Wow - it's Feb. 8th and it's been a week already! Mock trial finals were great yesterday. I was disappointed that Ryan's team didn't get to compete, but he did a great job as the timer. Then we all celebrated at Joe's Crab Shack. One of the high schoolers did not want to go to Joe's as he said they have TV ads with cussing. I've not seen them, but was most impressed with his convictions and attempted to suggest we alter our plans.


I am very behind on my Design Your Life class and spent last evening perusing through photos attempting to pick some for layouts. I ran across these photos from a few months ago at Halloween and wanted to post them as a reminder of our fun night. There is a couple in Waxahachie, Tx who has re-created the Munster Mansion, and they open it two nights a year for a charity event. Pat Gase who played Marilyn was there and signing photos. We went with friends - first time I can recall a Halloween without kids - and while it was odd and kinda sad, the fun night made up for it!

(excuse the odd layout of stuff here - I'm having a hard time getting text around my photos) The owner of Munster Mansion is a woman with a serious penchant for anthing Munster. The inside of her house has a few pieces original to the set. She has one rooom with collectibles of any Munster sold. Her bedrooms, kitchen and the staircase are down to the detail.

The top photo shows the owners husband posing as Herman and this father in law as Granpa. The owner is Lily in the other photo above. Pat Gase is pictured signing our photos and then posing with Sherry and I. Gary , Cyn, Sherry, Jo and Rob had a good time at the Munster Mansion.

Here goes....bloggin about nothing much!

I don't know what the rule is about posting pictures that other people are in without permission, but I am so proud of my son's mock trial team! They advanced to finals on Saturday; first time ever that Wylie High has advanced. It is a mixed blessing though as he was supposed to attend a Wesleyan event at Texas A & M with a great group of kids, and now he might miss it for trial finals.

I love mock trial and feel that if school were more like the mock trial event and Odyssey of the Mind, that our students would be so much better thinkers and problem solvers. On Your Feet, off the cuff, and taking chances. LOVE IT!

My husband came home with some news tonight that is weighing on my mind. Reports (and - I'm not sure how true this is, but what if it is?) are showing that Nanci Pelosi uses Air Force jets for personal use to the tune of 2 million dollars! Are you kidding? The government wants to cut Air Force budget all the while she is ordering jets for congressional use and flying her family around. He said he also heard that she only wants "fresh flowers" for her office and reports show $250 thousand tax payer dollars have been spent on her flower budget. What the heck? Can this be? How are they not accountable for this? Looks like we need more than health care reform!

At the advice of a friend, I took our family to see "To Save a Life" on Sunday. Tremendous movie! I advise all parents of high school students to take their child to see this. So many facets of problems, judgements, behaviors and pressures that high schoolers face are examined with a clear choice on how to make a difference is someone's as a priority. It's not a mamby-pamby movie: pregnancy, drug use, alcohol use, self-mutilation, status not to mention family issues are all waxed and waned in this movie. I hope it struck a chord with my children and all who see it.

I'm stunned it's already February 1st! Seems like yesterday that I was writing down my New Year's goal - not believing it was a new year already. Statistics show that only 45% of the population even set New Year's goals. I understand - I set them and fall down on them.....but it bothers me to think that more than half of the population is not practicing 'goal setting'; unless they are goal focused but don't portray them as New Year's Resolutions. Out of the 45 % who make goals, only 7% make it past one month.

I set three goals. I taught my students about setting goals and gave them steps to achieve them. Then I told them to be realisitic. You can't change everything about your life or habits at one time. I have done fairly well with my goal to keep my school desk clean - and have even been grading on time. I haven't done a single thing about my exercise goals.

How about you? Did you set goals? Do you practice goal setting?

Signing off for now,
Jo