Random Tid Bits

1. This week is midterm week. I had one student that missed Monday-Wednesday because she was sick. That makes it hard to take exams. She's usually a very punctual student. Her roommate relies on her for a ride, so she skipped Monday as well. Note that they live within walking distance. I was more annoyed with the roommate skipping, than the sick, usually very responsible student missing.
   
2. I wrote a few tests. I think they are creative. I have a crossword puzzle on both of them. Then I'd have as one multiple choice answer, something ridiculous that would never be the answer. I have two groups of people: One group thinks my tests are fun and creative. Some have said, "Please put a crossword puzzle on the test. That makes it much more interesting." The second group thinks ridiculous things added are a waist of time, and gives them too many options. They are the complainers. I've decided that no matter what, I can't win with everyone.
   
3. A few weeks ago I found out I'm going to be an Aunt again. I have one niece, and 6 nephews. In August I'll have another niece. My younger sister is going to have her 5th child! She's actually had one more, but he passed away. She has Evan (almost 15), Elijah (almost 12), Emerson (8), Edison (almost 6), and this one will be Margret after our Grandma we never knew. She died when my Dad was just a few years old.
   
   Because my sister is a carrier of Trisomy 18: She has 1 in 3 chances of having a kid living with it, 1 in 3 chances of a kid carrying it to pass it on like she has, and 1 in 3 chances of having a kid that's not a carrier at all. It's a bit of a touchy subject with a few family members. I understand the opinions. Heck I was done after 2 kids. BUT she's not me, so I will love the kid regardless.
   
   Because of my outlook, I was the 2nd one told. She told me right after her husband. She was scared to tell our older sister, and nervous to tell my parents. It went ok. My Mom is excited to buy more girl things, everyone is glad after this, that they are totally done, Elijah (almost 12) is annoyed that their family of boys is getting a girl, Isaak's glad because Edison (almost 7) doesn't like to be picked up any more; he thinks this new baby will take his spot.
   
   Meet Margret: 
   
   
   
   My Dad, Mom and I were all talking about what we'd call her. Margret, Maggie, Greta are all names that came up.
4. Next week is spring break. It's also Mica's trip to Chicago. Fingers crossed it all goes well!
   
   
5. Mica's Health Care Academy Teacher wants him to go to Huston, Texas this summer for a Health Event. It's $1,500 we'd have to cough up. I am thinking that's a firm - no! I am pretty sure she's not too happy he won't be going. I really didn't say anything when she brought it up. I didn't know signing him up, for Health Care Academy would mean he'd be part of a big, expensive trip. It wouldn't even be fun - all around. It would be health conferences, and activities that revolved around that. Maybe I should have told her, nope. I was kind of in jaw dropping mode.

I'm ready for Spring!

Mica is taking a school trip in the spring. He's going to Chicago. 

I'm so ready, for this to happen, for him and us. 

• I'd like to be done with the monthly payment, for his trip.
• It will be nice to have a break from Mica, and Mica have a break from us. He's a good kid, but I honestly think everyone needs a break from their routine at times.
• He'll have fun! 

I really love that their bus is a company has more than one staff member on duty at all times. One of their staff stays outside their door in the hallway at night; to make sure nothing bad happens. Kids would have trouble sneaking away. Mica's a rule follower, but you never know peer pressure could set in. I teach college aged kids, and have seen the change in what I like to call "kidadults".

The boys haven't been to Chicago, since they were this old...

It's really time we all go again. A great friend lives there. We could stay with him.

Mica will experience the big city once again, without us.

I know Mica's not flying, but I'd like the best carry-on luggage. Do you have any brands you recommend? We have toiletry bags, bigger suit cases, but nothing in between small and big.

I'm not sure what Mica's itinerary will be, but with it being Chicago there's lots to do. Here's things I would want to do:

• Eat a Deep Dished Pizza
• Go to the Museum of Science and Industry
• Check out art at the Chicago Art Institute
• Visit The Bean and other outside sculptures
• Go up the steps to the Willis Tower, ok maybe the elevator
• Visit Chicago Cultural Center (one I haven't been to)
• See Sue at the Field Museum
• See Jelly Fish at the Shedd Aquarium
• Experience art at Smart Museum of Art (one I haven't been to)
• Experience more art Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art (one I haven't been to)
• Get a taste of culture at the Swedish American Museum (one I haven't been to)

What would you want to see in Chicago?

I do love those city passes, but I kind of feel like they make you go see things you don't want to see. Then you don't go see things you do want to see.

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Random Tid Bits

1. Last year I went to my mom's cousin's apartment to help clear it out a bit. She had a very small family. We were nominated as the ones to help. It's sad when someone passes away. Going through their things seems odd. It's like getting invited to their home, but no invitation was given out.
   
   She was a collector. I think all my relatives that were there were wishing she wasn't a collector. Me on the other hand loved it. She collected dolls, and made doll clothes. I spotted this doll, and had to have her.
   
   
   
   
   I looked her up when I got home. My mom didn't think she'd be worth a whole lot because she didn't have original clothes on. Well she came naked. Still, she's not worth much.
   
   
   
   
   I was intrigued to see that this doll - Daisy Kingdom one day had patterns for clothes, and kid clothes. Much like American Girl Dolls do today.
   
   
   
   
   I got a few other dolls. Then I found boxed up ones, and told my aunt closest to her, "Put these in a safe place! Do not let just anyone have these." Do you find old dolls fascinating like me, or creepy?


2. I went to a home interior store and spotted Pantone seats. I'd love a set, but don't need a set. I talk about making Pantone colors in my Design and Layout class. I get giggles all the time. The abbreviation is PMS, which stands for Pantone Matching System.
   
   
   
   
   
3. The guy in our wedding that was Travis' Best Man (Sam) lives in Chicago. He's super stoked that Travis is going there for work at a later date.
   
   
   
   
   I'm not all that excited because A) I don't get to see Sam. He's my friend to. B) It also means that I get to play single mom over conference time.
   
   Anyhow Travis is going with the owner's daughter to a dental convention. She's super nervous. Travis is like, "No worries! I've got this!" He does. He's super great with directions. He told our friend Sam when he'll be there. Sam spread the word to someone we don't really like all too much. Travis is happy to see Sam, but not happy about the other guy that used to get drunk, pee himself, copied off a paper of mine, got me in a mess of trouble, and the list goes on. Sam is awesome, but he also is too nice to everybody. I told Travis, "Let's just hope the guy we don't care for grew up some. It's been 12 years since we've seen him." It should be interesting to hear how this Chicago trip pans out. 


4. Sam is from the Philippines. I know a little bit about the Philippines because my step-grandma - the only grandma I knew on that side was from there. She didn't move to the US until she was an adult. There was once upon a time I tried to question Sam about the Philippines. I quickly found out he knows very little about where he's from, and could care less to find out. Sam's favorite food is a cheeseburger. He likes American football. He loves Bon Jovi, Metallica, Dukes of Hazard, and secretly likes Fiddler on the Roof. We joke that he's really not Filipino. He's an American trapped in a filipino's body.


5. We met Sam in art school. He was there because his parents said he had to go to college. Really he wanted to drive big trucks. Since Sam had to go to college, dreamed about trucks, he painted big trucks. When he wasn't painting trucks he'd find things on the ground to put in gutted TV sets to make shadow box art. Certainly an interesting guy!

Happy in the Ghetto

This post is random, but I still have pictures from our trip. I've got to post them sometime.

We were in Chicago. We were staying with a guy named Sam. He was Daddy's roommate in college, his best man in our wedding and a friend of mine to. He's a trucker and has crazy hours 2-2. Most of our trip we didn't get to see Sam. One of our last days in Chicago Sam was off of work and got to go site seeing with us. I let him pick where he wanted to go. He wanted to see the Science and Industry Museum. Our whole way there the boys kept saying, "SAM, SAM, SAM!" until he'd answer them. They also fought over who was going to sit with him on the bus and subway.  They were very happy to have Sam with us that day!

Somehow on our venture we ended up in a not so hot part of Chicago. Sam was freaking out a little. He never takes the bus or subway anywhere. The boys weren't freaking out! They were as happy as can be! We had to wait and wait on a bus to come and get us. The building we stood at had chipped paint, but it said it was a monument. A very unkept monument! Graffiti and trash were all over.

Look at how happy the boys are! :) I wish they were this way all the time!

 Here are the boys with "SAM, SAM, SAM!"

Here we are as a family.

Daddy thought this was a cool shot. We're artists, what can I say?!

This sign cracked me up! I didn't know if I was looking at a sign that was racist or if it really was just odd! My guess, just odd. The whole area was odd.

WW: Art in Chicago {Linky}

There was a  lot of sweet art that we saw in Chicago. I'm only going to show you a small fraction of what we saw, which is still a lot!

Mica loved looking at Roy Lichtenstein's work!

Did you know he created sculptures? I didn't. I've had so many art history classes; I had no clue he created sculptures.

Almost everything he does is painted in dots. 

I'm not sure who created this piece, but it's flipping HUGE! It's in the interence to the Chicago Art Institute Museum.

This is my favorite sculpture we saw by Jean Dubuffet. I always liked his work, but never saw it in person.

 Now you get to look inside the sculpture.

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WW: Circus {Linky}

These images crack me up!

Daddy and Mica

 Mica and Isaak. I didn't even realize that Isaak's hand was over the clown's mouth.

 I always wanted a girl. Really I'm happy with my boys!

 Isaak got some lovely tattoos.

 A mini circus.

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Transportation

At the Museum of Science and Industry Museum in Chicago we got to see a lot of different types of transportation. The boys were in heaven there. It's crazy how much is there!

Submarine

We didn't get to go inside, but they did have a station of what it looks like inside. Mica didn't want to leave this station.

Train

They had a model train set up of Chicago.

Flight

Isaak and Mommy.

A Flight Simulator.

Ships