Best $3 I ever spent

Just in case you needed proof that I am still a big child!

Summer Count Down: 16 Days

There are many reasons why I look forward to summer vacation, but one has been glaring at me for quite some time now. 

Each day I come home and take off my shoes and I have to ask myself, "Are my feet dirty or are those tan lines?"

I admit that I wear the same shoes almost everyday to work. They are comfortable sneaker/ tennis shoes. Perfect for running after kids in. Unfortunately, they have straps that go across the top of my feet and since we spend at least an hour on the playground each day they have left me with quite the tan lines. 

I did apply a self tanner last night, so they don't look as bad as they did, but do you see what I  mean? Add to it that my arms are several shades darker than the rest of my body and I look like a mis-matched Bride of Frankenstein. 

So, I am counting down the days until I can bask naked (not really) in the sun and even out my skin tone. Counting the days until I can wear strappy sandals.

Counting the days until I can wear shorts.  

Counting the days until I can wear tank tops. 

Counting the days until I don't have to wear a bra if I don't feel like it. 

And counting, and counting, and counting....

Late Night or Early Morning?

I'm not sure what these little guys (and their huge mother) were doing out at this hour of the morning but it was so darn cute I had to grab the camera. 

Mom climbed up on the fence first and then the little ones got stuck and could reach. 

Although furry and little, I kept my distance since their mom was screeching the whole time. 

Even skinny girls have cellulite

I speak from experience.

I consider myself on the skinny side. Not super model thin but more like slender with a little jiggle...and a touch of cellulite.

I'd like to say my little dimples don't bother me but then I'd be lying. It's like I woke up one day and realized that I'm in my LATE twenties instead of my Early twenties and that there is a big difference between  the two. My dreams off being discovered as America's Next Top Model in the local mall are over now.

I started dying my hair on a regular basis to cover the gray instead of doing it to look fashionable.

I stopped looking in the Juniors department when I go clothes shopping now.

I slather on extra 70 SPF sunscreen when I go out.

I don't think I even own a pair of thong underwear anymore.

And I just purchased my first bottle of cellulite cream.

I should put a sign on the front door that says "Welcome to almost 30".

My husband has no sympathy for me or my cellulite. My husband has the most perfectly smooth, lump free man bum I've ever seen. When I complain to my husband about my cellulite his response is "then you should bike to work, I do". I swear to God that is what he just said to me as I typed this post. So apparently my husband has the perfect un-lumpy rump because he bikes one sixteenth of a mile to his job everyday.

Anyway, back to me and my car ride loving cellulite.

I'm pretty sure that cellulite cream works...but not the way it was intended. You see, ladies like myself buy the cream/lotion/goo and proceed to rub themselves down with it while praying to the cottage cheese fairy  to take it all away. But subconsciously we try to eat better and exercise more... like taking the stairs 2 at a time instead of one at a time or doing lunges down  the school hallway instead of walking like a normal person. And over time we notice fewer dents and jiggles so we think, "This cellulite cream is a miracle!".

I know this is true and yet I can not stop myself  from buying the overpriced  tube of hope and replaying in my head the scene from Silence of the Lambs... "It rubs the lotion on it's skin or it gets the hose again!"

Never too old to finger paint

That is the title I came up with for my art themed bulletin board for Open House Night at school. Here's a look at my finished board. 

A closer look at the signs...

Those are my hands. If I had planned ahead a little better than I would have had my students do the sign language letters, but I didn't think of this until well after 4 PM yesterday. 

I'm really pleased with the finger paint portrait that I did, it came out much better than I had envisioned. To bad I only had 1 parent show up for Open House Night. Oh well, I got the job done and I'm happy with it and at least my room is nice and SUPER clean again. 

I told you this would happen

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! You've gone and inspired me again people! More specifically it was my Aunt Bobbi from Love Shack Living that did it this time with her post on Art & Soul where she again amazed me with her latest artwork.

Tonight is our school's Open House and Silent Auction. Not only did I have to clean and prep my room for tonight, I also had to come up with a new bulletin board with the theme "Art". Easy right? Not really. Being the last minute Lucy that I am I started my board yesterday.

So yesterday before school I read Love Shack Living and found my inspiration. It's not 100% completed yet, but here is a little peek at what  I got done yesterday...

It's called "Never to old to finger paint". I finger painted the portrait on the left and my students created their own versions on the right. If the kids don't manage to rip it down  by the end of the day then I'll share a "finished" photo with you later tonight!

Thanks for the inspiration Bobbi!

Something (anything) to look forward to

I've realized that it is important to have something to look forward to especially when there are 5 weeks (22 teaching days) of school left and they seem  be getting  harder instead of easier.

While 22 teaching days seems like a walk in the park compared to the 180 school days that I had in front of me in September, it  is honestly the longest part of the whole year. And for that reason I have to have something (sometimes anything) to look forward to at the end of each day. It's not enough  to look forward to something at the end of the week or month...I need something o look forward to each and every day.

Here is my list of "Looking Forward To's". Don't judge  me...sometimes it's thee small things that get me through  the day.

Monday- I  joined another bowling league for the summer on Monday nights. The only reason why I don't call out sick on Monday's now is because I have bowling and I'd be to scared to "call out sick" and then get caught at the alley by my boss.

Tuesday- 2 things...coming home and reading the NEW grocery store sales fliers.  Lame, I know. I also look forward to watching The Biggest Looser on TV, but with only 2 episodes left I don't know what I'll do with out it!

Wednesday- it's hump day, need I explain further? (Get your dirty minds out of the gutter!)

Thursday- bowling with my friend Suki for the Thursday night league.

Friday- Dinner and comedy with friends at LA Connection in Sherman Oaks. (I'll have to write about LA Connection in another post, but just know that it makes my day!)

Saturday- buying the Saturday paper which is an early edition of the Sunday paper so I get to sit on the couch and coupon for hours if I so choose. And napping.

Sunday- as if I didn't bowl enough...I join a group of leaguers for the Coffee Club which gets together Sunday mornings from 9-1 to practice their bowling. And I grocery shop and nap...and nap again. That's right, sometimes I nap twice on Sunday.

And for the long term I look forward to my 3-day weekend on  May 30th for Memorial Day followed by the last day of school on June 17th.

And knowing myself, the workaholic that I am, I will probably start prepping and planning for summer school the day after school gets out... but  I also look forward to that. It's amazing how much work I can get done when I don't have any students.

What do you look forward to?

30 Days of Blogging

I have been very slack lately on my  blog writing (and reading). I just can't seem to muster up the energy to sit at my computer when I get home and I find myself slumped on the couch. Please don't be offended if I haven't read your blog in awhile...my brain is fried.

So this is the first day of my 30 day blogging challenge.

I am challenging myself  to write one post per day no matter how insignificant it seems to be.

I also challenge myself to read all the new blog entries from the lovely blogs I follow on a daily basis. And quite honestly, when I read your blogs I get inspired to write more myself.

So have a goodnight blog land and I will see you tomorrow.