Time for a new post! Oh, I am so full! We went to dinner at Maggiano's with Rege and Barb tonight for Barb's birthday. I'm having sharp shooting pains, if you know what I mean. We did the full out family style meal with 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 pastas, 2 entrees and the best part, two desserts! It was delicious and I am about to explode. I'm sure my bridesmaids' dress is really going to fit comfortably now.

Yesterday at our staff meeting after school, it was time to give out the Wildcat Award. Each month the teacher that received the award presents it to another staff member they feel is deserving for whatever reason. The administration started it at the beginning of the year and the awards (there are 4) have already begun to circulate amongst the teachers and other staff members. Anyway, one of my co-workers and fellow 7th grade teachers presented the award to me! I was so surprised and very honored. I wanted to share what she said when she presented it, so I am going to include it in here. It's probably one of the nicest things anyone's ever said about me.

"Like Hermione in the Harry Potter series, this clever gal knows just the right spell for dealing with any situation. Are you teaching author's purpose? She waves her crooked magic wand and her enchanted filing cabinet produces the perfect lesson plan. Need an idea for reinforcing grammar concepts? Voila! She conjures up everything you need, including transparencies and extra copies.
This person is deeply appreciated not only by the 7th grade language arts team, but by the 7th grade team as a whole. She is ever ready to share her wit and her skills. She even manages to spread sunshine and smiles despite the fact that she's married to a bloodsucking vampire. (and that is a reference to a Halloween costume, NOT to a time when I came to work with hickeys--which I most definitely did not!)
As the time draws nigh for her to take a leave of absence and travel to China to get her daughter, the rest of us wonder how we'll manage without her."

I really do work with some of the nicest, most giving, and hilarious people ever. I love to go to work! I think I laughed about 100 times today. AT LEAST. Alright, time to wade through my email. Last time I checked, I had over 100. Adoption Yahoo groups generate an extreme amount of mail. I'm headed to Spartanburg tomorrow to visit Leslie! Woo hoo!