TGIF!

I love Fridays. They make me happy. I get even happier when I don't feel desperate for a Friday and just get to enjoy the time away from school. This is one of those weeks. I am happy its Friday, but it was also a good week at school. I really love my kids this year. They are 5 and 6 year old rockstars.

One of my kids, who I've written about before & might possibly be my favorite, makes me laugh the entire day long. He is young for Kindergarten and has a very hard time with reality and exaggerating. For example, today he told the class he cut his finger off (he has a tiny cut on his finger), he told me he saw one of his classmates in the hallway (she was absent today) and he's been talking about mud hitting him (he acts out a punch) in the eye all week long. He is hysterical. He makes the funniest faces, has an obsession with knights & dragons and loves all the ladies in our class :)

So, happy weekending all you crazy bloggers. Happy Kindergarten thoughts being sent your way. Be giddy, run wild and hop & down when you feel like it.

Baking Bread.

I really enjoy cooking and baking. I'm a strict recipe follower, but still find it to be a creative outlet. I stick to dessert type things when baking. This weekend I decided I would try my hand at baking bread. I finally remembered to pick up some yeast at the grocery store, so I thought no time like the present.

Now, I must admit, I'm not the most hardcore (I didn't grind my wheat into flour) but I felt accomplished nonetheless.
ame nervous I had lost count. I am fairly certain, now, that I did not. After mixing into a doughy glob, I had to knead the dough. I love kneading things because it reminds me of my high school ceramics classes, which I miss. After kneading the dough, the dough is placed into an oiled pan to rise for about an hour. When this actually happened, I was pumped.

The first thing one must do is proof the yeast, to make sure the yeast is still active (or alive?). Mine was-VICTORY #1. I knew this because it became foamy.

Next, you mix in LOTS of flour and some oil and sugar. My mom called during the adding of 6 cups of flour, and I became worried that I lost count. I an confident, now, that I did not. After the mix became doughy, I placed it in a well oiled bowl to rise for about an hour.

After the dough "doubled in size" I kneaded it again and then formed one half into a loaf to be white bread and the other half I made cinnamon swirl bread.

I baked them for about half and hour and have to say this was a proud accomplishment for me. I have been thoroughly enjoying my bread on sandwiches and the cinnamon swirl for breakfast. YUM.


I don't know what about baking that I love so much. I think it gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. It is also something I feel good at and like to be able to do for Chris. I also like working with my hands. While baking isn't the most hardcore of work, it is work and takes care and patient. It really does make me happy.

I am really looking forward to trying different recipes and more interesting kinds of breads.

Dog-sitting.

t


Chris and I are dog sitting for my parent's dogs this weekend. I love them. They are adorable. I love sitting for them, but it also assures me I do not want to own dogs anytime soon.

One thing I love about having the dogs around is seeing the way Chris interacts with them. He is so cute with them, so loving, so patient (even though they make things a bit difficult) and very thoughtful about their needs. I just can't help but think about what a good daddy he'll be. He is such a caring man and has such a great sense of humor and isn't afraid to be silly.

So, even though they are just dogs, I love to watch Chris with them because I think he's only going to better with kids :)

Going gray.

I am 24 and am going gray. I have been for a couple years, but in the last six months or so it has become much more noticeable. They are primarily on the crown of my head, so, with my bangs, they are particularly visible. And while there are a few hairs that could use a little taming, I don't mind it. I like the idea of staying natural and not dying my hair. My only fear is that I will look really old before I really am. So, we'll see. I might give in eventually and dye it. For now, I don't mind and we'll see how out of hand it gets and how quickly.

New York

I am back from three wonderful days in New York City with my mama. It was such a fun trip. Some highlights:

1) A just me-and-mom trip. This was our first time going away just the two of us and it was so much fun. We get along very well and had a great time taking our time while taking in the city.

2) Serendipity- a delicious sandwich and even more delicious frrrrozen hot chocolate. Seriously, to die for. I've had them in the past, but I had majorly forgotten how good they were.

3) Wicked. Such a good show!! I really enjoyed it and am now wanting to watch Wizard of Oz knowing this "other side of the story." My favorite scene was when Elphaba first flies, right before the Intermission.

4) The View- my mom and I were able to get into the taping on standby. It was an awesome experience. I don't really watch the View, but it was cool to see a bit of the making of a TV show. I also love people watching at these sorts of events. God created some strange birds. My observations: the set and table are much smaller than the appear of TV, the ladies of the View are not very warm and fuzzy, but they aren't rude, some people in the world really want to be famous (ie. the strange birds in the audience).


5) Little Mermaid- very cute show. Similar to the movie, but very fun. Several of the scenes were very successful in feeling underwater. Ursula was awesome as were Flounder and Sebastian. I was disappointed by King Triton and in the scene where Ursula is destroyed. That scene was a bit anti-climactic. Overall, though, the show was very entertaining and fun.

6) Tavern on the Green. My mom and I had lunch there on our last day. I am sooo glad we did this. The restaurant itself is gorgeous- it has all these fun chandeliers and is completely decorated in pastels. Outside the restaurant you can see Central Park and some creatively sculpted shrubbery.

Valentine's Weekend

Chris and I have had a fantastic weekend together. I was in charge of planning V-Day and it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. We started by going to Faneuil Hall for lunch. We got Mac & Cheese, which was recommended by friends. It was delicious. We also really enjoyed feeling like tourists. Faneuil Hall is so touristy, but I really enjoy the feel. After lunch we walked towards Christopher Columbus Park and the North End. We took lots of pictures along the way because Chris got a new camera. We ended up at Cafe Vittoria where we had coffee, cannolis and tiramisu. It was lovely.



After lunch, we headed to the Hyatt Harborside which is the hotel we stayed in on our wedding night. It was so fun to be back there. We both realized how much of a blur the day was because we remembered very little about the hotel itself. We took a nap, went swimming, sat in the sauna and enjoyed having cable TV before dinner. Then, we enjoyed a delicious and fancy dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Weekends like this remind me of how wonderful marriage is and how wonderful my husband is. I am grateful to have him as my partner for life. We have so much fun together, enjoy just being together and make each other laugh. This was a very happy Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day

One of my favorite things about teaching is seeing the pure joy that comes so effortlessly for children. Today was a fun day in Kindergarten. We celebrated Valentine's Day today with balloons, cookies and relay races. What could be better?

When the children arrived today, I had balloons and ribbon so they could decorate the room. They had been asking all week about decorating for the party. I never realized how much entertainment and joy a few balloons could bring. They were PUMPED. So was I. There is little that compares to seeing children just be children. They get excited, run around, giggle- all without being self-conscious or guarded. It such a challenge to do that as an adult. For a child, it just comes naturally.

Check out these adorable ones:
They have so much spunk (see second from left), so much attitude (see second from right) and an ability to be themselves with out insecurity (see all, above).

Love them, Love that I won't see them for a week.

Happy Break!!

Purple nails

I saw He's just not that into you this weekend and really enjoyed it. Its an entertaining, cute chick flicks with a few scenes that caused me to tear up a bit. My husband even saw it with me, without complaint, which made it even more lovely.

Ginnifer Goodwin's character, Gigi, wore awesome purple nail polish throughout the movie and I am pleased to announce I bought myself some today. I am pumped and painting my nails as we speak (base coat: drying). I'll post a picture once I'm done :)

Fire.

I, along with my favorite co-worker, filled the school with smoke today. The fire alarm went off and the entire school had to be evacuated. All of this because we wanted to bake delicious funfetti cookies with our little darlings.

Its totally not our fault, though. The pans we used were crappy and I'm convinced there was some leftover residue from a previous cooking project that was set ablaze.

I do feel bad, though. Three fire engines along with some other important looking cars filed into our parking lot, as we stood with our freezing, shivering little ones. "Oh, don't worry, just our smoky cookies. Nothing to be alarmed by..." So embarrassing.

Fortunately, the children did a great job getting out of teh building quickly (though sans coats) and we all went home at the end of the day safe and sound.

I love being a teacher.

(it wasn't this bad. here just for dramatic effect)

My husband is famous.

My husband rules, to begin with. He is the hardest working person I know. He is a wonderful provider and I'm sure I'll be only more amazed by this when we have children. This week, he is famous. It's true. Check it out and embarrass him ASAP. Thanks.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/arlington/homepage/x785969399/Working-wonders-on-the-Web-at-Harvard-University

Spread the word.

Tan, I miss you.

I try really hard not to complain about weather in New England. Yes, winters are long and this one has been especially brutal. Yes, summers get hot and there is no central air in my apartment. But, spring and fall here are unparalleled. I imagine its like giving birth. You know that labor was rough, but it was worth it. Winter here is rough, but gorgeous spring and early summer days are so wonderful the you forget that suffering you just endured. Same goes for crisp, cool, apple-picking fall days.

I will say, though, "Tan, I miss you. Desperately."

Home

Disclaimer: I know this is a bit long-winded and slightly melo-dramatic. Its a journey and this is my place to process.

So, 25 Random Facts about Myself is going around facebook like wild fire. I've been tagged a few times and have read a lot of people's lists. I find them very interesting, but haven't done one myself. I've been thinking about various things I might want to add and tonight I was thinking about Atlanta & Boston. One of my facts about myself would be that I still miss living in Atlanta. I sometimes wish I hadn't left Atlanta ( but then I wouldn't have met Chris, etc etc). Sometimes I really do wish I hadn't left Atlanta even though I am eternally grateful to have met my husband. I wouldn't want to be married to anyone else!

Having moved at the age of 17 has left me with a strange sense of identity. I moved not by choice, like trying out a new city for college. Instead, I moved my junior year of high school and graduated from a school I did not feel a part of. I was a stranger there, but Roswell was a thing of the past. I can't return to Roswell for high school reunions, but I have no interest in returning to Belmont for one either.

Even after having lived in Boston for seven and half years (wow), I still don't feel at home on an emotional level. In some ways, I do. I love the city. I think its a beautiful place to live. I love having four distinct and wonderful seasons. I like the small towns and cute town centers. I love that families live near one another.

But still, I don't identify myself as from Boston. The friendships I treasure most, worked hardest for and which hold the most memories are not here. Of course, distance can make one paint things in a much better light. I know I had some very hard times in Roswell and I felt lonely a lot of the time. But, I also have a few friends still there that I feel so comfortable with it almost feels effortless.

It's hard sometimes because I know I treasure my memories of being a teenager in Roswell, while many of those who I have shared these memories with have moved on. This is only natural- they lost only one friend while I lost all of mine. I have found myself on a number of occasions talking with someone from my past who talks to me like I don't know anything about Atlanta. They say things like, "In Atlanta, where we live..." or "We live in such-in-such, which is near..." While I know these people mean nothing by it I know exactly what or where they are talking about. I was 17 when I moved, not 7! And so in those moments I feel sad because life does keep moving quickly by and so do people.

I have to be more committed to my home here. Chris and I have really been making concerted efforts to think about others and be giving of ourselves. This is certainly worth it and shows fruit quickly. I am grateful God has put me where I am, particularly for who He is allowing me to spend my life with. I might miss Atlanta forever, but I know that there are many more memories to be made and friendships to form.

Black bean and rice stoup

A friend suggested I share recipes on here.
My first recipe will be my favorite of the season. Actually the first time I made this was for the aforementioned friend. I cannot take credit for the recipe itself, but I can say it is delicious and warm and provides plenty of leftovers!

Black bean and Rice stoup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 bacon slices, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz) cans black beans
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 (15 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup white rice

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until fat renders. Add celery, onion, garlic and bay leaf, and cook for a few minutes more. Add the corn and 1 can black beans, undrained. Drain the other can and add half of the beans. Mash the other half with a fork and add to the soup pot. Season with chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock, and bring to a boil. Add rice, cover and simmer until rice is done, about 15 minutes.

*Suggestion: don't over cook the rice, or it becomes to thick to enjoy as soup. You almost want it just short of cooked. I also add a little extra bacon because I live with a meat-lover.

Enjoy!

Weekends

I love the weekends. Chris and I have made an art of lazy weekends as of late. The first year and a half of our marriage we were busy, busy, busy on the weekends. We weren't doing anything important or necessary, but we were always on the go. On Saturdays, we would get up, go out for breakfast, go shopping, go out for lunch, maybe see a movie and then most likely, go out for dinner. Then, on Sundays, we'd go to church, have lunch probably at my parents and stay there for most of the day. We had loads of fun, spent plenty of money and were happy in general.

This winter, though, has seen the beginning of a new weekending era. We do NOTHING. When I say nothing I mean it. We might venture out for dinner with friends in the evening, but otherwise- nada. Take this weekend for instance. I will give you a peek into our world as long as you look with non-judging eyes.

Saturday:
Wake up, goodness knows when. (Actually, Chris got up early because he thought he had class- whoops!)
45 minute turbo clean- put away laundry, do a few dishes, etc.
Back in bed, perusing the internet, catching up on reading some blogs, etc.
Chris gets home, I'm still in bed.
I venture out of bed to get some breakfast (grapefruit and toast)
I watch a show on ABC.com (private practice, love it)
Go out to the grocery store and get a few things
Put away groceries, have some lunch with Chris (he made tuna melts, yum) and bake my giant cupcake in preparation for evening plans.
He goes to watch a show, while I get back in bed to read (Storyville, USA- a book about a roadtrip to towns with names that suggest a story)
Chris comes in and out to check in
I eventually fall asleep (fighting a cold; i'm wooooorth it, ok?)
Wake up and realize i have about .25 seconds to ice my cake, shower and get going for dinner party.
Manage to ice cupcake, shower and get going in time (only a few minutes late...)
Arrive at a friend's house for fun dinner party where we stay until about 11, i think.

Today is a little more eventful with plans to see a movie with my mom, church at 4 and then Superbowl parties (could I care any less? no.)

But, as you can see, we have perfected lazy. And while I admit it is lazy and we aren't the most productive, it also is so good for our marriage and so good for our souls :) Instead of running around like crazy, we enjoy each others company, take time for more cuddling and talking. We also are spending a lot less and finally saving a good amount. It has helped me enjoy marriage and enjoy life a lot more. Instead of feeling tired from the weekend, I can start my work week feeling rest.

So, to all you busybees out there, give lazy Saturdays a try!