So much of me is made of what I learned from you...

I have been busy getting organized this week.  Even though I moved to this apartment in June I never really settled in, and things were kinda just put places that didn't really make sense.  I have been trying to get things in better places, and in feels really good to be a lil more organized.  I bought a 12 x 12 scrapbook paper storage thingy and I sorted through all my paper into 7 categories and even printed off clear labels to easily identify stuff.  I also organized all my other paper crafts/stationery stuff and my desk drawers with all my school supplies.  The boxes in my closet were moved, I went through my drawers and packed away summer  clothes and stuff I wasn't sure I want to keep, as well as buying tubs to store my xmas stuff and one to hold all my teaching/school stuff.  I also bought a wrapping paper holder that holds all the rolls, as well as bows, scissors, tape, etc.  I really love being organized, but in a small space it is hard to find a place for everything, and messes build up.  I am really trying to start 2009 on a better foot, cleanliness-wise.  I am just sick of little messes everywhere, when it doesn't really take that much extra effort to clean it up.   In my room, I am going to try to keep stuff where it goes, keep my dirty laundry for piling up, and putting clean laundry away promptly.  I know the reason I get messy, it's because I get lazy.  But then, it just takes more work later to fix messes that build up, so why not be proactive and clean stuff up after you use it?  It's so much nicer to live somewhere clean and organized! :)
Speaking of Xmas stuff, I went a little crazy shopping Target's after-xmas clearance sales.  I am so pumped for Christmas in 2009! This is what I got, everything was btw. 50-75% off, as things kept getting marked down:  2 stocking holders that spell "Joy" and "Peace," 2 super cute stocking that are bright pink and bright blue, respectively, and are covered in big sequins, 7 rolls of wrapping paper, assorted bows and ribbon that match wrapping paper,  and lots and lots of ornaments (probably like 45) in an assortment of jewel tones.  Lots of bright pink, blue, orange, lime green, purple, and red.  My mom has promised me one of her extra 6' full-sized trees so I can fit all the stuff I bought.
Changing topics, the weather has been particularly crappy as of late.  We keep having winter storm warnings, and today/last night we got a lot of ice.  Ice scares me more than snow, because is a lot more dangerous, driving-wise.  Tonight I am driving my cousin and brother who both are car-less OSU students to my aunt's house in Dublin for a family movie night.  My aunt and uncle have a huge projector in their basement and they got a popcorn cart for xmas, so we are going to put them to good use.  I just hope the roads aren't too bad this evening.  They live pretty far up in Dublin, and there are lots of dark and windy roads, so I am a little nervous.  Let's all pray for this crappy weather to leave us, and for the ice to melt!
Instead of finishing this post with a complaint about the weather, I'll end with something happy.  Next weekend for MLK weekend, BC and I are going up to Toledo to visit with my family and on Saturday we are driving to the casino in Windsor! It is right across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit, so it is like 1 1/2 hrs away from Toledo.  Penny and nickel slots, here I come! :)

Oh my goodness! I have not blogged in a very long time! The holidays have now come and went, and I will be back on a more normal posting schedule as my regular schedule resumes.  Since Dec. 20, I have only been in Columbus like 3 days, so things have been crazy.  From the 20th to the 27th I visited Toledo, and then from Dec. 31-Jan. 4, BC and I were in Cleveland and Youngstown, so I have been living out of a suitcase.  For new years, BC and I went and hung out in Cleveland with our friends Kevin & Jessi.  It was fun, we got in around dinner time and went out to eat.  Well, I wanted to make sure that we wouldn't have to wait a long time, because NYE often has long restaurant reservation lists, so Kevin called a bunch of places and they all were super busy and didn't take reservations.  Finally, he found a restaurant that said they weren't taking reservations, but that there probably wouldn't be that long of a wait.  Well, that night (we stayed til 8 pm) there was not another SINGLE PERSON that came in to eat.  Very strange... it was really weird.  Like how on New Year's Eve did no one else decide to eat there? It wasn't like a trashy place and the food wasn't bad or anything, so it was just kinda funny.  After dinner, we drank all the champagne BC brought, as well as some other stuff, and played Guitar Hero that turned into drunk Guitar Hero, and the ball dropped and we had a New Years kiss, and wa-la, 2009 is here! My new years resolution is to eat out less and make more of my own food at home.  Maybe my next post I will write about the rest of the weekend, but I am tired and have too much to unpack, so there ya go, a lil update,  I am indeed alive in 2009! :) Happy New Year!

Wooo Hooo! I am healthy-ish.  I still have  a runny/stuffy nose, but that is no big deal after the germy week+ I had last week.  It's sad I am so pumped about this, but man did it suck being so sick.  I have been a busy girl, I have subbed for worthington, westerville (x2) and dublin this week.  I am not sure if I sub tomorrow, but I bet if I do, there will be a holiday party to supervise! I will need to be sure to wear red or green too.  I have had a pretty busy week outside of work, too. The roommates and BC and I went over to Joe and Jessie's house for dinner on Monday.  After dinner, we played Taboo!, which is my all-time favorite board game.  I miss playing board games, and will be sure to add board games to future gift lists.  Growing up, my family played many board games, but now that I live on my own, I don't really have many so I need to start getting some.  It's funny, my family is so competitive, that a lot of our games ended due my mom walking off because everyone was fighting over some stupid rule or the score, etc. but I still have many happy memories playing outburst and pictionary and taboo and the rest of them!  I am leaving on Saturday morning to go home for Christmas, and I really hope we can play some board games. :) It's a good way to pass the time on a snowy night!   Maybe we can also have a fire in our fireplace. Apparently Toledo is getting a ton of snow tonight, so it sounds like I might have a white Christmas.  We'll see if it melts by next week.  BC and I and our friends, the Millers, are supposed to go to Zoo Lights @the Columbus Zoo tomorrow, but rain is in the forecast.  Hopefully it passes by us before we go, because walking around in the rain sucks!
I am just about done with my Christmas shopping, I just need to buy some sugar-free candy at a local store in Toledo for my diabetic grandfather with the enormous sweet-tooth.  This Sunday my mom, sister, and I are spending all day making cookies, which is very exciting, too!  My dad, brother, and sister's husband are all going to the Browns' game, so we will have free rein of the house that day.  The roommates are I are making some cookies tonight too, we were going to do it last night, but exchanging stockings and pizza and TV wore us out! So we will just extend the festivities tonight.  Plus I am super-pumped that one of my roommates washed all the dirty dishes in the sink.  I was resigned to having to do that today when I got home, even though most of the dishes weren't used by me, so I was so happy to see a ton of dishes drying on the counter.   Thanks, Brandon! Now I can reach the sink to wash all my dishes that I still have in my room from being sick last week.... oops! 
Well, I think I have sufficiently updated, I probably won't update much during Winter Break.  I will be in Toledo until the 27th, and then I hopefully will spend NYE in Cleveland visiting friends.   I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and a great start to 2009!!!!

Hmm, I am not sure what to write about today... Not a lot has really happened this week.  I have been subbing in a 5th grade, which has been ehh, not as bad as it could be, but makes me more sure that I like the lil ones best.  On Tuesday, I got a terrible headache around lunchtime, and it lasted like ALL night.  Nothing would faze it: medicine, water, even a 2-hr nap.  I didn't work on Wednesday, so I slept the headache off, apparentely all it needed was about 12 hours of sleep to finally go away.  I am not sure what triggered it, but I definitely can't be devoting that much time to the next one, I will never get anything done! 
Today I went to Target and got a humidifier.  With my headache, I also am a little clogged up, and my mom suggested it would help.  I had a humidifier at my old apartment, but it bit the dust before I moved in to this apartment, so hopefully this one will last awhile.  I am also in the process of addressing and mailing xmas cards.  After Target I went to the post office and bought some stamps, and dodged the man begging for money near the entrance.  It all goes with the territory when you live near the Short North.  Nice, pricey duplexes, surrounded by a lot of people down on their luck. :(
Oh, I thought of something kinda interesting to write about - On Tuesday my fifth graders were identifying bones in owl pellets!!   It was a little gross, but cool too.  My mom swears I did that in school once, but  I don't remember.  They were all so proud when they found all the little rodent skulls, especially the boys.  Today, the boys in my class were all mad because I let the girls pack up first today and Tuesday.  I said it was ladies first, but that if the boys behaved on Friday,  I would let them pack up first.  lol I am trying to teach these 11-year old gentlemen some manners! :)

Per request, I have taken a couple pictures of some of my favorite Christmas cards I am making this year. :)

 





Well, I'm off to bed, I am subbing in 5th grade tomorrow... ugh. On a happy note, BC surprised me tonight at 10:30 at my apt. door.  I hadn't seen him since last Sunday, and when I told him I wanted to hug him to make him feel better (he's sick), he decided to come get a hug on his way home from Gahanna. :) What a wonderful surprise from a wonderful guy.

The turkey was eaten, the naps were taken, the shopping was started.... all in all, a very nice Thanksgiving long weekend.  It was very low-key and relaxing, which was exactly what I needed.  I feel very lucky to be part of a family where no matter how long you are gone, you get home and you can just be yourself. 
On Black Friday, my sister were going to go out shopping super early, but on Thanksgiving night, we decided we didn't really feel like waking up that early, so we went out later in day, and still got some door-busters, but nothing too crazy.  I also helped my mom put out some of her Christmas decorations, and we went to a craft show.  For a trip down memory lane, my mom, sister, and I went to Friendly's Restaurant, which it this chain that serves diner style food and ice cream.  Growing up, there was a Friendly's close to our house, and we would go there occasionally for their Reese's Peanut Butter Cup sundaes.  My sister would get it with chocolate ice cream, and  I would get it with vanilla.  They were very yummy, but the customer service was always horrible.  It took forever to order, and forever for your food to come, and they would never bring your refills, etc.  Consequently, many of the Toledo-area Friendly's closed down, including the one near us.  There is still one left in a southern suburb of Toledo, Maumee.  This is close to where the craft show was, so we went to it afterward.  And while the food was good, wouldn't you know, it took forever to order, and forever for our food to come.  I was almost late to my haircut/highlights appt.  I guess it is true what that they say, some things never change. :)  All in all, a fun visit, except it was dark and pouring rain the whole drive back to Columbus.  I am excited to be home for Christmas too, it is only a few weeks away! I better get shopping... :)