How many licks does it take to get to the mustache part of the Tootsie Pop?

This is a Valentine one of my adorable students made:

I decided I'm going to wear this as a name tag all the time, although it's about the size of my head.

This year for my 5th grade Valentine's Day celebration, I made these for my students:

They're felt lips and mustaches attached to the stick part of a valentine sucker.

I got the idea here.

My students went crazy. The boys' desperation for facial hair quickly faded when they popped those suckers in their mouths. After awhile, the mustaches were transformed to a unibrow, sideburns, and yes, armpit hair. To have created a moment like that is something that I'll be proud of for years to come.

Here's to my Valentine!

I love you, kins.

10 things to do when I'm sick.

1. Make my students believe they made me sick.(Boy, were they sorry, until I found out they really liked their substitute teacher..."Fine! HE can be your NEW TEACHER!")

2. Try yodeling for the first time. (Because of the loss of my voice, I'm now capable and amazing).

3. Try to solve season 5 of Lost. (The bald guy did it.)

4. Eat Sour Patch Watermelon

5. Miss Conan (see last blog entry)

6. Go through 3 boxes of tissues (I'm seriously on my 4th)

7. Burgers + fries x special sauce = favorite meal when I'm sickly

8. Not grade papers or clean my house or re-upholster couch.

9. Gain weight (see #4 and #7)

10. Take a look at my pedometer...126 steps. Wow! A new all-time low!

NBC now stands for "No Brain Conan-Killers"

Dear NBC,

I hate you.

Jenny B

Dear FOX Network,

Please give Conan O'brien sufficient funds to start a new show on your network. I've watched The Cone Zone for 9 years now and he's never disappointed (except for a certain bear costume). I've seen him live in New York twice and even shook his hand (it felt like a little girl's hand). I adore him for bringing me Michael McDonald's Summer Camp, Cactus Chef playing "we didn't start the fire" on the flute, and Dudez-a-Plenti.

If you bring him back, I promise I'll forgive you for American Idol and start watching your network. Thank you from the bottom of my heart (shaped like Conan's big head).

Love,

Jenny B

Already crossing off the "No Procrastinating" goal off my list...

Happy LATE New Year from Chubbs!

Yeah, I know.

It's January 5th, and I've only began establishing my New Year's goals. Normally, I really don't make goals but I've recently decided to become a professional list-maker. So here's the list of my 10 goals for the year TWO ZERO TEN:

1. Learn how to cook 10 breakfasts that I've never tasted.

2. Learn how to cook 10 lunches that I've never tasted.

3. Learn how to cook 10 dinners that I've never tasted.

4. Learn how to cook 10 desserts that I've never tasted.

5. Learn how to thread my sewing machine and learn to sew 10 different items.

6. Lose 10 pounds (this is always on my list, by the way)

7. Read churchy things for (at least) 10 minutes a day, everyday.

8. Learn 10 new songs on the drums.

9. Read the following 10 books: Catch-22, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 1984, East of Eden, Les Miserables, The Road, The Catcher in the Rye, Anne of Green Gables, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, Here There and Everywhere. (Of course I'll read other books but I've been meaning to get my hands on these.)

10. Take better care of my 10 fingers and 10 toes. (Meaning I need to stop biting my nails. I'll accomplish this task simply by wearing nail polish.)

P.S. Depending on how I do, I'll try to post my progress. Number 11 goal: Come up with a way cooler list next year. Try the list found on the back of the Reese's Puffs Cereal box:

Is there sugar in syrup?

This video basically sums up my Christmas.

Oh bring us some Figgy pudding

This is what our last Christmas at the Olive house looks like:

This is my favorite ornament. I'm not sure if it's a gingerbread man laying down, or if it's supposed to be standing up reaching for something. I like to think he's lounging around and wants me to bring him a glass of egg nog.

Yes, I like snowflakes this year. I've hung them all over my house. It's just not cold enough in AZ.

And yes, we've moved William's drums into the kitchen. He's my little drummer boy...pa rum pum pum pum!

Gather Around (It's a Campfire Christmas)

This year, instead of sending Christmas cards that people admire and love (then throw away), William and I decided to write and record a Christmas song that all our friends and family can enjoy for the rest of their lives. It began as a tune we heard in Walgreens, then it snowballed into a cheesy Christmas delight. William's brother, Robs, then made it into a classic music video. Put on your favorite Christmas sweater, pour some hot cocoa, gather around the campfire and enjoy: