Food Critic

Have you ever been so disappointed in a meal that you just want to tell everyone you know to never go to that place??? Well, the pregnant food critic is about to speak her mind... GRRRRrrrr! HeRoos and I wanted some yummy Mexican food after snowshoeing.

I remember some of my friends raving about this great place in West Jordan but I couldn't remember the exact address. We were in the general area and saw a Mexican restaurant and thought we'd give it a try. It was horrible. My cheese enchiladas seem to have all the correct ingredients but they weren't even warm. The cheese was still in it's shredded form and not melted, the chips were covered in pico de gallo and soggy, the beans and rice didn't have flavor and were cold. The price for our two meals was $18.00. Need I go on?

I hesitated complaining about the food because I wasn't sure if it would come back with some spit wads in it. Instead, I'm releasing my frustration in my blog. After trying to eat what we could of the meal, I received a text from my friend and sure enough, we went to the wrong restaurant. Hopefully, next time you hear from the food critic, it will be a positive review.

Rancherito's Mexican Food

Hot Date

Last weekend I mentioned to HeRoos that it would be nice to go on a "planned date." There is something still fun and exciting about going out with my husband when he plans the date. He sent me a text message during the week asking if I was available Friday night. Our date turned into a date day.

After my doctor appointment, HeRoos took me to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. I have been wanting to go there since it opened but the wait has been too long. Finally, we decided to brave the cold for fifteen minutes and stand outside in line until it opened. It was delicious and worth the wait. Then we came home so he could work and I took a fabulous three hour nap!

I love surprises (and HeRoos knows that) so instead of telling me what we were doing, he drove to our destination- the E Center for a hockey game! It was fun to do something out of the norm. I must admit that the game was a little disappointing...there were no major fights. Now, I'm not usually a violent person. In fact, I dislike wrestling and boxing BUT there is something I enjoy about watching men (fully clothed with padding on) slam against the sides of the skating rink, slicing ice into the air as their teammates come to the rescue. I also like the concept of a penalty box. It reminds me of time out for big boys.

Back to the whole dating thing, men do have a lot of responsibility. Not only do they have to plan the date but they also have to pay for the date. If they're lucky, they may get a thank you and an awkward hug at the end of the night. There was a couple sitting next to us at the hockey game and it was obvious they were on a first date. They didn't talk at all. I think most of us have had our share of horrible dates and can appreciate when a date goes well.

I'm glad I had one last night and I'm looking forward to him calling to set up another.

SheRoos

BUTTONS

I think most people have "buttons" and when those buttons are pushed, they get passionate. After assessing and reading with over 30 students in various grades this week, my button has been pushed and I'm about to step onto a soapbox about something I feel very passionate about...Reading.

Reading with children is so important! Students who read every night are better readers. If parents want their children to have more confidence and to excel in school, they need to read every night with their children regardless of how busy their lives are.

In some of the reading groups I work with, the students are below reading level for their grade. The students openly admit that they are not reading at home every night. They use every excuse possible (basketball practice, no one to read with, too busy, etc. etc.).

It's a big concern to teachers when students are not on reading level. The students seem to struggle along in other areas and eventually lose confidence in themselves. As a teacher, I like to see children who are confident, happy, and reaching their potential. When kids are not reading every night, this is not happening.

Way to go for those of you out there who are taking the time to read with your child. I can promise, it is making a difference. Not only are they improving in reading but I'm sure they enjoy the quality time they get to spend with you each night.

Here are a few suggestions to help make reading more enjoyable:

* Set aside at least 10 minutes a night to read WITH your child.
* Provide a positive & distraction free environment (turn off the phone & television).
* Instead of correcting every word they mispronounce, let them make mistakes and see if they catch it.
* Go on a field trip to your local library and let your children pick out books or magazines that interest them.
* Ask questions as they are reading to see if they are comprehending what they read.
* Model reading. Not only read aloud to them but also read on your own so they can see that it's important to you.

When students tell me they don't like to read, I tell them that it is only a matter of finding an author they like or a subject they enjoy learning about. When they discover one of those things, their "buttons" are pushed and they may even read without being asked.

Happy Reading!

Ritter Sports Pigs

What do these two images have in common?


HeRoos and I turn into Oink Oinks when the Ritter Sport chocolate almond bar is around. We discovered these delicious candy bars at Target and Harmons. Yesterday, we stopped at Target and decided to buy a couple. Guess what's left of them today... nothing! HeRoos came up stairs a few minutes ago and said, "I love you." I replied it back and then I saw the look on his face as he handed me the remains of 4 tiny chocolate squares. He dove into my bar (to his credit I had four of his squares last night but ONLY four). It's a good thing that Ritter Chocolate Almond Bars are not sold at the grocery store we frequent or we would need to widen our door frames.

Fender Bender

GOOD: I babysat my niece for a couple hours and we had a nice time making projects.

GOOD: Later, as I was leaving the house, my brother-in-law (father of the niece) was out snow blowing our icy walks. How nice! (Rick has already requested a snow blower of his own for next year and in the meantime doesn't seem to enjoy using his cheap plastic shovel so the walks have been a mess).

BAD: I was on my way to Sandy as the snow was falling down and my mind got distracted by the license plate cover in front of me. It read, 'Peace out B*$#!*.' We were stopped at a red light and I wondered if the saying was intended to be crude, funny, mean, etc. Whatever the meaning behind the plate, I met the owner of the car and she was quite pleasant considering the circumstances...

VERY BAD: As the light turned green, I pushed in my clutch and the gas...before I knew what happened, my car bumped into the car in front of me and that car bumped into the car in front of her. Somehow, I caused a fender bender and I'm still baffled at how it happened.

GOOD: Everyone was safe. My car, Cedes, doesn't even have a scratch. The first car in line didn't appear to have any damage...

BAD: The car in the middle (the one I ran into) has severe damage on the front hood. I still can't figure out how my car ran into her that hard and she ran into the car in front of her with that much force.

GOOD: Everyone was very pleasant. No bad words were exchanged, not even dirty looks. The police officer arrived quickly and took care of the situation.

BAD: I got a traffic ticket for "Improper Lookout"

BAD: The car in the middle had to be towed away.

GOOD: Once again, everyone was okay.

GOOD: I arrived at my friend's house who just retired after thirty years of teaching. She had homemade chicken noodle soup and canned peaches waiting. We had a great time catching up.

BAD: Now I'm home talking to HeRoos and after analyzing the information, he thinks the car in the middle hit the front car first and I bumped the car in the middle. It all happened so fast and I still can't sort out the details.

GOOD: The collision didn't cause the airbag to inflate or the seatbelt to tighten so BabyRoos seems to be A-ok. He is still squirming around inside and seems to be oblivious to any fender bender.

Cedes Has a Home Again

I am one happy person right now! HeRoos and I spent the day taking down Christmas decorations and cleaning out the garage. My car, Cedes (named after the next car I want..MerCedes), is parked in the garage right now and I won't have to wake up early to scrape snow off her windows.

Before we got married, only HeRoos' car would fit in the garage. He agreed to let me have his place if he didn't get the other side of the garage cleaned out before our big day. Well, the garage got worse. We bought all the supplies (dry wall, toilet, sink) to finish the down stairs bathroom and they overcrowded the other side of the garage. Neither of us had garage parking until now!

I know, I should probably feel a little guilty about taking the only spot in the garage BUT I don't. I, however, am very grateful to my kind husband who has still honored his agreement to let me have first priority in the garage. I feel like a real adult when I pull up to the house, push the garage door remote and enter. As soon as our bathroom is done, HeRoos' car (who doesn't have a name but would last longer & run better if it did) will also have a home.


Cedes in her new home with a message from HeRoos