Tonight I'm packing for my trip home and preparing a lesson plan for next week. After the way the last 2 weeks have been, I can't wait to get on that plane tomorrow!

I am so tired my eyelashes hurt. After yesterday's debacle with Insane Parent, then add to that the frustration, confusion, and total chaos of getting a new teacher in my room today...I am exhausted! And the new teacher? I think she has ADD. Either that or she is on speed. Seriously. She just Would. Not. Stop. Talking. And she already is changing the way our class is run. Hello?! Don'tcha think you should at least ASK me? I mean I AM the lead teacher. And changing things on your first day there without asking me? Does not bode well for our future working relationship. I mean I'm pretty laid back and easygoing, but she is just too much. I hope my boss talks to her tomorrow and tells her she needs to chill. Maybe she was just nervous, but I thought that was pretty rude. I may not have much experience, but what little experience I DO have is WITH THOSE KIDS! I can tell you what will work with them and what we've tried and what has failed miserably. Back off, woman. Can you at least observe for a bit and learn HOW we do things before you go changing them? Thanks so much.

Dear Interet, I know what you're thinking. And no, this is not a jealous, terretorial thing here. I'm perfectly open to any and all new ideas, etc, but she was just plain pushy!

Subject: Letter to irate parent
(In which I apologize for nothing, really. But it sounds good and will look like I'm being professional.)

Dear Irrational and Irate Parent,

Please accept my sincere apology for making you feel attacked yesterday evening. It was not my wish to do so and I regret that my choice of words offended you or was taken negatively. It is my goal to always remain professional, polite, and courteous and I am sorry if you felt my behavior did not reflect this goal. I make every effort to be fair in the classroom and I apologize if you feel this was not the case. One of the things I value most in this profession is the relationship between teacher and parent and I will continue to make every effort to see that this relationship is a positive one. I assure you that this situation will in no way reflect upon my relationship with your child, as this would be both unwise and unprofessional. Again, I apologize and would hope that we can put this incident behind us for the benefit of everyone involved.

Sincerely,

Very irriated 3 year old teacher who is writing this letter to "be the bigger person" and apologize when really I have nothing (NOTHING!) to apologize for. Your kid is a brat and no one has the cajones to tell you to your face.

Lord help me if my boss ever reads this letter, but I have not included the names, so I should be OK, right?

Just call this the post in which I attempt a joke that only a few people in this world will "get".

The title of this post is: What'cha readin'?

Note: Must be said or read in the tone of voice Jason says "What'cha drankin'?" Yes, folks. Not drinking...drankin'. Guess you had to be there.

Anyway, with that lame attempt at an inside joke out of the way...

What are you reading?

I'm reading "Me and Emma" by Elizabeth Flock

and

"A is For Alibi" by Sue Grafton.

I don't usually read more than one book at a time, but this time I am. The first one is a library book that is almost due. The second is a book I borrowed from someone at work that I should really either read quickly or return.

And of course, I'm reading a multitude of kids' books every day. In addition to the book listed in my lesson plan for today, I also read Tedd Arnold's book "Super Fly Guy". My kids LOVED this book! I highly recommend any of Tedd Arnold's books. They are awesome! :)

Today, while in a confrontation with a parent about why her kid was in time-out, I was insulted. Many, many times. Everything from my classroom management techniques (or lack thereof) to my inability to control her child (which, if I'm not mistaking is the same thing as classroom managment, right? Yep. Though so.). But my favorite of all her insults and unfounded complaints is "You don't have children, you don't know." I looked her squarely in the eye and said "How do you know that I don't want to have a child more than anything in this world but have been told that I can't have children?" Boy, you should have seen the look on her face.

Note: No, I do NOT have a problem with infertility, it's just a matter of personal choice. But it's none of her damn business why I don't have kids. I treat these kids BETTER than if they were my own. Because they are not my children, they get more chances, more options, more leeway. If they were my children, they'd get a spank on the butt and an "I'd better not hear that kind of backtalk from you again."

Not that I am saying it's OK to HIT your child, but an occaisonal spank on the butt never hurt in the long run, did it? I got spankings and look how great I turned out. :)

Just kidding. I'm really pretty steamed about the whole situation and my outlet of choice instead of diving headlong into the bottle of wine in my fridge is to unleash my crazy sense of humor on the internet. Rather good choice, don't you think?

Yes, I really did say "How do you know..." to this out-of-control mom. But it was only after being verbally insulted and berated in front of my peers, about 20 children, and my supervisor that I finally had enough. And you know what? It felt GREAT! It especially felt great to know that my boss backed me up.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. Should be chaotic too. I can't wait.

Is it Thursday yet?!

I know I don't have to do this, but I type out every step of my lesson plans, every song we sing, every project we do in class, etc. so I'll have it all in one place and all I have to do is grab the folder marked "Weekly Lesson Plan" and go. Those of you with kids, feel free to do any of these activities with your kiddos. Be sure to let me know if they like them! :)

Those of you who don't have kids or who might not be just totally fascinated with the minute details of my lesson plan, just skip right over this post because it's going to be a LONG one!

Here's a typical lesson plan for my preschool class (3-4 year olds)

I Like Bugs Theme
Daily Lesson Plan

Monday

Props, Supplies, Etc.: supplies for Antenna Art Project (paper, scissors, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, glue, markers, crayons, glitter), I Like Bugs book
Special Snack: none

1. Begin circle time discussion by talking about characteristics of insects.
There are many different kinds of insects (bugs. Who can name a kind of bug?
Do you like bugs? Why or why not?

2. Briefly discuss antennae and their function.

3. Read "I Like Bugs".

4. Sing "5 Little Flies".

5 Little Flies
5 little flies buzzing through a hive,
One took some honey, and took a deep dive.
4 little flies buzzing through a door,
One slipped and fell, Crash! On the floor.
3 little flies buzzing through the trees,
One bumped the bark and skinned his knees.
2 little flies buzzing through a shoe,
One held his nose and said "Pee-eww!"
One little fly buzzing though a bun,
The swatter goes SPLAT! Now there are none.

5. Sing "Can You Wiggle With Me?"

Can You Wiggle With Me? (To the tune of "Do Your Ears Hang Low?")
Can you wiggle like a worm?
Can you squiggle? Can you squirm?
Can you flutter? Can you fly like a gentle butterfly?
Can you crawl upon the ground
Like a beetle that is round?
Can you move with me?

Can you flip? Can you flop?
Can you give a little hop?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you give a little shake?
Can you dance like a bee
Who is buzzing 'round a tree?
Can you move with me?

6. Choose daily jobs, calendar, weather, etc.

7. Grandfriends or split up into center groups. (Our class visits the older adults in the adult care center. We call them our Grandfriends.)
Centers: Puzzles at small table
Kitchen
Art: Making insect antennas.
Note: If not enough time to do centers after grandfriends, do this art project on Thursday and then just prepare dirt cups for Thurs. p.m. snack for them during their nap time.

Tuesday

Props, Supplies, Etc.: flannel board and story pieces, C is for Caterpillar sheet (9 copies), pom-poms, glue, The Very Hungry Caterpillar book
Special Snack: none

1.Begin circle time discussion by talking about our caterpillar. (Or caterpillars in general if ours classroom caterpillar is gone.) Use butterfly info sheet from Stacey to tell about life cycle and change from caterpillar to butterfly.

2.Show students "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and ask how many have read it. Open the book and show pictures of the fruits until the oranges page. Stop there!
Ask the following questions:
Is this really what caterpillars eat? Is this food healthy or not healthy?
Do you think a tiny caterpillar could eat this much food? Why or why not?
Next, read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and use flannel board pieces to illustrate.
Finally, ask if students think this is what will happen to our class caterpillar "Fuzzy."

3.Read "Sitting on a Fencepost."

Sitting on a Fencepost
Sitting on a fence post
Chewing on my bubble gum, Yum, Yum
Playing with my yo-yo, Whew, Whew
When along came Herman the worm,
And he was This Big. (Use hands to show how small he was.)
And I said "Herman, what happened?"
"I ate my breakfast."

Sitting on a fence post
Chewing on my bubble gum, Yum, Yum
Playing with my yo-yo, Whew, Whew
When along came Herman the worm,
And he was This Big. (Use arms to show bigger size.)
And I said "Herman, what happened?"
"I ate my lunch."

Sitting on a fence post
Chewing on my bubble gum, Yum, Yum
Playing with my yo-yo, Whew, Whew
When along came Herman the worm,
And he was THIS BIG! (Open arms as wide as you can.)
And I said "Herman, what happened?"
"I ate my dinner."

4.Sing "1,2,3,4,5. I Caught a Butterfly"
1,2,3,4,5 I caught a butterfly! (Use hands to catch a butterfly.)
6, 7, 8, 9, 10 I let him go again. (Use hands to let him go.)

5. Choose daily jobs, calendar, weather, etc.

6. Split up into center groups.
Centers: Large blocks
Butterfly sort and count
Art: C is for Caterpillar gluing activity.

Wednesday

Props, Supplies, Etc.: Flannel board and pieces, yellow and black paint, bee finger puppets, Bee Nice book
Special Snack: none

1. Begin circle time discussion with information about bees and why they are important to flowers.

2. Read "Bee Nice."

3. Read "The Flower and the Bee."

The Flower and the Bee
Here is a great big flower. (Hold open left hand with fingers spread.)
Here is a tiny bee. (Press thumb and index finger of right hand together.)
The bee flies with a buzz, buzz, buzz. (Move right hand around like a bee.)
The flower says, "Visit me!" (Move open left hand from side to side.)
The bee lands on the flower (Set right hand (bee) on open palm of left hand.)
And does a dance so neat. (Dance in place.)
He wiggles his wings and turns around (Flap arms and turn around.)
And stomps his little bee feet. (Stomp feet.)
The flower waves its petals (Sway and wave arms.)
The bee hums a good-bye tune. (Wave goodbye and hum.)
He flies away with a buzz, buzz, buzz. (Move right hand around to show bee’s flight.)
The flower says, "Come back soon!" (Wave goodbye with open left hand.)

4. Sing "A Bee is On Me."

A Bee is On Me
A bee is on my bonnet
A bee is on my nose,
A bee is on my shoulder
A bee is even on my toes!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
This bee is bugging me.
Help me! Help me!
How can I be free?

A bee is in my hair
A bee is in my pants
A bee is in my ears
A bee is making me dance!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
This bee is bugging me.
Help me! Help me!
How can I be free?

What do you suppose
A bee sat upon my nose.
What do you think
He gave me a wink
He said, "I beg your pardon
I thought you were the garden!"
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
This bee is bugging me.
Help me! Help me!
How can I be free?

A bee is near my socks
A bee is near my shoes
S P L A T !!!
Bee, I know how to take care of you!

5. Discuss how even things are small (like bees), we are all somebody special to God.

6. Choose daily jobs, calendar, weather, etc.

7. Split up into center groups.
Centers: Stackable people at small table
Dress-up center
Art: Bee thumb-body with Jesus thumbprint activity

Thursday

Props, Supplies, Etc.: Ugh! A Bug! book, supplies for "dirt cup snack".
Special Snack: Dirt cups

1. Review all we have learned about this week.
Monday: We read "I Like Bugs" and found out about the many different types of bugs. We also learned that another name for "bug" is "insect" and that some insects have antennas to help them smell and taste.
Tuesday: We learned about caterpillars and butterflies and learned that caterpillar starts with the letter C.
Wednesday: We learned about bees and how even though they are small, they are still very important. And we are all important to God, no matter what size we are.

2. Read "Ugh! A Bug!"

3 Discuss how we should react when we see an insect. Talk about bug safety.
(Look, do not touch. Insects live happily outside, not in jars. Insects are God’s creatures and we should not hurt them.)

4. Sing "When the Bugs go Marching In"
When the Bugs Go Marching In (Tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In")
Oh, when the bugs go marching in,
Oh, when the bugs go marching in,
Oh, how I'll see the ants and the beetles,
Oh, when the bugs go marching in.

Oh, when the bugs begin to crawl,
Oh, when the bugs begin to crawl,
Oh, how I'll see the roaches and termites,
Oh, when the bugs begin to crawl.

Oh, when the bugs come flying in,
Oh, when the bugs come flying in,
Oh, how I'll see the moths and mosquitoes,
Oh, when the bugs come flying in.

Oh, when the bugs begin to leap,
Oh, when the bugs begin to leap,
Oh, how I'll see the fleas and the crickets,
Oh, when the bugs begin to leap

5. Choose daily jobs, calendar, weather, etc.

6. Split up into center groups.
Centers: Cars and garage on large rug
Art: coloring insects
Cooking: Make "dirt cups" (Jello, Oreos and gummy worms)

Friday

Prepare for last day of water play. Or if not doing water play, read Ants! Ants! Ants! or The Very Quiet Cricket. Or use the following activities.

Songs about insects:
The Ants Go Marching
The ants go marching one by one,
Hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching one by one,
Hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb,
And they all go marching down
Into the ground to get out of the rain
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Additional verses:
Two...tie his shoe
Three...climb a tree
Four...shut the door
Five...take a dive
Six...pick up sticks
Seven...pray to heaven
Eight...shut the gate
Nine...check the time
Ten...say "The END"

Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee
I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee
Ouch! He stung me!

I’m smashing up my baby bumblebee
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
I’m smashing up my baby bumblebee
Yuck! It’s all over me!

I’m sweeping up my baby bumblebee
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
I’m sweeping up my baby bumblebee
Look! There goes another one!

Game about insects:

Bug in a Rug (need sheet, towel or blanket for prop)
Lay sheet, towel or blanket on the floor and have children sit around edge (Not ON it.) Have one child move away from the group, turn and face opposite direction and close their eyes. Teacher taps one child on the shoulder and he or she gets under the "rug". The child that was away comes back and the rest of the children chant:
Bug in the rug,
Bug in the rug,
Who’s that bug in the rug?
The child who was hiding their eyes has to guess who is under the rug by looking to see who is missing from the group.

OK, so now if any of you are still reading this, now can you see why I never seem to have any spare time?! :) Typing out all those notes, songs and activities takes forever! But it is such a help to have it all right there in one place. Good thing I love what I do, because it sure takes up ALL of my time. At least for now anyway. But I plan to get some lesson plans written up ahead of time so that all I have to do is just coast for a while. Ms. Amy needs a break!
But good news! I'm getting a new co-teacher! Hopefully she feels as strongly as I do about preparing quality lesson plans and she can help share some of the responsibility.

I'm coming home!!! Ok, so it will only be for a short time and I have absolutely no idea how I can possibly manage to see and do everything I have planned, but mostly I am coming home to visit my grandma Nanny, so everything else will have to be secondary. But I promise I'll see all of you I can when I'm in Lawton from Aug 31-Sept 5th. And those of you I don't see then, Jason and I are planning on trying to come home for a wedding in Stillwater in October (SHAWN!) so we'll try to catch you then. Can't wait to see all of you!
Amy
P.S. Still can't make up my mind whether or not to attend my 10 year high school reunion during the visit. What do you think? Should I go?

If M.C. reads this, I'll make you a deal... I'll go if you will.

The drive in...was SO much fun! It's really about the same price as a regular movie ($7.00 a person). You can take food and coolers in, so we did. Before the movie starts, they have oldies music playing on the speakers. I think Jason was impressed that I knew almost every word to all the songs they played. :) The only complaint I have is that they started the movie before the sun went down. It's hard to watch the movie squinting into the sun! But it was only for a few minutes until the sun went below the horizon, so it's not like it was for the whole movie. Anyway, the movie was SO cute! Unfortunately, we have a book in our class that is the story of the movie, so I knew everything that was going to happen. But it was still cute anyway.
So, that's the story of our trip to the drive-in. If there is a drive-in anywhere near you, you should go. It's pretty fun.

Whew! I've been busy! My co-teacher and I sat down last week and planned out (tentatively) all of our preschool themes until the end of the year. Today, I started printing out lesson plan material for all of the themes I'm going to do and let me tell you, my printer has been working some serious overtime! I've already gone through 2 pkgs of paper! Jason has long since gone to bed and I'm still up hunting for ideas online. It seems I spend huge amounts of time online, but not much of that is devoted to this blog. :( But at least I'm working ahead and getting all this work done now so I don't have to do it later. I've already got enough materials to start writing out my lesson plans through the middle of November. I am by no means done with those lesson plans though. Now it's time to wade through all that great stuff I printed out and start to put all those ideas down on paper in an outline, then I have to plot that outline on my lesson plan form (that I turn in to my boss for approval). After that, I have to make/buy/find all the supplies for the projects, make copies of any handouts I need for the kids (coloring pages, etc), make a list of any books that correspond with the lesson plans, etc, etc, etc.
Who knew that so much planning went into teaching 3 year olds?! I know that previous teachers in that class have done FAR less than what I'm doing to prepare lesson plans, but I know what type of a lesson plan I want and I won't be happy until it's done right. Tonight though, I'm DONE!
P.S. Tomorrow, I'll be sure to tell you how the drive-in was. I didn't forget! :)

Thank you to the kind samaritan I met today. As you walked up to my car, I'm sure I gave you a wary "what do you want" kind of look. Please forgive me, as I've come to understand that the majority of the people I encounter in the downtown area are either 1) particularly snobby, 2) particularly gangster-ish, or 3) homeless and therefore, pretty scary.
Thanks for kindly telling me that your parking meter still had an hour left on it and that if I waited for you to leave, then I wouldn't have to pay to park.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for restoring my belief that there ARE some genuinely nice people left in this world. (Present company on this website excluded, of course!) :)

Also, thank you to the sweet little old man who helped me pick up my papers and rearrange the flowers in the vase I was carrying when I overlooked the uneven part of the sidewalk and slammed my bare toe into the concrete. (Note to self: wear real shoes instead of flip-flops!) What a gentleman!

Dinner and a movie...at the drive-in!
Tonight, we're finally going to do 2 things I've been wanting to do. Go to the local drive-in and see the movie Cars.
I'll let you know how it goes.
:) Have a nice night!

I'm struggling. Do I come home to visit my maternal grandmother who is being taken care of by hospice? Do I buy a plane ticket now or wait? I have NO time accumulated at the new job and NO money with which to finance such a trip, but will I be able to live with myself if I don't at least go home to say goodbye? And if I do go home for that, will I be able to afford a 2nd trip for a funeral? (I HATE to think like that, but at this point, it's a reality I have to face.)
Have I mentioned lately how much I despise living this far away from my family? I hate it. If only we made just a little more a month and could afford to go home more often. :( What would you do?

How do you know when you're too undeducated to read a book? When you buy a 2nd-hand copy of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and 1/2 way through it you realize you neither have read Lolita nor know remotely anything about Tehran so how can you possibly understand this book?
Yeah, this coming from someone who would rather have a root canal than stop reading before I've reached the end of a book. That's how you KNOW I either A) am not into the book at all, or B) have realized I'm to miserably ignorant on current affairs to even consider finishing this book.
(Sigh.)
It's a sad, sad, state folks.

I've got nothin'...
Because who wants to hear me blog about how I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed every non-carpet surface in my house. Or about how I made cupcakes for my co-teacher's birthday party tomorrow. Here's a stab at an interesting blog post...


Nothing too exciting going on this weekend. I wrote up my lesson plan (Wild about Watermelons). Today, we cleaned up the house. (How can 2 people make this much clutter?!) Tonight we're just sitting out on the deck with a bottle of Beringer White Merlot, listening to Alan Jackson and grilling steaks for dinner. What a nice relaxing weekend! :) And the conversation is great. We're discussing heavy topics like "when we'll have kids, how many we'll have, etc." and when we'll be able to go home. No immediate plans have been made for either topic. I guess we'll attribute that to the wine. :) We'll keep you posted when there's any good news on ANY of the topics we've been discussing...but don't hold your breath on the "when this branch of the Crafty family will have kids" topic. I think my job has managed to successfully postpone that for at least a year or two! :)

One of the best things about my job is that I get to read childrens' books and call it "research". I use a LOT of books for my lessons and try to have at least a book or two a day that has to do with whatever topic we might be studying about that particular week. I spend a great many of my lunch breaks from work at the library, which is within walking distance (5 or 6 blocks) from my work. Those of you that know me, can I'm sure imagine that trying to cram in a library trip on an hour lunch break would seem to be an almost impossible task. And yes, I do try to limit myself to only going once every 2 or 3 weeks, because almost invariably I get so caught up in my "research" that I make myself run short on time. I practically have to sprint back to work to make it on time. So far, I have not been late, but there have been some mighty close calls!
When I go to the library, I usually come away with a TON of books. As of today, I have 20 books checked out and only 2 of them are for adults! Anyway, while I was there researching books for some upcoming classroom themes (bugs, the Wild West, and jungle safari) I came across a book that looked interesting. It's called Skippjon Jones by Judy Schachner. It's about a siamese cat who thinks he is a chihuahua named Skippito Friskito. It is hilarious! The illustrations are SO CUTE and the story is SO FUNNY! Here's a sample:

My name is Skippito Friskito.
I fear not a single bandito.
My manners are mellow,
I'm sweet like the Jell-o,
I get the job done, yes indeed-o.

When you read this book, you'll love finding about Skippyjon Jones and how he and Los Chimichangos defeat Alfredo Buzzito, the Bumblebeeto Bandito who steals all the frijoles he can find...

Red beans, black beans,
Boston baked, and blue,
Cocoa, coffee, kidney beans,
Pinto, and jelly too!

And why is he after Los Chimichangos? Because they are "full of the beans too."

If you have children, this book is an absolute MUST-READ!
If you don't have kids, find someone who does and read this book to them. Or heck, just read it yourself for the sheer joy that comes from reading a really silly, fun kids book. (If you don't have kids...like myself, I promise I won't tell anyone that you read it.)

I decided that every once in a while, when I come across a really great book, I'll be sure to share it with you. Adult books, kids' books, cookbooks, etc. Whatever kind of book, if I think it's worth your time, I'll be sure to write about it here.

That's all for now. I've got some reading to do. A grown-up book this time. :)

P.S. When Jason and I finally get a dog, we're naming it SkippyJon Jones. :P

OK, time to sing the praises of my bosses yet again. They are amazing! In all my years of working, I have never, EVER had an employer that is as wonderful as my two bosses are. (How many people get to say THAT?!) They teach me something new every day about interacting with children, handling problems, fostering creativity in my classroom, and they even compliment me at least once a day about one thing or another. I cannot think of two better people to work with and learn from.
Boy, what a switch from my last job! I won't name names, but let's just say that when I heard my former boss had moved, I was singing "Ding, dong, the witch is dead."
Now I know that's a tacky, awful thing to say and not very nice, but she certainly made my life miserable for a while! Thanks to all of those who let me cry on your shoulder and complain about my crummy former job. And you would think you're talking to an entirely different person when you ask me about this job. I LOVE IT!

One of my friends sent this to me and I liked it so much I thought I'd share it with everyone. (Thanks, Jenni!)

Ain't it the Truth!!!

A woman goes to the doctor for her yearly physical.
The nurse starts with certain basic items.
"How much do you weigh?" she asks.
"115," she says.
The nurse puts her on the scale.
It turns out her weight is 140.
The nurse asks, "Your height?"
"5 foot 8," she says.
The nurse checks and sees that she only measures 5' 5".
She then takes her blood pressure
And tells the woman it is very high.
"Of course it's high!" she screams,
"When I came in here I was tall and slender! Now I'm short and fat!"


Flour and Water

How come when you mix water and flour together you get glue?
And then you add eggs and sugar, you get cake?
Where did the glue go?

NEED AN ANSWER?

You know darned well where it went!

That's what makes the cake Stick to your BUTT!!! :)

Today we drove around checking prices on freezers. We need a big freezer for the garage because I'm going to try to cook things on weekends and freeze them so we can just heat and eat during the week. Because even though I LOVE to cook, that's usually the last thing I want to do when I get off work in the evenings. I've found some websites about once a month cooking and I may even try that if we find that the food still tastes as good once its heated up. I think I'll try a few dishes out and see how it goes. Anyway, we ended up finding a really good priced chest freezer at Costco. We bought it, loaded it up, got it home,unpacked it and started cleaning it up only to find it had a HUGE dent in the side! Now if it was just a little one, we could easily overlook it. But when we pay $200.00 for something, it had better be in good condition! So now we have to lug it all the way back to the store and exchange it. Geez!

But we did have something exciting happen tonight. We were out on the deck, enjoying the evening when we started seeing hot air balloons in the sky. A nearby town had a hot air balloon festival this weekend and the balloons ended up flying over our house and landing in the field at the end of our street! We got some good pictures. I'll post them tomorrow.

Meanwhile, let me leave you with this: (Overheard today while shopping at Costco.)
Little boy: "Is a hundred more than a million?"
Dad: "No."
Little boy: "Hey, dad? What if you were a hundred-aire?"

:) Too cute!