So What Wednesday!

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

• A student told me that he threw up before school the other morning and I had to walk away from him and into the hall for about 3 minutes just to not think about what he just told me. I felt bad but I could not handle it.

• My student teacher does more grading than I do. Welcome to the real world! {she's awesome btw}

• I convinced J to get Greek for dinner because I was exhausted after school and piano, even though I had dinner planned.

• I was so excited to find out Angela {our exchange student}...aka..."Spanish sister from another mister"... is coming back to Ohio this summer! I missed her last summer and finally have someone to hang out with!

• I ordered more Girl Scout cookies...they're for Angela. {for real, they don't have them in Spain}

• If I'm sad Private Practice is over. There is now nothing good on TV on Tuesday nights.

• If I watch Bunheads on ABC Family. Yep, I said it. But it's the same producer as Gilmore Girls so that means it was love at first sight. And I get really excited when they bring back people from GG like Emily, Paris, and Kirk! I know. Sad.
  

Don't forget to link up with Shannon from Life After I Dew!

Cancelled.

I'm super mad right now.

Want to know why?

Because another one of my favorite shows was cancelled. CANCELLED!

Yep, that's right. Just add Don't Trust the B----in Apartment 23 to the list!

{link}

The List

GCB

The Playboy Club {first murder mystery I ever got in to}

Pam Am

Partners

Private Practice {tears!!}

I swear every time I really like a show they cancel it! Why can't they cancel a not-so-good show, like Go On (sorry if you like it)? 

I'm going to miss James, Chloe, and June...

So last night I watched Parenthood and recorded the last and final episode of Private Practice (to watch right after). I'm sad to see it go and really loved the characters. I think Charlotte and Cooper were my favorite because I really loved how their relationship grew. I also really loved Amelia! 

{link}

What are some shows that you loved but sadly were cancelled?

Menu Monday

I totally forgot to take pictures of our dinners for this week. Shame on me. However, I'll leave you with the picture as to which caught my attention to make the dish in the first place!

Monday
Regular old grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. Nothing too fancy for that one.

Tuesday
J has class late so I'm on my own. I just made some of Annie's Mac & Cheese...my new favorite!

Wednesday
I made homemade gyros. I've made these before and love  them!! The last time I made them I had homemade salsa to put on them which made them 1000x more flavorful. They were still delicious without it!

Thursday

Rachel Ray's turkey meatballs. These are our favorite by far and usually the only meatballs I make. I put a little too much onion in them for J's liking but they still were yummy! We had open faced meatball subs with them. Yummmmy!

{no picture--the one on the website looks funny and doesn't do them justice}

I also made Starbucks Passion Fruit and Lemonade Tea. It was okay. I was expecting it to taste just like it but honestly, I don't really think it did. However, I have a lot left, so I can still practice on how to make it better.

Don't forget to link up with Rachel for Menu Monday!

High/Low Fridays

When we were in elementary and middle school my parents used to play a game with us every night at the dinner table called, high/low. We would have to tell the high of our day, or the best thing about it, and the low of our day, or the worst part about it. We could never have just a low but definitely could have just a high.This was one of our favorite things to do and really promoted sharing around the dinner table.

This year I decided to incorporate it into my classroom. This is the second year I've had this group of  kids and we already know each other pretty well. But it is nice to have more bonding time.

Every Friday the kids walk in excited to play high/low, even though we play it at the very end of the day. They think about their highs and lows all day and now are much better at knowing exactly what they want to say (unlike the beginning of the year when each kid took 10 minutes to think of something). We clear out the desks, sit in a circle, and go around saying our highs and lows. Sometimes we will even add in a "what we are looking forward to this weekend".

It's been such a wonderful bonding experience. We've had so many laughs and even some tears. But it just brings us closer together. We do have a few rules, which most follow.

Rule #1: Wait your turn
Rule #2: Do not comment on others high/low  {this is the hardest to follow but very important}
Rule #3: Be polite
Rule #4: Highs and lows must be appropriate  {we're talking 5th graders here- ya never know!}
Rule #5: You must say at least one high

I look forward to Fridays and sharing our highs and lows for the week. Some are as simple as, "I did well on my math test" or "we don't have school Monday". And others really touch you such as, "I got to see my mom for the first time in six months"...tears!!

I'm so thankful my kids are able to share their experiences with each other and with me. This class is very special to me since this is my second year with them. I know I'm going to be a hot mess saying goodbye to them but I'll always remember our high/low Fridays and I hope that they can remember the same.

Priceless!

Choosing the right books and searching for them in the school and public library 

4 hours

Making reading groups and book preview packets 

 2 hours

Searching for novel studies for the reading groups using Teachers Pay Teachers 

 1 hour

Purchasing novel studies from Teachers Pay Teachers 

 $12.00

Not stressing and spending extra time at home 

 PRICELESS!

I'm so thankful for TPT. I feel like I cannot say that enough. The units and lessons that are out there are amazing and so worth the money over the stress!

Whether your a teacher or a mom, check it out.

When it rains it pours...literally

Sunday night was interesting to say the least. J bowls on Sunday and I was home cleaning. I was almost finished cleaning the master bath and flushed the toilet. It made some weird noise and the next thing I know a huge part of the bathroom was flooded (we don't have a big master bath).

The first towel I could grab was a white bath towel. Great. I seriously thought for about 5 seconds not using it but I was covered in water along with the floor. Several towels later the water was cleaned up. I washed the floor again and came downstairs to just chill for a bit.

As I walked into the kitchen I felt my legs slipping and sliding underneath me. I somehow was able to lean and grab the kitchen sink, spilling my glass of water on me and the already wet floor. I started flipping out and yelling at Wembley {he moves the water bowl all over the kitchen and the floor has at least one puddle a day}.

When I reached the rug, I realized the water was not from Wembley. Oh no. That would be too easy. It was from the ceiling. The light was leaking from the toilet over flowing.

I put two-and-two together and I start to have a melt down. I was by myself, had no idea what to do, and was scared the ceiling was going to cave it {it wasn't even close btw}.

Thankfully, my parents were in town (they live in the booneys now) and were able to make it over in about 15 minutes. The kitchen was clean by the time they got there but as soon as my dad took the ceiling light off, water went everywhere!! And to top it off, there was a terrible smell.

Not my night.

My parents helped me clean the rest of it up. My mom mopped up the bathroom floor for the third time, the kitchen floor for the second, and helped me light a lot of candles :)

Even though Sunday night really sucked, I'm thankful I didn't fall and hurt myself and that the damage wasn't  any worse. So now, we are purchasing two new toilets this weekend and having them professionally installed. Did I mention my dad installed the one that leaked after he put tile down earlier this summer? Poor dad!

So on Sunday night while it was raining outside it was pouring in my house.

Weekends in the {Not So} Newlyweds house

We definitely live up to the not so newlyweds on the weekends. Especially over the last few weekends.

Let's start from the beginning. I'm a mean wife. I know, I know. When J and I got married we both had some debt and I was (still am) teaching piano lessons to pay off my student loans. Since J wasn't to educated on credit cards, I made him get a second job to finish paying them off. There was a brand new pizza place in town and I told him to try it out. Almost three years later and he's still there. Cards are all paid off. I'm not forcing him to be there. He enjoys it. No lie! And hey, I can't complain about some extra cash! We had discussed a few months back about him quitting. He decided to quit in January. Next thing I know, he decides to only work Friday nights instead of both Friday night and Saturday night. Since I basically crash on Friday nights after work and piano, I was supportive about his decision (even asking if he was sure he wanted to continue working there altogether).

J and I decided that Saturday nights were our nights. We don't have a lot of quality time during the week due to meetings, class, piano lessons, etc., so Saturday was just for us. I was excited for this new adventure! We've only had a few of these in the past four years of our marriage.

Since the first weekend of January our Saturday nights have been spent at home! We watch movies, play games, catch up on things that need done around the house. We are boring.

This weekend we cleaned and organized...a lot. But it's so nice to get things done. We feel good about ourselves and the house when everything is picked up and ready for the week.

Is this blog post super exciting and something I needed to share? No. But it's nice to go back in a year or more and read how we spent our time. I know when we have kids our weekends will be anything but boring, so we shall enjoy it while we can!

Happy Monday!

#FourYears

Four years ago, I walked down the isle and married a wonderful man.

Four years ago, it was snowing, sleeting, and raining, but we still looked fab!

{note my big tight hair-we weren't sure how it was going to 

hold up in the crazy weather. It settled by the reception.}

Four years ago and I'm still thankful that my dad was able to walk me down the isle.

Four years ago, we said "I do!"

Four years ago, I was lucky to have my friends by my side.

Four years ago, we danced the night away.

Four years ago, we toasted to the years ahead!

Happy anniversary to my amazing husband! I'm so thankful for all he does for me and our future family. We been through a lot of ups and downs together in our short four years, but we come out together and stronger every time. I'm so proud of him for working so hard to get through grad school and starting his doctorate.

I'm so excited for this year and the many years to come together!

All my love

Note: Four years later and I'm still regretting my photographer...

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Since going back to work last Wednesday, I've been crazy busy and exhausted. I'm totally ready for spring break which may be 10 weeks away not that I'm counting.

I've also been in a blogging rut. I know I need to blog about Christmas and I have a list of a few other things but I just can't sit down and do it. This blog is for J and I. So if I'm able to keep up with what is going on in our {boring} lives then that is just a positive for us. If not, that's okay too. As much of a rut I'm stuck in I'll be sad December 2013 when I recap and realize how lame of a blogger I was this year.

Hopefully that will change!

So, why not start off the year right when a little What I'm Loving Wednesday because after all, it's the best!

I'm loving our Roku box. 

We are letting our cable go soon and the Roku box will be our go to. Thankfully we still will get NBC, CBS, and ABC so I will survive.

I'm loving that Valentines Day is right around the corner.

While it's not my favorite holiday it's still fun to celebrate with my love!

Check out these yummy cookies

Jalapenos

Yes, I know. Odd.

I've been obsessed lately! How good does this jalapeno hummus look?

Delish!!

Parenthood

I cry every time I watch it.  It's amazing.

And let me just say that I love Sarah and Hank together.

Drumsticks

I'm loving the treat I picked up for J and I at the store. It's going to be our anniversary dessert (we rarely keep ice cream in the house).

What are you loving this Wednesday?

Saying Goodbye

In the spring of 1993, my parents moved me out of the first house I remember (the second one I lived in). They moved just a few miles away into the house we would live in for the next 19 (almost 20) years. I was in the third grade and so excited to move in to this big, beautiful, new home they were building. While I had to switch elementary schools, however I was excited to go to a new school and meet new friends.

I'll never forget one of the first moments in our new home. Mom and dad took us there to have a Chinese dinner picnic on the kitchen floor. There wasn't any furniture moved in yet and not everything was finished, but we were so excited to have a candle light dinner picnic.

I know a house is just a shell. What's important are the people and memories inside. But this house is so much more to me. It's family. We brought my sister home to his house. We had five dogs at this house (two sill living). I left for college from this house and came back to this house. I had my graduation party on the driveway and in the garage after our backyard was flooded and we had to carry the tent in the street to get it onto the driveway. We spent hours outside building forts. We had birthday parties, holiday celebrations, and neighborhood deck night. We've had bad times but so many more good times in the home.

We will always remember all of the special times we had there but I'm so sad we can't make anymore. I had always looked forward to having my baby shower in the back yard and to bring my baby there for a Sip 'n See. J and I even talked about having a destination wedding and then having a reception in the backyard for our friends.

We all love this home and we will truly miss it.

I know that my parents love their new home. I know that they've been wanting this for a long time. I know that it's better for them too. I'm truly thrilled for them and know that this is all supposed to happen for a reason. The house sold just days from taking it off the market. It almost didn't sell at all. But everything worked out. In perfect timing. In the perfect situation. This is obviously the perfect move for them.

So I guess it's time to make new memories in a new home. It feels quite odd to be in a different place than what I'm used to. But I know my mom will take her great sense of style and have the house just like their home should be.

1993-2012

Welcome 2013

I rarely look at the calendar as a new beginning. For me, new beginnings start in August, the beginning of the school year. It's difficult for me to think that January starts something new because nothing changes for me in January, except for a number.

The new year usually means new life goals and new resolutions. I read a lot of other blogs where women are making wonderful goals for themselves. That's not me. The more "resolutions" I have for the year, the more stressed out I become. Then if I don't accomplish those goals I get really upset with myself. What is the good in that?

So here are my "goals" for 2013.

Relax

Don't worry as much

Spend more quality time with J 

Enjoy time with my family

Are there other goals I have for myself? Yes. But I am making those goals throughout the year. 

2012 was the year of change. 

2013 is going to be the year of family.