"I'm only fooling myself/ ... But maybe when you smile/ It means you'd stay a while"

You would think being the youngest of five that I would have a tough skin about being teased because I had four siblings to harass me growing up. It's actually quite the opposite-- I can't handle it and hate it when I'm teased/left out of the joke/ whatever. So it's very hard for me to laugh at myself. But I'm getting better at it! Example:

A few weeks ago I was walking into Target behind a woman and couple of teenagers were a ways behind me. I was walking just closely enough behind the woman that the automatic door sensor apparently didn't pick up on my presence (or I'm just that thin. Kidding! I wish). So as I'm walking in, the doors start to close even though hey, I'm walking here. And I think, well they are going to reopen right? As I have this thought, the doors continue to shut and I actually had to pull my head back as not to get my nose pinched in the doors. Awesome. Like I said, there were these teenagers behind me but I had to take a few steps back to activate the sensor. It was rather embarrassing but I just said with a feigned hurt voice "It rejected me." a la Stuart from MadTV. They laughed. I laughed. I grew up a tiny bit. Yeah for improvement!

Almost missed today! 5/5 bloggities. :)

"And I won't forget the men who died/ Who gave that right to me"

Happy Veteran's Day! It seems only appropriate that today I profess my love for the masterpiece that is Band of Brothers. Everyone in my family has ragged on me for not watching this miniseries before. But back when it was actually on tv oh ten years ago, we had to record it on a VHS (old school!) for my brother and I happened to see the one part where a guy is run over by a tank. And I was DONE. Traumatized. Never watching it. Ever.

I don't know what made me come around a few months ago but something did and I watched it and I LOVED it. Not just LOVED it but loved loved loved loved LOVED it. It is SO good. The interviews with the real life older men made me cry every single time. I want meet Dick Winters! But sadly he is no longer accepting fan mail. Sigh. But he is amazing as is every other member of Easy Company and any other man or woman who has donated their services to our country and defended our freedom. Thank you!

Now Hanks and Spielberg teamed up again to document WW2 from the other side of the world for The Pacific. Of course we would cancel our HBO subscription mere weeks before it aired. And just the other day I thought, "Man I wonder when that is going to come out on DVD?" because I'm still so early 2000s where I think it takes almost a year for stuff to pop up on dvd/video (do they even make VHSs anymore? seriously?). But what did I happen to see at Borders when I was shopping the other day (hey neighbor JPT :) )? The Pacific now on dvd? Did I have to resist the urge to buy it right then and there? Yes. Did I risk being late to work to run over to Target to see if it was on sale during the first week of release? Yes, yes I did. Did I miss the first week of release by a day and surely miss out on a sweet deal? Yes, yes I did.

But when I bought my own copy of Band of Brothers a few months ago, I also got Part One of the Pacific as a fun bonus/incentive. Perhaps I shall watch it and judge if I should buy it all. That sounds like a plan. But knowing me, I am going to love it. But I'm okay with that.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

You know how some people hate the Christmas decorations are popping up already? I'm not one of those people. Before Halloween, tacky, but right now, I'm okay with it!

I went shopping at one of those fancy outdoor malls today and they had busted out the decorations. Huge red, shiny ornaments, wreaths everything... love it! My family used to live in Tucker and you knew it was Christmas time when they put the tinsel/light combination decorations in the shape of candles, wreaths, and snowflakes on the telephone poles. And I saw one in a shopping center on my way home from work the other day! Ah, nostalgia.

I think college kind of kills Christmas for you. Because the few weeks before Christmas you are hunched over textbooks, downing coffee, and either taking exam after exam or playing the horrible waiting game until your one. You can't do much with your friends cause you all have exams on different days and obviously you're away from your family. And then even when finals and papers are all done, you are absolutely spent. And then you have to find time in the few days before the actual holiday to shop for your million relatives (if you're like me). Plus these days, you only get like 2 weeks off when I swear my siblings were home for two MONTHS when I was in elementary school. Maybe it was switching from quarters to semesters but still. Of course it would change when I finally get to college. So, yeah, college kind of killed Christmas for me.

And Christmas kind of sucked last year even though I was done with college. Which meant I was unemployed and broke and had no way of buying presents for my family. I felt awful not being able to so I feel like I never really got into the Christmas spirit. But I've got a job this year and I am getting so excited (plus all my family will be here since my sister and her family are moving back to Atlanta after being in Seattle for the last two years! YAY!) but I feel like I need to hold off until at least after Christmas.

And maybe since I already did my lesson plans for December and I know how we are going to have a Jelly Bean Day and decorate christmas cookies and make milk carton gingerbread houses I am already in that state of mind. All I know is, I can't wait to break out the Charlie Brown Christmas cd to listen to while the kids have free time. Woo hoo!

Sort of a random post but I'm a little tired and still wanted to stick to my goal. 3/3!

"We'll be young forever/ You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream"

Oh ye of little faith. You thought I couldn't do it huh? But I'm back, baby!

Like I said, the reason I am not writing as much is because I am literally exhausted at any given point during the day. But I really am enjoying my job. I complain about issues with the kids but I am trying to remember that they are three years old and not little teenagers. Because in between wiping booties, cleaning off boogers, smelling little kid toots ALL day, and telling the kids to stop running/ spitting/ screaming, etc, there are some pretty cute moments that make it worth it.

My job is at a church so the kids have a bible verse to learn every month. And let me tell you, these kids have it down by the second or third day of going over it. Last month's was, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Deuteronomy 31:6" and some of my kids use it in everyday life. One of the moms told me that there was a scarily decorated house on Halloween and her husband wanted to take at least their older son trick or treating there. One of my threes said she wanted to go too but the mom told her she would be too scared. And the girl busted out, "But mom! Remember! Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid. Deuteronomy 31:6." Real world application people! And yes, she did go to the house but apparently it was really scary and she and the older brother high tailed it out of there. Still, A for effort.

Oh same little girl, different story: Her one year old sister was fussing one morning and she apparently said, "Don't worry mom, I got this. Bring it down, sis. Bring it down" *along with downward hand motions*. At least I'm not screaming at them to shut up, right?

One day I was trying to teach my kids something, probably opposites or rhyming, I don't remember. But whatever it was, they were doing a good job at understanding it. So sometimes I am delirious and enthusiastic and make a BIG deal of them getting stuff right. So I jokingly told them we should just march right next door and put them in the Pre-K cause they are clearly too smart for my little threes class. One little boy said "No! We don't want to! We want to be in your class!" It was very sweet. They also told me today, most of them still want to be in my class when they are twenty-five years old. Awww.

Another little girl constantly tells me that I'm "still her best friend". Even when she told me the very first time, it was "still", but I'll take it.

And last but not least: the other day, a little girl yelled out from her position on the potty, "Ms Annie!" I was literally reaching for the "wipies" as I asked her "What?" and got a very unexpected response: "I just love you so much" she called back. The girl I work with looked at me and said, "Those are the moments that you'll remember forever." And I will. Especially since I wrote it down in this post. :)

Two bonus potty quotes:

Me: Guys, you've really GOT to stop with the spitting. I can't take it anymore.

K (without missing a beat): And the tooting.

One kid's, ahem poopy, is frequently a shade of a unique color.

Me (muttering to myself as I wipe them): What in the world could you possibly have eaten?

Little kid (very matter of fact): Pickles.

"Please don't be in love with someone else/ Please don't have somebody waiting on you"

The book I finished reading today had a kid in it who talked about blogging a lot. This reminded me of my little blog that has pretty much been all but abandoned these last few months. I'm sorry but honestly I am exhausted 24/7. However I am going to try harder to get back into writing on here. I want to make a big gesture and say a post a day for 30 days but I don't know if I can commit that much. But it's my over-the-top-goal. Plus, I am getting back into editing the book so maybe that will help me want to write on here as well.

So as a baby step back into the blogging world, in the final few hours of this Monday, I present a Music Monday! Woo! Woo! Five songs currently on repeat on my iPod:

1. I Was Wrong -Sleeperstar. I'm a music supervisor's dream. I fall for songs all the time cause they are used on these teen shows and they just fit the moment SO perfectly that I become obsessed and practically trip over my feet running to the computer to download it. This was used on the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries. Say what you will, but that show is awesome. And this scene. Sigh. Ian Somerhalder deserves an Emmy. The single tear. The emotional swell in the music. Sigh. I love him. And, you know, the show too. But really him. He may have finally swayed me to Team Damon. I know, I was shocked too.

2. Enchanted -Taylor Swift. I was extremely excited for Taylor's third album and this is the standout favorite in my approximately 100 listens thus far. But I also love Haunted, Better Than Revenge, and Innocent. Pretty much 9-12 on the album are golden.

3. Dancing On My Own -Robyn. Yeaaaahhh.... it might have been used on Gossip Girl. Whoops. I'm a sucker for the CW apparently.

4. The Ballad of You and I -Melee. This was either a Single of the Week on iTunes, a Starbucks pick, or a Discovery Download on the iPhone. Either way, I got it for free and I am LOVING it. It's a band I might be willing to take a risk on and download the entire album. But I freaking love this song this much that it bodes well for the rest of the songs.

5. I am preemptively saying "Teenage Dream" by Glee feat. Darren Criss on tomorrow's episode. I don't listen to them before the episode airs cause that's like reading the ending of the book first. You gotta save the best for last. But based on last week's preview, it's gonna be totally awesome. Speaking of totally awesome, Darren Criss was the star of A Very Potter Musical and Sequel on Youtube. I already professed my love once but the kid kind of blows Daniel Radcliffe out of the water. I luff him. He is amazing and I may have shrieked when I learned via Twitter that he was going to be on Glee. And while I fought liking Teenage Dream by Katy Perry for a long time, I eventually had to give in. And I am rather obsessed but Darren's version might take the cake. We shall see.

Okay, that wasn't so hard. See you tomorrow.... hopefully! :)