Hurray for...Swine Flu?

Week of: May 3 - May 9
First of all - how did last week turn out?
- It was TAKS testing week so I spent Tuesday and Wednesday practically locked in a room with 20 6th graders while I watched them take the Reading and Math tests. Thursday and Friday were much better since I was not testing all day and I was actually teaching my kids. We've been studying North America for a few weeks and last week we discussed, ironically enough...Mexico! So as part of our curriculum on Thursday and Friday I had my kids do a Swine Flu Statistics Analysis where they examined bits of data about the Swine Flu and related the data to geographical knowledge they've learned throughout the year. Most of them caught onto the fact that although there are (as of last Wednesday when I put this data together) many more cases reported in the United States, a higher percentage of people in Mexico have died from the flu. We discussed different reasons for this: access to healthcare, living conditions, sanitary conditions and accurate laboratory results...among other things. The kids thought it was pretty funny and I was quite proud of how I took advantage of this "epidemic" and turned it into a learning opportunity.
- On Friday afternoon as I walked into the gym, I saw Craig and another coach huddled around a computer. Upon arriving to the desk, I realized they were reading a very important email forwarded from our principal. YES!!! School is canceled for a week due to the dirty little piggy disease that is sweeping through the world! And...we get paid for it and don't have to make up the days. It's like a much deserved second Spring Break! And now when and if we return on May 11th - there will only be four weeks of school left and that includes Review and Finals weeks!!! Sigh. Best. News. Ever.
- Saturday morning, my friend Jennifer from Ft. Worth drove up and stayed the night with us. Jenn and I drove to a little shopping area near my house, but unfortunately our shopping trip got rained out pretty quickly. We headed back to the house and promptly fell asleep while watching The Devil Wears Prada. For dinner that night I made Jennifer's favorite dish of mine - homemade lasagna. We had a really great time sitting, eating, drinking wine and just catching up. Most of the time when we see each other our men are with us and we don't really get a chance to talk in-depth about everything that has been going on in our lives. Craig was not at home during all this - he had taken the day and gone to the horse races with his buddies and then to BWW to watch a basketball game. He came home around 8:00 and turned on the hot tub for us girls to relax in later. After all the storms passed through we were able to get in and talk some more about life...it was really relaxing. This morning we all got up and we treated Jennifer to some Babe's Chicken!! I know that her husband Zach is going to be so jealous - he missed out on lasagna, hot tub and fried chicken all in one weekend. Too bad buddy. :)

I am looking forward to...
- This whole week off!!! Duh!! Craig and I don't have too much planned for the next four days. We're going to go look at Tahoes, Yukons and maybe Escalades (used of course) tomorrow. Craig's tired of driving the leased Hummer and I think if we can get a deal that would make the payments less than what he is paying on his lease right now, we will get him a new car. When we were out looking around today he made a point of saying that I had to like the color too...after all, I would probably end up driving the SUV eventually once we had kids. After I picked up my jaw off the floor, I was much more interested in picking out a possible new ride for our household. Other than that...I think we might do some yardwork. We need to plant some flowers, fill in some areas of the yard where the grass isn't growing, as well as cleaning up the side flowerbed. The people before us really didn't do a very good job of taking care of the yard and it definitely needs some TLC. On Thursday night we are leaving for a weekend away in San Antonio on the River Walk. It was intentionally meant to be a break from the tournament circuit for Craig, but since the Swine Flu forced him to cancel this weekend's tourney...it's just going to be a nice vacation for the two of us. And the best part is that we could cancel our subs for this Friday. That's one more vacation day that I'll have if I need it for Craig's upcoming surgery. Which is also another reason I'm looking forward to this vacation...Craig's surgery will have him on crutches for quite some time. But that's all coming up in the next bit.

I wish I could fast forward through...
- Absolutely nothing for this week. I really want this week to go by as S...L...O...W...L...Y as possible. Who wouldn't?
- BUT unfortunately this week will eventually end and we will start next week which is the week that Craig will have his fourth and hopefully final surgery on his left knee. He definitely is for sure having the microfracture and the recovery will be quite arduous for that procedure. I think that although all surgeries are very unique, I feel like I will be better prepared to take care of Craig with this one. A few things I learned? Sleep when he sleeps. Nobody cares if the house is put together. Accept people's help graciously. Buy two jugs of apple juice.

Right now I'm obsessed with...
- Puppies, puppies, puppies. I absolutely love my parent's dogs Annabelle and Andy. Sometimes I go over to their house because I desperately need some puppy loving...don't tell my parents that they are sometimes second on my list. :) Jennifer brought her doggy Lacey with her this weekend and it felt so nice to have the little pitter patter of a puppy's paws following me around the house. I even found myself talking to her as I moved around and she followed me. Then this morning she and I had the best time playing around on the carpet of our bedroom. Unfortunately, Craig is not on the puppy train like I am. And when I say "puppy" I really mean a dog that is at least two years old. I just call all dogs "puppy"...Gigi was my puppy up until the last day of her 14 year life. Sigh...I just wish I could have her back. Craig would love her because although she was a taller dog she was so calm and loved to just sit and be petted. But she was also fiercely protective and would bark at my brothers when we would roughhouse together. By the way - Gigi was my mutt dog that my family had from when I was nine until she passed away a few years ago. Anyways. Craig said that we have to at least wait until this summer because he won't be able to take care of the dog at all until he is off the crutches. Some people tell us that we have to wait to get a dog until our lives aren't so hectic between all the coaching and stuff. But...if we wait until I'm done coaching to get a dog...that doesn't make much sense. I'm not quitting coaching until we start having kids and I just think it would be a horrible idea to get a baby and a dog at the same time! It makes much more sense to me to get a dog now and ease ourselves into the whole "responsibility" thing. But...whatever. In the end, it's our family and our house and our decision whether or not we feel like we're ready to take care of an animal. So there.

Question of the Week:
- If you could have dinner with any three people (alive or dead) who would it be? Mine would be President Obama, John Lennon and my Grandma. I would have them over and serve them lasagna.