Happy New Year!

Just wishing everyone a happy and safe new year! It's sure to be an exciting one for all of us.

Hurray for Christmas Break!

The first semester is officially over! Of course, this last week was made a little easier by the fact that Wednesday school was closed due to ice and Thursday we had a 2 hour delay. Friday we had our end of semester pizza party and movie day; it's something that the kids get really excited for. We ate Papa John's pizza (paid for with the grant I applied for and received in November) and watched A Christmas Story, which is my favorite Christmas movie. I'm really looking forward to 2 weeks off!

Wednesday was also Chris' 27th birthday. I had been planning his gift since around August, and it went very well. My gift was to completely redo our master bathroom into a Purdue bathroom! I'll post pictures soon... it actually worked out well that school was closed, because I was able to show Chris all the stuff I got him to put in the bathroom, AND he volunteered to help me paint! It turned out well, and we're both really happy with it. I had been sick to death of the blue color I'd painted that room when we first bought our house 3 years ago, and I started thinking that it would be nice for Chris to have more than one room in the house that reflects his style. Thus the idea was born!

Today I have Christmas with all of my Dad's family. I wasn't able to go last year, since I had purchased Cincinatti Bengal's tickets for Chris and the game overlapped with the family stuff, so it will be nice to see my cousins etc. this year. We're supposed to have Christmas with my Mom's family on Christmas Eve, but no one is sure if that will actually happen. My Grandma Carolyn is currently in Florida with her boyfriend Glen (he owns property down there), but the glitch is that Glen has been having a lot of health problems lately and has been hospitalized. So I guess we'll have to play that one by ear. We usually head to Connersville late on Christmas Eve so we can have Christmas morning with his family. On Christmas afternoon, we head back home and my Mom, Dad, and Heidi (and this year Jeremy) will all get together for dinner and presents. And then finally, we're done! Well, for 2 days anyway.... then it's my mom's birthday! We don't have any plans for New Year's Eve... usually we just stay at home and eat way too much and watch the ball drop. I don't know how much time I'll have to post while on break (I still haven't got much Christmas shopping done), but I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

8 More Days!!!

That's right folks! There are just 8 more days left in the first semester! Usually, there's so much going on in the last 2 weeks before Christmas break that it seems to go really quickly, but so far that's not the case. I'm really excited for school to be finished for the semester. This has just been a really long semester, and since I'll get some new students second semester, I'm hoping for a better group. And I'm loving the fact that we don't have to go back to work until January 5th!

Despite being so excited for Christmas break, I'm ashamed to say that I don't really have any Christmas shopping done. I've got 2 things for my sister, and a couple outfits for Claire, but otherwise... nothing! I'm very disappointed in myself... I'm usually done by this time of year! But last weekend Chris and I were really sick, and we didn't even leave the house. And this coming weekend we've got all sorts of prior engagements, so we won't be able to shop then. So it's looking like the Lakes' will be doing all of their shopping last minute, unless I can find some time to go after work this week. And since I'm still feeling crummy, that doesn't look so good. So keep your fingers crossed that I'll manage to get all the shopping done before the big day!

Thanksgiving Break Summary

Well, Thanksgiving went smashingly for us! The morning of, Chris and I had to wake up at 6:00 to put the gigantic 22 pound turkey in the oven. Other than worrying about the turkey cooking (and who doesn't worry about that!), the rest of the cooking went well. My dad helped me peel the 10+ pounds of potatoes, and Sheri helped me a lot with other stuff. We all ate entirely too much and had a great time. I'm so lucky that our families get along so well, and that everyone's been willing to change their longstanding traditions to make this new tradition together. Sheri and Claire spent the night with us, which was fun. Although, and I'm not going to lie, the best part of the whole day was after everyone left and Chris made me go take a nap. When I woke up 2 hours later, my entire kitchen was already clean! God bless my sweet husband and mother in law!!! And my adorable niece as well... apparently she helped wipe down the counters and put dishes in the dish washer!

Friday was spent mostly playing with Claire. She's really into Barbies right now, and luckily my mom saved all of the Barbie stuff that Heidi and I had, so I was able to stockpile some Barbies for Claire to play with at our house. She was in heaven!

Saturday... well, Saturday I think I was still recuperating from all the work I put into Thanksgiving. Chris and I did manage to get all of our outside Christmas decorations up. We had the inside decorations done for Thanksgiving. I'll post pictures soon... I just can't get motivated to go stand outside in the snowy cold right now, which would be needed for the full effect!

On Sunday my mom, Heidi, and I all tried to do a little preliminary Christmas shopping. I had already ordered some items for Heidi (since she's nearly impossible to shop for). I managed to get several cute outfits for Claire. She's recently had a growth spurt and desperately needs some new clothes. Chris and I aren't doing presents for each other this year, since we both agreed that the new TV we bought would be our present to each other, but I've got to admit that I'm not really looking forward to shopping now that I'm not shopping for him. He's my favorite person in the world to shop for; he gets so excited and it's so fun find that one right thing that will make him light up. Oh, well, maybe I'll settle for buying him a few stocking stuffers... On the plus side, his birthday is the 17th, and I have a big surprise for him. I'd write about it here, but I know he occassionally reads this, so...

Ready for Thanksgiving!

Well, last week was absolutely dreadful at work. I don't know what it is about the first few days of really cold weather, but in my experience it turns normally pleasant kids into total monsters. To top off all that minor but annoying nonsense, on Tuesday the entire Shelbyville Central School corporation had to go on lockdown. We were initially told the lockdown was the result of an armed robbery at Western Supermarket, but we later learned that it was actually at a pharmacy warehouse right next to Western. The suspect went in with a gun, stole a lot of prescription drugs and some money, and then ran out into a waiting car. No one has been arrested yet. Overall, the kids (and parents!) were scared by the lockdown, but it went smoothly and only lasted a couple hours. When I learned of the lockdown, I emailed Chris right away, and he notified his principal and superintendent. They hadn't been contacted by the police about the situation, despite the fact that the robbery was only 5 miles away. They too went on lockdown, although theirs was more of a light lockdown where students could move outside of their classes, but people weren't allowed in or out of the building. I got a big thanks from the superintendent of Southwestern, which was nice. I mean, I just emailed Chris to let him know that I was okay and what the situation was, but it turned out the whole school benefited!

I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving. Since Chris and I have been married, we host Thanksgiving at our house. My parents, Heidi, Chris' parents, Chris' grandparents, brother, and Claire are all coming. My grandpa Jack may attend as well, but he's probably going to spend the holiday with his girlfriend MaryAnn and her family. Jeremy is going to be coming with Heidi, although they're going to split their time with us and his family. I do all the cooking myself, although Chris usually gets drafted to assemble a relish tray and Heidi usually gets drafted to help me peel potatoes. Chris' mom always brings a lot of stuff as well, including her famous deviled eggs. I once watched Chris and Jeff EACH at a dozen deviled eggs in one sitting. We usually get our house decorated for Christmas before everyone arrives, and I've been spending a lot of time these past few days getting stuff together. I'll post pictures soon. I always really get in to decorating for Christmas - everything in the house is my responsibility and putting up lights outside is Chris', although I do try to help some. I'm just not a big fan of climbing up on the roof... that fear of heights starts to kick in! Hope everyone has a great holiday and safe travels!

Weddings and Funerals

Last weekend Heidi and I attended Aaron Eberhart's wedding (well, his second one!). He got married to a very nice girl named Stephanie Cochran from Fortville. It was decorated absolutely beautifully; I think her parents must have spent a fortune on the whole affair. It was a nice ceremony where they said their own vows along with the traditional ones, and there was a lot of music and Scripture readings. At the reception we sat with several people from high school that we hadn't seen in some time, which was fun. Heidi and Jeremy McIntire have been dating since she moved back to Shelbyville, and since he was in the wedding, they had a good time together as well.

On to sadder news, I've had two students experience deaths in their familes this week. If that wasn't depressing enough, I learned today that one of the local probation officers that worked with juveniles in the community passed away last night. He and I worked together several times in looking after some of my students and tracking them down whenever they skipped school, and I have always thought very highly of him. The information we received is that he suffered from acid reflux, which at times can cause a person to have coughing fits and even to choke, and while he was home alone he choked which resulted in his death. His wife came home from work and found him, but it was too late. He was only 31 years old. Needless to day, I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend!

Updates

Sorry I haven't been a very good blogger lately; sometimes it's hard when it seems like there's so much going on, but at the same time it's like I have nothing to write about!

Last week was Fall Break, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm feeling burnt out much earlier than what's normal for me this year... so I was ready to have a little time away from students. For the most part, we just relaxed and did work around the house and yard. We managed to make a day trip to Connersville to see Chris' family. It was a lot of fun, especially since Chris hadn't seen his grandparents for a couple months. We got to see Claire as well, and she's REALLY excited about Halloween. She's such a girly girl, and she loves dressing up and playing with makeup... so Halloween is right up her alley. She's going to be "a pretty pink princess in a poofy dress". Hopefully Sheri will take pictures of her for me!

On Monday night Brian and Sarah came down for dinner and to watch the Colts game. Brian is Chris' good friend from high school, and he and Sarah have a 13 month old daughter named Brooklyn. Brooklyn is adorable; she's at the stage where she's trying really hard to talk and she's just starting to walk. We had a lot of fun, excluding the absolute horrible service we had a Cracker Barrel. I swear that waitress had to have been smoking crack or something... she forgot our orders, never refilled anything, and finally brought us a bottle of ketchup after asking her 3 times (and waiting 25 minutes for it). We're both glad that Brian and Sarah just moved to Greenfield from Indianapolis.

I've had a lot going on at work in addition to the regular stuff, so that's been a little overwhelming. I've also had a lot of students come down with the flu, so I've been trying extra hard to make sure everything in my classroom is super clean. That actually hasn't been too hard, since our corporation nurse gave me some heavy duty disinfectant cleaner because of the student with intestinal worms... I have to spray down everything she touched after she leaves daily until her doctor gives her a clean bill of health. The cleaner is actually what they use to clean surgery rooms in hospitals, so I'm confident it will kill any yucky things my students bring in with them.

Right now I'm looking forward to Halloween; we always get lots of trick or treaters, and having grown up in the country I get such a kick out of that!

Prepare to be disgusted...

One of my students came in this morning and told me that her mother was going to text her during class to let her know what time she was scheduled for a doctor appointment. Since she didn't look or sound sick, I asked her if she was feeling okay. She then informed me that she learned over the weekend that she has intestinal worms! And I'll spare you the gory details that I got, but suffice it to say that she learned about the worms because they started exiting....

I swear I've never been so revolted in all my life. Like Heidi said when I told her, I didn't think people got worms unless they lived in a third world country! Sick, sick, sick!!! I don't think I'll ever be able to look at that girl the same way ever again. They definitely didn't prepare me for stuff like this in any of my undergraduate or master's classes!!! As a side note, my hands are absolutely chapped from the zillion times I've washed them.....

Behold!

Behold the glory of our new TV! Did we need it? Absolutely not. Was it an unnecessary expense? Yup! Do we love it? OF COURSE! It's a 67 incher, which makes the 51 inch TV we had in the living room seem small (as you can see below).



See how much bigger the new TV is?

Look how happy Chris is! Plus, it's good for scale, since you can see that the TV comes about to his shoulders and he's 6 feet tall! We also bought a wireless surround sound system, which is supposed to get installed today. In all actuality, we decided this would be our Christmas present to each other even though we bought it in October. So Merry Christmas to us! And we decided that Chris' check for coaching tennis would be completely devoted to this. It's definitely more than we need, but I know we'll really enjoy it!

What a Week!

Well, it was a rough week around the Lakes household. A select number of my students were acting like absolute morons and in general caused me trouble left and right... I suppose that goes with the territory when you're talking about alternative students. Regardless, it was frustrating and mentally exhausting, especially when you take into consideration the extended phone calls with those students parents that I got to enjoy. Then on Wednesday, I learned that a former student of mine overdosed on heroin over the previous weekend and passed away. It's just such a waste of life; she was a very pretty and nice girl that came from an extremely bad home, and obviously made some really poor choices.

Thursday was the first round of tennis sectionals, and we drew Triton. We ended up losing 2-3, but Chris' one singles player will likely advance to the regionals at Center Grove next week. It was a difficult loss, especially since Triton was extremely obnoxious and poorly behaved. Rude comments and questionable behavior (such as trowing rackets across the court) abounded from their players throughout the match. However, since SW still almost managed a win with a team composed of almost all sophomores and freshmen, it looks as though we should do extremely well for at least the next few years.

The week wasn't all bad, though. Saturday night Chris took me out on a nice date, in part to celebrate the end of tennis and in part to thank me for taking over with mowing the yard while he was coaching. We went to the Cheesecake Factory, which was excellent. Neither of us had been there before, and we were surprised at how nice it was. It was a lot of fun and a nice change of pace for us. Hopefully this week will be a lot better!

The Dunk Tank!

Last night was Community Night at Southwestern, which is something relatively new they devised to replace a Fall Homecoming. As a fundraiser for the Athletic Boosters, several of the coaches volunteer to go in the dunk tank... and of course Chris volunteers each year! Unfortunately this year it was windy and a little chilly when he was in, but he still had fun nonetheless. I even took a throw and managed to dunk him! All he could say was "I should have never worked on your throwing arm for softball..."

They also announced all the fall sports teams for recognition, so here Chris is with his tennis team.

Chris also had a chance to talk to PJ O'Malley, who entered the dunk tank a little later in the evening. PJ coaches the JV girl's volleyball team, so he's standing here with his team after they were announced.

It was a fun evening. Tennis sectionals are next week, and I think Chris will be relieved when it's all said and done. I know I'm ready to have him home more often! I enjoy the tennis season more than baseball season, but whenever he's coaching it means he's gone a lot and always has a lot on his mind. I'll be glad when he has a chance to rest!

Fall Break...

Is it bad that I'm already counting the days until Fall Break in October? It's just been extremely hectic around here, and work has been C-R-A-Z-Y. I think that the ISTEP test last week really just gets kids all wound up, and then they act like monsters. My masters classes are in full swing, which adds a bit to the overall stress level. I'll be really glad when I'm done next July! Plus, with tennis in full swing right now, it makes Chris and I (okay, mostly Chris) really busy. Last Saturday was the county tourney, where we lost in the finals to Triton. It was a disappointing loss for Chris, but kind of expected all the same. I mean, when your team consists of mostly freshmen and sophomores, and you're playing a team that consists mostly of seniors... well, your chances of winning decrease a little.

Chris has a tennis match tonight at Arsenal Tech, and then matches on Tuesday and Thursday as well. Friday is Community Night at Southwestern, which is a thing they started doing in the last few years to kind of replace a fall Homecoming. It's during a soccer game, but there are a lot of vendors and game booths for kids. Several clubs and organizations try to fundraise during the event, and all of the fall sports get recognized at half time. The main attraction is the dunk tank, which raises money for the Athletic Boosters. Last year Chris was the second biggest money maker at the dunk tank, and he's scheduled be in the tank again this year. Who knows, I might even take a throw at him!

Per Reader Request...

Claire and Collin: Flower Girl and Ring Bearer

Our First Dance



These are just a few pictures from our wedding; in fact, most of the best pictures I already have in frames (which doesn't lend itself to easy scanning). I can hardly believe it's been three years!

Why Little Boys Need Parents...

Chris sent this to me as a forward today, and I thought it was so cute that I had to share.

This is for those mothers of boys, sisters of boys, and boys that have grown older... and anyone else who needs a laugh! Why boys need parents...

The Bandwagon

Okay, okay... so I jumped on the bandwagon too and got a new layout. I didn't realize there were so many cute options out there! So tell me what you think!

My Husband the Comedian

I think that my husband is absolutely the funniest person on the planet. Honestly, the man has made me laugh hysterically on a daily basis for almost 7 years! So I thought I'd share some of our funnier moments/things he does... let the laughs begin!!!

• Here's one that just happened last night... We went out for a walk around 9, just intending for a quick walk in the neighborhood before the next rain moved in. So as we were walking, with absolutely no warning... Chris' shorts fell down around his ankles! And he just stood there for a second, looked down, pulled them back up, and continued walking as if nothing happened!!! I thought I was going to pee my pants with laughter right there on the sidewalk!!!
• He regularly talks to himself when he thinks no one is watching; just little stuff, like mumuring to himself about how much he hates a particular TV character. Priceless!
• He makes up words to use as adjectives. Example - He refers to people that I would describe as "dirty" or "skeezy" as a skagnetti (pronounced SKAG-NET-E). Example: "I've got this crazy student and his family is just full of skagnetties". One of his favorite insults is "Up agin ya"........ Do you know what up agin ya means??? Me neither, but I know it can't be good. The bad thing with that particular insult is that now I've taken to saying it back.... and to other people. So now Heidi says up agin ya too.
• He farts. A lot. And that in and of itself isn't that funny. But what I think is hilarious about his farting is that when he does it he either A. looks around and says "What was that?" or B. Claims it was an African Barking Spider or that his pet duck must have wandered in the room. I know, I know... when I laugh I only encourage him. At least that's what my mother in law says!
• WAY back when we were in college, we went down to Florida with my folks for vacation. while there we went to a nature preserve/state park area that was chock full of alligators. Chris likes alligators. In fact, he's got a theory (that he still subscribes to) that he could take an alligator out with his bare hands. The Death Roll - that's nothing, because of course he can simply hold his breath. Big, snapping jaws full of lots of razor sharp teeth? Not a problem, because he'll carry a roll of duct tape. Plus, the way he sees it, alligators have little short legs which makes them appear to be paraplegic. Never mind the claws OR the fact that alligators are one of the best predators in the world. So, we're in this park where every 4 feet or so are signs saying "WILD ALLIGATORS. MAINTAIN DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 30 FEET". What does Chris do? He picks up a short little dinky stick and marches up behind the biggest alligator (I swear it was 25 feet if it was 1) on the shore, where he proceeds to poke the alligator in the back. After a few pokes with no response from the gator, he picks up a handful of small rocks and starts pegging the gator in the head! Now THAT got a response! The gator whipped around and snapped at him before diving into the water! But Chris didn't see that... as soon as he saw the head start to move he started running away, kicking his feet up really high like a marching band would. Why, you ask? Because he was afraid the alligator would bite off his feet! Never saw anything so funny or stupid in all my life!

So that's my hubby... funniest man alive. It's no wonder I love him!

Catch up...

It's been pretty busy for us since Labor Day weekend. We traveled to Connsersville and got to spend time with Chris' family. It was nice, although I did start feeling a little sick while we were there. When we got home, I got VERY sick.... I missed a half day of work Tuesday and all day Wednesday. It was the sickest I've been in a long time. Luckily, Chris hasn't come down with it, and I'm getting better by the day (although I do still have some congestion and coughing). Yesterday took us back to Connersville for our eye doctor appointment. I'm blind as a bat! My eyes have gotten very bad very fast; in fact, even with my old glasses my vision is only 20/50! So I'm getting new glasses and special contacts to counteract my astigmatism.

The upcoming week should be exciting! On Monday Chris has two softball games in Greenfield. He's playing in a men's league with his friend Brian, who was a minor league pitcher before he got married and had a daughter. Tuesday Chris has a tennis match. Their season is going well despite a few losses early on. Some of the younger players are really stepping up, and I'd say they even have a change at repeating the county tourney and sectional titles. Friday is Homecoming at Shelbyville. It's usually the only football game I go to, unless I happen to have a cousin on the team! This year I think we're going to go to the faculty cookout before the game, which should be fun. The team is pretty good this year, so it should be entertaining!

This and That

Chris' tennis team lost the first of this week's matches yesterday to Indian Creek. The final score was 3-2. The Number 2 and 3 singles players won, but then Number 1 singles lost in a third set. Both doubles teams got beat pretty decisively; but since they're all just freshmen and sophomores, I guess it's to be expected. Tomorrow we play Triton, which should be a tight game.

Heidi got a new job this week that will bring her back to good old Shelbyville! She starts tomorrow as an administrative assistant at Shelbyville High School. So my little sister is now my co-worker! I think she'll like the job, and it will give her time to continue writing as well as pursue her masters in English.

There's an article in today's edition of The Shelbyville News about the 50th anniversary reunion. It's pretty interesting, and even has some pictures of the school as it was being built in 1959.

That's pretty much it for now; homework calls!

Busy, Busy, Busy

We've been very busy, as we always are in the fall. Last week had Chris' tennis team playing 4 matches in five days... and all of them were in 85 degree heat! The kids are doing well, though, especially the freshmen and sophomores. There's one student in particular that I think is the most adorable kid in the world. It may have something to do with the fact that he bears a striking resemblance to Chris when Chris was in high school... we jokingly refer to him as our son. He kind of acts like Chris as well, especially when he displays a little temper on the tennis court!

Thursday brought my in laws to the tennis match against Morristown, which we won decisively! Claire got bored quickly (she is 4, after all), but it was a lot of fun. As we do every year, after the match we all went inside so they could see Chris's classroom. I always have such a good time with them, and it's certainly a lot better than sitting by myself!

Chris and Claire watching the 1 singles match

Chris and Jeff... don't they look alike?

Chris and I in his classroom - Sheri snapped this one when we weren't looking!

Claire being absolutely bored!

Well, this week has us busy with 3 tennis matches, and Chris starts playing in his new softball league Monday. At least work is going smoothly for both of us! Hope everyone has a good week!

Good 'Ole Days!

Well gang, I was telling Heidi about the SWHS reunion thing the other day, and it got me reminiscing about the good 'ole days at Southwestern. So I dug out my senior video and watched it for the first time in years, and I've got to admit I got pretty nostalgic! Teary, even! So then, of course, I had to rummage for my senior photo album and flip through it. I found this picture, and I just had to post it! Plus, I've got to admit, it gave me an excuse to play with my scanner! Enjoy!!!

First Week of School

Well, as I told Chris yesterday... 5 days down, 180 to go! I know, that's kind of depressing... not to mention the fact that I don't usually start counting down days until Thanksgiving! What's that say about my emotions for the start of the school year???

All in all, the first week went well. It was full of meetings, both with administrators and the guidance department, as well as special education case conferences to enroll new students into my program. Yesterday I had 3 back to back case conferences, and since we're enrolling these students into my alternative program, I had to add all of my paperwork once the special ed stuff was finished. It just made for a long afternoon. On the plus side, Tom Zobel had to sit in all of the conferences with me, and he's really funny. So that makes time go a little faster! I only wish I had a little more time to get to know my new students, but that will happen when things slow down in the next few weeks... at least I've already learned all their names, and that's half the battle!

Next week is busy too! Monday I have to meet with all the administrators from the high school as well as the superintendent to go over plans for the alternative programs (mine and the two others we have) for the upcoming year. Not too excited about that, but it's part of the job description! But then Thursday Tom and I are attending a grant writing seminar, which I AM excited for! I'd really like to take a lot away from the seminar so I can start writing for grants and maybe get a little extra money for my alternative classroom! It seems like I always need something or I get a new idea that requires money, and I hate to ask for more program money. So we'll see! Tennis matches start Monday, so that should make life pretty exciting around the Lakes household!

Attention SWHS Alums!

I just learned that in August of 2009 (I know, I know... that's a whole year away) Southwestern will be having an all-class reunion to celebrate the school's 50th anniversary. It's still in the planning stages, but for those that are intersted, you can register at http://www.swalumni.org/index.html for updates and an offical invitation. Since it's an all class reunion, there will be members of all graduating classes there. This could provide a unique opportunity to see people we knew in school outside of our class. I've already registered; it just takes a few minutes! It's neat idea, and could be a lot of fun. So feel free to check it out if you're interested!!!

Last Weekend of Summer

Well, it's the last weekend of summer vacation. I know I shouldn't complain... I mean, how many professions allow a person to have two and a half months off every year? But I can honestly say that going into my fifth year of teaching it seems like each summer gets shorter and shorter. It's not that I don't want to go back to work; as I've mentioned, I do a lot more work related stuff during the summer than a lot of teachers do. I'm frequently getting calls at home and writing reports for the DOE... you get the idea. Actually, maybe that's why the summer seems shorter each year! Anyway, today we're going to Connersville for the afternoon so we can see Chris' family before we go back to work. Once we're back in our teaching schedule and in tennis season, we don't really have many opportunities to make the trip to see them. Last Wednesday Sheri, Jeff, and Claire came to visit us. It was fun, and I think it was really good for Jeff and Claire to escape the drama for a day. No real news on that front, but all I can say is that Jeff has dropped about 20 pounds from the stress. And Claire seemed to be in good spirits until it was time to go home. Then she begged to stay with Chris and I, which is something she never does. She's usually one of those kids that when you tell her it's time to go home she goes without complaint. So for us, it was telling that she didn't want to leave us.

I've only got one more funny thing to share, and it's about my adorable husband. For those of you that know him, you know that Chris is one of those naturally funny people. Oh, sure, sometimes he tries to be funny (which usually results in a laugh riot), but in general he's one of those people that is hilariously funny without having to put much effort into it. It's one of the things I love the most about him. Here's an example...

Chris works for the Blue River Special Education Cooperative, and earlier in the week they had in-service meetings all day to discuss the new legal changes, etc. But according to Chris, the director of the co-op decided to open the meeting with all faculty standing up and saying their name, what school they're placed in, and what their favorite movie is as a sort of ice breaker. Keep in mind that all of the big bosses for BRSEC were also there. There were 96 teachers present: only 4 of those were men (including Chris). Chris and AJ Martzall (whom some of you know... he graduated in 2001 from Shelbyville) were sitting in the very back and were the last two to go. As the meeting wore on, all those boys were hearing was "My favorite movie is the Notebook" or "I like Fried Green Tomatoes" or "I love Steel Magnolias"... so basically lots of girl movies. So it gets to AJ, who tries to be funny and says his favorite movie is some boy thing, like Die Hard or Rambo. Then my adorable husband, who was the last one to go, stands up and says, "Hi, my name's Chris Lakes, and I teach mild disabilities at Southwestern High School. It's kind of hard for me to pick a favorite movie, but if I have to pick just one, I'd have to say my favorite movie is Debbie Does Dallas". Well, laughter in the form of pandemonium broke out! Kathy, who is the director, had to go get tissues for those that were laughing so hard they cried. Apparently a few of the older women had to bolt to the bathroom for fear they'd wet themselves from laughter! And Chris just say there, smiling, and watching the mayhem. That's my hubby for you!

Vacation Pictues: Ripley's Aquarium

Ripley's Aquarium is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Myrtle Beach. It has a really large walk-through section, wherein you go through a giant tube and are completely surrounded by fish, sting rays, and sharks. There's also a section where you can pet the sting rays (stingers removed, of course!). The sting rays are rather large but completely not afraid of people; they swim right up to you! They feel... well... slimy is the best word, I guess. They don't have scales, so they don't exactly feel like a fish. It's sort of like touching slimy undulating skin under the water. Not altogether unpleasant, but not exactly what you'd expect either. I was all for it, but Chris said he didn't want to get anywhere near something that killed Steve Erwin, even if the stingers were removed. I did manage to coax him into poking two fingers into the water as a sting ray swam by, and his reaction was... there really aren't words to describe it. The closest I can come is horrified, grossed out, scared, and repulsed. All in all it was VERY funny! The aquarium also has a tank where you can pet and pick up horseshoe crabs, which are about as big as a basketball except flat on one side. I touched a lot of these and even picked one up, but we forgot to take pictures of that. Chris again didn't want anything to do with it, but eventually he stuck in one finger and grazed the topshell of the smallest crab in the tank. And his reaction to that was exactly the same as for the sting ray. For me, it was both funny and endearing to see him a little off stride. Usually he's so laid back and self confident about everything, which are some of the reasons I fell in love with him, but it was so out of character to see him around those animals that it made him that much more adorable to me! He, of course, thought that seeing all those sharks swimming so close to us was the most amazing part of the aquarium. It was definitely a good part of our vacation! And now to the pictures!!!



Me petting a sting ray...
A closer view of the sting rays... this was actually one of the smaller ones!

A shark overhead

Stingrays through the glass of the aquarium

A sting ray swimming overhead


Sting rays in the deep end of the holding tank

Chris after seeing his first shark of the day!

Me in the Giant Clam photo op... I actually had to stand in line with a bunch of kids and wait my turn for this picture!

A star fish and some tropical fish

The body of one of the larger sharks as it swam by.

A sawfish (which is more like a shark than a fish) swimming overhead.
A shark circling the fish.

One of the larger sharks!

Shark swimming overhead... check out those teeth!!!

Tropical Reef fish

Me in front of one of the coral tanks.

Chris in front of the megalodon jaw replica. Megalodon were like prehistoric sharks... I made Chris stand in front of this so people can appreciate the scale of that jaw... For those of you that don't know, Chris is around 6'1"!
Me in front of the pirahana tank.

Those are the best pictures from the aquarium. Some, like the octopus and sea horse pictures didn't turn out very well. It was really neat overall, though... especially seeing those sharks swimming around! I'd definitely make the venture back, and I'm trying to talk Chris into heading up to Chicago to visit the Shed Aquarium at some point. I remember going there when I was a kid, and as fun as the Ripley's aquarium was, I remember the Shed aquarium being even more awesome.