Anniversary No. 3

Our wedding anniversary is finally starting to feel like a recurring important event. For the first two years of marriage, July 13 didn't feel nearly as special as June 21 (our dating anniversary). We'd had a lot more experience celebrating in June.

But after three years of recognition, July 13 is becoming one of my favorite days.

With all our upcoming travels, we decided to keep the celebrations low-key this year. Since the actual day was on a Monday, we kicked off the partying Saturday. Our gifts to each other were the kinds that mean nothing to other people and everything to us.

Ty's gift to me: run 9 miles with me on my 18-miler before working all day in the heat.

Seriously the best gift ever!

And such a handsome running partner!

My gift to Ty: go to the mall and pick out a new dress for dinner

The Kelly-and-Erin-approved winner

It also turned out that I had scheduled a hair cut, so I got extra spiffied-up!

New clothes and new hairs -- Woah! Let's not get too crazy!

I booked reservations at an Italian restaurant a few blocks from us. It's a neighborhood hit, and the road is frequently blocked by the valet parking action. They serve gluten free penne pasta, and when I spoke with them on the phone they were most obliging! Bonus: live jazz!

Our reservations were for 7:30, and needless to say -- we were starving! Did I mention Ty had run 9 miles that morning and I had run 18?! As soon as we arrived, we placed an order for an appetizer and drinks, and then they surprised us with complimentary champagne!

Brie platter!

I ordered a house salad and Ty order a Caesar -- both spectacular!

Ty ordered a pork and red sauce dish, which he raved about.

Ty with pasta = happy Ty

Per the waiter's recommendation, I ordered a chicken pesto cream sauce over GF penne pasta. Hands down, the best pasta I've ever had. Unlike Ty, I don't prefer Italian food, but I couldn't help but sing the praises of this dish!

My biggest regret is that we were too full to order dessert. I guess we'll just have to go back (oh, darn!). With full bellies, we hit the road and went for a short drive. We ended our romantic date with a lovely view of our city.

Monday came around, and it was a long day of work for both of us. We simply kicked back, opened a bottle of champagne, popped some corn, and watched Fun with Dick and Jane. And laughed our hearts out.

I loved this anniversary, because it was local and totally unique to us. Three years ago Tyler didn't even run a single mile, and I wouldn't have dreamed of setting aside practice and my never-ending to-do list for a day in the fitting room and salon. :) We've changed each other, and we're growing together. This is what I love.

Profile of a Pedagogue

One week down. Sixty-three more to go. Operation: graduate school is nearly in full swing, with the final component of my schedule beginning after Labor Day.

In addition to the expected hours in the classroom and in the practice rooms - comprising my role as student - a great deal of time is spent on my appointment as teacher. After all, the degree I am seeking is a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy.

I couldn't help but chuckle and nod in approval at one of my classmate's gut-reactions to a professor's inquiry of, "How do you respond when people ask about your line of work?"

Wittingly, she replied, "Very carefully."

I am often asked, "What in the world is pedagogy?"

My degree is a mouthful. I understand that. Simply put, pedagogy is the art and science of teaching. Dr. Sam Holland (my program director), added the caveat of practical skills to the end of that definition. Teachers must have information worthy of transfer, but they also must be able to creatively implement these skills in a practical way.

One of my responsibilities as a Teaching Fellow (similar to a GTA) involves teaching a section of undergraduate class piano to non-music majors. My class meets twice weekly in the keyboard lab. I am fully responsible for planning every lesson, sequencing materials, and preparing my students for the exams. Thankfully, I  also receive guidance and observation feedback. It's truly the best of both worlds: I have my own classroom space to experiment and explore, but I am under the tutelage of an experienced faculty member.

As I was preparing lessons for the first day of class, I found an activity that piqued my interest. In addition to the usual student/teacher introductions, I planned an activity that would provide valuable information for me in a way that was safe for the students. I implemented it on day one, and I think the results were positive.

When the students entered the room, I gave them two sticky notes with simple instructions: on one note, write a characteristic of your favorite class, and on the other a characteristic of your least favorite class. The results were intriguing.

Among the favorite responses were: laid back, enthusiastic professor, available professor, knowledgable professor, challenging, creative in approach, interesting

Among the least favorite were: condescending, monotonous, arrogant, loud, boring, dismissed late, overly challenging

This was truly insightful for me, because it gave me a window into what motivates and what aggravates them.

The very next day, in my Piano Pedagogy I class, we were given an assignment to come up with adjectives describing best and worst teachers. It seems it's a rather important question.

What makes a good teacher?

At the top of my own list is patient, honest, humble, experienced, motivational, involved, creative, realistic

On the opposite column, I typed apathetic, demeaning, ambiguous, detached, arrogant, unapproachable, under-qualified

I love all of my teachers this semester. Why is that? What is it about them that sparks or holds my interest in a subject? You might argue that I love school, because I am studying only things I enjoy. While that is partly true, a good teacher can still make or break a subject. I love to write, but that doesn't mean I am automatically thrilled about a research project. But when the teacher starts with the building blocks - asking questions and the questions beneath those - now that is exciting!

I don't have a thesis for you (the profile of a pedagogue is...), but I'm thinking a lot about the teacher I want to be - and don't want to be! I am delving into understanding how students and adults learn. I am analyzing what it is about my own teachers that motivates me to pursue higher learning. I am as devoted as ever to my craft of musicianship at the keyboard. I am soaking up every moment.

A Dinner Party, A Homemade Race, and an Egg-splosion

Time flies! Today is our second wedding anniversary! 

My husband knows me well:

He walked in the door with these a day early! I was seriously impressed. The roses ornamented our table perfectly! We hosted a small dinner party last night, so Ty couldn't have timed that any better. 

I'm a morning person. (Surprise!) Ty has been forced into one because of his early work schedule. Now he even chooses to hit up the gym before work. (Again, I'm seriously impressed.) I couldn't wait to start the celebrating today!

7AM on the trail! There was a local race happening at our other go-to running spot. Initially we had planned to participate, but instead we decided to design our own race! It was so peaceful and shady! Practically perfect in every way!

Readers, please note that it was Tyler's idea to wear our coordinating "We Go Together" shirts. Our version of race day shirts, I guess you could say.

In race recap fashion, I suppose I'm obligated to share the highlights.

Mostly? Being with my family. And finishing. 

We had a good time, but neither Ty nor I set any records today. Brooklyn, however, did!

Official time: 24:05. 

Everyone knows that race day is incomplete without a killer post-race meal. Let me say, folks, this one did not disappoint. I am still daydreaming about my mouth-watering breakfast. 

Good food and a good-lookin' date. That's about as good as it gets!

Here she is! The "Sammich!" A gluten-free bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit! Ty tasted mine and admitted it was delicious. So go easy on the cyniscm, gluten-eaters! This restaurant is known for its GF menu items! The most famous seems to be the chicken fries waffles. (I'll save that for a post-marathon meal, I think.) Ty had venison sausage tacos and enjoyed them.

Arguably the most memorable moment occurred right after I put the camera away and took my first bite. (Please note that I ordered my fried egg "over-medium" and implicitly stated that I didn't want it too runny.) 

My heavenly biscuit exploded and shot a stream of egg yolk all over my plate, onto the table, and into my hair. I was so startled that I just sat suspended, biscuit midair, eyes darting to my sunny hair in my peripheral. Ty looked at me with yolk-sized eyes, and we both began laughing hysterically. And continued to do so for ten minutes. I dabbed some water in my hair, called it a conditioning treatment, and bravely moved onto bite number two. It was ridiculously good! I wasn't about to cry over a little spilled egg.

After breakfast, we joined our new church family in worship. I can't think of a better way to have ended the morning. I am so thankful for for the LORD's patience and goodness toward us and the ways I daily see that reflected in my husband. I am one loved and blessed gal! 

It has been a totally fun, delicious, and restful anniversary thus far.

Up next: The Return of the Jedi. 

Hey, Babe

Six years later and I love you more.

2008

2008

Last year's 6/21 celebration

Fun together!

(No, it's not our wedding anniversary, but it's our "going together" anniversary!)

My Funny Valentine

We celebrated Valentine's Day last night.

Our festivities included a trail run, spaghetti (hey, sauce is red!), chocolate, and Lord of the Rings.
A fun and frugal night, I'm happy to report.

Post Run

I always give Ty a card and peanut butter chocolate candies (his favorite!).
I told him not to get me anything.

I'm still loving my gift from last year. It's the best gift I've ever been given.

Happy Adoption Day, Brooklyn!

Feb. 14, 2013

Feb. 2014

Post 18-degree run. Note heater placement.

My Valentines!

And just for fun...

Valentine's Day 2009!

My handmade candleholder gift!

Then & Now

Before we were married, Ty took me on this fantastic date to The Great Pumpkin Patch. We picked out pumpkins and then painted them at his parents' house. (You can read about that here.) I love Peanuts, and this has always been one of my favorite date-night memories!

Three years, lots of dates, one wedding, one Brooklyn dog, and about twenty inches of hair later (seriously!), we returned to the same spot!

This makes me thankful. Life is beautiful!

A Child's Memory

Has it really been twelve whole years?

September 11, 2001 is a landmark day that stands out in my childhood.

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when we received notification of the first plane crash into the WTC. At this point, we all thought it was a fluke, a terrible mistake. I turned on the news and continued my eleven-year-old life as normal. I sat eating my breakfast and watched alone in horror as the second plane hit its mark in real time. I remember watching the plane's approach and crying out in warning, as if I could stop the unavoidable from happening, as if they could hear through my television.

I grew up some that day and the days following. I learned what horrific evil and violence there are in the world. I learned that family is a gift. And I learned that we had heroes walking among us, some in uniforms and some disguised in business suits and street clothes. True countrymen respond to needs with action and courage. And how many countless stories have we heard of heroism and selflessness?

May we never forget these stories, and may they be exhortations to us now, for today.

The Only Way to "Do" Disney - Part III (Jessie Turns Food Blogger & The Dining Plan)

Warning: Readers are not advised to read this on an empty stomach.

I mentioned we were gifted a dining plan for our anniversary. It was prepaid and connected to our room key (card). Whenever we wanted to use a meal from our plan, we just swiped the card and entered a pin. It's like a debit card that doesn't drain your checking account. Win, win! I can see why the dining plan is a top choice for families. It makes budgeting your trip much easier. Besides, there are tons of blog pages with tips on maximizing your dining plan, i.e. where to get the most food for each credit. I may or may not have spent the night prior to our trip scanning post after post.

So what was covered in our dining plan? We each received a one-credit table service (think sit-down), a quick-service meal (think stand-in-line-and-wait-for-food), and a snack (think concession). Some of the super fancy restaurants require TWO table service credits, and honestly I'm quite surprised O'Hana is only one.

Now is a good time to mention that you should not be scared away by dining plans if you have food allergies. Disney is simply THE BEST about accommodating your allergy, whatever it may be. This is true of Downtown Disney, as well. Did you know that BabyCakesNYC is tucked away inside Pollo Campero in Downtown Disney? It is a good thing it is so far, because I would otherwise be purchasing gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, refined-sugar-free cinnamon sugar doughnuts for breakfast five times a week.

But I digress.

We ate breakfast before we got to the parks on Saturday. I ate at home (eggs don't sound half as exciting now that I'm thinking of doughnuts), and Ty grabbed a bagel sammie from Dunkin'. He likes to eat breakfast out every now and then. I figured our anniversary was a good excuse. (Why didn't I think of that?)

But really. I digress.

I mentioned we ate Dole Whip at Magic Kingdom. This was off the dining plan, because we hadn't checked into our resort yet. Personally, I think they should attach the plan to your park ticket/annual pass and not the resort key.

Our dinner reservation wasn't until 9:25 PM. Looking back, I'm wondering what in the world we ate all day. I was packin'...snacks, that is. We ate homemade trail mix, Kind bars, and apples. No wonder I'm so sick of nuts this week. No wonder Ty left our resort early that evening to track down some appetizers. Our main goal was to "get to dinner." You don't want to go to O'Hana on an empty stomach. And you also need to make your reservations far in advance (at least six weeks).

O'Hana is located on the second floor of the Polynesian Resort. It is somewhat themed around Lilo and Stitch, but only the cute parts and none of the annoying Stitch parts. A lady walks around with a ukulele and teaches a couple songs to anyone who is interested. And there is a surplus of leis. Did you know "Aloha" means love?

  

Honestly, I was a little concerned about what I was going to eat. I knew I wouldn't go hungry, but there was no way to find out a menu beforehand. O'hana is a table-service buffet. It is a five-course meal that keeps coming, whether you're ready for the next course or not! It is impossible to keep up. 

While Ty was parking (note: leave with extra time to find parking so as to avoid the $15 valet fee!), I found our seats and notified the waitress of my food allergy. In a matter of minutes, the chef was at my table informing me of my personal gluten-free menu for the evening. The salad, steak, and shrimp that normally come with the meal are all gluten free. She told me she'd bring me separate bread (!), sauces, chicken wings, and pork and rice stir-fry. Oh, and she'd bring me something special for dessert. She said that last part with a glimmer in her eyes. I think she was not-so-secretly thrilled about cooking up a special dinner for me.

GF bread! Against my better judgement, I ate both rolls. Bread is something I do not buy, so this was a special treat! And a good excuse to eat that yummy butter.

This was only about half of our food - for two people! We barely dented our salad bowl, and I took a generous amount. Those chicken wings and sweet and sour sauce were the best I've ever had! See the steak on my plate? Servers walk around with huge skewers asking if you'd like more of the steak, pork, or shrimp. Each piece must be at least two ounces! And they just keep coming with it! My special sauces are in the black containers. Ty wasn't a fan of his peanut sauce (he never likes that), but he loved his wheat-containing (gasp!) sweet and sour sauce.

After the rolls, salad, wings, and steak, my main dish arrived...

Delicious veggies, pork, and rice. I think the rice was made with coconut milk - scrumptious!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to eat much this is. I went a little crazy with the chicken wings, and I didn't want to totally ruin my appetite for dessert. Yes, I have my priorities straight.

While we were being continuously force-fed, we watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks out our window! They start at 10PM, so that's the main reason we made our reservation so late. I recommend asking about the fireworks schedule whenever you make a dinner reservation. Supposedly you can see fireworks from California Grill, too, but it's closed for renovations right now.

Fireworks never look good in pictures. Sorry.

And then dessert came. Ty said his was delicious - some sort of cake with ice cream and sauce. I don't know; I was a bit distracted by mine...

Behold.

GF, CHOCOLATE, AND ICE CREAM? Did this chef call my mom to find out my favorite things??!

Perfectly gooey inside. You'd better believe I ate this whole thing.

Post-dinner with full-bellies!

Needless to say, whatever hunger we had lingering through the afternoon was chased away by a very full dinner. The meal total was $85. Since they just bring you food and you don't order each dish, there is a set price for each person dining. We paid with our dining plan and tipped her with our cash. (There is an option to add your credit/debit card to the dining plan for instances such as this, but we opted out.)  This is definitely a good use of a one-credit table service. Truly, I can't believe it's not two credits for as much food as you get. Ty and I joked about packing up all our leftovers and eating off them for a week at home.

The next morning, I made us breakfast in the resort. If you plan to do this, be sure to ask if you have a mini fridge in your room. I had V8 smoothie juice chilling all night. Oh, and these iced coffee drinks that I packed. 

Ty opted for hot coffee in the room.

Breakfast! V8 berry smoothie, a Kind bar, and a homemade chocolate chip grain-free muffin! Delicious and satisfying. Somehow I woke up with an appetite even after our evening feast.

I suppose now would be a good time to mention that we stayed at Coronado Springs Resort. It is a mid-level, moderately priced resort. This is where I picked up my race packet for the Princess Half. They have convention centers there, as well, so it's perfect for large events or business meetings. It's also a family-friendly resort, complete with three swimming pools. Unfortunately, the afternoon thunderstorm kept me away from the pools. :( Honestly, we didn't spend much time at our resort, as we were in the parks the majority of our days. We liked our room well enough, but it was set far back in the resort and made transporting luggage (in the rain) a challenging endeavor. It was fully functional and clean and comfortable, but it wasn't lavish. We stayed two nights at the Animal Kingdom Resort last year for our honeymoon, and I think that gave us a taste for the best. We have no big complaints with Coronado whatsoever, but it just wasn't Animal Kingdom. Spoiled Americans.

One of the perks of staying at Coronado is these reusable mugs! We were each given one and told we had free refills of coffee, tea, or fountain drinks during our stay at Coronado. So of course we grabbed more coffee on our way out. And took these cute cups home. Free souvenirs! Truly a rarity.

Here's a preview of our quick-service lunch at Epcot. Can you guess which country it's from? I'll review this meal in Part IV, which is all about day two! Stay tuned!