My sissy...

Why would she not want me to kiss her in the middle of Disneyland? I don't get it. :)

Susan is one of the most awesome people I know. She is a fantastic mom, great teacher, excellent cook/baker, and, luckily for me, a really, really, really super great friend and sister.

I'm really glad we didn't kill each other when we were younger and didn't really feel the love like we do now.

Uh oh.

2009, where did you go? I cannot believe it is December 2nd, y'all. That whole thing about how time passes more quickly the older you get is true, I guess, huh? Remember when you were a kid, and "older" people couldn't remember how old they were? I thought that was RIDICULOUS. Now, I am that lady. Bra straps that slide off my shoulders, bifocals, chin hair, the whole shebang.

Sheesh.

In other news, I have made approximately 60 Christmas cards to send to my amazingly lovely friends and family. I make them every, single year, you know...and I never send them. This year, I'm going to actually buy stamps...and probably get them in the mail BEFORE Christmas.

Happy December!

Winter Formal

CDO's Winter Formal is themed Alice in Wonderland, so I'm going as the Mad Hatter. SO fun! Not all the chaperones are dressing in costume, but we'll have Alice, The Queen of Hearts, White Rabbit, and Mad Hatter. I'll post a pic of the whole crew later.

Thankful: Issue No. 2 - A photo story

5. The Hadleys are a pretty cool set of folks. Things are good there...

6. The Coven. Disneyland, 2007. Teaching with these gals at Indy was awesome. Going to D-land with them is even better. 7. Watched this guy play football on Saturday, the day after he turned 14. The kid can catch...as long as the ball is not being thrown directly TO him.

8. Bedroom doors that close. Yes, someone DOES live in there. She's 10, and, apparently, wants to live in the human approximation of a hamster cage.

Thankful: Issue No. 1 (long...gotta catch up!)

I KNOW I need to be conscious of the truly wonderful aspects of my life. I tend to look at what is wrong...what I do wrong far too often. Focusing on the positives and recording the thoughts attached to those events, people, things adds energy to our lives and serves as a reminder of what's really important--the big and little things. So, to that end, here begins my daily record of gratitude (in no particular order):
1. Scrapbooking - The "Soul Sisters" I have met through this hobby are the most amazing women. I admire their talent (OBVIOUSLY), but more than that, I really, really love being with them; I admire their devotion to their husbands and children, their wisdom about life, their ability to see the silver lining. Lori, Vickie, Jackie, Zefa, Janice, Sara, Angie, Em, Heidi...I'm thrilled that our crafty hearts found one another.

2. Diet Coke.

3. Close hiking trails - I'm so glad I can exercise close to home and get some outdoor time to clear my head...and my arteries! :) The cooler weather is setting in, and it feels so great to get out in the brisk morning air on the weekends.

4. Sushi - Splurge-worthy in the world of WW.

Caramel Pumpkin Pudding Cupcakes

These cupcake-y/muffin-y bits of love are d.lish. Seriously. They are only 2 WW points each if you're counting. Recipe is from The Hungry Girl cookbook.

***Edited to add the following: OMG! After being in the fridge all night, they taste like pumpkin pie.

2 cups moist--style yellow cake mix (1/2 a box)
1 c. canned pure pumpkin
1/3 c. fat-free liquid egg substitute
2 tbls. sugar-free maple syrup
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. Splenda
1/8 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl with 1/3 cup water. Whip with whisk or fork for 2 minutes until blended. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups. Evenly spoon batter into muffin cups. Cook for 14-15 minutes at 350 degrees until puffy and slightly gooey on top. Cool enough to handle and place close together on a plate. Melt 3 caramels and 2 tsp light vanilla soy milk in microwave for 70 seconds at 50% power. Stir mixture vigorously until smooth. Drizzle over cupcakes.

SO good. Even the kids liked them. I had to cut them off at 2.

Truer words have never been said, my friend...

This poster was hanging up at the Peace Conference at Harrelson Elementary School last week. Clearly, the 5th graders know where it's at...

Gettin' in the CDO Spirit!

My students said, "So, who are you supposed to be, anyway?" SERIOUSLY? Then I realized that THIS Madonna was popular before they were born. Damn.

Decades Day during Spirit Week. Just look at those saddle shoes! I want to wear them every day. Every day that I'm not dressing like Madonna, circa 1983, that is.

Costume Day during spirit week: Nina as court jester, Sara as witch, Ann as Lady Macbeth. Note the blood drops on LB's hand. "Out damned spot! Out, I say!"

Happy Halloween!

My teenage dream of being Madonna has been fulfilled. I'll have a full-length picture soon. The outfit is truly glorious...includes lace skirt and legwarmers.

It's like...totally awesome.

Boots

The following conversation took place in Practical Ann's head when Free-Spirited Ann was trying desperately escape the confines of pragmatism. You see, F.S.A. promised to give her not-really-that-cute boots to Sophia to wear with her Halloween costume (a gypsy, fortune-teller, vampire combination). P.A. was not feeling good about the decision.

Practical Ann: "Hmm. Maybe you should hold on to those. You remember how hard it was for you to find boots to fit over your cows...er...calves?"

Free-Spirited Ann: "Are you kidding? I've lost nearly 40 pounds. If Kim Kardashian can get boots to fit her calves, so can I."

P. A. : "You DO realize that HER boots were custom made and cost as much as your car, right?"

F. A. : "Whatever."

So, Free-Spirited Ann embarked on a quest for cute boots after ridding herself of the oldandnotverycute ones from her past life. Much to her dismay, like Cinderella's evil step-sisters, not a fit could be found. NOT ONE BOOT WOULD ZIP PAST THE ANKLE. Upon closer examination and zipping the boot up to examine the size of the opening that would not contain the power of her calves, she was shocked and, yes, dismayed by the size of the boot top. As if the demoralization of the non-zipping boot were not enough, the size of the hole was amazingly large.

"How can that NOT fit?!"

Seriously, every single boot failed me. Every one. And there were witnesses.

P.A. has banished F.S.A to the basement for awhile to tend the cinders of her ego. Now the only boots she has are the ones from her Mrs. Incredibles costume, and those are definitely notverycuteboots.

Seeeeeeriously...

Look at him. When did he become man-sized? My nephew is THE greatest kid ever. E-VER. I miss him a real lot. On November 6th, he will reach the ripe old age of 14. What?! Yeah. 14.

P.S. Please ignore the somewhat regrettable selection of the Jack Daniel's stocking cap. I blame his mother.

Halloween

We dashed through Target tonight to get "necessities" (does anyone EVER just get necessities at Target?!) and the kids needed to stop at the Halloween costumes. Good gracious, the selection is interesting. Now, my friends, I have never in my entire life purchased a costume for Halloween. When little Susie and Annie were growing up, we begged for store-bought costumes; however, we were, according to mom, "far too creative and smart" for that, so we had the "opportunity" to make them.

The lead-in here might make you think that you were getting a story about an awesome costume I made and the realization that I had created something totally cool and was the envy of every kid in Glendale.

Nope. My costumes were LAME-O. Seriously.

And as I heard my mother's words about creativity and intelligence escape my lips as I said "no" to a rather slutty cat costume, I bit my tongue...and told the youngsters that Dad would LOVE to take them costume shopping.

T.V., I love you...

As we've already discussed, my heart belongs to Glee, but I'm beginning a not-so-illicit affair with Community. The characters are goofy and sweet and SO funny...just like my long, lost love Freaks and Geeks. If Freaks is unfamiliar to you, rent it, Netflix it, buy it. You won't be sorry.

All are great shows that make you laugh and get all misty-eyed at the same time.

Ow. Pusch Peak and Motherhood

I'm a hiker, and I really love it. It is an enjoyable type of physical activity--you're outdoors, you can set your own pace, get some nice vitamin D from the sun. Lots of positives. I and my darling, precious husband "hiked" (really "climbed") Pusch Peak on Sunday. The reason it's taken me so long to post is that today is the first day I can actually lift my arms high enough to reach the keyboard. :)

Did I love THIS particular hike? Not really, but I did it, and IT WAS HARD. The thing that strikes me about it is that there was no doubt in Scott's mind that I COULD do it. He was completely confident in my ability to make it to the top...despite my obvious struggle to get there. The summit was an accomplishment, though the journey was filled with cacti, skree, huge boulders to climb--lots of challenges. We made it because we worked together. He was patient, and I asked for help.

I have to look at my stepmom/mom situation in the same way. Scott is completely confident that I can do this...despite my obvious struggles. No question about it. I, on the other hand, second-guess myself at every turn. He is patient, yet I allow the "cacti, skree, and boulders" of everyday life get in the way of my confidence. Asking for help is not in my nature; I always feel like I'm admitting defeat or highlighting a flaw in my character if I can't do something I've set out to do. My life at home feels foreign. It shouldn't feel that way, right? I'm a teacher. I am, after all, with kids day in and day out. My job is comprised of building relationships and communicating, so what's with the EVERY DAY struggle in my own family?

I know we'll get there together. Scott is my other half--a slightly messier other half, but still! :) Just like our hike, the journey may not be the funnest, but the peak will certainly be an accomplishment.

Highlights of House Bill 2011

"Debbie Downer" will not return after this post. It is Glee night, after all. :)

So, I don't want to go all political on you, but this scares the crap out of me. The following items have passed and WILL BE LAW within 90 days. Looks like the push to privatize education is well on its way. Essentially, teachers with experience can be let go at any time in order to hire new, inexperienced (read cheaper) educators, right out of college. I remember my first years as a teacher; I was terrible. It was overwhelming, and I often drove home (well after 8:00 at night) in tears. If you can't/don't/won't coach, you could be gone...even if you are a FAR better teacher than the guy they are hiring who can/does/will coach.

I'm not saying that a new teacher is bad; I'm saying that you spend so much of your day in management mode that you can't even get to teacher mode. Experience is valuable in every profession, is it not? Do I think there are some bad teachers out there? Absolutely; I think we all had one who was just punching the time-clock until retirement, but they are, by far, the exception.

***********************************************************************************
No contract dates
A school district will no longer have to issue contracts by May 15 to teachers.

Salary reductions
The May 15 statutory deadline for notice of salary reduction has been removed and school districts will now set their own salary reduction deadline.

Teachers with continuing status (those with 3+ years of experience)
A school district is prohibited from adopting policies that provide employment retention priority for teachers based on tenure or seniority.

A school district is able to reduce the salary of a teacher with continuing status in any manner. The prior statutory protection said that a salary reduction of a continuing status teacher can only occur under a general salary reduction.

The improvement time that a school district must allow a teacher to correct inadequate classroom performance is reduced from 85 instructional days to 60 instructional days after receiving notice.

Probationary teachers (those with fewer than 3 years of experience)
Probationary teachers will no longer need to be notified of nonrenewal by April 15.

Reduction-In-Force ( RIF )
A school district no longer has to give a preferred right of reappointment to a job for a teacher who has lost his/her job through the reduction-in-force ( RIF ) process.

When is "good enough," good enough?

I've been thinking about this a lot, wondering if my "if you're not early, you're late" mentality has become crippling.

Have our expectations changed so much that doing what you're supposed to do most of the time, just passing your classes, sometimes being on time is the new standard? What do we do when our children go into the workforce and cannot hold a position because they think that work is supposed to be fun all the time? That they should be rewarded for just showing up?

I've been holding off on posting for a while because I've been contemplating this idea, speculating that, perhaps, as I've heard a number of times in my life, that I need to "let things go," "look at what they DID do." Being a Negative Nancy is not who I am. I know that for a fact, so I kept assuming that this would pass.

It hasn't.

My teachers and parents had pretty high expectations, and achievement 50% of the time was not good enough. Not for them and not for me. So, what has changed? Can we explain it away by saying that it is a Millenial thing? Deterioration of the family? Pulling away from church?

I'm stumped.

Question: What's better than Glee?

Answer: Nothing.

From Jane Lynch to "Push It" to the hysterical pregnancy to the teen angst ending...seriously, I'm SO in love.

WW violation

Now, you might think that Fried Dill Pickles sound disgusting. I don't understand that view, really. Pickles? mmmmmm. Fried stuff? mmmmmm. Dipping sauce? mmmmm. What's not to love? My friend, this dish is sweet magic.

We were recently in Indiana for Scott's class reunion and had lots of bar-b-que and these yummy morsels. I will soon embark on a non-stop hiking regimen in order to clear my arteries.

Can't imagine anything finer...

Don't mention this to my dear husband, but tonight is the night I've been dreaming about for three months--So You Think You Can Dance AND Glee...on the same night...and I don't have any practice to drive to or a game or anything that has to be done.

Seriously, I can hardly stand it.

Love, love, love this.

I love to hike, and now I love it even more. I can have cold water (3 liters, my friend!) the entire time because I bought one of these guys--the Camelback hydration pack. Yes, it cost as much as an awesome pair of shoes, but I feel in the long run this will make me happier than Steve Madden or Jessica Simpson.

Open House

So, I've never been on the receiving end of Open House...having to follow my kid's schedule, sit in a little kid desk (btw, still little in middle school), hearing the expectations of 6 different teachers, AND listening to the principal's speech for 25 minutes in a room that is, KID YOU NOT, 8000 degrees.

God love you, parents, for attending Open House.

You know, the funny thing is that we teachers, parents, all of us, really have the same expectations for our kids...your kids. We want them to be respectful, responsible, caring people. Learning the reading, writing, math stuff is good, too, you know, but that's WAY easier to teach than the other, as I see it, more important things.

In the end, we just want to grow good people. The kind of people we can be proud to say, "yup, that's a good one."

So, thanks for supporting your kids, for sitting through Open House, concerts, plays, art shows, games. You guys are the good ones.

Just a few things...

1. Sophia has started Fall Ball (that would be softball). I am glad to assist in cultivating this interest, yet the time commitment is rather daunting: two (probably 3!) practices per week and double header games every Saturday...and sometimes Fridays. I'm sorry; I didn't realize we had "hit the majors."

2. Sonja is enrolling in dance classes. This girl is gonna require a close watch! She very much enjoys the "hootchie" look (how do you even spell that?!), though she doesn't REALLY know that's what she's sporting. The outifts that strut, and I do mean S-T-R-U-T, out of that bedroom are a sight to behold.

3. I finally broke the 150 lb. plateau AND I purchased a size 10 pair of pants. Yes, they do fit. Those numbers have not been in my life for quite some time. I even weigh less now than the number on my driver's license.

4. Yoga might be making a difference. I don't FEEL as knotted up/tense/anxious/andlet'sjustfaceitpissedoff as I used to.

5. Scott's newest book is out and is apparently selling well. If you want to read about standardization in fisheries, this is the book for you.

First Day

Yesterday was the first day of school, and, OMG, it kicked my butt!! How do...ahem...more experienced (read older) teachers do this?

I only saw 1/2 of my kids yesterday, and if today is similar, I will be certain that I have the Stepford Students enrolled in my sections! I know. I know. The first few days are the honeymoon period, but after 16 years of this, I can tell when someone's behavior will manifest in turdy ways.

Don't see that...yet. :)

Just look at him...

It should be good, right? One would think that any movie with handsome Mr. Depp and dear Christian Bale would be downright delicious, yes?

eh...

A different kinda vampire...

The ones in this book are SCARY. Seriously scary. No romantic, slightly dangerous ones like those belonging to Sookie or Bella. These guys are bad. If you liked Pan's Labyrinth and/or The Orphanage (both good Guillermo Del Toro films), I think you'd like this one. Sadly it is the first in a trilogy, and the next book isn't due until 2010. Sookie doesn't show up again for a few months. I need a new obsession. Any suggestions?

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Our last stop was Cedar Breaks. We wrongfully assumed that we could do both hikes that day, but I think we (read "I") were just hiked out. The canyon was beautiful--hoodoo formations on the floor and lots of wildflowers. The National Park Service is testing a new GPS video tour, so we tried that out, too, and that was pretty cool. There was one section with a choir from the 60's singing "inspirational" songs. We played that as we hiked...perhaps we didn't get very far because we were laughing too hard!?

Great trip. I'll post/write about our accommodations tomorrow.

Angel's Landing hike

Angel's Landing is the hike to brag about at Zion, and we made it! The photo without us in it, is the peak from the trailhead. The pic with both of us is at the very tip-top of the landing. At some points, the trail is only 3 feet wide though in most places there are chains drilled into the rockface to hold on to. The individual shots are at random points along the trail, but you can see how high up we were. Today is a lazy day. We're headed to Cedar City for the Shakespearean Festival and a good steak dinner. Tomorrow is Cedar Breaks.

Zion National Park

We hiked the Hidden Canyon trail (super high-up with chains to hold) yesterday and did The Narrows (80% in water) today. I am glad that I experienced both hikes, but I enjoyed the canyon hike much more. We waded through some pretty rough waters in the Narrows. It was certainly a workout!

I cannot believe the majesty of Zion. What a beautiful place to spend time outdoors.

Television

I LOVE watching tv. I relish the time when nobody is home, and I can watch a Lifetime movie, or a Clean House marathon, or, don't even get me started, What Not to Wear. Scott and I would usually agree on an episode of Ghost Hunters in the evening by way of compromise. He would not have to watch anything on the Style channel, if I didn't have to watch anything on the Hitler (er...History) channel.

Well, my friends, we have been without a direct tv connection since June 8, and, you know what? It hasn't been THAT bad. You see, we had new shingles put on the roof in preparation for the solar panels, which are now up. The dish will go back up eventually, but I must say that escaping from SpongeBob Squarepants, Drake and Josh, et. al. has been quite a relief.

Please help me to understand...

I had seven girls here last night for a birthday sleepover. I cleaned the house, purchased copious amounts of food, baked a cake, prepared the food, set a special table for the girls in the living room, served the food, cleaned up, laid out pastries and donuts, etc. for breakfast.

Not one, single, solitary "thank you" crossed the lips of any of the seven girls. I heard demands like, "I need a fork," and three of the girls actually ignored a question of mine; they simply turned and walked away.

Now, thankfully, they are being picked up by their parents. Yet again, no word of thanks nor any sign of gratitude.

Is this what they do now? 'Cause I don't like it. Not one bit.

Ch...ch...ch...ch...Changes...

Whoa.

I used to be a part-time stepmom/parent-type person. Now, that job is full-time. Am I ready? Nope. Scared? Uhhhhh...ya.

I know, in my head, that there is a reason I'm here. A purpose for which my entire life up to now has been preparing me. Really...I do know. The rest of me just hasn't caught up yet.

Gotta have an easy year coming up here soon.

Seriously.

A few quick pics from the Big Island...

Picacho Peak

We climbed Picacho Peak a few weeks ago, and WHEW! that's a tough one--had to use cables and stuff. This is the only picture in which I am not flipping off my husband for dragging me up there. :)

School's out, the last two DVDs of True Blood have arrived, and we're headed to HI on Tuesday night. Should have some snorkeling and volcano pictures soon...maybe even a few where I'm NOT "saluting" my dear husband.

I hope my scrapbooking bffs are ready to get together soon. I'm having withdrawls!!!!!

Oh my...

THIS is good. You might be asking yourself, "Ann, how in heaven's name did you manage to watch tv two nights in a row, and NOT have to watch the Hitler channel or SpongeBob?" It's a mystery, my friends. I got the first DVD from Netflix, and I'm thinkin' I might have to just buy it. Not sure I can wait for the USPS.

Now, this series is WAY racier than the books. Lori, you cannot under any circumstances watch this show! It would freak me out to no end...like when you're a kid and you realize how exactly you got here. ew.

Glee

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show. It's funny and touching...great television.

XOXOXOXO

Happy Mother's Day to all my mama friends. I love you, guys!

I'm embarrassed...

that I am SO excited about this book. It should be waiting for me when I get home from school today. Um...yes, I do have TONS of papers to grade. They'll still be there tomorrow, right? I need me some smutty-vampire-love.

I bet my friend, Vickie, could use this book right about now! ;) hehe

Pusch Ridge

This was a tough hike. In fact, Scott told me that it's the hardest one we've done. You know what? It didn't feel THAT hard to me now. I'm in better shape that I've been in a long time: 26 pounds gone, cholesterol down to 196 from 245, LDL down to 119 from 164. With diabetes and heart disease in my family history, it came down to more than skinny jeans and cute tops. I want to be around for a long time.

Scott looks great, huh? He did the whole WW thing with me, and I love him SO much for that. It's so hard to get healthy if you don't have support, and he was behind me all the way. Even when HE cooked, he made low point meals. He's a great, great fella, huh...

Check out my mad skilz...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUDFgjCF8n4

just an update...

Busy and 23 pounds gone. Except for the being busy part, I'm pretty jazzed.

I like this a lot...

“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”

—Anthony Robbins (b. 1960); self-help writer, speaker

Crank That...

I, and a group of very brave peers, learned "Crank That" by Soulja Boy and danced at the spirit assembly on Friday. We were a hit. I cannot tell the adoring students, however, that we practiced our a**es off for 1 minute and 15 seconds of dancing.

Word.

Wonderments...

1. Is it typical male behavior to simply shake dry rather than using the strategically placed towel?
2. Why is "mom" the only one who can determine whether the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty?
3. Why does Kelsi keep challenging me to an IQ test on Facebook? I don't know Kelsi, and her repeated insinuations that I'm stupid (which are, infact, pop-ups that declare, "Kelsi thinks you're stupid") are getting old.

Watching weight...

So, I'm down 20 pounds now, and down ONE jeans size. One? Really? That's it? Just how tight WAS I sportin' those bad boys pre-WW?!

I love scrapbooking.

Like, I seriously love it. I need to do it, kinda like exercise, I guess. My dear, fabulous, wonderful friends, Lori, Sara, and Jackie scrapbooked with me last night at SE. We had the best time--ate dinner at Cafe Rio...for which Lori and I suffered tremendously...and therefore so did everyone else. :) We talked and laughed, and I hated, hated, hated saying good bye.

Now, did I get a lot done? Naw. Only made three cards and kitted a one, but that's not really what it's all about anyway, right? Just setting aside the time to hang out with these girls, talk, drink Diet Coke, (maybe toot a little), and push around some patterned paper is worth the price of admission.

Have a great "last day of Spring Break!"

Ahhhh...Spring Break.

Spring Break is almost over, and I am reminded of the insightful, meaningful words expressed years ago by my friend, Donna. She, a full-time teacher, took a semester off to be with her new baby and 6 year old. She was SO looking forward to this time with her girls, and I know treasures those months; however...

When Donna arrived for a "girls only" dinner at my house, I opened the door to see a different woman standing before me. A dazed expression on her face, she quietly said, "now I know why mothers in the wild eat their young."

Never understood the words until last night at 11:57 pm.

Hello WORK. I've missed you...

My sissy...

This is me and my cute sista, Susan. If a glance into the future long ago would have revealed that my bestest friend in the whole world would be this girl, I would have laughed OUT LOUD. We were very different kids. She, the popular cheerleader; I, the violin playing nerd.

I hold Susie-Q in high esteem. She's an awesome cook, a fantastic mother, a great math teacher. She puts on the best parties, and, seriously, she's totally cute.

Rodeo Break

Scott and I spent Rodeo Break in Sedona and Canyon de Chelly. We got in some great hiking and hunted for dinosaur bones. Scott DID find some bones, and we were told that the test "in the field" is simply to lick the bone/rock. If it sticks to your tongue, it is bone. Gross.

42 years old, and 16 pounds lighter than the last birthday. Working out sure has made hiking easier. This trip into Canyon de Chelly would have kicked my butt a few months ago; instead it simply pinched me a little bit. :)

CUTE necklace

My friend, Dawn, made this awesome necklace for me. I LOVE it! The Dorado is our school mascot, but she can put any team in there. She's selling them for $12 with bling and $10 without. Her business is Sassy Talk. Let me know if you'd like more info on these. How cute for a high schooler or sports fan, huh?

Seriously, no WAY to break this Jackie! :)

A little wonderment...

Question: How long does it take one's loving and wonderful mate to get rid of all the little, tiny, disgusting bits of soap left in the soap dish after one's loving and wonderful mate has opened a new bar of soap?

Answer: 17 days...so far

We're at a stand-off, my friends. Of course, the stand-off is only in my head because my loving and wonderful mate doesn't really care that the little bits are festering in the soap dish. I look at them every morning and think, "You, little bits, deserve a final resting place, a place where you no longer have to serve the bits and pieces of others."

Didn't there used to be some kind of miracle item from Ronco (is that the right name?) that you put all the bits in and they somehow melded into a big bar again? I need me one of them.

No paper...no patience...

I HATE grading papers. Kind of a bad thing to hate when you're a teacher, right? I've graded for hours at a time over the last week in order to provide feedback to my little scholars prior to the AIMS test next week. That, in conjunction with the issues of funding--"I'm sorry. What? I can't make copies anymore? OK. And there's no money for books. I see. What about paper? Ah. None of that either"--makes doing this job a tad difficult. Truth be told, it has not made for a happy Mrs. B of late.

One might think that it's all worth it when a young mind finally "gets it," that moment when the light clicks on, and you can see that all of your preparation, every lecture, every gentle little mark made by your red pen has made a difference.

Yeah. I'm still waiting for that moment. Been waitin' for 15 years.

Woo! Hoo!

Two more pounds gone. Down by a total of 12!

"Cauliflower" Mashed Potatos

This sounds so crazy, but it is delicious--good for WW gals and for getting some more veggies into your kids.

Steam or boil a head of cauliflower (cut up) until it is really soft (softer than you'd normally eat it). Strain off the water and beat with your hand-mixer. Put in a little fat free sour cream and/or margarine. We ate ours with a bit more sour cream on top and green onions for garnish.

The best part, you guys, is that it is virtually point free. I counted a point for sour cream, AND I got to eat a ton. Scott and the kids loved it; I should have made double.

Weigh-in tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed!

WW Update

After 4 delightful weeks on Weight Watchers, ten pounds have escaped my...ahem...generous frame. They have left for good. I understand they will be moving in with Gisele Budgen.

I hope they enjoy living in a thong, rather than a granny-panty.

This is really good...

“Your life is an occasion; rise to it.”
—Mr. Magorium, as played by Dustin Hoffman in Mr. Magorium

I get a nice little email on a (nearly) daily basis from The Foundation for a Better Life. I've been writing these quotes on the board in my classroom as they show up...more for my own benefit than anything. It's nice to keep something positive in my line of sight some days, you know? :) Well, it looks like the kids pay attention to them, too. We had a really good talk in 1st period today about making this a priority. We all (even 15 year olds) get bogged down in our obligations and responsibilities and forget how truly lucky we are. We think that we are defeated far too often. The kids realized that we can make our lives what we want them to be, what we dream them to be...what we deserve. I didn't hear about this boyfriend, or her iPod, or that one's car, or getting wasted. They know that they are capable of more and worthy of more.

It was a good day in English 10.

Guinea Pig

All right. I'm not so much a big fan of the guinea pig. We have one in our our home now, and Scott keeps saying, "Come on...you gotta admit it's kinda cute."

Uh, no. That I cannot do. It looks neither cuddly nor cute. Did you know they make little, tiny harnesses and leashes for them? Ya. Do you think the guinea pig enjoys walking on a leash? I'll provide the answer: NO SIR. The other night I saw said guinea pig (Charlie) being dragged through the kitchen while his little guinea pig toenails scratched away at the tile. I sent him a telepathic message: "give up, little man. Just let it happen."

I think I heard him screaming...

Seven lbs gone! :)

I started running with my new friend, Yuri. He doesn't yell at me like Jillian, and I'm getting a good workout. Plus, he's got a great accent; he says "ootside" and "aboot" instead of "outside" and "about." It's cool because the intervals are timed for me, and he tells me when to run and when to walk.

I must say that the positive affirmations sometimes make me laugh a little tiny bit.

Alas, I don't have a gas-inducing recipe for your enjoyment. I'm still recovering from the cheesygassygoodness of the soup.