Ringing in the new year...

Photo by my husband, Matt!

So, here we are, Matt and I, alone in the house.  A rare occasion.  And what did we do?  We cleaned our closet and are contemplating baking something!  On New Year's Eve.  Did I mention we are ALONE in the house???

I'll be back soon...

Whew!  I feel better now.  :-)

2010~ A year full of love, compromise, heartache, joy, laughter, tears, and more love! Here are some of my favorite memories:

My first protest in Washington, DC
Watching our daughter get married
My first year as a Reading Recovery Teacher
Overhearing one 2nd grader to another, "You have a smokin' hot bod!"
Catching a GIGANTIC sturgeon!
Snowshoeing for the first time
Hiking Bryce Canyon with my awesome husband (and falling in love all over again)!!
Cavalia
My candy apple red KitchenAid
The joy of walking with our dogs (Jake, our black lab lost about 15 lbs.)!
Beginning to look at life through my (new) camera lens!
Attending the Blue Man Group show (AWESOME)!
Walking on the beach in Oregon
Receiving 2 (yes, TWO) cases of wine for Christmas


I am thankful for the meaningful relationships I am lucky enough to share. I cherish the time I spend with my family, my friends, and my students. 

Here's to 2011~ Korbel Riesling Champagne, 2008

New Beginnings

I work at a school that is on a 'modified' calendar, so I am fortunate enough to have several two-week breaks throughout the year.  It's a perfect amount of time...just enough to wind down and have fun before gearing back up again.  As my Christmas break draws to a close, I am relaxing with a cup of coffee (it's too early for a glass of wine) and reflecting on the last two weeks.  Christmas break this year has not disappointed. 

I am beginning 2011 with two new hobbies:  baking and snow-shoeing.  My husband and I were lucky enough to have the entire break off together, and were able to enjoy these new hobbies with one another!  We traveled to Grand Lake to visit my folks, and brought with us several dozen cookies.  My mom, an incredible baker, admitted that she expected my baked treats to be 'okay'.  They were better than okay.  In fact, she said, they surpass hers!  I was thrilled.  Her compliment boosted my confidence tenfold.  Silly?  Maybe. But nonetheless thrilling!  My baking plans for the few remaining days of break include Hot Pockets, pastys, apple turnovers (Matt's project), and Pecan Sandies. The weather is perfect for baking.  Baking and, cross your fingers, snow-shoeing.

As I type, the approaching storm is beginning to spit white flakes and the wind is picking up.  The forecast is calling for 5-10 inches.  I am hopeful, but not convinced!  Hopeful so that we might go snowshoeing in our own backyard.  This new hobby has me feeling energized and, well, healthier!  We had an incredible time of it yesterday.  It was a chilly 20 degrees in Grand Lake and light snow accompanied us on our four mile journey.  It was perfect; peaceful and pristine.  We trekked to a closed campground and had our Powerbar on a picnic table topped with 2 feet of snow.  As we made our way back, I found my pace slowing.  Not because I was tired or sore, but because I didn't want the day to end. The woods were quiet.  The trees were powdered with snowflakes.  We breathed in the crisp mountain air and were fulfilled.   When we reached the end of the trail, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  Much like with the baking. 

Normally, I mourn the end of a break.  But this break, perhaps more than any other, has been a Godsend.  I have found new things I love and am excited to share and grow in these things in the year ahead.  Two hobbies that make me feel good, inside and out.  And while I would be lying if I said I can't wait to get back to work, I certainly am not dreading it.

Here's to new beginnings!

It's almost noon now, so I will indulge in a glass of wine soon (Maybe I'll try something other than Cab...but probably not)!

~Cab Lover

Winter Wonderland

I really wanted a white Christmas.  Having lived in Colorado all of my life, not having a white Christmas is rare...and just not right.  There is something about having snow on the ground, even if it is just a dusting, that makes Christmas feel, well, more Christmassy. 

We live on 40 acres in Strasburg, Colorado.  Strasburg is about 50 miles east of Denver...and we live another 12 miles south.  Right now, it is dry as a bone out here!  On Christmas morning, after opening presents, Matt and I decided to go on a walk.  It was 52 degrees.  On Christmas morning!  Weird.  I have to admit however, that it was an absolutely gorgeous day!  And, it was nice being able to walk our 5 mile course without the wind howling at our backs and the chill creeping into our bones.  Still, it was hard to believe that it was Christmas day.

Snow may have eluded our country home on the eastern plains...but that did not deter us.  We went in search of our winter magic elsewhere...and what a treat we had today!  We traveled to Grand Lake to visit my parents and were ecstatic when we summited Berthoud Pass and entered a Winter Wonderland!  Snow!  And lots of it!  We were giddy, and the snow only deepened the further north we drove.  Hallelujah...Christmas!

We had our new snow shoes, still in the packaging, stowed away in the trunk.  This would be our first outing on snow shoes and we were very excited.  We had waited long enough.  With high hopes and multiple layers, we strapped on the shoes and set out across the pristine snow.  It was glorious!  There was not another soul in sight.  The crisp mountain air was invigorating and we were in heaven!  Navigating a path through the virgin snow was much easier than I expected. Yes, I could feel my heart working, but I was not gasping for air!  I could exercise like this everyday (given the right temperature, no wind, and perfect snow)!  One day, actually just over an hour, and we are hooked. 

So, we got our white Christmas...and so much more!  Matt and I spent the day traipsing atop the untouched white powder.  We would talk, but were also content with silence.  It was a peaceful day.  A day we had longed for.  And tomorrow...we get to go back.

No wine today...but the hot coffee was just as good (especially with my Samoa cookies, a gift from the KitchenAid goddess)!!

~Cab Lover

Christmas Eve Blessings

It's Christmas Eve and I have so much to be thankful for!  Four of our five children are home for the holidays.  And although our daughter and new son-in-law are not able to be here, they are with us in spirit.  This year was different from past years but proved to be just as wonderful. 

A few years ago Matt and I decided to begin a new family tradition.  Because the kids were getting older, we decided that we would go out for a nice Christmas Eve dinner.  We enjoyed good food, great company, deep conversation, and that special ambiance that you only find during Christmastime (and no dishes to clean).  For three or four years we have dinned in some very nice restaurants...this year, however, things are a bit tighter and we decided that we would cook at home.  The December issue of Food and Wine inspired our holiday fare...Slow Roasted Pork Loin with Molasses and Balsamic Glaze; Herbed New Potatoes; Gingered Green Beans; Wedge Salad with Caramelized Pecans; and for dessert, Dulce de Leche Layer Cake!

Needless to say, Matt and I spent the entire day cooking, cleaning, and decorating.  It was work, but we both enjoyed it and savored the time spent together in the kitchen.  I still don't get what is happening to me...I don't cook.  I don't bake.  And yet, I have spent hours and hours in the kitchen this break and have enjoyed every moment.  I have a new love for cooking. A new confidence and sense of accomplishment that I have not experienced in a long time.  I would be remiss, however, if I didn't mention that I also have the company of my wonderful husband, who by the way, is an incredible cook!

As we labored in the kitchen, the kids did their own thing.  I forget how comforting it can be to have so much noise and commotion around me.  The boys discussing serious scientific topics (and on occasion the topic would turn to girls), while the girls were busy playing Guitar Hero (which is extremely loud I might add).  It was nice though, and I know I will miss it when our house is quiet(er) once again.

We sat down at the table and said grace...giving thanks for all that we have and praying for those who are struggling, ill, or less fortunate.  The dinner was delicious, but nothing compared to the conversation.  We took time to enjoy one another. We took turns recalling happy times and favorite memories of Christmases past.  We laughed, and cried.  We remembered and looked forward. We celebrated...

It's Christmas Eve, and I have so much to be thankful for.  Here is wishing you and yours a joyous Christmas.  May it be filled with love, happiness, good food and wine...and maybe a little chaos!

We opened our most expensive bottle of wine tonight~ (Kendall-Jackson Raptor Peak Cabernet, 2007)

~Cab Lover

A Chrismas Break Miracle...

I don't know what it is about this Christmas...but I have already opened all my gifts!  I'm not disappointed, and I'm not worried about feeling melancholy on Christmas morning because I have nothing to open.  In fact, I have had the best time this past week with my gift!  For teachers, Christmas break (or any break for that matter) is a SACRED time!  For me, it is a time of rejuvenation...a sort of renewal if you will.  I try not to plan too much, but I also don't want to sit around and waste away.  I want to savor every day, every hour, every minute.  So far...I have!

This year something special happened...my husband bought me a KitchenAid mixer!!!  I have wanted a KitchenAid for as long as I can remember.  My mom had a KitchenAid.  It was yellow...and beautiful...and magical.  Now I have one of my very own!

I am not a baker.  I try.  And try.  But I just can't do it.  That is, until last Friday.  We had planned to get 'the mixer' after I was done with school for the day.  I was rife with anticipation all day long.

After school I met my husband and we drove to Sam's.  I was giddy, like a little girl.  We found our way to the small appliances and I could barely stand it.  So many choices!  Who would have thought that there could be so many colors to choose from.  Red, black, stainless steel, black with stainless steel. I really wanted the red one.  It was gorgeous, but red wouldn't match out kitchen decor.  I'm not much of a Martha Stewart...but still.  I went back and forth, debating with myself about the color...but I just had to have the red one.  I put it in our buggy and skipped down the isle.  Off to the baking goods.

By the time we were done I not only had the most beautiful mixer in the world,  I had new baking sheets, fresh baking ingredients, and crispy, white aprons!  I was ready!  It wasn't until I got home that I remembered that I was terrible at baking...

Armed with the magical mixer, delicious Ghirardelli chocolate, and garbed in my new apron, I set out to  prove something to myself (and to those who have had to eat my cookies).  And guess what?  A miracle happened!  My cookies turned out perfect!  Golden, chewy, sugary goodness!  I made chocolate chip cookies; peanut butter cookies; oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies with cranberries; sugar cookies; fudge; macaroons, chocolate sandwich cookies with chocolate malt filling, Snicker doodles; and...Russian Tea Cakes.  Whew!  I have baked everyday, all day, since last Friday.  And I have LOVED every minute of it (I do have a weird soreness in my feet and back...).

I'm convinced that it's the KitchenAid.  It really is magical.  It has to be.  After all, I have not changed.  I have not had cooking lessons, or spent hours in front of the T.V. watching the Food Network.  It must be 'the mixer'.  That beautiful apple-red appliance that has a new home on my kitchen counter has brought me a week of joy.  A week of rejuvenation and renewal.  For the first time in many, many years I have taken plates of cookies to my country neighbors.  I spent an hour talking on one neighbor's couch...we have not talked like that in years...

Yep, it's a miracle.  And just in time for Christmas!

It turns out...wine and baking are a great mix (Sonoma County Korbel Cabernet, 2007)

~Cab Lover

Out of the mouths of babes...

Well, I did it again this year.  I woke up on Friday (the last day of school until Jan. 3rd!!!) with a bad attitude.  As a teacher, these days are always dreaded.  Valentine's day, Spring break, Halloween, Fall break, Christmas...they are all the same.  The kids are wired and the teachers are tired!!!  We teachers, force ourselves from the comfort (and safety) of our warm beds, and somehow muster up enough energy and courage to go to school.  It's not a pretty sight.

But then, and this is what I always forget, something magical happens.  The kids surprise you!  The little boogers say or do something so kind and sweet that they make you feel like the Grinch on steroids!  On this Friday, I cried more than once and was reminded just what it is that makes me come back each day.  It is, after all, not about me...but about the kids.  It was the card I got from Lindsey that simply said, "I love you Miss Marci, I love you still."  Or the hug (and kiss) I got from Jackson.  Or watching Christian help Ms. Elisha put on the necklace he gave her.

These are the things I cherish.  These are the kids I cherish.  This is why I teach!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Here is a link to our family Christmas card:
http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d6a45784d544d354e4446384e4463314d6a55334e44593d0d0a&sb=1

~Dessert wine tonight (Korbel Port, 2009)

Cab Lover

Late Night Musings...

Got home late tonight...had class.  The last one until January~YAY!  We all met at the Rio in Highlands Ranch...talking shop and having some drinks.  A great way to end the semester.  We started talking about our families...kids, husbands, years of marriage, etc.  I was struck by how little we actually knew one another, even though we meet for three hours every Monday night.  This made me think about others that I cross paths with everyday.  We are so hurried, engaged, absorbed by our jobs, our chores, and other 'important' stuff.  What is it that really matters to us.  I'm sure it is different for each of us...but I wonder if we know.  I mean really know what it is that we care most about.  You have heard, I'm sure, that if you really want to know what is important to you, take a look at your calendar.  Where are you spending your time?  Who are you spending it with? 


As the holiday season is upon us, challenge yourself to take a few moments to reflect on what matters.  Really matters.  What fills your calendar?  Reach out to someone.  Take time to really get to know someone.  Relish the small, seemingly insignificant things...

You won't be sorry! (No wine tonight...but the margaritas were fabulous)

~Cab Lover

The Barometric Beast

For years I have suspected that there was a correlation between student behavior and the changing barometric pressure.  It is, in fact, THE water cooler topic in any teacher's lounge.  I first thought that the erratic behavior that accompanied the first snow of the season was just pure childhood joy.  But, alas, that is just not the case.  I know. I researched it...and yes, there IS research out there to prove what teachers have known for, I'm guessing, hundreds of years.  Children's behavior and barometric pressure are (most often, negatively) related!!!  

If you are skeptical, check it out for yourself...Google the study:  Falling Barometer~Falling Behavior (ERIC database record #EJ230170). I know there are those of you out there who will say that you can find any study to prove (or disprove) any theory, and I agree.  So if you remain unconvinced...read on!

If you have ever been in an elementary school when the barometer begins to dance, you can feel, literally, something in the air!  A humming even, as thick fog begins to roll down the hallways and creep under the doors.  And then it happens.  CHAOS!  Children are bouncing off the walls, running amok through the corridors, throwing food...

Ok, so I'm embellishing a bit.  But not much.  Let me give you an example of what REALLY happens to children when the barometer rears it's ugly head.

Just the other day, I think it was Thursday, the forecast called for a nice, warm, sunny day.  Nope.  It was cold, the bone chilling kind, and windy...and I knew.  It was going to be one of those days.

I have the unique opportunity to work one-on-one with children.  During this precious 30 minutes we work hard...really hard.  The pace if fast, and the thinking intense.  The four children I have been with (30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) since September have made huge gains...amazing progress.  Until last Thursday, when the barometer began to fall...like a brick...on my head!

Little Joey and I were reading a book...studying words like cells under a microscope.  These little words were the same little words he knew yesterday.  The very SAME words!  But today, when we began to read, oddly, the book was in a foreign language.  Joey stared at the text, then at me, then at the text.  I was puzzled and inquired...what is it? To which he replied, "I have never read this book before!"  Befuddled, I responded, "of course you have...just yesterday...remember.  We even wrote about it."

Little Joey just stared back at me, blankly.  "Let's try again...you know these words.  Remember? Here, let me help you start...'the firefighters heard the alarm'.  Glassy eyes peered back at me.  Joey tilted his head and his eyes nearly bore a hole in my forehead.  I was almost scared.  He was looking at me as though I were a cyclops, green, with one huge eye in the middle of my forehead.  Yep...it was going to be one of those days.

Here is where I had to make a decision.  Do I fight the barometric beast and hope to come out alive?  And what about Little Joey?  Do I dare offer him up to the pressure demon?  To what end?  No.  Not today.  I cut my loses (and Joey's) and we curled up in the tattered football bean bag chair and I read to him for twenty minutes.  A precious twenty minutes.

Today, we beat the beast.  Joey and I walk away unscathed (mostly). 

A two Cab night! (Kendal Jackson SECO Higlands 2006)

~Cab Lover

Gratitude

Tonight I cracked open my Christmas present...even though it's only December 10th.  I'm pretty proud of myself for making it this long.  You see, my present came over a week ago.  Two cases of Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet (2008 & 2009).  I just couldn't wait!

I have been batting around the idea of becoming a 'blogger' for a while, but up until now, have not had the guts to jump in.  So why the change of heart?  Maybe it's because I just watched Julie and Julia for the second time. Or, maybe the pain killers I'm taking for my sinus infection are having more of an affect on me than I realize.  No.  I think it's the wine...what an inspiration!

Whatever the reason...I'm ready to take the plunge.  Hopefully someone will deem my musings worthy of a few moments of their time, but if not, it will give me something to do as a sip my nightly glass of Cabernet!

This my 8th year of teaching. I have taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th grade.  Sixth was my favorite...at least as a classroom teacher.  Two years ago, I decided that I should become a special education teacher.  Overzealous.  Overly ambitious.  Or maybe just plan silly!  But I was (am) on a mission.  My daughter is a special education student and I was extremely frustrated by the ineptness of the system.  So, in all my naivete, I decided I would fix it.  Yep, I thought I could just march in and make right all the ills that plague special education.  Two years (and untold bottles of wine) later, the system is still the system.  I would like to believe, however, that I have righted the ship just a bit.

So, back to the blog.  Why now?  Why me?  I guess I think I have something to offer.  Today, something incredible happened to me.  This week in our building we had peer observations.  Teachers in the building could choose another teacher to observe.  Someone chose me.  He came to watch me in a Reading Recovery lesson.  He sat across the table from me and took notes.  After the lesson, he got up, said thanks, and left.  That was that.  Or so I thought.  Today, he came to my office and knelt down by my chair.  What he said next left me stunned and teary-eyed.

He told me that before that day, he had no idea what I did.  He said, in fact, he was amazed by what I did and he thought I was incredible and inspiring.  But that's not the best part.  He said that he was a struggling reader...that he didn't begin to read until 3rd grade.  The stunning and teary-eyed part...he told me that if he had had someone like me in his life 'back then', it would have made all the difference in the world.  Isn't that what all teachers want?  To make a difference...

So, Mr. D, thank you for making my day...my year!  I wish I could have been there for you, and I'm so grateful that you are here for the kids in our school.

With gratitude,

Cab Lover

~2008 Robert Mondavi Private Reserve Cabernet (BOMB!)