HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAUDIA!

Happy Birthday Saudia! Today is one of my sisters birthdays. She’s 43! I cannot believe we are so old. There are so many birthdays in my family the month of July (15 and counting). We’re having a family party tomorrow @ Saudia’s house. We’re going to eat and have fun. Too bad you can’t be there.

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE by D. Nolte

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship;
he learns to find love in the world.

by Dorothy Law Nolte

HAPPY 39th BIRTHDAY TO ME!

As the title says, yes, it is my 39th birthday. Happy, Happy Birthday to me! Next year when I turn 40, it’s on! I’m going to have a week-long celebration!

My Keirsey Temperament Report

Just took the personality Keirsey Temperament Personality test. There were no surprises. Here are the results:

Your Keirsey Temperament Sorter Results indicates that your personality type is that of the Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self — always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey. Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials. Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the “not visible” or the “not yet” that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things. Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a “soulmate,” someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds. Idealists are relatively rare, making up no more than 15 to 20 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers. Idealists at Work Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. They are naturally drawn to working with people and are gifted with helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potential both on, and off, the job. Your attention is naturally drawn to the individual and collective needs, desires, and experiences of people in your environment. In your ideal job, you would be able to use your inner beliefs as a guide for empowering others. Though you are comfortable with leadership, you don’t like arbitrary hierarchies. You care deeply about people as people, and often feel that maintaining official role boundaries interferes unnecessarily with both communication and progress.

The four types of Idealists are:

Champion (ENFP) | Healer (INFP) | Teacher (ENFJ) | Counselor (INFJ)

Of course, I am the Teacher- Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. Yep, that’s me!

Happy Birthday Dakota!

I’d like to wish my middle son, Dakota, a very Happy 18th Birthday!

I said it before and I’ll say it again, “My, where did the time go?”

Mom Central Giveaway!

Momcentral.com, one of the sites I frequent is having their second round of summer giveaways. This site has a wealth of information. There’s recipes, advice, and a host of other things. Check it out for yourself @ www.momcentral.com

Summer Giveaway Bonanza – check out the new prizes! Hi Leila, Mom Central’s Summer Giveaway Bonanza is still going strong. Each week, Mom Central will post new product reviews and giveaways just for Moms and their families on MomCentral.com. Get ready to win! Check for the latest Summer Giveaways here. This week’s prizes include: At-home Tetherball System from Lifetime Products $100 Gift Certificate to Alice.com Polly Pocket Playset Wateroos Drink Pack for Kids Birthday Party Bash for Wii game Swatch Watch from Jomaship Digital Frame from Kodak Crayola Play Sand Clipo Hippo from Playskool Make sure to check back each week for more great opportunities to win. Enjoy the summer! Warmest, Stacy *~*~*~* Stacy DeBroff CEO, Mom Central Inc. stacy@momcentral.com| Twitter: MomCentral| Linkedin: Stacy DeBroff Facebook: Stacy DeBroff | Mom Central Consulting Facebook Fan Page | Mom Central Facebook Fan Page www.momcentralconsulting.com | www.momcentral.com | www.mothertalk.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MORIAH!

Yes, dear readers, today is Moriah’s 2nd birthday. I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Where has the time gone?”

Warehouse 13- My Newest Sci-fi leasure!

One thing about being a Sci-fi junkie is that I don’t have to apologize for loving it. Well, my newest Sci-fi pleasure is Warehouse 13. It show a lot of promise. The only problem I have with the show is the acting skills, or lack thereof, of the female lead character. I can see her getting better, but now, she sucks. Big time. The male lead makes up for it though. Also, I love Saul Rubinek’s & CCH Pounder’s characters as Dr. Artie Nielsen & Mrs. Frederick, respectively.

Here’s the Wikipedia page. Check it out if you’d like.

Lakeshore Coupon- 50% off

Here’s the Lakeshore coupon I just received in my e-mail. If you would like to receive your own, either go to the nearest Lakeshore or sign up on the website. I don’t remember which way I completed mine, however, at any rate, here it is.

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 32752
Limit one per customer. Offer valid 7/6/09-7/31/09. In-store purchases only. Limit one item per coupon, per transaction. Purchase one item at regular price and receive the second item of equal or lesser value at 50% off its regular price. Excludes the sales tax and shipping charges. No ship-to or special orders. Not valid on furniture, easels or carpets. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases, sale items or gift cards. No cash value. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Teacher’s Club members only.

Leila

Changing My Way of Thinking

Dear Readers,

I have a little something to tell you. Like to hear it, here it goes. For as long as I have worked at my current job, I have told anyone that would listen that my job is sooo hard, I am so put upon, the kids are bad, etc. I didn’t really mean it. Well, maybe a little. Anyway, all that has changed. I don’t badmouth my students anymore. They are some good kids. I have really grown to love them over the years.

Everything- this new change of attitude began when I returned from my leave of absence. Well, it actually began before that. Many in my program were asking if I was going to return to my job. I answered yes. “Pobrecita,” was one of the responses. Initially I felt the same way. Why do I have to go back to that wretched place. So, I entertained the naysayers. That is until I actually returned to my students and was welcomed back with open arms. My students love me so much. No matter how hard I was on them, they could not wait for me to return. I called them a couple of times. They told me they didn’t want another teacher. I told them I would be hard on them again. They were okay with it.

So, fast forward to my return and the love of my students. Not only the love of my students, but the love of my wonderful assistant, the other teachers who missed me, and a host of others who welcomed me back. I was truly missed. Not only that, I realized, once I returned, that I missed it also. While it is true that some of my students have behavior problems, my class is no different from any other class.

So, while do not love every aspect of my job, I do love the children. That’s why, now, whenever, anyone hears anything about my students, they will hear how wonderful they are.

Blogoholically yours,

Leila

Writer’s Block No More!

Yes, dear readers, I’m back. I have writer’s block no more. Believe me when I say that I will be back later today or tomorrow to continue with my blogging. I have other writing to do for school, but will be back.

Blogoholically yours,

Leila

Writer’s Block Still!

I cannot seem to shake this writer’s block. Usually I have to stop myself from writing too much, but this is not the case now. I cannot force myself to write. I have some writing to do for LMU to clear my incompletes. Usually this would be a breeze, however, I just cannot do it right now. What is wrong with me?

Happy Birthday Danielle!

Today is my little sister’s 23rd birthday. I love her so much. After all, she did give Moriah to the family. Here’s to 23 more. Happy Birthday  Yelli!

Getting It Together!

Yes, people, I am slowly but surely getting it together. I am in the process of clearing the incompletes. It’s taken me about 2 weeks to get started, and will take me about 2 weeks to finish, but I’m going to do it. Wish me luck!

Book Club Field Trip!

Well, I added a new element to Book Club- field trips. I also dropped it to 3 days/week instead of 5. Five days/week was way too much. It made me feel like I was still teaching. I didn’t feel like I was on vacation. Anyway, I digress.

So, we went to FREE TUESDAY @ The LaBrea Tarpits. I packed them a lunch (Water, mini carrots, Austin’s peanut butter crackers, a Jona gold apple, Smart & Final tortilla chips, toffee coated almonds, and Ritz wheat sticks). I brought along a blanket to sit on after our tour of the Pits. Everything worked out fine. One of my charges tried to get mouthy, but I nipped it in the bud. They had a great time. Of the five children I took along for the ride, only 1 had never been there.

On Thursday I’m planning for us to go to the Autry Musuem (which is free the first Thursday of the month after 4 p.m.). Join us won’t you!

Writer’s Block!

Yes, dear readers, I, the true blog-a-holic, have writer’s block. There is nothing I can think of to write about. Help!

Watch Your Thoughts…

Always remember… Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits they become character;

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

By: The contributors of Kaboose.com, plus additional recipe testing and photography by Christina Stanley-Salerno

Difficulty: Very Easy

(4.3/5)

Parental supervision is recommended

Summer Crafts: Milk can become homemade ice cream in five minutes by using a bag! This homemade, creamy treat is a summertime delight for kids and adults alike.

What you’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or half & half
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons rock salt
• 1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
• 1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
• Ice cubes

How to make it:

1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

Tips:

A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don’t increase the proportions more that that — a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.

Here’s an improvised version of the homemade ice cream recipe from another parent:

These are the homemade ice cream ingredients . . .

• 1/4 teaspoon imitation vanilla butter and nut flavor
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup 1% milk

These are the other supplies . . .

• Plastic sandwich bag (e.g., Ziploc)
• 12 water softener pellets
• 1 tray of ice (My ice cube tray makes small cubes, so it produces only about half a tray.)
• Large plastic bag

Put the ice-cream ingredients in the small bag, and then put the bag, salt, and ice in the big bag. Hold the bag shut and stir it around on the floor for about 5 minutes. Although the salt pellets hardly dissolved, I got ice cream. It was not as smooth as ice cream, probably because of the low-fat milk. Instead, it was a little like sherbet. I think if I had more ice in the bag, I could have shaken it better. I’d recommend wearing gloves. It is incredible that it is ready in 5 minutes (not counting assembling the ingredients.)
Next, I changed the recipe, using a tablespoon of cocoa, a tablespoon of sugar, and a cup of milk. I really wanted to use carob, but I didn’t have any. It was a tad too chocolatey, but good! My daughter has milk allergies, so I suggested she try this with fruit juice. She used straight pineapple juice and got a terrific fruit sorbet.

HAPPY 4th of July!

Well, the title says it all. Happy 4th of July!

Bored Me!

I had a chance to go the theater and didn’t take it. My day didn’t go at all the way that I planned. Now I’m so bored!

Book Club Crafts

Here’s the craft we did for today. Well, it was more like a treat. We made chocolate frozen bananas. It was very simple. For the 6 of us, we used:

Approximate freezing time (depends on your fridge): 90 minutes

3 bananas (cut in half)

nuts & whipped cream (optional)

6 popsicle sticks

Chocolate syrup or Chocolate fudge (may take longer to freeze)

bowl for the chocolate

plate for the bananas to put in the freezer

fingers for licking

Instructions: Cut the bananas in half. Let the children peel the bananas. After the bananas are peeled, insert the popsicle sticks into the wider half of the banana. Pour chocolate syrup or chocolate fudge into a medium sized bowl and let the kids have at it. They will have fun coating them. For variety, you can also use nuts & whipped cream when the bananas are ready. After coating, put bananas on the plate and place in the freezer. Now, for the grand finale- lick chocolate off fingers!!

Have fun! Until next time!

My How Time Flies!

Happy July- my birthday month. The 27th to be exact. I will be 39!. I cannot believe it. I still feel like a teenager. How can I possibly almost be 40??? Also, how can I have two men-children that are graduated from high school? Two done, two to go. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, “My how time flies!”