What a year

There were vacation adventures...

pedaling a tandem bike through wine country=best idea ever

and parties and picnics...

someone turned 30!

there were races to cheer for...

and 5 days of warmth and sunshine...

I love waking up in the morning to decisions of:

which beach? which pool? which drink for your glass?

there was a garden that turned a hodgepodge of this and that...

Super successful ignoring my garden and then seeing what happens

-isn't that Dill plant gone to seed beautiful?

Midly successful Tomatillo Growing

-once I realized I need to buy more than 1 plant- opps

Not successful at all? red tomatoes...got lots of green ones

-but then contributed to the local economy as I went on a tomato hunt

and then there were the projects...

inspired by the cutting of the cable company cord (and pinterest of course) we spent less time on the couch and more time creating.

The piles and piles of Roasted Peppers I peeled: still have 1 jar of soup left!

The shirt sleeves I made better: the beginning of a trend

The lonely ol' TV we found on the side of the road. After removing the parts we don't need and a thorough cleaning, this will one day be home to the coolest fish tank ever

I can't believe Jesse talked me into a fish tank, just hoping I can convince him to wait till we get into a home, cause no one wants to move that.

Excited for what this year will bring

celebrating half a decade

crossing off my 50th state

and a big change coming up

"Spicy" Parsnip Soup

spoiler alert: this turned out not so spicy

So Jesse headed out of town for work- must mean that Winter is officially here. So glad not to be him and his working in 15* temperatures and pulling 16 hour days and what not. I'll take my toddlers over that anytime.

After a hectic day out East at Mamas Christmas (no drama this year- unusual) Sunday was spent in jammies at the stove. I climbed into my favorite apron, poured myself a big glass of wine and got to cooking.

Found my recipe here courtesy of Pinterest. Have I mentioned how much i heart Pinterest. Its addicting and I love it, clearly.

Confession: Never purchased a parsnip before, was a bit surprised to discover they look just like big white carrots.

Remembered how much I hate chopping Veggies. Jesse usually does this task. Decide to pretend I'm like one of those TV chefs. Amazed I didn't chop off a finger in this process.

Confession #2: I don't peel veggies, ever. A good scrubbing and I figure any dirt that's left on is good for ya right? I do think this lack of peeling made my finished product a little more brown than bright yellow. No problem, just add more Tumeric. Which may quickly become my new favorite seasoning- even if it did stain my immersion blender.

Any good soup is best served in my favorite Soup Mug accompanied by crunchy bread :)

The verdict: The soup was not spicy enough for its billing of "Spicy Parsnip Soup" Added some smoked paprika, salt/pepper and finally stirred in a generous pour of hot sauce-mmmm much better.

Will it makes it's way into my rotation of favorite soups? Nah, but it did taste good and it did make my house smell yummy.

Next up: Potato Leek

Avoiding the Winter Blues

its no secret that Winter and I have a love/hate relationships (although the percentages more closely resemble 20/80- on a good day)

I have a plan

to distract me from the quiet house

of a man who travels for work in the winter

then skis all the god damn time he is home

just kidding, kind of, not really

to combat the dreary cold gray of the environment

to inspire me to get out of bed in the morning

It mostly involves cooking projects, but I heart the way a simmering pot of soup fills up a whole house with love.

Gonna double, triple, quadruple recipes to fill up the big silver pot. Look out friends: I envision jars of soup ending up on doorsteps throughout the city.

Hoping I am able to Can some it, perhaps to end up on doorsteps in far away places.

Recipes I'm most excited for:

Mexican lentil Stew

Spicy Chipotle Bean Soup

Butternut Pear Curry Bisque

now doesn't that sound fancy?!

Starting today with Spicy Parsnip soup. My first time ever buying a parsnip...they look like albino carrots. Fingers Crossed, deep breath and go!

I have a problem

a crafty problem...

I keep getting inspired (damn you pinterest)

and then I decide some of my clothes would work best with a bit of altering

and then my craft room has grown into an exploded disaster of half completed projects

The old shirt turned into purse: still have to attach the handle and add some finishing touches to make it pretty

The sweater: almost ready for the second armhole!

The skirt that has been stapled together one too many times

and then I went shopping

and fell in love with an adorable halter dress- except I want to wear it as a skirt. No problem. But that is how a skirt is stuck on my sewing maching in the middle of getting 4 inches hacked off the top

Oh and then I found another dress- beautiful fabric, way, way too short. So I've hacked off the top, and have plans to combine it with some other fabric and turn it into a classic circle skirt with some cleverly placed ruffles at the bottom

And then there's the sweater I've been wearing for 2 years that I originally thought- this will make for a clever wrap sweater, I just need to add a couple buttons or belt. Well I've got one and a half buttons added- wondering if I can get away with safety pinning it the rest of the way (but that is how I got into trouble with the above mentioned stapled skirt)

Love that my creativity is flowing, but Oy! Need a bit of focusing

the only way to describe it

a funk

thats how i've been feeling lately. Annoyances at work, grumpy coworkers, a busy schedule, changing seasons away from my beloved summer, lack of inspiration blah blah blah.

Making a concerted effort to remedy this

Things I'm excited about...

potted herbs on my window sill: As I tore down the garden (damn you end of summer) I kept a few roots together. Now the blossoms of lavender, sage and oregano make me smile as I open the curtains every morning. Ohhhh and remind me I need to save the rosemary I keep forgetting about thats still braving the elements

firepits and friends: its become a Halloween tradition to gather around the firepit, enjoy some hot beverages and laugh at the trick or treaters. My favorite costume of the evening: teenage boys who taped balloons all over their shirts. But these weren't just any balloons they were grouped together representing a chemical bond. They were Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide. Yes you teenagers get extra candy for creativity!

TED: one more week- wahoo wahoo!!! Getting into the mood by reading some TEDey books. Warning the library now- here i come!

morning sunshine: as much as i HATE how the time change affects my kiddos at school, I love, love, love opening the windows to sunshine in the morning. Its a tradeoff I'll gladly make- even if it means its dark on my drive home :( There is nothing better than starting the day off with sunshine

Saturday morning possibilities

Saturday morning always start with a big cup of coffee (or 3) and dreams about

the weekend...

figuring out how this new Nook thing works

and borrowing many books from the library

making inaugural big ol pot of soup for distract-athon 11/12

this is my new plan to keep myself excited/busy when Jesse is up on the

hill saving crazy skiers from certain doom. Yes it starts early. This

weekend he is out and about getting dropped off in the middle of the

woods with a compass and a pat on the back- good luck!

Thinking of starting with Corn Chowder...but multiplying the batch a

bit. Want to have leftovers for canning after I eat my fill this weekend.

finally going through that atrocious pile in the basement. Furniture Bank...get ready for me

procuring some new clothes. Cause its no longer summer. Oh and picture day is coming up. If I have to convince 12 wiggly toddlers to look at the camera (preferably smiling, but will settle for no fingers in noses, no pulling their neighbors hair and not running around the room) I get new clothes for the occasion!

sewing the purse that I started months ago. I think its about 75% done, maybe, hopefully

ohhhh and diving in to my newest library aquisition from Rachael Herron. I heart her. A lot

and I should probably finish pulling the garden...got most of the goodies out already but there still some odds and ends that are lonely out there. Pulling the garden feels like admitting summer is really over :( and a lot less fun then buying new clothes

5 years ago

this past weekend I once again loaded everything I owned up in my car and headed out cross country.

I was excited

to start a new/old job

to be surrounded by family and friends

to be in a place that was easier

I was nervous

to leave a project I poured my whole into

was I giving up and running away?

would my new outlook on life blend into my old life?

I was shaking

from the caffeine required to drive 1180 miles by myself

from the rumbling in my car as i coaxed it over the mountains again

from the snowflakes in October

(still in denial about this changing climates thing I only packed skirts)

I was grateful

to friends who welcomed me into their home

to a brother who met me halfway so I had a partner in crime

for having spending a year in a wonderful place and having an adventure

I was worried

that I was making a mistake

that I would regret not pushing through the hard part

that I was giving up

How has it already been 5 years?

I still listen to my fav radio station

I still crave the tacos and the coffee

(and am greatly disappointed they're so hard to find)

I still close my eyes and remember the view during my commute home

5 years and I don't regret it

I have wonderful memories of my adventures

I have confidence in knowing I can hack it by myself

In Cali I grew into myself. I sorted out my beliefs from my families and my friends and traditions that were taught to me. I decided who I was and what is important to me- what I value. What I want from life.

Those 14 months will always stand out as precious time to me. But I'm so glad to be here. To have that adventure and to have made it back home.

time to take a breath

I knew it was going to be one of those crazy busy weekends where you hit the ground running and actually look forward to Sunday evening and a return to normalcy...but I still loved it

Goodbye Friday Night date nights

the calm before the storm

buying dessert and drinks but no 'real food'

finishing a not so great movie just cause we had already invested an

hour into it

Goodbye country drive

Jesse needs lots more "practice" driving the fancy new work car and I need to find the perfect hair taming scarf for our convertible rides

Goodbye Family Time

Thrice in 2 days

the drama made me laugh

baby snuggles make it worth it

thankful for...excuses to make new recipes

plotting who gets to fill empty seats at the cool table

Taking a breath and gearing up for a new work:

a new kiddo in the room who seems to enjoy screaming No!

carving out 60 minutes for me, my aching shoulders and my masseuse

continuing work on the project, 100 rows in and its starting to take shape! Just ignore the fact that I seem to have lost 20 stitches

I'm excited...

Homemade Applesauce in the fridge: thanks Mama!

Upcoming dinners with family and friends

The return of sunshine and warm days!

A trip to the co-op to stock up on rice and beans

and finally having a restocked pantry

Catching up on friends travel adventures

and debriefing

Starting a new project

3 rows in and i'm feeling good about it. Just ignore that my test block

was 2 inches too big...should make for an interesting finished piece.

Remembering

I was working in the library. In between quarters its rather dull. Few patrons, lots of time sitting behind the counter and sharing gossip. We made a game of it "As the Pages Turn" life and times in the library system.

I remember someone coming in and telling us something happened in New York.

I remember cursing the computers that didn't load web pages fast enough.

I remember being grateful a dear friend recently left NY to move to Ohio.

I remember frantically making phone calls to those I loved.

I remember it was easier to reach my soldier in Korea than the one on the East Coast.

I left work early. Best boss ever said Of Course when I said I needed to go home. Watched tv for a few hours, but had to get away from it. Went the only place it made sense, the only place it ever makes sense for me to be...the beach.

Well the trucked in sandy patch nestled next to the man made lake a few miles north of us. We actually had plans to go that afternoon- a whole crew of us. Slowly the calls came in cancelling the plans. I never understood why. I told them I was still going. They were shocked.

I sat on the beach for hours. Basking in the warmth of the sun. Still playing phone tag and feeling frustrated with busy signals.

I remember the fear of not knowing when this would end.
of wondering what it would mean,

of wondering what would come next,
of what our response would be,

and what it would mean for those I love dearly.

But at the beach at least something made sense. The water lapped onto the shore, the sand felt crunchy beneath my feet. It was familiar, if I closed my eyes I could pretend I was at my childhood beach, where everything was still the same.

We have this book we read at school When Sophie Gets Angry my favorite line is towards the end as the little girl deals with her angry and begins to calm down- The whole wide world comforts her

I left the beach feeling better, promising myself if need be I could return in a few hours.

I had spent the summer working in a classroom of toddlers. My job was finished, but I thought of them. These lil ones have no idea how the world just changed. They won't be able to remember where they were when this happened.

Now I work with toddlers every day. These lil ones weren't even a glimmer in their parents eye when 9/11 happened. These little ones are so far removed from this event. An event that sticks out so clearly in my mind.

They'll read about it in history books and hear stories passed down. But they won't feel the reaction like I do when I hear 9/11. They can't pause and remember where they were when the news was broadcast. They'll have their own way of commemorating our history- but they won't know what it was like to be living that day. They'll never know the innocence and invincibility that they missed.

a new beginning

Labor Day. The official last day of summer. Trying not to be too disappointed.

I love the long lazy days

I love the eating late dinners while its still light outside

I love the warmth (especially when it stays under 90)

I love the picnics outside

I love the random festivals

I love the last minute get togethers with friends

I love dreaming of my garden (even when it has a bad year)

I love the apron wearing, stove top destroying action of creating pasta sauce

I love the constant rearranging of glass jars to create enough space

Trying to look forward to Fall. A new beginning.

Excited for new kiddos in the classroom

Excited for pulling long forgotten favorites of out the closet

Excited for boots and sweaters and scarves

Excited for open windows and blowing breezes

Excited for falling leaves and jumping in piles

Excited for bonfires (and wine)

Excited for football season

(how i love the excuse to see my family every weekend)

Excited for built in craft time and encouraging the runners to make it to C deck

Excited for potlucks and trying new dishes

Dress a palooza

So theres this wedding coming up. Bridesmaid dresses are needed. Hence the beginning of dressapalooza. We walked away with a few good finds and some rather amusing finds...

cute lil number with an interesting top half

yes one is required to pose like a ballerina while wearing pastely pink

speaking of pink, did you notice the one shoulder flower action?

and then there was this dress. Perhaps this is why the sales lady asked if I was looking for a Homecoming Dress

Did you see the shoulder bow? And the flower like bottom half of the skirt?? OMG!!!

But the favorite of the evening...

picture sneakily taken in dressing room in direct violation of "no pictures policy" Hence the weird back gapping of trying to hold the unzipped dress together with one hand while taking a picture with the other all while avoiding extra perky sales lady.

this is the story of a shirt

So way back when we cut our cable I dreamt of all the projects I could do with the lack of distractions.

It turned out to be more accurately describes as "all the projects I could start"

But this lil one actually got finished and got finished on the same day it got started!

I have this shirt, its a shirt I love.

I hate the sleeves.

They are barely there and poofy

It's like they couldn't make up their minds, either be a sleeve or be gone!

So I decided to make up their minds for them...

ignore the pit stains. i get to play outside

2 hours every day. in the summer that means

i sweat. a lot. but also have a rad farmers tan

My original thought plan:

I had this old hideous shirt that had normal, ordinary white sleeves. Simply remove them from the hideous shirt and stitch them onto my fav.

Then I realized, hmmm that shirt wasn't ever white, and especially isn't white after being worn/subjected to the mess of toddlers/laundered for 2 years.

Really didn't want to have to buy new fabric. After rummaging through boyfriends closet, then my closet I found a rather fetching looking blue. Not quite matchy matchy, but imagined it would look interesting as a transition piece to my new sleeves.

drum roll....

I think I love the sleeves. We'll wait for a trip through the laundry to confirm. The blue/white/blue seams are sewn on the outside so they'll frey a bit which I'm excited about. Plus now there are you know, actual sleeves on the shirt!

oh and that basket up there on the right?

yeah thats 1 of 3 baskets

trying to contain the mess of projects in process

Goodbye Weekend...

Goodbye mischief at wine tastings

and getting the last (very large) pour of my favorite

Goodbye nightcap on the patio

vodka (even amazing honey vanilla bean vodka) is still not my friend

Goodbye waking up with no plans

and dreaming of all the fun we can get into

Goodbye long conversations over brunch/lunch/dinner

and secret whispers across the table

Goodbye people watching

my fav outfit: red white and blue...pasty white guy, blue apron and

red thong...yikes

Goodbye water bottles filled with adult beverages

my beer+lemon juice creation=yummy! plus it masked the taste of beer

Goodbye project starting

chalkboard paint mixed with wood glue does in fact stick to glass

old tvs will make for great fishtanks

realizing we have way way way too many books

Hello Week!

Looking forward to

working only 3.5 days

afternoon wine tastings

a trip to the car spa

a fridge full of fresh veggies

and a house guest this weekend wahoo!

inspired by

a little game

I like to play this time of the year

how long can we go without forced climate controlled air

Technically we've already lost this game (several times) due to 85* weather and a certain someones insistence that 80* is too hot for a home. I might agreed, but only due to the fact that my classroom wasn't temperature controlled yet. And the worst is sweating all day while chasing toddlers and coming home to a sweaty house.

However, the ac is officially back off and the game is officially back on!

I see it as a challenge (although I'm not as hard core as certain friends who may or may not refuse to turn the ac on until august)

As Spring begins I turn off the heat and play the game of opening the curtains, sun warming up the house to avoid turning on the heat. More reasons to snuggle under blankets right? We cook long meals in hot ovens just to add some warmth to our home.

As it gets warmer I begrudgingly close the curtains. Blocking out the sunlight I love for the sake of the game. Once the sun goes down (or to the other side of the house) windows flung wide open, fans placed appropriately to draw in cool air.

In the mornings I eagerly see how much I can get the house to cool down before heading into work. Today what started at 71.5, was all the way down to 68.5 before I left- victory!

I love having a second story house, cause second story windows can be left open all day letting cool air circulate. I love being "forced" to sit on the patio after work when the house is too warm to sit inside. Oh and the torture of having to drink a glass of chilled wine to cool down.

teaching toddlers wreaks havoc on my nails

or why I don't get pedicures

During my break yesterday I glanced down and noticed horror of horrors my previously fabulously painted dark purple toenails look like they had been run through a sand blaster.

Nope just my toddlers

and their constant stepping on my toes

and their needing to drive small cars across my feet

and their lack of body awareness, oh were you standing there?

as they drive their bikes around and around (and over my feet)

not to mention the sandbox and its need for a teacher to sit in it to supervise, lest we start throwing sand at our friends, or like the curious move I watched yesterday as a certain lil guy sat with his mouth wide open, tongue hanging out as a friend 'wiped' sand off his tongue (ignoring the fact that her hand was equally covered in mud)

or the mulch piles where we dig for worms, grubs and roly poly bugs

These forces combine to create "hazardous working conditions" for my painted toes.

Some would say I could just wear close toed shoes. Ha! If I'm going to be outside for 2 hours each day, I will have fabulous flip flop tan lines!!!

I heart Summer

Sandled feet in the grass, flip flop tan lines

New picnic baskets filled with snacks and

grownup beverages (some more concealed than others)

Playing the game: vintage woodstock or from a thrift store

New views in familiar places

Makes me happy

***

cause what makes me happy is the best part of the tradition

a tradition

Sad Monster, Glad Monster is a favorite in my classroom right now. One each page the monster tells us all the things that make him sad, glad, angry, silly...

We have a tradition. After we read each page, we all close our eyes, take a deep breath and (mostly) one at a time tell each other what makes us feel...

Surprise fresh flowers in my delivered produce, coming home to a clean kitchen, peeks of sunshine after long rainy days

make me glad

Long rainy days, saying goodbye, parents who ignore the fun stories of their kids adventures and focus on but did you "learn anything today"

make me sad

Jumping in puddles, winning penny slot machine games, shaking glitter onto posterboard (and the living room rug)

make me silly

Broken windows, parents who let their children play in the middle of the street, waiters who ignore my table then don't collect my payment expecting me to find the hidden register myself

make me angry (and find themselves footing my bill)

Friends headed for far away places, unexpected noises in the middle of the night and threats of tornadoes

make me worried (not necessarily b/c of the impending destruction,

rather the nightmare of entertaining toddlers in a dark basement

hallway for hours on end)

tidbits from our trip

It's still funny when the border guys ask if I'm carrying personal protection

Even funnier when the border guys ask how we know each other (insert slightly inappropriate comment about the reason for personal protection)

IHOP in our hotel=best thing ever. Pancakes and coffee in jammies is a perfect way to start the day

The weather at the falls reminds me of Cali. Cool, misty kinda gross in the morning. Cleared away by noon. Afternoon of sunshine with white puffy clouds

Lots of walking and long bike rides hopefully have combated the large amount of yummy food I consumed

A plastic bag does keep the camera safe from crazy misting spray and makes for rather "artistic" photos

Mixing traditional tourist activities with sun filled afternoon walks is a great balance to the day

Baked Goat Cheese and Red Wine really is the best thing since sliced bread

Wine country makes my heart happy

Goodbye Weekend...

Goodbye bottle of wine with dinner

and falling asleep soon after

Goodbye early morning alarm

and stupidly forgetting to turn it off

Goodbye cheering for 55K of my closest friends

and planning for next year- pink tulle, streamers and more glitter

Goodbye celebrations

of life, of upcoming births and 75 years

Goodbye card playing shenanigans

and prize bartering

Goodbye lazy Sundays

brunch, nap, dinner with friends

Goodbye weekend chores

found in my car: 3 tupperwares containers of black ooze, 2 winter hats,

a pair of mittens, a half full bottle of wine, 3 flip flops and a blanket that

still sheds sand if you shake hard enough

Goodbye late night conversations

and how far our responsibility as a society extends

Goodbye road trip planning

maps, snacks and detours

Hello Beautiful Week!

Looking forward to a quick 11 hours of work, road trip commencing,

wandering around wine country, and getting a stamp in my passport

Inspired By

but how

do I manage to accomplish anything during the day?

20 minutes into the day, a couple parents are dropping their kiddos off. Make small talk. Say hello to kiddos. Delight over birthday pictures. Interrupted by screams.

Hooligan #1 (of the day) didn't like the way innocent bystander was glancing at him. Proceeds to get her to move by grabbing a chunk of her hair and removing it from her head.

Hugs for the bystander. Stern looks for the Hooligan. Have the audacity to insist that he check on the bystander. Statement was met by screams and running away. Chase him down. Screaming/now thrashing hooligan carried back to the scene of the crime and made to sit and wait until he was ready to check on said toddler.

Remember those parents in the room? They called out have a good day as they quickly scampered out during the screaming/thrashing

an hour later. Damn rain. Forced to get gross motor time inside. In order to get to the indoor playspace we must negotiate a very tall flight of stairs. Damn architect.

Hooligan #2 (for the day) nearly pushes Hooligan #1 down the flight over very tall stairs. Once heart recovers I have the audacity again to insist that Hooligan #2 check on Hooligan #1. Although my suspicion is that he deserved it. We all wait in the stairwell until Hooligan #2 decides he is finally ready to admit defeat and check on his friend.

an hour later. Diaper changing time. a conversation

Do you want to sit on the potty

No! No! No!!!!!

ok fine. diaper off, quick wipe, diaper back on

Screaming/Thrashing/how dare you put my diaper back on!/Trying to throw myself off this here changing table

Move thrashing body onto floor so at least she wont fall from 3 feet in the air.

What do you need?

Cream! Cream! I need cream!

Check diaper region...no rash.

Sorry, but you don't need cream. You are just fine. Reapply diaper

Screaming/Thrashing/Removing diaper once again

Potty! Potty! Sit on potty!

Stare in disbelief

Remember when you screamed No NO NO! to the potty?

Not going to sit you on the potty now. I understand you are a woman and it is your prerogative to change your mind. However this is an important life lesson. Sometimes when you change you mind, you don't always get your way. Let me know when you are ready for you diaper. You can stay here until then.

**Crossing my fingers that she doesn't decide to 'try the potty' on the floor

Now i totally could have saved myself some heartache and just let her sit on the damn potty. However I know this child and I know this is how the operates. She would continue to find something to be dramatic about. Boundaries have to exist for a reason. We're 2 and we unfortunately are still discovering this.

Oh and we totally tried this stunt again during the next diaper change. At least there was less drama. Perhaps we're learning?

A storm is coming!

Were in the midst of our 3rd day of "severe weather" is coming.

Thanks weatherman, but wind/sprinkling rain does not really equal severe weather. Sure the clouds look menacing, but I'll still bundle up the kiddos and head outside. Whereas severe weather finds me hunkered down in the basement.

We've been leaving the classroom door open in the afternoon. Loving the fresh breeze and watching the weather.

Some of the kiddos noticed the wind and began chanting

A storm is coming, a storm is coming

I love storms! but only at school (guess who plays up their parents at home?)

I love thunder! When is it going to be loud?

Apparently they don't remember that severe weather often leads to us sitting (with no toys/books/puzzles) in the basement hallway. Maybe instead they are remembering this

Being a teacher of toddler I'm not kidding myself. They are most likely simply caught up in their friends excitement. They most likely have no idea that they are cheering for the thunder to start. Had it started (like the weatherman said) I'm sure it would have been quickly followed by loud wailing from my toddler room. But for now, we'll pretend to be brave

Goodbye Weekend...

Goodbye last minute visits with friends:

and uber yummy cheese and wine

Goodbye crafty errands:

4 shops in 3 hours, favorite purchase? 1 lb of glitter!!!

Goodbye afternoon naps listening to rain outside the window:

and the utter confusion when the alarm goes off

Goodbye holidays services and baptisms:

3 hours of rituals...at some point they lose their impact

Goodbye late night runs for frosties:

cause after a 3 hr service, we deserve it!

Goodbye lazy mornings

and making up for it with late night laundering

Goodbye family holiday dinner:

some made us laugh, some made us want to scream,

and as always the kiddos stole the show

Hello Beautiful Week!

Looking forward to: only 4 days with kiddos, a day of "professional development", starting to use the lb of glitter! and the first trip to the farmers market (okay thats on the weekend, but I can't wait!)

inspired by

We're 3 weeks in

Well it looks like this tornado season is kicking off swimmingly. After last fall's adventures of huddling in the basement hallway with 12 toddlers, I get slightly anxious when tornado weather is coming. My ears are tuned into the silence, just waiting to hear those god damn sirens.

Those sirens that mean stop whatever your doing, convince the kiddos to stop whatever they are doing. Walk do not run down the long hallway to the basement. Where toddlers must be entertained with whatever I can find in my pockets. Hair barrettes on a good day, lint on a not so good day.

Well last night the sirens went off. Thank God is was 2:30 am not 2:30 pm. Thank God!

Instead of waking up 12 toddlers and convincing them to follow me down the hall, I only had to wake up 1 Jesse. Although a bit like my toddlers...

He grumbled as I woke him up.

He stumbled down the hallway and stairs, collapsing into a heap on the floor.

He wrapped the blanket around forming his own little cocoon in the cold dark basement.

He questioned my sanity asking Why? and did not like my response of "Cause we have too"

Thank God it was 2:30 am.

Although for the record, Franklin County...can we work on this tornado siren thingy. I don't mind them when there is an actual threat. But when the storm passes and then the sirens start I begin to believe its a bit of malarkey. I'm all for safety. But I'm not all for this hiding out in a basement thing unless i really really have to.

Goodbye Weekend...

Inspired by Your Best Beautiful

Goodbye waking up to houseguests on the couch:

sure sign of a fun night before

Goodbye dreaming of July gardens:

the sprouts seem so little compared to their summer glory

Goodbye last years harvest:

the last of the green tomatoes making salsa verde

Goodbye glass jars:

and countless rearranges to find a place for the empties

Goodbye live music and people watching:

and attempts at sly picture taking, always elicit a friends advice before

walking out the door

Goodbye first serious ride of the season:

really wishing I didn't live UPhill from the bike path

Goodbye late afternoon naps:

waking up to eat dinner then back to bed

Goodbye starting a new project:

and googling tutorials to decipher the pattern

Goodbye dreams:

random, vivid, curious subconscious

Hello Beautiful Week...

Looking forward to a return to normal programming following the week o' uber fun, helping a friend invent the wheel, girly conversations (and consultation) working on the new project

Inspiration

I've been thinking round and round about a project. I want to knit a sweater. A perfect sweater to stow in my classroom to pull out during nap times and late evenings when it gets just a bit chilly. I think I found it

I am lusting after this sweater

Now I just need to figure out how to read a pattern...

Goodbye Weekend

Inspired by Your Best Beautiful

Goodbye Weekend...

Goodbye Birthday Celebrations: Singing (at the top of our lungs), Counting (sparkly dressed pregnant ladies) and Shooting (jello shots yum yum)

Goodbye fights with the sewing machine: why won't the tension just work!!!

Goodbye Backyard BBQs: catching up with old friends and more jello shots

Goodbye late night text messaging: thankful I wasn't the one sleeping in the tent

Goodbye new restaurant adventures: this one surprised us all

Goodbye morning coffee on the patio: love me some sunshine

Goodbye working in the garden: I love some dirt under my nails

Goodbye evening conversations around the grill: to escape the hot hot house

Goodbye fresh breezes through open windows: in effort to cool off said house

Hello Beautiful Week...

Looking forward to costume parades, art shows, live music with friends, wearing jammies to work and perhaps some more conversations around the grill

this weekend

I am...

destressing from a crazy horrible no good week at work.

Working with the grandma sub is fine for a day or 2, but 4 out of 5 days? not so good. Yes it is a fun challenge to see just how much one can do teaching solo. But it makes my back hurt alot. It makes my head hurt too and my feet and my lungs from all the deep breaths I take in order to get through a day

getting my garden ready for spring.

4 bags of dirt that need spreading about.

3 different seedlings that look ready for some actual outside sunshine. one 1 of which I actually remember what it is. Hoping to have some snap peas soon!

celebrating 4 years!

Can't believe we've been together that long, although sometimes it feels like we've been together forever. Excited to think back and remember how we got here. Excited to go out on the town and enjoy our city. Excited to think next year we'll be somewhere very warm. Excited to start planning for Hawaii!!!

To me...this is teaching

It began with a tornado drill just before 10:00...cause we didn't have enough practice last year when we had to herd the toddlers into the basement (and keep them entertained) 3 different times.

During my break the Warning System went off again...no sirens, just the possibility of tornado sirens this afternoon. Great.

We still went outside. It was warm and windy and brilliant to watch the trees dancing. We ran and pedaled and dug for 45 minutes before the first crack of thunder. Made it back inside moments before the rain pelted down. Decided to keep the door open anyway. Best idea ever.

Toddlers squished together just to be able to find space in the doorway. But no one argued. No one screamed for more room. No one cried because their foot was getting stepped on. We were all mesmerized.

Laughing as the wind tickled our hair. Taking deep breaths and remembering that we are safe at school whenever the noises rumbled above. Listening as the rain splashed on the sidewalk. And then we noticed something.

Little white balls. Dancing on the sidewalk. What are those? Where did they come from? A few even danced their way into our open door. At first we weren't sure about those. But soon we were brave enough to touch the tiny specks in our teacher's hand. Cold! Ice! And then the tiny specks disappeared. Where did it go? What was that? It's called Hail.

More Hail! More Hail! Were the chants. Arms reached as far as they could under the gate trying to catch the dancing hail on the sidewalk. Friends who could reach scooped many up, pulled them inside the room and gave small Hails to their friends. Watched as the small Hails once again disappeared before us. Wondering again, where did it go? Can I make it stay?

We stayed squished in this doorway, working together for 10 minutes. Figuring out how to coexist in this small space where we all wanted to be. Figuring out who can reach the Hail and the responsibility that comes with being the toddler with the longest arms. Wondering out loud, where does the Hail come from? Where does it go when is disappears?

They say toddlers aren't developmentally ready to share. They say toddlers have a 2-3 minute attention span. They say toddlers don't engage in collaborative play where they work together towards a common goal. And while I agree that 4 of out 5 days we don't...this doesn't mean that we can't try.

Because sometimes we are able to be bigger than ourselves. We are able to reach heads taller than ourselves and grasp the big concepts. We are able to work together like 4 year olds. We are able to question and form hypotheses like 2nd graders. We are able to test our theories like high schoolers do in a science lab.

Taking advantage of ordinary moments. Exploring with wonder and amazement. Finding something new. Adding big vocabulary describing what we are doing. Reminding that we are brave. Cheering as we investigate our ideas. Celebrating our discoveries.

Fumbling for a way to begin...

I do not teach in the K-12 system. Im an early childhood educator (before K) I do not have a union. I do not have state sponsored benefits. Senate Bill 5 does not directly affect me. It is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, the beauty being that its still comparing fruit to fruit. And it still makes me angry.

John Kasich's children don't even attend public schools (you gotta scroll way down to personal life) what does he know about whats its like to be a public school teacher

Lets talk about tuition:

An elementary classroom with 20 kiddos (although many many classes have more)

5500*20=121 000

121 000- average teachers salary of 57 000= 64 000

Lets take out another 50 000 for building expenses/curriculum costs/

a plethory of #2 pencils for test taking and we're left with 14 000

Do you know what I could do with 14 000 to spend each year in my

classroom on my kiddos.

My budget is 600 (for 12 kids) extrapolated to 1200 for 24 kiddos.

BIG DIFFERENCE

Let's talk about testing:

And they want to judge a teacher's performance on how their kiddos perform on tests...the tests don't even paint a clear picture. One group "passes" at 31% while another "passes" at 63% really? really?

Judge me based on my kiddos and how far they've come THIS year. You can't compare one group of kids to another- it does not work. Give them a test at the beginning, then at the end. I'll show you improvement.

And while we're at it, lets talk about these kiddos who are in my room. 22 Kids. 5 with IEPs that means 5 with different needs/plans/strategies that I modify my plans to accommodate their individuality. Oh and lets throw in a couple of ESL kiddos.

I remember in high school dreading, hating, avoiding at all costs 3rd period. 3rd period was my French Class. I do not do foreign languages. I could not understand what my teacher was trying to say. I struggled to translate simple phrases like "I walked to school" Can't even imagine trying to translate "Pick up your #2 pencils and fill in the appropriate bubble" (once I again translate the question) and they are evaluated on the same test as the kiddos who live in suburbia who have personal tutors and have been practicing their bubbling in the answers technique since pre-k (maybe coloring sheets do teach important skills after all)

Oh and the 2 schools they referenced as low performing? Wow, they are in great neighborhoods

Oh and Beatty? yeah that school is for "emotionally disturbed elementary students" they concentrate on making it through each school day, not making it through a test

Let's talk about what a day looks like for me:

I walk in to find last nights snack all over the floor of my classroom (cause apparently the cleaning company didn't feel up for it last night)

In the midst of cleaning up stale cheerios and dirt, a grumpy toddler enters my room. Dad says he didn't sleep well last night and good luck this morning. Great

2 minutes later I notice he is standing in a puddle. His diaper leaked (guess Dad didn't feel like changing him this morning)

While changing and cleaning this newest mess up, kiddo launches into a tantrum b/c he does not want to take off his spiderman shirt. Finally convince him that batman is just as cool. He calms down and promptly slips and falls in the still wet puddle (cause I chose to clean him up first, then worry about the floor) Major tantrum ensues as I am now forced to remove the wet batman shirt.

**I have been at work for 10 minutes**

Later that morning a kiddos pushes another face first into the sandbox. I count my lucky stars that sand is soft and he still has all his teeth. I secretly chuckle a bit at the sand boogers dripping out of his nose.

Later I intercede in what I in vision as a viscious vampire like attack only to be assured by the lil aggressor "gentle hugs" (as opposed to a little nibble)

Later as I take lil johnny's temp for the 5th time in 3 hours I realize that his stable temp of 98.6 is spiking to 99.8. Lil johnny has a history of seizures when his temp spikes too quickly. My team rushes into action: a shot of tylenol and phone call to parents and he is out of my hands. The report comes back that he slept off the fever and never seized- wahoo

5 min after said temp taking I once again don protective gloves as a kiddo slips and bumps his eyebrow on a table edge. A rounded table edge. Get the bleeding under control, call dad. Who asks me if I think he needs stitches. Wait? Did I get a medical degree? No! Go ask a doctor!

Later as I change a kiddos diaper through the well honed technique of changing squirming toddler while they remain standing...I deny a request to sit on the potty. Kiddos stares me in the eye and pees on the floor. When I ask if she did this on purpose she continues repeating "on purpose, on purpose, on purpose"

and that was all before lunch.

So John Kasich and your 144 000 salary... how bout we trade for a day. Or even just a morning

What I learned last week

Always, always bring extra coffee to work when getting new children and/or changing the classroom schedule. And if they both happen the same day (and you get 2 children) make sure the coffee is extra tall and extra hot.

I quickly realized my error when I walked into the day empty handed. I rectified it at lunch. Coffee goes a long way to making my day run smoother.

Even on the crappiest of crappy days, humor can be found- usually in the midst of another crappy situation. Why is their poop in your underwear? "I dunno. I just coughed and it snuck out."

Provided a great distraction from the chaos of the classroom

Having to play man on man instead of zone defense in a classroom is exhausting. The constant stress over where is so and so. The constant creating new ways to convince him to want to stay by my side. The constant stern looks- now what makes you think that is an appropriate way to handle the situation?

The day I've planned to NOT drink wine with dinner is the day I'll need it the most. And cave in. And drink nearly the whole bottle.

Getting up for work the next day will once again require large amounts of coffee. Viscous Cycle.

A fresh coat of paint makes a world of difference. Also makes me rethink everything that was hung on the walls. Makes my store room a disaster from storing said things that no longer hang on the walls.

Here's to needing fewer cups of coffee to get through the days this week

a love-hate relationship

with Valentines day

Way back in the day (ie college) I was proudly part of the protesting crowd. I hate Valentines Day! It's a made up holiday! Its Single Awareness Day! I wore black, I snickered at those poor saps with arms full of teddy bears, flowers and chocolates.

Then I became a teacher. And apparently wearing black while the whole classroom is decked out in pink hearts is a bit frowned upon. I mean, I still wore black (much to the chagrin of my director who was decked out in pink frilly glory) But I did up the enthusiasm for the kiddos. Pink and White Streamers for cutting/taping to every surface. Mixing Red and White paint at the easel to discover new colors. Books on love. Special cards made for moms and dads. Sparkly Glitter Confetti. Everywhere. But in my heart I still firmly held onto the protest of Its just made up!

Then I grew up, found someone I love and struggled with the merging of my old mindset and this newfound relationship I was in. I didn't want to just throw in the protesting towel because now i had someone. That made the years of wearing black seem insignificant, like I was just waiting for a man to complete me (of course, that would make my mother proud) And hell No I am not that woman!

But being in a relationship comes with all the questions- what are you doing for Vday? What did Jesse get you? Where are you going to celebrate? And I hated not having an answer to these questions. It seemed much easier to say- its a surprise, flowers and our fav restaurant instead of the truth...I still don't embrace this holiday.

I still sort of think its made up. I still do it up for the kiddos in my classroom, but personally? Nah I'll pass. I'd rather celebrate the days that are important to us...When I first got the invite to meet "my son" When I first started "myspace stalking" him, When we finally had our first date.

But I do like having an answer to the question- so we celebrate Vday in a very us kinda way...

A bottle of wine (mmmm moscato) cooking our favorite dinner- mexican with the most perfectly ripe avocado (and eating the last tortilla shell) and splitting some left over chocolate cake. Yum Yum

Oh and dreaming of potential last minute vacations to the Pacific Northwest. Can this get pulled together in 10 days???

nutrition and child maltreatment

As part of a volunteer program I'm in advocating for kiddos involved in Children's Services I had to attend a training this month. 5 choices...4 of which were all about abuse. Guess which one I did not pick. Cause I already have to renew my "spotting child abuse" certificate which is a 3 hour long class of guess which item left this mark on a kid...yeah not how I want to spend my evening.

My training was a conversation about childhood nutrition, obesity and is this neglect?

This is a topic that often rolls through my head. My instincts scream heck ya this is neglect! Parents are responsible for raising their children. Children eat what they have access too...if the only things in their fridge are cokes, pudding and snacks then thats what they eat. If instead its filled with milk, yogurt, veggies and fruit then thats what they will eat.

However, its not that simple. You've heard of food deserts? If you can't find veggies/fruit at family dollar, and thats the only store near you, then you will fill your fridge with snacks and prepackaged food and cheese from a can.

If I did not have a car, I would not walk the 2 miles to the grocery store...especially if I were towing around lil ones. I would shop at the "beer and wine store" (good price on chips) and the gas station across the street. Cause hot dogs for 20 cents would go a long way towards filling up hungry bellies.

A fabulous organization in my town...Local Matters. They are working to fix this problem. To get good food where it is needed the most. Into those schools, into those neighborhoods.

So yes it is neglect. But not parental neglect. It's society, its the city planners, its the damn suburbs that steal life from the inner city, its the crime and lack of appeal for stores to open in various neighborhoods, its the lack of opportunity especially without a car, especially without education.

Which gets me thinking about the whole cyclical nature of this beast. You parent the way you were parented. You value what you were shown should be important growing up. You cook the way you were taught to cook. It is so near impossible to break out of that cycle.

I'm lucky. When I don't know how to cook something, I look for recipes online. Because a) I have a computer. b) I can afford the internet and c) I have a desire to try new recipes. But if I only had 1.00 to spend on food, why would I even think about trying something new that I may not like? With limited resources you have to stick to what you know will fill up hungry bellies.

Which makes me wonder...with all these smart phones with instant internet access...which end up being cheaper than a cell phone bill plus buying a computer plus paying for an internet connection...is there a way to use this technology to change these environments and disrupt these cycles.

And don't even get me started on school lunches. Yes I support that bellies are getting filled. But I am appalled at what they serve. And seriously...if you keep taking money away from schools, how do you expect them to afford to spend more than the government allowance on food. Said allowance does not even cover food costs much less the costs of hiring someone to prepare the food. And yes, it is going to be much cheaper to higher someone to reheat food than to hire a qualified/passionate person to actually make the food.

But society needs to suck it up and start pouring money into these cafeterias. Cause saying we provide 1 meal a day is half assed. Pizza does not make a meal. Hot dogs do not make a meal. School meals should be a place where we are introducing new foods, new tastes where we are safe from the picky eater demanding chicken nuggets from the freezer. Cause in a school you eat what is served. Cafeterias are full of hungry bellies waiting to be filled- lets fill it with good stuff.

But it costs money. I can't think of a better place to spend the money. A captive audience just waiting for lunch. Imagine what can happen if we change their taste buds. What can happen if they learn how yummy fruits/veggies are. What can happen if they learn how to prepare the more unusual ingredients. But we have to get them while their young.

the unexpected ideas

I work in an amazing building that was built over 50 years ago. While I hate the plumbing (rarely do we get hot water) and the drafty windows (although I love the view) it does afford us one gigantic heater. We fill up its 4 feet with mittens, shirts, paint smocks, and towels.

You see, the kiddos have rather free access to the sink for handwashing. That, coupled with a horrid design flaw (ie: movable faucet) allows for curious children to move the handle and flood the sink. We learn through trial and error. It takes about 4 times of teacher's shrieking/running from across the room before we learn that yes, we can flood the sink and no, we should not do it.

4 times of experimenting with the process x 12 children= a consistent rotation of items placed on top of the heater vents to be dried.

All this to say that we love our heater. The kiddos know our heater. Throughout the day they place items on it and retrieve warmed (and dried items) The heater is not new.

Yesterday it was re-discovered.

In the process of placing a shirt on the heater a kiddo noticed that the heater pushed the sleeve into the air. Giggling ensued as many hands worked to push the sleeve back down against the flow of the air. Then we looked for other things to put on the heater and watched to see what would happen.

Toy cars don't blow up in to the air.

Hair does but we have to lean really far forward

Chalk doesn't

Paper doesn't but makes a really cool sound

Feathers do and oh my goodness! Can you believe it? They fly up into the air!!!

This began at 11:00 am. and continued until they left at the end of the day.

Laughing and jumping as they tried to catch the flying feathers. Concentrating as they tried to perfect exact feather placement to achieve maximum velocity. Frustration as the feathers disappeared into the return air vents.

Can't wait to watch how this idea grows...

Ignoring the Environmental Implications

that right, I've turned my back on the environment. At least temporarily.

Got my heat cranked up to 74 degrees and I'm loving it.

I figure after the stressful weekend (visit with the parents) and the lingering fever/head cold, I'm allowed to crank up the heat and spend a few days under the big down comforter. If only we had a fire place.

I felt it coming on around noon on Saturday...the tickle at the back of my throat. Normally this begins the onslaught of preventative techniques: airborne, oranges, whiskey, sleeping.

Instead I was entertaining the folks. I've always tinkered around with the notion that emotions- especially stress- actually affect health and symptoms I experience.

Does anyone remember the wisdom tooth flare up courtesy

of stressed out Carri trying to open a new school and handle

the surprise visit from a certain someone who did not live

anywhere near me. I assumed distance= not having to be

prepared for surprise visits. Enter evil laughter here. Let's

just say I did not exactly handle that one gracefully.

Well I am a firm believer that stress and my body fighting off illnesses are not a good combination. Thanks to the little snot crusted, I don't know how to not cough on your face, darlings at school- germs are migrating through my system constantly. Normally my body is like Oh Yeah, is that the best you got? and the germs quickly pass with a sniffle or sore throat.

This time not so much. Following a rather stressful conversation...in which I wore my big girl panties and was very very brave...It hit me like a ton of bricks. What began with a tickle at the back of my throat turned into a full blown I've been run over by a truck, cold + fever for added entertainment.

The Plan was immediately launched into: sleep, mucinex, tylenol, chicken soup, oranges, airborne, orange juice and lots and lots of water. And the removal of the stress from my life. 48 hours later and I feel pretty dang good. My body is a wonderful thing. So strong. So impressed at how quickly it kicked those germs outta here.