the best present under the tree...

...when she's not trying to eat it, of course.

let it snow

It might have melted by lunch time, but this is what it looked like when I walked into work this morning:
Score. :)

guest blogger

Bobby told me this story the other day and after I finished my laughing convulsions, I told him it was too bad that he didn't have a blog, because his story was so very blog-worthy. Then I did some more thinking and came up with the idea of a guest blogger, so....here you go:

The other day I went to go visit a client that I had never met at a nursing home. When I arrived the staff told me that my client was a lady in her nineties who had a reputation for being cantankerous. At this point I figured that my boyish charm could get the best of any old lady…this was not the case.

The nurse showed me to my client’s room and then left us to talk. When I introduced myself as her attorney my client immediately started yelling that she didn’t hire an attorney and did not need me. I politely explained that I had been appointed as her attorney and she was more or less stuck with me. My client than proceeded to tell me that there was no way I could be an attorney because I was too young. I could see how to someone in their nineties could see how someone in their late twenties could be too young to do much, so, once again, I politely explained to her that I was her attorney and I was here to help. As you can imagine she did not respond too well to this either.

At this point I figured I may as well proceed and talk to her about why I was there. I started off by trying to just chat with her to figure out how senile she really was. I asked her about her house and she immediately responded by saying”you are just trying to figure out if I know where I live”. That is exactly what I was doing but I wasn’t going to let her know that so I responded that I was trying to get to know her. This apparently set something off with her because she then grabbed an unopened can of Sprite off of her table and hurled it at me. Thank God she was old because her aim was about 3 feet to my right. However, when the Sprite hit the wall it exploded and got all over me! I never thought as a lawyer I would have an old lady hurl things at me…apparently I was wrong.

...and i learned to like shallots (a lot)

Israeli couscous with parsley and shallots
serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous (I found it in the bulk section at Central Market)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 shallots (about 1/2 pound total), halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook couscous until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, and transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add to bowl with couscous. Add parsley and lemon juice, and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

*I enjoyed this with some lime broccoli and sesame shrimp...I cooked Asian, go figure. :)

i wanna feel the sunshine shining down on me and you

yes...still here

Thank goodness for cell phones...otherwise some of you folks might think I had been kidnapped or fallen victim to the swine flu. Neither is true, luckily. Just trying to keep my head above water with the new job and all the scary unknown that it comes with.

I do better with lists, plus seeing as how I have so little time on my computer, I thought I'd run down the last month or so with bullet points. We all know I'm no good at storytelling, anyway.

~As stated above, my new counseling job is kicking my booty. One adjustment is that my time isn't my own anymore...there is always something that comes up that I have to do while in the middle of something else. I'm learning to navigate the ropes semi-on my own because there really is no one to guide you when you're the only counselor in a sea of 730+ small people. I love, love, love doing my guidance lessons! I am getting to know so many of the kiddo's personalities and I'm seeing the growth that happens from grade level to grade level.
~Haven't contracted the swine flu...however, I am in the midst of recovery from a seriously awful sinus infection. I thought my forehead was going to break out of my head while on a flight just last Monday...wouldn't wish that pain on my worst enemy...if I had an enemy, which I don't. :)
~I was on a plane coming back from visiting Ryan-from-the-train in Seattle. We've been friends for almost a good 10 years now. It was a gorgeous trip and it was really good to see him and catch up and shop at all the fun stores! We saw a lot of gorgeous scenery...stuff I don't get to see EVER here in the Lone Star State. Here are some of the pictures from my trip:

~Here are the sweet flowers my sweet Bobby left when I wasn't feeling well (thought I was dying) last week. I came home from work and saw them on the table and of course went into worst-case scenario mode for about 10 seconds before I realized there was no stranger lurking in my apartment trying to lure me with flowers. Turns out Bobby stopped by and dropped them off...which is a much sweeter story than a murderer hiding in my shower. (Do you like my candy corn placemats??)

~And finally, I got to go to this AWESOME concert a few weeks ago!! Taylor put on an amazing show and never stopped moving for the full 2 hours. She walked through the crowd twice, had all kinds of cool set changes, and finished the show by singing with the two opening acts. What a personable lady! I want to go when she comes back in March!!!

did i speak too soon?

Remember how just days ago I showed you pictures of my shiny and organized office?

Remember how I said there is never a dull moment in my new job?

Well, to quote one of my favorite movies, The Little Rascals, "the clouds opened up and God said 'I hate you Alfalfa'!" Although, perhaps that should say Mary instead of Alfalfa.

I walked into the school today and was greeted by one of our secretaries who curled her face up and said "I just sprayed about half a can of Lysol in your office to make the smell go away." Um....come again???

Turns out, the roof and ceiling of Blue Haze Elementary, along with the clouds, opened up this weekend. Score. I'm really, really trying hard to choose my attitude and for that attitude to be a positive one. However, when the overhead lights start crackling due to water contact, there is nasty brown water dripping from the hole in the ceiling all the live-long day, the planner which is your Bible gets ruined, all the paperwork on your desk, including the sole copy of a child's psych. discharge papers are also ruined, and the library books you had laying out for lessons get destroyed, it gets tough. Oh, and did I mention the smell?

The only positive highlight so far is that all my documentation and paperwork for TCU happens to be kept in a hard plastic folder that I just happened to choose because it was purple. God bless plastic.

I might need (just a little) counseling

Ah, yes, I am now 13 days into my new job as counselor to 700+ kiddos. It is...to sum up in a brief phrase...never a dull moment. The days begin and end before I can even realize what's gone on the middle. I am loving getting to meet all the kids. I was asked again and again at staff development if I missed being in the classroom. My answer was always a solid "no." I loved teaching for 5 years, don't get me wrong, but I was/am very excited about a new role and routine. I really didn't think I missed it until I read a book to a class during my first guidance lesson last week. I'm really glad that I will have 1-2 lessons a day. I'll still get to read to kids, teach them, and have the heart and soul conversations I so grew to love. I loved just talking to my kids about life "stuff" way more than I loved teaching them to do subtraction with regrouping. I still get to see all my previous loves and am meeting new little loves everyday. Yay! Here are some highlights/interesting things/tidbits/learning moments from the past couple of weeks:

-I now truly recognize the developmental differences between grade levels. I'm teaching lessons on trustworthiness (for what seems like the rest of my life, but really only 3 more weeks) and the "get it" factor is dramatically different between 3rd and 4th grades.

-Choose a book I really like, because by the time I've read it 6-7 times (6-7 classes per grade level), I want to throw it out the window.

-Contrary to some beliefs, I do not sit in the dark. I refuse to use the overhead bright lights in my office, so instead I have about 4 lamps on at all times. It's much more calm and relaxing.

-Pre-K kids are my new favorite. I spent the mornings with them the first week and quickly bonded with them. I miss them daily now that I'm busier and can't get down to see them as often.

-I have only cried once so far. And not really even at school, but on my way home.

-I listened to a frequent office visitor sing "When Good Girls Go Bad" from his desk in the little room where kids go when they can't quite get it together enough to stay in the classroom.

-Said child also randomly makes dinosaur/monster/not-sure-what shrieking noises, too. (Is it wrong that I actually really like him??)

-I nicknamed a TINY girl "Polly Pocket."

-I have conducted two meetings with parents who want their kids in either speech or special education...um, do they know I have NO idea what I'm doing??

-I didn't realize how much time I spent talking, laughing, and bonding with my 2nd grade team of teachers...that was probably the hardest adjustment so far...and may or may not have contributed to my tears.

-My knee got kissed during a kinder friendship lesson. Ok, creepy.

-I get lots and lots of hugs, which always make me smile.

-I walked back into my office this afternoon to find a kiddo laying on a blanket on my floor.

-I have learned to appreciate all the behind the scenes work my amazing principal and VP's do.

-I get to greet kids every morning and help them out of their cars. Your day can't help but start out great doing that...even if I almost got taken down by a boy who DID not want out of his car and subsequently pulled me in when I tried to get ahold of his arms.

Like I said, never a dull moment!

it's like taking a walk and not seeing the fences

yummy.

i heart ny

Ok, so I haven't blogged about my trip for a couple of reasons:
a-I'm not a good story teller...in my next life, I want to be able to sing and to tell stories
b-Uploading pictures on here is one of the most annoying things known to man, so I put a few and then a link to mine and Emily's pics from the trip
c-I have been super busy trying to be lazy for my last few days of summer

Emily and I headed out to NYC about 2 weeks ago. After sitting on the plane at DFW, on the runway, on a plane which could not withstand the Texas heat and therefore kept shutting down (no a/c!!) on the runway while waiting for an hour and a half, we finally took flight and landed at LaGuardia and met up with our Texan-turned-New Yorker friend, Alyson, from TCU. We spent a full day shopping in the city, went on an all day wine tour, and then headed to the Jersey shore to see yet another friend from college, SarahMac.

Can I tell you the highlights, in bullet-form, por favor?

-I LOVED Chelsea Market. If I lived close by in NYC, I would be there all the time. Specialty food stores, bakeries with the cutest cookies and cupcakes, a really neat kitchen store, and wine store...seriously, what else do you need in life?!
-I enjoyed my first visit to a true NYC apartment...Alyson and her roommate, Sara, really know how to utilize their space. Their apartment was precious! And right in the middle of Manhattan, which I learned was pretty great. They were great hostesses and Alyson even left a giant Empire State Building chocolate on our pillows....she skipped right over the tiny one-bite-and-you're-done chocolates. :) She's my kind of gal.
-The guys, at least at the little bar down the block from Alyson's, were beautiful. Almost too pretty.
-We wine-toured it up all day Saturday. I rode on a limo bus for what was hopefully the first and last time. It sounds really cool, I know...but let me tell you...the combination of 8 a.m., mimosas, sitting sideways, 2 hour drive each way, listening to a 35+ old woman whose tongue was pierced ramble, 3 vineyards, and bottles of vino split at each vineyard do not make for a fun ride. The weather was gorgeous, however, and there was live music at the last 2 vineyards. It was a great day!!
-We headed to New Jersey on Sunday morning to go see our long last friend SarahMac. Her name is really just Sarah but her last name starts with Mc, so she has been SarahMac to us since our days of sorority chants and singing...thank the Lord that's over! Her family has an unbelievably amazing house right across from the beach and we stayed there for 2 nights (I even got my kitty fill thanks to the stray cat they started feeding last summer who has since had a family of his own; complete with 3 tiny kitties that I tried endlessly to befriend). We spent the next few days sunning, laughing a lot, and splashing in the ocean. I got taken down by one doozie of a wave and now my sunglasses are swimming amongst the fishes...it was a small price to pay for such enjoyment.

The trip was so relaxing (minus the transportation: both air and bus) and SO much fun. I am already anxious to go back to NYC and see the many things I didn't get to this time. There's also something to be said for friends you've not seen in 4 years whom you can just pick right back up with again like you saw them a week ago.

Here are a few of my favorite pics:

A cool, random collage of painted tiles for 9/11.

Alyson's sweet WELOME home sign...guess what grammar nazi noticed the cute mistake...

SarahMac's family's BEAUTIFUL house in NJ!

Happy hour at the beach.

Night lights of NYC.More beach fun.

Inside one of the wine cellars...I don't usually have a drink in hand at 10 a.m.

Pool time in NJ.

And here are the links to pictures if you want to see more:

(Warning: Emily likes the camera...she's like a performing monkey)

http://picasaweb.google.com/marylorangersnaps/NYCNJ2009#

http://picasaweb.google.com/ClarkyClark/NYCNJ#

pre bon voyage

I'm not actually leaving until Thursday, but am currently doing any and all that I can to avoid thinking about packing. (my quart-size liquids bag is all ready to go, however!) Suddenly, I do not like any of the clothes in my closet, nor can I decide on a single item to pack. And let's face it, NYC peeps might be a little more up to speed on fashion than those of us living in FW, so I might be figuring out how I can blend in with my basics. I want to pack lightly. 2 reasons: 1) the sweet friend we're staying with lives on the 4th floor of her building. The building has no elevator. 2) I want to have room for all the goodies I find shopping! Therefore, I must decide very carefully on my outfits/clothes so that I don't take a lot of extra/what if I decide I want to wear this instead/I want options items.

Did I seriously just write a whole paragraph about packing?! Clearly I am stalling big time.

Packing is on my mind, though, because I'm going to be at my principal's house (gasp) all day tomorrow and I don't want to go into crazy packing mode tomorrow night because that is exactly what leads to overpacking of the suitcase I want to carry on. DFW baggage claim is THE worst. Always carry on if flying into that aeropuerto.

Maybe if I like you enough I'll bring you back a sweet magnet or shot glass that says this:

And maybe if I had darker, wavy hair, I could look like this in a few days:

And lastly, maybe if I had a super cool camera, I could take pictures like this while out and about in the city:

But alas, I do not have dark or wavy hair, or a really cool camera, but I do like those of you who read my words, so maybe the magnets can happen. I will share my pictures, taken with a normal camera, when I return. :)

good stuff

This is my newest obsession...well, obsession is kind of a scary word when you're speaking in regards to another person (don't wanna be considered a stalker)...so let's say, I like to look at this blog A LOT:

http://mycharmingkids.net

Precious kids.
Really neat photography.
Entertaining and witty, but also hearty and honest writing.
Every now and then a yummy "granola/hippie" recipe.

What more could I ask for in a blog?

sho' good eatin'

That's the motto from a yummy little place in Lampasas, TX that I've been known to stop at on my trips to San Antonio when travelling 281. Summer has given me even more time to be obsessed with food; mainly watching the Food Network and soaking up all that I can. Even if they are cooking something I won't necessarily eat, I often still watch just to learn. I've also become a little bit hooked on the show "Chopped" on FN...it's stressful but so interesting! There's always a mystery ingredient that does not go with the rest of the required ingredients but must be used somehow in the dish. Examples: gummy bears, baby octopus, animal crackers...I didn't even know what sharon fruit was until last night...and I have the Food Network to thank for the thing I learned yesterday.

I have made two tasty meals to eat off of this week. Both are from my friends (Giada and Ellie Krieger) on TV. Shocking.

Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta
(serves 4-6)

Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.
Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

*My notes:
-I would cut the salt in half. I think the feta cheese gives plenty of salt.
-One of the easiest things ever to make. Throw everything in a bowl, mix it up, and put it in a baking dish-seriously?! I was done before the oven was even hot enough.
-Do I even need to tell you that I used skim milk instead of whole??
-I cut up a couple of sweet potatoes into wedges to make my own sweet potato fries...cooked them in the oven at the same time. Yummy, easy meal!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.
Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

*Another easy meal. A nice, light summer dinner.

Happy cooking! :)

R.I.P. MJ

Apparently Mazie took the term "R.I.P." a bit too literally...or she was really bitter that I had left her alone all day. This is how she welcomed me home and showed her feelings for Michael. Is it wrong to be a little excited about watching the public memorial for him???

celebrate good times

I love fireworks. I wish they were a part of every holiday celebration. Or maybe used to celebrate the end of each month. I would like that. I like them. Alas, I must try to get my fix on one day in July. Oh, but wait, not this year...I managed to see fireworks THREE nights in a row-booya!!

Thursday: minding our business, discussing all kinds of important things, sitting on the roof at 7th Haven, low and behold...up pops the show from the Botanic Gardens. What a great surprise! I then took pictures with each of my fireworks friends.
Mere and I...not sure I was quite ready for that photo, but it captured the fireworks, so I'm happy.

Claire and I....no fireworks that direction behind us...whoops.

Bobby and I...he was also my partner in crime on Friday as we snuck into the end of the Cats baseball game, found empty seats on the 3rd row, watched the last 1/2 of the 9th inning and then...FIREWORKS SHOW! Woohoo!!

For the actual 4th, I ventured to Lake Worth with Mere, Leigh, and crew...but not before a stop at Rosa's, Majestic, and the Dollar General first. What else is there to do in Lake Worth, really? We spent the rest of the afternoon at a lake house where we played a super fun game of baseball...I think all baseball should be played the way we played. I hit the first RBI of the game. Whatever that is. Then a couple of the boys proceeded to call me "Proud Mary" the rest of the night. Guess the Wii baseball playing paid off. I also caught a ball but it didn't count as an out because I wasn't holding my drink in hand when I caught it. See, now you wanna know how to play the game, huh? :) We played with the most precious tiny fluff of a dog and watched fireworks over the water once the sun went down. What a fabulous 4th!!!

Oh, wait, how could I forget the biggest man-made slip-n-slide ever! It was fun and luckily I'd had enough fun that afternoon that I wasn't grossed out by the fact that I was covered in baby oil, shaving cream, and grass. Here are my visible battle wounds, although a lot more of body hurt than just my hip and knees...internal bruising, perhaps...?? (And yes, one of my knees is more swollen than the other.)

Team America!!

let's go to the movies

Let's go see the stars! (Did anyone else think of Daddy Warbucks and Annie all dressed up and tap dancing???) Love THAT movie, by the way.

But let's move on to my summer vacation. Which has included seeing two movies in the theater in 4 days. I usually see, oh, I'd say about two movies a year in theaters normally.

If you want to laugh, out loud, straight, for a good hour and half, then this is my recommendation:

Never before have I laughed so much at a movie. "Here's your car, officers."

On the other hand, if you are in a more sentimental mood, not wearing any eye makeup, want to cry for an hour and half straight, and also maintain a huge lump in throat afterwards, then this is my recommendation:

Of course, I recommend reading the book first. The ending was completely changed. And although it didn't really follow the book too much, it was still muy bueno. You will, however, get to watch one good looking dad for an hour and a half. Bring a box of Kleenex; a few stuck in your purse will just not do.

baker's dozen...

...or not really. For a couple of reasons:
1. I do not usually bake, nor do I really like to.
2. I only have two items for you, not 13.

However, summertime has left me with quite a bit of time on my hands. One can only watch so many Golden Girls episodes (but not really; I can never get enough of those ladies!!)..or at least until one feels really lazy. I baked for two specific reasons. One being a get-together with some grad school friends and the other being that I had a significant amount of pesto sauce left after I made it last week. Therefore, I baked. I made cookies for the friends and pizza dough for a pesto pizza (complete with lots of cheese, bell peppers, shrimp, and tomato slices-yum!). Here you go:

Chocolate-mint wafers
(makes 44ish)

1 c all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t plus 1/8 t salt
6 tb unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 c sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
12 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/4 t pure peppermint extract
sprinkles (optional, but SO yummy and fun!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and 1/4 t salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture just until combined.
Form balls of dough (equal to about 1 t) and place on two baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a glass in water and flatten balls into 1 1/2-inch rounds (about 1/4 inch thick). Bake until slightly firm to the touch, 8-10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
Make chocolate coating: place chocolate, peppermint extract, and remaining 1/8 t salt in double boiler. Heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Set each cookie across the tines of a fork,dip fork in chocolate, then tap underside of fork on side of boiler bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet, and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened, about 30 minutes. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Whole-wheat pizza dough
(makes 2 one-pound balls)

1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) water
2 packets ( ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for kneading
2 cups whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

Place water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush another large bowl with oil. In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil, and salt. Stir in flours with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to oiled bowl; brush top of dough with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, knead until smooth, about 15 seconds; divide into two balls. Set balls on a plate (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

You can do what you want for the next part:
-Then freeze in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
-Divide each ball of dough into 4 pieces. Using your hands, stretch each piece into a 5-inch disk (if dough becomes too elastic to work with, let it rest a few minutes). Freeze shells on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake from frozen.

elvis has left the...garden???

Dallas is quickly making its way to my heart. I trekked over there last night to attend an Elvis tribute band concert at the Arboretum with Emily and Suzanna. I got to tour a new part of Dallas as I made my way to Emily's new apt...I got an even longer tour (in the dark) of the ghetto when her directions did NOT get me to I30 to go home.

We headed to Whole Foods where we made salads, sampled and got some delicious, refreshing wine, and I got us some "wholesome junkfood" brownie bite things. Suz said that wholesome junkfood doesn't exist. They were interesting...sort of like chocolate fig newtons. Not bad, but not what you want if you are seriously craving something chocolate. Suz, being a good little mama, packed a picnic basket and blanket, along with waters, napkins, and forks for everyone. Emily, being Emily, got a bag of ice at Whole Foods. And when I say bag, I mean that she filled up a produce section bag (like you would put apples into) with "Sonic ice." "That's how I get ice, I don't have an ice maker at home." Oh, Emily. She's pretty.

I digress. Elvis was the reason for the gathering. He put on a good show and wore both a Hawaiian shirt for the first half and then a white, fringed, leather...or pleather... jumpsuit for the second half once the sun went down. The little girl in the picture below was deemed "little Emily." With the exception of wearing pink AND flowers, we decided had Emily attended this concert as a 5 year old, this is who she would have been. She was jammin'! Emily says in line (to me, the instigator), "Dare me to get him to sign my arm?" Dare.

Oh my goodness, I think the man left a good 1/2 inch of sweat on my shoulder/arm. SICK.

And she wanted Elvis's signature....too bad she had to settle for Kraig. With a K.

how does your garden grow?

After being asked that question for the better part of my 27 years, I finally have an answer! Like this: Ok, so it's not exactly a garden, but my herbs are growing like crazy (which means I haven't killed them!). I've got oregano, thyme, and basil growing...I made my own pesto using some of my basil and it was tasty!

And because she's so cute and squishy, I took a picture of the Maze, too. She talks to birds and squirrels, chases wasps (s-m-a-r-t), and tries to run downstairs to eat grass while I water my plants and flowers everyday. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my patio and am out there some mornings and most evenings catching up on my stack of magazines. I feel like I live in a treehouse; the shade and sunlight are so pretty through the trees. Summer=goodness. Squared.

asian invasion

I am, oh-so-surprisingly, sharing yet another delicious Asian recipe I just recently tried. It literally takes about 10 minutes and is made with 4 ingredients...score! I have started watching a show on Discovery Health called "Just Cook This." The "cooking guy," Sam, is highly ADHD, but he makes thing that look really yummy. Here's his recipe I tried:

Beef Chow Mein with Black Bean Sauce
(serves 4ish)

1 pound steak (I used flank)
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus 1 teaspoon
4 ripe medium sized ripe tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
One 7-ounce package Asian stir fry noodles (from the refrigerator section at the market), but don't use the sauce mix
2 tablespoons black bean sauce (also found in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets)

Trim excess fat from the steak and slice into very thin slices.
Preheat a pan or wok on stove top and heat really well over high heat, then add oil. When the oil is smoking, and not until, add beef and stir fry for a couple minutes until beef changes color and is cooked through. Remove and set aside.
With the pan back on the heat and smoking again, add a teaspoon of oil and the tomatoes. Stir-fry about a minute.
Add the beef, noodles and black bean sauce to the tomatoes. Stir the whole business until the flavor is through everything and all is heated.

That's it! It's really that easy and it's really, really good. I think I'll try it with chicken next time.

Piece of advice: make sure your vent works (mine apparently is sick)...this is super smoky (be sure you use the peanut oil or another oil that can handle high heat)...and while I miraculously did not set off the fire alarm, I did have to open windows and turn the fan on to try and rid my place of smoke.

summer: so far, so fun!

I know I'm only about a week into summer, but it's been great so far. I haven't had much "free time" yet, which is nice because I haven't been bored, but I know that will be coming soon...I have been recording movies on my DVR to keep occupied in the coming weeks.

So far, so fun list:
~unpacked my office (which I have a really hard time saying) and am going back next week to start planning for the new school year. :)
~bought a pass for summer exercise classes at TCU...attended Pilates and loved it, am going again tomorrow (and attempting to soak up some sun if it's out). Next week, I'm trying TNT (tone-n-tighten)...hopefully I'll live to be able to blog about it.
~went to a Rangers game last minute. If you know me, you know I am very scheduled and not spontaneous, however, I have been working on it. I got ready in about 45 minutes for the game and had a great time.
~went back to Dr. Boothe and tomorrow is my LAST day of eye drops-WOOHOO!!! (see side note below)
~headed to Dallas for some QT with a BFF. It was a fabulously fun day that included tasting an interesting concoction of watermelon cucumber juice, a sushi lunch, manicures (I'm channeling LC from The Hills with my new red polish), shopping at Anthropologie, a delicious dinner and champagne in cute pink sugar-rimmed glasses for a bday party. Could I get used to Dallas easily? YES. Could my wallet? N-O.
~a patio date today once the torrential downpour was over.

The first week of summer has been so great...here's to hoping it stays that way!

Side note: Originally, I thought I would blog about my lasik surgery. However, there are reasons no one tells you ANYTHING about the process. Before. During. Or after. That being said, I highly recommend it and would do it again without a second thought.

come tell me your problems

After a VERY, VERY long two weeks, I can now officially announce my new job as a counselor!!!

About two weeks ago the counselor at my school announced that she would be leaving the district. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen. I thought she would retire there...she's BFF with our principal and vice principal. Anywho, she sent an email with her news and some of my lovely coworkers all but held a gun to my head to go "RIGHT NOW" and talk to "them" (principal and VP). I resisted, mainly because I was scared of rejection and it's not my personality to do that sort of thing. Oh, and I can be really stubborn when I want to be. Meredeth and Carrie then began scheduling my day so that I could send my kids to them while I went to the office. No. Carrie then sent down a kid like every 30 minutes to check and see if I was in my room (because I lied and told her I'd go down there so she would leave me alone!). Yes I was. I met them halfway and agreed to email the principal and she wrote me back immediately and said to come down when I had time so we could "chat." Was this a good chat? Or a bad "we're moving people around in the district/one of the Summerhills is getting the job" chat?

It was a great chat that made me cry tears of pure joy! She had been anxious to talk to me about the job but was waiting for the current counselor to make her announcement. My principal said "This is just such a God thing." Hello, yes it is and hello, who doesn't want to work with someone who thinks like that?! I know and love the school and kiddos, they know me, etc... She did, however, say that my first test of confidentiality would be keeping the news quiet until it was approved in the admin. building. Um...she was not aware of the clowns down my hallway who looked like gophers sticking their heads out from behind doors to see if I was coming back yet. I tried.

I needed to get ONE piece of documentation from TCU to take to the admin. building in order to sign my contract. Well, this ONE piece of paper is only available from ONE person who just happened to be on a week long vacation. Enter the 2nd longest week of my life. I finally got the paperwork from her on Wednesday and took it to the admin. building Thursday. I had a little dance/concert party in my car after I finally got to sign my name on that sheet of paper.

I am beyond thrilled and excited to be starting this new job. I am even more excited and thankful to be staying with my Blue Haze family and some of my very best friends. I spent all day Thursday with the counselor "learning the ropes"...and am completely overwhelmed, too. I am heading up there next week to work on my office (score!!) and try to get organized a little bit.

Life is good!!

t-swift

I have had several songs on repeat recently.
1. Mad World (Adam Lambert)
2. Falling Slowly (Kris Allen)
3. One (Adam again)
4. This sweet song by one of my very favorites, Miss Taylor Swift:

Crazier
I was trying to fly, but I couldn't find wings
Then you came along and you changed everything
You lift my feet off the ground, spin me around
You make me crazier, crazier
Feels like I'm falling and I am lost in your eyes
You make me crazier, crazier, crazier

(Obviously, that's not the entire song, but it's my favorite part)

(And yes, maybe this song is from the Hannah Montana movie...maybe...but please remember that I spend my weekdays with 8 year olds...)

I get to see her in concert in about 3 months! SO excited!!!

yummy recipe

Penne with Eggplant Puree
4-6 servings

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red
pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.
Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

*SO yummy!! It has the texture of a meat sauce, but is all veggies. Best of all, it's from my future BFF Giada. :)

job security

There will always be a need for teachers, even in this unstable job market. Check out the middle two entrees....

heart ache

This is for my sweet friends, Emily and Freddie, and little Anna Sophia...I'm at a loss for words for them; their strength, faith, and love amazes all those around them. Please pray that they continue to stay strong through this trying time and that they be surrounded by grace.

When God Calls Little Children
When God calls little children
to dwell with him above,
We mortals sometime question
the wisdom of his love
For no heartache compares with
the death of one small child
Who does so much to make our world,
seem wonderful and mild
Perhaps God tires of calling
the aged to his fold,
So He picks a rosebud,
before she can grow old.
God knows how much we need them,
and so he takes but a few
To make the land of Heaven
more beautiful to view.
Believing this is difficult still
somehow we must try,
The saddest word mankind knows will always be "Goodbye."
So when a little child departs
we who are left behind
Must realize God loves children,
Angels are hard to find.

-Unknown

i'm going under the knife!

Well...my eyes are, at least...and maybe it's more of a laser than a knife. But it's still scary and also exciting! I went for my initial consultation yesterday afternoon with Dr. Boothe. Little did I know that a mere 48 hours later I would be back there, taking a sedative, and having Lasik done. I'm currently wearing my 5+ year old glasses which is a joy that I can't even begin to express. Not. I'm also putting two different eye drops in my eyes every 4 hours; one of which burns like the devil. I stocked up on another set of eye drops at Target that I'll apparently need for several months after...and most importantly, I have my prescription for Vicodin ready to go!!

Also, because Deneise is so lovingly strange, she's somehow jealous of my surgery...which she has already had...with Dr. Boothe....and it went well...???

I saw the room where he does the surgery, I met him (I'll elaborate on that joyous event in a moment), and already had my eyes numbed so he could poke at them for some sort of measurement. They were oh-so-kind at the office and booked me a late afternoon appointment since we have 2nd grade luau day in the morning. My sweet mama is coming up to drive me there and back and stay with me for the weekend.

I had been warned by several people that Dr. Boothe and his kind are the most socially awkward human beings ON THE PLANET. His kind being complete geniuses with negative social skills. I thought I could assume just how awkward and uncomfortable it would be. NOPE. I have never heard someone speak in such a deep, monotone voice before. The expression on his face never changed and he didn't smile back at me any of the times I smiled at him to try and make it less awkward! It was like talking to a 2x4!!!! Or a deaf person.

Anyway, I'm just ready for it to be over and for me to not be the statistic that has a bad surgery. I think it's supposed to take all of about 15 minutes, so please cross your fingers and say a little prayer for me that I don't go blind between 4:00-4:15 tomorrow.

yesterday...was GREAT!

Woohoo!! Several spectacular things happened yesterday.

1. I took my last final for this semester. I'm free as a bird this summer and can't wait! So far, out of two classes, I have one secured A, and unless I did horribly on a book report, I should be good to go in the other class. Those of you who know about my nerdy nightmare, have no fear, it has yet to come true. :) I got to celebrate with some class friends afterwards, too! Only thing left now is my Practicum class in the fall...and hopefully a new job.

2. My future baby daddy ROCKED the stage! I especially loved his duet with my other Idol favorite, Allison. Those of you who are doubting that destiny is on my side...you just wait til he stops here on his Idols tour and comes looking for me. I know he wants to have a mohawked-hair baby with me. Meredeth's blog has the picture to prove it. 3. This little diddy came in the mail:

My car is mine all mine! Now those payments will go towards my eyes...Lasik, here I come!