Spring Break 2011

The fact that I'm 28 and still have a Spring Break is amazing and kind of pathetic all at the same time. One of the many perks that accompany my fat paycheck is the nice breaks built into our insane schedule. I'm not sure who or how things are planned but it always seems like we work like mad people and I'm seconds away from a nervous breakdown and a modest stint in Parthenon Pavilion and then magically a planned break (or glorious snow day) will occur and sanity is briefly restored. I actually take a lot of grief for being a teacher and getting breaks. Even close friends will casually drop huge insults like, "yeah but you're so lucky that you get so many breaks", which actually is true but it's the word "lucky" that gets so under my skin. I always work way over 40 hours a week and do so many other random extra things that are not even close to my job description, receive threats of physical violence, yelled at regularly, not to mention I get paid less than $2.00 a day per child I teach so forgive me if I don't think I'm so "lucky" with my comfy, glamorous gig. I do realize what people are saying though, I am lucky to be employed and these breaks are glorious so I need to get over myself, really this post was not supposed to be such a rant, sorry. Not very relaxing, spring break worthy. Lame. So anyway, what am I doing with my lucky week off? We actually worked yesterday to make up for a snow day. Today I'm going to work out, do some stuff around the house, and go to lunch. Wednesday I am living it up like a fancy lady. My wonderful and generous Uncle Ray gave me a gift certificate for a spa for my birthday and I'm going to get a facial! I think I'm going to do it up real "lady who lunches style" and go to a yoga class before and attempt to brunch after. Although I'm not "going" anywhere like years past, I could not be more excited about my stay cation...

On another note... hi, I'm Natalie and I'm old.

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

weekend snapshots

I wasn't as great with the picture taking this weekend but I was able to get a few fun shots around town. Saturday night we went with friends to a cookout then to the Franklin Brew Fest. I had never attended the Franklin Brew Fest before and really enjoyed the set up. We attended Oktoberfest in German town earlier this year and the crowds were so crazy, beer and food were so hard to get and lines were forever long. This was quite the different scene. Although the festival was very popular we never waited in long lines and the weather, company, and drinks were just what we needed for a Saturday night. I gave in to my inner nerd and brought the huge, new, fancy pants camera along only to have the battery die early into the night, so I barely got any good pics, but enjoy. Sunday night I went over to my parent's house and witnessed a cross between the males need to protect the heard and any possible excuse to use a gun. My parent's have had a problem with squirrels and today an aggressive squirrel was just asking for it so my Dad quickly sprung into action and took out some unwanted friends. I'm not so sure if I'm more amazed, scared, or proud of my Dad's quick skills. I think it's safe to say this is the most "Tennessee" day I've had in a while.

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

united nations

Kids say crazy things all day, every day and I thought I'd share some highlights from this week.

In 8th grade we are comparing Mozart and Beethoven

While talking about Germany I asked,

"During the 20th century what is Germany most known for?" me

"The food...?" a student

Random comment overheard during choir
"Canadians are very unhappy people. They are all on drugs and don't have parents"

Another random story:
"One time I ate some evaporation milk and I had bubble guts all weekend" student

"Bubble guts?!?!?!?!?!" me

"That's a proper way to say mud butt" student

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

sneaky devil

So fresh from my Fat Tuesday Lent pledge I bebopped into work with a healthy breakfast and lunch and then the devil arrived to abduct my loins. ( that makes no sense but sounds very preachy) Today I arrive at work and what do I see? The sweet Beta kids decide for the first time ever to surprise the faculty and staff with appreciation week. (Seriously, look at that sign, I don't think I ever created a "thank you for your hard work sign" sorry B'wood teachers... rest assured students constantly challenge every word or rather breath that escapes my exhausted body so you are winning the karma game) These wonderful smarties cleaned the teacher's lounge and brought...donuts. Seriously? First of all the people who are actually paid to clean rarely clean the teacher's lounge but these kids brought a for real mop, windex, etc and cleaned the entire work lounge... including the terrifying microwaves. A mere 5 hours earlier I decided to not eat free treats and BAM! donut goodness was staring me in the face like a Bachelor party in Vegas. So what did I do? Resisted everything but wrote thank you notes so I didn't seem snooty or ungrateful. In fact flattery will get you everywhere.

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

40 days and 40 nights..

Yes, I'm talking about Lent, not that shady movie circa 2002 staring a very baby faced Josh Harnett. For some reason I've always attempted to give up something for Lent. Although some years are better than others, I always try knowing that must count for something. I do better when I give up an actual something...usually a food item. A few times I have given up chocolate and that has gone well but years I attempt to be creative and give up cussing or take up working out everyday doesn't always (ever) go so well. This year I've decided to attempt something easy to achieve. My first thought was coffee or diet coke but then I realized I am so weak and I will fail. Please spare me your Evangelical enthusiasm "oh you can do it for the Lord" speeches. Caffeine is the very important step that prevents me from growing horns and eating my students, so deal. I'm giving up eating snacks, treats, baked goodies, etc that people bring to work. Folks try to fatten us up constantly by bringing temptations and I'm giving them up to the Lord. Bye bye random scones, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, nutella, etc. I'll hopefully be saying goodbye to some lbs too...we shall see.

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

facebook rules to live by

Let's face it. Facebook is the new Oprah. 1 in 5 people have a facebook page and members can be as private (ehh, kind of) or public as one desires. I feel that people who joined facebook in the beginning when you had to have a .edu email and were pre tagged pictures, wall with the picture by it, news feed, etc etc etc have some kind of code but now that everyone and their mother (and yes, I really mean mother) has it there needs to me some kind of mantra or common code that we all agree to and follow.

1. Stop getting offended by political statements. First of all, not so sure we should be airing our dirty political laundry out on facebook but even if you do, don't get offended by others. Even worst, comment and start fighting over politics over facebook. Solution? Obviously, just passively aggressive judge them and like them less and less every time you sign in. There are people I haven't seen in years and we are facebook friends and I literally despise them but only online, you know healthily.

2. If you have a kid, naked pics are not appropriate. Who knows where facebook will take us. I think ol' Zach will end up picking our next president, file our taxes and and pick our mates. I'm willing to bet facebook will be around for quite a while and when your kid attempts to apply for that ivy league what's going to show up? Baby's first bath. Academia doesn't like cute.

3. Speaking of kids...please don't post pics right out of the womb. Soooo national geographic and not for the facebook world... and really not for my world. If you're not going to follow my mantra at least give a strong warning, and realize people will talk about you. This is fact.

4. Think before you post. Yes, we all have bad days, fight with the people we love, can't fit into our skinny jeans, times where we hate our boss, days where we might or might not have showered, etc. but....does the entire world need to know?

5. Commenting. Comments are nice but how many are too many? Not really sure a number or ratio or anything but...all I know is too many is not good. Sensor yourself. I know people who have secret nicknames because of the amount of commenting he/she commits. 19 comments about a pet is probably too many.

6. The detag. Yes, we can all detag but those pictures do not disappear. While I realize we cannot control what other's post, we can control what we post. Let's be kind. Don't post unflattering pictures of your friends, even if it's a great picture of you. But what if it's really good? Like super skinny, really good? Obvi, crop out your friend and make the skinny pic your profile. Problem solved, next world hunger?

7. Learn your privacy settings! Create a limited profile. If you're reading this, you are not on a privacy setting but I will admit some people I know are...(not you!) Although nobody really ever needs to know about this, it can kind of save you from some awful awkward circumstances. Does your great aunt really need to know what I did 6 years ago during Spring Break? No. Limited Profile? Yes, please.

8. Your celebrity "friends" are not really your friends. The fan pages are cool but please stop going around acting like you're really friends with Bethenny Frankel or Andy Cohen. This rule is for me and I probably won't follow it.

9. Think before you recycle...your clothes. Back in the day you could go out with a different group of friends and recycle a banging outfit and nobody would be the wiser...but now? Everyone with a phone can tag your outfit and bam! you're out an ensemble.

10. Don't let the facebook get you down! Countless people have told me they feel badly when they look at other peoples' success on facebook accounts that include beautiful houses, amazing vacations, wonderful jobs that leave little minions upset about our average life...but think about when you post...usually when your things are going well. Things never change. We are always trying to be the most popular kid and facebook is no exception. You can't change it so just go with it. Post a skinny pic and move on.

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

weekend snapshots

This weekend has already been so fun filled and it's only Saturday. I am so honored and lucky to have my dear friend Kelly join us for the weekend. Kelly is in town to sing (win) a vocal competition and bring some cray cray to Nashville.

Last night we ventured out to East Nashville to the Bogni party house. After such an INSANE week at work I was so ready for a fun weekend with friends.

Bruin reunion! This little lovely is Georgia Grace. Our bruin clan has expanded and my good friends Julie and Robert had their first little one about 5 weeks ago. Julie came into town to show off GG and we all had so much fun playing with her!

The new Momma Julie.

Jenna and Georgia

Sarah and Marco at their great East Nashville house and below is their amazing child Luca.

I mean...really? Could not get cuter!

Holding Georgia Grace.

My sweet friends Jenna and Christina took me to get a pedi for my birthday this morning and we got to see baby Clayton!

With all the baby madness going on this weekend I thought I was not really paying enough attention to my baby. She was not ready for this early morning shot.

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

birthday

Today was my birthday and it went a little something like this...

Got to work at 7. Did crazy amount of paperwork, prepared for the day, ran around like a crazy woman, looked at the numerous of facebook messages and felt loved.

The Schermerhorn Symphony of Nashville was gracious enough to present a full concert just for me in honor of my birthday. I mean I know I'm kind of a big deal but it was super nice for the Schermerhorn to realize such an important day.(a very secret and illegal pic)
Or maybe I took 48 of my students of on a field trip so I could go to a concert with out paying a month's salary.

Then I helped put on our school's Black History Month Program. I really, really don't know how to start. This might be an epic 29 part blog and will start later. All I know how to write now is that there were tears, laughs, meltdowns, smiles, costumes, Abe Lincoln, Malcolm X, and hot mics.

Left work at 7:30, got home and I wanted to crash and not move and lay on the couch in comfy, granny, flowery pajamas pants....but my sweet, wonderful husband had other plans. We had dinner out and he gave me a new lens cover.

Perfect night.

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

my first gadget

Remember a long time ago when I blogged about blogging and about those professional bloggers who had the really professional and wonderfully expensive cameras who were able to take pictures of every second of their day to blog about them? No. Wait, you don't read the News daily? Well, here it is. This Sunday something magically changed. I've had a camera, but not one of those people who always carries around their cameras and once I got the iphone the old camera seemed soooo difficult (BRAT) to take out the memory card and transfer to my laptop when I could send the grainy pic easily to my email. Although my blog pics look really 2001, who cares? All 3 of my regular readers have never complained about the quality! Well times they are a changing my friends. Say (uhh humm SING) so long, farewell to the nasty totally lame photos of the past and feast our eyes on this beauty. Well, perhaps this will be the last of the less than wonderful pics. As awesome as this camera is, I haven't figured out how it can take a pic of itself. This weekend my thoughtful husband, my parents, and mother-in-law combined their powers to buy me a fancy-pants camera! I was totally shocked and since then I've been running around the house channeling my inner photographer and attempting to launch a new career taking pictures of things very, very up close.... because that's what makes a good photographer, right?

Oh yes, up close pic of the cupcake picture holder that my sweetest Momma gave me is so artsy.

Up close picture of the Ivy Cake cupcakes my Mom brought. The cupcake on the right is the wedding cupcake Carrie Underwood had at her wedding. We are very chic, hence the up close pictures.

Not really an up close shot...but first (and really only flowers) I have grown. Really I did absolutely nothing to aid these beauties but I didn't kill them either. Success.

Unusually bathed, collared shirt but always cute brother at my Sunday birthday celebration!

Sharon, Mom and Ashley in our kitchen.

So watch out. I'm obsessed with getting the fast, in the moment, you're not looking, candid shot and I will annoyingly be lurking around all future social engagements. Get your detag ready.

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

Bob Vila

As a new home owner, you can run but you can't hide from the weekend project. When the weather is cold naturally we tend to the indoor necessities but at the first hint of Spring men (and women too, no judgement or exclusions here) wake up with out alarms and run outside, Christmas morning style to play with the grown up toys...tools. Say what you will about the many (many, many, many, necessities, must-haves, can't live with out) tools but giving a man a sunny day, some tools and a project and it equivalent to giving me a guilt free shopping spree down a size. Heaven. This weekend P started our biggest project yet... the kitchen cabinet (insert OoooOoo Ahhhh). Obviously this required a lot of new tools and...surrounding neighboring menfolk. It's like when men hear the dull roar of a wood sander it puts them in a weird heat and they come from far and wide to feast their eyes on the mysterious project. I really want National Geographic to create some kind of Call of the Wild Suburbia reality show about the captivating call of the power drill. As P started to renew kitchen cabinet neighborhood men came from far and wide. While in the kitchen (yes, the men folk outside and the lady in the kitchen, I hope you didn't blink because you just missed hell freezing over) and being my really sneaky (wait, stalker?) self I conveniently captured this male moment. So no, not the best shot... and let's break it down. Yes, that is my husband in shorts and dark socks. I don't really know how this happened. He wears that around the house at times and I think it's strangely cute in a I never ever, ever want anyone else to see you do this and it's our little thing kind of way. Then he ventured out to the mail... okay better than a too tight or short robe, right? But now, he wears this "ensemble" with all his glory. It doesn't seem like the neighbors seem to mind too much. The other men are our new best friends and neighbors. The neighborhood men heard the battle cry of the power sander and the sweet smell of freshly cut wood and blindly make their way, crossing over tall weeds (oh wait, we have to cut those?) to behold the beautiful, almighty sight of the weekend warrior project. (TA-DA).



For Natalie's News this has been, Bob Vila (from the 70s w/ all the huge hair).

Under the gun

Not to make light of natural disasters but every time it rains here in Nashville, Lisa Patton gets all Jo Jo Circus Clown and predicts the end of the world. Tonight we had some rain and everyone in their mother ran out to Kroger and then got in their bathtub with the cats, (and at one time gerbils, gross) shoes, purse, cell phones, flashlights, radio (oh wait, maybe this is just my mother and my family) and waited for our doom. Tonight I actually tempted fate and sat under a window and watched Lisa Patton get all heated about the crazy storm. Although I appreciate the minute by minute details of the Storm Tracker 2000 (so obvi named in 1997 when everything about the year 2000 was so amazing and exotic and now is so Atkins, AOL, and the Rachel haircut) I think she gets a little happy with the linking the cities to the storm feature. Anytime tonight she was linking unknown towns to the storm when she created a not so friendly little symbol shown here....

Okay, I can't be the only one who sees it, right? Obviously not really a swastika (thank God) but getting kind of close. Come on Lisa. Fail. (ugh, I'm so over the fail too).

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

party in the city where the heat is on...

Andy and the goddesses of Bravo created yet another Housewives series filled with winos, wannabe models, and gallons of botox. Every time they come out with another city I swear I won't watch but somehow the magic of Bravo sucks me in and I am totally hooked. Although I don't think this will be my favorite of the housewives series, I find it necessary to inform the faithful readers of my careful critique and obviously go back to my sorority days and use some Robert's rules of order to ensure fairness.
Pro: Latinas! I love the Latin flavor. Everyone is Cuban, gorgeous, proud, and just the ever so slightest loud and tacky (but in the best way possible). The ladies, their clothes, houses, jewelry and lives are so over the top and cray.

Con: Fake drama. It seems like these ladies need more going on. I know some have jobs and families etc but a lot of the episode seems like they were trying to make drama out of nothing. It also seems like they don't really know each other all that well. It also seems like they are big ol' drunky drunks but that's okay if you're rich.

Con: Really out of control, redic plastic surgery fails. Okay, so I don't usually like the fail bandwagon (especially now that Andy (umm hello Cohen) says he doesn't like it either, good Lord, we need to be friends yesterday, for both of our sakes) but there is no other way to describe some of the non-expression expressions these ladies "provide". While I'm not trying to see holier than though because I am not at all above getting some kind of enhancement if it looks natural and I can do it when no one can ever finds out and I can deny it forever. But when your face looks like some plastic and flammable mask only appropriate on Halloween you know one has a serious problem. Seriously some of these women have passed Joan Rivers and on their way to Michael Jackson. (too soon?)
Pro: Miami. I'm glad they picked this city. Different from any other city and I was getting sick of ghetto drama and nasally yankees. Perfect change and a fab inspiration for pre-summer dieting. Then it reminded me of one of the best trips ever with my great Ole Miss friends! Memories...

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