dentist :/

we're going to a new dentist today.
and, at twenty-three, going to the dentist still gives me some anxiety.
i used to be a hardcore, six-months-to-the-day dentist visitor.
but it's been over a year - getting insurance squared away was a little crazy.
i want clean teeth (such a great feeling)...but are they okay?

i'm actually kind of nervous.
will the new dentist 'like' my teeth?
have my teeth been good to me this past year?
have i been good to my teeth this past year?
are they cavity free?
did i brush and floss often enough?
are my gums healthy?

here's hoping for a clean bill of dental health for my pearly whites.

pretty, huh? i'm that excited about clean teeth. :)

new things and delightful things

per my last post and my 'new thing' goal, trying new things is easier said than done.
yesterday, i learned a new thing about myself.
i am not good with coming up with 'stuff' to do.
tuesday's new thing was sad...i tried something new with my hair.
whoa! shocking, i know.
i tried to put it in two braids like i saw pictured in a magazine.
but after many attempts, my arms were weak and my fingers said 'who cares?'
so i did two normal braids.
boo. :(
today, i tried (again) to crochet.
two birthdays ago, my parents gave me a crocheting for dummies book, a pack of hooks and some cute yarn.
over the last two years, i have tried to 'work the needles' - which reminds me of the part in 'never been kissed' when drew barrymore's character reminds gus that she (senorita josie) helped him work the needles.
anywho...the hooks/needles don't seem to like working with me. i need a senorita josie to show me the error of my crocheting ways. my goal is that maybe by winter, i will have something that can keep my warm - a scarf, a hat, a coaster -- i'm not picky.
anyone have tips for how they learned how to crochet? people say it's easy and i am fairly dextrous - but can't seem to get it. any suggestions would be helpful.

now, instead of dwelling on negatives, like my inability to braid my hair in new ways or my inability to 'work the needles', i wanted to highlight some things that have brightened my life and kept me kinda busy with all this free time.
~*~the homemade pork fried rice my husband whipped up lat night - super bad for me to eat but absolutely delicious
~*~generic orange creamsicles from safeway - yum, yum - and it's 'healthier' than fried rice :)
~*~michael buble's new cd, call me irresponsible - his song 'everything' is too cute.
~*~planning a crafty project using our wedding response cards, some modge podge and our kitchen tabletop
~*~writing cards to friends and family - because who doesn't love getting snail mail
~*~hanging out with the treadmill - we're getting somewhere and i think we could be friends after a few more visits
~*~walking the loop at our local park and chit-chatting with matt
~*~tv on dvd (office, a.d., friends) - the ultimate cure for boredom on hot days
~*~thinking of fun things for matt and i to do this summer - baseball games, 4th of july festivities, concerts in the park, etc. :)
~*~browsing all my cookbooks for summery new recipes to try out for din-din
~*~attempting to clean up - then finding an old box and reminiscing about all the pictures, cards and fun stuff inside.
~*~dinner with college friends - okay, it's tonight - but i'm excited and it is making me happy
hope you are all having a lovely wednesday full of delightful things.
also...if you have any fun, creative ideas for hobbies/things to do - let me know. :)

summer(free)time

hi all.
happy summer.
as my last post indicated, the 06-07 school year has come to a close.
i spent the good part of last week digging through my cupboards and filing cabinets - filtering through all of the junk of mine and teachers of years past. it is now (kind of) organized. i turned in my key to the principal on friday evening...and i can't go back until august.

i have almost two months of completely free time.
sounds great...right?
i'm not so sure yet.

as awful as it sounds, i don't know what to do with myself when i don't have a routine.
without work...what time do i get up?
if i get up early, i don't know what to do all day.
if i sleep in, i feel like a groggy and lazy bum.
spending the summer watching tv would sure pass the time...but i don't want to spend the whole summer inside watching tv on our one channel.

and today, during my first real day of vacation, i have come to the realization that i need to find things to do. and i came to a second realization - i don't really have any 'hobbies' or things i like to do all by myself. almost everything i've done in my free time has been with the husband because free time opportunities was few and far between.

this summer, i'm looking for things to do. in a homage to a favorite episode of 'friends' called the one with all the resolutions, where ross decides to try one new thing everyday, i might try to follow in his footsteps and try new things this summer. and, since i am having trouble coming up with ideas, i'd love some suggestions of things you all do to pass away the free time - you just might inspire me to find a new hobby or two. :)

so...in honor of this 'new thing' goal - i did something today that i haven't done for a loooong time. in an effort to establish some healthy habits and tone up a little bit, i went to the little gym room in our apartment complex. running is definitely not a new activity for me...but it felt very foreign to my out-of-shape body.
i lasted on the elliptical machine for about 10 minutes before my legs felt like jell-o. i then attempted the treadmill - not as bad, but the jell-o legs made moving a little difficult. i feel okay right now and i even want to go back tomorrow - ahcing muscles or not. :)
i'll leave you with a post-workout photo that highlights a source of much mocking during my years on the track team in high school. when my hair is back in a ponytail and i get a little sweaty around the hairline, the ringlet curls from my youth rear their frizzy little heads and create, what one former team-mate called, the 'jill halo'. happy monday all. :)

good-bye...'til august

my last day of my first year of teaching was on friday.

the days leading up to it were busy and full - but a great end to a pretty good first year.

we recited silly poems in the talent show, played games in the arbuckle olympics (yay costa rica!), had a reading party, wrote about what we learned, slurped dripping (sugar free) popsicles, cleaned the classroom and shared our favorite things about first grade.

in the last few minutes, i gave each of them a book of their very own and they were giddy with glee to have their own book, especially one specially picked for them by their teacher. they read the notes i wrote them and were so thankful.

that is when the tears first welled.

then it was time to say good-bye.

that is when the tears decided to come - great timing, huh?
through my blubbering, i think i managed to thank them for being such wonderful arbuckle scholars and told them i would miss them all summer. i made them promise me to visit when they were in second grade. some of them asked, 'will you remember us when we are in second grade?" and i, while crying, promised them that i would never forget them.

how could i forget the kids who helped me to learn patience, compassion, and gentleness. who made me laugh and fume...all in the same minute. who listened intently and gave me chance, even when i felt absolutely clueless. who tried so hard and learned so much.

they are incredible.

and i will never forget them.

thanks for a wonderful year, smart sharks of room b-07.

movin'...but where?

howdy...we're home.
and have been for almost a week.
and, due to a busy week and uncertainty of how to write what i've been thinking, it has taken me this long to articulate it all into something resembling complete sentences.

so...here's what has been swirling around my head all week:
1. we live in the bay area.
2. we both have good jobs and earn a decent amount of money, considering our respective careers.
3. no matter how hard we try, it looks like we cannot afford a home in the bay area without paying off loans and making significant payments for the next 30+ years.
4. we'd like to own a home someday, with enough room to have a family and a yard for our little kiddos to play in.
5. problem: the bay area cannot provide that for us.

so we have begun looking elsewhere for places to live.

as i have mentioned (and have then failed to follow-up on), we took trips to boise, idaho and austin, texas to see what those areas have to offer. we'd heard good things from family and friends and decided to check it out for ourselves. and, after both visits, we realized some very important and positive things about both areas:
1. they have job options for the husband and i (more in austin...but there are still options).
2. homes are cheap (by comparison) and we could move into a beautiful house that we could grow into as we start and raise a family.
3. both have great downtown areas, minor league sporting teams (i do enjoy some good minor league athletics), and many other neat things to do that appeal to our interests.

after all the positive things about both places, there is still something that is keeping me from jumping on the 'let's move out of state' bandwagon. after many talks/discussions with matt about all this, i've narrowed it all down to my desire to make everyone happy ~ matt, myself, my family, his family, my friends, his friends, etc.
something we enjoy now is how accessible our families and friends are. if we want to see them, we can just hop in the car and drive (for 40 minutes or 2 hours) and we're there. it's been wonderful to have such close proximity to the people we care about most. we've talked about how nice it would be to have our families close by when we start a family - we want our children to know their grandparents well. and i know my mom would love for us to stay in california for the same reason. we've also looked at sacramento (very near my parents and not far from matt's), but it's also a little more expensive than we can afford.
i keep going back and forth about what factors to consider when we're looking for a new community. jobs are important - we need to be able to find good jobs. the housing market is another factor - the more affordable, the better. and, of course, family is important to both of us, but we also need to consider the family that we want to start. do we stay here in california to be close to our families, but maybe live in a condo or apartment? do we move to idaho or texas and see our family infrequently, but live in a nice house? right now, it's been difficult to consider all these factors and attempt to decide where we might live for the next 30 years.
my question to you, my wonderful blog readers, is - how have you balanced all these factors and made your choice? i know many of you have made decisions to move away from what is familiar and known for a chance at a great new opportunity. ultimately, we'll have to sit down and hash it out...but for now, i'll get any wisdom you lovely, travelling people have to offer. :)
happy saturday friends.

yee-haw :)

the long weekend was delightful.
lots of relaxing and good times with the husband and friends.
and then i went back to work.
and worked until 8:00 tonight.
but the reason for the long night is for a good and worthy cause.
we're going on a little vacay.
we're off to texas, y'all. :)
for some community hunting, family visiting and wedding attending.
we're off tomorrow night and return on sunday.
and i hope to have some fun texas pictures upon my return. :)

have a great week.

amy.dina.hilary. :)

i'm fighting some sniffles...but just can't dwell on them after the wonderful weekend i had.
on friday evening, three women who i have grown up with and shared the good/bad/awkward times with came for a visit. we sat, chatted, laughed, ate dinner, took pictures, ate cheesecake, laughed, sipped, shared, and caught up on everything that's transpired since we last met. it was a treat to rest and enjoy their company and listen to them talk about their lives - the good, the bad and the in-between.
at 2 a.m., we turned in...only to depart hours later ('early' for a saturday) for golden gate park. we spent a lovely day wandering, talking, taking (more) pictures, sipping tea (some good, some bad), laughing and enjoying the beauty of the day. we separated (too soon) and went our separate ways, but it was a delight to spend so much time with these women. we've grown up and changed in many ways over the last six years - some could say we're so different. but there's that link, that common bond that keeps us eagerly coming back to eachother whenever we can find the time.
i hope the next time isn't too far away. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(fun pictures coming soon) :)

one

on may 14th, 2006, matt and i were married.
and yesterday, we celebrated a happy first year together as husband and wife. it's hard to believe it's already been a year - but it has been a wonderful journey thus far. sure...it hasn't always been sunshine and roses, but we have grown together and created a strong base for the rest of our lives together. we've learned about each other and i know we'll continue to evolve and change throughout our marriage.

to commemorate this momentous occasion, we did a little celebrating. to satisfy the paper tradition of the first anniversary, we exchanged some books we wanted (this for me and this for him) and then went to dinner in monterey here. we ate in this beautiful room and enjoyed a super delicious and very satisfying meal of steak, garlic mashed potatoes, and vanilla creme brulee. yum yum yum. i'm still stuffed. :)
hope you all have a great week. mine got off to a lovely start with our anniversary...and will end nicely with a visit from three of my oldest and dearest friends.
i think i can safely say life is good. :)

report

as a teacher in the state of california, i am a mandated reporter. this means that if i suspect or witness any behavior that could indicate that a child is being abused, i am required (by law) to report it. i've heard about this in college courses and teacher seminars, but i never thought i'd have to do it. this evening, i did.
to make a long story short, i was at school late tonight and witnessed a mother seriously hurting her child. this child (a fourth grade student at my school) was on the ground, screaming and crying, while his mother kicked him in the back and legs and jabbed her keys into his neck and arms. the mother was being so violent and the child looked resigned to this kind of treatment. i can honestly say i was shocked by what i saw. unsure of what to do (get involved? make my presence known?), i decided to call 911 and see what that could do. i described what i was seeing to the dispatcher and an officer was sent to the school.
by the time the police arrived, the woman and her son were already gone, but other people on campus recognized them as living on a nearby street. i went to the office and found the emergency card with the address and an officer went over there to talk to the family. i gave a statement about what i saw...which was a little nerve wracking as i tried to accurately recall exactly what i saw. i hope it can help the police to ensure this child is safe at home.
i know i did the right thing and am just wondering what's next with all this. will someone press charges? do these kinds of thiings go to court or do they get filed and (sadly) forgotten? i'm just waiting to see where this all goes.
apologies for the serious tone of this post...i know it's not pleasant. it left me a little shaken this evening and i figured getting it out of my mind could help me calm down a bit. i just have to remind myself that i might have helped this kid from future abuses. better to err on the side of caution that let it go.
hope you all have a great rest of the week. :)

past, present, future

brief update of my daily doings. :)
past: busy week (as usual) as we geared up for the big test we take tomorrow. so nerve-wracking for all involved. hopefully all will go well and they will show the state just how smart they are. i swear - they are little whiz-kids but they get choked up on tests. on thursday, my mom and dad stopped by my classroom on their way to visit my sister at college and were tickled at seeing me doing what i tell them about all the time. my kids were equally excited at seeing that i had a mom and dad and they have requested a return visit everyday. they don't quite understand geography yet...we're working on it. :) then, our weekend was spent house-sitting for a friend and watching his defiant (but adorable) dog, inviting friends over for some cinco de mayo festivities (and discovering that two margaritas makes me silly and sleepy...i am a lightweight), and then heading home to relax and start the week all over again.
present: today's forecast promised some beautiful sunshine and clear skies - something we have been lacking during this fairly gloomy spring. today was maybe in the low 90's but, somehow, it feels like the sun is beating down on my little a/c-free classroom.
oh - and the poor children. based on their behavior and their constant moaning ("it's soooooo hot. can't you do anyyyyything?"), you'd think they were being tortured. i had to remind them that, while i am capable of many things, i cannot change the weather. the last moments of the day were spent with heads down, in the dark, taking deep, calming breaths - kind of for them and very much for me. i can't be too upset at a gorgeous day...i just hope it cools down a bit before it gets any warmer. but i suppose it does give me a good excuse to enjoy delicious and cool starbucks frappuccinos. :)
future: so many wonderful and delightful things to look forward to. this weekend, we will pay our moms some visits to thank them for being amazing. then, monday (the 14th) is our one year anniversary and we are headed out of town for a nice dinner by the coast. i cannot believe it has already been a year. it feels like we've been married longer, but at the same time the wedding seems like it just happened. does that make sense? who knows...i'm suffering from mild heatstroke. and then...to add to this weekend/week of goodness - i get to see some of my most favorite people in the world for a mini-weekend of catching up, eating well and laughing until our sides hurt.
even on the days when things seem a little nuts, it's nice to sit down and reflect on the good, the not-so-good and the greatness to come. hope you all have a wonderful week. :)

yawn...and a meme

i'm a little tired.
last week wore me out.
apparently, the weekend was not long enough.
this week isn't too busy...yet.
it's only monday.
can't believe it's almost may.
and i also can't believe we've been married for almost a year.
how time flies...especially when you're having fun and loving life. :)
all is well.
that's all for now.
so i will leave you, my special (and few) readers, with a mindless meme. :)
happy week to you all.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Either/Or

james brown or marvin gaye? the marvin - of course. so many lovely memories of friends and groovin to 'let's get it on' at mel's. :)
chinese or indian takeout? indian - yum, yum yum!
fleece or knitted blanket? i love fleece - better coverage and it's oh so soft. :)
girls with makeup or without? depends - some people can go without - i like a little concealer for those 'problem' days. :/
costco or whole foods? costco - if only for the free family membership and their delicious lunch menu (i love the pizza, hot dogs and cheap sodas). also, my husband amusingly calls whole foods 'whole paycheck.
wildflowers or arrangements? wildflowers.
tradition or shakeups? tradition...i'm a traditional old lady at heart.
cello or trumpet? cello - i love the sound of strings.
watch-wearing or no? when i remember. i have a fun nike watch. but, i sometimes feel like my left side is too 'busy' with my wedding bands and the watch. weird...but true.
salt water or fresh (for swimming)? fresh - the taste of salt water makes me feel icky.
pants or shorts? pants - but my all-time favorite is capris (or 'sh-pants' (as in short pants) as my dad calls them. shorts are only for hot days when pants simply will not do.
chatspeak or absolutely NOT? not sure what 'chatspeak' is - does it mean 'lol' and things like that? i think i'm too old - i'm not a twelve anymore.
digital camera or old-school? digital - i love to be able to take as many pictures as i want and save/delete as i choose. and it helps me make sure my eyes are open - i am a notorious picture blinker. :(
wireless or plugged in? we have two laptops and i am so anal about not letting the battery die that i am 'plugged in' all the time. matt is trying to break me of the habit because it's bad for the laptop battery. i'm taking baby steps.
waltz or tango? tango - more fun? i have zero dance training =- but i think the tango could allow some room for creativity? i'll have to ask my mom which is more fun, seeing as she is an avid (and closeted) dancing with the stars fan.
brian williams or anderson cooper? anderson cooper - i remember when he was on the reality show 'the mole' a few years ago. i liked it, so i like him. :)
time or newsweek? um...entertainment weekly? :)
waterbed or mattress? mattress - particularly, our 'homemade' memory foam bed. my husband, the nerdy engineer, did a bunch of research and recreated a fancy pants memory foam bed.
cream and sugar or not? i like whatever is in girly starbucks mochas. so, yes - bring on the cream and sugar and whatever else they put in. :)
iTunes or something else? no iPod (and i the only one left without one?) so i get my music fix with the radio and my outdated cd collection.
scented candles or unscented? mildly scented - nothing too overwhelming or it can give me a headache.
prairie or mountain? mountains - especially on a sunny, summer day. :)
socks or barefoot? socks in winter, flip-flops in summer (so quasi barefoot) and barefoot inside only.
matt damon or ben affleck? i'll say matt damon - he's alright to look at and i like most of his movies.
wool or cotton? cotton - nice, comfy and easily cleaned in the washing machine.
willow tree or pine? pine - i love the smell of pine trees. :)
gerald ford or jimmy carter? jimmy carter - i admire his humanitarian and overseas work.
france or italy? italy - such a lovely (and delicious) place
electric or gas stove? i like gas...except for when i lived in a drafty old house and the pilot light went out every other day.
thrift store or outlet? outlet - thrift stores are fun and i've had some luck...but it gets a little frustrating when you can't find the right size.
japanese garden or english garden? english - i love all things english.
sophia loren or liz taylor? liz taylor - she (and the other stars of that hollywood era) fascinates me.

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.