May 2010
8 posts
How We Learn
I am a kinesthetic learner. I’ve always known it. Tell me something to do and watch my eyes glaze over, show me how to do it and make me practice doing it, and I learn to do it. It didn’t keep me from being an excellent student thankfully, because I could overcompensate by memorizing well enough to please professors/teachers on exams…but retention? Forget it.
Momma Maven (a...
Mom's Need Girl's Days Out Too!
Today is my birthday. Most women lie about their age as they get older. Not me. In fact, I use reverse psychology. When I turned 38, I began telling people I was almost 40. Then, when I turned 40, it was no big deal. Well, today is 41, and still no biggie. Maybe it is because I surround myself with a rockstar husband who is in the best physical shape of his life or three kids (two of whom are...
Lubbock Learns...
I love learning. I love learning even more than I love teaching. And in this case, I am not referring to the kind of learning that takes place in the classroom. I’m speaking of the kind of learning that takes place when you realize a fault that you have that you were never aware of. The kind of learning that takes place when you see that family is more important that anything else.
...
Say Thank You Dangit…
My children are 15, 13, and 10…and though I have been prodding them to say please and thank you, yes ma’am and no sir since they were about 6 months of age, to this day they still don’t always get it right.
Manners are so yesterday. When did that happen? Was it when we went to casual Fridays? Casual church? Made our friends on the computer or iPhone? I wasn’t allowed to call my parent’s friends...
My Momma told me there'd be day's like this...
When my daughter was born my Mom told me, “You have a mother’s heart, now ask God for mother’s wisdom.” I can honestly say raising kids is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But on the other hand, it is the most fulfilling, rewarding thing I have ever done. I have ridden the emotional mommy train from, “When is this all going to end?” to “ Tim, let’s have another baby.” He said “NO”.
I...
Top 10 Tuesday - Reason's I appreciate my Momma
In lue of the upcoming holiday, I thought that I would take this Top 10 Tuesday and write about why I love and am thankful for my mom. There are definitely more than 10, but we’ll start here :)
10. She bought me fun pajamas often. Nothing helps you sleep better than a new purple Lion King night gown when you’re 7 years old.
9. She taught me to love shopping. Maybe my bank account...
Thanks, Mom...
This week before Mother’s Day, I get to reflect on both being a mother and having a mother.
Today, I want to focus on having a mother.
My formative years were spent playing war, football, catching crawdads in the stream out back and any of the other many games and sports that the all-boy neighborhood I grew up in wanted to play. Mom always let me be right in the middle of it. She never tried to...
April 2010
18 posts
Lubbock Loves... the Weekend
Ahh the weekend. Here we are again. The beautiful weekend….
Now, the question is, “What to do?”
First things first, go shopping for your mom, or your wife, or your grandmother, or your sister, etc. Mother’s day is such an important day. Hopefully it’s not the only day that we stop and sincerely thank our mom’s for everything they do, but regardless you have...
“Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a...”
– John Dewey
Lessons learned...
A lesson that I have been learning lately is that you will always find what you are looking for. If you look for negativity and boredom, you will find it. If you look for happiness and good spirits, you will find that too. I mean this in all forms of the saying, in life, religion, relationships, shopping, etc. (Because we all know that the importance of shopping is directly beneath...
Top 10 Tuesday - April Showers Bring May Flowers!
I love that saying. Not just because it means that dreary days will soon come to an end, but because I think it is a good analogy that all things bring something positive with them. The rain and wind that gets so old brings something beautiful in the end, much like the daily problems that we face. It seems bad now, but wait until the rain goes away and the flowers bloom. It will all be worth...
Fun Friday's??!
Do you remember the way Friday’s used to feel when we were in Elementary? I do. I remember passing glances at the friend that was going to spend the night with me that night, and giggling at the thought of all the fun things we were going to do. What happened to that?? Maybe it’s that society says it’s not quite as appropriate to have friends come over and spend the night, I...
Denim dress and goats.....?
When I was thinking about home schooling our children,(many years ago) I didn’t want anybody to tell me I had to wear a denim dress or a hanky on my head. And especially…please don’t tell me I would need to stop taking birth control. No offense Duggar family. If I decide to home school, will I have to raise goats and chickens? Will I have to bake my own bread and sew all of our own clothes?...
My hands are full
For 7 ½ years - 2737 days - 65700 hours, I have had an infant in my house. No, I do not mean a child that would not grow up! Just a series of infants overlapping each other in the infancy state. I have had someone in diapers (sometimes two someones) for 7 years. I have had someone potty training for 4 years. I have buckled approximately 340,000,000 car seat buckles. Wiped bottoms, cleaned...
Boys Will Be Boys...
My home is full of boys. I’m the mother of two sons, wife of a precious husband and pseudo mom to all the neighborhood boys…so I have seen some stupid stunts in my home over the years. Let’s see… there was the time one of my boys nearly pulled a Dick Cheney on my husband at his first hunting excursion. There was also the time when we were remodeling our home and had a temporary dumpster out...
Top 10 Tuesday - Reason's you SHOULD drink Coffee →
While on a short three day vacation this weekend, I had an argument with my Beau about coffee. I tried to tell him that there were plenty of health benefits to drinking my cup-o-java. he didn’t believe me and I had zero proof to back myself up. So it was only a natural fit for me to post this link for you all on this wonderful Top 10 Tuesday. So join me in proving my sweet boy wrong and...
I Scream, You Scream, We ALL SCREAM for Date...
Last Friday night, we did what we try to do every 2-3 weeks…Jim and I went on a date night. This usually entails dinner at Chili’s where we share our favorite Quesadilla Explosion salad and if we feel really outrageous, a Molten Lava Cake. Then off to the movies for the most recent action/drama/comedy flick we think is worthy of the admission cost. Living on the marriage edge let me tell you.
...
Dreaded tax season over...TAKS season here.
So TAKS season is upon us. Not tax. But TAKS. Fortunately, and for some not so fortunately, tax season is over. But as for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills…it’s lurking around the corner. Most people are effecting by this, in some way or another. Maybe you are the parent to a child who has to take the dreaded thing. Maybe you are a student who has or had to take it at some...
so what's the deal with moms and flowers?
Last week, I had the joy of taking my daughter to the Arboretum in Dallas. If you have never been to the Arboretum during springtime, I highly recommend it.
The tulips were as high as my thighs and the colors reminded me that there is a God in heaven. I saw species of flowers I didn’t even know existed, more-less how to pronounce.
My boys were there too, however between their allergies and...
These are a few of my favorite things…
So we here at Lubbock Neighbors (that was totally meant to sound like a Southern person with a weed hanging out the side of their mouth, not really sure why…I just wanted to convey to you the accent that was running through my head when I wrote that…. just go with it) want to start something called “Lubbock Loves” on our almost finished, rockin’ website. It will be a place where we (And YOU) can...
So why be an educator?
People ask me, “What is your degree in?” I look at them with an annoyed face knowing what their response will be to my answer of, “Education.” “Oh…Good Luck with that…” they say as they proceed to talk about all the pitfalls of the education system, as we know it today.
What they don’t know is this. I could care less about the system. I know the system sucks, I’m learning about the so-called...
Why I hate Celebrities.
Maybe that title isn’t appropriate. It’s not the celebrities that I hate. It’s how we treat them. There is this HUGE double standard that we place on them and it drives me crazy! (Notice that I am saying we as in, I do it too, unfortunately)
I have this crazy obsession with John Mayer. I don’t try to hide it anymore I just embrace it. I giggle every time one of his songs comes on...
13 Things Your Hairstylist Wishes You Knew...
Summer is coming which means two things to every woman I know…one, she is dieting and working out with a certain “weight loss” goal in mind and two, she is anxiously looking at celebrities for hairstyle changes that make her look more beachy…or let’s be honest, 10 years younger is the ultimate goal. Maybe it’s highlights, a new style, or a complete makeover, but we are going to be seen at the...
Mommy March Madness…
When I say March madness, most moms know inherently that their husbands go into some sort of daze in front of the tv screen for about three weeks forcing mom to shuffle kids, turn in tax returns, handle birthday parties, and work around and sometimes through Spring Break…alone.
In many households the tradition of NCAA Basketball Playoffs can cause tension between spouses.
Not in my house. We...
C Scope... →
I debated for a long time what to actually post for today’s Education Thursday. I started about 10 blogs before now.
This is a new type of lesson plan/curriculum/teaching strategy that Texas is about to implement. I just heard about it for the first time this morning in class. My professor didn’t know much about it, otherwise I would gladly relay the information. But, I thought...
March 2010
13 posts
And the guest blogger is.... Julie Bates of...
I love anything I can color code…
Hello! My name is Julie Bates and I am the mother of four darling children, owner of SeekingSitters in Lubbock and Amarillo, and a child psychologist. Whew! That is a mouthful. My title: Crazy-Busy Person! Sometimes it feels that way and I wonder how it all gets done without something suffering. I get asked all the time how I do it all; how I keep up...
Top 10 Tuesday - Reason's not to skip your... →
The more I think about creating Top 10 Lists for you to read, the more of a bad idea it seems. Ha-ha. I would rather provide you with adequate knowledge than non sense, bits of information…
So, here you go. My favorite meal of the day. And here is why it should be your favorite meal of the day too.
Caitlin
Cinderella
Imagination…it comes so natural when we are kids, almost second nature. Case in point, my daughter had a friend over this last night, as she does most weekends, and when I walked in their room, they were dancing on the bed as matching pirates. They had used my eyeliner to make black eyes, and had torn some spare red fabric to create matching bandanas. Oh, to be nine again…no worries in the...
10 Reasons why you must expose your child to...
As most of you know, I’m going to school to be an educator. I thought that I wanted to teach Elementary, but sometimes I think my niche may be Middle or High School students. At this moment, I plan on being all level certified just to be safe. But there is one thing that will affect every student I come in contact with, regardless of where or who I teach. That is their experience...
Top 10 Tuesday - Exercise Ball →
So, I have two exercise balls. One for my desk at work, and one for my desk at home. I LOVE them. It helps me to focus, and a good excuse to eat that extra cookie. Rather than me babbling on about why I love them, I’m going to let the “experts” do it.
(P.S. Just so you know, they totally talked about the benefits of these on the show a few weeks ago!)
Enjoy! - Cait
How a Toddler Sees the World…
You can learn a lot about the world through the eyes of a two year old.
For one, children are brutally honest. Almost refreshing really…not yet trained to be politically correct.
I remember when my oldest son was a toddler. I was very pregnant with our second son as my oldest son, my husband and I were sitting around the living room one night watching TV together. My oldest was almost two years...
Playtime.
So I wanted to do a Video Blog (or is it vlog?) today, but I sound…well…gross. I’ve unfortunately been sick most of this Spring Break (can we same l-a-m-e?) and although I am on the downhill side and feeling a little better I will spare you my stuffy nose, and sore throat and try my best to win you over with my eloquent typing skills.
Although sick and tired, I had time to see...
Easter Photos to help a Family in need
I received this e-mail yesterday and I thought that this was a great cause that we should all be a part of. Let’s be a good neighbor this Easter season and help out a family in need!
The Young Families Bible Class of Monterey Church of Christ has a special need and we are asking for your help!! The Phillips Family has 8 month old twin boys. The most precious boys you could ever meet!...
Top 10 Tuesday!
Odds are if you are reading this blog, then you, like me, are NOT on the beach somewhere glorious sipping a Pina Colada and feeling the sand between your toes and the wind in your hair. Then again, since we are in West Texas, the sand and wind part may still apply regardless. My husband took the boys camping and I am getting to do some spring cleaning this week. Don’t know why…maybe it is the...
Mommy Guilt
I’m writing this blog from the doctor’s office today where I, along with my anxious middle son, Kenneth, await the news on his healing broken arm. I may be perhaps more excited to see that cast gone than Kenneth as it currently serves as a sore reminder of intensive “mommy guilt.” Let me explain.
Jim and I have been married 17 years now and neither one of us has ever surprised the other with a...
Alice in Wonderland
The first time I saw him was in Cry Baby. I thought he was dreamy. The last time I saw him was in Public Enemies. And I thought he was dreamy. He looked EXACTLY the same. How does this happen? Did you see him on the cover of GQ?? Seriously?
I had a friend who said that he thought fairies came and sprinkled their magic fairy dust all over his wife at nighttime because there was no other...
Classroom Blogs...
I “tweeted” it. I “facebooked” it. I read it, twice. But that just didn’t seem like enough. I ran across this blog from @kunami10 and I am such a strong advocate of Classroom Blogs that I just couldn’t help myself. We want to have strong discussions about education as a whole and schools right here in Lubbock on this blog, and our website. We hope to tackle...
Stressed, anyone?
I’d like to think that I am an all around happy person. But there are just days when that seems like a daydream rather than real life. Kind of like when David goes to the Dentist (watch this classic youtube video for the rest of my blog to make sense :) When that moment hits, the one where I hit my limit….I tend to throw my hands in the air and shout, “Is this gonna last...
February 2010
5 posts
Magic Pizza...
They say that it’s not always what you do but how you do it. I’m definitely a fan of this saying. (I’m also a fan of, “It’s not what you wear, but how you wear it.” But that’s another blog for another day) If I can see that a person is working hard at what they are doing, I am bound to support them, regardless of their outcome. I love a hard worker. ...
The little things...
So, as I have stated previously, I was the most practical child on the planet. I knew by the age of five that I wanted to be a teacher so I busted my butt in the first grade to get as many AR (Accelerated Reader) points as I could. Getting to be “teacher of the day” was the prize. In order to win, I had to get 250 points. When you are reading books that are only 2-5 points a piece, that’s...
Ohno! Ohhhh Yes!
So, the Olympics. I love them, and have loved them since about the 7th grade. If I wasn’t working all the time, you can believe that I would be glued to the telly. (Which is a fun word that American’s should say more often, by the way. Let’s start a trend!) I have no DVR. I know what you’re thinking-I must live under a rock, and let me assure you that I do not. BUT,...
"You wanna go where everybody knows your name..."
There is something about knowing someone’s name. You see them in the grocery store, you exchange smiles, and then you’re able to say with confidence, “Hey ______, how’s it going?” That smile on _________’s face gets bigger and you know that you influenced their day, simply by knowing their name and acknowledging them. Or maybe it was just their visit to the...