Going Fast....so don't lose your place!

Okay....I think I am finally sitting down to blog. Now don't worry about my stress levels.....I have had time to come in here and blog....I have just chosen to do other things....like photo shop.....I'll get to that in a bit....better keep up!

So October and November have been a whirlwind so far - all of it fun....which I am sure surprises no one!

So, let's back up to the end of September/beginning of October.....GO

Our vacation to Destin was absolutely perfect. Orie and I drove down just in time to watch the MISS State game at a local establishment with more SEC fans in Destin than I have ever seen. We spent the next few days just hanging out with each other. The beach was beautiful and I was loving the rays we were catching. For the first time in a long time....Orie wasn't really Casper! Later in the week our friends Jon and Erin from D.C. and Geoff and Camille from NYC came down to spend the rest of the week. We had a ball! I think Florida's emerald coast was a big hit....as was the fresh fish, the condo, the wine, cold beers, people watching, shopping and just about everything else Destin has to offer!

Di and Orie before his birthday dinner

Di and Orie on our sunset sailing cruise

Our group....G, C, O, D, E, J

After Destin, we stopped off in Shreveport to celebrate Orie's real day of birth with lunch at the original Fertitta's

Ethan giving Uncle Woo Woo his card....he was so proud of it!

Happy 30th Orie

His mama remembers the day like it was yesterday....

We had a super fun trip to Shreveport for Cooper's First Birthday. He was the happiest little birthday boy ever. His mom planned a "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" party and it was top notch. She had Chef John come over and fix gourmet pancakes (any way you like), we sipped on mimosas and bloody mary's, kat and I provided the entertainment - HA....we read the book If You Give a Pig a Pancake...and even had finger puppets! The decorations were fantastic and I think everyone had a great time. The big kids played on the swing set/fort and Cooper tried to keep up with everything his big brother was doing. They sure are some sweet boys!

Uncle Woo Woo and I got to take Ethan to his soccer game that day while his mom and dad finished up the party. It was Orie's first soccer game and I think Ethan sure impressed him. He ran super fast, made contact with the ball and even scored a goal. These are all vast improvements from the last time I saw his adorable team play. Go Ethan the soccer star!

We ended the fun weekend with a trip to the Kat and Josh's to watch the LSU game. She had everything so cute for a "tailgate" and Orie was excited to finally get to see their house.

Not sure how I don't have any photos from the birthday....

Sunday called for a drive back to the Big D.....it was time to gear up for the next adventure!

We were off to OKC to visit Chad and Marissa for a little LSU vs. Florida action. The drive up was really nice....I have never been to Oklahoma before and I think Orie has only passed through. We had a great time seeing their newly decorated home....Marissa did a great job! They live in this adorable neighborhood close to downtown and they have a great group of neighbors. LSU even pulled off a victory which capped of a great evening including steaks on the grill, great sides, cold beer, and great conversation. Thanks Chad and Marissa for a fun weekend!

After that I think we were off to Destin for Kat and Josh's wedding festivities. It was amazing! The weather was absolutely perfect from start to finish. We went from one festive event to the next....all of them full of fun people, smiles, and a great sense of family and friends. It was next to perfect. I was even able to stay a few days extra and help mom take care of those sweet boys E and C. I wish it had been for better circumstances but I still enjoyed soaking up as much of them as possible!

I have a ton of pics....will try and post a link later on....

Di and Orie at the reception

hanging out at the Boardwalk post wedding weekend....

After the wedding we headed back to Dallas to get ready for Chad and Marissa's visit to our house for the Auburn game. We had a great day of football and friends. LSU did not win and actually didn't do anything all the exciting during the game but we still had a blast. Chad showed off his basketball abilities, Marissa shocked us all with her shooting talents and Grace even got in on a little action while chasing the basketball around the driveway. Again, I think fun was had by all!

Halloween weekend we were headed back to Shreveport for a party for Kat and Josh. It was so much fun....I think they were pretty excited to finally be married and celebrating again with so many more friends.

Orie headed back to Dallas on Sunday and I stuck around anxiously anticipating the arrival of Charlie H.....he didn't quite come as his Di had planned so I did not get to meet him on that trip...sad....but his mama and daddy keep me updated with sweet pictures and I can't wait to meet his precious face soon!

Grace the shark for Halloween

I think this was her least favorite costume:(

Cooper was the cutest Dalmatian ever and his big brother was a fire man....ADORABLE!

Uncle Woo Woo and the Dalmatian

my favorite Charlie pick so far....

I had to leave Shreveport before Charlie's arrival to get ready to head to Washington D.C. with some family. We were all off to the nation's Capitol to hear my grandfather speak at a WWII Veteran's conference. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience.....He did so well and I felt so honored that he is my Poppy....not just a story I heard about. Us girls and Mr. E had a fun time tooling around D.C. It was full of lots of laughs, a few tired feet, some well deserved glasses of vino with family and the biggest "bunking party" that town has ever seen!

Di at the Iwo Jima Memorial

Poppy and his sweetheart...who got a shout out during his presentation....it melted the audience:)

he look pretty sharp with his hat and all those medals

this one of the coolest moments....those are all foreign officer's who have come to D.C. for a training...their leader was telling them about the monument and the battle of Iwo Jima and the corpsmen who were there at the raising of the flag....we just had to tell a man from their group that our grandfather was a there when they placed the flag....the man was very intrigued and stopped the tour leader to introduce Poppy to the group....he was an instant celebrity....evryone one their picture with this great veteran.....we were SO PROUD

Jen, cousin Adam, Kat and Ethan in the subway...on our way to a delicious Mexican dinner

Ethan's first subway ride

The Capitol....we took a tour courtesy of Rep. Fleming...thanks

off to the Smithsonian's Natural History museum....they were working on some super old fossils in the lab....we thought Orie would love it!

the Hope Diamond was taking up residence there for a little while....

the Lincoln Memorial....we arrived via pedi cab....probably not the safest way to travel in D.C.

The Washington Monument from the LIncoln Memorial....very cool

I flew from D.C. to San Fran to meet my sweet husband who puts up with my bopping around from town to town. He was heading there for some training and we thought my joining him for some fun was just perfect. He had a full day of training but we were able to enjoy our evenings together. We had great trip planners...thanks Camille and Erin.....and hit some of the hot spots of San Fran. It is such a great city and this was our second visit together. We have decided that the next trip needs to include a visit to the Napa Valley also!

first stop...China Town


an alley way transformed into outdoor dining spots....

our choice...Plouf....excellent!

trying our handheld photos again!

down by the Oakland bridge....I did think it was the Golden Gate at first but knew it was in the wrong location of the city....Orie laughed:)

down at the farmer's market at the Ferry Building

the Ferry Building

the city is full of antique cable cars from all over the world....this is the F line which runs by the Ferry Building....I took it to meet a friend for coffee

the Ferry Building

our trasportation to Fisherman's Wharf.....it was SO FUN!

Orie on the cable car

Di on the cable car

Fisherman's Wharf....

We dined at Scoma's....great fresh fish and the prices weren't too bad for a tourist location

off to Ghiradelli square for dessert....

The De Young museum has a collection from the Musee d'Orsay (while doing some renovations)....all impressionists....it was AMAZING.....loved this quote on my way out.....

strolling through Golden Gate....strolled upon the Japanese Tea Garden....

Delicious swedish pancakes.....thanks for the tip Dad

And our last evening's activity....a trip the California Academy of Sciences for Nightlife....they open the museum up in the evening for adults only....bring in some music, cocktails and dinner....it was jumping! We saw a short film in the IMAX theater...Orie was in heaven!

their beautiful aquarium

the picture just doesn't do it justice

penguins....monogomous for life....

orie hanging out with the scientist, her skulls, and his good friend "Lucy"....he even got a sticker for answering a question right!

on the rooftop checking out Jupiter and her moons

Don't think we're finished yet....

The weekend we got back from San Fran we geared up for some friends and a trip to McKinney for an engagement celebration. Our great friends Michael and Sarah are getting hitched and we couldn't be more excited....especially since a lot of the festivities are right here in the metroplex!!!!! Sarah's mom and dad hosted a great party and we enjoyed meeting some new friends and catching up with all our old friends. I just love a good visit with friends!

The weekend ended with a big crash....yes....we crashed! We enjoyed the laziest Sunday ever and geared up for another week...ironically with no plans!

Let me know if I missed something....I would hate to exclude a fabulous event just because I have been a bad blogger lately!

What have y'all been up to...any great plans for November?

so much to say....just not today

Here is a sneak peek of some blogs I really need to start working on.....we have been busy bees for the last month.....lots of travels....full of fun, family and friends! More to come.....

a pancake party for Cooper.....

a soccer game with Ethan....

a trip to Destin for vacation....

Orie's 30th birthday....

and a magical wedding weekend.....

Happy Birthday CGV

It's such a treat when we get to see this sweet boy's face! Last weekend we celebrated his 1st Birthday Party and today we celebrate his actual birthday.

Happy Birthday Cooper! We hope it's full of block building, walking every which way, eating some yummy cupcakes, and terrorizing your big brother!

Substitute Teaching.....WOW

So....on the job front.....I am still in contact with the Catholic schools in the Dallas diocese. I hope to go by most of them in the next few weeks and let them know who I am, I want to sub, my background, etc. Until then......and until a permanent position.....I am picking up work subbing in the DISD. It has been......fun?!?!

My first job was at an elementary school in an "early childhood" room....basically kindergarten. I was not the only teacher (thank goodness). I had a nice afternoon with the kids and everything went pretty smoothly. We sang and danced around the room a lot and played lots of center activities. It was a little frustrating to see the children participating in a curriculum and classroom activities that I did with my 2's and 3's at Mandell in NYC. There seems to be a huge gap in DISD children and those that I have taught before. So - my soap box for a bit - the importance of quality public education being available to families AND helping families understand that early childhood education is NECESSARY and not just an added bonus! Overall it was a nice afternoon and I told the teacher I would love to come back whenever she needed me. She e-mailed me later with nice remarks and that she would call me next time she was out and also share my name with her colleagues....how fun....I'm building a network!

My second job was at a high school. I signed up for this job that was titled business education at the ....Career Academy. I assumed it was a high school for kids who aged out of HS and wanted to go back for a GED or skills training in business. I was a little bit off.....

When I arrived, the teacher asked me if I had ever been there before....when I said no she immediately made me aware that they were a high school offering career clusters training to special needs students. A little different than what I thought but special needs does not run me away. Her room was the Hospitality Training room and she left two activities....napkin folding and making a place mat....9 kids for 4 hours and only 2 activities! I asked where her sub folder was and she showed me but it hasn't been updated since the beginning of last year - so helpful. I had to think quick.....I began brainstorming additional things we could do with her two activities....I looked around the room to see if there was something else we could work on.....I saw that caring was their Character Counts word of the month......I can handle that....I'm a school counselor. Quickly, I came up with a few activities and got some notes together on the way the afternoon would go. The kids came in and were lovely. They folded napkins better than anyone I have ever seen.....just for the record....I can't fold a napkin to save my life. I even had instructions and visuals from a book....no swan for me, no bishop's hat for me, no fancy fan for me.....however....I can come up with an impromptu napkin ring just for effect - a rubber band...the kids LOVED having a "napkin ring" for some of their creations!

The aid in the room kept complementing me on how great I was and didn't I want to teach there full time and how patient I was and how kind I was.....and how hard it is to work with "these children".....don't get me wrong....it was flattering....but isn't that what we are supposed to be? I am still not sure why some people think a teacher would act any different towards a child with special needs than to my 2 and 3 year old kids or my middle schoolers....it baffles me and it's not the first time something like that has been said to me. Soap box again.....kids are kids and people are people.....don't treat anyone any differently than you would want to be treated....

I have several other jobs scheduled for the future within DISD and I am really looking forward to some private school work soon....it's my way in the door:)

What are you doing with your days?

Pink Slip Gourmet

Oh friends....what a tasty treat we had this week.....

On Sunday, my girlfriend over at Pink Slip Gourmet, brought us some yummy treats she created in her kitchen. Boy oh boy did we love being on the receiving end of her recipe/cooking/baking exploration....it was DELISH.

PSG brought us shrimp cheesecake that was excellent and chocolate cake with a chocolate mousse filling and caramel sauce topping that was TO DIE FOR. I'm trying not to be biased here but I do love anything chocolate so the cake was definitely the winner for me.

It was amazing to have a gourmet meal prepared for my husband and have no clean up!

Thanks PSG for being such a fabulous chef.....we'll be your taste testers/leftover garbage disposal/test kitchen recipients any day of the week!

So friends.....run your fingers, don't walk....over to Pink Slip Gourmet and let Chef Lee create something wonderful for you. She will not disappoint!

what we have been up to......

Wow - time sure seems to be passing quickly....here is what we have been up to the last couple of weeks.

Orie has been pretty busy with work....lots of billable hours which is great and he has been working really hard on a court appearance for work. This is great for him in terms of experience and confidence but also on that good ole' resume. He still seems to love his job which is excellent since it is truly where one spends most of their life.

We enjoyed a great Labor Day Weekend with friends too.

Friday night Orie and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather we were having. We grilled out in the backyard and sat outside most of the evening just chatting and getting bit by mosquitoes. I could do without the mosquitoes but I love hanging out in the backyard....especially with Grace and Orie.

Saturday night we watched the LSU game at the house with some friends....it ended up being a pretty fun night. We had some out of towners come over to watch....old friends of mine and some of Orie's and we shared lots of fun laughs as we watched the HORRIBLE LSU game. At least we won though right? I cooked some yummy tailgate treats and we all had a really fun night.

Sunday we just relaxed most of the day and that night I got together with some girlfriends for a glass of wine. It was fun getting to catch up with them and just have some girl time.

On Monday we ran some errands and got our life in order to start another week. Days like that are never super fun but it's nice when we get to have them together.

This week went by pretty quickly since it was a short work week. It was also my last work week at HHH. I put in my notice about two weeks ago and Thursday was my last day. It is definitely time for me to move on and get back in to education in some fashion. Today I had a substitute interview at a school in west Dallas and I will go this afternoon to meet with one of the Catholic Schools in the area. I am so excited about these possibilities! I even have my first DISD sub job on Thursday.....it should be exciting.....a business education class at a tech school! I have to start somewhere right?

We are looking forward to another great weekend! Tonight I am getting together with some work friends and Orie has to work a little bit late. Tomorrow we will enjoy a little Top Golf action with Audrey and Chris and then get ready for LSU/Vanderbilt Saturday night. Gosh - isn't football season fun? If we could just get some of that cool fall weather!

Hope your week has been great and you are looking forward to the weekend....it is almost here! Have fun!

another goody from JSS

For this week’s selection…we present The Commodores performing a musical homage to Patrick Peterson…to the tune of their 1977 hit song Brick House

Yeah he's a freight…train
He's mighty mighty just bringin’ em all that pain

He's a freight…train
The dude is jacked, that’s a fact,
ain't holding nothing back.

He's a freight…train
He’s the baddest everybody knows,
This is how the story goes

You know he got everything
to make the other team outmanned, yeah yeah
How can he lose, with that stuff he use,
Got the size, got the strength, got the speed, what a winning hand!

Yeah he's a freight…train
He's mighty mighty just bringin’ em all that pain

He's a freight…train
The dude is jacked, that’s a fact,
ain't holding nothing back.

He covers and hits, he’s got fearless ways,
make a young receiver wish for better days
He knows he's built and does what he please
Sure enough to knock a bigger man to his knees!

Yeah he's a freight…train
He's mighty mighty just bringin’ em all that pain

He's a freight…train
The dude is jacked, that’s a fact,
ain't holding nothing back.

He's a freight…train
He's the one, the only one,
A real All-American

Shake it down shake it down shake it down now...

GEAUX TIGERS

!!!!!!!!!!!!

LSU Football.....we're ready

Hi blog friends! We are so ready for some Tiger football this Saturday night. I thought I would share some clever inspiration from a family friend of ours. She sends one of these out for each game day and they are awesome. I will try to post each one.....hope you enjoy.....


Just win, baby!

The opening game, the national stage
The Fighting Tigers storm the dome
The crowd goes wild, the band strikes up
We make ourselves at home

And then it’s time for the other guys
Their fans are highly stressed
A bunch of squinting skinny white guys wander out
The coaches look depressed

The Tigers are seething, their energy is fierce
They’re tired of getting no respect
The skinny white guys have turned a pale shade of blue
They’re terrified of what they expect

LSU is fast, lightning fast
The blue guys are confused
They’re caught in a storm of Purple and Gold
Bodies battered, egos bruised

The coaches in blue don’t know what to do
There’s simply no time to adjust
As the time runs out and Tiger points pile up
Their fans file out in disgust

We all lock arms, we sing, we sway
Our hearts a tender glow
Football time is finally here
Hey Fightin’ Tigers, let’s GEAUX!


GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JSS

Grace......

She went for ANOTHER follow up yesterday to the vet. Orie has been so great about dropping her off before work and going to pick her up on his lunch break. He definitely gets canine Dad of the year!

The Doc (LSU VET SCHOOL ALUM - Geaux Tigers) said she looks great and is healing nicely. The sutures (sp?) have dissolved and the swelling has gone down tremendously. He also said her blood pressure had gone down as well but wanted to continue with the medication a little longer.

We still give her two kinds of eye drops 6 times a day and then a morning pill and evening pill. She is much better at it after all these weeks! We are allowed to take her cone collar off while supervised. He said if she doesn't rub her eyes then we can keep it off, if she does rub her eyes then we have to wait another week before we take it off for good. What do you think she did when we finally got home yesterday to take the collar off?.......................of course, she rubbed her eyes immediately! we yelled at her so quickly and loud i thought she would never take the tail out from between her legs.....such an obedient girl....i just wish she knew it was for her own good!

So, we'll see what supervised no cone collar time looks like this evening.....hopefully she can have it off for a couple of hours again.....she had so much fun being able to walk around without it!

Have a super duper Wednesday.....are you getting ready for your long weekend? We are!