The letter "s"!
Just because you put the letter "s" at the end of something doesn't automatically mean it requires an apostrophe! ARGH!
This is so frustrating to me...I get it, the English language is difficult. We have goofy rules for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Rarely does anything truly follow a pattern or a rule. I get it! But, this whole "adding an apostrophe s" to everything drives me nuts.
Apostrophes = possession.
See? Not that hard.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
At Least It's Progress
So, remember that "evolution" I was talking about in an earlier post?
It's somewhat stalled.
I'd get frustrated, but then I remember what my homeboy Darwin said, and realize that massive evolutionary changes don't happen over night. Nope. It can take millions of years for something to evolve...so I shouldn't get pissed off when I skip working out for a couple days. I have been working out on a more regular basis (despite me getting sick, the kids getting sick, work, family, etc. getting in the way) and I've been eating well (more or less). So, AimCo 1-My Fat Ass 0.
I'm getting ready to start applying to grad school--applications aren't due until April, so I do have some time. (Note to self...get application due date in my Google Calendar. ) Hopefully taking classes and meeting other people will help me figure out what I want to be when I grow up. While I love the classroom, I just feel like I'm meant for something else.
Organization...<sigh> What can I say about that? I'm still a lazy slob because after a day of working and working out and grading and mommying the kids...I'm frelling TIRED. I think I just have to accept the fact that my house will be an exercise in organized chaos until both kids are old enough to understand it when I say, "If you mess up the clean floor, expect to lick it up!" (I kid! I kid!) Seriously, Bay is only 2. She sings the "clean up" song, but has the attention span of a hummingbird, so for her, a serious cleaning session lasts about 90 seconds. Boo is getting better and as soon as he realizes that me "helping" him clean doesn't really mean "Mom does it all" we'll be on the right track. Babe has been awesome at the helping and if it wasn't for him...I'm sure my dose of meds would be much higher than it is right now.
So, that's where I've been. See you soon. <3
It's somewhat stalled.
I'd get frustrated, but then I remember what my homeboy Darwin said, and realize that massive evolutionary changes don't happen over night. Nope. It can take millions of years for something to evolve...so I shouldn't get pissed off when I skip working out for a couple days. I have been working out on a more regular basis (despite me getting sick, the kids getting sick, work, family, etc. getting in the way) and I've been eating well (more or less). So, AimCo 1-My Fat Ass 0.
I'm getting ready to start applying to grad school--applications aren't due until April, so I do have some time. (Note to self...get application due date in my Google Calendar. ) Hopefully taking classes and meeting other people will help me figure out what I want to be when I grow up. While I love the classroom, I just feel like I'm meant for something else.
Organization...<sigh> What can I say about that? I'm still a lazy slob because after a day of working and working out and grading and mommying the kids...I'm frelling TIRED. I think I just have to accept the fact that my house will be an exercise in organized chaos until both kids are old enough to understand it when I say, "If you mess up the clean floor, expect to lick it up!" (I kid! I kid!) Seriously, Bay is only 2. She sings the "clean up" song, but has the attention span of a hummingbird, so for her, a serious cleaning session lasts about 90 seconds. Boo is getting better and as soon as he realizes that me "helping" him clean doesn't really mean "Mom does it all" we'll be on the right track. Babe has been awesome at the helping and if it wasn't for him...I'm sure my dose of meds would be much higher than it is right now.
So, that's where I've been. See you soon. <3
Sunday, January 16, 2011
10 Things: That I Adore
(We really could call my lists "I wanted to write something but am too ADD to think of something now...LOL.)
1. Fountain Diet Coke. The stuff from McDonald's seems to be the best (I heard its because they put crack in it.)
2. Staying in bed on a crappy-weather day and reading.
3. The funny shit Boo says. He comes up with the strangest ideas!
4. When Bay lets out a spontaneous "I love you Mama!"
5. Getting to spend every day with my best friend. (That would be Babe, if you were wondering.)
6. The fact that my grocery getter can blow past many "sports cars" on the highway. Gotta love the turbo!
7. My Droid X. I don't know how I lived without it for so long! (Sad, but true...)
8. Being able to exercise again. After 4 ankle surgeries and 3+ years of being pretty much sedentary being able to ride a bike, play volleyball, do yoga, play soccer, lift weights, and do cardio workouts is frelling amazing!
9. When my house is clean and organized. It doesn't happen very often.
10. Cooking a fabulous meal.
I'm somewhat cheesy, but there you go.
1. Fountain Diet Coke. The stuff from McDonald's seems to be the best (I heard its because they put crack in it.)
2. Staying in bed on a crappy-weather day and reading.
3. The funny shit Boo says. He comes up with the strangest ideas!
4. When Bay lets out a spontaneous "I love you Mama!"
5. Getting to spend every day with my best friend. (That would be Babe, if you were wondering.)
6. The fact that my grocery getter can blow past many "sports cars" on the highway. Gotta love the turbo!
7. My Droid X. I don't know how I lived without it for so long! (Sad, but true...)
8. Being able to exercise again. After 4 ankle surgeries and 3+ years of being pretty much sedentary being able to ride a bike, play volleyball, do yoga, play soccer, lift weights, and do cardio workouts is frelling amazing!
9. When my house is clean and organized. It doesn't happen very often.
10. Cooking a fabulous meal.
I'm somewhat cheesy, but there you go.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Biting the Hand That Feeds
Ever since I wrote the title, I keep hearing Trent Reznor in my head.
I've been mulling over this topic for a while--it started after some random student (an 8th grade girl, I believe...well, I *know* she was a girl, I *think* she was in 8th grade) came into my room and asked what time the Talent Show started that evening.
My reply, "Um...7:00 p.m."
Girl: "Where do we get tickets?"
Me: "Um...it's free. But Student Council will be selling snacks, so you might want to bring money for that."
Girl: "Kthxbai!"
I didn't even bother to remind her that there are about 20 posters all around the school (one of them being RIGHT OUTSIDE MY DOOR...the one she just came through) with all of the pertinent information on them. I didn't even dream of mentioning the fact that information about the Talent Show had been on NHN (our daily announcement news broadcast) for the past 4 days. I just didn't.
What was the point? Despite spoon-feeding the information to the 1,300+ students in my building, they still weren't paying attention. But that's the problem...we're raising a generation of helpless kids. They have gone through life with everything at their fingertips: information, conversation, movies...all on demand and they've gotten to the point where they struggle to merely access information that should be simple.
Obviously, I'm over-generalizing, there are plenty of kids who don't have everything given to them, but in my school, those kids are few and far between. Is it a result of their parents being crazy-rich? Perhaps. Is it a result of their parents being raised in (most likely) very strict households and these parents are swearing, "I'll never be THAT kind of parent!"? Perhaps.
I don't have the answer, and trust me, if I did I wouldn't be working in a district that will most likely forgo raises for the third year in a row, nor would I be in a field where the more educated you are and the more "loyal" you've been to a district bites you in the ass. Oh, no siree! I'd be writing books and giving lectures on how to fix these problems. But, I don't know how so here I sit...writing while my students are creating skits.
One thing I do know, however is we need to teach kids how to figure stuff out on their own. These students HAVE to be able to problem solve and learn how to think for themselves. Parents have got to quit getting up teachers asses if "little JoeBob" isn't getting an A. Guess what? Teachers don't "give grades" we merely record the choices and decisions students have made.
I'm not saying that we need to raise kids under the totalitarian-type rule that was the norm in the 50's, but c'mon...we need to do something because frankly, if these are the kids that are going to be in charge of the world when I'm older...I'm really hoping they've colonized Mars.
I've been mulling over this topic for a while--it started after some random student (an 8th grade girl, I believe...well, I *know* she was a girl, I *think* she was in 8th grade) came into my room and asked what time the Talent Show started that evening.
My reply, "Um...7:00 p.m."
Girl: "Where do we get tickets?"
Me: "Um...it's free. But Student Council will be selling snacks, so you might want to bring money for that."
Girl: "Kthxbai!"
I didn't even bother to remind her that there are about 20 posters all around the school (one of them being RIGHT OUTSIDE MY DOOR...the one she just came through) with all of the pertinent information on them. I didn't even dream of mentioning the fact that information about the Talent Show had been on NHN (our daily announcement news broadcast) for the past 4 days. I just didn't.
What was the point? Despite spoon-feeding the information to the 1,300+ students in my building, they still weren't paying attention. But that's the problem...we're raising a generation of helpless kids. They have gone through life with everything at their fingertips: information, conversation, movies...all on demand and they've gotten to the point where they struggle to merely access information that should be simple.
Obviously, I'm over-generalizing, there are plenty of kids who don't have everything given to them, but in my school, those kids are few and far between. Is it a result of their parents being crazy-rich? Perhaps. Is it a result of their parents being raised in (most likely) very strict households and these parents are swearing, "I'll never be THAT kind of parent!"? Perhaps.
I don't have the answer, and trust me, if I did I wouldn't be working in a district that will most likely forgo raises for the third year in a row, nor would I be in a field where the more educated you are and the more "loyal" you've been to a district bites you in the ass. Oh, no siree! I'd be writing books and giving lectures on how to fix these problems. But, I don't know how so here I sit...writing while my students are creating skits.
One thing I do know, however is we need to teach kids how to figure stuff out on their own. These students HAVE to be able to problem solve and learn how to think for themselves. Parents have got to quit getting up teachers asses if "little JoeBob" isn't getting an A. Guess what? Teachers don't "give grades" we merely record the choices and decisions students have made.
I'm not saying that we need to raise kids under the totalitarian-type rule that was the norm in the 50's, but c'mon...we need to do something because frankly, if these are the kids that are going to be in charge of the world when I'm older...I'm really hoping they've colonized Mars.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Selling Out
I decided to add AdSense to the blog for no other reason than it doesn't cost me anything and if I earn a quarter...it's more of a raise than I got this year from my job! :D
If it's annoying, I'll remove it, so let me know.
If it's annoying, I'll remove it, so let me know.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Breaking My Heart
Bay is old enough and "with it" enough to finally understand that Boo leaves once a week. A couple weeks ago, she started asking where he was when he was at his dad's house...
Today, I put her down for her nap, then I took Boo to meet his dad.
Just now (she woke up from nap about 35 minutes ago) she asked, "Where Dakey (how she says his name) go?" When I told her she was at his dad's house, she yelled, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and proceeded to cry for about 5 minutes.
Granted, she's over it now, and probably won't even remember that he's gone until tomorrow...where we'll have the same scene all over again.
I love the fact that she's becoming cognizant enough to realize that there's a change in the house. On the other hand, I HATE the fact that she has to.
Today, I put her down for her nap, then I took Boo to meet his dad.
Just now (she woke up from nap about 35 minutes ago) she asked, "Where Dakey (how she says his name) go?" When I told her she was at his dad's house, she yelled, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and proceeded to cry for about 5 minutes.
Granted, she's over it now, and probably won't even remember that he's gone until tomorrow...where we'll have the same scene all over again.
I love the fact that she's becoming cognizant enough to realize that there's a change in the house. On the other hand, I HATE the fact that she has to.
The Evolution Will Not Be Televised!
(But I am going to blog about it...)
Ahhhhh, New Year's...a time to work off the hangover and make a bunch of resolutions that won't see the light of February.
Or maybe not...
On Facebook yesterday, the founder/owner of Tokyo Joe's (a Japanese-y type of quick food place--think Noodles and Co. but with Asian flavors) posted this: "...and to steal a phrase (thanks Lindsey) ... go make yourself a great NEW YEAR'S "EVOLUTION" ... better than just a Resolution :)
It's Time Out to Re-invent Yourself ... so make 2011 YOUR best year ever."
(Yes, I'm friends with "Tokyo Joe's.)
As cheesy as it sounds, it got me thinking...it shouldn't be about "resolving" to completely change, but life should be about "evolving" into a better you. I like the idea of evolution--I am a godless heathen after all and I *do* consider Darwin one of my peeps--so if I embrace the thought of evolving into a better AimCo and then take steps (baby steps, mind you) to become the better AimCo, then I really will evolve into a better me by the end of the year.
So, here's what I'm thinking...I want to:
1. Evolve into a better teacher/educator: I don't phone it in that often--I'm not a teacher that will do the same thing overandoverandover again because I know that it worked once. However, I'm becoming more disenchanted with the education system--the changes, the battles we fight, the shit teachers take from the media, parents, administrators, the district, the union, the school boards, etc. Instead of just letting the changes happen to me, I want to be a force of change within the system. Crazy, right?
How do I do this? No fucking clue. ;D I think my first step is to get my EdS (Education Specialist) degree with the emphasis in education. I have my Masters, but I think in order to move ahead, I need the admin experience. I DO NOT want to be in administration in the traditional sense of the word--I don't want to be in charge of a building. I get my feelings hurt too easily to do that, but I think knowing how schools work will help me get out of one.
Another think I need to go to evolve my career is to dump the thankless shit that I do in my building: Student Council, planning the yearly trip, being the "go to" person for everyone. I need to quit, period. Frankly, I never get props for it, very few people care, and frankly it takes a ton of time and energy away from other things I could be doing.
2. Evolve into a better wife/mother: See above. By letting go of some the things that I do at work, I can focus more energy into my family. I want more family dinners, I want less time spent on cleaning up the disaster-area my house can become, I want to have more fun and quality time.
In order to do that, I need to be more organized. Today is a start. I prepped as much food as I could for the week (lots of chopping going on) and labeled everything I could. I've made a Google calendar with EVERYTHING on it so I know exactly what's going on. I'm going to plan my clothes for the week so I'm not stressing out about what to wear. Finally, I'm going to be asleep by 9 (yes, 9!) so I can get up in the morning around 5 and not run around crazy to get ready. (In order to faciltitate this, there may be some Xanax ingesting, but hey, whatever works, right?)
3. Evolve into a healthier me: I need to become more focused on my health. See above...that whole meal planning/prepping thing is so we're not eating crap at the last minute because there's nothing in the house. I'm turning my classroom into a mini-workout studio where I can work out after school on a regular basis. Once I get home, I'm on mom-duty and I won't work out. So, in my room it is. I also ordered a Polar FT7 heart rate monitor so I can track my progress and really see how many calories I'm burning. Babe and I are also taking a "sober week" once a month to just give our bodies a chance to detox. Yes, I know if I just avoided alcohol altogether I wouldn't have to worry about it, but I'm vodka's bitch and I just can't quit it.
Notice how the 3 things fit together? I figure if I keep with the K.I.S.S. philosophy, I should be able to make some changes and I won't overwhelm my brain. I'll keep you posted.
Ahhhhh, New Year's...a time to work off the hangover and make a bunch of resolutions that won't see the light of February.
Or maybe not...
On Facebook yesterday, the founder/owner of Tokyo Joe's (a Japanese-y type of quick food place--think Noodles and Co. but with Asian flavors) posted this: "...and to steal a phrase (thanks Lindsey) ... go make yourself a great NEW YEAR'S "EVOLUTION" ... better than just a Resolution :)
It's Time Out to Re-invent Yourself ... so make 2011 YOUR best year ever."
(Yes, I'm friends with "Tokyo Joe's.)
As cheesy as it sounds, it got me thinking...it shouldn't be about "resolving" to completely change, but life should be about "evolving" into a better you. I like the idea of evolution--I am a godless heathen after all and I *do* consider Darwin one of my peeps--so if I embrace the thought of evolving into a better AimCo and then take steps (baby steps, mind you) to become the better AimCo, then I really will evolve into a better me by the end of the year.
So, here's what I'm thinking...I want to:
1. Evolve into a better teacher/educator: I don't phone it in that often--I'm not a teacher that will do the same thing overandoverandover again because I know that it worked once. However, I'm becoming more disenchanted with the education system--the changes, the battles we fight, the shit teachers take from the media, parents, administrators, the district, the union, the school boards, etc. Instead of just letting the changes happen to me, I want to be a force of change within the system. Crazy, right?
How do I do this? No fucking clue. ;D I think my first step is to get my EdS (Education Specialist) degree with the emphasis in education. I have my Masters, but I think in order to move ahead, I need the admin experience. I DO NOT want to be in administration in the traditional sense of the word--I don't want to be in charge of a building. I get my feelings hurt too easily to do that, but I think knowing how schools work will help me get out of one.
Another think I need to go to evolve my career is to dump the thankless shit that I do in my building: Student Council, planning the yearly trip, being the "go to" person for everyone. I need to quit, period. Frankly, I never get props for it, very few people care, and frankly it takes a ton of time and energy away from other things I could be doing.
2. Evolve into a better wife/mother: See above. By letting go of some the things that I do at work, I can focus more energy into my family. I want more family dinners, I want less time spent on cleaning up the disaster-area my house can become, I want to have more fun and quality time.
In order to do that, I need to be more organized. Today is a start. I prepped as much food as I could for the week (lots of chopping going on) and labeled everything I could. I've made a Google calendar with EVERYTHING on it so I know exactly what's going on. I'm going to plan my clothes for the week so I'm not stressing out about what to wear. Finally, I'm going to be asleep by 9 (yes, 9!) so I can get up in the morning around 5 and not run around crazy to get ready. (In order to faciltitate this, there may be some Xanax ingesting, but hey, whatever works, right?)
3. Evolve into a healthier me: I need to become more focused on my health. See above...that whole meal planning/prepping thing is so we're not eating crap at the last minute because there's nothing in the house. I'm turning my classroom into a mini-workout studio where I can work out after school on a regular basis. Once I get home, I'm on mom-duty and I won't work out. So, in my room it is. I also ordered a Polar FT7 heart rate monitor so I can track my progress and really see how many calories I'm burning. Babe and I are also taking a "sober week" once a month to just give our bodies a chance to detox. Yes, I know if I just avoided alcohol altogether I wouldn't have to worry about it, but I'm vodka's bitch and I just can't quit it.
Notice how the 3 things fit together? I figure if I keep with the K.I.S.S. philosophy, I should be able to make some changes and I won't overwhelm my brain. I'll keep you posted.
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