Written around the border of a dollar bill I got as change:
If you are a cute single guy with a six pack, tall, dark, handsome, not gay, likes children, loves Jesus, has a cowboy hat, shaves face not legs, has money and a nice car, call Tina. xoxo – 888 -9888.
So, just doing my part to help a fellow girl out. (I’m particularly fond of the “has a cowboy hat” requirement myself.)

6am phone call – I have no school AGAIN.
I am getting so spoiled this year – three snow days already. You know now I’m not going to see another one for as long as I’m a teacher!
*heh*

After a LonGisland-talk-to-the-hand-neck-roll in response to one of my student’s sassiness:
Me: You know, I think it’s funny that I’ve become one of those teachers who thinks they’re being cool when they’re doing really uncool things, like rolling their neck.
[Students giggle.]
Me: No, really. It’s not like you wake up one day as an adult and suddenly you’re a grown-up. Really, I just feel like a 17 year-old trapped in a 29 year-old’s body.
Smartass Student #18: Yeah, but see Miss, at least you realize you’re not cool. There are teachers who try to act cool and actually think they’re being cool – and that’s just sad.
Me: Yeah, at least I recognize how not-cool I am. Pop quiz!
Oh, aren’t they just precious little things? I’m not cool – but at least I’m not sad. It’s the little things in life you’ve got to hang on to, right?
*heh*

Today was my first day of my first class towards my MEd. It started at 4; my last class teaching ended at 3:50. I managed to let go of control enough to let our AD take it over at 3:30 (ok, so he had to kick me out at 3:45 because – *gasp!* – let someone else be responsible for my animals?) and race to the garage -

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Dear local grocery store shoppers,
Please – pay no mind to the girl in overalls and mittens who was dancing in the aisles. She had just gotten the call – you know, the one where she finds out school is cancelled for tomorrow. Sure, it involved weird Balki-like leg kicks, a strange fist-pumping cheer and an occasional butt-wiggle and a silly little song that went something like, “I have no school. I have no schooooool. Hey! Guess what? I have no school!” Really, though, ya gotta admit – it was kind of cute.
Love,
me
(P.S. WHOOOOOO HOOOOO!)

After all that shoveling, we deserved to play!

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What is up with wasting all the perfectly good snow (an expected 15-24 inches!) on a Saturday night and not a school night?
*sigh*
It snuck by without much ado, but I hit the four year blogging mark the other day. Incredible. This l’il ol’ space has seen me get the teen center job, quit that job, get engaged, get married, buy a house, help Keegan come into the world, get jobs teaching, get the job teaching, four Falcon Ridges, countless get-togethers with friends and families, emotional highs and lows and god knows what other randomness I’ll filled these pages with.
TWO freakin’ feet of snow, and on a freakin’ Sunday. What an absolute waste.
Tasty recipe for energy-bar-like “muffins”:
4 mashed (almost overripe if you have them) bananas
about 2-3 cups rolled oats – enough to make the mixture stick together
1 capful olive oil
1 tbsp baking powder
assorted goodies: raisins, dried cherries, chocolate chips, walnuts – whatever
Mix everything in a bowl; put them in a muffin tin (no need for greasing or liners – and pile the mix high). Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°.
Yum. And no bad-for-you sugar or white flour. Double yum!
Freakin’ snow.

From this moment, I, Erika, take you, Jason, as my best friend for life. I pledge to honor, encourage, and support you through our walk together. When our way becomes difficult, I promise to stand by you and uplift you, so that through our union we can accomplish more than we could alone. I promise to work at our love and always make you a priority in my life, to be honest and faithful, to always remember to laugh together and celebrate the joy we share today. I pledge this to you, this day forward.
Happy 2nd anniversary, baby! I’m amazed you’ve put up with me for this long. There’s no one else I love laughing with more than I do you. I love you!
(And I love that he got the hint a couple of years ago: flowers at home, very, very nice – but flowers at work? Super dee dooper nice! Seriously – sometimes there’s nothing else like the ooohs and ahhhhs as everyone stops by to see the pretty roses. I can be such an attention whore sometimes! *grin* Hey – I’m never going to be a bride again – I’ve got to milk this marriage for the attention whenever and wherever I can.
Then he picked me up at work for a yummy, yummy dinner, complete with pate and wine and my favorite thing ever – bananas foster. This is brave, considering he’s only heard the story of my first bananas foster – I literally got weak in the knees and didn’t speak for 20 minutes. He had his first bite of bananas foster tonight – and from the look on his face, he understands. )
So yeah – happy anniversary to us!

Teaching context clues today:
Me (reading the clue from the sheet): The balloon made a loud noise when she punctured it with the sharp needle. What do you think puncture means?
Student: (looking at me quizzically)
Me: Ok. Have you ever heard the word puncture before elsewhere?
Student: Does it mean the same as like, when you puncture someone’s tires?
Me: Yes, S. It’s exactly like that -
Student: (excited) Ok, so to put a hole in something and let out all the air!
Sometimes you gotta put things in terms these kids can relate to.

About a week ago, Jay and I were talking about hobbies. He loves boy things: poker, brewing beer, playing guitar. It was then that I had a moment of panic -
I don’t have any hobbies.
I was certain I would become one of those boring people who only works and sleeps. Sure, I love my Red Sox and I love gardening – but that’s only summer. And I used to be wrapped up in blogging and designing – but honestly, we all know that’s fallen to the wayside. And really, as much as I enjoy it, I can’t really call cleaning a hobby…
So today I trekked my ass to the craft store to buy the supplies I needed to make my oldest friend a 30th birthday card – and left with a huge pile of paper and stickers and glue and tape and scissors and ribbon and exacto knives and all sorts of cardmaking goodness I’ve never heard of. And I am addicted!
I swear, it’s kindergarten for grown-ups, construction paper and Elmer’s glue on an adult scale. And I have to say, for my first go-round, I did a pretty damned good job with the basics. I’m itchin’ to get all schmancy, now that I have an idea what I’ve gotten myself into, and buy all little doodads and tools and paper and vellum and quotes and buttons andandandand -
Yay! I have an expensive hobby now too!

And yes, I know, that’s the worst bow ever. I haven’t quite figured the whole bow thing out just yet. Butbutbut – I love the way her birthday card came out!