81 Degrees

Today my phone read 81 degrees... Where was our winter? This weather is beautiful, I'm not going to lie.. but I have missed winter. I have the hardest time transitioning from winter to spring. I hate going from sweatshirts, sweaters, and sleeves to short sleeves and skirts. I'm weird. But I just feel twice as fat during this time. I hope I'm not alone. Oh well, I need to embrace it.


Yesterday afternoon, Christian and I decided to go to Carol Ann Cross Park. I think it is my new favorite park. It's by water, has a nice walking path, zero traffic (from what I remember), and a great area for kids to play. And it does help that the weather was perfect. It makes me happy to see random dad's in their work clothes and little girls playing together. I also loved watching an older gentleman with probably his grandson. Christian and I decided to walk around the water (I'm not sure what the water is called... it's like a large pond that looks like a dam on one side...). As we walked around, I saw this adorable little girl and her momma sitting and reading on a blanket with her stroller beside them. It was picture perfect. I want to one day be that type of mom. I plan to take my kiddos to the park on a regular basis. I may change my mind once they are here, but I think I'll really enjoy it.

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For the last few weeks, we have been leaving Winston out of his cage in the mornings.. He usually appeared to sleep and be lazy; however, the well behaved, sleepy-morning-dog did not last. We have a mail slot in our door so lots of retarded ads, bills, and important mail items fall to the floor in our front entrance. Really charming, right? NO. First, the girls use to destroy the mail (they learned quickly). Now, Winston has found a L-O-V-E of tearing up mail (or anything made of paper or plastic... or soft cushiony things like bras...) all the time. To say the least, we can't leave him out all morning anymore. Breaks. My. Heart. But he's just not learning. So for now, the cage is where he stays. Well, to make this long story even longer... this morning I was not happy. First, I woke up to a headache that would not leave... and didn't leave until late this afternoon. Second, I had to finish some last minute things I planned on doing at my Practicum site. That included printing stuff, gathering stuff, and touching up a little bite on my PowerPoint presentation. This procrastination was lengthened by having to replace my toner in my printer, lazy dogs demanding to sit in my lap (so I moved to the table), and Winston destroying a huge map and little sticker dots I bought yesterday. At least of the three maps I bought, he choose to destroy the Arkansas map that I really didn't need for my lesson but wanted to buy anyway. And I was able to salvage some of the dots I plan to use on the other two maps of Oklahoma and the central states. Oh, and I didn't find the dots until I went outside to look for them... and I found them nearly buried with half of my torn up bra.... {sad face}

It's been a long day. Week. Month. I'm glad it is March already. And somewhat scared that it is already March. I am taking the PLT and Praxis II on March 10th. I have a lot of studying I need to accomplish between now and then... along with a lot of assignments, too. Oh well. It's all worth it.


I'm also considering speaking at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in April. My advisor asked me if I would be interested in speaking about the experiences and things I've learned by watching a child with Autism. I think it would be an amazing opportunity but also a lot of work. I've learned so much about children through my experiences and feel better apt to dealing with many behavior problems I will have in my future classroom. However, do I have the time to plan, write, and present the things I've learned? That's the question. I don't want to overwhelm myself with extra things while trying to do well in my classes, pass the Praxis II and PLT, and keep up with my wifely duties. We will see. I'll let you guys know what I decide when I decide. I really need to decide soon... I think the deadline to register with my abstract is March 9th...

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Other things on my TO DO LIST include removing wallpaper and painting the house (as well as a number of other things I'd like to do to the house). I've already bought some wall paper remover stuff so that I can attempt to remove the wallpaper in our small 1/2 bath and see if I can actually realistically do it myself. In the near NEAR future, we will be having our roof replaced and some inside damage fixed. I really want to be able to at least remove the wallpaper in the bathroom and paint... since some of the wall has to be fixed anyway. I hope it won't be too large of a task. If anyone has any tips or tricks, please share.

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Last weekend, Zac and I made a short trip back to Russellville on Saturday after Christian's 9th Birthday party. It was really nice getting to see most of the family and spending Sunday morning at River Park. My parents and grandparents even came. I know I only live a little over an hour away, but I really wish I lived closer and could do more with my grandparents while they are still here. The slowly growing older has become quite a quick process. I've been so blessed to have all of my grandparents live well into their 80's and now two of them are in their 90's. Both of my parents are the babies in their families and most likely "surprises". Because of that, I have always had relatively old grandparents. They have experienced the many changes in America in ways none of us can even imagine. Anyway, my Practicum class is doing a lengthy study on Oklahoma. This semester my unit will be over "The Land of Oklahoma". The students will learn about farming, Native Americans, tornadoes, specific events from history, and famous people from Oklahoma. Since they are learning about farming and picking cotton, I decided that the class should write a letter questionnaire for my grandparents to answer questions about their childhood - living off the land, farming, and picking cotton. Last week, they wrote their letter and on Sunday I interviewed Momo and Pawpaw to learn more about their childhood. It was such a rewarding experience. I did the same type of project when I was in fourth grade with Pawpaw. There are so many things we can learn from that generation... they were such hard workers! Anyway, I advise anyone who has access to speaking to an older individual to do so before it's too late. If you know my grandparents, I'm sure they would welcome you into their home and tell a number of amazing stories.

Aren't they lovely?!

This was taken almost a year ago at their 65th Anniversary party.

Well, I guess this update is getting rather lengthy.

Much love,

EM

p.s. - Here are some picture's from Christian's Birthday party! It was lots of fun. I'm glad that Zac finally got to meet Lori and Tim - Christian's parents.

First LAN party at 9! 

Opening gifts

Super excited about Skylanders from his older brother

Pin the Sword on the Noob! (Roblox themed party)

Happy 9th Birthday!
Check out that Roblox Ice Cream Cake!!!

Tim, Christian, and Lori

Make a wish!!