just a little venting

...because I couldn't reprimand the girl who frustrated me into needing to vent. So I went to Tom Thumb after school to get some pretty bell peppers; they were on sale 4 for $5 with your reward card. I planned to just run in and run out...not even use a bag from the check-out area. (I'm anti-plastic bags; plus I love my reusable ones from Target!) When I got to the express lane I was third in line. The girl checking out was gabbing on her cell phone, paying no attention to the apples falling out of her untied bag or to the cashier...this is probably my number one pet peeve as of late. I seriously can't stand it when people talk on their phones while checking out!! A-I think it's just plain rude to the checker. Really, really rude. B-The person on the phone is not paying attention to what they are doing, EVER, and therefore the line gets held up.

Back to my story. So this girl is STILL talking while the cashier is trying to tell her the total. Then, she hangs up, digs in her purse...and says, "Oh my gosh, my card is in my car. Just put my stuff to the side and I'll come back in." This would not have annoyed me as much had she not been on the phone...she would have noticed the missing card sooner and could have gone out her car sooner while her items were still being rung up. The nice checker lady says, "No, no, go get your card. I'll just wait." HELLO!! This is the express line and all I want to buy are 4 bell peppers. She calls for backup. Seriously! So backup comes. Being the kind citizen I am, I tell the lady in front of me, whose also been waiting on said chola, to go ahead to the newly opened express line. This chola finally gets back inside and pays.

And to top it all off, when I went out to my car she was across the lane putting her goods in her trunk. I get in my car, turn it on, check around me, and begin backing out. Guess who comes about 6 inches away from backing into my car?!?!

Those peppers better be tasty and crisp.

it's what's for dinner

My bff, Emily, had a genius idea to post a blog about her dinner recipes for the week. We like similar food and are always oogling over each other's lunches, so it comes natural that all of her meals sounded great to me! I don't cook quite as often as she does...mainly because I usually have only my mouth to feed, not anyone else's. I also like to cook things that I can eat off of for a couple of meals...I LOATHE packing my lunch, but since my only other option is cafeteria food, it must be done. Every night. So the more meals I can plan to eat again for lunch, the better...like dinner tonight:

lighter sesame chicken (serves 4)
3 T honey
2 T sesame seeds
2 T soy sauce
1 garlic clove finely chopped
2 large egg whites
1/4 C cornstarch
1.5 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
2 T veg. oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Make sauce in small bowl:
-combine honey, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame seeds. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cornstarch and egg whites (this gets really thick). Add chicken and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 T of oil. Add half the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown (6-8 min.). Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken.
4. Return all chicken to skillet, add reserved sauce and scallions, and toss to coat.

I steamed some broccoli and cooked some brown rice to go with it. Easy and good! And healthy, too. :)

On a side note, I am in love with Asian food, so I cook it quite often. I love the veggies, protein, and whole grains all in one bowl! Sorry if it's not your thing...my recipes probably won't be that exciting for you. And by you, I mean all 3 of you who actually read this.

weekends with friends

I'm lucky enough to still live nearby all my closest friends from college. We're spread around the metroplex, but we find all kinds of reasons to see each other regularly. Last weekend it was for the TCU/SMU game. Suzanna and Jay hosted a tailgating party of sorts beforehand at Suz's place. After spending some quality time on I30 (about 2 hours), Andrew, Daniel, Claire, and I arrived still in one piece, still friendly, but hungry! We all ended up staying at Suz's and sitting outside talking...it was much more fun than actually attending the game! Plus, we already knew what the outcome of the game would be. :)

(check out Suz's hand)

(You have no idea the fun those 3 girls had living in Colby all together)

(those are some special guys)

This weekend Robyn and Mitch had a "we're back" party at their house in Keller, which meant more time spent with my TCU peeps. I don't have pictures yet...but Emily's phone does! I had a really good time eating all of Robyn's baked goods and practicing lines with Emily. Oh, and of course discussing the cutlets.

Next weekend is Em's bday in Dallas, which means, yet again, I get to see and hang out with all my friends all at once.

Life is good this Fall! :)

my favorite

...pic (as of right now).
And my favorite to spend time with.

one month away from tonight!

The first time I saw them I was in 3rd grade and I went with Margaret and her family.

This time...well, I'm teaching 2nd grade and still going with Margaret...and 3 of our friends!

I can't wait!!

step by step

I have always been curious about how much I walk in one day while at work. Our hallway is sort of separated from the rest of the school, so we've got a bit of a trek wherever we go. Nevermind that I'm up walking around all day answering the same question 500 times and making sure all 22 of my loves follow directions on solo assignments. So, Emily let me borrow her pedometer for the next couple of weeks until I next see her. What a kind friend. She can been deceivingly nice sometimes... :). Anywho, I guessed that I probably walk about 1/2 of a mile at work each day. She and Margaret both thought that my guess was way low. Well folks, today I walked 5,691 steps and 2.11 miles while at work. I'm guessing those are approximations because I don't know that this trusty pedometer is 100% accurate. Nevertheless, I'm impressed with my little legs! Now I don't have to feel so guilty for not walking as often as I would like to, let alone for not seeing the inside of a gym anytime recent...or not so recent. I even took advantage of the PERFECT weather today and went for an hour walk this afternoon when I got home!

Also, do you agree with me that everyone-adults and little children are noticeably happier due to this unbelievable weather? Thanks Ike!

"my heart is beating so hard"

...is what one of my precious darlings said to me today after school. Why, you ask? Well, his dad got out of prison last night after being in for 5 years. He was riding in the car today to pick up his son. You would have thought Santa Claus, the Jonas Brothers, and Miley Cyrus were in the car; that's how excited he was...dancing, straining his eyes for the slightest view of his car in the driveway, telling me approximately 12 times (in about 10 minutes) that his dad was in the car. What's the point of me writing about this? Little darling "Mess" as I call him, is the poster child for resiliency.

He's the one who never looks at me or says something to me without first showing me his toothless grin-he's just that happy. He's the one who quarantined himself at the reading table on Monday because he didn't want to infect anyone with his cold germs. He's the one who said, "Miss Loranger, I think we need to share ideas." Me: "Um, what do you mean?" Mess: "I think we should move everything out of the way and all sit in a circle and share ideas." Of course. He's the one who I have renamed "Mess" because he is all over the place, all day, everyday, and he has completely captured my heart. He's also the child whose mom "left me at my grandma's one day 2 years ago...she just left and we haven't seen her since then...it's like she's dead or something." She doesn't know what she's missing. He's the kid whose dad has been in jail for who-knows-what for 5 years; so essentially all of little Mess's life. He has been living with aunt and uncle, grandma, sister, and cousin.

Yes, this is the child who tries hard on everything, the child who is so very academically successful, and who is by far the happiest kid in my room of 22. This is the child who I most look forward to seeing (all teachers have favorites, don't believe one who says they don't)...he has the most infectious spirit of almost anyone I've spent time with-adult or child.

Resiliency has never looked better. I've even got that shell he gave me at open house sitting on my desk to remind me.

the women and the men

(This could be Andrew or David...sorry Freddie, but I don't think it could be you!)

(Here's what we would like if we were Asian...and middle-aged)

(And here we are in real life...at Mere's bday)

This weekend has flown by, which is always slightly disappointing. It was a good one though! David and Meredeth invited us over for dinner with Emily and Freddie. David cooked a delicious dinner and we all brought wine. I think the Fort Worth recycling people will appreciate all the glass being recycled as a result of our Friday evening. After dinner...well, although I wasn't alive in the 1940's, I think it looked a little something like this: The girls stayed inside and talked/gossiped while the "men" went out on the porch to talk mortgage rates and smoke cigars. We had a great time with our little six-some!

How could I have forgotten to post this the first time: "What, in the hundred acre woods?"

-Meredeth in response to Opossum going on mission trips

diddies

Suzanna, her bling, and Jay came to join Andrew and me for a yummy sushi dinner last night. I really like those kids!! We went to Edohana and cleaned up every plate we were served....you can't not do that there. Then we headed to a new little bar on 7th that has a rooftop deck. FW is getting so Dallas-and I like it! Turns out that Jay and Andrew share the same nickname...one which I know Andrew secretly likes even though he pretends to not. We got to hear more wedding details!! Yay Boerne! I am really working my realty skills so that they will move to FW after the wedding. I've already driven Suz around to look at houses I want them to live in (because I can't live in them on my amazing teacher salary) and sent her email listings of houses on the market. Now if I can just get Emily over here, it will be like old times at TCU in the dorms/house/apartments except that now Suz will be living with a boy. :)

delight

You have no idea how badly I wish I could post some pictures of the precious kids I'm spending my days with!! I am loving every moment (except for approximately the first 20 or so this morning when I was mad at the world because I was awake so early). I have never had so many kids interested in learning! Shocking, I know. They ask when we're doing science experiments, projects, harder math...As a whole, they also have the happiest demeanor of all the classes I've taught (that would be 4 plus 6 days). But in all seriousness, there hasn't been one single bullying issue, very much tattling, or whining. They are happy together and happy in our room!! I'm sure it also helps that I have 11 boys and 11 girls as opposed to last year when I had a whooping 16 boys and 6 girls. Yes, I'm not sure how I survived either...but I know that year made me stronger. So, come visit us sometime...you'll leave happier than when you came and you'll have gotten more hugs than you've had in a long time, too. :)