Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving kids!  I hope you got to enjoy some good food and some good company.  In true fatty fashion, I celebrated not just once, but twice.  My whole family got together at my sister's new house on Thursday.  She just bought the house a few months ago and was stoked to be able to host her first big thing.  Besides the food being disgusting and the drinks being weak, it was a good time. 

I KID, I KID. 

The food was so good and the drinks were plentiful.  My faves from the night were the caramel apple pie and the spiked hot apple cider.  My job was to make the mashed potatoes and the green beans (with bacon, obvi).  Both were slammin'. It was a good time had by all.

I could totally go for some of that pie right now. 

The next morning, we loaded up the car and embarked on our very first family car trip.  4 and a half hours of Ty playing I Spy with himself, CJ asking if we were there yet and the Husband rolling his eyes and mumbling about the boys talking too much.  It was a good time had by all. 

 If you know me even a little, you know that I have some serious anxiety.  So preparing for this trip was just amazing.  I was all kinds of stressed out.  Sleeping away from my house stresses me out.  Having my kids off their schedule stresses me out.  Being out of my comfort zone stresses me out.  Brushing my hair stresses me out.  (Just kidding on that last one, but I think you get my point.  I'm one big stress ball). 

But all of that flew out the window the second we got out of the car at my sister-in-law's house.  My kids adored playing with their cousins and the four of us adults all got to enjoy each other's company.  Plus, my SIL made a whole Thanksgiving dinner. Homemade mac 'n cheese, corn pudding, the works.  I stuffed myself silly.  To that one, I brought some peppermint meltaway cookies and a pumpkin roll.  (Thank you, Pinterest.)

 

So, what are you thankful for this year?  I have been blessed with so many amazing things.  When we went around the table at my sister's before we ate, I said that I was thankful for my kids. I am.  They are funny, charismatic, caring, sensitive, smart, loving, athletic little boys who love their mama.  I'm also thankful that I've decided not to have any more.

 

I'm thankful for my husband who works so hard so that I can have options.  I'm thankful for having my family so close to me.  I'm thankful for my work schedule, for my health, for free memberships at two gyms.  For caller ID (yes, I will screen your call), Pandora Christmas stations, and universal nap time.

 

The list could go on forever.  I live a great life.  And for that I am thankful. 

 

Have a healthy day,

 

J

 

PS- Are you a Follower of this blog yet?  You should be.  All you have to do is click where it says "Follow me". All that will happen is that I'll show up on your Blog roll.  Please do it.

Prom Date Fail

When I was a second year teacher, I taught high school Biology.  (Yeah, it was a complete joke. I'm an English teacher, people.) Anyway, I was 22 and my students were 17 and 18.  One day, and I'll never forget this as long as I live, a (smart, college-bound, had lots of friends) kid pulled me aside and asked me to the prom.  I absolutely thought he was kidding until I realized he wasn't.  I think he was offended when I laughed.

Now, I am a twelfth-year teacher. I am (kind of) old enough to be my students' moms.  I no longer teach Biology. 

I got some papers delivered to my desk the other day and when I looked at them, I realized they were old assignments that a kid was supposed to have done about a month ago in ISS.  However, instead of completed work, do you wanna know what was written all over the papers?

I love my English teacher.

Ms. Wheaton is so beautiful.

My English teacher has a hot booty.

I wanna skin.  (ummmm, skin?????)


I threw up in my mouth and walked the papers across the hall, and then the kid got thrown out of my class for the rest of his life.  (Or until his 5-day suspension is over, whichever). 

Later that night, the husband told me that I'm hot so of course any teenage boy would have a crush on me. 

Moral of the story:  Mama's still got it going on.  Boo-yah.

Cast Your Vote

Happy Election Day!  I'm nervous.  I'm usually not in to politics at all.  I mean, I try to stay informed and up to date with things that are going on in the country. I watched both National Conventions and all of the debates.  But that's about as involved as I get- just enough to make an informed decision.  This year I feel pretty strongly about my choice for President.  I woke up with all kinds of anxiety (shocking, I know).  For the candidates, for the results, for the future of our country.  Did you vote?


Oh, and I have a question:  why did we get rid of the booth voting?  We now vote on heavy paper and stick it in a machine.  Each ballot comes with an even heavier paper privacy screen. Am I the only one who thinks that's a huge waste of paper?  Way to go green, America. 

Ok, now let's talk about my children.  CJ wrote everyone's name with pen on the walls outside of our bedroom doors.  If Ty hadn't pointed it out to me, I never would have noticed.  CJ told me he didn't do it.  Then he started crying. Then he said he did it 3 years ago. (At the ripe old age of TWO.)  Then he said he didn't care if I told his dad because they already had an argument about it.  Then he said that Dada probably wouldn't remember having the argument because it was so long ago, but it really did happen, so just don't even remind him. 

I love being a mother.

And on that note, I need to cut it short tonight.  I have a load of laundry to do, a kitchen to clean, a lunch to make, and election results to watch. 

Have a healthy day,

J

PS- Have you been working out this week?  I taught for a sweaty hour last night, but had to cut it short tonight.  Only got in about 20 minutes of cardio and some weights.  But hey, better than nothing, right?

Cutest Kids Ever

Feel free to go ahead and tell me how freaking adorbs my kids looked last night.  I won't be mad about it, I promise.

Last year, being the super awesome teacher that I am, I wore a flourescent orange wig to school on Halloween.  My co-teacher wore this hot pink one and we told everyone we were Nicki and Ricki Minaj. Well, one of my students ended up stealing my wig and my co-teacher ended up leaving me for a new job. This year I skipped the wig at work and settled on a Halloween shirt. (And yes, I still embraced the holiday more than any other teacher on staff.  Duds.) So you better believe I slipped the wig on the second I felt it was appropriate. CJ told me about 50 thousand times that he liked my costume.  If you ever need a confidence boost, I highly suggest you hang out with a 5-year-old.

And check out these pumpkin carving skills:

I'm pretty sure I've consumed at least 37 candy bars in the past 24 hours.  And we have an entire salad bowl full of leftovers.  A fatty's dream come true. 

Hope your Halloween was a happy one!  (Thankfully it's the one holiday that doesn't require electricity. We're continuously praying for our family members in PA who are still without electricity 5 days after Hurricane Sandy...)

Have a healthy day,

J