Tuesday, July 31, 2007
It's A Small World
Monday, July 30, 2007
I am tagging myself
1. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Hmm. By nature, I really am neither. I fall asleep early, sometimes I stay up with Thomas watching tv. Night time is the time to get things done around here. But, I am up early every morning with my early bird Connor, not always by choice. Ideally, I like sleeping until about 7:30am. Longer than that and I feel groggy. I do love reading quietly in bed in the morning. I also have set routines when I get up for work and I really don't like to talk a lot or have my routine disrupted.
2. You have a free, uninterrupted afternoon. What do you do? Read a book! Surf the Net! Take a nap! Rejoice!
3. If you could return to a certain stage in your life, what would it be and why?
I would love to go back to when I first started working and consider making better decisions at the start of my career. I would love to start over knowing what I know now.
4. What do you think of a woman being President of the USA? This is a hard question for me. My views on the presidency are skewed, because while part of me feels a woman should have the opportunity, part of me feels old-fashioned in that I feel men might be better in that role. I don't know why. But, anything has to be better than what we have now. I want someone competent, respectable, fair and one that allows us freedom to have different beliefs.
5. What’s your favorite dessert? (Feel free to include a recipe!) I will not include a recipe because I don't make good desserts- I buy them. Let's see, I think I would probably choose a really great ice cream over some fancy dessert. I also love, love, love ice cream cake!
Back to School!
I put Ian to bed Sunday night and he talked about going to play mini golf and he wanted to ride the merry-go-round the next day. I explained that Mommy had to go to school, but Daddy would be hanging out with him all day. This didn't go over well. He started to cry and tell me that he wanted to go to school. I asked him what kids do in school and he said, "Mommy, we draw letters and point to them. Lots of letters!" Then I explained that Mommy's job was to go to school and teach the kids. He said that he could come with me and teach the kids too because he knows how to draw the letter H, a circle, a square, the letter T, the letter I, etc. In some ways, I was thankful he was still asleep when I left for work this morning because it is hard to suffer a broken heart on your first day back to work. For some reason, he is going through some separation anxiety with both Tom and me, so we are wondering how things will go when we both have to work on Wednesday.
Connor is in a growth spurt and is ready to eat us out of house and home. He is eating what appears to be every hour. He doesn't seem too interested in my going to work. I gave him a hug and distracted him from playing with his cars, which incited wriggling and crying to get back to those cars. Those cars are stiff competition.
So my first day was a series of surprises, some go with the flow types and some unpleasant ones. According to my schedule, I was expecting to teach 3rd grade as my first class. Upon arriving at the school and getting my class lists, the secretary reminded me it was a Day 1. And surprise-I had Special Education, not 3rd grade. I dashed for the car, got out my Spec. Ed plans and set up quickly. This is the largest Special Education class I have ever taught. They have combined two classes, so there are about 18 children. 5 are in wheelchairs and several are unresponsive and have aides. The rest of the children are mobile, a few Down Syndrome children, some autistic, the gamut really. Plus, the grade levels are a mix of K through 6 grade. It went better than I thought and thankfully in my experience, special ed children really love music. The higher functioning kids were participating well and I gave all of the kids a turn on a drum I had brought in and they loved that. But, I have a lot to consider in planning their class now that I have seen them and know what I am dealing with. The aides were terrific-singing along, helping the kids play instruments and handling discipline too. Honestly, I really like teaching Special Ed kids, I always have.
I headed to my next school and heated up my lunch, which was tilapia and corn salsa from the night before. After teaching 5th and 6th grade here, I got in the car to head over to my last school of the day. In the car, I took a quick drink of diet soda and started off. A few moments later, I was feeling nauseated to the point where I was breathing and gulping air to calm myself down. I pulled into a grocery parking lot and ended up barfing all of my lunch into a bag I had in the car. It was horrible. I popped a million mints and tried to shake it off. Got to the next school and seemed to feel better but clammy.
Kindergarten classes are really challenging at the beginning of the year. And having them at the last part of the day adds to the mayhem. They are tired, hungry, cranky and their capacity for listening quietly has been depleted by then. One child was making arm noises, then putting his feet on the wall. I quietly spoke to him and asked him to stop making noises and to sit nicely. He seemed to understand and sat back down. And then proceeded to scream hysterically, to the point where nothing could be heard over him. I ended up calling the teacher to remove him. She didn't seem surprised at all. The rest of the class was relieved because they wanted to sing the song without earsplitting drama. The next Kindergarten class came in, carrying backpacks for dismissal. They took a huge amount of time to put the packs down and sit in a circle. We sang two songs and the teacher returned early, saying they need to be dismissed now. So, that class will be shortened each time, but I had no idea, so they missed most of the lesson.
I came home with an enormous headache, feeling icky about eating or drinking anything. The boys were napping so I took a two hour nap myself before dinner. I feel better tonight so we think the fish might not have been good or not kept well in my lunchbox.
The hours of this job are nice. I didn't have to leave until 8:30am this morning and I was home by 3:45pm. Tomorrow I have to leave home at 7:45am but I finish at 12:45pm on Tuesdays. Most of my days are 5 classes. It is a lot of traveling from my home to the initial school, but the rest of the schools are close to each other. So, the nice part is that I can still have Tuesdays to work on chorale work so I can keep my hand in the non-profit area. I did let go of one of my non-profit jobs and I will hold on to do the grants only for now.
Off to read and relax for a bit before bed.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Feast 153
Feast One Hundred & Fifty Three
July 27, 2007
Appetizer
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood. Okay, I will tell of two toys I remember well, especially since neither belonged to me. The first was a Blueberry Muffin doll (remember those with the scented hair?) and I only had Strawberry Shortcake. However, my friend Julie had Blueberry Muffin, which I pilfered and later passed off as my own. Until my mom heard Julie was missing Blueberry Muffin and I had mysteriously acquired one...
And so I had some klepto tendencies. My youngest son also does because apparently today at the mall playground, he found a cell phone, a shoe and tonight he tried to walk off with a girl's slice of pizza at the golf place. Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you? I am definitely on the high end of observancy, probably a 9 or 10. I was always very quiet but I listened and took in everything.
Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment? I would love to be swimming in a swimming pool! It is really hot and surprisingly humid for AZ.
Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new? I learn something new each day. I learned today that in mini golf, the person with the ball closest to the hole takes their turn first. I always thought you took your turns in the order you started in. My husband informed me of that rule (which I said "pschaw, that's not right!") until he found the written rule on the scorecard. And yes, folks, he was RIGHT.
Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I haven’t ____________. A job, but I haven't done any lesson plans! Time to get crackin'!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
A Happy Birthday
We had our traditional ice cream cake, which Ian got to help choose. He actually wanted to have birthday cake starting right after breakfast, but we held off until after dinner. I even let Thomas take my picture (a rare moment anymore!) with the boys. Then Tom and I watched a "That 70's Show" disc for a few hours, which is our new favorite TV rental from Netflix.
Today, we finally did head over to the Challenger Space Center, which didn't have a lot of hands-on stuff but Ian liked riding in the elevator and playing Flight Simulator.
Tomorrow, I will be meeting the various music teachers and principals at my schools and figuring out where I'll teach on the campuses. Tonight, I am aiming to finish Harry Potter so Thomas can finally read it.Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Feast
My apologies to my friendly blog ring pals, I haven't commented much (but I have been reading!) but I aspire read and comment this week and get back in the groove. I copied the feast so here is my version:
Feast One Hundred & Fifty Two
July 20, 2007
Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television? I only really love watching baseball and occasionally soccer and they would be 8.
Soup
If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick? Oh boy. That is some question. My favorite book is "To Kill a Mockingbird", so maybe that one. Honestly, I am horrible at memorizing books, so I am fairly certain this will not happen in this lifetime.
Salad
What is your favorite breakfast food? I love a great homemade breakfast. Terri makes some really great pancakes on all of our visits. But, the truth is that I really only eat cereal in the mornings. And a fun fact, I usually eat a high fiber cereal each day, my favorite being All Bran with the yogurt bites.
Main Course
Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00. We love the library (usually have a few dollars in fines anyway) bringing pizza to the park, getting fish tacos at Rubios for a buck each, getting ice cream cones, going to one of the state parks for a bike ride or hike, going to the bookstore to read books and maybe get a cup of coffee or stay home and have a popoorn/movie night! (wow, so many of these involve food!)
Dessert
How long does it usually take you to fall asleep? Well, apparently, I fell asleep in Harry Potter 10 times the other night. I always read in bed and like a Pavlovian response, I always fall sound asleep no matter how great the book. It is very rare that I have trouble sleeping or getting to sleep.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Little Thoughts
School meeting begin next week for us, so we are lamenting the end of summer fun. I decided to apply to a teaching position here in town to help our lagging finances. After dropping off my file with the district, HR called to say the position was filled. My former principal, who works for the district, personally called HR on my behalf to recommend me. The district rep called me back this afternoon with a travel position covering overload classes and offered an interview tomorrow. I am not sure if the position is full or part time (it sounds part time), but if they can offer me more hours, that will help.
It's bittersweet, of course. Trying to get out of teaching is like trying to get crazy glue off of your hands, it feels stuck to me. I'll keep the chorale job and keep working on grants and let the rest go. I have the internship with the arts commission, but that might have to go. I feel responsible for how things are going and it's one thing to move on. It's another to not pay bills or feel like you are swimming with your head held high. So, my plan is to keep taking my little classes, keep finding small projects and hopefully we'll make enough to pay a few things off and get to a better place.
On the up side, I am working on choosing my summer collage photo frame and what pictures I want to use. Actually, I have two summer vacations to work on, last year's and this year's, so that will keep me happy for the week. So that is going to be my birthday present from me. Although I have some serious photoshopping on a few pictures (Chris, Kristen and the trash cans as a prime example) so I am considering pooling some of my birthday money for Photoshop Elements.
My husband had asked me what I wanted for my birthday last month and my answer was the Harry Potter book. Which I am proud to say that I am on chapter 5. He told me yesterday that he feels badly that the book is my present because he really wants to read it too. (he is not allowed to read it before me, because if he knows what happens, he is very likely to talk about it in some way, as much as I love him). The better part of the present is actually having some quiet time to read the book. Now that's what I call a gift!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Two More Photo Challenges Checked Off


First is my self-reflection shot, which was fun. Although, I am not sure that Thomas likes such a huge closeup on his face.
The second is the feet challenge that I think Stacy asked me to take. Thomas and I have a long history of feet photos, but this is our most recent. I do need to try and take a photo including Ian and Connor's feet. Now that will be a challenge.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Beach/Sunset Photos
-sunset photos
-beach photos
-photos of people I don't know
I discovered this week that I like taking photographs of people the most. Landscapes are pretty, but I don't think I have the best eye for landscape photos. Capturing expressions and candid moments are my favorite. Although, I have not mastered taking candid photos of people who know I am there taking their photos. I try to be unobtrusive, but it is challenging. The families in this picture were far off and they probably figured I was just shooting the sunset and not them.



Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Atlantis Marine World Aquarium
Today's adventure took Grandma Sheila, the boys, me, Aunt Marilyn and her two grandsons, Christina and her son,Bobby to the aquarium. After noticing three school buses unloading children at the entrance, we should have suspected a large crowd. Ian wanted to be held and carried for most of the trip; Connor also wanted to be held. One of Aunt Marilyn's grandsons kept disappearing and it took us quite awhile to get through the first floor.
After the boys ate a solid lunch, we went on to the nine-minute sea lion show, followed by a few more exhibits and a stop for ice cream. The only uneventful moment of the visit was the underwater sea lion viewing, where all the boys were screaming and jumping around. (except Connor, who was strapped in the stroller)
I found taking photos in the aquarium a difficult challenge. After reading an article about it, I still wasn't really happy with my photos. However, I didn't really take a lot of pictures to have a bunch to choose from. Here are the better ones.
I liked how the boys had their hands on the glass.

Waiting for the nine-minute sea lion show. I think we waited a longer time than the show actually lasted.
I could have taken pictures of the sea lions, but it was more fun to watch the boys looking into the tank.
Montauk Point



Sunday, July 08, 2007
Beach Boys
My mom drove down to babysit the boys while we head off to a wedding this evening. We took a walk to the beach, which was a bit crowded for a Sunday afternoon. Ian swam out with Daddy while Mom took Connor in the water.




Connor has a taste for the inedible. He crunched on shells and dumped his Goldfish crackers in the sand and then proceeded to eat them. He didn't seemed fazed by the sandy flavor.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Another Feast
Feast Sixty Seven
Appetizer
Do you button shirts top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top? I am pretty sure top-to-bottom, but I had to really visualize that one.
Soup
What is your favorite sandwich? I love a good peanut butter and jelly, heavy on the pb and very light on the jelly. I also love turkey with the yummy jalapeno mustard my sister-in-law introduced me to, along with guacamole or plain avocados.
Salad
What was a family project you helped work on as a child? I am not sure that I had any family projects. I helped work a little on my dollhouse, but not much.
Main Course
When have you acted phony? Usually around people that I find trying but I try to act kindly.
Dessert
Do you write letters or postcards? If so, to whom? I write letters on email exclusively now!
Tagged!
"If you had the opportunity to do a 1-year internship in a company or field completely unrelated to your current career or specialty, what would be your top 5 choices?"
1. Writer (non-fiction)
2. Photographer
3. Graphic Design
4. Organizer
5. Interpreter (Spanish)
Now, I'm going to tag:
Stacy K.
anyone who decide to comment!
Monday, July 02, 2007
Feast
How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?
I always wear earrings. Every day. Usually a pair of silver hoops that my husband bought me that I love so much. I also like beaded necklaces but I have two young boys, so I don't usually wear my necklaces unless I am going somewhere special.
Soup
What is your favorite instrumental song?
I love the Sunday Morning Overcast, which is a classical guitar song on my son's lullaby CD. I also love anything my husband plays on marimba.
Salad
Who has a last name that you like?
Well, I like both of my own last names, maiden and married.
Main Course
Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.
I am with Michelle, I never go to the movies. I haven't seen Shrek 3 or Ocean's 13 or any of the super hero movies. I am pretty lame when it comes to movies.
Dessert
Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like ____________.
happier than a good night's sleep!