Fashion Sales

I tell her "the dress makes you thin"
"the colors-so good it's a sin!"
She agrees with my thought
though it's just poppycock-
But some cash- she's looking to spend.

"Layers are the trend of the year.
Go look! You'll see in the mirror.
So you must buy a few-"
I'm a fashion gurue.
or so, for some reason, you think.

I gather three pieces of flaire.
More plastic and fabric I wear.
with accessories on,
my outfits a con
the girls scavange for the rings that they see.

Why do they look all the same?
Am I the girl who's to blame?
I tell them the fashion,
soon they will cash in
and blend into the posh Scottsdale scene.

A girl new to town comes to me,
She's single and sweet like ice cream.
She says she needs clothes
and no style she shows-
but she wants to attract a nice boy.

I tell her "Go shop your own room"!
Trends won't find you a groom.
You have your own look
and you can't be mistook
Your passions will attract your soul mate.

Mae Cousin

You know you're married when....

Will and I have been married for about a year and half now and I continue to stop and think...what a married thing to be doing.  Confession: I LOVE IT!  Sitcoms and movies can pick on the married lifestyle however much they want but when it comes down to it...happy couples love the comfort and routines of their marriage. 
A year and half in, Will and I have established the comfort level and connection that I always dreamed of. 
I no longer put on mascara and lip gloss after my bedtime shower (girls, you know you've done it).  And Will sits through my "no picking your nose in the car" lecture without shame (or stopping). 
Last night I had the "we are sooo married" feeling and had to laugh to myself. 
Bedtime went like this:

So my favorite time of the day is when I'm watching the Today Show at 7 while Will gets ready for work and he comes out smelling of aftershave, cologne, hair gel, clean, and simply WONDERFUL!  I had a thought that he would probably like it if I smelled that delicious and clean.  I always forget to put on perfume in the morning and it's usually worn off anyway by the time he gets home. So last night while Will took a break from our reality show (America's Got Talent) to get a snack I thought it would be great if I really lathered up with the new yummy lotion I got at the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual sale  (cucumber and lily water..mmm!).  So, I'm sitting there smelling of radiance when Will comes back and has this reaction:

OH GROSSSSSSS! DO YOU SMELL THAT? WHAT IS THAT SMELL? IT SMELLS LIKE AN OLD LADIES HOUSE OR SOMEHING! EHHH!

Me: oops. dang it.

So after explaining and taking notice of the fresh bowl of blueberries he brought in I began to dig into the fruit.  But gross..I have so much lotion on my hands that the blueberries taste like lotion and soap.  But I HATE getting out of bed once I'm snuggled in and have found the perfect spot so I plead with Will to feed me the berries.  Will does not want to do this so for the next ten minutes I'm pleading, "just one more bite" unless America's Got Talent steals my attention. 

The evening ended with us both falling asleep by ten, with tummy's full of berries and the room smelling of grandma's house.
Sooo married :)
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Oddly enough, one of the stories on the Today Show this morning was about a man who had to get his face removed because of a rare cancer.  During the interview, when the wife was asked if she ever wanted to leave she said..."It was hard but he's mine. I have got the papers to prove it!"  For some reason I loved that.  In 70 years Will may be feeding me blueberries for entirely different reasons but  we both know we will be there for each other...it's written.

What's wrong with this picture?

So last night I was packaging up some mail to send to dear Pia. I was looking for a box that was not too big and not too small and some bubble wrap. I went to place number one-the office closet where I keep a giant box full of bubble wrap and all sizes of envelopes.  I then went to place number two- the deck closet where I keep all large boxes.  Finally I went to place number three- the dining room closet where there are usually a couple small boxes, brown wrapping paper, and packaging tape.

The point- We have THREE closets with mailing equipment in them.  Why? Because I have to mail things to many people.  My goal is to never make this a long term need- to have three closets of mailing equipment. Those closets should be full of things that family members and loved ones leave behind when they visit our house, regularly.  Heck, they can keep their things in my closets for all I care-as long as it's not empty boxes and bubble wrap! 
Family and friends- remind me when we get back home that each one of you will be gifted with your own drawer at our house.  I would love to see diapers and clothes that don't belong to us stuffed places, rather than boxes and giant envelopes. If I need to be mailing this much, there is simply something out of place-and I think it may be us.

Visiting Rights

After months of not posting, I'm not going to waste your time with apologizing for the vacation. I've got more important things to show you and I will waste no time when it comes to bragging about my little hunnies back home. Junie came to see her Uncle Will and Auntie Mae and no one wanted her to leave...including Miles. She is growing soo fast and has become quite the little lady. I think she liked her new accessories and painted toes better than the zoo :) We had so much fun and I secretly liked an apartment full of diapers, toys, and sippy cups. 

I'm going to spend the rest of my blogging time uploading pictures because Junie pictures are far better than my silly rants!

                                        The Ladies!

                Taking advantage of the scenery for family photos!

The Zoo!

                                                                       Thank you Uncle Jonny for giving Mae a snow cone machine  so I could have my FIRST snow cone! I loved it!

Junie DID NOT want to stop swimming but you can't underestimate the AZ sun and we did not want a sore, tomato red baby.

Sometimes we  thought we were taking pictures with Grandpa Cousin....spittin' image!

  "HI MY-A!"

Junie was determined to keep swimming..inside.

These are a few of my favorite things...

These are few of my favorite things right now. I suggest you read it, eat it, or do it.

"Augustine" by Melanie Watt (Childrens book) I wrote a lesson plan on sequencing events in a story so I had to go through by book collection to find a story that had a solid beginning, middle, and end.  I forgot I had this book and then remembered how adorable it is. It's about a penguin that moves from the north to south pool and is full of very cute penguin puns. I suggest a read.

Welch's fruit snacks. - At an elementary school where I have class they have a little snack shack for the ASU students who come and go and I discovered Welch's fruit snacks.  Since I overdosed on Scooby-Doo fruit funs in middle school passing time I haven't been able to find these candy-in-disguise snacks appealing but I'm now hooked again. Delicious!

King of Queens- There comes a time in a girls life when "Friends" and "The Office" re-runs have passed by memorization and onto just obsession. So, I have ventured out a little bit and have added "King of Queens" to my favorite re-runs list.  It prompts some good laughs.

vanilla chai tea- I have began to ween myself off coffee and move on to tea. I figure it's a little less harsh on the teeth and probably healthier (although I haven't done the research on this particular kind) With a little sugar and milk this is a great start to the AM.

Bath and Body Works foam soap- Although I'm not one to spring for the extra dollar on things like soap, B &BW foam soap is great.  It lasts forever and makes handwashing a bit more fun and amazing smelling.

Mom's Best frosted mini wheats- I'm a girl of routine and this cereal is a part of EVERY morning.  I buy by the bulk.  It's all natural, delicious, and cheaper than even generic brand cereal.  You can also get it at any general grocery store without having to make a special trip to the fancy grocery store with wood floors.

Exercise- Will and I recenty joined LA fitness and I'm definilty getting into it.  Just a short hour makes you feel great and gives you extra energy.  AND if you pick your go-time right you can avoid the muscle heads and claim it as YOUR gym.

Jaymay (the singer/songwriter) - I haven't listened to alot of her stuff yet but I like what I've got.  Song suggested for download: Gray or Blue

American Eagle undies- I've been hearing about some disappointments with Victoria's Secret panties lately and I suggest not making a complete switch-but trying out AE's underwear line.  They are usually on sale, very comfy, and adorable.  The fabric is alot thicker than Vickies now-a-days so they probably last longer.

Honey and chocolate graham Goldfish- Cover your ears but they are better than teddy grahams.  Especially the honey... the package is small so if you are planning a night in of movie marathons grab a couple packs.  To add a touch with low calories add marshmellows to the mix :)

Sweet leaf tea- DELICIOUS! You can buy this at gas stations for only 99 cents for a tall can.  It's all natural and has about three flavors.  It is a great replacement for Arizona tea that has high fructose corn syrup listed as one of the first ingredients.  Warning: you may get hooked and make a stop daily.

I will leave you with that.  Please note that I'm experiencing some technical difficulties with my blog and can't spell check. So- forgive me.

no more teachers, no more books, more kids!

This semester has slowly been progressing and I had my mind set that this was the semester I would just have to make it through with very little enjoyment.  My classes aren't neccessarily difficult there is just a great deal of lecturing and to put it bluntly, boredom.  It's sounds odd that elementary education classes would be boring since our entire career is going to be spent with ~eight year olds but there are many nuts and bolts to teaching.  I know it's important to know these things and going without it is impossible but I don't need a 45 minute lecture on what to do if a kinder doesn't get a lollipop on Valentines Day.  However, this is the fourth week of my internship in 2nd grade and although I'm with these kids 6-8 hours a week, it's getting me through the numerous lectures on why not to put option "all of the above" on tests about puppies.
Since I changed my major to elementary ed. I knew it was a good fit but I'm beginning to see it's a GREAT fit.  I'm actually a little disappointed when 11:00 rolls around on Wednesday and my duty is done in 2nd grade until the next week.  The spirit and compassion the kids show you is instantly contagious and I find myself being being as excited as them about the airplane they saw.  Can you imagine the sight of an airplane overhead just making your entire week seem incredible?
I have been with these kids for such a tiny part of their week but I have never received so many hugs from complete strangers.   All I have to do is have a 30 second conversation about how my favorite snacks are Nature Valley granola bars too and they think you are the coolest thing since tetherball.
Bill Cosby used to have a show called "Kids Say the Darnest Things" and I have no idea what happened to it but it needs to be re-considered.  I don't yet have enough quotes for a TV show but I do have a few. Names have been changed to ensure victim protection.
Please feel free to giggle at the following:

"At recess I think I heard by vein pop. I need ice."
"I need to go to the nurse." -How come?  "I hurt my wrist a year ago."
"Just a sec.  I have to spit something out."  -Are you ok?  "Yeah, I just sucked in a booger into my mouth from my nose and I was chewin' it."
"Did you hear that Sally's got the nits?" (referring to lice)
"Mrs. Cousin...what's your real name?"
"Police officer, my dad speeds alllll the time.  Have you caught my dad before?"
"My mom is going to date my gym teacher.  They haven't met yet but he always winks at me."
"They aren't my grandparents. They are my grandma and grandpa."
"So...do you think it will hurt if a Leperchan pinches me?...or should I wear ALL green just to make sure?
"I grew up in California and then moved here."

1 year...and a couple weeks :)

This is long overdue but I must assure you, we did NOT overlook our one year anniversary! Will and I have officially been married for a whole year and there have been few tears, many giggles, and many, many kisses. Although as I get older I am beginning to crap out on celebrating minor holidays a little bit, Will and I vowed long ago that when we were married EVERY anniversary would be our biggest celebration and never would it be a causual occasion. Although it's been a breeze this year, we understand that some years down the road won't be easy and celebrating our committment to each other should always be valued and a priority.
I put a small damper on the day by procrasting a eight page research critique that was due the night of our anniversary. However, I got it done(and recieved a perfect, go me), and we then began the festivities. I have been saving a T-shirt I found to wear for the occasion (photo below) so I would have the perfect attire for each part of the day:). We read our vows to each other and then ate (tasted) our cake from one year ago. Note to cake lovers: it's better a year later, honest! Either that or my dress was so tight a year ago that I couldn't taste it. Hmm... OR could it be that the DJ had me running around so much that I never had any cake? Whatever the case, it was a good photo opportunity and we enjoyed re-living a gorgeous day. I also vowed a long time ago that on every anniversary I would put on my wedding dress. Since it's a million miles away, year one was missed but mark my words, anniversary two will have this in store. Could this be another motivation to move back? :)
For dinner we had our first fine dining experience. Scottsdale offers lots of options but we chose a place I had been eyeing for quite some time that our friend Eric happens to work at. Thankfully, Keitaro and Tori gifted me with the perfect cocktail dress and Will gussied himself up. We felt VERY fancy over the whole deal. We cozied ourself in The Mission which is a super, super old building (specifics have been forgotton) attached to an old church. It's all candle lit with antique chandliers and a himalayn salt rock wall. Eric spoiled us with a bottle of wine, appetizers, and taught us all the fancy etiquette. It's the kind of place where the guests analyze the cork and do some sniffing and swirling and all this crazy stuff, but I think most of it's for show. I had to remind my small town Iowan husband NOT to dig his fork in his shoe to itch his foot and the burbing habits acquired from my father were kept to a minimum.
In summary, it was very romantic and I think it's essentail to have at least one day a year dedicated to simply two people loving each other no matter what. Fine dining is the least we can do:)