Where's Bella?

Bella barking at the snowmobile in Wisconsin


Brooke has a collection of stuffed pug animals that Bella wishes were her own.


This is really the "Where's Waldo [Bella]?" picture. Brooke created this set-up herself and snapped the picture while Bella tolerated being encircled by furry toys. Can you see Bella's face in there?


Again, Brooke dressed up Bella. Ho ho ho!!!

Back in NY

I'm back in New York City for a conference of the AHA (American Historical Association). It is nice to be back here after seven years, and I realize that the taxi drivers are just as bad as I remember. So far I have been honked at three times (all in a 2o-minute period). Oh, and I am enjoying the conference too.
Stewart

Christmas Cheer

We heard this a few years ago, and one of my students just reminded me of this great acapella group. Here are two songs they did a few years ago that are worth viewing over and over.

The Twelve Days of Christmas and Carol of the Bells by the acapella group Straight No Chaser.

Merry Christmas all!

Blair Swim Meet

Brooke with her swim teammates and coach (in purple t-shirt)



Here are recent photos of Brooke's swim meet last Saturday. It was an all-day event hosted by Blair's YMCA, and many swim team parents volunteered by recording lane times or working in concessions. It was Brooke's first time swimming the IM (individual medley) where they swim all 4 strokes in one race (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle). She was also in two relays and three other events - great exercise and long day!!

Peanuts

One of my 8th grade ELL students said while reading his science chapter on stars,

S: Hey, Mrs. Brewer! There's a word in Spanish "casi" like this word "Quasar" (referring to stars).
Me: Really? What does it mean?
S: It means it's like something. Like this garlan is like the real evergreen trees.
Me: I'll look it up in the bilingual dictionary.
(I'm looking "qua...", but only see "que..." words.)
Me: Maybe it has another spelling? Like with a "k" or a "c"? So we found the word he was referring to "casi." (I'm looking at the definition): "almost, nearly"
Me: You can say: Casi nunca (hardly ever) or !Casi nada! (peanuts).
S: Peanuts?
Me: Yeah, like it doesn't cost much. It's just peanuts, or she's not making a lot of money. She's making peanuts.
S: (He started laughing a lot.) Really? That's what "making peanuts" means?

Then he told me that when he was in Texas this guy told him he was "making peanuts" at his job. He thought that this guy was not getting paid money, but getting paid (real) peanuts. He thought to himself that this job must not be very good because all this guy was getting was peanuts! We laughed a lot about that.

Christmas Piano Recital 2008

Last Friday we had our Christmas piano recital at a local bank. (Click on the photos to see the enlarged versions.)


My four piano students


Our friends - wonderful parents of two of my piano students. They gave all of the girls the roses after the recital, so sweet. Also, they babysit our daughter after school. We love them!


Brooke played Hallelujah Chorus (adapted version), The Little Drummer Boy, Ukrainian Bell Carol, and O Come All Ye Faithful (duet with me). She was nervous but played beautifully!

Thanksgiving in Kansas City

Isaac and Derrick at the park


Stewart and Brooke


Thanksgiving!


Amy with Baby William - precious!!

Gma with Isaac and Will


Brooke

Shannon and Brooke, Gma and Gpa Kratt
at Crown Center in downtown Kansas City

Happy Thanksgiving 2008! We are thankful for family. So glad to spend time with Derrick and Amy, cousins, and Gma and Gpa who made the big drive to K.C. We have great memories of swinging and throwing the football at the park, going for walks, making snowballs, wrestling on the floor, playing hide-and-go-seek in the dark, reading stories, and playing games. And we love our newest little cousin, William Paul. The first thing Isaac asked his mom the morning we were leaving to go back home, "Can't Brooke go home tomorrow and not today?!"


"I'm an elf!" Back home in Nebraska

Brooke's 10th Birthday Party

Yesterday Brooke had a terrific 10th birthday party with her friends. It was filled with swimming; making individual pizzas; eating cake and ice cream; opening presents; playing dress up, vet, and house; and watching the 3-D movie Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Happy Birthday to Brooke !

We began celebrating Brooke's birthday on Friday night with a trip to see Madagascar II. Then Saturday morning she was excited to open her presents. She will celebrate with friends on Saturday with a party at the local swimming pool.


Brooke wanted to open her presents first thing in the morning...


She was very excited!

And then she broke into karaoke to a new High School Musical CD.

The Tipi is unveiled!

Here is Brooke's tipi after all the hard work and fun memories. She wanted to make sure I posted the final picture so you all could see it.