1. A SUPER huge slow clap to my little brother Matt for making the Midwest Minor League All Star team! He's had a great season so far... and I'm so proud of him!
Lane, Matt and Jorge (and that cougar thing that comes to all the games) made the team. They'll play on June 17th, which leads me to...
2. That's the SAME weekend that I'm supposed to get Finley. You know, for good. One week... so excited! I initally thought that I would just get Finley and not go on the trip. So, I emailed the breeder and said we were good to go on Saturday. Then... I had second thoughts. I really wanted to go with my family to see Matt play! So, I emailed the breeder and asked if she could just hang on to her until Thursday when we get back. And then... I changed my mind again. I want the puppy. I'm honestly a very decisive person. I don't know what's the matter with me today... but, I'm sure the breeder thinks I'm a raving lunatic. I probably am. So: final decision. I'm gonna skip the trip and get the dog. Slow clap for it only taking me 5 hours to decide. I think it will be a good few days for me to spend at home with her and get her used to everything and get used to her. I'll sure miss seeing my brother, though.
I can't wait to meet this little lovebug!
3. Does anybody watch Gossip Girl? Slow clap for you, if so. Holy moly. Why am I just now discovering it? It's so good. Netflix has changed my life... and probably not for the better. I fear I will become a hermit.
We love Penn Badgley. Yes, we do.
4. Did you know that it's a HUGE pain to find dog gates that fit extra-wide door openings? Like, the biggest pain. I've had a lot of trouble. Because, most of the extra-wide gates are also extra-tall. They're generally for massive dogs... like Pitbulls and Great Danes and Clifford, the Big Red Dog apparently. I found one at Petsmart... but it was awful! It seemed dumb to have Fort Knox security for a 2 pound puppy. Oh, and if you even touched the gate, it fell off the wall... not good. So, I sent it back and found another one from Walmart.com. I'll let you know how it turns out. It's a lot smaller and it just nails right into the wall... so hopefully it will be sturdier. Fingers crossed for a slow clap on this one. Otherwise, I might cry.
You better be careful, Kitty, or that gate is gonna kill you.
5. I still love Tim Riggins/Taylor Kitsch. Only, now, he has short hair. Which makes him EVEN CUTER!!!
Slow clap for this dude's parents. Nice job, guys.
There is literally NOTHING going on over here at my house. Except a lot of sleeping and watching tv and eating junk food like it's my job. I went swimming with some friends one day this week and went to see Battleship (which was pretty dang good, I have to say) with a friend one other day. And.... that's it. And, actually, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm the world's best at being lazy. Just ask my mom.
But, I did get some new puppy pictures. And, like, 4 people in the last five days have told me to update my blog :) So, for your entertainment...
Her first bow!
Her little nose STILL hasn't turned black! I'm starting to think this might just be her look, which is fine with me :)
She's just a precious little baby ball of fluff.
Oh, and here's a video too.
I'll just say it: I hate the dress. You will NOT see Finley wearing clothing once she's living with me :)
Well, enough about Tim Riggins. At least on the blog... not in my heart, where he will forever remain. But, I've got about 3,000 pictures on my iPhone that I've taken in the last two weeks. What better way to get you all caught up on my life than through pictures? Don't get too excited: it's a whole lotta' nothin. So, here we go...
First of all, we wrapped up the school year! It was very bittersweet for me this year... I have to say. I was sad to see my babies go because they were a great class. My last class of "littles" for a while... and that was hard. And, since I'm moving to third grade next year, I was very sad to say goodbye to my great teammates. In fact... I didn't say goodbye :) But, I'm also reallllly excited about next year. So, like I said, alot of mixed feelings. Plus, I had to pack up my room to move. So, here are a few pictures from the last two weeks of school.
We made these cute Mother's Day cards out of scrapbookpaper.
On the inside, the kids answered questions about their moms. Their responses were very cute. But, this tired teacher only took two pictures. Sorry...
We had a talent show at school. I cannot overstate this: It. Was. Awesome. I had so much fun watching all the kiddos get up there and do their thang :)
So, one of my kids performed the Cha Cha Slide with her older brother and sister. After she performed, she came to sit with me and some of the other teachers. She climbed in my lap and I looked down to see this: her cheat sheet! Ha!! How funny is that? Knowing your left and your right is very important in that song....
Every year, my kids keep "Busy Bags" in their desks. They are just bags with books on their level and word sorts and stuff for them to pull out and read when they have extra time. And, every year on the last week of school, I wonder why in the world I do this. Because, putting all those books back where they belong? Yeah, that's no fun. I just wanted to document the madness.
Okay, so the day school got out, I went out of town. I went with the parents to see my brother in Illinois. It was a fun trip! I didn't do too much picture taking, but here's what I got:
I looked out the hotel window one day to see this. Which kind of concerned me, I'm not gonna lie. Looks real safe, huh?
Matty Moo
The park Matt plays at is really nice!
So, the first night we were there, it was 60's Night. We were sitting on the front row right behind home plate and this band was playing right at home plate. So, basically, we were like 8 feet away from them. And, they were SO LOUD. I couldn't hear anything. My dear grandfather turned to me and said "Well, you'd think they would at least play louder. I can't even hear em'!" Which started the Great Hearing Aid Intervention of 2012. I think we made some good headway in convincing him it's time. I'll keep you updated. He's 88, by the way.
Oh, and we saw a bunch of fireworks. Because that's just what minor league ballparks do....
I'm an educator, so I obviously adore children. But, honestly, when we drove up the last day and saw this in the parking lot... I kinda wanted to vomit. My worst nightmare. Matt had warned me that they have field trip days at the park. And, ya'll? I can't even begin to tell you what it was like to be in a stadium with 3,000 children who were all screaming the Spongebob Squarepants song at the top of their lungs.
Here's Matty and the mascot signing autographs before the game. Check out all those screaming banshees children!
While I was gone, I got some updated pics of the pupster. Behold the cuteness:
And, here are some videos of Finley with the rest of her litter. They seem like the calmest, sweetest puppies. In both videos, Finley is about to fall asleep! I hope she's this laid back all the time...
3 weeks old
4 weeks old
I. Can't. Wait.
I've been shopping for her, too. She now has two crates,
some toys,
a pink polka dot collar,
and some wittle bitty bows :)
That sweet pup has no idea that she's already spoiled rotten.
Okay, well I think that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!
So, do you remember a few weeks ago when I posted about the show Friday Night Lights? I told you I was obsessed... and, I wasn't joking. Well, I've since finished all 5 seasons on Netflix and I can NOT get Tim Riggins off my mind. I even went back and fast forwarded through some episodes to watch my favorite Tim scenes again. I don't think I've ever seen a character on TV that is more interesting or compelling. He just steals every single scene he's in.
How could he not?
So, here is my list of reasons why I love Tim Riggins.
1. Tim Riggins is hot.
Make no mistake about it. He's not just hot... he's smoldering. I have to say that I am generally not a "fan girl." I don't usually walk around talking about sexy guys in my every day conversations. But, I can't stop talking about him! He has huge green eyes that I can't stop staring at. And, I HATE long hair on guys... but, on Tim? LOVE it. Plus, his body is insane. Oh, and how many gratuitous shots do the producers give you of his amazing abs? Swoon.
2. Tim Riggins is tragic.
His dad is a dead beat, his mom has been MIA for years and he's being raised by his older brother, Billy. Billy tries to be a good brother, but he's a "get rich quick scheme" kind of guy and puts Tim in all kinds of illegal and stupid situations. Tim should know better than to get involved in them... but, really, why should he know better? He trusts his brother and loves him and would do anything for him... which, we will discuss. And really, his brother is his only role model. All you want for Tim is a stable home and for somebody's momma to take him in and give him a hug. Speaking of mommas... he also keeps a cheap little snowglobe that his mom gave him. BREAK MY HEART. Oh, and he hooks up with the mom next door just because it makes him so happy to be a part of a family. Like I said, tragic. My heart hurts thinking about him.
3. Tim Riggins never complains.
There are so many times in the series when Tim gets a raw deal. So many misunderstandings and situations where Tim has every right to throw a fit and talk back to an adult. But, he never does. There are also times when all Tim has to do is give a simple explanation that will get him off the hook... but, he doesn't do it. At the beginning of season 2, there's a new coach. And, for whatever reason, he hates him. He screams at him and makes him carry tires over his head and run bleachers and just berates the kid for two episodes on end. Tim actually ends up being pushed so hard he collapses on the field and has to go to the hospital... and, he never says a word about it. He just expects life to suck and that is so heart-wrenching to me.
4. Tim Riggins says a lot while saying nothing at all.
Okay, so this is more about Taylor Kitsch (the actor who plays Riggins). He can convey SO much emotion with his face. I've never seen anything like it. Riggins doesn't usually talk a lot... he's just a quiet guy. But, you always know what he's thinking because you can see it on his face. Tim actually cries quite a bit throughout the series and it never fails to make me tear up myself because TK is just so dang good at making you feel what Tim is feeling. And, I went on YouTube and watched some videos of Taylor Kitsch. I think it's so fascinating how different he is than Riggins. He's really active and silly and fun and Tim is just so still and quiet. That is a GOOD actor.
5. Tim Riggins is not a stereotype.
I totally thought after watching the pilot episode that I would HATE Tim. He seemed like the team jerk who was mean and selfish and drunk. But, when Tim's best friend Jason gets paralyzed during the first game of the season... everything changes. You start to realize how completely broken up Tim is about it. And, around the 3rd episode, you realize that Tim is not mean or selfish. He's just a confused, lonely, scared kid who is dealing with stuff that is too big for him. Throughout the series, Riggins is the one who stands up for people and helps people when it's really inconvenient for him to do so. And if he doesn't know how to help them, he finds somebody who does. Soooo not the stereotype of the "bad boy."
6. Tim Riggins loves babies.
Seeing Tim holding Gracie Belle, Coach Taylor's baby daughter, was maybe one of the cutest things ever. And, then, when Tim finds out that his brother Billy is going to have a baby in season 4, he's literally so excited that he tackles him to the ground. Be still my heart. And you can't forget about Tim's relationship with his neighbor Bo. Bo wasn't a baby: but, Tim played with him and looked after him and was so sweet with him all the time. But, the best Tim/baby moment is in the finale when Tim literally spends the whole episode carrying around Billy's little boy. And, Tim talks to him in a baby voice and then I die of cuteness overload.
7. Tim Riggins has the best smile.
He hardly ever smiles. But, when he does? It's the best thing ever. Like, maybe I rewind the dvd seven times and watch it over and over. That kind of smile :)
8. Tim Riggins is a good friend.
He was there for Jason a bunch of times: when he took him to the lake in season 1, when he took him to Mexico in season 2 and when he helped him move to New York in season 3. And, don't even get me started on the end of that episode. My Tim love grew three sizes that day :) He's also there for Matt when his dad dies and for Smash when a guy on another team goes after him. Oh, and can't forget how sweet he was to Becky when she found out she was pregnant. Somewhere along the way, Tim became the most loyal guy in Dillon, Texas.
9. Tim Riggins is a good boyfriend.
My favorite scenes with Tim mostly involved him and Lyla in season 3. He was just the sweetest guy that entire season. I loved how he was supportive of her when her dad screwed her chances to go to college. And, I love how he took her to church to cheer her up and then told her she did have a family. But, my favorite Tim/Lyla moment? When he told her he was "kinda madly in love with" her. It was great to see him take on the caretaker role when Lyla needed it. And, when Lyla told him that she was going to skip out on going to Vanderbilt to go to San Antonio State with him, he looked her right in the eyes and said "Go." It broke his heart (and hers, and mine) but he did it because he loved her and knew it was best for her. He's such a good (imaginary) guy.
Plus, dude knows how to ROCK a pair of jeans and cowboy boots.
10. Tim Riggins loves his brother.
When Tim's brother Billy turned their garage into a chop shop, Tim begged him not to do it. But, Billy did it anyway. And, Tim went along with it... which, he should not have done. A few episode later, the police arrest Tim and Billy. (Which, by the way, I LOVE the scene with them in jail and Tim just sitting there crying while Billy apologizes. Somebody give that boy a hug!) They are both headed to jail for 1-5 years. But, because Billy has a wife and new baby at home, Tim takes the fall for both of them and goes to jail alone. When he finally gets out of jail, he's totally changed. He's broken and sad and he has so much bitterness and anger towards Billy... which, he has every right to. But, I just can't get over the sacrifice he made for his brother. And, the sacrifice his brother made for him by dropping his own life to raise Tim.
11. Tim Riggins is funny.
As tragic a character as Tim is, he's really funny! He's not always sad and sullen... he's the life of the party a lot of the time. His funniest episode might be the one where he is a powderpuff football coach. When he's picking teams, he asks the girls if any of them know how to chop block. And then, as the other team is scoring a point, Tim is running up and down the sidelines SCREAMING "Kick her knees! Kick her knees!" Here are some of the other funny things he's said:
12. Tim Riggins is all about the nicknames.
I think this is the cutest thing. Tim calls everybody by a nickname. He's a big fan of the jersey number nickname. He calls Matt "Seven." He calles Jason "Jay" and "Six" and sometimes even "J-Six." I about died when he called Luke "Fours." He calls Julie "Jules" and Mindy "Minds." He calls his girlfriend Lyla "Ms. Garrity." And, the interesting thing about it is that that's all Taylor Kitsch. In every interview I've seen of him, which happens to be A LOT, he calls his character "Rigs" and he calls Kyle Chandler "Chandy." Sooo cute.
And, I love how everyone always calls him Tim Riggins. Both names. Sometimes Riggs or Timmy, mostly by Jason. And Lyla called him Tim. But everybody else called him Tim Riggins. Especially Bo and Becky. So cute.
13. Tim Riggins has a sexy voice.
I think it's that Taylor Kitsch is from Canada. He also has this husky voice that is so endearing. And, he's pretty dang good at his Texas accent. His favorite saying is "Let's make some memories." But, what he says is more like "Less make some mammaries." Which, knowing him, maybe that is what he's saying :) And, sometimes he talks in the softest voice and you can just hear all the pain in his life. Whatever it is, I could listen to him talk all day long.
And, sometimes I do.
So, to sum up:
Here's to you #33!
And, if you haven't watched Friday Night Lights, then you're crazy. Go watch it. You won't be sorry. I promise...
Here's what you should know about me: I'm a third grade teacher, I love to decorate, I watch way too much reality tv, I have an adorable puppy named Finley, I'm all about shaved ice and Tim Riggins and I laugh a lot.
