So...Charlotte has lost all interest in anything related to her diaper or her clothing, especially her pajamas. I've long since started changing her on the floor, because she's way too squirmy for her changing table (and, ok, I usually pile so much crap on there she won't fit), but now it's going beyond squirmy. She'll lie down for me to take OFF her diaper, but when I out the new one down she rolls away as fast as she can. I roll her back onto the diaper, she rolls off. I need an extra set of hands. Finally I'll get her on there long enough to fasten one of the tabs, and off she rolls again, half in, half out. I roll her back, yet again, and get the other tab fastened and off she goes, looking like she has a parent who doesn't know how the hell to put a diaper on a baby.
Then it's time for her clothing, which is an entirely different story entirely. Regular clothes are ok, but pajamas? Most baby jammies have 3 snaps on each leg, then a series of snaps up the front. This has never presented a problem before, but now Miss Thing is too busy rolling all over her room to do something as silly as lie still long enough for Mommy to snap all those fussy little snaps. Whoever invented zippered baby pajamas deserves a medal. Sometimes I'll get her arms in, and off she rolls, jammies flapping behind her like a Superman cape. Sometimes I'll get her feet in, and off she rolls...so I roll her back, get one snap done...and off she rolls. Rinse and repeat, like 7 times.
I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when she actually starts crawling! Which, by the way, she'll be doing super soon. Her latest mode of transportation is to lie on her stomach and push her butt waaaay up in the air, then shove off with her feet. Her chest is still on the ground, so she ends up looking like a rather comical inchworm. When she tries to add her arms into the equation, it usually results in backwards movement, which is not the desired result. Then she gets mad and gives me the Evil Moo Stare. It's formidable, let me tell you.
In other news...the toof is coming! Well...teef, actually. I've been trying for like a week to get a picture, but she is not at all interested in accomodating me in that area, so no pictures as yet. It looks like the tooth is breaking through, but I can't feel it yet...but I see it! So it's coming!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Things I Like...
So I did the "Things I Hate" list a while back, and unfortunately keep thinking of things to add to it. But no, I said I would do a list of things that I enjoy, so I'll stick with that. Balance and all...so here goes:
Things I Like
1. A freshly sharpened pencil. (None of that mechanical crap for me--something the act of sharpening the pencil and sitting down to write with it just makes me happy.)
2. McDonald's Vanilla Iced Coffee
3. Charlotte's cheesy grins, which are usually accompanied by her grunty belly laughs.
4. Gray sweatpants and a navy t-shirt. Or navy sweatpants and a gray t-shirt. I'm flexible.
5. Writing out checks to pay my bills. Yes, I know, it's lame and there are 500 easier ways to do it, but I like it. So there.
6. Stepping on the scale at the gym and seeing a lower number than last time. (172.4 today!)
7. Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit...and anything else that involves a wealth of otherwise useless trivia.
8. The word kerfuffle. It's such a great word, yet so difficult to work into everyday conversation. I try, though. I try.
9. Victorian literature. It's the English major in me.
10. DVR...God bless not having to watch commercials.
11. Chapstick.
12. Summer rain storms...as long as I don't have to be out in them.
13. Having a baby who is an amazing sleeper--she is pretty good-natured in general, but from what I have read/heard from other parents, I got REALLY lucky that she's a good sleeper!
14. Audiobooks. I don't even listen to the radio in the car anymore...it's the only time I have to "read!"
15. School. Yes, I'm a nerd. I like being a student, and I like being a teacher. Luckily, I can be both.
16. Bad words. Sometimes I could make a sailor blush.
17. Being a mommy.
18. Shopping.
19. British humor (Monty Python, how I love thee)...or any humor that involves satire, sarcasm, irony, and wit. I also enjoy the occasional pun.
20. Chocolate. In any way, shape, or form. On everything.
21. Putting Charlotte in really girly clothes. I said I wouldn't, but I can't help it--they're so cute!
22. American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. (That's where my reality TV tolerance runs out.)
23. Cheese.
24. When Grace curls up on my lap, or Loki gets in a snuggly mood...animals can be messy, but I love 'em!
25. Stalking my Facebook page.
26. Writing on my blog...I didn't realize how much I missed writing until I started doing it again!
27. Trashy romance novels.
28. The song "It Won't Be Like This For Long"...it came out right after Charlotte was born and it makes me cry every time I hear it.
29. My time at the gym. I'm SO not a "workout" person, but it's MY time...and I have come to value MY time more and more in the last couple of months!
30. When people read my blog. :)
Things I Like
1. A freshly sharpened pencil. (None of that mechanical crap for me--something the act of sharpening the pencil and sitting down to write with it just makes me happy.)
2. McDonald's Vanilla Iced Coffee
3. Charlotte's cheesy grins, which are usually accompanied by her grunty belly laughs.
4. Gray sweatpants and a navy t-shirt. Or navy sweatpants and a gray t-shirt. I'm flexible.
5. Writing out checks to pay my bills. Yes, I know, it's lame and there are 500 easier ways to do it, but I like it. So there.
6. Stepping on the scale at the gym and seeing a lower number than last time. (172.4 today!)
7. Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit...and anything else that involves a wealth of otherwise useless trivia.
8. The word kerfuffle. It's such a great word, yet so difficult to work into everyday conversation. I try, though. I try.
9. Victorian literature. It's the English major in me.
10. DVR...God bless not having to watch commercials.
11. Chapstick.
12. Summer rain storms...as long as I don't have to be out in them.
13. Having a baby who is an amazing sleeper--she is pretty good-natured in general, but from what I have read/heard from other parents, I got REALLY lucky that she's a good sleeper!
14. Audiobooks. I don't even listen to the radio in the car anymore...it's the only time I have to "read!"
15. School. Yes, I'm a nerd. I like being a student, and I like being a teacher. Luckily, I can be both.
16. Bad words. Sometimes I could make a sailor blush.
17. Being a mommy.
18. Shopping.
19. British humor (Monty Python, how I love thee)...or any humor that involves satire, sarcasm, irony, and wit. I also enjoy the occasional pun.
20. Chocolate. In any way, shape, or form. On everything.
21. Putting Charlotte in really girly clothes. I said I wouldn't, but I can't help it--they're so cute!
22. American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. (That's where my reality TV tolerance runs out.)
23. Cheese.
24. When Grace curls up on my lap, or Loki gets in a snuggly mood...animals can be messy, but I love 'em!
25. Stalking my Facebook page.
26. Writing on my blog...I didn't realize how much I missed writing until I started doing it again!
27. Trashy romance novels.
28. The song "It Won't Be Like This For Long"...it came out right after Charlotte was born and it makes me cry every time I hear it.
29. My time at the gym. I'm SO not a "workout" person, but it's MY time...and I have come to value MY time more and more in the last couple of months!
30. When people read my blog. :)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Time to Say Goodbye
I've been going around in my head about whether I wanted to write anything re: Michael Jackson's death, and decided that I would. In the other room, the TV is on with the special 2-hour 20/20 dedicated to the late great MJ, and Brian is yelling, "Who the fuck cares?" at random intervals. (His language, not mine.)
Well...lots of people, actually. Look, I know the man had some issues. Do I know the gory details? No. I know, along with most of the rest of the world, what TMZ/Perez Hilton/Hollywood Insider reported about him, and I get that he was strange. But hey, so were a lot, and I do mean a LOT, of our most respected historical and cultural figures, both ancient and contemporary. And, as the good old book says, judge not, lest...something or other.
Anyway. That being said, we have lost one of the most iconic figures of this age. I challenge you to find any area of contemporary culture that was not in some way influenced by the work of Michael Jackson. I specifically do not say "pop" culture, because I think his influence will be longer-lasting than much of what is today considered to be popular. How many of you spent hours in front of the mirror trying to perfect the Moonwalk, or sported a single, glittery glove? How many of you tittered behind your hands at his crotch grabbing, or shook your heads in bewilderment at his media antics? Whether you loved him or hated him, he was undeniably and unapologetically there. He was in your face, causing a scene, creating controversy, but most of all, you knew who he was, and you will remember him. In an entertainment culture that is characterized by well, its lack of character, MJ was most definitely a character.
Anyway...I could wax nostalgic all night, but I think I'll just leave it at that. Remember the man for the good things he did.
Well...lots of people, actually. Look, I know the man had some issues. Do I know the gory details? No. I know, along with most of the rest of the world, what TMZ/Perez Hilton/Hollywood Insider reported about him, and I get that he was strange. But hey, so were a lot, and I do mean a LOT, of our most respected historical and cultural figures, both ancient and contemporary. And, as the good old book says, judge not, lest...something or other.
Anyway. That being said, we have lost one of the most iconic figures of this age. I challenge you to find any area of contemporary culture that was not in some way influenced by the work of Michael Jackson. I specifically do not say "pop" culture, because I think his influence will be longer-lasting than much of what is today considered to be popular. How many of you spent hours in front of the mirror trying to perfect the Moonwalk, or sported a single, glittery glove? How many of you tittered behind your hands at his crotch grabbing, or shook your heads in bewilderment at his media antics? Whether you loved him or hated him, he was undeniably and unapologetically there. He was in your face, causing a scene, creating controversy, but most of all, you knew who he was, and you will remember him. In an entertainment culture that is characterized by well, its lack of character, MJ was most definitely a character.
Anyway...I could wax nostalgic all night, but I think I'll just leave it at that. Remember the man for the good things he did.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Best.Toy.Ever
...is a paper bag with stuff in it. Charlotte has been sitting on the floor playing with her stuff for close to an hour now, which has enabled me to shower and get some other things done around the house. I am so amazed at how entertaining this seems to be for her! She has this bucket of blocks and other small toys at my mom's house, which she seems to enjoy, so I thought I'd do something similar for her here at home. I got together some rattles, a big soft block, some plastic rings and other small toys and put them into a basket, and off she went! Put the toys in, take them out. Put them back in, take out something different. Bang them together, bang them on the basket, put them in the basket, take them out.
Today we tried a different variation--she has been obsessed with this brown paper shopping bag that's in her closet, so I got a smaller bag and put all her toys in there. Instant bliss. She's crinkling the bag, beating on it, turning it upside down, chewing on it...I can see hours of fun here. It's like something new every time she looks in the bag, even if she just put that item in there a second ago! Why didn't I know about this sooner?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Just Because You Can...
First of all, Happy Father's Day to all dads out there!!! <3
There's been something bugging me for the last few days, and the more I mull it over, the more it just boggles my mind. Actually, there are two things, but they kind of go together...to me, at least. Wednesday night (or was it Thursday?) I was all cozied up on the couch, watching So You Think You Can Dance?, which I had DVR'd so I could skip all those annoying commercials. My DVR has two fast forward features--you can either skip minute-long segments at a time, or do a steady fast forward--either way you will see bits and pieces of the aforementioned advertisements, but not nearly as much as you would otherwise be forced to endure.
As I'm flipping, a commercial for a new reality show catches my attention. It's called More to Love, coming in July from Fox. The premise is similar to The Bachelor--a group of women will compete for one guy. The catch--this group of women, who are being advertised by Fox as "average," is in reality made up of "confident and secure plus sized women." The trailer features a young woman talking about her clothing size, in tears because she always claimed to be an 18, but was in reality a 20. I'm thinking, "Ok, this is going to be something like The Biggest Loser (a show that I have a whole host of separate issues with), which is kind of stupid but whatever." Ooooh....was I wrong. So wrong.
The commercial goes on to show a group of women lined up against a wall in their Sunday best, available for perusal by the "average guy with a big waist and an even bigger heart." (Can you tell I've been to the official show website and am completely amused by the pathetic attempts to make this show sound like legitimate entertainment? I digress.) Are you freaking SERIOUS? Just looking at the women, it's very plain to see that the producers of the show went out of their way, not to find "average" women, but to find to find plus-sized women, which completely puts the lie to their claim that "love comes in all shapes and sizes." If that were true, then there would be women of ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. Don't get me wrong--I think that the stupid Rock of Millionaire Bachelorette Joe the Plumber Love shows are ridiculous, because let's face it, most women aren't a supermodel/waitress/stripper/"actress," but please, someone, tell me how this is any better. How is this not an extension of our childlike tendency to make fun kids on the playground? Or, even worse, our teenage propensity for completely ostracizing kids who don't "fit the mold." How is this show any more than an excuse to single out bigger women as, well, bigger women? Why does that have to be the single defining factor that makes them a worthwhile companion for the "husky hunk"? And Fox can call it an "inspirational dating competition" all it wants, but every single line in the promotional material on the show's website is rife with little puns and witticisms about size. And the name? More to Love? Could it BE any more offensive? I can just see my husband saying something like, "No honey, you don't look fat, there's just more of you to love!"...shortly before his untimely demise. Seriously? WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA??????
Which brings me, in a somewhat roundabout way, to the second thing that's bugging me. A few weeks ago, my husband, bless his heart, was out mowing the yard, when he hit our main water line. With his lawnmower. 1-inch PVC pipe vs. John Deere mower-tractor thing...who wins? You be the judge. So he's been trying to MacGuyver it with some spit, duct tape, and a Swiss Army knife, in the hopes that we don't have to call a plumber, to no avail thus far--but again, I digress. This afternoon we went to Lowe's to get something or other to further the repair efforts, and as I was leaving the parking lot I was visually assaulted by a young woman leaving the nearby Chuck E. Cheese's. Now, as I recently shared my somewhat traumatizing revelations from stepping on the scale at the gym, you are well aware that I am in no position to judge anyone on her size, weight, body type, etc. What I will judge on, however, is what she chooses to do with it. There is NO reason on the face of this planet for anyone who weighs more than Twiggy to wear a kelly green Spandex tube top in public. Just...no. I tried to think of a reason. I've been trying to think of a reason all day, and it's eluded me. Maybe she doesn't have a lot of money, maybe she just had a baby, maybe...maybe a lot of things. No excuse. I'm sure this girl just wanted to enjoy a perfectly normal afternoon at the arcade with her little sister/niece/daughter, and I'm sure she doesn't want/need/care about a perfect stranger's unsolicited opinion on her fashion choices but seriously. Just because you can fit into that top doesn't mean you should.
Again...I had a baby less than a year ago and I have had a VERY hard time adjusting to my "mommy" body. The biggest problem I've had is that I want to dress myself the way I used to, which doesn't always work anymore. I can't dress like I did when I was 16. I'm just not built the same way anymore. It means that I might have to wear a t-shirt when I would have worn a tank top, but for the sake of common decency, I'll make the sacrifice. I don't want to show my extra off, and I sure don't assume that anyone else wants to look at it!
And that, my friends (like my little nod to John McCain there?), is the underlying problem here. We no longer have a sense of modestly, of personal decency. Really, why is it necessary to have an entire television series where several women (or men) compete against one another for a man (or woman)? Do they not realize that he's dating/kissing/getting busy with like, 20 other women? How is this the basis for a relationship? Why do we feel the need to over share SO completely that we have to chronicle every detail of our lives for the world to see? (Yes, I do realize the irony in my observations here, as I am currently chronicling my thoughts for the world to read.) The problem is that people eat it up. Whether they are truly interested or just want to see the train wreck as it happens, millions of people tune in every single week to see who gets voted off. I'll admit that I'm guilty--I've already admitted to watching So You Think You Can Dance? and I am more than a little fanatical about American Idol, but that's where I have to get off the reality TV bandwagon. There has to be a line--the talent shows are cheesy, but ultimately pretty harmless. Some of the others, though...they really send a dangerous message. My husband always says that reality TV (ok, he's really talking about American Idol) is a sign of how morally bankrupt we are, that we call people embarrassing themselves on national television "entertainment." Usually I laugh at him and tell him to quit being so boring, but sometimes (and he'll only know I said this if he reads my blog--ha ha) I'm beginning to wonder if he's not just a little right. I don't know that I'd go so far as to say that we as a society are morally bankrupt, but I do think that we stepped over the common decency line a LONG time ago, and I'm afraid there's no going back.
On that note, it's late and I'm going to bed. I'm sure I could go on about the subject at rather much more length, but I'll spare you--this time.
There's been something bugging me for the last few days, and the more I mull it over, the more it just boggles my mind. Actually, there are two things, but they kind of go together...to me, at least. Wednesday night (or was it Thursday?) I was all cozied up on the couch, watching So You Think You Can Dance?, which I had DVR'd so I could skip all those annoying commercials. My DVR has two fast forward features--you can either skip minute-long segments at a time, or do a steady fast forward--either way you will see bits and pieces of the aforementioned advertisements, but not nearly as much as you would otherwise be forced to endure.
As I'm flipping, a commercial for a new reality show catches my attention. It's called More to Love, coming in July from Fox. The premise is similar to The Bachelor--a group of women will compete for one guy. The catch--this group of women, who are being advertised by Fox as "average," is in reality made up of "confident and secure plus sized women." The trailer features a young woman talking about her clothing size, in tears because she always claimed to be an 18, but was in reality a 20. I'm thinking, "Ok, this is going to be something like The Biggest Loser (a show that I have a whole host of separate issues with), which is kind of stupid but whatever." Ooooh....was I wrong. So wrong.
The commercial goes on to show a group of women lined up against a wall in their Sunday best, available for perusal by the "average guy with a big waist and an even bigger heart." (Can you tell I've been to the official show website and am completely amused by the pathetic attempts to make this show sound like legitimate entertainment? I digress.) Are you freaking SERIOUS? Just looking at the women, it's very plain to see that the producers of the show went out of their way, not to find "average" women, but to find to find plus-sized women, which completely puts the lie to their claim that "love comes in all shapes and sizes." If that were true, then there would be women of ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. Don't get me wrong--I think that the stupid Rock of Millionaire Bachelorette Joe the Plumber Love shows are ridiculous, because let's face it, most women aren't a supermodel/waitress/stripper/"actress," but please, someone, tell me how this is any better. How is this not an extension of our childlike tendency to make fun kids on the playground? Or, even worse, our teenage propensity for completely ostracizing kids who don't "fit the mold." How is this show any more than an excuse to single out bigger women as, well, bigger women? Why does that have to be the single defining factor that makes them a worthwhile companion for the "husky hunk"? And Fox can call it an "inspirational dating competition" all it wants, but every single line in the promotional material on the show's website is rife with little puns and witticisms about size. And the name? More to Love? Could it BE any more offensive? I can just see my husband saying something like, "No honey, you don't look fat, there's just more of you to love!"...shortly before his untimely demise. Seriously? WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA??????
Which brings me, in a somewhat roundabout way, to the second thing that's bugging me. A few weeks ago, my husband, bless his heart, was out mowing the yard, when he hit our main water line. With his lawnmower. 1-inch PVC pipe vs. John Deere mower-tractor thing...who wins? You be the judge. So he's been trying to MacGuyver it with some spit, duct tape, and a Swiss Army knife, in the hopes that we don't have to call a plumber, to no avail thus far--but again, I digress. This afternoon we went to Lowe's to get something or other to further the repair efforts, and as I was leaving the parking lot I was visually assaulted by a young woman leaving the nearby Chuck E. Cheese's. Now, as I recently shared my somewhat traumatizing revelations from stepping on the scale at the gym, you are well aware that I am in no position to judge anyone on her size, weight, body type, etc. What I will judge on, however, is what she chooses to do with it. There is NO reason on the face of this planet for anyone who weighs more than Twiggy to wear a kelly green Spandex tube top in public. Just...no. I tried to think of a reason. I've been trying to think of a reason all day, and it's eluded me. Maybe she doesn't have a lot of money, maybe she just had a baby, maybe...maybe a lot of things. No excuse. I'm sure this girl just wanted to enjoy a perfectly normal afternoon at the arcade with her little sister/niece/daughter, and I'm sure she doesn't want/need/care about a perfect stranger's unsolicited opinion on her fashion choices but seriously. Just because you can fit into that top doesn't mean you should.
Again...I had a baby less than a year ago and I have had a VERY hard time adjusting to my "mommy" body. The biggest problem I've had is that I want to dress myself the way I used to, which doesn't always work anymore. I can't dress like I did when I was 16. I'm just not built the same way anymore. It means that I might have to wear a t-shirt when I would have worn a tank top, but for the sake of common decency, I'll make the sacrifice. I don't want to show my extra off, and I sure don't assume that anyone else wants to look at it!
And that, my friends (like my little nod to John McCain there?), is the underlying problem here. We no longer have a sense of modestly, of personal decency. Really, why is it necessary to have an entire television series where several women (or men) compete against one another for a man (or woman)? Do they not realize that he's dating/kissing/getting busy with like, 20 other women? How is this the basis for a relationship? Why do we feel the need to over share SO completely that we have to chronicle every detail of our lives for the world to see? (Yes, I do realize the irony in my observations here, as I am currently chronicling my thoughts for the world to read.) The problem is that people eat it up. Whether they are truly interested or just want to see the train wreck as it happens, millions of people tune in every single week to see who gets voted off. I'll admit that I'm guilty--I've already admitted to watching So You Think You Can Dance? and I am more than a little fanatical about American Idol, but that's where I have to get off the reality TV bandwagon. There has to be a line--the talent shows are cheesy, but ultimately pretty harmless. Some of the others, though...they really send a dangerous message. My husband always says that reality TV (ok, he's really talking about American Idol) is a sign of how morally bankrupt we are, that we call people embarrassing themselves on national television "entertainment." Usually I laugh at him and tell him to quit being so boring, but sometimes (and he'll only know I said this if he reads my blog--ha ha) I'm beginning to wonder if he's not just a little right. I don't know that I'd go so far as to say that we as a society are morally bankrupt, but I do think that we stepped over the common decency line a LONG time ago, and I'm afraid there's no going back.
On that note, it's late and I'm going to bed. I'm sure I could go on about the subject at rather much more length, but I'll spare you--this time.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
D is for...
Disappointment. Our school grades came out today, and our grade was a D. Again. It's so very frustrating to work so hard, day in and day out, as a staff and as an individual teacher, and still find little reward for your efforts. Today was my last day of AP training (so I'm officially free for the summer!!!), and our day was interrupted at about 10:30 when the Department of Education finally posted the grades on its website. Most of the other people in my workshop were excited and able to celebrate gains in school achievement--some of their schools went up an entire letter grade. I already knew what our grade was, since my mom had emailed it to me a few minutes earlier...but that didn't make it much easier to see other teachers getting to celebrate their grades. I suppose that we could celebrate the fact that we stayed a D, when everything I'd been told indicated that we'd be an F school this year. I'm thankful that we aren't. Thankful, but still so frustrated. There are teachers who come to school, teach their kids, and go home at the end of the day. I'm not one of them. I don't live and breathe work by any means, but I do carry a lot of it around with me, emotionally and mentally if not physically. I care about my kids, and my coworkers, and my school. I even care about my administration, because I know that they work very hard. And it's not even that I feel unsuccessful, because I know that a lot of my kids did their best every single day, and I know that many of them made huge improvments this year--but through an arbitrary formula, we will once again be viewed as "failing," or the next thing to it.
It is what it is. I'm disappointed, but right now I'm just determined to do my personal best and encourage my students to do their best--it's all I can do.
It is what it is. I'm disappointed, but right now I'm just determined to do my personal best and encourage my students to do their best--it's all I can do.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Fun Day!
Today was a very big day...Charlotte went swimming for the first time at Papaw and Gigi's house! On our way over there, mommy made Charlotte wear a silly hat, just because it matched her outfit:
When we were getting ready to go into the pool, Brian tried to get some pictures of her, but she wasn't too interested in him...it was more like, you want me to go where?
When she first got in the water with me holding her, she wasn't real sure about it...then we put her in the floatie thing, and she was sure she did NOT like it!
After a few minutes she got used to it, and then she had fun floating between Mommy, Papaw, and Gigi.
She actually did really well for her first time in the pool, and even learned how to kick her feet to move herself around a little. I let go of the floatie to see where she'd go and she propelled herself right away from me!
Bye Mommy!
What's over here...?
Needless to say I wasn't digging that, so I retrieved her and held on!
Even though she wasn't sure at first, overall she really seemed to like the pool!
Of course, she got tired very quickly...
So we went inside and got some dry clothes on, and she had a VERY nice nap on Papaw and Gigi's bed while Mommy and Daddy had burgers!
Now she's crashed out, and I expect she'll sleep like a rock tonight...which isn't really anything new. I am so glad she liked the pool! I can't wait to go swimming again!
When we were getting ready to go into the pool, Brian tried to get some pictures of her, but she wasn't too interested in him...it was more like, you want me to go where?
When she first got in the water with me holding her, she wasn't real sure about it...then we put her in the floatie thing, and she was sure she did NOT like it!
After a few minutes she got used to it, and then she had fun floating between Mommy, Papaw, and Gigi.
She actually did really well for her first time in the pool, and even learned how to kick her feet to move herself around a little. I let go of the floatie to see where she'd go and she propelled herself right away from me!
Bye Mommy!
What's over here...?
Needless to say I wasn't digging that, so I retrieved her and held on!
Even though she wasn't sure at first, overall she really seemed to like the pool!
Of course, she got tired very quickly...
So we went inside and got some dry clothes on, and she had a VERY nice nap on Papaw and Gigi's bed while Mommy and Daddy had burgers!
Now she's crashed out, and I expect she'll sleep like a rock tonight...which isn't really anything new. I am so glad she liked the pool! I can't wait to go swimming again!
Friday, June 12, 2009
And now for masochism...
I rejoined the gym today, after taking off over a year. I canceled my membership last summer, but I really hadn't been since like March, so it's going to be...interesting. I got on the scale in the locker room and it laughed at me before spitting out a frightening 176.6. I am NOT really about sharing that, but I do want to a) keep track of how successful I'm being with the whole weight loss thing and b) keep myself honest.
So here we go...Day 1!!! 15 minutes on the elliptical. The hardest part is that it's so freaking boring. I just lose interest like 5 minutes after I start. Blah. Tomorrow I'm aiming for 16 minutes!
So here we go...Day 1!!! 15 minutes on the elliptical. The hardest part is that it's so freaking boring. I just lose interest like 5 minutes after I start. Blah. Tomorrow I'm aiming for 16 minutes!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Homesick
I've been away from Charlotte since about 12:30 on Sunday afternoon and I do NOT like it. It was bad enough having to leave her, but Sunday morning didn't make it any easier--Brian hit the main water line into the house with his lawnmower, so we had to go buy the stuff to fix it and he didn't get the yard done in time for me to leave. So I left about 30 minutes late, and got to my coworker's house late, and didn't have time to get food, so I was super hungry.
Our hotel room is straight out of Miami Vice. Note the plywood shelf bed with thin mattress pallet. Next time we'll dispense with the "mattress" and just go for the bamboo mat. I'm sure it would be more eco-friendly. The fine art behind the beds, though difficult to make out in the picture, is two richly-colored Mediterranean renderings, which clash nicely with the otherwise pastel decor. My roommate Melissa is spending our free time busily planning the last-minute details of her impending nuptuals. Run away, Melissa, run away!!!!
Our hotel room is straight out of Miami Vice. Note the plywood shelf bed with thin mattress pallet. Next time we'll dispense with the "mattress" and just go for the bamboo mat. I'm sure it would be more eco-friendly. The fine art behind the beds, though difficult to make out in the picture, is two richly-colored Mediterranean renderings, which clash nicely with the otherwise pastel decor. My roommate Melissa is spending our free time busily planning the last-minute details of her impending nuptuals. Run away, Melissa, run away!!!!Anyway. We're having fun and learning lots. Our instructor is nice enough, though she is a bit boring and blah for my style...we get free books though, which is always nice. The worst part, of course, is missing my baby! I was doing ok until I talked to her babysitter last night, and I could hear Charlotte chattering away in the background. That made me sad. Sigh. But, in looking back through my recent pictures of her, I realized that it's been like, a whole week since I posted any here, so I've selected a few for your Charlotte viewing pleasure. Hope you enjoy her as much as I do! <3>
She is such a cheeseball!
Silly cheesiness!
She is such a cheeseball!
Silly Mommy, that's not a hat!
This is how she sleeps...at the foot of her crib, against the side.
Silly cheesiness!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Talking the Talk
The brainwash is complete.
300 hours of reading endorsement classes, 180 hours of ESOL classes, 18 credits toward a master's degree, and countless hours of professional development, training, and data analysis have fried my brain. In the midst of rousing morning discussion of the newly released FCAT scores, I actually uttered the phrase, "progress monitoring assessment tool."
I used it correctly. And I knew what it meant.
My mom looked at me like I'd lost my damn mind, and to be honest...I don't blame her.
Seriously, though. There are a few problems that really bug me about the testing system our state so lovingly shoves down the throats of all its teachers and students. My kids did really well in math--I'll give them that. But over half my students--half my honors students--didn't pass reading. Which means they'll be in both AP English and Intensive Reading next year, at both the top and bottom of the barrel. How does that even make sense? It doesn't. And I'm not suggesting that they all be removed from the honors track and sent directly to remedial English, though that would certainly work for some of them. The problem isn't with the kids. It's not even with the teachers. It's with...dare I suggest it? The test.
We hear the same thing every year: our 10th graders don't pass the FCAT reading because instead of just multiple choice questions, they have an additional "performace task"--a written response. Poor performance on the written responses can cause a kid to lose an entire achievement level, and can make the difference between passing and not passing. So I ask you--if we know this is the problem, or at least part of the problem, then why do written responses only appear on one test each in elementary, middle, and high school? If the purpose of the FCAT is to truly monitor and assess student achievement, then why in God's name do they not give them the SAME KIND OF TEST every year? And why in God's name do they continue to beat teachers senseless with data that doesn't accurately reflect student progress or achievement? It's like asking them to draw a picture of a dog one year and a cat the next, then saying they failed because the two pictures aren't identical.
And that doesn't even BEGIN to cover the ridiculously ridiculous way the data is then manipulated to come up with our school grades and deciding whether we meet AYP. During the same aforementioned conversation, my mom mentioned how 47% of their students made learning gains, but it didn't matter because they needed to show 50%. Are you kidding me? Are our priorities seriously so freaking skewed? So the entire year goes in the fail pile because only 47% made learning gains? How about, I don't know, celebrating that 47%? That's 47%, almost half the student body, who made some sort of gain in their testing scores. And guess what--that 47% represents STUDENTS.
Remember them? They're the ones who get hurt the most by the constant reduction of achievement to a bunch of meaningless statistics. You can tell me all day that this percent of my students passed this or failed that, and it goes in one ear and right out the other. What I want to know is how Joe and Susie and Tom and Mary did. Looking at a bunch of numbers on a piece of paper does nothing for me--but I will remember the girl who came up to me in tears on Thursday because she didn't pass the FCAT. I will remember her and next year I will work that much harder to help her be successful...because that is why I go to work every day--to teach my kids. Not to analyze data until my eyes cross, or lament the failure of some instead of celebrating the achievements of so many, but to help each individual little teenage person who sits in my room learn something new, to experience self-discovery, to ask questions and find answers.
I don't want to just talk the talk--though I apparently do that pretty well--I want to walk the proverbial walk. Sometimes it really feels like that's all we do anymore is talk. Let's walk, people!
Rant off.
300 hours of reading endorsement classes, 180 hours of ESOL classes, 18 credits toward a master's degree, and countless hours of professional development, training, and data analysis have fried my brain. In the midst of rousing morning discussion of the newly released FCAT scores, I actually uttered the phrase, "progress monitoring assessment tool."
I used it correctly. And I knew what it meant.
My mom looked at me like I'd lost my damn mind, and to be honest...I don't blame her.
Seriously, though. There are a few problems that really bug me about the testing system our state so lovingly shoves down the throats of all its teachers and students. My kids did really well in math--I'll give them that. But over half my students--half my honors students--didn't pass reading. Which means they'll be in both AP English and Intensive Reading next year, at both the top and bottom of the barrel. How does that even make sense? It doesn't. And I'm not suggesting that they all be removed from the honors track and sent directly to remedial English, though that would certainly work for some of them. The problem isn't with the kids. It's not even with the teachers. It's with...dare I suggest it? The test.
We hear the same thing every year: our 10th graders don't pass the FCAT reading because instead of just multiple choice questions, they have an additional "performace task"--a written response. Poor performance on the written responses can cause a kid to lose an entire achievement level, and can make the difference between passing and not passing. So I ask you--if we know this is the problem, or at least part of the problem, then why do written responses only appear on one test each in elementary, middle, and high school? If the purpose of the FCAT is to truly monitor and assess student achievement, then why in God's name do they not give them the SAME KIND OF TEST every year? And why in God's name do they continue to beat teachers senseless with data that doesn't accurately reflect student progress or achievement? It's like asking them to draw a picture of a dog one year and a cat the next, then saying they failed because the two pictures aren't identical.
And that doesn't even BEGIN to cover the ridiculously ridiculous way the data is then manipulated to come up with our school grades and deciding whether we meet AYP. During the same aforementioned conversation, my mom mentioned how 47% of their students made learning gains, but it didn't matter because they needed to show 50%. Are you kidding me? Are our priorities seriously so freaking skewed? So the entire year goes in the fail pile because only 47% made learning gains? How about, I don't know, celebrating that 47%? That's 47%, almost half the student body, who made some sort of gain in their testing scores. And guess what--that 47% represents STUDENTS.
Remember them? They're the ones who get hurt the most by the constant reduction of achievement to a bunch of meaningless statistics. You can tell me all day that this percent of my students passed this or failed that, and it goes in one ear and right out the other. What I want to know is how Joe and Susie and Tom and Mary did. Looking at a bunch of numbers on a piece of paper does nothing for me--but I will remember the girl who came up to me in tears on Thursday because she didn't pass the FCAT. I will remember her and next year I will work that much harder to help her be successful...because that is why I go to work every day--to teach my kids. Not to analyze data until my eyes cross, or lament the failure of some instead of celebrating the achievements of so many, but to help each individual little teenage person who sits in my room learn something new, to experience self-discovery, to ask questions and find answers.
I don't want to just talk the talk--though I apparently do that pretty well--I want to walk the proverbial walk. Sometimes it really feels like that's all we do anymore is talk. Let's walk, people!
Rant off.
Band Nerd, Take 2
Freedom! Yesterday was the last work day for teachers, so I am (semi) free until August 11th, when I go back for...band camp! Whee!
Sometimes I love my job...sometimes I hate it. Yesterday was a not-so-much kind of day. I didn't really have too much to do to close out my year. Grades were done, room was mostly clean, keys and equipment ready to turn in--and this was all by 9 a.m. We did have a really nice lunch (I'll give 'em that, they do feed us well), but then...oh.my.god. We sat there twiddling our thumbs for well over an hour, waiting to check off grades, check in technology, and turn in keys. In reality, the entire process took about 5 minutes. That's about 4 minutes longer than it actually should have taken, but they so kindly waited until the last damn minute to make us change grades for students who failed one semester.
The technology check in was literally a glance in the laptop case to look at the computer and power cord. I waited OVER AN HOUR for that. Normally I wouldn't have cared but yesterday evening was our evening band practice to welcome new freshmen and introduce leadership. My color guard girls showed up half an hour early, and basically had to sit there with no supervision (in a room filled with thousands of dollars worth of equipment) until I was "free to go." When I asked to jump ahead in line because my girls were there early, I was essentially treated as if it were MY fault for not planning correctly. Not to mention that our network manager seems to take personal pleasure in being a condescending jerk, which he displayed to me in the form of telling my friends RIGHT NEXT TO ME that I could "just be pissy and wait my turn," when they kindly suggested that I go ahead of them because I had somewhere to be.
Anyway, whatever. Bygones.
The band rehearsal was really a lot of fun. Yes, I am a band nerd! I'd forgotten how much fun it was. I will admit that I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into...27 teenage girls, all in one room at one time. It was...very high pitched. I really had a blast though, and I can tell that some of those girls are going to be like my own children. It's very strange to be on the other side of the podium, as it were--I had to stop myself from standing at attention and parade rest with the rest of the band! Still...I can't wait until August--band camp again! Yay!
Sometimes I love my job...sometimes I hate it. Yesterday was a not-so-much kind of day. I didn't really have too much to do to close out my year. Grades were done, room was mostly clean, keys and equipment ready to turn in--and this was all by 9 a.m. We did have a really nice lunch (I'll give 'em that, they do feed us well), but then...oh.my.god. We sat there twiddling our thumbs for well over an hour, waiting to check off grades, check in technology, and turn in keys. In reality, the entire process took about 5 minutes. That's about 4 minutes longer than it actually should have taken, but they so kindly waited until the last damn minute to make us change grades for students who failed one semester.
The technology check in was literally a glance in the laptop case to look at the computer and power cord. I waited OVER AN HOUR for that. Normally I wouldn't have cared but yesterday evening was our evening band practice to welcome new freshmen and introduce leadership. My color guard girls showed up half an hour early, and basically had to sit there with no supervision (in a room filled with thousands of dollars worth of equipment) until I was "free to go." When I asked to jump ahead in line because my girls were there early, I was essentially treated as if it were MY fault for not planning correctly. Not to mention that our network manager seems to take personal pleasure in being a condescending jerk, which he displayed to me in the form of telling my friends RIGHT NEXT TO ME that I could "just be pissy and wait my turn," when they kindly suggested that I go ahead of them because I had somewhere to be.
Anyway, whatever. Bygones.
The band rehearsal was really a lot of fun. Yes, I am a band nerd! I'd forgotten how much fun it was. I will admit that I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into...27 teenage girls, all in one room at one time. It was...very high pitched. I really had a blast though, and I can tell that some of those girls are going to be like my own children. It's very strange to be on the other side of the podium, as it were--I had to stop myself from standing at attention and parade rest with the rest of the band! Still...I can't wait until August--band camp again! Yay!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I Blinked, and...
...the last 8 months of my life disappeared. Where has it gone? My beautiful little girl has gone from this:
To this:
I'd like to speak to the management, because I did not approve this change. I specifically requested that she stay tiny forever.
OK, she's still pretty small, but really...she can sit. By herself. And she can now say ba, ga, ma, and da, which gives her a larger vocabulary than half my students.
I remember when we first started doing "tummy time" at about 2 weeks...she hated it. She'd lie there and scrunch up and do what I called her beetle butt routine. (Don't ask where I get these names...they just appear in my head and won't go away. Witness her nickname: Moo. Nuff said.)
Now when I put her on the floor, she won't stay still! She hasn't managed to crawl yet, though she's getting pretty good at pushing herself backward...but she rolls everywhere. I put her on the blanket, and she rolls into the closet. I put her back and she rolls under the crib. I put her back and she rolls over and wedges herself under her changing table. She'll stay there forever, because she can play with the little drawer pulls, which provide unlimited fun and excitement for 8-month-olds.
Anyway...I'm so incredibly blessed to have an amazing child. She is quite simply the best thing I've ever done. It never ceases to amaze me that in a little over a year she went from being...well, nothing, really...to this little person with a funny, charming, sweet personality all her own. I always thought it was kind of cheesy when people talked about the miracle of life, but you have to admit that it's pretty freaking miraculous. Everything that we take for granted is brand new to her, and sometimes it's like you can see the discovery actually happen. There are times when she looks at me, or at something going on around her, and she's so intent--then you can almost hear it click for her and her face just lights up. It's so incredible to share each new discovery with her. I get so excited with each new thing she learns, yet at the same time it's bittersweet, because it's that much more independent she's just become.
I worry about being a good parent, a good mommy. I get frustrated with her sometimes--today I was frustrated because she was fussing and I didn't know why. Turned out she was hungry--Suddenly she's started wanting her dinner at like 5:00, when she used to eat at 6:30. Is this normal? I don't know. I feel like I should know. Every little thing worries me now, and it shames me when I don't know the answers. When I get frustrated I feel like a horrible mom...she's just a baby and doesn't have any other way to tell me when something is wrong!
I want to be a good mom for Charlotte, but not only that...I want to be a good person, a better person. I want to be someone she can look up to and admire. I want to be the kind of mom for her that my mom was for me, someone that she can have a wonderful lifelong relationship with. Anytime I hear about people who don't have good relationships with their mothers, it makes me a little sad because I do have such a wonderful mom--and that's the kind of mom I want to be for Charlotte.
And on that note...happy 8-Month Birthday Moo! 
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