What's New

Greetings Blog World! I realize it's been a few weeks...
Here is what's new-

Work is going pretty well. I got three new students within the first 3 weeks of school- one from Puerto Rico and two from India. That has been exciting.
School is going well- my school, not work-school. I have almost completed my fourth grad. class towards the Masters program. It has been challenging, but I am learning SO much.
Perhaps the biggest news is that in 9 days I will be departing for Seoul, South Korea. I am going to a very big conference over there that will count towards my Masters degree. Basically, I attend all these seminars with the people that "write the books" on ESL, so I am really, really excited to meet the professors. I will also meet all of my fellow classmates that I have been working with "online" since January. That will be fun, too. I am going a bit earlier than the conference dates, because my work is off on Columbus day so I figured I might as well get there and do some touristy things, since it will be my 1st time to Asia! I am not staying in a hotel (too much $) so I am "couchsurfing" as it is called. The guy's couch that I will sleep on is actually from Pen Argyl/Bangor, so that is weird! He teaches English over there. A few things to pray for- safe travels (never done a 17-18 hr. plane ride before) also safety while I am there- do I have an itinerary? Nope. Just heading over by myself, walking off the plane, and trying to navigate my way thru a HUGE city until I hop on a bus to try to get to the couch I am staying on. Also pray that I do not get sick. I am so afraid of getting a cold before I go- my mom and sister are both sick. :( And I have to go to my parents this weekend to pack and do some errands. I am also worried I will get sick while there. So please keep me in your prayers! Finally, pray that I get all of my work done before leaving- I have to prepare lesson plans for the sub for a week which is so challenging in my field since it is very varied and also I have to write a paper for my grad class this week...all while packing! :)
Also, one prayer that was answered...my school is graciously giving me a few days to attend the conference, so that I don't have to use ALL of my personal days. It is also a blessing that my boss and the superintendent talked and felt that they would pay for the conference in full- not the plane ticket, etc. but still...this is a HUGE blessing. God is faithful.
So, even though I stink at photography, I will try to take lots of pictures (quality may be poor) and then post away when I get back.

Back to School!

The time is here! I have now had three full school days of the 2010-2011 school year. So far:

-My Middle School students are sooo stinkin cute! One boy comes up to like my hip- he is so tiny!
-I have a student named Honey Dew and she is a doll!!
-2 of the boys (grade 7) called me Mr. Palmer today. Totally innocent.
-I got my first paycheck since June! Woo!
-I LOVE all of my classes!! (A lot of the annoying kids moved or exited the ESL program!)
-Today was free donuts/muffins/coffee at the Middle School
-Free dress down day at the High School -you should have seen the looks I was getting from the MS teachers. They probably hate me now because they thought I was breaking the rules.
-I got back to the gym two out of three days. I haven't really worked out all summer and last night Simon, my trainer, obviously wanted to get revenge. I can barely move now, but it's all good.


I have never been so excited to go to work. I HATE waking up early (that is my only complaint!) and my sleep schedule is wayyyy off- I needed naps after school everyday. But, I really am excited for this year. I know it sounds crazy, and I am sure I will get tired of the routine in due time, but this year I just feel like I know what I am doing and I have such a desire to teach these kids! I will post class pictures soon, I hope.

AND seriously the best part about this time of year: FOOTBALL! Eagles game Sunday and I get to watch it at my parent's house with my dad! :D

Traditions

2007

2008

2009

2010

Well, I finally made it to the beach this summer...last Saturday for the day and it was glorious! I love everything about that place....the ocean, the sand, the pizza, the Johnson's popcorn, the memories of Girl's Week with my sister and cousin, learning to read for the very 1st time and buying a book a night on the boardwalk, daddy-daughter mini golf/ice cream dates, the Wonderland Pier (rides), etc. etc.

Even though Nannie and Pop-pop haven't been able to get a house there for the summer, I have been blessed enough to take a day trip down for the last 5 or so years. One day, I hope I can take my family there for summer vacations.

I forget when we started the ferris wheel boardwalk picture, but it was either 2005 or 2006. I can't find the pictures from that on this computer because it is newer, but I posted 2007, 2008, 2009, and our latest- August 21, 2010 (we went the day before our 4 year dating anniversary!) :)

If I Were a Chef...

....I wouldn't have to be thinking about my back to school lesson plans. I wouldn't have to wonder how I will decorate/clean TWO classrooms at TWO different schools in like 4 days and I wouldn't have to be taking Masters courses and doing work all of the time for them. BUT If I were a chef....then I would probably be forced to try a pickle. I would probably be very fat. I would probably work long hours and sometimes get up at like 4 AM to bake bread and bagels for the morning commuters.

All I know is that this week has been a BLAST cooking and baking up a storm for my family. I will share my menu below:

First-last week Courtney got her wisdom teeth out so I made this sorbet from scratch- strawberry mango. It was so freaking delicious (and healthy!) that everyone ate it that night. I had to make more the next night and it was all gone then, too.

Monday: Tator Tot Casserole- my family's favorite meal I think (and Corey's)
Tuesday: Apricot Glazed Shrimp Kabobs on the grill with Pineapple and Sweet Red Pepper. Side dish of Green Beans with Cashews in a teryaki sauce. Since I am allergic to shrimp, I made myself a homemade Chicken Club pizza (which my whole family tried too). Dessert: Mixed Berry Cream Tart
Wednesday: Cheesy Rigatoni Bake with Salad and Garlic Breadsticks
Thursday: Margarita marinated Chicken on the grill and mashed potatoes

I love cooking when Corey is home and this is/was his only week home all summer. He tries whatever I make and that means a lot. I used to date a boy that only ever ate chicken nuggets and pizza and Oreos in milk....basically the diet of a 5 year old destined for early onset diabetes. :( Not that my family is a bunch of health freaks, but I try and cook healthier or low fat options when possible.
One dream of mine: to have a couple sons one day that play football and I cook for the entire football team. Pasta dinners at my house, guys! :) :)

Back to reality on Monday when Corey starts law school again...part of me is happy because it is the LAST year he will have to go back to school. Then it is crunch time for me to get ready for school and keep up with my grad. class. By December something, I will be half way done with my Master's degree! (Then I will need to write my thesis).

I could do BAMA

My only vacation of the summer was going to Alabama for 4 days for a wedding that Corey was in. I always thought AL was kind of backwards (which is funny since I live in the sticks, too) and last time I went (about 4 yrs ago) it was fun but definitely deep south-ish. This time we went to Huntsville, which is really very nice. They have this shopping center that is amazing. These huge outdoor style shops with pretty fountains and Orange Tree (this self-serve frozen yogurt place). At Orange Tree you pick whatever kind or kinds of yogurt you want and put as much in as you want- 45 cents an ounce. Corey warned me that that could get expensive and an ounce is not very much so watch out. Then you go pick your toppings which were unreal- huge blackberries, blueberries, kiwi, Oreos, nuts, anything you want. So I stocked up on fruit like I was the Chiquita Banana and Corey put his on the scale and it came to like 4 bucks and change (not too bad) then he told me to put mine on the scale. Mine brought the total bill to 13 and change. Ooops. I felt so badly. Then I went outside where it was 110 degrees (no lie) and it melted so quickly and Corey just kept saying "Will you hurry up and eat your liquid gold?" Anyway the stores included: J.Crew, Banana, Old Navy, Apple, Anthropologie, Ann Taylor, NY & Co., Francesca's Boutique and more...I loved it! They had great eating places too- P.F. Chang's, the Melting Pot...we didn't get to go to either because my boyfriend picked a gross Chinese buffet downtown that was yucky so he could get all you could eat Crab legs.

I found the houses to be huge and beautiful and way cheaper than up North and the churches were very nice, too. I liked the way that the Southern ladies all wore their hair perfect and lots of pretty jewelry and makeup (even though I am not a very big fashionista). I like their Southern drawl and the way they say "ya'll." I could definitely live down there for awhile if I had to. I even didn't mind the heat. I hate snow, so it works out. So if God decides that I should practice teaching in AL, I will go. :P Even with the mosquitos (which I did not enjoy-I counted 26 bites on my legs alone).

Also, I have not been to one single beach all summer long. This kills me inside. Maybe this Saturday!!! I hope!!

Philadelphia Visit

It's amazing how much free time I have in the summer...yet, none of it seems to be free. I mean I feel like I am filling days with busy little stuff (so far nothing too substantial) that the days are going by too quickly and before you know it, I will be setting my alarm at 6 AM Monday-Friday to go teach for 7 hours. Oi. That thought just made me a bit sick feeling. Notttt ready yet!

I am computerless for 10 days. I hate it. This is particularly rough when trying to finish up an ONLINE course and write a paper and take a final exam on the computer and make forum posts everyday and and and... I am adopting Courtney's or borrowing it now. And last weekend borrowed Corey's. It never occurred to me how used to your keyboard you become. Why are all keyboards so different? So, I had to give back my school computer. And I should quit complaining because next week I get a brand new MAC. I will even sit happily through the 4 hour "training and care" class because the computer is free. FREE!

This past weekend I went to Philadelphia. It was the first place I have gone all summer. Wow. I'm so exciting I want to pee myself.
Staying in a house with 5 guys is interesting...and terribly gross. First of all, there was no toilet seat on the toilet. I felt like I was going to the bathroom in an African watering hole. Secondly, they are having mice problems. Also, they live in the ghetto. I had to wear shoes in the shower. Another weird thing: this random chick from next door crawls through the top floor window whenever she wants because she used to date one of Corey's roomies. Now she just sleeps with him on occassion and I think she was in the house more than he was and it was weird because she would just pop in, use the bathroom, walk around and then leave without saying anything. Oh and kittens live on their roof! They meowed a lot and looked starving. I felt badly for the skinny cats in the neighborhood so we tried to give them salami. Saturday was Philly Zoo day and I had so much fun! I will try to post pictures when I get my own computer. I don't think Courtney wants me to upload them all onto her computer. We were the only dorks at the zoo who went around reading the info signs on EVERY animal and looked for typos. We did find one. They spelled mammals with 3 m's. After the zoo we came back to Corey's and took a nap because we walked a million miles in 97 degrees. Who goes to the zoo in 97 degrees? We do.

Our LATE night dinner adventure was delicious but I had to walk for it. After a creepy subway ride we then had to walk a mile to get to our cheesesteak destination. Once there, we waited in line for an hour. Then I was so hungry that I ate too fast. Then I walked a mile back. Then another creepy subway ride. Then the way through Temple/ghetto to Corey's house. Best cheesesteak ever though!!!
Three hours later, we were back from dinner and watched Away We Go with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. Good movie. Slightly crude in parts, but funny and touching.

Tonight I went to the farmer's fair down the road. Oh brother-that could be a whole separate entry! :)

A Low Key 4th

My parents went away for 8 days, leaving me and the youngest (plus dog plus cat plus rabbit) at the homestead. I was going to go with my parents since this has been our family vacation for over 20 years, but I was politely uninvited when my sisters both declined. They probably thought that 8 days of just their 1st born would be tragic.

On Saturday (Court's birthday) we had some company from Massachusetts-my second cousin and my great uncle Donnie. We went to Cici's to unhealthily binge on pizza. At night Corey made a fire and we roasted marshmallows/made S'mores.

I really wanted to have a somewhat festive 4th of July so I made homemade "fried" chicken-which came out so juicy and delicious and my bacon ranch potato salad and some blueberry dessert with marshmallows. It was just Corey and I all day so it was kind of quiet and relaxing. We did bring his 4 year old niece over to swim in the afternoon. Then in the afternoon we watched an Indy Car race, because what is 4th of July without that!?! (HA!) At night we took a walk around the neighborhood with Murphy trying desperately to see the pathetic little fireworks through the pine trees that were being set off by random people. Apparently Nazareth's fireworks are at the end of July. This makes no sense to me.

I loved having a long weekend with Corey! On Monday we were big dorks and went to see Toy Story in 3d. Corey insisted on wearing his 3d glasses for more than just the movie. It was a cute movie. I think you should go see it. :) But it is weird being in that theater. I don't go there much but when I do I am reminded of how we had our first kiss there 10 years ago while watching "Summer Catch" with Freddie Prince Jr, which was after our first date there to see "Big Momma's House." 10 YEARS ago. I feel like I am getting so old. And time is moving too fast.

Here are some pictures of our 4th of July Weekend-and sorry I have no idea how to format them:
Regretfully, I do not have a picture of my boyfriend in his stylish 3d glasses.