Only 4 more days until Spring Break...

I believe the title of this blog says it all! I had a pretty good day at school today, but the kids were wild today after a fire drill. It's amazing how upsetting a high-schooler's routine will make them crazy!

Callie is snoozing right now (probably not for much longer). She is getting her front two teeth as we speak. The poor thing just gnaws on anything she can get her hands on... that includes her own hands. :) She's been holding out her arm/hand at things she wants. She hasn't pointed at anything just yet, but I know it's coming! Today, when I picked her up, she was so excited. Some days it's so hard to leave her! :( She's just getting so cute about things, and it makes it even harder.

We have heat! Yea!!! Our heat pump's fan motor decided to go bad on us last week, so we've been without heat in our house since Friday. If you know how cold it was this weekend, then you know it's not been fun! We have had two little heaters going in the house just to keep warm. Praise the Lord it's fixed now though! You don't realize how much you take things like heat and electricity for granted until you don't have it!

Into EVERYTHING!

Today I let Callie pilfer through my purse while I washed a few dishes. She was content for literally 10+ minutes. She would take out something, look it over, then toss it aside and take out something else. It was funny to watch. I had to capture a picture of the damage. :)

Also, I've attached the link to my album of Callie's Easter pictures. She WAS NOT in the mood for pictures on Sunday, hence the reason there are not many of them, and I did not get any that were just what I would consider fabulous. :) Anyway, enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/brittanyb82/CallieEasterAndPlayingInMommySPurse

Still here...

Hello to the three people (probably less than that!) who read my blog every once in a while! I'm still here, but I've just been busy. I only have time to blog when Callie takes a nap or goes to bed it seems! Anyway, Callie is getting her top two teeth. They are coming through the gums as we speak. She's been fussing about it, but who wouldn't and didn't?!

I'm ready for Spring Break. I don't think I need to explain that, do I? :)

Pi Day Video

Hello! Here is one of the "Pi Day" treats I was able to see last Friday, 3/14. I had a great time with my Geometry class. I put together this little video so that you all could see one of the things my kids came up with. They are so creative and talented! REALLY!!!

Peace in the Midst of the Storm

I just had to write on my blog what happened to me on Friday night. Ashley, Andy, Levi, and I were all together with our Sunday School class from church. We went to Atlanta to watch the Atlanta Passion Play. While we are watching the crucifixion scene, there was "lightning" in the clouds in the background on stage. Well, about that same time, we heard what we thought were cool sound effects or rain. We knew it was rain (or possibly hail) when we heard it again after the scene was over.

I looked at my cell phone just by chance and noticed moma had called 2 times. Then, she called Levi. Well, I went to call her to make sure everything was okay. She said we were under a tornado warning. I couldn't believe it since it wasn't even raining outside or did not appear to be bad weather just by looking out the door.

On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme, indulged in a way too fattening donut, and then went home. When we got home, we turned on the news (at around 1 am!) only to find the news was STILL on. We saw the damage at the CNN Center, the Georgia Dome, and just all around downtown.

The Civic Center is only a couple of blocks (less than 1 mile) from the Dome, CNN Center, Centennial Part, etc. We were SOOO close to the tornado that actually hit. I could not believe how close we were. It was scary, but I was SOOO extremely thankful to God that He somehow saw fit for our group to be safe from the storm. It was like He had His hands shielding us from that tornado, and He sent the path on a particular course that would avoid us and where we were. I was reminded of how great God is and how wonderful it is that He's still in control.

We didn't deserve to not be hit by the tornado, but we literally were at peace sitting there in that auditorium while the storm was just over the way. We had no idea of the storm that God was steering away from us, keeping us safe. I wonder how many times everyday God keeps bad things from coming our way as His children just because He loves us, and we don't even know it, just like we had no idea a tornado was causing damage less than 1 mile away from us. We all take His protection and His power for granted! I know that I do!

Sorry for the verbiage, but I just had to share the fact of how thankful I am that God kept us safe and that He is just SOOO good to us EVERYDAY!!! ALL THE TIME!!!

Gotta love technology!

So, I spent precious time updating my blog only to have it NOT load/save correctly. Apparently my Internet connection was bad and Andy ever so nicely closed the window before I could retry to post sometime later. Sigh... figures!

Well, originally I had written about the fact that Levi got a job offer today and he accepted it! He is on board with Chestatee for next year. Then, Ashley is still waiting to hear about the Lula position. She also has another interview coming up. Keep her in your prayers! :)

Then, I wrote about my epiphany last night while watching "The Nativity Story." If you've never seen it, you must! It was so great! I just realized how sweet it must've been for Mary to give birth to the One who would ultimately die for her sins and how she was a moma just like I am. I know she felt so unworthy to be the mother of her Lord, but that's the way God had it planned!

I really just realized last night how much Mary must've loved Jesus, not only as her Savior, but as her son. I know it must've broken her heart to see Him mocked, spoken unkindly of, and finally seeing him hang on the cross in agony. She was his mother, and I'm sure she remembered holding Jesus while he was just a little baby. Those precious memories probably tore at her heart.

After hearing the Christmas Story so many times, I was just amazed at how God showed me something different that I'd never seen before. His Word is truly alive as is He!

Sunday - tired and too much to do

I have been lazy about posting here lately. It seems like this past week was just so busy. It was hard to find time to sit down and actually think about what to say.

Callie and I went outside one day this past week when it was so nice and pretty outside, and I put down a blanket so she could sit on the ground. She was totally fascinated by the grass. I believe she'll be one of those girls who likes to play outside. She likes being outside so far. She hasn't had a chance to get out much since it's been so cold these last few months, but come spring time we'll be getting her out! I'm ready for warmer weather myself!

Ashley and I sang last night at a benefit singing. She and I did well singing, but we were there with a bunch of groups with their own bands and everything else. It was just me and Ashley - with my measly piano skills. I felt so inadequate and plain. I know it was just the devil trying to get me down. I know in my heart I went to sing for a good cause and the right reason, so I won't let that other "stuff" bother me, I guess.

We had a good service today at church. A missionary we support in Poland came to speak to us. The choir also did a good job, and the youth choir got to sing a song too. I have been trying to teach them some songs that are easy and have a good message, but they are just so shy when it comes to singing! They sing hard when we practice, and then they freeze up when we sing in front of the church folks. I guess I can't blame them. I used to be the same way, BUT years of experience and having a chance to get out of that comfort zone have changed that about me. :) Lots of practice singing with Ashley and with A Cappella Three have helped me a lot! :)

Callie is now fascinated with my guitar. I got it out the other day, and she just had a fit over it. She wanted to pull at the strings and just touch it. She wouldn't even let me play it. Now that she's so mobile, I can't get away from her so that I can play it without her being able to reach me somehow. :) I just hope she has a hunger and a love for music like I do. She's definitely got the genes for it! Maybe I can have me a little singing buddy one day. Her daddy just won't do it! :)

New Pi Song...

I have finally done it! I made my own remake of a version of a song for Pi Day! It's funny! Here are the lyrics... It has some "KID" lingo in it just to make my students laugh. No, I don't make a habit of saying "fi" when I think something is cool!

“Pi” (My version of “Pink” by Aerosmith)
These lyrics by: Mrs. Brown (March 6, 2008)


Pi it's my new obsession
Pi it’s part of my profession,
Circumference divided by diameter, 'and
Pi is the thing you discover

Pi - my favorite greek letter,
Why? 'cause it’s so much better
Pi it's the number of passion
'Cause on pi day it just goes with the fashion

Pi it was love at first sight, yeah
Pi all your digits are tight, and
Pi gets me every time
And I think everything is going to be all right
As long as I can have my pi

Pi is my favorite ratio
'Coz pi is a fi’ kinda lingo
Pi what an unending number
Your digits just linger forever

Pi it was love at first sight, yeah
Pi all your digits are tight, and
Pi gets me every time
And I think everything is going to be all right
As long as I can have my pi

Pi you’re my favorite number
Your digits I count in my slumber
When I wake up I never wonder why
Pi it's my favorite number, yeah

Pi it was love at first sight, yeah
Pi all your digits are tight, and
Pi gets me every time
And I think everything is going to be all right
As long as I can have my pi

(Just as a disclaimer- no, "Pink" is not a favorite song of mine by Aerosmith! I know some of the original lyrics are a bit weird! My song is not influenced by any narcotics if you know what I mean! The lyrics were just easy to manipulate for my purposes!!! :))

Slow to Blog...

I have been so busy this week! I've been busy almost every night it seems, and I haven't had time to blog lately. I'm feeling blog deprived. :)

Things have been going pretty well this week, except for the busyness of it all. I am thankful for the somewhat boring and uneventfulness of my life. When you stay too busy, being able to do nothing is a great choice.

Callie is a wild child. I've come to that conclusion. If she were any squirmier or faster on her little hands or knees, I would be in trouble! What in the world will I do when she starts walking? :) Today, she pulled up on the side of the bed in the spare bedroom, and then proceeded to "cruise" from the bed to the night stand that is adjacent to the bed. Uh oh... (big sigh...) I'm in trouble aren't I? (scared face!!!)

Even though I haven't posted in a while, I just don't have anything glorious to write about really. I'll have something GREAT to write about next week when it's Pi Day! You heard me right - PI DAY!!! I have my kids totally psyched about celebrating it this year. We are making it a school wide thing! We're having a pi in the face contest - yes a teacher is going to get pied! It will be broadcast over Knight News so all the kids can see. Then, we're also having a pi art contest and a pi digit memorization contest. We're awarding money and everything. It should be fun! I have a student who rewrote N'Sync's "Bye Bye Bye" to "Pi Pi Pi." It is a riot. I will gladly share more info about this wonderful mathematical holiday next week.

I guess I better go practice my song for pi day, speaking of pi day. I always serenade my students with "Happy Pi Day" (tune of Happy Birthday) every year while I play my mandolin. It's hilarious for them. We sing other Pi day songs too. I need to make up one of my own. They think I'm crazy, but I just let them think that! You know that they probably go tell everyone how crazy I am afterwards, but deep down inside, they enjoyed it! :) I'll believe they do anyway. :) I'm known at Johnson for being Ms. Pi Day!!! :)

Click here for a special math song on you tube. This is great!!!!

Sigh....

"Sigh..." That was the word of the day on Sesame Street the other day. I thought it so funny. :)

I'm sighing myself because I feel like I've been rushing around like a chicken with my head cut off! I went to Commerce shopping for a few minutes at the Liz Claiborne Outlet. Literally I went for a few minutes. Any woman out there knows that if a store is going out of business and it has nice clothes to get rid off for a cheap price, hen she is going to search every inch of that store trying to find things that she likes just because they're a great deal! Am I right or what?

Well, let me get on my soap box. The husband does NOT understand that! He said that I could go and look at the store as long as I was home by 4:00 so he could go visit with his parents (sigh...well thanks for the extremely long time frame there Andy....) Callie had also fallen asleep around 2:15, and I wanted to take advantage of being able to go shopping - A-L-O-N-E!!!!!! Well, the kicker is that I did not get to leave the house until 2:40, and by the time I get out to the end of the dirt road, I realize I have left my phone somewhere... So, I go back to the house, run in, grab Andy's phone, and then head out. Now it is 2:45...

I get to the store around 3:00, rush around looking (a very half-hearted look much to my dismay!), rush to the dressing room, zoom through a pile of clothes to try on, work up a sweat, all the while looking at my watch. It must have been going faster than normal! :)

Well, at 3:40 I frown at the way I have NO more time, I go up to the register, and I'm able to get home by 4:00 - ON THE DOT!!! It was so stressful, but exciting at the same time. I got some great deals and some new clothes. Don't new clothes always make a woman feel better!? After all, I DO think I deserve some sort of break every once in a while and something new every once in a while too!

Sigh.... Okay, I feel better now. :) The husband is gone to his parents, Callie is STILL sleeping (go me!!!), and maybe I can finally relax. The life of a mother and a woman... oh me! :) And just to think - I only have one sweet little baby. What in the world would I do with two or three?!?!?

La la la

Not much going on today! Andy and I moved the furniture around in the living room. It makes it seem new again once you change something around it seems like! It's different, but I don't know how long it will stay like that. Seems like I have more room in there also now.

I think Andy and I are going to have an afternoon date today. Moma volunteered to watch Callie for a little while so we can go out and do something a little different. That should be nice. Callie's still in the middle of her morning nap right now. Maybe she will be nice for her pa and grandma this afternoon! :)

I have NO motivation to do anything today! I feel so lazy! I've washed some clothes and picked up some stuff, but other than that I have not done anything. I'm terrible today! :( These "wifely" duties get old every once in a while.

Just as a side note, if you are ever in the car during lunch time, around 12:30, tune in to 91.5 FM. I've been enjoying Dr. Mark Rutland's teaching/preaching here lately. I tune in every day to get a little "snack" during the day. He always says something that makes me think about the Scripture in a way I've never thought about it before.

Anyway, a big of a boring post today, but I'm just l-a-z-y, and I am ready for this cold weather to go and for spring to come!!!