Rainy Saturday

It's rained most of the day. It'll be good sleeping tonight. The kids have cleaned their rooms. One has gotten rid of more than the other. It's hard when you've inherited the pack-rat gene from your forefathers. I'm thinking it might be a RedBox night. Gotta love RedBox.

Weeds!

The king has informed me that for the first time that he can ever remember, he's had to spray weeds in our yard/rocks in October. Our weather has been that good that we have weeds again. Wow! Not that either of us is complaining. Some rain in September and GREAT temperatures for the last 2-3 weeks (70's and 80's during the day) have made conditions great for them to grow. Those conditions have also made for some of the nicest fall days I can ever remember. It cools off at night too. so we have the windows open instead of running the air conditioner. The leaves are changing and falling so the colors are beautiful. It won't last, but we are sure enjoying it while we can!

Don't Forget Me!

With all the news about the prince lately, I thought I should let you know that the princess is alive and well. This photo is from a couple of years ago--pre-braces. She doesn't have that gap in her teeth anymore, and even the shape of her jaw is different now! There will be princess updates soon. She and I head down the road with some of our BFFs in a couple of weeks for a long weekend of dance, dance, dance workshops! ROAD TRIP!

TWIRP? TWIPR?

TWIRP is the formal dance in high school that the girl invites the boy to. Yesterday I got a call from "the girl's" mom asking if the prince would be home at a certain time and warning that we would be "ding-dong-ditched" (knock and run). The prince went to this dance last year and had a lot of fun. At around 5:00, this is what happened:

Ding Dong

"Prince, the door is for you." (Get my camera ready--I'm so glad I got a heads-up phone call!)

Hmmm...something on the door step.

A fish bowl? With a Beta in it?

"Cool!"

The girl's name is Megan. She's a freshman at his school, but they met this summer at the fair. They've been texting ever since. As "small world" would have it, I know her mom through other friends, so I knew she was going to ask him to this dance a few weeks ago. They were having a conversation the other day, and she asked him if he had pets. He said, "No, but if I had a fish, I'd name it Cat." Thus the sign. The back of the bowl says, "TWIRP? TWIRP? TWIRP? With Megan?" He promptly called her to say he'd go! Fun!

You Know You're Having A Bad Day When...

I've got 2 cracked ribs, but I can still play Saturday.

A student just walked into my room. Eighth grade. When they don't bring their PE clothes, the PE teacher sends them to my room to read. I figured that was what was going on when he showed up with a book.

I said "No gym clothes?"

No. I have two cracked ribs so I can't do PE.

How did you do that?

I got hit playing football on Saturday.

Oh, so you're out of football for awhile?

No, I'm still going to play on Saturday.

WHAT?? You can't do PE, but you'll play on Saturday?

He just shrugged.

Toothbrush Diplomacy

Sometimes, when I'm tired, preoccupied, or otherwise distracted, I accidentally use the king's toothbrush. I know. EWWW. Gross. You don't have to tell me. And you certainly don't have to tell him. He really freaks out. Now, in thinking this through I think he overacts a bit. I think the stuff he puts in his mouth is far yuckier than what I do. And we do breath in each others' faces all night so if germs are being transferred it's as likely it will happen that way as with the toothbrush. Still, I get his point. I even make sure the dentist gives me a purple toothbrush each time I go in so that I always have purple and don't have to get confused every 6 months with a toothbrush color change. This weekend he bought himself a new toothbrush. It's about as different from mine as you can possibly get. Maybe that'll work. Maybe not. The next step will be putting out toothbrushes in our own separate drawers instead of in the shared cup. I'm sure that would work, but I know his would never make it into his drawer and would sit on the counter all the time. That's not going to work for me. Wait! I know...separate bathrooms!

More Spirit Week Photos

The Falconator

The prince, doing what he does best, during the school song. The sound isn't great, but you get the idea. He's got mad white-boy moves in the middle!

Homecoming WIN!

Going AMA, we let the prince mascot at homecoming yesterday. The team won 28-0, which I am sure was due, in part, to the awesome mascot! ;)

A last minute, good luck knuckle from his aunt.

A bit of last minute advice from Lakota.

And we're off!

Spirit Week

The Homecoming Game is today. This was spirit week. On Monday the prince wore this year's t-shirt (I'm wearing mine today!). Tuesday was cinema day--he wore his banana costume and said he spent the day explaining that he wasn't the Chaquita Banana...yeah, I still don't get it either. Not sure what was going on Wednesday, but it must not have appealed to him as he didn't dress up. Yesterday was Nerd day--Nerds of the world, UNITE! He sort of pulled it off with the hair slicked over and all. But the red tie and red Converse make him too hip. He came home after school and showered to get the gel out of his hair! Today he'll dress out in Skyview Blue! Go Falcons!

Yes, I know. He didn't really pull off the nerd pose either!

BFFs

To those whom I may have offended referring to my BFF in the previous post, rest assured, I have several BFFs. I'm a lucky, lucky girl!

I did NOT say that!

I think it's probably clear that OTC (Opportunity to Complete--YOUR HOMEWORK) is the bain of my existence at work. The other day is a perfect example of why.

I had several naughties in the room. Much to my glee, my BFF came in to visit for a minute, but that's of course the time when the naughtiest of them had to act up. She saw why I don't get paid nearly enough...or maybe she saw how those moments balance out the many moments when I'm very overpaid to sit around waiting for some kid to need my help.

At any rate, here's what went down:

As I'm trying to converse with my BFF, "Bill" keeps talking, interrupting, and bothering those around him. About that time, I notice another disturbance in the back. "Ted" needs to borrow paper from someone, but apparently you must bother everyone in a 10 foot radius for that to happen.

I finally tell Ted to come get paper from me, but first I grill him on where his own paper is. I think he was too lazy to go to his locker and get some so he told me it was "at home." I said, "Okay, call home and ask your parent to remind you to bring it to school tomorrow."

While he's on the phone, I try to converse with my BFF, but Bill, sitting too close for comfort, is still being a pill. Suddenly I catch part of the conversation Ted's having with his dad. "She said she'll slap me if I don't bring paper to school."

"I DID NOT SAY THAT!!!!" I bellow, loudly enough for Dad to hear me on the other end of the phone line.

The class is now in fits of laughter. I have lost total control of the situation. The BFF quickly high-tails it out of there, not wanting to watch my demise, I'm sure.

So I have to lecture Ted about lying, slander, libel, etc. Then I write him up. I quickly write Bill up for the multiple disturbances he has caused, and alas, there is once again, harmony--and more importantly, QUIET--in OTC. But I'm quite sure the BFF would never believe it, given what she saw, and I know she'll never come back to visit me at school again! As for Ted and Bill, they'll have other opportunities to cause me grief as they are, what we like to call it in the school world, "frequent fliers" to OTC.

SWEET!

This is our nephew, Tyson. He's a high school junior in CO. This photo isn't really what it looks like. He is not falling on his head, but rather is doing a FLIP into the end zone! Touch down! He's a very gifted athlete, and we're quiet proud of him!

50 MT Facts

This is kind of long, but very interesting. Numbers 2 and 4 are missing so it's really only 48. I'm not sure what happened to them. They were gone before this came to me! Quiz the kids today!

1. Montana has the largest migratory elk herd in the nation.

3. At the Rocky Mountain Front Eagle Migration Area west of Great Falls more golden eagles have been seen in a single day than anywhere else in the country.

5. The average square mile of land contains 1.4 elk, 1.4 pronghorn antelope, and 3.3 deer.

6. The Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area contains as many as 300,000 snow geese and 10,000 tundra swans during migration.

7. At Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge it is possible to see up to 1,700 nesting pelicans.

8. The Montana Yogo Sapphire is the only North American gem to be included in the Crown Jewels of England.

9. In 1888 Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world.

10. 46 out of Montana's 56 counties are considered "frontier counties" with an average population of 6 or fewer people per square mile.

11. At Egg Mountain near Choteau dinosaur eggs have been discovered supporting the theory some dinosaurs were more like mammals and birds than like reptiles.

12. Montana is the only state with a triple divide allowing water to flow into the Pacific, Atlantic, and Hudson Bay. This phenomenon occurs at Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park.

13. The notorious outlaw, Henry Plummer, built the first jail constructed in the state.

14. No state has as many different species of mammals as Montana.

15. The moose, now numbering over 8,000 in Montana, was thought to be extinct in the Rockies south of Canada in the 1900s.

16. Flathead Lake in northwest Montana contains over 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline. It is considered the largest natural freshwater lake in the west.

17. Miles City is known as the Cowboy Capitol.

18. Yellowstone National Park in southern Montana and northern Wyoming was the first national park in the nation.

19. The town of Ekalaka was named for the daughter of the famous Sioux chief, Sitting Bull.

20. Fife is named after the type of wheat grown in the area or, as some locals contend, by Tommy Simpson for his home in Scotland.

21. Fishtail is named for either a Mr. Fishtail who lived in the area or as the area Indians prefer for some of the peaks in the nearby Beartooth Mountain Range which look like the tail of a fish.

22. The Yaak community is the most northwestern settlement in the state.

23. Montana has the largest grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states.

24. Near the Pines Recreation Area as many as 100 sage grouse perform their extraordinary spring mating rituals.

25. The first luge run in North America was built at Lolo Hot Springs on Lolo Pass in 1965.

26. Combination, Comet, Keystone, Black Pine, and Pony are names of Montana ghost towns.
27. Virginia City was founded in 1863 and is considered to be the most complete original town of its kind in the United States.

28. Montana is nicknamed the Treasure State.

29. The bitterroot is the official state flower.

30. The density of the state is six people per square mile.

31. The highest point in the state is Granite Peak at 12,799 feet.

32. The most visited place in Montana is Glacier National Park, known as the crown jewel of the continent. It lies along Montana's northern border and adjoins Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, forming the world's first International Peace Park.

33. Buffalo in the wild can still be viewed at the National Bison Range in Moiese, south of Flathead Lake and west of the Mission Mountains.

34. Montana's first territorial capital, Bannack, has been preserved as a ghost town state park along once gold-laden Grasshopper Creek.

35. The Old West comes to life through the brush and sculpture of famed western artist Charlie Russell at the Charles M. Russell Museum Complex in Great Falls. The museum contains the world's largest collection of Russell's work, his original log-cabin studio and his Great Falls home.

36. The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman gained fame through the work of its chief paleontologist, Jack Horner. Horner was the prototype for the character Dr. Alan Grant in the best selling novel/movie, "Jurassic Park."

37. Montana's rivers and streams provide water for three oceans and three of the North American continent's major river basins.

38. Just south of Billings, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and his troops made their last stand. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument features the Plains Indians and United States military involved in the historic battle.

39. The western meadowlark is the official state bird.

40. The first inhabitants of Montana were the Plains Indians.

41. Montana is home to seven Indian reservations and thirteen tribal groups: The Blackfeet Tribe, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe consisting of Salish, Kootena,i and Pen d' Oreille tribal groups; Rocky Boy consisting of the Chippewa and Cree tribal groups; Fort Belknap consisting fo the Gros Ventre and the Assiniboine tribal groups; Fort Peck consisting of the Sioux and Assiniboine tribal groups; Northern Cheyenne Tribe; Crow Tribe. The Little Shell Chippewa Tribe are non landed Indians trying to be recognized by the US Government. They have been recognized by the State of Montana. Many of them live on other reservations. About 35% of Montana's Indian population does not live on reservations.

42. Every spring nearly 10,000 white pelicans with a wingspan of nine feet migrate from the Gulf of Mexico to Medicine Lake in northeastern Montana.

43. The Going to the Sun Road in Glacier Park is considered one of the most scenic drives in America.

44. The state's official animal is the grizzly bear.

45. The state's motto Oro y Plata means gold and silver.

46. Montana's name comes from the Spanish word mountain.

47. In Montana the elk, deer and antelope populations outnumber the humans.

48. Glacier National Park has 250 lakes within its boundaries.

49. Hill County has the largest county park in the United States. Beaver Creek Park measures 10 miles long and 1 mile wide.

50. Competing with the D River in Lincoln City, Oregon for the title of the world's shortest river, the Roe River flows near Great Falls. Both rivers lengths vary from 58 feet to 200 feet. The source for this small river is Giant Springs, the largest freshwater spring in the United States.

Stinky Ca-Ca

What is worse than the smell of scorched broccoli?
Hard boiled eggs being made into egg salad.

What is worse than the smell of hard boiled eggs being made into egg salad?
Both smells in your house at once!

Trust me. I am the voice of experience here.

#4

Yes, it's true. For the fourth time in 18 months, we have had a bolt/nail/screw removed from a tire in the Taurus. Seriously? Seriously. I swear that car is doomed! Or we are. I'm pretty sure the Walmart tire guy knows us by name now. Seriously!

Summer Again!

It's 90* right now! It's like summer's making one more run. We're supposed to have temps in the 80's most of the week! I had to turn the air conditioner back on. I thought I was done with that bill, but comfort wins again!

The Prince at Dance Camp?

The princess went to dance camp this summer. On the last day, one of the instructors took this photo of the girls. I don't remember what the triangle with the hands was all about! Anyway, the dance instructor posted this photo on Facebook, and when the princess "friended" the dance instructor, she was able to access this photo. Since I can access the princess' account, I too could access this photo!

I know, you think I'm ranting about social networks and keeping our kids safe and whatnot. I'm not. The princess' face is completely covered in this photo though I can recognize the faces of other girls quite nicely.

No, in this photo I direct your attention to the back...where the prince is standing, waiting for the princess to get done. He's in the picture too! :) It almost looks like he went to dance camp! Hee, hee!

Can't see either kid? Click on the photo to make it larger. He's in the back with green shirt and tan shorts. Finding the princess is slightly more difficult. She's on the left edge, about 3 kids back, in a kelly green shirt.

Happy Sunday.

Shucks!

Football's a lot more fun to watch when we're winning. We lost last night. Hopefully Homecoming will go better next week! Go Falcons!

Go Falcons!

Tonight the prince will go to his first game since the broken arm and NOT stunt. He's a little bummed, but he'll be okay. It should be another beautiful night for a football game. Homecoming is next week. He's already busy with lots of work for that. These are photos from the first game--taken from cell phones, as you might be able to tell. Go Falcons!

This photo was taken last Saturday at a Fun Run. They were volunteers and helped pass out water to the runners. Who knew there was so much volunteerism in cheer?

Dork!

The princess had ballet last night. It's about a 20 minute drive from our house. They use the YWCA, and I have noticed that there are often meetings going on at the YWCA while I'm waiting for ballet to get out. I have, so far, either run errands or hung out, since I'd be driving 80 minutes of the 90 minute ballet class should I decide to drive home and then come back. Last night I needed to work on a PowerPoint presentation I have to do next week so I decided to drive over to McDonald's, get myself a large diet coke for $1 (the best deal in town), and then plug my computer in at the YWCA, listen to some nice ballet music in the background, and work on my presentation.

Perfect. Until I spilled the 32 ounce soda while I was getting all set up and comfortable.

After I had cleaned up the mess, these thoughts ran through my head:

I'm grateful it was diet soda so that I did not have a sticky mess to clean up.
I'm grateful it mostly spilled on the table and floor and not on the fabric couch.
I'm grateful the bathroom had paper towels and not hand driers.
I'm grateful the meeting I was not aware was going on (it seemed really quiet in there except for the ballet music) didn't get out until AFTER I had the mess cleaned up.
I'm grateful the director of the YWCA is really, really nice!
I'm grateful no skinny ballet girls came out to get a drink of water while my big ol' butt was up in the air, cleaning the mess.

When it was all said and done the mess was cleaned up, I finished about 3/4 of my presentation, I got to drink about 4 ounces of diet coke, and life goes on!

Have a good day!

This Girl

This girl melts my heart sometimes! Love that smile. I would like to thank her dance coaches, who insisted that she smile big smiles in spite of the braces, and I'm also grateful to the parents of her best friends who also put their kids in braces!

Small aside: She has one friend whose parents said they would either pay for braces or pay for the class trip to Washington D.C. in 8th grade, but they wouldn't do both. WHAT??? Who puts that kind of choice on a kid??? Which one will the kid choose? D.C., of course. And how do the parents fare? Let's see...D.C. will cost about $2000. Braces will be about $5000. Hmmm...

So she was goofing around with her camera (in the bathroom) and then was playing with the photos on the computer. She saw the photo of herself with Becky at an earlier age while she was playing with the photos and noticed the same smile! Too funny. Goofball.

Oh, That Internet Will Never Catch On!

Saturday morning in UT, waiting for the football game, here's what was going on:

The men were out golfing.
The boys were in the game room on the Sega, Wii, or some such gaming contraption.
And we girls were surfing the net, exchanging photos, and doing blog up dates.
Nice interface!

Yes, that's my computer on the floor. I admit it.

You're so lucky...

Meet "Johnny". He is a 6th grader and is late for school most days. In fact, today he was written up for his 8th tardy to 1st period in 4 weeks of school. Johnny has some serious ADD (not hyper, just can't focus), and when Johnny IS ready for school on time, his sister isn't. Add to that the fact that they get a ride from Mom daily, and I'm thinking the apple probably doesn't fall very far from the tree here.

So Johnny got assigned an after-school detention for the tardies (you get one of those after 3 tardies). As I was working with him the other day (he also happens to be one of my students, but he's usually on time for my class), our conversation went like this:

J: Mrs. L, you're lucky.
Me: Why?
J: Because you get to sleep in.
Me: You mean on the weekends?
J: No, on school days.
Me: I don't get to sleep in on school days. I'm up at 5:00 or 5:30 on school days.
J: Why so early?
Me: (Seeing where this is all going now and knowing it relates to his tardies) So I can get to school on time! I give myself enough time to wake up, get ready, make sure my kids are ready, and drive to work. There's no sleeping in, but I am always on time.
J: Okay, never mind.

Poor Johnny. I feel for him. I really do. But his mom has got to help that kid get his act together. We can help him once he gets to school, but we can't get him to school!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

We Love You!

Uh-oh

We had to bring the geranium in last night. It snowed in the mountains. This can't bode well for summer...or even fall.

Cousins/Sisters/Twins???

When we went to visit the cousins, every time the princess walked in a room for the first day or so she heard, "Boy, you sure look like Becky." The king and I have been saying that since she started dancing. So the girls posed for a photo shoot to lend proof to the tale. From "natural" hair color to eyes to noses to skin color (WHITE!)...they look a lot alike. And they are alike in personality too both loving dance and music and doing very well in school. The princess has a great role-model in Becky.

A note about Becky. I used to joke that she should have been my daughter. She looked more like me and shared my love of reading and school. When she was about the princess' age, I realized she didn't really like hearing that so I quit mentioning it. On this trip SHE mentioned more than once that she could easily have been my daughter! We're not taking anything away from my sister when we say that. It's just proof of how close we all are! Life is good people! Bask in it!

Anatomy of a Broken Arm

The following photos show the progression of the prince's broken arm. I warn you now that some of the photos will make you go EWWWWW. You don't have to read on. He had the stitches out and new xrays yesterday. They are very pleased with how things are healing, but he was not released to do anything more than lift 1/2 gallon of milk yet. No cheer. No mascot. Bummer. He'll go back in 4 weeks when they expect to release him for most activities. I'm sorry for the many blog entries with this post, but I was not able to get it to look right with the various size/format photos. I'm not the computer expert I pretend to be!

Xrays of the break

In the first you can see how the bone is jutting out. In the second you can see that both bones are broken. Yuck!