Sunday, November 30, 2008

Hurt - Johnny Cash

Pit Stop at Poly

On our way up to the Bay, we stopped at Poly to see one of our old profs. He was the one who went to our wedding and I used to visit once a quarter even when I didn't have him. We hadn't seen him since the wedding. It was really nice to see him because he knows us both so well. Here are some of my favorite moments from the visit.

Moment 1:
Prof M: How's the teacher program going, Bea?
Me: Hmmm....Okay. I have some interesting professors.
Prof M: Oh..The normal person kind of interesting or Bea's idea of interesting? (chuckles)
Me: The second one.

Moment 2:
Hubster: (plops my salad down in front of me)
Me: Wow, I wasn't expecting it to be that big.
Prof M: Bea, you know you should never eat anything bigger than your head.

Moment 3:
Hubster:
I'm going to get Bea to help me change my brakes. Do you think she can do it? Do you think she can pump it?
Prof M: Hmm....yea.
Hubster: Without complaining?
Prof M: (immediately) No!
Hubster and Prof M: (chuckles)

p.s.
We also got to teach him how to get his ring tone set up on his family cell phone. Yes, he's that kind of prof who refuses to carry his own cellphone. We wouldn't expect anything else from him and we like him that way.


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Turkey (Tofurkey) Festivities

http://www.musick8kids.com/mp3store/detailgrphics/detailTURKEY.gif

I had the honor of participating in the Turkey tango with my first graders and the other 80 first graders. It was ridiculously silly and fun. It's an annual tradition at this school. Every grade competes in order to place. This year we got 2nd place. Yay! The other two places were held by upper grades, so we didn't do too shabby.

P.S.
The video that's linked isn't a video of kiddos at my school instead it's just a video I found with the same song. ^_^

Chilly Willy

It's finally starting to feel like winter around here. I wore this super long fuzzy knitted scarf that was a hand-me-down from my mom. My kiddos spent the day petting my scarf and telling me how soft it was and how pretty it was. Super adorable!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Oh Piles!

My time with my wee-ones is winding down and I will soon be promoted to the big kids. I have mixed feelings about the transition. Who am I kidding? I totally don't want to go. My wee-ones are making amazing progress and I'm going to miss out when all their hard work comes to full flurition. Boo! Here's a warm moment for today:

Me: (cleaning up paper leaves, glue, scissors, and thankful wreaths)
Kiddo S: (rushes in from recess) Mrs. T----! Guess what we're doing.
Me: What Kiddo S?
Kiddo S: All the kids are making a big piles of leaves for everyone to jump in. Do you want to see?
Me: Of course.
Kiddo S: (walks with me outside) See!
Me: That's one huge pile. It looks like a lot of fun.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Cute as a Button

Hubster: Oh no! Our flowers on our lemon tree fell off. Poor Limone!
Me: That's okay. See where the flowers fell off. That's where the lemon comes from. See the little green thing.
Hubster: Oh! (much relieved)
Me: You're so cute!

Just a Kiss of Citrus

We've added two citrus trees, a lemon and lime tree, to our garden collection. Thanks to our Amex points! Our lemon tree is called Limone and our lime tree is called Lime-o. Here are our new kiddos:






Saturday, November 22, 2008

"I See Her Face Everywhere."

http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/Z/j/P/goyasghostposter.jpg

It's been awhile since we've watched a movie because my schedule has been so hectic and we haven't been consistent with our Netflix. The latest movie we've seen is Goya's Ghosts. Apparently, it's not very popular on IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, but we really liked it. It's really sad. It's about a young girl, who Goya paints a portrait of. She becomes a prisoner during the Spanish Inquistion for a charge that is unbelivably ridiculous. Natalie Portman does an amazing job especially when the movie jumps ahead 15 years. It's well done, just know that it doesn't leave that happy feeling inside afterwards.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Oh How I Miss...

Teaching has been my life for the past 5 months. I eat, sleep, breathe teaching. I know that I will always be thinking about teaching, but not as intensly as I have been. While I'm in this program, I've had to temporarily give up some of my favorite things. Here are the things I miss most.

  • Being with my hubster in the evenings and ALL weekend.
  • Calling my parents every day.
  • Snuggling up and reading multiple books a month.
  • Going home while it's still daylight.
  • Gardening in the daylight.
  • Blogging often.
  • Reading my favorite blogs regularly.
  • Cooking all of my meals.
  • Not being addicted to caffeine and sugar.

Kindness


from flickr

Yesterday, my teacher-partner-in-crime and I went on a field trip to the local Braille institute. We were going to the institute because they had a library where you could check out Braille books. Why did we want a Braille book? Well, one of the lessons in our literature curriculum is about a blind student who teaches another student how to read Braille. We wanted our kids to actually get a chance to see what a Braille book looked like and to touch one.

When we arrived, we found out that you have to have some kind of visual impairment or learning disablity (such as dislexia) to actually acquire a library card at the institute. We were super disappointed. Then, we explained to the librarian our situation. He gave us these neat little cards with the whole braille alphabet on it. Then, he asked us if we wanted a children's book in Braille. He could actually give us the book because it wasn't technically part of his catalog. We each got half of Nancy Drew: The Case of the Creative Crime. We were so excited and eagerly showed our mentor teachers! We can't wait for our kiddos to experience Braille. Thank you to the awesome librarian who has made our week a little brighter and our teaching experience even richer!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Top For What?

Kiddo: I don't know what to write for "top." Wait. I know! I'll write I have a top.
Me: What do you have a top for?
Kiddo: Hmmmm.....a beer.
Me: A top for what?!?
Kiddo: A beer. I love beer.
Me: Are you sure that's what you mean?
Kiddo: Yea...the thing you drink.
Me: Hmmm....are you sure? (trying to buy some time to think)
Kiddo: Yea.
Me: Are you sure it's not root beer?
Kiddo: Yea...that's what it is! I just call it beer.
Me: How about you add root beer, so I know what you mean?
Kiddo: Okay!

I heart my kiddos. They always keep me on my toes and laughing.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Book Addict

Okay, I admit it I'm a total book addict. If there was a BA association, I would definitely have to join it. Funny enough I do have my BA. I'm particularly addicted to children's books. I went to my school's book fair today, not realizing that it's really only for the kids and parents. Really, teachers don't normally go. It was okay because I had my other first grade partner in crime with me to keep me company. My new recent additions to my collection include:

http://www.walker.co.uk/walkerdam/getimage.aspx?id=9781406313826-1&size=webuse

http://www.quakerbooks.org/xfqbk/bb/img/bookcovers/big/0-439-77733-x.jpg

http://www.clt.astate.edu/sparks/book%20images/Volume%203/Issue%204/Hachiki%20Waits.jpg

Monday, November 17, 2008

Mon Coeur

(from our Honeymoon 2007)

Me:
I'm not going to make any money even though I have my Master's.
Mom: Even though your wallet won't be full, your heart will be.
Me: You're right, my heart is overwhelmingly full. Thanks, Mom!



Sunday, November 16, 2008

K to the A to the N to the Y to the E

http://www.princessdominique.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/west_kanye.jpg

I've recently realized that I totally love Kanye. I've been hesitant to admit it since he has a tendancy to be beyond narcissistic, but there's no denying he is uber talented. My favorite Kanye songs
include All Falls Down , Good Life , Stronger and Love Lockdown . With less-talented artists like Lil Wayne around, I'm happy Kanye's still producing interesting music.

Post Secret (Sunday Nov 16)

[hope.jpg]


[ricky.jpg]



[postits.jpg]

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Baby Alpacas!

Photo

from cuteoverload

Over the Hills

My hubster went on a solo scooter ride the other day to this olive town near us. He loved it, so he made another trip over there just so he could share it with me. It's an a-mazing drive through breathtaking farmland. I finally have some good pictures since I've gotten brave enough to hold onto him and snap pictures. I managed to do it without losing the camera. Yay!

I still need practice getting this action shot right.

This spot reminds us of Cambria.

Love the lamb in the middle.
Doesn't it look like somewhere Little Bo Peep would live?

Yep, those are some buffalo.
They didn't like me getting so close.

Not closed, just shut.

The perfect writing spot for writing a pastoral poem.

It looks like an equestrian training ranch.
My hubster likes the well-manicured lawn.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Happy November!


from flickr

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Crabby

Yes, this program has made me slightly crabby, especially when blood sugar is low or it's a long day. (I cannot thank my hubster enough for putting up with me.) In a lighthearted tribute to my crabbiness, I wanted to introduce my favorite type of crab: the fiddler crab.


fiddler crab from flickr

Carol of the Bells

Carol of the Bells is one of my new favorite Christmas songs because I got to see my owlets practice it for their Winter Sing. They did a very good job picking up. They're going to be playing it on glockenspiels, xylephones, and keyboards. These Celtic women aren't as cute as they are, but it'll do as an example.


I Was Talking About You!

Hubster: (reading aloud) Just a bookworm who found the love of her life. How cute! You found teaching.
Me: No, I was talking about you silly!
Hubster: I thought it was about teaching because your the apple lady.
Me: No, that's why there's a picture of me and you.
Hubster: But, you cut me out. (laughs)
Me: No, that's the way the picture was taken.
Hubster: No, you cut my eyes so I would look even more Chinese. (laughs)

After that conversation, I realized that I need to change the sentence that I currently have listed under the "About me" section. I just have to think of something good!

Monday, November 10, 2008

My Owlets


from flickr

I had an amazing day. I'm supposed to have this Monday and Tuesday off from my teacher boot camp grad program, so I offered to sub at my old school if they needed a sub. I had been all bummed out all weekend because the principal didn't call me. Miraculously, she called me this morning. Unfortunately, I decided to sleep in and missed her first phone call. By the time I called, she already had someone to work in the kinder class, but they were short so many people that I was still welcomed to come down as a substitute assistant of sorts.

She had worked it out that I could work with my owlets that I worked with last year. She even insisted that the their new teacher make time for them to tell me about what they're doing and to ask me questions. As my awesome friend Talar, put it I was the superstar of they day. They swamped me with hugs and told me how much they had missed me. I had missed them as much. It was so nice to see how much they've grown up and how responsible they're becoming. They're also becoming amazing readers. Owlets that weren't even mine last year came up to me to say hello and how much they missed me.

It's such a neat school community. I'm very lucky to still be invited back to be a part of it.
Little ones are just awesome people to be around. They have so much to share. I even got to watch my owlets prepare for their winter sing. I can't wait to see it in December. It was the pick me up that I needed after feeling bogged down and overworked.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Picasso

When we went the art museum for the Dia de los Muertos festival, we took a peek at their visiting collections. One collection was comprised of a bunch of Picasso's sketches and charcoal work. I'm gradually learning that that's the type of Picasso work that I love the most. Here's my favorite from the collection:

Blind Minotaur led by a Young Girl (1934)


C'est La Vie

My hubster and I have recently moved out to the country. When I say country, it's definitely country. There are beautiful farms and fuzzy farm animals all over the place. After being at Poly for four years, the country has grown on us, so this was a fitting move. One of the things that we do regularly is take a scooter ride through the hills. The landscape is gorgeous. There's even a lavendar farm along the drive that is heavenly aromatic. I still have yet to get any good pictures of the Icelandic minature ponies though. Here are some of our pictures:






Saturday, November 8, 2008

Catch Up: Dia de los Muertos

For part of my birthday celebration, we went down to the local art museum to their big Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. I'm becoming more interested in this cultural tradition because I would love to incorporate this tradition into my teaching. It would be important to add this to my October plans since many of my students will probably come from a Hispanic background. I also love the idea of remembering those who have passed away. I'm still a little unsure because the skull imagery still hasn't completely won me over. I'm almost there though.

Picados lined the stairway up to the museum.

An altar decorated by local students to celebrate their ancestors.

Close-up of alter with skulls made by local students.

A newspaper with a calevara.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

America, I Am Proud of You!

America, I am so proud of you. We have made progress. I have never been so proud to be an American as I am tonight. I have never been so hopeful for our country as I am tonight. May tomorrow be as wonderful as tonight.

http://www.neublack.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/shepard-fairey-barack-obama-1.jpg
"We rise and fall as one nation and as one people."

Warm Moment

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/images/election-day-books/presidential-elections.jpg

During my M.Ed class, they told us to keep an eye out for warm moments. Warm moments are when you feel particularly proud or excited during teaching. I had a wonderful warm moment today. As mentioned in yesterday's post, I taught my kids about election day, voting, and the presidency. Today, my mentor teacher quizzed them. How did they do? They did freakin' awesome! Here are the questions that they were able to orally answer.
  • How old do you have to be to vote?
  • How old do you have to be to be president?
  • How long can a president be president?
  • What is the maximum number of years that he can be president?
Not too shabby for wee ones. I'm so proud of them. My hubster asked me how much is it the kids and how much is it the teaching. I told them that they didn't have a lot of the info coming in, but their willingness to listen and desire to learn does help. Yay for my kiddos!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Wish I - Jem

Hawaii is totally calling my name! Yes, I do wish I could be there too! Enjoy this little Hawaiian inspired video.


Election Day

http://www.willisms.com/archives/ivotedsticker.gif

Tomorrow is definitely going to be a historical election day! Today, I went over election day with my kiddos. Here are some of my favorite responses. Enjoy!

Q: Who works with the president?
A: The assistant president.

Q: What is the name of president's office?
A: The president's place.

Q: What do you know about voting?
A: There's a voting card.

Q: How old do you have to be to be president?
A: 20
A: 70

Q: What does the president do?
A: He runs the state.

Q: How long can someone be president?
A: 100 years

Malcolm

Our poor fish fish died last night. As previously mentioned, he had a terrible case of fin rot. He did hang in there like a trooper. He was very brave. I didn't think that I would miss him as much as I do.The one thing that I'll miss most is him flaring his gills and giving me sass. We heart you Malcky.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Things I Thought I Wouldn't Have To Do Anymore

After I moved onto college, I thought there were some things I would never have to do anymore. Then, I decided to become a teacher. Just kidding! I'm totally stuck with all of those things again. Here's my running list in order from least to worst.
  • Checking out picture books from the school library.
  • Eating cafeteria food.
  • Having to remember all the sounds that vowels make and differentiating between short and long vowels.
  • Being covered in tempra paint.
  • Living in fear of lice, chicken pox, and stomach flu.
  • Taking school pictures!