Wedding flowers here we come...

Well, the wedding creeps closer at the beginning of each month. Tomorrow it will be April 1st. On Tuesday, Ken and I will be meeting with the wedding planner to talk food, cake and FLOWERS! He and I have already talked about what we want but we need to somehow communicate our idea to the florist and then hope our idea looks good. Here's what we know we want, according to the mouth of Kristina...

1. Something fairly simple and "summer-ish". We're both thinking gerbera daisies.

2. Summer colors - red, yellow, orange, and that fun "sickly" green color all in one centerpiece.

3. Short flower arrangements so guests can see over them at the tables.

4. Square shaped vases... we think. Just like the ones in the photos below.

(hmmm... I just noticed... the 4 S's.)

Here are few things I picture in my head. Mainly color and size are the two things I'm looking at in these pictures - not so much types of flowers.

I really like the middle tone of the green here. Not too mossy and not too limey.

I really like the color of the red daisy on the middle left and rose. However, no roses and NO PINK!!

This orange is fabulous! I am in love with the orange gerbera daisies on the top and the right. They look so bright and happy! In fact, I love this arrangement exactly how it is!!

I also like the bright yellow as well.

What do you think? 

Will it all tie in together and look cheerful and happy... like the wedded bliss awaiting us?

Ha ha ha! 

No, seriously? 

Interesting observation...

Why is it that I literally can stand in the middle of my classroom screaming at the top of my lungs for 28 little first graders to be quiet and no one hears me? But, in the same loud room I can attempt to unwrap a jolly rancher and the crunchy sound from the cellophane wrapper instantly quiets the room and you can suddenly hear a pin drop? Interesting...

Too early?

What do you think? 

(other than I am clearly the epitome of health)

It's barely 10:00 a.m. and I just finished a Hershey bar and washed it down with a diet Coke.

Too early? Not early enough? Should I eat a second one?

So many questions so early in the morning...

BTW... with 4 months and 1 day until the wedding I'd better reevaluate my diet, huh?

My baby shower...

I got an email this morning from one of my FAVORITE parents in my classroom. This is what it said...

"Just wanted to see if you are ok with me doing a baby shower for you before school is out for your classroom, maybe end of may....??? or would you like me to gather all of your kids addresses and do one at my house end of June??? Let me know. I did a baby shower for Mrs. Owens last year, and I have done 3 other wedding showers for teachers...it is fun and the kids LOVE IT!!!! It's just a party with games, snacks, and presents (optional) but most kids bring one. Let me know."

Ummm... baby shower? Yikes! I seriously felt all of the blood drain from my head this morning when I read that. She CLEARLY meant a bridal shower, I know. But it was a bit of a shock. Mrs. Owens did have a baby last year so I was a little confused at first.

I hope my students parents all got the correct info...

Bridal, yes. Baby, no.

So for all of the blog stalkers out there

 I AM 100% NOT PREGNANT!!

Day off...

I took yesterday a day off of work as a personal day.

I don't do that too often but I really felt like I needed it.

Ken and I had gone to the opera the night before (great, BTW) and I knew it would be a late night. Also, I've been a little "down" lately. Yard work always makes me happy. The forecast predicted 60 degree weather and I was in great need of some sunshine and digging around in the yard. So, no work for me!

Here is a basic outline of my day...

Slept in until about this time.

(it's almost a record for me - I'm not a late sleeper)

Went here for lunch

with my mom and dad.

Planted 4 flats of pansies

using these.

Finished around 6:00 p.m. and started in on this.

I love having power!

Love that boy!

That's all. I just love him!

Glorious three...

This was one of those moments in my classroom where I HAVE to change the subject asap. I have a lot of those. They usually make for good stories.

Here is a little snippet from our high frequency word introduction this morning.

Picture 28 first graders all gathered around me at the carpet for our annual word meeting.

Me (holding up a card with the word "three" written on it): "Okay. Here is another word for our wall. On the count of three, tell me what the word is. 1, 2, 3..."

Entire class: "Three!"

Me: "Great! Can anyone use the word three is a sentence?"

Male student: "You can't have three wives."

Everyone laughs, including me.

Me: "Thanks. You're right. You really shouldn't have three wives."

Female student: "Yeah, but you could have one wife and two girlfriends. That would make three. Or just three girlfriends."

Me: "Ummm... that's probably not a very good idea."

Female student: "Well, my dad had a wife and one girlfriend and my mom got really, really mad and that was only two!"

I promptly changed the subject.

The Lion King...

And what did I do this afternoon?

Spent more money with one click of my mouse than I make in a day.

I bought tickets for the engaged and I (or husband of 2 months by then) to go see the broadway production The Lion King at the Capitol Theater. September 26th, baby!

Yippee! Something else to look forward to!

Mother Teresa...

"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating and building, others could destroy overnight. Create and build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best you have anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

--Mother Teresa

Details, details, details...

During my writing lesson today, I talked to the kids about how including extra detail in writing is what makes it interesting to the reader. It's the who, what, when, where, why and how that readers want to know about, and how general information isn't too exciting.

So, my cute student who drew the wedding picture of Ken and I decided to add detail to her piece by adding more to the picture.

I think the disco ball, lights, psycho floor, and flowers on the wall really add to the event. She was soooo proud of her details. She obviously paid attention to my lesson. I couldn't resist taking another picture!

I am glad, however, that the floor seems to mask Ken's bizarre foot deformity and the light from the disco ball seems to minimize my gargantuan arms.

Safe!

Work has been a little stressful lately. The school I teach at is splitting and not all of the faculty can stay here and teach. Another school will open in the fall that pulls about half of our student body to it. Some teachers will be moving to other schools.

This stinks!

It's causing a lot of uneasiness.

I hate it!

There are a lot of really great teachers that will have to pack up their classrooms and be really great teachers somewhere else.

I found out today that I'm safe.

I may not be teaching first grade next year, but I'm staying at my school and I'm really, really happy about that!

Wedding dress woes...

I'm having woes. Or have had woes. The woes are gone now until I buckle down to find attire.

I've been saying all along that I don't want a "traditional" wedding dress for the upcoming event. I feel like I'm too old (and too "not skinny") to pull it off. I truly think that there is a certain age where dressing like an "infatuated with love" 20 year old is silly. 

I think I'm at that age.

So I decided to not have a wedding dress. 

But then I changed my mind (imagine that!) and wanted to go looking and try a few on just to make sure I got the wedding dress itch scratched. So this past Saturday, my BFF Tiffany and I went up to the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City to a store that carries mostly modest wedding dresses. I found one that I loved! It is beautiful! I posted pictures of the dress below...

So what's the issue? Well, by the time the dress was ordered, altered, and the train cut off (yeah... I would have that done) the dress would be pushing $2000.00.

It's not even the money. I'd totally do it!

It's the fact that after it's worn for three or four hours, then what? What am I supposed to do with it? Hang it in the closet? Make a quilt out of it? Curtains? Seriously. I would regret spending any amount of money on something so frivolous that wasn't a trip to Europe!

So I've decided to not buy a dress.

I'm perfectly content in a long skirt, dressy shirt, and a pair of nice black flats. I's me. I know, I know. It's not "traditional". I'm good with that. I'd rather take the "dress money" and get everyone in my family something nice to wear so that EVERYONE feels included. My nieces would coordinate and my nephews could all have matching ties or something. My sis-in-laws could feel part of it even though there won't be a formal line. I just want everyone in my family to be part of our day. Plus, we would all look oober fantastic for family pictures!

So... don't post a comment about how I need a wedding dress or I'll regret it. I don't and I won't. But at least you got to see the one I liked a lot, and I still have $2000.00 in the bank!

Paris and London, here we come!!

The first graders are invited...

My first graders are REALLY into my life right now. I told them that I would mail all of them an invitation to our open house this summer. Here is what one of my first graders wrote today during Writer's Workshop time. I took it out of her desk at recess to take a quick picture.

"Mrs. Chidester is getting married and she is letting us go to her wedding."

A few things that are too cute...

I like how she calls me "Mrs. Chidester" instead of Miss. Looks like I'm already committed!

I love how muscular (or fat... not sure which) my arms look and that my dress is multi-colored and see through.

That's fun.

I also like how my hair is down for a change.

Fancy.

 I'm glad that Ken is wearing a tie, although he clearly has some rare deformity in his feet. Is it genetic? Let's hope not. Hopefully my insurance will not consider that a "preexisting condition".

Blog stalking...

Evidently, I am a victim of blog stalking.

I myself am not a stalker.

But, I am being stalked by various people out there.

I'm fine with it.

I'm not at all mad about it.

I think it's kind of funny because I certainly don't find my own life THAT interesting.

I guess with the wedding announcement people want info. Everyone (friends and family) is wanting details, pictures, etc.

I've decided to go private, but Ken thinks maybe I shouldn't.

He says it's more fun to let people stalk us.

Hmmmmm....