Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Mid-Week Check In...


I'm kinda over the rain. Walking the dogs in the rain is one of those things that does not make my top 5 "things I want to do" lists...if you know what I mean. Also I feel that all this rain brings the mosquitoes out and trust me...we need no help in the mosquito department at our house. The mornings here are getting smoother but now Norah has her first homework assignments ever this week...so we are finding when is the best time to do it each day and to get her to realize not to rush, etc. Today I really wanted to go to this event at the Church we have been going to but the time we got home (had a meeting), dogs walked, homework done, rain started pouring down, Norah was hungry, etc. we didn't end up going. I hate to have missed it but sometimes you gotta give up something. We had Open House at school on Monday too and it was so cute to see what Norah has done in class in one week!

I love that the US Open tennis is on TV right now....Norah likes watching it too. Tonight we had it on and Norah was pretending that she was playing tennis while they were playing. Swinging her imaginary racket...I so should have taken a pic!

Well the rest of the week brings the start of college football and a three day weekend! I love Summer but Fall is my favorite season in so many ways! I also think it is going to be great to live at the beach this year during the Fall!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Awesome Weekend...

This weekend has been so great! We have relaxed, been productive and just had a weekend that you do not want to end. I actually thought about going into work today but decided that I needed a true break so home it is!

Yesterday Norah went to a birthday party for a friend that is in her class at school...they went bowling and she loved it! Jeff took Norah to the party and I ended up helping at my mom's garage sale earlier in the morning. We hung out last night with Norah playing pretend and making a crown for herself...Queen Norah....she woke up with the crown still intact on her head!

Today we went to Church and had lunch out. We visited Nini and Pops and came home to rest, clean and get ready to watch football! This is where I found Norah when she was supposed to be cleaning her playroom...
Now I am going to do some school work and just enjoy the last day of the weekend! :) So I will leave you a little doggy love...
Darcy...he is so easy to get a picture of because he is so laid back!
Finn...he is so hard to get a picture of because he cannot stay still! Opposites but they are so cute!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Whew...week one is done...


It is so hard to believe that Norah has now completed her first week of kindergarten! We definitely had some getting used to the new morning routine (actually the day to day routine of real school and me working) and the urgency of actually having to be at school on time...I am hoping that we have worked out the kinks and will even be  better about time management in the mornings next week. This week was my first true week at my new school too so I also feel more in the groove now then at the beginning of the week...it is a different environment then where I was last year so trying to learn the ropes...but the kids are the same and getting adjusted to their new stage of life...middle school! I so love teaching and the kids have already shown me their personalities so it is exciting to get the new school year started!

Now to random thoughts...I was thinking how I really do not want to cook tonight and miss some quick places to pick up dinner that we had in Charlotte. I could so eat Chipotle tonight...there isn't any "fast" burrito places around here...

 And man...I discovered Jet's Pizza in the last months of living in Charlotte and their pan pizza crust is so good...Yum!
 I so miss Panera and the ability to grab a quick sandwich, soup or salad...there are limited "fast" food options around here
 Or even a Trader Joe's to pick up a prepared meal or a frozen Orange Chicken to cook real quick. But I'm starting to find some places here and there around here that can do a quick option...and Target isn't too far away now...

Also on the reading front...I finished "The Lotus Eaters" and liked it. I seem to like fictional books that are set in some type of foreign land or war time. I'm actually reading a "real" book instead of the Kindle right now because someone gave me a book to read..."Sea Change" by Karen White


I just started it but I'll keep you posted on it. I also have 30 books listed on my Wish List on Amazon.com (anyone want to buy me one! Ha!) that I want to read one day...it keeps growing!

Also can we say how much I love to use quotation marks ("") and the dot, dot, dot (...) can't help it...it is so easy to use in blog land when writing! Ha! Well Jeff should be here soon and I'm excited about a family night and weekend!

Monday, August 20, 2012

First Day of School...

Today was Norah's first day of school...she is officially a kindergartner! She had a great time and they said that by the early afternoon the kids were worn out!
 I made Norah blueberry muffins for breakfast for her first day of school!

 She wears a uniform to school so I let her pick out which one she wanted to wear on the first day...of course she picked a dress!

One of the teacher's tried to snap a pic of Norah and Jeff but at this point I think she realized that Daddy was going to leave her and started to get a little "iffy" at the idea of being left...
Since I work in the building across the parking lot...I walked over when they got there and she was a little unsure of the whole thing. But at the end of the day, the teacher said she was great...and that she was a leader in the class today! Wow...Norah is officially a "big kid" now....time goes by so fast!

Monday, August 13, 2012

The End and The Beginning....

Yesterday was the end of the Olympics and my summer vacation! My summer went by way too fast!
I loved the John Lennon part of the closing ceremonies! And I was really hoping that Adele would be singing...but all-in-all it was entertaining.

Today I started my new job with a meeting, lunch and a CPR class (Yes, there was a lot of coffee involved this morning!) I really wanted to go to the Yoga class tonight too but by the time I finished at school, picked up Norah and got her dinner...I missed it! It is hard to get back in the work groove after a long break but I'm sure by next week we will be back into a routine...or at least I hope!

And of course it is the beginning of football...I did cheat on the Olympics on Saturday night to watch the Panthers play their preseason game. I do love football season so I'm excited that it is getting ramped up.
Well I had to leave you with a pic of Norah I snapped yesterday on the way to Church...love my cute little girl! Now it is time to get everything ready for tomorrow....it will be another early morning with lots of coffee! :)

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Thursday Things

This is my last week of summer vacation before I head back to work next Monday so we are trying to squeeze in as much fun as possible. We have had some rain but yesterday and today we were able to get in lots of beach time. Norah loves the beach (me too!) so it is so fun to watch her go between running around, playing in the sand and floating and riding waves in the ocean.




I also have been loving connecting to old friends on Facebook but of course this eats up a ton of time (which is why I didn't join until now!) but it has been worth it and I'm sure the newness will wear off soon! But I did get Jeff to sign up for it now too so we will see if he becomes addicted!

In my other free time this week I have hit the gym for a workout (on week 4 of C25K program....loving it!) and another yoga class tonight. Norah has really liked going to the childcare at the gym so it works out for both of us. I have also finished one book....
"Wild (From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail)" by Cheryl Strayed. I liked it but I kinda thought it was all over the place. I really loved "Eat Pray Love" so this was not as good as that one was for me.

Now I'm reading...
"The Lotus Eaters" by Tatjani Soli which so far is good. I'll give the final thumbs up or down later. Before reading "Wild" I wanted to read "Outlander" but couldn't get into it so read some Harry Potter again! We also took a trip to Target during one of the rainy times and Norah got the "Lorax" DVD with a gift card she had from her birthday...love that movie!!! Well just 3 more days of summer vacation for me...I hope the rain holds off!!!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Happenings and I finally joined Facebook....

This past Saturday we went to the 2nd birthday party for a friend of ours son and had a blast! There ended up being some people there I knew from High School/College which was a lot of fun to catch up! The party was on the beach and they had a surf board which Norah tried out with her Daddy Jeff...she really liked it! I think surf lessons will be in her future...



Yesterday we got some time at the beach since this is my last week of Summer Vacation.


Yesterday I also went to a Mixed Flow Yoga class and thought about my friend, Callaway. I must admit that I am not very good at Yoga but I really like to do it! When I got home from Yoga my friend Anna and her son Fuller were waiting for us! We were excited! We tried to go to the beach today but got rained out but no worries as Fuller and Norah totally entertain each other.
 Fuller and Norah...how cute!

I also dropped the dogs off for a haircut...cannot wait to see them as Darcy was looking like a small bear walking around the house. And to the final news...I finally joined Facebook. I thought I never would but Anna convinced me and since I just moved somewhere new...I figured it would be a good thing. I am thinking that errands may have to happen today since it is kinda yuck outside.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Painting time...

Tonight I went with a friend I have met down here, Jan, to the Boyle Gallery for a super fun night! It was about 25 or so women and we painted a shrimp! Everyone did a different take on it and when we were done (we were following an artist's lead) they all looked different but great! Now mine is what I like to call more on the abstract side but I still like it!
I actually signed up to go to the next one which is Palm Trees...can't wait! Another great thing is I had a great babysitter come and it was nice to have an adult night out. But on a not so good note...I got home and I walked in the door and knew...our air conditioner is not working! Boo! I hate being hot in a house so let's just be glad that we have ceiling fans. Well tomorrow is Norah's last day of camp and I guess I will now need to add to my list calling an AC person to come out...seems as the list is always getting longer these days! :)