One of the great things about living in Texas....

I came across this article from Forbes Magazine indicating that Collin County rates second in the nation in getting the most bang for the buck as far as spending per student in relation to graduation rates and SAT test scores go. I am very pleased with the schools here. Out of the 5 elementary schools they opened in our district last year, ours was the only one that scored an exemplary rating. This is rare for the first year of operation. When we moved here we definitely looked at the school factor but it didn't drive us to our present locale. I guess this was just an added perk! http://www.friscoisd.org/documents/schools-taxes-education-biz-be.pdf

Dinner Conversations

The set-up. It's last Wednesday night. Wednesday night is leftover night and whatever is in the fridge is fair game to whomever calls it first.

Mom: Heber, what do you want for dinner? Potato Soup, Beef Stew, Cheese Crisp, or Mac & Cheese.

Heber: None of those.

Mom: Well, what do you want?

Heber: Do we still have spinach?

Mom: Spinach?

Heber: Yeah. I want that Spinach Salad we had the other night with the pieces of bacon and parmesan cheese.

Mom: Salad?

Heber: Yeah.

Mom: You want Spinach Salad.

Heber: Yeah.

Mom: Okay. What dressing would you like with that? Ranch or Italian.

Heber: None. I just want the Spinach all by itself. No dressing.

Mom: Are you sure?

Heber: Yep.

Mom: Okay.

Clearly shocked, (but with a BIG smile on my face) I quietly make the salad for my son who has always had difficulty enjoying his vegetables. He ate it and he enjoyed it. The whole time I'm wondering....."Who are you and what have you done with my child!"

Computerjacked!

So! I had lots of great ideas about how I was going to get my blogging posted in a timely manner. I was going to tell you all about Christmas and about my youngest brother Jorisen coming to visit without missing a beat. Well...this is what ended up happening.

Everyday all day without missing a beat. Christmas vacation was a great big computerfest for the boys. If I managed to get on the computer, they would hover until I got off. Now that I have my computer back and I can blog, here's the reader's digest.

Christmas was fantastic. I was done early with no presents to wrap on Christmas Eve so I was really able to enjoy it this year. The boys loved what they received. Mainly a new MP3 player for Noah and a new bike for Heber. I got the Kitchenaid mixer I've wanted for a while now. Eric got some UnderArmor thermals for those chilly days of riding and he was so long overdue for some new cologne that something had to be done. It was a quiet, low-key day. Those can be the best. Boxing day brought another Christmas present for me. My brother came to visit. It has been about three years since I've seen him. He and his girlfriend had never been to Texas before so we just had to show them the sights. We had such a good time. On a knitting note, I am almost finished with Eric's first sock. He is enjoying this more than I thought he would. He has a lot better taste that you would think and enjoys trying on the socks in progress for that perfect fit. He likes the way the socks feel and can really tell the difference between handmade and store-bought. He's thinking of becoming a "sock snob". I also found a perfect sweater pattern for him with a yarn that goes wonderfully with his complexion. I can't wait to get started on it.