Things you've never heard in the workplace...

I know nothing of the average office. Watercooler convos, gaining and losing clients, power suits, commision and bonuses are all foreign ideas to me. My office is a spacious 600 square feet, but I share my occupancy with 22 other bodies, all under the age of 9. I can safetly assume that my yearning for Friday is the same as yours, however the road traveled in getting there is filled with unexpected and downright ridicuous events that could only be that of an elementary school teacher.Here are some of the quotes I have heard from the past 2 weeks:

1) "Don't lick her hair!"

-coworker to boy who had just, well...licked someone's hair

2) "Excuse me fair lady, but have you seen Sir George Washington? Clearly I have time traveled to the future and he is nowhere to be found."

-one of my students to me during recess

3) "It just feels like there is charcoal in my butt"

- one of my students to me in response to the question "Are you feeling okay?"

4) "Dear A,

I hate your stinkin guts. I hope your marry the floor.

From, Z"

- one students to another on a note I caught them passing

5) "I had a bad day yesterday"-student

"Why is that?" -me

"Our car caught on fire when we were inside of it." -student (as nonchalantly as one could be)

Don't you wish your workplace was this entertaining?

Punk-y Brewskies

Something about changing fall colors, pumpkin scented candles and football-full weekends just makes beer taste better. I have previously told you what my favorite brews are, but the fall season deserves a list of it's own.

1) Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Opposite of my husband, I've never been a huge Dogfish head fan. They are usually too dark, heavy or potent for my liking, but then came this little Punk. Hands down, the best pumpkin beer I've had. Be warned, it's very "pumpkiny", so the average light beer drinker may not be prepared. It smells like rich pumpkin pie and your tastebuds will literally have a dance party in your mouth. Look for these babies in 4 packs rather than 6 since their APV% is a bit higher. Nothing wrong with that... :)

2) Harpoon Octoberfest Beer

We found this gem amid a Harpoon mixed pack and have been in love ever since. Goes down light and smooth, but has the autumn feel in every sip. If most October beers are too intense for you, this is a great option. Plus, it's brewed in Boston where another more common yet equally awesome Sam Adams Octoberfest

3) Carolina Brewing Company's Oktoberfest

Gotta rev up my local brewery again, but it's hard not to when all their seasonals are so friggin tasty. Hit up their FREE beer tastings every Saturday from 12-2 and try it before the winter lager comes out!

What are your top Autumn Ales? How did you find them? Do share, there's always room for more faves!

Do you believe in Second Chances?

Sports fans love a story. A hero story, an underdog story, and this years' headliner: a comeback story.

Michael Vick has been making headlines since 1999 as the starting quarterback for Virginia Tech . He was so fast, so versatile, and so stinkin talented. Towards the end of his 6 years with the Atlanta Falcons, the news headlines weren't focused on his Pro Bowl appearances, but rather his legal troubles. Wild parties, drug speculations, and what became the huge Dog Fighting Scandal were making headlines everywhere. In 2007, he was indighted and served almost 2 years in prison. The guy who had one of the most promising careers in the game had flushed it all away.

What's worse? He had touched a nerve with a majority of Americans who couldn't comprehend someone fostering such a cruel practice to innocent dogs. The Hokie faithful had a hard time swallowing this, as his mark on their beloved school was forever marred. My own husband was forced to put his authentic 2000 Sugar Bowl Vick jersey in the far back of the closet, thinking it could never be worn again.In summer of 2009, rumors of Vick returning to the NFL became a reality when the Eagles signed him to a 1 year contract. Seemingly everyone, including within households is split as to whether they are against or behind Vick returning to the game. Making it even harder is his incredible performance as the Eagles starter this season. That wasn't the game plan, but fate(?) has put him in that position. Today he suffered a rib injury, but my guess is that this new Vick shouldn't be counted out this season.

My inspiration for the post and the reason that I am a converted Vick supporter is because of the interview I saw today between Vick and his former Falcons coach Jim Mora. It debuted on the NFL Network this morning and it is a MUST see. What you see is only a snipet of the 10 minutes that aired, and 50 minute exchange which was candid, heart-warming, and inspirational. Honestly, I felt a little uncomfortable watching it because I felt it was such a personal exchange. I hope he can serve as a role model for people who commit themselves to turning their life around. Despite what this guy has admittedly done, I am rooting for him...are you?

Shorter days, expanding asses...thanks DVR

In a previous post, I told you many of the reasons I adore this changing season. But I blasphemously neglected to mention one of my most favorite fall treats: GOOD TV! When I say "good" TV, I'm not talking about reality shows. Americas Biggest So You Think You Have Talent with the Stars is just not my cup o' tea. I'm talking about actors playing characters to make you laugh, cry, and watch develop over seasons, and absolutely no panel of judges.

Now, my TV watching until 2006 was slim to none. Other than Seinfeld re-runs I literally could not have told you anything that came on the tube. Things certainly changed when I got a full-time job. Between teaching or at least being at school between 8-12 hours/day, working out 4-5 times/week and working 2 different part-time jobs 1-2 times/week, I am SPENT when I get home. I take care of Housekeeping-type things the minute I get home because once I shower and sit down, it's over for me. I'm not moving unless there is a glass of wine or unnecessary salty snack I need to reach across the coffee table. DVR has transformed my view of TV and I'm not quite sure I could survive without at least 20 minutes of "wind-down" time each night.

The Top 5 Shows I am excited about returning this year are:

1) How I met your Mother- Mondays at 8 on CBS

Love the nightly bar conversations filled with flashbacks and flashforwards. Of course I'm a "Lilly" since she's a teacher and the married one of the group. Matt is nothing like Marshall, but I like to think our marriage is as happy as adorable as theirs. Oh, and did I mention THE Neil Patrick Harris as eternally single Barney; although I'm 99% sure he'll end up with Robin for good. And then there are videos thrown into a regular episode like this one:

2) Modern Family- Wednesdays at 9 on ABC

Everything a show needs to be successful. A beautiful, relatable family who is far from perfect yet so strong. Since this show has risen to fame, I have had many people tell me that Matt reminds them of dad Phil Dunphy. This made me very nervous, but he is flattered.

3) Cougar Town- Wednesdays at 9:30 on ABC

I was never a huge Friends fan, mainly because I was a few too many years shy of living on my own to really understand young adulthood. Coutney Cox in this show however grabs my attention with her ridiculous circle of friends (including her ex husband) and their mutual love of full glasses of wine...no matter what time of the day it is.

4) The Office- Thursdays at 9 on NBC

So, I'm a bit nervous that this show has been steadily on the decline any may hit rock bottom this year, but I still love it. Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight...The characters are just the greatest! Andy has to be the best add-on character; proof of moments like this:

5) Saturday Night Live- Saturdays at 11:30 on NBC

Sure it has it's up and down seasons, but after 36 years it is still on the air. That's saying something...

What shows are you anxious to see this year?

Top shows I will miss this fall are:

1) LOST-For many of you, all you had to do was read the title and you understood. For the rest of you, maybe you haven't committed to one of the greatest tv series of all time. This is the opposite of reality tv because it makes you think and question everything. Not just about the characters, but about our own lives and purpose on this Earth. Yea, it's that deep, and it was that good.

2) Dexter-not because it's over, but because we no longer have Showtime. Greatest serial killer of the series removed, dead wife, 3 inherited children, and Julia Stiles on the set is going to make for an amazing season. We'll reconvene when the season dvd is released Dex :(

3) The Wire- Honestly, I am only in the midst of season 1 of the 6 and I'm already sold. Matt and I watch it on DirecTV's the 101 Network, reason #457 TWC can't hold a candle to DirecTV. I was hesitant to get into this show for years because I thought I couldn't handle it. It deals with real issues of innercity Baltimore and the police department who patrols it. It shows how drugs, violence, culture, and poverty take a toll on it's adults and ruin children's futures before they have a chance to make one. It's heart wrenching and sometimes hard to watch. I can't believe how the writers make me root for some of these criminals. It's friggin good.

Okay, out of all the tv shows come and gone, what would you give anything to see come back?

Waiting for Superman

To say I am excited for "Waiting for Superman" is a gross understatement. Teaching is my life. Sure, I love football, booze, my friends and family, and a good bargain, but teaching is what I was born to do. Unfortunately my passion has been in trouble for some time and the new documentary that opened in NY and LA this week brings those issues to the forefront.

If you are a teacher, you MUST see this. Find that you are not alone and that others share your struggles and frustrations. See that most kids despite the pressures you place on yourself see only the compassion and drive that encouraged you to become a teacher in the first place.

If you are NOT a teacher, then you may be unfamilar with the crisis our American public schools are facing. I totally understand. But one day it WILL matter to you. When your own children are directly impacted by the success or failure of their schools you will care, and hopefully you will do something.

I'll let the trailer speak for itself now...

NOT going Gaga for Gaga...

As you may or may not know, I work part-time at the RBC Center in the merchandise department. Basically it means that I sell overpriced t-shirts and other crap people don't really need in the Carolina Hurricanes team store.

90% of the time I work strictly hockey games, but part of my job requires I work with some outside vendors occasionally for concerts, comedy shows, and other forms of entertainment. Although these shows are long hours, typically going into the early hours of the next morning, I have certainly seen my share of cool events for free. Stevie Wonder, the ACC tournament, Kid Rock, Van Halen, and most recently Lady Gaga.

I knew she was weird. I knew she had about 40 costume changes. I knew she was the self proclaimed "Queen of the Gays (and trannies, and anything else included in that category). So yes, I was prepared for working a unique and different show.

What I was not prepared for was this:

1) Children at the show. Not teenagers, but KIDS. On a schoolnight mind you. Do you think those kids made it to school the next day? Not with a hungover mommy who is desperately trying to be her daughter's "best friend". That really should be the ultimate goal as a parent, huh?

2) T-shirts with the f-dash-dash word on them in child sizes ONLY

3) An ungodly amount of glitter

4) Women twice my age wearing stuff so short I'm pretty sure I could see the babymaker...

5) and this guy, but worse --->

Seriously!? A gay Jesus? But add blood all over his face and other than shoes, no clothing other than a thong. The guy didn't even watch the concert, he spent the whole show running around the concourse waiting for people to ogle him and snap his picture or pose with him. I'm sorry, but I believe that even in 2010 there is a line; and this guy crossed it. Hey, his afterlife destination is not my decision, but I'm betting he and Lucifer will become real tight.

I am forever scarred...

Anyone need a laugh? Just ask Peyton Manning...

Peyton Manning is no joke. He is a living legend on the football field and unlike the 2010 Brett Favre, has come out swinging already this season. Although his game is no laughing matter, him on Saturday Night Live is.

Now I know this clip was from a couple years ago but I'm easily amused right now. I could easily fall asleep, but I'm doing any and everything to avoid a nap or else I'll be up all night. Enjoy!

Running on Empty

Hello world,

How much do I suck as a blogger? But I have an excuse(s)...

1) I tracked back in last Monday...busy from wakeup-5pm

2) I worked my part-time jobs Wednesday and Friday night. That's right people, 12 hour days.

3) We woke up before the sun Saturday morning, drove up and back to Blackburg for a Hokies win (yay) and got back around 1 am

4) Couldn't sleep in Sunday and had to miss NFL Sunday to work 2pm-1am at the Lady Gaga show at the RBC Center. More on that later but for now I'll just say there was a fake suicide, live masturbation, and Jesus himself appeared in the crowd.
5) Back to work this morning...

I had 2 Pepsi Maxes today and felt nothing...this girl needs some rest.

Holy Babies!

Let's play a numbers game, shall we?

NINE people I speak to regularly have had/will have babies this year. FIVE in the month of September alone. Despite the fact that I still need to be reminded to put away my laundry, all of a sudden I feel like a grownup. Where the H-E-double hockey-sticks has time gone? The people I used to act incredibly irresponsible with are now solely responsible for raising another human being and to be honest- it scares me a bit.

Ok, so the picture is a bit creepy, but you get the idea: lots of babies and all...anyways,

I'm starting to feel guilt that I am not prepared to take that leap. Granted, my heart melts the instant I see a newborn and the look on the dad's face makes me so excited to picture Matt one day in that role.

However, I'm not sure I "do" babies. 8 yr olds, yes. They can talk, take sarcasm, go to the bathroom on their own...these are things I need to have a daily relationship with a child. Heck, I'd even venture to say I can make the ages of 4-14 my b**ch (Matt gets to take the reins when their attitude overtakes their soul), but 0-3 makes me feel...well, selfish because I know I'm not ready to give up working full time or have someone relying on me the way a baby must.

People say, if you wait for the perfect time, you'll never have kids. While this may be true, I'm also a believer in gut feelings. With almost every big decision I've had to make, I go with my gut instinct and I usually come out on top. Right now my gut is telling me to hurry home and try the new New Belgium Hoptober...

The whites are away until May...

Here lies my summer wardrobe, ready to be stowed away and forgotten until white is socially appropriate. Now that Labor Day has passed I can no longer sport white dresses, skirts, shorts, pants, shoes, or purses. Along with that goes nautical and springy flower prints.

Sigh...bring on socks, muted autumn hues, and layering:(

Back to Reality...

As my track out return approaches, I am taking a moment to weigh the positives and negatives of summer coming to an end. Let's start with the cons so we can end on a positive note, que?


Cons:
1) No more 2 hour breakfasts while bs'ing on the computer and catching up on Real Housewives episodes
2) White shoes, shorts, dresses, etc are in storage until April (if you don't follow this rule we have a problem)
3) The pool will be closing and my skin will return to a shade that proves I am of Irish/Welsh descent
4) Strawberries, blueberries, bananas and watermelon prices will skyrocket
5) Bye bye nightly cookouts
6) Can no longer play Will Smith's Summertime




Pros:
1) I get to see my kids, all 22 of em!
2) Jeans and slacks = less shaving!
3) The pool will be closing and I will therefore postpone getting skin cancer a few more years.
4) Pumpkin. Nuff said.
5) Tailgating and FOOTBALL!
6) Too soon for Christmas music?

What are your fave/least fave things about saying adios to Summatime?

DC Recap

Phew, so I'm back. Unless you have been under a rock or haven't watched TV this week, you know my beloved Hokies lost to Boise State Monday night. Sadly, this was the main reason we traveled to DC so pretty huge bummer. Luckily, we had many other fun things on the agenda to ease the pain and the experience of being at Fed Ex field was almost worth it in itself.

I'm not going to give you a full recap of the trip because A- I am tired since I'm back to work and B- You probably don't give two s**ts and just want to see pictures. Well, enjoy!

Super sweet memorial if you haven't gotten a chance to see it yet.
Too bad it wasn't around years ago so great heroes like my great grandfather could have seen the beauty in person.



Subway riding and walking all over the Nation's Capital. Funny thing is that I grew up here and had seen almost of of this stuff multiple times. Moving away makes me realize how lucky I was to have so many pieces of history right at my disposal. Plus, planning field trips would be a zillion times easier if i lived up there!

Visiting George and Martha's Crib- aka Mount Vernon
The Nats suck, but their stadium is super sick and my man Abe pulled out the win in the Presidents Race.

Am I obsessed with Picasa collages much?

Busy bee...

I am tracked out which means no work for 3 weeks. This means I should be on point with blogging and keep you beyond updated on my happenings and opinions.

Well, believe it or not I am super busy. Subbed all day Thursday and Friday. Think I'm insane? You are probably right, but it's $88 after taxes and I only work at my school so I have the upper hand on these little people. I also work over at the high school selling tickets for JV and Varsity football games once a week. So that's the 3rd of my 4 jobs but for $12 and hour, why wouldn't I? Friday night we had some friends over and I drank way too much wine. Which means today I felt awwwwwful and was pretty useless until after lunch.

Now comes the fun part...Labor Day weekend plans. I have the greatest in-laws on the planet and they are taking hubby and I on a 4 day trip to D.C. to see our beloved Hokies season opener against Boise State. VTech will be sporting the new black jerseys that Nike created for only 10 teams; fairly rowdy, right? Also on the agenda, a Nats game, sightseeing around the DC area, and I get to visit my BFF Kim who I introduced you to a few months back.

I'll be sure to give you a recap when we return. Keep the laboring to a minimum and have a fabulous weekend!

Spontaneity is sexy...

So Matt and I have been going through a spontaneous streak lately. What we eat for dinner, movies to watch, introducing the idea then booking a trip to NYC the week of Christmas in a 20 minute period (more on that at another time...)

Case and point- this past Saturday we had typical plans of cleaning house, going to the gym, and running errands around town. As I was getting ready for our scheduled errands, he asked "wanna go to the beach"?

My typical reaction: "Sure, and I'd also like a million dollars, but we planned to run errands. Plus, I don't want to drive 3 hours to turn around and come back the next day. Plus, what would we do with the dog, gah!"

My new spontaneous self: "Yes! When do we leave?"

So we packed up our stuff and our pup, gassed up the car, and headed down to Holden Beach. This is Papi eating in my lap en route since he'd been rushed out the door before.

I was impressed with myself for embracing a trait that I frankly am not. And my husband finds this new leaf hotter than "slut shoes" and cleavage. I plan on making the most of our "newlywed" period and making it last for a few more years. But who knows, as spontaneous as we are lately we may just up and adopt triplets tomorrow (Please dear God, notify the authorities in that case because we are NOT qualified for that).

Me and my big mouth...

Remember my beautiful tree rantings LESS than 2 weeks ago?


Here sits said tree today.

Not a single bloom in sight and it seems a spider colony has taken over. Ugh...

Fantasy football- not just for the boys anymore

For years I have wanted to be involved in the insanity that is NFL fantasy football. Matt has been managing teams and commisioning leagues since his teenage years and it was tortorous listening to him talk about his players, trophies, blah blah blah when I was just thinking to myself "it's not friggin real!" At some point, if you can't beat em, join em, right? I wanted to get in on the fun so 2 seasons ago, I asked Matt if I could join his league. Big mistake. Not only did he laugh hysterically, but he said there was no way in hell he'd be "that guy" who let his woman into the league. I am confident that his overt display of sexism was really fear that I would be victorious my first (and consequently only) year in, and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Or, he may have thought my wealth of football knowledge was on par with this guy...

In an effort to rectify this injustice, 2 seasons ago I began my own all female league, the "Pigskin Princesses"and last year the "Football Fems"". Sure, there were a few team mangers who were exactly like the dude featured above and some people (not going to mention any names since they have since tried to save face) didn't touch their rosters for the entire 2nd half of the season. But this 3rd season- now called "Not Your Grandma's League", things are getting pretty serious. We've gone from 8 to 10 teams, and have recruited some new, excited and knowledgeable members who will provide surefire competition all season.

I know some of my readers are bored to tears over this post, and believe me, I feel ya. I spend hours studying, predicting, watching, and strategizing how to make my team the most successful, but why should you care? Me gushing over how many yards my running back rushed for and the fact that my QB is up against Lions defense this week means nothing to you. Kinda like your kid's potty training updates or the fact they like or don't like applesauce...

Too harsh? Must be the competition kicking in. Tomorrow night for my draft I'm hitting the bar on $2.50 Pint night and raising a glass to football, fun, and not giving a fuzz what the boys think.

Pretzel M&M's have crack in them, no?

Everyone has their weaknesses when it comes to snack food.

Mine has always been the sweet and salty combination snacks. Honey nut Chex Mix and chocolate covered pretzels were particularly hard to say no to. For that reason, I try to NEVER keep them in the house. Why? Out of sight, out of mind. If they are sitting there however, it's scary how many I can put away in one sitting. I realize that if I cut out this behavior (and booze) I would weigh 20 less pounds, but hey the main reason i work out is so I CAN eat!

This system was working swimmingly for me until I saw this...

Good God they have managed to create the most delicious bite sized snack imaginable. And I can't ignore it because this product is popping up everywhere. As a centerpiece at a friend's party and even Coach Rex Ryan on HardKnocks was talking about his addiction to them. My outta sight rule obviously wasn't prepared for this.

What's worse? I find out it's really not "that bad" for you. Mars boasts that inside that bag is only 150 calories and 5 grams of fat!

At that point my obsession with these went from a little overboard to unhealthy. I had Matt take me to 3 different grocery stores/gas stations to find these at 10pm one night. Yesterday I go to Walgreens and find myself downright giddy that they are on sale BOGO. I may need to be committed...

I give the new pretzel M&M's an: A+ (there's a first for everything my friends)

Garfield ain't got nothing on this hairball

As a kid, did you ever play that game, "What's grosser than gross" where you tried to outdo one another on disgustingly vile situations and scenarios? If only I'd had this to show all my neighborhood buddies from back then:

No, it's not a decaying animal or a torture chamber; it's the amount of hair our Shark picked up in ONE room of our house! Granted, it was the room I typically "do" my hair, but still! We have resorted to using this as our main vacuum ever since I accidentally ran over the electrical cord with the vacuum itself on my new expensive Christmas present from last year(whoopsie). This little guy does a great job of picking up dirt (and obviously hair as well) but I have to stop every 3-4 minutes to empty to dust tray and literally yank the hundreds of hairs that are wrapped around the rotating brushes. Oh, and to throw up a bit because EWWW, what is wrong with me?!
I bring this up because I had a near mental breakdown last week over my hair loss. I am not balding, but am sure at this rate I will be at some point. I already have the thinnest, stick straight hair in America and am fairly certain I lose about 3X's as much hair as the average person (I researched this folks).

So of course in order to correct this issue, I look at symptoms.

1. Too much stress- I'm a teacher...so yes
2. Being on birth control for too long- is 8 years a long time? Fine, yes
3. Hormone imbalance- well i did have half of my thyroid gland removed, so yes
4. Blowdrying or overstyling- heck no, Matt is lucky if I do my hair for our date nights
5. Brushing hair while wet- guilty as charged

Of course I am freaking out when I realize almost all the signs relate to me. I have already resorted to washing my hair every other day, although it pains me to not wash it immediately after each trip to the gym. It sounds like nothing really happens when people go to dermatologists and endocrinologists, and other docs will just put you on anti-depression meds. Am I that much of a lost cause that rather than save my hair, they just try to keep you from getting depressed over your fleeing folicles?

In the mean time I will be brushing less, vacumming more, and trying to find ways to remove stress from areas of my life. Too bad the number one source pays our bills...

Five Below

Meet the newest chain to hit the Raleigh area:Five Below. At first I thought it was a snowboard store (which I thought to be odd for our area) or maybe an icecream shoppe. After doing some research however, I was stoked to discover that it's a bargain store! It's kind of like the Dollar Store, if the Dollar Store was infused with pop culture and Old Navy. If you know me well, you know that even $5 is no bargain for me on many things so I wouldn't really call a lot of items a "steal". I kept unloading my shopping cart throughout the trip because my "treasure box" prizes and trivia games were adding up to big bucks quickly. By the time I hit the register, I spent $20 and bought multiple things I absolutely didn't need, just wanted. My 2 favorite buys are the magnets below ($3 each) and it was hard not to buy many more 30 Rock and SNL sayings for our fridge.

This certainly would have been one of my top stores if I were in high school or still living the dorm life. However, the only really good items I found were school or collector-related, so don't go there thinking you can stock up on house supplies. I know I'll be back however to see what new items the season brings in, and definitely for some Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers.

I give Five Below a: B+

Proof that there is a God

There are many reasons I believe in the big man upstairs (yes, I realize it's 2010 but I still think he's a man). I often am affirmed of this belief through nature. Beautiful sunsets (like this one from Sunset Beach, NC), perfectly placed clouds, shooting stars, and more commonly: flowers. I mean, they are stunning, right!? In my perfect world, I'd have flowers in every room of the house...but someone else would tend to them.

You see, there's a few things I'm good at: teaching, bargain shopping, and killing plants (and fish, but that's another story). Whether they are fresh store-bought, delivered, or planted and grown in my own backyard; sooner than later my once beautiful plant dies.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Matt and I try to tag team the yard duty so our place doesn't turn into a s**thole and one day we can sell it. I walked out in the yard the other day and looked down in disbelief at our dead grass and brown spots throughout the yard. But then I looked up to see our tree and my spirits were lifted! That's right folks, Carrie planted a tree TWO years ago and it's still alive! Sure, we assumed it had been dead for the past 8 months, but that's beside the point. This thang is a trooper!

My relationship with the tree didn't start off so hot. I arrived home from work one day to see it sitting on our front porch. I read that it was a wedding gift and since we were leaving for our honeymoon the next day it had to be planted immediately. Fan-friggintastic! Instead of packing I'm going to be planting a tree, which I have never done before in my life. I thought it would take about 15 minutes. Well, I live in North Carolina and all we have under grass is clay; lots of it. It took 1 1/2 hours to dig, plant, and cover and by the end I was sweaty, exhausted and covered in clay.

A month later I was pretty sure the tree was a lost cause.

Matt- "Maybe you didn't dig a big enough..."

me- "SHUSH, it's friggin dead, whatever"

Thank you tree for restoring my faith:)

"You gotta come see the baaaaaby"

You Seinfeld fans know exactly what I'm referring to. We have all had close friends or family members who have had kids and once they do, the clock is ticking to "come see the baby".

My uncle Andy and his wife Kim had Elizabeth or "Ellie" last year. She was born 6 weeks premature and spent a great deal of time in the NICU. I spent some time with her there, and again after she came home, but travel time and balancing work schedules and sicknesses prevented me from seeing her as often as I'd like. Saturday was her 1st birthday party and I have to admit I had a pretty good time. My family traveled to make it, and Ellie is an amazing little girl. She is a ham for the camera, loves to engage her audience, and is already smart as a whip. It's amazing how "normal" she is for a one year old, considering the hardships she had to overcome very early in her life. The top 3 pictures below are evidence of some of that ridiculous cuteness.
The highlight of the party was watching Ellie eat her own birthday cake. The pictures above (although poor quality cause I snagged them from kodak online) capture her thinking process, which I think was rather advanced. I mean, she did start with a fork but "it was her party and she could do what she wants to" so face-in-cake she went.


This occasion made me realize once again that I am not quite ready to raise a roost of my own, but it also shed some insight on just how wonderful and rewarding that time of my life will be. Becoming a dad has transformed my uncle, and seeing my grandparents finally get to play the role of "grandparent" is truly heartwarming. They came, they spoiled, and then they left; a luxury they never had with me!

You could feel the love in the room, all because a 12 month old smiled or laughed. It's the little things...

Pick your poison...I'll pick mine from NC

You know what I like? Beer. Good beer. And I like it often.

Now that that's out there...

I don't remember my first beer, although I assume it was in college at a frat house. It was most likely Southpaw, Keystone Light, or maybe Bud Light if the party throwers were really trying to show off.

What I have learned through my ongoing research over the past few years is that these beverages are hardly beer. They are grossly mass produced, additive-ridden, beer flavored wannabes who are the laughing stock of the bar. So basically, unless I'm on the beach all day or it's free...you won't see me drinking it.

So what DO I like to drink from my high horse? I'm glad you asked! I have visited many local breweries here in North Carolina and have found that the tastiest and most unique styles of beer were created just a few miles down the road. Below are some of my top choices. Enjoy!

1) Shotgun Betty of the Lonerider Brewing Company: I'm usually not a Hefeweizen gal, but this beer changes the rules. It's a wheat beer with a banana clove finish (yes, i said BANANA) and it's soooo delicious. We visited the brewery in person earlier this year, but you can also purchase Betty from Harris Teeter in the Raleigh area. Do yourself a favor a try this today!

2) Spring Bock and Octoberfest of the Carolina Brewing Company: Not to be confused with many other breweries that use "Carolina" in it's name, CBC is actually located less than 5 minutes from my house here in Holly Springs. Their Carolina Pale Ale is sold rampantly all over the triangle(and it happens to be Matt's overall favorite beer), but it's their seasonal beers that I find the most delicious. The Spring and Fall brews are my favorite and you can attend FREE tastings of all their beers every Saturday afternoon.

3) Gaelic Ale of the Highland Brewing Company: This deep amber beer

is quite bitter for my usual taste, but something about it keeps me coming back. I've never been to this brewery, but definitely plan on making the 3ish hour drive to Asheville some day as I hear it's an amazing place to visit, listen to music, and enjoy a brew or two. This is also widely sold In North Carolina groceries and bars.

2 years as Mrs. V

2 years ago today I said yes to this guy. So glad I did:)

Dogs and Storms do not mix

Here sits the cutest dog to ever walk this earth, right? He's sweet, well behaved, and looks lovingly into his mommy's eyes when she sticks a cell phone in his face to snap a photo. He's perfect.

Well, until this summer that is...

Papi is not a fan of summer storms. The noise, the intensity, even the silent but vibrant heat lightning sent him into straight panic mode!

When I say panic, I'm talking:

• uncontrollable shaking and whining
• eyes darting around the room at the flashes and source of noise
• taking a deuce in the carpeted rooms downstairs b/c he's afraid to go outside
• the worst one: burrowing into me under the covers like he's trying to get under my body to make it all go away. Mind you, this is taking place between 11pm-4 am (often when I have to work the next day)

I've read Marley and Me and all so I know he isn't alone in this fear, and according to this picture doctors are trying new methods to chill these crazy pups out. I'm just looking forward to the sleepy fall and winter drizzles where Papi is passed out on the couch like old times.

Come on in!

Welcome to Mrs. V's classroom!
In honor of Babbling Abby's Teacher Week, come take a tour of the place I spend entirely too much time, effort and money. I wasn't going to upload a bajillion photos on here because to be honest Blogger, you are a pain in the ass when it comes to photos. So, my good friend Picasa and I made a couple collages to give you a glimpse of my day to day life.

Since I teach year round, my room doesn't look museum-esqe like the many teachers heading back for workdays this week. These were taken 5 weeks in at the end of a long school day where students fully utilized (and didn't necessarily put back) the resources in our room.
(From top left): 1)Front of the room view 2)sink and track out cart/multiplication cheat sheet 3)student desk groups 4)supplies/centers/research area 5) reading resources and kidney table used for small groups 5) TV/calendar/vocab/job chart 6)Inside of our classroom door with ky math words and Standards Based Grading guide 7)Group supply basket for each table

You can make the photos bigger by clicking on them (I literally discovered that today, duh). I hope you enjoyed the tour. Thanks for stopping by:)

How did I miss this?

I came across a little gem today through fellow tweeter @JennandTonica at What the Blog?

It's called "Crap at My Parents House" and I think the name says it all. Enjoy.

Teaching Must Haves

For my non-teacher readers, pardon my post but it is my passion and all so I've gotta get my educator-kicks every now and then...

Through one of the other blogs I read Ginger Snaps, I came across Babbling Abby's Teacher must-haves. Like any craft, you perfect it over time and discover all the things you couldn't work without. Well Abby, here's my list:

1) Diet Mountain Dew: I'm not a big coffee drinker, especially in the summer. The last thing I want on a code orange heat-index day is hot liquid to warm me up even more. I have gotten into the unfortunate habit of having a soda each morning to provide me my morning boost. I know it's bad for my teeth, may give me cancer, etc but if it makes me nicer to my students I think it's worth it.

2) Wite-out Pens: Gone are the days of messy liquid white out that spills, stains and takes too long to dry. This easy to use pens go right on top of your error and don't need any drying time. I use them every single day and will never go back to the old crap.

3) Sticky or"stikki"Clips: Considering we only have one wall which can be stapled into, these clips are a must. I use them for posters, student work, pocket cards, hall passes; pretty much anything I don't want on the ground. The only bad thing is that they leave some serious gummy residue, but hey- I'm not worried about the resale value of this place so let's stick some shit!

4) Sheet protectors: I heart them so much! I put almost anything the kids are going to touch in these because otherwise snack, snot, and other gross things end up on the pages. It's also great for putting a unit of activities together without them being loose or falling out of the paperclips. In my perfect world, everything would be bindered and in page protectors.

These are my major classroom must-haves. Do you share any of these needs or am I as big a freak as I sometimes feel? :)

Co-ed showers...not the kind from college

I'm definitely not ready to have a baby yet, but it seems that lately that's what everyone around me is doing. Like one of my BFF's Sarah of Say What You Mean to Sa .This is great, don't get me wrong. I'll happily spoil your kid until I'm ready to go out for drinks...

What I have noticed lately however is that the whole wedding and baby showers for women only is a thing of the past. Now it's almost always "couples events" where people drag their poor boyfriends and husbands to someone's house where we all "ooh" and "ahh" at how damn cute every little onesie or burp blanket is.

Although I'm not typically into all the "baby frill", I'll totally go gaga over outfits with trains, baseballs, or really any type of shoe that could fit someone under the age of 2.

So who loses in this equation? In my opinion, both the men and the women are miserable. The male discontent is easier to pick up on by the looks on their faces, but the women are battling internally with trying to make sure he's met some people, and had plenty of "punch" to not freak out over her interest in baby things ("oh god, now she's gonna want one" like it's contagious or something).

My solution? because of course I have thought long and hard about my own baby shower years premature is this:

1) Ok, go for the couples shower. My amount of estrogen present at my female bridal shower was beyond intimidating. I had to be uber proper, sophisticated, blah, blah, blah. We sipped lemonade, ate cake, fruit, and delicious truffles and chatted, of course. It really was a great day, but I felt like I was "on" and couldn't relax the whole time. Our couples luau however was a whole different feel. Music, food, BOOZE, games, and we DIDN't open presents. This pissed off a few people there, but the other 90% were eternally grateful that we didn't sit them through that.

1A) ONLY IF: I insist this be during a major sports day, like College Football Saturday or NFL Sundays. We could all mingle together for food and arrival, but the minute someone mentions baby games or presents, the men hit the TV room and sip off the keg for the next few hours. This allows them to do their thing, and doesn't infringe on the ability of the women to do theirs without shame or concern over his "comfort level".

Our baby shower invite would probably look something like this; plus I'd throw the word "baby" on it a few times...