Trick or Treat!

Minnie Mouse and Sleeping Beauty chum it up before the big haul.

Minnie

Crazy hair day

Spirit week at school

Because I should be sitting down

It's not the best I've done, but the girls were thrilled....

Football, anyone?

I am not much of a sports fan, as much as anyone knows. Most of my friends and family know that I like to watch basketball on TV. Not religiously, but enough so that if it is on I will change the channel to see it- and I don't have a favorite, or even preferred team. Occasionally I will watch hockey, when it counts. When the Red Wings (our local team) is playing for keeps, I will watch. One time we even went to one of the sports bar type restaurants specifically to WATCH the Red Wings. Once. A long time ago. But if I am a casual sports enthusiast, my husband is a sports holdout. There is nothing about televised sports he tolerates well. For a while he even banned me from watching basketball (there's a long story there, involving a very bad back injury and a penchant for screaming at the TV while jumping around wildly, so he was well within his rights - but I cannot help but think he was glad to turn of the TV just because sports were on). It seems that we are an oddity among our peers and neighbors. Saturday afternoons in the fall see college flags sprouting out of houses like crocuses in the spring. Co workers have fantasy football and basketball teams and spend time breaking down the weekend matches.

Around here, there a few rival teams that you are supposed to pick from and root for. The first rivalry is University of Michigan versus Michigan State. My mom went to Michigan, and just to be contrary, every time those two teams were matched up I would bet against U of M for a week of no bed making or extra chores. I grew up in a time of Michigan's history when they NEVER lost. It sucked. But today, it seems, I should have bet something, because U of M is having a Very Bad Streak. Believe me, it crossed my mind. But I have never had any real loyalty there. The other strong rivalry, and maybe even bigger, is U of M and Ohio State. I have a very close friend that is a die hard OSU fan - her husband WENT to Ohio State and she must own every piece of clothing available to show your fealty. They both regularly attend OSU games, even now that they have 2 kids. This is big, folks. So last year, on the very day they were playing U of M I had to go to her house in a U of M sweatshirt. She almost didn't let me in. But, to hedge my bets, I had an OSU t-shirt on underneath. It works for me. But now something has changed. What? I don't know.

I have had coworkers all bent out of shape over the sports alignment before and I have ignored it. But it seems that this year is a little different. I think I am almost liking Ohio State. Why? Well, they seem to play a pretty good game. Their fans seem incredibly loyal. I like their colors and their songs. They have fun chants. It might be that last one. It's certainly NOT their mascot, Brutus. Why are they Buckeyes? Well, it IS about Ohio, where I guess they have a lot of those. But their little buckeye leaf reminds my of holly and Christmas time, and their oversized, anthropomorphized Aesculus species nut is a little worrisome. OK, a lot worrisome. And he dances. That is weird. But I digress. My coworker - the physics teacher across the hall - dissed Ohio State. That made me feel all protective of this team, for reasons unknown to me. So now I have aligned myself for the price of a bottle of Pepsi (which we both love more than Coke) with OSU. There. I did it. So I am watching the Ohio State vs. Penn State game right now (turns out Penn state is ranked #3 and OSU #10, so I am not sure what I have done here) and I have no idea why. I am struck by the overwhelming amount of RED in the crowd - Penn state seems under represented here. They keep up their chanting of O-H-I-O (I like that) and it is like a constant roar. Sounds like fun out there in Buckeye country. Strangely enough, I am a feeling a little bit like I should be wearing another color. I mean, looking at my green sweater you would have thought I was rooting for MSU today (only passively, of course), and at least I'm not wearing blue, which is Penn State's color. But I do feel like I'm missing out on some fraternal organization by not wearing red during this game. I mean, they DO look like they are having a lot of fun wearing red. It can't be the Nut dancing around because that is still weird. Very weird.

Emma is a Girl Scout!

Well, a Daisy Scout, at least. Thursday night we began the long career of Girl Scouts. At kindergarten (and now first grade as well), the girls are Daisy Scouts. I don't remember Daisy Scouts at all, so I don't know if they are a newer creation (well, in the last 30 years, I mean). What I do remember, is being a part of something BIGGER. I loved that. When I got to Jr. High, I still belonged, but we didn't do much. We were known by our leader as "closet Girl Scouts", because it wasn't "cool" to be in them. We just used it for time to sit around and talk, as young teens are want to do. So 5 little 5 year olds got together and learned hos to do the Girl Scout Promise. Tears threatened when Emma fashioned her fingers into the little hand symbol they use to recite the promise.


Then the Mommies got to order the little uniforms. They are blue (a color I never associated with scouts, to be honest) and we talked about the patches and badges they can get. Emma was not impressed with most of it, but she really enjoyed playing the drum set at the leader's house. She is also very excited about the idea that we are bringing snack next time. I remember being excited about snack. I also remember LOTS of little songs we learned and I think Emma will like that, too. She is also TERRIBLY excited about a mall sleep over the mothers talked about. You know, all of the IMPORTANT things the girl scouting brings to the table. Mary is jealous, of course. She keeps telling me that I shouldn't have picked Emma first, as if we went to some sort of Sam's Club for babies, saw them both sitting there, and chose Emma over her. Anyhow, I found out that Daisy Scouts sell COOKIES now (this is apparently a new thing). I can't wait until January!!!!!

Autumn Girls

Running errands with Mama

Black Friday?

In an effort to defray a projected 3.2 million dollar deficit in my school district, I have received one of these. Yes, Internet, it is to be wondered how cutting off my meager salary that is on the bottom of the pay scale can fix a budget flaw of that magnitude, but there you have it; a 33% cut in teaching staff proposed, increasing the day from 5 periods to 6, and raising the class limit to 35 students (a 30% increase in class size). It is a pending notice that starts December 1st if nothing else in the equation changes. Well, doesn't THAT make for a happy holiday season? Times are tough everywhere, I know, but you'll forgive me if I don't get out the fine linens.

Sick Day

Home with Mary.

At the Halloween store

Emma tries on a sweet ride.