Thursday, January 31, 2008

TOURNAMENT TIME

It is time for our first tournament! We are going to Panama City next Friday to compete in the Club Fusion Blowout! We will be competing in the 16U division. I am not sure how many teams are competing. I am really excited. We have a great group of girls. I think we will do well. We got our uniforms in yesterday and I was really nervous about what they would look like. The jerseys look great! Unfortunately the spandex that they sent with the uniforms do not match the color on the jersey and they are cotton! Yuk! I know alot of clubs wear these, but I hate them! So yesterday I went to B&B with a couple of the girls and bought all new spandex. We bought the same Mizuno ones we had last year, but they are black not navy. They match much better with the uniforms and they look 100 times better! I was so mad that they sent me such terrible spandex! I called the company and they would not let me send them back or anything! How ridiculous is that! Don't order from team sports planet! Anyway now are uniforms look great! I will post some pics after our tournament next weekend!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

10 Things Not To Say to Men/Women

I read this article today and thought it was pretty funny! I had to modify it a little to keep it clean, but it is pretty good!
It's true: Some comments are better left unsaid.But as a sophisticated man of the 21st century, you already know this. You know you're not supposed to comment on your girlfriend's weight, or tell her that her friends are hot. And you know she probably feels the same way you do about the phrase, "Can we still be friends?"Additionally, you've found that honesty, while valued in most situations, can sometimes offend. What you say to diffuse tension in an argument often stokes the fire. We understand that the female psyche can be complicated, and we're here to demystify what may seem like strategically placed trapdoors.
Here are 10 things most women don't want to hear:
1) "What did you do to your hair?"
Most likely we've gone to a lot of trouble and expense for it. "I like your new haircut" is infinitely better, and shows you're paying attention. It's also far superior to the generic "You look different," which tells us you're as clueless as ever.
2) "They both look the same to me."
We understand you care a lot less than we do about the outfits or the registry dishware we're asking you to compare. But they can't possibly look exactly the same, can they? Give us something. Anything. Mentally roll the dice and pick one, so we don't worry about your vision—or worse, that you don't care.
3) "Relax." or "Don't get so worked up,"
this generally creates the exact opposite effect you're shooting for. When you say "Relax," what we hear is that you think that we're being irrational over nothing, and this makes us do anything but relax.
4) "I've got it all under control."
Ha! Famous last words. Refrain from using them if you don't want us to take fiendish delight in your getting lost because you won't stop for directions (if we're late, there will be fiendish fuming), or because you're missing a piece to your flat-screen television because you said you didn't need to read the assembly instructions.
5) "You're not one of those feminists, are you?"
Yikes. Chivalry may be nearly dead, but saying this will drive the last spear through its heart. Feminist or not, a woman is likely to be offended by the question. Just be yourself. Be kind, open the door, offer to pay, and go from there. We can choose to accept or share in your generosity.
6) "When are you due?"
Take one second to imagine a woman turning to you and responding, "I'm not pregnant," or "I had the baby six months ago," and you'll understand why you should eradicate this question from your vocabulary. In one nanosecond, innocent—even considerate—curiosity can turn to deadly, if unintentional, offense. And there's just no way to recover from this one.
7) "You're being emotional."
In the heat of the moment this may be true. But unless you want your partner to become more emotional or get angry, you're better off keeping this observation and its off-limits follow-up question—"Is it that time of month?"—to yourself.
8) "You're acting just like your mother/my mother/my ex-girlfriend."
All three are problematic. An ex should be mentioned sparingly, and never in comparison. Why would we want to remind you of a person you broke up with? And come to mention it, why are you thinking about her? You see the slippery slope. Conjuring an image of our mother or your mother can be equally grating. We want you to treat us as individuals and not as mere products of your (or our) upbringing.
9) "You complete me."
We've seen "Jerry Maguire" and most other romantic comedies far more often than you, and while we may (or may not) like cheesy movie lines, they usually fail in real life. We understand that the possibility of romance makes inexplicable things come out of a man's—and sometimes a woman's—mouth, but keep the compliments real and honest and sincere and say you love someone when you mean it.
10) "Do you really think you should be eating that?"
Yes. She should be eating it. Even if she told you she's given it up.

Now for the men!

For years we've all heard the things men shouldn't say to women, such as "Yeah, those jeans do make you look a little chunky," and "Why didn't you tell me you had a hot friend."We've been doing our best to behave, but it's time you knew there are a few things that won't score you any points with the man in your life. For the most part, we're an open book, but there are a few things that make us cringe.Here's a look at 10 things women say that drive men nuts.
1) "That looks cute."
For the most part, men hate cute. We don't want to hear about it, we don't want to see it, and we sure don't want to be it. If we come down stairs after getting dressed and you tell us we look cute, there's a 100 percent chance we're changing. We're supposed to be your protector, your rock, and cute does not fit into that picture.
2) "We need to talk."
These four words shut off a man's brain faster than long division. When men hear you say that they immediately go into flight mode. And anything they can do to get out of this conversation—they will. There are plenty of other ways to approach a delicate conversation, and getting us in a place where we feel comfortable is a good start.
3) "It's just a game."
Actually, it's not just a game. Sports are a major part of our lives and the outcome has as much to do with our mood as just about anything else. Is it fair? No. Is it right? No. Is it immature? Maybe. But it's life. Sometimes we just care too much. We understand that it doesn't make sense, but you should be happy that we're that passionate about something. Telling us that "it's just a game" is like us telling you that Oprah's just a talk show host.
4) "Nothing's wrong."
Please don't tell us nothing's wrong. The look on your face could make the toughest guy on the planet weep like a third-grade girl and your arms are crossed so tight you might explode. We're not mind readers; tell us what's going on. And don't make us guess because—believe me—you won't like what we come up with.
5) "I sound like my mom."
The mere fact that you might turn into your mom someday scares us. Don't say it, even in jest—it's not funny. We actually believe (and pray) that the saying "every woman ends up looking like their mother" is an old wives' tale. If we didn't, no one would ever get married.
6) "I just want to be friends." No you don't. You just want us to stop calling you. This is a lot like pulling off a band-aid. Do it quick—don't prolong the agony. Most of us take "I just want to be friends" as "There's still a chance," so if there isn't just make it a clean break and move on. Everyone will be much better because of it.
7) sorry I have kids read my blog and this just wasn't appropriate for younger readers.
8) "What are you wearing?"
We're wearing whatever's clean or whatever you tell us to. We don't plan out our wardrobe days in advance, but we do actually try and look presentable. It may not work a lot of the time, but we do give it a shot. Giving us direction is completely encouraged though, so go ahead and suggest … nicely.
9) "Do you think she's pretty?"
Of course we do, our standards are much lower than yours. But just because we check her out doesn't mean we think any less of you. We try to be as discreet as possible, but for the most part, we can't help it. It's in our DNA. When an attractive woman walks by, it's best to just pretend nothing happened.
10) "Which outfit do you like better?" I'm going to be honest here—90 percent of the guys out there are not going to tell you which outfit they like better: They're going to try to pick the one you like better and not get into a holy war when the babysitter is due any minute. To us, you always look good.

Twin Day




This week is homecoming week at school and each day has a dress up theme. Tuesday was Carribean Chaos, Wednesday was clash day, today is Twin Day and tomorrow is School Spirit day. Camryn and one of her friends got the same dress for Christmas this year so they dressed alike today! They look so cute and they were so excited. Payton and I dressed alike and she says that we both look like "Dora" I don't get it but she is thrilled! Jordan's entire class dressed alike. either blue shirts or red shirts. Here are some pics.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The wild one


This is what I felt like doing to Payton this weekend! Just kidding I love her!

Missing my friends!


Yesterday I had a two hour coffee date with my two best friends! This used to be a weekly ritual for us, and this was the first time we have been able to get together since I moved in June! We had so much fun, we have to make sure that it's not that long til we do that again!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Bad Mom

Okay, I am turning into one of those parents that I hate! Jordan has started baseball at our school. They have an elementary sports program and baseball is his favorite sport right now. This will be his third year playing. He is pretty good too! This program has kids from first grade up to fifth grade playing together, so you would expect him to be one of the worst players out there. Not MY Child! In the first practice the other day he hit the first ball pitched to him out into right field. I was so impressed. He also is a great fielder. But this is where it gets bad. I tend to be a little bit competitive, maybe a bit too much at times. When we got in the car after his practice I said to him, "Jordan, I think you were the best player out there today!" He replies, "No way, mom didn't you see this kid do this and another kid do that! I am definitely not the best player out there."
Then I started feeling bad, because at his age it is not about being the best, it is about having fun at a game you love! So I have decided to back off a little on wanting my kid to be the best athlete out there. For NOW anyways!
Sorry Jordan.

3 year old photographer

Camryn looking so sweet!
Becky, I know you'll love this one!
Camryn and Katie
My brother's basketball game
Jordan loves having his picture taken!
Me, yuk!
Camryn again
Shani, one of my best students

and of course one of herself!



Payton loves to take pictures. For her birthday, Dan bought her a digital camera. I know this sounds like a strange gift for a three year old, but she absolutely loves taking pictures. It will keep her occupied for hours. She is actually pretty good for her age too, I think. Here are some pictures she took last night at the basketball game.

Monday, January 14, 2008

A5 South Uniforms



These are our club uniforms for this year. The back will have the girl's last name and number as well. We will wear the black jersey's with black spandex. the white is for our libero. I think they look so......Good!

I Love West Palm Beach











Here are some pictures of our awesome weekend! We left after Rachel's basketball game Friday night and got into West Palm Beach at about 130 am. We were exhausted and went right to bed since she had a tryout scheduled for 930 Saturday morning at Northwood University. We got to Northwood and there were 3 recruits there this weekend for the tryout. We did the tour of the campus for about an hour and then went into the gym to get started. As crazy as this sounds it made us feel kinda good when we saw the argument betweent the coaches over gym time. Each had reserved the gym for the same time and due to some miscommunication someone was going to have to compromise. And can you guess who it was? Yes, volleyball! Anyway, we all went to Panera and hung out and talked for a while. The coach at Northwood is awesome, she is alot of fun and really loves the girls on her team. We headed back to the gym at around noon and the tryout began. Rachel was awesome! She played better than she did all year long! Her passing was flawless, her hitting was unbelievable; I was sincerely amazed! The coach really liked her and wants her to fill out some paperwork this week and then they will talk about scholarships etc...
After that tryout we went to visit Palm Beach Atlantic University. We didn't actually get to do a tryout here, because the coach had other obligations this particular weekend. Instead we toured the campus on our own and left her a dvd and some paperwork (transcripts etc...) This campus is amazing. It is right on the beach and it is beautiful! They are a NCAA II college and it would be awesome if she can get onto thier team. We are supposed to be in contact with that coach later this week as well.
When we were done touring the campus we headed out to the beach for the afternoon. Can you believe it. 81 degrees in the middle of January, people in bathing suits, swimming in the ocean, laying out? Only in South Florida is that possible! The afternoon was beautifiul!
That night we went to PF Changs for the best chineese cuisine ever! If you have never eaten there, you need to find the closest one to you and plan a trip because I have never had better chineese food in my life. We shopped around the mall for a little bit and then went to see a movie that night.
Sunday was our trip home, but we could not help sneaking in one last little trip to the beach before we left. Then we took a different way home and visited with our sisters who live in Jacksonville. We got home at about 1130 last night but we had so much fun!
Now we just wait to hear from the coaches and see what develops. I'll keep you posted!

Friday, January 11, 2008

For a Laugh

My sister Lauren came home for Christmas and showed us this website that at first really shocked me. Once I learned the trick, I was hooked. I showed every class I had today the website and it was hilarious.
The link is
http://www.peteranswers.com/
You may want to practice it a few times before you try to trick someone with it.


I am not sure where to go to get the instructions so I will try to give them myself.
1. log on to the website
2. When you type in the petition box you actually type in the answer to your question
3. Before you type in the answer type in a period and after you type in your answer type in a period.
4. Finish the petition as Peter please answer: or Peter please answer the following question.
(the computer actually starts typing this for you while you are typing in the answer)
5. Then go to the question box and type in your question.
6. After you type in your question press enter
7. After the first question you ask you will have to click I agree to the conditions page.
8. Then amazingly the answer to your question will appear on the screen. It will really take people by surprise.

My students were about to walk out the door-they thought someone was listening to us and watching us in the room! It is so funny you can really have a good time with it.
Let me know how it goes!

For Rachel

Today I am taking my only Sr. volleyball player this year down to West Palm Beach to visit some colleges and she will be trying out for two college volleyball teams. I am so nervous for her. I know she will do great though. I don't know why I am nervous, I just have to sit there and watch, but I just really want her to be able to get a scholarship to a good college and I think she has a really good chance.
But the great news is we get to spend the weekend in West Palm Beach! I am looking forward to going to the City Walk which I have heard so much about!
Anyway if you think about us this weekend, pray for safety traveling and pray that Rachel can be well rested and play her best at the tryouts.
I'll give an update later! and post lots of pics of the weekend!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Cheerleading: Do you call it a sport?

Is there really a competition. Okay, here is where I vent. For some reason cheerleading coaches don't like me. I think it may have something to do with the fact that I consider cheerleading great entertainment. I mean seriously, I get a great laugh everytime I watch them. I also get a kick out of how defensive they are about it being sport. I don't usually comment to this effect because I know that there are some cheerleading teams that actually COMPETE and are successful, but I have not been around this type of cheerleading. The type I am referring to is the cheerleading team that plans two hour practices, but stands around talking 75% of the time. This type of team is more interested in what their hair and makeup look like than actually cheering for the team. This type of team spends more time in the concession stand than on the sidelines. This type of team sits on the bleachers instead of standing and getting the crowd into the game. This type of team has no idea how the game they are cheering for is played. This type of team takes gym time from real sports and uses one corner to clap their hands and stomp their feet. This type talks more about themselves in their cheer instead of the team they are supposed to be cheering for. And my biggest pet peeve, they REFUSE to cheer for any girls teams! What is that! Actually I think that speaks for itself.
Anyway all that to say this-the cheerleading coach here does not like me at all. She seems to think I have it out for her, but really she makes me laugh. Everything is SO....dramatic! You know they type. Well I am really looking forward to this afternoon, because I have reserved the gym for my club team and she has told her girls that they will be in the gym this afternoon. Oh Well, I usually avoid conflict, but this is just hilarious!
So give me your opinion!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

More pics of the kiddos









Okay, before you say Where's Jordan? He spent the day with Dan so he wasn't here for these pictures. I'll get some of him to post soon!

Back to School


Well it's back to getting up at 5 every morning! Yuk!

I enjoyed the break so much and you know it only takes one day for me to remember that teaching is a calling and I don't have it! My head is pounding and obviously I am not the only one who doesn't want to be here! It is so different in high school! My kids were so excited to go back to school and wear there new shoes and see their friends, but up here in the high school you would think someone died. Everyone looks so depressed.


Last night we were in the kitchen cleaning up and Payton and Camryn were helping pack the lunches for today. Payton is always talking to herself so I wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying. All of the sudden she starts singing really loud! "Shorty goes lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower." My three year old!


So we had the discussion that it was really not appropriate for her to sing this, which makes it even worse because then she thinks it is funny! Now I cannot get her to stop singing it and I am just waiting for her teacher to approach me at school today.


I ordered our volleyball uniforms for club yesterday. I think they will look really nice. I am really looking forward to our first tournament. Unfortunately we are going to have to reschedule the first tournament that was scheduled for the 26th of January because our uniforms will not be here until the 1st of February. bummer!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Our last day of volleyball practice












My volleyball team this year was so much fun! I had girls with great attitudes and great work ethic! I had a super assistant coach and she has become one of my good friends and a great team mom who kept me sane this year despite all our breakdowns etc....


We had a terrific season going 12-0 in regular season play and being regular season conference champs! But we also had a great time. Here are a few pictures of our last day of practice. I am so glad I had a chance to coach you guys, I am so excited about club and even about next year already!


Love ya!

Happy Birthday Payton- A couple of days late!

Her sad face






Monday was Payton's birthday. She turned three years old. I can't believe my little baby is three! If you know Payton at all you know that she always makes you laugh! She is absolutely beautiful with her big, bright, blue eyes; her mischievous smile; her gorgeous blonde hair and her chubby little body! She is full of life. She is very animated and has a very dominant personality. She tells everyone what to do-AND THEY LISTEN! She loves her brother and sister, she can be extremely sweet when she wants to be. Dan says "first they are sour then they are sweet" comparing her to the sour patch kids candy commercial on TV.


She has had a party list for the last 5 months and it changes several times a day. If you are nice to her you are allowed to go to her party, if you are mean to her or you make her mad she crosses her arms and pouts and with a snotty little voice says "Oh yeah, Well you're not coming to my party, Ha Ha!" We just crack up and everyone is constantly asking her if they are allowed to come to her party.


There is a really pretty house across the street from our church and it had beautiful lights up for Christmas. Payton has a vivid imagination and she told everyone at school and church that this was her house. I just laughed and said "Payton that is not your house." She just replied that it is her house where she lives with her other mom and dad and two dogs Layshe and Dizzy. These are imaginary dogs and she plays with them all the time.


I love her so much and I just thank God every day for the wonderful children he has given me!


Happy 3rd Birthday Baby, I love you!