The Superbowl: an excuse to eat lots of food

Funny how food is included in, if not the center of, almost every activity/event these days. And not just a little part of it either...take sporting events for example. There are cookbooks that are specific to tailgating food. You can't go to a baseball game without getting a hot dog. And if you can't make the sporting event--friends gather to watch while providing their own yummy goodness via potluck style--with dips of every sort, chips of all kind, and a plethora of desserts. This was my party of choice last night. I'm much more of a salty and dip kind of person, but I ended up bringing two desserts this time. And I had to share these recipes! Because not only were they dee-licious, but they were SO easy!

So I give you my two Superbowl creations, because it just simply isn't a Superbowl party without lots of food! I promised I watched the game too....well, maybe just the commercials...and the half time show.

CAMPFIRE COOKIES

It's impossible to start with these ingredients and not have a scrumptious outcome

Campfire Cookies (recipe found at The Girl Who Ate Everything)

CAKE BATTER DIP

That's right--you only need 3 ingredients for this melt in your mouth dip

I served it with graham cracker sticks and animal crackers--so many options!

Cake Batter Dip:

1 box of cake mix (any kind--I used yellow)

2 cups of Cool Whip

1.5 cups of Plain Yogurt

Mix in a bowl. Best served after having been chilled. Serve with any type of cookie (graham cracker, animal crackers, vanilla wafers, etc.)

*If you're always looking for ways to make your recipes a little healthier/cut back on fat/calories like myself...I used Fat Free Cool Whip and Fat Free yogurt and it still tasted great!

Who is Punxsutawney Phil?

Today is Groundhog Day. Some people call it a holiday, others call it an annual tradition/legend, and many often pass through their February 2nd completely unaware of Punxsutawney Phil's big debut. I guess I've never paid a whole lot of attention to the day, but this year being a teacher; I felt it was important to share the story with my kiddos...and I knew I could find some cute groundhog themed art to accompany the legend. Anything to keep them occupied and sitting at a table for more than 5 seconds.

One of my students' dads fulfilled a lifelong dream this year of traveling to Punxsutawney, Philadelphia to greet the furry little prophet when he crawled out of his burrow to make his prediction. His longing to attend this annual ceremony sparked my interest and I did a little research. The tradition dates back to early days of Christianity in Europe and Germany; also associated with an animal, a shadow, and a prediction of weather. This tradition made its way to Pennsylvania when German immigrants settled there. Very simple really; they bring Phil out, if there is a shadow, he "becomes frightened" and returns to his burrow to sleep for another 6 weeks--which in turn means 6 more weeks of winter. If there is no shadow, Phil welcomes spring.

The tradition remains and this year was Phil's 126th prediction. My guess is there is more than one Phil. But the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club keep the number of groundhogs that have appeared on the down low. Groundhog Day is kept alive by this 'Punxsutawney Groundhog Club'. (Yes this is a real club...imagine putting that on your resume). The members of this club take care of Phil year round and prepare for his big day. Phil lives in an enclosure in the Punxsutawney Memorial Library along with other groundhogs.

The way I see it is kind of like the North Pole. Phil is Santa Claus, and all of the other groundhogs (and members of this club that help prepare for the ceremony) are the elves. They spend all year in preparation for one day. They do their job and retire back to another year of preparation. Sounds cyclical. Speaking of cyclical...great movie: Groundhog Day.

I have no doubt this tradition will always remain, but isn't it funny that according to weather records, Phil has only been right 36% of the time, yet we still hold this large ceremony, watch it on the news on February 2nd, share the story, have countless childrens' books written about it, and even do crafts in its' honor. I guess there's just something cuter about a groundhog than a meteorologist.

Preschooler's version of Punxsutawney Phil

The real Phil. The legend himself.

My dog is going to Heaven

I often spend my mornings doing a devotion and reading from the Word. This morning was no different, other than the fact that I woke up a little late, and in a hurry to get to work, forgot to put my bible back on my bedside table. I came home on my lunch break, and when I walked into my room I saw this site: my sweet dog Ralph sound asleep, head resting right beside the open Bible, and a pen conveniently placed underneath his paw. I like to think he was spending some time in the good Word himself. I hate to boast, but I think I have proof that my dog is a pretty holy one. People always wonder if dogs go to Heaven. I know mine will.

"Agnus Dei", Lamb of God

Just a little love for Jesus as expressed through a little boy. This is sure to give you chills. Watch the whole thing. Incredible.

Jumping into a new year

Okay so let's just say I hit a busy, crazy, chaotic few weeks after Thanksgiving and my blog took the hit as far as getting the least attention. But who doesn't get busy during the holidays, right? So the last time I wrote was in 2011, which is no more! I can't believe it is 2012. I am glad it is a new year though, I was ready for a fresh start. 2011 was getting old.

New Years resolutions. Everyone makes them. And by the second week of January most are making some excuse as to why it hasn't worked, or like myself; compromising the resolution, so as to not seem that you have been a complete failure. Justifying the means as to why you must alter the original resolution. Here's an example. This year I decided I wasn't going to eat sweets. Not for an entire year, just for a while...to "cut back". I shared this with my parents, which was probably my first mistake. The more people you tell, the bigger failure you feel like once you don't stick to your resolution. January 1st, not even 24 hours into the new year, I walked in the kitchen (with no intention of eating), and walked out with a brownie. Now, in my defense, it was one of those packaged low calorie, low fat brownies (there I go justifying again...), but chocolate is chocolate and I was caught red handed already eating a sweet. My dad, who had remembered mention of my resolution looked at the brownie, then at me. Without a word from him I quickly explained myself "I decided I'm not going to cut them out completely, I'm just going to eat less of them...and really New Years day shouldn't even count." His response "Already compromising one day in, huh? Sounds promising." So I decided I didn't need a holiday to tell me I needed to set goals and make resolutions. I'm pulling a rebel move on this one...I'm just going to make the resolution when I see fit. 

I've never been big on New Years Eve. Not only does it mark the end of the holiday season, but I think it is one of the most anti-climactic holidays that gets way too much hype...and usually ends up being kinda "blah" as I call it. This year didn't prove much different. As I dressed up in a sparkly top ready for a night downtown, I found myself in my pajamas by 10 and at Sonic at 11:30 P.M. with my best friend, drinking a milkshake. The excitement didn't stop there. We then proceeded to her house where we watched Dick Clark in Times Square, saw the ball drop, and jumped off the fireplace at midnight. The fireplace tradition comes from my dad. He used to tell us when we were little that was how we "jumped" into the new year. I used to think the year would only change if we jumped off the fireplace. To this day, every year I share the fireplace tradition wherever I am. I can usually get a few to join me and I believe a few have even adopted the tradition themselves. So even though my New Years Eve usually starts out every year with big plans and expectations, it almost always results in retiring before 10 to pajamas, a couch, family or a few friends, and a fireplace; and I am perfectly okay with that.

Oh and like I said...the fireplace tradition goes with me every year. And it doesn't stop just because there may be lacking a fireplace. When my family was in Tampa a few years ago for the Outback Bowl, we retired to the hotel room (told you--every year never fails) and made the beds makeshift fireplaces. If we hadn't jumped that year, we'd be behind. It's just tradition. Happy New Year!

Thankful: as told through pictures

I am thankful for...

My parents. Because they love me always.

My brothers. Because they mean the world to me and we will always have a special relationship.

My sister in law. Because she really is like a sister to me.

My grandparents. Because they are devoted and have loved their families well.

My friends. Because they love me for me and understand me when no one else does.

Ralph. Because no matter what he will always hang out with me. And because he's cute.

Nashville. Because it is a wonderful city and it is where I call home.

A college degree. Because I can follow my dreams of being a teacher.

My cohort. Because we survived the College of Education together and through it became great friends.

Auburn University. Because it gave me 4 of the best years of my life, wonderful friendships, and a reason to love Saturdays in the fall.

Music. Because sometimes you need someone else to put into words what you're thinking.

Sonic. Because nothing is more of a comfort to me than a large Diet Coke...at Happy Hour.

The sky. Because of the beautiful paintings that are often painted there and always being able to look up and be reminded of how big our God is.

The people of Peru. Because they forever changed my outlook on life.

Good health. Because those of us that have it tend to take it for granted. And because of it I am able to do things I love to do.

Faith. Because by it, I am saved.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

10 things I've learned (so far) in Pre-School

1. Wash your hands. A lot. This may be the most important lesson I've learned, the hardest way. I've always been told "You will get sick a lot your first year of teaching!" I kind of pride myself on my immune system. I rarely get sick, and if I do, I usually buck up and get over it fairly quick. Well, my immune system has officially slapped me in the face in the past few months since I started working. I have had repeated colds, sinus nonsense, a nasty cough, and this previous week I had pink eye...in not just one, but both of my eyes. All of that to say, hand sanitizer is basically running through my veins now.

2. Children think in a literal sense. Another lesson learned the hard way. I am a very sarcastic person. When teaching preschool, your sarcasm must be minimal...very minimal. I once called a little girl a "cutie bug". She started crying and told me she was not a bug, but a human. My intentions were never to hurt her feelings (actually the opposite), but that was the result. Another example: While examining seashells during Science, I explained to the children that if you hold a seashell to your ear you can hear the waves of the ocean. One little girl refused to participate and seemed frightened, on the verge of tears. "I don't want to get ocean water in my ear, please don't make me listen!"

3. Don't wear your favorite anything. This includes, but is not limited to: your favorite khakis, J.CREW sweater, pair of flats, shirt, etc....you get the picture. I speak from experience. I guarantee you the day you choose to wear your favorite ______, will also be the day that one of your precious students will plant their little paint stained hands on you, or the day that one of them busts their lip on the playground and runs to you (and your shirt) for a hug and a place to let the blood drip. Again, I speak from experience.

4. Getting 17 children to lay down, stop talking, and have "nap time" (simultaneously) in one classroom; is the one part of the day that I dread. I have come to terms with the fact that this is a skill I just may never acquire. Of the 3 months I have worked there, only once have I gotten all of them to go to sleep. Or maybe I fell asleep myself that day during nap time and I dreamt it.

5. Three year olds need incentive to do things. The word "incentive" can be exchanged at times for the word "bribery", but the first choice makes me sound like a better teacher. A simple mention of stickers, candy corn, or M&Ms and you immediately have their full attention.

6. Children have no filter. They will give it to you straight and tell you exactly how they feel/what they think. If you already feel like you're having a bad hair day, don't expect your spirits to be lifted when you walk in the classroom. You will most likely hear something along the lines of "Miss Maggie what happened to your hair?!". In hindsight, their nonexistent filter also elicits compliments and sweet words. "You're so pretty! You look nice today. I love you!" etc. etc. The compliments always trump the unintentional jabs.

7. To anyone else, the "castle" on the playground may just be a structure with a few slides and a tire swing. To a child, it can be anything from a space rocket to a royal castle where all the princesses live. And don't be fooled....a simple stick from the ground can be a sword, a comb, lipstick, or a wand.

8. If you are ever trying to convince children to eat vegetables, you will come up with really creative (and awful and cheesy) ways to get them to eat them. For example, to get my kids to eat broccoli, I tell them that they are like little trees and there are birds in those trees. They have to eat the little trees before the birds fly out! See...you'll never eat broccoli the same now, will you? You'd be surprised how quickly that broccoli gets eaten.

9. If I could have one superpower it would be the ability to press a button somewhere on my body and the result be multiple arms. It really would solve a lot of problems; opening juiceboxes, sharpening pencils, tying shoes, patching boo-boos, wiping noses, giving hugs, patting backs...just to name a few.

10. "Patience is a virtue". Those words have never rung more true. People always told me "you must have a lot of patience to want to teach!" I know I have been gifted with patience, and have a passion for working with children; but if anything has tested my patience it has been managing 17 three year olds on a day to day basis. But in a weird way...I love it. It has only confirmed my desire even more to be a teacher. I have to think...that sometimes they have to be patient with me just as much as I have to be with them.

We're all learning here. As you can see I've already taken away 10 very valuable lessons from them.