Friday Flashbacks

So I'm not sure if it is the book I am listening to (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) or my slight obsession with Song Pop, or some kind of weird dementia, but I've been thinking a lot about things from the past. Good things! Not those sad, sentimental, regret-filled things... So today I thought I would share...

This one I know I can blame on the kid... I introduced her to one of my childhood favorite cartoons, and now she will ask to watch it. "I watch the white mouse on the computer, Mummy." Dangermouse, in my opinion, is sheer brilliance.




I am not ashamed to admit, nor have I ever been, that I am a HUGE Debbie Gibson fan! Still am! I am glad that she is still around doing lots of cool things... I think The Electric Youth tour might still be one of my favorite concerts EVER! Seeing her in Grease was pretty cool too!



And can someone please explain to me why You Can't Do That On Television hasn't been released on DVD?! (At least it hadn't been last time I looked for it...)



So is it obvious I spent a lot of time watching Nickleodeon through the years?
Here's one I loved-- and would like to get on DVD to use at school...


Even the theme song is cool-- reminds me of the theme from The Neverending Story...

OK, enough for today... I'm sure I can dig up more treasures later... Until then, enjoy these gems!  :)

10-11-12

To celebrate this cool date-- Miss Priss and I had a girl's day!

First thing she wanted to do when she woke up was paint-- so paint we did!

We enjoyed a nice lazy AM watching Pocoyo and The Fresh Beat Band...

Once it warmed up-- it was time for our big outing-- to the ZOO!! We LOVE the zoo! Especially the Ellies, Giraffes, Monkeys, and Lions! 

King of the Nap

It was a BEAUTIFUL day-- and thankfully not overly crowded!

 

 

Sweet Bird!

Look at the Funny Face!

It was a successful Mummy-Daughter Day! Yay for Fall Break!!

Channeling her inner-Lion after a FUN day!

Book Club 2012: Update

I cannot remember if I have listed the contents of my 2012 reading/listening library yet-- so here goes!

1. The Funny Thing Is... by Ellen DeGeneres
2. A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
3. Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen
4. Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen
5. What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most by Todd Whitaker
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen
8. Catch Me by Lisa Gardner
9. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
10. The Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
11. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King
12. Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest & Irreverent Look at Mommyhood: The Good, The Bad, and The Scary by Jill Smokler
13. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
14. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
15. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
16. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
17. In Session by M.J. Rose
18. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
19. When Farts Had Colors by Mark Lawton Thomas
20. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
21. Criminal Investigation: Evidence, Clues, and Forensic Science by John D. Wright

My goal this year is 35 books... So I am a bit behind perhaps... 

Currently (as in I JUST downloaded the audible version) I am listening to The Perks of Being a Wallflower  by Stephen Chbosky. I've heard great things about the book-- but honestly what really snagged me was a trailer for the upcoming movie. I always like to read the book before seeing the movie-- and I really want to see that movie based on the trailer... so presto! 

So what is everyone else reading?! Do share!

Yakkety Yak-- DON'T COME BACK!!

Just when you think it is safe to get a full night's sleep...

YAK ATTACK!

Poor Miss Priss. I have concluded that she is having reactions to her antibiotic. She has taken this numerous times-- but I think this may be it. She has had no appetite, and has randomly thrown up after taking it. Last night she got me first as I rocked her. I, and her beloved Piggy Woo took the brunt of the hit. After getting changed, her cleaned & changed, and Pig in the washing machine-- I put her to bed with me. Bad move, Mom.

Next thing I know-- well, you can imagine. (sigh)

So now I have to relocate Hubby downstairs to sleep in the guest room. Again clean and change myself and Miss Priss. This time strip the bed-- including the cover of the duvet-- reload the washing machine after moving round 1 to the dryer.

At this point, my favorite 2 yr old is wide awake. "I neeeeeed to watch Peppa Pig, Mummy!" So that is what we did... at 2:30am. Well, she watched-- I worked on de-yakking the bedroom. I also went down and cleaned her bed and got it ready for her imminent return. Post-Peppa I got Miss Priss back in bed-- with a slightly damp Piggy Woo (Now Mu and Baby Ellie were in the washing machine for their bath). I managed to calm myself back down, and around 4am fell asleep on the couch.

Hubby woke me when he got up for work a little after 5am-- only to inform me that he has a "dodgy stomach." Great. If he instigates Round 3 tonight, he's on his own! I'm YAKKED OUT!

(Shout out to my teaching pal TG-- she went through a similar 1-3am Yak-a-thon with her daughter-- but also managed to break her toe during the whole shebang. Damn overachiever!) 

It's Fall, Ya'll!

Fall Break 2012 is here at last, at last!

I am BEYOND happy about this as I need a break BIG style! Between 4th & 5th graders, a sick two yr old, and becoming increasingly irritated with some people I see on a daily basis (yes, I'm being purposely vague)-- I was pretty close to collapse.

Besides, I LOVE FALL! And it seems last year we didn't get to experience much... it went from blazing hot and sweaty to freezing cold and bitter. I'm so ready for sweaters, scarves and coats-- not to mention colorful trees, pumpkins, and baking!

With this as inspiration as this nasty, rainy day-- which ironically I find BEAUTIFUL-- I have begun my fall festivities... I've done a SMALL amount of decorating-- pictures later when I get more done perhaps... I've made some homemade chicken chili for dinner tonight-- won't Hubby be impressed! (Yes, it's been awhile since I have put ANY effort into making dinner. AND I managed to do this without going to the store for ANYTHING!) I'm also boiling the chicken carcass and various ingredients to make the chicken stock I like to keep on hand in the freezer. 

Chicken Chili

Miss Priss and I have stayed in jammies all day-- which I also LOVE. She is taking a nice nap-- but I am thrilled she has been much more active today than she has in the previous 3 or 4. Hoping tomorrow we are back to normal toddler health and can perhaps go to school for a few hrs so I can do some shopping on my own.

We just celebrated Hubby's birthday weekend-- sadly we didn't get to do all that we wanted (due to the aforementioned sickly kiddo)-- but we did manage to get out for a couple of hours Saturday night, and for most of the afternoon/evening yesterday. LOTS of beer for the Englishman-- which is always a good gift for him! :)  We also met a fun new couple at The Casual Pint in downtown Knox last night. I leave Hubby for a few mins to make a call, come back and find him deep in discussion-- not about the local brew, or the NFL game on the tv-- but about tea. Yes, tea. Ah, the English! So in addition to socks, giftcards, and beer-- we also made some new friends for Hubs' birthday. SWEET!


I think tomorrow (pr possibly tonight) will be a great time to make the first batch of Pumpkin Cookies for the year!

Independence

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose...

 As a social studies teacher, this is one of my favorite holidays. This past year I got to teach 4th grade SS which includes the American Revolution-- one of my favorite time periods. I did my best to not only teach the facts of this monumental event, but also to instill in the students just how BRAVE the founding fathers were. Had the war ended differently, every signer of the Declaration of Independence would surely have been executed. Imagine how they felt as they put pen to paper to sign their "John Hancock".

To the brave men and women who continue to defend the freedom these heroes fought so hard for, thank you. Ironically it was four years ago today I got a phone call that my brother William had been injured in Iraq. Of course, I immediately thought the worst: IUD, gunfire, bombs... luckily it wasn't THAT bad-- I mean, it was bad-- 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 80-90% of his leg-- but he still has all his parts and is able to be active. Not all were that lucky.

I've done some things in my life that I consider "brave," but I have NO idea what it must be like to put my life on the line for my country. Anyone who does that, or is willing to do that, goes through the training process to do that, etc. truly are heroes.

Because of you all, this continues to be a land of opportunity. Many people still risk their life to come here for something better. Often we take for granted all that we have. I truly hope that all the immigration issues are resolved so that those looking for a better life are able to do so. Having now gone through the immigration process, I KNOW how hard it is, and can see why going the illegal route is so tempting to so many. I'm not saying it's right-- just that it is understandable. Being willing to take that risk shows how desperate some people (and places) are.

O beautiful for spacious skies, 
For amber waves of grain, 
For purple mountain majesties 
Above the fruited plain! 
America! America! 
God shed his grace on thee 
And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! 

 So HAPPY BIRTHDAY, America! I hope everyone has a safe, fun day!

30 Day Blog Challenge: FAIL

So perhaps summer was not the correct time to attempt an every day blog writing challenge... Life. Chaos. Drama. oof.

So anyway.... I will just use the rest of the topics as prompts for entries... But probably not EVERY day...

So, where was I? Ah yes.

If I could live off only one food and beverage for the rest of my days, what would it be?
Whoa, this is a hard one.

Food-- Probably pizza. Boring, typical answer I know. But it's rare that I am not in the mood for pizza.
Beverage is trickier... I do LOVE my Diet Dr. Pepper-- though I have seriously backed off this during the summer. Been having only one soda every 4 or 5 days lately... Beer with pizza is always a good idea  :)  And nothing quenches thirst as well as water. Wow, honestly, I'm not sure what I would pick.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 9

Pet Peeves

If you asked any of my students at school, or any former students what my pet peeve is, they would tell you EYE ROLLING! I cannot stand this-- I view it as a complete show of disrespect. I'm not a fan of students arguing with me, or speaking in a hateful tone-- but I can usually handle that better than if they roll their eyes.

5 Other pet peeves:

Leaving dirty dishes in the sink and on the counter instead of loading the dishwasher.
People who ALWAYS talk about themselves.
Selfishness in adults.
Chewing gum like a cow chewing cud.
People who will not even attempt to be flexible. (Especially fellow teachers)

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 8

3 things you want to say to 3 different people

First, THANKS to Lacy. Whew! Without you I would NEVER, and I mean NEVER make it day to day. You keep me somewhat sane at school- either as someone to listen to me rant and rave, or as an enabler giving me chocolate and caffeine. You are BEYOND amazing with Maddie-- one of the few I trust COMPLETELY with her. You are caring, unselfish, and kind to everyone you meet. I wish there were more people like you in the world, because truly, it would be a better place. I am beyond honored that I am fortunate enough to call you friend. Now seriously, we should re-think ever taking that CORE class again!

Second, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Today would have been my mom's 69th birthday. She always told me that I should spend my birthday doing whatever I wanted to be doing for the next year. I try to practice this on her birthday as well as mine. I have spent time with a good friend, I've run through the sprinklers with Maddie, and I plan to start packing for our trip as well as making a visit to my Gma. I think Mom would approve.

Third, I MISS YOU to Justy! It constantly amazes me that we have known each other really only a short amount of time, but I feel it has been forever! (In a good way, of course). I SO wish we lived closer and could get these crazy kids together more often... and then enjoy a tasty beverage while they napped.  ;)  You crack me up, inspire me, and help me more than you will ever know! Just a silly text or "special" picture from you can turn my whole mood around. There is no one I would rather lose my teaching license with than you! GIG! FISH! MP!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7

Do you read? What are your favorite books?

Oh my YES! And, I have several!

I have always been a voracious reader. Not as much now-- unless you count Maddie's endless books on pigs and Goodnight Moon-- but I do try to keep one book and one audiobook going at all times.

I love the Harry Potter books. All of them. LOVE. My mom turned me on to them. At first I was very skeptical-- but as usual, mom was right. I read the first 3 in a week, then had to wait patiently for #4 and all the others to come out. I was one of the crazies at the bookstore on midnight on release days-- having slept most of the day so I could stay up reading. And then I discovered them on audio (Thanks again, mom!) Oh my. I still listen to them regularly. I'm blown away by the character and plot developments throughout the series.

I'm definitely more of a mystery reader. Most of the books I get on audio are mysteries. And I love stories set in England. Lately I have been listening to the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie King. An interesting concept on if Sherlock gained a female apprentice later in life.

Last year I read The Help which I found amazing.

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to read The Hunger Games-- mainly b/c I was SO tired of everyone asking if I HAD read it. (When you like Harry Potter, everyone assumes you will love the next big thing in young adult fiction. To answer your question, NO, I hated Twilight)- this is probably what made me hesitant with Hunger Games. I can admit when I am wrong-- I really enjoyed the series-- though I felt the last book was rushed and somewhat disjointed.

Some other books/ series I love:

The Royal Spyness Mysteries by Rhys Bowen
The Flavia DeLuce novels by Alan Bradley
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French
The English American by Alison Larkin
Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

I've fallen behind AGAIN! Oof!

Day 6: What band or musician is most important to me

Well, this is a weird one. I'm not sure which artist is most important to me-- but there are MANY that I LOVE and certainly add to my life.

Being a former band and orchestra nerd I have been fortunate to be exposed to many genres of music. There are few that I don't really like. Basically it depends on what kind of mood I am in at the time. From classical and musicals to gangsta rap and heavy metal-- my iPod has it all!

Recently, like most everyone else in the world, I've been listening a LOT to Adele. I've loved her for MANY years now and I'm really happy she has found success. Her voice is so unique and full of feeling, and her lyrics hit home.

Of course, anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE fan of cheesy 80s music... If only I could sing I would be a kareoke dynamo! I still love Debbie Gibson and New Kids on the Block. I know all the words to Baby Got Back and Buttermilk Biscuits! Nothing is better on a road trip than some Garth-- followed by some Def Leppard and Duran Duran, of course!

Music has been, and continues to be, a very important part of my life. I am so excited that Maddie seems to love music (& dancing) as much as I do. So I guess in answer to today's topic, MUSIC itself is important to me!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 5

HUZZAH! This post catches me up!

OK, this will be a fun one!

5 Places I Want to Visit


#1: Italy-- This has been tops on my list for a long time. I want to see the touristy stuff, but also spend times in the small country villages-- think Under the Tuscan Sun.

#2: Alaska-- I'd never really thought about it much until Little Bro's girlfriend went with her family. After seeing her pictures-- WHOA! Now if I could just talk Hubby into it!

#3: Maine-- Other than New York, Pennsylvania- that area, I haven't travelled much in the northeast. And I guess since 5th grade- when my favorite show was Murder She Wrote-- and Jessica Fletcher lived in Cabot Cove, Maine-- I've always thought it would be an interesting place to see.

#4: Chicago-- I know, I know! I can't believe I haven't been there either! Even Hubby has been! We have discussed a trip, possibly even later this year. One thing there I REALLY want to try-- Chicago style pizza!

#5: California Wine country-- I would love to get a group of girlfriends, a chauffeured car, and hit the road, sampling wines for a few glorious days. I love CA, and have explored various areas, but never the northern part. 

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 4

The meaning of my blog name--

Well, the address of the blog is ukteach-- no, I am not a teacher at the University of Kentucky, nor do I plan to be. But once upon a time I applied to teach in England-- and actually set up this blog as a way to communicate that process and talk to other ex-pat teachers.

The title, Miss Teacher, is pretty self-explanatory I think.

Slightly off topic-- pet peeve: when students I don't know call me "Teacher"

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 3

(sigh)

A sick toddler does not leave much time for blogging. Going to try to get caught up a bit...

Day 3: My day in great detail

Well, since it is only 10:20am, there's not much to report. That said, I was up with Miss Priss who has been coughing her head off all night. She seriously sounds like she has consumption. I took her to the clinic on Saturday AM b/c she has had major congestion-- snotty nose, snotty eyes, the cough... They said she has an ear infection and gave her the good ol' Amoxicillin... Now I am debating whether or not I should call the pediatrician for an appt today, or wait another day to see if she gets better. We leave for the beach on Saturday and I would REALLY like for her to be back to 100%. It's worse at night-- she coughs during the day, but NOTHING like she does at night... ugh...

So during the night I went from Miss Priss being in her bed, to bed with us, to the couch with her-- sometimes when we sit upright she coughs less. Sometimes. Not so much this time. So she and I have been officially up since about 8am... thought I am pretty sure I've been up since 4am, when someone coughed so hard they threw up the juice they had just drank... all over me.

And Hubby is working a morning shift today, so I had to do breakfast for him and make tea for him to take with. Manged to get Miss Priss to eat some toast. She's been whiny, but sleep deprivation makes me cranky too.

So currently we are watching some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse... and I am trying to find some energy or motivation to do something productive. I guess blog catch up is a start...  :)

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 2

10 Likes & Dislikes


Likes:

1. grilled cheese sandwiches
2. the color blue
3. afternoon naps
4. getting a card in the mail
5. cats
6. photographs
7. travelling
8. champagne
9. baking 
10. clean sheets

Dislikes:

1. headaches
2. wasps
3. rude students
4. advanced math
5. dusting
6. sleepless nights
7. cancer
8. bills
9. mushrooms
10. running

**Sorry this is a day late being posted-- already off to a great start, huh? Miss Priss has been under the weather and yesterday was ROUGH!

Day 1 of 30 Day Blog Prompt Challenge

I've decided to get re-motivated back into blogging by doing one of these "30 Day Blog Prompt Challenges"... Sometimes it's nice to have someone tell you what to write about.  :)

Day 1: Write some Basic Things about Yourself

This always sounds easier than it is...

First and foremost I am "mummy" to the most beautiful girl in the world! She is the light in my life and my motivation to keep going everyday. Watching her learn everyday and grow, and to see her personality develop is the best thing EVER!

Wife-- hubby is from England... we met in Vegas which sounds way more scandalous than it really was. We have been through a lot but we keep on keepin' on.

Teacher-- Most days I love my job... some days I want to run screaming from the building. Some days I do run screaming from the building... Last year we departmentalized, so instead of having 28 kids all day long for all subjects, I now have all 4th and 5th graders for social studies only. I LOVE this! This year one of my favorite things was hearing kids say that social studies was fun for once-- and that now SS is their favorite class. That rocks!

Friend-- I, hands down, have some of the MOST amazing friends ever! I still have friends from elementary school... high school... college... previous jobs... teacher pals... friends of friends that are now better friends... Without these people in my life, I wouldn't be who I am, or where I am now...

That's about it in a nutshell.... I have several hobbies- I love to bake and have a side "business" making cakes and cupcakes... I love to cook and play around in the kitchen... I'm a former colorguard performer and instructor, and still like to keep up with the activity through people I know still involved.... reading-- I have challenged myself to read 35 books this year... I also count audiobooks which I listen to frequently while I drive, clean, bake, etc.

OK, so what about you? What are some of your basics? How would you describe yourself in one word?

Thank you, Thank you very much!

Today started off rough-- but I find that sometimes this helps me MORE appreciate the good things.

What I am grateful for today:

(1) The moon-- Miss Priss LOVES the moon! Everytime we go outside she says, "Moon! Moon!" and points at the sky. If it's daytime I say, "No, not time for the moon." To which Maddie says, "Sun!" Ah, she's SO smart! Lately we've had a lot of clouds-- and thus Mr. Moon has not been visible. BUT-- tonight-- crystal clear and a full moon present. Maddie was SO happy! And thus, Mommy was happy.

(2) Maddie singing-- As a small baby, Maddie was not much on rocking. But since she hit 18 months, it has been a requirement before bed. "Chair! Chair!" she says as we enter her room for bedtime. This has become one of my favorite times. The last week or so she has started humming, and even "singing"-- Tonight it sounded like she was making up songs-- including the word "Mommy"-- melted my heart. Man I love that kid!

(3) Red, Red Wine Makes me Feel So Fine! Especially after the aforementioned bad start to the day.

Thanksgiving in February

So I've been slacking... AGAIN!

I was just reading a blog (instead of writing in my own-- let's call it research, shall we?) and came across an interesting idea: a gratitude journal. I'm pretty lousy with paper and pencil journals, but perhaps I can keep up with a gratitude blog... if not everyday, perhaps 2 or 3 times a week...

This person said they were going to list 3 things each entry that they are thankful for... Should be easy, right?

We will give it a shot!

Today I am thankful for:

(1) A healthy, SMART little girl! Maddie is amazing! I swear she learns a new word every day! We have been so blessed with such a wonderful daughter!

(2) Frozen chili-- I was SO not in the mood to cook! So glad last time I made chili I made enough to freeze for just such a day. Makes feeding hubby MUCH easier!

(3) I'm glad hubby introduced me to HP Brown Sauce-- hooray for the English! I love this stuff! Why do we not use it regularly here? My fav thing to put it on is a bacon-egg sandwich... Tonight it's going on my egg on toast.

(2 food items... Hmmmmmm-- Can you tell I am hungry?)

Christmas Advice

A third grade boy in my friend Leslie's class has some good holiday advice:

‎"Believe in Santa Claus, don't believe in Santa Claus- all I know is don't get caught under the mistletoe with some random dude."

Picture Update

She's ALL VOL!

Maddie and Smokey

Future Soccer Star

Ready for her first convertible ride 

Windy!

Seriously-- she fell asleep!

Do you see a theme?

Brusha Brusha Brusha!

More Smokey

She loves soccer!

Look what I can do!

With Uncle John's "Puppy"

Pretty Baby

Love my Munchkin

"helping" unpack