Dog Days of Summer

Obviously, my summer has been QUITE consumed by Finley. I'm sorry a lot of my blog posts lately have been about her...but, she's basically been eating up all my time. So, here's what she's been up to the last few weeks.

She's been spending some time leashed up. Because, honestly, she wears me out and sometimes... I just need a break :) But, she doesn't mind at all and she actually LOVES to chew on her leash. I'm sure that's a bad habit I'll have to break later.

This is her "I'm a koala bear" look.

She likes to lay in bed and snuggle. Snuggle and BITE. We're working on it...

She loves my dad. And, I think he's pretty fond of her, too.

One night, she was sleeping in her crate and my phone rang. I guess I was talking too loud because she stuck her face and her legs out of the crate and just stared at me the whole time. I feel like she's judging me sometimes :)

Finley and I met my mom in downtown Franklin today for lunch. And, Fin was quite the little celebrity. I think about 20 people stopped to play with her and one guy asked if he could take a picture of her. Um, sure Stranger. Take a picture of my dog. That's normal. But, I do agree that she's pretty cute :)

This is how we roll.

This weekend, I'm keeping Matt and Blakely's dog. I miss Hampton so I was excited to get to spend some time with her. And, Miss Finley needs a REALITY CHECK. She doesn't spend a lot of time with other dogs so she needs to learn not to nip and bite.

Can you see Finley under the coffee table? She was really scared at first to share her territory!

And, while Hampton napped on my bed, Finley stared her down from her crate. Haha!

But, they've been warming up to each other. Hampton is really sweet with her. Finley's the punk. She walks up to Hampton and nips at her and then runs. When Hampton chases her, she can't believe it!

Hampy's actually a lot more interested in climbing on the furniture than playing with Finley.

Looks like fun, huh?

Finley never takes her eyes off her.

How funny is this? Hampy has always sat like this... even when she was a puppy.

Right now, they're both laying in the floor eating their treats. My house looks like PetSmart exploded. But, we've had fun :)

Have a good weekend!

Because I'm Bored...

This afternoon, it was rainy. The puppy was napping (she must be going through a growth spurt, because she napped all day!) and it was all nice and quiet in the house. So, I got on my computer and I started watching the movie Pearl Harbor. I know, kind of lame, but I love that movie. All throughout the movie, all I could think about was whether I liked Rafe or Danny better. Haha. It would literally change from scene to scene. I could never decide. So, a blog post began to form in my brain and this is the result.

Disclaimer: Now, please understand that I'm not claiming to be in love with all these guys... not by a long shot. I just thought it would be fun to decide which one I like best.

So, here we go...

1. Battle of the Pilots

It's only fair that they go first since they sparked this great debate.

 

Looks: This is tough. They're both infinitely hot. I think this movie was the peak of both of their looks, to be honest. But, if you forced me to choose, Rafe is hotter.

Personality: I'm going with Danny. Rafe is sometimes a little too cocky. And, Danny is just so lovable and sweet.

My Pick: Danny. I can't really explain why and I thought about it A LOT.

2. Battle of the Savages

Back in the 90's, these two brothers were kind of big. Fred Savage played Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years and his little brother Ben played Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World.

 

Looks: I always though Fred was cuter. Ben always had that curly afro haircut and Fred's smile is adorable.

Personality: I don't really know much about them personally. Character-wise, Ben played a funnier character and Kevin Arnold was kind of whiny... but, so was Cory Matthews.

My Pick: Fred. To me, Ben is Cory Matthews, who is a dork. So, nuff' said.

3. Battle of Texas

Come on, you know I had to! These are the two hotties of Friday Night Lights: Tim Riggins and Matt Saracen.

Looks: Matt is a cutie, but Tim Riggins is the hottest thing to walk the planet.

Personality: Matt is sweet and he's a really nice guy. Tim's a brooding bad boy with a big heart. They're both funny on the show. But, you guys know where my loyalty lies.

My Pick: Do you even have to ask? Texas Forever!!

4. Battle of the Pool

I'm kind of obsessed with the Olympics. And, especially these two guys: Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps.

Looks: Lochte, by far.

Personality: I don't know too much about Lochte personally. But, Michael Phelps appears to be a good guy who is pretty humble throughout all his success. I'll go with Phelps.

My Pick: Lochte. I'm just intrigued by him because he's the newer one. And, it's always fun to root for the underdog...

5. Battle of the Tools

Caroline Manzo from the Real Housewives of New Jersey has two sons that she thinks are God's gift to women. Albie is the older, wiser one and Chris is the goof ball.

Looks: Obviously, Albie is the more attractive brother. No contest.

Personality: Chris is supposed to be the funny one. The funny thing is, he isn't that funny. Unless you happen to like Adam Sandler wannabe's. So, Albie wins by default.

My Pick: Albie. But, they're both obnoxious.

6. Battle of the Wizards

I'm a big Harry Potter nerd fan. And, like with Rafe and Danny, I've always gone back and forth between which one is my favorite: Harry or Ron.

Looks: They both went through some seriously awkward phases through the course of the 8 Harry Potter movies. Remember their haircuts in Goblet of Fire? But, I think I'd have to go with Ron on this one. He's just adorable.

Personality: Hmmmm. Ron's obviously the comedic relief of the movies so he stands out. But, Harry is the heart and soul of it all. And, he's such a good person. I'm going with Harry.

My Pick: Harry. I guess it's from the books more than the movies, but Harry is my favorite character I've ever read. His life is so tragic and hopeful and interesting.

7. Battle of the Games

Peeta and Gale are the two main guys in The Hunger Games. And, everybody is always debating which one Katniss should be with. Here's where I stand:

 

Looks: I know this isn't a popular opinion, but I honestly think Peeta is cuter. Gale is just too perfect, you know what I mean?

Personality: Peeta. I just never felt like I really knew Gale as well as I knew Peeta. And, I love how vulnerable and sweet Peeta is.

My Pick: Peeta. Always has been, always will be.

8. Battle of the Princes

Everybody knows William and Harry, right?

 

Looks: Harry, hands down. William has a receeding hairline and looks just like his dad. Harry has the cutest smile ever.

Personality: Harry. He's the funny, light hearted one.

My Pick: Harry. And, it wasn't even a contest.

Well, there you have it. Those are my choices.

Let me know if you disagree with any of them :)

One Year

Tomorrow will be ONE YEAR since I started this blog. I can't believe it! The year has honestly flown by. There have been some big changes in my life in the last year: new house, new puppy, moving to third grade. And, I'm soooo glad I've been blogging about it all because I will be able to look back on it one day and remember it all a lot better.

It blows my mind that 31,000 people have clicked on this blog in the last year. And, I'm sure only about 1,000 of them were my mom, haha. If you read this blog regularly, THANKS so much for coming back. I write for myself... but, it's nice to know that somebody else is out there reading it, too. It always surprises me when people I know in real life mention that they saw something on my blog. I don't have any idea who reads this except for a handful of people who have told me they do. But, really, it's just my outlet for being creative, talking about my classroom and things that are interesting to me. Hopefully, they're interesting to you, too.

Here's to another great year of blogging... and, hopefully many more after that!

Brought to you by the letter "B"

Tonight's blog has a theme. Everything starts with the letter B.

Fun, huh?

Yeah, I agree.

1. BATH

I gave Finley a bath today. It's been so hot lately and she smelled a bit, well, like a dog. So, in she went. Normally, she tolerates it okay. But, she wasn't a fan tonight. Poor little girl was squirming and crying and pawing to get out of the sink. I felt kind of bad. Oh, and she went ballistic when I tried to blow dry her hair. We do that every time and she usually doesn't care. Not tonight. Oh well... maybe next time.

Pretty pitiful, huh?

2. BEETHOVEN AND BACH

So, Finley's been a little whiny in her crate the last two nights. The first night we were in Franklin and she was in her travel crate and she was NOT HAPPY. So, I chalk that one up to me getting her off her routine. Not a big deal. But, because I'm a researcher, I started googling what to do if your puppy is crying in its crate at night. And, I kept seeing people posting about playing classical music for their pups. I know, I know. Sounds stupid. Last night, she woke up at 4 a.m. and I took her out. Instead of going right back to sleep like she normally does, she started the whining again. So, I got my school iPod and played my school playlist. Ya'll? She stopped IMMEDIATELY. Like, didn't make a peep. And, she slept until 9:30! Needless to say, we've been listening to a lot of classical music over hear today.

The docking station now has a permament home on my dresser. I guess I'll have to buy a new one for my classroom?

3. BASEBALL CARD

Matt got his baseball card last week! So exciting! And, in case you're wondering, he's making his "I'm a great pitcher, fear me!" face.

Um, I can't flip iPhone pictures on my computer. Sorry...

4. BRUISES

You know what the bruises mean! I've been working in my new classroom :) It's finally starting to come together a little bit. I think I have most everything out of the boxes and I've arranged the furniture. Now for the fun stuff!!! I don't have any pictures, but I'll be sure and show you the room before school starts.

5. BOTTLES

I found a new drink this summer that I'm obsessed with. They are Welch's Sparkling Juice and they are soooo good! I've tried Cherry Limeade and Strawberry Lemonade. The lemonade is definitely the better of the two. They're carbonated juices and so yummy on a hot night. Try them!

6. BOWS

I've been trying to keep a bow in Finley's hair since the day I brought her home. Why? Because they're cute and she's cute and I just want her to wear one. Not all the time, obviously, but when we go places. She kind of hates them. But, she hates everything I put on her including leashes, collars, hair brushing so I just figure she has to learn to tolerate it, right? Haha. Anyways, I finally got a bow to stay in her hair for about 40 minutes tonight until I finally freed her from the torment and she was mighty adorable.

7. BLANKET

A very special THANK YOU to my roomie Claire's mom for getting Finley a sweet little blanket! It's the cutest thing and it's already come in handy a bunch. Plus, the animal print is perfect for a puppy :)

She even got her name monogrammed on it!

Again, Finley = spoiled. (And, not just by me!)

Okay, that's all I've got.

I'll "B" seeing you!

Hi, remember me?

Well, hello friends!

I'm sorry I've been MIA lately. It's been a mixture of craziness and laziness over here at my house and I was just not in a very bloggy kind of mood, ya know what I mean? But, I am now. And, you know I love a good list... so, here's what I've been up to the last few weeks.

1. This little thing has obviously been taking up the majority of my time. She sure is cute... and, in the grand scheme of things, she's doing really well. She hasn't had a potty accident in the house in a loongg time and she still adores her crate, which is great for me. But, ya'll? Not gonna lie: she's a handful. She's fiesty and she loves to bite. I know that's normal... we're just working on it every day. Oh, and she loves to eat grass. I can't stop her! She thinks that every time I take her outside to potty is an all-you-can-eat buffet. She literally NOSEDIVES into the grass... which is all dead because of the heat. I've had to stick my finger into her mouth more times than I can count to pull handfuls of grass out. But, all the inconvenience is worth it because she really is a doll. I kind of love her :)

My favorite picture of her :)

She thinks this is her personal balance beam.

Sweet, sweet.

2. We've been visiting with a bunch of people lately:

I took Finley over to my friend Laura's house to play. We took a million pictures, but this one with Katie is my favorite. I've been taking pics with this girl for two years and she keeps getting bigger! And, sadly, so do I...

My cousin Elizabeth and Aunt Connie stopped by my parent's house one day last week and JP and Isaac got to play with the pup. Cute little Isaac kept saying "She's yickin' my arm!"

Our favorite visit was with Matt, Blakely and Hampton! We were SOO EXCITED to see Matt and he got to come home because....

3. He moved up! Matt got moved from Low A to High A! He now plays for the Wilmington Blue Rocks in Delaware! We're so proud of him. He's already thrown three times and has two wins! He's doing great :) Way to go, kiddo!

4. Have ya'll been watching the Olympic Trials? Ohmyword. I can't stop. I can't wait for the Olymics in a few weeks. I especially love gymnastics and swimming. I'm gonna be rooting for:

Ryan Lochte

Michael Phelps

Gabby Douglas

Jordyn Weiber

Can. Not. Wait.

5. I somehow got sucked into a new tv show.

Disclaimer: I'm going to go ahead and say that if cuss words bother you, this show is not for you. If HBO bothers you, this show is not for you. If you can't stomach any violence, this show is not for you. But, I'm totally engrossed in The Wire.

In the span of about two weeks, I ran across a bunch of comments on the internet about how this was one of the best shows ever. And, my curiosity got the best of me. So, I downloaded it off iTunes. It's sooo good. It takes a few episodes to get into it. But, once things start clicking, it's so good!

It's basically a cop show about the city of Baltimore. The first season is about this group of cops trying to bring down a drug seller in the projects. The acting is amazing, the writing is great and it's really funny, too! But, it has heartbreaking moments, too. And, you have to think. The show is really ambitious and introduces new characters all the time and you really have to pay attention. But, it. is. good.

Seriously, if you like cop shows (and, really, even if you don't b/c I HATE them) you have to watch this show.

6. My puppy is totally and completely ADDICTED to this thing:

It's a Kong. And, you fill it with food and then give it to the puppy. Finley is obsessed. She licks this thing and it keeps her entertained for a LONG time. I'm sure everybody knows about these things... but, this is my first puppy. So, just in case anybody out there doesn't have one of these for their dogs, get one. You won't regret it.

7. I'm going to tell you about two books that I've read this summer that I could not put down. I LOVED them! But, read that disclaimer above again. If any of that stuff bothers you, steer clear of these books.

We all know I'm obsessed with Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins). And, he's in a movie that is coming out on Friday. I'm sure you've seen the trailer for it. It's called Savages. Well, when I saw the trailer, I thought it looked like such a cool story. So, I bought the book and I read it in two days. It was SO GOOD!

Then, when I finished it, I realized that the prequel for Savages was coming out June 19th. It's called Kings of Cool. So, I ordered it and when it came in, I read it in two days, too! And, it might be even better than Savages!!!

It's basically all about Ben and Chon, two friends in Laguna Beach. Ben is a hippie who grows the best weed in the world, and he sells it violence-free. His friend and business partner, Chon, is an ex Navy SEAL who is quite the opposite. They have a shared girlfriend, O. And, the Mexican drug cartel tries to buy their business but the boys don't want to sell it to them. So, the cartel  steals their girlfriend. And, as the trailer says, they'll do ANYTHING to get her back.

The books are different from the stuff I normally read. And, again, they are not squeaky clean. But, they're fun summer reading that I couldn't put down.

Alright, I think that's all for tonight.

Thanks for reading!