open your mind.

I am a schedule fanatic.  An organizational maven.  A maker of lists...grocery lists, to do lists, checklists, "we need this for the house" lists.  I don't even necessarily use them or even reference them once they're made.  Sometimes I throw them away before I even get up from my seat.  But making them is glorious nonetheless.

If you open my planner, look at one of my 10 calendars, or read one of the aforementioned lists, you will immediately have an idea of what I like to do, where I go, and what my job is.  If you look at my plan book for work, you will see meetings penciled in, lists of things to send home with my students, and ideas for future lesson plans.  If you look at my personal planner, I have anything from doctor's appointments to nights with the girls written down, accompanied by reminders to pick up the dry cleaning and buy cat food.

So if you haven't figured it out by now, I am incredibly organized...aka a huge control freak...

I do have a point in revealing my - ahem - flaw, some might say, to the world.

I am learning (trying really, really hard to learn anyway!) the importance of being flexible.  Being a teacher, I've always had to be flexible to some degree at work.  I strive to be open-minded and malleable, knowing my colleagues will appreciate it and my students will benefit from it.  In my personal life, this flexibility doesn't come as easily, though I'm trying diligently to apply it.  I shudder when my plans change or something impromptu comes up.  I take it personally when someone cancels on me or my husband can't make it home in time for dinner.  On a deeper level, I am about to be a mother in a few weeks and more than ever I am aware of the need to be flexible.  As I prepare to give birth, I realize that even though I have a certain plan in mind, things (especially childbirth!) don't always pan out the way you had them planned in your head.  In order to keep my tension and fear at bay,  I need to accept that things will come up and there is nothing I can do about it (in other words, no, I really cannot control everything) - in birth, in parenthood, at work, and in my personal life.  Does that mean that the outcome won't be a happy one?  Not necessarily.  I think it's more about not sweating the small stuff...another novel idea that I'll be working on for the next century ;-)


What do you do to relax, let things roll off your back, and be flexible?

a girl's gotta eat!

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a great week!  I went back to work on Tuesday.  After two days of grueling professional development, I am home now enjoying the empty apartment - listening to some music, wearing my most comfy sweats, and doing something that I haven't in far too long...cooking.

Now I am no Julia Child.  Hell, I'm not even a Rachel Ray.  But over the years I've experimented with cooking different things and while it's all still a work-in-progress (I am not a natural chef!), I've honed my skills and perfected some recipes (just ask my husband how often he eats tacos...).  Since getting pregnant, my energy level has been a bit low (ok, the lowest ever) and cooking has certainly been last on my list of things to do.  Between the summer heat and my constant exhaustion, my diet has consisted mostly of Luna Bars and fruit.  After leaving work today though I was struck by a sorely missed desire to cook so I'm taking advantage of the empty apartment and blaring some fun music while I cook up one of my favorites - chili.

Chili is one of the easiest things to make and delicious to eat.  While I traditionally only make it for football Sundays or during the winter, I really wanted something hearty and comforting tonight.  I make chili a lot but tend to tweak my recipe every single time I do.  Tonight I referenced this Giada recipe (she's one of my faves!) and put my own spin on it. 


Sometimes it's just really nice to relax and do something you love, whether it be crafting or reading, cooking or blogging, watching tv or doing laundry.  After a long day of listening to people talk at me, of absorbing a ton of information, of organizing my classroom, it feels really nice to relax and just be in the moment.  Hope you're having a wonderful night doing something you love :)