I'M BAAAACCCCKKK

Hello blogger world, It's been over two years since I last blogged. Not sure why. It could be that since I last blogged, I finished my second year teaching and started my third year. I also started grad school classes, met my boyfriend, and have started the process of looking for a house to buy. Needless to say I've had a lot going on. So, I thought, it's almost a new year and I should and could start blogging again. We've finished celebrating the Christmas holiday and this year was very different from Christmas' of the past. This was the first year that I was not with my family during the holiday season. My parents took a well deserved and needed vacation to visit my adopted brother and sister-in-law in Colorado. My brother and sister-in-law went to her family's in Kentucky. So, what did I do you ask? I spent the holiday with my boyfriend and his family. Although I wasn't with MY family, I felt right at home with his. We opened gifts, laughed, ate, repeat, the whole day. I got to take part and learn about his family's holiday traditions and believe it or not, they were very much the same. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend the holiday, if I couldn't spend it with my family. On another note, I strongly recommend "ELF ON THE SHELF" for anyone with kids or teaching kids. You would not believe how successful the last two weeks of school before Christmas was with this elf. The first day the elf arrived from the North Pole, he had left a letter for the kids explaining who he was and why he had come. His name was Timothy Tinsel and the kids (4th and 5th graders!!) absolutely loved him. They would come in the classroom early each day, just to look for where he was. One boy was convienced he was real! Some days, Timothy would leave the kids goodies or notes and they completely ate it up. My favorite day though, was when he was "zip-lining" in the classroom. Some of the questions that day were hilarious and absolutely worth every second of elf on the shelf. Now, some of you are probably thinking, "why in the world would you let kids buy into something like 'Elf on the Shelf'?" Well, for one, it's all part of the magical experience of Christmas! Seeing the kids get so excited about it everyday helped the teachers experience the spirit of Christmas a little bit more. Secondly, by the time two weeks before Christmas vacation occurs, the kids are going crazy and every little bit helps! So if it's getting them to buy into Elf on the Shelf, so be it! :)

Anyway, I hope that everyone had a fantastic Christmas season and the New Year is brought in and continues to be a great one! Until next time, here's to life! Simply Noie