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!!!

$15.00 CSN Giveaway

I've been daydreaming of a posh home office recently especially since I'm student teaching and gearing up for my own classroom in the future.  I need a place to grade papers, plan lessons, and communicate with parents.  I'm thinking an L shaped desk from CSN Stores would be pefrect!

I was recently approached by CSN about hosting a giveaway on my blog to give one of my sweet readers the chance to win $15.00 to spend at one of their stores.  With over 200 stores to choose from, you can find just about anything you want.  I really love this Le Creuset dish.  Fabulous color and a quality brand.

I also really like this Accent Pillow.  The ruffled flower is really on trend right now but also has a timeless look to it.

To enter the CSN Store giveaway, you must be a follower of my blog.  Just leave me a comment letting me know you follow!  Then visit CSN Stores and leave a seperate comment telling what you would buy if you win.  Please include your email so I can notify you if you win.

For additional entries:

             * (1 entry) Blog about this giveaway.  Just leave your link in the comment section.
             * (1 entry) Tweet about this giveaway.  Again, leave a link in the comment section.

You have until midnight February 16 to enter.  The randomly selected winner will be announced on February 17 so be sure and check back to see if you won!

Good Luck!!

First Day of Student Teaching

Yes, today was my first actual day in the classroom, and I loved every minute of it!  My cooperating teacher, Mrs. S, is an absolute jewel.  I did all of my previous observations in her classroom and requested to student teach with her.  I was overjoyed when I found out I would be with her! 

We had our student teaching orientation yesterday, and I have to admit that I was really overwhelmed and intimidated after the two hour lecture on education law and liability in Texas.  And then again once they started talking about how competitive teaching jobs will be because of the massive cutbacks here in Texas.  Seriously, my stomach was in a knot by the time I left.  The one shining light of the orientation was meeting my University Supervisor.  This is the person who will come to evaluate me three times during my assignment and decides (along with my cooperating teacher) whether I pass or fail student teaching.  She is the sweetest lady and reassured us that she is our biggest cheerleader and wants us to succeed.  She told us not to be nervous when she comes in because she is not super critical.  That does take some pressure off.

Once I was in the classroom, all my fears were squashed.  Is it a huge job?  Yes.  Am I still a little nervous?  Yes.  Am I completely confident yet?  No.  But I do know that this is what I am called to do, and I will give it 100 percent. 

The next three months are going to be super busy for me, so I don't know how often I will be able to blog.  I am still going to try and post often because I love it but getting situated and adjusted with student teaching is at the top of my priority list.  I'll still be reading your blogs though!

Happy Tuesday! 

Another One Bites the Dust

Abby has been losing teeth left and right around here.  Her right front tooth has been loose for a while and Thursday evening was it's time to go. 

Here she is right after it came out.  Notice the blood on her lip and forehead.  Tooth pulling does not come without some drama around here.  She gets really nervous when we go to pull it out and has a mini meltdown but then cries if we tell her to just wait a little longer because she's afraid she will swallow it.  It's a no win situation. ;)

Here's Abby the next morning after the tooth fairy came.  Unfortunately, the tooth fairy only had a five dollar bill on her and the icy roads and subzero temps prevented her from venturing out for smaller bills.  Sheesh!  I got a dollar a tooth back in my day.

via

My poor baby Wyatt is sick.  I took him to the doctor on Friday because he was acting lethargic and had a slight temp.  He has adenovirus (our pediatrician called it the "mini flu").  Fortunately he doesn't have the full-fledged flu so he should recover much sooner.  Antibiotics wouldn't do any good since it's a virus, so he was given a good Rx cough/pain medicine, and I'm also giving him Motrin to break the fever.  He also has pink eye.  Yikes.  We are treating that with antibiotic eye drops.  I pray that Abby doesn't get it too because it's very contagious.  All this right before I start student teaching on Monday.  Poor baby.  I'm hoping Casey can get off work to stay home with him or I may have to ask my sweet Mama to come down for a couple of days to help.  UPDATE: Just as I was getting ready to publish this post, Casey walked in and said he is not feeling so well either.  Excuse me while I go out in the backyard and scream at the top of my lungs.

So that's been our weekend thus far.  A sick boy and a missing tooth. I'm counting my blessings though because it could be much worse.  We have much to be thankful for.  Hope your weekend is going well! :) 

A New 'Do

I mentioned a while back that I have been wanting to change my hair up a little.  Nothing major, just a little color change and a shape up.  Well, I bit the bullet and changed it up!  I've been searching for a new hairdresser so I called a nice salon here in Amarillo and got an appointment.  My stylist was the best!  She spent quite a while helping me decide on the perfect color for me.  Believe me, I was probably not the easiest client to work with because I tend to get really stuck in my ways and can be resistant to change, but she was completely professional and walked me through it.  I'll definitely be going back to her again!

Before:

After:

Yes, more of my bathroom photography! ;)

Here's a close up of the color.  It's a golden, dark blonde.  She mixed it with a golden shade to warm it up and give it some dimension.  It has a slight red tint but that is just the natural tone coming out of my hair.

What do you think?  I like it especially for winter.  I think when summer rolls around I'll probably lighten it up again but for now, I like it. 

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

It's a COLD Wednesday here in Amarillo, Texas.  I'm so ready for spring!  I'm linking up with Jamie for WILW.  Go link up at her blog to share what you're loving today too!

I'm LOVING that I start student teaching next week!  I have an all-day orientation on Monday and then I officially start my assignment on Tuesday.  It's a new, exciting chapter in my life!

I'm LOVING all the cute new clothes and shoes I've bought recently to begin my student teaching assignment.  I found both of these pairs at Payless (for cheap!).  I'm also ordering THESE cute shoes from Crocs.

I'm LOVING that our congregation had an all-day workshop for our upcoming doorknocking campaign in June.  We learned the most effective way to reach out to people who may be searching for Jesus and how to set up and teach Bible studies.  I can't wait to be a part of this!

I'm LOVING this new body lotion from BBW.  I bought a sample size and just love how floral-y and spring-y it smells!

I'm LOVING this coffee from Dunkin' Donuts.  I usually get the French Vanilla but decided to try the Cinnamon Spice.  I'm glad I did because it's my new favorite!

I'm LOVING these cute teacher travel mugs I received for Christmas.  They'll be perfect for sipping coffee on the way to school each morning.


As always, I'm LOVING my precious family.  I've truly been blessed with the most wonderful husband and two beautiful children. 

Have a fantastic Wednesday!!

No Snow Day

I'm not happy.  Why?  Because the weather outside is completely nasty yet school was not cancelled.  Pretty much every school is our region was cancelled or at the very least delayed, but not Amarillo.  I really had my heart set on a snow day but it did not happen. 

Amarillo ISD has a lot of schools in the district, some of which have many students who are below the poverty line.  Their parents have no option but to work no matter what the weather conditions are and need childcare.  That is why Amarillo doesn't easily cancel school.  I can completely understand that.  But what I don't understand is risking life and limb if it is not necessary. 

We actually only got around 3 inches of snow here but couple that with 40+ mph winds and you have a dangerous driving situation (aka: whiteout).  Plus, it's COLD!!!!  Right now the temperature is 2 degrees but with the wind chill it feels like -23.  Yes, 23 degrees BELOW zero.  Dangerously cold.  We bundled up like Eskimos before heading out this morning.

A view of the backyard.

The snow drifts make getting in and out of the house a lot of fun.  Can you tell I'm not a winter person?  After Christmas is over, I'm ready for winter to end and spring to begin.

The one good thing from this mess?  I get to spend the day with this fella.  His daycare advised us to keep our kiddos if at all possible and that was quite all right with me.  I just wish my sweet Abby was here to enjoy a day at home too.  Maybe next time!