Monday, September 28, 2009

Fall is Here

We stopped by one of our favorite farms after ATVing over the weekend. Now in season: pumpkins, swan gourds, goblin eggs, and Indian corn. We got there a wee bit early and some of the goats were still sleeping, but not the little dude that my hubster fell in love with.









Thursday, September 24, 2009

Cursive v. Print

My hubster mentioned to me a similar article to this one earlier this week. He also asked if I ever write in cursive anymore. The answer? Nope. Not when I teach. Not when I write every day. I use architecture-all-caps print. Occasionally, I'll use it when writing a card or writing a disagreeable comment in a comment section. My own mom didn't even recognize my cursive writing once. I'm happy that my hubster still writes in cursive.

Cursive writing may be fading skill, but so what?

This Sept. 16, 2009 photo shows a student practicing both printing and cursive AP – This Sept. 16, 2009 photo shows a student practicing both printing and cursive handwriting skills in …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charleston resident Kelli Davis was in for a surprise when her daughter brought home some routine paperwork at the start of school this fall. Davis signed the form and then handed it to her daughter for the eighth-grader's signature.

"I just assumed she knew how to do it, but I have a piece of paper with her signature on it and it looks like a little kid's signature," Davis said.

Her daughter was apologetic, but explained that she hadn't been required to make the graceful loops and joined letters of cursive writing in years. That prompted a call to the school and another surprise.

West Virginia's largest school system teaches cursive, but only in the 3rd grade. next>>

Catch Up: He Screams for Ice Cream

Hubster: Hun, did you eat ice cream yesterday?
Me: (thinking) No, you were the last one to eat ice cream.
Hubster: Hun?
Me: (finally answers) No. I didn't have any. Why?
Hubster: Because I found it in the fridge. I guess it was me.

I heart how he was trying to find out if I was the absentminded one who got the fridge and freezer doors mixed up.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

This past year has been quite trying. I am very lucky to have my hubster who will stand by me through thick and thin, especially the thickest of the thick.

(from Sept 2007)

Catch Up: The Outside Now Looks the Inside

This past Saturday, my hubster and I finally got our patio done. It was the last major bit of our home that we needed to get squared away and beautiful. There were so many options: stamping, colored cement, stones, and cutout lines. We finally settled on tile because it was affordable and easy to take care of. My hubster woke up early Saturday like it was Christmas morning. Adorable! We're looking forward to getting some outdoor time before the chilly fall wind fully settles in.



Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Pickin Apples Not Noses

With blueberry season done, it's now apple pickin season! We have several apple farms along our favorite scooter route. One farm allows you to pick your own apples. The most adorable little white haired farmer hands you the bags and weighs your apples when you're done picking. He didn't even tease us when we came back with only 3 apples because we only had $2 with us. He just gently smiled. We will definitely be back with my parents. I also hope to try to make my first homemade apple pie, but we'll see. Our September is pretty much booked up.







Tabby Photoshoot

When we first got our girls, we used to take tons of pictures of them all the time. Everything they did was new and adorable. Gosh, we even have a scrapbook of just our girls. Lately, we haven't taken that many pictures as the girls now enter into early retirement. They're a little bit lazier. They take many more naps. This weekend, I decided to snap a few pictures of Tabby.



Sunday, September 6, 2009

<3 My Extra Family

My hubster's parents surprised us with a last minute visit. My Ama (Mom in Chinese) said that my Ada (Dad in Chinese) needed to rest. Of course, we had to go to LA. We ate at a fabulous Chinese restaurant called Phoenix Food Boutique. All four dishes we had, including salt and pepper fish, chicken breast with soy, tofu and seafood, and pea sprouts, were delicious!



Afterward, we went to temple. I'm not Buddhist, but I always go with my in-laws to be respectful. I also want to understand a part of what is going to be my future rugrats' cultural heritage. Temples are always beautiful with everything in red and gold and peaceful. When we went to see the Four Face Buddha, my Ada said that I could ask for help to find a job that I'll be happy with. That small gesture meant the world to me. It reminded me that I'm part of their family. They're just as worried about me as they are about their sons. I'm not only in the prayers of my parents but my hubster's parents as well. We are one family.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Feeling More Like Myself Every Day...

Today, I had my first step back in the classroom. I went to go volunteer for my last mentor teacher. He put me right to work. I got to teach half the class the exact same material that he taught. It was fanatastic! Like my hubster says, I cannot complain about my situation that much. Yes, it's not the ideal situation. However, I'm not dealing with it all by myself. He's been so much more perceptive than me lately.

When I got home, I found this really cool new series on Hulu called Great Museums. An overall, great day minus the overbearing sticky icky heat.

Back to Myself...

I just started reading again. I took a mini-break after reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn because I was really attached to Francie and the other Nolans. I tried reading Sons of Profits after we got back from our road trip, but it wasn't as interesting as everyone in Seattle makes it out to be. Maybe, it's not as relevant to me because Seattle isn't my hometown. The book that I'm onto now is

http://images.oprah.com/omagazine/200807/images/omag_200807_bryan.jpg

It's beautifully written. The prose is melodic. My hubster's response: Yay, my wife is reading again! I heart him for noticing the little things.