**Ding!** I Win!

ME!

That's right, folks. I was notified this morning by an email, a phone message, and an enthusiastic co-worker making faces through my classroom window that I won a $20 Walmart gift card! Apparently, they really wanted to make sure that I knew I am a winner.

It was so exciting! I tried to play it cool after seeing the email, but once I listened to the message on the phone, I couldn't help but interrupt the children who were working hard to share my news.

I get entered in a contest every month for carpooling to work. I'm already saving on gas and car miles, and now I get this extra perk. Yay for carpooling and carpool contests!

I hope that I will win again. It's totally possible, too. I have a pretty good track record of winning things:

-I won a Walmart gift card last year for just being a teacher
-In college, I won a gift card to the mall for paying my rent on time
-Also in college, I won several CDs at a BYU Young Ambassadors Performance
-At a piano recital, I won a piano book

See, I told you.  I'm a lucky girl.


P.S. If you missed the reference from my title (which is most likely everyone besides my siblings), then you need to watch this episode of Arthur.

A First

Let it be known, that on this, the 30th day of December, 2011, I mowed my first lawn. 

 Not really sure how I got away without mowing a lawn for 27 years*, but it sure did make me feel proud when I did it (and only with limited help from my brother over the phone). Thanks Ke-lay! 

*Probably the same way I've gotten away without ever giving the dog a bath. 

Magnetic Picture Board

We found this cool picture hanging thingy in a closet in our house a few years back.

My mom really liked it, so I wanted to make her one. 

 I finally figured out how (with some help, of course).

What you'll need:

-9" x 30 " board, sanded and painted

-four 5x7" metal shingles (found in roofing section at Lowe's/Home Depot), 

with a teeny hole drilled in the corner of each one (thanks Pops!)

-16 furniture nails (also called decorative nails, but the men folk 

at the hardware store will give you blank stares if you use the term "decorative")

-choose a phrase of your choice and have your awesome friend cut out the vinyl on her Cricut for you

Put it all together and you'll get:

One of these (and a happy mommy)!

Sharing Time

Today I am going to catch up on what's been going on in my life.  Mostly for my dad, who threatens to stop reading my blog if I don't update it often enough.

First, I have a story to share:  

One day, I was standing outside after school, yelling at all the children to "Walk!" That's a skill that I acquired in Teacher School.*  A ten-year-old exits the building, walks over to me, and asks, "Is it raining?"  Umm, did you really have to ask me that.  My response: "Is it?"  He looks up and decides that it's not.

Next, I have a definition to share: 

 (Thank you dictionary.com)

lit·er·al·ly

   [lit-er-uh-lee]  Show IPA

adverb

1.

in the literal  or strict sense: What does the wordmean literally?

2.

in a literal  manner; word for word: to translate literally.

3.

actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city wasliterally destroyed.

4.

in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually.

People have literally been using this word way too much.  They literally don't know what it means.  "Literally" is the new "ironic."  They hear it and think it sounds great and want to literally use it themselves and then their children literally start using it and the meaning begins to get lost.  

I literally don't know who to blame for this problem, but I get upset at them every time I hear it used incorrectly.  Nothing will ever top the day that a girl giving a talk in church said, "I literally cried my eyes out." And here's another: " I literally have people coming out of the woodwork asking for the recipe." Wow. That's amazing.

I would also like to share a secret:

No, it's not a secret about my love life.  Sorry.  It's the secret to having the best grilled cheese sandwich ever. Are you ready? The secret is: use sourdough bread.  When you combine cheese, sourdough, a little butter, and a hot griddle, your mouth will be in heaven.  And then you'll have to eat it every night for two weeks like I did.  It's that good.  

Finally, I will share some pictures:

 I made that snowflake!

Aren't you impressed? (because you should be)

It is the first snowflake I made under the tutelage of my new roommate.

(and the first picture I took with my new, fancy camera) 

Our whole ceiling is decorated with these amazing snowflakes, 

all made by my new roommate from Texas. She's amazing. 

*To learn about Teacher School, you'll have to read the book 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny. I highly recommend it. If you are a teacher, that is. Or if you just want to, but you won't appreciate it as much I'm guessing.