Oh the joys students bring to the lives of teachers...

Below is a scanned portion of one of my students' reading tests. Please read the sentence carefully. (I sure do hope you can read it!)

Notice anything unsual about it?

Did I give the child credit for the sentence? Absolutely.

That was my laugh for the day. Hope it brightens YOUR day too! :)

P.S. Henry's bday party was yesterday...I am hoping to have a party post up TONIGHT!

yuck yuck YUCK.

I am home from school sick today. I woke up in the middle of the night just not feeling right. I will spare the details, but let's just say that it was a good thing there was a garbage can close to my bed and an even BETTER thing that I made it to the garbage can in time. Ugh.

Is it nice lounging around in pj's and having a break from school? Always. But this is not exactly what I had in mind.

Yuck.

7 more days AND COUNTING.

You may be wondering...7 more days until what??

THANKSGIVING BREAK my friends. I am a teacher, and we teachers countdown to every single holiday. And let me just tell you, it's time for a break! I get the entire week off, and I'm looking forward to a little R&R with my family. I totally can't wait.

My Christmas blog layout may be causing some of you to believe that I may have forgotten or overlooked another very important holiday that falls at the end of this month. Don't worry though. I love Thanksgiving, and I find that it's important to take that special day every year to reflect and thank God for the really important things in life. (I was just so looking forward to making my blog "Christmasy", and I want to be able to enjoy it before Christmas is over!).

Anyway, I am very aware, possibly more aware than ever, that there are MANY things for which I should be thankful. I make my "thankful" list every year, and for the most part, it stays about the same year to year. This year, though, I find myself being MORE THANKFUL THAN EVER for all I have been blessed with. Sometimes it takes going through tough times to realize all of the GOOD things in life, you know?

So, while this list IS very similar to last year's, it has its differences. I am 100 times more thankful for the following than I was even a year ago:

1. My parents. They're just fabulous. All of the time. Period.

2. My sisters. Sometimes I still want to hit them :), but I love them more than ever and I'm so blessed to have them. (It's funny how often I get asked "so, which sister are you closer to?" I couldn't choose one over the other even if I HAD to. I talk to both of them daily and can't imagine otherwise).

3. Henry. I love him more everytime I see him. I can't imagine having my own child one day and loving him/her more.

4. My brothers-in-law. I'm pretty sure I would be friends with both of them even if they weren't married to my sisters.

5. Max. He's tested me more these past few months, but it still makes me happy to see his tail wagging when I get home from school everyday.

6. My friends. I have so many best friends, who have all played a huge role in my life. Never will any of them know how much their friendship has blessed my life. The fun thing about all of my friends...they're ALL so different from each other! In fact, most of my friends aren't even friends with each other. I can't wait to have them all in the same room at the same time--heaven. It's been during this past year, when I have truly realized...I DO have the best friends in the entire world! What have I done to deserve them? I'll never know.

7. My job. How terrible would it be to wake up every morning and dread going to work? I'm glad I have a job that I actually enjoy. (Even though I AM SO READY FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK...Have I mentioned that already??). I'm surrounded by wonderful people who encourage me daily.

THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL YOU HAVE GIVEN ME!

What are YOU thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Tag...I'm it!

I've been tagged by Maggie Ethridge to do the following:
1. Choose the 4th picture folder on my computer
2. Choose the 4th picture
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

So, Here you go!

The 4th picture in the 4th folder on my computer is this one of me and my dear Shannon. It was taken last month when we got together in Birmingham for a little shopping. Fun times! I love her.

Instead of me narrowing down 4 people to tag, consider ALL of you tagged...

Another weekend with Henry and my '08 Christmas playlist!

This was the first weekend in a long time that I have had NOTHING to do...no football game, no 5K run, no working--NOTHING. Normally I enjoy staying busy, but let's be honest, after weekend after weekend of going, going, and GOING, it's so nice to do nothing for once. My parents have been on cloud 9 since Friday. Kristen is out of town attending a conference, and Rob has been super busy all weekend with a soccer tournament, so guess where Henry has been!... HERE! This is the first time he's spent this much time away from his mom and dad, and he's loved it. I spent most of the day with him both yesterday and today. He really is at such a fun age right now. He has a way of putting anybody in a good mood!

Anyway, here are some pictures from the weekend. He ate ice cream at Nana's today, and he helped Nana decorate her Christmas tree. Yes, Nana has ALL Christmas decorations up at her house. At one point a couple of weeks ago, she had Halloween, Thanksgiving, AND Christmas decorations up at the same time. It's true. That's why we love our Nana! :)

Now. I'm in the process of downloading some new Christmas music. I love Christmas music. As of now, I have 86 Christmas songs on my Itunes. I'm not going to list ALL of the songs I have, but I am going to narrow down my favorites (including my fave artists) for you.

Here are 20 of my favorite Christmas songs (in no particular order):

(Please feel free to help me add to my list!)

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas- Sara Groves (Diana Krall ALSO has a fabulous and very different version of this song).

2. Someday At Christmas -Stevie Wonder

3. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree -Brenda Lee

4. Christmas Song (Is that the name?)- Elton John

5. Where Are You Christmas? - Faith Hill

6. Go Tell It On The Mountain - James Taylor

7. In The Bleak Midwinter -James Taylor

8. Winter Wonderland -Jewel

9. All I Want for Christmas-Mariah Carey (how can you NOT like this one?) :)

10. O Holy Night - Martina McBride

11. Love Came Down-Point of Grace

12. Not That Far from Bethleham -Point of Grace

13. Baby, It's Cold Outside - (there are lots of different versions. I have the James Taylor version as well as the one you hear on "Elf." Love them both!).

14. Please Come Home for Christmas (artist???)

15. Santa Baby (There are also several different versions of this song. Never heard one I didn't like!).

16. Do You Hear What I Hear?-Whitney Houston

17. White Christmas - Rascal Flatts (this is a favorite song of mine. If you're not a country fan, you may not like this particular version!).

18. Little Drummer Boy -Bob Seger

19. On Santa's Way Home - Marc Broussard (it's fun and "jazzy!")

20. O Christmas Tree -George Strait (you know I can't have a song list without my George!)

21. (I know I said I was only going to do 20, but it's hard for me!) Carol of the Bells- it reminds me of Home Alone...a CLASSIC.

What's on YOUR playlist this year?

Ready or not, HERE IT COMES (well...almost)...

Thanks for this Heather. I look for any excuse I can to get the Christmas season started! :)

What do you think of the "Christmas blog" look???

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? much like the sis, I like coordinated wrapping. I love choosing my theme for the year. I've also got really cute gift tags this year, thanks to the genius Renee!

2. Real tree or Artificial? well...I own an artificial tree. That doesn't necessarily mean that I PREFER them though.

3. When do you put up the tree? It's all I can do to wait until Thanksgiving is over. I want to put it up NOW.

4. When do you take the tree down? Around New Year's. It makes me sad to take it down.

5. Do you like eggnog? No, but I kinda wish I did for some reason. It's so Christmasy.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Perhaps the doll house that the 3 of us got one year. Do you know this story? Santa brought us an AMAZING doll house (we still fight over who is going to ultimately keep it). Heather and i decided to "paint" the roof white, so we got a couple of tubes of toothpaste and smeared it on the roof of our precious doll house. I think we got in trouble.

7. Hardest person to buy for? MSKS

8. Easiest person to buy for? sisters and Nana. Nana loves ANYTHING.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? no, but I really need/want one.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I thought I was going to save money this year and just do the email thing. I love Christmas cards too much to give it up though!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? don't so much remember bad ones.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Elf. I LOVE CHRISTMAS MOVIES.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Oh...I'm finished. Already

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?yes, but only because I knew the person I was giving it to could really appreciate it...not because I'm cheap!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? ooohhh...where to begin...puppy chow, cookies, soup, breakfast at Nana's, etc... I love to eat!

16. Lights on the tree? You better believe it.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, Go Tell it on the Mountain (especially James Taylor's version). I am obsessed with Christmas music of all kinds. Look for an upcoming post which will include Christmas songs on my ITunes!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I plan on staying home until I have a husband whom I will compromise with!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? I teach 2nd grade. I know everything about Santa.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I have a star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? When people don't call it CHRISTmas.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? No particular one. I do love giving/receiving ornaments though. I also use a sharpie to label the year on every ornament I get. There is a Ladanian Tomlinson ornament at Hallmark. I should probably buy it since he and I are brother and sister and all.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? leftover soup!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I better not say....

Stay tuned for some more fun Christmas posts! Let the excitement begin!!!

WAIT.

Take time to read this if you haven't before. I love it. It's a simple reminder to anybody who's waiting for answers from God about anything in life.

My dear college friend, Jenny, sent this to me YEARS ago. She probably doesn't remember, but I saved it. I came across it last night as I was going through old emails. What an encourager she is....

WAIT

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried,
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."

"Wait? You say, wait! " my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate
hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe
we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting ... for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want--But, you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.

You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee."
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!

So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT."
Author unknown

Pretty good huh?

more?

As if you don't already know enough, I'm adding to the list of things you very well may not know about me. My list from last year included 100 pretty random facts about me. Don't worry though, I will not bore you with another 100 (few minutes to spare? Click on the link above if you've never read).

I have compiled an abbreviated version, however, so if you're bored, feel free to read:

25 MORE Facts about me: :)

1. I want to buy a house. The thought of being a homeowner thrills me. Maybe one day…
2. I am knock-kneed (the opposite of bow-legged). It’s really odd looking. You can make fun if you want...it doesn't hurt my feelings.
3. I go to bed super early. I require more sleep than most people. Even on weekends, I will go to bed early because I WANT to.
4. I really like red wine.
5. I bite my nails and have done so since I was little. It’s a disgusting habit.
6. I wish that I could sing or play a musical instrument.
7. I love big earrings. I say, the bigger the earrings, the better.
8. I am about to make my LAST car payment. In December, my 2003 Altima will be completely paid for. And I did it ALL BY MYSELF. (Stay tuned for upcoming post dedicated to the Altima).
9. I am obsessed with making sure that my checking account is always correctly balanced. It sometimes stresses me out.
10. I do not like Ole Miss. (Even though it has been mentioned previously, I had to throw it in again).
11. I want to get married in either April or October. They are my favorite months.
12. I have hazel eyes. They can change from green to brown. I used to wear green contacts, but I’m actually beginning to grow fond of the somewhat unusual color of them.
13. I like to clean.
14. I am a self-proclaimed cell phone addict. It’s pretty much with me all of the time.
15. I love LOVE sushi.
16. Although it’s not January, I’ve already made a New Year’s resolution: I want to take ONE trip via airplane every year. That shouldn’t be too hard should it? Where should I go in '09?
17. I think horses are beautiful, but I’m scared to ride them.
18. I love watching shows like Unsolved Mysteries, 48 Hours Mystery, America’s Most Wanted, etc.
19. I hate being late for anything. I usually arrive at school about 45 minutes before I HAVE to be there. Note: This will more than likely change one day if I have children!
20. I think about TCBY everyday, and my feelings are still hurt that there’s not one here anymore. I miss it.
21. I hate watermelons.
22. I am fascinated about multiples (twins, triplets, etc.). I love reading blogs of families with multiples and I’m totally obsessed with Jon and Kate Plus 8. I wonder if this is some sort of sign that I will one day have multiples myself…
23. I didn’t lose a tooth until I was in the 2nd grade.
24. I love sharpies.

25. God did not make me to be a heel-wearer. I'd much rather be in tennis shoes, flip flops, or anything else FLAT.

Oh, and one more thing...I love weekends and I'M SO READY FOR ANOTHER ONE.

just for a little fun...

So, if you read my previous post, you see that I had a bad day. Don't we all? I don't want my readers to think that I am extremely depressed, so I'm blogging again before the night is over. This one is much more fun.

I love taking stupid little quizzes. If you read enough, you know this fact. I get some of these entertaining quizzes here. Check it out sometime.

Anyway, I took the "Who is your Celebrity Twin" quiz. Here's what they had to say about me:

Your Result is: Reese Witherspoon
You're grounded and successful When you decide to do something, you always give 110 percent.

She is so cute. I would totally take it as a compliment if someone said I reminded them of her!

Who is YOUR celebrity twin? Click here to find out!

Obviously this "celebrity twin" quiz was based nothing on looks. Reese: beautiful, blonde with blue eyes. Me: brunette with curly hair and hazel eyes. It it HAD been based on looks, I predict I would have been matched with Minnie Driver. I still don't see it very much, but I get it A LOT.

I'll ask you again, do YOU think I look like her?

trying to focus on the GOOD things in life...

I woke up sad today. I don't really know why. I got a full 8 hours of sleep, and for the most part, I've been fairly content lately.

I woke up thinking about my Dada. Today marks the 2nd anniversary of his death. I won't go into detail about him. I've blogged about him several times and those of you who know me know how close I was to him and how difficult his death was for me. I still think about him daily and miss him more than I ever imagined.

Dada lived a great life and he passed away peacefully. That's a very comforting reminder to me.

This picture was taken 2 summers ago right after Heather's wedding, only a few months before he died. I was so proud that he was able to attend the wedding. I love this picture. I will always treasure every day I had with him.

My heart just hurts today. My loneliness is kicking in extra for some reason. Sometimes I'm ok being alone. Other times, like today, I long for a companion. I wonder if and when my time will come. I get mad at myself for feeling this way though. I have a fantastic life. I really do. I love my job. I love this town. I love my family. I love my friends. Why is it sometimes harder to focus on the GOOD things in life rather than totally focusing on the not-so-great things? This is November, the month of Thanksgiving. I pray that I will focus on the many things I am thankful for instead of being sad about what I don't have. It's just so hard.

I absolutely do not want sympathy. Trust me...I know there are worse things in life. I would love your prayers though. I need strength today. I need patience. I need understanding.

Thank you friends.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Happy Halloween!

Love, Laura ("Little Red Riding Hood") and Max (my "little devil" who totally needs a hair cut and refused to cooperate for this picture!). :)

beautiful weather, a 5K run, and our little disco dancer...

How beautiful was the weather this weekend?? I loved it. I wish it always felt like fall.

Kris, Rob, and I ran in the 5K Run for Education on Saturday. I enjoy running in this race, obviously because I like running, but also because the proceeds go towards the Starkville School District. This year it was sponsored by the Women's Clinic, so that was even more reason for Kristen and me to want to participate.

Here are a couple of pics taken after the race (that's why I look so great! Ha!)

There was also a one mile walk/run after the race, so we were able to take Henry for a little stroll to enjoy the fantastic weather.
For all of you who may be wondering what little Henry is going to be for Halloween, HERE YOU GO! He tried on his Disco Dancer costume for us, and began dancing. It was absolutely HILARIOUS!!! I totally had to share.

Time to start another week! How many more days until Thanksgiving break???

SUGARLAND '08!

Click collage to enlarge. Can you tell that I'm obsessed with Scrapblog?

I enjoy going to concerts. Not only do I love the live music, but I also find it quite entertaining to check out people's outfits-especially at a country concert. You really never know what you might find. I definitely saw a fantastic perm-femullet. Yes friends. It was curly in sort of a crimp-like way, and really long. I love a good mullet. You will also see girls (of all ages and sizes) wearing skirts that barely cover their you-know-whats. Apparently the 40 degree weather means nothing to them. It's always particularly distracting (although I'll shamefully admit that it's entertaining too!) to sit behind a couple and watch them have drink after drink after drink. I become embarrassed for the guy as he starts making totally unneccessary and innappropriate comments. I also seem to be the lucky one directly behind this guy (as I was last night). I'm also not particularly fond of PDA, which, unfortunately is somewhat common at these types of concerts. I'm sure you know my feelings towards this topic...hold hands if you'd like, but please PLEASE spare us all from a make out session for everyone to see. Ugh.

ANYWAY- Sugarland was fabulous as expected. Heather and I drove to Tupelo where we sat with another teacher friend, Melanie and her husband. Our tickets were really good (as you can probably tell from my pics).

Katey and Kane were there too. I was going to try to find them on my own, but that I wouldn't stand a chance in such a large crowd. Before the concert even started, I ran into them (that was right after they got to meet Jennifer Nettles. Yep. That's right. I don't want to talk about it). Our seats were fairly close to each other so we actually got to see them a couple more times. She has such a cute little belly. :)

Sure I'm tired today. It was a huge deal to get me out that late--especially on a school night! I can't function and I have fallen asleep different times while teaching today. But alas, the day is nearly over and I can go home and nap.

Was it worth the pain that I feel today? Absolutely.

However....

I am runnning in a 5k in the morning. Let's just hope I'm rested by then or it will NOT be pretty.....

Stay tuned.

TONIGHT! YESSSSSSSS!

My friend Heather and I are heading to Tupelo tonight to see my girl in concert! Who's jealous?I CAN'T WAIT!

Just call me Little Red Riding Hood...

The costume party was so very fun. I actually enjoyed being Little Red Riding Hood. I'm glad Mandy was able to pull through with a costume for me! :)

The group picture is a little dark, but hopefully you can tell what some of the other costumes were. I have very creative teacher friends!
(click on picture to enlarge)

More blogging to come later.
Happy Monday to you all!

the verdict is in...

Thanks to all who voiced your opinion and casted your vote on my Halloween costume. The Bunko party is tonight, and I will be going as Little Red Riding Hood. I think it's very fitting that I be L.R.R.H since I am somewhat known as one of the "calm, innocent" members of the Bunko group. Looking forward to dressing up tonight! I will post pics soon!

stamp shortage?

This really happened to me.

After school yesterday, I went to the post office to buy a book of stamps.

Here is how my conversation went with the post office lady (P.O.L.).

me: "Hi! I would like to buy a book of stamps please."

POL: "We don't have any."

me: "OOOOOK. Could I please just have one stamp?"

POL: "We don't have ANY stamps."

me: (thinking this was some kind of sick joke) "Are you serious? You don't even have one stamp just lying around here somewhere? All I really need right now is ONE."

POL: "No. (she was not smiling) There are none."

me: "Hmmm...OK then. I've never heard of a stamp shortage before."

The POL did not think that was funny.

I couldn't help but think about the time I went to Subway to get a sandwich. When I ordered, the Subway guy replied with: "I'm sorry. We're out of bread."

I didn't know what to say really.