The one with all the cookies

This week I hosted a shower for a co-worker here at school. One of her craving during pregnancy has been cookie dough, so I knew a Cookies and Milk theme would be perfect! I enlisted another teacher to set the plan in motion, and I think it turned out amazingly cute :)

We started out with these cute invitations made in picnik.

Because the library was the only location big enough for a crowd, we embraced the books and used them to lift flowers, and plates up off the tables. We had chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal, m&m cookies, brownies, rice krispie treats and lemon bars to munch on.

In lieu of a cake, I made chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes that I had been salivating over thanks to Tidymom. (I will admit, I may have been a bit over ambitous in the cupcake arena and had to rely on store icing instead of homemade.) Are these not yummy looking?

Baby's name is Bear, so we played with little paper bear shapes on popsicle sticks stuck into flowers, brownies, and a quartet of Ikea planters filled with m&m's honored the little cookie :)

And you can't have cookies without milk! I really wanted to go the rout of Christy and find glass bottles to drink out of, but it wasn't to be. Instead we used cups and cute colored straws for our chocolate and regualr milk.

Take home bags were provided so everyone could take a few of their favorites with them as favors. There was nothing left by the end of theparty!

Here's mom to be and her baby dady-- aren't they cute :) We can't wait to meet baby Bear!

Wordless Wednesday (well almost)

Story of my life lately. TAKS testing in school for the young un, job issues still haven't been 100% decided and wrestling with personal stuff. ugh.

Spring Breakin'

Spring Break always seems like this constantly elusive time that ushers in the final countdown for the school year.Instead of a big vacation this year (we did just buy a house 5 months ago!) , we decided to play it low key with a visit to my parent's house in north Louisiana. We've also decided to pack as much fun as we could manage into our 11 days of Spring Break.


So far this week we've celebrated a birthday (Music Man is once again a whole year older than me!)

Rallied at the Capitol (saving our schools and teachers)

Enjoyed some nephew time (we practiced our surprise faces)

Re-learned to ride a bike (he's had a serious phobia ever since a bike wreck in kindergarten)

Enjoyed a little more nephew time (I mean, really, how can you not want to spend as much time with this cute little guy as possible?)

Played some redneck golf in the grandparent's front yard (No windows were hit)

And cheered on the ponies. (My favorite horse of the day? Iced Down Corona!)


It's only Wednesday and I'm already tired thinking of the rest of the week-- namely the 7 hour car trip we'll make back to Austin tomorrow!

You say it's your birthday?

Well it was my birthday too...

A fun day at work, yummy dinner from cheesecake factory, and a surprise present from the Music Man made this a completely fabulous 33rd birthday!

Tell me something good...

Looking back at New Year's, I know I've been a little spotty in my posting. I could pass it off on the fact that I spend all day on a computer and just don't want to be on one when I get home. Or I could say that we are constantly on the go, but it's actually calmed down a bit.
The truth is because I have a wall up when it comes to posting anything real. I can take a picture that captures that one moment in a random day and find a witty caption, but that's not a real idea of what's going on. And what's going on right now is nothing short of depression inducing.

Texas got word early this year that the budget deficit was miscalculated and education would be taking a harder hit than expected. My worst case scenario suddenly became a best case scenario. Know one knows exactly what will happen, but as neighboring districts begin to issue statements and make cuts, it's clear that something will. This year I stepped out of the classroom and into the role of Instructional Technology Specialist. Besides being on-campus tech support, I help teachers incorporate technology into their lessons and ensure that students gain the necessary skills to compete in a 21st century job market. Sadly, my department/position is on the chopping block. Not to reduce, but to eliminate. And it's all out of my hands. I'm not a patient person, so this has created more than the usual amount of stress. Adding to that is the fact that my husband teaches in a neighbor district (he's with fine arts) and they've been very tight lipped with their plans.

When I started teaching it never crossed my mind that there would come a time when teachers wouldn't be hired and would even be reduced in numbers. But here we stand at the threshold of that moment and I can't fathom what direction this will lead us. I'm not gonna lie, it's completely unnerving to not have any control over whether or not you'll have a job after May. I've written the letters, I've e-mailed, I've attended community meetings. But it looks like all I can really do is wait. And I suck at waiting. Waiting means I've eaten way more girl scout cookies than is humanly possible and in turn feel even worse.

So that's it. that's where I am right now. A perpetual state of job limbo. I'll try to snap out of it to post birthday pictures, a recap of Music Man's back issue and the best Oreo cookie recipe I've ever eaten. I just need a little time.

Six Word Saturday

Husbands can make life more interesting.

After a week filled with back pain, immobility, pee in bottles, and finally some pain meds, I'm pretty sure my documenting it on twitter & facebook takes me out of the running for wife of the year.

Play along with Six Word Saturday hosted by Cate at Show My Face

Milestones

It's been a week of milestones for us. On Friday, DS turned 11, and I survived an all boy slumber party (that's another post). Today, he got braces. Looks like my baby is turning into a young man.