**2012**

I saw a teacher friend of mine who posted that we are all mistaken because the year ends after May. Ha! I feel like I do keep track of years as school years, but I also like to reflect on the calendar year and make goals for the new year. So here are just some of my highlights from 2012

* Seeing God's hand in the possibility of both Alex and me loosing our jobs at the start of the year. Praise the Lord for peace, direction, and supplying all we need and blessing us beyond that.

* Alex keeping his job and deciding to start his masters degree (so proud of how hard he is working and such nice grades! The teacher rejoices!)

* Me not starting my masters and taking a new job with the same school and new branch. Loving teaching music and being a librarian

*Going to Disney World! We are still talking about all of our favorite moments, lunch spots, rides, and the never ending debate of what is really the best park.

* Getting our second puppy Cosmo. I call him Dorsey's puppy many days because Dorsey loves having his little buddy to play with. He has been a lot of trouble but is the best snuggler and we love having him as part of the family.

*Hard decisions that bring family closer together.

*Adding a sister-in-law and her lovely girls to the family officially.

*Directing my first big program at school and it not failing

*New opportunities and hopes for the coming year!

Happy New Year everyone!

John 10:10 "I came that you may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance, until it overflows."

Wishing and missing

Wishing one of my artistic siblings were here or my artistic husband. I need to turn this sheet into a mayflower. So far it just looks like a fun time to the puppies. Oh the life of an elementary music teacher.

I love camping

I love camping in the fall! We have not been able to find a weekend that we can go so far this year, so I am pretending today. Yes, like a little kid in the backyard I'm just short of setting the tent up. I have already enjoyed a fire and s'mores last night and today I had hot chocolate sitting outside. I may spend the whole day outside. :) The puppies seem to be just as happy as me to be outside today and enjoy the beautiful leaves falling and nice weather. I love this time of year!!! Now to think of a campfire dinner, go on a hike/ walk on the trail with the puppies, and not be on the Internet. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Oh little Cosmo

Alex and I have joked many times about how much our calm, blond, picky eater puppy is like Alex. The crazy, dark haired, eats everything, loud, super cute one is like me. (I added that last past because my list was looking sad but Dorsey and Alex are super cute too) Well, I discovered another way our little one is like me yesterday. I came home and got right to work on all I had to do and just said hello to puppies briefly. Our loud little Cosmo would not shut up! I knew it wasn't his hungry bark because he makes the same sound every time for that and I did feed them. He was driving me crazy so I just picked him up and held him close cuddling a little while and he went on his merry little way. Not another peep! Can dogs have love languages? If so then this little one is a physical touch just like me. Do you ever just need a hug? I love Psalm 91 because it says we are protected under the Almighty's wing. you will not find comfort like that anywhere else no matter how good of a hugger they are! Anyway, love the ones you are with today and hold them close. You never know who may be needing a hug.

Oh Walmart

Oh Walmart...
Why do I think I can run in there on the way home? Why do I think that people will act like humans in that place? Why do I continue to return to that place? Tonight I fell into the trap of stopping by on the way home again. I looked for a few things and ended up getting the one thing that I really needed. Of course out of 1000000 check out lines there are 4 open. This is a relatively high number compared to some times that I have gone in so I was optimistic. I go to the 20 items or less line. You know how there are two rows and one is closer to the doors and you stand in the middle until one of the two opens up? Oh no I forgot, that is not how it works. You are to sneak around the line and squeeze in between the lines to the front checkout and skip the people waiting. WHAT! I can't stand that! So the line ends up talking about this lady eventually and I end up behind her because she only had 5 items. Her excuse was that she thought we must have thought the line was closed so she would just go ahead. Well, if you know me at all you know that I did open my mouth and told her that we in fact were just waiting in the line. The check out lady must have also thought I was crazy for coming into that place tonight when she said, "You waited in this line for 1 item?" Yes, I did wait in line and yes I only wanted one item. So here is your task. If you ever hear me say that I will just run by on the way home or just save a little money there or whatever my next lame excuse may be.... SAY NO! I should not be allowed to go back in that place or I may yell at someone. Or I may return as I always do and vow again to never return. Why oh why do I never learn.......

Ch ch ch changes

I am making some changes and going to take care of a few things that have been on my to do list for some time. 1. I need new shoes for working out. I have been making an effort and being more active and need some shoes to go with that. I usually would buy any other kind of shoe before a running shoe because they are pricy and I would rather have boots. :) 2. We finally wrote down what days are what chores around the house and I know not everyone needs that, but it is good for me to look at it in writing. 3. I think I may have come up with a flooring solution to rid our stairs of gross carpet and our loft area! Alex actually liked my idea and it looks like it may be my after Christmas project or spring break project. I know that seems far off, but it feels good to have a time frame for when it is gone. Someday I'll show you those old yuck stairs. Just take my word for it now. 4. We are going on a mission trip together! We are saving and I am working extra hours to get ready for this great opportunity.

Have a great week everyone!

I'll leave you with a photo from our fun weekend a little while back when we had three handsome nephews over.

Cookies!

I needed to make a dessert the other day and couldn't decide between fruit and chocolate. Such a delema I know. I had a thought that if I made cookies that I could make chocolate and some other kind too. Mmmm it was sounding great to me. Then I was thinking of the no-bake cookies that Alex is not crazy about and I could eat all day long and knew that had to be cookies #1. Yes, it was perfect because I would still have my oven open for cookie #2! I went to Brown Eyed Baker's website because she has the no-bake cookie recipe that I have used before and I found a recipe for a lemon burst cookie. It looked super cute and met my non chocolate requirement so that is what I made. Who really cared what cookie #2 was because I was going to be eating #1 for days :)
Well, they were all made when Alex arrived home and he went for a lemon cookie. I must stop here and say that Alex has a favorite adjective that makes my eyes roll envollentaroly. He loves to describe most everything as..."fine". I have all but baned the word and he loves to kindly bother me about my obsession with not using only this word. 

Back to cookies. So he takes a bite of the lemon cookie and says, "Delicious." He smiled because I smiled and I thought this was another try not to say fine situation. That is unil he asked if there were any left when I got home that night. He really thought they were delicious!! 

So in conclusion, no-bake cookies are yummy so make them all for yourself. Then make the delicious lemon burst cookies because they are beautiful and so much better than fine. Here is the recipe link. Some changes I made were not adding the extract simply because I didn't have any and I added a splash of key lime juice because I did have some. 

The photo is the last cookie because they were that good. 

Friday Favs

This blog idea is from the Schelbs
Favorite things for this Friday include...
* quick trips!
* My job
* Camping weather
* Fall decorations filling my house
* Getting to see a dear friend in two days
* Sleeping a little later tomorrow

Other things I'm enjoying here lately include headbands, popcorn, and our lights working properly for the first time in months.

Have a great weekend!

Library projects

The library in my new school is little bitty and does not have much room for cute little reading areas, so I was trying to find a way to make it more cozy. I pinned an idea for a bucket of stuffed animals for the students to sit with while they read and made it tonight. :) Here is the original idea...

 I found this bucket at Walmart and thought it would be just right.

 I got a few letter stickers, a little time and mod podge for good measure and wah la! Here is my reading buddies bucket with my little buddies inside.

The kids will have to make do with the stuffed animals. I am pleased with the way it turned out and now I am going to watch a little more Gillmore Girls. Night World!

Dinners on hand

I am back to my normal work schedule and once again thinking of the dreaded question after working... "what's for dinner?" I like to cook, but don't like the cleaning or planning part. I was reading another blog where she was talking about keeping some things on hand for dinner. I really just have two of these that I have done from about the third week of marriage to now. 1. Is grilled cheese :) I know this is a little sad but we have soup with it and I really do like grilled cheese. I think we ate this every week our first year of marriage. (poor Alex) 2. "Brinner" or breakfast for dinner. It is easy, quick, yummy, and can be changed up. It almost always includes waffles and eggs for us.
For these two dinners, I just make sure I always have bread (Alex eats lunch on bread every day so I try to keep a loaf or two in the freezer), eggs, cheese, Bisquick, and milk.

This is a really short list so here is the question for you. What is your go to dinner? What do you always try have on hand?

This and That

   I have teaching on the brain! Most other teacher friends have already had to report to work and I am still at home or going to the classroom in a T-shirt and shorts. :) This does not mean that the work has not begun because I am trying to plan for the year and this new job description.  It is nice to plan lessons while watching Olympics and sitting with my puppies. I have also been up to my classroom many times and I still do not feel all ready to go, but I will be. I am trying to figure out what all the bulletin boards will look like and making some bookmarks for the library. I wish I could just let go of the need for a cute saying on a bulletin board. There is no written rule that it has to rhyme or include a pun but I can't help myself! This is why I still have a board to do and have not started it because I can't figure out how to say, 'here are those who have reached their AR goal' in a cute little way with my little detective dog. (I call him Sherlock Bones... do you see what I mean?) 

     I decided last week that You've Got Mail should be my end of summer movie each year. I get SO excited to see the stores full of school supplies. I just love it! It always makes me think of the line in the movie where he wants to send her a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils. I was watching the movie last week while making a vase covered in pencils and I think it turned out cute. I forgot to take a picture of mine but it looks something like this...

Right now it is on my desk with pens that look like flowers in it, but I may change that out to at least all the same kind of flower. 

This is also Birthday time for one sister-in-law, two nephews, a friend, and My HUSBAND!!! Yay for all of these wonderful people being born. 

Do you?

Do you feel the need to plan out the rest of your days/ time? Do you worry about not getting everything done? Do you just want to read an encouraging word? Go read this :)  Thanks Whitney!

What Would You Wednesday

What would you like to read? This is not your adult summer reading list question. Nope, I want to know what you would want to read if you were in elementary school.

I just found out what grades I will have for Library next year. Now I am thinking of all the great books for each grade. So, what book do you remember loving in ___ grade? (I have every grade but first and second) I remember in first grade I just wanted to read Berenstain Bears. Somewhere I fell in love with Amelia Bedelia. I just thought she was too funny. Did she really think she should do that? Why don't they get rid of her? Oh those pies must have been crazy good that she made.

I also remember LOVING when my mom would read books out loud to me. I just couldn't get over how she made every book more interesting. I imagine that is what my Jr. Kindergarten and K class will all about. 

I remember hearing this book, "You Are Special" and I still think of it sometimes today. I have read it to my classes before and I love the message here. 

So, what did you love to read from JK to 5th grade? 

Splish, Splash

It is hot outside and we thought that the puppies would like a little pool to cool off in outside. Well, we really were not sure about our cautious Dorsey, but thought maybe Cosmo would like get in and then Dorsey would join. Just as we thought, Cosmo jumped right in and was splashing around. He was playing with whatever little piece of dirt, stick, or leaf he could see. Dorsey circled the pool many times and Alex finally just put him in the pool.

Can you see his little paw he is trying to keep out of the water? :) He was not 100% sure about the whole thing. They played outside a little longer and got all dried off to come inside. Alex and I were eating dinner and it sounded like the water bowl was empty. They let us know but scratching it or moving it around until we fill it up. I went to fill it and found our swimmer splashing around in the full water bowl.

 Yes, that is water all over the wall and the floor and the puppy. He was standing in the bowl until I called his name and put a halt on the fun. What are ya going to do? I guess we were at least successful in finding something Cosmo loves.

Brothers

Here is Dorsey and his new little "brother" Cosmo. He looks a bigger in this picture because I'm holding him up. Poor Dorsey sat forever as I tried to get this little one to hold still long enough for a picture.
Have a great weekend everyone!

New plan

This was not on my list today. Oh well. It is almost Friday!

Fond of fourth grade

I just left my classroom after our last full day of fourth grade. I have not really posted on here much about changes that have come my way, but I'm not really sure if or when I will teach this grade again. I am moving into a position teaching music and library next year. Today is very bitter sweet for me and I know that this is where the Lord is leading me, but not everything about change is fun. I will need to share all the wonderful things I have planned and am looking forward to another day. Today I just want to record to remember a few of the many things I love about teaching fourth grade.
*I love this age! Not too sassy and not too much like babies either
*I love talking with them in small group
*I love to see their faces when they figure out that math that has had them perplexed
*I love the discovery of Science and how it points to our Creator
*I love that my sweet class circled around a classmate at recess to pray because she had gotten some bad news
*I love when they get all excited when I say anything like, "Mrs. Thomas says to stand up behind your desk."
* I love seeing them work together in groups to solve problems or make up silly skits
* I have hearing their hearts
* I love to see what they really have on their minds when they want to sit and talk at recess
*I love all the sweet notes and cute pictures
*I LOVE teaching

Yay for field day and class party to get to just spend some fun time with a really great group of fourth graders

Being an adult

"I gotta tell you. I am really enjoying being an adult. You can do whatever you want. For example, If I want a cookie, I can have a cookie. I can have 3 cookie or four cookies or 11 cookies. Sometimes, I intentionally ruin my appetite and then I call my mother to tell her that I did. "Hello mom, I just ruined my appetite with cookies." Because as an adult we understand that if we ruin our appetite, there is another on the way. There is no danger of running out of appetites." - Jerry Seinfeld

Enjoy being an adult today. Have a cookie. :) 

I saw, I pinned, I made

I saw this dress on Pinterest and wanted to make the longer version. My Mamaw let me use her sewing machine for some pillows I was making so I thought this would not be too hard either. Well, I guess there are a few things I don't know about sewing, HA! All in all I am happy how it turned out and it ended up being my Easter dress, but I want to try the maxi dress again soon. Here is my version.

I hope you all had a blessed Easter!

Dorsey

I have a little pal who is liking being close lately. Maybe it was my week off or because he just knows how cute it can be. :)

If I am sitting outside...
my little one may be found sitting in my lap.

If I am sewing...
he will want his head dangerously close the the needle action.

If I am on the computer...
he could be watching to see if I want get off the computer and play.

I have a squeaker toy calling my name.