The Cockrells

Cockrells Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-15T21:38:00.003-06:00

HO. LEE. CRAP.

I haven't posted since August! Geez. I guess you could say I've been busy? :D

Here is our Christmas card with our BIG BOY, Hudson, at 6 months old (almost 7)!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Can't believe how fast he is growing. It makes me so sad to think of all the time I miss with him when I'm at work all day. :( What can you do? I know I'm working to provide a good life for him.

He truly is the sweetest baby boy, and he is SO happy. Obviously he has his moments of fussiness (AKA "angry baby alert"), but most of the time he is just content as can be. LOVE that boy more than anything.

Having a baby has made me appreciate and love our families even more, because it is so neat to see all of our family members loving on Hudson when they see him.

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and all the best in 2012!

Currently I'm...a Linky Party

2011-08-03T20:16:00.005-05:00

Today I'm joining up with a great new teaching blog I came across: Oh Boy 4th Grade!
She is hosting a little linky party (kind of a Think-Write-Share), and I thought it was fun! She also created this cute image to type in your answers! I had no idea how I was going to add my answers on top of the image, but I copied it into Smart Notebook using the camera feature and did it there! You may have to click on it to make it bigger in order to see my answers, sorry about that!

Anyway, to all my teacher friends, you should check out this blog--lots of fun and great ideas, etc.

Can you believe school starts in 2 and 1/2 weeks?! Sigh. This new mommy is already missing her baby just thinking about it! :(

Hudson is...

2011-07-10T19:00:00.010-05:00

...our little angel.

...SO darn cute.

...wiggly.

...a precious gift.

...sleepy.

...tiny.

...a little prince!

Hudson, you are 6 and 1/2 weeks old now, and you are really growing!

You are finally getting into a night time routine, where you sleep for a longer period first (usually 4-5 hours), then a shorter period next (2.5-3 hours). We are so thankful that you are figuring out the difference between night and day!

Daddy has been SO wonderful in helping me out when he is home. On weekends he helps with a nighttime feeding so I can catch up on my beauty sleep, and he changes LOTS of diapers when he is here!

You are about to switch over from newborn diapers to size 1 diapers, and you are starting to fit into some of the 0-3 month clothing, though you can still fit into your Newborn size clothes as well. I guess all the brands are a little different in sizing, just like in women's clothing!

One of the best things EVER was seeing you smile at me for the first time (June 30th, 5 weeks old)--of course it happened at 3:00 in the morning, so your daddy missed it! I almost woke him up, but I don't think he would have appreciated it too much! :D Now your daddy and I love to try to make you smile--we especially love when you grin really big and show your toothless mouth--so precious! One of these days we'll catch it on film.

We love you so much, Hudson. I am already getting sad when I think about going back to work in August; I'm going to miss seeing you all day! :( In the meantime, I'm just trying to enjoy all my time with you because I know these moments will pass too quickly. So stop growing already, sweet baby! :)

The new man in my life:

2011-06-02T15:09:00.004-05:00

Hudson Morris arrived via cesarean section at 2:09 pm, Wednesday, May 25, 2011.

We are overjoyed that he is here--happy and healthy. He weighed 6 lbs, 10 oz. and was 19 and 3/4 inches long.

We checked into the hospital Tuesday night at 7:00 pm to begin the "cervical ripening" since I was not dilating. I received the medicine around 8:45, and within the hour, my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart! The baby's heart rate began to drop after most every contraction, so the nurses kept coming into my room every 30 minutes or so to change my position in hopes that he would respond better; no luck. He didn't like contractions in ANY position (I can relate).

Eventually the pain got pretty bad, so they gave me an IV narcotic which didn't really take away the pain, but it did make me hallucinate really funny things when I closed my eyes. Like rows and rows of elephants in straight lines or rows and rows of frogs. (The animal changed every time I opened and closed my eyes again.) Around 5:30 am my contractions were 1 minute apart, so I got my epidural (thank JESUS), and life was good. About 8:00 am they began the Pitocin to try to speed up my labor since I was still only dilated to a 3, even though my stupid contractions were so close together. Not long after, they stopped the Pitocin because baby was still under stress. We just waited and waited to see if I would dilate more and keep progressing, but the only thing that progressed were my contractions (even after they STOPPED the Pitocin--really??). At some point around 1:30, my doctor came in and said that we really needed to go ahead and get baby out and needed to do a c-section. My whole pregnancy I was hoping and praying I wouldn't have to deliver via c-section, but at that point I was almost relieved because I was so nervous about putting the baby into even more stress when I went into active labor/pushing, etc. So 10 minutes later they wheeled me out (after a pep talk from my mom, who had a c-section with me) and down to the operating room.

I think Clint and I were both petrified of the surgery; I know I was. The second they wheeled me in, I started shivering! It was the strangest thing, though the anesthesiologist (blessed, blessed man) told me that shivering was very common (??). I got my spinal block of morphine, which caused me to need to vomit/pass out, so I got more meds for THAT. Lol. I was SOOOO nervous knowing I was about to get cut open, and I just couldn't stop shaking. Finally they brought Clint back so he was right next to me when they began. I definitely did NOT like the sensations of the cutting and pulling out the baby (that was the worst part), but I am SO thankful my baby boy is here and safe.

I was so drugged up that the moment he was born and they held him up over the curtain, it was so surreal, and I just laid there smiling. I think I may have said "awww..." Lol! The first real words I remember saying were when they called out his weight, and I said "Really?!" because I really thought he'd weigh much more!

Anyway, that's my birth story. Well, Hudson's birth story. :) A dramatic entrance to the world, which is scary--he must take after me!

Here's Daddy changing his first of MANY diapers!
What a wonderful man I married; how did I get so darn lucky??

Welcome to the world, Hudson! Mommy and Daddy love you so much, sweet boy! (Now if you could please stick to the feeding schedule, we would be very grateful.) ;)

Almost 40 Weeks--the end is in sight!

2011-05-22T13:22:00.011-05:00

39 Weeks (Holy hell!)

39 Weeks

Well, for all of those people (including me) who have thought all along that this baby would come early, we were wrong! :)

I'll be 40 weeks on Wednesday, and baby Hudson does not seem to be in any type of hurry to enter the world! We sure are ready to meet him, though, and we go back to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon. It is likely, depending on his size, that I'll be induced Wednesday. So he may be born on my due date after all, which is so rare! :)

I haven't really had the whole hard-core nesting phase, just experienced it off and on. I've felt so awful for the last few weeks (and have been on bed rest for 2 weeks), I haven't had much energy to do a ton, so thankfully Clint has been amazing and doing tons of stuff around the house, and my mom has come over to help me a few times. She and our good friend, Debbie, came over to clean one day, too, which was awesome.

Hudson's room is all ready for him, so I'll share some pictures. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I knew I wanted bright colors, not pastels, and no typical baby theme (trains, bears, etc), so here's what we ended up with:

The lime green wall accent wall is actually painted in stripes--
matte and high gloss, but it's so hard to see in photos.

We were lucky enough to inherit our crib and changing table from Clint's sister's family; they are from Pali, back when the brand was still made in Italy, so they are very nice and sturdy pieces.

LOVE this dresser I found thanks to my friend, Jennifer, who bought hers from the same vendor: House of Hargrove. I bought the whimsical knobs at Hobby Lobby. I liked the mismatched antique pulls that came on the dresser, but I wanted to incorporate some of the green and blue from the rest of the room.

OK, this lighting is horrible, but I wanted to get the full bedding in. My amazing Aunt Vera made the bedding as a gift for us. I opted against a bumper, but I think it's plenty cute without one, considering all the busy patterns I picked out! :) The middle section is actually a lime and white stripe, and the bottom is a lime and white pattern similar to houndstooth. I wish I had a picture to do it more justice; she did such a fantastic job.

Well, Hudson--any DAY now, sweet baby! We are ALL waiting with bated breath for your arrival. In many ways, I can't believe he is actually going to be here; it's been such a long road. But I am SURE ready to get him OUT of my belly (uterus). :D Wish us luck, please, and hopefully the next post will be Hudson's birth announcement!!!

Love to all,

Boo, Blogger!

2011-05-13T12:04:00.003-05:00

REALLY IRRITATED that blogger somehow lost the last post I wrote, which was REALLY long. SIGH.

This has never happened before, so I'm hoping it's a one time thing! Anyone else having this problem? (Aside from the fact that the site was shut down for 2 days?)

Come on out, the weather's fine...

2011-05-12T10:19:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness. Yesterday was my 38 weeks pregnant mark, and sadly, at my appointment, baby hadn't progressed much since last week. Looks like Hudson is nice and cozy where he is for now, but I'm still hopeful that he'll be born on May 18th (next Wednesday)--that's the date I've thought throughout this whole process. Ha--process of growing a baby?!

The doctor said she thinks he is currently about 6 and 1/2 to 7 pounds, and I'm thankful that even if he gains a half pound a week for the next 2 weeks, he still (most likely) won't be over 8 pounds. I am pretty nervous that if he were to be too big, I'd have to have a c-section, like my mom did with me (I was over 8 pounds, and her pelvis was too narrow). I would love to be able to deliver Hudson myself and not have surgery. Yes, I am a wimp and want an epidural (without a doubt!), but I still want to experience the labor and delivery if I can. Of course, if I need to have a c-section, that will be ok, too. I trust my doctor, and that's what she's there for.

My dear friend, Jenn, just had her perfect little baby boy, Eli, a couple of days ago, and she did amazingly! He is a seriously GORGEOUS newborn (takes after his parents!), and Jenn was a trooper and actually had fast labor once it finally started (baby Eli was 8 days overdue when he arrived)! I am so, so happy for Jenn and her husband; they are going to be amazing, loving parents--he is one lucky little boy to be so loved and adored! I also can't wait for Eli and Hudson to meet--they are going to be best buddies! :D

Jenn gave me hope that the labor is conquerable and not as awful as t.v. shows make it out to be--I know I will still be super nervous when it's time, but I have faith that I can do it! Women do it everyday, right? And besides, my fear of the unknowns of labor & delivery are trumped by my desire and NEED to get this baby OUT of me!

Monday I began modified bed rest at home, so my last day of work was last Friday. Thank GOD, because I have been in SO much pain that it hurts to walk, to sit, to lay down, everything. My lower half feels like I'm a Gumby figurine and someone has ripped my legs apart. My legs feel like growing pains as a child--remember those?? Too bad I'm not getting taller as a result. My lower back and hips are the worst, with my sad little ribs a close second (Hudson LOVES to hang out under my ribs, apparently--OW). Anyone who knows me knows I am a complainer by nature (I come by it honestly; have you met my mom?), but I am truly thankful to be expecting this baby boy any day now. I am so thankful we were able to conceive pretty easily, and I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy. Now if I can just get him out safely so our new life as 3 can begin! We are so, so lucky, and I can't wait to meet our little boy.

:D

Baby Showers Galore!

2011-04-24T15:33:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been posting my photos from baby showers on Facebook, but I figured it would be nice to have those memories here on my blog as well. So here we go!

This shower was hosted by my wonderful cousin, Melissa, and my sweet mother-in-law Dianne helped out with the yummy food!

My BFF, Kristen, hosted a shower for me at her awesome house in Dallas:

My amazing fellow 2nd and 3rd grade teachers hosted a shower for me at school:

Clint and I feel VERY blessed to have so many friends and family members who love us and want to celebrate Hudson's arrival!

Only 3 and 1/2 weeks left till D Day: May 25th!

Very curious to see if he comes early like everyone thinks he will!
Bags packed and ready to go, just in case! :D

things i love:

2011-04-18T20:41:00.003-05:00

-cereal

-cake (vanilla or yellow only, please)

-donuts (specifically cruller/buttermilk)

-trashy t.v.

-my tervis tumbler

-dr. pepper (with & without vanilla flavoring)

-Pink (the artist, not the color)

-Hudson's room

-the baby in my belly (even though he won't stop pounding on my ribs) :)

-my fabulous husband, who has really been understanding and has catered to me during this pregnancy

-my co-workers, who are all fabulous and funny

-my new car (especially its bluetooth--the BEST)

-margaritas (sigh--one day, i shall taste you again, my long lost friend)

-the fact that i will get to meet this baby boy in approximately 5 weeks!

Almost 34 Weeks!

2011-04-09T21:27:00.003-05:00

Wow, time is really flying here at the end of my pregnancy.

And thank GOD. The bigger I get, the worse I feel, which only makes sense, right? Everything is pretty doable except for the severe rib pain I've been feeling. Sometimes it will just be some random sharp pains, but other times it's constant sharp pain, and it's awful. Today has been one of those awful days. I am just waiting for baby Hudson to drop and hopefully take some pressure off my poor ribs.

In other news, back at our 18 week appointment, when we found out we were having a Hudson and not a Quinn, the sonogram showed a calcification on his heart. Since then, we've been getting lots of sonograms on a regular basis to check on this little "spot," all the while knowing it would possibly go away, and also, that (according to our dr. AND the specialist) it was nothing to worry about.

Anyway, at our 32 week appointment, the calcification wasn't seen, so we are hoping it is gone for good! Like I said, we were told not to worry, but you can't help but wonder just a little bit, even so. :) We go back on Monday and get ANOTHER sonogram, so hopefully the calcification really is gone. :)

At 32 weeks, baby boy weighed approximately 4 lbs, 4 oz. They say at this point the baby gains about a half pound a week. Uhh...I do not relish the idea of having a 9 pound baby! And frankly, even though my hips are clearly widening as I type this, I am pretty sure they will STILL be too narrow to fit a 9 pound baby between them. Just sayin. And I really don't want to have a C-section if I don't have to. My mom had to have a C-section with me because her pelvis was too small. Seriously. This baby cannot be 9 pounds, or I will be screwed! LOL. Oh well. I know none of this is in my hands, and whatever happens, happens. As long as Hudson is healthy--that's all I'm concerned about right now. That, and I just can't wait to meet him and see what he looks like! At our 32 wk appointment, we lucked out and got to see some 4-D pictures of his face, and his cheeks looked SO CHUBBY! In that sense, he definitely takes after me. I am so curious to see if he will inherit the Cockrell chin dimple, which all the Cockrell men seem to have. :D

As it gets closer to time to meet Hudson, I just feel so happy and excited. I'm still nervous about labor & delivery. I know it's going to be hard being a parent. I know we're going to be exhausted for a while. I know breastfeeding will probably be hard, at least at first. There are so many things to be afraid about, but I know things will work out, because above all, this baby is going to be LOVED. Like, hardcore.

Wow. We are really going to be Mommy & Daddy. Wow.

The Non-Blessings of Pregnancy

2011-03-06T21:40:00.005-06:00

WARNING: this post may not be appropriate for men or for women who have never been pregnant and plan to be one day. Continue reading at your own risk!

The negative things I knew about pregnancy before I got pregnant:

1) "morning sickness"

2) you gain a lot of weight

The negative things about pregnancy I know about NOW (28 & 1/2 weeks along):

1) "morning sickness?" more like "all day and all night sickness."

2) the previous "my legs get hail damage when i cross them" syndrome turns into "my legs are covered in hail damage no matter how i sit or stand" syndrome.

3) heartburn. horrible, horrible heartburn that sometimes goes for 24 hours with no relief. (God, thank you for Protonix.)

4) the inability to sleep due to having such a fat belly that there IS no comfortable position.

5) lots and lots of discharge that requires me to wear panty liners even though there is NO PERIOD. so much for saving money there for 10 months.

6) having to pee constantly, but only peeing out a tiny little bit at a time, only to have to pee again 15 minutes later, again yielding only about 6 drops.

7) waddling.

8) not being able to bend over to put on pants. or socks. or shoes. etc.

9) it's really difficult to wipe after using the restroom because my huge belly is in the way.

10) listening to people tell you their childbirth horror stories (or those of someone they know).

11) cankles.

12) the entire first trimester, when i didn't want to eat ANYTHING, but everyone and every book says you should eat every 2 hours to help with the "morning sickness" (that actually lasts 24/7).

13) your husband noticing when your butt starts to get bigger and telling you about it.

14) the utter exhaustion. no one could have prepared me for how exhausted i am. especially in the very beginning, and it's coming back now that i'm in the 3rd trimester.

15) the stress of getting everything "ready" when you have no idea about most things.

16) nose bleeds. um. WTF? i had never in my life had a nose bleed before i got pregnant. now? like 3 times a week (or sometimes 3 times a day). and always at the most inconvenient times possible (like right when i'm walking out the door, only to get blood all over me and have to change AND soak a shirt that's got blood all over it...or at 3:00 am).

17) constipation. need i say more?

18) gas. oh, you only THOUGHT i burped a lot before. pssshhh. and this has definitely gotten BETTER towards the end--minor victory!

19) back pain. my mom told me she couldn't sleep for the last few weeks she was pregnant with me because her back was in such excruciating pain. last few weeks? HAH! my back has been hurting since like, week 12! and i have 11 weeks to go!

20) the rumored "horny pregnant woman?" urban myth. just sayin'. (and if any of you currently pregnant or past preggos disagree, keep it to yourself. also just sayin' because i might have to cut you.)

BOY HOWDY, am i glad that these 40-ish weeks of constant crazy side effects are going to yield such an amazing blessing:

Our baby boy, Hudson!

seriously, though: i know it will ALL be worth it (and if i hear one more person say that to me, i might projectile vomit all over them). we can't WAIT to meet our little boy. well, we can wait long enough to make sure his lungs can function on their own and long enough to make sure his nursery's all ready for him! but you know what i mean. :)

The evolution of the bump...so far!

2010-12-17T19:45:00.009-06:00

7 Weeks

9 Weeks

10 & 1/2 Weeks

12 Weeks

14 Weeks

16 Weeks

Corrected Christmas card!

2010-12-10T09:01:00.001-06:00

Simply Joy Christmas

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Friend Makin' Monday: Top 10 of 2010

2010-11-08T18:51:00.004-06:00

Thanks to The Texas Darlings for hosting FMM this week and for allowing me to link up and participate! It's been ages since I really blogged for the sake of blogging, and I figured this was a good way to forge my re-entrance into the bloggy world! So thanks again. :)

You can find other new fun friends' blogs at: THIS LINK

This year has been WONDERFUL, and I am very thankful for my life right now, including my job, my husband, my family, and my friends.

Top Ten Things from 2010:

10. Spending holidays and birthdays with our crazy but sweet families. I am thankful for their support, and it is so fun to be around our TEN nieces and nephews! Even though Scott & Shawn aren't so young anymore...ok, so they're technically adults...*tear* They grow up so fast!

9. Snow for my birthday! Last time that happened, I lived in NYC! Crazy for it to snow in Texas (in MARCH, no less)!

8. Did I mention my husband is awesome? 5 years together and counting, 2 married years and counting, and he still makes me laugh at the most unexpected times.

7. My new job in 2nd grade. I am really loving the 2nd graders, and I LOVE my teammates. Lucky me.

6. Laughs shared with my friends. Makes life better, huh?

5. Pool time in the backyard this summer. Ahhh...spending time with our friends and family out back. Can't beat

4. Performing the title role in Miss Saigon. Never in a million years, would I ever get that chance again, and it was the role of a lifetime. It was the first dramatic role I had ever played, and it was HARD and emotionally difficult. There were nights when I would go home totally depressed because I was so deep into feeling her life and circumstances. But wow, what an amazing show and experience.

3. Surviving the 2009-2010 school year. I love my job, and I love my kids, and sometimes (like last year), you love your kids almost too much because of their special needs. It was a very hard, emotionally and physically draining year, and I felt like I grew a lot as a teacher and person. It was tough, but I made it through!

2. Our trip to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands! WOW. I can't even describe the beauty and serenity of that place. And I REALLY hope we can go back one day and stay in St. John (my favorite)!

1. Finding out that we are going to be parents! Wow. I just can't wait to meet this baby. It's surreal in so many ways and hard to believe that there is an actual HUMAN growing inside of me! We are so blessed.

Happy Monday!

Almost 11 Weeks...

2010-10-31T20:04:00.002-05:00

I can do it! I can make it to the 2nd trimester in one piece!

Letters to Baby:

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Dear Baby,

I am 7 weeks pregnant with you today. I can’t believe I still have to wait a whole week to see the doctor and get a sonogram. I am dying to see you and hear your little heartbeat. I just want to make sure you’re doing ok in there all by yourself!

My tummy is quite round for me to be just 7 weeks along. I have decided that something is up! Either you are actually BABIES, not baby, or perhaps I have been pregnant longer than we think. Either way, we are so excited about you, and we can’t wait to visit the doctor next week. I can’t believe when May comes around you will be joining our little family. Things will be so different, but I can’t wait to see all the wonderful things you will bring to our lives and our hearts.

You have definitely already done a number on my body. At first, the only thing that I noticed is that I was exhausted. I mean, so exhausted I didn’t feel like moving. I have spent a LOT of the last 6 weeks taking naps, resting on the couch, or reading in bed.

I’m still feeling pretty darn tired ALL the time, but it’s not QUITE as bad as when I first found out about you.

About a week or so ago, I started feeling pretty sick to my tummy. I feel hungry a lot, but nothing sounds good. I don’t actually want to eat anything. But my tummy hurts like it’s hungry. Very frustrating! I just ate some Cheez-Its, and they were YUMMY. Now Daddy is cooking some stir-fry with chicken, and I think it will be good, too.

Be good in there, love.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Dear Baby,

Wow! Time has flied! I am almost 11 Weeks along now, and I am counting down the days until I enter the 2nd Trimester and (hopefully) start to feel better and more energized. I’m sure your Daddy is tired of waiting on me hand and foot, cooking, and cleaning up for me, but he sure has been sweet about it.

We finally got to see you on the ultrasound back at 8 weeks, and there was only ONE of you in there (thank goodness)! You measured EXACTLY 8 weeks, so you are just coming along quite nicely, just like you should. Way to be the best at growing; you are already a baby after your Mommy’s own heart, trying to be the best at everything. ☺

These days, I have been eating a LITTLE better, though my tummy sure still doesn’t want certain things. (A LOT of certain things, actually).

I have been liking salad, yogurt, jello, pudding, chocolate, milk, orange juice, cereal, strawberries, apple sauce, and donuts. I can’t get enough donuts; I am trying to quit going to the donut shop in the mornings on the way to work, LOL! I also have been drinking a Carnation Instant Breakfast (milk chocolate flavor) every single morning. Mommy has NEVER liked to eat breakfast, because her IBS has always made it an unpleasant experience. So I do eat something small, but not until I get to school and after having my Carnation.

I am still sleeping a LOT and taking lots of naps after work and even on weekends. Today I felt extra awful and laid in bed for 6 hours! ☹ Hopefully I have successfully warded off the cold that was trying to attack me.

Aunt Sadie & Uncle Trey have already given us LOTS of goodies for you; you are going to have SO many people loving on you and giving you gifts all the time; that’s pretty obvious already! You have already gotten gifts from both Grandmas, too!

We are all VERY excited to meet you. So keep on growing and getting stronger, and preferably don’t grow MY nose, because it’s not my favorite. ☺

We love you, sweet pea!

I've got LOVE in my tummy.

2010-10-29T19:49:00.008-05:00

Yep. So for the few people on earth that don't know, Clint & I are expecting our first baby in May.

We are SO excited and feel very blessed that this pregnancy fit right into our anal retentive time table for me to have the baby at the end of the school year so I could be home with baby all summer before going back to work. :) Hee. Don't you just love it when things work out the way you plan? It's such a rarity, I must say I was really surprised when I saw that "pregnant" on the digital test. I am praying that things go along well and both baby and I stay healthy.

Another reason I'm so excited is because one of my dearest friends, Jennifer (who I also teach with), is due 3 and 1/2 weeks before me! It's so nice to have a good friend to talk to, complain to, and compare stories/pains with!

I am a little over 10 weeks along now, so I am really hoping that some of this nausea and other accompanying pains will start to diminish soon. :( I keep reminding myself that it could be SO much worse, and I am thankful to be where I am, but that doesn't make me feel much better when I'm lying awake at 3 am, feeling awful. :( Here's hoping I get back to my normal self soon!

OK, I'm going to post a few belly shots, and please forgive me for the horrible quality, as I was too lazy to use a real camera/get my husband to take the shots/etc.

I plan to start using a real camera from now on! It's amazing how you can feel so horrible that it doesn't seem like a priority to take a decent picture of yourself that will be used to document an amazing time of your life...hmm. Yeah. Well anyway.

7 Weeks

9 Weeks

So am I the only one who is too lazy to scan the sonogram picture so I can upload it to the internet? I must be. I'm sure I am the only one who's too lazy to do that. See, we don't have a scanner at home. And the scanner at school is like, way far away from my classroom. And like, did I mention I feel awful? Hmm. So anyway. Yeah.

YAY BABY!!!

So exciting. And scary.

the worst blogger ever.

2010-10-09T20:51:00.002-05:00

Yep, that's me!

Sorry for the hiatus. Things have been quite busy and crazy around here since school started at the end of August. I have accomplished absolutely nothing other than working. I bought the paint to redo my kitchen cabinets, and it's sitting in my garage. I keep telling myself I'm going to call the handyman guy and get a quote, but it never happens!

I have really been enjoying teaching 2nd grade. It's a nice change in several ways--they are VERY sweet and absolutely LOVE Mrs. Cockrell. I'm also enjoying the new curriculum. It's definitely a change, but I'm getting used to it. :) I sure do have some doozies in my class this year, but mostly they are fabulous and super sweet.

Already got what, 7 weeks down? Only...hmm...how many weeks of school are there? Nevermind, it's too soon to start the countdown; I'll go crazy!

I wish I had something good to write about. No such luck...hopefully soon, though! ;)

Back soon!

You know you're getting older when:

2010-07-02T18:26:00.002-05:00

-all the movie stars you're attracted to are now younger than you.

-9 times out of 10 when you meet someone new, they're younger than you.

-bending down to get on the floor and then getting back up is a lot more challenging than you remember.

-you remember when those lame, raunchy teenager movies were what you and your friends went to see on the weekends.

-most of the time you'd rather stay home and watch t.v. or read a book instead of going out to the bar.

-you walk into a room and immediately forget what your purpose was in going there.

-you sometimes know exactly what you want to say but cannot for the life of you remember the word that MEANS it.

-you're married.

Job News!

2010-06-13T13:30:00.002-05:00

I am very excited to announce that in the coming school year, I'll be moving to 2nd grade! I'm excited to be joining the fabulous 2nd grade team but super sad to be leaving my amazing 3rd grade teammates. :( Thank goodness we will all be on the same hallway this year. At least that way I know I'll still see my lovely ladies every day!

This was a hard decision for me, because I have been very happy in 3rd grade, but I've always known that eventually I'd like to teach 2nd, and I figured it would be easier to make a change NOW than to do so after I've had a baby (no bun in the oven yet, don't get too excited). Just thinking into the future is all. :)

Change: scary, yet exciting. We shall see!

Seriously??

2010-05-28T18:59:00.002-05:00

--2 and a half days of teaching left this school year.

--have to have my entire classroom moved by 12:00 on Wednesday.

--psycho people are really exhausting.

--SO ready for summer.

--half my big toenail got ripped off tuesday, and it HURTS.

--need some quiet time.

--in love with True Blood.

--so excited about getting back to blogging on a regular basis.

--still trying to book a vacation officially!

--SLEEPY.

My 29th Birthday Shindig:

2010-05-16T22:12:00.002-05:00

What, so I'm posting these 2 months after the fact. Sue me.

I've been busy! LOL. The GOOD news is (knock on wood), I haven't been sick since my birthday! Yeehaw! I'm starting to believe I might make it to the end of the school year (another 2 and 1/2 weeks) without missing anymore days! YAY. I think I can...

Enjoy the pics of me and my crazy friends!

better late than never: family photos.

2010-04-18T13:43:00.007-05:00

This is one of the best pictures of the youngest grandkids! I'll have to print some copies of this one for parents & grandpa & grandma! So precious.

the kids with cousin Joel. he came down to visit from Ohio this year.

all the grandkids except for Shawn! how did that booger get out of this one?!

Grandpa gets in on the fun!

Clint with Carl & Boots.

Carter playing in the snow on Christmas Eve!

Grandma & Chloe in the snow:

Trey, Chloe, Grandma & Uncle Clint:

Carter & his Daddy:

Lucy:

Carter with Uncle Clint:

Friend Makin' Monday

2010-03-15T22:59:00.003-05:00

I just read on another blog about "Friend Makin' Monday" on aefilkin's blog, and it sounded like fun, so here I am! Here are her questions for this week:

I am.... sick with Mono...day 9 and counting.

I think....so many people miss out on meeting wonderful people because they are too close-minded.

I should...be in bed, but i'm just not tired.

I dream....almost only nightmares. no fun, but true.

I want....to re-do our kitchen. and to win the lotto. ok, i want a lot of things.

I know...how lucky i am to have my husband in my life. he is truly a good person.

I don't like....people who think everything is about THEM.

I smell...nothing. after a while, your nose gets used to the Scentsy scent. :)

I hear....Frasier...Will & Grace just ended.

I fear....losing my loved ones.

I usually...am late.

I search...for meaning in life. :)

I miss....my Gran. it's been almost 11 years, but i still think about her a lot.

I always...try to be nice to people, even when they don't deserve it.

I regret....the days when i was younger and self-destructive. luckily, i didn't do too much damage!

I wonder....how difficult it will be for us to get pregnant (no, we're not trying yet).

I crave....chips & salsa and/or queso almost daily. it's a sickness.

I remember...living in new york and thinking every single day for 3 years how magical it was.

I need.....to get well in time for my birthday party on saturday. actually, i need to get well by thursday or friday, so i have time to clean the house first. :)

I forget....what it's like to be 8 or 9 years old, like my students. it would make me a better teacher if i could remember.

I feel....a little disappointed in what has been the least fun birthday i can remember.

I can....make people laugh, which i love.

I can't....dance well.

I am happy....most of the time, actually.

I lose.....hmm, i can't think of anything i lose on a regular basis, unless you count losing my mind.

I sing....constantly. i was a vocal performance major, and i teach voice lessons, and i perform in 2 or 3 musicals each year. love it.

I listen...to music a lot. i find it hard to ride in the car without music. sometimes i make myself drive in silence with just me and my thoughts, though. ever tried it?

I shop.....too much. i've got to calm it down.

I eat....things that are not healthy for me. :(

I love.....so many people.

results of severe boredom.

2010-03-15T15:16:00.010-05:00

you can ask anyone who knows me well: i don't get bored. i just don't. i could sit at home for hours, reading, watching t.v., looking through magazines, reading blogs, surfing the internet; i just don't get bored. ever.

and then i got Mono. good times, right? well, i think it didn't help me that i could barely move, so at times i didn't even feel like holding my book for very long. i've watched plenty of tv, completely read 2 novels, read 4 magazines cover to cover, read probably close to 400 blog entries--all in the last 9 days since i got sick.

finally on friday (the day after my birthday--which was spent in bed--joy), i couldn't take it anymore. i was bored. it was a strange feeling.

i started cleaning out the drawers and cabinets in our wet bar. i rearranged all of the odds and ends, repackaged some of the Christmas china that was still out loose, rearranged the 18,000 margarita and wine glasses we have, and organized my recipes. this is quite comical, you see, as i don't cook. like, ever. :)

please enjoy the photos from my day of severe boredom.

here is my lovely recipe binder, given to me by clint's aunt carol at my bridal shower. look, i'm actually putting it to use!

I took all my loose recipes and labeled, cut and pasted them onto these loose leaf recipe pages. YAY organization!

I decided to keep the original recipe cards from family members and simply dropped them into a sheet protector that sits in the front of my recipe binder. I love the vintage recipe cards and beautiful handwriting! We just don't write in cursive like the older generations did. I call my own handwriting "prinsive," a random combination of print and cursive letters. It seems that's what most people use these days. Oh well, it's unique if nothing else. :)

here's my newly reorganized nook above the wet bar. i'm still not sure i love it, but i like it better than what was there before (margarita glasses with that same fiesta pitcher--too many glasses with the hanging ones).

now that i moved the cookbooks up top, it makes the counter a lot less cluttered, as seen here, with a lovely framed photo from one my musicals and a lovely crystal bowl filled with wine corks. the crystal bowl was a wedding gift, and i figured since i don't have a china cabinet, why leave it hidden in my cabinets? i need to drink some more wine, though...

here is the "new" left side of my mantle. i'm really liking this side. it seems balanced to me. i like the platter, but i'm constantly afraid it's going to come crashing down at some point (most likely in the middle of the night, waking a frightened yours truly to the faux sounds of an intruder).

here's the right side of the mantle, which just doesn't look right to me. i can never figure out what is wrong with my mantle groupings. i rearrange things a thousand times, i've read advice about it on several blogs, i've shopped the house and tried out new things (enter everything on this side now apart from the brown vase). i'm at a loss. oh well. it'll do for now! :)

here is the whole mantle (terrible photo, i know). what can you do? the problem is that i can't get too rustic-vintage in this room, even though i love it, because the living room is done in a new, mod version of the 60's flower power, including a chocolate brown shag rug, and pillows with large flowers in burnt orange, avocado, and red. we have an avocado accent wall to the left of the fireplace. what's a newbie decorator to do? :) just keep trying different things!

crazy reading fool.

2010-03-14T13:44:00.007-05:00

thanks for stopping by!

well, considering i've hardly left my house in 8 days due to this probable case of Mono (find out for sure tomorrow from 2nd blood test), i definitely haven't had a very thrilling or productive week.

i thought i'd post a little about the books i'm currently/soon to be reading. :) there is not a day in my life that i don't have a book in progress. as soon as i finish one, i pick out a new one to start the next day.

this week i read and finished Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. i was a little underwhelmed by the love story of the book, but i was completely struck by the relationship between father and son. there was a point where i literally sobbed over it for a good 10 minutes. so much that the husband was worried about me! :) the book is a little slow getting started, but i enjoyed it overall.

i'm currently in the middle of reading The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. it is definitely a youngsters' love story, but in my opinion, the writing just seems better in this one. ??? i definitely don't read Sparks for his writing genius; it's the stories that are heartfelt and enjoyable. when you're sick, you don't really feel like reading hard core literature. :)

next up on my Kindle is Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot. Cabot is the author of all the Princess Diary books and writes chick lit for teens and for adults. i find her voice very fun to read. she has good comic timing. not sure if any of this makes sense, but she really is an enjoyable author to read. i think i must have read the original Queen of Babble book last summer, so hopefully i'll enjoy this one as well. there is a 3rd, also: Queen of Babble Gets Hitched. i love series!

i also ordered Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler on my Kindle. i think people either love or hate Handler, but she cracks me up with her hateful comments. anyway, i've heard her books are funny, so hopefully i will enjoy this one! she just came out with a new book: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, if you're interested.

good times with reading! feel free to leave some book recommendations in the comments; i love recommendations from friends!

things i plan to buy covertly with my husband's Lowe's gift cards.

2010-03-10T16:49:00.003-06:00

HA! i am such the sneaky one, n'est pas?

anywho.

#1: Electric staple gun: too costly for my taste, but the cheaper one only got 2-3 stars. Meh.

#2: Fire Pit: for my backyard parties, yes? YES! not too shabby for $79!

#3: Electric sander: are we sensing a trend here? that i'm lazy, perhaps? YES. Would you like to know that the Lowes' website did NOT offer what I was looking for?? And I would be shocked if they didn't HAVE an electric sander, but I sure couldn't find one!!! So I had to resort to Home Depot!

OK, moving down my list to things that can't (alas, sigh) be purchased with hubby's ~~stolen~~ shared (what's mine is yours, and so on, right?) ...gift cards.

#4: Paint from Restoration Hardware: for my newly redone kitchen walls (to be). Cappuccino, please.

YAY for home improvement!

waiting...

2010-03-08T19:59:00.002-06:00

well. i wait. tested negative for strept but the doctor thinks i may have Mono. GREAT. unfortunately, i can't get tested for Mono until at least the end of the week (assuming i'm still sick). so i wait. and pray it's not Mono!

in the meantime, of course my birthday AND Open House are Thursday, i have a huge joint birthday party Saturday night, and I'm supposed to be at rehearsal tomorrow night, Thursday night, AND Saturday.

Seriously? Could this come at a worse time?

Waiting and praying...

chalkboard paint is my friend.

2010-02-28T19:43:00.008-06:00

I am linking up with:

Weekend Wrap-up

and

Check out Twice Remembered's party: Make Your Monday

This is the first "project" I've posted in a long time, and I'm sorry to tell you that it's probably the easiest and fastest one I've ever done!

Of course I forgot AGAIN to take a proper "before" shot, but you'll get the gist even with the blue painter's tape.

As you can see, all I did was tape around the edges of the opposite side. (I decided not to paint over the original print, as it's REALLY cute. I figure even if it doesn't match my kitchen right now, I just hated to cover it up! You never know.)

Then I just took off the lovely blue tape...

See? Isn't it cute??? Wait, that's not the project. OK, here's what I actually did: (hehe)

Boy, do I love me some chalkboard paint. Yes, this is my 3rd chalkboard project. One hangs in my bedroom, the other just to the left of this one, but I plan to rearrange this wall soon.

Also gotta love the Chalk Ink instead of regular old chalk. As a teacher, I use enough regular old chalk at work. Actually, mostly I just use my dry erase board, the chalk dust bothers me!

Next up isn't my very favorite project (or at least not my best result), but I'll show it anyway, simply because I spent the time on it.

The original box is actually really cute; picked it up at Goodwill for $2.99. GOD BLESS GOODWILL.

Just added a little of this lovely scrapbook paper:

After applying the paper with Mod Podge (Matte), I wanted a little something more, so I typed up some letters on Word till I found a font I liked, then I just freehanded a "C" for our last name, cut it out, and pasted that puppy on. (It's not my best work; I really should have made a stencil or something, but I'm lazy.)

And here's the finished product:

Like I said, this isn't the BEST project I've ever done, but it turned out pretty decent. The box now sits on the dresser in our master bedroom (which is done in browns and aquas), and it holds things that would normally be strewn haphazardly across the dresser. A prettier way to store all my junk and papers! Yay!

Happy Monday, everyone! 1o more teaching days till Spring Break, so I am pumped! I am considering undertaking the huge project of painting our kitchen cabinets over spring break! SCARY, but exciting. Still have to find the perfect shade of creamy white paint and the perfect new paint color for the walls! Any recommendations are welcome!

Thanks for visiting!!!

for fun.

2010-02-24T19:08:00.003-06:00

for a quick little pick me up, check out my 3rd graders singing the "Firefly" song:

Mrs. Cockrell's Class Blog

coming soon to a blog near you...

2010-02-23T22:47:00.002-06:00

a project! i know, it's hard to believe! a real life, bonafide, for serious, for real project by yours truly! i started it yesterday but need to go pick up some matte Mod Podge, as i'm just not digging the glossy finish. :) plus, no time tonight to craft, as it was busy busy:

-after school: long parent conference, after which i

-went straight to allergist for shots, after which i

-went straight to Stein Mart to buy ~~myself some early birthday gifts~~ aunt's birthday gift, after which i

-drove straight to teach group voice class, where i

-ran into 2 MORE parents of students, where they

-wanted to have impromptu mini-conferences, then i

-actually TAUGHT my voice class, after which i

-went grocery shopping, after which i

-went home and made some nachos (healthy, i know), after which i

-ate them while watching LOST (which still contained no answers and no rest for the weary), after which i

-read emails, checked facebook, read about 25 of the 116 unread blog posts i had, after which i

-started (and finished) writing this post!

project to come VERY soon; i promise!

What does your fave color say about you??

2010-02-17T20:50:00.002-06:00

While reading Young House Love (great blog, by the way), I came across a fun site that gives you feedback on careers you are best suited for based on your color preferences!

Here are my results from the test:

Best Occupational Category

You're a CREATOR

Keywords

Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer.

CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature.

Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.

***Almost everything in this first section was true. Those that MOST describe me I colored BLUE--my favorite color. Also--those I colored in green are the 3 occupations I wanted to do when I was a child. Ironic? Meaningful? You decide. LOL.

I teach music classes in my spare time (singing), and if I were to ever stop being an elementary teacher, it would be to switch to high school English! Now, of course, if I had my choice, I would just sing for a living, but beggars can't be choosers.

2nd Best Occupational Category

You're a PERSUADER

Keywords:

Witty, Competitive, Sociable, Talkative, Ambitious, Argumentative, and Aggressive

These enterprising types sell, persuade, and lead others. Positions of leadership, power, and status are usually their ultimate goal. Persuasive people like to take financial and interpersonal risks and to participate in competitive activities. They enjoy working with others inside organizations to accomplish goals and achieve economic success.

In the 2nd part, the qualities colored in blue are VERY true of my personality while the last two in red are NOT me at ALL. Interesting.

If you'd like to take the "color test," visit the website here:

Career Color Test

Fun!

Good Lord, Goodwill!

2010-01-19T20:42:00.002-06:00

I FINALLY made a trip over to one of my Goodwills and ended up spending about 3 hours there!

I brought back no less than 15 books (some as gifts, no less), 5 framed prints that will soon take on new lives as who knows what (yet), and 4 hoodies and a nice sweater. YAY.

All in all, one of the most successful trips I've made.

Oh, Michael on the Office. Shut yer trap! LOL. He is too much.

More to come on my exciting finds. And hopefully it will be more exciting than this entry!

Heh. I spent much more time today blogging on my classroom blog! Found Schoolhouse Rock videos to post on the blog that the kiddos can use to memorize their multiplication facts! Hoping there will be some saving grace for us all with this technology.

dude.

2010-01-01T23:49:00.002-06:00

Seriously. I just had to unsubscribe to about 15-20 blogs. I've got my google subscriptions down to about 35 now! Whoo haw! This spring (winter) cleaning/purge of blogs had to happen when I finally logged into my Google Reader account yesterday and saw I had nearly 600 unread blogs. WOW.

I am back to no new ones now, FYI. :)

Now if I can just get my lazy self back into the blogging aspect of this!

Here are my 2 resolutions:

1. Get back into thrifting/creating on a regular basis.

2. Go to the gym at least twice a week, preferably 3!

You would think it wouldn't be THAT difficult to make myself hit the gym TWICE a week, would you? Nope, it really shouldn't be. Scary. I'm too young to be so lazy, methinks. Also, I think it's important to get my body healthier before we start trying to conceive this summer! I've got so many health problems, I should at least get my heart healthy in preparation.

HEY, here's an exciting tidbit of information the hubby discovered tonight: There is now a new Which Wich just down the street from us!!! Who knew???! But we are both super excited about it. Take a look at some of Which Wich's fine offerings, if you're not familiar:

WHICH WICH

It's a great quick bite, and they have tons of choices. For me, the best part is that they have a black bean patty for their sandwiches, which you just can't find in too many spots these days. MMMM... Looks like I have a new, closer Tuesday lunch spot!!! Hear that, Jenn?? :)

Also? We just discovered a fun new reality show: Pawn Stars! Ever seen it??

And I'm off to get some winks.

Living Room Cabaret Part Deux

2009-11-17T20:15:00.004-06:00

Mia is obviously going to love me for posting this, but I think the song is great for her voice! Mwah to a great friend for helping celebrate Mom's birthday!!!

"Yesterday:"

Impromptu Living Room Cabaret (AKA: Mom's Surprise 60th!)

2009-11-03T20:15:00.003-06:00

Hello, and welcome to the first annual (and hopefully last, ha) living room cabaret show!

HA. So for Mom's 60th birthday, we decided to throw her a surprise party, and instead of getting her an Elvis impersonator, we came up with a special singing engagement featuring---you guessed it! Yours truly and 2 of my bestest friends! Check out the awkward moments and sore throats that were on that lukewarm day in October...

a conversation on football.

2009-11-03T20:05:00.004-06:00

(While watching Clint play Madden on the Wii:)

ME: I like the fat one.

C: The fat one??

ME: Yeah, the fat one there. I like him.

C: What?!

ME: I mean, does he still run fast?

C: No.

ME: How can he play professional football and not run fast?

C: AGH! *insert choice word(s)* I messed up my play now!

ME: I mean, what position does he play?

C: *insert name of whatever position the fat ones play*

ME: Well, I just don't understand how they can run around like that during all those practices all day and not get rid of that belly. I mean obviously they're strong and in good health from all that exercising...

C: *insert weary, exasperated look toward me*

ME: I'm just CURIOUS.

Such stimulating conversation, yes?

P.S. I don't use the term "fat" in general conversation; I was just sort of being silly to irritate the hubster! :)

A nice afternoon in downtown McKinney!

2009-10-31T20:38:00.006-05:00

I have been very M.I.A. since school started in August, and for that, I am bummed. Not to mention that I haven't so much as set foot in a Goodwill or thrift store since then. I have hinted some, I think, but this year is not shaping up to be what I thought it would, and I've been working my tail off constantly without much end in sight. Needless to say, I'm pretty down about my job right now and not really sure what to do about it other than just bide my time this year. Surely next year will come with some...ironing out of sorts. I truly hope and pray that by the time we have a baby that I can find a way to stay at home with him/her. We shall see! In the meantime, I'm counting down the days until Thanksgiving break (we get a whole week off) and trying to get better from being so sick all the time! I've missed 3 and 1/2 days of work in the last 2 weeks, which is NOT helpful in any way. What can you do?

Anyway, on a happier note, last weekend (in between my 2 bouts of illness), I met up with my mom, aunt, cousin (and her 2 daughters-- my 2nd cousins!) and a dear family friend in McKinney to celebrate my mom's birthday. (I have repeatedly tried to post about my mom's surprise birthday party, but blogger refuses to let me upload my videos! Very frustrating, but I will keep trying.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at The Pantry, a yummy little restaurant that used to be a hardware store. Check it out!

The hardwood floors are incredible!

How awesome is that exposed brick??

I saw this when I was walking back to my car that day; it's the outside wall of the restaurant, the hardware store that used to be there! Wow, huh?

Awww....sisters.

Sweet girls with Mommy

We went into some other great shops, but this was my favorite:

It was actually a shop dedicated to refurbishing and repurposing old items into something new. I wish I had taken more pictures of some of the more creative ideas, but I was too distracted!

I love this chandelier for a little girl's room!

All in all, a fun afternoon was had by all. :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

fun times with random questions.

2009-09-21T18:51:00.002-05:00

Stolen from Diabetic Baker, who stole it from Six Until Me, who lifted it from someone, who got it from ... who knows? Here we go!

1. I’ve come to realize that my job … requires a secretary that I will never be getting.

2. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving … I totally zone out, which seems like it would be dangerous.

3. I’ve come to realize that I need … to keep singing to be happy.

4. I’ve come to realize that I have lost … my naivete, which is mostly a good thing, but still a little sad.

5. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when … people don't do their fair share.

6. I’ve come to realize that money … is the root of all evil, right along with the media.

7. I’ve come to realize that certain people … are just plain crazy, and you can't do anything to change that or them.

8. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always … be an Adkins.

9. I’ve come to realize that my siblings … do, indeed, love and care about me.

10. I’ve come to realize that my mom … means well and loves me more than herself.

11. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone … is the best 400 bucks I've ever spent.

12. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning … I felt the same way I do every morning when I wake up, which is disgruntled.

13. I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep … I was grading papers, when I probably should have been spending more time with my hubby.

14. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking … about all the meetings and obligations I have this week. Negative Nancy today--sorry!

15. I’ve come to realize that my dad … , even with all of his faults, is a truly good man.

16. I’ve come to realize that today … is nearing its end, and all I can hope for is that I made a child smile, laugh, or feel good about him/herself.

17. I’ve come to realize that tonight … is going to be much more relaxing than my day.

18. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow … is going to be a lot like today.

19. I’ve come to realize that I really want to … be a stay at home mom. YES! Me too, Christine. :) Except I'm not a Mom yet. Hehe.

20. I’ve come to realize that life … never explains itself or waits for you to figure it out.

21. I’ve come to realize that this weekend … is going to be full of more Little Shop of Horrors shenanigans!!!

22. I’ve come to realize that marriage … isn't easy, but is definitely a blessing.

23. I’ve come to realize that my friends … are awesome and enhance my life so much!

24. I’ve come to realize that this year … is going to longer than I thought.

25. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should … try to take better care of myself.

26. I’ve come to realize that I love … writing.

27. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand … a LOT.

28. I’ve come to realize my past … is in the past.

29. I’ve come to realize that parties … heh heh heh.

30. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified … spiders with designs on their backs.

first week of school down...35 to go.

2009-08-28T21:51:00.005-05:00

oh dear lord. i am SO behind on blogging, on keeping up with the blogs i subscribe to, on DIY projects, on learning my lines for the show, on sleep, on pretty much everything i can think of right now. although i did go to the grocery store last night, which was a start.

rehearsal tomorrow & poster distribution for advertisement; should be fun. we finished blocking the rest of the show last night, so we can start run-thrus soon i think! that's always where it starts to get to be the most fun. it's funny; as tired as i am doing a show during the school year, i really love having that creative outlet and that SOCIAL outlet, spending that time with my theater friends! it is something that not only keeps me sane but adds something to my life, making it richer. so i'm thankful for the talent i've been given and for those who've encouraged and taught me and molded me along the way and to those to have given me the chance to discover what i can do. yay! ok, enough of the sappiness.

can we talk about how emotionally and physically exhausted i am after this first week back to school with the kids? i can't really get into details here since it's such a public arena that's connected to many of my fellow teachers, but suffice it to say that i am dealing with a lot of situations in my classroom/building right now that i was NOT dealing with the past 2 years i've taught here. and it doesn't help that i have 22 students. they barely FIT in the freaking classroom! i mean, you should see us trying to do calendar math together. one of the special ed. teachers came in my room the other day and didn't even see me, because in order to show them the calendar, i have to back myself into this tiny corner in the back of the room and reach my hand, and only my hand, out with the vis-a-vis pen! if only i could take a video; it would be comical. it's kind of like the clowns in the car at the circus. just saying.

also: where's the joy? cuz it ain't lurking anywhere in my hallway, that's fo sho! it's been a rough start to the year, what with pretty much everything technological being broken in pretty much every classroom, being the new campus technology rep, and having some kids with special needs that take up most of my day in energy. it always turns out that the kids you have to work the hardest for are the ones you end up loving the most, though, doesn't it?

a good note is that my class this year is filled with some truly compassionate, caring, and beautiful little kiddos. i think once we get into the swing of things, it's going to be an amazing year of learning for us (including me; i'm already learning so much). so i guess beyond the exhaustion, i can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

i am hoping to start back going to the gym next week. i also really miss thrifting! i haven't been shopping at goodwill or my thrift stores in like a month! must get back into the swing of things once the show dies down some. maybe the week after we open...

i will try to get back to blogging on a regular basis, because i miss it!

happy weekend, all!

Show us your life Friday: wedding reception! (better late than never.)

2009-08-07T16:09:00.020-05:00

Wow. It has been such a long time since I posted. This has been due to many things, mostly involving my recurring stomach issues that have left me somewhat debilitated for better parts of a few days. Thank goodness my endoscopy is this coming Friday; I am hopeful the dr. will find something in there. So I was in the middle of my post LAST Friday when my laptop began giving me trouble, so that's where I'm going to start with this post, because even though I've totally missed Kelly's link party, I really wanted to share these pics of our wedding reception. =) So while I won't get to link up with Kelly, I'm still going to link over to her blog since it was her idea! Thanks again, Kelly!

Here is the home where we got married. It is the home of my husband's cousin's mother & father-in law. Do you follow? =) They are just the sweetest people EVER and were SO unbelievably kind to offer up their home to us for the wedding and reception. We had searched HIGH and low for an outdoor place to hold our ceremony that could also double as a reception site, and everything was ridiculously expensive or not what we wanted, so it was truly a blessing with Paul & Sue told us to come check out their house to see what we thought. Upon pulling onto their private drive out in the country and seeing all their land, I thought I had died and gone to wedding planning heaven: it was perfect. i hope you like the pictures. I went a little wild; sorry!

Our reception was very casual--we had a fajitas buffet, along with chips, salsa, & guac; margaritas & kegs! Now that's my kind of party.

Uhh...surprise! I'm singing to you at our wedding! =)

I wish I could express to you exactly how much I adored this cake. I designed it myself at the cake place, and it turned out exactly how I imagined it!

A view of the reception area after dark:

The pool had floating candles, but I can't really see them from this shot. Oh well.

My Zeta sisters and I--Zeta tradition--I never got to "pass the candle" since I got engaged at the "ripe" old age of 26. LOL.

Clint dancing with the flower girls! Isn't this required?

This was about the extent of the dancing: all girls for the most part, haha!

"D.J." Mia at her finest! Love it! Our good friend, Mia, manned our iPod playlists that night. She was a godsend!

Yes, that's right: these 2 were the single men present. Clint was literally THE last of his friends to tie the knot, lol!

Hehehe. This is too cute.

Bouquet tossing:

Father-daughter, Mother-son dancing! All together now: "awwwwwww..."

Since all of our grandparents had already passed away and weren't able to be there, we wanted some things there to remind us that they were there with us in spirit. We had photos of our grandparents, the weddings of our parents, and some of us.

I designed our napkins online--love the bright green!

I had to include our birdcage for cards. Love it!

Sunset pictures.

Changed into my comfy dress, and off to the hotel (that I got for free--I won a free night's stay at the Omni at my school--whoo hoo)!

If you read this far, wow! Thanks for sticking it out! =) Hope you enjoyed the pictures of our reception. We had a wonderful time that night, and it turned out so well after the many months of stressful preparations. I loved every bit of that day but would never recommend anyone to have an outdoor wedding! LOL.

some inspiration via images.

2009-08-06T16:53:00.005-05:00

Would this wallpaper work in my house? No. Do I still love it? Yes. And love the jewelry display! Have you noticed how popular these are lately?

Ghost chairs and spiral bookcase, oh my!

This kitchen's cabinetry is not only in one of my absolutely favorite colors, but I have always wanted to have some glass front cabinets like those. Sigh. I love beach-colored rooms. A true Pisces, yes?

I love shutters, and I LURVE this huge inspiration board!

How freaking cute are these curtains? The color and fabric, not so me, but I love the idea of having privacy that still brings in plenty of light and also boasts a beautiful window treatment.

Curtained, built-in bookshelves? Say no more, you had me at hello!

Doesn't this desk look like its owner gets a lot done? And does a lot of thinking? Solves the worlds problems? I love the footed white drawer organizer that sits atop the otherwise plain desk.

Sigh, again with the beachy colored rooms! Aqua, how I love thee! And I love the striped rug.

(All of the above images are courtesy of The Nest.)

I saw this last image of an eat-in kitchen on The Gypsy's Corner and loved it. This is exactly what I have pictured in the corner of our kitchen but have not come across anywhere. I love that what would normally be a wooden bench is comfortable upholstery, and the black chairs would be perfect for my fiesta ware/tuscan themed kitchen.

OK, so be looking for all of these wonderful things to happen in my house...when the lotto-fairy visits me.

Picture frame turned earrings display.

2009-08-02T23:15:00.005-05:00

Whoo hoo! Check out the end result:

Perfectly complements the new necklace hanger I made last week! From far away, the earrings almost look as if they're floating!

Nope; they're just hanging on some hemp jewelry twine.

All I needed were some of these eye hooks...

the aforementioned hemp...and a few tools. The frame I got at Goodwill last week for a whopping $4.00, and it was already this color!!

First I measured where I wanted my holes on the back of the frame and marked the spots with a pencil. OK, these eye hooks were SO tiny, I could barely keep them in my fingers, so I needed to use a nail to hammer my holes rather than just try to screw the hooks in from scratch. This helped a lot. I screwed them into their holes (heh heh) as much as I could, then used my trusty pliers to wind them all the way in. Then I just tied the hemp to each end and voila!

Tip: I left the long ends on the hemp and simply taped them down to the frame to hide them (just in case I need to re-tie the knots down the road).

Can you see the price tag over there? This frame was originally $19.99 at HobLob. Score one for the team!

Wow, this one tiny corner of our bedroom is starting to have a little life of its own, huh? It must be time to tackle the bedroom hand-me-down furniture. Wonder if I can make that happen before I go back to work in 2 weeks...ugh. I really want an electric sander before I tackle that!

I guess I probably need to paint the jewelry table thing, too, huh? Are we in Heirloom White overload yet? Be honest, I can take it.

I'll leave you with this picture of Jessie, who is spoiled rotten, and has taken to sleeping on our ottoman.

Linking up for Make Your Monday; thank you, to Kim at Twice Remembered. Be sure to stop by and check out what everyone else is making!

trash to treasure extravaganza!

2009-07-31T23:34:00.023-05:00

Thanks to Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality for hosting the blog party again. Please take a few minutes to head over there and check out everyone else's thrifty finds!

Also stop by Between Naps on the Porch, another great blog, for her Metamorphosis Monday link party. Good times; I love getting inspired by you creative bloggers out there!

Let's just start off this post with a picture of a gorgeous child, our niece, who is about to turn 1 year old. I mean, is she gorgeous, or is she gorgeous?

Moving on, when I say extravaganza, it's because I have been a tad obsessed with thrifting lately, so of course i've come across many great finds that just needed a little extra love (spray paint) to enhance their inner bling. Ahem. God, how I love spray paint.

Well, this is going to be long, so get comfortable.

Do you see that white, empty spot on the wall behind these thrifted candlesticks? Doesn't that look like a perfect spot to install a few shelves to hold my arsenal of spray paint and various supplies? Yes, I thought so, too; I'm glad you agree! Anyway, these guys became chocolate brown and now live on our mantel (is mantel spelled -el or -le?).

(That's one of them there with the yellowish gold candle. The other is on the left side. What a beaut! Did I mention they were 50 cents each?)

This little lamp was already a beauty for $5.99 at Goodwill. All I did was add a light bulb and a lamp shade! And a cat!

Love it! Makes a beautiful contrast against our brown accent wall in the master bedroom.

Remember this guy? Now he lives on my piano, also painted a chocolate brown and perched upon by a lovely orange candle.

Loved this scrolly bookend, so out came the spray paint again.

Here are the painted candle holder and bookend in their new home atop the piano.

Remember this little guy for 50 cents?

Just look at him now:

With a fresh coat of sky blue spray paint, now he organizes all our outdoor paraphenalia (including kitty's hairbrush...) on our bar. Guests need not worry about sunscreen or bug spray at the Cockrells house, as we've plenty to spare!

This one's my favorite! Here's my nightstand I was asking for advice about. I went ahead and painted just the drawer fronts for a new look, and I love it.

Yes, I really should have taken the time to cover the rest of the drawer, but I'm lazy. So there. And nobody will see the stray spray paint but me. Ha! Stray spray.

I loves me some Rustoleum!

Here is the new and improved nightstand in our bedroom. I'd like to get some new drawer pulls, but I haven't yet. And let's face it: I'm also too lazy to fill the ginormous hole left by this massive hardware and drill new holes. Yep.

I thought this frame was great; look at the lovely detail!

So...add the newly painted glossy black frame to...

THIS old fashioned glass triple photo mat...no wait, this photo mat became...

This new chalkboard!
Oh, you mean it doesn't look finished? OK, THIS new chalkboard:

Here it is hung on our bright yellow kitchen wall:

Can you tell I did a faux finish on the kitchen wall? You should have seen how bright it was BEFORE the faux finish. WOW. Looks great with the Fiestaware, though, I must say.

Hubby would like to point out that I should have written chicken or steak. Sorry for the confusion.

Another interesting frame (this time I used craft paint):

I'm sorry to say that (AGAIN) I forgot a before shot of this little friend, but before (got her for about 5 bucks at ye olde goodwill) she was a rusty dark metal with a mirror inside. Just look at her now!!

This quotation is from a poem by ee cummings, read by a close friend at our wedding. Now that you know it's by ee cummings, you'll forgive the run-on sentence aspect of it, yes?

I love how the new chalkboard complements my necklace holder and new lamp.

As for this little lamp, I loved the detail of it, but not the color, so (you guessed it) Heirloom White spray paint: enter, stage right!

Now, here she is (all decked out with a shade I already had), looking fabulous in our guest room:

Can you tell how tarnished this guy is? He was a mere 99 cents at Goodwill! I polished him all up, and now he lives in our bathroom, holding cotton balls and swabs.

This cute little piece was hideously discolored (I think it may be plastic?), but for 99 cents, with a fresh coat of paint, it makes a great new holder for all things lovely.

OK, I turned the antique bench upside down to examine its business, and look who thought this was clearly her new bed.

"What? And would you go away with that camera? You KNOW I hate the flash."

Precious little bird bath for--don't hate--$1.99.

More spray paint--anyone thinking I should invest in Rustoleum stock yet--and mr. birdie makes a perfect addition to our backyard, perched (for now, at least) on the cute little flower table you may have seen in a previous post:

Well, we've reached the end, thank God. I don't think I could type anymore. Wow. Hope you enjoyed these (super easy) transformations, and hopefully this inspired you to get out to your local thrift shops to peruse the aisles!

Tune in tomorrow, as I have a master plan for a lovely cream frame I found last week. YAY!

xo, Gayla

show us your life: wedding party & flowers

2009-07-31T13:40:00.006-05:00

Kelly is continuing on with the wedding memories by doing a Show Us Your Life feature on weddings! This week's focus is on your wedding party, flowers, and ceremony.

Please stop by Kelly's Corner to check out the other awesome wedding details! Good times!!

THE LADIES:

aww, mah girls! from left to right: my big sis wendy, bff kristen, me, heather-(friend & sorority sis), and my gorgeous sis-in-law, sadie (who was 7 months preggers at the time--looks amazing, huh?).

THE GENTS:

love their green ties i picked out--got them on the cheap at Stein Mart (had to go to 2 different stores, but i got 'em!). from left to right: trey (clint's sister's husband and his best friend), wes (friend from college), wesley (friend from high school), and matt (friend met through mutual friends).

roses: i gave one to clint's mom, and he gave the other to mine, to signify the joining of our two families.

my twin nieces and my nephew; presh!

HERE COMES THE BRIDE!i never noticed those twinkle lights on the step there!

this is about the best shot of my bouquet i can find; i wish it was better! i also wish i knew who i was making that face at!

here is the inspiration picture for my bouquet, but it's a little blurry. my bouquet was very similar to this, and i picked out special buttons & charms to include in the flower centers and attached to the ribbons. LOVE.

the poor aisle runner! and poor all of us trying to walk on it without tripping and falling! apparently, it would have been smart to cut the grass extra short!

i love this pic taken as my dad drops me off to my soon-to-be husband.

view of the poolhouse from the arbor.

i just had to share the view of the pasture. so beautiful, and exactly what i wanted.

how perfect are the green dresses with the nature surrounding the ceremony? i would like to take this moment to mention these dresses were bought at WALMART for 15 bucks each!

here you can see the bridesmaid bouquets: very simple. BFF kristen's (on the right) is larger, with gerbera daisies and some special charms i picked out, as she was my maid of honor, and i love her guts.

hope you enjoyed the pictures! can't wait to show off my cake when Kelly features the wedding reception!!

xo, gayla

family heirlooms.

2009-07-30T21:51:00.007-05:00

i am excited to be linking up with Marie today at Emma Calls Me Mama, one of my favorite blogs, to take part in her Heirloom Party. please make a point to stop by over there and check out everyone else's special heirlooms.

framed photograph of hubby's grandparents' farm:

sorry about the flash situation. i actually gifted this to my husband for his birthday back when we were dating. i found a small black and white print in the bathroom of his old apartment (nice place, eh?) and discovered what it was: an aerial photograph of his grandpa's farm. realizing how close he was to his grandfather, i sneakily stole (borrowed) the photo to have it enlarged and framed (which was QUITE pricey, i might add). i love it displayed on the wall in our kitchen, and i hope it will be something we can pass down to our children, and so on.

antique dining set (from hubby's grandparents):

i love this set. i love the dark wood, i love how solid it is, and i love the buffet. the only thing i wish it had was a china cabinet to display my gorgeous wedding china that i didn't even WANT to register for, was harassed into it by hubby's aunt--hehe--and now LOVE. i also recovered the dining room chairs. you can see the before pictures here if you'd like.

painting passed down to me from Gran:

before my Gran (dad's mom) died, she gave me this painting that was done by her art teacher of many years. she knew i would love it because #1, it's 3 choir girls, and if you don't already know, i'm a singer, and #2, it's all kinds of blues and greens--my favorite colors. i absolutely LOVE this painting, even aside from the fact that it is sentimental. (the photo doesn't do it justice.) i had it reframed last summer when we moved into our house, because the old frame was awful. no before of it, sorry. =)

Gran's froggie bathroom painting:

Gran was an artist--i forgot to explain that before. she painted mostly landscapes (farm, beach, forest) and birds (amazing--oil paint on glass, which she did backwards, on the reverse side of the glass), but this one is one of my favorites. it is just plain cute. i love it in our guest bathroom. i had this one reframed as well--the original frame was an awful white with gold inner trim. i thought the detail of this black frame would be perfect for a bathroom (and it matches the black and white i've used in there).

in the second photo, hopefully you can see the artist's signature and the frame's detail.

Gran's silver serving tray:

ok, i'm sorry, but i forgot to pull this beauty out and get pictures, and frankly, i'm just too darn tired to upload anymore pictures tonight, so i'll just describe it. hehe. ok, this thing is awesome. it folds up to this nice, narrow little pedestal for storage, but when you unscrew the little screws, it folds out to show 3 tiers that are like small dessert plates...but silver. (i'm not so good at this descriptive business, hmm...) so anyway, it is great for entertaining, especially at bridal or baby showers. i put down those cheap white paper doilies on each tier and then load it up with yummy goodies! maybe i'll snap pictures at a later date or something, because i really do love it. moving on. good LORD, i ramble. my blog entries are often like dissertations, and for that, i apologize. in fact, no one is probably even reading this, because they all clicked away far earlier in this post. ha! but wait, there's more...

antique bench passed down from hub's grandparents:

i posted about this previously and mentioned that the bench is in need of a fabric makeover. i got some advice from a couple nice bloggers, but i just haven't gotten around to making it happen yet; hopefully in the next few weeks, but i am in project overload right now, so we shall see! your opinion, perhaps? do you think it would look ok to cover the bench in the same fabric i used for the piano bench, seen here?

take a look at our fabrics/colors in the living room:

(note: the accent wall to the left of the camera view is painted an avocado green--hence the color inspiration for the piano bench fabric.)

should have included a pic of the awesome chocolate brown shag rug; it really ties the room together. just imagine it: awesome.

thanks so much for any advice or opinions you may have! (and lord, that mirror is dirty, lol!)

xo, gayla

projects for your viewing pleasure.

2009-07-29T19:50:00.011-05:00

phew. today was a busy one, as wednesdays go. i headed over to the gastroenterologist, only to be told (ugh) that i'll be getting an endoscopy & biopsies on my tummy to make sure everything's ok in there. so that wasn't so fun. but then afterward, i headed home to work on some fun projects. which were fun.

also, i'm linking up with:
A Soft Place to Land for DIY Thursday, AND Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday, so please check back at Kimba's and at Shabby Chic to see everyone else's amazing projects!

good times. here we go.

OK, i am trying to get better at remembering to take "before" pictures, because it makes it way more fun to show the transformation, but i forgot this time. sue me. =) before, this little tidbit was just a little wooden piece that had 2 little wooden pegs attached to it. no idea what it was used for, but i decided i wanted it for $1.99 at Goodwill. a can of heirloom white spray paint, and 4 new drawer pulls from hobby lobby at 50% off (works out to $2.00 each--way more than the wood piece, yes) later, voila! i now have a nifty blinged out display for my necklaces above my big jewelry cabinet. check it out, yo:

me likey!!! i was proud that i already got it hung and everything; yay me!

on to the next! a few weeks ago at one of my trips to Joann's (for the fabric i used for the piano bench makeover), i came across a decorative wooden oar that had already been lovingly sanded to distressed perfection. did i mention this little gem was on sale for 70% off? score. so i bought it, planning to embellish it for our outdoor space. here's what i ended up with:

the heart is a little hokey, i've decided, but oh well. i do heart my hubby.

if you've made it this far, god bless.

now--on a completely unrelated note, does anyone have any ideas on what to do with this piece i use as my nightstand? i have been contemplating trying to either restain or paint our bedroom hand-me-down furniture, but it is going to be a huge undertaking, obviously. this nightstand doesn't match the furniture; i bought it at hobby lobby a while back just to have something by my side of the bed. the new lamp (more on that later) and candlesticks (which probably won't stay there) are painted in an heirloom white color, so what are your thoughts on only painting the reddish drawers of the nightstand to match?

and no, my bed is not made.

thanks! peace out!

xo, Gayla

thrifty-nifty tuesday.

2009-07-28T18:51:00.003-05:00

The good news is that I finally made myself get off the couch and step away from the laptop and (drumroll please...) LEFT THE HOUSE TODAY.

I know; it's overwhelming, isn't it? Yes, this is one of the hazards of being a teacher who is off for the summer and has no children to wake me up at a decent hour and make sure I am kept busy all day. There is no keeping busy for me these days, especially now that my play is over (until I start the next one in 3 weeks, haha).

OK, the bad news; sorry I got carried away. The bad news is that, somehow, despite all attempts toward the contrary, whenever I leave the house, I end up spending money. Yes, bad news for the bank account.

Anywho, today was a great thrifting day for Gayla. Yes, I am speaking of myself in the 3rd person. It's a hobby that is highly underrated, if you ask me. It's kind of like (in my opinion) the "that's what your mom said last night" joke; it never gets old. So there you go.

I visited ye old Goodwill in Richardson/Plano area today--it's on Midway for those of you DFW's (D.F. Dubs) out there. This is the best Goodwill I've ever been to! It was HUGE, and as I checked out the cashier said to me, "wow, you got a little bit of everything, huh?" to which I happily replied that yes, I did. *Grin.* Have I mentioned how much I love thrifting? It's the best retail therapy ever, frankly. Granted, I did spend some money, but if I consider all that I got for that money, I definitely outdid myself in the great deals department. I even picked up a tight mini-skirt with leopard print to use as a costume piece in Little Shop (the next play I'm doing). Holla.

On another note, I have about 18 projects I'm currently in the middle of, and I can't wait to finish them up so I can share them on here!

Just got back from an evening walk with the husband, and of course I got bit despite spraying myself like crazy with Off! and wearing my anti-mosquito bracelet (yes, there are such things). Ah well, could have been much worse.

I will be posting pictures of my thrifty finds as soon as I can get all the pictures uploaded and of projects as I finish them! Yay, hubby is drilling some holes for me as I type this!

Hmm...I am trying my hand at this whole adding a scripted signature to my blog thing, and it does not appear to be working out the way I envisioned it. Ah well. I'll give it another try later. Or tomorrow...or something.

wedding dress, how i love thee.

2009-07-24T11:20:00.004-05:00

I am linking up to Kelly's Korner today for her Show Us Your Life-Wedding Dress feature. So exciting, because once that big day is over, no one cares about your wedding anymore, and certainly not about your dress. But when you spent so much time trying on dress after dress, seeking out that perfect one to represent you as a person and to complement your figure, you grow slightly (manically) attached to the thing, ok? One day is not enough to truly feel you've gotten your money's worth, if you ask me. Maybe I should just get it out from time to time and put it on. (I know what you're thinking; you're thinking I'm not always going to fit into that dress. But guess what? It's got a drawstring/corset back. So THERE, sucka.)

Anyway, enough of me trying to be witty. On with the dress!

This isn't the best picture, but it shows the full-length dress.

This is when I first tried on the dress that would become MINE!

As you'll notice, my hair grew EXTREMELY fast between December and June. Either that, or I got hair extensions. I can't remember which. ;)

I absolutely loved the veil with the multiple layers edged with piping. I ended up buying a much cheaper version of this one.

The dress came with this ribbon in a pretty shade of green, but it works more for a fall wedding and didn't match my colors at all, so it had to go.

Happy Wedding Day!

The minister is late? Really? And you're telling me this because...

The happy couple, relieved to be married and done with it! =)

Thanks to Kelly for this great idea! Fun to relive that wonderful day just after our 1st anniversary!

piano bench makeover

2009-07-24T00:06:00.006-05:00

Ok, it's not so much a total makeover; i just recovered it in a fabric to match the rest of the living room. But you know, whatever makes you happy, right?

My lovely piano; I've had it since I was a youngun. I can't really remember: maybe since I was 14 or so? (That was back when I was actually capable of playing real, actual songs on the piano.) Clearly I have not decorated the space around the piano yet, but I am getting there.

Bench, while lovely in my mother's dining room, no matchie Gayla's living room:

Again, nice colors, but not matching the avocado green, rust orange, and chocolate brown. No siree.

Hence, new fabric, meet piano bench. First, I had to take off the old fabric. This thing has been recovered many a time, but I only took off the most recent one. Love the Christmasey underfabric.

YAY. Much better.

A closer view of the lovely green, but subtle pattern. Avocado green, how I love thee.

And that's that.

Some thrifty treasures i've found recently!

2009-07-22T16:26:00.007-05:00

Thanks to Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for hosting this link party. Check out her post here to see other bloggers' thrifty treasures!

I've had this little table for several years, but it used to be a light sky blue color. It had faded so much, I decided to paint it. Rustoleum's Heirloom White--love it (thanks Kate)!

I got 2 of these wall sconce/candle holders for about 6 bucks. They were a decent creamish color, but I wanted them for the living room, so I painted them a chocolate brown color. I'll post a picture once I get them hung where I want them. =)

Candlesticks for 49 cents each:

A new holder for my pretties:

I think this candlestick was maybe 2 or 3 bucks:

49 cents:

You can't tell, but this started off a forest green color; not real sure about that, so of course I painted it!

I got two of these plates at Goodwill for 79 cents each. Not only are they the EXACT color of our avocado accent wall in the living room, but they even have a flower imprinted on them, which matches the pillows on our sofa!

Bench given to us by my in-laws. I plan to recover this with a fun fabric, but I don't have a sewing machine or know how to sew. Could be tricky.

Candlesticks: can't remember the price, but they were cheap.

Some glass goodies. I love the jars with the lids that snap shut like that. I have several now!

Next post I'll show you my piano bench, recovered to match the living room--yay!

the one where i can't keep up with these freaking titles anymore!

2009-07-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

so this is just a forewarning that i won't be using those titles all the time anymore. i just can't deal with it anymore. sometimes it just doesn't work with what i want to say, lol!

but anyway.

check out this fun website:

Hooked on Houses

if you love looking at the interiors of homes, this website is for you! the author even does Movie Mondays, where she posts photos of houses from movie sets. LOVE IT.

the one where we had a great time at our Grease cast party!

2009-07-20T22:24:00.011-05:00

FUN AT OUR CAST PARTY #1:

OUT WITH THE CAST AFTER SATURDAY'S SHOW:

GOOD TIMES BACKSTAGE:

the one where my thrifting is at its best.

2009-07-16T14:23:00.004-05:00

so at first glance, gaining weight and not fitting into your pants sounds like a really expensive thing. as in, uh, having to go buy more pants that DO fit. yes, yes; not so good. i did go buy a few pairs of shorts earlier in the summer, which i was lacking to begin with, so i don't feel too bad about that.

however, yesterday, at a thrift store in lewisville, yours truly picked up some cheap jeans that fit instead of going out and buying brand new expensive jeans! i got 3 pairs of jeans, 1 from aeropostale, 1 pair from diesel (score), and 1 pair of sevens (not 7 for all mankind, so i assume this is a cheap brand?). the diesels were 10 bucks, but the others were about $5.00 each! GO ME! there actually WAS a pair of 7 for all mankind jeans, but they were 3o bucks, and considering i wasn't able to try on any of these jeans to see if they fit me before i bought them, i was afraid to get them home and be sad they didn't fit. maybe i'll go back next monday to see if they're still there, because the checkout lady told me that on Mondays, almost everything is half price! holla.

i also got a couple of gap short-sleeved cropped sweaters for work, a khaki gap skirt, a cute summery dress, and some cute summer shirts. i got a tiny shelf i'm going to fix up for the house, some metal wall candle fixture thingees i'm going to spray paint and hang somewhere, and a coffee mug for dad (even though he doesn't drink coffee, it says "forever 39" on it, which has always been a joke with him). all in all, a great thrifting day!

boy i love bargains. i may post some home improvement pics soon; working on it, but there's a lot going on with Grease opening tomorrow night!

the one where i'm featured on dr. tyson's blog!

2009-07-14T13:39:00.004-05:00

check me out!

Dr. Tim Tyson's Blog

Dr. Tyson visited our school toward the end of last school year and showed us some amazing ways teachers are incorporating technology into their classrooms. It was funny, because even though I have been blogging since 2002, it had never dawned on me to use a blog for my classroom. It turned out to be really successful, having only begun it last April, so I plan to continue its use next year with my new students. It's a pretty cool way to communicate with parents and to share your classroom happenings with parents and students at home.

Not to mention I just love blogging to begin with!

the one where i have too much i want to do!

2009-07-09T14:14:00.002-05:00

wow. my list of to-dos just grows ever longer and longer.

we got my piano delivered today, so now i have to figure out what to display on top of it and on the wall above it. god forbid i just leave it plain! =)

i'm working on the backyard still. now that i upped the ante with the bar makeover, i can't just very well stop there, can i? so i'm on the hunt for some paper lanterns that are battery operated and for a vintage (hopefully) tablecloth/fabric for the big table. as for the 2 mesh chairs we've had for 3 years that have recently become very rust-covered, i'm at a loss. not sure there's any way to recover those type of chairs. they were cheap; maybe i should just toss them and find some new ones? sigh.

hmm...it's 2:00. maybe i should eat some lunch.

also in the process of moving around furniture and rearranging our office. i did clean it up a bit to get it organized, but i plan to move the big wardrobe into our master bedroom to make room for my rearrange. good times, i tell you.

ok yeah...lunch!

the one where i window-shop online.

2009-07-06T23:22:00.002-05:00

i'm loving browsing this website, picturing myself wearing all these lovelies that i'm not actually going to buy. check it out:

LuLu's.

i am especially fond of:

THIS.

THESE.

i'd like to wear these legwarmers to rehearsal and pretend i'm all Flashdance and Fame and stuff.

is it just me, or are gladiator sandals just downright ugly? whoever started this fad makes me want to throw up.

maybe they should have airbrushed this model's legs in this shot, eh? just sayin.

PRESH.

ok, so one day i went into work and found a ring VERY similar to THIS one in my teacher's mailbox. weird, huh? someone, upon my asking, said something to the effect of, "oh yeah, one of the kids found it on the playground..." and meanwhile i'm thinking, "and it ended up in my box, how...???" but hey, i'll take it, thanks!

is it just me, or is this almost identical to all those stella and dots jewelry pieces, but about 1/3 of the price? score!

so cute! but am i allowed to wear gold jewelry when my wedding rings are silver (platinum)?

ok, guess that'll do it on my window-shopping blog. =)

the one where i post destin pictures for your viewing pleasure.

2009-07-02T18:43:00.021-05:00

Grandma & Brookie.

God, that water was beautiful!

We had an amazing dinner right on the docks at the harbor.

What a view!

"Big sister...big sister...wherever I go, she goes! Big sister...big sister; big sister & me!" Anyone?....Buehler???

On the boat to go snorkeling.

The amazing green-blue water!!!

I love my parents!

One good lookin' family!

Brookie is a serious journaler. =)

In order to be an Adkins in-law, you must be born in November. (Except Tammy, but we love her, and she's close in Dec!)

Uncle Clint & Chase.

These blue-eyed beauties love their mama!

It's good to finally have some recent pictures of the 2 of us. =)

Awww....

Protecting sandwiches from the surf.

Ahhhhh....

Hot!!!

My crazy dad. I LOVE this picture!

Me & Mom!

Dinner at Old Bay Steamer on our 1st anniversary. They sat us at the same exact table we sat at when we visited 3 years ago! Very cool and great seafood.

the one where i try my hardest to be all domestic and stuff.

2009-06-29T20:51:00.017-05:00

so yeah. last wednesday i was laying on my favorite lounger float in the pool when i noticed how shabby our little backyard bar was looking. so i decided to try to "fab" it up a little bit.
here are the sad before pictures:

here are the after pictures:

I bought the barstools at Walmart (I know, I know; I hate Walmart; I promise you I go there MAYBE twice a year, if that) last summer after we moved in, but they were looking pretty yucky after sitting in the backyard for a year, untouched. So I bought some trusty spray paint, and that was that. I was actually looking for teal spray paint, but good ole Ace Hardware didn't have any, alas, so I went with this sky blue. I actually think I like this color better than I would have liked the teal, so there ya go.

The teal & white flowerpots are leftover from our wedding, where they served as eye candy down the aisle. Maybe I should plant something in them that's not dead, lol!

I think the little sprucing has given the rest of our great backyard a little more balance. =)

As you can see, our pool is well-used!

Next, I'd like to work on the big table; need a tablecloth and some lovelies to set on it. =)

Running to lunch with my cousin now!

the one where i always start projects i can't finish.

2009-06-17T23:49:00.004-05:00

or so says clint.

him: "why are you always starting projects when we're about to go out of town?"
me: "um, i think it's just that i'm always starting projects, because we don't go out of town very often..."

i mean what? LOL.

but yeah. i've been on a little bit of a "project" kick, mainly because i get a little manic about making the house look better and more "done" during the summer when i'm sitting around, staring at it all day, and two, i keep stumbling across these AMAZING blogs by these AMAZING people who do AMAZING things in their homes with their own two hands. inspiring, yes. a wee bit irritating at the same time, yes. mainly because i have not an inkling of creativity & vision compared to these folks.

and i am ashamed to think of how much our wedding cost compared to the lovely couple over at This Young House, who did everything themselves and on a budget. wow, is all i can say. wow. our wedding was lovely in the end, i must say, and very gayla, and i loved it to pieces. so i guess it's ok. lol.

also, if you're interested in DIY-ing, you simply MUST check out Centsational Girl, my new hero of all things home fashion. god bless these people with visionary ideas.

you know what's sad? that writing html is like playing the piano, NOT like riding a bike. meaning that since i haven't kept it up, and have left all the code writing to the machines that be at lovely blogspot and wordpress for so long now, that i can't remember much at all! just a side note.

but yeah. in addition to having to be finished packing tomorrow evening, i still have several half done projects that need to be finished. in addition to:

-picking up wendy's corrected 8x10 photos of the wedding from wolf camera
-finding some spray paint
-painting items with said spray paint
-hanging my DIY no-sew "bar-skirt" (i'll post pictures assuming it turns out ok)
-getting my nails done
-getting my allergy shots
-one last load of laundry

and more, i'm sure. we shall see. tricky. send a quick prayer/cross your fingers/shake a stick or something for bestfriendk tomorrow: she has a job interview!

the one where i'm still a teacher...

2009-06-16T00:28:00.001-05:00

in case you were wondering (ha), the american idol auditions in dallas will be taking place while yours truly is in florida. so alas, another season of that show without "the gayla." sad, but true folks; sad, but true.

lol.

the one where i publicly ream "Grease" under the guise of women's lib.

2009-06-11T23:44:00.004-05:00

seriously. so, for those of you who may not know, i'll be playing the role of "Sandy" in Grease this July. those who know me are aware already of my not really loving Grease so much, but i am sad to report that i finally read my script last night, much to my dismay.

seriously? it was really funny (except not), because i was talking to my mom on the phone earlier, complaining about how the show has the most horrible "message" of any show ever, how basically the show is one huge masogynistic mess, when i pulled out my script, saying, "who wrote this show?" lo and behold, it was written by 2 men. shocker. the whole plot of the show goes a little something like this:

sandy and danny are happy lovebirds over the summer, just the two of them. school starts, all their friends act mean and ruin their relationship. danny's friends make fun of him because sandy is a prude and doesn't "put out," and all the pink ladies make fun of sandy because she doesn't smoke, drink, or have sex. so how does this sad story get resolved? well, sandy has to CONFORM, of course! the best answer is of COURSE that the woman has to CHANGE who she is so she can 1) fit in, and 2) have a man like her. GEE, how shocking that it was written by 2 men in the middle of the women's lib movement!

ok, sorry, i get a little worked up about things sometimes. that's my musical theater rant for this week, ha!

on a happier note, i am one busy bee this summer already! today i painted my dining room all by myself, and i've already got the whole room put back together with accessories, wall hangings, and the curtains back up. i rock. NOT to mention, i made homemade cookies for the first time today! meaning, i actually mixed ingredients together to make the cookie dough instead of buying those break and bake ones from the store, LOL! and they. are. yummy. chocolate chip butter cookies, YUM!

tomorrow is a full day of studying for the ESL test i have to take monday, while also finishing up some laundry and picking up to prepare for clint's parents to come visit! tomorrow evening we've got a surprise anniversary party to attend, and saturday we're all hitting the rangers game. good times! and hopefully it won't get rained out!

the one where summer has begun!!

2009-06-09T21:56:00.002-05:00

ah, wonderful summer. unfortunately i don't have any exciting photos to post, but maybe next week, as i'm planning on doing some painting later this week.

yesterday i accomplished several boring errands such as getting my oil changed, and even got to visit miss kristen and baby cason, who is beautiful as ever, and has already grown!

today was a little less eventful, though i did drive across all creation to visit the dentist for a teeth cleaning. =) no cavities, of course.

tonight, however, i have been studying for Monday's ESL test; ugh. talk about way too much information. it just goes on and on without ever really saying anything of consequence. irritating, to say the least.

meeting kathy tomorrow to study, so that's good. someone has to keep me on-task, because i can't make myself do it, lol!

trying to decide what room to paint thursday...should i do the dining room, which remains a stark white since the day we moved in, a year ago yesterday? the guest bathroom, which would surely be quick & easy, it's so small? the office/junk room, because i can't stand the bright yellow, even if everyone who comes over thinks it would make a nice color for a future nursery? or just do the red accent wall in the guest bedroom? hard to say, hard to say.

has anyone ever watched chelsea lately? because it's funny with a capital F.

ok, jessie, our cat, currently has her entire head wedged inside the hole of the kleenex box. seriously? i guess it's better than dragging in another half-dead snake.

tomorrow's agenda:
-pick up photos from Wolf Camera
-buy paint for whatever room i end up deciding to paint
-tape of edges of chosen room
-lunch/studying ESL with kathy
-teach voice lesson at 3:00
-tape of edges of chosen room, because there's no way i'm getting that done before lunch, HA!

good times in the summertime!

the one where i'm exhausted.

2009-05-27T20:12:00.004-05:00

on an upside, my kiddos have been surprisingly relaxed this week (so far: knock on wood) considering it's the last week of school! i truly expected a lot more "wild banshees on the war path" (per kathy white, one of my fave sayings of hers), but except for the 1 or 2 that kind of act that way year-round, i've been pleasantly surprised. which really makes me worried about next year. because what are the odds that i would get such a good class 2 years in a row? not good, is the answer to that question, my friend: not good! alas, i digress.

i took a half day today to hit the ole doctor, as i've got the sickies again. shocker. just another sinus infection, as per usual, but i asked for a shot to speed the recovery, as i've still got 3 days at work, all of which will involve me feeling much better than i did today. especially if i'm gonna be doing heavy lifting. ask, and you shall receive! i got myself a shot of 'roids, and i can already tell i'm less congested. 'tis a start. i'll take it.

the list of to-do's before the end of school seems to grow perilously longer despite the work i've been doing. at least my room is pretty much packed up. every time i start to feel accomplished, i think of more things i'd like to/i need to do before the last day. seriously. i did bring it and got my end of year book to my class written, but i still have to paste all the pages and bind the book so i can read it to them on thursday.

don't have a whole lot going on right now other than the end of school, which is truly enough. we had our grease photo shoot last week, and saturday we had our poster distribution, where we harass everyone within a 5 mile radius of the theatre to hang up our promotional poster for our summer musicals to advertise. it was HOT. then we went to eat lunch together as a cast at this place called Chuch & Lucy's, that had agreed to be our featured restaurant for the show, which includes placing a coupon in our Playbill (program-haha). WELL, let me tell ya: the owner of Chuck & Lucy's is apparently a bi-polar nutcase (alas, she is not the only such nutcase I know), as she approached us and proceeded to berate us for daring to display our poster in her window. mind you, the restaurant's name was ON the poster, she had just had a meeting with the director 3 days prior, and there were about 16 other posters already displayed in the window. can you say psycho? because i can. i can even spell it correctly.

good times with the crazies, good times.

let me tell you, speaking of lists, christine, that my summer to-do list is growing ever-longer as we speak. here's what i've got so far: (Clint laughs everytime i say i'm going to add something to my list)

-paint dining room, paint office, paint red wall in guest room (is the red wall too much? thoughts, those of you who have seen the room?)

-do some writing
-have our families over
-have friends over
-2 masters courses (this truly may not happen, but i'm working on it)
-study for ESL test and take june 15th
-smartboard course (june 10th i think?)
-grease rehearsals & performances
-trip to destin
-get new wood flooring installed!
-buy a new kitchen table
-have piano moved here from mom & dad's
-work out (ha! don't laugh)
-try out some new recipes
-touch up paint edges of moldings in bedroom
-learn to use my dvd burner
-clean out and purge office!
-go to six flags & hurricane harbor with my season passes from b-day!
-go to schlitterbahn? visit lil' sis on the way down?

as you can see, i'm insane to think i will actually get all of these things done, but i'm going to try to make a calendar/schedule in hopes that i'll get a least a lot of it done. we shall see! lol.

ok, we are at the end of this loooooooong post. i'd hoped to post some photos, but they are taking too freaking long to upload; sorry. next time!

1 and 1/2 days of school left! i might cry!

the one where i should be in bed!

2009-05-13T22:18:00.010-05:00

if Clint was here, he'd make me go to bed on time. darn. but here i am, doing laundry & posting photos to the blog.

Britt, Biddle, & Me backstage at Broadway's Best IV at the Courtyard Theater:

"Suddenly Seymour....looks like a yeti..." Drew & I backstage:

Mia & I! Wish I had thought to get pictures before changing out of my Girl in 14G costume, 'cause it was way cuter. Also wish my spanx worked better! Oh well!

Most of my precious nieces & nephews on Easter Sunday: (I will post some of my others as soon as I get some!)

(Okay, Jami's not my niece, hehe, but Shawn is my nephew!) We're just missing Scooter, boo! He's back in town from boot camp before he leaves on his first assignment, but I haven't seen him yet; hopefully soon!!

Ah, it wouldn't be Easter Sunday without a little Rock Band with the ole family:

All in all, good times had by all! OK, just one last picture! This one is extra special, as my dear friend Kristen & her husband welcomed their first baby, Cason, into the world on Monday! I'm so glad things went smoothly, and I was blessed to be able to meet the beautiful little guy yesterday!

Congratulations, Kristen & Scott, and welcome Cason!

the one where my week without clint begins.

2009-05-11T17:21:00.003-05:00

gosh, i am bored already, and clint only left yesterday evening!

we had a nice lunch at i Fratelli's (i am about to heat up my leftover YUMMY pasta as i type this) and were able to spend most of the day together since i decided to forego the family get together and take clint to the airport myself. i missed seeing the family, but it was nice to be able to drop him off and to have lunch with him. luckily mom & dad were able to drive over and have dinner with me after clint flew out. we had a nice mother's day dinner. =)

clint's in memphis taking another "course" for his job with DCAA (Defense Contracts Auditor Agency), and he'll be back late Friday afternoon.

bored bored bored, bored bored bored. i already watched a tivo-ed episode of 90210 that i missed when we were out celebrating cinco de mayo last tuesday. now i'm doing this. i'm going to eat my leftovers, watch gossip girl, score my end of year spelling assessments, and probably read a book. my life is ridiculously exciting, as you can see. still waiting to hear on baby cason's arrival. he should be greeting the world anytime now; so excited!

so my week will be pretty filled, tell the truth. tomorrow i'm hopefully going to get to visit baby cason & his parents at the hospital, and i need to try to reschedule my voice lessons that are tomorrow. wednesday i plan to hang with my gal Jenn, and maybe i'll try to do 1 of my voice lessons. thursday we've got our principal's retirement ceremony, and i'll probably do my 2nd voice lesson. and of course friday i'll pick up clint! so really the week will fly by, i'm sure.

friday is also our 3rd grade field trip to the ballpark at arlington (or have they changed the name again?). should be good times, but i bet it will be hot!

speaking of hot, is it just me, or can i not withhold my excitement about how pool season is quickly approaching?! god, i love having a pool. it make-uh me happy. AND, drumroll, i finally bought two reclining lounge chairs for the backyard so my girls and i can sun and read and i won't drop my library books in the pool! whoo hoo! ordered them last night from Target after much perusal of the many (expensive) types available at numerous stores. free shipping, too!

so fun. i cannot wait until school is out so i can lounge, sun, swim, & read. yay. my teacher mode is about run out for this year! i love my class DEARLY, but we are both in need of some major "time out," haha! it gets pretty exciting when you start getting to do "end of year" assessments, let me tell ya! i'm so proud; i finished all but 2 of my fluency assessments today, and those 2 weren't there.

as a side note, take good care of yourself; there is so much sickness going around at school right now! lots of stomach viruses, yuck!

have a great, restful evening!

--G

the one where i celebrate cinco de mayo in as many different ways as possible.

2009-05-06T20:05:00.004-05:00

first, i taught a voice lesson. perhaps, you think, teaching someone to sing is not celebrating a holiday, per se, but think creatively, will ya?

then i sped quickly over to the movie theater, or "cineplex" if you will, to see a movie with the gals. cute!

then i sped home to pick up clint, and we drove over to snuffers in plano to meet some friends for dinner & drinks.

then we hightailed it over to mi cocina in richardson to meet some friends for more drinks.

the key word there was "more." never does this chica need more drinks, as i am the cheapest date ever. and i do mean EVER.

so yeah, all in all, good times had by all, but really would've been more convenient had it not been TUESDAY.

*headache ensues.* sigh. 3 cheers for going to bed early tonight!

and wanna hear something great?? our principals have arranged to have all of our recess & lunch duties covered for us so that each team can go have lunch somewhere for Teacher Appreciation tomorrow! how awesome is that??! (very awesome.) i am so pumped.

i am also pumped that friday is our relax after TAKS celebration and that i will have no teaching on top of lots of yummy treats to eat that day. yay! i have already designated friday as my "filing" day. can't pack up my room until i get my papers filed, and let me tell you there are a BUNCH of loose files that i still haven't filed from LAST YEAR. not so good, not so good. yay for filing day!

the one where i already miss kristen...

2009-05-01T13:26:00.006-05:00

boo! yesterday was kristen's last day at school, and i'm already upset.

kristen, i need you to go ahead and have baby cason so i can get cheered up!

here are some fun pics of mah girls to make me feel a little better:

At Kristen's School Shower:

Where mah girls at?

This was the shower I didn't get to go to because I was in H's wedding! Glad they had a fun time, though!

ok, so now i need to have a baby so i don't have to be here without kristen. =(

the one where clint kills a rattlesnake.

2009-04-25T13:16:00.004-05:00

You: NO. WAY.
Me: WAY.

Well, technically he and his dad killed it together. At the country club golf course. Ah, country living.

If you hadn't guessed, we're out visiting Clint's parents in the country this weekend. The weather's nice (if windy), and it's very relaxing. Makes for a nice getaway from all the rush and commitments of home.

AND his mom is the best cook ever! For lunch, we're about to have chicken fried steak, green beans (grown from their garden), potatoes, homemade rolls, and peach cobbler. I mean seriously. Poor Clint. As in, too bad I can't ever cook like this for him! =)

Off to a yummy lunch!

the one where my diamond earring falls in the toilet.

2009-04-20T21:39:00.003-05:00

You: NO. WAY.
Me: YES WAY!

and i had to fish it out POST-urination!

You: Oh no you DIDN'T!
Me: Oh YES, i did!!!

with rubber gloves, of course, but STILL! gross!!

and MORE importantly, how the HECK did my diamond earring fall in the toilet while i was peeing?!!

You: Well, thank God it was number 1.
Me: No shit!!!

LOL. Man, i crack myself up sometimes. but seriously: only me, only me.

the one where the weekend is too short.

2009-04-19T15:19:00.003-05:00

i have had a VERY busy weekend celebrating with heather and james, and i've not had a chance to post photos yet. i will try to get that done soon. the wedding went off without a hitch, though, and everything (first & foremost, the bride) was beautiful!

currently, i'm up at school trying to plan for my Smartboard presentation tomorrow night, so i should probably get back to work!

now i've started a class blog, which is mostly informational & not so much fun & witty, but you are welcome to check it out if you like:

http://mrs-cockrells-class.blogspot.com

also, if you are an aficianado of the blogs, such as myself, i encourage you to start an account over at Bloglines, where you can keep track of the blogs you follow all in one place instead of having 45 favorites stored in a blogs folder, like me.

you should also check out my school website, because i have begun posting fun Smartboard stuff that we do in class!

good times, good times.

days of school left till summer: 32 & 1/2

the one where i complain about my job.

2009-04-06T19:04:00.000-05:00

mainly i'm just a little sad today. sad that while there are many moments of joy in my profession--moments in which i feel that all the time and effort and love i put into my job each day has paid off and made even a tiny difference to a child. these are the times where all the frustration, exhaustion, and ridiculous amount of work seem to be worth it. then there are days where i feel like i try and try and try to reach out to a child, to make that child see that i care about them, regardless of their behavior and poor choices that frustrate me--and i keep trying and trying and trying...and yet nothing seems to work. the child continues down the same path, regardless of positive or negative reinforcement, regardless of special incentives and rewards, regardless of ANYTHING. this is one of those days. And i hate to be that teacher that gives up on a student, that finally says, ok, i've tried, and i'm tired of nothing i do getting through to this child, so i'm done trying. She'll be someone else's problem in a couple of months. but after today, i am seriously close to resigning myself to that attitude, and i hate that.

it's definitely frustrating when you keep trying to see the good in someone, trying to give someone the benefit of the doubt, and not ever seeing the confirmation that you did right. i don't know; there really is "only so much one person can do," and that's what i tell myself all the time when it comes to students who come to me struggling severely. but even with THOSE children this year i have seen significant improvement. i guess at least i have that; i can feel good about the part i have played in this year of those students' lives, at least. yeah, that's what i'm going with. =)

see, i can't decide today if i'm a pessimist or an optimist? my glass is just half something. oh well. tomorrow is another day! sigh. seriously, though: how many days till summer?

the one where i get all philosophical.

2009-04-02T12:57:00.000-05:00

do you ever just stop and think about life? life in general? it's weird to me sometimes how we're all always trying to figure out what it is that will make us happier, make us more satisfied, make our lives more worthwhile.

i took this Feminism course back at Hunter that was really amazing. (My college in NYC had so many interesting cultural and diverse courses that Baylor could never even DREAM of offering.) thinking back to the times when women didn't even have the opportunity to be educated outside of their home, things these days for women are going pretty swimmingly. it's really amazing how far we've come from not having ANY choices in life to being overrun with choices. women today have the choice: do i want to be a stay-at-home mom? do i want to focus on my career? do i even WANT kids? it's pretty amazing to think about the fact that each of us has so much control over our lives. unfortunately, when it comes to money, sometimes our choices are limited.

i really enjoy my job a lot of the time. i love getting to know the many personalities of my students. i love seeing the innocence and the wonder and the desire to take it all in. i love being able to teach them not only academic things, but life lessons as well. they may not take in all i say right now, but i feel that one day they'll remember that Mrs. Cockrell told them that, and that she was right!

on the other side, though, teaching is so ridiculously exhausting; i could never have imagined how much work and dedication it would take to truly do a good job in my classroom. when i think about having a baby in a couple of years and trying to continue teaching, it makes me feel very overwhelmed and scared. i don't know how i'd feel about being a stay-at-home mom. part of me feels that i might get bored, miss the company of my fellow teachers, and miss having a job where i was needed and important (at least to the kiddos). but a lot of me thinks i simply don't have the type of personality and organization to balance being a teacher and being a mom.

my sister has 4 kids, 2 sets of twins, aged 7 and 11, and she teaches 2nd grade. i honestly do not know how she does it. but a lot of the time i can see how it wears on her. she's exhausted, and she's told me that her own children get the short end of the stick many times because by the end of the school day, her patience is GONE. i definitely want to be able to give my children the best possible home life i can, and i honestly don't know that i'll be able to do that while i'm teaching full-time. the trick is, there may not be a choice! losing an entire income would obviously hit us pretty hard. right now we've got 2 incomes and no car payments or children. it's scary thinking about losing 1 income and adding in 2 car payments and a baby. it's funny how worried about all of this i am right now since this is all 2 years down the road, but it's something that has been brought to the front of my mind because i have so many friends who are expecting. i guess it just starts making you think about your own future and family-planning. only time will tell, and i'm sure everything will work out one way or another.

in the meantime, i need to get re-focused on my life as it stands right now instead of worrying so much about the future! live for today and plan for tomorrow the best you can. and be thankful that we have options today as women.

that'll do it for now, i think. =)

the one where i decide to write.

2009-03-19T10:38:00.001-05:00

I have decided to write a novel. I've been thinking about it for a while (well, this particular idea; I've thought of writing novels in general since I was about 7 years old), but I fully intend to make it happen. It might have to wait till this summer, but I am on a mission. I enjoy communicating through the written word (obviously, or I wouldn't write on this blog and my other more personal one), and it couldn't hurt to try to get published. In my wildest dreams, I can totally make this happen! =)

Just thought you should know. Now that I've made this plan/goal public, I expect to be held to it!

Why do neither of our home computers have Microsoft Publisher? Now I have to go up to the god-forsaken school on my Spring Break to print out a donation letter to try to get the Spa I'm going to today to make a donation for RCT's annual fundraiser.

If anyone is interested in attending our performance, by the way, please let me know. Tickets are a little pricey because it's our biggest money-maker of the year and generally provides the money to put on our big musicals in the summer, but it's for a good cause. Namely, me, and the opportunity to make a fool of myself in blonde wigs repeatedly. =)

The show is Saturday April 11th (or 10th, whatever the Saturday is). I think the tickets are $39/each. I'm only singing one song, but it is one of the hardest (if not THE hardest) songs I've ever performed, and it is therefore, quite impressive, if I do say so myself. Check it out by Kristen Chenowith on YouTube if you like: Girl in 14G.

OK, fabulous. I am off to some errands and then lunch with some great girls!

the one where it's my birthday!

2009-03-11T21:04:00.000-05:00

LOL. Happy birthday to me!

I had a good day, despite the fact that I had to be at work! The kids were overall pretty decent today and kept giving me hugs and cards they made on construction paper, so it was pretty cute.

My mother surprised me by bringing me lunch and a gift and a cake up to school!

5 minutes later, my room mom for my class came in with lunch for me and my favorite dessert EVER from Magnolia Bakery, my absolute favorite place ever. My room mom also baked cupcakes for us to have to celebrate today.

I also got about 14 happy birthday texts, 4 singing birthday voicemails, and 22 facebook messages, so that felt good!

All in all, a happy birthday was had. =) It is about time to hit the hay, read a little in my current bedside book (see sidebar), and snoozey-snooze. I have been sleeping WAY better lately, and I'm so thankful. I HATE when I wake up 4 times to go to the restroom. The only bad part about sleeping better is that it is suddenly even HARDER for me to get up in the morning. As if it wasn't hard enough before, when I got awful sleep! Oh well.

Can't believe Open House is tomorrow night till 8:00! That is WAY too late. At least: 2 more days of teaching until Spring Break. AND 2 more days of teaching, and then 10 weeks left of school till summer! Praise Jesus. Fo' real.

Happy day before Friday, and thanks for all the birthday wishes!

the one where i shop using gift cards and christmas money.

2009-03-08T18:57:00.001-05:00

Please scroll down past all the photos to read the actual entry! =)

Here are some fun pictures from our bridal shower for Heather a couple of weeks ago! We had a blast, and it was fun to see everyone I don't see very often.

Heather and her Mom

These lovely ladies all wore my favorite color!

Laura, Mia, & Cristen

The theme of the shower was "time," so each gift was meant for a certain time of the day. This one was clearly for night time!

Aww, I wish Cristen didn't live in Waco!

Make-up bag for the future Mrs. Shin! Great gift, Mia!

Laura & Michelle, who loves it when I take pictures of her during her pregnancy.

Cutest gift packaging EVER, by Miss Laura.

A few fun shots from when Clint & I went to Trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings a few weeks ago with the Kubinskys and the Betiks:

Katie & Paul, such cute newlyweds!!

Super cute David & Jenn!

Us girls!

We had a lot of fun at Trivia and plan to go back probably not this week, but the next. We've already got one of my old co-workers and her husband coming over to see our house this Tuesday. How sad is this: they live on the SAME street as us, but we've never had them over! I feel awful, but I really wanted to house to look really good before they came to see it! Anyway, I guess we will go to dinner somewhere after they see the house, seeing as how my cooking is...well, you know. =)

OK, now down to business. SHOPPING, of course!

Ha! I found a catch on the no shopping. gift cards! This week during Teacher Appreciation, I received quite a few gift cards, and paired with some gift cards from Christmas, and one even leftover from my wedding, I went to town today!

I visited the following stores with my gift cards:
-Bed Bath & Beyond (where I bought non-fun, household items)
-Half Price Books (where I was selfish and bought lots of books for this summer instead of buying books for my classroom like I usually do)
-Starbucks (yummy Cafe Vanilla Light Frappuccino)
-SteinMart (sandals, Lucky jeans, and 3 tops)

YAY for gift cards and Christmas money!

Boo for Monday!

Yay for it being just 5 days till Spring Break!

the one where i'm burned out.

2009-03-06T22:05:00.001-06:00

Burned out on teaching right now! cue Spring Break! 5 more days. These poor kids, and this poor me. We are ALL in dire need of a break from school. I'm telling you what, they've got Spring fever really badly right now. The weather has been gorgeous, and no one feels like sitting indoors for 7 hours a day.

So anyway, thank God it's time for a little time off.

Tomorrow I've got a baby shower and a funeral; talk about the circle of life. Nothing lasts forever on this earth, I guess. It's weird to think about. I don't know why I'm so philosophic right now; mainly I'm just exhausted.

I will be so glad to see my bestest friend Kristen, as she's been out of town in Chi-town for a while now, and I haven't seen her in forever, it seems! We are going to re-watch (for me; 1st viewing for her and Gloria) the Oscars and talk about everyone's gowns.

I really wish it was summer and I could spend the days writing my novel and laying out by our pool. I truly cannot wait until summer this year. Summer is well-earned by teachers; anyone who ever said any different should be shot. Frankly.

Can you tell I'm burned out? And exhausted? This entry is kind of a downer, LOL. Sorry!

It is SO time for bed.

The good news is: I get to buy a baby gift tomorrow (nothing like waiting till the last minute--don't act surprised)! I LOVE buying baby gifts.

This little gem is going to be named Madeline, and I think she's due to be born in April. Sweet pea! Life does continue on...

Hope everyone has a nice, relaxing weekend!

the one where i have the baby fever.

2009-03-02T21:44:00.001-06:00

now now mom, dianne, and sadie! this too, shall pass! LOL. if not for so many of my friends who are pregnant or recently had wee ones, i KNOW i would not be feeling this baby fever.

but if you think about how if we try to aim for due date of summer 2011, we'll actually be pregnant in about a year in a half...which will pass really quickly!

so let's just say, when it's my time to be a mom, i will be happy! but my time is not yet!

how many exclamation points can i fit into one entry?!!! =)

and now for something completely different, wish my kids good luck on the TAKS Reading test tomorrow! it's going to be a long day, especially since i'm sick again with a sinus infection! (look, there's another one!)

have a good one! =)

the one where i don't have a catchy title.

2009-03-01T16:02:00.002-06:00

I am just really hoping this sore throat goes away! I can't miss school tomorrow, and I DEFINITELY can't miss it Tuesday, because I have to administer the TAKS test to my kids. I would sooner die than have some random teacher in there doing it. Anyway.

I woke up at about 4:00 in the morning with this awful sore throat. I somehow knew something was coming on--it always seems to start with my allergies going haywire and then kicks it up a notch and my throat gets all overrun with drainage and stuff.

On a happier note, there are only 10 more days until Spring Break. God bless America, I really need a break, and so do the kids.

Clint's dad is having knee replacement surgery on Tuesday, so be thinking good thoughts on that front.

Also, a friend of mine's husband recently had a cancerous lump removed, so please send up a prayer for a smooth healing process and for the best outcome in moving forward.

Sigh. Sundays are so depressing. OK, think I'm going to take a nap now and hope for the best.