False Alarm

Wow.

I could have been on Punk'd or Candid Camera today.

While the kids were quietly starting a new writing prompt this afternoon ... the room started to shake.

At first it started out real quite.

But got louder and louder.

When I looked up towards our ceiling, I noticed our hanging lights and fans were vibrating & shaking.

I was sitting on the ground at the time, and the ground seemed to shake as well.

I'm not gonna lie ...

... my heart started racing.

I thought, "Oh man ... WE'RE HAVING AN EARTHQUAKE ... and I really don't want the kids to freak out!"

All the training scenarios flashed through my mind: get the kids safe, get them under their desk, get away from windows, do a head-count, call the office, etc.

But as my ears perked, I noticed that no other students in neighboring classrooms where loud.

In fact, my students were deathly quite.

Eyes bulging.

Looking at me.

Wondering what to do.

Most of them had a look of panic on their faces.

Some of them were already under their desks.

I went next door to our neighboring 1st grade classroom.

Everyone was sitting quietly doing there work.

Then ... I noticed that their classroom wasn't shaking as bad.

I said, "I think we're having an earth quake."

One of the boys immediately started crying and shouted, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Oops.

I returned to my classroom while mouthing the word "sorry" to Ms. Phan and came back to a classroom of 21 ducking-and-covering students.

Ah ... so proud.

Everyone doing what they should.

Then it his me ... if we were having an earth quake, someone would have come over the intercom already announcing it.

I had the sneaking suspicion to call the 6th grade classroom directly upstairs from us to see if any funny business had been going on.

Student: Mrs. L's room, student speaking.

Me: May I please talk to Mrs. L?

Student: One moment please. (so polite and well trained!)

Mrs. L: Hello

Me: Hey, it's Lisa. Are you guys doing anything loud of up there?

Mrs. L: (pause). No. Why?

Me: Because my classroom was shaking a few minutes ago. Did you feel that earth quake?

Mrs. L: (confused) No. Well ... we were just doing math and the kids were getting squirmy so I had everyone do 50 jumping jacks!?!

Me: (pause) Ah .... well ... will you warn me next time? I have 21 kids ducking-and-covering and a kid in Ms. Phan's class in tears.

Mrs. L: (laughing) Oops ... sorry!

Morals of the story

• Don't announce your inner thoughts to 7 year-olds when they involve large natural disasters
• Always call upstairs first before suspecting anything fishy going on

Lessons learned, my friends.

Lessons learned.

Oh ... How I've Missed You!

Our girl is back!!

I really want to know how she actually puts the peanut in her mouth without eating it!

Hmm ... guess my train of thought explains why I'm doing Weight Watchers. :)

Click HERE to view the video titled "Fooling The Toothfairy" (her mom no longer allows other people to post her videos, so you need to go to her actual website).

I'm just totally in love with this girl.

I'm ...

... so easy to please.

My friend Carolyn went to Germany over Mid-Winter Break.

Look what she surprised me with this morning!
A German TWILIGHT bookmark!!!!

Translation: TEMPTATION

I gave her a HUGE hug and said, "There is no greater gift for me than this!"

And I meant it.

Thanks girlfriend!

Random Fact #6

When I cook with cumin .... I smell my fingers all night long.

Yummy.

Griffey

He's baaaaaack!

And I can't wait for the season to start!

This is gonna be good!

Box O' Meat

Apparently when you buy tires from Les Schwab in the month of February ... you get a Box o' Meat.

Gross.

Jay came over to my house today with new tires on his jeep and a HUGE smile across his face.

"Babe, I got a box of meat!"

Sick!

Most of you know that I used to be a vegetarian. I only eat it now for proper protein, but am extremely picky and would rather not eat it at all. I just don't feel right about eating animals.

The meat he got was NOT real meat.

Les Schwab ... this is NOT meat.

Visual reference:
Contents:

• Beef Sticks
• Beef Summer Sausage (2)
• Beef Jerky
• A jar of Wild Country BBQ Sauce
• A jar of Wild Country Deli Mustard

I am beyond disgusted.

This box can be yours too ... for the small price of 4 new tires!

And Now ...

... I'm back to the same background and only changed some font colors.

Maybe I'll deviate from the norm on another day.

Until then ... I'm happy with the usual.

Bare With Me

Under construction while I create a new background.

My Own Sort Of Tropical

I'm on Mid-Winter Break this week and have NOTHING planned.

At first I thought I'd love the week of nothingness ... but I keep imagining everyone on their vacations in tropical locations.

It's all good. I'll get my turn.

I have spent the last 72 hours with my days revolving around Cooper's bowel movements.

That's right.

My dog has diarrhea.

Jay and I came home on Saturday night to a house consumed with the smell of feces.

I knew the second I opened the door to the house that I was in for a long night.

When we left the house, Cooper was totally fine.

When we came home 4 hours later ...

Poop.

Poop all over my bedroom carpets.

Cream-colored carpets.

So I've spent the last 3 days cleaning, disinfecting, sleeping in the guest room, carpet cleaning, airing-out, sanitizing, getting up ever 3 hours in the night to let Cooper out to poop, and staying home with my dog.

Jay and I have been taking turns running errands so someone is always home with Cooper.

For my special outings I've grocery shopped, gone to the bank, got an allergy shot, and gassed up my car.

I'm really livin' it up this week y'all!

Now who's jealous?

You tropically vacationing, snorkeling, suntanning, swimming friends!

Random Tidbits Of Me

My brother's girlfriend (and my friend) Erica tagged me in an extremely long questionnaire. It's Mid-Winter Break ... so why not sit down and do it? Here we go ....

48 Things About Me

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
When I was born, I was supposed to be named Michelle. I was only 5 pounds when I was born & my mom thought Michelle was too long of a name for such a little girl ... so they named me Lisa. MacMillan (my middle name) is my mom's middle name, my grandpa's middle name and my great-grandmother's maiden name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Yesterday ... Jay and I saw Defiance.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes ... depending on the pen I'm using.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey I guess ... I don't eat meat very often.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Not yet

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes. I like me. :)

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Yes

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Probably

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Kellogg's Raisin Bran & Cheerios

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Tricky question. Ice Cream is my downfall. Chocolate Chip Mint, Cookie Dough, Espresso Chip, Cookie & Cream ...

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their teeth

15. RED OR PINK...
Either

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Right now ... how out of shape I am. But I'm doing something about it!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
The kids & people I met in Africa.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Only if they have time (I understand this is a rhetorical answer)

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
White/Pink/Purple PJ pants, brown UGGS.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW
A President's Day Special on the History Channel. Learning about Abraham Lincoln right now.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Orange. My favorite color: BRIGHT and HAPPY

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Downy

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Rian. It was fun to see you and Grady last night!

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH
Basketball. GO SONICS! Oh wait ...

27. HAIR COLOR?
Brown w/highlights (I'm excited for Marisa to answer this question - she's my friend with the coolest hair!)

28. EYE COLOR?
Brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Sushi, sushi, sushi

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I liked both ... until I saw THE STRANGERS and threw up in the movie theater.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Defiance

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
A Yellow Bay Hay & Feed t-shirt ... my favorite.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Both

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Both

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Not sure yet ...

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Not sure

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Twilight Series. 1/2way through book #3 right now.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
No mouse pad - laptop

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
No TV last night ... hanging out with friends.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Children's laughter

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Neither ... but Beatles if I had to pick.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
South Africa

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can play the clarinet

46 WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Bellevue, WA

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Everyone

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
Work

Okay ... I'm tagging Rian, Shawna, Marisa, Diane, Suzi and Eve

A Bit Behind

I'm gonna go ahead and let y'all know something.

It's February 11th ...

.. and my Christmas decorations are still up.

And now that I'm coming clean ...

... allow me to also announce that I have no intention of taking them down before Valentine's Day.

I wasn't really embarrassed by this until yesterday when I tutored at my house. The mom walked in with her daughter and said, "Your Christmas decorations are still up."

It wasn't a question, but a statement really.

And all I could really say was, "Yep."

Awkward silence.

Oh well.

As a side note: in our Homeowners mailing this month, our president reminded us to take down all Christmas decorations. I'm happy to reports she WAS NOT talking about me. All outdoor Christmas decor is DOWN.

It's the inside that's another matter.

I have no explanation for this other then pure laziness.

Merry Christmas ... errr ... I mean "Happy Valentine's Day people!

OCC

I love Overlake Christian Church.

Cardboard Testimonies from Overlake Christian Church on Vimeo.

Seriously ...

Just spreadin' the word.

And keepin' it REAL.

REAL people, REAL love.

300 Voices Tote

Adorable totes for 300 Voices members!

Totally cute bag and genius logo!

Sign up HERE and join the crew.

We're 133 strong today (yes ... we're looking for 167 more)!
"A very generous donor is covering the costs as an expression of support to all the voices that are rising from around the country and providing life-saving clean water to Africa's thirsty." - Jody

Join us!

And as always, keep up to date with more info by checking in with JODY.

I Wish ...

... the 3day Breast Cancer walk wasn't so expensive.

It's on my Bucket List.

I considered doing it this year.

I considered it strongly.

When I saw how much money I'd have to raise ...

... quite frankly ...

I'd rather raise that money and go back to Africa.

Someday.

Someday for both.

Random Fact #5

I can't stand it when people leave the toilet lid up.

Not the seat (which is super gross too) but the LID.

I can't stand walking by a bathroom and seeing toilet water.

Yah, nothing pleasant about that AT ALL.

Not AT ALL.

I didn't feel this way until I had a dog ... for obvious reasons.

The thought of my dog lapping up toilet water makes me gag.

Vampire Love

My girlfriend gave this to me this morning.

She found it and brought it to work.

I love you Suzi!

(click photo to enlarge)

Coincidentally ... I also love Edward Cullen.

Pottery Barn // Diederichs Barn

Warning: This post is oozing with sarcasm.

While eating my lunch today, I looked through the Pottery Barn catalog.

And I kept thinking, "Who lives like this? WHO?"

So since I'm home sick today, I thought I'd entertain myself by finding pictures on the Pottery Barn website, then taking similar pictures from my house.

I call this a recipe for entertainment!

Stupid PB outdoor furniture ...

Or this amazing furniture?!?

Lame PB dining room table ...

Or cheap IKEA dining room table!?!

WAY ugly PB desk all organized and boring ...

Organizational genius ala Diederichs!?!

Stupid clean living room with drab natural light and (dumb) windows ...

AWESOME hand-me-down couch w/cushions complete with worn-in look (and dog toy on floor ... next to more couch pillows on floor)!?!

Cheap PB entryway table ...

Cheaper entryway table with complimentary Christmas decorations still up?!?

Chaotic Zen-like bathroom ...

Well-loved bathroom with toothpaste smudges on mirror and cough syrup ready for next use!?!

Spring-like happy bedroom ...

Super cozy bed with Kleenexes and laptop at the ready!?!
You be the judge ... but I'm thinking my house is pretty great.

WAY better then Pottery Barn.

Right?!?

Lazy? Or Efficient!

I'm home again today.

I just went downstairs to eat some cereal ...

... and grabbed everything I'll need for the entire day to bring back upstairs with me.

I'm not sure if I'm super lazy ... or just efficient.

I grabbed everything in one load.

See if you're impressed (I was).

Here is a list of everything I lugged up the stairs at one time

• cell phone
• pencil
• calculator
• Breaking Dawn (Twilight!)
• 1/2 an orange, cut up in a Ziplock bag
• wallet
• pad of paper
• a Subway cup full of ice water
• water bottle full of water
• coffee cup full of coffee

Impressed?

And thus ends yet another profound post. I'm so deep.

Inclusion

Ready for a warm heart and inspiration ...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A Day In Pictures

Apparently I inherited my mom's pain tolerance.

I've been suffering from sinus pressure, a stuffy nose, lack of energy, and sneezing for over 2 weeks.

It gets worse, it gets better, it goes away. It gets worse, it gets better, it goes away.

You get the picture.

Yesterday I woke up in actual pain. I tried to use my neti pot before work and not ONE drop of water went through my sinuses.

Coincidentally, yesterday was also the day I finally called my doctor.

Here are some comments she made about my health:

• "Your ears are NOT happy"
• "UGH" face while looking in my throat
• "Oh wow" while looking up my nose
• "Aren't you in pain?"

Hmmm ... I asked, "Am I sick?"

She said, "Um yah, you're sick. You need to stay home for the rest of the week. You are VERY contagious right now."

Oops.

So anyway, I stayed home today and I'm really glad I did. I fell asleep last night without brushing/flossing or washing my face. And I've been out of it all day. Super dizzy. Super stuffy. Super tummy-achey.

And since I don't have anything fun to blog about, I took pictures of the sick ward for you.

My room.

My night stand. COVERED with germ-filled Kleenexes and a Subway cup full of water. You can't even see my alarm clock because it's covered with Kleenexes and the current Twilight book ...

My bed. I was surrounded with everything important today: my computer, the remote control, Kleenexes, water, Twilight ...
I'll be home again tomorrow.

I'm sure I'll have another super profound post to write like this one.

Blogless

Much like this post, there is no meaning behind this picture.
I'm only trying to stick to the randomness theme.

Warning: Totally random post with no flow. I literally interrupt myself like 3 times. This is NOT my best literary work.

I've been kinda blogless lately.

I've been battling a sinus infection one-&-off for 2 weeks now.

It DRAINS my energy and makes it very difficult to breath, taste, hear or smell.

Which (by the way) sounds like an excellent recipe for weight loss!

Don't cha think?!?

(and did I mention teach & stay energized for 21 6-year-olds all day?).

On a related topic ... I decided to stop fighting with my weight and joined Weight Watchers. I'm in my 3rd full week right now.

As of my last weigh-in (last Saturday) I've lost (almost) 8 pounds!

Go me!

Okay ... back to the sinus gunk.

This morning when I was using my neti pot ... I got about 10 drips of water through my sinuses before I gave up.

Today while I was eating my lunch (which I couldn't taste), I TOTALLY choked on a piece of broccoli.

See ... that's what happens when you have to talk, chew, swallow and breath all at the same time.

All of this to say ... I made an appointment at the doctor's office today.

I'm thinking my plan is gonna be:

• Walk in
• Try to avoid the dreaded "I'm just gonna have you jump on the scale real quick to get your weight" situation
• Let her jam that light/microscope thingy up my nose
• Ask for drugs
• Leave

Sounds perfect to me!

Can't wait to breath again!

Chat soon!

P.S. Yes ... I'm still obsessively reading the Twilight series. On book #3 right now!
P.S.S. Yes ... still in love with Edward. Jay doesn't stand a chance!

The Princess Project

I'm all about spreading the word on companies making a difference.

International Princess Project Vision: Restore hope and dignity to women formerly enslaved to prostitution.

International Princess Project Mission: Establish self-sustaining enterprises in partnership with indigenous organizations that provide for physical, emotional and spiritual needs of women formerly enslaved to prostitution; AND advocate for women enslaved in prostitution around the world.


They sell adorably beautiful pajamas.

And they are made at a rehabilitation facility for women formerly enslaved in prostitution in India.

My friend has a pair ... and loves them.

Loves them because they are beautiful.

Loves them because they help make a difference.

A DIFFERENCE.

Dignity.

Freedom.

Self-Worth.



Check them out HERE.