Just Keep Swimming

I think now would be a good time to tell a delightful story from my childhood. Why? Because I believe I have fully redeemed myself by keeping my 2 Betas alive and well. Four weeks and counting, thank you.

Once upon a time, there were 2 friends named Brenda and Kim. After a fun over-night sleepover, Kim's mom bids the girls adieu, tells Brenda to head on home, and leaves for her job. Brenda, not wanting to leave quite yet, goes downstairs to see Kim's magical, tropical fish. (Technically, they were her stepdad's fish, but I digress).

Brenda, always wanting to be the helpful little smurf, decided to 'assist' Kim by feeding the fish. Taking the entire fish food bucket - yes, bucket - into her hands, she proceeds to slowly pour the flakes into the large, perfectly-cleaned, temperature-appropriate, tropical aquarium. Now, the aquarium was the stepdad's pride and joy, and was filled with tens of pretty, shiny, expensive tropical fish. Fish that are fed by one person and one person only: the stepdad. Children, especially with names that rhyme with "enda", are not allowed near this aquarium.

Unfortunately, (wait for it), the bucket did not release the fish flakes one by one, as Brenda had hoped. Oh, no...they POURED into the aquarium like a child on a Slip-n Slide. A nice, steady stream of fish flakes. Many, many fish flakes.

Kim, having watched helper Brenda from the sidelines, proceeds to move directly to Panic Mode, screaming at her less-than-helpful friend. She runs upstairs to get a kitchen strainer, in the hopes of rescuing the many, and might I add once again, expensive, tropical fish, from their sure-fire death. Brenda, who has an innate ability to begin laughing upon impending doom, stands to the side, giggling. Not very helpful.

Having not found much success with the strainer, Kim calls her mother, who rushes home. Not very happy to have found Brenda still present, Kim's mother tries in vain to rescue the expensive tropical fish. Having realized her husband will be very angry, she turns her wrath on Brenda, yelling and screaming at the still-giggling blond. Fearing for her life, Brenda bolts upstairs, out the front door, and runs down the block. Kim's mother runs after Brenda, gets into her car, and chases the fugitive through the streets of the neighborhood.

Being a fast little delinquent, Brenda runs until she is out of breath, stopping only to see how close the KimMomMobile is. Knowing she cannot outrun the ever-nearing V8 engine, Brenda spies her escape in a large, evergreen tree. She dives under the large, pointy, scratchy branches of the tree, and army-crawls it to the trunk in the center. Kim's mom parks the car, and starts yelling at the now-unreachable girl. Even at a young age, it occurs to Brenda that Kim's mom must look like a total goon, yelling and screaming at a tree.

Long story, story long...Brenda was banned from Kim's home for 2 years, no evergreen trees were harmed in the telling of this story, and 13 tropical fish now rest in peace.

A Letter from my Pillow

Dear Brenda,

Thank you so much for trying out Ambien this past week. It's so nice to have you near me again, hour after hour. No more tossing and turning. No more abandoning me for the couch at 2 am. You are with me for a good 8 hours straight. It's great to have your company - I've missed you!

Sincerely,
Your Pillow

The Great Entanglement

Ever have one of those days, where everything seems to be going completely wrong? Where people are mad at you for no reason? Where you have a ton of things to do, and seem to get nothing done? Where people try to run you over in the parking lot (ok, this one might be unique to me)? THAT was my last Thursday. Just when I was ready to throw in the towel and sit at my desk, pouting for the rest of the day, the following happens:

I'm teaching my second-to-last class of the day. My first graders, who always cheer me up, are rip-roaring, ready to go, dancing and a-singing with me in a circle. Everyone but one little guy, who is hopping around, but not really dancing. Now, having taught for 7 years, I happen to know this particular look - the one where the knees are close together, hands are usually in the pockets, and there is a look of panic in the face. Add a couple of little hops, and very little eye contact.

Now, I know from past experience that when you see this little dance, the best course of action is to excuse the kiddo, and FAST. Let them go the restroom immediately, because, by about now, they'd held it longer than they should, and REALLY have to go.

SO, I excuse the little guy to the restroom, and he proceeds to HOP to the door. Yes, HOP. Not dash like the rest of the kids do...HOP. Only then do I notice that he doesn't need to use the restroom at all. Rather, he is doing the new "I've Tied my Legs Together with my Shoelaces and can't seem to Pry the Knot Apart" Dance. It's all the rage. He has literally taken the shoelace from one shoe and tied it around his other leg, rendering him less-than-mobile. It took everything in me not to laugh out loud. Part of me wanted to watch him hop over to my desk, but decided against the all-class humiliation. My mood was certainly improving, however. I got the class going on a partner activity so they were occupied, and went and swooped up the little guy to bring him to my desk for some serious knot-untying.
Apparently, right after lunch (which mind you, is 3 hours prior to my class), my little friend was playing around with his shoelaces. By the time he made it to music class, his legs had been tied together for hours, and were rubbing a raw spot in his leg. Poor guy! After struggling with the knot for a while myself, I finally removed his shoe, un-threaded the lace, and freed my entangled friend. He gave me this big old sheepish grin for setting him free. Off he scrambled to catch up with his classmates, happy as a clam. Seriously, who could possibly be grumpy after that!?

Say again?!

"Ms. G. - my mom and dad asked me to ask YOU if you've ever Puffed the Magic Dragon."
---Second grade boy responding to the question "Did you tell your parents about the fairy-tale we learned about yesterday?"

"Can I just go call my mom and have her bring you some of her best homemade cookies? I mean, they are usually pretty good...sort of."
---Second grade boy who was in a heap-load of trouble with me after smacking both a classmate and a xylophone - his attempt to get in my good graces did NOT work, although his attempt was certainly amusing!

Projectile Snowmen

First graders are great. They still look at you in awe, curious about what you are going to do or say next. The music room is still a room of wonderment, and they are anxious and excited to learn. They are most receptive to the message of "be careful with the instruments" and "these are not toys" and "sharing is a good thing" - all things we covered last Thursday upon handing out the new instruments in our class.

We had no sooner begun our first song + instruments selection of the day, when the click-clack, talking Snowman head goes F-L-Y-I-N-G toward my face! The kiddo using that instrument got a little bit too excited, and really had his snowman head clicking to the rhythm. The snowman head flies across the circle, and lands right at my feet, just as the picture above shows. Note the eyes, staring right at me, ready to attack.

There was that great moment of complete silence - where the kids were in emotional limbo. They clearly didn't know what I'd do next, having just given them the 'be careful' speech. I put my hand to my mouth to disguise the fact that I was CRACKING UP - I mean, really, who knew I'd have to dodge a projectile snowman head! Eventually, I couldn't hold back my laughter, and the kids breathed a sigh of relief. I LOVE MY JOB!

The Square Chair Goes Over There

Oh, the sweet, happy feel of NEW FURNITURE. Love it. I inherited two new pieces of furniture over the weekend. What a happy living room I now have. Out with the old leather couch (might I add it was mustard colored - blech) and in with the new, calm, comfy duds. I LOVE square chairs. I can curl up in every which direction, and be ALL that more comfortable while watching my Murder, She Wrote. The Zelem Moving Crew helped move - correction....helped HEAVE the new stuff up 3 flights on stairs. Bless them! After countless re-arrangements, I'm happy to have my new, cozy arrangement.

That's It!

The Cheese Stands Alone

Drum roll...I finally figured out the true name of my blog. Nothing earth shattering here - just a sense of THAT'S IT! I enjoyed "When You Wish Upon a Star", but it always felt just-so to me. Kind of a 'you need a blog name, so pick one, darn it' decision. Not anymore - THIS is a good fit. Be it my fierce adoration of CHEESE, or the fact that sometimes my pals seem to go make plans with others, leaving this cheese to ultimately stand alone, I now have a blog name I can stand behind.

(oh, and palin has nothing on biden - a couple of funny quips won't a vice-presidency make)

So Proud

My little Adam WALKED into my classroom today! That may not seem like a big deal to most people, but for Adam, born with cerebral palsy, it was HUGE! He's a third grader now, and has always used this big, cumbersome walker. Only this year has he started to use his crutches. As he arrived for music today, his aide told me he had a surprise - I waited for Mr. Adam to enter my room, and did - without wheels! That little boy walked into my room! The world has done everything to work against him, and there he was - overcoming so much just to walk into my room! I was crying too hard to go grab the camera, but heaven knows I will snap a picture before the week is over! I'm crying again now, just thinking of the memory! His classmates were so proud of him, encouraging him as he joined our group, cheering him along! THIS is why I'm a teacher! THIS is why I work with children! THIS is why I love Adam! He has a power to unite children that extends far beyond his physical abilities. Unbelievable!

(Note: many fun photos removed from original post...)

YES WE CAN!

Friends and Funnel Clouds

We were SUPPOSED to have a nice, outdoor staff picnic last Sunday, but NOOOOO. The heavens opened up after a mere 45 minutes outside, rain POURED down, forcing us to hang out in a stuffy, non-air-conditioned school. We thought we could just wait out the weather (welcome to Colorado), but then the sirens started to sound, and we had to move to the gym (you know, that safe, shelter area in a school!). Thank goodness I had inhaled a hot dog while still outside, as the food disappeared as soon as the rain made its appearance. Here is one of the many amazing pictures of the week. Three tornadoes actually touched down in and around Castle Rock. So much for our outdoor picnic!

Happy Family

What a wonderful week, what a wonderful family. GO OBAMA!

Stride Trainer 300

That's right, I am now the proud owner of a Gold's Gym Stride Trainer 300. Grandma Dot gave me some $$ for graduation, and this is how I wanted to make it sustainable! I swear, once I get an idea in my head, it's only a matter of hours until I figure how how to bring it to life! shopped around for a day, narrowed down the list of things I want, and bought myself an Elliptical. I don't like to run (even though I really REALLY tried last year to be a 'runner'), so a treadmill wasn't very helpful. I'm sure nobody is surprised that I like to MOVE, SWING - be ACTIVE when working out. The elliptical has met the test of time (Brenda time - I bore easily), and is now a part of my home!


Unfortunately, the poor guys that lugged it into the trunk of my car chose not to come home with me (slackers), so I unpacked the huge and heavy box, sitting inside my car! Took all the garbage to the dumpster, and piled all the smaller parts into a laundry basket to lug up the 3 flights of stairs. The heaviest part had to wait until I grabbed a neighbor (former student), who owed me for being so dang loud in the hallways the night before. :)

In a mere 160 minutes, I tightened, pounded, and twisted that baby together, and it now happily sits in my living room. Correction - it IS my living room... Okay, it's not THAT big, but it certainly takes up a bit'o'room. Happy Brenda, though - no more beating the other renters to the apartment gym, and no more monthly fees. Now, I can happily jump on my new friend during commercials (that sounds much worse than intended), and swing away the calories.

Speaking of...gotta go swing!

WOOHOO!

That about sums up the last week! While I could write a blog and a half about the process itself, the best part is this: I HAVE MY MASTER'S DEGREE. Past that, it's all details! Ma and Pa came from WI for the big event, as shown in a couple of the pictures below. The day itself (Thursday, August 7th) was great: the presentation went smoothly, the feedback was overwhelming, and the celebration yummy!

The first day my parents were in town (after I had literally missed 2 exits on the highway trying to get ourselves to a simple restaurant), gave me a GPS system (a Garmin Nüvi) for graduating. Perfect timing!

We visited a ton of spots south of Castle Rock throughout the week: Royal Gorge Bridge, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods. Thankfully, My Nüvi really helped us figure out where to go!

Here's an awesome picture from between the wooden planks of the Royal Gorge Bridge! Sweet!

I really love zoos, but I had no idea how MUCH I loved Zoos until I visited this mountain zoo! And giraffes - did I mention giraffes!? I could have stayed there all week!

After my big ole Master's presentation (my CAP), we went to Buca di Beppo, an awesome Italian restaurant with a celebratory ambiance! There were pictures of Sinatra everywhere (the focus of my CAP), so it was a perfect end to an amazing journey!

WOOHOO!

PAUSE

I'm going to apologize right now, for I'm about to become the most boring Blog on the block. I am CHAINED to the computer right now, preparing for my final Masters Presentation. I will happily begin blogging again around 08.08.08, the day I am finally FREE! See you then! BG

National Lampoon's Sunday Morning

Good grief. I just wanted to go to church, enjoy the music of the new organist, and have a calm, peaceful morning.

I woke up cranky, knowing I had a ton of things to do, no new e-mail (strike 1 for the male species), and the sky was gray. (That's enough reason to be cranky, right?!) Anywho, headed to Starbucks for my Iced Green Tea Latte. The old guys at church usually tease me about my strange green drink. I've just told them that it's guacamole. That usually stops the teasing.

Bjørk, the new Starbucks goon, has no idea what this drink is, where to find it on the keypad, and refuses to ask the more seasoned employee behind him for help. Men. Strike 2 for the day. He rings me up with the wrong price, which I can't let go. He was going to charge me $1.80 for my $3.80 drink. While I wouldn't mind the extra change, I can't begin a Sunday morning by ripping off the local Starbucks, even if Bjørk can't figure things out. Good karma, right?

Off to church. Green drink in hand, I whip around the Round-about twice, narrowly avoiding the approaching cops. I'll consider that the instant karma payoff, as I wasn't seen or stopped by Mr. Police man.

The service was supposed to start at 8:00, but the promptness was delayed by the TWELVE minute prelude by the new organist. Now, while it was nice to actually hear the instrument being played happily for once, 12 minutes? Ladies and gentlemen, the ego has entered the sanctuary. ARGH. Strike 3.

I tried to pay attention today, but was really distracted. Why, you say?

• Gophers. Yes, gophers. They kept popping up in the field next to our church. Pop. Pop again. Hysterical.
• 18 fans. All running during the service. Not sure I heard more than 3 words.
• Retired pastor. 100 years old, maximum speaking speed: 10 mph.
• Sound system. Off, on, off, sort of on, crackle, off. Lovely.
• Nose ring. Mentioned in the Scriptures today. Again, hysterical. Genesis.
• Mumbler. What we were called by the 100 year old pastor. Perhaps it was all the fans.
  

COME ON. No one can be expected to focus under THESE circumstances. And please don't forget the gophers. Pop.

A Journey of Faith

A dear friend bravely shared her personal faith journey with me over the weekend, and below is a collection of faith thoughts that came to mind when responding to her. Apparently, amidst all the members of her congregation who have shared their faith journeys, not a single one has ever experienced doubt about their faith, and she is hesitant to share her personal thoughts.

When I read this, my first reaction was disappointment. I do not believe that people of faith never have doubts. I think that's impossible. Goodness, think of how many people in the Bible had doubts about their faith, and then watch how they grew through those moments of wonder.

I think back to when Mother Theresa's diary was published. Now, I don't think ANYONE'S diary should ever be published - the person who found that diary should have done her a service, and burned it. But rather, it was shared with the world, and I remember the 'outrage' when people discovered that she doubted her own faith. For me, the discovery and subsequent publishing of the diary did just the opposite. Knowing that a person like Mother Theresa had her doubts and reaffirmations about her faith only made her works, her deeds, and her words that much more powerful and meaningful to me. I admired and respected her ten times more knowing she had worked for her faith, and that it did not necessarily come easily to her. It made her all that more human to me.

It's that old adage of it's the JOURNEY, not the DESTINATION. Sounds cliché, but is rather relevant in this context. I don't mean to put down those who have shared their journey at her church, I just wonder how truthful and honest they have been with themselves not to share the whole story. Someone people can only share the happier, more complete parts of themselves with others. They leave out the holes, the struggles, the parts that portray them as anything but completely together. I believe that my friend will bring a unique perspective, as she's only been a part of her congregation for a short period of time. I think what's different for her members is that they've known each other for a long time. I know that sharing my story with my congregation back in WI would be a whole lot different than sharing it here in CO. My story wouldn't change, but I know the reaction to it would.

She mentioned that she didn't censor herself at all in her written faith journey. I think that censoring is a unique way to spin "I'm omitting details that are truthful, and important." That wouldn't be authentic, and it wouldn't change any of the facts. I think about how much more powerful her story will be to those who are listening if they, too have struggled. I know I would be comforted to hear of her struggles, her moments of weakness, only to still see her standing in front of me, still ok, still human. It's all the pieces that make the whole, and sometimes the pieces aren't always whole to begin with.

My heartfelt kudos to a brave soul who is only beginning her journey of faith. What an amazing example she is to us all!

Game, Set, Match!

I wasn't sure what was making me so out-of-sorts today, but I couldn't shake the feeling ALL DAY. I did a rather fast 2 miles on the elliptical at the gym. I walked around the apartment complex. Then, I chipped my front tooth (and the dental receptionist just chuckled at my predicament). I produced 2 iMovies and kicked them into iDVD, completing 2 big ole video projects. UGH. I'm eating the right stuff - I'm working out - I'm sleeping (sort of). Still, I couldn't figure out why I was cranky, annoyed, aggravated, and basically SOUR all day. And HOT. I could not cool off - and I was wearing very little in powerful air conditioning. UGH.

Then, there it sat on the counter: the tiny, little BLUE PILL that makes ALL the difference in my day. I should have read the signs better: hot and cranky = lack'o'estrogen. DUH. I had forgotten to take my magical 2 mg of estrogen that make the difference between Happy and Crappy. I can't believe it has been 1,130 days since my hysterectomy. I've taken that pill 1130 times - you'd think I'd remember it's impact on my life!

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Side note on the Ted story: haven't heard much from him since Friday (he had a busy weekend, and is leaving again for CA tomorrow). I've been wondering if he had been bothered by the 'I can't have kids' chat we had the other night. I've dealt with this for years, and he's known for 5 days. I certainly couldn't fault a guy who decided to break it off because he wanted kids of his own (literally). It's certainly been on my mind. How diverse our blogs are - postings of children at play, postings of exciting ultrasounds, and then the postings of the angst of being barren. Life is interesting.

He did finally e-mail me a quick note today, AND I literally almost ran him over on my way out of the parking lot tonight. He was walking his 2 dogs. We chatted for a bit, and he said he'd call if he made it back into town this weekend. Boy, it's hard to be hopeful and carefree all at the same time.

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I have wanted to get back into playing tennis forEVER, and finally bought the brightly colored balls today, found my racket, and headed off to find a tennis court back board. Just as I was driving toward my neighborhood courts, I passed a couple, rackets in hand, obviously headed toward the same spot. Not wanting my lame singles game to impede their actual game, I kept driving, in search of a flat building. I found it! I remembered that the back of a nearby school was flat, made of brick, and away from people. (For being an extrovert, I sometimes really like to be alone.) YEAH! I parked the car behind the school, and I was in my own little private tennis session! WOOHOO! The woods were right behind me, which I took as an incentive NOT to let the ball get past me! I could open my car door windows, and listen to the radio while I smacked the ball. Who says a one-eyed blonde has no depth perception! :o)

Lights, Camera...Blog!

Okay, two blogs in one day. This is a first, even for me. HOWEVER, I captured 2 pretty awesome pics and just had to share. Now, whether or not standing with my metal camera on my metal deck during a lightning storm is really a GOOD idea...well, that's still up for debate. Regardless, at least you'd find the pictures on the camera if something were to happen to me! :) ENJOY!

Beauty and the Beast

Love it, love it, love it. I love the June paycheck, where all my extra hard work (choir, computers, yearbook, talent show, etc.) comes back to me in $. Why? Because, after all my bills are paid, I can go get my summer FLOWERS! I LOVE filling my deck with colorful planters.

I love squishing my fingers through the dirt, making a COMPLETE mess of my kitchen. I love watering all my plants so my downstairs neighbors get a shower...HA! (Sorry..that just might teach them that screaming at all hours of the day is rude and annoying! UGH.)

Anywho, here are a couple of the after pics. I want to buy more. Perhaps tomorrow! Now, I can enjoy my morning cup of coffee and the paper, looking out over Castle Rock, surrounded by natural beauty. LOVE IT!

Let's see...then there's the 'beast' known as my den. I am preparing for my Masters presentation, and spent the better part of 5+ hours yesterday going through ALL of my classes over the last 3 years. 30+ semester hours worth of reflections, papers I spent hours writing, research...WHEW! I split it all into 5 categories, and believe it or not, this picture actually represents an organization of my mind. Scary little mind, eh? Should be great to see the AFTER pic in late July!

QUICK UPDATE (5 hours later): I was able to purchase some file folders this afternoon, and now I have been able to relocate my carpet. WHEW! Yeah, Target!

Finally, my newest discovery: Mint, Melon and Sugar Scrub. I COULD pay more than $20 at Bath and Body works or some other expensive store...OR I could pay only $10 at my friendly, neighborhood Target. Sweet. It's great, does wonders for my feet and hands, and smells fantastic. There are a bunch of different scents, all for only $10. Definitely recommended. :)

Home of the Brave!

WOW! WOW! WOW! I am bursting with pride right now!

What an amazing day at the ballpark with all my little friends!

My babes all met at the Employee Entrance, just before noon on Sunday, June 22. It had to have been close to 90º in the SHADE, and they just happily sat with each other on the gravel, wearing their tie-dyed pride! I was so proud of how they DIDN'T complain (I was ready to complain!). All 80 kids were pretty close to being on time, and they all were wearing their shirts! (I had brought along 6 for the kids who said they needed them....and then showed up wearing one! Whatever works!). One little one was a little heat-sick, one was a bit scared now that she was at the big park. Two of them had added a brand, new family member just last night, with mom cheering them on from the hospital! What a happy, little, Flagstonian family we were!

Two, really sweet Rockies Staff members, Crystal and Erin, brought us INTO the building, underneath the field, and past all the really important places in Coors Field. We were lined up in this waiting zone. Then, this HUGE garage-door opened, and VOILA! we were staring at the entrance to Coors Field! WOOHOO!

It wasn't quite time for the Flagstone Choir to make their entrance, so we moved to the side to allow for all the Little League teams (all 400 gajillion of them!) to parade along the outskirts of the field. We warmed up, and Crystal and Erin answered all the questions I tossed their way. One little one came up to me, hand over her mouth - I thought she was either going to be sick, or already had been. Turns out, she "was so excited, her tooth just fell out!" So, right there, underground at Coors Field, I just put the little tooth in my pocket for later! HA! Just like my classroom! A bigwig from the New York Mets (Guy Conti, Bullpen Coach) wandered by, and commented on the fabulous energy of our group, and said that HIS team needed to harness some of that energy! YEAH!

Finally, our turn. Telling the kids that it was time to stand and enter Coors Field was AMAZING! They were so excited - sharing this experience with them was ten times more powerful than when I sang by myself. Their energy was TANGIBLE! We carefully walked along the red dirt, waiting for our turn. Just as we got out on the field, we heard the names of our Principal and Secretary being called Jan and Susan! After the Color Guard had completed their flag presentation on the field, we were led out ON THE GRASS, right there between 3rd and 2nd Base! We oh-so-carefully stepped over the precious white line, a line painted by the groundskeepers, and which we were warned to stay off of! We lined ourselves up between the 2 microphones, and I blew the first pitch on the pitchpipe. It was so LOUD and overwhelming and wonderful at the same time! We were all just grinning!

THEN, they announced our names. OUR NAMES! I'm not sure I ever stopped smiling - I raised my arms to conduct, and off we went. Only during the middle of the song did I realize that the WORDS were being displayed underneath the JumboTron! It was a great relief, as I think I was the only one worried about forgetting the words! The kids were amazing - they knew those words down pat! :)

Just like I had experienced before, as we reached "...and the home of the brave!" the entire stadium, all 45,000 of those fans, started cheering and yelling! I have tears in my eyes all over again just thinking about it! My kids were in amazement of themselves, and I couldn't have been prouder! They smiled for the cameras, and then waved to the family members up in the stands! They were still on the JumboTron, so they got a chance to turn around and look at themselves! HOW COOL IS THAT?!

So, this blog can only give a SMIDGEN of what was a most overwhelmingly, amazing day! The families greeted us with open arms upon returning from our performance, and we enjoyed the regular ballpark treats (hot dogs, lemonade, etc.) Even with the scorching heat, we were able to enjoy each other's company, meet grandmas and grandpas in the stands, and be awfully proud of a job well done!

Greet Each Day with Enthusiasm

The death of Tim Russert has been on my mind all week - I cannot seem to get his family out of my mind and my heart. He was a part of my every morning on the Today Show, part of my Sundays on Meet the Press, and part of my evenings, when the politics would be summarized on the evening news. He was wise, yet unpretentious.

He had a respect for family that flowed through his words and his actions. His humor was reachable, his smile friendly. He was one of those very smart people that was still one of the people. An amazing man. Larger than life. His authentic, true heart and soul, worn on his ordinary shirt sleeve.

I've watched tribute after tribute on televisions, computers, newspapers - everywhere. No one has spoken ill of him - I've heard speech after speech, story after story about fond memories of this man. His death is one of those deaths where you feel as though you've met the man, as if he's one of your family members. As though you've always known him. How real he seemed to me.

I've cried at each and every memorial service - I watched the wake in Washington, D.C. at my desk while at work. I'd listen to excerpts on the radio. Amidst all the horrible things happening in the world right now, to me, this was a true tragedy.

I grieve for his family, for his wife, for his son, for his father. His friends, both personal and professional. The generation who won't get to hear his voice of reason. The grandchildren who he would have adored, and who would have adored him in return. The wife who won't be able to grow old with this man who clearly loved her. The son who can't call him every day to talk about Buffalo teams. The people whom he inspired everyday. The humor he brought to this world.

Faith. Faith was another reason I admired Tim Russert. Not being a Catholic myself, I could still admire and respect his outward and honest practice of faith. How he was true to his religion and his profession. How his integrity was displayed in his interviews with famous individuals in our society.

His son. What an amazing, young man this is. He seems much wiser than his 22 years. He clearly has learned many wonderful lessons from and through his father. The maturity, the good-natured joy. The ability to see past the pain of today, and toward the hope of tomorrow. The ability to hold his head high, and comfort others in his own time of pain.

His character. His love of family. His love of his country. His warmth. His sense of humor. His love. How I will miss this great man.

"...a day greeted without real enthusiasm is a sadly lost opportunity." Tim Russert

One Assembly that Really BLEW

Good grief. I'm not sure I can even capture the true sense of this assembly in a blog. It was kind of that train wreck that people have to either witness or live through to truly appreciate. Regardless, here goes: what was supposed to be a sweet, musical visit from an 80-year old friend of mine turned into a circus, sideshow act. Elaine, my friend and Mother Abbess from "The Sound of Music" had offered to come to my school to demonstrate her supreme whistling talents for my kiddos. She's the national whistling champion, and is really fun to listen to. Little did I know she would be bringing her grown daughter, Claudia, along with her. Yes, they usually whistle together, but I had only spoken with Elaine.

Well, the assembly began with 150 of my 1st and 2nd graders (and my friends/colleagues) piling into the gym to listen. Claudia, who shall from this point on be known as The Hulk, went gung-ho into the assembly, telling me that she'd 'whistle to get them to be quiet.' She had no use for our lovely quiet signal. This was going to be good.

I'm not sure what my favorite part of the assembly was...

• Choice #1: When The Hulk would GRAB the microphone away from her happily, singing mother, and hold it to her own face, inserting whatever SHE wanted to say RIGHT THEN
  
• Choice #2: When The Hulk would THROW CANDY at the heads of my children when they answered a question correctly. Lovely.
  
• Choice #3: when The Hulk would run into the audience, thrusting the mike into the faces of my friends, trying her best to force them to whistle
• Choice#4: when The Hulk began to mock me for not allowing any more candy
• Choice #5: when my principal walked into the assembly, sat down, and became The Hulk's next microphone victim. This might have been the highlight...
  

I was told that I didn't look RED at this assembly...I looked PURPLE. I didn't know what was going to happen next, and it was completely out of my control. I'd put my hand up, she'd tell the kids to put their hands down. I'd stand to the side, she'd tell me to get up front. I was happy that I could provide my friends with a more than sufficient laughing session, as I watched tears roll down their cheeks as they sat there, waiting for the next event. Like I said, train wreck, and we had front row seats.

The really sad part is that these two really ARE talented whistlers. There was a little bit of musicality being taught to my kiddos (how to blow, how to make 2 tones, etc.) It was just overshadowed by The Hulk's behavior.

Go figure: they have made it onto "America's Got Talent", the TV show with David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne, and Piers Morgan. Apparently, Piers and The Hulk even got into it on national television. I'm so glad we could share our pain with the rest of the world. Stay tuned - Tuesday nights - "Climb Every Mountain" is the song they'll whistle. I have no doubt that The Hulk will provide yet another, memorable performance. Who knows...maybe she'll even throw some candy.

3 More to Go

HOLY COW. I only have 3 more classes of kids to grade. THREE MORE. I’ve done 16 classes worth of grades today. At about 25 kids in each class that's 400+ kiddos to grade. They each have 6 things to look over/comment on, so that’s… 2,400 fields of data I’ve looked at today. It's the end of the year, so I make many more comments than I usually would. It's my chance to actually chat 1:1 with the kids. Still, 2,400 fields is a lot of click, wait, click wait, etc. That would definitely explain why I’m crossed-eyed. UGH!

I did escape for a haircut, which really turned into a hair shave (it’s a bit shorter than I anticipated). Thankfully, my hair grows faster than bunnies can mate, so I’ll hopefully have my girlish looks back super fast. Another GRR.

Happy Heights

Happy kids! Kites flying! Blue sky! Could I be any happier!? What a fun activity! After teaching my kiddos "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins, I felt the need to actually get OUT of the building, and fly some! So, after trying out 1 kite with 1 kid before school (practice mission: successful!), I took 2 full classes outside, and we flew our $1 kites from Wal-Mart. It worked! They were zooming around the field at school, happy as can be, singing the song and flying their kites. THAT is a happy day! o)

Apple Awards

Copied and pasted from MySpace so I wouldn't lose the text!     Well, the event has now come and gone. What an INCREDIBLE night! Did I "win" the grand prize? No. Did I have an amazing time with friends, family, and colleagues? YES! After getting all ready (yes, Ms. G wore a dress!) Ann Herrell (building resource teacher) and I were picked up in a HUMMER-sine around 5:30 pm. It was really amusing, as the driver really had no idea where he was going, and the crazy tube lighting inside the limo made anyone go into a vertigo-induced coma! It was like riding in a moving bowling alley, when they turn on the midnight lights! :o) We rode with 6 other people, 2 finalists (one which eventually took the elementary prize), and just laughed about how were going to get OUT of that limo without falling on our faces! It was a hoot! We arrived around 6:00 pm, and got to walk in on this red carpet, complete with a cheering squad of high schoolers bussed in for the event. No joke - the kids got to stand along the red carpet line and start clapping and cheering for the new arrivals! :) I was stopped at the end of the red carpet, and interviewed about teaching in general. I'll be curious to see if that footage makes it anywhere permanent! HA! Once we made it inside the hotel, and met up with my parents, we headed upstairs to the picture room, and had professional photographs taken. Some guy from the picture company helped me contort my body to be anything BUT comfortable or natural, but I have his assurance that I looked just great! HA! Again, I'll be curious to see the final results. Nancy Mann (grade 3), Jan Avant (secretary), Renee Vanhorn (assistant principal) and Susan McConaghy (principal) arrived soon after, and we headed into the grand ballroom to be seated for dinner. They had these HUGE screens on both ends of the room, displaying pictures and videos of all nominees. The meal was this great dish of fish, steak, risotto, chili soup, and bread. After the meal, they began to introduce the candidates. When your name was announced, they would play this awesome video about you. It was seriously like having your very own music video, starring ME and my KIDS! It was awesome, and VERY calming to suddenly have your kids right there in the room with you. There they were, larger than life on the big screen: Lucas, talking about having fun, Alliya mentioning that I keep kids on track, Joseph mentioning the cost of xylophones, and Jordan convincing all I should win the big prize. They then showed a montage of everything I was doing in class the day they came to videotape - scarves, bells, xylophones, singing, dancing, smiling. It was amazing, and reward enough for me! Then, the Director of Schools (DOS) for each Feeder Area, Brenda Gifford, walked me on stage, where Ms. McConaghy had a moment or two to describe me. I carefully walked to the front of this seemingly endless ballroom, met up with the other Brenda, and made my way safely (and, thankfully, without any tripping incidents) on stage. After locating my happy little "X" marks the spot on stage, I listened to Susan deliver and very thoughtful, heart-warming tribute to the many things I've done and contributed to Flagstone. It was amazing and humbling to hear such great things being said in such a public manner, and both she and I were choked up. It really was a great synopsis of what I try to do at Flagstone. She gave me a huge hug when she was done, and we calmly left the stage after having our picture taken with Brenda one last time. TIME FOR DESSERT. After all, the dress fit, and there were 12 more finalists to get through. Cheesecake for me, thank you. The elementary and high school winners were announced, and, although disappointed at first, it was simply great to be surrounded by such caring educators, and especially comforting to be surrounded by friends and family. They cleared away the chairs and tables, making room for the dance floor, and it was finally time to simply cut loose. It was so fun to dance with Nancy, Jan, Renee, and Ann on the dance floor – a happy night with the girls! I can't tell you how many people made a point to come and talk to me during the evening. So many comments about how fun my classroom looked from the video. So many compliments for the things Susan shared in her speech. So many genuine words of kindness. I was overwhelmed by the absolute sincerity of my fellow comrades. It was amazing! We danced and chatted throughout the night, simply enjoying each other's company. Once exhausted, we gave the valet driver our numbers, our cars were collected, and we drove off into the night. I can't help but conclude that the evening was sensational, and certainly a memory that will stay with me forever!