Days 118-25: Seriously... I Deserve an F

I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with myself that I managed to blog nearly every day for 100 days straight. I'm pretty proud that I lasted that long and committed to doing something and made it 1/3 of the way through without complaining. Mazel tov to me!

But, damn this is getting tough. Not finding the happiness... that's easy. The hard part is really finding the time to sit down to write without feeling guilty that I'm not doing school work or house chores or snuggling with the pup or cooking dinner for my man. So today, I am declaring to the blogging world that I am "giving myself permission" to not blog every day. I rid myself of guilt in not documenting the happiness that fills my heart every single day. The blog will be here tomorrow.

So in the last week, what has brought me happiness you ask??

Finishing a good book.

Babysitting E :)

Visits from Poppy!

Mom's homemade meat sauce (actually cooked by her!!)

New shoes -- I'm embracing my height deficiency and loving it!

Days 109-118: I've Been Bad... Real Bad

It's been an insane couple of weeks, and there's no hiding the fact that I've been a bad blogger. I have already promised myself to let go of the guilt and remember that life is more important than pleasing others Fancy who sends quick emails and texts with an "update the blog please!" So please accept my apologies and prepare for a long updated post:

Last weekend, I was honored enough to co-host an engagement party for my BFF. It was so much fun putting together all the pieces for the night and I had such a blast getting to know all her and Chris's friends from high school, childhood and beyond. It was a night of celebrating love, friendship and the excitement of the future. These friends sure know how to party!

The happy couple :)

Pretty bride-to-be

"Um, don't watch as I pull up my skirt please!"

Ok... party's over people!

The damage...

 The following day was report card writing day. Waking up with a pounding headache and ridiculous stomach ache did not help, so after a couple hours of churning out grades and comments I needed a creative break:

Bar stools before...

Bar stools after...

 And there was lots of puppy lovin'...

Rick left town soon after, which meant Maizey and I were left to fend for ourselves for 6 days. This also meant I would be recruiting the help of friends and family to keep me company during the lonely nights. Luckily, Adrienne and I love an excuse to sleep over together, so she packed her bags and moved in for two days!

We both tried to finish our Book Club book.. didn't happen

The Book Club ladies hadn't gathered in quite some time, but we were back in full force last week! With wine and food and some classy music, the girls swarmed to Adrienne's house for a night of laughs... and man, did we laugh! I had so much fun I only snapped a couple photos... oops! 

The pups got to play during Book Club

We were waiting quite patiently for everyone to show up... but got impatient and started sipping the vino!

Then Fancy came in town! There were Izzy play dates, shopping adventures and sleepovers, too!

 All in all, it's been a whirlwind of a week. There were plenty of moments of happiness sprinkled with stress and exhaustion. Now, I just wait for my prince to come home!

Day 108: Pride and Joy

Today was exhausting. Because of the 5th grade musical, teachers were not given any breaks today as the Drama, Art and Music teachers were busy with set production, etc. That means my students and I were cooped up in our classroom without any breaks. I didn't sit or stop talking all day, nor did I use the bathroom. It was exhausting to say the least, but it was a day filled with pride and joy.

Today, my twenty-two students made my heart melt and eyes well up. Today was the culmination of our biography research projects. Each child dressed up as the famous person they have been researching for weeks. They have been writing their five paragraph essays, practicing their performances and gathering their costumes for what seems like a lifetime. They have been anticipating this day for so long... nerves and excitement have filled the four walls of Room 16 for quite some time. Parents were invited to come watch their children perform. This was a big deal to everyone. It was the first time these kids had done any kind of research. It's the first time these children were asked to perform in front of an audience.

It's days like today that remind me why I am a teacher. While I needed an extra dose of caffeine to get through the day today and didn't have an hour span where I stopped talking, the pride I felt watching these kids get up in front of their peers and family to showcase how much they have learned and grown was overwhelming.



I came across an essay today written by a teacher in Florida. Parts of it seemed whiny to me, but parts really struck a chord. I thought some of you, especially you educators, might be able to relate to some of her words...

I Am a Teacher

By Jamee Miller

I am a teacher in Florida.

I rise before dawn each day and find myself nestled in my classroom hours before the morning commute is in full swing in downtown Orlando. I scour the web along with countless other resources to create meaningful learning experiences for my 24 students each day. I reflect on the successes of lessons taught and re-work ideas until I feel confident that they will meet the needs of my diverse learners. I have finished my third cup of coffee in my classroom before the business world has stirred. My contracted hours begin at 7:30 and end at 3:00. As the sun sets around me and people are beginning to enjoy their dinner, I lock my classroom door, having worked 4 hours unpaid.

I am a teacher in Florida.

I greet the smiling faces of my students and am reminded anew of their challenges, struggles, successes, failures, quirks, and needs. I review their 504s, their IEPs, their PMPs, their histories trying to reach them from every angle possible. They come in hungry—I feed them. They come in angry—I counsel them. They come in defeated—I encourage them. And this is all before the bell rings.

I am a teacher in Florida.

Today, I am proud to say that I am a teacher in Glenview.

(pic to come later)...

Day 107: These Shoes Were Made for Walking

I've been watching the weather report for the last few days. So has the rest of Chicago. It was rumored to reach 60 today, and while I don't think it got that toasty, it sure did taste a tad bit like Spring today. The humidity made my hair curl at the ends. The pavement is glistening with melting snow. People are outside!

I've been itching to go on a real walk with Maizey. I can't stand being outside in the cold, so the two of us haven't enjoyed a good stroll together in months. Until today. Though it was cloudy and sticky out, it was the perfect day for a walk because it was bearable to be outside with exposed skin for the first time since November. It felt so good to breathe fresh air and break a little bit of a sweat. Maizey pranced her way through the neighborhood and I swear I saw her smile a couple of times. It was a little taste of the months to come, and I am now more ready than ever to bask in some sunshine and smell some flowers.

Day 106: Fancy That!

I received some very exciting news yesterday from one Fancy Nancy. She's coming to town next week, and I couldn't be more thrilled! A whole week of play time with Fancy and Izzy and Allie and all! What a treat! Is it obvious I'm on a happiness high!?!?

Pretty much sums up my feelings :) 

Day 105: Check...Check

I'm a big fan of lists. They're efficient. They are concise. They make me feel like things are under control. My favorite part of making lists is when I get to check the items off. The feeling is on my top five list of most satisfying feelings of all time.

There are two things on my list that have been there for quite awhile. Both work related. Both of which I have been avoiding like Joey abstains from commitment (if you get that reference, YOU are now on my top ten list of coolest friends).

Report cards are due next Monday, and today I completed behavior grades. CHECK!

I have been meaning to grade the kids' writing projects for weeks now. Remember that bin of papers from Day 94's post?? CHECK!

And now, blog entry 105 is complete.

I also managed to cook dinner tonight! Two nights in a row...just call me Super Wife.

Next items on my list:
-- Say hello to Rick
-- Shower
-- Go to bed
-- Wake up tomorrow

Day 104: Be Still My Heart

*Note: Though posted today, 2/15, this was written late last night, but I fell asleep before I could post it :)* 

Today is Valentine's Day. To many, it's just another day. To some, this day brings with it sadness. To me, Valentine's Day brings a lot of love, hope and a reminder to be grateful for the many people who love me and whom I love so dearly.

For the last 27 years, I've had the sweetest Valentine. Every year, my dad would buy my sisters and I flowers and chocolates. He told us each that we were the best Valentines he could have dreamed up. My dad made me feel special and loved. Even when boyfriends and husbands came along, the flowers and Valentine notes continued to come. Just like always, I received flowers from my very first Valentine.

I'm pretty darn lucky that I not only have one fabulous Valentine, but two. Rick and I do a pretty good job of showing affection and appreciation to each other on a regular basis, so Valentine's Day just seems like a good excuse for us to go on a date, drink champagne and eat lots of chocolate. In the past, we've gone out for dinner on Love Day. This year, it seemed silly to dress up on Monday evening and leave the poor pup to fend for herself. So, I cooked up a fancy meal, brought out the crystal and china and chilled some bubbly. There was a lot of love sprinkled into this meal:

Rick came home with a beautiful arrangement of flowers as well as a collection of my favorite perfumes in mini sizes to carry in my purse. All around sweet:

 We ended our night curled up in bed and decided to flood ourselves with memories of the most love-filled day we could both remember. June 27, 2009.

Today was a day full of love. Pure, simple love.