Getting in the spirit :)

I got the job!!!

I hadn't heard anything from CSM (College of Southern Maryland) since I sent in my resume. I was getting worried, but I got an email last night asking if I was still interested. I will start on Jan 19th and the semester ends on May 5th. I am so excited, but NERVOUS! I have never taught a college level course, let alone an online course. This will be quite interesting. I am glad to have the opportunity to teach at a college AND online. I have heard 90% of classes will be taught online in the next 10 years. I wonder how that will impact my high school teaching job???

Apparently, this should be a piece of cake, although that is coming from a man that has taught at the college for 11 years. He said he would give me everything I needed and I could bounce ideas off of him if I ever had questions. I hope he is right!

I took off yesterday to get caught up on things I haven't been able to do because my puppy is so demanding. I keep comparing Izzy to having a baby, but sometimes having a baby is easier. ONLY in the fact you can take the baby almost any place and it is legit. The puppy however can not go to the bank, gym, grocery store, mall etc. Marvin and I have nothing at the house to eat. We are even out of milk so cereal is out of the question. . . unless we have it dry. Anyways, so I took off and got most of my errands done. Well really I just made it to the gym, not to work out but to cancel my membership since I NEVER go, to the mall to finish up my shopping, and to the vet. The vet was awesome. I love that place. Everyone is so nice and they were telling me how to save money instead of raping me when I went to pay. They sent out everyone who worked there to come see the "adorable" puppy up front. It was a great morning because she was so tired she slept like a baby in my arms for about an hour and didn't mind when I put her in her crate so I could take a shower.

On to shopping. Someone should seriously take my credit card. I am terrible when it comes to buying gifts for people. Well only in the sense that I justify my purchase because the person would LOVE it and it is Christmas. Really this is just for Marvin. I think I buy him something whenever I am at a store. It is sad. He saw wrapped presents under the bed and asked who they were for. When I told him Santa came early and they were his I think he was nervous because he doesn't want to be outdone. He wants to get me something equally awesome and now he is sweating it. Not to mention my birthday is on Sunday so I get extra presents :)

I am excited for the snow, but I hope it doesn't interfere with my facial appt with my mom tomorrow! An early birthday present to myself, oh yeah and that outfit I bought yesterday when I was out shopping. Seriously, I need to stop. Thank god today is payday!

12/12

My life has been pretty chaotic recently. It seems I never really slow down especially on the weekends. Work has been stressful, parents are always so pleasant around interim and report card time. . . can you sense the sarcasm??? My students need my constant attention and can't seem to do anything without my help. I am REALLY scared for our future! I hope they can only learn and grow into respectful, intelligent, and independent adults.

Marvin and I have been so busy on the weekends. First it was working on the house, well really it is Marvin working on the house and me cooking and tending to whomever is over helping. Now we are so busy with visiting family for the holidays. Whatever happened to having one thanksgiving (by the way I HATE turkey) and one Christmas? It seems we now celebrate every weekend from Thanksgiving break until I go back to school on Jan 4th. I guess it doesn't help that every female in my family was born in December. We are constantly packing up and spending the night somewhere else. I can't remember the last time we were able to sleep in on a sunday at our own house.

My moms birthday is today. We usually celebrate it just us by going shopping together and getting a facial as a present to each other for our birthdays (mine is on the 20th :)) Facials are postponed until next weekend!!! This year the only thing my mom wanted was for the family to get together and go out to dinner; mom, dad, me, marvin, matt and monica. The only problem is my dad and brother are falling apart. My dad had a tooth pulled this week and my brother had surgery yesterday for his hernia. I think my dad is doing fine, espcially considering the pain killers they gave him, but my brother had major surgery. He still thinks he will be able to go out to dinner tonight, but we will see. . . It didn't sound too good last night when I talked to my mom and my brothers leg was still numb hours after surgery.

Finally our puppy. Izzy is absolutely amazing. I love her so much and I am really glad we got her. Except now I have to rush home after school each day to let her out of her crate. She is still young and small so she has a problem holding it from 6 am until 3 pm. My parents puppy sat for us Thursday since I had an appt in Annapolis after school and wouldn't be able to make it home to take her out beforehand. She loved being with her grandma and granddaddy, but she really needs to get on a schedule. Marvin and I talk about how much she has changed our lives. I think mostly for the better, but it is so hard to potty train her. The back door we have taught her to go to when she needs to go out just recently broke so we have to change it up on her and she is so confused. She was getting really good about letting us know when she had to go out too :( Last night she was passed out laying on my lap. I mean dead asleep where her eyes were rolled to the back of her head. It was weird because she will usually sleep for 1-2 hours like that, but all of a sudden she got up walked over towards the end of the couch and starting peeing. Marvin and I think she was sleep walking because she didn't squat or anything it just starting coming out of her. When we startled her, I don't think she had any idea what had happened. It was really weird. My poor little puppy. . . thank god we got the stain repelling stuff on our couch for that sort of thing!

Winter sports season has just begun and in the first 2 weeks of games, out of the 5 events, I am working 4 of them. This was great before I had a puppy to take care of, but now I just feel guilty rushing home to let her out and play with her for an hour and then put her back in her crate until Marvin gets home. Working games is a lot of extra time at school, but I love being at the games and the students love it too. Not to mention the extra pay. The only thing is like today when I am working saturday school from 8 - 11 and I worked the basketball game last night. It is just a lot of time away from home. Marvin used to come up after work and watch if it was a boys basketball game, but Izzy has changed all of that. I know I won't be complaining when I get my extra pay check at the end of the season and you can't beat saturday school pay, it is $41 an hour! I just couldn't say no.

Even though I love the holiday season, each year I just can't wait until my life settles down and goes back to normal!

Easy Day!

Today is a staff development day which means students don't have school, but the staff still reports to work. Instead of having to be at school at 7:10 this morning, I was able to come in at 8! That hour seems like a world of difference in the morning, especially when it is still dark outside when I go to work. It starts my day out in such a postive light ~ would be better if the sun were shining, but I get it, darn hurricane!

I love staff development days. Besides the fact I can come into work later, I don't have to babysit the kids. I get so much work done and I am able to have adult conversations with my collegues. Only 2 more days. . . I think I can, I think I can. The weekends seem to not come fast enough sometimes!

new job?

I had the opportunity to visit CSM (College of Southern MD) last wednesday. I was pretty flattered when a few of my bosses from the Board of Ed asked me to attend. We were meeting with professors at the college whom taught the same courses so we could see how closely our curriculums aligned. The professor I met with apparently really liked me and asked if I would be interested in teaching online courses for the college. I was so excited because I do need a change, but I am not ready to pursue an administration job at this point. He asked me to send him my resume and we would go from there. I have never made a resume before. I was kind of nervous when I sat down to "brag" about myself. I found that it was quite easy to write about myself and my accomplishments. I am surprised just how involved I am with my job and how far I have come in just 5 short years. I am waiting to hear back from the professor, but believe me, I will let you all know! Keep your fingers crossed :)

Is it Christmas Yet?

It has been well over a month since my last blog. I have been SO busy with the start of school, I haven't had much time to think about anything else.

One thing I need to work on is eating healthier and start working out again. I worked so hard to get fit and trim for the wedding, but once the honeymoon started it was like pig out time. I am going to start keeping a food journal and start working out again. My only problem is not finding time, since I have 4 hours after school before Marvin gets home, but finding the energy. If I am not staying after school to cover a game, I can't wait to get home to take a nap. I have been so tired lately. I am hoping starting to exercise again will help with my energy level.

This is my first 5 day week of school in October. We have had off every Friday for some reason, youth day (county fair day), staff development day, State teachers convention. . .It has been so nice having 3 day weekends! Not only do we have a 5 day work week, I am working the ACT test on saturday morning. So it is more like a 6 day work week for me :(

I am getting excited now the holidays are right around the corner. I love the holiday time! I can't wait to start to decorate our new house. I love picking out a tree with Marvin and decorating it together. I love the cold weather and snuggling up on sundays watching football. My only wish is we could have a couple more holiday weekends to fit in all of the festivities. I hate having my birthday around Christmas time because everyone is always too busy with the holidays to celebrate. I have thought about celebrating my half birthday in June instead so I could have a birthday party. Another thing I hate/love about the holidays is all of the great food. I just need to learn to not indulge myself, but to sample food. Remember: veggies are my friend!

I will try and be better about blogging. I feel this is the only way to catch up with friends since it seems everyone's life is so busy!

Back to Work

I am finally back at work after a long, relaxing summer. . .can you sense the sarcasm? I am back at work and I finally feel normal again. I think I need a little routine in my life. Although my mornings have changed a little since last school year. Now I wake up at 5am, tip-toe around Marvin because we don't get up at the same time anymore, and then go to my stations. Station 1 is turning on the light by the closet and making sure I know what I am wearing for the day. Station 2 is the shower, but I have to remember to grab my towel from the back of the bedroom door so I don't freeze to death after I get out of the shower. Station 3 is my dresser where I do all my womanly things i.e. deoderant, makeup etc. Station 4 is downstairs at the kitchen sink where I brush my teeth, and then I step over into station 5 next to the dishwasher to do my hair without a mirror. I have gotten quite good at getting ready with no mirror, but I am so ready to have everything in one place again. Oh the normalcy of having a functional bathroom. Hopefully by Christmas!

My summer flew by with the wedding and then recovering from getting my tonsils out. I was talking with my neighbor last night who is a long-term sub for a kindergarten class up the street. We were sharing student stories and you wouldn't believe how similar our stories were, her teaching 5 year olds and me having my mature (or so they think) 9th graders. We decided every parent should be required to come in and teach for a day. We were just curious how long some of them would last. I guess they don't realize that not only do we deal with their child, times that by at least 25, and that is what I deal with everyday, 7 periods a day. I guess where I am going with this is I have always wondered why people look down on teachers or comment on how we have the summers off. It is called mental health. We need to recooperate after the school year or we may go insane. This is my 6 year teaching and it is flying by. Sometimes I hate it, but more often than not I love my job. I complain because it is a tough job, but I really do love being a teacher!

Not sure how this is going to work

We started a blog at school to use as teachers. I am not sure how this is going to work with my personal blog. I want to keep blogging with friends, but I don't need my students' parents to know my personal information. This is why I deleted my profile pic and the things about me. Hopefully I can work something out where I can have 2 seperate accounts, maybe I can have a personal blog linked to another email address??? I will let you all know.

Officially moved!

I am moving the rest of our stuff into the new house today. Since I am leaving my parents house, I will no longer have internet access for awhile. Don't fret I will be back soon :)

Determined :)

I woke up today feeling good. I am going to have a productive week. I have nothing planned other than my post op appt on wednesday afternoon so I have lots of time this week to catch up on things I have been putting off. Things I would like to accomplish this week:

1. Visit the annapolis tile store and the bathroom store (2 different stores)
~ This way I can start to think about the tiles I want upstairs in the bathroom.
2. Visit Meagan, RT and baby Nash
3. See a movie by myself ~ thinking about The Ugly Truth or The Proposal (101 list)
~ Marvin and I went to see Transformers last night. I hate movies that would NEVER really happen. I felt like it was a total waste of my time. Not a good movie, but I guess that is just because I hate robot movies. Seriously, would never happen. . .
4. Cook dinner one night this week since I haven't cooked in so long. this may include a cake from scratch, again on the 101 list!
5. Visit my Nanny in the hospital. I would like to do this tonight with Marvin, but we will see.
6. Stop by the library and get more books. I love to read, but the summer time is the only time I have the luxury of reading for enjoyment.
7. Finally call Roomstore to replace the dresser drawers that were damaged in the move.

I will stop with 7 things on my to do list, but I am feeling productive so I may add on more to that list as the week develops!

I had such a good weekend. I had a great time with Marvin. We were able to get some work done at the house, thanks to Jim! And we were able to have a date night with dinner and a movie! I also got Marvin onto facebook :) Another reason I had a great weekend. . .I went shopping, bought ALL of this stuff, and Marvin can't get mad because we really do need it for the new house. Maybe not need it, but it will be useful! I feel like I can finally start to enjoy my summer off now that the stress of planning a wedding and the pain of getting my tonsils are over. By the way today is our 1 month anniversary. We made it for all of you that doubted us. Just kidding!

Only 3 weekends left before I go back to school. I am going to make the best of it! Still hoping to be all moved in by August 19th. That means 1 whole bathroom needs to be complete. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Honeymoon pics!

We had so many good pictures from our honeymoon. Here is a sneak peek! I tried capturing some of our many adventures.

This is a picture of me on the last morning with my amazing waffles. They topped it with a scoop of ice-cream and strawberry jam. Yum!

Here is a sexy picture of our ziplining excursion. The hair net was a sweet addition to my outfit!

Marvin and I in the waterfall. It wasn't a huge waterfall, but it was a romantic photo op!

Here is our hummingbird friend we found around the jacuzzi at the spa. He had 3 little eggs in his nest.

This is the great view at our dinner at Kimono's. If you look straight down from the windows we are right out over the water. The view was absolutely breathtaking!

Our towel friends on our bed. We had flowers, balloons and champagne left too!

This is the front of our hotel. I nice worker took a million pictures of us. Everyone was so nice! And it was refreshing to see people working hard, having a good time and not complaining one bit, because it is their job!

This is the arrival to St. Lucia. I thought it was cool we were able to unload right on the air strip, not sure what you call it, but right on the ground.







I will try and get myself together and post all the pictures on facebook. We had so many!

Still no wedding photos, but the photographer said they should be up by this sat 7/25. The website is http://www.shelbyleigh.instaproofs.com/ and the password is krimar.

I had my tonsils out yesterday. It didn't hurt much yesterday, but after all my surgery drugs wore off it hurt. I can't talk much and I am taking meds every 4 hours for pain. So far so good. And to answer everyones question. No, I guess I didn't really have to get my tonsils out, but I have the white, stinky balls on the back of my throat so I went to the doctor and she said it was chronic tonsillitis. The only way to get rid of it was to get my tonsils out. Good thing I decided to get them taken out because when she went out to give my parents an update she said my whole tonsil was filled with the cottage cheese looking bacteria. I am happy with my decision, but not happy I will be in pain and not able to do much for 7-10 days. Feel free to stop by with some rita's and a movie :)

It's been so long

I have no idea where to start since I haven't blogged in about 2 months.

I have made some progress on my 101 list.
I read my first book for fun this summer and realized how much I miss reading. It was called "The Wednesday Sisters." I thought it was a very cute book. The book was about 5 women who meet in the neighborhood park and follows them through the ups and downs in their lives. Very cute girls book.
I also have gone to my first Orioles game of the season. Marvin and I love going on Friday nights so we can see the incredible fireworks. We were also able to sneak into the box seats thanks to one of Marvin's customers. It's all about who you know!
I had pictures taken in a photobooth at Dave and Amanda's wedding. My brother and I decided to go in together since I was dateless. We took some hot pics and then forgot to sign in the guestbook or really I was too embarrassed and my brother was just too drunk. He was busy telling everyone I was his little sister, but it was cute because he was proud to announce he would be marrying us in 2 weeks. I think he was also secretly trying to score some business for the newly pronounced Reverend Matthew Hunter. He can perform weddings, baptisms and funerals!
This was cheating, but I did complete #1 on my list ~ to get married. But along with it I also left the country for the honeymoon ~ St. Lucia, went ziplining, planned a spa multi-day, bought a tropical dress (ok really 3 but I couldn't resist) and I also bought a new bathing suit (again, I bought 3 but I NEVER can find any suit I like that I actually look good in).
I also tried to donate blood the other day, but since my drivers license isn't up to date and still says my last name is Hunter, I couldn't donate. I was a little irritated I waited for about 40 mins before they told me this, but I was still proud of myself for attempting to do a good deed!

So to catch up on my life in the last couple of weeks. . .
I finished teaching in the middle of June, but I have just started to enjoy the summer off! The wedding kept me so busy, but it was well worth it! The honeymoon was everything I dreamed it would be except I could have stayed a month longer and had a few more days to lay out in the sun. I was happy to have Marvin all to myself with no one or really family to interrupt us or so called "friends" that only call Marvin when something is wrong with their cars. Now it is back to reality.
We are currently living in about 3 homes. We moved out of the condo in Chesapeake Beach and are renting it to a coworker of mine. Marvin is worried because they have 2 cats, but I was just happy to have the place rented to people we trust. All of my clothes are at my parents house and most of his clothes are at his moms house. We go back and forth spening the night between the 2 houses. That is quickly getting old. My first piece of married advice. If you want your marriage to fail, move in with the in-laws. That goes for both of us. I obviously feel more comfortable with my family in my old bedroom, but Marvin feels more comfortable at his old house. The thing is at least at my house you don't have the whole family scrutinizing your every move. I feel like everything I do or say at his family's house is put under a microscope and then posted on the "family bulletin board" for everyone to observe and comment on. I don't roll like that. I get so angry that every little tiff is reported in to the either Marvins mother or grandmother. I'm sorry, but the last time I checked I was an adult and I am married. I don't need anyone to tell me how to live my life. But this has made me all the more determined to finish the renovations at the new house or at least make up a bed so I can have my own home to go home to every night. I want my own privacy where I don't need to report in to anyone on what I am doing or where I am going.
Marvin's birthday is this friday. I was going to bake a cake or cupcakes and take it up to his work to celebrate his birthday and also Jose who works with him also has the same birthday, but apparently I don't have to because Mary (Marvins mom) has already stolen that show. That is my thing to bring up goodies to the shop for the guys. Marvin really hurt my feelings when he was so excited to tell me to stop up at the shop this thursday because his mom was making a cake for him and Jose. I guess Marvin has forgotten that I usually do that for him, not his mommy. . .
I am getting my tonsils out on Monday. Apparently it is going to hurt REALLY bad and I will not be able to do anything for 7-10 days. I have to have a babysitter for the first 2 days because of the medicines after surgery. The doctor said she could care less if I ate anything, but I have to drink plenty of fluid or I risk getting a bleed and then that leads to more surgery. Believe me, she doesn't have to tell me twice. Getting my blood drawn for the preop was bad enough! I almost passed out because I hadn't had anything to eat. I think I scared the lady because I turned ghostly white. She had to run and get me some fruit juice before I passed out. I blame this on the hospital since my appointment was at 10:30 so naturally I didn't eat beforehand, but I was left waiting at the hospital until about 1pm so they could ask me medical questions and draw my blood. What a waste of my day. Then after the preop appt. I went the the Calvert County DMV. That right there is the first mistake. Calvert County is so far behind in how the system works. The DMV is located in the county court house. I had to leave my cell phone in the car and walk through security to get inside the building. I waited in line with my marriage license and old driver's license. The lady at the front desk said she needed the marriage certificate even though the social security agency asked for the marriage license AND that is the paper which is notarized. To make a long story short, I had to reach over the counter and rip my old drivers license, marriage license and marriage certificate from the ladies hands. Apparently they need the certificate because the license only says we are able to get married and the certificate states we had been married. They were mad the marriage certificate was not completely filled out even thought I explained that my brother performed the ceremony, he had signed the certificate but he has the worst handwriting so we were going to type in the rest of the info (all it was was the date, time and location of the event). They also tried to say that my marriage was null because the Reverend did not complete the paperwork before leaving the church the day of. I guess they thought I was lying about getting married. They didn't even want to look at my new social security card with my new name. I walked out telling her she was a piece of shit because they were so nasty to me so I threw it right back at them. Needless to say they won because who do they care if I get a new license?
I promise I will try to blog more!

Catch up

It has been almost a month since my last post. I swear I have tried, but the last one I tried to post something happened and it deleted all my writing. This made me really mad and I didn't want to have to retype everything. Basically, the blog won.

I have been crazy busy the past couple of weeks and it really doesn't look like it will die down until after the wedding. I guess that is what the honeymoon is for :)

I finally graduated with my Master's on Saturday May 23rd. I did not walk across stage and the more I think about it, the whole graduation process is a big waste of time. I get why people may want to walk across stage for their high school graduation and for their Bachelor's degree, but really it is all the same. A really hot gown, lots of people, speakers you don't listen to and those annoying people that blow airhorns despite the fact they are not supposed to and you can't hear the next persons name being called when they blow it. Anyways. . .so I have my degree. Graduating with my Master's made me think that I have never received my diploma from Salisbury. Stupid me must have missed that announcement. I hope they can still send me one in the mail or I can swing by and pick it up sometime this summer. What kind of administrator would I be not having all my diplomas framed and hung in my office?

My faculty is trying to throw me a "surprise" bridal shower. It would have worked out if the secretary had taken me off the all staff email she sent out telling people about it. Seriously??? I have never been surprised. It was a nice try I guess. . .

So my bridal shower is now on June 11th at the Mexico restaurant down the street from my school it starts at 3pm if anyone would like to come!

I am done with work in less than 2 weeks. I have 2 half days this week because of our county graduations and I don't have to come on friday since I am going to project grad. That is when all the graduating seniors go down to pax river for one last night of fun together. We leave the school at 9pm and don't get back until 4am. I have been asked to chaperone, or really just hang out and play. Friday my classes will be covered so I can go home and sleep. This works for me!!! I have so many things I can get done during the day on friday :)
All next week we have final exams and next friday is only for kids with makeup exams AND it is a half day. Then teachers come back for a final few hours on monday the 15th. This is so easy. All we have to do is check out with our administration and have a final staff meeting. All we do is say goodbye to all the people leaving the school. It's almost summer!

After school on the 12th I am leaving to go up to Ohio/PA for my "god" brother's wedding. Dave Lima is getting married! I am so excited for him. I am going up with my parents and my brother. Marvin can't go with me because he can't take off too much work before our big day and the honeymoon. Thank God I have my family and I'm not by myself. I would be so bored!!!

Marvin and I have to have all of our stuff moved out of the house by June 20th. I told my friend she can move in the weekend of the 20th. We want to be out earlier than that so the paint company from Ryan homes can come in and fix all the nail pops and settling cracks. So busy!!!

The new house is coming along. Marvin has a family friend that said he can come down and do the vents for us and a guy Marvin works with can move the plumbing in our guest bathroom. I wish I could have had everyone over so they could see what we started with and our end product. I hope it looks good when it's complete! We have worked so hard going to Lowe's and Home Depot picking out all the supplies. It has been fun, but I am ready for it to be over. You know one thing I hate about the new house. . . cutting the grass. This is a new thing in my world. I have never had to cut grass before. My Dad or my brother has always done it. Now I have no choice. I am the only one that has the time PLUS Marvin claims he is allergic to grass. That is a good one, I should have thought about that excuse :)

Bachelor/Bachelorette party June 20th! The boys will starts at Jim's with a cookout and the girls will start at my mom's and will then be moving to dinner somewhere in Baltimore. After our seperate parts we will all meet up in Federal Hill so we can all hang out. We decided to have a joint party for a couple different reasons. One, we thought it would be nice to have it the same night so we aren't sitting at home wondering what trouble the other one is getting into. My nanny says alcohol leads to nothing but trouble. This way we can also go home together :) Another reason is believe it or not, Marvin was the one that did not want ME going to a strip club. I have already been there done that so it wasn't a big deal, but when his guys heard he doesn't want to go to a strip club, of course they think it is all my fault. I have not forbid Marvin from going, but he does not want to go. We as a couple decided we were not going to strip clubs. I just hope our wedding party respects our decision as a couple. Funny how all the boys were jumping down my throat at the shower trying to get me all worked up about Marvin possibly going to the strip club. My brother being the worst one. Lets just put it this way, Marvin is satisfied with what he has at home and doesn't need to go out and look at white trash naked ladies begging for his money. Back to the reason of why we are having a joint party. Marvin and I have been so busy lately, I can't remember the last time we went out drinking and dancing. We thought it would be fun to celebrate together. Another reason is we have lots of friends that are dating. This way they can also hang out with their special someone :)

The wedding is only 25 days away! We are almost there! We still have to meet with some of the vendors to finalize some things, but it looks like it is all wrapping up! Hope everyone can make it :)

Lottery Tickets

Marvin and I decided to buy lottery tickets because our luck has to turn around sometime. On friday night after the funeral the family had decided to make some margaritas. We went to the liquor store and there were big signs everywhere saying $220 million mega ball TONIGHT. I got really excited. The man thought I was nuts, I was asking all kinds of questions. I have never bought a lottery ticket before and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. We bought 4 tickets, one for each of Mr. Joe's children. I really thought we had a good chance!

Needless to say we did not win. I think we matched one number on two different tickets. It would have been nice bonus. . .

Past few days

I just wanted to thank all of you for the kind words and all of the prayer. Mr. Joe was an amazing man, I am thankful I was able to meet him if only for a short time. The family is doing well under the circumstances WAY better then I would ever be if I lost my husband or father. Marvin is busy learning how to run a business, but I think it's good for him to keep busy. He has not missed a day of work yet because that is what his dad would want. Mr. Joe lives on through Marvin. Marvin just said he has big shoes to fill.

I don't think we need anything for those of you who have asked. We have plenty of food thanks to the family friends and Jim and crew took care of the lawn. Things have been put on hold for awhile, the renovations at the new house, wedding planning, etc. but I think it is good to take a step back from the busyness and be with family. The viewing is tonight from 7-9 at the Stallings Funeral Home in Pasadena and the funeral is tomorrow at 10am. Thanks again for all the support, both Marvin and I are thankful for our friends :)

SPRING BREAK!!!

I am off until next tuesday, April 14th. This is one thing I love about being a teacher :) When we go back to school on tuesday there is only about 7 weeks left until we are out for summer. This year flew by!
I have a very busy week scheduled. Today was dedicated to cleaning, laundry and I finished stamping the wedding invitations. Tomorrow I have a dentist appt and I am meeting my mom, marvin's mom, and marvin's sister in-law to complete the invitations. This has definately been the biggest obstacle of the wedding planning and I will be so glad when it is over. I think my mom and I put together a beautiful invitation! Wednesday, I am having lunch with my college roommate Rachel and working a softball game at my school for extra money. Thursday the electric at the new house is being turned on so I have to be there between 8 and 12 AND our new washer and dryer are being delivered. I am going to do some yard work at the new house and hopefully my parents and marvin's mom will be able to come help out. Please feel free to come lend a hand, or just come by and see the house! I am not sure what I am getting into friday. Either more house stuff, or my mom said I have to make getting my wedding shoes a priority so I can get my dress altered.
I love the sunny weather! I have my windows open and it is so nice outside. I can't wait for it to be warm everyday!

#13 DONE

My friend Casey emailed me today and asked if I wanted to go to the Laundromat with her. I immediately thought of my 101 list! I thought of all the laundry I had to do and decided I would do a load at the laundromat. I am glad this is over and done with and I will probably never go to another laundromat unless I am forced to. It is EXPENSIVE!!! Over $5 to wash, although I think it was a 4 load washer and it is 25 cents to dry for 4 minutes! I think I dried the load for 24 mins, or $1.50. The weird guy there swears it is cheaper than doing laundry at home, I am not too sure about that.

My 6th period tried to pull an April Fool's prank on me. The only thing is I knew about it. They were going to wait for me to leave the classroom (thing is I don't leave during the period) and they were going to run up to Mr. Cunningham's room so when I returned everyone was gone. It would have been pretty clever if Mr. Cunningham hadn't heard about it and told me. So of course I convienently left the room to "make copies" as soon as they started their work. I could hear them giggling leaving the room as I walked down the hallway. Little did they know the vice principal was waiting upstairs for them to give them all cut slips. Joke was on them :) I thought it was cute and at least they tried.

Spring break is only 2 days away. I have off from April 4th until April 14th. I am so excited!!! When we get back to school I only have 7 and a 1/2 weeks left before I am done for the summer. This year has flown by. I have been so busy!

We finally settled on our house yesterday. It was cancelled friday, then cancelled again monday. Settlement was suppose to begin at 11am, but it didn't start until after 5pm. Marvin was pissed. He spent the day in his car waiting to hear back from the title company. Thank god I wasn't there I probably would have killed someone. I think I may have an anger management problem :) But, after all the headache, we own the home. The realtor is our neighbor and said it is a fabulous neighborhood. She has been there for 52 years and has raised her kids and now her grandkids there. She also said we got an incredible deal. Now comes the renovations. We are hoping to be by June. My coworker is going to move into our condo in Calvert County in July. We got lucky :)

MIA

I know I have been MIA the past few days, but I am back!

I have been working my butt off trying to get my grad work done. I was at school until 7pm on wednesday night working. But it has really paid off. I completed 3 papers on wed night and I am done all that I can do for the time being. I have 6 "artifacts" left before I am finished! I have to attend one more grade/subject level meeting other than science and write a paper. I am conducting the bus evacuation drill next thursday and have to write a reflection. I have to complete my time sheet logging all my internship hours which is supposed to be 300+ hours, but I am way over 300. My mentor has to fill out my final evaluation, I have to complete a final powerpoint presentation about my internship and then my RSVP reflection on my internship experience. Nothing that requires much work so I am happy :)

I could walk at graduation on May 23rd, but I think I will pass since it is the saturday of memorial day weekend and I don't want to pay for my gown, hood, and tassel. It would cost over $150. Plus I only know 3 people graduating with me, so it wouldn't be fun.

Today is 100 days until my wedding! I am starting to get excited now that I have started finishing up my grad work. My mom and Marvin's mom have been working on our shower. It will be on Sunday May24th. It is a couples shower because I really hate being the center of attention and I think there is nothing worse than sitting around watching someone open presents for hours, especially since the person completes a registry and most presents come straight from the registry. Why is that supposed to be fun?

So the shower is May24th at Marvin's parents house on the Eastern Shore. The house is BEAUTIFUL and it is right on the water. My only other requirements was that the volleyball net be set up and we have alcohol. I don't know anything more than that, but I can't wait.

My friends have been setting up the bachelorette party. It will be on June 20th, one week before the wedding. I am not sure exactly what we are doing or where we are going, but I do know that we will be meeting up with the bachelor party at some point. I thought this would be nice for my friends since most of them date or are married to one of the guys and I thought it would be good for me and Marvin so we can dance and have a good time together. We both don't want to go to a strip club, although one of my ex-students strips at the Hanger club by Andrew's Airforce Base. That would be gross!

I can't wait for warmer weather! It puts me in such a good mood and I love being outside. I can't wait to be able to have BBQ's again and eat deviled eggs. Yes, nothing is better than having a good hamburger and deviled eggs. Bring on the nice weather!

Happy 1st day of Spring! I'm going to Rita's to get a free italian ice :)

TGIF!

First of all, I completed #21 on my list, which was to say the pledge at school. I did a fabulous job! Didn't mess up :)

Even though we had off monday and tuesday and had a 2 hour delay wednesday, I feel like this week dragged on. My kids were crazy and we still have 4 full weeks until spring break. I hope I survive! I am so glad the weekend is here. No big plans. The only thing Marvin and I have planned is a game night at Melanie and Jayson's. We may go hiking on sunday since it is supposed to be so nice. Finally, warm weather!

# 27 and # 66 complete

I had my dermatologist appt yesterday, #27 on my list. That is one thing I have been meaning to do before the wedding. My appt was at 3:30 so I arrived around 3:25. I walked into the waiting room to find all 19 chairs filled. I knew it was going to be a long wait. I signed in and then waited for an open spot. I was not called back to wait by myself in the patient room until 5:07 and was out of the office by 5:30. It was such a long wait for a 5 minute appt. All she did was give me a prescription to clear up my face and some lotion for dry skin in the winter. I hope this stuff works. . .

Marvin and I got our taxes done yesterday. We have a friend do our taxes and while he was downstairs working we sat upstairs with his wife and watched tv. At 8, last weeks episode of lost came on. I was expecting something great since everyone raves about this show, but I really can't stand it. I thought I would write it down on my 101 list to give it a try. So my goal was to watch lost. Granted it was a show from the 5th season and the only other episode was the first ever, but I really don't like it. Sorry for all those that do, but I just can't get into it.

# 97 Check

This is kind of cheating, but I am in charge of the Sunshine Committee at my school. Our job is to send "rays of sunshine" to people in hard times or in times of celebration. I actually sent flowers twice this week. One lady at school lost her daughter so I sent flowers and another coworker had a baby girl! But regardless, I completed my #97 to send flower to someone :)

4 months until the wedding!

I woke up today and immediately asked Marvin what today was. He responded "4 months until our wedding," so he passed the test! I am getting super excited about all of it. I still have a ton of stuff to do and I keep putting it off because of all my Grad work. Thank god for my mom! I have my wedding binder at school (yes, I have one :))and when I get a chance I look at some things. Mostly just pictures of the brochures, but I act like I am accomplishing something. I still have to get everything I am wearing that day. Got the dress, but I still don't have shoes and I need to research this Spanx stuff, I have heard it works miracles!

The only thing I am worried about is the hotel situation. There are only 24 rooms at Kent Manor and I know at least 10 are filled up already with family and the bridal party. I know my girls have reserved their rooms, but I am sure the guys haven't done anything. The typical guy waits until the last minute. I told Marvin to spread the word, but not sure if he remembered. So if you all want a room, make sure you make a reservation soon!

There are 2 things I can't wait for. One is the first time I see Marvin. I am sure he will cry, he is such a baby. And the other is the father/daughter dance. For some reason girls always dream about their wedding day and who they will marry. Me? I dream about dancing with my dad. When I hear the song we are going to dance to on the radio, I immediately start to tear up. I hope I can keep it together on the wedding day. Back to the first time I see Marvin. We aren't getting married until 6pm and he said he doesn't want to talk to me all day. I don't know if I can do that. I might need to hear his voice or at least a text message or something the day of to help calm my nerves. We will see. . .

I still have so much going on with my life right now that I haven't really focused or had time to stress about the wedding. I keep thinking to work in baby steps. First I have to go to settlement (March 27th) and get started doing some things in the new house. Then I am graduating in May with my Masters. I think I might walk on stage, but only because 2 of my close friends will be. I thought it would be cute walk across stage together since we have been through the whole process together. Another obstacle is finishing the school year. I can't believe we are already half way through the 3rd marking period. Not much longer to go! And the last thing is Dave and Amanda's wedding. I am not angry that they decided to get married 2 weeks before us, but it really makes it hard to get things done 2 weeks before our wedding if you are traveling out of state. I am sure it will all work out :)

Couples Survey

Couples Survey. . .

What are your middle names?
Mine is Claire and his is Edward.

How long have you been together?
We have been together for 2 years.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We started dating about a month or so after we met, but only because he didn't call me for a month.

Who asked whom out?
I made him get my number. He called me, but I set up the date. I knew he was shy so I thought I should take the lead. I also had to kiss him first because he was so shy.

How old are each of you?
I am 26 and he is 28.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
His sisters, although he sees my brother a lot since he is ALWAYS having car trouble.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
His work schedule. He leaves the house at 6:30 and doesn't get home until after 7. Plus, he works from 8 until 2 on saturdays. I get off at 2:30 so I get lonely. We only have 1 day off together.

Did you go to the same school?
Nope. We went to rival high schools. . . me, Arundel and he is a Glen Burnie Gopher.

Are you from the same home town?
Nope. Me, Crofton and Marvin, Severn

Who is smarter?
I am with school things, he is with motors, computers and any electronic device.

Who is the most sensitive?
He is way more sensitive than me and I thought I was sensitive.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Fast food, Chik fil a
restaurants, Yin Yankee, Bone Fish, Fortune Cooky, and any mexican place :)

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
I got him a trip to Las Vegas as a graduation gift and we will be going to St. Lucia on our honeymoon!

Who has the worst temper?
I get mad more easily, but he has the worst temper. I think because he is such a nice guy he holds it in and then he explodes. As long as it isn't directed towards me it is ok!

Who does the cooking?
I do every night.

Who is the neat-freak?
Both of us. That is why we are perfect for each other.

Who is more stubborn?
No question about this one. . . ME!

Who hogs the bed?
He does. I wouldn't say he hogs it, but he likes to sleep REALLY close to me so he ends up on my side of the bed.

Who wakes up earlier?
I wake up at 5:45 and he wakes up at 6:00. On sundays, I usually wake up earlier and wake him up.

Where was your first date?
Calypso Bay to hear my roommate play.

Who is more jealous?
He is.

How long did it take to get serious?
We have always been serious. You know what they say, when you know, you know.

Who does the laundry?
I do. He is not allowed to do my clothes after he ruined a pair of jeans because he washed and dried a pen in the load. He does do his work clothes occasionally.

Who's better with the computer?
No doubt he is. I have no idea what I am doing.

Who drives when you are together?
Usually him, unless he is falling asleep behind the wheel. I think he does this on purpose so I have to drive every once in awhile.

Still no big news!

I am getting lots of grief for not updating my blog this week so I guess I better post something. . .

I have led a pretty boring life lately. I worked the Boys Basketball game on friday night. Saturday I sat around until it was time to go to the new house for the home inspection. Even that was boring, but according to the home inspector that is a great thing since there are no major things wrong with the house.

Sat night we had intentions on going out, BUT . . .there is always a but :)
Marvin slept until 8 pm and I didn't feel that well and since we live so far from all of our friends it would have been about 10 before we got up to Baltimore. Again, very boring!

Sunday, Marvin and I took his grandmother to the new house. Of course she loved it. We also watched Pride and Glory with Ed Norton. I thought it was going to be good because of the cast, but it wasn't that great.

Anything going on this weekend? I really want to go out now that I was shut in all last weekend.

Happy Deb? :)

No big news

This is more of just an update post. Our home inspection is on Saturday for the new house. Hopefully it all goes well. Marvin and I have been dreaming of all the things we could do to the house, but probably can't afford. It is nice to dream I guess. . . We would like to redo the bathrooms upstairs. That is more of a neccesity if we are going to have a happy relationship. I need more space and it needs a little updating! Maybe our tax returns will be a good way to fund these projects, if we ever find time to do our taxes.

Our projected settlement date is March 27th and as Marvin pointed out that is exactly 3 months before our wedding date :) So much to do still! I am really excited. My mom finally bought her dress. We are still doing little things like centerpieces, invitations, attendant gifts etc.

I am working the basketball game tomorrow night. It is nice getting the extra money, but it stinks having to work on a friday night. There is 43 days until Spring Break. We don't have a day off until then. It will be a long haul, but the week off is worth it!

#51 Complete!

Marvin made reservations at Windows on the Bay for Valentine's Day. At first I didn't really want to go. I thought we could save money instead, but the food was AMAZING!!! It was a 4 course meal. We started with Cream of Crab soup, had a salad, he had stuffed lobster and I had prime rib with shrimp (we shared of course) and then we finished it all off with 2 delicious desserts. Dinner was so much fun. I am really glad I didn't cancel! I know you can't really tell from the picture, but I wore a nice dress with high heels and all.



We went back to our new house yesterday so my parents could see it. They LOVED it! Then we went furniture shopping for some things like a kitchen table. Marvin is one of those people that has to think about a purchase for about a week before he buys anything. Me, I see something I like and want to buy it on sale! I don't know why he puts up much of a fight since I am the decorater between the 2 of us. He acts like he cares, but I think he secretly likes fighting with me about stupid things.

Girls night tonight! I am so excited!!!! Ruth's Chris for $29.95 you can't beat that :) Haven't been to Ruth's Chris since Marvin proposed :) Should be a great night, can't wait to catch up with the girls. But first, I am shopping with my mom today. She wants me to see some possible dresses for her to wear to the wedding. Off to shop. . .

Friday the 13th ain't so bad. . .

Friday the 13th proved to be a lucky day for me and Marvin. I just found out they accepted our offer on the house in Churchton, MD. I am so excited!!! I never thought in a million years in less than 2 weeks I would find a house, fall in love, put in an offer and then get the house! Wow. . . I am speachless! The next step is our home inspection. They already had one which found normal wear and tear, but we are doing one of our own just to make sure. I have no idea when we might actually be moving, but I thought I would share our good news!

#90 Complete

I should have done this long ago, but I FINALLY bought reuseable grocery bags. As an Environmental Science teacher I thought it was my duty to set a good example. And man, can those bags hold a lot of groceries! I bought tons of stuff and I fit it all into 2 bags.

Update on our moving status. We found a house we loved in Churchton, MD. It is a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath single family home. It is 4 blocks from the water. It is really nice! It was originally $335k but reduced to $260k. We got approved for the loan and meeting with our Realtor (Marvin's sister) tonight to discuss some things. Hopefully it all works out :)

On another note. . .
I have a head cold. Gotta love working with sick kids all day. My goal this year is to not take a day off. I have accumulated 30 days of sick leave and I am trying to bank all 10 days from this year. My friends think I am crazy, but I am trying to be professional. It all ties into my internship for my Master's. I graduate with my Administration and Supervision certification in May! What that means. . . I qualify to be a vice prinicpal or secondary supervisor :)

Friday the 13th
My friend Cathy is hosting a Murder Mystery party this friday for her birthday. I have never been to one before, although I have seen the Girls Next Door episode where they hosted a murder mystery party and that looked like tons of fun! Yes, I am addicted to reality TV.

Moving???

I have thought about this forever, and I think we are going to try and move! I have wanted to move for many different reasons. First, Calvert County is so far from EVERYTHING and we are constantly packing up and spending the weekend in Crofton/Severn. It is getting old. Second, I am so tired of listening to my upstairs neighbors. They are really nice, but I can hear the college boy play Rock Band ALL THE TIME and I can even hear them going to the bathroom! Third, I am trying to plan for the future. Both of our parents are 45mins + away. It would be nice to be closer when we have babies. . . whenever that may be :)

I want to buy a house in between Calvert County and Baltimore. I will keep my current house and rent it out. I already have a renter :) That was my first big fear. A coworker heard me on the phone and said she would be interested in renting from me! So check, that was easy! Next, we have been looking in the Annapolis and Bowie area. I am not too fond of the PG county schools, but I am willing to give it a chance. Who knows how long we will be in the new house.

I hope we can afford it. We are going this weekend to look at houses. I have one that I LOVE, but it is still an hour away from Baltimore. It is a cute single family home in West River. Right near the water. The only bad thing I can see from the internet is it has no garage. I have been spoiled! Other than that it is so cute.

Will update later!

101 things in 1001 days

Thought the 101 things in 1001 days was a great idea. It took me a week to come up with the list and after revising it many times, I am finally ready to start. . .

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific. Tasks must be realistic (something reachable and not too far fetched).

Why 1001 Days? The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:

1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

MY START DATE: 2/1/2009
MY END DATE: 10/29/20011

KEY:
BOLD: Completed
ITALIC: In progress

Here's my list:

1. Get Married (June 27, 2009)
2. Go camping
3. Go hiking (Pigeon Island: St. Lucia ~ July 2, 2009)
4. Go skiing/snowboarding
5. Run a 5k
6. Bike the B&A trail
7. Tour DC for a day
8. Go to the National Zoo (August 13, 2009)
9. Volunteer for a day
10. Donate clothes to goodwill/charity
11. Take a cooking class
12. Do karaoke
13. Do laundry at a Laundromat (4/1/09)
14. Have a yard sale
15. Make a wedding scrapbook
16. Buy a lottery ticket (5/1/09)
17. Wash my car twice a month for 3 months straight
18. Go white water rafting
19. Get my Master’s Degree (5/23/09)
20. Travel outside the country (St. Lucia June 29th - July 6th)
21. Say the pledge at school on the PA (3/6/09)
22. Go on a girls trip
23. Bring breakfast one morning for the entire Science dept
24. Attend a spinning class at the gym
25. Look for sharks teeth at the beach
26. Have a picnic
27. Go to a dermatologist (March 4, 2009)
28. Go to the Renaissance Festival (Sept 7, 2009)
29. Buy a nice tropical dress for my honeymoon (June 20, 2009)
30. Make something for someone
31. Learn how to change a tire (June 18, 2009)
32. Learn how to change the oil in the car
33. Read 3 professional books (1/3)
34. Paint the walls of my house (6/8/09)
35. Go a whole school year without taking a day off
36. Go 1 month without eating out
37. Furnish the guest room
38. Furnish the computer room
39. Donate blood
40. Visit NYC during the Holiday season
41. Visit Chicago just because
42. Visit Aunt Sue in Minnesota
43. Ride a horse
44. Go zip lining (July 4, 2009)
45. Visit the Humane Society
46. Buy produce from the local farmers market
47. Take a kickboxing class
48. Adopt a family/child for Christmas
49. Learn to knit
50. Knit something
51. Get all dressed up and eat at a fancy restaurant (2/14/09)
52. Carve a pumpkin for Halloween (well we painted it instead!)
53. Get my haircut and styled
54. Go to watch a kickball game
55. Go away for spring break
56. Go to a concert
57. Send out Christmas cards to family and friends
58. Read all 7 Harry Potter books
59. Watch all Sex in the City episodes in order
60. Do something special for someone’s birthday (Dad's surprise party 3/28/09)
61. Buy a new bathing suit (April 09)
62. Have a movie marathon day
63. Create/update my blog (February 09)
64. Create a family photo album
65. Throw a dinner party (10/11/09)
66. Watch Lost (3/4/09)
67. Get down to my goal weight (April 09 ~ lets see if I can maintain!)
68. Organize my jump drive (August 5, 2009)
69. Help mom in the garden (April 09 ~ or her help me in my new garden)
70. Read 10 books for fun (8/10)
71. Go on a canoe/kayak trip
72. Go to gym 4 times a week for 2 months straight
73. Go to a museum
74. Do an anonymous favor for someone
75. Buy new sunglasses (5/23/09)
76. Read the Sunday newspaper
77. See a movie by myself
78. Prepare 10 meatless meals (2/10) Baked Ziti :)
79. Drink 8 glasses of water a day for 7 days
80. Make a cake from scratch (7/27/09)
81. Buy something from an antique store
82. Take pictures in a photo booth (June 13, 2009)
83. Go ice skating
84. Watch the sun rise
85. Buy a fun, new accessory ~ my new boots :)
86. Save change and go on a fun shopping spree
87. Insure my engagement ring (3/17/09)
88. Bike to the Beach 4 Sunday’s in a row (0/4)
89. Plan a spa day (I think this counts! June 26th and 27th July 1st and 5th)
90. Buy reusable grocery bags Complete 2/9/09
91. Create a family tree
92. Get life insurance
93. Gamble at a casino
94. Go to 10 Oriole games (2/10)
95. Go to dinner alone with Matt
96. Start a fire with no matches, lighter etc.
97. Send flowers to someone (Lucas family 2/26)
98. Start a family
99. Play Bingo
100. Go berry/fruit picking
101. Inspire 2 people to create a 101 things in 1001 days list (1/2)