Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2010 brought lots of crafting time, tasty food, family laughs, football games, time with an awesome roomie, and madness. Let me tell you what madness is to me.

My first Black Friday shopping experience.
The completely packed mall parking lot at midnight.
Waiting in line at Old Navy for an hour.
Staying up for 24 hours; yes, we shopped from midnight-6:00 AM.
Poor children, who clearly want nothing more than to be in their warm beds sleeping, being pulled along by their parents as they fight the madness that is Black Friday.
The electronic section at Target and Walmart.
The number of televisions purchased by the masses (Really people, where are you putting all of these TVs?).
Allowing people to have carts in the isles...this is the cause of panic attacks, I am sure.
Checking Kirkland's about 5 times to see if they were open.
Women wearing black t-shirts with the words "Friday 2010" on them. Ummm, since when does this early morning tradition deserve its own t-shirt? I have never seen people wearing "Thanksgiving 2010" or "Mother's Day 2010" shirts...come one people, priorities.
Standing in line at Walmart for 30 minutes only to spend $6.34.
People who completely ignoring the manners their momma's taught them, or should have taught them. Excuse me, means MOVE. :)
Sleeping from 6:30 AM- 1:30 PM and then again from 6:00 PM- 9:30 PM. Boy, my hours/days are totally messed up!

Overall, this experience was fun and I am SO thankful that Deanna trekked all over creation, searching for deals with me!!! Yes, to answer the question that everyone asks me, I am planning to do this again next year (provided someone will go with me)...I'm just crazy like that!


My trunk with all of our shopping goodies! In retrospect, I wish that we would have taken pictures of our expedition, but when you are "in the zone" (which you must be to survive), the last thing you want to do is stop to document.

Me and Marmee...Me, Gram, brother Josh, Gramp...Me and Daddy

Circle Green Bean Boy

I subbed for an amazingly sweet and hilarious 1st grade class yesterday; here are some of the things they said/did that made my day.

~ Boy: I don't like circle green beans. I like stick ones.
Me: Really, I don't think I have ever seen circle green beans. What are you talking about?
Boy: They were with my lunch. (Walks over to his lunch tray and picks up a "circle green bean")
Me: (laughing) Oh, you mean peas! I don't like them either.

~ Me: We are going to learn how to write the letter "s" in cursive today. Can anyone tell me a word that begins with the letter "s"?
Boy: 'sup
Me: Hmmm, well, "sup" isn't really a word...it is slang for "what's up", but slang starts with an "s".
Boy: Yeah, 'sup.

~ Boy: Ms. Hennings, "circle green bean boy" (ok, the kid didn't really call him that but this is my nickname for him ;) won't stop making farting noises and I'm eating.
Me: Send him over here so that I can talk to him.
Me: Are you making inappropriate noises that I have asked you to stop making?
CGBB: Yes, I'm sorry Ms. Hennings, I can't help it!
Yeah, I tried to tell him not to do that anymore as I held in the laughter...he is just so darn cute and hilarious!

~ I am looking over the lesson plans when all of a sudden a pair of little arms are wrapped around me...
Girl: I love hugs, Ms. Hennings.
Me: I love hugs too.
Girl: I love you, Ms. Hennings
Now, if that doesn't melt your heart and make you want to teach 1st grade, I don't know what will!!!

#20 October Dish

#20 Cook/bake a new dish every month

This month I decided to go with a Halloween dessert for our party and I have mixed feelings about the results.

This is what the magazine claims the recipe will produce. Now hear me when I say that I do not professes that my cake-decorating skills are that of a pastry chef employed by a magazine, but really how hard could it be to replicate this? Well, I will show you my friends...

Ok, I admit, it is not an atrocious cake but it definitely does not look like the magazine picture. Oh well, I had fun making it (Well, except for the fact that I was icing it like 30 minutes before people arrived. NOT good for this OCD, Type A personality!!!)
Make this recipe and let me know how it turns out. :)

Update for my "Creative Corner"

I recently made a door hanger for Deanna's "rock star" themed classroom...I love how it turned out! I can't wait to make one for my very own classroom next year!!! :)