Gimme a Break

I. LOVE. BEING. ON. BREAK.

It is so so so great. So great, in fact, that this break has felt like 42 seconds long to me. The past week has gone by so quickly that I really can't believe it's been a regulation-length-week. We've been to Philadelphia, back to Chicago, up to Libertyville, further up to Cedar Grove, back down to Lansing, up again to Chicago, and now tonight I finally sit next to Brian on our couch in Villa Park, nagging him to attend to writing letters of recommendation for his students. I'm not much better, as I have plenty of unit planning and resource-hunting on my to-do list that is being ignored in its own right. We're pretty exhausted, burned out, and ready to finally sleep in for once, but it has been an awesome 8 days thus far. While looking back makes it all seem like a blur, there are great themes that stick out in my mind, defining the chaos of event after event a little more clearly into focus. It mostly all revolves around family.

I got to see Philadelphia, where Brian grew up until he was 14. One goofy part of that trip was a trip to the Xfinity Live! sports bar that quite the spectacle. We went there to watch the Eagles game (pronounced egg-uhlz) with a few of his cousins. All I can say that it was a land flowing with beer and nachos, complete with the scantily clad cheerleaders (I let my own feminist statement be known about the cheerleaders before we proceeded to watch most of the game...) and rowdy fans. It explained a lot about what it means to be a sports fan in Philly, which really addresses what it means to be a human in Philly. They are passionate about their sports. We also got a tour of Delaware County Christian School, the school in Pennsylvania where Brian attended from Kindergarten through 8th Grade. It has a beautiful campus, a great history, and a solid foundation. I love the school where I teach, and it's encouraging to see brilliant people putting their talents toward helping kids discover who they were made to be. That "great cloud of witnesses" line comes to mind when I have experiences like this. My in-laws met on that campus (high school sweethearts!), Brian's grandma used to work in the office there, Brian's aunt taught second grade there, and he and lots of his family members received an awesome foundation as students there. The current head of school at DCC used to be Brian's professor at Wheaton, so it was cool to get an inside look at a place so important to Brian's formation. The best part of the trip, by far, was spending time with the Whartnaby clan. We had a Christmas party, ate lots of chicken parmesan, and made great memories. The whole trip out east was really great for me. I got to connect with my new aunts, uncles, and cousins, but I also got to have a bigger perspective of who my husband is. I could really get a good vibe of where his roots began, thanks to the many driving tours my father-in-law provided through the different suburbs and city of Philadelphia. I love that being married means discovering more and more about the man I married with each milestone and month that passes. It only makes me love him more.

Not only were we able to see the east coast family, it was a busy week of family goodness at our midwest Christmases. We did Christmas Eve Whartnaby-style with a nativity play at their church and dinner at the neighbors' house. (I'm finding that Italian families do holiday food in the best possible way. Can you say lobster pasta, king crab, and wine all around?) Late that night we jetted up to Wisconsin for Christmas Day with my family, where my heart was full to see both of my siblings, my sisters-in-law, and Sawyer and Xander all together with my parents for Christmas morning. The last time we were all together was at the wedding, and it felt so good to all be together again. I got to see my Grandpa Gesch, Great Aunt Nelda open their presents, right next to little Xander, playing with his latest Ninja Turtle present. I heard it said in church this morning how we often spend the holidays distracted and distant, when it is just the time to be grounded and focused on the main things. This Christmas, spent surrounded by my family, helped ground me in gratitude for the blessings I have in my life. I surely don't want to take them for granted. So while this break has been hectic, it's definitely been worth it. I'll be spending the last few days of 2014 reading, sleeping, and catching up on life, thinking about the last week with a smile on my face.

 

Things Lately

Life lately is, well, like a usual teacher's life in the last ten days before Christmas break: all over the place. We've been incredibly busy, yet not all that busy at the same time. Busy with school, with work, with obligations, but not yet busy out and about and living the Christmas-y December life. We are running around with end-of-semester student projects, Christmas programs, finals, and grading. Here's a few things going on in my life lately:

1. Serial. FE:OIWJFE:OWIEJFW:OEIJ:A:LKJWELRKF. That's all I have to say. It's so good. Sarah Koenig has me hanging on to her every word. She brilliantly, fairly, and ever-so-cleanly investigates a murder that occurred in Baltimore in 1999 through a series of podcasts. That year, a high school boy named Adnan Syed was put in prison for the death of his ex-girlfriend based on very little physical evidence, one friend's testimony, and phone records that seemed to indicate his guilt. With a little prodding, Sarah is finding more and more holes, questions, and coincidences than she's finding answers. We all get the privilege to ride along and see where it goes, the fate of this man, now in his thirties, hanging in the balance. People. Go take a listen.

2. Brian Regan. Mel's family has famously followed Brian Regan's comedy for as long as I've known them. Her dad is always good for a little quote sesh on the spot. Well, this weekend her friends were invited along with the Lawrence crew for a live show of his at The Chicago Theater. I had lost my voice at that point (see #3 on this list) and was squeaking out these raspy laughs all night. 

3. Dayquil. It's that time of the teaching year. Second graders tend to spread their slime without consideration of the state of community health, and I've finally succumbed to the barrage of germs that come in my direction daily. Unfortunately for Brian, he is realizing that having an elementary school teacher as his roommate means that he also gets the benefit of strengthening his immune system through exposure. We've been going to sleep at 8:45 at night lately. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the extra sleep/reading/cuddle time, even if we are kind of miserable. We're miserable together! #marriageperks  

4. Harry Potter. Oh yes, for the first time. Today I told my friend Sam that I was reading the series for the first time ever. She gave me a puzzled look, saying that she always thought of me as a book-y person and could not believe that I hadn't read them before. Well, sadly, it is true. Not sadly, when everyone else was reading Harry Potter in middle school, I was working my way through the Chronicles of Narnia, so not all was lost in those early years. I got to know Digory and Polly and Tumnus and Lucy, and all was well. Now I get the joy of cheering on Griffyndor, loathing Malfoy, and living vicariously through the most curious and brave three best friends  I could imagine. I finished the first book yesterday and am absolutely hooked. 

5. Birchwood Kitchen. I've been trying to get to this place for forever! Brian and I tried going last year and ended up with the prospect of waiting for a table for over an hour. We ditched that and went to, of course, Smoke Daddy instead. Thankfully, Michal and Reese were free this morning and also wanted to try it out. It was delish and had an adorable little atmosphere. The company was the best part of the meal. 

Soon I will add Christmas Programs, End-of-Year Christmas Parties, and Flights to Phiadelphia on this list of things lately in my life. But that's next week. We'll take it one at a time over here. 

Cut and Paste

Pinterest. It used to be this cool website where I kept all of my ideas of what I want to wear, eat, and do on a daily basis. I absolutely love all of the outfits that I "pinned" to my virtual bulletin board and I can honestly say that my board devoted to Small Baby Animals has turned a bad mood around once or twice. While I suppose Pinterest is still all of that to me, it has now become my biggest source of Professional Development.

Elementary teachers everywhere: forget your curriculum, drop out of your master's courses, and just go on Pinterest. It will have the same effect on your teaching and it's free. I'm sure I'm the absolute last TFA-er to maximize Pinterest for the benefit of their teaching, but I always thought: "No, Anna, you should stick to exactly every activity the curriculum says to do because who knows what they'll say if they come in to observe and you're doing something you're not supposed to be doing." First of all, they won't be upset if my kids are engaged and excited to learn about something in a creative way...they aren't all that scary anyway. Second of all, KIDS SHOULD HAVE FUN AT SCHOOL AND I'M SICK OF STANDARDIZED TEST PREP AND I WANT TO DO FUN THINGS. So Pinterest it is. And Pinterest it shall be. Last week we did a Christmas tree activity that helped us practice using a ruler to measure to the nearest inch. And listen here. If you would have told me that throwing out some scissors and glue would make a room that contains 14 squirrelly 6-year-old boys (and let me tell you what the other 7 girls aren't lacking in spunk either) turn into a place of extreme focus, I would have slapped you.

But here we are, and now I am searching for cut-and-paste activities for every single lesson. Check out my cuties getting into the Christmas spirit. Four more days until break people. FOUR MORE DAYS!

 

Baby It's Cold Outside

Okay before I start my writing, can we all agree that the song to which this post's title refers is a thinly-veiled poppy version of date rape?! "I really can't stay?" "Say what's in this drink?" Terrible. Girls, it might be cold outside, but get the heck out of that guy's apartment. Put the hat back on, go home, and deadbolt that door.

....Pause for a reflection of this creepy song and a transition to fun things....

Now, onto the warmth and cheer. It has been freezing outside. I got into my car this morning and the temperature on the dash read -3. Negative three. Gah. Yet with this abominable weather, there have been some lovely little moments. And, of all places, these moments happened outside in the midst of the frozen tundra. I absolutely hate being cold yet here God put all these fun moments in my life, right in the middle of negative degrees and numb noses. Sorry that sounds sentimental, but I am sentimental. I'm overtired, and I taught Christmas activities to antsy overtired children all day, and I'm in grad class on the last night of the semester, and therefore I'm loopy and therefore sentimental. Oh well. Here are some positive moments from the past few weeks when the temperatures were in the negatives.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we took part in the Christmas parade in the tiny town adjacent to the tiny town in which I was raised. Sawyer was a little elf (very cute I might add) on the float and I was the official face-painter and sign-maker and glow-stick-passer-outer-to-the-crowds-er for my dad's business. Ah small town life. And a backseat selfie. 

It's hats and hoods and gloves time at recess. My kids love going outside, even in the cold. It makes me rethink my laziness of my "I don't wanna go out there" when it's freezing cold and consider the joy of a six-year-old going down a slippery snowy slide. And also the joy of a fur hood selfie. There's that too. 

Karley and Sam asked if Brian and I wanted to walk around The Magnificent Mile to see the lights. I hadn't been downtown in forever - funny how living in a big city makes you take the touristy things for granted - but it was awesome to stroll in and out of shops, sip hot chocolate, and soak up the Christmas spirit. And, of course, another selfie. SO MANY SELFIES. 

To and Fro

The past ten days have been a whirlwind of goodness, busy-ness (someone please cue me in on the proper spelling of the word that means the essence of being busy), and familyness. I finished up my last week of teaching in December (PRAISE!) and have officially enjoyed 4 days of my Christmas break...which by the way...the thing about Christmas break...

...is that it is awesome. Tomorrow I jet off to California to visit my dear friend Lauren (!!!!!!) for 6 days and am spending today catching up with some old friends, packing, and soaking up the last bit of Wisconsin on this break. On Friday the 21st, I drove straight up to Wisconsin from my school, only to drive back down to Chicago on Saturday the 22nd for family activities, only to drive back up to Wisconsin on the 24th for MORE family activities. Dang. Here is a chronology of pictures to tell you what I've been up to these past few days free from school and obligation.

The Morning Message (a daily tradition) last Thursday. So close to break! 

These came on Tuesday to my classroom on my lunch break. Gawgeous.

Home sweet home. Alex thought I looked J Crew worthy in my glasses.

Was going through papers to grade and found this gem.

Every year we go to the Ritsmans' house on Christmas Eve to play
an epic game of Risk. I stockpiled armies up in Siberia but I think
they got too chilly and didn't serve me well. 

A gift of a bundt pan and ingredients. I think
my mother is trying to send me a message. 

From my parents. 

You know you're in Wisconsin when Brandy and Milk combine for
a Christmas cocktail. Nutmeg on top made it delish.

SO. GOOD. I cried. 

This was in the foreward to the new book I'm reading, The Promise by
Chaim Potok. It is great so far. This is why books are so important.

My new favorite shirt. 

This poster was found while at a truck stop for breakfast.
There are no words. 

So Happy Together

Sam. This chick's necklace game is always killer.  

On Saturday night I went downtown for Teach For America's Holiday party. We got to get all gussied up to hit up Macy's downtown on the ninth floor. Pretty fancy schmancy. We hung out, had drinks, danced, and just enjoyed being together again. I realize how much impact these people had on my life in such a short time when we get nights together like this. Since I'm the only Teach For America person at my school, I soak up any chance I get to be with those who are doing this crazy thing alongside of me in Chicago. Love them to pieces. Great way to start off the holiday cheer. 

Julia, Colin, and Sam. Amazing teachers and human beings. We all
taught at the same school for summer school Institute. 

Mackenzie. Runner and fungirl extraordinaire. These are my new glasses, BTW. 

Uh oh they're picking me up. This turned out badly. 

Bathroom pic after a night of dancing and fun. I'd say it was a holiday party success. 

Flo-Rida

Well, it's a rough life. After a strenuous travel schedule...

...I've spent the past few nights at this little old place...

...and worked long days for this demanding boss.

The day after Christmas, I got to fly out to Florida for this whole week to help take care of some of my favorite kids. The family I nannied for all summer asked me to come down and make their vacation run a little more smoothly, and it has been fabulous since the moment I stepped off that plane. I got my usual two (brother and sister) plus their two cousins. Four kids aged 5 and under + craft time + Anna = a hoot and a half. (Don't mind the hick expression.) The family is amazing and I feel really special to be a part of their Christmas vacation. The one small downside to babysitting in Florida is that you don't get the tan while inside tending to nap schedules. But guess what?

I fly back here with my family in ONE week for our own Christmas vacation. How bout that? I get the fun of these kids now and then next week I get my tan. How much more could a girl ask for?

 I've had such a great Christmas break I'm starting to go in denial that it will, eventually, have to come to an end. And that means my last semester begins. And that means at the end of that semester I graduate. And that means I've got to have some sort of life plan hatched up by then. Let's stop thinking those scary thoughts and be distracted by some of my Christmas presents from this year. 

Some fab boots from DSW and some FLY Coloud headphones

Vera Bradley makeup thingy (love the print) and a new suitcase!
Note packing process that fit in said suitcase. Success!

Oooooo. Aaaaaahhh. I feel better already.

Happy Christmas, Friends!

(Yep, went with the Happy in my greeting instead of the Merry. John and Yoko just inspired me to diversify a little bit.)

Readers, have yourself a fabulous day with family, friends, food, and football (Go Pack)! In the midst of all that stuff let's not forget the person this whole Christmas shin dig celebrates in the first place, okay? I love Christmas for that constant reminder and the joy it brings to my mind during the daily shuffle of this time of year. How wonderful is this life we have because of who Christmas stands for?! It's so sweet it gives me goosebumps if I think about it for too long.

For your general enjoyment, I thought I'd share one of my favorite you-tubers. His name is Mike Tompkins and puts together music videos only using his own voice as accompaniment. Nothing else. It's really cool.

(And to all my Spanish friends out there...¡Feliz Navidad para ti y tuyo!)

Gifts for the Rents

Every year, I struggle with figuring out a Christmas gift for each of my parents. My dad doesn't want much, and if he does truly want something, he will just go buy it. My mom, while I know would love certain things, rarely articulates what she does. I really like to give thoughtful gifts that capture the occasion. But with the very people who raised me, I draw a blank.

Let me just confess:  I've literally once considered buying my father a shoehorn. Whew. I said it. It's sad, but it just felt good to admit.

But this year was different. I'm actually pretty proud of both selections. And, interestingly, both gifts were a collaboration. For my dad, I joined efforts with my brother Alex to make this happen. The third season of the Sopranos. There's more behind this too.

My dad has this obsession with the mob. He is a guy that tries to take the high road. While he is, in every other area of his life, extremely principled and unwavering when it comes to following rules, I think the mobsters play into that small part of him that appreciates vigilante justice. My dad's thoughts on the mafia: "I know it's not right to kill people, but I gotta say, you don't keep your word with the mob and you don't get away with it. You cross them and POW! They whack you."

He loves the Godfather, as well as reruns of The Sopranos, and mentioned a few weeks ago that he wished he had the third season, unknowing that my gift-giving-radar was on high alert. BOOM. Add one mental note-to-self taken in Anna's brain, combine with a stellar free shipping order on Amazon by Alex, and you have one well coordinated and necessary gift. Dad is a happy camper. Now on to Mom. The trickier of the two.

I've debated in my mind on "mom gifts" for awhile. While I KNOW she loves those stores with all the kitchen/cleaning/organizational supplies and latest gadgets, I sometimes get the odd feeling that buying her a gift in that category reduces her to the chores she does around the house like cooking or cleaning. So I'd be getting her something that she likes and wants, but I'm scared to send the message. Like in Father of the Bride when the girl gets all offended because her fiance buys her a blender. Get what I mean? Either way, it makes buying a gift difficult.

Well, I was racking my brain about options and it came to me: Buy her the stuff AND make her life less stressful. Enter our bathroom towel/medicine/cleaning supply closet.

My "gift tag" on the door 

It is a pretty large closet that, over the years, (no offense Mom) has gone completely Lindsay Lohan on us. Out of control.

So. For her present, I partnered up with my dad who was all about the idea. I took a little trip over to The Container Store and bought some organizational stuff funded by my business partner, while I provided the manpower and creative genius. Just about four hours later, after lots of throwing stuff out (2 garbage bags full!) the job was done. A completely organized closet with brand new bins and fun containers. She gets new stuff and a fresh look at what she's got to work with.

As a respect to my mom, I didn't include a "before" picture. But here's the "after." And let me tell you, it is a HUGE difference. If I do say so myself.

So, let's just say that Parent or Guardian Christmas Gifts 2011 is a success in the Gesch household. What have we learned? We've learned that two things are key: 1) Collaboration, and  2) Making Mom's life easier. Well, those two things are key in most of life's situations. I'm already accepting input for 2012...let's get the ball rolling.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

This post is rated 21 and up. Well, not really. You can still read it, but don't come crying to me that you aren't old enough to buy the ingredients. You've been warned. 

I whipped up a batch of these for my friend's bachelorette party the other night and it was a hit. I thought you, also, might enjoy being a hit, so here is the secret to holiday drink goodness. My friends, I give you: The Grasshopper. A sure-fire addition to any Christmas or New Year's party. Or any party for that matter.

I did a little research (Wikipedia is so handy) and found out that this cocktail originated in New Orleans at a bar named Tujague's in the 1950s. Well, my recipe originated in Cedar Grove from the Gesches sometime in the 90s or something. It combines minty goodness and ice cream and is fabulous. 

Here's what you'll need:

1) A thing of Cool Whip.
(And yes "thing" is a technical term of measurement)

2) A 5-quart bucket of vanilla ice cream.
Ideally a limited edition Green Bay Packer vanilla ice cream.

3) 1/2 cup of Creme de Cacao and 1 and 1/2 cup of Creme De Menthe
This is what makes it delicious, green, and minty.

4) A really big bowl

Let's do this. Before you start I would advise letting all the ingredients sit on the counter for about 15 minutes to thaw. It will let the ice cream and cool whip soften up and make this whole process a lot more painless.  

First things first, spoon almost all of the vanilla ice cream into the big bowl. I'd leave out a little bit because the finished product is going back in that 5-quart Packer-themed bucket. After the ice cream, add in all the cool whip in a similar fashion. 

Now, throw in the Creme de Cacao and Creme de Menthe. It will look really green and weird. Like this:

Now you start stirring. As you can see from the picture, I am using a massive spoon. It is the most handy spoon in our whole kitchen, but I have theories that it was once one of those decorative ones you nail to the wall to look country chic or something. However it got here, I'm glad it's around because it makes this job a lot easier. It will start to look more like this...

...which, I know, does not look appetizing, but we all know never to judge a recipe until it's finished. Or books by their covers. Or people by their appearance. Check you out, thought you were just getting a delicious how-to session and I slipped in a life lesson when you weren't looking. Anyway. When you break into Jillian Michaels beast mode and flex those stirring muscles, the end result will look like this: 

As you can see, in the end I called in the whisk for reinforcements. Your hard work is almost done. Now, all that is left to do is pour this finished mixture back into the empty ice cream bucket. This makes it super easy to tote around and seal back up. 

Keep it in the freezer and it will last you for a LONG time. Unless you have to entertain 40 people, then it will be gone immediately. Just scoop it out into little cups for everyone's happiness, minty-ness, and holiday cheer. Even if you are the lame one in the group, bringing a bucket of this will boost your ratings, guaranteed. Now go forth and conquer! 

2 out of 2 friends agree that this is delicious.

Truffs. (Truffles.)

Get with it with the abbrevs. I hope you're catching on.

I'm no Rachel Ray. My palate is about as refined as a 7-11 on a Friday night. (Weird simile, sorry.) But I appreciate good food from time to time. Know what I appreciate most of all? Delicious chocolate truffles. Thanks to my dear friend Nicole and her famous truffle recipe, I was able to make this delicious confection possible. Let me take you through the process. This is your list of ingredients:

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 bags of milk chocolate chips
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup crushed chocolate cookie
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 bag white chocolate chips (or white chocolate bark)

Let's DO this thing. Step #1: Stand in awe of the caloric value on your kitchen counter. It is truly mind-boggling. Let it sink in...and move on. These things are worth it.

Step #2: Put the butter and heavy whipping cream in a saucepan. Bring those ingredients to a boil.

Step #3: Add ONE of the bags of milk chocolate chips to the boiling mixture. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the crushed chocolate cookies.

Step #4: Pour the contents of the aforementioned saucepan onto an aluminum-foil-lined cookie sheet. Put in the fridge.

Step #5: Take the cooled mixture and form into little chocolate balls, like pictured above. This will be the filling of your truffles. Put them back in the fridge or freezer to make sure they stay all together.

Step #6: Before you started this process, you added a little oil to all the chocolate chips you melt (both milk and white chocolate). Just letting you know what you did already. Now melt the OTHER bag of milk chocolate chips and dunk the truffles you already started forming in the melted chocolate. Like above. Put back in the fridge to cool.

Step #7: This is where those white chocolate chips come in (remember you already put a little oil in there?). Melt them. In the microwave. It's the easiest way. 

Step #8: Use a spoon to drizzle the melted white chocolate on top of the truffles, like so. It makes it look all fancy. (Nicole, the originator of this recipe, cringes when I do this step. She is much more OCD and neat whilst drizzling. Personally, I like to take the Jackson Pollock approach. It's more authentic.) Then put the whole shebang back in the fridge or freezer to cool. Again. Lots of cooling in this routine.

Step #9: Make a bunch of other sugar and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for kicks and giggles.

Step #10: Put all of your deliciousness on festive plates and deliver to friends and neighbors. You are 100% guaranteed to successfully spread Christmas cheer. 

Bada bing, bada boom. Truffle on, brave readers. Truffle on.