Show Us Your Life-How You Met

Over at Kelly's Korner this week, we are sharing how we met our spouse. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures on this computer from those early days. Paul and I met at a bar. I know, very cliche, but I liked dancing and he liked watching the NBA finals on the big screens. The sports bar was close to my apartment so I went most weekends to listen to the bands and dance with my friends. Paul had seen me there before but apparently took a while to actual come talk to me. Since the Mavs were playing well, we saw each other a few times that week. He did eventually ask me out to dinner, and the rest , as they say is history. Because we had both been married before, we cut through a lot of crap right away. I think it was the second date that I told him I wanted kids and if he didn't we shouldn't date. I think it was that level of honesty at the beginning that led to us getting married 1 year after we met.

Happy Things 121-150

121. hubby helping you reach that corner of the bed that's impossible to reach when putting on new sheets

122. switching places in bed with your spouse

123. bringing a sense of adventure to a children's birthday party

124. sandboxes

125. friendships

126. calzones from Tony's

127. helping a child find unexpected ways to play with household objects

128. pumpkin anything: pies, pancakes, cookies, cheesecake
129. playing in the rain
130. long winter weekends with nothing to do
131. floatillas and fireworks
132. spirit sticks at pep rallies
133. being able to do a cartwheel
134. Easter Basket treats
135. afternoons
136. butter on every bite
137. cats jumping down and walking away calmly after being knocked off laps
138. someone laughing
139. having lots of candles burning (and no cats around)
140. construction paper
141. "Babalu" by Desi Arnaz
142. a basket of balloons
143. packing lunches for the whole week ahead
144. a cat chirping when it's happy
145. Rice Krispies treats
146. log cabins
147. cream sodas
148. different card games
149. the bulge of athletes' muscles
150. anything chocolate

Happy Things 101-120

101. old childhood books
102. getting catalogs in the mail
103. butterscotch sundaes
104. gathering around the piano in the lounge
105. new cheers
106. a wish box
107. paying attention to how different kinds of music affects you
108. long phone calls
109. cottage cheese with a spoonful of jelly
110. jigsaw puzzles
111. "cute as a bug"
112. handmade afghans by grandmothers
113. pedometers
114. seeing interesting people in elevators
115. street musicians
116. when friends drop in
117. anesthesia
118. a room just for scrapbooking
119. deep-dish apple pie
120. Life Savers

Show Us Your LIfe-Teachers Gifts

At Kelly's Korner, she has asked for ideas for teachers gifts. Technically, Sophie doesn't have teachers yet, but I do have a great group of ladies who work for me and have helped with Sophie all year. At our preschool, we have the teachers fill out this form that has their favorites listed on it...things like restaurant, food, candle scents, shopping locations, books, music, etc. Parents can then use these to get them gifts, things they actually want. That's what I am doing for them. I will get gift cards from their favorite places. I think gift cards can be really impersonal but at least this way I know it is a place they will go.

As a teacher/director, I get gifts each year. And I truly appreciate everything I get. I have gotten some unusual gifts (like the bottle of vodka), some very functional, practical things (like the set of thank you cards), but honestly, my favorites are bath products. I love bubble baths and I rarely have to buy it because the kids keep me stocked.

Happy Things 81-100

81. bubble baths
82. pool tables
83. "Princesses don't do that."
84. swingsets
85. kids talking in whispers because you talk in a whisper
86. taking a walk when the world is just too much
87. Tyler, Texas being the "Rose Capital of the World"
88. cheese-stuffed manicotti
89. tuna salad
90. cinnamony applesauce
91. dentists who expect you to carry on a conversation with a mouthful of Novocaine and their fingers in your mouth
92. looking back on the past with as much pleasure as you get from looking forward to the future
93. cool lakes
94. coolers of cold soda
95. across-the-tub trays
96. sleeping gerbils
97. ballroom dancing
98. tossed salad with cheese cubes
99. wet babies
100. feeling witty, confident, devastatingly feminine

Happy Things 61-80

61. secret love notes and candy hearts hidden all over
62. picking out a card and sending it to someone who would never expect it
63. modern art
64. new parent tours (i.e. stroller-friendly) at the local art museum
65. seeing happy parents
66. biscuits and gravy
67. pajamas at breakfast
68. concerts after the baseball game
69. specialty flavored hot chocolate
70. Starbucks frappucinos
71. French crullers
72. Dunkin' Donuts (there was one near our house when I was a toddler, we stopped almost everyday)
73. working on a project
74. an alarm clock that would tell you when to wake up and WHY
75. decorating magazines (even if you never use their ideas)
76. encouraging children to be creative
77. turning the pillow to get to the cool underside
78. plain white Keds
79. the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
80. tiger-stripe cats

Happy Things 41-60

41. hymn-sings where you get to sing your very favorite hymns
42. favorite hymn "Lord of the Dance"
43. having someone who can hem your clothes (since being 5 foot 1 inch means lots of pants are too long)
44. dinner with laughter
45. funny toes (but only on your daughter)
46. knowing and remembering there are many surprises in the future
47. cloudy days and sunny thoughts
48. food gifts
49. ghost stories and marshmallows by a fire
50. personality profiles
51. the first week of school
52. watching others play
53. 50's music
54. 80's music
55. soundtracks of musicals and movies
56. eating all your snack bar items before the movie even starts
57. true, lasting values
58. giving others ample opportunity to speak
59. learn-a-language playing cards (we had ones from Braniff Airlines that taught Spanish)
60. rainbows

Happy Things 21-40

21. Blockbuster Online having dvd's of old TV shows like Life Goes On and Fame

22. finally getting the wireless router to work with the laptop

23. seeing the moon rise
24. a lake catching the last flecks of sunlight coming in over the pines
25. a baby's first tooth
26. your hubby using headphones so you don't have to listen to the shoot-em-up video game he is playing (MMO for all you geek/nerds)
27. babies who never/rarely cry
28. toddlers' vocabulary ("lunches" sounds like "nuts")

29. Mom's French toast with butter and plain old sugar (yes, sugar, not syrup)
30. empty movie theaters where you can sit in the exact middle of the theater
31. men's gymnastics
32. eight hours of sleep
33. the quiet by the lake, with just the ripple of the stirring water as a fish jumps and the crackle from the campfire
34. letting kids decorate their cupcakes with color-tinted frosting and lots of sprinkles
35. animals and toys for a nursery
36. doing your own thing
37. poking holes in church bulletins and passing notes
38. "skit night" at summer camp
39. Pawpaw's beer can collection
40. rosemary=remembrance

Happy Things 11-20

11. doing the swimming Hokey Pokey; put your right scoops in, put your left kick out, put your bubbles in, etc.

12. LL Cool J in NCIS: Los Angles

13. giggling Easter Eggs

14. using wire whisks to dye eggs

15. snow angels

16. catching snowflakes on your tongue

17. baby high heels

18. cleaning schedules

19. puppy play dates

20. Ni Hao Kai-Lan on Nick Jr.

Show Us Your Life-Organization Tips

I like to think I'm pretty organized, but I definitely took it up a notch while I was pregnant. That nesting urge is really strong. Here are a few of my tips:
1. I have kept my shoes in clear plastic boxes for years. You can label them, but it worked fine without the labels since the boxes are see-through.

2. I don't necessarily have lots of gifts that have to be wrapped, but I had this drawer unit so I turned it into a wrapping station. There are drawers for tissue paper, bows, plus the big one for gifts I find during the year to be used later. The picture after that is an "accordion file" type thing my mom found to hold gift bags. It definitely makes it easy to find the right gift bag.

3. This is my grocery list. I can keep it on the fridge and Paul can mark off stuff as he uses it. I even set it up so that it follows the path I take at the store.

Get more tips at Kelly's Korner.