Headed Out

Leaving my parents' house today and heading to the cabin.  Tomorrow I'm meeting my high school Princesses for breakfast in Dahlonega!  On Saturday, our friends Beth and Kelley are coming to visit us at the cabin and then Nate's parents will arrive on Sunday and we'll have time with Nate's family until New Year's Day before heading home.

Merry Christmas!

Korra really enjoyed ripping off the wrapping paper and handing out the gifts.  We had homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast and are having breakfast for dinner tonight.  We've watched Elf, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story and I'm hoping we'll get a chance to play some board games later.

Hobbit Part 2

Went to see the second Hobbit movie with Nate and my brothers.  Two trips to the theater in 2 nights!  We're living it up with the free sitters (also known as grandparents).  Nate and I did not enjoy the movie much, but I enjoyed the argument in the car between Brian and Nate even less.  Apparently feelings surrounding Tolkien and Peter Jackson can make disagreements escalate quickly.

Pigtails and Overalls

Blow Darts

My mom picked up a blow dart gone at the thrift shop she works for and we had way too much fun playing with it!

Blanket, Undone

Had to unravel a baby blanket that was 75% complete because I overestimated how much yarn I had in one color.  Good thing I enjoy crocheting and that Blazing Saddles is on TV.

Escape Plan

Nate and I went on a date to Cinnebarre to see Escape Plan.  So glad we only paid $1 to see that movie because it was hilariously terrible.

Christmas Dress #1

This dress was made by Nate's mom for his sister Laura!

Narcissist

Today in the car, Korra was pulling up pictures of herself on the iPod and then kissing them.

Packing

Worked all afternoon to get packed and ready.  We're leaving tomorrow for NC to visit my parents!

More Shelf Shifting

My assistant and I moved the entire fiction collection TWICE today.  I am so physically exhausted.

EIEIO

Korra woke me up at 5 AM.  Not exactly what time I wanted to start my last day before break, but I guess that's part of the job.  I just put her back to sleep and she's singing the only bit of "Old McDonald" she knows ("eieio...eieio...") over and over again.

Soap in Eye

I feel terrible.  Korra was being extra clingy so I had her sitting on the counter of the bathroom while I washed my hands.  I pumped the soap, but it squirted out directly into Korra's eye.   Washing soap out of her eye and then calming her down were not fun.  Poor baby.

Tigers

Our zoo trip was really fun!  We spent the most time enjoying the tigers, the goats in the petting zoo, the parakeets, and the baby gorillas.  Korra even learned a new word: tiger.

PS- like the dino hat I made for Korra?

ZOO!

We have zoo tickets and it's supposed to be 60* today.  I took a personal day, so this family is headed to the zoo!

Craft Night!

Had such a fun time hanging out with some ladies tonight.  We ate and drank and made Christmas crafts and chatted away.  It really was a fantastic time and I hope we can do it again soon!

Alma Mater

My assistant is enrolling at my alma mater for the spring semester, so this afternoon Korra and I are going with her to get her ID, email address, etc and to give her a special campus tour.

Still Busy, Less Stressful

Getting lots of cataloging and shelf-shifting done today!

Sit-And-Reach

We did a pose in yoga tonight that brought flashbacks of the Sit-And-Reach (of the President's Test of Physical Fitness fame).  Do they still do that in school?  Do they still have that wooden contraption to measure how far you can, in fact, sit and reach?

Faculty Christmas Party

Not sure what to expect from this afternoon's faculty Christmas party.  Hoping it will be fun and worth staying after school for.

Intercom Phone

If that damn intercom phone rings one more time with a teacher needing something I'm going to slam it into the wall.  I am seriously considering leaving it off the hook.

Is it over yet?

Another insane day filled with fines to be paid, argumentative parents and teachers who expect the impossible of me.  Tomorrow should be so much better.

Camera (not) Phone

And who ended her stressful day by taking home one of the school's digital cameras INSTEAD of her cell phone?  This girl.

VCR Hook-Up

One day, you'll hear a story about a school librarian who went completely insane because yet another teacher couldn't figure out how to hook up a VCR.  That librarian will be me.

Another Insane Morning

72 kids for a Cookie Decorating Party (frosting everywhere!), a missing copy of A Christmas Carol movie, exemption forms to fill out, dozens of kids paying fines, and a glitch in the circulation system have made this an exhausting, frantic morning.

4 Teeth

Korra's cutting 4 teeth right now.  It's not been a great day.

Banana Bread

Today I baked a quadruple batch of banana chocolate chip bread.  8 mini loaves to give as gifts and 4 dozen mini muffins for our school Christmas party on Tuesday.

Silly Korra

Korra keeps falling over while trying to see her belly button (it's hard when you have a little round belly!).
Every time we go outside, she walks down the driveway, turns left and walks up the neighbor's sidewalk right onto their front porch. She loves going over there to play!
I made some play dough today, but Korra didn't really like it.  She'd press one finger into it, giggle, and then back away like she was scared.

"Scratches"

I thought there were a couple of new scratches in our coffee table.  Turns out they were smears of old graham cracker mush.

Lost Items- Toddler Edition

It used to be that when I lost something, there were 2 or 3 possible places it could be.  Now that there's a toddler in the house who is into everything, that lost item could literally be anywhere.  Where is my checkbook, Korra?

Crying Video

Korra is watching the same video on the tablet over and over again.  It is a video of her crying.

Crazy Morning

This morning, we saw 75+ students in under 30 minutes.  We had 41 students pay their library fines with cans for the food drive.  Then we had 2 7th grade classes come (accidentally) at the same time, while my assistant was out at a meeting.  Oh, and I have to write up a "statement" about yesterday's hallway incident.

Rough End to My Day

School was rough today.  I saw 4 very emotionally draining classes (imagine being in a battle of wills with 32 thirteen year olds simultaneously for 4+ hours, where the teens tag-team out so they're always fresh).  Then at dismissal I had a student tell me to, "Get the f*** out of my face" twice before he left the building without permission.  So, yeah, I'm a little tired.

Lunch at 10

I'm hungry this morning.  I'm eating my lunch already.

Fear Street

The kids are going to pee their pants when I tell them this news.  I cannot keep these books on the shelves and they are all 20+ years old!

Family Tradition

I think that Nate and I have ridden the trolley at Fantasy in Lights for 10 years!  There have been years that it was freezing cold as well as balmy and warm.  We've gone with various friends, 2 foster kids, and now Korra.  This year, all our bundling up kept us from being uncomfortably cold.  Korra seemed to enjoy it- at least until the last 20 minutes.  Even though she slept in until 11:30 and STILL took a 1.5 hour nap, she was ready for bed and got quite cranky by 7:30 and quickly fell asleep on the way home.  Oh, well.  I enjoyed singing along with the Christmas carols and seeing the lights just as much as I have every other year.

Fantasy In Lights

Early taco night with the neighbors and then off to Fantasy in Lights.  It's going to be cold on the trolley tonight, but I'm looking forward to it!

Stuffy Nose Baby

Korra slept terribly last night.  Thumb suckers and stuffy noses do not mix.  Nate said she slept in until 11:30 today!

A Dog Ate My Book

There have been 5 books eaten by dogs this year.  Today's was the worst I've ever seen.  All that remained was the back cover.

ULB

There have been 2 ULBs (Unidentified Library Books) sightings in the library today.  The barcodes have been peeled off leaving us totally unsure which book this is and who it came from.  Someone call Unsolved Mysteries or the X-Files.

Not a Great Night

Korra has a stuffy nose and yoga was canceled.

Actual Tears

Korra just cried because she accidentally got out of an app on the tablet and we had to take it from her to fix it.  There were actual tears.

Messages from AL

After months of no communication, AL responded to a Facebook message!  So happy to hear that she's still in school and says she's doing well.

Sweater Weather

Wore a sweater to work today (why wouldn't I?  It's cold and rainy) but had to ask Nate to bring me a short sleeve shirt.  It's so hot in the library between the kids and moving around that I was burning up.

Stubborn

Korra refused to pick up the multiple messes she made today.  She even through an all-out fit before dinner when I made her pick up some of the Tupperware she dumped out.  This girl is willful!

Migraine

Headache that started last night was a full blown skullcrusher this morning.  Tried all my usual tricks, but nothing worked so I called in sick.  Laying around with my eyes closed is not really my favorite way to spend a day at home.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Tried this recipe tonight and it was really yummy!

Zoo?

We've had these zoo tickets for months and every time we plan to use them the weather is terrible.  They're set to expire at the end of the year, so we're either going to have to go when it's cold and rainy or just be out the $20 we paid for them.  If only we could have gone on Friday when it was 80 degrees!

Catching Fire

REALLY enjoyed Catching Fire which is especially impressive since I didn't like the first movie at all.  Bonus: 2 of our neighbors showed up at the movie and we ended up having an unplanned double date!

Diaper Genie

Korra figured out how to take off her velcro diapers.  She demonstrated this repeatedly at the doctor's office.

15 Month Check-Up

Korra weighs 18 lbs 3 oz and she's 29 inches tall.  The most upsetting part of the appointment for her was the bandaid they put on her finger after they drew blood.  She didn't especially like the doctor touching her, being weighed, or the shots either.

Happy Friday!

I get to leave school at 1:30 today (Korra has a check-up).

We're having homemade pizza for dinner tonight with my brother.

Todd's babysitting so we can go see Catching Fire tonight.

Headache to Heartburn

The Coke got rid of my headache but gave me heartburn.  An even trade.

Coke Burp

Drinking a Coke because of a headache.  Just burped so loudly (in my office) that all the students who were quietly reading and taking tests were startled.  Excuse me.

Winking and Blowing Bubbles

Korra tries to wink back at us.  It's more like a long, weird blink and it is hilarious.  She also learned to how blow bubbles in the tub.  Which was also funny until she accidentally inhaled a whole lot of bathwater.

Frustrating Nate

Nate is getting really irritated as he overhears with these teachers describing these "new" Web 2.0 tools (like Google Drive).  He keeps shouting things out as if they can hear him.  I'm thankful they can't.

Webinar with Korra

Thankful that I don't have a webcam and that I can turn my mic off and can still be counted in my webinar.  It means I can play with Korra while I listen/watch.

Christmas Cookies

I want to be at home listening to Christmas music and baking Christmas cookies.  Still 12 more school days before I can make that happen.

Haircut

I trimmed Korra's hair for the second time.  No baby of mine is going around with a mullet.

2082

Since I got all the books from my old school on October 31st, we have unpacked, imported, relabeled, and put on the shelf over 2,000 books!  I'm pretty pleased with our progress!

Printer Hatred

There are very few things in life I find as frustrating as my printer here at work.  How I loathe it.

Another Post About My Kid

I don't feel that guilty that 90% of my posts are about Korra.  I mean, you love her, right?  If you didn't, I'm sure you wouldn't be reading this blog.
Anyway, Korra is currently trying to give Nobby her iPod.  She says "thank you" any time she gives or gets something, so her current babble is, "Dee doo, Bobby."  All while dancing to the Ben Folds song she's put on.
Seriously, her language acquisition is blowing me away lately.  She's added apple, up, and blankie to her vocabulary in the last few days.  I may be a bit biased, but I think she is the cutest, smartest child in the world.

Cousins

Here's a picture from last week of Korra and her cousin Jude (on their Pop Pop!)

Sufjan Christmas!

It's officially time to put on my Sufjan Christmas CDs and not take them off for a few weeks!

Everything Is a Car

This morning Korra's toast went "Vroom, vroom!  Beep, Beep!"

"Hats"

Korra wanted to put on all her "hats" at the same time.

Goodnight Kiss

Korra leaned over to Nate and gave him a big goodnight kiss (complete with a "Mwaaah!").  When I asked for the same, she turned her head and said, "no."  Ouch.

Slippers for Korra

I am having a terrible time finding a pair of slippers for Korra.  They need to be able to stay on her feet, have grippy bottoms (lots of hardwood floors at both grandparents' houses), and they need to be in a size 2.  Apparently, this is IMPOSSIBLE to find.  I just want my little walker to not fall on her face over Christmas break- is that too much to ask?

Breakfast with Friends

Had a really enjoyable breakfast at IHOP with our friends Noelle and Chuck.  So glad to have them as friends for the past 11+ years!

Catch-Up

Here's a recap of our week at the cabin:

• Korra loved running around outside, even when it was freezing cold, so we went out for a few minutes each day.  She loves crunching through the leaves.
• Nate and I enjoyed several evenings in the hot tub.
• Korra liked her cousin Jude- as long as he didn't touch her.  He was completely fascinated by her.
• It snowed on Wednesday night- just a dusting, but it was very pretty.
• I read Fallen by Lauren Kate on the recommendation of some 8th grade girls.  It was terrible.  Fallen angels, obsessive love, and an open-to-a-sequel ending.  Ugh.
• We saw lots of wild turkeys wandering around.
• Korra was really good about not going too near the stairs or the fireplace (when she'd go past, she'd say, "No, ma'am. No, ma'am.")
• Nate's grandpa joined us for Thanksgiving day again this year.  Watching him try to take the family photo with someone's iPad was very entertaining.
• Korra picked up some new words: hot, hat, up, eye (which she says while she pokes someone in the eye), foot, and thank you (which sounds like "dee doo").
• We played several board games- I won Smart Ass for the first time, Nate's sister Laura made Resistance very funny since she cannot keep a straight face, and Korra made Speed Scrabble impossible by trying to "help" with my tiles.

Motorized Manger

Got the nativity out to set up and Korra is currently pushing baby Jesus around in his manger saying "Vrooom!  Beep, Beep!"

Too Excited to Sleep

Nate and I were both wide awake before 6 AM.  Guess we're a little excited to head to the cabin this morning.

Sold Out

Catching Fire was sold out.  So instead, I've mended 3 pairs of pants (even made one from bell-bottoms to straight legged) and finished crocheting the dinosaur spikes for Korra's hat.  It's sooooo cute.  Now I just have to convince her to keep it on her head for more than 2 minutes so I can get a picture!

Catching Fire

Book Fair is over.  A full week of Thanksgiving break at the cabin is ahead of us.  Going to eat left-over pizza for dinner, pack, and go to see Catching Fire tonight!

Taco Day!

Teachers all brought stuff for a Mexican fiesta.  Enjoying tacos for lunch!

Gang Training

An officer came to train the staff about the gangs.  Turns out that we're the #2 county in gang activity in Georgia- second only to Gwinnett County!

Barcode Issues

1,578 book records successfully exported and imported.  But then... 5 barcodes don't match up to 6 books.  That's probably just the tip of the iceberg.  Here's hoping it's not much more than that.

Thanksgiving Lunch

I can smell the cafeteria turkey and dressing all the way in the library.

Irritability

I'm feeling extra irritable today.  Like I did when I was pregnant.  I'm guessing it was that double dose of hormones yesterday...

XYZ

This morning I am thankful I chose to wear a long tunic.  Just discovered my fly's been open all morning!

Peace Walkers

Last night we hosted 2 peace walkers who are on their way from Atlanta to the School of Americas in Columbus.  Very nice ladies.  On a related note, my bathroom now smells like patchouli. 

Not Really Awake

First thing in the morning I take my birth control pill and my vitamin.  This morning, I was clearly not awake because I took 2 BC pills and had a third in my mouth before I thought, "This isn't right.  Today's not Friday.  Oh right, I'm NOT supposed to eat this entire pack of pills."

Moon Salutation

Yoga was fantastic this evening.  13 people squeezed into the space and we did some really fun moon salutations.

Bro

I got called "bro" three separate times today. (As in, "I wasn't even talking, Bro" or "Why do I have to go to the back of the line, Bro?").  I did not like it.

Popcorn Lover

It must run in the family.  Korra's favorite food right now is popcorn.  She takes after her mom, aunt, and grandpa!

Broken Monitor

The monitor of our computer died yesterday.  We ordered a new one and are waiting for it to come in, but in the meantime, I'm missing the regular Korra-Nate updates that I was able to get on gmail chat.  

Poop On The Floor

I need to write this down for posterity.  After her bath, we usually let Korra run around naked for a bit (she really likes it).  The other night, she's running around the kitchen while I'm washing dishes and all the sudden she starts crying really hard.  I look over and... she's pooped on the floor and is very upset about it.  Two things I'm thankful for: that it wasn't on the carpet, and that she cried so I noticed it right away!

Twitch

I've had eye-twitches before but today's twitch is in my scalp at the back of my head.  Totally unnoticeable, but it's driving me nuts!

Overreacting

Sometimes I feel so sure the day is going to be out-of-control and then... it all works out just fine.  When will I ever learn to stop overreacting?

Book Fair and Stuff

It's book fair week and I'm frazzled as usual.  Doesn't help that I woke up late, that testing has changed my whole week's schedule, and that I need to teach a mini-lesson on setting goals to every student in the school in the next 2 weeks.

Korra Update

Korra's words now include: uh-oh, beep-beep, no, Daddy, ball, shoes, hi, bye, and Mommy (this last one is only sometimes used correctly).

Korra loves to play with my iPod Touch.  She has learned how to get to (and flip through) photos and play music.  She still loves to dance.

Korra has started throwing temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way.  She kicks her legs and falls to the ground crying.  It's funny until we remember that we've got 18+ more years of this ahead of us.

Katie Loves...

I was thinking that if I had people who know me at varying levels complete the sentence, "Katie loves..." that I might learn a lot about who I really am and how I present myself to the world.  Would you try it for me?

Busy Day

Enjoyed the morning and afternoon with my parents and then enjoyed an evening watching football with neighbors.  Korra woke up at 6:30 AM and only took a 30 minute and before finally going to bed after the game was over (at 7:45).  Hopefully she'll sleep in late tomorrow!

Impatience

Waiting (impatiently) for my parents to arrive!

Physically Demanding

The last 2 days have been exhausting.  Boxing up the old library yesterday and then setting up the book fair today.  Add in fighting off this cold and my body is tired.

Heavy

In the winter, I like for there to be so many blankets on me that I can hardly move due to the weight of them.

Last Time

Going into my old school one last time tomorrow.  Packing up the last of the library stuff.  Looking forward to a short commute, lunch at home, and coming home early.

Icky

I feel completely drained of energy.  And my throat hurts.  I do not want to be sick- tomorrow I'm supposed to go back to my old school (to get the last of the stuff), my parents are coming this weekend, and the book fair is next week.  I'll be drinking my weight in OJ and going to bed at 7 tonight.

Blocks

Korra's gotten really good at stacking her wooden blocks.  Her current record is 12- then the stack I'd as tall as she is!

Regret

I gave in to my craving for chocolate chip cookies and now I'm regretting it.  Not only did I not need those extra calories, but now I have a tummy ache.

Veteran's Day

Today I opened a package that contained my traveling gnome.  I sent him to Iraq 5 years ago, during my first year as a librarian.  I didn't have the heart to ask for him back and they continued to send me pictures of him with soldiers and Iraqi children for years.  All the soldiers in the area where he has been have finally come home, so Claude the Gnome did too.  The students who were in 3rd grade at my old school when he left are now in 8th grade.  I invited them to the library this morning and opened the box with them.  Inside was Claude, a note, and both an Iraqi and American flag that flew in Iraq.  The kids cheered.  I nearly cried.  Super cool moment.

Finger Painting

Nate and I tried to get Korra to do some finger painting for a Christmas present... total bust.  The only thing that ended up with paint on it was Korra.

Toddler Food

I spent part of today making a whole bunch of food for Korra.  She's become a picky eater and I needed to try something new.  I made some veggie-filled muffins, some veggie bites, sweet potato oven fries, and some veggie-fruit puree (sweet potato and peaches) to go in our reusable squeeze pouches.  I hope she'll eat it!

Wrong Weekend

I've been thinking all week that my parents are coming tonight.  Turns out it's not until next weekend.  While it's probably a good thing (since Nate's sick), I'm still really disappointed.

Pigtails

I put Korra's hair in pigtails last night.  Cutest little girl ever!

Playing in the Leaves

Korra's enjoying fall!

Sick At Home Dad

Nate's sick.  Some sort of stomach bug.  First time he's been sick at home with Korra.  Poor Nate.  Poor Korra.  Hope they make it until I get home.

Subs

My assistant is out sick today and 6 out of the 8 classes I see today have subs.  Subs who have little control over the kids.  Not going to be a very fun day.

Wet My Pants

Dinner was great- except when Korra spilled my entire glass of water in my lap.  It looked like I peed my pants.  Plus it was cold.

Brick Store!!!

Going to visit our friend Kent (aka Uncle Nacho) at Brick Store for dinner tonight.  We haven't seen him in YEARS but he's in town for business (from Texas) so we're meeting up at our favorite restaurant.  Yay!

Sweet Little Friend

We are so lucky to have such good neighbors.  They watched Korra twice yesterday (Nate's and my schedules were just a bit out of line).  Korra and Jackson are so sweet together!

Standardization

The faculty meeting after school about standardizing teaching and curriculum practices made me remember why I would be miserable in the classroom.

Stress Snot

Is it possible that stress causes a runny nose?

Fantasy in Lights!

Starting to feel in the holiday mood- I just bought my tickets for Fantasy in Lights!

Footie PJs Photo

Korra the Toddler

Today Korra ate a peanut butter sandwich.  We threw a ball back and forth.  She went down the slide at the park (and said Weeeee!).  My baby's not a baby anymore!

Thank You Cookies

2 dozen chocolate chip cookies baked and bagged for the 2 maintenance men who moved my books so quickly.  Nothing says gratitude like baked goods.

Footie PJs

Korra looks so adorable in her footie pajamas that I don't want her to wear anything else!

Snotty Nose

Korra didn't sleep well last night.  This morning's super runny nose is probably the reason.  What I can't understand is why a toddler with a cold and a very poor night's sleep STILL hasn't taken a nap yet today.

The Giver

Got to discuss one of my all-time favorite books with my 6th grade book club today.  If you haven't read this book, do it immediately!

Shelf Shifting

I knew integrating all of these books into my current collection would be a lot of work.  Exporting and importing the records, printing and attaching new labels, stamping them with this school's name... but what I didn't think about what the shelf shifting that is involved.  It's a lot of work to move entire rows of book to accommodate the new ones, only to turn around and shift them again with the next box we unload.  Good thing these books are worth it!

Halloween Parade

We had an adorable neighborhood Halloween parade with the kids in their costumes!  Hoping this will become a new tradition!

Terrible Music

Decided to listen to the Top 100 on Spotify while processing the new books.  Apparently I have very different taste in music from everyone else on Spotify.

Nerdy Dewey Love

Just unpacked my Abridged 14th Edition of the Dewey Decimal Classification manual.  Oh how I missed you, my friend!

Teacher Costume

I'm dressed as a teacher for Halloween: khaki jumper, teaching pins (school bus, school house, etc), sweater with an apple, Mary Jane's with holiday ankle socks.

Avon Nativity Set

As a kid, my mom had this little nativity set she purchased from Avon for us to play with.  I inherited our set, but I thought it would be a great Christmas present for my sister and nephew if I could find one online.  I did, but the least expensive set I found was $57 (plus shipping)!  Guess I'll cherish it a little more this year...  

Call the Vatican

There's been a miracle.  All the rest of the books from my old school were delivered!  I may have done an embarrassing dance in front of a room full of students.

Go, go, go

Got my whole carload of supplies unpacked and organized, saw 8 classes, came home and did 3 loads of laundry, baked 4 pans of brownies, cooked dinner, went to yoga, and still had time to snuggle with Korra.  I am ready for bed!

They're HERE!

They just delivered half the boxes of books!  I'm SOOOOOO excited!

Feeling Crafty

Just thought of a few homemade Christmas gifts and now I'm antsy to get crafting!  9 PM on a Monday is probably not a good time to start a project...

Tranquil Turtle

Korra's had this turtle that lights up and plays soothing ocean sounds since she was a newborn, but we haven't used it in a long while (the batteries died).  She pulled it out of her toy box after her bath so, on a whim, I put new batteries in it and turned off the light in her room.  We both laid on the floor and watched the light play on the ceiling and within 2 minutes she laid her head on my stomach and we cuddled that way until she fell asleep.  Perfect end to my day.

Fruit Ninja and Skype

Korra learned how to play Fruit Ninja (the fruit flying up makes her laugh).  She also successfully Skyped with both sets of grandparents in the past 2 days (meaning she smiled and interacted instead of crying and trying to grab the tablet).

175 Boxes!

Got all of the books that are coming to me boxed before 2:30!  Now we just have to wait for them to be delivered and go back one more time to do some final cleaning.

Like Christmas

I was so excited about today that I hardly slept last night.  I go over in my mind which books I want to box up first, how to best delegate to my helpers, etc.  Also, I think there will be so much closure when this is done.

Like a Holiday

Tomorrow is the big day!  I get to sleep in an extra 30 minutes and then I get to go get my books from my old school!!  And then, I get to come home for lunch AND even though I'm working the same hours, I'll be home 20 minutes earlier even if I walk home! Yay!

Keyboard

There is one thing that I do not like at all about touch screens.  No matter how big the "keyboard" on screen is, my typing skills immediately revert back to my 7th grade abilities and I end up typing with my index fingers.

Still Sleeping

Korra went to bed at 8:30 last night.  It's 9:15 and she's still sleeping.  I think the Fall Festival yesterday really wore her out!

Best Costume

Korra won best costume in her age group, all 20 of my cupcakes got gobbled up, and our beanbag toss was well liked by the kids.  All in all, a very successful Fall Festival!

Korra and Nobby

Nobby let Korra pet him for 2 whole minutes!

89 pics

Just deleted 89 pictures that Korra took of her forehead and the ceiling.

RIP Charlotte

Our banana spider that has lived on our front porch for the past few months died last night.  Glad Korra's not old enough to ask questions about death yet.

Farewell Party

Going to see lots of my old teacher friends at a farewell party this afternoon.  Really looking forward to catching up with them!

Manga

My big order of manga books came in yesterday.  The kids are so excited!

Baby Makes It Better

Nate and Korra stopped by the school while they were out running errands.  Hugging on the 2 people you love most in life make even a not-so-great morning much better.

That Kind of Morning

This morning is just as crazy as yesterday.  Insurance enrollment, MIA subs, a presentation I have to set up for that nobody told me about...  I hope this is not going to become the new normal.

180 Bags

Sorted candy for Saturday's neighborhood Fall Festival.  180 bags of goodies, ready to go!  I've already got our costumes and my beanbag toss game ready, too!

Letter Writing

Instead of calling a parent, I had the student write a letter to his mom telling her what he was doing in the library instead of reading.  And then I mailed it.  I wonder how this will work.

Surprise! (and not the good kind)

Came in this morning to find the insurance enrollment people are spending the next 2 days in the library.  And no one told me.  And I wasn't here in October last year so I had no idea.  This morning has been a non-stop scramble to rearrange the furniture and the schedule to make it work.

Hero Day

Today is Hero Day.  And apparently you're supposed to wear camouflage.  I don't own any camo, but I do own a cape.  I think it's more in line with the theme anyway.

Double Date

Tonight we had a great at-home double date with our neighbors Ben and Laura.  BBQ pot roast with cheesy ranch grits and roasted broccoli while the kids played and then a round of board games!

Hat Day

Today is hat day.  I'm wearing my grandma's pink hat.  This is one of the few times I wish I had a smart phone.  I'd totally take a selfie right now.

Sleep Crawling

Sometimes at night, I watch Korra on the monitor as she crawl around her crib, blindly looking for her blankie.

Parks and Rec

I am so sad to hear that Parks and Rec has been put on hiatus.  That's my favorite show and I'm SO sad!

Return of the Yogi!

It's been quite a while since I last participated in a yoga class.  Tonight one of my neighbor's lead one in our community center.  Loved it so much!

Sausage Biscuit

A sweet 7th grade boy who I've been recommending books to all year brought me a sausage biscuit this morning!  What a nice surprise!

Maybe Not A Total Failure

Fixed the website (all by myself) AND got into my webinar only 10 minutes late.

Internet Failure

In addition to my epic website fail, I also just failed to get into my Book Fair webinar and had to reschedule.

Webmaster Fail

As I've told you before, I am completely unqualified to be the website manager for my school.  Today proves this yet again.  I have no idea how I did it and I don't even have the techno-words to explain it, but I made almost all the pages disappear.  Who's the patron saint of the internet?  I need some intervention!

OCD Dream

I had a dream I was organizing a closet.  That was the entire dream.

Fall Weather

I am really enjoying the beautiful weather we have had today.  And I'm happy to see it'll be like this all week!

Wedding Recap

Had a truly fantastic time at Meghan's wedding!  Loved the time with my girls, but chasing around a very active toddler all day in many un-toddler-friendly settings (yard with an in-ground pool, houses full of people getting ready for the wedding, a reception venue with candles all over the tables and floor) was exhausting!  We'll all sleep well tonight.

Meg's Wedding!

Korra and I are headed out early for a pre-wedding breakfast with some of my college girls.  Looking forward to some time with my friends!

Blue Blood

Overheard a teacher's assistant tell a small group of students that your blood is blue until the oxygen in the air hits it.  Had to bite my tongue from shouting out, "Wrong, wrong, wrong!"  I don't want to embarrass her, but I also don't want the kids to believe that for the rest of their lives.  What do I do?

Second Favorite Library Tool

Been putting my second favorite library tool (my button maker!) to good use this week.  Every time a student compliments my Teen Read Week button, I give it to them.  Oh, and in just in case you were wondering, my favorite library tools rank as follows:

1) typewriter

2) button maker

3) engraver

Interest Has Dwindled

Remember how I said I had all those teachers excited to be a part of my teacher book club?  Guess how many were able to make today's meeting?  3.  Including me.  Going to try to reschedule in hopes that it was just a date conflict and not that they are no longer interested.

Health Insurance

Our insurance is changing from an HMO to an HRA.  I hate making these decisions.

Extra Busy

Saw 13 classes (approximately 390 students) today.  I am one tired librarian.

Blogging Anniversary

Yesterday was my FIVE YEAR blogging anniversary.  During the past 5 years, I've finished my master's degree, Nate earned his master's degree, we became foster parents and had 2 long-term placements (NA and AL) come and go, Korra was born, and I changed schools.  Not to mention all the book, movie, and recipe reviews as well as all the little minutia of my life.  Silly as it is, I love having this documentation of my life and having you, dear readers, to share it with.

Teen Read Week!

It's finally here!  Teen Read Week!  It kind of looks like my Pintrest "Library" board exploded all over the media center.  I hope the kids like it.

Korra at 13 Months

Our wonderful friend and neighbor Laura took these photos of Korra last week.

Thought I'd also take this opportunity to document a few things about Korra at 13 months old.

• She loves to eat pretzels, canned pineapple, raisins, and yogurt.
• She does actions for "How big are you?" and "Peek-a-boo!"
• She likes to feed herself with a spoon and brush her own teeth and hair.
• She has scrapes on her knee, elbow, chin, and wrist because she practically runs everywhere she goes.
• She does not like to have her hands dirty (she dusts them off when she falls).
• She gets very snuggly with me when she's tired.
• She talks all the time, but the only words she uses in context are "Uh, oh" and "No."
• She still sucks her thumb and has gotten very attached to her blankie when she sleeps.
• She still loves the bath, she loves looking at books, and she loves going for walks in her wagon.

Long Drives Feel Longer

Know what makes a long drive feel even longer?  Having a screaming child in the car.  Korra hates long car rides (and she makes us hate them, too!)

Jude's Baptism

Beautiful service (so neat that my mother-in-law got to marry all 3 of her children and is now getting to baptize her grandchild) and lots of enjoyable time spent with family and friends.

Seagram's

This is what I was missing out on by not drinking in high school or college.  Seagram's Cherry Fizz is both a tasty and silly drink.

Longest Nap

Korra took a 3.5 hour nap today.  That is the longest nap she has EVER taken.

Rough Night

My nephew is teething.  It was a rough night for everyone.  Thank goodness he's so cute.

Florida Bound

We're leaving right after school today for a 3 day weekend in Florida!  Looking forward to time with Nate's family as we celebrate our nephew's baptism.

Hunger Games Movie

Today and tomorrow, they're filming for the 3rd Hunger Games movie 3 blocks from my house!  

Running Into Things

This morning I ran into the baby gate (in the dark hallway- forgot we had it) and then found that our resident Banana Spider (we can her Charlotte, of course) had built a web across the front door.

Jane Of All Trades

Is there anything a media specialist doesn't do?

Today I'm cleaning corroded batteries out of calculators in between helping 7th graders research cancer.

Zulily

Went to buy Korra some leggings, ended up buying 3 Christmas presents, too.  Also stayed up 30 minutes later than I intended.  Oh, Zulily, you get me every time.

Baby Gate

We bought (and Nate installed) a baby gate.  Korra can now be contained!

Smelly Bookmarks

For Teen Read Week, I bought smelly book marks.  I've been sorting them into class-sized batches and now my hands smell like a weird combination of gumballs, strawberries, chocolate chip cookies, gummy worms, pickles, popcorn, and bacon.

Return To Me

Nate's at trivia so I'm watching one of my favorite romantic movies- Return to Me.  Definitely helps take my mind off the ghost story I just finished for the 7th grade book club (Ghost of Graylock).

Pig-tails

Put Korra's hair into 2 little pig-tails today.  It only lasted for a couple of minutes, but it was so fun and made her seem like such a big girl!

Poppy Seed Chicken

First attempt at making Poppy Seed Chicken- success!

No Nursing

Today is the first day in Korra's life that we didn't nurse at all.  This is the first thing of babyhood that we've left behind that I'm sad about.

This Is The End

Splurged and spent $1.28 to rent This is the End.  That is one ridiculous movie.

More Flowers

Found another bunch of flowers on the front porch from my sweet little neighbors.

Basking

Still basking in the warm glow of my huge library win yesterday.  I have told every teacher and student I've seen today about all the books we'll be getting soon!

Pancakes!

In an effort to build morale, we have a potluck lunch on the first Friday of each month.  This month's theme is breakfast, so I'm up early making grandma's buttermilk pancakes.  Even if no one else enjoys them, I know I will!

Navajo Tacos

Tonight's new recipe: Navajo Tacos.  First we made Navajo fry bread (flour, salt, baking powder, and milk fried in a bit of oil), then spread it with refried beans, topped with cheese, and the broiled it in the oven.  Yum!

Bouquet

The 3 and 5 year old kids from across the street picked me a bouquet of wild flowers.  I think I might have 2 new BFFs.

Color Coded Spreadsheet for the Win!

My meeting went really well and I'm going to get ALL the books (that are appropriate for middle school) from my old school!!!!!

New Toy

Korra wants whatever we have... (Don't worry! It's empty!)

10:30 Snickers

I ate a Snickers bar at 10:30 AM.  It's that kind of stressful day.

Book Reviews

I just finished reading 2 good (but VERY different) books.

The first was for my teacher book club.  We read The Book Thief.  It was long and sometimes overly poetic in it's language, but a powerful and beautiful story of World War II.

The second was another YA read called Every Day.  The premise of this book is amazing.  Every day A wakes up in a different body.  While I wasn't completely happy with the ending and all it's unanswered questions, the concept was SO interesting, it was worth it.

Middle School Graffiti

Found doodled on a table:

"Mrs. B. sucks"

followed by a smiley face, a peace sign, and a heart.

Middle schoolers are ridiculous.

Parent Complaint

A parent complained to a school board member that a teacher was eating chips in front of the students.  I think this definitely qualifies as a first world problem.

Top 3

Top 3 things students say to me on any given day:

1) Can you help me find a book?

2) I think I lost my books.

3) I saw you walking with your baby.

F YOU

I was shelving books and almost disrupted a group of students taking a test with my giggling.  All over the call number of a fiction book by an author with the last name Young.  F YOU.  Hehehe.

Now? Really?

After having our house for sale since March, we've decided to stay for a while longer.  The sign is only still in the front yard because if we take it off the market before the 6 month mark we have to pay a small fee.  So of course, today, someone wants to see the house.  After we've been gone all weekend and the house is a total mess.  Oh well.

Coming Home

Coming back from a trip is so exhausting and stressful (the drive with Korra crying, unpacking, etc) that it almost cancels out all the relaxation and fun of the trip.  Almost.

Library Aides

I put up a few flyers to see if any students would be interested in becoming library aides during homeroom.  I thought I'd maybe get 20 kids (4 per day of the week).  Over 50 applications were turned in!  Eek.  Now I have to disappoint 25+ kids...

Much Needed Cabin Time

After a very hectic week, I'm so, so thankful we are going to the cabin for some fun and rest this weekend!

Web 2.0

In a workshop for Web 2.0 resources for middle and high teachers.  Was really excited about it, but some of the other teachers are not allowing us to move as quickly through the material as I would have liked.

Compliment

One of the PE coaches was using our copier yesterday while I was giving a research lesson.  Today she came up to me and told me how well she thought I delivered the material really well.  It was such a nice compliment, especially since I felt like the kids weren't paying me a lick of attention.  

No Walk

Had a hard day.  Really wanted to go on a walk.  But it's raining.

Morning Algebra

I did a little algebra this morning and figured out how many more books I'd need in order to make our book/student ratio the same as the other middle school.  10,034 MORE books.  That's more than all the books in my old library.  I think I have a very strong case.

Disney Spotify

What makes a busy day better?  Listening to my Disney station while working on a book order.

Number Crunching

I'm gathering a little data to help in my quest to get ALL THE BOOKS from my old library.  Today's data includes a book to student ratio from each school.  I have 8.42 books per student.  Most of the other schools have 20+.

Eating Spaghetti

Couch and Chair

Going with my assistant to get my couch and chair from the old school and bring it here.  Thankfully both our husbands are coming to help!

Blog Slacking

I haven't been posting as much during the school day.  Mostly because I don't have my old assistant to complain about.  Say what you will, but she was great blog fodder.

Floppy Disk

Korra was emptying out the bottom drawer of the computer desk and she unearthed a floppy disk labeled "Mush."  On it, if I remember correctly, is a collection of AOL Instant Messages between Nate and me from when we first started dating (11 years ago!)  Too bad we don't have a computer that can read floppy disks anymore.

Bike Trailer

Korra's finally big enough to ride in the bike trailer, so we got it out and spent 30 minutes pumping up tires and assembling.  We knew Korra wasn't going to be a fan of the helmet, but she did really well... for the first block.  She cried the whole second block.  Our first family bike ride (and our first ride since I was 4 months pregnant!) lasted approximately 6 minutes.  Here's hoping the next one is better!

"Reading"

Korra has this book with pictures of babies doing different things (touching their toes, playing peak-a-boo, clapping their hands, etc).  She'll flip through the book and do whatever the pictures show.  Such a smart girl!

Dinner Rut

I usually enjoy cooking and finding new recipes to try, but I'm in a rut.  I need some ideas for relatively inexpensive and healthy dinner ideas.  Help, please?

Website Incompetance

I feel completely unqualified for the website updating that the school wants me to do.  Even when I do Google searches to try to figure out how to do certain things, I can't find what I'm looking for because I don't know the correct terminology.  It's so frustrating.

Nice Assistant

She brought me pizza and Swiss Cake Rolls for lunch.

Walker

Overnight, Korra decided that she's done with crawling.  She still walks like she's drunk, but she's walking all the time now.

Hump Day

I've only seen the camel "Hump Day" commercial once, but I hear the kids say it about 30 times every Wednesday.  Starting to hate it as much as I used to hate the kids doing South Park impressions.  Almost.

In My Mind's Eye

I'm making a list of the items I want from my old school.  It's weird how a year and a half later I can still picture what's in every closet and cabinet.

How It Went

Realized I didn't tell you how the meeting at my old school went yesterday.  It was about as good as I could have expected.  My ideas were listened to and I think I stand a good chance of getting the majority of the books.  And best of all, I didn't cry, yell, or tackle anyone.

College Pics and Tones

Apparently Korra subscribed my phone to "College Tones and Pics."  And of course, I can't figure out how to unsubscribe.

New Tricks

Korra can point out her toes and ears, rubs her hands together when you say, "clean hands," and sticks out her tongue when you do.  She's learning so much so fast!

Talking to Myself

I have become of aware of how often I talk to myself while working only because I now have an audience (my new assistant).  I think she worries for my sanity, especially when I address my Brain directly (and by name).

A Little Anxious

This afternoon, I have a meeting at my old school.  Me, 2 other librarians, and a bunch of people from central office.  We're meeting in MY library to discuss what to do with MY books.  As you can see, I'm having a bit of trouble letting go, even after a year and a half.  Every time I think about one of those admin people touching my books, I also imagine myself tackling them like a football player.  I need to get some control over my emotions pronto.

Korra's Words

Korra "talks" quite a bit, but there are a few things that sound like real words and she sometimes uses them in the correct context.  Here's the short list:

Uh-Oh

No (someone please buy us a copy of The Strong-Willed Child!)

Daddy

Cheese

Shoes

Still not sure if we'll count any of these as her real first words, but we're getting close!

One More Sunday

I just need one more Sunday...

Les Miserables

Finally get to see Led Miserables.  It was so great.  Such a beautiful story of grace.

New Backpack

Korra got a new backpack.

Livingston

Leaving for Livingston, Alabama right after school today to visit the in-laws at their new house.

Hands Bulletin Board

I'm pretty pleased with how my new bulletin board turned out.  I had a bunch of the kids trace and cut out their hands on old book pages.  I used this as a border.  Then I had other kids color and cut out letters that say, "Get your hands on a good book."  Thanks, Pintrest, for yet another bulletin board inspiration!

Breakfast Burrito

As I was enjoying my homemade breakfast burrito this morning, I thought that you all might enjoy the recipe inspiration.

I start with what was originally a recipe for a hashbrown quiche.  I pour some frozen hashbrowns into a greased 9x9 pan and let them thaw.  Then I pat them down to make a crust, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and then bake it for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, I whisk together 5 eggs, chopped onion, chopped spinach, shredded cheese, and some bacon bits.  Pour that over the hashbrowns and then bake for another 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  This by itself is a yummy meal, but since I eat in the car most mornings, I cut a slice, roll it in a tortilla, and warm it in the toaster oven.  Delicious breakfast on the go!

Teen Shoes

A student asked me if I was a teenager.  She said she thought I might be because I sometimes where Converse Low-Tops.

Morning Dough

I was almost late for school this morning.  Why?  Because I was sure I had enough time to make pizza dough before breakfast.

I'm an Adult

Signing the paperwork on our refinance today and then celebrating like adults- by going to Target to buy socks and dishtowels!

Teacher Book Club

I decided to start a Book Club for the teachers.  We'll read whatever is most popular with the kids at the moment.  I think this might be a really good thing!

Mama

I've been trying to teach Korra to say Mama.  I say, "Mama" and use her hand to pat me.  Clearly, there has been a misunderstanding because now when I say, "Who am I?" she pats me twice on the chest.  She got the action, but missed the words.

Soundtrack to my Insomnia

Couldn't fall asleep until after midnight.  Woke up around 5 AM.  This song keeps playing in my head.  Thanks a lot, Nate.

Throw Up

Korra just puked all over herself right after getting out of the bath.  99% sure it's from drinking a gallon of bathwater and then wiggling like a crazy girl while I tried to put on her pajamas.  Back into the bath!

Move for a Church

I heard a pastor speak on NPR this morning.  I was so intrigued, I looked up her church.  And now I want to move to Denver so I can go to this church.

Saturday in Review

Went for a 3 mile walk with Korra, did some yardwork with Nate, and went to the grocery store.  Korra and I spent some time going through the huge pile of hand-me-downs she got.  Seriously, this baby has enough clothes to wear an outfit a day until she's 2.  We had Zucchini Enchiladas for dinner, which were very yummy and then Korra went to bed early so Nate and I are going to watch It (first time for both of us).

Comparative Art

Found this old picture of Nate's cake decorating skills (from when he worked at Bruster's).  Do you think Korra gets her artistic talent from her dad?

Bathtub Art

Gave Korra the tub crayons and here's what she created.  Pretty impressive considering it was he first time using a writing utensil!

Asparagus

I wish I could show AL how much Korra loves asparagus.

189 Books

5 boxes of new books were delivered this week and thanks to a couple of canceled classes, I got all of them processed today.  Can't wait for the kids to see them on Monday!  So many graphic novels!

12 Month Check-Up

Korra weighs 17 lbs and is 27 in long.

Working on the Railroad

Almost all the railroad crossings are closed for repair.  Really hard to get around town- especially if you live on the "wrong side of the tracks" like we do.

So Much Gray Hair

Decided to go get my hair cut since I took a half-day for Korra's doctor appointment.  I had no idea the salon would be so busy on a Thursday at noon.  Maybe it's senior citizen discount day?

They Shrunk

My nursing bras suddenly don't fit anymore.

First Ride

Took Korra for a ride in her new wagon.  She loved it!

Out with the old, in with the new

Ran couple reports and did a little math and figured out that in the past calendar year, I have discarded 2,269 books.  In that same time period, I also bought 882 new books.  I also decreased my average book age by 5 years!

Boxes of new books were delivered but I'm too busy today to process them. Sad librarian.

Little Red Wagon

My parents bought Korra a Radio Flyer for her birthday and like a truly good father, Nate put it together for her as soon as we got home.

We finally had the whole family together and totally failed to get a photo.

Tired Girl

Unfortunately, Korra was pretty tired by cake time.  She enjoyed the few bites I gave her before she just started rubbing her face, thereby spreading frosting from the edges of her mouth all over her face and hair, making her just as messy as if we had given her a smash-cake.  She then had a very enjoyable birthday bath.

Birthday Cake

Here's the cake I baked for Korra.

Cousin Clark

Korra and Clark!  8 months apart but only about 2 inches and 1 pound difference in height and weight!

Happy first birthday to my amazing daughter, Korra Mae!

Sibling Lunch

Going to get BBQ with my siblings while my parents watch the babies.  Then we're going to bake Korra's birthday cake and go to a minor league baseball game tonight.

Grandma's Pancakes

Starting off our weekend together with buttermilk pancakes!

I wish Korra didn't hate the car so much. Why can't she just sleep like most babies?

Today I've been remembering the Friday before Labor Day last year. I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home alone while Nate was at DragonCon.

I wouldn't mind the 4 hour drive to my parents' house so much if we didn't have to drive through Atlanta.

Picking up a pizza for dinner to celebrate payday and the coming 3 day weekend!

Looking forward to celebrating Korra's birthday with my family this weekend!

I Don't Want to Share Anymore

Came in this morning to find my tape dispenser had been taken and someone had jammed my copier and then left without fixing it.  You kind of expect that sort of behavior from the kids, but from the teachers?  Come on.

On our way to Brickstore for dinner with some friends who are in town for DragonCon. Yay!

Fault in Our Stars Movie?!

Just heard they're making one of my favorite books of last year into a movie.  Oh, I hope they do it justice!

Ms. Ummmmm

If I had a quarter for every time a student called me, "Ms. Umm, Ms. Umm..." I would have a nice supplemental income.  Is it really so hard to remember my name?  Especially given that I go by just an initial!

Drained

Went to bed before 8 last night.  Not feeling pukey anymore, but still feeling slow and tired.  My assistant is feeling the same way.  We are a pathetic little team this week.

Easy Does It

Back at school today.  Feeling much better but trying to take it easy.

Went home sick before 9. Taken several naps, gargled with salt water, used heating pad, and am hoping to feel better tomorrow.

Breathe Slowly, Don't Puke

Giving myself 45 more minutes at school.  If I still feel the urge to lay in a fetal position on the floor of the bathroom, I'm going home.

Jim Dale

When I'm sick, I like to listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks.  Jim Dale's voice and the familiar story always make me feel a little better.

Korra's walking! Still only 5-8 steps at a time, but I think we'll count it!

Not Pregnant!

The last 2 days I've had a headache, felt achy, queasy, and crampy, and had a runny nose.  Also, I've just had a friend at school tell me that his wife is *surprise* pregnant.  As I was breathing slowly and trying not to vomit this morning I suddenly though, "Oh, no.  What if I'm pregnant?"  I spent the whole day worrying about it.  As soon as I got home, I dug around under the kitchen sink, found a pregnancy test from almost 2 years ago, and took it.  And, as I'm sure you guessed by this post's title- I'm not pregnant!  Yay!

Lies I Tell Myself

Sometimes I pretend that Korra is asleep the whole time I'm at work so that I don't feel like I'm missing as much.

Unblocked!

Thanks to a persuasive email, Pintrest is unblocked here at school!

All of the middle schoolers in the neighborhood are standing in front of my house. Coinsidence? I doubt it.

Stray Dog Update

We figured out who's dog has been in our backyard for more than a day and, like the good neighbor I am, I went to their house so they could get that terrible yippy mutt out of my yard.  Now I can take a nap without hearing him bark and hang laundry on the line without fear of getting bit.

Checked on Korra on the monitor after laying her down for a nap to find that she had taken off her diaper and was totally naked!

Korra likes to shake her box of raisins to make it rain dried fruit. Eveyone knows food tastes better when you throw it in the air first.

There's a dog in our backyard. A yorkshire terrier with a collar but no tags. He barks at us very aggressively when we get close. Any suggestions?

Exclamation Points!

I just realized that the last 3 posts (this makes 4) all had subject headings that ended in exclamation points.  Apparently my life (or at least my posts) are very exciting... or I exaggerate.

World's End!

Went to see World's End last night.  It was really good, even though it wasn't my favorite Simon Peg/Nick Frost movie.  I can't put it any better than this review, so just read that and then go see it for yourself.

Book Orders Complete!

After days of agonizing over my first book order of the year, 179 books are ordered!  Lots of bilingual books, comic books, and books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

Free Babysitter!

My little brother's coming into town tomorrow night and in exchange for dinner, he's babysitting for our date night!  Yippee!

Of course, someone finally comes to visit the library and have a long talk- right as I'm trying to leave.

Just like last year, no one comes to the library during open house. Unlike last year, I'm not super pregnant with swollen feet. Still not very happy to be here.

Ketchup

The cafeteria smells strongly of ketchup.  And it's loud.  Now I remember why I don't come down here.

Nooooooooo!

School system blocked Pintrest!  How will I ever decorate my bulletin boards now?!

Korra is practicing her teeny-bopper screaming in case she ever gets to go to a Beiber concert. It starts so young.

Orientation Speech

I've given my library orientation talk 29 times.  I still have 13 more to go over the next 3 days.  Jesus, give me strength.

Read-Alouds

I convinced 7 teachers to read novels to their homeroom classes!  Students of all ages love to be read to and it's so good for their vocabulary (not to mention that it engages even the most reluctant reader) but it's been so hard to convince the teachers to get on board.  Counting this as a big win!

Story Hour

Nate and Korra are going to their first Story Hour at the public library this morning.  I'm more than a little jealous.

Photo Acquired!

Finally got a photo of Korra!  Love that big, toothy smile!

I'm ok with being at work until 3:30. Every minute away from Korra after that makes me feel so anxious to get home. This meeting is killing me.

PA Sister

It's nice having a medical professional in the family.  Laura is pretty sure I don't have pink eye.

Pink Eye?

Thought my allergies were bothering me... but I think I have pink eye.

Shaun of the Dead

Watching Shaun of the Dead to get ready for World's End on Friday!

Picky Readers

Gave a little speech during my library orientation about how saying, "I don't like reading" is like saying, "I don't like eating."  You may be a picky eater, but everyone likes eating something.  The same is true for reading.  You may not like anything you've read yet, but there are so many things to read, there's something for everyone.  I promised the kids to help even the pickiest reader that I'd find something they'd like.  Recommending books to the kids is my favorite part of my job.

Spotify

School system has blocked Pandora... but not Spotify!

No Photos

So I realized I haven't taken a photo of Korra in a month.  The reason for this is that as soon as I take the camera or the tablet out, she lunges for it and then screams since I won't let her have it.  Thus, no photos.  Gotta work out a secret camera system.

Baking Fiend

This weekend I baked:

pita chips; banana chocolate chip muffins; teething biscuits; granola; spinach chicken taquitos; and sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits.  AND I made hummus, chocolate chip cookie truffles, and veggie wraps.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Can't do any of the things I wanted to do this weekend (Brave's game, bike ride, or zoo).

I work with a teacher named Beverley Hill. Every time I see her I hear the Weezer song. "Toot Sweet" successfully removed from my head.

Woke up with the song "Toot Sweet" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in my head. Why?!

Sketchers

When I started student teaching 8 years ago, I bought a pair of Sketchers that I love.  I have had new velcro sewed onto them 3 times.  2 cobblers (shoe repair shops) have gone out of business in that time.  Finally the leather has started to wear through on the toes.  I think it might be time to retire them.  What are the chances they still sell this exact style?

What does true love look like? Watching Whodunnit with Nate because he thinks it's so good.

They promised if I came in early I could leave early but I've been at school until 4 every day AND I get stuck behind the buses on the way out. Boo.

New assistant is so efficient I'm running out of things for us to do!

65%

If I'm usually at 100% and 0% is can't even get out of bed, I was at 20% yesterday.  Today- 65%.  Huge improvement, though not quite well yet.

We just refinanced our mortgage. Being an adult is super boring sometimes.

Speed Test

I type 66 words per minute.  Is that good?

Bleh

My whole face hurts from this cold.  Hoping and praying Korra doesn't get this bug.

Nyquil, Vick's Vaporub, Nettie Pot, and in bed by 8pm.

Funeral

Taking half a personal day to go to a good friend's dad's funeral.  Pray for Chris and his family today.

Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings

For dinner tonight, we made veggie dumplings based on a hybrid of these two recipes.
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/emerils-steamed-vegetable-dumplings-recipe.htm
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/vegetarian-steamed-dumplings-recipe/index.html
Yummy!

Runny Nose

Terrible allergies today.  Or maybe it's a cold.  Either way, my nose is a faucet.

Had the best wedding cake ever tonight.

Henry's Birthday Party

Went to a birthday breakfast for our little neighbor Henry.  I sewed him a cape as a gift- he was way more interested in the diapers he got.  :)

Parseltongue

When Korra picks up her stuffed snake, she makes the "ssssssss" sound.

Responding to comments from teachers about my former assistant's new assignment is like dancing around landmines. Not sure who is on which "side."

Ice Cream Needed

Today was long and exhausting and I really, really want some ice cream.

No Schedule Class

I've had a group of 21 students all morning who don't have schedules.  They are getting really bored.

NA's in High School!

Just saw on Facebook that NA had his first day of high school today!

Laminating Pride

Today put laminating film on this school's laminator the first time- all last year my assistant did it.  Of course, because it's the beginning of the school year there's a huge pile of stuff to be laminated.  I think I've finally got it when my former assistant walks in.  She takes one look at it, announces I've done it all wrong, and tries to bump me out of the way to do it for me.  I calmly, but firmly tell her I can do it myself.  Another teacher hears me say this and comments that a lot of people are waiting on their stuff and I should just let go of my pride and have her show me how to do it.  I pretend I don't hear her.  After 15 minutes of rereading the directions, I realize that I had it right all along.

Korra is loudly professing her love to Cherrios. What's so great about Cheerios?

I forgot how much work work is.

Found all missing equipment! Now to try to wind down and relax.

2 digital projectors and a laptop went missing from the library over the summer. Stress level significantly increased.

Pumas!

Nate and I just bought new tennis shoes (Pumas) for $60 including shipping!  Yippee!

Laptop for the Win!

While I had the most stunningly boring job at registration today, it involved using my laptop so I got so much done!  Spreadsheets made, website update, emails written!

For the Fun of It

I think I just decided to do "Read for the Fun of It" as my Teen Read Week theme.  Because then I don't really have to have a theme except that all my stuff is fun.

Chaos

Verifying addresses of 1200 students is insanity.

Good Start

Today is registration day.  It's going to be long and not very fun.  So I decided to start off the day well.  For breakfast I had a freshly baked blueberry muffin, a cup of coffee, and a vanilla yogurt with strawberries and homemade granola.  Then I went on a nice 2 mile walk with Korra.  Ready for the day!

Second Place!

Nate just texted- he and 2 friends just won second place (and $250) at the trivia finals!

Granola

I made my own granola today.  I'm pretty sure that earns me 10 more hippie points.

Recent Reads

Here's what I've been reading lately.  5 very different books, but I highly recommend all of them.

Busy Bee

Today we walked to the library and then washed both cars.  I made granola bars and a headband using this tutorial.  Then I made and smooshed play dough with Korra.  Now I'm ready for bed and it's not even 9 PM.

Birthday Cake

We're not having a party for Korra's first birthday (we'll be at my parents' for the weekend with all my siblings),  but I have decided that I really want to bake an impressive cake.  I've decided on chocolate with a light, fluffy white icing, but I haven't found the perfect rich, moist cake recipe I'm searching for.  Good thing I still have a month :)

Peace

In April we put our house up for sale.  We both applied for dozens of jobs.  We both had a handful of job interviews this summer.  I was even offered 3 jobs.  We kept telling everyone that if God opened a door, we'd run through it, and if not, we'd have peace about staying.  I didn't really think I'd have peace about staying, but I just kept saying it until it became true.  We turned down the jobs I was offered, even after visiting one of the schools/towns in person.  None of the places felt "right."  And even though little has changed about our current situation, I've changed.  I have a better attitude about and a new appreciation of my current job.  I have a peace about staying... at least for a little bit longer.

Forgot how frantic the beginning of the school year is. Glad to have the weekend to recover and prepare for next week.

My first day back at school. My To Do list is 2 pages long.

Last Day

Today's my last day of summer vacation.  How am I spending it?  Reading as much as I can.

11 Months Old!

Can you believe Korra's 11 months old today?!

She's Just That Cute

I thought that people at the grocery store ooohed and ahhhed over Korra more than other babies because she was usually in the carrier.  But I've started putting her in the cart and we still get just as many people stopping to talk to us and compliment her.  Yep, my baby's just that cute.

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit

For most of my life, my family has had the tradition of saying "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" to each other on the first of each month.  For our family, it's a game of who can remember to say it to the others first.  Today, after beating my mom and sister to it via text, I finally looked up what the origin of this odd little ritual.  Apparently it's to bring good luck- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_rabbit_rabbit.  I'll forever consider the first of the month a lucky day since Korra and my nephew Clark were born on the 1st.

Happy Birthday, Harry

Happy birthday to the main character of my favorite book series of all time.

How many trips to the school does it take to update the website? Apparently more than 3 because it's still not done.

At 11 months old, Korra's finally wearing 9 month clothes- but only when she wears cloth diapers.

Getting Excited

I'm actually getting excited about going back to school.  Pintrest has given me some great bulletin board ideas, I had a fantastic chat with the a couple of the public librarians about getting my students signed up for library cards, I have a new assistant, a new laptop, and best of all, 2 more friends from my old school as coworkers again!

Bedtime

I know that school is about to start back up, but I just can't bring myself to go to bed before 11.  I'm sure I will pay for this later.

Insurance

Trying to coordinate insurance payments for our roof and our car.  Thankful for a good insurance company because I can't imagine how much bigger of a pain this would be without them!

Weaning

We're cutting out yet another feeding this week so that I won't have to pump when I go back to work.  I think the hardest part of this process has been my worry about whether Korra is getting the nutrition she needs.  When you breastfeed, you don't have to think about that at all.  But now, especially with her being on the small size as it is, I have this constant fear that she's not eating enough or the right things.  I know that there are plenty of kids who thrive with far less nutritionally attentive parents, but it's still hard to let go of the worry.

Walking Errands

This morning we walked to the college to buy my mom's birthday gift and then to the library to pick up my reserved books.  I love being able to walk to some of the places we need to go!

Photos!

Here are more of the photos from my friend and neighbor Laura (from our trip to Callaway Gardens last month).  I LOVE these!