High Five for Friday...

Okay, I realize I haven't done a H54F in a looong time, but I'm jumping back on (mainly because it's easier than writing 5 different posts about stuff I like. Does that make me lazy? I'll call it efficiency.) As usual, I'm linking up with Miss Lauren over at From My Grey Desk. Anywho, as I've whined about mentioned a time or two here recently, things have been cra-zy since school started back. I'm still adjusting to the schedule (bye-bye sleeping in!) and the VAST differences between teaching third grade and teaching middle/high school. Overall, though, it's going really well. So, five of the things from this week that were worthy of a high five are....

1. If you recall, I posted a while back about how extremely nervous I get when performing in front of people.  Well, a few weeks ago Preacher asked me to sing a solo with the choir. It isn't the first time I've done that, but the song was waaay out of my comfort zone. So, after trying to pawn it off on other people (and almost puking at the very thought several times) I channeled my inner Lauryn Hill (ha!) and made it through without passing out or forgetting the words this past Sunday. It was nothing to write home about, but at least I didn't completely botch it up (yes, I know that's debatable. =)

2. We had this amazing baked ziti for lunch on Sunday and it was sooo good and ridiculously easy. Which, as you know, are my two primary criteria for any recipe. So, win-win. Make it! 

3. We started writing units in my 7th-9th grade English classes this week, and let me just tell you... this teacher is excited. Those poor kids are going to get so tired of hearing me talk about editing and proofreading and summaries and details and paragraph transitions... but the writer in me just can't help it! It just bubbles out of me. I LOVE writing and I really love teaching about it, turns out. I'm excited to see what "material" I get out of these kids. (Do I exploit my students for humorous anecdotes? No way... =)

4. While I should have been cleaning last night (and I did get around to it eventually), I ended up "shopping" in my closet for about an hour and putting together new outfits. I do this occasionally as the mood strikes (it strikes more often than I do it, since I don't really have the time to tear my closet apart every week.) Anyway, this chambray and lace combo is one I put together and I loved it so much I decided to wear it right away! I usually have a propensity to "save" outfits but I went ahead pulled it out! (And thanks to my fellow instagrammers for your feedback and pretending like you aren't weary of my frequent outfit posts.) 

5. This past Tuesday marked six months since my very first blog post! Crazy, right? It kind of feels like longer than that, actually. I mean, what did I do prior to blogging when I didn't have a reason to make mental notes of every one of life's mundane details to share with cyber-readers? Anyway, I've very much enjoyed this whole process of writing in "my voice", which is a whole lot more fun than I ever thought it would be. Up until my blog I had only written boring, collegiate-type stuff (which I'd love to share sometime, because I'm sure my papers about the laws of thermodynamics or various education psychology theories would absolutely thrill you.) But getting the opportunity to write like I talk (which apparently involved an excessive use of strikethroughs and parentheses) has been so very enjoyable. I love hearing people say "reading your blog is just like talking to you" or "I can hear you saying this stuff while I'm reading it." That's what I'm going for, here, peeps. So if I'm pulling it off, yay. 


That just about wraps it up, guys. I'm TRIPLE-DIPPED EXCITED that Monday is a holiday and that I do not have to awaken early if I so choose and that my lesson plans were shortened by one day next week. Boo-yah. That said, everyone enjoy this lovely long weekend. I apologize for the length of this post. Perhaps five separates would have been a wiser choice. We'll never know.

Happy Friday!


Ash