Wednesday Hodgepodge #2 for me!

My second week at Hodgepodge. Thank you Mrs. D for letting me join in. ( I can't call you by your first name like everyone else--Just doesn't seem right.)

1. Noah Webster was born this week back in 1758....besides the online version, do you own a dictionary? Do you ever use the hardback copy or is your hunt for a definition strictly online these days?

 

I own a few hardcover editions, but they are all in my classroom. At school I make my students use the hardcover dictionaries. they think it is fun! Oh the novelty of a book. At home, usually when I need to know the meaning of a word, I am reading my Kindle, so I just look it up on there.

2. Should public schools ban Halloween celebrations? What about other holiday celebrations currently under fire?

I think schools should not ban Halloween celebrations. My first school I taught in did it perfectly, and they still do : ) The last hour of the day was the Halloween parade. Students did not put their costumes on until then. How fun it was though to see everyone in their costumes from Kindergarten up to 5th. ( Don't tell anyone but even the teachers liked dressing up ).

 

I despise the fact that even Christmas is now under fire. I want to be able to put a mini tree in my room, or decorate my classroom with red and green. I still give personalized Christmas ornaments out to my students ( oh the horror!). I make sure I know the holidays that all of my students celebrate, and we honor them all. But why can't I celebrate my own holiday? Do we always have to be politically correct every day of the year? I am not preaching religion to my students, but I do use this holiday to help them understand the noncommercial side of Christmas.

3. What's your favorite 'dog' movie?

Homeward Bound

4. When were you last somewhere you'd describe as 'too quiet'?

The waiting room in the mammogram office. Need I say more?

5. Are you a neat cook or a messy cook? In other words do you clean as you go or make a big mess and then deal with it later?

I am a messy cook! My husband always says the messier the kitchen, the better the meal: ) Gosh, I love him ( especially when he cleans up afterwards).

6. Did you hear about Felix Baumgartner, the skydiver who broke the sound barrier via parachute? Was your first thought COOL! or was your first thought CRAZY! Are you adventurous?

My first thought was WHAT?! WHY?! HOW?!  I am terrified of heights so I am only adventurous to a certain point. To me though, he is crazy, but my students think he is way COOL!

7. What's not a word but should be?

STEMify---The new buzz at school is to take a lesson and add the elements of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). So I say we want the teachers to "stemify" their lessons. It is better than what the county says, "stemulate". That isn't a word either but I like my word better ; )

8.Only 3 days until I walk the runway to support cancer awareness in young adults (ages 18-39).

 

I received my orders from the hair and makeup team. Exfoliate tonight, moisturize 3 times a day until the day of the show. I did finally find a pair of shoes to walk the runway in:

Funny thing? I am borrowing them from my 5 ft tall oriental nail lady. She is so sweet! And believe it or not these shoes are comfortable!

Wednesday Hodgepodge!!!

This is my first Wednesday Hodge podge!!! I hope I do okay!

1. In what ways do you indulge yourself?

I have lots of indulgences: ) Does this make me a bad person? First I get my nail and toes done every three weeks, my husband draws me a lavender and chamomile bath twice a week, and I just hired a maid( Don't tell the hubby.) You only live once right?

2. Have you ever taken a cooking class? Any interest? What type of class would you most like to try?

I have never taken a cooking class, but I have taken a cake decorating class. I loved it! Hence my cupcake obsession. I do watch Food Network all of the time, does that count? I would love to take a French cooking class if I had the choice. ..preferably French desserts. Of course, I want to take the class in Paris or Giverny--the best food I had in France, right outside Monet's house. Sounds like a girls trip to me!

3. What does it mean to be a good citizen?

I could give you the fifth grade teacher answer....but actually I think JFK said it best, "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." I think this speak volumes and can apply to so many situations.

4. 'Tis the season of the political advert...do these ads influence your vote?

Political ads have no effect on me because most of the time we are fast forwarding through them with our DVR. I spend all day teaching my students not to name call, gossip,  and bully, yet our potential national leaders do it for millions of dollars worth of ad time. Great job role models?!

5. What's something you see today that makes you wish you were a kid again?

This is a hard question. Today we were talking at our faculty meeting about how children these days ( How old do I sound??) don't have any time after school for imaginative play. They are either over scheduled with sports and classes, or they play video games as soon as their homework is done. We were discussing how when "we" were kids, the best toy we had was a box. We didn't come from a lot of money, so we didn't have Barbie dream houses. You had to make do with what you had, and usually a box was fantastic! I can still remember going to my Dad's work and going into his warehouse. He was the boss of a company that built custom kitchens. Talk about great boxes! My brother and I would spend hours building forts and caves out of refrigerator and stove boxes.The warehouse was perfect for an awesome game of Hide and Seek too. So to be able to play with a box without a care in the world, makes me wish I was a kid again.

6. What's your least favorite cliche?

I don't know if this is a true cliche, but people say it all the time and it drives me crazy.
"It is what it is"
Do people think this will solve your problem when they say it to you? If you are going to give advice, at least make it helpful or inspirational.



7. What percentage of your Christmas shopping has been completed? How does that make you feel?

25%!!! This is the most ahead of the game I have been in years! I think my iPhone has helped :) I put ideas in my notepad on my phone when I see them, and then I have been buying them little by little.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
My husband and I just finished our home study to adopt a child. Phew! What an extensive amount of work! Only in America do I need to submit my driver's record, fingerprints, doctor's report, take a 5 hour class, and have a fire and sanitation inspector come to my house, to make sure my hubby and I are fit to be parents. Wouldn't it be great if all parents before they became pregnant were held to such high standards of  hoops to jump through before they could get knocked up? I understand adopting a child is a serious matter, and I am in no ways making light of it, I just was surprised by the 43 pieces of documentation that had to be submitted before we were even put on the list. Let the waiting game begin : ) Average wait time for a domestic infant ( foreign countries will not allow me to adopt because I had cancer)... 4 years : (

Catwalks, Cupcakes, and Conduct

So it has been a while since I have posted. It is amazing how times flies and life just consumes you. Two weekends ago, I had my first (and last) Model Boot camp. We spent 4 hours walking in heels, strutting our stuff, and even carrying books on our heads. It was exhausting!

The next night my family and I had a private photo shoot by the water. It was so perfect. I can't wait to see the final pics that will be used the night of the fashion show.

I've been baking again. This time for my colleague who has taught 5th grade with me for 12 years. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a caramel drizzle. They were yummy!

 

 

Now that October is underway,we have been in school almost 2 months. The beginning of the year is a time for establishing routines and reviewing expectations. I have my students use their Countywide Code of Conduct to act out positive and negative scenarios. We then add these pictures to our Class Code of Conduct. They love it!

 

This is one of my favorites to show "No Bullying!"

This is what the final display looks like.