My Kind of Weekend...

     These are the kind of weekends that I look forward to the most. Besides Kyle's work barbecue on Saturday, we didn't have to be anywhere, and there were no plans. Kyle recently moved in to a new office at work, so we had thought that we would go up to his office on Friday night. A few things needed arranging and cleaning, and we are the kind of people that would find that to be an exciting Friday night. Well, I came home from work in a very "it's Friday!!" kind of mood. I walked in to the house and saw our new Christmas tree just sitting there, and I couldn't convince myself that it shouldn't be taken out of the box despite the November 9th date on the calendar.

    After assembling the tree and fluffing the branches for over an hour, I decided that I was indeed in the Christmas spirit. I started harassing Kyle to come home from work and suggested that we head up to the Nutcracker Market. Well, what would guess? Kyle said that sounded like a good idea, and he needed to see what this Nutcracker Market was all about. Next to shopping with my mom and sisters, nothing is better than shopping with your hubby -what a fun Friday night with my Kyle.

     Saturday morning we slept in, or at least I did. As long as an alarm clock doesn't wake you up, I consider it sleeping in. Kyle was up at 6:15 a.m., and he attributed his early rise to the momentous Aggie game that awaited. We lounged around the house until it came time to get ready for his work barbecue. The barbecue started at 3:00, but Kyle told everyone that he would only be there if we could show up at 2:30 and a t.v. would be playing the A&M/Bama game. As we all know, the game was worth watching (if you are an Aggie fan, that is). We might have been the worst guests at the party because by the time we walked out of the house after the game was over, all the other barbecue attendees were leaving. We didn't care though. We left with big, goofy grins on our faces. Our Ags had pulled out the greatest victory ever!

    And, on Sunday, we went to Sunday school and finished our study of Daniel, went to worship service, and enjoyed a lunch out at Corner Bakery. We made our way over to Cavendars to pick out a few Christmas presents for Kyle since he is on Calf Scramble this year. And now, I am listening to RedZone, doing laundry, and aimlessly browsing Etsy.  Now, this is my kind of weekend.

Bailey's Exaggerated Facebook Life

     We all have those friends who exaggerate their life on Facebook. Incessant posts about how "wonderful" their life is and the bounty of Instagram pictures to "prove" it. Of course, we know that exaggerator-Facebook-person would never tell us the dirty details of their life, so we just go on assuming that exaggerator-Facebook-person's life really is that wonderful.  Well, today, as I took a picture of my sweet bulldog curled up in a chair, I realized that I was at fault for the very thing I accuse exaggerator-Facebook-person.

     You see, when Bailey is lying down or asleep, I can't help but take a picture of that snuggly, wrinkled face. I am like a mother watching her baby sleep. However, like most mothers, I just pray that my oohing and aahing doesn't wake the monster "baby". Believe me, Bailey is a sweet dog, but you won't catch me tagging pictures of her peeing on the bed or barking like a rabid dog at the t.v. Oh no, who would want to see that?

     Not only have I become exaggerator-Facebook-person when it comes to the aforementioned "sweet bulldog," Bailey's been stringing me along as well. Bailey pretends she can't understand a word I say to her when it goes against her desires. 

Allie: "Bailey, off the couch... Bailey, drop the ball...Bailey, sit... Bailey, lay... Bailey stay... Bailey, no!"

Bailey: "la, la, la.... I can't hear you."

But then, say the magic words...

Allie: "Want to eat?... Want to go on a walk? ... Ready for bed?... Want a treat? (oh, you sit if there's a treat in my hand, huh?)"

Bailey: "Sucker."

Isn't it amazing that she knows the latter phrases but not the ones that would help me out a little? Well, Bailey, you don't fool me... you just sucker me in every time. And, I'm pretty sure there's nothing I'm going to do about it.

The truth? I had to hold a treat above my phone to get her to look at me. :)

Car Trouble and a Troubled Kyle

The alarm clock sounded at 3:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, and Kyle's two feet immediately hit the ground. An 11:00 a.m. kickoff time against LSU wasn't going to keep this hard-core Aggie from tailgating before (and after) the game. Kyle "graciously" gave me an additional ten minutes of "sleep", but before I knew it, he obnoxiously starts encouraging me out of bed. This peppy attitude was not mutual, and, regardless, wouldn't last long.

Well, all is going as planned. We will be on the road to Aggieland at 4:15 a.m. I finish getting ready while Kyle loads the car.

Kyle: "Okay, Al, let's go."

Me: "Alright, I'm ready."

Kyle goes to back his car out and move it in to the other space because we are taking mine.

Kyle: "Man! Why today?!"

I stand in the driveway very confused.

Me: "What happened?"

Kyle: "My starter is out."

Me: "What does that mean?"

Kyle: "We aren't getting to College Station on time!"

Me: sarcastically thinking to myself "Darn, we won't be at the tailgate at 5:15 a.m.!"

So, before Kyle has a full blown anxiety attack, we devise a plan.

Kyle: "We are going to push the car back a little, and then, we will push it up and over in to the spot."

Me: "I don't think this is going to work."

Kyle gives me the evil eye.

Me: "Okay, lets try it."

We start to push the car down the driveway, and all seems to be going smoothly.

Kyle: "Okay, lets push it up now."

We start to push.

Me: "Umm, its not going anywhere."

Kyle: "You think?"

With the car hanging half way in the road and not moving an inch, we frantically Google 24 hour towing services. Not for one minute is Kyle distraught about his nonoperational car, but if we didn't get to that tailgate before the sun came up, well, we might as well not show up at all.

Thankfully, and for the sake of my husband's sanity, the tow truck promised to come in a timely manner.

Kyle: "Okay, they said they'd be here in 40 minutes. Let's go."

Me: "So, umm, we are going to leave the car here in the middle of the road and trust some random person that we Googled will come and get the car."

Kyle: "Yep."

Me: "Okay then."

We hop into my car and drive through the grass around our abandoned car. Classy.

The stuck car.

Don't worry... we made it to the tailgate.

The Aggies didn't lose. We just ran out of time.

We have resigned to worrying about the car until tomorrow. After all, football is more important than knowing how you're going to get to work on Monday, right?

Ole Miss Roadtrip

Besides becoming professional wedding attenders, Aggie football has taken it's place on our weekend agenda. It was almost a year ago that we decided to take a road trip to watch the Aggies, and we decided that Ole Miss was the destination. When October 4th rolled around, we were more than ready to pack our bags and head to Oxford, Mississippi.

We, along with the hundreds of other Aggies that made their way to Oxford, spent 3 nights checking out the Square, touring the campus, tailgating at the Grove, and scraping out a victory against the Rebels. Despite the chilly/rainy game day, the weekend was super fun, and I'm looking forward to next year's Aggie road trip.

Enjoy the photo recap courtesy of my MIL...

Gig'em

MIL and mom

first night at dinner

happy hour at the Downtown Oxford Inn

Con and Kyle

Tailgate banner

all the boys

all the girls... minus me

the two of us

a celebratory picture after the most exciting win

September Recap

September has come and (almost) gone. It seems that we have been extremely busy, yet I can't pinpoint what has kept us going nonstop. All I know, Kyle and I are currently enjoying the sounds of NFL Redzone and Sunday naps.

September Recap...

• I can't believe that this year marks my 5th year of teaching- I still feel like kid myself. The beginning of the school year is inevitably busy/crazy/overwhelming, but I started this year feeling like I had in under control. Well, until I got laryngitis... the week of Open House. Having laryngitis was super annoying. I could barely teach, I wasn't talking to Kyle much in order to heal my voice, and I was in the middle of the 2nd/3rd week of school (right when the beginning-of-the-year exhaustion kicks in). I was coming home feeling tired and emotional, and the only thing I could do was drink tea and not talk. 
• Aggie football has started, and that means frequent trips to College Station are a main part of our weekend to-dos. If you know Kyle, you know this is his favorite time of year. He loves his Aggies, and he loves tailgating. It seems that Kyle thought our empty garage was lonely as we have magically acquired more tailgate stuff than is probably necessary. If only I shared the same enthusiasm about tailgating... I left the tailgate yesterday to get a pedicure and to buy a fall wreath. I love the Aggies, but I'll leave the tailgating for some cooler weather.

Aggies vs. South Carolina State

• Becoming a "house" dog was quite an adjustment for my little Bailey. At the apartment, Bailey was allowed on the couches. New house and new couches equals, "No Bailey! Get down!" At the apartment, we used to have carpet all over and playing fetch was quite easy. Now, Bailey slips and slides down the hallway when trying to retrieve her ball. At the apartment, we went on walks all the time. Now, Bailey plays in the backyard... she has no problem with this change. She LOVES ripping and running all over the place. Currently training: staying on the front porch without a leash. Bailey thinks that an open front door is an invitation to run across the street to the neighbors.

Hanging out on the front porch

"If she would take this leash off..."

• We lived in the house for almost three weeks before we turned in our keys at the apartment. It was weird walking through the apartment one last time after not seeing it for awhile, but for the most part, moving in to the house has been a seamless transition for us. We love the area more than we thought (despite the lack of HEB), and I love that I don't sit in the Galleria traffic after work.

I am now looking forward to cooler weather, fall decor/drinks/desserts/holidays, and our road trip to BTHO Ole Miss!
  

Back to School

While the past few weeks have been extremely busy and exhausting (packing, moving, back to work), they have all culminated with this very normal and relaxing Sunday. We slept in until 8, went to church, braved HEB, and came home to watch t.v. The perfect Sunday in my mind. While I can't believe that school starts tomorrow and 120 new faces will walk through my classroom door, I am content in knowing that the routine and consistancy are back. My summer has been exactly what I wanted it to be. The girls' trip, time at the lake, lazy days, the Olympics, and a trip with my sweet hubby...the house is an unexpected bonus. So, with that, I welcome the new school year... even that 5:00 a.m. alarm clock, eating from a lunch box at 10:00 a.m., and all the inevitable stress/fun/exhaustion/emotion that comes from working with 11-year olds.

So, here's to hoping I'm not too nervous to sleep tonight and I didn't leave anything out of my powerpoint. :)

Kyle and the House

     With the majority of everything we own in boxes and the monumental move on the horizon, I have become surprisingly nostalgic and emotional. I'm not sure if it is the move mixed with school starting plus the gloriously, sappy Olympic moments, but tears have come to my eyes more than once the past few days.

     Today, Kyle accidentally left his wallet at home, so I met him for lunch to bring it to him. We sit down to eat our sandwich and start talking about business Kyle is working on, the house closing, and what I was going to do the rest of the day. I begin to cry. This catches both of us off guard because I have no idea what's wrong with me. 

     Tonight after dinner I suggest that we make a drink and toast to the house. We both go back and forth about different things, moments, memories and I begin to cry. "Well, that was a cool moment until you started crying," said Kyle.... gotta love him.

     I admit that my random cries have been a little silly. I think it all comes from how seriously Kyle and I have taken buying the house, and that leads my overly emotional self down memory lane. When Kyle and I started dating, I was 20 and he was 21. We were juniors in college. We really didn't even know each other, but it was the whole "love at first sight" bit. From the moment we hung out for the first time, we both knew we wanted to be together. It didn't matter that we didn't know each other- we never even questioned it.  Today, as I was thinking about this, I thought how crazy it all started. During the first week of dating, we talked about getting married. It didn't even seem weird at the time. Kyle gave me an overwhelming sense of calm, and from day one, I felt like he would love and take care of me. Without me even knowing his favorite color, I knew we would be together forever.  

     And, I think that is the source of my tears. From the day we found the house online, Kyle has been in control. He never once asked me to worry about a thing, and he has taken all of the stress upon himself. The feeling of being taken care hasn't faded, and I love the peace that Kyle brings to my life. He is my perfect compliment. Even though I still couldn't tell you his favorite color, I can say that tomorrow, when we close on our first house, we are accomplishing something that we have talked about for six years... when we were just 2 college kids that had faith that this relationship would work.

One of our first pics together

College memories

Graduation

I  listened to this song over and over when we first started dating, and we had it sung at our wedding. 

An Olympic Year

     I have a slight obsession with noticing patterns or finding connections in certain things. I mean, it is interesting that my sister and I are 1 year and 13 days apart. My birthday is the 31st and hers in the 13th. Who wouldn't find that interesting? What about my past 3 zip codes? When I was in college, my zip was 77801, our apartment is 77081, and the new house is 77018. Cool, right?

      Every Olympics, with the exception of 1988 when I was 2... and we'll let that slide, something significant in my life has happened. It is very bizarre, and only someone like me might notice these trends.

• Olympics 1992- In 1992, my little brother, Christian, was born. In fact, he was born on July 27th, so he was a newborn in the midst of the Olympics. My grandma lived with us at the time, and I remember sitting on her bed, holding Christian, feeding him his bottle, and watching Shannon Miller compete.
• Olympics 1996- I was going in to 5th grade. While 5th grade shouldn't be a monumental year, it was huge for me. Our family moved from the house we had grown up in, and I started going to public school. For someone who has gone to private school until that point, this was a huge deal! I also met my lifelong friend, Sarah. And of course, we all remember Kerri Strug.
• Olympics 2000- I started 9th grade in 2000. I never imagined that high school would be such a big change, but transitioning into high school really stressed me out. I actually had to study, and I started competitive cheerleading. Well, with this stress, my hair started to fall out, and I got horrible acne. Great! Every 14-year-old's dream- thin hair and a pimply forehead! 
• Olympics 2004- I started school at Texas A&M in 2004. I was actually at Fish Camp while the Olympics were on and watched the closing ceremonies in my dorm. Starting college was a lot like starting high school minus the hair loss. I was so home sick that I didn't have an appetite for weeks, and I cried... a lot.
• Olympics 2008- 2008 was a pretty big year that doesn't need too much explaining. I graduated college, started teaching, and got engaged. That was a good year... and I'm a pretty big Nastia Liukin fan.
• Olympics 2012- I am in the middle of the big to-do! We close on our first home on Friday. Our apartment is slight chaos at the moment. I have piles of school stuff in one room and boxes of house stuff in another. I know we will always remember watching the Olympics and packing up at the same time.

If I had to make predictions for Olympics 2016 for the Schielacks, I would imagine that it would be perfect timing for a ... 

Flight Delay

     As much fun as we had on our trip, we are always ready to go home on the last day. Our flight schedule home was departing Boston at 5:55 p.m., landing New York around 8:00 p.m., and leaving for Houston around 11:30 p.m. I am one of those super, paranoid people that needs to be at the airport two hours before the flight actually leaves. I would rather sit at the gate with peace of mind than frantically running through the airport. With that being said, we got to the Boston airport at 3:45 p.m. We saw that another flight was about to leave for New York, so Kyle went to the desk to see if we could get on that flight and possibly get home earlier. Well, Kyle came back with worse news than expected. Not only were we not getting on that flight, but our own flight to New York was delayed because of storms. Guess what? We were going to miss our connecting flight to Houston, and the next flight wasn't leaving until 9:00 p.m. the next day! I went from calm to basket case in no time! We didn't know if we needed to book another hotel in Boston, wait it out at the airport, or book a direct flight with another airline. We had it in our heads that it was the end of the trip, and we wanted to go home!

     Well, after thirty minutes of Kyle going back and forth with the evil lady at the check-in desk and a crying wife, we found out that our Houston flight was also delayed. There was a little hope that we would make our connecting flight. And, that is how it went for four hours! One minute our flight was delayed, then it wasn't, then delayed more than the first time.

      Our flight eventually left Boston at 9:15 p.m. We were just relieved to be on a plane, but we knew that we would be running to the gate of our connecting flight as it was departing New York at 10:40 p.m. So, we land in New York, run to the gate, and what do we see? People. Everywhere. Annoyed people. Everywhere. JFK airport was a mess. Not only was our flight delayed, but almost every flight out of New York had been delayed, and I have never seen so many people lying around an airport (and looking like they wanted to cry). I guess there was no need to run to the gate. Our flight was delayed until 12:18 a.m.

     We decide that we might as well get something to eat, so we leave our gate. We are only away for about 30 minutes, and what joy do we find when we get back? The flight was delayed another hour. There are no more tears at this point from me- only delusional laughing.

Trip Recap

Kyle and I just got back from our summer trip a week ago. We spent three nights in New York and then took the Amtrak for another three nights in Boston. Even though I had been to both cities, it was so much fun to experience it with Kyle.

I think we managed to hit every tourist spot- we are such a cliche. The highlights:

Day 1: Museum of Natural History, Central Park, The Met, glimpse of the Guggenheim, The MOMA, Top of the Rock, Magnolia Bakery

Museum of Natural History

The Met

Top of the Rock

Day 2: Sopranos Tour, city tour, Wicked

Sopranos Tour: In front of the restaurant Christopher was shot at.

Sopranos Tour: In front of the Sopranos' church.

Sopranos Tour: from the credits.

Sopranos Tour: Sitting in Tony's booth from the last scene of the show.

in Times Square

in Times Square

Empire State Building

at Wicked

Day 3: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bridge, Little Italy, 9/11 Memorial, night tour, Shake Shack

Kyle peeking out the ferry boat to glimpse the Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty

Brooklyn Bridge

Dinner in Little Italy

World Trade Center

Times Square at night

late night snacks :)

Day 4: Amtrak, Fenway Park, Prudential Skywalk, Boston Public Library

Getting the Sopranos ready for our Amtrak ride. We watched Sopranos the whole train ride and every night before bed.

Fenway Park

in front of the Boston Public Library

Day 5: Freedom Trail, Old State House, South Meeting House, Paul Revere House, Faneuil Hall, North End tour

Paul Revere's Tomb

Sam Adam's Tomb

Mitt 2012!

Massachusetts State House

Paul Revere's House

old meeting place for the Boston mob

cannolis!

Day 6: JFK Library, Harvard tour, shopping in Cambridge, Mr. Bartley's Burgers

JFK Library

JFK Library

Harvard

John Harvard Statue

ice cream break in Cambridge

We went to the hotel after dinner with some Sam Adams and watched the Sopranos.

Day 7: Sam Adams brewery, MIT,  MAJOR FLIGHT DELAY

Hops from the Sam Adams brewery

Outside Sam Adams

MIT

Saying goodbye to our hotel and ready to go home!

... too bad our flight was delayed.