I'm Alive!!

I'm not even sure if anyone is still reading my blog or not, but I just wanted to touch base about life for a minute.  As you know from my previous blog post, I'm a first-year second grade teacher.  Talk about a job!  I love it but it is completely exhausting.  I work for an exceptional school in an exceptional school district, so you can only imagine the pressure to be perfect!  I'm working very long hours right now and hope I will get to some kind of "normal" again...not sure what that means anymore.  Anyway, I'm hoping to read some blogs this weekend and get caught up.  Just wanted my sweet blogger friends to know that I'm still here!!!   Have a blessed weekend!!

Pinterest? Help!

Okay, I've seen several posts about Pinterest lately, and I definitely want to join so I can find inspiration for home decor and craft projects.  My question?  Do you have to be on Facebook or Twitter to join?  I know, I know, Casey and I are the only people in the world that aren't on Facebook.  I have my reasons for it, but I might just be tempted enough to join if it's the only way to Pinterest.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Summer is Starting!!

Today is Abby's last day of school and also marks the unofficial beginning of summer in the Tolliver house.  I'm excited!!  I absolutely love summer and all the wonderful things that it brings...cookouts, swimming pools, vacations, long summer nights on the deck, VBS, etc...  Love it!

We've been hard at work getting the loose ends tied up on our vacation plans.  We are going to Colorado in July.  I've never been to Colorado before but my husband has and he's told me how beautiful it is.  We've got some really fun things planned.  I can't wait!

We've got a fun Memorial weekend planned, with lots of grilling out and swimming in the backyard.  It's supposed to be in the upper 90s all weekend so I hope we can stand the heat.  

Have a great weekend!!!

What We've Been Up To

It's been way too long since my last post, but student teaching is over and school is almost out so I promise that I will post more consistently.  Summer is almost here!!!!  We are SO ready for it here at the Tolliver house.  Fun and relaxation are in store!

First up, I finished student teaching.  I'm sad that it's over because I loved it so much but now I am all ready to have my own classroom.  Hopefully, this hiring freeze will be lifted soon and I will find a job for the upcoming school year.  If not, I'm planning on subbing and taking care of my babies.  It has been just wonderful to be home with them again after three months of student teaching.  My house is clean, the laundry is caught up (well, almost ;) ), dinner is on the table at a decent hour, and my babies are happy.  It can't get any better than this!

I'm also recovering from a bout of walking pneumonia.  Bad stuff.  I had it 2 years ago and was seriously hoping that I would never have it again, but I did.  After steroid and antibiotic shots, oral antibiotics, and breathing treatments, I'm finally feeling like I'm going to be normal again someday.  I've still got a cough but it takes awhile for that to completely go away.

Unfortunately, I was pretty sick on Mother's Day.  Casey and the kids tried so hard to make it special but I was too sick to really enjoy it.  We usually always go out to eat on Mother's Day but since I was sick, Casey made my favorite: enchiladas.  They bought me some beautiful flowers, some new earbuds for my iPod and an iTunes giftcard, and some goodies from Bath and Body Works.  Plus, I got serenaded with some really cute songs from the kids. 

We were in Perryton this weekend for my sister's wedding.  More on that plus pictures to come very soon!  It was beautiful and special, but I'm glad that it's finally over!  I did get to see some family that I haven't seen in years and even meet some new, tiny family members (my cousins' babies).  It was a great weekend!

This will be my first full week at home in three months, so I'm planning on getting caught up on some sewing and decorating projects that I've been putting off. 

Happy Monday!!

 

Weekend in Review

It's been a busy, wonderful weekend!  It just went by way too fast, as usual.  I've got a busy week ahead of me so I'm gearing up for it. 

Friday:  Friday started off great!  It was Hawaiian day at school, so I brought leis for all my students and greeted them with an "Aloha" at the door.  They loved it!  The rest of the school day went off without a hitch and all was well until I got home and discovered something very important was missing- my college and student teaching ID badges.  I wanted to throw up when I realized they had fallen off my lanyard.  I drove back to the school (on the other side of town, might I add) and searched the teachers' parking lot.  With the lovely Panhandle winds, there is no telling if it was there and just blew away.  I'm praying that they fell off in the classroom or the school somewhere.  If not, it's going to be a hassle to get them replaced. 

So after all the ID drama, the family and I went and had dinner at our favorite local Mexican food restaurant, Fernando's.  We ran a few errands, came home, and I went to bed at 9:00pm, which is a rarity for me. 

Saturday:  Saturday was a relaxing family day.  Casey got up with the kids and let me sleep in.  I didn't wake up until 9:15am.  That's a far cry from my usual 5:30am!  After we picked up the house and did some laundry, we headed out for some shopping.  Our first stop was haircuts for the guys.  Wyatt was starting to look like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, so I knew it was time to take him in.  Next, we headed to Old Navy to pick up a few things for the kids.  We decided to stop in for a treat at Bahama Buck's before picking up groceries.  After getting home and putting everything away, Casey made homemade Italian sausage pizza. We got the kids bathed and in bed, and Casey and I watched some UFC fights before going to bed.

Sunday:  I'm teaching the 3-5 year olds Bible class this quarter at church, and I had 9 students this morning!  That's the most I've ever had.  It was fun lesson.  Our wonderful preacher had an uplifting, encouraging lesson about keeping your focus on God.  After church, we headed to On the Border for lunch (we love Mexican food!).  Casey and Wyatt took an afternoon nap while Abby and I headed out for manicures.  I got a hot pink mani with the new OPI Black Shatter polish over it.  I like it!  Abby got a purple mani with silver polka dots.  She's a free spirit!  I love Sundays.  The only down side to today is the 50 mph winds.  I'm praying that we don't have another round of wildfires around here. 

The rest of the afternoon I've been busy getting things ready for school this week: planning/prepping lessons, getting outfits and lunches ready for the kids and myself, etc...  I'm hoping that I can take a relaxing salt bath this evening to rejuvenate myself for the week ahead. 

Hope you all have had a great weekend!  Have a blessed week!!

Some Much Needed R&R

It's finally here....SPRING BREAK!!!!!  Can you tell I'm excited? ;)  Student teaching has literally taken over my life.  By the time that I pick the kids up and get home around 5pm each day, there's dinner, homework, baths, and a million other things to get finished before I start planning lessons and prepping for school the next day.  I don't have time for anything anymore.  I love it, don't get me wrong, but it is really hard to balance everything.  A break couldn't have come at a better time!

This week I am planning on posting several posts and catching up on reading my favorite blogs.  I am so sorry that I haven't been reading or commenting on your blogs lately.  Again, zero time.  I'm so glad that I'll get caught back up this week!  Don't give up on me!

Abby is in Perryton spending some time with my parents, so Wyatt and I got to spend some time together today.  I did take him to day care for a little while because he has finally adjusted and is doing well and I would hate to get him out of the routine only to start all over next week. 

I got some cleaning and organizing done today, and I also did some shopping.  Mainly grocery shopping, but I did manage to make it to Bath and Body Works for some hand soaps and Wallflower refills.  More on that tomorrow. 

I'm planning on having another one of my spa days this week too.  Bring on the rest and relaxation! 

More post to come soon!

Lisa Lately

Corny title I know, but I didn't want to label another blog post "Random" or "Catch Up".  Oh, life has been so busy lately so I just haven't had the time to blog nearly as much as I want to.  The good news is that spring break is coming up so hopefully I'll have some time to get caught up.

Goodbye Papaw

You may remember that we lost Casey's Mamaw just a month ago, and now Papaw has passed from this life too.  They were married for over 65 years and enjoyed a beautiful life together.  We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon to travel to Oklahoma. 

Two Front Teeth

Abby lost her other front tooth and is now missing her two front teeth.  This is her fourth lost tooth since she started first grade this past August.  I'm telling you, the tooth fairy is headed for recession at this rate. ;)

Wow, now that's a smile.  :)

Spring Decorating

The daffodils and tulips are starting to come up in my garden, a sure sign that spring is near!  I did a little spring decorating this past week.  I haven't put my Easter decor out yet since it's a little early, but I wanted a fresh, spring-y feel.

The mantel.  I couldn't part with the coffee beans because I just love the look, so I decided to tie some pretty turquoise ribbon around the jars.  The white flowers and little birds nest remind me of spring.

A close up of the cute little birds nests and eggs from Target.

I just love how the colors of the mantel match so nicely to this pretty cross I have hanging around my mantel.  I didn't even realize until I was taking pictures.

More eggs in a nest on the dining room table. 

I have some more pictures that I will post later, after I finish decorating.  Yay for spring!

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

My sweet neighbor surprised us with these delicious little chocolate cakes on Valentine's Day (yes, I realize that has been two weeks ago but I am really behind).  They were so decadent and rich and simply divine.

I could go for one of these babies right about now!

Handwriting Challenge

Emily at The Johnson Five posted this fun handwriting challenge on her blog a while back, and I decided to join in.  All you do is write your answers to the following questions.  Easy peasy! 

1. What's your name / blogger name?

2. What's your blog's URL?

3. Write "The quick fox jumps over the lazy dog."

4. Favorite quote?

5. Your favorite song?

6. Your favorite band / singers?

7. Anything else you want to say?

8. Tag 3 - 5 other people.

 

I hope this will enlarge so you can actually read it.  Have you seen the video blogging, also known as vlogging?  I think it would be really fun to do a vlog post if I ever have the time to get everything set up.  Maybe over spring break.

Lesson Plans and Evaluations

I had my first student teaching evaluation this past Friday and it went so well!  I was so nervous since I knew my University Supervisor would be taking notes and evaluating my every move, but I was able to block everything else out except for teaching my students.  My Supervisor gave me a great evaulation and told me that I'll be a great teacher.  She said that moms always make the best teachers.  It was such a boost of confidence for me.

I've been up to my ears in lesson planning and prep but I truly love it.  It is really hard with kids though.  I feel like I have two full time jobs right now and finding the balance is not easy.  Hopefully it will continue to get easier as the semester progresses.

That's a snippet of what we've been up to this past week.  I seriously miss blogging and hope to get back to posting more regularly very soon.  I just need about 8 more hours in a day. :)

Happy Sunday!!

Catch-Up Post

Whew, it's been an exhausting week but I've loved every minute of it!  I survived my first week of student teaching, and I adored it!  Lots to get caught-up on, so here goes.... (Warning: Pic Heavy!!)

SNOW DAY!!!!

Wednesday, which was supposed to be my second day of student teaching, turned out to be a snow day!  It was really unexpected because Amarillo ISD rarely closes school.  Like I mentioned in a previous post, we have a lot of schools in our district and some are very low income schools.  The students at these schools would not have a warm place to go nor would they be able to eat breakfast or lunch if school shuts down.  My husband's place of work typically shuts down if AISD schools are closed so he had the day off too.  It was a lot of fun to be home with my family! (But not a lot of fun to drive on the icy, snow packed roads to get to school the next day)

The snow on the window sills.  We got about 6-8 inches of blowing snow.  The drifts around our house were about 4 feet deep. 

A view out the back door.  It's hard to tell in this picture, but the snow is so deep that it completely covers up our deck.  We couldn't even open up the door!

Here is a pic I snapped of the drifts next to our neighbor's house. 

Abby all bundled up to go outside!  Casey spent several hours shoveling our driveway and helping out neighbors shovel theirs as well so Abby went out to play. 

Abby's cute pink boots.  Notice how well they match her snowsuit.  A girl has to be fashionable even while playing out in the snow!

Wyatt was still not feeling great, so he and I stayed warm and cozy in the house.  Love all the snow Casey and Abby were tracking in.  ;)

Dear Snow,
You were fun while you lasted but please melt away now.  You are not welcome here anymore.
Love,
Lisa

VALENTINE'S DAY CLASS PARTY !!!!

Yesterday we had our class Valentine party and it was a blast!  The kids had so much fun, and I got to meet some of the parents.  I couldn't take any pictures at school but I did get some at home. 

The kids made Valentine bags using a white paper bag, one sheet of red paper, and one sheet of pink paper.  They cut out hearts to make whatever shapes they wanted.  Mrs. S (my cooperating teacher) asked me to make one too so I made this cute caterpillar.  A lot of the kids went back and added caterprillars to their bags too. ;)



Here are some of the cards and treats I got from the sweet kids in my class.  I was really touched that they went out of their way to bring me something, especially since I had only been in the classroom for a couple of days before the party. 

Here is what I got for both Mrs. S and Abby's teacher Mrs. Kepley.  A small box of chocolates, a Bridgewater "Bouquet of Roses" votive, and a pack of Swankie tissues.  I still need to get stuff together for Wyatt's "teachers".  Abby and Wyatt aren't having their class parties until Monday.  Casey is taking off early from work so he can go to Abby's party. 

Since I'm student teaching in a 2nd grade classroom, the children at this age are still so sweet and lovable.  I get hugs all day long.  These are some of the sweet little notes I got this week.  Clockwise from top: This was a little story and illustration a little girl made for me after reading her library book; this one says "Mrs. Tolliver Rocks" - gotta love that one!; the last one says "I love Mrs. Tolliver".  Like I said, they're so sweet!  I couldn't imagine being a secondary teacher.  The middle school and high school teachers I know love it, but it seems like a battlefield to me.  Combat duty, if you will.  I'll stick with the sweet elementary kids, thank you very much!

Leopard Print Tutu

My parents live in a small town two hours north of Amarillo, so we don't get to see them as much as we would like.  They come down for doctor appts. and shopping but for the most part we have to settle for talking on the phone (daily!).  My mom sends packages a lot for the kids.  They received their Valentine's Day package in the mail yesterday, and boy did they love it!  

They both got a bag full of treats and candy (thanks Mom! ;) ).  See the cute little love bug pin my mom made for Abby?  She is going to wear it to school on Monday to celebrate Valentine's Day.  Wyatt's is just a little love bug man (minus the pinl, thank goodness!).  Cute!!

How precious is this leopard print tutu my mom had made for Abby?  I just love it!  She just happens to already have a bow that matches perfectly with it.  She will be wearing this to church tomorrow. :)

Thanks Nana and Papa for the the goodies!  We love them!

Love,

Abby & Wyatt

Is it Spring yet????

I am SO ready for winter to be over and for spring to get here.  I am daydreaming of what new flowers I will plant in my three gardens this year.  I have been attracted to anything "springy" here lately, so when I found these cute bird egg candles and vase fillers, I couldn't pass them up.

I found these at Michael's.  I just love the colors and the speckles on the eggs.  I can't wait to display them soon!

I love this bird egg and nest vase filler I found at Target.  The color of the speckled eggs match well to the egg candles.  I think that since Easter isn't until April, I may just do a neutral "spring" decorating theme after I put away my Valentine's decor.  I can add my Easter stuff in later.

We are going to celebrate Valentine's Day tomorrow instead of Monday since it is a hectic school day.  Check back tomorrow to see what fun surprises I have in store for my kiddos!

P.S.:  Don't forget to enter my CSN giveaway!!!

Have a fabulous weekend!!!

Randomness from the Past Few Days

I feel like I haven't been on here in forever even though it's only been a few days!  I schedule the vast majority of my posts and try and do a few at once.  This leaves me more free time (what's that?) to read my favorite blogs. 

I scanned Mamaw's funeral program.  She made the quilt pictured above. 

This past week has been busy and somewhat hectic.  If you are a regular reader, you know that Casey and the kids went to Altus, OK on Thursday for his Mamaw's funeral.  They left right after school Thursday and the funeral was Friday.  I was really stressed about Casey taking the kids overnight.  Don't get me wrong, Casey is an excellent father and I completely trust him.  He's just never had the kids alone overnight before.  He had originally planned on staying until Saturday, but they ended up coming back Friday night really late.  I think he had a dose of reality!

I just want to thank you all again for the sweet comments, condolences, thoughts, and prayers regarding Mamaw's passing.  I'm so blessed to have such sweet, caring blog friends!

source

I was not able to attend the funeral on Friday because I had a mandatory student teaching seminar to attend.  It started at 8am and lasted until 4pm.  I was so sad that I had to miss Mamaw's funeral, but I tried really hard to make the most of the seminar.  I got so much out of it.  Things that will come in really handy once I start student teaching and especially when I have my own classroom.  (If I am lucky enough to get one...Texas is facing massive budget cuts in public education.  Pray for me.)

Since the past few days have been completely crazy, we've had to eat on the run a lot.  Trying to eat healthy from fast food restaurants is not easy.  Now that everyone is back home we can enjoy eating our normal dinners again.  I made baked salmon, wild rice, and sauteed spinach with garlic and it was so good!  It was wholesome and light, kind of like "spa" food (minus the spa).  *The plates that I served this meal on were my great-grandmother Helen's wedding china.  How special is that!*

I did a little shopping for the kids today at Old Navy.  They just happened to be having a 30% off sale so I got some really good deals.  Plus I picked up a really cute scarf for me!

First of all, I apologize for the cruddy picture.  I took it of myself in my bathroom.  Genius, I know.  I'm really wanting to do something different to my hair.  I don't want to cut the length off but I would like a slight color change.  Any suggestions?  (I need a facial in a bad way too!)

I'm certain this post is full of typos of every kind.  It's been a long day!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

A Few Random Things...

First of all, I must let you know that it is COLD here!!  I'm talking bone-chilling, bitter cold.  We're currently under a "Wind Chill Advisory" and temps are dropping to dangerous levels.  My heart goes out to those who do not have adequate heating.  It's just too cold. 

Last Friday, my dear friend Bre had a precious baby boy!  His name is Preston and he weighed in at a healthy 8 lb, 10 oz.  I went to visit soon after he was born and just held him for a long time.  I didn't take a picture because it was a really special, private time but when he gets a little older, I'll be posting some pics!  His big brother Parker is a great pal and comes over for playdates often.  We love them!

I want to thank Emily @ The Johnson Five and Shannon @ Growing up Imel for awarding me with the Stylish blogger award!  Go check out their blogs...they both are pretty mamas with adorable little boys.  And they are friends in real life.  And they have a cooking blog.  So much to love!  Run on over!

When the weather gets cold, I crave warm comfort food.  Since we had chili and cornbread last night, I decided Mexican food was the way to go.  We had creamy chicken enchiladas and they were delicious!  Here is a link for the recipe if you want to try them.  It comes directly from the label on the Old El Paso green chile enchilada sauce.  Seriously!  Someone copied it and has it posted at previous link.  Since I'm watching what I eat, I tried to make them as low-fat as possible and watched my portions.  Goodness!

Random Ramblings...

I am sitting here listening to the sound of pouring rain and loud claps of thunder.  It's been a while since we've had rain here in Amarillo, but in the Texas Panhandle, the weather can change on a dime!  It's supposed to be pretty chilly and rainy again tomorrow too. 

Since we had so much to do this evening, we decided just to go out for pizza.  I guess everyone had the same idea because it got really packed!  We waited forever for our food (according to my children, anyway).  After we ate, we headed to Wally World to get groceries.

I usually go to the grocery store on Friday mornings, but we decided to go this evening so that I could miss the bad weather tomorrow.  Wouldn't you know that right before we checked out, it started raining cats and dogs.  Oh well, at least the shopping is done!

Wyatt finally got a much needed haircut.  He was starting to look like a long-lost member of the Beatles. 

Before.

After.  Look at that face!  What a handsome boy, if I do say so myself!

The Fashionista of All Things Sassy.  Just had to throw a picture of her in here for good measure!

Yesterday, I headed to Kohl's to spend a gift card I had.  I found the kids some cute Christmas pajamas and a few other Christmas-y things.  I feel a photo shoot coming on!

I bought these cute monkey pj's for Wyatt.  His nickname is "Monkey" so I'm always finding clothing with monkeys on them!

These are the pj's I got for Abby.  She insists that she will stay up and see Santa this year!

Does anyone do the Elf on the Shelf tradition?  I saw these last year and like the idea of the elf flying to the North Pole every night with a behavior report.  Maybe this will keep these kids in check!

I'm reserving tickets for The Nutcracker tomorrow.  Abby and I have gone together for the past couple of years and really enjoy it.  It's such a fun mommy/daughter time because we get to get all dressed up and do something really "grown up".  Abby desperately wants to be one of the dancers on the stage!  We tried ballet last year, and she complained a lot, especially about all the rehearsals leading up to the big recital.  Maybe we'll try it again in the future.

Last, but certainly not least, a big salute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.  A simple "Thank You" seems so inadequate to express the appreciation and gratitude that I have for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to keep us free.  Not to mention, the families who also sacrifice so much.  True heroes, everyone of them.  Appreciation and prayers from Amarillo, Texas.