I Might Have Too Much Fun

Things are getting out of hand.  I might be having too much fun. 

Friday night was a girls night extraordinaire.  After two months apart, Emily and Alyssa were reunited with downtown Denver.  And we made up for lost time. The video of our dance floor moves is priceless.

I am just so thankful that upon return to our house at 2am, I decided to put on some comfy clothes, cook myself a 4 course meal and watch 3 hours of television.  What was I thinking?  Two hours of Celebrity Apprentice reruns? Really? I need supervision.

Needless to say, waking up at 7am was a shock to the system.  But, it was COLOR RUN day!  Obviously, my Celebrity Apprentice marathon turned the Color Run into a Color Walk. 

Either way, it was a blast.  What could be better than throwing color at strangers as they attempt to run past you?  Nothing.

Don't worry. I went home and got straight back into bed. 

Alyssa and I are moving out of our amazing home in 3 days.  Which is bittersweet for all involved.  We threw a house cooling party that night to celebrate our years together at 1005 E. 5th.  

Plus, I get a Kinghorn family BBQ? 

Ok, Memorial Day.  You've won me over.

Now I need a nap.

An Apple

Yesterday I got my 3 year apple.  

The apple that is presented in front of the school to a teacher after surviving three years of teaching.

The apple that signifies that it is now pretty much impossible to get fired (thanks American education system!).

I have been thinking about this apple since July 29, 2009.  

And it's even more beautiful than I expected.  

Today I was driving through Aurora on my way home from school.  

As I was driving I spotted a teenaged boy running as fast as he possibly could (with his pants falling down). 

I looked for the people who were chasing him. 

I listened for the police sirens coming for him. 

All I saw was a yellow school bus stopping traffic.

Three small children got off the school bus and ran to the teenaged boy.

He had made it on time, after all.  

He took their hands and walked them home.

I teared up a little bit.  

He does as much for those kids as I do.  Probably more.

He deserves a fancy red apple.

What a Workout!

I don't sit in front of a desk all day.  But sometimes I wish I did.  Because walking back and forth from the front office to the copy room is about as exciting as it sounds.

So, I decided to find out how far I walk during my work day.  I set up my iPhone to measure my distances walked and calories burned during the time I am at work. And then I carried my phone around for 9 hours.

And the results are in!  Yesterday, I walked 2.27 miles and burned 842 calories.  

But the best part, BY FAR, is the map of my route:

I mean, thank God, I survived the two times I wandered into the street. 

With this job, it is no surprise that all teachers have buns of steel - right?

Rose, You Bitch

There totally was enough room for Jack!  In fact, there are a variety of positions that would have sufficed. 

Really, Rose - you will never let go?  Really?  Try harder.

Thanks to Kate Mae Broyles Daigle for bringing this important breaking news to my attention. 

And cheers to the French, for having the ambition to solve this taxing mystery. 

Speaking of France, in less than a month I will be bringing MY ambition to floating down the canals of France on this:

It's named "Le Cruisader".  Let the crusades begin.

Daily Dose of Gramma

We took Gramma and Mom to see The Avengers on Mother's Day.  

During the blasting and blaring preview for The Dark Knight Rising, Gramma turns to me in the theater and shouts: "Wow, that looks like a quiet little love story!"

After the movie, I had an emotional breakdown on my couch.  The pressures of moving, graduation, work and life just all hit me at the same time.  Luckily I had Gramma there to comfort me: "Emmy, it's going to be ok.  I just think we all need to go get drunk now."

Thanks Gramma for being my best friend, my personal comedian and my biggest cheerleader.


I love you more than words.

Graduation - Take Three

I'm not sure how I expected to feel when I awoke on the morning of my Master's graduation, but I didn't expect to feel sadness and longing.  As I got dressed in my robe, I was swept over by flashbacks of my undergraduate graduation.  How much love I felt for my friends that day.  How exhausted I felt from not sleeping the night before.  How happy I was to be texting with the cute boy in the row behind me.   

How deeply I miss those friends these days. 

Yet, once I arrived at the ceremony I found the deep peace of personal pride.  I have accomplished something incredible - a Master's degree.  No, this ceremony could never replace my graduation from George Washington University - but it was still pretty damn cool.  And with that, I celebrated.  And my whole family celebrated with me.

The weather hovered around 40 degrees and rainy.  So I wore 4 layers under my robe- which impressed Gramma.  

Thankfully, the School of Ed provided all graduates with free ice cream.  What can I say - we are teachers, not rocket scientists.

A warm, laughter-filled brunch ended the graduation morning.  During which, my father and I showed off our identical dimples. 

Thanks everyone for the new camera - I will use it on my trip next month!

I will never forget this day. 

Cinco de Bearo

Baby Bear turned 1 year old on May 5th.  So we decided to party. 

And just for fun, we also celebrated Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby and Mother's Day.  

 

In case you didn't know, the Kinghorn family takes horse racing very seriously.  My grandfather became the general manager of Centennial Race Track after he left office as the mayor of Littleton in the 80's.  Which was kind of a big deal.  So, horse racing is a matter of serious business - as is gambling.  My grandmother won $295 off her online derby bets this year!

I kind of have a thing for pinatas.  This was my third pinata in the past 6 months.  

 

And well, the jalapeno pinata was the highlight of the party.  Obvi.  Mostly because Bear accidentally got it stuck on his head.

So, cheers to one year of incredible joy - and to the people who took the time out to come celebrate my joy.  Even driving down from the mountains to celebrate.

Pinatas for everyone!

Kickball!

Kickball has become my favorite new addiction.  Team Beef really brought the entertainment this season, even if we didn't always bring the wins. 

So here's to the new friends, new athletic skills, new love affairs with the Highlands, new ways to show off my shuffleboard skills, and so many new reasons to love Thursday nights.

 (the cheering section)

Plus, hey, a 21-11 win isn't a bad way to finish out the season.  See you again for the state tourney! 

Miracles

I'd like to share some miracles with you.  

Yesterday, something incredible happened.  He finally walked back through my door.  On Easter I told you about my student who ran away from home.  Well, he's been found.  He's also been in jail, but that is another story.  What matters is that he came back to us yesterday.  It was my personal miracle.  To look out and see him there with a big grin, wanting to answer my every question.  There was a peace among the class.  A collective exhale.  We were complete again.

Today, I complete my Master's degree.  My Master's portfolio is due by midnight, and it's pretty damn good.  What a beautiful miracle, to accomplish something like that. 

This morning, I saw Emily from MTV's Real World and The Challenge while I was grabbing breakfast.  

Alyssa and I were pretty addicted to the last Challenge tv show, so I knew exactly who Emily was when she walked into the coffee shop in Lowry.  "But Em, that is not a miracle" you say.  Listen people, my life is exhausting and stressful right now.  I actually had to stop teaching yesterday to ask a student to stop measuring his own head in class.  If I see someone from TV and it makes me smile - it is a miracle!