The Latta Family

Well y'all . . . one month down of my resolution to blog at least once a week, and I did it!!!  Yeah- color me surprised, I made it a month accomplishing a resolution.  I have been collecting a list of my favorite things for the month.  Brace yourself kids- it's amazing! 1. I got this P rofessional Whipped Cream Dispenser as a Christmas present. OMG it's life altering!!!! We have fresh- homemade whip cream EVERY night!!!!  Well- I mean not every night- that would be weird, over-indulgent, and unhealthy, but . . . we could.  IT TASTES AMAZING!  I throw some heavy whipping cream, a tablespoon of powdered sugar, and a tspn of vanilla. in the canister, shake it it up, insert the cartridge, and bam!  There you have it- fresh whipped cream!  Oooh it is soooo good!  Aldi has some strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries this week, and I think some whipped cream on them will be a-maze-ing!!!!  2. Cooking bacon on my grill.  Y'all!  This is a game changer.  The bacon i

Doug and I have been together 21 years.  We'll have been married 18 years in April.  Isn't that amazing in this day and age- but the fact that I'm like 29 makes it even weirder.   After all this time- he still makes me laugh a LOT.  He's hilarious.  One particular thing that is especially hilarious are these phrases he says.  I think he and his co-teacher just sit around coming up with wacky sayings and entertain everyone with them.  Here are some of my favorites: 1. Y'all- I can barely write this without laughing out loud.  He told me this the other day.  Earlier in the week, I was eating eggs with spinach and onions for breakfast and the spinach was having an impact on my digestive system.  At one point he looked at me and said, "KATE!  What's your deal?  You got a leak in your fanny gasket?!"   2. He was recently telling me a story about a student that was kicked in the privates, by a small child he was helping babysit.  The story went lik

In case you didn't know- I'm a special education teacher.  In my school, I am an inclusion teacher. I work with students that are planning to get a high school diploma, but have a learning disability that may make completing high school classwork a bit more challenging  My students have disabilities ranging from learning disabilities in reading, math, or writing, or attention/hyperactive disabilities, or autism. This is my 21st year teaching.  (Isn't that crazy, since I look like I'm like . . . 29?!)  Most of my teaching career has been spent in this exact position; however, I did spend 5 years in a self contained high school classroom where I had the most rewarding years of my teaching career.  Why am I not still there?  I LOVED those children; however, it was very isolating. I loved that I was largely ungoverned by stupid things like: rigid curriculums and looming exams full of threats of accountability.  I had a curriculum, but. . . it wasn't quite as strict. 

I started to write my review (that the entire internet has been anxiously awaiting) on Birdbox , but then it lead me to an entire Netlix dissertation.  (FYI- they have no idea I'm doing this.  They get my opinions for free! How lucky! :-) What started this whole train of thought was, something I noticed about an actor in Birdbox : the main character from  Dumplin'  is a minor character in Birdbox.  This brought up a whole "thing" for me.  Is Netflix going to do a Disney-esque type of casting?  In case you are not familiar with the Disney Channel (clearly you don't have upper elementary aged children), they have several attractive, precocious, multi-talented child actors and actresses that they use throughout their shows and movies.  I think the children are hired by Disney Channel and filled in- where they feel is appropriate, whereas other tv shows and movies- the actors are hired by the movie or TV shows. they are part of.  The Disney actors become quiet popul

I took the chance and watched Birdbox,  a movie- based on a novel- on Netflix.  In case you are not sure about it/haven't seen it/haven't heard of it, here's a brief synopsis.  It is a post-apocalyptic story about a woman trying to get her two kids to safety.  The movie begins in the present, but the backstory is shared through flashbacks. I will say, I was a little nervous about this movie.  I do NOT like horror movies.  DO. NOT.  I love a good suspense- that's totally different!  Two of my five favorite tv shows- are suspenseful: Walking Dead , and  Stranger Things.  I forced Andrew to watch Birdbox  with me.  He doesn't like horror either.  He will do suspense . . . barely.  (he's a bigger chicken than me when it comes to movies).  This movie was not scary.  It was suspenseful- and there was one part we fast forwarded through because it was too much, for our imaginations (due to the creature that destroyed the world- people have to blindfold themselves, whe

I sent one of Andrew's teachers a Cease and Desist letter today.  It was time.  They had overstepped their boundaries.  You need some background information first:  1. Andrew is in 8th grade, and this is the first year he's ever had male teachers (besides his elementary PE teacher that he loved).  He likes all of them, but one in particular he LOVES.  Everyday I hear Mr. B stories.  The funny jokes he tells.  The awesome thing he taught.  The amazing thing he said.  Mr. B is literally the coolest dude in the entire world.  I've emailed him to let him know.   Mr. B loves sports.  Apparently there is a regular conversation about college football.  Mr. B is a HUGE University of Georgia fan.  This teacher has also taught with Doug and I, and as a result we know him as more than "just one of Andrew's teachers."  I remember his kids coming through high school.  I know what his wife's job is.  I know what his favorite hobbies are, and who is bff's ar

I've been hearing a LOT about the movie, Dumplin'  on Netflix.  I finally decided I could stop reading, and start watching some Netflix.  I started with this one. GAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had a hard time falling asleep afterwards, because I was thinking about it.  Have you watched it? Jennifer Aniston starred and produced it.  Dolly Parton contributed 6 previous songs and wrote one for it.  If you haven't seen it, or heard about it- it's about a girl struggling with her relationship with her mother- who happens to be a small town beauty queen.  The mom is considered "traditionally" beautiful and the girl is struggling to feel confident with who she is. What I like about it: 1. The setting is a small Southern town with some quirky side characters.  (I love Southern, Mid-Western, or Alaskan settings.  With one of those settings- you're in for a good movie.) 2. The soundtrack.  I didn't realize I knew so many Dolly Part

On January 6 I finally figured out what my New Years Resolution is going to be.  Maybe.  I think.  I'm going to do more blogging.  I hope.  I plan to.  I've even gone to the effort of coming up with several subjects that I can write on throughout the year.  My goal is to publish weekly.  I say this, except . . . then I have this whole existential crisis.  Am I being self obsessed by assuming people want to read my little ol' blog?  Am I putting too much out there?  Am I contributing anything worthwhile? Am I enhancing humanity?  What's my purpose in life?    Who am I? What am I?   Then I think- whatever! I like blogging.  I LOVE reading back over them and remembering bits and pieces from parts of our lives.  So- I'll blog.  I'll blog for me.  And I am part of the Me Generation . . . I think.  Am I?  I don't even know.  Maybe my blog needs to take a direction of self discovery, so I can find out who I am.  Anyway- I'll blog for me, post it, and maybe