Back to the Grind!!

Well blog readers...this is my view today.... Yep, I'm back at it! Since school in ole BP starts as usual (August 19th) teachers reported back today for meetings and classroom organization. It wasn't tooo hard to leave that sweet baby this morning but we'll see how I am doing in a week or two. Last night I didn't get much good sleep...anticipating my first day back after another wonderful summer! To top it off, at about 3:30 I hear Paisley's pig that she loves saying it's "This little piggy..." nursery rhyme. I thought, "oh no, is she awake??" But as I looked at her in the monitor I realized she had rolled over and was sleeping on top of it!! I was worried that it would wake her and when it went off a SECOND time I decided I was going to need to have an intervention. She is such a light sleeper. When I went in her room she sat up and smiled at me with big sleepy eyes. She held up her little hands to me and it doesn't matter what time it is I could NEVER resist that!! So I picked her up and just held her for a few quiet minutes. She had her legs wrapped tightly with her head on my chest so I just hugged her and kissed her. I finally laid her back down with her "soffie" (her soft blanket) she found her thumb and went right to sleep. She is such a good baby when it comes to her crib time!

I have missed blogging very much and am looking forward very soon to getting all caught up on this summer's activities!!

Cascarones

It is that time of year again.  In anticipation of our Cinco de Mayo fiesta, the Foreign Language Club makes Cascarones.  Cascarones are confetti filled eggshells used in Easter and Spring celebrations broken over the head of unsuspecting friends and family.  WAY Fun!!!  If you have never made them....it is VERY simple:

1.  Lightly tap one end of the egg.  Peel the shell away leaving a quater sized hole in one end.

2.  Empty the raw egg into a large bowl.

3.  Use Easter egg dye to color the hollowed shells.

4.  Cut/shred old wrapping paper into confetti.  Add GLITTER!!!!  and mix...

5.  Fill your brightly colored shells FULL of confetti.  Using good ole' Elmers Glue, adhere a scrap of tissue paper just larger that the egg's opening to seal.

  ****TIP  I use my finger to "Paint" the excess glue to the shell's lip to create a nice even seal.

 

6.  Return eggs to their original containers to dry until party time!!

7.  Scramble the eggs with sausage and cheese to make breakfast burritos!!

8.  Eat and Happy Smashing!

BPHS Assembly--You don't want to miss this POST!

Every year at BPHS the staff puts on an assembly for the students to reward them for all of their hard work throughout the year. Since we are teachers, most of us are a little/ or a LOT "hammy" so usually these things end up being pretty darn HILARIOUS! This year they asked me to be in the American Idol skit. I said sure right away and then she told me that I would be singing Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA, and they wanted me to be the contestant that was a HORRIBLE singer. I didn't think much of it at the time but on the drive home from work I started to realize what I had just agreed to!!! When I got home and told mr. curtis and the girls about it they were in disbelief. Chelo and Heath ESPECIALLY were thinking they needed to take off school/work to come see this performance!! Heath said there was NO WAY he would stand on stage in front of the whole school (students, faculty, and administrators!!) and sing--good or bad! He said he would quit his job or come down really sick to avoid it!! The more they talked the more I started to panic about it...but oh well, there wasn't anything I could've done at that point. I had already agreed!! So all the rest of that evening and the next day I just told myself that it wasn't that out of character for me and that I could handle it!! Being nervous was only going to make things worse!! (how sad that I was drawing this pep talk to myself from the ones I would have before a big race back in the day!!) In the end it went just fine---the judges actually cut me off really early, WHEW!! The kiddos thought I sounded HORRIBLE and have requested that I not sing ever again!! The audio isn't good but I am posting a clip of the Reality TV assembly so you can have a good laugh!!!!!

Dia de Los Muertos

I am finishing up my last few days of teaching before maternity leave. Today Anna came with me to observe for the second time. Anna is going to be doing my long term sub while I am at home with the baby. It is so nice to know that one of my good friends is taking care of my class while I am gone! She is going to do an awesome job! It is so nice that it worked out so this way... Anna is in the teaching program at Southwestern to be a science teacher. She decided to sub this semester to get experience before she student teaches in the fall. So we are both pumped about how everything has worked out. We had our monthly FLC (Foreign Language Club) meeting at school today. We talked a little about Dia de Los Muertos (a spanish holiday) and the kids made sugar skulls and ate my homemade chips and salsa. It was a little chaotic but I think the kids had fun. Anna put together all of the sugar mixture, she was in wet sugar to her armpits!! Welcome, my friend to the world of teaching!!!

Oh WHAT a MoNdAy!!!!

Normally Mondays are my LEAST favorite day of the week but today was GREAT!! Lindsay had another shower planned for me at our school with all of our teacher friends. It was soo wonderful to get through another long day knowing that we were going to get together after school!!
This was the Price is Right game she had planned. It was a higher/lower price game. I did pretty well (8/10) and got to keep all of the goodies after! I even won a King Sized Reese's that Crosby tried to talk me out of but I stood strong!!

This punch was sooo good I had 3 glasses and I think my stomach was a little too full from it!

L.Fox made me carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting because she knows I crave carrot cake!!

I got TONS of sweet gifts and felt sooo grateful that I have such a great bunch of women that I work with!! So many wonderful friends stopped by to bring a gift and wish us well :)

My mommy-to-be throne that Lindsay and Hailey rigged up for me!! VERY Classy!

When I got home from school I was sooo very exhausted. Everyone was excited to see all of the new baby things though, so Heath and Adler unloaded the car and we went through all of the goodies! The girls had a blast opening the gifts back up and looking at everything. It was like having the shower all over again! After that, I decided that I wanted to start on the nursery. I KNOW with only 4 weeks to go and I STILL haven't gotten to it. Adler went in to start peeling wallpaper and called to me... "Mom what is this printed stuff underneath the wallpaper?" I panicked and went in to the room. Just as I had FEARED...2 layers of wallpaper. NOOOOOOO!!!!! The blue is the top layer and the red (from as hard as it is to peel off) looks like it has been there since the dawn of time!!!!!!!

I am soooo very bummed about this because it is going to take FOREVER to get this all off. I scraped until 9pm and just got 1/4 of ONE wall done!! At this rate it is going to take 16 days until JUST the wallpaper is off. Not counting several days of painting and decorating. So if you call or come by and I don't answer it is b/c I am upstairs scraping wallpaper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to School

This past Thursday was back to school at Belle Plaine High School!! So far it has been good to see everyone and let them marvel over my huge belly!! I haven't seen anyone other than Lindsay of course in over 3 months so imagine the looks I got when I walked in 7 months round!! I have gotten all kinds of lovely questions and comments like "you look like you are going to pop" and "you haven't had that baby yet??" oh and my favorite... "it seems like you have been pregnant FOREVER!!" all things a preggo girl loves to hear especially when I still have 2 months to go!! Oh well, right now I think it is funny but it might not be so hilarious in October!!

Son in honor of the new school year Linds and I decided we needed a BOO pic since we took a thumbs up pic in May!! This was taken in Lindsay's history classroom, don't you just love the giant American flag??? The kiddos don't arrive until next Thurs. so a few more days of meetings and getting our rooms ready. I am ready to get started and start marking the 9 weeks I have until baby girl comes off my calendar!!!

Graduation Presents

So in an effort to try to control some of the stress in my life I decided that I wasn't going to go insane trying to get 11 graduation presents done (with homemade cards of course!) in time for Sunday. I got everything finished up today and am SUPA relieved that they are finished. The first picture is of the cards. I spent most of my free time yesterday on them. I used Heidi Swapp masks, with ink, and stickles and they turned out sooo stinkin cute if I do say so! The 2nd picture is of some pillows my dear mother put together for me. We made these out of extra FLC tshirts and I am giving them to all of my officers. Just a note to add to this... I had EVERY intention of making these myself and when I actually sat down to the sewing machine I kept balling up the bobbin thread somehow. So I asked my mom to help---She is SUCH a LIFESAVER!!! I guess I need to take sewing lessons this summer :) Not that I EVER thought I could sew!! I understand the concepts I just am not too familiar with the machine... and anyway I think I will stick to sewing on paper!! Isn't that what sewing machines are for??? Just kidding MOM!!! Stop cringing! We are wrapping up school this week! YEA! I am giving finals today and tomorrow and then we have teacher workday til 2pm on Thursday!! My plan is to meet Lindsay and Cheryl at the Attic on Friday for some cropping time but Heath isn't quite on board with that yet. He said something about playing golf or working.... I guess I will put in a call to the Lifesaver!! What would we do without our mothers??? Well gotta run Georgia and Pez are here bringing me Taco Tico!! What a life!!!

Graduation

Tomorrow I will be in Belle Plaine for High School graduation. This year has been great and I have really gotten to know several seniors that I will miss very much!!!!! Besos!!

Cinco de Mayo Fiestas

As a high school Spanish teacher Cinco de Mayo is not just one day but a whole week worth of excitement!! This is Georgia (o Jorga en espanol) working on the pinata for our FLC fiesta today!! It should be fun but hectic. We are doing cascarones, the pinata, a cake walk, and face painting---including clean up we have all of 30 minutes to accomplish this!! CRAZY!! I will be posting pics of the madness FO SHO!!!!

On another note I just want to say hi to my BEAUTIFUL cousin Jodi---really my sister :) --who is pregnant with her 3rd (it is in the water for the Christie family right now!!!). She hasn't been feeling well the last few days so everyone keep her in your thoughts and give her a big air hug for me!!! Love you SIS!!

Baby Blankly

So technically my THIRD post today but not really. I accidentally erased one of these pics so I just decided to do a whole separate post. So something REALLY ADORABLE came across my desk!!! My first baby present!!!

One of my dear sweet students, Taylor aka Pez Pezer, brought me this softsoftsoft blankie for the baby. She is as excited about this baby as we are---not joking--- and I am loving it!!! I can't wait to wrap my baby up in this blanket and I can just see him/her now dragging their little ducky blankly (as we call it in our house) around! Thanks Pez!! Love ya girl!!!

Happy Monday!!!

I am teaching an 8th grade Spanish class for the first time this year and to finish the year off I got the brilliant idea to do pinatas. My wonderful friend and cooperating teacher Elo does these with her kiddos every year so I knew we could pull it off!!! Well needless to say, I have BRAND new carpeting and not a lot of table space so they have to be REALLY careful which is not in the vocabulary of a middle schooler as some of you may know!!!!! They can be pretty SPASTIC so to start off paper mache-ing I had my senior college Spanish class come help and they did an AWESOME job!! I couldn't pull off most of the creative stuff I do at school without their help!! So here is a quick pic of yesterday's madness!! I don't know why I think I can do projects like this with my RAGING hormones. It is better if I just keep to the sidelines!!! :) One quick funny, after spin class the girls and I ran a couple of errands and picked up some Taco Bell (another of my famous home cooked meals!!!). We were all sitting around the COFFEE table eating--June Cleaver I am NOT!!!-- and we noticed that dad is in need of a hair cut. His hat had given him a full blown comb over and he is such a good sport he let us take pictures of it for the blog!! Normally it is spikey so it looked really different to us! We were just laughing away! It is not that we are always just making fun of each other... something will make us laugh and we just crack each other up and it is all down hill from there!! I really do think Heath could use a son though... somebody to have his back when the girls start giving him a hard time!!!

A Glimpse Into My Day and A Couple of Funnies

OMG!! It has been SUCH a crazy hectic week for me. After Wednesday I was already exhausted so I thought I would post some pictures to give a little insight into my daily life!! I am the sponsor of the Foreign Language Club so once a month the club officers and I plan a fun activity for 50 students and we only have 25 minutes to do the activity. It took 15 of us 2 hours just to get everything set up for the meeting....does this math all sound a little off to anyone else??? For this month we made cascarones, colored egg shells filled with confetti used at fiestas to break over the heads of other party goers for a "fun" surprise!! We are going to be having some fun with these at next month's Cinco de Mayo fiesta. So here are a few pics of the kiddos in action:

Dying the egg shells Georgia and Rhonda having fun with my camera

the confetti stuffing crew

oohh pretty shells!

we always do a snack for the meeting so we had the BRILLIANT idea to whip up breakfast burritos using the 9 dozen eggs!!!

Have you ever tried to beat 9 dozen eggs at once???? Yeah, it doesn't work!!

We had to do 4 1/2 dozen at a time!

Soo many eggs!!!

Burrito assembly line...

and the best part...when it was all over we ate!!!

Nice face Sra. Curtis!!

I think ole Jorga is scared of her burrito-- I can hear her right now "not skurd" ;)

I had such a long day on Tuesday also that I had almost forgotten to pick up all of the groceries for the meeting!!! So I went to SuperWallyWorld at 9pm in my pjs!! I am pretty sure I was looking SWEET! I searched all over for Chorizo but couldn't find it so we used good old american sausage!!!!

okay on a completly different note... two things cracked me up this week and my goal for this blog is to help me remember those little moments for years to come so here we go. The details are already a little foggy (i am sure Adler will be correcting this post!!)

1. Heath, Adler and I were sitting in the breakfast nook eating supper and we were talking about our boxer Pete. We were saying how we need to keep the easter chocolate picked up and I said "If not Pete is going to wake up DEAD!!" Adler started DYING with laughter! I was soo tired that I couldn't even register why she was laughing. Adler goes "you said pete's gonna wake up and be dead... hahahahahahhahahahahahaha!! We finally caught on and started laughing too!

2. Last night I fixed some pizza rolls (one of my signature dishes!!) and I asked crosby if she wanted some. Of course she did so I asked her how many she wanted. She looked at me sooo seriously and said "53" Heath and I died!! She was soo serious and right off the top of her head to say such a random number as 53. Gawh, funny!!! okay maybe not to anyone else and maybe you had to be there but it was ReAlLy good!!!

Blog Slacker

So my MIL told me last night that she checks my blog everyday and that I have been SLACKING!! I have been in a blog lull the past few days for 2 reasons:

#1 The thought of doing AnYtHiNg that requires focus and concentration makes me feel like BARFING. I am in full 24/7 barf mode right now. For the most part I can supress it (the actual barfing) but I still feel pukey all day every day. Eating a little something does seem to help for a few minutes. The other thing that helps is if I can lay down. I don't even need to sleep, just relax my body. So the other day at school I was so desperate I layed on the floor behind my desk. OMG imaginge what it is like to lay on a classroom floor!! ROCK HARD! Worse than sitting up and dealing with the nausea!! Now I do have carpet but it is that thinthin industrial kind. So today I was feeling desperate-r so I came up with solution #2. I made a chair bed!! I put three comfy classroom chairs together and WAH-LA...perfecto!! I relaxed for about 15-20 (ON MY PLANNING PERIOD OF COURSE!!) minutes and am feeling a little better. I had my aide take a picture of my new bed to post on the blog cause I thought we could get a kick out of it for years to come!!! ...oh and the other reason for no posts lately is the intense lack of excitement in my life!! I am going scrapping booking this weekend so that should be action packed if I can stomach it!! You all know I am serious about something when I say I may not be able to scrapbook!!!!!