The Latta Family

 I've long since joked that Doug should have been a cult leader because he has some very loyal students.  Some of his students are still very much part of our lives as friends, fellow church members, hair stylists, horse riding instructors, dental hygienist, plumbers, fellow teachers. . . . I could go on.  Some of his students are part of our memories, like when Matt was parking the tractor and .. . , or when they came to school and . . . or when . . . we could go on forever.  Several of his girls have babysat my kids.  I know their families and when I run into them in Walmart or wherever, I ask how their mom/brother/dad is.  While I've known his students before, this group of his students I know even better because I'm around them a lot, since they are Doug's students and Andrew's friends. And I'm fine with it.  It's such a great group of kids.  They're smart, motivated, care about their communities, are involved, have interests, are well parent...

For me, 65% of parenting is entertaining myself.  When Andrew was 10, he was quite argumentative.  I issued a new policy, he could always have the last word, as long as the last words, were these: Did it work?  I doubt it, but I giggled to myself imagining him responding to me that way.   I FaceTime Andrew from different locations of the house to tell him it's time to turn his phone in and go to bed, or take out the trash, or whatever.  Because he answers, and I see him, I know he hears what I've said, and then I hang up super fast, so he can't argue with me about it.  And I giggle that he still picks up the FaceTime's from me, because he's hopeful that this time it'll be something fun (that's the trick- sometimes it is fun!  It keeps him from getting conditioned).  Well, one of my mother's good lifetime friends, gave me an absolutely BRILLIANT idea, and I put it into action today.  Alexa's Art Studio is "in business."...

My youngest child has been monopolizing my parenting brain here lately.  It's been brewing for weeks.  We had a minor episode a few weeks ago, and then on Monday it really blew up.  Alexa is my little artist.  Although- she doesn't consider what she does art.  She considers it crafting.  I think she only says crafting because I "craft."  Recently, she started a project and now that I see it in its completion, it is pretty awesome.  However, the process to getting there . . . She was crafting in our bonus room.  She would go up there, turn on the tv, and craft away.  For awhile she was making creations with popsicle sticks and hot glue.  She was using the hot glue gun on the floor- getting it on the carpet.  I made a new rule, "Hot Glue Gun is only to be used on the table." She has a table for crafting.   Then she moved on to using acrylic paints.  After I discovered her painting on the carpet, I had to make a...

I called my mom Thursday and said, "What's something fun we could do this weekend?"  She's good at thinking of things to do that are fun.  She said, "I have nothing."  Dang.  That was a let down.  Then she redeemed herself and said, "Hey- what about disc golf?" Kind of random right?  My dad started playing disc golf this fall and has been raving about it. He even set up a little course around his yard, so they could play over Christmas when the family was there to visit. If you don't know what it is- it's basically throwing these frisbee-like things at baskets- but way harder.  The course we went to today, we had one hole that was 640 ft from where you started to where the basket is located. IT WAS SUPER FUN!  We were crying laughing at ourselves.  Unfortunately, I forgot my phone, so I only have this one picture that I told Doug to take with his phone, so I could at least have one picture for this blog post.  If you're local and ...

So- the toe is completely cured.  I should  have been exercising by now.  It's just . . . . so much easier to make excuses to myself about why I am not doing some type of "get stronger" exercise.  In that aspect I'm stinking up my New Years Goal; however, all is not lost!  I have started walking laps around school before the day starts.  Think of me like a mall walker- but around my school.  That is brilliant!  I saw some other teachers doing it, and was like, "huh.  That's pretty smart."  I mean- I get to school around 7:10 every day.  If I walk laps for 15 minutes every morning . . . that's a great, efficient, easy way to get some steps in. And I still have time to mentally organize for the day before the first class starts.   It's quite lovely to know I've walked 15 minutes, I feel quite smug in my productiveness.  I have read my first real- quality- book of the year: The Handmaid's Tale .  It took me awhi...

Okay- The exercise program had a minor setback. I tried to work through it, but . . . it was too bad.  I had a sore toe.  I thought it was an ingrown toenail, but now I think it was something else, something more ominous.  Dangerous.  Possibly . . . demonic?  When I was in college I watched The Exorcist.   That is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen, besides: Blair Witch Project , Scream , and The Shining .  Anyway, back to The Exorcist , devil possession totally freaks me the heck out.  That movie haunted me for weeks.  When AMC does their Halloween horror movie promotions, I can't even see the previews for that movie.  It might be like some kind of voodoo magic and possession could accidentally happen just by watching it.  I don't know how it all works.  The Devil is bad news, and you can't take chances.  Anyway- back to the toe.  Sore toe is perhaps an inadequate description.  That makes me soun...

Okay- I did it.  I survived.  I actually started on a great video.  It was enough that I felt a little burn, but not so much that I thought I was going to die.  (side note: if you're fit- do not click on this link.  You'll be horrified that I felt a little burn from this)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq6oSICxgeU Here I am before I started: I had a small moment of panic when I felt like I might be grapevining.  I mean- was this the 90's?!  No worries.  There wasn't really any grapevining.  Thank goodness.  Please watch me attempt to move more than 2 body parts at one time.  How can I be this uncoordinated?  (funny story- before Doug and I got married, I decided we should take Shag lessons. Clearly Doug was young and in love- because he would NEVER agree to such nonsense now.  Like- ever.  Needless to say- I was HORRIFIC.  I couldn't remember the sequence of the moves, I couldn't keep the...