Who needs a Hair Cut?

Add another skill to my resume. I can cut hair. Okay, so not really. I can shave someone's hair off. I realize that shaving a head isn't really a skill, but I had a really hard time doing it so its a skill. I didn't get this skill by choice, I was pressured into it. Jamon refused to cut his hair until I did it. And It was getting pretty long. I blame all Jamon's fabulous sister's in-law, who are the best wife's and cut their husbands hair, you have set the bar high. Not that this isn't a great money savor, but I have a mother, sister and a sister in-law who went to school so they can cut hair as a profession. So why do I need to learn. I always think I can do it because it looks easy, but when that razor starts to vibrate in my hand I lose all my senses and start to panic. So with my teacher at my side and my family watching I shaved his head. It was probably the longest shaving he's had, and I've noticed a few places that I missed. No one else would notice, but becuase I have this need to have all things I touch be perfect, I notice. So I've come to a conclusion about Jamon's hair. I will shave it but not style it. No blending it in, or using scissors. So you might be seeing alot of Jamon with a shaved head. He looks good though!!

My first cut. Looks good!

Look at that concentration on my face. This is intense.

This is Bonnie, my teacher and sister in-law. I looked so worried.

On Your Marks...

Add one more thing to my "things I have done in this life time" list. I ran a 10K!! I may have finished in the last half of the people who ran, but who cares I did it! I finished in 1hour 8min, which is not fast, but fast enough! It was very exciting and I felt fantastic after...except for having sore knees, so sore I could barely walk. But I really did feel good that I was able to do it. Three months ago I don't think I could've said that I could do it, but since I started running insane miles this summer I thought I would try. So here's to me a 10K runner! It was Great!

Going Bananas

So here it is the recipe that you have all been craving. Sorry it took so long.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

mix in order:
2/3 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. bananas
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 c flour
6 oz chocolate chips (yea right add more, and add all flavors of chips)
nuts optional

Bake at 400 for 8 to 10 min. and Enjoy! (they are usually better the second day and the third and the fourth, you get what i'm saying)

I didn't add it this time but I'm going to try it next time, is to add some cinnamon and/or nutmeg about a tsp. I bet it would be really good. If you try if before I do let me know how it tastes.

So this is how many bananas i'm dealing with. Any suggestion for how to use them. I've made cooking and bread...Mmmm muffins. I'm going to try that next!

Cool vs Beautiful

This is a conversation I had with one of the kids today...

It all started with someone saying something about me being or not being cool
Me: "I am cool"
Eli: "Your Not Cool"
Me: "Gasp"
Me: "Who thinks I'm cool?" (most of the kids raise their hand and say I am cool, my self worth starts building back up)
Eli: "Your not cool, your beautiful!"
My heart melts. It was all so funny.

So what's better, being cool or being beautiful? After today I know I'm both.

School = Less Sleep

I'm back! Not quite as ready as in years past, but I'm back. Over the last three years of teaching I had never been more ready for school to over then this last year. I was a tough year, as I have explained before. Summer came and I worked maybe 15 hours a week, slept a lot and played even more, and now I have to go back to my 40+ hr week, with little sleep, but hopefully still a lot of play, which makes for even less sleep. It only took me a week to get back on my school schedule which means that when I get to sleep in I only sleep until 7 or 7:30. I go to bed Friday night and get all excited that I can sleep till all hours of the morning on Saturday, only to look at the clock and it only says 7:15 and I'm wide awake. It's a little frustrating, especially since I was so excited to sleep. It's all good though, I do get more done this way.

As for the kids I started with 6 of the 13 I will have this year. We have had a fun first week. They are some dang cute kids. Funniest thing that happened this week was when my smallest kid was clothed-lined during a game of Red-Rover. Couldn't stop laughing! Best thing about the first week of school, No bites or hair being pulled. I call that a successful first week.

My first day of school picture

I Love 'em All The Same

You would think that after already having 12 nieces and nephews that adding 2 more wouldn't be a big deal, but it is. I still get so excited when I find out that I am going to be an aunt again.

Addison was born in April and had to spend a couple of months in the NICU, since she wasn't actually suppossed to be born until July. I was able to see her in the hospital once and then again on her blessing day earlier this month. I have yet to hold her, but that will change tonight! I also can't wait until I work my way into being her favorite Aunt!

I knew the minute I saw a picture of Nash that I was already his favorite Aunt. Lets get real for a minute, I brought down the comfy chair his mom sits in to feed and rock him to sleep and lets face it when mom is happy so is baby...well prob not always, but hopefully the comfy chair helps, anyway thats gotta put me on top!

So niece number 8 and nephew number 6 welcome to the family! I am very excited to be your Favorite Aunt!! (Ok when I say favorite aunt, its actually a wish. I have some nieces and nephews wrapped around my finger, or more like me wrapped around their fingers, ok so i'm wrapped around all their little fingers, the other ones, well it's a battle between Me and my ever so young and energetic sister, Jodee. I'm still trying to figure out why she's such a big deal.)

Giddy-Up Cowgirl...or Not

Who would've thought I would be a chicken little when it came to riding a horse? (I am actually realizing that I am a chicken little about more things than I thought I was) Jamon took me up to the Andelin Reunion a couple of weeks ago, and lucky me I got to go horseback riding. I wanted to have the confidence to gallop around like a rodeo princess, but no, I had no confidence. Jamon made sure that I had the best and calmest horse. After we finally got some stirrups that were short enough for my petite stature and I gave Steve, my calm horse a pep talk we headed out on our excursion. They told me Steve would follow all the other horse's and stop when they stopped. They were right. He did a pretty good job and when I pulled the reins in a direction he actually went that direction. We had a moment when one horse kicked another horse and that horse ran into Steve. Poor Steve was frightened and started to run off, and that about did it for me. I was scared out of my mind. Of course the worst thing that could happen started running through my head and I thought for sure I was going to get thrown off. I was able to calm Steve and myself down. My least favorite thing about riding a horse would be going down hill. Steve didn't want to go slow. He wanted to catch up with all his horse buddies. He probably really wasn't going that fast, but I was still a little scared. But here I am writing to tell you about it. I don't think I'll be riding like a rodeo princess anytime soon, but I can at least say I did it. I'm not making any promises to go again either!