Birthday Bash

My NB portfolio was due on Wednesday, March 31 by midnight. After going to bed on Sunday night (the 28th) I made a promise that I would not go to bed again until The Box (with my portfolio in it) was complete, packed, and shipped. While I am pleased to share that I kept that agreement, I am sad to say that I did not mail The Box until a little after 1:00 a.m. on the early morning of March 31. Yes, that means teaching all day on Tuesday with NO sleep the night before. By that point I was running on pure adrenaline and excitement. In fact, it was several hours before I could settle down enough to sleep after returning from FedEx/Kinkos at 2:00 a.m. With SAT testing going on, a day off was not possible (or I would have taken it earlier!) and made the week drag by. It didn't matter. Months and months of work were over. Now all there was to worry about was the test in June...

I quickly turned my attention to Matt's 30th birthday, which was creeping up on April 30. After going back and forth between a party with friends and a trip away, I decided we could both use some time away. I quickly set off making plans...and finding a partner in crime. A coworker and friend, Jana, was also eager for a quick trip to the beach. Since our husbands have become such good friends, our weekend getaway would be filled with laughs and fun. I quickly set to the plans. First, a weekend. With an upcoming, unused inclement weather day, I had April 23 off - the weekend before Matt's birthday, which would make it the perfect unsuspecting weekend to slip away. I contacted a coworker of Matt's, Keana, to get Matt the day off work from his boss. Next, a place to stay. I got in touch with Matt's Aunt Sandi to stay at their place in Panama City. Finally, birthday dinner. I made reservations at Matt's favorite in the world (which happens to be in PC), Captain Anderson's for his big birthday dinner. The suprise was set - all I had to worry about was keeping my mouth shut...

The big week came and we were set to leave on Thursday. I got a call on Monday night from my father-in-law telling me Aunt Sandi had called with urgent news. While at the beach house over the weekend, Uncle Tommy had a mild stroke. He was in the hospital and too weak to be moved back home to Mobile. This meant Sandi and other family members who would come visit would need the beach house for the upcoming weekend. I quickly set to work to find another place and my sister came through on Tuesday afternoon. Her in-laws have a condo in Gulf Shores and there were no reservations for the upcoming weekend. It meant no birthday dinner at Capt Anderson's, but it did mean a beach trip.

I emailed Keana at Matt's office on Thursday to make sure Matt still had Friday off and asked her to get Matt out of the office a little early - he needed to pack a bag so we could get on the road. She emailed back to say that she and another older woman at work, Dorothy, emailed the staff to say the office was being fumigated and everyone needed to be out promptly at 5:00. She later emailed to let me know everyone shot out at 5:00, except for Dorothy and Matt. Dorothy had to wait on her husband to come pick her up each day and Matt refused to leave her alone at the downtown office. After 15 mintues she finally told Matt her husband was picking her up at the grocery store up the street. She had to leave and walk up the street just so Matt would get in the car and go home!

When Matt got home I was waiting. I asked him if he would help me empty the trunk of my car, where I had secretly stored the beach chairs and umbrella I picked up from my parents. He agreed and after opening the trunk he said, "You planning a trip to the beach?" I immediately told him, "Yes, and you're going too. You have about 20 minutes to pack a bag." He ended up with only about 10 minutes to pack a bag - it took me at least 10 minutes to convince him I wasn't kidding and we really were going to the beach! Jana and Will were there shortly and we were off!

The only thing I forgot to do was wish for good weather. Friday was breezy, cloudy, and chilly - not the day I was hoping for. However, Matt managed to burn from the several hours on the beach during the very overcast afternoon. After a calming nap on the beach wrapped up in my towel, we showered for a dinner of seafood. It was then that the weather took a turn for the worse. Saturday was filled with thunder, lightening, wind, rain, and very high winds. The waves were so high there were patrols on the beach forcing people out of the water during the breaks between storms. On a half-hearted dare, Will decided to test the waves and go in while Jana and I cheered him on from the balcony. It was only moments before he too was called out of the water by a lifeguard. However, a bad day at the beach is better than any day anywhere else. We spent the morning playing cards, the afternoon shopping at the outlet mall, and the evening playing a comeback round of Hand and Foot, hoping the girls could redeem themselves from the loss the night before.

Sunday we woke to a beautiful day and our departure time quickly changed from "after lunch" to "late afternoon." We were quickly out to the beach for the perfect, sunny, breezy beach day. While the storms left the large, overpowering waves behind, it did not stop us from enjoying the day!

The view from the condo on Sunday morning

Red flag = fun on the beach, but not in the water

The birthday boy

(note his chair under the umbrella)

The view from the chair

(note the bird on the left, who decided to hang out with our group for quite some time and continued to make the most annoying sound I have ever heard)

The trip ended that afternoon when we packed up to head back home. Jana and I were proud of ourselves, surprised that after about 6 hours in the sun we were leaving barely pink. However, after stopping for dinner in Montgomery, we got out to find ourselves a bright shade of red. (First thing Monday morning, sweet Yaseen was the first one in the classroom door - as always. He quickly made it over to my desk where he signed "Tanner, your face red." I signed back "I know." Before leaving he signed "My face brown, but yours shiny RED." All I could sign back was "thanks.")

The trip was a success - a surprise getaway that allowed us a little rest, fun, and relaxation!

Reflections

Although I am about sick of hearing this word, reading this word, writing this word, and thinking about this word, I figured I could use it to procrastinate just a bit more. I am looking at the cold, gloomy, overcast day outside the window from the seat of our dining room table for the third day in a row now. However, I am happy to say that this is the first day I feel like I have seen light - but the one at the end of the tunnel.

The process of National Boards has been much more than I thought it would be, and I will say I was expecting the worst from the experience I heard from others. I was prepared for the work, giving up my spring break, and the times required to write, but I was not prepared for all the other stuff. I can honestly say that I have not spent a weekend away from this computer and this room since Christmas vacation - and it is clear I have not been blogging at that time on the computer! However, with months and months of work, the deadline is now just two weeks away. I am only a few pages away from having the papers written, but I not too naive to think that there is still much more work ahead - revising, editing, printing, sorting, packing, etc. I can easily say it has been a challenge - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have thought about this process and the work involved since the day in July when they called to tell me I was accepted to the program. This process has affected every part of my life, in good ways and bad.

This process has truly tested my marriage. Bless my wonderful husband for my mood swings, my tears, my frustration, my complete neglect of cleaning the house and cooking in at least two months, and his patience to understand that I have to lock myself up each weekend to work. I remember calling Matt after my first NB class, telling him that the supervisor said if you were getting married, pregnant, moving, getting a divorce, thinking about any of these things, have a child under the age of 5, or don't have time for a part-time job, then you needed to get up and leave right then. I laughed at the time, but looking back now I know she was right. Along with my immense stubbornness and mentality that I can do anything I put my mind to, there has been the added pressure that I am doing this all on someone else's dime - making failure NOT an option.

This process has truly been a toll on every aspect of my life, including those outside my marriage. I am sad to say it has affected my relationship with Christ, impeding on my concentration in church and with my First Priority group at school. I am sorry to say that we have skipped church several times since the first of the year so I can have an extra 3 hours to write, since when I am at church I can't concentrate, make notes, and tap my foot until Matt tells me to stop. This process has almost taken everything out of me emotionally. I haven't really seen or spent time with my friends since early December, devoting every minute of the weekend to writing and preparing and reflecting. With my weekends devoted to NBs, that means I have had to spend extra hours at school each day. I can't even remember I day I left the school with the sun still out. Many nights the janitor comes to find me when he gets off at 7 to make me go home, refusing to let me be the only person in the building. The added stress and pressure and work have been indescribable. As silly as it sounds, I can't yet think of the day that I will get to take this big box full of 8 month's worth of work to the post office and mail it away without tears appearing. And then even worse - what if the results come back and I didn't pass.....

Along with my amazing husband, the only other thing that has gotten me through this is my support system at school. My coworkers, my teaching partner, and most of all my precious kids. I have to have 2 videos that are 15 minutes in length and must be UNedited and UNinterrupted. Well, the first video took 4 times to shoot, and I still ended up having to use a clip that had an interruption. My kids fussed at all the people that walked in (ignoring my signS on the door) and ruined my video - even the counselor and vice principal! Seeing the faces of all my sweet little ones when I tell them "I'm sending this in" and watching them do their best and check their spelling and grammar and then run to ask me "Will this get you a good grade?" It took me a few moments to compose myself before the last video shooting - one that I had ONE shot at (since along with being stubborn I am also a procrastinator). Before starting the video I was reminding my kids of the video rules - talking quietly in their group so the mic doesn't pick up everyone's noise, no getting up, no sharpening pencils, etc. One of my little girls stood up (in her chair) and said "Come on, guys! Let's do this really good for Mrs. Tanner so she gets an A!" which was followed by a round of applause. My kids have been amazing through this whole time and I know God had a plan when he put each of these kids in my class this year.

Well, I think that is enough reflection time for one day. More updates to come in the weeks ahead - hopefully one the day IT goes in the mail. I just hope ALL the work that went into it can fit in the box.....

The Icing on the Cake

My birthday began with surprises. The first one from my husband. After frustrating him by shaking the present to find it was a puzzle, I quickly opened it to find a panoramic puzzle of Times Square. The second surprise came once I got to work...

I walked into the 6th grade hall to find a teacher waiting for me and quickly pulled me into her classroom. She asked me all sorts of crazy questions, like asking me to name all my favorite Christmas carols. After a few minutes of this, I asked if she was stalling, sure that something was going on. With a big smile on her face she said, "Yes, so make yourself comfortable. I am supposed to stall until the tardy bell." After another ten minutes the tardy bell rang and I was off down the hall. I arrived at my classroom door to find this.....

Behind the cracked door I could hear "shhhh!" and "quiet!" and "she's coming!" I slowly opened the door to find all 46 kids crouched in the doorway with a handful of confetti and paper streamers. I quickly called Matt to drop the camera off at the school after finding the kids had arrived early to decorate my classroom, with the help and supervision of my team teacher, Mrs. Brown. In true party fashion, the kids brought a few yummies to share with the class. I got tons of hugs from the kids (the best present) and a few fun cards and surprises on my desk. My favorites included a Christmas light necklace that blinks, flowers, a football helmet animal bracelet, and several handmade cards. One was made by all my homeroom boys, complete with their sweet signatures and Alabama drawings. Another card came from one of the boys in my homeroom. It read, "Mrs. Tanner, I hope you have a great birthday. You are a great teacher. In "girl talk" that means: i <3 (heart) u!" All my birthday items are in my "Why I Became A Teacher" box; a box I keep around for those tough days on the job where I need a reminder of why I put my all into each day at work.


Here are a few pictures from the day....

The bookshelves in the back of the room

Decorations on the window (the balloons did not stay up for long, thanks to my boys)

The sign they made out of Kit-Kat candybars behind my desk

My sweet Yaseen, who teaches me more about sign language each day

While they remind me each day that they are all stubborn, anxious, and emotional preteens, they also reminded me that they are caring, funny, eager to please, sweet, and sneaky! I always said growing up that I would be a teacher, but NEVER for middle school. Funny thing is, now I can't imagine teaching anything else!

Tanner - Party of 17

Next on the update list is our cheerleader sleepover!

Last year, Jana - the other 8th grade cheer sponsor with me at HMS - and I started having a sleepover for their cheerleader Christmas party. This is something I have always wanted to do with the cheerleaders, but living in an apartment did not provide me enough space. (or insulation for noise!) The girls march in the Homewood Christmas Parade on the first Saturday in December each year, so we have the sleepover on the Friday night before and take them to the parade in the morning.

The night began with a group outing. We met at the Summit on Hwy 280 to eat dinner and watch a movie. The 17 girls and 4 adults (Jana and I with our poor husbands) ate at Macaroni Grill, where the girls colorfully decorated their tablecloth with the crayons given to us by our overwhelmed waiter. The highlight of dinner came toward the end. As if the 21 of us did not attract enough attention, the girls decided to make sure the restaurant noticed their table. A young woman was coming around to each table singing opera-style Christmas carols. Upon arriving at our table, the girls did not want to hear "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" or "Silent Night," they wanted "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." She did not get through the first line before all 17 girls were (loudly) singing along with her - and including the hand motions and the funny parts in between the verses. It was not long before the entire restaurant was looking our way - some even standing up or letting their small children stand in their chairs! The girls received quite a round of applause from the restaurant!

After dinner we took a short trip across the shopping mall to see The Blind Side as a group. Trying to find 21 seats together on the second week of the movie opening was difficult. The girls sat together while Jana, Will, Matt, and I sat a few rows behind. The movie was fantastic - all the girls loved it! (If you have not seen it, I strongly recommend it! It is wonderful!) A big surprise met us as we all walked out of the theatre together - SNOW flurries! As we headed to the cars while the girls boisterously sang their "We Rode With Matt" rap, Jana and I quickly caught up on weather updates, which were predicting 1-2 inches of snow and ice throughout the night. We packed the girls up and headed back to the house for more Christmas fun, worried that 17 girls could be snowed-in at our house!

Once arriving at the house, the girls unloaded and unpacked - but not before waking up our neighbors as they sang out in the snow in our driveway. Once inside, many changed into their pajamas and were eager to play! Jana brought items for them to build gingerbread houses, so the girls were broken into groups and got busy! They were VERY competitive, but only one team could win! After building, eating, and then demolishing, we played another game where the girls had to guess facts about their teammates that their mothers shared with us. We wrapped up the night by watching some old dance team and cheer videos of mine and Jana's. It was not long before the girls slowly disappeared downstairs and the rest were asking if they could go to bed!

Second Place!

The Winning House!

Erin is out on our deck around 1:00 am and yes - she is barefoot!

During their sing-along in the den

After a few hours of sleep, Jana and I were up and getting the girls ready for the parade. We were also greeted by quite a bit of snow, since the prediction was just "flurries." The girls took a few moments to walk around and play before heading to the parade. When I called to make sure the parade was still on, the man on the phone was very surprised at my question and almost seemed to wonder if I was joking. We found out shortly it was because Homewood did not get near the snow that we did in Hoover on top of the mountain. After a bitter cold parade with 17 chilly, sleepy girls, we walked back to teammate Riordan's house for breakfast and meeting moms. The girls had a great time, but Jana and I left the breakfast eager for a nap and the SEC championship game!

Giving Thanks

While there are so many things to update on, I will start with our Thanksgiving holidays.

We started our Thanksgiving holidays with a trip down to Dothan. After a rough start, we finally reached Dothan in the early morning hours of Wednesday. Matt and I awoke to the pitter-patter of little feet downstairs and whispers that sounded through the halls. It was Matt's two little cousin's kids - Lillie and Ella - twin girls eager to play. Breakfast was full of anticipation and excitement as Ella was cheered on by the table while she wiggled her loose front tooth. When a sixth graders pulls out a loose tooth, it is no big deal. I had forgotten the thrills of a little one pulling out her FRONT tooth! There were many cheers, applause, and pictures to be taken! The afternoon consisted of trying to get Lillie to come down from the tree in the backyard and Christmas shopping. We woke up Thursday morning and had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch with the family and had to say goodbye to our two favorite blonde twins and head to Auburn for the big football game on Friday.

Auburn was a good time! After riding with friends, David and Anna, from Dothan to Auburn we were able to catch up on recent happenings. Friday was full of friends, tailgating, and football! After a VERY eventful football game, both Matt and I surprisingly left the game "happy." I say "happy" because although his team played very well, they lost and while my team did not play very well, we won. (Editor's note: I have been asked to clarify "happy." Matt was in no way happy about the loss, but happy about the apparent direction his Auburn program is headed in, but hey - whatever - it's my red Alabama star on top of our football tree in the den.) We wrapped up the night with a nice dinner with lots of Auburn friends to close the football season until next year. Again, we stayed with more friends and woke up again to the sounds of pitter-pattering little feet downstairs and whispers. However, these whispers came from Sarah and Joseph's little boys, Ford and Luke, wondering when we would be up to play. Ford came up to show us that he got to sleep in the playroom (since we took his bed) and then showed us his new toys downstairs. After visiting with the family for a bit, it was back to Birmingham.


Once back in Birmingham, Christmas came a bit early for us! Some neighbors in mom and dad's neighborhood were looking to get rid of some of their dining room furniture. After getting back in town on Saturday afternoon we went by to look at the furniture and were eager to take it off their hands. So now we have a dining room, complete with table, chairs, china cabinet, and buffet table. It may need some work this summer, but we are glad to give it a new home!

Orleans Outing

Last weekend Matt and I took a short weekend trip with a few friends down to New Orleans. The purpose of the trip was the Auburn - LSU game, however, we did not go to Baton Rouge for the game. Matt and I decided to fly down since the airfare was cheap. We left after work on Friday and met up with our group that night. Years ago Matt and his friends agreed to meet up in New Orleans every 2 years for this game, so we met up with 12 other people and stayed in a Victorian house which was very interesting! The style of the house was unique and the bathrooms were certainly authentic! I think it has been my first time to pull a chain from above to flush a toilet and take a shower in a footed bathtub! If you are interested in seeing the house, here it the website where you can see pictures: http://www.victorianhousenola.com/

While I can't say that New Orleans was one of my top places to visit, it was quite a place to see! For someone who loves people-watching as much as I do, I think I found the perfect spot! We also found many great places to eat around the city. I must also mention that while Bourbon Street is an interesting place to be, the strangeness reaches a whole new level on the Saturday night before Halloween! While the men watched the second half of the Auburn game in a restaurant, the girls were able to step outside for a bit and see the large city Halloween parade. The floats and costumes were unbelievable! I have seen hard work and creativity in other floats, but these were amazing! And there are never more unexpected surprises than running into former students (from last year) with their dads on Bourbon Street just after midnight on the eve of an LSU win! Of all the sounds from the bands and bars and thousands of people walking on Bourbon Street, there is nothing quite as strange as hearing "Mrs Tanner!" Before flying out on Sunday afternoon, Matt and I were able to spend another day walking around the city. We ate beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde and walked around Jackson Square while having a quiet lunch in a local cafe. As we left we were also able to briefly see some of the remaining damage of Hurricane Katrina from the cab.

I must also admit that the highlight of my trip came on the plane ride home. After a brief 30 minutes in the air, as we were asked to put our tray tables back in their upright positions, Matt's friend, Rory, told us to look out the window. On the clear, October day we could perfectly see Bryant-Denny stadium, the U of A quad, the Coliseum, Tutwiler, and I was even able to find the sorority house! I don't think the planefull of Auburn fans quite felt my excitement, but it brightened my weekend!

Beginnings

Well, after much encouragement, Matt and I decided it was time to jump on the blogging bandwagon. Hopefully this will be a great way for us to share what is going on in our crazy, busy, over-scheduled life! I know this will be quite the endeavor for me to write just once a week, since just finding a name for our blog took much longer than I expected. Our final decision came from a friend, Chris Tanner, who is quick to remind us that Matt and I run on our time schedule, which he affectionately calls "Tanner Time." It only seemed fitting for the place where we would share what is going on in our lives.

As I write, it is a typical fall Saturday in the Tanner House. Football is on the tv, ungraded papers sit next to me in stacks, and I am still in my pajamas. Matt recently bought a new laptop to work on some of his other design projects outside of work, so it looks like a day that will be mixed with work and play for both of us. The unusual happenings are outside. Along with the strange 50 degree weather for mid-October, it is quite noisy outside. After Matt has owned this house for close to 3 years, we are finally having the house painted! The crew arrived this morning and are pressure washing the house and starting some of the repair work on the windows and exterior. I can't wait for the day to come this week when I will arrive home and the house will no longer be a blinding white with deep stained cedar shingles, but a khaki color that actually compliments the brick. Other than the kitchen updates and repairs, this is the other big house project I have been waiting for! I will be sure to post pictures of the final product!

The homecoming dance tonight will wrap up a crazy week for me. It was homecoming week at the middle school - that means dress up days, door decorations, pep rally, football games, cheer practice, decorating for the football players, hyper children - all the things that drive teachers crazy. The dance tonight means I have made it through all that. The highlight of the week came on Thursday - as I relived the 80s and danced with several other teachers at the school pep rally as Michael Jackson during the song "Beat It" and then sitting through 2 football games in the pouring rain while I watched my girls destroy their new white uniforms in the mud. It has been quite the week and I have not been so thankful for a weekend in a while!

In other pursuits in our lives, I have taken on National Board Certification as well this year. While this is such an important certification for teachers (and also means a raise), it does not come without a lot of work. I have already been in classes on Thursday afternoons between school and the football games. There is a lot of reading, a lot of preparing, and a lot more work ahead. Matt and I knew this would not be easy and would mean a lot of work, but hopefully it will pay off in the end. Since Matt has had to sell most of his Auburn season football tickets for me to stay home and study, he is also hoping it will be worth it in the end!

Now it is time for me to grade papers, get ready for the dance, pull the Tide through a homecoming victory, and making our chili for my starving husband......