House Searching

Most of you know that Jason and I are in the middle of buying a house.  A few weeks in and it already feels like eternity!  We started with a bunch of specifications, and they have morphed so many times that we're totally confused about what we want!  Large yard and long commute or small yard and short commute?  Modern house we won't want to change at all or older house that we'll renovate to make it our own?  We know our budget, but we've also discovered we have really picky/expensive tastes.

That's all from me today, but I'd love people to share anything house-related... things you looked for in a house, things you wished you had looked for, anything about the actual home-buying part.  I want to glean that wisdom, so please share!

Sharing from Another Blog

From MC Hammer, to a video that makes you shed joyous tears...

Today, I'm sharing a link to my pastor's blog.  On occasion, my church shares videos of people giving their testimonies, often from the monthly baptism services.  I was even featured one Sunday giving my testimony!  On Easter, Providence shared this video, and I found it today on my pastor's blog.

Nicole's Baptism

God created all people, loves all people, and calls all people to Him.  I hope you enjoy the video as much as I did.  Have a blessed day!

Better than Coffee

Here's a little insight into my day.  I wake up at 4:45am.  By 6:00, I'm walking through the deserted halls of my school to my classroom.  By 7:00, students start filtering in to class, and by 7:25, we're up and rolling.  During class, I'm nonstop... walking around the room, lecturing, facilitating group work, keeping track of the eight hands that shot into the air needing help, and bouncing around the room like a pinball.  My job requires an endless supply of energy, and a question I get asked very often is how do I do it.

1) Things I have no control over.  I am a morning person.  I've always been an early riser, and my most energetic in the morning.  I am also a high-strung, energetic person by nature.  Again, nothing I can attribute to myself... God made me a ball of energy.

2) I love my job.  Yes, the bed is ALWAYS more tempting than getting up, but I love my job, and I love the hour of solitude before I start seeing students because I can focus, plan, and get some things accomplished.

3) My little trick.  This is supposed to be a helpful post, so if you are not a morning person or an energetic person, and your job doesn't get you pumped, I have another suggestion -- listen to music in the car that gets you pumped!  I have a mix cd in my car called "Car Dancing" because each of the songs (ranging from Black Eyed Peas to the Ting Tings) makes me bounce in my seat, shimmy, and do all the white-girl dancing cliches, all in the privacy of my own car.

This morning, I didn't even have to put on my cd.  When I turned the key in the ignition, I was treated to something I haven't heard in a long time... MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This."  Immediately, I was taken back to first grade, wearing stirrup pants and brightly-colored scrunchies.  I remembered doing the running man and the typewriter with my sisters.  I walked into work this morning with a giant smile on my face and ready to start the day, thanks to Mr. Hammer, his awesome pants, and his catchy tune.

So if you're dragging this morning and the coffee just isn't cutting in, relive your childhood with "U Can't Touch This" and other fun make-you-want-to-dance songs.                  Stop.  Hammertime.

Touring the Triangle -- Duke Gardens

This week's chillier-than-normal weather makes me want to remind everyone that it is indeed still spring.  Jason and I went to Duke Gardens a few weeks ago on another chilly morning.  The flowers may have been in full bloom, but I was taking photos of them while wearing gloves, jackets, and multiple layers.  Worth the numb fingertips and noses?  You betcha.

Ooh, Ooh, You're My Best Friend

Jason and I don't have a song we consider "our song."  However, I've mentioned to him that if we were to decide on one, Queen's "You're My Best Friend" would have to be a contender.  He really is my best friend, and I have a blast even when we're just hanging out.  He makes even the most mundane things fun.

Monday night, Jason grilled hamburgers and later discovered upstairs that he still had our kitchen timer in his pocket.  He set the timer for 30 seconds, threw it onto the bed (where I was sitting) like it was a grenade, and then ducked for cover behind his hamper.  I stopped it in time (before it "exploded") and put it over on his nightstand.  He grabbed it again, set it for less time, and then threw the grenade at me again.  Then, the teacher in me came out.  I took the timer, put it in MY nightstand drawer, and told him he couldn't get it back until he stopped trying to blow me up!

The next morning, I took the timer and hid it under Jason's iPhone, setting it for a time he'd be upstairs but I wouldn't.  Well, he found it and hid it in my purse before I left for work.  I found it in time, hid it in his lunchbox, and left before it could go off.  Mind you, all of this was before 6am.

Silly?  Yes.  Lame?  Matter of opinion.  Fun as heck?  You betcha!  Just a normal day for me and my best friend!  So, to quote the Laughing Cow cheese commercials, have you laughed today?  More importantly, have you laughed with your spouse today?  If not, be crazy, be spontaneous, break out in song and dance about how awesome they are.  Play a cut-throat game of tic-tac-toe.  Watch a horrible Lifetime movie (I highly recommend the Drew Peterson one starring Rob Lowe... it's soooooo bad).  No matter what you do, enjoy spending time with your spouse.  They're your best friend!

Easter Dinner

Disclaimer: Yes, I know Easter was over a week ago.  I'm a wee bit behind on posting.

Jason and I don't do a lot for Easter.  After the Christmas stocking fiasco of 2008, we decided not to do Easter baskets either.  We don't go to egg hunts because we don't have little ones.  We don't buy special Easter outfits because we AREN'T little ones.  Some years, we travel to see family, but I had already used up all my gas traveling to Jamesville the week before.  So this year, we went to church as usual and we made an Easter dinner.

Happy late Easter everyone!

Hair... the Decision

A few weeks ago, I mentioned I wanted to do something to my hair.

Before:

After:

Jason took better pictures, so I'll try to post them when he gets around to editing them.  For now, you'll just have to deal with the self-portrait.  I got some length cut off, some new layers, and two colors of highlights (a REALLY blond blond and a more subtle caramel color).  I'm getting used to it, and wearing it DOWN for once (which is a very rare occurrence for me).  It's nice to have a change, even if it's not a very drastic change.

The Things I Hear...

As a teacher, there are things I hear on a daily basis that I REALLY wish I hadn't heard.  Sometimes my students are so caught up in the drama of being a teen that they forget adults are around.  But that's not what this post is about...  this is about things that are actually said TO me that surprise me.

~"Where can I buy some of that?!?"  The first day back from Spring Break, I wanted to get the class excited about chemistry, so I showed this video of potassium metal exploding.  Were they interested?  Yes, actually!  Were they a bit too interested?  *scared face* Maybe...
~"I'm getting a tattoo of you."  Two guys in my first period told me they were getting matching tattoos of me on their arms.  I know they're kidding, of course.  At least, I think they're kidding.
~"Are we using dynamite today?"  I don't know... this student just came into class asking.  He followed it up by asking if I wanted to buy his lunch for him that day.
~"Why are we just learning about this NOW?!?" We watched this video about Bernoulli's Principle.  After you watch a You Tube video, it suggests other similar videos you might like.  They liked the original video so much, that one student asked to watch the next one.  Mistake.  It was a teacher talking to ELEMENTARY STUDENTS about Bernoulli's Principle.  They were embarrassed/outraged that little kids somewhere are learning the same material they are.  Oops!

If Bill Cosby wants to do a spin-off of his show "Kids Say the Darndest Things," I wouldn't definitely suggest looking into producing "High School Students Say the Darndest Things."

Sweet Night

Many nights after dinner, Jason kids around that he wants cookies (or candy... or ice cream...).  Finally, the other night, I said to him, "If you want cookies, go make them.  We have all the ingredients."  What did he do?  He went and made cookies!

I was under a mountain of papers that needed grading, or else I would have helped him.  No matter... he made delicious cookies and brought me the bowl and spatula to lick.  Grading papers and eating cookie dough... what a sweet night!

Spring Break

After a week of fun and laziness, I'm back to work.  Booooo!  Anyway, here's a few images from last week's Spring Break.

Happy Easter!