Radiant

I never quite know how to start these blogs of mine…

Congrats to me!  I got into grad school, so I’ll be a student again come fall.  The best thing about this?  I get all those nifty student discounts for the movies and tourist attractions.  Add that to my teacher discount and I’ll be swimming in percentages off.

Recommended Books:

Crossed by Ally Condie
I read the first in the trilogy, Matched, on the plane from Texas at Christmas.  So I thought it appropriate to read this book on the plane to Texas a few weeks ago.  It’s an interesting series about this Utopian-esque society.  I enjoyed both books okay, but I feel as if Condie could’ve added more details or made the books a little more fuller–I felt like I only got glimpses into Cassia’s life and I feel like I got gypped out of a complete story.  But, maybe this is because I am a very fast reader and probably missed a ton of things on reading.  Maybe when I read it again, I won’t feel the same way.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
OMG this book is beautiful, and I’m not just talking about the cover.  Set in Alaska in the 1920s, it tells the story of Jack and Mabel, a middle-aged couple who never had any children of their own and who, after all these years, so desperately want one they make a little girl out of snow.  Soon after, they’re frequently visited by a little girl as the winters pass, and they “adopt” her as their own.  I cannot stress enough how each of you should go out now and buy this book.  It’s reminiscent of Little Daughter of the Snow and Snegurochka, a Russian fairytale.  The book’s blurb is a little deceiving, however.  It made it seem as if the snow child had some sort of magic about her–like she was a demon, or something more other-worldly than what Ivey intended–and that’s why I picked up the book.  I kept waiting for something to happen, like a major plot twist, and though there was of course unpredictable twists and conflict and so on, it wasn’t quite what I imagined.  But I am so glad I did read it and I can’t wait for Ivey to produce more books.

 

“If I was president, I would build a hot tub at my house and dig an underground tunnel that leads to a home for my cats.”

I think kids are the best invention since sliced bread because they’re friggin’ awesome.  No matter how terrible of a day I have, when I come into my classroom I am immediately cheered up because:

–they say the funniest things
–they’re inability to correctly spell makes their stories really funny
–they sing a song just for me and their terrible singing voices grate my nerves but their smiles make me laugh
–they cry every five minutes because of some unknown reason and continual complain, but when they say “This is the worst day ever,” in between sobs, it’s so cute

Sometimes I get really busy–being that I do more than just teach at my small school–and I don’t pay attention to them before and after my class.  So it was awesome to come in at lunch time Monday and have all 8 of them drag me to their new March calendar to see that they had put a special box on March 30th for Mrs. Frost’s birthday.  And I found it hilarious when one of my students gave me my first birthday present–a Texas quarter–because she saw it and just had to bring it to me.

If it wasn’t for the fact that 5 year olds start out as crying, whining, screaming babies, and if it wasn’t for the fact that babies are the worst time- and moneysucks in the world, I’d totally go out and have me a few kids right about now.

Eh

This is going to be a looooong week if I don’t change my attitude about it now.
So, I’m using these awesomes to help me out.

Disappear . The Gabe Dixon Band

Poison and Wine . The Civil Wars

Mango Tree . Angus and Julia

Requiem on Water . Imperial Mammoth

Sister Rosetta . The Noisettes

World Spins Madly On . The Weepies

But really, it’s the cutest dog ever and my awesome husband that helps.
And The Civil Wars station on Pandora.

It’s a Boy!

Meet Swarley:

And yes, his name is derivative of that one How I Met Your Mother episode.
We “rescued” him from a family in Rhode Island.  (Again, it’s another  How I Met Your Mother reference.  Just substitute “New York” and “New Jersey” for “Mass” and “Rhode Island.)

Likes:
Running through giant snowbanks
Peanut butter, goldfish, fajitas, bell pepper…well, food. You could say he’s an epicurean.
Other dogs
Our apartment balcony
Barking at his reflection in the balcony door
Sleeping in the bed
Peeing on the floor
Peeing on the couch
Peeing in the bed
Peeing on the chair
Peeing in the kitchen
Peeing on the carpet right next to the puppy pad
Going for long walks in the neighborhoods
Pretending to chew on stuff when really he’s eating it; like cameras, plastic bottles, toilet paper, keurig coffee cups, coffee table legs, etc.
Standing on the dining table and launching himself at the first person that comes through the door
Barking at us while we eat dinner
Watching TV
Riding in the car
Playing fetch with himself:  he throws the toy up in the air and then jumps to get it
Eating the bubbles of my bubble bath
Eating my loofah
Drinking bath water while I’m taking a bath
Small spaces, i.e. the corner between the toilet and the tub, under the bed, under the nightstand, the space between the couch and the bookshelf
Taking baths

Dislikes:
Puppy food
Neighbors
Anything he’s not allowed to eat
Peeing on the puppy pad
Having a plastic cone around his neck when he got neutered
Wearing clothes

He especially enjoyed the best friend’s daughter when they visited this past week.  They were buddies all week long, and he’s been pouting the last few days because she left.  I guess this means we’ll have to have our own baby soon….not.

Family Portrait!

And even though our carpet is stained yellow, our last roll of paper towels was torn to shreds, and I’m missing some socks, we are so glad that Swarley makes our lives much more interesting and entertaining.

Photoblog: A recap

My computer has been dead for a long time.  But it’s finally back!  Hopefully.  It still randomly shuts off, so I’m not sure how much longer it will last, but we’ll see.

Anyway, here’s a photo recap of what’s been going on since my last post.

Christmas in Texas!

Smashburger-Rice Village

Pancake Par-tayyy

"Build a fort and stay in it until your next turn." --Quelf

Hey nephew, you're pretty cute.

Not pictured:  food, presents galore, family, a million hours spent at work, and our new dog:  he’s so cute he gets a whole post to himself.

Happy weekend!

TEXAS OR BUST. Well, next week at least.

I’ve tried to contain my excitement, but I can’t help it anymore.  Which is why I will shout from the highest of highs, from the mountain tops, from the roof:

I’M GOING TO TEXAS IN SEVEN DAYS!!!!!!

I wanted to use a lot more exclamation points, but I had to restrain myself a little bit.

I’m so excited, I even made a to-do list (thanks husband, for imprinting your annoying list making habits on me).

1.  Go to Chuy’s.
2.  Go to Iguana Joe’s.
3.  Go to Freebirds.
4.  Go to Gringo’s.
5.  Shop at the Galleria.
6.  See my cousin, and my baby cousin, and my other preggers cousin.
7.  Go to Rice Village.
8.  Go to the half-price books in Rice Village.
9.  Travel up and down Westheimer with the windows down.
10.  Go to the half-price books on Westheimer.
11.  See the gparents.
12.  See nine puppies that the dog just had.
13.  Sleep in, eat lots, don’t talk about work, don’t think about work, don’t dream about work.

I have more on my list, but I think that’ll do for now.  Is it bad that the first four things are all eating Mexican food?  I mean, we have decent tex-mex here, but there’s nothin’ like a bowl of salsa and green dip at Iggie’s, or jalapeno-ranch dip at Chuy’s.  Yeah, I’m a glutton for chips and dip.

I’m also excited because it’ll be vacation, and since I’m sick again, for the millionth time, I’ll actually be able to chill out, relax, and rest.  You know, in between stuffing my face and shopping.

Cheers.

It came upon a midnight clear…

I’ve been that crazy kind of busy this week.  But the good kind of busy.  The kind that I get from working three-ish jobs.

We bought a Christmas tree!  Last year, it was tiny and black and with glittery and neon ornaments.  It was awesome.  We still have it, but it’s going to be put up in the bedroom.  This year we wanted a decent size, but cheap, tree.  So we went out on black Friday to take advantage of the non-Christmas deals and bought a tree and ornaments from target.  That, coupled with the old-school ornaments from mine and my mother’s childhood (thanks gma!) makes for one gooooood-lookin’ tree.

 

Okay, I’ll admit it, most of the ornaments are really these awesome decorative balls we got out of the decor section.  We just stuck a hook in them.  ‘Cuz that’s how we roll.

And to kick this Christmas off right, we saw Santa and his elves parachute at the park.  Yeah. Like, legit.

Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past.

I always get sad this day every year; the last day of Thanksgiving break.

Call me crazy, but Thanksgiving is hands-down my all-time favorite holiday.
I’m sure it’s because my family is the best family ever. (Don’t be jealous.)

It also may or may not be directly related to the fact that I got engaged the day before Thanksgiving.

I also love seeing my family grow.
And grow and grow and grow.

grandparents, granddaughters, and first great grandchild

And we usually average 50-75 people.

This year was different.  For the first time in 23 years I did not attend the family Thanksgiving.
Instead, the huzzband and I hosted our own with his family.
We cooked the best turkey ever, watched a movie, and ate four pies (that’s right, one per person).
And all drama aside, I had a wonderful time.

The In-Laws and The Frosts

Probably because his family is clearly just as crazy as my own.

Thanks-givings.

I think Thanksgiving week should be a mandatory, statewide, week-long holiday.  Like, fo realz, yo.  I hate having to spend half the best week of the year working.  But, I guess I’m in the real life now, so…whatever.

Here’s my cliched list of thankfulness for this year’s Thanksgiving:

I’m thankful that I have a husband.  Because having a husband means that I’m married for life and I don’t have to worry about trying to find the right guy.  Which means that I can watch Twilight twice in one weekend and I can still go home to a man at night.  Of course, that man probably isn’t exactly as happy as he could be after being dragged to a movie he never wanted to watch, but he is a man nonetheless.

And yes, true story.  I saw the movie on Friday and then again on Sunday.  But in my defense, the theatre was so crowded on Friday and we sat in a row right in front of loud talkers that it turns out I quite literally missed about half the dialogue.  So, it was sorta kinda like a whole new movie on Sunday.

I’m thankful for the weather.  As terribly cold as it is, it has allowed us to keep the AC turned off for two weeks and subsequently save on our electric bill.  Because it’s all about pinching pennies when your poorlyweds.

I’m thankful for seasons, because it means I get to have views like this from my balcony.  I can’t wait until it snows.

I’m thankful that we’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, instead of going to Texas, because my husband is going overboard on the foods he wants to cook so we went to BJs and ended up getting a 24 pack of IBC rootbeer.  But, now we’re down to 20.  I’m going to miss my family, sure, but this year is going to be somethin’ else, I know it.   (Wait, make that 18.)

I am thankful for going Christmas shopping last year after Christmas, because when we opened the boxes to see what we have, I’d forgotten about all the great stuff we had bought.  Like our Happy Hannukah dish rags covered in dreidls.  And our stuffed Santa and Elves toys.  And I’m thankful that on Friday, Christmas finally begins and we get to buy our first ever adult-sized Christmas tree.  This year it’ll even be green.

last year's tree: 1.5 ft tall and silvery black

I have a cornucopia of things to say, but ne’er a corn to ucopia in.

I’ve been trying to figure out what to write about forever, being that I’m finally over my deathbed sickness and all.

But I can’t think of a single thing today.  So instead, I’ll do a five finger update.

Finger One:  I’m applying to Graduate School!! We’ll see if I actually get in before I give the details, but I’m very excited.  Now I just gotta find some professors who will remember me enough to write a recommendation letter.  That’s honestly the biggest obstacle to overcome in this whole shebang.  And the huzzband is starting his masters in March.  We’ll both be students.  It feels weird.

Finger Two:  We painted our bedroom this weekend.  So instead of three ugly white walls (one was already painted a pretty blue) we now have a pretty blue wall with pretty blue stripes running along the other three walls.  And we rearranged the furniture.  Eventually there will be a picture, but I have to hang things and buy things still.  So, soon.

Finger Three:  I’m not quite sure why I’m doing this with “fingers” but I’m too lazy now to change it.  Now that I’m over this whole clogged-head-no-voice-cough-sick stuff, I’ve started listening to my students.  Like, really listening, when they think I’m not.  Mostly because I can finally hear what they’re saying.  Secondly because I cannot get over how hilarious they are:

Student #1:  Mrs. Frost, when my dog poops, he does it like this. *Sticks but out in air and turns in circles*
Me:  Student #1 that is disgusting!  We are kindergarteners now, and we don’t talk about things like that *says in scolding voice*
Student #2:  Mrs. Frost, this weekend we went to the beach and my dog ate a rat.
Me:  Student #2!  What I did just say to Student #1?  That’s gross, we don’t talk about gross things.
Student #2:  Well he spit it out. *Says in a voice that sounds as if this fact is the difference between pleasantries and gross-itries*

Finger Four:  Speaking of my students, I taught one to read today.  Which sounds kind of weird, but I have really really smart students, so I haven’t gotten the chance to actually teach one to read.  But I did this one.  It was awesome.

Finger Five:  Sometimes I’m a facebook creeper (okaayyyy, all the time) but I found this band on my feed and I have to say, I’m just a tad obsessed.  But rightly so.  Thank you kind stranger for posting it on a fellow “friend’s” wall just for my hearing pleasure.