Stress management

It's the earliest I've been home from school in a long. long. time.

Today my principal forwarded an email from the professional development department with a flier for a stress management class. I laughed out loud. My first thought was wow I should really take this. Then I remembered I almost failed my stress management class in college. Oh yea, that easy A? Not for me. Total C. Second worst grade I got in college was in stress management. So obviously I am not so good at the managing stress game.
Not to belabor the point, but you know what would make me a whole lot less stressed? a contract. just saying.

SO back to my first sentence. I left school today. While it was light outside.

Stress - Managed.


:)

(concise post accomplished!)

I will totally update this later with pictures, promise*

*there is a 99.999% chance I will NOT actually update this post with pictures. But telling you that I will makes me feel better. So, sorry? 


So today was a bad day. Nothing too terribly awful happened, but it was a BAD day - start to finish.
I had to yell at kids. I didn't have the things I needed for today copied. Many parents had to be called. Children went home on YELLOW (first time all year for me to have to move a kid to yellow!). Children thought the bathroom was actually a jungle gym, and climbing on toilets was totally allowed (it's not). I kept my class in from recess.

BUT.

Because I kept them in from recess (in part because they were no good, terrible, bad, and in part because our scheduled holiday market time was during recess and the elves would have been mad if I didn't take my kids to spend their parent's hard earned money on crap thoughtful presents [sorry for the very long interjection]) I gave them 18 minutes of free time at the end of the day. We all needed it.

During this time some of my sweet angels drew me pictures. I gave them scrap papers and said they could use markers (free time = only time you can use markers) and so I was forgiven for yelling at them.

One of my sweet angels (who earlier in the day thought climbing on the toilet was the coolest thing ever) drew me this picture.

[Insert picture of picture, that I totally probably not update this blog with]

I looked at it. I could not figure out for the life of me what it was supposed to be. (this would make more sense to you if you could see said picture).

I said, "Oh how pretty. Can you describe it to me?"
She looked at me like I had 6 heads. This was free time. Not describe things time. Describe is obviously a reading/writing time word.
I tried again. Cuz I had no clue what this thing was. It looks kind of like an orange ax. With squiggles.
I whisper in my best whisper voice, "what is it?"
She said,"I don't know. I just drew stuff."
And I laughed. So loud and so hard. For like 5 minutes. Funniest thing since the stick joke.

I guess you had to be there. But I so needed that laugh.

in other news, a bulleted list.

• I tried to explain irony to 2nd graders today. I had no luck. But man was it funny. Almost as funny as watching them not 'get' irony. I then told them it was funny (and called irony) and they humored my by laughing fake laughs and whispering "I don't think it's funny" to each other. My kids love me so much they fake laughed! I love them so :) 
• This is STILL not the blog I meant to write before. Hopefully this weekend that will happen
• I have joined Match.com.  it's been 13 days and no one wants to marry me yet. In funny money news, my credit card DECLINED the charge initially and flagged it as possible fraud. Yea, explaining to customer service that yes, I did want the charge to "MATCH COM" to go through was slightly humiliating. Thanks for having my back? But no one stole my credit card to sign up for a boyfriend. (totally embarrassed). 
• My sister and her boyfriend get in town tomorrow. It is also her birthday. I tried to tell her it was her 22nd birthday. Apparently she is actually turning 25, and I told her this is impossible as it makes ME old. No such luck, I am old. 
• Tomorrow is also the 15th anniversary of the day we moved to Texas. I have now officially lived in Texas LONGER than New England. Do I have to turn in my Yankee card? 
• My brother (who is also old now) is taking his first round of finals next week. The way he is whining and going on about it on his facebook status you would think that finals are the worst hardest thing to ever happen to him, AND he is the first person ever to take finals. Poor baby...not.
• I hate everything about the new management at my apartment complex. Tomorrow I'm gonna complain my head off. Also, file a noise complaint on my downstairs neighbor who is currently shaking my house with his music. grr.
• GLEE totally used #WGP this week! Granted, Sam got it wrong and called them "rich white girl problems" but hey, WGP is getting out there. Happy. :) 

:) 

no more kool aide

Day 60.
CAUTION- super crazy ahead. oh yea. you've been warned.

This has been a really rough week. Yes, it is only TUESDAY.  I forgot what this time of year was like in elementary. it's tough. I can't want for thanksgiving. mostly cuz I LOVE thanksgiving, it's my favorite. but we all need a break. apparently I need a break from my shift key.. I apologize but I'm too lazy to capitalize things. I'm waiting for my Word auto correct to take care of it for me, but it's not, cuz this isn't Word...so sorry.

I got news this week that my instructional coach at the middle school I used to be at where I used to work...
wait, no.  so this is how grammar crazy I am. even though I am not doing a super great job of capitalizing things, I totally just re-wrote that sentence. The sentence with nothing wrong you say? why yes.  "the middle school I used to be at," is not completely wrong, but my "where you at" aversion is soo strong, I HAD to go back and rewrite the sentence. I left the original so you could see. (I love the cross through feature). Yes, I'm a nut. And then, I told you about it. Like a crazy person. I need grammar AA.

anyway, moving on.

so my old instructional coach announced she is taking a position in another ISD as a promotion, and I emailed her telling her how excited I was for her.

Just a note.  when you get a promotion, and you announce it, and someone expresses to you that they are very happy/excited for you (when they didn't have to say anything) it is POLITE to RESPOND and say thank you. (cough cough asshat*cough). *remember like 4 posts ago when i said i was letting him go? yea i totally tried, but this is what happens when he comes back. i get emotionally wrecked, i try, i fail, sue me. I'm working on it. it's still common decency to respond. and not be an asshat.

ANYWAY, I spent quite some time carefully crafting my email, since i found out only because I'm accidently still on her group distribute list from last year and I didn't want her to know that. But i did profusely thank her for my amazing year last year. I hope she responds (like a decent human being, again, looking at you m asshat person.) cuz that would make me feel good.

In related news, when you read an email finding out someone's loved one has passed away it is POLITE to RESPOND, that you are sympathetic. it's called manners.  this is rude and bitchy and only in here since I am currently pms-ing hard core. Sorry.

I just got lost in my own train of thought and forgot where I was going. This has been happening to me a lot lately.


oh well.

so anyway, all the girls are wearing these adorable and totally covetable tutus to school. I am wicked jealous. there is no way my mom would have ever let me go to school in a tutu and tights, since tights are not pants, i don't care how old or young you are. I want to go back in time and wear one so bad. I was going to be a toddlers and tiaras pageant princess (ultimate grand supreme of course) for halloween, and bought a tutu, but I was sick with the mini flu (thanks flu mist vaccine!) and was in bed instead. missed my chance.

which brings me to my quote of the day.   coveting a 7 year old's outfit, I said, " I am tu-tu old to wear a tutu."  which was super funny to my class (and me). and prompted one friend to say, "39 isn't that old. you could wear one."   OUCH. Do I look 39? tomorrow is pajama day. I may wear a tutu instead.

good night moon.

p.s.  I don't have a tag for "super crazy" or "grammar nazi" (and I refuse to make one) so I'm filing this under White Girl Problems. enjoy.

*update*  my old instructional coach DID respond, since she is a good and kind person (STILL looking at you asshat.)
and yes, this post is disjointed. there was another paragraph at first but it involved school business so I took it off to you know, protect my job and all. so sorry. **

Day 51

Today was the 51st day of school, and at halfway to 100 days and report card/conferences done I can breathe for the first time since like day 15. I left school today before 4:30 for the first time I can remember.

So, all that is to say sorry I've been MIA. I will try harder.

Lots to say, but of course my fall allergies/sinus infection has hit me full force and I can barely function. I also got all scared of needles and opted for the flu mist vaccine instead of the shot and have been stuffy ever since.

And in case you missed it, my grandmother died last week, (most inconvenient what with the 20 mandatory report card conferences I had to do...) and that hit me pretty hard with less than zero time to actually process and cope.

I think I'm over the hump though, on the other side of half way through this semester.

see you soon friends.

So far, so fast

This is my 30th post on this blog. Seems like a nice even number, so I thought I would commemorate. If I had done one a day, it would be a month's worth of posts. Since I didn't, it's about 2 months of posts (still not a bad average).

I am so far from where I started just 30 posts ago. At the beginning, I didn't have a job. I had all my teaching stuff piled in my parent's garage. I had filed for unemployment. I had a boyfriend (ok, that change was MY decision, but still.)

Today, I spent my second day trying to put together my classroom. A classroom I didn't even fathom having 2 months ago. I have a contract for the year, and I'm going to teach 2nd grade. Somehow.

I'm so thankful to have a classroom to move into. To get to keep teaching. To get to keep doing something I love despite all the turmoil in the field. To get my stuff out of the garage (cuz dude, it's like 200 degrees in there!). I really am, I promise. I know I'm supposed to teach.

I am going to miss teaching middle school. There is no way around that. I loved teaching journalism and I know I made a significant difference with my j-babies. I want to cry all the time mourning the loss of what I thought would be "the perfect job." I am trying to tell myself that that job from last year no longer exists, and I will never again have a group of j-babies that were so eager to learn and needed me so much. Sometimes you are just put with groups of kids for a reason, and I will never have a group like them again. But I miss them. A lot. I was confirmed again yesterday from an old student (daughter of a teacher at my new school, and former occupant of my current room, so she helped me arrange desks) that I really did make a difference for her, and she learned many IMPORTANT THINGS. She also was able to tell her mom that my favorite color is blue, not to share mascara, and about the inverted pyramid. :)

I am having a hard time being excited about 2nd grade. I'm such a perfectionist and I want to do things 'right', and right now I don't quite know what that looks like. Which makes me doubt myself, and panic, and worry, and be overwhelmed and cry. I just want to do a good job. I want to love this year. I want to feel confident that I am going to do the right things (and get to keep my job.....) Some of the "cutesy" things that my team mates are doing I roll my eyes at (I maintain a no glitter zone in my room). All my resource books are for grades 4-6. I feel wildly unprepared. I have no idea how on earth I am going to level and sort and label all my books for my classroom library by the end of the week.

Today I only got as far as putting up my calendar center, because math is my weakness so I wanted to get it out of the way. Also, the A/C wasn't quite kicked on in the building and it is so freaking hot (109 in my car on the way home) so I wanted something quick to finish and go home. Tomorrow and Thursday I have a workshop so I won't really get to work in my room. Then inservice week, meet the teacher night, and school.  It's almost here, so I am trying to get it together and get excited.

No Fear- :)

Money Bath

Saturday a friend tried to set me up with some dude. Dude immediately got off to a bad start by proclaiming that teachers are overpaid. Let's just say no sparks flew. (He later said that he was joking, but considering the audience it was still a very bad move.) I think I'll stick to internet dating...

I paid a bunch of bills today and checked out my Mint.com graph to see where all my money went. (P.s. I LOVE Mint.)

Not only am I NOT overpaid, I spent over $300 on school stuff already, and I haven't even done my big trip to the Mecca yet.

I still need:
Clipboards (can't find cheap ones)
An ABC line (my old one is in script, I think for 2nd grade they will prefer print).
A Number line (WTF Math?)

um... assorted things? I'm sure once I get to Lakeshore I will need 100 other things.

In other news, today I did very close to nothing.. except put together some birthday presents and re-paint my old passes. I feel all crafty!

Now I guess I'll go take a money bath, you know, since I'm so overpaid. :)

Cold with a chance of sore butt

It's workshop season! That magical time right before school starts where teachers spend all their time freezing to death in uncomfortable chairs trying to learn all the new wonderful ideas that we will TOTALLY use when school begins. Today our workshop was so cold some woman got her baby's blanket out of the car and wrapped herself in it. It's truly distracting when a grown woman is shivering under a fleece butterfly blanket. Also, I have never sat in a more uncomfortable chair.

This year, all my workshops are giving me panic attacks. Today's was very elementary school. Lots of clapping, and cuteness, and we were supposed to cheer at the lamest of jokes. I was not feeling very elementary today. I longed for a middle school workshop. Something on bullying, or high expectations, not phonemic awareness. Really, I think I'm just scared and so I'm throwing up walls. Fear rocks!

I was going to blog about something else, but my booty hurts and I'm just starting to get feeling back in my legs. Sorry for such a lame post. I just felt like I had to say something, it's been a few days.

:)

Why Pinterest is evil

At some point this summer everyone started playing on Pinterest. I learned about it from Rachel, but I feel I am not properly utilizing the um, service?

See, 89% (approximation) of the "pins" on Pinterest are directly related to weddings, babies/children, or home decor. Photography ideas for babies, weddings, engagements, family photos. Craft ideas for babies, homes, weddings. Wedding cakes, favors, bridesmaid dresses, etc. Ideas to decorate staircases, kitchens, nurseries, hallways, etc. Birthday party ideas for children.  Basically, a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with me.
The rest of the pins are cute/funny sayings, teacher stuff, or recipes, which I can actually use- you know in an alternate universe where I have unlimited time and money.

Pinterest is evil because it makes me want to make things I won't. It makes things I thought were totally unique, totally common. It makes me hungry! It makes me insecure that I have not already planned my wedding and pinned my dress, bridesmaid dresses, and flower arrangements. Good thing I am not anywhere close to getting married, I can work on that one! Not even going to touch the abundance of baby related pins, focus on wedding first.

I am definitely letting Pinterest suck up many hours of my life, but in return it has led me to a few super adorable teacher ideas, which will be super handy now that I am going back into the world of very small children and cute things. (Middle schoolers care very little about cute things, and mock them whenever possible.)

So tonight, I made my first Pinterest inspired project!

Here is the original idea. Smarty pants for the classroom. Positive behavior management. And just stinkin' cute!

The link says she filled them with Smarties candy, but since the State/School district have VERY strict no candy rules that I don't even want to mess with, I am probably filling mine with free homework coupons, stickers, front of the line passes, and other such non-edible rewards.


I got this pair of 4T girls jeans on CLEARANCE at Target when I was stocking up on the dollar spot teacher stuff. These pants cost me $4.00. I sewed them shut right above the hem, since it was already so nice. (Sorry for the upside-down picture, Blogger won't let me turn it.)

They came with the 3 pink buttons sewed on. I didn't want them to look too "girly" so I raided my Mom's sewing room and her extra button jar. Add some hot glue gun action, and now they look like this:

SOOO super cute! If I do say so myself.... not AS overwhelmingly pink, and very colorful. Blue toddler hanger (also from Mom's stash) as my new school's colors are Royal Blue and Gold. I am printing off the smarty pants clip art and will mount on scrapbook paper, attach to the hanger and project is done.
Not half bad! I plan on stuffing the legs with batting so that the children don't have to reach very far down into the legs for their prizes. And the bottom rows of buttons cover my not as straight as could be stitching.

Now I would feel like a smarty pants myself, if I hadn't spent at least 20 hours on Pinterest in the past week. I can call it school research though, right?

Happy Pinning and crafting!

:)