How Cute Is She?

Abby, wearing her princess cape and awesome sunglasses:)

A happy anniversary in Napa Valley

Our nine year anniversary was yesterday and we decided to take advantage of my parents being here and took off for an overnight trip to Napa Valley. It was a much needed rest after a busy December and we had a wonderful time. Nate and I aren't into fancy stuff or being really busy. We are just happy to have time to sit and talk at Starbucks or so something new that we've never done before.

Below are some pictures of our adventures from today . . . we ended up at Sterling Winery, which was recommended to us by a local guy named Chuck. We ate at this little deli in Calistoga and made friends with the guy sitting at the table next to us. Actually, he tried to get us to give him a piece of our pizza because it looked good to him and we ended up talking to him for a good half hour. Chuck is actually my kind of guy, and I wish we could have talked to him some more. We talked about politics, all the diferent places we've all lived, and even got a mini history of Calistoga, CA. I knew I loved him when he said he would choose to live in Texas if he could choose any place in the country to live:)

Anyway, Chuck recommended this winery, so we checked it out. Everyone had to take a gondola type tram to the top--which was so cool. Once we were up there, we took a self-guided tour and had great views of the beautiful Napa Valley.

It was a great ninth anniversary:)

A Pleasant Surprise

As many of you know, I teach a GED preparation class. I have so many different kinds of people all in one classroom every day. There are those on probation, those who have to be there to receive their state aid check, those who really want to get their GED, and young adults who have to pass the CAHSEE.

The CAHSEE is the California High School Exit Exam. There's an English part and a Math part. I have a few students who are not preparing to take their GED, but need to pass this CAHSEE test in order to receive their high school diploma. And let me tell you, the CAHSEE is one hard test. Teaching high school math has surely challenged me.

I have this one student, M, who is in my class for the CAHSEE test. He is there almost every day--I think because his father makes him come, but he hates every second of being there. For the first two months, he wouldn't even say hi to me. He tells me that I'm boring and that all the stuff we learn is boring---which doesn't bother me because I know he has a motivation issue and everything related to learning is boring to him. So we joke about me being boring and I do my best to keep him on task.

For the first three months, M "pretended" to be stupid. He seriously failed every assignment I gave him. I thought he had some sort of learning disability until I threatened to kick him out of class for lack of effort. Ever since then, he's shown that he can learn and is doing much better. And in fact, he passed the math part of the test, and I am so proud of him. So now, we are working hardcore on writing essays and getting him to pass the English part of the test.

I must say, that I am super patient with him. There were several times that I should have kicked him out, but I have put way too much time and energy into him and have seen some positive results. But I know he hates being there and will celebrate the day that he is out of my class.

The students in my class got me a Christmas gift and in the card, M wrote something that was so surprising to me. He said,"You are the nicest teacher ever and I am learning." Wow! (Just so you know . . . I am not the nicest teacher ever . . . and I sometimes struggle with my ability to help him.) Teaching is not a glorious profession, but one sentence of affirmation can give you all the energy to go on. It will give me the patience and energy to get M to write that five paragraph essay if it's the last thing I do:)

Picked Out By Jenna

I love modified birthday cards. They're my favorite!

What I Miss

My kids don't know snow. Jenna begs me to take her to play in the snow; maybe we'll venture into the Sierras for some sledding. I just think it's funny that you have to drive to snow to experience it here.

I grew up with four seasons and there's something I like about each one. Here in California, we really only have summer and kind of cold. I can't even call it winter because it doesn't snow and I can't call it fall because the leaves barely change. Kind of cold means that it gets cold enough to have to wear a jacket, but I still don't get by people buy gloves or earmuffs or scarves around here. Unless they are visiting the snow.

One of the greatest joys that I miss is snow days. I miss the anticipation, the joy when you hear your school's name called on the radio at 6:30 in the morning. (Although since our district didn't bus, it had to be a blizzard or an ice storm before school was called off). I miss the fact that you have an excuse to stay huddled in the house with the tv and pajamas. I try to explain this to my students, and they have absolutely no idea what I am talking about.

My Bon Jovi loving friend, Tamara, sent me a copy of the book, The Shack. I am only on p. 25, so please don't tell me what happens. But in the first few pages, the author, Wm Paul Young, describes this phenomenon that I love so much. Here's how he explains it . . .

"There is something joyful about storms that interrupt routine. Snow or freezing rain suddenly releases you from expectations, performance demands, and the tyranny of appointments and schedules. And unlike illness, it is largely a corporate rather than individual experience. One can almost hear a unified sigh rise from the nearby city and surrounding countryside where Nature has intervened to give respite to the weary humans slogging it out without her purview. All those affected this way are united by a mutual excuse, and the heart is suddenly and unexpectedly a little giddy. There will be no apologies needed for not showing up to some commitment or other. Everyone understands and shares in this singular justification, and the sudden alleviation of the pressure to produce makes the heart merry." The Shack, Wm. Paul Young

So that's what I miss and it's the best way I can explain to my California friends what they are missing.

Annual Christmas Cookie Decorating

This is an all day event! Baking and cooling and making frosting and decorating and cleaning up. Such a task, but so much fun! Here are a few pictures to show you our fun:

Abby holding the mixer all by herself!

Jenna carefully applying the frosting.


Beautiful cookies!

Come on, you know you want to eat this one . . . the one with three inches of blue frosting and two inches of pink sprinkles. Really, you know you want it:)

Magic!

We've had a tough time in the behavior department with Jenna lately. It was like one night she decided to turn sassy and nasty and refuse to listen. I even asked Nate if we had turned into some lazy, awful parents lately or if this change I had noticed was real. Well, it was definitely real!

So we broke out the reward charts. If you look closely, you can see that the girls have things they must do in order to be able to draw in their box. Jenna draws faces and hearts, while Abby draws Xs. If they have six good days in a row, meaning that they get 5 out of six spaces full each day for six days, they get to go to McDonalds.

I'm thinking that bar might be a little high for a two and four year old to reach, but for right now, it's working like MAGIC! Jenna's behavior, especially, has been awesome:) We may tweak the reward chart as we go, but for now, we are loving it!

Our First Successful Trip to See Santa

This will be our fourth time attempting to visit Santa. Year 1, Jenna was terrified and screamed the entire time we were in line to see Santa. So we left, and I was really disappointed that we didn't get a "Santa picture" with her.

Year 2, Abby was here too and I was so excited to get a picture with my two little sweethearts and Santa. Abby was too little to object and Jenna was all for it. We stood in line for at least a half hour. It was almost our turn--we had one other family in front of us. Unfortunately, we had to leave because Jenna threw up all over that family. She had the beginning of a stomach bug and I was mortified. Some nice guy helped me clean up the puke as all the other mommies tried to stay as far away from us as possible. ( I don't blame them!)

Year 3, we were back to being afraid of Santa and settled for a wave to him from afar.

But this year, we did it! There was no line and we had a really great Santa. He sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to the kids, played along when Jenna asked him where his sleigh and reindeer were, and made sure to tell them about the being naughty or nice deal. Which is great, because now I have leverage for a few weeks. Jenna's really afraid of getting coal:) (Not that we would ever give it to her, but it's nice to be able to say, "I'd like to see good behavior or Santa will know that you haven't been good lately . . . ")

It's nice to finally have a picture of the girls with Santa--and so wonderful that they smiled!

Cheeeeeeeeese!

My sweetheart, Abby. So silly . . .

Please Go Away

This is directed to all serious, not so serious, and just down right annoying illnesses that have invaded our home in the past few months.

Here's' what's been going down . . .

Nate--flu
Nate--pneumonia
Jenna-fever
Jenna-ear infection
Abby-fever
Nate-more pneumonia that wouldn't go away
Lots of coughing by everyone.
Jenna-pink eye
Jenna-pink eye, again
Jenna-Fifth's Disease (common childhood illness that is actually a virus and causes fever/rash)
Jenna-fever
Abby-pink eye
Abby-fever
Abby-possible ear infection (doctor's appointment tomorrow)

Notice that my name is not listed there? Yay for staying healthy. I somewhat attribute this to my new love for the supplement, Airborne. Have any of you heard of it? I have been taking it over the past few months and have stayed pretty healthy. Healthy enough to take care of all the sickos in our house!

Also notice that most of these illnesses aren't anything serious, other than the pneumonia. They are just annoying. And I am thankful for annoying because the girls could be much sicker than they are. But I still am requesting that they leave our presence.

I suspect that all of this has something to do with all of us being exposed to different people all day. I work at a school, Jenna is in preschool every day, and Abby is in daycare in the mornings. Maybe we're just building up our immunities .. . who knows.

I am hoping that tomorrow's doctor's appointment is the end of it. You'll know I've gone crazy if you see a post about me getting pink eye. Now wouldn't that be lovely?

So Very Proud

Over the past few weeks, I have seen Jenna's gifts, talents, and personality unfold more and more. As her mommy, it's so exciting to be a part of. And I am proud of her.

I love that she is compassionate and eager to learn and that she loves her sister so much.

I love that she loves music. I love that she has Nate's musical gifts and can't get enough of "Row Row Row Your Boat" or "Happy Birthday" on the piano.

I love that she takes the job of keeping Abby in line at the children's message seriously.

I love that she finally put her head under water at swimming lessons last week. And for those of you who have been following this blog, you know that this accomplishment has been almost a year in the making. After sitting on the steps of the pool for 16 weeks and then refusing to put her head under water for a good three months, this is a huge feat for a little girl who was terrified of the water.

I love that she spells out every store sign that she sees and asks me what it spells when we go out.

I love watching her self-confidence grow as she matures and tries new things.

These little things don't matter so much to anyone but me and Nate, but I notice them and love watching this little person unfold into the beautiful girl that she is.

Some Random Thoughts

1. Either you are all in cahoots with Nate and are lying to me about brown being a good color on me or I need to accept that blonde is a thing of the past for me.

2. I have been a bit obsessed with Christmas already. I know . . . it's not even December yet. I love Christmas. I mostly love that we celebrate Jesus's birth, but I also love that my family will be here. I love that for the first time, we are putting a "blinking Frosty" in our front yard because the girls are dying for one. We spent lots of time driving through neighborhoods last year looking for "blinking Frostys." Now we will have one of our own. I love that we will sleep in the family room by the tree on Christmas Eve. I love giving gifts to people. I love that we will offer Santa milk and beer on Christmas Eve. I love decorating Christmas cookies with the girls. I love addressing Christmas letters.

3. My class has had its share of craziness lately. I have a new student who falls asleep every few minutes and snores until he wakes himself up. I have another student who tried to bring his 2 year old to class today. I have another student who told me this week that he has been faking "being stupid" so that he would be liked in the class. He's failed every assignment until I discovered his scheme. On a more positive note . . . I teach a GED preparation class, and most of my students who take the GED are passing it. That's rewarding.

4. I know that some of you might think I'm crazy because we live in an area where flip flops can be worn all year round. But I desperately miss the beautiful fall colors and the crunching of leaves on the ground. I miss snow flurries and snow days.

5. We are getting a piano from a friend tomorrow, and I am going to attempt to teach Jenna to play the piano. No, I am not crazy (my kid has to be in every activity) mom, she has been playing short songs by ear on her play piano, and I figure that I should explore that area of interest if she has it. I think she has Nate's musical ability and talent. We shall see.

6. Jenna tells me every day that she prays that God will give her 10 little brothers. I keep telling God that I am good with two redheaded girls.

7. I am considering writing a book on new pastor's wives. I have no idea how to do this or if I will actually even do it. It is always in the back of my head these days.

Here ends the random thoughts for the week:)

Here It Is

I Have Brown Hair and Am Not Entirely Thrilled About It

It's been a week since I went to the hairdresser intending to get a cute cut and a highlight, but coming out with brown hair. I'm over it, but have decided that I don't think that I make a good brunette.

Here's what happened. I went to my hairdresser, who is very good and trustworthy. He suggested that I put an all over color in to even the color out from the damage that has been inflicted on my hair by highlighting. Before Bruce (my current hairdresser), I went to a woman who turned out to be awful. She damaged my hair by #1 cutting it at the wrong angle that resulted in "shaggy hair" and #2 would highlight all of my hair instead of just the top that needed done. This resulted in a large band of bright blonde hair at the bottom. The top and middle of my hair is okay, but instead of highlighting it again, Bruce suggested that I go all brown.

I'm not sure if he was in a creative mood or not, but I still can't figure out why I just didn't turn him down flat. Or at least insist on a lighter color.

Bruce promised that the color he put on me would fade, as it is a semi-permanent color, but it's still pretty dark and I can't wait until it lightens up so I can gradually move back to my blonde hair again.

The first night after I had this all done, I laid awake in bed feeling so anxious. I didn't necessarily care that everyone would notice a new do on me, I just didn't particularly like it myself and I felt like someone had stolen the hair that I've known all my life (real or fake) and replaced it with a foreign color.

It didn't help that when I walked in the door Nate said, "What did you go and do that for?" And Jenna said, "I want blonde Mommy back. I don't like brown Mommy."

Nate eventually figured out that lying would be a good alternative and started to tell me that he liked it and even went so far as to say he liked it better. I really am grateful to him for lying to me, otherwise, I would have been back at Bruce's demanding more chemicals to ruin my already too chemically treated hair.

So I have brown hair and I am still trying to get used to it:)

And no, I will not post a picture!

An Abby Prayer

Too precious to forget . . .

Abby: Dear Sheshus. Fank oo for getting me my mommy. I wuv Mommy I wuv Daddy I wuv Duh Duh I wuv Dee Dee. You're a good Sheshus. Amen.

Translation: Dear Jesus. Thank you for getting me my mommy. I love Mommy I love Daddy I love Jenna I love Dee Dee. You're a good Jesus. Amen.

A Time Out Rant . . . by Jenna

Jenna had a rough day yesterday and was in time out a few times. She was hysterical in there at one particular time . . . here's what we heard.

Jenna: Mommy, come get me! Daddy is making me stay in my room and won't get me. Please come get me!

Me: No response.

Jenna: Abby, please come get me! I'm in trouble. Daddy and Mommy won't come get me. Please get me out of timeout!

Abby: No response

Jenna: Somebody! I really need to get out of timeout! Somebody come!


Jenna: (at the top of her lungs) When I grow up, I am going to move to a new house in a new state so I can make all my own rules. Someday, I'm going to be a mommy and make the rules and not listen to yours.

A Public Booing

BOOOOOOO to pneumonia that won't go away.

BOOOOOOO to coughs that keep little girls up at night.

BOOOOOOO to runny noses that are yucky.

BOOOOOOO to fevers that leave and come back after a while.

BOOOOOOO to the flu that started this whole ordeal.

BOOOOOOO to insurance companies who are trying to mess with me and make this much more difficult.

The First Sleepover Experience

Sleepy girls. Such beautiful makeup, Abby!
Carefully putting nail polish on.
Friday was our first official sleepover! Jenna and Abby's friend decided to have a sleepover for her birthday, so we loaded up the blankets and pillows and sleepover gear and hoped that it would be a success. And it was! The evening started with pizza and makeup, followed by the movie, Tinkerbell. Unfortunately, Abby decided she wanted to jump all over the other girls, so we went home and had our own sleepover so the other girls could sleep:)

I was unsure if Jenna would actually stay all night, but she did just fine! This is good news . . . I think there might be more sleepovers in our future:)

A Children's Message Spectacle

I'm pretty sure that adults love the children's message because of all the craziness that can potentially happen. In our church, we've had chilren scale the communion rails, come to the children's message in dress up clothes from the nursery, and shout information that no parent wants their child to disclose. Today, Abby added to the amusement of many and the mortification of one . . . me.

Jenna usually is instructed to take care of Abby during the children's message at church and we haven't had any major problems lately. Abby was banned for a while (by me) because she kept trying to climb over the communion rails, but she was much younger then and didn't understand how to sit and listen to the adult talking. Now she knows. And today was a spectacle. It was all about Abby getting attention:)

It started with her refusing to sit next to Jenna. Jenna usually keeps her in line, but today, she got away and sat next to Brittany, her good friend. Next, Abby proceeded to pick her nose. Yes, you read that right. She picked her nose in front of the whole church. Brittany was so grossed out by this (as were the rest of us), that she grabbed Abby's hands and tried to pin them down loudly saying, "Ewwww, gross!" So this happened a few times--nose picking followed by the grabbing of hands and "Ewwww gross!"

I kept thinking that they would stop. If I got up and walked up there, I would draw more attention to the situation. But I had to get up when both Abby and Brittany proceed to roll back, kicking their legs in the air, allowing the entire congregation to see up their skirts.

I immediately got up, as did Brittany's mom and we both quickly walked up to retreive our children. I picked Abby up and walked straight out. I didn't even consider letting her stay with me sitting next to her. I knew that she was all about getting attention this morning.

So yes, my daughter picked her nose (multiple times) and flashed the entire congregation today. If anyone had the expectation that our children were well-behaved all the time because my husband is the pastor, that is surely gone after this morning!

So, Abby will have a chaperone from now on if she wants to go the children's message:)

Halloween 2008

A Nasty Visitor

I hope that the flu never wreaks havoc on our household again as it has in the past few weeks. It started with Nate. He looked deathly ill at church two Sundays ago. When he got home, he had a raging fever and spent the day in bed. He was quite the sight---all bundled up in his hooded sweatshirt (hood on) under a mountain of covers. He was freezing.

Over the course of the next five days, he would go from freezing to completely sweating through his clothes. His fevers were high and he had no energy. Going into the office was not even an option. If you know Nate, you know that he had to have been sick for him to stay away for so long. He didn't eat for most of the week, but did a good job at keeping fluids in him.

Then the cough started. It was a bad, bad cough and he started to feel tightening in his chest. After a visit to the doctor, it was determined that he had pneumonia. After a round of antibiotics, he's finally feeling better. Still pretty tired and a little pale, but better.

He had the full blown flu + pneumonia. Not a chest cold or a stomach virus. He had the kind of flu that could do a lot of harm to people. Probably the kind that makes doctors urge everyone to get flu shots.

Jenna, Abby, and I all got a piece of what Nate had. Jenna had an ear infection, Abby had a fever for two days, and I'm working on a minor cough, but I'm thankful that all four of us didn't have what Nate had. We would have had to fly my mom in to take care of all of us!

I have always been skeptical of flu shots, but not anymore. I will gladly have one every year if it lessens the chances of us getting what Nate had in the past two weeks!

Deedee's Diaper

Deedee, Abby's constant companion, needed a diaper change this morning:) So cute!

Abbyisms

I don't want to ever forget the cute things that she says . . .

1) She loves this new show called the Imagination Movers. Abby calls them the "musha musha movers."

2) Nate and I often tell the girls that we agree with each other when in a discipline type conversation with the girls. For example,
Jenna: Mommy, can I ride my bike outside?
Me: No, it's close to dinner time.
Jenna: Daddy, can I ride my bike outside?
Nate: No, you can't. I agree with Mommy.

Lately, whenever Jenna is getting reprimanded or I've told her no, Abby pipes up and says, "I gee mi Mommy." ( I agree with Mommy.) For example,
Jenna: Mommy, can I have a snack?
Me: Sorry honey, I didn't bring any in the car.
Abby: I gee mi Mommy.

3) "Mommy, you're my beh fend." (Mommy, you're my best friend.)

4) sippy soup = swimming suit

5) seaping booty=Sleeping Beauty

6) hairpane=airplane

One of my favorites

I am going through old pictures and picking out my favorites so that I can start printing pictures out and putting them in albums. I know, I know . . . I am so far behind, but I have to start somewhere, right?

This is me and Jenna when she was a little over 1 month old. Notice the pink cowboy boots? She was born in Texas (which is a privilege if you live in the south), so we had to have the correct attire:) I just love this picture!

This is what happens when Daddy dresses them.

Nate is the best husband I could have ever asked for. He is my best friend, an excellent daddy, and a great help with the girls and around the house. He cooks, cleans, and takes care of the kids whenever there is a need. I love all of those things about him. However, getting the girls ready for the day is not one of his fortes. See below:

Abby wore two different colored shoes when dropping Jenna of at preschool this morning. When I got home, her fly was down. I hope it was up at 9am this morning!
This is the best! I walked into preschool to pick up Jenna and was a tiny bit mortified. This is what Jenna had on. This is an adorable outfit, especially when worn with the leggings that go with it! Nate thought that the top was long enough to be a "mini-skirt!" So, Jenna wore a shirt and tights to school today. I apologized to the teacher as I was trying to get over my shock of my half-dressed daughter:)

In the end, I am, of course, not upset with Nate about this. I find it incredibly funny! Note to self: pick out clothes before leaving for work on Fridays:)

If Only Mouths Came With A Zipper . . .

A few funny moments from our day yesterday:

Five minutes after we got home from school/daycare, the carpet cleaners were knocking on my door. They were 25 minutes early and I was so flustered trying to get everything together for our afternoon out while we waited for the carpets to clean. As I was feeding the girls lunch, the carpet cleaner guys were pretreating the stains on the carpet. Jenna was talking to them and I heard her say, "Hi--my name is Jenna." Then as loud as she possibly could, Abby yelled, "Hi ! My name is Bootybutt!" What a proud moment for me. Really, those carpet cleaner men must think that I am the worst mother ever. In my defense, I contend that the OTHER parental unit in our house got them started on that word first, as a cute reference. Now we are trying to play defense and prevent our children from yelling that word as loud as they can to complete strangers:)

During our afternoon extravaganza, which was to keep the girls out of the house while the carpet dried, we landed at Kohls. I had to return something and was very proud of myself for not purchasing anything else. We stopped in the bathroom, and upon exiting the stall, Abby yells, "My mommy just went pee pee all by herself!" I bet you can imagine how embarrassing it was to walk out of the bathroom knowing that everyone in a 100 foot radius knew what had just happened in that stall.

You might be wondering why I posted these stories, since they ended up being pretty embarrassing to me. Well . . . I have learned that kids sometimes are not appropriate. But they are still hilarious. Pastor's wife or not, my kids are not perfect, and I am not perfect. But I am real. And someday, I can't wait for Abby to read this story:)

A Sweet Picture

Baby Steps

Swimming is a struggle and an adventure for Jenna. Before she was 2, she loved the water. However, we didn't get a chance to do much swimming because we were on vicarage or in St. Louis for our last year of seminary. Since we weren't rolling the dough, or much dough at all, belonging to a facility that would allow swimming wasn't an option.

When we got to San Jose, Jenna suddenly became afraid of the water. So much so that she would absolutely FLIP OUT if we tried get her into the water. It was quite disturbing, actually. Screaming and shaking and holding on for dear life. I don't know if that natural fear for her or if something brought it on. There were a few times that we tried to take her in the water and she flipped out. Maybe we scarred her. I have no idea. So for about a year, we just let her do her own thing. We were happy if she put her feet in the water at a pool. She graduated to holding onto the side of the pool, and we thought that was great.

So we enrolled her in swimming lessons at the Y and thought that she just needed a little encouragement from someone other than me or Nate.

16 weeks sitting on the steps of the pool. 16. weeks. Yep. I paid for that. (Actually Grandma helped.)

So I decided to go for the big guns and enroll her in a Swim School. I asked around and did some research and found one that is highly recommended. Jenna's been going to this swim school since September and has been doing so great. But she is definitely taking baby steps, and that makes me a little uncomfortable. I just want her to dive right in (literally and figuratively) and swim like so many other kids her age.

The first day of lessons at the swim school, it took her 20 minutes to be coaxed into the pool. Luckily, this place has the most wonderful teachers who made it comfortable for Jenna and soon she was in with no problem.

She has a male teacher, Derrick, whom she ADORES. Derrick has a class of four four year olds and it is the cutest thing! I'm pretty sure that each little girl has a secret crush on him. They bounce around and giggle the whole time.

We have progressed from sitting on the steps to getting right in the water and playing with the other kids. Now, we are working on putting her head under water. She gets so close each time, but just doesn't do it. She will put her face in, each ear in, and the back of her head--but not the whole thing!

Baby steps. I have to remember that. Each new thing she does is way better than 16 weeks of sitting on the steps.

Nine October

Today was a good day. No huge tantrums or meltdowns or too many things to do. We've been hanging out at home since work/preschool/daycare this morning. I am loving "home" more and more since I started to work part-time. I really value my time here and find myself being more motivated now that I have less home time. It's interesting, because when I was home full-time, I would often dread the days that we didn't have much to do. Being home with the kids was hard for me and often resulted in tension of some sort. But things have seemed to switch. I think working part-time is good for me.

One bad thing did happen today, though. I came to the realization that Abby is giving up her nap. She's refused to nap in the afternoon a few times during the past three weeks, and I chalked it up to her just not being tired. But after entertaining a wide awake Abby until 9:45 last night (I made her take a good nap yesterday afternoon), I decided that I'd rather have her awake during the day as opposed to the evening. So, there are no more afternoon naps at the Hartke house. I'm trying to think up a good plan for "rest time" in the afternoon. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Teaching my adult class continues to get more interesting. Today I think I learned more from/about my students than they learned from me. First, we had a lengthy discussion about prison. I learned all about what it's like on the "inside." I also learned that California's prisons are really overcrowded, so many people are getting shipped off to other states to serve their time. Sounds like something California would do.

The other interesting piece to my day was that I highly suspect that some of my students are smoking pot before school and/or during our half hour break. Bloodshot eyes, strange behavior, and that lovely smell are all things I've noticed this week. I have the freedom to drop any student from my class, and that's probably what's in store for these people. I can't have stoned students in my classroom distracting the others who are really trying to work.

Who knew this would be my world? Not me!

If you are looking for some cool Christmas gifts . . .

check out this website.

www.wearefullofscrap.blogspot.com

My friend Maria sells homemade cards and photo albums. She's very creative and they make great gifts!

Burned Waffles

These are part of tonight's dinner. Waffles Burned waffles. We had breakfast for dinner tonight, and I burned them. Luckily, we had a whole stack of Hello Kitty Waffles to eat before these, but I completely forgot about this last batch after sitting down to eat my own dinner. After about fifteen minutes, Nate went over to the Hello Kitty waffle iron, opened it up and said, "Honey, I love you for this. This is so you."

There are several things to fill you all in on here. Why do we have a Hello Kitty waffle maker? We won it at a silent auction. Yes, we actually bid on this item and won. I guess that's what having two little girls does to you.

And yes, I do have an issue with burning food. Not all the time, and much less frequently than in the past. I am absent minded. Big time. Especially when it comes to things around the house. I'll put a batch of cookies in the oven (and not set the timer because I'll be sure to remember to get them out), put a load of laundry in, clean half of the bathroom before I realize that the cookies are burning and I forgot to check on them. I do this a lot, but I have been trying to be better. I actually set timers now and really try to finish one task at a time. Like laundry. I really try to fold all the laundry and actually put it in the drawers all in one day.

I'm just happy that Nate has come to the place where he doesn't get annoyed or angry when I forget something and food ends up burned. He just loves me for it:)

Getting Into Mischief

You might think that the stroller that Abby is sitting in is real, but it is actually a toy stroller. It just happens to be huge! Abby likes to sit in it, even though she knows she shouldn't. I orginally took this picture because Abby chose to wear snow boots in 95 degree weather:)

This is true mischief! I accidentally left a bag of cookies on the counter. While I was upstairs, my two little sweethearts swiped a plate of them.

Cookie victory!

After work today, I was changing my clothes. I was seriously upstairs for 3 or 4 minutes. In that amount of time, Abby had gotten a chair in the pantry, fetched the strawberry milk, and helped herself to spoonfuls of yummy pink powder.

So yummy!

In Conclusion . . .

to my moral dilemma post, I have come to understand that such a delicate and personal issue as birth control is one that is between you, your spouse, and God. As for me, I will continue to wrestle with all the different angles of birth control and IUDs, especially. Researching and learning about it has certainly been an eye opening experience and I am thankful to those of you who shared your experiences with me.

A Trip To the Salon

I just ran across these pictures and had to post them because we had such fun on this particular day. Back in August, my mom was here visiting and needed her nails done. Recently, I've found this great salon in our area and absolutely love our new hairdresser, Bruce.

On this day, Abby had her hair cut, so me, Jenna, Abby, and Mom were all in the salon at the same time. As soon as they saw Grandma getting her nails done, they wanted theirs painted too! The nice nail lady, whose name I cannot remember, quickly painted the girls nails for free! She was so wonderful and the girls were ecstatic over their pink and purple fingernails !

This picture cracks me up because Abby is looking rather suspicious of the entire situation.

She really did have a great time. Just not sure about that little fan that dries nails:)

All smiles for Jenna!

A Moral Dilemma

This is one post that I would really like feedback on. If you are reading this, please don't be afraid to comment even if it is anonymously.

I am really interested in knowing as much as I can about the IUD (birth control device). Not only for my own knowledge, but for others who ask me about it. The topic of birth control comes up frequently in my circles. Most of us are done having babies, but can't stomach the thought of the pill forever or the permanency of a vasectomy. The IUD seems like a great choice for many of us, but after doing some research and talking to my doctor, there is still a chance that an embryo can form and be "aborted" because the conditions aren't right for implantation. From what I understand that chance is very, very, very small . . . but I struggtle with whether it is right to have an IUD given even the smallest chance of a baby forming.

I am not a crazy right wing Christian who pickets abortion clinics. I think those people give us Christians a bad name and go about it in an ineffective way. But I do believe that life begins at conception and that we are precious and honored and loved even as an embryo.

When we were on vicarage, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. It truly was one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life. I got to know women as individuals and talk with them about their situation. I got to to guide them through their choice of life. Not always, but many times. I am passionate about helping women during this crisis time and look forward to the time when my schedule allows for me to volunteer again.

Given all of that, I cannot fathom the idea of possibly creating a little Hartke baby and essentially making the choice for it not to live. And if this fact is true, that an embryo may be created and "aborted," how can I in good conscience counsel other women to do the same?

The trick here is that research and my own doctor says that there is no way to really know if creating an embryo actually happens, but that the IUD only prevents implantation, not fertilization. Many doctors are using the Mirena brand which seems to be more effective. A pro life doctor at my doctor's office has started using them after refusing to provide IUDs for years. She now feels that comfortable with their effectiveness.

If you are reading this and have an IUD, I am not judging. I am just asking questions and trying to find out answers. It's hard to find good information out there about whether an embryo is actually formed when using an IUD. The research goes both ways.

Any thoughts?

My Sweethearts

Jenna, Nate, and Abby at the beach party at Camp Pioneer. The girls had fun decorating Daddy:)

"Stuff Issues"

A while back, I posted about how difficult it was for me to get rid of all the baby clothes that were sitting in bins in my garage. I am long over that and have found great freedom and joy in giving away those clothes to people who could use them. I also have discovered that "stuff" suffocates me. I've been getting rid of toys that aren't age appropriate for my kids as well as my own clothes and things that I no longer use or need. Very freeing.



I am having an issue with other "stuff." Namely video game "stuff." I am feeling this pressure to have the newest and best gaming systems. Please know, that we have not owned a gaming system since our seminary days when we had no kids. This past summer, we became proud owners of a PS3 as well as Guitar Hero. Nate plays that often--usually after I go to bed and that doesn't bother me.

What bothers me is the kids side of it. Everytime we go to a friends' house that has a Wii, Jenna asks for one. So, Nate and I have thrown around the idea of giving that to the girls for Christmas. But I don't know if I really want to do that. Do 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 year olds need a Wii? Do we want to start the slippery slope of wanting the newest gaming technologies out there? Do we want to start allowing our kids to play video games on a regular basis? My answer is no to all of that, but I don't know if I am being too restrictive.

Yes, my kids watch tv, and yes, Jenna loves to play on the Barbie website on the computer. But I am very aware of "screen" time and don't want to allow too much at any given time. And introducing video games makes me cringe a little.

Does anyone else have an opinion on this? I am open to all of them:)

The Ice Cream Truck Denial

Below is a conversation that happened between Abby, 2 1/2 and Nate at bedtime. Imagine a sweet, high-pitched two year old little voice, very upset that she did not get ice cream today.

I apologize if this isn't funny to any of you, but it was hilarious to us:)

Abby: I heard dee eye keem tuck tooay. And I wanna get some. I ent to akk Mommy if I ould hah um, because I eyed to. (I heard the ice cream truck today. And I wanna get some. I eent to ask Mommy if I could have some, because I tried to.)

Nate: And what did Mommy say?

Abby: See said NOOOOOOOO! I tie morrow. (She said nooooo. I try tomorrow.)

Jenna Got Into My Eyeliner

Just Because It's Funny :)

More Adventures in Teaching

This new job continues to be an adventure. Here are some things I have learned in the past few days.

* Many students landed in my class because they didn't pass either section of their high school exit exam and have a lot of work to do academically. Motivation to learn is an issue and part of the reason for the non-passing status of these students. I am trying to figure out how to motivate them to learn when they don't want to. I have been trying to get one kid to write a few paragraphs for me for a few days now. I finally sat next to him and pushed him to write.

They don't get grades. The only things they gain from my class is skills to pass the test and confidence in themselves. So far, I'm not sure if they are interested in either. Any ideas?

* Now that they are comfortable with me, they #1 try to push my limits (like children) and #2 challenge my opinions. For example: That driving drunk isn't a good choice. Seriously . . . .

* The more I get to know some of these students, the more I pray for them. I walk into my classroom every day now and pray that God would permiate the room. Most of my students have to be there and are coming from awful situations at home. Today, I had a student come in shaking. She was so upset because she is afraid of going to juvvy (juvenile detention) because she violated her probation. I bought her a water and talked to her. I really do hope that God works healing in her life.

I feel like I walk into a battleground every day now. I have to fight to get some of them to participate. Many of them are fighting situations in their lives outside of our classroom walls and the only way (and the most powerful way) is for me to ask God to work in their lives.

Of course, I can never say His name in my classroom. I can't talk about my faith or even tell them that I pray for them. But they know Nate's a pastor and I hope they see a little spark of Christ's love for them through me, even if I can't say it.

I Had To Ban The Word, 'Homie"

My new job is unlike any I've had before. I teach adults who want to get their GED. But I also help students right out of high school pass their high school exit exam. Basically, I have 2 or 3 classes running within my classroom. Very confusing and busy, but I think I have the hang of it.

The most interesting part of my job are the people I get to teach. I have some people who are only there to work on language skills because they have just arrived from another country. Then I have people who truly want to work on their skills to get their GED. But the most interesting group of students I have are the ones who don't want to be there. They have to be there as a requirement for probation or some other government program they are involved in like welfare. So getting them to show up consistently and actually do work is a chore.

We had a bit of a breakthrough last week. After reading some paragraphs we were working on writing, I made a whole class announcement that the word, "homie" was banned from all writing in my class. They didn't quite understand this, so I had to explain the difference between the spoken word and the written word. But this banning of "homie" led into an extensive and eye opening conversation about gangs, which is the world that most of them either live in or are familiar with.

I've learned lots about gangs, and what these particular students think of them. I've learned that:

-everyone is a homie

-wearing red or blue can be dangerous to your health--although they informed me that if they saw me at Target in red, they'd leave me alone because I am OBVIOUSLY not in a gang.

-people are born into gangs and it's a way of life.

-some would rather commit crimes as opposed to have a job

-a lot of it's about protecting neighborhoods and family members

-education is not valued very highly

Out of that conversation came understanding on both my part and theirs. But I think I have gained some respect in trying to learn about their lives instead of judging them. This morning they came in and made fun of my choice of music, because I told them I was into the Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows. They actually tried to accuse me of having ticket to the sold out show for the New Kids On The Block. (yeah right:)

So I'm feeling good about my class. I never thought I'd be teaching gang members, but it's kind of exciting to me to be teaching people who have been counted out by the rest of the educational system.

Definitely An Outsider

I am definitely an outsider . . . in many areas of my life, but for this post, I will only focus on my new job. I am a new employee of a public school district in our area. I teach at the adult school (which for you midwesterners is completely foreign, but yes they exist out here). I teach the GED/test preparation class. Basically, I help people prepare for their GED, high school exit exam, or any other test they want to throw at me.

Before I tell you my story, you have to remember this . . . I work in a PUBLIC school district in CALIFORNIA which in my case equals extremely liberal. After all, this is the left coast, right?

We have about a half hour break during class and many of the teachers gather in the lounge to socialize. Every day, the conversation goes political. Last week, it was all about Obama and the DNC. I could not find one person in that room that was not head over heals for Obama. Completely sold out to him, some to the point of tears. I sat quietly and listened, commenting occasionally.

I was really interested in the conversation today, given that Sarah Palin spoke last night, so I made it a point to be in the lounge at break time. Of course, the conversation went to Sarah Palin's speech, and all the comments were about how awful and destructive she is. How she is for guns, drilling, and limiting choice for women. All I said was, " I think she did a really great job last night." (Then I got some bewildered stares.)

So I think they know that I am not your typical liberal around here. They had to have figured that out already. I so badly want to say something in front of the group about my differing opinions, but I don't know how to exactly do it. I don't want to get into a debate or feel like an idiot. I don't want to offend anyone else. I just want them to know that I don't fit their mold.

I call myself an Independent. I don't want to be associated with the right-wing conservatives, although I have many beliefs and values that line up with them. And I don't want to be associated with the left-wing liberals, although I have taken a strong interest in some of their issues as well. Right now, I don't know what I am, so I call myself an Independent. I just know what I believe and want the freedom to choose a candidate based on how my values and beliefs line up with their views on important issues. I see great things in both McCain and Obama. I am not one of those who hates one becasue I support the other. I have great respect for both and think that whomever is elected will do a good job.

Regardless of who I vote for in the November election, I know one thing. I was REALLY impressed with Sarah Palin last night and think that she brings something to the Republican ticket that is worth getting excited for. So I seem to be leaning back to my Republican roots and don't fit in politically around here.

But I'm okay with being the political outsider. It's kind of fun listening to the rantings in the teachers' lounge and soaking it all in. We'll see if I get enough guts to actually say anything:)

A Day of Firsts

Today was Jenna's first day of preschool! She attending the same school last year, so she's an old pro. She said everything went great today, except that no one would play with her. I am not sure if I believe that or not because she wasn't upset in the least at that idea. So we'll see tomorrow.


Abby had a first today too. It was her first day of daycare. Gosh, I hate even saying that word. I am working part time in the mornings, and Abby goes to a babysitter. She is with other kids from church whom she knows and her sitter is absolutely fantasitic. She has a wonderful time too and came home with several new best friends:)


As for me, it was my first day of doing the morning routine of getting everyone up, ready, out the door, and to their appropriate destinations for the day. Nate is a great help in the mornings, and everything went smoothly. I did have a twinge of sadness as I left my girls so that I could work. It's just the way it is here. We like to eat, have shelter, and occasionally do fun things, so in order to do that here in the Bay Area, I have to work. We knew this day was coming and are thankful for the time that I was able to stay home, but that time is no more. I now have zero friends who do not work here. Yep. All moms work. (Most, at least.) But each day will get better and I'm happy with where they are and thankful that I get to be home everyday after noon.

More Pictures

A family picture with monster face Abby and "You want me to do what?" look on Jenna's face. We never did get a good picture of all of us that day.

Abby swimming in the lake.

No clue what Jenna's doing, but cute.

"Take a picture of me! Cheese!"

The Hartke girls

Our buddy, Arden

We have this neighbor who I can't help but write about. Arden. Arden lives next door and has many roles in our neighborhood: policeman, watchdog, parking director, garbage can overseer, and general know it all about everyone and everything. Arden is probably in his 40s and one of the nicest, most helpful people I know.

* Tonight, Arden rang my doorbell to tell me that our garage light was on. He also added that I was wasting energy and that I would never find him with his garage light on.

* He often rings our doorbell at night to tell us if we accidentally left the dome light on in one of the cars. Very, very helpful.

* He always asks about guests we have or where Nate is if he notices his car gone at unusual times.

* He takes our trash out when we are on vacation without us even asking him. Last week, he scolded me for leaving our big recycling bin in the garage where he couldn't get to it while we were away.

* Arden scolds Nate for not watering our lawn three times a day.

* When we have our small group over or any large number of people, Arden does one of two things: 1) He puts his trashcans out in the street in front of his house so no one can park there or 2) He stands in the street in front of his house so no one can park there. Quite humorous:)

* Another trashcan issue. Arden leaves his trash cans/recycling cans out as long as he can during the week so that no one will park in front of his house. Unfortunately for Arden, we have a neighbor across the street who is a trash hauler and yells at Arden often to put his cans away.

* When we moved into our house, Arden was one of the first people in our house as friends from church were helping to move furniture and boxes in. He toured the house before we even knew his name.


I've decided that I really love and appreciate Arden. At least I know who is always ringing my doorbell at 10:30 at night!

The Vaccination Debate

The question of whether or not to vaccinate kids is one that intrigues me. I've become interested because there has been a flood of media coverage on the subject lately and I have been thinking about all angles of this controversy. One question that I read about was about letting vaccinated and non-vaccinated kids play together. I have never even considered that before. What would I do if friends of Jenna's weren't up on their shots? How would I feel if I knew that kids in her preschool class were given exemptions and weren't vaccinated?

My answer is that I don't know. There's a lot to this whole issue and it's one worth investigating and talking about. Here's what I know. . .

#1 Doctors overwhelmingly say that the benefit of vaccinating kids far outweighs the risks.
#2 Many people strongly believe that something in the vaccination shots is causing the autism epidemic.

When it was time to have our girls vaccinated, I really didn't think twice about it. The girls have both had all their shots. I trusted my doctor and believe that vaccinations are not only good for my kids, but for the greater good of people on a whole. Outbreaks can occur in if the percentage of vaccinated people in a given area go below 75-95%, depending on the disease.

On the other hand . . . what if vaccinations are causing autism? What if that could be prevented. We were at camp last week and met an incredible family that has two autistic boys. Their mother strongly believes that vaccinations are to blame. She says that both boys were normal, healthy children until about 18 months, right after their shots. They have actually gone through some kind of treatment (that I can't remember the name of now) to have the metals from the vaccinations removed from their bodies. She says that there is a huge improvement in both boys.

Seeing autism first hand makes one wonder if this issue is being swept under the rug and not being given the attention it deserves. I don't know, but I wonder.

I also wonder about spreading vaccinations out. The family at camp with the autistic boys said that after all of her research, she would recommend to any parent who plans to vaccinate to have every shot done separately, even if it costs more money in co-pays. She believes that giving so many shots at one time (because there are several vaccinations in one shot) could be part of the problem.

We have an excellent pediatrician and she has recommended spreading shots out for my girls, and I am thankful for that because I wasn't as aware of the risks as I think I should have been.

So the debate goes on . . .I guess I don't have a clear cut opinion. I am a believer in vaccinations all but erasing dangerous diseases, but see that there could be a link between autism and these shots. I hope someone figures it out though. There are a lot of families suffering.

Clubs I Do Not Belong To

There are certain "clubs" in life that I am not in, but desperately wish to be in. These "clubs" are activities that many people seem to enjoy and seem to be the in thing or seem to be cool. So here are some "clubs" that I want to be in, but have no hope of ever joining . . .

1) The red wine club. I want to like red wine. I really do. But I don't. I prefer white wine, but I must admit, I feel like a sissy when I am drinking it. It seems like sophisticated people drink red wine.

2) The coffee club. I want to like coffee, but no matter how many times I taste it, I cannot like it. I do, however, like the smell of it, and occasionally try to taste it in hopes that I grew new taste buds. But nope. Every time I go to "coffee" with friends I always get a hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint. They've started to call it going to "hot chocolate" with Laura.

3) I really wish I were young and cool and were into texting. I have texted. It's fine. I just don't understand why one wouldn't just pick up the phone. It's much more personal. Now, I do understand that sometimes, you can't talk and that texting is better. But 100 texts a day? Seriously. I am definitely not in that club and it makes me feel old.

4) Sometimes (notice I said sometimes) I want to belong to the perfect, well-behaved pastor's wives club. I am surely not part of that club, but am trying hard to achieve the well-behaved part.

I'm sure there are more "clubs" that I'd like to be a part of. If I think of any more, I'll write a post.

Does anyone out there have any "clubs" they'd like to be a part of?

Midwest Extravaganza

I love vacation and especially being home. I love to connect with our family and friends that we don't get to see very often. We spent time with my family in Pittsburgh, Nate's family in Toledo, and spent a week at Camp Pioneer in Angola, New York.

Josh, Nate's brother, up to bat at the annual Hartke family wiffleball game.

Beth, my sister-in-law, up to bat a the annual Hartke family wiffleball game.

Jenna and Abby watching the always beautiful Pioneer sunset over Lake Erie.

The kids at family camp at Pioneer. The driver is Noodles--the counselor who hung out with us all week. He's awesome. The kids begged him everyday to ride this train. He always gave in:)

Us with our good friends, the Rozelles. They live in the area and were able to come to camp too. It was so wonderful to see all of them.

Little travelers with Blossom and Deedee.

Our newest nephew, Jeremy, Matt & Misty's son. So, so cute!

We never get to celebrate birthdays together as a family, so we took advantage of my niece, Alayna's, fifth birthday and had a princess party for her!

Nate, at the annual Hartke family wiffleball game.