Sleepy Cat

This is how Nobby sleeps in the recliner pretty much every night. He's such a silly cat.

Shorts Shopping

This morning I went shopping for shorts. I hate shopping for shorts. I am no longer a teenager and even when I was, I didn't really want booty shorts. I'm also not a middle aged mom so I don't want frumpy, elastic-waisted shorts. What's a girl to do? There seems to be nothing in between.

Grilling

Nate and I had kabobs and grilled bread for dinner. It was all really yummy.

Whiney

These kids are driving me nuts with their whining today.  I have no sympathy for procrastinators and cry-babies.

Royal Kiss

I slept through the wedding, but I did get to see the balcony kiss.  Kate's looked absolutely gorgeous and her dress was prefect.  Also, I might have had a small relapse of my teenaged celebity-crush.  Prince William is so dreamy.

Cicadas

I imagine that if you don't live in LaGrange, you don't know about the plague.  There are cicadas everywhere.  Creepy little dry exoskeletons and freshly winged, red-eyed insects cling to every surface.  They've covered my back porch, our shed, and pretty much every (extra-tall unmowed) blade of grass.  Their noise I can tolerate (day and night) but if I stand still for more than 3 seconds, you'll have a few land on you.  Ewwwww.

Cliff-Hanger

I know you've probably been in agony wondering how I decided to spend my day off. I sewed. I watched Mythbusters and Survivor with Nate. I practiced softball with some neighbors. I crocheted. I baked banana peanut butter bread. I made lasagna for dinner. All in all, a good day.

Aimless

After going back to sleep for a few hours I'm now well rested and completely at a loss as to what to do with myself. I don't want to clean, I finished reading Bossypants (which I highly recommend to anyone likes Tina Fey), and I can't watch TV since Nate's working in the living room on school work. What do to with this unexpected day off?

Tornado

So I was going to gripe about sitting in the bathroom from 10-12 last night during the tornado warning and how tired I am today. But then I got a phone call that school is canceled. No damage here, but there must be somewhere in the county. Thankful for a day off and some extra time for sleep, but worried about all the people affected by these horrible storms.

Fondue

I made pesto-brie fondue for dinner tonight. It was super delicious.

Read-Aloud

Testing was much easier today.  I had to read it out loud for the small group I was testing and I realized 3 things: 1) 3 years as a librarian has finally cured me of my read-aloud fear, 2) testing is way less boring when you get to read the test, and 3) I've forgotten what a predicate adjective is.

Twin Peaks

Nate is watching the Twin Peaks movie. Considering I've only watched about 40 minutes of this show all together, it makes absolutely no sense at all. I think I'll just finish reading Bossypants.

225 minutes

There is nothing quite so boring as watching 2 students take a test for 225 minutes.  It was nearly unbearable.

CRCT

I hate, hate, hate the Criterion Referenced Competency Test. I must administer it each morning for the next three days and then twice next week. I dread this week all year. Standardized testing is the worst.

Zucchini

I am determined to grow zucchini. I've tried for 3 years and failed because of squash bugs. This year: new location, more sun, no bugs. Still all of my seedlings die. So today I bought some new seedlings and put them in the ground. I will grow zucchini.

Peeps!

After seeing this, I've decided to go to the grocery store and buy a few packages of reduced price Peeps.

New Dress

Today I'm wearing my new dress (which you can see here- it's the red one).  I feel very pretty.

While I Was Away...

chaos apparently ensued in the library.  The circulation system crashed, books are strewn everywhere, and there are 32 emails in my inbox.  Welcome Back, Katie.

Jekyll/Cumberland Recap

On Thursday we arrived at Jekyll at 3:00. We set up camp and then rode our bikes to the beach-side shops (about 7 miles round trip). We tried some camp fire cooking and discovered that it's easier and tastier just to roast hot dogs. Around dinner, it started to thunder so after tying a tarp over the tent, we went for a quick ride to the pier to watch the storm. We later learned that our tent will only withstand a small amount of rain and that we need a bigger tarp. Thankfully it only rained for about 30 minutes and we were able to stay pretty dry.

On Friday we set out for Cumberland Island. We took the ferry over and then walked all over the south end of the island looking at the ruins and the wild horses, and then we walked on the beach for a few miles. It was beautiful and we enjoyed ourselves, but despite 2 applications of sunscreen, we got pretty burned. We arrived back to Jekyll around dinner so after a quick shower, we rode the 4 miles over to the Latitude 31 restaurant we enjoyed so much last year. By the time we left the restaurant to ride back, it was really, really dark. That's when we encountered that insane, rabid deer that despite what Nate will tell you was about to attack me. Once back at the campsite, we both had a hard time sleeping because of our sunburns. I only made it worse when I panicked at the sound of raccoons right outside our tent. Nate tried to reassure me that raccoons cannot open the zippers of the tent, but I'm not so sure.

Since we hardly slept the night before, we decided to leave Jekyll on Saturday afternoon rather than waiting until Sunday morning. We rode our bikes on a 9 mile route around the island to go to our favorite book shop, see the alligators, have a picnic lunch, and take a short walk on the beach. That ride and the subsequent breaking down of our tent left us sweaty and dirty. Add to that a few layers of bug-spray, sunscreen, and sand and we were ready to get home to shower and sleep in our soft bed.

What we learned for next year: cook hot dogs, bring an air-mattress, put on more sunscreen.

Home Early

Due to sunburn and the ground being exceptionally hard (next year we need an air-mattress!), Nate and I decided to head back from Jekyll a night early. We had a great time (and I'll blog more later) but we're both happy to be clean and in our bed tonight.

T-storms

30-40% chance of thunderstorms every night while we're camping. Boo.

'Bout 16

So I know this is going to sound dumb (especially to anyone over the age of 30) but I've been feeling old. I'm 27. That's a for-real adult. I've been thinking, with a hint of sadness that I never thought I'd feel, that I'll never be mistaken for a high school student again. Probably not even a college student. Then today as I was walking home, some high school boys call out to me, "Hey girl- how old you is?" I say, "27." They say, "You look 'bout 16." And I say, for the first time honestly, "Thank you." For years (though not recently) I'd heard how young I look and everyone would always say, "You'll appreciate it when you're older." And here I am, officially older, and finally appreciating it.

In My Way

All that stands between me and a 4 day weekend is a 2 hour faculty meeting where we bubble in the student information on 550 scantron sheets.  At least they're bribing us with snacks.

Sticky Notes

There are little reminder notes all over the media center- some for teachers, some for students, some for my assistant.  I'm going to be gone for the next 2 days and I want to make sure everything goes smoothly.

New Bug Spray

They need to hurry up and market this new bug spray (made from citrus)!  I'm tired of spraying myself with Backwoods Off (with 65% DEET) just to keep from being eaten alive.

Yoga & Community

Nate went to trivia. I opted for yoga and a few episodes of Community.

The Seven Silly Eaters

I am in love with this picture book... especially the illustrations.

This book makes me want a house full of children to ready this story to over and over again.

And today, I found a recipe for the cake the children accidentally make in this book and I can't wait to try it.

Exploding Coke

Just when you think you've seen everything... this morning a student used a pencil to stab another student's bookbag with the intention of puncturing a hole in the Coke that was inside it.  It worked and sticky carbonated beverage spewed inside the bag, all over his books, and then leaked out onto the library floor.

Dinner, Twice

Nate comes home at 6:00. He says to me, "What are you doing?" I say, "Making spaghetti for dinner." He says, "Did you forget we're hosting Bible Study dinner in an hour?" Yes, yes I did forget. So I cooked 2 dinners tonight. Guess we'll have spaghetti tomorrow.

Jekyll Island!

3 days from now, I'll be driving to Jekyll Island with Nate for 4 days and 3 nights of camping, bike riding, beach walking, reading, and relaxing!

"Easter" Dinner

Since Nate and I will be camping in Jekyll on Easter, I decided to do a big Palm Sunday dinner with the usual Easter dinner fare: ham, cheesy hashbrown casserole and green beans. YUM!

Summer Sewing

I want to make these 2 dresses this summer:

Now I just need to find the right fabric.

Allergy Season

I have spent several hours on several different days this spring outside and the only symptoms I've had were a slightly runny nose and a little tickling in my mouth/lips (those few days I thought I was dying of allergies- actually a cold). No sneezing, no itchy eyes swelling shut, no hives. One little Claratin a day and I'm almost allergy free! Guess these allergy shots are actually working!

Much Better

I took an almost 2 hour nap and now it's time for some cooking: Spinach-Artichoke dip and cookies for dinner tonight with some teacher friends!

Keep Troup Beautiful

From 8:45-2:00 today we were building trellises, potting plants, digging holes, planting bushes, picking up trash, and building chicken wire fences. The community gathering area looks great and so does our garden. I'm pooped.

Bye, Bye Winter

Just got done packing up our winter clothes and bedding. Tank tops and shorts, here I come!

Sticker Remover Perfume

I was removing stickers from books earlier using Avon's Skin So Soft (it works so well!) and for the past half an hour, I've had students telling me that I (and the library) smell good.

Censorship

An adult (who shall remain anonymous) took a Sharpie and marked out the word "jackass" in one of the library's picture books. That book was about a donkey. What the hell?

She Lives Here

When some 4th grade students discovered I have a sink in my office, they suspected it's because I live here.  I think that if they came in today and found me asleep on the couch, it would confirm their suspicisions.  Does that justify my desire to take a nap?

I Know I've Said it a Million Times

Tonight I went to GED tutoring (which was great, as usual). On the walk there and back, I waved and talked to neighbors on their front porches and kids playing in the yards. I grabbed some cookies from the house and then felt like the pied-piper as I walked to a birthday party down the street- 8 kids trailing me on bikes. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with our friends and neighbors at the party and then walked home thinking, once again, how much I love this neighborhood.

Poetry

Today I've heard about 75 students recite poetry to me.  I loved every minute of it.

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Today is National Poem in Your Pocket Day!

 

 

Keep a Poem in Your Pocket

 

Keep a poem in your pocket

and a picture in your head

and you'll never feel lonely

at night when you're in bed.

 

The little poem will sing to you

the little picture bring to you

a dozen dreams to dance to you

at night when you're in bed.

 

So-

Keep a picture in your pocket

and a poem in your head

and you'll never feel lonely

at night when you're in bed.

 

     -Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

 

Mail Time

Today I got three great packages in the mail.

They contained these earrings that I ordered from Etsy:

AND 2 seasons of How I Met Your Mother from my sister!

Spicy Meatballs

Tonight's new recipe comes from last month's issue of Real Simple.
The verdict: good, but a little too spicy for our taste- even when I halved the amount of chilies.

Mower

It's almost time to go home, where the weeds are up to my knees.  I think I'm going to have to mow the lawn this afternoon.

Dog

Nate is trying to convince me we need to get this dog.  What do you think?

QWERTY

I didn't realize how fond I had become of the full keyboard on my cell phone until I tried to text today on my "new" phone- a phone without such a luxury. I think my monthly number of text messages will drastically decrease.

Suggestion

A mom just came in to ask me for some book recommendations.  I had recommended the Hunger Games to her at the last Book Fair and she loved them so much she wanted another series suggestion.  After pointing her towards the Chaos Walking trilogy, she had a suggestion for me- that I start a book recommendation blog for parents.  I think I'll have to consider that.

Daydreaming

I know it's only the second day back from Spring Break, but I'm already daydreaming about our camping trip to Jekyll Island next weekend.  Bike riding, cooking over a campfire, evening walks on the beach... only 8 more days!

"New"

I got my "new" cell phone last night.  I'm the 3rd person to own this particular phone, but hey, it was free and it'll make/receive calls.

Peanut Butter Pie

Just enjoyed a big slice of peanut butter pie. Mmmm.

Emily

Another poem in celebration of National Poetry Month.

It's all I have to bring today,

This, and my heart beside,

This, and my heart, and all the fields,

And all the meadows wide.

Be sure you count, should I forget-

Some one the sum could tell-

This, and my hear, and all the bees

Which in the clover dwell.

-Emily Dickinson

Not Really Better

Now I have a different song stuck in my head.  Rebecca Black's Friday (again, look it up on YouTube if you don't know what I'm talking about).  Less inapropriate.  More annoying.  Can also be blamed on Nate.

In-a-propriate

The Lonely Island song, I Just Had Sex is stuck in my head (I blame Nate for playing it a few days ago).  If the title alone doesn't tell you how inapropriate this song is for school, look the video up on YouTube.

Pit of my Stomach

I have this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.  The kind you get when you're really upset about something.  The thing is, I have no idea what's causing it.  What am I dreading?  Is it just being back at school?  I don't like it.

Back Home

It was hard to leave Colorado and I know it'll be even harder to get back to work tomorrow but here are a few reasons I'm glad to be home: my cats, the azaleas are blooming everywhere, my last birthday present is here- Bossypants!

Games

Yesterday was the perfect last day for our trip. Besides lunch out and a quick tour of Great Divide Brewery, we hung out and played board games all day. Now it's time to head back home.

Boulder

Today we went to Boulder where we took a tour of Sparkfun (our friend Casey works there) and then we toured the Celestial Seasonings factory. Tonight Nate and I are having dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousin from Colorado Springs!

Fort Collins!

Today while Bisa had a meeting, Nate and I got to experience Fort Collins! We ate yummy food, walked around downtown (my favorite shop: the Mama Said Sew), and borrowed bikes from the Bike Library and enjoyed the bike trail. Fort Collins is a really cool town!

Rockies Game

Today Bisa took off work at we hit downtown Denver. We went to this amazing book store (I wanted to live there!), saw some crochet graffiti, and then went to a Rockies Game.

Denver Zoo

The weather was beautiful today- perfect for our trip to the zoo. Only downer- I lost my cell phone there.

We're Here!

Thanks to our amazing friends Chuck and Amber, Nate and I were able to make it to Colorado. (Nate forgot his wallet and they helped relay it from LaGrange to the airport for us).

Last night- cheeseburger casserole, champaign cupcakes, and catching up.

Today- Nate and I are going to the Denver Zoo and then tonight... Arrested Development Trivia!

I'm Ready To Go!

We're about to leave for the airport and we'll be in Colorado by dinner!

By the way, it's currently 75* in LaGrange, but only 37* in Denver.

Codine

Thanks to my cough syrup with codine, I slept well for the first night in almost a week! It's so nice not to wake up every hour thinking you're drowning in mucus.

High School Musical

Amber and I whooped the boys' butts at Compatibility and now we're all watching HIgh School Musical (though I'm the only one singing along). This is a good night.

All My Bags Are Packed

I love packing. It's not just the Tetris-like thrill I get from fitting the most into the smallest possible bag, it's the day-dreaming about the trip. Today I've been happily packing and day-dreaming because tomorrow, we leave for Colorado!

Little Girl Speakings

I'll be putting up a few favorite poems to celebration National Poetry Month!

Little Girl Speakings

Ain't nobody better'n my Daddy,

You keep yo' quauter,

I ain't yo' daughter.

Ain't nobody better'n my Daddy.

Ain't nothing prettier'n my dollie,

heard what I said

don't pat her head,

Ain't nothing prettier'n my dollie.

No lady cookinger than my Mommy,

smell that pie,

see I don't lie,

No lady cookinger than my Mommy.

- Maya Angelou

Happy Birthday, Nate!

Today is my husband's birthday. I am so thankful to have such a funny, reliable, generous, compassionate, intelligent, handsome life-partner.

Brick Store

Birthday Celebration #2: dinner at Brick Store!

Morning Yard Work

At 8:15 AM I went to a friend's house to dig up some Monkey Grass. I brought it back home and planted it in the backyard. Then I planted my blackberry shoots and some Tiger Lily bulbs. I dug up some compost to put in the vegetable garden and found both onions and pumpkins growing in the compost pile! Yay for yardwork!

Burgers

Tonight is Nate/Katie Birthday celebration #1: Grilling burgers with neighbors!

Dryer

The weather is pretty enough today to use the clothes-line, but the pollen count keeps me using the dryer.