Feeling "appreciated"!

It's teacher appreciation week.

::Pause for a reaction::

That's right.  The week where high school teachers are often forgotten about.  No mothers eager to bring in baked goods or gift cards to Panera or any cute Pinterest-y gift ideas they saw.  Kids not even realizing it's teacher appreciation week.

In fact, one of my students went as far as saying, "There's a day to celebrate that?"

Yup, there is.

But, whether or not I get any verbal recognition this week or chocolate chip pancakes with homemade whipped cream, I relish in the small victories over the past 7 years that have made me feel appreciated.

I mean, what other job could you take a group of eager to learn Spanish 3 students to Mexican town for lunch to celebrate Day of the Dead?

Or get to make a video to post on youtube of 25 students singing a song about direct object pronouns in Spanish to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it?"

Or have students stay after school just to tell you about their day or their latest crush or how much they love your class and wish they could have your class all day long?

Just today I had a senior tell me, "That was the best joke you've said all year.  That made my day."  I guess quoting, "Ain't nobody got time fo that" was all it took.

Seeing former students while out shopping at random places like Marshall's or Target always bring a smile to my face.  Even if I can't remember their name, they remember me.

I know it's said all the time, we don't do this for the money.  I can assure you, we don't.

For me, I do this job for those times when a student suddenly understands, in May, what it means when you tell them to "conjugate a verb", despite having explained that to them for the past 7 months.

It's for getting them to sing crazy songs like their ABC's, Head shoulders knees and toes, and even a days of the week song to the Adams Family theme song in Spanish.  Nobody's too cool for that!

It's for hearing them command each other to do things in Spanish and seeing them actually act out what they're being told to do after 2 years of learning the language.

It's for those nice kids that finally ask me what I did over my break after they've all shared.

Or the kids who you've watched as freshmen progress to seniors as their class sponsor.

Or for that moment when you are asked to be their guest at the Senior Honors Dinner at a gorgeous country club and the student gives a speech about how you were her favorite teacher.

Oh, how sappy.  But, it's true.  I really don't think there's too many jobs out there where you meet as many interesting, challenging, wonderful, and frustrating people in one year.  And then start all over again next year.

No two days are alike.  I never know what my day will turn out like at 7:30am when I'm walking into the building.

These kids make me laugh.  They've made me cry.  They disrespect me.  They come back and apologize and turn out to be one of those kids that still comes back to visit you.  They push you to the edge.  They bring you right back with an "A" on a quiz or a hug.

Sure, it's quite possibly the most difficult thing I've done aside from child birth.  And it's no bed of roses on most days.  But, there's something about the excitement in finding new posters to hang in your room.

And the excitement of a new bulletin board you made for your room that NONE of the kids care about.  Hey, I tried?!

And that feeling come August when the mere thought of freshly sharpened pencils, back to school shopping, and decorating your classroom has you all giddy.

I may hate what's going on with education in Michigan with a passion.  I may never understand how the people making the decisions are the ones with no background whatsoever in public education.  I definitely loathe the fact I haven't had a pay raise in 3 years.

And yet I keep coming back for more.

There's something about this job.

But, for those days when I have the urge to pack up all my belongings and hand in my two-week notice, I continue to do my job because, at the very least, I work with an amazing group of people and am lucky to have developed so many friendships over the years.

Happy teacher appreciation week to all my fellow teacher friends!

Now where's my damn chocolate chip pancakes??

Week 18: Bacon, Orzo and Peas!

Last week started off with a vengeance and let me tell you, it didn't let up.  What started with the start of a sinus infection, turned out to be a nagging sore throat the entire week.  Not enough to take a sick day over, but I kept thinking that if I didn't take the time to rest, it would turn into something bigger.  I should have listened to that little voice.

Here I am at home, sick.  Very sore throat, painful cough, congestion, sinus pressure.  The works.  I know it's at least a sinus infection, but I'm also worried it's something like strep since my throat is in a great deal of pain.

Bad things come in three's, right?  If so, we're set for a while.

1.  New set of tires last week.

2.  New ignitor for the oven.

3.  Being sick.

Aside from that, last week was jam packed with some fun activities too!  The weather was amazing.  I walked to downtown and back with my sister-in-law Wednesday night with the dogs.  It felt great to be outside, doing something physical.  Thursday, my mom came over for dinner since she was working out in Livonia and my dad was out of town.  We made grilled chicken, bacon, orzo, and peas, watermelon, and a baked loaf of bread.  Yum!  It was such a great summer meal and made me look forward to all the yummy tastes and smells of summer.

The bacon, orzo, and pea salad was amazingly simple.  I don't know why I don't come up with these combination of things.  I mean, who doesn't love those 3 ingredients coupled with shredded Parmesan cheese!?  Not only was it delicious, it was really easy to throw together and everyone enjoyed it.  Including Sean.  I've been really struggling with side dishes the past few months.  So, this is definitely one I'm going to add to the mix.

• 1/3 cup orzo (I used half a box)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Olive oil
• 2 strips of bacon, chopped
• A pinch of fresh mint leaves
• A generous grating of pecorino (I used Parmesan)

Cook the orzo in salted boiling water as per package directions. About 5-7 minutes before the orzo is done, chuck the peas into the pot. When orzo is done and peas are soft drain in a colander.  While the orzo and peas are cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a scant amount of olive oil to the hot pan, swirl, and lay your bacon in. Cook bacon until almost crisp. Drain excess oil from pan (save those bacon drippings!) but leave some (about a teaspoon full…maybe a bit more, I won’t tell) in the pan.  Add the orzo and peas to the hot pan with the bacon. Toss a few time and transfer to a bowl. Add the mint leaves to the warm orzo/peas/bacon and toss again. Top with a generous grating of pecorino. Enjoy!

Friday, was a very busy day.  I had a half day at work with the high school students where I taught them a condensed version of Cinco de Mayo.  I had a colleague follow me to Belle Tire to drop my car off for new tires and I took her to lunch at Las Palapas quickly.  We had to be back in time for the 8th graders coming over to the high school to run the 8th grade orientation and tour.  After an exhilarating afternoon, I rushed home to get ready to chaperone Prom at the Ford Convention Center in Dearborn.  Oh my gosh...it's clear I don't get out often.  I was like an animal let out of a cage.  An evening with colleagues, no kids, dressed up, a fancy meal, and dancing!  Look out!  My feet are still sore because I rarely left the dance floor.  My students weren't even surprised to see me tearing up the dance floor...it's in my personality.

Saturday brought back our summer tradition of muffins, market, and library!  The farmer's market is back open!  And it was such a gorgeous morning.  I wore Evan in the Ergo and Sean walked around looking at all the booths, stealing popcorn samples from the Kettle Corn cart.  We played at the fountain and ate muffins for breakfast.  It was perfect.  Evan fell asleep on the way home, so we let him sleep in the car with the windows open while we played outside in the front yard.

Scott and I finished off the day with a bonfire in the backyard.  I can't wait until he starts working on the built in firepit for the yard.  We have so many ideas for what we want to do with a deck, walkway, fire pit, etc.  Just show me the money!  Lol...

Sunday was Cinco de Mayo!  One of my favorite holidays to celebrate!  Despite not being able to taste or smell anything due to my congestion, I still put on a full spread for my family and my mom.  We blew up the bounce house for Sean and his neighborhood friends and made an afternoon out of it!  Ole!

My food turned out great...or so everyone told me.  The sombrero cookies were a piece of cake to make and were delicious!

Well, I can't complain too much that I'm home resting today.  We got the oven repaired, I took a nap, I'm about to treat myself to a fast food lunch (a rare occurrence), and I have a doctor's appointment at 2:30pm.  Here's hoping it's just a sinus infection and I can get back on track tomorrow with work and the week...

Evan is 8 months old!!

8 months old

17 lbs. 5 oz.

I know I say this, what feels like, almost every month, but seriously, where does the time go?  Everything just flies by the second time around.  We still have the infant gym out and suddenly he's eating finger foods, drinking from sippy cups, and trying to crawl.  I can't keep up!  

I had a moment this month when everything suddenly made sense.  Evan has changed who I am.  I mean, the core of me.  Don't get me wrong.  Sean changed me in ways that I still can't believe.  Going from living life for me to now living life for my boys, Sean paved the way.  But, Evan has made me realize I can't control every.single.part of our day to day lives.  

I wanted to nurse him for a year.  He has a milk and soy protein intolerance.

I wanted to make all his baby food for him as I did for Sean.  He refuses to eat more than half of my purees.

I wanted him to have beautiful, smooth skin.  He has been plagued with ezcema.

I wanted him to be healthy and happy.  He's been hospitalized for RSV, had a stomach virus, and countless colds and ear infections.

And he's only 8 months.

Considering I have a type A personality, giving up the reigns and accepting him for exactly who he is has not been easy.  But, it hit me like a ton of bricks this month.

He had a 3 week cold and double ear infection battle.  We tried amoxicillin.  It didn't work.  We tried Augmenten.  It didn't work.  Finally, we tried Omnicef.  And thankfully, it cleared the infections.  And in that time, we had many nights of 1am wake up calls, pulling at his ears, arching his back, screaming, crying.  He didn't eat as much, either formula or solids.  He just wasn't his usual self.  For 3 whole weeks.

But, man, once he got over the ear infections, he really showed us what a happy-go-lucky little guy he really is!  

He can sleep through the night.  Does he do it every night?  No.  But, he can.  And I'm okay with that knowing that he's capable of it when he's feeling well.

He can clap his hands and his feet.  Such coordination...

He can eat puffs, yogurt melts (we're trying small amounts of dairy), and various soft foods like watermelon, sweet potato, toast, etc.

He wants to drink water out of a sippy cup.

He wants so desperately to crawl, but just can't do it yet.  The anticipation is killing me.  I know I will regret this instantly after he starts doing it.  

 To me, he's perfect.  He doesn't sleep through the night every night like Sean did.  He isn't breastfed.  He doesn't like my homemade purees.  He costs me a fortune with every pediatrician, dermatologist, and allergist appointment, but he's worth it.  And I'm going to enjoy these last few months with him as a baby because Lord knows they're going to fly by.  I need to stop sweating the small stuff and enjoy him for exactly who he is.  Ev monster.  Evie.  Baby Evan.  My chicky chicky boom boom.  

For those stat lovers:

• Size 2 diapers and moving up to 3's as soon as the 2's run out.  One package left...
• 9 month clothes, 6-12, and some 12 months since it's been mild lately and all the summer clothes we have from Sean are 12 months.
• He takes five 6 oz. bottles a day totaling 30 ounces or so.
• 3 solid meals: fruit and cereal for breakfast, veggies for lunch, and meat with veggies for dinner.
• Starting some solids at dinner now to start replacing some of the purees he won't eat.
• Sleeps through the night when he's feeling well.  Otherwise, he's up once a night and it varies with the time.
• 2 naps!!!  We're getting on a routine and it feels amazing!  9:30am and 1:30pm!  Woo hoo!
• Bedtime at 7:30pm with a bath, book, and bottle.

Favorites:

• His brother!  Gosh they love each other and it melts my heart and everyone's heart that witnesses their mushiness at daycare every day.
• Blowing raspberries and spit bubbles.  Yuck!
• Clapping his hands!
• Going from sitting to getting on his hands and knees and back to sitting again or even laying down.  He can't figure out what position he wants to be in.
• Sleeping on his tummy with his butt in the air.  Love this age!
• Singing on the way to daycare in the morning in his carseat.
• His ring toys and my measuring cups.
• Puffs!
• Nuzzling with mommy.  The boy can snuggle!
• Anything and everything that he can put in his mouth.

Happy 8 months, Evan!

Week 17: Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches!

Ugh, I'm plagued by the "spring cold" today.  My throat started hurting yesterday.  By this morning, I had my usual spring sinus pressure and headache.  This evening I'm absolutely dragging.  A bad sub report from Friday, a mountain of papers to grade, crazy high school kids to babysit, I mean teach all day, and I'm counting down the minutes until I'm heading to bed.  And I'm bummed!  77 degrees tomorrow and Wednesday and I'm feeling so lousy!  We didn't even take the kids for a walk today.

It could be that we had a very busy, but fun weekend.  Or it could be one of the many germs I'm subjected to with two kids in a daycare and my job in a petri-dish known as a high school.

We'll go with the latter.

Last week was fun!  We had a Costco date after work on Thursday to pick up some new shrubs for the front porch.  Of course it decided to hail as Scott arrived with the kids.  But, a little retail therapy later and slices of pizza for dinner, we were over it.  The trickiest part was getting those shrubs in the back of my Jeep.

Friday I had a conference for work out in Waterford.  I love the opportunity to learn new things that I can take back to my classroom and, of course, the ability to get OUT of my classroom for a day.  The foreign language department gals met up for breakfast in Farmington and carpooled together.  That evening I went with my sister-in-law to the Plymouth Newcomer's Bunco night.  An evening out with some girl friends, glasses of wine, and winning some money = jackpot!  I felt so alive going out sans kids and having adult conversation!

Saturday was Sean's last gymnastics class for the season!  I think both Sean and I was overjoyed by this.  Neither one of us seemed to enjoy this class.  But, they made it fun for the kids on their last day by having an inflatable bounce castle, jumping on the trampoline, and playing in the foam blocks.  Lastly, they let the kids stand one by one on a podium and awarded them a ribbon.  It was adorable!

Lunch, a quick nap, and we loaded the car up to head out to Rochester to visit our friends!  It was such a gorgeous day.  We walked the kids to an elementary school down the road to play, came back for pizza and salad, and just caught up.  Both kids behaved and were ready for bed after a busy day.

Sunday we finally had to slow ourselves down.  The rain definitely helped with that.  We had massive amounts of laundry, a visit from Nana and Pops, home repairs, and Sean's very own car wash we made in an effort to sanitize all his Hot Wheels (thanks to Evan finding them and putting them in his mouth...Lord knows where these cars have traveled to).

Think he has enough cars?

Sunday at lunch time I was racking my brain trying to come up with something different to eat for Sean while using what little things we had left in the pantry and fridge.  The benefits of putting off grocery shopping until tonight...

And we came up with this great idea!  Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches ala Martha Stewart!  The reviews were horrible and we didn't have garlic bread, so we just made up our own, very simple version.

2 slices of bread
Butter
Slices of Mozzarella cheese
Garlic Salt
Pizza sauce or marinara sauce

Make it just like you would a grilled cheese sandwich, except sprinkle some garlic salt on the bread after you've lathered it with butter.  Slice into strips and dip in the marinara sauce!  It's delicious!  And we even got creative and added some pepperonis to the mix to!

I can't take credit for the picture.  We were too busy throwing together a quick and yummy lunch before Sean had a melt down.  The kid sure lets us know when he's ready to eat...and it's imperative it's on the table in 2.5 seconds or he'll whine, beg, and scream for "nola bars", "peanut butter crackers", or "nilla cookies". 

So, we won this battle.  And managed to find another Sean approved lunch. 

But, more importantly than that, we finished the updates to the front of the house (for now) and couldn't be happier with how they turned out!

Before on the left, after on the right:

Week 16: Restaurant Style Salsa!

Can you tell I'm getting excited for Cinco de Mayo?  Making homemade salsa has been on my "culinary bucket list" for a long time now.  So, when I saw an episode of Pioneer Woman where she made her own, I knew it was time to check that off my list.

And what better time to play around with ingredients when Cinco de Mayo is less than 2 weeks away?  Last year, we had a fiesta at our house with some good friends.  The kids played in the backyard in gorgeous weather and I put a whole spread together of my favorite homemade Mexican dishes.  This year, I'm thinking of doing the same.  Let's hope the weather is as awesome this year as it was last year!

Without further ado...

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• 1/2 whole Lime Juice

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

I was amazed at how easy this recipe was.  It took less than 10 minutes and it made a huge batch!  For me personally, I'm going to add more salt and sugar.  Also, I'm not a huge cilantro fan.  A little bit of it goes a long way for me, so I'd probably cut down on the cilantro.  But, overall, I was impressed!  Scott loved the tiny bit of "zing" it had since it has chopped up Jalapenos and surprisingly  it wasn't too "zingy" for me since I hate all things spicy.

We had nachos with leftover taco meat on Sunday afternoon for a late lunch and plan to have some chicken tacos tomorrow night with the rest of the salsa.  I think this would make a cool gift too.  A bag of fancy tortilla chips, homemade salsa in a canning jar, margarita salt, and margarita mix.  Maybe I'm just a huge fan of all things Mexican...

Anyway, we had a fun week with family and a low key weekend.  We celebrated Nana's birthday on Wednesday at our house with a carry-out from Plaka Mediterranean Grill in downtown Plymouth.  We had so much delicious food I had to have an employee help carry out the boxes of food to the car in the pouring rain!  Hope Nana enjoyed her special day!

Friday, we had a pizza play date after work down the street at my sister-in-law's house.  Not to jinx Sean, but we've survived two play dates in the last week with his cousins and 2 solid weeks at daycare without any biting incidents.  On a roll?  I hope so.

We had a lazy weekend home.  Saturday, we had gymnastics, a trip to the library, a plethora of laundry, and of course tons of playing with the boys.

Evan has figured out how to pick on his older brother...

And Sean has found a way to retaliate...

Sunday, we had someone come give us an estimate on a brick paver patio for the backyard.  Right now, there's no patio or deck at all.  How boring is that?  So, we're researching our options.  Brick pavers or composite wood deck?  Decisions, decisions.

I decided to pack up the boys and head over to my parents' house for an afternoon of playing and dinner.  While on 275, my tire pressure light came on.  Within a few minutes I started to hear a weird noise.  Like when your backseat window is down and you hear that vibrating sound that's annoying?  Except there were no windows down.  So, I made a quick judgment call to pull off to the side of the road.  On a 4 lane highway.  With 2 kids in the car.

Yup, I was in full-blown panic mode.

I waited for a break in traffic in the right lane so I could get out and assess the situation.  I kept the door propped open because my second biggest fear, aside from having to pull over on the freeway, is to have the car lock me out with my kids inside.

Sure enough, my back passenger tire was shredded.  Luckily, I caught it in time to where I didn't bend the rim or cause me to drive on metal.  But, you could smell the rubber burning.  

Thank God for my loving husband.  He hopped in his car, came and rescued us, let us take his car to my parents', and then waited for the tow truck from AAA.  

I think the hardest part was figuring out how to merge back onto the freeway with oncoming traffic driving 80mph.  Good thing Scott has a Dodge Charger with a hemi.  No problema!

And on that note, we ended the weekend with a fun day at Grandma and Grandpa's house and a yummy dinner that included G.G.'s infamous german noodles.  2 sleepy boys in bed, lunches packed, bottles made for daycare, clothes laid out, and I caught up on Glee on my DVR.  I love that show.

April showers...

bring opportunities for Sean to get all decked out in his rain gear!!  He is seriously loving these thunderstorms.  And I have to admit that I've also been enjoying them.  Warmer weather, going to bed early, falling asleep to the sound of rain and thunder....

Ahhhh!! Welcome spring!

Week 15: Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes!

Epic.  The word I'm going to use to describe these pancakes I made this past weekend.  So epic that I'm going to write about them before I do my weekly recap.

Whole wheat brown sugar banana bread pancakes.

I was sold on banana bread.  I may be the weirdest person alive.  I like banana bread, but nothing else made with bananas or even bananas by themselves.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Measure out the milk and add the vanilla extract to it. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add in milk and vanilla, stirring to combine. The mixture will still be dry. Add in mashed bananas and mix. Add in melted butter and stir until batter is somewhat smooth.

Heat a skillet or grilled on medium heat. Using a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into rounds and cook until bubbles form on top – about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for a minute or two more. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve hot with butter and syrup.

Note: if you don’t have/can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, use 1 cup of regular whole wheat and 1 cup of all purpose. Or 2 cups of all purpose.

There was the option to use a vanilla maple glaze over the top of the pancakes, but I'm a syrup person myself.  Maple syrup and cinnamon butter were good for me.  

Everyone enjoyed these.  The batter made us exactly 8 pancakes, even though it called for 12.  It was a perfect amount for my husband, myself, and Sean.  A few strips of bacon and we were happier than pigs in mud.  Okay...horrible analogy considering I also used the word bacon in the same sentence.

So, now that you're all drooling, I'll bore you with the weekly recap.

We had a pretty uneventful week.  Scott had parent-teacher conferences, I had a curriculum planning day with my foreign language department colleagues, our washing machine was repaired while still under warranty, and the rain + Bailey going in and out put a damper on my freshly cleaned house that our cleaning lady did wonders on this week.

Saturday, we started our day off with those amazing pancakes.  Sean had gymnastics that Scott took him to.  I took Evan to Troy to meet up with a good friend and her daughter, Brielle at Somerset for some shopping and lunch.  You can't go wrong with a dreary day, a trip to the mall where I finally treated myself to some new clothes, and a burger and fries from J. Alexander's.  To top that off, I went to a Gender Reveal Party for one of my oldest childhood friends who was in town.  It was like a trip down memory lane showing up to her mom and step-dad's house.

I hadn't seen her in years, so it was great to re-connect and share in her special day.  She put the

whole thing together and it was beautiful!  

I came home and spent the last hour or so together with my family before it was time to put the boys to bed.

Sunday, we had a rough morning with Evan.  Despite him sleeping in until 8am, he was mega cranky until he had his first morning nap.  Which, ended up taking a dosage of baby Tylenol to get him to calm down enough to take that nap.  I honestly thought we'd end up in urgent care assuming his ear infection still hadn't cleared up, but after his nap he was in a dandy mood.  So, Scott and I stuck to our plans of meeting up with our good friends Kristen and Jeff at Lucky Strike in Novi to celebrate Kristen's birthday.

Let me just say...going out in the afternoon and having some beers and chicken nachos AND playing arcade games was like heaven on earth.  Seriously.  I felt so young again!

We came back home to my dad playing with the boys while my mom put together an amazing dinner.  Steaks, red skin potatoes, broccoli casserole....yum!  It was a nice evening with my parents!

On to another week....man how time flies!