tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282774392024-03-13T03:05:46.186-07:00Whisperings in my ear"...And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!" D&C 128:23Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-70288350582303242172012-02-10T08:01:00.000-08:002012-02-10T08:08:45.408-08:00So You Think I am Overpaid?<a href="http://www.wylio.com/credits/flickr/6355836713" title="license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ - click to view more info about 'Money' or find free 'money' pictures via Wylio"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px" alt="'Money' photo (c) 2010, 401K - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qZf2C6Ta6-8/TzVAOz99L_I/AAAAAAAAAck/oaPqtF-4Bjg/Flickr-6355836713.jpg" width="263" height="175"/></a><br />Lately I have seeing a curious trend in the popular opinion about teachers. The idea that I keep seeing expressed is that teachers are actually overpaid. This doesn’t surprise me since I have seen my profession become less esteemed and more and more degraded every year since I became a teacher.<br /><br />The theory about us being overpaid is that we are paid all year long for a part year job. So I decided to run the numbers to see if that is really true. Most jobs run on a 40 hour work week. Between holidays and vacation days I figure most people work 50 weeks a year. This means that most people work on average 2000 hours a year. Let’s see how teachers compare.<br /><br />My contract is to work 187 days a year. My official work day is 8am-4pm which is an 8 hour day. Most teachers arrive to school at least ½ hour early and stay at least ½ hour late which brings it to a 9 hour day. Add to that a minimal 1 hour at home to grade papers, lesson plan or call parents and that means we typically work at least 10 hours a day. So 187 x 10= 1870 hours a year. However, I am also required to earn 150 Professional growth hours every 5 years so that breaks down to 30 hours a year. So now we are up to 1900 hours a year. I have to turn in progress reports every 3rd week and final grades every 6th week. Each time that adds about 2 hours of extra work as I work with students to make up work, make additional parent contacts and work with our annoying grading software that the district uses. This adds least another 12 hours. So now I am at 1912 hours a year. <br /><br />If I sponsor a club, attend school sporting events, plays and concerts, volunteer for school improvement committees, keep up to date in new teaching practices, go to required open houses, an annual lighthouse event, department meetings, faculty meetings (which I do) I will easily spend at least a conservative 40 hours a year fulfilling additional duties.<br />That brings me to 1952 hours. Which means I work 48 hours less than my professional counterpart? But oh, wait, the state has changed the state standards for the subject that I teach so I need to rewrite my curriculum, or my principal asks me to teach a new class, or I decide to film each of my lectures at home so that absent students can watch them and not get behind. Plus, I decide to create a class website where they can get additional help for their homework and a class Facebook page so that I can keep them informed with due dates and upcoming tests. Then my school tried to save money by getting rid of two of our copiers so I either have to arrive super early to school, stay late or come in on the weekend to make my copies. So those 48 hours? They are gone and then some.<br /><br />Ok, so maybe I work as many hours as a typical professional, but at least I have the luxury of a long summer, two weeks off for Christmas and an Easter break. I do not deny it, and I am grateful for those breaks. It would be hard to be a teacher without those times.<br /><br />However, even with those perks please remember that I have a job that no matter how hard I work, no matter how much I care for and love my students, no matter how many extra trainings I attend to be a better teacher, I have no possibility of promotion or external recognition. The only “promotion” would be if I got my administrators credential and left the classroom. However, why is the reward for being a great teacher to take me out of the classroom? I became a teacher to teach and I love to do it.<br /><br />I don’t expect a pay raise any time soon, but I do want people to stop demeaning the efforts I make every day by telling me that I am overpaid.Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-40307095986981488092011-08-14T10:53:00.001-07:002011-08-14T13:39:15.528-07:00Graduation<div><div><p>I have a few hours left of my summer vacation. I spent my last free weekend in Beaumont, TX at my graduation with my family. Sitting with the other master degree students, waiting for my name to be called, I realized that not being a student leaves a vacuum in my life.</p><p>Since finishing my last class I have been throwing myself into learning new things. I've even tried creating a few android apps. </p><p>I love learning new things and it took going back to school to remind me just how much. </p></div>
<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8HtzsjL8Wh0/TkgMrcHPpII/AAAAAAAAAbE/etfSwsLDbN8/IMAG0045.png" /></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-72276701655603088672010-01-25T11:55:00.000-08:002010-01-25T11:58:01.838-08:00Star Chart Presentation<object id="prezi_955b1fe15a4c570e29e2b9e2b70f01f9a5b5c865" name="prezi_955b1fe15a4c570e29e2b9e2b70f01f9a5b5c865" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="550" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf"/> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"/> <param name="flashvars" value="prezi_id=955b1fe15a4c570e29e2b9e2b70f01f9a5b5c865&lock_to_path=1&color=ffffff&autoplay=no"/> <embed id="preziEmbed_955b1fe15a4c570e29e2b9e2b70f01f9a5b5c865" name="preziEmbed_955b1fe15a4c570e29e2b9e2b70f01f9a5b5c865" src="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="550" height="400" bgcolor="#ffffff" flashvars="prezi_id=955b1fe15a4c570e29e2b9e2b70f01f9a5b5c865&lock_to_path=1&color=ffffff&autoplay=no"></embed></object>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-56550146938097698272010-01-23T06:30:00.000-08:002010-01-23T06:33:21.319-08:00Concepts of Educational Technology AssignmentDigital technologies are changing the world. If we are to prepare our students adequately to meet the global, technologically advanced workplace of tomorrow, we must change many of our antiquated teaching methods. The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology is an ambitious plan to bring Texas schools, teachers and students into the digital future by 2020. While it is divided into four sections, it is the first, Teaching and Learning, that needs to be addressed. <br /><br />Ideally by the year 2020, our classrooms will have undergone a significant shift. The teacher will be learning alongside his or her students, becoming a facilitator and a mentor to the students. This is an essential transition as we can no longer allow our students to merely consume information given to them. The vast amount of information on the internet, both true and untrue, means that our students must learn how to find, evaluate and apply information for themselves.<br /><br />According to the Texas Star Chart, a tool for assessing the progress Texas Educators are making towards the four goals of the plan, Mesquite High School is among the 69% s Texas schools which are at the “developing tech” level in Teaching and Learning. This means that while we are using technology in some of our classrooms, instruction is still being directed by the teachers, rather than being student centered.<br /><br />In order to reach our target goal, teachers must search for professional development opportunities to increase our understanding of ways to use technology in the classroom. We also must realize that the students themselves have much to teach us as well. If we are willing to learn, they can show uses for technology that we could never imagine.Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-3154826875621858302009-07-07T08:03:00.000-07:002009-07-07T08:05:31.812-07:00Happy 4th of July... a few days late<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SlNkC7hL1NI/AAAAAAAAAYI/gpgZfNk76RU/s1600-h/image-1-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SlNkC7hL1NI/AAAAAAAAAYI/gpgZfNk76RU/s320/image-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355734383373046994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SlNkCjcQ5MI/AAAAAAAAAYA/AiD7jiVnWqY/s1600-h/image-5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SlNkCjcQ5MI/AAAAAAAAAYA/AiD7jiVnWqY/s320/image-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355734376909956290" /></a>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-50316171241409795522009-06-24T20:07:00.000-07:002009-06-24T20:27:31.451-07:00Now I see it<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>People have been telling me for several months how much Maddie looks like me but I haven't been able to see it. Today, my Dad brought over some pictures of me and my sister Tracy as babies and I can definitely see it now. What do you think, does she look like Spencer or me or a combination?<div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLr27jvzeI/AAAAAAAAAXo/U09adWG63co/s320/maddie+bath" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351098636202659298" /><div style="text-align: center;">Maddie</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLuMX46wmI/AAAAAAAAAX4/am1WfCNR9Rw/s1600-h/Couch+Spence.jpg"></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLuMX46wmI/AAAAAAAAAX4/am1WfCNR9Rw/s1600-h/Couch+Spence.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLuMX46wmI/AAAAAAAAAX4/am1WfCNR9Rw/s320/Couch+Spence.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351101203608158818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Spencer</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLuMBsrRqI/AAAAAAAAAXw/x0kyr5iipyU/s1600-h/Baby+Spence.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLuMBsrRqI/AAAAAAAAAXw/x0kyr5iipyU/s320/Baby+Spence.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351101197651232418" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Spencer</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq1nnDAnI/AAAAAAAAAXg/_G8tGN5tvpc/s1600-h/image-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq1nnDAnI/AAAAAAAAAXg/_G8tGN5tvpc/s320/image-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351097514156294770" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Me</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq1WDNZfI/AAAAAAAAAXY/ztcHFNbi0qk/s1600-h/image-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq1WDNZfI/AAAAAAAAAXY/ztcHFNbi0qk/s320/image-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351097509442577906" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Me</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq1CmkK4I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/QGUJffPoEcQ/s1600-h/image-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq1CmkK4I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/QGUJffPoEcQ/s320/image-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351097504222161794" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Me</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq03IzpmI/AAAAAAAAAXI/liL9G-k2Lzs/s1600-h/image-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq03IzpmI/AAAAAAAAAXI/liL9G-k2Lzs/s320/image-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351097501144557154" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Me</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq023cF2I/AAAAAAAAAXA/_4Uie7qP4zg/s1600-h/image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLq023cF2I/AAAAAAAAAXA/_4Uie7qP4zg/s320/image.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351097501071710050" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Tracy</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-43879482644955937642009-06-24T20:04:00.000-07:002009-06-24T20:06:58.075-07:00A Hot Day at the Dallas Arboretum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLpwZ_v0fI/AAAAAAAAAW4/ZK4yvbGS-A0/s1600-h/maddie+fountain"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLpwZ_v0fI/AAAAAAAAAW4/ZK4yvbGS-A0/s320/maddie+fountain" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351096325090824690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLpwLIsSlI/AAAAAAAAAWw/8PUWc-vrBoU/s1600-h/maddie+trees"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLpwLIsSlI/AAAAAAAAAWw/8PUWc-vrBoU/s320/maddie+trees" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351096321101810258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLpwFvw7BI/AAAAAAAAAWo/0HT8vbr0E_o/s1600-h/maddies+last+stand"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLpwFvw7BI/AAAAAAAAAWo/0HT8vbr0E_o/s320/maddies+last+stand" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351096319655078930" /></a><br />We went to the Dallas Arboretum with some friends from work today. Man oh man, was it hot! I did get a few cute pictures of Maddie though.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-2929570811091236562009-06-24T19:38:00.000-07:002009-06-24T20:04:24.009-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoHMCt34I/AAAAAAAAAWg/63DpgxFhPtU/s1600-h/first+cracker"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoHMCt34I/AAAAAAAAAWg/63DpgxFhPtU/s320/first+cracker" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351094517458919298" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Some very baby wise friends let me know that Maddie is old enough to have a cracker now. This is a picture of her very first one. She took to it like a pro and knew exactly what to do with it.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoG7-8HKI/AAAAAAAAAWY/qUfW0mAnrnI/s1600-h/messymaddie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoG7-8HKI/AAAAAAAAAWY/qUfW0mAnrnI/s320/messymaddie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351094513148107938" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Of course, this new skill has led to a whole new level of messiness!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoGSrkk2I/AAAAAAAAAWI/yKfh3IzyXSs/s320/maddie+and+jackson" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351094502061020002" /><div style="text-align: center;">We went to Houston to visit Spencer's brother and family last weekend. This is Jackson, he is about three months older than Maddie. I already know that they will be great friends.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoGopxU9I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/SHBEABrTI8I/s1600-h/maddie+and+jackson+2"></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoGopxU9I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/SHBEABrTI8I/s1600-h/maddie+and+jackson+2" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SkLoGopxU9I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/SHBEABrTI8I/s320/maddie+and+jackson+2" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351094507959047122" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Of course, friendship doesn't always go smoothly.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-17933293729807846042009-06-10T18:15:00.000-07:002009-06-10T18:26:31.239-07:00By popular demand<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBdH09HauI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/TrbCLhyOKZE/s1600-h/IMG_0526.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBdH09HauI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/TrbCLhyOKZE/s320/IMG_0526.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345875146744228578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBdHcTtsnI/AAAAAAAAAVI/tll_vG6hyh4/s1600-h/IMG_0544.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBdHcTtsnI/AAAAAAAAAVI/tll_vG6hyh4/s320/IMG_0544.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345875140128125554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBdHPtOdGI/AAAAAAAAAVA/PztDbOyM3hU/s1600-h/IMG_0659.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBdHPtOdGI/AAAAAAAAAVA/PztDbOyM3hU/s320/IMG_0659.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345875136745469026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBcTRImmAI/AAAAAAAAAU4/dDy6Kn2vf68/s1600-h/IMG_0548.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBcTRImmAI/AAAAAAAAAU4/dDy6Kn2vf68/s320/IMG_0548.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345874243775535106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBcTIPKSZI/AAAAAAAAAUw/V5TlaQlkURs/s1600-h/IMG_0603.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBcTIPKSZI/AAAAAAAAAUw/V5TlaQlkURs/s320/IMG_0603.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345874241387121042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBbs7soqPI/AAAAAAAAAUo/ywmOQG7soyM/s1600-h/IMG_0674.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBbs7soqPI/AAAAAAAAAUo/ywmOQG7soyM/s320/IMG_0674.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345873585186056434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBbscuo_zI/AAAAAAAAAUg/3w_ONI606d4/s1600-h/IMG_0627.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SjBbscuo_zI/AAAAAAAAAUg/3w_ONI606d4/s320/IMG_0627.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345873576872967986" /></a><br />I've been told to put up some more pictures of Maddie ASAP, so here you go Mom!<div><br /></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-41427624657881594182009-06-10T14:19:00.001-07:002009-06-10T14:19:04.726-07:00How to Be Adorable | eHow.comI wrote this just for fun. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5083518_adorable.html">How to Be Adorable | eHow.com</a><br /><br />Shared via <a href="http://addthis.com">AddThis</a><br /><br />Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-55081265756935884092009-05-26T08:38:00.000-07:002009-05-26T08:52:07.990-07:00Before and After<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw_p6EdqRIY6FIqRl24E7hqhE5CASIirAQ-EiECsSdZ2dVA6QUGm6PYGEukKBpqZDZ5SCgwgECYKFM' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div>The other day I was going through some of Maddie's old clothes and I cam across her preemie outfits. It is hard to remember that my chubby little baby was ever so tiny. To show the contrast I made up a short slideshow of pictures from her first few months and recent pictures.</div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-625735736276350272009-05-01T12:57:00.001-07:002009-05-01T13:15:06.831-07:00Writing Update<div>Somehow I think I missed April. It just flew by and I don't know where it went. I didn't get as much writing done, but I was able to write about 12 articles on Helium.com. I need to make sure that I don't slack off. My goal is to write a minimum of one article on Ehow and Helium every day. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 63px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SftUplFBh8I/AAAAAAAAAT4/uQT2SX8bJ18/s320/Picture+9.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330947657227667394" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is a screenshot of my ehow.com earnings. So far I have 29 articles written and have earned about $35 on them. I made $19.86 in April, but the cool thing is that I didn't write any new articles in April. This is what I love about writing for the web. The articles I write now will make me money for months to come. I am constantly learning what kind of articles earn the best, and how to optimize them for the search engines. Eventually, I hope to have several hundred articles which are making me a few hundred dollars a month with little additional work.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SftUpSy04zI/AAAAAAAAATw/BEdfxPb9_DI/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SftUpSy04zI/AAAAAAAAATw/BEdfxPb9_DI/s320/Picture+8.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330947652319503154" /></a><br />This is a screenshot from my Helium account. I've only earned $5.63 in views, but I have earned $80.00 in upfront payments and marketplace sales. Basically, I earn $1.50 for each article I write, plus a share of the site revenue based on my page views. I have also sold four articles to the Marketplace for $10 each. The marketplace is where publishers request articles on specific titles and indicate how much they are willing to pay for them and how many they are willing to buy. I am getting a lot of experience writing for them and am building up my portfolio at the same time so I can start getting freelance work on my own. I have two other articles I wrote for Marketplace that I haven't heard back from. If they are selected, I'll earn another $50.<div><br /></div><div>So far, my progress has been slow, but I kind of see it like a snowball. I really think that it will keep building until it will finally become large enough for me to stay home with Maddie.</div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-9824394141700744382009-05-01T11:56:00.000-07:002009-05-01T12:04:14.652-07:00Selling Out to the ManYou may have noticed a few changes to my blog, especially the new ads for Amazon on the right hand side. This is another step in my SAHM quest. Basically, I get a small referral fee whenever anyone buys something after using one of my links to Amazon even if it is a different product from the one they originally clicked on. So, in other words, if you need to buy something from Amazon, use one of my links and help a sister out!Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-73250488528152084412009-04-23T12:58:00.000-07:002009-04-23T13:08:11.162-07:001st Annual Bluebonnet Pictures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDKVII_mDI/AAAAAAAAATo/e1t6CxWv2h4/s1600-h/IMG_0388.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDKVII_mDI/AAAAAAAAATo/e1t6CxWv2h4/s320/IMG_0388.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327980823490566194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDJ6hlWwyI/AAAAAAAAATg/wDSwm5VSkTU/s1600-h/IMG_0366.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDJ6hlWwyI/AAAAAAAAATg/wDSwm5VSkTU/s320/IMG_0366.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327980366463943458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDJvClj99I/AAAAAAAAATY/XWqDDZGEbRQ/s1600-h/IMG_0359.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDJvClj99I/AAAAAAAAATY/XWqDDZGEbRQ/s320/IMG_0359.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327980169164748754" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDJkyu5r4I/AAAAAAAAATQ/PmLT-8uBP6o/s1600-h/IMG_0418.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SfDJkyu5r4I/AAAAAAAAATQ/PmLT-8uBP6o/s320/IMG_0418.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327979993110261634" /></a><br />In case you didn't know, I must inform you that the state flower in Texas is the Bluebonnet. Every year, in early April, the sides of the freeways, empty fields and such are filled with beautiful blue flowers that indicate that Spring is close at hand. It is kind of a tradition for many families to take a yearly picture of the kiddos with the bluebonnets. Well, I don't want to be accused of not being a true Texan, so I put Maddie in her Easter dress and took her to an empty field to take her first bluebonnet pictures. Of course, she fell asleep on the way there and I had to wake her up to take t he pictures, so she isn't smiling too much in any of them. I think she looks pretty cute anyway.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-83854198654322965652009-04-23T12:53:00.000-07:002009-04-23T12:58:13.860-07:00'Twilight' series pulled from Deseret Book shelves<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(64, 116, 171); font-family: 'Times New roman'; font-size: 24px; line-height: 23px; "><a href="http://www.mormontimes.com/arts_entertainment/books/?id=7408">'Twilight' series pulled from Deseret Book shelves</a></span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(64, 116, 171); font-family: 'Times New roman'; font-size: 24px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(64, 116, 171); font-family: 'Times New roman'; font-size: 24px; line-height: 23px;">I'm sorry, but this is just ridiculous. I am sure they made this decision after a few "well-meaning" busy bodies complained about the inappropriateness of a book about vampires being within a stones throw of books about prophets. But, seriously? Just don't read it if you don't think it is appropriate. I mean, the Bible has way more inappropriate sex and stuff going on than Twilight does.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(64, 116, 171); font-family: 'Times New roman'; font-size: 24px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(64, 116, 171); font-family: 'Times New roman'; font-size: 24px; line-height: 23px;">What do you think?</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-22251392262995108952009-04-07T08:03:00.000-07:002009-04-07T08:27:50.984-07:00Before and After<div align="center">Shots? Three of them? Cool... umm what are shots? Are they some kind of toy? I like toys!</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321965518191881890" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SdtrcRq0bqI/AAAAAAAAATA/mKlvjjOugpM/s320/before.jpg" /><br /><br /><div align="center">What just happened? I trusted you Dad!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321965522086572866" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SdtrcgLYs0I/AAAAAAAAATI/400EBeTKIC0/s320/3shots.jpg" /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-23805549592416108462009-03-30T16:46:00.001-07:002009-03-30T16:46:30.759-07:00Maddie's Trick<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/mEMb9PcnWic' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/mEMb9PcnWic'/></object></p><p>Pleas ignore the double chin and focus on the cutest baby in the world!</p></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-31951842835748295132009-03-30T16:44:00.001-07:002009-03-30T16:44:55.647-07:00Maddie Laughing at Daddy<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/1iKDjgXVTKQ' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/1iKDjgXVTKQ'/></object></p><p>Spencer really is the best Daddy in the whole world. Maddie just adores him. He can always make her laugh and she loves to fall asleep in his arms as he plays video games.</p></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-43743323521816898042009-03-23T13:18:00.000-07:002009-03-23T13:22:20.540-07:00Keys to a Successful Relationship3 of 53<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Keys to a Successful relationship<br /><br />"I'm just no good at relationships!" It was after midnight and I was on the phone with Sarah who had just suffered a very nasty break up. To be honest, I was only half listening because this conversation was almost word for word the same as half a dozen late night phone calls over the years. I could almost mouth the phrase... <div><br /></div><div>click <a href="http://www.helium.com/users/edit_show_articles/498243">here</a> to read more</div><div><br /></div><div>PS names have been changed to protect the innocent on this one.</div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-28491858194658729662009-03-23T13:15:00.000-07:002009-03-23T13:18:10.421-07:00Qualities to look for in a neighborhoodThis article was #1 for a while, but now it is #2 out of 85<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Qualities to Look for in a Neighborhood</span><br /><br />Choosing the right neighborhood to live in is not unlike choosing a future spouse. Of course you need to feel a physical attraction, but there is much more to living happily ever after than just good looks. Don't just rely on a few short visits with the Realtor in tow to know if a neighborhood is the right fit for you and your family. Instead, investigate it thoroughly. Here are some things you may want to look at before making one of the biggest commitments of your life.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Crime</span><br />You need to feel safe in your home, so it is important to know the crime rate of the neighborhood you are looking at. To read more click <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1376231-qualities-to-look-for-in-a-neighborhood">here</a>.Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-14151234713014230412009-03-23T12:49:00.000-07:002009-03-23T13:11:28.430-07:00My 4 Step Plan to Take Over the World!I haven't posted much on my blog in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been writing. As I mentioned before, I am really hoping to transition to freelance writing so that I can be at home with Maddie.<div><br /></div><div>This is my four step plan</div><div>Step 1. Build an income stream, improve my writing and build up a portfolio by writing for several entry level writing websites.</div><div>Step 2. Once I have a portfolio built up, I will find freelance writing jobs on sites like elance.com. This is a site that lists writing projects that writers can bid on.</div><div>Step 3. Once I have several freelance jobs completed, I hope to get hired as a regular freelance writer for a company. That way I will have a regular income stream.</div><div>Step 4. Either quit teaching or move to a part time position.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am having an great time getting back into writing. Right now I have about 23 articles written on ehow.com and 20 written on helium.com. I have a few on Bukisa, but I don't think I am going to continue with that site. I don't think it has as great potential as the first two.</div><div><br /></div><div>My articles on ehow are pretty basic, but they tend to earn a steady amount of money and they are very easy to write. Oddly enough, my best earner is on how to program a Uverse remote control (thank you Spencer for the info).</div><div><br /></div><div>My Helium articles are the ones I am the most proud of. Helium has a different model than ehow. On Helium, they have set titles to which anyone can write. Then you are ranked against the other articles in that title. In order to get your earnings, you have to spend a few minutes each day ranking other people's articles. It is all done anonymously so that you can't just choose your friends' articles. You earn a small upfront payment for each article you write as well as a portion of the revenue for the site based on your page views and ad clicks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since I am avery competitive person, I enjoy being ranked against other people and trying to improve my articles to be at the top of each title. I am doing really well right now. I have written 20 articles and I average at the top 95%. I really feel that my writing is getting better with each article that I write or revise.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't earn that much right now, but the cool thing is that the revenue stream is continuous. I may earn less than a dollar each month for an article, but I will earn that dollar each month for the next several years or more. I have written 20 articles this month. If I can keep that up for the next 10 months, I will have 200 articles and even if each one only earns a dollar, I will be making $200 without doing any additional work. Of course, this is just an estimate since some articles will earn more, and some will earn less. That article on that I wrote on Uverse has already earned me $10 this month. That is an exception, but if I can do that again, I can make some good money doing this.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are interested, or want some more info, let me know. Anyone can sign up for ehow, but I will need to send you an invite for you to get onto helium.com. I'll post some of my articles in a separate post so you can see what they are like.</div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-57674556485871705172009-03-09T17:25:00.000-07:002009-03-09T17:29:10.430-07:00Laughter is the best medicine<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxBFP8WfqqS_hU-CT0117XV7jcUQ5TOWNf6wYg9X54nyw7-rhixOF0WM4JECKpuS6fNJ3ViMeDQf8k' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div><div>One of our new favorite pastimes is trying to find ways to make Maddie laugh. Sometimes we can really get her going. Sometimes though, we won't be doing anything at all, and she will look over at us and start cracking up. It is really adorable. This video is of my brother-in-law, Scott, making Maddie laugh.</div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-51958133166713459552009-02-15T15:26:00.000-08:002009-02-15T15:32:13.365-08:00My Quest to be a SAHMAs most of you know, I am still teaching High School Econ. I actually love my job, but I would rather be home with Maddie, so I am trying to find ways to bring in additional money that will allow me to transition to being a SAHM. If you've been to my blog lately, you may have noticed a listing of articles on the right sidebar. I am working on writing for a few websites to see if I can eventually bring in enough money to work from home. The writing I am doing right now isn't very lucrative, but I'm hoping to one day do some higher paying freelance work. <div><br /></div><div>Anyway, if you ever want to click on any of my articles, link to some of them from your website or forward the link to any of your friends, I would very much appreciate it. On some of them I get paid per unique visitor, and on others I get paid on ad clicks.</div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-53237807240386871892009-02-15T15:25:00.000-08:002009-02-15T15:26:43.022-08:00Seriously... is this the cutest picture or what?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SZiklW8H57I/AAAAAAAAAS4/FPcziuHQMRQ/s1600-h/IMG_0189.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SZiklW8H57I/AAAAAAAAAS4/FPcziuHQMRQ/s320/IMG_0189.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303169522948630450" /></a>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28277439.post-23014678469136493932009-02-15T15:07:00.000-08:002009-02-15T18:04:16.193-08:00Maddie's first tripOk, I knew it had been awhile since I last posted, but I didn't realize it has been over a month and a half! Bad Tammy!<div><br /></div><div>The funny thing is, I have had more things to blog about than ever, but less time. Go figure.</div><div><br /></div><div>In January we took a quick trip to California so Maddie could meet her Grandpa. (To my California family and friends that I did not contact while I was there, I am very sorry but it really was a quick trip and the main reason was so Maddie could meet her Grandpa Brown who wasn't able to come out for her blessing. We should be coming back out in the next few months.)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"I can show you the world..."</div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SZih_BziCzI/AAAAAAAAASQ/p2_cE1J1epk/s320/IMG_1011.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303166665417165618" /><div style="text-align: center;">"They're cousins! Identical cousin all the way.."</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SZiimUs_Q9I/AAAAAAAAASo/KOiXbd1-z0g/s320/IMG_1039.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303167340504892370" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Maddie Loves California</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SZiimnnTgMI/AAAAAAAAASw/W-NBovTSIVI/s1600-h/IMG_1095.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kt7DJEthgGE/SZiimnnTgMI/AAAAAAAAASw/W-NBovTSIVI/s320/IMG_1095.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303167345581326530" /></a><br /><br />Our first plane flight ended up pretty uneventful even though Maddie had her first cold at the same time. She loves vibration and movement, so she pretty much slept both ways. We made the obligatory trip to Disneyland while we were there. She loved it so much, she slept the entire day. It seemed the louder it got, the harder she slept.<br /><br /><div><br /></div>Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02729121195545369934noreply@blogger.com0