ZoZo, Zosie, Zoee Kay

She's perfect, isn't she.  Just look at her.  With eyes so bright and shiny you can tell she's one of our grandchildren.  And her rosy cheeks give her away too.  In this photo she's taking a long look at her papa to make sure he doesn't do anything too surprising.

She got to stay a couple of days with us while her parents, Bret and Courtney, went to a football game.  Quite a treat for us!  

We played and ate and laughed and slept.  And didn't care what time it was.  It was all really great.  She won't remember it, but we will.

 We call her Zoee, Zozo, Zosie...I think her papa is calling her angel :-)

I'm Tired...

And when you are tired, it's harder and harder to see your blessings.  That's the way to dig yourself out, you know.  Look around and see all the wonderful things your work has given you.  Then you won't be so tired.  But instead today all I can see is more work to do.  And very little appreciation for what has been done.  Not at work.  Not at home.  I guess I am more that tired.  I am spent. 

Lord, pick me up and move on down the road.  Let me be grateful that you have given me work.  Amen.

Don't Make This World Your Home

Everyone does it sometime, although when you catch someone else doing it, you rarely remember that.  Everyone says what appears to be the right thing at all the wrong time...to the wrong people...about the wrong thing.  Sometimes you even know when you are doing it that it might be the wrong thing, yet, something propels you into the murkiness of pettiness.  When I do it, I am usually under a great deal of stress that manifests itself with my big mouth.   At this stage of my life, few things mean so much to me.  But some do.

It wasn't competitiveness.  And the argument was with a dear friend.  Others heard it.  She and I discussed it  soon. She apologized, although when the whole story was revealed, she did not need to.  I apologized, and I seriously needed to.  So we are fine.  But others heard it.  And we didn't publicize the fence-mending because it was between the two of us.  Simply, I acted childishly.  She and I talked through it, and we are at peace.  But not the others.

Perspective changes everything.  I was again reminded of that through this.  Good friends make up.  Follow God's guidelines for forgiving and living peacefully as much as possible.  I saw that, too.  Mistakes hurt everyone.  I wish this to be my last...and I can only work more on my walk with God so that I can get closer to that wish revealed. 

Ten Things I Wish I Would Change About Me

In no particular order, I wish that I . . .

1. Ate a consistently healthy diet.  No excuses allowed.
2. Walked before or after work every day.  Now that my nest is empty there is no excuse for not doing this almost every day.
3. Liked to clean house.  I really don't think I am lazy, but maybe.  Instead, I seem to put off everything because of overwhelming guilt over not jumping at the cleansers and vacuum (like the rest of my family).
4. Organized my time so that I could do everything I want to do.
5. Was more social.  I could be a loaner who only came out for groceries.  I like people, but I just like myself better when I am challenging myself in other ways.  I care about others deeply, but I don't think I am very good at showing that.
6. Why don't I spend money on clothes!  
7. Cooked meals and froze them. 
8. Wrote in a gratitude journal.  
9. Read more fiction / liked more fiction
10. Watched less TV

Nashville and the Parthenon?

Did you know that Nashville has a replica of the Parthenon, to scale?

Fun fact of the day.....

Baby Zoee

So here she is, the once in a generation, Zoee Kay Tyler.  A Tyler girl has been born.  Do you hear the angels?  Yes, it is that moment that comes so rarely, the heavens part and all God's creatures celebrate.  Beautiful Zoee Kay.  Sent from heaven to save her mom's sanity.  Sent from heaven to melt her dad's heart. Sent to us for joy.  She makes the whole world just that much more beautiful, doesn't she.

METRO - Making Every Test Reveal Opportunities

My coworker Lindsey has great ideas.  I appreciate and recognize good ideas when I hear them, even though mine are coming slower and slower, and I am so grateful when someone has one and INCLUDES me. 

Today, teaching students and scoring them isn't enough.  Students must have some documentation of their skill set from a third party.  Most high schools use end-of-instruction tests in May to validate student learning.  We use Brainbench. 

Lindsey's great idea was to create a giant game board on the hallway wall where students would move along the pathway toward a finishline.  To move, students have to pass a Brainbench test.  Students have unique game pieces and different Brainbench tests to pass (depending upon their career majors).  There's optional short stops along the way for special achievements beyond great test scores. 

Along the way, students go from propelling themselves through the world as a pedestrian, bicycle, ATV, Ford Mustang, and eventually, at the end of their career major, students fly off through the finish line on a jet plane to amazing professional success.

How motivating is the METRO?  So far, pretty great! 

Addicted to Friends

"Do you have an iPhone? I want to play a game with you." It started just that innocently, with an email from Texas bestie Regina. From that moment of innocence came a six-month obsession with a scrabble-like battle of wits played with friends and strangers. Beware the simplicity of seven tiles and twenty-six letters.





So with iPad in tow, I have lost more than I have won of the umpteen gillion games of Words With Friends that I have played with instigator Regina, Teresa, Nena, Sara, Katie, and Reanonda. Reanonda and I have played one gillion of those games together since then, and we have made a lifelong commitment to never stop playing. Never ever. Like hoping for wireless access in the assisted living center never.

There is just something so fun about playing a game all day while the rest of life goes on around you that is especially fun. Did I mention the chat feature? Yes, you get to play AND pass notes to each other while the rest of life goes on around you. For a green personality like me, this is almost bliss.

2010_06_05

2010_06_06

DC Trip 2

2010_06_07

DC Trip

2010_06_08

Paint the Pool

We weren't going to do it...but the water test at the beginning of the summer showed that you couldn't pour enough chemicals in there to make it swimmable.  The winter had been a long, hard one on all of us, even the cement pond. So Granny, Jed and Jethro . . . er. when we picked Dylan up in OKC at school Friday we bought the (platinum-laced) paint and began the adventure.

And we made our way around the pool, with the help of our only remaining minor child that could be forced to help us....

Yes, he still needs to go to college, so he loves us THIS much.

And I must say, He NEEDS to go to college, or practice painting or plowing or mowing or something....
If you catch my drift.  Really, we couldn't have done it without him. 

Of course, the men-folk paused to talk the big steps through.  Our pool is 13 feet at its deepest.  Come on, you cliff divers...

This was the most dangerous job, leaning over to paint at the deep end.  Lose your balance and the tumble down was a tough one on the noggin. So, of course, we put the math and science kiddo on this detail.  The joke was that we would tell the paramedics to come back once the $$$$ paint cured on Tuesday :-)

Clever, weren't we...









Tadaaaaa!  And there's another thing I never want to do again..... Ya'll come (and bring water...30,000 gallons of the stuff)

Just more of the mess...

The Amazing Pencil :-)

My Addicted Son

Mother -

I know that you want your son to succeed in the upcoming final exams. I also know that you are accustomed to taking pride in your son's grades upon their release.

Because I know these things, I have come to you with an excellent offer which I believe will interest you. Below I establish a pros-cons table for the offer which I will explain in succession.

Advantages -

The satisfaction of knowing that your son performed excellently on his final exams.
The comfort of knowing that your son now has a better chance of getting into the University of his choice upon graduation.

Disadvantages -

The price of a mechanical pencil + S&H.

What was that? Only the price of a mechanical pencil ( + S&H) for the benefits described above?! Crazy talk. No deal could be that good. Fortunately for you, however, this deal is!

I know that I have inherited my inconstant relationship with pencils from you, and therefore I know that you understand me when I say that I have found the Holy Grail of mechanical pencils. It is located here:


If you were to order it and give the shipping address as my address at school, it would be here in plenty of time for me to take my SEVEN rigorous final exams. I trust that you will make the best decision to safeguard your interests in this matter and hope to hear from you soon!

Your son, loving and thanking you,

Matthew.=

Yes I Can!

Thanks to Bev on Youtube and A LOT of other web resources and Linda at work (sorry English teachers) I have re-learned to crochet.  As a lefty, the videos are priceless tutors.  Thanks Bev!  I don't know your last name, but you are an angel.  Here is Baby Cy's beanie (again, he is not here yet, but expect him next week), my first project.  If you want to learn how to make one, go to Youtube and search for baby beanie crochet and you will eventually find it.  Bev has a video and a link to the actual pattern so you can crochet along with her.

I was very, very proud of this.  Not a finisher, more of a starter.... :-).  

Julie

Cute Hat, Cuter Girl

My sister Jana makes cute hats, but my daughter Kristen makes cuter children.  This picture is proof of both of those claims.   For Christmas Jana made the hats.  Years previously, Kristen and Ricky made the girl.  With sincere anticipation we are awaiting the girl's first brother . . . any day now.  I will keep you posted.