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!!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
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!!!
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!!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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. :)
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. :)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
job security
There will always be a need for teachers, even in this unstable job market. Check out the middle two entrees....
Monday, May 18, 2009
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
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
Thursday, May 14, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
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!
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!Monday, May 4, 2009
superwoman?
Just maybe. Emily is the strongest, bravest, and most faith-holding person I know. I love you, Em!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
pigs, Mexico, the CDC, or someone...owes me money
Oh. My. Gosh. I'm about to move to Mexico just so I don't hear about the dang swine flu one more time. Not really Mexico, maybe a US island. Those of you from here and those of you not from here, thanks to the Today Show, most likely know that Fort Worth ISD closed ALL schools until at least May 11th. Because 1 child was confirmed with the flu of the swine and 3 others were probable. Nevermind the other 79, 996 kids who attend school in that district. I teach nearby, so of course I had 4 kids out today. One was legit; double ear infection. Not sure about the other 3.
My job is super important. I'm supposed to be shaping these young minds and developing their character. Preparing them for the scariness of TAKS. Teaching them how to solve problems-both word problems in math and social ones. Nurturing their sweet personalities and fixing the not so sweet ones. NOT listening to them argue over the "swine" vs. "swan" flu. Or mediating between 2 kids who were arguing (and getting quite angry, might I add) about how long a person with "the bad flu" had to be in the hospital. 3 weeks was the discrepancy. I didn't mediate. I said solve this amongst yourselves. The nurse's daughter, a complete ham whom I adore dearly, made it known that: a-the school was closing May 11th, b-her mom is the nurse and therefore she would know if the school was closing, and c-that White Settlement has the swine flu. I think the majority of my class listened to her.
We got Clorox wipes (purchased by the district) today to use to wipe down all surfaces...so we spent a good 10 minutes doing that this afternoon. Can I hire these kids for the summer???
I am asking that someone, whoever made this into a "pandemic," please send me a check to supplement my day's work...I'm about to make my kids start calling the news channels with their questions.
My job is super important. I'm supposed to be shaping these young minds and developing their character. Preparing them for the scariness of TAKS. Teaching them how to solve problems-both word problems in math and social ones. Nurturing their sweet personalities and fixing the not so sweet ones. NOT listening to them argue over the "swine" vs. "swan" flu. Or mediating between 2 kids who were arguing (and getting quite angry, might I add) about how long a person with "the bad flu" had to be in the hospital. 3 weeks was the discrepancy. I didn't mediate. I said solve this amongst yourselves. The nurse's daughter, a complete ham whom I adore dearly, made it known that: a-the school was closing May 11th, b-her mom is the nurse and therefore she would know if the school was closing, and c-that White Settlement has the swine flu. I think the majority of my class listened to her.
We got Clorox wipes (purchased by the district) today to use to wipe down all surfaces...so we spent a good 10 minutes doing that this afternoon. Can I hire these kids for the summer???
I am asking that someone, whoever made this into a "pandemic," please send me a check to supplement my day's work...I'm about to make my kids start calling the news channels with their questions.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
beauty in boerne
Last weekend was my wonderful, fun, and dear friend Suzanna's wedding in Boerne. What a memorable, amazing, beautiful, and PERFECT weekend it was!! Perfect minus the rain during the (outdoor) rehearsal and the storm that woke me up at 5 a.m. the morning of the wedding...but here's all the good stuff:
Emily, Margaret, and I decided to give a group toast to Jay and Suz because the story we wanted to tell involved all three of us (and Jay), and more importantly...to me, anyway, I knew if I stood up on my own and started speaking, I would get a mere 3-4 words out before I started ugly crying/no one can understand what you are saying business. Safety in numbers! Although, of course I did still cry. We recounted taking Jay out for margaritas at Chuy's and laying it out for him...we wanted him to be The One, which meant bumping the current clown Suz was dating and getting all their ducks in a row. Look how that turned out... :)
Margaret and I took more family/parent pictures than I think have been taken since I was about 3 years old. Of course I got none of all of us looking directly at my camera, but you get the drift.
My mama didn't know she would be color coordinating so well with the wedding decor.
It was a bit crowded in the "Sewing Room" of the Ye Kendall Inn...but we let Aunt Jemima stay anyway, closed eyes in pictures and all. At some point in the night, I decided to start using a British/Irish accent when saying the name of the hotel...not at all sure why. I think we'd had enough wine, dancing, and fun that none of us really cared about the reality that 3 of us were sharing a queen bed.
Thank goodness I'm not following this wedding anytime soon!!!! How do you top this entrance???
Ain't she a pretty thing?! :)
I'm trying to give you a peak at how beautiful and perfect the weather turned out...a mere 12ish hours after a complete downpour. Do you see a single cloud in that sky?
Mr. and Mrs. Rubottom!!
I stole this picture off someone's Facebook page whom I don't even know...but I couldn't resist. This was inside the tent where the reception and band were. Amazing.
Emily, Margaret, and I decided to give a group toast to Jay and Suz because the story we wanted to tell involved all three of us (and Jay), and more importantly...to me, anyway, I knew if I stood up on my own and started speaking, I would get a mere 3-4 words out before I started ugly crying/no one can understand what you are saying business. Safety in numbers! Although, of course I did still cry. We recounted taking Jay out for margaritas at Chuy's and laying it out for him...we wanted him to be The One, which meant bumping the current clown Suz was dating and getting all their ducks in a row. Look how that turned out... :)
Margaret and I took more family/parent pictures than I think have been taken since I was about 3 years old. Of course I got none of all of us looking directly at my camera, but you get the drift.
My mama didn't know she would be color coordinating so well with the wedding decor.
It was a bit crowded in the "Sewing Room" of the Ye Kendall Inn...but we let Aunt Jemima stay anyway, closed eyes in pictures and all. At some point in the night, I decided to start using a British/Irish accent when saying the name of the hotel...not at all sure why. I think we'd had enough wine, dancing, and fun that none of us really cared about the reality that 3 of us were sharing a queen bed.
Thank goodness I'm not following this wedding anytime soon!!!! How do you top this entrance???
Ain't she a pretty thing?! :)
I'm trying to give you a peak at how beautiful and perfect the weather turned out...a mere 12ish hours after a complete downpour. Do you see a single cloud in that sky?
Mr. and Mrs. Rubottom!!
I stole this picture off someone's Facebook page whom I don't even know...but I couldn't resist. This was inside the tent where the reception and band were. Amazing. I had such a great time and was so sad everything was over on Sunday. I also think I want to hire Suzanna to be me or coach me the weekend of my own wedding one day. That girl was more calm than I would have ever been. She did not roll eyes at Maureen, the wedding planner whom I was plotting to throw into the lake due to her patronizing way of speaking to everyone, she vacuumed hours before her wedding, she went with her now husband to be baptised in the lake 30 minutes before her own wedding rehearsal, and she said her face didn't hurt from smiling after a 5 hour long rehearsal dinner. I am so excited for them!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
