Pants on the Ground

I had one of Dylan's socks fall out of my pant leg this morning and it made me remember another time not so long ago...

It was a scorching hot Sunday two summers, ago and I was about 6 months pregnant. I decided to brave the heat and do my weekly grocery shopping at Super Target. It was just a normal Sunday afternoon as I headed in to the store.

Since I was 6 months pregnant my belly had grown in excess of my "normal" pants and I had recently updated my wardrobe with some denim Capri pants. I was looking pretty cute in my stylish Capri pants (the kind with the fancy upturned cuffs something akin to these) and a red maternity tee. 

As I walked through the parking lot and towards the store entrance, I felt something rub at the bottom of my pants, so I reached down and readjusted the cuff. I then got my basket and began my shopping - produce section first! The cuff on my pants just kept bothering me and I reached down to situate my pants again (stupid cuff!) 

Since I was rapidly increasing in size I decided to take a look at the clothes in the maternity section.

In the Target where I shop the make-up/grooming section is located to the left of the aisle (headed towards the back of the store) and the clothes section is on the right. I decided to walk down this aisle since it is a straight shot to maternity section.

Since it was Sunday, there were product samples taking place. By the make-up section there was a very stylish and conservative older African-American woman sampling lotion, and as I approached her she looked up at me, saw my belly and smiled. I was off in my own little world (as always) but noticed her look and gave her a grin back... when I tripped.

The trip wasn't nearly clumsy enough to cause me to crash to the ground... it was more like tripping over my feet, but the lovely lady's face was struck with panic (as I am sure she envisioned my humongous pregnant body collapsing to the floor.) Luckily I am used to tripping, so I composed myself and looked at the floor to see what was causing the issues.

Lying at my feet was what appeared to be a black piece of cloth - the culprit! I reached down and grabbed it and then held it up to show the lady (did I mentioned she was quite conservative in appearance.)

As I looked towards my hands, I notice I was holding up a pair of black UNDERPANTS. I must have had a very confused look on my face (she sure did.) 

This is the conversation that followed...

Her - "What is that?"

Me - "It appears to be a pair of underpants."

Her - "Are they YOURS?"

Me - "No!"

Her- "How did those get in the aisle? Do you think someone dropped them (said with a disgusted look on her face)? "

At this point she offered me a small trashcan to dispose of my find. It was right about this time that I realized they WERE MY UNDERPANTS.  

My underpants had just fallen out of my pants and I tripped over them in the middle of Target (while 6 months pregnant.)  

The underpants had apparently been stuck in my pants leg and that was what had been bothering me all day... not the cuff of my pants. :)

I kept my epiphany to myself while the nice lady insisted I disinfect my hands with the bottle of rubbing alcohol she happened to have at her stall.

I thanked her and finished my shopping. I threw away a perfectly good pair of underpants, but I kept a shred of dignity (at least I like to think so.)

On the drive home, I decided I would keep the story to myself, but I couldn't, and ended up telling my friends Phillip and Sarah at work the next day. They laughed until tears came to their eyes. I have told several people since. It is always good for a laugh!

Now it is your turn to share an embarrassing story... add it in the comments so we can all have a laugh!

I am Socially Awkward

Yesterday was my first day of face-to-face training with Connections Academy which means I had to meet a lot of new people... those of you who know me know that it takes me a bit to warm up to people. I would be perfectly fine sitting in the corner by myself watching everyone else interact, but I sucked it up and tried my best to be friendly. I think I did okay. The co-workers I met are super nice and have all been very eager to answer questions and assist which has helped me with my friendliness issues.

After our day of training yesterday (which was mostly procedural based) we had a Meet the Teacher picnic at Bear Creek Park (where they have animals!) The plan was to cook hot dogs, have some games (I was in charge of hula hoops) and get to meet some of the families... unfortunately it rained.

We still held the picnic (there was a pavilion to stand under) but most of the games were canceled, and I am guessing we didn't have quite as many attendees as we would have sans dampness (I was soaked and my hair curled up into a stylish little puffball - it was a great look for a first impression.) I was, however, surprised with the amount of families who did attend... some of which drove for several hours. I got to meet around ten of my students and their families; the families and students were all so excited to start the school year!

We were all pretty much exhausted after the day and picnic so I came back to the hotel room and crashed!

Today was the second day of training (and a little less socially awkward for me.) One of the things that I have been impressed with is the administration's continued discussion of customer service. All too often in public education I think teachers view students and parents as problems to deal with, and unfortunately, they are not always "dealt" with in a respectful, prompt and/or courteous manner. I like the expectation that students and their families are our customers and it is our job to teach them and assist them through their educational journey. I am looking forward to honing my customer service skills.

I have had numerous people ask me if I am nervous about starting my new job. I have also had co-workers check on me to make sure I am doing okay...

I am doing great. I am confident I will be able to "handle" the virtual environment and although I know there will be times I feel overwhelmed by the  amount of grading I have to complete or the contacts I have to log... I am going to be fine. I am looking forward to getting back in the "classroom."

Over the last two days of training I have been struck by the similarities involved in teaching successfully in a  face-to-face setting and a virtual one.

The first similarity I have discovered is that the start of school is hectic! I do not have a "room" to prepare but I do have a LiveLessons welcome presentation to create, a teacher profile to update, curriculum to learn and welcome calls to make, but I know it will even out... eventually.

The second similarity is scheduling. Just as in a "bricks and mortar school" scheduling is a problem. Students continue to enroll and class sizes INCREASE. When I log in an look at the amount of students on my roster, I am overwhelmed, but then again that is how the school year always begins. Until schedules are leveled, class sizes are large (or very small.) Another 8th grade ELA teacher has been hired to take some of my class load, so I am taking a deep breath and am not going to stress about it.

And the third similarity is the students... they come to the class at a variety of levels and it is our job to customize their education to help them be successful. I am good with that.

So, as I get ready to head to dinner, I am doing well... just taking it all in and formulating my plans.

An IKEA Kind of Day

We started our day at IKEA. We arrive at about 9:45am but apparently they aren't open for shopping until 10:00am. Luckily Dylan was in the mood to run around like a crazy baby, so we were entertained by his sprinting around the lobby and riding up and down the escalators. I am EXHAUSTED.

When we got home Kyle began assembling our new shelf and I started putting the storage boxes together.

Dylan helped by crawling back and forth through the shelving unit, getting himself stuck and climbing in the boxes I was in the middle of assembling (did I mention this was all during his NAPTIME.)

Helping Kyle with the shelf.

I then began moving books and such back to the office while Kyle hung the magnet boards. Dylan assisted some more by pulling the books off the shelf as I put them on. Did I mention I am EXHAUSTED?

So we have more to do, but I am DONE for the night. Maybe Kyle will finish the office this week while I am in Houston.:)

Here is what it looks like so far...

My workstation

The shelf.

I am going to need you to admire the desk/table in the photo for my workstation. It is a door that I stained and Kyle added some legs to. We are handy! 

I am specifically not showing you the dining area and guest bedroom that are still strewn with stuff that has yet to be situated. As far as my decluttering goes today - I have thrown away A LOT of "stuff" and made yet ANOTHER stack of books to take to Half-Price. 

I think the books are multiplying.

Since I will be gone to Houston for a few days, I am going to put Kyle in charge of delcuttering and organizing... I will give you an update on how he does when I return from my training!

More on the Journey to Declutter

My last few posts haven't been about Operation Declutter, but don't despair, I have been working behind the scenes!

I think I am on day seven of the process and need to update on days five and six as well. So without further ado...

On day five I finished cleaning out the pantry, organized it and Freecycled a few baby items. I don't have a before and after, but here are some after shots.

Top of pantry = food items

Bottom = dogs stuff, food prep and storage

Random side bar - I am pretty much in love with the Freecycle site because I can list something, put it on my porch and someone comes and takes it away without disturbing me. AND people take opened things - for example, I had some baby Oragel and teething tablets, etc. that were partially used and no longer needed by Dylan. Someone came and got them and now their baby is pain free thanks to my discards. It makes me feel like I am being helpful to someone AND environmentally friendly at the same time.

On day six I cleaned out the cabinet under the sink in the master bath and Freecycled some mousse and a bathroom scale that I can no longer get to work (full disclaimer- this pickup is still pending so it is actually still in my house.)

And today, I Freecycled the used baseboards (apparently some crafty person is going to make frames with them) from my office since our new Bamboo flooring was installed!!

Ooooh... pretty!

My plan is to go to IKEA tomorrow and get a bookshelf and a few other organizing items for the office and start getting moved back in. I am hoping to sort through the office "stuff" before it makes its way into the "new and improved" office space. I will post pictures when the office is up and running (which will probably be at the end of next week because I will be in Houston Monday-Thursday for curriculum training.)

BTW - I feel like I have organized and gotten rid of a lot of things, but looking around, it doesn't LOOK like much. Oh well, I shall keep trudging along.

My Ruminations

This post is basically a spur from Seifipour's Ruminations post.

Like Sarah my thoughts have been with those at JESA who are getting ready to meet their students and tackle the school year, and although I will miss the students and staff at the school, I am glad I am no longer with you <gasp.> Leaving was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made (there may have been some actual sobbing involved), but I think it was the best decision for all of us.

Sometimes we reach a point in our careers where we grow complacent, jaded and stagnate. I feel like I have personally reached this place, and I need something new and different - a whole new scenery to give me a fresh perspective on education (and the JESA staff deserves someone who can offer assistance minus the snarky comments.)

This will be my thirteenth year in education (whoa!) and I have been swimming against the stream for most of it.  I am TIRED and think I may just need to lay low for a year or two to take some time to learn new things for myself and revisit teaching (which I am exciting to do in a an online environment this year.) To borrow a phrase from Stephen Covey's The Seven Habit's of Highly Effective People, it is time for me to do a little saw sharpening. I don't want to become the stereotypical grumpy educator who sits in the teacher's lounge and complains all of the time... and I think this is who I was becoming.

I too began my career with the grand plan of making a difference in my students' lives - and I think I have done that for many of them. I KNOW they have made a difference in mine. Unfortunately, in the end, I got bogged down by the politics and bureaucracy of it all. I felt constrained, and I do not like to be constrained. I just don't understand why the district hires innovative, hard-working, knowledgeable staff and then ties their hands with uniformity.

I LOVED The Academy and what it stood for (at its inception) so when packing up my office I had a brief pang of sadness about leaving when a co-working said, "Angela, The Academy left a long time ago." Yeah, sadly, I think so. It is difficult to keep a vision and goal alive when the district administration does not fully support it. I only hope that JESA will be able to develop a vision based on more than just standardized test scores.

I know that there are still outstanding teachers on the campus who are working (within their constraints) to make a difference in the lives of their students, and I applaud them for that. I wish them HUGE and CONTINUED success. JESA is by far, a way "better" and successful school model than most.

Perhaps I am simply being nostalgic - The Academy was by no means perfect -  but the philosophy of the school, the leadership I received, the freedoms we were granted all helped mold me in to the teacher I am today. It made me hunger for innovation and independence, and now I am not happy without it.

So, my choice was to begin a new chapter teaching from home with a new school. And although I may seem so to some, I am not naive. I know that this school will come with policies and regulations as well, and I am okay with that. I know what to expect, and I am willing to give it a go. I know I will encounter frustrations, but hopefully I will be able to deal with them in a constructive manner... and if not, I can take comfort in the fact that I can wear my pjs while working if I want.

I am a TEACHER. It is in my nature and not something I want to change.I still believe I can make a difference in students' lives, and I hope to.

Like Sarah, I would like to end with a note to my JESA peeps <shout out> -

I have learned so much from you all over the years. You help make me the person I am today. My suggestion to you is don't let the politics overwhelm you - focus on your students, and lean on each other for support. And as always, let me know if there is anything I can do for you. I <heart> you guys!

Sincerely,

me

TED Talks

If you don't know about TED Talks, I need you to.   

"TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading." 

Quite frankly TED Talks are awesome.

I am currently watching this one by Steve Jobs. It is good; I am a fan. Give it a watch!

Here are two more of my other favorites:

• Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity
• Hans Rosling the best stats you've ever seen

I would suggest taking some time to search the site and watch some of the talks... then share the ones you like in the comments so I can watch them!

Hodgepodge

This post is going to be a hodgepodge of information mainly because I don't want to write separate posts. :)

So, I'll begin with my declutter update. I had grand plans yesterday but only actually go to repurposing a container and filling it with lavender sugar scrub (I referred to this site to learn how to make it). 

I ended up spending my "free" time on the phone with Yahoo convincing them that I do not live in the UK and did not send out a desperate email to everyone in my contacts requesting money be sent to Italy to help me get home. Yeah, someone apparently hacked into my account, changed my password, set a different default password and changed my security questions. It was a beatdown, but I think I have everything back to normal now.

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So, on to today... Dylan was still NOT HAPPY (to say the least) when I left him at daycare this morning, so my day didn't start out fantastic, but I managed to be somewhat productive. I finished my training orientation classes so I can now focus on becoming familiar with the CA curriculum. I worked out for 30 mins. on my Wii Fit, finished the laundry I started yesterday, and decluttered a bit (not much.) Basically all I did was put the license plates (which have been sitting on my counter) on to my new car and mail a bunch of bonus box tops to Dylan's old daycare. I also started organizing the pantry and hope to finish this tomorrow (along with some other things).

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Since I am working from home this year one of my goals is to provide less "packaged" food for my family. Pre-packaged food is usually full of preservatives and other undesirable ingredients... plus, I like the taste of "fresh" food better, and it can often times be cheaper. 

On my Internet quest to locate some good snack options I can prepare ahead of time, I came across these ideas and thought I would share.

• Apparently you can air pop popcorn in a paper lunch bag in the microwave. Who knew? I haven't tried it yet but plan to purchase some kernels and bags on my next grocery run.
• My husband (and baby) like the Quaker instant oatmeal packets, but I am not a fan of most of the flavors... plus they are too sweet for me. I happened to run across these recipes for homemade instant oatmeal packs and plan to give them a try.

And here are a couple of other healthy snack ideas I came across in case you are interested:

• Fresh veggies (my husband and I will eat these as snacks if they are convenient, so I spent a few minutes cutting up some carrot sticks, celery and beets.)
• Fruit (I have tried to make it easily accessible in the fridge.)
• Low fat cottage cheese and fruit
• Whole wheat bagel bites with peanut butter
• Whole wheat crackers and Laughing Cow Cheese
• Edammame
• Unsalted nuts (I chose almonds)
• Pita chips and hummus
• Yogurt

Feel free to comment with any ideas and/or delicious recipes you have!

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I think that about does it for today. Time to rest and read my current book selection.

Blah!

I have a few minutes before my training starts back up (staff development) so I thought I would take a second to write here.

I am NOT in the mood for about anything today. I dropped Dylan off for his second day at daycare, and it was brutal. There was screaming, and crying, and clinging, and I could not calm him down so I had to leave him. It was pretty much AWFUL. I need him to start liking school again QUICKLY.

So, forgive me if I don't sound real excited about "Operation Declutter," but here is an update anyway...

Yesterday I set some toiletries and such out on my porch for someone from the Freecycle group to pick up, and a lady did. She sent me a super nice email thanking me for the stuff (which I thought was pretty much worthless), so I am glad I didn't just throw it away! I think a lot of people who are down on their luck use the site to acquire things they need/want so I am going to try to use it more often.

I also persuaded my husband to hang two pieces of artwork that had previously just been laying around, so I am going to consider that "re-purposing." :)

I posted some things on Etsy AND already sold one thing, so I put it in the mail yesterday. Now it is gone from my house, and I am $7.00 richer. Woo hoo!

I didn't get rid of anything big, but if I can keep it up for 30 days, I think it will make an impact on my home.

So far, today I have "re-purposed" a container by filling it with lavender sugar scrub for one of my friends. Now I just have to give it to her! :)

Day One - "Operation Declutter"

I am not sure I will post daily with decluttering activities, but since today is the first day, I decided to kick things off right.

I cleaned out the cabinet in the master bath - threw away a lot of trash and expired medicines and made my first offer post on Freecycle. And since Dylan is not deterred by most "baby proofing" I made sure to move all medicines, lotions and other potential harmful bathroom items (nail clippers, etc.) to the cabinet since it is located in a high position. 

Here is a before and after. The after still includes a lot of stuff but at least it is somewhat organized now!

BEFORE

AFTER

Decluttering (That's a word, right?)

The other day I wrote about being overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have, so I have formulated a plan to rid ourselves of our clutter.

The first step was to have a garage sale, so we did - yesterday from 8:00am-12:00pm and this morning from 8:00am until about 10:30am. We got rid of a lot of stuff, made $200 and allowed some people to walk away with a "steal."

The second step was to take everything (minus VHS tapes and  books) that didn't sell and donate it. Done! Then Kyle visited Half-Price Books and sold the books and VHS tapes for another $25.

Step three is more of a "project" a la Seifipour. Every day for the next month, I am going to clean out an area of our house and get rid or "re-purpose" something (not just trash.) My initial thoughts are to sell some more of my books on Ebay (I have some first edition and signed copies), sell a few "estate" things on Etsy, donate, Freecycle and throw away as needed.

We will see how it goes. I plan on updating here with some photos and my thoughts as I go.

My plan tomorrow is to clean out the cabinet in our bathroom. Let "Operation Declutter" begin!

The Power of Words

I have already written of my love for books, but if I break it down, it is really the words I love. How they sculpt a picture in my head. How they enable me to be part of the constructing. They give me the map but let my mind do the work - imagining, building, painting until I have a vivid picture of the characters, scene, actions the author is describing. I love that.

Words are powerful. With a phrase someone can irreparably change you - wield an insult that alters how you forever view yourself, offer words of kindness to guide you through a tragedy, profess a love you never thought you could attain.

As I read, I am often astounded how authors lace words together in ways I would never imagine.

I began a blog several years ago as a way to categorize some of the beautiful phrases I come across while reading. I used the quotes I extracted as examples for my students. The page has been neglected for some time, but I am hoping to resurrect it here.

If you read this blog via a news reader (aggregator) then you probably have not noticed that I change the quote at the top of the page with each blog update. The quotes come from the aforementioned blog (which I plan to start updating again.) 

I think of it a small "tribute" to words and to the authors who employ them so magically.

In case you have missed the previous phrases used in my header, I plan to share them in a post at the end of each month.

I hope you enjoy July's "tribute."

• “I am like a caterpillar in a cocoon of paper; all around me are sketches of sculptures, small drawings that seem like moths fluttering against the windows, beating their wings to escape from this tiny space. “ - from The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

• "My heart applauds inside my ears, first like a roaring crowd, then slows and slows till it’s a solitary person, clapping with unbridled sarcasm.” - from I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak 

• “I feel like cotton candy: sugar and air. Squeeze me and I’d turn into a small sickly damp wad of weeping pinky-red.” - from The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Don't Let the Door Hit You...

I received my "exit" survey from Irving ISD today. I am guessing the intent of this survey is to get feedback about one's time in the district.

My suggestion is to ASK for feedback... NICELY. I am sure most people would gladly and honestly give it. 

Perhaps I am taking things too personally, but after serving the district for more than ten years, I would have appreciated simply being ASKED... including this statement in my letter - Your last paycheck will be held until your survey results are received. It will be mailed [not directly deposited.]

Way to make me feel like a VALUED employee... I love being manipulated and threatened into doing what people want. 

I'm pretty sure the door hit me on the way out. 

My First Love

When I was little I remember visiting the library during the summer, choosing books to read, peeking at the hamster who resided in the children's area and generally enjoying my time. I don't remember a lot of specifics about the trip - who took me, if I ever went to story time, all of the books I read, but I remember the feeling of LOVING books (and of the cute little hamster).

As I got older I remember participating in the library's summer book club and the excitement I got from each book I checked out and read. I fell in love with Ramona Quimby, Ribsy, Encyclopedia Brown, Ralph S. Mouse, Bunnicula and Stuart Little. They helped me develop my imagination and kept me company when it was too hot to play outside, when my brother was too busy to play with me or when I just wanted a break.

I still escape in to books. I end my day each night reading whatever book has caught my fancy. Reading helps me focus on one thing, quiet my mind and relax... the Stephen King books I read as a teenager have given way to a more varied assortment (and books more suited to night time reading). I'm currently on a young adult reading kick and am making my way through the fourth of the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, am waiting on book three of the Hunger Games trilogy and re-read some "classics" for my upcoming eighth grade English teaching gig.

I have rediscovered my love for the library... it is convenient, free and AWESOME. This summer Dylan and I have visited our local library several times a week... and he always exclaims, "books," when we pull into the parking lot. It seems Dylan LOVES the library too. Dylan's current favorite is No More Diapers for Ducky - in fact, we had to purchase it because Dylan was so attached to, "Ducky."

FYI - The Richardson Library is great because their website allows you to log in and put books, DVDs, audio books, etc. on hold and then you can just pick them up and off you go. I'm guessing other libraries have this "feature" as well.

We canceled our Netflix account and Showtime to conserve funds so we have enjoyed the DVDs. I have checked out A LOT. My favorite has been The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I was shocked at the variety of DVDs the library has available... many of which I consider "new" (because I hardly ever actually go to the movies).

So my suggestion to you, is check out your local library and see what they have to offer. You might just re-discover a first love.