Does anyone else have those moments when you think you have something great to say (or blog about), but no time to blog. Then, when I do have time to write a new post, I can't think of anything to say. Well, today's one of those times. So, here's just a few words to let the world know that I'm still kicking here in Georgia.
1. I started my second semester of grad school this week, and I attend class on Monday and Tuesday nights. This makes for a very tough beginning of the week. I'm hoping that I'll get adjusted to the new schedule - soon!
2. Davis is getting a new project car - a 300zx turbo... I think. Which means that my warm, cozy garage parking spot is being relegated to the new project.
3. I didn't make a New Year's Resolution. I haven't for ... well, I can't even remember the last time I made a Resolution. I figured I probably wouldn't keep it any way, so why make one? What I am attempting is to cook more meals at home and be better about cleaning. This seems to be a goal every semester since it's easier to start fresh when everything is clean and organized.
That's all I've got for now. I'm going to take a nap until it's time to cook dinner.
Oh, and Roll Tide and Go SEC!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
My Vote
Despite having cancelled cable a couple months ago, I have been able to watch the two Presidential debates and the Vice Presidential debate online and on the Xbox. (Hey - I even got Davis to give his full attention to last night's debate. I have hope for him yet!) Here are my brief thoughts on the debates before I get into the issues I'm voting based on.
1) As humorous as it was to watched Mitt Romney dominate the first debate, I thought it was an embarrassing display on the part of our current President, especially given the fact that he said debate prep was "a drag". I almost felt bad for Barack, but it finally gave Americans some insight into the attitude and abilities of our current President. I'm glad Mitt Romney was forceful in pointing out when Obama was misconstruing Romney's plans and beliefs.
2) The Vice Presidential debate was a bit more of a debate, which I appreciated. I thought Paul Ryan was incredibly well spoken, particularly when compared to Biden's childish snorts, eye-rolling, and disrespectful attitude. That kind of behavior is something I expect from my 3 year old students (and even then they're given a choice to either be respectful or be removed from the group until they can control themselves). However, there was an awful lot of he-said, she-said going on, which I suppose is what happens when Vice Presidential debates have no real bearing on the election itself.
3) Last night the President showed up, and it was actually somewhat of a...well, a debate. However, we witnessed an incredible disregard for the moderating rules when Candy Crowley took Obama's side over the phrase "acts of terror". She has since admitted that she shouldn't have taken sides and that Romney was actually correct. Are you kidding me?! She is supposed to be an unbiased moderator, and it's a shame that she couldn't follow the rules.
When I vote, I will be voting for the man who I believe has America's best interests at heart.
I'm voting for the man who embraces the Constitution instead of looking for loopholes around it.
I'm voting for the man who believes government has no right interfering with matters of religion, especially where contraception and abortion are concerned.
I'm voting for a man who will not make apologies to our enemies.
I'm voting for a man who has legitimate experience running a state, an organization, a business.
I'm voting for a man whose campaign budget is actually balanced.
I'm voting for a man who wants to bring stability to Social Security for the younger generations without endangering it for those who are currently near retirement.
I'm voting for a man who believes in the 10th Amendment, which states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
I'm voting for a man who won't give details on his plan because he actually wants to sit down with Democrats and Republicans alike to formulate a plan together- no man is an island!
I'm voting for a man who knows that The United States of America should not be borrowing money from China to fund PBS (a group who has said that if the small amount of federal funding is pulled, Sesame Street won't be going anywhere because they rely heavily on other contributions).
I'm voting for a man who wants Americans to get off food stamps and into jobs that will provide for their families.
I'm voting for a man who understands that small businesses create jobs - not the government.
I'm voting for a man who, when he was Governor of Massachusettes, spent time working the jobs of other people including a garbage man, asphalt paver, emergency room volunteer, food server in a nursing home, and a child care assistant. I'm voting for him because he understands how hard I and all my colleagues work when he says, "I'm often asked which was the hardest job - it's child care, by a mile."
1) As humorous as it was to watched Mitt Romney dominate the first debate, I thought it was an embarrassing display on the part of our current President, especially given the fact that he said debate prep was "a drag". I almost felt bad for Barack, but it finally gave Americans some insight into the attitude and abilities of our current President. I'm glad Mitt Romney was forceful in pointing out when Obama was misconstruing Romney's plans and beliefs.
2) The Vice Presidential debate was a bit more of a debate, which I appreciated. I thought Paul Ryan was incredibly well spoken, particularly when compared to Biden's childish snorts, eye-rolling, and disrespectful attitude. That kind of behavior is something I expect from my 3 year old students (and even then they're given a choice to either be respectful or be removed from the group until they can control themselves). However, there was an awful lot of he-said, she-said going on, which I suppose is what happens when Vice Presidential debates have no real bearing on the election itself.
3) Last night the President showed up, and it was actually somewhat of a...well, a debate. However, we witnessed an incredible disregard for the moderating rules when Candy Crowley took Obama's side over the phrase "acts of terror". She has since admitted that she shouldn't have taken sides and that Romney was actually correct. Are you kidding me?! She is supposed to be an unbiased moderator, and it's a shame that she couldn't follow the rules.
When I vote, I will be voting for the man who I believe has America's best interests at heart.
I'm voting for the man who embraces the Constitution instead of looking for loopholes around it.
I'm voting for the man who believes government has no right interfering with matters of religion, especially where contraception and abortion are concerned.
I'm voting for a man who will not make apologies to our enemies.
I'm voting for a man who has legitimate experience running a state, an organization, a business.
I'm voting for a man whose campaign budget is actually balanced.
I'm voting for a man who wants to bring stability to Social Security for the younger generations without endangering it for those who are currently near retirement.
I'm voting for a man who believes in the 10th Amendment, which states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
I'm voting for a man who won't give details on his plan because he actually wants to sit down with Democrats and Republicans alike to formulate a plan together- no man is an island!
I'm voting for a man who knows that The United States of America should not be borrowing money from China to fund PBS (a group who has said that if the small amount of federal funding is pulled, Sesame Street won't be going anywhere because they rely heavily on other contributions).
I'm voting for a man who wants Americans to get off food stamps and into jobs that will provide for their families.
I'm voting for a man who understands that small businesses create jobs - not the government.
I'm voting for a man who, when he was Governor of Massachusettes, spent time working the jobs of other people including a garbage man, asphalt paver, emergency room volunteer, food server in a nursing home, and a child care assistant. I'm voting for him because he understands how hard I and all my colleagues work when he says, "I'm often asked which was the hardest job - it's child care, by a mile."
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
How Grad School is Like Preschool
Yesterday, as I was driving home from the second meeting of one of my graduate classes, I was thinking about how grad school can be a lot like preschool, especially on the first day. Here are some examples:
1: The "Here's what you need to know" packet
That being said, I am really enjoying the one graduate class I have been to (I'll go to the other one on Thursday for the first time). It's nice being on the Griffin campus, because it's small and intimate. Student Affairs met me and one other student at my class an hour early to take our photo, order our Campus I.D.s, and do a quick orientation for us since we're both new. How wonderful is that? As much as I love The University of Alabama, I can't say that they would have gone out of their way to set up a special orientation time for just two new students.
As always, Roll Tide!
And now, Go Dogs! (Go Dawgs?) Hrm, have to check on that one...
1: The "Here's what you need to know" packet
- Preschool = Welcome packet that includes everything parents need to know for the time being
- Grad school = Syllabus, schedule, due dates, and assignments
2: Seating assignments
- Preschool =Assigned seats on the carpet (using previous teachers' opinions about who to separate)
- Grad school = Assigned seating groups for the semester
3: Set the tone
- Preschool = Here are our rules, routines, and expectations for the class
- Grad school = Here's how the class operates, so follow that code of conduct
4: Discovery as opposed to "preaching"
- Preschool = Set up activities so that the students discover different concepts on their own
- Grad school = Provide hands-on activities so that the teachers can learn the same way their students do
As always, Roll Tide!
And now, Go Dogs! (Go Dawgs?) Hrm, have to check on that one...
Friday, August 17, 2012
3 Weeks with 3 Year Olds (Almost)
We are 2.5 weeks into school, and it has gone incredibly
well! I am super pleased with my students, and I have great parents!
Here are some of the awesome things my 3 year olds can do
already (most of the time):
Open their own milk carton
Walk in a quiet line
Remember to wash their hands before using the sensory table
Line up to go inside when they hear the bell
Clean up after centers
Okay, so these are things you would expect students to be
able to do, but keep in mind that they’re 3, and we’re less than 3 weeks into
school.
Last night was curriculum night, and I had 4 parents come
(representing 3 different students). We got started just after 6:30 and didn’t
leave until 7:50. The school was dark, and everything was shut down by then.
I’m pretty sure we were the last cars in the parking lot. However, I actually
enjoyed having that time to talk with these parents (being the nerd that I am).
What really blew me away is that they asked me what I needed from them. How
amazing is that?! One of the Dads is a tech person for another school that has
just switched from PC to Macs, so he’s got a lot of supplies he’s looking to
donate. We’re getting 5 netbooks with mice, and couple digital cameras, and
maybe more. I’m SOO excited to be getting some technology in the classroom. So many blessings in the past 3 weeks!
Well, I'm going to lay on the couch and do nothing in an attempt to cure this gunky cold the children gave me over a week ago (hello back-to-school germs!). In my next post, I'm hoping to have some pictures of my classroom!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Olympics Opening Ceremony
I have to say that the Olympics Opening Ceremony was fairly dreadful and underwhelming. Granted, I missed the first 45 minutes, but unless something spectacular happened, I don't feel like I lost any of the ... whatever it is they were going for. I did watch the next hour or so, but was so bored that I decided to record the rest and go to bed. This morning I watched the rest while working on purchase orders for my classroom.
Here are my thoughts on the following topics:
The Queen
Bored much? While the James Bond scene was creative, Her Majesty looked like she was bored half to death. I don't think I saw her smile at all; where's all that spunk that the NBC commentators said she had? And then there was the frowny, bland, single sentence statement declaring the Olympics open. Yawn.
The NBC Commentators
Unimpressive. And apparently, they skipped tributes to the Israeli victims and the 7/7 victims to show a dull interview with Michael Phelps. Hopefully NBC won't botch the rest of the Olympic coverage.
The American Uniforms
What are we, French? Berets. Scarves that look like the French flag. Is this the best the U.S. could come up with?
The Lighting of the Torch
By far the best part of the Opening Ceremony. I loved the "passing it on to the next generation" and the way they passed the torch among themselves. And, while I was clueless as to what the big horn-looking things being carried in were, the copper "leaves" being raised into the cauldron was pretty spectacular. It's rather unfortunate that that was followed a poor rendition of "Hey Jude".
Here are my thoughts on the following topics:
The Queen
Bored much? While the James Bond scene was creative, Her Majesty looked like she was bored half to death. I don't think I saw her smile at all; where's all that spunk that the NBC commentators said she had? And then there was the frowny, bland, single sentence statement declaring the Olympics open. Yawn.
The NBC Commentators
Unimpressive. And apparently, they skipped tributes to the Israeli victims and the 7/7 victims to show a dull interview with Michael Phelps. Hopefully NBC won't botch the rest of the Olympic coverage.
The American Uniforms
What are we, French? Berets. Scarves that look like the French flag. Is this the best the U.S. could come up with?
The Lighting of the Torch
By far the best part of the Opening Ceremony. I loved the "passing it on to the next generation" and the way they passed the torch among themselves. And, while I was clueless as to what the big horn-looking things being carried in were, the copper "leaves" being raised into the cauldron was pretty spectacular. It's rather unfortunate that that was followed a poor rendition of "Hey Jude".
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
My Classroom
Today was the first day I was able to get into my new classroom. I hadn't planned on starting until tomorrow (when pre-planning starts for the rest of the teachers), but I found out yesterday afternoon that there was a new preschool teacher planning session from 8-12 today. Since I was already there, I decided to spend the next few hours working on unpacking my room. My principal mentioned that there were a lot of boxes to unpack; little did I know what I was walking into...
There's another new preschool teacher who can't get into his room until Monday (they're still using his classroom because preschool goes through the summer). Suzanne suggested that he could come help me unpack boxes, and I gladly accepted his help. When I walked into the classroom, I realized that the boxes were all from Kaplan, Montessori tools, and other educational stores. Everything in my classroom is BRAND NEW (except the computer). Tables, chairs, puzzles, blocks, dramatic play uniforms, everything! It's like Christmas and my birthday rolled into one. Oh, and most of the furniture was pre-assembled - can't beat that!
Going through the boxes has been interesting, to say the least. I have more plastic play food than I know what to do with, 1 full set of sheets and 1 half set, and at least 40 different types of paint brushes. Ironically, the three things I haven't found anywhere so far are markers, crayons, and books. I have no storybooks at all for a classroom library; all I have are the books that we use in our language/literacy curriculum. I'm hoping to order some, but if anyone has any ideas where I can get preschool level books for cheap and/or free, please let me know!
I'll post some pictures once I've got my classroom set up.
There's another new preschool teacher who can't get into his room until Monday (they're still using his classroom because preschool goes through the summer). Suzanne suggested that he could come help me unpack boxes, and I gladly accepted his help. When I walked into the classroom, I realized that the boxes were all from Kaplan, Montessori tools, and other educational stores. Everything in my classroom is BRAND NEW (except the computer). Tables, chairs, puzzles, blocks, dramatic play uniforms, everything! It's like Christmas and my birthday rolled into one. Oh, and most of the furniture was pre-assembled - can't beat that!
Going through the boxes has been interesting, to say the least. I have more plastic play food than I know what to do with, 1 full set of sheets and 1 half set, and at least 40 different types of paint brushes. Ironically, the three things I haven't found anywhere so far are markers, crayons, and books. I have no storybooks at all for a classroom library; all I have are the books that we use in our language/literacy curriculum. I'm hoping to order some, but if anyone has any ideas where I can get preschool level books for cheap and/or free, please let me know!
I'll post some pictures once I've got my classroom set up.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Before and After
When we first signed our lease and moved into our new place, I was a bit worried at all the work that would have to go into making it feel like home. Sure, in our last place I didn't worry as much because I knew we would only be there a year. However, it is my hope to stay here for a few years (hopefully until we have enough saved for a decent down payment on a house).
As I'm sitting here watching Sister Act, I figure this is a great time to do a Before and After post.
As I'm sitting here watching Sister Act, I figure this is a great time to do a Before and After post.
Kitchen
Before
The kitchen was pretty disgusting - very dirty, with caked on dirt and grease. So, after a couple hours of attempting to clean, I decided to try something that I had seen on design shows and magazines. I also wanted to add some color (the entire house was white and off-white, and if you know me, you know I don't do bland). So, I removed the doors from the cabinets, painted the insides white and the outsides "Guacamole" (just for you, Dad!). I then put the doors back over the stove (to hide all my plastic containers); bought baskets to hold my spices, baking supplies, and pantry goods; and purchased fabric and curtain rods to make curtains to cover the bottom cabinets instead of putting the doors back on. The kitchen is probably the room I'm most proud of because it has made a 180 degree turn from where it started.
After
Dining Room
Before
The dining room was our "I-don't-really-know-what-to-do-with-this-stuff" area. Once I was able to find a home for all of the random things, I put our china in the hutch that matches our dining room table. I also painted the long, back wall of the dining room/living room blue. The hutch also makes a great place to display some of our wedding photos.
After
Living Room
Before
The living room started off just as bland as the rest of the house. However, it wasn't anything that a coat of paint, new curtains, and our furniture couldn't take care of! As a birthday gift, Davis bought me frames for my black and white photos that I took in Sicily, and they are now hanging on the wall above the couch.
After
Bedroom/Bathroom
Before
I already had a pretty good idea what I wanted to do with our bedroom since it was the one room I had worked on in our old apartment. My mother-in-law bought me matching lamps for my birthday. We bought a dresser off Craigslist for $50, and I refinished it for Davis; it's very similar to the other dresser we already have. Black-out and gauzy curtains were hung, and a nice coat of green paint on the wall behind the bed gave me the pop of color I was looking for.
In the bathroom, (after bleaching everything) I de-glossed and re-stained the cabinets and fixtures to bring some life back into them. A bright shower curtain, corner shower caddy, and some bathmats finished off our bathroom.
After
My Library
Now on to my favorite room in the house... It started off as the second closet in our guest bedroom. I took down one shelf to stand up my taller bookcase. My shorter bookcase went on the adjacent wall, and my sewing box fits nicely in the corner. Oh, and my shoes are hanging on the back of the door instead of in our bedroom closet.
Guest Bedroom
There's not a whole lot in this room at the moment - I'm not really sure what I want to do with it in terms of decorating. Right now there's a bed frame and a couch that I want to recover at some point.
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