Lazy Day

So last night was my official last day at the retail store I've been working at for the past two years.  It really didn't feel like I was truly leaving the store, maybe because it is possible I will go back after my internship or because I'll be seeing some of the girls Wednesday night because one of the girls is also leaving the store (but she's actually moving away).

I can't tell you how lucky I've been.  When I used to work at the swim club I worked with some really great people, in fact, some of my best friends.  When I left there and had to find a new job near school I really wondered how anywhere would live up to the fun times I had at the pool.  While working at the store blew...I mean seriously you think going from food industry to retail you'll deal with less picky people but they're even worse in retail, the people I worked with were fantastic.  A lot of employees came in and out of the store, but there were people that I worked with that I hope to know a long time from now, they are fantastic people.  I only hope I have more luck throughout my internship and hopefully the rest of my career.

Today is my only day off before the beginning of my internship.  The kids don't come in until the 7th, but we've got to get the classroom together before they come in.  So today I'm being lazy before the running around and keeping up with second graders begins.  Other than running over to the gym in a little bit I only intend on doing some reading and knitting the rest of the day.  Oh and making some pizza for dinner (yum yum yum).

Here are some pictures of the baby blanket I'm making for J's nephew that is due in January!

This is what it looked like in the beginning.

This is what the almost finished product looks like.

All I have left to do is weave in these ends.

What the front looks like.

What the back side looks like.

 Off to the gym!

Nom Nom

Found these adorable cookies during a search for new dinner recipes...so cute!  I just recently tried using royal icing and find it to be really cool, but an odd flavor and texture.  It kind of reminds me of the frosting on top of frosted Poptarts (which I was never crazy about, unfrosted all the way!) but the taste is just eh.  J really likes the icing so if I decide to make them for an event I'm sure others will like them.  The possibilities with this icing are endless, I'm hoping to make some marbled looking ones by using sponges and food coloring soon, I'll be sure to put up pictures when I do.

TGIF

Today is a beautiful, sunny day off from work, but instead of relaxing outdoors I'm using the day to do the normal cleaning of the apartment and piles of laundry that have taken over J's closet.  J has decided to take his chances with his friend Paul and try to buy tickets off of someone at the Barclays today.  J loves golf and Tiger Woods so he's willing to get up at 6am to go watch.  I went with him last year to the practice round of the US Open and it was an interesting experience, but honestly not my cup of tea so I decided to sit this one out.

Since Fall is quickly approaching (Yes!) I'm starting to see fall recipes pop up on some of my favorite blogs...butternut squash soup and sweet potato gnocchi anyone?  I'm going to be making a little folder of recipes I want to try so that when Jeremy and I are indecisive about what we want to buy for dinners each week I can pull out something new for us to try.

Also, I'm on a mission to find items for the room bulletin board for the second grade classroom I'm working with.  My cooperating teacher wants a surf-themed board so I'm looking for surfboard, palm tree, and seashell templates, as well as anything else I can get my hands on.

Other things on my to do list for today:
-Read parts of The Morning Meeting Book, this is my first responsibility in the 2nd grade classroom.

-Work on finishing the baby blanket I'm making for E and C's baby (Due in January!) by weaving the ends into the blanket.  I'll post finished pictures of it another day.
-Figure out something I can do to decorate our bedroom wall that does not involve painting it or putting any sorts of holes in it.

Later!

Hello!

With less than two weeks until my first day of student teaching I've decided to enter the blogging world.  I can't promise that it will be updated very often, but I do promise to share what I experience as a student teacher in both the 2nd and 6th grade.

After two years of working in a clothing retail store I'm ecstatic to be leaving and begin working towards my actual career.  I'm interested to see what I'll be able to accomplish now that I'm essentially working a 9-5 job.  I know that people get very tired of working the same 9-5 job every day but I'm a sucker for routine and thus I think it will be enjoyable.  Also, I will not miss working a shift that is supposed to get me out at 9:30pm and I don't even get home to eat dinner until 10:45pm (talk about unhealthy).  However, I will miss getting a paycheck as student teaching internships (at least in NJ) do not pay and I will have to live off of what I saved during the summer for the next 3 months (that includes food, gifts for the holidays, an anniversary, etc..).  

I'm also extremely excited to begin teaching!  I keep getting nervous about the whole experience but I know that it is going to be awesome.  My cooperating teacher is fantastic already (we haven't even worked together yet!) and is handing off a bunch of crafty projects to me in order to get the classroom set up.  Talk about the perfect task for me!  I have so many ideas running through my head already!

So essentially this blog will be my experiences of teaching, cooking, crafting and whatever I can get my hands into with my weekends off (when I'm not writing lesson plans and doing work for my Graduate classes of course).

Well J is slowly falling asleep in front of his computer so I guess that is my cue to call it a night.

Night!