School Pictures 2008

The girls class pictures came back last week. I mailed some out to family. I always end up with tons of wallets left over even though I buy the minimum. Paula looks so much more mature to me in this photo than she does on daily basis. I often look at them and try to envision what they'll look like in their adulthood.


Shawna - Kindergarten

Paula - 2nd Grade

Added and Subtracted Wheels

This was a big weekend for wheels. First off, Shawna learned to ride her bike without training wheels! She's 5.5 yrs old and since we live on top of a hill she doesn't get too much practice biking. Paula was the same way and only ditched the training wheels at age 6 during a camping trip. Todd took the girls down to the nearby school. Paula and her friend were teasing Shawna about her training wheels so Shawna insisted Todd remove them. She took to it immediately.

My Big Girl

In addition, the girls got to learn how to skateboard. Todd was a huge skateboarder as a kid. In fact, he has the same skateboard now as he did in high school. The girls took turns playing on it. Todd would push them up our driveway then they'd ride the hill down towards the house on their own. They also practices turning it around.



Behind Paula to the right you can see how the driveway goes up. Todd pushed them to the sidewalk, then they'd ride down into the garage.


We have carpeting in our garage so the girls practiced in there before venturing out to the concrete.

Fun Fun Fun

Box Tops

If you have children, you know about box tops. Before kids I didn't understand the whole box top concept. I'd get emails from friends telling me to save cereal box tops. I didn't but just the fact that we were supposed to baffled me.
Box Tops are little pink colored squares on certain products that when you turn them in for your school, the school earns 10 cents for each one. Sometimes products have bonus box tops. I get REALLY excited with those. They're on zip lock bags, cereal, yogurt, nighttime pull-ups, crackers and many other products. Some schools earn upwards to $20K a year! That's not the norm and those schools are usually in rural towns where the entire town participants.



At our school the money has been used for the student council. It's their one and only fundraiser. My goal is to use it for them, and the classrooms. I've volunteered to be the new box top coordinator. (thank you for the applause) Currently the 1st grade teacher (who I ADORE) is their leader, but I can get parent hours for doing this AND I'm motivated AND you know she'd rather not be bothered. LOL

So, onward to my newest mission. Bring on the box tops.

Where did you come from?

Paula, who is in 2nd grade, has to do an oral report based on her ancestry. When did her ancestors come to America? Well, heck if I knew! Not only that but she has to bring something in, or wear clothing, that depicts her ancestors and say what traditions do we continue to do today.
She had to pick one parent to interview. She picked me. It's probably a good thing since I know Todd has no clue about even his own grandparents and I'm not sure his parents would be all that helpful as their memory is fading fast.

So I called my mom. Luckily when my brother was in 4th grade he had to do a family tree and she kept the info her mom gaveher. She had my dad email me the info. Check us out! Her side has been here since the mid 1800's. Now, this is just my moms side of the family. The Italian's and Irish. (bad combination if you know any...very feisty together!) I also have to say that I LOVE having a grandpa with the name Romeo. He's past away now but how much more Italian can you get?! There is actually a living Romeo DeMartini. My 2nd cousin who they call Romi (rome-ee). I'm going to focus on the Italian side of things for her report. She's not supposed to bring in food but I'll find her something else that's Italian for show and tell.


My Mom's side of the family (Italian/Irish)
Paula's great, great, great grandparents
Charles Henry Tilton, born at Meredith, N.H. July 16, 1842
Anna Frances Simon Tilton, born in Alsace-Lorraine, April 15, 1848

William Simpson, born in Ireland
Brigid Fallon Simpson, born in Ireland

Pietro Gombia, born in Carrara, Italy, Nov. 10, 1850
Louisa Cassasa Gombia, born in New York, Dec. 24, 1861

Joseph DeMartini, born in Genoa, Italy
Celestine Arata DeMartini, born in Genoa, Italy

Paula's great, great grandparents
Frederick Albert Tilton, born in San Francisco, July 12, 1879
Agnes Simpson Tilton, born in San Francisco, Dec. 23, 1880

Romeo Anthony DeMartini, born in San Francisco, Sept. 18, 1880
Charlotte Gombia DeMartini, born in San Francisco, Oct. 13, 1884

Paula's great grandparents
Romeo Peter DeMartini, born in San Francisco, Aug. 4, 1906
Frances Tilton DeMartini, born in San Francisco, Oct. 17, 1907

Paula's grandparents
Robert Edward Coker, born in Chicago, Ill. May 2, 1939
Joan Frances DeMartini (Coker), born in Sacramento Ca,, May 24, 1943


My dads side of the family (Scottish/English)

I actually have a ton of info on my dads side of the family but this below tidbit wasn't in the genealogy book my grandmother put together. Below isn't as pretty and laid out as the above.

Paula's Great, great great grandfather
Last name Ritchie, sailed from Scotland by way of Ireland in 1773. He landed in Barnwell, SC and was in the War of 1783. He ended up in Mississippi where he met and married. He had something like 10 kids. No lie.

Every other grandparent was born in Mississippi.
This side of the family was very prolific. Everyone had like 8-10 kids. What's odd is my dad is an only child.

I may edit this to update the names and dates from my book which is at home. I'm at work typing this out.

SASSY

I can't think of anything to write so I'm going to show you my new glasses. Aren't they sassy! They're transitional, which means the lenses go from light to dark in the sun. You non-glasses wearing people may not have known that and I didn't want you having to leave, Google the dictionary and then come back and say duh?!

I took this picture at home yesterday after I'd been in the sun. You can see how they're a bit darker in the lens area. This goes away after a few minutes.

I took this picture on Friday at work. The sides of the frames are pink with lots of bling. (totally fake bling btw). And because I purposely bought these to match my pink stuff today at work I AM wearing a pink blouse and black pants. I'm totally accessorized. Yeah baby!

You know you want them too.

Turning Purple

Paula informed me this morning that she can turn her face purple by holding her breath. Yikes! She does it at school apparently. I asked her if anyone taught her this or told her about it. She said no. I explained how it's unsafe and she can pass out and to NEVER hold her breath. EVER.

Geez.

A little W(h)ine

I'm around. Nothing exciting to report. I'd complain but what's the point? Oh hell, it feels better to complain!

I''ve gained a ton of weight lately. I'm out of control. I'm fat! If I'm hungry I eat. A LOT. I don't know why I'm doing this since for a long time now I've been really good with my eating. I HAVE GOT to get back down to a happy size because when a woman does not fit into her clothes she (and no one else) is happy.

My minivan is freaking out. The bloody break isn't talking to the gear shift alerting it that I'm hitting the break and so therefore it should let me take it out of park and into another gear. So I sit there struggling, pushing and re-pushing the stupid break while trying to get into reverse.

At the eye doctors yesterday (which went fine, thanks for asking) I received a call from the school saying Paula was in the office crying and complaining of stomach cramps. I needed to come get her. I was 30 minutes away from her. They said they'd have her lie (or is it lay?) on a cot until I got there. I called Dina who was thankfully at home. She pinched hit for me and picked up Paula. I was at the house waiting. By then Paula was fine but did have a couple #2's (let's not go there). Today she was back in school.

At work we now have to do cash forecasting every week which I HATE. It's stupid. In the Dept I work in cash received is irrelevant to our goal. I've been here 9 years and we've never had to do this until P.M.S (new manager) started on Monday. I'm irritated. Nuff said.

Did I mention I'm fat?