Total Toothless Triumph

I teach 8 sessions each day to
24 different classes each week.
There are about 24 children in each class.
Each child has approximately 20 baby teeth to lose.

Apparently, all 20 of these teeth must fall out
DURING. MY. CLASS.

Exhibit A: The Loose Tooth

Even the sturdiest tooth must at once become dislodged upon entering the music room. Think not of musical agendas, of thoughtfully prepared lesson plans, of challenging listening exercises.

No, no. One must develop a strategy to remove said tooth to the entertainment, awe, and complete distraction of one's classmates.

Mere twisting and turning will not suffice. Instead, a complete smorgasbord of sound must accompany the tooth extraction.

Peers will dance with delight until the dainty, deciduous denticle is in hand.

Exhibit B: The Missing Tooth

Note the joy now found in this smirking subject.

The hollow of happiness. The cavity of contentment.

Total. Toothless. Triumph.

One down.
Only 575 more to go.

Hello, Monday

It doesn't get any better than making
snow angels on the playground
with the little people.

It's going to be a good day.

It's the Little Things

The sweet, sweet little things.

Sing, Sing, Sing!

The pastors and staff at Bethany are
ready to gobble up this holiday!

"Why don't you bring a fruit pie." - Can do.
Well, I can at least TRY to do.
Step 1: buy a crust that's already made. Check.

Step 2: Cut up really yummy looking fruit.

(Side story: I chuckled and kidded with a nice lady who walked directly into the yams at the grocery store. She was equally as kind when I took out the berry display a moment later. Seriously, berries were everywhere (except the floor) - I think the grocery lady who helped clean things up was a little too excited to take all those berries to the workroom. Perhaps I was set up to crash into that display...)

Fear not: this is what your fingers look
like after slicing a ton of black berries.

Mmmm...black berries.

Step 3: Stir in lemon juice.
Aw, man...it said lemon. I bought lime.
No way I was showing my face in that grocery store again, thank you.
Lemon it is.

Step 4: Fold in Cool Whip.

And, really, Cool Whip, must you be frozen when I purchase you!? "Thaw for 4 hours in fridge". Oh, I totally have an extra 4 hours to kill. No problem. Grrr.

Step 5: Pour into happy crust and decorate.
I can't help but be symmetrical. It's a curse. Gift. Whatever.

Step 6: Wait all night for pie to set, only to discover IT DIDN'T.
Step 7: Return to said grocery store in disguise.
Step 8: Purchase and bake a real pie for family.
Step 9: Plan to enjoy lame pie attempt #1 as a dip.
Step 10: Forget to refrigerate said dip at gathering.
Step 11: Volunteer to bring silverware and napkins next year.

Quick: inkblot test.
What do YOU see?

Green Bean Salad in the making.
And I did it WITHOUT slicing off a finger.
Thank you very much.

Craisens and toasted almonds and bean.

FYI: Toasted almonds are awesome.
IF you remember they are toasting in the oven.
Probably should have set a timer for that first batch.

FYI #2: the scent of burning almonds
is NOT as appetizing as toasting almonds.

I look out the window, and the PATH is moving!
A-HA, the Turkey Trot in Castle Rock!

Good job, you healthy walker/runner people, you!

Three dozen more Soles for Souls!
My kids (and staff) ROCK!

I had wanted to be IN this box for quite some time now (since Easter), and was thrilled to discover that these humungo boxes actually open from below. Didn't take much for Andrea (who totally spearheaded the Soles for Souls initiative with her husband Bruce (the marathon guy) once again) and I to crawl inside!

The last song playing on the radio before walking into Thanksgiving dinner! Matched the Psalm on Mom and Dad's Thanksgiving Card: Let us come before him with thanksgiving. Let us sing him psalms of praise. Psalm 95:2.

Sing, Sing, SING!

OMG and Majesty

First of all, it's not what you think. Let me explain: one of my kiddos came up to me on the playground before school the other day, and handed me this ornament she hand-painted.

Before I could even react, she assured me, "Don't worry, Ms. G, it doesn't mean what it says."

What does it mean, I asked her, and she replied, "You know, it's what I always say to you when you do something silly or funny: 'Oh, Ms. G.'. That's what it stands for." OMG.

BOOYA for Lego pianos. We're working on the lid...

Whenever I work in the library on weekends, this ridiculous character keeps me company. Just an overworked Brenda and Captain Underpants.

My kiddos wrote anagrams of Thanks. I'm loving these!
Nice parents and ketchup on my turkey. Just for you, Mom.

Right on, kiddo.

Because everyone knows the TEENAGE turkey is soooo much better.

I'm thankful for Neptune. Aren't you? :)

Speaking of other planets, I turn around to assess a
xylophone group the other day, and this is what greets me!

I must have laughed pretty hard, because when
I returned 5 minutes later, they had multiplied.

Honest to Pete, this is what happens when
I turn my back. Funny little people.

Personally, I thought moving the pumpkin all over the office counter was amusing. Now, it has a clearly marked placemat on the corner, so it can remain in its proper spot. Good luck with that.

Kiddo: Ms. G, do you know what color this is?
Me: Purple!
Kiddo: NO, Ms. G. It's Purple Mountain Majesty.

But of course.

Nothing like coming back inside from freezing playground duty to find a pair of shoes right next to your yummy oatmeal.

I mean...thank you, little person, for bringing in shoes for our shoe drive. When I said toss your spare shoes near my desk, I forgot that some of you take me literally! :)

So, I'm guessing Aaron was here...

...and Alyssa was...where??

Hooray! The Castle Rock star has been lit. All is well.

I see this each time I exit Target.
Stops me in my tracks every time.
Majesty indeed.

Bren, Bev and a Bomber

Here comes trouble! Double trouble. First requirement for sitting in the back pew at Bethany: matching clothing. Second requirement: spunky attitude. Final requirement: must be willing to randomly burst into musical harmonies during any and all parts of the liturgy and service. WOOHOO! Love sitting next to Bev in church!

Ok, so I'm driving home from church on November 18th, and I see this really low-flying jet. I think to myself, "Wow, that SR-71 Blackbird certainly is flying low and slow."

Now, why on earth am I thinking about SR-71 Blackbirds? And how did that even come to mind, much less be able to identify one and/or a jet in the stealth bomber family?!? Who else would be thinking these thoughts!?

Only someone with a younger brother who obsessively played with metal toy jets as a kid, many of which I'd trip over and step on. However, information about the really cool-shaped ones (Sr-71 Blackbird included), clearly stuck in my mind, and here I am driving down the road, 20+ years later, recalling the info!

SO...I grab my cell phone, snap what I hope is a photo of the big ole flying object, only to realize there is NO WAY it could be flying that low, and laugh at my mistake. Some hang-glider is having a REALLY cool time. I do call my brother, Brad, and relay the thought-process, which amused both of us.

See! It really does look like a
cool military jet, doesn't it?

Yeah....so we laugh about it and, just as I'm about to turn off the computer, I do one last final check of the local news, only to find an article about a Stealth Bomber that flew over Denver that day! HA! (Click here to read the article.) HA! There had been a fly-over for the Bronco game, and the B2-Spirit Stealth Bomber had flown over! HA!

Called Brad back to tell him I wasn't seeing things, and that it wasn't a hang-glider after all! HA!

The following are screen shots from the article - TOO COOL!

I would have passed out with panic had that
thing flown that close to my head! WOW!

On the Rocks

So, it all started at Chili's, when Ruth Ann mentioned that there was this food server at her parent's place that could balance a salt shaker on salt. ON salt.

Well, you KNOW I had to try it for myself.

(We also know that we can all clearly see
my finger holding the shaker in place on the table.)

Well, THAT wasn't going to do.

So, I began my quest.
First thing I needed? A pile of salt on my desk.

Not working.

Again, not finding great success here.

Wait a minute...

I think I might have it...

BOOYA!

(And no, I will not be quitting my day job to pursue this new-found talent full time.)