A good friend sent me these questions as a fun way to get to know someone. Enjoy the answers
1 - If you were having company for dinner, what would you fix?
2 - What is your favorite easy meal for a busy weeknight?
3 - What is a favorite mommy moment of yours? A moment when you wanted to pull your hair out?
4 - What are some of Aden's favorite things to do?
5 - What are you looking forward to doing this summer? (besides visiting me!)

Company? What to Eat?
1. When we have company for dinner which is not often because we have hardly anyone to invite we usually grill something hamburgers or hot dogs. I also love to make pasta!! We hardly ever eat desserts so when friends come over it is a must brownies, ice cream, cookies something simple.
Favorite easy meal
2. Pasta, Pasta, Pasta!! I have a bunch of pasta recipes I love I especially love alfredo. Any type of noodles put sauce on top and I am happy. We usually add chicken to it for more flavor but Aden loves noodles too! We also have tacos A LOT
Favorite Mommy Moment? Wanted to pull your hair out?
3. I love when I go to wake Aden up and he spreads his arm really wide ready for a hug and says "Good Morning Mommy" with a huge smile. I also love the times when he does something I didn't know he could do or he asks me to sing him a song and I pretend I don't know the words so I have him sing it and we have our own little sing a long. There are so many I LOVE being a Mom!!
Pulling my hair out moment has to be potty training! He sits on the toilet for at least 10 minutes before nap goes pee and then I lay him down with a pull up on, about 5 minutes after he is lying down he is saying, "Mommy I am poopy!" as if saying Mommy come change me. He knows it bother me i know he does and does it to test me I think. Also lately it has been going to bed we brush teeth read books say prayers and say our good nights (He has a gate on his door or he would never go to bed or stay in his room) About 5 minutes after putting him down he is up playing with something in his room or hiding behind his rocking chair. Often I ignore him and pray he will fall asleep and many times I go in there before I rest for the night and he is sleeping on the floor. He has a full size bed and he prefers the floor. Who knows! He does sleep in till 9 if he can though!!
Aden's Favorite things
4. I hate to admit it but watching Mickey Mouse Club House or a DVD ( I try to regulate it often!!) He also loves being outside, so if it isn't too hot we play on his swing set, sword fight in the backyard, play with squirt guns, run in the sprinkler, go for walks or bike rides, and most of all he loves to sing songs and read books!!! Singing from me books from Josh great traits to take on.
Looking forward to this summer
Besides of course visiting the Vande Waa home top of the list:) Family, Family, Family!!!
We have camping, family reunion, Shipshewana, baby shower ( for cousin), Wedding shower (another cousin), Wedding, Driving over to Niagra Falls visiting with everyone. Getting my hair done!! I only get it done when I come hoe so in between the trips it looks terrible and spends most days in a ponytail until the next visit. I just love being home and having Aden visit with Family and Friends the adventures in Michigan is a lot different from the adventures in Florida. When God gives us the opportunity to get back I will have the moving company on my speed dial!
Thanks so much for the questions!

Portfolio

This year I was given the challenge of creating a portfolio which is called Paid for Performance or PforP. There are 13 descriptors where you have to show evidence of what you did in your classroom. I probably spent over a week and many hours on creating the portfolio. All year I collected examples from my students and took pictures of activities they were involved in throughout the school year. I had a huge box that I threw slips of paper, projects, tests, and many many examples of lesson we did.
Today I had a meeting with my Principal to go over the whole portfolio and for her to critique me. I handed it to her and by the cover she said "I should just give you and outstanding right now and you can be on your way"!!! I was hoping she wasn't kidding but then was a bit disappointed for all the hard work I put in I might have only needed a cover page:) I had to wait 30 minutes for her to review it and then was called back in to hear her comments. I was given a 10 and she said that it was outstanding my hard work really paid off. She also wanted to know why I hadn't done it before. From all of the time and effort put into it I think I was afraid to take the challenge. I was up till 2:00am last night putting the final touches into it.
I am so proud of my accomplishments and know that I can do anything that I want to! It is a great sum of money that you receive and I look forward gaining the extra cash. Thanks so much to all the family support, Ms. Weg my co anchor of the operation, and God for getting me through the late nights and frustrations. It is always such an amazing feeling when Pride settles!

Schools out for Summer

The 2009-2010 School year is officially over. I have to go back on Wed for my evaluation but all is well! We had a 6th grade BBQ on the last day which the students brought in tons of food. Hot dogs, watermelon, potato salad, baked beans, and more!! They had supplied us with over 5oo hot dogs. We had so much food we were able to take the leftovers to Metropolitan Ministries!
But the good deep did not reflect so much upon the students. It was in the upper 90s and the party was outside. The students had plenty of water and decided to have a huge water fight. So they had to all go back to homeroom for the last 30 minutes of school. Then when they were dismissed some of the students who still had water bottles decided to poke holes in the top and turn them into squirt bottles. They went in the halls and let the water fly, it looked like a giant lip and slid in the hall. My Principle laughed and said I guess we know not to give them water bottles next year. What a great comment to end the year. Thanks William IB Middle Magnet for a challenging but unique year. I am excited to have the summer off! The teachers made there way to the bus ramp and sang "NANANANah NANANANah Hey Hey Hey Goodbye!" Have a great summer or as my students would say HAGS!

Wellness Mat

I get the real simple magazine in the mail. In the very back are all kinds of advertisements for unique items I always look at them. I have been admiring the mats for your kitchen to relieve stress in your feet. Then I was searching on facebook and came a cross the Wellness Mat. I teach so I am on my feet all day and have a lot of tile in my home I would love to have some relief under my feet when I am at the sink:) Check it out I signed up to win it but who knows maybe I will just have to keep on admiring them.

Strider Prebike

I currently was reading the One Little Word She Knew blog. She has a review of this awesome bike called the Strider. (click on the word to go to the website) It is a balancing bike for children to get used to a real bike. There are no pedals the sit on the seat and run:) She has videos of her daughters riding it and I would love to get Aden one. He has trouble peddling and I think that this would really build up the strength of continuing the forward motion of his legs. Also he has a scooter but has a hard time keeping balance I think this would work great to get him to learn. You can see more videos on the Strider website . Enjoy I know I did!!

One more week and on to something new

I am heading into my final week of school for the 2009-2010 school year. It has been a crazy and stressful end of the year. When we are done Josh, Aden, and I are going on vacation to visit family! I hope to post more and start some reviews soon. Thanks to a great friend Christy who got me started!