Favorite Things Friday – the Peru Edition

Since I'll optimistically (but not realistically) be packed and relaxed this time next week, I'm going to do my Peru post a little early.

Churros

"Uno dulce de leche churro, por favor." That's the extent of Spanish that I need in order to survive in Peru. There is nothing as delicious as a churro from that yummy little bakery around the corner from our hotel after a long day of corralling kiddos.

My New Tennis Shoes
Aren't they cute? Keep an eye out for these guys in Machu Picchu pictures. That is if I can get them broken in before then. Right now they're just rubbing some nice blisters on my heels.

Machu Picchu

Welcome to one of the new seven wonders of the world. It's nearly impossible to take a picture that is not postcard worthy. This year I'll be headed up the mountain with Mom and Dad. I can't wait to introduce them to the fascinating ruins and the great little shopping village at the base of the mountain.

Miguel Miguel began the orphanage many years ago when he invited some street boys home to live with his family. He calls it "the community" and all of the children are a part of his family. Although he appears calm and laid-back, he is a fierce protector of the kids and he works diligently to meet their needs. Miguel is more like Jesus than any person I've ever encountered.

These Sweet Faces

All of the hard work and time we've put into planning and packing is worth it the moment we see these sweet kiddos. I can't wait to see all my little boys again. They are so precious and full of life! I pray that we can be a blessing to Miguel and all of the community's children.

One week to go! I can't wait to be back in Peru again.

Favorite Things Friday

I want to share with you some things that I love!

Blogs
Cassie is all that I aspire to be as a blogger someday. Her witty updates on life, family, fantastic finds, and photography bring me great joy. And she likes to give away prizes! I stole the "Favorite Things Friday" from her. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

Lentils - the other Legume

Although I never tire of black beans and rice, Laura raved about her love of lentils so often that I finally went out and bought a bag. They're dirt cheap, cook in about 15 minutes, and easily adapt to any recipe. I've just begun to scratch the surface of my lentil cooking. I like to cook them in vegetable broth and spices, toss them with some other cooked veggies, and eat them over rice.

Hey Cupcake!

This Austin landmark began as "that place in an airstream trailer with a cupcake on top." I've tried almost all of their cupcakes, but my favorite is the snowcap (chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting.) Then yesterday I branched out and tried the 24 Carrot. Oh my!

This is just the beginning. There are many more favorites to come! :)

Eclipse: The Review

(Spoiler Alert)
If you're reading this and you haven't read the books or seen the movie yet, then I doubt you're someone who worries about me giving away anything.

When a book that I love is made into a movie, I'm a fan of sticking closely to the text. I understand that some adjustments must be made for the sake of plot movement and time restrictions, but let's not mess with the good thing that the author created. There are some expections to this, such as Tom Bombadil in LOTR. You don't even remember him, right?

Twilight the movie was a disappointment. It did a poor job of illustrating the depth of connection between Edward and Bella. In fact, I was so distracted by Jasper's stare and Carlisle's hair that I didn't even know why they were pretending to be lions in the middle of a baseball game. Which left us wondering why Bella was so distraught in New Moon. The second movie followed closer to the story line and it introduced us to shirtless-Taylor. Nice.

On to Eclipse:

The Good
My expectations were met in both the tent and engagement scenes, two of my favorite parts in the book. The movie included just enough time with Bella's mom and dad to show that she was concerned about the choice she was making. Emmett was a nice comic relief, as always. What I most appreciated was the shortened versions of Rosalie's story, Jasper's story, and the Quileute legends. They provide crucial character development in the book, but I've read them so many times I just skip over the chapters now. We also were treated to more of Taylor's abs. Nice.

The Funny
Jasper's eyes still make me laugh out loud. Esme took some notes from him to make herself look more intense just before the fight scene. We all snickered at that one. Edward also commented on how Jacob can't seem to find a shirt to wear. The whole theater laughed when Edward pulled out the ring and the lady behind me said, "That's an ugly ring!"

The Disappointing
I know steriods can help Taylor grow muscles, but the poor guy can't seem to catch up to the 6' 7" that Jacob is supposed to be. It's hard to be intimidated by a small, scowling 16 year-old.
Why won't they let Bella cook? Is it not possible for her to be making dinner while she's talking to Charlie? Half of the book is Bella cooking dinner for her dad. Maybe it would take too much time and effort to teach Kristen how to use a kitchen.
Did they re-write Jessica as the valedictorian just because she's the new breakout actress? I felt a little sorry for Eric's character.

The Unacceptable
I fully expect that the screenwriters will take a few liberties with the story, but that last scene went a little too far. What was up with Bella's "I've never been normal" speech? And why did they feel the need to directly contradict what Bella said about there's no point in being immortal without Edward? Don't remember that part? Go look it up. Page 276.

Why the Midnight Showing?
It's all about the community experience. The evening started at Cheesecake Factory where the waiter commented on our matching t-shirts. Tamara and I were a little embarrassed, especially when the guy said a bunch of his (teenage) friends were going to the movie too. Once we got to the theater, it was awesome to have 8 of us in our "professional" shirts. Tamara and Rachel and I kept looking at each other and making faces during the movie. I couldn't stop laughing at the Jacob fans sitting next to me. Then there was the guy that decided to make a bunch of enemies by saving 30 (...yes, 30!) seats for his friends.
I did take a few pictures, but they were not quite worthy of publishing. If they were negatives, I would probably destroy them. Since they're not, I'll keep them around in case I need to blackmail Tamara or Rachel someday. ;)

It will be interesting to see how yet another director interprets the last book. At least he'll have two movies to stretch out all of the craziness that goes down in Breaking Dawn.

What is there to look forward to while we wait? Harry Potter!

Summer

I knew before the school year ended that this would not be a long, relaxing summer. After a quick weekend trip to Colorado, I jumped right in to teaching summer school. Fortunately, summer school ends this week. Unfortunately, I only have 2 1/2 weeks of summer free time left to soak up.

I have managed to squeeze in a few of my favorite summer activities:
- snow cones, usually watermelon with cream
- pool time (with my SPF 50)
- afternoon naps
- lots of reading

And have some new experiences:
- picking strawberries and blackberries in Marble Falls
- Blues on the Green at Zilker Park
- Austin Farmer's Market

But there's a lot left to do:
- go to Peru!!!
- pack and finish all the preparations for Peru
- see Eclipse at midnight (tomorrow!)
- get a library card
- spend more time at the pool
- eat more snow cones
- take some classes
- go to Michigan
- pick blueberries
- go to Six Flags (How have I not used my season pass yet?)

Life after LOST

LOST was one of the few shows that I watched from beginning to end. (The only other two I can think of are Felicity and Home Improvement.) My experience with LOST began in the fall of 2005. We would wrap up Wednesday night devo no later than 8:15, shush the talkers, and become absorbed in this mysterious other world. It was really about the community experience. We would share theories, connections, and the lastest news from the internet. I became so addicted that I rented and watched all of season one over Christmas break.

Then things changed. LOST moved from Wednesday nights. Life got busy. Thankfully Hulu came along and I was able to catch up on shows that I missed, but the experience just wasn't the same. In the end, I was caught up in the joy of the reunion and honestly didn't care about the unanswered questions. Someday I'll watch it all again just to catch some more of the little tidbits that I missed the first time around.

What can fill the LOST void? Well...nothing, but here are some shows I recommend:

Bones
It's CSI without the gore, more interesting science, and great characters. Plus David Boreanaz.
Why you should watch it: Did I mention David Boreanaz? It's also witty and interesting.
Status: Season 5 just ended. I've only seen some of seasons 1-3, so I plan to catch up this summer.

Psych
The best fake detective show ever. Every episode makes me laugh out loud.
Why you should watch it: James Roday is hilarious. USA isn't kidding with their "characters welcome" slogan. This show truly brings out the best of the craziest characters.
Status: Season 5 starts July 14th. Set your DVRs now!

Glee
A delightful show for music geeks and anyone who secretly enjoys teenage soap operas. (I might have watched the first 13 episodes in one day.)
Why you should watch it: Again with the characters - Rachel Berry, Sue Sylvester, Emma Pillsbury, Brittany - each quirky one pulls the whole show together. And the singing is awesome.
Status: Two shows left in season one. :(

The Bachelorette
Let it be known that I am not proud of this weakness...and that I don't even care for Ali. I guess I am a sucker for hyped up drama in a "reality" setting.
Why you should watch it: You should only watch it if you plan to read Lincee Ray's comments on ihategreenbeans.com. Lincee is not afraid to say what she really thinks (and what you were probably thinking too.)
Status: Just started the new season

I'll probably also tune in to the summer seasons of Royal Pains and Burn Notice (both start June 3.) Did I mention that I like the shows on USA?

What do you like to watch? Am I missing out on any awesome shows this summer?

Countdown

Every teacher reaches that time of year when they know it is in the best interest of everyone that things wrap up quickly and smoothly.
I know you think that kids are the ones that most need a break. This is not true. Young children recharge over a weekend...and sometimes overnight, but adults need a considerably longer amount of time away from the source of the "issue" in order to completely recover.


Top Ten Signs It's Time for Summer Break:

10. I can't remember the last time I brought home work to grade
9. I've stopped buying lunch stuff and just take whatever happens to be on top in the pantry
8. The dust on top of the pass along box of student files is almost 1/4 inch
7. All of the student headphones in my room are broken...ALL of them
6. I'm overcome with the itch to take down all of my bulletin boards
5. The desks in my room take on crazy configurations (none of the normal group stuff)
4. I'm giving up precious weekend/socializing time to take pack up my classroom
3. I didn't bother to get folders/school supplies for my new student (what's the point?)
2. DRA tests are finished!
1. I missed 3 days last week, two mornings this week and I'm still considering the need for a personal day between now and the end of the year :)

By the way, there's only 8 1/2 days left! The end is in sight!

Strawberry Pickin'

Laura, Kellsey, and I decided to add some adventure to our Saturday afternoon. We headed out to Sweet Berry Farm in search of some Red, Ripe Strawberries (without the Big Hungry Bear).

It was worth trip to Marble Falls. It wasn't too crowded, we found more than enough strawberries, and we even got to feed some baby goats. Plus they had amazing homemade strawberry ice cream and strawberry lemonade.

We saw lots of marble, but thought we would further investigate the "falls" part of the city. We found a lake, a dam, and a "fishing" area that would be the perfect setting for a horror movie. To top it all off, when we stopped to take wildflower pictures by the land mine warning sign we found what we hope is an animal skeleton. (Check out the rest of my pictures on facebook!)

We took that as our cue to head on out of town. The route back just happened to take us by 183A and 1431, so I introduced the girls to Nothing Bundt Cakes.

My berries are all sliced, in the freezer, and ready for me to make a strawberry cake. We're planning to go back to pick blackberries at the end of May. Anyone want to join us?