Sunny Side Up

Great day!

2009-08-06T17:58:00.002-05:00

What a great day today was! I got to see my little sister and her husband. We ate lunch together at Topps. She went to get her hair cut, and Philip and I hung out at the house. When she got back (with a great new do!) she and I went to get a pedicure. I haven't had one in FOREVER - probably at least 5 years. She's NEVER had one. It was so fun! Rosie told me that Philip would never forgive me, cause now she's hooked. Then we both got our rings cleaned (now they're nice and shiny!), and went to WalMart to purchase some sunglasses. I spent the rest of the afternoon washing clothes and reading. I love days like today, and knowing that in a couple of weeks I'll be back to work teaching 50 kids makes me appreciate it even more. :)

Another one!

2009-07-22T22:37:00.003-05:00

Ready for another glimpse into the mind of Lee Ann? Here's another crazy dream I had recently.

I dreamed that I was driving home from my parents' house in Warren, and I got pulled over. The cop walked up to my car, and he was a real young guy, probably younger that I am. I was worried that he was gonna be mean, so I was very surprised when he came up to my window with a smile. He started talking to me, and then he proceeded to get in my car so we could keep chatting. We hit it off, and talked for what seemed like hours. In my dream, for some reason, I saw no problem with this. I was really excited, because I assumed that now that we were pals he wouldn't give me a ticket. I was wrong. He told me that he was going to give me a ticket.

I had some errand to run, and since we'd spend so much time talking, I was running late. So I told him I'd go run my errand and be right back to get my ticket. He saw no problem with this! So I drove off, ran my errand, and came back just like I said I would. (I'm honest in my dreams, apparently.)

When I came back, it was dark already, and I saw lots of cars parked and people out partying. Apparently my new friend had decided to throw a party while he was waiting for me. I got out to get my ticket, and he invited me to stay for the party. I decided not to. (I'm not a big party girl, you know.) So I left, but not before he gave me the ticket.

When I got back home, I went over to Clayton and Mandy's house and told them about my experience. Clayton was furious that this cop had acted so unprofessionally.

How random.

Catching Up

2009-07-21T22:02:00.001-05:00

I spent four hours last night reading my old posts and comments. I forgot how much I used to love blogging! I loved reading what had gone on in my life over the past two years. There were so many things that I'd forgotten about - great memories to read back through. Some of my favorite posts to read were ones about the crazy dreams I've had! I'm gonna catch you up on some of my favorites and most memorable over the next few days. Here's the first.

I had this dream a few weeks ago when I was helping Taylor and his dad work a baseball tournament. My job was to put the pictures Taylor took on the computer, label them according to team, location, and age, and rate them 1-5. I then put them online. At one point in the weekend, I was freaking out because I was convinced I was doing it wrong. I didn't think I had some of the team names right, there were a few teams I hadn't the foggiest idea of name, age, or location, and I had tried to upload too many pictures on the internet at a time, so it froze. It was a pretty tense time. By the end of the weekend I had things figured out and all was going smoothly, but those few hours were very stressful!

One night after that day, I had the craziest dream! I dreamed that I was again enlisted to help Taylor and his dad with a tournament, but this time I would be helping with t-shirts. It would be my job to iron the team photos on the shirts using a big heat press they have. For some reason, Taylor's dad thought it would be okay for me to hold down the fort BY MYSELF the first night of the tournament and the next morning. Come on, Jerry! And, for some reason, I agreed to do it. There I was, sitting under the tent, waiting for the tournament to begin when several things went wrong.

First, no one was buying shirts. There was another girl selling the same kind of shirts on the other side of the tent, and she was getting all the business! In my dream, I was sure that this was all my fault, but I didn't know exactly what to do about it.

Then, it started raining. Not just raining, pouring. This was a problem because all of the boxes with the t-shirts in them were for some reason stored outside of the tent. I frantically moved all the boxes under the tent, which was now very crowded with people and everybody else's wet boxes as well.

The next terrible thing that happened was Taylor's sister came by. Now normally, this would not be a terrible thing. I love Tarah! But in my dream, she was very disappointed in my performance on the job. She couldn't believe I hadn't sold more than I had, and she was very upset that I let all the boxes get wet.

By this point in the dream, I was distraught. Then, the worst thing happened. I looked over to again check on the other girl selling photo t-shirts and see that she was not by her heat press making shirts. She was standing over our heat press, cooking a humongous, juicy steak! It was literally like the whole leg of a cow. This seemed ridiculous to me! Who in their right mind would use a heat press to cook food?!? I ran over to her, asking what she thought she was doing! She said she was hungry! I told her that if she wanted to cook steak, dang it, she'd better cook it on her own heat press - not ours!

That's where the dream ended. Crazy! I told Taylor about my dream the morning after, and he thought it was just as funny as I did. The next day, he and his dad started working another tournament, and Taylor came home for dinner. He told me that his dad had used the heat press that afternoon to warm up his nachos! Now, that's REALLY crazy! Tune in for more dreams!

2009-07-20T20:29:00.003-05:00

Second new post in as many minutes? What?!?! I just had to say this. So, I looked a little closer and my last post was in March...of LAST YEAR. Whoa. I've been a lot worse at blogging than I thought! Forgive me!

I'm alive!

2009-07-20T20:15:00.002-05:00

I'm still here! Anyone still looking? I have seriously let my blogging go down the drain this summer. I just saw that my last post was in March - sad, sad.

My summer has been going well so far, and actually, it's almost over! This is technically my last week of freedom before workshops take up the remainder of my summer days. Lots of things have happened this summer - good and not-so-good. Some of the not-so-good stuff: family drama, friends dealing with pregnancy troubles, friends moving away. But lots of good things have happened, too. I've gotten to spend lots of time with my family and friends, which I always love. Taylor and I started a new health plan - which we've been consistent with for almost two months now. My health, as far as diabetes goes, is doing well. I got a cool new sensor that tests my blood sugar every 5 minutes automatically, so at any time of the day, I can look at my insulin pump and see. Pretty cool, right? So, yeah, good things and not-so-good things. Such is life, right?

I'm going to try to keep up with my blogging better in the weeks to come, so keep checking back frequently for new posts!

Are you ready for this?

2008-03-17T19:09:00.002-05:00

(How many of you are singing the song now?) ;)

I'm posting AGAIN! Two days in a row, baby! All thanks to a little thing I like to call free time. Ah...it's wonderful. Wanna hear what I did today? Slept in, had lunch with Tay, watched Raiders of the Lost Ark (I love Indiana Jones! Can't wait till the movie this summer!), and went to the eye doctor. My eyes are still dilated (yuck), but they're a little better than they were a few hours ago. I'm fixing to be at the Files's playing cards (Hearts, no doubt). I love Spring Break!!!

Hi!

2008-03-16T22:48:00.004-05:00

It's Spring Break! And I haven't posted since Christmas Break. Oh well.

I just wanted to update those of you who might have been wondering what's happened in the past three months of my life. Actually, not that much. More of the same old stuff. But it's all good! Let's see...how about one of my beloved lists? Oh, alright, you convinced me.

Lee's favorite things from the past three months (in totally random order...except for #1...):

1. Definitely number one - the SNOW!!! 9 Days ago (a little over a week? And two days ago it was 80 degrees?) it snowed about 6 inches. It snowed all day long. It was beautiful and fun and exciting and on the weekend, so no school was missed (aka, no school has to be made up at the end of the year). Yipee!

2. Friends - lots of hanging out with friends has happened over the past three months, and man have I enjoyed it! Game nights, dinner dates, good ole hangouts...so much fun! Also, two of my best friends from college just got engaged. One of them was proposed to in her classroom (she's a kindergarden teacher). Her fiance made t-shirts for all her students to wear with a letter on each shirt. They were all lined up to spell out "Miss Brittany, will you marry me?" And he was wearing the question mark. How sweet!

3. American Idol - I'm addicted. Even though I have no cable or satellite, I have somehow managed to watch every episode since the auditions. (Well, the performances. I miss the results shows most weeks.) Some weeks I went to my parents in Warren to watch it, a couple of times I went to Taylor's dad and grandma's house, and recently I've been going to Jeff and Caroline's (my pastor and his wife's) house to watch it. My faves? Jason Castro (he's so dreamy...sigh...;)) , Lil' David Archuleta (I don't know why, but every time I say his name, I have to put the "lil" on there. He's so little and cute! And great voice!), Brooke White (she's cool), and Carly (she's like a pro already.) Yea American Idol!

4. Books! I've been reading like crazy since Christmas, and I've read some really good books. A lot of the books I've read have been adolescent literature (you know, books for my classroom), but I've read some really good "grown-up" books too. I love reading!

5. Family - We've gotten to spend a lot of time with family in the past few months. We went to Little Rock last weekend to spend the day with Taylor's family, and we had a lot of fun there. Also, for the past couple of months, Taylor and I have gone over to my parents' house once a week and made dinner for them before watching American Idol or Lost. I've really enjoyed hanging out with them, and I'm thinking of keeping it going even after American Idol is over. I forget how much I like those people! ;) And last but not least, this week I get to see Rosie and Phillip! I'm so excited! Tay, my mom, my sister Suzanne, her son Josh, and I are all going down to Camden, AL Thursday to see them. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures and stories from that trip!

I guess those are the highlights. I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff, but it's too late to worry about that now!

I'm Ba-ack!

2007-12-28T00:17:00.000-06:00

So, I'm a liar. I didn't post sooner rather than later like I said I was going to. Oh, well. The important thing is that I'm posting now, right? Right.

The Christmas season came and went in a blur, like always. I can't believe it's over already. I whizzed through the week in a flurry of holiday get-togethers and family gatherings, all of which consisted of much fun and much more food. I'm still full! I got to see family that I haven't seen in some time...Rosie and Phillip, Taylor's mom and sister, etc. And I got some pretty cool gifts (a digital camera! a comforter! earrings! books!) All in all, it was another great Christmas.

And...today is my birthday. I am a quarter of a century old. I had a wonderful day of basically doing nothing, which is exactly what constitutes a perfect day in my book. This morning I got up (with a runny nose and a baritone voice) at 5:00 and couldn't go back to sleep. So I did what any other insomniac would do...I went to WalMart. There were a grand total of four other cars in the parking lot and about 15 people in the store, including the employees. I bought some cold medicine (I love you, Theraflu!), chicken noodle ABCs soup, cat food, and two movies for $5 each, Clue and The Italian Job. I was home by 5:30! When I got home, I realized I hadn't put my key back on the ring from the weekend of family members using it to get in to the house, so I had to call and wake up my poor hubbie to let me in. I got back in bed, drank my Theraflu, watched Clue, and slept till 10:00. Then I ate some soup, watched another movie, read some of my new book, and took a nap. Then Taylor took me out to eat for my b-day and we went to see National Treasure. (It was pretty good, but the first one was better, of course.) It was a great day!

My plans for tomorrow? Dentist appointment in the morning. (yuck) Then I'm going to spend a couple of hours at the school. Hopefully I can come back home, wash clothes, do dishes, and then do a little more of nothing. We'll see how that goes.

I posted! Yeah!

A few questions...

2007-10-20T18:33:00.001-05:00

-When did I become a bad blogger? It's been a LONG time since I last posted, and it was just a video. That's a cop out for a post if I've ever seen one.

-What does one do who is stuck at the house without a car for 48 hours? Here are some of the things I've already done - cooked a GREAT dinner for myself last night (I knew I was a good cook!), watched "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" (one of my favorite movies of all time...so romantic! My favorite Robin Hood movie moment - When Maid Marian desperately screams in her English accent,"RO-BIN!" and he goes running to her rescue. Sigh.), watched "Hitch" (also a good movie), slept and slept some more, read some of my book, checked email and caught up on blogs, washed, dried, and folded four loads of clothes. Some things I'm still planning on doing - cooking another amazing dinner tonight, giving myself a pedicure, cleaning the bathroom, doing the dishes left over from my fabulous meals, watching another movie or two, finishing my book, and oh, sleeping some more. (Can't forget that one)

-How do you tell whether your stuffy nose, headache, watering eyes, and ears that won't pop are a cold or allergies...or a nasty combination of both?

-Why is it that every time this time of year rolls around and a BEAUTIFUL day like today comes along, I want to hop in my car, roll the windows down, open the sunroof, blare the radio, and drive to Lake DeGray?

-How long do I have to wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas to happen? I love the holiday season!

-How many people are there who haven't given up on me and will still read this blog?

The world may never know...

William Tell Overture

2007-10-03T20:37:00.001-05:00

I'm not a mom, but I know a lot of them! So this is for you, all my friends and family who are moms. Enjoy!

Ah, weekends

2007-09-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

I love them, don't you? I've always loved weekends, but they took on a whole new meaning once I actually got a real job. I mean, I love my job and I enjoy the weekdays, but I always look forward to the weekends. Who doesn't? Right now, it's 11:30, and I don't have to get up at 6 tomorrow morning! In fact, I can sleep as late as I want to. I love it! Taylor's in the kitchen making us some tea, and we're going to drink it while watching Monk, one of our new favorite shows to watch together.

I must apologize for slacking off on the blogging recently. I've been slacking off on the blogging for about 6 or 7 months, now that I think about it. I don't know what happened to me! There are no excuses, no good ones anyway. I just haven't had the time or the urge to blog a bunch. Also, work and sleep are pretty much my life, and I don't really wanna talk about work a lot while I'm at home. And talking about sleep would just be boring. I'll see what I can do, though.

Time for tea and Monk...have a great weekend!

Don't Miss It!

2007-09-08T14:10:00.001-05:00

Join us for lunch tomorrow after church! (around 12) Gumbo prepared by our own Donald Teater. (and it's GOOD!) See you there!

Are you ready for this?

2007-09-06T16:45:00.001-05:00

Check out Taylor's new post. Just make sure you're sitting down. ;)

First Week Update

2007-08-24T23:42:00.000-05:00

It's Friday night, and the first week of school is officially over. (Can you hear the hallelujah chorus?) I'm pretty exhausted, what with leaving the house at 7 every morning and not getting home till 6 or 6:30 most nights this week, but it's cool. I had a really great first week of school. (Hey, that rhymed!)

Every year I get so nervous before school starts. As frequent readers of my blog know, I have panic attacks, nightmares, etc. in the weeks leading up to the first day. It seems, however, that every year I teach it gets a little better. Isn't that great? I'm so excited about the new challenges and opportunities that this year will bring.

Some of my fave moments from this week:

- being asked about fifty million times, "How old are you, Mrs. James?" This would definitely win the prize for hottest topic of the week in my class. One of my girls asked me this yesterday, and I said, "24." She said, "Really? My cousin at the high school told me you was 19!" This morning another student said, "I'm sorry Mrs. James, but you just look like a teenager!" Oh well, I guess worse things could be said about me. :)

- seeing how timid and unsure of themselves my kids are at the beginning of school. The 6th graders are the youngest ones in the middle school, so the first week they're very shy and a little scared, I'm sure. It's so cute!

- witnessing the initial excitement our classroom library brings about. I probably have at least a hundred books in my class to check out, and the kids are always so excited to see them all! Today we did what's called a book pass, where in a short time span the kids get to look at about 25 books. They look at one book for a minute or so, and then they pass it on. They were so eager to get the next book, and then to check out a book at the end. Some of their excitement for reading won't last very long, but it was great to see!

- being reminded that what I do actually matters. It's easy to forget sometimes how much of an impact I can have in the lives of these children. I mean, I see them 5 days out of the week for 9 months out of the year. That's a lot of time! It's humbling, and a little scary, to think that all of my actions, everything I say to them, will affect them in some way. My constant prayer is that the Lord will give me a compassionate heart for every child. That He'll remind me that these are people's babies, not just numbers and test scores. It's pretty exciting to know that every day I go to work, I have the opportunity to make a difference. Kinda sappy, I know, but it's true. Being a teacher definitely comes with its challenges and struggles, but I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing with my life.

All in all, it was a great week. Thank goodness it's over! Now I've got most of the nervousness behind me, and we can get down to this learning business. Bring it on! ;)

Sleeping Beauty...That's Me!

2007-08-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Lou's blog...and I'm so glad I'm Aurora! She was always my fave. ;) And the description is so true of me.

You Are Aurora! (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty.)

Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

School Daze

2007-08-20T19:32:00.001-05:00

The first day is over! I couldn't get to sleep last night for anything, and this morning I woke up an hour early. I get so nervous before the first day! It went wonderfully, although I felt a little frazzled the whole day. First days are always kind of hectic, so tomorrow will probably be better.

When I got home from school today, I CRASHED. I didn't realize how tired I was until I actually had time to sit down and rest! After about 15 minutes, the whole lower half of my body was aching...I guess I'm not used to walking around ALL DAY. ;)

Tonight Taylor and I are having a relaxing evening watching The Legend of Zorro. I like the music. :)

Hope everyone else had a great first day of school!

School Daze

2007-08-20T19:32:00.000-05:00

The first day is over! I couldn't get to sleep last night for anything, and this morning I woke up an hour early. I get so nervous before the first day! It went wonderfully, although I felt a little frazzled thw whole day. First days are always kind of hectic, so tomorrow will probably be better.

When I got home from school today, I CRASHED. I didn't realize how tired I was until I actually had time to sit down and rest! After about 15 minutes, the whole lower half of my body was aching...I guess I'm not used to walking around ALL DAY. ;)

Tonight Taylor and I are having a relaxing evening watching The Legend of Zorro. I like the music. :)

Hope everyone else had a great first day of school!

First School Dream

2007-08-17T16:04:00.000-05:00

For the past two years, I've always had dreams/nightmares/panic attacks right before school starts. The first year was the worst, last year was a little better, and this year has been great! I've only just now had my first dream about school, and it wasn't even that bad! Maybe I can actually do this teaching thing...;) Here's the dream:

I'm in my classroom on the first day of school, and it is right before lunch. We've had a great time this morning, playing getting-to-know-you games and doing just that - getting to know each other. Suddenly, I realize that lunch is in about five minutes, and I've forgotten to tell my class about all the cafeteria rules. So I rush to do that, and by the time I'm finished all the other classes have left for lunch. I tell my kids that they can go, but I forget to tell them not to run, and they all run like crazy people to the cafeteria. I rush to catch up to them, and two of the boys get in a fight. One of them picks up this really long stick that just happens to be sitting there and uses it like a sword. They eventually calm down, and then I woke up. Pretty strange, but not bad, considering the dreams I've had in the past!

School starts Monday, and I'm ready! I've got my room ready, my lesson plans are written and turned in to the principal, I've made all my copies...I'm ready! It feels so go to be prepared. I've never been a person who just enjoys winging it, especially on the first day. I'm looking forward to Monday, and I'm confident that this year is going to be my best year yet! Please remember to keep teachers and kids in your prayers this first week.

Did You Know 2.0

2007-08-12T21:46:00.001-05:00

We watched this video in a workshop at my school last week. Makes you think, huh? Especially as a teacher...the world I'm preparing my students to be a part of is totally different from the one I was prepared for when I was in school. Pretty crazy.

New Links Alert!

2007-08-01T23:21:00.000-05:00

I finally updated my links! Since I last did this, tons of my friends have started blogging. So tonight I spent about an hour linking all of the ones I could think of or find. The new ones belong to KT, Shelley, TJ, Carolyn, Ryan, Monticello Live, Misty, Jenny, Journey Church, and me (myspace). Check them out! Oh, and if you'd like me to link your site and I didn't, just let me know!

The End of an Era

2007-07-25T23:53:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading the last book in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". I cried through the whole last 100 pages of the book! Half of the reason I cried was because of what was happening in the book - the other half, I think, was because it's over. It's over. For the last 7 years of my life, there has always been a new Harry Potter book to look forward to. Always, I could wonder what was going to happen next. Would Harry defeat Voldomort in the end? Would Ron and Hermione get together? Was Snape good or bad? Does Harry DIE?!?! Now, I have no more questions. All of them have been answered. How sad! However, I couldn't have asked for a better ending to the series. It was just...perfect. All of you are probably thinking what a weirdo I am to be mourning like this over the end of a series, and maybe you're right, but I can't help it! They were just great books, and I'm going to miss the anticipation of waiting for the next one. Although, my dad thinks that this will not be the last one. I disagree with him, but who knows? All I know is I have enjoyed the last 7 years with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all the other characters, and I will miss them immensly. (Wow, I do sound kinda like a weirdo, don't I?) ;)

Travel & Harry Potter

2007-07-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

Taylor and I have been going on trips all summer! We've been to AL to see Rosie and Phillip twice, TX for the wedding, Family Camp with church, and I've been to Little Rock and/or Conway countless times to see family. Today, we're leaving for Kansas City with Taylor's family. I'm excited about everything - except for the drive. UGH! I have come to dread long car trips. Tonight, we're just going as far as Little Rock, and we're staying with Taylor's brother and his family. Then, we're leaving early on Friday morning to drive to KC. It'll only be about 7 hours from LR, so I guess it could be worse. We'll have a good time seeing and hanging out with everyone.

One more thing - Taylor and I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night. It was pretty good. I mean, I really enjoyed it, in comparison with all the other films I've seen recently. However, I just think the book is SO much better! I can't tell you how much you're missing out on if you've just watched the Harry Potter movies and not read the books. It's almost criminal! As I was watching last night, it kept coming to my mind that all this was created in the imagination of one woman. Isn't that crazy? What an imagination to come up with this whole world and all the cool things in it - quidditch, Polyjuice Potion, the Room of Requirement, etc...such creative things from someone's imagination! Anyway, I do recommend it - the book more than the movie - for anyone who likes such things. Enjoy!

Wedding in TX

2007-07-11T18:02:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago Taylor and I went to my old college roommate's wedding in Tyler, TX. We had a great time hanging out with some old friends. Here are a few pics from the wedding.

Pink Tomato Paradise

2007-06-18T17:15:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, I grew up in Warren, which means I have an innate love in my heart for lumberjacks, tall pines, and pink tomatoes. All year long I anxiously await the few short summer weeks when I (and my lucky friends with whom I choose to share) am able to experience the pure joy and exhiliration that comes from biting into what can only be called the BEST tomato in the world. Friday, my waiting was over. I got a box of South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomatoes, and Taylor and I have been feasting on them since. I have at least one (most the time two or three) a day, and I enjoy every bite. I choose to eat mine with salt, and Taylor likes his with salt and pepper. We've eaten most of them just by themselves, but we did make BLTs on Saturday afternoon that were YUMMY! Some of you may think that my obsession with these fruits (or are they vegetables...or both?) is a little odd. If you've never tasted these tomatoes, of course you wouldn't understand. And if you have tasted them...well, I'm sure you're as obsessed as I am. If you haven't yet had the chance to enjoy these wonderful products of God's creation, be really nice to me this week. I might give you one. :)

On the Road Again

2007-06-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

This week has been the week of travel for me. I've been on the road every day except for Monday and today! Whew! Here's what my week looked like:

Monday: stayed in Monticello

Tuesday: went to Pine Bluff with friend; stayed way longer than we
thought; didn't get home till around 8:00

Wednesday: workshop in Monticello till 3:30. Then on to Pine Bluff again to see
Samuel Dean Moss(who, by the way, is adorable!!!)

Thursday: 9:30 a.m. - left for Little Rock - we went to Wild River Country! It was
lots of fun!!!

Friday: in Monticello again

Saturday: going to Little Rock AGAIN for a cousin's birthday party

I love to travel, but four day out of the week is a little much! Maybe next week will be more tame.

Stir-Fry Cook-Off '07

2007-06-06T17:12:00.001-05:00

Last night Taylor and I decided to cook supper. Cooking is something both Taylor and I enjoy (although his knack for cooking tends to get more press, you know, he IS a "Pampered Chef" and all...). The problem is that while we both enjoy cooking, we also both enjoy cooking the right way. And if you ask us what the "right way" to cook something is, you'll get a different answer from each of us. This has caused many heated "discussions" in the kitchen, which mostly end in compromise, but sometimes end with me leaving Taylor to cook the way HE wants to, aka the WRONG way. ;)

Last night, we decided on stir-fry. Taylor got a recipe for an Asian dipping sauce from the Pampered Chef website that they said could be used in stir-fry. Yummy, right? We agreed on that. We went to the store to buy some veggies, rice, and eggrolls to go with our meal. The problem began when I started cooking the rice. There was a recipe for stir-fry on the back of the rice box. I've never made stir-fry from scratch before, so I was a little cautious to begin with. Taylor has no fear in the kitchen, whipping up things from thin air all the time - and they're usually really good. I, however, DO have a little fear when cooking something I've never made before. So I like to follow the recipe! You should follow the recipe anyway, right? (I guess that's just the teacher in me...)

This was our dilemma. I wanted to follow the recipe, which called for 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and Taylor did NOT. We went around and around, bickering about this until finally Taylor said, "Call the Parkers." (The Parkers are experts of all things cooking). So I said, "Fine! I will!" We called and got Suzanne (who thought it was hilarious that we were arguing about corn starch). She gave us the solution - half the veggies and chicken, and add our own sauce to each half. (What would we do without you, Suzanne?) That's what we did. Taylor added only his Asian sauce to his, and I added what the recipe called for - soy sauce, water, and corn starch.

We finished cooking, put everything on our plates, and got ready for the moment of truth. (We had to wait 10 minutes while Taylor took about 20 pictures of each plate, though...) We tasted, and in the end we decided that Taylor's had a better taste (probably because of the seasonings in the Asian sauce), but mine had better consistancy (it wasn't as thin as his because of the corn starch I added.)

So, in the end...I was right. (Are you surprised?) I mean, the whole argument was over whether or not to add corn starch, and we decided that the corn starch was a good idea. I never said that the Asian sauce was a bad idea. How long will it take for Taylor to realize that in every argument, I'm always right? :)

(By the way, you can check out HIS version of the story on his blog. You can choose who to believe...) :)

Here's a picture of the winning stir-fry (mine).

I'm cured!

2007-06-05T13:13:00.001-05:00

Okay, maybe it's too soon to say, but since my last post I haven't had any trouble sleeping at night. Isn't that great? I think part of it is because I've been busy every day since then (meaning, I haven't been able to take a nap in the afternoon...could it be that Taylor was right? Nah...). Also, I started working out with a friend. We joined the wellness center at UAM, and yesterday was our first workout. It was a lot of fun, actually. We walked on treadmills and then spent the rest of our time in the circuit room, with all the cool machines. Last night, I slept like a ROCK. And this morning, I can feel the results of my exertions yesterday...my arms are killing me!!! (I have basically no upper body strength, so some of those machines were kinda difficult!) Anyway, I'm excited about this new venture. I'm going with a friend of mine from high school, and it'll be fun to get to spend time with her again.

So...now I'm at home alone. Taylor just left to go back to work after lunch. I've got the whole afternoon ahead of me with nothing to do...wonderful! This is actually one of the first days I've had like this, so I'm going to enjoy it. Maybe I'll even take a nap. (Who cares what Taylor says, right?) ;) Oh, speaking of Taylor, he's blogging again! Go over and check out his new site! (I have it linked in my sidebar.)

Insomnia Blues

2007-06-03T01:05:00.000-05:00

Here it is - 1 a.m. on a Saturday night - and I can't sleep. And that stinks. I really hate not being able to sleep. I shouldn't be surprised, though. This happens every summer. My schedule gets all out of whack and I end up sleeping at the strangest times. I'm actually shocked that I can't sleep tonight, though. I've had a pretty eventful week, and I thought for sure I'd have visions of sugar plums (or whatever dances in your sleeping brain in June) dancing in my head about now. So what do I do? I blog.

I mentioned a busy week. It's has been busy, but it's been really enjoyable at the same time. Last Friday was my last day of school (yay!) and on Saturday Taylor, my mom, and I left for Camden, AL to see Rosie and Phillip. We stayed there until Tuesday (and had a GREAT time, by the way!). We got home Tuesday night. Then, on Wednesday I washed clothes, cleaned the house a little, and went to a Watermark concert in Little Rock with Taylor and his dad. That was really fun. I've always loved Watermark, and it was great to see them live. The last song they did was the song Taylor and I had in our wedding, "Captivated". It was pretty great to hear them sing it. Thursday I got to lounge around a little in the morning, and in the afternoon I made the short trip over to Warren to be measured for a bridesmaid's dress. (My college roomie is getting married at the end of this month!) Yesterday, I took Taylor's grandmother to Pine Bluff for a dr.'s appointment and a little shopping. We got home at 5:00, and at 6:00, Taylor and I left for Hot Springs to have dinner with another college friend. We spent the night in my grandparent's old house with my mom and dad. It was really fun to get to spend time with them. We went out to eat this morning and then drove home. (In the pounding rain the whole way UNTIL we turned onto 35. Rough drive!) Whew! What a week! But, hey, it's summer, right? I cannot complain.

Still not tired. Shoot. I guess I'll at least go lay in the bed and try to get to sleep. Maybe I'll try my balloon trick. Counting sheep never worked for me, so this is what I do instead. I've done it since I was a little kid...whenever I'm having trouble sleeping, I imagine a big bundle of balloons. Sometimes they're all one color (red), but most of the time it's a variety. Anyway, I picture this big bundle of balloons drifing up into the sky and floating away with the breeze. It's very strange how it works, but it always seems to help at least just a little. Weird, huh? If that doesn't work, I'll probably just read. With reading, however, it's a coin toss. Sometimes reading puts me out in a matter of minutes, but sometimes, if what I'm reading is really good, I don't want to stop reading so I end up staying up even later! Okay, here's the plan. I'll read for half an hour, THEN turn of the light and try the balloon thing. There. It's always nice to have a plan, right? Here goes...

Summer's almost here!

2007-05-20T20:59:00.001-05:00

It's here! My last week of school has finally arrived. Although, I must say, I'm sad to see it end. This year was so much better than last year. I had kids that I loved and looked forward to seeing every day. (well...most days...) ;) This year was also WAY less stressful and confusing than last year. I really had a good time, but I actually love this part of teaching. Every year is new!

This week will be pretty easy, I guess. It's semester test week, so some of my kids are not coming - Friday was their last day. The kids who do have to come this week only come Mon. through Wed. (Thurs. is make-up test day.) Friday is staff development, so no students will be there. Then...summer!

Saturday I'm kicking off my summer with a visit to Alabama to see Rosie and Phillip. Taylor, my mom, and I are all going down for four days. I'm SO excited! I can't believe it was this time last year that I left on my last day of school to move them to AL. What a year it has been!

I've got a bunch planned for this summer. I have tons of professional development days that I'm going to - that's the first order of business. I'm also going on several trips. The first one is to AL, then to TX in June for my college roomie's wedding. Then in July-Tommy, Suzi, Josh, Taylor, and I are going back to AL en route to Destin, FL. Taylor and I are also planning on going to Family Camp in June with our church. We're really looking forward to that, since we weren't able to go last year. I'm sure that's not all I have planned, but that's all I can remember without looking at my calendar! One thing I know for sure, it'll go by way too fast!

Just wondering...

2007-05-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

Does anyone know of a good seamstress in Monticello? One of my friends from college is getting married in June, and I need someone to make my bridesmaid dress for her wedding. Supposedly it's a very easy pattern and won't take long to make. Let me know if you know of anyone who can help me out!

Zoo Pics

2007-05-01T17:45:00.000-05:00

I just spent about an hour posting and downloading roughly 30 pictures of our trip to the zoo. I was on the last one...the LAST ONE!!!...and the internet had to shut down. GOOD GRIEF! I was very angry. So you unfortunately get the mad Lee Ann posting instead of the happy one posting a few minutes ago. I'm just going to pick the top ten pics instead of the 30 I had from a few minutes ago. (Maybe 30 was too many anyway...) I chose mostly shots of people instead of animals...forgive me. :)

New post...finally

2007-04-14T13:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm only posting to escape a baby beating from Suzanne. A lot has been going on this past week, and I just haven't felt up to posting. My apologies!

School was absoulutely terrible this week. Well, it could've been worse, but it was the worst week I've had this year. The Benchmark is next week (curse that stupid test!) and everybody's feeling the pressure. Kids, teachers, administrators, etc. I'll be so glad when it's over.

I have something to look forward to next week, though. Next Friday I get to go to the Memphis Zoo! Suzanne, Tommy, Josh, Taylor and I are all going together. I am so excited. If anything can get me out of this slump, a good dose of my Josh man can. Only 7 days to wait for it! (Have I told the blog world that he said my name for the first time the other day? It's so cute! He says "Yee?" (it always sounds like it has a question mark at the end) instead of Lee, and it's adorable!)

I'll try not to let two weeks pass before I post again.

Spring Break Diaries - Day 2

2007-03-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

So I was a little worried yesterday. It was my first official day of spring break. My plans were to get up early with Taylor and go work out (which I did!) and then go back home and sleep a lot. I didn't do that. I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime, but yesterday, I just wasn't sleepy! I kept thinking, "What's happening to me?!?!?!?" Today, though, my faith in myself was restored. I slept till noon. Ah. That's more like it. It's not spring break unless you have at least one day sleeping till noon. :)

Thursday I'm off to Canton with my mom and my aunt (her sister). I haven't decided yet if I'm going to accompany them every day to Canton (they're hotel is 45 miles away...everything closer was booked up!) or just stay in and relax. I know I'm going to go at least one day, cause I've never been to Canton before. But after that, who knows. You see, there are several things convincing me to just stay in the rest of the time. 1)I have no money. Why go to the mother of all shopping centers for three days in a row if you have no money to spend? That's just asking for heartache. 2)My mom and aunt. They are SERIOUS shoppers - the exact opposite of me. I can only take a couple of hours of shopping...maybe. If they're going shopping, they're going SHOPPING. I mean ALL DAY - sun up to sun down, or past sun down, actually. And I'm just not crazy about walking around shopping for that long - especially if I have no money to spend! 3)I bet you anything our hotel room will have cable, something which I do not have at home. TV!
I guess we'll see. I am looking foward to spending time with my family though - I really love hanging out with them.

Hope everybody else is having a nice, relaxing week!

Spring Break!

2007-03-25T08:46:00.001-05:00

Spring break! Spring break! Spring break! I love SPRING BREAK!!!

Boring post alert!

2007-03-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess it's about time for another post. How long has it been since the last one? Not yet a week, right? At least I'm doing a little better.

School's what's on my mind most this week. (What else is new, right?) It's still going strong. Testing is this week...blah. Nobody likes this week - everybody's stressed and irritable, kids and teachers alike. I'll be glad when it's over.

Next week should be a real kick - the week after testing and the week before spring break. What to do? I don't want to start anything new (spring break will push the delete button in their brains), but I have to do something! Any ideas?

Guess that's it for now. Not a very interesting post, I know. But, hey, at least I posted! Until next time...:)

It is time...

2007-03-06T19:34:00.000-06:00

...for Spring Break. There comes a point when you just know. It's TIME. The kids are getting on each other's nerves. I'm getting on their nerves. THEY'RE GETTING ON MY NERVES. It's time...and there are still 13 days to go. Oh, dear.

Today was the first day this year (thank the Lord!) that I've really lost my cool. It happened all the time last year. I had an especially feisty group of kiddos last year, and I just let some of them get to me! This year, however, has been much calmer. I don't know if the kids are better or if I'm just better at dealing with it, but I've kept my cool for most of the year. I've been pretty proud of myself.

My calm demeanor crashed and burned today, though. All week long it's been building up. The kids have been arguing with each other, and that really wears on your nerves, listening to it day after day. Today they decided to argue with ME, which is not cool. Oooh!!! I was so mad! Sometimes you just let anger get the better of you, you know? I'm not a parent, but I know enough parents and I've heard enough stories...I can imagine that this would be somewhat like what a parent feels when they lose their temper with their child. I lost it with my 22 children today! After my little meltdown, I felt so terrible. I kept thinking, "I could've handled it a better way." "I should've have done this instead." "I let them get to me...why did I let them get to me?"

Oh well. It's over and done now, I can't change it. Tomorrow's a new day, right? Only 13 more to go!

Hi again!

2007-03-04T08:22:00.000-06:00

So, I took a little sabbatical from the blog world. I just wanted everybody to be sure to see the post about Lou's shower. :) What have I been doing these past two weeks, you say? Lots of work. Lots of Pampered Chef with Tay. Lots of visiting with family. Good stuff. Speaking of family, I have a few family updates:

1. Rosie and Phillip are coming this week!!! I'm so excited! They survived the terrible tornados in Alabama, although several people they know were affected. Keep their community in your prayers.

2. Nathan (Taylor's brother) has a blog! The first post is great...check it out!

3. Amy (Nathan's wife) finds out whether they're having a girl or boy Wednesday. How exciting!!!

That's it for now. Hopefully it won't be two weeks till you hear from me again!

Baby Shower!

2007-02-18T12:12:00.000-06:00

Lou's baby shower is coming up! It will be Sunday, March 11 at 2:00 at the Noble's house. I'm not sure of what exactly she needs yet, but I will find out and let everyone know. (She's registered at WalMart. Thanks for reminding me, Mandy!) Just wanted you to be aware and mark it on your calendars!

On the Other Side

2007-02-16T22:03:00.000-06:00

I think I'm finally coming out on the other side of this flu thing. I went to work today, and I survived! I even enjoyed it! My kids were so glad to see me back, and that felt really good. I was WAY exhausted when I got home today, though. I was supposed to join Taylor for a Pampered Chef show (which sold over $1,000 in products, by the way, which is REALLY good!), but I backed out when I realized how beat I was. I stayed in bed tonight watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was fun.

So, the same thing happened this morning that happened yesterday morning. I woke up and I had all of this congestion and crud, and it made me sick. I threw up like six times before I walked out the door. But I wasn't feeling really sick or running a fever. And yesterday when I decided to stay home, I felt better by like 9:00. So I decided to just suck it up and go. I'm glad that I did. I would've felt very guilty if I'd stayed home again.

I felt so bad for my kids when I got to school this morning. There was a stack of work a mile high that they'd done the past four days. And it was all mainly busy work. But what can you do? I went easy on them today. We played a game and had lots of reading time...nothing to difficult. I don't think I was up to doing an involved lesson anyway. I stayed seated most of the day, and I STILL felt like I'd run a marathon by the end of the day!

You know what's really great, though. Eating food after having the flu. It's like each time I eat something new, I'm tasting it for the first time. I get so excited about eating the most normal things like chicken, apples, a bowl of cereal, a fried egg (I haven't had this one yet, but it's coming soon, and I can't wait!!!) The taste of foods that you like is SO much better after a diet of bread, chicken soup, and water for a week. It's a wonderful thing!

Day 5?

2007-02-15T06:27:00.000-06:00

Really? Does there have to be a day 5? I thought I was totally well yesterday. I even called the school yesterday and told them I'd be back today. I went to small group, and yeah, I was a little tired, but I felt fine. Maybe I did too much too soon.

Anyway, I woke up this morning with mucho congestion. Coughing and stopped up nose like you wouldn't believe. I was still going to brave it and try to go to school, but I got sick in the shower. Twice. Talk about GROSS. I guess all the congestion is making me nauseated, I don't know. Something's going on, though. I definitely don't think this is going-back-to-school condition. I had to call my principal again this morning to let her know that, no, I'm not coming back today. I was feeling so much better yesterday!

I'm hoping this is just a one-day thing, and I can go back tomorrow. I feel SO BAD for missing so much school - like, guilty or something. It's not like I can help it or it's my fault, but for some reason I feel like it is. Oh well. They don't want me there sick, right? Right. Here's to another day of recovery.

Day 4 - 9:55 a.m.

2007-02-14T09:43:00.001-06:00

Still feel kinda sick today, but MUCH better than the previous days. (Just to give you an idea...I woke up today at 9:40 - almost a miracle since the last time I was awake was at 2, and Taylor was awake at 6 or 7 getting ready for work and I didn't wake up with him, FEELING TERRIBLE like I have for the past 3 mornings...) When I woke up this morning, my sugar was 47...47!!! that's really low, and usually I feel like CRAP when it's that low, and I did this morning, but I still felt better than I have in 3 days! I'm checking my temp now...and it's not even getting up to 98.6 degrees...which is normal for me. I think I might be well! Can it be? Thanks for all your prayers! Looks like they worked! I'll be heading back to work tomorrow if it stays like this! Let's see how much my class fell apart with me being gone for 3 days...;)

Day 3

2007-02-13T15:43:00.000-06:00

Still sick. Has it really only been 3 days? I feel like I've been laying in this bed for a month. I've decided that tomorrow's the day I'm going to start getting better. Sounds good, right?

I did get some meds prescribed to me yesterday...an antibiotic and some decongestant with codeine in it. I took those last night, and I think they're helping a little. My throat is a tiny bit better, I think. I decided to stop taking the codeine. It knocked me OUT. I took it 3 times, I think...once every 6 hours...and I slept ALL day today. I mean, I've been awake a total of 30 minutes in an 18 hour period of time. It's been about 6 hours since I've had my last dose, and I think I'm starting to come out of it. I don't like that feeling. I'd rather hurt a little and be congested than be dead to the world. I woke up a couple of times, and I couldn't even walk in a straight line to the bathroom. No, thank you!

Symptoms were pretty much the same today. No nausea, which is great. Body aches and stopped up nose were worse today. So was the headache, but I have a feeling that has to do with the being drugged and sleeping nonstop thing. Throat still hurts...like I said, I'd like to think it's a little better. Ran fever all day...it never got above 100.5, but always stayed around 99.4 or 5. I had to call in sick to work again tomorrow. I never thought I'd be so ready to get back to work!

So, here's the plan. Everybody pray tonight for God to heal me and make me better so I can go back to work on Thursday. Thanks!

Day 2

2007-02-12T15:15:00.000-06:00

Still sick today. I woke up this morning feeling CRUMMY. Nauseated, sore, headache, stopped up nose, and terrible sore, swollen throat. The nausea's gone now, but all the other symptoms are still there. I've run a fever all day today. I was excited last night, cause when I checked my temp before bed, it was 98.3! I thought I was on my way to recovery. Not a chance. It was over 100 when I woke up this morning, and it's been hovering around 99.5-100 all day. I called my Dr.'s office to see if they could prescribe something...still haven't heard back. I think I might call back in an hour or so if I haven't heard anything. I really want to feel well! And I don't want to miss another day of work. One day out, and I already feel stressed out about all I've missed. I'll keep the updates coming! (It's much easier to blog when you're home in bed all day...)

It found me...

2007-02-11T10:04:00.000-06:00

WARNING: Graphic details follow. Read at your own risk.

I'm sick. I was doing so well, too! Last year, my first year of teaching, it seemed that I was in a constant state of sickness. Colds, stomach viruses, etc. This year, however, has been much better. A couple of weeks ago, I got a little touch of some bug that kept me home for a day and a half. I thought that that got me out of the woods. I was actually naive enough to believe that I would escape the clutches of the flu epidemic that has been torturing Monticello for the past weeks. After all, I did get a flu shot, and I've been very careful about washing my hands and such. Boy, was I wrong.

Actually, I don't know what I have. Yesterday, I felt kinda bad all day. I thought it was because my blood sugar was high, but apparently, I wasn't feeling sick because my sugar was high. My sugar was high because I was getting sick. All day long, I checked my sugar every couple of hours, and every time it was over 200, which is bad. One time it was even over 400...which is REALLY bad. Anyway, we went over to Clayton and Mandy's yesterday after Suzanne's baby shower, which was at my house. (If you get sick, you can blame me...sorry! I didn't know!) Around 9:30, I started feeling really crummy. (Strangely enough, though, this is when my blood sugar leveled out.) My throat started hurting REALLY badly. We got out of there, because I had a bad feeling. I barely made it home before I started throwing up. I checked my temp- 100.8. So I got ready for bed and hoped for the best.

At 2 I woke up again. I had to use the bathroom, and when I got out of bed, I started shaking. Like, violently shaking. I was SO cold! It was pretty scary. I got the thermometer out of the cabinet, and I could barely hold it in my mouth because my teeth were chattering so hard. I went back to my room and started throwing up, and I stayed up pretty much until 5, getting sick every 30 minutes or so. I checked my temp about every hour during all this - 101.3 was the highest. (My blood sugar, which was thankfully still back down to normal, didn't get above 120 all night, which is excellent.) Finally, I fell asleep. I haven't gotten sick since then, but I feel like I might any second. ( I just read some of Jeff's blog about their last day at Disney, and I had to stop. The descriptions of the rides and Sam feeling sick...it was too much. I almost lost it.)

Here are my symptoms: TERRIBLE headache (it feels like someone is chiseling a sculpture out of my brain). Fever (100.9 currently). Body aches - I'm not sure if this is from the strain in my body from getting sick so much last night or what. Dizziness. Plus, I have a super sore throat and a stuffed up nose.

So, what do I have? Those of you who have been unfortunate enough to be struck by the sickness - were these your symptoms? Or do I have some rare disease that would require me to visit the ER immediately? Let me know what you think. Should I go to the doctor tomorrow, or just wait it out? I guess for now I'll just keep sipping Diet Sprite and nibbling on a piece of bread that I've been trying to get down for 4 1/2 hours. Oh well, it could be worse!
____________________________

I just looked online at WebMD (I love that website!) And this is what I found. (The parentheses at the end are me.)

The symptoms of influenza (flu) appear suddenly and often include:

Fever of 100 °F(37.8 °C) to 104 °F(40 °C), which can reach 106 °F(41 °C) when symptoms first develop. Fever is usually continuous, but it may come and go. Fever may be lower in older adults than in children and younger adults. (CHECK)
Shaking chills. (Umm...CHECK. That was scary!)
Body aches and muscle pain (often severe), commonly in the back, arms, or legs. (CHECK)
Headache. (DOUBLE CHECK)
Pain when you move your eyes. (1/2 CHECK)
Fatigue, a general feeling of sickness (malaise), and loss of appetite. (CHECK)
A dry cough, runny nose, and a dry or sore throat. You may not notice these during the first few days of the illness when other symptoms are more severe. As your fever goes away, these symptoms may become more evident. (CHECK)

I guess I got my answer.

yea!

2007-02-04T09:05:00.000-06:00

I'm proud of this one! I should get 100%, seeing as I teach grammar. This quiz wasn't very good, though. It only tested possessives and homonyms mainly. Oh well.

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Fun Quiz

2007-02-04T08:51:00.000-06:00

Some of these were kinda tough...it's been a long time since I've taken geometry! Fun quiz, though. Thanks, Mark!

You paid attention during 86% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Update

2007-02-04T08:19:00.000-06:00

I dreamed last night that someone called me and asked when I was going to post again. Maybe it really happened and wasn't a dream...I can't really remember. Anyway, I decided that it's time for another post. A lot's been going on, but normal stuff.

Taylor had his first Pampered Chef show last night. He did great! Even though it was the fourth time I'd eaten vegetable pizza this week, I still thought it tasted good. We spent all afternoon yesterday cleaning. Every time we clean, Taylor and I get in an argument over where to put stuff and whether or not to throw it away. I always want to put it out of sight or throw it away. And Taylor wants exactly the opposite. Yesterday was no exception...it was one of the lighter arguments, though. We ended up laughing at ourselves, which is always good.

Right now, I'm laying in bed with the electric blanket cranked (like it always is when Taylor isn't in it) and Banjo laying on my feet. Taylor's at church practicing with the worship band this morning. I think it's going to be a beautiful day! Cold, but beautiful nonetheless. (What a strange word...nonetheless. What does it mean? None the less. I just now looked it up, and it means "however". Hmm. Nonetheless.) I've got about an hour to do nothing before I need to get up and get ready. I love that feeling...when you just have time to relax. Read a book. Post on your blog. I love it!

Enjoy the sun today!

!

2007-01-23T22:22:00.000-06:00

I saw the sun today! Did anyone else see it, or was I hallucinating?

Lee Ann Must Be Tired If...

2007-01-22T17:53:00.000-06:00

1) I come home after school and fall...literally, FALL...into bed

2) I fall asleep with my glasses on and a book on my belly

3) The kitties don't wake me up with all their playfullness (jumping up and down from the bed, crawling through mini-blinds, meowing at each other and at me, etc.)

4) I really have to go the bathroom, but can't bring myself to get out of bed to do it

5) I have a Diet Cherry Coke from Sonic on my bedside table but can't muster up enough energy to sit up for a drink

6) I don't even open my eyes or grunt when my husband gets home from work

and finally, the most shocking and disturbing symptom of my utter exhaustion...

7) I pass up a very rare invitation from my husband to go to the movies! What's happening to me?!?!?!?

All of these things happened today...in the past hour, in fact. I don't know what the deal is. I think it's the weather. Really! It's cold (which I don't like), rainy (which I don't like), and getting dark early (which I don't like). This is really my least favorite part of the year. Every day I yearn for the warm, sunny days of spring! The green grass! (rather than the brown, dead, muddy crud in our yard now.) The blue skies! (instead of the boring gray ones that have been outside my window for the past week.) The warm breeze! (not the painfully cold stabs of wind that we've got now.) Oh, spring, come quickly!!!

And, to end on a happy note, one of my kids came up to me this morning and said, "Hey, you know what I heard on TV this morning, Mrs. James? Today's supposed to be the most depressing day of the year." This, mind you, was said in the wonderfully upbeat and excited voice of a 12 year old boy. I just looked at him and said, "Thanks, Justin. I'll look forward to that."

Whitney?

2007-01-09T21:15:00.000-06:00

I had a very strange dream last night. I have this recurring dream...or nightmare, I guess...that I'm late for school. The details are always different, but I always figure out that I'm late for school at 7:55 (school starts at 8:00). In one dream, I overslept and woke up at 7:55. In another, I thought it was a holiday, but it wasn't. And I realized it at 7:55. That's kinda like the one I had last night, but not exactly.

In this dream I thought it was a holiday, so I decided to go out of town, to Conway, to see family. Next thing I know, I'm in some kind of talent show at a school. Somehow in my dream, I know I'm there to see some kids perform, but I don't know who or why. One of my old friends from high school is sitting on my right, and Taylor's on my left. In front of me is the principal of my school. We're waiting for the performance to begin when it hits me. It's not a holiday! I'm supposed to be at school at 8:00, it's 7:55, and I'm in Conway! I jump out of my seat and quickly explain the situation to Mrs. White (the principal, who happens to be sitting right in front of me), apologizing profusely. (Here's something weird...in this dream, I can remember all the other times when I've been late to school - a.k.a. my previous dreams!) I tell her I can get there in 2 hours if they can just get a sub for that long. She tells me not to worry, they can do that. As I'm leaving, Taylor walking me out, I turn around to see the talent show has turned into karaoke. And the principal has gotten up to sing a song, but she's not Mrs. White anymore. She's Whitney Houston. But she's still my principal. Weird! She starts singing "The Greatest Love of All," (yes, the one that begins, "I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way." I haven't heard that song in a LOOONNNG time, except, a couple of months ago, I sang that song at Rosie's house while we were playing a karaoke video game!) I proudly tell Taylor, "It's so cool to have Whitney Houston as my principal." Taylor walks me out, and he tried to make me drive the truck home (which is apparently ours and a stick-shift.) I refuse and end up driving the Camry.

I woke up in a panic and totally stressed out, like I do every time that I have that dream. Very strange!

2007

2007-01-08T16:48:00.000-06:00

Okay...posting today because it's been WAAAY too. The new year celebrations have come and gone. It's 2007! That's just crazy. The whole new year thing was fun. Taylor and I spent the week after Christmas in Kansas City, MO with Taylor's family. It was great! His mom is officially moved in with Tarah up there, so hopefully we'll get to see her more often. After driving back, Taylor and I had friends over for New Year's Eve. It was very funny to me...everybody left by 10:00 p.m. All our friend have kids, so they could'nt really stay till midnight. It might seem a little depressing...here I am, 24, and the party's over at 10:00! I wasn't actually that disappointed, though...I was exhausted! And it was nice to ring in the new year with just me and Taylor.

New Year's Day, Taylor and I shampooed the carpet in our house. ALL of the carpet. (The only rooms in our house that don't have carpet are the 2 bathroom and the kitchen/dining room. It was a LOT of work, but definitely worth it. This is going to make me sound like a complete dork, but there's nothing better than dumping out all of that dirty water and thinking, "this is not in my carpet anymore!!!" That's my favorite part. I kind of enjoy shampooing carpets, when I don't have to move the furniture, that is. I did have to move it this time, though. That was the bad part. Taylor and I moved every piece of furniture (excluding the huge bookcase and the huge desk) out of every room. We even took apart the bed in our bedroom and moved it and our dressers out. But, hey, the carpet's clean!

School's back in full swing now. Most people started back today, but I've been going since last Tuesday, suckas! No fair. Actually, we got out a week earlier than everyone else, so it does make sense. It's going well so far, though. I'm getting to that point in the year when the Benchmark is coming up in April, and I still feel like we're NOT ready! There's so much left to cover, and it wouldn't hurt to practice what we've already done...blah. Ugh. I know I shouldn't worry about that stupid test, but so much rides on it. Okay! I'm not going to stress over it. We'll do fine.

I think I hear Grey's Anatomy calling my name. (I got the first 2 seasons for Christmas/birthday and I've been devouring them!) It won't be as long till I post next time as it was last time! I promise!

Christmas '06

2006-12-24T23:30:00.000-06:00

I'm going to copy Angela W.'s idea. So here's my Christmas '06 update...

What I've done:

- had Christmas with Taylor's family

- eaten my weight in really good food (mainly pigs in a blanket...)

- watched Taylor's family open presents (and opened mine with them)

- played cards and lost miserably

- woken up at 3 a.m. only to be "Christmas Eve Gift"ed by Elliott AND Taylor

- played with BOTH my nephews...they're SO CUTE!

- read half of my favorite book again

- went caroling around Monticello and cried at half of the houses we went to

- taken a 2 hour nap this afternoon (and yesterday!)

What I've got to do:

- have Christmas with my mom and dad's families

- make a cheese ball

- watch the Grey's Anatomy Season 1 DVD that I got

- finish reading my favorite book

- read the other 7 book in my "to read" pile...it's quickly growing this Christmas season

- go to the onething conference in Kansas City

- see Rosie & Phillip's new puppy, Duke

- take more naps

- learn how to play bridge

- stay the night with friends from college in Fayetteville

- turn 24 years old

- enjoy the rest of my break!!!

Hope you all are having a great Christmas!!!

New Post

2006-12-19T14:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, here's the new post, Suzanne. I'm not promising any laughs, though. Not that I'm in a bad mood or anything, I just don't have anything funny to write.

I'm out of school! Yeah! We got out today at 1:30, and I just got home and crashed into the bed. Ah. No more school for two weeks! I love being a teacher! Especially years like this, when I really DO like going most days, and the breaks are just gravy.

I'm going to watch a movie now. Ha!

Favorite Things

2006-12-17T10:11:00.000-06:00

I'm stealing Suzanne's idea. Here are a few of MY favorite things...

1. Days when you have nothing you have to do

2. Nights when you look up at the clock again after reading and 2 hours (that felt like 10 min.) has passed

3. Taylor's curly hair

4. Hearing my students say, "Can we do that again?" after a lesson

5. Hearing my kitties purr when I pick them up

6. Going to the movie theater to watch a good movie

7. Diet Cherry Cokes from Sonic

8. Seeing mini-teachers - Adelyn helped me with the 2-4 yr olds at church last night, and she was such the little teacher! It warmed my heart!

9. My first time watching my nephews walk

10. Singing old hymns in church

11. Rolling down the windows and putting back the sunroof on beautiful days

12. good music

13. spending time with family

14. Watching Josh dance to just about any song and cough/wheeze when you say, "What does Mattie say?" (Mattie's their dog with respiratory problems...)

15. fried okra

16. going to friends' houses and playing games or just talking

17. hugging my mom and dad

18. seeing my sisters after weeks of not seeing them

19. the Charlie Browns song "Christmas Time is Here." I love how not-perfect their singing is!

20. buying a new outfit that I love

21. seeing Taylor's little punch and kick when he's bowling

21. watching Smallville till midnight with Tay

22. when little girls cry because they don't want to leave my arms (it happened last night!...it probably had nothing to do with me, but it still felt good.)

23. the feeling of accomplishment I have at the end of the school day when I leave the room totally ready for the next day

24. accidentally figuring out a gift that Taylor got me for Christmas every year (it's been 3 years in a row!)

25. the "Christmas" smell - you know what I'm talking about

I could go on and on, but I guess 25 is enough for now. Hope it made you think of things that make you happy!

Who ya gonna call?

2006-12-14T18:39:00.000-06:00

Santa Claus! Those of you with littluns may find this useful. Everybody else...it's still fun! I got an email today, some of you may already have seen it, that had Santa's phone number. It's a free call, an 800 #, and it's got a message from Santa. Apparently it has a different one every day until Christmas. I called it today, and it's cute! The number is 1-800-972-6242. Give him a call!

News Flash(es)

2006-12-12T22:26:00.000-06:00

Here are some new things that have just come to my attention...so now I'm bringing them to yours.

*Suzanne P. is back! After her looooooong hiatus, she's finally back! Check out her update post!

*Taylor's dad is having surgery tomorrow to have his gallbladdar removed. I don't know the whole story...just what Taylor's told me. He went home from Journey's church service Saturday night and was REALLY sick...apparently in a lot of pain. He finally went to the ER Sunday morning and found out it was his gallbladdar. He went to the doctor today about it and they sent him to LR. He is currently in the hospital awaiting surgery. He's gonna be fine, but please keep him in your prayers!

*Our Christmas tree has been up for 24 hours, with the door open for about 12 of those hours...and the kitties haven't torn it up or electrocuted themselves! Henry's been no trouble...he stared at us for a few seconds when we were bringing the tree in yesterday, but then he just fell asleep on the couch, and he's been there pretty much ever since. ;) Banjo on the other hand...that cat's psycho! The tree freaked him out until we actually got it standing, and then it fascinated him. He just thinks we bought a new tree-shaped toy for him. And he LOVES the ornaments! It's better than last year, though. We walked in to find all the ornaments and lights on the floor after leaving it unattended for about an hour. Progress!

*Five school days and counting until my Christmas break! Can I make it until then??? Stay tuned to find out...

A Few Things...

2006-12-10T10:33:00.000-06:00

1) Taylor and I finally went Christmas shopping yesterday. It was pretty much the perfect shopping trip for me. Usually, I HATE shopping. I don't see the point...whenever I go, I have my list, get in, and get out. That's exactly how it went yesterday. It was amazing! We got all our presents bought except for one. It feels so good to have that done! Now, if we could just get a Christmas tree...

2) Just now, logging in to my blog, I almost typed leeanncarter for my user name instead of leeannjames. It's still weird sometimes that my name is different! You'd think after over a year of marriage, I'd be used to it by now. Nope. Not that I don't like the new "James" part of my name, it's just, I was Carter for 21 years...that's kind of a long time. You all know what I mean. I just thought that was funny...it hasn't happened in a while.

3) I just saw a quiz on Mark W.'s blog that I decided to do. "What Kind of Reader are You?" I took the quiz, and it was fun. I was determined to be a "dedicated reader." I agree with that. Last night was proof of how dedicated I really am. We went to bed around 10, but I woke up at 2:45. After checking my blood sugar and getting some water (you know...normal middle of the night stuff...), I decided I was too awake to just fall back to sleep. So, I'd read a while. (I always read before I go to sleep...it's my bedtime ritual.) I was about halfway finished with a book I was reading, so I picked up where I'd left off a few hours before. I looked back up when I'd finished the book,and it was 5:00. It seemed like only 10 minutes had passed! That's what I love about reading...you can just get lost in it. So now I can start one of the three new books I bought for myself yesterday when I was supposed to be shopping for other people! (Oh, you know you do it too...) Here are the results from that quiz.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Final thought: Pray for me this week. It's definitely time for a break at school. My kids are going crazy, and that's making me go crazy! Last year, when I tought the class from you-know-where, I had nightmares almost every night about school. One night I dreamed that every student in my class got out an instrument (because apparently, they were all in the band) and started playing it. I couldn't make them stop, and the sound was deafening! Anyway...this year, I've only had one or two of those types of nightmares...until this week. This week, I've had about 3 of those dreams. All that to say, my kids and I definitely need a break. Pray that I will be patient and compassionate (AND keep a cool head and a normal blood pressure), but also just and fair in my classroom. Thanks!

Christmas!!!

2006-11-18T15:28:00.000-06:00

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap...or bag. Santa gets a little tired of wrapping paper and tape.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. Who need mistletoe to kiss? ;)

5. When do you put your decorations up? after Thanksgiving sometime

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? green bean casserole

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: The Carter Charlie Brown Christmas. We decided that we'd just have Dad go in the woods behind our house to chop down a Christmas tree for us. He did, but it was the saddest tree I've ever seen! It was about 3 feet tall and SCRAWNY! We put it on the counter on top of the dishwasher and attempted to decorate it up, but it still looked sad. By the time Christmas rolled around, the pine needles that were actually still on the tree were brown. That was a great Christmas!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? umm...can't recall

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Well, last year was Taylor's and my first year...we did white lights, blue and silver ornaments (the round ones and the long, icicly things), and candy canes.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love watching it, but dread the cold that comes with it and the inevidible muddy, wet snow melt.

12. Can you ice skate? I can, but not well.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? probably my engagement ring two years ago

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? hanging out with the fam...they're ca-razy!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Taylor's grandma's bon-bons.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I like caroling with Taylor's family.

17. What tops your tree? star

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? giving

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I can't choose...I love them all!

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum!

I tag Rosie and Phillip! Maybe it will get them blogging!

Curvy Quiz

2006-11-12T13:29:00.000-06:00

My husband asked me to post this. Since one of the questions has the wrong answer (the breakfast one), there is a curve on this little quiz. Whatever you made, go ahead and add 10 points to your score. There, Taylor, you happy? (He STILL didn't make a hundred, even with the curve! How disappointing!) ;) So go ahead, take the quiz with the curve.

Take my quiz!

2006-11-10T20:32:00.000-06:00

I was inspired by the tons of other bloggers doing this. Go ahead, see how well you know me!

Lee Ann's Quiz

*Funny P.S. to this...I was looking at my questions after I'd made the quiz, and I answered one of them wrong! Yes, I answered one of my own questions about myself wrong! How crazy is that?! It's the one about breakfast. The answer is really oatmeal, but I accidentally chose the wrong answer when I was making the quiz, and I didn't notice until now! Maybe it was my subconscious telling me that I really WANT to eat the answer I chose every morning. I'll let you guess which one that is...

Josh!, Pt. 2

2006-11-06T22:06:00.000-06:00

More Josh pics from this weekend...

King of the mountain!...er...couch

"Can I PLEEEASE climb up on the couch?"

Brushing teeth is so fun!

To us grownups, this is a boring kitchen utensil...not to Josh!

I'm such a proud aunt!!!

Josh!

2006-11-06T22:00:00.000-06:00

I kept my nephew Josh over my long weekend. We had a GREAT time! This kid just keeps getting cuter and more fun every time I see him! He does so much more now than the last time I saw him...he's just so smart! Here are some cute pics I took from this weekend.

"I want YOU!"

What a precious face!

Bubble boy!

All clean!

My sweetheart...Awww!

2006-10-31T21:07:00.000-06:00

Thanks to all of you who came by our house trick-or-treating tonight! We had a blast! We saw so many great costumes tonight...a monkey (Ashton), Mr. Incredible (Carter), a couple of princesses (Madison and Abby), a Japanese woman (Kynlee), Gwenevere (Kameryn), a karate master (Karis), and a lot of other scary kids who I don't know. :) We got rid of some of our candy, but we didn't even get close to getting rid of it all! I took a picture of how much we had after all the trick-or-treaters, but I can't post it tonight. I'll try to get it on here later.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween! I'm off tomorrow to Conway to keep Josh through the weekend! I am so excited! It's been two months since I've seen him...I bet he's changed so much!

Self Control? What's that?

2006-10-28T16:34:00.000-05:00

The number one place on earth to really test your self control can be found just a couple of miles from my house. WalMart. You all know what I'm talking about. Most of the time, I go in with a list...this is what I need. This, and nothing more. I'm on a mission. I have to dodge several strategically placed obstacles along the way, tempting me to purchase a book here, a delicious holiday-decorated sugar cookie there, but most of the time my mission is successful. I make it out with what's on my list on not much more.

There are those times, however, where my will is not strong enough to resist the temptation. Like today, for instance. I went in with a list consisting of several run-of-the mill items. Milk, body wash, laundry detergent, paper towels, cereal, green beans, and a little Halloween candy for Tuesday. Simple, right? Not a chance.

I get to WalMart and park, and right away my vision is assaulted with the first challenge. Pumpkins. They've been there for weeks, and I have been strong for weeks! Today, though...Halloween candy on the brain...I think, "I need to do a little decorating for fall. I need a pumpkin!" So, I get one, choosing from the sad few that are left behind. Then, walking into WalMart, I am automatically tested again! "I can't just put a plain pumpkin on my front porch...I need flowers to go with it!" So, I get flowers. "Okay," I think. "Now to my list." I go to my list, and get everything on it, plus a few other small things. Then, my real challenge comes. Halloween candy. It is on the list, yes, but now how much I am to get. That is up to me. Dangerous. I walk down the aisle filled with bright orange, green, and black bags stuffed with candy of all kinds. I see a bag, Reese's...yes! I need those! Then I see M&Ms. It's just not Halloween without M&Ms! Bubble gum! That was my favorite thing to get when I used to trick-or-treat! On and on it went...a pitiful display of my lack of self-control. I ended up spending way too much money and getting WAAAAY too much candy. You think I would've learned from last year, when we had NOT ONE trick-or-treater and we had candy left for months. Nope. I got twice as much as last year! I'm so weak!

Sooo...if you and your family go trick-or-treating Tuesday night, be sure to stop by the James's. There's a good chance you AND your child will get an enormous handful of candy that will put other houses candy-giving to shame. Your children will love me. You will probably hate me. If you need directions, just ask!

Charades

2006-10-22T22:27:00.000-05:00

I played charades last night. It was SO much fun! I used to play all the time in college...that was one of the things my group of friends really liked to do. Sure, it may sound dorky, but don't knock it till you try it! A group of us were at Clayton and Mandy's the other night and Leslie suggested it, since she'd never played before. It was a great idea! I was surprised how many people had never played! We all made up things for the other team to act out. Some of the ones we acted out were "date" (that one was for the guys...they could NOT get it!), "The Little Mermaid" (that one was for the girls, and we got it in like, two seconds. We rock.), An Officer and a Gentleman (another guy one, and...can you guess...they didn't get it. It took some weird turns, "Sounds like Gentile..."), "Oops, I Did It Again", and "Pretty Woman". It was great fun. The girls definitely won. (Surprise, surprise!) Can't wait for the next round!

I'm back!

2006-10-19T18:05:00.000-05:00

At the urging of Taylor's dad, I am posting! It's been about a week and a half, I guess, since the last time I posted, so I'm overdue. Nothing much has been happening. Actually, a lot has been happening, but nothing out of the ordinary. School's still going strong, and I'm still enjoying this year.

So there's a lot coming up that I'm looking forward to. Taylor and I are going to OBU to see Tiger Tunes tomorrow night. We're meeing up with one of my friends from there to eat supper and then go to the show together. It'll be great fun. Then Saturday we're going over to Mandy (who is pregnant!!! Yeah!!!) and Clayton's house for a fun get-together. The first week in November I get to keep Josh for the first time since this summer! I haven't even seen him since Labor Day. That'll be fun!

I'm also excited because the holiday season is almost here! I know it's still a ways off, but I've been making plans with my fam about it, so it's on my mind. I love the holidays! I love getting together with family and having a good time. I get to see Rosie and Phillip on Thanksgiving. Then, the first weekend in Dec., my aunt, Taylor, and I are going to drive down to AL to see them. And then we get to see them AGAIN on Christmas!

Now I've posted. I'll try to do it again before another week and a half passes me by.

Days like today...

2006-10-07T15:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm back to being myself now. Actually, the being mad thing didn't last for very long. Being mad is just so exhausting. It's much easier to be in a good mood.

Speaking of a good mood, I'm in one today. I have kind of a long weekend...Friday I missed school. Okay, so it was for a workshop in LR, but I wasn't in class, so that's something. Although, most of the time I'd rather be in class than in a workshop. Monday I've got another workshop...this one in Monticello. So that's cool. Also, today is such a beautiful day! I love days like today...this is my favorite time of year. This and the spring. Any time where the days are sunny and bright and in the 70s. You can't help but be in a great mood on a day like today. And not only is the weather great, I'm not busy and rushed.

I stayed up later than I have in a very long time last night. Taylor and I stayed up until around 2 watching The Gilmore Girls. That was fun. And then we slept in till 11:30 this morning. That was also fun! I haven't been able to sleep in that long in AGES. I don't think Taylor enjoyes doing that as much as I do. He's more of a morning person. I'm more of a mid-morning person. We haven't done much today, which is a refreshing change from the usual. I've done about 4 loads of laundry so far and am working on more. Taylor's done the dishes and made us brunch. All in all, it's been a really laid-back and relaxing day. I needed this day.

I'm MAD!!!

2006-10-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

Yes. I am mad. You ever in one of those moods where you're just MAD? Well, I am tonight. All week long, I have been completely exhausted. Partly because of the nature of my profession, but it's partly my fault, too. Sunday night I stayed up way to late finishing a book (I was so close to the end!) and the I couldn't sleep because I was scared. Yeah, books scare me, sometime more than movies do. Have you ever seen The Sixth Sense? That's what this book was like, only worse, cause the images I saw were from my imagination and much worse than those in the movie. Anyway, I got about 4 or 5 hours of sleep Sunday night...a sorry comparison to my usual 8. Then, when I came home from work yesterday, I was exhausted again, and we had company. The company served to temporarily put me in a great mood (we had so much fun!) but after they all left, I was back in my slump. However, I did it again. Stayed up too late watching a TV show. Again 4-5 hours of sleep. Today I had parent visitation at school from 3-7, and when I got home I was looking forward to relaxing and doing nothing but watching a movie. I got home, changed into my most comfy pjs (which look terrible, but feel great...), and got ready to settle down for a good movie. I looked around for the laptop (yes, we watch movies on the laptop because we don't have cable or a working tv) and it wasn't there. IT WASN'T THERE! I then called my husband (who earlier today asked me to keep my phone on and close by during parent conferences just in case he needed to get in touch with me...). No answer. Called again a few minutes later. Again, no answer. I called for about 45 minutes, and NO ANSWER. By this time, I was pretty agitated. Finally, he picked up the phone. Told me that he'd left the laptop at the shop, which is understandable since I wasn't there to give him a ride to the bowling alley like I usually do. (He had to walk today...the fate of a one-car married couple...) So after getting off the phone with Taylor, I decided to just go the shop real quick and get the laptop. Stop in, get the computer, and then relax in my bed with my movie. Easy, right?! WRONG. I got here, got in (after jiggling the key a minute or so in the lock), picked up the computer, and walked out. Whole thing, about 35 seconds. Then, I tried to lock the door. No such luck. Again, tried to lock it. Nada. For FIFTEEN minutes, I stand on Main Street in front of the door of the shop in my grubby, old pjs trying to get my stupid key to lock the door. I can't just leave the door there unlocked at night. So what do I do? What am I doing right now? Sitting in the shop. By myself. At night. The shop which has been broken into before. Two nights after reading a really scary book. On the night I was supposed to be having a NICE, RELAXING EVENING AT HOME WATCHING A MOVIE!!!!! AHHHHHH! So now I'm waiting for Taylor to finish bowling (which, at my last check, will be about an hour from now...). Two police cars just raced by the shop with their sirens blaring. I really am not having the best time. I'll probably try again in another minute. I just had to stop and vent for a few minutes. I feel better now. Whew! Sorry to all who read this looking for a cheerful post! Maybe I'l be back to myself tomorrow night.

New Gadgets

2006-09-24T16:34:00.000-05:00

Today my yard looks better than it has in months. Taylor really pulled out all the stops and did a GREAT job on it! Now, Taylor has done a fair job in the past, but nothing like today. He's never had the excitement about it that he did today. There have been times when I've felt like a nagging wife when it comes to this issue. "Today looks like a good day to do the yard, huh Taylor?" Then a week later, "Will you please do the yard today, Taylor?" And yet another week later, "Taylor! Our yard looks TERRIBLE! You've GOT to mow!" Why the change today, then? Well, there's no mystery. He got a new yard gadget. Yesterday while I was at a workshop in Pine Bluff, my guy and Matt had a "man-breakfast". (Their term, not mine.) That's not all they did, though. After their meal, they went to Lowe's. I can just imagine the scene that unfolded.

They walk in, full from their hearty man-breakfast, chests puffed out with pride because, yes, they ARE men. They casually talk as they walk down the aisles, jokes being cracked here and there. Then, they both stop short. (Here, the camera slowly pans away from their face and up to the....ta-da!...Black and Decker Leaf Hog.)

The voices of angels sing and a light from heaven shines down upon this fine piece of manly equipment. They both walk toward it, and it's over. One of them is getting it today, and that's that.

So, being the wonderfully supportive and generous wife that I am, (and because Taylor's birthday is Friday and I hadn't gotten him a big gift yet) it was my husband's lucky day. He is now the proud owner of a new lawn gadget. Today, he used it like a pro. Drive by the house and check it out!

I Got Got

2006-09-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

So last night I checked my email and got one about these people who had all died from spider bites! The spiders, it turned out, had been living under the lids of toilet seats in restaraunts, planes, etc. I was horrified! So I quickly sent this email to all my dear friends and family.

Oops. Today I got two emails (both from members of Taylor's family, none from mine...this will be more relevant in a minute) telling me that this is a hoax! Come on, people! I've heard of these hoaxes, but I've never actually been the victim of one. (I'm actually surprised it took this long.) Why in the world would someone waste their time making up some elaborate story about a toilet rim-dwelling spider and send it out to the world? It's just silly.

Some of you may say that it's silly that I actually believed it. Well, if you think that, then you obviously don't know me very well. I am notoriously gullible, and I believe most everything that I hear. It's not the best quality, but I've been this way for years, and I have a feeling that it's incurable. I'm especially prone to be gullible in the area of health, because (here's where the family thing comes in) my mother raised me to be very paranoid about health issues! Sorry, Mom, that I'm pinning this on you. It's not like she forced me to believe these things, but she is paranoid, and I am gradually discovering that I am becoming my mother. This is just one more piece of evidence to back up that fact.

So, now I'm way embarrassed...I never like for people to know how terribly gullible I really am. I guess I'll get over it. Worse things have happened. I apologize to anyone who got that forward from me. It's all a lie! It's terrible...I think I may never forward another email again. The world will probably be a better place because of it.

It's happening...

2006-09-07T19:53:00.000-05:00

Every year...well, last year...every illness my students got, I got. I was hoping that this year I would miraculously be immune to all the adolescent germs and not get sick. Ah, how naive of me. It's beginning this week. I've had a total of 7 kids out over the past 4 days sick with the same thing. They all complain in the beginning of having a headache. What have I had ALL day? A headache. Not just any headache, either. This one is a whopper. It's escalated in intensity throughout the day today. Right now my head is pounding. I hope I only get the headache part of this and not what followed for my kids!

On to better news...Taylor and I spent Labor Day weekend in Kansas with his family. We had a blast! We rode up there with his brother and sister-in-law...and their baby, Eli! Eli is about 9 months old and SO cute! He's got one tooth and is just beginning to stand up by himself without holding on to anything. He'll be walking before we know it! Taylor and I had a great time visiting with everyone up there. I can't wait till we go back next year!

A positive note to leave on...my second year teaching continues to be WAY better than my first! One thing that's better about the second year...I know people! My students from last year come back all the time to see me, and it makes me feel good! Last year, nobody came to see me, and it was kinda sad. But not this year! It's fun to see my old students again...and thank God that that've moved on to another grade. ;)

MySpace

2006-09-03T10:20:00.000-05:00

I have a myspace account now. I caved and got one just so I could see someone else's. I figures I should at least make it look good and put stuff on there. You can go see it at www.myspace.com/tayleejames. Hope everybody's having a great Labor Day weekend!

It's calling my name!

2006-08-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

What is, you might ask? My bed. That's what. I LOVE MY BED, and I dare say that it loves me, too. Yes, people, I do. I think I say it every night when I crawl under the microsuede comforter in between the super-soft sheets and lay my head on my perfectly-soft-but-not-too-poofy pillow. Ah. It's got to be one of my favorite places in the world. I could stay in bed all day if I had the chance, only getting up occassionally for sustanance and to use the bathroom. (I've done this before.) So, why am I not in my bed now? Why am I not answering the call? I have the wonderfully portable laptop, and I just got home so Taylor's not here. Why am I not enjoying my favorite place in the world? Because, I'm afraid if I were to lay my head on my pillow for a split second this afternoon, I'd be gone for the night. I AM EXHAUSTED!

I'd forgotton until about a week ago how much teaching takes out of me. I feel like I've run a marathon today! Ooh, you know what would be a good experiment? I need to get a pedometer and wear it one day while I'm teaching to see how many miles I walk in a day. Hmm....maybe I'll do that. I bet it's a bunch. ;) All you in the teaching profession know what I'm talking about! I sat at my desk once during my lunch break and after school today AND THAT'S IT! Whew!

You can probably tell that my mind is mush right now because I'm just babbling. I don't know why I felt the need to blog in my current state, but I just thought it would be nice to update for all of you folks who haven't given up on me yet. Hopefully my body will get used to this teaching thing before too long and I'll be able to get back to my normal blog routine. Until then, bear with me, please!

Favorite Moments...

2006-08-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

from my first week of school.

~I had duty Monday morning and was talking to a group of kids outside. One of my students (whom I'd met at open-house the week before) walked right up to me and stood there for a minute. Then he looked at me and said, "You look like you're a nice teacher," and smiled. What a sweetheart!

~When we were sharing things about ourselves, one of my kids told me his nickname is Bacon. "Cause I got so dark this summer." Huh??? This kid is a trip! But so funny!

~We do a Bell Ringer after the kids come in from lunch...something for them to work on right when they come in so they don't wreak havoc before the tardy bell rings. I had previously called it "Bell Work", but this period I called it a Bell Ringer. One of my girls said, "Huh? What's that?" After I told her, she gave me this funny look and said, "6th grade teachers sure do have some odd vocabulary, Mrs. James."

~Yesterday while having a discussion about whether or not newspapers have become obselete in our internet/radio/tv-infused society (to my students, this reads, "should we read newspapers or not?") one of my kids (the Bacon one) said, very seriously, "Well, I'm not trying to be funny or anything, but they come in handy when you're on the throne. I mean, sometimes you get bored."

~ Today we were doing a map activity. I was giving the kids instructions orally, only saying each instruction ONCE, (this was SO hard for some of them!) and they had to place the things where I told them to on the map. Ex: Draw a river from the north end of the paper to the south end. Draw a tree east of the river. Draw a school north of the tree and west of the river. Etc... Anyway, my last instruction was for them to draw Mrs. James anywhere on the map. Oh, man! Did I get some laughs out of this one. Here is where I showed up...hanging from a tree in a tire swing, lounging in the hot tub in the house, laying out tanning on a boat in the river, in the fish's mouth, and many more! What a sense of humor these kids have!

~ This morning I had my kids write a response to something I'd read aloud to them. I asked for half a page and was walking around observing while they were writing. This one kid (Whom people have told me was a terror last year...cussed out his teacher, etc) hadn't written ANYTHING, and about the 4th time I walked by him, I tried to get him thinking of what to write and said, "When I walk back over here, I want you to have at least one sentence, okay?" Well, I walked over, and he had 1/2 a sentence. Instead of getting on to him, I decided, hey, I'll encourage the kid. So I said, "You're almost there! That's a great start!" The next time I walked back, he had a few sentences! Again, I encouraged him. "You're almost at a half a page! Great!" Finally, he reached his goal. He raised his hand to call me over to look at it. I read it and told him great job, he was done now. He looked at me, smiling, and said, "Can I write some more?"

This has been a great week!

Update!

2006-08-15T19:55:00.000-05:00

Praise God! Apparently all the prayers have worked, cause even though I have had SOOO much to do this week (and, by the way, still have quite a bit left to do), I have had the most incredibly positive attitude about it! It's awesome.

So, if anybody cares to know, the second year of teaching is already about 1.5 million times better than the first year for me. Not that I had a bad first year, but it's the FIRST year. The first year in any job is a little stressful, right? New people, new policies to learn, etc. All that equals stress. This year, I'm much less nervous. I'm actually excited about getting back to school! (I SAID I was excited last year, but I lied. Really I wasn't at all. I was just a big bundle of nerves.) SO, this year is better.

I apologize for putting my blog on the back burner this week. I have been really busy at the school. It's almost 8:00, and I just got home. But I got a lot done on my room today.

I'm excited about school. Yes. But I miss summer already!!! I miss being able to blog whenever I want to. I miss hanging out with friends during the day. I miss watching movies and sleeping late! Summer's great! I guess I can look forward to next summer! (Which, by the way, I have already begun making plans for. I'm going to take the long journey to White Hall and spend gobbs of time with the Parkers and their new baby! Suzanne warned me that I'd be washing sippy cups the whole time I was there, but they're worth it!)

All the time I have for now. I've got to do the dishes and eat supper. Until next time...keep praying!

Panic Attack #1

2006-08-09T06:26:00.000-05:00

It's 6:22, and I've been up since 4:15. Around 5:30, I gave up trying to get back to sleep and got on the computer. I've got a workshop at school this morning, so my alarm will sound in approximately 8 minutes to start my day.

So, I had the before-school panic attack about an hour ago. I had several of these last year, but this was the first one so far this year. I lay in bed, just thinking of all the things I should've been doing to prepare for school, and, am I crazy to have waited this long to plan the first day, and, there's no way that I'm going to get all this stuff done before next Monday, and, I have no idea how to hook my AverKey up to my computer, and, I got SO many ideas of stuff to do at wkshops this summer...I just need to process it all and actually use it, and, I need to get my bulletin boards up - why did I wait this long to do that? And... WOW. Then I took a deep breath and thought, I can do this. I did it last year. I was even LESS prepared last year than I am this year, and I got though it fine.

I hate the pre-school panic attacks. I'm sure I'll have a couple more before school starts back up. Pray that God will give me peace and confidence!

The Andrews Family Reunion...in Numbers

2006-08-07T18:11:00.000-05:00

about 40.....people attended.
about 30.....people I'd never met before.
1...nap I took on Saturday.
1...baby! Eli - he's so cute! He's on the verge of crawling!
2...babies-to-be. One of the relatives was pregnant with twins!
25 billion....calories I ingested over the weekend.
5...times Taylor and I almost got into a fight in the kitchen. (He was in charge, and I have problems with authority...)
1...great jazz quartet performance
15...times Taylor was complimented on breakfast! He did a GREAT job!
1...thing we left in our kitchen at home...the sink. We packed everything else.
4...games of RA I played. RA is a card game that Taylor's bro taught me...really fun!
14...hours of sleep I got from Thursday night to Sunday. (about 4 hours each night and a 2 hr. nap)
1...family fashion show
14...dozen eggs eaten for breakfast over the weekend!
1...wedding reenactment for the wedding anniversary of one of the couples. No planning, and it went off without a "hitch"!
75....pounds of flour Taylor bought at Sam's before the trip. Yes, we've got a little left over. ;)
2...things we forgot to bring. Sugar and napkins.
10...hours we drove total there and back. Not too bad.
0...times we got lost! Taylor's GPS is growing on me...it really helped us get there.
15...seconds I stood in the FREEZING cold river before I had to step onto a rock to get out of the water.
3...pugs. Those puppies were so cute!
10,000....times I laughed. Taylor's family is great!
3...years I have to wait until the next one.

OK Go

2006-08-02T23:28:00.000-05:00

Ok. Quick sidenote to the previous post. Apparently this group of guys dancing on the treadmills is a real band. OK Go. I thought they were just some random guys. Who knew? (Probably everyone but me...that's what I get for not having cable.) Anyway, I like their music...the two songs that I've heard, anyway. They have several videos on youtube and they even have a blog on blogspot. What a small world, huh? (Can you tell that I still can't sleep tonight?)

Something Silly

2006-08-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

So it's about 10:50 and my hubbie is sleeping. What am I doing? Watching videos on youtube. I found this one, and I think it's pretty funny. For some reason, I'm reminded of Napolean Dynamite.

Treadmill Dance

Maybe we should start a treadmill dancing team in Monticello. Whaddya say?

I'm melting, I'm melting!

2006-08-02T00:08:00.000-05:00

These famous words were screeched by none other than the Wicked Witch of the West as she was melting away into oblivion. You remember? (Can't you just hear her voice in your head?) I feel that if my summer vacation could talk, (ah, if only...) it would utter these same words of defeat. It's getting smaller and smaller by the minute! Last week I had two more weeks left...and many of the days were going to be free days - nothing to do but enjoy my rapidly disappearing summer. But, alas, this was not to be. Suzi called me last weekend and asked if I could keep Josh again Monday and Tuesday of this week. Of course, I said yes, but now my free days this week are gone! Oh, the horror!

I really did enjoy keeping Josh, though. I won't bore you with the details of all that happened this weekend. I'll just mention two new things that Josh is doing. First, he's got a new dance step: the moonwalk! (Okay, he doesn't do it when he dances, and it's really just walking backwards, but moonwalking sounds funny, right?) He always gets this silly grin on his face when he does it. He'll start in one place and take tiny, fast steps backwards. Then, he'll run back up and do it over again! Hilarious! Also, he's started this thing where he'll crawl on the floor with his forehead down on the carpet. He just crawls toward the couch or the wall or something, dragging his head facedown on the carpet until his head hits whatever it is he's headed for. Then he bursts out laughing! That kid is a trip!

It's late, so I'm going to stop now. In the words of Josh, "night-night bye-bye!"

FINALLY!!!!

2006-07-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

Rosie and Phillip are back! YEAH!!!! 'Nuff said. ;)

Another Crazy One

2006-07-28T10:32:00.000-05:00

Last night I had another crazy dream. I'd love anyone's interpretation!

I was at a teacher conference. (No surprise that this was the setting, since it was my LIFE last week.) Lot of people were there with me - friends from high school and college. The only ones who happened to be teachers in real life were Amanda G. and my roommate from college, Audra. Lindy was also there, as well as some lady I met in my workshops last week (I don't even know her name!) and a guy from high school who I never even THOUGHT about dating. (This will make sense in a minute.)

So, we were all there in this conference. There were hundreds of other people there. I don't know why, but I agreed to babysit for Gracie on this day, so she was there with me. We sat through a morning of workshops and then proceeded to lunch at the Subway across the street. (I ate supper at Subway last night! Isn't it funny how little nothing-details creep into your dreams like that?) We sat down to eat (I ordered a 6-in. tuna sub on wheat), and this guy from high school starts rubbing my knee under the table! WEIRD! I was thinking, "Okay, this guys KNOWS I'm married, WHAT is he DOING?" So I left Subway with Grace to get in line for the next workshop. Which, by the way, we had to get tickets for. I got in front of the building where the conference was, and I saw this mob of women running for the ticket booth! I wanted to beat the crowd, so I LEFT GRACE WAITING IN THE PARKING LOT while I ran for the tickets. (I woke up thinking, WHAT?!?! But in my dream it seemed like not a big deal.) I barely beat the stampeding women and got my tickets. I made my way back to Grace, and there she was, napping. I picked her up and we went inside.

Isn't that crazy? The things that go on in my mind...

Josh is workin' on the railroad...

2006-07-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

Just a warning. This WHOLE post is going to be about Josh. I am going to shamelessly gush about how much I love him, how cute he is, and how he's basically the best baby on the planet. If none of this interests you, just mosey on along. ;)

I kept the Josh-man today. I felt like I was the one working on the railroad! Whew! I love that little man, but he can suck the energy right out of me! We had a great time today! He had just received his 1 yr. shots yesterday (4 of them! Poor Josh!) and the first things I noticed this morning were the brightly-colored bandaids on his legs. None of them lasted to the end of the day...they all were pried off one-by-one by little fingers. Josh's personality has really started coming out, and it is so amazing to see!

Some observations about Josh from today:

1) Josh is basically a happy kid. He doesn't fuss unless he's sleepy, hungry, or dirty. Or wanting some toy or something that he can't reach.

2) He's getting really sweet! Josh has only previously hugged me once in his 13 months of existance, and today he hugged me 4 times! Just out of the blue! Man, let me tell you, my heart melted. It's melting now, just thinking about it! He'll also hug other things like his toys (especially the giant pooh bear in his room!) and Mattie, the dog. (That situation about to get a little dicey, I'm afraid.)

3) He's an independent little sucker! Honestly, I think he'd be content playing in his room alone. Of course, I didn't let him do that, but I think he would! Most the time, he can just entertain himself!

4) He can do some serious chowing down. He ate so much today! I just love the way his belly pooches out after a meal. So funny!

5) He loves books. Being read to, flipping the pages, etc. It's wonderful to see, especially for me - an avid reader! My Josh is a genius! (haha!) That's one of my favorite things to do with hiim - read to him. He loves it, and I love it! And it is SOOO good for kids to hear fluent readers read to them. Just hearing it makes such a difference! (had to say that...the teacher in me.)

6) He loves looking at pictures of his family. Suzi has three albums full of pictures that Josh looks through all the time. He'll sit in my lap for 15 minutes...or more!... looking at those pictures. I'll say, "Josh, where's Aunt Lee?" Or, "Where's Mommy?" and he points to whoever I'm talking about. He LOVES it. And he loves flipping the pages back and forth. Sometimes he'll get to doing it really fast and furious - it's so funny!

7) Josh loves music! If a song he likes comes on or I sing to him, he'll dance. (One of his favorites is "Josh is workin' on the railroad, all the live-long day..." We sing lot of songs to him, and we put his name in all of them. (One of my friends says we're raising an ego-maniac, but I don't think so!) He has a variation of dances that he likes doing: the bounce, the sway, the sway-with-headbang, and the butt-in-the-air bounce + sway. I think he may have a promising future in choreography. He's also begun to echo me singing. I'll sing some tune to him, "la la la," and he'll sing it back! Maybe not EXACTLY the same, but pretty dang close!

8) He HATES having his diaper changed. He really freaks out. He gets so mad - with the red face and the I'm-so-mad-at-you cry. I hate to do it, too, Josh, but it's gotta be done!

9) He loves to be outside. It sprinkled all day today, but we still went out and stood under the awning for a little while. He was amazed with the bricks on the house. I love how little things amaze him!

I guess I'll stop for now. I could go on forever! Hope I haven't sickened too many people with my sugary-sweet post. Deal with it! :)

Name Games

2006-07-25T23:41:00.000-05:00

Stole this from Brittany's blog. Just thought it'd be fun!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet and current street name)
Smokey Shelton
(Now, I really like this one. I am definitely a "Smokey.")

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your dad's side, your favorite candy:
Joyce Butterfinger
(What kind of movie star would have a name like that? I'll tell you what kind. The kind that changes their name once they get famous.)

3. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your middle name)
L. Ann
(Umm...I'd say my "fly" name is a flop.)

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Red Cat
(Yes! I feel like a detective already. "Ready to commence secret operation, Red Cat. It's a go.")

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Ann Warren
(Pretty believable...I can imagine an Ann Warren on a soap opera.)

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden name and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in.)
Jamlesiwar
(That's just strange. I don't think I'd be a good Star Wars character, anyway.)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, favorite drink)
The Red Diet Dr. Pepper
(It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's "The Red Diet Dr. Pepper!" HUH?????? That's just ridiculous.)

I encourage others to do this name thing. I'm interested to see if everyone's names turn out as silly as mine.

(Oh, side note. Betsy's shower was great tonight! She got so much good stuff, and I really think that she had a good time! Yeah!)

BOOORRRING!

2006-07-25T15:12:00.000-05:00

MAN. Sometimes teacher stuff can be so BORING! I've been in workshops today and yesterday (and will be tomorrow). I went to the first part of this workshop last year and loved it! This year however, is all about assessing reading levels and such. I know it's necessary, but it's so boring hearing someone talk about tests for 6 HOURS A DAY. I've got the idea, already! We've looked at 4 different types of assessments over the past two days, and they're all pretty much the same with a few differences. I'm not really looking forward to tomorrow, but I'll pull through!

Let's see if I can pull some positive things out of this! First, it's been fun to see my teacher pals once again. Also, I've been able to eat out for lunch these past two days, so that's fun. And I guess I've learned something, too.

Tonight is Betsy's baby shower! I'm so excited! I'm ready to see what everybody got her. Yesterday Suzanne and I wrapped the gifts we picked up from everyone's donations. We got her some good stuff! Also, yesterday, I made "the punch." It's not really punch, though. I just made some lemonade and stuck strawberries in it. I hope it's good! I've made it one time before (for Rosie and Phillip's shower), and it was really good! Let me know if you guys at the shower like it. (I SAY let me know, but really just tell me that you liked it. Humor me!)

I'm going to rest now for a little bit before I go help Suzi P. set up for the shower. Adios!

For Jerry (again...and everyone else, too)

2006-07-24T17:31:00.000-05:00

Why, yes, Jerry. I would love to list the lists that I love! Glad that you mentioned it!

Here is a list of the lists that I have made in the past week.

1. shopping list (on the last one was paint and several food items)

2. a list of baby items that Betsy needs

3. a list of baby items bought for Betsy

4. a list of things that take away my joy (joy-busters)

5. a list of things that give me joy!

6. a list of things the women in our Bible study can do to combat joy-busters

7. a list of scriptures that I read and liked

8. a list of things I need to do before school starts again

9. a list of workshops that I have registered for in the coming year

10. This list!

Okay. Quick confession time. Most of the lists I make on a daily basis are in my head. Everybody does that, right? I just like to get my thoughts organized. When I have lots of lists in my head, then I transfer them to paper. All of the lists on this lists are actual paper lists, though. To be honest, I may be tiring of the list thing for now. I think the list thing, like the crazy dream thing, may make occassional surprise appearances on the blog, but won't be a constant feature. Sorry to any who were excited about my new list theme! (Yeah, right. Like anyone was excited about THAT.)

(Just a little bit of trivia...
# of times I used the word "list" in this blog: 23!)

Randomnocity becomes me

2006-07-23T14:31:00.000-05:00

Here are some random things about me (or random things that I happen to be thinking now...)

- I like words. I especially like making up words, like "randomnocity."

- I've played Scrabble twice in the past week and have not won either time! (But I haven't lost either!!!)

- My mom, dad, sister (Suzi), and nephew are comeing to my house today...SUPPOSEDLY. We ate lunch with them and they said they were coming. It's been a whole hour since we left! I think they're pulling my leg.

- I've heard a rumor that Rosie and Phillip will once again be posting on July 30! (Actually, it's not much of a rumor since it came straight from the horse's mouth. Phillip said so (on a comment on his blog)!

- I hate banana-flavored things, but I love bananas and banana bread. Go figure.

- I told you I was a list person! Maybe I'll turn my blog into a list blog. Every post will be a list about something. Doubtful.

- I'm in a silly mood. I'm bored and tired and waiting. Thus, silly.

- Things I want to do this week:
- finish touching up my paint job in the previously bright orange bathroom
that went amuk (the paint job went amuk, not the bathroom)
- go shopping for school supplies at Staples in PB
- Go back to my room and unpack boxes of books, etc
- finish reading a book

(Wow! A list within a list!)

- I'm done now. I'm going to call mom and see where they be!

100 Things About Me

2006-07-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

1. I am 23 years old.
2. My birthday is 2 days after Christmas...what a rip off! I always get fewer presents and a joint Christmas/Birthday party.
3. I have been married 1 year and almost 1 month.
4. I am the middle child.
5. I have 2 sisters.
6. Both of my sisters are married; one has a son. (Josh!)
7. I am a teacher, about to start my second year teaching 6th grade.
8. I graduated 4th in my class from Warren High School.
9. I made a 30 on my ACT.
10. I went to college at UCA for one semester, then transferred to OBU.
11. I graduated in 4 years (BARELY!!!)
12. My first roommate at OBU and I were best friends in kindergarden.
13. I love reading.
14. This summer I have read at least 15 books.
15. I love watching movies.
16. The last movie I saw in the theater was Superman Returns.
17. I love babies, but I don't want to have one yet!
18. In my close circle of friends, Taylor and I are the only couple without children. (Besides Rosie and Phillip, but they don't live here anymore...)
19. My words of wisdom for today...NEVER paint a room bright orange. Just trust me.
20. I have a kitty named Banjo.
21. I love glazed donuts, not ANY other kind.
22. I didn't like coffee until I started going out with Taylor.
23. Like Brittany, I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies.
24. Unlike Brittany, I would love to see them all!
25. One of my goals for this summer was to have a Star Wars marathon...I'd better get on it!
26. I am a list person.
27. I made a list of my goals for this summer (I know...I'm a nerd), and I have accomplished all except for #25 and one other one (make another quilt...or at least sew SOMETHING)!
28. My husband is an AMAZING cook.
29. I am not. I can cook, but nowhere near as well as Taylor can.
30. I have had diabetes for almost 12 years.
31. Taylor and I dated almost 3 years before we got married.
32. I only had 1 boyfriend before Taylor, and we dated 2 years.
33. I had a crush on another guy when I met Taylor.
34. Taylor and I had never lived in the same town when we got married.
35. One of my pet peaves is when people try to sing the words to songs they don't know. Learn the song FIRST, THEN sing.
36. I don't know how to sew, but I made a quilt last summer.
37. I painted my bathroom today, and it ended up a disaster.
38. I do not like tea...sweet, unsweet, hot, iced...none of it!
39. I love tomatoes! I can eat one like an apple. With salt.
40. I lose my keys or lock them in my car very frequently.
41. I was born in Warren and lived there until I moved to Conway for college.
42. I've never been out of the country, but I would LOVE to go!
43. Taylor and I went to Maine on our honeymoon.
44. I have been to New York City 3 times. It's okay, but I have no desire to live there.
45. Places I would love to visit: Montana (Taylor says it's gorgeous!), San Antonio, St. Louis, Yellowstone, The Mempis Zoo, The Pacific Ocean, Seattle (again, Taylor's recommendation), Niagara Falls.
46. I HATE crunchy bugs! Water bugs and cicadas are the WORST!!!
47. I have driven 5 cars in my life: A Buick LaSabre, a Pontiac Grand Am (and OLD one), a Pontiac Bonneville, a Toyota Corolla, and now a Toyota Camry.
48. I do NOT have a good driving record.
49. I got my first ticket the first month I had my driver's license.
50. I have gotten 12 tickets in my 7 years of driving.
52. I have had two wrecks where I totalled my car...the Buick in high school, and my Corolla in college.
53. I have had MANY "fender bender" accidents...none with other vehicles, though. I've run over a bicycle in my front yard, hit my mailbox, hit a sign on our road, hydroplaned on the interstate in Bryant...it's amazing that I'm still alive.
54. My bad driving started when I was about 10. The first time I drove the riding lawn-mower, I ran over Mom's rose bush and hit the house.
55. Since my last wreck (a year and a half ago) I have not gotten a ticket or had a wreck!!! I've turned over a new leaf!
56. My favorite childhood book is The Pokey Little Puppy.
57. I used to play school with Rose Anne when we were little...I liked being the teacher, but it didn't always work out that way.
58. The first C I ever got was in college...I thought I was going to die. But then I came to my senses and got over it!
59. My first semester at college I overslept for a final. This was the professor who said, "If you're even 5 minutes late for my class, don't bother coming in." I woke up at 8:05, and the final started at 8. I lived off campus, so I had to wake up my roommate and have her drive me in the rain to school, then I had to run across the expansive lawn IN THE RAIN. I was crying and begged my professor, as quietly as I could with the WHOLE class watching, to let me take the final. He did. It was one of the worst moments in my life.
60. I love flying. I've flown about 5 times in my lifetime.
61. The only thing I DON'T like about flying...turbulence. It freaks me out!
62. My favorite place in the world - my bed, under the covers, with something to read.
63. In our first year of marriage, Taylor and I bought a house, a refrigerator, a stove, a washer, a dryer, and a car. Whew!
64. I had a dream one time that I ran my car off a cliff into water. I was down in the water for a long time, but then I saw a lion who told me it was going to be okay. I was pulled out of the water nine days later, alive. What a dream!
65. I DO NOT like confrontation.
66. Like Mandy, I am a night owl. This is not good when I have to get up for school at 6 a.m.!
67. I don't like being cold.
68. I always bring a jacket to the movies.
69. I always (if I can remember) bring a blanket in the car if Taylor (or any member of his family) is with me.
70. I am very picky about my pillow. It can't be too soft or too poofy.
71. My favorite kind of food is seafood (I love Red Lobster!) closely followed by Chinese.
72. My drink - Sonic Diet Cherry Coke.
73. My husband is SO not the person I pictured myself marrying, but he's better!
74. When my older sister first saw Taylor, she thought he was a weirdo. (It was the hair...) She thought I'd gone out of my mind!
75. Pretty much my whole family thought that, UNTIL they spent about 5 minutes with Taylor. Then they LOVED him!
76. I am very close to my extended family on both sides...aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc.
77. I took one summer class at UAM and HATED it.
78. I wasn't very popular in high school. The popular people liked me, but they never invited me to anything. (Probably because they knew I wouldn't come!)
79. I am not a party person. I'd rather be at home with a book or watching TV than out.
80. I won the spelling bee in the 5th grade.
81. When I was a junior in high school, I was in a beauty pageant...and won. I was Southeast AR Jr. Miss.(BIG surprise to me!)
82. I went to the next level (AR Jr. Miss) and lost miserably.
83. In high school I was in a singing group - we competed at the state fair and lost. (I was so glad!)
84. I was also in a band - Free Food. I was the lead singer...SO not like me! I still can't believe I did that. It was fun though.
85. I knew my sister's (Rosie's) husband before she did.
86. When Rosie started going to school at UAM, Phillip (jokingly) told me he was going to date her. I was like, "OKAY!!!"
87. I secretly knew they would get married all along.
88. I am in love with another man besides my husband...Josh, my nephew! He's adorable!
89. I've never played organized sports.
90. The only "team" I've been on is choir and quiz bowl.
91. The only time I had a really bad relationship with my parents was in high school...I'd made a habit of coming home real late (past curfew) from dates and they DID NOT like that.
92. I have worked as a babysitter, a tomato packer, a receptionist, and a deputy circuit clerk in the court house. Oh, and a teacher.
93. I love figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics.
94. When I was in elementary school, a snake stuck it's head out of hole at the end of our driveway and smiled at me. Really!!! (My dad didn't believe me either.) It FREAKED me out!
95. I am not typing this at my own house.
96. I used to take piano lessons, but I haven't played in years.
97. I have worn glasses/contacts since the 5th grade.
98. I like fried green tomatoes.
99. I almost had a nervous breakdown planning my wedding. I am NEVER having another one!
100. I am SOOOO glad I'm done typing this list!

I tag Taylor and Rosie!!!

Myrtle Mania

2006-07-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

This is the first of two posts I'm going to make today. So, did everyone see that Myrtle commented about my story? That's one talented turtle. She got on the plane and is now safe and happy in NJ!

The Incredible Adventures of Myrtle (the Turtle)

2006-07-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

There once lived a turtle. Her name was Myrtle, and she lived in a pet store on Longleaf Street. She lived a pretty good life for a turtle...she was given a nice big tub of water to swim in, rocks to climb upon and sun herself on warm days, and plenty of friends that lived close by. "This is a pretty good life for a turtle," Myrtle thought. However, Myrtle always wondered if there were something more to life beyond the tub of water that she called home. One fateful day, she got her answer.

This day began like any other. She woke up early, ate a wonderful breakfast, and then spent the rest of the day relaxing, alternating between eating and sunning herself on the rocks in her tub. She saw several people come in and out of the pet store. Some of them glanced over at her, but none did more than glance.

The day was over...the owners of the store were closing up shop, when a young couple entered the store. Myrtle eyed these two curiously. One, a woman, with brown hair and a pretty smile. The other, a man, with curly hair and kind eyes. They walked over to her tub, ("Probably just to look at me and pass by," thought Myrtle). All of a sudden, a hand came out of the air, picked her up, and placed her in a cardboard box! What was happening? Was this the end? Was she being taken to her doom? She heard the owner of the store talking to this couple, telling them what she ate and that she liked to swim and occasionally sun herself on rocks. She heard the couple talk of a little girl from New Jersey and an airplane. Then she was placed on the floor of some moving thing, and all was still for a while.

She woke as someone picked up her box. "This is it," she thought. She prepared herself for her demise. The box opened, and Myrtle glanced up and out from her shell. She looked up into the face of a beautiful little girl with dark hair. The little girl smiled. She called Myrtle's name. "How did she know my name?" Myrtle asked herself. Suddenly, she wasn't scared anymore. She somehow knew that this little girl was going to take care of her, love her, feed her, let her rest on the warm rocks. She realized that there IS more to life than her big tub of water at the pet store. She decided then and there that she was ready for whatever might happen next.

(Based on a true story! Taylor and I went yesterday to pick up a turtle for Ella, one of the little girls Taylor's mom nannies for in New Jersey. Ella wanted a turtle, but it's illegal to buy or sell then in NJ. Taylor's mom looked other places close by, and she found turtles. But they were $80! She then decided to look for one when she came to AR with Ella. We did look for one, on the roads, at the park...but to no avail. Finally, on our way to Little Rock yesterday to see Taylor's mom and Ella one last time before their flight this morning, we got a call. There was a pet store in Pine Bluff with a turtle for $7! Thus began the Great Turtle Adventure. We raced there, and fortunately, the proprietor of this shop stayed open 45 minutes late for us. We bought the turtle and transported her to Little Rock to Ella. Ella was ecstatic! It was a great night. I just wanted to be silly and write a story from Myrtle's perspective!)

Time for a new trick!

2006-07-13T23:36:00.000-05:00

Everyone who knows me and Taylor know that we love our cat. His name is Banjo, and he's the best cat in the world. Before I get to the actual point of this post (yes, there is one) let me fill you in on how Banjo came to be our kitty. Taylor and I had just gotten married, and we were living in duplex downtown. Taylor walked to work then. (as he still does...we're one car-ing it, and Taylor is sweet enough to let me use the car during the day. Good thing we live less than a mile from JQP!) One day walking home on his lunch break, Taylor heard the pitiful, heart-wrenching cry of a kitten! Under a car! He came home and told me about it, and I was concerned, of course! I didn't really want a pet, but a tale of an abandoned kitten in the hot summer with no food or drink is too much to ignore! We immediately got a bowl of milk and drove to where Taylor had heard the kitten. We saw him under a bush in front of a building (on a busy street...everyone and their brother saw us, I think.) We got out and crouched down next to the bushes he was hiding in. He drank the milk, but wouldn't let us get close to him. He got scared and ran away, so we had to give up. Anyway, later that evening, Taylor and I decided to go for a walk. We walked past where we had seen the kitty earlier, and we saw him! Skin and bones, no bigger than one of Taylor's tennis shoes. He was so sweet!!! We raced back home for a bowl of milk and back to Banjo. He lapped it up, and again we tried to get close enough to pick him up, but he was so scared he ran away every time we got close. After about an hour, we gave up. We were walking back home and I turned around to say something to Taylor, and I saw the kitten! He was following us, meowing like crazy! He followed us all the way home! It took us about another hour to actually get him in the house, but we succeeded. And Banjo has been part of the family ever since.

Banjo is all grown up now (actually, he's still kinda small, but we don't talk about it. He's a little sensitive), and he can do all kinds of tricks! Like climb on top of the door for a treat and fetch. Yep. He's pretty talented. However, I think it's time to teach our wonderful kitty a new trick. When I saw this video on youtube, my mind was made up. Banjo, you'd better get ready for some training, boy! I'm going to have you talking in no time!

"Banjo's Future Trick"

I am ready!

2006-07-11T22:26:00.000-05:00

I'm baaaack! Yes, my peeps, I have been absent from the blogging world for quite some time now. But now I'm back, and I have a lot to write about. I've been gone for a long time, not just from blogging, but from home also. Here are the things I've been away doing.

Last Wednesday-Friday: I was in Conway keeping Josh! Rose Anne helped me, and we had a blast. It was much easier watching him with Rosie than by myself! We had a really great time. Josh was so fun! Walking...almost running now, all over the house! I had a great time with Josh, as well as with Rosie and Suzi (and I guess Tommy, too...) ;) Rose and I went to see a movie (The Devil Wears Prada...really good!) and shopping. I had a great time seeing her. It's been a long time since we just got to hang out together.

Saturday: I was in Russellville with the whole fam for Josh's 1st birthday party. It was SO much fun! We had it at my aunt's house, and we ate, swam, played beach volleyball...all kinds of fun stuff! I wish Josh had more than one birthday a year...that was a great bash! Congrats to Suzi for planning the party of the year!

Sunday: Back home for a brief time. Sunday morning I kept the babies at church - Gracie (for a short time...darn Suzanne for loving her girl so much and taking her from me!!!) and Tyler (that kid is so cute! So happy!) Right after church, Tay and I ate Fortune Cookie food at the Journey Center with Lindy, Amanda, Jeff & Caroline and their kids, and T.J. That was fun. (and the food was really good!) After that, I was on my way to the Smart Conference in Little Rock!

That's where I've been since Sunday night. I really enjoyed it! I got to know some of the high school teachers that I haven't gotten to meet much before, and I got to talk to my principal and colleagues. We also got to eat out at great places...Shoguns and Cajun's Wharf. I've never eaten at either of those places before, but now I'm hooked!

The conference was REALLY good. I got some great ideas to use in the next school year (which starts soon, by the way), and I really got encouraged and prepped for this year. My favorite part was listening to the speaker we had for the closing today. I can't remember her name...something Monroe. She's been a teacher and a principal in Harlem and all over, and she's famous for her work and success with low-achieving and at-risk students. She really inspired me and I am so ready to get back to school now! The amazing thing to me about this woman was her obvious relationship with Christ. I suspect that has a lot to do with her success as a teacher, administrator, and now international consultant for schools. She kept saying, "Don't forget...This is HOLY work!" Amen! I felt like I was in church with this lady! She talked a lot about how teaching is a calling for us. God places us in the lives of our students; he picks the students for us. EVERY kid we have in our class is there because God wants us to impact that child. I can't remember half of the amazing things she said, and I've probably butchered the quotes I've already used, but it was just a great reminder that she's right! I have been called by GOD to do this work, it's no accident that I had Tre'na or Ashley Jo or Nick in my class last year. The kids who will be in my class this year are no accident! God has a purpose for them and me, and I am doing his work by loving and hopefully inspiring these children. One thing that Dr. Monroe said that really stuck with me was that our goal as a teacher is not only to assess and evaluate and guide, but to SERVE. Not ONLY to serve, but to make sure that we inspire the kids we encounter to SERVE OTHERS! I've never thought about that as being one of my goals as a teacher, but it is! Man! It's great to get these little boosts and encouraging moments every once in while. I feel ready for school now!

Later!

Just for Jerry

2006-07-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

I flitted!

(taken frim dictionary.com)...

flit ( P ) Pronunciation Key (flt)
intr.v. flit·ted, flit·ting, flits
1. To move about rapidly and nimbly.
2. To move quickly from one condition or location to another.

What a weekend!

2006-07-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

Taylor and I saw Superman Returns last night. It was pretty good. Not the BEST movie I've ever seen, but definitely not the worst. And I must say, this new Superman is pretty dang cute! Not the best actor, but his looks made up for it. Another movie I saw this weekend...Eight Below. Same with that one. It was good, but not the best. Probably better than Superman, though, because of the dogs! I love movies like that, because I can make up my own dialogue between the dogs...sounds stupid, but it's really fun. I watched it with my aunt and mom, and we were rolling with laughter!

So let me update you on the goings on of my weekend. Saturday I went to Conway with Taylor. He and Nathan videoed a wedding, while I flitted off to my sister's house and played with Josh! He walked almost the WHOLE time I was there. I still can't believe it. Then, after driving back home, I went to my mom's house (to hang with my parents and aunt) while Taylor took reunion photos until MIDNIGHT!!! Talk about a dedicated employee. Sunday, we didn't have church cause a lot of families were at Journey's first annual Family Camp. (I think it's annual...is it?) Anyway, we, along with all 5 of the Parkers, helped Amanda G. get packed up and out of Monticello. We started at 8, and by the time we finished at 11, we were exhausted! Taylor and I came home and took the LONGEST NAP EVER! It was great. Taylor usually won't take naps with me (he's one of those weird people who prefer being awake), so it was a rare treat for me! We slept...ready for this...5 hours! Wow. Then we went and ate supper with the Parkers and it was off to Superman!

This morning, I kept Abby and Lilly. Those girls are too cute! We had a blast. We watched tv and painted and played with Jonah, Noah, and Grace and ate grapes. It was really fun, but once again, exhausting! How do you mothers do it?!?! I'm telling you, I really need to prepare myself when I get ready to have a kid. Like, I need to go into training or something! Every time I keep kids, even though I have a great time, I'm exhausted afterward! It's really weird. I've said this before, but I do admire mothers. It's a tough job!

Speaking of tough jobs, Taylor and I are going to clean out our attic tonight. That should be fun. (NOT!)

Positive things. Rosie Slaughter is in a car on her way here! I'm so ready to spend the week with her! Be looking for her blog soon. I think I'm going to help her set one up this week!

Oh, Joshie, you're so fine...

2006-06-30T11:35:00.000-05:00

Is this kid not the cutest? I got to see Josh yesterday, and it was so much fun! I went to Little Rock (I got my car back, complete with sunroof! It's great!). While I was there, I stopped by to see my nephew. Every time I see him, he's different! He has started walking A LOT! It was amazing to see. It's so weird to think that he's past the crawling stage and now he'll be a walker. He's growing up! I'm such a proud aunt. The pictures here were taken for Josh and his cousin Brooklyn's first birthday.

I have an exciting announcement! Rosie will be here Monday, and she's staying all week! I cannot wait to spend time with my little sis, and I bet a lot of you can't wait either! AND, more news!...she told me that they have internet at their house in AL now, so she's going to start a blog! Won't that be a great way to keep up with her and Phillip's crazy life? I'm so excited.

Positive things. Today I'm having lunch with Brittany Martin and her husband Shawn. They're down here for a doctor's appointment. It's been so long since I've seen her in person...at least three or four months. It'll be fun!

Who Knew?

2006-06-29T17:28:00.000-05:00

So, who knew that Diet Coke and Mentos would have such an explosive reaction when combined? Many of you might have seen this already. It's pretty crazy!

Diet Coke and Mentos Reaction Video

Enjoy!

Small Group Update

2006-06-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the short notice, everyone in the small group, but we decided to take a break today. If you just want to come hang out, the James house will be open for business. Just call to let us know you're coming! We'd love to have some just hanging out time, but we're officially taking a week off from the group. See you guys later!

Need input!

2006-06-26T21:30:00.000-05:00

Taylor and I watched a old movie last night. Short Circuit. Anybody seen it? Anyway, the robot in the movie kept saying, "Need input!", and that's what I'm needing today! I'm trying to figure out a good women's bible study to do, and I need input. I've chosen a few that I think might be good, but let me know what you think! Here are the links.

"Esther: Becoming a Woman God Can Use" by Traci Mullins (Women of Faith series)

"Believing God" by Beth Moore

"Finding Joy" by Traci Mullins (Women of Faith series)

Check out the links and let me know which of these three you would like the most, or make other suggestions! Thanks!

Trip Pics

2006-06-25T23:33:00.000-05:00

Me splashing in a fountain

Fountain and flag at Hot Springs. Isn't this a cool picture? (Taylor took it.)

On our morning stroll around Lake DeGray Lodge. What a weird tree!

Me on top of the Mountain Tower.

Presenting Narter!!!

2006-06-25T23:12:00.000-05:00

Here she is, ladies and gentlemen. Our car!!! Isn't she a beaute. This picture was taken atop the North Mountain in Hot Springs. Taylor and I were on our anniversary trip, which was really fun.

We got there Friday night and ate at the Hamburger Barn (Burger Barn to the locals...one of which I used to be) in Arkadelphia. Then we went to WalMart and stocked up on orange juice and cereal. Then we went back to the room and watched a movie.

Saturday morning we got up around 9 and took a walk on one of the trails at the lodge. It went all the way around the island where lodge is. I really enjoyed that. Then we ate lunch at Cracker Barrel and were on our way to Hot Springs! We spent the majority of the day there, visiting the mountain tower (which Taylor had miraculously NEVER been on!...I grew up going to that tower!), walking down Bath House Row, seeing a movie (Cars...it was great!) and eating. We had dinner at a place called Brau House, and it was amazing. I'd been there once before in college, and I thought then that I needed to take Taylor there, because he'd love it. I was right! We had a great time, eating German cuisine and listening to the bluesy live music. We had a blast. We're definitely going back there!

We got home today around 2 and spent the afternoon unpacking and playing with Banjo. We both missed our kitty! (In a store in Hot Springs, there were 3 little kittens for sale...it was so hard not to buy one! Banjo almost had to say goodbye to his pampered, single-cat lifestyle.) We had a really great weekend! Year two begins tomorrow. :)

What an amazing year it has been. Since Taylor and I have gotten married, so many things have happened! We bought a house, a car, and several appliances and things for the house. Rosie and Phillip got married. Suzi had Josh. Amy (Taylor's sister-in-law) had Eli. I started and completed my first year as a teacher. We got a cat. And through it all, we've had the best time getting to know each other. I'm usually not cheesy or sentimental (for those of you who know us, that's Taylor's department...:)) but thinking about all that makes me really thankful that God blessed me with such a great partner in life. I can't imagine what my life would be without Taylor!

Okay...cheesy part over. On to positive things. 1)Trip was SO much fun! Definitely something we want to do again. 2) Our car is being taken tomorrow to have a moonroof installed! This will make it my dream car!!! 3) I get to see Rosie and Phillip in a couple of weeks again! 4) We finally got a printer hooked up to our computer this afternoon! (Taylor did it, actually.) 5) It stormed for a while today...which is not usually a positive experience for me. But, while it was just beginning, I was talking to Suzi P. and she made me realize that some people actually do like storms. It makes it better knowing that not everyone is deathly afraid of them like me.

'Till next time.