Teacher Appreciation, Flashbacks, & Puppies

This week for Teacher Appreciation, I became my very own superhero:

I really wish I was that epic, and cute!

One of the secretaries at school is in charge of Teacher Appreciation Week and she goes ALL OUT!!  I am always amazed at the creativity, time, work, and effort that she puts into this week; she really is the best of us :)

I love Timehop because sometimes it helps me remember things from the past that I have forgotten or just don't think about on a regular basis.  Phil and I graduated (and he commissioned) 6 years ago!

He's still as cute now as he was then, and I'm still as smitten...insert mega heart eyes and sigh

I had Friday off from school and got to spend the entire day with my puppies and my books and color me contented!  I even started to take a nap on the couch while watching cartoons with the pups!  Note the "started" part, I soon felt paws on my back reminding me that it was play time now:

Hello Penny!

Max was less inclined for play time as it was overcast, he was much more content napping on my feet:

We had already played and walked and so, he felt the cuddle time was just right.

The rest of the weekend was filled with gym time (finally! It's been more sporadic than I'd like!), volunteering with my awesome Battalion Crew,  dog walks, and book reading.  I have finished two books and am marching my way through a third; ah the joy of the written word :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! I am gearing up for my LAST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL!!! School is out next week!  It is finally winding down at a super quick pace!

How was everyone else's week? 

M&Ms, Rain, & A Sick Pupper

State testing is over!  Wahoo!! It has been a long two weeks, but we have conquered those tests and are now on our way to fun things - again, probably English teacher fun ;)

I had a sweet delivery to the school this week:

Phil has been away at training and must have sensed that I needed a boost...he was right! Insert sigh and heart eyes.

I had another sweet surprise this week and it came in the form of a bag of M&Ms:

A small gesture with such a huge impact that I literally cried.  A student bought these for me and told me: "Miss, these are for you because you never give up on us and sometimes we really don't deserve that, so thanks.  And your cold sore looks really painful.  And you miss Phil."-7th grader

It is those types of moments that really bring me to my knees sometimes and remind me why I do this everyday.

We had an all day rain/wind soaker on Saturday; spring was in full force here in OK!  The dogs and I enjoyed spending all day on the couch watching cartoons and Hallmark movies (the Spring movies are super cute!)

As you can see, the couch was well guarded...

Sadly, our night was super chaotic with a sick little pupper :( Poor Penny has been hit with some tummy distress, so Sunday has passed with Clorox wipes, multiple baths, laundry, and more couch cuddles.  She is extra snuggly when she is sick, so we have made sure to grab all of those that we could today.

Max embraced the cuddle day as well:

He feels fine, he just didn't want to be left behind...also I am unsure how the position could even remotely be comfortable...maybe if I did yoga I would understand better.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  We have a four day week to celebrate Easter!

Anyone have any Easter plans or traditions that they are looking forward to?

Cross Stitching, Cold Sores, & Testing

State testing is exhausting!!! Whew!  Our kiddos handled it like champs last week and I hope they got enough rest over this weekend for Week 2.  They had the ELA and Writing last week which leaves Math and Science this week.   I will be excited to have testing over with so we can get back to doing fun things like research writing and reading our novels....at least I think that's fun...English teachers ;)

However, with the stress of testing and Phil being gone on training, I have managed to give myself a beautiful cold sore :(  So I will be sporting a puffy and sore lip for most of this week...Abreva do your thing!!  I think I need new ways to cope with stress lol; the gym, chocolate and my puppies aren't doing the normal job!

Speaking of the puppies, how cute do they look:

They went to doggy daycare today and then got groomed.  Max was happy because he received his Blueberry Facial and Penny got the de-shedding treatment (hello blowing winter coat).  They earned their bandanas and also posed for this photo under the pretense of getting a cookie...they may have gotten two because I'm a sucker.

I have started a new project: cross stitching!

I have absolutely NO experience in this craft, but lucky for me, my amazing friend Julie is awesome at it and is willing to take me under her wing.

This is the pattern that I am working on:

I was honored to be inducted into the Order of Molly Pitcher this winter and would love to do this pattern justice.

I am currently 6 stitches in....


I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Anyone else have any hobbies they are just starting out?  Or any cross stitch advice?

Teaching, Running, & Colds

We made it through another week and that is always a plus in my book!  The kiddos are starting to settle in and we are bumping right along!  With the help of some awesome people, my classroom is also not looking quite so bare-bone-ish:

I have some very cool painted signs that really spruce it up!

You can't see it, but my sweet tea cup is totally on my desk...addicted!

I am not sure if it is allergies or a cold, but my head is so congested and my nose is running like crazy!  Oh and I basically sneeze every three minutes...anyone have any cold/allergy medicine recommendations?

Saturday I went to a professional development class up at Oklahoma University called Ipadpalooza and it was out of this world! I learned sooooo much about what to do with the iPads in class that my mind was literally blown! I think I am actually still processing all of that information.  I am going to try one new thing that I learned yesterday to implement in my classroom this year, and then add another next year, and so on.  Now I just have to figure out which one I am going to implement...

I bought these adorable new Nike sneakers around the Fourth of July, but haven't worn them because of being home, then moving, then unpacking the house, and I literally just found them again!  I really need to finish unpacking my clothes from the RV...

They have this cool lace-type pattern on them with slight pops of a neon yellow!  And they make me look so much more tan than I actually am :)

I have been having a really hard time getting motivated to run lately, Phil and I have been lifting at the gym for the past 5 weeks and I really love it!  I never thought I would actually like lifting weights ( I was under the misconception that it would bulk me up...false!), but I really love getting stronger.  We do a cardio warm-up, but instead of jumping on the treadmill and getting a few miles in, I have been hitting the Stair Stepper and getting my butt kicked.  Maybe once it cools off I will pick my running back up, but right now, I am really into getting stronger and more toned with the weights.

Phil surprised me with flowers on Thursday:

I was having a bit of a frustrating day and he walked in the house with these and two sweet teas...he really is amazing <3

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! :)

Is anyone else trying new exercise moves and want to share?

Linking up with Bianca! 

School, Hugs, & Gym Time

The first full week of school is done! And Week #2 is ready to start tomorrow! It has been a crazy week!  Apparently in Middle School, kiddos still hug the teacher; I didn't know that (my high schoolers weren't super big into hugs) so I was very surprised when I received many First Day of School Hugs, Monday Hugs, End of the Day Hugs, Open House Hugs, Friday Hugs, etc.  Hugs on hugs on hugs.

Along with the hugs, you get the thugs...or the students who think they run the hard life, can Netflix and Chill, and all that business.   Well, their attitude is no match for my own and they realized who actually ran the classroom...its me.  Plus, they look kind of cute when they act all tough, I didn't tell them that so I didn't ruin all of their "street cred", but let's face it, they are 11 years old, cute is all they can manage at this point.

This was an adorable card I received on Friday...they really can be so stinking cute!  It made me feel so good!  I also hung it up on my filing cabinet so I can look at it whenever I need a boost.

I also appreciate that he spelled my last name correctly :)

Max has also been adjusting to this new work schedule:

Life is ruff...

But he was a good boy for the groomer and scored a brand new bandana!  Look at that handsome little bud!

Phil and I had joined a gym that is literally across the street about a month ago and have been religiously hitting it 5-6 times per week.  I was a little hesitant at first about the two of us being gym partners, you never can tell about your spouse until you're both lifting weights, but it has actually been awesome!  We lift each other up, keep each other motivated, and it is a nice hobby that we have together :)

That being said, sometimes I do make him take selfies with me at the gym...I can't help it, he's cute!

I love that he humors me!

Last week was intense with our gym routine, I had gotten out of Teacher Shape: standing all day, pacing all day, knowing all of the answers to all of the questions, and being responsible.  Whew! Definitely an adjustment compared to summer break!  But, we did it and I feel ready to hit it again this week!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  May your caffeine be strong and your attitude high! :)

Linking up with Bianca!

Reflections, Musings, & Thoughts

As summer comes to a rapid close, I always like to reflect on summer: what I've done, what I forgot to do, and what I will miss most.  I do not sit still very well, or at all really, so I am very excited for school to start; too much summer is not a good thing!  Unfortunately for Phil, I also cannot sit still for very long over the summer either...this usually ends up with us going on a sweet tea run at various points in the day (addiction still holding strong)

Phil and I actually got to spend the entire summer together!  This is a concept that was completely unheard of!!  In our almost five years together, we have finally managed to do summer fun activities: we went hiking, walking, boating, on rides, spent our first Fourth of July together, moved into a house, enjoyed the RV, played corn hole, etc.  It was so awesome!  With that, I also made him take a crazy amount of pictures with me!  He was such a good sport:

With school starting for me and his training coming to an end, I find myself a little sad to let all of this time together shift, but such is life and life is actually pretty awesome.  He will go to his new unit in October and the crazy long work days and the questions of deployment will start again, but this summer has been what we have both needed: a chance to relax and enjoy being together!

And enjoy our energetic, high strung, crazy dog!  

I feel rested, relaxed and ready to take on the Middle Schoolers this Friday (yikes!) and am excited to see what comes next!  Life after all, really is the most incredible ride.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! Phil and I are celebrating our 2 year Wedding Anniversary next month and he will (in theory) be here to celebrate with me this time!  

Does anyone have any suggestions on good anniversary gifts????  Help would be greatly appreciated! 

Linking up with Bianca! 

School, School, & School

HOLY CANNOLI SCHOOL STARTS IN A WEEK!!!!!!

When did this happen? How did this happen?  Where did summer go?  And oh my goodness am I excited!!!!

It is finally here: the prepping, the decorating, and the First Day of School Dreams have come back into my life like thunder.  One minute I'm looking at new vacuums (as per move), and the next I am figuring out how in the world to decorate my classroom.

I have always shared a classroom and relied on my partner to take the reins on that particular facet of education; it has never ever been a strength of mine.  I look at Pinterest and am out-gunned on all of those designs.  It really is fortunate that I am a Middle/High School teacher and not Elementary...

*Any of my Elementary friends want to visit me in Oklahoma and decorate my room, I will love you forever and shower you with sweet tea, chocolate and puppy snuggles*

Since I am a perky person, I went with the neon dots my friend and I had used in our room about two years ago to give it a little pop of color:

I have a lot of cork-board space!  As well as shelves, cabinets, and cupboards...I am sure I will find stuff to store in there eventually.

I dragged a friend to help me put up all of those dots as well as to put up some fabric boarders.  Due to my amazing (eye roll) photography skills, I have no photos of the boarders...oops!

This gem also came in the mail so I have been placing my bookmarks, sticky notes, and date dots getting it all ready for the first day!  I absolutely LOVE Erin Condren planners!

Check them out at her website! https://www.erincondren.com

I do believe the only one who is NOT excited about school starting is Max, he now has to get up early again and everyone knows how he feels about that...

(that is a photo of him at my parents house this summer, but he is feeling the same way now, trust me!)

I hope everyone is having a great week and has awesome plans for the weekend! :)

If anyone has some extra classroom ideas, please let me know :) I love buying school supplies and decorating supplies, so don't be shy!

Jobs, Houses, & Family...Oh My!

Life this summer has been in a constant state of whirlwind.  Just when I get some type of routine down and feel mellow, KABOOM!  Life laughs at me....again and again as it would seem.

Phil found out our next duty station and it is.....right here at Fort Sill, OK!  So we will be seeing all that OK has to offer for the next few years.  That being said, since we found out early in the summer (mid June),  I decided that I will look for teaching jobs.  Why be unemployed when I didn't have to be?   I accepted a position at a Middle School as a Direct Instruction teacher for Language Arts and I am so very excited to get started! It will be a shift from teaching my high schoolers, but I am ready for this challenge! :)

Oh and we also found a house to rent:

This all happened in a week: Phil found out on a Tuesday night that we were staying and by the following Tuesday, we had signed a lease and I had signed my teaching contract for the upcoming school year...see,  there is that KABOOM I was talking about!

I have been able to fit in some reading which has been like a lifeline!  I am an avid reader and I can usually tell when I haven't been reading enough actually, so I have been making use of summer vacation!

I've been completely immersed in the written word and it has been lovely.  I also think I may be addicted to thrillers...

My parents came and visited OK for the Fourth of July!! It was so wonderful to have them here and show them OK and just spend time as a family.  This year was particularly special because due to trainings and deployments, Phil and I had never actually spent a Fourth of July together!

My parents left for home and Max and I decided to catch a ride on the Big Rig (my dad drives a semi truck) and rolled with them down the road.  Max is the ideal trucking dog: he sleeps, chews his toys, and whenever we slowed down, hopped up on my lap to take a look at what was happening in the outside world.  He is the epitome of chill, and when you aren't looking, he will steal your seat:

It always feels good to go home, it allows me to recharge and gear up for the school year.  Max is happy being back in the hills of Western NY as well

Max has regained some spunk as it is much cooler here and the poor frisbee caught the brunt of the excitement...power chewer indeed.

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and upcoming weekend!  Anyone got any big plans?

Does anyone use the Audible App?   I downloaded it and my first book for free (another thriller because I'm clearly addicted) and I am deciding on if I want to continue.  Is it worth the money each month?  Thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated!  :)

Packing, Moving, & the Floor

As predicted, this was a rollercoaster week that ran me through the entire emotion gambit.  As I reflect on it, I really am 99.9% sure I hit every single one.  I said goodbye to my students and my co-workers who had become my family.  I left the school that I called home for the past two and a half years and packed the house that was my home.

I needed a pie break...life is too short not to enjoy some chocolate pie once and a while! And yes, I did eat it on the floor,  my chairs were wrapped! 

I attempted my hand at the Panoramic setting with my iPhone...not bad, but I need some practice! 

The movers were AMAZING! They put a lot of time and care into how they packed our things and made sure they padded every item that required it (bedroom furniture, dining room table and chairs, our washer and dryer, etc).  They really did a fabulous job!

And just like that, the house is empty!

Max came home from daycare and went into a sniffing frenzy! Not only did he smell the packers, but all of our stuff was missing!  Especially his beloved couch...we all know how he feels about that ;)

I had lunch with a few friends today and one of them got me the best gift ever!! She and another one of my co-workers were discussing my hyper/perky/sunny disposition and decided that I must be a unicorn because they are the only ones that can poop rainbows....and apparently I also possess this quality (that is quite the compliment!) So, in honor of my unicornness, she got me this:

Now I may go forth and eat Skittles so I can poop the rainbow....best co-workers ever!!  This fun stuff is one of the million reasons why I am going to miss them so much.

But as all of the housewares are packed, goodbyes have been muscled through, and the house cleaned, it is time to cuddle on the air mattress with my puppy and watch Forrest Gump on Netflix (yay personal hotspot technology win!)

Oh and be really excited that I get to see my husband tomorrow and spend mega time with him...cue happy sigh.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!! :)

What are everyone's plans for this Memorial Day Weekend?

Graduation, Commissioning, & Beauty and the Beast

I am so incredibly proud of my "little" brother!  He graduated from Niagara University (the Alma Mater of both Phil and I) and commissioned as a 2Lt in the Army this weekend!

I was able to watch it Live as they streamed it from the ceremony, and I am so glad they did!  I would be lying if I didn't tear up a little when my parents were pinning him, my grandfather giving him his first salute, or watching him take the oath...chills my friends!

I finally saw Beauty & the Beast last night and it was incredible! I am so glad I did not just wait until it came out on DVD, so awesome! I now want to go see it again and again and again, and so on.

I was in a mega cleaning/purging mood again on Saturday and gave the house another scrub down...what is it about hardcore cleaning that soothes the soul?

The vacuum came out and Max was faced with Fight or Flight and he chose Flight underneath our end table; he's so fierce...

Note the ever present sweet tea cup...addiction is still holding strong!

My seniors graduate this Thursday! I am so excited for them to embark on their journey after high school, but it is always a tad bittersweet!  The teachers form a receiving line at the end and they use that opportunity to give us just one more hug, it is just the sweetest!

With that coming up this week, it is time to unwind and get ready for the LAST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL!! Can't believe it's so close!

Max is one step ahead of me with unwinding...is anyone surprised by that?

Have a wonderful week everyone! :)

Linking up with Bianca!

Rain, Running, & Two Weeks

WE OFFICIALLY HAVE TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL LEFT!!  I'm not sure if you can tell, but I am a tad excited...just a smidgen really.  With the last two weeks of school, chaos starts to ensue in the form of just utter craziness.  The students, the teachers, the admin, etc, are all stir crazy; we are all ready to have a break and recoup.  And what better way to recoup then with summer vacation!

Speaking/thinking of summer, it continues to rain here, EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  At one point we were in a drought, and had a heat wave...I've officially forgotten what that feels like.  While Max and I have gotten pretty good at our fetch routine, it would be a nice change of pace to go outside again on an actual walk.

Max doesn't seem to mind apparently, why walk outside when you can half sit/stand on the couch?

I've started running again after taking some time off and let me tell you, it hurts so good!  But wow, it hurts! Take a little time off and BAM! Sore legs!  But the satisfaction I get during and after reminds me of why I love it, and it gives me some time to think.

With my brothers' college graduation/commission coming up this weekend (the alma mater of both Phil and I), it takes me back to our college graduation and Phil's commissioning:

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week! Max is displaying what a Wednesday night truly feels like:

Linking up with Kristin! 

May, People, & Prom

It's May!! We made it!  In two and a half weeks students, teachers, and forgotten library books will be free! Except for the library books and the seniors who haven't paid their fines; they might withhold their diplomas for that (hint: turn in the books!).  Maybe if I continue to remind them that the hallowed halls of their high school will see them again next year if they don't pay their library fines (and pass their classes) that they will actually get it together.  Here's hoping...

Good news!  Max has fully recovered from his vet ordeal:

No ill effects here from our Neighborhood Watchdog

A reverent moment of thanks that prom is this weekend....soon the prom drama will be over and we can move onto a new topic: Prom Pictures! But those are typically really cute and the dress drama and date drama will be over and that is a relief.  One of my students ordered a dress and it came today!  Bad news: it was the COMPLETE WRONG DRESS!!  Poor thing!  :(

There has also been an increase in random people in my life this week: my property manager, the people she's showing our house too, the packing assessing lady, and now the sprinkler guy! I feel like its been a revolving door around here this week, and it's only Wednesday!

But now, it is time to pack for a weekend with my husband!  I am so excited to see him (it's already been two months!) and pin him at his promotion on Friday; I am so proud of him that I could actually bust!

I think Max is trying to tell me something...I hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)


Linking up with Kristin!

Days Off, Flights, & Memes

I finally got the word when Phil's promotion ceremony is going to be! I am very excited because that means I get to see him very soon! I booked my flights and am ready to get out of Dodge...or Colorado.  Since he has been rocking a sleeping bag in the RV he asked that I bring some bedding...its a good thing that I invested in those SpaceBags (best purchase ever!)

With the school year winding down, I have slowly started to cull out my stuff and take the unnecessary/already used items home.  My students are noticing my decorations are a little lacking compared to what they were last week; but its time to face the facts: we don't need the Grammar Meme Wall anymore, if they don't know it now, its hopeless.  But I must admit, some of them really are funny and make me chuckle everyday.

I am terrified for Grandma's everywhere!


Colorado has decided to remind us that it does have a sense of humor when it comes to weather because it will be high 70s one day and then 50s and rain the next.  So Max and I have been embracing the thrill of fetch, chase the dog, and tug so we can then get to our other favorite pastime: couch cuddles.

Maybe we need a new hobby...

With that being said, I am very excited because we have FRIDAY OFF! Woo and two Hoo's!  Now that day does involve a trip to the vet for some shots, but still very exciting! This weekend will be filled with some necessary purging and packing prep (I can't put it off anymore) and cleaning.  What does that say about me that those thoughts make me kind of excited?  I'm not sure either.  Have a great rest of the week everyone! :)

Does anyone have any fun weekend plans?

Linking up with Kristin!