zoo...boo

i used to like field trips.  a day out in the world.  a time for kids to be a little crazy.  a break from the ordinary.  i'm finding i like them less and less.  i guess it's certain field trips i'm down on.  i can honestly say that i would be completely fine if i never went to the dallas zoo again.  i went for the 4th time yesterday.  if you live in the area, you'll remember torrential downpours mid afternoon yesterday.  yep, we were there.  thanks for the heads up pete delkus.  imagine jumping into a pool with your clothes on and then having to walk around with them on the rest of the day.  that was me. that's how wet we were.  now imagine you're 10.  you're on the most awesome field trip ever.  my kids were finding the places where the water was pouring off of roofs and standing under them to see exactly how wet they could get.  when we finally made it to the bus, there was no respite as the water blew in through the doors and the cracks in the windows.  it shut a few of them up because they had to hide their faces in the seat the whole trip back.  needless to say, we were quite a sight as we squeaked back into the school, students now whining about being wet.  it was a beating.

apart from that, i'm sure my kids got some good information and carefully observed the animals. not really.  they ran around competing to see who could point out the exhibited animal first since most of them were hiding or semi-camouflaged.  that was really awesome since there were an abnormal amount of families with small children there the same day.  i was a little embarrassed as my kids kept running up to the cages with the families there right as they were trying to snap a picture of their 3 year old with a monkey.  i got lots of looks, and i just had to give the shoulder shrug back.  all i have to say is that if you have a major problem with a group of wild 10 year olds ruining your pics, go to the zoo when school is over.

favorite quotes from the zoo:

student at the reptile exhibit: "i want a pet snake, but my mom says i can't get one until i move out of the house."

man on the intercom on our train ride through the wilds of africa: "we're now in the african lowland area.  they're doing some work right now (as dirt moving tractor machine is doing its job), so if you want to see these animals, you'll have to come back at a future date."

i do have to say, i went on an awesome field trip last week.  i selflessly volunteered to go with the honor choir to a water park.  all i have to say is lazy river.  all day.  now that was nice.

road trip

went home to the big city this past weekend.  got the expanded tour, saw all the sights, soaked in some wind.  thanks mom and dad for a good time.

and the winner is...

DAVID COOK!!!!! woo hoo.  by a whopping 12 million votes!  thanks d and k.  i was so excited that i screamed.  i was watching it on delay and fast forwarded through most of it knowing that the results were already in, and i couldn't wait.  (it was also very painful to sit through all the has beens trying to promote their new albums.)  simon even apologized to dc for last night's thrashing.  i was getting ready for another heartbreak-the cowboys, the mavericks for the past 3 seasons, avery leaving, etc...but for once, all the time spent didn't seem so wasted.  

i have to say that this will likely be the last time anything is written by me about a.i.  even though i said i would quit if archie won, i'm done.  i think the whole show has sold out.  they're always promoting something or someone. there is no consistency in the judging.  if you ever hear me talking about future seasons, feel free to remind me of this.  but for now, i rejoice. 

this is for you, c.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhN1T3pmuIo

a.i. confessions

yes, i'm talking about american idol, and i'm all in.  yes, i even vote.  it's like politics-you can't complain unless you do your part.  i am not a reality t.v. person.  i've never watched idol until this season.  i happened upon it while waiting for the texas primary results.  i saw some of the singers and thought, "wow.  something original."  there were several contestants that i really, really liked: brooke, michael, carly, jason...one by one they got voted off....all but one.  david cook.

WARNING: if you like david archuleta read no further.  omg.  i just finished watching part 1 of the finale.  i literally couldn't finish my dinner because it made me sick.  this show is so rigged that it's not even funny.  here i thought idol was making a turn for the better, but they're not.  they trash anyone who has any kind of talent, but when it comes to archie, he's "the bomb", "could sing the phone book", "is in the house", etc.  the dude drives me nuts.  he sounds the exact same

 every week.  david cook has so much more stage presence, and i feel like he is infinitely more talented.  i really like him.  he just seems so genuine and humble and comfortable.  archie doesn't seem as genuinely humble to me.  he always has the shocked "oh my goodness you like me and i have to act like this because i can't let people figure out that my dad has sent threatening letters to you" look. dc will definitely be successful, but i still feel that an injustice is being done.  i honestly think someone is getting paid off here.  all i have to say is that if archie wins, they just lost one more viewer in their target demographic.  i know one person who will be relieved about that.

this test is ruining my life!

well...that's a bit dramatic, but seriously how can so much depend on one measly test?  if you know anything about elementary education, you know what i'm speaking of.  i stress out from august to april trying to get my kids (who SURPRISE! are all not the exact same) to get to a point where they can pass, just pass is all i ask, this test.  the next few weeks are spent stressing over whether or not they did pass.  the rest of may is spent thinking, maybe if i had just done this or that.  june and july?  intermittent thoughts of the next year.  and round and round it goes.  you may ask, why do you do this to yourself?  many mornings in the spring i ask myself that same question.

today was results day.  just typing that made my stomach clench, and i already know the results and they weren't that bad.  that's how much this affects me.  i got the e-mail saying they were in.  as team leader, i nominated myself to go down and get them.  you should have seen the look of terror in the faces of my fellow teachers when i brought them in.  they actually turned out to be quite good...surprisingly good.  even so, the rest of my day was spent going over and over in my head the "if only's."  if only so and so hadn't been sent home with lice the day before...if only this kid hadn't missed every tuesday this year with a "stomach ache, coughing, fever, runny nose, and (as if those aren't enough) vomiting and diarrhea"...if only another student hadn't moved to mexico for a few weeks and then just kidding he's back.  oh well.  beyond my control.  if only there could be asterisks next to the scores that my job depends on stating "student didn't feel like taking a test that day."  whatev.  i can safely start "freaking out about next year" mode.  sigh.

creating

i am not very creative.  i love making things and doing projects and painting and all kinds of different things, but you ask me to have a new idea and it's pretty tough.  i also tend to go a bit overboard on art projects.  i just keep going and going until it's not at all as it was intended.  i have a painting i did last summer of a bird.  i had a vision of what it would look like, and i worked so hard on it.  it wasn't going as planned, so i just kept painting and painting.  it's pretty crazy looking now, but i put it on the wall in my room anyway.

i moved out of my old apartment recently.  my roommate and i had lived there for almost 5 years!  she got married, so i live by myself now.  once i knew i was moving, i started making and buying all these new things for my place.  i found out that i like decorating, and some creative juices started flowing.  i found a pattern for pillows that i liked, so i bought some fabric and a sewing machine and started sewing.  it was pretty intense.  i tend to get way into things and then just as quickly get out of them.  i'm not the best sewer, so they're a little bootleg, but i like them.  i made 3 pillows and some wall hangings and recovered a chair within a few days, but now the 4th (and final) pillow remains half done.  i'll get to it this summer.  i do love how my living room turned out though.  i still need to get or make curtains which i intended to do a while back.  oh well.  here are some pics (for you steph.)

still trying to figure this whole blog thing out w/ the pictures and everything, so more to come. 

blog 1

i feel a touch strange starting this blog.  i have gotten way into reading people's blogs...it's a little out of control how time just flies on by as i'm clicking away at random people's lives.  i started thinking maybe i should create one.  this is way not me.  i'm not the best at writing my thoughts out or getting things out period.  i've always been a little self conscious...so, i'm going to attempt to write away without caring.  i'm not married, i don't have children, and i have no business to promote, so probably not the most interesting...oh well.

my current title (might switch it later when i can think of something else) i stole from musicians.  hopefully no one comes after me.  i just like the thought of this season of my life being a good and peaceful time.  not that it always is, but i'm realizing more and more that this is the part of my life i should really be taking in and enjoying.  i'll be 30 in 4 months...4 months from tomorrow actually.  this is really kind of scary for me.  i don't feel like i'm 30.  i don't think i look like i'm 30.  i don't act like i'm 30.  i do want it to be swell though.