Really? Huh.

Everyone should watch the Youtube video above and giggle...then choose to still be friends with guys. And be okay with it.

Ms. Rogers, what's the suburbs?

Lately. What's been going on lately? Well, week one of Master's classes finished..a whole lot more to go. I'm definitely the youngest person / least experienced in the class. I didn't know it was going to be like that my entire life, but for now it is. I guess some day I will probably be longing for the days I was a newbie, but for now it'd be nice to feel like I knew what I was doing sometimes. Running has been going pretty well overall. I still don't like it or really enjoy it all that much, but it's not going terrible and I haven't quit yet and that's something. Ted and Jamie met us in Atlanta this past weekend for an NBA game, which was a great needed break from school and Franklin. I do love the city. I love the people watching, the food, the bright lights and just "magic" that sometimes feels like is hanging in the air. But, I've realized I don't think I want to live "in the magic". Not that I want to stay HERE forever, but I don't want to live in the middle of the city. How about the suburbs. I know, I know, I always saw myself in some cool city loft with a big girl job, an espresso, and be headed to Yoga class or something. But in reality I really do think I want to drive an SUV, take kids to practice, cook for the church pot luck, and sew ballet costumes. Wow. That's flipping lame, I know that's what you're all thinking. But I think suburbia is calling me home to my destiny. It might be unavoidable at this point. I mean, heck yes I'm still going to hit up the mall, scoff at pickled anything, ask people to correct their word pronunciations, wear too big of sunglasses and too much jewelry, view high heels as acceptable for any outing, and expect my restaurants to be open 7 days a week. But, I think I'm actually going to be very okay with the suburbs. I'll want to take my babies to see sporting events in different cities, visit far away family, and stop at the historical sites and signs on our way to go camping. Yep. I'm slowly envisioning the best dressed PTA member in my future ;) And that might just be okay. Someday. For now, I'll just be keepin' it fabulous in small town USA. 

A List of Love

I love lists. During college I was obsessed with my planner; I carried it absolutely everywhere. Anna would tease me because I would accomplish something and look to see if it was in my planner, if it wasn't I would quickly add it to my planner in order to check it off. I just feel accomplished seeing all the things I did during the day and it's fun to look back at all I've accomplished during the year. My friends Krissy, Aids, and Shan are fellow "planner lovers". We'd compare our planners and I'd secretly be jealous if they had found a cooler planner than me at the start of the year. As I started teaching my planner habit hasn't followed me nearly as closely. I now have a desk calendar I write everything on and enjoy seeing my whole month laid out in front of me. I've been thinking of some lists lately and here's one that returns to my thoughts often. I have friends and students who ask, "Why do you even like the city? What do you actually DO in Cincinnati?" And it's a good question. What would I show people if I could act as tour guide of "my city"? My list might not make the city's official endorsement, but it's what would be important to me. So, if I had a full day to tour the city and answer their questions here's my list:

1. Meet my family - my family is the absolute best thing in Cincinnati. This would include meeting my little cousins and doing what my family does best...just be together. Maybe we'd play some front yard football, shag balls at the field while my dad threw my brother batting practice, sit on the deck and talk, play board games, or just sit in the kitchen telling stories and laughing at each other.

2. Have a RAAWKS sleep over. I'm going to include a highschool sporting event in this category too. The football field or the gym is where my friends and I spent so many nights after school. And, I'd introduce everyone to all the teachers. CCS was seriously way more of a family than a school. Never thought I'd see that as such a good thing! Anyway, on the to the sleep over...Krissy would bring "The Sword" to drive us all and after spending some time highlighting someone's hair, eating Extreme Moose Tracks ice cream (arguing over who will bring "the tracks" and if the extreme or regular version is better), pretending Sid has an actual personality, driving to find where the guys are hanging out and toilet papering their car, and then arguing over watching a movie and finally just talking in Whit's kitchen everyone would have to agree...I have the absolute best friends in the entire world.

3. Go to "my Skyline" on Colerain. The old one. Where the people still give me bubble gum like they have since I was about 5 years old.

4. Head to a Reds game. We would sit in the "Top 6" as my dad calls them then move down (which always embarrasses me, but my dad and brother are pros at it)

5. UC basketball game with my dad like I used to when I was little.

6. Grater's ice cream. Because it's the best ice cream in the world. Duh.

7. Sledding with the neighbors on my backyard hill. We'd take off the wet snow suits (one piece because my mom thinks it's cool still) in the atrium and my mom would make chili and homemade hot chocolate.

8. Camp in the yard after a bonfire with friends.

9. Watch the Cincinnati Labor Day fireworks at Krissy's uncles with friends.

10. Go to the library. Ok, that one might sound stupid, but my mom took us to spend entire daaaays at the library. The librarians knew us by name. We even got invited to the Children Librarian's retirement party haha

There you have it. The top 10 reasons I love and miss Cincinnati. What a list :)

Do Hard Things

Ever realize this to be true? I mean, I know I have. As a "talker" I think I'm often guilty of saying so much that what I say doesn't have much meaning. Really though, if you want to know the truth, I get scared sometimes that I say so much "fluff" but miss out on the "deep".  I am easily embarrassed and care too much often times what people think of me. I give in. This is something that's changed in me over the last few years. I never used to give in. I thought I was always right, but somewhere along the road in the growing out of that stage (and yes, I know I was a pain in the butt then and I apologize) I grew into the phase of avoiding conflict and giving in. Sometimes the best qualities you gain also bring out some of the worst qualities. There's a fine line there between saying what you think and just giving in and putting up because conflict isn't worth it. But, as the quote says, I've realized it's often about more than whatever you're not saying. You're not saying something because there's so much more to be said. There's so much more that would come out that it's scary. I get scared easily when I don't know what's going to happen or how it's going to happen. Katie definitely got all the adventurous genes in the family! There's a book my mom loves called "Do Hard Things" and right now...I think there's a lot of hard things in my future. I guess I need to just do it.

I'm waiting on my copy of "The Happiness Project" to arrive from my mom and that got me thinking on what makes me happy. Now, I fully believe you're only as happy as you choose to be and that happiness really is a choice. But, the following things will turn a bad day into a better day regardless of how I feel. Also, there really is a difference between happiness and joy...it's a soapbox moment I could get on, but I'll save it for another day. One more thing, Kristen had a great post on happiness a few posts ago. I whole-heartedly agree with everything she says, and she's a much better writer than I am. My blog is super conversational and informal where as hers is very well put together. You can tell I work with 7th graders and she works in Marketing haha As I read her post, I couldn't help but realized how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends who think so closely to how I think. God's richly blessed me in the people category of my life! I'm thankful, so very thankful.  You can find her thoughts here: Kristen's Post

And now, the things that really do make me happy (although they may seem silly)

People who make me laugh

High heels, balloons, and baths. This is just a lot of happy!

Hydrangeas. Any color.

Snow!

Tutus and this makes me think of my sister

Ferris Wheels...although not rollercoasters

The little things going right

Dressing up

Cedarville Chapel

Ice Skating

High school football games

Anything pink

J-RAAWKS

Family game night (every Friday night)

Watching Josh catch

Dakotah. My time-share dog.

My birthday

The beach

Teaching!

Bonfires at Whit's

Cincinnati Labor Day fireworks

Preschoolers

Snowcones (Krissy had just had her wisdom teeth removed)

Stoney Creek coffee

Hanging out doing nothing at Whit's




I have a lot to be happy about!

Cheers to 2012

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful. And don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing (or dance!!! that's my plan!) or live as only you can. And I hope somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." - Niel Gaiman

Post-Christmas Break

Christmas break came juuuust in time because this girl was about done.  I didn't get to go home for Christmas in the first time since never. Maybe my next post should be all the things I missed by not going home. I could best capture if if my dad could send me some of the home videos of Christmases past. Each Christmas Eve we sit down, pull out the VHS tapes and watch old family videos of Christmastimes from when we were little. We laugh and laugh because our individual personalities are already so present and noticeable. I'll write more about that later.


Here's the new life adventure for you all to comment on: Vegan eating. Yep. I'm officially insane. A friend and I are going to do it for as long as we can bear because it's supposed to help re-align your body and cleanse it. Anyway, I'm nervous because we all know food / eating / cooking are all pretty much towards the top of my favorite things list. I think it'll be interesting to learn all the substitutions and such and am looking forwards to how I'll feel. I've already looked up all the soy protein and stuff and am actually getting excited. But, the other part of this is all the running I've been doing (which btw is a literal pain and no fun. I still, as stated in an earlier post, do not love running. Sigh, I wish I did) is the only way to keep from apparently allowing the soy thing to like store fat? Idk, I'm nervous I'll get super fat haha let's all cross our fingers I won't.

Well, it's college football bowl season so this is going to be a short post because I'm missing too much of the games! Hopefully another post will come soon.