good & WORST

The Good:

This is my 150th post!

The WORST:

This has been a day from HELL!!!  A student stole my cell phone today!  

So, if you could email me, facebook me, or call me with your digits (I still have the same number...luckily), I'd appreciate it!

Who's your Idol pick?

OR

ADAM vs. KRIS

Who's gonna win Season 8?
...Opinions anyone?

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KRIS ALLEN

Things I LOVE about Kris:

• originality
• has a funky jaw-thing when he sings, but i think it's cool
• love the way he can make ANY song modern
• plays multiple instruments
• very humble
• i would actually buy his CDs

My favorite song this season from Kris:

"To Make You Feel My Love"

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ADAM LAMBERT

Favorite things about ADAM:

• he's been the one who I picked to win the whole thing from the very start
• Gay, NOT gay, who cares? The boy can sing!
• Although not such a fan of all the screeches and screemies, he is SOOOO talented
• Stage presence
• Very polite in saying thank-you to everyone

My favorite song from Adam this season:

"Tracks of My Tears"

Super Saturday

This is NOT going to be a long post, I promise....rather, a quick update.

Today, Steven & I went as "chaperones" for our 9th graders end-of-year trip to SIX FLAGS in St. Louis.  We took off at 8am, and arrived home at 8pm.  What a LONG day it was!!!

My afterthoughts:

1. MAN, I'm glad I'm not 15 anymore!  WAY TOO MUCH DRAMA

2. They don't make bus seats comfortable enough to ride in for two hours...let alone twice in one day!

3. Funnel cakes are good, but TWO of them are WAAAAYYYYY too much!

4. Not to self in the future:  NEVER give a 9th grader more than $20 to spend on a field trip of this sort...they'll just spend it ALL the last 10 minutes and buy stupid stuff:  3 ft long pixi stix, over-sized hairy monkeys, superman capes, large lollipops, enormous turkey legs that they can't finish in time that end up getting passed around the bus, or ANOTHER refill of soda for the ride home.

5. Seriously, riding rides was a lot of fun! Especially when today was overcast until around 2 or 3. Perfect weather for walking, very breezy, and didn't even have to wear sunscreen!

6. Go before Memorial Day, when the lines are shorter, and the water park is closed...no seeing scanky girls in bikinis trying to sneak onto the regular rides.

Hope you all had a GREAT weekend!  I'm tired and going to bed, now.

The GOOD & the NOT-SO-GOOD

Things I need to be grateful for today:

• I finally am finished typing my exams
• I have my last few weeks of teaching school planned out (sort-of)
• Steven & I made the BEST homemade pizza tonight
• I went downstairs to find some beautiful flowers today
• My Mom & Pop gave me a gift certificate to my Favorite Restaurant...all I have to do is find time to go one weekend
• I will be playing the piano at church soon (hint, hint), so that means I get to practice! Back to the 'ol piano!  Maybe that means my next purchase should be a Baldwin...whadda ya think?
• My Idol pick *Adam Lambert* is in the final 3!
• I love watching American Idol on my new t.v.
• I'm going to be released from my church duties tomorrow
• I'm so busy, I'm actually glad I'm not a *mom* yet!
  

Reasons what I am not-so-grateful today:

• I have sit here at the computer WAY too long today working (NOT playing...ugh!)
• I still have to actually TYPE (or record on paper) my lesson plans for the next few weeks
• I have a PILE of papers to grade downstairs, and if things had gone according to plan today, they would have already been graded
• My kiddos just got done doing a HUGE cultural project involving writing a paper, making a PowerPoint presentation, making food, etc etc etc.  Out of the 3 classes I have graded, I have found a total of  SIX projects (and they worked with partners) that are completely copy & pasted from an online source (illegal, I might add), or totally copied into a translator and THEN copied and pasted onto the paper.  I mean, these are my BEST kiddos (5 out of the 6 of them, that is).  I have already confronted 2 of them, and now on Monday I have to go and face 4 more of them.  Just approaching them w/o being TOO judgemental is hard. I know these are junior-high kids, and there is a *small* part of me that thinks "maybe they think as long as they put the website on their resource list, it is okay" or "maybe if I only copy every other sentence and stick an AND or BUT in there, it is okay".  I really don't know what to think, and I am HIGHLY upset by this!
• Steven's arm is hurting again...and we STILL don't know what the heck is wrong with him.  One day it's his elbow, the next day it's his wrist, then his knees, ankles, etc etc etc.  It's frustrating not being able to help him, and it's even MORE frustrating for him, I'm sure.
• MY BACK IS KILLING ME FROM BEING HERE IN THE COMPUTER CHAIR SINCE 10 AM THIS MORNING! (it's now 10pm this evening!)

A new addition to our family...

Yes, I know what most of you all are thinking...and you thought WRONG!  

I am not preggers just yet!  he he he

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our lil family:

Samsung 40" LCD TV

Yes, that's correct!  We have finally upgraded to a nice boob tube (instead of the rear-projection 20" screens). After doing lots of research for some time, going around and checking out what each store recommends, and comparing deal upon deal, I finally broke down and make my purchase tonight!

And the BEST part about it is:

1. No diaper changes necessary

2. No arguing back EVER

3. It will NEVER tell me no (and when it does, I can replace it quickly)

4. I can still read to it, pet it, & clean it but it might get tricky trying to rock it to sleep every night. But, I'm willing to live with that fact.

5. I can finally watch a movie w/o my glasses since the screen is so large!

6. I got a GREAT deal on it!

just a little update...

Well, not too much to talk about these days! So, I'll just keep this short, and be happy with posting a simple post!

1. I ended up going to an ENT a while back, he put me on meds for a month, and my dosage ended last week. First 2 days were horrific, now I don't feel so bad. There is the possibility that I might have a polyp in one of my nostrils. I go back to the specialist one week from Monday. Wish me luck!

2. I got the job to teach Summer School. I will teach from June 15-June 30. It is only for 12 days, and I get $2200. Not bad, I know. By the time that taxes are taken out, I'll be lucky to get $1000. But hey, every little bit counts.

3. I got accepted to a one-week crash course in teaching ELLs this summer, which will go toward my Master's class. The option was to either take TWO eight-week online courses (while summer school was going on), or do ONE eight-week during summer school, and ONE one-week course (if I got accepted) after summer school. I am going to do the latter of the two, and so I'm excited for a bit of a break.

4. My kiddos at school are doing CULTURE projects on Thursday (that is the presentation) and on Monday the 4th (food day). They are excited about it, and so am I! We've been a week researching and gathering information.

5. Since all week students have been in the library and in the computer lab doing research, I took the time to write 2 finals for my classes. I got lots of things done which was nice. What's not-so-nice is my TERRIBLE backache I've had all weekend from sitting down too much!!!

6. Sunny weather is great! I took my Advisory classes out to play kickball on Friday, and they loved it. I loved sitting on the bleachers getting a tan.

7. We FINALLY got working Internet 24/7. We ended up buying service ourselves, but it's only $20 a month and is totally worth every penny! Our apt complex is supposed to provide free Internet & cable, but the Internet was always shady. You could FORGET ever using it at 5:30 or later, when everyone was off work and wanted to download stuff and watch movies...it NEVER worked for us.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday! It's time to wake up Steven from his nap, and go eat dinner w/ the in-laws! Chicken, mashed taters n gravy, and a salad...yum yum yum!

My Summer Pledge!

Spring has DEFINITELY arrived, and with it comes

all kinds of TOES!  That's right...some nice, and others...well,

NOT-SO-NICE...

My friend, Beverly took the pledge on her blog, and I've decided to do the same. This is one of my BIGGEST pet peaves.  Honestly, I haven't worn sandles until TODAY, just because my toes were not up to par. Honestly, I don't think sandles were invented for EVERYONE (sorry if I've hurt your feelings, but it's the truth)...just like bikinis weren't made for the XXXXXXL lady, either. My hubby disagrees and says he'll proudly show off his ugly feet, just so long as his feet don't sweat in the humid state of Missouri. However, as long as he chooses to "air out his ugly feet", I will choose to comment on them as I please.  That's just the way it is.

So here goes...I am taking the pledge...will YOU?

Ladies, PLEASE, raise your big toes and repeat after me below... 


The Open Toed Shoe Pledge

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As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free.
I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.

I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there. 

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back! into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good. 

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them. 

I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $20 or $25 and worth EVERY penny). 

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear... nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals.

There you have it, ladies.  A pledge straight from down south.  And you know how we are...just good 'ol picky southerners who don't leave the house w/o their hair done and makeup on. Although I'm not as extreme as I once was (thanks to living in Chile for a few years), I still have to have my toes painted, especially in the summer time. I guess I'll never understand, nor do I entend to try understand, how it feels to show off feet that should be kept hidden underneath socks.

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So which club do you belong to, anyway....

THIS club....with nasty toenails THIS club with dried up toenails & a few funky ET toes

THIS club...of obsessive art & decoration

or THIS CLUB where they just PLAIN Jane

No matter what Club you belong to, I understand that most of us can't change clubs. We are born a certain way, and heaven forbid we try to have plastic surgery on our toes just so we can fit into another category. 

All I'm saying, I guess...is that if you KNOW you have UGLY toes, please do youself a favor as well as those of us who are around you, and COVER them up or get a freakin pedicure occasionally.  

Me...you ask? What Club do I belong to? I'm somewhere in the middle of the last two clubs...I love to have them painted, but not with lace, jewels, or stickers. I go for natural colors mostly. 2 layers of color first, then a thick coat of "top coat" clear polish. That way, they rarely chip, and the color stays nice and bright for about 2-3 weeks before having to redo it.  I was blessed with cute toes (as long as I trim them regularly, and keep them looking nice. My husband (who is sadly a member of the dried up toenail club) , my sister Andrea (who is a crazy member of the funky ET toe club...that's right...her 4th toe is shaped like ET's head) and my mother (let's not talk about HER toes, cuz she's a member of all kinds of nasty toe clubs along with the no-toenail-club) unfortunately were not so blessed in the TOE area. And even though all three of them still wear sandals, I try my best to look the other way before I get too nautious...YUCK!