20 years ago...

20 years ago, I think I had my birthday party at Golden Skates. I used to LOVE roller skating. I grew up going all the time with my sisters, friends, school, etc. Even after we moved to Texas, I still went skating. There was a period where I think we went skating every Friday night. I went once or twice in college, but haven't been since. Well, today was the 7th and 8th grade social at school and I got to chaperone. I wasn't too excited at first. I was actually pretty bummed because I wanted to skate, but thought that would be frowned upon by the staff and students. Well, I talked to to teacher friends yesterday and they told me they always skate. I was THRILLED! I was dancing all around the house last night like a giddy little school girl. Well, today I went skating. I was a little rocky and definitely rusty. It was somewhat difficult to make it around the first time and somewhere in between, I realized that if I was to fall, it would probably hurt a lot more than it did 20 years ago. As my dad says, "You have further to fall." Well, I made it and I went around again. Then I decided I should take a break, but it took me three more laps before I could get close enough to the wall. I made it around several more times and had a blast. I do think skating and hula hooping are two of the greatest workouts. However, I'm much older than I was before so I don't think my body is going to be happy in the morning. Anyhow, I just asked Mike for a big birthday party next year (3-0). I want to go skating!

...when the bee stings...

So, I've been a little busy so haven't had time to keep up to date with this as much as I had planned. Last week I was busy getting ready for 8th grade exams this weekend and managed to make an 8 hour drive on Thursday turn in to 12 hours. Once we actually made it to Cincinnati, we were able to catch up with my family and some friends. It was so great to see some of them and had a pleasant surprise to see some faces I haven't seen in a really long time. So grateful for the time together and just wish I would be able to catch up with them more often. Hope you all have a great tim over Christmas and sad I won't get to join you in the festivities.

So, with the chaos of the weekend and preparing for exams, I was reminded of one of my favorite things. One that most people overlook and could care less about. Sharpened #2 pencils. Yes, a brand new box of old fashioned pencils. I actually hate mechanical ones, unless it's the expensive kind Mrs. Johnston used to use. I bought a couple of those my first year teaching, but I have no idea where they ran off too. So yes, new pencils with a good eraser, maybe even a cap eraser are my friend. I've discovered Mirado which I must say are a new favorite.

Well, I think I'm closing out this series early. I keep having all these great ideas, and then when I sit down to write, I have a brain fart. This is not working, and as bored as I am, I bet you are even more bored. So, I'll spare you the torture any longer.

If you read this and are in the Florida area, please let us know if you will be around over the next couple of weeks. We'll be headed down to visit both of our families and would love to catch up with you all if possible.

rest

I thought this idea of a blog schedule or even theme for the month would help me with writer's block. I have been fooled. I had all these great ideas, a week ago, and now I can't think of anything. This is exactly why I teach math and not language arts.

One thing I do know I love, is SLEEP! I've never quite grown out of that teenage life of sleeping in. It doesn't help that I'm a night owl. Teachers don't really have the luxury of choosing their own schedule. Every morning my alarm goes off at 6:00A.M. I cringe. I do love my job, I just don't like waking up that early. I have to admit that although I hate getting up so early, I enjoy my workday ending at 3:30. Even better was when I was teaching high school and students left at 2:00. I just wish there was more time for naps.

On a completely different note, how about Tebow? OK, so I am not a big Gator fan. Despite my husband graduating from there, I really haven't had much interest in Florida. I was very pleased to move away from the obnoxious fans across the state and actually enjoyed Mike watching the game once we moved up here. At some point, I even started cheering for them. If we ever find ourselves back in Florida, I will not be excited to be around the annoying fans again. Yes, I do realize they come from several other schools too, but I have never quite met the ones that are as big headed as those Gators. OK, sorry for the soap box, but now I can go on with Tebow. I'm going to miss this guy. I don't think I will enjoy Florida football nearly as much. This guy is a stand-up gentleman. I enjoy watching every moment of him. Praying, playing, talking, and crying. He stands for something much more than football and it has been a great joy to watch him influence the country. I'm thinking I'll start watching some NFL once he gets drafted too. In my perfect world, he'd even end up with the Bengals.

I have some new photo sessions coming up. I'm really excited about one this week that is a surprise for a certain person. I think any parent treasures those homemade gifts or photos. My dad has said for years that all he wanted was photos of us girls. I'm hoping I can provide the same thing as a big surprise for a dear friend. Then I'm up for another family before a wedding. Then we're headed South to celebrate Christmas. It's always a busy season, but now for even more reasons. I just wish the season lasted longer, I can't get enough of it!

Helicopter Parents

Well, I'm not a parent, so I am a little biased. I may change my mind when I have my own kids, but for now, I'm speaking as a teacher and child. My dad took a very different approach. I remember going to McDonald's after begging for an ice cream. We would walk in and my dad would hand me a $5 bill while he took a seat. I'd sit too. Then I would tell him what I would want. He'd basically ignore me. Then he would finally tell me to go order whatever I wanted. I hated him at the time, and probably shed tears over these instances. I'd finally order when he would threaten to leave. Then, I would get a sandwich with everything on it, despite the cheese and ketchup only request. Again, probably tears because I HATE mustard. I'd beg my dad to go fix it. He'd refuse. He'd pack up ready to go to the car and again, I'd go and resolve the situation. I never quite understood why a dad would make their 5 or 6 year old go through this pain. Why couldn't he just do it? He has more power than a 5 year old, right?! As I grew up and even without a curfew, I realized that this was my dad's way of parenting. Yes, PARENTING! Parenting doesn't require handcuffs on the children. It's a place to empower your children to take responsibility for their actions, good and bad. Through all of this, I was well-prepared to be on my own and stand up for my beliefs, not my friends, dads, or anyone else's. Helicopter parents, quite the opposite. I'm thankful for my dad and his parenting techniques. Sure, my dad missed some games and school activities between me and my two sisters. I would have loved for him to have attended more. But as a single parent, a FATHER, raising three teenage girls, he worked his tail off to provide the best life for us. Plus, I think raising three teenage girls was enough estrogen for him. I'm sure he needed some work to escape any more bows and make-up. So, here's an incredible article on Helicopter Parents. Please don't be one.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1940395,00.html

When the dog bites..

Coca-cola. Yes, one of my favorite things. I don't think my stomach likes it, but my mouth sure does.

I love my naps too. I've been missing out on those, but I love my sleep. I got so used to sleeping in over break, that I have been exhausted. I'm longing for a nap, but I don't see one coming any time soon.

Cupcakes. I LOVE cupcakes. Unfortunately, I don't get to enjoy cupcake days each month at school because they all contain gluten. I do love Whole Foods because they make cupcakes gluten free and freeze them. I pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and then I get the warm melted chocolate to enjoy too. Plus, Betty Crocker is also making GF mixes.

LOST. I refused to watch this show. For 1, I couldn't get hooked on anything else. Second, I tried to watch an episode once, and I was completely confused. They were jumping all over decades and who really believes in time travel?! Then, I borrowed season 1 from the neighbors to watch while I did some grading. Mike was out of town and I couldn't stand the quiet house. Well, 48 hours later, I had watched 1008 minutes of LOST and graded 0 tests. I made it through 5 seasons in a month and I am anxiously waiting for January to start the last season. So, if you haven't seen it, get season 1. Watch 2 episodes. If you don't like it, then no worries. I'm pretty sure you'll be hooked after the first one. It's by far one of the best shows ever to hit tv. If you haven't seen it before, this may mean nothing to you. But I can tell you that those that have gotten hooked, have chills going up their spines as soon as they hit play.