And they pulled it off...whew!

Tonight was the Kindergarten PTA program. Exciting, yes. Nerve racking, YES!! We have been practicing (the whole kindergarten...all 135 kids) since last week. After 7 practices, it wasn't any better than the first, sigh. Kids would say their speaking parts, then sing a song, then ALL the kids would start talking to each other, kids would say their parts (you couldn't hear them due to the talking), they would sing, talking would resume...this goes on for 7 songs. I think Dr. Rigby (music teacher) was going to pop a vein in his head from yelling "WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!" "QUIT TALKING!!" 'BOYS AND GIRLS...SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!" (Yes I know you shouldn't say shut up, but being polite and using kind words doesn't work with these street smart kids)

Tonight we were all holding our breaths. The kids arrived in our classrooms at 5:30 and they were WILD. You would have thought they haven't seen each other in 50 years when it had only been 3 hours since school got out. But they were all dressed up and looked so good. Here is most of my class. I had 22 out of 27 show up ( the most out of all 5 classes! Yes!). I took a picture and my camera died so these are from my phone. A few more showed up after I took this.

Yes, Camren is in a zoot suit and completely in a striking a GQ pose.

Now getting all the kids on stage and quietly was a challenge. I swear they are the most talkative group of kids EVER...maybe it is because they don't get much social interaction outside of school/daycare or maybe they have no self control or who knows but the silence of my apartment everyday is welcoming! We finally got them quiet and the curtains opened...I think they were a bit shocked with all the people. Oh can I brag that this was the biggest turn out to a PTA program this year?!?!?! There were only a few problems with a few kids wanting to play while on stage but overall the program was GREAT!! I went out and stood in the audience for awhile to watch. I was proud!

It's blurry but it was the best I could get with the kids moving and people walking in front of me.

After we went back to the room and gave out diplomas. Now I am on the count down... 7 more school days left!!!

Natural Science Museum Field Trip

At the end of April, the Kindergarten classes embarked on another field trip...now we had 4 planned but only went on 2. Sketchy. We were supposed to go to the zoo at the end of this month but we were told by our principal that we couldn't because of dates and buses, blah, blah, blah. Excuses. Whatever, I'm over it. After the Science Museum, I really don't think I would have wanted to go to the zoo anyways...27 wild kids with 2 adults and no parent volunteers. I would probably end up leaving a few there. I feel like I work in a zoo on some days - it just smells better, sometimes!

The science museum was really cool. I want to go back when there aren't 3 other elementary schools, a couple of middle schools and some high school kids there. It was like a zoo that day and those stinkin middle school and high school kids kept getting in front of my little guys and they couldn't see the exhibits. RUDE. I'll be honest, I was ready to go and have a nap less than 30 minutes after we got there! It was so exhausting trying to keep up with all of them with all those other people there. But I had a great idea...we made a train. I made everyone put there hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them and told them they couldn't break the train ... it worked! Also it made it easy to mow people down with a train of 25 kids!

They have a cool aquarium area with all the wildlife that is native to Mississippi. They also had a 2 headed snake! Gross but cool. They didn't have other living wild life, but they had fossils and stuffed animals and an awesome nature trail. I don't think some of the kids had ever been in "nature" like that before. We also had a class photo taken with Smokey the Bear - sweet! After we spent about 2 1/2 hours in the museum we had lunch under the pavilion and then played a rousing game of duck, duck, goose. Good times, good times. After lunch we hopped on the bus and went downtown to the art museum to the free exhibit and had a look around. All the schools in Jackson Public Schools had to do an exhibit for the Ask for More Arts program. It was really cool to see all the different things that were done. Then we headed back to school just in time to miss the horrid weather that was passing through. The power even went off at school! Luckily it was only off for 10 minutes and came on just in time for dismissal! Here are some pictures of our field trip... ENJOY!!!
We are so excited...Aidan and Jayda LOVE field trips!!!
Brandon doesn't look as excited as Richard and Camden but he really is.
Zyria, Kira and Lewis are ready to go!
Lanyia, Braylan and I waiting for the bus to head out.
Dead giant sea turtle from the dinosaur days
Creepy... two headed snake found in Mississippi ... and it's still alive!
Choo! Choo!
The Pearl River fish tank was a BIG hit!
Oh! Look at that one, up close and personal.
Posing with the frog
Ribbit! Ribbit!
Could it be the frog prince?
Lazy Gator, hanging out in the afternoon sun
Smokey the Bear says "Only YOU can prevent forest fires"
Staring contest...I won, the bear had no chance.
Duck, Duck (Richard in the stinky pot - that is what they call the middle when you get caught)
GOOSE!!
Run, Nadeia, Run!
Heading home... 3 minutes later they were all zonked out
Three little boys up to no good.

Twisted Turtles

I was blog surfing awhile back and I found this site and they had made turtles. Now I love turtles...the caramel, the chocolate, the pecans...mmmmmmm
Well this person made them with pretzels. Interesting. Well I decided to try them and give them the name of Twisted Turtles. I decided to only make 24, just in case there didn't come out as good as they looked on that blog I found....ummm, I should have made more! Is it bad that I only have 9 left and I am the only one home?
Getting ready for the oven

Up close and personal
TaDa! The finished product
Salty and Sweet...it has to be good!
Ooey, Gooey! Look at that hot caramel!
Taste Testing
Finger Lickin Good!

Success! I think I am going to make these for Christmas! Easy and Delicious and I am going to drizzle melted white chocolate on top so they look fancy!

Extra! Extra! Class Photo is finally in!

My first class photo...now noone can deny that I was their teacher now that it has been recorded on film.

So, here are all my little munchkins...minus two - Faith and Lewis were absent on picture day!

Front row: Jayda, Aidan, Abbie, Jaqualun, Jalynn, Camren, Brandon, Richard
Middle row: Alexis, Destiny, Kira, Camden, Laniya, Xavien, Avarius, Tomiyia
Back row: Troyce, Chaquarian, India, Zyria, Nadeia, Braylan, Damorious, Antonio
and Ms. Pate and I!

If you can't pronounce some of the names, don't worry, it took me a couple of weeks to get them all right!

I have a really big class, 27 in all. I personally feel this is too many, especially when Ms. Pate is out. But somehow they have all learned something this year. Maybe I am an ok teacher. I am anxiously counting down the days until they are off for summer break - 16 more school days to go! We get out on Memorial Day, thanks to the stinkin snow day we had back in February. Oh well.

Great now I am paranoid and can't sleep

So I had the first heart pounding, terrifying grown up moment just a few minutes ago. I walked into my kitchen to put my glass in the sink when I was walking out I noticed this little brown fuzzy thing under my table. EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!
I froze. I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. I just stood there in the kitchen. I didn't even scream - I don't think I could due to temporary paralysis. But a thousand things flew through my brain on how exactly I was going to handle this situation. When I could finally move again (about 3 minutes later) I very very quickly ran by the fireplace and grabbed my sleeping cat and threw her over by the table. She just looked at me like I was nuts and walked into the kitchen. I proceeded to jump on my couch and tremble. I called Leanne for telephone support and for advice from her husband Branson who used to be an exterminator. He said to get a broom... well I don't have one because I vacuum my floors. However, tomorrow I will be purchasing one. Now about 5 plus minutes had passed since the first sighting of my unwanted intruder and it still hadn't moved. I thought maybe my cat had done her job - thinking back I did hear her playing in the bathroom but none of her toys are in there, maybe she was defending our home. Way to go Bayou!
I decided to go across the hall and first introduce myself to my new neighbor and see if he had a broom. Well, he didn't. So I walked down to Adrienne's apartment to ask him. Adrienne came to my rescue! He came down with his broom and a trap in case it was still alive. Adrienne said it look injured so he swept it up. It only moved it's head so Bayou did her job! He nicely disposed of the mouse for me. Thank you Adrienne!!!!
Now, I am paranoid. I keep looking over my shoulder for anymore intruders. The upside of this is I have inspected my apartment and have not seen any mouse droppings so I don't think the little thing was here for long. There aren't any holes around my pipes so that is not an option for entry. Possibly the vent in the kitchen or bathroom that is connected to the up and downstairs and next door neighbors apartments. The vents are old and are not functioning - they are just holes in the wall with decorative (yet original) plates on them. I will be covering them with something tomorrow. So now I am going to try and go to bed and get some sleep since it is almost 11pm. Hopefully you will never have to hear of anything like this again.

Introducing...

Wilson Penn Kaigler

Wilson is the newest addition to the Kaigler family! Krissy, James and Streett are loving their new arrival! He was born on Thursday, March 11 and weighed in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and 19 inches long. When he was born, his big brother Streett announced to everyone at the hospital "My brother is here! My brother is here!" So cute!

Spring Fever

I have a BAD case of it!

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL since Friday...cool (or kinda cold) mornings, but it is in the high 60s the rest of the day. This week it is supposed to get up to the low 70s....ahhhhh spring has sprung. As I said a few sentences ago, I have a bad case of spring fever. Ugh. NOT a good thing. I just want to sit out in the sun on a blanket and read all day. I must concentrate for one more week then I can do just that the whole next week for spring break. I have so much going on this week. I don't want to divulge too much because I might jinx something. But I am going to need some prayers Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Nothing bad is happening...hopefully something great! I will fill yall in later - I promise!

I hope some of yall are having beautiful spring like weather and if you are not, I hope you will have some soon!

It's Fat Tuesday Yall

Down in New Orleans
Where the blues was born
It takes a cool cat
To blow a horn
On LaSalle and Rampart Street
The combo's there with a mambo beat

The Mardi Gras, mambo, mambo, mambo
Party Gras, pambo, mambo, mambo
Mardi Gras, mambo-ooh
Down in New Orleans

Oh yes ladies and gentlemen...Fat Tuesday has rolled around for another year. It's time to wear the purple, green and gold!!!! Unfortunately I will not be in New Orleans to partake of the festivities....sigh. Now, I love holidays, and Christmas is my favorite hands down, but coming up for a close second is Mardi Gras!!! I think it is even better that when my #1 holiday ends on January 6th (aka little Christmas), my #2 holiday begins at midnight of January 7th...how great is it that my holiday celebration doesn't have to end? Now many of you may be wondering why I would pick Mardi Gras as my #2 holiday. Don't judge :) I know it has all these drunkin, naked rumors (well their not really rumors, they are truths) but that only takes part in the French Quarter and mostly on Bourbon Street and when I think Mardi Gras, I do not think there.

Now, I have attended Mardi Gras for as long as I remember, so I am pretty sure my whole entire life...well except for the last few years while I was off at school - however I did celebrate with KNEWBS and we had mask, king cake, and beads! Anyways, Mardi Gras is just a fun time of year. There are parades, balls (where you get to dress up like a princess), parties, KING CAKE (which by the way I have had NONE this year - ugh - I am really wanting one from Randazoo's), great music, and at the parades you jump up and down screaming "THROW ME SOMETHIN' MISTER!!!!"....really it's kinda silly to do this over some plastic beads and cups and an occasional moon pie. But boy oh boy is it FUN!!!!!!!! We have a local Mardi Gras parade at home - Nerieds. But I really like to go into New Orleans to watch Bacchus, Endymion, Orpheus, and Rex (the King of Mardi Gras). Now the parades really start rolling the weekend before Mardi Gras weekend (last weekend) and this past Friday through today (Fat Tuesday) is called Mardi Gras weekend.

All this writing has me ready to get my hanky out for a second line, drive on down to the Big Easy, get some Popeye's fried chicken and watch the floats roll by. Maybe I should call in sick today. hmmm it's a thought!

I once read that Mardi Gras is not something you can vicariously live through someone else...it is something you must experience for yourself. (I agree)
If you ever want to experience Mardi Gras, you know who to call. I am going to apply for teaching jobs in the New Orleans area so you will have a place to stay! (if I get a job there.... bonus with a teaching job in that area....a week off for Mardi Gras!) Oh and when I do Mardi Gras it is completely family friendly


So in the words of Al Johnson...

All because it's Carnival Time, oooooohhh, it's Carnival Time....!

Oh Well it's Carnival Time and, everybody's having Fun

Right Now, it's Carnival Time, oooooohhh, Carnival Time....!

Oh Well it's Carnival Time and, everybody's having Fun

Trying to catch the prized beads!!
a Mardi Gras Duke


2010 King of Mardi Rex (Right) meets the King of Zulu (left) - their meeting is a Mardi Gras tradition. The meet on Monday (Lundi Gras) to officially begin Mardi Gras (not that we haven't been celebrating for a over a month now)

Throw your hands up and yell THROW ME SOMETHIN MISTER!

For the guy that had the "Colts ... dat who" bumper sticker

As yall know, I am a Saints fan. It took them 43 years to make it to the super bowl and boy oh boy was it a great game. I really thought I was going to have heart failure in the first quarter...at one point I told Leanne, we are going to have to get out our paper bags. (For those who don't know...for years - 42 to be exact- the Saints haven't been the greatest team and their fans, faithful as they are, would wear paper bags over their heads to the games). However, the Saints play two ways...one they start off strong and lose it after the half or in the 4th quarter ... two the start off slow and finish strong. This was a finish strong kind of game. The game in itself was a great one. Both teams played strong and pretty clean (there were only a few flags thrown and most of them were for false starts-I would be a little anxious too if I were playing in the super bowl). Many thought the Colts would take the game and run. However, they forgot was a strong quarterback Drew Brees is. He lead his team to victory. However we must not forget how Peyton messed up and allowed our defense to become the offense and grab an interception to seal the deal and the victory.
When this happened, everyone at the super bowl party I was attending jumped up, screamed, laughed and hugged - it was the greatest moment!

It is amazing how one team has brought together a city and given them hope again. So way to go Sean Peyton for being a great coach, Drew Brees for having a great and accurate arm, Reggie Bush for being able to catch, Hartley for your kicking leg, Tracy Porter for making the interception and the rest of the team for doing your job! Oh you know how people say Brad Pitt should run for mayor in this election (see Voodoo post), well now they want Brees to...I'd vote for him. So Who Dat! Let's do it again next year!!!!
Leanne and I showing our excitement when the Saints won!!!
PS...
I can't forget to mention the commercials. I say Doritos wins hands down for the best commercials this year. Bud light dropped the ball this year with theirs. But Snickers gets 10 gold stars for having Betty White get tackled... ok I love BW but that was hilarious...hmmm...I should find that commercial and post it.

Cooking up a Storm

Over Christmas my mom and I had some serious bonding time... we shopped, vegged out, and cooked. She and I both love to cook and sometimes it is a battle of the chefs when we are in the kitchen together. On this particular day, we decided to make homemade french onion soup and a fig and date roll. I made the soup and my mom made the roll. Here we go....the onions
the soup
the crusty buttery bread for the soup that takes 30 minutes to bake
finished product
ready for the oven
roll it
rolling some more
perfection!

Wild Rumpus at the Feeding Frenzy

Christmas morning is usually a ton of fun. This year Jen wasn't there because she is now a nurse and had to work :( In my family we all do our individual family things at our own houses and then everyone comes to my mom's house around 10:00am for brunch and exchanging gifts. Now in order to feed everyone (usually 25 or more people ) my mom and I start cooking strada on Christmas Eve. It is a 4 hour process to make it. Since I has started helping my mom, I have learned that I really don't like strada. Maybe it is because I have to crack, beat and scramble 15 or more dozen eggs. But everyone else loves it so we do it. Once everyone shows up, we visit, relax and then the feeding frenzy begins....
Bayou's first Christmas...she is hoping some of these are for her!
Jayden enjoying some hot chocolate... I love this kid!
Nana and her 3 great grand sons!
Olivia, Jayden and Sofia claim a spot on a sofa.
Hanging out in my mom's art studio
Cousins chatting in the kitchen
Silly boys
It is a race to get in line for food....I just stand back and watch
Now that Bryce is a teenager, we almost have to make his a pan of his own! Seriously the kid eats three plates heaping full and he is still a twig.
Who needs a chair when you are eating strada???
We should invest in more seats...nah
Street spilled hot chocolate all down his cute white santa shirt...but being shirtless did not keep him from enjoying the festivities!
Everyone enjoying their gifts

Even big kids like to play with legos

Cousin love - Anna, Sofia (who are 15 and 13 and both taller than me, not that that isn't a hard thing to do), me, Bryce and Smage (Adrienne)
Shortie, Smage and me
Little cousin love