It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I am stuffed...and I need a gym membership. *bleh* I feel the need for a run tomorrow. Maybe. Probably not, but it sounds nice, huh?

Not a bad holiday...it went well...yummy food, good company, and a nap. Yep, that's good.

Went shopping today, but nothing too crazy. I went and got Christmas decorations that were 50% off. That's right, 50% off! That means I spent $35 and got awesome decor for the house. Oh, I am excited!

'Tis the season to watch Elf, Polar Express, Love Actually....yes, Christmas is on it's way.

           

We're off to the theatre...

235 students go to a play. They take 4 buses, 12 teachers, 5 or 6 classroom aides and we set off for the play. You know, the kids were a little skeptical of going to a play (as they are EVERY year). It is like they forget how much fun they had the year before. We saw "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". It was really awesome because one of my students was in it! My students were super excited to see him in the play and really talked him up when he returned to school that day. Very fun!

I am ready to stuff myself on turkey and potatoes. Really, that about covers it. My 2 favorite things about T-giving. Yum, yum, yum. Only 1.5 days of school left!! Woo!

The best thing about yesterday: falling asleep on the couch last night with no doggie interruption.

The worst thing about yesterday: being woke up at 10pm by my doorbell ringing! Ahhhh! (and I was by myself...freak out time!) It was safe though. Just one of Mr. S.'s co-workers that lives across the street dropping something off.

Saturday Night's Alright...Yep.

Another weekend...nothing too exciting going on here. We have discussed taking care of our floors, but who knows i this is going to happen. You know, it's cold...I don't exactly want to rip up floors here in Midwest, USA in the cold fall weather. Seriously. I hate cold weather. With our tile floors, we would have to have the windows open because of the dust...and it is freezing. Literally. So...maybe spring? Well see. 

Mmmmm...my house smells like spiced pumpkin. Yum yum yum...I love candles from Bath and Body Works. Thanks Roomie!

Yes, in case you didn't know, Mr. S. and I have a roomie. Now, some of you are probably like, "Woah, Mrs. S., you are a newlywed and you have a roomie?" Right, right, let me explain. Our poor roomie is a grad student. She needed a place to live because she is from Way in the West, USA and we live in Midwest, USA where her school is. She is a girl that husband and I went to undergrad with and we felt like it was stupid for her to pay a ton in rent when she is rarely home due to work, school, and her photography stuff (which is what she is getting her Masters in). She does not know when she will do her internship, so she didn't want to spend money on rent and then not live there for awhile...get it? Okay then. It's tricky. It's nice though...she pays us rent that goes towards our bills and mortgage and she is pretty fun to live with, too. 

Mr. S. does not seem to understand that when Mrs. S. is sick she does not want to get up at 6:00am to take care of the dog. That's right! He was up until 3am playing video games. Really. So, who wants to get up 3 hours later to baby-sit the dog? I went to bed at 9pm due to sickness and the wonderful margarita served to me by Alex, our new favorite watiter. Yep. So I was up to babysit the Monster. *le sigh*

I have some plans to see Bolt in 3D. That's right, don't be jealous.

Dog days of...fall?

Nose update...still running. Blech.

My poor puppy ended up at the doggy ER the other night because we thought he poked himself in the eye. Do you KNOW how much it costs to take a dog to the ER? Too much. Why must I like my dog? Why? We took him to the vet, they of course found nothing, gave him drops, and sent him home. He woke up the next morning and the OTHER eye was swollen. This dog...I swear...I think we got the defective one. I'm serious.

<--I want to picture that this was his doctor. Yep.

Achoo!

Oh goodness...could I just feel good for one day? Really...one day? I just get to feeling better and then *bam* my nose runs. I was leaning over one student's desk today and I had to tip back up because I am pretty sure I about dripped on her desk. Ew. Yeah. Ew.

2 students gone today were the ones that take the most energy. Happy Monday! Wooo!

Tomorrow is twin day and my grade partner and I are having super secret outfits. We're pretty psyched. I will share it here, but it is top secret to those we work with...because that's how we do. We're iron transferring t-shirts that say I *heart* G3 (I love grade three). Then on the back it says Mrs. S. and Mrs. G. with the number 3 like a b-ball shirt. Pretty excited! Then we are doing pigtails with pawprint ribbon. We're just that cool. Not gonna lie.

Off to take some cold medicine and blow my nose...yeah, sexy. I know.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~Roger Caras

This is the monster known as Truman. He is only 6 months old. He'll be 7 months here in about a week. When we took him to the vet last he was 77 lbs. Yep, huge. Mr. S. wanted a huge dog...welp, he won. I, myself, wanted something more of the 10-20 lb. variety. We are very far from that. No good. I love the big dork though. He can be a big pain in the ass, but he can also be a sweetheart.

So....I saw flurries last night. Honestly, I hate winter. I can deal with snow if I can watch from the inside. I think it's pretty then. Being cold just irritates me a lot. Being in Missouri...welp, this doesn't really help my case any.

Mr. S. had to go into work today. He is NOT happy about this. Whaddya do? At least I get some quiet time here at home for a bit.

I need to clean my upstairs...I think we have a visitor coming next week. Clean, clean, clean.

"Wine is bottled poetry." Robert Louis Stevenson

I find myself slightly addicted to Hills. I don't have cable right now (there are other things Mr. S. and I want more and cable costs too much), so I have to watch The Hills online. I am nearly 25 years old and I love the Hills. After watching 30 minutes of a TV show, I sit there thinking, what's next? But the episode is over. Damn Heidi and LC. Damn them both and their lives I find slightly addicting.

My cat is a little more than all over the strings on my hoodie. Seriously, it's annoying. She eats them until I have to throw her off my hoodie.

Mr. S. and I went out to the new Mexican restaraunt that we love here in town. The main waiter knows us and makes sure he waits on us when we come in. He is pretty awesome!

I definitely need to go to bed. I am exhausted!

"Opportunity knocks for every man, but you have to give a woman a ring." Mae West

As I am getting ready for work this morning I can't help but think, what if I were a guy? Seriously. I mean, my husband would be rather unhappy, but...When guys get ready they get to roll out of bed, maybe shower, slap some gel in their hair, brush their teeth, get dressed, and go. Ok...when I get up I have to wash (every morning because I have very fine hair that is limp and awkward if I don't), dry, and straighten my hair, put on my make-up, and get dressed. Grrrr......Could you imagine if life were just a little simpler? Hmm...

So I saw that November is National Adoption Month. I know there are some people on here that either know someone that has adopted, is adopted, or is tied to adoption. There is a great book I heard about on the news that Jamie Lynn Curtis wrote called Tell Me About the Night I was Born. It is a book about adoption for kids. I thought that I would pass it on to the blog world so you all could pass it on to anyone you see fit. 

Update on grad school: I am currently filling out the rather annoying online application. Yay!

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." ~Edith Wharton

Don't go to Wal-Mart on Saturday. I knew this. I did, really. Yet, Mr. S. and I found ourselves at Wal-Mart this afternoon. Another thing that didn't help was the fact that the local university is playing a football game today, so it was CRAZY BUSY! It took awhile, but we got done in pretty good time and didn't get out of there with too much extra stuff. Haha! Our checkout person's name was Moonstar. Really. That's what was on her nametag...and I am pretty sure it wasn't a joke. Oh, dear.

Mr. S. and I discussed me going back to school for my Master's degree. I think that the decision is, yes, I will be going back to school. I have been inquiring about it for a little bit and asking him about it, but the decision had yet to be made. I think that I am going to go for Educational Technology, which sounds fun to me. Nerd, maybe? Haha! I will update more as we learn more. I still have to take the GRE, apply, and get accepted. Whoa...lots to do.

I love oil burners, by the way. They are the best thing ever. Ever. My house smells like chicken and noodles because of dinner and my wonderful oil burner makes the house smell like cider. I love the smells of fall.

A closed mind is a good thing to lose.

With all the election coverage going on, parents talk at home. If you are a parent, you may want to take note, student conversations at school often mirror what you say at home. I have a mental TMI (Too Much Information) file in my brain for some of these moments. Some I wanted to share on the election...

Child 1: "I heard Obama is getting rid of all the weapons in the world."

Child 2: "I heard that Obama is going to die like Martin Luther King."

Child 3: "McCain is so old that he is just going to die."

Child 4: "Obama kills babies. With a baby-killing machine."

Child 5: "Obama is going to change the flag AND the pledge. Oh, and black people don't have to pay bills 5 days after Obama is in office."

It has been a L-O-N-G week in third grade. I do not tell my students who I vote for (a lot has to do with a conflict of interest because they go home and tell mom and dad, it is easier to avoid the comments) and I tell them that I vote in confidentiality, so I don't have to disclose who I vote for. They pestered me for awhile, but it has subsided now. I just hate having to take some of those comments from above and detangle them, if you will. It's rough. Please be careful how you word things at home...students repeat what they hear. Trust me.

I am congested like it is no one's business. Thanks to Tylenol Cold: Severe, I can temporarily handle it. But ick...it's gross. I woke up yesterday hacking. I sat down next to my husband and said "Aren't I just so hot right now?" He just looked at me with his eyebrows raised. I guess this is a no? Haha!

Thank you, Becky!

1. Post this award on your blog.

2. Link to the one who gave it to you. 

3. Link the original post here (I linked it to Smile! It's Becky's blog above)

4. Pass this award to 5 deserving friends!

5. Post these rules.

The winners are...

Yeah, Except for Not! She is hilarious! You will be entertained by her quirky writing and funny stories!

Happy Meals and Happy Hour: I love the hilarious pictures and videos that are posted!

Ashley's Antics: She marks herself as the crazy cat lady. She has wonderful short posts that make me giggle.

McMommy Chronicles: She is a great mom that has some wonderful stories. I really enjoy her site.

MsAttitude23

Eat chocolate...it makes everything better for at least a few seconds.

Much better day today. Thank goodness. I needed a better day.

I love days that I enjoy my students and we have a wonderful day. It makes those parents not seem so bad. *sigh*

My dog just ate a ladybug...he's awesome, huh?

Since my husband works for a TV station he is camping out there to help them with election stuff tonight. Boo, TV station.

I feel random today. Very random, hence the random post that jumps around like an ADD kid with light-up shoes.

Alright, I only wanted a short post today. I am going to finish grading my papers and getting my day ready for tomorrow. Later!

When all else fails...just cry a little.

Are there days when you just hate life? I mean, maybe that is a little dramatic, but I am going to play on that for today. This is my blog, and I can do what I wanna. Anyway, I need to vent, so 'ere we go.

I started this blog now for the third time. I don't want to seem like a bitch. I really don't. So here I am just stopping what I was going to say. Let's just say that I don't know what to do anymore. My job as a teacher cannot end at 3:00. You hear that all the time, but how many of you realize this is true? My day ends but I come home for 4 hours a night and grade papers, plan lessons, update websites, ponder parent issues, and so forth. My poor husband doesn't understand how I can work for 4 hours and have ONE day done. Yeah, me either, Mr. S. Sorry. 

I am tired of feeling like I am a failure this year. That is how I feel. People can say, "No, you are doing great," all they want, but this is not fixing anything. I want this year to stop and I want to move on. I am stressed out, sick, breaking out, beginning to overeat....and life just sucks. I have to step back, but how can I when I feel like I am being pushed forward every time I turn around? 

Enough. Enough is enough. I am done. Ok...on a lighter note. This weekend was terrific! We went to a couple's house this weekend and dressed up and had a great time. It was awesome to get away and have a good time for once. I was glad to get away. Truman went to the vet to stay the weekend and I just picked him up tonight. This was great so that I could come home yesterday, nap, get work done, and clean the house minus the dog! Woo!

Okay, speaking of work, I am going to get some stuff done for tomorrow and cook some dinner. Later!