almost there...for this week ;)

phew.
it's thursday.
afternoon.
my kiddos have been gone for a few hours.
and i'm 'done' for the week.
sure, i have to teach tomorrow.
but all of the other stuff - not related to educating 7 year olds - is done.
miraculously, i found 80 hours worth of evidence. so $500 is coming my way someday. :)
i finished my btsa (beginning teacher program in ca) action plan...only to find out last night that it is due in late-may. part of me fumed because i was stressing and working late to finish it. but, on the upside, at least i'm done. one less thing to worry about.
since this is only my first year, i did not anticipate how busy the spring would be. i kept thinking, "i have (6,5,4,3, etc) months left to squeeze in (social studies, science, review, p.e., etc) - i'll do it later." and here it is, mid-april, with only two months left, and my science and social studies curriculum have collected a good layer of dust. and p.e. - does recess count? oh yeah...and some of them still aren't the greatest readers, writers or mathematicians.
i'm working to realize that i cannot realistically expect every student that passes through my door to be proficient in absolutely everything. i can hope, but each kiddo is unique and at works at their own level/pace - all i can do is support them along the way. the perfectionist in me is raging...but i'm gently telling her to shut up. all i can do is keep trying and hope that they can master the basics and be successful second graders. time will tell...and i just hope it's not blatantly obvious which future second graders were in my class. :/
keep my kiddos in your thoughts/prayers these next two weeks. we have a two big tests coming up - one writing and one everything-language-arts - and they are already feeling the stress. i'm trying to be as stress-free - but they must be feeding off of it because some of these little kiddos have serious test anxiety. how sad that 7-year-olds have test anxiety - but sadly, it'll be there reality until graduation. (my thoughts on standardized testing and the weight/importance it's given in terms of a teacher's competence/ability is a topic for another blog.)

~~~~~~~~~

besides school - life is lovely.
the husband is sweet, supportive and reminds me to tell the perfectionist to shut up. :) our life is simple (dinner, netflix, snuggles, walks) - but it's going really great. we're nearing our one-year anniversary, which is crazy to think about because it's been a quick year. we're trying to figure out what to do. being that we are both so frugal (and every penny goes into the 'future house' account), we're having trouble justifying what to do. any suggestions of fun, but inexpensive ways, to mark this milestone? let me know. :)

hope you all have lovely fridays and weekends.

drowning in report cards

just wanted to come up for air and take a break from the all-consuming world of report cards.

egad...it feels like there is so much to do.

i had a lovely spring break (in idaho...blog with pics to come soon) and came back to school yesterday and had two days to get my act together and fill out report cards (eld and academic) for my kiddos.

the reports themselves are not too bad.

just a check here.

and a number (between 1 and 4) there.

but then comes the comment space -- where in a few short lines i get to explain how their kiddo is struggling to read/add/subtract/write/function in first grade. i wish i could do this all in person, but getting parents to come in and talk to me is like pulling teeth. and even when they are here, unless i have a translator, it's pretty useless. lots of gesturing and spanglish spoken by me and confused looks by parents.

so...hopefully my online-translated messages make some sense and parents will know where i'm coming from.

but the workload doesn't stop there.

in addition is a beginning teacher class tomorrow afternoon (complete with busy work...i mean, 'action plan') and a folder full of proof that i have dedicated 80-hours of my life to developing as a teacher. i wish that working in my room 'til all hours of the night counts...but there's no documentation. i'm scrounging around for any proof. maybe blogs about teaching can count...i'll have to ask. either way, i hope it comes together by friday so i can get the credit (and the $500 stipend). :)

alright...enough complaining from this teacher. :) it's time to get back to work.

hope you are all having restful and lovely weeks. i think mine will be magnificent come friday at about 2:20. i think i'll make it until then.

spc ~ body parts ~ feet :)

feet.
to be honest, they kind of gross me out. :/ but, at the same time, i have to say 'wow'.
these two heels, two arches and ten toes have carried me through so many places and phases.
together, we've enjoyed tall grass, squishy mud, plush carpet, european sidewalks, a specific church aisle and so much more. (by the by...they're not so fond of dusty garage floors (weird, huh?))
there were the days when the world felt heavy and my body was weary...but they helped me keep on keepin' on. and there were the days when i had an extra spring in my step...and they carried me long.
too often, i beat them up with uncomfortable (but adorable) shoes - sometimes sacrifices need to be made. :) so, in honor of my faithful travelling companions...i think i'm inspired to give my tootsies a little love. maybe some color...and some comfy shoes tomorrow. :)
happy tuesday, friends.

a rant...and then an update

thanks to cesar chavez, i have the day off. and it could not come soon enough.

(begin of rant)

life in room b-07 has been rough.

my kiddos have been struggling lately.

i'm not sure what happened. is it spring fever? or the sudden presence of sunshine? are they getting tired of eachother? what can i do?

in the simplest of terms -- they are being mean to eachother.

and, at the risk of being a big whiner, some are starting to be a little mean to me.

daily there have been physical fights (some minor, some requiring visits to the nurse), unkind words spoken and tattling galore amongst the kiddos. daily there are kiddos who tell me they don't want to read/do math/write/participate. i don't mean to be bossy...but what the crap? some of my little ones seem to forget that i'm the teacher and that it is my job to help them read/do math/write/participate. it makes me sad because they are only six/seven and they already think that there is no problem with defying adults and people in 'authority'.

how can i undo that kind of thinking?

(end of rant)

okay...now i can move on to other things. it's been awhile since my ode to chocolate milk, so here are some things going on lately (in bullet form, so i stay organized):

--my brother-in-law james has been in and out of the hospital due to the doctor's inability to control his seizures. something is amiss with his meds and they just aren't working like they need to. luckily, my in-laws have been able to get more attention from the doctor's at kaiser and they are working to determine what needs to happen to help james. keep him in your thoughts/prayers. and also, i just wanted to give kudos to matt's parents. i have no idea how they can deal with it all, but they're doing it. so keep them (brian and mary) in your thoughts/prayers, as well. :)

--not everything related to my kiddos is negative, so i wanted to highlight some recent fun we've had. :) on wednesday, my kiddos and five chaperones (including my brave husband) ventured to the monterey bay aquarium for a day of aquatic exploration and fun times. i was able to divide the kiddos among the chaperones, leaving me to wander around the aquarium and hang out with all my kiddos as they poked and prodded various sea creatures. they had a wonderful day...and i'll try to put some pictures in a future post.

--we've stocked our netflix queue with loads of tv shows - so we have been a bit reclusive as we catch up on an entire season worth of tv in a weekend. i don't think i could every pay for cable and watch tv the regular way ever again - i'm getting too used to the instant gratification of an entire show at my fingertips.

--spring break is only one week away. this break will include a muse concert in san fran and then a road trip to boise to check it out. pit stops to visit my parents in rocklin will bookend our trip...and cut down on our time in the car. :)

--a little bit of sad news - charles ezra rockway died last week. :(

for those not 'in the know', charles ezra (a.k.a charlie, chuck, and tubs) was one of my family's dogs and he was such a lovable curmudgeon. he had a stroke two weekends ago and gradually lost the ability to move, so my parents decided to put him down. we think he was 15 years old, so he lived a good long doggie life. :)

(charlie is on the left, heidi is on the right)

i'm off now to get caught up on all the things i never have time for when i'm working. i love the free time...but kind of wish i could just be a lump on the couch. i guess i have a whole summer to practice and perect being 'lumpy'.

happy friday/weekend all! :)

does a body good :)

one additional perk of working at an elementary school is the daily access to chocolate milk. there is just something so fun and refreshing about a half-pint of chocolatey dairy goodness. :) and it's only 1%...so it balances out, right?
i'm enjoying some now on my lunch break and just had to share because it puts me in such a good mood.
happy friday and happy milk drinking. :)

little bit of everything

the past week has been busy.
come to think of it...i think this is how many of my blogs begin.
i think it is safe to say that all weeks will be busy from here on out. :)

anywho...since my last post, i started liking my kiddos again. :) the kiddos who were there on thursday stayed home and my normal class showed up friday morning (and this week, thank goodness). so my job is once again a source of joy, not headache and insanity.

we visited my parents in sacramento this past weekend to see them and also catch a theater production of 12 angry men (starring none other than norm from 'cheers' and john boy from 'the waltons' - good times, but no autographs). it was the first time that matt and i visited sac when just my parents were around. on the way home, we remarked how grown-up it was so spend a weekend with just parents - usually siblings and extended family are around. it was nice to spend time with them and talk about stuff that would have bored my siblings (or anyone, for that matter) to tears. hot topics of conversation: mutual funds (ooh!), the california housing market (bleh!), work (only briefly!), car shopping (options, options!), etc. with all of those lively topics, i swear there were also many moments of laughter and good times. seeing my mom and pop just make me happy and i am so glad that everyone gets along to swimmingly.

matt and i are in the process of planning trips to boise and austin. why...you might ask? in simple terms, california (especially the bay area) is super expensive. we aspire to someday own a house and on our salaries and with the cost of housing, it doesn't seem to add up. matt knows of companies (and people) in boise and austin, which make them viable options for our relocation in a couple years. we're planning to visit boise in april (during my spring break) and texas in july (which will make or break me - heat is not my favorite). so, my few (but wonderful) blog readers - i have a question for you: have you ever visited/lived in/driven through either of these places? any suggestions on where to go/what to see? we're open...and want to get the best idea of each place duringour short visits. anything would be appreciated. :)

okay...that's all for now. i think. :) i'm off to help the husband prepare some homemade indian food. we're being adventurous. hopefully it pays off. however, we were adventurous with a crockpot tortilla soup the other night and ended up making something that we called 'mexican upchuck'. not good. :(

happy (almost) friday/weekend! :)

oy vey!

today is over.
finally.
apparently, my kiddos were quite the treat in my absence.
first thing upon entering my room, i found three names on the board, indicating those students who chose not to listen all day.
after that, two separate parents came up to me and said that yesterday, their kids were bothered (hit, pushed, hair pulled, scratched) by another member of the class.
school had not even started and i was already up to my ears in 'talks' with various students about appropriate conduct at school. i usually like to save those talks at least until recess. and i felt compelled to address the class and tell them how disappointed i am to see that they were rude to the sub.
once the bell rang, i knew we were in for a long day. to put it mildly, i was ready to run for the hills by recess. not good...and i think it's against the law. :) the day continued to go downhill - i was scheduled to do some observing today, so another teacher came in to corral my group.
she was forewarned.
basically, they were rude to this teacher (who are these children?), ran amok in the library with this teacher (much to the horror of our sweet librarian) and engaged in some fights (and subsequent principal office visits).
today was not the proudest day for the smart sharks of room B-07. :( maybe it's me? maybe it's them? maybe it's spring? i think i'll blame spring for now...but it's probably a combination of all three. i just have to hope to never be sick again.

all this said...i hope tomorrow is better. it has to be. right? :)

the eye - an update

so, the nice people at kaiser gave me some eye drops to get rid of my current condition.

i don't think i've ever mentioned that i get the eebie-jeebies when anything gets near my eye. i don't even like touching my own eyes (so how can i still get pink eye?). contact lenses terrify me - i hope to never need them. :)

so, you might wonder...how are those eye drops working out? i think i can honestly say that it is the most pathetic thng anyone could ever see. i think i have gotten more drops on my cheeks and eyelids than in my actual eye.

i hope i can get the hang of it soon - otherwise, i'm still contagious and unable to go to school. wish me luck...i'm off to 'drop' again. :)

the eye

i've got 'the eye'.

for those not in my family, that means i have pink eye. :(

the man at kaiser said i am highly contagious and should not go to school. so i am home today. i'm not sure who i got it from...i just hope it's looking better by tomorrow.

i don't like to miss school.

latest

over the last few days, i've sat down to write about a number of things - both positive and not so positive - that have kept me busy. and every time i start to write, something comes up - dinner to be made, lesson to be planned, phone to be answered, husband to snuggle (this one isn't much of a sacrifice), [insert other lame-o excuse], etc. since i am too tired/lazy to dedicate a post to each thing individually - here is a mish-mash of the latest:

~seeing my sister in slo was good fun - but at the same time, it felt a little odd. as previously mentioned, our age/life stage gap wavers between appearing non-existent and being so obvious we have little to talk about. it's just...odd. our relationship has been something on my mind off and on lately. i want to delve into it more (and seek the advice of other bloggers) when i have some more time.

~amy and i spent a lovely and absolutely refreshing day in lovely berkeley. for nostalgia's sake, we ate some delicious diner food, then proceeded to wander around a half-price bookstore (i love discounted things) and then concluded with some warm starbucks drinks. intermixed with all this was some wonderful conversation and genuine communication. she is one of my favorite people and i was just so blessed to spend a day with her. so yeah...i have an awesome friend. :)

~matt and i enjoyed a relaxing weekend where we watched movies in our jammies all day, then spent time with family and/or friends at night. things have been good with us lately - being married definitely suits me. being the wonderful and generous man that he is, matt decided (without any prodding or suggestion from me) to sell his motorcycle and to trade in his leased car - all in the name of saving money for our future. we've both been worried about saving money and whether or not we'll be able to afford a home any time in the next 5 years - so he decided to alleviate some of those worries. he's just swell. :)

~speaking again of my awesome friend, amy, she recently posted about her interactions with other people. as other people's blogs always do, it got me thinking about my interactions with others. mildly put, i can be awkward and a little bit of a worry-wart. my mind is go garbled with thoughts of 'what do i say? am i being completely annoying?' the sad thing is - this isn't just with people i've recently met. sometimes, spending an afternoon shopping or having lunch with my mom/dad/brother/sister/old friend can make me fret about how the one-on-one time will 'go'. i worry - 'will i have anything to say? will i put my foot in my mouth ? what if there is awkward silence?' i've been considering why i feel this way with people i feel comfortable. i haven't gotten too far in my considerations...but i know that it's something i need to not worry about, which is easier said than done.

so...in summary...there are currently lots of things floating around in my noggin. there are more that i am too tired/lazy to write (students making me crazy!!!!, loving the beautiful weather - yay (almost) spring!, summer plans). i want to get them all out soon - it is taking up valuable room. :)
hope this post finds you all happy and enjoying some beautiful weather - it feels like spring is in the air...can't help but smile about that. :)

we're back

we're back. in full swing.

this morning, i decided i would come home and post about all of the fun i had on my lovely week off. but when i actually got home tonight (around 6 - i'm getting better), i was feeling a little tired.

i'm glad to be back with the kiddos - but wow...they really take my energy. it is only 9:30 and i am off to bed. i feel so old. :)

happy monday/tuesday to you all.

happy birhtday kaykin! :)

happy 19th birthday to my beautiful, hilarious and wonderful sister, kaitlin.

we're five years apart and, as i complete a milestone (like high school or college), she's just beginning it. it seems like we're always in different places. but as we've gotten older, we're moved from just being siblings to developing a real friendship.

she is one of most favorite people and i'm super excited to head down to slo tomorrow to visit with her and give some birthday love. :)

happy birthday kaykin! :)

rhythm

the past week and a half at school was busy - but what's new? but this week (thanks to presidents washington and lincoln), i don't have to think about school. i can focus my attention on other things i've neglected.

a friend from our bible study went on a business trip to paris (oh, how i wish i could go back) and asked us to house and dog sit for him. so, even though we were only about 15 miles from our own house, matt and i were lucky enough to have a mini-vacation from our everyday lives. we spent way too much money on all kinds of delicious food (vacation = no cooking), watched some movies we've been wanting to see for a long time, vegged on the couch watching hgtv and dreaming about our future home, took the doggie for walks, talked about anything and laughed about everything.

it was perfect. it was everything that we needed. a time we established as being just for us. not time squeezed in between eating dinner and collapsing into bed. we were able to reconnect and get caught up on eachother. it was great - but also made me sad when i considered, how did we get so distracted that our relationship almost became an afterthought? it almost became something we'll get to when we have time.

over the last few weeks, our church has been doing a series on the balance between work and rest - finding the rhythm God desires for our lives. it's gotten us both thinking about the balance we strike between our jobs and the other aspects of life (eachother, friendships, family, fun). the service this weekend discussed the importance of making time to 'listen' to the rhythm - to slow down the pace of life and enjoy the moments where we can rest or play or just be.

this week off is a rarity - a time when i am not busied with work. but, once things pick up again, i want to make sure that my job does not become the thing that consumes me and takes up the majority of my free time. being the perfectionist i am, i can't just do the bare minimum - i want to do what other teachers are doing, and then some. but i need to realize that i'm just starting and i can't try to be perfect right now - that will come with time. :) as much as i enjoy my job and want to give it my time and energy, this exact job is not what i will be doing for the rest of my life. i want to be the best teacher i can be - but need to remember that being a teacher is not the only role in my life.

the next few weeks will be an attempt to embrace the other roles in my life (wife, daughter, sister, friend). now, i will not neglect my responsibilities to my students, but i need to prioritize and do what needs doing - and just leave it at that. with more time freed up, i want to:

• relax and enjoy quality time with matt (without the next day looming in my mind)
• talk to my family more than once every week or two
• plan and cook yummy meals at home
• stay in touch with my wonderful friends
• send cards to people (because who doesn't like snail mail)
• keep our apartment picked up and clean
• read more books (the pile on my nightstand is tipping dangerously)
• blog more - less updates, more things on my mind

who knows how much i'll be able to do. i don't know if i can free up enough time to do it all. :) but i want to try. when i really sit down and think about it, nurturing relationships and pursuing things that make me happy is a far better use of time than staying at school until after dark. it won't be immediate...just a work in progress.

happy tuesday, all! :)

spc: black.and.white

my first attempt at spc. hopefully not the last - i just need to make an effort. :)

i wish it were prettier. but this has (sadly) been my existence since friday. so here i am...in a 'color' world - but feeling a little black and white.

it's like a metaphor or something. or not. i don't know. back to nap time.

happy tuesday all. :)

reality

i was on campus this afternoon, going about preparing for the following day. i was distracted from my work by what sounded like gunshots. assuming that i was letting my worry-prone mind run away with me, i continued about my work, only to be interrupted minutes later by my principal asking all staff still on campus to lock their doors and stay inside until further notice. yikes!

so i worried.

and peeked out my window.

and worried some more.

about 30 minutes later, my principal again came on the intercom and announced that school was shutting down and all people on campus would need to leave within 15 minutes. so i grabbed my stuff and quickly made my way to my car.

now safely home, i just received an e-mail that there were indeed gunshots in an apartment complex on a street directly behind the campus. many students in our school (some kiddos in my own class) live in these apartments. there is an after-school homework program held in this apartment complex.

even thought i am 100%, absolutely fine, i am still shaken. not because i was in any danger (which i definitely was not), but because this is the reality of my little kiddos. they are only six or seven. and they have to be exposed to the stupid issues of the 'adults' in their community. my heart just breaks that this is what they see; that this could be what they know when they are adults. beyond teaching them how to read, write, add and subtract, i feel an ever greater responsibilty to expose them to lives outside what they may currently know. to talk about going to college. to encourage them to be doctors, police officers, teachers, presidents, fire fighters...whatever they imagine. to provide models/tools for how to interact peacefully. they need this. and if they don't get it at school, then where? if not from me, then who?

if you can, please keep my kiddos (and all the kiddos at my school) in your thoughts and prayers. information is currently limited, so i'm not sure if any one from our school was directly affected or witnessed anything. but i know that some must have heard it. okay...i'm done worrying (for now, at least). now it's time to get my butt in gear and be the things that these kiddos need. :)

motivation...for me :)

pam, a wonderful friend at school, sent along this little story about teachers. and it gave me a little burst of positive thoughts and happy energy.

today was a day where i felt a little frazzled and totally ineffective with my kiddos. i couldn't find anything i needed today (i think the bermuda triangle is my classroom), the kiddos forgot how to sit in their desks, and i misplaced my patience somewhere on my commute. no good.

this story was a nice reminder that i have the capacity to make a difference. :)

it's a little cheesy (and teacher-biased), but it made me smile. so enjoy or ignore...but here it is. :)

WHAT DO TEACHERS MAKE?

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

To stress his point he said to another guest, "You're a teacher. Be honest. What do you make?” The teacher replied, "You want to know what I make? She paused for a second, then began ...

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5
without an iPod, Game Cube or movie rental. You want to know what I make?"

She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.

"I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while
preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life."

The teacher paused one last time and then continued...

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"

p.s. i love chicken tikka masala (yummy din-din) and the office, season 2 (i doubt i will ever tire of this fantastic show).

prayer

i'm not going to pretend to know anything about poetry and the intricacies of the stanzas and rhyme and other poetry 'buzz' words i remember hearing in english classes. in spite of my lack of poetic knowledge, i am able to say that i recognize when i can make small connections between words (a song lyric, a note from the universe, a card from a friend) and my own life.

i came across this poem on a fellow blogger's page and the words made my eyes well up (not hard to do...but still).

praying

it doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

~ mary oliver ~

it describes a perspective and approach to life that i have been attempting to embrace and embody for awhile. to find God not just in church or bible study or when i read my bible at night...but to recognize it in the everyday things. to come to Him and just talk and be myself. not 'jill the ultimate christian with all the right words'. to be honest and sincere and talk to my Savior like he knows me best.

our bible study has just begun reading/discussing a book on prayer. we're only three chapters in, but it has revealed to me that prayer can just a dialogue. i can't strive to impress God by using the 'right' words and following the right pattern. prayer can be an open conversation about whatever is on my heart.

but, at the same time...i am learning that once i share the troubles of my heart, i need to be quiet and listen for God to respond. i've never heard an audible voice or received some incredible sign from above...but i've felt nudgings in everyday things, as small and insignificant as they may be. the listening and waiting is the hardest part for me, but i am learning patience day by day - in more ways than one. :)

happy thursday bloggie friends. :)

poop

so, in the spirit of full disclosure of all facets of my life, let me share the lowlight of my day:

poop.

yes.

i said it.

poop.

during our math test today, a sweet (and very quiet) boy of mine had the urge for some number two. and instead of saying something, he decided to go for it. and 'it' somehow ended up all over the carpet in my classroom.

it was both disgusting and amazing - ick...but how did it get on the carpet?

anywho...i am tired and a little light-headed from the massive amount of chemical fumes poured on my floor to remedy the stink.

hope you all had a cleaner and better smelling tuesday than i did. :)

notes from the universe

after my dear friend amy mentioned receiving motivational e-mails from 'the universe', i figured i could use a little pick-me-up and a bit of positive thinking a few times a week. i signed up and, though some have been a little bit in left field, today's note gave me reason to pause.

Would you believe, Jill, that there is nothing about your life today, not even what hurts, that you won't eventually appreciate, with happy tears running down your face?
Nothing.
Chokes me up just thinking about it -
The Universe

lately, i have felt that my role as a teacher, as a wife, as a daughter, as a sister, as a friend have all been lacking due this overwhelming feeling of...being sub-par. and, every day, i 'hurt' myself a little bit by focusing on what i wish i had done differently - how i could have been more patient with a struggling child in my class or showed my husband how much he means to me or taken a minute to share my day with a family member or grabbed my phone to tell a friend that i was thinking of them. by focusing on all the things i wished i could have done or wanted to do (but didn't), i am playing into this nagging thought that i need to be more, be better, be everything i want to be/feel i should be all at the same time.
while this may be no revelation to those reading, i am figuring out that i cannot be the perfect ___(insert label)___. try as i might, i am only setting myself up for little pin-pricks of daily 'hurt'. throughout the course of my day/life, there will be moments of 'hurt' caused by things completely outside of myself, so, until those uncontrollable moments come, why should i be a source of pain/unhappiness in my own life? instead of focusing on how disappointed i am that i wasn't the model image of patience/love/friendship, i should delight in what i actually do each day - both the good and the bad.
and maybe, as 'the universe' predicts, i will appreciate it down the road. :)

p.s. as i go back and read my 'note from the universe', i realize that this post took a bit of a detour and went down a slightly different path that doesn't so much correlate to the initial source of bloggie inspiration. so...maybe just read the note, take some positive thoughts from it and then read my post as a separate entity. :)

kiddos :)

i'm pooped...these little kiddos tire me out.
i am noticing more and more how funny it is that one kiddo can break my heart one minute(with a sigh of boredeom, a lack of effort or just general punkishness).
and then, in the very next breath, make me smile.
one kiddo made this very weary teacher smile and feel special.
this may sound totally shallow, but this child (who was making me a little crazy all day long) told me he liked my shoes and that i "looked like beautiful."
and then, his neighbor agreed and added that because i am beautiful, i am a special princess. :) i'm not sure of the logic of that argument...but i won't fight it.
hooray for kiddos who make a teacher with slept-on hair and an unfortunate growth on her chin feel a little special.
hope your days are full of happy and fun things. :)