Still here :)

Yeah, so it's been awhile since I blogged. I missed all of November. That's what happens when you move :) When I wasn't at work, I was working on the house. I bought an area rug for the living room, painted my bedroom (with my dad's help), got the bedroom recarpeted, finally moved out of my guest bedroom and into my bedroom, emptied my storage unit (saving money, woo hoo!), started setting up my basement (office area and entertainment area), gave my outdated blue-tiled bathroom a "spa" makeover (thanks to Dollar Tree and Target), and bought a lot of little random things that I didn't know I needed until I needed them :)
   
I had decided early on that I wouldn't even bother having a housewarming party until after the holidays, because this time of year gets a little crazy. But some people just couldn't wait... so I've had a lot of visitors over the past few weeks: Becky & John, Erin, Natalie & Gabe, Kyle, Doug & Jill, Tammy & Mark (who also helped me move things out of my storage unit!), Maria, Kaitlyn, and Miriam. Yesterday Sam and her dad got to see the house. I had asked Deacon Warner a few weeks ago if he would come bless my new home, and of course he said yes (first house blessing for him!). 
   
My house is finally starting to feel like a home!

Autumn List!

Two weeks ago, I decided that Wednesdays should be the day for lists. I had a list all planned out for last week, but then some other things happened... my niece, Camryn Eve, came into the world last Wednesday October 19th at 2:24 PM.... one day before her due date, which was also my settlement date. So on Wednesday I became an aunt and on Thursday I became a homeowner! What a week!
   
Things are a little crazy right now. I have things at my apartment, things at my house, movers coming this weekend. I'm amazed that I actually know what day it is right now! So I'm using last week's list for this week... and it celebrates my favorite things about autumn. Feel free to add your own items in the comments :)
      
Fabulous Fall

1. Gingersnaps/spiced wafers (I just recently discovered that they are NOT the same thing)
2. Horror movies (the cheesy ones and the seriously spooky ones)
3. Candy corn
4. HOCKEY!!!
5. Anything pumpkin flavored (bread, coffee, muffins, pancakes)
6. Fall leaves… oh, the colors!
7. The crunching sound the leaves make under your feet
8. The crisp, cool bite of autumn air
9. Brilliant blue skies
10. Scarecrows, mums, and pumpkins on the front lawn
11. Hayrides
12. Pumpkin picking
13.  Wearing warm sweaters, funky scarves, and cute boots!
14. My birthday :)
15. Honeycrisp apples
16. Hot drinks: cocoa, tea, cider, mulled wine
17. Carving jack o’lanterns
18. Trips to New Hope and Peddlers' Village for window shopping and lovely fall scenery
19. Bonfires
20. Homemade soups and stews

Wednesday's List

By accident, I stumbled upon a blog that was written by people who are probably my soulmates. It's called Listmaker Collective. (Can you see the attraction?? It's like internet kismet!) Sadly, the last post was from December of 2009... so it's no longer an active site.
   
I was inspired by the idea of making random lists for different categories (because you know how much I love my lists), so I decided to make Wednesday my List Making Day. Today's list is...
   
Things I Do To Distract Myself From Things That Are Bothering Me

1. go on Facebook
2. text someone
3. listen to music
4. clean things (usually something very involved, like the kitchen or bathroom)
5. organize something (I feel like organizing physical items compensates for not being able to organize emotions)
6. exercise
7. watch mindless TV (thank goodness for DVR)
8. make lists
9. go shopping
10. start a project
11. call my mom
12. read a book
13. write in my journal
14. write a blog
15. play with my dog
16. bake
17. plan something big (party, outing, game night... something that requires me to invest my time and energy)
18. talk too much
19. rationalize a situation to the point of overthinking it (which is really only a temporary distraction)
20. watch a ridiculously cheesy chick flick
21. weed through clothes, magazines, books, beauty products to find things to throw away/donate (decluttering is always therapeutic)
22. go through old photo albums or scrapbooks
23. pray
24. surf the 'net for blogs and fun websites
25. go to clothing websites that I have bookmarked and pick out clothes I'd buy if I had more money and/or the ability to try them on
26. take deep, cleansing breaths (sometimes accompanied by a mantra of my choosing)

Random thoughts

      
My dad has a Rubik's Cube on his Shelf of Awesomeness. (Remember the Rubik's Cube? I'm sure you do... but kids these days have such crappy toys that people seem to forget about the old standards... Etch a Sketch, Tinker Toys, stuff like that.)
   
When I was growing up, I was quite impatient (not much has changed... ha!), so I decided that the easiest way to "solve" the puzzle was to remove the colored stickers and put them in the "right" places. Little did I know that I pretty much ruined the Cube forevermore. Now it can only be a display item, and not a functioning toy. But I digress.
     
Anyway, it's 3 weeks into the school year now, and I had a hell of a time readjusting to my work schedule. Especially with CCD starting up at the same time. The first 2 weeks of September were a mess. I struggled to fall asleep at a reasonable time and as a result, I was exhausted all day. My diet took a nose dive because I didn't take the time to plan out my meals, and I wound up grabbing whatever was easy and quick. I'm pretty sure I gained back whatever weight I lost this summer.
     
You know when you first get a Rubik's Cube and all the sides are matching colors? Everything is perfectly balanced. (My inner-Libra loves that.) When the colors get all scrambled, it's a bitch to put back together. Usually you spend your time working on one side at a time. You get all the green squares together. And then you start working on the next color, orange. But in trying to get the orange pieces in order, the green gets all screwed up. That's what I feel like now. I spent so much time trying to get myself back on a good sleep schedule and getting into "work mode" that I let other things slide. 
        
Anyway, the countdown to settlement has begun. It's less than a month away, and I have plans and calendars and lists. Of course I have lists. My lists have lists.
   
Someone needs to stop me before I start color coding items with my Crayola markers. (Seriously.) But it makes sense that I'm approaching it this way. I've always been a visual learner.
  

I want my house to look like this!

Speaking of which... a friend and co-worker often talks about visualizing what you want for yourself. I've been picturing myself in my new house for the past few weeks now. I see it fully furnished and tastefully decorated. I see myself cooking in the kitchen and I see my family and friends using the basement and sunroom for parties. I see the front of the house decorated for autumn, with a garland of colorful leaves, pots of chrysanthemums, a scarecrow. My little red Hyundai parked in the driveway. A big comfy chocolate brown couch in the living room. 
    
Soon enough :)

Rain on my parade.

This post stems from a comment I made on Facebook a few days ago. It started as a joke, but wound up raising an interesting discussion:
      
"So Facebook friends... tell me why it's socially acceptable for a woman to have a bridal shower and a baby shower, but not a housewarming shower? Why can't I register for the fun gifts, too?"
   
Here's the deal: I'm 33, single and childless. (I swear this isn't a pity party... I'm going somewhere with this!) Over the past 15 years or so, I've been buying shower gifts for friends and family who got married or had children. Those gifts were usually chosen from a registry - so not only does a woman get gifts, but she gets to pick everything out herself! A mommy-to-be or bride-to-be makes a list of what she wants and/or needs, walks around the store with a little zapper gun, selects the style and color and quantity, and then people go out and buy exactly what she wants. It's genius. 
   
I certainly don't begrudge a mom-to-be this rite of passage. It's not like they have cribs and diapers and bottles laying around from their college dorm days. And new mommies get hand-me-downs, but not that's not always practical. Safety requirements change from year to year, so a new car seat is necessary. And not everyone wants a used bib that's been drooled on or a used board book with teeth marks. 
   
So new moms and baby registries are excluded from my rant. But let's talk about these brides.
  
It used to be that a woman lived with her parents until she got married. She went into her new home with literally nothing but her clothes. So a shower was a great way to stock her home with all the appliances, tools and gadgets that she would need in her new life.
  
Things are a little different now. Most women go to college and live in a dorm, and then move into an apartment from there. Many couples live together before getting married. These people already have a coffee maker, dishes, wine glasses, pots and pans. They don't need a shower, right?
    
Wrong.  
   
A lot of brides tend to get a little greedy and see this as an opportunity to get newer and better stuff. "Someone else is paying for it? Well then... I'll ask for a shiny new Keurig coffee maker! And I'll get rid of my old mixer and register for a new deluxe model in designer pink... and while I'm at it, I might as well replace my blender and food processor to match the mixer! And who needs round waffles when I can make waffles shaped like Mickey Mouse?!"
   
The list goes on and on, and the items sometimes border on ridiculous. They can't think of anything else they actually NEED, so they pad the registry with things they think they want: quesadilla maker, ice cream maker, s'mores maker... things they would never buy with their own money and will probably never use. (By the way, if you're looking for a good laugh, check out one of my favorite blogs, Unclutterer, and scroll through their weekly Unitasker Wednesday posts. Pure gold.)
     
So where am I going with all of this? Back to my original point. I've never been married or pregnant, so I've never had a gift shower. In a month, I'll be moving into my first home alone. I have some stuff, but there are other things I want and need. I'm paying a crapload of money for inspection, deposit, down payment, etc... and on top of that, there's a carpet I need to replace... and then there's the dining room set I'll eventually need (so I'll have someplace to eat). My Ikea loveseat is functional, but hardly ideal. I chose it because it was flatpacked, able to be delivered to my 2nd floor apartment, and priced for my budget at the time. I'd love a REAL sofa... comfy and cushioned and good for napping. 
      
I have a lot to take care of before I'll be able to afford some of the bigger things. And my priority list doesn't even begin to include the fun stuff. The little decorative touches that will make it my home. 
       
So why is it considered inappropriate, tacky, socially unacceptable to have a housewarming shower? First time homebuyers are just as needy as new moms... and in some cases, they have less stuff than a bride-to-be who has been living with her fiance for years. 
    
When I posed the question on Facebook, I expected to be met with opposition. Surprisingly, most of the people who contributed to the original discussion thought it wasn't at all tacky for me to create a registry... as long as a friend or family member distributed it for me. (Otherwise it just looks greedy.) People told me that some stores actually have housewarming registries in their computer systems.
   
I have no intention of creating a registry. I feel like it would be telling people that I expect gifts when I move. Plus, most of what I need is either huge (sofa, dining room set, carpet) or petty (plunger, dish drain rack, bucket for cleaning). But there are times (namely when I look at my massive "to do" list) that I wish I could just make a list and hand it out to people. Sometimes it seems grossly unfair that I have to be engaged or knocked up in order to do it. What if I never get married? What if I decide not to have children? What if this is the ONLY major life event that I have? Don't I deserve a chance to go to Pier One and play with the zap gun? 
   
Sigh.
      
(By the way, I found this article online while I was writing this. It pretty much sums up the entire discussion!)

Movin' on up.

 
Elated!
 
Thrilled!
 
Joyous!

 Ecstatic!
      
Just a few words to describe how I'll be feeling for the next few months :)
  

There comes a moment in everyone's life (or at least I hope there does) when all the hard work you've been doing FINALLY pays off. When I registered for grad school 6 years ago, I had no idea where it would take me. Now I can see the end result and it was totally worth it. I left my old teaching job at the Catholic school (a bittersweet, but necessary step) and got an amazing new job with the School District. Not only did my salary increase, but I met an entire network of co-workers who are supportive, friendly, and fun. This past summer, when the district threatened to lay off many of its employees, my co-workers offered a constant stream of reassurance and good wishes. Luckily, I made it past that hurdle and was able to keep the job that I love. Which in turn led to the house hunt... which led to me making an offer... which was ACCEPTED!!!

 

In less than two months, I will be a home owner. I feel like such a grown up :)

 

The home inspection was last Friday and aside from one minor plumbing issue, all was well. I'm already planning ahead by looking at colors for carpet and paint and finding furniture I like online. I've been mentally decorating inside AND out... I know I won't be able to afford everything I want right at the beginning, but I'll add a little at a time until the house is truly my home. There's no rush.

 

In less than two months, I will also be an aunt. This deserves another smile. Or two. :) :)

 

Doug and Jill are expecting a baby girl on October 20th... which also happens to be my settlement date! Talk about a great birthday present - a niece AND a house all in one week! I can't wait to welcome her into our family and spoil her rotten. With the new Mom & Dad's permission, of course. They will be awesome parents. It will be so exciting to watch them take on this new adventure.

  

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year (baseball playoffs, the beginning of hockey season, Halloween, cool crisp weather), but this year I have a lot of extra things to be thankful for. I am truly blessed!

Brave little toaster.

When I announced that I was looking at houses, the reactions I got from friends and family were positive and supportive. But what I didn't expect was that people would comment on me buying a house "alone." None of the comments were negative or discouraging... but I was kind of surprised that people would even mention it. I heard things like, "I'm sure it's not easy to do this by yourself," or "I'm always amazed when a woman buys her own house." Is it really that brave of me to do this alone? Then again, most of my homeowner friends are married... and most of the single homeowners I know are men. 
   
Well, I will say this: it's certainly not easy. I mean, home buying itself isn't an easy process. But doing it alone just plain sucks. Not just financially (because, OH BOY does it suck financially), but also emotionally. Aside from my realtor, I don't have anyone to offer an opinion about any of the houses. No one is walking around an empty home with me imagining where furniture will be and how the rooms will be used. I know that some people would consider that a huge plus - sometimes too many opinions make the decision more difficult. And there is definitely something empowering about knowing that this will be MY HOUSE and I did this with no help from anyone else. But sometimes it also feels a little lonely. It's definitely not how I pictured myself doing it... but if there's one thing I learned, it's that life usually doesn't go the way my 10 year old self thought it would go. If that was the case, I would have been married at 25, and live in a beautiful suburban development with a gazebo in the backyard (who actually uses those things?), with my handsome successful husband, a big fluffy golden retriever, and 2 adorable children (one boy and one girl, naturally). 

     
But I digress.
  

So now I'm at the point where I found a house that I like. The rest is a waiting game. Put in an offer and wait to see if it's accepted. If it is, then I wait to get the house inspected and hope that nothing major is wrong with it. If the offer isn't accepted, I look at more houses. Or wait for more houses to go on the market. And then it starts all over again.
   
Well... maybe I'll get lucky. Never know.

House Hunter

So if you don't know, I have officially started house hunting. When I met with the realtor for the first time, I informed him that he needed to give me the "House Buying for Dummies" version of Real Estate. Anything I know about house buying came from watching HGTV. After only 2 days of looking, I am already overwhelmed and confused. 
  
A few observations about the process:
   
I have now walked through 10 houses. People are still living in 9 of them. It feels extremely awkward to walk around someone's home when they're not there... opening their kitchen cabinets, peeking into their closets, criticizing their taste in carpet color, wallpaper, or bathroom tile. And every house has its own smell. One house smelled like moth balls... another one REEKED of stale smoke. One house had 3 cats just rolling around the living room when we walked in. (This is why cats make for terrible home protection. They barely batted an eyelash when 2 complete strangers walked in. One even purred. Useless animals...) 
   
I've been doing a lot of thinking about what's important to me in a house. I know that some things are purely cosmetic and can be easily changed. Do I want to buy something at the top of my price range just because everything is freshly painted and newly updated? It would be "move-in ready" and I wouldn't have to spend any extra time or money fixing an outdated bathroom with hideous pink tile or ripping off peeling, faded 1980s wallpaper. Or do I want to get a house that's a little cheaper, and then pay to have an older kitchen remodeled the way I like it? In the case of the smoker's house, I thought (and the realtor agreed) that they were asking too much for a house that needed a lot of updating... not to mention the carpet and wallpaper would have to go in order to get rid of the smoke. However, the location of the house is amazing. The neighborhood is quiet and well maintained, the back yard is lovely. Decisions, decisions.
   
What I need to do now is create a list of pros and cons and really decide where to draw the line. I hope this gets easier soon.

Livin' it up.

I have 26 days of vacation left before I have to go back to the office. 
   
Since I worked summer school for 5 weeks, August is the only time I have off. I spent the first two days of August being lazy. I slept late, I didn't shower until the afternoon, I watched way too much HGTV and spent way too much time on Facebook. I was starting to feel like one of those perpetually sad people in the depression meds commercials. You know... the ones who stay in bed til noon and wear sweatpants all day? Yeah.
   
I finally decided that I need to nip this in the bud. I can't spend my last 26 days of vacation moping around the apartment. And really, if you've seen one episode of House Hunters, you've seen them all. So I sat down and made some lists. (You know how much I love my lists!) One is a list of things I NEED to do. One is a list of things I WANT to do. And the last one is a list of things I already have planned. My goal is to fill my days with things to do. 
   
I'll spare you the list of needs... but I will post my list of wants. And it comes with an invitation. If you know me, you know that I hate doing things by myself. I need to get better at doing that... and I'm sure I will... but for now, I wouldn't mind the company. So if there's anything on this list that you want to do with me, let me know. Call, text, email, comment, facebook, smoke signal, Morse code... whatever. Just get in touch with me and we'll make plans. 

•  Find new Zumba class. (FYI, I LOVE my current Zumba class, but once the fall comes, I'll be teaching CCD on Tuesday nights. I need to find another class that I like on another night. I already have a list of places nearby, so I can start this anytime.)
• Go to a farmers market. I'm not picky about which one. 
• Go to Peddler's Village. I've been there in the fall and winter, but never in the summer. I just like to walk around there.
• Go to New Hope. I haven't been there in ages.
• Go to my secret beach again. That's a day trip. It's an hour away and completely worth it. 
• Go to Wildwood. Even if it's just for the boardwalk. I need some butterfly chips and Mack's pizza.
• Host a game night. 
• Get a mani-pedi.
• Drive to Centralia (yes, really), with a pit stop in Pottsville (home of the Yuengling brewery). 
• Go to Longwood Gardens. I've been there in the spring, but they change flowers with the seasons, so I'd love to see it in the summer. (Bonus... there's a "Fireworks and Fountains" show on 8/13!)
• Go to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens. I have ALWAYS wanted to go there, and it's right on South Street! (This outing should also include cheesesteaks at Jim's.)
• Take my own walking tour of Historic Old City.
• Do the walking tour offered by the Mural Arts Program.

   

I know I'm not going to get to do ALL of these things, but I'd like to hit a good percentage of them. Many of these are free or cost very little, and they're all day trips. Very easy to manage.

  

Join me on my quest to make the most of my summer vacation! Get in touch with me if you're interested in any of the above... or if you have other suggestions for me! :)

Face(palm)book.

Facebook is a wonderful thing. When used properly. Of course, there are no real "rules" for how to use it, but there are things that I see every day that annoy the crap out of me. I'm sure I've been guilty of one or two of these things over the past few years, but some people are repeat offenders. They need their Facebook privileges revoked for a few weeks. Just to give them time to think about what they've done.
   
So anyway, what follows is a comprehensive list of things that annoy me about the people who use Facebook. Keep in mind that I don't have an actual problem with the people who do these things... most of them are friends of mine. In fact, if they read this, they will recognize themselves in one or more of these points. Also, I'm sure there are things that I do on Facebook that annoy other people. Like mentioning coffee every morning. And posting "Let's go Flyers!" every time a hockey game is on. And taking pictures of my beer when I go out to eat. And posting song lyrics that are meaningful to me, but probably no one else.
   
(Funny story... when I told two of my friends that I was working on the outline for this post, both of them were able to guess most of the points I had listed. That tells me that a: they know me really well and b: these things annoy other people, too!)
   
The List (without apology or explanation)
   
General Pet Peeves About the Status Message

• People who have their child or pet as their profile picture. (Yeah, I started with that. I smell hate mail coming soon.)
• Poor grammar, spelling, punctuation, writing in all caps
• Anything that a middle/high school kid would post: WrITinG LIkE tHis, <<<<<<3, overuse of OMG LOL LMAO ROFL, and writing extra letters to make a point... OMGGGGGGG I loveeeeeee himmmmm...

      

Specific Types of Status Messages

• The Vague Status: "I just don't know what to say anymore," "I can't believe it!" (This is a huge cry for attention and you know it.)
• The Passive Aggressive: "Don't tell me how to live my life/raise my kid/do my job. If you don't like it, then shut the f*ck up!"
• The Personal Message as Public Status: "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!" "You're the reason I wake up every morning!" "I love you, shmoopie!" (If the intended recipient of this message is on Facebook, then post it directly to his/her wall. If this person is NOT on Facebook, then get off the damn computer and go tell them!)
• The Daily Schedule: "Breakfast, errands, gym, cleaning the minivan, taking junior to sports event, and then family ice cream time!" "Time for shower and bed!" 
• The Specifics: "Doctor's appointment at 2 PM, then gym at 5!" "Working til 6, dinner, then bed before midnight!" (You're just making it easier for people to stalk you. Or rob your house.)
• Messages to People Who Don't Have a Facebook Account: (And if I didn't piss people off before, this will surely do it...) "Happy 90th birthday, Grandmom!" "Happy 1st birthday little Mikayla! Mommy loves you!" "Merry Christmas, Uncle Ken! I know you're celebrating with us in heaven!" "I miss you every day, Great Aunt Tillie!" (My problem with this is mostly the wording. If you said something like, "I can't believe my baby is 1 already!" or "Thinking about my grandmom today. I know she's celebrating with us in spirit," then that's more acceptable. To me, anyway.)
• Constant Negativity: "My life sucks," "I hate my job," "I never catch a break," "I can't believe this happened again," "Why does this always happen to me?" "Of course I didn't get the job/house/man... nothing ever works for me!" (If this happens more than once a week, it makes me want to delete you from my friend list.)
• Everything's Zen: "Life is wonderful!" "I'm so blessed!" "My friends are my the best!" "The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, I'm in love and everyone should feel as glorious as I do RIGHT NOW!" (There's nothing wrong with being happy, but when you're constantly posting stuff like this, it makes me think you're trying to convince someone. Or convince yourself.)
• Too Much Information About Your Child: "Junior pooped twice this morning, we're waiting on his third!" "Sally did the cutest thing today! She climbed into the chair with her babydoll and pretended to feed it a bottle! Could you DIE from the cuteness??" "Megan threw up 3 times last night and has a temperature of 102. Time for another trip to the ER." (And don't try to tell me that this only annoys me because I don't have my own children.)
• Re-posters: "Copy and paste this if you love your daughter!" "Copy and paste this if you have a cousin that means the world to you!" "Copy and paste this if you hate disease, war, and famine!" "If you love your mom, put this as your status for the next hour!" (So if I DON'T repost this, does that mean I hate my mom?) 

   

I'm sure I'm missing a few things. Feel free to comment and add your own. Or comment and tell me I'm a bitch. That would be fun, too :)

ZUMBA!!!

When I first started my Confidence Goal in January, I didn't quite know where it would lead me. All I knew for sure is that I wanted to concentrate on stepping outside of my comfort zone in any way possible. 
         
Two years ago, I made a resolution to exercise more. I remember writing that exercise had been "my Everest," because I just couldn't motivate myself to make it a regular part of my routine. The purchase of a wii got me up and moving a little more, and a walking game for the wii got me excited about exercising almost daily. I still couldn't quite take the next step to join a gym. I considered myself too out of shape for something like that. I wasn't comfortable moving and sweating in front of other people (who, in my head, were already skinny and toned and incredibly adept at all of the equipment and moves). 
      
And then I started hearing people talk about Zumba. First it was a few co-workers, then some friends on Facebook. I started finding videos on youtube to see what it was all about and I was instantly intrigued. Then one day, a friend posted on Facebook saying that she wanted to lose weight, and I suggested Zumba. We found a class nearby, got a group together, and went for it. 
         
I LOVED it. The music, the moves, the energy. Sure, the first class was rough. I was a little uncoordinated and I was dripping sweat when it was over. But I definitely liked it enough to go back and try it again. Since then, I've made it a weekly (and sometimes twice weekly) part of my routine. 
   
The class is full of REAL women... thank goodness. They wear old t-shirts and messy ponytails and they sweat and they occasionally miss a step or two. Not like the ones you see in the ads and infomercials, with the cropped shirts and perfect abs and flawless movements:
   

   
I'm glad that I found something that I not only enjoy, but look forward to. I'm proud of my ability to stick with the entire hour without stopping (save for the occasional gulp of water from my ever present bottle, of course). Surprisingly, I have become completely comfortable with myself during the class. After the first week, I stopped worrying about how I looked because, let's face it, no one is looking at me - they're all too busy concentrating on their own moves. 
   
Once autumn comes, I won't be able to attend my regular Tuesday class, since I'll be teaching CCD again this year. I guess I'll have to find a class on a different night... but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. 
   
I'll leave you with these videos from youtube. Just a little taste of what goes on in a Zumba class, in case you were thinking about trying it for yourself. Now if you'll excuse me... I need to go lace up my sneakers. I've got some booty shaking to do tonight :)
   

   

Short stories from summer school...

A few short stories from the past 3 weeks of summer school, for your enjoyment.
   
Timothy is a 6 year old bilingual Vietnamese boy. He's very bright, but gets a little confused about the easy concepts, which might be because of the language barrier. One day in math class we were sorting buttons in different ways - by color, size, shape, number of holes, etc. I put the buttons in piles by size and asked Tim to tell me how they're sorted. "They're all the same shape." he said. "Good try, but no," I said. I turned to call on another boy, but Tim interrupted me. "I know!" he shouted. "They're all the same... shape!" Close, but no cigar, kid.
   
Robert is another 6 year old who has a little trouble sitting still. He was rocking in his chair (after I warned him not to) and fell out of it, landing on his rear end. "Are you okay?" I asked as he stood up. "I'm fine," he said, rubbing his bottom, "but I bumped my noggin."
   
Julio is one of my 7 year old boys. He's fluent in Spanish and working on his English. The things that come out of his mouth are funny... usually unintentionally, though.
   
Last week on a particularly hot day, one of the teachers bought ice pops for all the kids. (Those sugar filled frozen things in the plastic tubes... blech...) Julio was quite enamored with his treat, and expressed his love by saying, "Oh baby... if you could cook, I would marry you."
   
Earlier this week, he brought a lemonade juice box with his snack. He didn't want to finish the whole thing though... according to him, "Lemonade makes you peep a lot. All drinks do."

The wisdom of a 5 year old man.

One of my summer school boys has the look of a man who has seen it all, twice. And for a 5 year old, that's saying a lot. 
   
He tends to be dramatic in his speech... for example, we got a new student on the last day of the second week of summer school. I explained to the boys, "We'll have to teach Tim the math games we learned." Alex jumped out of his seat and said, "Yeah! Literally ALL the games!" (accompanied by an expressive, all-encompassing hand gesture that almost smacked another child in the eye).
      
And he's obsessed with the concept of infinity: 
   
"It's so hot out today. It's like infinity degrees."
   
"How many pages are in this book?! It's like infinity pages!"
   
One day, Julio (who is 7 and bilingual) asked him what infinity actually means. Alex informed him that "it's the last number out of allllll the numbers in the world." I tried to tell him that infinity is just a word we use for a number we can't count, but it's not actually a number. Alex would have none of that, and went on to tell us what infinity would look like if you wrote it. 
   
"Infinity is one zero zero zero zero zero..."
   
"No, honey, infinity isn't a number, it's a word," I said. 
   
Alex continued, "... zero zero zero zero zero..."
   
"Al, you're still just telling me numbers."
      
"... zero zero zero zero zero zero..."
      
At this point, Timothy (6) interrupted him to explain that there IS no last number. "They just keep going!" he exclaimed.
   
"... zero zero ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO..." (As if saying it louder would prove his point.)
   
Unfortunately, a conversation we had on only the 2nd day of summer school told me more than I wanted to know about his home life. 
      
We were transitioning from one activity to another when he suddenly asked, "Miss Adrienne? How was your life when you were a kid?"
   
Only slightly taken aback, I replied, "It was good. Why? How's your life as a kid?"
   
He then launched into a story about his mom and dad. "They fight all the time. They don't love each other anymore. They need their own houses, because they can't stay together. They don't even come inside, they just drop us off at the house because they don't want to see each other."
   
This is always a difficult task as a teacher. I have to find the right thing to say without making it into a super emotional moment. Since Alex delivered this news matter-of-factly, I kept my response simple. "Wow... I'm sure that's not easy on you and your brother. But sometimes if people don't get along, it's better for them to be apart until they can work things out. It sounds like you and your brother are doing a good job of dealing with it, and right now that's all you can do."
   
He nodded sagely. "Yeah. Now I just have to live life. It's hard to live life." 
   
(student names have been changed)

Wanderlust.

I was driving to work this morning, and the highway was crowded and way more traffic-y than usual. I wanted to just take the nearest exit and make a break for it. It was way too nice of a day to be at work. The humidity had dropped, the sky was an absolutely gorgeous blue dotted with fluffy white clouds... it was the perfect day to play hooky and run for the beach (or pool or something similar). Unfortunately, with my summer job I only get paid if I show up. Such is life. Anyway, I was digging through my glove compartment looking for some tunes, and I found one of my old mix CDs called "Road Trip." Well, of course I had to pop it in :)
  

I made this CD about 10 years ago... but I gotta say, most of the music still holds up for me. Not every song is about driving and road trips. For some songs, it was more about the feel of the music. Does it make me want to roll down the windows and crank up the volume while I cruise the highway? Then it works for me. 
  
Here's a tracklist of the CD, with links to the youtube videos for reference... in case you don't know a song. I'd love to remake this (some of the songs are poor quality, and there are one or two I want to drop), so if you can think of something to add, feel free to make a suggestion!

1. Drive (R.E.M.) - This one stays. For obvious reasons.
2. Learning to Fly (Pink Floyd) - I've always felt like this was a perfect song for just taking off on a spur of the moment trip. 
3. Jane Says (Jane's Addiction) - This one has nothing to do with driving. Or road trips. There's just something about the song that feels like it belongs here. 
4. Walk This World (Heather Nova) - I adore this song. And it fits in with the theme. A definite keeper.
5. Low (Cracker) - Much like #3, this is not about driving, but it still works. 
6. Tempted (Squeeze) - A definite road trip staple. (And this scene from "Reality Bites" makes it even more perfect!)
7. One Headlight (Wallflowers) - Not only do they sing about driving, but there's a steady, driving beat to this song that makes it perfect for this CD. (Bonus... Jakob Dylan is HOT.)
8. Take a Picture (Filter) - This one is all about the beat. It's a keeper. 
9. Something About You (Level 42) - Another one I chose for the feel. This is a personal favorite of mine and reminds me of someone I used to go road-tripping with.
10. Everlong (Foo Fighters) - Okay, so I guess there's an entire block of songs that I just chose for the feel of the music. This one is another keeper. It makes me wanna hit the gas pedal and fly. 
11. Where the Streets Have No Name (U2) - Self explanatory. It's all about the journey, baby.
12. One (Creed) - I have no idea why. It's definitely getting cut.
13. Machinehead (Bush) - I don't know what this song is about. But it's got the right sound for driving fast, so it's a keeper. Plus there's fast driving in the video :)
14. Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz) - I really want to like this song on here. But everytime I listen to the CD, I hit the skip button. I don't know why. I think it might get cut.
15. Rearviewmirror (Pearl Jam) - Yes. Hell yes. This is such a kickass song. Vrooooooom.
16. Babylon (David Gray) - Another song that fits with the theme... but I just don't find myself loving it like I used to. It might get cut. Maybe.

So that's the CD. Like I said, I want to revamp it a little... maybe move a few songs around, cut the ones that don't work for me, and add a few new ones. I'm very open to song suggestions. The comments are open... go use them!

Beeeeeeach. (Shhh...it's a secret.)

I have a secret beach. I refuse to reveal the name, but if you figure it out, more power to you. Just keep it to yourself, please. 
   
I discovered this beach last summer when I was looking for a quiet place to go for a solo vacation. A co-worker recommended this place... it's a quiet little beach town, about 1 hour from me. No commercial boardwalk, no rides or waterparks, no tram cars or fudgie wudgie carts. Now don't get me wrong. I used to love the Wildwood scene. When we were kids, my parents would take me and Doug there for vacation. We loved the lights and the funnel cake and the Mac's pizza and the arcades. And then (many years later), it was a great place to go with friends... cram into one crappy little motel room and drink all night. Followed by a $3 boardwalk breakfast, of course :) 
  
So back to my secret beach. After my vacation last year, I decided that this beach was THE perfect place for a day trip. It's a pay beach, but it's worth the $8. Especially since it's a 1 hour drive and it's nowhere near the traffic of the other beaches. Last Friday the weather was incredible. I NEEDED the beach. It called to me. So I went for the day. And it was perfect. I took Joe with me, but I told him that if he told anyone where it is, I'd have to kill him. So far, he hasn't talked. :) Well, words don't do it justice... I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.
  

   

   

   

   

   
It's a beautiful place. I think I'll need to go again. And soon. Like maybe this Friday ;-)

Summertime!

I neglected my blog for awhile... for various reasons, I guess. To sum up, I got in sort of a funk (regarding the possibility of a layoff, among other things) and then pulled myself out of it. I spent the first 2 weeks in June doing the usual end-of-year activities at my schools (wrapping up some loose ends, helping teachers with June exams, attending a variety of luncheons and retirement parties). The week after school ended, I went to a 4 day professional development workshop... and then the week after that, I started teaching a 5 week summer school program. So I haven't actually had a summer vacation yet :)
   
My summer school schedule is pretty sweet. I work Monday-Thursday from 9 AM - 12 PM. I have Fridays off. Not too shabby! Even though I haven't had a summer vacation, I've definitely been enjoying my extra free time. One thing I've been able to do is take in some shows at our local theaters. 
   
At the end of June, I went with a group of friends to see "Next to Normal" at the Academy of Music...
   

The Academy of Music

    

   
I wasn't very familiar with the show before I saw it, but I enjoyed it very much. It was funny and touching all at the same time, and the music was catchy and well written. I found myself still humming the songs a week after I saw it. I'd like to get my hands on the soundtrack soon.
   
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to get FREE tickets to see "Miss Saigon" at the Walnut Street Theater...
  

   

Dorky pose with a theater poster!

   

  
This is a show I've wanted to see for years, so I was thrilled to get a chance to go! My friend gave me 2 tickets, so I asked Joe if he wanted to go with me (and of course he did... who turns down free theater tickets??). I was so excited for the show that I spent the days beforehand posting videos of the songs on Facebook. Our seats were great, the show was awesome, and a good time was had by all. 
   
Hopefully over the next month and a half, I'll have more fun outings to share with you... because I intend to make the most of my time off this summer!  

Summer School Stories, part I

When I was a classroom teacher, I found myself grabbing for scrap paper every time one of my first graders said something funny. It happened so often that I finally started carrying a notebook to record the things they said. Teaching summer school reminds me how much I miss interacting with kids on a daily basis. After the first day, I started keeping paper nearby to write down what some of my boys say. 
   
A quick background: I have a combined kindergarten-1st grade class. So far I have 5 students total, all boys. I have 7 on my roster, but 3 never showed up, and then 1 who wasn't on the original list started at the end of the second week. It's like a complicated math problem.
  
So for the next 3 weeks I'll be occasionally blogging about some of the things my boys say... starting with my notes from the last 2 weeks :)
  
Each week has a theme for reading... the theme for week 2 was "Pets." As part of a writing activity, one of my kindergarteners wrote the following:
  
"My pet ets pnus."
  
Translation: "My pet eats peanuts." But that's definitely NOT what it looks like. Time to work on stretching a word to hear ALLLL the sounds! :)
    
Also in week 2... we had a discussion about pets, where we went around the table and told about a pet we have. If a student didn't have a pet, he told what pet he would like to have. I got to the last child, who said, "I have 2 rats under my bed." 
   
"Are they your pets?" I asked.
   
"No."
   
"Where did they come from?" (And I kinda didn't want to know the answer...)
   
"Oh, because we eat upstairs in the bedroom." 
   
I really, really hope that was just a story he made up.