Birth month ended

But not before we finally had the teacher outing.  Everyone drove to the burg of Wayne for a cozier setting and less driving for me.  I was really self conscious about the request but it all worked out in the end.  We ate at the Mexican restaurant and laughed the whole time but it was one of those laughs that you can’t really remember what was funny.  I know there was a joke about a kid asking one if she had saved up for the pop socket on her phone.  It was also hilarious when we asked the waiter to take out picture and he started to do it with his camera.  Maybe it was because after we decided to schedule a gag gift exchange I also declared that the picture must have us looking in random directions.  It also could have been all of The Office references that peppered the conversations.  Another instance where you expect the worst only to have lots of surprise laughing.  We left and the waiter said “see you tomorrow.”

I’m the old person with the young ones but at least these pics don’t make that too obvious.

This evening Facebook gave me a picture of what we would have looked like had we been dogs.

I think it’s pretty accurate.

As for the gag gift gathering, genius has struck again,  I ordered a teapot not unlike the one that Jim gave Pam in the office and will fill it with the same items.  Although I think the card that I write will say “happy birthday Jesus, sorry your party is so lame.”  I think we’re about 60/40 office watchers so if a non watcher receives the gift I’ll just say “it was meant for Pam.”

This week the high school kids learned to distinguish polyphonic, monophonic and homophonic sounds.  They also learned to play chess.

My new student is a Dr. Who fan and plays chess.  I knew his playing dumb and lazy was a bit of an act.  He may get a knitted Tardis instead of Oreo cookies.  Also the one who I had a come to Jesus moment with has now decided I’m on his side which is nice.

In lieu of a quiz yesterday I asked them to write 20 questions (real ones) about medieval times.  Many were about sex.  I’m sure they thought they were being funny.  They won’t think it’s so funny when I give them the answers they’ll realize they weren’t really looking for.  But I will.

The final end of the week bonus was that this afternoon mother of Noel (see last post) had to bring treats to her sons classroom.  Poor puppy was left alone in the car so the puppy mama gave me the keys and I went and hung out in the car with her.  She was nervous about mama returning but I have six more years in which to befriend her.

Crack me up Snow Day.

The Naturally Slim weight loss/lifestyle program says that one reason we stress eat is because we have a vital need that is not being met.  After looking at their list of vital needs to choose from I realized that my number one really is humor.  And as I have been working on this repeatedly crashing blog post I haven't eaten a thing so go figure.

We were folk dancing after program prep in third grade yesterday.  My goal was to capture the joy of these kids dancing together (in spite of complaints) in slow motion.  There was joy but I didn't capture it the way I intended.  So instead I share this which is some side action dancing- You don't need the volume. It's also much more hilarious if you full screen it.

Earlier in the day the high school kids looked like this.  Why yes, that IS a senior star football player decorating his knight helmet on the side. The fact that I taught them when they were little gives me a little bit of an edge I think.  Also I feed them so they can't complain too much.

I have a new favorite internet/real life dog-

Her name is Noel and I've met her as she's dropped her first grade best friend off at school.  I also taught her mamma in elementary school.  The is one of the most photogenic dogs I've ever seen.

Now maybe it's just because I'm a music teacher, but this next bit has me laughing every time I look at it.  It's a facebook post on a General Music Teacher page and one of the comments that followed.

At once I though Hot Cross Buns of Steel was the funniest HCB joke I'd ever heard.  Sultry HCB wins the music teacher internet as far as I'm concerned. Subliminal advertising anyone?

As for today's snow day, there was less than an inch in the driveway.  Maybe a little ice underneath.  Temperatures were not ridiculously low.  There have got to be some shenanigans going on at the WVDOH road treatment division.  Or else all of the gas companies have stolen any potential drivers of salt/cinder trucks.  The good news is that our new superintendent doesn't mess around.  He had already called a 2-hour delay by 7:00 pm last night and called the day off an hour before he was required to this morning. Usually there is a waiting contest between surrounding counties.  If today is any indication, we'll be the leader from now on.

Legacy

Remember that time I made stickers of myself to give as prizes?  This little ones mama just made my day.

Thanksgiving

Apparently all you need to make it taste like thanksgiving is jellied cranberry and some mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. Oh, and a candle.

Free time equals multiple posts.

First thanksgiving post.

Sometimes the holidays suck.  One is reminded of anxiety ridden dinners of thanksgivings past.  In previous years I was happy to get a slight tequila buzz at the casino to get through what sometimes feel like the sadness of the day.

Don’t know if it’s menopause or what but I’m feeling all holiday-ey this week.  A later post will include chicken pot pie, canned  jellied cranberry sauce, and frozen mashed sweet potatoes which I hope to adorn with lighter toasted mini-marshmallows.  There are also pumpkin muffins for dessert.  Why should I feel left out?  Greathusbandbob doesn’t really get from whence I come but I’ll do what I want and there will be food for him to eat.  And in the long run, I believe he’ll be grateful.

In the meantime.  I made a super chunky knitted hat in less than the amount of time it takes to watch a movie.

Makes me want to order more super chunky yarn.  Every now and the perfect pattern plus perfect yarn.

Also the office makes me laugh and happy.

mish mash

Thanksgiving Break- just a little reminder of why I love summer vacation.

Saturday was cooking day- I made homemade wedding soup from a Pittsburgh recipe site.

Sunday was the weekly visit- conversation overheard-

why didn't you tell me I had a heart attack.

I did tell you.

no you didn't

remember how they gave you a stent and I said they didn't contact me first?

well, yes but I didn't think that had anything to do with my heart

And you were in ICU and you thought someone had shot you?

Was that in the hospital?

yes.

why didn't you tell me?

Maybe I forgot that you wouldn't remember and I should have told you again.

PAUSE

I need you to know that I will never lie to you or keep anything from you

I know that but sometimes you exaggerate.

I promise I don't exaggerate when it comes to your health

sigh- just remember all the things I did for you when you were little

(unspoken) wait, what?

The lunch conversation was mostly about poop and the fact that handicap toilet seats are much better than regular ones which are entirely too low.  At one point I said "well, on that note," suggesting that it was time to end lunch.  Greathusbandbob pushed his chair out but no one else moved.  I need to get better at hinting.

Monday- yesterday was vacuum cleaner and clutter day.  Other than the cleaning that requires water (bathroom/kitchen floors) the house feels tidy and will make break more enjoyable.  This was followed by some zumba and garlic mushrooms (recipe from zumbaBetty) for dinner. Really just sautéed mushrooms with some fresh parsley, garlic, and thyme and some dry white wine (that Betty brought to me so I could make them)

Today so far the I've caught up with the bills, started the laundry and just now saw a fox pass by the window.  I guess that's what happens when your neighbor has chickens.

I’ve forgotten more than I’ll ever know

I wish blogs had existed way back when.  I also wish I could have laughed at my life a little more better then as well.  I do have a journal somewhere with some documented pre-blog hilarity.  I’ll have to look it up.

In the mean time, here’s a picture of some kids- maybe 20 years ago. The girl in the red shirt in the middle is my good friend and also the pre-k teacher at my school.  I teach her two kids now. I also taught her husband when he was in 5th grade.  None of that is terribly noteworthy except for the fact that while I remembered him, I’ve taught with her for at least the last 15 years and never remembered she was in this class.    

One of her classmates posted it on the book of face and after investigating, I remembered the kid with the glasses. I asked her about it

I know I taught husband, did I teach you too?

Yup. I remember that we got mops and dressed them up and used them as dance partners for the winter program.  It was the best class ever.

I remember doing that.  What you see pictured was the ENTIRE class and there was no way my inexperienced self would have been able to get them to sing in a program..  While she wasn’t one of them, there were several monotones in that group long before I ever learned how to at least try to fix that.  If I remember correctly, I may also have still been in my Ethel Merman singing stage- which isn’t good for anybody.

I’m not sure what dumbfounded me most- that I was just finding this out or that I had forgotten the mop dance partner business. I still think it was a brilliant way to make 8 kids look like 16. The thought of doing that now is hilarious to me. I can’t believe I did.  I may have to get that book of stories out and see if there are others to offer up to the e-gods.

Earlier in the week during parent teacher conferences, two favorites from the past stopped by.  One was recently married.  The other just got guardianship over her drug abusing younger sister’s three children. (All under the age of 5.). The first could always make me laugh.  The second was the first time I ever had a student who looked at me as if I could walk on water.  Something in my way of being connected to and opened up hers.  She made me a puppet when she was in first grade.  I think I must have taught them when I was really getting my music teacher sea legs and was able to enjoy it more. The book of face is all well and good but squeezing the love into those grown up kids filled my heart for the rest of the night.  It was my turn to look at them like they were rock stars.

In those earlier days I would haul out every scarf, puppet, picture book and instrument to bring the creative and happy.  Sometimes I beat myself up for not doing that more now.  And then I think that my time with them is so short and precious that spending too much of it organizing and distributing such things would be a travesty in that effort to make the real connections with them. 

Thanksgiving break started today at 4:00.  The only thing I have planned is to try and make wedding soup for greathusbandbob. He likes the tiny meatballs, there was a “Pittsburgh” recipe on Facebook, and I’ve gotten a lot better at cooking this year.  I feel like I could tackle it.

When it comes to being thankful, I don’t need food and family together to remind me of what my chosen path has given me in return for following it.  I get little reminders every day.  Also I think the second project of the week will be to find that journal of stories.

random post number 841

When I came home from school on Tuesday greathusbandbob was out of his seating coming toward me with his iPhone saying "I couldn't wait until you got home!" My first thought was what did he do without me. Then I realized he was just excited.

The dog made a friend. Make this picture bigger and you will see what it is.  Apparently they engaged with each other for about 45 minutes.  At one point the deer tried to run away and fell, puppy went toward it then stopped- not knowing what to do next and they just hung out for a while.

Birthday night pictures not yet posted- decorations and a cake-

We were out of candles and rather than stop and get some I suggested we use a tea light.  It worked.  There were more balloons but the  point of this picture is to share that the Happy Birthday sign has been up for about 3 years.  We just don't take it down.  If you come to our house and its your birthday, you're in luck.

Knitting- I am quite the multiple personality knitter these days- I'm working on the giant double knitted coat, a double knitted scarf with itchy but pretty yarn that hombres through colors and makes a checkerboard against black yarn, a baby sweater for a former student that I never particularly liked but for some reason feel the need to give some attention to, and a beautiful lace cowl to match the first one so that I might give it as a present.

Food- Our insurance is sponsoring membership in an online weight loss program called Naturally Slim. In the words of the all too perky spokesperson,  "It's not WHAT you eat, it's when and how you eat."

It focuses on being more mindful while eating.  Eating, taking a break to let your brain and stomach catch up and then eating again if you're still hungry.  I have eaten much less as a result.  I'm also only really interested in food that tastes good.  I don't want to waste my full belly on average food.  I think it might be a good angle.  While I haven't broken the standing plateau threshold, I did drop the excess I gained with my pringle's/oreo indulgences.

The weather says there will be some snow.  I listen to people complain about the cold and nod my head in sympathy but definitely not empathy.  I'll take bone chilling cold over insurmountable heat any day.

In the category of stupid lazy people at school (which there are thankfully, much fewer of) comes a story about the custodian.  I had boxes and boxes from treats for the high school kids.  I also had an enormous Sam's shipping box because I had some of them sent.  Because I didn't want to make extra work for the custodian, I broke down and flattened all of the boxes and put them in the rolling bin that I see the kitchen uses for their cardboard boxes.  The only thing I did not do was collapse the plastic bags full of air packaging. The principal saw me take it to the cart headed for the dumpster.

The custodian came to me and said- "I took care of your garbage, I poked a whole in all of those packaging air bags."  Item one- once I throw it away and remove it from my room in a respectful and convenient (for them) manner, I don't really consider it MY garbage any more.  Item two- those little bags absolutely did NOT need to be popped.  Gravity would have done its trick once they were in the main dumpster.

But, "thanks for doing your job, big guy."

The Birthday Post

A log of birthday week-

• Ma sent me a knitting book and a cook book.
• SecretarySandy gave me a good friend card.
• Several friends and students responded to a facebook request of reminders of when we laugh together.
• It was election day and I went to the Ville of Steuben to meet with the financial guy- he's going to take care of my money too- and find out when I can retire.
• I voted.

             

• Coloring book and colored triangle pencils arrive at my door to complete the moms present.
• Knit night met at Sarris'.  Instead of the banana split I went for 3 scoops (vanilla chocolate and butter pecan) covered in chocolate sauce, nuts, whip cream and a cherry on top.
• Knitnight Tara brought some homemade cupcakes from earlier in the day at her polling booth. They were much more beautiful when they were fresh from the refrigerator and first presented.

• When we got home from knit night there was a message for a 2-hour early dismissal for kids on the birthday due to an emergency planned unplanned electric outage.  Who knows what that means
• This morning I woke up to this lovely message from the parent of 2 former students (I don't even have her kids anymore.)

• I went to school, knowing teachers would have to stay after the kids left.
• Second graders came into the room and sang to me- we practiced for the winter program.
• Kids left, singing over the bus dismissal walkie-talkies and also as they passed.  
• I had 2 hours to kill. In the dark. In a room with no windows. With a few flashlights. (the principal advised us to prepare our rooms for parent conferences next week and work on lesson plans on our charged chrome books- that rely entirely on the internet for saving materials that we would not have access to- the electricity was out.)
• I spent the time on the floor (on my purchased mats for comfort) wrapping the rest of my cousins Christmas presents. In the mostly dark.
• Once finished I turned a pile of wrapped presents in a bag into a pillow.  
• And on my birthday I spent an hour on the floor in the office in my classroom playing microsoft card games from the app.  I thought I was going to be mad at wasted time or pathetic activities but instead it was silent and relaxing.  It was lovely.
• I left 45 minutes early and came home to balloons, a birthday card and a boston creme pie birthday cake.
• We went to an adorable Italian restaurant that we love that's about 40 minutes away.

• And on the way home we stopped at the furniture store that we love to go to and found a side table for the Aunt.  They guy asked what we were looking for.  I said I need a magic table that's not too big but has plenty of flat surface for er stuff.  We laughed and when I walked up to the next one, opened the top drawer, there was a "cover" for the top drawer that extends so you can put your drink on it. So there was a magic one.
• The Dog climbed from her chair to my lap with no coercion and without me picking her up. She stayed cozy for about 30 minutes and it was lovely.

A list

Of things I can’t knit lately-

Brioche cowl pattern from knitterly

Double knitted parallax scarf from Alistar what’s his name

Double knitted coat of the century

Simple top down baby sweater

This is not even counting the multiple things that were set aside this summer.

I know there is more.  It’s a paying attention thing. More accurately a lack thereof.   Maybe it’s age life stage related. After each mistake I vow to pay better attention and yet.

Knit. Unknit. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Sigh.

as always- kids are kids

Last week we had make a reed instrument out of a straw day.

As I began to distribute supplies there were moans and groans about "yeah, I did this when I was in fifth grade..." And then they started playing and then they were in 5th grade again.

Except for the part about soprano alto tenor bass- we were making friends with those vocabulary words and I brought my recorder family to emphasize that most instruments come in families.

They were mildly interested in the sopranino and the alto but when the tenor came out one kid said "that's a big ass recorder."  And I said yes, that is in fact what we call this one.  It's soprano, alto big ass and bass.

Then I brought out the bass and asked what it was called and one kid said "holy shit."  I said exactly- Soprano, alto, big ass and holy shit.

The kid who usually ignores and eye rolls at me managed to smile at that one.

Later in the week the goth artist told me he wanted to draw a picture of greathusbandbob.  I sent him a photo- maybe he'll draw him as a zombie.  I can only hope.

It was Halloween week as well- the look on kids faces when they get off the bus and see teachers dressed up is priceless. The wait for the afternoon party was almost more than they could manage- one third grader, after finding out how long he had to wait said "Time is Heavy."

In other news- WV's state insurance is offering the program "Naturally Slim."  I don't know what it is.  It looks like a gimmicky weight loss thing.  They had to do something after the last healthy incentive program they had ended up asking for illegal information.

It starts on Monday and I received this package in the mail.

A tape measure, a motivational bracelet, peanuts and Pringles.  Only WV hook up with a company that sends Pringles at the start of a weight loss program.