March Mosaic

90/365: The Last Snowy Day?

March 31, 2011

Yesterday, it started snowing. We weren't expecting it to stick, but it stayed through the night. March decided to come in like a lamb and out like a lion. Hopefully, this will be the last we see of the white stuff. I am more than ready for Spring to arrive.

89/365: Skyline Time

March 30, 2011

Kevin was so busy trying to catch up on work today that he just wasn't able to get dinner going. Since it is Kids' night at Skyline, we decided that would be dinner tonight.

88/365: Subway Dinner

March 29, 2011

Kevin had taken the boys out to McDonald's for dinner, so it was my chance to get whatever I wanted for dinner. My go-to is always Subway. I get the grilled chicken breast sub and baked BBQ Lays chips. Yummy!

87/365: New Supplies

March 28, 2011

Today was the first day back to school after Spring Break. I surprised my class with not only a new room arrangement, but also new supplies. I filled the supply tubs with new packages of colored pencils, crayons, pencils, glue sticks and erasers. It was nice to start the last leg of the school year with fresh materials.

86/365: Waiting

March 27, 2011

Every Sunday, my husband's parents take the boys out to dinner. Recently, they started taking Nick too. They call when they leave their house, giving the boys time to get ready. The boys then sit in front of the door watching for Grammy and Papa to show up. They are so cute.

85/365: Cars

March 26, 2011

Yes, I know, these are not all cars. But, according to my toddler, they are so I'm going with it for simplicity's sake. I was sitting in my chair with my feet up and along comes Nick with his various vehicles. Before I know it, he returns with cars and trains and Zhu Zhu pets and lines them up down my legs. He does this all over the house with all kinds of cars and trucks/

84/365: Meatballs

March 25, 2011

As my husband pointed out a few days ago, most of my posts either have to do with exercise, food, or school. I've been consciously trying to avoid that, but sometimes that's just what is on my mind. My husband is the cook in our house. I can follow a recipe, and my food usually turns out just fine, but cooking isn't really something I enjoy. He does. Well, tonight he was going to be out and I needed to fix dinner for the boys and myself. We had the fixings for spaghetti, and that's a pretty simple one for me, so that was what was on the menu. But then the boys asked if I could try meatballs (as that is what Kevin was going to make when our spaghetti dinner was aborted a few days ago.) I had the recipe, I'd seen Kevin make them before, so I thought I'd give it a try. They turned out REALLY good. In fact, when I packed up the leftovers, there were only 3 meatballs left! That's a pretty good compliment, I think.

83/365: COSI

March 24, 2011

Today, I took the boys to COSI (Center of Science and Industry) here in Columbus. It is a great place to explore and learn about all things science. We've been there separately many times through class field trips, and I took Liam and Ben there earlier this year for the traveling Titanic Artifacts exhibit (which was pretty awesome.) We even decided to get a Family Membership so that we can go any time we want. I decided that today we would go. Kevin had a lot of work to get done (after all, HE isn't on Spring Break, we are) so I got the boys out of the house to give him some peace and quiet. One of the permanent exhibits is the "Oceans" exhibit which has a submarine that the kids can sit in. Liam and Ben climbed in and looked around. They really enjoyed their day.

82/365: African Safari Wildlife Park

March 23, 2011

Our Spring Break mini-road trip continued as we headed East to Port Clinton, OH. Normally, a popular summer vacation spot for all of the Lake Erie based activities. At this time of the year, there are few things open for business. One thing we did find was the African Safari Wildlife Park. It is a drive-thru African animal park. We paid our carload admission and were given two cups of animal food then drove through the gates. We were almost immediately greeted by a herd of deer. They come up to your car and know that, if the windows are rolled down, you have food for them. They eat right from the cup. It was amazing to see these deer, alpacas, buffalo, and ox up close. Several of them stuck their heads right into our open windows! The boys had a blast and, in spite of the rain and hail (yes, it hailed while we were there) we went through three times! Each of the boys took turns sitting on my lap in the front seat so that they could have a chance to hold the cup for the animals to eat from. Nick really didn't want to hold the cup or get that close to the animals, but he did enjoy putting the carrots into the cups for the animals to eat from. I think we'll definitely have to go back when the walk-through part of the park is open.

81/365: Pollyeyes

March 22, 2011

We decided, after looking at brochures picked up from AAA and visits to the web sites of various convention and visitors' bureaus, that we were going to head to Northwest Ohio; Toledo to be exact. This was great news for me, as it meant we would be passing through Bowling Green, OH. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University, where Kevin and I met. One of my favorite places to go whenever we happen to pass through BG is Pollyeyes. They have the most amazing breadsticks. It was a tradition in college, that on the day my roommate and I moved into our dorm (or later, apartment) we would order Pollyeyes breadsticks. Now, it's a tradition for our family, as our boys are also big fans. Not only does Pollyeyes continue to offer our much-loved original breadsticks, but they have now expanded into stuffed breadsticks. This time, we got cheese-stuffed breadsticks, which aren't complete without the trio of dipping sauces-marinara, ranch, and jalapeno cheese. Yummm, I'm craving them again!

80/365: Chipotle for the Family

March 21, 2011

We got so busy planning what we were going to do and where we were going to go for our overnight trip for Spring Break, that time got away from us and we weren't going to be able to make dinner and have it ready without it being way too late. So, we decided to just get takeout. I've already established that I love Chipotle. Now, it's obvious that the rest of the family does too, even down to the littlest Carr.

79/365: Signs of Spring

March 20, 2011

Today is officially the first day of Spring. As I was walking outside today, I noticed these tulip leaves that had popped up through the mulch. I was immediately cheered by the thought that we may be turning the corner and heading away from winter.

78/365: Super Moon

March 19, 2011

Tonight is the night the "Super Moon" appears in our sky. This is the closest it has been to Earth, at 221, 565 miles away, since March 1993. I took this shot from our front door. Although the trees are what is in focus rather than the moon, and the moon doesn't look all that big, I still think it's a neat photo.

77/365: What was I thinking?

March 18, 2011

It's Friday again and that means I stayed at school until about 8:00 to get some work done before Kevin and the boys meet me at CiCi's Pizza for dinner. Well, tonight I hadn't heard from Kevin so I didn't know if or when they were coming over. The end of school today marked the beginning of Spring Break, so everyone else was long gone (as they usually are on Fridays.) I got into procrastination mode around 6:00 and decided to rearrange my room. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I just wanted to try something different. So, I got the custodian to bring down the special dollies required to move my desk and filing cabinet and got to work. At 8:30, Kevin finally called to say they were on the way. By this time I was still in the middle of rearranging and had hit the frustration point because I just didn't like the way it looked. Now, instead of being able to start Spring Break and just forget about going into school until it was over, I'm going to have to head in for a few hours and get this resolved. I ask again, what was I thinking?!

76/365: St. Patrick's Day

March 17, 2011

They say that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. From the first graders who wear green and attempt to pinch any classmates who don't, to the adults who go out for a green beer after work. Well, we really are Irish, and we like to have fun with the holiday as much as the Irish-for-a-day do. My husband will usually make corned beef and cabbage and add green food coloring to the boys' drinks. Today, he headed to the grocery store to get the ingredients for dinner and they were all sold out of corned beef. So, we decided to go cheap for dinner and let the boys decide. The final consensus was Wendy's (where I knew I could get a good salad.) To carry on with the tradition, Kevin brought along the green food coloring and added a drop to each of the boys' cups of Sprite. Slainte!

75/365: Student Non-Fiction Projects

March 16, 2011

For several weeks, my students have each been researching an animal that lives in the pond or backyard habitat. They have learned about where their animal lives, what it eats, who its predators are, and any adaptations it has to survive the winter or escape its predators. Their research has been "published" in a book that the students will be presenting to their parents at an "Author's Breakfast" and book signing. This project has taken many hours to complete and represents my students' hard work and perseverance. Getting my students ready for this event has been all I have been able to focus on. When this is over, we only have one day left until Spring Break.

74/365: Did You Know?

March 15, 2011

My class has been working on a project that involves three standards all at once. We are learning about the features of non-fiction, we're learning how to research a topic, and we're learning about animals found at the pond or backyard habitat. This is the hallway display of one element of my students' projects. They had to find interesting facts about their animals and then use the program Pixie to create a page of one of their facts.

73/365: Pie for Pi Day

March 14, 2011

Today is Pi Day. You know, 3.14. Well, it was a big topic of interest all over Twitter. So, my husband decided that he would take this opportunity to teach our sons about Pi. They measured the circumference of a variety of objects, then culminated in measuring a pie (and of course, eating it.) He bought a Chocolate Silk pie from Bob Evans. When I found out, I asked him to save me a piece. When I got home, I figured out the WW Points for a slice of pie. I just about fell over. One slice, that is 1/8 of the pie, is 18 points! That's huge! It is more than half of my points allowance for the entire day. So, I satisfied myself with one bite of Nick's pie.

72/365: No-Nees

March 13, 2011

Another family ritual is doughnuts on the weekend. My husband will take the boys to Krispy Kreme and get a dozen or two doughnuts and bring them home. My youngest has always called doughnuts, "No-Nees." This morning, we all loaded in the van to head to get the doughnuts. The boys wanted to see if Nick knew where we were going while we were on the road. I was positive that the minute we turned down the road beside Target, he would know where we were going. They kept asking him, "Nick, do you know where we're going?" He kept saying, "No." As soon as we turned down the road beside Target, Nick said, "No-Nee!" The whole car burst into laughter. Yes! Mommy wins.

71/365: Turkey Dinner

March 12, 2011

A few years ago, the main dish at our Christmas dinner took a turn for the worse. Someone decided to make Cornish Game Hens instead of Turkey. After my husband and I got over our outrage, we decided to do something to ensure that we would still get to have our turkey dinner in the event his happened again (which, for the record, it hasn't.) Now, every year around Thanksgiving, he stocks up on turkeys when they are on sale at the grocery story. We have enough freezer space that he gets six of them. Then, every other month, we cook a big turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, and cranberry sauce. The way he prepares the bird makes the outside golden brown and tasty, and the meat inside juicy. Even his mom has requested that he makes the turkey whenever it's her turn to host. That's a plan I totally get behind!

70/365: CiCi's Pizza

March 11, 2011

Our Friday night ritual begins with me staying at school until about 8:00 catching up from the week and getting ready for the next. Then I either order CiCi's pizza to-go, go home and get pizza from Doughboys, or I meet Kevin and the boys at CiCi's. The last few weeks, we've been going to the restaurant for a couple of reasons. First, with the way the weather has been, the boys all need to get out of the house for a bit. Second, it's actually cheaper to eat at the restaurant and get the drinks, salads, and desserts for one price than to take home the pizzas and salads. And last, by eating in, I can fill up mostly on salads and then just stick to a couple of pieces of pizza. Much better for the success of my diet. So, today I photographed one of our weekly family rituals.

69/365: Optimism

March 10, 2011

As I was leaving the Kroger grocery store this afternoon, I noticed this cheerful, optimistic Spring display. The irony of it wasn't lost on me, that when I walked outside it was into snow flurries. Let's hope this is the last we see of the white stuff and the sunny days of Spring are soon here.

68/365: Rain

March 9, 2011

Now that it's March and almost officially Spring, the snow has been replaced by rain (hopefully, for good.) Not that I'm a big fan of rain, but it's a lot better than snow. Today, it has been raining from the time I left the house to the time I got home. I'm ready to snuggle up on my couch with a cozy blanket and forget that it's so wet outside.

67/365: Funky Pattern

March 8, 2011

I was given this zippered tote as a gift from one of my students for Christmas. It's made by the same company that made my lunch tote, Thirty-One Gifts. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the pattern, but it's funkiness has grown on me. It's kind of retro, but also cheerful. I keep my Weight Watchers materials in it.

66/365: How Many Pancakes Tall Are You?

March 7, 2011

In my class, we are currently learning about standard and non-standard measurement. Last year, my teaching partner Deb discovered this chart on the Bisquick web site. You can print it out and tape it together (then laminate it for longevity and durability) and then measure the kids against it to see how many pancakes tall they are. We started with an estimate of how tall they thought they were, then I actually measured them against it.

65/365: Gift Cards = Dinner Date

March 6, 2011

A couple of months ago, we were given gift cards to Applebees. But, with a family of five, $30 in gift cards doesn't go very far. So, when my in-laws took all three boys out to dinner tonight, we thought it was the perfect opportunity for the husband and me to have a nice dinner out together.

64/365: Fix It

March 5, 2011

My 2 1/2 year old son, Nick was a late speaker, but has been saying more and more 2-4 word phrases lately. His new one is "fix it" (which comes out more like "fiss it") and centers around putting this little train together. He can't seem to keep it together from the point when I put it together to when he carries it to the floor. It's a source of frustration for him, but humor for me. I can't help it. Have you seen a 2-year-old express frustration lately?

63/365: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

March 4, 2011

As I was passing by the office at the end of the day today, one of the secretaries called me over to see this. One of the Kindergarten parents made these cute little treats to go along with the book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie." It's nice to have a reminder that we can still make learning fun for our kiddos.

62/365: Progress Reports

March 3, 2011

It's that time again, progress reports. As always, I procrastinated getting my done until the very last minute. I was up so late, it's ridiculous. But, they're all done so all that's left to do is stuff them in the envelopes and put them the kiddos' hot little hands. Then, it's the weekend. It's hard to believe there's just 12 more weeks of school left.

61/365: Green Eggs and Ham

March 2, 2011

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, my second grade son, Ben wanted to have green eggs and ham for dinner (he even came home from school with a recipe.) So, being the great dad that he is, my husband granted his wish. The tasted a lot better than they looked, that's for sure. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

60/365: Here Comes the Sun

March 1, 2011

As I drove to school this morning, I actually had to wear my sunglasses because the sun was so bright. Ahhh, welcome back sun! Good to see you again.