A ferret and a bear

Lots of the time Caelun is a wild ball of energy. We have started referring to him as a “ferret on crack” because …well that is what he acts like when he is running full speed ahead between the kitchen and the dinning room with a Tarzan yell and a bucket on his head. Yes you read correctly a bucket on his head. I did mention the ferret was on crack? We joke he has two speeds fast forward or dead stop- which is when he is asleep. Once in awhile the ferret slows down and wants a cuddle and darned if that ferret isn’t just so stinkin’ cute. I relish these moments. I know they are fleeting. He will grow big like our Abbi girl is already and not want a cuddle from a bear, a daddy, or a mommy so I grab those moments with both hands when he slows down long enough to let me catch him. This is one of those moments. He was just waking up in the morning and not quite up to full ferret on crack speed and I was lucky enough to have grabbed my camera. Looking at pictures like these also helps to remind me how sweet he is and how much I love him when I have walked away from my coffee and come back to find an onion and a matchbox car going for a swim in it.

        

Dinner with some “kids”

One of the many fabulous benefits of being a teacher and coach – particularly a debate and forensics teacher and coach-is all of the amazing young people you get to meet and become connected to. These young folks are brilliant, capable, and they leave your class room ready to dive in and take on the world. These particular three- Lauren, Andy, and Jessica are all now super smart college students attending Alma College, Wayne State University, and Denison College- in that order-and were home on winter break when they facebooked me and asked if I would like to meet them for dinner. Like??? Jumping up and down with joy would be the correct descriptor. Clint – having spent many a weekend at debate tournaments wanted to see their talented faces as well so we got a babysitter and went to dinner at an amazing Thai restaurant that the smart kids suggested called Little Bangkok off of Cascade Road. They all seemed happy, healthy, and to be enjoying college. The dinner conversation was wonderful and as Clint said “it isn’t very often you get to sit at a table like that with so much brain power and energy all in one place.” I am so very happy they have decided to keep touching base and inviting me to sit at a table with them. Teaching is truly the best job in the world- Thai food and all.

 

Locks of Love

I just cut off almost a foot of hair- 11 inches to be exact. While Rapunzel I am not I was very ready to have my mop of hair gone. This is the 7th time I have done this and my plan is for as long as they will keep taking my hair, I will keep doing this. What I did is donate my hair to the organization Locks of Love. Locks of Love is a not for profit organization that makes wigs for children with medical hair loss. They say it takes on average 7 donated pony tails to make one wig so I figure with this donation I have now helped one whole kid. I know that may not sound like much but to that kid it is a big deal. To make this possible I get my hair cut about every 14- 18 months. Now I will enjoy my short do, take my vitamins, and see you a year from this spring to do it again. I highly recommend it if you have extra hair you don’t want on your head.

http://www.locksoflove.org/

The back of my hair before

 

The front

The ponytail to be donated.

The front afterwards.

The back afterwards.

I’m so blue

We have started work on my parents “cottage” as we call it. The first order of business was fixing the plumbing. Clint did this pretty much on his own while I kept the 3 year old out of his hair so I didn’t get any pics. though now that I am writing this I am realizing that I may still be able to as I think the floor hasn’t been completely closed back up. Clint, the ever present handy man of all trades in my life did an amazing job and again may there be multiple blessings raining down on the head or heads of who ever the brilliant person or persons are that invented PEX tubing and Shark Bite plumbing valves. My first jobs were paint and curtains. My mother collects Blue Willow china and she decided she would like the kitchen to be blue. The kitchen used to be green and the counter tops are blue green mix. I went into Lowes- my preference for paint of the trifecta (Lowes,Home Depot, and Menards)of home improvement stores -and picked up basically one of every shade of blue paint chip they had in the joint. I took them back to the cottage, got out my boxes of fabric, set it all on the blue green counters, and started eliminating.  Clint came behind me installing blinds. My super helper LOVED the paint. We aren’t done but you can see some of the process.

There is a mirror over the sink and I took the picture in the mirror. Caelun “I hop you mommy! I hode you – you no fall”

        

Clint is measuring for the blinds.

      

The blinds are up and curtains on the door.

 

This is a desk we bought for my dad. I think Grandpa and Cae Cae may have some fun.

Flash lights are great tools.

I also had special help with sewing curtains.  Shouldn’t every sewing machine have a resident dump truck?   A better shot of the curtains with Caelun using Blue Fuzzy for contrast.

Happy New Year

    New Year’s is usually a pretty low key affair for us but the last couple of years we have been down right boring. I am okay with that almost every other minute of my life is so completely on fast forward I am all right with some unplugged down time. New Year’s is nice -in that unlike every other day- if you check out of the rest of the world for a day lots of life keeps piling up and is waiting for you to deal with it when you check back in. On New Year’s no one sends you e-mails, banking isn’t done, meetings aren’t happening, appointments aren’t being made or kept- the whole world kind of shuts down to party. If you choose not to party then the world is just kind of quiet and that was all kinds of amazing. We ordered pizza and just kind of hung out. Abbi went to a party at her boyfriend’s aunt and uncle’s house so Clint and I stayed home with Caelun, ate pizza, and rang in the new year with hot chocolate and chocolate milk. With the negotiations and such on the house we bought for my folks I didn’t get our annual holiday note out- posted here on on the blog -until after New Year’s so Caelun did the rubber stamping of the snow flakes on the note with the printed blog link that we mail. 2010 was a wonderful year for the Conley household but it was a crazy busy blur and it was nice to close it out with a bit of quiet fun. Happy New Year to all of you, however, you decided to celebrate.

What a good snow flake stamper.

 

Look at those blue fingers!

Look at me Mommy!

All cleaned up and ready to toast the New Year with chocolate milk.

Happy 2010 and bring on 2011!

Debate Metro League at East Kentwood High School

This post is a bit out of order but I waiting on stats regarding our – meaning Forest Hills Central- final placement for the entire set of debates composing the league. We placed 7th. That is a good place for the level of experience of our team this year. Every one debating on our team is a Novice. Debate is hard. It is scary to get up and argue public policy with evidence against other smart kids. I am so very proud of my kids for their bravery this year. With no experienced folks returning- everyone graduated- they had no one to watch to help them find their way. They had to figure it out all on their own and darned if they didn’t. I had quite a few kids give it a go for a round or two but the ones that really stuck it out, learned from their losses, came back with new research and evidence each week are two of my forensicators Rachel and Caden. They both got really good at finding evidence and writing briefs. Rachel even took home a 10th place speaker award! I am very proud of the knowledge and skills they gained, I am proud to be their coach, and I thank them for this season. My the skills they have added to their repertoire aid in their successes as they both head off to college next year.

10th Speaker… Rachel!

Rachel with her trophy.

All of the kids present at the awards ceremony on the final night.

Rachel is looking at me but Caden is looking the opposite direction.

   

Here I have Caden but not Rachel- the joys of big group shots.