Yo Mamma

A couple of days before winter break, I caught some students passing a note in class. There is a standard protocol most teachers follow in this scenario:
1)Take the note from the students and scold them for being disrespectful
2)Crumple up the note and throw it in the trash can by my desk...it's less gross
3)Go back and retrieve the note after class and read what the students were writing.

I followed all three steps and was rewarded with the following exchange of Yo Momma jokes:

Yo Momma is so old, she was in Jesus' yearbook

Yo Momma is so dumb, she tripped over a cordless phone

Yo Momma is so poor, she drives a peanut

Yo Momma's teeth are so yellow when she drinks water, it turns into lemonade.

I don't really understand the peanut joke, but the rest of these made me laugh. I was just glad to see that sometimes 8th graders are still innocent enough to be passing around silly jokes.

Christmas Wrap Up

Harper's first Christmas was a huge success. For the first time in about 7 years we didn't have to travel anywhere for Christmas, our family came to us.

Harper gave me the best present ever and slept in til 8:00. She hasn't slept that late in ages, and it was wonderful. Then Joe and I got up and we did our little family Christmas. Harper got to unwrap her presents from Santa.

Then our family showed up. We had brunch and began a second wave of presents. In true baby fashion, Harper loved playing in the box that her toy box came in more than playing with her actual toys.

True to form, my mom spoiled her. She got so many toys, we actually put some away to pull out in a couple of months.

It was such an enjoyable day. I loved spending time with family, and truly enjoyed spending the day with my daughter. I hope you all had a lovely holiday as well.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

The cookies are baked.

The presents are wrapped.

Harper doesn't know that tomorrow is any different from today, but we do and we are so excited.

It's going to be a crazy day considering we will have three rounds of present opening. First in the morning from Santa and Mom and Dad. Then with my family around 11. Then with Joe's parents in the early afternoon. Hopefully we can schedule naps between each round so Harper will always be happy and ready to rip paper.

Here's hoping you all have a very Merry Christmas and that you get everything you want this year.

15 minutes of fame

See if you can spot my little tv star.

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful...

But Harper doesn't seem to mind. She's got her snowsuit so playing in the snow is just another fun new thing she gets to experience. She thinks it's hilarious when Joe throws snowballs at the door to scare the cats. She loves to kick her legs and hear the sound her snowsuit makes when it rubs together. I love watching her experience all these new things.

Soupy Sunday

It's pretty chilly out, so I decided something with a little spice would really hit the spot. Here's my take on Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 small can green chilies

1 can tomato sauce

1/4 tsp, cumin *

1/4 tsp paprika*

1 1/2 tsp. taco seasoning*

1 quart chicken stock

2 chicken breasts

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

1 lime

shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips to garnish

* These are estimates on the spices. I usually dump into the palm of my hand what looks good and then add more later if needed.

Saute onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in olive oil until they are soft. Add can of chillies, tomato sauce and spices and stir together. Dump in diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add chicken breasts. Boil soup for 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is cooked. Pull it out and shred it, then add it back to the soup. Turn off the heat and toss in the cilantro. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and stir to incorporate. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cheese, sour cream and crushed tortillas.

How did it taste? It turned out really good. I was nervous as I was making it, because I tasted it as it was cooking and it was so spicy I was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat it at all. The lime juice at the end really helped cut the spice. It gave it a good tang. Joe and I wolfed this down, as Harper watched in envy. If you don't like spice, I definitely would suggest adding only one type of pepper.

Tip: If you're like me and don't like it when things that are supposed to be crunchy get soggy, crumble your chips in as you eat to keep them nice and crisp.

This would be a great soup to serve with some margaritas. I will definitely be getting some for next time.

Soupy Sunday

After a rough time last weekend, and missing a day of work, I needed a soup that was easy to make and easy on the stomach. This beef stew turned out perfect.

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

cubed beef stew meat

15-20 baby carrots chopped

3 potatoes, diced

1 onion, cut into chunks

2 sprigs rosemary

2 cans beef stock

2 cans water

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

I cut up all my veggies the night before. To keep the potatoes fresh I stored them in a bowl of water in the refrigerator. In the morning before work, I put all the ingredients in my crock pot. The beef cubes were still frozen. I turned it on low, and by the time I came home from work, I had a yummy stew waiting for me. I love when that happens.

Sneak Preview

So I finished my Christmas cards last night and reaped my reward of 50 free cards from Shutterfly. It was awesome. Here are some pics of Harper that didn't make the cut.

This is what Alanis Morrisette meant

by irony. In my quest eat more soup in the winter, I helped myself to a bowl of egg drop soup from P.F. Changs last night. Result: food poisoning. If I feel at all able to eat anything tomorrow, I might be back with a recipe for beef stew. Here's hoping I don't die.

Soupy Sunday

Every winter I get serious hankerings for soup...but I'm always too lazy to make anything on my own and end up eating lots of canned soups. Well I vowed this winter I would make more soups homemade, and what better way to help encourage me to keep my vows than by making it a weekly "feature" on my blog. My goal is to make one soup a week through February and share the recipes and results with you here. So for the first installment...

Turkey Noodle Soup
My In-laws were coming in to town today, so I thought I'd put the leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving to good use.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion
15 baby carrots
3 celery stalks
2 cloves of garlic
5-7 sprigs of fresh rosemary
leftover turkey gravy
1 carton plus 1 can chicken broth
2 cans water
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 pkg. egg noodles
leftover turkey cut into chunks
salt and pepper to taste

I began by sauteing the carrots, onions, garlic and celery in a little bit of oil until the carrots started softening a little. Then I added 3 large spoonfuls of turkey gravy I had leftover from Thanksgiving and melted that in. Then I poured in the chicken broth and let the veggies simmer until soft. While they were simmering, I boiled the noodles in a separate pot until they were al dente. (I read that this will keep them from getting mushy in the soup)
Once the carrots were soft, I added the frozen corn and the turkey. I realized I wouldn't have enough liquid, so I added two cans of water. Once everything had warmed through I tossed in the precooked noodles and served with rolls and cranberry sauce.

The Verdict: It turned out pretty delicious. I didn't have a recipe I was following, I was just shooting from the hip, so I was pleased with the taste. The turkey gravy added a great rich flavor that I don't think I would have gotten with broth alone. All the veggies and the noodles made it very filling. This was definitely a winner and a great use for all that leftover turkey.

So Thankful

It was rainy and dreary outside, but thanks to a warm fire, smiling baby, and loving family it was a wonderful Thanksgiving inside.

Harper loves the fire. She just stares at it watching it crackle away.

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a beautifully roasted turkey.

Harper was not a fan of the turkey (This was just a photo op...she was very girly and didn't even want to touch the "icky" leg). She tried a few small pieces, but just hasn't gotten the hang of eating things that don't automatically mush in her mouth. We'll keep trying though because I refuse to puree meat. It grosses me out.

Pumpkin Pie = Win!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.

I'm a total sucker...

for those photo cards people send at the holiday time. They are so cute, and I love getting pictures of people. I've also been awed at how easy it is...no need to sit and think of creative things to write inside a traditional card...that takes me forever.

So why, you ask, have I never done one myself before? Sheer laziness obviously. Well this year, I told myself I had to do them so people could get pictures of Harper. When I found out about Shutterfly's 50 free cards for people who blog about Shutterfly...well naturally I figured I would take advantage. So here I am, shamelessly plugging Shutterfly and their adorable collection of Christmas cards. I was amazed at how many different kinds there were. They have all different shapes and colors. I love the 5by5 cards, but I'm too cheap to pay for extra postage. These are my top two faves, and hopefully one of them will by my holiday card this year. They both have room for some cute pictures. Hopefully I can get Harper to cooperate and smile pretty on Santa's lap.

Thank you Shutterfly, for this awesome promotion.

Everything I know I learned in Kindergarten

My students however seemed to have missed the goals of the lessons that year. Here is a sampling of what they can't do:

• Tell you the difference between a consonant a vowel. We were playing hangman as a review game and I told a student he needed to pick a consonant...I was rewarded with a blank stare.
• Skip count by ten. As in 24, 34, 44, etc. I was trying to help a student, whose math skills aren't the greatest since we were trying to add by twelve and she couldn't do that. SO I suggested that she add ten and then two. We started with 48...ad ten and you get...yet another blank stare.
• Color inside the lines. For their social studies class they have to create these picture pages depicting what they are learning with visuals. I was helping a student in study hall and he was coloring his drawing of the original 13 colonies...I couldn't tell where land ended and water began.
• Use a ruler. We've been studying linear relationships in class, so naturally they need to draw straight lines. From previous experience I know not to expect them to do this without assistance, so I keep rulers available. Somehow the lines they draw would be straighter if they didn't use a ruler.

I'm scared that these kids will one day be expected to be contributing members of society.

Day 30 - A Picture

When I was searching through all my photos during this whole blog challenge I came across this one that I hadn't seen in a while.


I have to say the smile that spread across my face actually hurt. This is Emily and I in Newport, Kentucky all dolled up to go to the Haufbruahaus. This picture brings back some great memories and for me is a fabulous way to wrap up this 30 day challenge. These past 30 days have really driven home the important role my friends have in my life. Many of them read this blog, so to you all I say the following things:

• Thank you so much for everything you've ever done for me.
• I am truly blessed to have you all.
• Kanye is better than Eminem.
• Neal is still the funniest person I know.

Day 29 - 3 wishes

Hmmmmm....

1. I wish the Bengals didn't suck so much. It is painful to watch them play knowing how much we pay for our season tickets.

2. I wish my stupid cat would stop trying to escape out of the back door or I might be forced to follow through on my threat and just leave her out there.

3. I wish someone would invent self vacuuming carpets. I hate to vacuum, but since Harper spends all her time on the floor, I'm forced to do it everyday.

I don't think any of my wishes will be coming true any time soon.

Day 28 - Something that Stresse me out

I try not to sweat the small stuff...as clique as that is. I don't typically have a lot of stress in my life, and when I do it's usually related to work. The thing that stresses me out most of all is making sub plans. It is the hardest thing to make plans for someone else to teach your students, especially when most subs can't even manage to teach 8th grade pre-algebra. Typically their math skills don't extend far beyond what a 4 operation calculator can do. I try not to be absent from work very often, but with all the professional development I'm involved in, plus all the things life has been throwing at me, I was out for what totalled to a week in the month of October. Not good. I have no plans to be out again up through Christmas Break, so I won't have to face the bear of sub plans again until then

Day 27 - Pets

Two years ago some students found a stray cat outside of the school where I work. The secretaries were going to send the cat to a shelter, and I felt bad about that so we decided to take the cat in. That gave us Marvin.

When we got the cat, we weren't sure what gender it was. So we went with Marvin for the name. Well about a month later, I noticed Marvin getting quite fat and her stmach was hanging all low...sure enough SHE was pregnant. She produced a litter of 4 kittens. We found homes for three of them and kept the runt for ourselves. That gave us Boomer.

Both cats have very unique personalities. Boomer will do things he know he's not supposed to, just to get attention. This has gotten worse now that Harper has joined the family. In the end, they are both very loving cats. They give Harper a wide berth, but she loves them. Her face lights up when they enter the room. For that reason, we dressed her as a black cat for Halloween. So for one day we had 3 black kitties in our house.

Day 26 - Picture of my Family

Here's a picture of my Mom, Dad, Sisters and I at my wedding.

The Family I'm building today.

Just today I asked Joe "Do you think we're good parents?" I'm not sure why this came to me. I'm confident I'm making the best decisions for my precious baby that I am capable of making. I am so thankful every day that I've reached this place in my life. I have a FANTASTIC husband, a beautful baby girl, a supportive family, and the best damn group of friends a person could ever hope for.

How is it that a simple blog challenge can make me so sappy?

Shuffle up and Deal...

The first 10 songs that show up when my iPod is shuffled
1. Bowling for Soup - 1985
2. Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey
3. Busta Rhymes - Fire it Up
4. Elton John - Rocket Man
5. Barenaked Ladies - Alternative Girlfriend
6. O.A.R. - Tragedy in Waiting
7. Kanye West - Workout Plan
8. The Cincinnati Bengals Fight Song
9. Aerosmith - Walk This Way
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Parallel Universe

Yup..that's a pretty good representation of the eclectic selection of music I listen to.

Catching Up

In an effort to catch up on the 30 day blog challenge I will now give you 13 days in one sentence answers...

Day 11-Favorite tv shows - My two can't miss shows are Modern Family and Vampire Diaries

Day 12-What you believe - I believe that the best thing you can do is be a good person...everything else will fall into place

Day 13-Goals - Short term - make it through the week without strangling a student

Day 14-A picture you love

Day 15-Bible verse - To be perfectly honest I don't have a verse I could quote.

Day 16-Dream house - I'd love to pick up my current house and move it into a better school district...that would be a dream

Day 17-Something you're looking forward to - Thanksgiving...as my husband says, it's all about food and football and you don't have to buy gifts.

Day 18-Something you regret - not keeping in better touch with friends throughout the years

Day 19-Something you miss - My best friend...seeing her this weekend, especially under such sad circumstances really made me ache...sometimes I wonder how I'm surviving without her.

Day 20-Nicknames - Nikki I guess...shortened from Nicole

Day 21-Picture of yourself -

Day 22-Favorite city - Of all the places I've been...I think my favorite is Munich. It's so laid back and there's beer on every corner

Day 23-Favorite vacation - Last summer's Europe trip with Hubs...plus I brought back a baby as a souvenir!

Day 24-Something you've learned - That there is nothing more important in life than people who love you. With love you can do anything.

I know this wasn't as good as doing them daily, but now that I'm caught up...I plan on completing the rest of the days individually.

A Tribute

Today the world lost one of it's wonderful people. My best friend's Mom passed away. Donna was such a wonderful person. There wasn't any one who met her who wasn't instantly her friend. She was always smiling, always laughing, and always had a wonderful memory or story to share. My memories of Donna start in 1999, but I feel like she's been a part of my life forever. She was the "cool mom" who took us out shopping, to dinner, on the boat (although we weren't allowed to listen to any of our m-fer rap). She let us celebrate my bachelorette weekend with her. She hit on young guys in Chicago. She listened to the whole of what you had to say. She made you feel special and important and supported every decision or choice you made because she had confidence that you were making that right one. She empowered you to always be the best at what you were doing. She loved football, and food, and wine, and her idea of a good time was spending quality time with friends and family. I am truly blessed to have had her as part of my life, and although my time with her was far too short, I will always treasure the impact she had on my life.

I will always love you and miss you Donna!

Six Months

Happy Half-Birthday Harper! I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. Today, as she bent over and picked up her piano and flipped over to play upside down, because she likes it better that way...well that just goes to show how far she has come.
Milestones for her 6th month:
She got and survived her first major cold
She finger painted at daycare
She's expanded her food repertoire to include peas, carrots, and pears
She still doesn't like bananas
She zoomed all around Grandma's house in a walked chasing the dogs
She eats solids two times a day
She examines things before putting them in her mouth, like she's trying to figure out how they will taste

Keep growing my little pumpkin head.

Day 10 - Something I'm afraid of

So I thought about this a while and I came up with something I am truly afraid of...I cannot walk down stairs when it's dark.

I get freaked out for so many different reasons...I might fall...what might be at the bottom...I can't count the number of times I've freaked out even going down the three stairs in my backyard if it's too bark out. I literally have to talk myself out of a spaz attack when I have to go down stairs without light.

So there you go...It's pretty weird, I admit.

Day 9 - Picture of my friends

Here are a few of my faves.


OSU National Championship Victory in 2003


Green Bay vs. Bengals 2009

The Wolf Wedding 2008

Hocking Hills 2005

Day 8 - Places I've traveled

If I listed all the places I've traveled, this would be a very long post. So I'm taking a liberty with today's topic and putting two places I would like to travel, but haven't yet been.

NYC

That's right...this well traveled lady has never been to New York City. It's on my short bucket list of places I want to go. Who knows when I'll get there...but someday soon I hope. Top on my list to do there is a Broadway show, picnic in Central Park and shopping for knock offs.

Ireland

I'm thinking this will be a good family trip when Harper's older. If Joe gets his way, and saves up the money, we will be spending an entire summer in England in about 7-8 years, so we'll definitely have to head to the Land of the Lochs when we are there.