i seek wisdom

Consumption

2011-08-29T19:45:00.000-05:00

Here I am again at that point where I either need to buy some new clothes in a bigger size or find a job that allows me to wear sweatpants everyday. Okay, there may be a third option, but giving up slurpees just sounds unreasonable. Gas station food has been my primary food group for the last 12 months. Hmm I guess that's what happens when you spend 10-15 hours commuting each week.

The real problem is that I am unhappy with how I look right now and deep down I know it is because of my weight. Instead of avoiding the "treat cube" at work and packing my own lunch, I've dyed my hair twice in the last couple months and just this weekend, cut really short in hopes that I'd feel better. Well, it didn't work.

Today, I got a call from my doc who said my bad cholesterol is high and good cholesterol is low. Perhaps gaining 17 pounds in one year's time hasn't been the best for my confidence, but it most certainly has not been best for my health.

Off I go again trying to make better decisions about consuming food and not letting it consume me...

sigh...the good kind

2011-07-03T21:57:00.002-05:00

After a year of working 6 days a week (M-S), plus church and rest on Sundays, I finally had an obligation free, restful weekend. And the best news? It isn't over yet. Yay for three-day weekends!

Friday, I joined a few coworkers for happy hour to unwind from a busy home and work week. My whole schedule was thrown off at the start of my week. I had to take my car to the shop to fix a dent (thank you, lady in the Walgreen's parking lot) and Jackson to the vet. Jackson and Joe have been sick. I've had to squirt medicine directly into Jackson's eye twice a day. Ughhhhh I hate it. Poor little guy! I feed him lots of treats afterward. (Yes, I will probably do that with my children one day, too. Don't judge me.) Luckily, Joe has been responsible enough to take his own. :) I am proud that he actually went to the doc at all. During the first seven years of our relationship, I don't think he went to the doctor once.

Though it may look like it, that isn't his bunk eye! He's just sleepy there. hehe

Saturday, I weeded our garden...for the first time...ever. Needless to say, it took FOR-EV-ER. Then, I ripped out the rest of these horrible overgrown vine-y plants growing along side our front steps. This was part 2 of 2 on that project. Okay, wait, part 2 of 3. There is still root ball from some type of overgrown weed or tree that I need to dig up. Perhaps, that'll be a project for my hunny. He headed out of town to visit his parents in the midst of my garden-weeding. Later that night, I took advantage of the night alone and invited my momma to a movie. We saw Bridesmaids. HILARIOUS. Though, I probably laughed a little less 'cause I was with my mom. Some inappropriate scenes...awkward. Then, we had breakfast for dinner at Village Inn. Good times.

Where it all began...

Today, I went to church, ran a few errands, watched some of the Casey Anthony trial, and took a long nap. I had planned on doing more yard work, but it has been somewhat cloudy today, which made me feel lazy. The most productive part of my day was cleaning the stove and sorting papers from the desk near our entry. Not too shabby for a Sunday I'll say. :)

I love this stuff. Fabulous for stove cleaning...
and pretty much everything else, too.

Tomorrow, I may get out and do more yard work. Hopefully, Joe will feel well enough to mow our overgrown lawn. I have offered, but he refuses to teach me. He's nervous that I'll fall down the hill. haha I mean, he's probably right, but I have more time these days than he does. I really don't mind taking on that chore.

I wish I had some great pics of my garden, but I don't. And now, it is dark. So, I'll share some pics of our AZ weekend. We were in Mesa last weekend for a very good friend's wedding. It was beautiful. :)

Sarah and her daddy

My handsome husband and me

The beautiful bride and me

Ana and me at her bridal shower two weeks ago
Another good friend getting married this year! :)

I am feeling very relaxed and very blessed.

Thankful

2011-06-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for my husband who can still smile in the midst of his incredibly demanding schedule.

I am thankful for our dehumidifier that helps our house not smell like a dirty gym sock.

I am thankful for my job.

I am thankful for teachers and how hard they work year round--yes, even in the summer!

I am thankful again for my husband who cleans up giant tree branches and the cat pee pooling around the toilet after thunderstorms.

Winter's On It's Way Back!

2011-03-22T18:41:00.001-05:00

Really?! Snow on Friday? Are you kidding me? Really?! Bah!

Tonight, I decided to go to the gym right after work. Instead of actually going in, I drove through the parking lot to see most of the machines ocupado. I came home and did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred in the privacy of my very own living room. Lord, help me! That is the hardest 20 minute workout I've ever done. I remember the first day I tried it. "20 minutes? That's it? I'll just do Workouts 1 and 2." Well, 8 minutes into the first workout, I was praying for it to end. I'll let it kick my butt again tomorrow...

...or Thursday.

Day 14 - Leftover Fajitas! YUM! :) Joe did a fabulous job and made enough for lunch and dinner today.

Day 10 and Beyond

2011-03-21T16:48:00.000-05:00

Day 10 - A giant bowl of popcorn

Day 11 - A turkey sandwich and two large margaritas

Day 12 - A turtle sundae

Day 13 - I asked Joe to make chicken fajitas. YUM! Hopefully, he doesn't have to work too late. Otherwise, it might be another night of nachos. Also, yum, but not quite as YUM!

Joe Joe is finishing up his degree so that I can have babies and cook dinner every night. He's working so hard--remodeling the attic, working full-time plus extra hours, and going to school full-time. Gee. Now, I feel guilty for asking him to make dinner.

Days 8 & 9

2011-03-17T20:08:00.000-05:00

Day 8 - Leftovers: Lasagna from Tuesday/BBQ from Monday

Day 9 - Chips, Cheese, and Salsa

Day 7... Lasagna

2011-03-15T20:52:00.000-05:00

Tonight's menu:

Lasagna

Meatballs

Garlic Green Beans

Spinach Salad

Yummmmmmy! (Pictures to come)

I'd never made meatballs ever, but Joe says they were good. And he better! I don't even eat meatballs, but out my love for him, I dug my hands into a bowl of bloody beef.

P.S. Let's pretend that I wrote about days 1-5. :)

40 Days of Cooking...Sorta

2011-03-14T12:43:00.002-05:00

Joe and I gave up dining out for lent. Well, I did. Joe picked up Wendy's on Ash Wednesday and La Primavera for lunch on Thursday. Whoops! (Un)Lucky for him, I am still going strong, which means he is still pretty much limited to eating at home (mostly).

As a consequence of not dining out, I must cook more. Blah. It isn't that I don't like to cook necessarily, but more so that I don't know what to cook. Every meal feels like a big production that I don't have time to think up, put together, and clean up. Alas, we will be stuck eating frozen pizzas every night for 40 days if I don't get my act together. (Our Pizzazz has saved us from hunger more nights than I care to share!)

On top of my 40 day restaurant fast, I also started a wellness program at work called the 90 Day Push. I have nutritional and activity goals to meet everyday for which I get one point each. After 30 days, I am allowed one entry into a gift card drawing per 75 points I've earned. Today is Day 13 of that challenge, and I've already earned one entry! The first weekend was pretty rough, because I hadn't started my dining out fast. In fact, I had a carrot walnut muffin from Panera thinking it would only be a couple hundred calories and a rather decent breakfast. It was 500 calories! That was almost half of my daily allotted calories in one meal. Needless to say, it was a bad choice. :(

(Every time I get an email from the PUSH coordinator, I can't help but think of this song. hehehe

It can be rather distracting at work!)

To help me along in my journey, I checked out Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats from my local library. I don't plan to get through the entire book 'cause there are lots of meaty recipes, and I don't care much for most meats. Hopefully, I'll get through quite a few over the next few months though.

Last night, I "made" chili fries. Really, there was no cooking involved, but at least it wasn't take-out. :) I just baked some frozen fries, heated up a can of chili, and sprinkled some cheese on top. Easy and tasty.

Tonight, I'm making this....Smashed Peas and Carrots: Crockpot Barbecue Chicken and Oven Fries. Yum yum!

Dare I Say...

2010-08-23T11:58:00.003-05:00

I'm missing Chicago today. Tears in my eyes, lump in my throat, ache in my heart kind of missing.

Better

2010-08-16T16:40:00.000-05:00

As always, problems always blow over. YAY for that. And on top of problems blowing over, this weekend was wonderful.

On Saturday, Joe and I attended a wedding for one of my former co-workers. Her reception was a blast, and it is always blessing to see two great people wed. I also got to see many of the people I used to work with. It helped me to see my time at that school as a blessing because I got to meet some many truly wonderful people who will be in my life for a long time. God is so good.

On Sunday, I got to see my husband be baptized in the Mississippi River. It was such a beautiful day and absolutely joyful to share that moment with Joe. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful man in my life. Praise God.

Today, I knocked out a couple more house projects and applied for a couple more jobs. This has been a really productive summer. It is amazing what you can get done when you have no burdens weighing you down.

Could Be Better

2010-08-11T16:43:00.000-05:00

Haven't been here in awhile. For the most part, life has been good lately. And as I mentioned to a friend the other day, I tend to blog when life is not so hot. This is one of those times.

First, I'll say again, life has been generally good. Despite the layoff and the fact that I'm ineligible for unemployment for reasons I don't even want to explain, I'm pretty happy. I've been doing LOTS of reading and have completed lots of projects around the house. I'd share pictures, but my laptop died at the beginning of the summer, and Joe's doesn't have any of my pictures on it. (wah wah)

After about 5 weeks of being in my house without a job, I'm growing weary. I'm tired of being home by myself. As much as I am trying to appreciate all the time on my hands, which I don't think I ever prayed for, I just feel like a bum. Volunteer! Visit people! Right. Well, on top of all everything else, Joe and I are sharing my car. So that means I get up at 6am to take him to work and waste a lot of gas if I want to keep the car. Blech.

Today, after I read for a couple hours, applied for a few jobs, and added those jobs to a long list of all the jobs I've applied for, I had an urge to move for the first time since moving here. We've been here for about 2 years. There just aren't jobs here. I expected to stay at my previous job for a very long time, so the job outlook here wasn't really an issue when we initially made the decision to make this place home. Mostly, we moved here to be close to family.

That brings me to my next point of frustration. Why is it the people that you love seem to have this supernatural ability to hurt you so deeply? No matter how much you avoid participating in the gossip, people find a way of putting you at the center of it. Somehow, it gets to you. It stabs you in the heart. These people who claim to love you and care about you say such hurtful things, things to make you question yourself, things to make you question their love. it. breaks. my. heart.

Something that I've prayed for for quite a long time is humility. I've asked God to make me humble and help me not to be proud. Certainly, God has answered my prayers through many experiences that have brought me to my knees, yet I've had so much guilt. Now, I am beginning to think though maybe my guilt for being proud is not from me. Maybe I've allowed others' insecurities to make me feel bad. Do I really treat others like I'm better than them or are they insecure about their own lives and take what I say the wrong way? Maybe just saying that proves their point. What I do know is that I have worked really hard and watching my words in front of my family yet I'm still considered a spoiled brat.

So now I have a choice. To avoid or not to avoid.

I'm a Mrs.

2010-06-09T18:01:00.000-05:00

No longer miss r. now, mrs. r-p. when said out loud it sounds like a fish. arpee. good thing i'm not teaching next year!

Isn't She a Smartie?

2010-04-21T17:54:00.001-05:00

One of my little ones wrote me this note today...

*sniffles* My little ones are not so little anymore.

(I'll have to tell him where he lived 'cause he passed in '99.)

Caution: AWWW Moment Ahead

2010-04-21T17:53:00.001-05:00

Look what Joe brought home!

I'll post better pictures if I decide to keep it. I'm trying not to get attached.

...who am I kidding?

Exhausted

2010-04-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

Really, really exhausted. Once a month, I am completely drained of all energy, patience, and tact. It is that time, so WATCH OUT!

Hopefully, I'll have a chance to post some updated pics of my house this weekend. We painted our living room what I like to call peanut butter. MMMM

I have to share this great deal. I bought 12 window blinds for $50. Impressive, right? Thank you Discover rewards and a great sale at JC Penney!

By The Way

2010-03-28T19:12:00.000-05:00

Check out my "pages" above. I listed a bunch of my favorite links (some blogs, some not). You might like 'em. :)

Still Blessed

2010-03-28T19:07:00.000-05:00

My spring break is officially over as of 8am tomorrow. So here I go enjoying the last few hours of it by lesson planning. At least I have one more night to prepare before the kids come on Tuesday, because I did not do one single bit of planning over break. In part, I wanted to enjoy it and relax, but basically, I was ticked at the beginning of break. Why? I was pink slipped! That's all I'll say about that because I'm trying to be at peace about the whole situation.

Okay, I lied. I will say a little more about it. I am mostly sad because of the relationships I've built with my babies and their families. They are who I'll miss most of all. On the other hand, I am waiting in anticipation of another opportunity. I can't help but feeling like God has something else in store for me, maybe even something completely different. And with every bit of anticipation comes curiosity and questions. What will it be? What should I do? How can I figure it out? The hardest thing is waiting and hearing God.

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Donors Choose

2010-03-01T19:27:00.003-06:00

Your donations are automatically doubled this week. Your $5 donation is worth $10 towards my project.

http://www.donorschoose.org/ms.ramos

Thank you!

ThE bAsT TechAr EvAr!

2010-02-13T17:38:00.001-06:00

Likenesses of me...

...just some of my faves over the past few years.

He Loves Us

2010-02-07T16:06:00.003-06:00

What a week! I thought it was going to be a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad week, but I was WRONG. I thank God for that.

Good things that happened...

On Monday, I was offered an interview for the summer job. I'm coming home, Chicago!

Throughout the week, I felt happy and energized most days. (Seriously, that is positive because I think I suffer from seasonal affective disorder.)

On Friday, my math hour went extremely well while my principal was in there evaluating me. Afterwards she said, "Solid lesson," which is the only compliment I can recall ever receiving from her. She caught me after school, hugged me, and said that I deserved to have a great year. I don't know what it is about me that needs it but praise and affection really motivate me.

On Saturday, I had some leftover energy from Friday and deep cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. (I hate to admit it but it has been a couple weeks. There's just no energy when you're sick, cold, and tired!)

My mom has been on vacation for a couple weeks, from one of her jobs at least, so she's been cooking like a mad woman! My brothers, Joe, and I have definitely been eating like royalty. We had a delicious dinner at her house two Saturdays in a row and bonus food throughout the week. And, she bought me all this cute Valentine's stuff!

Isn't she sweet? Aren't those so precious? Yes.

Yesterday, Joe and I decided to go check out gas ranges again. From our last look, we thought we'd be paying $900-$1000 for what we wanted. However, we saw a great one for $699 clearance. We'd seen similar models for $1000+ at other places. Well, today we decided to go buy it after church. It just so happened that it was on backorder meaning the only one left in the store was the floor model. YES! That means bigger discount. The wonderful guy at Best Buy knocked it down to $550. What a blessing! I'll be baking up storm next week. :)

The potentially crappy week, turned out fabulous. To God be the glory.

Now, I'm avoiding a list of things I must get done tonight or tomorrow. Off I go!

Sunny Day...

2010-01-31T15:58:00.001-06:00

...sweepin' the clouds away.

I've been extra grouchy lately, but the last few days of sunshine have really brightened my mood. This upcoming week brings a few potentially energy/motivation-draining events that I'll have to power through.

On Monday, I have my pre-evaluation conference with my boss, who is rarely at our school this year. Of course, it makes for her to evaluate me as opposed to the assistant principal who is there everyday. ;)

As if that wasn't a great way to start the week, I find out whether or not I get the interview I want for my summer job.

On Friday, the boss comes into my classroom to evaluate.

These events all have the potential to be very positive. Of course, it is the waiting time that causes me anxiety. My evaluation brought high marks last time, but really no value as far as making me a better teacher. In other words, on paper I looked great, but I didn't get anything out of it.

On top of all that, I'm helping my brothers and mom file their taxes. Not so bad, just mind-numbingly boring! I don't know how tax experts do it. Is that stuff really interesting to them or is the paycheck at the end worth it all? Yawn.

Well, I better get back to prepping my lessons. Yeehaw!

...a little memory from last summer with Joe and my niece. I love the Mississippi!

Rookie Mistake

2010-01-29T21:32:00.002-06:00

It's 9:30 on a Friday. Drowsy from Benadryll, I'm at home watching House Hunters and blogging. And I ate dinner at 5pm. How old am I?!

...and this post is about knitting. Dear God!

Because I'd like to fall asleep relatively early night, I decided to pick up this hat I'm knitting. To my dismay, I see that I somehow FLIPPED my knitting. So for about 8 or so rows, there is a stripe. I guess that's how you describe it. Basically, I had taken a break from the knitting and when I came back to it, I started it backwards. I was so proud of how great it was looking, too! Joe says he'll still wear it. A bumped out stripe would be cool. hehe

I think it adds character...

Bathroom Makeover

2010-01-25T22:50:00.004-06:00

Making over my new house is exciting, exhausting, and expensive. I took on the smallest room in the house first because I figured I could make the biggest impact with the littlest effort and money.

Before...

I took down some grimy shower doors and replaced them with this simple curtain from TJ Maxx and curved shower curtain from Big Lots. Our shower is so much roomier now.

Took down an ugly wallpaper border, which was glued down by the way, and painted the walls.

Yes, the mirror and light off-centered. Thank you, previous homeowner. I'm assuming she had a pedestal sink before. Who knows? Joe's taking a electrical wiring class right now. Moving the light fixture is on the "Honey Do" list. (Thanks, babe!)

Painting the cabinetry and mirror frame brown made a HUGE impact in my opinion. I hated the wood color before and just love what some dark brown paint and new knobs and handles have done for these pieces.

Total Cost:

$12.00 Shower Curtain from TJ Maxx

$25.00 Shower Rod from Big Lots

$14.00 Cheap Window Curtains from Wal-Mart

$15.00 TP Holder and Towel Holders from KMart clearance

$20.00 Paint from True Value

$ 2.28 Knobs & Handles $2.28 (.38 a piece from Lowe's clearance)

$ 1.00 White Vases from Salvation Army

$ 0.00 White Paint (Leftover from kitchen cabinets)

$ 0.00 Plant from Grandma

$89.28

*Ahem* Chicago friends, come visit. :)

Road Trip, Baby!

2010-01-24T18:56:00.008-06:00

I am sooooo excited! Joe and I have been wanting to visit our friends in Phoenix again ever since, well, ever since we left our last vacay there in Feb. 2007. I can't believe it has been that long! BOO

Well, now that we've bought our house and started building up our nest egg again, Phoenix is in the budget. We thought about flying, but what fun is that? None at all. Joe will have more vacation very soon and I'll be on Spring Break in March, so we'll have the time to drive. (I LOVE road trips. Can you tell?)

The last road trip we took together was to Georgia in March 2008. We'd never driven through that side of the country before and it was BEAUTIFUL. The mountains we absolutely BREATHTAKING and terrifying.

Wishing I was a talented photographer...

The island was larger than it appeared. ;)

Our dream home...

The next summer, my friend, Jamie and I roadtripped from Chicago to her new home in Denver. The drive was pretty boring. Thank you, Nebraska. But my company was very fun. Good friend, good music, good times.

We stopped for dinner at the Iowa Machine Shed. Mmmm I love some good chicken pot pie.

(There's no denying, I'm a country girl at heart.)

75mph?! What?!?!

How many people do you know that have been to a Sod House Museum?

The Sod House... Pretty cool, eh?

After some gas station rainbow popcorn...

We made it...

It was kinda fun to reminisce with these photos. I should post, "Road Trip, the Early Days." I would if I weren't so ashamed of my early haircuts from home. (Yikes!) Thanks, mom!

Phoenix, here we come!

Summer in the City

2010-01-18T11:16:00.004-06:00

I'm feeling MUCH better. Now, I'm just being lazy. Joe says I need to rest so I'm just going to agree with him and keep laying around. :)

Today, my goal is to have this application finished for a summer job in Chicago. Summer in Chicago is the best and I miss everyone there so much that Joe and I decided I should go there. Plus, the extra money would fund many of the projects we have on hold right now. For example, purchasing an OVEN. I am dying. I didn't realize how much I liked to bake until I couldn't. Anyway, we'd feel better about spending $1000 of savings if we knew we'd be able to replace that money in June.

How am I progressing on this application? Well, I've been up since 8am, made some breakfast and watched The Today Show. That's about it. Gotta get started soon! Oh wait, it's almost lunch time. Maybe I'll start at 12:30...

By the way, it's due today.

What's Up, Doc?

2010-01-14T18:54:00.004-06:00

Ohhhhh my throat! It is still achin' so I caved and went to the doctor. Usually, I try natural remedies until my illnesses pass. (This often takes 1-2 weeks.) And usually, those illnesses come back shortly after with a vengeance. I'm sure after a couple days, when I can breathe and sleep again, I won't be regretting this decision. Besides, penicillin's natural, right?

By the way, my doctor has the best bedside manner ever. She always brings up something we chatted about during my last visit and carries a good conversation. I don't even care if she merely reviews her notes from last time before coming into the exam room. It is just good practice to make your patients feel like you care. Especially important when they are sick. LOVE her!

To make my day even better, I came home to a wrapped gift on the end table in the living room. Oh what, oh what could it be...

A Warm Winter Night

2010-01-13T18:54:00.008-06:00

38 degrees today! What a jump from the sub zero temps we suffered through last week. With this "warm" weather and sunshine, I can't help but feel a little better. I still craved a hot cup of lemon and honey all day though. Something about the sting of the lemon on my throbbing throat tells me it's working. If anyone (ahem, Joe) is interested in purchasing a late birthday present for me, a Neti Pot would be great.

Speaking of gifts, can I just say I LOVE my electric blanket. It has been the cure for my icy feet syndrome. I've used it every night since December 25th. (I think this was Joe's intention so he could keep the thermostat set low. Smart guy. It's working.) Loving this blanket.

Last year, he bought me this crochet kit (at my request) so I could teach myself to crochet. There is a one square inch blue yarn knot sitting in a box full of yarn, needles, and do it yourself books that are calling my name. Time to try again I suppose. My new job is to crochet something pretty, perhaps, wearable by the end of winter. When's that? Mid-April?

Artsy Fartsy

2010-01-11T20:02:00.008-06:00

I haven't blogged in awhile, obviously. But I've been in a bed for 2 days feeling like crap and need to do something to pass the time. Hopefully, this is just a bad cold that will pass sooner than later. I am going to work tomorrow though because, like all teachers, I hate taking days off. Of course, we hate it because we love our kids and all that warm fuzzy stuff, but mostly because it is just a pain in the B-U-T-T to write sub plans. And when you return everyone proceeds to tell you how your kids were off the chain. That's just what you want to hear after being ill.

I'm feeling inspired by these blogs to be artsy and creative: Design Sponge Ashley A nn Whatever My excuse is of course, that I don't have enough time, which is utterly ridiculous compared to women who have children at home. But my other excuse is lack of talent. For Christmas, however, I did attempt to make these. My mom, two co-workers, my aunt, and my niece's mom each received one for Christmas/bdays. Except for the one my niece and I made together, I failed to take pictures. To make it extra special for her mom, I let my niece do most of the painting so I'll let her take credit for the flaws. ;) (Hers may or may not have turned out better than the ones I made alone. Again, there are no pictures to prove either way.)

Anywho, taking the day off to rest this body and get better allowed me more time than I could've wished for to pray and worship. During that time, I hardly remembered I was sick. It felt good to think about family and friends and the hope we have in Him. The more time I spend with Him, the more positive and productive I am. This time needs to be a priority in my life.

Well, I'm gonna go boil some more lemon and honey to drink. Hopefully, this cold will pass quickly.

Kids Say...

2009-12-03T16:35:00.010-06:00

Me: Tell me one thing you did over Thanksgiving weekend.

Little One: My cousins came over, and we played a game called Don't Talk Where You Hide.

Little One A: One of these days can I have your shoes?

Little One B: You need to go buy them. They are at Wal-Mart. They have the shiniest shoes there!

Me (pointing to an oval): What do we call this shape?

Little One: A lowercase circle.

Me: Which is your favorite ice cream flavor, chocolate or vanilla?

Little One: Ice cream.

Me: Chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream?

Little One: Ice cream.

Me: Moving on...

Little One: Miss R., I'm Mexican. I know everything.

My Sweet Little Angels

2009-12-03T16:27:00.005-06:00

I still LOVE MY CLASS. I have 27 of the little boogers, but 25.5 of them are perfect little angels.

I am sick of teachers being treated like brainless idiots by higher-ups however. We have degrees, too, bums.

It's a Celebration!

2009-08-19T18:16:00.004-05:00

I have an AWESOME class. After two years of hellish challenging classes, I am THANKFUL. I mean, they are AWESOME. So far, I have 24 kids. (More will probably be here after Labor Day). That might seem large for a K class, but they are so AWESOME, I don't even notice.

It is raining hard outside. I'm sitting inside with nowhere to go and enjoying it.

It is a good day.

Through the Wire

2009-07-08T21:32:00.005-05:00

Boy, has it been awhile. I guess that's a good thing because when life is going well, I don't seem to blog as much. But here I am.

The last two days have been hell for me. My stomach is in knots. My head is spinning. My eyes are bloodshot.

My baby brother spent last night in the ER and this morning getting his broken jaw wired shut. He's handling it like a champ. In fact, people who weren't with us at the hospital had no idea how severe his injuries were because his response to all texts and phone calls was, "Nah, man. I'm alright." And tonight, when my other brothers and cousin came to visit, he managed a smile and said, "Hey. Check out my grill."

I've managed to hold in my emotions (a.k.a not crying) until he came out of surgery today and a single tear fell from his eye. I lost it. It is so hard to see someone you love in so much pain.

After the surgery, he said he's feeling better overall. His bruises are looking worse though so my heart breaks every time I look at him. After his pain, I am most sad that he has to drink liquids for 4-6 weeks. No solid foods. Can you imagine? My poor baby! My family loves to eat.

On a separate but related note, it is so interesting how when something tragic happens, the victims are often the ones who comfort those around them. It is hard not to hurt for him. The bleakly positive part of it for me is that I am on summer break right now so he can stay with me and I can take care of him. Otherwise, I'd be a wreck just worrying about him.

He's sleeping. I'm drinking tea and blogging to calm my nerves. It is helping. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Sad Day

2009-05-29T00:50:00.003-05:00

What a sad sad day.

A kindergartner from a local school drowned today at the pool on a class field trip. It has had a huge impact on the entire community within just a few hours of the incident. Even though I didn't know her, I just can't seem to sleep tonight. My thoughts and prayers are with her family who must be going through a living hell right now. Who sends their kid off to school for a field trip with the slightest inkling that something this tragic could happen? I know I think about it every time I take my students on a trip... stay near me little ones, your momma trusts me to bring you back to her.

Just 6 school days left in the year and it is the first death of a child in our school district. It makes me think about how desensitized I was to student deaths when I was teaching in Chicago. Something like 25+ CPS kids had died over the course of the school year. I remember praying each time I watched the news, "Please, God, not one of my babies," but finding it so easy to just move on once I knew it wasn't. That tears me up! I wish I had taken a moment extra to pray for their families in the darkest moments of their lives, but no, I was too consumed with my own agenda.

Well, that's me no longer...

I Pledge Allegiance...

2009-05-05T20:44:00.003-05:00

So this itty bitty little guy in my classroom NEVER stands up for the pledge. Most of the time, he doesn't even know what's going on. After lunch today, the secretary signaled and then announced over the intercom that P.E. classes were going to be outdoors today. What is that little itty bitty guy doing while she makes this announcement? Well he's standing up and facing the flag with his hand over his heart of course.

Secrets

2009-04-20T20:38:00.005-05:00

My classroom has been a revolving door this year. Very very frustrating. You would think with the frequent traffic in my room, a few of those students would be on-level or close to it...just a few! But no. Instead, I have had at least three students transfer in who could be full time special ed students but aren't for various reasons.

One of those students has had major behavioral issues since the day he transferred in last quarter. I have to admit that my heart sinks most mornings when he walks in the room. Even though he's spent most of his time outside of my room (i.e. buddy rooms, home, office).

Today, folks, we had a breakthrough! Today was the first day he spent the entire day in my room. I was beyond ecstatic.

The best part of the day was during an afternoon read aloud, when he raised his hand and said barely above a whisper, "Can I tell you something in your ear?" So of course, I said, "Sure, hun. Come on up." He cupped my ear and said, "I think I'm gonna be good," with the sweetest smile I've ever seen.

And that's why the slate is wiped clean every day.

Good News

2009-03-11T17:28:00.003-05:00

Biggest Loser final results...

I lost 11.6 lbs!

On Friday, spring break begins... boo! It'll be hard not to snack all day and be lazy.

News

2009-03-08T13:50:00.006-05:00

I was not pink-slipped. YAY!

What grade will I be teaching next year? No clue.

Where will I be teaching next year? To be determined.

In other news, tomorrow is the last day of the Biggest Loser Contest at work. So how did I spend the last two days of my "diet?" Eating tons of taco pizza of course. Mmmmmmm. It seems that I'll be saying goodbye to the 6.6% loss and any chance of winning the $.

As for the weather, Thursday was glorious. Stupid me decided it was so gorgeous that I should go for a run despite my head cold and laryngitis. Considering I've had these symptoms for a week and a half, I'm beginning to think I may have some kind of infection and shouldn't push it anymore. Good thing it has rained for the last couple days, which has kept me in the house and resting.

Itis... again

2009-03-05T18:35:00.006-06:00

Laryngitis that is. And it's back with a force. I've had it since Monday and ended up taking Wednesday and Thursday off. I made it through Monday and most of Tuesday, but could barely speak above a whisper by the end of the day though.

In fact, on Monday I was already miserable. Joe couldn't understand why I wouldn't use one of the 12 sick days I get each year. I told him only a teacher can truly dread a paid day off. I nearly went in today just to avoid preparing sub plans and activities, but despite lots of liquids and a whole day of resting my voice, I barely had a 6-inch voice. I'm going in tomorrow and hoping some of my loud-mouth kids catch this laryngitis. It'll make for a peaceful last week of school before our TWO WEEK spring break. HALLELUJAH!

On a bright note, I am in second place in our school's biggest loser contest. 6.6% of weight lost just behind the leader at 7%. Lord, it is SO hard not to order a pizza. That'll be my treat on Monday after our final weigh-in. haha. Unlike most people, I eat A LOT when I'm sick. Well, it depends on what I have, but right now, all I want to do is wallow in my pity and some KFC mashed potatoes.

Hopefully, there's no ringer in this contest who ruins it for me at the last minute. I really want to win the $ so I can go shopping. Although, the leader does really deserve it. She works out 4-7 times a week! I haven't worked out since mid-February... yikes!

2nd place is the story of my life though.

UGH

2009-02-21T11:57:00.005-06:00

Crap day turned into a crap week.

I just hope that things turn out for the best.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Biggest Loser

2009-02-15T21:27:00.006-06:00

Maybe I should make my weight loss goal public so it'll shame me into working harder at it...

One of my co-workers started this "Biggest Loser" competition for our staff. It all started Jan. 6th, but I didn't get involved until the 12th because I didn't think I had the with-it-ness to stick to a diet/exercise program and I had fewer lbs. to lose than others.

Five weeks later, I've found that I was right. Here I sit drinking a Pepsi (oh, my sweet love, how I've missed you) after eating pizza and chips & salsa. Thank you, Joe. He tried to help at first by eating junk after I went to bed and saying things like, "I wish you could eat anything you wanted," while we shopped for groceries. But at this point, he's pretty much over that.

I've done pretty well with the diet until this weekend but the exercise aspect is a big flop. I've maybe exercised 2-3 times per week. I'm trying to convince Joe that I could make room in our tiny apartment for an elliptical machine. I am just far too self-conscious to work out at the gym. It's only been warm enough to do any outdoor exercise 2-3 days and now we're back to snow.

Excuses. Excuses. I know. I'll stop. Oh wait, just one more. Denise Austin is driving me crazy, too. You can only take so much. I mean, the lady does not blink! It's weird.

Okay. So back to the purpose of this post. 8 lbs down. 12 to go. 4 weeks and counting.

I L O V E THREE DAY WEEKENDS!

2009-02-15T21:20:00.004-06:00

Three day weekends are perfect.

Friday night: party

Saturday: run errands and finish the unfinished

Sunday: rest

Monday: prep for the upcoming week

OMG

2009-01-31T19:50:00.003-06:00

My kids keep saying, "Oh my God," and "Oh my gosh!" They say it even more now that they know it bothers me. Yesterday, little L was trying to share N's book and he wouldn't let him, so naturally, L says, "Oh my gosh!" Of course, I say, "Whaaaaaaat did you say?" N answers, "He said, 'Oh his gosh!'"

Muahahahaha...uck

2009-01-29T22:32:00.003-06:00

So this little guy named J pretty much brings toys every single day. And every single day, he plays with them in the line while waiting for me to pick them up from the cafeteria in the morning. And every single day, I confiscate his toys and put them in the top drawer of my file cabinet.

Well, as human as I am, I missed one on Tuesday. During the morning read aloud, M said, "Look at J, Miss R!" who happened to have his hand cupped over his mouth.

"J, take your hand away from your mouth."

"Whaaaat?" said J with a mouth full of plastic vampire teeth.

Fighting back the laughter, I said, "Go put it in the garbage."

"Noooooooooooooooooooo. Put it in your drawer so I can get it after school!!!"

"No, it was in your mouth. Put it in the garbage."

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Fast forward to the afternoon...

M says, "D took J's toy out of the garbage."

"No I didn't!" with slobber dripping from his face from having pulled the plastic vampire teeth out of his mouth too quickly.

DIS GUS TING

Sunshine Does a Body Good

2009-01-29T22:29:00.003-06:00

The temp. in Denver turned out to be in the 60s ALL weekend by the way. Glorious!

We went cross-country skiing on Saturday and hiked on Sunday. Pretty awesome.

Current IA temp: 21F feels like 8F

I miss Denver.

Headed to Sunny and Warm Denver...

2009-01-15T10:30:00.004-06:00

I was an hour late to work yesterday because of this...

Gridlocked Bridges

And when I arrived 20 of my 22 students were there (the 2 that were absent have not returned since we've been back from winter break so really it was like perfect attendance). Everyone else seemed to have at least 8-10 students missing. Not that I'm complaining... :\

FORTUNATELY, school was cancelled today, although I would've preferred yesterday. On the other hand, why not both days? It is -22 with a windchill of -44. That is ridiculous. In all my years in the midwest, I don't remember a day THIS cold. I'd take 20 inches of snow over this cold any day.

Despite the cold, I have a few errands to run and then I'm heading up to the city tonight to fly out to Denver tomorrow. Where it is 50 degrees warmer at only 30 degrees.

Old Mrs. Crotchety

2008-12-30T15:45:00.003-06:00

I'm spending my Tuesday wisely watching VH1's 40 Dumbest Celeb Quotes Ever. As a teacher, my personal favorite so far is...

It was God who made me so beautiful. If I weren't, then I'd be a teacher. - Linda Evangelista

Why are teachers associated with ugly or homely? haha At our Winter Wonderland Program this year, one lady said to her neighbor as I passed them, "Look, they have some pretty teachers here." "Where?!" responded her neighbor in shock. "Right there!" A pretty teacher? A rare sighting indeed.

Stinky

2008-12-29T13:21:00.005-06:00

So I woke up this morning (late morning) to discover no water coming out of any of my apartment's faucets. Apparently, there was a water main break. Hmm, perhaps if I was a more concerned resident I would've called about the unusual amount of water I saw flowing into the parking lot near the fire hydrant when we got home late last night. Well, to be fair to myself, there has been a lot of melting snow and flooding. Although, I did say, "I wonder if a water main broke." It was far away from my apartment so I didn't think it'd effect me much.

Anyway, no water has given me an excuse to be lazy all day. Can't do the dishes... no water. Can't leave the house... no shower. Can't cook... no stove. Wait, no. I guess I could do that.

Luckily, we have a water purifier in the fridge that allowed us to brush our teeth. Not enough for a shower though. So our funky selves are eating frozen pizza and playing Guitar Hero.

The water's supposed to be back on around 4:30ish after Joe has had headed off to work. When I get a shower, I'm heading to my momma's to pick up food for dinner. One of the pretty awesome things about living near mom and grandma is having meals already prepared for you. I'm never gonna have to learn how to cook. I bet if I have kids they'd even come to MY house and cook! (I hope...) hahaha

Typical

2008-12-22T17:52:00.004-06:00

Joe sits down on the couch and starts rubbing expensive facial moisturizers all over his rough, chapped knuckles.

Me: What are you doing?!

Joe: What?

Me: That's expensive! Go use HAND cream on your crusty knuckles.

Joe: Where is it? I can't find it.

Me: Did you look?

Joe: Yesssssss.

Me: Go look for it.

Joe: Where is it?

Me: In the bathroom, in the clear container labeled "Moisturizers." You know, the one with all the lotion bottles in it.

Joe goes into the bathroom and yells: I can't find it!

Me: Oh well.

Joe comes back rubbing cucumber melon lotion all over his knuckles.

Five minutes later, I walk into the bathroom to find a giant bottle of Vaseline Intensive Care Cream on the bathroom sink.

Men.

Day Two of Winter Break

2008-12-21T20:59:00.007-06:00

How I've spent my break so far...

...catching up on...

-Falalala Lifetime Movies

-Snoop Dogg Father Hood on E!

...wrapping presents

...cleaning my messy apartment

...nursing a cold

...eating Doritos and chocolate gifts I've received

...wearing a winter cap INDOORS due to the bitter cold and wind making my apt. FREEZE

I'm gonna have to send Joe out tomorrow to pick up baking supplies. Dare I say, I'm starting to get bored!

Sniffles

2008-12-17T22:55:00.002-06:00

Top of my 2008 Christmas List...

KidPix And KidQs

2008-12-16T22:44:00.008-06:00

How many digi-blocks will fit around your foot (perimeter)?

Native American Unit - Deer skins, Stories, and Vests (not shown)

Cowboy hats we made for Fall Festival

Little One: Why you always wear heels Miss R?

Me: To impress the principal.

*Lord knows I wore tennis shoes and jeans almost everyday last year. I had to buy a work wardrobe this year. Imagine that!*

To be continued....

Same Ol' Saturday

2008-12-13T11:58:00.005-06:00

Hungry. Sniffly. Cold. Sneezy.

I'm suffering from a bit of a cold and it is no fun. I have so much I want/need to get done but just plain ol' don't feel like it. At my school this year, we actually have access to the building on weekends. Imagine that! We have building keys and everything! It is both a blessing and a curse to be honest. I spend way too much weekend time there. I'm headed there shortly in fact. Yes, I have Christmas shopping to be done but I am not willing to brave the cold and long lines in my current condition. Hungry, sniffly, cold, sneezy me does not translate into a cheery shopper.

Still lacking things to write about these days. Inspired by LL, maybe I should post some pictures of what my little ones have been doing lately. That's something to blog about... oh, but that would require me to upload the photos.... ehhhhhhh... maybe later.

Feeling Generous?

2008-12-07T00:25:00.005-06:00

If you're in the giving mood this season, give to a classroom in need. :)

A Bit of the Mundane

2008-12-04T21:20:00.007-06:00

I don't know why I haven't felt like blogging much over the last few months. Maybe because I'm enjoying my life more lately and it is easier to write when you're sad/depressed/stressed/worried and need to get stuff off your chest. So fewer blogs is a good thing, right? :)

Anywho... did I share this yet?

Student: My uncle died. He was 50 lbs. old.

Oh, kinderkids. So precious.

So what else has been going on in my classroom lately? Hmmm... my class has topped out at about 23 at the beginning of 2nd quarter, but in the last 2 weeks has shrunk back down to 20. Sweet, right? Sorry to rub it in for those CPS with 30+ kids. So glad I'm not in your shoes... anymore. Ever thought about blogging? It helps. Ha.

Life in general is great. I get to see my niece and nephew all the time and of course, my baby brothers, who are no longer babies! Monday was my "littlest" brother's birthday and he turned 16! Can you believe it? I remember back in 3rd grade sitting in class thinking how much I wanted to go home and see my chubby little baby brother. Gosh, 3rd grade... time passes so quickly! How do I slow it down? Oh, pshhh, what am I saying? I know the secret! Move to Iowa. :)

Hmm.... what else...

Today was my evaluation. Yikes! Of course, the kids acted like they've never been to workstations before AND like our reading carpet was an official WWE wrestling ring. Of course! AND when told to stop talking and pay attention, Mr. Obvious has to lean over to his neighbor and say, "Yeah, because Ms. M. is watching us," in a loud enough voice for everyone, including Ms. M., to hear. Yes, dear, THAT is why. Not because you spend most of the day chewing your shoelaces, picking your nose, and not learning a darn thing. GRRRRR ...breathe...

At least I have a good 5 days to mull over the disaster before my post-conference with Ms. M. I love stressing my weekend away. Hooray!

Well, I better sign off so I can plan for a winter art activity to hang up. Those Native Americans and "deerskins" have got to come down tomorrow. I hung the clips too low and keep getting slapped in the face by paper moccasins.

Fresh Country Air

2008-11-20T20:41:00.002-06:00

QC smells like COW today!

Peace

2008-10-09T22:38:00.004-05:00

I haven't really been in the writing mood lately. Maybe it's because I haven't been doing it. Never felt like I really had the time for anything. Now that I'm more settled in my apartment and on break.. I have time but nothing to write about. ...not true.

As I go around town(s), I have been appreciating the natural beauty of living near the Mississippi. I desperately need to start carrying my camera around to capture the gorgeous colors of the changing leaves and sunsets along the river.

Joe and I sat on a bench near the river the other night and just sat. It was so calming and peaceful. LOVED IT. A whole 3 couples walked by, one with a dog, each and everyone kindly saying hello. I love the small town feeling. Every time I see my brothers, mom, gramma, cousins, niece/nephew, aunts, uncles and students, it reminds me why I moved and all lingering doubts flee.

Hello, October!

2008-10-07T23:27:00.005-05:00

What a boring life I lead...

Wake up.

Eat pop-tarts.

Check email.

Facebook.

Watch The Price is Right (I miss Bob, by the way!)

Think about working.

Open a work-related book.

Close it.

Eat lunch.

Shower.

Chit-chat on the phone.

Check email.

Plan January trip to Denver.

Bug Joe.

Organize/unpack something.

Wonder if it is dinner time yet.

Visit cousins.

Eat dinner.

Watch the debate.

Check email.

Boring? To some. Unsatisfying? Not yet.

I LOVE FALL BREAK!

Kids Say...

2008-10-04T11:31:00.004-05:00

Funny snippets from the 2008-2009 school year... so far.

Miss R: What's your mom's name?

Little One: CiCi.

Miss R: Do you know what her real name is? Like Cecilia or something?

Little One: Oh, well, sometimes my brothers call her mommy.

Miss R: What's your mom's name?

Little One: Mommy.

Miss R: But do you know her real name like what other people call her?

Little One: Ohhhhhh. Momma.

Little One: I haven't used a key in yeeeeaaaarrrs.

Miss R: What?

Little One: I haven't used a key in yeeeaaarrrs.

Miss R: Honey, you've barely been alive for years. What do you mean?

Little One: You see this [finger]nail. It's so long it can open any lock in the world!

'Cause I'm Coming Home Again

2008-09-01T13:12:00.006-05:00

Where has the time gone?! So much has happened... I'll just post the email I wrote to announce the changes as opposed to re-writing a blog. My internet access is so limited. Gotta spend the time paying bills not writing blogs. :(

I moved out of the city. I'm now living in The Quad Cities. The decision to move home was made July 30th, I got hired for a job on July 31st, packed my entire apartment on Aug. 1st, moved on Aug. 2nd, set up the bones of my classroom on Aug. 3rd, and starting teaching on Aug. 4th. AND on top of all that, I'm teaching the grade I swore never to teach again....kindergarten.

My classroom was completely empty save 6 rectangle tables and 24 chairs. It was both scary and liberating to walk in with nothing. Everyone has been so welcoming and offered all their extra furniture and any supplies I could possibly use. My principal seems to be a great lady, and I am excited to learn a lot about school leadership from her.

The school is a Pre-K - 2 building for now. It is actually the building where I started pre-school 21 years ago! Crazy, right? 2 years ago, three elementary schools were closed due to academic failure and were reopened to become one primary and one intermediate building. The restructuring of the schools has made a difference in academic achievement and they are very serious about school-wide positive community building district-wide. The ethnic makeup of my school is somewhat mixed but over 90% Latino and African American. Over 90% receive free or reduced lunch. From what I hear, many of our students that will enroll late will be from the Chicagoland area. Maybe I'll see some of my little ones from Englewood!

Funny story...
The superintendent used to be my principal when I was in elementary school and everyone seemed to know that by the time I arrived. Well, they were having a bbq outside the administrative office, so the human resources lady took me out to find him. When we walked out the door, you'll never believe what we saw. A watermelon seed spitting contest! They had the sidewalk marked off and a yardstick and everything! hahahaha Then we approach the superintendent and he gives me a big hug. Mind you, this was not the first hug I had received that day. No, no. I had hugged my principal, the human resources lady, the superintendent, a librarian and a few teachers. And yes, this was the first time I had met many of them. The day was so funny because it reminded me of the many things I've missed. This is exactly the slower pace I've secretly longed for over the last couple years and just couldn't admit.

It has been really nice to catch up with family, friends, and former teachers in such a short time. I feel instantly comfortable though I'm missing the wonderful restaurants unique to Chicago and oh course, my friends.

I've had no luck finding an apartment in the QC that I like. Perhaps, it is because part of me doesn't want to find one... I mean, I'm staying with my gramma, who gets up at 6am everyday to make me breakfast (i.e. pancakes, biscuits and gravy, etc.), packs my lunch, and has dinner prepared for me when I get home. It is pretty sweet.

Please keep me in your prayers that I do find an apartment that is a good fit for me and that my relationships with friends and family here grow intensely.

Love

2008-07-25T11:59:00.005-05:00

I'm sitting at Panera enjoying some tea and free internet while this old couple enjoy their weekly breakfast date. It is so cute. They are talking about the state of dating in today's age, their marriages, their post-marriage dates, their grandchildren, and what chores they have waiting for them at home.

Now, the old man is leaving.. awww awkward hug. Oooo he's making his rounds to say goodbye to all the pretty young workers before he goes. Player!

Power's Out

2008-07-21T21:28:00.004-05:00

QC Storm

Keep the QC people in your prayers! 126,000 people are without power and aren't sure when they'll get it back. I'm trying to convince my momma to come up here for the week. =]

I Just Don't Know What to Do WIth Myself

2008-07-21T17:13:00.005-05:00

What happens when you don't know what you want?

i love bobs

2008-07-17T20:51:00.005-05:00

The hair I wanted...
The hair I got...

Such a chicken.

Note to Self

2008-07-14T18:23:00.001-05:00

Clean the clear goo from bottom of mini-fridge.

Teacher for Hire

2008-07-14T16:45:00.007-05:00

I just created a budget. Bad news bears! I don't make jack. I need to get a roommate, get a higher-paying job, get a second job, stop eating, or all of the above. My disposable income is zero if I plan to save HALF of what I want to. ZERO! HALF!

*Thinking*

*Praying*

Therefore I tell you,
do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink;
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food,
and the body more important than clothes?
-Matthew 6:25

On the Move

2008-07-11T10:56:00.004-05:00

God is so good.

I've been struggling so much lately with "fixing" my life on my own. Feeling insecure in my abilities, I've been seeking a reason, an excuse, to escape the opportunity that has been set before me. Rather than seeking Him, I've been weighing the pros and cons of my situation(s) trying to make a decision all on my own. Today, I was given quiet time to worship, pray, and reflect on what's been happening in my life and what God has in store for me.

During my quiet time, I read a chapter from a Michelle McKinney Hammond book that spoke to my spirit and really set me at ease.

Anytime we stop to evaluate our own abilities, we will be unable to rest. There is little we can truly accomplish in our own strength. In the long run it is far easier to admit this than spend our energy proving it to ourselves! When we attempt to "help" God carry out His plans and refuse to rest in His ways and His timing, we make drastic mistakes that can have far-reaching consequences.

For so long I've been trying to "help" God along. "Well, I can do this and I can do that, God." All this time, He's been saying, "Just rest." In this culture we live in, it is SO hard not to control everything that life brings us. SO HARD.

God will get you to rest one way or the other. And it's all for you own good. A failure to rest leads us into the bondage of self-effort, which usually yields only deep hurt and disappoint.

Certainly, I don't believe in being lazy and just a-hopin' and a-wishin' and a-waitin' for things to happen in my life. However, I realize that I am putting effort into the wrong work. I try so hard to fix and guide my life into the direction I have planned rather than working to be in His will and allowing Him to guide my life into the direction that he has planned.

Sometimes his promises seem to incredible to believe, and we stumble over them in pursuit of our own goals and dreams. We can't stand the suspense!

One of the final questions Michelle poses is, "Do you feel paralyzed by rest? Why? Do you believe that God is still working long after you have stopped striving?" Yes, I do! I don't know why...something to think about I guess.

Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you find rest for your souls.
-Jeremiah 6:16

The Big Kids

2008-06-25T17:15:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was my first day of teaching high school. Quite the jump from kdg, I know. I cannot believe how quiet they are! It's a little scary. They had little attitudes yesterday, but by the end of the day they were over it. I can't exactly blame them though. Four consecutive hours of math is rough for anyone, including their teacher, and they're handling it remarkably well. I actually ran out of material to cover yesterday so we had some time to chitchat. They advised me not to give too many demerits or my students will hate me. They also warned me about the school lunch.

"It is so nasty!"
"What do they serve?"
"Fish, salads, nachos without cheese, hamburgers. No junk food! We're supposed to get pizza!"
"What's wrong with what they serve? You don't like the type of food or it doesn't have good flavor?"
"It's nutritious!"

"Why did you pick this school to work at?"
"Well I applied for a couple schools in the network and I got a job offer here."
"Man, they take anyone."
"Thanks."
"They do!" Still not realizing that saying that could be offensive to me.

An Ounce of Prevention

2008-06-17T15:15:00.003-05:00

On Day Two of summer vacation, I'm lounging around and come across this article "Gay couples rush to get married..." I'm very frustrated by the protesters there in the name of God. Here they are protesting against people who are uniting in love. Are there not enough harmful things in this world to protest? If you really want to protest something, protest divorce.

In my opinion, laws allowing couples to obtain marriage licenses should be stricter in general, heterosexual and homosexual. Maybe I'm just jaded by the number of divorced and wish-to-be divorced people I know. It seems to me that if the time and cost it takes to get a marriage license were equivalent to the time and cost it takes to get divorced, maybe some divorces could be avoided. You know, require a prenuptial agreement (not limited to finances) to get people thinking about what could happen before it does. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of a cure.

Of course, God bless those who are married and work hard to make it successful. I'm not saying all people who get married have no sense, but I'm certain most people walking out of divorce court have uttered "What was I thinking?" a time or two.

Certificate of Appreciation

2008-06-12T22:43:00.004-05:00

"And to our staff members who are not returning next year, we have plaques for you. These people are going on to bigger and better things." Why you gotta say it like that, principal? I mean it may be true, but still.

This afternoon was filled with threats over the intercom, nonsense skits, toot-your-own-horn Power Point presentations, carnation centerpieces, wise words from the boss, dirty hands, a variety of fried meat, and spaghetti. A typical way to end the year. It's all over and I'm gonna miss it. Crazy.

What the crap am I gonna blog about?

...And Done

2008-06-11T22:15:00.005-05:00

Tonight was the end of the year celebration for '06 TFAers. Good food and good times were had by all. We got giant framed awards. So giant, in fact, it's bigger than any diploma I've received and probably required more work, too.

Now I'm done. The end.

Inebriated Thoughts

2008-06-09T22:53:00.004-05:00

I had ONE margarita and I feel tipsy. My new favorite bartender put too many shots in that drink. My headache is gone now, so that's a plus. My head is numb. Drinking on a Monday..early start to my summer.

I saw a rat run across Belmont tonight. Gross.

Two people were making out on my block. Sometimes I'm grossed out by PDA but tonight, I was jealous.

Someone in my building is smoking and I kind of like it. Why do I like that smell?

Hopefully, tomorrow won't rain. I am spending the afternoon downtown.

Reno 911 is so funny. hahahaha

Goodnight.

4 days...

2008-06-09T10:01:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Veebs! You made my day with this card. hehe

(Sorry for the language, but this was hilarious.)

He Baracks My World

2008-06-05T20:00:00.002-05:00

How cute are they?! Makes me want to fall in love again.

I Know They Can

2008-06-04T18:16:00.006-05:00

Just got home from my end-of-the-year meeting with my TFA program director and I'm feeling reflective. Despite major behavior problems in my classroom this year, my students were pretty successful. Of course, in kindergarten, it's hard to go anywhere but up considering most of them come in with nothing. So we had that going for us. hehe

This year leaves me with a bittersweet taste. On the one hand, I was more stressed/depressed/angry than I've ever been. On the other, I got to know so many wonderful children who have been dealt bad cards in life. They have experienced things by the age of 5 that most people will never experience in a lifetime.

Awhile back, I started an after school club for my "troublemakers" to get to know them better and hopefully improve their in and out of classroom behavior. While it didn't improve their behavior tremendously, it did improve mine! The stories they shared broke my heart and I will never be the same after knowing them. One of my babies had a gun held to his head a few weeks ago. Another's mother is in prison until he reaches 3rd grade. They've witnessed more violence and death and pain than most people could ever imagine. I can't count the number of times I lost my patience with them that I regret. I can only hope they'll remember the smiles and hugs and winks we shared this year.

As much as we struggled and I yelled this year, I love each of them as if they were my own and I pray their continued success throughout life. Lord, don't let my babies become what statistics predict them to be. Guide them with Your hand and set Your angels around them to protect them.

The Good Times

2008-06-02T22:27:00.004-05:00

Announcement: The three students missing from 309, please return to your room. If you are missing from room 309, please return to your room. You know.. if you want.. if you feel like it.. that would be great, thanks.

Me: What is a grin? (I smile big to give a hint.)
Two students in unison: A cheese!

"Meet me in the tuuub.. it's going down!" Yung Joc, Jr. in the making.

Me: Push in your chair first.
Little one: oops! I agot!

Me: Get your shoelace out of your mouth!
Little one: That agusting!

Use this word in a sentence.
Me: animals
Little one: I like to play with a cat.
Me: And a cat is an?
Little one: A cat is a cat.

Me: cut
Sweetest girl in my class: I like to cut people.

Worth Waiting For

2008-05-29T14:32:00.009-05:00

Hmmmmm.. haven't posted in awhile. Things have been going well. I have to remember to journal when things are going well, too so when I read back I can remember the good times, too!

Last weekend's weather was BEAUTIFUL! I couldn't have asked for better. The girls and I had to change Fancy Friday to Sexy Saturday. My friends were fabulous and dinner was delicious. I hosted a cookout on Monday. It's nice to spend time with good friends when you're so far away from family. Hopefully, everyone had a good a time as I did. :)

Sadly, it got cold again on Tuesday, BUT it is supposed to be nice this weekend. The weekend is what counts!

Oooo! And I got a massage yesterday which was grrrrrreat. I need to marry a massage therapist. Preferably male...obo.

**********************************************************************
So I started this post a couple days ago, it is now Sunday, and I'm finally getting back to finish it.

It turns out this weekend was gorgeous, too! My girlfriends and I had a sleepover Friday night and spent the whole day Saturday laying in the grass listening to gospel music downtown. It was so beautiful. How great is our God for giving us such a gorgeous day to enjoy! Today, I went to church and napped the rest of the afternoon. I have another sinus infection I think but it is still such a pretty day that I'm not mad about it. :)

Ahhhh tomorrow's Monday. I hate that I've been wishing away the last few weeks (well, just the weekdays). Now, I'm thinking, "only four more days with my babies?!" Ask me if I'm sad though? ;) I have some funny quotations to post..maybe later. I'm off to eat some yummy pizza and watch the sun go down. THIS WEATHER IS GORGEOUS! I AM SO HAPPY!

"Tea is Liquid Wisdom" ~ Anonymous

2008-05-23T21:17:00.007-05:00

I did, in fact, feel like a hot mess this morning when I woke up. It didn't help that they day was cloudy and cold. BUT it was a day off and that made me happy. I took a hot bath and got ready for some shopping at Old Orchard. For a girl trying to save money, malls aren't the safest place to go, but I went anyway.

I bought a couple pairs of shoes, jeans, and a wallet, but my favorite purchases were at my new favorite store: Teavana. I bought some delicious tea and a new tea strainer. Somehow I missed the Moroccan Mint. I'm a little sad about that but the Mate and Rooibos Chai teas I got are delicious.

Ironically, I'm curling up with my new book Three Cups of Tea while I drink the Mate/Roobos Chai blend. Mmmmm

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis

Mmm Floor

2008-05-22T23:09:00.004-05:00

Don't you love when you're drinking a glass of water and just when you get to the bottom, you see something floating? Then you wonder, has it been here the whole time or did that just fall in? I just grabbed this glass from the cupboard..it had to be clean! Maybe this is why my mom always told us to rinse our cups before using them. I used to think that was so silly... used to...

That reminds me of 2 stupid things I did earlier today and quite possibly why I am feeling a sore throat coming on it. Well these stupid things in combination with yelling at kids all day long. Anyway, Euna and I went to a Sox game tonight and she dropped our spoons on the floor. So I picked them up (they were covered in plastic FYI). About a minute later, I realized my hand was sticky and I figured it was probably some chocolate or sugar from the funnel cake, so I licked my hand. I immediately regretted my decision. It was definitely not chocolate or sugar. Maybe it was some old beer residue that stuck to the spoons? Who knows.

Minutes later, we were back in our seats and I put my cup in the holder near Euna's foot. After thinking, she might put her foot in that, I still left it there without warning her that it was there. Sure enough, she did rub her foot over the top of it. At that point, I figured I had indirectly licked the floor at U.S. Cellular Field, what's a little bottom of the shoe action gonna hurt me? So I took a peek in my cup and it seemed to be floaty-free. When I got to the bottom of it, of course, I saw a brown floaty. Who the crap knows what that was, but I'm sure remnants of it are working to ill me up for my day off tomorrow. MMMMM germs.

My Birth Year Cab

2008-05-22T22:43:00.011-05:00

I have a lengthy commute in the morning. To keep busy, I whip out the good ol' camera to capture fascinating things on the Dan Ryan. I've been trying to get an image of this stiff dog on the side of the road. It looks too real to be fake and too stiff to be real. Anyway, the images haven't been great. It is close to the median and it is hard to concentrate on driving and snapping photos. On Tuesday morning, though, I got this great pic of the 1984 cab. That year is special to me because its the year of my birth. hehe I wonder if I can request it to drive me around for my big 2-5 next year.

On a separate but related note, look how dreary the sky is! Chicago and its dreadful weather. Summer's the only worthwhile season in this city. To brighten my day and keep the children busy, I let them make 3d art on Wednesday or was it Tuesday? Who knows. My days are all running together. Anywho, it turned out pretty well. Some didn't quite grasp the concept at first and decided to tear up and glue the strips to the paper. To each his own. Others broke out some hexagons. Another one told me he made traffic. And by traffic, I think he meant the highways. I was pretty impressed.

What's in store for next week? Pasta bridges, fabric collages, paper plate clocks, and silly putty.

Rollercoaster of Love

2008-05-21T22:19:00.007-05:00

Listening to: Love Rollercoaster - RHCP

My emotions have been up and down lately, and I thought I felt like writing about that...but now, I don't. So...

I had a delicious dinner (outside!!) at Dunlay's and saw Baby Mama with Jamie. It was hilarious. I love Tina Fey. Overall, a great night.

Right now, I'm thankful for the many great people God has blessed me with in my life.

Though it's the perfect weather for a late night stroll, I shouldn't go out alone I suppose... so I'm off to read my car manual. There are so many cool things I'm discovering about it by accident. It makes me wonder what else I'm missing out on!

Out and About

2008-05-18T19:01:00.004-05:00

So much for doing nothing this weekend. Really.. I should spend a night at home. Alone.

Yesterday, I saw a show at Danny's Skybox. It was not grrreat, but it was okay. Today I went to the ballet. Ballet usually makes me sleepy, but this one was better than most because it had a Spanish flair to it. I LOVE Flamenco and though they didn't have the clickety shoes, it was still pretty great. However, I'm not quite over the men in tights. I love a chiseled booty on a man as much as the next girl but seeing them in tights makes me gag a little.

Lazy Weekend

2008-05-17T11:51:00.003-05:00

FINALLY it is warm again. :) I went for a short run this morning and I'm in such a good mood. I only went for a run because I bought Oreo Cakesters on Thursday night. I don't LOVE store-bought "dessert," but the chocolately things hit the spot. They are 12 grams of fat per twin pack. Yikes! I don't normally pay attention to nutritional facts (hello, love handles!) but the creme in regular Oreos is just so horrible, I knew these had to be just as bad. Well anyway, now that it is warm again, I will be more consistent with "working out."

Goal two, spend less money.

Goal three, decide where to live next year.

And the purpose of writing this post was to say that I'm not doing jack this weekend for the first time in a long time. It gives me a chance to think and spend time alone, which I've been successfully avoiding every day for... oh, a month.

Happy Girl

2008-05-15T15:52:00.006-05:00

The last few posts make me sound unhappy. I'm not. :)

Actually, since Saturday, I've felt happier than I've been in a long time. Well, maybe not happy but certainly content and excited. I went to a women's retreat at church on Saturday, which was refreshing. It was called "Satisfaction at Jesus' Feet," and I can't think of anything I need more in my life than that. That's been confirmed for me in so many ways over the last few days through prayer, His word, circumstances, and His people.

My latest revelation is that as much as I seek God in prayer, I've never really waited in anticipation for His response. My prayers go up and I then I move on thinking Oh, God will take care of it. While many times He does, I can't help thinking I've missed out on better things because I didn't wait and hear Him. With that revelation comes the realization that my prayers have gone up with a focus on my request rather than my faith. (I'm not the only one... Mark 9:14-24).

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. -Habakkuk 2:1 (KJV)

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. -Psalm 5:3

Options

2008-05-15T15:31:00.003-05:00

There are 18 days (minus a few sick days) left with my students. The question is...How do I survive?

a) Prayer

b) Drinking

I'm giving prayer a go because its free and it has worked in the past though drinking has its advantages.

True Craziness...

2008-05-14T23:31:00.003-05:00

Did I mention that after dropping off my students at gym on Tues., two of them intentionally urinated on the stairs? Then proceeded to "skate" in it says the gym teacher. Later that afternoon, another of the boys exposed himself to two other boys. Twice.

I Feel Like a Crazy Woman!

2008-05-14T15:49:00.004-05:00

Maybe because I am. My left wrist hurts like hell. All week, I couldn't figure out why. Today, I made a discovery.

Little J and D just would not be quiet. Granted, they weren't behaving horribly, I was just on the edge as usual at work. So I walked over and slammed my palms on their table and yelled, "BE QUIET!" They didn't even flinch.

I did, from the pain. My wrist was aaaaaaaaching. Maybe I did this earlier in the week, too? Who knows. Work is such a blur these days. When I signed up for this I was told "In two years, you won't recognize yourself." Ain't that the truth.

Lesson of the day: Acting crazy hurts no one but you.

Out of Place

2008-05-13T22:06:00.003-05:00

Soooo through the fabulous organization that is TFA, I had dinner with some very important people tonight. Basically, they donate big bucks to TFA, and I write them thank you letters and tell them about my teaching experience and my students. First of all, it was the Pritzkers. When I mentioned it to a friend before last year's dinner with them, she's like, "Their family is like Chicago royalty." hahaha That's not intimidating, right? It's true though. There are a million schools and buildings and things around the city named after them.

I, of course, was late in true miss r fashion. I walked up to their AMAZING and modern-looking house. So modern in fact, that when I was buzzed in, I couldn't open the door. Embarrassing. The chef made me feel at ease when she opened it though. She was so great, and her food was DELICIOUS. She made paella and sangria and yummy salad and strawberry shortcake (the traditional kind). Oh and the appetizer was sushi. YUM.

Anyway, Brian and Penny were down to earth and very welcoming and kind. Yet, I have to say, I am always intimidated by rich people. I definitely spend more time observing than interacting to make sure I don't make a total fool of myself. Tonight was one of those nights. It was totally on my own accord and no one made me feel out of place. I did that all on my own.

Favorites

2008-05-12T23:22:00.010-05:00

My favorite babies.

My favorite foods.

Counselor

2008-05-12T16:58:00.006-05:00

There are many reasons why I love going home. Traffic (lack thereof). Good food. Overly-courteous people. Lots of green green grass for miles and miles. And of course, family and friends. I can't express how nice it was to see my cousins and brothers honor my aunts, grandma, and mom, particularly because they give them so much grief the other 364 days of the year. My brother and his girlfriend even bought me flowers! I had to admit, I teared up a little..

Some of the best parts about family time are the talks I have with my Tio Nano. Without fail, my uncle and I always start up a conversation that clears the room, usually about politics or religion. We don't really care that other people aren't listening to us, we just appreciate each other's company. Having never been close to my own father, my uncle has been like a father to me. Needless to say, I am thankful for his time and his words, particularly at this time in my life. I have always admired my aunt and uncle's marriage and desired something like it for myself. You see, they have been married for about 30 yrs. and are still crazy for each other. It is pretty awesome to see.

Anyway, I shared my heart with him hoping that he could offer some great advice not just about relationships but life in general. We talked for a very long time, and I definitely felt better about the decisions I've made recently and will make in the near future. After sharing with him some of the struggles I've faced, he shared with me his thoughts on the matters. What really stuck with me was this, "Dori, God prepares us in the pits." It made me wonder, what is God preparing me for?

Grandpa Got Game

2008-05-09T16:01:00.002-05:00

I walk in to the professional development building and join the herd of ladies signing in on the log. I feel a set of eyes on me (creepy, no?) so I look up and the security guard says, “Hello.”

Me: Good morning.
SG: How long have you been teaching? 2 yrs.?
Me: Yep.
SG: Where do you teach?
Me: Near Damen and 55^th Street.
SG: Whoa! Dangerous! Be careful.
Me: Yeah it is.
SG: Call me if you need some security. That’s what I do.
Me: Oh yeah, we could use more security. We only have one security guard at our school.
SG: No, you need personal security.
Me: Oh, yeah. I probably do. Thanks for the offer, Grandpa.

Let it go Let it go Let it go...

2008-05-08T18:13:00.005-05:00

It's amazing what being single does to your self esteem. One minute it's up, the next it's down. I guess its time to take a critical look at what I'm carrying and let it go. "All you must hold on to is you..."

Bag Lady - Erykah Badu

Bag lady you gone hurt your back
Dragging all them bags like that
I guess nobody ever told you
All you must hold on to
Is you, is you, is you

One day all them bags gone get in your way
One day all them bags gone get in your way
I said one day all them bags gone get in your way
One Day all them bags gone get in your way

So pack light
Pack light
Pack light
Ooh ooh

Bag lady you gone miss your bus
You can't hurry up
Cause you got too much stuff
When they see you comin
[They] take off runnin
From you it's true oh yes they do

One day he gone say you crowdin my space
One day he gone say you crowdin my space
I said one day he gone say you crowdin my space
One day he gone say you crowdin my space

So pack light
Pack light
Pack light
Ooh ooh

Girl I know sometimes it's hard
And we can't let go
Oh when someone hurts you oh so bad inside
You can't deny it you can't stop crying
So oh, oh, oh
If you start breathin
Then you won't believe it
You'll feel so much better
(So much better baby)

He is My Refuge and Fortress

2008-05-07T17:11:00.004-05:00

Psalm 91:1-2

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Twolips

2008-04-29T15:36:00.006-05:00

"You can write about any plant you'd like. Flowers are probably the easiest plants to think of. There are roses, daisies, sunflowers, tulips, and lots more."
*5 minutes later*
"Miss R., What's that flower that you said? Two mouth?"
"Tulip?"
"Yeah that one!"
*1 minute later*
"Look I wrote 'I like the tulip.'"
"That's great! Let me see!"
I like the 2lip.

It's Only Tuesday? Really? :(

2008-04-29T15:30:00.001-05:00

One of my favorites decided to bring a dirty swimsuit calendar from Skip's Food and Liquor to class this morning and share with the other boys at his table. Yes, he is 6 years old. Of course, on the way to gym today, he punched a kid in line and shoved another one's head into the radiator. OF COURSE. After jumping from about midway down one set of stairs and being told not to, you know he did it on the next 3 sets, too. All the while, he is cursing up a storm. Have a mentioned how much I LOVE MY JOB lately? Really.

What Do P Mean?

2008-04-24T20:30:00.004-05:00

The little ones freak out around report card time because everyone tells them, "You better get As!" In kindergarten, they earn B (beginning to develop), P (partially developed), or W (well developed). So when they see a bunch of Bs, Ps, and Ws, some of them freak. P/T conferences were last week so the kids are over it by now, but some of them are bringing back the signed cards.

This morning's conversation...

Student 1: "Miss R., what do P mean?"
Me: "It means you've almost got it."
Student 2: "I'll tell you what P mean. It mean you can go outside and you don't have to stay inside."

It's No Secret

2008-04-23T16:38:00.004-05:00

This is definitely my favorite way to wear a tank.

AND I can get them in "Must have shapes and juicy colors." Yes!!

That's a Checkies!

2008-04-22T20:59:00.004-05:00

SOOO glad its spring! I'm in such a better mood. Kids are still bad as hell, but the weather is gorgeous when I step out of that place! I can't help but go home happy. :)

When they aren't bad as hell, they're funny as hell.

"Miss R, that's the lady who whoops people!" referring to our school counselor.

"Every time I be acting bad, I give myself a checkies on here."

"I'm gonna still be good no matter how many checks you give me."

No More Debbie Downer

2008-04-14T22:20:00.003-05:00

SOME good things have happened to me.

Today, I saw 4 cans of split pea soup on the window sill at work. When I saw them, I thought, What the hell? Food drive? But no, one of my students brought them for me sometime last week so I would feel better!!! Isn't that the most precious thing?? When I had mentioned last Monday that I was feeling well, he said he would bring me some soup. Kids say lots of things, so I didn't think he'd actually do it! SO PRECIOUS!

I also got 3 or 4 "Get Well Soon" cards from the little ones. One of 'em drew a picture of 2 girls slapping each other and said, "Fighting. Miss R. I miss you." AWW my poor babies!

A Comedy of Errors

2008-04-14T20:57:00.005-05:00

My life has been out of sorts lately. I would say I'm semi-depressed. Where to begin....How about last Tuesday's post? "On top of the already horrible time I'm having a work, I made a life-changing decision.. got side swiped but an uninsured driver.. got a cold.. weather turned cold.. car died.. again.. professor was a biatch to me.. thai food I ordered in was less than appetizing.. I'm struggling to breathe and can't stop coughing."

So the cold turned out to be bronchitis, laryngitis, and sinusitis. I fell down the last 2 steps in my building on my way to church on Sunday morning. Today, my button broke in half on my pants at work. That means I had to safety pin them in true kindergarten style. My chiro canceled my appt. today, which I was looking forward to because my lower back and right arm kill. (He's sick, so I guess that's fair. haha.. I'm so selfish.) I drove to the car dealership to put my plates on, but forgot the plates at home. Drove back. Now its 9:00pm and I have to prepare a Power Point presentation for class tomorrow.

Something good is bound to happen. I need to look back at this mess and laugh already.

New Car

2008-04-12T21:08:00.004-05:00

Though I wasn't really looking forward to spending lots of money to buy a new car, in the end it was pretty fun. I like to negotiate. I ended up getting exactly what I wanted for a price I was willing to pay. In fact, I thought I was going to have to settle for cloth interior despite loving the leather, but was able to get the leather plus heated seats included. Heated seats are a huge deal for Chicago winters!! Plus, I'm always cold, so I'll use them most of the year. I can't wait to have them installed. If I get them soon and this crappy weather keeps up, I just might get to use them before summer arrives! Though I'd be glad to wait 'till September.

So here it is, in all its glory, my very first brand spanking new car.

Good riddance to an undependable car. Hello, pure driving bliss.

i seek wisdom

Consumption

*sigh*...the good kind

Thankful

Winter's On It's Way Back!

Day 10 and Beyond

Days 8 & 9

Day 7... Lasagna

40 Days of Cooking...Sorta

Dare I Say...

Better

Could Be Better

I'm a Mrs.

Isn't She a Smartie?

Caution: AWWW Moment Ahead

Exhausted

By The Way

Still Blessed

Donors Choose

ThE bAsT TechAr EvAr!

He Loves Us

Sunny Day...

Rookie Mistake

Bathroom Makeover

Road Trip, Baby!

Summer in the City

What's Up, Doc?

A Warm Winter Night

Artsy Fartsy

Kids Say...

Me: Tell me one thing you did over Thanksgiving weekend.

Little One: My cousins came over, and we played a game called Don't Talk Where You Hide.

Little One A: One of these days can I have your shoes?

Little One B: You need to go buy them. They are at Wal-Mart. They have the shiniest shoes there!

Me (pointing to an oval): What do we call this shape?

Little One: A lowercase circle.

Me: Which is your favorite ice cream flavor, chocolate or vanilla?

Little One: Ice cream.

Me: Chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream?

Little One: Ice cream.

Me: Moving on...

Little One: Miss R., I'm Mexican. I know everything.

My Sweet Little Angels

It's a Celebration!

Through the Wire

Sad Day

I Pledge Allegiance...

Secrets

Good News

News

Itis... again

UGH

Biggest Loser

I L O V E THREE DAY WEEKENDS!

OMG

Muahahahaha...uck

Sunshine Does a Body Good

Headed to Sunny and Warm Denver...

Old Mrs. Crotchety

Stinky

Typical

Day Two of Winter Break

*Sniffles*

KidPix And KidQs

Same Ol' Saturday

Feeling Generous?

A Bit of the Mundane

Fresh Country Air

Peace

Hello, October!

Kids Say...

'Cause I'm Coming Home Again

Love

Power's Out

I Just Don't Know What to Do WIth Myself

i love bobs

Note to Self

Teacher for Hire

On the Move

The Big Kids

sigh...the good kind

Sniffles