Jimmy Rollins Commercial

This video makes me laugh everytime! I don't know why I think it's so funny.

Source

DonorsChoose.org

I think this is really fabulous!

If you are in the education field at all or have heard me talk about (big issue for me), you know that the education system in our country has some major issues, one of which is the education budget. I have serious grievances with the education cuts right now. I understand that we're going through an economical hardship, but I think that by cutting funds for our schools we are doing our students a huge disservice now and in the future.

If you are unaware, Kentucky cut the education funding 7% right before this year. Around Christmas time, we learned our budget had to cut another 4%. Now we have learned there will be an even greater cut after this year. We're talking 12% now. To see the numbers, click here. The county I teach in alone will have a shortfall of millions of dollars. This all results in loss of teachers, loss of extra services for students (extra math and reading instruction as well as summer school), fewer opportunities for Professional Development (now we only get one day), a mass conservation of energy (this is a good thing, but it's caused us to have to eat in the cafeteria with no lights on), and a $0 budget for new computers (I'm on the technology committee and we have the lovely task of purchasing new computers schoolwide with absolutely no money to do it with). These is not just projected results, these are things I have seen in the last year in my own school and county.

The schools are hurting. I think this DonorsChoose.org is a wonderful idea! You should definitely check it out. Every little bit helps.

Happy President's Day

For whatever reason, here in Scott County, we always have MLK Jr. Day off, but we always have school in session on President's Day. I have never understood this, but I am going to say that this is a wonderful day to remember all of the wonderful Presidents of our past and to be proud to live in an amazing country. I know that I am the first to point out America's many flaws, but I truly am proud to be an American.

I am including a picture from a blog that I frequent daily called Cake Wrecks. Usually they feature cakes gone bad, but in this case, she features a mosaic found at the Smithsonian of our current President Barack Obama with our 16th President Abraham Lincoln made entirely out of cupcakes!!!

You don't believe me? See the assembly here.

Anyone else craving something sweet?

Valentine's Goodies

OK, I don't get into the whole Valentine holiday AT ALL for my own reasons, which I won't go into here. However, I do really love this idea for a cake. Yes, the whole thing is a cake (including what looks like chocolates). I found it here, but you can check out the original blog and recipe here. I really think I could do it. Maybe one day I'll try to make it for my sweetie!

Why I Love My Husband

A bunch of my married friends have done this and since I never get tired of talking about Mark I figured I would too!

1. Where we met - At Crossroads. We were going on the winter retreat and I saw him getting on the bus. I remember asking Emily, "Who is that guy?". She replied that she thought it was Eric's friend. I was infatuated with him from the beginning.
2. Our first date - I wasn't sure if it was a date so I actually tried to pay. We went to Common Grounds where he got coffee and I got tea. We just sat and talked for a long time. Next we went to Coldstone for ice cream. He knew the way to my heart from the beginning.
3. How long did we date before we were married? - 2 years and 8 months
4. How long have been hitched? - a little over 4 years
5. Favorite feature - His smile. He has a dimple when he smiles really big.
6. Favorite quality - How laid back he is. This is also something I hate at times, but he really does balance me out. I also love how artistic he is. He just blows me out of the water!
7. His nickname for me - He calls me babe or baby. It's actually very weird for him to say my name.
8. His favorite color - Green, yellow, and brown. He also likes orange. He likes nature colors.
9. His favorite sport - Hockey! That is by far his favorite. He's been begging me for the NHL channel for years.
10. Who said I love you first - I did. This is hard to believe, but Mark was EXTREMELY timid when we were dating. He was very old-fashioned and very patient. I finally couldn't take it anymore and said it to him. He said it right back.
11. Our first kiss, when and where - I kissed him on the cheek when we were at the coffee house one night. His face got bright red. We'd been dating for about a month at this point (I told you he was old-fashioned!). He kissed me later that week.
12. Favorite couple thing to do - Hiking, camping, or going to museums.
13. His hidden talent - He is very empathetic. He can relate to others on a level that I can't. He has an eye for fashion. He's also very good with kids even though he doesn't believe it.
14. His favorite music - Led Zeppelin, Deftones, Zao. Other than that, I'm not touching this subject. When you mention music with Mark, you are opening a whole can of worms.
15. What I admire most about him - What a wonderful artist he is. He can pick up any instrument and literally learn to play it in a day or less. He doesn't read music, but he can play back any song to you after he listens to it. He can create an entire song in a day. He can also draw really well. He thinks outside the box. He acts like a big kid. He has so much compassion for others and lends a helping hand whenever he can.

16. His favorite pastime - Playing music. He's in the other room doing it right now.
17. Will he read this - Probably. Eventually.

Alright, now all of my other married friends need to do this!

Guinness and Mark Play the Wii

This is what happens when you have a hyperactive dog who things that everything revolves around him. We got a Wii and Guinness doesn't understand the concept.

Super Bowl XLIII: Disappointing

As much as I utterly despised the dirty Steelers winning this year, I enjoyed all of the company during the game. Em and Mark definitely rocked the 3D glasses through pretty much the entire game and the annual cake that I make was a success with the help of Em's decorating skills again.

Snowed In With Hong Kongers

I have not blogged in some time and that is mainly due to the fact that I lost freedom in my house for sometime. Every year, our school hosts some students from Hong Kong and their teachers. My principal had her hands full so I offered to take the teachers into my own home for a week to relieve her a bit. This sounded like a great deal because I would get some to experience a different culture.

There were 16 5th grade students (I could never send my kids around the world by themselves) who stayed with various "host families" and 2 teachers (Wing and Peggy) who stayed with us. The plan was that they would spend all day at school (and receive breakfast and lunch there) then there would be planned activities each day after school. There was only 2 days that I would need to make a meal for my teachers and only one of the days would I have to entertain them. Sounds great, right?

Cue the winter storm of the decade.

I will say that overall, Wing and Peggy were very independent. They kept to themselves mostly, but I will say that my week of snow days was not as easy to enjoy. I couldn't just lay around in my pajamas, I couldn't get on the computer (the computer is in our guest room), and we couldn't really go anywhere. I tried to fix foods that they would like. Emily even came up to visit one day to help me out with some entertaining.

Some things to note:
-They were amazed that we had more than 4 channels. They never really grasped DVR either
-In Hong Kong, they miss school due to typhoons
-Students in Hong Kong usually receive about 4-5 hours of homework a night
-All of the elite officials in Hong Kong send their kids overseas for schooling
-The school day is over at 3:00, but if you would like to have classes such as science or art you have to stay until 5:00.
-The building that these teachers taught in was 7 stories high
-Teachers are required to work every other Saturday
-School is so competitive there that one must apply to secondary school (middle & high school) and you can not get into a good school unless you've spent at least some time overseas...hence the students' trip here
-We received a Hong Kong meal which was DELICIOUS!
-Most living spaces in Hong Kong are 300-800 sq. feet
-Only the VERY wealthy have ovens in Hong Kong
-The record low temperature ever recorded in Hong Kong was 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Only 2 students had ever seen snow before
-The teachers had never heard of Wal-Mart or Kohls. We got to take them which was very neat.

Wing trying on some of Mark's firefighting gear

Mark and I with Peggy

Fun Night Out

I've been meaning to blog about a fun night out I had a couple weekends ago. Em, Jen, and I were dying to get out of our houses to go do something so we all met up at the Penguin downtown. I know it's been around for some time now, but it was mine and Em's first time there. We had a really good time. The dueling piano theme is so much fun to watch and it's just a neat place to hang out. Eric, Em's bro, joined us for a little while, and Jordan also joined us.

It can get very rowdy, but we had a great time enjoying the music! I recommend it for a fun night out with friends.