June 26, 2005

by Erica

Two years ago today I married the love of my life. The garden was full of life and beauty, the weather turned out to be perfect the moment we needed it to be, friends and family were all around us and my soon-to-be husband looked stunning. The day was perfect and the man I was about to marry couldn't have been a better match for my life.

Two years later I have fallen deeper in love with him, I have grown to appreciate him more and have found amazing qualities in him that have since been discoved.

I love you, Jason. Happy anniversary!

Girl's Weekend!

by Erica

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Chicago spent with my very best friends. We spent many hours laughing, eating, talking, shopping and reminiscing. It sounds so cliche, but it seems like no time had passed since the last time we were together (although that was a year ago).
My flight out was less than ideal. After many delays and misplaced luggage, I got to Allison's apartment around 3:30 am. Mandy and Amy came in the next morning and we all hung out at Al's place until she was done with work. Thanks to skype, we were able to all sit around the computer and talk to Rachel in Moracco. Later that night we went to dinner and stayed at a hotel where we went to bed at 3:00 am. I think the last time we had all done this was in college.
Saturday we shopped all day and went to another local restaurant that evening. After this full day one would have thought we would have crashed. No, we stayed up until 3:00 again. It is amazing how a group of girlfriends can find so much to talk about!

We all headed our seperate ways on Sunday. Thankfully for many of us, the next time we'll see each other is at a wedding next month. This will also be a great reunion because Angela and Julie will be able to be there.

I love you girls! Thanks for such a memorable weekend!

Out shopping The damage
I have never seen a bigger slice of chocolate cake!

Organizing, Storage and Happiness

by Erica

I thrive on having a place for everything. Needless to say, the hardest part of finishing our basement has been the little piles of clutter lying around the house. The past week Jason and I have been working on finding places for all the items we have, but don't use all the time. We have come up with some pretty creative solutions.

This has been the project that I have been working on during my days. I have been going through many, many boxes in the garage and have reorganized the items and placed them on shelves that we put up.The results are a more organized home, availability of our things and a happy wife!

by Erica

Now that our laundry/storage room is the way we want it, Jason and I been bringing boxes in from the garage and finding places for everything.

It is funny how the need for certain things change over time.Today I came across my address book. I remember paying a little extra for this black leather book from Barnes & Noble. I bought it when I graduated from college. As I was thumbing through it I realized that I no longer have a need for an address book. What used to be such an important book is no longer a necessity. In a little over 4 years my computer has taken over most of my organizing needs.

Something else I found to be funny-I had my calling card number written down in this book. It was only a few years ago that I didn't own a cell phone and had to use a calling card to make long distance calls.

Mom, it still looks brand new and has plenty of replacement pages. Do you want it?

Update

by Erica

Summer school was a lot better today.

Summer School

by Erica

The first day of summer school was well, rough. When we arrived, our classrooms were in disarray. I was missing the curriculum that I needed to teach out of and was told that there were no more available.

As it turns out I have 8 students who will be entering 5th grade in the fall but who are at a 3rd grade reading level. One boy announced that he was at a group home for the first half of the school year. He took the most amount of my attention and patience. One boy was afraid to go outside for fear he would get stung by a bee. Then he was afraid to eat the popcorn for fear he would choke on it. Unfortunately, I had to turn on my teacher voice a few times with these boys and remind them how to act in a classroom.

In all my complaining, there were a few highlights. I am one of the only teachers that does not have to share a classroom. Since I do not have another teacher in the same room, I am not on the teacher duty schedule. I probably should bring this up to someone...but I really do not want to.

This was only the first day. Tomorrow should be better.

The Sweetness of Summer

by Erica

Summer break has begun! Am I really on summer break? I guess technically I am not. You can't really be on a summer break if you aren't going back in the fall to teach. Huh, I haven't thought about this before.

I packed and cleaned up my classroom today. I say goodbye to B112 Mrs. Heddings' 2nd grade classroom. It really wasn't a sad goodbye because I will be seeing many of my co-workers at 8:00 Monday morning for summer school. Those teachers that I won't be seeing at summer school I will be seeing in the fall when I sub. for a few weeks before the baby is due.

The reality of not going back to full-time teaching will probaby hit me when kids are heading back to school and teachers are busily getting their classroom ready for a new school year. Yet, at that point I may be so focused on having our baby that I won't be thinking about schoool. Stay tuned to our blog if you really care to know what is going on in my head...

Creation Museum

by Erica

This post was written by Julia, a friend from college. There are two things that really get my fired up:
1) The education system
2) Teaching evolution as fact in the classroom
I like Julia's thinking in relation to the article linked below.

Jason and I hope to visit the museum when we go to Cinci in August.

I read this article on a creation museum that recently opened in Kentucky. Some scientists/professors are all fired up that a museum that teaches anything but the evolutionary theory as an absolute will confuse kids and make them stupid. News flash, lots of kids are already stupid, since when is it poor practice to give kids more than one THEORY and let them formulate their own opinion and think and reason for themselves (last I checked evolution was still a theory, and I think, I THINK that the "missing link" that proves all human life originated from apes is, in fact, still missing). Why are people encouraged to be open-minded and tolerant of all lifestyles, ideas, and thinking unless said lifestyles, ideas, and thinking have anything to do with the Bible? People in glass houses...

Down to the Wire

by Erica

I am entering my last week of full time teaching. It could be 10 years before I go back to work full time. I guess it doesn't feel like the end because I have so much to do. I need to organize all my things and decide what I am keeping and what I am giving away. Then I need to move all the curriculum and books to a different classroom since my room will be used as a kindergarten room next year. The good thing is my grades are in and my report cards are finished.