Things my students tell me

A collection of recent amazing kid quotes in my classroom. There are more but alas, my brain doesn't keep them all in by the time I get home.

"I use you tube to look up where babies come from!"

 "Someone fell in the toilet!"

"my brain is singing!"

"I don't remember how many freckles Mrs. Bush has"- Student was drawing my picture

The Marathon

Today was the Chicago marathon. I think I should be there, next year.

I have gotten more. And more comfortable with running and have signed up for several races in the last few weeks. 

My goal. 30 before 30. I have a little less than two years before my 30th birthday. Many people make a bucket list. I don't like the idea of a list. Of hugging sags before death. Life is too short to look to death daily. For me, this will be a "before I hit the big 3-0" challenge.

The list-part 1 of three

1. Run the Rock and Roll Half Marathon -already signed up

2. Run the Chicago marathon

3. Finish my masters

4. Leave the country -yes I have done this but I need to do it again

5. Make a significant donation to a charity I care about

6. Put on a recital

7. Road trip with my best friend
8. Save enough for a house down payment.
9. Volunteer
10. Buy coffee at Starbucks for the next five people behind me.  

Unsure

The constant battle in my mind.
Am I doing the right thing? Do I really understand what I am doing? I don't think I am smart enough to do this.
Forever I am unsure of who I am and what I am capable of. Always second guessing and waiting with fear that comes with being unsure.

Inner battles of letting something go and being spontaneous.
But wait, did I jump too early or speak too soon?

Hold on for a month while I think about what I might want to do, say, be.

Bajillion Degrees and strippers

Today was hot, very hot. 101 heat index hot. My students melted into the floor while we attempted learning.

I had one student tell me to "have a nice weekend" as they left my class. Yup. It is only Tuesday. They must not want to come back until it cools off

I also overheard two third grade boys asking each other if they knew what a stripper was. I am guessing and hoping it is because someone at home was discussing the recent Miley Cyrus performance on the VMAs. 

A car!

I bought a new car today. So now DH and I each have our own again. We trie just one for almost a whole year and it worked well. We live in the downtown area of our community and he took the train every day. I commute about 30 miles each way so we had to have one. Then DH lost his job, so he used grandma's the. We sold grandma's has guzzler.
It is hat to get a job without a car in our suburban area. Thus the need for being back to two cars. I am pretty pleased with our purchase. Bought for less than we were planning and I think it is just the right car for us.

Thanks, Gram

Grandma was always smiling.
 Her whole life was loving us, her children and grandchildren. Plus a few more who got lumped into that group regardless who genetics.
Generous and kind. Not a afraid to speak her thoughts.
You always felt loved in her presence.
Are you getting good grades in school? Yes? Here are a few dollars. No? I will hire a tutor.
What do you want? It magically appears.
There are no wants when Grandma is around, she already got them for you.
When Grandma needs your help, you get a squeeze, a kiss, and "Thanks, Love"
Being around her is enough of a reward.
"Have you thought about this option?"
She has an opinion about everything. She knows what she likes. She knows how to make it happen.
We talk about my life, my dreams, my wants.
She smiles and tells me how she would do things.
I am the one with red hair like hers. This gives me and my sister something special with her.
I am perpetually trying to make her proud. She doesn't always tell me but I know, she is.
I have a lot to look up to. A lot to live up to.
Thanks, Love
Katie

Grandma, Me, My Dad -Summer on the Patio 2012

Weekly Photo Challenge: Change

What a great photo challenge to start with as I try to post more regularly again.

I recently was in Arizona. Specifically Sedona for the majority of my week there. In Sedona, it feels like no matter how much I change, it stays the same. The rocks are still red and beautiful. The growth is so slow you don't notice much in the plants from year to year. It continues to be my respite from being a young adult in a busy world.

Catch all

It has been a busy few weeks. An emotional few weeks as well. As I type, I am sitting on a cross country train with Kyle coming home from a week away.

We had this trip planned in January and thank goodness for it. We needed a week in Sedona with my grandpa to relax and recharge.

What did we need to get away from?
Work, life stress, the house.

Kyle and I live upstairs from my grandma and she passed close to three weeks ago. With everything we are used to having her in it, life felt unstable and uneasy.
We moved in about a year ago because it is what she needed. To be not alone and to have us there for everyday tasks. I might have grumbled here and there about the things she asked of us but, I truly loved my grandma. She was there nearly every step of my growing up. I felt a responsibility to care for her as she did for me.
So now the house is empty. We are still upstairs. The family who came for her services and to remember the amazing lady we knew have all gone home.
So, Kyle and I went in our vacation. We got away before keeping on with our lives, minus grandma.

Sedona
There is always Sedona to get you back to peaceful. I am truly lucky to have my grandfather living there. You come into the beautiful red rocks and into his lovely home. You are surrounded by love, scenery, and food.
Every morning I would sit with him in the library and talk while we watched the sunrise. During the day you see beautiful things and nature. At night we cooked and ate special dinners.

rent-a-first grader

One of my first grade classes has decided that a house without children is not a home. I brought DH's viola to work to show them a string instrument and they asked who it belonged to. It then turned into a whole class long aside about me not having children. One small girl told me I should go to the orphanage to go get some kids. Later, they volunteered classmates to come home with me nightly. By the end of class they had worked it all out and which of them would take turns coming home with me and that they would take care of playing with Charlotte. It was darling. I love their enthusiasm for making me happy and whole.

hall talk

Today in the hallway between two second grade boys:
"If I had to take on a bear, I'd just kick him in the junk!"

um, I'm pretty sure that is a bad idea.

Hair tutorials on Pinterest

So I see a pin on Pinterest that has 20 some buns for bad hair days. Ok, I need this. My hair ends up in a ponytail or a "get out of my face and on top of my head" bun type thing every day. Then I look at them. #1 who has time for that when you are hastily throwing your hair up in the first place? #2 Um, I can't do that. Not with my lack of skills while in a rush. Really people who think they are fixing our messy hair problem, give us something that non-hairstylists can do.

Bad Teacher

Teaching Elementary school can turn you back in to a child.

During a practice of singing "Blow ye Winds" a student timely farted and all I could think of was laughing and changing the words to "Break ye Winds"

I couldn't laugh and wanted to so bad. It was one of the times that I am in pain from trying to not laugh.

You pronounce it "poonch-keys"

This morning I woke up extra early to pick up my paczkis.

There are few things more delicious than this once a year Polish treat.

Heard in the hall

I'm helper today!
No! I'm helper today!
Noooo! Meee!

Ow!

Altering Perception

I have studied music my entire life. I seriously started studying music in high school and of course then into college. I used to sing opera, play in a marching band, and sing masterworks. I craved the highest level of music learning. Today, I am sitting on my couch looking at you tube videos of songs played on boom whackers, a series of colorful plastic tubes that are tuned. My colleague and I have decided that we need to get the staff to learn a song to play for the kids.

A friend who also teaches music described it as going from eating cake every day to eating cake 2-3 times a year. It is not as special feeling when you have it every day but once you get to the later portion, you fall all over yourself to have that 2-3 times a year experience.

I used to snub my nose at most pop music. It wasn't special enough. Today, I look at it as a doorway to bring my students into my little world.

New spaces and friendly faces

January was s tough month personally. From this I was reminded that, I have the best support system a person could ask or dream for. I sit here on February 3rd and look at what I have. I am so blessed.

I came home on Friday and announced to Kyle that I would be spending the day on a big project, my messy crafting room. It was unbearable to work in. I didn't even take a before picture so I never have to remember it.
Saturday morning, I did my usual and cleaned the whole kitchen. I usually do this because the weekday kitchen tidying involves only barely getting the dishes done so that we can stumble out of bed the next morning and make coffee successfully.  Then I went and got Grandma her breakfast and planned how I would tackle the monster mess.
After several visits to Pinterest and other organizing sites, I had a plan and set out to the magical world of Target. I had planned to only spend $50 on supplies for the craft room. Amazingly I did that yesterday. There are a few little things I would like to add, eventually putting us over.
Before I leave the Target parking lot I text Kyle, "I will need your help unloading the car."
I bought a rolling cart with drawers that matches one I already had and a cube shelf with 8 spaces.
I arrive at home and we unload the car. (This is where I first am reminded of how lucky I am.) Kyle looks at the box full of DIY shelves and says to me, "Would you like me to put this together for you?" I didn't ask or whine. He just asked because he knew I would love it. No need for Valentine's flowers, I got shelves built. Kyle also knows that while I am competent with a hammer and parts and can build it myself, he does a meticulous job of it.

I spent 6 hours working in the smallest room of our house (aside from the bathroom).

It is now beautiful and organized. I am pulled in to create because of the way things look.

Friendly face number 2 comes in the way of  my Best Friend for All time, Susan, she knew of the crud I struggled with last month and in the mail yesterday comes a package with 3 wonderful things. A pair of socks with hedgehogs on them (I love crazy socks), a box of Gail Ambrosius Chocolates (go to Madison Wisconsin for them seriously), and a note pad that says pep talk and has my first pep talk written on it.

I know there are way more friendly faces that I missed. Thank you support system for knowing how to make me feel human again.

Field trip

I went on my first field trip with my little friends this past week. I have been on field trips before but it was always taking the 8th graders to Great America. Nothing that I really cared about. My art teacher colleague and I ran a creative writing group based on artwork for some of our low but not low enough kids. WE had such amazing results that we got approval to take a special field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago to show them the paintings we wrote stories about.

Taking kids to their first museum is a big deal
Heard on the bus:
"We are going on the 94?"

They were so excited that we were going on the interstate to see something.

Once we got to the museum, it was nothing but pure wonder and joy with these third graders. They could see the real size of the paintings, the texture that does not come through in reproductions and posters. They heard about how old the works were and what they are made out of.

I hope every educator gets to experience what I did this week. Pure amazement at our cultural works.

When it rains

Life is really happening right now. So many small and large stressors happening at the same time. It is one of those life moments where you really start to feel upset about your lot and blame the world.
DH lost his job and also ended up with a nasty head injury as the result of a fall just 2 weeks later. (he is ok) Dear family members fighting with their health. Other family members also losing jobs and getting in car accidents.

I have always tried to be the eternal optimist. Tried is the big part.
Yesterday I broke down and cried at every turn. Optimism left me for 24 hours. I didn't like it.
I am trying right now to look at these hurdles as something to jump over. Maybe we trip on the hurdle but finish the race. There will be no falling and giving up.
2013 is a year of new paths to take.

How do you pull strength from the deepest pockets of yourself?
Where do you look when all you can think of is blaming the world?

Piano shirts

As it is Friday, I can wear jeans to work today. This is what I chose to wear instead of a school spirit t-shirt. My students and colleagues have grown accustomed to my Friday Music need shirts.

Hi 5

Today's crazy music teacher outfit is brought to you by the threadless company and their awesome hi 5 shirt. Also by trendy pants from old navy and a crazy sweater my mom purchased for me. It is pretty much a perfect outfit for the first week after break.

Side note: we use high five at my school as an everybody listen strategy so it is doubly awesome for me.

Simply Seuss

Today's crazy music teacher outfit is accented by the amazing earrings purchased for me by my partner teacher.

Clinging to a Piece of Summer

 These are the basil plants on my kitchen window.
They were propagated from cuttings from my summertime basil plants. I just cut pieces from the big plants and rooted them in water. I brought my small planters inside and they are waiting at my front door to get these small plants.
They make me so happy because I love summer and miss the warmth, green, and seasonal tastes.
Just a cut of a basil plant added into my lunch and I am back to summer.

Road Block

I have been writing my statement of teaching philosophy for almost a month now. I think I have it and then there it goes. I am again at the point where I think I have it again, maybe for the last time. I have always struggle with writing. I like to blame it on my disjointed learning of the English language and how to write. I bounced back and forth in school between the high group and the regular group. This is no excuse as I am clearly an adult who is capable of learning.

*Update* 1:30pm-1/4/13
I think I am all done writing and like what I have. Now I just have to edit 30 words out to meet the word count requirement.

*Update* 2:35-1/4/13
Edited out 30 words, technically 4 words over limit. DH looked at it again, made changes that made sense.
I had a total meltdown as well. I have had so much editing and looking at by friends and colleagues that I am not sure if I will ever recreate this kind of work. Pretty sure right now that I am not smart enough or qualified to get a masters degree.
I submitted it anyway. I hope they don't all find me to be a fraud.

Some changes to the blog

I have decided to make a few changes to my blogging and decided to split my teaching posts to a new blog and keep the personal stuff here.
For the new blog visit:
http://katiemakesmusic.blogspot.com/

I am excited to do this as I bring more of my professional business to a different space. This also keeps my teaching twitter name and blog name the same for those who follow it.

-Katie

Winter Break

It is that time in my teaching life that is known as winter break. A time of resting, family, holidays, and so much more. In the new year we look for renewal and change. It will be quite a change in my life with DH looking for (and hopefully finding) a new place of employment.
The new year also brings IMEA also known as All-State, the conference I attend every year to get re-inspired as a music teacher. I can't wait to go and learn. I have also applied for a masters program and should soon be finding out if I will get to immerse myself in learning again. I should be blogging and tweeting the whole time with my new finds and learnings.
My resolution this year is to be happy. Happy with what I have, happy with challenges that face me, happy with the life I am given.

The year in review survey

A few years ago, my best bud wrote this survey and has completed it regularly. I stole it and somehow missed filling it out here for a few years. I decided this morning would be a good day to revive it. AS this is a personal blog with hints of teaching related stuff. Those who wish to be inspired by small children's quotes, stop reading now. 

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?: 

I applied for a masters degree 

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?I am very bad at resolution keeping. I did continue to work out regularly and attempt to save money.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?: Many friends and colleagues gave birth. There are many new babies in my life.

4. Did anyone close to you die?:
No one particularly close.

5. What countries did you visit?: 

No new countries this year :(

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?:
More financial stability. Less self inflicted stress.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?: There are some events that are too personal to put on the internet. I will forever remember moving into our "new" apartment over my grandmother's home. Also permanently burned into my memory are moments where I convince my bosses to do zany things with the kids on the concerts, getting my new fancy camera, and the moment my husband told me he had lost his job. 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?:

1. Getting recognized by the district superintendent for the work that the art teacher and I have been doing in our afterschool literacy group.

2. Getting my parent's 30th anniversary party pulled off.

9. What was your biggest failure?:Continually having to re-start my workout regimen. I do so well for a good while and then something throws me off for a while. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?:
Only small illnesses and injuries. None so significant that they need mention.

11. What was the best thing you bought?:  
A new coffee maker and the fancy new camera that my family bought for me.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?: My parents for the way they conduct themselves at all times.Especially when their children continually coemt to them with that we feel to be a "crisis."

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?:
Congress 

14. Where did most of your money go?:Bills

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?: A fancy new camera. Did I mention it?

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?:All of the songs we dance to in Zumba. It was the one constant in my workouts.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?  mostly happier
ii. thinner or fatter?  a tiny bit thinner
iii. richer or poorer? both, I was richer but the last week of 2012 caused poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?:baking, crocheting, crafting. Things I love to do

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?:my Facebook addiction

20. How will (did) you spend Christmas?:
Christmas eve and morning with Kyle's family and Christmas night at my parent's

22. Did you fall in love in 2012?: Stayed in love

23. How many one-night stands?:None, I should probably delete this question as I really will never change my answer.

24. What was your favorite TV program?:the Olympics

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?: I continued to really dislike members of the tea party who make our country more divided than before.

26. What was the best book you read?:I re-read The Journal of Best Practices I really recommend it to all. It explains relationships and Asbergers so well. Not to only be read if you want to hear about one aspect. Really, read it. NOW

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?:Mason Bates new composition "Alternative Energy"

28. What did you want and get?:

Canon Rebel T3i DSLR, a bigger place to live

29. What did you want and not get?:Better with money and losing excess weight.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?:
Lincoln but a close second would be Moonrise Kingdom

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?:
I turned 27 and I probably did some gardening and went to an outdoor concert. It was a not the most memorable birthday this year and I am good with that.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?:
 If I had been able to purchase a home. This is a few years out still. It is forever my goal.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?:

Elementary Educator. As comfortable as possible without completely losing professionalism. 

34. What kept you sane?: The dog. 

34a. Okay, what kept you less crazy? 
Most of the time my husband, my parents, good friends

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?:None of them? I have never gotten into celeb fancying. 

36. What political issue stirred you the most?: The election, civil rights for all Americans, gun laws (I hate weapons). I really can not understand how so many Americans want to take us backwards. Restrictions on women's health that are made by politicians who are not women bothered me to my core. I am so lucky to have a spouse who is equally disturbed by this. I wish so deeply that we could treat people like people no matter their gender, sexual orientation, cognitive ability, physical disability. 

37. Who did you miss?:friends who have moved far away

38. Who was the best new person you met?:
my Zumba instructor and not a new person but my good friend and new colleague Beth. She has been very good at restoring my sanity.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:

So little is for sure in life.
40. Quote a song lyric that describes the past year:

I dreamed a dream...