Bayou Bound

Tomorrow I am headed south to Shreveport, Louisiana for my cousin's wedding. I am super excited for many reasons. One, I get to see my brother and sister. Also, I get to go to a wedding and I love weddings! Even better, its my cousin's wedding and she seems so in love and happy. I also will get the chance to see family I haven't seen in so long I can't even remember the last time I saw them. All in all, it should be a great weekend with lots of love and catching up. I'll be sure to post stories and pictures when I get home. 

ps- these two days (friday & monday) will be the first days of school I have missed this year so I am super pumped to have a break :) but i will miss the little darlings.

Taking Kindergarten by storm.

Today was a great day in Kindergarten. It was busy, it was tiring and even had some low points*, but overall it was a great day. It was a day that felt productive and full of excitement and learning. Have I mentioned we're studying tornadoes for our science fair project? Well, we are and we're having a darn good time. We've made tornado bottles (you know, the ones with two 2-liter bottles attached), we've made a gigantic tornado out of foil which will proudly hang from our ceiling on science fair night and our latest project is paper mache tornadoes. There is nothing quite like coming home from school with paper mache all over our hair, floors, arms and even (my) feet. Days like today make a teacher feel like learning is being accomplished and the kids are having a blast in the process.

*Shy Guy (from yesterday's love story) had quite a conk today. I had to send him home early to get checked out by the doctor. He fell while playing football at recess and got himself two pretty good gashes on his face (one on the cheek and one right above his eye). The poor little guy is super tough and never cries. He was inconsolable today and I just felt horrible. I'm hoping he's fast asleep right now with no pain.

little ones & love

Kindergarteners are such unique little people. They are full of excitement, love and eagerness. They are also, for the most part, not yet self-conscious. I think its this last characteristic which I most love. They express their love for me & their friends, pass gas, twirl a pirouette and completely falsify stories with no insecurity or shame. It is so wonderful to watch.

For about a week or two now I have had the chance to gleefully watch young love. Two of my little ones have a crush on each other (!!!). This might be the cutest thing ever primarily because the boy in the relationship is extremely shy and usually loath to make emotional connections. BUT, lo and behold, last week he made a love book (this is no love note- no, no- its a love BOOK). He now does one nearly everday. He kindly asks me to draw a heart on the front and he proceeds to fill it with Xs and Os and adorably spelled notes. Fortunately for my shy guy, this is no unrequitted love. He has caught this little bit hook, line and sinker. She now makes him love books frequently too, with even more hearts, Xs and Os than shy guy's.

Now, for the most interesting revelation of all- little bit's best friend has decided she too loves shy guy. OMG!!! She tried to give shy guy a ring she made today and he mumbled under his breath, "I dont want this" and rudely gave it away to someone else. Clearly, shy guy has a few things to learn about women. Forntunately he is but 6 years old and has plently of time to learn. The best friend continued to fight for shy guy's love by organzing a class "Encourage Shy Guy" project. She had everyone in our class (me included) write one nice thing about shy guy. So cute and sweet :)

So, I will try to keep you updated on this complicated love triangle. I hope a best friendship isn't ended by all the drama :)

Who knew teaching Kindergarten would be this awesome!?

marriage takes work.

For starters, sorry for my lack of recent postings. Chris and I went away this weekend for a marriage retreat, which was great. It was our first "marriage retreat" and we really enjoyed it. There were several sessions of classes and activities that taught us more about our relationship and marriage in general. I walked away with several new ideas and goals. First, I thought more about the idea of being a story-telling community. The life I live, and the life I live with Chris, is a chance to tell a story about God. God can use Chris and I to communicate his love to each of us and to those who witness our relationship. That is both a challenging and exciting thought.

Chris and I also felt challenged by one of the couples who shared about their strengths and weaknesses over time. This couple shared about their strength of guarding their tongue. They, as a couple, have been careful with their words and just walked away in fights instead of lashing out with hurtful words. Chris and I had the chance to talk about how important it is to respect each other enough, even in a fight or tense moment, to not use hurtful language. We even talked about how, lightheartedly, we tease each other and even this could become hurtful. It is also important to Chris and I that we foster a loving, calm environment for our future children. Neither one of us want our children to be raised around lots of yelling or angry use of words. I wouldn't say this is common for us now, but I am glad we had a conversation about it so we are aware of what it could become.

Overall, I walked away from our first marriage retreat feeling very grateful for my husband. While we will always have things to work on, I am thankful to be married to my best friend, to have a life partner that makes me laugh so frequently and to already have so many wonderful memories with Chris.

Good day.

Today was a good day. I'm feeling a bit crummy with the start of allergy season hitting full on, but in spite of this I had a great day. So, here are a few things I'm feeling particularly grateful for:

1)Pajama Day at school- seriously?! so comfy. Also, incredibly entertaining. Imagine bone thin little boy in teeny tiny (read: booty) shorts of a Spiderman pattern with coordinating Spiderman slippers. So cute :)

2) For my Pinkalicious costume for Friday (again, part of spirit week), I needed a pink skirt. I had difficulty finding one and then found a super cute skirt in white. Soooo, I decided to try my hand at dyeing. It totally worked, I love the color and can't wait for Character Dress Up Day. Pictures to follow.

3) Freshly baked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. yummmm.

4) Spring-like, 60 degree weather. Heaven on earth for this transplanted Southerner.

5) Marriage Retreat in Portsmouth, NH this weekend. yay!!

Have a thrilling Thursday!

Gratitude

lately, i find myself easily saddened, bothered or yearning for more. i can tend to be a bit "eeyore-ish" but i think this is also in large part due to the culture i live in. it is nigh impossible to make a simple CVS run without feeling like my life is lacking something- a cadbury egg perhaps, or maybe some cute notecards? or, maybe on the drive home i notice several gorgeous (or even just cute) homes that i would love to own and live in. And while these things are neither essential nor deep, the feeling of need can gnaw away.

in reponse to these feelings and experiences, i am trying to be more conscious of all the things i have to be grateful for. my life is very blessed. so, here are a few for today:

-kindergarteners in crazy, mismatched clothes (its spirit week @ school)
-chris being home when i get home from school
-a good friend at school who will sit and chat at the end of a long day
-my sister
-stretching the art side of my brain with kindergarten crafts & projects
-starting my day off at the gym

A wonderful weekend.

(not our picture, though we did photograph this)

I have previously written about how hard I try not to complain about New England winters. This has become increasingly difficult as the weather here is a tease. Gorgeous and 50s one day, snowing the next. I have tried to keep my chin up and think this weekend was a wonderful reward. Both days were perfectly beautiful.

Today, Chris and I decided we absolutely had to take full advantage of this early spring day. We headed north with Rockport as our destination. We arrived faster than we expected, found parking easily and headed toward the ocean!

We spent our time taking pictures (we're such photogs now), walking leisurely through the shops, simply soaking up the sunshine. We enjoyed a lunch of fried seafood and a dessert of delicious cupcakes (reese's & heath bar crunch flavor). We enjoyed people watching, dog watching and ocean watching. We perused ecclectic stores, purchased Chris a rockin' rugby shirt and found me the perfect feathered beret for crazy hat day at school tomorrow.

All in all, today was one of those days that makes life seem perfect. I have a husband that I am so incredibly in love with. I stop sometimes, look at him and feel so blessed to get to spend my life at his side. He is the perfect life partner for me in so many ways. My heart was bubbling full of love for him, appreciation for the sun and gratitude for days to take a step out of time.

Yes, please.

Ummm, this recipe looks amazing and I can't wait to try it. Clearly its not the most health conscious decision, but seriously?! Cinnabon quality cinnamon rolls on a Saturday morning are so worth it.

I loved Cinnabon when I was little. One of my fondest memories is dinner nights at the North Point Mall food court. We would enjoy dinner and then my dad would buy us a cinnabon. He would cut it into four pieces and we (me, Lyd, Joe & Dad) would savor those tasty morsels. Ahhh, my mouth is watering. I'm thinking this will be my Saturday experiment. I hope the recipe lives up to its name.

If you decide to try this recipe out, please let me know and SHARE.

To my mini-oven.

Dear Mini-Oven,
I wanted to let you know that I forgive you. Even though you are too small for my pizza pan; even though you filled my house with smoke and crushed my hopes of baking this cake; even though you burnt the bottom of my empanadas and left the tops doughy; even though you manage to exist even though you don't deserve to, I forgive you. You managed to bake me three scrumptious loaves of bread tonight so I can forgive you. I may not be able to forget though. I will be keeping my eye on you, little mini oven.

Love,
Your owner that wishes you were big

Dear Kindergarten

Dear Kindergarten,

Your normally nice, happy and sweet kindergarten teacher will not be coming to school today. Instead, Viola Swamp will be here in her place. She will be impatient with you, point her finger and yell at you during recess when you are simply trying to have fun in the snow. She will not want to hear your stories, melt your perler beads or spend extra time to help you finish a project. Viola Swamp is as miserable as her name sounds. Good luck, little guys. I hope Miss Nelson returns on Monday.

Love,
Your normally nice, happy and sweet kindergarten teacher






(this letter references Miss Nelson Is Missing, a wonderful children's book. it also references the sheer crabbiness of the kindergarten teacher...me.. this week)

It's happened.

It probably happened a while ago, but only really realized it this week. I have come to love, adore and appreciate this class as my own. For a while (maybe a bit too long), my first class (now in first grade) was the class I considered my own. Sure, these 9 little newbies were adorable and fun and smart and quiet (!!!). But, my first class still held my heart.

During dismissal this week I realized that has changed. I was gleefully watching my current class playing with each other and sharing their stories with me, while last year's class sat nearby. At the beginning of the year, I loved to catch up with the first graders during dismissal, and while I still do on occasion, I am perfectly content to chat with my kindergarteners. I knew it would happen and am glad it has.

And, to further share my love for them, I have two stories from today.
1) As we brainstormed ideas for the science fair, Princess Pea asked suggested, "What is dynamite?"
The Artiste shouted out, "Oh, I know that one! Its green stuff with magical powers!" to which I replied, "Hmm, I think you are thinking of kryptonite."
At that the Artiste nodded her head and said, "Ahh, yes. I think so."

2) Giggles, during a nice, quiet center time, starts singing, "Mamma mia, here I go again
My my..." I literally burst out laughing in the middle of reading group and had to apologize to the darling I was reading with, but seriously?! Giggles, how do you know that song!? Giggles also likes to sing,
I Like To Move It Move It
I Like To Move It Move It
I Like To Move It Move It
Ya Like To (MOVE IT!)

Rockstars, all of them.

Coldplay.

I love Coldplay. I could listen to their newest CD, Viva la Vida, on repeat forever and not get sick of it. Seriously. I could also listen to this and this (ignore the posers who made the video) on repeat forever, too.

Their music makes me want to dance, laugh and fall asleep to the sound of it, all at once.

Whats the song/CD you could listen to forever?

In Like a Lion, Out Like A Lamb

...I think a three day snow storm counts as "in like a lion." Wouldn't you agree? March is usually a dreadful month, at least for teachers. It is the long stretch between February Break and April Break. The weather is sometimes better, but still not great. It is also the last really long, solid stretch to get bunches of teaching done.

This year, though, I am excited about March. First, I'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow.
Then:
March 6th- Baby shower for one of my adorably pregnant good friends.
March 13th- Half day at school (hey, I'll take what I can get)
March 20-22- Marriage Retreat in Portsmouth, NH
March 26- School Science Fair (at least it can break up the monotony)
March 27-30- Two blissful days of no school so that I can head south to my cousin's wedding. I am pumped. My cousin came to my wedding and I haven't seen her since. Most of my extended family in Louisiana I haven't seen since longer that I can remember.

SO, before I know it, it will be April, which should be coming in like a lamb :)