keep focused on chocolate

two things have been in focus in my life recently

:the creation of several behavior modification charts 

:and justin's hazelnut butter.

if i could use a spoonful of justin's as a reward [yes _ i said REWARD], 

i'm pretty sure, i could eliminate ANY SORT of behavior chart. 

wouldn't life just be simpler?

one spoonful for the kid, one for me.. . 

done. and doner.

Sweet.eats in my fridge

here are a few things in my kitchen that have given me much pleasure in the last week or so. 
all of these are either from Kings or Whole Foods. 
as a result, I've probably spent more money than I should of on all of these items.
it seems you can find them online as well .. . and probably hunt them down for better prices.

i love these Chimes candies just as much for the packaging as for the product. 

I've always been a fan of ginger chews with their powdered sugared covering and the spicy goodness inside. 

but this tin?! 

and look how the top opens?? 

you know i'm saving this for keeps.

[i have a couple of tins stashed all over - mango in my apartment, original in my car.. .]

Bubbies

unlike ANYTHING else. 

.you've gotta give these a try. 

Strawberry Dark Chocolate Chip is my favorite flavor. 

Although, I'm needing to give some more a taste. 

Check out the their website for the varieties.

MINNEOLA TANGELOS

these taste so divine. 

.fresh. 

tart 

real world 7H

clearly, she knows the dishes are the LAST thing i should be doing.

.this has become a weekly Saturday event.

it made me laugh the first time, the fifth time, and guaranteed it will the fiftieth time

[without fail, the bone will always make its way into the dishwasher. no photos on this blog are staged ;]

this on the other hand, is a daily event 

.and it does occasionally get old.

especially on Mondays, when I can barely get my lazy ass out of bed 

and she falls back on me

notice her deep sigh at 0:40 when she realizes she has been successful 

in crawling all the way up on my chest. 

what a baby.. . but i love her even the more for it.

KINDLY ignore the trashy apartment behind Tess. 
the OTHER side of my bedroom is painted and decorated nicely. 
No.. . I'm not Joking. 
Photos to be posted soon. 

Muscari.. . Say What?

i have very few clear memories of when i was a young girl.

it used to drive my mom bonkers.

I think she thought it reflected poorly on my childhood - instead of it being purely a demonstration of my unique 
and semi.talented brain. [smirk]

the things that i do remember bring back such warmth that I can't help but smile inside and out.

every year, when these sprout from the ground i feel my childhood all over again.

.albeit it so very short.

Yup .. . these beautiful flowers have that ugly name [muscari - who woulda thought?]

            [source]

Source: ameblo.jp via Lilies of Field on Pinterest

Source: cowparsley.blogspot.com via Lilies of Field on Pinterest

              [source]

BEWARE BEWARE .. . adult words!

                                                                                                                                         [source]

Precious Italian Cargo

One of the other second grade teachers is away this week skiing in Italy.

Yup. That's right.. .

I said it.

Skiing. 

Italy.

She sucks. 

I'm moving on. 

Here's the story of the day. 

One of my boys came to me this afternoon and said that there was another student in the bathroom playing around. 

Apparently something about mountains of soap ending up on the floor. 

 .. .Another gentleman from Italian skier's class was the culprit. 

This young man is infamous for his behavior. 

So I needed to step in and help the sub a bit. 

I asked my student to call him out of the bathroom and let him know I needed to talk to him. 

So out he walks slowly, head down. eyes following his footsteps. 

He stopped. but several feet away. 

That wasn't close enough for me.

I like 'em good and close so they can smell the cafeteria lunch on my breath.  

"Come closer."

He took a few more steps. 

"Nope.. .closer..." 

"Nope. closer yet." 

Eyes still at the floor.

"Look at me."

I didn't even mention anything about the hilltops of foam soap that apparently had been formed on the tile floor. 

All I said was "I wanted to make sure that you have been on your best behavior while Mrs. -- --- is gone. How is it going?" 

"Good, so far." 

"So far? Why do you say it like that?" to which I couldn't help but giggle a little. 

"I don't know. .." he shrugged.

He quickly started sputtering.. . "All I was doing in the bathroom was putting toilet paper on the seat before I went to the bathroom. .." Then continued to trail on and on. 

I was listening but I couldn't help but smile so very big.. . [this is when I start to kinda tear up and wanna just pick them up and 
love on em - what's wrong with me? ]  I asked if he washed his hands real good. 
He answered and then went right back to his classroom.
All while his teacher is up in the mountains of Italy. 

How is it possible that the silliest moments are sometimes the best at giving you a dose of reality?

These soap mongers .. . the ones that call your name a hundred times a day and interrupt incessantly -  seeming sometimes like the loudest possible things on the planet ARE still little babies who are learning to cover toilet seats and tie their shoe laces. 

I can't forget that. 

I mustn't forget that. 

My Posse

We all know the Lumineers from Ho Hey

.. . and if you don't, well, you've got some learnin' to do.

I stumbled upon Stubborn Love of theirs today.

I'm loving how the video starts, 

as if I'm peering from the inside out and must find my way toward them. 

Cause that's basically what has happened.

Wish I had a posse like this.

Swig me some hard cider 

and sing it up in the corner 

with my boots clanging on the hard wood floor.

I'm down with that.

WAIT.. .

I have these guys.. .

That works? right?

.Love 'em.