it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (but it could've been a lot worse!)

If you've ever read about the beloved Alexander (as a teacher, I'm a huge fan of this book!), you know that he just had one of those days--he woke up with gum in his hair, his mom forgot to pack dessert in his lunch, his friends were mean to him at school, etc. Nothing went right for him. Bless that sweet Alexander.

Yesterday was my "Alexander day".

To try to make a long story short, I hurt my ankle nearly 2 weeks ago, stayed off of it for a few days (thinking it was nothing serious), waited about a week, and then on Monday, I decided it was OK enough to go for a jog. Bad BAD idea.

I woke up Tuesday morning in way more pain than before and my ankle was about twice the size that it should be. I could barely even walk on it. I was able to get an appointment with an orthopaedist in Columbus, so I went yesterday to hopefully figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, I have a stress fracture. He's concerned that a particular bone in my ankle (I'm not the best with anatomy!) is injured, so I'm going back Monday to get an MRI done on it. If that bone IS fractured, I may have to have a cast. If it's another bone that's fractured (and he's hopeful that it is!), I'll just wear this lovely boot for a at least 6 weeks. Yes. 6 weeks. I'm sure I'm going to not enjoy going that long without running, but it could be so much worse, right?

That's not the only thing that made my day terrible, horrible, and no good, though.

My appointment in Columbus (about 30 minutes away from my house) ended around 5 yesterday afternoon, and as I hobbled out in my sexy boot, I noticed the rain and sleet and got a little concerned about the driving conditions. You have to remember something--I'm a Mississippi girl--so I don't do icy roads and such. Not my thing really. I really thought that if I just drove slowly and carefully, I would be just fine to get home. I had literally been on the highway for 30 seconds and witnessed multiple cars swerving on bridges and saw 2 wrecks. Again, I don't do ice, and was absolutely not willing to risk hurting myself or someone else! I knew I wasn't going to get home last night, so I called some dear friends of mine who live in Columbus (thank God for them!), managed to turn my car around, and stayed with them last night. They were so good to me and I'm so grateful for them ALL of the time, but especially last night. I was planning on taking a sick day today (did I really have another choice??), but fortunately, school was cancelled today anyway.

So...I hurt my ankle, was put in a "boot," and was unable to drive home last night (oh...and I failed to mention that I've got a sore throat and a not fun cold!). It was all kind of a bummer, but I couldn't help but think about what adorable little Pollyanna would say about this situation:

1. Be glad that you HAVE a foot and are able to walk!

2. Be glad that you DIDN'T drive home and get into an accident!

3. Be glad you HAVE such dear friends who graciously welcomed you into their home and took good care of you!

4. Be glad you HAVE an entire weekend to sit around and prop that foot up (in a warm house!)!

So, yes. It was a not-so-good day, but oh how it could've been so much worse!

Now...if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to watch "Pollyanna". In my boot.

The meaning of Christmas!

Isn't this the perfect little reminder?

You must also notice that cute little Linus lets go of his blanket when he says "Fear not!" I love that!

Griswold family Christmas!

Who doesn't love "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"?

I went to a "Griswold" Christmas party Friday night, and in case you can't tell by the pictures, each couple was to dress like characters from the movie! :)

Allow me to introduce you to:

Clark and Ellen... (and another view of Clark..genius!)
...Cousin Eddie and Kathryn...

...Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany... ....Todd and Margo (that's me!)...
..."Snots" and the lovely wrapped cat from Aunt Bethany...

(And NO...unfortunately I didn't get pictures of every couple there! They were all great!)

And here are some more pictures from the night:

I started making a list of my favorite quotes from this fantastic movie (no doubt, one of the BEST), but I just couldn't narrow it down.

Sooo...allow me to ask you: What's your favorite quote from this movie?

"TIS THE SEASON TO BE MERRY!"

30 day blog challenge- DAY 7

Day 7: Favorite Movies

It's ironic that my challenge of today is choosing a favorite movie, because the cast of my favorite movie was actually on Oprah today!

While I often say that I have "so many favorite movies," There's really just no movie like this classic:

My sisters and I have loved The Sound of Music since we were little girls, and it's still my absolute favorite of all time. In fact, I doubt you would want to ever watch this movie with me because I will quote it from beginning to end. And that's no joke.

I recorded Oprah today, and I'm just now watching it (I've been looking forward to it for WEEKS!), and seriously-this is Oprah's best show to date. Seeing the VonTrapps together again is just doing something good to my soul. I've had chill bumps throughout the entire show. I don't want it to end.

Oh how I love this movie.

Today's question: Do you have a favorite movie of all time? What is it?

So...I had a date to the movies...

...and he was the best date ever.

Although I'm fortunate to see my sweet nephew Henry often, he and I have really never had time to spend together--just the 2 of us--until today!

I took him to the pool (thanks, Mrs. Bonnie!), and then after lunch and a nap, we went to see Shrek in 3D (hence the glasses seen below).

He had a blast..and well...so did his LaLa.

I know...these pics are cute, but want to know my favorite part about my day with him? That would be when he randomly looked at me today and just said, "I love you 'yaya'".

Life doesn't get better than this.

facial hair or no facial hair?...THAT is the question.

So, I pretty much love country music (shoutout to my George!). I'm occasionally willing to listen to other genres, but my heart belongs to country--I can't lie.

I wouldn't say I'm a huge Tim McGraw fan (Adelia?), but I've seen him in concert and I really do like him. He's talented, entertaining, and yes...very sexy.

If you know me well, you know that when it comes to guys I choose to date, I'm generally not physically attracted to the country type---cowboy hats, twangy voices, "scruffy" faces, etc. In fact, more times than not, you'll find me attracted to the complete opposite---well dressed, clean shaven, etc.

I'm not sure about this one though.

Candy and I watched "The Blind Side" last night (ummm...BRAVO to Sandra Bullock for that Oscar-winning performance!!), and I'm going to be honest...Tim McGraw's clean shaven, "I look like every other guy" look did nothing for me.

Ironic, huh?

What do you think?

vs.

another movie recap and OH, do I have a crush!!!

Anybody seen "Leap Year"? My friend Mims and I (yes, yes...the same friend who joined me in seeing "It's Complicated" last week...) went to see it tonight. While the movie was a little slow in the beginning, and somewhat predictable, I absolutely loved it. It's a total romantic comedy, so perhaps you guys out there may want to steer clear of this one.

I am such a fan of Amy Adams. She's just adorable and she has fabulous hair, doesn't she?

And umm...I'd never so much seen Matthew Goode before, but uh, yeah...I'm pretty much in love with him now. I suppose it would be terrible of me to re watch the movie just to see him again, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't already thought about it. Maybe I should just buy the DVD when it comes out, so that I can pause and stare at the screen whenever I see necessary. Rolling your eyes at me? Go see the movie, THEN you'll understand. =)

I hope you're stay warm, cause baby it's cold outside!

movies, the 4th, and REDBOX!

First of all, Happy late 4th! My weekend was spent with Trey and Heather in Hattiesburg. We did some grilling, relaxing, boating, and movie watching. It was perfect.

I probably watched more movies this past weekend than I've watched in the past 3 months combined! I thought I'd give you my reviews on a few of the ones we watched.

Oh, and have any of you made friends with the new Redbox that are found around town? If not, you should. It's very simple, cheap, and convenient! I mean, how can you beat a movie rental for $1? You just can't.

One of the movies we rented via Redbox was "Taken" with Liam Neeson. It was FABULOUS. If you're into suspense, you should totally watch this one. LN was amazing in this movie. I definitely recommend this one!
I'n not really sure why I hadn't already seen "Dan in Real Life," since Steve Carell is obviously one of my faves. He didn't exactly play a Michael Scott role in this movie, and while I missed hearing him say "That's what she said" after every sentence, I still really liked him in this movie. If you haven't seen this one, go get it. I'll probably end up buying this one.

I LOVED "BRIDE WARS"! Sure, it's totally ridiculous and completely unrealistic, but Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are just the cutest ever, and I thought it was absolutely hilarious. In fact, I plan on hitting up the Redbox sometime today and getting it to watch with Katey soon. I think I kinda want to look like Anne Hathaway.Well, it's 11:00, and I'm still in my pj's. I suppose I'll get up right now and do some sort of physical activity. I don't want to get a reputation of being completely worthless during the summer! (Of course, as soon as I finish exercising, I'll probably shower and get right back in my pj's. Don't judge me).

Mamma Mia!, a sweet baby shower, and A NEW ME (sort of)!

Well...I did it.

I put red in my hair. I mean, I didn't actually do it, but my brilliant aunt did. It's very subtle, only REALLY noticeable when the light hits it just right, but I LOVE IT. It's just the change I needed. As Stephanie (the aunt/hair stylist) said, "LT, you're not exactly the craziest or most spontaneous person I know, so, we're going to start with something subtle, and IF you like it, we'll add more later." She's right. I've never been much of a risk taker, so coloring my hair is HUGE for me. She really liked it a lot too, so I feel sure that I'll go back soon for a more noticeable look! Here are a couple of pictures of myself for you to see the new me. Do I feel stupid about posting pics of just my head? Of course, but it was the only way I felt you'd really be able to tell. I tried to take different angles in as much light as possible. It really is more noticeable in person though. If you don't think there's much change, just remember that my hair was JET BLACK before. What do you think?

Have any of you seen "Mamma Mia"? SO CUTE. Katey and I went and saw it last week and we both really liked it. I usually enjoy musicals and I'm a Meryl Streep fan. I think she's fabulous. I wish our lives were like musicals. I wish that instead of having a conversation with our significant others, we could just break out in song about how much we love him/her without anyone thinking anything of it. In fact, I would want onlookers to just join in on the singing.

Gotta love musicals!

If you haven't seen it, you must! (Note: there should be a warning sign on the door for males-- "Enter at Your Own Risk!" I don't know too many males who would have sat through it in its entirety!)

I GOT TO SEE SWEET SARAH ALFORD YESTERDAY! Can I just say she's one of the cutest little pregnant girls I've ever seen? She had a shower in Houston, MS yesterday for her little Candice Anne to be born in early October. I went with Emily, her mom, and one of their friends and I was SO glad I could make it. I have missed Matthew and Sarah so much since they moved to Louisiana, and can't wait for their little miracle to arrive! Congrats to the Alfords!

(L- Me and the future-mom! R- Me and Emily. Yes, I know I have clothespins attached to me. It was part of a game that I SHOULD have won!).

So this is the week. My new students come Thursday. Am I ready? I'm not so sure. I guess I'll find out this week!

P.S. It's HOT outside. REALLY REALLY HOT.

Red, White, and Blaine

Don't understand the title of this post? Watch "Waiting for Guffman," one of the most genius movies ever made and you'll understand.

Happy late 4th to you all.

It was a very laid back one for me, just as I hoped it would be. Kristen has begun a rotation in Hattiesburg, so she spends Monday-Thursday at Heather's, allowing her weekends to be open and her schedule to be a little more flexible. She will be doing this until October.
Kristen, Rob and Henry were able to come here for a long weekend. We went to Collinsville for the day on Friday to visit some of my mom's family. We also grilled out and just relaxed. It was fabulous. I'm posting a lot of pictures from the weekend. Mostly because Henry seems to get cuter everytime I see him, causing me to want to post a million pictures of him. :) Not only is he getting cuter everytime I see him, but he's also getting slightly bossier each time--this is just a reminder that he is most definitely Kristen's child! He walks around saying "Happy Day," and has learned to say "I love you" (sounding more like "I wuv wu"). My heart melts everytime. You will also see in some of the pictures that Kristen is continuing to dress him in cute little smocks (most of the time against Rob's will). It's funny though, because my dad has a small baseball hat for Henry that he keeps at my parents' house. The second he walks in the door at my parents' house he looks at my dad and says "Da! Mone! Hat!" (translation: "Da! Come on! Let's get my hat!"). He wants to wear his hat at all times, especially when he's around my dad. It's adorable.

Now, go rent (or better yet, BUY!) "Waiting for Guffman". You won't regret it unless you have no sense of humor. :) Have a great week!

a must SEE and must EAT!

In celebration of our day off of school yesterday (thanks MLK!), my friend Heather and I went and saw 27 Dresses. So very cute. Piece of advice: don't try to take your significant other or ANY male. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a single male in the entire theater and I know for a fact that if I had somehow convinced JR to go with me, he would have either: a. fallen asleep or b. walked out. It was definitely a smart decision to go with a girlfriend. Trust me on that one.
My second advertisement of the night involves food. Perhaps you've heard of these delicious soups
from Progresso. And you're not misreading the can, folks, each serving of this yummy soup has only 0 Weight Watchers points (note: one serving is half a can. Half a can does nothing for me, so I consume the entire can. Does that make me a pig? Maybe, but I don't feel guilty about it. Anyway, I suppose if you eat the whole can like me, it would count as 1 Weight Watchers point (??)). I'm by no means a serious Weight Watcher, but know about the points system, and I try to be somewhat conscious of my daily points consumption. Maybe when my will-power truly kicks in, I'll become strict about it. There are several different soup flavors available, but the only one I've tried is the Southwestern-Style Vegetable. SO...whether you're trying to lose weight or just stay on track a little like me, give it a whirl! I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
Enjoy your Wednesday- half way through the work week! Woo hoo!

cute, entertaining, and not too cheesy...

I highly recommend that you go see "License to Wed." Have any of you seen it yet? Katey and I watched it tonight, and we both agreed that even though movie tickets are ridiculously expensive these days, it was well worth it. It goes without saying that John Krasinski (a.k.a "Jim," "the love of my life," or "Ben"...his name in this movie) was fabulous. I still love him. I also very much enjoyed seeing other "Office" cast members play small roles in the movie.
Now, I'm NOT a Mandy Moore fan. Any other time I've ever seen her, she's TOTALLY cheesed me out, so I assumed this movie would be like all of the rest of hers. Actually, however, she wasn't all that terrible. In fact, I even kinda liked her in this movie. Weird.

So, if you're headed to the movies, think twice about paying money to see the much overrated Harry Potter movie. Sick. How can anybody stand to sit in a movie like that for so long? I don't get it. Go see LTW instead.

It's a good life.

So, I feel like I've been on a vacation for the past 5 days. I've been at Heather's since Wednesday night, and I just got home a few hours ago. It was fabulous. Trey has been out of town, so Heather needed me to babysit her while he was away. :) She had to work Thursday and Friday, so I was home all day with the pups, but do you think it bothered me? Absolutely not. Here's a tentative schedule of my daily activities while Heather was at work:
-sleep in until whenever (not much past 8:30 or so since there were a couple of out of control dogs in the house)

-drink coffee, eat breakfast, lay around

-go jogging

-shower

-watch a movie (Thursday I watched "Waiting for Guffman" for about the 164th time. If you've never seen it, please do yourself a favor and watch it. I can almost quote it from beginning to end and I hysterically laugh out loud every single time I watch it!)

-eat lunch with Heather

-drink a little diet coke

-take a snooze with the pups

-watch Dr. Phil and Oprah and start thinking about putting on REAL clothes and make up.
*please note that I am NOT a lazy person, so laying around like this is very unusual for me (but kinda nice for a change!).

By this time, it was about time for Heather to come home (tough life isn't it??). I did that all day Thursday and half a day on Friday. That afternoon I went to work with Heather and got to experience an afternoon in the exciting life of Heather Skaggs. She's important at work. She has an office and 2 computers. Not 1...TWO.

When Heather was NOT at work, here's a summary of what we did:

-shop

-bake cookies (and why would you assume we ate some of the cookie dough???) :)

-watch "The Holiday" (yes, it was my 2nd time, but she had never seen it, so I was happy to watch it again!)

-watch "The Devil Wears Prada"--I LOVED it! Meryl Streep is fantastic in that movie. I know, I know, I SHOULD have read the book first, but now that I've watched it, I'm definitely going to go back and read it.

-cook

-go out to eat (Mexican one night, Sushi another night...does it get any better???)

Saturday, we spent the day at Kristen's. I gave her the scrapbook that I'd been working on and she loved it! I'm wondering what I've gotten myself into though, because now she thinks that I need to make her a scrapbook for every HOLIDAY. Yes, I have a lot of free time now, but I'm not sure I'll ever have enough free time to make a scrapbook for every single event of his life! haha....I guess I'll do what I can though! :)
Henry changes so much everytime I see him. We think he's teething now, so he wasn't as happy as he normally is, but I did manage to capture some more adorable pictures of him as well as a little video of him trying hard to crawl (creep, scoot, whatever you want to call it!). I love watching his face while he's doing it. He's so determined and he gets really frustrated! (You can hear me, Kristen, and Heather talking and totally hovering over him in the video....poor Henry!!).

I love this one of him. He's on the floor and Kristen is sitting in a chair next to him. She was talking to me and Heather and this is Henry looking up at her while she's talking. SO CUTE!






Henry attempting to crawl... from Laura Tomlinson on Vimeo

Last but definitely NOT least: GO DAWGS!! World Series Bound!!!