Long Time No Post-Happy Late Birthdays!

Holy cow! You would think we just tried to name a child. It took about 2 hours to decide on this new blog background! A little girly for Trav, but I think he is about to branch out on his own anyway. Yesterday was my wonderful sister's birthday. I wish I were there to celebrate the big 30 with her, but a phone call was as close as I could get. I do love, love, love her so. She was my first friend and has remained my best! I feel so blessed to have her in my life. Her friendship is one of my greatest joys!

Isn't she a cute little mommy!

And, my sweet grandmother, Memer, had a birthday on Tuesday. She is just the cutest person I know. With all the adversity she faces daily, Mert's health issues and general grumpiness, she NEVER complains and always finds joy in the little things. She is one of my greatest inspirations and aspirations-to be more like her! I always love getting a note from her in the mail on her DAR stationary! It's that cute! I hope she had a good birthday. I'll be there to celebrate with her next weekend, and I can't wait! I'm sure she's sick about tonight's football game. She is a huge bulldog fan. She will not be happy.

I started student teaching the first of August. 1st grade!! I have never been so hungry or tired in my entire life! LT said it right when she coined the term "teacher tired." There is nothing like it! It is going well. I have good days and bad days. They are as cute as they could possibly be, but they make me question my career choice at the same time. I can say that when I put my head on the pillow at night, that I know I have made a difference in a life. 1st grade is funny. One little boy called me his "beautiful princess" on the second day and preceded to kiss my hand. I have since made a rule that we save all our kisses for our mommies. He came in with fever blisters the next day...thought I was going to die. Almost scrubbed my skin off! Let's just say I am handling the whole germ thing remarkably well. I have developed a Purell rash, however. Your skin can only take so much of that stuff. Other than that, I'm confident it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. And it has been a huge exercise in faith in so many ways, finances, germs, ability, strenghth...you name it, but it has been so good. I do love it. I was thinking about it yesterday on my way home. I LOVE Fridays more than ever, but I wake up every morning, at 5:30am, and I'm actually excited about going back. I'm eager to try harder every day and try to be better than I was the day before. I do have to check myself when I get home, though....Poor Travis had to remind me that he was not one of my students one night. I have to leave the "teacher tone" at the door. And poor Maggie. I'm not sure she understands the phrase that she has heard often as of late, "You're making a bad choice, my friend." I'll leave you with one of my favorite new tunes..."where is short a, where is short a? Here I am, here I am. I am in a hat rack, cracker jacks and fat cats, a, a, a....a, a, a." Catchy isn't it? Maybe I will finally learn how to spell. Everyone should consider repeating the first grade; I think I must have missed half of it my first go round.