Hall Closet Clean Out

I got an urge this afternoon to clean out the hall closet. It's more of a cupboard with drawers. The top drawer has collected ever kind of junk imaginable. The cupboard has three shelves that were full of bottles of old cosmetics and cleaners and who knows what else. So I got out a garbage back and started chucking. I threw out a ton of old hair products. I also got rid of anything I hadn't used in the last year. I put some baskets in the drawers to help keep things a little more organized and put all the things we use the most on the bottom shelf so there's easy access. It's looking pretty nice!

Errand Day

Well, today was the day for errands.
I got my hair cut.
I picked up my quilt from the drycleaners.
I picked up the tile from Home Depot.
I got dog food, etc from Walmart.
I got a new top and skirt from Bibles for Missions Thrift store.
I got a new dress and skirt from Fairweathers.
I got a couple of halter tops from Suzy Shier ($5 each!).
I went to Staples and picked up a class set of lit folders.
I picked up the mail.
I went for a walk with Casey.

Yup, a pretty productive trip.

You Roared- over at I Am Momma Her Me Roar

So, you remember those t-shirts I made for my dad? Well, I got the inspiration from the blog I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. So I added them to her Flikr group and she did a blog post today called "You Roared" where she features pics of projects from that group showing how others used her techniques. And my tractor T-shirt showed up there! Yeah!

Another Great Run

I need to post about my good runs every time to encourage myself to keep going. So here I am. I went for another run tonight. We set the date for our 5K run. It is the Detroit Free Press Race. I am working my butt off for this, hoping to accomplish something physical for once in my life. All of my achievements have been either in the arts (music, drama) or academics. So, I keep running...

Furniture Arranged

I went into the school today and dug into the disaster that was my classroom. The cleaners left everything in a terrible mess. Desk drawers were in the wrong room. Shelves everywhere, things very ASKEW! Anyway, so I decided to get things in a bit more order so that I could start to visualize where things were going and how my days would proceed. I didn't follow my amazing furniture plans exactly, as I have decided to use centers in my room.
I also did not want to come into class on the first week back and have to face all of that mess. This way I am much more relaxed about the whole thing. I was working at it for over three hours. I also managed to find a great stereo in the portable (where miscellaneous items go to die) that plays cd's and cassettes (essential for my listening center). It also supports my split track tapes (a tape that allows you to turn the voices off and sing along to the music...often used for choirs). All in all, it was a very productive day.

Two Units Finished

So today I finished planning Unit One - Grade One of my Language arts curriculum (Working with Words, Guided Reading, Writing).
I also finished planning my first Science Unit "God Speaks Through Matters and Materials". I'm looking forward to this one. It's all about senses and there are a few fun experiments.

This gets me through September for both subjects. YEAH!

Small steps, one by one I'll get through them all!

A Great Run

I've been working through the 5K training schedule for three weeks. I had a rough time last week, not completing all my run times. I had been trying to run in the mornings since it isn't too hot yet. My legs were trudging through soup. Today though, I decided to wait and go at sunset (around 8:30pm). It was starting to cool down, but wasn't yet dark. I also brought a new album on my IPod. And it worked! MY attitude and energy level were better because it wasn't first thing in the morning. The songs also had a great beat to run to, making me much happier to run! I listened to Hillsong Kids Ultimate Collection Album. My favourite song from the album is also the best one to run to: One Way Jesus. I have included the video here. The actions are really fun. I can't wait to teach them to my kids at school.
So I has a great run, with energy to walk up my steps. After a nice hot shower, I am actually feeling really good about myself and how I did tonight. I might be able to do that 5K eventually...

Garden Disasters

I have hired my friend Greg to mow my lawn for me this summer. I never remember. I hate doing it. And he needs the money. Today he came to mow the lawn and my mower died. Kaput. So he helped me load it in my vehicle to take to the repair shop tomorrow morning.

Then the Weed Eater ran out of twine. After winding it and re-threading it, that got all jammed up. Greg's Dad was able to fix it for me (thank Gary :)

So I spent most of the afternoon and evening outside pulling weeds out of the cracks in my concrete, out of my gardens, out of my driveway, etc. I also used the leaf blower to blow all the debris that collected on my back step out into a garbage bag. Things are looking very good now. Thanks to a couple of friends who helped me out.

Toolbox Pickup

Scott has been watching for "his toolbox" to go on sale at Canadian Tire for YEARS! So this week I get a message "my toolbox is on for $400 off this week. Please go get one." So, after dealing with excruciatingly stupid people for two days (yes, it took two days) I finally got the box into my truck and home it came.

I guess it's fitting that the beast of a toolbox is sitting in the beast of a truck.

I then proceeded to  remove the box and the drawers so that it wouldn't be too heavy to lift down. My friend and I then lifted it onto my trusty garden cart and wheeled it to the garage. Awesome.

Witness to the Greatest Tractor Parade in the World

Today, in my tiny hometown, we SQUASHED..... DEMOLISHED..... STOMPED ON... the Guiness World Record for longest Tractor Parade. The old Record was 601 tractors. Today, our parade, which lasted nearly 7 hours, had 1,231 tractors! They also raised over $106,000 for Cancer research! That's AMAZING! I stuck around to see the first 575 tractors (in 4 hours) before I had to leave. It was so much fun to see the farmers I knew get to be a part of history. It was also very nostalgic to see the different tractor brands, a couple of Massey Ferguson 135's like my Dad used to drive. What a memorable day!

School Work Accomplished

Today I finished planning my Bible Curriculum.... YEAH! One whole subject done for one whole year!

I also have my Making Words lessons printed up for grade one.

One step at a time!

A Trip to the Dealership

So my hubby has picked out a new car for me. I finally got a permanent job, so I can get a new car. He's been researching online and found one. the new Volkswagon Golf Wagon, Diesel, Manual, Highline (or as Scott says...the awesomeness package). So finally went into the dealership yesterday to look at them and get some info. They are REALLY pretty...and the stereo is amazing... digital touch screen, ipod dock, 6-disc awesome.

Scott really likes the white, but the only pic I could steal was black...you get the idea though... now to wait for the 2011 models in October... *sigh*

Book Review - Rapunzel's Revenge written by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by Nathan Hale

I am a huge Shannon Hale fan. She has written some of my favourite youth fiction books including Princess Academy, Book of a Thousand Days and Goose Girl, as well as Austenland, one of her adult fiction novels. So when I heard she had teamed up with her husband to write a graphic novel I knew I had to check it out. The story is loosely based on the character of Rapunzel. At the age of twelve, Rapunzel discovers that the woman she thought was her mother is actually a witch who stole her from her parents when she was a baby. The witch locks her in a giant tree (grown with magic) so that she cannot escape. The magic used to grow the tree also causes her hair to grow EXTREMELY long in the three years she is locked up. She finally escapes and her adventures really start. Rapunzel teams up with Jack, an outlaw that carries around a goose and a bean.... This take on the story really makes Rapunzel the heroine of the story, as she is the one who rescues Jack and many others along her way. She is strong and brave, making her a great role model. As far as story goes, it is typical "comic book" type action sequences, one after another, as Rapunzel battles wild boars, bands of outlaws, giant seas snakes, etc... The story lacks depths, but that seems to be inevitable in this format. Overall, a good story I would recommend highly, especially to reluctant readers.

Click on the page for a sneak peek!

Feeling Blessed

"When you're worried and you can't sleep

Just count your blessings instead of sheep

And you'll fall asleep

Counting your blessings"

White Christmas

Here's a list of just a few of my blessings:

- My high-maintenance pets: Caterpillar and Gimpy (the cats who both had to visit the vet this week because of war wounds) and Casey (my fur-ball dog who loves to chew tanktop and bra straps)

- My job (finally a permanent position working with little kids, even if it's a lot of work)

-My marriage (we may not be conventional, but it works for us... it's been 11 years together this month)

-My house (the little brick house we found in this little small town)

- My Wacko family (they are crazy, but I love them)

- My talents (arts, poetry, music, laughter)

A Great Afternoon with Casey

So poor Casey and I haven't had much time together lately. I think he's been missing me. So this afternoon we packed up in the car and drove for about an hour (on an errand for hubby) and then we stopped into Petsmart. Casey likes getting to go into the store, too. We wandered around and he picked out a toy. He also got a treat! And then on the way home, he cuddled with his head on my arm. I got covered in nose drool, but so worth it!

Black Forest Trifle

Layer One - Gluten Free Brownies...chunked up and thrown in a bowl
Layer Two - Cherry Pie Filling
Layer Three - Thawed Cool Whip

That's it. Perfection. Dished up with a spoon.

Mud Gaga Ball

So today was the final day of Day Camp. I am exhausted! The last day tradition is to till up the gagaball pit (a wooden octagon used to play a dodgeball variation called gagaball) and fill it with water... creating a huge mud pit. We then take turns playing "mud gaga ball"... and getting completely coated in it. This year, there were a few sinkholes that tripped us up and we had a blast. The parking lot was FULL of mud from the hoses cleaning everyone up. I had so much fun, but keeping up with the kids all week has been taking a toll on my body... I am ready for a break!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Can you tell how old I am today? I had tons of Facebook wishes, a half dozen phone messages and one beautiful Pink Rose for my special day. The girls at my workout class also gave me frozen yogurt with a candle in it! AND Hubby called at 12:30am to make sure he was the first official Happy Birthday. 

Check out my thoughts on Birthdays at my other blog.

Overall, it was a wonderful day!

Slip and Slide

I have been helping out at our Church Day Camp this week. Today, the temperatures reached 33 degrees. It made the water games much more desirable. So when they brought out the slip and slide I got on my suit. We played tug of war on the slip and slide, falling all over the place and getting soaked. We then did the classic run and slide. I am not a great one for throwing my body on the ground, even if it's wet and slippery. I always slowed down when I reached the plastic. But I still had a great time! And the water did the trick in cooling me down.

Movie Review - Despicable Me

For my birthday, my friend took me out to dinner and a movie. We went to see "Despicable Me". We were drawn to the movie for the voice credits: Steve Carell, Jason Segal, Russel Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, etc. The commercials were sparse on details. The main premise of the story is that Gru is an aging super villain who wants to make a name for himself in the circles of evil. He adopts three little girls to use in his plot to steal the moon. As the girls start to get a hold on his heart, he becomes conflicted about the purpose for his life. The little girls are adorable. The minions are hilarious and Steve Carrel does an amazing job with Gru's accent and sayings. A very funny, cute movie. 4 out of 5. I would recommend it.

Cone Head Cat

So my cat came home with a nasty scab that turned into a gross facial wound. I had to take him to the vet today where they sedated him and stitched him up. He's now a cone head for two weeks. Poor little thing!

Book Review - The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

Book # 2 in the series. I again listened to it on Audiobook, read by Del Roy. I love his voice. He is the perfect voice for this book. It's an ageless type of mystery/action story. There is more imminent danger to the children in this second book, as they are following clues and puzzles left behind by Mr. Benedict before he was kidnapped. These clues lead them to venture half way around the world on their own. The story is just as long as the first one (roughly 500 pages) and does have certain moments that drag a bit, but the puzzles are great, the characters are realistic and the action in this one keep the reader wanting to know more. The new characters introduced, including a circus strongman and a ship's captain, add to the delightful combination of personalities. All of the children are dealing with new personal dilemma as they grow older and are facing even more danger. Yet they all manage to work together and come through their struggles just fine (not to ruin the ending).

Steps Nine to Eleven

Ok. Continuing on the Quilt Path... Here's what I completed today:

(9) I laid out my backing on the dining room floor and taped it down. Then I laid out the batting and the top so I could cut the batting to fit.











(10)I folded back the batting and sprayed the backing with quilter's adhesive spray, working in small sections, laying the batting back down. I smoothed the batting onto the backing, removing air bubbles or wrinkles in the fabric. I repeated the steps with the top, adhering it to the batting. When all was finished, I removed the tape and folded the quilt to be quilted.





(11) The Story Patch: I used some of the fabric scraps from the top of the quilt to make an interesting story patch for the back of the quilt. My new quilting machine does letters, so I punched in what I wanted, line by line, and away it went.

"Sunshine in the Garden"

Made for Mom and Dad Baillie

Love Jennifer Rose

July 2010

Yup, She's going to cry...

A Bath for the Bathroom

So I noticed yesterday that Casey was smelling nasty in the rain. He usually smells a little bit like a wet dog, but he also smells of his shampoo. That's when I realized that Casey had not been bathed in a while.
So this morning I determined to give him a bath. Usually this takes both Scott and I, but since I am home alone these days, I wanted to do it myself.

Casey is very good about being in the tub. He doesn't enjoy it by any means, but he doesn't fuss. BUT THAT FUR! It takes forever to get it all wet, and then forever to get it all shampooed and forever to get the shampoo! By the time all that was done, I had given up on using his detangling conditioner.

When Casey gets out of the tub, the whole place gets a "wash" from his shaking. He got me and the bathroom soaked before I could get him outside to dry off. He gets all crinkly when he's drying. And then very Poofy when he's completely dry.

Step eight of the Quilt

The Quilt top is finished!

(8) I finished sewing the twelve rows together tonight. I think it has turned out awesome so far. I bought the batting and backing today so tomorrow I have to tape it all down and spray it with quilter's adhesive. Then I can quilt it and bind it. OH! And I can't forget the story patch!

It's coming along quickly. I should have no problem getting it done before we head east next month.

Puppy's Power Walk

So Casey and I went for another power walk tonight. As I have mentioned previously, my dog Casey has been having trouble keeping up with me. But, as frustrating as it has been to coax him though the last half of our walks, I have persevered and continued to drag him along. Tonight, we walked for 45 minutes. Only the last ten minutes did he fall behind me at all, and he never fell far behind. He is getting better! As I get into shape, I am forcing him to as well! Good job Casey!

step seven of the quilt

To continue on the quilt progress:

(7) So I got all of the blocks sewn into rows today. I ironed them all flat and all I have left to do now is sew the rows together and I will be finished the top! Yeah!
Almost ready for the sandwiching part...

If you are joining in the middle of the quilt rant, here are the previous posts:

Steps 1-2

Steps 3-6

Steps three to six of the quilt

If you remember my last quilt update, I had finished sewing my 324 6" squares into 108 rows of 3.
(3) This morning I sewed all my rows of three into 36 nine-piece squares. I was very specific in the placement of the colours in the squares. You will see the reason in a minute.

(4) I then took all of the nine patches and cut them into quarters (I found it easiest to fold the square in half and iron a crease, then do the same for the other direction. It was much simpler than trying to measure the exact middle.



(5) After the pieces were cut, I had to lay them painstakingly on the floor and figure out which design I wanted to create.I knew that I needed 12 blocks by 12 blocks. It took me quite a while before I was happy with it. I'm not good at "random", so I put them the way I wanted them, and then changed a few out here and there to create a more random feel.



(6)When I finally got all the pieces where I wanted them, I made stacks for each row, using sticky notes to indicate the top and outside edges of each row, so there would be no confusion when I'm sewing. Lastly, I used binding clips to hold each row together. I now have a nice neat stack ready for me to start sewing in the morning.

Bootcamp Beauties

I made it out to bootcamp class tonight, after missing three weeks in a row. After a day that reached 35 celcius, we were all sweating before even beginning to move. Jo was not easy on us, though. During one of the exercises, Jo had drops of sweat dripping from her nose onto the floor. I could feel my own sweat running down into my  eyes. After running sprints, crab walks, weight lifts, squats, push ups and crunches, I am home and ready for a nice hot shower. I will be feeling it tomorrow though... I am sure of it!

Movie Review - Eclipse: Twilight Series

I went out for a night with the girls. We are all huge fans of the Twilight Book series, so we decided to go see the movie together, since none of our husbands were at all interested. We had a great night of food and laughter before even reaching the theatre. The room was filled with people wearing team Edward or team Jacob t-shirts, showing their loyalty clearly when the two aforementioned characters were on the screen. We seemed to be in the middle of the Team Jacob crowd, because every time Jacob was on screen, usually shirtless, their were catcalls and cheers. There were a few scenes that I disagreed with when compared with the book. I also hated the new choice for Victoria. She was wimpy. I don't like the actors that play Rosalie or Jasper either. But I enjoyed the acting in this movie much more than the last two movies. I also loved seeing the tent scene with my eyes and not just in my mind. They also did an amazing job on the proposal scene.

All in all, I give it a 4 out of 5.

Visit over an Iced Capp

Today was HOT. The temperature reached 32 celsius, but the humidex said it felt like 42! I was thankful for my air conditioning today. As it was, anytime I had to leave my house it felt like I was walking into a brick wall of heat!
So when a friend of mine asked me for a visit at Tim's, I was very much looking forward to a nice, cool Iced Capp! We walked the 5 minutes down the road, sweating by the time we reached the counter. It was so refreshing! We sat and enjoyed the cool table. We chatted about everything under the sun until we checked the time... three and a half hours later! It was a great afternoon!

steps one and two of the quilt

So I started actually working on the quilt for my parents today.
(1) I got all of the 324 squares cut out (2) and then sewed them into rows of three. They are in a funky little stack on my sewing table. These will be sewn into nine patches to create a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt similar to these ones. I haven't decided how I will put them together to make the pattern, but I have the nine patches all set to go. I need to sew together my rows of three, cut them apart, and then lay them out to make whatever pattern I decide to go with, then sew those together, then sandwich the backing, batting and top, then quilt it, then bind it, then make the story patch...yeah, I'm almost done!  For general instructions, check out the Obsessively Stitching blog.

Wonder Jam

On Saturday, our youth group went to Canada's Wonderland for an event centred on a Christian Music concert. We got to see KJ-52, Hawk Nelson, Starfield and Switchfoot. We also got to ride on some amazing rollercoasters. I lost my ballcap on the BEHEMOTH... the biggest roller coaster in the park. I thought I was going to have a heart attack! We went straight down for a very long time... so I had to buy a new hat at the park so that I wouldn't burn to a crisp. I had a ton of fun, built some relationships with the kids and jumped around to some great Christian rock!

Popped Out Letters

So today I got most of my bulletin board letters popped out and ready to be laminated. I can't get to that step until august, as they have closed down our school for floor cleaning already. It's so exciting to get new letters, etc. since I've just been using the ones belonging to others for all these years because I didn't have a classroom of my own. Now I can invest in these things, laminate them and use them for years! I did all this while baking in the sun in my bikini. Nice combination!

Painting Arms and Faces

As a fan of lettering arts, I decided to do some fancy writing at our Canada day celebrations. The kids loved the Canada's on their arms and I was able to try out a few different fonts on them. I also painted a few maple leafs on faces. And I painted one "lightening McQueen"! All in all, I painted something on 20 different people today.

Cupcake Cones

So I am attending a Canada Day Barbecue with lots of little kids so I decided to make Cupcake Cones, which I have never done before. It was super simple! Instead of using paper wrappers, you simply put the batter into icecream cones and bake them in the oven. No mess, no fuss, no garbage to pick up after. I will ice them later today. Don't forget the sprinkles!

Teacher Store Purchases

So I finally made it out to Scholar's Choice, the most amazing teacher's store ever! I've been there many times before, but this time I can invest in some things because I now have a permanent job! Anyway, so I did some online browsing, made a sizable list and away I went. I spent way too much, but I'm so excited to get these up in my room! I just to get them all punched out now and laminated...and then cut out again... oh, this is sounding like work! Oh, well, pass it off to another day...