Horse.

I meant HOARSE.
Talking is very important to a teacher and
I can't do it. My voice is killing me and my mind
is made up that it really wants to go home and sleep,
making me one ornery person.
Very unpleasant to be around.
Lots of detention for little trouble makers.

But it does give me an excuse to come home and
just crash watching T.V.
Mr. Friend and I got to watch Toy Story 3 finally.
Got to say that it holds to the bar that the first and
second set.
I really hate sequels, and the only sequel I've liked
has been Toy Story 2. Genius. I was laughing the whole
way through. Toy Story 3 has a lot of action.
If you haven't seen it, it is a must.

They are such a cute little group of toys.
And I am never going to get rid of toys ever again.
It was heartbreaking.

Enough said, mostly because I'm going to go sleep again.

I've Been Compared to a Ferrari

.... and I liked it!{image}

I like to think of myself as independent.
(A curse to my generation.)
So, I get a little upset when a man steps in to help
me carry the bags, open the door, and even get up off
the floor. I know that I should enjoy these things,
but I can't help myself when I assert firmly that
I can do it.

I got a chewing the other day for doing this very thing and
it made me very happy.

Mr. Wiggly-My-Toes and Make-Me-Really-Frustrated told me
to lay off. He said he knew that I was very capable of a great many
things and that opening the door and offering to help was not to be
taken that he thought of me as incapable of taking care of myself.
He said that he doesn't do nice things for me because I can't do them
for myself. He insisted that women aren't glass ornaments that men
need to take care of otherwise we'll break.
We are more like Ferrari's, a well designed and very capable,
fast machine that can take a dent as well
as another other car. But you treat a Ferrari nice because it
deserves special treatment.
Maybe even baby it. If you really like Ferrari's.

I am not a car person, but
I like that he opens my door, refuses to let me carry
anything if he isn't, and insists that I take his coat if I'm cold.
He makes me feel special, like a Ferrari.

Mom in Pictures

I don't get to play with my camera as much as I

would like. I feel so jealous sometimes of some of the
pictures I see others doing. I really wish I had the
money and time to study it better. Photography
is an amazing skill. I feel like it is the ability to capture
light and moments.
I find it cool that pictures can spark memories.
{My parentals. Mom and Dad with a classic Dad face.}

I was looking at some of my old pictures and they
made me ache for my mom. These simple pictures
reminded me how safe mom makes home feel.
They are cozy and warm and remind me that my
mom makes everything beautiful.
I'd thought I would share.

I love ya Mom.
I know you probably hate these pictures of you,
but you have to love me remember. I am your
daughter.

Mini Art Show

I love art.

There is something so personal and challenging about it.
It makes me excited, happy, and very busy.
Memorizing numbers and vocabulary words is easy (personally),
but art offers a challenge that only the person
doing it can achieve. The only competition is with yourself.
And personal viewpoints and backgrounds only enhance
the work rather than deters from it.
Your art is your story. It comes only from you. You are the
person figuring out the puzzle and applying the meaning.
Isn't it so fun?

I think I seriously am going to have the best job in the world.
Who doesn't want to play with pencils, paint, and crafty stuff
all day? And I love the fact that I will maybe help others discover
their talents and what inspires them.
Yes, I am a crazy artist and I love it.

School has kept me very, very busy.
There is my final work sample portfolio that I've been stressing
over for the last month. It has to include a unit with 6-7 lesson plans,
assessments, adaptations, students work, and resources. I've
been scanning, printing, photographing, writing, stressing, organizing,
stressing, and perfecting this thing for the big day where I go in
front of a panel of professors and present it. And then they decide
based on it and my teaching whether I can be a teacher.
It is FINALLY done though. (Clap, please.)
I feel very accomplished, proud, and ready.

But my real pride is my students. They keep me on
my toes. Some days I come home thinking there is no way in
heavens I can do this. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING!
They are crazy, wild, uncooperative, and frustrating.
But then there are the rewarding days where I see them
break through a problem and feel good about what they have done.
I see them take pride in their work.
I see them try their best.
The days where I help them see the world a little different
are the bomb-diggity.
They make the crazy days worth it.

I'd thought I would show you a mini art show of some
of the more recent projects we have been working on.

Student Artwork:

Scratch art is where you scratch off the black to present
another color underneath. Students studied negative and
positive shapes. I wished these would photography better,
but the silver is so shiny I keep getting a glare.

I
I loved doing the wire sculptures.
They turned out so cool. I wish the pictures were better.

Last are the tape sculptures that go up tomorrow.
Students had to wrap themselves in tape to create life size
sculptures of themselves and make an installation in the school.
It is fun just to see the process.
I'll show you the final results when we get them up.

I wish I could have taken pictures of everything.
My classes are so good.

I will assure you there is more to come.

Cruel Devils, Mona Lisa, and Some Guy

It is the weekend! I have never been so excited for

this blessed day called Friday. Crazy week. Running around,
forgetting appointments, losing my keys and my mind a million
times, but it is all over at last.
I am going to relax, eat my skittles, and take a shower to
get all the crap out of my hair.

Every time Halloween comes around I get a wee bit
stressed out. I am a creative sort of person and the
perfect idea is highly sought after. I stress and plan and
analyze. There are many factors to plug in. Mainly that I
have no money.

This year I wanted to be a California Raisin. Genius!
I would wear my black leggings, poke a hole in the top
of a black garbage bag, and spice it all up with some bows and
sunglasses.
But I talked to a few people and I guess I am older than I
thought. No one knows what a California Raisin is anymore.


(And actually I only know because my Grandma use to have
cool little raisin figures that were oddly really fun to play with.)
Back to the drawing board....

Then I remembered that my all time favorite villain has got
to be that classy, sassy, crazy lady...
Cruella de Vil.
I just love the way her name is spelled.
And when asked how I'm doing, I want to reply
happily," Miserable, darling, as usual. Perfectly wretched."
She's got confidence that lady and mad driving skills.
I mean seriously you can't get better than her, especially
for the "mean" art teacher.

Exhibit A:Exhibit B:

(Like the ball right on top of my head?
I am totally going to draw in her eyebrows for tomorrow.)

Funny part is that I had a dentist appointment
right after school today. I changed into jeans and
marched right in.
I'm thinking of making it permanent.
It sure is a conversation starter.
(Guess my dad is right about the whole rebellious thing.)

And then another stress about Halloween is the whole
carving pumpkin thing. People tend to think because I am
all "artistic" or something like that that obviously beautiful
things just run down my hand and onto anything I touch.
FALSE.
I mess up many things before I get it just right. And
pumpkins have never been my strong point.
They are just so... round, gooey, and uncooperative.
So when Mrs. CT asked if I wanted to be her partner for
the faculty pumpkin carving contest, I hesitated.
I had to though. She gives me my grade. :)

Guess who won?!

Yes, that is the Mona Lisa.
And people say it was difficult.
(Just a bit.)

But more than anything, the real stress
this week has come from this:


But I'll explain that tomorrow.

P.S. Hello, hello new friends! I am happy you have
joined my party.

Photo Contest

Why hello! After what seems like a really long weekend

with my newly returned brother and family I feel very
disconnected from the world, not to mention I have a
thousand lesson plans to catch up on.
(Sometimes I am very grateful that student teaching is
pass or fail. Just kidding!) :)

Anyways, I don't have much time to post.
I am doing a quicky here and just giving you a picture
from this weekend and a contest to enter.
Carlotta from "pastor's girl's ponderings" has a lovely
idea for a photo contest.
The theme is color.
Feel free to enter.
Fun for all.



My photo is my nephew whom I call Monkey.
I love the complementary colors is this photo.
The yellow truck, with yellow-orange leaves, contrasted
by his cute blue overalls.
I don't know if we can have people in our
pictures, but I can't resist him.



{raw photo, no editing, no time}
Luvs!