Lazy Sunday

p.s. this is my 300th post...hooray!

Sister Human

Over time my twin sister and I have come up with a nickname for each other when we write e-mails or thank you notes.

Dear Sister Human,

or

Dear Sister Homo Sapien, (when Kate feels her anthropology background shining through)

When we were little we owned every single one of the Bernstein Bear books.  Well, they called each other Sister Bear and Brother Bear.  As a joke we just tacked on our relationship to the type of animal we were. It stuck, and now that's how we address most everything to each other. I will start calling Martin, Husband Human.  

haha

I get to see my sister human in four weeks.

I can't wait, then we can be together again.

Our silly selves, laughing at what no one else thinks is funny.

But for now, we'll have to stick to writing eighteen e-mails a day... 

Today My Eyes Are Green

My eyes turn color.

Sometimes they're brown, sometimes they're hazel...but today they're green.

My mom has green eyes.

She's always lucky because no one can pinch her on St. Patrick's Day.

I like that as I get older I seem to have a little more of my mom in me.   

Toot Toot

I know I write a lot about Kindergarten and my students, but I don't write much about me as a teacher.  Do you even want to know?  Who knows, but I'm going to tell you anyways...haha (I crack myself up and five year olds too, they think I'm funny...)

I always feel funny, and I don't want to toot my own horn...EVER.  But lately I've been excited about the way my career has been going.   A couple years ago I was asked if I wanted to have my classroom be a literacy demonstration room (not just me, I'm so blessed to be in a school with incredible teachers everywhere you look!)  It would mean that teachers from other schools could come look in on my room as an example of what is expected.  This has led to so many other great things...being coached in literacy by a fantastic mentor teacher, being a part of the leadership committee...my assistant principal told me a couple weeks ago that my name was buzzing around the district!  It makes me speechless and so humbled to think that anyone would be talking about ME!   

I've really taken on my role as a Kindergarten teacher this year.  Last year everything was so new coming from fourth grade.  It took me a while to adjust to working with the little ones.  But I don't think I would ever go back.  I'm sticking with tattle tailing, singing with puppets, and getting sneezed on. 

I'm excited because this year I've taken on a few projects of my own to help my little students really grow and learn, I mean afterall, everything you need to know you learned in Kindergarten...which means my job must be pretty important! 

My newest project has been writing my own songs for our sight words.  I can't tell you how amazing my students' scores are this year!  I had one student join us later in the school year knowing 7 words.  In just one quarter he now knows 17 words! 

I'm telling you...music works, it's has amazing powers.  And it makes me happy.

 A few weeks ago I got an intern from the local university.  She's great and may end up being my student teacher next year.  I'm thrilled.  I love to teach and I want to teach someone who is learning to become a teacher.  I want to give her everything she needs to be successful, I want her to see that teaching is amazing and exciting.   Sometimes I think I want to go on to get my PhD and teach in a teaching program at a university...maybe someday. I get excited to think that I could help shape and mold someone to be something great in the educational world! 

Or maybe I'll write songs for sight words until I'm blue in the face and sell them for millions to an educational publishing company...hmmm that doesn't sound too bad.


I just want to be good at what I do.  Make a difference.  Even if it's through one little five year old who remembers that their kindergarten teacher told them that we want to have kind hearts and kind hands or not to eat the glue...you know, something that will make them a better person.

My One And Only

Today, I am remembering my vows to my husband.  He is my one and only love, my Valentine, my best friend. 

Today I join my life with yours. 

Not merely as your wife, but as the shoulder you can lean on,

the rock on which you rest,

your companion for life.

I promise to encourage and inspire you,

laugh with you and comfort you in times of sorrow.

I will love you faithfully in good times and in bad.

 When our love is simple and when it's in effort.

From this day forward I shall not walk alone.

I will grow old by your side as your love and best friend. 

As I give you my hand to hold, I give you my life to keep. 

Valentine's Day Brunch

Today we had a Valentine's Day celebration!

We headed over to my cousin's home to see my Aunt and Uncle and little second cousins!

It was a grand celebration full of sparkles, hearts, and cake!

The perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon! 

{p.s. I have the cutest cousins in the world}

Spring on a Snowy Day

I think I'm getting a little bit of thee ol' cabin fever.

With two "cold" days from school, then two more days off and then the weekend, I'd say I've left my apartment three times in the past 6 days. 

Martin said the other day, "I believe you are officially the definition of a shut in"

haha, awesome.

That may actually be so...but at least I don't have to wash many clothes this weekend because I stayed in my pajamas for six days straight and my hair got a nice break from my blow dryer (and shampoo...)

I am terribly sick of the snow. Which isn't good because more is coming.

We had Martin's family over for dinner last night to celebrate my mother-in-laws birthday!  She brought us such a beautiful bouquet of Spring flowers, like she knew it was just what I needed. They smell just like Spring.  And for dessert, Martin made lemon and lavender mousse for dessert which tasted just like Spring. And today at the grocery store I picked up a very minty green nail polish so my fingers could look like Spring. Maybe if I use the word 'Spring' in my blog post enough times it will magically become spring? No?

 Well then, how many more days until spring?

Chair

With another day off from school (hooray!) and no school tomorrow or Friday because of compensation days, I've had a little more time on my hands to finish a project I've been dying to show you!

A couple months ago I bought a chair for $25 at the Arc Thrift Store.  It was covered in awesomely hideous fabric, but I could see the potential underneath.  

My older sister and I carried my newest possession out to my car.

"I hope it fits!" I laughed.

yeah, no such luck.

For about fifteen minutes we waited patiently in the parking lot for my husband to come rescue us.  I'm pretty sure everyone who walked by thought we were big idiots who didn't think to measure a piece of furniture before buying it. Yeah, well they were probably right :)

A while later with the chair safely home, I thought about how I wanted to give this chair a face lift.  I wanted something vintage, yet modern at the same time.  Something that I could have for a long time. 

We went to a fabric store the size of Texas and searched up and down the rows of fabric.  I finally saw it.

Soft, golden, yellow, and velvety.

Perfect!

My sister and I have been working on my chair for a while now. We made up our own rules about how to put the chair back together again, using the finest tools available...like a spatula. 

Today I finally finished it. It looks pretty good for never having done this before! 

Being on a budget, this was the perfect way to get a new piece of furniture without spending very much money!

Chair: $25

Fabric: $30 (I spent a little more so I could get some good quality fabric)

Cording, Glue, Nails: $10

_________________

I love having surprise days off from school...you can finally catch up on life! 

My First Official Client...sort of :)

Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a veterinarian, a cleaning lady, and now most recently a receptionist at a church...I know I'm weird.

I used to play school all the time with my sister.  I loved it!  We would become our teachers, doing everything they did, saying everything they said.  We made desks out of boxes, assigned homework on the chalkboard. 

And I knew that when I got older that's what I wanted to be.

Teaching is my career...it's also my passion.

But recently I've figured out another passion of mine. 

Photography

Oh I've always loved taking pictures. My dad gave me his old Pentax when I was in junior high and my parents taught me how to use my new camera.  I would save up and buy filters for the lens and take roll after roll of black and white pictures of our family cat and my sister. 

But now when I take pictures, especially of people, I feel so happy! I can't explain it. It just feels like something I should do. 

Anyways, I'm in the process of setting up my own little photography business and I got my first e-mail today through my new official e-mail address :) 

Dear Jessica,

My boyfriend and I were wondering if you ever come to the clients.  We are currently living in Florida, but would love for you to take our pictures.  Would you be available on March 30^th?  We would love some pictures by the beach and near a grove of trees where the light turns orange in the afternoon. 

Is your price negotiable?  I cannot pay you in real money, but can offer you some snacks and some raspberry lemonade by our community pool. 

Please let me know if you are available at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Kate Redente 

Dear Kate,

I'll be there on the 30th to take amazing sunset beachy pictures of you and your boyfriend, just don't forget to come get me at the airport.  Oh and if you could order up some beautiful weather, instead of the yucky weather I experienced the last time I came to visit, that would be much appreciated.  As far as payment, I will suffer through lounging by the beach and pool as long as it means I get to see you :)

Sincerely,

your seester 

Yipee Skippy! Looks like I'm going to Florida!