Award

Yea! Just when I was feeling disgruntled at messing up my blog layout...(I tinkered with the html trying to make my 2-column layout into a 3-column layout. It didn't work. And now my header and fonts are messed up. Sighs!) Anywho...I was feeling bummed out and irritated with myself, when I started reading comments on my blog.

Lo and behold, I had a comment from my blog buddy Marie stating she had nominated me for a blog award. Hooray! Thanks, Marie! :)








Here are the rules for the Kreativ Blogger Award:

1. When given the award, you write about seven things that you love.

2. Pass the award to seven bloggers that you love, and be sure to tag them and let them know they've won. (You can copy the award and post it on your sideboard.)



So, here goes...

1. I love my family.
--My wonderful DH is my best friend and confidant, I love him to pieces! (As I type this he is in the kitchen cooking dinner. He cooks much better and way more frequently than I do. My DH rocks!)
--My sweet daughter is a joy! I love watching her learn and explore new things. Her smiles and hugs make my day! (As I type this she is watching "Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang" for the 3rd day in a row. My child LOVES musicals just like her mother. Yea!)
--My two sisters are amazing, strong women. I love spending time with them...and wish we lived closer so that I could see them more often.
--My parents are supportive and caring role-models. I hope to be as good a parent to my Emma (and hopefully #2 someday) as they've been to me.
--DH's parents who live nearby have made me feel like one of their own kids. I appreciate them, especially as ALL of my family is out of state.
--DH's siblings are fun too! We love spending time with D, M and their 2 boys. A and B are newlyweds, and we're all eager for them to have a child someday.
--Shout out to my Wisconsin cousins who sometimes read this blog. I hate that we are so far from one another. You all are fabulous people who I wish I could hang out with more.
--My dog Viggo. Nothing beats his excited greeting each time we enter the house. And his large brown eyes...I love his sweet demeanor.

2. I love reading. I am a book guru. I am excited that it will be summer-time soon so I can read, read, read. I love to read on the deck in the summertime! Though I don't read as much now as I did pre-Emma, I still spend many a night staying up late with a good book. I especially enjoy teen lit and books that I can recommend to my 8th grade reading students.

3. I love green. My iPod, my car, my cell phone, my Blog layout, etc. These are all green items. I find green soothing and peaceful. Also Ohio University is where I met DH and the school colors are green and white. Go, Bobcats! :)

4. I love Scooby-Doo. I have been a Scooby fan since I was a little girl. My 'screen name' for many things pertains to one of the characters on the show. I love Halloween time each year, because I choose an episode of Scooby to use in my classroom. My students view the show as we are learning literary elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. They love it and the nifty Scooby plots are easy to determine literary elements with before we move on to dissecting more difficult written pieces. My parents report that I learned how to tell time due to Scooby-Doo. Apparently, I'd ask and ask all day long if the show was on yet. My Mom made me a notecard with a clock showing what time Scooby started. By "matching" the card to our clock, I could determine whether or not it was time for the show yet. I have many Scooby trinkets and toys. Someday I hope to have a larger house and find some type of curio or shelving unit to display them all in my office area. (Right now the majority are in storage in our garage.)

5. I love teaching. I love helping struggling readers learn strategies to help them decipher text. I love watching students grasp concepts for the first time. I love the READ180 curriculum at our school. And yes, I love summers off...

6. I love exploring. I wish we had more $$$ to travel. (I WILL go to Ireland someday!) However local adventures are almost as fun. I love museums, zoos, seeing musicals, hiking/picnicking in state parks, hanging out at the library, going to the beach, finding new inexpensive places to visit, etc.

7. I love blogging. I've been blogging for 10 months now. I love using this as an outlet! Not only is my blog a written and photo journal of my life, it has led me to form online friendships. And the wonderful community I've met via Mel's blogroll has been a super source of comfort and advice. I almost cried when I thought I had messed up my entire blog layout. Not because I thought I had lost my "buttons" and "gizmos" and "gadgets," but because I thought I had lost the list of blogs that I follow and whom follow me. GULP! What would I do without these connections? Thank goodness, it all turned out in the end. :)

Now for my nominees...

1. Sunny is one of my newest online pals. We have bonded because sadly we're both in the secondary infertility boat. I love her honesty and candor.

2. Mrs. Gamgee She's an avid reader! And her positive attitude and optimism are superb! I wish we lived closer, I'd truly love to meet her for a girl's day out in real life. :)

3. Looking4#3 Recently learned she was PG after a long struggle with secondary infertility. I've enjoyed reading about her journey.

4. Miss La My real life younger sister. She's fairly new to blogging. She blogs primarily about her career as a high school Spanish teacher. LOVE the humor and wit she uses to describe her student's antics. A nice break from the IF/parenthood blogs I usually frequent.

5. Fishsticks and Fireflies was one of the first women I connected with after my January miscarriage. Her reassurance and caring attitude were MUCH appreciated. She is mom to 2 beautiful toddlers and a beautiful newborn girl...proof that hope and "trying" do work out sometimes! :)

6. Parenthood for Me has created an amazing blog and website in support of parents who are enduring IF treatments or are trying to adopt. I love reading her first-hand experience about adopting, especially her recent post about the "delivery" of her son via JFK Airport. Amazing!

7. Carrie at Letting It All Out is a fellow mom/teacher I enjoy reading about. She has 3 young children and her DH is in the military and will be leaving for overseas duty soon...her heartfelt emotions as she prepares to endure their separation has been touching to read.

There are so many others who have blogs that have touched me in some way. HUGS to all!