Thirteen Things I Found While Packing!!

1. My Tigers hats (ignore the dust)

2. Quite possibly the funniest book ever published

3. A TV!

4. MANY black flip flops

5. Old cell phones

6. Antique doll house Kenny bought me last summer (I had the same one as a kid, and it brought back so many fun memories, I had to have it)

7. My beloved Bronco hat

8. The "goodbye" book made by the kids in the class where I student taught back in the day

9. The mess the hamster made when Kenny "accidentally" let him get out (yes, that's a packaged tampon in the corner that Sparky dragged in there too)

10. My college backpack....I actually need this for my field trip with the kids on Thursday!

11. Book on CD that I never finished listening to last summer

12. Ruined luggage....the hamster again....see why I hate it when he gets out? The only place the rat chewed was THROUGH THE ZIPPER!! I hope his teeth are dull now! This was expensive luggage and now it's in the dumpster!

13. A headband I bought to "try out" about 2 years ago...I guess I could have smiled, but this picture really captured my mood last night....tired.

Wordless Wednesday

Not really sure...

This is my first REAL packing day. I'm really ready to get started....except for one minor detail. No boxes. At all. Help?

Ahhhhhh

I am on the verge of complete relief. Any second now, I am going to get into my car (after bundling up because the weather is brutal around here), and drive the 1 mile to the post office.

I will then:

• walk into the post office
• address a priority mail envelope with mentor's info
• place my 40 page thesis paper in the envelope
• begine feeling small bouts of anxiety because all my work and time is going to be graded in a matter of days
• force myself to seal the envelope and not look for any other things that I could possibly but needlessly change
• go to the counter and request the envelope to be tracked so I don't get screwed
• watch as the clerk stamps the envelope and tosses it emotionlessly into the outgoing mail tub
• breathing rapidly, my legs will lead me back to my car where it's warm
• put my head on the steering wheel and cry because it's done and I can't change one more thing, and I can't call my dad to have him edit it just one more time
• drive home to Kenny and sit on the couch and think about all the things I COULD HAVE done before turning it in

This is what I think will happen. When I get the nerve to get dressed and make that 1 mile drive, I'll finish this post and you'll know what REALLY happens.

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UPDATE

It's done. I mailed it! And I really did get the queasy tummy feeling, and I felt like I was going to puke as I handed over the envelope, but I did it, and it's done, and I'm home and OH SO HAPPY! I can't believe that I don't have to work on it anymore, that's how much it consumed my life EVERY DAY. What a feeling!

I called my dad on my way home from the post office to tell him. I think he was just as relieved as I was....no more phone calls asking him silly ridiculus questions about a comma or somthing. He probably feels just as good.

To change the subject BECAUSE I CAN NOW!! my flowers started drooping rather quickly, so I came up with a quick remedy for them. I thought because the roses were so heavy and still not fully bloomed, I needed to save them somehow from snapping off the top of the step. And this is what I did:

They look absolutely gorgeous! I had to play around with the camera too, so here's some more....

Scroll down for the Saturday Photo Hunt.

Saturday Photo Hunt

Antique

This light up ceramic tree was in my parents' home when I was a kid. I LOVED its antique-ness then, so my mom gave it to me a couple years ago, the very same year Kenny bought me one from a local antique shop. So now I have two of them. And I love 'em! It's actually still out, and yes, I know it's almost March. But I knew we were moving and I just love having it glowing next to me at night....like a pretty nightlight.

Thirteen CDs That I Love

(not necessarily new releases)

1. Aerosmith-Devil's Got A New Disguise

2. Dave Matthews Band-Under The Table & Dreaming

3. Steve Miller Band-Greatest Hits

4. Kid Rock-Devil Without A Cause

5. Tom Petty-Wildflowers

6. Jewel-Pieces Of You

7. Sarah McLachlan-Surfacing

8. Tim McGraw-Greatest Hits

9. Aerosmith-Big Ones

10. Aerosmith-Toys in the Attic

11. Barenaked Ladies-Stunt

12. Rascal Flatts

13. Toby Keith-Unleashed

Here's part of my Valentine's gift:

They are GORGEOUS! I also got a good book and some blue PJs. He's so good at gift giving!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's too good to be true........somebody pinch me!!

I'm at home today, on another snow day! Three snow days in two weeks. I must be dreaming. Too bad I'm not packing.

This time, it really is a true snow day. I'm not sure how many inches we got, but it was a lot! When I left school yesterday, my principal said, "See you Thursday." So everyone at work was pretty much banking on this day off.

Last night, it took us an hour and a half to drive home. And this is what it looked like:

And this was the spedometer

THE WHOLE 25 MILES HOME:

But since I love the snow, I'm not complaining. It's beautiful! And cold, but I still love it. And Happy Valentine's Day too! I'm sending the love to all my blogger friends and non-blogger friends that read this too. Love you all! This is what Kenny is getting today.....

Some chocolate luscious lips, a chocolate Spiderman, homemade chocolate chip cookies and a cute little red monkey that will inevitably end up in my classroom. Can you tell he is just SO loved? I wonder what I'm getting....

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

PS- Click over to Lindsay's site and wish her little man well...he's under the weather and they need the good thoughts!

Happy Birthday Mom and Grandma

Today we celebrated my Grandma's 90th birthday!

90 years.....talk about lucky! And she is still as beautiful as ever.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

And we also celebrated my mom's ##th birthday too. My momma is on the left in orange, and she is equally as beautiful. I love both of these women dearly. And I know I'm blessed to have them both in my life.

Happy Birthday Momma!

(Not pictured is one cousin, one uncle, one great-aunt, my brother, and the photographer, Kenny)

Photo Hunt

Theme: Broken

This POS dishwasher is the epitomy of what you would expect in an apartment: broken garbage. I have had it serviced about a billion times since we've lived here. One would think a new dishwasher would prevent me from calling maintenance weekly. Oh well, we won't be dealing with it much longer!

To read about the weekly Photo Hunt themes, go here.

Whew

The last few days have been a blur. It's been a wierd week. With two snow days, I only worked 3 days, and one of them was a field trip, so really I was in the classroom two days. And it still feels like it's been a month since last weekend. Sometimes I feel like when I have time off, it makes me less productive at work. Does anyone else feel like that?

Today was the 100th day of school, which is a big deal for the little ones. It was a LONG DAY. Parties at school are wonderful for the kids, and a pain for teachers. I hate to complain about the kids' celebrations, but it is SO HARD to keep 20 kids focused on anything when there is food, juice, and sweets (ONLY on special occasions) in the room. And since our students wear uniforms, when they have free dress as they did today, things can get off the hook quickly. I kept them busy all day with 100s day centers all dealing with the number 100 somehow, but I feel like I worked 5 days in 8 hours. I'm pooped! When the last kid was gone today, I fell in my chair at my desk and put my head down and didn't move for 10 minutes. That felt great! I'm still dragging. But, I know my students had a good day, and I'm sure they will be yacking about it all weekend to whoever will listen. Here is a picture of them today with their 100th Day of School shirts on. You can probably tell that they colored the shirts themselves.

And here's the cake that another teacher made for our class. It's huge, but you can't really tell how big it was. And it was YUMMY. The cake itself was that rainbow chip.....hmmmm. Can you find the nibble marks I left? It was hard to be in the same room with that cake and not be tempted. I sound like one of my students now.....

Today is one of those days when I'm really thankful for the weekend. Just to be at home, inside where it's warm. Who cares if the place is a mess with boxes and all sorts of stuff? It's still home. And it's right where I'm happy to be right now.

Thirteen of my Favorite Children's Books

(and why I love each of them)

1. THE FOOT BOOK

I love hearing my students read this one out loud, and I NEVER get sick of it.

2. THE QUILT STORY

It reminds me of my grandma, who taught me how to make quilts myself.

3. I LOVE MY HAIR

I love my students' hair.

4. THE VERY LONELY FIREFLY

We've all been there. And the book lights up!

5. TODAY I FEEL SILLY

It says the word "diarrhea" and I still laugh every time I read it.

6. WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS

Classic.

7. THE STORY OF RUBY BRIDGES

HISTORY.

8. ARTHUR'S EYES

It's just fun and cute. And we always make the glasses to go with the story.

9. JUNIE B. JONES: BIG FAT MOUTH

It's hilarious! I love all Junie B. Jones books because they read as a kid might really be talking. And that's all. (ha-Junie always says "and that's all")

10. THE VELVETEEN RABBIT

This was read to my many times as a kid, and I loved it, even when it wasn't Easter.

11. THE LEGEND OF MACKINAC ISLAND

There is a series of Michigan legend books like this one, and they are all beautiful and colorful, and tell about how people think land forms in Michigan came to be.

12. OX-CART MAN

My parents read this to me, one of the first books I can remember. I have a signed copy at home, and a kid copy at school. It reminds me of the farm where I grew up, minus the cows.

13. OLIVIA

I wasn't introduced to the Olivia books until I was in the early childhood education department in college. And the first time I saw the book, I thought it looked silly, which it is, but I was hooked. She's simply adorable!

Wordless Wednesday

(Pictures taken in October 2006)

Another Free Day!

I can't believe my luck. Another snow day. Who would have guessed we'd get so lucky?!

I should probably clarify "snow day." It should be called "cold day." That's why we didn't have school yesterday and today. It was like zero degrees both days. My first thought was how do these pansies over here survive Michigan winters? I have only lived on this side of the state fo 5 years, and seriously, when I was a kid, it was this cold at least once or twice a winter. It was expected! But now, there is some law I think that says kids can't go to school when it's a certain temperature. I don't really know that it's a law, but come on, what did we do in the past? What did I do when I was a kid? Bundle the hell up!! But, don't get me wrong. I love having 2 days off in a row unexpectedly. Especially when I knew BEFORE my head hit the pillow last night that I didn't have to wake up to an alarm this morning. THAT was nice.

So yesterday I started packing. It didn't get me too far. I got 7 huge banana boxes from the grocery store and came home to start the ugly process of throwing things away and packing. And at the same time, I indulged in my latest obsession, Dawson's Creek. My friend has the entire DVD collection, and I'm now on season 3. Maybe that's why I didn't get a whole lot accomplished yesterday....to much oogling over the TV. Lindsay asked me to take pictures, so here is what it looks like outside....a fair amount of snow, but keep in mind I'm home these 2 days because of the extreme cold.

Today I have been much more productive. I'm cleaning out our files of paperwork so when it comes time to file new paperwork crap, it's all organized and clean. Look at the mess I've made, and this isn't even the worst part!

My next task this afternoon will be the kitchen. My weakest point. Not only do I NOT enjoy cooking, but I enjoy EVEN LESS cleaning up. So the dishes will need to be dealt with soon. If you look really close in the upper right hand corner of the picture, you can see a few not-yet-used banana boxes.

I sure have my work cut out for me today. But, it still beats BEING at work! Oh yeah, and that wild strawberry jello with bananas added in was THE BOMB!!! And it's on the low carb menu too, so check out the recipe here. If you make it, just add the bananas after you mix in the whipped cream.

I'm Free!

SNOW DAY!!

Woo-hoo!

Boy, am I a happy girl today!! It's been a year since we had a snow day, and I was getting jealous that everyone around here as well as in other parts of the country (Lori) was enjoying these days off. I am SO thankful for this. While the work was piling up around here, not to mention the mess, this makes it so much easier to start the week. Plus, I had 2 meetings after school. And since I can't stand meetings, I'm not one bit sad that we aren't having them at all this week. The best part about this free day is that the sun is shining. And it's BEAUTIFUL!

Thankful

I can't believe how cold it is! Wait a minute, yes, I can believe it. It's Michigan, the state of everchanging weather, day to day, minute to minute. A few weeks ago, jackets were hardly required. And now? They are telling us to stay inside if we can. I do love cold weather, the snow, skiing, building snowmen, the crisp, pretty look of new snow....but come on! We don't need these frigid temps! I guess it's paybacks from such a mild winter thus far.

Since we are getting ready to move, I find myself stepping over boxes, falling on piles of clothes and shoes, losing everything, finding it, and then re-losing it. Basically, our life is everywhere it can fit inside these small four walls (and a storage unit). I usually clean once a week, but I haven't in about 3 weeks because I kept thinking, what's the point? We're moving! No need to clean! Mind you I have kept the kitchen and bathroom tidied cause that's just gross, but for the most part, there is shit everywhere. And when I look around at all the messes, I am even LESS motivated to do anything about it. So, I guess, for now, it's okay to live like slobs, cause there is an end in sight. And when we move there will be more room to spread things out (like the basement). I remember Tasha talking about how everything was so chaotic last summer when she moved, and I feel her pain now!

I guess when I think about all the things that I could complain about, this is nothing. There are many health related issues going on with my family and loved ones right now, so when I complain about trivial stuff like moving, the snow, a bill, whatever it may be, I instantly feel guilty. What am I really complaining about? I have a WONDERFUL life, and I'm privilaged to be happy, healthy, and ABLE to move.

I look at my grandparents.....married 60 years last summer. My grandma took a nasty fall about 2 weeks ago and is in a short term nursing home facility to recoop. My grandpa doesn't get to see her every day. Did I mention they have been married 60 years? That's 21,900 days of getting to see each other almost every day. And now they can't. My grandparents are 88 and 91, so it's hard for them to recover from things that I would bounce back from quickly, but I can only imagine how sad they are not to be together. They still hold hands, and listen to each others' stories as if it were the first time they were hearing it. That's real, true love, and it just saddens me that they can't see each other every day. Hopefully my grandma will be home soon.

And then there's a family friend who is not doing so well with her cancer. There's little hope. And little time. And then I immediatly think of the aunt we lost last year to cancer, and I can't help but think, who's next? I know it's awful to say it, but that's exactly what my mind does. It shouldn't take all these sadnesses around me to appreciate my life and all the privilages that I have. I should be doing that anyway. But I do take things for granted, and it's these times that make me stop and think about what really matters. I think we are all probably guilty of doing this from time to time.

So, whoever reads this post today, do me a favor--take the time to stop and think about the things you have (non-materialistic) and the people you love (past and present) and just really BE THANKFUL. Be thankful that you can be thankful for these things, and that you are not praying for heat, a car to get to work, a job, a cure for cancer. And if you are praying for those things, know that I'm praying for you too.

THIS WEEK'S THEME:

GROSS

I hate this. The cords under the computer are always in this GROSS mess. I can't wait to set up the computer in the new house where the cords are either in some kind of order, or NOT SEEN AT ALL. I really enjoy being organized, but when it comes to the computer area, until now, I have failed miserable. What do you do with all your cords?