six degrees of separation

For all of you Oprah watchers out there, I have a famous student.



On Monday, Rosie O'Donnell was on Oprah. She talked about her new girlfriend and their plans to move to New York and get married. She also talked about the children of her new girlfriend. And one of those is my student!



When I taught in Pearland, I had the daughter of a famous basketball player. I admit that I "lost" her safety agreement and had her parents sign another one. I think I gave one to my brother and I found the other in my attic when we moved from BV to Tiki. I am not sure what I planned on doing with it, but at the time I am sure I had big plans.



Back to now. Rosie was in Galveston over Thanksgiving and my student came back talking about the big secret and hinting as to what was going on. Then she and her family went to Miami for Christmas break and it was reported in People. This made her a minor celebrity in my fifth period class. But then her picture is on Oprah, this gets reported on the news and somehow all my kids hear about it. Tuesday in class there was no way the kids were going to listen to me and learn about boring old Isaac Newton. They wanted to know what it was like to be rich! I wonder who will come to the next parent teacher conference?

A bike and a hymnal all in one weekend.

The cold weather is over! We had a wonderful weekend of outside activities. We washed the cars. We did outside chores. But most importantly, C got to practice her bike riding.

Christmas 2008 brought Caroline a new bike. She rode with training wheels until June and then decided that 6 year olds do not have training wheels, so we took them off. Then she really could not get the hang of it and she put her bike away in the back of the garage and ignored it for 6 months. In January 2010 she decided to try again (perhaps because her friend Maddy had learned how a few weeks earlier). Now she was ready. We ran along with her for DAYS! She was riding by herself for maybe one or two houses and then would fall.

Sunday, she got on, got a little starter push from mom and rode all the way down the block and back! We rode for hours! At one point we rode down to Maddy's house and Maddy showed Caroline how to line her foot up on the top pedal and push off the ground to get started. No more starter pushes needed.

In the midst of the riding we went to church. Caroline attends Sunday school during the beginning of the service and then joins us before communion. After communion there is a hymn. She was a bit wiggly so I gave her my hymnal to hold. She pulled out her "following finger" and started singing along. Who knew? During the recessional hymn we turn and face the back of the church (this is what Caroline calls the parade). C couldn't hold her hymnal, but her Sunday school teacher was sitting behind us and she followed along on her hymnal.

So, It was a big baby book worthy accomplishment weekend at our house.

I promise to take pictures and video this week and post them.

The cold weather

Yes, I spent 18 years living up North. and Yes, I am a cold weather wimp.

We have had several weeks of cold weather with four days in a row of freezing temperatures. This may sound like whining to you northerners, but we just aren't equipped for this around here. Our pipes are not insulated so we had to drain the pipes each night. Our plants are not freeze resitant, so I brought all my pots inside and even dug up a few plants so they would have a chance.

C's school is mostly heated these days, but the cafeteria, gym and chapel are still without heat. So the kids moved lunch, recess and gym to their classrooms.

And of course at home, we Wiied. We are now masters (ok we understand the mechanics of the games, but are still pretty crummy at them) at many of the Wii games. This was a well timed and well loved gift. Thanks Grandpa Jim and Grandma Mary!

Yes, you may remind me of my cold weather rants when it is 100 degrees outside and we are melting.