Giving thanks a little early this year

It's Wednesday, which means we had our weekly team meeting at work this morning. Between hall duty and being sick, it was my first one of the year. I felt a little bad because I could not think of anything to say during the "thanks and appreciations" jam session. But I have plenty now!!!

On this gorgeous eighty-degree September day, I have a lot of things to be thankful for. The amount of my paycheck is not one of them. After surviving two days with a total zombie frog voice, I am thankful that my cold did not render me mute. My favorite comment of the day, repeated frequently, was, "Mrs. Bellm, are you sick?!?!? Awww."  (No really, I am talking like Kermit from the Crypt just for the heck of it).

I had a gloriously peaceful drive home through the country side of Watertown, listening to Persuasion by Jane Austen, stuffing my face with an entire bag of popcorn. Really good for my sore dry throat too, eating popcorn... at any rate, I am thankful to not be living in the 1700's as many of Austen's characters are, getting ready to marry a cousin. EWW!

After my marvelous drive, I pull up to our cul-de-sac and spot three energetic boys and my hubby Chris and his mom "Nanny" running around in the back yard, wearing out our filthy dirty boys. THANK YOU BOTH!! They were so tired that they crawled right into bed after their baths and virtually collapsed. Despite the streaks of mud on their faces and random scrapes and bruises, they are both really lucky to have 1+ adults at home during the day while I am at work, bonding with their cousins and breaking each other's toys.

The first thing I see on the counter in the kitchen, which I have been greatly anticipating, are the Coborns Penny Pincher coupons!!! YESSSSSSSS....  these are way better than Mackenthun's "Dollar Days" because even on a busy day at Coborns, there are like five cars in the parking lot. Seriously, have you ever tried to shop at Mackenthun's during Dollar Days? You'd think Justin Bieber stopped by and the teenagers had been camped on the curb for weeks, the way the cars fill the lot and the lines inside reach back to the isles, and crazed soccer moms and elderly grannies are elbowing and shoving (sometimes not so gently) their way through the produce section.

Now I am not usually a coupon person, but these are just too good to miss. Milk for $1.48! Cereal for $1.83! Chili beans for 47 cents a can! Shredded cheese for a DOLLAR!!! I can make CHILI this weekend! Add on the 24-oz pop bottles at 24 for $9.96 and $1.96 frozen pizzas, $1.71 12-grain bread loaves and $5.97 twelve-packs of TP, and Mommy is a happy camper! Gotz to make that dollar stretch as far as possible. So THANKS Coborns!

While I am talking slang, I absolutely must throw a shout-out to the awesome website Icanhazcheeseburger.com for their many hilarious, cat-themed, grammatically incorrect posters. You can type just about anything into Google, add the word "funny", click on the images tab, and you'll get a silly picture and phrase that will make you laugh and go "awww" at the same time. I regularly insert these into my Smart lessons just to make the kids laugh. However I do advise the kids NOT to visit their website directly, as there are some not-so-appropriate comments and pictures mixed in with the cute and cuddly ones. Stick to Google with "safe search" on and you should be fine.

My final thanks is to my sister Ashley, who is flying back from Boston tomorrow night on a random cheap ticket she found (probably on Kayak.com) and is actually willing to drive out and do lunch with me in my classroom. Granted, she's never seen it, but how many people actually ever go to school when they don't have to? It's got to be about an hour drive both ways, plus another hour to hang with me and catch up, so she's basically willing to give up her entire afternoon just to see me. I'm blown away. Thank you Sis!! 

And now, thanks to Top Chef: Just Desserts, I get to watch other people cook really delicious food that I wish I could reach through the TV and devour, but thank goodness, I really can't. Already microwaved myself a S'more and ate that in about 30 seconds. Thank you taste buds for returning, I've missed you!