Happy Anniversary!

Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary Corey! (October 1)

I can't believe how fast this year went. Last year at this time I was stressing out about having a perfect wedding......I did.

I am so lucky to have found Corey. He is the best thing that has happened to me. He always makes me laugh, even at times I may not want to...that makes him a keeper. "Live well, Love much, LAUGH often"...it's true.

He gave me a card in July for my birthday that said...""Silly" is a stronger bond than normal couples could ever know." We are silly. I love the weird humor in our relationship. Everyone says that the first year of marriage is the hardest...well Corey, we made it! I love you and I'm looking forward to some more "silly" years ahead.

"Want a bite of my Dill?"

Saturday a bunch of us took our annual trip to the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee. The group included Corey and me, Mike and Aimee, Eric and Liz, and Andy. It was a great time. Thanks to Aimee, we were able to score free tickets! WHOO HOO!! The Ren. Fest. is the best place to find interesting people...it's great for people watching!! We actually sat down and watched some of the shows this year. The Dew Drop Jugglers were entertaining as well as the Glassblowing demos. (I think our group was a little too perverted to watch the Glassblowing nicely.) We watched a Joust and enjoyed cheering for the same knight we cheered for two years ago. (Of course we took another picture with him.) We were all entertained by the music provided by the "Dill Pickle Man". No face painting this year for Eric, instead he enjoyed dancing a jig with some of the wenches at the festival. Needless to say we all had fun and we were glad that it didn't rain on us.
Corey and I love looking at all of the little shops. Corey found a really neat wood mug. I, on the other hand, found nothing.
I'm looking forward to another interesting adventure to the Ren. Fest. next year.

We ended the day with a nice BBQ at Mike and Aimee's. Great stories, Great food, Great friends, Great memories!

Nine More Days!!

Whooo Hoooo! Nine more days until Corey and I head off to Lutsen to celebrate our 1st anniversary. (Yes, I'm excited, hence the extra ! in the title...just for you Mikey B.) We were just talking about it tonight. We still can't believe that it's been almost a year since our wedding. We decided that we would venture up to the Duluth area...it's our favorite place to "get away". We made reservations at Eagle Ridge Resort at Lutsen. Their web site had some great pictures of the fall colors. Everyone must take at least one trip up to the Duluth or Lutsen area...it's wonderful. We're so excited to get away and have some "Melanie and Corey time". (For those of you thinking what I think you're thinking...the baby making will not happen for a couple of years.) We're simply enjoying our "married" relationship. This past year has been so busy for us...we're finally settled into our new house and getting use to each of us having just one job. It's great to finally slow down in our lives.

Today is my sister Natalie's Golden Birthday. Happy 20th Nat. I feel old now. My sisters and I are offically in our twenties. (I guess Natalie's not so "little" anymore.) Thanks for sharing your DQ ice cream cake with me...Mmmmm.

SUCCESS!

What a Monday!

After just a couple of weeks my little screaming preschool girl has finally settled down and enjoys coming to school. (I guess I'm not that scary after all.)
Today was the first day that she came to school excited! I can't believe that I got her "trained" to come into the classroom happy! I'm thankful that this only took a couple of weeks v.s. months. It took a lot of negotiating with the parents...but it worked. The little girl was only allowed to come to school for short periods of time over these last two weeks. During the morning she would have lots of fun playing with her friends, but if she cried...I sent her home. (I was actually shocked that when her mom would come and pick her up that she wouldn't want to go. I think she was realizing that we do fun things at school.) So gradually she stopped crying and screaming. WHOOO HOO! This will be a good school year after all.

I have become very good at multi-tasking at school. One of my preschoolers had explosive diarrhea today and I managed to still have control of the children, while teaching a lesson and helping this boy clean up and go home. (Poor kid...I know what it's like. He was so embarrassed, and I still couldn't help but laugh a little...I'm so mean.) It's days like this that I wish I was teaching grade school.

I hate shopping!

This weekend Corey and I decided that we would go to the outlet mall in Albertville. We both need new clothes...so we thought of outlet shopping to save money. We were WRONG! I don't think that outlet stores truly exsist anymore. We drive all the way up to Albertville to find that there are only about three stores that have the word "outlet" added to their name. The rest of the stores were just your typical clothing stores you can find at the MOA. I haven't gone on a shopping spree for new clothes in awhile and I'm disappointed in the outlet stores and their high prices. You're pretty much $50 in the hole with just one outfit! I was frustrated shopping for clothes...and depressed (I have gained 6 lbs. since last year.)
So, this weekend I found more decorations for our house instead of new clothes. (It's fun to use up gift cards!)

Maybe we'll try again next weekend...

COLD Weekend!

Even though the weather is getting colder Corey and I managed to still do things outdoors. Friday night we had a bon fire at our house. Bryen, Pete and Anne came over to sit outside and freeze with us. It wasn't too bad. It's great to live in a house and be able to have bon fires again. Saturday morning Andy and Pete came over and we had a "let's freeze our ass off" bike ride around Cleary Lake. (I think I'm still trying to warm up.) The four of us had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. Our waiter was an old classmate of ours...weird!!! Saturday afternoon consisted of Corey and I touring many houses on the Parade of Homes. BEAUTIFUL! If any of you are in the Prior Lake area, there are many unique looking homes on the parade right of of Hwy. 23! (We liked #129) Saturday night we went out with Corey's cousins, Eric and Holly. They were "kid free", so we took advantage of that and had a quiet, adult dinner at Axel's Bon Fire Grill in Prior Lake. The food was O.K. and a little pricey. We headed over to Cold Stone for an ice cream dessert. On Sunday, despite the rain, we toured more beautiful million dollar homes. We also made our weekly trip to Cub Foods and spent too much! They really get you to buy more when they have those "buy one, get one" coupons. It seems that we end up getting things we don't really need just so we can get a free item.
Well, tomorrow is a new day and I can't help but wonder how much screaming I'll have to put up with from my little preschooler.

I spoke too soon!

Well yesterday was a great school day therefore I should've known today wouldn't go as smooth. I have the worst headache. I spent half of the morning trying to calm down a little preschool girl. She thought it was scary to come to school and I felt sorry for her until she continued to scream her head off for over an hour...then I was sick of it. I called her mom and dad after twenty minutes of this and all the parents did was come back and forth, in and out of the school the rest of the morning (completely interrupting me and my class) comforting their little girl everytime she made a peep. Well that's not going to happen in my classroom anymore!!! (Gosh, I wish I had enough guts to say it like that directly to the parents.) Everytime her mom and dad slipped out of the room she'd scream again! Her parents ended up staying the whole three hours of class watching me and my assistant struggle with their little girl. Cut the cord kid! I'm starting to realize that I don't think I have enough patience to work with this age group anymore...and it's only the second day of school. AAHHH!
I know it's scary for a kid to enter into a place where they're not familiar with the surroundings and the people, but I wish that parents these days could teach their kids to be more respectful towards adults. I put up with a lot of crap from kids as well as some parents. Can't they just for once say thank you for all you do and try to help you help their kid? I speak with many parents at the end of the day and let them know how their child's day was. I've noticed more and more the parents that have children who misbehave tend to "blow off" the teacher and not confront their child's situation...they simply look at me and think that I don't understand (because I don't have kids). A simple "tell Miss Melanie you're sorry and you will behave better tomorrow" would be nice. (Think about it...sometimes a teacher is around a child more than their actual parent is.)
I believe that children have nothing to fear anymore. I remember growing up and having a fear of authority...authority being my parents. I knew that if I did something wrong or disrespected adults that there would be consequences...and perhaps a spanking. Today children don't have consequences, they don't even know right from wrong and they certainly have less respect for adults. HELP! Is it wrong for me to feel this way?
Preschool teachers get a lot of crap because many people think that we do nothing but "play" with the kids all day. Well...we help create the foundation of a child. We help children grow into who they want to become in life. Children are like wet cement; whatever falls on them makes an impression. Teachers as well as Parents make that impression.
Yes this was only one day, one situation with one child. I just needed to vent.
I guess I can only grow from this experience. Maybe situations like this will only make me a better parent someday.

1st Day of School!

I spent my entire weekend getting ready for the upcoming school year. It was this weekend that I realized that I will never have a normal, relaxing, and calm Labor Day weekend again. I'll always be planning for school.

Well the first day of school was great!! (Maybe all of my long hours preparing paid off...I had a smooth start.) My new group of kids at the Shakopee school are awesome!! I only hope that the rest of the year is as smooth as the first day. The kids parents must think I'm nuts...I sent home so much paperwork. My September newsletter alone was three pages. I know what will happen...no one will read the whole thing and I will still get tons of questions about what we're doing in school.
It wasn't so smooth in Prior Lake this afternoon though. Some of the returning students think it's really funny to act out towards the new kids and get everyone doing things that they're not suppose to. My little P.L. devil child...some know who I'm talking about...decided that today would be a great day to say my name 50 million times and annoy the hell out of me until I exploded. I swear this child has no respect. Well everyday can't be perfect! Having a job like this is sometimes the best method of birth control ever!!

Bat Mitzvah!

Today was the first time I have ever been to a Bat Mitzvah. Corey and I drove into Minneapolis to see Alana read from the Torah at the Temple Israel. It was very interesting. (I started to nanny for Alana when she was around 3 years old...today she is thirteen!!! I can't believe how time flies!!) It was an emotional service for me. Just watching this little girl feeling so strong and confident in herself, her beliefs and morals just took my breath away. Her parents gave a wonderful speech about their daughter, and Alana gave a speech about herself and what she likes and is so passionate about as a thirteen year old. She loves to help people and wants to be a lawyer when she grows up. WOW! She's truly remarkable. The luncheon was as formal as a wedding! Absolutely beautiful!!!
I feel so blessed to have been a small part of her childhood and so honored to be a part of her special "Bat Mitzvah" day.