When At The Zoo...

Act Like The Zoo Animals...

Pelicans

Elephants

Monkeys

Sleeping Polar Bears

Licking Giraffes

Giant Walrus

I jumped 5 feet (Penguin)

Geese


Nikki, Ryan, Kari and I headed to the Zoo last night for the Crohn's Walk. Ryan has Crohn's Disease, so we wanted to support him and Nikki. Plus, a free night at the Zoo is always worth the trip.

I Love You

I have...

One Thing
To Say
Three Words
For You...

I LOVE YOU.

These are the lyrics to a popular new song by Plain White T's. It's a catchy little tune that I often find singing to myself. It's a cute little love song of a man telling his woman that he loves her.

Sigh.

Tear.

Bitterness.

Ha, just kidding. I'm not crying. I'm not bitter. I'm not getting close to 30. I'm not sad I'm single and ALONE.

I've never had those three precious words spoken to me from a boy...that is until today. Today was my last day with my students. It's always a bittersweet day. While I'm ready to have some time off from my students, I'm also sad to have to say goodbye. I've gotten pretty good at developing relationships with my students in a short time and then having to say goodbye.

I've been with my last group of kids for three months, and I've learned to really like (most) of them. One boy in particular has been a big goof ball (and a distraction at times), but he always makes the class laugh. I enjoy having him in my class, and he's one student who always has an enthusiastic, "Hi Ms. Nichols," every time he comes into the classroom. For sake of this blog, I'll call him D.

Today, the students had their final exam, and they had to use a scan tron (the bubble answer sheet). There was a spot for their student ID, their name and their telephone number. I told them I didn't need their phone number, but they needed to make sure to fill in their name and ID. As everyone was filling in their bubble, D said, "Hey Ms. Nichols. I put my cell phone number on here. I expect you to call me this summer so we can hang out."

I laughed and thought nothing of it. He's a big goof ball, and I really didn't believe that he had put his number on the test. As they began their test, I roamed through the room making sure everyone was on task. Upon reaching D's desk, I saw that he had in fact put his cell number on the test. He pointed to it, grinned and whispered, "Call me."

Once everyone was done with the test, D then asked me out on a date.
He said, "Ms. Nichols, I want to take you out on a date. I'll take you to Burger King for lunch."
"I don't like Burger King," I replied.
"How about Taco Bell?"
"Well, that's certainly better than Burger King," I said. "And then after our date, you can find me in jail for dating a 16 year old."
"I'm actually 18, Ms. Nichols. So we're ok!"
The entire class was laughing at D (which is what he was going for), and I couldn't help but laugh, too. D meant no harm, and I know him well enough to know he was totally joking.

D then wrote his cell phone on a piece of paper and handed it to me, telling me he expected a call from me this summer. Then he drew a picture of the two of us at a concert. I asked him if I could keep the picture, but he was embarrassed and didn't want me showing people. Once the bell rang and D was leaving, he gave me a high five and shouted as he walked out the door, "I love you Ms. Nichols. See you next year. Thanks for being such a cool teacher. Call me this summer so we can go on our date."

It's funny, but those three little words don't have the same effect coming from the mouth of a 10th grader.

What's That Smell?

Shan posted pictures on her blog of a skunk that we discovered in our back yard the other night. I came running up the stairs to see this smelly creature roaming through the yard looking for food. It didn't smell, and it did no harm while around, but we were none too pleased to see this nasty animal so close. The sight of this creature, which isn't something people see very often, brought back a very painful memory for me.

I was in 7th grade when our dog, Tasha, was sprayed by a skunk. Before any of us realized what had happened, Tasha ran into the house. It was the most horrible, nauseating smell a person can imagine. Within a few short minutes, the entire house smelled like skunk. We washed Tasha several times that night, but nothing would get the smell out. We shut every door in the house, hoping that would keep the stink out, but alas, it did not work.

The next day, I had to go to school, which ended up being the worst moment of my life. I smelled like skunk. Even though I was not the one who had been sprayed, the smell had permeated every pore on my body. As soon as I walked into the school, people started commenting on the smell. "It smells like skunk," someone shouted. I quickly ran to my locker, shoved my stuff in there and continued on to class.

The smell was so obvious that even the teachers were commenting on the smell. It didn't take people very long to realize that it was coming from me. I teared up and couldn't help but sob as the teacher asked me what had happened. I explained to her the problem and asked her if I could go to the gym to changed into my gym clothes.

Even though my gym clothes were sweaty and smelling, they didn't smell like skunk. I went through that day wearing old shorts and a t-shirt, but at least I didn't smell like a rotten animal. Every time I opened my locker that day, the smell would seep into the hall and my classmates would make fun of me. The smell was on everything I owned: my backpack, my coat, my shoes, my books. It was the worst day of my life.

That night when I got home, the entire house still smelled like skunk. I went through my drawers and picked out enough outfits for the entire week. I took my outfits outside and laid them on the picnic table. I figured they were safe from the smell outside, so I left them there over night.

The next morning, I showered and kept the towel wrapped around me. I did my hair and makeup in my towel. I even ate breakfast in my towel. Once I was all ready for school (except for being wrapped in a towel), I went outside and put on my clothes. I refused to go back into the house once I was dressed. This process seemed to work, so for over a week, I dressed outside. The smell was still faint on my hair, but it wasn't as bad as that first day.

Eventually the smell left Tasha and our house. I was finally able to dress inside, but I will NEVER forget that horrible week. It was, by far, the most god-awful week I have ever experienced in my life.

You Know You Have a Problem When...

You open up your closet to choose a pair of pants and you find the exact same pair of pants TWICE! That's right, I have two pairs of the exact same pair of slacks from Gap (same size, color, length). I don't even remember buying one of them. I DO remember buying the other pair, but that second pair is still a mystery to me. I obviously liked them so much I had to buy TWO!

But I must defend myself a tad here. While I do have the same pair of pants twice, I haven't really done any shopping since the end of February. Do you remember how I gave up shopping for Lent? Well, I went the entire 40 days without buying anything (other than groceries), but then I continued to not buy anything long after Lent was over. A few weeks ago I bought a pair of biker shorts (I don't count that as shopping since it's for the MS 150 and highly needed), and I bought two tank tops the other day (they were on sale and I needed them-my old white tank tops were no longer white but rather a dingy grayish color). Before those two shopping trips, however, I went close to 75 days without shopping. I'm so proud of myself.

I'm turning over a new leaf. I really am, and I'm taking this moment to brag about myself a bit. I have gone to the mall a few times in the last 75 days. I have tried on clothes in the past 75 days. I have even walked up to the counter to purchase some clothes in the past 75 days. But then I had a moment of reflection.

"Shiloh, do you REALLY need this shirt?"
"No," I said to myself. "I don't need this shirt." And I put it back on the shelf and walked out of the store. I've done that three times in the past 75 days, and I'm very proud of myself.

I also earned a high five from Jeff the other day. He was so proud of me. I have my 10 year class reunion in two weeks, so I made a hair appointment. I was going to get a nice cut and dye. Then I had another moment of reflection (I'm beginning to hate these moments of reflection because they make me do things I don't want to do).

"Shiloh, can you afford to spend over $100 on your hair when you haven't paid rent in two months? Remember that eviction notice Shan left on your door last week? Maybe the money would be wiser spent paying rent."
"Stupid rent," I said to myself. "I need a good hair color to impress my classmates."
"You also need a roof over your head."

So I just got a haircut and skipped the color. And paid a portion of my rent.

I'm all grown up.

Four Truths and A Lie

Choose from the list below the one statement that is a lie; everything else is true. If you know me super well and already know the answer, save your guess for last so everyone has a chance to play.
********************************************

I am a notary public.

The friend I've known for the longest amount of time is four days younger than me. We used to be mistaken for twins because we were both blue eyed, blond hair beauty's.

I've never cried at work. I find that very unprofessional. I save it for the privacy of my own house.

There was a short period of time in my life when I was scared to death (no pun intended) that I was going to die in my sleep. I would lie awake for hours afraid to shut my eyes.

My very first kiss was when I was 22 years old. I met this guy in Oregon, and we corresponded for years (I was back in NE at this point) until he moved to California to become a model. We kind of lost touch after that. I'm not really looking for the model type, you know.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

One of my all time favorite foods is peanut butter. If it has PB, I will eat it. When I ran across this recipe, I was a little hesitant because I didn't know how well PB and bananas went together. Since I made this bread two weeks ago, I have not been able to stop thinking about it since. I'm going to share the recipe with you, my faithful readers. Make it. Enjoy it. Dream about it.

Topping:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy PB
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Batter:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl, stir the flour, brown sugar, PB and cinnamon until crumbly; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened.

Divide half of the batter between two greased 8 in. by 4 in. loaf pans; sprinkle with half of the topping. Top with chocolate chips. Repeat lays of batter and topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Enjoy.

Confession Time

I know Jack Squat about history, geography, politics, science, and math. Ask me a question about history, and you'll think I was born in another country. Try to debate with me about politics, and I won't have a standing point to argue. 9x8=? Don't even ask me to find Montana on a map. The only thing I remember from physics is inertia.

Up until this year, I did not know how to spell the word definitely. I still struggle with the word necessary. I often spell success with one c. My kids are always telling me I spelled stuff on the white board wrong. I'm an English teacher for goodness sakes; I should know how to spell!!!

I totally fibbed in my interview. I most certainly did NOT feel confident teaching 10th grade English. I most certainly did NOT know InDesign (the program we use to design the paper) well enough to teach students. I most certainly did NOT feel prepared to take on teaching for two different teachers. I must be a good faker though because I've succeeded thus far (and got a job next year).

Google.com is my best friend. I also use Wikipedia a lot. Shhhh, don't tell my students.

I have a really hard time saying NO to people. A friend asked me to go out last weekend. I didn't want to go and attempted to say no. All I know was ten minutes later, I was out the door on my way to meet him. I often find myself doing things I don't really want to do because I couldn't say no. If you want me to do something, just ask. You'll get a yes out of me easily enough.

I fall asleep during my prayers at night. I have NO problem whatsoever falling asleep, so as I'm talking to God, I'm drifting away into snooze land.

Drinks and food are not allowed in the classroom. I let my students break that rule ALL the time. I'm usually hungry and thirsty, so I figure they are, too, and they probably pay closer attention if they have their needs satisfied.

Last Friday when I was sick, I was "that" teacher. Rather than actually teaching, I stuck a movie in the VCR and let them brainlessly watch The Goonies.

Last week when I watched Case, I took him for ice cream and his parents don't know about it (yet). Case can't talk well enough to tell on me, so until just now, it's been a secret. Gasp, he had ice cream before dinner!!!!

I don't like dogs. I know that is absurd, but it's true. They stink. They sniff. They lick. They jump. I like it better when dogs aren't around.

I feel much better now that I've confessed. Thanks for listening. Am I forgiven?

ABC

I've been racking my brain all weekend trying to think of something to blog about (my Aunt Lisa gives me a hard time if I don't blog every day). I'm sorry Lisa, but my life has been pretty boring lately and I don't have any good stories. I've been sick this week, so I admit that I've been going to bed around 8pm. Gosh, I'm lame.

In an effort to be inspired, I decided to read all my friends blogs to see if I got any fresh ideas. Thanks to Gretchen, I found this fun game. Thanks, Gretch! Hope you don't mind...

ABC's of me
A - Age: 28
B - Bed size: Queen
C - Chore you hate: Dusting and cleaning the bathroom
D - Dogs' names: I don't like dogs. I don't own any and probably never will
E - Essential to start your day: Alice 105.9, hot shower, coffee, breakfast, my drive to work
F - Favorite color: Orange and pink
G - Gold or Silver: Silver
H - Height: 5 ft 6 in
I - Instruments you play(ed): Piano. My real instrument is my voice.
J - Job title: High school English teacher
K - Kid(s): None of my own but three great nephews and one darling niece
L - Living arrangements: In the basement of my sister and bro-in-law
M - Mom's name: Sally (keep praying for her!)
N - Nicknames: Shi-Town, Shi, Dido, Doll
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Two ACL surgeries, one large cell bone tumor removal in my wrist
P - Pet Peeve: People who stop right in front of me at the store (or in the hallway at school)
Q - Quote from a movie: "Cut the chit-chat, A hole!" (The Rock)
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: One older sister, one younger brother
T - Time you wake up: My alarm goes off at 5am. I hit snooze until 5:20
U - Underwear: Since my bro-in-law reads my blog, I won't answer this question
V - Vegetable you dislike: Cilantro (is that a veggie?)
W - Ways you run late: I am rarely late for anything, but if I am it's because it's someone else's fault.
X - X-rays you've had: Multitudes done on my wrist when I had the tumor back in college.
Y - Yummy food you make: Tator Tot casserole, peanut butter banana bread, egg rolls.
Z - Zoo favorite: Giraffes and elephants

Update

My mom is home from the hospital (partially). Up until yesterday, she was in Omaha at the Medical Center. She was doing so well that they released her to go back to Kearney, but she is staying in a rehab facility until Friday, and then she'll be able to go home for good.

She told me that her recovery is going to be much more difficult than she thought. A good chunk of her left side is numb, and she requires a walker to get around. She said she almost feels like she's had a stroke. We're just hoping that eventually she gets her feeling back so she can get back to her everyday life.

She's a hard worker, and I have no doubt that she'll work hard at her physical therapy and recovery. Shan and Case are headed there this next week to take care of her, so we know she's in good hands. Continue to pray for her, as her journey is not over yet. Specifically pray that she gets feeling back quickly.

Cinco de Mayo

My darling little Kye turned three on May 5. I have a special place in my heart for this little man. Don't get me wrong; I dearly love all my nephews and one niece. They are each unique in their own special way, they all make me laugh, and they each have a way of getting anything they want from me. But I have to admit that Kye and I have a special bond:

we're both middle children.

Welcoming Corinne into the family was especially hard for Kye. He was quite content to be the youngest in the family, and he did NOT accept Corinne with open arms. He has, however, learned to like her (or at the very least, he's realized that she's not going anywhere). It's not easy being a middle child, and I think you can only understand that if you yourself are a middle child. We get left out, we are forgotten, we're the naughty ones, we're not the wiser, more mature older child, and we're not the precious, only boy (or in Corinne's case, only girl) younger child.

To make up for this lack of love in our lives, we over compensate with personality. Kye has a HUGE amount of personality. We are actually a lot alike in that he gets VERY excited very easily, he's full of energy, and he loves to run through the house screaming at the top of his lungs (ask Shan and Jeff; I may or may not be known to do this from time to time). In order to see some of Kye's personality, watch the video of him while we sang Happy Birthday to him.


If you read my blog, I'm sure you saw the post about a month ago that displayed Carson's birthday party. It included a pool party, friends, cake, over a dozen presents, and a huge meal. Poor little Kye barely got aknowledgement that it was his birthday (similarly, my birthday is September 11, and my mom didn't even remember to wish me a happy birthday in 2001). His parents went to Vegas over his special day, and Kye didn't get a "party" until a week later. His party included us going to his house, him opening three presents, and a small cake. No friends. No food. Poor Kye.

Don't you worry little guy. Your Auntie Dido loves you. Your Auntie Dido spoils you when no one else does. Your Auntie Dido knows how you feel being a middle child. Continue to be your crazy, fun, laughable, adorable self and you'll go far in life!

Kye was born on Cinco de Mayo, 2006

Kye with grandma Sally on his 1st birthday

Kye waiting to blow out the candles on his 2nd birthday

Kye on his 3rd birthday

At least his dad remembered to wish him a happy birthday on May 5. Collin said that Carson and Collin said, "Happy birthday, Kye," when they all woke up that morning. To which Kyler replied, "Happy birthday to you, too, daddy."

My Mom

Thanks for all your prayers. Mom's surgery went well, and she is now in her own room. The doctors said there might be some paralyzation in her left leg, but time will tell on that. I talked to her a few hours ago, and other than feeling a little sick, she was doing pretty well.

Prayer Request

UPDATE
*************************
My dad has been texting me throughout the morning. The surgery has begun, and the last report my dad sent said everything is going well thus far.

ORIGINAL POST
*************************
My mom is having a pretty major surgery tomorrow, so I'm asking for your prayers. She has had bleeding around her spinal cord, which is causing a burning sensation in her right leg and has now spread to her left leg. The doctor's have told her that some paralysis has occurred in the process. Her surgery is scheduled for tomorrow in Omaha, and the purpose of the surgery is to relieve the pressure on her spinal chord, which will hopefully bring back feeling in her back and legs. It's a high risk surgery since they are working with the spinal chord. Surgery starts at 730 a.m. and the surgery is 6-8 hours long. Both Shan and I will keep you updated through our blogs.

News

I interviewed last week for a teaching job at Chatfield Senior High. There were three other people who interviewed for the job, including a student teacher who is teaching here at Chatfield. The two other interviewees were a teacher from Bear Creek High School and a teacher from Heritage High School.

Originally, there was only one position open. That left me a 25% shot of getting the job. During the interview, they told me there was a possibility of there being two spots available. After the interview, then the waiting began. They told me they were hoping to make a decision by Friday, but Friday came and went with no word. I had to wait through the weekend. Then Monday came and went. Then Tuesday came and went.

This morning, I was walking through the hallway and the student teacher (the one who also interviewed) grabbed me.

She said, "Did Brock talk to you yet?"
"No, why? Did you hear some news?"

She was visibly upset as she said, "Neither one of us got the job. They gave both jobs to the other two teachers who interviewed." This, of course, upset me, too. I was highly confident that I was going to get the job. Now Caroline was telling me that I didn't get it.

At this exact same moment as Caroline was telling me neither one of us got the job, Brock came around the corner and grabbed me. I knew what was coming. He was about to tell me I didn't get the job. He told me to follow him to my classroom so he could speak with me.

I followed him down the long hallway, dreading the conversation that was about to come. Once in the classroom, he said, "I'm going to make this short and sweet." I was thinking, "Thanks for the sensitivity, buddy."

He continued to say, "We want to offer you one of the jobs. You rocked the interview, and we were very impressed with what you had to say and offer. But your real interview has been this past semester while filling in for two different teachers. You've done an amazing job, and we've heard great things about you, both from other teachers and students alike. We want to keep you around for another year if you're willing to stay."

I was in complete shock. Here I was expecting him to tell me I didn't get the job, but instead he was telling me I DID get the job. All I could say was, "Are you serious right now?"

He chuckled. "Yes, I'm completely serious right now. We would like to offer you the job."

I was shaking and almost in tears. But I composed myself long enough to tell him thanks for the opportunity and I gladly accepted the job. He told me they gave the other position to the lady from Heritage. He told me she had the most experience, so they gave her the continuing job. My job is a one year temporary, which means at the end of the year, they will evaluate me to see if they want me to come back or not.

I haven't had a chance to talk to Caroline yet. I'm disappointed for her, so it will be awkward to see her. I won't let that ruin my happy day, though. Praise God!

MS Walk Denver-2009

One week after the Kearney MS Walk, we participated in the Denver MS Walk. It's always a good time at City Park, with free food, music and a lot of energy and emotion. This year was the biggest walk to date, with over 3,000 people participating. Here are some pictures from our day. Our team: Jeff, Case, Shannon, Me, Kari, Marilee, Amanda, Nick, and Ken (Amanda is Kari's sister, who also has MS).