Hamster wheel and a thank you to Mr. Lincoln

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you do you just can't get ahead? That has been my entire month of January. Well, actually, it goes back to the end of December. I left for the east coast to spend the holidays and much needed time with my family. I was very excited and a little apprehensive because at that time we didn't think that my husband was going to be able to go and we already knew my little brother wouldn't be home as his leave time was moved to the spring. Anyways, my husband ended up surprising me and flying over night a few days into the week and was standing outside of the mall when my mom and I went shopping! We had the best time all together - I hadn't been in Rhode Island for more than a week in over 2 years. The day after Christmas we got a huge snow storm and were snowed in for days. I had planned to leave on Thursday and then I would 4 days to do a lot of things around my house that were projects that were just too big for weekends after working all week (i.e. sorting, organizing, and cleaning all of our clothes and closets, deep cleaning the cabinets and corners, and finishing the office) and getting ahead on all of my planning. I didn't get home until Jan 3 and had to miss my first day back at school. Since then our weekends have been filled with projects around the house but it still hasn't felt like we were caught up from not making it home in time. I have also had to create, administer and grade 130 finals and start a new semester. Enter President Lincoln. For some fabulous reason the school system has given us today off in honor of his birthday and so I have a whole day with nothing to do other than get caught up so that tomorrow, Saturday, will be a Saturday to relax and work on some Valentines Day surprises. I am giddy about this (I know as I type this how dorky it sounds) But, I am off to blast my Glee sound track and get to work. Have a great weekend.
What do you do when you feel like you just can't get caught up?




image from cartoonstock.com

Soul Food

Early this morning, after three hours of sleep last night, I hopped on a plane and flew to Rhode Island. Within an hour of landing I was at my parents house drinking coffee from Dunkin Donuts and laughing with my family. As a teacher, there are only two times through out the year that I am able to travel to see my family. Last summer I was only back for a weekend and so this is really the first time in a year that I am able to relax and enjoy my family and boy do I need it. The last three weeks of school were filled with students conferences, holiday activities, grading grading and more grading, working on my house, some awful tagging incidents at work, and multiple late night/early morning combinations. My husband is extremly supportive of my need to spend time with my family (as we live near his) and so he has always encouraged me to head east as soon as can any time that I have a break. Several of my friends will be back in the area and I am looking forward to seeing everyone, catching up on their lives, and meeting the first baby born into my circle of friends. I am blessed with a group of friends that I have stayed in touch with since high school, some since elementary school, and being home with them is always a great part of Christmas.
While I have planned out the next few days: a girls night out with some of my oldest and dearest girlfriends on Monday night, school with my dad on Tuesday (he teaches first grade) a shopping/mani/pedi/lunch date with my mom on Wednesday, and an all-day-yet-undetermined-day with my sister on Thursday, tomorrow is the beginning of my rejuvenation and relaxation. My parents are both working and my sister has school tomorrow so I have a day of lounging, a dvr full of real housewives and office episodes, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to occupy my time. A major benefit of spending time at my parents house is that I can completely relax - there are no papers calling out to me to be graded, no projects around the house to work on, and no cleaning to take care of.

Now I just need my hunny to be able to make it out here to relax with me in a few days



image courtesy of http://ropegardenhammock.com/

Baby it's cold outside

Today is one of those days where I cannot seem to get warm. I am sitting in my class, holding individual conferences with each of my students on their grades and I am freezing. I was hoping to run out a lunch time for some soup or some coffee but there have been kids here nonstop so I haven't been able to venture out yet. Here are some of my go to items for warming up: Ghiradelli's Hot Chocolate, Paula Dean's soup, Old Navy Fleece Pants, and Boots - of course my favorite thing to keep me warm will be home from work soon!

What helps you warm up?

Sounds of the Season

The past few weeks I have been on a music frenzy and have bought several Christmas cds. My little brother won't have his leave until the spring and so he will be overseas during Christmas this year so I am making him a cd of all of the music that we used to decorate our trees to - How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph,The Muppets Christmas Carol, Charlie Brown, and the Chipmunks.

I have also purchased the Glee Christmas Album and will be getting the new Mariah Carey this weekend. I did resist the irge to play everything as soon as I got it and wait (per request) until after Thanksgiving and so now they are all on full rotation in our house. I am always looking to add to my collection - what are your Holiday must have sounds?

Thankful all year long!

Is anyone else is complete shock that today is the first day of December? While the month of thankful posts has come to a close it helped improve my attitude each day as I looked at the blessings in my life. Here is a list from the sweet Natalie over at The Bobby Pin - her blog is one of my absolute favorites and a definite daily read

Things I'm thankful for

1. Husband
2. Puppy
3. A roof over my head, a quilt on my bed and food at the table (totally putting three things on one here)
4. Friends and Family
5. Blogging. It brings me such joy.
Thanks Natalie

As we head into a new month, the last one of 2010, I am thankful for another year, for a supportive family that spans both coasts, for a principal who cares about his students and staff, for a youth group and church family that challenge me to constantly grow and become better, and for my best friend who loves me unconditionally - I could not ask for a better husband and teammate.



image courtesty of thepiferfamily.blogspot.com

Where the Heart Is

Last week I got a suprise package from my mom containing a new Vera Bradley purse. The other day, when I was talking to my little sister, I laughed so hard that I cried. I am already in the Christmas mood because I am equating that with heading back east. I have lived here in beautiful San Diego for over three years now and I am finding the fourth year to be the hardest. When we were making out plans before we got married, we decided that we would start out on the West Coast and settle down back East. Fast forward 3 1/2 years and we own a home and have great jobs in our career field when both are relatively scarce and it wouldn't make any sense for us to just pick up and move somewhere else where we most likely would not have either. I love the life that we have built here, I just have to convince my family to move out here rather than the two of us moving there. Despite the fact that we will have spaces missing at our thanksgiving table on Thursday, I am thankful for my family and even for the fact that I miss them. So many people don't have a loving family or have a family that they do not love or miss and so as hard as it can be to be 3000 miles apart, I am thank for them and for the love that we have together.


what are you thankful for? Email me 5 things that you are thankful for at modernhousewife@yahoo.com - I'd love to feature your list

Break Glorious Break

This week I have a to do list that is about 10 miles long and I am so thankful for a few days off from work. We get the entire week off and I need it! We have a long stretch from when the kids come back to school (I've been in since that end of August) until Thanksgiving break and then we start rolling down hill. On Friday I had to kick two students out of class (the first time all year) for constant talking, singing loudly, and playing on their cell phones. I got so frustrated when I was trying to read something out loud that I flipped my book down on to my desk and told them that they had to leave. This was a sure sign that we only had 3 more periods until break - they are always a lot more wild before a break. On the good side, both students came to me before the end of the day, apologized, and told me that they would come back different next Monday. We shall see. Thanksgiving break, I am thankful that you are here and I will make good use of the time off that you are giving me!

What are you thankful for? Email me 5 things you're thankful for at modernhousewife@yahoo.com - I'd love to feature your list

image courtesy of http://czechmatediary.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/schoolteacher.jpg