a day in the life...

Wordless Wednesday: {how not to treat your friends}

2011-10-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Car Conversation with Jake

2011-09-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

While driving home from daycare, my conversations with Jacob went like this:

me: What did you do today? Play?
J: "pay"
me: did you swing?
J: "sing"
me: did you slide?
J: "side"
me: Who's your best friend?
J: Elmo.
me: Who's your 2nd best friend?
J: Ernie
me: Who's your 3rd best friend?
J: uuuuuuhhh............Bert.
me: Who else is your friend?
J: uuuuuuuuhhh............Cookie (as in cookie monster)
me: Is anyone else your friend?
J: uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhh..........daddy.
me: oh that's nice!

Nice to know daddy made the list, even if it was after the whole sesame street cast!

fashion friday: tip #357

2011-06-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

Farmer's tans are IN this season.

no need to hit the tanning booth or spend countless hours trying to even your tan and get rid of lines.

(i swear we put copious amounts of sunscreen on our kid EVERY DAY...he has his dad's skin...yessssss.)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

validity and perspective

2011-05-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

watch out, it's about to get serious up in here. i am flooded with emotion and hesitant to blog because i am afraid it might be messy. i'm not scared of messy (just ask my husband) but as an english teacher, i feel better when i know what thoughts are going in what paragraph and how to fit my ideas into the confines of a pretty little structure. i consider myself a rebel for not using capital letters.

i have been struggling for months now trying to maintain composure and a decent stress-level as i am faced with being excessed from my school site. (that means there is no job for me where i currently teach due to budget cuts, but i have a job SOMEWHERE in the district.) it doesn't feel good to get the boot when you really don't want to leave. it isn't personal, it's about seniority. i remind myself of that fact constantly. it is humbling, frustrating, worrisome, and maddening to name a few emotions. i have been trying like crazy to be positive and see this as an opportunity for growth and to trust God, to potentially have a great and refreshing career move-even when i wasn't in the market for one. sometimes it's easier said than done, and i'm not a fan of emotional roller-coasters.

i can hardly type about the job situation, because it sounds so trivial compared to what's really in my heart right now. yesterday and today, i have heard and seen several stories from the midwest from the tornado devastation. it is simply heart-wrenching what some people are going through right now. two stories in particular that i don't even have words for, other than i cannot imagine experiencing what they have gone through. tonight, i wept. i ached. i prayed. i counted my blessings. i hugged my son and my husband.

i am choosing right now to set aside my fears and frustrations about a job, in order to pray for people with real hurt right now. i am praying for the dad who watched his new high school graduate son get ripped out the sunroof of their car as they drove home, never to be seen again. i am praying for the young widowed wife, married 6 years, whose husband lost his life sheltering her from the tornado as it ripped their home apart.

my stresses in life are dwarfed by real tragedy. i can't imagine this kind of tragedy, and i'm worried about my job? who cares. perspective. sometimes it seems so cliche i don't even want to use the word. but Lord, Almighty, it is so important. comparing life situations doesn't take away feelings, it might mask them for a while out of guilt. when i compare, i feel SO thankful for a roof over my head, a safe and healthy family, and the ability to go to sleep tonight without fear. however, i don't feel guilty about my fears and my anxiety over a job, but i have to remain true to what's really important in my life. i know that the things i hold most dear aren't things at all. it still doesn't take away my anxiety about a job, and it doesn't have to. my feelings are valid and real no matter what is going on in the world. i just can't allow myself to get so wrapped up in myself, that i lose sight of what really matters.

Some verses that speak what's in my heart right now in light of human tragedy, anxiety, and hope.
Isa 40:31: "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Phil 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Heb 4:16: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Rom 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

silly boy!

2011-05-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

i am so glad i've kept a google document with the month by month milestones of our little man. he changes so quickly and does quirky things for such a short period of time! here are a couple examples:

turtle bathtime
jake takes a bath every night as a part of his bedtime routine...he plays with his toys, splashes, stands up/sits down, etc etc etc! well one night, he put a turtle in his mouth and played in the bath with it the whole time. he had this thing in his mouth for like 15 minutes and turtle got out of the bath to dry off with jake too. it was so random, i had to snap some photos. he hasn't touched the turtle since!

mr. formal
one afternoon, we noticed jake was walking all around with one arm behind his back. seriously, for like 3 hours, he played, walked around the house with one arm behind his back. he looked like a little waiter or something. matt and i were laughing about it, so i snapped a few photos. he hasn't done it since!

sometimes you just wonder what is going through their little mind!

wordless wednesday

2011-05-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

(don't call CPS.)

flashback friday-may 2010

2011-04-28T21:55:00.001-07:00

how is it almost may already? 2011 is flying by!

jacob (3 months) and buster the bear from last may.

ps...while in general time is FLYING, i was beginning to think friday was never going to get here this week. TGIF!

flashback friday

2011-04-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

this little peanut's first holiday...8 weeks old...all dressed up hanging out at church Easter Sunday, 2010.

i love this kid.

2011-04-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

he is growing up too fast right before our eyes...there have been many times where i look at him and think, "where's my baby? this is a little boy!!!" he is into eeeeeverything but so. much. fun!

a letter to my zoers

2011-02-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

zoe,

i'm writing you this letter three weeks after losing you. I'm writing this more for me than for you because you knew all the special things we shared, of this i'm certain. you knew my unending love for you up until your last day. seven and a half years ago, i remember knowing instantly that i wanted you. i will never forget looking through the glass window of your humane society room: your dark expressive eyes, that one floppy ear and most of all your BIG smile showing all your teeth. it was soooo goofy and cute! i knew i wanted you, but you chose me that day, too. boy, i had no idea how much joy you would bring to my life. i felt like i was rescuing you, like i was saving you. little did i know how you would be the one saving me. you saved me from loneliness, you saved me from feeling sad or from a boring evening or saturday afternoon, and at times you saved me from having no one to tell my deepest secrets and fears too. you loved me unconditionally. you grew to trust me in a very short time from leaving the shelter. even though the behaviorist said you would never be a dog who liked to be hugged, you gladly received my hugs and squeezes. you not only tolerated them, you liked them :)

there are so many good times with you to speak of, i find it hard to sum it up. some of my favorite times with you and memories are: coming home every single day to your smiling sneezes as soon as i opened the door, you running and pulling me on my skateboard along Mission Bay and then laying in the grass watching people and the water, watching you spot something (bunny, squirrel, cat, etc) from a mile away and go into stealth mode to try to sneak up on it (it never worked, sorry sissy), rolling around on the grass as happy as could be, as soon as we moved to Grim and you got a yard...you turned into a queen! laying on the porch keeping watch on the neighborhood and any dogs that had the nerve to walk by, you sprinting diagonally across the street to your dog cousins house, watching you run at the beach but steering clear of the ocean-you were NOT a fan! teaching you to use a doggie door with enticing treats, watching you at the dog park randomly choosing to play like crazy with one dog and ignoring the rest, hiking with you up in Oregon and your daddy having to carry you across streams because you wouldn't cross, watching you fall asleep sitting up when you were really tired, being an amazing silent begger (not annoying but intense!), you would do anything for a cheezit, they were your fave, intimidating the chickens at nana's house and constantly "checking them" by doing your laps around the yard, sleeping in bed with us every night...snuggling us for a minute or two and then turning around and giving us your booty, rubbing your face along the end of our bed every single morning, then turning around and rubbing the other side going the other way, always loving an adventure being ready to roll whenever, and loving riding in the car...even if it was just to the store and back! you rode shotgun for a long time, until you both rode in the back when we got your brother, buddy. you were so mad at us for bringing him home, but grew to LOVE him quickly. you guys were the best of buds and he misses you greatly, too. you L.O.V.E.D. your babies (any soft stuffed animal) and any time your daddy and i see a grab machine of stuffed animals we will think of you. (we would always stop, put in money, and woudn't quit until we brought you home a new baby...and you SO appreciated our efforts :)

you had such a strong and beautiful spirit, my girl. you had a presence about you that was so comforting and loving. you were an independent girl with just the right amount of 'i need my humans and i want them close.' i didn't take you for granted not for one minute. i have no regrets for our time together, although it just wasn't long enough, dangit. you became a bigger sister when we brought Jacob home. I don't think you were super comfortable with him, as you were over 12 years old and moving slower, but you were gentle with him. you would lay near him like you wanted to protect him. even though he won't remember you, i have pictures and video and i will tell him all about his first doggie.

i don't know how to end this letter, because i don't want to say goodbye. losing you that day was easily the worst day of my life. i continue to feel like a big piece of me is missing and i know i will always miss you. i will always love you. i cry tears of sadness for me because i miss you like crazy, but i am so glad you aren't in pain anymore. thank you for choosing your right time to let go, as i couldn't bear the thought of deciding it was time to let you go.

"dogs possess the best traits of human nature. they have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets." -chinese year of the dog

"what we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. all that we love deeply becomes a part of us." -helen keller

zoe, your beautiful gentle spirit and amazing sneezy smile is missed so greatly. i look forward to the day when the tears are replaced with only joyful memories. thank you for being you and enriching my life beyond measure. you will always be a part of me. i love you, my sweet sissy girl.

xxxooo,
your mama

daddy moments

2010-11-24T22:44:00.001-08:00

jacob is a lucky little boy to have a dad that loves him so! i find myself listening to the two of them from another room and i simply smile and feel joy. i love to capture their moments. today, they were practicing "how big is jacob? soooo big!" :)

costumes

2010-10-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

last year, jacob assisted my 'soccer mom' look by being a soccer ball.

here's a closer up, but this was the end of the night so the paint was a bit smeared. i thought he made a cute soccer ball :)

and this year, he's shaping up to be a pretty cute little monkey!

like father, like son?

2010-10-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

last year at the pumpkin patch...

this year at the pumpkin patch...

when i came across this photo of matt in the wheelbarrow last year, i started cracking up. of course matt would be in a wheelbarrow! and then i thought about this photo of jacob. these boys are two peas in a pod!

Flashback Friday: 8 Months Ago Today

2010-10-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

8 months ago today, we were coming home from the hospital with this peanut: he was one day old.

sports weekend

2010-10-03T20:41:00.001-07:00

I LOVE MY DUCKS! (what a game THAT was! and what a face THIS is!)

Checkin' Fantasy with his daddy.

Ready for some NFL action!

SAN DIEGO SUUUUPER-CHARGERS!

wordless wednesday: literacy

2010-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

notes to self

2010-09-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

(insert obligatory 'wow-i-really-suck-at-blogging-lately' comment.)

i'm really not fishing for any encouragement in the form of a comment from my faithful blog followers. just wanted to remember what it felt like to hit 'create new post' button :)

i'm thinking about gettin' back to bloggin'. no expectations, no 'i have to post twice per week' thoughts. just when i: a.) have the time, and b.) have something to share.

i'm loving every minute spent with my hubs and sweet babe and enjoying some freedom from the computer when i'm home. the whole going back to work thing sucks. it really, really does.

peace!

Wordless Wednesday: Waiting

2010-06-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

I know wordless Wednesdays are supposed to be just that, but I have a hard time not using any words (my husband could vouch for that.) We were headed out to a happy hour for a friend's birthday, and I literally went into the bedroom/bathroom to get ready for a few minutes...came out and no joke, they were both sleeping. [Ok, MATT could fake it if he wanted to-although he wasn't, but not the baby.] ha!

Flashback Friday

2010-06-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

One year ago this Sunday, I checked a life goal off my list...running and finishing a marathon. [And Matt ran marathon number 6] The Saturday before any race is the Expo, where you go get your race number and a goody bag and walk around with thousands of other runners getting all pumped up by the environment around you. One year ago tomorrow, Matt and I (and Mack and Kirst) were walking around the expo doing just that. Except Matt and I were pumped for another reason, we had a little secret. That Saturday morning, at 5am...we saw this:

Extreme excitement enveloped both of us (and shock and disbelief initially).

So we kept our secret (not for long!) and I finished that marathon in utter amazement that I was carrying another little life with me for 26.2 miles.
before the race about 5am:

after...yaaaaay!

We smiled on that day for two reasons. The immediate gratification that comes along with completing a major goal...and more importantly, that we knew we were embarking on what we now know as the greatest journey imaginable; parenthood. We knew we were entrusted with a miracle and felt so blessed from that day forward.

One year later, we have a name and a face for our miracle, and we are so THANKFUL.

I mean, who wouldn't love this face?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

march 9th: one month

may 13th: three months

Wordless Wednesday: Wrestle-Mania

2010-05-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

fashion friday

2010-05-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

make sure your paci matches your outfit. if your paci is two toned, your outfit better be also.

[note: this was a coincidence. i am not OCD.]

wordless wednesday

2010-05-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

a daddy and a boy

2010-05-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

jacob and matthew have lots of fun moments together and i am thankful i've been able to capture some of them on film. i love watching matt be a dad, he sure loves his boy. and i love watching jacob study his dad...he just loves him!

i LOVE this photo progression.

isn't this just the cutest?

ps. we were about to go outside, hence the floppy hat strapped on :)

fashion friday

2010-05-14T15:19:00.001-07:00

everyone needs a pair of jeans that make their butt look good.

wordless wednesday: loves of my life

2010-05-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

mama

2010-05-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

when i asked my mom what she wanted for mother's day this year, she said "repost that 'ode to mom' blog post!" so here ya go, mama. don't worry i re-read it to make sure it was all still true. i just added some new photos :o)

click here to check it out.

Flashback Friday: Dirty Edition

2010-05-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Two years ago...April 2008...Mud Run..."Team Smivey" was born! (Smith's and Harvey's...original, we know)
BC: Before Children :o)

Wordless Wednesday: {there really are no words for this moment}

2010-05-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

fridays!

2010-04-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

i love fridays these days, because that means Matt gets to spend the next two days with Jacob and I! In another feeble attempt to reinstate my blog, I am going to try a weekly Friday posting as well. I have a couple friends that either do "flashback friday" or "fashion friday." i think i might mix it up and do either/or on any given friday. now for the latter, i foresee the fashion part being represented by jacob because he has a better wardrobe than i do. plus, i never do my hair or wear anything cute for that matter. but that's okay!

as for today: Flashback Friday

we thought we knew love on this day, and we did. and the love we know now is so much deeper. March 2007

is it wednesday again already?

2010-04-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

Deed and Ry Plus Seven

pick up, not catch up

2010-04-21T18:50:00.001-07:00

rather than trying to catch up the last 2.5 months (some minor life changes, ya know...) i decided to just pick up from here. much less daunting of a task. a few of my bloggy friends do something called 'wordless wednesday' where they just post a photo that speaks volumes for itself. i really enjoy theirs, so i'm gonna give it a whirl. another cute one is 'flashback friday'...same idea.

now, while this post has many words...I am going to try to adopt the 'wordless wednesday' posting from here on out. so since today is wednesday, ahem...

ya happy now, kels? consider it blogged.

40 + 1

2010-02-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

I wondered what would happen to my little pregnancy ticker if I went past my due date. It just says "you are 40 weeks and 1 day pregnant" which is exactly right. I was hoping it wouldn't say..."your baby is one day old" :) We are just hanging out and waiting for this little guy to make his debut. well, i should rephrase...Jacob and I are hanging out (been on maternity leave for a week now and it is FABULOUS) i am so thankful i took this time to myself. Matthew is working away and waiting for my call to come home and go to the hospital! I have to say for being full-term, I feel great! I really do. I have so enjoyed this pregnancy and I am thankful!

Now, we are just ready for him to get here. In the same breath, we can't quite fully comprehend what we are about to experience. we will become parents, bringing a baby into this world and home in a matter of days.

Not just any ol' baby, but OUR baby. A new friend from our small group at church just put it in a way that I will never forget and is so true. In regards to what people say about "I hope my baby is good, or I hope my baby sleeps, etc" (sentiments I have certainly thought and expressed!) she said to remember that this baby was perfectly and uniquely designed by God for our family. It is not by accident or chance that this baby is joining our life. He is exactly WHO we are meant to have to make us a family of three. I just love that! And we are THRILLED to meet our little blessing and welcome him into our lives.

12 weeks pregnant

40 weeks pregnant!

Happy 2010

2010-01-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

No real New Year's resolutions to speak of, except that we are going to try to use reusable bags as much as possible for the grocery store (when we don't need dog poop bags).

We welcome 2010 with much anticipation and excitement of this upcoming year. Our lives are about to change dramatically with the birth of our baby boy, and we are so SO excited to meet him and see his sweet face! We have been blessed beyond words with a smooth, healthy pregnancy and surrounded by family and friends who share in our excitement and joy.

We are looking forward to many things this year has in store:

Expanding our family with the birth of our baby boy (whenever he decides to make his debut...Feb 4th?)
Whitney's family visiting San Diego to meet the lil man :)
Whitney fortunate enough to take off the rest of the school year to stay home with the baby
The birth of Karly and Kyle's baby boy (perhaps April 6th?)
The Rowland's fundraiser/La Jolla Half-Marathon and 5K (April 24/25) and a cancer-free Deed!!!!! (AMEN)
A summer trip to Oregon with two dogs and a baby in tow
Kelsey and Derek's wedding July 31st (oooh yeah, can't wait!)
Alisa and Philip's wedding in San Francisco August 7th (about time, so excited!)
Whitney's 30th birthday (they're the new 20's right?)

...and I am sure 2010 will have much, much more in store!

Oh, and back to that cliche 'resolutions' thing...I am going to try to stop lagging on the blogging in 2010. We'll see how THAT goes as a new mom! Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve...35 weeks pregnant

oh my!

2009-11-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

so, in the past week we have moved into a house and put our condo on the market!

we found a great 2 bed/2 bath craftsman house to rent in South Park. from the second we walked in to look at the place, i could see the potential and we could just picture ourselves living here. we moved this past weekend, with the help of fabulous friends! I have been having a hay-day with designing our new space and making some fun purchases :) with the help of my amazing friend deed, who most certainly has an eye for these things. it is already starting to feel like home and we have only spent 3 nights here. we are just so excited to spread out and have some space, including a yard for our furry family members! matt and i have been non-stop trying to get ourselves settled and we are doing a great job, if i do say so myself. matthew is so awesome, he puts in an 11 hour day at work (4 days a week) and comes home with a good attitude and says..."ok, what needs to get done?" and then he's on it! love him :)

photos to follow as soon as we are all settled-hopefully very soon!

August 5th and 6th

2009-11-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

The next day, we left Cambria and drove North on the 101 to Sonoma County and stayed in a cabin along the Russian River. It was a great idea in theory (one in which I was VERY excited about...taking the dogs on the trails in the Redwoods along the river, etc). Too bad I felt like complete crap (totally not recovered from the flu) and barely made it to dinner. And my dinner barely made it to my stomach before coming back up. Oh details.

The front of the place...Fern Grove Cottages

Here was our little cabin...so cute!

tired traveling dogs enjoyed snoozing by the warm woodstove

Feeling MUCH better the next morning, sitting on the porch with the pooches.

We headed out toward the last city in California along the coast...it was nothing to write home about. So much so that I can't even think of the name of the place right now. In fact, the lady at the hotel did circle the local Walmart on the map for us, as a main attraction. You think I'm kidding. The only cool things were the seals around the corner from our hotel, the fact that we got to get out of the car and sleep in a bed, and obviously the beautiful Pacific coastline.
Buddy was beside himself when the seals were making noise, it was hilarious.

Oh, and how could I forget? We drove through a tree. A BIG tree. We saw the sign and needed gas desperately, so we pulled off. why not drive through a tree if given the chance? When in Rome. It was not nearly as cool as we thought, but nonetheless a huge tree (that my Jeep barely fit through.) We made a 5 dollar donation to the Park Ranger or something like that.

I'm going to have to take a break from this summer trip revisited (however invigorating it may be for you) because there is just way too much going on in the present! Stay tuned.

August 4th

2009-10-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

In looking through iPhoto, I decided to back it up and post our trip north this past summer. Our trek began early in the morning on August 4th, when our first stop was Costa Mesa to find out the sex of our baby! The suspense was killing us, and I just happened to be 13.5 weeks pregnant when we left for Oregon...the early ultrasound place will take women who are at least 13 weeks. phew :)

me THRILLED after we just found out a baby boy would be joining our family!

proud papa sharing the good news

We left Costa Mesa and headed toward our first destination: the beautiful coastal town of Cambria. The Cambria Shores Inn was an adorable, pet-friendly B&B that was perfect!

Doggie biscuits outside the lobby to welcome our furry family members!

cheers! an afternoon martinelli's toast to our baby boy and relaxing vacation

after a walk along the boardwalk with this amazing backdrop, a cup of tea and coffee for Matt, and a gigantic homemade brownie. could this get any better?

Heart to Heart. Matt and his boy, discussing the addition of a baby brother. Buddy was okay with it.

heading to dinner... but not before my artistic attempt at the doggie on top of the mailbox silhouette. Look at this sunset!

The next morning, we got up and headed North along the 101 toward our quaint little cabin along the Russian RIver. To be continued.

highlights

2009-10-18T19:27:00.001-07:00

Mr. Wyatt Parker Smith was born on September 29th. Healthy and adorable!

I am 24 weeks...and our little guy is a mover and a shaker!

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch this past weekend on the hottest freaking day ever...it was seriously 95 degrees. Good idea in theory, wished it was cold and fall-ish.

Who needs pumpkins, when you can wheel around this?

older and half-way there

2009-09-24T19:15:00.001-07:00

holy moly, do i have some blogging to do! i have so many things to write about, but don't have the energy right now for any of it!

thank you to everyone who made my birthday a fabulous one. for making me feel so loved :) matthew took me out to dinner at one of my favorite spots...il fornaio in coronado, looking across the bay to downtown-beautiful! (plus, realllllllly delicious italian food)

oh yeah! and i am 21 weeks pregnant today and have started feeling our little man move! it is the coolest thing ever-i can't wait for matt to be able to feel him too! these 2 pictures are me at 20 weeks, half-way!

couldn't resist

2009-09-13T16:13:00.001-07:00

who could resist this purchase? matt's shoe serves as a comparison to show how tiny these Vans are!! our little man is gonna be kickin' it in style :)

goodbye to summer

2009-09-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

let's see, over the past month we have:

-found out we're having a BOY!
-driven 1,200 miles up the coast all the way to Lincoln City, OR staying in fabulous places along the way
-hung out on the OR coast for a weekend
-gone to 3 weddings collectively (we went to one together, and each went to one separately!)
-had an ultrasound with my family so they could get a sneak peak of our little man in there
-vacationed in Eagle Crest and Lake Billy Chinook with my sis, Roo, and his fabulous family!
-floated in the lake with coors lights (sprite/water) by day and played games by night
-Had a party at my parent's house to celebrate baby boy Harvey
-helped plan and attend a fantastic engagement party for Kels and Derek
-spent lots of time drinking coffee and relaxing with good family
-met baby Piper, Court and Sean's beautiful new little girl
-hiked the beautiful Oregon wilderness
-watched our dogs LOVE spending so much time outside
-watched my belly grow to a noticeable (yet still questionably pregnant to a stranger) size
-driven 1,100 miles straight down I-5 all the way home in one day
-gone back to work and spent time preparing for our students and the opening of the school year

I'm positive I must have missed something, but the bulleted list was a tactic used to make the recall seem less daunting. I have pictures to share and more details to come...perhaps, this weekend when I take a much needed break and welcomed distraction from lesson planning! Overall, it was a wonderful and relaxing break. It is hard to say goodbye to summer!

a journey

2009-08-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

we are leaving for a month long journey tomorrow morning, bright and early!

i am very thankful we are going to be able to leave on time because i got crazy sick over the weekend. sick like i can't remember the last time. it was some kind of lovely virus that brought with it extreme aches all over my body, fever, and a croup cough. matt was out of town on his annual boys golf weekend in palm springs. :( he felt so bad being away when i got sick. so, today (monday) i am slowly recovering...aches are gone, fever is gone. now i am left with a nasty cough that makes me gag when it gets going, and an awesome manly voice.

despite the rough weekend, we are very excited to embark on our adventure! we are headed up the 101 with three destination spots before we arrive at the beach in Oregon. Cambria is first, then Fern Grove (along the Russian River), and finally Crescent City. Looking forward to each spot, and only about a 5 hour drive each day! The dogs are watching us pack and crossing their fingers we take them with us when we go. of course we are taking the kids!

anyway, i am very thankful my health has mostly returned and we are able to leave as scheduled. I will post our journey but probably not until we get settled up in Oregon. Can't wait to spend quality time with my family!!

Until then...

TheBabyHarveyGame!

2009-07-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Come on over and play:

http://www.expectnet.com/games/TheBabyHarveyGame

Maybe I will have a prize for the winner...wait, I know... we will name our child after the winner. Ok, probably not that but will you play anyway?

Thank you Anne for the fun idea! :)

158 bpm

2009-07-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

a heartbeat. the undeniable signal of life. a beautiful miracle!

today, we go to hear our sweet babe's heart beating fiercely a mile a minute! it was going 158 beats/minute! (which matt made sure was totally normal by asking our doc what "normal" is)

i can't quite explain it, but i will try. this ride called pregnancy has been a series of stages-both mental and physical.

first, i saw the POSITIVE on the stick i just peed on and could hardly believe it was true! it really did take a few days for the thought alone to sink in.

over the next few weeks, i convinced myself to believe i was actually pregnant. (and the ridiculously sore boobs for weeeeeeks on end helped me believe it.)

then after what seemed like an eternity, we finally get to go to the doctor for an ulrasound at 9 weeks! this was unreal to actually SEE with our own eyes a tiny human inside me. we also got to see the heartbeat...which was a little flicker on the screen going really fast! i cried.

and now today...4 weeks later and back at the doc (13 weeks now), we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. incredible. we knew it was beating all along and we know we are growing a baby, but something about that audible reminder of life in there was absolutely amazing! at that moment, i felt a connection to this little being, and i felt like i can't wait to meet him or her.

we also got to meet our OB today, dr. goldstein. I love my nurse practitioner, but was very excited and anxious to meet our doc today! he came by great recommendation by my friend joy olson, and now i see why. he delivered baby olson by chance because he was on-call and joy said he was amazing...especially because their little guy had a tough entrance into the world. dr. goldstein is older and has probably delivered a bazillion babies! he was so nice and caring and made us feel like he had all the time in the world for us. thank you so much joy for having titus when you did so dr. G could be our guy, too! :)

oh yeah, and somewhere in that time frame above, my pants started getting tight and uncomfortable. but somehow i lost one pound in the last 4 weeks? weird.

that's all for now!

i gotta quit

2009-07-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

i gotta quit watching reality tv.

ok, the only reality tv i watch is the bachelor/bachelorette. but this is getting ridiculous! i don't know what it is about that show that draws me in. maybe i find something enjoyable about watching strangers falling in love with each other in a matter of weeks in exotic places.

i just get too wrapped up in it, and i get all emotional! (no, i know what you're thinking. not because i am pregnant. i was extremely emotional last season of the bachelor and i was not pregnant then!) i am a little sensitive about the emotional thing, considering the other day i cried in the car at a country song i have heard a thousand times. oh brother. but that's another story.

you see, i am a little fired up tonight (hence the blogging) after the finale of the bachelorette because i reeeeally liked the guy who didn't win the girl in the end. i liked him all along (from SD too!) and it came down to him and one other guy (who was also cool) but i just liked the one who didn't win more. so i turn off the tv shocked and bummed and a little mad, because i have been waiting in suspense all week to see who she picked-hoping she picked the 'right' one. as if i know who the right person is for her? hardly.

why am i so upset? i am already married to my best friend and don't have to live her life. and she is totally happy! gosh, the whole thing is just stupid how wrapped up i get, hence back to my point: i think i need to quit watching the show. we will have to see who the next Bachelor is for the next season. i have a feeling i am not going to be able to quit the show.

i suppose there are worse things. maybe i should just get a hold on myself and my emotions.

12 weeks!

2009-07-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

i am officially done with my first trimester.

nuts!

some days, i feel like i am showing more than others. it is kinda weird! but don't worry, according to babycenter.com i should be noticing my "waist thickening."

lovely.

and they say "you may be showing already, especially if it is your second baby." oops. first baby. oh well...bring on the baby bump early!

here is my 12 week photo. (i only made matt take about 7 and this is as good as it gets)

can you see the bump? trust me, it's there. and i can't suck it in anymore!

delaying gratification?

2009-07-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

how do people wait 40 weeks in order to be surprised at birth with a boy or a girl?

that amazes me.

good thing we are having a baby in this day and age with all this technology, because we are dying to know what we are having. it's a good thing matt is the same way. we can't even wait until 20 weeks like normal people, to find out from our doctor! so following the footsteps of several of our friends, we are going to try to find out with an extra ultrasound as early as we can, between 13 and 14 weeks! (provided of course that baby is not being shy and cooperates by showing the goods.)

i think it is cool when people wait until birth, but i also think the surprise of finding out when we do will be just as sweet.

i'm kinda bad at delaying gratification. i'm also kinda bad at surprises. drives me nuts!

sneak preview

2009-07-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

I told you I took "before" pictures of my new classroom. It is still a work in progress, but I hope by the end of next week it will be done and ready for September! (I plan to go in for a couple hours here and there...don't worry, I won't be working all next week.)

Here is a sneak preview for you of the mess I had on my hands:

and because this is a nice bulletin board (not faded at all), it was so nice of the previous teacher to not take it down. euw.

of course i care about fairness.caring.trustworthiness.respect... but that hot mess went straight in the garbage can!

I will post the rest 'before/after' style and can't wait to share my new digs when it's done!

keeping it real

2009-07-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

since this blog is called, "a day in the life" i thought i should capture some happenings around here.

buddy finishing off the jar of peanut butter while we are laughing at how determined he is. aaaand how his lips curl up bearing teeth when he is licking. not to mention the foaming of the mouth.

zoe letting matt stack all her babies on top of her back

matt snuggling with his leading lady

i mean really, what would we do without our dogs?

matt's new murse

2009-07-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

for those of you unfamiliar with the term, let me define it for you.

murse = man purse

if you know my husband at all, you would know that he is never thrilled to hold my purse for me. i need him to hold my purse for a variety of reasons at various times and locations. he complies begrudgingly, but usually holds it far away from his body and is thrusting it back at me, before i am actually ready to have it back. thank you. geeesh! i usually say "cute murse" as he is holding it, which probably doesn't help.

today, between the hours of 8am and 7pm (nice short window there) UPS was bringing matthew a new toy. he was prepared to wait all day for the man in brown, because his package required a signature and he wasn't about to let the man walk away from our door still carrying his package. thankfully for matt, they came mid morning and he didn't have to wait until 6:55pm.

matt was sooOooOo excited to show me his new toy AND the "carrying case" it came with. I told him his "carrying case" closely resembled a murse. but did he care? nope! because that murse had a brand new range finder inside. he immediately trotted off to the golf course with his murse over his shoulder to go show off, ahem...try out....his range finder.

maybe i'll put his range finder in my purse next time i want him to willingly take on the task of holding it.

look how excited he is!

transformation

2009-07-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

a massive transformation is what i need in my new classroom. i wish they had an extreme makeover-classroom edition. They should have that! i would totally sign up.

it was a complete disaster as of this morning, combining my stuff just plopped in the room everywhere and all the left behind crap (not so thrilled about that). now it is just a minor disaster, thanks to an entire morning devoted to cleaning, getting trash/old nasty furniture out, bookshelves moved, and my furniture set up. The beginnings of how i want my new room is taking shape nicely! matt came with me, to move all the heavy stuff and i i finally got vision of the set-up that utilizes my space the best. as much as moving rooms sucks, it is a good way to get a fresh start and purge crap you've been holding onto for years and not using!

don't worry, i took before pictures. and i can't wait until i am done and can take after pictures!!

...lil peanut...

2009-07-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

There were two things I personally wanted to accomplish before having kids: 1.) finish grad school with a MA, and 2.) run a marathon.

It's a darn good thing I ran the marathon this year, because we've got a peanut on board! Yep, that's right...take a look for yourself :)

We decided to start trying after our anniversary this year, and were pleasantly surprised with how soon it happened (and a little shocked and in disbelief for a while!) It was so surreal and hard to comprehend at first! I took 3 tests just to make sure the first one wasn't lying :)

The day before the marathon (May 30) I woke up at 5am and knew I wanted to take a test. It was a few days before I was actually supposed to miss my period, but I was just too curious and felt like I might be (ie. sore boobs for 2 weeks-what?!) So....5am, I wake up, and go pee on a stick.

Matt is soundly sleeping in bed. In the next room over, I anxiously await the little blinking hour glass trying to look away and not stare at it. When it read PREGNANT and there was no 'NOT' in front of it, my heart started beating sooOoooOoo fast! I couldn't believe it, i wasn't sure I did believe it!

Nonetheless, I went straight back to get in bed with wide eyes and a pounding heart! Matt stirred and I quickly said "hi!" and he groggily answered "hi babe." I said "are you going back to sleep?" (as if he wasn't clearly still sleeping to begin with) and he said "yeah, I am tired...are you okay?" to which I quickly replied, "yah. I'm great. but I don't think I can go back to sleep!" Then I just blurted out "I'm pregnant!" It was adios to all the cute ways I had previously thought about telling him when the time came. It was 5 o'clock in the morning, and I certainly wasn't able to wait for him to go back to sleep for a couple hours! He flipped over, opened his eyes, looked at me and said "really?!" Then, he said "Yes! My boys can swim!" That's my baby daddy right there. We shared some time of excitement and almost disbelief and then more excitement!

The whole time I was running the marathon the next day, I was thinking to myself, "dang, I'm awesome. I can't believe I am doing this pregnant!" (haha) and "I get to tell my kid that they ran a marathon with me in the womb!" :)

the same verdict :)

daddy to be

me

It was so hard to hang out with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law all day at the expo and not tell them! We just wanted to confirm it, and believe it ourselves before telling everyone!

we got this cute idea from our friends, dust and kimmie, to have our four-legged kids help us with the announcement to our families! Bud and Zoe were champs for sporting the BIG BROTHER and BIG SISTER t-shirts I made for them (even though they hated every minute of it).

Both our families could not be more excited! I am almost 10 weeks, and I am due February 4th! I will keep you posted with info and photo documentation of me expanding as the babe grows :)

2009-07-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

oh blog, how i have neglected you recently.

it's funny because i really thought i'd post more in the summer because i have more time. i have gotten so far behind now, it takes some serious energy and time investment to get caught up. and, boy do we have a lot of things to share! lots going on lately! if you read my blog, just wanted to let you know i still remember the URL address and will get all caught up very soon!

promise.

hope everyone had a great 4th of july!

like a glove

2009-07-03T15:22:00.001-07:00

i was so proud of my parallel park job, i had to bust out my phone and take a picture so i could remember it always. and i'd be lying if i said i didn't also fully plan to brag to matt about it with photo evidence. i got in the spot the first try. both cars were still there when i was ready to leave and that was a different story. it took about 78 point turns to get out. for your viewing pleasure:

...s u m m e r...

2009-06-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

oh how i love you, summer! you came so fast this year..i can't quite believe you are already here.

i plan to do so much in my time with you:
read books
read magazines
go to the pool and lay my white-ass out (while engaging in the first two items listed)
go to the gym and go running at whatever time i please
sit around and do nothing
hang out with my homeboy
go to breakfast
go to the beach
go to the dog park and on long dog walks
watch useless daytime television if i please (i'm quite sure i won't do that but it sounded fun to say)
have a second cup of coffee and lounge in my PJ's
and i'm sure we will think of more things to add to the list!

awe, summer. you have arrived and i couldn't be happier!

letter

2009-06-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Dear eighth graders,

Two years ago I made the jump from teaching 6th grade to teaching 8th grade. If I must be honest, I was a little nervous to teach you because many of you are bigger and taller than me. A part if me wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, that my classroom management was strong enough to handle big bad 8th graders. While yes...some of you are very challenging, I absolutely adore you! I love how you are mini-adults who can think for yourselves and carry on good conversation. I like that when I say "how are you?" or "have a good weekend" most of you return the regard to me and genuinely care about my answer. I love how you get my sarcasm and laugh at most of my jokes. I really like how if you are messing around, I can give you a look and say "really?" and you will realize you are being ridiculous and stop. I love how many of you take responsibility for yourself. All of you have taught me things along the way and I am grateful. Be confident in who you are, both as a student and a person. Remember you have all the power in the world to do whatever you want to do and be whoever you want to be. Don't give your power away by letting other people or circumstances keep you down. It has been SO fun watching you grow and mature and get ready for high school. It is the last day of 8th grade and you are ready now. You will go on to do great things I'm sure! I sincerely hope you come back to visit me, because I will miss you. I hate that I only get to know you on campus for one year and then you're gone. Embrace change because it helps you grow as a person. Enjoy every minute of the present! Stay focused on your goals and dreams and your future will be bright! You better come back and visit me!!

Love, Mrs. Harvey

hard questions

2009-06-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

bad things happening to good people is just so hard to understand. maybe impossible. several months ago i read "The Shack" in hopes of being enlightened on this very issue in a spiritual sense. i certainly got a lot out of the book and found it an amazing a unique way to look at God. and how humans and one-size fits all religion has done a really good job of turning people away from God for good reason. the book does address the topic of bad things happening, but i did not get a good enough answer that i can wrap my brain around. especially when it comes to something like cancer. it is so so unfair. and heart-breaking and ruthless. and recently, has been all too prevalent.

my friend and former colleague from Wilson just passed away from cancer Sunday. she was a strong and beautiful and funny and confident woman and mother of three. she was a selfless person who genuinely cared about everything about my life. she was so fun to be around. she won her first battle with breast cancer more than 2 years ago. it came back in her bones and quickly spread. megan, i know i told you often how you inspired me and we had many conversations about your strengths and weaknesses in your battle. you are amazing and i miss you.

this photo is megan and her husband, chris, at our wedding. she was rockin' one of her fabulous wigs!

i am sorry for the downer, but it was on my heart and the least i could do is honor the beautiful person she was. Keep her family in your thoughts and prayers if you think about it. Her kids are Kyle, Patrick and Kate (the baby girl who is 4).

Rockin' n Rollin'

2009-05-29T19:11:00.001-07:00

i will be running my first full marathon this sunday, and matt will be completing his sixth! matt will finish about 3 hours before me, but that's okay!! thankfully, i will have my buddies kirstin and mack with me to provide lots of encouragement for each other. kirstin has been encouraging me this whole time of training, when i was thinking i probably couldn't actually end up doing the marathon. now, i am so thankful for her encouragement and sooooo excited for the challenge (okay, and a bit nervous also, but mostly excited!!!)

i am fairly certain this event will be the single most challenging thing, both mentally and physically, that i have ever done in my life!

i told my students that if for some reason i didn't show back up to school for the next two weeks...then i probably died.

i couldn't be more excited to experience it with my most fabulous sister-in-law and brother-in-law!!! oh, and don't worry...kirstin and i have matching outfits and we will look cute, no matter how tired and haggard we are by the end :) i will post pictures for sure!

until then, here is one of my lovely hubby in marathon number three (his fave photo).

he's a rockstar

photo fun

2009-05-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

hhhmmm...am I am Oregon girl or a Cali girl at heart? Can I be both? This WWII Memorial was amazing.

Here are some of my best shots of the week on the East Coast. I have had fun learning my camera and look forward to having more time to practice this summer!

Washington Monument

State Capitol Building

The Metro

A banner I liked in the Library of Congress

I found my next anniversary present. The Hope Diamond

Sunset on the Potomac River (and a couple of kayakers)

A White House and a Brown Bird. ok, the White House and a regular bird.

Arlington. Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers

Intense.

Yes. I concur.

Mt. Vernon. George's ol' stomping grounds.

Lightpost in Central Park

Resident New Yorker

I could spend some time here.

A peek at the City

Little in the Big City

Curb Your Dog? Was that necessary?

what's your favorite picture? I'd love to know!!

visitors!

2009-05-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

my sister and derek (her fabulous fiance) fly into town tonight to hang out with us for the long weekend!!! matt and i have been thinking/planning all kinds of fun things to do with them while they are here! we are SO excited!!!! derek has never been to san diego (hard to believe!) so it will be extra fun to be able to show him around our city. i will take lots of photos to document our fun!

the home stretch

2009-05-17T18:56:00.001-07:00

i am back from the east coast trip, slept half the weekend and played half the weekend (nice combo) and not quite ready to go back to work tomorrow. i believe people who talk about jet-lag now. man, it jacks you up! well, plus a crazy-packed week seeing every sight to see in DC and a mini new york visit...getting 4 hours of sleep per night and going non-stop all day! that might have had something to do with it also.

i honestly can't believe we only have 4 weeks of school left. testing is done, it really is the home stretch. i am excited for summer but really going to miss this group of students...i love them! we will see if i love them when i get to school tomorrow and assess the damage done after an entire week of subs.

East Coast '09

2009-05-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

Three days in Washington DC down, headed to New York tomorrow. Having a fabulous time, kids are great, aaaand I'm exhausted.

midnight thirty...so overdue for bed.

ode to my mom

2009-05-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

i love my mom. a mother and a daughter could not have been matched more perfectly.

she is fabulous and wonderful and silly and caring. she is hilarious at times but often thinks she is hilarious when she's not. she cracks up at her own jokes. she is forgiving and gracious. and feisty and sassy. she is a big dork. sometimes she's a brat (but who's perfect?) she loves her family like crazy. she is genuinely fun to be around. she's not so fashionable and loves goodwill. she's resourceful. and good to have around if the power goes out :) she keeps it real and tells it like it is. she gets excited about the red starbucks christmas cups. she has always believed in me and made sacrifices for me. she was the best fan and at every game of every season. she has major ADD when it comes to task completion. she cries when she laughs hard. and sometimes pees her pants. she'd give you the shirt off her back. she is friendly with everyone she meets. she loves camping and adventure and dogs. she is the world's slowest driver and it's so annoying. she has never not been there for me when i needed her. she loves matthew like her own son. she is my friend. one of my very best friends who i can share anything with.

i am so very grateful for my mom.

i consider myself lucky to have not one, but four moms that all mean the world to me! thank you to each of you for the special part you play in my life.

Happy Mother's Day!

...?

2009-05-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

I saw this little 'complete the sentence' activity on my friend kel's blog. hers made me crack up, but she's a funny person in general! i am going to write the first thing that comes to mind-regardless.

My ex...got smart and married me.

Maybe I should...go to the gym more than one day in a row.

I love...matthew, my family, and my awesome friends!

People would say that I'm...upbeat and happy.

I don't understand...bad drivers. they suck. it's not that hard!

When I wake up in the morning...i hit snooze and go back to sleep. 7 more minutes.

I lost...my patience today with an annoying kid.

Life is full of...ups and downs, but many more ups than downs!

My past is...my past. i have no regrets and it has shaped who i am today.

I get annoyed when...kids tap their pencils on desks.

Parties are...eh, whatever. i like birthday parties!

I wish...we could rent out our condo and rent a cute house with a yard.

Dogs...make life joyful. couldn't even imagine life without 'em.

Cats...I could do without. except for Rico, I love him!!!

Tomorrow...is thursday.

I have a low tolerance...for ignorance. and ill-mannered people.

If I had a million dollars...I would buy a house and lots of jeans and shoes, and pay for my sister's wedding, and save a bunch! sorry that the jeans and shoes thought came before your wedding kels:)

I'm totally terrified...of change. it freaks me out.

The End.

...vino...

2009-05-04T17:42:00.001-07:00

last weekend, we went wine tasting for our friend Scott's 32nd birthday. Meghan (his wifey) rented a party bus so we could all go together! It was the first time I have ever been wine tasting, and we had so much fun!!

fun on the bus :)

matt and kirstin being weirdos :)

meghan's mom dori, me, kirstin, meghan...at callaway winery

me, kirst, meg

sisters...on the bus :)

afterward, we all went to Fidel's...delicious mexican food...in Carlsbad. the birthday boy had a little too much to drink. this picture is so funny!

i had another fab weekend this past one (well as fabulous as it can be with your husband out of town) so it was pretty dang fabulous! haha just kidding Matthew. like he reads this blog anyway! kirstin and shelby (dog cousin) came down to spend the night with bud, zoe, and i. highlights including but not limited to: dinner at baja betty's, mini 2 person dance party in the living room, long walk to get coffee and around the neighborhood on a beautiful san diego morning, bagels at einsteins and a little shopping in hillcrest! we had so much fun and need to do it more often!! :)

Crate and Barrel?

2009-04-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

i stopped on the way home from work to day and bought some tulips...just because! then i got home and arranged them in a vase. i realized our dining room table (that i had been avoiding tidying up for quite some time) did not have a square inch of table showing. the surface was littered with mail and various other random things I had previously needed to put away. i contemplated just moving the piles around and making space for a 2 inch diameter vase. then i thought better of it. the actual thought that popped into my head was "these flowers are so pretty, and if i clean all this crap up, then my table will look like it is straight out of a catalogue!!"

immediately inspired.

i am going to enjoy my clean beautiful table until the flowers die or the mail piles back up... whichever comes first :)

load of whites + ballpoint pen = :(

2009-04-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

deep breath.
this really sucks.
they're just clothes.
but it really sucks. bad.

at least i got to wear my brand new cute nordy's shirt once before it got ruined. and matt got many, many wears out of that quicksilver button down. i stopped taking inventory on all the casualties of the load. it was too many to count. the socks were the only salvageable items...because who cares about black and white polka-dotted no-see 'em socks?

hiatus

2009-04-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

hiatus from taco bell that is. we got in the habit of me grabbing taco bell about once/week on my way home from coaching club. well, we still probably get it for dinner once every 2 weeks...just because. matt likes the fresco menu (healthier) and i love bean and cheese burritos, no onions!

i am pretty sure i got food poisoning last night and the only thing it could have been was...alas...my beloved burrito from taco bell. let me tell you, my friends, it was not pretty. i woke up at 4am, headed straight to the bathroom and proceeded to stay there for an hour and a half :( it was coming out both ends. simultaneously. sitting on the toilet puking in the bathtub. i was in bad shape! gross, i know. sorry was that tmi? hahaaa. i was sweating like crazy and then freezing cold. bleh! i woke matt up and asked him to call me a sub because there was no way i was making it in today.

at first i thought i was coming down with the flu, but as today has progressed, i feel much MUCH better, which makes me think food poisoning! thank goodness not the flu. i couldn't take any more of that yuckiness. as it was, in the wee hours of the morning i reverted to a small child and thought to myself "i want my mommy!" anytime i was sick, she would sit in the bathroom, give me a cold washcloth to put on my forehead, and rub my back. thinking of how stinky the bathroom was, man! what a good mom!! thanks mom! :) i know matt would have sat up with me but i also knew there was nothing he could do, so i wanted to let him sleep!

matt made me a sandwich last night to take to work today, and i found it when i woke up this morning :)

CST Testing...

2009-04-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

BLEH! boring!

i have to admit, i do like the peace and quiet...but there is only so much productive work i can get done that is quiet, while getting up every few minutes to "actively proctor." good thing too, because my last circle around the room, i realized one of my students was in the complete wrong section of his answer document. good thing i was actively proctoring. i would look like the idiot who wasn't paying attention if i didn't catch it!

anyway, i'm going to stand on my soap box for a minute. because i can. it is so ridiculous how testing is regarded as the end all be all determining factor in our students' and school's performance. have you ever seen the test? it infuriates me. it is written in confusing language with twisted questions. as i look over their shoulders at the various questions, i just want to help them...because i know they know the content being asked, it just needs clarification. too bad i signed an affidavit saying i will give up my first born if i don't follow all the rules. and helping kids succeed on this test is breaking a rule.

once again, our school (and our teachers) will be judged based on these results and we can only hope we show improvement to last year and grow in our number of points. nevermind all the poor second language students who are new to the country. nevermind our struggling students who are many levels below grade level. i should just be used to it by now, this is my 6th year in this district. however, i think it is dangerous to just sit back and say "oh well." what's the balance? is me as a teacher knowing in my heart how many gains my students have made enough? screw the rest of them? i can't change the current system, so why bother getting worked up about it?

we are supposed to be miracle workers here! ok, stepping down now (off my soap box) if you are still with me, thanks for listening! :)

anyway...this is the downhill slope of the year. we have 7 weeks of school left after this week. crazy! i am pretty sure this year is my best group of students ever. i will sure miss them....but i will also sure welcome summer with open arms!!!

whirlwind

2009-04-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

friday
1:00 pm: left for las vegas in two 15 passenger vans, with the RMS cheer squad for the US Finals.
7:30 pm: arrived in vegas. checked into the hotel. went to dinner on the strip...casino buffet.
11:00 pm: back to hotel. in bed about 30 seconds after taping all the girls doors shut and lecturing them that if the tape is broken, they are dead.
11:30ish pm: fall asleep after a looOoong day

saturday
5:30am: up to begin helping with hair (prepping with flat iron for stylist) and make-up. continental breakfast and many, many cups of coffee in a tiny styrofoam cup. matt slept until about 7...well, half slept as much as you can with doors slamming and excited/nervous cheerleaders in and out of the hallways/rooms.
9:30 am: matt and i sneak away to a pub next to the hotel to play some video poker. we thought las vegas needed some of our money.
11:00 am: leave for the convention center
1:36 pm: girls perform a fantastic routine!
2:15 pm: matt and i go get him lunch at the venetian (connected to convention ctr) and then think better of giving away our money, and win some of it back on a slot machine. we still made a small donation to the nevada economy. is that tax deductible, by the way?
3:00 pm: awards cermony where we found out we won FIRST place in our division! Yeah!
4:00 pm: load the vans. san diego or bust. *note: this is less than 24 hours after we arrived. holy schmoly, it was crazy.
10:00ish pm: arrive in san diego. disperse students to their parents at school and return rental vans.
11:00 pm: home sweet home. bed sweet bed. zzzzzzzzzzzz.

a couple shots of their performance

waiting for score/results

champions!

team shot with their new jackets that say "US Finals Champion"

sunday: relaxing! (well, i went and got a pedicure and matt went to get a new golf club/driving range). plus the usual weekend chores-laundry, grocery store.

we are so proud of our girls!! hope everyone had a GREAT weekend.

dance party

2009-04-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

for Christmas this past year, my in-laws (sis and robert) gave us Bose speakers to fashionably accessorize our Mac desktop they gave us the year before (yes.....they are way too good to us!) the funny thing is, we just picked up our Christmas presents from their house on Easter! [we left them there, because we left that same night to drive to Oregon and they wouldn't fit in our packed car! and we are slackers and hadn't been to their house since Christmas] we did, however, get a sneak preview of our cool gift all set up when we visited my brother and sister-in-law (mike and kirstin) because we often times get the same cool gifts!! The twins are used to the same gift thing and always liked to look at what the other just opened to see what they were getting...potentially in a different color :)

so i came home from the gym tonight and matt had the speakers all set up. naturally, we had to check out the capabilities of the sound, right? after all, Bose is the best company in the world when it comes to sound! i'm sure you can see where i'm going with this one. this scenario yielded itself to none other than an impromptu dance party in the living room.

just the three of us.

matt. me. and kanye west [Stronger].

our dance party was short-lived for a couple of reasons: 1) the dogs were looking at us like we were nuts, and 2) we were fairly certain our downstairs neighbors would be knocking on the door shortly due to the insanely good [and loud] sound and bass.

okay, story time is over for now! Thanks for the rockin' speakers Sis and Robert...they are fabulous!!

job update

2009-04-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

we have them next year, and we are thankful!

matt is continuing to loop with his students, which he loves. this year he has 6th and 8th graders, and next year he will have 6th and 7th graders.

i taught 6th grade for the first 4 years of my career, have taught 8th grade for the past 2 years, and will be going back to 6th grade next year. *sigh*

In short, the study skills class I have been teaching is being eliminated due to budget constraints and a master schedule change for next year. I really enjoy 8th graders. I don't have the right credential to teach a core class at the 8th grade level. [It's ironic that I could teach at a junior college with my MA degree, but not "highly qualified" to teach 7th-12th grade English]

I am thankful I get to stay at Roosevelt and there is a job for me there. I am thankful Roosevelt is one mile from our front door. I am thankful that I already know the curriculum for 6th grade English and History.

I am not so thankful that I don't get to teach 8th graders next year. I am also not so thankful that I have to move classrooms (ugh.) and give up my huge room that I scored this year. (6th graders are isolated in their own little bubble, away from the big bad 7th/8th graders.) Maybe that's because they are so little and immature and wimpy. Oh sorry, I got carried away. I am still trying to be okay with going back down to this grade level :)

To end on a positive note, we only have 9 weeks left of school including this week! crazy!!!

two!

2009-04-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

isn't my husband so sweet? man, i just melted at that last post. ahem. cough cough. actually, in his weird and sarcastic way, he is pretty cute. good thing i think so, huh?

so last week was 2 years married! it seems like not very long ago that i wrote this post. we decided a relaxing week in julian was exactly what we needed (and how we'd spend our spring break.) i love how appropriately timed our anniversary is with a recurring week long break (don't think i didn't have that in mind when choosing a wedding date!) anyway, i digress. we threw our stuff [and the dogs] in the car and headed up the mountain. i got a sunburn and frostbite in the same week. ok, not really frostbite, but a crazy storm for one day. and i really did sunburn my chest sitting outside reading! i read a book cover to cover. we played a lot of cards (i got my butt kicked at rummy...2 nights in a row. i made a heck of a comeback though.) played bananagrams. watched 3 movies. drank julian apple cider. walked the dogs on the trails.

documentation of us having fun :)

trailer watchdogs. (please excuse buddy, he's a little too excited)

hanging out in town

mimosas. cheers to two years!

lounging dogs :) they have a tough life.

my man and my girl

matt cracking a book [and a beer]

kisses for zoers

visiting the "big dogs" by our site. matt pulled all the good green grass they couldn't reach (on our side of the fence) and gave them a little snack :)

clear chilly night and super bright stars and a campfire. and a couple of goofs. heavenly.

exploring the far side of the pond

that murky water was really enticing for our boy, bud

log jumping. ready. set. goooooo!

i'll leave you with a couple family photos. you can't even tell i just booked it across the grass squealing/laughing as the beeping of the camera got faster and faster :)

Anniversary Blog

2009-03-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

So apparently I am going to do this anniversary blog, which is great and all except it wouldn't quite be great unless a little honest humor came into play. It has been a wonderful two years with the Mrs. and I look forward to finding new and creative ways to annoy her and make her question taking vows with me in the first place. No, seriously! For example, blowing my nose into my hand without a tissue just excites her beyond belief followed by rolling it up and throwing it into the trash can, wiping my goatee full of toothpaste on the towel, the traditional urination on the bathroom floor (guys, you know what i'm talkin' about in the a.m.), and the endless farting without notice in bed and in the car followed by that oh so familiar giggle. I love my wife and I love her beyond belief. She is the one person I can go to for anything and there is nothing in the world I would do to change that...Honest. I lOVE YOU WHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

field trippin

2009-03-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Museum of Tolerance. Los Angeles, CA. 300...YES, three huuuundred 8th graders. 6 charter buses. 22 chaperones. 5+ hours of driving (2 movies) and a 3-hour tour. Great kids who mostly behaved themselves. One tired, tired teacher who organized it all (that's me).

A message of TOLERANCE and HUMAN RIGHTS.

this sums up my day nicely.

Chao.

www.museumoftolerance.com

remember how i said i was done coaching?

2009-03-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

i lied.

sorry, but i did.

i kinda thought i was done coaching, but then had the opportunity to coach the girls team at Roosevelt MS and i kinda couldn't pass it up. plus, i think of it as a weening process...this team is waaaaaaaaay less of a commitment than club. i train them once per week (at RMS...no driving 25 minutes to the field!) and we play in a middle school league, 8 or 10 saturday games from today through may. and nothing over the summer is the important part.

so, i have been drinking my coffee sitting in my jammies putting together a line-up and strategizing in my head...what all good coaches do right? :)

so, i am off to go pick up a player (who's our neighbor) to go to the game with my loving husband with his pom poms in tow (just kidding, due to previous posts about cheerleading and matthew, maybe i shouldn't joke about pom poms.) he is coming to watch and support me and the kids in our first game!

p.s. i kinda miss my club team. ok, not kinda...a lot. but don't tell anyone. then i think about how much more free time i will have aaaaaaaall summer and next fall through spring, and i am happy again i am not coaching all-consuming club.

GOOO ROUGHRIDERS! (yes, that's our RMS mascot)

the weekend

2009-03-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Matthew was out of town in San Jose at a PE conference last weekend and I had lots of events to attend! Aside from getting sick with a yucky head cold and feeling generally like crap most the weekend, I had a great time. Our good friend Alisa and her man, Philip, came into town from SF for the weekend of events as well.

We celebrated Deed's birthday on Friday night at the Spaghetti Factory (it's back!) downtown. Here's the ladies:

Saturday was our good friend, Rachel's wedding, at a beach house in Oceanside! It was a gorgeous day, couldn't have been more perfect! Rach was beautiful and wore an amazing dress. It was fun to see her and Rob so happy on their day :)

the back of her dress was HOT!

rach and her dad :)

kim, lis, me

the girls

me, evan, and melissa getting our groove on :)

is it only wednesday today? it can't be.

trip to Colorado: photo blog

2009-03-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

the girls in front of our cherry bomb mini we rented for the weekend

me and cam, hanging out. he is sooo sweet, i love him.

landon. big boy! i love him too.

just landon hangin with the girls

this picture is funny because we are all looking elsewhere and landon is the only one paying attention to the camera. doing his "one arm trick!!"

deed, kim, crystal [camden], me, lynds [landon]

deed and landon sharing a moment :)

camden has the best facial expressions!

deed and kim with a cat on the sidewalk. they hate cats and are really allergic so we thought it appropriate to stop for a photo opp.

lyndsy and landon at ice cream

the girls [and landon!] after some shopping and lunch

landon was hot apparently. he doesn't like his car seat very much :)

little cam man...so serious. and so cute!

camden's little feet

uum, landon...that's not very nice. (lyns loves this one! i was cracking up!!!)

girls night out, downtown denver! thanks jonathan for staying home with the boys :)

out to dinner at lime. me, cp, deed

on the dance floor. just like old times :)

Happy 30th birthday, LYNS! Chris wanted to send lyns on a girls trip for her 30th birthday present (lyns and cp have the same bday!) we all decided to go with her and i am so glad! it was so much fun to spend time with these girls, see cp and jonathan's new house and most importantly, meet their new little man! Camden is already 5.5 months! We traveled with Lyns and Landon (8.5 months) which was quite an experience but so much fun!!! (lots of laughs) Both babies are so good and so much fun. Thank you CP for being a fabulous hostess :) miss you already. xo

lessons i've learned from my dog(s)

2009-03-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

number 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11:
-love the outdoors!
-give lots and lots of love. unconditional love.
-a short memory (helps with the unconditional love part)
-be ready for adventure always and enjoy spontaneity
-snuggle

i was ready to finish those up and move on to something else! while i am sure i will continue learning things from the hounds, because you can learn something from anyone if you try and are open.

that's all for now.

stay tuned for this last weekend colorado visit recap post***coming soon with lots of photos.

lessons i've learned from my dog(s)

2009-03-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

lesson number six:

when enough is enough, let 'em have it!

tolerate...tolerate...ignore what you can...especially when it isn't that important. pick your battles...and pick them carefully....

and then when you have had enough and the little yappy dog next door still won't shut the hell up...bite it!

okay, so i made up the last part about biting, but eventually these pups of ours vocally let "peekie" know they are sick of her. either one of ours will let our a deep, loud bark or four.

our dogs don't bark much so they have had it up to here when they finally bark!

lessons i've learned from my dog(s)

2009-03-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

lesson number 5:

when you're hot, lay on the tile. *

*courtesy of matthew

lessons i've learned from my dog(s)

2009-03-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

lesson number four:

enjoy good company.

both our dogs just loOoOoVe to be with people. anyone really. even if we had a 4 bedroom house with 2,000 square feet and a gigantic yard [maybe someday]...our dogs would still choose to be right where we are. i guess that makes us good company :)

lessons i've learned from my dog(s)

2009-03-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Lesson number three:

Go barefoot

Be low maintenance.

:)

lesson number two

2009-03-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Go after the prize. If it is worth it, and you want it badly enough.

This lesson comes courtesy of Zoe and her faker-ness! She acts like she is about to DIE on a run because she is so tired and seriously lagging.

aaaaaaaaand then she sees a cat up ahead.

in a half a seconds time max, she is no longer behind but quite the opposite. SPRINTING, I mean she turns it on full force ahead. I no longer ever feel sorry for zoe when she is tired because she is such a faker! It just takes a prize worth going after.

meow.

lessons i've learned from my dog(s)

2009-03-04T18:22:00.001-08:00

.......:::::buddy:::::.......

........:::::zoe:::::........

So i am starting a new series on my blog...because it's my blog, and I can! I went for a run this evening and had an inspirational breakthrough from my dogs. I started thinking about how much man's best friend can teach a person, and my list is already 11 things long (yes, I got home from my run and started writing a list).

This thought process began when Zoe was lagging significantly behind. We were only about halfway out and she was a leash-length behind. Well, shorter than a full leash, because we have a double leash and Buddy was trying to be as far ahead as possible. Anyway, she was lagging. After about 3 or 4 minutes of her lagging, I started talking to her: "come on Zoe, you can do it! come on girl!" and she immediately quickened her pace and caught up. for a minute or two. so as she fell behind again, I started talking to her again and she caught up. SO, now you have the background on the origin of thought for this series. Only lesson number one came out out of this run.

Lesson numero uno...sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement. Whether you are on the giving end or the receiving, encouragement can go a long way!

I have decided to post one life lesson learned from my dogs each day (until I run out of ideas, and then this series will conclude abruptly and with no warning). No guarantees or promises on the depth or profoundness of the lessons.

i am lovin' today!

2009-03-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

it is a BEAUTIFUL day in san diego. sunny and warm, but not hot. perfect. my students collectively are amazing and have been on task all day, and my teaching feels good and effective. the periods are flying by and it seems like their isn't enough time in each class. euphoric. it is days like today that i am pretty positive i have the best job in the world. i am sitting here at lunch...blogging (never blogged at school before!) and actually looking forward to my 4th period coming in 15 minutes!

i hope you are enjoying your day as well. maybe it is just a regular ol' wednesday for you, because i have a lot of regular-ol'-boring-can't go by fast enough-wednesdays too. but if you look hard, maybe there is something fantastic about your day too! and maybe not. either way, it will go by. the days are going by SO fast (it is March? really?) and i don't want to wish them all away in hopes of summer getting here faster. i actually miss a lot of my students when they go to high school and i don't get these days back with them. other times, i couldn't be happier about not getting these days back...and my foot meets their booties on the way out the door. the ups and downs of teaching, i guess :)

i am going to savor these feelings right now, because i love them!! maybe i will have to come back and re-read this post next week when i want to pull all my hair out and wonder if i was smoking some good crack when i wrote this.

i'm not smoking crack by the way. just to clear that up.

they didn't teach me this...

2009-03-03T21:36:00.001-08:00

so i get a call from a student tonight (VERY few students have my cell number) who's mom asked her to call me. mom (and family) need some advice and decide to call me. i am so glad my student feels comfortable enough to come to me, but feel awful the mom is this desperate for help.

my student's older sister (16) has run away...again. they haven't seen her since saturday and she took all her stuff. the mom has no control over the older girl and my sweet wonderful student is scared and mad, because her mom is crying so much. do they call the police to report her run-away? of course, that seems like the obvious right thing to do, if only it were that easy. the run-away sister is undocumented (no papers...no social security card) and will be sent to TJ if she is causing problems involving the police.

yes i have my MA degree in Education and no, i don't know how to handle something like this. i talked with matt about it, and then gave mom lots of options including suggesting she go to San Diego High tomorrow and see if her daughter is showing up at school. I told her to go to the school police to report the run away and seek additional help. Kids around here "run away" and return home from time to time, and it doesn't really get anyone worked up. I also told her she should probably just call the police and the daughter will have to learn the hard way that children don't decide whether or not they are coming home at night.

my student, now the oldest in the house with her sister gone for now, is left at home to take care of 3 younger siblings while mom is busting her chops working like crazy.

i can't imagine. sorry to be debbie downer but it's real life for me today!

that piece of paper

2009-03-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

My heart started beating fast when I got home today and saw this:

I started squealing like a little girl and came inside as fast as I could to open it up V-E-R-Y carefully.

a little closer now:

Needless to say, I am very excited and super proud of myself! I worked my ARSE off for this fancy piece of paper!! (I thought the certificate would be the size of a BA degree...but OH NO, it is WAAY bigger-yippeeee!) :) I knew I was done with my program at the end of the summer, but it is so much sweeter to have the paper in hand!

thanks for sharing in my joy!

xxoo

things about me

2009-02-25T18:29:00.001-08:00

on facebook, there was a note circulating to list 25 or 30 things about yourself. i kept avoiding it, because i wasn't sure if it would be too a.) hard, or b.) time consuming, to complete this task. then i saw a friend list this same thing on her blog. i liked the idea. so here is the game. leave a comment on my page with how many of these things you knew about me already, and if any were noteworthy surprising to you. if you are reading this and you have a blog, post 30 things about yourself on your blog. if you don't want to play my game, that's fine too :)

so, here goes nothing...random things about me.

1. i think i am funny and i make myself laugh
2. i would have more dogs if i could
3. i am terrified of hitting an animal with my car
4. i love being a teacher, but i hate grading
5. i am a caffeine addict so much so it doesn't really work to wake me up
6. i leave diet cokes in the freezer a lot. (see number #7)
7. i don't like anything tepid. something meant to be hot needs to be HOT and something cold needs to be COLD!
8. i wish i liked red wine, i think it would make me seem more mature
9. i want to run a marathon but i am scared i couldn't finish because of my knees
10. i am hard on myself
11. i have issues with piling up crap. i wish i didn't.
12. i am a little bit type A, and i notice it mostly when i'm teaching.
13. i love silence.
14. i rarely listen to music in the car
15. sometimes i wish i still played competitive soccer
16. i don't adjust well to change. it is scary.
17. i really believe everything happens for a reason
18. i miss my grandparents and miss having them around. (yes, even grandma)
19. i don't consider myself a democrat or a republican
20. i wish i were fluent in spanish. i got so close.
21. brazil for 3 weeks taught me a lot about me
22. i am a very reflective person in every aspect of my life
23. i hate carpet-y bath mats. please put down one that is towel material.
24. speaking of towels, i don't like to share a towel with anyone. ever. euw. not even my husband.
25. i can't wait to be a mom. but see #16, the change in life does scare me.
26. i am passionate about a lot of things
27. i love photography and wish i could do it on the side
28. i am inspired and encouraged by perfect strangers all the time. i wish i could tell them all.
29. i speak my mind more freely than ever before. i love that freedom, it feels healthy.
30. i love middle-school kids so much and they drive me so nuts all at the same time
31. i love being married!

ok, so that was actually pretty easy. i cheated and put 31. i think i could have kept going :) Thanks for reading!

action shots!

2009-02-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

set the wall boys. and cover those privates.

what happened to the wall?!

GOOOL!

team shot

and more Roosevelt champions!

The boys soccer team defeated Standley Middle, the number one team who hadn't lost in this league in 3 years. We won 1-0, on a goal scored by one of my students, Eduardo! You can see the photo I snapped right after the goal was scored. Half of these pictures were taken way across the field with my second lens. These are ALL taken on auto, because there is no way I could to do anything manually and capture anything in the fast-pace game!

I really notice the difference in quality from my point-and-shoot digital to my Nikon. It's good stuff. The best part is, I am already happy with picture quality and I am still a novice. It can only get better from here!

champions!

2009-02-22T20:22:00.000-08:00

Roosevelt Cheerleaders won Nationals on Saturday! They got FIRST place in their division!!! It was the first cheer competition I have ever been to, and it was really exciting and a lot of fun! I have SO MUCH more respect for the "sport" of cheerleading (ok, I'll admit it, I still have a hard time calling it a sport--sorry) but it was INCREDIBLE the things these teams did, and the routines they pulled off. It was exciting and very entertaining.

Matt became an assistant coach for the cheer team at school (when the other asst coach went on maternity leave) and he has loved working with the girls!!

Yes, folks...that's right...I married my very own little cheerleader. I think it is a good thing that now-a-days people's jaws drop when they hear Matt cheered in HS. haha. My sister's fiance, Derek, just got material to last a lifetime, when it comes to making fun of Matt.

I think it is kinda cute. emphasis on the kinda.

Nonetheless, we are SOOOO proud of our girls! They were awesome!!!!!

it's the weekeeeeend!

2009-02-20T17:14:00.001-08:00

and BOY, are we excited about that!

Tomorrow, Matt is coaching a cheer competition this weekend (Nationals!) and I am going to watch. I am also going to watch our Roosevelt boys soccer team. Even though these are work-related things we choose to do over the weekend, these are the fun parts! I LOVE supporting my students outside the classroom, it's the best and we love these kids!

Matt is getting in marathon shape and I am just attempting to get in shape. I have been running more and feel pretty good. Let's hope this habit of mine continues!

Just got back from a run, and we are off to happy hour and then sushi! TGIF!

xxx

day to day in the classroom

2009-02-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

i realized a few weeks ago that not many people know what my day to day is like at work. and i must say, that while my routine has many constants, it is also different every day! i brought my camera a couple days to school. i wanted to share a glimpse into a day as mrs. harvey at roosevelt middle with crazy 8th graders! see for yourself a sampling.

we are reading "Freedom Writer's Diary"...most days i read aloud. (yes, even 8th graders like to be read to!) some days, certain periods, kids like to take turns reading aloud. they ALL listen, it's awesome.

my students journal every day. they write down a quote I put on the board, and can free-write about anything! i don't read them, they are private journals [unless they ask me to] i just give them points monthly for writing.

meet sweet and hilarious miss lorena. i love this girl. she brightens my day.

one angle of my classroom from the computer side. i need to take more pictures of my actual room.

my 2nd period, A day [huge class as you can tell and there are kids absent here!] disclaimer: squinting into the sun with reading glasses on=not a good picture. also, it was "college shirt" day hence the outfit.

no comment

does this count as wearing your uniform? haha. (and no hats aloud. oops.)

honestly, i am happy when he comes to school! who cares about a dumb shirt, it is the least of his problems. i love this child.

hope you liked my mini-tour. maybe i will do another one sometime later this year!

happy <3 day

2009-02-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

that is happy heart day, not 'happy greater than 3 day.'

we are headed up to the fabulous OC to spend some time with matt's brother mike and his wonderful wifey, kirstin. we love them! and we certainly don't get to spend enough time together. kirstin and i planned this weekend about 2 months ago, because it was the first chance we had to get together....and it just happened to be valentine's day, too. we are going to see their new place, cousin shelby, and just spend time together! buddy and zoe are dancing on their tippy-toes in anticipation of seeing their cousin, shel.

happy day of love, everyone.

this photo melts my heart

2009-02-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

have you heard about all the fires in Australia? so sad. i wish i could get on a plane right now and go help rescue animals.

lazy me

2009-02-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

so, i know i am not a "lazy" person per se. but i do get lazy about getting up in the morning and getting ready for work. for example, i wear my UGLY roosevelt polo shirt at least once a week (because it is so easy) and other roosevelt tee-shirts at least twice a week. with jeans. and tennies. i hit snooze about 17 times (i have listened to probably 4 full songs on my radio alarm by the time i turn it off). not good. so, i roll out of bed by 6:30........5.....ish. 6:35. i toss a couple bobbies in my hair to get it out of my face (if a brush hits my hair, that's a good day...usually comb it out with my fingers quickly.) and if my make-up is still on from the day before, i touch it up, pour my coffee and i'm out the door by 7! oh, if you are getting grossed out, i do shower every day...just at night often times :) deodorant and perfume is a given, right? i didn't think i needed to mention that. but i did just now.

i used to wear heels everyday. i used to care about trying to be almost as tall as my students...and looking nice. i used to wear all my slacks. now i wear all my jeans. so, why do i blog about this today, you ask? let me tell ya...

today, a girl in my after-school reading class says, "mrs. harvey, do you have a meeting today?" I wondered why she asked, and i responded, "no honey. why do you ask?" She continues, "do you have somewhere to go straight after school today?" I said, "no, why?"

She said, "oh because you look nice today so I was just wondering." HAHAHA. oh gee, thanks!

I was wearing heels to school for the first time in ages. but jeans and a nice shirt. i had to laugh at her attempted compliment which for me was more so a glaring indication that i am a slob at work this year. leave it to a 13 year old.

I'm wearing heels tomorrow.

x-rated material

2009-02-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

OH, the joys of teaching middle school. You should have seen the mortified, absolute petrified look on this poor 8th grade boy's face as I took this drawing away from him in the middle of class. I think he would have rather had the paper be full of curse-words or rumors about someone.

It took all that was in me not to BUST UP laughing when I looked at this "note" for lack of a better word. I was tempted to tell him he was a good artist, or tell him that it was a very true to life representation of the body part, veins and all. But I just had to walk away.

It must be hard to be an 8th grade boy.

the abster

2009-02-07T23:35:00.001-08:00

Abby is 18 months! It is crazy how big she is getting. She is just too cute! Check her out.

zoooooooom

2009-02-02T18:37:00.001-08:00

lens #1...all the way zoomed

fun lens #2!

This was the first thing I shot with my zoom lens...Mt. Shasta from I-5 :)

This is part of Lake Shasta, at dusk. fabulous.

House boat, anyone? Yes please!