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.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
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.
"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.
Monday, February 18, 2013
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.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
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.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
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.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
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.
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.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
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.
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.
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