No Teacher Left Behind

Biggest!

2011-10-15T20:26:00.001-07:00

Here I am at 37 weeks and 6 days and on the eve of meeting our twins. Today has felt like a dream, where I am just floating through a series of events, not fully engaged. My nerves are starting to kick in and I know there won't be much sleep going on in our house tonight! We've been doing our last bit of preparations to get our house ready to bring home two newborns, but of course it never feels like it's enough.

For about the last month my belly has measured at around 45 weeks and my weight has remained the same. The babies have continued in their growth, and if they are still on track then our girl should be about 7 pounds and our boy should be about 6 1/2 pounds. We'll see tomorrow what their actual weight is, and how much weight I'll lose just from giving birth!!

Here are my "biggest" pictures from this week and last week. I was expecting to get a bit bigger, but am happy that this is where I've topped out! My belly doesn't look all that big, but I sure feel it whenever it's time to move! Just this last week I was asked by another cashier if I knew someone who was having a baby when I purchased some infant pajamas. I just looked down at my belly and said, "Yeah, me."
So hopefully my next post will be a wonderful story of an easy and stress-free birth! Skip and I are certainly looking forward to meeting our babies and introducing them to their large and supportive group of family and friends!

And just for fun, here's a picture of what my view has been for the last month or so, bending forward slightly to see my swollen feet! Enjoy! :)

Still hanging in there!

2011-10-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

This week I made it to an important milestone...full-term for twins! At 36 weeks my twins were considered full-term, so now their job is only to fatten up for their debut. With my three trips to the doctor's office this week, I've learned that they are still looking great on all of their monitoring, baby girl is still head down and weighing in at 6 1/2 pounds and baby boy has flipped back into a breech position and weighs in at a hefty 6 pounds, my belly is measuring at 45 weeks, AND I'm not dilated at all. I am starting to feel contractions and occasionally have one that is uncomfortable, but nothing consistent or ultra-painful. My doctor thinks I could go into labor at any time now, but if I make it to 38 weeks (in 9 days) then we can start talking about induction, which I'm all for because carrying around these two babies is getting quite uncomfortable and at some times painful. At this point it's all about the waiting and hoping that we are truly ready to bring these babies home.

It's been a while!

2011-09-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Working the last four weeks has certainly drained me of my energy, but now I'm on maternity leave and getting caught up!! This post is going to be short and sweet though because I just have to share my latest pics! My last two belly shots were taken a week apart, the first at 34 weeks 2 days and the second at 35 weeks 3 days. I was kind of in shock at the difference between last week and this week and can't wait to find out how big the babies are now! That will have to wait until my next ultrasound, which isn't for two more weeks...if the babies stay in that long. A week ago the girl was measuring 6 pounds and the boy was measuring 5 1/2 pounds, and they should be gaining about 1/2 pound a week.

Weekend Fun!

2011-08-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a short but fun visit from our dear friend Staci and her daughter Katrina. After making our way through all of the awesome baby goodies they brought us, we started our time together by taking them out for lunch at Who Song and Larry's to celebrate Staci's birthday. Lunch was great, complete with some singing for the birthday girl!

After lunch we went to OMSI since Katrina is a big fan of science museums! She was so excited to see it all, and even swam with dolpins in the virtual ride machine. After spending a few hours exploring everything OMSI has to offer, we headed outside along the waterfront to watch the boats and get some fresh air.

The next morning Skip had to head off to work, so it was just us girls for a few hours. After Katrina's bath (at which time she wanted to play Hide-and-Seek, which we managed to do thanks to the shower curtain and liner) her and I played with Play-Doh. With a little bit of help from Aunt Sarah, Katrina made this masterpiece:

The visit was way too short, but it was so nice to see Staci and Katrina at least once before the babies are born! Hopefully they'll get back down in a few months to meet our little ones :)

Pass the oxygen please!

2011-08-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

It has happened, I have run out of room for these babies to grow "up" and they must now do the rest of their growing "out". I can feel my baby girl's bum every time I lean forward, pushing against my lungs. It'll be slip-on shoes from here on out, although it's been over a month since I've worn shoes that required tying! I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and will get my belly measured, so we'll see how much I've grown in the last two weeks. I was measuring 35 weeks at 27 1/2 weeks, so we'll see where I'm at now at 29 1/2 weeks!!

On a good note, the babies have been quite active the past few days. Last night when I was laying in bed with my belly sticking up towards the ceiling they were both moving like crazy, and Skip saw my belly moving for the first time. I think it was little weird for him to think that it was our babies making my stomach move, but it was neat for him to see something so cool!

Big, Bigger....

2011-08-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

As my second trimester comes to a close, there is ample evidence that these babies are growing well! At my appointment last Thursday, each baby was weighing in at just over 2 1/2 pounds. They both measured right at 27 weeks and 4 days, which is exactly where I was at that day, so they are each still growing as if they're the only baby in there! Oh, and I also found out that I'M measuring at 35 weeks, so I grew a whopping 3 weeks' worth in the two weeks between appointments. I'm now starting to get a little scared at what my "biggest" is going to be, but I will take it in order to have two healthy babies.

So here's my "bigger" belly at 27 weeks, 1 day:

Extra Room, Check!

2011-08-07T18:42:00.001-07:00

With the babies coming in just a few short months, I gave Skip a project to work on during his vacation in July! With some help from our dear neighbor Monte, my dad and Skip's dad, our 10' x 12' shed is up and already getting filled up with our junk. It still needs paint, which should hopefully end up being a weekend project. Now we can clean out the nursery and start setting it up for our little ones!

Say that again doc...

2011-07-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

I went in today for a quick doctor's appointment where they weigh me, measure me, and listen to the babies' heartbeats. I've been feeling good in my second trimester, despite the mad heartburn and the appearance of cankles. Oh, and getting winded just climbing a flight a stairs, that's a lot of fun too!

So back to my appointment...when my doctor came into the room and started looking at my chart, she said what I hear from a lot of people...that I don't look as far along as I am, especially for having twins. When it was time to climb onto the table and measure my belly though, I was shocked when she told me that I'm measuring at 32 weeks...that's almost 2 months farther along than I am!! I suppose I should consider myself lucky that I still have room to grow, which I'm going to be doing a lot of in the next few months. I can't wait for my next ultrasound to find out how big the babies are, considering they've been measuring big already.

I went ahead and took another goofy cell phone picture of my belly since Skip is standing on the roof of our new shed at the moment, putting on the roofing. Enjoy!!

25 weeks 4 days

Three Pounds of Babies

2011-07-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

My growth ultrasound this morning was another great appointment! The purpose of today was to check the growth of each baby and make sure they are still doing well. Of course both of them were squirming around, making it difficult for the ultrasound tech to get her measurements! Both babies have also changed from being in a breech position heads down, but they each still have plenty of room to do their somersaults, which it feels like they are doing all the time!

Baby Girl (A) weighs 1 1/2 pounds and is in the 81st percentile for height and weight.

Baby Boy (B) weighs 1 1/2 pounds and is in the 86th percentile for height and weight.

I love my alien face babies! This one of the boy shows a front-face view with him laying on his left side with his left arm up to his face and his right arm out in front of his body.

Baby Kicks

2011-07-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

After about 2 months of getting to feel the babies moving and kicking all by myself, Skip finally felt his first kick tonight. Our little guy was moving around quite a bit, and kicked his daddy square in the hand. Skip knew right away that he felt a baby kick, and it was so cool to see how excited he was to feel his baby! :)

The Belly is Here!

2011-06-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

It seems that in the last few weeks I've gone from looking like I've had a few too many doughnuts to actually looking pregnant. So with that I'm going to give in and post some belly shots. I feel totally dumb taking pictures of myself in the bathroom, but I'm going to get over that because I'm ready to share my bump! So here's my baby belly at 21 weeks and 2 days. Our girl is on the left side of my belly and our boy is on the right side (for those of you visual folks!)

As for me I'm feeling good, especially now that school is out for the summer! The babies are practicing their kick-boxing every day and managing to kick my bladder several times a day, and I've felt a few of those kicks on the outside. Unfortunately, Skip is still waiting for his first greeting from the inside! It's been fun knowing that we're having a girl and a boy, and the question I get the most now is whether or not we've decided on names. We haven't even had a chance to think about names, and all the ones Skip mentions are ridiculous, but that's him! I don't know how many times I have to tell him that our son is NOT going to be named Clint Eastwood Stein! Luckily we still have some time to work on the names.

My next doctor's appointment is this Thursday, but it's just a quick visit to measure my belly and listen to the heart beats. My next ultrasound is in a few weeks and I can't wait to see our little ones again!

Another good appointment under my expanding belt!

2011-05-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

I had my monthly doctor's appointment today, in which I was able to meet another one of the doctor's in the office. There are a total of four doctor's where I go, and they purposely schedule at least one appointment with each of the doctor's so that when d-day comes, there is no chance of a total stranger being the one to help deliver the babies. So today I met Dr. Gibbons, who is very quick and to the point, but also showed a sense of humor. I had my belly measured, which at this point seems to be growing by the hour! She also used the doplar to listen to each babies heartbeat, which was my absolutely most favorite part of the appointment!! Baby A must have been resting because it's heartbeat was in the 150's, rather than the 160 from last time. Baby B was right where it was at from the last appointment. I've gained a whopping three pounds, but at the rate the babies are growing I'm sure those numbers will be going up quickly!

Our next appointment is scheduled for June 6th, and that is when we'll find out the sex of each baby. We'll be having the anatomy scan done, so they'll be looking closely at all the little parts that make up each baby. From what the doctor has told me, we should expect the ultrasound for EACH baby to take at least an hour...holy cow! I hope they let me take bathroom breaks!

And I think I'm ready to make our first big purchase...carseats! Skip and I wandered over to Babies r Us last weekend and I found a carseat that I like, and it is gender neutral so there's no risk in buying them now. Just thinking about having to buy two of some of our big ticket items makes me want to start the shopping now so it's a bit easier on the checking account, plus it's so much fun!!

So no pictures this week...I still can't bring myself to post any pictures of me and my belly, so those of you who are far away, I apologize. Don't get me wrong, I love my belly, I just feel stupid taking a cell phone picture in the bathroom mirror! I'll get a pic up soon, or we'll just have to get together!

Life as we know it...

2011-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

...is going to change. Come this October, Skip and I will be welcoming twins into our family! I am 15 weeks pregnant today and slowly starting to expand! My last ultrasound was just over a week ago and that was the first time that they looked like little people rather than little blobs. Both babies were measuring right on schedule and had wonderful heart rates (160 and 161). Skip and I are ecstatic to finally become parents, especially to twins! These are our miracle babies that came to us after our third embryo transfer with IVF. We'll find out if we're having boys or girls or one of each at my next ultrasound on June 6th, so stay tuned!

The babies already putting their heads together to see what kind of mischief they can get into!

Baby A

Baby B kept looking at the ultrasound, so we didn't get a great profile shot.

Baby A with their arm up to their head

I'm Here!!!

2009-11-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd surprise everyone and update my blog! It's embarrassing when I see the link to my blog on my friends' blogs and it shows just how long it has been since I've updated my page! So Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Black Friday, and just in case, Merry Christmas! :)

Life is Beginning to Look Normal Again

2009-01-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

You know it's been a long time since you've updated your blog when...your husband who rarely pays attention to your blog says, "You haven't posted to your blog in a while." I have really good reasons though. First and foremost, moving into our new house amid a foot of snow created just a bit of stress! We are all moved in now and can almost fit one car into the garage. (Pics to show up soon!) Secondly, our computer decided to crash just before we were set to move. It's not fixed yet, but I've figured out how to at least use it.

Now that things are settling down again, I promise to be a good blogger and post once in a while! And I will definitely get some updated pics of our new house :)

Our House is Looking More Like a Home

2008-12-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

I went by our house today for the first time in almost a week, and was pleasantly greeted by many changes. On the outside the concrete was poured for our driveway, front porch and back patio. The inside was even better! All of the cabinets have been installed in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. The light fixtures are all up and running, and the walls are all painted! By the end of this week the floor and counters should be finished. All that leaves are some closet shelving, sinks, toilets and appliances! And to top it all off, our lending agent was just able to lower our interest rate by a full percentage point! That's going to lower our payment by about $130 a month and lower our closing costs by almost $1500!!! Yipee!

My large, open kitchen minus countertops and appliances.

This is the molding that is above all the windows and doors. Very nice! :)

All of our light fixtures are satin nickel finish with alabaster glass. This is our dining room light.

Our new neighbors are pretty friendly. They keep to themselves and are usually quiet, except for the occasional BAA BAA!

This Week's Progress

2008-11-28T20:45:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving this week, not a whole lot was done at our house. We do now have a garage door and a lock on the front door, so no more free roaming around. Once we know that the garage door opener is working then we'll get the code so Skip and I can still get in. Also this week, the inside walls were painted and all the window trim was put in. The builders are anticipating being done the week of December 15th, so just a few more weeks and we should be signing the papers!!! I've slowly begun packing, and that's what my weekends will consist of for the next few weeks! The timing will work perfectly though because we'll get to move in while I'm on Christmas Vacation! We just need a few dry days so the rest of the concrete can get poured.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I know I have a lot to be thankful for :)

Crapple Cup

2008-11-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

I received a link for the following article from Amy today...HILARIOUS! Any Cougar fan will appreciate what it has to offer...what will you be doing this weekend? I particularly like #5 :)

How to survive Saturday's 'Crapple Cup'
11/18/2008
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS / Associated Press
You are a die-hard Cougar or a rabid Husky, and your annual schedule revolves around the Apple Cup. Until this year, when the two teams are so bad that watching the game might be hazardous to your health.
But how can you spend Saturday in a meaningful way that keeps you away from the television screen or out of Martin Stadium in Pullman?
Some suggestions:
1, Starting at noon, bake pumpkin, apple and pecan pies from scratch for Thanksgiving. Those who are particularly frustrated can wring the neck of a turkey, in honor of their football team.
2, Remember that it took 101 meetings for the Apple Cup to get this bad.
3, Take a closer look at your 401(k) statement, which is probably doing better than either team this year.
4, Replay tape of WSU's Sept. 20 win over Portland State, the only victory either team has had this season.
5, Search Internet for low-cost movers to help Washington coach Tyrone Willingham, who has been fired.
6, Search Cheney for the playbooks that WSU coach Paul Wulff must have left in his old office at Eastern Washington.
7, Replay tape of WSU's 41-35 win in 1997 that sent Cougars to the Rose Bowl.
8, Slip across the border to Moscow to attend the North Dakota State at Idaho basketball game.
9, Be grateful that Washington finishes the season at Cal and WSU at Hawaii, meaning no more home games.
10, Watch some real Western football with BCS implications, such as Brigham Young vs. Utah or Boise State vs. Nevada.

And Now We Have...

2008-11-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

paint, gutters and drywall! Early in the week our house had the gutters installed and all the trim was painted. By Friday the exterior paint was done and the inside was drywalled! All that's left to do on the outside is the stone work and concrete pouring for the driveway, front porch, and garage. Things should move along pretty well on the inside now too!

Thanks dad for the pictures!

Our living room and front door

Looking into the master

Kitchen with bathroom, laundry room, and pantry

Our House Looks Like a House

2008-11-11T17:40:00.001-08:00

At least from the outside! The siding was put up last week, and the insulation has been installed inside. As soon as we have a dry day, the outside will be painted. Our paint colors will look similar to what the house looks like right now. The colors you see right now are the colors of the primer used on the siding. Our front door will be a dark olive green, and the stonework around the garage will be dark stone with some flecks of color.

I recently made my first purchase for our new home...a satin nickle wastebasket! Skip and I went to Linen's and Things for their liquidation sale, and that was the only thing that struck my fancy. I have started buying curtains after looking and looking and looking. There are just too many darn choices out there!

Our House is Coming Along!

2008-10-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

These are the most recent pictures of our new house! This week they put the roof on and the windows in, as well as the plumbing pipes and the duct work. Soon we'll be meeting with the builder to choose our colors and other options! I'm really hoping that we'll be able to get moved in during Christmas break, assuming that the weather cooperates when it comes time to paint the house and pour the driveway!

Our Next Step

2008-10-28T18:01:00.001-07:00

You are looking at what our new kitchen will look like in just a few short months! Skip and I had an accepted offer on a house today, and we are filled with excitement AND anxiety! A few months back we visited an open house for a new development. We really liked the houses, but the lots were terrible. So later we found out that the same builders were starting a new development at another location. Their first house in this new development is the one that Skip and I really liked, and the lot is much better. So we started playing the real estate game and finally settled on an agreement today! They started building the house a few weeks ago, and today the roofing was completed. With all the nice weather we have had, they are ahead of schedule and *should* be finished with the house by the end of the year! We've been taking pictures of the building process 'just in case', so those will be going up on my blog soon! I'm so excited that we'll be watching our first home materialize, and we'll have a say on some of the details. So now I have something exciting to blog about! I just hope that this journey isn't filled with too many bumps, and we can get into our house smoothly!

A Lesson in Math

2008-10-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

This evening I was flipping through channels on TV when I came across a debate between our current state superintendent, Terry Bergeson and her opponent, Randy Dorn. The topic was the math WASL and changing the standards that students must meet in order to graduate from high school. Now, I'm against the WASL and think that it is not a good indicator of a student's knowledge. And Randy Dorn agrees with me. But anyway, back to the debate. Randy Dorn spoke about how our math curriculum needs to include calculations, which right now it doesn't. In Terry Bergeson's response, she spoke about how she had spent "1,000,000 hours talking with math folks about standards." So in my own curiosity, I wanted to find out just how long 1,000,000 hours was. With my handy calculator, I punched out the number to find that 1,000,000 hours is equal to about 41,666 days, or 114 years. She's been doing a lot of talking! I think this just goes to show the importance of math and the ability to add.

666 Strikes Again

2008-09-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

No, I don't worship the devil. I am a little concerned about Skip though. It all started when I met him. The number 666 seems to follow him around. The first thing is that the last three digits of his Safeway club card are 666. There have also been the numerous times that we've made a purchase that has a total with 666 or 999 in it. (Remember, we live in Washington, so buying something for 9.99 doesn't count because of sales tax!) The craziness doesn't end there! When I started working at La Center, my lunch account number became 6667.

So that brings me to today. Skip had taken his new truck in to get Lo Jack installed and was given a rental car to use for the day. With his work schedule right now, he sleeps until about 8 or 9 at night, so I was put in charge of taking the rental car back and picking up his truck. When I walked out to the parking lot to jump in the rental car, I noticed the keychain had a 666 on it. So I checked out the license plate, and this is what I saw.

Warning for Parents with Little Boys

2008-09-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was driving along through a neighborhood after looking at a potential house to buy. I was driving nice and slow, enjoying the breeze through my open window when BAM, something hit my car. I slammed on the brakes (which isn't that dramatic when you're going 20 MPH) and turned off my car. Just then I spied two little boys crouched under a tree, with a big pile of rocks in front of them. As I got out of my car, the denial began. I checked the side of my car, and what do you know, there were some nice, new scratches in my driver side door. I walked the boys over to my car and made them look at the damage. By then their mothers had arrived on the scene, and I figured out just why these boys thought it was okay to throw rocks at moving cars. Neither mother really seemed to care, although the one with the guilty boy did give me her information so I could bug her insurance company to pay for my car to get fixed. So the lesson here, if you have little boys with good aim, make sure you don't have big rocks in your front yard! Or just raise them right to respect people and their property!! :) (As I know any friends reading this blog would do!)

Skip's New Truck

2008-09-24T18:27:00.001-07:00

Big Red (Skip's old red truck) is on it's deathbed, so last weekend he went out and bought a new truck. It's very bright blue, and it's a really fun truck to drive. I never liked driving Big Red, but I certainly like driving this one! I just might be more willing to give up the Honda once in while!

Sausage Fest

2008-09-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Skip and I went to our first ever Vancouver Sausage Fest today at St. Joseph's. I've seen the bumper stickers on cars since I can remember, but never really knew what it was all about. So we braved it today and weren't dissapointed! There was plenty of yummy food and a beer garden with wide screen tv's showing NFL games. I wanted to go play bingo too, but Skip wasn't into that. Also, it was such a nice day to be outside! Next year I'm getting the girls together so we can go play bingo!

Sad day to be a coug...

2008-09-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

66-3, need I say more?

3 Days Down...

2008-08-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

...177 to go! Okay, so I'm not really counting down the days yet! School started this week and I've had three days so far with my new kiddos. After the last two years of screamers and scratchers, I'm so happy that I have a "normal" class so far this year. Of course, only having 22 kids (I had one move to Tennessee) really helps too! These kids can already to so much more than my last group so I'm really looking forward to all that we can accomplish this year! And they are all just so gosh darn cute! Anyway, I'm sure this will all change the day that I get a new student, but for now I'm enjoying not being drained at the end of the day. Now I have a long weekend to catch up on sleep and take in some football! Go cougs!

Lazy Days of Summer

2008-08-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I noticed I haven't posted at all in August so I guess it's time for an update. I've been spending my time at home cleaning out closets and our spare bedroom. Skip went scuba diving last weekend up in Puget Sound, which he was anxious to do since he got his cast removed last month. Of course I've been staying up way too late watching the Olympics! I haven't really gotten into the Olympics since I was a kid, but I enjoyed watching swimming and gymnastics this time around!

I'm most excited about our possibility of being homeowners in the near future! We are STILL renting and I'm so ready to get a place of our own! We've met with a real estate agent and are meeting with a lender this weekend to get the ball rolling! Skip and I went to an open house at a new construction site and it was really fun just to go look through houses!! It makes me anxious to think about all of the responsibility that comes with having a house, but it would be worth it! So we'll be sure to keep you updated on how things are going :)

It's back to work for me this Friday, with the kids starting next Wednesday. I can't believe summer vacation is almost over :( But I'm excited to meet my little kiddos, which is one of my favorite parts of the year! As of now I only have 23 students, but I usually end up with at least a few more when the year begins. It's still better than the 27 I started with last year.

Alaska=Fun!!!

2008-07-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

Skip and I recently took a trip to Anchorage, Alaska to visit my grandparents. The one week we stayed was full of fun, but not even close to being long enough. Alaska is a beautiful place, I was in awe everywhere we went (maybe with the exception of downtown!) Around here we might see a deer or coyote walking along the road...in Alaska we saw several moose out and about. I can't even describe how amazing this vacation was, and we can't wait to go back!

Grandpa and Betty Sue loading up the 4-wheelers and getting the camper ready for our weekend camping trip to Sutton.
Their cat, Hemi, makes himself comfortable. This cat is so sweet and loving!
Here I am getting my quick instruction before taking off for our first ride.
Betty Sue taking it easy!
Sharing a great moment with grandpa! I really enjoyed the time we had together!

Muddy 4-Wheeling!

2008-07-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning we took off on our first ride. We went through just about everything you can imagine...mud, rivers of mud, rivers, grass and gravel. It was an awesome ride!

Here Skip and Grandpa cross the river. I waited patiently on the sidelines.
All the mud clogged up the radiators, so we stopped at this lake to clean up a bit. There were some people gliding peacefully in their canoe...until we came along and interrupted their quiet.

Waterfall Ride

2008-07-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

After some lunch we set out for a second ride up to a waterfall. It was a VERY difficult ride, but I trusted my family to keep me safe!

This was about halfway up the trail where we stopped for a breather. If it wasn't so cloudy, I'm sure we could have seen on forever...
The infamous waterfall! We were just about to the top of the mountain so I'm not sure where all the water was coming from (most of the snow melt was gone.) The water was mighty cold!
Me and grandpa heading back from the waterfall.
Another scenic moment :)

Summer in Alaska

2008-07-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is what the sky looked like when we got back from our second ride of the day. It was just after 10PM!! The sun doesn't set during part of the summer, and while we were there the sun never set. It was so weird waking up during the night and having no idea if it was 2AM or 8AM!

Musk Ox Farm

2008-07-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

We visited this musk ox farm, and these babies were the closest we got to any of them.

Yummy Chocolate!

2008-07-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

We stopped by the Alaskan Wildberry Chocolate Factory for some sweet treats! Each of these bricks of chocolate weighs 10 pounds. You can buy them for $49 (then pay $100 to pack it home in your suitcase!)

Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center

2008-07-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for fences!!

Up close and personal with this friendly moose.

This eagle had been found out in the forest and had been shot in the left wing. It's wing was amputated, so he'll live the rest of his life in this cage.

Skip really liked this photograph of a musk ox with it's baby, so I bought it for him for his birthday. As I was in line to make my purchase, a guy behind me said, "Thanks for buying that picture." I asked if he was the photographer, and he said that he was. He photographs the animals in the conservation center to sell in the gift shop. Every penny that he makes goes to helping the animals at the center.

Whittier Bay

2008-07-29T17:20:00.001-07:00

Whittier Bay is a very small village that is popular among fisherman, ferries and cruise ships.

Pictures cannot do this place justice!

The only road out of Whittier!

Audra Anne

2008-07-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

On our way out of Whittier, we stopped to visit the Audra Anne, a 110' yacht. My grandpa had worked on the engines a few years back, and I was lucky enough to spend a weekend on it when it was docked in Bellingham, WA.

Portage Glacier

2008-07-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Whittier Bay, we stopped at the Portage Glacier Visitor's Center. The glacier is cradled in the valley of the mountains. About 40 years ago, the glacier reached all the way to where I was standing.
Skip's holding a piece of the iceberg that made it to shore.
Another cold iceberg!

Skip's Birthday Dinner

2008-07-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Skip's birthday and our time in Alaska, my grandparents took us to the Double Musky Inn for dinner. The restaurant is tucked up in the woods near the ski slopes and is very popular among the locals. The food was delicious, and Skip managed to finish all of his 16 ounce pepper steak! I think the best part of the meal was the dessert, and since everyone at the table ordered something different, we tried it all!!

Skip's feeling a little full after dinner!

Time to Say Good-bye

2008-07-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

The morning that we left, Hemi was helping me pack our things. I just think he wanted to come home with us, but I don't think my grandparents would agree!

Our Little Hike

2008-06-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Skip loves to explore caves, so while vacationing in Bend I agreed to take a nice hike in the desert through central Oregon to find some cave that he had seen on a map. Needless to say, we didn't find the cave...so on our hike back to the car I took two pictures. The first one shows what was behind us, the second one shows what was ahead of us. Thank goodness I lathered up on the sunscreen!

Mirror Pond isn't just a beer!

2008-06-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

Skip's favorite beer is Mirror Pond, so one of our first stops in Bend was the Deschutes Brewery Pubhouse for a fresh, cold beer! But before that we took a walk through Drake Park, just west of downtown Bend. That is where we found Mirror Pond, a spot along the Deschutes River that was full of geese, ducks, and one white swan. The park was beautiful and was one of our fave spots in Bend.

Here's the queen (or king) of Mirror Pond.

This guy kept giving me the evil eye, so I had my escape plan ready to go!

We ended our trip to the park with a game of Duck, Duck, Goose!

Bend Pics....Finally

2008-06-27T23:24:00.001-07:00

Sunset atop Pilot Butte with Bend below. The Three Sisters are the mountains to the left of the sun, with Broken Top on the far left.

Looking up the side of Lava Butte, which spewed out all of this black lava into the valley.

On the top of Lava Butte, can you tell how mature we are??? The view from up here was amazing! We learned that all these butte's are vent holes from the volcanoes, and there are more than 400 in this area.

Almost Free!

2008-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know who this girl is, but she conveys my feelings right now perfectly! Excited, ecstatic, and just plain happy that summer vacation is starting so soon! One more half-day and it's adios!

I'm also happy because Skip and I are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. We'll cross paths in between our jobs, but we're going to Bend this weekend to celebrate!

12 Days of School Left!!!

2008-05-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that there are only 12 days of school left! On June 10th, I'll be waving good-bye to my 25 little darlings and welcoming summer vacation! This job can really suck the life out of you, and this year has been absolutely no exception. I love what I do, but it can be so very trying. Unfortunately, things are going to get worse before they get any better because our bond for a new elementary school failed on Tuesday. We are almost 300 students over capacity right now, and our little town is growing by the day. I honestly believe that I could end up with 30 students within the next few years. And I'm set to do this for the next 30 years?? And while I'm on this venting spree, I have to start on my master's degree soon so that I can keep my job! Of course, I have to pay for it. One of my coworkers just paid off her student loans....she's 41. I'm really not as bitter as I may sound, it just would be nice if teachers would be treated like the professionals that we are.

Heaven in a Pita

2008-05-19T19:35:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has lived in Pullman knows the longing that takes place when you crave a delicious pita, but there is no where to get such a gratifying meal! Well, the wait for us in Vancouver is over, because we now have a Pita Pit of our very own! I hope they have a punch card because I'm going to be a frequent flyer!

Two for Two!

2008-05-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

So my life hasn't been the most exciting since returning from Vegas, but I finally have something report on! I've now won the second Survivor pool in a row at work. Last season my boy Todd won it all, and this time Parvati somehow managed to win. I'm still not sure really why she won, but it's all good for me since it means another $50 in my pocket!

Viva Las Vegas 3

2008-04-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is video from Fremont Street in Las Vegas. There are enormous light shows that take place throughout the evening. All of the casino lights shut off at once just before the show starts. Each show is different, so you can see a variety each night. It's funny to watch the crowd too, because everyone is stopped in their tracks looking up. As soon as the show is over, all the casino lights come back on and everyone at once starts moving again! This part of town was definitely one of our favorite places in Las Vegas! Below you'll see pictures of Vegas Vic and Vegas Vicki.

**P.S. Mom and Dad, April Fool's :)

Viva Las Vegas 2

2008-04-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

We've made it back and are recovering nicely from our trip to Las Vegas! Skip and I had an awesome time, especially with the warm and sunny weather!

We arrived in Vegas around 11AM and took a shuttle from the airport to our hotel. We checked in right away and dumped our stuff up in the room so we could hit the strip! We nearly walked ourselves to death that first day, just taking in the sights and stopping now and then for some refreshments! We learned quickly the first day that it's easy to spend a lot of money in Las Vegas, gambling and otherwise!

The next day we woke up to another beautiful day...sunny and in the 70's! We headed back out on the strip, but this time we decided to take advantage of The Deuce, a double decker bus that runs up and down the strip 24/7. We made a stop at The Venetian and had a run in with a few celebrities! They were nice enough to stand there and let us take pictures with them...unbelievable! So I got cozy with Matthew here, and Skip got a little too frisky with J-Lo (hence the look on her face!) Afterwards we went to lunch at the Harley Davidson Cafe. Then it was off to M&M World, where you can get anything with an M&M logo. This place was 4 stories tall and we ended up with $12 worth of M&M's when it was all said and done! By that time our lunches were nice and settled in our stomachs so we headed to New York New York to take a ride on the Manhattan Express! It's a very fast and jolting roller coaster that runs around the outside of the hotel and casino, complete with twists and turns and upside down loops! Skip and I even got those lucky front row seats which made it even more fun! After that it was time to head back to Circus Circus to take a break before beginning the evening. That night we rode The Deuce to Fremont Street where we found lots of old-time casinos and a really fun crowd! We saw a bit of the show on the screen above, which was amazing!

The next day we started a little slowly after the fun night on Fremont Street! We actually went back to Fremont during the day and did some shopping, then again that night to take in some more of the light shows. We also made sure to check out the Bellagio fountain show before our trip was over. By the time we made it back to the room it was 1:30 in the morning and we had to be up at 4AM to catch the shuttle back to the airport to head home. By noon we were home, and by 12:30 we were fast asleep! So all in all, it was a fantastic vacation and we can't wait to go back! We might just make it a spring break tradition every year!

**Just for the record, I didn't drink a sip of this beer(some guy bought us the beer), and I ended up giving the rest of my frozen drink away to some homeless guys!

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-03-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning Skip and I will be on a flight to Las Vegas! I needed some sunshine and warm weather, so Vegas it was for our spring break vacation! The anticipation of heading south even made it easier to bare the snow that fell Friday morning in La Center! So check back at the end of the week for pics and I'm sure some fascinating stories!

The Pictures are Here!

2008-03-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry dad, but you're not off the hook! I just didn't have the pictures available when I published the original post. Enjoy!

Happy 50th Dad!

2008-03-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my dad's 50th birthday, so on Saturday we threw him a surprise party to celebrate the big occasion. For his birthday dinner on Friday we took him to Hooter's, where they did an excellent job of embarrassing him! The party on Saturday was interesting to say the least. For those of you who were there, you know what I mean :) So here's to you dad...and your alter ego.

Yes, I'm still alive...

2008-02-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

I suppose I should post so that you all do come back and visit my blog! Things in the Stein household are moving along well...we are both busy as usual at work! The kitties are getting along pretty well, although Max still spazzes out and jumps on Chloe once in a while.

Skip and I spent last weekend in Tacoma because our goddaughter, Katrina, was in the PICU for respiratory problems. She has been sick for a few months, but it took a turn for the worse last week. We arrived on Friday, and I was shocked to see that little girl laying there with tubes and IV's hooked up to her. Skip and I spent 11 hours with her Friday night into Saturday morning so her parents could get some much needed sleep. Our job was to make sure she didn't move around too much if she woke up so that her respirator tube didn't get pulled out. The second night we were taking over the night shift again, and Katrina was waking up so much that they decided to take her off of the respirator. It was so awesome because then we could hold her!! By the next day she was sent from the ICU to a regular room!! So in the few days we were there, Katrina got SO much better! We left Sunday feeling very good about our little girl!! We are hoping to see her again soon for her 1st birthday in just a few weeks!!!

Compared to that, my medical drama is pretty tame! For the second time in my life, I broke my pinky toe. I got home from work one night and had JUST taken my shoes off when I walked into the vacuum cleaner as it sat in the hallway. The first time I broke it was when I was in junior high and I walked into a couch! Anyway, I was pretty slow going for a few days. What's really funny is that Skip hurt his big toe, so when we walked together we were both limping. I'm sure we looked pretty pathetic :)

Chloe has arrived!

2008-01-21T22:14:00.001-08:00

The phone rang at 9:30 this morning and it was the humane society! Our little kitty wasn't well enough to get spayed today so they wanted us to bring her home to get better. (She has a bit of a cold!) So this afternoon we went up and rescued her from her 2'x2' cell! Skip and I knew the challenge would be introducing our cat Max to the new addition. After much caution the two met, and I must say Max was less than thrilled! (See attached pic) He follows Chloe around everywhere, and has basically been a big wuss! So now we are a little family with two cats, which will be our limit so that there aren't more cats than people living here. (MOM & DAD!!!)

Dumpster Diving for Cell Phones

2008-01-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

So, funny story this weekend! Saturday morning Skip and I woke up and were getting ready to head out the door to run some errands. I looked all around for my cell phone to take with us but I could not find it anywhere. I called it from the home phone to hear it ringing but all was silent! So Sunday rolls around and still no phone. My mind starts turning, wondering where it might have gone. Then the idea came to me. I had taken the trash out Saturday morning, and with the trash was a Burgerville bag that was used to bring dinner home on Friday. The bag had been sitting on the floor next to our coffee table, and I thought that maybe my phone accidently got knocked into the bag. On Sunday morning Skip and I went down to our garbage room and he called my phone. And what do you know, there came a familiar ringtone from the depth of the dumpster. Skip grabbed a flashlight and we spotted the Burgerville bag. I let Skip reach in to get it and dump out the contents, which included my phone! After a quick dusting off and wipe with an antibacterial cloth it was as good as new!! So moral of the story...check the Burgerville bag before taking it out to the trash!!!

As if this wasn't exciting enough this weekend, Skip and I adopted a new kitty!!! She is black with green eyes and is one-year-old. She's still at the humane society because she's getting fixed tomorrow. We're still working on a name for her because she was a stray and the humane society named her Pineapple...yeah, we're not keeping that name. I like Chloe and Skip likes Emerald (for her eyes). She is such a sweetheart and is a very loving cat! More pics to come!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Vacation is officially over and it was back to work today! The kids were wound up and I was ready to go back home and take a nap. Luckily it's only a 3-day week!

Christmas was excellent this year! I feel so spoiled and lucky to have such a wonderful family! Santa was especially generous this year, bringing an espresso machine, a Nintendo DS, and my purse!!! We had a great time over at my parents house and enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert.

Happy New Year to all! I hope 2008 brings you lots of health, happiness and good times!

And the winner is...

2007-12-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

ME!!! The Survivor finale was on tonight, and I was feeling a little defeated when Denise was voted off. Looking at the final three, I DID NOT want Amanda to win. I would have been okay with Courtney because she's a smart-ass and was funny to watch. But what do you know, my dear Todd won the million dollars! So I'll be collecting money at work this week, just in time for Christmas vacation! Maybe that purse at Macy's will be mine a little sooner than I thought!

It was a great ending to a not so swell weekend! Skip got food poisoning from Boppin' Bo's restaurant and was very sick over the weekend. He's doing fine now, and even made it to work tonight. All I have to say is thank goodness for earplugs! Okay, sorry, that was probably too much information! Have a great week!

Go Denise! Go Todd!

2007-12-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

I was sitting here wondering what I could write about today so I could add a new post to my blog. What's exciting in my life right now? Sadly, it's the fact that my two people in my work's Survivor pool are still in the game. A few months ago I randomly chose Denise, the lunch lady, and Todd, the gay flight attendant. I felt doomed immediately. But to my surprise they are both in the final four. Normally I wouldn't care because reality TV isn't on my priority list, but I could potentially win $80 next week! I did have a dream a few weeks back that Denise won it all. Maybe it's that school connection that we share that's bringing me good luck.

Apple Cup Victory!

2007-11-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? The Cougars won another Apple Cup last Saturday in Seattle. I watched the game from the comfort of my living room, but would have loved to have been there! The fourth quarter was so intense, and I'm not embarassed to say that I did my fair share of yelling at the TV!

A great thing about being a teacher of little ones is that I can influence them to make good choices, like being a Cougar fan! Every Friday during football season, we would be lined up at the door ready to go home, and the whole class yelled "Go Cougs!" I think we'll have to continue this tradition through basketball season too.

I also like to decorate the room with little Coug things here and there. On our alphabet strip, there is a cougar for the letter C, which I altered a bit by adding a Cougar head collar! For the Christmas season I also have my Cougar stocking hanging right up front next to our daily schedule.

And to add to all my happiness...none of my students are die hard Husky fans! I had a few last year who liked to give me trouble, but this year the Cougars reign in Mrs. Stein's class!

Is it Christmas yet?

2007-11-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

As a teacher, one of the great perks is getting nearly three weeks off for "Winter Break." At my school we still can say "Christmas" and even dress up for Halloween. But back to the point, I am so ready for vacation. This year I have 27 darling little seven-year-olds depending on me to educate them. Unfortunately with this large number of kids I feel more like a referee than a teacher. Instead of spending 15 minutes on proper nouns, it's 10 minutes getting 54 eyes looking at me and 270 fingers out of their noses. Not to mention all of the "So-and-so hit me" and "so-and-so called me a name." (By the way, my kids do have nicer names than so-and-so, just keeping my hynie covered.) So that leaves 5 minutes learning about proper nouns. And in just a year these kids will be taking a state standardized test that is supposed to reflect on how effective my teaching is. I guess what this all really boils down to is that there are too many little darlings under my wings. I love each of them for their own little quirks, but man am I drained at the end of each day. So as I look at the calendar and count down the days, I can't wait for that Christmas vacation just for the sheer fact that I can re-energize! And shop :)

Our visit up north

2007-11-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend Skip needed to go to Tacoma to do some scuba diving. He earned his first scuba certification and did four dives in the chilly waters of the Puget Sound. But the exciting part of the weekend was staying with the Cahill's! While Skip was diving on Saturday the rest of us went shopping for Katrina (Skip's God-daughter.) Scott and Staci are working on baby-proofing the house because Katrina is starting to scoot around on her own and will be crawling soon!

It was a fantastic weekend with our dear friends and the cutie Katrina!

2007-11-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've had so much fun looking at all the blogs out there that it's time to start my own. Since there are no little Stein's, I'll keep you updated on how my cat, Max, is doing. Enjoy!