10. Makes you smile

OOPS! I did not realize I skipped over "#6 - Makes you Smile," so I am going to do this one for #10 and then get back on track with #11 tomorrow.  

Day 10: Makes me Smile

Teaching is hard...really hard (post to follow on that topic), but the one thing I can say about my job is that I do smile, in fact I laugh, every single day.  Some days I leave here feeling completely defeated and exhausted, but at least one point in the day I guarantee I smiled or laughed at something.


I work with 8th graders.  They are hormonal, immature, crazy, dramatic, and totally hilarious.  They really believe they are bigger than life and that they know everything.  They are at a fun age in school because they are young enough to still be intimidated by the teacher, but old enough where you can joke with them and they can, and will, throw it right back at you.


Teaching middle school is deemed "crazy" by many teaching colleagues, and even though the kids are really hard to deal with sometimes, it's comforting to know that you will get to laugh with them, if not at them, multiple times per day.  Any career that encourages fun and laughter (and summers, and spring break, and Christmas break, and holidays, and snow days off) is a good career for me. Ha!

9. Childhood

Day 9: Childhood

Awww <3  Sweet, sweet childhood.
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Reader beware: graphic images from this point forward.  Consider yourself warned.

I was going to write a big ode to my past, talk about how wonderful my childhood was, and recap those times in my life that I will hold dear to me forever, but then I looked through the photo album for some inspiration and I came across this picture.  All that went through my head was - WTF!  What. the. flip. Seriously, Mom, how could you let Jenny and I go through the “awkward” stage for like 10 years straight!? 

I see my middle schoolers that I teach and not ONE of them looks like this:

I know that awkward stages are relevant to the time era, but dang, it’s a wonder that Jenny and I ever had friends or much less had a boyfriend at any point in our lives.

WHAT is happening in this picture? What is this dress?  I mean seriously, check out the threads.  Did I wear this often? Did I own a brush? 

I really did have a wonderful childhood – absolutely no complaints here.  My parents are amazing and they made sure I was raised around wonderful family and friends.  I never wanted for anything and they instilled in me the strong morals by which I will raise my children.  I can only hope that my kids grow up feeling as loved and blessed as I have every day of my life. But wow, I hope my kids won’t ever have to rock bangs like this in their lifetime. 

Lookin' good, Tuck sisters! Woo-hoo :)  

8. Daily Routine

Day 8: Daily Routine

Stretch marks…how I loathe thee.

For the past 20 weeks or so I have added a very important daily routine to my normal schedule.  I have been slopping loads and loads of cocoa butter on my body in an effort to prevent the ever so dreaded stretch mark.  Stretch marks are one of those pregnancy side effects that you have no control over – oh wait – that’s all side effects of pregnancy.  But THIS side effect is usually permanent.  An everlasting reminder of your body stretching  and expanding far beyond its means.

I have read many places that stretch marks are genetic, so if you are predestined to get them you might as well give up on the lathering because they are coming whether you like it or not.  But I don’t buy it.  Even if that is the case and God has planned for my body to be scarred from this pregnancy, I am still going to fight to the end and try my damnedest to keep my belly smooth and scar free. 

It’s not that I’m vain. I promise.  I am glad to bare battle wounds for the sake of birthing my son, but I’m still. so. young. I like to think I have a few bikini seasons left in me.  I’m 27 for goodness sake and would like to turn my husband’s head towards me in delight instead of away from me in disgust (not that he would, of course!)  But you catch my drift. 

Sooooo – applying cocoa butter and/or belly cream every day from my chest down to my knees has been an important daily routine. 

But – GASP! – I fear the stretch mark fairy has caught up with me and is starting to lay her dirty evil marks on my body.  I see a few faint lines on the front left side of my stomach.  Right now, they are just little red marks that I don’t even know for sure will turn into stretch marks, but they weren’t there before, so it sets off the alarms in my mind.  I keep hydrated, keep lathering the lotion, and keep hoping that they won't get much worse :)

At the end of the day, If they do get worse, I will have to be OK with that.  After all, one piece suits are all the rage right now and I wouldn’t hate having to rock one of these out this summer. 

7. My sky

Day 7: My Sky

"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.  May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.  May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through." - Irish Blessing


This is a picture that I took from my front door looking out today when I got home from work...right before I went to take my Friday afternoon nap :)  Beautiful day!

6. Favorite

Day 6: Favorite

Perla is my favorite :)  

Perla is the offspring of my parent's Pomeranian, so I have had her, literally, since the day she was born.  She is four years old, turning five in March, and she is the love of my life.  

When she was born, the birth sack kept her from breathing.  Her mom, Cinda, tried stimulating her, but once Perla showed no response her mom gave up, pushed her to the side, and began tending to another puppy.  Luckily, my mom was there and was able to remove the sack and clean out Perla's mouth.  She started to breathe and squirm around which was, of course, a huge relief.

Ever since that night we have always referred to Perla as a "special" one.  Not because she defied the odds and survived the strenuous birth, but because we think the lack of oxygen she received that night made her "special."  Possibly some brain damage. Seriously. She's special.

We first noticed how special she was at feeding time.  All the other puppies would be nestled up to their mom's underbelly feeding beautifully, while Perla was lost somewhere in her mom's bushy tail...eyes not opened yet...trying to find her way to a food source.  She seemed to get lost pretty easily.

As she got older, Perla would be just sitting there staring out at who knows what, and then all of a sudden let out a squeal and completely throw herself backwards.  No idea why she ever did this, but she did, and it was hilarious.

She was the runt of the litter, so, naturally, she was picked on the most.  Her sisters would beat her up and drag her around by her tail.  I felt bad for her because she was so little and sweet, so I chose her out of the litter to be my puppy.  I chose the smallest, cutest, quietest, and sweetest puppy of all.

Oh my goodness was I wrong.

As she grew older, Little Miss Perla developed quite the strong personality.  She became the meanest and loudest puppy of them all.  Yappy yappy yappy.  She's so vocal!  When playing with me or her sisters she doesn't stop yelling.  It’s not a barking sound that she makes, but more of a really drawn out "arrrrrrrrr" that she does over and over and over and over.  

She's a diva.  That is, of course, Brian's fault.  Ok, Ill take some of the blame  - we did not raise her well, but mostly it's Brian's fault.  


She rules our house.  She sleeps in our bed, only eats wet food (even after months of trying all different brands she refuses to eat anything BUT Caesar), and she gets attention at all times from either Brian or myself.  She will hop from lap to lap so that someone is constantly petting her.  If you stop petting her, she throws herself backwards and paws at your face.  If she is ignored she will pee out of spite. She gets treats every time she goes outside (which most of the time she just goes out and pretend squats so she can get her bone), she is walked, played with and loved oh so much.  

She is completely spoiled and does get a little too high maintenance for us sometimes, but she is really so sweet.  She has a personality of her own and she, as crazy as she is, has a big heart.  She is the loudest, weirdest, funniest, and most gentle dog I have ever known and I wouldn't have her any other way. She's my favorite and I love her just the way she is...special and all :)

She does not like not being a part of my belly pictures week to week:

Tell me it's not Brian's fault that she is so spoiled:

5. Something I wore

Day 5: Something I wore

More like something I wear...every. single. day. 


My mom got me a couple pairs of maternity sweatpants from Old Navy for Christmas, and I pretty much haven't taken them off since.  The second I get home I throw on a pair of these babies and settle in the for night :)  Seriously the most comfortable pants I have ever worn in my life. Love them.

4. Letterbox

Day 4: Letterbox

We all have them –  boxes filled with mementos of good times past.  Pictures, love letters, cards, movie tickets, dried rose petals - anything sweet and sentimental that you wanted to save to remember the one you love.  These boxes have one of four fates that await them – they sit and collect dust for years, they are continuously added to and cherished, they are actually emptied and its contents are put in a scrapbook where they belong, or they are thrown away (or burned) depending on how bad the relationship ended.

This box has met the fate of sitting in my closet and collecting dust for years.  I have been keeping this box of things from Brian since September 2006.  I actually haven’t opened the box and gone through it in forever, but  I have added to it.  I just lift the top of the box an inch or so and slide what I have into the slot, but never taking the time to inspect its contents. 

I’m happy I had to take a picture of this today because it made me sift through it.  It was quite refreshing :) Brings back memories of how we started, where we have been, and hopes for where we will go.  I love every note from “I can’t wait for our date tomorrow,” to, “I can’t wait to meet our son.”  It’s the story of us and I love that I have this letterbox to come back to in times of happiness and sadness alike.  It really makes me remember why I fell in love with Brian in the first place. I am one lucky gal <3