A Tree for the Kitty

Vandal really seems to appreciate that we brought a fir tree into the house for his personal enjoyment. I've been surprised that he hasn't torn it apart, but there's still time for that. He seems content to lay on the tree skirt and pretend he's in the great outdoors.

Here, he looks like he's considering which ornament he will attack first.

A little education for you: when we did the cow eye dissection in Ellea's science class, we saw the back of the eye which just like a cat's eye has this reflective surface called the Tapetum. That's why cows', cats', deer and horses' eyes glow when you see them in your headlights. Fascinating.

Makes you want to go dissect a cow eyeball right now, doesn't it?

Okay, maybe not. But, I bet you're glad I brought up the cow eye dissection again. I hope to refer back to it often.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

The kids begged their dad to find time to find a tree together this week. I like it just fine when Glenn brings one home and voila, we're done, but family time is nice too. So, we bundled up after school one day and went tree hunting. It was hard to find a tree that pleased all 5 of us. We're not looking at groomed trees, after all. They all have flaws.

Ellea begged me to dig out Zip's sweater. I usally refuse because I doubt he likes wearing it. Maybe once a year at tree hunting time he can be a good sport. The last time he wore it, a few years ago, he got it caught on a barbed-wire fence and it came off. Dog clothes aren't designed for country livin'!

This time, he did just fine with it. It hardly bothered him at all, until he got it caught on a stick and it half fell off. Ellea took pity and removed it.

Glenn being the logger at heart, likes to find trees that are growing in groups and thin them. I get it--the trees left behind will grow better. But it's the trees growing out in the middle of nowhere all by their little selves that have the best chance to grow in a uniform Christmas tree way.

It was getting darkish by the time we found our tree. I had all but given up hope. And I was cold. I was so proud that I found one in a group that looked like a good candidate. It occurred to me that since it was mostly dark, it could be a terrible tree and we wouldn't know it until we got it in the house, but I was cold. I was willing to take my chances.

As you can see, it was a little on the tall side, but after chopping off the bottom 4 feet or so, it was a pretty decent specimen.

Now, hurry up and cut that puppy down so I can go back home to my warm house!

New Job--Again!

Big news around here: I have (another) new job!

After working as a tutor at the high school for about a month, I was offered a position as the Site Coordinator of a federal grant called Gear Up.

This job--
1. Pays substantially more.

2. Is guaranteed for 6 years (the length of the grant). The tutor position funds look like they might dry up next year.

3. Is still at the Junior/Senior High School.

4. Allows me to work with Nicole's 7th grade class. Her class and the year below her will be the beneficiaries of this grant. It's designed to help them better prepare for college. This year, we'll take them on a field trip to a college, offer tutoring, teach them a little about saving for college and scholarships among other things.

5. Is still only 20 hours a week which makes me happy because-- a) I'm lazy and b) I don't think I could work full-time, keep my house any where close to clean (not my forte' anyway--see (a)) and keep my family well-fed. I have so much respect for those moms who do work full time.

5. Allows me to work with Glenn's sister, Nancy, for the remainder of this school year. She is the previous site coordinator of the same grant. She's had enough of the bureaucracy and frustration involved with this position. That fact gave me pause in accepting the position, but we decided I'd give it a go and walk away if it wasn't a good fit.

6. Will send me to New York City in February for a National Gear Up conference. We will be staying at the Hilton. Hmm. That will be tough. The furthest north I've ever been is Chicago, so it'll be fun. There's a chance Nancy may even join me which will increase the fun exponentially, I'm sure!

7. Makes use of my degree. This is the first job I've ever had that actually requires a degree. Luckily, they don't care what the degree is, so long as I have one. Feels good to finally have a use for that thing!

So, now the learning curve begins. Next week, I need to sketch out the plans for the year, draft a budget, book my flight, and register for the conference all while continuing to do a little tutoring. Should be fun! Guess I'll just buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Gingerbread Santa

Morgan had a homework project to decorate a construction paper gingerbread man. He decided to make him look like Santa Claus. We had procrastinated doing this project until the night before it was due, so to speed things along, I helped. A lot.

I should've let Morgan do 90% of the work, but I didn't. I will point out, however, that I tried to argue for black mittens instead of white. Morgan was adamant that white was the right color, and I told him it was his decision. He went with white. It about killed me, but I didn't say another word about it. I'm mature like that.

Cousins

We took the kids up to Moscow last weekend to visit my brother and his family. The first order of business on Saturday was dinner. We ate at a yummy Italian joint called, "Gambino's." We all rolled out of there fat and happy, just like a person should at a good Italian place!

The kids got a kick out of the revolving doors. We don't have such things around Cottonwood! I felt a little better about it when the staff told us we were the first customers to take a picture of it!

Sunday was all about seeing The Muppet Movie. I am a big Muppet fan. I think I was more excited about this movie than my kids were! It was a decent movie, but unless you're desperate to see it ASAP, I'd wait for the DVD. It is fun to see The Muppets in action again for those of us who grew up on them!

When Tony's oldest, Emily (age 13--and then some!), asked me to french braid her hair, I took it as a compliment. This girl takes her hair very seriously. I don't braid much (funny, my girls never ask me to do it), so it took me awhile, but I was pleased with the results. I assume since Emily didn't take it out, it passed her standards as well!

Tea Party Fun

Glenn's sister, Nancy, is notorious around these parts for her Tea Parties. Our kids love drinking "tea" (soda or juice) and eating goodies with Nancy's cute little tea set. This time it was angel food cake, M&Ms, Hershey's Kisses, mini marshmallows, grapes, and cheese. Carrots were thrown in to make mom happy. Not very many carrots were consumed, but it was a good effort!

Here we are in our fanciest hats. Pinkies out!!