good news

Isaac is a big brother.

Yeah, that was how I found out too. He gets in the car today and says "Good news mom! Auntie {what he calls dad's gf} had a baby, so I'm a big brother!"

I was shocked, because for various reasons his dad had decided not to tell me she was expecting, and simply left Isaac to deliver the news, but I'm happy for them. I have always hoped that Isaac would have a sibling, and Isaac has always wished for a little brother. If I can get his dad to take some pics of the two of them I will post them.

So yeah... kind of a mix of a ton of emotions.... I may or may not blog more about this in the future...

well....

Bad news:

I just started classes again for the spring semester. Six hours a week of night class (plus a 40ish minute commute each way twice a week) is looking like a bit more than I can handle without a serious hit to my sanity. It's going to be an exhausting semester.

Good news:

Both of my classes are really interesting. I have Strategies for the English Language Learner which is taught by someone who is actually an ESL teacher. The other class is a math methods class which is taught by a principal in a local school district. I really think I am going to enjoy both of the classes and take away a lot from them. Also, as much as I love being a teacher, I also really enjoy being a student. I'm glad that teaching is a profession that requires you to be a lifelong learner.

Good news:

I have lost ten pounds since Christmas from cutting out sweets, eating more veggies, fruits and whole foods and working out.

Bad news:

I didn't work out ONE TIME this week. And I had a serious brownie binge this week. I swear, it's like when one thing in my life gets out of balance (for example, starting up classes again) everything else just goes to hell.

Good news:

I have a fabulous first grader who is a star reader. He even went and read to some kindergarteners as a special reward the other day (he choose a book about hockey to read to them. I'm sure they were thrilled.) We seem to have gotten over the phase of terrible behavior at school we were going through, which is such a relief.

Bad news:

He has been sick for more than ten days. He is better now than he was last weekend, but lots of coughing, runny nose, sore throat, etc. etc.

Blah...

Tee-hee

My mom picked me this cute little Valentine's Day Decoration:

Someone in my house gets a kick of rearranging them on a regular basis... =)

New Year's Resolutions?

So one of my New Year's resolutions was to start eating a healthy breakfast. During the week I almost never eat breakfast. That leaves me famished by the time snack rolls around and then I end up scrounging in my desk drawers for stray Hershey Kisses or picking random stuff from the vending machine the faculty room. When I did eat breakfast before school, it didn't fall even close to the "healthy" category. So I picked up some yogurt and some instant oatmeal packets determined to learn to like something healthy for breakfast. And since then this is what I've had for breakfast pretty much every day once I get to work: Yogurt was just okay, but my friend Jami suggested mixing in some granola and I LOVE it. I'm a weirdo in that I don't mind eating the same thing every day, so this works. I debated picking up one of those ones with extra live cultures or whatever for digestion, but I was worried it would taste different or something. Is that true? How have you been holding up with your New Year's Resolutions?

Walking the Ben Franklin

Sometimes I dread Sundays because after church is over there is nothing really to fill up the rest of the day except sit around and wait for it to be Monday. The Sundays that Isaac is with his dad, we've starting swinging into the city to visit Joe. A couple of weeks ago Joe had the idea to go for a walk along the Ben Franklin Bridge. I have driven over that bridge a thousand times going back and forth from Philly to Jersey but I had no idea there was a pedestrian walkway along it. It was actually really beautiful. We had a great view of Center City and it was kind of dizzying and fun to be walking along so high above the traffic. Every once in a while a train would rattle along underneath us. We walked about halfway across and then walked back. I was surprised even in January how many joggers, bikers and photographers were up there. I would love to go back in the spring and summer when it is a little warmer.

Sometimes I think Joe is more like Isaac's big brother.

Those signs are attached to little walkways. They were closed off to the public obviously, but it was pretty amazing to think of walking so high above all of the traffic on a bridge which is already so high above the Delaware River.

Joe with the city behind him.

lazy sunday morning

Yesterday I got my car inspected. It needed some work but Tom was able to get me a really great deal on parts (like, I think I paid 25% of what they would have charged a regular customer who came in the front door), and of course he doesn't charge me labor. He's pretty much the best brother ever. I'm so proud of him and how successful he is. He's such a hard worker and such a caring person. He also really has no shame which used to embarass me a little bit when we were kids, but cracks me up no as he dances around the shop singing Neil Diamond at that top of his lungs with no qualms at all.

I am so glad to have that taken care of. For the first time in recent memory, it doesn't need brakes (it's a Christmas miracle! I am notoriously hard on brakes...) I got two new tire ties, he fixed my sunken four way button on my dash, put in a new turn signal switch (so my car no longer continuously ticks like a bomb when I'm driving around... felt kind of omnious...) and changed my oil. I'm going to need two new tires within the next few months and there is something with the transmission we are keeping an eye on, but for now, the Alero lives on at 167, 542 miles.

While I was hanging around the shop one of the salesman found me and tried to get me to consider a new car. As long as the Alero is running, I'm going to drive it. I don't know how I will afford a car payment again. The guy in the bay across from Tom was working on a Chevy Cruze. I might consider one of those, after some time has passed, if I can find one that is a year old or so. I'll let someone else take the depreciation hit, I think.

While he was working on my car I finished off "Fly Away Home" by Jennifer Weiner. I found a copy in a thrift store near my mom for only 2 bucks. It's the only book of hers left I haven't read, and this one didn't disappoint either. I'm also so exicted that my friend Selena is reading The Hunger Games. I loved the books and I am so excited for the movies, but NONE of my friends have read them. And she loves them.

Anyways, from there I met perfect on paper guy for lunch. Even though I am not interested in him romantically, I do like him and do want to be friends with him, even if there are certain things about him that are quite irritating. We had a nice lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (I had huevos rancheros-- so yummy!!!). He brought me a calendar he had made for me with photographs he had taken. We wandered around the mall for a bit after that.

Then I met my girlfriends for dinner at the vegan chinese buffet in Malvern, which was also delicious. I love that I have such interesting friends. My friend Jami has gotten really into gymnastics and has joined a team and is competing in meets. My friend Selena is becoming a certified tobacco prevention specialist. She helps workplaces go smoke-free and also helps people to quit. Her area of focus is smokers with mental health diagnosis such as schizophrenia. And I was home and in bed by 11:30, because I'm old.

I have a ton more stuff to blog about, but I'll have to get to it later. Have a great day everyone!

I need another purse like I need a hole in the head...

But how FABULOUS is this Jason Wu for Target bag? It will definitely be making it's way to my closet in the near future..

There is a matching scarf too! Squeee!!!