Cuddling with Blaine

Blaine doesn't cuddle often, but once he was in his jammies, he was ready to cuddle with me.

I found out that cuddling with him can be quite violent--he nearly ripped a hunk of hair out.

Finally, he calmed down and I got a kiss from my nephew.

Oahu's North Shore

Rainy Day

Here's what I did yesterday while it was raining on Oahu: took pictures of rainbows, and loved on my nephew. We also went to the North Shore to see the surf, and I'll post pictures later as the internet connection is freaking out. Tomorrow I go home...sad!

Christmas on Oahu

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hawaii is...well, awesome. It's not unusual for me to be away from home on Christmas day, but today was an unorthodox Christmas day for even me.

While most spent Christmas morning opening gifts near the Christmas tree, I spent mine waiting for antibiotics in a Long's drug store, after failing to will away whatever's been making me sick. Then, a few hours on the beach and in the ocean, followed by dinner at Planet Hollywood and then a funnel cake. Top it off with watching some Mythbusters in a hotel room, and that's Christmas.

I even got a gift--the hotel gave me the ornament in the picture. Whoo-hoo!

Aloha from Hawaii!

Baby on the Beach

This trip to Hawaii will be the first time I'll get to hang out with my nephew Blaine on the beach. Every time I think about him hanging out at the beach, I'm reminded of something Anne Lamott wrote. She was writing something about being on the beach near San Quentin, and her description of two babies in the sand was outstanding--she said they were lurching around like 20-pound drug addicts, rolling in the sand until they looked like little breaded veal cutlets.

The description is perfect for Blaine. I've been calling him my little crack baby ever since he was born since he's constantly shaking and waving his hands around like he needs a fix.

The other fun thing about the trip is that Blaine will be wearing this. Hilarious. Back to laundry and packing.

Yesterday I felt horrible with the flu. I didn't want to miss the ballet though, so I still went to the Nutcracker and today I feel all better. It's a Christmas miracle!

Festivities

I was home this weekend for the first Christmas with the babies. It was crazy. Having 2 new babies in a family is sort of like having students in my classroom with ADD. No one can pay attention to any 1 thing for any length of time. And the toys...I have made it my mission as an aunt to buy the noisest toys possible, along with any types of embarassing outfits.

This Christmas however, I knitted for the babies. I forgot to take pictures when I was finished, but there were blankets for both babies. I also got to hang out with Dave which was a lot of fun, especially registering at Target. Oh, and Inca! I hadn't eaten at Inca for a very long time, and it was well overdue.

Now I'm back in CA, getting ready to go to Hawaii. Actually, today I'm still trying to get over the flu I got this week on my way back from IA. Then this weekend it's off to the islands. It seems like everyone is going there this Christmas, maybe I'll see some of ya'll.

Now it's off to the fabulous library to stock up on books. And just maybe I'll finish Anna Karenina.

No snow???

First, a seventh grade moment of brilliance. Some boys decided it would be a good idea to steal matches from the school office, burn another student's sweatshirt, and then lie about it to the principal in front of the 43 other seventh-graders, of whom probably 90% actually saw it happen. Boys and their fires...

So I'm home, navigating the family holiday maze, and I'm thoroughly disappointed that there is no snow. There is a weak promise of snow today, but I'm not counting on it. I'll blame global warming, and the poor judgement of 7th graders.

Civic Duty Complete!

So only about an hour after my post about civic duty, I was called in to jury duty. I was excited about it in the same way I get excited about voting--such an interesting process. It was a lot of waiting, during which I met a dental hygienist student who said she tried to get off jury duty by saying she doesn't believe in judging people. weak.

She didn't get to go. So after the waiting we went into the court room and the judge was great. She took the time to explain things, even the history, and according to her, privelege of doing jury duty. She said that up until the late 70s women weren't guaranteed the right to serve on a jury.

Somehow my number was called in the first group to be questioned. I got dismissed ono a hardship, since I have a trip planned starting this weekend. Though I was happy not to have to miss the trip, I was a little disappointed to leave the process so early. I think the strangest thing about it though was that when asked about a hardship I had to explain myself in a microphone, to the judge, in front of 60 strangers.

My Civic Duty

This is the first time in my 9 years of being a legally-registered voter that I have been assigned jury duty. I'm more than happy to do my civic duty, but I have to say that being a teacher on jury duty sucks. Each night I can check directions for the next day, but not until after 5pm. That means that before I leave school I have to have a plan in place in case I won't be there the next day--extra "emergency" plans in case the sub. can't actually teach English, etc. Probably an extra 1/2-1 hour of work each day. Then, when I check the website, I may have to call back between 11am-12 the next day, during the school day. If I get called in, I may have to quick whip up some plans for a sub for that same afternoon. Oh, and I have to call the poor woman who arranges subs every night to let her know my status. Friday we're going on a field trip and I have to arrange extra drivers in case I'm stuck in a court room instead of ice-skating. What a lot of work!

Thanksgiving

Most of you posted about your Thanksgivings a while ago now. It took me a while to process mine. I had many, many things to be thankful for. My eagle nephew wore an outfit with a bowtie for a picture, and his cheeks are so big they hung down and covered the bowtie. I also got to pick out a Christmas tree with Ang and her little cousins (or were they nieces and nephews?) and unborn baby KV. The little people in her family all wanted to take home part of the stump of the Christmas tree, which was cute.

I also had friends and family to be thankful for. Without getting into too much grotesque (and that word SO applies to my family) detail, there was much strife. I was thankful to fly back home and leave it all after the few days I was there.

Usually, I like airports because they're an emotional no man's land. While I'm there I don't feel attached to either where I'm going or where I came from, or anyone in the airport for that matter. It's nice. Until this trip. If you're familiar with the Minneapolis airport, there are what seem like miles-long stretches of moving walkways, particularly between concourses A and C. I was walking down one, enjoying anonymity, trying to figure out what had gone on while I was home when my senses were assaulted by figures in green velvet. I have never seen it before, and never since, but it was a group of Christmas carolers, riding the moving walkway in the opposite direction. There was no where to go, and nothing to do but look at them, with their smiling, singing faces as they rode by. They made me angry.

So, the good and bad, I guess that's Thanksgiving. Or maybe just the facts of life...the facts of life. you take the good, you take the bad, you take them all and there you have the facts of life, the facts of life.