My 50th

From my friend, Steven. I'm so glad he found me again.

My jaw

It's rather amazing I can chew anything at all

Some of my Favorite Ian-in-Seattle Pictures

Comes The Dawn

After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all your roads on today,
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans,
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong,
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn...
With every goodbye you learn.

Author: Veronica A. Shoffstall

My New Favorite Song!

Compliments Keep Me Going.

I received a compliment yesterday that made me feel great! Between student teaching, working, raising my son, and trying to keep my home from turning into a disaster area from neglect, I do get a bit tired and down-trodden. 

My weekly journal entry for my student teaching segment was, "Reflect on how you are balancing teaching with your daily life and family. What are you doing (or what could you be doing) to take care of yourself and make it through demonstration teaching in a strong way? Based on your experience so far, describe any adjustments you could make to help the second half of your DT experiences go even more smoothly."  

Go even more smoothly?HA! I need to meet their pharmacist!  This is what I wrote in response: 

Adjustments? Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! My typical week goes like this: 

Monday thru Friday: Up at 5:00 a.m. Shower, dress, have a cup of coffee while packing our lunch and dinner for the day, wake up the Boy Child and address his needs (I am a single mom), review lesson plan for the day, make the 3x5 card as my guide, leave at 7, arrive at school at 7:15, leave school at 3:30, pick up the Boy Child, go to work, arrive at work by 4:15, work until 9:15, go home, make sure lesson plan is in place for next day and if not, draft it with the appropriate worksheets, fall into bed completely exhausted and generally still completely dressed at 11.

Saturday: Up at 6:00 a.m. Shower, dress, have a cup of coffee while scribbling a grocery list for the following week, wake up the Boy Child, start lesson planning for following week, be at work by 10 with the Boy Child, leave work at 11:45 to take Boy Child to baseball camp, back at work by 12:05, leave work at 2:50 to pick up Boy Child from baseball camp, back at work by 3:10, order something to eat from someplace that delivers around 5, work until 10:30 p.m. (or later, if I need to put in more than 12.5 hours on the weekend to make my total hours at work 37.5), go home, fall into bed completely exhausted and generally still completely dressed between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., depending on how long I had to work.

Sunday: Up at 7:00 a.m. because by Sunday, I can’t get up at 5 or 6. Grab a cup of coffee and get laundry started, plan lessons for the week including worksheets and tests, eat whatever Boy Child prepares when he gets up and then quickly shop for groceries, prepare and freeze sandwiches for lunches/dinners for the week; get journal entry done for SGAK in Taskstream, respond to weekly discussion in edTPA community, finish lesson planning for week, fall into bed completely exhausted at 10.

Adjustment? Somewhere in here I have to cram writing my edTPA. It’s not going to get any better until the middle of May when I am done student teaching, unless somewhere, somehow, more hours get put into a day.  I cannot quit my job, or even take a leave of absence. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. If I don’t get paid, the bills don’t get paid and we can’t eat and end up homeless. Homeless people generally do not have laptop computers and access to the internet, so obtaining my education would come to a screeching halt. Furthermore, test results are in, and it is discovered my son has a learning disability. He helps me how he can, but has needs of his own.

My son is doing the housecleaning, shoveling, taking out the trash, all of the things we did together before I started student teaching. He is on board and knows this situation is temporary.  It is what it is. The fact that this situation is temporary is what is getting my son and me through it. We can do anything as long as we know it won’t last forever. 

My mentor's response was great:   

WOW! You really have this down to a science...time management at its best! I totally understand that this is a stressful time in the life of a student teacher and that sometimes family takes second place. But this will soon pass and things will get back to semi normality - whatever that is. ;-) Hang in there!

I will, Denise. I sure will. Although my friends and family think I'm absolutely bonkers for wanting to teach math - to middle school kids, no less! - it is my dream, my goal, and my purpose. I will make it happen. 

Integrating Technology into My Classes

The kids LOVE to sing and dance...so why not give them song about Math? 

The Bucket List

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt

I loved this movie! 

First, I love Morgan Freeman's voice. Morgan Freeman's, Sam Elliott's, and James Earl Jones' voices are the best. I think I could listen to them for hours even if they were just reading the dictionary. 

Second, does anyone play a psychopathic personality any better than Jack Nicholson? Okay, so maybe he's not exactly a psychopath in this movie, but he definitely plays some character traits that are ... shallow? self-centered? crazy? Yes. All of the above. (Makes me wonder what he's like in real life.)

Then there is the whole 'bucket list' concept. I loved that some of the items on the list were intangible, like "laugh until I cry" and "witness something majestic". 

The movie was beautiful. The storyline:

"Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find joy in life." 

-Written by r2k443, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt

And yes, I cried at the end.  

Certification Testing

I am really not looking forward to my upcoming certification test. The first time I took it (and 'not passed') was an incredible experience.

I was instructed to arrive at the testing site, an elementary school, 45 minutes prior to the start of the exam. At that time, all students were herded into the auditorium, where we were read very specific instructions about what is and is not permitted at the testing site and in the exam rooms. For example, water is not permitted unless it is in a clear, plastic bottle with the label removed. No mechanical pencils. No purses or bags. Nothing with a power button, including cell phones, iPods, iPads, smart phones, mp3 players, etc., unless you are taking a Math test, and then only certain graphing calculators from a State-approved list are permitted. 

After the rules were read, we were escorted to classrooms to take our certification exams. The rules were again read. It was announced that the bathrooms would be closed for the first 45 minutes to hour of the exam. The monitors then began coming around the class to clear everyone's graphing calculators. 

One of the students in my room did not have an approved calculator. She had a scientific calculator, and said that was all she had. She was told it was not permitted, which she should have known prior to coming to take the exam because the list of approved calculators is sent with the admission ticket. She burst into hysterics and began asking if anyone had an extra calculator. (They are $100+ calculators; not likely anyone would be carrying an extra. Besides, we were not permitted to bring any purses or bags into the room. Where would we keep an extra calculator?) At this time, she is instructed to calm down or security would escort her out. My nerves were beginning to fray.

Then someone's cell phone went off. I couldn't believe it. After the 45 minute lecture that included "NOTHING WITH A POWER BUTTON"? We were held up until security arrived to escort him out. I noticed I had begun to tremble and was having trouble writing my name.

The next announcement? "The bathrooms are now closed."  I don't care if you haven't had anything to drink in a month, as soon as you are told you cannot use the bathroom, that's exactly what you need to do! All I could think of was Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop saying, "There is no bathroom!" 

By the time the test began, I couldn't remember my name. I'm not kidding. So when I opened the text booklet and had to find the volume of a rectangular prism, I drew a complete blank. I couldn't have added a column of figures at that point. 

This time, before the test, I am going to take some precautionary steps. I am going to make sure I get up early enough to have eggs for breakfast, because I will need protein to get me through the four hour exam. I will not have any coffee (which is a diuretic) and will have just one glass of milk. I will meditate before I leave, arrive early, and meditate again in my car. I will make sure I have new batteries in my (State-approved) graphing calculator. I will have two sharpened pencils with new erasers. And I will be calm.

Xanax, anyone? :D

Wine Glass Charms

Blizzard 2014

Welcome 2014!

From www.wallpapergang.com

Darren Michael Beasley

I lost another classmate on December 24th. It seems I'm attending more funerals than weddings these days.

Mike graduated in 1983, two years behind me, but in the class I was supposed to be in had I not been pushed ahead. I remember he was always smiling. Always.

I understand he died peacefully in his sleep. Rest in peace, Mike. You will be missed.

Telestrations

Remember the telephone game? At the start of a line, one person whispers something into the next person's ear, and by the end of the line, you end up with something completely different?  Well, this game is a lot like that. You start with something to draw. You pass your pad to the person on your left, who guesses what you drew. Then they pass the pad to the person on their left, who then draws what they guessed, and so on. 

We played this game at my friend Nancy's house tonight after Christmas dinner, and I kid you not, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. This game was worth every penny they paid for it, and I want to get it to play with my family at our next get-together. Great fun! 

Delivery Man

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! I took the boys (Ian, Jordan and Taylor) to see it, and made sure to sit at least three rows away. :D

After the movie, just to make sure they were good and wound up, I took them to Starbucks for some "heaven in a cup". 

 

John Markarian (1929 - 2013)

John Markarian, an attorney I used to work for, passed away on December 14th. He was the first attorney I worked for who did estate work. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The math aspect of that job was wonderful. I got to help with tax returns, valuating bonds, mortgage per diems and payoffs, great fun! 

From what I understand, he had cancer, and his family had been taking care of him around the clock toward the end. My heart goes out to them in their time of sorrow. 

From the Buffalo News:  

MARKARIAN - John December 14, 2013, husband of the late Maureen (nee Willett) and the former husband of Martha Markarian; loving father of Edward J. (Linda) and William C. Markarian; stepfather of Sean (Kristin) Willett; loving grandfather of William J., Kristin E., Isabella M., Olivia R. Markarian; stepgrandfather of Luke Brown, Ben, Cameron and Riley Willett; dear brother of Michael (Elizabeth), Charles (Delores) Markarian and Elizabeth (George) Binner; survived by many nieces and nephews.

Cookie Exchange

Ian made chocolate covered pretzels and I made salted nut truffles for the cookie exchange at work. It was fun!

Baby Blanket

Black Friday

His plans fell through to go shopping at midnight on Black Friday, so I took him. He had a blast. Truth be told, even though shopping is not my thing, I enjoyed watching him having such a good time. 

Don't tell him. :D 

Later that day...

No, Mom, I'm not tired! 

Math Joke!

Compliments of George Takei: