Is reading month over?

Tonight we had our 2nd Family Story night at school. I worked on the committee to set up this evening in the past, but this year I just attended both nights with Leah. She loves to go and do the fun stations. Each event includes a physical activity in the gym, a storyteller, a craft, and a snack. All of the children who participate also leave with a free book. It was a great night and the perfect way to end March is Reading month!

How old is your dog?

9 years ago today Jazmin was born. I remember "rescuing" her from a beagle farm in Marne as if it were yesterday. We bought her so our other dog Scout could have a pal. After Scout's death I wasn't sure I wanted Jazmin around. However, she has proven to be a great pet for our daughters and a constant companion for Tim and me. Jazmin has definitely become part of our family!

May I have a ring too?

Tonight our family talked about faith. Tim and I told Leah and Elizabeth that a ring acts as a reminder of something that people are committed to, like marriage. We also mentioned that some people write notes or tie a ribbon around their finger to remember things. Our prayer is that our daughters will grow and develop a strong faith in God. So as a reminder of our faith we all made rings. It was a fun and meaningful project and a great way to review the real story of the upcoming Easter holiday.

How many years have you been married?

Tim and I are celebrating 11 years of marriage today. It is hard to believe that it has been that long because the time has flown. Our wedding picture shows that we have aged just "a little". We feel very blessed to have each other!

What are you afraid of?

Leah was watching a video she checked out from our church library. It talked about how everyone is scared of something and that we can depend on God to help us with our fears. She wondered what her family members were afraid of.

These are our fears:

Elizabeth ~ stink bugs (really?)

Leah ~ the dark

Jenn ~ sharks

Tim ~ needles

One of us actually faced our fear today. Can you guess who that was?

Did someone say BINGO?

I grew up playing BINGO at my grandparents' company picnic. There are a variety of ways to play the game. In school we often play a time and money version. However, to help Elizabeth identify her letters we played I SPY BINGO, compliments of Wendy's. I put a different twist on it to help her practice letter identification.

To play, each player selects a game board. The chips are placed in the middle and the cards are shuffeled and placed face down near the chips. The youngest player starts by selecting a card from the pile and in turn calls out the letter on the card. All players look on their playing card for the letter. A chip is placed on the matching letter on the game boards. Play continues to the left. The game is over when one person makes four in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and shouts "I SPY BINGO!"

Leah and Elizabeth love reading the "I Spy" books and I found a fun website from Scholastic that has "I Spy" games.

What happened to your hair?

Today was "Wacky Hair Day" at school. Need I write more?

Would you like to go for a spin in my new ride?

Tim and I have been looking at GMC's Acadia since it came out a couple years ago. The crossover between SUV and minivan was exactly what we wanted, but the timing was never right. This month, however we were able to get a great deal and with the Envoy sold we were able to pick up our new car today. It came from Kalamazoo and has only 117 miles. I love the extra room and the bonus features that come along with it. I guess I got my car even if it wasn't free from HGTV!

Is your car still for sale?

It's not for sale anymore! We officially sold my GMC Envoy today. It's a bittersweet feeling. I'm looking forward to a new car, but I really enjoyed the old one. It was purchased brand new in 2002 as my Valentine's Day gift. We brought both our daughters home from the hospital in it and traveled all around the country and even into Canada. I can't even count the number of times it went to Wheaton and back! It has been so good to our family. Aside from typical maintance and a minor headlight incident with a deer, we easily managed to put over 148,000 miles on it. On Saturday, after finding out our trade-in value, Tim decided to list it on Craig's List to get more money. I was skeptical at first, but when his cell phone rang 10 minutes after posting it I was impressed. Three calls and an hour and a half after putting it online we had a $100 down payment in our hands. My car now belongs to a young family of 4 from Hudsonville and I hope it will be as good for them as it was for us!

Are you well rested?

Yesterday was an exciting day for Elizabeth because she got a new bed. The delivery men came and assembled the loft style bed which came complete with a new slide. I was a little nervous about her being up so high, but she did great. Before going to sleep she practiced getting in and out of the bed in the dark with only a night light on. This morning she came into our bedroom and whispered to Tim, "I slept good last night". Hopefully she will have many more restful nights!

What did you do at Stamp Camp?

Last night I went to a Stampin' Up party in Grand Rapids. It was my first time attending a stamping event and it was a lot of fun. For $20 I was able to make 12 cards (like the one above) while interacting with 49 other women. Now I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new tool called the Crop-A-Dile. I had used one before to make some tag books for my students and loved it!

I've always enjoyed being creative and now I have another unique outlet. How fun!

How many days until we go to Florida?

In 14 days we will be on our way to Florida. My grandparents own a condo in Boynton Beach near West Palm Beach so we'll be staying with them for 9 days. I've made many Florida trips since being a sophomore in high school when they first bought it. The girls and I took a vaction there in October of 2007, but for Tim it has been 3 years since his last trip. Just the thought of relaxing in the warm weather is a very calming one. Leah has been talking a lot about going to the beach and swimming in the ocean and is very excited to go to a water park. Elizabeth is looking forward to seeing the alligators. To help both girls understand when exactly we will be leaving I created a calendar that they can take turns putting an X on for each day. Let the countdown begin!

Is March a month of madness or magic?

Every year when March rolls in, I gear up for the NCAA tournament. I enjoy watching the games even though I'm personally not very good at playing basketball. Since living in Michigan I've become a Michigan State fan and this year marks the 30th anniversary of their tournament victory. I hope they play better than they did during the Big Ten tournament! I usually don't fill in a bracket, but Tim does. He has picked Louisville and UNC to be in the finals with Louisville winning the whole tournament. Can't wait to find out if he's right!

Why are you wearing your sunglasses?

This morning during breakfast Elizabeth decided to put on her sunglasses. She was laughing at herself in the window because it was still dark and the light from our kitchen created a reflection. We found them yesterday while cleaning out the car and so this morning she had to take them along in the car "so it wouldn't be so sunny". We left the house this morning at 7:15 and didn't see the sun the whole trip. Oh well, at least she has her sunglasses again!

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Wearing green on St. Patrick's Day wasn't something that I did growing up and I definitely don't encourage the pinching that goes on during the day. However, I did attempt to celebrate today by wearing my green GVSU shirt. If I hadn't decided to have healthier habits I might have even had a green beer to celebrate!

Here's a quick quiz to test your Irish knowledge.

1. People in the U.S. make a bigger deal of celebrating St. Patrick's Day than those in Ireland.
a. True
b. False

2. According to Irish legend, what is St. Patrick—the patron saint of Ireland—famous for?
a. Looking quite a bit like Santa Claus
b. Performing magic
c. Driving the snakes from Ireland

3. The Claddagh ring is made up of three parts—hands, a heart and a crown. What do these represent?
a. The three together symbolize pride in one's Irish heritage
b. The hands stand for friendship, the heart for love and the crown for loyalty
c. The hands stand for helping others, the heart for loving others and the crown
for leading others

4. What is the traditional Irish meal served on St. Patrick's Day?
a. Corned beef and cabbage
b. Green eggs and ham
c. Potatoes

5. Every year in Chicago, what do they do to one of the city's landmarks to help celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
a. The Sears Tower is illuminated in green
b. Navy Pier is called “Green Pier” for the day
c. They dye the Chicago River green for several hours

6. If you kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland, what gift are you supposed to receive?
a. The gift of gab
b. One year of good luck
c. A lip exfoliation

7. What are some of the dances called in traditional Irish Step Dancing?
a. The boot scootin' boogie
b. Riverdance
c. Jig, reel, and hornpipe

8. What is the national symbol of Ireland?
a. A shamrock
b. A harp
c. A leprechaun

9. Why is Ireland called the “Emerald Isle”?
a. Because lots of rain annually creates emerald green fields and meadows across the countryside
b. Because so many emeralds where discovered there
c. Because the waters off the coast of Ireland appear to be green

10. What does the Gaelic phrase “Cead Mille Failte” mean?
a. I love you
b. Happy St. Patrick's Day
c. A hundred thousand welcomes

Check the comment section for the answers!

Do you have spring fever?

The weather today was wonderful and it felt like spring was in the air! On my way home from work I heard that Holland was the warmest part of Michigan at 64 degrees. Our neighborhood took advantage of the warm temperatures. Leah and Elizabeth were happy to be back outside playing with their friends in the cul de sac. There are 14 kids in the 5 houses ranging in age from 1 week old all the way to 6th grade. The girls enjoyed jumping on our neighbor's ground level trampoline as well as hitting the baseball off the tee. Tim was able to accomplish a lot of yard work while Jazmin just sat and soaked in the fresh air. It was so nice to be back outside enjoying the outdoors!

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

When 8:00 PM EST rolls around on Sunday you can find Tim and I sitting in front of the TV watching the Amazing Race on abc. Both of us love to travel and are quite competitive. After watching many seasons we've decided that the 2 of us would NOT make a good team for the race. We both agree though that it would be an amazing experience traveling around the world! I enjoy traveling and have been out of the country to Canada and Europe. I've always wanted to go to Australia, but after doing some research of the continent I think I'd like to go to New Zealand more!

I asked the rest of my family where they would want to go if they could travel anywhere in the world. These were their responses:

Elizabeth ~outside

Leah ~ Sea World

Tim ~ Australia

Have you seen any good movies lately?

I can't remember the last time I was in a theater to watch a movie. There haven't been any movies I've been interested in seeing and the cost has become so expensive. Tim and I are not big movie renters either. Tonight, however, we ordered one at home through pay per view for only $4.99. The movie Fireproof based on the book Love Dare was recommended to us awhile back. This evening since we didn't have any plans and the price was right we watched it. While the acting wasn't the best I've seen, the message it conveyed was strong. If you haven't had a chance to see it, you should!

Do you love your sister?

Tim and I are very fortunate that Leah and Elizabeth get along so well. Sure, they have their times when they don't get along, but for the most part they are best buddies. Just yesterday while driving in the car Leah said, "I have 2 friends named Elizabeth. One of them is my sister and another one from school". My hope and prayer is that they will be lifelong friends just like I am with my sister!

What are your favorite restaurants?

I was asked to list my favorite "eats". So here's my list:

Fast Food – Culver's

Family Dinner – Red Robin

Pizza Place – Uno's

Date Night – Rosebud

Lunch Date – Panera

What are your favorite restaurants?

Are you on Facebook?

I've been feeling "peer pressure" to join Facebook for awhile now. I have friends and family members who have accounts, but I haven't created my own. I'm really hesitant to join because of my teaching career, however I know there are staff members in my building who are members. So, I want to know do you have a Facebook account and why should I create my own? Please leave your comments!

Have you ever heard of Crocodile Dock?

Tonight I meet with 2 other ladies from my church to talk about Vacation Bible School. Yes, we are preparing for our week in June already. There is a lot of planning involved so we need to be organized ahead of time. Once again I'll be in charge of coordinating all of the decorations. I had an awesome group of women help last year and am looking forward to working with them again. It should be a fun summer exploring Crocodile Dock!

Do you need new clothes?

For the past 3 days I've been watching Leah put on and take off clothes in attempt to "weed through her garden of clothing". Sunday we went through everything in her drawers and then yesterday we wiped out half the items in her closet. Earlier this afternoon she tried on clothes at the store. It wasn't any easy task, but in the end we successfully purchased 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 1 tank top, 2 skirts, 1 dress, 1 swimming suit, and a pair of flip flops. Elizabeth was delighted when we found some new water shoes just for her. Here's hoping that these clothes will bring warmer weather!

How many minutes did you read today?

With all of the reading Leah has been doing lately Elizabeth was feeling left out. During a recent visit to the Herrick Library in Holland I came across a book called Mouse Colors. She was so proud of herself after reading the whole book. OK, it only has color words on the pages, but she still recognized them!

Are we living during the "end times"?

Last year I read the book Epicenter written by Joel Rosenberg. It was very thought provoking and brought the book of Ephesians into a whole new light for me. As a believer I've always known the importance of the end of the world. In fact, I've been taught to look at it with hope and anticipation. That hasn't always been my perspective, however. I was often scared or just plained confused after reading certain Bible passages. Since finishing the book by Rosenberg I've had several conversations with others about the "times" we are living in. I've never been one to question authority or been interested in politics, but my perspective changed after reading Epicenter. I currently subscribe to a blog written by Joel Rosenberg and found his recent "Flash Traffic" very interesting. I encourage you to read it!

Did you build that?

This morning we went to "Family Day" at the Home Depot. While we were there we built 2 racecar tracks, watched a puppet show, listened to stories in Spanish and in English, got faces painted, and enjoyed popcorn, cake, and juice. We left the store with aprons too and everything was FREE!

How do you show school spirit?

To show our school spirit during reading month Leah and I wore black and white (West Ottawa colors) to school today. Putting black on a "pink and purple" girl is a stretch, but Leah wanted to look like me even though our shirts are different. On the front of my shirt I have our theme for this year Imagine and the back side has the lyrics to the chorus of our school song. Leah received her shirt over a year ago during kindergarten round-up, however today may have been only the second time she's worn it. Before leaving the house this morning she asked me what the back of her shirt said. I told her that it read Class of 2021 and then added that it was the year she was going to graduate from high school. Suddenly a smile spread across her face and she replied, "Do you mean I can wear this shirt in high school?" Almost immediately she realized the outrageous concept she had suggested, chuckled out loud, and walked away. Oh, the mind of a child!

How busy is too busy?

It's 9:30 PM and I'm physically ready for bed, but mentally my brain is on overdrive. I've been up since 5:30 AM and have been busy all day. With a staff meeting before school, then teaching, gymnastics after school for both girls, dinner on the run for me prior to a PTO meeting, and then back home to help Tim with baths and bedtime for the girls, it is no wonder I'm tired. Unfortunately my energy tank has been drained and exercising just isn't possible. I still have a stack of papers to grade and with a couple loads of laundry to do before the day is over. Is it that there aren't enough hours in the day or am I just too busy?

Is it time for spring cleaning already?

When we arrived home after school today I suggested that the girls play outside until Tim came home. Almost immediately Leah decided to start sweeping out the garage. Elizabeth wanted to join in also so the 2 of them worked like busy little bees removing the winter dirt from the cement floor. While I sat opening up the mail, I couldn't help but feel proud of the work they were doing. Leah commented about how happy Daddy would be when he got home and saw what they had done. Indeed Tim was impressed! It makes me wonder what other spring cleaning they could help out with?

Will you hang the FAMILY saying today?

I've been waiting for Tim to hang this wooden saying I got for Christmas from his parents on our wall. It took us awhile to figure out where we wanted it to be placed. We decided to put it over our doorway in the kitchen even though that wasn't where I had originally thought it would go. It fits perfectly and every time I look at it now I'll be reminded to cherish my family!

Did you know today was Read Across America Day?

March 2nd is always a fun day at school. We celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday by reading and writing about many of his books. One of my favorites written by him is the ABC book. I grew up reading it and love reading it to the girls. By the way, did you know that if Dr. Seuss was still alive he would be 105?

Today also marked the beginning of our school's reading month. The theme this year is Reading Rocks and we had a rockin' good time at our music assembly where the Great Lakes Imagine Band performed. By the end of the March my 2nd graders are expected to read 500 minutes while Leah has to read 300 minutes. We all better get reading!

R you up for a challenge?

I was Recently challenged to come up with 10 things starting with the letter R that I like. Here is my list in Random order:

Reading ~ I love to read and Really love teaching others to read.

Respect ~ I Realize the importance of valuing other people and things.

Radio ~ I enjoy getting into the car and listening to music. As of lately I've "Gone Country" and one of my favorite groups is Rascal Flatts.

Raspberries ~ A tart, but tasty treat that I like to put on top of vanilla ice cream. I Remember picking them in Wisconsin when I was younger.

Rainbows ~ A beautiful Reminder of God's promise and grace.

Roses ~They were in my hand when I got married and I frequently Receive them from Tim.

Rocking ~ Not the heavy metal kind, but the action done in Recliners. I've been a rocker my entire life!

Rest ~ I love to Relax in the sun or take a nap on a Sunday afternoon.

Relatives ~ The Relationships I have with my family members are important to me, especially as an adult living far away from many of them. I'm looking forward to our 2nd annual Holwerda Reunion coming up in July.

Resolutions ~ Although they are sometimes hard to Reach, I frequently set goals for myself and strive to achieve them.