Two With the Wild...

As many people know, I am not the least bit an animal/pet person...  I blame my mother and father:)  Or the one brother that was allergic to pet hair.  As I have said before, we did have one dog growing up; Teagan...  He passed when we were on vacation by inhaling a large amount of snail bait in the flower beds...  Poor little guy.

That was the extent of my pet days... 

Not only am I allergic as all get out to felines, I am scared to death of cats.  Sneaky, snotty, hissing, scratching, shedding nasty fur...and the list goes on!  If you are a cat lover - I am sorry....

BUT - I love exotic animals!  I have been wanting to go to the New Orleans Zoo ever since we arrived here in July.  Now- I have no idea if it is a good zoo or not, but I love a zoo.

Here was our zoo conversation a couple months ago:

Me: "Hey Babe - let's go to the zoo this Saturday!"

B: "What? Why?  You do realize that football is on..."

Me: "Because it will be fun..  Something different! - Yes, but football will be on Sunday too."

B: "Um no - And we don't even have kids."

Me: "Oh, I was unaware that you had to have kids to go to the zoo? Interesting.  Before I met you, I went on a date once to the Dallas zoo and it was sooo much fun!"

B: "It looks like that relationship worked out well."

Me:  Sigh.....

Ok - I gave up!  No more talking about the DARN zoo.

But this weekend - He surprised me.  The plans were to head to the city to take a Christmas Carriage ride through the Quarter, but the rain ruined those plans....  BUT little did I know what Plan B was; another place other than the zoo that I have been wanting to visit.

The Global Wildlife Center.  I.was.ecstatic to say the least....

(Obviously there wasn't a football game on Saturday morning.)

 

  

I think his name was "Edgar"!  Beautiful bird.

The kangaroos were hilarious.  Straight chilling...  They were the only enclosed animals.  The guide said this was because the other animals pick on them.  The llamas were gorgeous.

Well hello there!  The deer were not SHY at all.

The zebra were extremely MEAN and hungry...  She told us NOT to feed them because they could bite.  But.....

Brad is all about breaking a rule.

Pucker up!

The llamas were gorgeous animals...  I mean you should have seen their eyelashes.  JEALOUS of those suckers.  And some of us (Lorena included) pay for our three month supply of Latisse and OURS aren't half that long.  Not.fair.at.all......

The giraffes were not feeling it Saturday.  They kept their distance and just stared at the 40+ people in the wagon that kept shaking the feed cups.  I can only imagine what they were thinking.

And last but least, the cows....  Little did anyone know that these gems were a daily sight growing up in a small, Texas cow town.  I mean we were the Whitefaces and the Lady Whitefaces.  So yes, we were cows.  Felt right at home with this fellow.

What a fun day with this guy!  We, or I enjoyed it.  He didn't miss any FOOTBALL and we didn't even have to kidnap a child to take with us....

On the road tomorrow to San Antonio and then on to Dallas.  Cannot wait to see family and friends.  Loving this time of year...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Love

~H

 

Christmas Partying and Karaoking...

Can I get an "AMEN!" - 2 glorious weeks off!  I don't know who needed it more - the kids or the teachers?  There was almost a tear of joy Friday at 12:51, but I refrained.

On Thursday, we had our class Christmas party!  It was super fun.  I had three FABULOUS moms organize and plan the whole party....   We had 15 parents there helping out, so I pretty much had to do NOTHING! (Was not the least bit upset about that!)  I just supervised and took lots of pictures.  Those are the BEST parties for a teacher....Ones that where the parents take over.  By all means....  GO FOR IT!

The moms had brought the cutest Christmas decorations to spruce up my room!  They even added a "little" Christmas to my infamous classroom tree...  We played Christmas "JINGO" and the kids had a ball.  They are a tad competitive, just like ME.  (Tears and all when some didn't win....)

They had tons of yummy snacks for the kids to inhale while making their own Christmas ornament, playing Jingo and last but not least - Christmas Karaoke!  Oh my - That was a RIOT!!

 Some of my wonderful Moms with their precious children!  

 Four of my lovelies doing some karoking!  

And here it is ladies and gentlemen - Pretty much sums up the whole party!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ1HsRbKqW0

Don't worry.  I had the mom's permission to post it here.  She is the one that offered to send me this jewel of a video!  Deanne - Please use this as blackmail one day.  Collin will LOVE you for it!

I am extremely blessed with my class this year.  NOT only are they unique, sweet, and hilarious kids that love to learn, the parents are AMAZING!  Always willing to help out in any way; sending supplies when we are low, sending the occasional chocolate for ME to get through another day of craziness with 9 yr. olds, bringing Friday treats for the kids, stapling papers, cutting out different things for me- you name it....  I am truly grateful for these WONDERFUL MOMS AND DADS!  Makes my job a lot easier...
 

Merry Christmas Everyone~  I hope you have a great, relaxing week with friends and family!

Love~

H

Tis the Season...

I love Christmas time and all the fun parties, friends, food and fun drinks, etc....  It was a full weekend of Christmas fun.

A fun pre-party martini with a whole grapefruit attached to the side.  It was at least two inches thick....

Friday night we had our Woodlake Christmas Party at a place called Benedict's.  What a cute place it was....  And the food was great too.  I was laughing because in Texas at the school Christmas parties I have attended, here is what the menu usually consist of: 

One of the following:

A. A Mexican food buffet - chips, salsa, enchiladas, beans, rice, and a brownie
B. BBQ - brisket, sausage, potato salad, coleslaw, Mrs. Baird's white bread, and peach cobbler
C. Grilled chicken, green beans, a roll, and a tiny piece of cheesecake

BUT in Louisiana - We had crawfish and corn bisque,  jambalaya, meat pies, and some spicy casserole that I had no idea what was in it, but it was fabulous!  

Benedict's Plantation

 And the only picture I took all night was of my co-worker getting the Faculty Party started....  Cali is a fabulous dancer and we saw her moves all night. Love this girl!  What a fun night....

Saturday night I went to a Holiday Cocktail Party that one of my student's mom was having.  The food and drinks were amazing.  Adrienne out did herself for sure!

And I got to hang out with these two cuties; Oliver and Collin!  I have a FABULOUS class this year and am so glad these two are in it.  These boys crack me up everyday.

Goofballs!

Today after church I thought I would try to be domestic and try out some new recipes.  Well let's just say, one was an epic fail and one was a SUCCESS!

 Here was the debacle...  A pumpkin cream cheese bread.  Found the random recipe and thought - "Now that looks good!"  Boy was I wrong.  I should have known when I baked it for an hour and the middle was still goopy (Is that a word?), that it was going to be awful.  Maybe the worst thing I have tasted.  Brad passed on being the taste tester on this one.  It went straight to the trash.

But then, this was a success.  Corn and Potato Chowder.  I mixed two recipes together and put enough half & half in this chowder to add a pound or four to the number on the scale!  I put it in the slow cooker after church and it was ready by 6:00.  Delish!

 Don't ask....

Because the couch nor chair that we have will work.  Ladies and gentlemen, we need a Office Depot chair to play Madden and watch football on Saturdays and Sundays.  So other than the extra TV that has taken a permanent spot in our living room for the past three months, we now have a Office Depot rolling chair...  There are simply no words.  None.  Sigh...

But here are my favorite two pictures of the weekend....  My favorite three little people~

 Sweet Marlowe checking out the fat guy's beard...

And sweet Knox and Briggs.  As you can see, Briggs wasn't having it at all.

4.5 days to go until Christmas break....  (Not that I am counting or anything).  WOOHOO! 

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

~H

Date Night with John...

 

The time had come...  We were so excited!  We had never seen my boyfriend, John Mayer in concert, so when we saw he was coming to New Orleans - we jumped on those tickets QUICK!  Phillip Phillips opened for J.M, and he was incredible too.  I wish John would have played a tad more of his older songs, but he was still great....

Before the concert, we met our friends Rachel and David at the most amazing Tapas restaurant on Magazine Street, Baru.  It was to.die.for!

This place is a must-go in New Orleans!  Great drinks and tapas...

Fun night!

Cool stage effects...

 Play it John - He can PLAY!

It's not a John Mayer concert without a random pic of a fancy camo hunting jacket...

Fun night with the Gerhardt's!

Two more weeks until Christmas break...  I cannot believe it!  This semester has flown by.  What a wonderful time of year it is!  It is finally cold here in Louisiana and starting to feel like winter.  

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season...

Love,

~H

Thankful

Brad and I spent our first Thanksgiving as a married couple in the big metropolis of Hereford...

What a fun week it was.....  I flew in on Monday (to have some Mom time:) and Brad flew in on Wednesday.  A quick two hour flight with a pit stop in Dallas.  Sure beats the heck out of a  14.5 hour drive...  Rather stick a hot poker in my eye than make that drive.

The whole clan was there.  It is amazing how BUSY and LOUD our family has become.  We have grown from the Hodges Five to the Hodges/(Wainscott) Party of 11! We were loud before the three munchkins came along, but now it is just a PARTY at all times of the day. 

(I tend to only take pics of the kids now it seems - Sorry rest of the fam.)

 What a great time of year with the hubs!

Love this lady!

 Loving Mom's front porch decorations...  She informed me their names were Paddy and Petunia!

 Cody donned the "stasche" just to get a reaction from Mom.  Facial hair always goes over so well with her....

 Sweet girl....  Just love her!

And this is what it looked like the rest of the week! Complete MAYHEM!

 The Three Musketeers!  

Marlowe and Briggsy -

I am sad about the lack of Briggs pics, but he is one fast mover, is always on the go, and is not quite sure about his "Aunt Heather" yet.  I'll keep trying!

Knox making cookies with Mommy and Bob!

 Bob and Bebo with Marlowe...  (Yes that is their "grandparent" names given by Knox!)  It's always so funny to hear Knox talk to Mom and address her as "Bob" in public!  She gets some interesting looks...

 2nd cousins minus Emma Kate!

Sweet Meme with her Marlowe...

 Someone loves a costume....  And all in one day!  

Some serious girl talk...

Favorite 4 year old.ever...

Lindz and Christy were determined to get this done!  I gave up 30 minutes into it.  They were champs....

 

Loving my new Southern Living Cookbook.  Thanks Mom!  The pictures are to DIE for...  There are multiple bets going on that Brad won't have one home-cooked meal out of this cookbook by Easter.  Rude, but maybe true....

After a tough and hard week:), it was time for some pampering!

 

What an amazing week it was.  I love lounging around with the fam in our sweats, watching football, napping, chasing kids, wearing not a lick of make-up, eating absurd amounts of carbs and sugar, and most importantly - just BEING TOGETHER....  

 

Another fabulous Thanksgiving in the books!

 

And the best for last folks - Awesome.  

 

Welcome Home!

Have a great week...

Love,

 

 

~H