As many of you know Gregg is now the cohost on the afternon drive show on 105.3 The Fan.  He is very excited as this was very unexpected.  Mr. Big B called Gregg and the next thing you know(within hours) he had a job.  I had been interviewing all spring to get back into teaching and while we were on vacation Gregg gets a call out of the blue(you got to be kidding me) and get’s a job while I just got a call saying I was not the #1 of the 2 they had narrowed it down to.  I am so sorry to that principal that called me to tell me I didn’t get the job cuz I just said ok and hung up since I had learned 15 minutes before that that Gregg had gotten the surprise gig in Dallas.  Hired by CBS, Really, so much for those burned bridges that a certain old GM started on fire. 

Then less than a week later I got the call for my gig.  I so badly wanted to get back into teaching that I jumped at it.  I LOVE my new school and am having a blast teaching again.  You get a totally new perspective once you have kids of your own. 

We have hired Chris, Gregg’s brother, to run the Jungle Java.  It is doing so well.  We are actually growing faster than our expectations which is nice.  I know I have said this before but I can’t believe how much money people spend on a birthday party.  I figured that once I threw a party at our home, with all the cleanup and food and stuff I probably spent about $200.  So I base that as the norm price for a party.  However I would say the average price of a party is about $250 and we can do 16 parties a day on a Saturday and 12 on Sunday.  We get wicked busy on the weekends.  (:  Next weekend we have our biggest party yet.  They are closing out the place for 3 hours and I believe their tab, with all the food, drinks and extras,  will be around $1,100.  We have had a lot of $500 parties but this is our first $1,000+ party.  What recession?

The boys are doing great at school.  Cooper can write his name and is getting better at it every day.  He loves his preschool in Cactus.  Noah is doing well too.  He is in the math pentathalon club and the Math Superstars Club.  He has always done so well with the spelling and reading(doing so at a 3rd grade level now) that I thought since I was a math teacher I should get him involved in math activities.  I don’t know how to extend the learning much more in reading, but could lend a hand in math.  I have been freakishly surprised at his skills.  The freaky thing is he knows how to do these tough problems without giving it much thought   Of course I thought he was just guessing the answers so I had him break it down and tried using some higher level thinking skills and he knocked it out.  I swear the group is going to think I gave him the answers.  One question was that he had to buy two things that equaled exactly .33 cents and with out much thought he circled the .18 and .15 cent items.  There were 6 things he could have chosen from.  How did he guess these two items?  He’s only in first grade.

G-ma was in town this week and we had a blast.  Yum Yum G-ma.  So sad to see her go tomorrow.  I hope Cooper doesn’t break down at the airport when we drop her off this time.  She is off to Paris and then she will come back to see us again.  Bon Voyage Mon petite.  Returnez-mois, toute-de-suit.

I could go on about my boys.  LOL

Everyone is back in school now.  Noah and Cooper are at Cactus Ranch.  They love it.  Noah is in first grade and Cooper in their pre-school program.  Noah was particularly excited because this is the school that Mrs. St. John teaches at and he just loves her and her 4 boys.  They got to hang all summer so it made the change easier.  Noah has always been easy with change and says he doesn’t miss Teravista.  I’m always so surprised how well he transitions but I guess he gets that from me.  I don’t think Cooper really noticed other than Heathcliff and Preston don’t come over anymore.  LOL

I have started my new job too.  I’m teaching 8th grade and loving it.  We have such an AWESOME staff.  We had a happy hour a week ago and a lot of people came.  We had tons of fun.  Everyone is getting into the school spirit.  We even tailgated at our first high school football game.  Everyone had their pits out and we ate and drank “coffee.”  The boys played football with some of the bigger guys and had a blast.  Unfortunately the lightning delay pushed us from watching the game(boys had to go ot bed) but at least they got to tailgate and see the band.  We’ll try again next week.

Gregg and Chris have been running the Jungle Java.  I’m still surprised at the number of people we get each day that have never been here before.  Next weekend we have birthday palooza.  We have 10 parties Saturday alone.  Guess I am going to have to show my face.

Well I gotta run.  We are closing the Jungle Java early tonight and having a party.  I should get back to prepping and packing up the food to deliver to our party!!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!  Be safe!!

So much has happened since I last posted so I wil try to fill you in.

Mouse has gone over the rainbow.  It was soooo time.  It was said but needed to be done.

We moved off the Path and are on the Bend!  LOL  We moved to the West side of Round Rock and I LOVE our new house.  If you are on my facebook then you probably already know that.  We have a great new house and terrific backyard.  It is perfect for entertaining and as everyone knows that is one thing I love to do.  We have a beautiful pergola and I have a Bouganviella growing through the end trellis.  Perfect for sitting out on a nice warm night(two ceiling fans).  This neighborhood is more mature.  We have huge trees.  So large in fact that we weren’t able to get Direct TV.  We got Uverse instead.  No NFL Ticket so I am a little bummed.

Jungle Java is crazy busy.  It is amazing how much things have changed.  It has been one year now and we are a well oiled machine.  We have art camp at our place all summer.  Mrs. St. John from Cactus Ranch has set up camp at our place and we couldn’t be happier.  The 100 degree heat is also forcing people to come in.  As a result we have had a chance to get away more.

We went to New Braunfels for three days and visited Schlitterbahn Water Park and Natural Caverns Safari Park(watch out for those emus and zebras they are quite aggressive).  We are also going to Dallas to see the Tigers play the Rangers and spending a weekend at Houston to visit NASA and other sites.

We are having one of the best summers ever.  Man oh man I love it here in Texas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you enjoy eating meat do NOT see Food Inc.  Food Inc will do to the meat industry what “Super Size Me” tried to do to McDonalds.  Only it is a lot harder to erase the images you wil see in Food Inc.  I saw a film like this over 20years ago.  I was a Veggie for over 12 years before I was diagnosed with CD 10 years ago then I slowly got back to meat.  Now I am getting Gregg back to the Veggie lifestyle.  They are even making fake meat now without the wheat gluten.  I remember back in the 80’s that it was reported that 1 in 3 chicken pieces in normal grocery stores were infected with Salmonella, hence the need for better contamination procedures and antibacterials.

If you dare to see the film you will know what I mean.  I cn not bear to see it again but I suggest everyone to watch and decide the best choices for yourself.

I still have my views on Lost coming soon.  Suffice it to say I see a lot of biblical references but I do promise I will get to that once things start to slow down.  JJ has been bloody busy and so have I.  I promise to print some thought provoking ideas and would like some great responses.

report back soon.

NIk

Ahh another great recipe from The Gluten Free Vegetarian Kitchen.  We had Mexican stuffed zuchinni.

It’s another beautiful day in Texas.  Man on man I love it here.  The weather rocks and the blue skies don’t suck! I love these 90 degree days and am despising the air conditioning.  Of course I am sure I will love it once the temperature goes above 110!  The only other place that comes close to Austin is Boulder(Denver).  Sure it snows in Boulder but there are 300+ days of sunshine and that includes right after a snow storm.

Tonight is muffins with moms at Noah’s school.  I subbed today for another kindergarten teacher.  They are so cute but I am so cut out for middle school.  I had one little girl cry 3 times.  I can understand that at the beginning of the year but holy cow.  When I mentioned someone had cried in class to Noah he knew exactly who it was.  LOL

I am going to write a whole write up on Lost.  I have a lot of Theories I would like to bounce off you all.  Got the Wings game and Grey’s finale then I can write more.

TTFN

Well I will start with Celebrity Apprentice.  First I must start saying that I vowed to never watch the show a few seasons ago whe Donald  fired someone who did not deserve it.  I started watching again this season only because I love Tom Green and thought Dennis would bring some comic relief.  I was hoping that would balance the fact that I think Dice has absolutely no talent and I hate those River’s women.  Oh and didn’t they just show why I hate them.  Me, Me, Me, Me OOOOOO Alas everyone is out to get me.  I still can’t believe that Joan won.  I think it is a total scam.  It was apparent from the very beginning that Trump was going to keep who he wanted.  A drunk and non existent Rodman made it past the first few rounds of elimintation, enough said.  Trump is a very hands on owner.  He knows exactly what goes on behind the scenes of his business and expects his people know the same.  Sooooooooo, to suggest that Trump did not know that Joan had pissed off the event planner and that was why they quit, quite simply insults my intelligence and doesn’t validate what Annie had said about the lack of support.  Joan had to do the planning on her own because she was not happy with the planner.  Annie had only hours to re-plan the event once she found that the plans she had made went down the drain because Joan is a bitch.  Don’t think that there wasn’t a  whole lot of INSULTING on joan’s part to the event planner.    Love the edit process.  NO professional that Trump hires to do a HUGE show is going to run away from a great gig due to a disagreement on design.  You know there was more.

So in the end for Joan to win is just laughable, but I could the outcome was being set  The whole, “money isn’t everything.” and I’m going to pretend I don’t know the planners quit because of Joan.  Give the viewer who has the intelligence greater than a 1st grader the benefit of the doubt.  ENOUGH!

Cooper had a great 4th birthday.  For those of you who sent a nice greetings we have a thank you card ready to send.  he is such a sweetie poteetie!!!!!  I can’t believe he is growing so quickly.  He still has his chubby cheeks and I love to eat them.

Noah is doing well too.  His birthday is next month and we have lots planned.  G-ma is coming to town in June!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He has planned his party oh so well.  We went to his teacher conferences and got some surprising news.  Noah is reading at a 2nd grade level.  Hey, I’m a math teacher.  I don’t know what to do with a reading child.

Well I have  more to say but have to stop now.

TTFN

Had a very yummy dinner.  So full and happy.

Cooper had his 4th birthday on Sunday and what an event!  Lot’s of love, fun and friends.  Thanks to everyone!!!!!!

Ok so I am going to post more and post some pics but I was watching Better of Ted and I couldn’t stop laughing.  I know it probably won’t be re-upped next year.  It is pretty funny!

I have been pretty lazy regarding this site.  Check back later in the week and I should have some postings.  I might even have some pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had some fun the last week or so.  Ben E Keith our food provider set us up in San Antonio for a food fest.  It was great that it happened on St. Pats. night.  We had lots of fun strolling the river walk and attending the show. 

We also went camping up at Lake Whitney.  Cooper LOVES Smores!  The boys got to try their hand at fishing though we caught nothing.  I even baited a hook and I swear the worm was looking at me as if to say what are you doing!

We had a bad storm last night.  Nothing happened here but I guess there was lots of hail elsewhere.  OUr neighbor is busy repairing the roof out in Cedar Park.

Not much to say other than I have seen Space Buddies a million times now.  Thanks Great grandma.  LOL

ahhh the owner died.  He was such a sweet man when I met him.  Everyone had good things to say about him.