can't get my days straight! #teacherproblems

i got a message the other day from one of my dear school-friends asking if i'd be up for celebrating my new position on tuesday at 7pm-but the time was not good because i was going to be picking up a mutual friend from the airport at that time...or so i thought. we went through the whole act of rescheduling for lunch..then i got a text from nicolette saying that their flight was running a little late--on monday...my bad. apparently tuesday pm would've been fine. it must be a summer/teacher thing. once summer rolls around, we lose all sense of time and day! so while i'd been told the date, i was thinking the wrong DAY...i need to write these things down! (not the first stupid thing i've done since school let out! i hate making mistakes!)

so monday i did get out to go walk (tried to run a little, but i just couldn't get into it)...then i was able to get over to the car dealership to have two recalls taken care of. which apparently is an important thing. love it when they fix my car for free. and while i was waiting i got a call from someone about next week-he asked me if i wanted to stay onsite at the hotel, or (one of the managers had mentioned i might prefer to stay at home because of the dogs, so i wouldn't have to have to find someone to care for them right off the bat)...not realizing that this would be an option, i immediately took him up on it, because let's face it, driving all the way back up to mo and back in a day-not the most attractive option! although it does sound like the nights will be a little late.

so yes, lunch at the YARDHOUSE was delish! the company-as usual, charming (i appreciate each of these ladies so much)! several great conversations! great to have veronica back in town! and a few serious possibilities for emergency dog-sitting. i want to build up my go-to list because i definitely don't want to wear out their welcome!

each one of these ladies special for their own beautiful and unique personalities! #betterforknowingthem

before lunch, i'd packed almost everything up so that i could just come home and grab the boys for our trip home. on the way up to mo, i had a book on tape that stevie had loaned me-it was really good, once i got used to the guy reading it..when he read the voice of the czech woman, i had a really hard time not envisioning a burly transvestite with a cheap blonde wig...#malevoiceproblems great book, though!

we had a fairly routine drive and slept well. (slept well once we got there, not on the way, mind you!) today we got up and chaco had the opportunity to meet the  chickens-bruno didn't bat an eyelash...chaco on the other hand...had to exert his dog-hood and show who was boss. and yes, he is smaller than the chickens. they also got to meet mac, the collie. mac is less than a year old, so he is a little clumsy, and very excitable. bruno just turns around and walks away or at least out of reach. chaco...hotheaded. he was growling and nipping. he didn't like the big dog getting close to me...or close to him. he doesn't do well with big dogs. i don't know if they scare him, or if he just wants to be the alpha. either way, we need to work on that! i wonder if he would do better when i'm not around.

they're just so tiny in this huge field!!

i went to a couple of stores for some clothing, because i've had to get rid of a lot of mine that didn't fit anymore. #lovecuteclothes

not surprisingly, my dad put up a new target. he's really good about thinking about the things i enjoy doing, and he loves to create and put things together (and you wonder where i get it from!) i'm going to go out there tomorrow and shoot off a few rounds, as i haven't been to a range in dallas in awhile, and i need to keep my confidence up..in fact, when i get back to dallas, i need to set up a day to go with another friend from school who has her chl.

dad doesn't think the ammo will go through...i hope not, but if you recall, the last time we did this, i put holes in the back of the garage! so...we'll see! 

 after target practice, i plan to go down to branson to visit one of my dear friends from college-kristin-i don't get to see her as often as i'd like, but when i do, it makes my heart smile! she is one of those people who always keeps a great attitude, even in the midst of exhausting, uncomfortable circumstances...she inspires me! i was also going to go out to k-2 to visit with trish, mentor and friend. but i don't know if that is going to happen, or not, as things at kamp can get super hectic.. she is another dear friend who has had an impact on helping smooth out some of the edges in the formation of character. we never get enough time!

it is going to be a short visit to mo, because i will be stopping overnight in norman for donuts...i've been craving them for about 2 months now, but conditions have never been optimal to get up for the visit! i don't want to stop at the hurts here in springfield, because i fear i will be the binging donut-aholic and people will think there are deeper issues...20 donuts later-hence i need bmayes, my donut-accountability-partner and then i will have my fix for a bit...and i will swear off donuts until the next time i can visit anna maria island's donut experiment with shea!

have a great night! (p.s. it's wednesday night- looked at my calendar!)
julie

100LoveNotes, lunch-fun and social emotional learning

tuesday night. deep breath as i prepare to simply enjoy the thanksgiving break!

so many things. today was the fourth day of getting up early to go walking with an accountability partner-and i don't hate it! early on the weekends, but even earlier on weekdays (meaning i am up by 4:40-reminiscent of working for the comair and having to get up in the wee hours to prep the planes!) so yes, good start-i need to force myself to get up for the remainder of the break (hard to create a habit if it gets interrupted mid-stream).

i inadvertently became a part of a lunch-share...only because i kept nicolette from getting veggie burgers one evening, so i offered to take sauteed veggies because i had an abundance. what beats food and fellowship-although truthfully it's mostly just food because we all have lunch at different times. it makes my heart long for the times we had meals together in 4th grade with gigi...and going to her house to cook fun meals. miss my friend!! i truly do enjoy cooking and sharing-as well as not cooking, and just enjoying! (and i think the world of these two, they have become the friends i've been missing over the past couple of years).

i'm very excited about a new resource that we will be using on our campus. i am helping roll it out with our 4th grade reading classes first, and once we figure it out and get going with it, we can share it with 3rd and 5th grades. (i really think olivia and susan will benefit from them, but there is so much going on right now, that i think we will have to push it for january, regardless of how good it is).  i love it because it lends itself to close reading and text sets/units. i really am beside myself, and i am thrilled that nafia is equally excited about the possibilities that it presents! to see a teacher excited about a resource that i believe in is reassuring, because the truth is that if a teacher doesn't see the value in something, it is very unlikely that they will appreciate or use it. i think i built up the case! i am looking forward to see what all can be done with it!

i am super excited about the beanbag that i have acquired, as well-thanks to olivia and solange for picking them up (i didn't leave school until very late); note to self-bring cash monday!! they are oversized and very comfy! apart from the never-ending group text that went from beanbags to starbucks to jeans back to beanbags and smiley emoticons...i am a terrible group-texter and i wish that i had the app to make me appear to be involved in the text, but actually be in stealth mode.

so, yesterday i spoke of letters and such, and today i was basically ushered out of the classroom when i went in to offer assistance in preparation for the computer diagnostic assessment...they were in the midst of something super secret! so it really tugged at the heartstrings when i was presented with a sweet note from a student and a super sweet note from the teacher, one of my friends. it meant a lot. the idea was spawned from the reading of an article about 100 love notes-(this isn't the exact one that i read, but it is the same story) how cool is that?! i love that she got the students involved, because at that age, it often takes some prompting to think beyond oneself...this was a great practice for them-social emotional competency. #100LoveNotes

i felt pretty special-as an instructional coach, we don't get many of these.

 and it just got better to hear about one of the morning meetings that blossomed from an authentic moment of gratitude..the students were saying what they were grateful for, but then they went a step further at the request of a companion, to say why they were grateful for the person next to them-difficult to receive if you aren't prepared! we love hearing these things, but could it be because of doubt and lack of exposure to hearing such things that it is difficult to accept? we should do these things more often. we certainly should express ourselves more freely, without fear of how it will be received...because who really cares?! and like one of the girls said (and i paraphrase from a paraphrase....) : we should say things like this more often because you never know when someone isn't going to be there, and you won't have another chance...wise words! i find myself living vicariously through my teachers, and i love it!

that's how i will be spending part of my day tomorrow-letter-writing because i have time and nothing to make me feel guilty! no distractions-i need to get back on track with the letter-writing! i would've started tonight, but i had to get my hair did...by myself- i didn't want to pay alejandro huge money if it was something i could do on my own...so we will see if the quality is close. i was happy with how long his brazilian blowout lasted, so we shall make a comparison...it was half his cost..now i can tip myself and spend that $ on something more fun! and i do have several things in mind.

thanksgiving is just around the day-corner, and i am excited because one of my friends will be in town, so i will get to hang out with her and another dear friend, who lives in the metroplex, but as far away as possible. and this weekend the lighting at vitruvian begins and i think it starts off with some live entertainment-i love what they do down here in the addison area.

alright, it's time to sign off so that i can get up at a decent hour to walk/jog? tomorrow (if i actually jog, i deserve a cookie!!)
night!
julie

days off are made for long lunches!

i really did need today. disd, thank you for fair day!! i am so glad i didn't go to the fair! i slept in and then i went to an early lunch with 2 amazing people and got to catch up and just spend some time laughing. i never really think about how much i love community and hanging out with friends until i actually get out and spend quality time with them!

chuys! love me some mexican food! (well...chimichangas-fake mexican)

but this little guy and his brothers made it feel a bit more authentic...anyone remember animaniacs and the talking pigeons??

i used to come home from the steakhouse i worked at and watch animaniacs with kendra and laugh at all the silliness. i don't think there was really a more perceptive, creative, facetious cartoon out there.

did i mention that it was about a 3 1/2 hour lunch-definitely not a complaint, we just really had that much to talk about! and something unexpected happened while we were there. a young lady and perhaps mom and aunt came in, and you know how there's that look of recognition, and your brain races to try to pull the right file? well, my filing fingers were a little slower than normal. so, i had to pull the recognize but need a name line. as soon as she said the first name (which is what i was thinking, but i've made a fool of myself saying the WRONG name before), i finished with her last name because i remembered it. it was one of my former campers! so random, so fun!

on the way home, i had to stop at bed bath and beyond because i needed more diet coke mix and i wanted to get some dr. pepper mix so that i have it for bmayes next weekend! (i think she likes dr. pepper...i hope). b, if you're reading this, don't pretend you like dr. pepper if you don't!

'THE ONLY NATIONAL BRAND OF ROLLED WAFERS ACTUALLY MADE IN AMERICA"

i might have also gotten piroulines-a wonderful coffee treat..trying to get my 4 cups of coffee a day since they have now done the research to support woman's psychological/emotional balance has a link to caffeinated coffee (umm, i would love to be a fly on the wall in these test groups...and i am curious as to what other factors were taken into account). if the study is about caffeine in and of itself, angela and i should have no problems..but if it is strictly caffeinated coffee, i come close on some days.

today has been a fair-ly wonderful day!!
julie