February 23

I've got a bone to pick with... whoa!
Nothing super exciting today... EXCEPT for my trip to Target where THIS was spotted:

It was literally the length of my leg. Who? What kind of? Seriously??

February 22

Yo Gabba radness
Helped my parents babysit my nieces. Every time I see them, I forget how rad they are. Seriously. So. Much. Fun.

Baby Cheeks wasn't feeling so swell, but she's a trooper. This is the face we got most of the night, with the bottom lip out more than usual:

Cheeks was in usual fashion, being goofy and hilarious. She loves when I bust out my phone camera, but can never just pose. She's gotta be all crazy. Here's a close-up of her eye. She thought it was funny to get right next to the lens.

Here's her smooshy face pose, because a regular smile was just too normal.

But the best part of the night was getting the wiggles out in another Yo Gabba Gabba dance party. I cannot even handle how cute these videos are. I try to stay quiet in them, but I can't. You'll hear the song in the background... "Hooolllllldddd stiiilllllll... wigglewigglewiggle, GO!... wigglewigglewiggle, GO!..."

February 21

My kryptonite
Maybe you don't know this about me, but I love me some firemen. I think it stems from when I used to work at a grocery store (7 years) and they'd come in in their blue uniforms (rawr!) and would be on high alert anytime something was announced on their walkie talkies. They make me weak in the knees. I love them. A lot.

So you can imagine my excitement when I pulled up to do some grocery shopping and this is what I see in the parking lot:

I had to be icognito when snapping the photo, so as not to look stalkerish and such. Much to my dismay, they were leaving. Sad, sad day.

February 20

Oh Del Taco, how I love thee...
Went out with a friend tonight. Super fun, even though the plan wasn't exactly what we had intended. Note to self, when approaching what you think is a "lounge" type bar and you see girls in tight, short dresses and SUPER high heels, you should probably think twice about going in anyway. Or you can go in and enjoy being the oldest girls there, feel the thump thump thump of the music shake your arms hairs, and talk trash about how we're soooo glad we're not in our 20s anymore. Yay for making awkward situations fun!

Anyway, after we had had enough of the "club," I dropped my friend off and enjoyed some Del Taco chili cheese fries. Delish.

February 19

Friends rule
Today was the awesome Saturday team workout. These are fun, because you can put yourself on teams with your friends, no matter how many times your trainers tell you that you can't. We were supposed to have 3 guys and 3 girls on our team of 6, but we're rebellious and we don't care. Jimmy crack corn...

Here are (some of) my ladies. LOVE them.

After the workout, I was supposed to go and visit my gimpy, broken ankle friend, but instead, I backed out and laid on the couch all day. I did not put on make-up and I spent the day catching up on my trashy TV shows on my DVR. And then a friend came over with food, booze, and movies (and a big 'ol bag of chips and a giant container of salsa).

All in all, I'd say an A+ day.

February 18

Longest. WOD. Ever.
I think today marked the longest time I've ever taken to finish a WOD.

This took me 51:46. And my runs were in the rain. It was rad.

Those aren't my hands (because I use gloves), but THAT is what happens when there are 150 pull-ups in a workout. Ugh.
 

And we had a visitor in the gym, too. Super cute. But I didn't want to touch it. Bleckgh.

February 17

Oops, I did it again...
Apparently I didn't take picture on this day (*hanging head*). So here's my contribution to the awesomeness in anyone's day, once they've seen the following:

 

Yep. I don't love them once they get bigger, but who can seriously resist this face? Don't grow up, little puppy.  Don't grow up.

February 16

Another kick-ass WOD
I've been really stepping it up lately in my workouts. I'm noticing that I'm getting stronger and that some of my workouts are faster.

Today's was called the Smoking Gun:

Not only did I have a good time (see below), I manned up and did the intermediate prescribed 70lbs. That's HUGE for me. HUGE.

So what did I do afterward? Eat some good food and some well-deserved BOMB mac and cheese from the regular restaurant we go to afterward.

February 15

My poor delicate, girly hands
Ok, so after yesterday's workout, my hands hate me. I actually have a blister from the bar and kettlebell.
:(
I'm such a wimp, I know. But being a CrossFitter means that your hands take a beating. Here are my hands 24 hours after last night's workout. Notice the red blister on the middle finger and the calluses where my digits meet my palm. It's a good thing I don't have a boyfriend...

February 14

Duh duh dunnnnnn...
The dreaded "holiday" for single people. Actually, this year, I could have cared less. I have amazing people in my life, and, sure, I would have liked to have had a man to buy me stupid shit, but I didn't... and I was fine with that. In fact, I got texts from friends all day, my uncle sent me a sweet card (with $), and a friend from the gym took me and another singlet out to dinner after our workout. I'd say it was a pretty damn good Monday.

Aside from all that bull honkey, the workout today was reeeediculous. Not that many of you will understand, but it was SEVEN rounds of 15 kettlebell swings (35lbs), 15 power cleans (65lbs), and 15 box jumps (20inches). After round 1, I was dead. After round 3, I wasn't even halfway done. At round 5, I was in my head, breathing a mess, and almost in tears because I was the last one doing the workout. I managed to get through the rest of it, thank goodness.

But the really awesome part was that I usually have to modify the weight. I can never do what we CrossFitters call Rx (prescribed weight). Tonight, I did. And I hate being the last one done. It always gets in my head and I freak out. Tonight I was the last one done. It started to get in my head, but I talked myself out of it. It was a giant breakthrough for me.

Here's a picture of my weights after the workout. Not super exciting, but it's my first full-on Rx'd hardcore workout. And after that is my name with an Rx next to it on the board (last one done for that class). A proud, proud moment.

February 13

Relax... don't do it
Today, I spent the first half of the day on the couch, catching up on TV. Then I got up and cleaned my place (much needed). Then I showered and gave myself a facial.

Yay for lazy/cleaning/facial days!

February 12

He shoots, he SCORES!!!
Went to a local hockey game tonight. I'm not sure what it's really called, but I consider it minor league hockey. I like it because they're scrappy and the refs let them fight. Anyway, some friends have season passes and I got an invite tonight.

They game was slow at first. Our home team was losing the entire game (it was 3-0 at one point). And then the third period happened and we somehow came back to tie it at 5. Super exciting. Went into OT and we won. Word.

The guy in the orange is like their super fan who goes around the stands, dancing and handing out shirts. I would love his job.

February 11

Happy Red Day... party
It's like Halloween to these kids. Well, that and it gives the boys a chance to buy stuffed animals for their "girlfriend of the week." But it's cute to see any age of kid carrying their Valentine cards around.

Today was our party (we have the actual day off) and the kids were beside themselves all day. Our parties consist of the following: lunch inside (usually pizza, but this year, I actually have a rad room mom, and she hooks us up with good food), pass out Valentines, watch a movie, go home. Easy, fun for the kids, sugar them up and send 'em home.

I always have the kids bring in a movie. This year they voted for.... wait for it.... Karate Kid II. Yeah, I thought the same thing. Seriously??? Whatever, they semi-enjoyed it. They mostly made fun of it, but it kept them busy for 2 hours.

Anyway, I always manage to get some good loot on party days. Cheesy, yes, but still loot nonetheless. Here are my goodies for this year's Valentine's Day.

 

The candy box on the left that says "Drama" is from a girl who said she bought it because she thought the girl looked like me. And the Warheads' heart below it is from a second grader. How cute is that?? I give most of the candy to my dad, who will eat anything. Don't worry... I kept the Warheads and the Fun Dip. Those are delish.

February 10

Awww, they DO love me
Thursday was Teacher Appreciation Day. I didn't even know until, at lunch, I walked into the lounge, and there were 5 billion pies to choose from. Our wonderful parent organization hooked us up, as they always do, and I scarfed down bits of about 5 different varieties of pies.

And then I came back to class and a student handed this to me. She said, "Happy Teacher Appreciation Day." Awwwwwww.....

The front said, "Thank you," and the back said, "#1 Teacher." Super cute.
P.S. That's me on the right. Duh.

February 9

Thanks, guys
So Wednesdays are our minimum days. We start at 8:13 and end at 11:45. Technically, the students go to lunch at 11:10, so we're done then. Anyway, I went into the office at 11:10 after sending my kids to lunch and my friend (and school secretary) said, "You're missing an earring."

Whaaaat?? How could that be? I didn't feel it come out. It's a giant silver hoop. Wait, was I missing it all day? Did not one of my 30 students notice it in the 3 hours we just spent together? And furthermore, these were my favorite earrings and now they're not a pair anymore?? I was sad. I took the lone ranger out of my ear, put it in my pocket, and went on with my day, saddened.

And 6 hours later, when I pulled into my garage, this is what I found:

 

Yup, fell out of my ear (somehow) as I got in the car that morning. Which means I wore one earring the entire day and none of my students said anything to me. 

Awesome.

February 8

Bear hugs rule
Today was a whole bunch of stressful. I'm not going to dwell on that. I am, instead, going to focus on the fact that I have rad friends.

My workout sucked. Well, I didn't so much suck at it, as it just plain sucked. 150 wall balls. What is a wall ball, you ask? You hold onto a 14 lb. medicine ball (imagine a 14 lb. beach ball), squat, and then THROW the ball up as high as you can against the wall, and catch it as is comes down while you're simultaneously crouching back down into a squat. Repeat. 150 times. They don't look difficult. But let me assure you, they are. By number 20, I was out of breath and could hardly throw the ball up. Yeah, 130 more to go after that realization. Wall balls are literally my least favorite thing to do.

Lately, my pal and I have been doing an after-workout workout. We try and run a mile - which is 4 laps around the building - or do something equally as stupid after our ridiculous workouts. So she came in just for the after-workout mile (she worked out this morning). Well, after doing 150 hell balls, my legs were pretty shot.

3-2-1... go. We started the run and I looked like a friggin ruh-tard because my legs wouldn't work. I ran the first lap. Pretty much walked the 2nd lap, and then literally walked the 3rd lap. And I was done. I quit.

I never quit.

I was pretty pissed at myself, but I was done. I didn't have it in me tonight. But the anger at myself was about to bring me to tears. So, being the rad friend that she is, my "running" partner saw this I'm-in-my-head moment and said we were getting dinner.

Needless to say, the dinner cheered me up (on top of the fact that it was nutritious and delicious). She rules. And that is all.

February 7

Sometimes I'm a genius
The lesson in science today was about convection. I had to explain (to 12-year olds) what the hell happened when heat was transferred in liquid. I remember learning about it in college and having an awesome understanding of it, but there was no way I thought that my sixth graders could wrap their heads around the concept.

I underestimated them. Again.

In the lesson, I was going to use a few student volunteers to show how the water molecules heat up in the process of convection. I had so many friggin students volunteering, I thought I'd just make THEM come up with a skit in small groups. They had to be the water and they had to show me what convection was. (Just in case you're wondering, if we're talking about boiling water, the flame heats the pot. The water near the flame heats and starts to rise, pushing the cooler water down, which then heats and rises until all the water is boiling. It's a cycle of hot water rising, cool water sinking and heating, etc.)

Genius moment, because THESE are a few of what I got:

In this one, they get the idea of convection...

In this one, they kinda get the idea, but there are a few funny moments here. 1) When the kid in the purple forgets what he is playing and then takes a small bow after he figures it out. 2) When the kid says, "Oh my gosh, we're gradually getting warmer!" He's definitely one of my funnier kids. And I completely appreciate that.

February 6

Super-hangover Sunday
I won't lie. I have no picture for Superbowl Sunday. This is how it went:
I got in at 2am from a rad night the night before. I fell asleep. I woke up, 6 hours later, for some ungodly reason. I laid awake in bed for 4 hours. I got up, ate, showered, and went to watch the game (aka commercials) at a friend's house with many of the same people who hung out the night before. Some of us fell asleep. Some of us didn't show up. The fact of the matter was, the room was very dark (thank goodness), the couch was very comfortable, and the 7-layer dip was amazing.
So instead of a picture, I posted a memorable commercial.

February 5

Borba Bitches
These ladies are my heart and soul at work. Some of them don't work with me anymore, for stupid economical reasons, but I will love these ladies forever. We had a good run a few years back when we all worked together. Now we just support each other in our adventures. Like Tanya and her first girl that she's got baking in the oven (she has two adorable boys already).

February 4

Chickety China, the Chinese Chicken
So we're about to study China. And India. But more China because that's what this post has to do with. We always do art on Fridays at the end of the day (because art is nonexistant in the classroom nowadays). This week's had to do more with math and such, but they bought it.

We messed around with tangrams for a bit. We talked about what they were, played with some tangram puzzles, and then I let them create some figures with at least of 5 of the pieces. This project always makes me giggle, just seeing what they come up with.

"[My] Smile"

"Hot Dog Shak" (not sure...)

"Candle"

"Sun"

"Bird"

"Swan"

"Smiley Face With Sideburns and a Hat"

"House and Garden"

Bob Dancin' Disco... Whoo!"

Top "A Diner"; Bottom "Turtle"

"Guy With Hat"

And, because I always have one who thinks outside of the box... "Rocket Man"

February 3

Dear Thursday, you stressed me out
It wasn't supposed to be that stressful. A simple meeting for half of a day, come back to class, teach, go home. Yeah, no. I don't know what happened, but today was stress-FULL! So by the time I got home, I was wound up and ready to explode.

So this helped me unwind.

Food and ciders at Yard House. (The half yard isn't mine.) And then food and beer at the bowling alley to root on my friends who bowl in a league. Yay for awesome END of days. And food. And cider. Not so much beer though, because I don't really like it.

February 2

Baby Cheeeeeeeks!!!
I got to see my Baby Cheeks today. The thing about her is that she hates when I squeeze her cheeks. She usually pushes my hand away or gives me the look like, really? Today, however, was magical. She was in her traditional Yo Gabba Gabba daze when I attacked. I thought it was a risky move because I might have broken her stare with those creepy creatures (WTF are they??) on TV, but I also knew that she might be too out of it to care.

So I went in for a squeeze. And she didn't push me away. In fact, I kept squeezing and when I went to pull away, she literally grabbed my hand (you can see it in the picture below), leaned forward (eyes still on the TV), and wanted me to keep doing it.  

Whaaaaaattt???

SHE LET ME SQUEEZE HER CHEEKS!!! You have no idea how much this means to me. We might actually be able to have an awesome aunt/niece relationship now.

 

February 1

It's our month-iversary...
Happy monthiversary, happy monthiversary
Happy monthiversary, HAAAAAppy monthiversary!!!!
Yay!!!

Thing #1... the picture for today....
This was a taken a few months ago but I got to see it today. So I took a picture of the picture before handing it off to our memory book (yearbook) parent. I thought it was super cute and pretty much describes how I am as a teacher. This is me on crazy sock day (Red Ribbon Week) with a few of my 6th grade girls. I'm trying to get them to be goofy in the picture (hence, my dorky pose) and they're sooooooper embarrassed. In fact, I think I had to beg a few of them to be in the picture.

 

Thing #2.... February 1st is one of my amazing friend's birthday. I know she doesn't read this, but I want to give a shout-out anyway. I've known this friend since I was 6 (see below) and we played on our first soccer team together. We've remained friends throughout the years. In fact, she and I (and some others) spent a day climbing Half Dome in Yosemite last summer. She and I also spent 13 days last summer in Peru. She was also my partner when trying out for The Amazing Race last year. We obviously didn't get picked... we think we were too normal. Lame. Anyway, happy birthday CK!