Molly Ann

January has been a busy month for us. We have been planning a trip to see Molly Ann but with Gabi having strep, Rick's change in work schedule, and Papaw's birthday party we haven't had a chance. So we were excited to finally make the trip this weekend! Gabi couldn't wait to see her new cousin. She is so cute and quite a chunk! Gabi wanted to hold her and would have snuggled her all day if she could! I only wish we didn't have to make such a short trip!

100th Day of School

January 27th is Gabi's 100th day of school! In celebration of their 100th day they were asked to put together a display of 100 objects. After much discussion and a little search online Gabi decided she wanted to create a picture of a butterfly with 100 buttons. Of course, nothing sounded as cool as the robot built out of 100 legos that another student in her class brought in! It took a little longer than I had anticipated but she did the project all by herself and it turned out great!

Happy Birthday, Papaw!

Just wanted to share a few pics from Papaw's birthday party. Papaw turned 95 this month and he is looking better than ever! We celebrated his birthday with a big family dinner at Karen and Greg's house. He was all smiles!

Ferguson Placed on Administrative Leave

Just thought I'd share the big news around here! We were called to an important meeting yesterday after school and were speculating that it was to discuss possible budget cuts. We were surprised to hear this news instead. It looks like they are going to finally step in and take steps necessary to get our school back on track!

By Kimberly Long, Ledger Staff Writer
The Mexico Ledger
Thu Jan 15, 2009, 12:21 PM CST

Mexico, Mo. -
Mexico High School Principal Chris Ferguson was placed on administrative leave Wednesday, and retired principal Melanie Richter, will be the interim principal, school officials told The Ledger.Mexico Public School District Assistant Superintendent Kevin Freeman made the announcement Wednesday afternoon. The reason for Ferguson's paid-leave, Freeman said, was a difference "in philosophies with regard to leadership, management and the direction at the high school building.""[We] felt it was best to move on at this time," Freeman told The Ledger.The Ledger called Ferguson for comment, and left a message, but he didn’t return the call.Ferguson started with the district during the 2007-2008 school year. Prior to MHS, he served as the activity director at St. Clair High School, and before that worked at Caruthersville High School in the same capacity. Freeman said that high school administration plans to tell the students about Ferguson's leave today.Richter brings many years of experience to the table, having served as principal at Eugene Field Elementary School for 20 years, and as director of student services – which primarily is responsible for the alternative school and pre-K – for the past two years.Richter will serve for the remainder of the school year.Replacement considerations, Freeman said, will begin in February – which is normally when the hiring of building administration is done. "We feel this is an appropriate time to discuss what we are doing for the 2009-2010 school year," he said.

What a Beautiful Day!

I must say that Project 365 is definitely making me take notice of the beauty around me and look at things differently. I have always carried my camera with me in my purse but now that I'm making a conscious effort to take a photo a day I am continually looking for that "special" shot! This morning I stopped and took time to admire the beautiful sunrise on the way to work. This afternoon it was unseasonably warm so I convinced Gabi to take a quick walk with me in the woods! I love these pics! I hate winter and tend to hibernate indoors. As I was looking for pics of Gabi to scrap for my 2008 year in review layout I realized I had very few pics from January and February. So this year my resolution is to take more pics. Of course a willing subject helps too and that can be kind of difficult with a 5 year old!

Happy New Year

Well, I never imagined my New Year's Eve would be spent in an Emergency Room! Gabi has been active, energetic, and couldn't wait to stay up until midnight. We just got back from the video store and had the meatballs in the oven when Rick got home from work. Gabi complained that her neck was bothering her when she touched it or turned her head. So Rick and I checked her neck and we were both shocked to see her glands swollen to the size of golf balls! Due to the sheer size of her glands we immediately headed to the ER. The nurse said it had to be fighting off something and it looked like that something was winning! She did a quick throat culture and sent it to the lab. It came back positive for strep! Gabi was quite upset to hear that our trip to see her new baby cousin would be put on hold for a few weeks now. Well, she was determined to make it to midnight last night and that she did! Here's to a great 2009!