Nostalgia

"Thank God for hometowns
And all the love that makes them go round
Thank God for the county lines that welcome you back in
When you were dying to get out
Thank God for church pews
And all the faces that won’t forget you
Cause when you’re lost out in this crazy world
You got somewhere to go and get found
Thank God for hometowns" 
--Carrie Underwood


This past weekend I was home in Tejas for a plethora of events: My 10-year high school reunion (Go Panthers!), my sister Deanne's college graduation/party, and Mother's Day. I have lots of thoughts from the weekend so I will try and put them into something coherent. 


I graduated from Duncanville High School in 2002. I attended the University of Texas @ Arlington for the four years after that. I taught high school Spanish/English for four years in Maypearl, Tx (also, Go Panthers!) and now teach middle school Spanish in DC. My step-sister Deanne, who is four years my senior, graduated high school in 1998 in Lumberton, Tx (Go Raiders) and immediately after moved to Dallas to live with us and attend UTA. She as a music major and snagged a job at Academy Sports + Outdoors. She excelled at her work and a few years later decided to pursue that full-time, leaving UTA for a time. 


After I graduated from UTA I began teaching teaching in Maypearl. It was a change from the big-city life of Duncanville but I soon adapted to the rural life and it became my adopted "hometown" for the next few years. My youngest set of kids was a group of honors 8th graders who were taking Spanish 1 a year early. Here, I met one of my favorite people, Kalin "Chief" Schiefer. Mainly I love her because she reminds me so much of me, with her I-don't-give-a-rats-about-what-you-think attitude and quick wit. This year, she graduates from Maypearl High School, class of 2012. 

I, on the other hand, am a 10-year graduate. Cra-zay. Of course I had to go back to the reunion and see and be seen, right? One of my favorite people, Holly Reid, and I decided we were going to take the reunion by the horns and own it. I think we did a pretty good job. 

Rachel "Horton" Stogner, Michelle "Reece" Kitsopoulos, Me, Diane "Frazier" Longnecker, Holly Reid (Not pictured, but not to go unmentioned are Sara "Campbell" Dean and Jennifer "Jackson" Box. Missed y'all.)

In the past ten years, Deanne has gotten married, had a beautiful daughter, quit Academy, and gone BACK to school to be a teacher! This weekend, we celebrated HER graduation and welcomed her into the land of teaching. Godspeed, sister. 

Go Mavericks, Class of 2012! 

The newest member of Spicer Elementary

4th Grade Math/Science

Just seems so funny to me how things come full circle at times. This past week I discovered Carrie Underwood's new CD because yes, I do love country music. Came across the song "Thank God for Hometowns" and the line that says, "Thank God for the county lines that welcome you back in when you were dying to get out", made me thankful to get to come home and share in all of the many things there were to celebrate. I may have been "dying to get out", but I am thankful that I am welcomed back. 

Surprise, surprise

And no, not just "surprise!" I'm finally updating my blog.

How do you answer when someone asks, "Do you like surprises?" My initial reaction is, "Oh, I love surprises!", because I'm thinking of the good kind. Like....

Surprise! You go to the Wizards game (who are not good) and it's John Wall bobble head night! Yuh-zah!

 Or,

Surprise! Your friend sent you this awesome card and/or text and it made you laugh out loud. Because of course they know you like getting snail-mail!

Apparently they also know you love cussing for fun. You know, for the hell of it. (Thank you Crystal Jones and Melinda Corso, respectively)

Or, 

Surprise! What you thought was your lamp being off balance turns up to be the missing earring you've been looking for since CHRISTMAS. Jimmeny Christmas! 

(Photo effects courtesy of Julie Brown. Thanks for the tip...and thanks to your friend?)

Or, 

Surprise! You put on a pair of jeans/shorts/pants/jacket/purse and find money in the pocket! The bigger the bill, the better the surprise. AmIright?! 

On the other hand there are those surprises that "surprise" us, but we don't really appreciate their catching us so off guard and unprepared. Like...

Surprise! We're having the third fire drill in two weeks and you are right in the middle of transitioning your 8th graders to their next class. ("We don't have time to get your coat please keep your voice off!"...insert teeth-sucking)

Or, 

Surprise! The plans you confirmed were cancelled because plans weren't double-confirmed before the other party decided to change their plans. 

Or, 

Surprise! The job you thought was pretty secure turns out to be expiring in two weeks and you have no back-up plan because of course you didn't think you needed one. 

Or, of course, 

The inevitable FaceBook [insert your own social media poison of choice] surprise that you should have known was coming when you are "keeping up" with someone. That when you initially saw it nine months ago put a pit in your stomach and now a slight spring in your step and tinge of hope in your mind. That you'd like to think has something to do with you but in reality...not at all. Not even a little bit. 

Or, 

Surprise. You experience a loss so great and hurtful that it shakes your entire foundation of what is true/right/good and you spend the time after sorting through it all. 

Whatever, however the surprise comes, the concept is the same, right? Because even in the "unfriendly" surprises, I'm trying to learn there is a chance to be thankful. 

I'm overjoyed when I find money in my pockets (also a reminder of how I love having pockets to put things in but how I always forget I have done so) or get a funny card in the mail. Can't there be joy in the other as well, since usually that surprise leads to making a decision, or a change, that we wouldn't have made otherwise? 

I don't think it's easy. I don't think I really choose to find this silver-lining a lot of the time, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I want to say, "Oh, I love surprises!". I also want it to be true on all accounts. 

Here's to living eucharisteo. 

Laundry Service

You can always tell how long it's been since you've done laundry based on what you find in the dirty clothes. Like when I see something I wore to a specific event, I think, "Wow, it's been ______ long since I've washed my clothes!" As I was doing laundry today I realized I hadn't done it since the week of my birthday, so essentially a month ago! It was time.

My mom gave me a shirt from Victoria's Secret over Christmas that has a bunch of glitter on it. I forgot to wash it separately and today when I pulled the entire load of "darks" out, sure enough, glitter galore! I asked my glitter-expert-roommate Kady how to get glitter out of clothes and she said I should just hope it eventually wears off. So, if you see me and think, 'She's showing a little extra sparkle these days', don't be fooled. This too shall pass.

It was a perfect follow up to last night's Sequins & Stripes party, though. I went to a birthday party of a friends roommate where the gals wore sequins and the boys wore stripes. Lots of fun. I had also found this fabulous dress at Urban Outfitters a while back that I knew would be perfect! Here are the talented teachers I work with on Team 6!

Back to laundry...somehow this little kabobble reminded me of when I first started doing laundry. Well, "doing" is a loose term. One day during the summer my mom had instructed me that when the clothes were done washing, I was to transfer them to the dryer. That's it, take them from one machine and put them in another. And, of course, to turn it on. (duh)

So the time came when I was to "do" the laundry and I was really excited because I thought I was doing something really important. But then....it happened. I had already put the clothes into the dryer and was about to add the final, most important touch: the dryer sheet. Lo and behold, they were missing! Where could they be? How was I supposed to complete this task without a Snuggle dryer sheet?? Panic set in.

I promptly got on the phone to call my mom at work and frantically asked the receptionist to transfer me to Teri Geen. Mom gets on the phone and quickly became concerned with my fast-paced speech.

"Mom, I can't dry the clothes!" 

"Why?! What happened? What's wrong?!"

.......

"We're out of Snugglies!"

Of course the next thing that came out of her mouth was laughter.You see it wasn't that I thought the dryer sheet was just THAT important, but I literally thought the dryer wouldn't work without it, that it wouldn't come on and the clothes wouldn't dry. Like the dryer had some sort of sensor in it that told the control mechanisms whether or not someone was tyring to skate by without using a dryer sheet. My mom assured me it would be fine and to go ahead and turn the dryer on. I was still amazed when I pushed the start button and it came on.

My, my. We've come a long way.

Happy Sunday evening, folks.

You Might Be a Teacher If....

1. You lose the back to your earring so you use a random eraser you find on the floor in your classroom to secure it. Fact: this works!

The skinny of it is I was in class, realized I the back had come off, didn't want to take them off or lose one, so I began to think of options. "Of course!", I said to myself. "My kids are always throwing erasers at each other, surely there has to be one of the floor!" I didn't have to look far, and there it was.

2. You come home to find two pens stick in your hair and a post-it note stuck to your body.

Don't act like it's never happened to you. I always have at least one pen on hand. Apparently this day I thought I had lost one and grabbed another. I realized both were still in my hair when I got home. Aaaand post-its are a must have for teaching. Whether it is writing a pass, writing a note to the office, writing a note to a student so as not to disrupt the class, writing down who owes you 200 words because they were off task...you know, the norm.

3. You attend a field trip for the top 20 paycheck earners to the MLK, Jr. Memorial and then hang out at Starbucks!

"Out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope"

Poetry reading

I first visited the memorial during the long holiday for MLK, Jr. day. (Which is why it is so crowded in the first picture). The sides of the memorial are lined with quotes about justice, education, and equality, just to name a few. The kids really enjoyed it when we took the top 20 paycheck earners in the 6th grade.

Somehow in all the teaching/working shenanigans, I managed to complete a couple of projects. The first was a lamp made out of a tea pot I already had and a shade I bought at Target probably. Here are pictures of the steps in creating said lamp.

I have become somewhat of a regular at the local hardware store, Fragers. I love that place and it's so close to my house. Which is probably why I wasn't charged for cuts on the boards I used to make this headboard for my bed.

The door was found in front of someone else's house down the street from me. Kathleen and I were walking to the metro one day and I saw this door. I made her stop and help me carry it back to the house so I could put it to use later. I'd been meaning to get a headboard for forever anyway, so alas! I sanded it down and shalacked it. It's not perfect, but definitely fun!

I was going to post pictures/stories from birthday weekend last weekend, but decided that needed to be a post of it's own! Until then, friends....





All in a Weekends Work

So, I took a random trip home this past weekend. However, it was great, as was to be expected. Except the flight home...more on that later. 

Some highlights from the Lone Star State: 

1. I finally got to meet Campbell Wayne Dean. He was just as sweet in person as he looks in pictures. And sooo tiny! 

2. Family breakfast on Sunday. We've taken Texas pride to a whole new level! 

Yummy!

3. I got to see the cutest funniest girl, ahem, my niece Kaydee and Dee. Best compliment of the weekend, "I swear a lot of stuff she does reminds me of you!" -- Deanne

She may not have meant that as a compliment, but I will pretend it was. 

4. And then there's the airport/plane. ALWAYS good material here. Mind you, my flight was delayed an hour, which put me in Baltimore at 11pm. Caught the 11:55 train at 12:10 because it was late, got home and in bed at 1:45. Monday morning was fun. 

Well, there's this. I'm not even sure what to say. The gate next to ours was a flight going to San Fran? Maybe that explains it? And I'm pretty sure this wasn't a bit. Neither of them seemed the least bit ashamed. 

This was a picture I snagged of the lady sitting in the AISLE next to me. Ugh, I hate the middle seat. And the plane was packed. She squirmed around the ENTIRE flight. I suppose the light from my computer(?) was too bright? Or she was just really uncomfortable. She finally resorted to pulling her puffer vest over her head. But let's be honest, she looked how I felt. 

I realize this blog was initiated with the intent of keeping folks updated on life here in D.C. and the new teaching gig and all that jazz. So, a little news on the teaching front. 

Most days are pretty good. Things have definitely gotten better since first being baptized into the life of KIPP. I mean, to go back and look at myself those first days of summer school...yikes. I teach three grades in a week: 6th, 7th and 8th. Eighth graders are my favorite (if I had to choose) because they are the oldest. They are the closest I have to my high schoolers. Not to say that 6th is my least favorite, but definitely the most challenging. 

Transitioning to today: one of the worst days in a looong time. The day just started off crazy. I woke up late, rushed around to get to school, had 15 minutes before I had kids, only one 30-minute break all day, yadda yadda. Fast forward to end of the day, I sent a girl to the office to be suspended. I've dealt with her before and have heard of her outbursts and how rude she can be, but I had never been on the direct receiving end of it. It was pretty bad. 

I've decided the problem I'm having, overall, is that I hear everything they say (even if I ignore some of it and they think they get away with it) and I take it too personally. It's difficult not to engage with them and "set them straight"! But, I will learn....am learning. 

It really is a great place....the city and the school. I definitely have more positive thoughts and things to say than negative. I'm growing as a teacher, as a person. Have already made great memories and look forward to many more. 

To kick things off, let's celebrate my first birthday in D.C.! Yeehaw! 

What??

So here is the whole megallah of what happned when semi-weird guy sat down next to me at the coffee/wine bar last night:

I'm sitting against the wall, listening to music, getting my grades together to submit the next day and he walks up and asks if anyone is sittinng on the bench next to me. I say no, I get up so he can get by (it's a small area with lots of couches/foot benches) and in the process have to take my headphone out, move my papers, blah blah. So before I can put my headphones back in he asks if I'm a teacher. I say yes, turns out so is he as of October, of course we talk about it. So we talk for about 15 minutes or so, nothing weird, just normal teacher-talk. Turns out he's been to Austin and other parts of Texas. Then he looks over to the couch next to him and lo and behold, it's someone he knows!

I had to pee really badly anyway, so as he's reconnecting with this gal I take the opportunity and say I'm going to the bathroom (taking my purse of course!). When I get back, they're both gone. I thought, "great!", now I can get back to work (I had a ton to do). About ten minutes later, after I'm already back in the zone, he comes back, says "hi" and sits back down. He realizes I'm working and doesn't try to interrupt. His "friend" or whoever comes back and sits food down while saying, "You will never believe what that conversation was all about..". All of a sudden, he's grabbing his stuff, grabs the food and hightails it into the next room (I assume). I only guess that because another ten minutes later, he walks over, sits something down and turns and immediately walks away. I sort of noticed and after he walked off thought, "That was weird, what did he bring over her or forget?"

So I look down at the table, and he's left me this napkin and note:

Uuuummm....Okay?! What am I supposed to do with this? I mean, not that I really cared, but why bother writing the note without signing your name even? So I have no idea who this guy was and apparently he wants to keep it that way. Thank goodness.

¡Feliz viernes!

Ode to Perfect Hair

Oh, perfect hair, why do you tease me so?
I guess you ask me the same thing,
Out of spite do not heed my woe,
But taunt me with your short-lived/no-frizz/no-kinks/
great volume “zing!”
With your love-you-today-leave-you-tomorrow attitude
Leaving a quake of excitement behind.
What’s the formula, anyway?
I’ve given ample gratitude,
I keep you far from the brine,
And still, I have no voice in how you lay.

I see you perfect hair
Laying just right today
I can’t help but stare
Even though the grays poke through
And I know you’ll soon go away.
Why won’t you stay?
How can I change your mind?
Is it because I washed you two days in a row?
But come what may,
I always seem to find
When I try to figure you out, I’ll just never know.

Does this love/hate relationship with your hair resonate with anyone else? Monday I felt like my hair was on it's best behavior and I tried really hard not to rile it up. Kind of like my students. When they're, for whatever reason, doing exactly what's asked of them I try not to stir the pot.

I mean, I had planned on working out Monday night but then thought, "Wait, but them my hair will either need to be washed or definitely not have the same 'lay' as it does right now." The thought alone seemed like a lot more work than I had energy to expend. Oh well.
In other news, a girl threw up in my classroom this week as we were lining up to leave. And not the watery, un-chunky kind. It was basically her lunch on her desk and herself. I can handle a lot of things visually, but not when it comes to textures. When contestants on reality shows have to eat bugs and I can imagine them squirming around in their mouths as they try to swallow them, it gives me the heeby-geebies.

So when I saw this, and could imagine it coming back up and plopping itself on the desk and my floor, I had to look away. Not to mention trying to corral the other twenty kids out of the room, comfort her, decide how it was going to get cleaned up, etc. The whole situation was chaotic...but maybe only in my mind.

Anyway, it got cleaned up. She feels better. Here's to hoping your weekend is filled with fully digested food and great hair!