2 year anniversary

I almost forgot that we have celebrated our 2 year anniversary in Omaha. Today the 2 year anniversary of closing on our house. We slept our first night in our home in sleeping bags. We were also welcomed with a tornado! 2 years ago tomorrow our moving van showed up! We like it here and will try to post some pics of the house soon.

Mr. Whiskers

We love our cat so much! His name is Mr. Whiskers and we got him from the Janesville (Wisconsin) Humane Society. He was the oldest cat at the shelter....and he sure didn't like noise or to be picked up. Now....he's such a pampered pet. He loves to sleep in bed with Jeff and me. He's such a loud purrrrer. He also loves to sleep in his IKEA cat house. He's now about 4 1/2 years old. He gets along ok with Rusty and Shadow (my parent's dogs), so we think he'll do ok if we get one of their puppies.

Pictures to enjoy from Easter Weekend - and MOM's 60th birthday

Here are some photos from when I decided to start blogging again!

The weekend is over

Gosh, how fast the weekend flew...

Last night I went out with some co-workers to a new place called the "The Mattress Factory". It WAS a former mattress factory - and various other establishments prior to the bar and grill it is now. I had one of the best burgers I've had ever! Some friends ordered some sweet patato fries that were yummy. I also could order Leinie's there! A taste of home! After our meal - we hit the "Old Market" part of Omaha. We ended up at "Up Stream Brewery" for some dessert and more drinks. It was a fun filled night full of good friends and great conversation!

I'm counting the days until Spring Break (2). The kids and I will leave next Saturday morning (Jeff wants to take the kids to a "Omaha Lancer Hockey game" and I have another night out planned with my neighbor - Charlotte.

I'm working with my principal to have my dad return to school for our science day. It will be great to have him back in class with me!

One of my sorority little sisters had her first baby this weekend - Emma was born to Sheena and Erich. I'm so happy for her. I've seen one pic of the new family and they look very happy!

Grad School

Well, I have decided OFFICIALLY that I'm going to start grad school. My school district is offering a class next fall (for 3rd year teachers) and they will pay the tuition and fees. SO, I'm going to sign up (take the class with my friend, Dayna) and then I will continue to take the additional classes required for an administration license. I'm not really sure if I want to be a principal or not...but I sure do want to move on the pay scale! PLUS, I'll need to take some credits to maintain my Wisconsin license.

I'm also going to look into take a 2 week class based on Elementary Science Skills - the cool thing is that the class is held at the zoo. Not sure if this would be smart to do, so I'll look into it a bit more!

I talked to my mom tonight. She turns 60 in two days. I sent flowers to her as school this week and they sure look pretty. The funny thing is I had the flower shop attach two balloons - one that said "happy birthday grandma" and the other just had "60" on it. I guess her students thought she bought the flowers in for HER grandma...who must be 60. I really guess they have no idea of time or age......

Another interesting thing is that my mom's grandmother lived to be 100 years old. She actually died on her 100th birthday. How weird is that?

I had a great evening with Jackson. We walked around Walmart tonight looking for some gifts....got a few birthdays coming up. I can't believe Jenna is going to be 7 next week. Jack will be 9 in two weeks. My babies are growing up!

Mid week melt down

It is only Wednesday - and we are so ready for the week to be over. Joe has been busy playing basketball after school. Today I picked him up and he had a headache. After I dropped him off at home I went to get Jackson and Jenna from their after school care program. Jack's legs were hurting and he was so hungry that you would have thought he'd start eating his right arm off. So off we went to the nearby grocery store. I got the pork chops in the oven - broiling away, Stovetop stuffing on the stove next to the mac and cheese - when in walks Jeff. He just got back from the chiropractor and also has a migraine. I've had a full day of teaching and district mandated testing, staff meetings, and working on things for next year - I'm whipped out! Jenna's the only one who is 1/2 way normal..... So, it's just a little after 6:30 and we all have our pj's on! Early to bed for all of us!

My goodness how fast a year can fly by!

It has been over a year since I posted. I've been so busy teaching and parenting that I don't always find time to blog our lives. I have decided that I will make a goal for myself to do a better job at this.

My interesting tidbit for the week: Yesterday I was looking on a high school classmate's facebook page and noticed a wall posting from someone he went to college with. This same person was a gal that I visited in Boston over 20 years ago - for a week long AFS exchange. I sent Kristin a message and she remembered me. We've been emailing back and forth - and it has made me realize a few things....one - I really am older than I think I am. How in the world can I be out of high school for over 20 years????? two - it really is a small world - really! finally three - technology is a remarkable thing!

I've also decided this week to start taking some grad classes for my masters in educational administration. I need to take a class for my school district next year - and they will pay for the 3 credits....so why not go for it and continue with my course work.

Last week I had the honor of having my parents here for a weekend visit. Mom was on spring break (according to my dad, who retired last year - every week is spring break) so they came out here to Omaha. They joined Jackson and Jenna at school for classroom visits and lunch - they did a little science 'magic' for Jenna's class. Then them came to my school and trained my co-workers on science stations related to Newton's Laws. Friday afternoon we had 3 hours of science fun. The student's had a blast and so the 8 of us presentators. It was very rewarding to share my parents with my staff. Looks like my dad will be making a return visit later this spring to do a school wide presentation for my school and (hopefully) Jack and Jenna's.

If you read this and can pray for a college friend's son - please do so. Little Jack Corbo needs a new heart. You can read all about it here: http://www.caringbridge.org/mn/corboboys/index.htm

We are all alive and well

I know it has been forever since I posted. Not much has happened in our lives. We are now home from our week in Wisconsin for Christmas. We loved seeing our family and friends. I will fill in the gaps - later. Right now we are going to put our things away from our trip (we were packed into the van like sardines)..... as well as organize the basement.

I want to enjoy the last 3 days off, but I do need to complete report cards.

Happy last day of 2006, I hope 2007 is the best yet.

Nebraska State Fair

Yesterday, Saturday, August 26 we traveled to Lincoln for the Nebraska State Fair. It was a smaller venue than Wisconsin and Minnesota....but it was still very nice. We visited with some of Jeff's friends from ConAgra. They were in the Bar-B-Que contest. We were able to taste some of their entries....ribs, pork, lobster pizza. It was DELICIOUS!!!! We didn't eat a lot, so we could eat our way through the fair. We did it all....lunch, snack, supper. Some of the highlights were: pizza on a stick, kettle corn, ice cream made by the food science students at UNL, and cotton candy.

We looked at the animals. The steers were a favorite stop by Jeff and Jackson. Jenna liked the goats. Joe couldn't wait to see the model train set up. He even video taped it.

It was a full day. Everyone was exhausted by the time we got home.

Today, Jeff worked in the basement. The bathroom is pretty much done, except for the door. Jeff and the boys started framing half of the basement. The part they are doing will be my work area. The walls are studded, and one piece of sheetrock is up.

I worked on cleaning and organizing the upstairs. The bathrooms are clean and the boys rooms are organized and clean. Tomorrow I will work on Jenna's room. That little girl sure has a way of tossing every toy she owns in the middle (and sides) of the room.

School is going well for everyone. Jackson did super on his first spelling test. Since he struggles a bit with reading, writing, and spelling....we were delighted he only got one wrong (eyelid) out of 10 words.

I love my job more and more everyday. I think I'm over the hump of the trying to figure things out. There is still a lot to learn, but my staff is very helpful. My co-worker, Kelly (the other new hire), and I are becoming good friends. She has the same amount of experience as I do....we really understand each other and we support each other as we get used to this new school. She is also new to Omaha. She is from Kansas City originally and has a little girl (18 months old).

This week Jeff's parents are coming for a visit. We hope to take them to the "Old Market" area of Omaha (near the ConAgra campus), the gardens, see my school, and perhaps a trip to the state park.

We have a few meetings this week. Curriculum Night for Jackson and Jenna (Joe's was last week). I also have to present Curriculum Night for my parents.

Day 2

Well, today was so much better than yesterday. I must say....I LOVE Air Conditioning. Adams School (in Janesville) didn't/doesn't have it. It truely makes a world of difference. My students could stay on task all day. It wasn't an oven in my room. It was the perfect learning environment! Today my students shared their 'brown bags' with the class. They had to select 10 items that have significance to things about them. One interesting item: One child in my class has the future plan of being a priest, another has a future plan of working at Kohls!

Jeff left for New Jersey today. He'll be gone until Friday. Jackson is really missing him!

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for the Grubers. We all woke up early and had a nice breakfast. Grandma and Grandpa Primmer were here, as well as my Uncle Adrian and Aunt Linda. (They are on their way to Branson). We took pictures of the kids by the front door and I had to get to my school. Jeff took Joe to school first, because he had safety patrol. Joe was so proud of his work. Jeff returned to school to drop Jenna and Jackson off. He was surprised by the terrible traffic flow. I guess if you have 750 students - you may end up having 500 parents/cars. Jeff reported that it took over 20 minutes to get out of the drop off lane and get back home. Jenna didn't want to give a kiss to dear old dad. She also didn't want anyone carrying her (heavy) backpack for her. She kept on telling Jeff "I got it covered!".

I asked my principal if I could get out of school early (our school ends at 3:05 - the kids' school ends at 3:35) so I could get my kids on their first day of school. Joe had patrol duty until 3:45. I picked up the excited kids and we met our neighbors (Charlotte and Kellen) at DQ for a first day of school treat. After that I went to get Jack some new shoes (yes, his feet are growing). We all came home and pretty much 'vegged'. We are all exhausted from our day.

My day went well. I messed up taking attendance. We have to do it 'on line'. I guess I clicked on the PM attendance instead of the AM attendance......I also survived recess duty. My 4th grade team has lunch/recess duty for two straight weeks. We still get our 30 minutes of duty free lunch, but then we need to go outside to supervise for about 10 minutes. My class seems very nice. A few chatty ones, some need to work on listening, but all seem like nice kids! The principal even came in for a visit (observation) the first day. He stayed about 5 minutes while my students were telling me interesting things about themselves.

I did some major shopping (at my new favorite store: CJ Banks) this weekend and came home with 7 nice and new outfits. 6 were skirts, one pants outfit. I had many compliments on the fringie skirt I wore today. I wore some nice jewlry that my Adams School friend Mandy had made for me. Yes, I was a bit homesick for Adams - especially for my unit, friends, principal, students, and parents I know.....but, I'm sure - in time - things will feel like home here, too.

I did have a nice chat with my friend Beth Clarke this evening. She was at Adams, her kids were with mine at Jacque's house....it was so nice to get caught up. She left me a message on my cell at school, too.

So, having survived my first day at the new school, I guess it's time to go rest my head.

It's back to school time

I've started my back to school / New teacher orientation training last week. 2 full days of curricular talk, computer training, networking, etc. My brain is full! I continue with more meetings all next week. Kids did well at my neighbor (Charlotte's) house. She is going to provide child care for me during my work days as well as before and after school care for the kids.

Jeff took the kids mini golfing on Friday. Jack's first swing of the golf club ended at Jenna's eye. She has a big black eye now....just in time for school. It wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't missing her two bottom teeth. She reminds me of a hockey player, now!

Jeff is busy drywalling the basement bathroom. Yesterday he went to a golf tourney with Charlotte's husband, Scott. I took Charlotte, Kellen, and the kids to the outlet mall (Oshkosh B'gosh) .....had to get some new school clothes.

Today I may head into school to get some work done - without the kids.

LouAnn eloped

My dear cousin, LouAnn got married last Monday. She is more than a cousin to me she is the sister I never had, the maid of honor at our wedding, and Joe's Godmother. She left me a message on Friday that she won't be stopping by Omaha during their planned trip to Texas.....because they flew instead of drove. At the end of the message she said "Oh, yah, by the way, Roberto and I got married on Monday...bye."

I called her and spoke briefly to her (she was driving to Waco) and am waiting for more details soon.


Jeff has the basement bathroom plumbed and has now bought sheet rock. He'll have the basement bathroom all finished very soon!

We all went to a state park today and swam. The kids are such excellent swimmers!

Tonight at supper Jenna lost another tooth. Yes, she was eating corn on the cob. It was exactly two weeks ago tonight when she bit into some corn and lost her first tooth. Now she doesn't look like a hillbilly..... she looks like a kindergartener!

Jackson's class and misc

Today is Jackson's last day of his reading class. It has been a great success! He enjoys reading now and will read to me at bedtime! He still is a bit below grade level, but I hope he'll catch up soon. His positive attitude is payment enough. Today we will head to the public library to return some books and get more.

Last night, after bath time, Jenna thought she would investigate what Jeff does when he shaves. She helped herself to our bathroom when no one was around and created a shaving cream mess all over our bathroom. She was curious enough to actaully pick up his razor and start moving it across her face. Yes, she cut herself on the cheek. It's a very small cut and is healing nicely, but what a lesson learned! I think she scared herself enough that - messing around in the bathroom won't happen in a LONG time.

Joe is begging for Legos. He wants a job so he can buy more legos. I'm not sure how long his love of legos will last, but I'm sure they won't be around in Middle School.

I worked in my classroom yesterday. Things are looking ready for the first day of school. One week from today I start my New Teacher Orientation. Tomorrow I'm going to a brunch at a 5th grade teacher's house. I'll be able to meet some more staff members there! My mentor helped a little bit in my room yesterday. She'll be a big help.

Jeff has the basement bathroom studded, shower is in, light/fan and electrical plugs are installed and in working order. Next step is to call the plumber.

Our nephew (and Godson), Mac, completed (and won first place) in a Special Olympics fundraiser "duathlon" last weekend. He is only 4 years old and completed a 75 yard run, 300 yard bike, and a second 75 yard run. Here is the recap from his parents: Before the air horn sounded, all 10 lanes were filled up with fired-up munchkins. Mac came out of the gates like a thoroughbred and soon ran passed the "pace-setter" who was supposed to show the racers where to go on the course. Being first to reach the bikes, Mac had no obstacles while riding, except for his feverish speed, which caused his crowd-gasping crash; but without flinching, Mac popped back onto his bike and took-off, never losing his lead. By the time he ran through the finish line (after the second phase of running), the next closest competitor had not yet got off of his bike to even start running. The contrast between Mac's big-person determination and his little-person helmet and legs, made the crowd really roar when he came into the home stretch for the victory. In no less of a dramatic fashion, at the award ceremony, with the kids up on Olympic type podiums, the MC declared " History was made today at our Inaugural Duathlon... Mac Strand becomes our first ever Gold Medal Champion!". His mother was nearly brought to tears, and his father wished some of the "men" he coached had half of Mac's fortitude...


So, that's the latest in our lives. Tomorrow I want to take the kids to see the movie "The Ant Bully" - I should get the book from the library and read it to them first!

The Living Room is painted

Starla and I started painting the living room on Wednesday. We painted one wall "umber". It is a very dark brown. We also painted one of the walls "Macadamia". Jeff and I finished the other two "Macadamia" walls on Thursday night. I must say, it looks GREAT. Jeff isn't too sure he likes the lone "umber" wall, but it is a nice accent.

I'm eager to paint more now. I like the look color adds to the warmth of the house.

A visit from Starla

My dear friend, Starla, has been visiting since Saturday. She lives in River Falls, Wisconsin. Joining her during her visit are her children, Rayna (5) and Dane (2). Jenna has been so happy to have Rayna here to play dress-up, Polly Pockets, and everyother girl thing.

We have kept busy. Sunday we all went to church and then did a little shopping. I bought a small blow up pool (for only $8) and the kids have used it everyday since. We had a little pool party with a new neighbor Kelly and her daughter Katelyn. The kids ran back and forth from their yard to our yard. Sunday evening Starla, my neighbor Charlotte, and I went to the Melting Pot for a special birthday dinner for Starla. It was an awesome time! Jeff was a great babysitter and chef to all 5 kids! He seemed to love spending time with Dane! He has been busy working on the basement getting the bathroom going.

Monday went to the Omaha Zoo. The kids did great in the 90 degree heat. We stayed cool in the buildings. After the zoo we all took a nap.....We had more pool time with a different neighbor (also named Kelli) and her daughter Drew. Kelli is also a teacher.

Tuesday Charlotte and Kellen came over for an early morning playdate. Jackson had school. After I picked Jack up from school we got ready to go on our daily adventure. We visited the Mormon Trail Pioneer Museum. It was a small museum, but the perfect size for our tired kids. After the museum we drove to see Cunningham Lake. We were surprised that this lake no longer exists. It is all dried up. After our disappointing visit to the lake we drove past my school. We did another detour to Cold Stone Creamery to get a birthday cake for Starla. By the time we got home everyone was ready for a little rest time. For supper we went (with Charlotte and Kellen) to "The Amazing Pizza Machine". It was a pizza buffet with a salad, taco, pasta, baked potato, and dessert bar. We also did some games. I won all of the kids a stuffed animal from the claw machine (my dad would be so proud!!!). Kids had a great time. We ended the night with a swim in .....the POOL! Joe had filled the pool up in the morning, so that water was the perfect temperature by 7:45 PM! Kids swam for an hour. Now it is time for bed! I'm sure they will have a good night's sleep. Joe didn't wake up this morning until 9:00. (HUMMMM, he must get that from me!) Tomorrow we may actually PAINT the living room! I'm thinking of a nice creamy dark brown for one wall and another lighter brown for the other 3 walls. Starla and family will have to leave on Thursday. I sure will miss my time with them! We've gotten a lot of chatting in!

Jenna lost a tooth

Jenna bit into some sweet corn for supper on Sunday, July16 and said "My tooth is about to fall out!" After looking at it in the mirror (and taking a picture of her hanging tooth) she continued on with her supper. After her second bite of corn she exclaimed "MY TOOTH DID JUST FALL OUT!!!" Now she looks a little bit like a hill-billy! So, she put the tooth under her pillow and the toothfairy took her tooth and left an Angelina Ballerina book and some money! Wow! Is our little girl growing up!

Time to finish the basement

We have spent some time lately thinking about finishing the basement.
We had a plumber out here to give us an estimate on putting the water softener in. That will probably get finished tomorrow. We also had Buck from Hearthstone Homes (our builder) talk us through what we need to do to first finish the basement bathroom and then the rest of the basement. We are now HOT to get it done! The bathroom shower will need to be our major decission. It will have to fit in a certain space with the drain in the correct location. After that the rest of the bathroom should fall into place. We will hire the plumbing out to someone else. I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff showed up tonight with lumber and a shower! I've done some school supply shopping. Walmart has SALES!!! 10 cents for note books and 20 cents for crayons (24 count). The kids and I had fun looking for deals. I may take a trip to my school today to drop off some things I purchased for organization in my room. Joe had the stomach flu yesterday, but seems better today. Jenna is crabby and just woke up (it's 1:15) from an hour long (and much needed) nap. Jackson (AKA "The Professor" - because of the summer school classes he is taking) has been working hard at his reading/writing class. I've seen some good improvement!

Now we are gearing up for a visit from Starla and kids. I can't wait to take them to the zoo and a pool. It's suppose to be hot, so we might just stay in and stay cool!

Busy Busy Busy

Well, I thought I had better update our blog before I forget all of the exciting things we have been busy doing.

My parents visited with Rusty and Shadow (their Golden Retrievers). They arrived on Friday, June 23 and left Thursday, June 29. While here they were able to see the ConAgra campus as well as the company store, see the kids' school, take Jack to his reading class, help with some projects around the house, and just hang out. After they left, we decided to head to Wisconsin for the 4th of July weekend.

We left Omaha on Friday, June 30. The morning was very frustrating because I got my oil changed in the van and the workers knocked a wire that caused my engine light to turn on. It took over an hour to fix the problem! This caused me to be delayed on our departure time. So, Jeff had to come back home to help load the van - we got off our departure time by about 1 1/2 hours. We arrived in Ellsworth friday night - slept at Frank and Margaret's - and left Saturday for Minog. Jeff drove Frank's truck (with Frank and Jack) towing the boat. Margaret traveled with Joe, Jenna, and me in the van. We had a blast at Sue and Steve's cabin (Jeff's sister and brother - in - law). Sarah, Andy, and kids (Jeff's other sister and brother - in - law) were there too. We pitched out tents (one for the boys and the other for Jeff, Jenna, and me).

Sunday, July 2 we spent the day on the water of Lake St. Croix. We visited with some friends of the family. While on the lake, Jenna rode a jet ski, Jack rode in a tube behind a boat, and both boys rode in on a sting ray (that can hold 3 people). Jeff tried the jet ski, but didn't much care for it. I just enjoyed the sun and worked on my tan!!!

Monday we went to the public beach on Lake St. Croix. Kids were getting tired and crabby! We left that afternoon to head back to Ellsworth for an overnight (and a shower!).

July 4th we drove back to Omaha. We were eager to get home (and clean the van). That night we walked to the park (4 houses away) and set up chairs to see the fireworks of the city. It was an amazing site!

Jeff had to work on Wednesday and I did laundry. Jackson attended his reading class.

Thursday I had a meeting with the principal of my new school and our friends from Janesville (Glenn and Linda McWilliams) arrived with their camper. Jackson wasn't feeling very well - and ended up throwing up a few times. I picked them up at the campground and they came back for supper.

Friday was a rainy day so we didn't go to the zoo as planned. Jackson was still sick and Glenn was having camper problems..... So, we just hanged out. When Jeff came home Linda and I went to do some shopping. I found some great deals at my new favorite store CJ Banks. I ended up with 4 new outfits.

Saturday was filled with fun. We started our day with breakfast at the camper. Bacon, Texas French Toast, and pancakes. Interesting fact: Texas Toast in Wisconsin is BIGGER than Texas Toast in Nebraska.

After breakfast we headed to downtown Omaha. We drove around the ConAgra Campus and parked to walk around the 'Old Market' area. After a couple of hours we went to the Botanical Gardens. The Gardens will have to be a stopping point for all future visitors. It was amazing. There is a picture at the top of this blog of one of the gardens (Glenn took it) to show how great it is.

After the Botanical Gardens we headed to Lincoln. We had a nice drive. Linda and I took a power nap while the kids watch "Chicken Little". Once we got to Lincoln we first went to a licorice store. All they sold there was licorice and licorice flavored items. Apparently, it is the only store like it. Here is the web address: www.licoriceinternational.com

We got a few items there and then went to the next store. That souviener store had wine tasting going on. Every other Saturday they have wine tasting of Nebraska Vinyards. I purchased two different bottles and look forward to tasting them soon. We ended our long day with an early supper at a brew pub. The food was excellent - and we are eager for the newest restaurant to open a few blocks from our home.

On our drive home we drove past the Cornhusker Football Stadium. "Go Big Red!"

Sunday we spent the morning at home. We went to church, ate breakfast, then went out to the campground. We decided to spend the afternoon by the pool. Since check out was earlier - it was as if we had the pool to ourselves. The kids all had a great time. (So did the adults).
Brats at our house for supper.

Monday our plans to go to the zoo were spoiled by the rain. Instead we had a nice visit from the Mike Tollefson family (Jaci's cousin). Jenna had a wonderful time playing with her second cousin, Anna. Both of the girls are 5 and will be in kindergarten next year. I hope they will be able to spend more time together as other family events. Mike's wife, Mary, is from Omaha and they were here visiting her parents.

That afternoon we toured my school and went to the movie CARS!!! It was a great movie. I would recommend it to all!

Monday night was sad....not only because I wasn't beating Glenn in gin, but because we had to say goodbye! Glenn and Linda headed back to Janesville on Tuesday morning.

I was a wonderful visit with super memories!

I got the job!

It is now 1:12 and I just got off the phone with the principal from Grace Abbott. He called at 1:06 PM and offered me the job of 4th grade teacher. I, of course, accepted. After I feed the kids (fish sticks) I will head over to the school and tour my room and get the curriculum and books. Big celebration will be happening in Omaha tonight!!!!!