Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Peanut Butter Deliciousness

Stop reading right here if you don't love peanut butter and chocolate!!




Tonight cookies were made in my amazing kitchen for my staff meeting tomorrow with my part time job, Parents as Teachers. Today I received an email inviting me to come a little early for lunch, that one of my coworkers there was going to make chili. I was welcome to bring something sweet, or just come and enjoy if I didn't have time.

Well thank you to Pinterest, yet again!, I had this cookie recipe I was craving to try. I didn't follow it exactly, but they came out exactly like I wanted :)

If you are still reading, then you must love chocolate, peanut butter and deliciousness!! So here is what I did.....

I combined a whole stick of butter (warmed in the microwave for ooh about 40 seconds) and a cup of brown sugar and beat it like crazy!! Then I added just one egg and about a tsp of vanilla. I don't measure things like that very well, though it seems to work out ok! After I beat the heck outta that, I added a cup of crunchy peanut butter. I am sure you can use smooth peanut butter but I like to add crunchiness whenever I can. Next I excitedly got out my sifter  (I saw this on some cooking show, can't remember which one, and really wanted to try it so.. tonight was the night). I sifted (instead of just mixing and dumping) a cup and a half of regular flour, tsp of baking soda and a tsp of salt into the mixture. Beat, again.

Now the original recipe called for this mixture to be rolled into a log and set in the fridge for HOURS. Yeah, no, not happening here. It was after 8 when I started, so I just wet my hands, rolled the dough into 1 inchish (how do you really ever know?) balls onto my wonderful baking stone. After they were all on there, I used the good ole fork method and smooshed them down. They baked for 14.5 minutes in my preheated 350 degree oven, cooled on the rack...and then I dipped them in chocolate. Mmmmmmmmmm I just heated up some Hershey choc chips in a mug, maybe about a minute and a half (of course, I did stir them about every 30 seconds). I then dipped them in... and let them cool. YUMMMY!

Whatcha think?? I think delicious!!!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Pinterest

Pinterest. Need I say more? :)
Inspiring, time waster, exciting, addicting, educational, fun .... the list could go on and on.

I have made several things that I have pinned. I especially love the corner bookmarks. They are simple and fun!! The plan is to take some time in the library where students can come in and make some, maybe during indoor recess one day. Whatever it takes to encourage students to read!
All you need is some paper, scissors and a glue stick. I have made some at school with just plain paper and then decorated. That allows for more creativity.

Whatcha think?


This one makes me smile every time I see it. I happen to have it in the third book of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Parenting

Today was a great day at work. I may not have been very productive but I had a good day. Won free tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters next weekend, ate at Papa Angelo's with a good friend for lunch, took Philip to the doc, and even had a great dinner out with an old coworker/good friend.

Then I came home.

Apparently little Miss Abbie got her folder signed today. Similar to getting your color flipped, just this is 5th grade style. I don't want to give specifics, but she called someone a mean hateful name on the playground, more than once. I was so embarrassed and angry, and really almost felt like I wanted to call her names. She used a word we never use. As  a teacher myself, I know we always think they learned these things at home. Well, not this time KIDDO! Well, not totally. I asked her and she said on CABLE TV!!!! Ok so maybe it's overboard, but I am cancelling all those kid channels tomorrow. UNBELIEVABLE . I know I am not the best at censoring what she watches, but I never did with the boys, and they turned out great.

What a thing to come home to.

Hopefully she really is sorry, and I will, of course, forgive her (I already have!). It's just heartbreaking. 


Monday, January 9, 2012

Battle of the Books

Today we are starting the Battle of the Books competition at our school, and really in our district. I believe there are 4 elementary schools participating. I am excited, though I do not feel ready to begin! Being the person who started this, I feel like I need some more planning time but we really cannot waste more time. So, I had some plans to get started introducing it today, and then that class didn't show up. Can you say BUMMER!! So you would think I would have taken more time to get ready, but nooooo I didn't.

Our plan though is to have our competitions at the school level on the Friday that begins Spring Break. Then the district wide competition will be May 4th.

I don't think anyone reads these posts, but if you are reading it.. and you have ANY experience with Battle of the Books (BOB as we shall call it!)... please share your thoughts and ideas.. good or bad!!

I am off to read more of the second book in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire. I have read 10 chapters. I completely and totally sucked right in :)

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Hunger Games

This morning I stayed in bed way too to finish the Hunger Games, the first in the trilogy. I had no idea what this award winning novel was even about. I had, of course, heard people raving about this book, but still... I had no idea even what the plot was. I prefer to read books that way, not knowing the plot, then I have an easier time not guessing the ending.

I am at a new school this year, and trying to build relationships with my coworkers is what got me started on the book. Well, I love to read.. and that helped a lot. A wonderful kind teacher asked me if I had read the series, as she was just about to start. I had not, and when she came back after the first telling me how she couldn't put it down, I knew I wanted to read it. Hopefully this will be the beginnings of a friendship, as  we will no doubt discuss it when at school Monday. Another benefit happened when my principal saw the book on my desk. He got excited saying he was about to start reading it as well. Apparently his middle school son has read all three and invited him to read them. So now, there will be at least three of that can talk about it. My love of reading is not always something I can share with others, so this is something to look forward to.

I was sucked into the book, especially this monring. I am surprised it is a book initially targeted at young adult, middle school students. It is extremely brutal in parts, so loving in others. I like there was no sex, just a smidge of kissing. The plot is interesting enough to keep you guessing, most of the time. It also makes you think, think about if something like this could really ever happen. We really live in a good time in life, in the USA, to be able to feel safe and feel like we can achieve whatever dreams we strive for. 

 I am excited to start the second one on Monday. Until then... I am off to the outlet mall with two tweens!!! 


Friday, January 6, 2012

Thunder Book Bus Visit

This is my principal and the Thunder player. I was surprised  my principal was taller! I mean, I already knew he was tall but goodness! :) 

This is one of the 4th graders who loves to read. He spends a ton of time in the library getting new books, talking about the books he is reading or wants to read. I have really liked getting to know him!


Just before Christmas break, our school had a visit from the OKC Rolling Thunder Bus. This bus is amazing.  The kids get to go on the bus and pick from a bunch of books, keeping whichever book they pick. They usually get something else too, like a bookmark. This time they were also treated with a visit from the newest Thunder player, Lazar Hayward. I don't know who had more fun, Lazar or the kids! It was fun to see their faces and to watch them talk to him.

The only part I don't love is that we are rewarding the kids who already love to read. The only ones who were invited to go on the bus were the ones who were top readers in 4th and 5th grade. These wonderful kids are going to keep reading whether there is a reward or not.
It's the ones who are reluctant readers who get to me. I want to reach them, and light a spark in them for reading. Hopefully I am doing that with some, even one!


Here is a link to see the video the Thunder created from the visit:
http://www.nba.com/thunder/video/2011/12/21/lazarbookbusmov-1942078/index.html
I wanted to take this picture for my brother. He is a huge Chicago Bulls fan! Lazar told me his good friend just got drafted to the Bulls this season. So, maybe just maybe my brother is a little jealous of this picture :) Probably not but just never know!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Abbie is 10

As most parents do, I feel amazed that my youngest is ten years old today!! She came into this world as a wonderful surprise. At a time when my life as a married woman was falling apart. A time I wasn't sure I wanted to started over with a new baby (Philip was almost 6 when Abbie was born, John 8). Looking back now, I can't even imagine life without her. She is the sunshine in my life. She is almost always optimistic, happy and often in her own lil world! I always knew, even when I was pregnant with her, that God had a plan when He brought her into my life. I still have no idea the exact plan, but I know that she sure is a wonderful blessing!!

Happy 10th Birthday ABBIE!!



Just starting out

I have decided to try my hand at blogging. I am so new, I have no idea what I am doing!! But... I really want to try it. I plan to use this to write about my life. Life as a mom to three amazing children, life as a school librarian and life as a Christian woman!!