Get Your Hands Off My Casserole, Or Else!

• Today, like most Sundays, has been lovely. Krystle, Mandy and I woke up, ate yummy breakfast sandwiches and then headed off to church - arriving EARLY! True, we had set a goal departure time that would have put us at church quite early, but we STUCK to it! It was very exciting :) We wanted to arrive with plenty of time to find seats for the service. In addition to some fabulous organ music and some great old-school songs ("Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee," "Be Thou My Vision," and "My Hope Is Built"), Reverend James Lawson spoke today - he is a relatively famous nonviolence social justice activist and was a good friend of Martin Luther King Jr. It was very cool to hear him. He was relatively soft-spoken but nonetheless powerful. My favorite quote of his today:

"If it is true at all, it is true for all of us." (In reference to being created equal and in the image of God.)

• After the service, most of our Wesley friends set to work on homework and studying. Krystle and I lounged on the couches, played SET and just talked. It was nice and relaxing :) Plus, the free lunch was yummy. And we had a mini-engineering lesson, where I asked a lot of questions. And Krystle and I taught everyone how to make big snowflakes.
• Krystle and I left after that, and she took a nap before leaving for home. It was wonderful having her stay :) And then I headed to Target where I found the rainboots I wanted and a new shirt (which is actually a maternity shirt, but you totally can't tell).
• When I got back, I did some dishes and started making a casserole that would give me lunches for the week. I began with the alfredo sauce...which I promptly burned. Oy. The resulting everything was all thanks to my Dad, who helped me fix the recipe and gave me all the tips to make sure I cooked everything right. And yes, fine, it turned out okay...;) And it should be quite yummy for the rest of the week. Although, even after 2 hours working on it, I was more proud of the fact that I had cleaned all of my dishes than finished the casserole. Ah well :) Thanks Daddy!

Pumpkin Hunting

• Tonight, I got to carve pumpkins at Cara's! It was so cute how her mom asked me when I was available to do it last week :) It was slimy and seedy and very fun. Melissa, Cara and I each did one and then we took pictures and looked at pictures from last year (Cara's Dad pulled them up on his iPad). I very much appreciate her family taking me in sometimes :)

Just Dance

• I got 2 Evergreen kids who never to fall asleep today! And I almost got a third but I figured out the best way to get her to sleep too late...I'll try another day muahahaha :D
• Tonight, after my 10-hour workday, I decided it would be fun to use part of my Groupon that I got from one of my directors at work...8 dance classes for $25 at a great studio in AA! I changed my clothes at work, had a Panera broccoli and cheddar bread bowl for dinner (totally gnawed at the bread bowl in the middle of the restaurant too) and then headed to 2 dance classes. The first was a ballet class. About halfway through, I realized that I've never had a ballet class before - DUR! Everything I know about ballet I learned in guard. Huh. I thought about trying the Level 1 (instead of the Level 2, which I did tonight) next week - before I went to my 2nd class. It was a contemporary class and I loved it. The stretching alone (which lasted about 30 minutes) was worth it! And the instructor started a new combination tonight and it was awesome. Plus there are only 3 people in the class. And it was just more my style of dancing. (I can't believe how much I've come around to Modern.) Can't wait to go back!
• One thing that turned me off to the ballet class was that I honestly understood how a ballerina could be lead to an eating disorder. I felt too big. ME. I know that I am not fat. I understand that I am not even CLOSE. And it's not like anyone in the class said anything about it or was even particularly skinny. I mean maybe I was even just standing in front of a weird part of the mirror. But I knew that I didn't feel ballerina-like enough and that included my posture and training (or lack thereof), along with all of the imperfections of my body. Now, since I don't know what spurred this craziness, I would ABSOLUTELY be willing to try a ballet class again. But for this, and the above bullet point, I'm sticking with the contemporary class for now.
• Happy Birthday, Anna!

The Grey Havens (Oct 20)

• Whew, today and yesterday were busy. Friday = remember everything for the weekend + work + rehearsal + parade + tailgate + alumni band rehearsal + rainy game. It was fun though :) And so many recent FHSMB grads came back for alumni band so that was great. And Anna and I managed to stay relatively dry despite being rained on almost constantly for the game. The girls had a pretty good show, considering their silks were heavy, wet and slapping them in the face the whole time, and that they were wearing their raincoats. We were dismissed early (WOO!) because of the rain and Anna and I went to 7-11 for popcorn and Mike's and headed for the warmth of Karen's house. It was a lovely evening :)
• Saturday was wonderful. I love Saturdays because they are like little marching band havens - no homework, after-school tests/meetings, sports teams sharing the field, cars parked in the parking lot field, and (at least during our rehearsals) great weather. The guard has time to get to school early and get ready in a calm and complete way. We even had time this Saturday to retape poles and make them look awesome! Rehearsal was fun and productive, especially since I had Anna by my side :) Then I got Jimmy John's for many, everyone got ready, we headed out to the buses...and proceeded to wait for 45 mintues! The 3rd party buses that we'd hired went to the wrong town! Somehow, a former band parent used her connections at the Farmington bus garage to get us a ride to Clarkston. Whew! We only arrived about 30 minutes before our performance time. When you consider that we have to walk from the bus to the truck, unload the truck, warm-up and then walk to the field and be there 10 minutes before our step-off time, you can see why we felt rushed! A lot of the Clarkston parents along the way were supportive and sweet though and we got everything we needed when we needed to. The show was pretty good too :) A lot of personal mistakes but and overall good idea. We ended up with 74.25 (I think) and 5th place. Considering our bus issue and the fact that we competed against some tough groups we haven't seen yet - that was a good score/placement. Looking forward to continue improving!
• After getting back to FHS, Anna and I said goodbye, I went home to say hi to Chloe and then went to Cara's for the evening. It was fun to stay there, I love talking to/catching up with Cara, and Maureen's bed has become SO much more comfortable somehow! It was lovely.

All The Kids In Michigan

• Today was a busy day at work, which was nice, because I was dreading going back and starting with a 10-hour day. I was in Evergreen most of the day but we listened to Gemini (a guitarist who comes in once a month) and then went on a walk around the park. We had tacos for lunch and there was lots of extras because the kids didn't really like them. Then I got to go into Willow for about 30 min before heading to Sycamore to join their walk to a Michigan Marching Band rehearsal :D THAT was really fun! Almost all the classrooms take a trip to a rehearsal in the fall and I've been hoping to go with one of them, but no luck til today. It was so fun to walk with the kids down there and then be there with them. Plus, it's way less creepy to attend a rehearsal with 20 children in tow than by yourself. AND (best part) I got to see Alex and Baron, and give/get big hugs :) It was also very cool to watch an MMB rehearsal. Maybe someday I'll coach college guard...

I Paddle My Canoe

• Our canoe trip today was awesome! It was so fun to do something as a staff outside of the center. It also honestly helped us with the communication skills we discussed yesterday. And we were in boats based on our teaching teams - so I was with Maya and Cindy (other subs) and we were the "Super Subs" :) Plus, I finally got some BEAUTIFUL fall pictures! I'm very excited to get caught up on my picture-posting...
• Anna reminded me that she was staying over tonight and I was so excited - a visitor! We ate yummy popcorn, watched the debates and fixed my yoga pants :)
• Oh and I reported an attempted car theft on my way out of the parking structure. Ahh! It was kind of scary, even though I just passed by. I have no idea if it was real or if they caught the guys if it was. Good thing we had our "Active Shooter" training this morning!

Like A Professional

• We had professional development at work today, no children. I was expecting it to be a little boring but it was actually pretty great. The lecture that we had in the morning was a lot about communication and I felt quite comfortable talking with everyone and expressing my weaknesses - which is hard to do at work, I think. I was also able to ask a lot of questions about curriculum and planning. One of the teachers has been really helpful in explaining a lot of things to me, and this continued today. A lot of the teachers are very helpful :) And everyone is so nice. It's been great getting to know everyone. And I'm excited to be going canoeing (yes, CANOEING!) tomorrow for more PD :)
• Panera bagels for breakfast and a Brown Jug quesadilla for lunch made me very full into the evening soooo...cake and ice cream for dinner!
• Watching Mary Poppins! I was planning to watch Sound of Music too but I forgot how long both of those movies were...
• I miss shopping in HomePlus. The ladies who work there are so friendly. And I loved the discount produce shelf.
• After working on my personal records of my check register for an hour or so tonight, I compared it to the bank's online records...the totals match! Woohoo!

Finally Begin (Oct 13)

• Spent the day celebrating the long-awaited marriage of two of my Sisters, Don and Tori. It was wonderful to see them and all the other EMU people that attended. Don told me more than once that he was so glad I came, and it was nice to hear - I was happy I could celebrate with them. And the food was amazing! Green beans with pecans in a butter sauce - revolutionary! I've never gone back for seconds of GREEN BEANS. And the cheesy potatoes...nom nom nom. Also, I felt pretty fabulous in my brown Italy dress. Which I fashionably (though begrudgingly) paired with black heels. It was a wonderful day and it felt so good to finally see them as Mr. and Mrs. Hibbert :)

The Ongoing Debate Concerning Present Vs. Future

• I grabbed a bag of leftover chips to eat for lunch today. About 3 chips in, I realized that the bag had been left open. In my pantry. Where Chloe's box is. And after that, I just couldn't untaste the cat litter.
• Very much enjoyed the Vice Presidential Debate tonight. It was more verbally accessible, more interesting and incredibly moderated. (Martha Raddatz did a fabulous job - I want her to do another one! Or redo last week's.) I was glad to be able to interpret what the candidates were saying - maybe listening to debates takes practice. Didn't like what I heard from Ryan (US policies are better than the UN's?) or didn't hear (How exactly are you reducing the deficit). Wasn't proud of Biden's attitude of condescension (constantly referring to Ryan as his "friend") but I like how he demanded truth from Republicans and revitalized Obama's supporters.
• I hate the yelling I hear from the apartment above me. Shouting at midnight would be one thing, but when the man is shouting at his child who is still young enough to cry often, my heartstrings are tugged. Nothing abusive seems to be happening so I guess I can't do anything for now :(

Below My Feet (Oct 10)

• Mumford & Sons must be a good band because I'm pretty sure that most of my family and close friends love them.
• I'm getting to know some of my coworkers :)
• I renewed my library card tonight! First, I'm super excited about that. Second, it as kind of cool to show the librarian my license and proof of residence (2 official pieces of mail to that address) - I'm actually a resident of Ypsilanti :)
• Roamed around Meijer for a while, in between finding things I need.

Love/Hate

• Well, today turned into a bust. I hate that, because it didn't really start that way! I blame traffic. Apparition would solve many problems.
• But I did get my fancy EMU license plate in the mail! And I didn't even have to go to the post office to get it! I'm excited to put it on my car :)
• And there's a little girl at work with whom I have the following conversation almost every time I see her:

Girl: Is that a necklace/earrings/bracelet?

Me: Yes:

Girl: Can I have it?

Me: No!

Girl: Why can't I have it?

So cute :)

• Question to ponder (responses welcome): What happens when the thing you love is acting like the thing you hate? When you replace "thing" with "person", the answer is a little more straightforward, at least to me. Any ideas?

Beer For My Horses (Oct 8)

• Today, I had to explain to one of my kids today that beer is not for children, after I asked him what he was doing and he said "sitting here watching the cars, drinking beer". I had to repeat "Beer is for adults, not for kids" at least 10 times and try to appropriately answer the resounding "Why?"s without laughing. It was quite a challenge.
• I met Erin's equestrian instructor and her husband - we talked about band and I found more proof of the 6 degrees of separation.
• Hung out with my sis - whom I haven't seen/hugged since Christmas and haven't just hung out with in I don't know how long. I also helped her start writing a letter/proposal to businesses to be a corporate sponsor for the MSU Equestrian Club...I pulled out stuff from TBS and it reminded me how much fun TOTW with Anna was (and good we were at it).

Super Official (Oct 5)

• Today started with a trip (in my new car - driving stick again was way easier than I thought it would be) to the credit union to sign my loan papers. Woo! It was actually pretty exciting and very easy. Made so by Jen, for sure. After that, it was official! The car is mine - and so are the loan payments...ah well :)
• Then I went to the Secretary of State's office to adjust my address for my license and for voting. Woohoo, now I can vote in Washtenaw County! Althought, I realized that this means I don't get to vote for Sheriff Fuller :(
• After that, I had my first conversations with my WAY students - I'm excited to get to know them better :)
• And then I was off to the Miller-Fitzsimmons wedding, up in Charlevoix! The drive up was AMAZING! I think I'm addicted to fall colors on the leaves. Even along 131, it looked wonderful. All I wanted to do was jump out and take picture about every 500 feet. Not that much extra time though :( The only bad part of my journey was seeing a wrap-around-a-tree car accident along the way. I didn't see the accident happen but I passed by only a few minutes after it happened, and burst into tears as soon as I drove by. There was not enough room in that crumpled metal for a human body. And, of course, it brought back memories of our crash. And then I missed the turn I needed to take and got slightly lost.
• Eventually, I arrived at Castle Farms though. The grounds were pretty and I wish I could have explored more but boy was it chilly! I went inside and found almost all the family :) Hugs were exchanged and it was nice to catch up with people, while we were waiting for the ceremony to start. I told Trevor and Grandpa about the weird foods I ate in Korea. I met Charlie and we bonded over being gingers :) I saw and loved Jack's (and his groomsmen's) choice of wedding shoes. The ceremony was beautiful and it was great sitting next to Katie for it. I got to see Uncle Bob for the first time in a long time - it was crazy, but nice. I didn't have a placecard (and therefore a place to sit :/) but  Aunt Elaine made sure that I sat with our family. We had Beef Bourguignon for dinner (Julie and Julia!). Dancing was fun and the Mother-Son dance was adorable...Jack and Lindsey had anyone who qualified as "Mother-Son" join in too - which meant a lot of our family! I caught up with different family members. We watched Kyle try to hit on a girl at the reception. We went to a little bar afterwards and hung out a little more. Jim, Trevor and I checking in at the hotel and realized how not worth the $80 per night it was. VERY good time :)

Hazelnut Eyes (Oct 4)

• Today I went into McDonald's for an Iced Caramel Mocha - and realized it felt weird to be there because I haven't been to McDonald's since being in Korea! And they don't have hazelnut McFlurries :(
• Happy Birthday to my sissy!

Anniversary Waltz

• Happy Anniversary to President Obama and our First Lady! Sorry you don't get to celebrate tonight. Some kind of discussion going on between you and a guy who likes Big Bird ;)