Stepmother

by Iteach

Are you a stepmother? Do you have a stepmother? I'm a proud stepmother of a ten year old girl, Grace. Hubby and I started dating when she was 13 months old. It has been an incredible journey for the past nine years.

At first, it was easy being a stepmom because she was so young when we met. Her parents were never married and they had never lived together, so it made the transition in the beginning easy. At the age of three, Grace used to draw pictures of her mom, dad, herself, and me all sleeping in the same bed. Then by 3 1/2 she started to see that her friends had moms and dads that lived together. So then she started drawing pictures of her mom & dad in bed together and me in the next room.

Then came the age of four when I wasn't in her drawings anymore. She really wanted her mom and dad to live together. It hurt a little but I totally understood. It was a tough phase but we made it through together.

Stepmotherhood is similar to motherhood, but then different too. It is hard to explain the difference. Sometimes it feels more like I'm the Aunt. It is hard to define, but I do know I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I'm really proud of the relationship that we have and how we continue to work on it. There are bound to be more bumps in the road as she gets older, but I feel confident that we will be able to work through them.

~ Ugh ~

by Tina~in_ut

I miss you…..
I hate you…..
I’m fat……
Don’t call me fat!……
Do you think I’m fat?.....
Leave me alone…..
Why don’t you want to spend time with me?.....
I thought you had plans today…get out of here.....
I love you more than anything…..
I don’t need you……
I can’t live without you…..
I said DO IT NOW!!!.....
Give me a hug.....
SHUT UP!!!!.......
You make me so happy…..
Get away from me!.....
Thank you for putting up with me…..
What the hell do you mean….I’m lucky you stick around??!!!.....
Will you rub my back?.....
Don’t touch me!!!.....
Ugh……….I think I may be pms’ing~

Truth Questions?

by Turtle

So a recent blog got me to thinking……watch out as that can be somewhat scary.

I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you in person, and have grown to know who is calling me when I answer and hear some of the following….Turtle? Heya HO or what ya doin? But even for those that I think I know somewhat well, there’s always something that comes out in our postings that makes me go REALLY?

So I thought howz about a game of Truth~ Pick 5 of the following questions and answer them as truthfully as you can. There are more than 5, and if you care to answer all as I am about to that is entirely up to you~

1.) Your real name Susan

2.) Current Location Honolulu

3.) Ethnicity Scottish, Irish, English and Welch


4.) Most cherished possession (inanimate object) My father’s wedding band that I wear on my right hand.

5.) College Graduate? (If so what kind of degree) Nope

6.) Three jobs you have had in your life. Technical Chemist, Graphic Artist, Purchasing Manager. Still don’t know what I wanna be when I grow up.

7.) Marital Status? Currently Single, but looking~

8.) How would you describe yourself? Hmmm Loyal, intelligent, sometimes introverted, strong, adventurous, giving, sarcastic all wrapped in a Pillsbury doughboy façade.

9.) What does your screen name mean. Kahonu means The Turtle. It is derived from the Hawaiian name that was given to me. Kahonupaalani. I have many nicknames, but that is the one that is most commonly used.

10.) Do you remember your dreams? Yes and VIVIDLY. If I concentrate well enough I can usually either replay the dream or continue it the next evening. Comes in kinda handy sometimes. ;-)

11.) Do you collect anything? I seem to have acquired a lot of Turtles, not by my own purchase. People give them to me. I used to collect Ice Hockey Cards, and somewhere in my Mom’s house is a box that I am sure is worth a mint, as it has 5 Wayne Gretzky rookie cards, and two Michael Jordan rookie cards in it.

12.) Do Roman paramedics refer to IV’s as 4’s? ok I am just seeing if you are paying attention…lol

13.) What is the one thing you want me to know about you?

Ok Hooters…….have a stab at it. Feel free to ask me any question you like, you all get one freebie random question.

~ Columbine Memorial ~

by Tina~in_ut

The first time I went to visit Dianne, she took me to Clement Park, near Columbine High School, where the Columbine Memorial is located. I went to look at it on my own and took my camera along. As I neared what I thought was the memorial, I remember thinking that they really could have done a better job, especially since it had already been 10 years since the tragedy. There were some bushes and a couple of flowers and a sign that told where you were.

As I neared the sign, I realized my error. That was just the entrance. Tucked into the side of the hill was the Memorial, and although it was the middle of the day, it was calm and quiet. There were colorful flowers as you walked in. I recognized the white ones as the columbine flower, but I didn't know until later that they were all columbines, just different colors. They were exquisite.


The memorial itself is circular. There is a ring in the center and the families of the deceased were able to write something about or to their loved one. There is water constantly running from a fountain that adds to the tranquility of the place. Along the back wall are quotes from various people: students, parents, President Clinton. One parent was quoted, "I hope people come here to this place to think about how they themselves can be better people rather than come here to reflect on death." A student was quoted as saying, "I would be misleading you if I said I understand this. I don't." If you start at one end and read to the other, there is no way you can get through it all without crying. I filmed this video after reading and while crying, so I'm sorry for the quality, but it will give you an idea of what it's like. The next time you visit Dianne, be sure to have her take you there. It's incredibly humbling.

My Team

by Iteach

Shhhhhhh, listen....do you hear it? Listen again..........It is the faint sound of the school bell going off to start a new school year. Now is the countdown for back to school which is Aug. 24th. Last May I was so excited for a summer break and now I'm excited to go back. I am very lucky that I have a job that makes me jump out of bed every morning with a smile on my face. There was only one summer that I was not looking forward to going back to school and that was five years ago. I still tremble when I think about it.

Five years ago our school district was in a big financial mess. Unfortunately the school board had to make some hard decisions. They decided to close down one of the schools. The teachers and students from that school were moved to our building. Let me tell you something, that did not go well at all. It was a nightmare. The teachers were very upset about moving to our school and they had a very hard time adjusting to the transition. So now there were four teachers teaching second grade and I was so nervous about working with them. They had a terrible reputation of being negative. I kept telling myself, no big deal, just stay in your room and worry about yourself. Well, that would have worked until my principal shot that idea out of the water.

My principal decided each grade level needs to work like a team. He set up grade level meetings each week and always had an agenda for us to work on together. It started off all on the wrong foot. It was so hard for all of us to agree and to work together comfortably. At that time I was on my 12th year of teaching and they were all on their 28th. I basically just sat at those meetings and nodded my head. Teaching 30 children was easier then trying to work my three co-workers. I honestly didn't think we were ever going to gel, but eventually we did.

I can't even tell you when it happened, but somewhere down the road we learned to work together as a team. It was a lot of hard work and it also took time. I'm so glad I didn't give up and stuck with it. We are certainly not "best buds", but there is not all that anxiety at the meetings. I'm very proud of the accomplishments that we made together as a team. In fact one of my team members will be retiring this year and I think I will miss her. lol

I have often heard that getting along with co-workers is a common theme everywhere. Is that true? How were/are you with your co-workers?

SMV, for my Mom!

Chosen by Iteach

A few weeks ago I dedicated a Sunday morning video to my dad. It was so easy to do, because my dad and I enjoy the same type of music. It was so much fun to write it and pick out the music. So now the catholic guilt has kicked and I feel guilty for not doing one for my mom. I know exactly why I've been dragging my heels to write this blog, because I know exactly which song I have to pick.

When I was growing up my parents always played the music they grew up with in the car. It didn't bother me at all, I loved most of that music. My mom and dad always took turns playing their favorite tape. I loved it when it was my dad's turn. I could expect the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, or Fats Domino. However, when it was my mom's turn I would totally cringe when she picked......Gene Pitney.

Oh man, did his music use to drive me crazy. I would close my eyes and try real hard to drown his music out. Boy, did my mom like his music. She would sit there with a slight smile on her face with a calm far away look. For the life of me I couldn't understand why she liked him. So now 30 years later, I still don't understand. However, through maturity and growing old, I have learned to appreciate how he makes my mom happy. So I have caught myself once or twice actually requesting it in the car with her, because I like to see her face light up.

~ Lost ~

by Tina~in_ut
for ~Dawn~

In recent days, I've been spending my time thinking of Dawn and her loss and trying to comprehend it. I've felt like the world should have stopped and the news coverage should be nothing but tributes to Rick, just like we had with MJ. I've been acting like everyone I interact with knows what happened and is as upset about it as I am. I can't understand why everyone around me is going on with their lives as if nothing has happened. I am lost.


Lost. That is Dawn's myspace status. It is a fitting word for how a lot of us feel. We live in a very strange world....this online world. When I first heard what had happened, my immediate reaction was to find out what I could do for Dawn. There are the obvious things like praying for her and the family, sending a card or flowers, but I wanted to DO something. I talked to Mary a couple of days later. We had been going through and thinking the same things. I talked to a couple of more people who felt the same way. We live in an online world, and although we feel as if we are neighbors, we are spread out across the country and even into Canada. Our natural inclination is to "do something" and since we don't live near Dawn, there is very little we can do to help.


When I started thinking about what I would want in a situation like this, as if I could even imagine it, I realized that I would want to know that there were people here for me in case I needed them. That's exactly what some of us have done....either by phone, email, IM, MySpace comments, or even FarmTown, we have let Dawn know we are there for her and that we love her. And she has heard us.....sometimes loud and clear (I can be a little overwhelming at times!). Although I didn't know Rick, and I don't know Dawn like her best friends do, I know that I care about her and those she loves. I did know Rick loved the beach and he loved NASCAR! That alone gave him a special place in my heart......even if his choice of favorite driver left something to be desired! (Dawn will understand this!) :D I thought it was ultra-cool that he got to ride around with Ryan Newman.....who, by the way, is a hottie! Rick probably didn't think so~ :D


"Indiana Rick" is my favorite picture of all that Dawn has posted on MySpace and Facebook. I thought I would share it with you for those who haven't seen it. I love his smile and that getup~ He looks so incredibly happy. I want to remember him this way. Well...to be honest...I'll remember this look......and him in a car with Ryan Newman!!!


Dawn, we care for you, worry about you, and love you dearly. We hope you are able to find peace, and one day realize that you are not alone and no longer lost, because Rick will be with you always.