April Snow

If April showers bring May flowers, what does April snow bring??? ( I'm afraid of the answer.)

Here we are, way up nert (that isn't a spelling error, it's a WisCANsin thang.), in the final hours of a winter storm that's been going on for a bit more than 24 hours now.

This was me yesterday gearing up to make the drive to work.

If I appear less than thrilled, I was.

That look, plus several inappropriate words/phrases, were what I wore/used on my way to work, several hours late, today.   Apparently they're only plowing the main emergency routes, so I had to wait until a few cars at least went down my road so I would have a shot at driving in the ruts.  My car is about as low to the ground as you get.  I did get stuck initially, but I just channeled The Brown Eyed Man, "kept the wheels straight", and got myself going.

So you may think this is an odd spring for us, but no.  This is normal.  All the snow had melted, and wham, here we go again.  You might make the statement, "Well, that's got to be it then." No, not at all.  After the long range forecast last night on the news the anchor man told the weather man to go home. :)  We are looking at a possible ice storm Sunday, and another possible event like this later next week.

We ought to be dug out by Memorial weekend......  I have no memory of a May blizzard. (perhaps I've blocked it)

Pirates of Alloueze

I was working on my scrapbook this past weekend, and will shamefully admit that the page I was working on is Pablo's adoption.  Yes, I know.  That was in 2005.  With the digital camera age, and having all of the  pictures on my computer, it's really hard for me to get them physically into a book.  I do prefer looking at an actual book to looking at them online, so it's my goal to get into this project and finish it!

So anyway, tomorrow is Pablo....oh for crying out loud.... PAUL's eleventh birthday.  Here is a picture of our sweet little three year old boy, the artist formerly known as Pablo, on his adoption day. 

Sorry if that made you cry Oma. :)  These kids are growing up way to fast.

This spring Paul took a trip to Disney and his Mom sent me this picture.

Captain Pablo Sparrow, of Alloueze! 

It makes him look older, and I don't like that one bit.  You can kind of see the man he's growing into. The next thing you know he will be driving.......

He pulled a prank on me the other day, reminiscent of something his father would do, so I owe him one.  Hehehe  You wont know when, but it's coming Matey! Mua ha ha!

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend, and to catching you in some ballgames this spring/summer!

Happy Birthday Paul :) ♥ you to the moon and back and around the block!  Beware of mail that squeaks......

Prom.... Then and Now

Tonight is prom night for the eldest Goover.  I wanted to get pics beforehand, but Ash was over at a friends house getting ready, so I told them pictures better show up on Facebook in a timely manner, or I would wander on over to the prom and take them myself.  Oh yes I would....... in my jamma pants and my sorrels.  It's a peach of a day here in the Northland.  We have rain, snow, sleet, and just a little bit of hail thrown in for good measure.  What brain trust decided early April was the best time for a prom??

So here she is.  (slow tear sliding down one cheek)

Fancy, just like Grandma. ♥

 

 

This made me think of her as a three year old, playing in the puddles in her dresses.

 

 

It still staggers me that she is sixteen.  She drives, she has played on the football team, she just made varsity soccer, has a "man friend", and is at her junior prom.  (sniff) 

 

 

Looking at her pics made me feel quite nostalgic.  Twenty seven (holy crap) years ago I went to my Junior Prom.  They held it mid May, so it was chilly, but at least there wasn't any snow.  It was a blast.  The guys all wore white tuxes, and they all had shades and squirt guns.  We all hung together as a group during the dance, and then the girls slept over at Kelli's afterwards.  We must must have gone somewhere for dinner beforehand, but I seriously can not recall where.  I was irritated because the guys were more interested in goofing around than dancing with us, but it was fun.

 

 

 

That was the worst hair of my life.  It was supposed to be ringlets and then the lady decided to brush it out.  Can you say bouffant?  Geez.

 

 

 

 

Senior prom, I have no memory of, except for it being kind of "blah."  This is Vicki and I right after the grand march.  I remember she was in love with that dress because it was straight out of  "Gone With the Wind"!  Mine was pink lace, and itchy as hell.  Much better hair though!

 

 

Ashlyn I hope you have the time of your life tonight!  To bad you have soccer practice at noon!  Love you to the moon and back, and half way around the block.  Please don't play in the puddles.

 

 

 



 

Go Go Goovers!

The Goovers slept over last Friday, and as usual we had a great time!  My favorite line of the evening came from Hannah.  We were tormenting Ash about her "man friend" as the little ones like to call him, and when we were talking about his age Hannah piped up with "He just turned 18, so he's freshly a man."  The way she said freshly, like it was some glorious thing made me laugh so hard I almost peed my pants. 

Ey yi yi.....

As you can see we colored some Easter Eggs.

We also worked on some paper plate bunnies, and then we settled in to watch "Here Comes Peter Cottontail."

The morning brought some interesting discussions.  We covered everything from adoption to menopause.  You never know what those two are going to ask/ come up with next. 

An interesting side note: Tater had no idea that CeCe was adopted.  That just goes to show you that things like prejudice/bigotry are learned behavior.  I had to explain that two white folks only make white babies, she really didn't know.  Kudos to her parents, and to all of us as a family.  All of the kids are accepted and loved, no matter what planet they came from. ;)  

To Teach

When I am an old lady sitting on my porch, rocking on my chair, thinking about my life, I bet that I will feel the greatest gift I was ever given was the opportunity to teach. 

This past week I have spent a lot of time thinking about teaching, the people who taught me, and what it takes to truly be a great teacher.  Did I have mentors along the way?  Just a few, but I never really thought about it until now.

My first grade teacher, Sister Janet, was always so kind and loving.  I had a rough time in the early grades, but I knew I was loved and accepted.  My third grade teacher, Miss Ness, left you with that same feeling.  My fifth/sixth grade teacher Mrs. Winek was so hip and interesting.  You could tell that she really cared about us and about what she was teaching.  She was the first teacher to encourage my writing. 

In Junior High (middle school to you younguns) the only one who really stands out to me now is Mrs. Rusch.  Probably, again, because she encouraged my writing.  School paper, writing for the telegram, poetry contests, etc.

In High School there is also only one teacher who stands out to me now as a mentor, probably the one who had the most influence on how I approached teaching later in my life, Mrs. Sweeney.  She was the choir teacher while I was in high school, but also taught English in years prior, and in the years following.  I really wish I could have had the opportunity to have had her for English, although she was a fabulous choral director.

The difference between most of my other teachers and Mrs. Sweeney was the fact that she very obviously cared about her students, not just what they were learning, but cared about them as individuals.  She gave respect and got it back ten fold.  Choir classes were huge back then, and concert choir probably had 50/60 kids in the room at once.  No assistants, just Mrs. Sweeney and all of us.  For the most part there were no discipline issues.  I think I only saw her lose her cool once, and you knew she meant business.

She didn't have children of her own, and explained very early on that she considered her students her children, and we could feel free to come to her with anything, and many did.  Most, if not all of the kids called her Ma, or Ma Sweeney.  It was normal to see her attending to three things at once, pulling a  pencil from her hair with one hand, while waiving to a student who was  shouting  "Hi Ma" through the door as they passed by the room.

I remember one particular afternoon before choir or Spartan Singers, when I was upset about some teen-age dramarama, and was just sitting in the auditorium lobby in an empty desk, staring out the window, and she walked by.  She got about three feet past me, stopped, came back and gave me a hug.  "Whatever it is, just cry.  Let it out and you'll feel better."  She was right.

Sadly, Mrs. Sweeney passed away a week ago.  Tragically it was in a house fire, and they are still trying to figure out just what happened.  There have been newspaper articles, and features on the local news about her, and about all of the lives that she touched.  I am one of those lives.  She taught me that a teacher can also be a friend, and confidant, and still be respected.  No matter how many irons she had in the fire, she was never to busy for any one of us, ever. 

I was very lucky to have had her influence in her life and have thought of her often through the years.  God Bless you, Ma Sweeney, and if they let me in the pearly gates I hope that I'm lucky enough to sing with you again! ♥
 
http://www.superiortelegram.com/event/obituary/id/76033/