Anniversaries, Acorn Squash and Authors, Oh My!

It's been too long - we know!  So sorry for the major delay in posts.  We're not quite sure anything is actually going to slow down until November 24th, 2012...so we're just going to have to squeeze in a post or two, where we can!  Don't leave us though - we LOVE our blog readers!!

This past weekend, Wes and I celebrated our 2 year dating anniversary.  We both agreed that it already feels like much longer - in a good way.  :)  Our weekends are pretty packed with checking items off of the wedding to-do list, but we were able to sneak away for a nice lunch and dinner on Saturday, to celebrate!

     We ventured over to Old Town Alexandria on Saturday afternoon and stopped at a local Irish Pub for their brunch.  They have a secluded rooftop dining area that we found!  We literally had to climb over chairs to get out of our nook, but it was super cozy!

 

Later that evening, with Wes doped up on cold medicine (such a good sport), we headed out to Birch & Barley, one of our favorite DC restaurants, for a delicious dinner.  No joke - their food is ridiculous!  Check out their Early Autumn Salad:  Arugula, Acorn Squash, Red Apple, Walnuts, Pickled Rutabaga, Bleu Cheese.  Don't even get us started on their Homemade Mac & Cheese.  (drooling)  

 

Don't we look cute in our matching blazers??  We were both too stubborn to change.  

p.s. that's the jacket I was wearing when Wes proposed - you know, the one with teeny tiny pockets that I somehow squeezed my hands into, thus having pterodactyl arms in my engagement photos.  :/ I decided to keep my arms down for this shot.

 

We made it to the National Book Fair on Sunday so that I could meet my favorite children's author/illustrator - Peter H. Reynolds!!  If you have children, work with children, or enjoy reading books that inspire, you should definitely check out what he calls his "creatrilogy" series.  The books are The Dot, Ish, and his latest Sky Color.  They're all about creative expression and the potential that we all have - he challenges kids to "make your mark, and see where it takes you."  I usually read The Dot or Ish to my kiddos and then teach them how to make "scribble stories," which are stories that begin with just 1 scribble.  I'll usually make the scribble for them ahead of time and then they have to create a picture from the scribble.  After the drawing is complete, they write a story to match.  Try it with a kid in your life - it's really interesting to find out what their little brains see, that we may overlook.  :)

That's it for now - check back for Shower pics soon!!

BUSY is an Understatement

So many WONDERFUL things have been going on in our lives these past couple of weeks.  A blog post to capture it all is on its way soon!  In the meantime, check out a few preview pics...

 

So happy and so grateful for our unbelievable family and friends.

 A little blurry, but here they are!  Quite possibly, one of the cutest classes I've had to date. 

This has nothing to do with our crazy schedules this past week, but check out the sky from our apartment building last night!

 

Still irrelevant, but...how cute is this banana sticker??

~Jitter Glitter~

Tomorrow's Open House and I get to meet many of my new kiddos!  One of my favorite things to give them before the 1st day of school is Jitter Glitter.  However, as I'm looking around our living room floor, I'm thinking it's possibly one of the parents least favorites. :)

Reason #428...

...why I'm marrying him. :)

He willingly cuts lamination...and like a champ!

VA Billboard Idea

Last day of "Freedom."

Well, it's about that time - the school year officially begins on Monday (for teachers, at least).  I took a sneak peak at my class list and it looks like, so far, I'm starting off with 23 kiddos.  I was telling Wes the other day that I'm actually really excited for this school year to start.  I feel so much more prepared and comfortable going into this year, compared to the mix of emotions I felt last year at this time.  Through the summer work I've done, I have been able to form great relationships with some of my co-workers that I didn't really get a chance to know in the craziness that was the 2011-2012 school year.  Of course, nothing compares to my West Irondequoit friends - I still see people that resemble you in the hallway and get a momentary thrill of excitement, followed quickly by disappointment.  Soon enough, we'll be together again. ;)

Anyway, in my preparation for the new year, I've been looking through the numerous Teacher magazines I find in my mailbox at work.  Check out what I found yesterday!!

As I sit hear, at Starbucks, enjoying my last Freedom Cup of Coffee, while writing this blog post, I can't help but open a new tab to place an order for a set of these!  It's the little things in life, people.

I'll meet my new eager (fingers crossed) learners at Open House next Thursday afternoon.  Stay tuned for a photo!

Marathon Man

Last week, Wes embarked on his first 15 mile (IN A ROW!) run.  He accomplished his goal and is at it again tonight!  Here's a shot of him before his run...

and after...