49 lbs is what my suitcase weighed in...at home. Flying back from Thanksgiving I put it on the scale at the ticket counter at 6 a.m. and it was 57 lbs. My ultimatum was to either pay an extra $20 for an overweight bag or take something out. Well...lucky/unlucky for me I knew what I could take out. My new pyrex pans. Yes, I put glassware into my suitcase...it was worth running the risk of being overweight because then I had to carry the darn things in one of my carry on bags the rest of the day. This time I got lucky, the man lifted my bag and said, "oh, this isn't 50 lbs, you're good to go" and sent me to my gate without ever putting it on the scale. Merry Christmas to me!
I'm currently flying from Memphis to Minneapolis...I LOVE the holidays and sometimes getting free inflight wireless! Last year Delta offered free wifi on their flights. This year it isn't as great, but Ebay offers 30 minutes free if you enter an e-mail address. Yes, I'll definitely make up a new e-mail address every 30 minutes. Okay, I take that back, already got kicked off once--now I learned that I need to open a different web browser AND add a fake e-mail address every 30 minutes.
There are lots of children on this plane. Not babies...like 5 year olds.
So, a quick recap from Thanksgiving...although I think the only people that actually read this blog (my mom and grandma) already know these things. My November blues turned into November AND December blues...in the form of pneumonia. It was gross and I was disgusting. After I was finally able to breathe normally, I still had a head cold. For the most part that has cleared up...thank goodness. Better jump back on the gummy-vitamin train!
After Thanksgiving I was in Minneapolis/St. Paul for four more days doing interviews for new applicants. It was fun and I met a lot of great people! Minus being sick, it was a really great selection tour! By the time I got back to the Delta I literally had one full week of observations and meetings with teachers. Their quarters wrapped up this week and the majority of their time was spent giving 9 weeks test, preparing for Christmas programs/plays, holding holiday parties, and trying to keep kids calm and in control. I love the holidays, I DO NOT miss trying to manage children right before the holidays start.
I did a whirlwind Christmas shopping extravaganza this year. Literally. I went to the school on Tuesday to get names, sizes, and a rough idea of what kids would want. I shopped on Wednesday evening for several hours and got pretty much ALL of the toys and most of the clothing. Finished that up on Sunday afternoon, sorted everything Monday morning and a couple of gracious friends came over for dinner and to help wrap on Monday evening. Initially it was 16 kiddos (6 of whom I taught) but after I delivered presents this week I realized I had forgotten a couple of kids--or they were inadvertently left off the list because they weren't in elem school. So...back to the store I went and did some shopping for a 14 year old girl and two baby siblings of one of my former students. While I was at the school asking some of the kiddos what Santa was going to bring them, one of them (an 8 or 9 year old) was having a hard time coming up with anything. A sweet, sweet boy, he said, "well, I guess I hope that Santa will bring something nice that I can give my mom so she can have a blessed Christmas too." Oh my, yes sweet child, he will. Another one, who doesn't have a winter coat says, "hmm..at my grandma's house on Christmas she has this jar of chocolates that I really like. That would be something that I wish Santa might bring." I love them dearly and am so grateful to be given the opportunity to help them have a joyous, youthful Christmas. With that, I am so, SO grateful to anyone who has donated for these kids--whether it was this year or in the past. I wish you could meet each of them and know how big of an impact you have with such a simple gesture.
I want to close out with a pic of my two favorite kiddos from our adventures yesterday but apparently those pictures are still on my camera! Because yesterday was an early release day (they got out of school at 1)...I was able to pick them up and bake Christmas cookies quick before I left for the holidays! We had a HUGE mess in the kitchen, but it was amazing to see how great they were at rolling out the dough and decorating their cookies--especially compared to last year (that rolling pin was sought after but not effective in the least). We had a good time and I hope their 3 plates of cookies last until them until tomorrow or Monday :) I'll try and post a picture late this week!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! May your holidays be joyous and blessed! And that the real reason for Christmas is held in your heart. Yesterday when I asked the 7 year old what Christmas was celebrating he said, "Santa and Jesus." I'll live with that...
There are lots of children on this plane. Not babies...like 5 year olds.
So, a quick recap from Thanksgiving...although I think the only people that actually read this blog (my mom and grandma) already know these things. My November blues turned into November AND December blues...in the form of pneumonia. It was gross and I was disgusting. After I was finally able to breathe normally, I still had a head cold. For the most part that has cleared up...thank goodness. Better jump back on the gummy-vitamin train!
After Thanksgiving I was in Minneapolis/St. Paul for four more days doing interviews for new applicants. It was fun and I met a lot of great people! Minus being sick, it was a really great selection tour! By the time I got back to the Delta I literally had one full week of observations and meetings with teachers. Their quarters wrapped up this week and the majority of their time was spent giving 9 weeks test, preparing for Christmas programs/plays, holding holiday parties, and trying to keep kids calm and in control. I love the holidays, I DO NOT miss trying to manage children right before the holidays start.
I did a whirlwind Christmas shopping extravaganza this year. Literally. I went to the school on Tuesday to get names, sizes, and a rough idea of what kids would want. I shopped on Wednesday evening for several hours and got pretty much ALL of the toys and most of the clothing. Finished that up on Sunday afternoon, sorted everything Monday morning and a couple of gracious friends came over for dinner and to help wrap on Monday evening. Initially it was 16 kiddos (6 of whom I taught) but after I delivered presents this week I realized I had forgotten a couple of kids--or they were inadvertently left off the list because they weren't in elem school. So...back to the store I went and did some shopping for a 14 year old girl and two baby siblings of one of my former students. While I was at the school asking some of the kiddos what Santa was going to bring them, one of them (an 8 or 9 year old) was having a hard time coming up with anything. A sweet, sweet boy, he said, "well, I guess I hope that Santa will bring something nice that I can give my mom so she can have a blessed Christmas too." Oh my, yes sweet child, he will. Another one, who doesn't have a winter coat says, "hmm..at my grandma's house on Christmas she has this jar of chocolates that I really like. That would be something that I wish Santa might bring." I love them dearly and am so grateful to be given the opportunity to help them have a joyous, youthful Christmas. With that, I am so, SO grateful to anyone who has donated for these kids--whether it was this year or in the past. I wish you could meet each of them and know how big of an impact you have with such a simple gesture.
I want to close out with a pic of my two favorite kiddos from our adventures yesterday but apparently those pictures are still on my camera! Because yesterday was an early release day (they got out of school at 1)...I was able to pick them up and bake Christmas cookies quick before I left for the holidays! We had a HUGE mess in the kitchen, but it was amazing to see how great they were at rolling out the dough and decorating their cookies--especially compared to last year (that rolling pin was sought after but not effective in the least). We had a good time and I hope their 3 plates of cookies last until them until tomorrow or Monday :) I'll try and post a picture late this week!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! May your holidays be joyous and blessed! And that the real reason for Christmas is held in your heart. Yesterday when I asked the 7 year old what Christmas was celebrating he said, "Santa and Jesus." I'll live with that...
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