my balcony is only good for one thing...one day of the year...for 30 minutes.

here's the thing: my balcony is the worst. it faces the complete wrong direction. it does not face the fountain...it faces the garage (the BACK of the garage, at that, so people-watching and developing nancy drew mystery conspiracy theories is out) and the small parking lot. it gets no sunlight, so i cannot grow anything...ever. it doesn't even face the right direction to get satelite t.v. (i tried when i first moved in). so..the only day of the year that it validates itself is july 4th from 9:30-10:00 pm. addison kaboom-town. the 'kabooms' were far enough away that it really didn't bother the boys.

i did make them take their independence day pic...chaco wasn't excited about it. and today on the radio, he heard the dj's asking for people to call in about a time they had family pics, wedding pics, prom pics, etc., after being injured, but had to take the pic anyhoo...he wanted to call in so badly, but i wouldn't and he couldn't (lack of opposable thumbs...) besides, i told him, no one would understand his yapping.

balcony shots:

so, yes, great shots from the balcony...and shortly after it was over, we went to bed. and lo-and-behold, there was a huge thunderstorm, which really brought the kabooms! that  got the boys going. maybe i should invest in a thunder shirt for chaco...although, i could probably just cut the ends off a sock and pull it over his body and it'd do the same thing. i'll bet he'd love to be swaddled. if he were a real-live-boy, he'd be the one wearing skinny pants and the skull t-shirt. bruno, on the other hand, would be wearing the preppy pastel plaid shorts and polo...but i digress-it was quite the storm!

pretty sure i've been sleeping wrong, or something, because yesterday my shoulder and arm hurt (like a sprained rotator cuff-not like i've ever experienced anything of the sort, but i imagine it would've felt something like this)...then in the middle of the night last night, i tried to adjust, brought both hands behind my head, and something clicked. i broke my neck. (no i didn't)...but i certainly did SOMETHING wrong, because my back and shoulders were stiff ...tight ...ridiculously miserable. but i had decided last night that i was going to get up early this morning to go grab breakfast because i'd been too lazy over the long weekend to get the eggs, bacon and fruit.

i'm glad i did choose to get up and go, because there was an awesome rainbow after the storm 

it seemed the safest, closest and i knew i would get back home fairly quickly. (they're predictable like that)

breakfast was great-and i was ready to get started when i got home. i have plenty of reading and i did a lot of cutting and preparing teacher resources.

alright, so i don't know if you're all aware or not, but there was a terrible amount of flooding in sealy, tx back in april. one of the trainers i work with was a victim of this flooding, and i got to hang out with her last week at our conference. neddy never said a word about it, and had such a positive attitude; i didn't realize this had happened until they gathered the pd training group together and said they were creating a go-fund-me-page. she broke down in tears...i cannot even imagine being in a situation where everything you own is damaged and lost.  "Neddy has received very little emergency assistance, and at a "mature" age, is literally starting completely over."  i've been blessed, so i will be contributing. i would love for you to consider this, if it is within your means, as at a certain point in our lives we are all called to be a part of community. while she may not be in your immediate community, you could certainly bless her by displaying compassion in a tangible way! i don't often post things like this, but it struck me and i hope this blog can serve as a tiny means to help out! please check out the page here.

alright, time to call it a night-may the fireworks of life never end (but all that noise can stop about now).
julie

mesmerized by fireworks, captivated by the revolutionary war and unbelievably grateful to be free!

ah, revolutionary patriots, thank you. french army and navy, thank you. writers of the Declaration of Independence, thank you. authors of the Constitution of the United States of America, thank you. it's Independence Day, THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT AND STAND FOR OUR FREEDOMS.

last night, as planned, we were able to watch the fireworks from the apartment, representing the battles for our independence (i explained to my students the other day why we have fireworks and the symbolism). i am still amazed by whomever came up with fireworks and improved them to do the things they do. (you know i am about to go do a google search on it)...

sorry, for those of you who were there, you saw it, but i love watching fireworks! i was very disappointed with the music they chose to go along with the show. i am highly preferential to an all-patriotic music selection, that's just the way i am...katy perry's firework seems like it would be a likely tune, but it has nothing to do with Independence Day, now does it? anyhoo. i prefer K2's show. missing kanakuk around this holiday!

i did sit mesmerized though. i love watching almost as much as i love watching flames and embers in a fire. i find fire fascinating. the other day when i lit the grill, i was so taken in to the flame that i thought, if the flames had caught and started burning something on the balcony, i don't know if i would've had the fight/flight/or sit and admire reaction...i think i might have sat like a fool watching the flames bob and weave...fascinating! (but you know i'm joking, i'm not like a pyro or something, i just think it's beautiful-in small quantities).

 as i re-watch the revolution series on the history channel, i think i would like to read more books on benjamin franklin and george washington.

we recorded much of the series, and went out for a walk while it was still in the early 80's. i decided to drive the boys down to the vitruvian park, and after walking that one, we drove down toward beltway and into a little park area there, where there was a mini community parade going on-that's the area with the hidden pond/park.on our way around, there was an older guy in a wheelchair type thing..not a hover around, but anyway, he like the boys, and he was wearing an airforce hat, so i shook his hand and said thank you. i'm glad we got to meet him.

while we were at the vitruvian park, the sprinklers were going and we got past the first set by our parking area, but the boys of course had to play in the puddles! then as we went around, we stopped in every little branch off. it was cool enough to play. then boys loved the wet grass and bruno was rolling around in it (which got him all tangled in his leash. i told him he was going to strangle himself if he didn't stop, he said he didn't care-as he strangled himself, and then choked out, "ok, you're right mama, a little help?").

somebody-bruno, loves playing in wet grass!

this was our hidden pond trail-it always seems to have a great little breeze! and the boys did really well, even with all of the other dogs out there!

so as a reward, i took them to dq and got myself a blizzard. smile.

i've been craving one, and it was small, and it is a special occasion!

today i am also planning on baking (for the first time) paleo bread...we'll see how it turns out! coconut flour and gluten free flour (i couldn't find almond flour at tom thumb-although they are supposed to have a shipment by friday, but i want to make my bread today)... 

it turned out ok...it's not terrible! it was still a little doughy in the middle even after i put it in for an additional 20 min...so i guess i will have to cut slices and microwave them before eating..? working with new flour can be daunting. who cares!

and the boys were willing to sit still for yet one more patriotic photo. good sports!

they just told me they were really happy to be born in the usa, and then started singing some bruce springsteen song...

 what a relaxing day-back to school tomorrow-weird that it will be thursday! but i'm not sad about it!

happy 4th!
julie

move over, andy warhol...i got this stamping thing down!

it's first friday! (we have tomorrow off) i am excited to watch the fireworks tonight! i was seriously considering going down to kaboom...? but i hate to be uncomfortable-and it's still pretty hot out, so i think i will be watching it from my apt tonight with the lights out and we'll pretend we're there. smile.

it was a great day at school today because our art person showed us a great trick with foam rubber and i was able to make a really cool thing that i can throw in with a letter for a friend of mine who is far too far away! hopefully being in florida and having fun, she won't have time to read the blog, because it would be more fun to just get it in the mail...ou colors...not so much the black, but i needed the black to show the white...besides the black is pirate-ou colors...

i am the next andy warhol...only not for real and only for friends!

very inexpensive-i could certainly do something like this in my class for my students during the year! so much better than trash sculptures that i am expected to paint.

i'm excited for the fireworks, and i'm trying to decide exactly what tomorrow might entail. i think i may just opt for a relaxing day of revolutionary documentaries about independence day. that's probably the most relaxing thing i could do...i might have to get netflix.

last night i had woken up, but i was still half asleep, and trying to go back to sleep. i reached out and there was bruno, so i pet him for awhile, which was strange, because usually he gets up and moves if i pet him for too long. i realized that he wasn't moving at all....

i was petting my pillow. good thing IT didn't get up and move.

opted against sparklers for the boys...but i might pull out the pop-confetti...
julie

nye-preparations-safety and security...that's all!

well, it was all over face book in case you missed it, let me wish you a happy new year!

be safe! play nice!

today i had to get out and away from the complex to study, and i had a craving for chili's chips and salsa. so i went over the vocabulary words i had written down this morning and pored over them (about 750 words)...uf. but i got a lot more done there than i would have staying here all day!

have you ever gone into a restaurant, looked at the menu and not found one thing you thought you'd like and left? well, it definitely happened today when 3 people came in and stood up and left about 3 minutes later. hmm...i could maybe understand if you went to an obscure hole in the wall joint that had an ambiguous name and served strange food like armadillo ribs or something, but chili's? you came in not knowing what kind of food you might encounter? pretty run-of-the-mill.

before i left, i ordered the quesadilla explosion to go so i would have lunch tomorrow. after i paid, i left and decided to go to walmart for some small necessities that i needed to make me feel safer-will share those in a moment. but as i got about 5 blocks from chili's, i realized that i had forgotten the to-go bag at my booth at chili's! boo. what a waste of time. i turned around to go get it and thankfully the server didn't laugh in my face! i'm pretty sure the family at the table across from me was wishing i hadn't come back so they could snag it...jerks.

i'm very excited about lunch tomorrow! thank you anna brawner for introducing me to the quesadilla explosion!

when i got to walmart, i knew exactly what i needed, so it was quick-until i got to the checkout line. i went to the 10 items or less, and i think a family was in front of me and they divided their goodies amongst them to avoid the long lines. jerks..must be related to the restaurant family that was eyeing my food....(not really)

when i got home, i was thrilled to finally get my pur filter into the filter-contraption! i just don't have any confidence in the city's ability to treat my tap water well enough for me to want to drink it. i need the tap water for coffee and soda stream, but like i said, can't do it without the purifier!

so, you can see why this is the first product that i purchased that adds to my safety!

the other item is not as much safety as it is security, and i told you about it yesterday.

i did take the last batch the other night, so like i said, it's a necessity to have on-hand when needed!

ok, i've just watched 5 episodes of dog the bounty hunter, and secretly (or not so secretly now), i kinda' like it!

i remember when NYE used to be so much more exciting-at my parents church, they used to have ping pong tournaments, board games, etc. in HONDURAS we used to go out and shoot off fireworks- if i remember correctly, one year some of us climbed the water tower behind my house and took pizza and cokes up and watched all of the fireworks from up there. that was pretty cool.

well, one more dry run of the test tonight and it'll be time to pop the confetti-things!
julie

p.s. in all seriousness, may you have a blessed new year full of fun adventures and wonderful memories!