has life gotten stale? au contraire.

As I sit here with three, yes I said it THREE, days left in Indy, I have had to sit down to make a to do list: clear out closet, dry cleaner, pharmacy for prescriptions, bathroom clear out, help mom pick out cabinet pulls, lunch dates, etc etc. The list is fairly treacherous; however, I remembered, "Oh, blogging, that was a fun way to recount and recount epic, memorable events in my life." Well apparently nothing has happened to me in the past four months since the super bowl that has been note worthy. FALSE! I would say the last for months have been some of the most memorable. So here are my top 5 in no very particular order:
5) Getting to come home and spend a lovely time with my family for my sister's birthday

4)Watching my baby brother, not so baby any more, graduate from Indiana University. It was quite a short whirlwind trip, but seeing how proud my parents were was simply unforgettable.

3) Watching my 6th grade KIPPsters dominate the iLEAP then celebrate their hard work, multiple instances of me getting them back on task with gentle coaxing and firm reminders, and all the long school days by heading to Pigeon Key, FL and the most magical place on EARTH: Disney World.

4) Saying good bye to my home for the last 2 years: New Orleans and KIPP Central City Academy. Teaching there has hands down be the greatest, most taxing, most eye-opening, and brilliant thing I have ever done. I took a new job in Atlanta, to gain a little perspective for myself and figure out if teaching is my calling. Undoubtedly, I can say it has been the most rewarding job I have ever had and probably will ever have. I am very passionate about education, now so much more my kids in NOLA. It's a long road, and we are far from closing the achievement gap and making the dream of all students getting a spectacular education, but my school is taking on that charge. Additionally, it's not only the kids that make it so special, it was the teachers that I worked with. The staff at KCCA are some of the greatest, most selfless bunch of individuals people would ever come across...and man do they know how to be amazing friends and have a good time...(sorry I was getting a bit too sappy)

5) Getting to spend a wonderful weekend in Chicago with some of my best friends from good-ole BJPS. Why did we all have such an occasion to get together? Ashley is getting married (another excuse to head back to the midwest in July). It was such a great weekend filled with old and new friends and probably 10 too many cocktails, but it was such a great way to celebrate Ashley and secretly be a nice little last hoorah before my move to Atlanta. Part of my to do list that is most upsetting and daunting, changing from a licensed Indiana driver to a proud resident, driver, voter, and leaser in the great state of Georgia. Man this seems like only yesterday...

Yes those are my 5 things of the week...oh but here is a bonus find: I made this with my mom the other night...lighter on the artichoke. We flushed it out with zucchini and yellow squash a bit more, but man was that a delicious and light dinner.
This will absolutely be a go to the next few weeks as I get settled in to my place in ATL and start compiling my list of new favorite restaurants.