Happy 13th Birthday Luke!!! March 7, 2009

Today is my baby brother (sorry you’ll always be my baby brother) Luke’s 13th birthday!!  If you haven’t guessed I am quite a few years older than this cool guy, but I am so happy and blessed that he was brought into my life. 

Luke is turning into such a young man.  He is firecely loyal to his friends, has a kind heart, loves his family, and puts up with his crazy older sisters who don’t get to see him nearly enough!  It seem like just yesterday I was changing his teeny tiny clothes and then watching him act out scenes to Disney movies.  He’s always been a character. 

I’ll never forget leaving for college when he was only 3 and wondering why my dad had stopped the car.  I saw this little curly head outside of my window and he had tears streaming down his face.  I got one last good hug in and then we were off in our seperate directions.  Later my mom informed me Luke made her promise Santa would bring me home for Christmas.  We’ve been far apart ever since, but it is always a joy when I do get to see him.

I’m very proud of the young man you are turning into Luke.  Guess what??  Your big sister loves you! 

Happy Birthday!!!

Luke & Me

9 Months and Counting???? February 6, 2009

Ok so let me start by saying that I have never been one of those cutesy small girls.  My weight is something I constantly struggle with and I realize that it is something I will always have to struggle with but this incident takes the cake (and needs to hide it too).

This past week one of my colleagues passed a friend of mine and I every morning making odd comments.  Monday it was “Oh you’re looking so good!”  Tuesday it was, “Wow you’re getting so close!” and Wednesday it was “Only one more day to go!”  Now aforementioned friend is visibly pregnant and we chalked these strange comments to the co worker being mistaken about friend’s due date and perhaps impending senility and moved on with our days.

Then later that day I spoke with co-worker one on one (as I was purchasing a muffin I promptly gave  away) and she started asking me questions about a student I have never met.  As I told her that I had no clue as to what she was talking to a look of horror crossed her face.  “Oh my,” she says, “I always get you two confused…you’re both just so….young…and…pretty!” 

Seriously lady?  The look of horror on her face matched the feeling of horror in my gut as I realized she had been confusing me the past three days with another teacher who is 9 freaking months pregnant!!!  The day she had said “only one more day” to me was that teacher’s last day before maternity leave.  Now I might have been able to let her slide on six months…I am not under any disillusion mind you, but NINE???  This teacher and I get confused all the time however that had pretty much stopped when she got pregnant.  Apparently there was still too much of a resemblence.  Young and pretty my you know what!

I’m now SUPER motivated to get my butt in gear and get back into the gym on a more regular basis and to start cooking healthily again.  I’m going to resist my husband the enabler and start going into hyper WeightWatchers drive.  I have done this before and did pretty well…I was super OCD about it but it worked for me and I guess I just have to get there.  People who have never struggled with weight really don’t “get it” but I guess this is what I needed to get it in gear again.

By the way “I” had a healthy baby boy on Thursday night! 

Happy Day January 23, 2009

I had to write a post today to congratulate my wonderful husband!  After much hard work, wondering, and anxiety he finally got the promotion that he has been waiting for!  He no longer is in the uniform set and actually has to worry about what ties go with what shirt.  He’s not so thrilled about that aspect but I think it is great!  Congrats sweetie…you deserve it!

Accomplished? January 18, 2009

So my goal for this year is to get more organized. Well it is half way through January and I made my first bit of progress today. I tore through the pantry and gave it a good cleaning out. The decorator’s icing that has been in there since June had to go…and was a you know what to clean! I through a trashbag full of stuff away, scrubbed the floor, and organized the shelves. I even managed to use the inaccessible cupboard above the refigerator for serving pieces I don’t use often. I feel very good about this. However…the rest of my house still looks like a tornado tore through it. I try really hard to keep the house presentable, but with both hubby and I working full time and then some it isn’t always easy. If I can get the Christmas tree down (yes that’s right it is still up) and some pictures hung up on the wall I will consider the weekend a success. I hope others are having more “fun” today than I am!

Hypothetically… January 15, 2009

Hypothetically teachers do thier best day in and day out working to give students the best education they can provide.  Hypothetically students threaten teachers in writing and then turn days upside down.  Hypothetically teachers may need to drink wine.

Hope everyone had a good day at work.

Ten Years Ago… January 13, 2009

WARNING:  There is sap below!

7/9/04-Mr. & Mrs.

I met the man who would quickly become my best friend and later my husband.  He was, I believe, two hours or so late for our first date.  I was being patient about it because after all I was the one who had given him directions.  He has since learned that I have a horrible sense of direction.  Further evidence of this is the GPS system my dad gave us for the car this past Christmas.

We met online (you didn’t admit to this back then) when I was 17 and he was 19.  Seeing as this is around the age of the kids I teach I realize how incredibly young we were.  I didn’t tell my mom I had agreed to meet with him and I gave him directions straight to my house.  Hindsight being 20/20 and wisdom coming with age and all that I’m glad he turned out to be an upstanding citizen and not an axe murderer.  Kids do not do what I did!

I remember seeing him through our front window and like a teen age girl thinking, “he’s so cute!”  I got into the front seat of his Ford Probe (keep those thoughts in your head) and remember being uncomfortable because my seat was all the way forward.  I was so nervous I didn’t bother moving it and just sat with my forehead practically up against the windshield.  We laugh about it now and he tells me that he thought about moving it for me, but thought reaching between my legs on the first date might not have been the best idea.

We went and had dinner at a Mexican restaraunt, played putt putt golf and then went to get ice cream.  Talking to him was so easy and he was great at making me laugh.  At the end of our date I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and according to him “ran” into the house. 

In the five years we dated he took me to both my junior and senior prom.  I went to my first big concert with him (it was Metallica and I know those of you who know me are surprised).  We survived two years living in seperate states while he finished college and I began.  He made me laugh almost everyday and we became eachother’s best friend.  I had pink eye the day he proposed to me and he decided to ask anyway!  Now that’s love!

 

A Quick Stop January 7, 2009

So today is the second day back to work and yesterday I had to explain to a student that Europe is in fact not a country. It just keeps getting better!

In Honor of Going Back to Work… January 4, 2009

I thought I would share some of my head shaking moments of teaching.  Please keep in mind that I teach high school and that names will not be used to protect my job!

One of the first things I learned about teaching is that you can never assume that they know anything, including how to spell their own names.

Example 1: While giving a lecture on the signing of the Declaration of Independence–

Me: “Who can tell me the date that the Declaration of Independence was signed?”

Student #1: “July 4, 1776″

Student #2: (You could literally see the light bulb go on.)  “Oh!  Wait…is THAT why we have fireworks on the 4th of July?!?”

Example 2–Actual corrections I have had to make on maps

Contrary to popular belief Mexico is NOT the capital of Texas and the nation’s captial of Washington DC is NOT located somewhere in the Great Plains.

Example 3–While lecturing about the French and Indian War after telling them for about a week several times a day that it was fought between the French and British and that the Native Americans sided with the French hence the name of the war

Me: “Ok class let’s review…Which two countries fought in the French and Indian War?”

Student: “France and India”

Me: “Seriously?”

An actual phone call I had to make to a parent:

Me: “Hello Mrs. Smith.  How are you today?”

Mrs. Smith: “Fine…How are you?”

Me: “I’m fine although I hate to have to tell you I’m calling because Johnny made quite the disturbance in class today.”

Mrs. Smith: “What did he do?”

Me: “Well…he’s been licking people in class and for hygene purposes I really can’t have that.”

Mrs. Smith: “What?!?  Licking people where?”

Me: “On their elbows…”

Mrs. Smith: “Oh thank God…I’ll take care of it. Thank you Mrs. Powers”

Me: Shaking head…”No, thank you.”

And the all time takes the cake moment…this happened on my very first day of teaching.  I was giving a short little bio about myself…where I went to school, my favorite music, etc.  Then I let the kids ask questions. 

Me: ”Yes Sally…right?” 

Sally: “Yes ma’am.  Do you have any children?”

Me: No I don’t…not yet.

Tommy: under his breath but I heard him none the less “You must not be having enough sex then.”

Me: Speechless

Good luck with back to school everyone!

The Clock is Ticking January 3, 2009

After almost two weeks off of work the time is quickly dwindling away and thoughts of everything I need to get done is keeping me awake at night.  Now a motivated person would go ahead and start tackling the list and enjoy some of what is left of vacation while getting sleep.  I prefer to ignore the list and still enjoy what is left of my vacation.  Who needs to sleep at night anyway?  By the way if you are a teacher and actually had your act togegther enough to have all of your work completed BEFORE break…I despise you and I want to be you.  I have one more day before returning to the school and two more days before my tormentors students return.  I have some grading to finish up and lots of planning to do.  I’ve learned that you get done what you can and try not to sweat the rest.  Note I said “try” I haven’t managed that one yet.

Hubby has had the last few days of work so it has been nice to actually be in the same room together.  We decided to take Charlie on his first trip to the beach.  Well his first trip with us anyway…for all we know he could have lived on the beach in the Caribbean before he came to live with us; from the way he acted though it is unlikely.  You could tell he wanted to be everywhere at once with so many new things to sniff.  He headed straight for the water (pulling me behind him) and liked getting his paws wet!  When the waves started coming in it was a different story…he backed away from them quickly ala the Monkees in their show opener.  (Davy Jones was my boyfriend when I was like 6)  It was pretty funny and of course we got a laugh out of it.

Getting the paws wet...

Not too sure about the waves...

Enjoying the day!

It has been too long since I’ve been to the beach and we’re so blessed to live so close and to live somewhere we you can actually go to the beach on January 2.  It was probably about 60 out!  Charlie helped me find a whole sand dollar too.  We were very excited, but after one lick he decided it was too salty and I got to keep the find for myself.

A Charleston Winter Day

One last look through the dunes...

So tonight is my last leisurely night.  Tomorrow it is time to start thinking about work again…well maybe after a trip to the dog park.

25 Random Things… January 2, 2009

You can thank my sister…The rules are to write 25 random things about yourself and then to tag others.  Consider yourself tagged if you want to be.

1. I am a yooper by birth.

2. During my senior year in high school there was  a major explosion (gas leak) in the cafeteria…we didn’t have school for two weeks!

3. My earliest Halloween memory is dressing up as She-Ra Princess of Power

4. I once spit Scope in my sister’s hair…I swear it was an accident!

5. I was obsessed with Chewy Sweet Tarts in high school.

6. I won a contest naming my Elementary School mascot in 3rd grade.

7. In 5th grade a story I wrote was chosen to be published in the “Carolina Writes” magazine…pretty sure the only people who bought it were the parents of the kids chosen for it.

8. I think that brussell sprouts and prunes get a bad wrap.

9. I met my husband when I was 17 and married him when I was 22.

10. I have been to Asia.

11. I was the secretary of a pre-law fraternity in college.

12. I double majored in Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Michigan.

13. Hubby and I lived in my dad’s basement while I was in grad school.

14. I no longer posess a gallbladder.

15. I love going to movies by myself.

16. I have had a self portrait sketched while sitting in Trafalgar Square in London.

18. I hated history in high school and now I teach it.

19. I think being a teacher will make me a better parent.

20. My parents are my heroes; each in their own unique ways.

21. I think it is funny when my dog passes gas and then looks around like he can’t figure out where it came from.

22. I have walked from the FDR Memorial to the Pentagon City Metro station (map it out)

23. I learned how to swing dance taking lessons with my dad.

24. The Gilmore Girls is one of my favorite tv shows.

25. Blue hydrangea make me smile!