Roommate Bonding

{top left to right: Andrea, Caitie, me, Sarah/ us with our stockings/ Andrea, Sarah, and I decorating our stockings.
middle row- left to right: working so hard/ put the camera on a timer and ran into position/
I am so focused on getting it just so.
bottom row- left to right: working hard again}

Last night, we decided to have roommate bonding time! We have our apartment all decorated for Christmas with lights, Christmas tree (1 foot), stockings, etc. We had such a good time as well all decorated our stockings and made them fit our personality. It was humorous because two of us had Type A stockings and two of us had Type B stockings. It is funny because the two type a had stockings were going to the left and the two type b were going to the right. It was just funny to see the differences in everyones stocking!! We played Christmas carols and had hot chocolate while we focused on our stockings! After we let them dry overnight, we hung them with care on our pretend mantle!!

Winter Time

Bur. . . its getting cold outside! Tonight, its a bitter 15 degrees outside! Last night it snowed all through the night and was still snowing this morning when I woke up. It was a cold walk to class at 8am! It has been nice that the snow and cold weather has waited so long, but now i just cant get used to it!! I go outside thinking that it will be like November weather and I freeze my bottom end off!! I hope you all stay warm and bundle up when you go outside!!! Enjoy the beautiful white season!

Turkey Day in Flint Town

My favorite thing about being home for Thanksgiving Break was being home with the family and most of all, my doggie, Bear. I love that dog. She is so stinking cute, but so stinking stinky! My mom and I made cute little Turkey candies and lots of food for Thanksgiving dinner. Since it was just the three of us, the Rockwell's invited us over for delicious dinner. It was a lot of fun and very good food! We ate our little hearts out, then came home to watch a wonderful episode of Greys!!! Black Friday = shopping. We got up and left about 10:30 to go shopping. We were really in no rush to get anything REALLY cool, so we just went out and enjoyed our day. On Saturday we went out to get a heavenly Halo Burger and saw a marvelous movie, August Rush. After the movie, mom and I just hung out at the house and made yet another Thanksgiving Dinner. Grandpa Bill and Sharon came over and ate with us, then helped us decorate our Christmas Tree. It was such a fantastic and fun weekend, sad its coming to an end!

Disney Lights Parade

Let me tell you... this is the LIFE!! How many times have you had the opportunity to jump in a car and 45 minutes later be downtown Chicago on the busiest day of the year!? Well, it is FUN! Last night was the Disney Lights Parade and Jen and I went and met her parents there. It was SO crowded, it was ridiculous {first row, all the way to the left}! There were people EVERYWHERE! It was so cute though, first we saw Mickey, and Minnie, and all of those characters. Then came American Girls{top row, 3rd photo over} and the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL cast{2nd row, first photo} = amazing!!! After them, there was a few smaller vendors and then proceeded by fireworks, Santa was here {3rd row, second photo}!! After the parade there was BEAUTIFUL fireworks! Then, we drove to the North side of Chicago and ate dinner at a little Italian place. It was yummy! After a fun night in Chicago, Jen and I drove back to good 'ole Olivet! We watched Forrest Gump for a little bit then we were out! It was so fun, wish you all could have been here for it!

Miss Vargo

So, here it is . . . This is my future, Miss Vargo (as my second graders call me)! This week I had to teach three lessons in my practicum class, or as I call it, Little School. I am in a second grade classroom in Kankakee (similar to Flint for you back in Michigan :-/) I have really enjoyed my time in this classroom, all 55 hours! I have really grown to like these little sprouts, they are so cute! This week, I taught a lesson on the first Thanksgiving, Analogies (Thanksgiving), and Acrostic Poems (Thanksgiving). The kids really seemed to enjoy the activities, so that was good! We made "Tom the Turkey"{top right} cookies, a lovely paper turkey{bottom right} and they wrote what they were thankful for on their feathers. Alexis {Bottom left} was thankful for me, her teacher!! Ah, gotta love em! It has really been a learning experience for me, good and bad! It will be nice to have a little more time to do my homework and play now. . . I was there til 5:30 or 6 each night!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! :)

Day Light Savings = Life Saver!!!

Tonight, I was called to babysit for a few families while their parents got together and hung out. They were all college friends and back in town for Olivet's Homecoming. There were 8 kids... 3 of which were younger than two!!! There was a 6 month, 12 month, 2yr old, 3 yr old, 3 yr old, 6 yr old, and a 19 yr old!! WHOA!!!!! I know, right!! They just kept coming!!! Moses who was the 6 month was so cute but did not want to fall asleep! Finally, after many many minutes of crying, he did... after he spit up on me a few (4) times!! Hudson, the 12 month was a CHUNKER!! Carrying him around made me sweat!! It was a workout, but he was very good!! Ezra, the 2 yr old was a cute little Chinese and white mixed little boy. . . quiet but very cute!! Sam was 3 and is Mosses brother. . WILD. . . LOUD. . . cute as a button, but loud as a (insert something loud!) Kate and Clair were the other ones, so of course they were good! It was a lot of fun, but to say the least, I am EXHAUSTED!! Thank goodness for "Falling Back" tonight!

P.S. And, tonight, I felt OLD for the first time!! I asked Clair when her birthday was and she replied, "June 4, 2001" and then I said Kate, when is your birthday? She said, "January 26, 2004!!" Clair said when is your birthday? I said "March 25th" She said 2000 and what? I said, "1988" HER FACE DROPPED and her poor jaw hit the ground!! I thought, whoa, I am getting old!!!

Rent- A- Mom

{Top Center- Clair 6 yrs old, Bottom Left- Kate 3 yrs old}

So today I saw my future flash before my eyes. Let me explain! I had two children's car seats in my backseat, an embroidered gymnastics bag in my backseat, my teachers bag in my backseat, and to top it off, I had Parent Teacher Conferences this morning {Top Left picture}! I know, right!? I thought, this is what I have to look forward to!!!

Anyways, so, for those of you who remember my babysitter Amanda Asher - Mountain, well they just moved to Bourbonnais because Mark works for the President of Olivet. Well, they called for me to babysit their children, Kate and Clair. I was so excited, I jumped to the opportunity! I picked Kate and Clair up from Day Care at 4:15 and took them directly to their first day of Gymnastics. {See Blog below :-( } I watched them flip, twirl, twist, tumble, and just jump around. They were SO cute out there doing their thing and they were so excited to start!!! After gymnastics, we went to their house and made Mac and Cheese for dinner (yes, that is the only thing I can make!) After dinner, we played and played and played. We got ready for bed and read stories until their mom and dad got home. Clair read Kate and I two stories and then I read a few stories to them. Kate was so cute, she sucks her finger. . . not thumb and plays with my pinky finger trying SO hard to stay awake!! Amanda and Mark got home about 8:30 and back to my apartment I went to hang out with Jen, Tyler and Justina. It was a very fun night being a Rent-A-Mom!!