New Focus = "New Blog"

When I first started blogging back in 2004, my focus was just on my random thoughts and musings....hence the name "Randomnimnity." After a few years of avid blogging, I took a break. Only to pick up the habit again once I found out I was pregnant in the summer of 2009. I changed my blog's name to "The Wright Stuff," thinking I'd be this Super-Mom blogger detailing every aspect of my pregnancy, the birth of my daughter, the first days/weeks/months/years of her life, and all of the other fun stuff that a young family encounters on a day-to-day basis. Yeah. That lasted all of 3 posts. And I haven't written since.

Well, here we are. On the cusp of a whole new journey entirely. One which has my mind going in a million different directions. One of the best ways I am able to sort through my thoughts and feelings is to get them down in writing. I don't even care if they are never read. As long as I "get them out" somehow, I can make some sort of sense about them.

My Dad has always had a button in his truck that said "29 and holding." He's always, always, always answered, "How old are you?" with "29." And this year, he celebrated his 30th Anniversary of his 29th Birthday. I always thought that was so silly!! I NEVER thought that age would "bother" me. I have LOVED and welcomed birthdays. I'm sure many of my friends would agree that I often had BirthWEEKS instead of BirthDAYS. So I never, ever, ever, ever thought that being 29 looking at 30 would seem so scary to me!! I really don't think it would, if I didn't have this other little identity crisis going on this year.....

See...I have been teaching for 7 years. Before that, I studied Elementary Education at Clemson University for 4 years. Before that, I did two years of "Teaching as a Profession" during my Junior and Senior years in high school. Before that, all I ever remember wanting to do was teach. So, when I made the decision to leave the field of education for an indefinite amount of time to stay at home and raise my daughter, I never imagined I'd be having this hard of a time with it!! Don't get me wrong--I am beyond blessed to have the opportunity to stay home. And the deciding factor in my staying home was that I don't think I will ever regret staying home, but I know there is a good chance that I would regret NOT. So, I am doing as many other moms have done before me and put my career aside in order to give my child and my husband the best of me. This past year teaching was difficult on my family--I put my job first, and being a wife and mother came 2nd. In the whole grand scheme of things, I realized I needed to put my family first. But still. I can't help but be feel a little "left behind" as my friends and co-workers all went back to work today. Together. And I didn't.

So here I am...29 and holding...

...Unsure of where life will lead me next. Unsure of how successful I'll be as a Stay-At-Home-Mom. Unsure about what the last few months of my 30th year on Earth will bring. Unsure of growing up!!

35 Weeks!!

Wow!! Tomorrow, I will be 35 weeks into my pregnancy!!! It's so hard to believe I haven't posted anything since our 20ish week appointment where we found out that Little Lily was going to be a girl!! :) Since then, we've finished the nursery (with the exception of curtains), had 4 baby showers, and are basically counting down the days!!! I go back to the doctor on Thursday, when I will start going weekly!! Crazy!!!!! I also only have 18 more school days with my children before my spring break, which will lead into my maternity leave, which will lead into my summer vacation!! :) It's all gone by so very fast!!

I have LOVED being pregnant!!! I have fortunately had quite an uneventful pregnancy. My only (minor) setback was that I didn't pass my glucose test the first time, so they sent me to have the 3-hour test back in January. I passed that one just fine, so everything else has been pretty smooth sailing! My blood pressure has remained normal/fantastic, so that's good, too!! It's really funny, though....even though it's been great the whole time, my last two appointments happened to fall on days during which I didn't have school (a Snow Day, then President's Day), and on those two days, it was EXCELLENT!!! :) Hahaha!! What does that say about how teaching all day can affect a girl's blood pressure?! :) It's a good thing my class this year isn't all that stressful!! :)

When I go on Thursday, they are going to start "checking" me, so I'm anxious to see how much, if any, progress I begin to make over the next few weeks!! :) I'm still feeling great, and Lily has been very active, so I hope that it continues, and I can finish out this pregnancy without too much discomfort!! :)

Ultrasound!

Baby Girl sure is an active Little One!! :) We can't wait to meet her!!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!!!

Well, IT'S A GIRL!!!!! It was always my gut feeling that the little butter bean inside of me was a girl, but today, we found out at our ultrasound!!! She was moving all around and kicking and flipping and actually kind of giving the ultrasound tech a hard time!! The tech kept calling her "booger" because she wouldn't be still enough for the tech to get some of the measurements she needed! It was okay, though, because that just meant our ultrasound lasted a little longer, and we got to see her for longer!! It's so amazing seeing that little person move around in there...especially since the last time we saw her, she looked like a blob! :) Both the tech and the doctor said that everything looks very normal and very healthy, and Little One is measuring right on time, and everything!! I can't believe that Wednesday is 20 weeks...the halfway mark!!! Dr. Hood had told us that at this ultrasound, it would feel more "real," and boy it does!! The baby looks like a baby, we know it's a "she," and now we can finally start planning and shopping for her!!! YAY!!!! I've also been able to feel her for about the past week and a half, but it's just been the little bumps and flutters here and there, though she's definitely been the most active when I eat!! :) I can't wait until I really start feeling the jabs and kicks, and it will be super special when Shay can start feeling her, too!!! We are just so stinking excited!!! :)

Names....oh, names!! Well, in my blog last month, we had pretty much decided on Barrett Bryan for a boy and Evans Elise if it's a girl. I still like Evans Elise, but am not quite sure anymore. We also really liked Lily Evans (I went back and forth between Evans Elise and Lily Evans so much back when we first found out we were pregnant), and after seeing her today, Lily is the stronger name in my mind at this point...it just seems to fit her better! SOOOO....she may end up being Evans Elise, she may end up being Lily Evans, and she may end up being something totally, completely different, but that's one more thing we'll have to think about over the next few days/weeks/months...but as Shay says....we have 4+ months to decide!! BUT I'm just ready to give her a name!!! :) When we decide for certain, though, you'll know it!! :)

We got a DVD of our ultrasound today, and when Shay figures out how to convert it to a web-friendly file, I will upload it to this blog and to facebook!!!

Baby Girl and I are HON-GA-RY, so I'm going to jet for now!!

15+ Weeks

Well, about 3.5 weeks ago, I came out of the "Pregnancy Closet" on facebook! I guess it's about time I blogged about it, too! Hopefully, this will help keep those who are interested "in the know" about how my pregnancy is progressing, as well as how doctor appointments go, and all that jazz!

Shay and I went to the doctor today. This was my first actual OB visit. My blood pressure was great...as a matter of fact, the nurse said, "VERY good blood pressure, my friend," which I was VERY pleased to hear. While I've never been diagnosed with "high blood pressure" or even "pre-hyptertension," my blood pressure has tended to be on the high-side. However, over the past 2 years, I have lost a good 30 pounds, and have been excercising much more and eating better. I was hoping it had paid off, and it looks like it has! Yay!! We'll just keep it up so that it's one less thing to worry about! (It was 122 over 80).

ANYWAY, I'm about 10 to 11 lbs. lighter now at 15 weeks, 2 days than I was at the time I got pregnant. This is because there were a few weeks (around weeks 8-12) that I just couldn't eat! My morning sickness made most foods very unappetizing to me! And don't even talk to me about lettuce...YUCK! I'm completely fine eating salads now, but up until about 2 weeks ago, it made me want to hurl. The good news is, I never actually did "hurl," and I hear I'm one of the lucky ones since I haven't gotten physically "sick" during pregnancy!

Even now, though I'm eating a lot more different foods, and most things taste good to me, my appetite isn't as big as it was before pregnancy. I usually must stick to small portions, and it doesn't take much before I feel very full! The good news is, the baby is still taking what it needs and is still growing like it should! It's funny, though...as I've lost weight, my pants are still fitting the exact same way, I guess because the baby's growth is evening things out around my waistline! I still don't feel like I'm "showing," though, which is fine, because I know in about 4-6 more months, I'm probably going to feel like a house! AND, I've been able to continue wearing all of my same clothes and haven't had to buy any maternity clothes yet! That's made Shay pretty happy! Or, his wallet, anyway! Haha!

We got to hear the heartbeat today!! I was so happy because when I went to my very first appointment, all they did was do an ultrasound to determine how far along I was and when my due date was and everything. We heard it then, at 7 weeks, 1 day, but haven't heard it since! It was such a beautiful sound to hear again!!! I can't WAIT until I actually begin to feel him or her moving around in there! Our next appointment will be on Monday, November 16 at 4 PM (19 weeks, 5 days). We will have our "20 week ultrasound" at that point. I can't wait to see the baby actually looking like a baby (the one at 7 weeks looked like a little blob-like bean), AND be able to tell what "it" is!! It's so funny....Shay is dead-set on it being a boy. He's absolutely CERTAIN! However, I kind of think it's a girl, and my mom, his mom, my cousin Michelle, and my cousin Emily all think it's a girl, too!! When the nurse that took the heartbeat today told us it was 150/151/152/151, she said that if she had to make an educated guess, she would say it was a boy. Dr. Hood agreed, too. That made Shay VERY happy! I am just pleased that it is a good, strong, healthy heartbeat! I'm not going to take any "old wives tales" seriously until I have that ultrasound next month! :) I will be 100% happy either way! And it will be nice to be able to call it a he or a she instead of "it!" :)

Speaking of which, a lot of people have been asking us about names! We've told everyone who has asked, so I'll gladly share here, as well!! If it is a boy, his name will be Barrett Bryan Wright. We both really like the name Barrett (Shay actually came up with it, and has been so happy about it, so that makes it even more special...even if it is after Barrett Ruud of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and Bryan is after Shay's grandparents (their last name is Bryan, which also makes it Shay's mom's maiden name). If it is a girl, her name will be Evans Elise Wright. Evans is my middle name because it is my grandmother's maiden name. Elise was my great-grandmother's "middle name" (in quotes, because we think she made it up herself), and is also my Aunt Dianne's middle name, as well as my cousin Sutton's middle name. I was very determined to use family names in naming our child, and we are very happy with what we've decided upon. And in just a few short weeks, we will be calling him or her by name, and it will just make it that much more real to us!!!

We have not taken "belly pics" yet because, like I said, I don't look pregnant yet, but in a few more weeks/months when it is much more apparent, we'll take some and post them then! I will also post our 20-week ultrasound pics when we get them!

Well, I hope those of you who have been curious feel a little more "in the loop." I'm going to go take a nap now, because that's just what I do these days!! :)

The End of Summer

Well, folks...I have 1.5 more days of summer. That's right...I have to start back to work on Thursday, and then before I know it, I'll have 26(+?) brand new faces to learn and teach throughout the school year. This summer has FLOWN by!! :) I went in for a couple of hours (okay, like 1 1/2) today to try to arrange my room and stuff. My friend Suzi said "You're home!" Hahaha...I said, "Yup...for good, unfortunately!!" Oh but wait...I'll be going to Virginia this Saturday for my cousin MaryJo's wedding, so I still have that fun trip to take!! :) Anyway, walking into my room was quite overwhelming, seeing as how everything got moved to weird places (a bookshelf on top of my counter, my really ridiculously heavy file cabinet in the smack center of my room, a stack of chairs on top of my air conditioner, etc., etc.), but thanks to JC, one of our custodians, I got the heavy things down and upright, and he even unloaded my car for me!! :) That was pretty awesome! Anyway, after I got some of the big things moved, I decided I needed to take another shopping trip to Target, so I left, did my shopping, and then ran by the library on my way home to pick up the latest Janet Evanovich novels I had on hold there! I was going to go into school for a little bit tomorrow, too, although my friends Amy and Alyson said that I shouldn't because it's our last official day of summer!! :) I think I kind of agree!! :) If I'm up early (say...around 8 AM), then I might go on over just to get a few more things situated!! The good news is...now at least I won't feel quite so "out of place" if I do wait it out 'til Thursday. I tell ya...there's just so much that has to be done in such a short amount of time before you actually have students walk back into your room!! Can be quite unnerving!! I am very thankful, though, that my school does give two full days (plus two half days) for room-work only! They don't fill all 4 days with professional development stuff and meetings...that is just one more reason why I love my school!!

Well, I think I'm going to go wash the pots and pans that are waiting in my kitchen, read a chapter in one of my books, and then I'm headed to TR to visit Bailey and Emrick one more time before I start back to school!! :)

New England

Shay, his mom, and I just got back from a whirlwind but fun trip to New England! The original purpose of the trip was to visit my brother-in-law, Weston, who lives in Danbury, CT. We ended up taking several different day excursions to various locations. Here is a short re-cap of the trip!

Thursday, July 23
Drove from Greenville, SC to Danbury, CT. I packed sandwiches for lunch, snacks, and a coolor of sodas and water, so we only stopped 2x for gas/restroom breaks! We left Man's Best Friend Pet Resort off of Augusta Rd. at 8:00 AM and pulled into Weston's apartment at 8:30 PM. Not too shabby!! :) The drive up is GORGEOUS, which is the only redeeming quality of the FOUR HOURS through Virginia. I mean, it's beautiful...the rolling green hills, the quaint farm houses and silos, the Shenandoah Valley....but it's a good thing it's pretty to look at because that is a LONG drive! :) Pennsylvania has really pretty country-side, too! Upon arriving at Weston's, he took us to Rizzuto's for some yummy pizza!

Friday, July 24
Went to a really cool park called Tarrywile on the outskirts of Danbury and hiked for about 2.5 hours...it was so pretty....the trails took us through hayfields, beside ponds and lakes, up and down some mountain-like terrain and through forests (complete with great views and tiny meadows/clearings). I felt like I was in a fairy tale!! It was exactly what I expected Connecticut to look like! :) There were even tons of other hikers with dogs!! I <3 CT because they LOVE their dogs!
After the hike, we drove down to Norwalk to see the "beach," and then back up to Danbury through Westport. We saw the Metlife building there in Westport (which is where Shay often visits on business), and Weston introduced us to the BEST grocery store on EARTH: Stew Leonard's!! It is so fun!!! It kind of has a fresh-market feel, but also sells mainstream stuff like you'd find down here at the Bi-Lo. There are puppet-like characters in the rafters around the store that talk and sing and stuff. My favorite is the trapeze-flipping lobster in the seafood section! Hehe! Anywho, they also open packages of their "home-made" stuff (fresh-baked goods, cheese made at their own dairy, macaroni salad that they make there, etc.), so that's exciting, too!! Everyone loves free samples, right?! My favorite things were their apple cider doughnuts and doughnut holes and their own kettle-cooked sweet potato chips! YUM!!! To top it all off...there's a mini-petting zoo outside at each Stew Leonard's location!! Fun stuff!! Calves, sheep, goats, chickens, and ducks. :) It was quite fun!! Word on the street is you can have a kid's birthday party there! I think that's pretty cool!

Saturday, July 25
We drove into Boston! We walked the entire Freedom Trail (starting in Boston Commons, winding 2.5 miles around the heart of the city and across the bridge into Charles Town, ending at the Battle of Bunker Hill site). It was a really neat experience, especially for the history nerd that lives inside of me!! Among the sites we saw: Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church, The USS Constitution (AKA Ol' Ironsides), the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, several gravesites of famous Americans--Paul Revere, Sam Adams, "Mother Goose," those who died at the Boston Massacre, etc.--, and Quincy Market. After ending the Freedom Trail, we were HOT, tired, and HUNGRY, so we walked to this little tavern in Charles Town called Warren Tavern that my mom had told me about. It's in an old historical building that used to be a tavern and an Inn. The ceilings are still really low and the wide wooden beams are still visible from "back in the olden days when people were so short" (as my mom so eloquently put it!). It was also one of Paul Revere's favorite haunts back in the day! The New England Clam Chowder was a-MA-zing!! And my Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce) was the PERFECT Massachusetts meal! :) After we ate, we walked back to Quincy Market and did some souvenir shopping! :) Once we returned to Danbury, we went to the Stew Leonard's there just for fun and for dessert! :)

Sunday, July 26
The day started off as a chill-out, recouperation day (especially for Shay who had been doing ALL of the driving). We thought it would be raining all day, anyway. However, around noon, we got kind of ansy, and it wasn't raining, and Vickie and I REALLY wanted to try to make it up to Vermont and/or New Hampshire just so we could say we'd been there, so we took off and drove the 2/2.5 hours up to a little town in Vermont called Brattleboro. We originally found it because there are several maple syrup farms there, as well as a brewery in an old firehouse called McNeill's Brewery!!!!! So anyway, we went to Robb Family Farm on the outskirts where Mr. and Mrs. Robb were sitting on their front porch and were very happy to sell us authentic Vermont maple syrup made by Mr. Robb himself!! We then went into the 'heart' of town to find McNeill's. It's in an old firehouse, and they sell pint glasses with the McNeill family crest on them, so of course, I bought a couple! They brew their own beer and sell it on tap, but I wanted some in bottles with labels that said McNeill's. The bartender told us that the Brattleboro Food Co-Op (just down the hill) sells a pretty big selection, so we went, they had 6 varieties, so I bought a bottle of each! (They only sell by 22 oz. bottles...no 6-packs!) I thought the beer and a pint glass would make a pretty cool birthday present for my dad! Anyway, after we left McNeill's, we crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire for all about 2 minutes...just long enough to turn around in a Wal-Mart parking lot....but at least now I can say I've been to both Vermont AND New Hampshire! (And Connecticut...added a total of 3 more states to my list!) We ate at a place called the Riverfront Cafe on the Connecticut River once we crossed back into Brattleboro. Everything they served was from local farms or made from products made at local dairies, which I thought was really cool. I had Vermont Cheddar Ale soup with a tomato, pesto, and mozzarella quiche and a fresh greens salad. YUM!! After we got back to Danbury, we decided we'd leave for home the next day (Monday), and Vickie and I wanted to get some more things from Stew Leonard's to bring back with us, so we went there AGAIN! :)
(Side-note: On the drive to VT, we went straight through Springfield, MA, and we learned/saw that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is there! Pretty cool!)

Monday, July 27
Believe it or not, when we went to Stew Leonard's the night before, they had no more kettle-cooked sweet potato chips for sale, so we had to go BACK Monday morning on our way out of town!! :) No problem, because I LOVE the place! (It has become my new unhealthy obsession....second only to Costco pizza!) Anyway, we left SL @ 10 AM and headed home. We made a short detour through Hershey, Pennsylvania. We drove through the little town to see the Hershey Kiss-topped street lights and to visit Chocolate World. We went on a little ride/tour to see how the milk chocolate is made, had a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Vanilla Milkshake, and bought some TRUE Hershey chocolate bars to bring home! :) Then, we headed back toward South Carolina. The drive back was just as pretty....but when we finally pulled in the driveway around 1:00 AM, I was so glad to be HOME!!!! :)

Overall, it was a GREAT trip! I got to see 3 more states, feed my hungry history nerd, geek-out about a brewery with my name (spelled correctly, might I add), and satisfy my sweet-tooth! :) The only thing is...I took all of 6 pictures. 2 of grave markers (Sam Adams and the Boston Massacre victims), 3 of McNeill's Brewery, and 1 of Shay and me at the Riverfront Cafe in Brattleboro. It's a good thing Vickie took tons and tons! :) When I get some from her, maybe I'll post some on here!

HAPPY NEWS!!!!!!!

SO many WONDERFUL things have been going on in the lives of my friends and family that I just have to SHOUT IT OUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!!!

Yesterday, on Saturday, July 11, MEREDITH AND MIKE GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SOOOO happy for them....she got both the RING AND the MAN of her DREAMS!!!!!! I am so excited for the next few months and seeing how their wedding comes together, because if you know Meredith Fant, you KNOW it will be the most unique, most creative wedding of ALL time!!! :) WOOO-HOOOOOO!!!

Today, on Sunday, July 12, (sometime before 7:15 PM--I'm still waiting on more details), EMRICK SCOTT EDMONDS came into this world!!!!!!!!! That's right, Bailey and Jonathan are a MOMMY AND DADDY, and what FANTASTIC parents they are going to be!!! I know Bailes and Jonathan feel blessed to have such a beautiful baby boy, but Emrick is indeed twice as blessed to have such beautiful people as his parents!!!! Little Emrick is so very, very lucky!!
I cannot WAIT to get back to Greenville to meet him!! :)

Whirlwind!

Can I just tell you how stinkin' fast this summer is going?! First of all, my summer hit the ground running, so I waited on returning from Nashville to say that my summer "officially began." Well, things just kept happening, and true just "chill-out, relaxation time" kept getting put off even further. So, here it is, July 7, 2009, Summer is just about 1/2 way over, and already I feel like school just ended! In one respect, I'm glad I've been busy, because it's kept me active and un-bored. However, I have been go-go-go nonstop for the past 2 summers, and really thought this one would be different!! I will say that I've actually been in Greenville much more this summer than in past years, which is a major change! :) And a lot of my "go-go-go" has been related to spending time with my awesome friends here, which is definitely a plus!! :)

Anyway, here's a little bit about what I HAVE done this summer:

*I went to Nashville with my BFF Lisa for the CMA Country Music Fest, and it was AWESOME!!!!!! Will definitely go again!

*My BFF Meredith bought a HOUSE!!! I finally made it down a couple of weekends ago to see it, and it is absolutely PRECIOUS!! It suits her so well, and she has such a great eye for decorating, that it looks like it could be in a magazine!! :) She also has a new addition to her family: a bassett/beagle pup named Lulu!! She is sooo cute!! I can't wait to meet her!!

*My cousin TJ and his wife Michelle gave birth to the most precious baby, Landon Martin Power. He was born at 9:22 PM on July 1, 2009, weighing in at 6 lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long! Over the weekend, I got to go down to Charleston for a couple of hours and meet him and hold him, and it was the most fantastic thing I think I did this weekend!! I am already in love with my little cousin, and I look forward to having this special little boy in my life!! Babies really are a miracle!!

*I've been getting up early (shocking, I know, right?) to go walking with my BFF Bailey!!! She is 9 months preggers with little Emrick Scott Edmonds, and we've been trying to get her labor started!!! It has certainly been a baby-filled summer...especially July....October was a very busy month! Hahaha! Anyway, Emrick has been prayed for so much, and Bailey and Jonathan definitely deserve their little Blessing from God! We cannot WAIT until he gets here!! He's due July 14, but if Bailey has anything to do with it, he'll be here before then!!

*Went down to Myrtle Beach for the 4th, and got to spend time with the Brother-In-Law and with Shay's BFFs, Mike and Brandon! We ALWAYS have a great time with those guys!!

*Been going to trivia @ The Zone in Simpsonville on Wednesday nights!! We're working our way up.....3 weeks ago, we were 5th place overall, 2 weeks ago, we were in 4th, and last week, we ended at 3rd place overall!! My only regret is that I will not be there for these next two weeks!!

*Tomorrow night, I will get some much-anticipated time with my Clinton Girls! We are going to dinner at Sassafras Southern Bistro, then going to a benefit concert at The Handlebar! Civil Twilight will be performing, and ticket proceeds go to build schools in South Africa!! :) I've never really heard of them, but my new friend Tavaras said that they are awesome, and it's for a good cause, so I'm really looking forward to it!!

That brings us up to date with what I've done so far. In lieu of getting even more long-winded than I already have been, I'll save the rest of the "up-and-coming" events for later...maybe after they've already happened!! Plus, I don't want to wish any more of my summer away!!

Sweet Summertime

Okay, though school was officially "out" on June 4, it doesn't feel like my 'real' summer will begin until after 4 PM tomorrow. Why? A bunch of things. Summer is supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation, but I feel as if I've been on the go 24/7 since school ended. Trip to Charleston, meetings, trip to Nashville, Nana's knee replacement surgery, in-laws, 3-day workshop, trip to Clemson, more in-laws, and then another 1/2-day workshop tomorrow afternoon. When it's over, though, I can chill! :)

Here I am, though, up at 1 AM deciding to start blogging again. I am also trying to "cuten" it up, but I can't seem to figure out how to get rid of the regular blogspot templates in lieu of my really cute one from thecutestblogontheblock.com! :) I'm getting the basic background, but something just isn't quite right! And I can't get the banner to work, either!! So...since it IS late...and since it IS already one step in the right direction of rejoining the blog world, I think I can call it quits for tonight. If you happen upon this and know what to do to help me fix it, please let me know!! :)

I'm Back!

Hokay, so, after almost a full year and a half, I've decided that I think I'll take up blogging again. (Terence does a happy dance here!). You've probably noticed a template change. I'm probably going to switch up the title, too, and make sure I get everyone updated on my life over the past 17 months. However, it will be slow in coming and will definitely be in bits and pieces. I've got just shy of 3 weeks of school left, so I'll be mad busy until everything winds down. After that, expect some major bloggage. :-D Until then, just be at peace with the fact that I have begun writing again and will soon grace your computer screens with many more random musings!

See you soon!! :-D

Merry Christmas!

8 More School Days 'til Christmas Vacation!

And I can't freakin' WAIT!!!

Tonight was our Christmas concert at school. The teachers sang "Away in a Manger" and "The Christmas Song." It was fun. And it gave me a good idea for a Top 5. BUT, since my own blog is in need of an update, my Top 5 Christmas songs will be seen in Randomnimnity instead of on Cinco de Piddy. (Sorry T! I'll do a guest-post soon, I promise!)

So, without further ado,

Libby's Top 5 Favorite Christmas Carols:

5) Feliz Navidad
4) Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer
3) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
2) Away in a Manger
1) O Holy Night

Those Magic Moments...

Okay. Being a teacher, there are just some small, tender moments of time that just make you smile. The first week of my first year teaching, the word "attitude" was on our spelling list. The kids had to write sentences with their spelling words, and one very special boy wrote the following sentence:

Attitude is on a map.

Now. I decided at that point that when I write my best-selling memoir one day, the title of it is going to be "Attitude Is On A Map." Because even though he completely got it confused with "latitude," what he did say can be very philosophical when you really think about it.

Well. Other cute and funny things have been said by many more of my students in the 2.5 years that have passed since "Attitude is on a map." However, none quite up to those standards.

Until today.

So, my kids were playing a "game" where they had cards with different resources written on them, and they had to sort them into natural, capital, or human resources. One of the cards said "water." Well, one boy who had struggled early in the game was finally starting to catch on and "get it." So when he saw "water," he said "natural." And as I was praising him, he continued...

"Because water comes from a cactus, and a cactus is in nature, so it's natural."

And that's why I go to work every day. :-D

The New 'Do

This picture was taken today, post-haircut


This picture was taken about two weeks ago--obviously pre-haircut

Okay...maybe I did go a tad bit shorter than I had originally planned...BUT I'm likin' it!

And then I found five dollars...

Save the Cheerleader, save the world. Between Heroes and Monday Night Football, my husband is paying absolutely no attention to me right now. Which is good, I guess, because it's been long enough since I've written a new entry. Also, I've hit a Facebook slum. Don't really know why...I guess because everyone who is still in college has midterms, finals, or big pre-Thanksgiving holidays projects to finish. That, or, I just have no life and spend too much time on there. SO...I've decided that since Facebook has taken most of my blogging time away, that it's time to re-introduce some balance into my life. I know that TOPolk and Nick Owens will be mighty proud.

So, let's get started. First of all, I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. Have no idea how short or what style, but I know I'm going "skimming the top of the shoulder" length (or a little shorter) because I like to sleep too much to get up 30 minutes earlier than I have to just to dry my hair out straight. And the last time I got it cut, the chick just kind of cut it...she didn't texture it or make sure the chunks were even or anything like that. (If you're a girl, you know what I mean.) It just has no "style." And I'm sick of just letting it go wet and curly. I want something that looks like I actually woke up early enough to fix it, when in actuality, all I had to do was wash and blow-dry. See...over the years I've had many a fight with my naturally-curly-will-never-dry-straight-without-persuasion-from-a-roundbrush-at-one-time-was-a-working-barometer hair, but I will say one good thing about it: it has enough natural body and volume when it's short enough to look as if I've actually styled it even when all I've done is blow-dried it. So...I'm game for a change. Don't worry...I'm not gonna go super-mom short quite yet. I just can't bear to part with a pony-tail for now.

Okay, my readers of the male persuasion can start reading again.

I just have to say how much I love my friends.

Terence gets me. He just does. We had the same exact childhood. Movie, TV show, and toy-wise, that is. We were reminiscing the other day (as we always do) about all the fun toys we always wanted but never had AND about how nowadays they're "recycling" our old toys again into "new" toys for the kids of today's generation. We were talking specifically about something which has escaped my memory for the time being, but it reminded me of how I had recently thought that TJ Bearytales was the "new" Teddy Ruxpin. I told Terence of my dreams to always own a Teddy Ruxpin and how that was like the ONE toy that I asked for for like 3 Christmases/birthdays in a row, but I never got. (I did get some Mother Goose/Hector combo, though, that was not quite as cool as TR and Grubby, but at least I was the only kid I ever knew to have the story-telling geese.) ANYWHO, Shay and I were at Wal-mart tonight, and I was walking through the toy section looking for a stuffed lion for our Lions Club meeting, and I saw TJ Bearytales. Well, I just kind of saw and moved on, but as I perused the remaining toy isles, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw.....

A FREAKING TEDDY RUXPIN DOLL!!! They brought the REAL thing BACK!!!! At first I thought that I was dreaming because he was the only one, and he was clearly in the wrong place, but after 4 more minutes of frantically searching the entire toy department, I found where the rest of them were!! I can't freakin' believe it!!!

So yeah...I know what's being added to my Dear Santa letter this year.

Jen knows when to ask me out on a date. Here I am stuck in my house all day yesterday choosing to bum it out and not do the laundry/cleaning that desperately needs to be done, and here comes the friendly little "brrrr-ling" of IM. Jen wanted to come to eat in Greenville in hopes that I would be able to come meet her! It was quite a treat after the very low-key weekend I had had. My weekend woke up on the wrong side of the bed, starting with a busy, rough, and exhausting day at school on Friday, but Jen helped end the weekend on an awesome note. Our Japanese dinner was the perfect way to put my weekend to bed on a super-plush featherbed and start my week off right. Thanks, Jen! I love you!

And Weston. Dear, dear Weston. My wonderful brother-in-law, Weston. Homeboy called during the NC State game (to which I actually had a ticket, but decided not to go) and could sense that I was kind of down. Although I really had had an exhausting Friday, and was still kind of down on Saturday morning, I really did not think that I portrayed that over the phone. Well, he was apparently very in tune to my demeanor, and called me back later that night to make sure I was okay!! I can't tell you how much that meant to me. I'm telling you, I have the best friends ever!!

One final note...I fell in love with Breaking Point yesterday. I was ironing my curtains (which we finally hung yesterday after having them for 2 months, btw), and "Goodbye to You" came on Shay's computer. The lyrics just hit me and really struck a chord in my heart. I had to know immediately who the band was and what the song was. It's about finally letting go, and I've certainly had to conquer those same feelings on a few different occasions in my life. Anyway, Weston told me that if I liked that song, I should listen to the whole CD, so Shay burned it for me, and it's in my car waiting for the drive to Greenwood and back tomorrow. I can't wait to hear the rest of their stuff!

That's it for today! Until next time...

Peace out, Homeslices!

Honey...I'm home!

I know. Wow.

Don't worry, I didn't die.
I just got married, that's all. ;)

So...this Saturday will mark 4 weeks from the wedding. I've been married a month, Shay and I haven't killed each other, all is well, and all bodes well for the future! :-D

Our honeymoon in San Francisco was so fun...the excursion to Lake Tahoe was AMAZING...and I gained 5 lbs. due to the massive amounts of Ghirardelli chocolate I consumed. But it was WORTH IT! (And it really was only like 1 lb., and it's already gone again!--it's amazing what actually cooking and eating at home can do to your eating habits.)

So I'm morphing into a housewife. I cook. I clean. I do laundry. It's absolutely amazing. I'm just a string of pearls and a pair of heels short of becoming Donna Reed. Or June Cleaver. Or Laura Petry. Or the 1950's housewife of your choice. But I'll tell ya...it's really because I generally have nothing else to do all day since it's summertime and the hubby isn't also a teacher. Once school starts, I'm quite sure I won't be as on top of things household-wise. But don't tell Shay. ;)

AND NOW FOR THE EXCITING NEWS:

Shay and I close on our house TOMORROW at 1:00PM!! :-D WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOO!! I am unbeLIEVEably excited. We went today and did the final walk-through to make sure everything was still in the condition as per the contract, and everything was! Without the sellers' furniture in there, though, we realized exactly how much more painting we're going to have to do than we previously thought. I've never really painted before, so I guess it's good that I'm a fast learner, huh?!

K well, now that Nick Owens has picked himself up off of the floor, I'm gonna go. Sorry so short this time. Maybe by the time school starts, and things with the house have calmed down, I'll write more often. Besides, by then I'll be back to my whole "I'm really supposed to be grading papers and writing lesson plans, but I'll think I'll blog to procrastinate further" routine.

Later, Homeslices.

Sorry So Slacky

Okay. Been busy. Please forgive me. BUT, here's the timeline for the next month or so. So, I'm sorry Nick Owens, but I wouldn't count on another update until late June/well into July.

Tomorrow, May 19: Field Day :-D, then leaving for ATL

Saturday, May 20: Shopping for table decorations at the Pottery in Commerce, finding pants for the guys in the wedding to wear, celebrating Jake's (and Jen's) b-days in Clemson; 2 week mark before the wedding!

Sunday, May 21: Calling Terence to wish him a happy birthday, leaving for fifth grade field trip to Myrtle Beach

Monday, May 22: Day 2 of field trip in Myrtle Beach

Tuesday, May 23: Pulling out my hair and banging my head against a bus window contemplating busjacking the bus and driving 120 mph just to get me home and done with the field trip to myrtle beach with 35 fifth graders who are all officially sick of each other after 3 days and 2 nights of constant companionship (whose idea was a 2 night trip?); softball game

Wednesday, May 24: HALF DAY!! Continue getting room ready, apply for marriage license, find a veil? and a headpiece/tiara?

Thursday, May 25: HALF DAY, AWARDS DAY, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS!!!! Last softball game.

Friday, May 26: HALF DAY: Teacher workday (finalize cleaning, getting records in order, etc., end of school luncheon)

Saturday, May 27: Shopping and moving my stuff to Greenville

Sunday, May 28: Shopping and moving my stuff to Greenville

Monday, May 29: Great-grandmother's 102nd birthday celebration on my Uncle Don's apple orchard in Spartanburg

Tuesday, May 30: LEAVE FOR MYRTLE BEACH!!

Wednesday, May 31: Practice hair and make-up appointment, bridal portrait sitting (hopefully)

Thursday, June 1: Probably alot of last minute random detail things related to the wedding

Friday, June 2: rehearsal/rehearsal dinner

Saturday, June 3: I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!!

Sunday, June 4: Drive back to Greenville, get unpacked from wedding, open some gifts, pack for honeymoon

Monday, June 5-Monday, June 12: HONEYMOON IN SAN FRANCISCO!!

Tuesday, June 13-Wednesday, June 21: Change my name on, um, EVERYTHING; look for a house; morph into a housewife that actually cooks and cleans *GASP*; lay out by the pool a LOT

Thursday, June 22: head to ATL for Adrianne's wedding weekend!

Friday, June 23: Adrianne's rehearsal/rehearsal dinner, official bridesmaid reporting!

Saturday, June 24: Adrianne's wedding

Sunday, June 25: family time, drive back to SC

Monday, June 26: dentist appointment in Laurens :-D

Tuesday, June 27: breathe; start accepting phone calls again (just kidding!)

BUT...no matter what's going on when...please don't hesitate to call me up. June 3-12 is definitely not a good time frame (hehe), BUT I can't make it through such a busy month without my friends!! Don't treat me like I've fallen off the face of the planet just because I'm getting married or just because I don't blog for another month and a half *ahem, nick owens*

I have to say, though...since Mandy has left the blog world, my heart just hasn't been in it!

Back By Popular Demand...

Hey, Guys and Gals!! Sorry it's been so long. Terence has threatened to disown me like we disowned Eric, and Nick even tracked me down on Facebook!! Well, I'm here. Have been all along, but really didn't have too much to say. Well, I've probably had plenty to say, but not enough time in which to say it.

My spring break I guess has officially ended. Or, it will at 5:30 AM when I have to wake up to get ready to go to school. I've only been off a week, but I feel like it's been 3 or 4, and I would still like 1 or 2 more!! I guess I miss my kids a little, but I've REALLY enjoyed the whole "relaxing" thing. One really awesome thing though...only 3 more weeks of instruction before PACT starts. Then 2 weeks of PACT, then our 5th grade field trip to Myrtle Beach, then the last week of school!! That's right kids...the final 6 weeks commence mañana. I'm excited, but wow. That means there are only 7 weeks until mine and Shay's wedding!! Eeeeek!! That's definitely a good Eeeeek, but a "I've got SO much crap to do before then" Eeeeek, too!

BUT, another bright side of things: we don't have to turn in "real" lesson plans for the rest of the year, and all we have to turn in for the next 3 weeks is a rough outline of topics of review each day/week. (These next 3 weeks are called our "PACT Push.") AND...guess what?! (drum roll, please..........................) I'VE ALREADY OUTLINED ALL THREE WEEKS AND WILL TURN THEM IN TOMORROW AND THEN THAT IS THE END OF LESSON PLANS FOR ME ALLLLLLL YEAR!!! Way to go ME!!! I'm unbelievably proud of myself, as you should be, because that means that all following weekends will not be plagued by the dread of doing lesson plans on Sunday nights! Wooooooo-Hooooooooooo!

However...I do have 6 weeks worth of grading to do tomorrow night and Tuesday so that my grades for the 5th 6 weeks are in the computer on time by Wednesday afternoon. So...fear not, loyal fans...my procrastinatory tendencies have not left my being. But I'm not worried about it...it'll get done. It always does.

Last thing before I leave tonight...Chris and Carrie are getting married on Saturday!!! I cannot WAIT until their wedding!! It will be beautiful and fun and exciting!! Yay!!

Hi, Chelsea!

This message is for Chelsea Henley. AKA The Future Mrs. "E." (I don't know E's last name!)

Neely and I went to visit good ol' Chels the other day...for I had not seen her in, literally, years, AND I had not yet gotten to meet her precious baby boy...and she tells me:

"Libby. I have your screenname and I've been like totally keeping up with your life." I was like, "CHELSEA!! WHY DON'T YOU MESSAGE ME?!?! Do you read my blog and stuff, too?!" She (of course) said yes, and then Neely said, "Yeah...Chelsea keeps me up to date on all your stuff." (Neely's my cousin, by the by.)

Chelsea's reason for not IMing me was her fear that I would think she had nothing better to do all day than sit and read profiles and away messages and blogs and such. Well, I was like, LOOK. You are talking to the QUEEN of sitting at a computer and wasting time. (Can I get some AMENs Shay and T?!)

SO, Chels, this blog post is for you. Enjoy all the free time you have, because once Jalen starts walking, you won't ever get a chance to sit down!!