Year in Review

I have been rather contemplative lately and so here it is. A re-cap of my 2010.

January

• The threat of a RiF in my school had us all scared and worried about the future.
• My teaching partner and I once again traveled to Peoria for the IMEA All-State conference where much learning was done.

February

• My darling sister-in-law gave birth to my Nephew, Dylan, while I was 2 hours away directing a second grade concert. I then subsequently too a "sick" day later that week to meet him.
• My second graders put on the most adorable show ever. It was all about musical concepts.Very well received by the community. Especially as was are all thinking that the program could get a few cuts.
• my pseudo-niece turned one! There was much cake smashing.
• February is historically a really bad month for me. This year I managed to skate past it. Little did I know was waiting for me.

March

• The worst week of my life. It all started so well with my school getting out for spring break. I was to babysit Dylan for the evening so his parents could celebrate their birthdays and spend one evening as adults. After leaving their home and all was well, the world fell apart. 
• Dylan died early the next morning from SIDS. I was supposed to stay at their home that night but instead chose to sleep at my in-laws for a better bed. I was woken by my FIL saying there was a phone call for me. It was my MIL, calling from the hospital. Our baby was gone. She reassured me that I had done nothing to cause this and that she loved me. I cried for the rest of my spring break. Dylan was buried on Good Friday. 
• Kyle and I went back to our home and spent Easter with my family because Easter with his family was canceled.

April

• I try to pull myself together and teach third graders how to put on a concert again.
• I learn that my job is safe and I am safe as well. A good friend in another building is not. Many of my colleagues are also not. 

May

• The roudyest bunch of third graders ever and I (and my teaching partner) manage to pull off a decent concert. We sing about spring time and everything in spring. My teaching partner manages to have a pretty fantastic show with her kids. It is very apparent that I had either a tougher bunch or was giving my kids too hard of a piece. 
• I start working part time at the garden center for the 8th season.

June

• Move of the summer number 1! 
• Kyle and I move from our first apartment together back into my parents house for 3 weeks.

July

• Move of the summer number 2!
• We move into our Chicago summer sublet on July 10th
• .Kyle and I celebrate 1 year of marriage on July 11!
• Kyle has an awesome internship and I get to volunteer sometimes. 
• I spend the summer exploring Chicago and working part time at the garden center

August

• More city exploring and working at the garden center
• I start gearing up for a new school year
• The start of my 3rd year as a real life music teacher.

September

• Looking furiously for new places to live. The sublease is over on the 30th and we need a place to live!
• Move number 3!
• Back to Cary where I grew up but we have a little house! Charlotte has a yard!!!

October

• We spend every weekend traveling.
• 3 events for SIDS awareness and fundraising
• ISU Homecoming- we saw the Stanley Cup and the redbirds won!

November

• Life is in full swing and we are starting to get settled in our new home. 

December

• My teaching partner gets engaged!!  
• Cookiepalooza 2010 goes on despite icky weather and people not being able to make it because of the icy rain conditions.
• I get my first ride in an ambulance after fainting during a workout.
• Super Christmas with lots of family and friends.

I think those are the highlights and the lowlights.
Happy New Year

A Christmas summary.

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Originally uploaded by musicgirl816

December 25- My family knows me all too well. My major highlights are the items in the picture. A Cricut and lots of accessories from one side of the family for all of my scrapbooking and things and a chef's coat and things for my kitchen from the other side. I have been stealing my Mom's chef whites for a while now because I love them. Now I have my own!

Sunflowers in Winter

Sunflowers in Winter
Originally uploaded by musicgirl816

December 22- I spent the day with one of my Grandmas and we had a great time together. These are the sunflowers that had grown outside of where she lives. We wanted a picture to capture them at this time of year. They are a different kind of beautiful than in their summer glory.

Merry Christmas!

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Originally uploaded by musicgirl816

December 20- I have almost all of my presents wrapped and under the tree! We have a tiny tree for our tiny home.

December 15

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Originally uploaded by musicgirl816

Getting ready for a very cold bus duty

December 16

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Originally uploaded by musicgirl816

Night out with Kyle at Adler After Dark

December 17

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Originally uploaded by musicgirl816

Last day of school before winter break

December 18

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Originally uploaded by musicgirl816

Concert Kwar Reunion

Project 365

I am starting 2011 with project 365, a photo journal of sorts with a photo from each day. Until then, I have been taking some practice shots each day to get myself in the routine of remembering to take the picture. So, here goes!

Kwar

I just came back from a fantastic reunion with friends from my college choir or kwar as we called it. There is nothing like being with a whole group of people you spent several years with. I did not realize how much I missed them all.

A real conversation in my home.

Katie: I got this AHHHHHmaaaazing chocolate chip covered caramel apple from the rocky mountain chocolate factory as a gift from a student today. Do you want to share it with me?
Kyle: no.
Katie: What!?  You don't like caramel apples?
Kyle: no.
Katie: How un-American of you.
Kyle: How fascist of you.
Katie: (cutting up said apple) mmm. Delicious fascism.

cookies

I am baking cookies all day today. What is your favorite kind? Maybe I should make them too.

a goal for me

I don't usualy give myself new year resolutions or major personal goals. This year I have decided to try tostick to many of my usual goals but I am trying something new. I am trying Project 365. In this project I should be posting a picture from every day of 2011.

The cold and snow

The cold and snow are upon us. There were flurries earlier this week and tonight has a forecast of up to 6 inches falling overnight. Whee.

Oh you didn't hear? I hate snow. I also hate cold.
I was born for warm weather and sunshine. friends in college coined the name "Nanuk of the Northwest Suburbs" for me. I wear a Sta-Puff marshmallow man coat and snowpants at bus duty.
Anyone who lives in a warm climate want to adopt Kyle and I and give us jobs? 

I also had a student tell me today "Mrs. B! It was so cold this morning it frozes my dog's business!" I lost it. Little boys and poop. A match made in heaven.

Major congrats to my teaching partner in crime on her engagement too! More on that later when I know I can tell about all the lies that went into keeping that a secret.