What is wrong with the world today?

           I'm seething with rage and frustration now. Don't expect any pictures. Hubby and I had a wonderful trip to Las Vegas this weekend. It was perfect. There were only two glitches, and only one of them is the source of this post.
          We checked into our hotel and began unpacking. As I'm putting away the bags for my make-up and toiletries I notice that the red jewelery box SIL gave to me for Christmas is not in my suitcase. I stare at the suitcase for a while and think about this. I retrace my steps of that morning. I remember having something fall out of my suitcase while I was packing it, but I'm sure I put it back in. "Honey, do you remember if I took out my jewelery box this morning?" I ask Hubby. He says know and then asks when I even got a red jewelery box. He suggests that I probably left it at home and it's sitting on the bedroom floor. I don't worry about it. He's probably right. After all, I did leave my curling iron at home too.
          The biggest inconvenience in all of this is that I have NO jewelery for the trip! No earrings, no necklaces, no bracelets. At home, I normally throw all of my everyday jewelery into a lovely dish that was given to me as a gift. As a result, all of my favorite jewelery ends up in this dish. While packing, I decided it would be easiest to just throw all of this jewelery into the red box I got for Christmas. But I keep my cool, because the box and my jewelery are probably at home. Meanwhile, Hubby gives me the business for not bringing my expensive necklace to wear out at night. I roll my eyes at him.
          We get home two days later. I look in the bedroom. No box. Under the bed? No. In the bathroom! No. Closet? No. Guest roooom? Nope. Nada. Nothing. The box (and all of my favorite jewelery) is nowhere to be found. Commence hysteria and sobbing. The item I miss the most is a charm bracelet I made several years ago. On it, was Hubby's class ring, a photo charm from our wedding day, a locket with an early photo of us in it, an "S" charm, a heart charm with our names engraved on it from the Wild Animal Park, a key charm with our names engraved on it, and a penguin charm (because penguins make me think of hubby). Everything else can be bought...mostly at WalMart. But that bracelet was priceless in so many ways. The chain itself was my grandmother's and even though it was cheap, it still had value to me. Now, my favorite piece of jewelery is probably in some dump because whoever took my box of jewelery probably threw it away when they realized it was not diamonds and gold.
          Now, I understand that there are just bad people in the world and that some of them work at airports. My husband reminded me that I should have locked my luggage with a TSA approved lock. However, it seems to me that our wonderful nation has given certain people the right to go through my luggage (lock or no lock) at their discretion. There are bad people in the world. There are selfish people in the world. I'm sure some of them are TSA officers because there are bad people who are doctors, lawyers, teachers, priests, nuns, grocers, and everything else. If TSA stole my jewelery, then would good would a lock have done?
          I called both McCarran Airport, Long Beach Airport, and TSA headquarters in Long Beach. Long Beach told me it was McCarran's fault and to call them. McCarran told me it was Long Beach's fault and to call them. TSA asked me to leave a message and they would get back to me when they could (in a recording). I called TSA four times in a two hour period. Must be nice for them to have Sundays off and not have to be protecting the traveling public and all. ::rolls eyes::
          After drying my tears and cleaning up my smeared make-up I did some digging on the internet. First I scoured eBay for recently posted charm bracelets. Yes, I was willing to buy back my own personalized bracelet from a thief that posted in on eBay. Nothing turned up. They probably threw it away. Then, I Googled "Items Stolen From Luggage" and found a plethora of posts about people in my same situation. Except they were missing cameras, and cash, and expensive bottles of liquor. Some people even had candy half eaten and replaced in their bags. Others had half of their clothes stolen. Many were out their iPods. One man even had $500 cash stolen out of his carry-on bag after the walk through security! While all of these stories made me feel better about the fact that I had not really lost that much (I still had my husband and all of our memories and I did NOT pack my expensive necklace), I was still hopping mad that this kind of activity goes on.
          The government is supposed to be protecting us and the airlines are supposed to be providing us with a service. If TSA is busy going through my baggage looking for loot, then I highly doubt that they care very much about my travel safety. If the airline handlers are busy cleaning me out, then I don't have much faith that I'll be where I need to, when I need to, and with all of my necessities. What's worse is the idea that these people are stealing because they NEED to and because they want a quick buck for the hell of it. I would not be surprised if somebody told me that airline workers and TSA officers barely get paid enough to live on. I know that pilots don't and I sure as hell know that teachers don't get paid enough. I agree that these people have difficult jobs and I appreciate the work that they do. But that does not mean it's ok for them to steal from me.
          And they didn't just steal my stuff. They stole what little innocence and faith I had left. They stole my confidence in people to work hard and be good. I'm completely jaded. Yes, I've learned a lesson. But it's not a lesson that anyone should HAVE to learn.
          And if this all weren't bad enough, the Las Vegas Hilton shut down their Star Trek exhibit. :*(
It was all a hefty price to pay for a great weekend...and in spite of it all, it was still a great weekend, because it was just me and Hubby.

Things I've Been Robbed of To Date
* Jewelery box and jewelery
* Wallet
* Purse w/ wallet and cell phone
* Tom Tom
* Half of car stereo (yes, they only took HALF of it)
* Numerous CDs
* 2 iPod cables
* 2 sweatshirts
* 2 aux cables
* A bag of gel pens (over 50...I was in middle school...)
---So I've been pretty lucky that this is all I've had stolen from me. No cars or diamonds on that list and I've never had the displeasure of meeting my robber during the act. And just so we're clear, I'm no saint either, nor do I claim to be, and I know that even robbers have a right to be upset sometimes too.
Things I've Stolen to Date
* Barbie clothes (from a friend when we were children)
* Food from my mom's fridge (that's how I ripped an earring out)
* A book from the library
* A book found in a hallway
* A jacket from the school Lost and Found
* A kiss
---Hey, I never said I was a thug! I'm not proud of my list, but in some weird way I feel better about getting it out there. Maybe it will inspire whoever has my bracelet to {somehow} send it back to me.

The* Sub Life, episode 2

*I decided that I like "THE Sub Life" better than "MY Sub Life". More universal, don't ya think?

           Having a good bag is essential to being a good substitute. You don't want to spend forever and a day searching for that one essential item that you know you packed and risk missing a major classroom event {such as kissing, texting, or shanking}. I have two bags, one for each type of day that I usually encounter at work. I have a computer bag (pink and white with skulls) that I use for days where I am mostly prepared for the day and don't anticipate a lot of down time. This bag holds mostly my computer and one or two books. I usually only use this bag on repeat assignments or in familiar classrooms. My other bag is a large, rectangular tote bag. It's super sturdy and holds everything I need without looking like it's bulging.

          What both of these bags have in common is a large central pocket and dimensions that snugly fit my computer. When carrying a computer, it is important to have a bag that will support and protect it. A large central pocket is important because it allows you to easily find your items. When you find yourself with several minutes of class left, you want to be able to quickly locate one of those books or activities you brought with you. Digging through a back-pack can cost precious un-monitored time. These bags are also both very comfortable to carry. This is important since you'll never know how far you may need to walk from your car to your classroom.

Not Feeling So Blue

          This is one of my standard teaching outfits. This blouse always looks good on me and will go with anything. The only thing I compromise on is the fact that reaching above my head digs the sleeves into my arms and sorta cuts off the circulation. But who needs to reach above their head anyway, eh? I worked at my old middle school today {not the one that I went to as a kid; the one that I taught at last year} and subbing there always gives me a sense of peace. It's familiar and I feel safe there. Maybe that's why I wore one of my "standards" today.
        Or maybe I threw on a standard because I am lazy. I could have sworn that I saw an "InStyle" magazine app for the iPhone that would display outfit suggestions based on popular trends and styles. I want that app. If anyone knows what it's actually called, I would really appreciate the tip. Typing "style" into the app store search engine yielded as many results as asking the rainbow what her favorite color is.
          Speaking of color, today's post is titled "Not Feeling So Blue" and here's why: I accepted a long term sub assignment at Los Alisos Middle School! I'm very excited about it. Not only is the cash-flow a welcome change, but the site is also a relief to my nerves. My dear friend Adrienne of Vintage Pencils, taught at Los Alisos last year and it is also where I have other close friends. I'm looking forward to making new teaching friends and getting a normal schedule back in my life.

      

       


And if you can't already tell, I'm feeling SUPER confident this evening! I feel like I can do anything. The Force must be with me today. ;)

The Mirror Lied to Me...AGAIN!

          I can't believe I wore this to a party. And it was a party that I wanted to look nice at because the gal is such a sweet and fun friend of mine. When I walked out the door that morning, I felt I looked at least 50% better than these pictures would lead you to believe. :(
          One of my favorite shows is TLC's "What Not to Wear." I would gladly dress like a slob for several weeks if it meant that I got to get a style make-over and a $5K shopping trip in New York City. But, I have a feeling that the producers have some sort of style fraud prevention program in place. My favorite part of the show is the 360 degree mirror. While most people hate and fear it, I feel like I need one. Specifically to prevent outfits like the one above.
          You see, I put on this dress and shirt because they are extremely comfortable, cute on their own, and contain some similar colors. It was too cold to wear the sleeveless dress on it's own, so I threw on the shirt too. I SWEAR to you I did not look this bad in the mirror! The comfort factor must have warped my brain for the day. It wasn't until a week later when I saw pictures of myself that I realized how bad I looked. It's hard to explain how I felt, because I didn't feel embarrassed. As much as I don't like the way that I look, I know that this is not an embarrassing outfit. Perhaps, disappointed is a better word? This is certainly not the look that I wanted to portray at my friend's baby shower.
          So let's pick this bad boy apart! The first thing that I noticed in this picture that I absolutely hate it my sunglasses. Alone, or worn properly, they are cute {I've seen them in other pics}. On my head, as a make-shift headband, they scream "DUMPY!" I think it has something to do with my limp and thin hair. Shoving my glasses on top of my head gives it the oddest shape I have ever seen. And while we're at the top of the picture, I should remind myself that I should at least attempt a little something with my hair when I go out. Over the summer I was on this kick that I would not use any heat on my hair whatsover. That's fine, but letting it dry into crooked little have kinks isn't good either.
          I think that this outfit would have been a little better if I had just belted over the shirt and dress to give the outfit more dimension. As is, it looks like I just threw a plaid shirt over a plain dress and I didn't put any thought into what I was wearing. The truth is that I spent a lot of time adjusting and picking out shoes and doing my make-up. But you can't tell that any of that happened by looking at this picture.
          The good news is that blogging has made me more conscious of my outfits from different angles. Instead of only looking at myself from the front and back, I consider what an outfit will look like on a diagonal or if I am scruched up in a ball or hunched over a table. Taking pictures has helped a lot with that.
          So what about you? Do you ever have days where you put something on that feels great and you feel that you also look great, but later discover that you didn't look so great? I'd love to hear your stories and/or see your pictures and know that I'm not alone!

My Sub-Life, episode 1

          It's been a while. I've been uninspired and busy with work. I look terrible, to boot. But, just because I'm a working woman, doesn't mean I should stop blogging! So, here I am to welcome you the first episode of

"My Sub-Life"

A Serial of Mis-Adventures in Substitute Teaching

Kids aren't the only ones who play during recess. ;)

          Let me give you a little bit of background information about me as a teacher and as a substitute teacher. I graduated from California State University Long Beach {CSULB} in 2007 with a BA in Liberal Studies and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential for the state of California. A Multiple Subject Teaching Credential authorizes me to teach grades k-8 in a self-contained setting {the same group of kids all day long, no switching periods, and I am their only teacher responsible for reporting their grades}. This credential and degree also authorize me to substitute in grades k-12 regardless of setting or subject. In January of 2008 I began my misadventures in substitute teaching because I was eager to get in a classroom, make a difference, and make some money {kind of important as a fresh graduate}. I was so eager to work that I applied to and was hired in 5 districts as a substitute teacher. Needless to say, I was pretty busy. After six months of subbing, the summer arrived and work slowed down so I took the summer off. The second week of subbing in the new school year heralded 3 very interesting events all in one day:

          #1: The classroom I was subbing in happened to contain many of the students from the very first class I had volunteered with. These were sixth graders and I had worked with them for 6 months as a volunteer when they were third graders. It was surreal to see how much these children had grown up and how they kept looking at me with this suspicious curiosity. I didn't ask if they remembered me until the end of the day for fear of the day being awkward. It was an ultimately rewarding experience, though.

         #2: This was the day that there was a horrible train wreck caused by an engineer who was accused of being distracted because he was texting. Hundreds of people were dead and injured and there was general panic and shock amongst most adults about this terrible catastrophe. The media was abuzz with speculation of what would be done to prevent another such disaster. It was unsettling, but I thanked my lucky stars that I was not {and will now never be} a train commuter.

         #3: I received a phone call from a school in a district where I had only subbed twice {for middle school PE} and asked if I would be interested in an interview  for a long-term sub position that would last the remainder of the year. Of course, I said yes. I mean, it would be a HUGE foot in the door to getting a full time teaching position! It was for a middle school, and I was a little wary, but if I hated it I could always walk away...right? My enthusiasm was slightly hampered by guilt though. The wheels in my head were turning about how I had gotten so lucky. Was someone pregnant? Did they move away? And then a sickening thought had occurred to me: were they killed in the train wreck? That made me feel guilty as sin for being so happy about the potential job. Luckily, it turned out that there had never been a teacher in the first place. The school was simply in need of another teacher to accommodate their overflow of sixth grade students. This was an AWESOME job! I loved the kids, I loved the staff, I loved the work, and I made some phenomenal friends. One of those friends was my vice principal, who was then appointed principal of a neighboring middle school, who then hired me as a full time seventh grade teacher the following year. That was ANOTHER job that I loved and I still hold out hope that I will get it back one day. I need to get it back because I was laid off that second year due to budget cuts. And here I am! Back to subbing!

          But life after full time teaching isn't all bad. In fact, I think that working as both a substitute and a full time teacher makes me much more effective at both positions. As a sub, I have a better understanding of the challenges and concerns that the regular teacher is facing. Therefore, I know what activities take priority and which ones can be glossed over. As a full time teacher, I can write awesome sub plans {I don't care that I'm touting my own horn!}. I know what it's like to be in a strange room and not know any of the regular procedures and to worry about whether or not I'll be able to teach the material and manage a class of strangers all at the same time. This is why my sub-plans were always a minimum of 3 pages long with the first page detailing school and classroom procedures. It's terrible to be a sub and have other staff members become annoyed with you because you filled out the attendance wrong, walked the kids on the wrong path to lunch, picked up the kids late from recess, or had the gall to not already know that the school doesn't have a functioning bell system {this has actually happened to me not once, but twice. And I was supposed to know that that there are no bells because...? Oh yes! The giant non-existent sign at the front of the school that says so!}. So I always tried to make my sub plans uber-informative.

          Additionally, my two lives as both full time and substitute teacher have taught me many things. I hope to share some of those pearls of wisdom with you in this weekly serial. So let's kick it off with what I consider the MOST IMPORTANT material item you can have as a substitute {I say material because the most important things that you really do need as a sub are not things you can hold or buy, they come from your heart and mind. ::sappy sighs of endearance::}: 

 Or, just the "Sub Survival Kit" if you prefer to not pay me to put one together for you. Here's a basic run down of what I carry with me to EVERY sub job:

1) A largish bag in which to carry essentials. {This used to be a massive rolling cart, but I have since pared in down, way down, in order to become a more efficient person in general}.

2) Computer gear: laptop, charger, vga adapter.

3) THE Notebook: A detailed organizer of jobs, district info, dates, and other important documentation.

4) ID badges and lanyards. {Some districts will give you an ID badge to wear on campus so you are identified as an employee and not a predator. If they do, hole punch the sucker and put it on a necklace so you don't have to fiddle with annoying clips and clasps. If you didn't get a badge, then my all means MAKE ONE! This makes life so much easier as it will instantly put an end to the suspicious looks you make get from students and staff members.}

5) Stickers. {ALL kids love stickers. Period.}

6) Geometer/stencil. {because trying to free-hand geometric shapes is just too stressful to begin with.}

7) Koosh Ball {or other soft tossable object to use for fun and games} this used to be a duck, Quackers, but he got boxed away when I packed my classroom last year.

8) Books: One for Primary grades {k-3} and one for Upper grades {4-8}. High school kids aren't too fond of story time.

9) Hall Passes {either get a pad from the school you're at or whip up a pad of your own. These are a MUST for middle and high school sub jobs.}

10) Sticky Notes

11) Highlighters

12) Clip Board {mine has a calculator and it has made a world of difference!}

13) Pencil pouch filled with pencils, multicolored pens, scissors, glue stick, erasers, and extra lead for mechanical pencils.

14) Calculator {I prefer a TI-83 because it can work for all grade levels and shows you what you entered to get your answer. Little ones think it's magic and the big ones respect it.}

15) Tissues.

16) Flash drive

* 17) Hand sanitizer {this is usually in my purse}.

          So there are my essentials. I hope to more fully explain the function and purpose of each item in future episodes and explain how they make both subbing and full time teaching easier on multiple fronts. Tune in next week for another episode of

"My Sub-Life"

A Serial of Mis-Adventures in Substitute Teaching

It's a Thursday...

 























It was one of those fashion days where I loved my outfit...but the camera did not. I felt comfortable and confident and even got a compliment on my necklace made of "marbles." Should I take it as a bad sign that a class of fourth graders is compelled to compliment my style? Am I channeling something that I shouldn't be, such as Bozo the Clown? Whatever; I'll take what I can get.

Fourthies put aside, the best compliment I got all day had nothing to do with my outfit at all. During my lunch break, whilst hiding in my borrowed room, I decided to check FaceBook {something I rarely do at work because I usually can't access it}. And in my notifications I discovered that hubby had posted on my wall. This was a surprise to me since we usually only post on each others' walls when we're only a few feet away from each other. My day was completely made and there was nothing that could be done to bring down my mood when I saw this:

Train + Hubby + Hubby being romantic on an average day = ::*BLISS*::

And this is all I can currently think about. I can't wait until he gets home so I can cover him in smoochies! Maybe later I'll tell you about the number 6 and why it's my magic number.

Inspired By Toby

Shirt & Belt: thrifted from SIL; Skirt: H&M; Tights:???; Shoes: Payless; Necklace: Target...or Walmart..I don't remember.

{What I'm Wearing and Thinking}

After playing around with music and iMovie last night to publicly humiliate myself with my dumb toy on YouTube, I began to think a lot about one of my favorite movies. Betcha can't guess which one!! If you seriously can't, then you need to go watch "Labyrinth" pronto! Then you'll understand the title for today's post. I'm ready to be wished away to the goblin city! One of the little girl Fourthies kept asking me if my feet hurt today because my heels were so high. Seriously, it was at least once every thirty minutes followed by "My mommy says those kind of shoes hurt her feet, but then she wears them to go out, and then she takes them off because they hurt and she walks around with no shoes." The story and innocent concern over my feet was cute the first time...at seven o'clock in the morning. It got irritating somewhere around lunch, especially when the whole class gasped at the sight of me walking boldly across the field in my red stilettos. Is it really that amazing? They thought so. Why not? I am the Hero of Heels! And, no; my feet still do not hurt. :P

{What I'm Writing}

        Most girls have a favorite outfit. The infamous Little Black Dress. Those jeans that make her butt look perfect. Sweats and a tee shirt. I'm not all that different. I do have a favorite outfit, but it's more of an idea than a physical reality. It keeps shifting. I know that it's perfect as soon as I put it on, because the perfect outfit is the one that inspires me. No, I'm not an artist. I'm a murderer...er, murderess. A lot of pop culture would have you believe that this is a mental disease or disorder. I don't. Killing is just something I like to do. It releases a lot of negative energy and gets rid of at least one annoying and useless person. My favorite outfit is the one that ends up stained with their blood. I love the-- I'm stopping here. This is terrible writing. It's melodramatic and fluffy. I'll come back to this idea when I have more brain power. Until then, enjoy this quasi-summary of a dream I had a while back.

          It's the end of the world. As usual, the rich and powerful of the world have created a safe place for them to stay until the world calms down. A man and woman rush frantically through falling debris and panicked people. They've been given two seats by the man's father, a powerful, but corrupt, senator who can only see the error of his ways in the face of death.

          There is a horde of civilians at the gates to the miracle ship. The ship has many seats, like a massive Grey Hound bus, and after the rich and powerful are on board a lottery for the boarding tickets will begin. People are frantically fighting and the scene is getting ugly. 

          The lottery is finished, but there are still two empty seats left. People can see them and are screaming to get on board. Finally, the man and the woman crawl through the crowd, literally clawing and grabbing to make their way on, over, and through people. They make it to the front of the crowd, but the ticket taker is in a heated, and rather ridiculous, argument with a civilian. He's completely distracted and ignores the man and the woman waving tickets in front of his face. 

          The ship is about to leave. Frustrated, the man grabs the ticket taker's hand and thrusts the tickets into his palm as he and the woman jump the guard rails and sprint for their seats. The ticket taker and his surrounding civilians are in shock and can only gape in disbelief as the man and the woman run through the ship. 

          Before they reach their seats, the ship begins to move. The man and the woman must brace themselves on the seats of others to keep themselves from flying through the aisles. Finally, they reach their seats and strap in. They've made it just in time. The ship must travel through the center of the earth to escape the impending doom [I don't know why this is, it's just the feeling I got in the dream]. The ship nose dives and the man and woman can see the red hot flames outside of the ship as the exterior temperature rises. Passengers near the hull are in danger. The heat and pressure cause some bolts and glass to pop. Many are wounded and some are even killed. The ship was designed to withstand the intensity of the earth's core, but the reality is more than disappointing. The man and woman hold hands and prepare for the worst.

Forget It!

Curlers: Big Lots; Robe: Gifted; Ring: Hubby; Expression: House of I Don't Care

{What I'm wearing}: Yes. I'm wearing curlers. And a big fluffy robe. It was one of those fashion days. The kind where you just have to rip everything off and crawl into your security blanket with sleeves because, confidence be damned, you just want to be cozy and forget that fashion exists. What's all that about? you say? Yesterday's outfit felt like, not so much a miss, but a...foul ball. Nobody holds it against you, and the game goes on, but you feel totally awkward and embarrassed. I'm talking about the collared shirt under the way too thin sweater that made my torso look like a stuffed scare-crow. Or maybe that's just how I was feeling. Anyway, today's outfit wasn't so bad: Gray slim fit pants, black flowery tunic under a purple swing sweater all belted together with a lovely gray belt tied ala` Sydney who I also believe inspired dear Adrienne's outfit in the same tutorial. One of the Fourth-ies said I looked cute and that she liked my outfit...one of the kid Four-thies. Which is cool; she's a good kid. I'm not bonding so well with the staff. I think I might have stepped in it when I commented that I had implemented "workshop" into my 7th grade self-contained class last year  and that I could manage the fourth graders fine and I just needed to know what direction I should be headed in for my unplanned days instead of crawling in begging for guidance because I, a lowly sub, can not function without lesson plans from the permanent teacher. Okay, I'm being *overly* dramatic here. But I don't think the other fourth grade teachers liked me saying I could function fine because I had taught middle school. I mighty have been subconsciously hoity-toity. {Oops}

 {What I'm Thinking}: Speaking of my {temporary} fourth graders, there is a set of twins in the room. I thought there was a rule against that. I shouldn't be all that shocked; I had a set of twin boys in my sixth grade class my first year of teaching. That's what made me decide that if there wasn't a rule against it, there definitely should be. Do you know how awkward it is to explain to a parent that one of their sons is doing just fine but the other is in a downward spiral on all fronts and they've got both the boys in the conference with you? That sucks. I could understand the situation if it was a year-round, multi-track school and having them in the same class was the only way to get them on the same schedule. But the school I'm at only has the one schedule! Why do this to a teacher? ::sigh:: It's only my problem for three more days and then I can forget about it.

{What I'm Writing}: My blog has been my most creative writing to date. I wrote a summary about an article on pretzels this afternoon. For the Fourthies. I should really try to write less stream-of-consciousness style on here. It's annoying and diary-ish, isn't it? Maybe this is why I can't think of anything. That stupid crystal has sucked out all of my drive. Well? Laugh*.

 *Yes, that was supposed to be a Jareth quote. :p

Back to Work!!

Sweater: Macy's; Button-Up: New York & Co.; Jeans: Kohl's

What I'm Wearing
Um...you should be able to see it! Ok, that wasn't even close to funny! I got bold today: I wore a button up shirt under a sweater. ::gasp:: This was something I absolutely abhorred as a teenager and have been completely intimidated by as an adult. Yeah, yeah. If you don't know by now that I'm a little off, then you haven't been reading very carefully! I also wore a necklace *OVER* said collard shirt! ::double gasp:: I love the way this looks on others, but I don't really think I'm working it. I feel boxy. Maybe my sweater's too thin? I don't know. It certainly looks better with jeans than it did with the gray trousers that I wore to work. It turns out I could have gotten away with jeans at work today, though, since every other teacher and the principal were wearing jeans...and rain boots. ::soft wail from missed opportunity::

What I'm Thinking
          My last official day of winter break was awesome. Nicole and Tim came over and we played games and she and I went shopping while the boys watched football. By the way, "Curses" is an *AWESOME* game. Side splitting laughter ensued not five minutes in. This game has also made me decide that my hubby makes an excellent leprechaun. =D That's right: leprechaun. And on Sunday evening I got a call from one of my districts that a sub was needed. Hooray! Income! They need a sub for the whole week. Woo-Hoo!! Pay dirt! But the teacher only has plans for Monday and Tuesday. ::silence::...Ooookay, I think I can swing that. Fourth grade you say? I can figure something out {I hope}. I like that I get to work with the same class for an extended period of time {I really do}. It gives me a routine and a schedule and general consistency. I feel like I can do anything when I have a routine...which inspires me to break the routine and then I get all nervous and fidgety because I've lost my routine. But back to work!
          I love fourth graders; they're cute and innocent but have just enough bite to be interesting. I like that I can be goofy and they look at me like I'm completely off my rocker and they worry that maybe they shouldn't have come to school. The junior high kids see right through me and think I'm lame for trying to get a laugh out of them. They were a good group today, but they were SOOOOO tired!  I mean, these kids weren't even excited about rainy day schedule and didn't spend all day talking to each other! I  hope I'll be as lucky the rest of the week as I was today...especially since I have to ad-lib the plans.
         The best part about fourth graders is that they haven't quite got the hang of pulling one over on the sub. I can still ask questions about normal classroom procedures and get honest answers out of most of them. The ones that try to sneak in a little white lie are quickly bombarded by "NOOOO! That's not what Mrs. Smith does!" and the poor darlings have no idea that they just screwed themselves into reading the whole chapter by themselves instead of letting me read it to them. Adorable. I really want to laugh at them when they do this, but then I'll just make things worse for whoever has to sub for them after me. =D ::enjoy!::

What I'm Writing
          Blaaaaah!! ::tears:: I haven't written anything of worth in forever! And this guy that asked me to beta his Harry Potter story is 30 chapters in and all that needs fixing is a bunch of little grammar things. His craft is excellent, though. I want to write more about my serial killing duo and insert some girly Cosmo-esque fashion related entries. I can see it being very cute and successful {if it hasn't already been done}::[originality is highly overrated, Reg. Nobody is original anymore.]::<--I don't know what all this punctuation is supposed to imply, but I think it helps to break up the different voices in my head. TMI? I suppose I could always work on transposing my Star Wars story {which I'm very proud of} into a contemporary romance where the Jedi are replaced with firemen. Blaaaah!!! ::more tears:: I hate writer's block! ::suddenly remembers half finished zombie story::bangs head against wall::

PS: I'm really starting to loathe these self portraits, as I'm realizing that my outfits suck.