Last Week of Summer

This is the third blog post I've started this week. My goal is to finish this one and actually post it.

This week has been pretty full.

Monday, I crossed one of the items off "my list" by having photos done of Amelia. A friend from church is a photographer, and while I haven't seen the finished products yet, he showed me a couple of shots on the playback screen of his camera and they were totally cute. Amelia was pretty pleasant through the process, so I'm hoping the pictures turn out well.

Tuesday, I went to the school one last time before I go back tomorrow for the real thing. I was able to get a good bit accomplished, so I consider it time well spent.

Yesterday, Amelia and I had a lazy morning and stayed in our PJs until almost noon. I had wanted to take her swimming one more time, but thunderclouds were looming overhead all afternoon, so we strolled through a shopping center instead. It never did rain, though, and Darryl was able to take her swimming and I went to dinner with my friend Sabrina.

Today, Amelia and I went to see my cousin Vicky at her office, and then we spent my $100 Georgia Teacher Gift Card. My big item was a heavy-duty electric pencil sharpener. (Exciting, I know.) I've also decided to bring back good ol' journal writing in my regular English classes this year, and I found 70-page composition notebooks at Walmart for 5 cent each, so I bought 75 of them. Thank goodness the cashier scanned only one and took my word that I had 75 of them. :) Seriously, y'all, that was a BARGAIN! I was practically giddy. The rest of my card went to pens, pencils, index cards, and other little necessity items.

The rest of the day was spent playing, napping, and just hanging out. I'm going to confess that I held Amelia every minute she was napping.

I'm probably going to sound like a big sap here, but I think I may have a harder time taking Amelia to daycare tomorrow than I did the very first time I took her after my maternity leave. It's like my mom said on the phone tonight...it's like Amelia is a person now. Now I'm taking my daughter who loves to crawl, stop, then look back at me and laugh. I'm taking back my baby who likes to fiddle with my necklace charm as she falls to sleep and play peek-a-boo endlessly. In many ways, I'm looking forward to going back to work and seeing my friends and getting back in the classroom. But I'm definitely going to miss the luxury of time I've had with my girl.

Shopping and Stuff

I've been a bit negligent on the blog front because y'all, not much is going on. Let me give you the rundown on what "not much" looks like in our household:

Wednesday, I did a little shopping for me. Yep, I did. I need some school clothes every year to get me excited about going back to school. (It didn't work.) After shopping the mall for two hours and going to all my favorite stores, guess where I had the most success? Target. That's right.

Thursday, I had to take care of some personal maintenance (meaning I had my hair cut and my eyebrows waxed--poor Amelia is going to be especially blessed in the eyebrow department because her dad and I both have healthy eyebrows). I also worked most of the day at school while Amelia spent some time in daycare.

Friday, I became obsessed with finding Amelia a pair of shoes. Amelia has pretty wide feet, so that means the cheap shoes at Target do not fit. After doing much research (seriously, MUCH research) on mommy boards and such, I discovered a brand called Pedipeds and bought her a pair. They're adorable. I see how this could quickly become an obsession because I'm already thinking about her second pair.

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. I shopped a little more (sue me), and Amelia and I had a bit of a "bedtime showdown" last night that is a blog post in itself. I'll go ahead and tell you the score: Amelia-1, Her Mother-0.

But she's cute.

The Weekend, Heat, and Other Stuff

This past weekend, we went to Florida again. Darryl needed to do more work at his dad's (his dad probably kept every used checkbook and every bank statement since the mid-80s--lots of shredding to do!).

On Saturday, my dad's brothers and sister and their spouses came over for a cookout. This was the first time they had seen Amelia, so it was a big event. I could kick myself now for not getting more pictures, but I did get a good one of Amelia with her Great Uncle Joe:

Sunday, I was able to take Amelia swimming with her Aunt Ashley and cousins Madison and Avery. Amelia loves the pool!

Afterwards, she had even more fun by swinging in her swing at Nana and Papa's house.



As for me...I played Guitar Hero for the first time ever this weekend. I loved it--definitely my kind of game. It's probably good I don't have it at the house.

Mr. Benny's dog (and now Ashley's dog) Lily loves my niece Avery's bouncy seat probably more than Avery herself. Any time we couldn't find Lily, she was usually curled up asleep here. Forgive the wicked eyes...I couldn't fix them on my computer. Oh, you can see just a tiny bit of the "to be shredded" pile behind her.


In other unrelated stuff...it is so HOT here. I had been getting up in the mornings and walking with Amelia, but it has been in the high 70s by 7:30. The other day, I had decided to walk in the evening, but at 8:00 (still light outside), it was 90 degrees! Ugh!

This, too, is completely unrelated and random, but I've mentioned before how much I like Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. If you like them too--or even remotely like them--you should pick up the latest Ladies' Home Journal. (I had to buy it immediately when I saw them on the cover.) There is a wonderful interview with them about their friendship through Roberts's cancer--apparently they are extremely close friends in "real life." I think I loved this article so much because it is such a positive picture of female friendship. Women often have the reputation for being catty and jealous--and in my opinion this reputation is often earned--but here are two women who have tremendous respect and gratitude for each other. (And Sawyer is a hoot, too.) It made me even more sure that I want to have them over for chips and salsa and board games. :)

And on the school front...yesterday, Amelia had a somewhat impromptu day at daycare so I could start working on stuff for school. I'm not sure why I do this, but every year I have all these ideas of how I could reinvent the wheel, and then I get overwhelmed by reinventing the wheel. My American Lit class is pretty straightforward--it is taught chronologically. However, I'm thinking of teaching my 10th graders' class with a more thematic approach. This is requiring a bit more thought than I have energy for, however.

I know this post is rambling, but I figured I would just cram all my thoughts into one long one instead of dividing it into several. Anyway...

Cute Amelia Pics...Just Because

Pureed sweet potatoes with chicken must be delish!!




I love this smile!

Amelia likes playing with her new farm animals...

BUT they aren't as fun as the TV remote!!!!

Baking and More Baking

Today was Amelia's daycare day. (And no, I wasn't one of "those" mothers who take sick children to daycare...Amelia appears to be fine.) I decided to make this a "me day." Did I want to shop? No. Did I want to nap? Well, kind of. But really what I wanted to do was bake a couple of things from my new cookbook, Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. We're heading to Florida again this weekend, and I wanted to take a couple of things that both adults and kids might enjoy.

The first recipe I tried was "Chewy, Chunky Blondies," a delicious combination of butterscotch, chocolate, coconut, and walnuts in a cookie dough-ish batter. I do think I baked them just a hair too long (I blame it on the fact that the blondies didn't do what they were supposed to--pull away from the sides of the pan--to indicate their doneness), but they are still pretty good, especially with a scoop of ice cream.



Later, I made just good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies (from the same cookbook). I love chocolate chip cookies (seriously, who doesn't?), and I always like to try new recipes for them. These are good, a bit thinner than I like my cookies, and I think I prefer a sweeter chocolate than the bittersweet chocolate the recipe calls for, but that's just a personal preference. The cookies still taste really good, though, and I would make both these recipes again.

I also made stuffed bell peppers for dinner. And picked Amelia up from daycare, fed her, and rocked her to sleep. And I did laundry.

I'm every woman. I know. :)

Now I'm tired.

(I would like to add that Darryl did help feed her--it took two attempts because she was CRANKY the first time--and he also bathed her and tried to rock her to sleep. That, too, took two attempts. I just wanted to clarify that my husband wasn't just sitting on the couch, eating bonbons while I was being every woman.)

My Big, Fat Waffle House Wedding

I had heard about this on a local radio station, but Kim sent me a link to the pics. Scroll to the bottom to watch the slide show!

"Nana's" Departure, School, Cold, Grouchiness...

My mom left yesterday. Amelia and I had a lot of fun with her while she was here. It also gave me a bit of a break. I've already discussed the night out that Darryl and I had, but it was also nice to take a shower every morning without feeling rushed.

I realize I need to start thinking about school. To inspire me, I've bought a few English-teaching-related books. I just need some fresh ideas in teaching old stuff, you know?

I think I'm getting a cold or a sinus/allergy thing. Runny nose yesterday, sore throat today. I hope it passes quickly. Amelia had something similar earlier this week, but she seems to be over it. When I called Sunday morning to check on how the night went with Amelia and my mom, my mom said, "Well, she has a runny nose this morning, but I promise I didn't do anything to make her sick!" Anyway, she was better the next day. I hope I am, too.

Speaking of Amelia...she has been a bit grouchy the past couple of days. Not sure what's going on there. Teething, maybe? (Surely this girl is going to get a tooth SOMETIME.) Change in routine? Not feeling 100% because of the runny nose thing? All of the above?

So that's the excitement going on here...

Our Getaway!!

Because my mom was in town and insisted she could take care of Amelia for 24 hours by herself, we took advantage of the opportunity to have a night to ourselves! Going to a nice restaurant! Staying in a hotel! Having a full night's sleep! Woohoo!

First, let me say that Amelia, who turned 8 months old yesterday, decided to accomplish the major milestone of pulling up to a standing position by herself about 45 minutes after we left the house:

Figures.

Anyway, our first stop was the new World of Coke museum. We just wanted something to do that was "different" and that wouldn't kill the whole afternoon. I guess the museum is worth a visit; it kept us entertained. And the kids there seemed to enjoy it a great deal. However, if any of you had been to the old one...I think the old one was better. To me, one of the cool things about the old museum was the coke that shot in the air from one side of the room to the other in the tasting exhibit. The new one doesn't do that. :( That made me sad.

After the museum we got settled in our hotel room at Twelve, which is located at Atlantic Station. Twelve is a fairly new hotel that really markets its "modern" decor. We actually had a suite (all Twelve has is suites), and it probably would have been really great for a week's stay; the kitchenette featured new, stainless steel appliances and the furniture was really modern. The TVs were flat screens. However, what struck us most about the decor was how it just felt unfinished...bare concrete in places, a wooden ceiling that still had the builders' notes written in pencil on the wood. Interesting. Oh, and our room featured a spectacular view of the really strange Roman-like arch in the middle of it all, which apparently is the Millennium Gateway of Atlanta. Whatever. Here's Darryl looking at the Millennium Gateway from our balcony. Is it me, or is that arch just a bit out of place?
Last night we had a wonderful, fabulous dinner at The Capital Grille in Buckhead. We have been there a few times before and have enjoyed it, but I think last night's dinner was the best yet. I swear I have never been this full after dinner, not even after Thanksgiving. We started out with prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella with tomatoes. Holy cow. There are no words to describe it. Simple, but good. Then we shared a crock of French onion soup. Even if you are not a big French onion soup person, you might like theirs. It is hands-down the best I've ever tasted. I was already feeling full by this point, but we went on with our entrees; I had the beef filet and Darryl had the Delmonico ribeye. Again, delicious. I ate probably half of mine, though, because I wanted dessert, which was coconut cream pie. I love coconut cream pie, period, but this was fabulous. The crust was wonderful; my guess is that it possibly had some cake mix in the crust--which may sound weird--but it tasted very similar to the crust on the cream cheese bars I make, and that crust has cake mix in it. Anyway...I thought I was going to have to be fork-lifted out of the restaurant. (Also, is it just me, but when you eat a lot at a restaurant--like A LOT--do you almost feel as though you need to say to the waiter, "I don't normally eat like this" or "I haven't eaten anything all day." I don't say these things, but I really, really want to.)

After eating that delicious dinner, we walked around Atlantic Station for a while. The walk did absolutely nothing in making us feel less miserably full, however.

But of course, this morning (and I'd like to add that my eyes popped open at 6:30 on the morning I had an opportunity to sleep in!), we ate breakfast. We went to Silver Skillet, which is this old diner-style restaurant that is known for its good hearty breakfasts. The fare is pretty standard, but it was delicious, too. (I know... you may be marveling over the fact that we could even hold food at this point.)

Then we came home. It was wonderful to have some "us time," and we hope to do it again soon. And, of course we were happy to see our girl when we returned!

Friday, Friday

My mom flew up yesterday and is here for a few days for an Amelia fix. So far, we're having a big time. The perk for me--aside from getting to visit with my mother--is I get some relief with some Amelia-related tasks. Just to clarify...I don't mind those tasks, but I also don't mind getting a break from time to time. I took a 2-hour nap this afternoon. Heavenly.

And that's about it for now...

Book Notes: The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Last night I finished The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult. This was the second book I've read by her (I can't remember the title of the previous one and I'm too lazy too look it up...that's how much I liked it; it wasn't My Sister's Keeper or Nineteen Minutes), and here's the deal: something about her books annoys me. I do remember that with the first book, the plot was often hokey in parts; with The Tenth Circle, I was completely annoyed with the ending. I'm not one who has to have endings tied up in a neat bow; however, this book left too much up in the air at the end.

I did record the Lifetime movie of this starring Kelly Preston, but I've yet to watch it.

As the mother of a daughter, I did learn one lesson from this book: When a teenage Amelia says she's going to some friend's house to spend the night, I am so calling that friend's mother to confirm. The girl in this story was up to a lot of shenanigans, y'all.

My next book on the list is Atonement, a book I began last summer but ended up stopping because school started. Tim hails it as one of the best books he's ever read, and I think Max and Jen like it too, so I have higher hopes for this one.

Weekend wrap-up...wait, it's Tuesday already?

Wow. It's Tuesday? Why can't time fly this quickly during the school year?

Anyway...

Our weekend with our friends ended nicely. Kim ("Theatre Director") and her daughter were kind enough to look after Amelia so we could go out and have a good meal with just the grown-ups. I have to admit it was nice to have a meal without having to entertain Amelia with a pack of crackers. :) The food was good, too...steak, creamed spinach, molten lava cake for dessert. Delicious. On a food note, if I told you everything I ate this past weekend, you would be in awe. Oddly enough, I was down one pound this week. Go figure.

On Sunday, Darryl and I drove around a few neighborhoods we liked and just looked at houses from the outside and picked up a few fliers to get an idea of what certain prices will get you in a house. All this did was make me want to sell our house. I do love our house (with the exception of our heinous laundry "closet"), but we are quickly outgrowing it. The thought of getting it ready to sell exhausts me.

In "almost" news...I almost joined a baking blog ring that is devoted to baking through the cookbook Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. Then I decided that while that may sound fun right now, those crunch grading situations I often find myself in would leave little time for making tarts and pies. I did buy the book, though, because it looks like a good book to have on the shelf anyway. If you have ever been in my kitchen, you might have noticed that I have a bit of an obsession with cookbooks.

Yay for Nicole K. and Keith U. on their baby daughter. I have mixed feeling about the name Sunday, but as far as celeb couples go, I like these two...tons more than I like Brangelina. :) (That one's for you, Kristy!)

Yep, that's it.

First Fourth!

Amelia had a very festive 4th of July. Our friends Damian and Rebecca came to visit from Baton Rouge, and we've been having lots of fun.

We watched the fireworks. (Please forgive the blurry picture. And the "Do Not Enter" sign. This was my best attempt to capture both Amelia AND some kind of firework in the background.)


Today, Rebecca and I took Amelia to a 4th of July parade. This was pretty much Amelia's expression the entire time.

Here's a pic of Rebecca and Amelia, just because.

And here's a pic of Amelia and Darryl cutting up at Hudson Grille, where we had lunch today. Quite frankly, I'm putting up this pic so you can see Amelia's cute red white and blue outfit.


HAPPY 4th of July!!

Just Playing Around

On pins and needles

I like how the world's focus has turned to France, where Angelina is expected to give birth--to twins!!--any day now.

Could I get a show of hands? Does anyone care? (Not to minimize the excitement of the arrival of the child, but I swear...)

Randomness

--I had a little "me" time today. I had a doctor's appointment this morning, so Amelia was in daycare for a few hours. After my appointment, I ran a few errands and had a child-free lunch with my husband.
--Amelia is kind of crawling. She's doing what I like to call the "soldier crawl," where she keeps her belly on the ground but moves her arms and legs toward her desired destination. Too cute!
--Is anyone watching The Bachelorette? I confess: I am. I am because 1) Summer TV is pitiful and I'm desperate for something to watch, and 2) I typically do watch The Bachelorette because unlike the "bachelors," the "bachelorettes" usually make an attempt to have a relationship with the person instead of breaking up three days later. You know what I've decided is a problem with these shows (aside from finding a potential mate for life on a TV show)? The stupid fantasy dates. When, in the real world, does a couple drive a luxury sports car to a deserted restaurant where the girl wears diamonds and a fancy dress? Or when, in the real world, does the girl get to treat the guy to a day at the baseball field playing with the pros? Who wouldn't get along in those circumstances? I say put 'em in a clunker of a car that breaks down in the pouring rain in an area that is out of cell phone range. That would test their compatibility, yes?
--You must check out my friend Kristy's latest post about her niece's baby shower. Hilarious!

Florida Cleaning

We went to Florida this past weekend to start cleaning out Darryl's dad's house so Darryl's sister and her family can move in soon. We didn't get as much done as Darryl had hoped, but I think we made a good dent in what needs to be done.

Yesterday we went to the Methodist church in our hometown (this is where Darryl's family went to church when he was growing up and where his sister still goes to church), and I saw tons of people I hadn't seen in years. In particular, I saw my best friend from elementary school. She now lives in the Atlanta area, but she was having her new baby christened yesterday. I haven't seen her in probably fifteen years. Anyway...

And that's it.

Cleaning, Movies, and Such

Yesterday, during Amelia's "daycare day," I was actually productive and marked an item off my summer to-do list: I cleaned out her room/closet. This involved boxing up the clothes that no longer fit and re-organizing some drawers and things. It was a bigger job than I anticipated, but I'm glad it's done. I have to confess that I wanted to get a little teary-eyed as I put her hospital things--her blanket, bracelet, Northside Hospital t-shirt, coming home outfit, etc.--in their own special box. I know this sounds cliche, but I can't believe how quickly she's growing up.

I had hoped to organize my kitchen, too, but I at least was able to sort through expired food in our tiny pantry (c'mon...everyone has expired food in the pantry, right?), and threw out enough stuff to give Amelia her own space for formula and food.

Darryl was out of town four days this week and three days last week. Now he's home for a while. Thank goodness.

I did manage to watch two movies this week after Amelia went to bed. The first one I saw was 27 Dresses. When this movie came out, I rolled my eyes at it and figured it would just be a formulaic romantic comedy, but for some reason, I decided to pick it up at Blockbuster. Anyway, the movie was formulaic, but it was more entertaining that I had anticipated, and I actually kind of liked it. Academy Award winner? No. Decent romantic comedy that a tired mom (or dad, or person in general) can follow? Yes.

The other movie was Enchanted. Y'all, I adored this movie. Funny, smart, satirical, endearing...and Amy Adams is incredible. And it is very family friendly, if that's a concern. I highly, highly, highly recommend it.

And if I can coax myself out of this chair with my coffee by my side (and Amelia's in an Exersaucer, no worries), I will have walked four mornings this week. I think I'm going to do it.

Fun Tuesday!

Amelia and I had lots of fun yesterday afternoon! We went to Kim's house, where we met up with Kim, Miss "Mac" (Kim's daughter), Sabrina (friend/former guidance counselor at our school), and her two kids Connor and Suzanna. We had a blast eating some good food (mozzarella bites, chips and salsa, fruit and dip, cupcakes), playing (well, the kids played while the adults chatted), and swimming. It was a whole lot of fun, and it was definitely good for this mom to get out of the house and interact with some adults!

I could kick myself for not taking my camera, though. Amelia had the best time in the pool, and all the older kids reminded me of myself at that age as they performed numerous water stunts ("Look at me!" "Watch me!"--My parents swear that they could have just gone anywhere with a pool for summer vacation and I would have been content.)

On another note, kind of...Amelia's latest "cute" thing is that she likes to communicate with me through the bars of her crib. She'll grab the bars and put her face close to them, and I'll do the same on the other side. She just smiles and laughs. Let's hope that's the only "through the bars" communication we'll ever have with each other in our lifetimes. :)

Cupcake #1-B: Key Lime Cupcakes, the Remix

Well, I tried Max's recipe (posted in the comments for the first Key Lime cupcake, if you are interested), and it is really good. It is definitely easier than the recipe I tried last week, and I think the results are just as good, if not better. I did add a couple of tablespoons of key lime juice (bottled, I confess) to the frosting just to give it a bit of a twang. So, thanks Max. I think I've found my key lime cupcake!

I'm not going to bother with a pic because these cupcakes, on the surface, look exactly the same as last week's...lime wedge and all.

(By the way, I had 1-1/2 cupcakes last night--I had the half to determine if I wanted lime juice in the frosting--my dog enjoyed the other half. And of course I had to taste the finished product. Other than that, I did pretty well with eating "lighter," and I also walked yesterday and today. Just wanted to clarify.)

Ugh, that stupid ticker

Well, I faced the music and updated my weight loss ticker.

I'm sad. Basically between all the post-funeral food and the cupcakes, I've gained six pounds.

Here are my resolutions for this week:

1--Walk at least four mornings this week.
2--Eat just a couple of snacks--preferably fruit or at least something lower than 100 calories.
3--Eat a light breakfast and lunch.

So I guess my shorts being tighter wasn't just my imagination. Sigh.

Saturday Realizations

--The problem with making things like chicken enchiladas and cupcakes is that I eat them. My shorts are tighter. Salads and fruit this week, people! (Except for our get-together, Kim. I'm totally eating then. And I'll bring something with key lime.)

--Sloping parking lots are a real pain when you're dealing with a child in a shopping cart. I'm just saying.

--For every project I check off the list, I think of about three more I want to accomplish. I told Darryl that I'm really trying to take one project at a time, but it's hard. This weekend's project is to get the playroom/guest room finished. My next project is going to be organizing the kitchen or Amelia's room. (True, she hasn't been here long enough for it to get out of hand, but I need to box up clothes that don't fit and redo some drawers and so forth.)

--The summer is passing quickly. We have something going on the next three weekends...and then it will be just a couple of weeks until school starts. What?!?!?!

I'm now off to work on my project...

Chicken Enchiladas

Yesterday was Amelia's daycare day, so I got a much-needed haircut and made chicken enchiladas.

These enchiladas were really good; my only complaint is that they needed more salt. I have no idea how much more to suggest, so I would just salt to taste.

I actually found this recipe on another blog, but it gave credit to the source. I highly recommend these (with more salt, of course):

Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe by Rebecca Rather

Ingredients:

1 store-bought roasted chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (32 ounces) sour cream
1⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can tomatoes with green chiles
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt (My suggestion: Salt to taste)
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 3 ears), or one 8 oz. can corn kernels
1 cup canola oil
12 corn tortillas
2 1⁄2 cups (10 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9X13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

Remove and discard the skin from the cooked chicken. Pull the meat from the bones, shred it into bite-sized pieces, and set it aside in a large bowl.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, heavy cream, green chiles, tomatoes, salt, and pepper until smooth. Cook until warmed through, being careful not to let the mixture boil. Reserve 2 cups of the sour cream mixture for pouring over the casserole. Stir the corn and chicken into the remaining sour cream mixture, which will be used to fill the tortillas.

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Using metal tongs, dip each tortilla in the hot oil for a few seconds on each side, until softened. Stack the tortillas on a paper towel. Spoon a generous line of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the prepared pan. Pour the reserved sour cream mixture evenly over the tortillas and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Note: I had TONS of filling left over, so I just poured some extra on top and along the sides (and still had more left over). I think you could really get 20-24 enchiladas out of this recipe.

Cupcake #1: Key Lime Cupcakes

Y'all, I've been obsessed with cupcakes lately. I look at blogs of bakers who specialize in cupcakes; I look at books of cupcakes. (I've also been obsessed with mini-cheeseburgers--"sliders"--lately too...maybe it has something to do with mini-versions of bigger foods or something.) Anyway, I've decided that I want to get in on this cupcake action, so last night I made key lime cupcakes.

I didn't find the perfect recipe on the Internet, so, in a very-uncharacteristic-of-me-like fashion, I took a cupcake recipe and adapted it (it didn't have enough lime juice in it for my taste, so I added more), and a frosting recipe (again, adding more lime juice). (I say this is uncharacteristic of me because I'm very "go by the rules" when it comes to recipes.)

At first, the results were disappointing. The cupcakes themselves were ugly and sunken in the middle. And still not lime-y enough for my taste. The frosting was better (a cream cheese/key lime mixture), but I thought the result wasn't worth the effort. To make my concoction look prettier, at least, I added a lime wedge for garnish.

This morning, though, I tried them again after they spent the night in the fridge. They seemed better. I don't know...the verdict is still out.

Here's a pic:

Father's Day, This Week, Etc.

I meant to give a shout out to the important dads in my life on Father's Day, but the one time I had the opportunity to blog on Sunday, I was having Blogger issues. So here are my belated Father's Day greetings...

Happy Belated Father's Day to my dad, who celebrated his first Father's Day as a grandfather this year. Amelia has him completely wrapped around her finger. This is my favorite picture of my dad. It was taken at the hospital the day after Amelia was born; you can tell he was excited to be a "Papa"!


And also belated Happy Father's Day to Darryl. Sunday was bittersweet for Darryl; it was his first Father's Day as a dad, but also his first Father's Day without his dad.

Amelia also has Darryl wrapped around her finger, of course, but she is very fortunate to have him for a father. Darryl is definitely a "hands-on" dad, and there is no task he can't handle. We're both thankful he is in our lives.

This pic is obviously from the "early days" of fatherhood, but I love this picture. It looks like they are both checking each other out. :)

Other than Father's Day, not too much is going on around here. Amelia and I have been hanging out together. Monday, we met Kim ("Theatre Director") and Sabrina (another co-worker friend) and their kids for lunch the other day, and that was fun. We have plans for some pool time together later this week.

And that's about it. Exciting, huh?

My Day so Far

6:45--Amelia wakes up; I feed her.

7:00--Amelia plays in her Exersaucer while I drink my morning coffee. I decide that today is going to be the day that I begin walking in the morning. It will help my feelings. It will be exercise. I'm pumped.

7:15--I get dressed in my "walking" clothes.

7:30--Darryl leaves for work. I dress Amelia in a cooler outfit as it is already warm outside.

7:45--I can't find my keys. (I have to drive to my preferred walking area--it's not even a mile away, but we live on a curvy road and I wouldn't dream of walking that road, especially with a stroller.)

8:00--I still can't find my keys. Remembering Darryl had them last, I call him. He tells me a few more places to look.

8:15--I still can't find my keys.

8:30--I call Darryl because I still can't find my keys. He says he'll come home to help me look.

8:40--Figuring that walking is a bust today because Amelia is fussy and it is getting hotter by the minute, I decide to put her down for a nap. I'm successful!

8:45--Darryl comes back home to help me look for the keys. The dog barks upon his arrival and wakes up an irritable Amelia.

9:00--I find the keys in the side pocket of the diaper bag. Darryl says, "I remember putting them there now." I feel stupid for not checking there. (But Darryl never puts anything in the diaper bag.)

9:01--I try to rock Amelia back to her naptime sleep.

9:30--Amelia is still not asleep.

9:45--I feed Amelia again.

10:00--Amelia still won't go to sleep. I give up and get ready to go to the pool with her. Amelia is grouchy about getting in her bathing suit because she's sleepy, but won't sleep.

I'd just like to say we spent more time going to and from the pool than we did actually at the pool.

I'd also like to say that while Amelia slept about 20 minutes in the car on the way back home, she still won't go to sleep.

I'm tired.

Edited to add: Amelia finally went to sleep at 3:00. I'm trying to decide whether or not to take a much-needed shower or a much-needed nap. And I just realized it is Friday the 13th.

Friday the 13th, indeed!

Grey's

I finally watched the Grey's Anatomy finale. I'm usually a tough critic of this show (Meredith hate, depressing story lines, gross couplings like the Izzy-George deal), BUT I have enjoyed this show lately and thought the finale was awesome. Finally...a happy season ending! And now that Meredith has finally decided to get to the root of her issues, I might like her better.

So many great moments...Bailey's realization she had to make cut something out of her life to make her marriage work (and then passing the clinic to Izzy), the Cristina-Hahn showdown in the O.R. and the Chief's admonition to Hahn afterwards, George's case to the chief that he deserves a second chance, the success of Mer-Der's clinical trial, and of course their big kiss at the end. And on top of that, we learned that bad things happen to your body when you are submerged in quick-dry cement. (I had no idea!)

I really don't expect a response to this post, but I was so happy with the ending that I just had to talk about it. :)

Amelia playing

We moved the bed out of the guest room and into a storage unit. The sofa bed is coming Saturday. I love the fact that Amelia has all this CARPETED room to play around in...she seems to like it too.

How Fitting

I marked the end of my first full day as a summer-stay-at-home mom by going to Walmart with bright orange spit-up carrots all over my shoulder and shirt sleeve. I realized this while I was in the store, of course.

Thank you.

Summer Plans

I feel as though my summer vacation really started today because today was my first day being home since school got out.

Amelia spent a few hours at her daycare so that I could get a few things done--buying groceries, cleaning out the fridge, running errands. She's actually going to spend a day a week there so I can do such things and have a little "me time." Trust me...that makes me a much better mother.

I don't really have any "big" summer plans. I do, however, have a list of things I'd like to accomplish at some point:

--I need to cook more meals at home, and I need to figure out how to do that with a 7-month-old who tires of any activity (jumperoo, exersaucer, toys) after about 15 minutes. I managed to make a casserole tonight, but Amelia traveled from the jumperoo to the exersaucer to the high chair to the crib while I cooked.

--I want to get some official portraits done of Amelia. I set aside some gift money for this purpose, and the photographer is actually someone we know from church, but I need to actually make the appointment and show up with a cooperative child.

--I need to frame photos I already have and display them in our house. How pitiful is it that Darryl and I have exactly one framed photo of Amelia in our house, and it is a pic from when she was 6 weeks old?

--I need to organize the clutter in our house. We're actually converting our guest room into a play room (with a sofa bed for guests), and that will help.

This post was rather boring, wasn't it?

First Swim!

Today Darryl and I took Amelia for her first swim. I had a feeling she would love it because she absolutely LOVES taking a bath, and I was right. She doesn't even care if water gets splashed in her face. Her favorite thing, though, was having Darryl hold her high in the air and then dip her legs in the water; she just shrieked and laughed! Here are a couple of pics. Darryl looks a bit odd in the first pic (sorry, babe, but you do), but I couldn't really crop him out very well. :)

Mr. Benny

Benny and Amelia, Easter weekend

I had plans to write this really poignant post about Darryl's dad, but now that I'm sitting at the keyboard, I don't really know what to say. How do you really comment on someone's life in a blog post, for Pete's sake?

Mr. Benny was such a presence in our family. Over the past week, we've shared our favorite "Benny memories," and they are quite extensive...and hilarious. Every one of them made us laugh. Even as we were driving with Darryl's brother and sister and their spouses to the funeral home to tend to details and make arrangements, we were joking about how he would probably be disappointed that we weren't buying his casket from Costco. That man LOVED warehouse stores, and even a few weekends ago when he came to Atlanta for Amelia's baby dedication, he was able to muster up the strength to walk the aisles of Costco.

On Christmas mornings, he would give each of us two plain white envelopes marked with just our name, and each envelope was filled with cash. One was for our birthday, and one was for Christmas. It didn't matter if the birthday was in June or October, he gave it all out on Christmas Day. (And cash always fits, right?)

He often called things by the wrong name. My favorite example of this was several years ago when Darryl and his brother, sister, dad, and I went to the Sugar Bowl, and Dayton (Darryl's brother) wanted to go to Cafe du Monde for beignets. Mr. Benny kept calling them "beagles." (He also kept asking why they didn't serve bacon and eggs.)

When he called on the phone, his conversations usually started with, "What's going down around the town?"

He loved dogs, and boy, did they love him.

Even though he wasn't the most outspoken with his emotions, I often saw him kiss his grandchildren on the head when he held them in his lap.

I think what makes me the most sad is that Amelia will not know her grandfather or her grandmother on Darryl's side, and they were both remarkable people.

We will miss him.

Update

Many of you probably know that Darryl's dad passed away Saturday, not long after I posted that last blog entry. I'll post more about him later because I do want to say a few things about him (all good, of course), but my brain is too tired at the moment. It will have to wait until I get home.

People have been coming by in droves, and I've eaten more ham, homegrown veggies, cakes, pies, casseroles, fried chicken, and other comfort foods than I care to mention. (I think it is safe to say that my weight-loss ticker is no longer accurate.) The funeral was yesterday and it was really a great tribute, and now things are winding down a little.

Darryl and I are going home Saturday. I probably won't blog again until then.

Waiting...

Darryl, Amelia, and I have been in Florida since Wednesday evening and are here indefinitely, waiting for "the inevitable" to occur with Darryl's dad. Thus, no exciting blog posts this week. Here are a few other things going on.

--We flew down here and rented a Honda Odyssey to drive in case there is a need to transport lots of people (which is highly likely if lots of family members come in). I feel like a soccer mom driving that thing, but I'm going to make a confession...I kind of like it. So spacious! So easy to get Amelia in and out of! (What has happened to me??)

--I've had lots of "blasts from the past" this week. I've seen several of my elementary school teachers, and I saw my fourth-grade "crush" in a local restaurant. He's apparently a preacher now. This was quite shocking to me as he was quite not-so-preacherly in high school. (In fourth grade, though, he was a perfect gentlemen.)

--I finally watched the LOST finale last night. Maybe I was just tired or distracted from everything else going on, but I was a little disappointed. I might have to watch it again when I get home.

--I'm probably going to put on 10 pounds this week with all the food people are bringing over. I had the best chicken pot pie I've ever had in my life for BREAKFAST this morning.

--Anyone watch the spelling bee last night? What's up with that 12-year-old boy with the mustache? (Tim, he reminded me of a young Juan A./Hamburglar.)

Thanks for all the good thoughts you are sending our way.

Memorial Day Weekend

I haven't blogged much lately because things have been super-crazy lately.

School ended for students on Friday, and that night I had to attend graduation. This year was kind of weird for me...this was the first year I didn't teach seniors, and because of when I made the switch to juniors and sophomores, I did not teach this graduating class. I just felt sort of removed from it all.

Early Saturday morning, we headed to the airport to fly to Florida. Darryl was just tired of making that (boring, seemingly endless) drive, so he opted to use some of his miles so we could fly down. It also gave us an opportunity to see how Amelia would fare on a plane. She was great. If only we didn't have to lug a car seat, a stroller, our suitcases. Oh, and I love how I had to declare and show my baby formula because it was more than 3 ounces. Sure, stories surface all the time of people who have made it through the security check with razor blades and such, but watch out for the baby formula!!

This weekend was rough. It was good to see family, but Darryl's dad wasn't doing very well at all. In fact, Saturday was really his worst up to this point...and it was really, really bad. He was a little better Sunday. If you are a praying person, please keep Darryl's dad and his family in your prayers.

On a more positive note, I was able to see my new niece, Avery. She's a doll.

And I'll leave with a cute picture. Amelia's Nana and Papa bought her a swing, and she LOVES it. She can't stop smiling when she's in it:

Last Day of School!

Last day of school!
Last day of school!
Last day of school!


And I couldn't be happier. Of course, teachers have to go back for two days next week, but today the students are OUTTA HERE!!!!!

:)

Whew, what a week!!

Some parts of this post are long overdue (like Mother's Day), but this week has really seemed like three because this week has been insanely busy. Here are some Amelia-related highlights:

Last Sunday was my first Mother's Day. Darryl had to go out of town unexpectedly a few days before to help with some things with his dad, and he wasn't able to get a flight back until that afternoon...but maybe it is most appropriate that I spend Mother's Day with my daughter, anyway. Amelia and I went to church, hung out, shopped a little...and then when Darryl came in, we went to dinner. Anyway, here's a pic of Amelia and me on Mother's Day:



Both our families came up this weekend because we were participating in a Baby Dedication Service at our church today. (Before I go any further, please don't be offended that I didn't mention this earlier. This is a bit different from a christening or a baptism, and I really wanted to keep the attendance small, nor did I want people to wonder if they needed to come, so I just kept it quiet.) I'll get more into the dedication service in a minute...

Saturday, Darryl, Darryl's brother Dayton, his two kids (Savannah and Cameron), and I went to the Braves game. We took MARTA, and on the way there, I saw this sign and it made me laugh. (You'll have to look closely to see what amused me, but my fellow English teachers will be proud.)

Someone circled the colon that needs to be removed before the list. Then that person circled the ing on carrying and wrote "WRONG." That made my day! Grammarians, unite!!

Here's a pic of Dayton and the kids at the game. (I'm not sure what face that is that Dayton is making.)


That lady in the corner cracks me up, too. Anyway, Darryl found some awesome seats. We were seven rows up on the 3rd base line. Here's our view:
It was also an evening of culinary delight for me because I had a footlong hotdog with a side of nachos. Man, I love stadium food...maybe more than I love fair/festival food.

And that brings us to today. This afternoon, as I said earlier, we participated with Amelia in a Baby Dedication Service at our church. It was small, intimate service (separate from the church service), and just in case you are curious about what went on...

The atmosphere was casual, but elegant. (That sounds cheesy, but I can't think of any better description.) The lights were dim, and there was a slideshow of pictures of each family participating (30 families total). Each family had a table in the church for our guests. Darryl's family ended up going home last night after the game because Darryl's dad wasn't feeling well, so it was just my parents, Darryl and me, and a few friends from church. Basically, we shared with just our table the values we wanted to instill in Amelia and what kind of qualities we wanted to exhibit as parents. At the end, everyone at our table prayed for Amelia. It was really a nice event...not a "parade" across a stage, but just an intimate gathering of family and a few friends who came in support of our effort to be good parents. I'll end with a pic of the three of us at our table:

Murphy's Law

So...the academic awards program I'm partly in charge of was tonight, and in my opinion, it was a disaster.

Not many parents showed up. Not many students showed up. Teachers griped about having to be there. Large groups of certificates and were shuffled so badly by some of the presenters that it was just mass chaos.

And then, in the middle of the program, our caterer comes over to tell us that "there is a problem." The other person in charge, Elaine, went to check on "the problem."

Our caterer's restaurant (where Tim and I ate dinner, by the way) was shut down by the health department for food safety violations and they could not legally serve food to the public. Yep, shut down during our program. We had to make an announcement at the end that the reception was canceled. And now desserts for 500 people are in a dumpster behind the school cafeteria.

It's not like we booked some dive to cater our reception; they did it last year, and it's a little locally owned deli where I've eaten numerous times. I'm hoping in the end the restaurant is proven innocent (their inspection score is always in the high 90s), but I'm sure some permanent damage has been done to their reputation.

This was really just the grand finale to a day that has stunk all the way around. (I'm sure an even worse day for the restaurant, though. How humiliating.)

I'm going to bed now, people. (Or, Tim, as our beloved Spanish teacher Ms. C would say, "GOOD people.")

6 Months Old!

Sitting pretty...


Contemplating the first six months of life...

Just being silly...

Lost, Shopping, Summer Reading, Food TV

Forgive my very disjointed post...

I'm lost on Lost. I finally was able to catch up with the last two episodes, and I'm more confused than ever...but still intrigued. I just hope at some point this will all come together and it won't be disappointing.

I think I'm going to take my girl and go shopping today. I really knocked myself out with grading last weekend so I wouldn't have as much to do this weekend (my first Mother's Day!) and next weekend (family coming to town!). I still have some gift cards from Christmas (I was waiting to lose my baby weight before I invested in lots of clothes), so I'm excited about finding some new duds.

For you teachers out there--or former students who can remember assignments teachers gave you--I'm looking for a third book for 10th grade honor students to read for summer reading. I'd prefer something non-fiction, and I want it to produce a good writing topic for them. Last year I tapered off the summer reading and had them read two books (and one of them was really short--Of Mice and Men), but I think that was a mistake. I'm looking to rev it up again this year to "set the tone" for the rest of the year.

My love for the Food Network has been renewed. I really hadn't watched much since Amelia was born, but lately, that is what I watch (meaning "have on in the background") in the early evenings while I do things around the house and tend to Amelia. Lately I've become obsessed with desserts and cake decorating shows. Not sure why. In my fantasy world, I would be a teacher at a school where students want to learn four days a week and be a pastry chef on Fridays. :) Sound good?

It's only Wednesday???

I haven't blogged much because I've been super-busy. Between grading student work (I graded like a fiend this weekend, people!) and trying to plan our yearly academic banquet (it's this Tuesday) and trying to get reluctant students to do anything, I'm just wiped out. Wiped out. And flustered. And snippy. And frustrated. Oh, and did I mention snippy? Darryl would probably want me to list that one twice. :)

I would like to say a big "welcome to the world" to my new niece, Avery Ann, who was born on Cinco de Mayo. She was a whopping nine pounds and one ounce! I can't wait to see her Memorial Day weekend.

I'm too tired to think of anything else...

Quotes from Today

"America, is you ready for a change?"--a student's concluding sentence for her essay on her favorite presidential candidate

"Your dad and I are going to a Guitar Hero tournament tonight."--my mom

So stinkin' tired

I wish I could just go to bed right now and sleep for two days.

Instead, this is what I get to do:

--plan what my juniors are doing tomorrow
--fix bottles for tomorrow
--finish a load of laundry so Amelia will have something to wear tomorrow
--pack my lunch

But I really just want to go to bed.

TV Thoughts

Last night I watched Lost and Grey's. It feels weird to have them back...almost like it is a new TV season, and then it is going to seem really weird when they disappear for summer in just a few weeks.

Lost--I can't decide who is creepier, Ben or the new mercenary dude with the weird teeth. I'm still liking the twists, and I think my jaw literally dropped in two different parts, but I'm going to be disappointed if this whole island business is connected to the rich guy. I want something better.

Grey's--I don't like Meredith, much for the same reason I didn't like Ally McBeal: the whole "woe is me" thing gets old. Quickly. In fact, I always preferred Addison to Meredith. (I have a friend who would think that everything I just said is complete sacrilege.) That being said, I did enjoy this episode, but was terribly depressed by the storyline with the family attacked by the bear.

Okay. I'm going now...I truly, truly, truly am going to get LOTS of grading done today. Bye.

It's Short, Y'all

I think I would be happier if it was just a hair longer (pardon the pun), but my hair grows quickly, so that shouldn't take long. I can still wear it curly, too, so the curl isn't really "gone." Anyway...

New Look?

I've really liked some of the non-Blogger templates that I've seen on some other people's blogs, and I happened to stumble across one site that offered them for free. I'm just trying this one out, but I'm kind of digging it. I tried a couple of her others, but they didn't really look good with the content of my blog...but I may try some other ones. I also like this 3-column format, except for the fact that the middle column is significantly longer...

I'm also considering changing the name of my blog. The ironic "Teachers Having It Easy" theme doesn't really apply much anymore...any other suggestions? (Well, the irony is still there, but that really isn't my focus anymore.)

Today (and I promise this is related) I became "that" mom and made a comment to Tim in which I compared Amelia to another baby of a similar age...and yes, I was pointing out how my baby can do something the other baby cannot. (Can I tell you how many times I swore I wouldn't do that?) So I immediately felt horrible told Tim I was a "mean mom," and he suggested I should make that a new title for my blog. Little did he know I really was thinking about a blog name switch, anyway. But how humorous would it be to have the festive/funky bluebird above with the title "Mean Mom"?

And for the record, I would like to say that I truly in my heart of hearts do not believe that babies who do things faster are necessarily "advanced." Now, if Amelia were already writing her name in cursive or something, then THAT might be a clue...

Oh, and if you have title suggestions, I'll take them. I'm trying to think of something clever or at least endearing, but I'm at a loss.

And yes, this whole blog renovation helped me procrastinate with grading even longer.

"Blech" and Bullets

--"Blech" because that's how I felt for the last three days because I had a stomach virus. I think it has been 10 years since I've had one. I'm fine if it is at least 10 years before the next one. I had to stay home two days from school. This was going to be my "get things done" week while my students watched Gatsby. (Another movie. Sue me. At least we read the book.) Not convenient. It made for easy sub plans, though.
--"Bullets" because my thoughts are so random that I'm not even attempting coherent paragraphs.
--I'm definitely getting my hair chopped off tomorrow. I just spent an hour at Barnes & Noble, looking through hair mags. I think I have enough pics to take to my hairdresser. I trust her. (Famous last words, huh?)
--I think perfume samples in magazines should be banned. I have a killer headache now. Seriously, don't some people have serious, life-threatening allergies to strong smells? The samples should at least be encased in some heavy-duty plastic.
--I'm all for marriages staying together, but I do have to confess that I snickered when I heard St@r Jones is getting a divorce. I'm not her biggest fan.
--While I was at Barnes & Nobles, I bought a book (from the clearance rack) about decorating sugar cookies. That may become a (fattening) summer hobby. On those days when I feel as though I never want to teach again (and let's face it, teachers...those days are pretty frequent this time of the year), I dream of being a pastry chef/cake decorator.
--Lost comes back tonight! Yay! (Or is the correct spelling really "Yea"?)
--Grey's Anatomy comes back tonight! Yea!
--I need to grade papers instead of watch TV. :(
--Two phrases I'm sick of: "Shawty" and "Boo" (as in my significant other, "my boo").
--I've procrastinated with the grading thing long enough. I better go.

4 Minutes to Save the World

While I haven't "actively" listened to the song (meaning that maybe it has been on in the car but I haven't really made a point of paying attention to the lyrics), I have the opening/repeated chord progression from JT and Madonna's "4 Minutes to Save the World" in my head and it won't go away.

Here are my questions:

Why do they have just four minutes to save the world?
Why are JT and Madonna saving our world? (Or is it a collective "we"?)

Anyone?

25 Days

We have 25 school days left. That's a fact that both thrills and terrifies me. If I were to list all the things I have to do I have to do between now and then, I might hyperventilate. You might ask yourself why I am blogging when I have a million things to do. The truth is that I'm completely unmotivated. I guess I can't really be mad at my students for being unmotivated these days when really, I feel the same way.

I must get some grading done AND finish my webquest-ish (but not really) assignment for my 10th graders this weekend. I'm saying it here and now so that I'll maybe feel some sense of accountability.

On a completely random note...I'm thinking of cutting my hair short. Not Jamie Lee Curtis short, but well-above-the-shoulders short. (If I could wear my hair like JLC, I so would. I've always thought she looked classy. Is it just me?) My hair has been "grown out" now for a few years, and I'm just getting tired of it. When I have a good hair day, I like it, but lately, most of my hair days have been bad. And Amelia likes to pull it, and y'all, that is quite painful. The other day I was sitting on the couch with her and she had a fistful in each hand, and then Abby the Dog came up and licked me in the face at the same time. They double-teamed me. Anyway, my hair appointment is next Friday, so I have until then to decide.

Anyway, that's about it.

It's Been a Stressful Day

And just like that...

...Spring Break is over. :(

This week has been good for the most part. Amelia and I went to Florida on Tuesday, and she pretty much slept the whole way. I had to wake her at one point to feed and change her, but then she went right back to sleep.

Once we arrived at my parents' house, I could tell she didn't feel great. The week before, she had been battling a cold and cough (and this first-time mom took her to the doctor TWICE with the same "she-has-to-ride-it-out" prognosis both times), but I was convinced she was on the mend. Apparently not. She had a fever for a couple of days while we were in Florida, and there were two nights that my mom and I had to take shifts holding her because that was the only way she would sleep. (Fortunately, to my relief, that did NOT start a bad habit of her needing to be held to sleep; she slept fine in her crib the next two nights.)

Even with Amelia's sickness, though, we were able to get out some when Amelia seemed to be feeling better. We went to my mom's workplace so my mom could show off her granddaughter, and then we went out to the beach to do a little shopping. Another highlight: Amelia is grasping the concept of a "jumperoo." She's hilarious when she's doing it.

I was hoping that by leaving Florida today, I would miss the mass exodus of people leaving the beach...I figured most people would maximize the full week and leave tomorrow. I was wrong. Every time I get caught in that traffic, I think of Moses leading the people out of Egypt. I'm not sure why. While Amelia didn't sleep the whole way, she was still pretty good, thank God.

I didn't really get much school stuff done...and that doesn't really surprise me.

Here are a couple of other things I want to mention:

1--My "diet" (although WW calls it a "lifestyle," not a diet) has gone way south. Monday, I resolve to get back on that wagon. I have a sundress I want to fit into in a month, so that's my motivation.

2--Is it pretty much teacher-suicide to teach this book to Honors 10th-Graders? When I planned to teach this, I was envisioning having a great group of academically motivated students like I had last year, not the ones I have this year who act surprised when I require them to read a book outside of class.

3--I want to give a big shout out to my Aunt Winifred, who keeps up with me through my blog and is considering leaving a comment one day! :) I think she should, don't you?

Aahhhh...Spring Break :)

Finally...Spring Break is here!

I'm really enjoying sitting here in my comfy clothes, not feeling the pressure to do all kinds of things and run all my errands in order to get ready for the school week to begin again on Monday. Amelia is napping and Darryl has gone to get some maintenance things done on my car, so it is quite peaceful.

Amelia and I are heading to Florida later this week to see Amelia's grandparents. We're looking forward to it. Cross your fingers that Amelia travels well. I'm hoping her more comfortable car seat will help a little. I've noticed that she really sprawls out in this seat and can see out the window better; she seemed really cramped in the infant seat we had.

There really isn't much more to report than that. I've really blown my diet out of the water the past couple of days; seriously, yesterday was a day of gluttony like I haven't experienced in some time, and my stomach literally ached last night. (I'll just say that the day's menu included a Krispy Kreme donut with icing AND sprinkles, a few bites of turtle cheesecake, and part of the Chocolate Stampede from Longhorn's. Just the name of that last dessert suggests lots of calories.)

Well, it looks like the peace and quiet is over for the moment...Amelia is awake from her nap.

Thoughts for This Evening

--I'm not sure why, but I have this inability to go to bed early when I have the opportunity. Like right now...I could be getting ready for bed, but I'm blogging. Why?

--Amelia is growing faster than I can believe. She is now a rolling-over queen who likes to play in an Exersaucer and grab her feet. (Not all at the same time.) How is that possible? Also, we just moved her to her next car seat, so no more lugging a heavy baby in an infant carrier. I was all gung-ho about it, but now I'm a little sad. It's like a phase of infancy is over. (Wow, I'm being too sentimental about that car seat.)

--I, the person who was probably a TV addict at one point, am watching two shows a week basically: The Biggest Loser (thanks to the writers' strike) and Lost. I have no time to commit to Dancing with the Stars this time around. (Yet I have time to blog.)

--We're doing graduation testing this week at school, so my classes are really out of whack. I'm so ready for the break.

--Here's another photo for you. I ran across it when I was downloading Easter pics from Darryl's camera. It's from our tornado scare a couple of weeks ago...I'm in the safest place in the house, the half-bath. This pic cracked me up. Good times!

Loooong Overdue Easter Post

Things have been crazy, crazy, crazy busy here, and I'm just now getting around to my Easter post.

Easter weekend was great. We went down to Florida to spend the weekend with both our families and had lots of fun, but we stayed very busy.

Saturday was fairly low-key until that afternoon, when Darryl's family met up at the beach for a family portrait session. It was quite cool and VERY windy, but we did get some good photos. This is quite an accomplishment when four children are involved (and one of them being Amelia, who doesn't yet understand "Look at the camera!")

After our photo session, we went to eat at Sunset Grill. Our wait for the food was long, but it was delicious when it arrived. They have some fried cheese grit cakes that are out of this world!

Darryl, Amelia, and I then paid a visit to Darryl's cousin Hayes and his wife, Brandy. They have a few-weeks-old daughter, Mary Katherine. I couldn't believe how TINY she was. She's 7-1/2 pounds, which is pretty average for a baby, but Amelia was over 8-1/2 pounds...so MK just seemed so small to me. (Also, I've been carrying around a currently-19-pound Amelia, so...MK felt like a feather.) MK was too, too precious! Here we are:



This is from Easter morning. There's nothing significant going on here; I just liked the pic.

Here's Miss Amelia showing off her Easter dress:

We went to church with Darryl's family. Amelia was very good through the service and apparently loved the choir. She was mesmerized by them!

After church, we all--Darryl's family included--went to my parents' house for a HUGE lunch: ham, chicken and dumplings, potato salad, creamed corn, collards, other veggies, coconut cake, banana pudding...the list goes on.

Here's our best family pic. When I asked Darryl why he doesn't smile in his pictures, he replied, "I am smiling."

And last, but not least, Amelia had her first visit from the Easter Bunny, who brought her a stuffed bunny, some books, some sunglasses, and a cute outfit. Here's Amelia sizing up her goodies:

"Thank you, Easter Bunny!!"