DID I HEAR RIGHT?!

IS MY NANNIE SICK??

(My goodness, RELAX, Avery! Nannie will be okay. She's improving and hopefully, she'll be back to her usual ornery self by the weekend!)

Still Kickin'

Barely! I was so sick yesterday that the dentist refused to do my scheduled cleaning because she didn't want to be 2 inches from my face. So I went back home and slept the entire day. Got up, had soup and went back to bed. Today, I feel a lot better than that, but still pretty cruddy. As soon as I post this, I'm off to lie down again.

Please check back for the giveaway, because it's going to be a good one. You'll have tons of ways to enter...once I get the energy to do the post...

Just to keep you entertained, click HERE to check out this hilarious blog post that my wonderful friend Darlene's wonderful daughter Alysia sent to me (hey, I'm sick, cut me a break). Deegan is smarter than that.

GIVEAWAY!!

YESSS!!! Another giveaway!

But first, I am SO excited to show you my latest project!!
Drumroll...

TA-DA!!!!

Frou-Frou Koozies!!

I also have black zebra koozies available, and, of course, there are limitless embroidery colors and several yummy types of embellishments to choose from, including sequined trim, crystals, rickrack, rhinestones and buttons! Hey, slap one of these on your water bottle and you'll never again have to worry that you've just taken a slug of someone else's water! (Ewww!!)

OH, and I'm working on the prototype of a wine sleeve with the same basic principle. What a great way for the gift of a bottle of wine last longer than the dinner!

Unfortunately, I'm ILL. I'm sick with a slight fever and hacking cough. So hacking, in fact, that I burst a blood vessel in my eye. It does not hurt and it does not need treatment but it sure looks gross as all get-out. I dragged myself to school, only to put up with an entire day of this type of comment from my kindergartners..."You look like a mummy." "No, she looks like a zombie!" "A monster, arghhh!!"

The last straw was late in the day, when a little girl looked at me tearfully and said she was afraid to go to sleep tonight because my eye will give her nightmares.

So on that note, I'm off to bed.
I'll post the particulars of the giveaway tomorrow or whenever I return from the land of the Zombies.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks, Linda! and OH GEEZ NOW WHAT!?

Thanks to my great friend, Linda, for sending the following pictures!

I actually think this idea is pretty ingenious!

Electrocution in 3 2 1...Too bad it's not also by a sink.

WTF!?!

And last but not least, and NO, THIS IS NOT AVERY. Let me just say that I hope his little appendage does not LOSE CIRCULATION AND FALL OFF.

And I REALLY hope he does not grow up to be one of my kindergartners, because I can already tell that I'm not going to like his parents.

Off to sew and embroider!! Two bitty dog collars and a surprise for a friend...

A Funny K Story and Nannie Musings

Popping in with a couple of random thoughts. First, NOW I know what my good friend Helen meant when she told me years ago that her love for her grandchildren was like nothing I've ever felt before. In fact, my own mother said that about HER grandchildren (my boys), which probably explains why she let them do whatever they wanted...like making them superhero capes out of hand towels and letting them jummp off the couch onto her back, LOL.

So what are my precious grandbabies doing? Avery can do "kisses" already! I know that you're probably a little skeptical. After all, he's only 3 weeks old. Even Nannie and Pop Pop were skeptical. The kisses hard to describe, but hilarious when you actually see them. Rachel held Avery up a few inches from Travis' head. Avery's face flopped forward onto Travis' cheek. THAT was the kiss, LOL. I guess there's plenty of time to work on puckering, LOL!

Rach has posted a bunch of pics on Facebook, so I'll be doing the proud grandma picture show here soon. I hope you'll bear with me. It's an electronic version of a Grandma's Brag Book and I know that when it's not YOUR grandchildren, it's a little hard to get through it.

Zoey is SITTING UP. She doesn't sit real long before she loses balance and topples over. She is BEAUTIFUL. She already has a lot more hair and the hugest eyes ever. Trevor is trying to figure out how to send us a video of Zoey saying 'dada'. (It's on his phone, but it won't send. He has played it for us on the webcam, but that's not helping me post it here. Ahhh, technology. Maybe he can video it again.)

Okay, on to my funny story. This happened yesterday and we were laughing about it all day.

My students were lining up to go to the cafeteria. "Z" came flying from across the room and shoved his way to the front of the line, resulting in a chorus of, "Z is PUSHING!!!!" and "You're not LINE LEADER, Z!!!"

I sent to the back of the line and said to the class, "We don't push into line, do we?" "NO!" they all yelled. I went on, "We don't push our way to the front because that would be WHAT?" I was expecting a chorus of "RUDE!"

Imstead. a lone voice yelled out "TRIFLIN!'" LOL

Thanks for visiting!

My Favorite Thing

Hi! My name is Heredeegangoodpuppy, but My People call me Deegan for short. I am a Good Doggie and I love everybody and everything, especially other Good Doggies. And Youwantatreat? Youwantatreat is my Favorite Thing.



My People are my Favorite Thing...my Grandpa Person and my Grandma Person and my Uncle Travis Person. And other Good Doggies, because they are my Favorite Thing.

I like my Cousin Good Doggies who live with my Uncle Travis Person and my Aunt Rachel Person and that Little Avery Thing (wait, is he a Person?? He was pretty small for a Person. I was confused about that.) And I was scared when he cried. I thought he was hurt. My Cousin Stella Good Doggie tried to bite me then. She is In Charge of the Little Avery thing.

And Car Rides, too. Like when Uncle Travis Person took us to the Good Doggie Park and I got to see LOTS of Good Doggies. That is my Favorite Thing.

This is me when I was a lot smaller and
lived in Jail with my Prisoner Person. I loved my Prisoner Person. He was my Favorite Thing.
He was nice to me and helped me be a Canine Good Citizen.

This is me with my Grandma Person.
I like to stand on my back legs and lick her face.

That is my Favorite Thing to do.

Sometimes I smile when I do it, like this.

Then Grandma Person laughs and says you're Too Big. Grandma Person is my Favorite Thing She helps me remember about Canine Good Citizen sometimes. It's hard to remember and I don't think Grandpa Person knows about it, because he lets me do what I want.
That's my Favorite Thing.

Maybe you would like to see my Nice Teeth. I know they are Nice Teeth because sometimes when I laugh, Other People say Oh My God Look At His Teeth because they are so nice. This is a picture Grandma Person took of them.

This is me with my Grandpa Person. He throws Red Ball for me A LOT and that's my favorite thing to do. Sometimes we sit on the Recliner Chair together and that is my Favorite Thing.

It is hard to see Grandpa Person in this picture.
Grandma Person says I'm Too Big.

This is me with my Uncle Travis Person.
He picks me up sometimes
and that is my Favorite Thing even though it makes me scared.

My Grandpa Person says sometimes I make an 'Orc Face' and lick my mouth like this.

Because I get scared because no one else picks me up because I'm Too Big.
My Uncle Travis Person is strong. He is my Favorite Thing.

I hope you liked my Pictures and I REALLY hope you come back next time to hear about Foster.I am scared of him because he is In Charge around here. Foster speaks Cat, so I did not understand when he told me he was In Charge. So instead he showed me with his Claws. A bunch of times. Now I know. He is not my Favorite Thing.

I have to go now because my Grandpa Person said come Have Your Pill. Have Your Pill is my Favorite Thing, because it goes with Youwantatreat?

SOMETHING NICE

Before I get into the meat of this post, let me offer this suggestion: If someone has done something wonderful for you, TELL THEM SOMETHING NICE. Even better, TELL THAT PERSON'S BOSS!

Okay, that was my public service announcement. I know you are going to get bored with a post without pictures, so I'm throwing in some random NICE stuff to keep you reading, like this:

Like many public service professions, teaching can be a largely-thankless job. Happy people usually don't take a moment to let you know how happy they are, it't that simple. Add to it that I am teaching 5 year-olds, whose parents can be REALLY overprotective. They are often not pleased to hear that there are things their little ones could improve upon.

One day I'll do a post about what I love to call Ugly-Grams from parents that I've gotten. These are notes (sometimes multiple-page) that range from the perplexing to the ridiculous- they are most often regarding something over which I have no control (cafeteria account, bus behavior, etc). However, being slammed for something that I did not do makes me mad, and this is supposed to be a HAPPY post, like this:

Good grief, get to the point!! (I heard that!) Okay, yesterday was one of those RARE days where someone took the time to write SOMETHING NICE. J--- started the year with what I'll euphemistically call "challenging" behavior. He would not do his work. He would not SPEAK, not even to answer simple yes or no questions, like "Do you have lunch money?", like this:

Without further ado, here is the note from his dad, without names, of course. Oh, and Deer Park is a magnet school:

Ms. E---,

Without you I don't think J---- would be nearly the quality of student that he is today. T---- and I both feel incredibly blessed by having you as J---'s teacher this year. Last year when he didn't get into Deer Park we were very worried about how he would do at R--- School. T--- then asked around for who was the best teacher at R--- School and your name came up repeatedly. Needless to say, you have exceeded every one of our expectations. The progress J--- has made amazes us every day, and a whole lot of that is because of your abilities and dedication.
If there's anything you need, or service you need us to provide, please let us know and we'll do our best to help.

Now THAT was SOMETHING NICE. And I suggested that since they are so pleased, maybe they should TELL SOMEONE, like MY PRINCIPAL, for instance, LOL!

Thanks for visiting!

Back

I am. And I'm a little bit happier. Well, let's not really go that far...I've been in a funk, but at least I'm not in an EVIL funk right now.

How about some cute baby pictures? Here he is, showing off his "guns", as the cool guys call their muscles. I think he looks like he just scored a touchdown.

And here he is, celebrating his heritage. He's part Irish...actually, I'm not sure how much of a part...Rachel's dad is Irish, but really I'm not sure what Rachel's mom's nationality is. Geez...Italian, German and Irish...maybe he'll be stubborn? Stubborn and hotheaded? LOL

And speaking of cute babies, we webcammed with Zoey and her daddy last Weds, since her mommy was still working. Trevor (her daddy) put her on the floor and held the webcam so we could see her do her latest trick - rolling front-to-back-to-front-to-back, LOL. She looked like a little crazy bug. She's also babbling mama and dada. And trying her best to eat the webcam.

Trevor made his own momma's day by telling me (in passing) that while he was reading to Zoey...I said, "Wait, WHAT?" YES, my son is READING to his six month old daughter. I mean, I felt like her mama would read to her at six months, but I was just THRILLED that her dad is doing it, too. And GUESS what he was reading?! It sent me over the edge:

That book was his daddy's favorite book when he was a little boy. Arnold Lobel was his favorite author, including all the Frog and Toad books, Owl books, Grasshopper on the Road, It was one of the first ones I specifically bought for Zoey. (I"ve been buying books for "eventual grandchildren" since our sons were still in high school - one set for each son's children, double of each title. I'm a teacher, remember?)

Thanks for stopping by.
I'll try to post tomorrow or Sunday!

How I Feel

IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAY, "IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL." THEN YOU PROBABLY SHOULD LOOK AWAY.

MY GRANDKIDS BEING A MINIMUM OF 8+ HOURS AWAY.
(WE WERE GOOD PARENTS. WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?)
OH YEAH, WE HAD SONS:

THE SCALE YESTERDAY AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE:

My husband just said, "Tell them how you REALLY feel!" LOL

Hey, at least I got new boppers for my reading group. They thrill me:

I'll be back when I can adjust my attitude. Could take a while. I'm Italian.

Weekend Output

Here's what I've been up to. What have YOU been up to?
GO STEELERS!!!!

Hoppin'!

Hi, things are hoppin' around here, so I wanted to take a second to say that if you don't hear from me a lot this weekend, that's why. I have a tote, 2 bibs, a monogrammed tooth pillow and 2 banners to complete. And when I say 2 banners...one is 16 pennants long and it's the style where each pennant takes 45 minutes!!!!!! Is that even mathematically possible to complete in one weekend, if I factor in sleep?? LOL Let's not talk about the fact that Avery is here and I haven't even STARTED his quilt!!!!!!! I did make him several blankets, though...

We also have all the typical back-from-vacation stuff...laundry, mail to open, etc.

Oh, and don't forget that the studio will be shut down tomorrow night so that I can watch our Steelers in the Super Bowl with hubs.

So what about you? Doing anything fun this weekend?

Recent Projects, Final Day!

Are you sick of these yet? LOL The Crayon Tote is not so recent and I think you saw it before, but anyway...

It's That Time Again

Baby pic time! Here goes!

Nannie and Avery

Pop Pop and Avery. That's a Steelers shirt hanging on the wall behind Pop Pop.
Avery's daddy has already started decorating for their big Super Bowl party.
Pop Pop is very sorry to miss it, since he's the original Steelers maniac.

Nannie and Avery again.
I like these because you can't see my face.
I have photography issues.

Avery chillin

Avery and Mommy

And maybe my favorite picture of anyone ever. I just love this shot.
And YES, Daddy's jacket is REALLY that color.
Actually, it was brighter and it gave me a headache.

I'll try to pop in tomorrow.
Don't know if I'll have anything interesting to say, but since when has that stopped me?
Thanks for visiting!!

Recent Projects, Day Five

We're BACK!

Just touching base to let you know that we have returned from Babyland!! I will try to upload some pics (if they look okay and if I can crop myself out, since I am officially the LEAST photogenic person on this entire earth) when I get a minute.

Avery got bigger, more feisty and cuter by the day. I held him pretty much nonstop.Trust me when I say that it is HARD not to see your grandkids more than a couple of times a year.

We webcammed with Zoey and her daddy while we were there...thank goodness for that technology, because Zoey is SO MUCH bigger that she looks totally different...We'll see them all together in March, but that seems a long time away right now.

Anyway, I'll try to be back tomorrow if possible. Thanks for checking on me!

Recent Projects, Day Four