I made soup today...

This is what it looked like...

Not very soupy, huh?

My sweet, encouraging husband even said it tasted good... as long as you don't mind the texture.

However, he couldn't resist comparing it to orphanage gruel and saying something along the lines of "please sir, can I have some more?"

Mom, you taught me a lot about cooking, but I sure don't have to worry about running out of things to learn any time soon!

...at least I'm good humored. =)

Home Sweet Home

So, I'm finally posting pictures of our home in Indiana... now that we have our couch and have most of our decorations and stuff put up, it's really feeling like home!

Here's the entry/living room:

And the kitchen/dining/laundry room:

When you first come up the stairs, there is our "extra" room, where the "man decorations" live and anything else that we don't know where to put it.

Here's the bathroom (there's also a 1/2 bath downstairs)

And then our bedroom--it was already painted this color that goes perfectly with our stuff!

How happy was Jason to see his team go to the playoffs for the first time in his lifetime??

Go Cubs Go!!

This is from sometime in August... I hadn't been able to post it on the Mac but now our desktop is hooked up to the internet too... and it couldn't be more appropriate timing!

(If you listen closely, I believe you can hear Jason's best friend for the night singing drunkenly behind us... gotta love Wrigley...)

I Heart iPhoto

We recently converted to Mac. Anyone else who has been through this conversion knows what a truly transformative, life-changing, eye-opening experience it can be. (please note the sarcastic overstatement... I do love it, but, no, I'm not going crazy.)  One of my favorite things so far is the massive amount of templates in the Mac version of Microsoft Word. But I think what I like the best is iPhoto. I am by no means a photographic genius but I like to play and this is my favorite before-and-after so far. You can see the transformation from washed-out, nearly unusable photo, to what has become one of my favorites of my sweet cutie niece.

Before iPhoto:

Then, an amateur tweak here and there and....

After:

I love it!

Favorite Books

Well, we are all moved into our new home and have started orientation for grad school... so in honor of me not being a preschool teacher anymore (I guess I should change the name of my blog, huh?) I am posting my list of favorite kids books which was another thing I found in the moving process (I definitely planned to do this a long time ago, you know how it is....)

So, I made this list for Jason when he started working at a bookstore so that he could be a children's book expert.  I don't think he ever used it, but I am glad I made it so I can remember which books I like the best.

Favorite author/illustrators:

• Don & Audrey Wood:  The Napping House (my very most favorite); King Bidgood's in the Bathtub 
  
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• David Shannon:  No, David!; How I Became a Pirate; A Bad Case of Stripes
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• Kevin Henkes: Chrysanthemum (another very favorite); Owen; A Weekend with Wendell; the Lilly stories; Kitten's First Full Moon
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• Eric Carle: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (classic!); The Very Quiet Cricket, etc. etc.
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• Jan Brett: The Hat; The Mitten; The Umbrella
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• Lois Ehlert: Planting a Rainbow; Leaf Man; Growing the Alphabet
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• Dr. Seuss: One Fish Two Fish (my most favorite Seuss); The Foot Book; The Cat in the Hat (I could recite much of this...); The Sneetches; The Sleep Book... just to name a few

Other random favorites (with commentary, of course):

• Robert Munsch:  He wrote the tear-jerker "Love You Forever" but most of his stories are really funny and best if you get them as audiobooks with him reading... hilarious
  
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• Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park:  Junie B. is this generation's Ramona Quimby, but even funnier (although with worser grammar); very exciting for early "chapter books"
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• Fluffy series by Kate McMullen: also chapter books, about a guinea pig with a big ego... they're pretty cute
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• Froggy books by Jonathan London:  he always has something to be embarrassed about ...
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• Curious George books: also classic =)
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• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
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• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie: there are many "spin-offs" of this...the original is my favorite
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• Click Clack Moo Cows that Type: just very silly
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• Goodnight Moon
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• Parts; More Parts; Even More Parts--by Tedd Arnold: all about how kids misunderstand common idioms... really funny for adults, amusing for older kids, just kinda freaks out/confuses the little ones.

That's all I have for right now... again, if anybody actually reads this and has anything to add, I'd love to hear it!

MOVING! AHHHH!!!

This is our spare room. We're moving in a very short number of days, and the pile of boxes, which is directly behind where I sit here at the computer, has actually grown considerably since this photo was taken (now we have to carefully inch our way to the computer). Somebody recently told me they have heard of an easier method for moving.... rather than gathering lots of boxes you simply get a book of matches. At times in the packing process I have to agree with that statement. However, in going through everything we own, I have found some interesting and valuable things, including:

*$70 in cash/gift cards from our 3-years-ago wedding showers -- Wii Fit, once I find you, you will be mine!

*several old journals -- one from my freshman year of college and around the time Jason and I started dating, one from my first year after college, the first year we were married... very fun and interesting to read my past thoughts

*a collection of baby shower decorations that I saved because I knew I'd use again, but couldn't find when I needed them 2 months ago and bought all new ones

*all the supplies to scrapbook our honeymoon in Greece... again, 3 years ago

*a brand new, never-been-worn sweater (that fits, no less!)

*many pairs of forgotten shoes that I haven't been able to wear in my current standing-or-crawling-on-the-floor-all-day profession

*a lovely wooden salad bowl, which was hidden in a mystery box at the bottom back corner of a closet

*a coupon for free Chik-fil-A

*a notebook with lots of notes about work, including many "reports" to give parents at the end of the day on my 3-years-ago students... wow! that was quite a year!

I'm Blogging!!!

I've been inspired recently to start writing on my blog again... I have several good ideas of things to write, I just need to find some time to write them.

But here's one for starters... To celebrate my last week as a preschool teacher, I am updating my list that I started on this blog several years ago. Here goes:

You might be a preschool teacher if...


*you have ever found yourself asking another adult if they need to "go potty."

*you think that stories about who did what in my class today are actually interesting.

*you can tell the difference between an intentional pants-peeing and a genuine "accident."

*you think you know how parents should raise their children, even though you have none of your own.
*your job itself is a good reminder to take the pill.

*your clothing is used as Kleenex on a regular basis.

*you know that "beanie weenie" is in its own food group.

*rather than using the "S-word" (as in shut up), you tell someone to "put a bubble in it."

*you know what I mean when I describe someone being "criss-cross applesauce."

*you often speak in song or rhyme.

*you think that caring for only 6 four-year-olds at once is practically a vacation.

*the rims of your fingernails are often green or purple.

*you have walked through the grocery store after work with several sparkle stickers on your shirt.

*it's not uncommon to have glitter in your hair.

That's all I have time for right at the moment. If anybody reads this and has anything to add, I'd love to hear it!