We had some surprising visitors in our school today. The Kratt Brothers
of Kratts' Creatures on PBS made an appearance! Apparently, they both
lived in this town when they were growing up and even went to our school
(there are a few older teachers who actually taught them!!). They were
making a CBS special using some of the children from our school. I'm not
sure when this program will air, but I'll let you know... it will be
interesting to see some of the children that I've taught on TV! By the
way, these two brothers weren't the most humble of creatures! They
insisted on entering the school through a rear door (I guess so that the
Central New Jersey paparazzi wouldn't bother them ;) ). They also
ignored the children that were looking at them in wonder and interest (I
had told my class that they were celebrities). Oddly enough, most of
the kids and teachers had no idea who they were!
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
In celebration of spring, I made our dinner with loads of fresh
ingredients. I stopped at our local grocery store to do our weekly
shopping (I normally do this on Saturday... However I was foiled this
weekend by the trip to New York). Stop and Shop (which is the only
grocery store they seem to have in our area...There are literally four
of them within ten miles of our apartment) is a terrific store for fresh
and organic foods. It is also a bit more expensive than A&P, Shop
Rite, and Pathmark... Stores I have shopped at in the past. I bought
many yummy things and concocted a pretty good Lenten meal.
We had
French bread pizza (tomato sauce, mushrooms, red onions, green peppers,
tomatoes, and various seasonings... I also had cheese on mine) and a
cucumber, tomato, and red onion salad with this surprisingly easy
dressing made from a Lenten cookbook. Our dessert was strawberries and
peaches very lightly dusted with sugar. I felt like it should have been
beautiful spring weather with a fresh and light dinner like that!
Instead, we were (and still are) all bundled up in our cozy little home!
I made a very extensive "to do" list for myself tonight (the things on the list must be completed before the end of the week). The four main things that I'd like to accomplish are:
- Register
for baby things at Babies'R'Us (my mother informed me that there will
be a shower held for me on May 21st... Interestingly enough, that is
also my old calendar nameday (the day that St. Emilia is commemorated)!
- Register for Lamaze classes at the hospital where we will be delivering the baby.
- Pick up the dry cleaning that I dropped off weeks ago.
- Call three of my good friends and write to my godmother.
So
far, I have called two of my friends and left messages for two
different people who teach and schedule the Lamaze classes in our area. I
feel pretty good that I have actually done some of the things that I
have been putting off for a few weeks! Hopefully this trend towards
taking care of this things that need taking care of will continue for
me!!
I was speaking to a co-worker who is also expecting a baby
(in August) and was surprised to find that she and her husband have
already set up the nursery! They painted the walls and got bedroom
furniture and decorations. John and I have pretty much done nothing for
our little baby! Granted, the baby is not coming for a few months and
the baby will also not have his/her own room while we live in this
apartment... However, I feel like we need to get cracking!! We probably
still won't purchase anything for the little one until after the shower,
but at least we'll have an idea of what we need/want. Oy!
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
Thank you to everyone who posted encouraging words about my blah day on
Friday. I am hoping that this week will be less filled up and have some
time for relaxing... Hopefully I won't feel so overwhelmed by the time
that Friday and the weekend roll around.
We had a good time at my
husband's aunt and uncle's home. They were babysitting two of their
grandchildren which was enjoyable. A. and N. are three and two
respectively, so they are a bit of a handful to care for. It was good
that we were there to help them a bit. I watched N. During the Liturgy
today (good practice for when the baby comes). He was sweet, quiet, and very good during the service.
Before
we came home we stopped at Titan foods in Astoria (a huge Greek
supermarket). We stocked up on hummus, pita bread, olives, calamari,
etc. I think that it will be a good break for John to have some of his
favorite foods as a little treat. Great Lent can be difficult in the
middle... Some variety seems to make it more bearable.
Today was
also my mother-in-law's Nameday (Saint Daria), so we had dinner at a
Chinese restaurant (We had a pretty ethnic day!!) with John's parents
and brothers. It was nice and very laidback... I was quite happy not to
have to cook dinner:) We finally came home at about 8 and I've been
puttering around since then. I think that I am pretty much ready to face
the week. I will probably have a small snack and then go to bed. I am
pooped!
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
"It only takes seeing one smile, hearing one word, receiving one act of
kindness or reading one book to change your view of life. Read this
heart-warming story and begin a new and meaningful life today. It only
takes One Smile."
~ Bernie Siegel M.D.
I
came across this book during my first year teaching. I had placed an
order with Scholastic and they sent it along with my order for free.
When I opened it to read it to my class for the first time, I was shocked
to see that most of the women pictured in the illustrations wore long
and flowing dresses! My students were totally enthralled with the story
and pictures in this book. I highly recommend it to parents, teachers,
and librarians!
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
Despite it's "R" rating for violence, Open Range is one of the most
beautiful examples of feminine womanhood that I have seen in a movie.
Annette Bening is graceful, feminine, and elegant as a frontier woman
quietly waiting for true love. She finds this love in rough and rugged
cowboy, Kevin Costner.
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
I am very excited to be home today. The weather is sunny, but cold. As I type this, I am watching Fried Green Tomatoes
on TNT. I already have a load of white laundry in the washing
machine... I just love crawling into crisp, clean sheets at night.
Since I am feeling pretty good today, I am hoping to get some homemaking
accomplished today. I'd like to clean the apartment, bake some bread
and cookies, and spend some time primping. It seems like a tall order,
but I hope that I can accomplish it all!
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
Ahh... my nice long
weekend is nearly over:( New Jersey closes schools the second Thursday
and Friday of the month of November for teacher's conventions... Since,
it is optional, I decided not to go. Taking long naps seemed like a much
better way to spend my time:)
I am actually kind of nervous
about returning to school because I have been suffering from all-day
sickness! Poor John has been so good to me! I am hoping that I won't
feel too terrible tomorrow...
Many people have been wondering
whether I'll be able to stay home when I have the baby. The answer is a
resounding "YES!" John and I both think that it is really important for
Mama to be home for the Daddy and the babies:) We are very thankful for
the two years that I have been employed as a teacher, because it gave us
a great start toward paying off our school loans and other debts. We
were also able to pay for our wedding without burdening our parents.
However, I am SO ready to move into the next phase of our lives:)
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
Whew! I have been gone from his blog for a long time!
Lots has
been going on for us... John was ordained to the deaconate on Sunday,
October 30th. It was a beautiful service, and I can see how happy and
fulfilled John is serving in the church!!
In addition, John and I
have discovered that we're expecting!! Our little one is due on June
26th. Though we've known for some time now, we tried to keep it to
ourselves in the beginning:) We are both so happy and excited!! I have
been feeling pretty tired and sick to my stomach lately. I've been
checking out many home remedies for morning sickness and have found
crackers, ginger ale, and strawberry icepops to help a little.
Teaching
has been going pretty well. I love my little kids very much! They are
really blossoming now... we've stopped reviewing what they learned in
Kindergarten. They are all doing so well with reading and writing! Math
is becoming easier now that we've begun to explore different ways to
find answers (No more fingers allowed!!). We've also begun learning new
patriotic songs from our favorite c.d. Wee Sing America. Thanks to that c.d. all of my six year olds know the fifty states in alphabetical order!! Amazing!
Anyway, that's all for now! I will try to write more frequently from now on...
(originally posted on my blog, Dairy of a Young Wife)
