For Christmas I got a Dilbert daily calendar. I absolutely love it. Every morning while I wait for my computer to start up I take a moment to tear off the previous day and read the new comic. These two have been my favorite so far.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday Funny
For Christmas I got a Dilbert daily calendar. I absolutely love it. Every morning while I wait for my computer to start up I take a moment to tear off the previous day and read the new comic. These two have been my favorite so far.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Straight from the Sunbeams
I realized that I am very negative on my blog. So I decided that I need to report back on how teaching the lovely sunbeams are going. Last Sunday was actually really fun. Plus, the kids just say the funniest things. Here was my first conversation with a girl in our class while we were waiting for sharing time to start.
Girl: Where is Sally (another girl in the class)? (I’m using fictional names because since they aren’t actually my kids, I don’t want to exploit them without permission).
Me: I don’t know.
Girl: Why isn’t she here?
Me: Maybe she is on a trip with her family.
Girl: Where is Sally?
Me trying to figure out why she just can’t accept the fact that Sally is NOT there: I don’t know but we can ask her next week.
Girl: But WHY isn’t she here TODAY?
Me realizing that 3 year olds are still in the “why” phase: I don’t know… Hey look at that picture!
Distraction seemed to work.
We also had a little drama. Apparently there were two boys with “lots of energy” as the Primary President explained in one class, so they wanted to give us one (oh and did I mention we already have a boy with “lots of energy” in our class) and trade out the cutest, smartest, and best behaved boy in our class. Since I really didn’t feel like I could say no they just did the trade anyway. The boy they took out of our class seemed fine sitting with his new class in sharing and singing time but about 10 minutes after we went to our classrooms, his Mom brought him back in and said that he wanted to be in our class and they would trade another kid. I was so happy! It also made me feel like we’ve done something right, if he refused to go to another class. His Mom said that he loves being in our class.
So now we have two boys with “lots of energy” in our class. They are actually quite entertaining at times. We separate them so Neil is sitting by one and I am sitting by the other. Our class is divided between two rows. So the boy behind my row sitting by Neil was being noisy so the boy next to me turned around and said, “If you don’t be quiet then they will send you back to nursery or to your parents like they do in nursery.” So that made the other boy cry. Then the first boy turned to me and said, “Isn’t that right teacher?” I just told them both to be quiet and tried not to laugh. I wanted to say yes.
We also have one girl that has no idea about proper social cues. She actually took a handful of crayons during our craft time and smashed them on Neil’s pants. It was not appropriate but it was kind of funny too. Although, Neil did NOT think it was funny one bit because then he had crayon on his pants. She also refuses to sit in her seat during sharing time and during our classroom time. She constantly just gets up and wanders around the room taking things from people. Any ideas on how we stop that behavior?
Girl: Where is Sally (another girl in the class)? (I’m using fictional names because since they aren’t actually my kids, I don’t want to exploit them without permission).
Me: I don’t know.
Girl: Why isn’t she here?
Me: Maybe she is on a trip with her family.
Girl: Where is Sally?
Me trying to figure out why she just can’t accept the fact that Sally is NOT there: I don’t know but we can ask her next week.
Girl: But WHY isn’t she here TODAY?
Me realizing that 3 year olds are still in the “why” phase: I don’t know… Hey look at that picture!
Distraction seemed to work.
We also had a little drama. Apparently there were two boys with “lots of energy” as the Primary President explained in one class, so they wanted to give us one (oh and did I mention we already have a boy with “lots of energy” in our class) and trade out the cutest, smartest, and best behaved boy in our class. Since I really didn’t feel like I could say no they just did the trade anyway. The boy they took out of our class seemed fine sitting with his new class in sharing and singing time but about 10 minutes after we went to our classrooms, his Mom brought him back in and said that he wanted to be in our class and they would trade another kid. I was so happy! It also made me feel like we’ve done something right, if he refused to go to another class. His Mom said that he loves being in our class.
So now we have two boys with “lots of energy” in our class. They are actually quite entertaining at times. We separate them so Neil is sitting by one and I am sitting by the other. Our class is divided between two rows. So the boy behind my row sitting by Neil was being noisy so the boy next to me turned around and said, “If you don’t be quiet then they will send you back to nursery or to your parents like they do in nursery.” So that made the other boy cry. Then the first boy turned to me and said, “Isn’t that right teacher?” I just told them both to be quiet and tried not to laugh. I wanted to say yes.
We also have one girl that has no idea about proper social cues. She actually took a handful of crayons during our craft time and smashed them on Neil’s pants. It was not appropriate but it was kind of funny too. Although, Neil did NOT think it was funny one bit because then he had crayon on his pants. She also refuses to sit in her seat during sharing time and during our classroom time. She constantly just gets up and wanders around the room taking things from people. Any ideas on how we stop that behavior?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Picture Perfect Moments
Why is it when you have moments that would be perfect to take a picture and you have a camera but didn't realize the batteries were dead? I usually just completely forget the camera but I actually remembered to take it with us to Lava Hot Springs yesterday but neglected to check the batteries. I of course think that in order for me to tell about our trip to Idaho for a wedding reception that included a side trip to Lava Hot Springs it would be necessary to post pictures. Since no pictures were actually taken then I think it is pointless. So I won't go into details due to the lack of photographic documentation but I will say that it was fun to break out of our routine weekend to do something more adventurous like drive to Pocatello. I can't believe I just said that....
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Good Books
I have been reading a lot lately. I use to really enjoy reading but then work, school, and life happened and it didn’t leave time for reading. Last year a good friend of mine set a goal to read so many books that year. So I of course had to read all of the good books she recommended. Even though I didn’t set the goal myself it was really nice to be motivated to read again because now I don’t have the excuse of school. I discovered many very good and inspiring books through this challenge.
I now have several categories of books that I read. The first category is “the guilty pleasure” book. I love a good murder mystery. My favorite murder mystery author is Mary Higgins Clark. I have read every single one of her books.
The second category is “I’m trying to educate myself.” Books in that category are classics. I always try to read at least one or two “classics” a year to be educated. Classics are a tough category because I absolutely love some classics like Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, Wuthering Heights, and Inferno but I absolutely hated some other classics like Picture of Dorian Gray, Ethan Frome, and Catch-22. However, I am more educated for reading them regardless if I liked them, right?
The third category is “I’m trying to look and be smart.” I only read one of those last year. It was written by a Nobel Prize winner, so that makes me smart for just reading it right?
The fourth category is “It came highly recommended.” I read a lot of those last year. I read some books that I ordinarily would not have picked off the shelf myself but was extremely surprised. My top books from this category are Life of Pi, The Poisonwood Bible, The Secret Life of Bees, Water for Elephants, The Alchemist, and The Glass Castle. Seriously those books were amazing, inspiring, and very possibly life changing.
The fifth category is “A fabulous book mixed with history.” I have recently come to thoroughly enjoy historical fiction novels. I know I probably would be smarter if I actually read real history but let’s be honest here historical fiction is much more exciting than real history…… Anyway, my top books in this category are The Historian, The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose. Those books not only have fascinating historical elements thrown in but the stories are so captivating that you feel very invested in the characters.
The sixth and final category is “It’s the cool thing to do.” We all know what fits in this category—Harry Potter, the Twilight series, etc. The good thing about following the crowd for this one is those books are actually half way decent.
Anyway, what makes a book “good” for you? What are your top picks for books you’ve read? I’m always looking for a good book to read.
I now have several categories of books that I read. The first category is “the guilty pleasure” book. I love a good murder mystery. My favorite murder mystery author is Mary Higgins Clark. I have read every single one of her books.
The second category is “I’m trying to educate myself.” Books in that category are classics. I always try to read at least one or two “classics” a year to be educated. Classics are a tough category because I absolutely love some classics like Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, Wuthering Heights, and Inferno but I absolutely hated some other classics like Picture of Dorian Gray, Ethan Frome, and Catch-22. However, I am more educated for reading them regardless if I liked them, right?
The third category is “I’m trying to look and be smart.” I only read one of those last year. It was written by a Nobel Prize winner, so that makes me smart for just reading it right?
The fourth category is “It came highly recommended.” I read a lot of those last year. I read some books that I ordinarily would not have picked off the shelf myself but was extremely surprised. My top books from this category are Life of Pi, The Poisonwood Bible, The Secret Life of Bees, Water for Elephants, The Alchemist, and The Glass Castle. Seriously those books were amazing, inspiring, and very possibly life changing.
The fifth category is “A fabulous book mixed with history.” I have recently come to thoroughly enjoy historical fiction novels. I know I probably would be smarter if I actually read real history but let’s be honest here historical fiction is much more exciting than real history…… Anyway, my top books in this category are The Historian, The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose. Those books not only have fascinating historical elements thrown in but the stories are so captivating that you feel very invested in the characters.
The sixth and final category is “It’s the cool thing to do.” We all know what fits in this category—Harry Potter, the Twilight series, etc. The good thing about following the crowd for this one is those books are actually half way decent.
Anyway, what makes a book “good” for you? What are your top picks for books you’ve read? I’m always looking for a good book to read.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Look of Death
So apparently I showed up to work today looking like death. Let's just say that I didn't get much if any sleep last night due to worrying. I didn't feel great getting up this morning and I did see the deep black bags under my eyes but usually eye make-up and some base does the trick. I also have this dull headache. So I showed up to my morning staff meeting and my supervisor immediately asks how I am. I am a little surprised but I say fine. Don't we all just say fine? I mean we never actually say what we really are feeling. If I said what I was feeling I would have said, "Well, since you asked I actually feel extremely tired, I have a headache, and I think if I have to stare at my computer screen for one more minute I just might have a psychotic break." But instead I said I was fine. Then, when asked about my data project I said it was pretty much under control. Then, she points out the bags underneath my eyes and my general look of death. Pretty much everyone was in agreement. I didn't think it was that noticeable. In fact I had to go and check myself out in the bathroom mirror. So I sit here thinking, I should have just gone home sick. I apparently looked the part.
P.S. I realized in my previous post that it may sound like Neil isn't great at giving gifts. He is actually really thoughtful and great but we usually ask each other first if there are any specific requests. He actually doesn't even read this but I just wanted to clarify for my sake.
P.S. I realized in my previous post that it may sound like Neil isn't great at giving gifts. He is actually really thoughtful and great but we usually ask each other first if there are any specific requests. He actually doesn't even read this but I just wanted to clarify for my sake.
Practicality
As that day that occurs once a year in which you receive gifts on approaches (I have issues with that day and I usually try to not bring it up), I have had some internal struggles. Neil has been pestering me about what I want. I promised Neil from day one that I would not be that girl that expected him to read my mind and guess. Because that usually is setting a man up for failure. So over the years, I usually tell Neil exactly what I want or I just buy and wrap it and label it from him. However, this year I am struggling with fun gifts versus practical gifts. I definitely think that a fun gift would be awesome like a gift card to my favorite clothing store or a weekend trip. However, when your budget is as tight as ours then I feel guilty about requesting something frivolous. So then I think maybe a practical gift would be better. For example, I need a new frying pan that is decently sized. I am sick and tired of every time I try to make stir fry or ham fried rice or anything that requires a frying pan that I can’t fit everything in and just end up making a mess. I also need some new winter boots. All day on Friday, I was bothered by the fact that my feet were freezing. Several hours of suffering later, I realized that I had a hole in my boot near my toes. Most would think boots would not be practical but have you ever lived through a Logan winter without boots? Finally, I am blaming most of my sleepless nights on the fact that I have a lousy sad excuse for a pillow. A pillow is practical right? Because I’m not sure that getting a pillow for a gift is the most exciting thing.
Well, I suppose I am being slightly misleading because I actually did decide what Neil should get me. Now you are really curious, huh? I love suspense. Well, not if I’m the one in suspense but the other way around. Anyway, I went with the pillow. It was a difficult choice because I insisted that if we were going to spend money on a pillow it had to be good one. No more $5 pillows. So with a coupon to Bed Bath and Beyond, we invested in a pillow. I say invested because it makes it easier thinking about how much money it cost but I realize that it will not yield dividends other than a great nights sleep. Anyway, I guess the internal struggle is over except for the fact that I just feel older for choosing a practical gift over something fun.
Well, I suppose I am being slightly misleading because I actually did decide what Neil should get me. Now you are really curious, huh? I love suspense. Well, not if I’m the one in suspense but the other way around. Anyway, I went with the pillow. It was a difficult choice because I insisted that if we were going to spend money on a pillow it had to be good one. No more $5 pillows. So with a coupon to Bed Bath and Beyond, we invested in a pillow. I say invested because it makes it easier thinking about how much money it cost but I realize that it will not yield dividends other than a great nights sleep. Anyway, I guess the internal struggle is over except for the fact that I just feel older for choosing a practical gift over something fun.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Going Crazy
I
have
to
take
a
break.
My head is hurting from staring at numbers all day. I have been dealing with the not so fun part of managing a research project. I am responsible for collecting, entering and making data make sense. I recently found out that the data I had been collecting for over the last 1.5 years was not enough. So I have to go back through all 700 some odd records and re-record some data. It really is a good thing because the reason I am doing this is to secure another grant for developing training materials to go along with the assessment we are already administering. It is just a lot of numbers. A lot of numbers that I have to compile. And a lot of numbers that I have to make sense out of. Out of all 3 statistic courses I took in college, not one taught me effective methods of actually presenting data. Lame.
Anyway, I thought I was having a bad week until I had to make a dreaded phone call. I dreaded this phone call because I had to tell someone who was requesting a free re-take that we weren't going to give it to her for various reasons. I hate doing that. I just hate being the bearer of bad news. So I call her hoping to just leave a message. No such luck. I explained who I was and what I was calling about. She then profusely thanks me for returning her call (which makes me feel even worse that she is being so nice) then she starts crying. So I come to find out that she was just fired from her job that day because she didn't score high enough on the before mentioned assessment. She was just diagnosed with a serious illness and I'm sure her dog died or something. So I then had to spend 10 minutes grief counseling (see how my education does come in handy from time to time?) and then I have to break the news that even though she just lost her job she will have to fork out another $250.00 just to re-take the assessment to get her job back. I just wish she was mean about it. Then I wouldn't have felt so bad. Anyway, after hearing about her bad day, my week doesn't seem so bad.
have
to
take
a
break.
My head is hurting from staring at numbers all day. I have been dealing with the not so fun part of managing a research project. I am responsible for collecting, entering and making data make sense. I recently found out that the data I had been collecting for over the last 1.5 years was not enough. So I have to go back through all 700 some odd records and re-record some data. It really is a good thing because the reason I am doing this is to secure another grant for developing training materials to go along with the assessment we are already administering. It is just a lot of numbers. A lot of numbers that I have to compile. And a lot of numbers that I have to make sense out of. Out of all 3 statistic courses I took in college, not one taught me effective methods of actually presenting data. Lame.
Anyway, I thought I was having a bad week until I had to make a dreaded phone call. I dreaded this phone call because I had to tell someone who was requesting a free re-take that we weren't going to give it to her for various reasons. I hate doing that. I just hate being the bearer of bad news. So I call her hoping to just leave a message. No such luck. I explained who I was and what I was calling about. She then profusely thanks me for returning her call (which makes me feel even worse that she is being so nice) then she starts crying. So I come to find out that she was just fired from her job that day because she didn't score high enough on the before mentioned assessment. She was just diagnosed with a serious illness and I'm sure her dog died or something. So I then had to spend 10 minutes grief counseling (see how my education does come in handy from time to time?) and then I have to break the news that even though she just lost her job she will have to fork out another $250.00 just to re-take the assessment to get her job back. I just wish she was mean about it. Then I wouldn't have felt so bad. Anyway, after hearing about her bad day, my week doesn't seem so bad.
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