I'm all grown up!

There are certain things in life that make me realize I am a grown adult, nowadays.

You might think that's a weird comment, but if you could get inside my head, you would know that I still feel like a child and think like a child very often. (Okay, just so you know, I am aware that if you didn't think my first comment was weird, you probably are definitely changing your tune as you continue to read.)

Here are some things that slap me in the face with this horrible realization - I'm all grown up!:

1. When I was trying to think about what to post on my blog, I thought about telling you how Miles was devastated after coming home with three new "soaker" hoses last night, getting them all set up, and sitting down to watch the news to find that Fort Worth will put water restrictions in place, beginning on Monday. He had plans, people - plans to save our bushes!



2. I know what soaker hoses are, I watch the news, and I am worried about our landscaping. I wouldn't pay any of those things any mind, if I wasn't all grown up.

3. I have foot issues - like old person foot issues. What the hell!?

4. The state of the U.S. public education system has me so upset, I can't stop calling my parents to talk it out.

If you care, too, visit www.studentsfirst.org.

5. I am thinking that I shouldn't have ended my last sentence with a preposition. You may have noticed, I don't follow stringent grammar rules here on The Sweet Life. But, I still THOUGHT it! I'm old.

6. Health Insurance - It's confusing to me, not exciting, and when I'm dealing with it, I think, "Wwwhhhyyyy? I so wish I was on the playground."

7. The two things that made me feel like I had immediately grown up, and simultaneously question why I didn't feel different now that I had "grown up," were getting married and buying a house. Those were milestone events, y'all. Amazing, but so grown up of me!






8. I told my students I was "appalled," when they didn't get my joke today because they have never heard of John Denver.

I remember laughing so hard at my own 8th grade teacher, when she kept my friend and I after class to tell us we needed to come down out of space and try to learn algebra. We literally thought she must think we were aliens, or why else would she say that? I thought, "I'll never be so grown up that I don't remember how it is to not care because you're 13."

But, I have, I've forgotten - I'm that grown up. I get mad at my students for not knowing about someone who died about a year before they were born (and they didn't even care for an explanation)!


9. I know that I am not going to live forever. (No more invincible feeling.) And, I am okay with that, because I am sooooooo tired. ;) I know, I know, I don't even have kids, yet.

10. Lastly, I have been going slowly grey for at least two years. I know, I know, I don't even have kids, yet.

Happy Birthday, Ava!

Ava is my niece, and today she is three! It really puts time into perspective, when I think about how big she is getting. On the one hand, I can't believe she is already three, and on the other, it feels like I've always loved Ava and had her here to love.


Ava is smart! She is beautiful, funny, and sweet. Watching her grow up and hearing all the funny things she says is such a joy. Joanie sometimes posts pictures Ava has taken from her phone, and I love it. It feels like you get to see things from her perspective. Here are two she took, one ofJoanie and a self portrait.





I am lucky to be an aunt to such a special girl! Happy Birthday, Ava!

What a Mess

Guess what this is...



Nope.

It's Amish Friendship Bread batter.

Bet that wasn't your first guess, unless you spoke to me on Thursday (which is highly possible because I don't think anyone is reading this that I don't speak to almost daily).

Some sweet friends of ours prepared this batter for us, and if you know anything about this batter, you know that means a lot of work! Seriously, they probably did about 6 days worth of steps before giving it to us with instructions about what to do over the course of the next few days and how to bake.

Our job was easy once they gave it to us. All we had to do was keep the air out of the bag and mush it each day. And, we were doing such a good job!

So, imagine our despair when this guy got it off the counter and spread it all over our wool rug.


Not cool. I spent two and a half hours cleaning up this really thick and smelly fiasco. Just thought I'd share.

Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to do all the steps and give it to me again:

So Long Summer

August 13th!? Really?

I try to keep up with blogging, but there has been so much going on this month that I just haven't had the time. Well, when I do have the time, my brain is too tired to write.

...Okay, acceptable. You don't buy it because you know I've really just been feeding my addiction to Pinterest. You're smart.


This month, I have mainly been focusing on moving classrooms at work, attending some professional development, and lesson planning. The move is occurring because I have changed from teaching 7th grade to 8th grade.

This change is super exciting to me. It will be a challenge to get a good understanding of the new curriculum, but not the biggest challenge of this school year. My district has changed the scheduling, and I will now have 45 minute classes (used to be 90 minutes). That is literally HALF the time I've ever had to teach.

They didn't half the curriculum I'm supposed to cover, either! Geez, thanks, guys.

Really, I'm exaggerating my annoyance with this, because the main reason behind the change is that it helps to save money (need less teachers), and I am fortunate to teach in an amazing district that didn't have layoffs and have a great job.



So it's all good.

This summer has gone by really quickly, but I am not sorry. Today is the first cloudy, not over the top ridiculously hot day, we have had. The heat really made me contemplate the intelligence of year round schools. Why not be at work/school when it's miserable outside?


Monday, I am back to work. I truly am excited! Even as a child, I was always ready for the routine, the productivity, the busyness that a new school year brings. It's that "new year" feeling that inspires you to be better, more of all that you already attempt to be.

Three work-related, you don't care because it has nothing to do with you, goals:

1. Energy - make it last all year, stay motivated and positive
2. Environment - have super high expectations, even for little "Johnny" who you really think may be there as a test for you from the government
3. Efficiency - especially in grading and assessment areas


So long summer. Tell Fall, we are ready!

Tennis Time?

Tennis is awesome because you don't need a whole team to play, you can play at any level and still have fun, and you can get in a good workout.

Now, I used to play tennis everyday, but that was a few (or more...) years ago. I haven't played regularly, in fact, since freshman year in college. I have been missing it a lot, and am trying to get Miles into it. So, imagine my excitement when I was asked to join a league with some old tennis friends and other ladies!



Unfortunately, I found out last week that it fell through. Truth be told, it was a little daunting to be joining a pretty tough league that would have probably whooped my booty. (Since my booty needs to be whooped into shape, it would have been the perfect way to do it, though.) It also hurt a little that I'd been so excited, I had immediately registered with USTA to get my official membership.



And by registered and hurt, I mean payed $45 to be legit in league tournaments.

My goal is to still go practice with Miles, maybe find a league to join that's even closer to my home, and still get back into playing tennis more - even if the first plan didn't pan out.

Also, I've decided what will help motivate me is a bit of a temperature drop and a cute, new tennis outfit!

Kidding!

...kind of.

Brier Lake Weekend 2011

Each year, I try to get my side of the family together at Miles' family's lake house. It's always a blast. This year, we begged Joanie and Jacob to drive 6 hours to join us, and they did! It was wonderful and rare to have everyone together, sleeping under one roof, for the whole weekend. Here's the breakdown...

Eight adults. (10 on Saturday)
Three kiddos.
One baby.

One lake house.

It was FUN.













It was CHAOTIC.











It was EXHAUSTING.










It was SPECIAL.

It Began with Wham

The moment I discovered I was locked out of my house at 8:40 a.m. was when I tried to walk through the door. But, I just walked into the door pretty hard instead. Wham!

I hit it hard because I was excited to go get back in bed, and proud of myself for getting up to start a load of laundry and do some dishes, so I was moving quick. (That sentence makes me laugh because it's true.)

Anyway, once I discovered that the door leading from the garage (where my washer/dryer is located) to the kitchen was not going to open, I checked our other doors. They were all good and locked up because we live in crazy days, y'all. We don't hide a key outside because... we live in crazy days, y'all.

I assessed my options, and decided to take the following steps:

1. Try to pick the lock. Nope, not happening.

2. Think I'm going to be able to take the door knob off, since I do have all of Miles' tools here in the garage. Nope, the door manufacturers know their stuff. That wouldn't be smart.

3. Realized how I looked at the moment, since it was becoming apparent that I was going to have to involve some one else in this drama (Miles had left for work as I went into the garage to start some laundry. I won't say that any of this was his fault. ...see?). I looked like morning blah-ness, with no shoes and my really comfy, even if slightly falling apart, sleepwear. Ugh.

4. Made the perfect choice in who to go to for help - Wilda. My sweet, elderly neighbor. She proffered coffee, bananas, a phone book, a phone, air conditioning.

5. I needed the phone book because Miles' phone is on the fritz (another saga), and without my phone I didn't know his work number by heart. They weren't listed. Awesome.

6. Realized that of all the people who have a key to our house, Sarina and Matt would be my best bet (since they live the closest). I only knew Sarina's number by heart. Lo and behold, she and Matt were both off work, and I'd caught them right as they were leaving home. Thank goodness!

7. Thought about how I used to know everyone's number by heart, no problem, and how, now a days, I am not smart. But, that's okay, because my smart phone is. Unless I'm locked out of a house where my smart phone is. It would really be a smart phone if it unlocked the doors!

8. Sat on the porch with Wilda, eating my banana, and talking about the history of our neighborhood until Matt and Sarina arrived.

Thankfully, they let me in. But, I never did go back to bed...