November Currently

Ok, we admit it.  This school year has been a busy one.
We are have been researching, planning, assessing, and analyzing so much this year that it seems there is no time to share with all of you.
We hope you understand!

In spite of our busy work lives, we would never miss a chance to link up with Farley for her monthly Currently!

So check out our Currently and click on the cute turkey below to head over to Oh Boy Fourth Grade to check out others as well.

Emily's Currently is in brown.
Antoinette's Currently is in orange.

Ok.  I admit it.  I love that ABC Family shows movies.  Many of them remind me of my childhood.  

This week, I am loving the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City.

As part of the symphony series they are hosting a couple of Screenland at the Symphony shows.
On Halloween it was 

They had a guest organist that played the massive pipe organ during the whole movie.  It was PHENOMENAL! 

Now I can't wait for 

That's right... the symphony live, playing during the film, with Judy Garland recorded vocals.  

It's not until next year, but hubby already bought the tickets for our (near) Valentine's Day date.

I am by nature not a monthly goal setter.  I am trying to change that.  My goal this month is to walk a mile each day for exercise.  This might not sound like much, but as a few of you might remember, I had an ankle surgery one year ago.  I did extensive physical therapy and now it's up to me to keep this ankle going.  Each day I will walk a continuous mile in my own shoes.  

Landscaping projects are very weather dependent in my neck of the woods.  Hubby and I need to build a flower bed and fill it with dirt.  We also have 3 tons of rock we got for FREE that need to be put on top of a couple flower beds.  
Hope for some rain free weekends!

This time of year, I LOVE soups and I LOVE using my crock pot, hence my yummy pin recommendation.

click on the pic for the recipe

Easy ingredients, Italian flavors, and topped with cheese.  All of this is a plus for me!

Now it's time to hear from my Indian food loving co-blogger Antoinette.
I do love Indian food and it provides Emily and I the opportunity to get together every once and awhile.  We had the Friday before last off and so we met up in my neck of the woods (south of the river) and went to my favorite Indian restaurant.
It had been so long since I had been there.
They've painted the place and the owner commented on not seeing me in awhile.
Yes I am usually a regular! :)

For a little over a year now, they have been building "something" across the street from me.

So every morning, at 7:15, I hear it...

Construction...

Beeping

Drilling

Yelling

Whistling

LOTS OF NOISE!!!

On weekdays it is no biggie because I am already up by that point.

But on the weekends....

UGH!!!!

So those of you who are use to my currently posts know that I always write in blue.

At least for quite some time now.

That's because I LOVE ME SOME KC ROYALS!!!

My boys and blue had a great season... for us at least.

We haven't been above .500 in over 10 years.

But this past season we were AND we actually had hope of getting into the playoffs.

LOVED IT!!!

Well... the season is over.

So happy the Red Sox won the series.

I digress... lol

I chose orange for my color because I LOVE FALL.

The colors of the leaves are absolutely amazing this year.

This is a pic from outside a building where I was in training this week!

I feel like looking at all the colors of the leaves on the trees is kind of like looking at Christmas lights in December.

Lots of OHH look at that one and those colors are gorgeous.

It's almost a driving hazard, lol.

My thinking, wanting, and needing are all really kind of linked.

THINKING weekends should be longer because I am NEEDING more time to clean my apartment amongst MANY, MANY other things.

So I am WANTING my apartment to clean itself.

Any chances???

Didn't think so!

For those of you who follow Emily and I, you probably know I have been on a weight loss journey.

Well the last month has been quite difficult for me.

At my lowest, I had lost 75lbs.

Unfortunately, I am up about 6 right now.

But... I went shopping last night...

And bought this little (literally) black dress.

I was so excited.

I picked up a medium and a large.

Tried the medium first...

And TAHDAH...

Please ignore the jeans at my ankles.

I was being lazy. lol

So... for my yummy pin...

I decided to go with a healthy recipe.

There are so many healthy recipes that are super yummy.

I make chili and stuffed peppers that are quite good.

I am playing around with a curry recipe using Greek yogurt.

It's still in the works but is getting there. lol

I found a healthy fall site and decided to go there.

It had beautiful fall trees in the photo so I had to. lol

Then I found a sweet potato fries recipe.

Love me some sweet potatoes.

I have tried making these a few different ways.

I haven't made this exact recipe but I have tried cumin on them.

LOVE cumin.

If you don't, there are tons of recipes without them.

A good friend of mine gave me the idea of cooking them briefly in boiling water so they are light and fluffy on the inside.

That helped a lot, I think!

We hope you enjoyed our Currently and got some yummy recipe ideas from us.

We also hope that our crazy lives will slow down and that we can re-enter the world of blogging.

Happy Fall!!!

Antoinette and EmilyK

Currently, July ?!

A new month means a Currently!

Link up to Farley's blog.

I know we say this every month, but seriously where has the time gone?
We are more than half way through 2013?!

Since it is just a day out from somebody's bday, (Anoinette!), I will let her go first!
Emily's thoughts are in red.
Antoinette's will be in blue.

I am a huge fan of The Food Network Star.

This is my 3rd or 4th season of watching it.
I love seeing all the different recipes the contestants come up with and all the obstacles that are thrown in their way.
Tonights episode is when they have to cook on live TV and Food Network throws curve balls at them to see how they handle it.
Some contestants were missing ingredients, lights went out while they were cooking, an alarm goes off to name a few!

I am a sun lover!
BUT...  I do not love the extreme hot temps that MO tends to get.
The last couple weeks have been in the high 90's.
UGH!!!
But lately it has been low 80's and I am LOVING it!

This time of year is bittersweet.
Yesterday was my birthday!
Happy birthday to me!!!

Here is a pic of one of my bday gifts:
You all know I love baseball and the Royals!
So this gift is perfect for me. :)

I love my birthday... No matter how old I turn.
Coming from a super huge family- 1 of 11...
My birthday is the only day of the year that is all about me.
Which is why I am wanting it to be my birthday again.
I am having the day after bday blues! lol


Now that my bday is over, it's like summer starts dwindling away.
I want it to slow down because I am enjoying it WAY TOO MUCH!!!
I have been hanging out with family and friends.
Spending tons of time in the sun.
Relaxing it up.
PLEASE LET JULY GO SLOWLY!!!

So with it being summer and my bday...
I haven't been doing too awesome with the weight loss.
I did reach my bday goal, but I have been celebrating ever since.
So my grand total as of last Thursday is 63 pounds.
I want to kick it in high gear in July
and have to go on a shopping spree for new, SMALLER clothes before school.
Wish me luck!

As far as tips, tricks, or hints...
POST CONSISTENTLY
I need this advice also.
I find when I am posting consistently, I get more comments.

I LOVED "Gilmore Girls" back in the day.  It happened to be on today.

The pop culture references! 

I have yet to meet a teacher who doesn't love summer!!!
My tan is coming along.
I had my first small sunburn last week, must be careful.

You would think grad school would be over, but not yet!  Three more weeks...
I will make it!!
Is anyone else out there taking summer classes?  

This week is definitely to do list week.  I need to get some things together that are worth sharing on Made It Monday.

Shakespeare in the Park is awesome.  It's 'by donation." Here's my sticker to get in.
The production is "As You Like It."  It's a 60s rendition.  (The play's theme is love.)

This is the play that includes the quote
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts..."

The best part, is that you can bring your own food and drinks.  That means cheese and crackers, grapes, and beverages!  So "fancy."  
Any one else have a play in the park?

I love when bloggers show pictures.  
First, 'cause I can pin them!
Second, 'cause I can make more sense of what the person is describing.

What are you currently up to?
We would love to know!

EmilyK

Currently...June!

Antoinette and I love Currently!
We might break the top 210!  (LOL)
Maybe not... lol
It's my (Antoinette's) fault!
Emily texted me but my internet has been misbehaving.
Bad internet...
Unplugging the router finally saved the day! :)

We had our last day of school on Friday!  Holla!
Those of you who still have more to teach, good luck and Godspeed!

For the Currently Emily's answers are in red. Antoinette's answers are in blue!

I love a good summer movie! "Major League" reminds me of being a kid and watching movies with my dad.  

Oh Jobu!

On my first weekend of summer vacation, hubby and I went to see The Mowglis, Cold War Kids, and The Lumineers.  It was a great show!  

I am also taking a grad school class this summer. Policy and Decision Making.  Doesn't this topic just sound riveting!  (I know you are jealous!)

Last week my dad had an angioplasty.  (To see how open his arteries are.)  The test results were better than expected.  The challenge is after the test there is a chance some of the plaque can break loose and cause a stroke.  (This happened to my dad 20 years ago, and he almost died.)  

Well it happened again.  

He suffered a minor stroke.  He is using a walker to get around and his left hand isn't as strong.  

I am going with him this week to talk with the neurologist about what that means for his future.  

Also he starts physical therapy this week.

My hair needs help.  

It is just hanging there.  Time for a cut and color.  

Anyone else need to go get their summer hair do?
Sorry to interject, but I bought dye from Sally's and dyed my own!  I have black hair now. lol

Summer Essentials

Books- It's time to read for fun!

This summer I am planning to start out reading The French Lieutenant's Woman.  Then my mom insists that I read Gone Girl.  

Any suggestions after that?

It's also time to read for professional development!

Antoinette and I are going to be creating a series of posts about Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst.
Another interjection, sorry...
I am loving this book so far!
It is a must-read for Common Core teachers.

We hope you will join us in the discussion!

So summer is finally here!!!
I am not a huge country fan, but I'm lovin' the song Cruise!
The song just feels like summer!
Summer is a song
It makes me wanna
roll my windows down
and cruise!!!
(Creative huh? lol)

So about this currently...
I just got off the phone with a fellow TLC (Teaching and Learning Coach)
So at this very moment,
I am listening to absolutely nothing but my ceiling fan.
I like that it needs to be on though
because winter seems not so long ago
(oh wait a minute it snowed in April, so it wasn't too long ago)
and I am loving the nicer weather.
It's been in the 70's lately
which is A OKAY with me!
I like Spring-like weather.
Not too hot and not too cold.
Juuuust right!!!

I am loving that it is summer.
What teacher doesn't?
Well maybe those teaching summer school.
It's not really my thing.
I am working on revisions to ELA units of study.
So I am kind of working.
My summer kickoff was a end of year party with my OH SO MISSED co-workers from my old school.
I had so much fun hanging out with all of them.
Especially my co-blogger, Emily!

June is a special month.
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!!!!!!
I come from a super HUGE family.
I am one of 11 kids.
So there is only ONE day outta the ENTIRE year
THAT IS ALL ABOUT ME!!
And that day is June 29th!!!
Birthday's are a huge deal and my family.
So it doesn't matter how old I am...
I love me some birthday fun!

So as you all know, I have been on a weight loss journey.
Things have been moving pretty slow lately.
Lots of ups and downs.
I am still plugging away though
and there is no way in h*** I am giving up.
I am so so happy to announce... (insert drum roll)
I have lost 59 pounds.
YEAH ME!!!
I joined a gym but am so busy that I only make it a couple times a week.
Better than nothing.
I went tonight expecting this hip hop workout (which I'm actually getting somewhat better at... somewhat lol)
Substitute workout lady tonight...
Some kind of Turbo Kick or something like that.
IT "KICKED" MY REAR!!!
But I'm loving it! :)

My Apartment is in desperate need of cleaning.
That is all I wanna say about that! LOL
Except... Why can't magic be real??

VACAY ESSENTIALS:
BEACH
SUN
FLIP FLOPS
Sounds good to me!
The phone is a given.
But the last two places I went to actually had horrible service.
I survived. ;)

Some pics to end with...

Can you tell how dark it is??

I'm more of a chestnut brown, normally.

Excuse the messy hair and lack of make-up.

I took it down from a ponytail.

And I worked out, remember???

These here are a surprise for my blogging buddy, Emily!

For your patriotic classroom!

SURPRISE!!!

Because I LOVE YOU!!!

March Currently!!!

After working for only 3 days last week (due to snow days) I have been exhausted.  You would have thought the week was much longer than that.  We had school Monday, snow days Tuesday and Wednesday, and work Thursday and Friday.
Why was I so stinking tired then?!?!

This weekend has been quite busy as well spending some time with the fam!
Hung out with my little niece, Marie, on Friday and we spend a good portion of the evening dancing! :)
Here's a pic of her...

Have a cute pic of her and I to share.
It's kind of dark, but cute nonetheless...

And hung out with my other nieces last night.
Audrey got ahold of my phone and took a few pics of herself.
Thought I'd share one... lol

CURRENTLY TIME...
Always love Farley's currently.  Wish we would have completed it Friday though.
If you are one of the few who haven't checked it out, click on the image below to go to Farley's amazing blog.

My responses will be in green (I LOVE March and St. Paddy's Day) and Emily's responses will be in dark green. (Great minds think alike...)

I am being such a bum and still in bed.  So at this point, I am listening to absolutely nothing. Silence is golden as they say!!

I have been working on losing weight since August.
I have some highs and lows, but have lost 38 pounds and am SOOO excited!

I am in TOTAL agreement with Farley.
Spring break should be longer!
Especially since I am traveling to California for a wedding during that short week.

The wedding in California would be the reason I would love to lose 10 more pounds by spring break.
I know it is wishful thinking but if I set my goal high, I will lose more.
At least that's what I am thinking.

So if I worked out more often, I might be more likely to achieve that goal. ;)

Now for my Like, Love, Hate...
This was hard to do when thinking about the letter A.

LIKE...
I started with attitudes...
When we hear the word attitudes, our minds usually go toward negative ones.
But I like the positive ones!!!
My focus has been positivity and I am totally liking those who contribute positively to that goal.

LOVE...
Yesterday I tried on possible dresses to wear to both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.
So I went with attire...
I am LOVING the way these dresses, which I've had for years but haven't fit, are looking on me.
It feels amazing being 38 pounds smaller.
I have my attire for both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding and didn't have to buy them.
I do need to buy some accessories but that is so much cheaper than a entire outfit!

HATE...
I really hate the word hate but that doesn't start with an A. lol
I went with aging... 
I am really starting to see it in my face.
I found some pics of me from years before and thought "WOW, how young my face looked."
I have been checking out many different anti-aging products but haven't found any I love yet.
Any suggestions for me?

Well it's time to hand this off to Emily!  Miss you, girl!!!

I love me some Pete Yorn! (Ok, that sentence only makes sense to my sister and one of my best friends, but it is totally true.)  

Have seen him in concert several times.  If you are interested, on the above album my favorite song in "Closet."

We recently had several snow days, thanks to two snow storms that delivered 15 total inches of snow.  Boy I needed those!  They let me get caught up on grading.  And my 30th birthday is this month.  Loving my birthday, not necessarily the number!

There is one week (5 school days) until Spring Break.  Hubby and I will be spending it in Charleston, SC.  (Happy bday to me!)  
I  can't wait! 
Walking on the beach, looking at old houses, and Southern cooking!! 

Before we leave I have to finish my latest grad school assignment, implement and collect data on a strategy used with a student who has ASD, for the purposes of adjusting their IEP or 504. (Riveting, right?)  I am getting my Masters in Autism Spectrum Disorders.  I am half way through my degree, and I have learned SO MUCH.  
But I will be glad when I have my degree, and my free time back. :)

Now my 3 words:
(BTW, Farley this was a bit of a challenge.  With a name like Emily, I had to think about this one!)

I like being an erudite.    It means showing great knowledge and learning.  (Yes Antoinette, I had to look that one up!)  -FYI for readers, Antoinette and I always talk about the vocabulary I use in conversation.  It is apparently very extensive. :)

I love eating!  With my upcoming Spring Break trip, I have already looked up restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  Thanks, Guy Fieri! 

Though I love eating, I HATE eggs.  It's a texture and a taste thing.  No egg scrambles for me!  As my mom used to say, "Good.  That just leaves more for people who like it."  
Eggs, you can have them.

What are your plans for this month?  We are entering our last quarter after Spring Break.  Where has the time gone?

If you get the chance link up to Farley's Currently, we are only number 311!  (Funny, I love that band, too.)

Antoinette & EmilyK

Currently February?!

Happy February?!
Farley's time maybe going slow, but ours isn't.
Just too many things to do!
This month, Emily's answers will be in red.
Antoinette's answers will be in Purple.

So let me explain!
I don't think there is really such a thing as way too much music.  Every February I get the winter blues, and the lack of live music in our city doesn't help my mood.  So, I listen to tons of Pandora and cds. Too many good bands out there...

My mom got me a Clarisonic for Christmas.  Love it!  

Seriously!  Everyone should have one. 

My hubs and I usually don't travel over Spring Break week, so I am super excited that this year we are going on a trip.  Since my 30th b-day is the week after Spring Break, we are splurging and flying to Charleston, South Carolina!
I can't wait!
In less than 40 days, hubs and I will be here!

Hubs and I are throwing a Mardi Gras party. Lots of cooking and cleaning to get done before next Saturday! 

Now my pet peeves:

No, you can't conversate with your friend. (But you can CONVERSE.)

The pencil is mines. (Really I didn't realize YOU were PLURAL.)

Where you at? (In a place that uses VERBS.)

I swear it's not that hard to speak proper English.

Plus, if you can't use the "big words" correctly, don't try to use them.

I was at the recycle center this morning. (My neighborhood doesn't have curbside.)

I was pleased to see lots of people.

I just wish that my school would recycle.  I inquired once about why we throw away 20+ cardboard boxes a week, since my school is right down the street from the recycle center.  I got no response. 

Seriously, way to be green!

I hate being micro managed.  You chose me to do the job, because I have the skills needed.  I have a college degree, I think I can handle it.  It's ok if you want to check my progress, but not ALL the time.  Trust me! 

Have you all ever watched Flashpoint??  I ABSOLUTELY love this show.  I started getting into it in the past year, only to find out that it was their last season!  SADNESS!!!  It is a special units police group who specialize in negotiating with people who are in dangerous situations and have chosen to take matters into their own hands.  Most of the time the people who they are negotiating with are good people but for some reason felt they needed to use violence to solve their problems.  For instance, a dad wanted a heart transplant for his daughter.  He held the hospital at gunpoint to try to get her to be next in line for a heart.  Crazy situation!  You almost can't blame him.  Well this unit tries to calm them down so that they don't do something that will get them into deeper trouble.  I LOVE IT!!!

My love this month remains Chris O'Donnell!!  lol  But I thought I would change things up a bit and go with Saturday.  Who doesn't love Saturday or any day off for that matter, which led to my thinking four day weeks aren't such a bad idea and the needing motivation. lol

I am looking forward to a few days off in the near future!  During spring break, my niece is getting married in California.  I am flying out there for the wedding!  My brother Anthony could throw quite the gathering, so I know it will be tons of fun.

Then in April, I am going with my family to the Gulf Shores for five days of sun and beach!  I am SOOO excited.  They went last year and I wasn't able to join them because I had training for my new job that week.  SADNESS!!  But this year, I am SOOO there!

We got paid early in December, which is nice at that point, but going 6 weeks without a paycheck is quite challenging.  Then on top of it, I am booking flights for the above mentioned trips.  So, "Abra Cadabra... Poof... Do I make more money???  Not so much! lol

So Pet Peeves...  I only went with just one... NEGATIVITY.  I am trying to have a positive outlook on life.  Have I been dealt the cards that I at one point thought I would get in life?  Not necessarily but I'm gonna play them with quite the poker face.  It is what it is, and I'm going to enjoy life regardless.  I could be sad and depressed about it, but my life is good; not perfect but I have so much to be thankful for.  I have a wonderful family, awesome friends, and a great job.  Can't really ask for more! :)

With all of the changes in our district, there is a lot of negativity going around.  I wish people would see that it only makes matters worse.  Once again, it is what it is.  We can't change it so let's just make the best of it.  You only bring everyone else around you down when your words are negative!

Last- I have been trying to lose weight since August.  I have had my ups and downs, but as of yesterday I am down exactly 30 pounds.  I am so excited!!  My positive thought has been, "It's a means to an end and I'm gonna like the end."  So just wait until California and the Gulf Shores...  I sure am gonna love the lighter, healthier me!!!

Quote Time...  "Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power."  Shirley Maclaine

Thanks for reading what we are Currently doing?

What is currently going on with you?

EmilyK & Antoinette

October Currently

It is time for the October Currently hosted by Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade.  Gotta love a Currently!  Emily's comments will be in... black. Antoinette's comments will be in orange.

I usually go with blue, but it is October!  I love October!  It is my second favorite month of the year.  My birthday month (June) is my fav of course. lol :)  I LOVE fall and Halloween!  Orange is such an October color and I have felt for quite some time that it is an under-appreciated color; which is crazy because it is SOO cool.

So let's talk about The Stranger...

When I first read this story years ago, I didn't like it at all.  I thought this book is way to hard for kids to really understand what it is about.  Well little did I know that it was really my teaching that was the problem. I was so early in my career and wasn't teaching my students deeper comprehension skills (those poor kiddos lol).  Isn't that how all new teachers feel??  As my teaching skills grew and strengthened, so did my love for this book.  Now it is one of my fav's; especially this time of year.

If you have never read this book, YOU MUST!!!  There is little about the stranger that is stated explicitly so it is great for making inferences.  Read it to find out why it is perfect for this time of year.

Well it is 12:15 AM and as I stated in my Currently, I am NEEDING a better sleep schedule.  That being said, time for bed.

As friends and co-bloggers we have some interesting late night conversations!

I went to see the newly reunited Ben Folds Five last week- AMAZING!  (You may not know this, but my hubby and I are music freaks and go to all kinds of shows.)

I love the time of year that welcomes soups and chilis. (Hello crock pot!)

My wardrobe is in serious need of an update!  New long sleeved shirts and jeans need to get in my closet! (As Farley would say!)  

I love Goodnight Goon!  Its such a great way to talk about parody writing.  

BTW, have you checked out our 150 follower give away?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enjoy your scarves, football, and Halloween candy!

Antoinette & EmilyK