Basketball Clinic

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Good Morning

Up and at 'em early this morning.  Had tutoring at 8:00 this morning with the boys that I've been seeing for about four years. I say that, and we have had a heck of a time getting together since May of 2010. It's been really really bad...like this is the third or fourth time that I've seen them since May!!! I don't really do much with the older one,and I keep telling the dad that, but he still comes.  I guess he enjoys my company! :)  One of my Saturday morning appointments had a funeral today. You know, things like that cannot be helped, and I certainly certainly understand and I am honestly not complaining, but it does make it really really hard when times are set up and then for this reason or the other they can't come.  It's not a big deal every now and again, but sometimes it seems like it's much more often.

Oh I almost forgot...I got a new blu-ray DVD player from Wally World the other day.  I don't have any blu-ray DVDs, so why you may ask did I get one....   Well, I LOVE my Netflix!!!  They did, however, raise the rates on the plan I was on.  Not a big deal, but I wanted to reevaluate what I am using Netflix to watch...  I actually probably am watching more "Instant" movies/shows right now. It works fine on the computer laptop while I'm working, but it can slow it down sometimes.  So I ordered myself a Christmas/birthday present from Bruce :).   I picked it up Site-to-Store on Thursday evening, and I actually got it hooked up Thursday night!  Needless to say, I was very proud of myself! :)

It also has access to several other movie internet channels, but you do, of course, have to pay for the movies or shows and they are like at least $1.99 a piece from what I was seeing. Not bad if it's a new release, etc., but I am getting a month for like $8.99 pretty much unlimited Instant movies.  A lot of them of course are older movies, but that is cool too.  Either I haven't seen them anyway, or I don't remember them.  There are also tons of old TV shows, and I'm really into documentaries right now, especially the Ken Burns ones.  There are a number of those on Netflix Instant Watch now.  They do rotate in and out some movies, too, but I'm not sure how frequently they do that (as there are some more recent movies on the "Instant Watch" list also).

In addition, there is access to YouTube, Picasa Web Albums, and Pandora...very, very cool!!!! :)



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Winding Down, Winding Up

Well, according to the Bruce-man, the temps tomorrow are supposed to warm up to more appreciatable (is that a word?) temps...into the 30s or so.  So, that will help melt some of the snow in our area, which of course then means lots of mud and brown.  That's part of that darned old water cycle though, huh?  It wasn't 'too' bad today temp-wise, but MAN oh MAN was last night CoLd!!!!  Geez-oh-pete!  So, the cold weather temps may be winding down for a bit, at least until the next spell, huh?


What is winding up then?  Basketball.  Oh sure, we've had Tuesday/Friday games going for a bit, but next week starts the TVL tourney here in the area (small schools) and I believe the Marysville boys are in a tourney over at Seneca, then the following week or the next the Marysville girls go to a tourney in Hiawatha.  I am going to be a basketball widow, Allison will ask me who her father is, and we will get used to being 'on our own' only to have to adjust to when daddy is home again in the evenings.  Oh honestly it's not bad or anything, however, it is an adjustment back and forth every year.


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Brrrr

Brrrrrrr....baby it's cold outside!   But the kids went back to school today after two days of snow days, so, as I get ready to go to the Library for Homework Center, I am preparing myself for all the stories and non-motivation for doing work.  (sigh)   Ahhhh, to be a kid again......



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