Beary Scary!

Okay, so John left for work the other night at about 9:15. As soon as he has pulled away, my phone rings. I know it's John because he's pretty much the only person who calls me (except Mom).

He says, "I just wanted to let you know not to open the door. I just saw a bear. It was getting into our trash..."

I reply, "What?!"

"It was just a little bear," he says.

"A BEAR?"

So I immediately called Kari, because I figure she'll enjoy this story more than anyone I know. Plus, she just moved to North Carolina and I know there's probably just as many freaky animals there as there are here. She answers the phone sounding like she just woke up from a three hour nap...

I tell her, "I just wanted to call and talk to someone because I'm kind of freaked out right now. There's a bear outside my door."

Well now she is definitely fully awake and laughing hysterically.

As I'm explaining the situation, I notice a cockroach on the door frame...or some kind of strange, large bug that looks like a cockroach (probably got in as John was opening the door). I try to kill it with a broom (that doesn't work very well, by the way) and finally start trying to smash it with the handle of the broom. As I'm doing this, I am still on the phone, shouting, "DIE! DIE! DIE!"

I have some major pest control issues.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I notice that Rosa (cat) is still going crazy over the gigantic dragonfly (their bodies are about the diameter of a broom handle) that is stuck between our back patio doors.

Not to mention the three tree frogs climbing on the outside of the windows. We have three tree frog pets that sleep all day around the patio door, white as ghosts because they change color to match whatever they're sitting on. There's Earl and Frieda (they're married) and their retired uncle, Zeke.

Trick or Treating

I think that after the reception, we should go trick-or-treating. John and I will dress up as a bride and groom! Hahaha

Meal Plan

Mom, I already made a meal plan for the week of the wedding!

Sunday: Chicken Parmesan
Monday: Turkey Burgers and French Fries
Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday: Tacos or Fajitas
Thursday: Buca di Beppo (place John took me the night he proposed...Italian place)
Friday: Rehearsal Dinner
Saturday: Reception

And Sunday morning, you're on your own!

What...?

I am totally unsure of what to write about...what interests you most?

Work?

Pre-Marriage?

Food?

Okay, let's talk about food. John made these oatmeal/banana/walnut pancakes tonight. They were deeeelish. And then we watched the movie, Crash. It was interesting...

Jonah, Noah, Adam and Eve...

As a student in public schools, I was sort of brought to the belief that the Bible was a fairy tale, maybe partly true, halfway true, mostly true...I didn't know, to be honest. So when information on things like carbon dating and all that geologic, biological mumbo jumbo came my way I believed every little bit of it. Besides, scientists are smart and professors with doctorates know their stuff. Unfortunately, they knew their stuff better than I knew mine.

But I'm learning, thanks to this class on Creationism, that so much of that science is stretched, inaccurate, swayed, or simply not true. Surprise! There is also a great deal of it that Creationists can explain and fit perfectly into the context of the Bible. Guess what? The Bible doesn't change, either. Neither does God. How many times have scientists changed the age of the earth? Or tried to explain the dinosaurs? Or tried to explain (inaccurately) the Grand Canyon?

I'm realizing that I will believe Noah filled up an ark with animals before I believe I evolved from a completely different species.

We must realize that we can't create truth out of our opinions. There is only one truth...and it confirms history, it confirms and explains things like rock layers, plate tectonics, DNA, the human genome, speciation, people groups, etc. It has been around for thousands of years, and was written by the creator Himself for us to use, to provide us with all the answers we need.

Visit the website: www.answersingenesis.org

Back to the Kitchen

Wow! I actually had time to cook today! Well, actually, I just don't have enough money to pay for gas and go to the library and Hallmark, so I was stuck at home. I didn't want to clean, so I watched a documentary on Vince Lombardi and another on Brian Piccolo. I am trying to learn lots of things about sports so that I can beat John someday in Trivial Pursuit.

I made chicken parmesan. It was so good. I had to slice the chicken and smash it flat, too. It was the most involved meal I've done in a couple months. I only wish I'd had my Brancott Sauvignon Blanc to go with it.

We don't even have wine glasses, though. And who wants to drink wine from a fishy cup?

And we don't have a table either, and somehow sitting wine in a plastic fishy cup on our cardboard box coffee table isn't very pleasing. Sometimes that aesthetic stuff can really affect your tastes.

I Know I'll Regret It...

...but I have decided to teach in the after-school program three days per week. Sigh. What can I say? An extra $150 per week I just can't pass up right now.

This is what my weeks are looking like:

Sunday: Class on Creationism at church, 6:00

Monday: Work 7:00-3:00, After school program 2:30-4:30

Tuesday: Work, Union Rep Council once a month, Faculty Advisory Committee once a month

Wednesday: Work 7:00-3:00, After school program 2:30-4:30

Thursday: Work, "Marriage Savers" (that's like our pre-marital counseling), 7:00

Friday: Work 7:00-3:00, After school program 2:30-4:30

Saturday: Church 6:00-7:30, Teach the high schoolers 7:30-9:00


I know that's like, so neat to see my schedule and I know you're all really interested. :) I'm sorry if I bore you.

Oh! Our creation class is so cool. I'm having a lot of fun with all this stuff. We'll see how long I last...

My Ideal Registry

Since we're talking about gifts, I'll just make a list of what I REALLY want for my wedding (October 29th), my birthday (November 4th), and Christmas (December 25th).

1. A massage.

2. A visit to the chiropractor.

3. Massage supplies.

4. A cupcake carrying tray/container.

5. A $500 gift certificate to Border's or Barnes and Noble.

6. A pedicure.

7. A manicure.

8. A visit to the dermatologist.

9. A spray tan.

10. A new outfit that consists of those pointy high heeled shoes because they are just like, so in.

Yay for my new class and unconventional weddings!

New Class

I have a new class at church now...a group of ten high school junior girls. I REALLY like them a lot. I thought it would be tough to compete with my girls from last semester, but this group just may have them beat already. I also have a partner to teach with...Roxann...who is in her 40's. It's so neat to have her point of view...and she's really open, funny, and forward. Kind of like my mother!

Unconventional Weddings

Well, I got my not-a-pillow ring bearer pillow and my not-a-basket flower girl basket. So now my mom is really going to be bothered by TWO unconventionalities.

New Woe is I Book

I saw a new Woe is I book at Barnes and Noble...a book for "grammarphobes." I want it. I also want Denise Austin's Ball and Band exercise book, Betty Crocker's cookbook, and some Betty Crocker basics cookbook and a Buca di Beppo cookbook. So write those down and buy them for me, okay?

Humor Me

I'm in a writing mood. So just bear with me as I write two posts in one night.

I spent so much of my time in high school and college wanting more. More from friendships, more from relationships, more from friends, more from everyone.

I don't want to go back, I don't want to do it over again, but I do wish that I hadn't wished for more all the time.

Why didn't I appreciate the guy friends I had then for who they were, for the talents they possessed, for their humor, their talents, their gifts...instead of wondering what they meant in my life or the purposes they could serve in my life?

Why didn't I hug Lindsay longer that day we left, on our last day at Muskingum College?

Why didn't I take more pictures? Why didn't I video tape our memories?

Why didn't I just lay on Kari's bed a little longer each night so that I could remember that wax-burning smell of hers and Chrystal's room?

Why didn't I visit Chrystal's and Veronica's rooms more often, because just a couple years ago, all it cost was a few minutes.

Why didn't I have one last crazy dress-up session with Kendra before...

we graduated, and moved so very far away, and got married, and had kids...

We may all say we have no regrets. But I won't say that I don't miss you all and sometimes...

I wish I had even more memories. :)

Katrina, You're Breakin' My Heart

You're shakin' my confidence, baby.
Oh, Katrina...

I really hope nothing serious comes out of this tropical storm/hurricane that is coming towards Florida's east coast, seeing as I have been singing her praises all day. Collier County has canceled school for tomorrow due to her heavy rains and potential floods.

Now I normally would not be so excited about losing a day of school, as it really throws off lesson plans and such. However, I have not fully recuperated from my illness (I've been rather sickish since Friday and missed school on Tuesday), and really feel that three days off would allow me to return to 100% Pure Amanda.

I also have to purchase about 9 gazillion dollars worth of stamps for wedding invitations. I already have the invites addressed and labeled (yay for writing pretty!), now comes the part that isn't so fun...putting them together...but that's something John can help me with! He's really excited.

For those who are not attneding, I have considered sending a Hallmark e-card, but I thought that would be tacky :) Oh, I am only joking.

Next wedding items to buy (or make):

Flower Girl Basket
Ring Bearer "pillow" (ours isn't going to be a pillow...find out on 10-29-05!)

Mission Accomplished!

Whew! I did a lot today! John and I woke up at 7 and went to breakfast at Bob Evans. I had scrambled eggs and banana nut bread. It was so delicious. We got gas, we got my car washed, we got groceries, John mopped the floors, we dusted, I cleaned the windows, I scooped the litter box, and I finished addressing our outer envelopes and labeling our inner envelopes for our wedding invitations. We paid our bills and John left for Tampa to meet up with some friends from Mount Union. I did all of our laundry, folded it, AND put it away. I made dinner and watched a show about Jessica Simpson.

And it's only 4 o'clock!

Happy Friday!!!

It's Friday!

John and I had our first pre-marital counseling session lastnight with a couple that are about 29/30 years old. It was great. I was glad to have intelligent God-loving people to talk to without talking about teacher things. :)

My classroom is coming together and starting to look like a classroom, which makes me feel pretty good. The kids start on Monday. I am trying to get all those things done that took me a long time last year...like ripping out workbook pages and making homework sheets.

This year is going to be a little tough because the district has put our grade book system online and we HAVE to enter a grade for every subject at least once a week. This was a rule last year, but no one checked. This year, if we don't enter grades all the time, it's flagged and we get yelled at.

Yay.

Well, it's time to go to school. I'll maybe write more tomorrow. Saturday!----------

Oh Mon Dieu

My work hours so far this week (Monday through Wednesday): 34

Approximate number of hours left in order to get everything done: 41

Total Hours: 75

How much money I would make if I were paid $20 per hour this week: $1500

How much money I actually make in a week: $550

Money I spent on school supplies this year: $300

That means that I will work 75 hours this week and make a profit of $250.

Back in the Groove

Today was my first day back at school. It's just teachers now, no students. It is so great to be back at work. Maybe I'm more of a working woman than I thought. Life is much more fulfilling when I'm actually not in my pajamas. Who knew?

I am so excited about my classroom. I drew up a fancy diagram last year based on my "schema" (that's a teacher word I use with the kids...I'm sorry, but I have to get back into first grade teacher language!) of the new plan for my room. I didn't think it would work due to my terrible spatial ability, but IT WORKED! Kendra would be proud. I have an ample amount of space now for a poetry workstation AND more library space AND a LOT of room for my listening workstation! I know you guys don't care about all that, but it really is a big, big deal.

The other teachers must have thought I was nuts today, I was so excited to be back. I only slept four hours lastnight...I was just so excited to get back to work. I have 24 brand new wonderful composition books that are nice and blank...a clean classroom...brand new nametags...brand new markers and crayons...a list of names that will soon be attached to little faces and big lives.

Ah! I could just die of joy.

Anyway, I will hopefully be able to refer to this post when my problem child of the year is making me cry everyday and my class ends up with the worst DIBELS scores in the state. :)

Life is Great

Yeah, so life has been pretty exciting. I'm getting ready to start addressing wedding invitations, which is absolutely terrifying because I'm afraid I'll do something wrong. Since so many of my friends have been married recently or are getting married soon (Congratulations to Sharon and Joel, by the way, in case you didn't know...they are engaged now and getting married next summer!), I feel like if I forget to do all those stupid, stupid etiquette rules our invitations will be tossed aside and stomped on, maybe hung up on the wall just to laugh at. Maybe this absolutely egocentric fear proves that I am really, really immature. Maybe it proves all this wedding stuff drives me crrrrrazy! All theknot.com has done for me is make me paranoid.

Oh, we get to plan our wedding music now, too. Exciting, eh?

Let me tell you about my new exercise and diet plan. It is awesome, so let's hope I can stick with it. I got this book from the library. Denise Austin. Working out with an exercise ball and exercise bands. Now, I used to be a skeptic. I used to be all about just running and lifting weights. But this ball and band stuff is for real, dog. It is hardcore. I feel like death after I do it...in a good way. And I'm hopefully toning up for that big day...October 29th.

As for the "diet," which I don't really follow technically, but I'm sorta kinda taking tips from that book "The Abs Diet." So, my new thing is oatmeal. Plain oatmeal! Gross, right? No! Because I got non-fat syrup to put in it and frozen berries...it's so good! And...I'm now substituting turkey for beef whenever I can, eating lots of egg beaters instead of just eggs, and trying my best to up the amount of veggies I eat. Especially broccoli and spinach. This is a very good diet. I highly recommend the book The Abs Diet. And definitely try exercising with the ball and the exercise bands--way cheaper than going to a gym, and it seriously works. I can tell a big difference already and I've only been doing it for a week.

I haven't given up pizza on Wednesday nights, so that's what I'm going to do now...5 dollar Wednesday! I love Howie's Pizza!

BYE!

My Dear Rosa

I don't believe I have introduced you to Rosa, our kitty. She is a pure bred Himalayan and we got her free from John's mom's cat breeding business. She is part seal-point and part flame-point (her mom has dark features, her dad has orangish features). So, Rosa has dark extremities with orange-ish spots. And blue eyes. She's to die for.

I think our Christmas cards this year may feature a portrait of Rosa.

Himalayans are a cross created by breeding between Persians and Siamese. So, she is a very pretty, lovable cat, with a wild side. For instance, when she wants to be petted, she climbs up on my chest and bites my nose. When she wants to play, she brings her toy and drops it in front of me.

I just love my Rosa :)

A New Calendar

Yesterday was July 29th. That means the big day is less than 3 months away. Three months. Three months goes by so quickly. Three months ago, it was April 29th. I was stressing about my students' end-of-year status. My sister had just turned 14. That was, that was (sorry for the cliche)...like yesterday.

Will it ever come? I feel like the day will never come. I can't imagine myself walking down the aisle. I used to imagine it all the time, but I haven't really thought about it. All I think about now is how much the flowers will cost and what to put on our DJ list.

I think of events in terms of pre and post marriage. This Christmas I will be married. I'll have a husband. We can go find a Christmas tree together and buy an "Our First Christmas Together" Hallmark ornament. And hopefully, I'll be able to be a little bit more creative in my giving of "presents" this year...

Three months from now, I am going to be a wife. Holy cow! Does that register with you? Because it surely doesn't register with me. I feel like I am not really "getting it." I still feel like I'm playing "house" when I make dinner. When I clean the toilet or wash the dishes, I say to myself, "And this is only the beginning." Well, I would have to do that stuff even if I weren't married. But this whole adulthood/independence thing is sort of hitting at the same time as marriage.

We started our pre-marriage counseling. I like all the nice things John says about me and I feel this urge to impress, I think...to not say anything wrong to the big dogs who know their stuff (experienced married people). I don't want some married person criticizing our art. Relationships are a lot like art. John and I have a unique relationship, unique ways of communicating, etc. Is it right? Is it wrong? Do we have healthy habits? Do we have bad habits we don't know about that will explode one day?

Sigh. One can never tell. I'm thankful we have God on our side, and I'm thankful I'm marrying a man I trust, and I have faith that he can support me when I am weak, and I know I can support him when he is weak as well. I remember little things like that, and I am all of a sudden comforted. Content. At peace.

Ten Lessons I Learned by NOT Having Computer Access

1. The phone book still exists and works sometimes.

2. I can read 12 books in three weeks.

3. I like HGTV and the Discovery Channel. They are my favorite channels. I watched this show called the "Undetectibles." It's a new favorite, along with "Designer Finals" on HGTV.

4. If I can't "Google" an actor I see in a show and can't remember what I've seen them in, it's okay. I usually forget about it by the next day.

5. The Hallmark channel can be very refreshing.

6. I have a remarkable ability to clean for hours but the house is still messy. It's a mystery to me (like those mysterious things on the Travel channel).

7. I really like to play Tiger Woods golf on the Xbox. John and I both made ourselves (you can create your golfer to look like you) and play each other. It's such good bonding without the exercise. :)

8. I really can workout for an hour using my exercise ball.

9. The library actually does have useful books.

10. I have come up with some great ideas for children's books and even read a book about publishing them. New hobby? I think so!

Attention Faithful Fans...!

I apologize for the hiatus. I haven't had a computer since I left Ohio. Lucky us, both of our precious high cost computers have been completely fried. Yes, even John's 2004 laptop.

So...we have bought a new computer from Dell.com (cheap! yay!) and I will be able to write more often...soon.

Wedding Website

Okay! So I am really going to try to help everyone out with all the travel stuff. I just started a new website with some info about stuff to do in Naples due to frequent requests on fishing and everglades information. I'll be posting again soon about other things, of course. And in a month or so, I will try to send out packets to those of you who I am pretty sure are coming with coupons, brochures, maps, etc.

Please let us know if there is ANYTHING we can do to help you as you make your plans!

AND please visit the website at amandaandjohn.blogspot.com

Baking Cookies

I really love to cook. It's fun to create things you know others will enjoy...and it's highly likely that if it's really good, people will remember it. If it's really bad, it can be thrown away and no one has to eat it. On the other hand, if it's sort of bad, people may eat it but they'll forget about it before long.

So right now I'm baking cookies. The trouble with cookies is trying to make them all the same. My first batch was perfect. It always is. The second batch I made too big. The third batch I burnt. Darn it.

I'm hiding the third batch for my family to eat. They don't mind burnt cookies. Pretty much anything with butter, sugar, peanut butter, and chocolate they'll eat.

The cookies are peanut butter cookies made in the shape of little koala bear heads with Hershey Kiss noses and brown Reese's Pieces eyes. Cuties. I'll have to make these for my class when we do a unit on bears.

Rapturous!

When I decided to take my brother and sister to the pool today, I knew for certain that I absolutely must find a book to read. Without a library card and without any money, this proved to be a challenge. So, digging beneath my mother's romance novels and other books by authors who come out with a new title every other week, I caved and decided to begin the Left Behind series. Sigh.

It's not that I have anything against the Left Behind series. It's interesting and makes one think, reflect, and spurs conversation, I guess. But these books are just kind of "ehhh..." If you can understand that sound in writing.

I'm not really into Christian fiction. I'm not into it at all. I love Christian non-fiction and non-Christian fiction. Where is the next C.S. Lewis? Come on, God. Could you please give some Christians talent for fiction?

Anyway, it was pretty hot for good ol' Ohio today. After receiving a good splash by Jordan and Sara, I went back to my towel to absorb some UV rays and prayed, outloud I think, "Oh Jesus, please come back for me now. Please let the rapture be today!"

Best Meal Ever: Crusted Chicken Romano with Brancott Sauvignon Blanc and for dessert, a goblet of fresh strawberries...all at The Cheesecake Factory

Most Beautiful Bride: I'm sure it will be LINDSAY! Tomorrow! I can't believe it's here. I think I will cry my eyes out. I hope I don't lose my contacts, because I am still pretty new at this contact stuff, and I wouldn't know what to do. I guess if I cry my eyes out, I won't need contacts.

Getting Lost: Again--I did it again. I ended up in Ashland County. Sigh.

Bridal Shower: Mine! On July 9th. Come one, come all...you're all invited! It'll be at my house at 1:00. Fireworks are that night, too, so you can stay for them or, if you don't stay, leave early before all the crazies overtake the town.

Rehearsal Dinner: Tonight! I hope I don't get lost again.

My Hair: I got this new shampoo stuff at the salon and I think my hair is on its way to being normal again! Shwew. So if you're hair ever gets overtreated, get Redken Extreme.

Victoria's Secret: Semi-Annual Sale!!!! Super cute bags for 4.99! I almost passed out.

Books and Me...

When I open a novel, I am aware of the risks. I know I will probably grow to close to the characters, perhaps begin speaking like them, thinking like them, and most of all, understanding them.

Afterall, this is what I think I may do best, and I teach first graders how to do the same. What did Snow White feel when she woke up to Prince Charming's kiss? I could more than imagine. What would it feel like to watch a person die? I would cry myself to sleep at the thought. I've done things like that since I can remember.

Late nights, up with novels, reading them until they're finished--falling asleep happily or, in some cases, letting my tears roll from my cheeks until they fell off my earlobes onto my pillow, because I hadn't expected the impact of that ending.

Sometimes I relate to novels so much just by knowing my own experiences, and it makes me think or evaluate or even sometimes dig up some some pity for myself or others.

I knew this book I just finished would be sad. I knew I'd feel it too much. But perhaps somewhere in my subconscious I knew that I just needed to let myself have a good cry. And sometimes, sometimes, sometimes...it's easier to cry about fiction.

Chalk and Spot Remover and Excedrin and...

Those are the things I was buying today in preparation for Lindsay's big day!!!!!

I am so excited, I can't stop eating peanut M&Ms and I probably won't be able to fit into my dress on Friday.

So, Lindsay and I are off to the mall tonight to search for some...pajamas...? And then the bachelorette party is tomorrow night at Dave & Buster's and Veronica's! I want to mention right here how much I love and appreciate Veronica. Sometimes I think, "Why isn't she famous?" She should be.

And then Saturday I will hopefully be able to fit in some time with my family...my poor family that probably feels neglected since I haven't even seen them hardly. I did have lunch with Dad today though, and that was super.

And then Sunday is Kendra's baby shower!!! Yay!!!!!! I am just overjoyed with...joy and anticipation and RELIEF that...it's not quite my marrying time yet!

But I still wish it would come faster!

I highly suggest this book: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Our engagement picture!
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Impatient

Day Two of Bible school just ended, and here I am, wanting to pack up my stuff and live elsewhere but I can't because John is sleeping...since he works overnight and has to sleep until four o'clock. Now I'm not the kind of person that likes to drag things out, like moving. I either get it done all in one day or I stop all together. So, I'm struggling right now, because I want to move out...pronto!

Plus, right now is a really good time to move out because John's mother hasn't been here for the past few days and won't be here until tomorrow. I'd like to avoid any further criticisms, opinions, and lectures. It's not that I am avoiding conflict; I just want to cool off for a while before I'm faced with another loooong discussion about how stupid/irresponsible/lazy/inadequate I am. Which of course, I know I am none of those things. Well, sometimes I am those things, but everyone is sometimes. :)

I think I've memorized our Bible verse for the day..."Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians something: something.

I love John. He's more than I ever dreamed of. I have everything I ever wanted, and more, and I've achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I have a wonderful family. But I was brought up a very normal way for me, and John was brought up a very normal way for him. As I grew up, I realized some slight differences in my family, some stuff that makes us weird or whatever. There were even some things that I didn't want people to find out. But I was surrounded by love and acceptance, always. Always. And I never doubted it for a second.

So I'm just wondering, is there a secret to the in-law thing? Is it possible to make in-laws love me instead of see me as a threat or a nuisance or a burden? Because I don't like feeling that way. Sure, I always just thought that being myself was enough. But NEWS FLASH. It's not.

But then at church tonight I realized something. Something I already knew and I realized before, but I just had to be reminded. I don't have to impress anyone. Not one single person. And you know what? I don't give a flying rat's poophole whether or not Cousin Jessie is upset she doesn't get free beer on tap at our wedding. And I don't care if Uncle Sid thinks we're in debt and should live in a trailer and I don't care if Grandpa thinks we should be making more money doing what HE thinks we should do.

Why? Because John and I are responsible adults, believe it or not. And yeah, we will make mistakes. But no more than any normal person has. And I don't have to impress people to make them love me. I have people that love me no matter what I do or say. So if these people want to dislike me their whole lives, that's just fine.
Because in other places, I'm accepted. I like who I am :)

It's just too bad that not every family can be as awesome as mine.

VBS

I've begun decorating my classroom for Vacation Bible School! It's one of those fun things to do that I sort of hate to do. I spent yesterday making sunflowers, a farmer girl, and a road map. My classroom's theme is...Kansas. Yay, Kansas!

Today John's sister, Anna, is helping me paint. It should be interesting...because we have to paint outside and it is HOT. Please, do not ever plan a trip to Florida in the summer. It is M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E. Hence the October wedding.

Wow. John and I need a lot of stuff when we move into our house. Like a mower and a microwave. Things that I know I could get from people cheap or free if we lived in Ohio. But we don't. So now we get to buy them. Yippee.

I'm going to put an ad in our church's "Needs News" though and ask for some stuff. Those Christians are pretty giving people. Thank God :)

Where's My Reward?

I think I deserve one after every "annual exam."

Let's talk about birth control. I've decided to try Orthoevra, or "the patch." It is really nifty. Don't worry, I'll keep you updated on how it goes. So far, so good.

John is funny. I guess it's the BS in him. Bachelor of Science, that is. You know, being in the "medical field." He was really fascinated by this patch and had to read all of the information. Me, I just stuck the thing on and that's that.

Well, I marked my calendar and made a schedule, too. Of course. That's me!

Tonight is John's first night on his new job as overnight manager of Target. Hmmm. I hope the boogeyman doesn't come for me.

VERY Nice Things

Wow! My surgery went splendidly and I had no trouble rubbing it in to JR...who had a terrible wisdom teeth experience not long ago. I'm a little bit spacey...it's day 3 now...I've stopped taking the hydrocodine due to its spacing out effects...I'll blame the elipses usage on that...I can't think in complete sentences right now so much. All I know is that this morning it sure felt like I was in a tunnel, where when I breathed in, I was racing backward, and when I breathed out, I was racing forward. And that was the end of my drug usage. I wonder what kind of drug might make a person feel like that...I didn't see any flashing lights or anything, so it must not have been too bad.

I seriously have experienced very little, if no pain at all. Now I am just taking Tylenol because for some reason my teeth don't hurt but my head does...I think I am going through caffeine withdrawal. I'm wondering if maybe I'm allowed to go to the movies. I'm sick of staying in bed. I feel like Charlie's grandparents on that Chocolate Factory movie. You know the one :) But maybe I shouldn't go anywhere because my head does hurt a lot sometimes.

I have been eating a lot. Just a few hours after the surgery I was eating noodles and mashed potatoes. I've been really hungry and I eat till I'm full, but it isn't taking much to fill me up...maybe because I'm not using much energy. Anyway, I've lost about 5 lbs., which I was worried about because when I don't eat for a few days, I drop weight like nothing else. So I think I'm going to eat cookie dough or something. I mean, my final fitting is July 5th, and I have to stay that size till October 29th...and staying at 110 lbs. is a little unrealistic. And hello, I am not Lindsay Lohan. If I'm going to lose weight, I'll do it healthfully, thank you very much.

I'm sorry. I'm rambling.

John and I are moving! That's right. Did I tell you this already? We got a house. Well, now it's for sure. I'll be emailing the address to all of you here in a while.

Nice Things

Sorry I haven't written. I may begin a new blog. Don't worry, I'll give you all the address! Anyway, I haven't written because I've been following that old saying that, as far as I know, came from Thumper's mom, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

But I do have nice things to say, so I will say those!

John and I will begin moving in to our new HOUSE after I recover from my surgery. Yay! It is the cutest house in the world. It's in the Everglades. Really. There's a canal out back with alligators and snakes. Lovely! John is going to have a great time mowing the lawn.

I changed the menu of our reception to something more laid back and barbecue-ish and cut out all the free alcohol. But you can pay for it if you want and hold yourself responsible if you should happen to do anything dumb :)

We ordered the guys' shirts and now we just need the guys' pants! I love the guys' shirts. They are so cool. And soft. And beachy. The guys are going to look so sexy. I am going to have the sexiest wedding party in the universe.

I found a "photographer" (a friend from my church who photographs as a hobby) and all I need now is a DJ and a cake. This wedding stuff is easy peezy Japaneezy.
It's even fun most of the time, but I'm just sick of planning! We should have gotten married over Spring Break. I am now in strong support of very short engagements.

Your Linguistic Profile:

75% General American English

10% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

5% Midwestern

0% Dixie

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Hum Dee Dum

Five days until oral surgery...nine days until Bible school prep. And moving just may be right around the corner...

Last Day of School

The kids' last day was today! It was sad. But I didn't cry! Can you believe it? Probably because I've been crying myself to sleep for the past three nights. :)

I'll miss my kids!

Very Important Info!

If you plan on coming to our wedding (October 29th) please consider looking at this website to book your flight: www.flyi.com. Cheapest flights we've found...you can get a round trip flight from Cleveland to Fort Myers for $258. If you find anything cheaper, let me know!

I Am the Princess

Things have been crazy around here! As usual. Revamping the reception plans. Praying for a photographer and DJ miracle.

Good news! One of my new friends (yay for new friends!) is engaged! I told her I am so mad because she just got engaged last week and is getting married BEFORE me! September 3rd! I envy her though because she doesn't have to spend 9,000 months planning. I am sick of planning. Okay, it hasn't been very difficult, I will admit. But I'm just sick of it. I think weddings should be surprises. I've picked my dress...who wants to throw a surprise wedding?

I have been very tired lately. It must be the fighting off ear infection bugs. I don't know.

Does anyone watch SNL? Did you see lastnight's? Lindsay Lohan? My favorite SNL person is Amy Poehler. Cracks me up.

I am the princess. I am the princess. I am the princess.

Rawhana kia koe!

(That's rah-fonna kee-yah quay...Happy Birthday in Maori)


Just a few years ago, on this exact day, the world became a brighter, more beautiful place!

Happy Birthday, Mom!


I love you!

Crrrrrunch Time!!!!

2 Weeks left and I am a FREE woman!

Until I have oral surgery, have my annual super fun dr. appointment, teach Bible school, go to Ohio, throw a party, take part in a wedding, attend my own party, move Ohio stuff down to Florida somehow, take summer teacher classes about vocabulary and comprehension, get hard core into wedding planning...

Summer vacation? What summer vacation?

It's not a good sign when my arm feels numb, is it? Am I having a heart attack?

Does anyone watch that show "House?" I love that show. I think I'm having a stroke. Just kidding. I'm a dominatrix. Just kidding.

I didn't know what that word meant, "dominatrix." But John did. I'm worried.

On to better things...Senior Night tonight at church! I'm not that excited. It takes a lot of work to be "cool" lately. I guess it's always been that way. For me :)

Anyway, I got all my grades in already! Next up: Making Father's Day gifts, celebrating summer birthdays, and getting final stuff ready for my students' cumulative folders.

Fun!

Better Days!

I really enjoyed your comments on my last post! Thank you :)

My students have been MUCH better now that our stupid, stupid tests are over and it isn't storming anymore! Thank goodness! I was going to be so mad at them if they made me hate them by the end of the year. You know, it would make it easier to say goodbye if I didn't like them, but what fun is that? I know they'll always remember me as the teacher who bawled her eyes out on the last day of first grade.

I had been sleeping better except for lastnight...what kept me awake was thinking about my new babysitting clients. I think I am going to do it one more week and then call it quits. Seriously, it stresses me out worse than anything because...oh yeah, I can't tell you.

I signed a contract, remember?

Anyway, I did learn how to play Halo 2...which made me wish that John wouldn't like video games so much so then at least our children would be less likely to turn out like these children I babysit...

Not that it's because of the video games, but seriously, some kids should not be playing killing games. Especially satanic ones.

Have you ever hated a child? I just can't stand this kid. I mean really. He tells me I'm stupid, to shutup, and that I'm an idiot. And then he tries to bite his mom and attack her. I'm sorry, but hello, that's pretty good reason for a spanking...I don't care how great of a child psychiatrist you are. His father is a psychiatrist. Yeah. Talk about frustrating.

Man, I breached my contract, didn't I? I hope I don't get sued.

Matisse, Picasso, Busy...Jobless Fiance, Retirement, Butterflies, Contacts, Tired...

Okay, I will try to make this brief!

Matisse, Picasso and Friends...

...visited Naples Museum of Art. Interesting, but crowded. Enjoyed Matisse more than I expected. Unimpressed by Picasso works (surprisingly) but love him best anyway. I went by myself. Enjoyed that part. Stopped by a cafe and had a fancy sandwich while I sat outside reading a book. Good fun. I was the mysterious girl, alone at the cafe...and the museum.


Busy

End of the year. Craziness. Constant testing. Letting the kids paint while I test small groups because I've neglected that this year. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo soon along with Mother's Day...how to fit it all in? We're painting a flower pot in memory of Maiya's mom, who died last year in a car accident.

Jobless Fiance

Yeah. Long story. Not fired. No new job as of yet. Need prayers.

Retirement

Spending a lot of money on retirement parties for coworkers because...I feel like I really should go to the things. 25 dollars a plate. Sigh.

Butterflies

Beautiful!!! I want to get my own butterflies every year whether I am a teacher or not. We let Brianna go today. It was heart-wrenching, but inspired creative little writings.

Contacts

One is "broken." It must have fallen out in the morning...because I found it on the sink later, and it was all dried out...and it fell apart. I know not what to do. My eyes are irritated, too, because I walked in the house while flea bombs were going off with my one contact in (no one told me the flea bombs would be going off). Now it stings to put the contact in at all.


Tired
I can't sleep because I lay there thinking about how I will arrange my classroom next year. You'd think if I were having trouble sleeping, it would be about something serious. But no...I think about where to put my desk, if I should get a new bookshelf...etc. Silly silly.

Yay!!!!!! Happiness!

Happy Number One:

This parent/teacher/ESE liason guy at our school (who has helped me A LOT this year, I might add) asked to talk to me today...about a student whose parents I FINALLY met...and to ask me if I was going to be teaching at Highlands next year. Naturally, I said yes, to which he responded with "Oh, goooood. I really want to get my daughter into your class. I have heard such GREAT things about you!"

My jaw dropped to the floor, I'm sure of it. I almost cried. And then I thought...oh man, what if his daughter's crazy? :)

Happy Number Two:

I made a friend! Her name is Amy, from church, and we are going to eat tomorrow after school. Yay!

Happy Number Three:

I talked to Susan, finally, yesterday for like an hour! Yay! Susan is the friend I've been stalking (calling her every day twice a day) for the past week. She's my maid of honor and I looooooooooooooooove her! So I'm glad I got to update her on my life... Come to think of it, I didn't have time to ask her much about HER life.
Uh-oh. I better call her back...

My Second Job and...I'm Hungry

Because wedding and living expenses are getting to be a little crazy and I don't really have THAT much to do on the weekends...and I do need to do something besides lay around and say "I'm so tired," I've decided to pick up a second job. That is, I decided to babysit for this lady in our neighborhood that goes to our church...Sunday afternoons, for about five hours.

Um...it's a bit strange. This babysitting thing. I had to sign a contract that said I wouldn't tell anyone anything. No, really. I did. So that's all I'm telling you.

Oh yes, and I am hungry. I buy five SmartOnes meals to get me through the week at work and two Marie Callender meals to get me through the weekends. I know...that's a lot of salt and preservatives. However, this weekend I haven't done my grocery shopping yet, so I'm unsure of my next meal. Perhaps John and I will go to Steak and Shake after church and I will try a steak burger this time.

Last time I had a turkey club and John's steak burger looked yummier. I love turkey clubs...but the turkey was too slippery and fell out of the bread.

Happy Anniversary! John and I celebrated our final April 19th anniversary this week. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. Yum!!!!!!! I highly recommend the quesadillas as an appetizer, the crusted chicken romano as a main dish, and the Snickers cheesecake for a dessert. And the Brancott wine. Mmmh.

I CAN SEE! I got contacts! It turns out that I have terrible vision and the optometrist could not believe that I could function. I'm adjusting nicely to the contacts. It's my second day. I got glasses, too. They're pretty fly.

Union Rep! I am the new union rep. at our school and I went to my first ever union meeting. It was great fun and I am excited about this new opportunity to step out of my passive comfort zone and start DEMANDING justice. Arrrrrgggghh! That was my pirate voice.

Field Day 2005

Well it must be a southern thing...cuz I know Maple Street Elementary didn't do all THIS for field day.

Almost all the kids bought Highlands Field Day 2005 t-shirts and water bottles. There was a snack bar, a gazillion water-battling games...and a dunk tank.

Miss Nicole Tremblay, the other new hip young first grade teacher, and I got paired up...and we did all of our games and things against each other. And we did everything our students did.

Now you'd think...Amanda, she's 23. She can surely run back and forth a bunch of times in relays, throw sponges, play tug of war... Well yeah, I can. It was soooooo much fun, too! But um, today, well, that's another story. When I got home, I slept for an hour and a half, then went back to sleep at 9:30 and slept till 10:30 (13.5 hours!). I am exhausted. My entire body hurts, even these little deep down muscles in my back that all feel like they're being pinched. And I have a bit of a sunburn.

Listen to how loser-y the other first grade teachers are. They quit field day at 10:30 because "the kids were too cold." It was 80 degrees. At least. They didn't do like four or five activities and took their classes inside. Miss Tremblay and I did all the activities, we both let our classes dunk us in the dunk tank AND we ate lunch outside. Then we got to go in, get changed, and watched Finding Nemo. Yay! It was really good we watched it because now my students finally understand what a baleen whale is.

:)

I just thought it was kind of neat when our students said to the other kids, "Did your teacher go in the dunk tank?" And the other kids would say, "What's a dunk tank?"

See, all the other teachers buy their students stuff. Easter baskets. Christmas presents. Miss Tremblay and I don't have the money to do all that. But we can afford the dunk tank. And very, very sore muscles! The kids' faces were priceless when they'd see us dunked. It was all very worth it.

I would just like to thank my mother right now for telling me there is a God, there is a Jesus, and not saying things like, "Anything you believe that works for you is true."

I know people that live with that "truth." You know, that "truth" that lies "within."

Pray for them, talk to them, try to live out a Godly life, try to be an example...I try those things. But I'm a hypocrite. It's true. All Christians are. Because we couldn't possibly live a sinless, perfect life.

I'm so glad that Jesus did that for me and made it possible to feel God in my heart.

Anyway, it's 7:00 am...school's about to begin. And I'm just tired. Worn out. Sick of the things in this world. Sick of money, sick of diseases, sick of arguments over right and wrong. But...I know none if it really matters (hear me repeating it to myself? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.).

I Love First Grade!

Four of my students were absent today. And one, the girl that really was causing a lot of problems in my class since she arrived a couple months ago, moved away.

Needless to say, it was the best day ever!

Surgery, Centerpieces, and Sex...

Surgery

I'm having my wisdom teeth taken out on May 29th. You should see my oral surgeon. He has biceps the size of my waist. I'm wondering if he's going to just pry out my teeth with those massive muscles. Everyone in the office was SO nice! I'm so excited. I love anesthesia. :)


Centerpieces

I bought 12 beta fish thingies because they look like vases and they were 1.80. But now I've decided that I don't like them. So I'm going to use those for the cake and food tables, put sand, shells, and roses in them, and get little fish bowls for the tables...for a smaller, better centerpiece. This idea subject to change. Any ideas? Send them my way! Susan helped me a lot. She and I talked on the phone today and no matter how much I begged her to drive down here, she wouldn't! But I think she understood what a beta fish thingy is and we came up with some great ideas. Thank you, lovely maid of honor!

Sex

Due to unmerited speculation on my sex life, I am very, very happy to say that John and I have not, and will not, until after our wedding. Though we have discussed having a secret wedding tomorrow and a fake wedding on October 29th, we've realized that's cheating and will do things the way we believe God intended them.

:)

H&R Block, I LOVE YOU!

God heard my prayers and sent me an angel by the name of H&R Block...and Nancy. Thank you, Nancy!

I'm Cool Now

I am like, so 1999 cool. Thanks to John, who has to be up-to-date cool, I at least get to be out-of-date cool. Since John has an ipod now, I get aaall of his old cds and any of the other ones he gets, if I want them. I also got the handy dandy cd holder he had for his car. You know, one of those cases that holds all of your cds on your visor. I never thought I'd have one of those, or enough cds to fill one, for sure. But now...I do! And now, I actually kind of look forward to my forty-sixty minute drives to work.

AND since I forgot my cell phone charger in FL when I was in OH and it's about the only way for people to reach me, I had to buy a new cell phone charger. But the thing of it was that the Cingular booth at Belden only had car chargers. So I got one of those and it came with one of those things you stick in your ear and talk to whoever without having to have the phone up against your face.

I only use it in the car so that people don't think I'm talking to myself. Unless they see me talking and driving, anyway, but I don't think they really do.

That brings me to ipods. I was a little...ehhh...about the whole 300 dollar ipod thing, but dude, that thing is awesome. You can get a gazillion songs on it for way cheaper than buying cds (and give your girlfriend the scraps), AND get it all beamed to your radio! Any radio! And it just...plays. Without a cord. Without anything, really. It's just a little box. It's the size of a birth control pill case, for real. It's magical. Absolutely magical.

Whew!

My spring break did wonders for me. Life has been good this week. I love my job, I love my students (most of them) and I just loooove my classroom. I like it here.

As for "home" (I don't really think I have a home anymore, but what I mean is, at the house here in FL) things have been less than satisfactory and my money situation has been just plain awful, and I think I've come to the real realization that there is just no possible way John and I will be able to move out by the time we get married, which is enough to make me cry, I'll never, ever, pay off my debts because I just know that even as I pay my debts, sooner or later I will create more...and more and more. There are two reasons NOT to live in Naples. One is it is really expensive to live there. Two is that everyone else is rich so it rubs on and you feel like you have to have this and that.

The people that live across the street from us have a plasma tv so big that we can sit in the yard and watch what they're watching. They live in a five bedroom house that they just bought for 500,000 dollars for like, 3 months of the year. And it's just these two (extremely nice) grandparents.

And sheesh. Everywhere I go it seems I hear people talking about money. How John's grandfather is a millionare or something. How the new pillowcases on our couch cost 37 dollars each (there's seven or eight of them). It makes me want to cry, you know? Not because I'm jealous but because...I could use that money, dammit. Darn it, I mean.

Sigh. It's just weird...I have everything I want and need, so I'm very rich. I'm very rich economically, too, technically. So why is it there isn't anything in my checking account?

Well, I know it's no good to share your financial struggles out in the open like this, but I know I'm just saying what at least half of the college graduates of 2004 are feeling!

But look at the first part of this blog...life feels good, for now, and I will live in today (because today is good) and leave the rest up to God. I don't even want to KNOW what will happen in the next two weeks of NOT getting a paycheck!

Airports

It took me 9 1/2 hours to get from Fort Myers airport to Canton airport on Thursday night. That is a tad bit ridiculous, but I did enjoy the time spent sitting, sitting, sitting and thinking, thinking, thinking. During times like that I contemplate poetically. I only wish I had written some of the things I thought.

There's something about air travel. There's something about airports. There's something about the whole experience that I believe truly changes a person. I suppose for some people that serious change could take place by just flying state to state. For others, it might take a bigger trip--more distance, to have a major effect. I have found that since my trip to New Zealand, my outlook has changed on many things, although I cannot pinpoint what exactly it is that changed.

I miss the internet kiosks I used in Sydney...counting the hours till I was home, till I could see John again...till I could eat American cheese again and savor the oily, waxy feel of it gush in my teeth.

I miss flying over the green hills of New Zealand, wondering if I'd ever miss that place. I miss flying over perfectly plotted fields of Kansas and thinking, "I'm almost home."

I miss sitting in a plane for fourteen hours, wondering what movie would come on next, hoping the food would be interesting, hoping I would get another Oreo or Toblerone. I miss discussing interesting stories with the passengers next to me. The man who had lived in China. The priest going back to Turkey. The woman from New Jersey, visiting her daughter in Australia.

I don't miss New Zealand. I don't miss Australia. I guess it brings meaning to the expression, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." Because somewhere between Cleveland airport and Whakatane, I changed, and somewhere between Whakatane and Cleveland on the way back, I changed. And those airplanes are where the most changes took place. When I prepared myself for take off. When I prepared myself for landing. When I readied myself for my adventures. When I reflected on my adventures.

Airports. Airplanes. I love them.

How to Measure Success

Here I am, back in good ol' Orrville, Ohio. I see people I know or used to know every time I turn around. Therefore, I try to stay indoors as much as possible.

It's weird talking to people I graduated with...because most are, well, how do I say this?

Let me start another way. We all measure success in different ways. Some of the people I graduated with have beautiful new hairdos. Some have wonderful jobs. Some have terrible jobs. Some of the smartest people in my high school class failed out of college. Some of them gained 30 pounds. Some of them lost 30 pounds. Some of them are unmarried with 3 children. Some are married and divorced. Some are living with parents, some aren't, some are happy, some aren't.

But...when you see someone that you haven't seen in a while, a person from your graduating class, you must always act as successful and happy as possible. And when a person tells you what they do or what they've been up to, you must act as surprised and happy as possible. Even if they were number 4 in your class and failed out of Kent State and now work as a cashier at WalMart, you have to act just as happy as if they won the Nobel Prize. AND, it works the other way around. If you are only a first grade teacher, have moved to Florida, you're engaged...

Well, I guess I don't have to pretend that I am successful. Because, I feel, that I am succesful, that I have done everything I set out to do. So sometimes, when I talk to people on this topic, I feel like I'm bragging.

I am happy, satisfied...but that doesn't mean I stop there, does it? I could stay a first grade teacher for thirty more years or something crazy like that. But, I don't think my generation quite operates that way. We've been wired to always desire more, to climb higher and higher. I'm not sure how much higher I can get in the early childhood education world, but I hope that I can keep climbing. Maybe I can climb up in other areas. Maybe I can climb up in being the best wife in the entire universe. :) Maybe I can keep having kids until I'm 50. Heck, I don't know...

I was going to make a point. But, I lost myself somewhere there. I guess I want to know when I've reached success. And why we feel we have to fake success.

WELL THAT'S JUST GREAT!

grrrrr.

Well Bill, it looks like you lucked out this time. It's too bad I didn't pick teams that no one in their right mind would have picked to win in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

I'm not that surprised about Kansas' loss, but I am still recuperating from the defeat. Creighton? Wake Forest? Syracuse? Boston College?

I just keep thinking, this has to be a joke. I'm sure on April 1st, they'll say, "April Fool's! We were just kidding about the whole March madness thing!"

March Madness

Final Four Picks: Illinois, Gonzaga, Duke and Kansas....

Debates!

Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.

Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)

Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!

Debates!

Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.

Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)

Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!

Debates!

Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.

Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)

Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!

Debates!

Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.

Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)

Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!

Debates!

Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.

Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)

Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!

Debates!

Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.

Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)

Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!

Whew!

Well, can you see that I have been busy?

No other word could possibly describe this week except for the one that starts with and "H" and ends with "ell." I'll explain briefly...

FCATs. It's the Florida high-stakes test (like the proficiencies. Well, during the FCAT, although it's for all the 4th-5th graders, the whole school is on lock-down from 8:00-10:30 or 11. That means...I am stuck in my portable with 17 children for four hours. I can take them outside after the FCATs are over for the day, but I still have to take them. No breaks for me. Nope, I can't even go to the bathroom. It's going to be interesting Monday as my...um..."monthly visitor" comes calling. So, my days this week and next week, I have no "planning time."

Planning time is 50 minutes of each day that I get to plan lessons, get the books I need, get copies made, find resources, go to the bathroom, etc. Not that 50 minutes a day is even CLOSE to what I need to do all that, but it sure does help. Teachers NEED planning time. It is also in my contract, the contract my principal is not following.

SOOOO I have buddied up with our union leader because I think this is all a bunch of crap.

Name Four Bad Habits You Have:
1. Clenching/grinding my teeth
2. Saying "like" too much
3. Slouching
4. Refusing to put my napkin on my lap

Name Four (or five) Scents You Love:
1. John
2. My mom
3. Mia, the cat (I don't know why, but she just smells really good all the time)
4. Heavenly, my perfume by VS
5. Warm Vanilla Sugar by Bath & Body

Name Four TV Shows you like
1. Extreme Makeover Home Edition
2. Mythbusters
3. Nickelodeon Cartoons
4. West Wing

Name Four Movies you like
1. Good Will Hunting
2. Sleeping Beauty
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. You've Got Mail

Name Four People That Know You the Best:
1. John
2. Susan
3. My Mom
4. I don't have any friends anymore

Name Four Things That You Have Done Today:
1. Wrote an email to our union leader
2. Read NEA magazine
3. Read some things about "Lordship"
4. Enjoyed my new hair do

Name Four Drinks You Regularly Drink:
1. Water
2. Diet Dr. Pepper
3. Diet Coke
4. Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha

First Grade Teacher's Name? Mrs. Conway

Last Words You Said: I love you too.

Last Song You Sang?: "Feels Like Today" by Rascal Flatts

Last Person You Hugged?: John

Last Thing You Laughed At? Figs, the cat that was hugging and licking John's leg.

Last Time You Cried?: Yesterday when one of my students left for Alabama, never to be seen again.

What's In Your CD Player?: Third Day

What Color Socks Are You Wearing?: white

What's Under Your Bed?: My bed is a mattress that sits on the floor.

What Time Did You Wake Up Today?: 8:30

At the moment taste?: lastnight's leftovers from the Cheesecake Factory (were the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand goes very well with the Crusted Chicken Romano)

at the moment Hair?: SUPER straight, light brown, red, dark brown, blond, to my shoulders almost...

at the moment Clothes?: my pajamas...a pink shirt, yellow shorts, and a sweatshirt

Current Longing?: to eat at the Cheesecake Factory again...like now.

Current Worry?: my head

Current Favorite Physical Feature Of The Opposite Sex?: someone who is exactly 6 foot and one-half inch tall, who is wearing a blue collared shirt today and khakis with brown doc martens and has a little bit of gray hair that he is really self-conscious about

Last CD You Bought?: I don't buy CD's...but John got me Rascal Flatts a few weeks ago because it has our song on it.

How Many Kids Do You Want? 3, I think

I know who the anti-christ is!

And his name is Martin Gross.

And the Naples Daily News supports him. Welcome to Collier County, where they tell you the schools have the highest expectations, are held to INSANE standards, blah blah blah...and the most popular newspaper HATES teachers and anything to do with education. So, they support public speakers like Martin Gross. Excerpts from the Naples Daily News read...


"Our schoolteachers are the least educated people in the nation," said Gross.

He will not only critique the education system, Gross will explain some of his ideas for improving it. He would start, for example, by closing all undergraduate schools of education. But what really needs to be changed, he contends, is the education establishment — the teachers' unions, district administrators, along with colleges of education.

In the free lecture, the author of 12 books will speak about his latest one, "The Conspiracy of Ignorance: The Failure of American Public Schools."

"It's an indictment of the present American education system that has failed miserably," said Gross, who's been an adjunct associate professor of social science at New York University and lives in Connecticut.

Education is one of the biggest items on our tax bill," said Pat McCourt, a member of Taxpayer Action Groups of Lee County, a lecture sponsor. "There's a universal thought in this country that education isn't what it should be ... and (Gross) has some answers."

American students don't compete with other countries, Gross contends, because public schoolteachers are among the least intelligent. He said most teachers and administrators come from the bottom third of their class and are outscored on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) by their own college-bound students.

This translates into American students scoring among the lowest when compared to other countries, such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

"Anyone that graduates from high school can be admitted to an undergraduate department of education," Gross said. "Teacher education is particularly low."

He thinks public schools should follow private schools, not so concerned if teachers know how to teach, but that those educators have high credentials in their field.

Oh, I see. So I should have gotten my degrees in math, science, social studies, English, TESL, parenting, counseling, nursing, custodial work, psychology...?

And Gross notes most private schoolteachers get paid less than public educators. Public schoolteachers make an average of $46,000 a year in 2004, he noted, while the average American worker gets paid an average of $35,000 annually.

"K to 12 teachers come from the lowest common denominator of intelligence in the nation," Gross said.

I bet that pathology degree helps him understand what it's like to be a teacher...

I wonder if Martin Gross has ever babysat three six year olds at the same time. Multiply that by six and teach them all how to read, write sentences and paragraphs, tell time, count money, stand in line, wipe their butts, tie their shoes, eat healthy, wash their hands, etc. etc. etc. That's what I do 40 hours per week. I can only go to the bathroom two times per day from 7:40-2:30, for crying out LOUD! Arrrggghhhh!

It just makes me angry.

Teacher SUCCESS!

It's bragging time.

1. I can write on the white board "Please remember to bring you library books tomorrow" and the kids know what it says.

2. All my students can decide if they're going to write a descriptive paragraph, a personal recount, or personal narrative, and tell you the graphic organizer/plan that would go with it (web, timeline, and this weirdo chart we use).

3. My students can add pennies, nickels and dimes a lot better than the first graders I had in Ohio OR New Zealand.

4. All but one of my students is reading a G or higher (up to K, which is chapters). At the beginning of the year, they read B, C, and D.

5. All of my students can use story webs, character webs, summaries, etc. after reading a book.

6. Keep in mind that I have FOURTEEN esol students (English as a second language).

Favorite sentence of the day (in a student's writing):

"My valentine is my mom. I don't care if she is fat. She is the best mother. She always has a headache. When she has a headache, I bring her water. She is gorgeous. I love my mom!"

-Tony

Table for Two, Please

Oh my goodness.

For some reason, it's just unacceptable in this house to simply walk up the stairs and knock on doors when calling for someone. So instead, people stand in the living room (not at the bottom of the stairs or anything like that) and begin yelling. And yelling. And yelling.

You would think, now that it has been proven (quite some time ago) that people and animals do LEARN behaviors from experience, that they would realize this yelling from the living room DOES NOT work. Especially when the 13 year old in the house is usually wearing headphones in her room. Especially when it's usually hear they are yelling for.

Now I have enough headache problems (not from hearing my students, mind you, but from hearing my own voice blabber on and on and on all day). I certainly do not need people yelling so loudly when they are right beside me. It's really aggravating.

You know, my family is so quiet, I'm just not used to this environment.

Hahahaha!

So, needless to say (I say "needless to say" rather often), John and go out to eat a lot more than we can probably afford. This is because...a.) that way, I don't have to help make or clean up dinner for 6 people, and b.) I don't have to listen to yelling.

John and I, you must admit, are pretty quiet people (except when I'm in laughing hysterics or John is listening to Dave Matthews). Hopefully, we'll keep our children safe from the corruption of our loud families, and we'll have quiet children as well. Children who, for the most part, are perfect.

Maybe Kendra was right when she said our kids would be snobs :)
Kari's will be strong-willed and give her a taste of her own medicine (and her mom will love it!).
Kendra's kids will be REALLY friendly and free-spirited...
As for Tim and Lindsay...who knows what will happen with that combination!
"But Moooo-om, choir practice is more important than a basketball game!"

Desperate Fiancees

I called in sick today because I was tired.

So what? Lack of sleep is a sickness, too. Wait, I don't have lack of sleep though. I'm just stinkin' exhausted! So I slept for twelve hours straight, no problem. I think it was long overdue. And I betcha I'll fall asleep just fine tonight.

I also called in sick today because my stomach hurt and I feel like I might be getting sick and there wasn't much that had to be done at school today anyway. I think my stomach hurt because I ate too much lastnight.

I haven't been eating much lately. Not hungry at all, just want soup. But we went to our favorite restaurant lastnight, Moe's, the cheap "southwest grill" place that has my favorite meal, "The Close Talker," which is the best salad I've ever eaten...right up with Applebee's Sante Fe Chicken Salad.

Who knew a salad could be so good?

So needless to say, I ate A LOT. I think my tummy was unprepared and I felt like vomit all night. That's reason two that I called off.

Maybe because I have no time to exercise my metabolism has plummeted and I just don't have much of an appetite.

Anyway, basically all I've done today is watch the past two episodes of Desperate Housewives, the show I never get to watch because of some other show that's on at the same time. I just love that show. It's so sinful, cruel and...funny. Hey, if I can't be that way, I might as well watch people that CAN, right?

Wedding

Wedding.

That word. Wedding.

When I was little, it was a word only meant for dreams. I would close my eyes and try to picture him but all I would get was a prince from a Disney movie or one of my kindergarten "boyfriends".

Back then, that word "wedding" meant lacy curtains over my face, a bouquet of roses, a big poofy dress and children singing "Here comes the bride, fair, fat and wide!" It meant special wedding vows and saying exactly the right thing. It meant the perfect ring, the perfect dress, the perfect flowers.

In high school, that word "wedding" meant freedom from the pressures of trying to impress, trying to live up to male standards, having the right things to say on each and every date... It meant freedom from wondering, "who, who, who?!" It meant no more break ups, a lot less heartbreak.

As I lay in bed this morning, staring at the word "wedding" on one of many of our packages from online wedding stores, I thought of what it means to me now.

What does "wedding" mean to me now? Does it mean lists of things we have yet to do? "Find a DJ and a photographer," I keep telling myself day in and day out. "How much?" I wonder to myself about almost everything. "Will our guests like this?" "Will our guests like that?"

"Don't get lost in the shuffle!" Any brides' magazine will tell you. "Remember what you're doing. Remember who you're marrying. Remember what you want. Remember what he wants. Remember, remember, remember."

It occurred to me then, after all that thinking, that I was no longer sure what the word "wedding" meant to me. What does it mean to me, really?

To some people it means that, after the wedding, the bride and groom won't like each other anymore. After a few years, they'll nearly despise each other and, if they're lucky, it will be a love/hate relationship with perhaps a little more love than hate.

I'm amazed. Will I ever not like John? Is that possible?

To some people it means that, after the wedding, the bride and groom won't look forward to seeing each other after a long day.

Which is strange to me because when I see John after 4 hours of being apart, I want nothing more than to be close to him. To hear everything about his day. To tell him everything about mine.

Well, anyway, the story goes on. So what does "wedding" mean to me now?

To me it means...

That on October 29th, I will walk down the aisle (in the sand), and after almost an entire day of not seeing John, I will have to wait more than 20 minutes to be in his arms. And honestly, if I am afraid of anything, I am afraid that I won't be able to wait for those words "you may kiss the bride."

So if you're at the ceremony, I'm just warning you, I may make a fool of myself.

:)

I am a first grade teacher...

...and therefore VERY dependent upon extrinsic motivation, thank you very much!

Why do guys always use CAPS lock? Then when I try to type it's ALL BIG AND OBNOXIOUS. Crazy.

Oh man. I have just experienced my first financial oopsie daisy. Don't worry, I'm not totally wiped out or anything. Well, I am, but there's an explanation. First of all, let me tell you, I DO keep track of everything. I do, but I don't necessarily pay attention to all of it. So at the end of January I had a large surplus, so I sort of went psycho and paid triple on my credit card, paid my student loans far in advance, and so on. Great idea, eh...? Hm. Not so much. Well, I sort of forgot about that and a couple weeks later bought plane tickets, wedding invitations, two cell phones, some new classroom stuff, an oil change...

So yes, I'm okay...don't send money or anything...I just got a little overzealous in being responsible and it backfired. Funny story I tell ya.

And there was a big sale at Banana Republic. Well, I can't be TOTALLY innocent, can I? You have to understand. BIG sale. BIG! And I'm serious, I don't have any clothes. Well, I do now. :)




Okay...so, Alison, um...I'd say wait for a reason to reward them. Or maybe do that your first week like my Aunt Cathy suggested with the Hershey Kiss things, but then you can use it against them..."Hey, remember when I made those treats for you? I'm NOT doing it anymore if you don't shut up right now!"

Maybe you could do the treats the first day and have links in the classroom like I do. This is a classroom reward system I use, so that when the kids are quiet, do great work, participate in class, receive compliments from other teachers, etc., they get a link or two or five and the other day they got 17 because I REALLY needed them to be quiet for like 10 minutes. The links hang from the top of my white board. When they have enough links that they reach the floor, they get a pizza party/beach party/etc. Surprisingly, older students enjoy this sort of thing even more than little kids do. It might just be a good way to get them to participate in class...although you might need one for each period you teach, which could be a pain. Anyway, you can say that first day, that they will get more treats like the one you just made if they get enough links (I make it nearly impossible to get to the floor...we've only had one party this year and we're not even close to having a second...because I'm poor and can't buy any more pizza!).

I wish my high school teachers would have done something like that.

I'm Not Writing ANYMORE

if no one is going to comment!

The Muskie Reunion

That's right, there was a Muskingum Reunion right here in southwest Florida and I drug John all the way to Fort Myers so that I could see Ransom Clark Dr. Helen Obenchain-Clark and Dr. Kokovich and his wife...oh yes, and the beloved Anne C. Steele.

Now, in case you are not a Muskie Alum, I should let you know that these are really old off-the-wall people. Dr. Obenchain has been married something like three or four times and she married our Vice President of something or other my freshman year of college, about 4 months after she met him, which was also about 4 months after she moved to Ohio. So yes, my professor (my really strange, old professor) was dating this funny, short, raspy-voiced man who retired from the CIA to be a lowly Vice President of something or other at good ol' Muskingum College. He and Helen then built a massive house which she filled with Ethan Allen furniture and antiques AND made his cat stay downstairs in the basement (she hated his cat)...(he had a putting-to-bed ritual for his cat)...(the cat had its own bathroom).

Dr. Kokovich was my Intro. to Hell--I mean, Education professor. Well, what can I say? I learned from the best.

He swore Kari was on QVC and he said that if he were my principal, he would have known better than to have spanked me.

Professors should never say that word--"spank." It just sounds...ew.

He also hated his wife's cat and told us how he would kick it every time she turned her back.

Anyway, Annie Bannie Bo Dannie made a presentation of all the things happening at Muskingum, and it was really, really neat. Did you know they've raised 39 million dollars in the past four years? And that the new Caldwell Hall is absolutely paid for? And that they're building a new student center in the Hollow? Very cool, I think.

You should have seen the old people's faces light up when they heard all the neat things happening at Muskingum. I mean, these people were Muskie Class of 1939, 1946, 1950, etc. John and I were doted over quite a bit, to say the least. At the end, we were even complimented on our "demeanor." I guess one old guy was really impressed that we could sit still for an hour while Annie Bannie Bo Dannie gave her schpeel.

Oh, and I told Dr. Obenchain that Lindsay and Tim are getting married in June. She and Ransom were absolutely shocked! Ransom's words were, "Well, that's an interesting couple!"

I just love Diet Dr. Pepper. It really does taste more like Dr. Pepper.

Well, you can't be a teacher without taking up drinking diet "soda."

I know I haven't been writing very often. I always think about neat things to write and then I forget. Then, when I sit down to write on here, all I can think of writing about is my job. I know you all get sick of that.

After that, I think maybe I could write about how much I LOVE John. But no, you all really don't want to read that!

I could make a list of all the things I need to do right on my blog. But no, you all really, really don't want to read that.

Hmm. I need to make a dessert for our school's potluck thingy next week. I would like to make my one of my two specialties: chocolate chip cookies or that Reese's/Oreo/cream cheese/pudding stuff. Both very, very good.

Sigh.

I'll think of something more interesting later! Promise!

People Pleasers

I'm reading a book about people pleasers and how they destroy their own lives by trying to please others.

Hahaha. That's not really the main idea of the book, but really, that is the gist of it!

So far I have made some changes! Ya'll would be proud a me. :)

I've confronted others when I'm angry, upset, or disagree. Really! I even made the cafeteria ladies give my students a special treat because the kids sitting across from them at the lunch table got these yummy brownies and my students didn't get any! Isn't that wrong? I asked the ladies why and they said that it was the last batch (in one line, but the other line had none, and they were going through at the same time, so the kids didn't really understand that). And I said, "Well, the kids are pretty upset...and rightly so, because the kids right across from them have brownies that are huge with sprinkles on them and they look really really good. Do you have anything else that you could give to the students who didn't get a brownie? Or maybe you could cut some in half?"

Come on people.

I have also confronted my principal about two things in the past week. My principal! Way to go, me. And you know what? It does make things better, even if I do get a few enemies. :)

There's this girl...

Thirteen random things you like:

miniature candy bars
new shoes
new paper
Vis-a-Vis markers
my diamonds
cats
roses
my wedding dress
palm trees
sunshine
memories of my siblings when they were babies
funny dreams
goodmorning kisses

Twelve movies:

Maid in Manhatten
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Wedding Planner
The Butterfly Effect
Good Will Hunting
Sleeping Beauty
Happy Gilmore
You've Got Mail
Serendipity
High Fidelity
The Little Princess
Amelie


11 good bands/artists:

Well, I don't know if they're good, but I like them...

Sheryl Crow
tobyMac
Third Day
Building 429
LeAnn Rimes
Rascal Flatts (sometimes)
AC/DC :)
Jessica Simpson (I like her, I don't care)
Not Eminem
Green Day
Nirvana
Coldplay

(I like a variety)

10 things about you....physically:

Curly/straight hair
Strong fingernails
Pretty hands
Nice wrists
Pretty feet
White teeth
Nothing horribly wrong with me
No serious acne
Good hips
Um....not big ears?

Nine good friends (in no particular order):

Susan
Lindsay
Sarah
Kari
Kendra
Sharon
Jen
Nicole
My mommy

Eight Favorite foods/drinks:

Elmo juice
Diet Dr. Pepper
Iced tea
Peanut M&Ms
Fairly Oddparents cheesecrackers
Spinach salads
garlic bread
shredded cheddar cheese


5 things that you wear daily:

diamond necklace
diamond ring
Livestrong bracelet
watch
deoderant

Six things that annoy you:

Printers, copiers, scanners, computers
7 year olds :)
miniature carpets
dust
cat litter
cat pee

Five things you touch everyday:

water bottle
Flintstone vitamins and calcium vitamins :)
toothbrush
soap
lotion

Four shows you watch:

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
CSI
Desperate Housewives (when John lets me have the tv...grrrr)
West Wing

Three celebrites you wouldn't miss in a movie:

Meg Ryan
Brad Pitt
Matt Damon

One person that you could spend the rest of your life with:

John Erdman :)

Saturday, I hate to love you.

It's Saturday and I stayed in bed so long
I feel like I might throw up.

It's Saturday and I watched CMT so long
So that maybe I'd catch my new theme song.

I think I should work out, do laundry, clean up, write lesson plans, read, write a poem, do my hair for once, paint my nails and wear my brand new Docs (yes!).

I'm not really sure what it is I want to do anymore...it's all have to do's. I have to do this, I have to do that.

And I stayed in bed so long I feel like I might throw up, so I guess I really don't want to do anything. But if I don't do anything, I'll lay there and think about what I have to do, which will lead to stress and feeling more pukey.

Sigh. I don't like this.

Saturday, I can't even enjoy you anymore!

That's me, complaining about adulthood again.

I Spoke Too Soon

Have you ever thought you were going to do something really cool and so you told everyone and then it didn't work out and so you thought then, that everyone must think you're "chicken" or a loser or maybe just that you jumped the gun...?

Well, I do that sort of thing all the time. And it just so happens that I did it again. John and I decided not to move out of his family's house.

This is not a total disappointment. It was sort of bad either way--if we move out, we would have a lot more independence (which is nice and it is something we're certainly ready for) but then there's that whole FINANCIAL independence thing that's a little, um...well, you know.

Now it's not that we can't afford an apartment, especially one that is as cheap and as good of quality as the one we were getting (frown), but there's the student loan issue, the credit issue, and oh yeah, the wedding.

So I'm actually rather EXCITED. Yes, excited. I was getting a bit concerned about the debt that would, undoubtedly, accumulate with the upcoming nuptials.

John's mom has also been begging us to stay and my mom thought it would be better for us to stay as well...and, it just so happens that mothers are usually right. Not always! But usually. :)

At least this way, when we are actually married and can actually live together and sleep together and do all that stuff together :) we won't have quite as many issues ($$$$$) to keep us awake at night.

This is the good part.

I had a dream lastnight that John was Dr. Seuss. It's true. One day he sat me down and said, "Amanda. I am Dr. Seuss." So, we started writing children's books together. It was the greatest.

So many teachers would be excellent authors! But really, what teacher has the stinkin' time to do anything like that? I mean criminy, I barely have time to write on my blog :)

Diagnosis

Symptoms:

Sore throat
Chronic headache (REALLY bad headache)
Sore joints and muscles
Frequent cold sweats

Diagnosis:

(choose one)

-Addicted to caffeine
-High stress levels
-New down comforter too warm
-Blood clot in my brain
-Lupas

Any suggestions?

More Wedding Details

Just because I'm getting asked a lot of questions, here you go: :)


Flying: Okay. So...if you're flying out of Ohio I recommend taking one of the smaller airports (Canton, Cincinnati) instead of Cleveland (it's usually cheaper) and if you don't mind, you can take a stop in Charlotte or Atlanta (even more cheaper) depending on the airline you fly. If you are definitely coming, I would schedule my flights now (even cheaper). Fly in to Fort Myers. From there, it's pretty much a straight shot to the hotel, about 40 minutes or something. You may want a rental car or someone can pick you up. If any of you can arrange flying together, that would make it much easier. There's a rental car place there, too, so you may want that--especially if you're staying any extra days.

Hotel: VERY IMPORTANT. Our wedding and reception is at the Vanderbilt Inn. If you want a room there, let me know. You can choose poolside, beachside, and some other stuff. We have 15 rooms already for sure. Or you can just call them yourself and tell them you're with the Harrington/Erdman wedding.

If you'd like other hotel suggestions, just let me know.

Vanderbilt Inn: www.vanderbiltinn.com (239) 597-3151

There is a group discount...these are the prices your rooms would be.

Friday and Saturday (per night): Poolside: 100.00 Parking View: $90.00
Sunday-Thursday (per night): Poolside: $82.00 Parking View: $90.00

Bridesmaids: Remember, your rooms are free!

Trick or Treating: Yes, that is Halloween weekend. We don't know when trick-or-treating will be, but it will probably be Saturday night. If you have kids with you, you HAVE to bring them trick or treating in our neighborhood. It is so neat. People really go all out and decorate their houses and stuff. And...it's still very warm, so no winter coats to hide your costumes! And...people give TONS of candy. I'm just letting you know...I was concerned about having the wedding that weekend because I didn't want the kids to be upset about missing trick-or-treating. So please don't let them miss trick-or-treating (since it is my favorite holiday and all, I totally understand how they'd feel)!

Kids in general: We are definitely having a kid-friendly wedding and reception. There will be tons of things for them to do. The ocean is also very safe here, as there are very few waves here in the gulf (unless there's a hurricane...) So, please bring them and don't feel they aren't welcome!

Wedding Details

The date: October 29th, 2005 (Saturday)

Time: 3:00

Place: Vanderbilt Inn
Naples, Florida

We have some cool stuff planned so you better show up! :)

I've Done It

Yes folks, it's true. I have actually succeeded in acquiring more pairs of Victoria's Secret underwear than any other article of clothing I own (including individual socks).

It's the sales that aren't really "sales" because I think there almost always is one.

It's the gold print around the top waistband.

It's the colors, prints, and varieties of all kinds.

And...if I were on a stranded island and could only bring one article of clothing, you guessed it, it would be a Victoria's Secret bra. I never leave home without it. Heck, I never leave the bedroom without it.

I NEVER, ever, ever, in a million years would ever burn a Victoria's Secret bra. I hope those women's lib. women didn't burn VS's bras.

I don't find my Victoria's Secret bras restricting. If anything, they're uplifting.

:)