A little "me" time

Yesterday was a very long day at school. By long, I mean that I started school at 7:30AM and didn't leave until almost 7:30PM. Of all the days that I report to school, those days when we have evening conferences are the absolute worst. Not only are they tiring days in the fact that I have to work for that long in one day, but they are also emotionally draining. Conferencing with parents is something I will probably never feel quite comfortable with...I never quite know what to say or how to say it. I get so wound up about saying just the right thing that when conferences have ended, my muscles feel as sore and as tight as if I just hit the gym after an extended absence.

However, the day following the evening conference day is quite glorious. It is always a little more relaxed since most of the conferencing has taken place during the previous evening, as I suppose most parents are working during the morning conferences the next day. Today was that kind of day. I had about three or four parents to stop by, but other than that foot traffic, I had the rest of the day at work to myself. My next door neighbors at school decided to cook a breakfast feast and invited me over to eat, so everyone in the Vocational Building across the bridge from the main building at school gathered in the classroom next door from my classroom and had a nice breakfast together. The menu was one fit for a king: scrambled eggs, grits with butter, sausage links, bacon, homemade biscuits, and homemade cheese biscuits. And of course, the conversation was lively. Ms. Raynor (the feisty lady who has quite a knack for cooking all the good Southern food) was quick-witted as ever, giving evil eyes and a disapproving words to everyone who salted her food (you don't mess with perfection).

Teachers were dismissed at 12:00 today since we stayed over hours last night, and right now, I am sitting in a quiet living room in front of a warm space heater anticipating a good nap before picking Daniel up from daycare. Today was a good day. Life is beautiful.

Time to start anew...

"Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome."

This quote from the movie Heartbreak Ridge has become my motto this year. January and February have offered me several opportunities to put this theory for success to work. For example, I have adapted my eating and activity to the guidelines set forth through the Weight Watchers program. I have improvised in the kitchen when preparing meals at home to curb having to make daily trips to the grocery store just to see more money fly out of our wallets and bank account. I have overcome many of my doubts and fears by placing my trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ knowing that my life will follow the plan that He has chosen for me.

None of this has been easy. The change in my eating and activity habits is something that is just now becoming more of a second-nature to me. There are days that I am tempted to just give in to a tired body and forgo working out. Some days, I have a sweet tooth that just refuses to let up despite my best attempts to convince myself that chocolate/cake/brownies do not represent the most responsible of food choices. I have also wrestled with the temptation of just taking the easy way out when dinner time comes around by buying food that we really don't need in order to get out of using what we have on-hand. And certainly, there have been days when I have questioned God's plan for me, especially quite recently when I lost (without explanation) what I considered to be a close friend.

But despite the hardships and obstacles that change brings, there is also an element of eager anticipation I feel when looking forward to what the future might hold in store for my family and me. With this post, I seek to renew my dedication to this blog in an effort to document life's twists and turns as they unfold. Thanks to my blogging audience for being patient with me during my extended absence from blogging. I am looking forward to sharing with you once again wherever life may take me.

Daniel turns two!

On Saturday, we celebrated Daniel's second birthday. It was a perfect celebration. The guests were all merry, the food and drinks were plentiful and tasty, and the birthday boy was well-rested and wide open. Daniel received so many gifts that will provide hours of toddler entertainment, of which Joe and me are very grateful :) Daniel also had a terrific time playing with his first cousin who has taken to calling Daniel various names such as "Little D", "Dear Little Daniel", and "Little Nugget" (well, I'm not too sure that Daniel's first cousin called him that last nickname, although I know it would have tickled my sister if he had).

Here are some pictures pre-party. Because of hosting responsibilities, I didn't get to take any pictures during the party. :( But my sister took some pictures with my Grandma's camera, so maybe I could get some copies (hint, hint, Grandma.)

Christmas Morning

Santa Claus is coming to town!

On Thanksgiving Day, Daniel’s Granny gave Daniel an adorable Santa Claus music box. Although Joe and I had taken Daniel to see Santa Claus on his first Christmas (which he obviously doesn’t remember), we had not really discussed much about Santa Claus yet this year with Daniel. But being the teachers we are, we viewed the gift as a “teachable moment” (gotta love the teacher terminology, but what else would you expect from not one, but TWO teachers?!?). We taught him that the music box was a figure of Santa Claus and that on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus would come visit our house and bring him toys and goodies.

Upon returning home that evening, we placed the music box on the mantel so that Daniel would not be able to reach it without our supervision (it is porcelain). However, that particular evening, the music box didn’t spend much time on the mantel, as Daniel was constantly pointing up to the mantel saying, ‘un clau’(his version of ‘Santa Claus’). He loved opening the music box and hearing the music while watching the little figurines in the belly of Santa Claus dancing around the Christmas tree.

Since that day, there have been tons of opportunities for Daniel to see and hear about Santa Claus. And being the observant little boy he is, Daniel has taken every opportunity to let us know when he has spotted ‘un clau’. Today, we felt the time was right for Daniel to meet once again with Santa Claus since he has shown such a fascination with everything Santa Claus-related. This afternoon, Joe and I took Daniel to a Christmas party hosted by the realty group with which we worked to purchase our home. At the party, we waited in line to have Daniel sit upon Santa’s lap to tell Santa what is on his Christmas list. As we waited in line, we pointed out Santa to Daniel and tried to make Daniel as comfortable with the environment so that when his time with Santa arrived, Daniel would be as at-ease and receptive as possible. Finally, it was Daniel’s turn to visit with Santa. I placed Daniel onto Santa’s lap, and Daniel immediately began laughing/crying very nervously. His reaction to Santa was quite similar to the girls you see in the footage from the old Beatles performances who are laughing and crying in nervousness and delight. I told Daniel to tell Santa what he wanted, a ‘melmo’ (Elmo), and directly after saying this, Daniel was reaching for me. I picked him up off of Santa’s lap, and still laughing/crying, Daniel meekly said ‘thank you’ three times in a row to Santa. It was so cute! Here are some pics from today’s visit with Saint Nicholas.

Post-Bath Frolicking

As he is always in search of a new adventure, there is never a dull moment in Daniel's world.

Blast from the Past

So, I arrived home today to find a package on my doorstep. Upon opening the package, I realized that Santa must have started delivering some of his goodies early this year. Inside the box was the most adorable little bus that instantly brought me back to my own childhood. Yes, Santa was perusing ebay last week for the Little People Bus that "he"remembered playing with when "he" was little. After finding that exact model at a reasonable "buy now" price, Santa excitedly ordered the bus. And I'm ever-so-pleased that it arrived so quickly to my home, considering that Santa just ordered it at the end of last week.

So, here it is--a little retro Little People Bus made in 1969 (and Daniel is going to be so thrilled on Christmas morning to zoom it around all across the floor of the house!).

BTW--Although this bus was created in 1969, Santa is NOT that old...Santa was born in 1978, really.