Sunny Days

When I heard the news, the Seasame Street song Sunny Days started playing in my head.  OMGracious!  Me?  For real?  Rachel, from A Tall Drink of Water, nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award!  I'm beyond honored!  Since we're all grown-ups, I went with Joshua Radin's cover of the song to share with you.

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My shiny trophy!

Okay, let's get down to business!  

The rules of the Sunshine Blogger Award are:

1.  Post 11 random facts about yourself.

2.  Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.

3. Nominate 11 bloggers you think bring sunshine to the world.

4. Make up 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

11 Random Fact about ME:

1.  I love to bake and I think I'm pretty darn good at it.  Making sweet treats for others is one of my favorite ways to show friends and family my love for them.  I once flew from San Antonio to Chicago with a homemade 3 layer carrot cake that I decorated for my father-in-law.  Made it through security with no problem...except they all wanted to know where their cake was.

2.  I want to do a sprint triathalon, but need some swimming lessons.  I can "swim" for fun, but I need some help with technique and efficiency so I can ensure I won't drown be the last one done.

3.  This is a must after sharing #2.  I was on a neighborhood swim team in middle school. My parents weren't able to attend my first meet, but I got second!  

4.  This is absolutely necessary after sharing #3.  There were only two of us competing in that particular race.

5.  When I was in middle school, I used my blow dryer to blow out a candle.  That worked out about as well as you can imagine.  I've grown intellectually since then.  

6.  I watched YouTube videos to learn how to snowboard.  I'm super visual, and don't like to inconvenience others, so I figured it was a good way to do some initial learning before actually being on the mountain.

7.  It's my husband's fault, but I'm a coffee snob.  Pour over with high quality beans is a must.  I drink it black.

8.  If I'm home when it's on, I watch Wheel of Fortune.

9.  Right after college, one of my best friends and I were looking for an apartment to share.  We found this amazing gated community with little houses.  It was like an apartment complex, but with "mini" homes.  We were in love.  When we went into the community center/sales office, the lady politely informed us we would have to come back in 40-50 years or so because it was some sort of retirement community.  Darn.

10.  I use when/then phrasing with my dog as if she is a student and understands.

11.  I rarely carry a purse.  Wallet? Yes.  Purse? No.

Rachel's 11 questions for me to answer:

1.  Who was your favorite teacher?  I don't remember the names of any of my elementary school teachers.  I didn't like school and moved because my dad was AF, so I'm not to blame.  My favorite was a middle school math teacher, Mr. Melcher.  He sticks out in my mind because he was serious about learning, but he had a great sense of humor.  

2.  What kind of car do you drive?  My husband and I switch back and forth with each other.  We have a Toyota Highlander and a Toyota Camry.  Both are paid off and they are NOT getting replaced until they die.  I'm a practical girl.  

3.  What is your perfect summer vacation?  My husband and I like to do stuff on vacation-we aren't very good at laying on the beach or by a pool.  I like to go somewhere where we can explore 3 very different areas.  When we did CA one summer, we spent time in Napa, San Francisco, and hiking/camping at Yosemite.  I love to camp and be unplugged from technology!

4.  What's your favorite childhood cartoon?  Jem and the Rockers!

5.  Are you a morning person or a night owl?  Normally I tend to be more of a morning person, but when I can't sleep, I can stay up until 2 or 3 am working on the computer.

6.  What is your best trait?  I think my best trait is that I try to always focus on people's intentions, and they are almost always good.  I don't get bent out of shape about too much.

7.  What is the first thing you do every morning?  Kiss my husband's sleeping head if he's still in bed.

8.  Do you have any pets?  Yes!  Kona, our dog, melts my heart.  We got her from the pound when she was 2.  I still have the first picture I took of her.  She was in her kennel at the humane society, looking over her should at us.  She is so loyal and loving.

9.  What is the best part of teaching?  I love helping kids realize that they ARE smart!

10.  Would you rather visit the beach or mountains.  No questions asked, mountains.

11.  What is something you can't stand?  I think being a female in today's society is so hard, and it kills me when I hear/see females tearing each other down instead of building them up.  And on the less serious side, for the love of the person driving behind you, use your turn signal BEFORE you actually start turning the wheel or applying the brakes.

Are you still there?  Almost done!

Time for me to nominate 11 bloggers that I think bring sunshine to this bloggy world!  In no particular order:

1.  Keep Calm and Love First Grade

2.  Tales of a Teacher

3.  Learning with Mrs. Langley

4.  Fun and Fearless in First

5.  The Ordinary to Extraordinary Classroom

6.  If You Give a Teacher a Treat

7.  Looking from Third to Fourth

8.  Teaching Voracious Learners

9.  DomiKiddos

10.  I Teach. What's Your Supe Power?

11.  Second Grade Math Maniac

My 11 questions for the nominees to answer:

1.  What's the last good book that you've read?

2.  What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

3.  Dogs or cats?

4.  What subject are you least comfortable teaching?  Why?

5.  What will always put a smile on your face?

6.  How often do you cook?

7.  Do you watch the Olympics?

8.  Do you type or hand-write your lesson plans?

9.  Have you ever used a sick day to do something fun?  What did you do?

10. How do you de-stress?

11.  If you weren't in education and money didn't matter, what "job" would you want?

Phew!  That took some work, but I enjoyed sharing about myself and can't wait to learn a little more about all of you!   Being a part of this teacher bloggy world brings some extra sunshine into my life!