Home Sweet Classroom!

So this is where I'll be living for the next 10 months. Isn't it cute!?!

The calendar:

Job/Information board:

The back of the room (I made the curtains, cool eh?):

Cubby wall:

Behind my desk:

My wall:

Don't you wish you were in my class? Wish me luck!

End of the year gift.

Thank you family for your help! I gave this out to my kiddos at the end of the year last year. Someone mentioned they wanted to see it, so here it is!

San D"yay"go!

I'm not even going to apologize for posting this so belatedly (look at my new word!), I'm just going to run with it. So the awesome threesome went to San Diego over the Fourth of July weekend, that would be Lisa, Audrey and myself if you're wondering. We had a fantastic time (well, my fantastic time dwindled toward the end as I was coping with some nasty tonsilitis, apparently it's not just for kids) and are making it an annual trip! Right Audrey and Lisa? It's been written so there's no backing down. ;) Anyways, yeah, fabulous time! Here is the picture of what our first fill up in CA cost:

Check out this view!:

(And I'll bet you're thinking I'm referring to the sunset, but I'm not, those surfers wer HOTT!)

Here is a picture of the awesome threesome (mind you we spent the day in a car):

(And, yes, I realize I'm not looking at the camera. I was distracted. HOTT surfers, remember?)

Let's see...OH! The fireworks!:

This one is just to show people that freckles don't really fade as you get older (but seriously, how frexy am I? Seriously!) :

I can't believe I almost forgot the Taproom! YUM! And the picture is us with our left overs, happy as clams that my car wasn't towed (my luck sucks, you know this). Did I say YUM!?

Fan-frickin'-tastic vacation girls!

I'm psychotic

I am posting merely to draw attention to a noteworthy post. Thanks to Brigitte, I know I'm not the only one who needs comments to feel validated. Unfortunately for me, I wrote FOUR posts on Saturday and my favorite got shoved to the bottom, First Dates. Read it if you didn't already.



Told you I am psychotic. :)

Mem'ries...like the corner of my mind

Last one of the day, I promise!

Remember when...

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments

BOX TOPS!!!

So, where were your Box Tops last year, huh? I had only one person mail me Box Tops and she was not even a blood relative! I'm not sure if you looked at my school's Box Top page at the end of the school year, but we LOST! BADLY! I'm going to give you the chance to redeem yourself and you can send me the ones you've been clipping all summer long at anytime, you should have a lot, what with all the Ziplock bags you've been through and the Kleenex boxes and the Betty Crocker cakes/cupcakes you've made (I know you've been saving, right?) . :)

I will go so far as to send you a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you'll just hook up your favorite cousin/niece/sister/daughter/friend up with some Box Tops.

In case you forgot what they looked like:

Or where you can get them:

http://www.boxtops4education.com/AboutBoxTops/Products.aspx

I love you :)!!!

End of the Summer

I have only nine days of summer left. NINE DAYS, people! In nine days I will have to be back in my classroom (like I haven't spent any time in there already...I'm cool like that) and getting ready to teach a new group of kinders. Scary, isn't it? I mean, this is no ordinary task.

First, we start with a little parent training, especially the first timers. It really is okay to drop your five-year-old off at the playground and drive/walk away. Nothing terrible will happen I promise. I also promise that mom/dad sticking around guarantees a longer cry time (for both children and adults) than if they would send their little one on his/her way.

Next, there is the training of the kinders. It's the little things that no other grade has to deal with, such as: how to sit in a desk, how to hold a pencil, how to walk in a line, how it is not okay to say whatever you want whenever you want, where to put their finished work, when to go to the bathroom, how to NOT pick their nose, how to use sneeze/cough and cover it, how to use sanitizer when they don't, how to use a glue stick, etc. THEN, we can do the fun stuff: how to write neatly, read, spell, count by 1's, 2's, 5's, 10's, and 100's, add, recognize coins, count money, be a good student, etc.

So now I'm starting to hyperventilate, the panic attacks are coming, not to mention the nightmares I've begun to have nightly about that first day/week... To try to avoid the overwhelming start of school I've given my self a goal of reading 13 books by then... Now that I've actually counted them it sounds a little impossible. Wish me luck.

First Dates

I'm actually thinking about going pro in the first date circuit. I have been on 10-15 first dates in the last 9 months, I'm not even kidding. I have two "first date outfits" that I alternate between now (I'm sure you're thinking that these clothes should be pretty worn out by now, but this is something I only thought to do a few months ago), complete with shoes and earrings and hair (I did discover last night, however, that my earrings are MIA). Some of these first dates have led to second dates, but most of them turn out to be first/last dates (at least I'm dating, right?)

This may sound judgmental, but I can tell when I open the front door whether or not this is someone I want to see again. Thus far, they always seem shorter than I imagine (internet dating) or have picked some, uh, less-than-fashion-forward clothes to wear. Before you start thinking that I am a terrible person for making a snap judgement you should know that I continue to look for redeeming qualities while on the date, first impressions speak volumes, but so do actions. I am happy to report that over half of these guys open the door for me every time, which wins points, and usually the conversation isn't too bad. Sadly enough (or maybe not), there usually isn't anything there that makes the date standout or make me want to repeat it. I am sure most of you have had at least one date like that. That said, the date ends and they drop me off home...

Talk about awkward. How do you end a less than stellar date? And, does how you end it really reflect your stance on how it went? In my mind, there are four ways it can play out:

1- A "peace out" wave from the car. I don't think I've ever experienced (though more than once I wish it had). I think that one is pretty easy to interpret, he's not interested.

2- A handshake at the door. This may have happened to me once or twice. I say this could mean one of two things: this guy is polite/cautious and is interested in you OR, this guy is walking you to the door because that's what he has been taught to do and is not interested.

3- A hug at the door. This one has a lot of levels, such as: hand placement (over your arms, under your arms, a mix of either of the previous options), body contact (I think it's safe to say you won't get a call back if it's two pats on the back at arms-length), length of time (a longer hug would purvey interest, no?), etc. I am generally a hugger unless I'm completely disgusted by my date, but I am careful of body contact and the length of the hug if I am not interested.

4- A kiss. I'd be a liar if I said I hadn't done this a time or two (heh heh heh, okay, maybe more often than that but I am trying to cut back). I am quite certain that there is no correct way to interpret a kiss on the first date. It is either interest or hormones.

I won't even go into the lame, piddly conversations that happen at the doorstep. (You know, "I, uh, had a good time" and what do you say when you don't "Let's not do this again."? SERIOUSLY?!?) I forgot I wasn't going into that.

Last night I had a first date and I was walked to the door, then there was the hemming and hawing at the door, and then I got a hug...AND a kiss on the cheek. I walked in the door thinking, "Huh?" I am sorry to say, that I kinda hope this was one of my first/last dates with him (very nice, but not for me). In my analysis (of course I've analyzed it), I think it means he's interested, I'm hoping I'm wrong...