Show and Share Thursday: M is for...

M is for *mukluks*, though I know some of you might refer to them as "moccasins." As girlie as I am, Manolos aren't for me. Cold feet? Never when I have these on, and for good reason: the first pair (from the left) are made of sealskin with wolf trim, the next pair are calfskin and wolf, the red pair are felt and moosehide, and the fourth are rabbit and leather. All but the red boots are lined, so a pair of comfy socks are all I need to wear when I slip these on in the winter. I had several opportunities to wear them last year in Oz, but alas, this year they have remained tucked away in the coat/boot closet here in Texas.



These mukluks (both pair) were made by my Aaka (Grandmother), Ruth. Yes, *made.*





It was obviously the pretty beadwork on these Athabaskan boots that caught my eye, little promises of spring in the middle of winter.



The fur on the mukluks and Cree rabbit boots (last pair) has started to wear thin a bit, and some of the beadwork on the other two pair has loosened, mostly due to my students! Any kindergarten teacher will tell you, when it's storytime and you're surrounded by five year olds, hands and fingers will inevitably end up on your feet (legs if you're wearing something texturally interesting).

When I lived and taught in Alaska, wearing my mukluks didn't garner a second look- ever. In New Mexico and Kansas however, I was often stopped and asked politely for an explanation of my footwear. The walrus and moose appliqués on my sealskin mukluks were of particular interest. I'm doubting Texans here in the Bordertown will be subjected to my foot fashion for the remainder of our stay, but our family is keeping our fingers crossed in the hopes that Uncle Sam sends us someplace that annually features snow in its winter scenery.

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Don't forget M-n-M's! Did you know you can order your own custom printed candies now? Head here to find more M-n-M fun!

Decor, Broccoli, NCLB Reality, Wish List

Though there are a ton of chores on my to-do list today, I had to take a break after the sun made an appearance, filtering some much-appreciated light onto the latest decor changes:







Have I ever told you I can't stand broccoli? *Yuck* to the nth degree, let me tell you. Until, that is...this recipe:

1 bunch of broccoli, raw (I just use the floret/crowns)

1/4 cup onion, sliced/diced

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon

1 cup mayo (but you could easily use less)

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup sugar (or 1/8 cup Splenda, though it says it can be measured the same for the required sugar, I don't care for the aftertaste so I cut it back a bit)

Mix all ingredients well, chill, then munch down to your heart's content. My husband and I never have left overs when I make this salad. Ever. Quite a testament, coming from broccoli-avoiders!



The only thing lately that has made me shudder as much as most other broccoli dishes do would be the latest, thankfully, last, State of the Union Address made by President Bush. Following Thumper's mother's advice ("If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all."), I'll just provide some links to some great blogs that are pretty closely aligned to how I'm feeling:

Schools Matter: School Privatization Plan

Schools Matter: Art? Music? Cultures? NCLB?

The Elementary Educator: The Importance of Recess

NCLB In Your Face

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...and on a lighter note, my latest wished-for-items from MacKenzie-Childs:



And pillows:



If I could just get my magic wand to work...

Writing Marks My Personal Pace

No, not "personal space." Dinner is done, the toddler is wrestling with Daddy on the couch, and daughter is in taking her shower before it's the toddler's turn for the tub. I'm munching on pink, white and red peanut m-n-m's (I know, not the healthiest choice), and have just finished reading the latest postings from the blogs to which I subscribe. The day is winding down. Surprisingly my thoughts are winding up.

I read some posts from teachers who were reflecting on their teaching practice, their latest successes, their most recent frustrations and disappointments. Several crafters have posted new ideas for spring, have rearranged their work space, and are entertaining thoughts of repainting rooms in their homes. A military wife is reviewing the latest book she's read that has been published as a resource for those of us who married military-folk, and several painters have listed their latest canvases on Ebay or Etsy. I myself posted earlier today about the baby afghan given to expectant friends, the Girl going to the district science fair, the wet and windy weather, and the cookies I was going to make (but didn't yet) for our daughter's friend.

I read the local newspaper several times a week, enjoy perusing the craft and home decor magazines at the store, and read the postings on NetNewsWire each morning. I'm authoring my own blog almost daily, responding to comments, answering emails, and following interesting links to wherever they might lead. It's a very different personal pace for me, considering what my schedule was at this time last year. Teaching full time, my husband deployed, primary parent 24/7, feeling extreme twinges of guilt whenever the load felt too heavy, too much a burden.

I was still writing last year, a few rants and silly surveys, but mostly weekly parent letters sent home via email or backpack. In these "notes home" I reviewed our week's activities, concepts introduced and explored, skills practiced, and made suggestions for activities that could be done at home for families to enjoy. My favorite part of the weekly note was the very last element I included, the "kindergarten quotes." Those funny or amazing things overheard coming out of the mouths of my Super Stars that I knew parents would enjoy...are what I miss most this year of not teaching.

I could plow through my lesson plans each week, student assessments, documentation for IEP's or whatever other school-required documentation reared its ugly head, but the weekly letter took time. Thought. Reflection. Editing. Evaluation of my tone. It often felt like it was the only written element required in my profession where my true voice would be "heard," so it mattered to me that the parents *knew* they were really making a connection with an authentic part of their childrens' school lives as they braved the backpack each Friday to excavate the note out of the pile of smooshed chips, broken pencils, and show and share items.

I'm a believer in behaving professionally when it comes to my job. My personal life is not to be confused with my public role, but I do believe in being sincere no matter what stage I might be occupying throughout the day. Though this year my pace at home does not match the speed usually kept when teaching, it has enabled me to spend more time in authentic reflection and on authentic writing. I've felt free to express how I've been feeling as a parent, spouse, stay-at-home mom, friend, out-of-work teacher, and blogger. I've reflected on my professional work as a teacher, my personal adventures away from the classroom, and I've found that I have new interests, new wishes, new directions I'd like to follow. Liberating myself from the trusted yet very routine role of public school teacher has put me in the position of having to stick one toe in the water, testing. I've been in the same pool for so long, and never entertained the thought that maybe the pond over yonder would cool my heels just as well... possibly even better. Is that a rushing brook I hear?

I love teaching. But I've found I love other things too. It will be interesting to set my pace again once we've moved, and I'm back to work.

Murky Monday

Though it's a bit of a murky Monday, today has still been rather productive. Laundry is just about done, the kitchen is clean, February decor is up (photos on a sunnier day), and one baby blanket is on its way to its new owner.





I still need to make "thank you" cookies for my daughter's friend today. With her help during the "ball experiment," our girl managed to produce a science report that has earned a presentation slot at the district Science Fair held on the college campus here in town. Yay! Internet Hoax Cookies will work wonderfully, remember those? If you haven't tried the recipe, file it away for a rainy day- it is actually *quite* good!

Don't forget Show and Share Thursday this week- if you have a collection, idea, recipe or blog posting from your own site that you'd like to share, send it to me by Wednesday evening via comments or directly at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com and I'll include your submission with my own posting.

Hope your week has gotten off to a great start! Cookie time!

Snippet Saturday

I'm in awe that I got to sleep in today- mind you, "sleeping in" for me since the toddler arrived has meant anytime after five a.m. He didn't fling his bedroom door open until six today. I'm actually feeling rested, though it helps that I went to bed around eight last night. Yes, I am a sleep hog.

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I attended a memorial service for my godmother yesterday afternoon, at the same church in which I was baptized as a baby. It was a nice service, and it was interesting hearing the stories and remembrances of of such a colorful lady. She spoke fluent Greek, traveled the world as a military spouse, and even took care of King Paul's and Queen Frederika's lion cub for several months before it was transferred to the Athens Zoo.

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I did indeed, make another wreath, along with some heart shaped door sachets yesterday.



I still have a ton of fabric, so I think I'll try my hand at making a runner, or some placemats with the remnants. I've never been the type of crafter who enjoys working specifically with sewing fabric, though I wholeheartedly support other peoples' nasty quilting habits! :) I crochet, do cross stitch, or use fabric strips for wreath decor...heat up a glue gun on occasion, and assemble vignettes. Every few years I'll get the sewing machine out and make a new kuspuk, so perhaps this is just my latest craft medium phase.



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Lately my dreams have been full of organizing scenes: me finding the perfect baskets for my laundry room; reorganizing the bedroom closet with all one-color hangars, shirts sorted by color, sleeve length, etc. Must be the codeine in the cough syrup, though it's just building upon my natural inclination to have a place for everything, and everything in its place. Some people dream of scary monsters, or going on some adventure. There I am, organizing my laundry detergent and dryer sheets.

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I'm hoping we really do find out sooner rather than later where our next duty assignment will be. It takes time to apply for and receive a new state's teaching credential, and most school districts prefer to hire teacher applicants that are already licensed to teach in their state. So far I'm licensed in Alaska, New Mexico, Kansas, and Texas. Who's next? (Yes, yes, I know, I should have gone and gotten nationally certified all those years ago, darn you HINDSIGHT.)

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This weekend's to-do list only has one item on it so far:

Changing out seasonal January decor. Out with the snowflakes and snowmen, in with the hearts.



I'm certain there are other things I simply must do. They'll sneak up on me as I get caught up on reading the latest postings from my favorite blogs.

I hope you have a terrific weekend!

February Wreath

I finished a week before February- and I have enough little hearts to make another wreath!

Here's the pile of wreath fixin's:

A wreath form, fabric, tulle, and the puffy hearts...



I wrapped pink fabric around the wreath form, then cut strips of tulle, tying them around the fabric. Poofy!



Time for the hot glue gun- thankfully (amazingly), I didn't burn myself!



I added some pretty polka-dotted ribbon...



and voila! February's wreath!



I have a lot of extra fabric, so we'll see what other goodies I can think up!

Show and Share Thursday: Cameos

Friends, family and students know I *love* jewelry, the sparklier the better! Whether it's a new teacher-themed brooch, necklace or earrings, or a new bauble from Zales, I enjoy adding finishing touches to all of my outfits daily. My wooden apple necklace goes with my ABC jumper for the first day of school, my Kirk's Folly heart necklaces and brooches see regular rotation throughout February, and I enjoy wearing a different "right hand ring" each day thanks mostly to my husband. I support his Harley habit, he supports my jewelry habit, talk about a match made in Heaven!

My love for jewelry started when I was a child. My mother and grandmother had jewelry boxes that sat on their dressers, and I remember realizing that for the ladies in my family, it was an absolute necessity to go through them each day, selecting something to wear before ever stepping out of the apartment. Going out without a bracelet, earrings, or a ring on was like going out into public naked! Now I can't leave the house without having visited my jewelry box first.



Cameos hold a special appeal for me. My grandmother has a cameo ring, bezel set, that she says I used to teethe upon as a baby. The face on the shell has been blurred, rubbed smooth over time, and it rattles in its setting. My mother has a brooch that she also wears as a pendant, and it somehow marks all of my childhood memories of her. Touring Europe as a teenager, my mother was with me when I purchased my first cameo ring, a treasure I inadvertently lost when in a state of delirium, I went on a cleaning spree and tossed everything in my dresser drawers into the trash (chicken pox at age thirteen was NOT a good experience, let me tell you!).



She replaced the ring for my first wedding, a gift that was just for me. It's the smaller of the two cameo rings in the photo. The larger ring I received when my mother-in-law passed away last year. Helping my sister go through Betty's belongings, we came across a stash of jewelry given to her by a lover from many years past. Rubies, diamonds, loose stones, pearls, and the cameo ring. The story goes that she, the cameo, was hardly if ever worn, because of her size. On me, she covers up my middle knuckle on my ring finger, and hasn't been worn while I've been doing the stay-at-home-mom thing, though never fear, she keeps good company with my other cameos. The brooch was an Ebay find- I couldn't resist when I saw the simple cameo set with the millefiori flowers... it's a fun little riot of color to wear on rainy days.



There's even a cameo on the charm bracelet I started for myself last year though I can't remember who it belonged to before that (sorry Mom!). A small ivory bear, lockets, charms, pendants, and even a lone earring keep her company. Transferring all of my rarely-if-ever-worn pendants to the bracelet was a good choice for me (I have some more charms to add to it), and it's a piece that my students always love to examine when I wear it. They love the blue topaz ("A topaz?? A topaz?!?! Amongst *my* jewels?!?!"), the bear, all of the hearts, and the jingly sound made when I move my hand. I love wearing it because I enjoy knowing that there is a story behind each charm.

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I've spent most of this week attempting to recover from a doozie of a cold. Thankfully I've had crafts and reading to keep me sane while spending almost every minute indoors. Thank you for the messages and emails wishing me a speedy recovery, every good thought has helped! Here are some links that caught my eye:

Schools Matter shares the story of an elementary school in California that has turned down Title I funds in order to go "NCLB-Free." Incredible and inspiring.

Cakespy coaxed two incredible dessert recipes from Michael's Kitchen in Miami: White Chocolate Raspberry Rice Krispie Deep Dish Pizza and Twinkie Tiramisu. Num, num, num!

Planning With Kids charmed me with her advocacy of family time as well as her post of "10 Things to do Before School Holidays End." She's in Australia, so it was fun comparing her list to what parents here in the States tend to do.

Trekker

Is it too early to be looking forward to Christmas...again?

Introductions

Like most teachers, I have many wonderful memories of each year's group of students I've taught. Those funny moments, hysterical stories, soul-searching questions and eager explorations could fill a book effectively mapping my teaching career. They are more milestones to me than any of my teaching evaluations could ever be.

As a kindergarten teacher, I don't always feel that I'm teaching lessons or concepts in the traditional sense. What I do feels more interactive and social in much the same way I find myself operating when I'm in "military spouse mode." Meeting new people, making introductions, following social etiquette, trying to put people at ease, guiding the audience to feel welcome... the same format applies when I'm seated with five and six year olds on the floor, ready to sing or share a story.

Each year, one of my favorite "introductions" is between my Super Stars and Martin Luther King Jr.



My students enjoy some background stories and information, Weekly Reader or Scholastic usually provide take-home fliers, posters and activities, and then we listen to the "I Have a Dream" speech. In its entirety. And every year that my students have listened to the speech, you could have heard a pin drop on carpet. The wigglers, the blurters, the most animated of children, all transfixed, for the entire speech.

There's something about listening to a message that has purpose and truth behind it- even children can intuitively feel the speaker's intent. Some of my favorite student comments:

"Teacher, I like that man. He said I could go to school with my friends."

"He has a big voice, but he's not scary or mean."

"Did his dream come true, Teacher?"

Introduction made. Talk amongst yourselves.

Giveaway Winner!

Dear Daughter drew a winner:



Congratulations Shauna!

Thank you to all who entered by commenting or emailing me last week- the excitement of today's drawing is what got us through the misery of our colds!

Many thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts and encouragement- I'm so looking forward to reaching the next blog milestone (when/what is that, exactly?) and of course, thinking up something new for my next giveaway!

Germs

Round one in the cold and flu season of 2008 has been won by the germs. They've impacted our appetites, our fluid intake, our sleep patterns, and our wallets since our pantry was low on Kleenex, vitamin C, juice, Sudafed, and Honey Lyptus Halls. It seems only the cat has been immune, and she, quite correctly, has been avoiding us like...like...like the plague.

The biggest sufferers are the toddler and Daddy, no big surprise. With the news about cold medicines not being considered safe for young children, we tried to fall back on the old standbys... humidifier, PediaLite, Vicks Vaporub, hugs, cuddles, and cartoons. I don't think they really provided much relief, and sheer exhaustion was probably what finally got our little guy to sleep through the night. Daddy, on the other hand, has been taking every medication known to Man, and since he's a big guy, has taken a LOT. Cuddles and cartoons do work for him in his Sudafed haze however. If I can convince the teenager to stay away from both of the boys, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Being the mom, I have done the laundry, cleaned, disinfected, and made coffee cake. No, not chicken soup. Coffee cake. Peach, to be exact. Because it's easy, warm, filling. I'll make soup in a few hours, for the smell, the humidity, and the healing properties, but coffee cake will be what tides this Florence Nightingale over enough to be at the family's beck and call.

I even put a sign up on our front door:



We'll see how many yahoos 1) ignore the sign, 2) don't see the sign, or 3) can't read the sign today. Assessment and data collection never stop.

For the Science audience, lookie here: Giant Microbes makes stuffed plush toys that look like the microbes responsible for the flu, common cold, cough, bad breath, and even athlete's foot. I'm not finding them terribly appealing right now, but I'm sure some teacher out there could use them to great effect.

Tea time. Stay healthy.

Making Progress/Giveaway Reminder

I'm making progress on assembling the hearts for what will hopefully become a Valentine wreath- this is taking much more time than it usually does when it comes to wreath making, but that's to be expected when I'm *not* just wrapping garlands, bows, and clusters of flowers to a grapevine form!



Don't forget, I'll be drawing the winning name for the Book Giveaway tomorrow (Sunday) evening- go here to enter by leaving a comment, or email me directly at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com a.s.a.p. .Good luck!

I Hab a Code

*Sniffle*

*Snork*

**HONK!**

Cough, hack!

Just more proof that Murphy's Law exists to put a cramp in my weekend plans. Husband is hunting wabbits, toddler is getting over being under the weather, teen is relieved Friday has arrived sooner rather than later, and I'm a coughaholic. SnotMonster. A walking zombie thanks to cold medicine (even the daytime brands knock me for a loop).

Cutting out fabric hearts was fun- here's a tidbit you might find helpful: Fiskars and sneezes.....NOT a good combination! But I persevered, since it kept me on the couch and I could at least feel like I was being productive. I decided to make a puffy heart valentine wreath, by the way. Wonder what kind of combination sneezing + sewing machine will be tomorrow...sneezing + hot glue gun? I think I feel my motivation leaving me.

The plan is to attempt to sleep through the night, wake up refreshed and less sniffley, get domestic goddess chores done first thing, and then do some sewing.



Thank you Bill Watterson, pass the Kleenex will you?

Show and Share Thursday: Loose Ends

Today I'm tying up loose ends: finishing up the latest baby afghan (pink!), finding a nice "rule" font for the plain notecards I decided to dress up with patterned paper and stickers ("embellish" is too-grand a term for what I do, Queen Scrapbooker/Mixed Media Artist I am *NOT*), packaging up giveaway books in preparation for mailing on Monday morning (check my previous post to see how to enter), and taking Daughter back to the dentist to re-repair a chipped tooth. All this while my husband prepares for his latest hunting trip (which any military spouse will tell you is like a mini-TDY, so the house will finally be CLEAN!) and I try to decide what Valentiney-type of craft to busy myself with this weekend.


This afghan brings my baby-stash up to eight:

These are the cards that despite my lack of embellishment know-how still look more appealing with the little work I DID do to them:

And here are the giveaway books, nestled in and ready to move to their new home where I'm sure they'll be shared and enjoyed:

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Some sites to share with you:

Alicia Paulson of Pozie Gets Cozy has a site all about HER up and running now, and has some very cute crochet patterns (available for purchase and download) that I'll have to take a closer look at now that I'm wanting to take a short break from afghans.

Songs for Teaching has a list of songs for Valentine activities for February. Some of the songs have sound file samples you can listen to- my favorites are "Valentine's Song" by Hap Palmer and "Valentine, Valentine" by Denise Gagne. Head back to the home page and you'll find recommended songs for academic subjects, holidays, etc.

Though I've never been a Room Mother myself, Parents.com has some wonderful Valentine Treat recipes that have me looking forward to the time when the toddler has his first kindergarten class party several years down the road- I can hear the oohs and ahhs already!
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Remember, if you have a craft, recipe, photo, or idea to share as a teacher, blogger, crafter, parent, or military spouse, feel free to email me at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com by each Wednesday of the week so I can add them to Show and Share Thursday- yep, I'm happy to link back to you!

GIVEAWAY!

I promised you literacy-enriching and girlie!



One of you will win "Pinkalicious" AND "Purplicious," by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann, both hardcover!

From the dust covers:

"Pink, pink, pink. More than anything, Pinkalicious loves pink, especially pink cupcakes. Her parents warn her not to eat too many of them, but when Pinkalicious does...she turns pink! What to do?"

and

"Everyone knows that Pinkalicious loves the color pink. But one day at school all the girls decide that pink stinks and black is in. When Pinkalicious does not agree with the crowd, they tease her. She develops a bad case of the blues and wonders if anyone out there shares her love for all things pink."

These would be wonderful books to add to one's home or school library, or to win for one of your friends who has a Pink Princess living at home!

What to do? Leave a comment on *this* blog post (no need to leave your address, I can get that from you via email should I draw your name) or email me directly at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com by this Sunday, January 20.

I will have my girlie-girl daughter help me draw the winning name and post the result on Monday's blog, so make sure to check back in after the weekend!

Only one entry per person/family please...thank you for helping me celebrate my 100th blog post!

Good luck!

Have You Ever Lost a Day?

Feel free to check yesterday's blog for proof that *I* certainly have! Yes, yes, I appreciate your kindness- refraining from chucking a stuffed animal at me while yelling "Helloooo, McFly!" Sigh. It was a wonderful Monday, not Tuesday in fact. My brain did a time warp. The fact that I'd had a good day must have subconsciously registered to me that it couldn't have been Monday, because who has a good day on the first day of the week? Perhaps I just didn't have enough coffee.

Today is Tuesday. And I know why I'm "off" this morning. The toddler was up at 12:45 a.m. He was up at 2:15 a.m. Round three was at 3:05 a.m. Fittingly, round four was at 4:00 a.m. Daughter decided to sleep in because she *knew* Mom would come and wake her up. Didn't happen. Daughter woke ME up at 7:25 a.m. with "Mom! I missed the bus!" Who was asleep? Daddy and toddler. Thank goodness the coffee pot didn't die during the night. Cup of coffee number one was chugged on the way to school. It wasn't enough however to numb the effects of hearing the school's daily announcements over the intercom.

Imagine the dullest voice you've ever heard. Now imagine it droning on and on with a series of public-service-type announcements at 7:45 a.m., first class period of the day, at a junior high school. The counselor's statement ended with "Students, if you are being abused or neglected, know that there are people here at school who can help you. You can make an appointment with the school counselor to get help. Remember, you can have a good day, or not, the decision is yours." Followed by the principal with several announcements he thought sounded humorous (they weren't), concluding with "Teachers, please take this time to do a school uniform check in your classrooms. Make sure all students are wearing the school uniform appropriately. Check that undershirts are the required white color." Yadda yadda yadda yadda (in drone-tone). Ten minutes of mind-numbing "essentials" that frankly, made me wish I had some Kahlua in my coffee mug. Okay, a lot of Kahlua.

Who was walking in to the building as the morning announcements were wrapping up? Substitute teachers. Not kidding. Other tardy students walked by the office without signing in, and without stopping when teachers addressed them about their hoods, or shirttails hanging out. Wow, that dress code enforcement is really consistent, I tell you. Did I mention that in this very bi-lingual city, district, neighborhood, that the announcements were only made in English?

What worries me? In my mind, the dress code announcement/request by the principal (along with three other "reminders") could have easily been made via school email, at the last staff meeting, or in a morning bulletin (and so logically was only done over the loudspeakers as some sort of reminder/enforcement addressing students). Yes, the teacher in me wondered how much time was lost sitting through the babble. I also wondered how difficult it would be to get the kids on track and transitioned for classwork after getting their minds on (or off) track regarding their undershirts and possible personal states of abuse or neglect. I mostly wondered why any staff would choose to start each and every day in such a way. It was prison, not school. And the district wonders why students are disinterested, resentful, sneaky walking zombies.
When I was asked why my daughter was late, I replied that we had accidentally overslept (no, it's not a regular occurrence, in fact it threw me that it happened in the first place) to which the secretary replied rather abruptly, "well, it'll be an unexcused absence." The coffee kicked in. I replied with "that's fine, she is here, after all, and obviously instruction hasn't yet begun." Smile smile smile. It is apparently too much to ask that other adults with whom one interacts be polite. Positive. Happy even. While filling out the admit slip for my daughter, the secretary was asked by another staff member the location of a volunteer. The secretary replied "I told you, she's not coming in today until tomorrow."

Huh? Coffee. Need....more.....coffee.

I'm no Pollyanna, really. I'm sarcastic, and can be downright rude. But I know what kind of workplace I want to be a part of. I know what kind of feeling I want my children and students to have about school and their environment. I believe in the self-fulfilling prophecy. I believe in the Golden Rule. I believe we reap what we sow. And yes, I believe in standards, and trying to measure up to them. I behave accordingly, and do my best as a parent and a teacher privately and publicly, never perfect, but well-intentioned. My intentions are formed by experience, wants, likes, dislikes...information. Data. The general process tends to work for most people.

Perhaps not in the Bordertown. Instead of seeing this year as one full of "lost days," my family and I will do our best to put a positive spin on things (we've learned how "not" to be, after all), and will look forward to our next military move with anticipation.

Thank you for letting me vent! I'm off to get my 100th Blog Post Giveaway photographed so I can pretend this is Wednesday and get it posted for you to see- after the eye-strain I've put you through, you certainly deserve a treat!

Tuesday Treasures and GIVEAWAY!

It's been a terrific Tuesday! The toddler accompanied me to a craft store where I found some more ribbon, felt, and charms, adding some other colors to the pink streak I started a few days ago:

Domestic goddess duties kept me busy, though I was able to enjoy a quick catnap before settling in for some more online blog discoveries (*why* I went so long without using an RSS program still has me shaking my head, another testament to my "late bloomeriness")- some Tuesday Treasures include:

Paper and String: she's on a pink/Valentine roll too!

Red Felt Flower: I can't wait until NetNewsWire alerts me of her first 2008 post...

...and Bent Objects, where "Truth in Labeling" had me cracking up!

I'm off to enjoy tacos with the family for dinner, but not before I tell you to *check back tomorrow* for the giveaway item I've chosen to help me mark my 100th Blog milestone (it was the Band/Album Meme posting!)- remember, I'm a teacher, and a bit of a girlie-girl, so expect something literacy enriching...and PINK!

Band/Album Cover Meme

Too fun! Pretend you have a band.
First, go to:

1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote will be the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Put it all together with your graphics program of choice, and please post on your blog for all to see!

5. ROCK ON! (Okay, so my album cover looks a bit mellow, I'm probably featured on an easy listening channel!)

In the (Mood for) Pink

My friend Polly will understand. It's an annual urge we both share. Only this year I'm not only painting my nails pink, wearing pink shirts, and having fun with rosy lip gloss...oh no...pink has been catching my eye everywhere lately. I'm not the "romantic/shabby" decor kind of gal, with rooms overflowing with cabbage roses, white furniture, and pink galore, but I do appreciate *touches* of the flirtatious color. Who'da thunk I'd be bitten by the fabric bug while shopping this morning?


The fabric and baubles will be incorporated into some project or another, as yet, undecided. My husband won't mind as I'll take over the countertops while he's away hunting, and I've neglected using my sewing machine for far too long now.

With Valentine's Day coming up next month, I've also got love and hearts on the brain. Is it just me, or is the fruit I snack on each day even subliminally suggesting love?

Subs, Aides, Paraprofessionals

A former colleague of mine is now on maternity leave after the much-anticipated arrival of her daughter. My friend has been preparing her classroom, materials, and students for the long-term sub for months now, hoping that she and her students "get a good one." I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for her too.

For all of the wonderful substitute teachers, classroom aides, and paraprofessionals out there, thank you for all that you do. And thank you for all that you try to do.

I was raised "a teacher's kid," and was therefore privy to the inside track of public education from a very young age, but I still had to "do my time" as a substitute teacher before I was given the chance to teach my very own group of students. And Ladies and Gents, I never had it as difficult as many of you do simply because of my upbringing and exposure to the world of teachers, inservices, and educational training. I knew which substitute teachers my mother would request by name and why she would request them, and I knew why some substitute teachers had their names crossed off of sub-caller lists after their first visit to a school. I had my mental file cabinet full of tricks and could navigate the "Yay, it's just a SUB" minefield that miraculously appears whenever someone other than the classroom teacher enters a room.


Subs, aides, and para-professionals have to deal with so many issues when they step into another teacher's classroom. The biggest one being that they are not the regular classroom teacher. It's obvious for all to see, and the usual response from many students when a stranger enters the room is to assume all of the rules, limitations, allowances, and expectations of the classroom teacher were just thrown out the window. In response, many subs tend to choose one of several paths: they try to exactly follow whatever schedule or routine that has been left for them, attempting to don the costume, tone, mannerisms and authority of the teacher they are covering (while failing miserably on the classroom stage); they try to call down the thunder in their very best Viola Swamp impersonation, somehow failing to gain the compliance of the students as effectively as she; or they sit behind the desk, warming the teacher's seat and letting the students run the show for the day, merely looking up to check that no blood is left on the linoleum. But the exceptional substitute teachers, aides, and paras, are all able to leave a positive mark on our students, encouraging the academic learning process to continue to motor forward, and giving students some valuable social experiences as well.

Here are some of Amazon.com's recommendations for substitute teacher handbooks. I can't tell you how glad I am that I haven't come across a "Subbing for Dummies" book... or "Teaching for Dummies" for that matter.

As for my colleague's sub? Please do a good job. Enjoy your new students as much as she does. Laugh with them, sing with them, read to them, share with them, encourage them, listen to them, guide them, teach them.

No pressure.

Very Cool

My friend Sandra sent the following images to me in a mass-forwarded email message, and try as I might, I haven't been able to discover the source...just link after link after link after link from email to blog to another blog to another blog to another blog, etc.

So, THANK YOU to the creator of this scale model of the planets (Pluto no longer counts though, eh?), whoever you are, wherever you are. It's very cool.