Yay! It's my favorite holiday! What's better than spending a whole Sunday watching death and doom on television? Oh, and making yourself sick on Halloween candy? Well, I just don't know. It just doesn't get any better than that out here in adultland.
I just read a tearful online diary of a college student that is "so stressed out." Hello!! Can I get a shutup from anyone else out there that's like, uh, just got a new job that takes about 70 hours a week, is in debt with 10,000 dollars in credit cards, student loans, car payments, and, hopefully soon (yay for me!) a house payment? Yikes! So if you're one of those whiny college students, I'm just going to say it...Shutup!!!!!!!
No, but really. Life is superb. I do have my dream job (although it's not all I thought it would be), my dream car (even though it is only a Cavalier) and I do have the best boyfriend in the entire universe (who's even more than I imagined) AND I got to watch Halloween today! Ha! Life is goooooood.
John and I had a great weekend. He carved a pumpkin and did magic tricks for my first graders on Friday. We volunteered for "Hallelujah Night" at our church (helping operate the obstacle course), and we went to church lastnight for yet another great Bible study. And I called a real estate agent about an outrageously expensive condo that I totally intend on buying because hey, I'm desperate.
That's all for now....
later!
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Well, I am having a bit of trouble keeping up with this thing lately. This week has actually been surprisingly good, considering I have had to leave school early for the past week or so. It's good to leave early and do the bare minimum. :) No, but really. My students are learning just as much and I'm at least a little bit less stressed. There's a huge stack of papers at home that I need to grade, but lucky for me, first graders don't notice if it takes a week to get their papers back.
Okay, I am done talking shop, I swear.
Walt Disney World is awesome! John, Mark (John's brother) and I went to downtown Disney to meet their ex-stepmom (from the time John was about 4 to 16), which was really cool considering she is the woman John spent most of his childhood with. She was a way cool person and just that cute-nice type. I liked her immediately. I hope she liked me.
Anyway, we spent the day in downtown Disney, where they sell beer and margaritas and daquiris right on the street like it's nothin', and you can go to 8 different clubs for under 20 dollars. Holy cow, it was like...Disney for adults. It was like...college. Ha!
Well, John and I are such losers. :) We were both so tired from long weeks of work, an early morning, and so on, that we only drank coffee and cappucino and looked around at shops. But it was just as fun as the comedy club, the 70's and 80's dance club, the techno club, and all that combined, I'm sure. Someday I'll have to get my chicas down here to attend those establishments with me. Oh, by the way, downtown Disney is absolutely FREE. I had no idea. I love you, Walt Disney.
John bought a super duper cool pack of magic tricks with cards. I am not kidding, they are so amazing. I've never seen anything like it. I can't wait for my brother and sister to see him do these tricks. And I know all the secrets :)
Oh, and I got my hair highlighted. It is sooooo pretty!!!!!!!! I won't lie :) It's the highlights I have always wanted but I never went to a super highlighting place to get them done. Well, I am impressed. You wouldn't believe how much it cost, though :-( Yikes! I could have bought an annual pass to Disney World, for sure.
Okay, I am done talking shop, I swear.
Walt Disney World is awesome! John, Mark (John's brother) and I went to downtown Disney to meet their ex-stepmom (from the time John was about 4 to 16), which was really cool considering she is the woman John spent most of his childhood with. She was a way cool person and just that cute-nice type. I liked her immediately. I hope she liked me.
Anyway, we spent the day in downtown Disney, where they sell beer and margaritas and daquiris right on the street like it's nothin', and you can go to 8 different clubs for under 20 dollars. Holy cow, it was like...Disney for adults. It was like...college. Ha!
Well, John and I are such losers. :) We were both so tired from long weeks of work, an early morning, and so on, that we only drank coffee and cappucino and looked around at shops. But it was just as fun as the comedy club, the 70's and 80's dance club, the techno club, and all that combined, I'm sure. Someday I'll have to get my chicas down here to attend those establishments with me. Oh, by the way, downtown Disney is absolutely FREE. I had no idea. I love you, Walt Disney.
John bought a super duper cool pack of magic tricks with cards. I am not kidding, they are so amazing. I've never seen anything like it. I can't wait for my brother and sister to see him do these tricks. And I know all the secrets :)
Oh, and I got my hair highlighted. It is sooooo pretty!!!!!!!! I won't lie :) It's the highlights I have always wanted but I never went to a super highlighting place to get them done. Well, I am impressed. You wouldn't believe how much it cost, though :-( Yikes! I could have bought an annual pass to Disney World, for sure.
Friday, October 22, 2004
In-Laws
I am learning that there are three great things about in-laws. Here they are:
1. They make you realize your family isn't so crazy after all.
2. They make you realize your family is actually very cool.
3. They make you realize how much your family loves you because instead of trying to impress your family, they just love you no matter what, but with inlaws you have to be "pert-i-neer" perfect to get an ounce of love out of them.
But somehow they contributed to making John who he is today so...there's another great thing about them. ;-) Thank you!
Flight to Quebec, please?
1. They make you realize your family isn't so crazy after all.
2. They make you realize your family is actually very cool.
3. They make you realize how much your family loves you because instead of trying to impress your family, they just love you no matter what, but with inlaws you have to be "pert-i-neer" perfect to get an ounce of love out of them.
But somehow they contributed to making John who he is today so...there's another great thing about them. ;-) Thank you!
Flight to Quebec, please?
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Special People!
Apparently there's been this big argument going on between SOME of my family members (I won't mention any names) about WHO is special to me. Sillies. If you even have to wonder whether or not you're special to me, then I feel ashamed of myself :-p
Anyway, I guess I can say things are better now except that I feel like an indentured slave. But...I don't mind it right now. I would probably start to mind it under certain circumstances, however, or if it lasts for too much longer.
We're learning SO much about geology in first grade this week, discussing different kinds of rocks and such, especially GOLD and DIAMONDS. No, but seriously, the kids are loving it. We write and read about rocks every day. How boring, right? But no, it's not. It's been fun!
Anyway, I guess I can say things are better now except that I feel like an indentured slave. But...I don't mind it right now. I would probably start to mind it under certain circumstances, however, or if it lasts for too much longer.
We're learning SO much about geology in first grade this week, discussing different kinds of rocks and such, especially GOLD and DIAMONDS. No, but seriously, the kids are loving it. We write and read about rocks every day. How boring, right? But no, it's not. It's been fun!
Monday, October 18, 2004
My Weekend
Well, well, well. What an exciting weekend. Not only did I get to spend all day Saturday at the beach, but I also got to spend quite a few hours in the emergency room. Long story. But to make the long story short, everyone is okay. At least that's what we think and are hoping.
In the meantime, John's mom especially needs your prayers. The doctors think that something possibly could be wrong with her kidneys, her brain (seizures), and her back (which we knew already that she needs surgery on her back). She and her husband are also getting a divorce, which means who knows about the house and where John and I will live or anyone else for that matter. So a lot of prayer for all of us would be very good. Right now I wouldn't be too upset if a hurricane wiped out the whole state of Florida, as then we could all start again with a clean slate. Which I have no reason to hope for that because I haven't made any bad choices, I feel, but the bad choices of others always affects a lot of people, doesn't it?
I know I have two passions: God and teaching. I have two people I really, really love a whole lot: My mom and John. So I guess I need to make those four things my top priorities. I'm just not sure how to do that.
So the lesson for today is that I need to remember not to do things for the sole purpose of making someone happy, because it's impossible for us to make people happy. We all play to an audience of one. If we could all just focus on making God happy and following what HE wants for us instead of what others want, the world would be a better place, no? Our pastor was right when he said that many women are people pleasers. We work ourselves to death over making a good impression, only to realize that we will fall short of people's expectations and in the process of working ourselves to death, we've forgotten about God and begun to work for some other god.
In the meantime, John's mom especially needs your prayers. The doctors think that something possibly could be wrong with her kidneys, her brain (seizures), and her back (which we knew already that she needs surgery on her back). She and her husband are also getting a divorce, which means who knows about the house and where John and I will live or anyone else for that matter. So a lot of prayer for all of us would be very good. Right now I wouldn't be too upset if a hurricane wiped out the whole state of Florida, as then we could all start again with a clean slate. Which I have no reason to hope for that because I haven't made any bad choices, I feel, but the bad choices of others always affects a lot of people, doesn't it?
I know I have two passions: God and teaching. I have two people I really, really love a whole lot: My mom and John. So I guess I need to make those four things my top priorities. I'm just not sure how to do that.
So the lesson for today is that I need to remember not to do things for the sole purpose of making someone happy, because it's impossible for us to make people happy. We all play to an audience of one. If we could all just focus on making God happy and following what HE wants for us instead of what others want, the world would be a better place, no? Our pastor was right when he said that many women are people pleasers. We work ourselves to death over making a good impression, only to realize that we will fall short of people's expectations and in the process of working ourselves to death, we've forgotten about God and begun to work for some other god.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Errands
There is never time to run errands in this business. I need stamps so that I can mail out all the little cards I wrote for friends that have been living all over the world. I wrote these cards for all of you like a month ago and they are still on my dresser.
I made a doctor's appointment for December 1st. His name is Dr. Kronin and his picture is online. I forget what he looks like but I am going to look it up in a minute. I don't really care what my family physician looks like though. I do, however, care what my ob/gyn looks like, and I have not yet found one that is acceptable.
Today is a teacher workday. It's 7:30 and here I am at school, supposedly entering grades when all I really want to do is sleep. I like kids a whole lot more than entering grades, and kids wake me up, and grades make me want to sleep.
I think what I really want to do is be a children's librarian. But I don't want to have to put books in order or do anything with data, and I don't want to bother people about late charges. I just want to read stories and organize fun summer reading programs and dress up like spaghetti like my Aunt Vicky did.
No, I think I just want to be a stay at home mom and go to the Y for exercise classes every day and when I have a baby I can go to those mom/baby swim classes. And I can go to those mom bible studies in the middle of the day and organize luncheons and cook yummy food all day long, because I really like to cook. And I could volunteer for Bible school and all those things I never get to volunteer for anymore.
I feel a little burned out after only three months in the real world. I don't like it here.
I made a doctor's appointment for December 1st. His name is Dr. Kronin and his picture is online. I forget what he looks like but I am going to look it up in a minute. I don't really care what my family physician looks like though. I do, however, care what my ob/gyn looks like, and I have not yet found one that is acceptable.
Today is a teacher workday. It's 7:30 and here I am at school, supposedly entering grades when all I really want to do is sleep. I like kids a whole lot more than entering grades, and kids wake me up, and grades make me want to sleep.
I think what I really want to do is be a children's librarian. But I don't want to have to put books in order or do anything with data, and I don't want to bother people about late charges. I just want to read stories and organize fun summer reading programs and dress up like spaghetti like my Aunt Vicky did.
No, I think I just want to be a stay at home mom and go to the Y for exercise classes every day and when I have a baby I can go to those mom/baby swim classes. And I can go to those mom bible studies in the middle of the day and organize luncheons and cook yummy food all day long, because I really like to cook. And I could volunteer for Bible school and all those things I never get to volunteer for anymore.
I feel a little burned out after only three months in the real world. I don't like it here.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
This Weekend
Well, I'm looking forward to this weekend. Tomorrow we have no school but it's a teacher planning day so I get to do...dum dum dum! Grade Cards! And you know me, mine are pretty much already done. Then on Saturday we are going to the beach to celebrate John's uncle's wife's birthday (or, John's aunt Karen, who is the aunt we stayed with in Orlando). It's taking place at the little chiki? bar on the beach that I am particularly fond of (it would be great for a casual wedding reception if you know what I mean). AND it is going to be a BEAUTIFUL weekend. The humidity is going down and a COLD front is coming in so it's going to be like only 80 degrees! Hallelujah!
I really like John's aunt Karen. She is like a breath of fresh air. We always say the same things at the same time. It's weird. And I love the way she decorates and does her hair and we even have some of the same clothes. And she has one of those global blah blah things in her van because she gets lost all the time. It is so cool. You can type in "Restaurants" and it will give you a list of restaurants in whatever mile radius you want and even the restaurant description and then tell you how to get there!!! Just imagine. I would be finding yummy restaurants and great shopping centers all the time!
I am so amazed at how well John and I get along. We never have anything to fight about so we end up fighting about who has the most brain capacity in order to love more. I think I am capable of loving John more because I am a right-brained person and I can say words backwards. That means that I am in my right mind and I am a genius, so therefore my brain works frontwards and backwards so I can love John here and back again. But he can only love forward and not go backward. That's my take on things.
I really like John's aunt Karen. She is like a breath of fresh air. We always say the same things at the same time. It's weird. And I love the way she decorates and does her hair and we even have some of the same clothes. And she has one of those global blah blah things in her van because she gets lost all the time. It is so cool. You can type in "Restaurants" and it will give you a list of restaurants in whatever mile radius you want and even the restaurant description and then tell you how to get there!!! Just imagine. I would be finding yummy restaurants and great shopping centers all the time!
I am so amazed at how well John and I get along. We never have anything to fight about so we end up fighting about who has the most brain capacity in order to love more. I think I am capable of loving John more because I am a right-brained person and I can say words backwards. That means that I am in my right mind and I am a genius, so therefore my brain works frontwards and backwards so I can love John here and back again. But he can only love forward and not go backward. That's my take on things.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Good Morning!
Hello! It is 7:23 am and my students will be arriving in about ten minutes. I feel GREAT today!!!! I went to bed at 6:00 lastnight because I had a migraine. Wow I just feel wonderful. Maybe I'll start going to bed at 6 every night. Today is going to be a great day. I'm actually looking forward to it.
Tomorrow I am being observed by my principal for a whole half hour and I am unsure of when she's coming in. So please pray for me. I normally don't stress out at all when she is in the room, so as long as I can just be normal, I will be fine. The thing is that I think she is coming in the afternoon and our afternoons are always a little crazy. I sort of let the kids relax in the afternoon after math is over. I'm too easy. The good thing is that the kids will be finishing their Christopher Columbus books which I think she will be impressed by.
I told my first graders that Christopher Columbus brought diseases to America on the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria and that "some people say he wasn't such a great person." That's about as far as I could go with the anti-Columbus speech. So we talked about the pros and cons of Columbus. I think they understood. Then we wrote a story pretending we were on the ship, and letters asking for things from the King and Queen. Some kids wrote, "Dear King and Queen, please may I have ships and pizza." Some of the wrote things like, "The trip was too hot. I was so hot because I needed some ice cream." I guess that will do for six year olds :)
Okay I know you don't care about that at all.
The Braves lost to the Astros. Boo. John is a big Braves fan and since the Indians will probably not be playing them soon, I think it's okay to like them, but don't worry. When the Tribe and the Braves go to the World Series in like, 2006 or 2007 or something, you know who I'll be loyal to :) Isn't Chipper just the cutest name ever? I think I might name my next pet Chipper. Not that I would name my kid that.
I am such a girl. The reason I don't like the Astros is because they have too much red in their uniforms. The Braves have a lot in common with the Indians. For one thing, they are both themed around "indians." They both do like tomahawk choppy things. They have the same colors.
The end.
Tomorrow I am being observed by my principal for a whole half hour and I am unsure of when she's coming in. So please pray for me. I normally don't stress out at all when she is in the room, so as long as I can just be normal, I will be fine. The thing is that I think she is coming in the afternoon and our afternoons are always a little crazy. I sort of let the kids relax in the afternoon after math is over. I'm too easy. The good thing is that the kids will be finishing their Christopher Columbus books which I think she will be impressed by.
I told my first graders that Christopher Columbus brought diseases to America on the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria and that "some people say he wasn't such a great person." That's about as far as I could go with the anti-Columbus speech. So we talked about the pros and cons of Columbus. I think they understood. Then we wrote a story pretending we were on the ship, and letters asking for things from the King and Queen. Some kids wrote, "Dear King and Queen, please may I have ships and pizza." Some of the wrote things like, "The trip was too hot. I was so hot because I needed some ice cream." I guess that will do for six year olds :)
Okay I know you don't care about that at all.
The Braves lost to the Astros. Boo. John is a big Braves fan and since the Indians will probably not be playing them soon, I think it's okay to like them, but don't worry. When the Tribe and the Braves go to the World Series in like, 2006 or 2007 or something, you know who I'll be loyal to :) Isn't Chipper just the cutest name ever? I think I might name my next pet Chipper. Not that I would name my kid that.
I am such a girl. The reason I don't like the Astros is because they have too much red in their uniforms. The Braves have a lot in common with the Indians. For one thing, they are both themed around "indians." They both do like tomahawk choppy things. They have the same colors.
The end.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Got Cider?
Well, Florida is jam packed with orange juice, but can I find cider? No. Tomorrow my class is having "Taste October" day and all I could find was candy corn and some nasty looking pumpkin pie. The pumpkin pie will be good for the kids to taste because half of them have never even heard of it, but none of them knew what apple cider was. I guess they don't have apple cider in Florida :-( This is going to be like New Zealand and no biscuits or American cheese or hot dogs all over again.
But hey, the pineapple is pretty darn good. And the watermelon is still delicious and shwew! The weather has been great!
I never thought I'd appreciate a "flat" state but on Saturday as I was driving I went over this hill (yeah! There's a hill in Florida!) and the view just "took my breath away" (isn't that a beautiful thing to say?). It was like there was so much SKY! And the sky was so GORGEOUS! Just pure blue with great puffy clouds, perfectly white. It was awesome. And the sunsets here are priceless.
Oh my gosh, and the Mexican food is aaaamaaazzzing! Lastnight I ate a huge plate of Mexican food at this restaurant, some chips, and when I was done, I was still hungry so I ate some of John's too! It was so good.
See what I mean about being food oriented?
But hey, the pineapple is pretty darn good. And the watermelon is still delicious and shwew! The weather has been great!
I never thought I'd appreciate a "flat" state but on Saturday as I was driving I went over this hill (yeah! There's a hill in Florida!) and the view just "took my breath away" (isn't that a beautiful thing to say?). It was like there was so much SKY! And the sky was so GORGEOUS! Just pure blue with great puffy clouds, perfectly white. It was awesome. And the sunsets here are priceless.
Oh my gosh, and the Mexican food is aaaamaaazzzing! Lastnight I ate a huge plate of Mexican food at this restaurant, some chips, and when I was done, I was still hungry so I ate some of John's too! It was so good.
See what I mean about being food oriented?
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Why, why, why?
As if teaching itself wasn't enough, I have just completed one Saturday, 8-hour class and have 3 more to go, not to mention some other dopey class I have to take that begins soon. Yippeeeeeeee. I want to strangle the people who did our curriculum, too. I want to strangle Houghton Mifflin, our sucky textbook company. It is OCTOBER. I want to teach my kids about bats and spiders, not solids, liquids and gases. How BORING, really. We made pudding on Friday and talked about whether or not it is a solid or liquid. I don't know what the heck it is, to be honest with you.
Teaching is impossible. But what else should I be doing? I know I'm in the right field, but ten, twenty, thirty years from now do I want to be like the teachers I know that are 35, 45, 55? They're PSYCHO let me tell you. I'm not doing it, I'm telling you.
Guess what? There's a doctor in my family! Yep. Mark Harrington. He is in my Bible Life Group at our new church and he is a chiropractor and my insurance covers him. Yay! He's nice and available too so if any of you single Ohioans wanna hookup with my cousin, I'll see what I can do :)
Today I made myself do almost absolutely nothing that involved standing or walking. My feet and my legs hurt so badly. Do any of you other new teachers have this problem? We are allowed to wear comfy shoes at work, and I do, but honestly they hurt so bad that when I walk in the morning they feel bruised and as I was sitting (sitting!) in church I felt like my feet were going to explode inside of my shoes. SO that means not only will I be crazy by the time I'm forty if I stick with teaching, but I'll have vericose veins and be in a wheelchair, too. Eeeee :-(
Okay Amanda! That's enough self pity for the day. If someone wants to visit BEAUTIFUL southwest Florida, October is a GREAT month to visit and you can stay with me FREE and VOLUNTEER in Portable #6 for a few days. Would that not be the greatest thing in the world? What a unique opportunity! The kids are absolutely wonderful and they need a lot of love :)
Not to mention a lot of English!
Okay that's all for today.
I love you all! Peace and God bless :)
Teaching is impossible. But what else should I be doing? I know I'm in the right field, but ten, twenty, thirty years from now do I want to be like the teachers I know that are 35, 45, 55? They're PSYCHO let me tell you. I'm not doing it, I'm telling you.
Guess what? There's a doctor in my family! Yep. Mark Harrington. He is in my Bible Life Group at our new church and he is a chiropractor and my insurance covers him. Yay! He's nice and available too so if any of you single Ohioans wanna hookup with my cousin, I'll see what I can do :)
Today I made myself do almost absolutely nothing that involved standing or walking. My feet and my legs hurt so badly. Do any of you other new teachers have this problem? We are allowed to wear comfy shoes at work, and I do, but honestly they hurt so bad that when I walk in the morning they feel bruised and as I was sitting (sitting!) in church I felt like my feet were going to explode inside of my shoes. SO that means not only will I be crazy by the time I'm forty if I stick with teaching, but I'll have vericose veins and be in a wheelchair, too. Eeeee :-(
Okay Amanda! That's enough self pity for the day. If someone wants to visit BEAUTIFUL southwest Florida, October is a GREAT month to visit and you can stay with me FREE and VOLUNTEER in Portable #6 for a few days. Would that not be the greatest thing in the world? What a unique opportunity! The kids are absolutely wonderful and they need a lot of love :)
Not to mention a lot of English!
Okay that's all for today.
I love you all! Peace and God bless :)
Monday, September 27, 2004
Straight off the Bookshelf, I Swear
Painted Princes
Icy sparks slide down my face
As I remember them and that grin
He wore so proudly and so fake.
Never trust faith’s fortune
Especially the kind that passes
Through twilight skies, so real.
Stop trying to catch it.
Deny his prophecies and your intellect,
Interrupt his laughter with screams.
Painted princes cast stones on the lowly,
Broadcasting their splendor
After showering their loves with roses, lilacs, champagne.
The dreams we illustrate
Are plastic mugs of milk compared
To the moons we have in store.
Painted princes never satisfy.
He’ll melt in the heat of the day.
Like all the thieves before.
Icy sparks slide down my face
As I remember them and that grin
He wore so proudly and so fake.
Never trust faith’s fortune
Especially the kind that passes
Through twilight skies, so real.
Stop trying to catch it.
Deny his prophecies and your intellect,
Interrupt his laughter with screams.
Painted princes cast stones on the lowly,
Broadcasting their splendor
After showering their loves with roses, lilacs, champagne.
The dreams we illustrate
Are plastic mugs of milk compared
To the moons we have in store.
Painted princes never satisfy.
He’ll melt in the heat of the day.
Like all the thieves before.
Friday, September 24, 2004
Growly Teachers!
I growled at my students today. Seriously. I made claws with my fingers and went "grrrr!" They were just being so dumb today. Now of course I did not say dumb. But really, people. Come on.
One of the top three most intelligent girls asked me when she got her math worksheet..."Do we put our names on it?" Duh! What do we do EVERYDAY? Hello. I just looked at her and said "What?!"
This other kid asked me, "Can I have some money?" Um....NO! My response to that question was, "Why would you ask something like that? That is a bit inappropriate, don't you think?" I mean, they ALL get free lunch, so it's not like they are starving or anything. Greedy. One of the other kids said, "That's greedy!" Thank you Joy Cowley for all those Greedy Cat books. Now my kids know what greedy means.
"Miss, can we watch tv?" What???!!! What the heck are these kids thinking and why do they ask stupid, stupid questions like that just to ask, just to talk? Grrr!
They asked SO many questions today that at the end of the day I just said "Give me TWO minutes! Two minutes without any questions!"
And then two of the boys were sexually harassing one of the little girls! Blowing her kisses! What sickos :-p The poor little girl told them to stop and they wouldn't and she sits right in between them...and I know that she has abuse in her past. I just wanted to arrest them. :) Okay, maybe not really. But I was really upset that they made her feel that way.
And WHERE the heck am I supposed to put the trouble maker in my class? No matter who he sits by, he gets them in trouble! Poor Amy. Dear sweet Amy that never does anything wrong got on yellow yesterday :-( I felt so bad for her. And it was all Tony's fault, the little punk. So Amy didn't get a Fun Friday and she deserves it more than anyone for sure. Sigh. Teachers aren't fair, are they?
One of the top three most intelligent girls asked me when she got her math worksheet..."Do we put our names on it?" Duh! What do we do EVERYDAY? Hello. I just looked at her and said "What?!"
This other kid asked me, "Can I have some money?" Um....NO! My response to that question was, "Why would you ask something like that? That is a bit inappropriate, don't you think?" I mean, they ALL get free lunch, so it's not like they are starving or anything. Greedy. One of the other kids said, "That's greedy!" Thank you Joy Cowley for all those Greedy Cat books. Now my kids know what greedy means.
"Miss, can we watch tv?" What???!!! What the heck are these kids thinking and why do they ask stupid, stupid questions like that just to ask, just to talk? Grrr!
They asked SO many questions today that at the end of the day I just said "Give me TWO minutes! Two minutes without any questions!"
And then two of the boys were sexually harassing one of the little girls! Blowing her kisses! What sickos :-p The poor little girl told them to stop and they wouldn't and she sits right in between them...and I know that she has abuse in her past. I just wanted to arrest them. :) Okay, maybe not really. But I was really upset that they made her feel that way.
And WHERE the heck am I supposed to put the trouble maker in my class? No matter who he sits by, he gets them in trouble! Poor Amy. Dear sweet Amy that never does anything wrong got on yellow yesterday :-( I felt so bad for her. And it was all Tony's fault, the little punk. So Amy didn't get a Fun Friday and she deserves it more than anyone for sure. Sigh. Teachers aren't fair, are they?
Monday, September 20, 2004
Pocket Charts are Expensive
I bought a new pocket chart so that I could introduce our pocket chart workstation. Well, I didn't realize it but the 60 dollar pocket chart I bought is like gigantic, so I don't think I can even use it...at least not yet. And where the h-e-double K could I put it anyway in that teeny tiny classroom that is covered in windows?
TOMORROW interims go home and THEN we have Open House. How appropriate, right? Not so much. I'll just have a bunch of p-o'd parents wanting to chat in Spanish. No way Joses! Me no hable.
The first person who tells me how to say "YOUR SON IS SLOW!" in Spanish wins a prize :)
Oh come on. I was just kidding :)
TOMORROW interims go home and THEN we have Open House. How appropriate, right? Not so much. I'll just have a bunch of p-o'd parents wanting to chat in Spanish. No way Joses! Me no hable.
The first person who tells me how to say "YOUR SON IS SLOW!" in Spanish wins a prize :)
Oh come on. I was just kidding :)
Sunday, September 19, 2004
PA-Rrrrraze the Loooowd!
We found a good church! I think it's just about perfect for us. I love it. I am so happy. Happy, I tell you. I want to go live there, where people are happy and where people love God. Do you know, do you have ANY idea how refreshing that is after practically a year of spiritual deadness around me, after being surrounded by nothing but spiritual alive-ness for 6 years? Oh God, it's so good. We went to service, Sunday school, and then I went out to eat with some of the people while John went off to work because honestly, I never wanted to leave.
Is it possible that I could soon have FRIENDS?! Friends who actually love Jesus that I can SEE face to face? Ah! It seems too good to be true. I guess I shouldn't get TOO excited or my new "friends" will be like, "Whoa, this girl is psychotic!" But hello! I was starting to die down here!
The bad news? I think I've lost my Bible! This is an absolutely terrible, horrific, unimaginable thing. It has every verse that has been important to me for the past 5 years highlighted. It has notes in it, memory verses, commitments, prayers, and it's the Bible I read cover to cover my Junior year...so it's important to me. Has anyone seen it?
Is it possible that I could soon have FRIENDS?! Friends who actually love Jesus that I can SEE face to face? Ah! It seems too good to be true. I guess I shouldn't get TOO excited or my new "friends" will be like, "Whoa, this girl is psychotic!" But hello! I was starting to die down here!
The bad news? I think I've lost my Bible! This is an absolutely terrible, horrific, unimaginable thing. It has every verse that has been important to me for the past 5 years highlighted. It has notes in it, memory verses, commitments, prayers, and it's the Bible I read cover to cover my Junior year...so it's important to me. Has anyone seen it?
Friday, September 17, 2004
I Am No Longer...
...an audio book virgin! I am on my final chapters of the book, "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles. It is an interesting experience, listening to audio books. I decided to do it because I was tired of "wasting time" driving for an hour and 20 minutes everyday. I can't believe I'm almost done with the book already. I had no idea it would go so fast.
But the thing is, I'm not sure if I like "A Separate Peace" or not. The guy who reads it on the CD is a quack. I mean, he reads the voices all wrong. I can't picture Phineas the way I want to picture Phineas because the reader man makes his voice sound like a dazed and confused Kurt Kobain. The flowery language is soooo boring when it's spoken but I think it'd be better if it was read--I sort of feel like I'm cheating myself, robbing myself of the book's best qualities, which must be underlying humor as well as sadness and betrayal along with outstanding language. Well anyway, I don't really recommend the book--especially not to you, Mom.
MY JOB
My job is hell on earth. I am not kidding you. It is so hard. Not the teaching part, not the kids part, not the discipline, not the classroom management, no none of that. I'm not sure even what to say IS hard about it...oh wait, maybe it's because NO ONE TELLS ME ANYTHING! I found out today that interims were due today. I thought they were due on Tuesday because that's what I was told previously. Whatever. They'll get them on Tuesday.
So today I was at work until 6:30 and tomorrow (Saturday, right?) I get to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn and go to a CLASS for eight hours.
But the worst part is my mommy isn't here to make me feel better, and my mommy isn't here to say "Just sit down and relax." And she would get me what I wanted without even realizing she was doing anything for me, and if I did something stupid like accidentally leave a light on, she wouldn't care at all. AND MAYBE if life was like that here I wouldn't be so stressed out. Maybe.
To add to my problems, two hurricanes are on the way. Ha!
But the thing is, I'm not sure if I like "A Separate Peace" or not. The guy who reads it on the CD is a quack. I mean, he reads the voices all wrong. I can't picture Phineas the way I want to picture Phineas because the reader man makes his voice sound like a dazed and confused Kurt Kobain. The flowery language is soooo boring when it's spoken but I think it'd be better if it was read--I sort of feel like I'm cheating myself, robbing myself of the book's best qualities, which must be underlying humor as well as sadness and betrayal along with outstanding language. Well anyway, I don't really recommend the book--especially not to you, Mom.
MY JOB
My job is hell on earth. I am not kidding you. It is so hard. Not the teaching part, not the kids part, not the discipline, not the classroom management, no none of that. I'm not sure even what to say IS hard about it...oh wait, maybe it's because NO ONE TELLS ME ANYTHING! I found out today that interims were due today. I thought they were due on Tuesday because that's what I was told previously. Whatever. They'll get them on Tuesday.
So today I was at work until 6:30 and tomorrow (Saturday, right?) I get to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn and go to a CLASS for eight hours.
But the worst part is my mommy isn't here to make me feel better, and my mommy isn't here to say "Just sit down and relax." And she would get me what I wanted without even realizing she was doing anything for me, and if I did something stupid like accidentally leave a light on, she wouldn't care at all. AND MAYBE if life was like that here I wouldn't be so stressed out. Maybe.
To add to my problems, two hurricanes are on the way. Ha!
Sunday, September 12, 2004
I Love Disney World!
We decided to stay in Orlando because the hurricane is now headed straight for Georgia. We are right next to Disney World, so wouldn't it be great to go to Epcot while I am here, buy my "season's tickets" for the whole year? But John was too tired so we didn't. :-( Now I get to sit around and take cat naps.
Well, I am going to go back to pouting now.
Well, I am going to go back to pouting now.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Down in Georgia, Pickin' Them Peaches...
Do any of you know that song?
Well, that's where we're going--Georgia. Augusta to be exact. We tried to get a more exciting place but the hotels were booked. Florida residents are flying north. We don't know for sure (of course) if it's coming for us now because it looks like it's definitely going towards the panhandle.
We're leaving in a few hours. You can reach me on my cell phone if you need me (330) 343-3877. Our windows are all boarded up and I have almost all my clothes packed and my valuables and my important documents. What a pain...now I'll have to unpack it all eventually. Sigh :) We took pictures of other valuables that we can't take and recorded their serial numbers (John's bike, tvs, dvd players, stereos, etc.) and took a video of the house.
We're going to Orlando tonight to stay over with John's aunt and uncle and cousins...they are awesome, awesome people and I'm really excited.
So I guess we could use a lot of prayer--mostly that people stay sane and don't do stupid things, because that seems to kill more people than does a hurricane.
Peeing Pants Reply to Alison: Hehehe. This little girl was hilarious when she peed her pants. She wasn't embarassed at all. She just smiled and announced to the class, "I just couldn't hold it! So I had a little accident!" And some of the other kids just smiled and said, "That's okay!" And then the little class clown chimes in, "Yeah, we don't care if you peed your pants!" And all the kids laughed, including Beth (the peed pants girl) as she walked out the door. I sent her to the clinic with another student. The clinic gave her another set of clothes. Problem solved :) No biggie.
I have another girl in my class that pees her pants nearly every day, but her adoptive mom works there so she always has another set of clothes at school.
Well, that's where we're going--Georgia. Augusta to be exact. We tried to get a more exciting place but the hotels were booked. Florida residents are flying north. We don't know for sure (of course) if it's coming for us now because it looks like it's definitely going towards the panhandle.
We're leaving in a few hours. You can reach me on my cell phone if you need me (330) 343-3877. Our windows are all boarded up and I have almost all my clothes packed and my valuables and my important documents. What a pain...now I'll have to unpack it all eventually. Sigh :) We took pictures of other valuables that we can't take and recorded their serial numbers (John's bike, tvs, dvd players, stereos, etc.) and took a video of the house.
We're going to Orlando tonight to stay over with John's aunt and uncle and cousins...they are awesome, awesome people and I'm really excited.
So I guess we could use a lot of prayer--mostly that people stay sane and don't do stupid things, because that seems to kill more people than does a hurricane.
Peeing Pants Reply to Alison: Hehehe. This little girl was hilarious when she peed her pants. She wasn't embarassed at all. She just smiled and announced to the class, "I just couldn't hold it! So I had a little accident!" And some of the other kids just smiled and said, "That's okay!" And then the little class clown chimes in, "Yeah, we don't care if you peed your pants!" And all the kids laughed, including Beth (the peed pants girl) as she walked out the door. I sent her to the clinic with another student. The clinic gave her another set of clothes. Problem solved :) No biggie.
I have another girl in my class that pees her pants nearly every day, but her adoptive mom works there so she always has another set of clothes at school.
Down in Georgia, Pickin' Them Peaches...
Do any of you know that song?
Well, that's where we're going--Georgia. Augusta to be exact. We tried to get a more exciting place but the hotels were booked. Florida residents are flying north. We don't know for sure (of course) if it's coming for us now because it looks like it's definitely going towards the panhandle.
We're leaving in a few hours. You can reach me on my cell phone if you need me (330) 343-3877. Our windows are all boarded up and I have almost all my clothes packed and my valuables and my important documents. What a pain...now I'll have to unpack it all eventually. Sigh :) We took pictures of other valuables that we can't take and recorded their serial numbers (John's bike, tvs, dvd players, stereos, etc.) and took a video of the house.
We're going to Orlando tonight to stay over with John's aunt and uncle and cousins...they are awesome, awesome people and I'm really excited.
So I guess we could use a lot of prayer--mostly that people stay sane and don't do stupid things, because that seems to kill more people than does a hurricane.
Peeing Pants Reply to Alison: Hehehe. This little girl was hilarious when she peed her pants. She wasn't embarassed at all. She just smiled and announced to the class, "I just couldn't hold it! So I had a little accident!" And some of the other kids just smiled and said, "That's okay!" And then the little class clown chimes in, "Yeah, we don't care if you peed your pants!" And all the kids laughed, including Beth (the peed pants girl) as she walked out the door. I sent her to the clinic with another student. The clinic gave her another set of clothes. Problem solved :) No biggie.
I have another girl in my class that pees her pants nearly every day, but her adoptive mom works there so she always has another set of clothes at school.
Well, that's where we're going--Georgia. Augusta to be exact. We tried to get a more exciting place but the hotels were booked. Florida residents are flying north. We don't know for sure (of course) if it's coming for us now because it looks like it's definitely going towards the panhandle.
We're leaving in a few hours. You can reach me on my cell phone if you need me (330) 343-3877. Our windows are all boarded up and I have almost all my clothes packed and my valuables and my important documents. What a pain...now I'll have to unpack it all eventually. Sigh :) We took pictures of other valuables that we can't take and recorded their serial numbers (John's bike, tvs, dvd players, stereos, etc.) and took a video of the house.
We're going to Orlando tonight to stay over with John's aunt and uncle and cousins...they are awesome, awesome people and I'm really excited.
So I guess we could use a lot of prayer--mostly that people stay sane and don't do stupid things, because that seems to kill more people than does a hurricane.
Peeing Pants Reply to Alison: Hehehe. This little girl was hilarious when she peed her pants. She wasn't embarassed at all. She just smiled and announced to the class, "I just couldn't hold it! So I had a little accident!" And some of the other kids just smiled and said, "That's okay!" And then the little class clown chimes in, "Yeah, we don't care if you peed your pants!" And all the kids laughed, including Beth (the peed pants girl) as she walked out the door. I sent her to the clinic with another student. The clinic gave her another set of clothes. Problem solved :) No biggie.
I have another girl in my class that pees her pants nearly every day, but her adoptive mom works there so she always has another set of clothes at school.
Friday, September 10, 2004
Not AGAIN!
All right, all right, so Charley was terrible and Frances was worse than just bad...but Ivan could totally be the killer of us all. Everyone here seems to be taking it VERY seriously since those who didn't take Charley seriously learned their lesson...
Even Dave, John's stepdad, was talking about us escaping to North Carolina...and he would even come with us...(he's a water geologist of some sort and so he usually stays for these things) so if he's planning on leaving too, that means he is pee-in-his-pants-skeered which is of course, not very settling to me.
In case you don't know, Naples is the second-most southern county in FL and we are about 20-30 minutes from the coast. Sanibel isn't far at all from us, and it got ransacked by Charley. Right now, Ivan is a category 4 storm...but it could go up or down at the last minute or totally change direction.
And we're not having school Monday.
I'm thankful for the vacation, of course...but come on people, I can't get much at all done in four day weeks! It totally cancels out spelling tests, that's for sure.
I sent a boy to the principal's office today and a little girl peed her pants...how eventful!
AND my principal and these two very important looking people came in my classroom today just as one of my reading groups grabbed "Connect Four" to play during our literacy block. I didn't say anything because they had already started playing and their normal workstation (the classroom library), they had just packed into boxes (because of the hurricane). This is a BIG NO NO. Our literacy block is supposed to be totally uninterrupted literacy time, which as far as I know does not involve Connect Four. I'm waiting to get reamed for that one. Crap crap crap.
It was a HORRIBLE day to visit my classroom because I was sick lastnight and this morning so everything was a mess and just....oh dear....and it wasn't just my principal, it was these two other people that she was probably trying to impress and...
Okay, I'll stop.
:-(
Even Dave, John's stepdad, was talking about us escaping to North Carolina...and he would even come with us...(he's a water geologist of some sort and so he usually stays for these things) so if he's planning on leaving too, that means he is pee-in-his-pants-skeered which is of course, not very settling to me.
In case you don't know, Naples is the second-most southern county in FL and we are about 20-30 minutes from the coast. Sanibel isn't far at all from us, and it got ransacked by Charley. Right now, Ivan is a category 4 storm...but it could go up or down at the last minute or totally change direction.
And we're not having school Monday.
I'm thankful for the vacation, of course...but come on people, I can't get much at all done in four day weeks! It totally cancels out spelling tests, that's for sure.
I sent a boy to the principal's office today and a little girl peed her pants...how eventful!
AND my principal and these two very important looking people came in my classroom today just as one of my reading groups grabbed "Connect Four" to play during our literacy block. I didn't say anything because they had already started playing and their normal workstation (the classroom library), they had just packed into boxes (because of the hurricane). This is a BIG NO NO. Our literacy block is supposed to be totally uninterrupted literacy time, which as far as I know does not involve Connect Four. I'm waiting to get reamed for that one. Crap crap crap.
It was a HORRIBLE day to visit my classroom because I was sick lastnight and this morning so everything was a mess and just....oh dear....and it wasn't just my principal, it was these two other people that she was probably trying to impress and...
Okay, I'll stop.
:-(
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Songs That Take Me Back...
(I stole this idea from Chrystal who got it from Veronica)
Brown Eyed Girl (any version): This makes me think of, what else? ME!
Walkin' on Broken Glass by Annie Lennox: This is the worst song in the entire world. It takes me back to watching VH1 (sometimes even taping it), waiting and waiting for Wilson Phillips and some other sucky artists' videos...and then THIS song would come on and I would SCREAM and turn it. Then I roomed with Lindsay...and she loved this song! ECK!!!!
I'm Pressin' On by Relient K: I rewrote some lyrics to this song and entitled it "I Hope You Die" my junior year of college. :) What a great thing to do to a Christian song................?
Should I Stay or Should I Go? by The Clash?: I remember doing some sort of break dancing to this song when I was about seven... I don't know.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen: Who doesn't get taken back by this song?
Kokomo by the Beach Boys: This takes me back to the days when my cousin and I would play this song over and over on his Little Tikes tape player and try to memorize the words...and I'd dream of white dresses and honeymoons :)
Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys: This reminds me of my cousin (the same cousin) because I'm pretty sure two of the first words he said were "Ba-ba-ba-ba-barbara ann..."and he and my other cousin and I would jump on the bed as we listened to this Beach Boys record, singing it at the top of our lungs.
Grandma's Feather Bed by John Denver: My weirdo kindergarten teacher made us memorize this song. Can you imagine?
Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi: My aunt loved Bon Jovi and Bruce Springstein. Anyway, she would always listen to this song and I thought it was about Laura Ingalls (I thought it was called "Living on a Prairie").
Barbie Girl by Aqua: I think this song was playing one of the very last times JR had to ever take me to school...when it was uncool to be dropped off by your parents but I couldn't drive yet. It was the first time I'd heard it and I was like, "what...?!"
Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough by Patti Smyth: This is what I cried to over my first heartbreak...in sixth grade...when little Benny broke up with me to go out with the other Amanda in my class. Tear*
The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra: When usually Winey and Jeff would listen to psycho stuff, they bring out this sort of thing. We listened to Frank Sinatra all the way back from Chicago...and I thought about dancing on top of skyscrapers in a red dress as I sat in the back of the car around midnight. *Sigh.*
I'm A Big Girl by Emilia: This was my big time theme song for my dreadful junior/senior year when I was your typical heartbroken, downtrodden mono-ridden, stressed-out 17 year old.
I'm Here Without You...by 3 Doors Down: John gave me this CD and the words to this song really stuck with me when I was thousands of miles away for almost 100 days. "A hundred days have made me older since the last time that I saw your pretty face..."
Cecilia: For some reason me and some of the other Lighthouse girls danced to this song, in a circle, in me and Lindsay's tiny room, for like an hour.
Sex on the Beach: For some other odd reason, Sarah loved this song our freshman year at Muskingum. We were still in awe of fraternities back then :) We grew out of that real fast...because the only "Sex on the Beach" in Muskieland is a drink--and they're too poor to make it...and too ugly/drunk/smelly to do it (apologies to all of you who are over 40 that I just offended). :)
Brown Eyed Girl (any version): This makes me think of, what else? ME!
Walkin' on Broken Glass by Annie Lennox: This is the worst song in the entire world. It takes me back to watching VH1 (sometimes even taping it), waiting and waiting for Wilson Phillips and some other sucky artists' videos...and then THIS song would come on and I would SCREAM and turn it. Then I roomed with Lindsay...and she loved this song! ECK!!!!
I'm Pressin' On by Relient K: I rewrote some lyrics to this song and entitled it "I Hope You Die" my junior year of college. :) What a great thing to do to a Christian song................?
Should I Stay or Should I Go? by The Clash?: I remember doing some sort of break dancing to this song when I was about seven... I don't know.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen: Who doesn't get taken back by this song?
Kokomo by the Beach Boys: This takes me back to the days when my cousin and I would play this song over and over on his Little Tikes tape player and try to memorize the words...and I'd dream of white dresses and honeymoons :)
Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys: This reminds me of my cousin (the same cousin) because I'm pretty sure two of the first words he said were "Ba-ba-ba-ba-barbara ann..."and he and my other cousin and I would jump on the bed as we listened to this Beach Boys record, singing it at the top of our lungs.
Grandma's Feather Bed by John Denver: My weirdo kindergarten teacher made us memorize this song. Can you imagine?
Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi: My aunt loved Bon Jovi and Bruce Springstein. Anyway, she would always listen to this song and I thought it was about Laura Ingalls (I thought it was called "Living on a Prairie").
Barbie Girl by Aqua: I think this song was playing one of the very last times JR had to ever take me to school...when it was uncool to be dropped off by your parents but I couldn't drive yet. It was the first time I'd heard it and I was like, "what...?!"
Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough by Patti Smyth: This is what I cried to over my first heartbreak...in sixth grade...when little Benny broke up with me to go out with the other Amanda in my class. Tear*
The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra: When usually Winey and Jeff would listen to psycho stuff, they bring out this sort of thing. We listened to Frank Sinatra all the way back from Chicago...and I thought about dancing on top of skyscrapers in a red dress as I sat in the back of the car around midnight. *Sigh.*
I'm A Big Girl by Emilia: This was my big time theme song for my dreadful junior/senior year when I was your typical heartbroken, downtrodden mono-ridden, stressed-out 17 year old.
I'm Here Without You...by 3 Doors Down: John gave me this CD and the words to this song really stuck with me when I was thousands of miles away for almost 100 days. "A hundred days have made me older since the last time that I saw your pretty face..."
Cecilia: For some reason me and some of the other Lighthouse girls danced to this song, in a circle, in me and Lindsay's tiny room, for like an hour.
Sex on the Beach: For some other odd reason, Sarah loved this song our freshman year at Muskingum. We were still in awe of fraternities back then :) We grew out of that real fast...because the only "Sex on the Beach" in Muskieland is a drink--and they're too poor to make it...and too ugly/drunk/smelly to do it (apologies to all of you who are over 40 that I just offended). :)
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