Count Your Many Blessings

It's kind of appropriate with Thanksgiving coming up to think about what you are grateful for. Well, it's just kind of ironic that I feel this way. These last couple weeks, I have had some swift reminders of just how lucky and blessed we are!

I am grateful for:
1. a warm, cozy, clean little house even though it's size can drive me batty sometimes!
2. a happy, healthy, rolly-polly little boy.
3. a husband that respects women and holds our marriage up to a higher level than most guys I have come in contact with.
4. a husband that works his heiny off without complaint to help make our lives better.
5. my parents.
6. that we both have very stable jobs.
7. very little debt!
8. my health

There's a lot more but those are the things that I have had reminders of this last little while. I think sometimes we get so busy trying to reach the next goal that we miss looking at the important things that we do have in our lives! But, I must say, I'm getting a better perception on all this stuff! Happy Thanksgiving!

Funny Happening!

Kyson and I were out Christmas shopping yesterday and were picking out kids' clothes at Target for our wards sub-for-santa when I heard someone yell my name! I turn around and sure enough it is a kid I went to elementary, junior high, and high school with. His last name is Mann and my maiden name, obviously, Mangone so we always stood in line next to each other and had a lot of classes together. Well, we chatted for a minute and then said our goodbyes. We go to walk away, and standing talking to someone else is a girl that Kyson took to a dance in high school. She didn't recognize Kyson and he didn't talk to her. He just laughed and said, "She probably wouldn't even recognize me right now!" (since he has slimmed out and his hair is darker since high school!) Too funny! We couldn't help but laugh!

If only...

If only I could find the following things, I would be a happy woman!
1. An inexpensive crewel embroidery Christmas stocking kit (I have a strong loathing for store bought Christmas stockings. I even have a hard time with the felt appliques and needlepoint ones, don't ask me why. I grew up with my awesome stocking that my mom made, and strongly desire to make one for Wyatt but they stopped making the kits awhile ago and now they go for a fortune!)
2. Fun, creative, unique bath tub toys (I had a very cool set when I was little and now it seems everything is squirtie toys....really? I mean, yeah rubber ducks are great and all and we have a fun surfer guy that cruises around the tub but I want more variety!)

Better Late than Never

Yes, I know that Halloween was almost a month ago. But...I had a whole bunch on my plate at the time and forgot to post my favorite picture! Yes, I know he looks a mess, I'm sorry, but could you not get a better looking frown? Honestly! He was a pumpkin and a horse for Halloween. When we changed him from one to the obvious other, he was not a happy camper, in the least bit! I'm not one to be happy when my little guy is a mess but when he pulled this face for all to see, we had to have a laugh! After we snapped this picture, he got to hang out with his cousin and have a snack, so that should make up for it right? :)

Dear Wyatt,

You are now 8 months old! Can you believe it? What a fun little man you are! You are just a happy, chill, chubby baby! We love you so much! You love to talk and scream and boy, do you really know how to smile and laugh! We love how you smile when you see us, how cute you are when you fall asleep in your carseat, you're funny little smirks, and when you act shy by smiling then hiding your cute round face! You can sit up easily now, eat your solids, pet Addy, and attack your Rubber Ducky in the bath tub. You have almost figured out how to roll from your back to your front and you absolutely have mastered rolling from your tummy to your back because you hate your tummy so much! People ask if you can crawl yet and I say that you are the "master" at being a paper weight. You will figure it out! But for now, you are a talker and we love that little voice. Even in the early mornings when you are babbling away to your feet which you hold straight up in the air for long periods of time. You are Mr. Grabby Hands and have ruined a few pairs of your Mommy's earrings and we learned that you can be a little flirt by getting girls attention and then smiling and talking to them. (Oh dear, what do we have coming?) We just can't wait to see what you will do next!

Oh, the Conversations...

When I am teaching, I get to have some funny, totally random conversations with my kids. They are an absolutely hilarious bunch and there are many times during the day where I need to turn around and laugh before I have to face them and get them to calm down. Here are 2 such conversations that came out of the blue this week, names being changed of course!

1: We are transitioning from reading to math. We just had a discussion about slang and why authors use it.
Jeff (to fellow student): You know, I really like Ozzy Osbourne!
Scott: Really? Why?! He screams alot and you can't understand a thing he says!
Jeff: Yeah, but I still like his music. When he talks, he uses a lot of slang.
Scott: Mrs. Crowell? Do you know who Ozzy Osbourne is?
Me: Yeah, I do actually!
Jeff: YOU listen to Ozzy Osbourne?
Me: What? Do I look that old?
Jeff: (laughs) Well, no....I mean, I didn't think teachers listened to any other kinds of music other than kids songs and that boring symphony stuff.
Me: Well, you know, teachers have secret parties where we listen to kids songs and symphony stuff just to get it out of our systems. (Said sarcastically!)
Jeff: laughs
Scott: Really?! (totally serious!)
Me: Yep, and I just climb in that closet after school every night and pop out when you guys get here every morning.
Scott: (very, very confused)
Jeff: (laughing very hard at this point, turns to Scott) Dude, she's totally kidding!
Scott: OHHH!!! You really had me scared for a minute Mrs. Crowell! (laughs)

2: We were getting ready to come home. Our principal came on the intercom and is making some final announcements. We have a ticket drawing at the end of every week. The teachers can hand out tickets to kids who are being good all week. Our principal gave one to a teacher as a joke and called her name as a winner and said that she was in the principal's class.

Jimmy: Mr. Dean is a teacher?
Sammy: NO! He is the principal!
Jimmy: He can't hand out tickets, he's not a teacher!
Sammy: He's the principal, he can do whatever he wants!
Jimmy: That's not fair, I can't do whatever I want!
Sammy: Mrs. Crowell, why can Mr. Smith hand out tickets?
Me: He's the principal and he used to be a teacher so that can count, right?
Jimmy: Yeah, I guess so.
Rachel: Wait a minute? Mr. Smith used to be a teacher?! Really?!
Me: Yeah, you need to be a teacher for a little while before you can become a principal.
Rachel: Really? I didn't know that.
Jimmy: Hey! Mrs. Crowell! YOU should become a principal!
All the kids: YEAH!
Rachel: You would be a really good principal!
Me: (laughing!) Well, I don't know about that one!
Sammy: Yeah, I would try to come to the principal's office every day if you were the principal.
All the kids: (in one form or the other) Yeah! I would too! You're so nice!
Sammy: My teacher would hate me because I would be so rotten!
A Bunch of Random Kids: I would punch someone at recess.
I would make a mess in the bathroom.
I would run around screaming my head off in the classroom and drive my teacher insane!
Etc. and so on! All of them trying to top the other on how they would be sent to my office if I were ever the principal.

Hence, where I turn around and pretend to erase the board and get out a few snickers.

Me: Well, see, maybe that's why I shouldn't become the principal. Everyone would think that the kids at my school were terrible students because they would always be coming down to my office!
Sammy: Yeah, I guess that's true!
Jimmy: Yeah, I will tell Mr. Smith to never let you become a principal even if that's what you wanted! (completely serious)

Dear Health Fairies or whoever is in charge of that stuff,

I was just inquiring about what it takes to go more than a month without some sort of ailment. We eat great, we have a clean house, we are active as can be. We take our vitamins and wash our hands and try as we might, we get something! Last year, it was a planned ailment with me being pregnant and all but we honestly cannot keep up with you. Maybe you are just trying to get us through all the lovely viruses, weird bugs, and funny growths that this beautiful world has to offer but really? Yes, you are making us grateful that we have awesome insurance and helping me to be thankful that I decided to teach this year and I must admit that losing my gall bladder was wonderful for my weight loss goals. But, now it seems that you are moving from one victim, being myself, to my hard-working husband! Please be nice to him! He is such a great guy and doesn't deserve all these "yummy" things that you are throwing at us! Please respond as soon as possible and note: I would rather be the sicky than watch my husband have to deal with it!

Yours Respectfully,
Me