Playing outside

We have been working hard the last couple of weeks trying to get our yard cleaned and organized so Allie and Preston have a nice place to play. Today Susanne and I finished disposing of all the trees we cut down (choke cherry and scrub oak) and sanded and primed the slide platform. We should be getting Allie's playhouse this week, too. Allie loves playing outside and is never happy when we make her come inside. Her favorite place to play is at my friend Jackie's house. They have a huge lot and she thinks she owns the place. They spoil her rotten, let her play in the dirt, buy her presents and let her run and run and run. Today she wouldn't even go shopping with us - she told us to go by ourselves so that she could stay and play with Sam and Jackie. She is getting very independent and only needs us when she is tired or hurt.

Mark got his second ACT test back this week. He did very well. His highest score was in English. He loves the rules of grammar, so he got a 36 on that section. He got a 29 composite. His biggest problem with standardized tests is that he is slow and methodical. He cannot be rushed, much like his father. He could compete with anybody [even David ;)] if the test were not timed. He is very hard on himself and thinks that if his score is not in the thirties he isn't doing very well. You see what a bad example you all set? Less than 99th percentile isn't good enough. 29, by the way, is only 95th percentile. What a slacker!???

I only teach 11 more days! I looked at what I still had to teach in science and wasn't doing as poorly as I thought. But then I gave a science test and I am sad too say that, although I covered the material, the kids haven't learned what they should have. Next year I need to start earlier and cover the material several times. I actually spent more time on science this year but covered more things about the scientific method and how to set up experiments to answer questions. I think that is pretty important, but next year I will have to save that until last or just squeeze in more lesson time. Whine, whine, whine. Yes, it goes good with crackers.

That was a downer kind of paragraph, but generally I am happy and doing well. We miss Dave, Ya-ping and Preston but should be able to see them again soon. We are hoping they come home the last of May. Everyone is healthy and we are not dealing with any traumas. We have great friends and family. What more could we ask for?

Fitness Blog

I started the fitness Blog. The address is http://ebbertfitness.blogspot.com/
I will email the password so that you all can add at your leisure. Should we say that if we don't hear from you every 10 days we can assume that you are not doing so well? I may have to start by writing every day so you know if I have exercised or not. Maybe next family reunion everyone will be in good enough shape that we can go on some great hikes together?
Good Luck to all!

twins?

Aren't they a great mother/daughter team? I even figured out how to turn the picture so you don't have to look at this one sideways. This is all my pictures for now. 

friends

Allie got to have a sleep over at my friend Jackie's house. Jackie was tending her niece Austin and Allie and Austin became fast friends. Allie is definately a social girl and loves playing with other kids. 

mail

Pops and Allie go get the mail every day. It is Allie's "chore". This day she needed shoes and I am not sure why she chose mine instead of hers. 

I miss him!

These two really are good friends. 

We love books

Preston and Allie love to read books. 

Snow

This was our big spring snow storm. It was in March just before Dave and Ya-ping left. 

After the curlers

 

I DID IT!

Allie in curlers. 

Moab

We just came back from a great trip to Moab. We took several short hikes (2 miles was the longest) and went to lots of overlooks. We hiked to Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands. You can see the rim of a dome but the inside has collapsed. They think that was because of a salt layer or a meteorite. The geology is fasinating. We also went to Dead Horse Point and Arches. Then on the way out we drove along the Colorado River going northeast from Moab. We played dominoes and rummy in the trailer and just enjoyed each other's company. Allie loved the trailer and often asked to go back there. Rick and Mark both played with Allie at a little playground at the KOA. The campground also had the best showers we have ever seen at a campground. It was so nice to be clean every day. That is the one drawback of our normal camps.
We also took a little side trip to see a house that was blasted out of the sandstone. It is 5000 square feet and has supporting columns that keep it stable. It was built in the 30s I think. It was kind of fun, but definately a tourist trap.

I am going to start an Ebbert Fitness blog. I will give you all the password in the next day or two (when I get it set up). I think we should try to blog every week or two and report on our diets and exercise. I agree with April that exercise is as important or even more important than weight loss. I know if I would do that consistently I would feel much better.
I am going to try to add pictures next. Wish me luck.

In the mood

I am in the mood to write today and have lots of different topics to cover. Hopefully I will be coherent and you won't get too bored to read the whole thing.

First, I had a physical today. I was thrilled to learn that, at my age, you no longer need a pap smear every year - so I avoided that. The down side is that I now need a colonoscopy. Age has its good and bad points. I talked to the Dr. about diet and exercise because I have been so impressed by the progress of my parents. I will work on an idea for a family blog motivator for weight loss because I know it would help me to have to confess to you all. He started me on a weight loss pill, which I never have been brave enough to try before. I feel a little weird today (after my first pill) so we will see if I start to feel more normal after a couple of days. My blood work will come back tomorrow, but so far I look good and healthy.

We get to go to Moab next week for spring break. The disadvantage is that everyone and their uncle will also be there, but Mark won't take off school for a vacation so we are kind of stuck. (The summer is TOO hot there.) We are pretty excited. We are staying at a KOA so we will have electricity and water hook-ups in our trailer and showers available. We haven't been to Arches or Dead Horse Point since before Mark was born. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful state! I got a walking stick for Christmas, which I intend to us a lot. We will see how Allie does with travel before we decide whether to take her to Nashville or not.

David has accepted Vanderbilts offer of grad school. I think he starts Aug. 23rd. We are looking forward to the trip there. I don't know if Rick will drive both ways with me or fly and meet me there. We have toyed with the idea of having Rick and Nan share a ticket and each of them drive one way. My friend, Jackie, has offered to drive with me if Rick flies both ways. We are planning on pulling a trailer for Dave and Ya-ping.

Are you sick of me yet? My school class has been a really tough one this year. They are all good kids separately, but together they don't mix well. We have a lot of boys that are mean to one another and several students that can't be motivated to work, even with parents involved. I may suggest one boy be retained and I have never done that before. He is smart enough to learn but doesn't try so he is several years behind. I am grateful that my kids were good students. I come home exhausted on my teaching days and dread going to school. The nice thing about being a teacher is that next year will be different. The other hard thing about school this year is that my partner is only one year away from retirement. It will be hard to teach fulltime, but it will also be easier to have complete control of my own classroom. She has been a great partner, but it is sometimes hard to combine both personalities and keep everyone happy.

I think I am done for the time being. I hope all is well in your lives. I miss you.
Love,
Ann