Halloween

Okay, I am a complete pile of Mommy-goo right now. My youngest daughter just melted my heart.

We went out trick-or-treating, her brother dressed as Yoda, and she was in her stroller dolled up like a pumpkin. At the first house, she hung back, not sure what was going on. Then when she was offered candy, they tried to put it in her plastic bucket. Her eyes widened and she wanted to hold it. Only when she was sure I wasn’t going to take it, did she allow me to put it in the bucket.

At the next house, they held out a tray and let her choose. Instead of one piece, my darling pumpkin reached in with both mitts, in complete chocolate adoration (it’s hereditary). :hungry: I made her put some of it back and she managed to say, “Tank oo” (thank you). :hello2:

Third house–she wanted to say “Trick or treat” like the other kids, but just couldn’t get her mouth around it. Instead she looked the neighbors in the eye and chatted, “Da da da da da…tank oo! Bye bye!” and after giggling, she stuffed the candy in her bucket and trotted off. :dance:

She had an absolute blast and I was just dying, watching her try to be a big girl. Sniffle.

I’m going to blink and she’ll be walking down the aisle.

Tagged…

Okay, Michelle Styles tagged me on this one:

Three screen names that you’ve had: Michelle Willingham, mrsleonard, and mwilling

Three things you like about yourself: I work very hard, especially on a deadline (hint, hint); I’m a good listener; and I’ve never been convicted of a felony. :goodvibes:

Three things you don’t like about yourself: My inability to control myself around salt water taffy :hungry:, my impulsive nature, and my complete lack of artistic creativity (I had a pumpkin pattern, people! I could never have cut those out without the pattern).

Three parts of your heritage: Umm…I’m a little confused by this question, but I’m 100% British in origin. There’s actually a town of Willingham where my ancestors originated. My husband is 100% Irish, so does that make me Irish-in-law?

Three things that scare you: phone calls from editors (but I sure do want one!); parent phone calls that involve telling me their life story and how they were former gang members and took part in a ritual shooting of themselves in the head (yes, I really DID have a parent who told me this…I was a bit reluctant to ask her to sign her son’s homework agenda nightly); and mice.

Three of your everyday essentials: Cafe Francais (General Foods International Coffee) :coffee2:, yogurt as part of my lunch, and hugs/kisses from my children.

Three things you are wearing right now: Umm…pajamas?

Three of your favorite songs: Bring me to Life by Evanescence, I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) by the Proclaimers, and Die Another Day by Madonna. :rocker:

Three things you want in a relationship: Love, a sense of team spirit, and a man who cleans my house.

Two truths and a lie: Truth: I have no self-control when it comes to chocolate caramels. Truth: I have completed 3 full-length romance novels and 4 full-length children’s novels. Lie: I wear a size 2.

Three things you can’t live without: oxygen, food, and water. (Well, really!) :dance:

Three places you want to go on vacation: Ireland, Scotland, and Australia.

Three things you just can’t do: Play football, basketball or any other team sport. I fall on my face. Any sport involving catching, throwing, or hitting a ball does not work for me.

Three kids names: Andrew, Elizabeth, James

Three things you want to do before you die: Go on an African safari, publish a book (or 100), and earn a million dollars.

Three celeb crushes: Mel Gibson in Braveheart, Daniel Day-Lewis in Last of the Mohicans, and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones).

Three of your favorite musicians: Sting, Madonna, and really any cheesy 80’s band. I’m a sucker for 80’s music.

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeals to you: self-confidence, okay a nice muscular body, and an intelligent mind. Though, if he cleans my house, the intelligent mind isn’t really necessary. :rotfl:

Three of your favorite hobbies: writing, cooking, and reading.

Three things you really want to do badly right now: publish my first book, spend a day doing nothing but reading, and hire someone to clean my house.

Three careers you’re considering/you’ve considered: editor, full-time author, stay-at-home mom.

Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy: I’m a go-getter, I like independence/autonomy, and I don’t put up with idiocy from people “just because we’ve always done it this way.”

Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl: I love gorgeous dresses, sparkly jewelry, and eating at the most expensive restaurant in town (to my husband’s dismay).

Three people that I would like to see post this meme: Tori, Katie, and Olga.

Halloween Pumpkins

I’m trying to decide how to carve up the pumpkin this year for Halloween. I did carve one of the foam pumpkins, and this was the design I used. Go Irish! :hello2:

My children had their Halloween parade at daycare yesterday. Here is my Jedi-in-training:



and here you can see him fighting the forces of evil Darth Vader:
Clearly, he was intimidated by the eighteen-month-old villain. I know I would run screaming the other way.


Last, here is my darling daughter hamming it up in front of the camera:



and again here:

It’ll be interesting to see how Monday night goes. I have a feeling my daughter will be loving Halloween, once she learns that candy is involved.

No, I did not murder the children…

There are some twelve-year-old boys who are lucky to be alive today. :mallet: Thankfully there are no newspaper banner headlines proclaiming MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER LOSES IT AND STABS CHILD TO DEATH WITH A BALLPOINT PEN. :fryingpan:

At our school, we have a remediation after-school tutoring program that runs once a week. It started out as a group of 5-6 students, then grew to 10 and yesterday I had about 17 students. The problem is, they started bringing their friends, some of whom didn’t need to be there. It started to change the environment such that, the students who already knew the answers were dominating the program and the socializing started to increase.

Yesterday, the arrogance level made me want to turn from a mild-mannered, docile teacher (okay, stop choking and laughing here) into Attila the Hun. Some of the yahoos would NOT shut their mouths and listen to instruction. Instead of answering questions on their dry erase boards, they started writing goofy messages and trying to impress their friends (these were students from the other teachers, for the record–my own students know me too well to attempt that sort of behavior).

But that wasn’t what really irritated me. It was the fact that they believed they should get candy just for showing up. :angry: In the past, I’ve rewarded my hard workers with a lollipop or a small token, and these kids were whining from the outset.

When repeated warnings did not work, I explained that I was there to help the students who needed help and who wanted to review for the quarter exam. The students who preferred to socialize would be asked to leave. Two of my little minions from Satan didn’t believe me. They continued to talk louder than me and finally, I kicked them out. They spent the remainder of the time in the assistant principal’s office.

I’ll admit, when I got home later that night, I took it pretty hard. I’m not a new teacher, and this is the first time in a long while (okay, eight years) that I’ve had to resort to such measures. Though it did improve the atmosphere of the class, it still makes you feel like a failure as a teacher when some of the kids just don’t see how their behavior is a problem. They don’t see how talking during instruction is a sign of disrespect. And they were truly dumbfounded as to why they were kicked out.

Teaching is not a vocation for people who want to earn a lot of money. We do it for the children, for the joy of watching them learn and grow. I can always count on my students to brighten my day. But by the same token, the same children can make it difficult. I didn’t sleep well last night, wondering if there was anything I could have done differently. In retrospect, probably not.

More than anything, I worry about the kids who believe they are entitled to things simply because they are there. Life is going to kick them in the face one day with a dose of reality. What will they do then?

I’m a Survivor…

I survived the processing of 350 sixth graders through Ellis Island. It turned out to be pretty fun, even if the weather didn’t cooperate. I had kids who took their “identities” pretty seriously, wearing raggedy clothes if they were poor, wearing hats or knickers to look like they were from their homeland. Some had brought baby dolls to represent their character’s children. One thing struck me, though. A student of mine had the identity of a priest and he wanted to know if it was okay to bring in a Bible as a prop. He was worried about getting in trouble.

Now how sad is that?? I told him it wasn’t a weapon and the Constitution protected freedom of religion–bring it on. Had he asked to bring in a copy of the Koran or another religious book, I would have said the same thing.

What does that say about our schools when the students who do want to say a prayer or say the words “under God” during the pledge feel threatened? I think they should feel free to do so, just as those who are uncomfortable about religion in schools should not feel pressured to participate in anything of that nature.

I used to teach in a Catholic school, and I found the morning prayer time to be calming. Students were allowed to voice their concerns and their fears freely and have the support of their classmates during tough times. It was a bonding experience. In the state of Virginia, we have a mandated moment of silence. Do you know what happens during that time? Students are straightening their notebooks, copying homework assignments, and in general, ignoring the purpose.

What are your thoughts about prayer in schools?

Classroom Simulations

Tomorrow my darling little sixth graders will be doing an immigration simulation. They had to draw identities out of a hat and after going thr0ugh a mock Ellis Island, 50% will be accepted into America, and half will be deported. The ones who arrive in “America” (another teacher’s classroom) will get a feast of all-American foods and will take a mock citizenship test. The deportees will argue their case before an appeals judge and some will be able to get in from there, while others will have to stay behind. Should be lots of fun. I love doing activities like this, but the mental preparation is a complete headache. I coordinate the parent volunteers, train some of the students to be Ellis Island officials, and try to make sure it all runs smoothly. It should work out and I know they’ll love it. It’s fun to see the excitement on their faces, and they also get to dress up as their characters. :crazyjumping:

By the way, if any of you have middle school students who need any U.S. History resources, this is a link to my classroom page (under my married name). There are some practice pages and Jeopardy games they can play. Those of you who are teachers, feel free to use any of the stuff that’s helpful to you.

We also do a Ford Assembly line where they draw automobiles, a WWII Boot Camp through their P.E. classes and a 1950’s sock hop where they learn to jitterbug, play jacks/marbles, watch 1950’s ads and eat at the Ice Cream Soda Shoppe, and watch an episode of “I Love Lucy.” History can be so much fun in the classroom if you find the right activities.

Think back to when you were in school. Do you remember a fun activity you did or a teacher who inspired you?

P.S.: My Dot Moms post is up.

Batman Begins

Hubby and I rented “Batman Begins” this weekend and I’ll admit I really enjoyed it. :batman: Some of the other superhero movies, including its predecessors, are a little too campy for my tastes. I did like Spiderman II because of the humor. But the darkness in this one, the backstory of how the hero learned his skills, etc., made it a great film.

One thing that struck me was the soundtrack. I could easily imagine myself writing a scene with that music in the background. It would be great for some dark action scenes. Depending on the scene I’m writing, I have a slew of soundtracks to use. It works for me. Hans Zimmer wrote the soundtrack to “Batman Begins,” and he’s a favorite composer of mine.

In other news, the baby is trying to get herself sick. Last night she woke at 4 a.m. crying, shaking, and she felt feverish. I gave her Tylenol this morning and she seems a bit better, but still on the verge of getting sick. Not sure if this is related to the flu shot she received on Thursday. I also made my 3-year-old get his shot, which was interesting. I had visions of him flailing and screaming while having to pin him down. Instead, he asked if he could have a piece of bubble gum.

“Yes, if you sit still for the nurse while she gives you the shot,” I said.
His eyes brightened. Sugar! With parental permission! Score! :dance: “It’ll be so much fun!” he squealed.
“I sincerely doubt that,” I replied, reaching for the Juicy Fruit.
He began to get an inkling of what was happening when she put the numbing agent on his leg. Then he started to fuss, at which point I held out the gum. Instant distraction. I asked, “Would you like it now?”
He bobbed his head and reached for it just as the nurse jabbed him. He screeched, “OWW!” :hissyfit: and I handed him the gum. Then he cocked his head, as if to wonder ‘What was THAT all about?’, and started chomping on the gum.
“I was really brave for my shot,” he said.
“Yep, you were.”

Plotting a New Book

Well, tonight I hit the wall. I can’t write this book by the seat of my pants anymore. I have to take a moment and get my bearings before I can do new pages. 60 pages isn’t bad for a start, but I’ll never get 300 until I get this straight.

My writing process is…odd. I make a lot of lists. Right now I have scraps of paper with story arcs scribbled, the hero’s internal conflict, the book turning points, and I know I’ll throw every last scrap away. I doodle in order to make sense of the mess in my head. :coffee: Once I have it straight on paper, I don’t need it anymore. It’s locked in the brain. Weird, but that’s the way it works.

I also tend to work in sections. I’ll blast my way through the proposal and be intensely excited about it. Then about chapter 5, I start slowing down. That’s the part when I have to figure out my subplot. I brainstorm lists of plot ideas and try out a few until one sticks. Then I can usually get to page 100. I do the same thing to page 200 and then I go through a mini-crisis where I lament the entire book and what was I thinking?? I moan and mope while my brain sorts through the mess. Then suddenly, there is a ray of light and I figure it out. Once I hit page 300, I’m golden. Endings are never a problem for me, and I’ve been known to get 25+ pages in a day if I set my mind to it.

It’s that darned middle. I keep hoping I’ll get better at plotting, but part of the problem is that the plots I envision don’t always match the characters. Once I’ve written 60 pages, I then think–Aha! I know who these people are. And I groan because whatever I thought would work…suddenly doesn’t. So that’s the stage I’m at right now.

The good news is, I know I can churn out pages when I know what to write. And I have to stop and regroup every so often, which means no new pages. I always make up for it later.

Tonight the goal is to keep working on my subplot and figure out how to effectively mirror the main storyline. I tell you, it makes my head swim. Most of the time, I’d like to say–forget it!–and just write my way through it. But I’ve learned the hard way not to discount my subconscious mind warning me of severe problems. Sometimes writing through the problem results in a bigger mess.

Anyway, send good thoughts my way as I brainstorm the next few turning points. I have to remind myself that this is a romance and killing the secondary characters probably won’t solve matters. :mallet:

Sibling Rivalry

Yesterday my son remarked that he hated his sister. :ick: He’s all of three years old. My first reaction was to wonder where he heard that phrase. But I think he’s heading into the prime sibling rivalry years. He and his sister are 26 months apart, and now that she’s getting old enough to play with his toys, he’s had his fill of it. When she doesn’t get her way, she lets out a piercing scream.

But then, there are moments like last night when they were giggling and chasing each other around upstairs. Or the time when they each grabbed their respective blankets and snuggled into her bed and he pretended to read her a story. I think it’s very much a love-hate relationship. He adores having a sister, but not when she disrupts his things. She worships him as a role model but gets frustrated when she can’t keep up.

It’s fascinating to me, to watch them. My own relationship with my brother was very different. He had physical disabilities and my role was that of protector. It will be interesting to see how my children change and grow. I have a feeling they’ll be very close.

How about you? Were you close to your siblings when you were growing up?

Happy Birthday to Me

They say it’s your birthday…(da na na na na)
It’s my birthday too, yeah..(da na na na na) :dance:

The hubby and I went out to dinner last night, leaving our children with the babysitter. This morning I found out that this is the SECOND time my daughter’s diaper was put on backwards. And it was a different babysitter, too! One who never made that mistake before. Oh well, guess she’s out of practice.

In any case, we went to one of those restaurants where you sit at the Hibachi grill and the chef twirls spatulas, hacks up the chicken and steak, flips eggs, and sets onions on fire. :hungry: He made a volcano out of a stack of onions, igniting some form of alcohol, and it shot flames into the air. Such fun. When the alchohol had burned off, he moved the onions over, and a cloud of steam filtered out the top. It really did look like a volcano. :headbang:

But sadly, I have to go to work today. The little children had better be good on my birthday or heads will roll. :rotfl: I’ve decided to mess with them. I threw a math problem on the board so they could calculate my age. For those of you wondering, no I am NOT 23. Haven’t been 23 in a very long time. I am two to the fifth power, minus one. That will mess with my students since they haven’t learned exponents yet. They’re devious enough that they’ll want to know what it means. Ah, a teachable moment.

Hope everybody has a nice day today!