Happy Thanksgiving!

We had an amazing Norton Thanksgiving yesterday!  Thanks to Maren for hosting again.  I made 4 pies, sweet potatoes, stuffing and brie bites.  It was a lot of cooking and cleanup considering I didn't host.  We have David and Atza here with us, so we got a little Randall fun mixed in with the Nortonness.  

Here is the whole bunch of us (except for the friends of Alayne's that came). 

Seriously...

It was fun! 

We got super into the game "Family Business" after dinner.  This is what it looked like.  My favorite quote from Atza (that earned her lots of sympathy, "You are the worst!"  Then Libby started using it.  It was so funny. 

Before dinner table. 

Clark the Turkey Master pulling a face for the camera.  Seriously, his smoked turkey is the best...crazy that he doesn't even like turkey! 

The after dinner table. 

My favorite Thanksgiving tradition.  I love Rummikub.    

The other other tradition is that I lose at Rummikub.  Sarah beat me this year. 

The dessert table was heavily laden!  I asked Libby if she wanted my apple pie or Brett's apple pie.  "Brett's!" was her immediate answer.  I left mine for Clark to eat today for breakfast.  I brought home 1/2 the cherry, 3/4 of the sour cream lemon, and 1/2 of the coconut cream.  Just for the record, I maybe don't need to make so many next year?

Walk-a-THON Winners

When I decided to help with student council, they had just started the walk-a-thon publicity.  I butted in and suggested to our principal that being willing to take a pie or two in the face might motivate some kids to earn more money.  It certainly worked at Libby's old school.

Remember this?  2012 (This is adorable!) 

And now, 2017.  Ben was motivated by the idea of putting a pie in the principal's face.  He made lots of calls on Derek's phone one night and ended up earning $300 for the school. 

So fun to see Ben and Libby at almost the same age. 

Sarah used the "home phone" to text out requests to a few people (and took the phone when Ben handed it to her).  She ended up being one of the pie winners too! 

It was the most exciting lunch on memory at Meridian Park.  Kids were chanting, hooting, hollering and having a blast seeing their principal enjoy taking a pie in the face for the winners.  I think we see the beginning of a beautiful tradition!

Surprise! A Bathroom Makeover!

Ever since the last iPhone updates, I have had trouble getting photos from my phone to my computer.  I know, excuses, but I really wanted to blog this last Sunday and I couldn't.  But this week I did some finishing touches, so I have more to add anyway.  My neck was pretty unhappy this week after all the painting, but other than that, the project wrapped up nicely!  

So here is how it happened.  I went to see my friend's new kitchen.  She told me about these new LED can lights that you mount onto a regular junction box.  I saw them at HD and they were so cheap!  $30.  I had been holding out on doing this bathroom because I figured I would need an electrician to come and rewire the lighting so we could put up a traditional light fixture.  But these I could install myself, and they would be flush with the ceiling so eventually I could put in a medicine cabinet that opened when I decided to. So I bought the lights a few weeks ago with the idea that MAYBE I would do a whirlwind bathroom reno while Derek was in San Fran.  It has always been on my bucket list to surprise him.  Then I got a cold and was sick all week.  I started feeling better on Thursday night, but still until I got home from dropping him off at the airport on Friday morning, I was trying to tell myself not to do it.  Then I just got up and started ripping down the wallpaper.

2 funny/not funny things happened.  One of my key motivations for this project was that I was convinced that there had to be MOLD like crazy under the wallpaper.  But, there wasn't.  NO MOLD.  Which made the project go more quickly, but did I even need to do it?  Well, yes, but still.     

The other funny/not funny thing was that the lights were what got the whole things started in my mind, lights that I could install myself.  But in the end the thing that didn't go as planned.  Our junction boxes were too shallow for me to install the lights.  And they were loaded with wires.  Luckily, my neighbor (who is our new electrician) was home.  He bailed me out.  He installed the lights while we went to HD to pick up other supplies.  (And even he said it was a tight fit!)

These first pics were on FB already, but needed to be in the blog record.  At the bottom are the finishing touches.    

The top layer of paper came right off.  Most of the bottom stayed on.  I used joint compound to cover any edges that did come down.  Oil primer, then texturizer, then paint.  I just painted the ceiling without removing the glue from the wallpaper.  That may come back to bite me, but I only had 2 days!  (Plus a little work on Sunday morning.) 

The vanity is now a glossy navy blue.  I hate working with glossy paint.  I stresses me out.  I had to do 3 coats on the drawers and doors to get close to the color I was hoping for.  I'm glad the vanity is in shadow to darken the color even more.  It looks good.  (I also wanted new pulls, but I couldn't find anything fun.  That may still happen on the next school break.)

Many mourned the passing of the amazing silver wallpaper.  So I found this perfect shadow box frame to keep a momento.  

I also didn't love the mirror frame color that I first used, so I repainted it.  A lighter blue with brown edges and I antiqued it.   

So, the bathroom is ready for Davey and Atza who are coming for Thanksgiving!  Hooray!

Happy & Not So Happy Halloween

Halloween was a pretty fun day at school.  I had my students do a book project that culminated on Halloween.  They read a sci-fi or fantasy book.  Then they created a travel guide to the world of the book they read.  So we had a "Galactic Travel Day" instead of a Halloween party.  I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with a way to spend the day having academic fun.  And my students really enjoyed it too!  We invited other classes to come travel in our room.  We wrapped up the day with a couple of games.

This is when the not so happy part happened.  Libby's music teacher came to my room after school to let me know that 8 weeks into school, Libby still hasn't brought in her recorder.  AND, the music teacher had given Libby 2 notes to bring home as a reminder.  The second note, the teacher had learned, Libby had stuffed down the storm drain.  BAM!  So I wasn't prepared for how much worse I would feel when I am teacher in the school and my child is causing problems.  So, Libby got to go to choir, and the traditional dinner at Spiros.  Then she stayed home while her siblings trick-or-treated.  She wailed.  And complained.  And argued.  But seriously.  Not bringing your recorder for 8 weeks (they have music 2x a week and she is only there for one day right now because she has vision therapy on the other day, so it isn't as bad as it sounds in some ways) seriously.  She delivered her recorder to the teacher's box the next day.  The apology note is still in her backpack.  Ugh.  (Libby had another meltdown the next day when the class moved desks and she is not longer by her friend. Broke several pencils during that one.  We are closely monitoring eating and sleeping this week and taking her to the doctor on Friday to have her checked out...)  

But we did get a picture of the whole crew at Spiros.  I am glad Halloween is over!  (It was also the week I had my first official observation and a bunch of stuff for student council.  A cold that I have been running from has finally caught me!)

I taught at a Halloween themed Bodypump launch on Saturday too!  Very fun! Then I subbed on Halloween morning after getting a text at 4:40 am that the 6 am teacher was sick.  Maybe partly why I was so tired this week! 

The family of great leaders! 

The silly family of great leaders. 

Cleopatra trying to figure out a selfie with the family! 

The whole crew at Spiros.