7:52 PM | 
Posted by
K.Dingfelder
29 January 2008
Handy(Wo)man
For Christmas my Da bought my sister and I power tools! We both recieved cordless power drills and utility light... I wasn't sure when I would get a chance to use it, being that I live in an apt building and they frown upon many holes in the wall... So, instead I decided to take it to work!
We had some shelving in our room for storage... but it wasn't efficient. My co-teacher and I decided to do something about this. I took down almost all the shelving, moved it and got some new stuff too!
First I started by adding another shelf in the bathroom to hold some of our bigger containers. And I wanted extra room to put some of our blankets and towels.
Then I fastened two brackets to the wall to hold up the new shelves I bought. We needed some space to store our little boxes of supplies.
Then we needed an area to put all our baskets that hold the diapers. This is the space right next to our changing table. Obviously a more logical place for such things.
It turned out great! We both love it, but now we need some more containers. At some point I will take a picture of the whole classroom. We've been rearranging our room once again... It seems to be one of our favorite hobbies in our room!
23 January 2008
Flu Infested Facility
Yesterday afternoon was... well... chaotic! At 3pm we start turning on our classroom lights so the kids can get up from nap time. Some still sleep with the noise and lights on... But yesterday we were helping the kids put stuff away when one child sat up, looked around, and then vomited all over their nap mat! Immediately we took action and took them to the bathroom, and started cleaning things up. Before a minute could pass another child got sick as well.... but this was so much worse. For this child was standing nowhere near their nap mat... and it seems like it was neverending in all directions. Seriously! We had to call in the assistant director to help wrangle the rest of our kids so we could clean everything up and call the parents of the kids who got sick. So, I cleaned up the kids, while my co-teacher cleaned up the mats. We then called the parents and isolated the two away from the rest of the group. One parent was on their way, so we talked to them for awhile before they left. Just as the parent and child left the room our child who was still waiting got sick again all over the clean clothes we had put on! And it turns out the child who was leaving got sick all over the entry way to the school as well... Creepy! Both of them got sick within a minute of each other twice! It was just rough! It smelled horrible, and my co-teacher and I were trying to keep our composures as much as possible. Luckily none of us got sick. Unfortunately this Flu has been going around the facility like a wild fire! Every classroom has had to deal with this at one point over the past month. And sadly there are only a few of our kids who have not has this yet... I'm worried we're going to have a repeat of yesterday, and in that case I don't think my stomach will be able to handle it.
20 January 2008
Recent Activities
Last night we got home to find our thermostat reading just below 65*... Strange... because if you look at the picture of our thermostat it reads that we have the temperature set at 80*!
We don't know what's wrong. It's either something with the thermostat or the floorboard heaters. But each time we touch the heaters they are fairly warm... Thus, we've been heating the apt with the stove. Very sad I know. But I did have some fun with it! As you can see from the pictures below.
We don't know what's wrong. It's either something with the thermostat or the floorboard heaters. But each time we touch the heaters they are fairly warm... Thus, we've been heating the apt with the stove. Very sad I know. But I did have some fun with it! As you can see from the pictures below.
It was a very tasty treat!
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Here's a new project I took on one day. I decided that we needed more counter space, so I went out and bought a metal magnetic bar. These are most frequently used to store knives, which is what I chose to use it for, but you can use them for tools or another other metal objects.
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Here's a new project I took on one day. I decided that we needed more counter space, so I went out and bought a metal magnetic bar. These are most frequently used to store knives, which is what I chose to use it for, but you can use them for tools or another other metal objects.
It was fairly simple to install once I figured out what I needed to do. Sadly the package I bought didn't have any installation directions. Lucky for me someone on the website of the store I purchased it from explained how to install. And the fun part of the installation?! Getting to use the power drill my Da bought me for Christmas!! I was even talking to him on the phone when I installed the thing. It was pretty funny! He got worried a couple times when I made certain comments... like, "Oops! That wasn't right." I was referring to the fact that the anchor hole I made wasn't big enough, thus having to drill the hole with a bigger bit. And at one point he expressed concern when I started drilling in the screws. He was afraid I was going to strip the anchor and make a mess of the wall. Fortunately I knew what I was doing. :) Aren't you proud of me Da?!
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This is what my Sunday afternoons consist of... creating projects for work.
I took an 18 egg carton, sliced it in half and painted it. This way my kids can start working on their colors by sorting them out into these color trays. I think on Monday we will start with sorting Fruit Loops, and by the end of the week we're going to be working on sorting out various colors of beads. I actually had fun with this project. It helps that I like to paint!
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On a fun related note Heather and James came up to visit us in Madison. We always enjoy taking them out to a variety of places in the area. This last time we decided to take them to the Edo Gardens. They serve various Japanese dishes, Sushi and Hibatchi Grill. Of course we did the Hibatchi Grill! Although, we did include the experience of trying some sushi.
We had a blast sitting at the table watching our chef create a volcano from the onion! And my Salmon was so delicious!! I had to share some with Heather, because they gave me two huge pieces!! Then Otto and I ordered a Chef's choice Sushi appetizer. We don't even know what we ate, except that one piece was salmon, one was tuna, two we think were yellowtail... and who knows what the others were... Heather order two types of Sushi rolls. The only one we remember was one called the Godzilla Roll! She ended up giving each of us a try of it. The only thing I can recall from it was yellowtail, sticky rice, and eel. Yes, you read that correctly! I ate eel! :o It actually tasted very yummy... had a little bit of spiciness to it, but not too much! We'd definitely go back and order it again!
18 January 2008
Could you survive?
59%
Please post your results, or email them to me. I want to know who will be with me in the end!
Free Washington Personals
Please post your results, or email them to me. I want to know who will be with me in the end!
15 January 2008
Madison Bridal Show
Heather, James, Otto and I attended the Wedding Show this weekend. We decided to go on Sunday, because our Saturday was beyond booked!
It was definitely bigger than the one in Rochester, and to the Boys' satisfaction there were many booths serving cake...
I seriously don't want cake for quite some time... Too much! We spent a few hours walking around taking everything in and signing up for prizes.
Speaking of prizes, I won something from last weekend! Definitely worth attending!
Back on track, we walked around, talked to vendors and collected information. Heather isn't having her wedding until 2009, but you can never start too soon with trying to get everything in order!
After checking everything out we headed to Olive Garden to get some real food in our system! Yay for all you can eat Soup, Salad and Breadsticks!!!
Then we went to walk it all off a the mall... nice and warm!
As as you can see the guys were getting tired of all this running around. They just decided to park it on one of the benches outside the stores.
Finally we hit up Starbucks for a coffee before we all headed to our homes! It was alot of fun! And I got some great ideas I'm trying to work with now. We'll see if they go anywhere or if I decide they're really not worth the time and effort.
It was definitely bigger than the one in Rochester, and to the Boys' satisfaction there were many booths serving cake...
I seriously don't want cake for quite some time... Too much! We spent a few hours walking around taking everything in and signing up for prizes.
Speaking of prizes, I won something from last weekend! Definitely worth attending!
Back on track, we walked around, talked to vendors and collected information. Heather isn't having her wedding until 2009, but you can never start too soon with trying to get everything in order!
After checking everything out we headed to Olive Garden to get some real food in our system! Yay for all you can eat Soup, Salad and Breadsticks!!!
Then we went to walk it all off a the mall... nice and warm!
As as you can see the guys were getting tired of all this running around. They just decided to park it on one of the benches outside the stores.
Finally we hit up Starbucks for a coffee before we all headed to our homes! It was alot of fun! And I got some great ideas I'm trying to work with now. We'll see if they go anywhere or if I decide they're really not worth the time and effort.
08 January 2008
Wedding Expo 2008
I would have to say the entire event was alot of "stressful" fun! Why do I say "stressful"? Well... it might have something to do with the button that they give brides to wear at these events. It felt like it was a homing beacon... which it was. That way people knew who the brides and where to direct their sales pitches. Luckily I have an army with me, which included my Maids of Honor (Tami, Jo and Jeb), My mother, Otto's mother, my grandmother, and my un-biological sister. And the reason I refer to them as my army is because they would go ahead of me and scout out different booths telling me where to skip and where to talk. They would gather information for me, and make the connections. It was nice! I got to see some familiar faces from back home, and meet some very interesting people. After the Expo, all but Otto's mom, went to the bridal shops to try on some dresses. We started with the Bridesmaids dresses. I thought it was alot of fun and we got some very nice options to work with for later. Then came the daunting task of trying on wedding dresses... Seriously... Very complicated! It takes at least 2 people to get you into one of those things! But I actually had some fun with it, and we only went to 2 different places, because we found basically all we're going to need! I think everyone enjoyed themselves, and I chuckled when my un-biological sister pulled snack mix out of her bag.... she's such a mom, and a life saver!
So, we started the day at 830am and ended around 430pm. We called up the BOYS and met them at Mr. Pizza north for some very tasty pizza!!! It was very memorable and fun. And it I had to do it all again I would, in a heart beat!
I would like to thank my grandma for chugging along with all us "young kids"! You're awesome and I can't believe you were able to keep up with all our running around!! I really appreciate you being willing to participate in the whole experience. It means alot to me that you were able to join us all day!
Mom, what I can I say other than you're amazing! You're there when I need you most, and you know what to say and what to do. I don't think I would have been able to make it through the day without you! I'm really glad you were there with us, and doing your "Momma Jo" thing!!
Tami, thanks so much for trying all those dresses without complaining. It means alot to me that you were willing to do that with me hardly having to ask. And I love all of your input on the dresses. I'm also glad you kept us moving along, it gets easy to get side tracked when going through everything - thanks for keeping the blinders on so we stayed focused!
Diane, I really appreciate your willingness to drive all the way up to Rochester to join us for the Expo. It was alot of fun,and meant alot to me that you were there with us.
Jeb, thanks for taking all those pictures! And thanks for being there for me during the process. Thanks for the opinions and support, it means alot that you're willing to do almost anything for me... even if I asked you to wear a fig leaf and nothing else... not that I would ever ask that of you!
Joanna, you're just such a super lady! hahaha!! Thanks so much for coming all the way down from the Cities to join us in the hustle and bustle of Saturday. I'm grateful for all the jokes and wise cracks that kept me sane and in a good mood! I can't wait to see you again!!!
Chelle... what is there to say?! You're the best! With your backpack of snacks and being willing to help strap me into those dresses I don't think I could find enough words to thank you. And you better have savored every minute of it cause you know it's probably not going to happen again! :P
As for pictures of the weekend... well... You'll have to wait till you see me to show you. I don't want pictures floating around and Otto accidentally getting ahold of them and seeing anything he isn't supposed to see. I was told make him wait till the wedding day to see the dress, and so I'm now trying to make that happen. But there are pictures, and I am willing to share them with people when I see them next. So, you may have to call me to set up a time to meet for coffee or something...
So, we started the day at 830am and ended around 430pm. We called up the BOYS and met them at Mr. Pizza north for some very tasty pizza!!! It was very memorable and fun. And it I had to do it all again I would, in a heart beat!
I would like to thank my grandma for chugging along with all us "young kids"! You're awesome and I can't believe you were able to keep up with all our running around!! I really appreciate you being willing to participate in the whole experience. It means alot to me that you were able to join us all day!
Mom, what I can I say other than you're amazing! You're there when I need you most, and you know what to say and what to do. I don't think I would have been able to make it through the day without you! I'm really glad you were there with us, and doing your "Momma Jo" thing!!
Tami, thanks so much for trying all those dresses without complaining. It means alot to me that you were willing to do that with me hardly having to ask. And I love all of your input on the dresses. I'm also glad you kept us moving along, it gets easy to get side tracked when going through everything - thanks for keeping the blinders on so we stayed focused!
Diane, I really appreciate your willingness to drive all the way up to Rochester to join us for the Expo. It was alot of fun,and meant alot to me that you were there with us.
Jeb, thanks for taking all those pictures! And thanks for being there for me during the process. Thanks for the opinions and support, it means alot that you're willing to do almost anything for me... even if I asked you to wear a fig leaf and nothing else... not that I would ever ask that of you!
Joanna, you're just such a super lady! hahaha!! Thanks so much for coming all the way down from the Cities to join us in the hustle and bustle of Saturday. I'm grateful for all the jokes and wise cracks that kept me sane and in a good mood! I can't wait to see you again!!!
Chelle... what is there to say?! You're the best! With your backpack of snacks and being willing to help strap me into those dresses I don't think I could find enough words to thank you. And you better have savored every minute of it cause you know it's probably not going to happen again! :P
As for pictures of the weekend... well... You'll have to wait till you see me to show you. I don't want pictures floating around and Otto accidentally getting ahold of them and seeing anything he isn't supposed to see. I was told make him wait till the wedding day to see the dress, and so I'm now trying to make that happen. But there are pictures, and I am willing to share them with people when I see them next. So, you may have to call me to set up a time to meet for coffee or something...
02 January 2008
WI DMV
So, it's official. I am a resident of WI, but I'm not happy about it. And it's not because I am considered a Cheesehead... It's all because of the stupid DMV!
I went there this morning to get a new driver's license. And when the man asked me for my current driver's license I asked for it back once he was finished getting all the information. He told me I had to surrender it, because of some federal thing... I pointed out to him that I sort of need a form of ID these days... you know with using credit cards and checks to pay for things. He tells me I'll get my new license in 7 days. For some reason this did not make me feel any better. He took my only form of photo ID! And to replace it I got a sticking piece of paper that means nothing to anyone but the police, if they so choose to pull me over sometime. And what if I wanted to go to the bar for a drink, which never really happens... but suppose I wanted to. Now I can't! I'm just... so... frustrated! I even asked him to just clip the corner to make it an invalid license. He looked at me like I was crazy! Seriously, what's wrong with some people over here?!
On another note, I can't wait to come back to MN this weekend for the Wedding Expo! It's going to be a "Girl's Day Out"! It should be interesting with the opinions ranging over 3 generations. Hopefully I can get some pics to share.
I went there this morning to get a new driver's license. And when the man asked me for my current driver's license I asked for it back once he was finished getting all the information. He told me I had to surrender it, because of some federal thing... I pointed out to him that I sort of need a form of ID these days... you know with using credit cards and checks to pay for things. He tells me I'll get my new license in 7 days. For some reason this did not make me feel any better. He took my only form of photo ID! And to replace it I got a sticking piece of paper that means nothing to anyone but the police, if they so choose to pull me over sometime. And what if I wanted to go to the bar for a drink, which never really happens... but suppose I wanted to. Now I can't! I'm just... so... frustrated! I even asked him to just clip the corner to make it an invalid license. He looked at me like I was crazy! Seriously, what's wrong with some people over here?!
On another note, I can't wait to come back to MN this weekend for the Wedding Expo! It's going to be a "Girl's Day Out"! It should be interesting with the opinions ranging over 3 generations. Hopefully I can get some pics to share.
01 January 2008
Happy New Year!
On the 31st Otto had to work, so I drove all the way to Prairie du Sac (30 min.) t0 meet him for lunch. Here's a picture of his office space.
They are working on the construction of a new building for work, so right now most of them are working out of cubicles, but not Otto. No... They put him in a corner, all by himself. I bet he gets lonely.
Anyway, when I got there we did a quick tour and went to the Blue Spoon for lunch. It was decent, nothing to write home about though. The upside was that they had gelato! My new obsession!!! Although I would have liked chocolate better... but they didn't have any.
It's been awhile, but I would like to introduce Dimitri. He's a blue hooded rat, even though he's gray...
And here, of course, are the boys. Sergio, who is looking at the camera and Victor who was in the middle of taking a bath. It's very obvious that they are brothers.
Here's another project I did a while ago, but didn't get around to posting. I took 3 canvases and covered them with fabric, then took 5x7's that were black and white and put them on the canvases. I think it turned out very well. Gives the living room a little something warm with the maroon color. And we needed something to go above the couch.
As you can tell our fridge is chaos.... why? Because people send us pictures, and I put them up. People send us cards, and I put them up. We get coupons from the store, and I put them up. Then we have our list pads and other random things. I always like the look of a full fridge!
Here's the picture that Rachel gave us for Christmas. We placed it above our stereo system, and we love it! Thanks a ton Rachel!!!!
Here's another gift I'm absolutely in love with. Their names are Laverne and Shirley. Diane gave them to me for Christmas and I've had a blast with them. At one point they were trying to eat Otto's knee, and I tried to pick a fight with Keesha, but she's a wussy dog and ran away... Either way they are toasty and a lot of fun!!! Thanks Diane!!!
And here's one of the gifts I sort of got from the parents at the place where I work. Most of the parents gave the staff gift certificates... so I went and bought Guitar Hero for the Wii! Otto and I have had a blast playing for the past 24 hours!! My favorite part is to go out on the internet and play people. I think I have a pretty good record, 7-2! But then again I haven't been playing long. If someone else has the game and wants to meet up to play just let me know!
I've decided to make a list for the New Year.
My 8 Top Resolutions of 2008!
1. I am going to give up soda for 6 months. (you may be asking yourself why... well, I have a tendency to become addicted to drinking soda. Not to the level of Sean, who has actually gotten better, but I become too dependent upon getting that carbonated rush! And I chose 6 months cause I've never gone that long before, and I think it could be a very interesting challenge for me)
2. Try cooking healthier food. (Not that Otto and I eat a lot of junk food, or meals packed with fat, but I think it would be nice to learn how to tweak recipes to be healthier for us. I try to do that now, but I know I could do better)
3. Blog more! (I enjoy people reading what I have to say, and responding... and it's also kind of fun to look back at what I've written in the past and see how I got to where I am now)
4. Cut back on purchasing books and movies. (I looked back at my spending over the last year for books and movies alone and it was ridiculous! I love to own the books I'm reading, and the movies I really enjoyed... but there is this thing called a library and another place called Blockbuster... )
5. Foster more creativity. (I didn't realize how much I missed making jewelry until I got started making all my gifts this year. And not just jewelry, but drawing, writing and maybe evening painting - even though it makes a big mess and I hate cleaning up my messes)
6. Get on a regular cleaning schedule. (I always forget about it until Otto says something or I notice how dirty/dusty/smelly something gets, not that our place is a pigsty or anything. I just want to create a schedule to stick to to help keep cleaning regular)
7. Be more satisfied with what I have, and downsize on what I really don't need. (I'm a natural pack rat. I keep tons of things I really don't need, and buy more things I never even use... then I end up throwing things away or donating them. I just need to simplify)
8. Appreciate friends and family. (Not that I don't do that already, but sometimes I get caught up in things and forget to call/email/visit friends and family. And I need to appreciate all the things that make them who they are and accept those things - good or bad. I made them my friends for a reason, and of course I had no choice with my family... but I love them anyway!)
They are working on the construction of a new building for work, so right now most of them are working out of cubicles, but not Otto. No... They put him in a corner, all by himself. I bet he gets lonely.
Anyway, when I got there we did a quick tour and went to the Blue Spoon for lunch. It was decent, nothing to write home about though. The upside was that they had gelato! My new obsession!!! Although I would have liked chocolate better... but they didn't have any.
It's been awhile, but I would like to introduce Dimitri. He's a blue hooded rat, even though he's gray...
And here, of course, are the boys. Sergio, who is looking at the camera and Victor who was in the middle of taking a bath. It's very obvious that they are brothers.
Here's another project I did a while ago, but didn't get around to posting. I took 3 canvases and covered them with fabric, then took 5x7's that were black and white and put them on the canvases. I think it turned out very well. Gives the living room a little something warm with the maroon color. And we needed something to go above the couch.
As you can tell our fridge is chaos.... why? Because people send us pictures, and I put them up. People send us cards, and I put them up. We get coupons from the store, and I put them up. Then we have our list pads and other random things. I always like the look of a full fridge!
Here's the picture that Rachel gave us for Christmas. We placed it above our stereo system, and we love it! Thanks a ton Rachel!!!!
Here's another gift I'm absolutely in love with. Their names are Laverne and Shirley. Diane gave them to me for Christmas and I've had a blast with them. At one point they were trying to eat Otto's knee, and I tried to pick a fight with Keesha, but she's a wussy dog and ran away... Either way they are toasty and a lot of fun!!! Thanks Diane!!!
And here's one of the gifts I sort of got from the parents at the place where I work. Most of the parents gave the staff gift certificates... so I went and bought Guitar Hero for the Wii! Otto and I have had a blast playing for the past 24 hours!! My favorite part is to go out on the internet and play people. I think I have a pretty good record, 7-2! But then again I haven't been playing long. If someone else has the game and wants to meet up to play just let me know!
I've decided to make a list for the New Year.
My 8 Top Resolutions of 2008!
1. I am going to give up soda for 6 months. (you may be asking yourself why... well, I have a tendency to become addicted to drinking soda. Not to the level of Sean, who has actually gotten better, but I become too dependent upon getting that carbonated rush! And I chose 6 months cause I've never gone that long before, and I think it could be a very interesting challenge for me)
2. Try cooking healthier food. (Not that Otto and I eat a lot of junk food, or meals packed with fat, but I think it would be nice to learn how to tweak recipes to be healthier for us. I try to do that now, but I know I could do better)
3. Blog more! (I enjoy people reading what I have to say, and responding... and it's also kind of fun to look back at what I've written in the past and see how I got to where I am now)
4. Cut back on purchasing books and movies. (I looked back at my spending over the last year for books and movies alone and it was ridiculous! I love to own the books I'm reading, and the movies I really enjoyed... but there is this thing called a library and another place called Blockbuster... )
5. Foster more creativity. (I didn't realize how much I missed making jewelry until I got started making all my gifts this year. And not just jewelry, but drawing, writing and maybe evening painting - even though it makes a big mess and I hate cleaning up my messes)
6. Get on a regular cleaning schedule. (I always forget about it until Otto says something or I notice how dirty/dusty/smelly something gets, not that our place is a pigsty or anything. I just want to create a schedule to stick to to help keep cleaning regular)
7. Be more satisfied with what I have, and downsize on what I really don't need. (I'm a natural pack rat. I keep tons of things I really don't need, and buy more things I never even use... then I end up throwing things away or donating them. I just need to simplify)
8. Appreciate friends and family. (Not that I don't do that already, but sometimes I get caught up in things and forget to call/email/visit friends and family. And I need to appreciate all the things that make them who they are and accept those things - good or bad. I made them my friends for a reason, and of course I had no choice with my family... but I love them anyway!)
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