Now that the cat is out of the bag, I thought we would let you know a little more about how things have been going.  I don’t plan to do weekly bumpdates because (1) I would never remember, and (2) they’re just not my favorite.  I do however plan to keep up with this blog a little better (where have we heard that before?).  For now, the most concrete “plan” I’m making is to do a recap of each trimester, and now that I’m a month into the second, I should probably talk about the first.

I was about 5 or so weeks here…but it was still a secret!  Also I finally found some of the gray Skechers GoWalks!

     It was a dark and stormy night…actually it was probably a blazing hot September day when we found out.  I had just been transferred (mid-year) to a new school and a new grade when we found out.  Such exciting news for us helped to take the sting away from leaving my precious kiddos. 
     Our first ultrasound dated us a week behind what we thought, so we originally found out at three weeks.  Honestly, I have felt strangely good.  I felt so good that I had some serious moments where I wondered if I was “normal,” but my doctor said there was nothing to worry about.  There were a few days where I was so tired I thought I might fall asleep on my desk; I didn’t.  There were a few days where nothing sounded good to eat…it was then that I discovered that Easy Mac (or any pasta for that matter) will always sound good.  We (the noodles and I) have been inseparable ever since.  We told our families, but didn’t tell anyone else for a long time.  It wasn’t because I was paranoid, but I always feel weird when people fuss over me, and I always felt like I was being showy just to blurt it out.  I tried just slipping it into conversation…people still fussed and squealed, but it was so sweet.
     Now that I’m into the second trimester, it still seems so surreal!  I’m sure once I start feeling kicks and have another ultrasound it will be more real, but for now I still can’t seem to wrap my head around it.  We get an actual person.  That I’m growing. (Which is terrifying in and of itself because I can’t keep a plant alive.)  That we then get to take home and keep?! 

How far along?  18 weeks.  Due date is at the end of May!

How big is baby?  According to my app, baby is the size of a sweet potato– about 5.6 inches and almost 6 and a half ounces – giant.

Gender?  We don’t know yet, but our appointment is scheduled, and we cannot wait.  I don’t even have a “feeling.”  I’ve had pretty much equal guesses of boy and girl.  Either one will be so great!

Sleep?  I’m pretty much still sleeping like a log (one of my many talents).  Once I start to wake up I may be a little uncomfortable, but falling asleep and staying asleep have been no problem so far.  Thankfully!

Maternity clothes?  I have a pair of maternity skinny jeans that I wear a lot because trying to get into my others would be torture, but other than that, the rubber band trick has been helping me stay in a few other pairs.  I’m also not too proud just to leave my pants unbuttoned.  I wear leggings as often as possible and the flowier the top the better!  I did buy some maternity shirts and camisoles the other day…mine have started to ride up some.

Symptoms?  My skin is doing weird things…boo.  Pregnancy brain is no joke, random aches and pains (I’m sure from everything turning to jelly to stretch out.), and according to Keith some really attractive mood swings…I’m sure I have no idea what he means.

Movement?  None yet, but hopefully soon!

Wedding rings on or off?  On for now.  This one surprised me because my hands swell if you look at them too hard.  We’ll see how long this lasts.

Cravings or aversions?  All noodles all the time!  I want Easy Mac, ramen, and pasta in any form.  Also, I have always loved pizza…but don’t you dare even mention frozen pizza.  Dead to me.

What I miss?  Not being so forgetful would be great…I can barely get out a complete sentence without forgetting something.  I’ll be a basket case by May!

Best moment?  I think my belly looked like an actual bump for a minute and not just like bloat!  That was encouraging.

     Keith and I have loved keeping this to ourselves for so long, but now that people know it is so fun!  We cannot wait to meet this little baby and are already so excited!  I had an appointment last week, and the next is the big halfway ultrasound.  I.  Cannot.  Wait.  Keith may have to physically restrain me, or I will be buying all the things.

Ignore the fact that it’s a blurry dressing room photo.  This was almost two weeks ago…but I haven’t really changed that much (I don’t think).

     Welcome back!  Look at me with two posts so close together!  Remember about three months ago when I talked about finding balance?  I didn’t.  Remember that cute classroom I talked about?  It’s gone.  It’s actually still there…I’m just inhabiting a different classroom. 
     Things have been a little busy over here.  I’m now teaching third grade.  I made this transition very maturely with only minimal (okay moderate) crying.  Third grade is hard, y’all.  And a lot of them are bigger than I am.
     But not for long…………….
     The day that I started my move to my new classroom (talk about timing), Keith and I found out that we’ll be welcoming a new little person into this world in May!  We are so excited!  Warning: every sentence until the end of the post may end in an exclamation point!  We have no cutesy announcement photos.  We have no idea what it is.  We cannot wait!  Baby is expected to be here at the end of May.  (My sister is already calling it her birthday gift…)

I realize this photo has basically nothing to do with the post, but with my habit of never, ever taking pictures at the right time this is likely to be our last photo as a family of two.  (Also I can’t stand to have a post with no picture.)  It’s certainly our last as a family of two at the beach!

     I’ll be back very soon with a post about all things baby…I mean it this time because it’s already written and scheduled.  Did I mention that we are so excited?!?!

     la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!  Is that an echo I hear?  I’m the only one left?  I just thought with Christmas being right around the corner (eeeeeeeeee!), that I would share our Christmas decorations…since next year they may be somewhat less excessive.  Let me just say: I tried to be a good blogger and use my camera, but as soon as I turned it on, the screen died.  That being said, enjoy the iphone pictures!

Let’s start with the main event!

     It’s mostly the same as last year only way more full.  How in the world did I not realize that  last year’s tree was so naked?!  It’s a wonder I was even allowed to celebrate.  This year, I did find three more glitter pom-pom picks to top my tree.  Winning.  Aaaaaand I have a much healthier collection of ornaments.

From top left: (1) My sparkly girly tree…I’m not sure how much longer I’ll get away with putting this one out. (2) My beloved – I’ll be buried with this one… (3) Oh cupcakes, I’ll be adding to this one as long as Hallmark keeps making cupcake ornaments. (4) I love the nativities. The Jim Shore angel was a wedding gift, and my sister got me that cute tiny one! (5) When a tree is less than $5 you buy it.  No questions asked. (6) My Nana made this.  Aren’t they sweet?! (7) This little pewter nativity is teeny tiny…like half the size of one of my fingers. (8) You just can never have too many, even when it starts looking like a baby Jesus emergency room.

     Clearly the house is fully decorated, but I’ve yet to wrap a present.  I have lots of Christmas treats that I’m doing a poor job of staying away from.  Even with all the hustle and bustle, I have found so many moments to stop and really be mindful of what all of this is about…and I am so thankful.

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He came as a baby, but He’s coming back as a King.  I’m so thankful that His story isn’t over and that because of Him neither is ours.  I’m so glad that Christmas isn’t over after the 25th.  It’s not over after the gifts.  It’s not over after the decorations are boxed up and the resolutions are made (and broken).  It’s not over until He comes back!

     It was the best of times…it was the worst of times.  By that I, of course, mean that it’s the beginning of the school year.  I have a brand spanking new (to me) classroom and brand spanking new kids and brand spanking new pains in my feet.  (P.S.  I have been on the hunt for Skechers Go Walks, and apparently every single person on the planet wears a size 7 and wants the gray ones…)

     On the bright side, my classroom is clean and bright and has a giant air conditioning unit that I can stand over when it’s 10 million degrees out.  (Ignore the naked bulletin boards…we’ll be filling them shortly.)
    In the middle of all of this, life has been just trip trapping along merrily.  We work.  We come home.  We eat dinner.  We watch our shows (I am so ready for fall TV!). We go to bed.  Aren’t we fun?
     You know what’s not so fun…I have house fever bad.  Keith and I love our cute little apartment, and I love how perfectly my furniture fits.  Buuuuuttttt, I also rather enjoy looking at the real estate listings…not the best idea.  Please someone teach me how to be content.  Also, a word to all of you selling your house: If you plan to give your house away to a family member, please don’t list it and let a bright-eyed young  couple fall in love with it.  While I’ve been over here licking my real estate wounds, the first four weeks of school have come and gone (what?!).  Clearly I still haven’t figured out how to balance real life and blogging.  Oh well…there’s always next year.

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That’s pretty much me when it comes to blogging these days…#ishouldworkonthat

     When your husband wants needs a new bow, the best way to say yes is to make a date out of it.  After nine billion hours of research, he found “the one” at Bass Pro Shop, so we headed to Memphis to make a day of it.  Naturally, the most exciting part of his day was playing Robin Hood.  The most exciting part of my day was eating.  Thanks to a tip from Groupon, we headed to The Green Beetle (…although we didn’t actually use the Groupon).

     I’m a sucker for a cool atmosphere (and I realize how uncool that sounds), and Keith was totally embarrassed by the fact that I was taking pictures in a restaurant. 

That giant stained glass (that you can’t really see) above the bar shows the restaurant full of big green people beetles.  So cute.

     On to more important things.  I got the Beetle Burger.  Just your traditional burger.  Except it was anything but…

     So good.  The onion rings (pilfered off of Keith’s Bandito Burger) were so good.  And the giant steak cut fries…so good.  But the bread…oh the bread on that burger.  I am not lying when I say it was some of the best bread I’ve ever had.  Also, I am in no way embarrassed by this ode to bread.  Please go eat a Beetle Burger.  Make sure you go on Burger Tuesday so you can get all this for only $6.

     So, with all of our important goals met – him: bow, me: lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around downtown (people watching).  I’m so glad we got to have a little day date before school starts back, and we’re busy all time! 

     Did you go on any fun dates this summer?  Did you eat any amazing burgers this summer?  We’re about T minus one week until I’m back to work here, so I’ll be keeping busy for the next little bit and getting my workout in by cleaning out my classroom.  It counts.

     I’ve been married for twelve and a half months now…so I’m basically an expert at all things matrimonial.  In honor of my one year anniversary (half a month late), I’m going to give you the secret to a lasting marriage.  I figure that I learned about 6,823,146,852 things during this year, but for your convenience, I’ll whittle it down to twelve marriage lessons.  You know…so you can tackle one per month.  Buckle up.

1.  The best time to start an important conversation is when you’re both tired.  One of you will fall invariably fall asleep, but then you can just pick it up again the next day.  Bonus:  Your husband will really enjoy the sound of your voice as he’s trying to fall asleep.

2.  Husbands are good at so many things…arranging throw pillows is not one of them.  It never will be. 

3.  If the two of you mutually decide that your husband can get a fun new toy (say a boat or a bow), sometimes you’ll want to get something equally big and fancy for yourself, but it’s not necessary.  It’s more fun than you would expect just to watch him be happy.  Marriage is not really about keeping even anyway.

4.  Even if you have no self control, keep candy in the house if he likes it.  Sit on your hands and bite your tongue every time you want to gorge.

5.  Go on walks together.  It’s fun because he’s basically a captive audience.

6.  If you hate working out (or doing anything remotely physical), but he loves it…please understand that he’s not working out to make you look like a fat cow.  It’s perfectly okay to sit on the couch and eat cold pizza while he exercises (he probably doesn’t even care).

7.  Do not ever run out of squeeze Parkay.  Ever.

8.  Please do not make your home look like a girl home.  Your husband will feel uncomfortable.

9.    Go to TJ Maxx alone most of the time.  You don’t need a voice of reason telling you how you “don’t need another tea towel” or that “we don’t have a place for that furniture” or that “you don’t need one single other Christmas decoration” or that “you are grounded from buying scarves.”

10.  Never, I repeat NEVER, make a spaghetti squash.

11.  Your husband does not dictate the number of Christmas trees you put up. 

12.  Please calm down.  In general…about everything. (I’m working on this one.)  Husbo will thank you.  *BONUS*  He will love it if you call him husbo.

     If you can stick to these simple lessons, you will someday be a marriage super star like us.  *While this is the best advice I have ever read, I am not a counselor and cannot be held liable if you do in fact run out of squeeze Parkay.*  Being married is hard…but so fun.  And a year is really long…but so short.  Do fun things.  Love each other.  Make him hold your hand.  Cuddle very close even when he wants to push you off the couch.

     Have you all just been on pins and needles to see what I’m up to lately?  It’s a lot of the same with just more and more excitement every day about the beach! 

Reading:  I’ve just started reading Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour.  I am loving it so far.  Thankfully I’ve got the rest of the series for when I finish this one.  One of my biggest pet peeves is starting a series and not having all the books!

Watching:  At this very minute, it’s A Bush Family Album (and I’m probably about the be crying all over the place).  Lately though, Keith and I have been watching Salem on WGN.  If you have not watched, get busy.  So good.

Looking Forward To:  Are you kidding?  Do I even have to say it?  One week from this moment I will be at. the. beach.  It’s been two years since we’ve been…I believe we’ve discussed my beach obsession…

Planning:  I’ve got several things that need sewn (some mending, some projects), but honestly, I’ve just been too lazy to get out the sewing machine.  Don’t judge.

Cooking:  I’ve got to do a full menu one of these days!  Tonight, we’re having chicken sandwiches (we’re pretty fancy over here).  I did make a beautiful chocolate pie the other day…you can see it on my Instagram.  The next time I make it (which will be very soon), I’ll post the recipe.

Excited About:  (Is this the same as “Looking Forward To”?…oh well)  One week from today…hold the phone; I’m not about to talk about the beach again…Keith and I will have been married for one year!  I know it’s cliché, but it really has flown by.  It’s crazy how in just 365 days we’ve changed so much, learned so much, loved so much.  I cannot wait to see what’s next!

     In case you haven’t heard from my last 27 posts, it’s officially summer.  In addition to more sleep, a cleaner house, more mindless TV watching, and vacation, this also means I have time to put finishing décor touches on my house.  You may remember from last year that my living room was sort of a constant work in progress (here, here, here, here).  Well…things have mostly settled down for now (remind me to do a house tour), but I am still having a love affair with furniture of all sorts.
     Insert a super fun promotion from One Kings Lane – Pouf-a-Palooza.  (Are you as obsessed with that name as I am?  Around our house everything is a Palooza.)  If you’re looking for fun furniture or décor sales, One Kings Lane is a great place to start.  I spent tons of time mousing around, and have found some of the cutest things

     If you need me for the next few months, I’ll be doing summery things.  Yes, that’s right, school’s out (for summer…forever…)!  I made it through my first year of teaching, and am well on my way to enjoying my first full summer as a married lady.  My plans include organizing closets, working at the daycare, and spending a glorious week at the beach!

     I am by no means wishing my summer away, but three and a half weeks is almost nothing…aaaaaaand it’s been two years since I’ve sunk my feet into this sand.  We are so ready.
     In other time-related news, it’s been almost a year since Keith and I got married (I know!).  After all this time, I finally finished our photo album.  I used Somerset Albums to create a lay-flat photo book. It should be here any day, and I cannot wait. 
     There you have it friends:
          1.  Clean closets
          2.  Wedding album (…finally)
          3.  VACATION! (Seriously…I may not make it three more weeks.)

What is your summer looking like?  Are you staying busy with fun plans?  Happy SUMMER!

     I think I’m late to the party again; I’ve been seeing this cute little #100happydays thing going around on Instagram…and I had to Google it to make sure it was a real thing.  Now that I know that it is in fact a real thing, I’m going to do what I usually do and jump on the bandwagon late and probably fall off early.  Feel free to peruse my Instagram and see if I ever actually start it.
     In other news, in two and a half days you will no longer be reading from a first year teacher!  I have almost made it through a full year of teaching! (Is there a punctuation mark stronger than an exclamation mark?)

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     All of that means it’s almost summer.  Really it is.  I  can almost taste it – or maybe that’s the chicken we grilled earlier.  In less than one week, I plan to be sitting in the sun and eating summertime food and doing all of the things that mean summer!
     On that note, we have about a month until time to head to the beach, and I could not be more ready.  I’ve finally found some swimsuits that fit.  The meal plan has been made, and I’ve been looking at the place we’re staying just pretending I’m there.  Anybody else pretending to be on vacation?

     I should have titled this “We Eat This Way Too Often,” because we do…but it’s so good.  Allow me to introduce you to my little friend – Krystal Burger Casserole.

     This recipe is sooooo easy (would I tell you how to do anything more difficult?).  Let’s jump in.  If I could actually jump into this stuff I totally would. 

1.  Gather your stuff.  Let me break it down for you:
          2 cans of crescent rolls
          1 lb. of ground beef
          dehydrated onion
          American cheese (enough to cover at least half…or all if you want)
          dill pickles
          mustard
     Notice how I didn’t measure?  You don’t even have to.  That’s right! Toss those measuring spoons back into the drawer.

2.  Brown your ground beef.  While it’s working, toss in a palmful of dehydrated onion.  When it’s done cooking, drain.

3.  In the bottom of a casserole dish, roll out 1 of your cans of crescent rolls.

4.  Pour on your ground beef/onion mixture.  Then toss on your pickles (as many as you like…for me that’s about 258,521), do a big squiggle of mustard, and place your cheese slices.  I usually do half cheese and half not, but it’s totally up to you.

5.  Top all of that deliciousness with your other can of crescents.

6.  Bake according to the directions on the crescents.  Tip:  I usually leave mine in a little longer so that the crescents are fully done.

Note:  I care not one bit that this is an extremely ugly picture.  It was delicious, and I ate every bite.

     This masterpiece tastes just like a Krystal burger.  So, so good.  If you eat this and don’t love it, I’ll help you find a taste bud transplant doctor. 
     This is on our menu probably once a month.  It is so easy, and can be tossed together really quickly even if you’ve been working or busy all day.  Did I mention it tastes just like a Krystal burger?!  It does.  Cook.  Eat.  Thank me later.

     One day late – Happy Easter!  We had such a great weekend celebrating at church and with family.  I was reminded over and over again the serve a living God who took on this life and  a very real death to overcome for us.  I’m amazed.  I’m always amazed.  God has been been doing an extra great job of reminding me of Himself lately. 

Sorry for the fuzzy phone picture…I left my camera at home.

     I was so pleased (gigantic understatement) that we actually had nice weather for Easter!  Usually it’s kind of cold and dreary, but Sunday was absolutely perfect.  The kind of springtime you wish would stick around for awhile.  Now that we’ve officially turned the corner as far as the weather goes, I’ve warned Keith that my clothes will be getting progressively brighter as the weeks pass.  What is springtime if not a chance to look like a flower?  I’ve packed away all of my winter clothes and will be frolicking about in seersucker, bright colors, floral prints, and every other Southern springtime cliché.  If they made smocked dresses for grown people I might throw that on too…kidding. 
     I hope to be out, about, and doing a little more now that being outside doesn’t give me the seasonal depression.  I’ve got big plans for the next few months, and if you’re lucky, I might share them with you…or forget and bring you up to speed later.

     In the time I’m not blogging, I’m living life…or sitting on the couch.  For instance, today, Keith and I took his favorite new toy out to the lake and went fishing.  Correction: he went fishing, and I went sitting in the sun.

     Keith was a little (a lot) disappointed by the wind and lack of biting fish.  I, on the other hand, was quite thrilled with the sun…as evidenced by my super cute new tan lines.  I’m considering this little trip my “school is almost over, and I’m really tired, but I can make it to the end of the year” trip.
     We needed a little break this weekend after the heavy sort of week we had.  You know I usually keep things pretty light over here on le blog, but we’ve had a rough week.  My sweet Nana passed away this Tuesday, and even though we have incredible peace to know that she is in Heaven, it’s still pretty sad here.  To say she was a character is an incredibly ridiculous understatement, and we are definitely missing her.  I am very thankful that our God answers prayers and that we do not have a “peace allowance” that can be used up.  When we ask, He answers.  Period.  Isn’t that incredible?  My  mind has been on Heaven a lot lately, and I have had such joy thinking of  what God has in store for us.

     In other news…less than 30 days left of the school year.  What?!  I can’t believe it.  Cannot.  Believe. It.  Am I the only one just about to burst ready for some warm weather and relaxation?  I can almost hear summer calling my name.

     I Instagrammed a picture of my dinner the other night (I know; I’m one of those people.) and then posted a picture in my last post, and some sweet friend was kind enough to ask for the recipe.  Not to insult your intelligence or anything, but I made this recipe up, and if you can’t do it then you may not know how to work an oven.  Ready?

Pizza Puffs

Get ready for the easiest recipe you’ve ever seen.

Stuff you need:
Crescent rolls
Pepperoni
Mozzarella cheese
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning

What to do:
1.  Preheat your oven to whatever is on the can of crescent rolls.

2.  Pop open the can and take every roll apart.

3.  On the fat part of each roll arrange 3-4 pepperonis (or whatever looks good to you…How fun would the mini ones be?!).

4.  On top of that arrange a little mountain of mozzarella cheese.

5.  Starting on the wide end, roll these up as you normally would.  You may have to fold in the ends (burrito-style) to keep the cheese from falling out everywhere.

6.  Lightly sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning and bake according to package instructions.

     Didn’t I tell you the truth?  So easy.  Dip in marinara sauce and enjoy!  From beginning to end this took maybe 15 minutes.  You could probably even brown some sausage, drain, and put that inside, but that would have ruined my fifteen minutes to domestic hashtag (and I didn’t have sausage…I had pepperoni and cheese).

     Aaaaaand now that I’ve stared at these, I’m starving.  I have no idea what I’m having tonight, but if I end up  making up another recipe, I’ll definitely share it with you!

     I’ve been seeing this fun little linky floating around for a few weeks now, so as per usual, I’m jumping on the bandwagon a little late.  Oh well…

I know this is weird, but…when I watch TV, I like to keep the volume set to an even or benchmark number.  It’s almost a little frustrating when it’s on 7 or 13 or something else terrible like that.  I should probably work on what I let frustrate me.

When I stop at a stoplight I…usually look around to see if I know anybody around me.  Nosy much?  I don’t wave or anything; I’m just curious as to who’s out and about.

My guilty pleasure is…anything on Lifetime…and Gypsy Sisters…and mindless television in general.

My favorite way to unwind…see the aforementioned mindless television.  Also, a hot, hot shower with hopefully unlimited hot water.

     Reviewing that list makes me sound kind of lazy (hey, it’s spring break, so I have an excuse)…if you need me for the rest of the day, I’ll be cleaning house and pretending to be active. 

     In unrelated news, I made these fun little pizza puffs for dinner the other night, and could have eaten about 20.  So good and so, so easy.  Sometimes it’s nice to be domestic (especially if it only takes 15 minutes).

     I love weekends.  Is there anybody who doesn’t? (Don’t answer if you’re one of those people.)  The few little days we get at the end of a week let my brain rest and breathe.  Which of course lends itself to lots of errant thoughts.  Let’s get started with a little confessional, shall we?  Nothing too heavy of course.

1.  I made it all the way to spring break.  My first year of teaching is 3/4 over, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!  I am going to savor every last little minute of this week I’ve got because when it’s over, there is only one more break…one.  I can do this (I think.).

2.  On that note, where are the spring temperatures.  I think we’ve made it out of the 20s, but it’s still pretty cold.  I don’t need 80s or anything, but I would like to wear a t-shirt more than once every two weeks. 

3.  A couple of weeks ago as I’m driving home from church, I see a perfect pallet on the side of the road.  Sooo, I pull over, hop out of the car, and start trekking down the street.  To set the scene, it’s a busy road, and I’m in church clothes.  Also…pallets are really heavy.  In spite of all that, I managed to get it into the back of my Jeep, and now I’m just itching to find a fun pallet project.  I’m taking suggestions.

4.   Lifetime movies have been so good lately!  They go in weird cycles – months of great movies, months of terrible movies, months without movies…and so on – but lately, they’ve been pretty good.  It makes for pleasant Sunday afternoons. 

     How about you?  Watching any good movies lately?  Perhaps getting a great workout by dragging pallets across town? 

     Clearly blogging is my weekend thing now (…sometimes).  Today, Keith is working, and I’m cleaning out the DVR (while I should be cleaning the house).  Also, I think I’ve figured out why I’m in a blog rut.  Answer: I don’t ever take pictures…or leave the house.  Am I complaining?  Not at all.  Keith and I so enjoy hanging out at home and watching our shows (Vikings and The Walking Dead if you’re curious).  Maybe I’ll commit to taking pictures of my dinner and my pajamas, so you can get the full experience.
     Do you know what I want to get the full experience of?  Warm weather.  Not hot…not summer…just springtime.  We keep getting these beautiful weekend days and then swinging right back to frigid and rainy.  Boo.  Plus Keith just bought a fishing boat, and even though I have no desire to fish or touch slimy things, I could go and sit in the sun.

I’ve named it “Allyson on the Beach,” but Keith says I can’t paint that onto the boat. 

     I know it’s cold and drizzly now (here at least), but here’s hoping we’ll get some seasonable temperatures.  I’ve got one week of work then SPRING BREAK, so I need for it to be nice outside.  I’ve only got like two plans, but dreary weather is not one of them.  I’ll let you know how it turns out…maybe.

     And just like that, it’s March…where is the time going?  I was going to lie right to your face and tell you how busy I’ve been…buuuuut I’ve really just been sitting on the couch for the last four days enjoying my snow days.  As much as I didn’t expect this latest round of winter weather to affect us here, I was proved wrong.  Sunday night, we were slammed with snow and ice that has somehow clung on for almost a week!
     We were all prepared for Read Across America week at school, but now it’s turned into Read Across America day.  I’m still so excited for all sorts of Seussy fun with my kiddos!

I am not an artist, so the fact that I turned out this 4 foot giant (complete with and additional 2 feet of stump) is sort of a miracle, and my kids are going to love “green egg” cupcakes!

     Keeping with the school theme, I have finished the next month of lesson plans.  I’m hoping staying ahead will let me keep my head above water and breathe a little in this wild ride to the end of the year.  For this being my first year, I think I’ve done an oooooookay job of not being a total wreck (Keith may have a different opinion…).  I think balancing work (no matter what job you have) and some sort of a life is just one of those things you learn as you go.  Maybe by the time I’m ready to retire I’ll have figured it out…

Aaaaaaand…maybe by then I’ll have figured out how to fit a little blogging into the mix.

     Let me just tell you…there are few things I love more in this world than breakfast for supper.  When you couple that with a The Walking Dead marathon, I’m basically set for awhile.  Thankfully, last night delivered…

     FYI…that’s not ketchup.  According to my sister, Keith is a “biscuit-dipping weirdo,” and sometimes we share our weirdness.  He mixes his jelly and butter, and then dips his biscuit in it…it’s not that bad (don’t tell him that I said that).
     We got to cozy up on the couch and marathon watch one of our faves (which is coming back in T minus 2 hours and some minutes – woop woop).  Aren’t those the best kinds of nights. 

     In other exciting news, we woke up to the fluffiest snow the other day…

     I still had to go to work…boo, but Keith was sweet enough to harvest me some snow for snow cream!  Strangely, this snow was only in one little section of town and only on the roads.  There was almost none in the grass, and my parents got zero.  I like to think that it was a special snow just for me…that’s a thing right?
     That’s all we’ve got going on here.  Unless you’ve got any ideas for a husband Valentine’s Day present…  Keith likes to give presents (the nerve, right?!), and I never know what to get him.  If you need me, I’ll be frantically shopping for a gift for the most difficult person to shop for on this earth my sweet husband.  Ooooooorrrrrrr…I’ll be on the couch with said husband bawling my eyes out to a new episode of The Walking Dead.

Yep…this is much better.