sunrise. sunset.

Just flew back "home" to Savannah for the last time.  The next time my airplane lands here I hope to be visiting old friends.  I won't be a local, won't be sleeping in this apartment, and won't have a 31405 zip code.  I'll be a Texan.  And to be totally honest, I'm pretty damn excited, you guys.

There are so many changes going on right now that I am really struggling to process it all.  I am afraid it is all going to happen so fast here in the next couple of weeks that I won't realize it's over until I'm in the car with my mom headed back west.  This week is our last 4 days of third grade, I am going to be putting everything in my apartment and classroom into boxes that I won't see until August, I will be living in limbo in the LBK for a while, still have no idea who I am going to live with, meanwhile several weddings, fun family trips and girls weekends await me.  I am really REALLY trying to remind myself that it's all going to get done - even though I mostly feel like it's never going to end. :)

I wanted to post that great picture above I took on the plane today.  Sometimes the smallest things can remind us of the bigger picture.  Have I mentioned that I'm a sucker for a good sunset?  There's something special about the sun.  I think it's pretty amazing that every single day it comes back up and we get to have a fresh start.  I also can't help but hum the song from Fiddler on the Roof (such a good movie!) that Reb Tevye and his wife sing to their daughter at his wedding.  My father loves to bust out with this sort-of-sappy song on our birthdays.   It's cheesy but awesome and definitely expresses how I cannot BELIEVE that I am an adult sometimes.

(Tevye)
Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?

(Golde)
I don't remember growing older
When did they?

(Tevye)
When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?

(Golde)
Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?

(Men)
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

(Women)
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

(Tevye)
What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?

(Golde)
Now they must learn from one another
Day by day

As far as growing up and watching your family change, I had such an amazing time with my fam this weekend watching my baby brother graduate from high school!




I remember when we were kiddos and we would play the "Guess How Old We Will Be When......This Happens" game and it is crazy that one of the milestones we have talked about since 1992 took place this weekend.  My parents are about to become empty nesters.  My brother is a Longhorn.  My sisters and I cannot believe how old it makes us feel.

I will post more graduation weekend pictures soon, promise! I have also taken a ton of very cute classroom pictures so that I can remember my kiddos and will have a LOT more time to write and reflect this summer, that's for sure!

Last week of school! Wish me luck!

wilson phillips

I know, I know.  Another blog about a song that's a total blast from the past.

Some may see this as an over-played jam.  To others, it might prove to be a classic.

Either way, don't deny that you totally know all of the words.

The movie "Bridesmaids" has this song stuck in my head tonight.
And of course, the lyrics are deep and meaningful, which helps.

Here are a few token lines:
No one can change your life except for you
Don't ever let anyone step all over you
Just open your heart and your mind

You've got no one to blame for your unhappiness
You got yourself into your own mess
Lettin' your worries pass you by
Don't you think it's worth your time
To change your mind?


Also, please go see the movie.  You will laugh your butt off.  You might even pee your pants.

NOT to mention that this gent is preeeeetty handsome.

Doesn't hurt to have a total hunk in a chick-flick that is NOT a sappy chick-flick.  And to be honest, it's one of the funniest movie I've seen in a while.  Let's just say it brightened up my Monday. :)

virginia is for lovers.

It's hard to believe that four years ago, the class of 2007 walked across the Lawn at the University of Virginia in our caps and gowns, donning balloons, sunglasses and huge grins.  While everyone else had panic attacks, interviewed for jobs, and put their boxes in the back of the car, I stayed behind for an extra year of student teaching and coursework so that I could complete my Masters and get certified to teach.  I remember what a horrifying feeling it was to go through this transition in a gray blur - not quite out of college, not quite in the real world yet, friends leaving left and right while I stood on the sidewalk and waved as they drove away.

While I knew it was a blessing to have another year in C'ville, to have time to transition out of student and into grownup, I remember feeling really devastated that June.  Little did I know I was about to see a whole other side of Charlottesville and that I would have a second go-round with making a new group of pals that I would consider not only confidants and side kicks, but my teaching peers and best friends.

As Gray put it best, "I never thought I'd say this, but thank god for Tiny House."  Without 1414 Gordon Avenue, my life as both an undergraduate and graduate student in Charlottesville would have been drastically different.

Ok, have you ever seen the Geico commercial where the couple has outgrown their newlywed digs and they live in this world that resembles something from Alice in Wonderland where they hit their heads on the ceiling?

Yes, that is the place where I spent two years of my college career.  It was more importantly, the place where the magic happened:

After I lived in it with these ladies -

I moved in with some "new" friends.  Girls I had classes with, girls I had hoped to get close to, and girls who would also be getting up to go and teach at 5:45 a.m. with.  That's right - it was a house full of teachers.  And yes, we took pictures on the first day of school in our outfits.

The first day of school.  TRUE teachers call this the "FDO" or "First Day Outfit."

While the house was definitely TOO SMALL, our friendship and bond was a HUGE part of my first year in a classroom.  Being surrounded each morning and evening by the camaraderie of these ladies, their positive encouragement, and having their shoulder to lean on made my first experience as Ms. C so incredible.  We found a great balance between going to bed at 8:45 some weeks and treating ourselves to a long, drawn out happy hours during others.  We planned lessons together, unsuccessfully tried dieting together, cut out tons of shapes and letters while watching Project Runway each week on tv, cooked huge meals together (hence why our diets failed!), and kept each other sane.

I loved spending Saturday mornings (sleeping in until 8:00 because our bodies were so used to the early mornings!) running to Bodos and getting back under the covers to snuggle, look at engagement rings on our laptops, gush about our boyfriends, and also wondering about where our job searches would take us at the end of our practicums.

We celebrated our last night as student teachers at The Melting Pot, went to Foxfields in style, prayed for Tyler to get her dream job in India, and have kept in touch across the globe via Skype, and through busy stressful times it feels so good to get an email from a fellow teacher who is also about to pull their hair out in the days before Winter Break. :)  Moving to Savannah really showed me who my life long friends would be - who would make an effort to keep in touch, who was going to be there for me through break ups and difficult low points, and these two girls still call me each week to see how I am holding up.

I was on the couch with Gray the first time Barrett took Tyler on their blind date, and loved spending time with Wiley and Gray at every football tailgate.  I will never forget the months Tyler was abroad when Gray and I anxiously waited for her to come back so that Mr. B could pop the question, and a few months later Wiley cornered Tyler and me Homecoming weekend on our way to winetaste to let us know he had a ring for Gray as well.

Tyler got married last summer to the handsome Mr. Barrett and this summer it's Gray's turn to tie the knot with Wiley.  I love both of these men and think the world of these couples.  I hope to find my Mr. Right and can't wait to ask both of these women to be my bridesmaids one day!

 Tyler's rehearsal in Richmond last June. 

I got back tonight from Gray's Bachelorette weekend.  This trip was a blast as we celebrated Gray's last few nights out on the town as a single lady in Virginia Beach.  It was so nice to get away from Savannah and the stress of this move and to have some chill beach time.  In true Gray fashion, we spent lots of time snuggling in our jammies, and lounging around on the sand.  It could not have been more perfect.

We sipped champagne and ate cupcakes while Gray opened her lingerie shower gifts,

we enjoyed beers on the back deck at an oyster bar while the sun set over the bay,

we sat on our matching Target beach towels and sang along to girly pop songs that came on our iPods and talked about our families and jobs - our conversations resembling those Bodo's mornings from Tiny House,

and we giggled ourselves silly about everything under the sun.

There are so many things I am constantly reminded of whenever I am in Virginia.  The sandwich I ordered twice from Taste was a total house dressing moment akin to the Take It Away I filled myself with each week on the Corner,

and the moment I pulled up to the hotel in my lovely rental car ride from Budget,

what song was playing on the radio? Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel.  Of course.  The swoony anthem of choice for the handsome Virginia Gentlemen who used to serenade us on Wednesday nights at Dorm Sings.  (Raise your hand if you still remember the hand claps.)

But nothing can top the sheer lovwee time I got with my Tylah and Graybay.  It's like we still live in those gross upstairs bedrooms.  As if we still use the bathroom I locked myself in after I got into fights with my college boyfriend, still sit on that couch where Tyler would bring me snacks and we would order pizza late-night.  I can still picture the three of us climbing in Gray's bed and falling asleep with the TV on, talking until the wee hours of the morning during our spring semester.  Nothing tops trekking it to the Curry building to listen to another lecture with bagels and coffee in hand.

The weekend was definitely not long enough - Tyler and I held hands last night when it was time for bed, and hugging Gray today made me so sad we don't live closer.  However, I never worry about the next time I see them, because I know these are girls I will be in touch with for the rest of my life.

Congrats, Gray.  I lovwee you. 

wednesday + wine

Just got home from one of those weeknights that really feels like a weekend even though it's not.  One of those nights where you forget for a second that you have to get up before the sun the next day.  One of those times where you should be in bed on time but instead you lose track of time.

A few of my girlfriends and I went to dinner on Monday night and we were talking about the things I have to do before I leave.  A to-do list of last hurrahs and repeated favorites that I need to fit in before my time here ends.  Which restaurants do I have to try?  Which restaurants do I have to go back to one more time?  Which fun things have I yet to sign myself up for?  Who do I have to see?  I would say that my Sunday bike ride was on the list, as was the Cinco de Mayo cooking class and the weekly-Glee-viewing night tradition I have started this month with Miss Vic.

Tonight, when I got home I realized that I had checked off a few bucket list items without even planning on it.  

The background of this story is that I live in a tourist town.  There are lots and LOTS of touristy things to do in Savannah, things that people plan their whole spring break around, places that people talk about on television ("Paula Deeeeeeeen is from heeeeeeeeeeeere, y'all!), and when I drive to work there are people dressed in Civil War outfits and horse-drawn carriages causing traffic jams.  THAT'S how touristy it is, K?

I think that when I first moved here I was pretty smitten by it all - wanted to show my southern pride, wished I had a thicker accent, swore I would get on a trolley one day to learn everything there was to soak up, and probably asked my ex-boyfriend to take me on a midnight carriage ride at some point (before I realized that the horses smell like pee).  Ok so after 3 years here have I done ANY of that?  Have I taken a single tour of a historic home?  Have I learned about any of the history that surrounds me?  Have I learned any famous ghost stories to tell visitors?

The answer is yes and no.  One of the things I will NEVER forget about Savannah is the fact that I moved here as a Texan and had to teach myself Georgia history in order to teach it to my second graders.  (In a nutshell, they don't care about the Alamo at all.  I know!  Rude.)  True, I do have a wealth of random historical knowledge that 7 year olds find cool, and sometimes find myself sharing it in social situations, but do I take advantage of the things that my city has to offer?  Not really.  I mean people come here for all kinds of holidays (who could forget St. Pattys?) and there is definitely "high tourist" time going on currently when all of the locals and residents of any neighborhoods near downtown avoid it like the plague, and what have I been doing to enjoy Savannah?  Nothing, really.  

Until tonight.  Tonight I was a true southerner.  I tasted fine wines in a private garden.

Tonight I was a true history buff.  I learned about 1820's architecture and yellow fever.

Tonight, I took a private tour of The Davenport House.  Tonight I talked southern culture and politics with the best of them.

And tonight I ate shrimp and grits for dinner.  Shrimp from Georgia.  Tonight I ate at The Olde Pink House.

Tangent:  This restaurant is a special place for me in town.  It makes me think of my roomie Gina (the cutest girl ever whose blog y'all will love and read all of the time!) and our first night out for a nice dinner with her boss Rebecca when we moved here.  What a full circle experience to go back tonight.  What delicious food and what a special place.  To be honest, I avoided this place ever since that first time because shortly after Gina and I ate there I discovered that my college ex ("the guy I moved here NOT for") was a server and I was DYING to go but couldn't handle a run in.  How giddy and girly it felt tonight to walk in there and to a) know I won't see him and to b) realize that if I did, it wouldn't matter.  I've grown up so much since I got here.

The early adventures of Ana and Gina.
Oh, the days of garage sales and stealing broken tables from the dumpster. :) 

But, of course, I digress.

So.  Tonight.

I have to say the best part of tonight was staying up late.  Staying up past my bedtime.  Missing my Wednesday night TV schedule on purpose so that I could enjoy the company of my fellow UVa alumni at our spring event, say good bye to some of my favorite families to babysit for, and bask in the glow of sharing my exciting news that I have a job, have a plan, and am headed home.

And the best part of the best part was the dinner date I shared with Cameron, one of the fabulous mamas in my third grade class.  This sassy lady is also a UVa grad, lived in Austin for a short while and her son is one of the most incredible students to teach.  It has been really fun spending time with the families from my school outside of school and Cameron and I immediately bonded over our love of Thomas Jefferson 5 minutes into Open House back in August when she spotted my rotunda picture in my classroom. :)  She is a super-mom, a power attorney, a great dresser, and also brilliant.  She said so many things tonight that I wish I had written down.  Her son is so gifted, so creative, so hilarious, and such a hard worker all rolled into one.  Cameron was so awesome to email me this week at school asking me if I wanted to grab a bite to eat after the wine event.  How cool to hang out with a grown up!  Of course I was in!

I just loved our conversation.  We talked about school, we talked about families, we talked about teaching, we talked about college, we talked about Savannah, and I had such a nice time with her.  She showered me with compliments about what a great year her son has had with me - and to be honest, she better plan on keeping in touch because when he's famous one day I want to say, "I knew him when!"

As a young teacher so many parents aren't interested in getting to know you and sometimes judge you for being young or for not also being a parent.  But Cameron was one of the moms who was totally on board from the day she got that class list letter in the mail.  She has donated her time, sent in supplies, brought unannounced treats (I am a sucker for food), sent me amazing emails full of encouragement, and has been such a positive influence on my classroom.  She treats me like an expert and asks me for my opinion when it comes to her child.  She also has created such a happy home for her children and I get to benefit from the joy at her house each morning when her son walks through my door.  Her family makes me sad to leave.  Truly, they do.

Tonight I came home with a free bottle of wine and a keepsake glass to add to my collection.  The weather was epic and just the right amount of cool and breezy.  I am full and happy and ready for bed.  Tonight I strolled downtown, had a few glasses of wine in a beautiful garden, took a tour of a pre-Civil War home, ate Georgia-shrimp and grits inside a beautifully restored tavern, shared conversation with the people in Savannah I've known the longest, and had a night out with a great gal.  I'd say that's pretty good.



It's been decided.

I'm going to squeeze every last drop out of Savannah before I let her go.

I am going to tip back that wine glass until the bottom of the goblet is completely dry.

I want to taste all of it before I can't pour myself another glass anymore.

a girl's best friend.

I have felt sort of restless this weekend and this afternoon I found the perfect cure.  After hours of laundry, cleaning out my car, paying bills, plenty of sleeping in, some serious organizing for the two weekend trips I have back to back this month, I felt like I had a pretty good grip on things.  I am going to post some pictures of my apartment before I start the packing process - but it does look pretty good!  

This afternoon I wanted to reward myself BUT decided that in lieu of heading to the beach and getting everything I had just cleaned covered in sand, or getting all sunburned before a bachelorette weekend at the beach, that I would get my sunshine fix with my pal Daisy.

Yep, that's right.  She's not my roommate, a pair of shoes, or a pet.  She's a bike.

I have always wanted to be a totally awesome bike-riding chick.  Let's be honest, all of the coolest girls are!  Who doesn't love a girl who can bike in a skirt, rocking the little bell and white basket or plaid shirt and rolled up jeans?  And the lovely lady who handed Daisy down to me last summer is definitely one of those gals.

Katie and Ben are one of my favorite Savannah couples.  Katie is a rockin' red head who can sport blood red lipstick, skateboards all over downtown in a dress, sings and looks just like The Little Mermaid, and she is also the best nanny ever.  The children I used to call "mine" now spend every afternoon with this awesome Mary Poppins.  Katie and Ben got new bikes for their wedding present last fourth of July and Katie asked me if I wanted Daisy.  I was SO honored to have even been considered.  It was a free bike! All for me!

Yes, they are the cutest couple ever. :) 

A few weeks after I went and picked her up, Katie showed me the ropes.  She taught me the art of Savannah-street biking.  One of the things I learned during our first bike date was that wandering takes true talent.  Katie and I swung through the park, headed to the health food store to get chilled smoothies to quench our thirst, stopped and had an impromptu picnic with friends we recognized from afar, changed our route several times, did some window shopping, and made a full day out of it.  Since that day I have not made a huge effort to spend quality time with Daisy, but I do love to take her out for a spin, or ride her after work when the temperature has dropped but it's still light outside, and I am especially hoping to get some good rides in this summer .

There are so many great things about riding a bike.  There's something magic about it - something that takes you straight back to your childhood.  Everyone has a "first bike accident" story and everyone had a bike that was special to them.  I will never forget my first huge fall on my bike with my dad in second grade (Zilker Park, new gravel, he told me I was brave, and I got back on and finished the ride with blood gushing down my left knee and still have the scar to prove it), the surprise bike party my parents threw me for my birthday one year (my parents drove me home from school and raised the garage door and to my surprise all of my best friends rode out of our garage on their bikes! woo hoo!) , and all of the times my siblings and I thought it was a good idea to tie all of our bikes and wagons together and ride down our driveway hill simultaneously. HA!

South Padre Island 1990 four-person bicycle! 

The Casanova kiddos still LOVE a good bike ride.  My mom actually just got a new one (she's red - and I'm sure she and Daisy will do lots of bonding!) and has been breaking her in and teaching our pooch Scout how to run alongside her in the neighborhood.

 I do have to say that Kiawah Island bike rentals will always have a special place in my heart.  What a great way to spend a vacation - biking to and from the beach and meals everyday and riding on the sand.  We especially love to pretend we are the Von Trapp Family Singers from "Sound of Music" and sing songs from the movie as we all ride in a line together.  My family is awesome.  Basically.  We just need matching leiderhosen (how do you spell that?) and about 7 other children. Haha.

Yes, we had matching tshirts made for this trip.  Eat your heart out, Julie Andrews. 

Today's bike ride was great.  What a great Sunday afternoon adventure and a special way to cherish this city.  I went out with a girlfriend last night for drinks and she asked me (while we were circling in the car searching for parking for about 10 minutes) if I already knew my way around my new city in Texas.  I had to really admit to her that I would be relying on my iPhone maps and the kindness of strangers for the first few months.  We talked about how easy it is to get around a small town like Savannah, even though dodging horse-drawn carriages can get old. :)  But I do have to say that I take a lot of pride in the fact that I KNOW Savannah.  Driving a minivan all over town for a year as a nanny certainly helped, but I LOVE when out-of-towners ask me for directions.  I know how to get where I need to go - and I can do it several ways.  I know where my store is, where my laundry place is, my nail salon, you name it.  I'll only be able to say that for about 4 more weeks.

Today I truly relished in the grid-layout of my neighborhood and rode up and down even and odd numbered streets to my little heart's content.

I saw it all.  I saw things I had never noticed before - drove past little hidden places I never would have found in my car during the hustle and bustle of my normal route.  I saw kiddos playing with hoses in dress up clothes standing in their front yards, tons of tire swings, plenty of pups and old couples out for Sunday strolls, a little boy reading to his parents in a front porch rocking chair, and I even swerved to purposefully glide underneath the sprinklers I passed a few times.

I was very tempted to stop and snap pictures with my iPhone every five seconds - but it would have ruined my flow.  (P.S. you have to download Instagram if you have an iPhone - the way it changes your photos to look vintage is AMAZING! and it's free!)  So instead I tried to cherish and remember all of the beautiful things I saw.  However, I couldn't resist the Carolina Blue hydrangeas (for my sister Kiki) and my FAVORITE house on Washington Ave.  Sigh.

I couldn't help but hum a few of the favorite Casanova tunes to myself as I rode along --

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do.  I'm half crazy over the love of youuuuuu......"

"Doe, a deer...a female deer...Ray, a drop of golden suuuuuun......"

I can't wait to see where Daisy takes me next.

the daily love

I subscribe to these incredible emails that fill my inbox each morning.  The Daily Love is a blog that is completely focused on self-love and positive thinking.  The Daily Love offers an email subscription newsletter you can read each day.  Sometimes I open it immediately, other times I read it on my phone while I'm waiting somewhere, and there are weeks where I don't open any and wait until I'm in my bed on Saturday morning when I can really savor them (aka today).  What a great way to get started, a great thing to mull over as you enjoy your a.m. coffee and breakfast, and for me this email has become the awesome pick-me-up I often need mid-morning while I take a 5 minute break at work during the school day.  

The Daily Love calls itself a "free e-multivitamin for the soul" and that's exactly how I view it.  It shows up amongst TONS of other emails in my inbox each day - and is one of the few things I can't wait to open.  It doesn't stress me out, doesn't remind me of someone I forgot to write back, and doesn't represent another item that goes un-checked-off on my to-do list.

I can't take credit for having discovered these emails myself.  I'm not that cool.  My friend Jenna turned me onto this email and I highly suggest signing up for it.  I have a group of four girlfriends I sang with in college who I keep in touch with every single day over email and Jenna is one of them.  (I will have to dedicate a whole other post to how much these women have changed me and how much their friendship means to my life.) 

This is not our best picture together, but certainly one of our best memories. 
Wrightsville Beach, NC for fourth of July of two years ago.

The thing about Jenna is that she is one of those incredible buddies who you can catch up with after weeks of having played phone tag and it's like you still live down the street from each other.  She is not only a good listener but has this amazingly sage advice for everyone who needs her.  She is wise beyond her years and is one of my female friends who truly practices self-love.  She makes me laugh, I love to cry beside her, and I decided I wanted to be just like her when I grow up (even though she is two years younger than me).  She used to forward me her favorites so I decided to sign up for them myself. 

Each email contains a link to a "guest-blog" - sometimes it's nutrition related, other times it might be a celebrity, an inspirational speaker's homepage, or even fun to go and explore online.  There are also inspirational images (maybe a beautiful sunset, or a graphic design to stimulate the senses) and a message from Mastin himself, the brilliant entrepreneur and CEO/creator of The Daily Love.  My FAVORITE parts of the email are the quotes and daily affirmations that are connected to Mastin's message/theme for that day's email. 

Just to give you examples, here are names of some of my favorite Daily Love emails that I have saved and re-read occasionally--

• Be a Warrior, not a Worrier.
• Belong to yourself.
• Get out of your own way!
• Learn to forgive.

Thursday's message from Mastin really hit home for me so I wanted to share it with you.  It is titled "The Golden Rule of Dating."  I find myself to be a TOTAL over-thinker in all aspects of my life and especially with relationships.  This message has since reminded me to stop fretting and to go with my gut. :)

Here's Mastin: 

For me, the most difficult part of any new relationship is the first 5%. ESPECIALLY when it comes to dating.

It's just awkward.

You know what I'm talking about. Questions like this: "Should I text them? Should I call them? How long is too long? How soon is too soon? What do I say? They didn't get back to me as quickly as I wanted, does that mean they aren't into me?" And on and on the questions go.

One of my friends, who I learned a lot from and who I consider to be a great teacher in my life, once gave me this piece of advice: "If you feel it, then reach out to them." I had considered this rule the Golden Rule of Dating for years.

I operated by this principle for a long time, but it didn't seem to be working. And then I started to reject myself. You know in the beginning how easy it is to write off someone you like 'cuz it's easier to close down than it is to open up and risk, right?

Well yeah, so anytime I would "feel it" and reach out and it didn't work out the way "I wanted it to", I would make up some story about myself and then close down. I've done this more times than I can count. Then one day I had a revelation. The advice, "Reach out when you feel it" isn't complete.

As I analyzed my behavior I saw that many of the times I was reaching out was from a place of wanting their approval or recognition. So my reaching out wasn't sharing from an overflow of Love, but rather pulling and clinging from a place of inner lack. When I realized this, the light bulb when off. What I had been "feeling" this whole time wasn't "love" or "my heart", but just your basic insecurity.

So I refined the Golden Rule of Dating that my friend had given me. Instead of, "If you feel it, reach out", I tweaked it to "If Love moves you, reach out".

Small change; totally different outcome.

This means that if you want to reach out to someone from a place of lack or needing their approval, then you are creating a relationship from lack and low self-esteem. The subtext of your communication is, "fill me up with you", and the other person can feel that energetically - ESPECIALLY when you reach out a lot.

There's no bigger turn off than excessive texting/calling and reaching out in the beginning. So, this means that the best time to reach out isn't when you want to "get" something from them, but when you genuinely want to "share" and "give" to them.

In the beginning, I've learned that it's best to let things unfold naturally rather than rush them, force them or cling right away. This gives both people time to be together and then retreat and swim in their own energy.

The by-product of this approach is that it helps you really create a friendship and get to know each other before you get physical. Also, in the void that is created when you aren't around the other person, you have a gift to go deeper into yourself and inquire as to why you feel lack without them.

Obviously, there is no exact rule or science to dating, but this Golden Rule of Dating really resonates with me. It helps me show up from fullness rather than chase from emptiness.

Reach out when Love moves you; reach out when your Heart says so. Don't reach out to be filled. Do your own work first and meet the other person from a place of fullness. This is the Golden Rule of Dating in my book.

Love,

Mastin

Mastin, my daily love guru. :)

Do you have a Golden Rule of dating that has worked for you?

mami

Of course today I will be writing about my mama.  What a wonderful example, friend, coach, confidant, partner in crime, and teacher she has been for me. 

She (and my Papi) have made such an incredible family for my siblings and me.  We have so many traditions, so many memories, and are all so supportive of each other.  I hope she knows how much her kiddos are thinking about her from near and far!  

Even though I live far away from home (not for long!) and wasn't able to celebrate in person with her - I will see her in a few weeks time - there is a laundry list of things that remind me of her AND that once I'm home, I can't wait to do with her! 

• playing scrabble, or our new obsession, Bananagrams
• sipping coffee outside (it's always better when she makes it for me!)
• dance parties anywhere and everywhere
• looking for antique furniture and knick-knacks
• driving around in the car listening to music, making mixed CDs, swapping songs
• spiders and butterflies - she is a bug lover and always catches and releases instead of squishing!
• hymns at church (I love when her favorites are on the agenda!) 
• reading a great book
• laughing so hard I am crying - my mom and her Mimi often "get to giggling" and it's quite contagious!  
• cooking - or really watching her cook and stealing bites or dipping my finger into everything while she's not watching
• hanging out in my jammies - she is a LOVER of pajama pants and has always gotten the 4 kiddos matching pairs at Christmas that we aren't allowed to take off all of Christmas day!

 My sisters and I with Mami on Christmas morning 2008.  Note the candy cane pj pants and tshirts. 

I have met so many wonderful young mothers through the church, am so excited for many of my girlfriends who are currently "expecting" and will make great mothers themselves, and of course there are so many women who have "raised me" (as Mami would say, "It takes a village!").  However,  today I'm focusing on family: 

My abuela is an incredible woman who came from Cuba with her children and husband to make a better life for all of us.  My father is so lucky to have an awesome mother like her.  She speaks beautiful spanish, cooks some mean fried plantains, and we are so proud of the new chapter in her life she has been living in Miami.  I always love shopping with my Abuela, playing Rumikub, and talking about the latest chick-flicks and outfits that the Spanish royalty are wearing.  She is so sweet. 

 

 My abuela and tia came to visit last summer.  I was so proud to show them my classroom! 

 My mimi is my mom's mom.  She is a hoot and a half.  She packs so much good, buttery food into all of us each time we visit and loves to play hostess.  I love all of her cajun cooking, playing boo-ray at her house, and she gives the best hugs.  Mimi loves to laugh, to joke with everyone she meets, and her smile lights up the room!   

  

 I can't even decide what my favorite food that she makes is.  It's all that good.  

And of course there is my Tia.  My aunt doesn't have any children of her own, but has taken the four of us under her wing.  She is also a teacher and I cannot tell you how many times I have sent her random questions, sought her advice during my job search, and leaned on her support in the setting up of my own classroom.  She certainly influenced my love of all delicious cuisine and I will never forget how many times Tia would return from travels when I was a little girl with cheese in hand (my favorite souvenirs are food!).  She taught my sisters and I how to dance to every Latin American genre of music, and inspires all of us to live in the moment and have a good time.  There isn't a single party Tia didn't have a good time at. :)

  Rooting for Brazil in the World Cup! 

So I leave you all with a quote.  A quote I think my quote-loving mother would use.  It's about nature and moms, so it's pretty perfect! 

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper  

festival

This morning at my school we had a Festival of Arts & Sciences that celebrates the work the children have done all year and is a chance for the parents to visit various grade levels to see what sort of work their child will do as they move through the school.

I wanted to post some pictures of my classroom since it has been such a happy place for me here in town. 

Room 211 is so special to me - and moving from my cushy, large second grade classroom to this very tiny third grade one was one of the best decisions I ever made.  It is in a little nook at the end of the hall and I smile to myself each morning when I open it.

I pride myself on how my classroom looks, but the reason this one has so much magic PROBABLY has to do with these 11 little souls who walk through it each morning.

 Regardless, it is the place I will miss the most when I leave.  Don't get me wrong, I am a homebody and could spend an entire weekend under the covers or lounging at my apartment, but there's something about this place.  I also spend more time here than I do where I live.  True story.  

Walking down the hallway...

gotta love the bilingual moments.

Did I mention that I LOVE to read?

We love to do puzzles as a team.  We have completed several this year, this is our largest one yet.

self portraits

packed full of awesome projects and reports!

They set up easels for each teacher to hang even MORE work. 
Let's just say it was a late night setting up. :)

 A staple gun is a girl's best friend.

a smattering of science project posters.

I found an essay that I wrote in graduate school about "the classroom." 

It is the center of the universe.  It is a refuge and a funhouse.  It spans across time, race, age and social class.  It is full, yet there is always room for one more.  It can be colorful and high tech or low-income and misshapen.  Each person makes it his or her own, but we all share it, in the end.  It does not frighten, is not cold and only loves.  We enter the space and we are different every time we leave.  It is a classroom.

I have come to realize the very necessity of such spaces.  To live, we must all learn, and there is a place to do so.  A place we can hang our handy-work, stare up at bright posters, study on computers or take turns in a group.  Everyone teaches, and everyone learns.  It is not difficult to go from a seat in a desk to standing in front of the class.

Just as “we are what we eat,” it can easily be said that “we are where we teach.”  The learning environment should be relaxed yet motivating, open and trustworthy, as well as consistent and warm.  Positive reinforcement, motivation and recognition start with pleasant surroundings.  With these contributions as a teacher, I plan to create such an inviting world for all of my students.  If a child can smile upon entering, they have already started their day off on the right foot.

Fleetwood Mac

What is your favorite roll-down-the-windows jam of the moment?

Mine is a recent discovery but also a total feel-good classic.

I think the song was sent to me by the universe.  

It was meant to be.

It's my new theme song. 

Like, if-my-life-was-a-movie-or-tv-show kind of theme. 

Who doesn't love this jam? 

This week on Glee - which I'm sure I'll blog plenty about...the assignment was a song off of Fleetwood Mac's album 'Rumours."  This was the big finale - and of course, as usual, I had moments watching where I sort of felt like Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Sam and everyone else did it better than the original.

Don't judge me.  

Not only that, but I have heard it play twice since then.  Once at a restaurant this week and the other time on the radio.  What are the odds?

So of course, I have been listening to it in the morning, in the car, and humming it to myself all week.

Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.

I think it's perfect for my new transition, all of the times I need to think positively about what is going on, and I love that it focuses on letting go of what's over, what's already happened. ;)

I think I'll rock out to it....right now.

hot pass.

My college girlfriends and I had this phrase we used to use when you have one of those "golden" evenings and everything seems to be going your way.  Say, everyone is having a great hair day/night, you pull into the front parking spot at a busy downtown bar, or all of the best songs are playing all night long - as if you had a personal playlist in your back pocket.

Last night, my friends, was one of those nights.

One of the groups of people that I have only recently become close with are the incredible women who are members of the IPC "Twenties" Group.  The church that my old roommate and I stumbled upon has only recently offered a Thursday night bible study for those "inbetweeners" of the church.  Often, when you graduate from college/graduate school but aren't married yet, or don't have children yet, church can be a place where it's hard for you to find your niche.  But every Thursday night since about January I have joined the circle of chairs upstairs in the Fellowship building to talk work, religion, life, relationships, money, and everything else deemed 'Young Professional' with several awesome ladies and gents. 

The group is about 30 or so and I have recently gotten really close with a few of the girls.  We have lots of co-ed social events, but have sort of broken off from the boys/men of the group in the past few weeks to have some girly fun.  We started a book club, have had a movie night, done some beer/cider tasting, and last night was our first successful, INAUGURAL Ladies Night! 

I started the night with a rooftop beverage with a few of the ladies after an EXHAUSTING week of travel, job searching and setting up my classroom for our festival (pictures to come!)...and it was the perfect weekend kick off.  The dinner we had was delicious, the conversation hilarious and heart-warming all at the same time and amazing music!  We ended up heading back to the roof after we ate to shake it (in a huge circle of girls - fending off any "wierdos" like at a middle school dance) to tons of Motown and continued to celebrate!  There are so many fun things going on with everyone - new jobs, finishing huge graduate school projects or medical school exams, celebrating the end of another school year, and enjoying the general spring merriment of the warm, beautiful south.

Of course the boys were jealous that they weren't included and ended up begging their way into spending some time with us.  It was fun to have a few southern gentlemen on the dance floor to dip and twirl with and walk to the next bar alongside.  They were making us giggle so hard!  We did often remind them, however, that the girls were in charge (when they tried to persuade us to try a new place we weren't too keen on) and that they were lucky to be included.

There's nothing better than getting completely silly with your buddies.  Vic and I were pretending that we were at prom, everytime someone said something funny everyone was trying to write it down in our quote book, and we were certainly clinking glasses ALL night  - cheers to this, cheers to that! 

These women are so inspiring and I love their company.  They have ALL taught me to remain open to all that being young and single can throw on your plate, to never say no to a first date, to laugh at myself, and that there are always new people to meet and friends to find.

From left to right: Rebecca, Judith, Leighann, Victoria, yours truly, Virginia and Kate

Cheers!