The Week that was.....

~The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

Well hello fellow blog readers (or I hope that I have at least a few readers).

As I am reflecting back on this past week. The thing that has stuck out the most was the insane amount of tv watcing I have done. I promise I don't sit around and watch tv all the time, but I do DVR quite a few shows. I would be ashamed to admit what all I watch....so I am not going to share that with ya'll right now. Let's just say that I was excited about the new shows I caught this week and the old ones that returned.

My Dad and Grandmother are both recovering nicely from their surgeries. I want each of you to keep my Mom in your thoughts and prayers because I know she is being stretched thin with work and taking care of the 2 of them.

Stories from school....
We got the most awesome things for our classroom this week. Now some of these things may be foreign to ya'll, but they are awesome teaching tools. We have the following new things--an Elmo (basically an overhead projector but way better than the old ones), a Promethean board (which is an interactive board that you hook up to your computer and can use a special pen to write on), a laptop (which we are getting this week) and an LCD projector. It's like Christmas came a little later at school. NOw if only I could figure out how to use it properly!

I always love when my students try to guess my age or ask me how old I am. I usually respond with the "I am 100 years old" to get giggles from them. They will try to guess and sometimes I am astonished about their responses--everything from 18 to 64. I have to stop and realize that most of them have no sense of time/age. One of my favorite is a girl that I had in my class a few years back who always told me I looked like a teenager, especially when I wore my hair in a ponytail.
The other favorite thing that I just love (insert sarcastic voice here) is when they ask me if I have a husband or kids. When I tell them no, they always want to know why not. Sometimes I just want to say back "good question"!! My favorite response was when I told them no husband or kids, that one little girl told me she would pray for me to find a husband so I could have kids.


I love the Shazam application on my iPhone because I find all kinds of great songs off of tv shows. Some of the tv shows that have the best songs that I enjoy are Grey's Anatomy and most shows off the CW (yes I watch those shows)

Songs I'm listening to right now:Poison & Wine-The Civil Wars, anything by Phoenix, I want You-Kings of Leon, L.E.S.Artistes-Santigold, and the Beatles lately.

Movies I'm looking forward too--When in Rome, Dear John, and Valentine's Day.

I hope all of you have a great week! Oh and Brenna, if you are reading this I can't wait to meet little Cooper :)

Weekly Wackiness

~Faith is refusal to panic

This week seems like a big blur in my mind, but I am going to try and focus to re-cap it for those who are interested....

My Grandmother had knee replacement surgery Wednesday and is doing as well as expected for an 83 year old. She should get out of the hospital tomorrow, but faces physical therapy that is going to be very trying on her. I ask all of you to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. My Father is having orthoscopic surgery on his knee Wednesday. For those of you that do no know, he had this same procedure done on the same knee about 8 years ago. There were major complications (blood clots, ICU, blood disease,etc.) and he was in the hospital for quite some time. The doctors are hoping to relieve some of his pain by doing the surgery again, but if it doesn't work--knee replacement for him as well! I am really nervous/anxious about the surgery and hope he comes out much better this time.

On to a lighter subject. Here is a funny story from school. One of my students came up to me and told me that his back was "crankin". I laughed and was like, "what do you mean?" The student responded, "you know Ms. Rodgers...it hurts real bad".

Exciting news--There is a website called DonorsChoose.org that allows teachers to post wish lists of things they want for their classroom that they cannot afford. I have posted things on there before, but have never gotten any donations. I received an email Friday night saying that a project of mine had been funded. I am receiving a huge carpet for my classroom that will allow each of the students to have their own spot--which is crucial to maintain the arguing.

Update on my 2010 resolutions:
I am still going to the gym and I am up to running almost 20+ minutes on the treadmill. I have also mastered the eliptical and the bike. Now maybe weights and work on my little skinny arms...
I have been attending Mountain Brook Community Church this past month. I have been going to early church and a Sunday school class. I am really enjoying it and have loved meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones. I started a bible study Wednesday that is a Women's bible study that is going a book study on How to walk and Not Grow Weary. I like that fact that it is an all women group so I can be more open with my sharing. I am going to a group thing this next weekend in which we meet for dinner and play broomball (a version of hocky in which you get on the ice in your shoes) which should be very entertaining. Here's hoping I don't break anything.

TV I'm watching: The Bachelor (more for the giggles and craziness), American Idol (pants on the ground ppl), and just my old usuals. I am looking forward to the new show on ABC called The Deep End that premieres this week.

Songs I'm listening too: There is a new Timbaland/Justin Timberlake song called Carry Out that is pretty catchy, Half of my Heart by John Mayer/Taylor Swift, Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson, and Say When by The Fray are just a few of the newer one that I have been digging lately.

~Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.

Weekly Update

The week that was January 4-10, 2010.....

WOW....what a crazy week this has been. I am going to attempt to re-cap all that happened this week.

First off, we went back to school. You think the students would be a little subdued, but not my class. I have 18 students--9 girls and 9 boys. My girls are great....my boys--not. so. much! I feel like they are middle school girls trapped in the 1st Grade bodies of my boy students. They argue, fight, tattle-tale more than any other boys I have ever taught. It's sad when your boys are known around 1st Grade and other teachers comment "oh you have all of them together in your class? Bless your heart!" I will just say that I count down to the next day off constantly. I keep repeating to myself---this too shall pass.

"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict"
-William Ellery Channing

Now on to the blizzard that Birmingham experienced. Oh wait, you didn't see any snow...haha! They cancelled school Thursday and it barely even snowed. They delayed school Friday until 10 and of course this was the morning that it was actually snowing and sticking! I will say that I spend alot of time staring out the window and just watching the snow fall down from the sky---so pretty! I took the dogs walking in the snow to see their reaction. They basically just kept staring up in the sky like "what the?!?" I will have to say the cold weather has made me turn into a "bear"--aka hibernating under covers at my house. AT least this week has some warmer (40s/50s) weather headed our way.

Now I saved the most momental thing for last.....National Champions 2009: ALABAMA!
I will say that I for Colt McCoy and that fact that he got hurt. Not only was it sad that he missed his last game for Texas, but one of the biggest. I would have liked for him to have stayed in to make our win more convincing to those doubters. We will never know what the outcome of the game would have been if McCoy was able to play the whole game, but none the less... Alabama won! Now on the fact that people can't seem to get straight that this was our 13th National Championship. I am sorry, but why in the world would we claim 13 if SOMEONE haven't given the title to Alabama?? I personally wouldn't go around bragging about something if I didn't have some fact/evidence to back it up. So to all those hater/doubters....all I have to say is jealousy is not flattering.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/322684-alabama-is-your-national-champion-just-deal-with-it?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=share


Ahh...the week of tv ahead of me is going to be time consuming. Bachelor, Chuck, American Idol, the return of some shows (Grey's, Bones, etc).


I continued my New Year's resolutions by going to the gym 3 days this week and worked out 2 days at home. I went to church at Mountain Brook Community Church again today. I attended the morning worship service and the singles community group. I am really liking it and looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me in this new year!

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step"
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Song of the week: I am currently in a huge Coldplay mood and listening to their songs on repeat. I have seen them live and can tell you that was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. I highly recommend going to see them if you get a chance.

Books: I am still working on the sequel to The Nanny Diaries, The Nanny Returns.

Movie: I went to watch Leap Year this past weekend. I loved the fact that it is set in Ireland because it brought back memories of my family's trip a few years back. I will just say this in summary of the movie--I am a sucker for a tall,dark haired, blue-eyed guy!

Have a great week!

My "babies"

 

I may not have any children yet....but these two are definitely pretty close enough. Max is 6 and Lexi is 5 and they are spoiled rotten.

2010--Even Years are better

Well here we are in 2010....a new year, a new decade. My friend Laura inspired me to start my own blog as well. As it is my first ever blog,it may not be spectacular, but I thought I would give it a shot. I am going to share stories from school, funny things that happen to me (embarrassing or not), songs that I am loving, quotes, recipes, and just a little bit of everything.

As for today's thoughts.....

I am not looking forward to actually waking up before 9am tomorrow to go back to work. At least we have a day of adjustment before the students come back.
I have already accomplished one goal on my 2010 Resolutions. Here they are.....

1. Visit churches until I find a new fit or realize that the old one was what I really needed.
2. Join the Hoover Rec and start working out--laugh all you want people, but I am going to do it and stick with it!
3. Try new things, go new places, and meet new people

Song of the day--The Pigott Brothers: Alien Like You
Quote of the day--"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself"
- Andy Warhol