My Heart is Happy and Full

This week was my best spring break!!!

I had a "TO DO" list this week. Funny how the contents of this post were not on that to do list. Although I did manage to cross off some of my chores, I am returning to work after spring break with a a happy and full heart.

Not that this past week didn't come with some heartbreaks...Why UTEP? That game was yours for the taking! March Madness is definitely upon us. Yet, this week I managed to open my heart up and let love in. I know what the few that read my blog may be thinking. Um, Patty. Didn't your boyfriend move in back in July? Yes, yes he did. But the person I am resisted him and all that he is for months. And though things have gotten great with time it wasn't until this week that I realized my heart is so happy and so full.

Strange. When I had lunch with my cousin she laughed because Matt shows all the qualities and characteristics that most women swoon over. And here I am, living the fairy tale and not realizing it. I could try to tell you what it is that Matt does for me, but it's somewhat difficult to put into words. The easy stuff: he lets me watch sports while he does the cooking and washing of dishes, he tells me he loves me all the time and means it, not one day goes by he doesn't say how beautiful or cute or sexy I am (which for me is hard to hear sometimes). He's good to my parents and nice to my nieces and nephews. He helps around the house by doing laundry, cleaning, and like I said above the cooking and dishes. And I suppose what made me fall in love with him again was how he didn't give up on me when I wasn't so nice.

This week was my best spring break!!!!

Spent TOO Much Already

Been shopping two days in a row. I've spent too much money. I've eaten way too much. There is a reason it's good to only have breaks once in a while. If you're too busy working then you don't have time to spend money and gain weight!!!! And to think, it's only day two of spring break. Yikes!!! Spending time with my family and boyfriend...priceless. Ha ha, y'all saw that coming.

Are You Kidding?

Only I would have a fever Valentine's Day weekend. :( It's my first Valentines with Matt where we actually get to be together. We were long distance last year. Here's hoping I get better.

And wishing you love and happiness this weekend and always!!!!

OMG, What Happened to October?

I can hardly believe that my last post was nearly one month ago. I can't say that much has changed. Work is still tons busier and harder this year, I'm still enjoying breaking in my new house, and still being babied by Matt.

I can't believe that I even forgot to post on my godson's birthday on Friday, October 23rd. Crazy Horacio (as I call him) turned 2. He's absolutely adorable but also extremely mischievous. Think terrible two's 6 months early. Gotta love him.

Halloween is fast approaching. And with that comes Thanksgiving then Christmas. OMG I am so excited to decorate for that.

So I hope to be on more often but I can't promise. And I will visit y'all very soon also.

My World

I have to admit that I can't complain about my world. Currently my boyfriend is cooking lunch for me while I lazily sit on the couch watching Sunday football. It's a dream come true! :)


He did quickly inform me that dinner is up to me. :(

Ewww. Yucky!

I know they are supposed to make you feel better but I hate, hate, hate going to the doctors. Funny how one bit of news has such a tremendous effect on your life. Sadly, I don't think I'll be done with doctors for a while. So right now I'm feeling so ewww and very much yucky.

Today was a busy and hectic and honestly a bit overwhelming. Have to say life won't be the same anymore. And for the first time it hit me that when I got home I had someone to share it with.

First Day Jitters

I kid, I kid. For those of you teachers you know that First Day Jitters is a book that many teachers read to their students on the first day of school. Summary: someone has the jitters about going to school. I don't want to ruin it so go out and read it.
I can't say I have any jitters. Matt was asking if I was nervous about the first day of school tomorrow and I honestly said I wasn't. I think a large part has to do with already meeting most children and parents. Our school holds an annual Meet the Teacher where kids get to see their classroom and meet their teachers. I have to say that this is a HUGE relief on both students and teachers. Because of this, the first day of school runs a little smoother.
About last week...IT.KICKED.MY.ASS. Everyday I was so tired. Matt was great! Cooking dinner and washing dishes. Not demanding a lot from me. I was in bed by 9 everyday and on Friday I was in bed by 6:45. YES!!!! You heard me right! 6:45! Needless to say that the next day I was up at 6:45 and well rested. I was also dealing with some car issues which I think weighed me down a bit more than usual. And I now have a 45 minute drive each way instead of my usual 30. So it's safe to say that many factors contributed to my ass kicking.
Even though I vowed not to I gave into the back to school shopping bug. Texas had it's annual tax-free weekend and I took full advantage. I have a stylish new wardrobe. Some more professional looks we in order. Honestly, I don't know what kind of bug bit me.
With that I have to bid everyone a farewell. It's 8:33 here and I am pooped. School's internet is down so I can't do lesson plans. Boo hoo! I was so looking forward to that.

Best wishes for a happy and great new school year!!!

Patty

Last Days

So here I am enjoying the last days of my summer vacation. This summer I'm a bit sad about summer vacation coming to an end. I know what you're thinking: "Duh, Patty! You're sad because you have to go back to work." Although this is true there is a different sadness to it that I can't quite put my finger on. (Wait, did I say that right, Jen? You know how I get my sayings all mixed up.) I've narrowed it down to a few possible reasons. Maybe if I ramble about my thoughts one of you can pin point it for me. Sort of like free therapy!

This summer I moved into my new house. (Yes, yes, I know I haven't posted pictures. So sorry. Will get those up soon...guess I better take them first!) I've officially lived here for a little over 2 months. A few of you were on the emotional journey with me of trying to find the perfect house for me. Now that I'm all moved in I feel like I'm leaving my child behind whenever I leave it. Then there is the addition of my boyfriend living here to add. I have to say that I've definitely had to adjust to that but things are going good.

Moving to my new house also brought me closer distance wise to my sisters. They both live out where I do and I've become closer to both. I spent so much time with my older sister and her boys. Have to say that right now I'm going through withdrawals because the boys have already started school, and my sister and I are both teachers so we start soon. My other sister and I talk on the phone more often. She's a crazy gal and cracks me up.

This summer I got the calling. I am FINALLY ready to leave the classroom. In 2005 I graduated with my educational leadership degree and passed my certification test to become a principal. Of course you have to be an assistant principal first but I hadn't heard the calling. And I felt like I needed to be an exceptional teacher myself before I could lead teachers to be the best they could be. Well this summer at a leadership conference I sat among assistant principals, principals and counselors. We held conversations and I have to say that I could hold my own. I was knowledgeable and had great input. Although I heard the calling too late and didn't apply for any assistant principal positions, I have applied for a couple of literacy coach positions available at some schools including my school. The thought of leaving the classroom deeply saddens me. But I have a passion and love for curriculum and feel that by helping teachers I'm still helping the students. I have to say that not being a classroom teacher feels like part of my identity is being taken from me. Also, if I were offered that position at another school then I would leave behind all the great people I met when I moved back home.

I will admit that there are some definite ups to going back to work. I do love my job. And if it is God's will for me to remain in the classroom then that is what will happen. I will gladly remain in the classroom. I have many things to be thankful for. A family I actually want to spend time with and miss, a job in a time when things can be uncertain, a boyfriend that loves me unconditionally, and now my very own house. I guess this was the summer of all summers and I'm sad to see it go.

Opps I forgot!!!
I have a fear...that this year will not compare to last year. I had the perfect class, with the perfect teaching situation with my co-teacher, the perfect student intern, perfect parents and perfect co-workers. Last year Jen and I carpooled and we had a blast. I'm sad to let all of that go and to be disappointed this year. So I guess I'm sad and afraid. Great!!!! Now it's two emotions. I'm a mess! :)

Hmmm...Six Word Saturday

I was over at Rebecca Jo's blog and I noticed she did Six Word Saturday. I've always wanted to join in on these but never do. Not because I don't want to but because I forget and am too late. So here is my attempt.

Waiting for Matt to come home.

Yup, this girl that prided herself on being independent is missing her boyfriend who has been gone for a few hours. Never thought I'd think it much less say it. Day 11 of living together.

Happy August and OMG...300 posts!!!

I can't believe it's already August. Sad news: I go back to work in about 2 weeks. Happy news: this post marks my 300th post. Woo hoo! It's been fun. Although I haven't really posted in a while and it seems like I may not do it very often, I have to say that I love to blog. So Happy August to all of you.

And...since it is my 300th post I want to tell y'all 300 things about me. HAHAHA! Yeah right! I wouldn't do that to y'all. But here are some random things I'd like to share.

• Matt is all moved in. It's a major adjustment for us. Well, he's doing better than I am. He's such a good guy. He's good to me and with me. If that makes sense.
• Summer is almost over. Or I should say summer vacation is almost over. It's been a memorable one for me.
• I am officially addicted to the Disney Channel. I love Wizards of Waverly Place. Too funny!
• Nothing excites me more than the rush of buying new school supplies. Today I bought my new calendar for the year. I.AM.SO.EXCITED.!. I'm using my coordinating pens to write all over my calendar.
  
• I'm a little nervous about the new school year and new crop of kids. When you've had THE.BEST.YEAR.EVER. how can anything compare? It'll be hard to top last year.
  
• Thoughts of applying for new positions are finally dancing in my head. After 4 years of having my degree and certification in Educational Leadership I finally know I can do it.
• I think I broke my laptop. Well sort of...
• What is everyone having for dinner? I'm super hungry.
  
• Again, watching TV in High Definition is the greatest.
• First NFL preseason game: August 9th. OMG!!!!

Have a great August everyone. I hope to be on more often and to visit your blog soon!

Made It

We made it!!! We are home and so far so good.

Two Wholes Equal ... Two?

Tomorrow I head out to San Antonio. Then on Tuesday I go to Austin to help Matt move here. I have to admit that I am SO nervous about being part of a couple. For those of you that have followed Matt and I's story from the beginning know that we have been involved in a long distance relationship for about 7 months. We haven't spent a whole lot of time together but I love him nonetheless.
All this talk of Matt coming here made me think. Why is it that people say their significant other is their other half? I don't get that. I mean I think I'm whole on my own so I'm not a half of anything. So the way I see it I'm part of a two. Because I'm a whole and so is Matt. We're two wholes.
Yeah, maybe I didn't make any sense. Well life is changing and I'm so excited.

Things to Ponder

What kind of tired is it when you think you're not hungry yet when you take a bite of food you find you really were starving? That is me. I feel like I'm not thinking clearly. I'm in somewhat of a zombie state. Although I'm a good faker. I'm giddy. My feet, legs, arms, shoulders, back and eyes hurt. My brain knows I'm exhausted. Yes it's true that usually at the end of the school year my body lets go and I'm tired anyway. But this time it's beyond that. Of course it's because of my house.

I plan on moving and staying in my new house on Saturday. That means that I've been packing at school then coming home to pack as well. The most tiring part is that at least twice this week I've packed the car, driven to work, packed at school, driven to the opposite side of town, unpacked my car, driven home, and continued packing at home. I have to say that it's a different feeling to be constantly busy. I guess I'm still in good spirits because it's for my new house. Yet I hate the feeling of exhaustion. I try not to put myself in those situations where I'm SUPER tired. It's been like this for the past couple of weeks.

That reminds me. The end of the year went great! I teared up once in front of my kids yet I cried like a baby when I was talking to Matt about my kids. I also cried when I mentioned it to a friend. My class was just so cute, sweet, giving, and smart. I've been so attached to them and it's hard to see them go.

I have to say that this was some year in the life of Patty. Not sure if any other class will be able to top this one.

Well off to packing some more...

EXHAUSTED...but it's a GREAT thing

For the past 2 weeks I have been absolutely exhausted. Why you ask? PATTY FOUND HER HOUSE!!!! Sorry for yelling but it's hard to contain my enthusiasm. It's a brand new house. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 are more like office sized and 1 and 3/4 baths. It's so cute. Because it's new I have some work to do as far as landscaping but the good thing is that I can do what I want. The kitchen is nice. I'll be doing some massive baking in there. And the best part is that both Matt and I will have our own office...each. So I will have my craft room. I will have an entire room dedicated to my invitation and card making, scrapbooking and jewelry. Other than the part where Matt is finally coming to be here with me, I think this is what I'm most excited about.

My house came with a full appliance package. The dishwasher, stove and hood were already installed. I paid to upgrade to a microwave and a better dishwasher. I picked black and love them. They look so nice in my kitchen. I must say that it's coming together nicely.

This past weekend my sister and I went to furniture stores to pick out my furniture. As soon as I close I'm heading back and ordering my stuff. I have to say that I'm extremely happy with my picks. Also, my brother went a bought my dining table today. I wanted a round, black table. Woo hoo! I'm almost home.

I haven't closed on my house yet. All that is left is the appraisal and then we are good to go. I have to make my list of things I NEED to buy. Then there's a list of things I WANT to buy. I need to pack. And I need to move. My brother made fun of me today. He said my house is definitely big enough for 2 people. Then he went on to say that hopefully Matt has only half a person's amount of things because I have 1 and 1/2 of a person's things. Ha ha! So true.

I'll keep y'all posted as far as my closing date!!!!

Yes, It's True

I've found my house. It's really far from where I work and from my parents and from Jen :( But, I'm really close to my two sisters so that's a good thing. And, not sure if she's happy about this but I'll be closer to Bonnie.

I haven't taken pictures because I didn't want to jinx myself (again)! This home is located in a new development. It's brand new and I get a ton of extras that I wasn't getting before. Overall, my dad, brother, realtor, friend, and I all felt it was the right house.

I'll go into more detail when I post pictures. Just know that I am so excited that things are moving along. So in about a month Matt and I will start our life together and that sounds great to me.

Random Randomness 3

I've had bits of random things running around in my head. Some are statements, some are questions, and some are just thoughts. Whatever...here goes.

Dear San Antonio Spurs,
You're down 3 games to 1. That means that one more game and you're out. I knew the day would come when you weren't the best but honestly, it's not this year. We get it...Manu is out but the rest of you have to help poor Tony. He can't keep scoring 43 out of 90 points. HE'S ONLY ONE GUY! Please help him!!!! Poor guy probably doesn't have any energy for Eva when he gets home.
Your obsessed and devoted fan (even when you're about to lose),
Patty

Why do people think they need to get their point across by resorting to violence?

R.I.P. Bea Arthur. I grew up watching Golden Girls. Even though I didn't understand all the sexual innuendos until I watched the reruns as an adult.

NFL Draft...it's going to be interesting for sure next year.

Will all the stuff I own fit in the wonderful future house I buy? Oh no....what about Matt's stuff?

Two migraines in one week really SUCKS!

Why does it have to be such a busy time right now? The end-of-the-year for teachers is an insane time! What else will they ask us to do?

Tomorrow is our first Biggest Loser weigh-in and Patty has not fared well. Yuck! I wish I was more like Bonnie. But...I am eating healthier.

When did my font change? I was typing this post with one and now it's become another.

House hunting is exhausting. However, when you find a great realtor like mine, it makes the experience that much more enjoyable. Even my brother likes this family. And he doesn't like anyone.

I probably should've saved more money.

Why aren't cupcake shops in Austin open on Mondays? What do they have against Mondays?

Oh my, Matt just called me. Love to hear his voice. He's a sweet guy. I wanted to see how he felt about having parties at our house. Can I say: Best.Boyfriend.Ever. Everyone that knows me knows I'm big on entertaining so the fact that I didn't know how he felt about this made me nervous. And guess what? He's totally okay with it. As long as it's not all the time. Yeah, even I can't party all the time. Karaoke at Patty's. OMG at my very own house.

Last random thought: What am I going to eat for dinner? Update: I ate some of my yummy new cereal, a banana, and whole wheat toast. Scrumptous!!!

Cloudy With a Chance of Sunshine

I get it. Everyone hates my posts about sports. Yet I love sports and they are such a huge part of me. Nonetheless, I get that y'all don't like reading about them much. So...

I haven't shared with everyone yet that I'm considering buying a house. What prompted me to start looking you ask? Well I've mentioned that Matt will be moving here in the summer. I figured we'd get an apartment. However, after looking at a few properties and a few estimates the cost would be almost the same so why not own instead of rent? And in the next week I'll be making my final payment on my car! My car will be mine!!!

I'm extremely nervous just because buying a house is a huge step. Yet, all the signs are there encouraging me to buy. I've seen a few houses and I'm viewing another one tomorrow. I have to say that from the outside it's very cute. My parents and I walked around it and looked in the windows. Also cute. And we walked in the backyard. Big with tons of potential and I can see future fiestas happening there. I guess you can say I really love the house. If it's meant to be it will. Keep your fingers crossed.

Only other New Patty news is that I had to cancel my Curves membership. Are the Curves in everyone else's cities closing too? They merged two Curves making it's new location very far. And transferring was not an option because the others near me also closed. Boo hoo! To make up for this I've finally started walking at a park near my house with my cousin. The weather is getting nicer and great walking weather.

Slowly but surely I'm still embarking on my journey. All I know is that I'm definitely walking on new ground and that however frightening it is, it's also extremely exciting.

Why the number 8?

Amy from Keeping up with the Schultz Family tagged me in her post. I have to say that I've gotten better about being tagged. I.used.to.HATE.it! Just ask Jen. But now I've come to embrace tagging...for the most part. I've come a long way since the beginning of my blog.

8 Things I am looking forward to...

• The day Matt moves here so we can be together all the time
  
• Eating yummy food during Easter
• Getting some R&R
• Hanging out with my family
• Buying a house
  
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie
  
• Purchasing new music for my iPod
• Getting a tattoo
  

8 Things I did yesterday...

• Feed Horacio his dinner
  
• Search online for homes for sale
• Watch the Spurs lose : (
• Conclude my parent/teacher conferences
• Hang out with my partner in crime, Vanessa
• Catch up with an old friend
• Visit my good ol' friend Perez Hilton's website
• Sign up for an Autism workshop
• Watch the new episode of My Boys
  

8 Things I wish I could do...

• Win the lottery
• Be with Matt for Easter
• Go visit India and the Taj Mahal
• Sing
• Be a radio dj (especially on the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Show)
• Open my own arts and crafts store (It would actually be a teacher book store/bakery/arts and crafts/store.) Yes, I'd want to do it all...
• Meet the current San Antonio Spurs team, although it would be sweet to meet David Robinson too
• Become a truly inspiring and remarkable instructional leader
  

8 Shows I watch...

• How I Met Your Mother
• Heroes
• Scrubs
• Desperate Housewives
• Brothers and Sisters
• Monk
• Burn Notice
• The Jon Stewart Show/The Colbert Report (They sort of go hand in hand.)
• My Boys (ok this is 9 but I had to)
  

8 People I tag...

• Rachel at A Doggie Life (Head over and meet Ruby, too)
• Dianna at The Kennedy Adventures!
• The Rambler at My Rambling Thoughts
• Christina at Men in England would LOVE you!
• Marie at My Vintage Wedding (Congrats to Marie on her engagement!)
• Lana at The Kids Did WHAT?!
• DawnS at Rylee For Life
• Emalee at i Am Me
  

Safe and Sound

This post is being written from my very own bed at home. I have to say that this week seemed like one of those dream weeks. Truth be told, I've never experienced one before so I'm assuming this is what a dream week feels like. Unfortunately, on St. Patrick's Day I switched out my purses (I had a green one for St. Paddy's Day) and forgot to put in my camera and carry it around so...again no pictures. I'm a dork.

Obviously the reason I had such a marvelous week was my quality time with Matt. There are no specific reasons why I feel our time was dream-like. What can I say? He's a sweet guy and he treats me well. We had intense and amazing conversations. We were dorks together and laughed a bunch. We got to know each other better. I like what I got to know. He also gave me a tour of Austin, but not the tourist-y tour...the local tour. It was so sweet. To tell y'all the truth, I can't exactly put into words what I feel. But I can say it feels great!

Matt also humored me and my LOVE for cupcakes. I told him about an article I read about Hey Cupcake! We went first thing on Tuesday (it's closed on Mondays). He even took me back on Thursday before leaving Austin so I could bring some home. Three great days!

Now would be a good time to share a little more about my issues. I've always considered myself a bit of a commitment-phobe. Not really sure why. There is something about having to take someone else into consideration while making a decision that I don't like. I love my independence. But I suppose I had yet to meet someone I wouldn't mind doing that with or for. The other fear is that I haven't exactly ever invested this much into a relationship (hence my commitment issues). I guess I'm afraid of losing it all. The honest truth is that I've always felt that if I didn't invest too much into a guy then I couldn't get too hurt. And now I'm in way deeper than ever and quite frightend. But I'll take each day one at a time and enjoy it. Because right now I am extremely HAPPY and so IN LOVE.

Oh yeah, and San Antonio was a blast too. I went to visit my old school and all my friends there. We had dinner and drinks and laughed our asses off. I'll be back in 3 weeks for a quiceanera. Stay tuned for part two...

So Sorry

Hello everyone! Currently I am in Austin enjoying time with my boyfriend. Aside from doing the FFFF Scavenger Hunt I haven't been able to read much less comment on any blogs. I am so sorry! I promise to be back and full of comments after spring break!

I hope everyone is enjoying reading and becoming followers of new blogs. I know I am!