our weekend

Barry and I went to Manteo to Brandy's wedding this past weekend, and it was wonderful!! The rain stayed away so that they could say their vows on the dock at sunset as planned! Nobody thought that it would happen after the weather last week. Brandy looked so beautiful and happy, and the reception was elegant and simple. We stayed later than almost anyone, just dancing and catching up with Brandy and her family. My feet were black from dancing barefoot in the grass for so long with B! I sang "Realize" for their first dance as a surprise- she loved it! (She had asked me to sing a song for the first dance, but didn't tell me what to sing! I remembered her saying that "Realize" reminded her of Jon!) The reception was outside in white tents with brown, lime green, and cream-colored Chinese lanterns. The main cake was peanut butter and chocolate and the Bride's cake was Key Lime- delicious! Everything was gorgeous. Barry was, of course, the best looking thing there:) My only complaint about the wedding is that even though it was sunny and a comfortable 70 odd degrees, I GOT BEACH HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, well...

I had never been to the Outer Banks before, and it was very pretty. I admit, however, that I didn't see what made it any better than Topsail, so I wouldn't probably drive the extra hour there again! We went to the beach at Nags Head and hung out, and we did notice that the birds and crabs seemed very familiar with humans. I have stated in an earlier post how I dislike birds in close proximity, so this didn't go over well with me! Barry took me to the big dunes near Kitty Hawk where the hang gliders jump from and that was really cool. He had remembered going there as a kid and wanted me to see it. Saturday night, we had dinner with Brandy's family and then went out dancing. We randomly chose a bar with live music and the band ended up being awesome!! We had a blast and enjoyed our much -needed weekend away.

Is Weariness Next to Godliness? Just Asking...

Well, I haven't complained in a while...

so, here it goes...


My poor husband has too much work. Now, I have never taught college English, it's true, but I majored in ENG, so I can tell you firsthand that three papers/essays a week is not standard for 100-200 level college classes. He not only has these papers to write, but also has to do group assignments each week which involve meeting with another student and coordinating a "controversial topic" paper for which each participant chooses pro or con on an issue. Last week they had a scavenger hunt in the library (HELLO!!! I did this at Mt. Hermon for Mrs. Fowler!!!) and this week they must travel to another college campus and interview a student about campus issues and how they compare to GTCC!!! During all of this, he is expected to read chapters in his textbook AND read a novel, all the while writing a topical essay on each section of chapters from the novel.

B stayed up until 3am Tuesday working on his math and English homework, only to find out today that BOTH of his teachers were giving them extensions on their work! THANKS, BUT IT'S A LITTLE TOO LATE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suspect that the ENG teacher's problem is that she has assigned too much work and now finds she has no time to grade all these essays!! B asked her when they could expect their first essay back graded (from three weeks ago!!!) and she complained about how swamped she was. This explains the "field assignments" and scavenger hunts! She needs office time so she cancels class time!

This is her first year teaching college English, and she was previously a High School ENG teacher, so maybe she will see after this semester that this is not her forte.

I do admit that I found a grammatical error on her syllabus when B first brought it home and that I pretty much made my mind up about her at that point. I make mistakes in my writing, too, but NOT when I taught English. It's like a police officer stealing or a French chef serving Spam.

Barry had an Open House for his Danville property on Sunday, but the Register & Bee forgot to run the ad so no one came! Big disappointment. He still has the big project at work going on, so I worry about him and his sanity. The thing is, he never complains, so I just did it for him!! He's tired and stressed. I adore my husband and appreciate everything he does for our family. Say a little prayer that things will ease up on him soon.

OK, let me balance out my complaining with some good stuff! Reese and True got excellent progress reports today. Reese's teacher said he is "honest and polite", and True's teacher called him "conscientious"! Cool, huh? The grades were good, too, but I just loved those adjectives. I'm really proud about the praise they received. (Cole's hasn't come home yet.)

The cats went to the vet yesterday and we found out that they are both girls! No big deal, except we need a more feminine name for her than "Lars"!


Dancing With the Stars started this week, and we have, of course, been watching! Jeffrey Ross going home- who didn't see that one coming?? If Edyta can't make you look good, you're hopeless!

I'm pretty much over Cloris Leachman already. I get it, you're 82 and you can still remember cuss words. Cool, now go home and say them to your cats because we are trying to watch TV with our families. I love Brooke Burke and I think she is the best female so far. My pick for male is Ted Mc Ginley, not because he's the best but because I had an 80's crush on him in Happy Days. The best male is probably Lance Bass, but that Lacey girl is trying too hard to be cool with her pink extensions and her flat boots. Boo! Rocco DiSpirito's mambo was hot last night! Susan Lucci looks terrified, and Carrie Ann didn't help by telling her she needed to gain weight!! Carrie Ann, you are so jealous of the women who come on the show!! You need to ask Susan how she looks that gorgeous at 60 years old and pray that you will, too! Kim Kardashian just isn't doing much moving out there on the floor (it does bother me that when Cole asked who she was I had to explain without mentioning the sex tape that made her famous- really, what else has she done? Club-hopped with Paris???) , and I'm impressed with Misti May Trainor. Toni Braxton looks good so far, Maurice Green is good but I can't stand Cheryl or her annoying hair in her face. Cody Linley and Julianne are cute together, and Warren Sapp is really going to be entertaining! I was impressed by his quickstep! Who knew a giant like that could even take a "quick" step!!

In other celebrity news, Clay Aiken came out of the closet today. In a similar surprise announcement, I would like to reveal that the sky is up.

Barry and I are traveling this weekend to Manteo to my friend's wedding (Brandy). I am singing , and possibly in the rain!! I've never done THAT before! We are excited about getting away together, just the three of us: me, B, and the math book. Nothing says romance like quadratic equations!

This week both my niece, Leah, and my nephew, Neal, have birthdays!! I saw them Sunday and enjoyed pizza and Transformers cake with blue icing. Happy Birthday, guys!!

I miss and love everyone!

!Queso!

chess

I do not know how to play chess. Cole learned how to play at the age of 7, Reese was in the Sacred Heart Chess Club in FIRST GRADE, and now he is teaching True to play!

I do not know the first thing about it, and when the boys try to teach me, I get very confused. I really think that my brain doesn't work properly for chess. Anyway, they love it.

Watching them makes me feel stupid.

I like UNO.

The Dalton Report

Hi, guys! I hope you are all well and happy!


Really, there is nothing to REPORT in my report! Luckily, we are all healthy and everything is peaceful and good.

Usually, I pay no attention to what celebrities are blabbering about. However, I have a request today that concerns a celebrity that is, in my opinion, blaspheming God in an unspeakable manner. Please boycott Margaret Cho, if there is even one of you who is a fan of hers in the first place. She has made some horrible statements about Sarah Palin and Christians in general. It is truly shocking what she has dared to say in the name of "God". She claims to be a CHristian, herself, but if you read what has been in the news today, it is clear that Satan has her by the throat! So, pray for her if you can. I'm sorta thinking she might spontaneously burst into flames or get struck by lightning any second, actually.... here, read for yourself, if you can stand it (Mom, NOOO!!!!)
http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/09/17

Speaking of celebrities, but doing what they were meant to do- LOOK PRETTY!!-I would like to announce that George Clooney and Pierce Brosnan tied for first place in our poll! Mary, you will be pleased to know that nobody voted for Brad Pitt...breakfast poll results: cereal and bagel share the top spot. One of you isn't eating breakfast- bad girl!

Here are some pictures from our August trip to the battleship in Wilmington. The boys had a great time and Barry loved teaching them about Navy life on a ship!

a special day

Hey, Y'all!

Today I am so glad to have you here at my blog because I love company!!

My cats were hoping you could come for their party this morning...




Layla put on her Kitty Bling and everything....


the food was oh so beautifully arranged...


Lars didn't take it very well when you stood them up...



Awww! Cats are precious...anyhoo..


The stage is set for a wonderful visit and I'm


so glad you're here! Come on in!!



NOOOOO!!!! Don't go in there, I mean it's not very blingy
or cozy!!


I couldn't wait to offer you some homemade treats for a lazy afternoon...



but seriously, just grab something yourself out of the pantry...Oreo Cakesters are good...


grab me one, too, on second thought!


I just love my vintage heirloom can opener..





it's been in my family for two generations...it's so charming how it's missing the magnet plate! RARE DETAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



You're still hungry? Let's look in the fridge!

Have some Food Lion brand Cole slaw with black olives, or
Food Lion butter with Food Lion pudding...
or I think I have some Food Lion apple juice..


What? You have to go? So soon? Why are you running???!!!!


Well, it's really for the best! I have so much to do...I have to lay out my bling for work tomorrow!

The Dalton Report

Hey, guys! Hope you're doing well.

Cole broke a tooth yesterday, but it was a baby tooth and just need to be yanked out. It had split in two pieces but didn't fall out of the gum! Barry took him to ake care of it, and all is well.

I have approval from my principal to travel to NYC in the Spring with my top students!!! I never thought I could pull it off, but here we go. Please pray that the students and I will be able to raise the necessary funds and that our fundraising will be blessed. I want to do this for them so badly; some of them have never been out of Winston.

We attended the air show here last weekend and had a blast! Here are some pictures of that, and I hope to see you all soon.

More Comp Photos & Dalton Report

I hope everyone is well and happy!

We are doing fine here. School is off to a great start, work is running smoothly, and soccer is in full swing! It definitely feels like fall, even if it's still hot out!

Barry got an A on his first paper in English, which doesn't surprise me, but makes me very proud anyway. True has made several new friends in his class and still likes his teacher! I have talked to several parents who have been in the school here longer than me and they all rave over her, so it's a good sign. Reese is going on an AL trip in November to Outer Banks to study the sealife and marshlife there. He's really excited. Cole loves his classes, especially drama! He excited about the upcoming pig dissection in Science...I can smell the formaldyhyde just thinking of it!!!!

I am happy with my new administration and have several plays and scenes in production at school. It's amazing what you can get done in small classes! Yesterday, I had to give my beloved 6th graders a speech about how to treat people with disabilities and differences. They had been mercilessly teasing a little guy who has multiple physical and mental limitations. I told the student being teased to go and get a head start to his next class and then I shut the door and told the rest not to move or breathe. I not only used my teacher voice, I used my MAD TEACHER voice, and you could have heard a pin drop! I let them know in no uncertain terms that nobody in this classroom or in this life is better than anyone else, and that we have to treat others the way we would want people to treat our family members if we weren't there to take up for them. I told them that they had figured out the easiest , fastest way to see me angry and that I would be watching them like a hawk to see who would win the title of "First Office Referral of the Year". I hope it made an impression, because I do not play around when it comes to this subject. My heart breaks every time this student speaks in class because I know it will trigger giggles and eye-rolling. Children are so cruel in middle school! Pray for this student, and all the others who suffer in their inclusion classes while at school without the protection of their parents.

OK, I have more pictures from the competition! Barry and I found out that we also won $300 in scholarship money, which is really awesome.

Don't get mad at me for saying this, but we love comments! The last time I complained about the lack of comments, people went nuts, so all I'm saying this time is...I really like to hear from you! I think some of you don't know how to leave them, so just click at the bottom of the post where it says "comments" and you can leave one on the next screen- you do not have to be a blogger! You can choose "anonymous" and then type your name in your message. Comments make blogging fun for us!

Take care!