Beware Chocolate Lovers...

Forever ago (I can't remember when, but I think it may be before Hurricane Katrina, so 4 years or so ago), I saw a tv commercial for Dove ice cream. I like Dove chocolates, I mean they aren't swiss chocolate, but they are pretty good. Back on track now, ever since I saw the commercial, I have been on a hunt for this ice cream. Why may you ask? Well, not only is it chocolate ice cream, but there is this yummy layer of chocolate gnache on top of the ice cream. You have to break through the chocolate to get to the chocolate ice cream. Can I just say I love the person who thought of this?

Well, I have searched all the grocery stores at home, parts of Louisiana, Idaho, Utah, and Las Vegas and no luck. Now I was able to find other Dove frozen treat products, but not the ice cream. I was beginning to think I had dreamed this whole thing up. However, as I was browsing the isles of Kroger last week here in Jackson, my long search came to an end. There it was on the top shelf in the ice cream section. I actually heard chiors singing. A huge smile came upon my face. And if there was less people in the isle, I would have done a dance. I don't mind a few people seeing, but there was like 10 people. Well, I wasn't heading straight home that day, so I had to replace it in the freezer.

My friends, I must tell you this treasure find has been on my mind since that day. I have also been trying to justify buying a $4.00 pint of ice cream. Today I received my justification. I have almost lost my voice (not from yelling, but from sinus drip) and I had a rough day not being able to talk loud or much at all. I was exhausted after school and I was really wanting these amazing cream cheese frosted brownies from Corner Market in Sumrall (Thanks Leanne for getting me hooked). Then I thought who needs brownies when the Dove ice cream is only around the corner from the school? So I finally left school a bit after 5 today and went to Kroger. I walked straight to the ice cream section and then I had to make a choice....ugh. Did I want Unconditional Chocolate, Beyond Vanilla, or Chocolate and Brownie Affair. I decided on the Unconditional Chocolate. I got home, some left overs and then started a movie. Then I flopped on the couch and broke into this chocolate heaven. Again I heard the choirs singing.

It is so YUMMY! There is also a bonus in this flavor... chocolate chunks in the ice cream....ahhhh! I am relaxed now and happy.

My New Job

Finally I have internet! WOO HOO! I am now in Jackson, MS and am sorta settled in. I still have boxes to unpack, yes I know I have been here for 3 weeks now, but I have not stopped in that time. You can read the whirl wind apartment hunting story in my blog called Found It. Well, that happened on a Monday, my mom and I drove home that night, I started packing. On Tuesday, my mom and I went furniture/antique shopping all day long for my apartment. We had great success. We found a mini couch with a pull out twin bed and a drop leaf dining set. I packed my car until the wee hours Tuesday night and first thing Wednesday morning I left for Jackson. I packed my car with the things I would need for a week. My mom was brining up all my furniture the following Wednesday.

I made it to Jackson around 2pm, about 2 hours later than I had planned, thanks to a traffic accident. I hurried to unpack the inside of my car before I had to go downtown to Central Office to complete all of my paperwork. Did I mention it was 104 degrees that afternoon? So I was red faced and sweaty to do my paperwork. Luckily it took awhile so my face returned to normal paleness before I had to take my badge picture. After doing all that, I returned to my apartment to unload my trunk. Finally I was all unpacked and in my apartment, that had nothing in it. I did bring my little tv and dvd player, but I forgot the box with all my dvd's in it, so I headed to Target to buy some movies. I spent the first night (and week) sleeping on an air mattress, which the first time I didn't fill up enough and could feel the floor when I laid down. Oh joy.

Thursday morning, I started my job. We had in service meetings all day and I was able to meet my aid, Ms Pate. She is very nice and helpful. Friday I had meetings for new teachers about the EnVisions math program (which I sat through 3 days of training during student teaching because it was new in the Las Vegas district) and the reading program (which I had also already had training on), so needless to say I was bored out of my mind all day. I really could have used the day to work in my classroom. I did get to work in it on Monday for most of the day and on Tuesday for half the day. Ms Pate did a lot while I was at my meetings on Friday!

School began on Wednesday and I had 28 students, with 3 no shows. It was a hectic day. I had parents in the room until 10am....apparently this is normal at this school. I was ready for them to be out of there before 9am! Most of the day was filled with putting supplies in bags (some students will be shipped out after Labor Day and we have to send their supplies with them) and getting to know each other and the rules. Really the rest of the week was the same way. I was relived to come home Wednesday and find my mom and Dwight had all my furniture moved in and arranged! What a relief! To be honest, I don't think I would have been much help to them. We then went to this mexican restaurant down the street and it was so stinkin good!

Last week was the first full week and I am now up to 33 students! And I have heard a rumor today that I will be getting another one tomorrow! Do you know how hard it is to keep 33 five year olds quiet and on task? I should be thankful that out of the 33, I only have 4 that are my biggest challenges (behavior wise). I am working on them. So far one has improved and another has made progress. The other two ... well I am praying for them! Last Thursday, I had to call 5 parents because of behavior. There is a silver lining to this... today was much much much better!! I feel they are starting to adapt to the routine of the day. so that is a good thing.

I am sure I will have many stories to share this year. Right now most of the class is sick. I just love runny noses! NOT! Today we worked on the concept of covering our mouths when we cough and noses when we sneeze. We also had a lesson on not asking permission to get a kleenex when it is HIGHLY need. One little girl would sneeze, say Ms Mason, I would look at her, and she would point to her (need of a kleenex) nose. So GROSS! I think I was putting hand sanitizer on about every 5 minutes today. Oh and did I mention I woke up without a scratchy/hoarse voice this morning. I think it is due to the change in weather. Oh that is another silver lining....the high today was in the low to mid 80's and it was 58 when I left my apartment at 6 this morning! I think Fall could be just around the corner! YAY!!!!

Well, that is all for now... I hope yall have a FANTASTIC night!

My New Apartment

Well here are some pictures from the day I moved into my apartment. There is no furniture and some boxes laying around. I will take some pictures of it furnished this weekend.

My Bedroom

The bathroom

My TINY kitchen

the hallway

my living room at a funny angle

I do have fireplace/gas heater to the right of all my junk in the living room picture. There is more living room behind me (not too much more but a bit more)

I LOVE my hardwood floors!!!

Oh PS notice my rocking awesome hudson's dirt cheap $7 purse (it was originally $80s!)

I'm Still Here

Ok I am able to post this quick like from my computer at school... I get internet at my apartment on Monday...WOO HOO! So I will have much to post about ... I have missed reading your blogs and am ready to catch up! See you soon!

Pip Squeek

So, Kiwi the cat is a grand hunter. She loves to hunt lizards, rodents, birds, frogs and snakes. She she catches something, she will play with it until it is dead and then she will leave it in the garden for my mom to find. When she does this we praise her for being such a good hunter. It is better for the snakes and rodents to be dead than in the yard. We do fuss at her when she kills a bird, especially when she jumps up and catches one as it is feeding on the feeder.

The other day, Kiwi killed a baby vole, it is a rodent but fuzzier and they won't come in your house. I am not a fan of rodents but if I had to have some, I would choose the vole becasue I know I won't ever see it running across my kitchen. Well, later that evening, Kiwi found another baby vole. She had played with it and left it, so I figured it was dead. I got the shovel to throw it in the garbage and when I touched it, it started running around! Yikes! I ran inside and got a towel and put it in a box. Once that was done, I started thinking, crud now what do I do with it? I don't know where the cat found it. It's tiny and its eyes are barely open. I really really really don't want a pet rodent. I don't want to just give it to the cat to finish it off. I felt kinda sorry for it. Then a lightbulb came on. I ran inside and grabbed my phone. I called Jenny, my friend that is now a vet and rescues wild life. I got in touch with her and she said to keep it warm and to bring it to her at the clinic in the morning. Ok, problem solved. And I named it Pip. I took it to Jenny and I haven't talked to her to see if it survived or not...oh well at least I tried to save it.

Here is Pip...I think it is so cute because it is so tiny...

I made Kiwi apologize to Pip before I brought it to Jenny

I Found It!

Today my mom and i drove to Jackson. I had to turn in a copy of my Mississippi teaching license...I finally got it in the mail. I also had to do fingerprinting. Oh by the way I am a total pro at being fingerprinted. Today was the 4th time I have had it done in the last year...crazy I know.

Other than business at central office, we were going to apartment shop. Can I say I hate, hate, hate apartment shopping. The driving from complex to complex, looking at apartment after apartment, apartment managers begging like dogs for a treat to get you to sign the lease. UGH...it can be so miserable.

This morning, I had to go to the post office for a money order for fingerprinting. There was a long line and I started talking to the lady behind me in line (I love this about the south, you can gain a new best friend in any line and know their whole life story in the time you are in line together-it's the BEST!) Well, she told me she is a librarian at a high school in Jackson, and I told her I was a kindergarten teacher. I also mentioned I was apartment hunting and she asked where I was looking. I said I would love the Belhaven District (it's historic), but I was also looking in Fondren District (arts district) and Ridgeland (a city outside of Jackson). She said she lived in Belhaven and loves it and that it would be the perfect place for me to live. She told me of a realtor that had worked the area forever and would know any and all properties available. Sweet.

After I finished my business at central office, we went to the Chamber of Commerce to get a map of the Jackson area. The lady there also recommended the same realtor as the post office lady...hmmm....maybe we should go see him. Well, first we tried to see this apartment in the Fondren District, however, it is gated, we couldn't get in or find the office and no one would answer the phone. Then we went to find the highly recommended Henry. He was so personable! He had 3 properties available. The first was a 2 bed/1 bath on a busy street. Henry said he didn't think it was the best place for a young single lady, but wanted me to see it. The second place, known as 'the 721 building', was a 1 bed/1 bath. Very cute, but small but the building was built in 1939 and was absoultly charming. The kitchen is sooooo tiny! The third apartment was still occupied unitl the middle of the month but it is an option. It was also a 1 bed/1bath but when we walked in the door, there was a STRIPPER POLE in the living room. Now, there was supossed to be a GUY living in the apartment...hmmm. It was a nice apartment with a walk in closet. We thanked Henry for his time and went to see another realtor I found online. The realtor was less helpful than Henry. She told me the properties available, and they had 2 in my price range. She handed me the keys and pointed me in the direction of the properties....ummm, ok. The first was a 2 bed/2 bath the previous tenants moved out this morning and it was dirty but the cleaning crew was hard at work. It did have A LOT of storage... 6 closets total! Nice! The second properties was called a 'studio' but it was really a 1bed/1bath. It was nice and the lowest in price at $505 a month. However, it was on the 3rd floor and I am not looking forward to hauling furnature or all my stuff up 3 flights of stairs. We brought the keys back to the realtor and thanked her for the little effort she put forth in making me feel like she at least wanted me to be her next tenant. Ok, I didn't say all that but I did say thanks.

So now after looking at only 5 properties, I was already tired and didn't want to look anymore. I honestly had made my mind up about one. They all had their pluses and minuses, but only one I could see myself living in...

can you guess?

I decided on....

The 721 Building!!!

Charming with history. Hardwood floors. I can see the capitol building from it. I LOVE IT!!!

Here is the only picture online I could find of it... more to come soon!

My apartment is on the second floor...you can't see my window because it is covered by the tree.

Fishing Adventure

The other day the big boys were deep sea fishing, so Jen and Livi decided to go fishing on the seawall and I joined them. I don't know about Jen and Livi, but I had fun.

Jen caught the first thing...an oyster shell.

I caught a croker fish and Jen caught one too

Livi caught a jellyfish...well she really found it washed up on the seawall

When we were younger and we weren't catching anything while fishing, our Papa would tell us we weren't holding our mouth right...so here is Jenn and I trying out different ways to hold our mouth to see if it would change our luck

It really didn't help too much...maybe we still aren't holding our mouths right!