Pumpkin, Seeds, PSL

Busiest week of the year... good to see you. I'm exhausted and it's Wednesday and I've got long days ahead of me. So I needed a happy post to get me through it. Pumpkins make me happy. Pumpkin seeds make me really happy. And PSLs, or pumpkin spice lattes make me jump up and down. (technically this post has nothing to do with PSLs... I just threw it in because it's super blogger-y) 

Duck Dude, his sister, and I carved pumpkins last Saturday!! I have one goal with pumpkin carving... get the seeds out!!! I love cooking those things. We made two different flavors.

Worcestershire Seeds

1 1/2 cups of seeds

3 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of garlic salt

(We really just threw stuff in until we thought it looked right!)

Cinnamon Sugar Seeds

1 1/2 cups of seeds 

2 tablespoons of melted butter

2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

a dash of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon of salt

We baked ours at 300 for 45 minutes. The cinnamon sugar seeds took about 15 minutes longer though, so an hour total. Both were awesome and I think we would carve more pumpkins just to try more seeds! Love them! 

Here are our pumpkins! Duck Dude went for the free hand approach. His sister and I used a stencil. Duck Dude thinks he automatically wins because of his free hand... of a fish... for Halloween. I think his sister's is the best. I went for the cute Halloween approach. Since I hate Halloween, I wouldn't want anything to be too scary so it's like "Ah, a ghost... oh wait.. it's a friendly ghost! Like Casper! Casper the Pumpkin Ghost! Cute!"

More Fun Than Halloween

As I was thinking about my least favorite day of the year approaching.. I started making a list in my head of things that are more fun to do than Halloween. Here's what I came up with:

1. Go to a volleyball tournament. I am so sad that my volleyball tournament falls on Halloween this year. NOT! I just need to make sure my athletes do not have a sugar crash from their sugar high.

2. Eating candy. Instead of passing it out. My mom keeps candy all around the house at all times of the year. It's way more fun to just eat this candy rather than giving it away just to have to replace it again. Plus, everyone gives out chocolate.. because everyone loves chocolate........except for me. I hate chocolate. So I never got candy I would eat... if I actually made it out to trick or treat. I'd rather just sit and eat candy that I like and that I picked out myself.

3. Acupuncture - I've never done it. I don't plan to do it. But it's got to be more fun than Halloween. Halloween is the worst holiday slash day of the entire year. Valentines day is a close second, but Halloween is a "holiday" where you pay to get the color, blood, and guts scared out of you. So acupuncture has to be more fun than Halloween.

4. Count the number of minutes until the next season of the Bachelor begins!!! Seriously, my Monday nights are super thrown off when there is no bachelor/ette. My apartment also stays super dirty because it doesn't get cleaned because people are coming over. I don't have any Tierra-ble the Great comments to make and my sparkle is fading. All is right in the world when the Bachelor is playing on my tv on Monday nights. I'm forgetting what Juan Pablo's professional soccer body looks like. 

5. Go to Painting with a Twist! Instead of going to a haunted house where I would most likely literally pee in my pants, I'm going to paint this little diddy. He is nameless right now, but I am beyond happy to have him in my possession after 10 o'clock tonight. If mine looks 70% cute as this little guy, I will be happy.

Stay tuned on Monday to see my artistic ability or lack there of! 

Happy Friday!

My Newsletter

I send out a newsletter every Monday morning for my students’ parents. That’s a lot of newsletters, so I try to keep them interesting. I’ve never been good at the talking all professional, so I find it’s better for all parties involved if I just keep it real.

Things like this might be included, but not limited to:

     - I’ll get my act together over here on this side of the computer screen

     - Wam Bam! There’s your math lesson for the day

     - Not like a g6.. but like a 6g!

     - If you’re missing your child singing math songs around the house, do not worry… more are coming your way!!

     - Don’t be alarmed by my use of exclamation points. I just get excited. 

     - Peace, love, and numbers

I just type what comes to me. I like to think of it as a gift. Anyways, yesterday I was affirmed, not once.. but twice.. that people like my newsletters. Basically, this a post to brag about how awesome I felt yesterday… but the teachers out there know it’s nice to receive an email that contains praise instead of complaints! And they were back to back! Sent seven minutes apart! The first one was short and sweet: "you crack me up, keep up the good work!" That’s basically telling me I’m hilarious… holla at your funny girl!!

The second one reminds me why I teach… we’ll ignore the fact that she spelled my name wrong because of all the great things that follow:

“Hello Molly,

My son “Drew” is in your math class. I just wanted you to know, from a parent, how much I appreciate you taking the time to send out these email updates and study guides for tests, etc.  I know it is extra work for you and I just wanted you to know it is greatly appreciated!  Have a great day!  By the way, “Drew” raves about what a great teacher you are and, up until this year, math had always been one of his least favorite subjects. Looks like you have gone a long way in changing his opinion about math!  Thanks so much!!”

Let’s focus on the most important part... changing his opinion!!!!!! I want everyone’s favorite subject to be math!!!! And while that might be slightly unrealistic, I can at least add one student to the category.

My day was made. 

BUHC13

If I were to replace Hank Williams lyrics with words for my family it would be this:

Hey Mollie,
Why do you [stand in front of a blazing fire]?
(To take sic em pictures)
Why do you [wake up at 7 am on sat]?
(To watch the parade!!)
Why must you live out the [traditions that you keep]?
Over and over everybody makes [game] predictions,
So if [bleed green and gold], I'm just carrying on an old family tradition.

7 of the 10 cousins have gone to Baylor. It's seriously glorious. So I asked everyone last night a simple question, 
"What is your favorite part about homecoming weekend?"
Cousin #2 (that's me!!) - the nostalgia-y part of the weekend. How one random minute can throw any one person into a story about "their times" at Baylor. I love stories. 
Cousin #3 - Playing girl or car...... (this might be a game we play where the boys decide whether they'd rather have the girl or the car they're riding in.. sometimes it's a difficult game... I definitely chose David Murphy as he went by.... hiiiiiiii David!!!!)
Cousin #6 - My favorite part of homecoming is sitting on the curb with all my family for the parade...... and winning football games! Sic em!
Cousin #7 - my favorite part of homecoming is the parade with our whole family. More specifically, taking pictures at the parade!!! It is so fun to go watch the cousins grow up year after year on the curb of 5th street. Also, so there is candy, so you can't go wrong with that. 
Cousin #8 - sitting in the same spot on the curb as a family for the parade every year
Cousin #9 - I mean, I'd be lying if I didn't say the football game.. But I also loved freshman mass meeting.

My mom wrapped up almost everyone's sentiments and simply said, "The curb."

Everything about the entire weekend was phenomenal. I loved it all. Until next year buhc... 

He's so good at the bear claw and he's just a freshman!!

My sisters incredible float!!!

The two winning floats.. but I loved my sisters hard work!!!

The curb picture

The standing Sic Em picture!!

Tailgating with the roomies!!!

In case you didn't know... 71-7. the end. 

BBL: Part Three

Just so many good things on this list. The first day I told you there were 77 items on the list. How many things have I physically checked off? 48. Yup. I am proud of that number. Here’s the last two pages:

Things I have  checked off.

• Watch a Baylor Theater production – the first time I did this it was mandatory for Art appreciation… then I loved it and I went back for every musical. Baylor has some seriously talented people.
• Chow down on a Vitek’s gut pack – the coolest thing about checking this one off is I can say for a fact that my dad checked this off when he was a student and so did my grandfather. 
• Consume a George’s chicken fried steak – I have eaten their chicken fried steak, but Pat Green’s favorite (southside chicken) is my go to choice at George’s. A grilled chicken breast with guacamole and pico on top? Fantastic.

George's at Homecoming is even better!

•  Chomp a Poppa Rollo’s Pizza – Absolutely. It’s a super cool place with excellent pizza. If you haven’t been - Go! (Is anyone surprised I was 5 for 6 in the food category? Me either)
• Dia Del Oso – Only the greatest national holiday there is. Oh.. it’s not a national holiday? Wellll. We act like it. That’s the day I get to hang out with Brittany Griner and no one thinks twice about it!

I love it so much I go back as an alumni

• All University Sing – the greatest 4 hours you will spend sitting in a theater. I’m forcing Duck Dude to come this next year because the blonde will be performing in it!!! It’s unbelievable what these college kids can do!
• Hear a guest speaker at Chapel – say what you will about being forced to go to Chapel and not be on your phone. I loved it. I loved 85% of the speakers, music, and talent that came in. My first ever class (chapel) was listening to the David Crowder Band… I texted my mom and said, “I think I’m gonna be just fine here.”
• Chat with a professor over coffee or send a thank you note to your favorite professor – I’ve never been shy about my favorite professor.. Dr. Meyer.. now Rogers.. but she’ll always be Dr. Meyer to me. She didn’t just have coffee with us.. she invited us into her home and she prepared me to be the awesome teacher that I am. I not only wrote her a thank you note after my first year of teaching I sent it to the dean of the education school because I think she’s that phenomenal. I cannot wait to see her this weekend.

• Get your diploma and display it proudly – Ok, mine might still be rolled up in the little tube… but I got it and I am proud of it!! I am proud to be an alumni from the greatest university on the planet.

Things I have yet to do… key word yet.

•  Nibble on Oriental fries at Kitok’s – I’ve never heard of this eating establishment… but it sounds interesting… maybe I’ll have to find it this weekend.
• Bearathon – The red head and I trained for about one week for the Bearathon…. And then we stopped. So that’s like a half check.
• Read or study in a tree hammock beside Carroll Science – This is also where people do those tight rope walking things… I don’t think I’ll ever check this one off.. and I’m ok with that.

Yeah, not for me. 

• Grab lunch in East Village Dining Commons – This just opened up this year and I am hoping to check it off this weekend!!! Baylor’s dining halls are ridiculous and actually pretty good.

These lists have gotten me so excited for this weekend!!! Only 24 hours and I will be southbound 35 and on my way to Waco, Texas on the almost beautiful Brazos river with my family and my friends and having the time of my life.

See you soon, spot on the sidewalk for the parade, see. you. soon.