Here's the new carpet we bought. If it doesn't show up on your computer as a light brown color, then something is wrong with your computer. If it shows up as gray or purple, buy a new computer. 

Caitlin brought Siobhan over tonight. We keep talking about how cute she is, but she's now starting to resemble Buddy Hackett. Also of note in this picture is Liz's shirt...which makes me want Acorn Squash. 

Siobhan is one happy baby. She almost never cries, and laughs nonstop when she's here! Note the small fleck of drool in the corner of her mouth...we're assuming this is an early sign of extremely high intelligence. 

Doug and the baby...no, he's not preparing to eat her. 

Adam retaliated with this picture. It's too bad this plants the seeds for vengeance...plus, it's summer, and I have a lot of time on my hands... 

Summer's finally here, and to celebrate...I shaved my head! I wanted to see what I looked like bald, and here's the result! I was going to clean shave it like Telly Savalas, but stopped at the stubble look...so far it feels great. In other news: We close on the house next week, so this time next weekend, we'll be pool owners. (Thank goodness...it's hotter than blue blazes up here!) We've got to do painting and carpet, so we may not move in until the second week in July, but as soon as we're in, come on up or over to visit...we'll leave a light on for ya! On a final note, in the first 24 hours of having a bald head, I can report that none of those who rubbed it have gotten good luck, and life is a little more difficult when others are begging to rub your head at all times. It's been like a polishing festival here all day long...I think Dolly, Liz's grandmother, chafed the right front quadrant of my skull. I've been in head massage therapy for about the last twelve hours or so. I'm beginning to develop a luster similar to that of a chrome trailer hitch! That's all for now, so, as my father says, TTFN (Ta-Ta For Now...) 

Last Day With Kids...

Today's the last day for me with kids. They went home at 10:45...I can't believe a whole year has gone by! Liz has two more days with the kids (full days...). I'm done by Friday with work days, and Liz has until next Tuesday, and we should be closing on the house early next week.

I haven't really done a whole lot today, but I'm exhausted! We have a new teacher end of the year party at 4:15, and then I'm going home to sleep! I'm glad vacation is here...sleeping in, staying up late to read...heaven!

More later...

-Mike

Book Titles Updated for the Times...

Liz and I got an email several weeks ago about songs that had been updated for the times, and we thought it would be funny to make up some with book titles. Liz is responsible solely for "Wind In the Pillows"...we laughed until we cried. Here's a sample of what we came up with, and no, we didn't copy them from the Internet...this was two solid hours of good, mostly clean, fun:

1. Ernest Hemingway – A Farewell To Bladder Control
2. Jack London – The Call Of The Nearest Restroom
3. D.H.Lawrence – Lady Chatterley’s Friend Who Just Comes For Coffee, Then Leaves By 6:00PM Before Jeopardy! Comes On
4. Kenneth Grahame – The Wind In The Pillows
5. E.M.Forster – Where Angels Fear To Tread: The 4:30 PM Dinner Rush at Denny’s (Where Everyone Fears to Tread…)
6. Judith Viorst – Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Hemorrhoid
7. Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle In, Well, Everywhere
8. Roald Dahl – James and the Giant Face Mole
9. Beverly Cleary – Ramona Quimby, Age 80
10. Natalie Babbit – Tuck’s Pads Everlasting
11. Patricia MacLachlan – Sarah, Short and Humpbacked
12. Lynne Reid Banks – The Fixodent in the Cupboard
13. Washington Irving – The Legend of Slee… “snoring…”
14. Sheila Burnford – The Incredible Journey Ends Soon
15. E.B. White – The Trumpet of … oops, Excuse Me!
16. Laura Ingalls Wilder – Little House, Because I’m On A Fixed Income
17. Lois Lowry – Number The Liver Spots
18. Scott O’Dell – Island Of the Blue Hair
19. George Orwell – 1984, Is Really When I Should Have Retired
20. George Orwell – Animal Farm – The Current State of Education
21. William Faulkner – As I Lay Dying (Needs Nothing Else…It’s Good The Way It Is.)
22. William Golding – Lord of “Your Fly’s Down” or
23. William Golding – Lord of the Thighs
24. Ernest Hemingway – The Sun Also Rises, I Hope I Do To
25. James Jones – From Here To Eternity – The Path From Couch To Bathroom
26. E.M. Forster – A Nursing Home Room With A View
27. James M. Cain – The Postman Always Rings Twice (Because You Didn’t Hear It The First Time)
28. Dr. Seuss – Green Egg Substitute and Cholesterol Free Ham
29. William Steig – Sylvester and the Magic Dentures

My brother Adam made a HUGE mistake by posting his picture on his website. (See below for the Karaoke website on the left side...) So many things can be done with a good head on shot like that... 

Nice hair, Bo! 

Another One! 

Last One! 

Liz's class spent the day at the "Little Red Schoolhouse." It was built in 1868, and is used today as a hands-on Social Studies lesson, giving the kids a taste of what life was like in school back then. Except for the blistering heat, the kids had a great time. I truly wish Liz would let me post the picture of her in her bonnet...it's absolutely priceless! Scroll down for more! 

Now these punishments are much better deterrents than today's consequences! Ah, the good old days! 

The best picture Liz has ever taken...it wasn't posed either! One of her kids bent down to get something out of his lunch pail. 

I hear that old bag Nellie Olson has rats living in her house! Her brother Willie told me, 'cause they ate one for dinner last night! 

Mrs. Fisher, school marm, teaches the dusty youths. 

Oh, the long walk to school... 

Bad Children must sit in the corner with the dunce cap on! 

The Farmer In The Dell... 

The whole group outside the schoolhouse. 

Hot Off The Presses!

Liz and I have new jobs!

Liz interviewed at my school, Starpoint, for an 8th grade English Position, and got the call on Thursday that she got it. WE'LL BOTH BE TEACHING AT THE SAME SCHOOL AGAIN!!! YEAH!!!!

Yesterday, I found out for sure that I will not be teaching science next year, and instead will become the Middle School's Critical Thinking Specialist. Initially, it was to be a pull-out gifted teacher, but has morphed into me being able to work with many of the teachers in our middle school, including the new 8th grade English teacher!

We're both excited...it's a little more money, we can drive to work together, and save over $1000 next year in gas alone.

When we came up here, we knew that teaching jobs were few and far between, and were so excited that we got hired quickly by two of the top school districts. Despite the odds against being able to work together again, things have SO worked out.

Now, if we can just sell the house down south, and if I can finish the Master's (hopefully next Spring...), things will be pretty much back to normal. (Thank goodness!)