Too Much T.V. = Square Eyes

For a lot of schools today was the last day of school and the first day of summer. That is sort of true for the child care center I am working at. This is the last week we have to have official lesson plans and move into the summer routine. The summer routine is more laid back and you go more off what the children want to do, plus there are splash days!

This whole week we were talking about deserts. We talked about what the desert climate was like, the animals that live in the desert, and plants that grow in the desert. I work with 3 year olds so the curriculum is very basic. We would talk about what they know and then read a book about it. Then after reading we would do an art craft that went along with it. Everyday this week we have read the book "Way Out in the Desert" by T.J. Marsh. The kids love hearing and I love reading it. I think I have the whole book memorized. Here is a little snip it:
"Way out in the desert having fun in the sun,
lived a mother horned toad and her little toady one.
'Scurry', said the mother. 'I scurry', said the one,
and they scurried all day having fun in the sun."


After reading the book for the last time we had circle time and I gave the kids a few minutes to chat with each other. It is something new I am starting because I want to see what it is that little people gab about. I overheard an interesting conversation that I would like to share:

Trist:"Did you know that you shouldn't watch a lot of t.v."
Mase:"Yeah, my mom told me if you watch a lot of t.v. you get fat".
Trist:"That's not true. If you watch too much t.v. your eyes turn into squares and you can't blink or you will cut yourself in the eyes".
Mase:"Who told you that"?
Trist:"My mom and she's a lawyer".
Mase:"Well your mom is wrong, you get fat".
Trist:"Na ah"!
Mase:"Uh huh"!
Trist:"Na ah, you get square eyes"!
Mase:"Na ah"!
Trist:"Lets ask Mr. Jesse".
Mase:"Ok".
Trist:"Mr. Jesse, what happens if you watch too much t.v."?
Me:"Your eyes turn to squares and you get really fat".

I didn't know what to tell the kids. I didn't want them to think their moms are liars. That is something that they should discover on their own. At least this way everyone is happy and the kids won't watch too much t.v. Which I don't think I believe there is such a thing as too much t.v. Now excuse me while I take out my square contacts and change my mu mu.

Time Away

Me:"Skyler! You need to have a seat and quit punching Dylan".
Skyler:"I'm not Skyler, I'm Harry Potter".
Me:"Harry Potter have a seat, and when we get outside you need to sit in time away for hitting our friends".

(Outside on the Playground)
Me:"Skyler, come see me".
Skyler:"I'm not Skyler, I'm Harry Potter".
Me:"Harry Potter come see me".
Skyler:"Yes Mr. Jesse".
Me:"Why are you in time away"?
Skyler:"We need to hurry I see another fish eye-ing our anemone".
Me:"Are you quoting Finding Nemo"?
Skyler:"Yes".
Me:"Ok, so why did I put you in time away"?
Skyler:"Because I was eye-ing your anemone".
Me:"No, because you were hitting our friends. Are we suppose to hit our friends"?
Skyler:"No, just fish who eye our anemone".
Me:"Go play".

This is just a small piece of randomness that happens when you work with small children. They definitely keep the day rather interesting. Luck for me I know my children's movies.lol

Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!

On this last Monday in the month of May I would like to wish you all a Happy Memorial Day! Let us take a moment to remember all this brave soldiers who have given their lives so that we can live ours.



This weekend has turned out to be a pretty great weekend. On Sunday I had to pick up my good friend We Wu Ho Co Wa* from the airport. It was a surprise to hear why she went out of town... for a boy! If you know We Wu it is a shock that she would go anywhere to see a boy. After picking her up and gaining conscientiousness over the shock we went to have a late lunch/early dinner with my close friend** at The Cheese Cake Factory in the Arboretum. The Cheesecake Factory is insanely delicious. I had their Incredible Grilled Eggplant Sandwich, which I highly recommend. We stuffed our faces and managed some small talk between swallows. I love that We Wu. So much that I think I will make her my first wife.lol With my plate licked clean it was time to take We Wu home. I had never been to her house so it was pretty exciting for my close friend and I to see it. We Wu is kind of a flake so it's good to see where she lives so we can go kidnap her when she doesn't return our calls.lol We Wu, close friend, and I lounged on We Wu's sofa and got to know her younger brother. It was nice sitting and talking. Gabbing about life is one of my favorite past times.

I ended up spending the night at my close friend's apartment. It was nice, we started the 1st season of Project Runway before calling it a night. I had difficulty sleeping since my close friend's dog insisted on sleeping with me. She is a small dog but she slept really close to me so I couldn't really toss and turn like I like to. I didn't really mind, it made me feel loved.

Monday we woke up with plans of a picnic at Zilker Park and outdoor activities. We were a little scared since there were some dark clouds looming in the sky. We headed out anyway and hope for the best. The fates were smiling upon use because our planned day of fun did not get canceled. It was Jackie, close friend, and me who drove over to Zilker together. Our friend Melissa and her boyfriend joined us a little later.

Jackie, close friend, and I started with the picnic first. I cheated and picked up food from Zen while the girls packed a lunch from home. After eating Melissa finally showed up and brought a little kite. Close friend flew it for a little while before getting bored with it. We made a giant pentagon and tossed a football around. I am embarrassed to say that the girls throw the ball a lot better than me. It's something I need to work on, amongst many other things. After throwing the ole pigskin we headed off to go kayaking. I love kayaking! It is one of my favorite things to do on the face of the Earth! Next to drawing and eating, of course. We were out on Lady Bird Lake for over an hour and a half. My arms are really feeling it as I type. We went from Mopac bridge to Auditorium Shores. It was quite the journey. I was in a 1 seater and everyone else was in a 2 seater. I had to work harder just to keep up with them.

We return the kayaks and with my arms feeling like Jell-O we decide to treat ourselves to Amy's Ice Cream. Amy's has a thing where they put a quote up and if you know it you get a free crush in, or mix in for your ice cream. The quote was "Gort klaatu barada nikto". I honestly didn't know it, but lucky for me my T-Mobile Sidekick did. It is from the 1951 Sci-Fi movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still". Needless to say I added oreos to my ice cream as my free crush in.
I do want to rent that movie though. I need to Netflix it and I recommend you do too.

The evening ended with my close friend, Jackie, and I at close friends apartment. We went for a dip in her pool before she cooked up dinner. It was delicious as usual and we watched the rest of Project Runway. I look forward to more of these good times as summer fastly approaches.

*We Wu Ho Co Wa is short for a Disney Channel original movie called "Wendy Wu Homecoming Warrior". It is also the nickname for my friend Wendy Lee because for the longest time when I first met her I thought her name was Wendy Wu, which in turn reminded me of the movie.

**Close friend is the alias for, you guessed it, a close friend. She prefers for me to refer to her in my blogs as close friend. Much to her chagrin I have mentioned her by her real name once in my blog.

Going Ga Ga

Friday I was back at Cheers elementary with my class. I have been there for 3 days in a row and it is relatively evident that school is almost out for summer. I think it is t-minus 4 days and counting left of school. I am not going to lie, it was a tough day. The kids just had to be told over and over what to do and I hate to repeat myself. Just like yesterday when I was getting frustrated I broke out into "Midnight Train to Georgia" and all was well. Friday was basically catch-up/busy work day. Since it is so close to the end there really isn't much more to do with the students. When it came time to get work done the kids really buckled down and finished, sooner than expected. I decided to give the kids some free time outside, only if they could stand quietly in line as well as walk down the hall without a peep. It worked swimmingly. They were the quietest and straightest line I had ever seen.

When we got outside the kids introduced me to a game called Ga Ga. It takes place in an octagonal ring that goes up to about my waste. Then you have a dodge ball that someone throws into the ring. You let it bounce twice then you hit it with your hand. To get someone out you have to either hit them below the knee or catch a ball that they hit into the air. It was a fun game. I admit, I let them stay out a little longer since I was so into the game.

It was the end of the day and I started to become sad. I said good bye to students and teachers alike, because there are chances I will never see them again. I am not subbing again before school lets out for summer and if I get a job I don't know where I will be. Chances are that I may never see some of those people again. It made and still makes me really sad.

After school today I met my close friend at the store to buy some ingredients for the dinner we planned for the evening with our friend Jackie. It was a simple summer-esque dinner. It was hot dogs and potato salad. After that we took my close friend's dog for a walk. For the sake of anonymity we will call my close friend's dog Tivo. Walking Tivo was fun. Jackie ended up way ahead of me and close friend so we decided to play secret agent to catch up to them. We took the alternative route of bushes and dumpsters to try and surprise Jackie. It didn't work, we suck at sneaking up and ambushing people.

After the walk and relaxing for a bit we made a road trip to Jamba Juice. We picked up our smoothies and on the way out we decided to do some late evening shopping. Our first stop was Linens and Things where we basically looked around at the randomness they had to offer. We were still in the mood to look around so we stopped by Old Navy, but much to our chagrin they were closed. It was only 9' o clock in the pm. We wandered a little farther down to Best Buy. We had an hour till close so went in to see what technology had to offer. It wasn't long till we found ourselves playing Guitar Hero. Needless to say I rocked out harder than close friend and Jackie. We left the store in excitement because Jackie bought everything you need to play Guitar Hero at home. I am anticipating many a rock concerts at my close friend's apartment.

Midnight Train to Georgia

Today I was back at Cheers Elementary with the kids I did my student teaching with. If I could use one word to describe the day it would be CRAZY!!!!! It is obvious that it is the end of the year and that the kids are done-zo. I have never seen my kids act this way. They were so rude to each other and it took several times for me to say something before they would listen. I found myself getting frustrated with them and becoming the mean teacher who makes kids sit in silence. When I found my brow frowing I would take a deep breath and try to lighten the situation. I mean it is the end of the year, everything that we needed to do was done. It was time to let down our hair and enjoy the last few days of school. So when I started to get mad at them I would just simply start singing "Midnight Train to Georgia". I got the kids attention quickly and made us all smile and laugh. We did have a sit down talk at the end of the day. I apologized for getting frustrated with them and I explained how when they didn't listen or were rude to each other it really made me sad. All the kids were quiet and attentive during my speech. I ended with tomorrow is a new day, so lets make it a good day. We all agreed just in time for the dismissal bell to ring. I thought 3 year olds were tough, boy was I wrong. 4th graders on the last days of school were equally as hard to manage. I thought it was just me but I talked with the other teachers and they were all having the same issues as me. I am with them tomorrow so let's see if my speech has an impact. Fingers crossed!

O

I titled this blog simply o. In the sequence of xoxo the o is for hugs. I received my first hug from the kids on Tuesday. It truly made me fall in love with my kids all over again. It was a turning point for me. It made me feel like the kids had finally let me into their hearts. I almost teared up. We were in the library and it was time for me to go. I told the kids bye and to be good because I would not to see them for another week! I have sub jobs that I had already arranged for the rest of the week. The littlest boy came up and gave me hug. It was one of those really big hugs that kids give. I was standing and he didn't even come up to my waste! Soooooo cute. When he let go I waited to see if anyone else wanted a hug. No one came. I was satisfied with my first hug so I turned and reached for the door. Then all of a sudden I hear, "Wait!" I turned to a mob of 10 little people running to give me a hug. It is these moments I live for. It's Wednesday evening and I miss them like crazy!

The Umbrella

Here is the book I used with my kids for an introduction to the Rain Forest. Here is a synopsis of the book:

"Carlos walks into the cloud forest with his green umbrella, where the only sound is the steady, drip, drip, drip of drops falling from the trees. Carlos is sure that he will see lots of animals--perhaps a toucan, a kinkajou, a tapir, maybe the monkey, and if he is lucky, the exotic quetzal bird. He leaves his umbrella at the foot of a giant fig tree and climbs up for a better look. Perhaps Carlos should have stayed below, where, first a mischievous tree frog hops into the umbrella, followed by one animal after another, each one larger than the last!
The Umbrella, with its delightful story and exquisite paintings of a lush tropical settings, perfectly complements Jan Brett's most popular picture book, The Mitten, set in snowy woods where furry animals crawl into a boy's mitten.
Jan visited the Monteverdi Cloud Forest in Costa Rica and was beguiled by it, 'Just like Carlos, the boy in my story.' she says. 'The swirling mist and dappled sunshine challenge the visitor. Birds and animals appear and disappear as if seen through a kaleidoscope. The shape and coloring of a creature often mimic the leafy world it lives in. One of the most rewarding sights is the resplendent quetzal with its long tail resembling the trailing vines hanging from its perch.'
Jan Brett's glorious artwork provides a rare look at this mysterious habitat high on a mountain."


Taken from Jan Brett's website: www.janbrett.com

The Tree of Life

This week's theme in my 3 year olds class is Rain Forest and Jungle! I really like this theme because I think Rain Forests and Jungles are so much fun. The biodiversities in each are similar as well as complexly unique. All the animals and plants are fun to discover and explore. I found a wonderful book called "The Umbrella" By Jan Brett. Its illustrations are fantastic and really give you an insight into what a rain forest may look like, plus the kids really liked it and wanted me to read it over and over again.

We finished the rain forest lesson of the day early and had some time to kill so on the spur of the moment I decided to have the kids make their own rain forest for the room! All it really was going to be was a big tree. I put up a blank outline of a tree and had the kids rip big sheets of green and brown paper apart for the tree bark and leaves. The kids has a blast ripping the paper apart and our tree turned out awesome! We dubbed it the tree of life because we are going to add pictures of plants and animals from the rain forest to it. I am sad that I won't be able see the unit through because I will only be with the kids for 2 days this week since I had prior sub jobs scheduled.

Hood rat Stuff With My Friends

I am sorry to say that someone did hood rat stuff with their friends to me. I woke up Saturday to a disturbing sight. One of the windows on my car was shattered! Surprisingly I was not upset. I just thought to myself why are people so disrespectful of other people's property, and oh well it happens. Unfortunately it had to happen to me. I am a firm believer in karma so this just means that karma owes me one. I know that I haven't done anything this bad to someone so karma definitely owes me! It also reminded me of a quote from a Dr. Seuss book:
"I'm sorry to say so
But, sadly, it's true
That bang-ups
And hang-ups
Can happen to you."
It's amazing what a children's book can teach you.

I also got to thinking about what kind of low life would break into my car? First of all I drive a mini van. Second of all, what would one be looking for in a mini van? Did they need soccer equipment? Can you tell I'm not upset? I'm just bitter, not upset.

Even though my day started out bad, it did end on a good note. I received a call from my friend Rachel to go play pool with her and her boyfriend. We went to a pool hall close to my house. If gas prices weren't ridiculous then I would have probably spent the evening with my close friend. I did learn one thing from playing pool: I suck at playing pool. We enjoyed some drinks and good conversation.

After "playing" pool for a few hours, and I do use the term "playing" very loosely, I headed downtown to join my friend Erin and some friends who were in from out of town. We spent the remainder of the night and early hours of the morning at a place called Union Park. It was a nice facility but definitely over crowded. I hadn't seen Erin in a few weeks so we had a lot of catching up to do. She and her boyfriend had both gotten new piercings. They were pretty cool, and it made me kind of want one. I want one but I would never get one. A good evening, but karma still owes me.

TAG your it!

Friday I subbed half day in the morning for a T.A.G. teacher at Cheers Elementary. T.A.G. stands for Talented and Gifted. These are the students who more advanced than the other students. I don't want to say smarter than because there are plenty of other students who are just as smart as the TAG students but aren't in the program. It just seems that the TAG students have better study habits and are more driven to learn. Now that is just my opinion from what I have observed. I am sure some of the TAG students are naturally smarter but what is smarts without the tools and driving force to use it?

I was through my 10:50a and had nothing to do. It is nice getting out early when you have something to do. However I had nothing to do! I stopped by a few kindergarten classes to visit some of the kiddos I have subbed for. I did enjoy the mini celebrations in my honor when I walked in to visit. I am going to miss all the kids at Cheers whenever I get a teaching job.

Mr...., Mr...., Mr..., What's your name again?

This is the first week of the new job and it is going pretty well. I have yet to be late and have been returning from lunch break promptly at the designated time. The kids are still getting used to me being their new teacher. I can see them testing me to see how far they can get. I stand my ground and repeat myself, each time my voice getting firmer and louder. I haven't had any too defiant acts, but I am anticipating one soon. The odds are in that favor. Right now I am in the awkward limbo between newbie and regular. Some things I don't know about the kids but am learning as I go.

It's really cute because I will be reading, or painting, or playing with a child and then they stop and look up at me for a few seconds. I often wonder what they are thinking at that moment. I look back and give a goofy smile and the child laughs and goes on with what they were doing before. What do you think they are thinking? I wish I could read their minds.

The kids are still getting to know me and still ask me my name. It's funny because one moment they will say my name and the next they are asking my name again. I wonder if it's just a plow to talk to me. After all I am kind of a big deal.lol I am still waiting for my first hug. I haven't received one yet. That will be the day I will officially be their teacher.

The Paper

Today after work I was exhausted. I didn't want to take a nap because I need to start going to bed earlier. I will now have a full time job that requires me to be at work by 7a, meaning that I have to get up at 5a to get ready and get there. So long sleeping in. I guess I will have to save that for the weekend.

I was waiting for the Season Finale of MTV's "The Hills" to come on so I took residence on the couch to await the long anticipated show. The hour before they showed the last few episodes so I watched them to make sure I was refreshed and ready for the new episode. MTV definitely delivered tonite. I don't know if I believe if "The Hills" is actual reality as opposed to faux reality but nevertheless I do enjoy delving into the personal lives of others. I do agree with Audrina that Lo is coming in between her and L.C.'s friendship. If you just listen to the comments Lo makes, its obvious. Lo reminds me of one of those people who like to be stuck in the past and refuses to move on so neither can her friends. Sorry Lo but you have nothing to contribute to the show. At least Audrina has some drama going on in her life with biker boy.

After the finale of "The Hills" was over another one of MTV's shows, "The Paper" came on. I had seen bits and pieces of it from time to time while channel surfing so I decided to give it a shot before calling it a night. It is a reality show that is set in "standard" high school with its center focusing on the the school's newspaper. I was reminded why I hated high school. The kids on that show have a lot of growing up to do. Most of them are still in the "whole world revolves around me" stage, which I thought you grew out of in middle school. There is one kid on that show named Alex who is basically a fish. He goes wherever all the other fish go and chooses not to be an individual. That is something he is going to regret when he is older and looks back on the show. Not only is he a fish, he's a two faced fish. He is friends with the editor-in-chief whom the popular vote doesn't necessary agree with, and I use the word popular very loosely. He'll be with her one-on-one and when every one is around he is a jerk and totally ignores her. I am interested to see if he will grow any character in the upcoming episodes. Needless to say that this high school drama-rama has me hooked.

The Beekeeper

I started my new job today. I was originally hired to be a camp counselor for school aged kids during the summer. That however changed. The director called me and said that there weren't enough kids enrolled for the summer camp so she would not be needing me there. Instead I could take over for a 3 year olds teacher while she took summer off to spend time with her family. I agreed to it without even thinking. All I knew was that I needed a summer job, so I took whatever bone was thrown at me.

As I walked in today I was a little nervous. I had no idea what to expect from the class. Would they like me? Better yet would they even listen to me? Lucky the teacher I will be replacing will be there until the end of May to train me and get me used to the routine. Let's just say that the kids were definitely a lively bunch. There are more than 2x as more boys than girls. We all know how little boys can be. They like dirt, to wrestle, and of course making a mess. These boys were no different. I seriously have my work cut out for me. The name of my class is the "Honeybees". I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for me as I become a "Beekeeper".

The House That Love Built

Happy Mother's Day to all the baby mamas out there!

I woke up obnoxiously early to drive to my grandma's house in Devine, Tx. Devine is on the other side of San Antonio. Devine really has nothing going for it. It is basically a little piece of Mexico. It's about an hour and a half from where I live. I wanted to get there in time to have breakfast with my grandma. My mom and Aunt were already there. So I got to spend Mother's day with with 3 of the most important women in my life. It was definitely a very relaxing trip. There was no cable, no cell phone service, and really no stores worth visiting so family bonding was assured. The house my grandparents live in is a house my grandpa built back in the day. You can tell it's old by looking at it. It needs a lot of work but the atmosphere makes up for it. Every time I visit I feel like I am being transported back to when I was a kid and would visit. I love it there. It's simple. It's home. It's love. We sat around talking, with me doing my best to carry a conversation in Spanish. If you remember, my grandma only speaks Spanish. It is one of those days where not much happened but a day you would always remember. Here are some pictures of my grandparents, my mom, my aunt, my uncle, and me!




Casa De Mis Abuelitos!














I really don't know what I'm doing here.













My Aunt, Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, and Uncle














Grandpa and Grandma!!!!













My Grandparents and Me.

I do.

Saturday was a pretty busy day for me. It started off with Austin ISD's job fair. I didn't intend on going since job fairs are basically a waste of time. I thought it would be better to go and try to make an impression rather than not to. I ran into 6 friends while there, 3 from my cohort and 3 from my tenure at UT. I was there for 3 full hours and only talked to 6 elementary schools. I made an impression on 4 of them since they are going to call me when they set up interviews. I am so glad I went. All 4 of the interviews are for a 4th grade position. Hopefully I will get at least one. That's all I need! Just one!!!

When I got home my parents were getting ready for my cousin's wedding. I was so tired from the job fair and it was hot as hell outside. I was tempted to stay home, but it's family. You have to be there for your family. I forced myself to change and get ready for the wedding. We arrived at a cute farm in northwest Austin. Everything was decorated in white and there was a little trail of lights leading to the ceremony. We turned the last bend to see rows of white chairs set up...outside...in the sun. I was sweating up a storm. Luckily the ceremony was short and sweet. The sun started to set and the wind started to blow as we congratulated the newly weds and made our way to the outdoor reception. It turned into a very pretty evening with red lanterns adorning every table. They had Elgin sausage and all the margaritas you could drink. That was all I needed to finish the evening, sausage and margaritas. It was nice. Below are some pictures from the wedding. The wedding was semi-redneck with classy undertones.




My Cousin Sean and His Best Man
















My Uncle Bob and Aunt Bea













The Bride Sarah and Her Dad
















Exchanging Vows














Sealed with a Kiss!












The Mariachi Band Serenading the Newly Weds













Me When I Found Out the Margaritas were Free!

I'm fertile!

Friday was quite the interesting day for me. I ended up where I had not planned to be at the end of the day. However every great adventure starts with a beginning so let's start there. Come with me on my voyage!

We'll start with the protagonist of the story, me! I was only subbing half day in the afternoon at Cheers Elementary(the school where everyone knows your name if you remember from previous blogs). I was with the team I did a year of my student teaching with. The team that I feel I would fit perfectly with. The team that has no opening so I am forced to search elsewhere for a job. It was field day so the kids were already wound up and craaaaazy. It was one of the roughest days ever. Ever!

After school the team was gathered and talking so I joined them. One of the teacher can read palms so I asked her to read it. I didn't realize how intimate having someone read your palm was. It was so revealing and strangely accurate. I was intrigued and freaked out at the same time. I did feel a little weird with the other teachers standing around watching. I wanted to ask for some privacy but I didn't. One thing that she said was that I am extremely fertile. That's good to know.lol She said many other things but they are intimate and I don't want to post them online. All you are getting is that I am fertile.

After the palm reading the teachers were talking about what they were doing in the afternoon/evening. There are some teachers leaving Cheers elementary so all the staff was getting together at a 5th grade teacher's house to celebrate them moving on to possibly bigger and better. I tagged along. There was strong margaritas, delicious fruit, cheesy queso, and a cool pool to put your feet in. I had a great time talking to the different teachers and listening to their funny class stories. I would have been happy to end my day there, but no sir. There's more.

The 4th grade team had plans to ditch the party early and go have drinks somewhere else. I was all about that. Especially after the day I had. We went to a little mexican restaurant that I had never even heard of. One of the teacher brought a book that had what if scenarios, would you rathers, and secret revealing questions. I got to learn so much about 4 older women. More than any might even care to hear. I loved it though. I love having friends that are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's! I love that we all can share our lives with each other and all the intimate details of the randomness that is life. I am really going to miss this team when I start teaching. Hopefully someday I will get to work with them again.

I was headed home as the sun was setting. I was exhausted and happy to where the evening had led me. I intended to go home and relax after a fulfilling day. However, my day was not over. I received a call from a friend whom I met through another close friend. She also happens to be one of the lady's niece whom I just got through having drinks with. It is seriously a small world. I love that I can hang out with this 50 year old woman and her 20 year old niece. I am so awkward, but I love it! I went over to the niece's house and we watched movie and drank wine. Life is so good right now. If only it could stay that way.

y=mx+b

I found my self repeating that a million times today during my tutoring session. I have a lady who is taking her algebra final soon and she wanted to cram today. We went over her review and studied for like 4 hours. It was definitely not what I wanted to be doing but I was happy to oblige, plus I need the money. It seemed that almost every problem on her review went back somehow to y=mx+b. That is the slope-intercept formula. It tells you how and where to graph a line.

b is the y-intercept and basically tell you where to start your line. Remember to put a point there because your line will cross through it. What is the coordinates for this point? Yes (0,b) is correct. Good Job!

m is your slope. I tell you how far apart your points are and how steep of a line you will have. Remember with slope it is rise over run. So if m=2/3 then you would go up from our y-intercept(b) 2 and then right 3. Yes you are correct. You would put a point there.

After tutoring I went back home to veg out and play games on facebook. If you look at my profile you will notice I added quite a bit of games to my profile. They will come in handy on my days off. Which starting next week those days will be far and few in between. I am excited to start my new job next week. I will be working with 3 year olds. I sounds a lot more frightening that it really is. Little people are a trip. You never know what to expect day to day. Those blogs are going to be quite interesting.

I ended the night hanging out with my old roommate/long time friend Clinton. We watched movies in his room and poked fun at each other every time the opportunity presented itself. I have known Clinton for about 18 years. Needless to say he is like a brother to me. We headed to the mall because he needed some new clothes and had birthday money to spend. His b-day is tomorrow fyi. I was very proud of my self for not spending any money, even though there were many things that I wanted. My next paycheck is going to be a good one so I made a mental list of things I saw and will be returning for. Odd is that most of my list consists of shoes.

Granticus!

I woke up today with the same sound I hear every morning. My cell phone ringing. Sub Finder call me every morning at around 6 am letting me know when sub jobs are available. It's basically a double edged sword. If I want a job it lets me know, but if I want to sleep in I am up at 6 am everyday. Oh well. It comes with the job.

The only thing I had planned for today was lunch with my great friend Grant. I haven't seen Grant in a while so I was looking forward to lunch. We went to Chipotle on the drag. I think the only time I go there is with Grant. Low and behold it was teacher appreciation day. With your school ID you could get a free burrito. Too bad I left my ID in the car. I could have definitely gotten a free burrito. So we got our food and grabbed a seat. We talking about Grant's upcoming finals and my life as a wandering educator. It was definitely nice talking with Grant today. You never know where our conversations will lead. At one point through lunch we were trying to condition each other to do a certain behavior. Only with Grant will that happen. I love it. There's a pic of Grant enjoying his burrito.

After lunch I was suppose to go tutor Algebra at ACC but my tutee canceled on me. I decided to veg at home watching movies online. I watched "Jumper" with Hayden Christianson. I really enjoyed it. I like movies where people have special abilities. I even hung out with the little monster my step-mom babysits. She is crazy. So full of energy and attitude and she is only 2! We have fun karate chopping each other. But since she is so much smaller than me she usually wins with a karate chop gone rogue that hits me in the nuts. She finds it hilarious and tries to do it again. I end up wrapping her in a blanket that takes all her energy to escape from.

I found my night ending with my parents and I sitting out on the porch enjoying the cool and mosquito-less night. I got to listen to endless stories of their childhoods and the way life used to be. It was another great end to another great day. I am a little cautious. I have been having a lot of good days, it is only a matter of time before I have a bad one. Let's hope my luck holds up for a while.

Quatro De Mayo!

Sunday was actually a really good day for me. It was filled with good times and friends. I started the day having lunch with my friend Liz. We went to Galaxy Cafe, which has the best sweet potatoe fries ever! We got to talk about life and ever changing ongoing of her life. It was fun. I love Liz. She is quite the sweetheart.

After lunch I went to the Austin Children's Museum to catch up with some old coworkers. It was perhaps one of the most hilarious times of my life. It was like old times when we would hang out. I was there seriously for 3 hours. I even got to grow my own snow. I'll explain that later.lol

The evening ended with good ole game of broomball. If you don't know what broomball is, I will explain. It is just like hockey except for a few small details. First of all there are no skates, you play in your shoes. Next instead of a hockey puck it is a small rubber ball. Then lastly instead of a hockey stick you have some awkward small broom shaped stick. It was a lot of fun. Very exhausting. I was afraid to fall so I didn't really put my all into it, but I did work quite the sweat.

I was wrong...

I just found out that a friend I graduated with has gotten engaged! I was happy for her. I am happy for her. I am also a little upset with her. I found out from someone who found out from someone she told. That person told me while we were watching a movie. My feelings were hurt. I thought we were close enough that she would call and tell me when she found out. I mean I do talk to this person just about every week. She calls me or I call her. That's the way we have been since graduation. It just seems that I always invest more, emotionally, into a friendship than the other person. I guess I am more upset that I had to find out from a third party and not her. I could be being unreasonable. I just thought we were that close. I was wrong...

Pre-K!

Friday was a day of Pre-K. Not only did I sub in Pre-K for that day but I got a call from friend who is going to be teaching Pre-K next year. I found it a little ironic.

The class I subbed for was crazy! The room was disorganized and the lesson plans left were not only vague but did provide me with any procedures or materials. I was basically flying from the seat of my pants. Is that how the saying goes? Most of the kids listened but several had to be told the same thing over and over again. Then there was one girl who flat out did not listen to a word I said. I had to send her next door to the uncooperative chair. Boy was she not happy. She screamed and cried. It was seriously the longest day of subbing for me ever. There were parent volunteers who came in to help a different times but they were more hurt than help. They were "ghetto" to say the least. The way they talked to the kids and interacted with them did nothing for their self-efficacy. I wanted to tell them to leave, but I was afraid to get stabbed. Seriously. It was a rough day. When I felt I was getting frustrated I would take a deep breath and look at all the kids. There were those few sweethearts who brought me back to my center. I had to be firm and stand my ground or else the day would be a total loss. I was firm and at the end of the day I still got hugs. I talked to a teacher at the end of the day and she said that the kids were great for me. She said they never have they behaved for a sub as well as they did for me. I was in shock! I though the day was a loss. I can't believe that the class could have been worse.

Taco Thursday!

I woke up semi early to get my oil changed. Hooray for smooth running ride. The rest of the day I played games on and off line. Then I went to Walgreens with my step-mom to develop some pictures. While we were there I got a call from a close friend telling me that we were going to have taco night tonight. I was in charge of sour cream and salsa.

I got to my friends apartment and took her cute dog for a walk. When I got back I was back online checking my status on a game. Then Wendy and Jackie arrived. We chowed down some yummy tacos and chatted it up. My close friend and Jackie work at the same school so Wendy and I got to listen to work stories. And by listen I mean giggle and karate chop each other in the throat. And my karate chop each other I mean I karate chopped her.lol

After dinner we took my close friend's dog for a walk. I was anticipating a short "go pee" walk. I was wrong. All 4 of us hoofed it down the street. By the time we got back I needed to "go pee". Wendy left and Jackie, close friend, and I decided to have an impromptu photo shoot. It was ridiculousness. Let's just say it was a Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair Annie Liebowitz inspired shoot. It was good laughs. I'll have to put some of my good shots up.lol

Overall it was a nice, chill day. Slow at first, but went out with a bang. Tomorrow I will be subbing in Pre-K! Hopefully I will some good stories to report back.