Midweek Confessions

Here are my Midweek Confessions...
~ This past weekend I was terribly sick with what I thought was "food poisoning." I had purchased ribs from the grocery store and within 6 hours of eating them I got sick. Yet, Will did not get sick until today. So, now were thinking we caught the stomach flu. I am really hoping that Harper will be fine, since I have been disinfecting everything in the house.


~ I had a bottle leak the other day in the diaper bag which ended up "almost" ruining my new blackberry. My phone would not turn on and was not working. So, I decided to try the "rice" trick and see if it worked. Which it did! :) The only problem was that I only had Uncle Ben's seasoned rice which does not smell that great. So, now my phones smells of this stinky rice. I have even caught myself wondering that smell is while on the phone. Hopefully the smell disappears over time or people may start to think I smell like seasoned rice. 

~The other day while shopping it hit me how old I have gotten. It is so funny how clothing stores kinda show your age or maturity level. See, I used to love to shop at Express but now the only thing I buy there is jeans. I feel that if I wore some of their clothes people would think I was trying to act too young. Now days, my favorite store is Ann Taylor Loft. I think this shows my age , since I would not had bought their clothes while in college. I guess being a mom has aged me a little bit. 

~ I am really looking forward to this Mother's Day weekend. We are travelling to my hometown to visit with my family. My brother Brandon and sister-in-law Anne are going to meet Harper for the first time. So, it will be a special weekend. 

~ This week I keep thinking about my students and Prom. This is the very first year that I have not been a part of Prom. Earlier this year I helped plan, decide on the theme , choose the food and even bought all the decorations. However, since I am on maternity leave I do not get to decorate and be at the event. This is one thing that I am really going to miss. It is always so fun to watch your students all dressed up and having a good time.Hopefully, I will get to see photos of the event
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~ I feel like I am already a "helicopter" parent. If someone other than me is taking care of Harper and I hear her crying I always run right to her to make sure she is fine (which she always is). Will gets frustrated with me on this topic. He is really a great dad and loves to help out all he can when he is home. So, when he is feeding or changing a diaper he does not want me to interfere. This is one thing I really need to change or I may become one of the those annoying parents I did not care for during my teaching days. :/


~ Now link up and tell us your confessions~

Finishing My School Year & Prom Planning

This week, I  have been busy getting everything ready for my departure from work. I teach on average 155 students. My classes range from Advanced Placement World History to co-taught World History.

I teach from 1500 AD to Present Day World History

The past 4 years, my classes had a really high success rate on our state test, the Standards Of Learning, in World History. The first 3 years, my students had a 100% pass rate and our school ranked number 1 in the state for their test scores. Last year, they gave a new test and my classes had a 98% pass rate making it still the highest in the county and one of the highest in the state. Overall, I take my current job very serious, since this test shows how well I teach my students.

Last year, I was given the task of taking over the Advance Placement course in World History. I attended a week long course in Williamsburg, Va on how to teach AP. I really enjoyed this new challenge.  However, that all changed when we realized that we were having a little one. Currently, I am in the process of finalizing all my plans for each of my classes through the end of the school year.( FYI: I have been given permission to take the rest of the school year off and enjoy my time with Harper). I want to make sure that my long term substitute is able to come into my classes, keep the same pace, and use the same plans I use everyday. I do not want my students to suffer this year with me leaving in the next 3 weeks. However, being over prepared for any circumstance, I have everything planned out from today until June 9, the last day of school. I have even created daily calendars so my substitute knows what exactly to teach on any given day.

I thought this was a cute cartoon :)

The other task, I have been busy working on this week is planning our high school's Prom. Yes, I am in charge of Prom even though I will not be present at the event. This is something that I have enjoyed doing the last few years. My good friend and work colleague, Elizabeth and I were co-chairs the last 3 years. However, she had baby Sam last July and decided to not take on the task of Prom this year. Since, we were having some difficulty having a little one I decided to go ahead and find a new co-chair and head up Prom again. Little did I know, 3 weeks after I signed my commitment form to chair Prom, I would find out we were pregnant. However, I love this event and have enjoyed planning it again this year. Our Prom is like no other. We have it a 4 star hotel called The Hotel Roanoke. Prom is pretty much like a mini wedding minus the bride and groom, of course. We have it at the main ballroom complete with a sit down dinner and table decorations  Every year, we decide on a Prom theme and try to incorporate it into the ballroom in a classy non Prom like way.

Hotel Roanoke

 Below are some of our previous Proms. ( These photos are courtesy of my friends blog E,Myself, and I who I co-chaired Prom with the last three years)

Prom 2010: A Knight in the Big Apple 

( Our school's mascot is the knight so, we have to use the word knight in the theme)

A Knight in the Big Apple

City Background

Buffet Table with Apple Centerpieces

Floral Centerpieces

Elizabeth and I .. Going to miss Prom this upcoming year

Prom 2011: Theme: Shanghai Knights

A Knight in Shanghai

Pagoda ..Entrance to Prom

Pagoda Centerpieces

Floral Centerpieces

Overview of ballroom

Students Dancing the Night Away..

Prom 2012: A Knight In Hollywood

This year, the Junior Class decided on the theme: A Knight in Hollywood. I have already bought all the decorations, confirmed the DJ, photographer, and decided the menu for dinner.

Below is what this years Prom is going to look like. Since, I will not be there I am going to show you what I have envisioned for this event.

A Knight In Hollywood

Invitation to Prom 2012

Entrance to the ballroom

Hollywood Clipboard Centerpieces

Feather Centerpieces

Red Lanterns Over Dance Floor

I think that Prom is going to be a hit again this year with the Juniors and Seniors. I just hope that someone shows me photos of how the event turns out.