Subbing for Mr. To

Yesterday, I got to sub for Wayne as he took the day to attend a teaching conference. It was definitely a fun experience!

I remember in junior high and high school, being so weirded out, yet fascinated when I saw my teachers' husbands or wives and got to catch a glimpse of their lives outside of the classroom... you mean teachers don't live at school? And I think that's what it must have been like for Wayne's students. His kids were all so excited to meet me; I definitely had no problem commanding their attentions or respect (although I did have to confiscate a cell phone). And they had looks of awe--awe!--as I went over the day's agenda and did normal substitute teacher things, haha. At the end of his last period, they insisted on asking me questions about Mr. To, so we had a short Q&A. Apparently, there was some rumor going around that Mr. To has a dog tattoo on his back (?!), and they wanted to get the real story from me, haha... so I spun them a tale about a college TJ trip gone wrong. I know, I'm bad, huh? I also told them the history of Mr. To's hair (how's it's pretty much been the same since elementary school except for a period of long bangs in high school and then a odd-looking buzz-ish cut our second year in college)... and they wanted to know about our first date (... I seriously don't remember, so I told them a little about the blanket at the beach story).

Wayne said his students liked having me as their sub, and one student (the one that I confiscated the cell phone from) said, "Dude, Mr. To, you've got game!" (... like Scrabble?)

Now they want to meet the baby, so I'm bringing Lucy in after school on Friday. :)

Crab Feed!

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Sacramento hosted their annual crab feed fundraiser Saturday night. Tickets were $40 each, but because Wayne is the advisor for Key Club, the Kiwani's high school program, he was given two tickets as a gift! What a kind and unexpected treat! Wayne's Key Club kids were also there to set up and wait tables, so it was fun to be Mr. To's date. :) (sometimes it's like being a minor celebrity. "Mr. To! Mrs. To! Smile for my camera!" "Okay, now mine!")

We invited Steven and Lisa, who are crab feed veterans! Lisa came with a huge diaper bag filled with bottles of seasonings, homemade sauces, butter and butter-warming device, crab crackers, towels, plastic bags, a bottle of wine... and the four of us proceeded to stuff ourselves silly, going through two big trays piled high with crab!

At the door, we were suckered into buying $20 worth of raffle tickets, but it paid off, because we actually won a $50 giftcard to Banana Republic!!! (We are now two for two in raffle winnings. Our other "big" win was a dining certificate for Strings Italian Restaurant that we won at the State Fair this past summer).

But the highlight of the evening has to be Wayne's stellar performance in the paper airplane contest, where, to the cheers of me and his Key Club kids, he came in first in his division of men 18-40, and won his first trophy. The little plaque actually says "Kiwani's Crab Feed 2009 Airplane Contest Winner". What a feat! What a night! I am so proud. :)

Lucy's first walk!

Lucy got her third and final set of vaccinations this morning, which means we can safely take her out to public places now! And so before lunch, the To family went for a nice walk around the canal by our house.

When we first got Lucy, she reminded me SO much of Indee... in how she looked and in her mannerisms. I kept calling her "Indee" for at least a week (and still do sometimes when I'm not thinking). As Lucy is growing older, I'm seeing more and more how she has her own personality, which in many ways is very different from Indee. One such difference is how Lucy is a lot more adventurous than Indee. The first time Indee went for a walk, she freaked out and tried to scamper back up the driveway into our house. We decided to carry her down the block and start our walk there, but Indee proceeded to scamper up EVERY driveway, in desparate hope that it would lead to home, until we finally reached our house.

Lucy, on the other hand, has been itching to venture past our fence for a long time and was SO excited during her walk. She trotted and sniffed, chased little animals and marked her territory, like a seasoned pro. And when we finally returned home, she was so tired she barely made it to her water bowl for a drink before konking out in the middle of the kitchen floor for a long nap.

I'm excited for my new running buddy! ... except, I think we're going to have to work on her endurance.

look at the proud dad with all his camera gear!

this is how we play tug-o-war...

she's either lazy, or... doesn't get the game?

i love how she falls over "dead" at the end. :)

a fair weather fan

I am tired of this cold and gloom. Having lived in San Diego for so long, I have been so spoiled as to expect "winters" that last a month and then dissolve into the usual warm, sunny flip-flp weather that has become my climate norm. But this is not so in Sacramento (my poor flip-flops are gathering dust and cobwebs). And while I know it could be MUCH worse, I am a wuss when it comes to cold, so please, just be sympathetic.

Cold weather debilitates me. This is one of the reasons, if not THE reason, why I don't enjoy skiing, even though my dad is a fanatic and we grew up visiting the slopes numerous times each season... On swim team, as a kid and even as an adult, I was always the last one in the pool (or in the ocean, when I was triathlon training), negatively anticipating that moment of icy daggers puncturing each inch of my flesh (let me exaggerate). My coaches would always be yelling at me to get in, succeeding only after threatening me with extra laps, or pushing me in, which did happen on several occasions.

And so in my first Sacramento winter, I have been a shivering ball of misery. Yes, we do turn on the heater, but I can't control the climate outside, which has been gray and prickly for some time now. Perhaps I am like Superman; depending on the sun to give me life, energy, and initiative to venture out of the house. I've even stopped running(!) because I am waiting for the sun to shine.

I realize, though, that the sun can't always shine, and it's irresponsible of me to put all things on hold until it does. I am a fair weather fan. Literally, but also metaphorically. And so today, I decided that I would bundle up, brave the elements, and face my storm... and run.  I have to get used to it sometime...

lost

Wayne lost his wedding band last night somewhere between puppy class, Circuit City, and home. He's bummed, but it's not his fault. It was slightly too big for him, and the winter cold that shrinks the blood vessels in his fingers didn't help. He's accidentally flung it off on a few occasions, but he's usually cognizant of its absence and proceeds to retrieve it. This time, though, I guess it just slipped off and he didn't know. He's notified the managers at both PetSmart and Circuit City, and we'll wait a week before purchasing a new one.

Secretly, or maybe not so secretly, I'm not too upset, because 1. his ring was an inexpensive tungsten band that we purchased on amazon, and 2. now we can find one that fits better--size-wise and style!

as promised...

... a picture of Lucy with rice on her face, after stuffing herself silly on the jook I made for her. :)

"please, sir... can I have some more?"


and this is Lucy playing with the new (stuffed) lemming I got her. I love how it looks so real! (I think... I've never actually seen a live lemming).

"You, Mom? RUN?!"

confession: I haven't run in a long time... a really long time. I blame the cold and the dreary weather, but I know I can really only blame myself and my lack of discipline.

I had a little conversation with Lucy today that was pretty convicting. It went something like this:

Me: Hey, Lucy. I see a clearing in the rain. I think I'm going to go for a run!
Lucy: You, Mom? RUN?!
Me: Yeah... why do you seem so surprised?
Lucy: I don't know... I've just never seen you exercise before. I mean, MoMo's mom does a lot of yoga and goes to bar method classes, so I can see her being physically fit. You just kind of sit around and stay home a lot. I just didn't know you were into stuff like that...

Ouch. But you know what they say, kids and puppies say the darnedest things, but also speak the truth.

So I laced up my shoes (took me a while to find my running hat; it's been so long), and went for a quick 3-miler--nice and short to start out with... and turn this thing back into more of a habit than an aberration.

picture (im)perfect

I just got my new drivers license in the mail... it's alarming.

"Kittens", Inspired by Kittens!

hahahaha, Angela just shared this hilarious clip to me!