Best Play Ever

So this week we had an (optional) evening field trip to the Starlighter's Theatre performance of "Little Women" in Anamosa. I am a huge fan of the book and have always wanted to be Jo....I love that the poor, bookish, and outspoken Jo gets the rich hot guy! Just goes to show how much a woman's dreams haven't changed since the mid 1800s. : )

 

Anyway, when we arrived there was talk amongst the staff that the play, which was supposed to start at seven, would be running late. This was a red flag to me, as I had already heard it ran 3 hours long anyway. In my head, I'm calculating that I likely won't get to bed until 10:30-11:00. Yuck, but oh well.

 

So two students arrive, we find some seats, and the play begins. Monochromatic tan set, random 80's dried weed decorations (hmmm), and quite honestly some horrible acting. Actors were clearly and obviously screwing up lines. Anyway, I hate to criticize but in all honesty, I can't say it was good when it wasn't. The final straw for me was the Laurie character. He had a beard. He was not the "hottie" I was hoping for Jo to get. It was the last straw.  

 

All I could think about is how I left my kids at home for this and rarely get time to myself...so I'm spending it here, really????? That was when my mind hatched a devious plan. I knew Becky, our other teacher, was working her second job that night at the General Store Restaurant. Wouldn't it be nice to surprise her? I was getting kind of hungry.

 

So, the students & I snuck out of the play and we shared a giant fried appetizer sampler and downed lots of fountain pop at the restaurant before heading home. It was the best "play" ever!!! I know I am a bad teacher but instead of destroying someone's view of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" maybe I've saved it?

 

 

Worst Profile Pic EVER. REALLY. I MEAN IT.

I have a problem. I need a profile picture. One that says "oh I just casually shot this amazing photo of myself and posted it". So far all attempts have failed.

Take 1: me in fresh lip gloss (looks like I'm trying too hard). Delete.

Take 2: mod pose---half of face (yuck, so I really look that way sideways?) Delete.

Take 3: is that low lighting or are those really bags under my eyes? Delete.

Take 4: it's a sun-shiney day and I'm facing a sunny window while squinting and trying to look "casual". Ewww....headache. Delete.

Take 5: Me wrapped in a scarf I hand knit. Ok. Waaaaay too nerdy, even for me. Delete.

Take 5: OMG. I've just wasted 30 minutes and have NOTHING to show for it. Who has time for this?

Help.

I promise to post some of my attempts at a profile pic. If nothing else, it will be amusing or a tutorial on what not to do. Here goes....!!!

D-O-G (Dee-oh-gee)

This is Owen and D-O-G (his name is dog spelled out). He is a four-year old goldendoodle and was adopted by my sister with that name. Since the name is kind of, you know, weird, we came up with a similar sounding replacement: Luigi....spell d-o-g real fast out loud and maybe you'll hear the resemblance. Well, the family is divided over the naming thing. Some think his original name is fine, and some think it should be changed. Would anyone care to weigh in on the subject? 

Inspired.

Here's a blog I've just begun to follow: http://darlingdoodles.blogspot.com/. It has a variety of cute and easy craft and gift ideas. I'm making the "Butter Bombs" for Thanksgiving and using her cute packaging idea too. What's great is that she posts the pdfs so that you can just print off her labels on your computer, make the cookies, assemble, and you're done. Ok family and friends....prepare to be amazed!

BRING. IT. ON.

It's been an awesome week....our students have been at Cornerstone every day doing study groups, blogging class is taking off, and everyone else is doing very well in Online Math.....things are rockin' here at school!

At home babies are being their cute selves and we are making what little time we have at home relaxing and productive. Ok...I count productive as laundry clean, not necessarily folded and put away, but still....

Even so, I am ready for the weekend. Tonight Paul and I are taking Owen out on a date with us, and then Saturnday Liz is coming by with her new dog and we are hanging out all weekend. Our weekend will likely consist of:

--shopping
--food
--dog walking
--laughing
--staying up late
--more food
--more laughing

All I can say is.....BRING. IT. ON.

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth

I had a brief stint with popularity in the second grade. It began when I came to a new school and immediately befriended the most popular girl in class, Jennifer. It was the late-80s and Jennifers of all spellings were everywhere.  I think our class had eight. Any way you spelled it, however, the name represented conformity and popularity.

Popularity is fragile. At least mine was, because it eminated only from my proximity to a Jennifer.  It ended quickly over when I refused to conform to the lastest third-grade girl fad: boys.  I refused to like boys, which basically meant “going steady” with a boy. (But not necessarily actually talking to him.) Notes were fine, though. Remember “Do you like me? Circle yes or no.” (Did you ever write the Yes really big and the no really small? Yeah, we were soooo tricky.)

We  girls were immature but beginning to catch on to the way the world worked. Boys were immature and ignorant. I remember Shane G. getting all bent out of shape because when he peeked into the girls restroom we actually had “a candy machine in there.” To him this was SO UNFAIR. The irony!

Anyway, my popularity only lasted a few months, which gets me to what brought all of these memories up for me in the first place….a book I’m reading called  The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School by Alexandra Robbins.

Robbins theorizes that the quirky, fun, and non-conformists among in school end up being the most successful later on in real life.  In my experience as a teacher working with students who sometimes don’t fit in at regular high school, I think this is very true. Let’s all be geeks!

Welcome mat.

Welcome! Come on in and stay awhile....