Yippee

She's coming, it's official and I am so excited. Who's she and where is she going you might ask ? Well, she is one of my oldest and dearest friends CJ ( we met when I was in jr. high and her oldest was a baby, her oldest in now 14 and has 2 siblings) and the place is South East Asia for a month in June/July. Anyway I have to get to work, it's Friday morning and I just got through tying the principals furniture together with fishing line. Happy April Fools Day.

PS don't forget to click the link in the post below this and go comment!

Secret Pal

Here are the coveted secret pal gifts, well I have shared a little bit. I got the very cool knit knack kit with 25 pattern cards and a book and some gummy candy. The 2nd bag of candy is hidden under the 1st because it is almost empty, I opened it at work and shared it with the other teachers. There was also a very cute chocoholic card, yes I am addicted I'll admit it. Thanks so much for all this great stuff, the other knitters at work are already planning projects with the new patterns as am I.

So exciting

My week just keeps on getting better and better.

I am going to Hong Kong on Sunday instead of Monday and thus get to knit and go yarn shopping with a bunch of great women. Yippee. I thought that changing my plans would be challenge but it was a breeze, Cathay Pacific has amazing customer service. To make a good day even better I got a package from my Secret Pal, and I must say a huge Thank You. It has some great treats in it and the other teachers and I are already contemplating projects that we finish before I leave in June. I will post a picture when I get home today... if I let the other teachers near the candy it will just be a photo of some empty bags, (that's not true but the supply will be decreased). Okay I am off for lunch.

knitters

I got this comment yesterday from Kimberli saying that they were getting together in Hong Kong to knit on Sunday afternoon if I was interested in joining in. Cool huh, well sadly for me I am not going to Hong Kong until Monday, no particular reason for that, life just happened that way. I decided to go from Monday to Friday instead of over a weekend. I told S and H about the comment when I came to work today and their response was well go to Hong Kong a day earlier, I am entertaining the idea. S and H are the other teachers that I knit with and they both think it would be great to meet up with new people in another country to hang out and knit.

This little world of bloggers and knitters is an amazing one, who would of ever thought that I would be entertaining changing my plans so I can go and knit in another country. Well I must go and contemplate as I get ready for my day with the little darlings.

Oh my gosh I am so slow sometimes! I just figured out how easy it was to add a link into my message. I have been blogging for almost an year and I thought it was hard and complicated and it is so easy. All you have to do is click the link option, oh well now I know how and can link you to all kinds of things in my messages without typing the address. So now the bold names are links, so great.

Okay I really have to go now.

Happy Easter

It is always strange to be in a non christian country on a christian holiday, Easter came and went without to much excitment. That's not true I celebrated with my kids at school and we even had an egg hunt at the park. But aside from that you never would of known that it was Easter, I had pretty low key day and met up with some friends this morning and this afternoon. I also spent some time working on my fair isle hat, sadly I don't think it is going to fit on my head...oh well.

On another note all together there is something you can do this week, on April 1st a blog I read is having a comment-a-thon to raise money for breast cancer research. All you have to do is go to www.californiahammonds.com and leave a comment. People have donated money for the comments and the more comments the more money raised. The author of the blog lost his wife to cancer a year ago and he is doing this in her memory. It's a great cause and it will only take a minute but you have to wait until the 1st for the comment to count in the fundraiser.

Okay I am off to bed, since Easter is not a holiday here there is no long weekend. I do have spring break starting on Friday though, lucky me, I am heading to Hong Kong for 4 days.

I've been tagged!

I have been tagged by J at Scarfomatic.typepad.com
1. How much space is left on your Tivo or Comcast box? A what box? I barely even have cable and only 8 english channels

2.Have you ever bought a DVD of a TV series and if so which one? I don't have a DVD player but one day when I do I would buy/ will buy ER (especially the season that I have missed being abroad) and Friends

3. What was the last TV show that you watched before reading this message?
While you Were Out, old season shown in Asia on Knowledge.

4. List 5 shows you won't miss.

1. The Block ( shown here now even though it is over in Australia) 2. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy 3. CSI Miami (or Las Vegas but we only get old episodes here) 4. (If I was in Canada) ER . 5. Amazing Race, hopefully I will catchthe next season in Canada

5. Name 3 people to whom you will pass this stick.
Okay, most people I read have done this but there are 2 I know I haven't www.susanknits.blogspot.com and www.rgbilkes.blogspot.com

damn eggs

okay excuse the four letter word but it was the most gentle one I could use to describe the last 14 hours. I work 10 hours a day, 8 teaching, 1 for lunch (actually unpaid prep time) and 1 for prep time ( marking and classroom step up) as a result a lot of little things come home with me. Annoying work that has to be done but that there never seems to be time to do.

Today annoying work EGGS!
eggs bought on my way home from work 50
eggs boiled 49, one broke on way home
eggs cracked in pot while boiling 13
eggs broken because I was having a bad morning and did not pay enough attention to what I was doing 3

33 eggs remaining, number of students Ms. Kruz teaches 33 - okay all shall be well. I spoke to soon, Benson dropped his and it broke. If I ever see another boiled egg again it will be to soon. Those kids better love dying easter eggs and have HAPPY MEMORIES of kindergarten.

Anyone out there want 13 odd boiled eggs witha crack in the shell.....

a bad day gets better

Look I got treats in the mail today, lucky me! As you can see they have already been opened and tasted, I am in love with rhubarb custard sherberts. I was having a crummy day at work and nothing was going right and then at lunch time these arrrived and brightened my day. I got them from Jessmay at www.scarfomatic.typepad.com , I sent her some stitch markers that I made and asked for Marks and Spencer candy in return. Trading is so much more exciting than selling.

I am from

I am from a striped velour couch, from kool-aid and your the youngest sit in the backseat.
I am from the house with an open door, chaotic but caring, usually sharing a meal.
I am from the sand, the salt air and the fresh smell of cedar trees.
I am from 2 Christmas dinners, from J's, Mary's and I'm not Spanish we changed our last name.
I am from the clan of good cooks and no elbows on the table.
From eat your zucchini and onions and let's go swimming
I am from church, sung, not spoken and usually Ukrainian.
I'm from the island, perogies, and pasta ( often togethter).
From the basket of Nana's bicycle, shopping is for girls and be yourself, make every moment count.
I am from generations of strong and courageous people remembered now in black and white, hundreds of faces, never met them but will always know them.


It's based on Where I From by George Ella Lyons, someone thought it would be fun to adapt for a blog and I think they are right. Want to see the template, click the title and it will take you to the link.

I am off to enjoy a sunny Saturday, a long walk will make Tai very happy.

hey did you know

That it is Friday again already! Amazing how some weeks times fles and others it just crawls by. I has a fun week at work, I taught the kids about St. Patrick's Day and we made leprechaun traps to catch the ones were visiting our classroom. It was a lot of fun at at my parent teacher conferences yesterday I continued here how much the kids loved it. Some of what we did is on our classroom blog www.coolcatskindergarten.blogspot.com

Guess what I got in the mail yesterday, a huge envelope of foam letters and numbers for my class. My firend Lexi sent them, thanks Lexi. I am not sure what I will do withthem yet but I think that my kids are going to go crazy when they see them.

I have a another morning of interviews today and then I am off early... Yipee. I have a friend coming to visit this weekend, actually 2 friends and I think it will be fun. Okay well I have to get out the door, it is my day to open the school and thus I can't be late, plus I have a parent coming at 8!

Have a super Friday.

culture and knitting

My friends and I went back to Wisteria tea house today to knit, we went there last weekend to. It's fun to take your knitting and go sit in traditional asian tea house and drink tea made of real flowers. We spent the afternnon knitting. I sadly did not get to much done but Heather is finished the back of her sweater, she's never knit a sweater and neither have I... we make an interesting pair. I can read the pattern for the most part, so that helps and it looks good so far. Besides as we try to figure it out we are providing free entertainment for the staff and other customers as they enjoy watching us.

That was the highlight of my day. I have another cold and it started raining again yeterday. Figures, it was glorious all week, the weather wouldn't want to hold out through the weekend. No that would be to easy. I am heading out of the city on the train tomorrow, well let me rephrase I am suppossed to be heading out of the city but given the way I am feeling at this excat moment in time I may bail on them and stay in my bed instead. I'll decide in the morning.

I finally got around to taking a photo, the wool on the left I got from Susan at susanknits.blogspot.com in exchange for some of my stich markers. She really liked them and I love the wool. The ball on the right is one I just bought for my secret pal but I am liking it a lot, I think to much to send it to. I'll have to wait and see.  

I should be finishing my parent teacher conference paperwork but i was taking a coffee break (literally) and found this on another blog. I just about died laughing. It is based on a comic you can find at http://www.goats.com/archive/030808.html I just had to share it with you immediatley as this couldn't wait 

Jessica was the ringleader of this little adventure. She is loud and often drives me crazy, how very appropriate that she taped her mouth shut.

Patience, I need some

I have very little patience with cyberspace annoyances. I am not sure what happened on my blog the other day, posts were there and now they are gone, one that I did not delete has disappeared. I am tad perplexed but oh well life goes on.

I am, (as usual) looking forward to Friday tomorrow. I have the day to get ready for parent/teacher conferences. They are not my favorite way to spend a day but I am looking forward to a few of them. Today I gave my kids word tape as they did an excellent job on their writing. It is this bright orange tape with words like super and fantastic on it, it's easier than stickers. Well they started to stick it on their shirts and bags and then one of them had the bright idea to put it on their face. First it was on an eye and then on nose and finally Jessica( the loudest kid in my class) put it on her mouth. By the time they all figured out that it was funny to put it over your mouth it wasn't very sticky so they had to tape it on with clear tape. At ten to three I had kids walking around laughing as their mouths said words but they weren't talking. I took some photos and had a great laugh and then made them take it off before I sent them home. They waved their hands at me, no, no I want to wear it home their eyes pleaded. Yeah that is jut what I need you going home with your mouth taped shut... I can imagine the phone calls already. I will share the photos with the good humored parents and keep the rest for my own "need a laugh" days. Children really can be priceless.

I have plans to get out of the city on Sunday, it will be a nice little break from the smog! Hopefully the nice weather will hold out until then, not bloody likely but I will try to remain positive.
I will get a picture up of the cool yarn that I got from Susan, hopefully tomorrow. Maybe even one of the crazy children in my class.

strange

The missing post is here, the other one is here 3 times and even though I deleted 2 of them they will not go away. I don't understand!

Grrrr, growl like an alligator

Okay that is from a song my kids love but I am growling because I just typed a great long post and cyberspace ate it. It has happened before and I should know to save my work and not just post it. So I babbled about not remembering the things I want to write about, said happy womyn's day even though it's over here already and fact that spring has sprung and I am a very happy person.

And ( I know I shouldn't start a sentence with and) I told you about the ultra cool wool I got from Susan in exchange for some stitch markers and the fact my secret pal says that there is mail on the way, surface but on the way and sadly surface is jut part of living overseas.

No that I have had to type 2 posts I am definitely behind in getting ready for work and have to get myself out the door.

Sun, sun, thank god for sun

It has been a cloudy and rainy few weeks since I got back from the Philippines but then sun came out Friday and even though it is cold out it is sunny. I feel like if it was -20 that would be okay as long as it was sunny.

I am off to knit at a tea house with the other "sad teachers" from work this afternoon. (our motto is Happy Kids), sad teachers). I know it seem a little mean but sadly it is very true. Working 10 hours a day for little pay and heaps of annoying administration issues is less and less worth it as time goes on. I am looking forward to spring break, yes I just a vacation but happily I get another one in April and then after that there is only 7 more weeks. I have to work until the 17th of June but I only have kids until the 1st. The last 2 weeks are either spent doing paperwork and such for next year or working at camp. I am hoping I will get the paperwork job so that I can have a lazy couple of weeks to pack and such.

We'll see what happens. I haven't done to much this weekend so there is not to much to tell you about. Eat, sleep, fight off the newest cold that is trying to invade my body and play on the internet. I am off to knit.