Love in a list

I am the type of person who loves Valentine's Day. I loved the idea of it and what it symbolizes even when I was single, and of course I love it as a married woman. I am a hopeless romantic, and I like all the traditional (and not so traditional) gestures of romance. One year I told Zac that I didn't want to eat out at one of our normal restaurants, so he got super creative and took me to an Indian restaurant called Ararat. Zac and I are very boring eaters, so we did not enjoy the lamb or hummus or whatever else it was they served us, but we will never forget the magic show, the man swallowing swords, or the slew of belly dancers. Although we had to drive through Whataburger on the way home, the fact he researched and was so proud of picking this "anti-Zac" place made the night so special...and memorable! :) The night could have been so awful (since the place was quite strange, and we thought the food was gross) but we love to laugh about the time we tried to be adventurous.

In honor of Valentine's day, a day to celebrate love, here are the
Top Ten Reasons I Love and Adore My husband Zac

10. He cares about others more than himself, and constantly puts others first.
9. He loves kids and can't wait to be a Dad. I'm not sure which of us has baby fever more.
8. He has goals and is ambitious. He doesn't want to just be a principal, he wants to be a hard working principal that teachers and students both respect. He wants to actually make a school a better place.
7. He continues to surprise me. Remember that secret birthday party he planned for me this year?
6. He has an amazing family, who treats me as if I have been one of them all along. I am so grateful that the man I chose has a family I am also proud to have married into.
5. He's funny. He makes me (and others) laugh on a daily basis. He has the best sense of humor.
4. He is humble and never takes credit when he deserves it, but instead lets other's get the glory.
3. His students and athletes adore him. He touches lives. He makes a positive impact on hundreds of kids a year. He is a role model that teenagers look up to and admire.
2. He is thoughtful and spoils me more than I deserve. He makes me feel protected, cared for, and safe. He is my care taker.
1. Zac makes me feel special, loved, beautiful, and smart. On the days that my self-esteem is running low, he fills my tank back up again. He completes me. I am a very grateful woman.

Selena singing Selena!?

Disney starlet Selena Gomez performed at the San Antonio Rodeo this weekend and (how appropriate!) performed a song by the original Selena (Quintanilla), Bidi Bidi Bom Bom. One of my fave Selena songs!!! Enjoy...

Sister Time

Last weekend I went to Katy to spend a few days with my sis and her family, and to host a shower for her. It was a quick trip, and I would have loved to spend much more time with them, but it was a blast and a much needed visit. Liz is an amazing mom and impresses me with all she can juggle. Owen is still as perfect as I remembered him, and Madeline is so smart and fun. I'm such a lucky Aunt!! The shower was beautiful and the food was delish. We had bellinis, which was a treat, and I got to pop my first bottle of champagne! :) Here are a few pics from the weekend...

Liz and her shower hostesses (her sis-in-law Anne, and Breck)
Madeline and two of her cute cousins. I can't wait until she has a cousin on MY side! :)
I rode from Dallas to Houston with Liz's college roomie Jen. It was a lot of fun, and gave both of us some company in the car. Here she is with Liz at the shower.
Mom and cutie Owen in the outfit we gave him for Christmas ;)

Madeline and I went shopping at Katy Mills on Saturday morning. She was such a trooper. We got kind of lost and ended up walking A LOT. I carried her as much as I could, but I had a purse and bags and it was so hard, so she volunteered to walk even though her legs were very tired. hehe, what a sweetie! :) Last but not least, check out this cute video of Madeline on the phone with Zac, singing to him that there are seven continents. (He has high school kids who can't name them, but this three year old can!) Have I ever mentioned that she is a genius? I'm not even saying that because I'm her aunt. She really is gifted!

Grammy Picks

Y'all! It's the Grammy tonight! HOLLA!!!!!!!!! I love music and award shows, so hip hip hooray for my evening! I am getting so excited that I feel like I need to go put on a party dress! I can't wait to watch the performances, and I love getting all giddy and my chest gets shaky when people go up to accept awards. If they cry (and I like them) it's a safe bet I'll cry. My entire childhood I wanted to be a pop star, and on nights like this, I get to live my life through them. Haha, so cheesy, but I used to always wonder what I'd wear and say if ever I was to go to the Grammys! Silly, I know, but that's me.
For the complete list of Grammy Nominees, click here. My picks are listed below, but I'm not really sure if this is who I WANT to win, or who I think WILL win. Oh well, here they are, but only the categories I care about, hehe...

Record of The Year
Pokerface by Lady Gaga

Album of The Year
The Fame by Lady Gaga
or Fearless by Taylor Swift

Song of The Year
You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift

Best Female Pop Vocal
Halo by Beyonce

Best Male Pop Vocal
This Time by John Legend

Best Pop Vocal by Group/Duo
I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas
(although I'd rather The Fray win!)

Best Pop Callabo
Taylor Swift and Colbie Calliat "Breathe"
OMG, I love this song so much!!

Best Pop Vocal Album
I want Funhouse by Pink, but I bet it's The E.N.D. by Black Eyed Peas

Best Dance Recording
Pokerface DUH!!!

Best Electronic/Dance Album
Lady Gaga

Best Female R&B Vocal
Single Ladies by Beyonce

Best Group/Duo R&B Performance
Jamie Foxx and T-Pain "Blame It"

Best Contemporary Record
I Am...Sasha Fierce by Beyonce

Best Rap Solo
D.O.A. (Death of Autotune) by Jay-Z, but I love Drake too.

Best Rap by Dup/Group
Amazing by Kanye and Jeezy

Best Rap/Sung Callabo
Run This Town or Knock You Down, I love them both too much!

Best Rap Song
Run This Town by Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West

I don't do much country, but I want Taylor Swift to win every time she's nominated, and if she doesn't win, then I hope it's Carrie Underwood. Basically I like the pretty blondes. :)

Jai Ho already won for best song composed for a movie/tv, and I am happy with that. I love that song.

My afternoon on the football field...

Tuesday at 2:45 pm, two students were absent, six were in resource reading, and four were in the room with me. Two of them were working on touch math, one was in his wheelchair at the computer getting his tube feeding, and one of them was in the shower in the bathroom (with two teachers helping). Suddenly a familiar voice came over the speakers and announced that we were having a fire drill. Jeeze, great timing. My coworker/friend Lisa and I looked at each other like "you have GOT to be kidding...right?" and then started getting the kids to the door. Since I was in charge of "N" at this time, I had to wheel him in his big cumbersome wheelchair AND his IV pole to the door and out in to the hall to leave the building. We thought we were just going out the door and standing there, but a fireman was waiting for us there and sent us to the back of the school. We all had to evacuate to the football field, which meant a long walk all the way around the perimeter of the school with a wheelchair and an IV pole. It's kind of hard to push both at the same time, especially when I'm trying to keep another kid close to me as well.
Long story short, there was a gas leak down the road and we had to evacuate so they could check the gas levels in the school. While we were out there, one of my girls said "if you don't let me in the school, the principal's gonna FIRE YOU!" It was disrespectful, and I definitely explained to her that she can't talk to me that way, but it was a little funny too. Haha, can you just picture her 'pulling some strings' and getting me fired because I wouldn't let her go to her locker? ;) We were outside for half an hour when they discovered that the levels were low enough to let the kids get their books and backpacks to go home. So not only did we evacuate 1000 students, we also let them back into the school (quickly!!) and then back out to the football field again. It could have been SOO messy, but luckily it was very organized and even though no principals or anyone could have ever predicted or planned this, it went very smoothly. News helicopters even flew over to get footage, which was very exciting to most students, but increased anxiety and fear for our kids. The Nurse had to run in and get supplies to flush my student's tube feed line. His bag had emptied, so we had to finish the tube feed and get him ready to go home. That part was kind of stressful. Anyways, after the kids were back on the field with their backpacks, we were just waiting for the city officials and fire department to open the roads near our school again so the busses and parents could come pick the kids up. Our school gets out at 3:40 on a normal day, and the last kids left around 4:30, so that's not too bad if you ask me. I helped direct traffic, since parents had to pick kids up in back of school (rather than in front). Most parents were pretty pleasant considering they'd been waiting for roads to open and stuck in lines, and having to reroute and whatnot, but not one mom...I got SCREAMED at. I'm not sure why she chose me, but she blocked traffic coming and going and got out of her car to start yelling at how she didn't appreciate her kids having to stand outside. (Um, for the record it was a BEAUTIFUL sunny day, the weather was gorgeous and they weren't outside more than an hour!) Luckily my principal saw it happening and jogged over. He had to literally scream at her to get in her car and she still wouldn't. What an idiot. She finally got in her car, but promised we'd be hearing from her. My principal told me later that he called her that night and explained that if everyone acted the way that she had, there would have been complete chaos. It's true, but of course she didn't back down. Luckily most parents just appreciated the measures we took to ensure the safety of their children. It ended up being okay and we were all laughing when it was over that it was a day we'd NEVER forget, but at the time it was pretty crazy.
We had a fieldtrip on Wednesday. We purposely planned it on that day, because we had been notified that there would be a lockdown that day, and in our class, that's a big deal. It's easier to just plan to be gone. Anyways, we found out Tuesday that the lockdown would be postponed to next week. Go figure, right? :) We still went to the Science Center at Fair Park and had lunch at Cotton Patch, and it was a blast, but I can puh-romise you that I will have another interesting story next after our lockdown drill. It's supposed to happen during lunch, and the people at admin want to video tape it, to find weaknesses and whatnot, so it's gonna be crazy. We are in the gym during 4th period, so we will have to hideout in a locker room. I took one of our kids in there today just to get him familiar with it. He was very cute, and whispered and seemed to know that if we were in there it was serious. Hopefully next week when it really does go down, he will be that calm and easy going. Boy oh boy, I love my job...there is ALWAYS a new adventure! :) I think I'm going to write a book one day about being a special ed teacher!

Inside Scoop...

A friend of mine named Crystal from McMurry, lives in Haiti. I've been following her blog and keeping up with her via the internet, but ever since the earthquake, I have just been thinking about her nonstop and everyday. She chose to stay behind, to help others, when she could have left, because she's an awesome person. She has not been able to be online, but speaks to her mom, and her mom has been posting updates on facebook for all of us. They are devastating, but I enjoy reading them because it's real. It's what is really going on there. Not sugarcoated or dramatized for the news, just a friend's words and experiences. Here are some of the things she has shared...

Bless these people for sharing with my family when they have so little and need so much. Crystal said the meal she made tonight was well received from the big crowd who shares her table these days. Some sort of sausage potato bake. With a lovely juice to wash it down!

Well let me offer up one little bright spot: She to have a good cry when she came home from work today. After about a 13 hour day she found that her maid had been in, cleaned her whole house and (from somewhere?) brought in REAL VEGETABLES and put them in her fridge! Her maid, who lives on the streets with about 14 family members was worried about our girl!

I hope this is not too depressing for everyone, but everyone wants to know how she is and how it's going and I still have only one answer: She is so tired and her work right now is very demoralizing because there is a bit of "Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians" and with all the "bosses" almost zero organization.

The need is great and the help is slow. I told her to hang on baby,"The cavalry is coming!". I read her all the notes from facebook, etc. of all who has sent so far and she wiped more tears. It means everything to her that while her precious offerings may not amount to more than a drop in the ocean (in her eyes) th...at if we help her she might actually make a splash (she feels the need is so great).

They have stripped every blanket they could our of their house (except for the ones their new house mates are using), given away food, clothes, shoe, medical supplies. A store finally opened.... and as you can guess they went shopping through the poorly stocked shelves...for others! All the stuff they bought, they ...took to work the next day and it was gone before noon.

She said that many of the Haitians have expressed to her that they wish they also would have died because life is so hard for them. The tremors continue and even the people whose houses stood are afraid to go back because of instability", I just listened and cried too, and comforted the best I could.

She had a good long cry and poured out her little heart. "There is just so much sadness Mom", she repeated this several times. "So many people have lost everything, and I don't just mean stuff, but many or all of their friends, many or all of their family, and every inch of their security and peace of mind.

I spent a good long time on the phone with my girl this evening. In case any of you were wondering why there are no pictures here it is. Her heart is just too broken and tender and she just can't bring herself to take pictures of this.

Crystal did hear that about 12 children from Rosa Mina have been sent to America, but that still leaves as many behind because their numbers are growing as there are so many more orphans now.

This made me cry, but both she and Dom went through their closet (again!!!) and each pulled out two garbage bags full of clothes and took them to the lady who is a kind of manager of some of the workers. Crystal and Dom said they knew they were just one size each but maybe their contribution could help a little. She said the woman laid everything out in a cubicle and has been quietly pulling some workers aside one by one sending them out with a little bag of items.

Got to talk to Dom and Crystal last night. They are thankful to be on similar schedules again. Poor Dom was working double shifts from Afternoon till morning and Crystal was working from early morning till late evening so they were not getting to see each other at all! Dom is now working 12 hour days and that’s about what Crystal was working already so they were much happier last night.


Crystal went to Syracuse to get her masters in photography. The last time I saw her was when Stacy and I went to New York City in 2006.

On the same page...

Zac and I have different taste in music for the most part. We overlap in several areas (Lil Wayne, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Jay-Z, etc), but my obsession with pop and dance music is where he draws the line. Anyways, lately there has been SO MANY songs that we both love love love, and it's so fun! Here are a few songs/videos that Zac and I are obsessed with right now...

I wish Zac had hair exactly like Adam in this video. There are several different styles, and I love every one of them. Zac even admitted that this guy has amazing hair, but he said he "wouldn't be taken seriously as a teacher or principal with hair like that." haha

Carolina Liar-Show Me What I'm Looking For (Boo...it wouldn't let me embed it, but it's an AWESOME song, you should totally click on it and check it out!!)

Birdman, Drake and Lil Wayne- Money to Blow
There is a funny story about this song, and I will never hear the song without thinking of this moment I'm about to share with you. Last Friday morning, Zac and I got paid. Usually payday is not a big deal, but with Christmas, having to get new tires, and Zac paying $500 for a mandatory training he had to attend, we were very excited about payday this month. Anyways, when I woke up on Friday, I checked our account online and was relieved to see we'd been paid. Zac and I were both getting ready in the bathroom (which usually puts me in a bad mood when we both have to get ready at the same time in the same space...we have very different ways we like to act/ be treated in the morning, I'll admit, with me being the jerk) and he put this song on the laptop. The next thing I know we were both singing the words, and I was dancing. It was a light/fun/carefree moment, and the song was just the icing on top. Haha, we're not really "on a 24 hour champagne diet" like the song says, but it was still fun to sing along.


I also personally love and highly recommend you check out:
Train "Hey Soul Sister"
Lady Gaga "Speechless"
Rihanna "Hard"

Food, Fat, and Groceries Galore...

Warning...this is a super boring post. I was even bored typing it, so I'm confident you will be bored reading it. Sorry. Check back soon for a fun post about my awesome weekend in McKinney with Ellen and Amy and their families! :)
My work is having a competition called Biggest Loser. We weighed in when we got back from Christmas break, and we will weigh in every Thursday until Spring Break, when the winner will be announced. If you participate, you get to wear jeans on Thursday (in addition to Friday!) so I decided that even if I don't do well, it's worth joining, just to get two jean days per week! :)Everyone who wanted to participate put $10 in the pot. 55 people joined in, so the winner will receive $550...pretty good incentive, huh? Anyways, the school nurse sends an email out on Fridays to the people in the "Biggest Loser" group and let's us know how we're doing. The competition is who can lose the most body weight by percentage, which I think is very fair. If Janie weighs 100 pounds and loses ten, and Sally weighs 200 pounds and loses 15, Janie wins...even though she lost fewer pounds, she lost more of her body weight in percentage...make sense? Anyways, we are starting week three tomorrow. The first week I lost 2.04% and last week I lost 2.18% (total, not in addition to week one). Anyways, my goal is to lose ten pounds, so I don't really know what percentage that is. I am trying some, but it's been pretty half-hearted so far. All my co-wokers are borderline obnoxious about watching what they eat and talking about it all the time, but all that does is make me want food more, so I've been trying to just be sensible and cut back a little here and there. This entire past week was hard because I've been on antibiotics and that's been messing up my tummy, so hopefully future weeks will be easier.

Last week Zac and I rented Food, Inc. and that was an eye opener too. If you haven't seen it, I would reccommend it, disturbing as it was. At least there is hope...I like how they compared tacking these huge food companies to "big tobacco."

Zac and I went grocery shopping together tonight. We hadn't been to the grocery store in a very long time, and our pantry and fridge were so bare. We only have a Brookshire's and a Wal-Mart in town. The Wal-Mart is new, and because there isn't really competition, it's very expensive. I hate going to both of the stores in town. Since we knew that this was going to be a big trip (spending alot and wanting to buy alot) we drove to Waxahachie, about ten minutes away, to go to HEB. I forgot how much I love shopping at HEB. Not only was it super cheap, but they have more selection, and I love their brands like Hill Country Fair and stuff. Sounds dumb to get excited about, but it's been years since I actually LIKED grocery shopping, and tonight I did. Also, we got lots of healthy choices, so I was excited about that. We got ground turkey instead of beef, anytime we had the choice for whole wheat we did that instead. I really do not like wheat macaroni or spaghetti as much, but I thought if I could train myself to only eat it, maybe I'll start liking it more. I mean, I don't hate it, I just prefer the unhealthy kind, haha. Oh well...at least we got the healthier items. We also got fruit and veggies and hope to eat more fresh produce.
Okay, there isn't really a point to this post, except that I'm trying to be healthier, and maybe that will also in turn help me become my school's "Biggest Loser." Tomorrow I am officially going to start trying "whole heartedy" and maybe I'll get better results. I'll let you know how it goes...

Don't stop, make it pop, DJ blow my speakers up...

I love this song. Tons. As in, it might be my favorite song since Party In The USA!! And that is saying alot, because I still loooove that song! :)

PS-I couldn't figure out how to get the video to fit on the screen, so the right side of the video is cut off on my blog. Sorry. If it bothers you enough (I doubt anyone even watches it, haha!) then just click on the video to see it full screen on it's own page.)

Also, I know I've said it before, but it only gets truer (is that a word?) as time goes on...I LOVE Lady Gaga. Seriously! Love her. I can't even explain it. I know there are tons of people who think she is weird or offensive or just don't get her, but I get her and love her and want to be best friends with her. Really.

Here are a few other new songs I like a lot...
Alicia Keys featuring Beyonce, Put It In A Love Song
Timbaland featuring Katy Perry, If We Ever Meet Again LOVE this...it kinda reminds me of Kelly Clarkson for some reason??
Birdman featuring Drake and Lil Wayne, Money To Blow

I'm gonna be an Uncle...again!

My cousin Amy is pregnant! This is so exciting! We're a big family, but we're so close, so my cousins are my extended sisters, which means that her baby will be my nephew! Yippee skippee! The more kids in my life, the better. This is also great news because it means that the younger siblings are starting to have kids (My older sis already has two, and Amy's big sister Ellen has two, and is waiting for her third!!) which means that it must be my turn soon! :) Yay!!! I can't tell y'all how happy I am for Amy and Gian (pronounced John, for those of you who weren't sure). Look at this cute pic of them camping that I stole off of her shutterfly page...
I got to see her last weekend at Claire's birthday party, and I get to see her again this upcoming weekend! Zac is going camping with my dad and brother-in-law, so I am heading to McKinney for the weekend. Yay for family time! I love you Ames!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!