My brain all a-Twitter

No, I have not started a Twitter account. I've never really figured out the appeal to Twitter to be totally honest. But maybe that's because I'm a little more verbose than can fit in a 140 character post. That is, until very recently. With such a small space reserved for non-school thoughts, I've been able to conjure up lots of ideas, headlines really, but not much substance behind them. Perfect Tweet material. So here are a few Tweet-ish ideas from the last few weeks. But don't hold me to the 140 characters. Like I said, I am not a Tweeter. Just tired and lacking creativity.

I saw my first fall leave today. Yea! I love fall!!!

Soy cheese pizza and SYTYCD. I can't think of anything better on a Wednesday night. I'm becoming a seriously cheap date.

Thank god Kim Kardashian dyed her hair back dark. What was she thinking...?

OMG!!! Full-frontal nudity in my classroom!!! This is not happening...!

Kanye has the self control of one of my kindergartners. Possibly less.


Sushi Den has the best veggie roll in Denver!!! Next time I think I need two.

I just logged onto Facebook for the first time since July...wow...or sad...

I think it's ridiculous I have to send home permission slips for my kindergartners to view a speech by our President about education. Jesus!


My poor baby beag is feeling neglected. Iris has reverted back to her back-to-school behavior of peeing on the floor, and showing off her Barky Von Schnauzer behavior. I thought she grew out of that, but realized that I just went half time. Poor, baby! I'm sorry!

Oh, snap! Look who finally joined Facebook! Dan Cantrell aka Daddy-O!

I'm actually starting to feel more like myself again. Either Mercury is exiting retrograde, or it's been about 6 weeks since school started and I'm finally settling in like all the Kindergarten teachers said I would. Either way, the universe is feeling comfortable again.

Thanks to my girls for DRAGging me out this weekend. It was nice to unwind and have fun with you!!!

How was your morning?

Now, I know you are totally over hearing about kindergarten, teaching, school, children, or being overwhelmed in general, and wondering, can't she talk about anything else?!

And the answer is no.

It's all I think about.

Actually, the thought, "What was I doing/thinking about before I went back to teaching in the classroom?" pops up pretty regularly, because what ever that was, I'm not doing it anymore.

Regardless of my adjustments and crazed preparation, my classroom continues to be a different version of yesterday's three-ring circus. Never a dull moment. Never. Take last Wednesday morning for example:

7:35- Peel crying twins off of their parents, yet again, while greeting the other 21 students and making sure they are putting their backpacks away and finding their correct seats.

8:00- Console a crying student for getting busted (by me) for running and playing tag in the classroom during centers. I assure him I'm sure it won't happen again... wait, why do the roles seemed reversed?

9:15- Bandaging up a skinned knee at recess just as another bawling student wanders up with a busted, bloody lip. She somehow smacked her face on the slide. And of course she doesn't know how to get to the nurse. (Wait, where did I put the nurse cards?!) Who knows how to get to the nurse?! Can you escort her there and then come RIGHT BACK TO THE CLASSROOM?! (Jeez, is this proper protocol? Should I send a bloody, crying 5 year-old with another overly-confident 5 year-old? If there is anything I've learned in my few weeks with kindergartners it's that they don't always know what they think they do...) Whew, he's back. That was quick. He probably ran all the way back. Hopefully no one saw him running in the hall, or at least not back into my room.

9:45- In the middle of read aloud. All the kids are sitting, listening, focused.

BANG! The bathroom door is kicked open to reveal one of my boys strolling on out, singing to himself, his underoos and jeans around his ankles. OMG! Is this really happening?!

Luckily the kids' backs are to him and only catch a glimpse of his full moon as he turns around after I say (calmly, believe it or not), "Turn around, shut the door, and pull up your pants. We do not come out of the bathroom before pulling up our pants."

This is all before 10 o'clock. Oh, and I'm supposed to be teaching them how to read somewhere in there.

Ha. Ha.

Tell me, if you had days like this, would you blog about anything else?!

Needed: more sugar

About mid-morning last Wednesday, I thought to myself, I don't think I have the energy to be Mary Poppins.

My voice was strained. The kids were in a constant state of distracted. Nothing seemed to be going according to plan. I was starting to wonder if this was going to become the norm. I had yet to eat lunch that week, was staying up late every night trying to get caught up and prepared for the next day. Lord knows what else was going on outside of my classroom. Why is the flag at half mast? Search me; I haven't seen the news in two weeks.

For the smallest second, panic and self doubt were starting to creep in. I was me in my first year of teaching all over again, thinking holy shit...what did I get myself into?

In a blur of activity I survived the rest of the morning.

And then the most amazing thing happened.

My afternoon class walked in like professional kindergartners. They came in, put their stuff away, started their work, all without prompting or redirecting. I sat and watched and my heart swelled with pride, and relief. Ok, maybe I do know what I'm doing. Maybe it's going to be ok.

That's the beauty of teaching kindergarten. 11:00 is the start of a whole new day.

I almost forgot...

to give my final reaction to the SYTYCD finale!

Ok, so first of all, I'm pleased with the results. By the last few weeks Jeanine had really begun to stand out for me- especially during the solos- and I think she is amazing. My hubby thinks Brandon was robbed and my friend Danielle turned off the show once Kayla was awarded 4th place, but I really think that Jeanine is was given the well deserved winning spot.

Some final pieces I have to throw up that aired the during the last few shows:

Some oldies but Emmy-award-nominated/winning-goodies...
The bench piece choreographed by Mia Michaels, danced by Travis Wall and Heidi. Absolutely beautiful.

And of course, Ramalama, choreographed by Wade Robson. My favorite piece ever.

And also, I fell in love with the contemporary piece danced by Kayla and Brandon in one of the last weeks (sorry this is a long version of the video, but it's the best quality). It is choreographed by Stacey Tookey and is a perfect duet. Kayla + Brandon + contemporary = amazing!

Till fall...

A spoonful of sugar

I used to love Mary Poppins. Actually I still do.

She's fabulous. Efficient. Organized. Kind, yet strict. And her ability to accessorize is totally unbelievable. Let's talk about the bottomless carpet bag, as well as the umbrella, that not only has a flying function, but a pet talking parrot built into the handle.

She would make a great kindergarten teacher. I've been thinking about her as I've been setting up my room and starting school. Having a song for every situation makes the rowdy bunch much more manageable. Five-year-olds love to sing. They will drop everything to sing about getting into line. It's pretty amazing.

I'm considering making my new slogan WWMPD? (you know, what would Mary Poppins do?). I think I could definitely pull off channeling her. After all, I am well accessorized and eccentric in my own right.

Kindergarten is totally a trip. It is an absolute whirlwind. And really fun.

I've added a gadget to the right side of the page: Overheard in Mrs. Cox's kindergarten classroom. Keep your eye on that one. I already have material for days!

Happy 1st Birthday, Lilly Anna!

Crazy Americans

I just turned my computer on for the first time in over 3 weeks. Pretty amazing, eh? I've been resisting the urge to, because I knew that once I did I wouldn't resurface for several hours. My list of things to do on my computer is two pages long. But, as I said, I've been resisting. After nearly passing out with a panic attack at the Dallas airport the day I left the meditation course, I decided easing myself back into my life was the way to go. The lines, people, screaming babies, plastic baggies with liquids of no more than three ounces, shoes off through security-they must go on the belt, not in the tubs!- ID in hand, loud foreign accents, Wolf Blitzer blabbing on about Obama's health care plan piped in over the whole freaking place for your listening pleasure, proved to be a little much for me after 10 days of peace and silence.

At lunch in Dallas a couple of days before my course, my Aunt Tina made the comment, "you can't live in America and not be busy." Only someone who spends 3 months of the year in India could have that perspective, I suppose. Of course we all know we're "busy." There are different grades of busy, of course, ranging from the low-end-of-normal to the average to the awe-inspiring-uber-organized-phenom busy. We are actually impressed with people who accomplish more in one day than most people do in 3. And if you know anyone who often has "free time" it's almost as if they need to justify it to not appear, dare I say...lazy.

On my 4th day at the course I was walking the grounds of the center as the brand new sun rose overhead. Being in a rural area outside of Dallas, I was able to stop and admire some cows that were grazing on the other side of the barbed wire. Such lucky cows, I thought, as not many cows born today get to roam freely, eating grass, their natural-sized utters used only to raise their own babies. Kind of like the odds and good fortune of children born in America, I though to myself.

I walked further and knelt down to admire a leopard spotted frog. What a wonderful day, I thought as I tiptoed past him. I was feeling so good I wondered to myself, I think I would have enjoyed living in the country, with a slower pace, more nature... And then my aunt's comment, "you can't live in America and not be busy," resurfaced. It suddenly really made sense. Yeah, nature is all well and good, but standing around to admire it isn't the American way. We are a culture of faster, stronger, louder, better, richer. While Europeans take weeks off "on holiday" in the summer, everyone I talk to can't imagine giving up 10 vacation days to go sit and meditate. The English have afternoon teas, and many Latin cultures siesta midday. But while they were relaxing, Americans just made another $50.

As a person who clearly is drawn to a more meditative lifestyle, I'm still an efficient American through and through. We, like those cows, were fortunate enough to land where we did. We have the choice and opportunity to make of our life what we want. And most of us pack in as much as we can fit. Fully aware of the madness that lay ahead, as school starts next week, I've made the choice to ease back in. But, I turned on my computer this afternoon and Skyped into Lilly's first birthday party. And bottom line is, I love it. The madness, the tight schedule, accomplishing 3 days worth of things in one- after all, I'm going back to the classroom because I've been pulling my hair out in boredom the last few years.

I more than enjoyed- I needed- my 10+ days of zen. And I will try to maintain traces of it by meditating each morning.

But I'm back. Bring on the crazy!