~Hooked on Phonics~

My sister-in-law sent me this and it cracked me up:

My five-year-old students are learning to read.

Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said, "Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"

I took a deep breath, then asked. . . "What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"

And so it does. . .

A F R I C A N Elephant

~Free Drink~

Dr Pepper to deliver on its free-soda promise

LOS ANGELES – Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality.

The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday.

"We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "But now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us."

Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m. (EST), coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28.

Story found here.

So, if you're interested, since it's Eastern time, it ends at 9pm PST instead of midnight. There are caffeine-free versions, too.

~Christmas Tag~

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I wrap. Mostly because I'm probably the world's most likely person to sneak a peak at a gift and therefore I assume that everyone else does it too. It also looks prettier under the tree.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. Kids are allergic to real.

3. When do you put up the tree? The past few years the Bear has put it up while MonaLisa and I are at Nutcracker dress rehearsal. (Two years ago he and Ratchet put it up using flashlights during the blackout. My heroes.)

4. When do you take the tree down? When it's convenient. (Sometimes as late as February--stop laughing.)

5. Do you like egg nog? No. Even raw cookie dough grosses me out. It's just wrong to eat/drink raw eggs.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Fashion Plates.

(Tell me that at least one of you had a set.)

7. Hardest person to buy for? The Bear. What do you get for the one who has everything and wants/needs nothing?

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ratchet.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. But, I prefer letters.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Every year my grandma made us shirts and every year mine was too small.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I'd probably go with a classic like "White Christmas" or "Holiday Inn."

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? September/October. If I'm done before Thanksgiving, I buy myself a present. Definitely not getting one this year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? DeeAnn's chocolate-covered jellies, especially the cherry ones.

16. Lights on the tree? Yes. But, no colored or blinking ones.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Silver Bells.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. Packing gifts back and forth doesn't appeal to me.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. Why? Cause angels don't have wings.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open the one from the Bear's side of the family at the Christmas Eve party, but all the others wait until morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Traffic gets worse as it gets darker and the weather gets wetter.


23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and silver.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Chinese. The Bear's mom feels that she had worked so hard to get to Christmas day that she should get the day off. So, she has a big Christmas Eve party and then the kids would have leftovers the next day, while she lays in bed and reads. Isn't she smart? Since we aren't the hosts, we don't have enough leftovers, so we pick up Chinese food the day before and warm it up when we're hungry.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A clean house. Oh, wait that's my every day wish. Then tickets to the Lion King.


26. Who I tag: Alisha, Amy L, Julie, and Maria.