I admit, I’m not good at packing. Like, at all.
I either fully overpack or I pack the wrong things or something happens. I blame it on the fact that I don’t travel a ton and am overly attached to a lot of the stuff I use on a daily basis.
I have so many things I feel like I HAVE to take with me; especially since we’re gone for pretty much two weeks, so I made a list out of everything.
This cajun chicken really packs a punch in the flavor department and it’s relatively easy; which is everything I need in my life right now.
Since I’ve had to be gluten free, I’ve been trying to make my food as flavorful as possible in the hopes that I won’t miss the fact that there is no gluten on my plate. But, I also want it easy because I am not currently in the stage of life that I can spend hours making dinner.
Because of this, I feel like I’m in the rut of the same five dinner ideas that I’m just rotating through. I make my sheet pan sausage and peppers a lot because Devon and I both love it and because it’s insanely simple. I also make pork loins a lot and chicken but I feel like I need to change up the flavors of each so they don’t get super boring.
This chicken dish is everything I needed this past weekend. It was different, flavorful and easy.
*Why is it Sunday already? I don’t think I’m fully mentally prepared for another week yet.
*We went to our friend’s Rob and Rachael’s gender reveal yesterday and found out they are having a boy, which to Devon means, that we will have a girl first. He’s figured this because in his friend group of him and his three lifetime bffs; his friend Harold had a boy first, his friend Yuri had a girl first, and now Rob is having a boy first, which since we’re last to board the baby train means we will have a girl first (according to Devon), which is his highest goal in life. Rob is determined to name his son Salvatore….I’m fairly certain Rachael will not let that happen.
*On a similar note; Rob and Rachel are finally engaged! He proposed at the gender reveal yesterday. This also makes all four boys engaged/getting married around the same time. Devon is convinced all of them just copied him. Though, in his defense, he did propose to me first. Then Harold proposed to Mandi; Yurl proposed to Chanel this past Christmas, and Rob proposed yesterday. Since these four just can’t seem to do anything without the others; I guess we’ll wind up pregnant somewhat soon-ish? Seeing as how, now we’re the only ones without children/impending children. We’ll see how that works. However, we are the only ones who got married before the children happened. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; i’m just saying.
*We are so busy this next month or so. I feel like I keep saying that; but more things just keep being added that it keeps being more and more true as time goes on. Well I supposed, we have a two week honeymoon to relax from all of it; we just have to wait about 6 weeks for that to happen.
*I was taking a medication for acne that was oral and I had to stop it because I was realizing my kidneys weren’t super excited by it. I was so bloated for like two weeks after stopping it; it was so annoying. It was like pre menstrual water weight gain times ten. Nothing fit; I even had issues getting my rings on and off. I think the bloating is finally dying down; thankfully. I can put my rings on without fighting my fingers. Oral medicine can go away; I’ll work with topical from now on; thanks.
I hope everyone is having a great Mother’s Day! And a special thought to all of those that have a difficult time with today for one reason or another; my thought are with you.
Last night I went to visit some of my girls from my old school for their spring recital. For a few of them, it’s their last recital since they are graduating next month.
Since one of the graduates went out of her way to invite me, there was no way I was going to miss it.
I love seeing them; even if it means navigating Baltimore City at night, I will go to anything they invite me to.
I walked in about five minutes after the recital started so a lot of them saw me come in but they have enough decency to stay in their seats. So when the show ended, all of them just bombarded me and my friend (who was also a teacher in my old school); hugging and yelling and shrieking, etc. It was a spectacle.
We stayed for a good hour after the show just talking to the girls, catching up with them, finding out what was going on in their lives. And then I drove home and it made me realize how much I missed them.
I mean, obviously our school is gone so there is no going back. And I do really like the school I am at now. But those girls……they are irreplaceable to me.
My Counseling Chair said to me awhile ago that my heart isn’t fully here at our school yet and she understands that it may not be for awhile. After last night, I wholeheartedly agree with that, I love my new school and the students are great, but these girls last night are special to me. And for as long as they are still in school, they will be. I can’t change that fact.
I made this status on Facebook last night:
Some people have questioned why I stay in private school when I could “easily” go into a public school system.
I sometimes wonder the same.
But tonight, I got to see some of my Keough girls perform their spring concert at their new school. And while all of them caused a raucous at the end of the show to see me; there was one of my former students who started sobbing the second she saw me. I asked her why she was crying; all she could say was “I miss you; I didn’t know you were going to be here”.
I feel lucky that I still get to see them from time to time. And even if it means navigating the city at night; I will go to anything they invite me to.
They are part of the reason I stay.
I was also really fortunate this year to not only have a new position when I needed one but to find a school that welcomed me so openly and with so much love. In some ways I already feel like I’ve been there for years.
I’m not saying you don’t form relationships in public schools; hell I’m a product of public schools; I’ll never knock them.
But all these people are why I stay in private schools.
At this point, hell would probably have to freeze over for me to go public.
It’s currently Teacher Appreciation Week and most educators will tell you; they still don’t often feel appreciated even during this week.
Most will also tell you I’m not a teacher, so I’m fully in this week; which is true, though most lump me into the teacher category anyway.
But, last night, having all of my former students around me; even though they were loud as hell and causing a scene as the show ended, happy to see me, telling me everything about them that I’ve missed – that’s the best gift I could have received for Teacher Appreciation Week.
This is always a rough time of the year; for most of us we’re in the home stretch but the finish line seems so far away. If you’re a teacher, administrator, counselor, etc; we’re almost done for the year. Just remember why you’re doing this; the lives you’re helping even if you aren’t seeing it as much as you would like, and that summer is almost here.
To all of my fellow educators, I appreciate all of you so much and I hope these last few weeks are easy for you.
*I’m realizing, just now, that I didn’t get this done last week. That’s just kind of how life is these days.
*I also didn’t realize until Friday that I requested off for tomorrow for a doctor’s appointment. I mean, it’s a nice realization, but when you’ve forgotten you requested off, that’s pretty indicative of where your life is. But, three day weekend it is!
*I’m also having one of those moments where I can’t tell if its a simple pimple (hehe that rhymed) on my lip or a cold sore forming. I think it’s a pimple; it doesn’t tingle the way a cold sore does.
YES! I AM A MESS! I GET IT!
*We made the realization this week that is less expensive (and probably safer for our cars) to hire a car to drive us to and from the airport for our honeymoon than it is to drive ourselves and park in long-term parking. Which is actually kind of sad. But also exciting because we reserved a “luxury sedan” (yes that was still cheaper than parking) for the ride there and back; so it’s not like the airport shuttle where you’re on a van with 20 other people. So, our cars will stay home and our rental management knows we’re going to be gone and we have a friend keeping an eye on everything for us, so we feel more comfortable with everything staying at home.
*Because I don’t have enough to do these days a friend and I have decided to throw our names into the workings of our annual professional counseling conference to present next year. Why? Just because we thought it would be fun. So we now have a 30 minute informational session to present on. We’re taking a historical perspective on what school counseling is supposed to be versus the reality of it. Sounds super boring if you’re not a counselor, but you would be surprised at how different the profession is compared to what it used to be and what the stereotypes of it are.
*And yes, we did see Infinity War. Obviously. I won’t spoil anything as far as endings and whatnot (and I admit this may be a spoiler, so consider yourself warned) but I had a great appreciation for the fact that RDJ and Benny C. were essentially in every single scene together. It made my heart happy.
*It also amuses me to be in the living room and hear Devon giggle at something in the office. Especially since he’s supposed to be working. If he’s giggling, it means he’s not working
Me: GET BACK TO WORK SIR!
Devon: DON’T TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE!
Welcome to life here.
Also, said guy has an interview at one of his districts high schools this week to teach Biology next year. So fingers crossed! About a dozen science positions opened up in their district in the past couple weeks and he’s applied to most of them and there are some really good schools in that mix. He’s in the “I’m taking the first offer I get” mindset as his current school is just getting crazier and crazier by the day. He’s so done and I think just him knowing he was secured somewhere else would make the remainder of the year less stressful, so I get it.
Alright, now to finish cleaning up and getting ready for the week (even though I’m off tomorrow). Have a great Sunday!