Milestones

Just minutes before midnite on December 31, 2010, my husband and I were preparing to open a bottle of champagne and make a toast to new beginnings.  We had a plan and by the grace of God, we were able to make some important decisions and reach a amazing milestones.  As we were focusing on those milestones, there were others that we had totally overlooked.  Life is just that way.

This year I have some amazing things to look forward to.  The most important being that my two babies are growing up.  As I watch my co workers and friends have babies and attend junior volleyball games, I look at my two and say "where has the time gone....it has gone way to fast" (I'm actually tearing up as I write this!!)  My little one Kelli is turning 18 and getting ready to visit colleges and my oldest one, Krystina, is turning 21 and looking forward to going to Law School.  Where has the time gone???  My awakening thought this morning was -- "make a scrapbook of the kids!!"  I need something to help me remember those very rough times.

The other big milestone is after years of being apart, the man of my dreams is finally coming home from overseas for good.  I am looking forward to weekly date nights, the laundry room being sparkling clean, someone paying the bills besides me and screening phone calls.  I'll finally have someone to get chinese take out with....sans stopping a McDonalds for the "other meal".  It's going to be like having a boyfriend at home.  It will be a challenge, but I am so much looking forward to it.

So this is going to be my year of milestones and big changes.

Happy New Year - 2011

Hello Everyone -
I want to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy and special new year. 
This morning on my facebook page one of my friends wrote the following advice for the upcoming year -  Start each day on the right foot.  How do you do this -

1)Achieving an A+ Attitude


Every single day is filled with all kinds of situations that could upset you—things like losing your car keys or getting caught in a traffic jam. But you can choose to be at peace and in control.
God doesn’t necessarily create difficult situations for us, but He will use them to develop our character.

2)Setting Realistic Expectations  - You cannot count on someone else to make you happy. You must take responsibility for your own happiness.

3) Putting God and Others First  -  Spend time each morning focusing on the good things God has done in your life. Think about the dangers and difficulties He’s brought you through, the ways He’s healed you and changed you, and how good it is to know He cares for you and hears your prayers.  When you learn to set your mind on God each morning, He’ll give you all the peace and joy you need to love others every single day of your life.

I know that this advice will do me alot of good this upcoming year and the rest of my life.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

It's Halloween!!!

Hello everyone.  Thanks so much for those who continue to read my blogs and check to see if I'm still here.  I'm here.  Life is so incredibly busy once school starts again.  When I first began blogging it was towards the end of the school year, everything was winding down.  My daughter's extra-curricular activities had come to a grinding halt, my classroom had been cleared out and everything was slow.  Now we are at full speed again and I have little time for anything fun.  I appreciate the fact that total strangers show concern.  So thank you so much.

I did manage to have some fun this weekend (had to squeeze it in).  I went to a Halloween party and decided to go as a cat (Cat-n-Hat Party).   Here are my photos.  I did the makeup myself - yes I did.  If you want to know how I did it, just comment below and I will send you a link.

Happy and Safe Halloween.

A Girl's Best Friend

One of the nicest things ever, at the end of the day, is to come home to a warm, friendly, fuzzy face that is so happy to see me.  Rufus never disappoints me.  He jumps up and down, waiting for me to give him a friendly rub between the ears, then the usual doggie treat.

Whether it's me that he is happy to see or just knowing that a doggie treat is just minutes away after my arrival, it's still brings me pleasure to see how happy he is that I'm home. 

A Summer Wedding

 Last week the son of a long time friend and god-mother to my youngest daughter, married the girl of his dreams.  It was such a lovely wedding.  Everytime I attend a wedding I re-live the vows I made 22 years ago with the made that I love more than anyone in the world.

 I can't say every girl dreams of a wedding like this, but I know I did when I was growing up.  However I would have never admitted that to my now husband.  We definetly got married on a budget!!  Obviously this wedding had a budget slightly bigger than mine (lol).

This is by far the prettiest wedding cake I have ever seen. Everything about this wedding was perfect - from the ceremony to the reception.  One bad part - we didn't get cake -- the party went on much too late for me and my husband. 

From Drab to Fab- My New Classroom

One of the most depressing thing that a teacher has to do occassionally is change classrooms.  In the past 10 years I have changed classrooms twice and each time it was traumatic.  A classroom to a teacher is much like her home.  Everything has a place.  It may not make sense to anyone else, but it makes sense to the teacher.  Last year, before the school year ended, I was told that my 5 year love affair with the classroom I was occupying was coming to an end.  This translated to - bringing ALL OF YOUR STUFF HOME and BRING IT BACK IN AUGUST one week before school starts.  I thought I was being organized -- but not really.  I felt lost when I started loading up my car with boxes and boxes of school stuff.  After 14 years of teaching Language Arts, I have collected alot of STUFF.

All turned out well as you can see from the photo.  I went from a drab dingy former social studies classroom to a lively language arts classroom.  I love it and my students love it.  I hope the school year turns out well.

REALITY T.V.

 

Picture courtesy of: http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/M_R/Pq_Pz/Project_Runway/season7/project-runway307.jpg

  I should have called this blog, "Confessions of the Reading Teacher Who Would Rather Watch TV"!  Okay I'm busted, yes I would rather watch a little reality t.v. rather than read a book..  Yes, I love to read, but this is summer and I need a little bit of reality or is it??  My favorite guilty pleasure - all of the Real Housewives series produced by Bravo.  Yes I love love love Teresa Guidice from New Jersey.  It all started of course with the Real Housewives of Orange County, which is why I want to sell my house and move to the "gated" section of my neighborhood.  When I "drive through the gates" when visiting a friend - I can hear the Real Housewives of Orange County theme song playing in my head (I'm not the only one - don't judge me). And of course one of my NEW favs is - Bethanny Getting Married?-  I'm so happy for her.

 For now watching the lives of others gives me a great break from the "realities" of my own life - children, house, bills, work, husband etc. etc..  Thank goodness for my DVR - which needs an upgrade.  I can record one show after another and when all of the housework is done, and the paperwork is completed - I can sit back with a hot cup of coffee and escape into someone else's reality.  Which reality shows do you watch?