All the stuff I didn't blog...

With all the getting settled, going to Florida (three times in five weeks!), and chasing a very active 4-year-old around, I haven't gotten around to blogging about some things.  So here we go...

At the end of June, Amelia and I went to Florida to visit my parents (this was just a week before my mom got sick with meningitis).  One afternoon my mom and I took Amelia to see Brave, and we all enjoyed it.

My dad had set up a tire swing for Amelia, and she loved it.  And my parents also gave her a bug-catching kit that she also enjoyed.  You can see both in this photo.

While we were in Florida, my parents kept Amelia so I could help out with The Walk, North Point Ministries' high school event at the beach. (The lady who took my place when I moved could stay with the girls only the first two nights because of a schedule conflict, so I tag-teamed and stayed the last two nights.) Here I am with some of the girls on the elevator at our resort.

These girls have matured (in a good way) so much in just a year. I'm a bit sad I'm not their group leader anymore. :-(

And here I am with my co-leader, Jen.  She is just nineteen, but she has a lot of wisdom and life experience for a teenager. We really clicked as co-leaders.  I've really enjoyed getting to know her and have enjoyed leading the girls with her this past year.

Back in Baton Rouge...on July 4th, we went with our friends Rebecca and Damian to see the fireworks on the Mississippi.  Amelia was excited!

A couple of weeks ago, Amelia and I met our friends Kaye and Connor for a fun morning at the science museum/planetarium.  I wasn't sure how Amelia would like it, but she had a great time!

One day I got brave (or stupid) and took Amelia to Chuck E. Cheese.  (Actually, it wasn't too bad. We went on a weekday afternoon.)

Anytime I take Amelia to campus with me, we have to see Mike the Tiger. (Obviously, this isn't the REAL tiger.)

Here's the real tiger.  He is napping in the shade every time we see him.  I think Mike the Tiger is resting up because he knows the football season could be a long one, given recent events.

(While Mike has a super-nice habitat, I'm sad that he doesn't share it with a tiger friend.)





Here's my friend Martha. She met us for donuts and coffee one morning. Amelia took this pic, but I like it because it is "true Martha."

This past weekend, the three of us went to Amelia's school for a little popsicle party/teacher meet-and-greet.  I can't believe this girl is ready for Pre-K.

And I think that brings us up to speed!

Office Space: Men vs. Women

When my new teaching gig became "official," one of my first concerns was getting my office in order.

(First, you should know that by "office," I mean a windowless shoebox.)

(But that is okay with me, because A) I have worked here before and knew ahead of time what the offices look like, and B) I don't enjoy teaching because of the office space.)

ANYWAY...

There is a whole back story on the office situation.  The brief version? I was assigned an office, but the current inhabitant had not (and still has not) vacated it, so I was moved to another office.  The whole point of this tidbit of info is that I was eager to set up shop, but was delayed, and delayed, and delayed.

Through the wait, I (perhaps too much) voiced my frustration to Darryl, and he just. didn't. get. it.

Darryl: Isn't an office the last of your priorities?

Amy: No! I have to have a good space to work! And if it is a gross color, like Pepto-pink, I might have to paint it.

Darryl: WHAT? Paint it?? If you have a desk and a computer, what more do you need?

And so on.

And here is yet another area where men and women are different.

Allow me to show you Darryl's office decor (forgive the poor lighting):

A panoramic Doak Campbell stadium poster above the white board (containing computer stuff I don't understand):

The Jackass calendar I give him for Christmas every year (an ongoing joke):

A drawing of Chief Osceola (in a cracked frame, nonetheless) and a photo calendar of Amelia:

And that is it.  That's the office where the magic happens.

FINALLY, I got a key to my office, and there was much work to do.  Here are the "before" shots.

And here are the "after" shots:

From the door:

I like the London/Big Ben canvas because it reminds me of our 10th Anniversary Trip to London (although truth be told...I picked up that canvas at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago), and The Great Gatsby is perhaps my favorite novel (it is in the top three, at least).

The spare desk (first, the board over this desk is more centered -- and level -- than it appears in this photo, and second, I tried to get this desk moved to no avail, but I think I like it there because it will be a good space for students who have to make up work.)

And my desk corner (there will be a computer on that desk by Monday...I hope):

The ugly bookcase remains, but I'm just going to label it "vintage industrial."

Also vintage? This phone.

Hello? 1982 called. It would like its phone back.

(I removed that lovely woven placemat under it.)

I've very happy with how the office turned out.  (And fortunately, it was a pale gray as opposed to Pepto-pink, so I didn't have to do any painting.)


On an unrelated note...I promise my mother that I will (finally) post some Amelia photos tomorrow. :-)

My Own Olympics Wrap-Up (Before it is Over)

Now that gymnastics is over, swimming is done, and Lolo Jones has jumped her hurdles...I'm pretty much done with the Olympics.  I'm more of a first-half-of-the-Olympics kind of gal.

Here are some moments I particularly loved:

1--Kate Middleton, anytime, anywhere.  However, my favorite moment was possibly during a men's event final, when she was sitting next to a male British gymnast and was talking to him about what they were watching. (I'm assuming that's what they were talking about.  For all I know, they could have been talking about the Kristen Stewart-Robert Pattison breakup.) Anyway, it was apparent he was giddy but trying to keep it cool for the Duchess.

2--The moment when runner Kirani James hugged Oscar Pistorius and wanted to switch bibs with him after their 400-meter race.  Later in an interview, Pistorius mentioned how much that gesture meant to him. (And really...watching Pistorius run literally gave me goosebumps. So inspiring.) (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you need to get on The Google.)

3--The Fab 5 cheering on their competing team members at event finals. I want to believe they are all friends.

4--Gabby Douglass winning the All-Around.  You go, girl!  (Also...I don't get the complaints about her hair. Have you ever watched a gymnast compete and think, "Oh, I love her hair"? No...because they are all wearing the ponytail held in place by Goody clips.)

5--Swimmer Missy Franklin dwarfing Bob Costas during their (hilarious) interview.  I love her and want to teach her. Think we can get her to Louisiana??? (I cannot find a photo of them together, but trust me...I laughed and laughed!)

5--The many faces of Debbie Phelps.  Oh, how I will miss her.

(A week or so ago, my friend Tim said, "I think Debbie likes to shop at the Chico's." Oh my word, I laugh every time I think about that.)

(No offense to anyone who wears Chico's.)


AND...that's about it on these Olympic games. Unless I have some thoughts about the Closing Ceremonies, and I just might.

I can't wait for two more years when I can put everything on hold to watch the Winter Olympics. I tend to have a lot of thoughts about figure skating...


(Edited to add that Oscar Pistorius is running one more time tonight as part of South Africa's relay team.  If you haven't seen him compete, you MUST. Set your DVR. If it doesn't inspire you, you have no soul. That's all.)

You Might Need to Direct Me to This Post 6 Months From Now

I'm ready for a routine.

I'm ready for school to start.

I'm ready to put on "grown-up clothes" complete with "grown-up shoes" and get in my car and drive to work.

I'm ready for Amelia to go to school so she can learn and play and tell me all about it when I pick her up.

I'm ready to go to bed at a decent hour and get up at the same time each morning. (Granted, nothing is preventing me from doing that now, but...)

I'm ready for weekends to feel like weekends.

That being said...I really have enjoyed the past year that I have spent being a stay-at-home mom. Originally, that wasn't my plan when I left high school teaching; my plan was to find a job with a more manageable workload so that I could work but be "done" at the end of the day.  That wasn't in the cards, apparently, and maybe that's a good thing.  I feel like Amelia and I have had oodles of quality time.  And I've enjoyed it.  I've definitely been less stressed.

My hat goes off to stay-at-home moms.  It is more exhausting than people realize. Rewarding, yes, but exhausting nonetheless.

As I've been preparing for my new job, I'm getting more excited. I know this job will have its challenges (and I'm already dealing with some, but I haven't decided just how much I should share about that or if I should share anything about it at all), but it just seems very doable at this point. Who knows? Maybe I'm greatly underestimating the work load, or maybe I'm having amnesia about what it was like to do this job before, but as I'm getting all my stuff together, I'm thinking yes...I can do this!

A List of Things on My Mind -- End-of-Summer Edition

1. I was extremely happy to say farewell to July 2012, which will go down in my personal history as a month I didn't care for very much at all. My mom's ongoing battle with relentless viral meningitis is one big strike against July. In addition, several of my friends have been hit with some hard times this month as well.  So there, July 2012. I'm glad to see you go.

2. Words cannot express the "OVER IT-ness" I feel about the Chick-fil-a war. All I have to say is this: I was struck by the juxtaposition of watching competing athletes from different countries congratulate each other's victories as I was reading (and often rolling my eyes at) the venomous comments spewed from both sides on FB about Chick-fil-a. That's all.

3. I am obsessed with the Olympics. OBSESSED. (Also, I might be in the minority, but I far prefer watching swimming to watching track and field events, so I'm a bit sad swimming is over.)

4. Like him or not, Michael Phelps is remarkable.  Well done, Michael Phelps.

5. I love Missy Franklin and Gabby Douglas. I wish I could find a photo of them side by side...because they would look like Mutt and Jeff.

6. My last three (four?) points are about the Olympics.  See? I told you I was obsessed.

7. It seems so early for people to be going back to school.  I still have two more weeks. Woot!

8. Darryl and I had a date night with our friends Damian and Rebecca the other night. It was nice to have a meal where I didn't have to take someone to the potty right as my food arrived. (Amelia has a knack for that kind of timing.)

The end.