dentist :/

we're going to a new dentist today.
and, at twenty-three, going to the dentist still gives me some anxiety.
i used to be a hardcore, six-months-to-the-day dentist visitor.
but it's been over a year - getting insurance squared away was a little crazy.
i want clean teeth (such a great feeling)...but are they okay?

i'm actually kind of nervous.
will the new dentist 'like' my teeth?
have my teeth been good to me this past year?
have i been good to my teeth this past year?
are they cavity free?
did i brush and floss often enough?
are my gums healthy?

here's hoping for a clean bill of dental health for my pearly whites.

pretty, huh? i'm that excited about clean teeth. :)

new things and delightful things

per my last post and my 'new thing' goal, trying new things is easier said than done.
yesterday, i learned a new thing about myself.
i am not good with coming up with 'stuff' to do.
tuesday's new thing was sad...i tried something new with my hair.
whoa! shocking, i know.
i tried to put it in two braids like i saw pictured in a magazine.
but after many attempts, my arms were weak and my fingers said 'who cares?'
so i did two normal braids.
boo. :(
today, i tried (again) to crochet.
two birthdays ago, my parents gave me a crocheting for dummies book, a pack of hooks and some cute yarn.
over the last two years, i have tried to 'work the needles' - which reminds me of the part in 'never been kissed' when drew barrymore's character reminds gus that she (senorita josie) helped him work the needles.
anywho...the hooks/needles don't seem to like working with me. i need a senorita josie to show me the error of my crocheting ways. my goal is that maybe by winter, i will have something that can keep my warm - a scarf, a hat, a coaster -- i'm not picky.
anyone have tips for how they learned how to crochet? people say it's easy and i am fairly dextrous - but can't seem to get it. any suggestions would be helpful.

now, instead of dwelling on negatives, like my inability to braid my hair in new ways or my inability to 'work the needles', i wanted to highlight some things that have brightened my life and kept me kinda busy with all this free time.
~*~the homemade pork fried rice my husband whipped up lat night - super bad for me to eat but absolutely delicious
~*~generic orange creamsicles from safeway - yum, yum - and it's 'healthier' than fried rice :)
~*~michael buble's new cd, call me irresponsible - his song 'everything' is too cute.
~*~planning a crafty project using our wedding response cards, some modge podge and our kitchen tabletop
~*~writing cards to friends and family - because who doesn't love getting snail mail
~*~hanging out with the treadmill - we're getting somewhere and i think we could be friends after a few more visits
~*~walking the loop at our local park and chit-chatting with matt
~*~tv on dvd (office, a.d., friends) - the ultimate cure for boredom on hot days
~*~thinking of fun things for matt and i to do this summer - baseball games, 4th of july festivities, concerts in the park, etc. :)
~*~browsing all my cookbooks for summery new recipes to try out for din-din
~*~attempting to clean up - then finding an old box and reminiscing about all the pictures, cards and fun stuff inside.
~*~dinner with college friends - okay, it's tonight - but i'm excited and it is making me happy
hope you are all having a lovely wednesday full of delightful things.
also...if you have any fun, creative ideas for hobbies/things to do - let me know. :)

summer(free)time

hi all.
happy summer.
as my last post indicated, the 06-07 school year has come to a close.
i spent the good part of last week digging through my cupboards and filing cabinets - filtering through all of the junk of mine and teachers of years past. it is now (kind of) organized. i turned in my key to the principal on friday evening...and i can't go back until august.

i have almost two months of completely free time.
sounds great...right?
i'm not so sure yet.

as awful as it sounds, i don't know what to do with myself when i don't have a routine.
without work...what time do i get up?
if i get up early, i don't know what to do all day.
if i sleep in, i feel like a groggy and lazy bum.
spending the summer watching tv would sure pass the time...but i don't want to spend the whole summer inside watching tv on our one channel.

and today, during my first real day of vacation, i have come to the realization that i need to find things to do. and i came to a second realization - i don't really have any 'hobbies' or things i like to do all by myself. almost everything i've done in my free time has been with the husband because free time opportunities was few and far between.

this summer, i'm looking for things to do. in a homage to a favorite episode of 'friends' called the one with all the resolutions, where ross decides to try one new thing everyday, i might try to follow in his footsteps and try new things this summer. and, since i am having trouble coming up with ideas, i'd love some suggestions of things you all do to pass away the free time - you just might inspire me to find a new hobby or two. :)

so...in honor of this 'new thing' goal - i did something today that i haven't done for a loooong time. in an effort to establish some healthy habits and tone up a little bit, i went to the little gym room in our apartment complex. running is definitely not a new activity for me...but it felt very foreign to my out-of-shape body.
i lasted on the elliptical machine for about 10 minutes before my legs felt like jell-o. i then attempted the treadmill - not as bad, but the jell-o legs made moving a little difficult. i feel okay right now and i even want to go back tomorrow - ahcing muscles or not. :)
i'll leave you with a post-workout photo that highlights a source of much mocking during my years on the track team in high school. when my hair is back in a ponytail and i get a little sweaty around the hairline, the ringlet curls from my youth rear their frizzy little heads and create, what one former team-mate called, the 'jill halo'. happy monday all. :)

good-bye...'til august

my last day of my first year of teaching was on friday.

the days leading up to it were busy and full - but a great end to a pretty good first year.

we recited silly poems in the talent show, played games in the arbuckle olympics (yay costa rica!), had a reading party, wrote about what we learned, slurped dripping (sugar free) popsicles, cleaned the classroom and shared our favorite things about first grade.

in the last few minutes, i gave each of them a book of their very own and they were giddy with glee to have their own book, especially one specially picked for them by their teacher. they read the notes i wrote them and were so thankful.

that is when the tears first welled.

then it was time to say good-bye.

that is when the tears decided to come - great timing, huh?
through my blubbering, i think i managed to thank them for being such wonderful arbuckle scholars and told them i would miss them all summer. i made them promise me to visit when they were in second grade. some of them asked, 'will you remember us when we are in second grade?" and i, while crying, promised them that i would never forget them.

how could i forget the kids who helped me to learn patience, compassion, and gentleness. who made me laugh and fume...all in the same minute. who listened intently and gave me chance, even when i felt absolutely clueless. who tried so hard and learned so much.

they are incredible.

and i will never forget them.

thanks for a wonderful year, smart sharks of room b-07.

movin'...but where?

howdy...we're home.
and have been for almost a week.
and, due to a busy week and uncertainty of how to write what i've been thinking, it has taken me this long to articulate it all into something resembling complete sentences.

so...here's what has been swirling around my head all week:
1. we live in the bay area.
2. we both have good jobs and earn a decent amount of money, considering our respective careers.
3. no matter how hard we try, it looks like we cannot afford a home in the bay area without paying off loans and making significant payments for the next 30+ years.
4. we'd like to own a home someday, with enough room to have a family and a yard for our little kiddos to play in.
5. problem: the bay area cannot provide that for us.

so we have begun looking elsewhere for places to live.

as i have mentioned (and have then failed to follow-up on), we took trips to boise, idaho and austin, texas to see what those areas have to offer. we'd heard good things from family and friends and decided to check it out for ourselves. and, after both visits, we realized some very important and positive things about both areas:
1. they have job options for the husband and i (more in austin...but there are still options).
2. homes are cheap (by comparison) and we could move into a beautiful house that we could grow into as we start and raise a family.
3. both have great downtown areas, minor league sporting teams (i do enjoy some good minor league athletics), and many other neat things to do that appeal to our interests.

after all the positive things about both places, there is still something that is keeping me from jumping on the 'let's move out of state' bandwagon. after many talks/discussions with matt about all this, i've narrowed it all down to my desire to make everyone happy ~ matt, myself, my family, his family, my friends, his friends, etc.
something we enjoy now is how accessible our families and friends are. if we want to see them, we can just hop in the car and drive (for 40 minutes or 2 hours) and we're there. it's been wonderful to have such close proximity to the people we care about most. we've talked about how nice it would be to have our families close by when we start a family - we want our children to know their grandparents well. and i know my mom would love for us to stay in california for the same reason. we've also looked at sacramento (very near my parents and not far from matt's), but it's also a little more expensive than we can afford.
i keep going back and forth about what factors to consider when we're looking for a new community. jobs are important - we need to be able to find good jobs. the housing market is another factor - the more affordable, the better. and, of course, family is important to both of us, but we also need to consider the family that we want to start. do we stay here in california to be close to our families, but maybe live in a condo or apartment? do we move to idaho or texas and see our family infrequently, but live in a nice house? right now, it's been difficult to consider all these factors and attempt to decide where we might live for the next 30 years.
my question to you, my wonderful blog readers, is - how have you balanced all these factors and made your choice? i know many of you have made decisions to move away from what is familiar and known for a chance at a great new opportunity. ultimately, we'll have to sit down and hash it out...but for now, i'll get any wisdom you lovely, travelling people have to offer. :)
happy saturday friends.