It's a Monday...

The past couple of weeks have been great! Here are some highlights...

1. Two weekends ago, my mom, dad, big sister, and baby nephew came to visit! Henry is now 3 months old, makes eye contact, laughs, talks, and is a pleasure to hold. It was great to have my family here to visit (Hanna, we missed you!), to hang out, to catch up, and to explore B'ham with.

2. Last weekend, Paul's parents came and spent a couple of days with us too! We loved having them here as well - we got to hang out, go up to the Vulcan (a big statue that over looks the city), eat at an amazing Greek restaurant, and also do a lot of catching up!

3. Today, I ran 6 miles for the first time since...oh, maybe the beginning of April. It felt great! I'm going to start running in my Newton shoes soon too. My running shoes are getting a little too worn down, and it's time for a switch.

4. I made scones this weekend that were really good! One set were banana scones (minus the nutella, I don't have any, but we used honey instead to drizzle over top), and then the second batch, I used the same recipe, but omitted bananas, and added cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. Paul was a big fan of both! Yah for baking success!

5. Hopefully I will be starting to work at the church child development center next Monday. I finally got all of my paper work in last week, and I have doctor's app't on Thursday for them to tell me I'm healthy.

6. I've been reading a lot! Here are my two latest reads - both of which I would recommend:

This was on my summer reading list!  Long, but good. 

Found this one at the library and picked it up. 

7. Day 13 of the Picture Challenge - I know. I know. I haven't been doing these daily.
A picture of your favorite band. This one is tough for me. I don't really have one.
I would love to see Hillsong United in concert.

But of course - I also had the embarrassing music favorites...oh well!

God Bless

12

Today was the first day of school at the school I taught at for the past 3 years. Part of me was sad not to be there. The first day is such a mix of emotions...excited, scared, nervous, stressed. Teaching 4 year olds on the first day is unlike teaching other grades on the first day because this is literally their very first day of school ever! And everything is new and exciting. Last year, one little boy told me (at least 10 times through out the day), "this is the best first day ever!" (even though he had never had one before! - too cute!!) So part of me did miss it. My thoughts and prayers are going out to all the teachers who are starting off this school year! Best of luck to you all.

Day 12 -  a picture of something you love

One thing I love - kids! Always have. Always will. I want a dozen some day!

Another thing I love - as sad as it may be - Jason's Deli salad bar! Being the health nut that I am, a salad bar is like dream dinner for me! So many fresh veggies...it's amazing. I stay away from the prepared salads, and stick to the fresh veggies, and I'm one happy girl. 

 God Bless. 

11

A picture of something you hate...
If you really know me well, then you know I HATE spiders! I am dictionary definition of arachnophobic. I don't care if it's big, small, black, blue, biting, non-biting, baby, or grandaddy. If' it's a spider...I DON'T LIKE IT! In my classroom I had "heroes" - the kids who would kill the spiders for me and remove them from my sight.

Here is a picture of a spider and another creepy crawler in my classroom this past spring! The spider has the thing in it's legs!
SERIOUSLY!?!
Heidi was my hero that morning - after I ran into her room almost in tears after seeing this thing, begging for her to come get it.

I can't even put any more pictures up! I tried googling images of spiders but I can't look at them long enough to choose one to upload and display. I just can't. I'll have nightmares. I have had nightmares before! Spiders under the sheets. Spiders on the walls. Spiders dropping from the ceiling. I scream out loud! I run out of the bed! Ask Paul! He can share "funny" stories about my nightmares of having to battle these awful creatures!

I HATE SPIDERS!


God Bless
(but not the spiders)

Day 10

A picture of someone you can't live without

We started talking at the beginning of the summer in 2004.
We met for the first time on August 4, 2004.
We started dating officially September 26, 2004.
We got engaged May 5, 2007.
We got married June 14, 2008.

We've been together for almost 7 years.

We went through college, master's degree programs, dentistry programs, moving countless times, family ups and downs, friend betrayals, weddings, road trips, over coming personal demons.

He's been my best friend, confidant, supporter, encouragement, shoulder to cry on, hand to hold, security, and future.

He is the love of my life,

Click on the picture to see it bigger - I can't get it any bigger on this page.

Day 9

A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

Again, this isn't just one person. It's going to be a bunch of people, but specifically 2. For the past three years, it's been my BBE family (for security reasons, that's all I'm going to put, but it's the school I taught at for 3 yrs).

Working at BBE had it's joys, but it also had a lot of challenges. My first year teaching there I think I left crying more days than not. I was there to open the building, and stayed late to finish work. I have put blood, sweat, tears, and laughter into the children that I taught there.

It was the women that I worked with that got me through. Especially Heidi and Patricia. And so for the last three years, they have gotten me through the most, and have helped shaped me into the teacher that I am today.

Heidi was there for me from the beginning. Being a veteran teacher, she had more resources, inside knowledge, and wisdom to share than I could have ever imaged and needed. She guided me through my first year, and would stay late with me to help calm me down, destress, and prepare for the next day. We were soundboards for each other and worked well together.

Patricia was my mentor during my preschool teaching days. As I've said before, Furman is a great school, but it did not prepare me for the real world. Patricia was there to help navigate me through "teaching the real world preschool" at BBE. I seriously don't know what I would have done without her knowledge of 4 year olds, parents, discipline, and curriculum.

Heidi is on the left, Patricia is on the right. 

Thank you for helping me through so much ladies! I couldn't have done it without you.

God bless.

Day 8

A picture that makes you laugh.

I have quite a few funny pictures from my 26 years and all the adventures that I've been on. However, I didn't want to embarrass any of my friends, or family; and a lot of those pictures are actually in albums at my parent's house in my closet for safe keeping (or at least till we have a more permanent residence).

So I did find this one...

This is a picture of the 16 kids I taught my first year of teaching. Why does it make me laugh? Seemingly good looking kids, right? A young, fresh out of school teacher?

No.

This picture makes me laugh because I had absolutely NO idea what I was doing all year long! What first year teacher does?? Furman is a great school, don't get me wrong. But Furman's education program is very idealistic, and in my opinion now, very unrealistic. Reality hit like a ton of bricks the first day. I had 6 Hispanic kids (one who had only been in the country for 3 days and spoke NO English); a textbook ADD/ADHD kid who was not on meds; a young girl who thought and acted like she was 16; and a few serious troublemakers. And on top of it all, I was working on my masters, and planning my wedding.

I laugh at this picture because as my mentor said, "at the end of the day you can either laugh or cry". I did a lot of both - mostly crying then, and more laughing now.

God Bless

Day 7

A picture of your most treasured item.

My engagement ring and my wedding ring.

My engagement ring because it has sweet, sentimental value to me and Paul. The diamond belonged to Paul's great-grandmother Reid. She was the first Mrs. George Paul Reid. I am the fourth Mrs. G.P. Reid. And since we have decided not to carry on that name any further, the diamond has belong to the 1st and the last Mrs. George Paul Reid. I almost cried when I heard that. Paul the diamond and had it reset for me. It's perfect. It's simple. It's elegant. It's timeless. It's everything I wanted in my engagement ring. I'm honored and proud to wear it.

My wedding band 11 little diamonds in the band. It's a beautiful addition to the engagement ring. But that's not the reason why I love it (although it does add some sparkle!). It's a symbol of my love and devotion to my husband. God brought us together, and this is my way of letting the world know that I'm taken and spoken for. Marriage, according to the scripture, is something sacred, and not to be taken lightly. The vows we spoke were a covenant to each other and to God.

Forever and ever, amen.

On another note, things are going really well here at home. I have started nannying two days a week, and love it. Today little bit and I went to the library. Oddly enough, we didn't look at one book. We watched some fish in a fish tank, played with some puzzles, and played with some other sensory type tables. Paul is working hard being a dentist. He often has some great stories to share about patients and procedures when he gets home. Working in a hospital setting is quite different than working in a controlled environment like MUSC was.

Today is also my dear friend from BBE and grandfather's and birthday!
Happy Birthday Pop, and Heidi!!

God Bless