Job Opportunities???

So I'm going back to work next year.

I am proud that I will have spent Ansleigh's first year on earth at home with her, even if I do have to hide from her sometimes. :o)

I have not missed one single milestone. Her first smile, her first laugh, first roll-over, first sit, first stand, first words "mama"....I've been there for all of it. This is important to me. It will be important to me when we we reproduce again.

God has another purpose for me, other than being mommy. God planned for and prepared me to work with preteens and teens. Also, my college education did that.

I want things. I want a bigger house (only before we have more kids, not now). I want to replace Anthony's car. I want to buy stuff and not feel guilty about it. I want to not be in debt (student loans & mortgage). All this requires money.

Therefore, I am going back to work.

Through the grapevine, I've been informed of some job opportunities for next year:

1. Melbourne High School
2. Bayside High School
3. The new high school

Let's look at these more closely:

MEL HIGH--They are (so I've been told) looking for a new cheer coach (probably JV). There is an English teacher retiring and also, they need another English teacher anyway. I would be working with kids and parents I know. Plus, I've talked to some people who teach at Mel High and they love it! The faculty and the administration are great and helpful (again, so I've been told). I'd be a bulldog. Green, black, and white. The downside, it is all the way across town and would take a good 30 minutes to get there and get home everyday.

BAYSIDE HIGH--They too are looking for a new cheer coach....a VARSITY cheer coach. my dream come true. They are also looking to greatly improve school spirit. Not to toot my own horn, but seriously, who would be better at that? Also, it is literally 5 minutes from my house. My friend Stacey teaches there. It is always great to teach where you know someone. Downside: not so sure if they are hiring English teachers. That could be a problem. Seriously.

THE NEW SCHOOL--They are building a new high school pretty close to my house. With a new school comes teaching positions and an available cheer position. Someone who could build a program. Start fresh. Some of my Central kids are zoned to go there. LOVE my Central kids. Seriously.

I haven't been offered any jobs. I have in an application. As soon as I take the sub class I can substitute teach at Mel High and Bayside. This will let me get a feel for both schools. Hopefully something will come of this. I know I've always been a middle school advocate but lately I've REALLY had the itch for 9th grade. I don't even know if there will be 9th grade positions open. I'm a little scared to teach juniors or seniors but I think I could do it.

Be praying for me. Pray that God will be preparing a place for me--a place where I can make a difference and do what I love. Pray that God will prepare me to go into a high school and pick up teaching again. Pray that God will be preparing the heart of the person who will be keeping Ansleigh. Pray that God will prepare our family for such a big change.

This is a big step and a big change for us. I'm excited, scared, and nervous.

Teacher Thought/Idea

I was looking through facebook and noticed one of my old Auburn classmates has a blog link on her profile. I clicked it and was amazed!

It is for her students!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Her blog posts are thought provoking ideas or questions and the kids have to respond by commenting. They get a weekly blog grade! Each blog post they have to write at least a paragraph answering the post. Sometimes, she even makes them use their vocabulalry words in their paragraphs!

What an amazing idea. Seriously.

Emily (said "old classmate") teaches at a Presbyterian school that I assume is a private school. Private school kids have home computers (mostly) b/c their parents have the money to pay for their improved education.

I wonder/would like to see if this would be feasible in a public school environment. Public school kids generally do not all have computer access unless it is provided at school. This would mean taking them to the computer lab once a week to do an assignment that I think would work much better on a homework type basis.

What an amazing way to incorporate technology into the classroom and what a freakin awesome way of putting a twist on the boring old everyday "journal." And...girl is a freakin genuis b/c she can check their homework and grade it from home, while watching tv. I used to love grading papers at home so I could share the hilarity of my kids' work with Anthony.

Teachers and Non-Teachers alike, I want to know what you think. Seriously. Yall know I'm planning on going back to teaching next year and I'd like to have a way to feasibly work this into my classroom. I need ideas of how to make this work or at least an alternative for the kids who do not have computer access.

Ideas please!?!?!

Upcoming Election...

My sister-in-law (one of my personal favorite people ever) re-posted this on facebook. Her friend posted it and Rachel felt compelled to pass it along. I do too.
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This is an excerpt from the email that is going around from Huntley Brown. I know this whole article talks about why he can't vote for Obama just because he's black. I am not concerned about his race. Racism aside, I have a strong feeling about Christians who are voting for Obama. I just can't understand why they feel they are making a God-led decision. I guess my brain is just too small to comprehend it, but I believe with all my heart that I'd be going against God's standards to vote for a man who the terrorist nations would be thrilled if he gets elected. I can't vote for a man who won't stand up as a Christian no matter where he is, but instead talks accordingly to whichever group he's in front of. I can't vote for a man who seems to have no moral standards or values when it comes to the sanctification of marriage, murdering unborn babies, nor can I vote for a man who was either not as involved in his church as he led us to believe, or commends the teachings that have come out of that church. Again, I just don't believe I would be following God's standards for what I as a Christian need to stand for. Hope this makes you think!


In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment.

Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king.

First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." Then God says
1 Samuel 1:18 " When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

Here is what we know for sure.

God is not schizophrenic.

He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four supreme court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy.

Polka Dot Skies

Let me tell you a story about how I ordered this ridiculously cute hairbow for Ansleigh on Etsy. It is brown & white gingham and has a little pumkin thing in the middle. SOOO CUTE. I had to ask the lady to make it with an alligator clip instead of a french clip. The bow was only $2!!!!!

When I got the bow in the mail, I had a surprise! She'd sent me an extra bow for being her first purchase on Etsy. Her shop is called Polka Dot Skies and you should totally go there and buy hairbows. Seriously.

Look how cute the bug is in this free bow!

The bow is nothing fancy, pink & white gingham with a lime green center but so precious!

This week's favs...

I noticed I had some interest in my post last time of my favorite things so I decided to do another one. :o) You're excited, I'm sure. Probably peeing in your pants...haha. Well maybe not but anyway, here we go!!!

1. Little Baby Snow Shoes!!!! Specifically Baby Uggs and these adorable Pedipeds!!! This year we are going on the Friday Family Ski trip, therefore, I am currently obsessed with all things that keep my little one warm including snow suits, fleece jammies, mittens, etc.

2. Munchkin Sippy Cups

These sweet little things are CHEAP ($2), BPA free, you can buy them at Target, they REALLY don't leak, and are currently the only sippy buggy-boo will drink out of (pretty girl colors, of course).

3. My current read, Brisinger, is the third book in the trilogy. Anthony started reading the first one (Eragon) when we got married. I asked him to read it and tell me if middle school boys would like it. He loved it and then I read it and loved it. Then, another one came out, Eldest, and it was amazing too. We just got the third one when it released the other day and even though we are only 14 pages into it, I'm already in lurve....



4. An oldie but a goodie (at least to me...)
www.diapeesand wipees.com
These things are freakin amazing! They are like little fabric envelopes--ok they aren't "like" them, that's what they are--that hold your diapers and wipes to keep them together and from being torn apart while in the diaper bag. They come in tons of different fabrics and the best part is that they are only $14.99!!! Totally worth the money. Seriously. Like I said, UH-MAZING!!!!

5. Michael Miller's Carnival Bloom Fabric


Clearly, I have a problem. Ok, maybe not so clearly to anyone except my mom, Anthony, and Winn. Ansleigh's diapees and wipees is in the fabric (see above), her new bag tag for her new diaper bag, she has an outfit in it, and recently, I acquired a headband and a key chain from Winn!!! I'm kind of wanting to have everything I own in it. Well....maybe not everything but at least some more stuff. I don't just love it, I <3 heart <3 it!!!


That's all for now, come back next week (or whenever I am bored again) for some more favorites of mine. Also, I have a feeling that there is a post coming soon about stupid Alabama (the university, not the state). Ugh. I'm currently throwing up my mouth...stupid Georgia. Ugh.

Currently in LURRVE with...

In my fantasy world, I'm kind of like a celebrity of the mommy-blogger world (key word being fantasy) and you all are so enamored with me that you just HAVE to know what my latest obsessions are...lol.

Well in real world all this may not be true, but I've decided that for today, I will share a few of my latest current obsessions. :o) Enjoy!

1. Parents Magazine--I've been getting this magazine since before I was pregnant (I justified it by saying it would make me a better teacher...HA). I just got the most recent issue in the mail the other day and everytime I get a new one, I fall in love all over again! It has the BEST articles for those mommies who are idiots, like me. Need to know what kind of tummy-ache it is? Parents has the answer. Need to know when you should call the doctor? Parents has the answer. Need to know the best minivans, suvs, and cars for familys? Parents has the answer! Yes, I am in love.
2. Chez-Ami clothing--ok so yes, it is boutique stuff. Shocker, I know. Most of it is way too expensive, but just look how beautiful it is!!!!
3. Jon and Kate: Plus 8--Have you watched this??? It is hilarious and awesome and I am hooked.
4. 2008 Chevy Tahoe--go look at this thing. It is wicked awesome. That's right, I said it, wicked awesome.

Well that's all I'm going to share for now. Enjoy!!!

In LOVE

For quite some time I have been in love with these bumpy name labels!

They are amazing!!!!!!!!

Seriously.

You can put them on bottles, then sippy cups, water bottles, whatever! It keeps you from having to use sharpies on all your kids cups and then it wears off and...pain. Also, when several kids have the same bottles or sippy cups, your child's is easily found. Also, they are dishwasher safe and fit on pretty much anything. Amazing.

I'm a big fan, obviously. Everytime someone has a kid, I buy them these things.

Well, now I am an even bigger fan or at least I feel justified in my obsession because the sextuplets on Jon & Kate Plus 8 all have them!!!!!!

I've been watching that show a lot lately...ok, more than a lot, but that is beside the point. All the "little kids" as they refer to them, have those labels on their sippy cups! Yay!!!

I <3 them!