Wordless Wednesday (ok, this may take a word or two)

Aw, Shandi!!

Weird Optical Illusions

Have you seen this???
Which way is this spinning woman moving; clockwise or counter-clockwise?

When I first look at it, she moves counter clockwise, but if I blink she will rotate clockwise. And if I am reading below the picture, and I can see her out of the top of my eyes, she keeps switching without every completing a rotation.
I am completely amazed! It doesn't take much does it?

Jersey Saga..

You remember the dog torn-up soccer jersey story? Well, I work with some of the craftiest people you could imagine and brought it in to work thinking surely it can't be that hard to fix. For me yes, but for most of them, an easy project indeed. I knew it probably wouldn't look pretty, but as long as it was held together it would work. I hung it on the wall with a sign begging for help. All of my crafty friends laughed and thought it was unfixable.

And then out of nowhere, just when I thought it was an item for the trashcan, one of my sweet students sweet Mommas brought it to me and told me she was a "pretty good seamstress" and thought she could fix it.

She called me and let me know it was ready today, and I just picked it up. Let me tell you, that woman is not "pretty good", she is a MIRACLE WORKER!! She was a little nervous wondering if it was good enough. It is a million times better than I ever thought that poor jersey could look

again! I cannot thank her enough!

Here is the before:

An up close shot of the stitching.....

The completed surgery!

Where to start?

I know it's been a while since my last post, but we have been so busy! That said, you would think that I would have lots to blog about, but my mind is blank, so here are a few tidbits:

We were in Atlanta, GA over the Labor Day weekend for KK's soccer tournament, we were in a 3 way tie for first but lost on the third tiebreaker. We were assigned a hotel right near the airport by the soccer tournament. An area of town where you don't go out after dark!! The hotel wasn't dirty, but it was old, and the shower heads were about 5'6" high, I had to bend over to wet my hair! With over 700 teams from around the country at the tournament I guess they have to use every hotel available. Our games were actually 30 minutes south of Atlanta in a town called Peach Tree City. Peach Tree City, it is a beautiful place that they call a golf cart community. There are trails all around town that take you anywhere you want to go in your golf cart, and everyone (I think) owns one. Children have to be 14 to drive them, but they even drive them to school where there is parking! There were Golf Cart Spaces at Walmart & Outback Steakhouse! It was so cool, I want to live there so I can drive a golf cart around! TOO FUN!

Chelsea's soccer team has been doing really well and she has been scoring in every game. It's nice to have one daughter play forward and the other center defender; I get to enjoy all aspects.

KK's volleyball team? Don't Ask!

I went back to work on Tuesday and I have 21 wonderful children this year; 10 in the Tues/Thurs class and 11 in the Mon/Wed class. I was worried and nervous as always when we start the school year but they are all great and already falling into the routine. Wish me luck!

My dogs are not happy with me back at work. My perfect dogs have never chewed on anything in the house except for their own toys. But this week, my perfect Wonder Dog has chewed a shinguard (dirty & smelly), a soccer sock (also dirty and smelly) and today, Chelsea's High school soccer jersey! She pulled it out of the backpack and got sweet Lexi to play tug with her. Of course none of this would happen if my human children could put their things away, but still....... try explaining this one to the coach?? I don't know if you can tell, but it is supposed to be a 20, and the 0 is completely torn up and there are tooth marks all over the place

A Rough Day at Volleyball

KK is on the varsity volleyball team at her school. Today they had their first tournament and it wasn't pretty! But, she looked pretty and that is what counts right? :)

They had games at 8, 9, 10, 11, 1 & 2:00 ; 2 matches each time. The won 1 out of 12 matches. They were very close at several games with scores of 23-25, but there were several games we got pounded at 13-25!

If anything I learned a lot about true volleyball rules, and I learned to be a Libero tracker. Before today I didn't even know what a Libero was.

Here she is looking pretty! My camera doesn't do well in the gym so they are not the best pictures, but......

Favorite Foto Friday

My girls really want to know what we were doing that night 20 years ago! But, I am taking that secret & the BIG HAIR to the grave!

I................

I AM ...wondering how many people will read this, and how many people will care?

I WANT... to open a doggy day care some day!

I HAVE ... been dreading getting older, because getting older means you have to cut your hair short, and I have never had short hair. I get queasy just thinking about it.

I WISH I COULD ... go underwater without holding my nose!

I HATE ... that I have to ask people what is in the food dish they have prepared, before I can decide whether to eat any.

I FEAR ... death, everything about it scares the living &^%$*#! out of me.

I HEAR ... Voices! NO, I am just kidding, right now I hear the dogs eating dinner!

I SEARCH ... constantly for the correct way to raise my children so they are confident & happy!
So far, it's an uphill/downhill battle.

I DON'T THINK ... I will ever lose my sweet tooth!

I REGRET ... not sticking it out and finishing college.

I LOVE ... to attend my children's outdoor athletic events, on a 65 degree day with a slight northwest wind!

I ACHE FOR ... family & friends so far away!! :(

I ALWAYS CRY ... even now, 11 months later, everytime I think of my furry middle-child Bingo.

I AM NOT ... against plastic surgery in any way shape or form. If I had an unlimited budget, I would start with the nose (wait that was 10 years ago, now I have to start at the wrinkles around my eyes) and work my way down!!

I DANCE ... ONLY in the presence of anyone under 5!

I SING ... NEVER in earshot of anyone over 5!

I NEVER ...eat onion, NEVER, EVER, EVER!

I RARELY ...forgive anyone. I wish I could, but I can't.

I CRY WHEN I WATCH ... just about anything; Commercials, the news, Winnie the pooh (I know soon I will be just like Owl when he has to let Cassie go), Tarzan, Full House (come on, you know the one when DJ & Steve break up)

I AM NOT ALWAYS ... sure about God's plan. I know I shouldn't question it, but who doesn't?

I HATE THAT ... I miss Lisa's girls night sleepovers! I don't make enough time for my friends. Phone calls, emails, letters, girls nights out, etc.

I'M CONFUSED ABOUT ... people who enjoying slicing, dicing, spicing and cooking in general!

I NEED ... to feel needed all the time.

I SHOULD ... remind you that you are more than welcome to steal this from me and do it on your blog. After all, I did.