This is where MK is.

Disney girls!!!

Way to go, Big Red Machine!

MK came home around 4:45 this morning. The band made the finals at their competition and ended up in sixth place overall. She and the Big Man just left for another adventure.

They're heading to New Orleans and the SuperDome to watch the Steelers play the Saints. They're going to be in a private box and participate in what is being called "the World's Largest Costume Party." Guinness is going to be there to confirm it. I know they're going to have a great time.

My friend, Darlene, took today's picture of MK and her friend, TB, in Alabama yesterday.

Back to normal

Well, whatever normal means. The Big Man is home...and not just for a visit. He's finished in Texas and will be on vacation for a week.

MK is in Alabama at her competition, so I don't have any pictures of her, but here are a couple of T. Willy. We went to a Fall Festival in town this evening, so there is a picture of him in his Halloween costume. After the festival we went to dinner, so here is a picture of him showing how much he enjoys having his dad home.

It can't be ending yet!

Our football season is winding down. There is only one more regular season game. I'm already nostalgic. We have the best times at the games. We won a good game last night and had fun watching. We've made the playoffs, so the season will last a little longer.

MK is away with the band for an all day trip to Alabama. They're going to be in a band competition, and it should be a fun day. We got her some snacks and she took a blanket, so she should be set. They're on charter buses instead of school buses, so that should make it a nice trip.

I can see clearly now.

Due to our very hectic schedules right now, I have been putting off a much needed trip to the eye doctor to renew my contact lens prescription. Today I was finally able to go!!! It feels so great to see comfortably again.

I am posting this picture, because I really liked the interior of the office. It wasn't a typical doctor's office in our little town.

Bobcat!

T. Willy participated in a ceremony at scouts tonight. He earned his bobcat badge, and here are pictures of how they did it.

I love this picture

The kids were playing tonight, and I captured a sweet shot.

Straightening it out

The Big Man's parents gave me a hair straightener for my birthday, and here is the result. My students had a lot of comments about it...a few didn't recognize me.

It's that time

Here's another birthday present thanks to the Big Man. And now it's time for bed...another birthday in the books. The kids and I had a fun dinner, and I took snacks to school for my students, so it was fun for all.

Have a great night!

I always have a story.

If you know me in real life, you know that I remember the strangest things, and I always have a story. So, here's this:

My birthday is tomorrow. Since the Big Man is home but leaving early in the morning, we celebrated my birthday today. One of my gifts was a huge surprise, and it showed that he listened to me.

The story was this: one of my students wore a shirt recently that I loved. It's from American Eagle, and it says across it TMAE - trademark American Eagle. But the reason I liked it is that it's also our family's first initials - Ty Maddie Erik Annette (hence the name of the blog - teamgeb.)

So he found a hoodie for me with that on it. It's great!

This is where it gets strange. I enjoy numbers, and work out different ways our birthdays add up. It works, but it's not something everyone enjoys.

On my shirt is a 54. It took me just a minute to figure it out, but I did. All of our birthdays plus our anniversary equal 54. Weird, huh? (5+2+25+5+17=54.) The Big Man said he could sit in a room for 100 years with that shirt and never come up with that. I guess its just one of those things that makes me - me.

Good night.

Look who flew in today!!!

At the game

We had an away game tonight. We won 54-32, and it means we're going to the playoffs! Go, Bulldogs!

The Johnny Appleseed Gang

We are at T. Willy's school waiting for the first graders to take the stage in the Johnny Appleseed play. T. Willy has a speaking part, and we can't wait to see him. Here he is waiting with his classmates; the freckles are courtesy of MK.

Way to go, T. Willy!

Both kids had good report cards, but in elementary they get ribbons.

Fun at scouts

Tonight at scouts, they played "push the potato around the room with your nose." I actually played for a short while because they needed to even the teams. I won't post a picture of that, though some exist thanks to the den leader:(, but T. Willy won't mind.

Just in case you didn't know what was in the box...

I'm keeping it in the plastic until we absolutely have to get it out.

Before I go to bed....

I want to share this so I don't forget.

After the band competition, we stopped to get something to eat. MK and her friends sat together, and I sat with T. Willy.

He mentioned that when he was in my tummy we were able to get pictures of him. I agreed that we did. He asked, "How could they tell I was a boy?"

I'm a believer in answering their questions with simple truth, so I told him that they could see his boy parts.

He then said, "Yeah, 'cause boys have shorter hair than girls."

At the band

We're waiting at the district band competition for MK's band to go on. So I'll post some pictures T. Willy and I took today while waiting for MK.

Look what arrived today!!

Our phones at school have caller i.d. I confess that when I see the principal's name on it, I immediately wonder why he's calling. Today it was a great surprise! We ordered a prop for our play, and it arrived today. As it turns out, someone else was in the office with him, and they had taken a bet on one what was in the box. The principal won. I've already had offers to buy it, but the drama department is holding onto it! What you can't see is what is in it.

And they're off!!

Good morning!!

I'm sitting in the waiting room at the orthodontist's office. As soon as we checked in, they called MK back, and she's getting her braces off as I type.

I was able to do something this morning that I rarely do but enjoy: I was able to watch T. Willy get on the bus. So today's pictures are of the kids: one of the last shots of MK with her braces and T. Willy waiting for the bus.

Two years - three months, and....

Tomorrow it's over. We go to the orthodontist to get MK's braces off!!! We are all very excited. You will see lots and lots of pictures, I'm sure! No matter what, she's always been beautiful!

View from the sky

It's a rarity that I don't take at least one picture in a day, but it happened today. We had school, play rehearsal and a fun dinner with my friend, Darlene. MK had a tryout meeting for Winterguard, and I was back and forth with that. So tonight's picture is one that the Big Man sent while flying last night. I hope your night is just as beautiful!

We're home

We weren't even gone for 24 hours, but it felt much longer. Camp was a lot of fun with lots to do, and I think we'll be eager to go again.

The Big Man leaves again today. Come on, November!

Fam camp

We are camping with the Cub Scouts. T. Willy has been having fun with the "climbing tree" next to our tent.

What a fun night!!!

Today was a teacher workday, so I went to work and did grades, and the kids got to stay home. I took an early lunch, picked up the kids, and we went to the airport to pick up the Big Man! He's home for a whirlwind weekend! We're going camping with the scouts tomorrow.

There was a football game tonight, and that was great because the Big Man was able to go and see MK perform. T. Willy was patient, because he knew he could leave after halftime. Too bad they left, though, because it turned into a nail biter. It went into double overtime, and we won!!!

MK is usually starving after games, and we started a tradition of stopping at Whataburger on our way home. So the guys joined us there. There were a lot of excited Bulldog fans in there tonight.

The pictures are of MK. She was just being funny and posing, and then a bug flew onto our table. You should be able to tell at which point that happened. She was so proud of herself for taking care of it.

The way to my heart...

When I arrived home today, there was a package waiting for me on the glider. The Big Man sent it to me, and I cannot wait to try a piece.

If you've read this for awhile, you'll know that my favorite restaurant is the Cheesecake Factory. We don't have one nearby, so I visit them when we travel. Since we go so rarely, I ALWAYS get the same thing: Thai Lettuce Wraps and Key Lime cheesecake...always. So the Big Man sent a Key Lime cheesecake to me!!!

Counting down from 99

We went to our local college to watch a play tonight. It was so much fun! The play was fast and furious: Greek Mythology, the Iliad and the Odyssey in 99 minutes or less. (They made it with 5 minutes left...there was a timer.) After teaching a unit on the Odyssey last year, I developed a big interest in Greek mythology, so this was right up my alley.

However, it made for another long day, so I'm going to bed. Good night!

Long days

It has been a long but good day. My workshop went well. We saw the same author last year, but she had a lot of new things to teach today. I left a little bit early and made it to rehearsal. It went pretty well. Now I'm home for a bit and will head to scouts in awhile.

I'm sitting on the front porch glider enjoying the beautiful weather in the few minutes I have to do nothing. MK just left for guard practice, and T. Willy is playing a bit before dinner. There is an actual breeze and it's, I'm thrilled to say, cool outside.

I took today's pictures while stopped at a red light on our way home this afternoon. We got a big kick out of the dog on the left.

Fall is coming!!

T. Willy has a scout meeting tomorrow night, and he was asked to bring leaves for a project. So we went outside tonight and collected leaves and found these acorns. We've enjoyed some cooler weather during the days and an actual chilly morning today. It's my favorite month!

I also get a day off tomorrow, of sorts. Reading teachers in our county are meeting for a workshop. They are having an author in, and we were told to bring notebooks for writing. I'm eager to see how it goes. It's not completely a day off, though, because when it's over, I will head back to the school for play rehearsal. It's fun, but there is no free time these days!

Our day

It was a good day. We went to church, had a quiet day at home. Then I took the kids to school with me so that I could get some work done before another busy week begins. I rented a movie for the kids to watch while I worked. I took a big beanbag chair for them, and they snuggled in and watched while I worked. It worked out pretty well. I didn't think to take a picture of them then, but MK took one of them earlier.

Out and about with my Scout

We had an outing with the Tiger Cubs today. We went to the Air Force Armament Museum and had a fun time. MK went with us, and here are pictures!