The Toledo Zoo

Sunday evening my two friends came and picked me up and took me to the Toledo Zoo Lights before Christmas.  It was wonderful!  Above is a picture of a very large tree.  It could be seen from almost anywhere in the zoo.  I forget the number of lights in it but altogether in the whole zoo there was over 70 miles of Christmas lights strung.  Of course we did get a chance to see a few of the zoo animals.  Most were hiding in the dark, I think.  I saw a snow leopard licking up some water.....and some Siberian Tigers sleeping, some penguins standing like statues and some elephants pacing...  All in all it was a very nice night to walk the zoo...temps in the 50's.  Very unusual weather for Michigan.  We are still without snow...will we get any before Christmas? 

Next week by this time I will be in Florida visiting my daughter and her family....so maybe I won't see snow until January. 

Hope you all had a lovely weekend....I sure did!

Hi everyone,

Today was 12-12-12.....did you realize we won't see another one like this.  The next one will be in 100 years. 

When I was raising my children I never thought about a lot of things.  Now that I work in a school I sometimes think that I missed the boat with my children.  I never made sure that their homework was done.  Yes, even in first grade there is homework.  And believe me, it really makes a difference in the ones who do it and the ones who don't.  In our classroom the ones who do their reading each night and have their parents sign a slip, get a shiny star to put on their chart....plus a small piece of candy.  After they accumulate 10 stars they get a trip to the prize basket and get to chose a small prize.  My heart goes out to those who show up day after day with no signed slip.  Of course the teacher eventually talks to the parents, but by then the child is behind in their reading skills.  Then there are the children who show up at school with uncombed hair, no mittens and no hats.  What are the parents thinking?

My teacher is a gem.  She has a whole box of mittens and gloves.  She has a lady that knits hats and she makes sure each child has a hat to keep them warm at recess.  And she also collects boots and has them on hand.  Today on her lunch hour she went to the Dollar Tree and bought hair brushes and pony tail holders....there were three girls who show up every day with wild hair....now they have a hair brush to keep in their lockers!   I love the teacher I work with. 

Well, I need to get busy and finish my daughter's Christmas present.  Have a nice evening.

Greetings!

Hello everyone!!

Sorry I haven't written a blog for a while.  Just nothing much to write about.  My days are pretty boring.....going to help out at the school in the mornings and coming home to nap and then the evenings to watch tv or work on some craft. 

I have been working on an afghan for my daughter in Florida for Christmas.  I don't know if she even needs it since it is mostly warm there, but I thought sometimes the air conditioning can get cold when she is lounging on her sofa (maybe she does that) and she could just throw it over herself.

She has invited me to travel to Florida for the Christmas break and I am torn as to what I should do.  I would need to stay for the whole 16 days.  Sometimes after being away for just a while I am ready to go home.  I don't have a lot of money for sight-seeing although I wish I did.  However, if I stay home I will be bored out of my mind.  Nothing to make me get up in the mornings....quietness all day long in my small apartment.....since my friends will be celebrating the season with their families.  So what to do?  Any suggestions?

I haven't even decorated for Christmas....I am just the Christmas scrooge this year.  I did do a tiny amount of gift buying (what my pocket book would allow).  Those gifts are wrapped and in a Santa bag in the corner of the living room.

Today we had a few snowflakes and it brought cheers from all the first graders.....oh to be young and excited like that again!

Hope your holiday season is going well.