hotter than....

We had one brief day of air but after the glorious weekend of fun, I was rudely woken by an alarm clock...What is that sound? That's the sound of reality, hard work and apparently, sweat. As I walked into work, I felt the harsh, unforgiving, stale unconditioned air that punishes everyone in its path. The bookkeeper and I met eyes with grave disappointment. "Again?!?!" I shouted! "Air conditioning is a basic requirement for life, especially in the south...what is going on?!" She just looked back with sad puppy dog eyes but could say nothing. The heat obviously attacked our bookkeeper and like a wounded puppy with out a mother, she went into deep self preservation mode and quit talking in order to conserve energy. I see it all the time. I promised the staff that I would call Channel 5 and come to work naked if the air was not fixed tomorrow. Mom, get bail money ready.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

Happy Memorial Day...Again...

I hope everyone relaxed as much as Millie!

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day from everyone here at Natalie's News. This has been a beautiful weekend packed full with friends, family, and really fun times. This girl needed a fun 3 day weekend like Ramona needs her pinot. God bless the U.S.A.

From Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

Stalking request

How many blogs do you stalk? Mine changes depending on how much time I have to devote to this mind trap of a computer. I have my safe go-to blogs, but if I'm knee deep in a stalking session, I'll just wonder around and look on people's favorites list and that can take you anywhere. I feel so sneaky looking around in other people's world that they graciously post online. I feel so private when all of the sudden...an awful, blaring, grotesque song will come on! Hello? This is not 2007 MySpace, that failed for a reason. We want to read your blog and not get caught, having a blaring song tells the world, "hey, I'm reading this blog!" and I don't want that, especially when I'm on some random blog of people I will never meet. So, please, be kind a post a youtube video that is an optional play. This way when we're sneaking to read your blog pretending to listen to a co-worker we won't get caught with an embarrassing "Don't Stop Believing" or other inspiring 80s hit. We all know that is only acceptable in the privacy of your own car or ipod...not when I'm trying to look productive! Hello?!

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

NO AIR

There is no air in our school. It is so hot and if you've seen the previous posts you know that I live in a constant state of crazy. Now there is no air and I swear the heat is doing things...strange things to everyone here...including this one. It is so hot the students are walking around with cool sweat rags, Baptist preacher style. The only way I'm making it is the real hope that I can swim in a mixed drink so delicious and calorie free. This mixed drink would create peace in the Middle East, solve world hunger, solve global warming, and most importantly cool off this flailing, sweaty teacher... and I could live there, mermaid style swimming in my problem solving, calorie free, mixed drink. If I don't make it home, someone call P. It's one of those days.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

Baby Olivia

It is so crazy that Alyson just had such a beautiful girl, Olivia. I have known Alyson most of my life and while driving to her house to meet the new bundle of joy I realized I was driving to her parent's house! Alyson has been out of the house for along time but somewhere deep down in the autopilot in my head I resorted back to Alyson being 16 and living at home. Even more crazy is that I remember going to Universal Studios with Alyson when she was about 8...but that time is long gone! She is been married for quite a while and now a brand new mommy! Alyson looks beautiful and Olivia could not be any more perfect! Olivia was great for us and allowed everyone to hold her. After such insanity at work it was nice to come and meet the newest addition! Congratulations!

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

snow day

Remember all those glorious snow days I bragged about? Those amazing days of sleeping, never ending cups of coffee, and watching ridiculous amounts of morning television and really loving to hate Elizabeth Hasselback and her rocking bod and prehistoric political views. Agh, memories. Well, now these days are biting me in the big ol' booty. We are neck deep in summer craziness and still have a while to go. The kids are beyond insane. Insanity was weeks ago, when kids were loud but still contained the capacity to grasp simple requests like "sit" and "shhh" but no, we've waved bye bye to insanity along time ago and have embraced a new kind of chaos that only wine and heavy memory suppression can cure. So what to do? The normal Natalie would give in to the movie pressure but my school is having an Exhibit night, a carnival, a teacher talent show, Japanese culture day, choir concert (ME), 6th grade play (ME), video yearbook sales (ME), and the normal drama of facebook, sweaty (smelly... really nasty, why do they sweat so much in the day? What are you doing? Wait. I do not want to know!) and who is erking (obviously). So maybe we can all make it until next week. Or maybe I will give in to the creeping sense of crazy and claim some kind of mental disability or something...hmmm it could work.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

the end is near

....you know the song...now's the question? Do you feel fine? How did you spend your last night? I hope you ate that dessert, told a snobby co-worker what you really thought, kissed your crush or wore a hot outfit... because this might be your last chance. So I guess this begs the question....IS THIS MY LAST BLOG? Well, I better go out on a bang and here are some confessions/thoughts/rambles that may or may not be appropriate.

1. Every day is judgement day. Please save me the speech, we are always judging, all the time. I don't care who you are, folks judge you on everything from teeth, shoes, accents, and purses. By this account I don't know why we're so worried. Another day.

2. You folks are insane. I've heard all kind of stories about people quitting jobs, schools, spending all their money, etc. I think Congress should have passed something requiring these people to serve some kind of community service because they don't have enough to do.

3. SNL hasn't been funny for years. Not really applicable but the 4 times a year I watch it I have high hopes and am always left defeated. Tomorrow is supposed to be Justin Timberlake and I thought, "oh that will be good" but it probably won't.

4. The terminator may not be back, and we would all be happy. What a great time to "come out" as public enemy number 1...even beating out Mel Gibson. (How did I come to this conclusion? Although religious bashing is rightfully on the top of the hate/ruin your life and career list, Arnold messed with a Kennedy (insert scream here). It's about time the Kennedy curse was lifted off of our royal family and whipped it's fury all over this lame Austrian...who I might add brings much shame to the Van Trapp family!!!)

5. Back to the insane folks part. I can't think of a better way to blow a TON of money than printing millions of religious pamphlets, renting helicopters with "educational" messages of dooms day to circle my beautiful city (this really happened today and if I can just tell you that end of the year + Friday + crazy messages on a helicopter = my own rapture because I managed some kind of lobotomy. I like to call it self preservation but once the kids began flipping out about the end of the world, I told them to not worry but just to be safe I would chose a religion, take a really good shower (will they have running water? one can never know for sure) and say their last good byes just in case... in that kind of, wait is she joking or not teacher voice.) and traveling all over our amazing country just to scare people into believing it is the end of the world. This is why the world will not end. If folks knew, and I mean really knew... their crazy tails would be on a beach, in Cabo, drinking a cocktail with an umbrella, eating McDonald's and listening to embarrassing pop music. Bia, don't lie, it's true.

6. I don't care to watch Oprah's last show. Some part of me think I should care but I don't. There I said it. And Gail kind of weirds me out. Doesn't she ever get tired of the big persona of Oprah?

7. I don't like dogs. Cats are better. Now that it's on the Internet it must be true. I will feel better knowing that has been finally decided for all. Perhaps I will spread the good news... off to the helicopter...

8. The world cannot end until I meet Andy Cohen. I think you can find it in the book of Jeremiah or somewhere. Anyway, it's a fact.

9. Most of the times when I'm reading blogs, especially those with lots of pics (hey, like mine) I have to struggle to actually read. I find myself reading the first sentence and then scrolling down a lot and then thinking, wait this doesn't make sense, when I've skipped the book in between. Agh, for good measure let's blame abortion and the media. Done.

10. Love you boos. Not because the world is going to end, but I really love all four of you who have read this to the bitter, blabbing end. I will never forget you. Muah.

For Natalie's News this has been (THE LAST??!??!) Natalie-Corinne.

just a normal Wednesday

Today began like any other. Except I got up two hours earlier and was at school at 5:30 AM to go on a field trip (ugh learning expedition) to the Chattanooga Aquarium.

After leaving super early I had a wonderful group of kids that enjoyed fish, penguins, sea lions, butterflies, an IMAX movie, oh and a little red mark that appeared on my chin this morning. The little, annoying, itchy, "bug bite" was bothering me but as a dedicated teacher, I tried to ignore the little issue but with my precious students constantly reminding (nagging) me of this situation... for my own benefit, course, it was impossible to forget! "Ugh, What's wrong with your face?" and many, many varieties of this same comment kept occurring all.day.long. Finally, I submitted to the pressure, I looked in the mirror and WOW. My face was covered with nasty red marks all over my chin, neck, and jaw. Gross. Trying not to raise any concerns, I quietly walked to Walgreen's and bought some ointment. Hours later my face was still "funky" (thank you, again...another sweet student) I returned to Nashville and booked it to the nearest minute clinic. Sure enough, I've had quite a nasty allergic reaction that looks like...this! (dum dum dum....and this is even after some medicine, should have taken pics sooner)

So, yes... now I'm sporting a hot allergic reaction rash. It is so itchy I seriously need to be mittened up with duck tape like my inner 2 year old self needs. Wish me luck!

For Natalie's News, this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

Mississippi Madness

I've been thinking about Mississippi a lot lately. Honestly, I think about Oxford pretty much all the time. I love living in Nashville but Oxford is my little Oasis, Mecca, Heaven, you get it. Obviously I chose to go to the best University ever, Ole Miss a even stayed for graduate school, then stayed and taught...They basically had to drag me kicking and screaming from my beautiful small town. I think to love Oxford is obvious but I also love and miss the people, growing up, becoming an adult, choir, St. Peter's, AOII, really... I could go on forever. I miss being on campus, being a local, walking around the square, singing all over town, going to the grove, Square books etc etc etc. Although Oxford is not getting hit by the heavy flooding, many of the people that I have known and loved are from some of the areas being affected by the heavy rains. We have this beautiful magnolia tree that just began to bloom and every time I walk by it normally I feel a little heart tug of happiness/pain. Really fond memories of walking by them constantly at Ole Miss but a tad bit sad that those days are gone (Good God, cheesy!). Anyway, a lot of my friends have been affected by these storms and I can't wait for it to be over! I snatched some pictures of our Magnolia tree today and thought I would share.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

another lovely convo

"Mrs. Pratt, why you not have no kids?" Student 1

"I have enough to worry about with my middle school babies" (my standard answers, btw. In the past when I've provided honest answers like...oh because I don't want little mutts (if you have kids I really do love them, mutts is mean...I don't think your beauty is a mutt) clinging to me all day when already all day I've barely survived hundreds of kids needing... all.. day...I've been harshly judged, told I would change when I got older (also been told this about my political views...) told I didn't know what I wanted, etc. so now I just lie...I also partly blame my friend Sarah because I've watched her birthing video (they cut out the actual birth) several times (always in the dark room after waaaayyy too much prosecco) and basically I am terrified)

"You better hurry up Mrs. Pratt" Student 1

"Why, do you think I'm old?" me

"Yeah, you better hurry up, you'll be old soon and then you'll have a baby and you'll be so old that you'll die of old age and then that poor baby will be left with out a Mamma because you done died of old age". Student 1

"................." Me

For one time (brief time) absolutely speechless.

For Natalie's News this has been a very old-aged, ancient, baby-less, Natalie-Corinne.

I got paper!

Our first anniversary was a massive success! Seriously I could not imagine a better weekend. Saturday night we went to a romantic Italian dinner at Cafe Nonna (my choice). On our actual anniversary we saw Water for Elephants and then grilled an amazing steak dinner at our house. We broke out our real China and crystal and drank a bottle of wine from our reception and ate a piece from our frozen cake topper. The cake actually tasted really good and we had so much fun being together all weekend and celebrating! I took a lot of pictures of about....everything :)

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

the paper anniversary

We made it! Sound the trumpets, stop the presses, we made it the first glorious year in marriage. Honestly it feels like I blinked. I do not feel like it has been a month, much less a year in a lot of ways from that wonderful wedding weekend. But then when I begin thinking back on this year I cannot believe all we have changed and accomplished, in that way it feels like longer than a year. P changed jobs, we bought our first house, we were newly weds, it is just so surreal. I have to say all weekend I've been thinking back, kind of ridiculously. Thoughts like, " a year ago now I was running late to get my make up done" or " a year ago now I was watching the wedding slide show at the rehearsal dinner" etc etc. We are celebrating by going out to a nice dinner and eating our frozen cake and sharing a bottle of wine we saved from our wedding! I know the best is still yet to come and I am so glad we are married. Wow. A statement like that makes me feel really old but I guess I will just embrace it. Our wedding was hands down the best weekend of our lives and I guess now things will just keep getting better! The best is yet to come!

I realize posting so many pictures of myself is very vain but honestly, I don't care. I still love looking at our wedding pictures and how happy we were on that day and are now! For Natalie's News his has a been a very lucky, Natalie-Corinne.

Millie

Since my parents went on a trip for their 30th wedding anniversary, I have been SO happy to have my baby back. We are keeping little Millie while my parents are away and as crazy as this makes me sound, having her just makes me so happy! I know as I post this blog I'm pretty much assuring my future as a crazy cat lady but if it's my fate, so be it. I love this little girl and she has just been so fun all week! She has made herself quite at home snuggling with me all the time and even fussing at us when we leave her out too long. Don't tell but I think even P has liked having her around. Except for the time when he thought someone was in the house in the middle of the night and he got all Rambo trying to protect our house while I gracefully snored and missed the entire event.. but it was really Millie. Other than that, it has been great :)

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

Mother's Day

A very late happy Mother's Day to my perfect Momma. We had a great day, celebrating early last Saturday. We went to brunch at Boxwood Bistro in Franklin followed by a much needed pedicure. Anytime we are together is the best time because we are really funny. (inside joke with Mom, ugh soooo annoying on a blog) I couldn't imagine a better Momma and I love you tons! Happy late blog Mother's Day wonderful Mom! Time for some pics!

I love you the most! For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

I try not to think about what might have been...

(the picture is of the band Little Texas who sings "What might have been" thus the title of this blog post...I talk about it later but for those of us who never read all of any one's blog, here's the spoiler) Really? I know. It's been 2 weeks. 2 extremely busy, running around like a chicken with out a head 2 weeks. I honestly don't really know how to begin. My work has been controlling a lot of my life...one would think after the big bad standardized test we could slow down, but oh no! I'm teaching a song in Mandarin (with... recorders! Ugh..remind me again why I cannot have an IV of wine with me all the time?) , putting on a play that one of my classes wrote, teaching a Civil War Rap that will be performed very soon, organizing the music for 8th grade celebration, going on a million MUST go, end of the year "learning expeditions" (field trip is sooo 2008) selling and creating our video yearbook (another hilarious facade that this time I didn't even attempt to create... somehow people think I know anything about technology, which is hilarious b/c at times I can't turn on our tv) and completing mountains of paperwork. In between that time we had a wonderful visit from the Bacurins and Kempers, Kelly in town, celebrated my parent's 30th anniversary, and Mother's day for Mom and Sharon. So yes, this brings me to a big ol' blog regret. Huge missed opportunities of harsh judgement, well deserved praise, or just observations. I missed Mother's day, my parent's anniversary, Real Housewives of New York City debut. Simon performing " I am Real" at the Bravo clubhouse (ummm it's official, I can die happy) I'm going to try to add some late posts just like those things just happened but it will never be the same. At times like this one can only rely on forgotten band Little Texas for some sad country song healing...

I try not to think about what might have been...

(if you go and watch the video...can you believe his hair? It was 1995 not the 80s...Oh and I love how dramatic country videos are, just a step above reenacted crime scenes on Lifetime!)

Happy Saturday! For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.