Lil' Fella

The littlest Hooper had his second birthday this weekend, and it was a fun event. I made two cakes for him: Mickey Mouse and a Party Hat. 3D is awestruck by cakes. He just stares at them and takes them alllll in. He did that with the castle that I made for his big sister, too.






Anyway, the little guy, 3D, alias Lil' Fella, is now TWO! Papa got him a football for his birthday, and that gift was the hit of the day. Lil' Fella did not put it down the rest of the day or night! What a present. Right after he got it, he was supposed to open another present. He very carefully placed the ball right by him. When it rolled off, he got up and slowly and meticulously walked over, picked it up, and put it under his arm...and that is where it stayed! Little Dewey III loves any kind of ball, and he always has one in his hand, but this football was the most special of all. It was so cute to watch him. Then, he "played catch" with a few people, and very carefully watched to make sure that the other person threw it back to him!










As you can see, he held that ball while eating his cake...



while eating ice out of his cup...



and finally as he was saying good bye to everyone from his little chair!!!!



Here are the final pictures of the night...Lil'Fella in his crib making sure his football will be right beside him all night!






Slam dunk, Papa!!

Bali Hai

At my church yesterday, we had the first in a series of church services centered around the theme of Broadway musicals. The series is called "God on Broadway". Yesterday was World Communion Sunday, and the entire service was planned around the play South Pacific. This play was chosen because of the inner running themes of racism and acceptance of those different from ourselves. The musical depicts two different love stories that take place on an island in the South Pacific, during World War II. One story is of a young Marine lieutenant who falls in love with a young Polynesian girl, and the other is of a young Navy nurse who falls in love with a Frenchman who lives on the island. Where does the racism theme come into the story? It is within both of the love stories. The lieutenant is madly in love with the young Polynesian girl, and he enjoys spending time with her, but he cringes at the idea of marrying her. When he later realizes the conflicting feelings within him, he sings a wonderful song called, "You've Got to be Carefully Taught". This song describes the feelings of racism and hate that are not in one's mind initially, as a child, but are placed there by others during one's lifetime. The young nurse exhibits her feelings of racism when she finds out that her Frenchman is a widow, and that his two children were born of a Polynesian woman. The young nurse cannot get past the fact that his children are biracial, and she runs away from the relationship.
Later in the show, the Frenchman and the lieutenant go on a secret mission on another island where they can see the enemy ships coming. In this way, they can help the cause of the United States. Alas, the lieutenant is killed on the mission and does not return to the island. After much sadness and realization of how narrow minded she has been, the nurse goes to the Frenchman's home to help take care of his children. Happily, the Frenchman returns home safely to the arms of his the young nurse and his children. Of course, the young nurse has had time to think about her ugly thoughts of racism, and she is extremely happy to have her Frenchman return to her. Unfortunately, the lieutenant does not return, and the young Polynesian girl is devastated. She must now be married off to some older plantation owner and return to life as usual on the island.
In the sermon for the day, our minister did a wonderful job of bringing in the message from the musical into our everyday lives. He talked about how the song, You've Got to be Carefully Taught, brought up a stir of controversy back in the 1940's, when the musical first came out. Rodgers and Hammerstein were greatly urged to take the song out of the musical. They were told that the show would never be a success with such a theme running through it. The two great musicians left the song in the story, and it is still there today to help teach us how to accept and help each other, rather than reject and tear apart one another.
We opened the service with the song Bali Hai, welcoming everyone to the wonderful island. Of course, that theme was to represent being welcomed into the house of the Lord to feel his wonderful, peaceful presence in our lives.
There is Nothing Like a Dame was sung wonderfully by our men, and they used this song creatively to do our morning announcements! Several guys received "mail", and they read their "letters" to the congregation. Their letters, of course, were our morning announcements, and it was really fun to listen to these guys play it up as though they were reading love letters from home!
The children used their puppet ministry to the song, Happy Talk. The positive message was creatively rendered by these children and they had a lot of fun ministering to us. Another song, Cockeyed Optimist, was presented to us to help remind us all of the importance of taking a positive outlook on life. All of the songs and little scenarios worked together to create a wonderful worship experience, and everyone in attendance was truly blessed. Next week, our service will be around the family in "Fiddler on the Roof". You can join us in the services by going to our church website that I have listed here.

http://asburymemorial.org/

I hope you enjoy the services!

Another weekend is here. It sure doesn't seem like a whole week has passed since last Saturday! I suppose that means I was very busy this week and did not realize how fast time went by me. It is already nearing the end of September, too! You wouldn't know that we are in the season of fall, if you were calculating the seasons by the temperatures! We have had some very hot and muggy days lately, almost like midsummer. One big decision was made this week for me. Since I have not been in a writing mood for my dissertation, and I have not made any progress in a year, I have requested a second extension for my first three chapters. The advisors have decided that I should take a quarter off and regroup. I am perfectly capable of doing the writing, but I have had many things going on in my life that have kept me from actually writing. All of these things are too numerous or personal to list here, but they are almost debilitating. The advisor used a term that I thought 'hit the nail on the head'. He said that many times we become 'paralyzed' by things that life brings us. Paralyzed is the perfect term for me. I went gung ho, fast, quick, almost manic-like during all of my Ph.D. classes and my comprehensive exams. Then, WHAM BAM, I hit a brick wall and could not think about schoolwork. I have been this way for over a year now, yet I was still paying tuition and enrolling each quarter. So, I have been given a reprieve for a quarter, and I hope that I can begin again refreshed and ready to go in January. This break will get me through the holidays (which are always busy), and some serious competition preparations at school. I will be coaching an Odyssey of the Mind team again this year, and that takes a lot out of a person. This particular competition is very stressful for the coach, and I am not looking forward to more stress. As a teacher of gifted children, I am expected to prepare my students for many types of competitions, and that expectation and process can be very exhausting...not to mention extremely stressful! Oh well...I have done it many times, so I imagine I can do it again. Sometimes, I think the 'thought' of it all is more overwhelming than the actual 'doing' of it all! HA!
I need to keep myself thinking more positive thoughts and fewer negative, depressive thoughts. That task is easier said than done, but it is one that I must attempt to achieve. I wish I could say more right now, but my mind will not let me. Although my brain is racing with thoughts, they are escaping as soon as they are entering. So, there ya go!! HA! HA!
I shall return at another time with more random or silly thoughts that seem to be rambling and running through my seemingly overcrowded brain. Talk to you later!

Hello again

Hello,
What have I been up to lately? Not much...I finally had a root canal done on that stupid tooth! The tooth is fine, but all of the shots wiped me out! I do not tolerate anesthesia very well, so that stuff had me zonked and sleepy and...well...you get the picture! I went to bed extremely early (5, 6, and 7 pm) for the next four days. Crazy, I know.
School so far has been nice and calm for two weeks and counting. I hope it isn't what they call the calm before the storm! HA! All of my students are great, and I really enjoy what I do.
I am hooked on The Young and the Restless soap opera. I can't help it, but I am. I used to run home quickly in time to catch The Guiding Light, but that one has been cancelled. Y&R is on at 12:30 while I am at work, so I watch it online at 6:30! HA! I also found a spoiler site (Toni's spoilers) written by someone in Canada who gets the shows a day ahead of the U.S., so I can read about what is going to happen the next day before I see it! Is that crazy or what!!?? Well, that is my guilty little pleasure. I am a third generation soap fan. My Granna used to watch The Guiding Light, my mom watched The Guiding Light, and then I started watching it. That show was on for over 50 years. I am not sure why CBS cancelled it. CBS just cancelled As the World Turns, also, which was another oldie but goodie for 50 years.
The summer birthdays are all over, but now we will start another rampage of them in October, including mine (double nickels)! Whew! I have had a long enough rest period, I suppose. I will be baking, baking, and baking for a whole month and one week (my brother's is the first week in November). That is okay. I can try out some different styles. All of the ones I did this summer were for kids, but now I can make some for adults. Well, I do have one Mickey Mouse cake to make for my nephew who will be 2 in October, unless we decide on Elmo. I have the MM pan, though, and I don't have Elmo yet.
It is only 7 o'clock, and I am ready for bed. I must think I am a farmer, because I have been 'turning in' mighty early this past week!! Gee willikers Marie! (That is my mom's expression. Isn't it funny? haha)
Well folks, I shall talk to you later. I hope I will have a lot more to say to you the next time. Have a great week!!

Adam

September 5, 1984
What a joyous day that was!! My baby boy, Adam, was born!! Hip hip hooray! Boy oh boy, has he been a real BOY!! Yes indeed my friends, Adam was all boy, and he still is! My favorite story to tell about him is from when he was about a year and a half old. I opened the front door, and OUT he scooted...naked as a jaybird! He ran around and around and around in circles on the front lawn. He was so fast! He just scooted right past me like a streak of lightning, and he was "streaking" for the neighborhood. hahahaha
I love my Adam. He is so very special to me. He has grown up to be a very fine young man. Adam recently graduated from college with a degree in Marine Science. He has moved to Tampa, Florida to pursue his career in that field. He is a very hard working young man, and I know he will do well in anything that he attempts.
I miss him so much!
Adam is still my little boy, no matter how tall he grows or how old he becomes. He is still my active, sweet, and wonderful little fella!
I love you Adam!!

My stupid tooth

Hello again,
I am still in agony with this stupid tooth! I wish that I had not let the dentist talk me into a root canal back in July. The tooth is infected yet again, a really bad abscess, and it hurts like crazy! I did not go back for my second trip when I was supposed to, and now I am paying for it - in more ways than one. The tooth was abscessed to begin with, and he did a partial root canal. I was supposed to go back for him to finish, but I had a chance to go to Florida...and I did! Anywho, he is so busy that it has been difficult to get an appointment. They gave me one for the 14th, but that is two weeks away. I have called all week. So, I got smart and went over there in person this afternoon. Well...I don't know if smart is the word, crazy might be the appropriate word...because he started in on the tooth again! Now, he wants me to come back next week to get it finished. Well, they don't have any appointments next week. "Oh, we'll call you with an opening." Then, they cancelled my Sept. 14th appointment, since I am supposed to come back next week. I said, "Please don't cancel that one if you don't have anymore! I need to come back." They assured me that I could get an appointment. "Really, if he wants you back in next week, we will get you in next week." They keep saying they will call me when someone cancels, but apparently people are not cancelling their appointments so that I can have one! haha! I really hope someone cancels, because I cannot stand this anymore! Now maybe he will understand why I have teeth pulled. My teeth are just not the kind that like to stay well...they would rather decay! Okay, enough about that. My dentist is really nice, and he didn't have to see me this afternoon. I am glad he did, though. I have a horse pill of an antibiotic that I am taking that is supposed to be helping the infection. I like this dentist, because he does all of his own work...meaning he doesn't send you off to a "specialist" for everything that you need to have done, like root canals, tooth extractions, etc. My last dentist sent you to an expensive specialist for everything, and then you would have to go back to him and pay him too! I like my dentist, even though I am in pain from this tooth. It isn't his fault that my teeth don't like to behave! haha
So, there is the story of my stupid tooth. I surely hope that I can get this thing fixed next week.
By the way, in my last post I spoke about my favorite actor and gave his character the wrong name!! Imagine that! I corrected the name to Sheldon, not Sherman!!
Later gators......

Emmy's

Hello,
I have pretty much stopped watching award shows, but the Emmy's were on last night while I was switching channels...and I stopped to view them for a while. I watched until my favorite actor won for Best Supporting Actor in a comedy! I was so excited for him. He plays Sheldon on the funny Big Bang Theory. He was up for this last year, too, but that stupid Baldwin guy got the award. He isn't funny! Then, I watched a few of Jimmy Fallon's silly things and went to bed. I am very happy that my other favorite show, "Modern Family", won for best comedy, instead of that stupid "30 Rock" show. Ha! I am calling everything stupid, oh well... I stopped having any respect for the creator of that show when she started picking on the children of Sarah Palin. I thought her imitation of Palin was fine, but when she started talking about the kids, that was ridiculous. I didn't get to see Modern Family win, though, because I was in dreamland!
I have about had enough of Betty White, too. She is being portrayed as a sweet, old thing, yet she has always been famous for being a sexual innuendo kind of a comedienne/actress. I guess people nowadays don't know that, or they forgot that. She is just doing the same stuff she has been doing for years...but she is 88 now, and I suppose that makes it funnier or something.
I finally watched the movie called "50 first dates" the other night. I watched up until the end, that is. I FELL ASLEEP RIGHT BEFORE THE END!!!! I cannot believe that! I do not even know how it ended. The show was really cute, so I hope to see the end of it some day.
The first day of school was today. It was fine, but I had an excruciating toothache all day. Actually, that pain started in the middle of Friday night and woke me up! I had the beginning of a root canal back in July, and it never got finished. The dentist hit a nerve when he gave me the shot, and my mouth has been numb since. I suppose it WOKE UP Friday night and OUCH!! I called today for an appointment and got one for 3:30, but since it was the first day of school I couldn't leave early to go. So, I couldn't get another appointment until September 14th!! The dentist said I probably have an infection in that tooth, and he called in a high powered Amoxicillin for me (875mg). That medication will hopefully calm down the pain and swelling, too. I wish I had just made him pull that tooth out in July, but he talked me into a root canal and possible bridge. Sheesh! Now maybe he will understand why I want the silly things pulled. I have terrible teeth!!!!!!
So, we are beginning another new school year. It seems like we never left the school! I hope that I have a good experience this year. I know it will be a busy one.
Take care and stay cool. We still have a lot of hot days ahead of us before Fall!!