GoodyBlog, Shop.com and Samsung, THANK YOU!
Look at this happy face:
At the beginning of the summer, GoodyBlog posted a terrific Father’s Day Giveaway, with one of the prizes being a fifty inch television and stereo surround sound system offered by Shop.com. I posted a comment entering the giveaway, but never expected to win. Fast forward two weeks later, and I received an email notifying me that I had won the prize for my husband! He did the happy dance, I did the happy dance, and then Shannon (GoodyBlog) and Sheila (Shop.com) figured out the logistics of holding the television and stereo surround system for us as we moved from Texas to Kansas.
My husband opened the boxes this weekend, and my goodness, talk about a kid in a candy store! He set up the Samsung Surround Sound System (the wireless speakers are way cool!) which also is a multiple disk dvd player with a station for my iPod, and placed the television (also from Samsung) in its place of honor in the living room:
The picture is sharp, the sound is phenomenal, and my husband…is now glued to the couch.
Never fear, dear Readers, the kids and I will shanghai the remote this evening so we can watch a family movie together with popcorn!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Goodyblog, Shop.com and Samsung!
Migraine Monday
I’m not certain *why* I feel like someone is driving a nail through my left eye socket… it was a good day, meeting the rest of the staff at my new school, getting a “feel” for the rhythm of my colleagues, and witnessing the dynamics of what will be our staff meeting routine for the remainder of the year. The other teachers “new” to the school and I are going to supply treats and nummies in the lounge on Friday morning as our “Hello and Thanks for Having Us” gift, and Mother Nature and Advil willing, I’ll get some ideas for my hallway bulletin board displays generated and prepped this evening.
My husband’s big screen t.v. and stereo surround sound system arrived today (the Father’s Day gift I won thanks to Shop.com and GoodyBlog’s AWESOME giveaway earlier this summer) which made for a terrific afternoon (I’ll post photos of Happy Daddy later this week), and some terrific bloggers emailed or left comments for me too. I can’t wait to visit their blogs and update my blogroll this weekend!
Still, *pound* *pound* *pound*.
It might have started with these:
I was the photographer, but tell me, dear readers, where do you think I snapped photos of the pond, waterfall, banisters, lightposts, clocks, lush foliage, and vast expanses of windows and pillars?
Anyone?
This Could Be the Year of “Good Mondays…”
Which would be a change for me, frankly! Not that all of my Mondays have been miserable in the past, but they’ve been, well…Mondaaaaaaaays.
Until this year. Since January 1, 2008, I’ve had some pretty terrific day-after-Sundays. I was contacted for an initial interview with my new school district on a Monday. The interview itself was on a Monday, and I was offered a job that very afternoon! Humorous emails have been sent my way, I’ve had great timing at the grocery store on early Monday mornings, and the toddler has even slept in occasionally…all on Mondays.
And then there was today, THIS Monday. When I checked my email I found a message from GoodyBlog, notifying me that I had won this:
A wonderful Father’s Day Giveaway was hosted at their site, so I entered. Once we get to our new home in Oz, a fifty inch plasma t.v. and surround sound system will be on its way to us, belated perhaps, but still very much appreciated by my husband. GoodyBlog and Shop.com, you are AWESOME!
See what I mean about Mondays?
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Check out the temp in my truck:
No matter! Inside, where the air conditioner is working just fine, it’s cool enough for me to crochet a scarf with left over baby yarn:
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I’ve enjoyed checking on my blog visitor information provided by Lijit and have to laugh at some of the searches that seem to bring people to my site…”freakyoldwoman” (huh?), “weird crafts” (hey, I think they’re pretty!), and “wanna-be-decorator” (nope, I’m not a professional!). A big *shout out* to Winter Park, Florida…Hays, Kansas…and most especially, Germantown, Maryland. You’ve been searching for ME, point-blank! Feel free to say hello sometime! It’s wonderful seeing that I’ve been visited by readers in Great Britain, Mexico, Canada, Australia~ welcome All!
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Selfishly, I’ve been feeling a bit bummed though. Some of my favorite writers/bloggers have chosen to move on to greener non-blogging pastures. Understandable, yes. We all grow, change, move on. But sad too, like when the last episodes of Mary Tyler Moore or M*A*S*H were broadcast. There I go dating myself again. Hopefully their archives will be left up so I can revisit from time to time. Recipes, crafting, altered artistry, poetry, criticism, edu-blogging. I’ve been an appreciative lurker. I’ll miss you.
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Thankfully…
* A Fanciful Twist (full of happy, vibrant creatures and wonderful photography~ I can’t wait to visit Vanessa’s Etsy shop to choose a favorite little magical tree or creature to purchase!)
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I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
Bloggin’ the Blues
Congratulations Paulette F.! Your name was drawn for the blue tulle wreath! Email me a.s.a.p. with your snail mail info and I’ll put this pretty thing in the mail for you this week!
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More blue links:
*The album Blue by Simply Red (I love Mellow My Mind)
*Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal
* My blue selections from Flickr:
1. blue moo, 2. blue hair, 3. Osiyan marine blue in Jain Temple, 4. Blue Angel Tears, 5. blue shoes., 6. Greek blue, 7. Blue Morpho Butterfly, 8. Blue Roses, 9. Blue Moon
*My favorite blueberry muffin recipe
Blogging and Technology Reflection
I’ve caught myself in a state of self-reflection again, this time in regard to my presence out here on the web.
I’ve read the newest issue of Artful Blogging. For months now I’ve been enjoying my morning ritual of parking myself and my coffee in front of the computer to scroll through NetNewsWire. I’ve noticed the monthly blogging/commenting challenges that have popped up all over Blogsville this past week, and have wondered if I should join in or just keep my blogging activities to myself and my readers. I’m still confused as to why some of my subscriptions load reliably almost every day, while others get stockpiled in blog limbo and then flood my feed in one fell swoop after a month or so. It reminds me of my cell phone service here in the Bordertown. I miss calls, and messages get held for days, weeks sometimes, before hitting voicemail. Message after message, the callers’ tones seem to get testy, because they* JUST KNOW* I’m ignoring them and not returning their calls.
There goes that blind trust and over-reliance on technology again. Don’t trust the phone company or advances in voicemail technology, trust ME.
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From what I could gather during my job interview over the phone with my new employer (I’ll be back in Oz, this time at District #2), I’ll be working with a staff that is a bit different from the last three with whom I’ve taught. This is completely understandable to me because I’ve witnessed first-hand the diversity that exists in the United States each time Uncle Sam has relocated us, however it might still come as a surprise to those who assume school districts across our nation are actually nearing some state of standardization with one another.
During my interview I was asked about PLC’s and technology in particular, a question I’ve never been asked before. It’s a question I myself have asked prospective employers at each of my interviews here in the Bordertown, a question I received very awkward answers to, responses indicating that I was more familiar with current technology usage in education than the interviewing principals were. I was told by District #2 that my classroom would have at least three wireless laptops for my students to use, so no, I wouldn’t have to bring my outdated iMacs with me when I moved. For the first time, I was able to say “I have a blog” without worrying that the interviewer’s mental alarm bells were going off, imagining a site full of inappropriate photos and text of a wanna-be-web-celeb instead of a teacher/crafter/mother/military wife who was sharing recipes, craft ideas, family updates, and links to kindergarten-related themes. I’m guessing someone at District #2 has already Googled me…probably did it before ever dialing my number for the interview. I would if I were in his or her position.
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I know that time has continued to march on as my family and I relocate from state to state. When I left Alaska, my teaching experience was built over a decade’s worth of observations and paradigm shifts, most notably in regard to technological advances and their impact on school and society. I had to learn how to be responsible for an entire new iMac lab (not so new now!), and had to exercise caution because of what my students might encounter or see “out there,” *NOT* what they themselves might PUT out there. Teachers with their own web pages were testing the water for all of us, and must have felt the pressure of it. My usage of White Out decreased significantly when a computerized report card replaced the traditional hand-written one.
In New Mexico, the kindergarten curriculum included goals for computer technology, but my classroom was given rarely operational PC’s for the job because really, why would five year olds need computers? They’d just “play on them.” Many of my colleagues had never heard of or seen Living
Books before (another no-longer-”new” resource). Teachers emailed, or instant messaged one another, but other than professional communication and entering data for attendance records, computers were to be used for student assessment only via Accelerated Reader. During chats in the staff lounge, no one complained about their own childrens’ MySpace pages, and no one understood why I would want a dry erase, mobile magnetic white board in my room instead of the singular chalkboard I had. My son’s and daughter’s teachers didn’t assign web projects. My own students were taught how to use the overhead projector, c.d. player, computers, and scanner instead of just being parked in front of them during lessons. Report cards still had to be filled out by hand. DIBELS too, though the number crunching of scores took place at Central Office somewhere.
In Oz, District #1 seemed to focus on using technology primarily again for student assessment. Improved reading and math scores were the be-all-end-all goal, with lists of acceptable web resources and sites xeroxed off and distributed ad nauseum during most professional development seminars, while statewide assessment test “practice” took precedence over any other web activities or lessons that students might have normally been assigned. My old iMacs came in handy, as my students were never a priority for computer lab time when the assessment crunch was in full swing unless my colleague and I were prepping them for future first grade AR assessments. I’m guessing the proposal I helped to author for an additional portable/cart computer lab wouldn’t have created increased computer access for my kindergartners…it would have provided more test prep for additional (older) students. District email was handy, as were the attendance and report card programs though the kindergarten report card wasn’t aligned with state standards and didn’t provide enough narrative space for additional and essential info/documentation.
A younger group of teachers have MySpace pages, but several still don’t quite know that their just-out-of-college-weekend-partying photos that they regularly post on their public sites are still viewable by students, parents, and colleagues. Some post photos on their personal pages of not only themselves but their students as well, something as a parent and teacher I find highly inappropriate. Some colleagues have their own personal blogs, where they reflect on their teaching practices and philosophies, their frustrations and their goals. Many of their identities are kept private for good reasons, as professional retribution and/or public misunderstandings by parents and colleagues who might search the web for them would be unbearable and possibly even job-threatening.
District #2 sounds incredibly promising, pro-teacher and therefore pro-student.
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I’ll reflect more on why I blog at some later time, but I have to tell you, it’s because of blogging, reading, commenting, participating in discussions, and contributing to the sea of teaching perspectives out there that I’ve been able to continue my own professional development during my Stay-at-Home-Mom year. My professional learning community stretches around the world, crossing borders, philosophies, cultures and ages, and in many cases it includes my own personal tastes and interests apart from public education. A wiki on cross stitching, a MySpace group devoted to scrapbooking techniques, a subscription to a photographer’s blog overseas, my weekly download of the latest Oprah podcast for A New Earth, and my own contributions to blogs like In Practice aren’t threatening to me or my employer- they’ve been essential to expanding my connections with others, and with myself.
My next goal? Podcasting- reading my students’ favorite stories for them to access at school or at home. My voice, and the memory of face-to-face storytime can increase the personal connection with my students that promotes literacy better than any digital/cartoon character ever could.
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Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to comment here for a chance to win the blue wreath tomorrow~
Show and Share Thursday: Thimbles
My mother started a thimble collection for me *years* ago, which thankfully several friends have continued to add to:
Pewter thimbles, porcelain thimbles, metal thimbles, figurine-style thimbles, Royal Family thimbles… though in honor of May Day, I’ll show you closeups of the floral thimbles:
A daffodil and a shamrock:
A red rose with golden leaves:
California sunflowers:
A lotus:
A vining flower on black lacquer:
Pink porcelain rosettes on glass:
A bunny hiding amongst leaves and flowers:
Old Country Roses:
Blue….what are they?
And my favorite, pink roses:
Do you know which thimble I’d find hilarious to add to my collection?
Yep, the Monopoly Thimble!
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Have you ever played the Thimble Game?
One person hides the thimble somewhere in a room. Children/family members are then allowed into the room to hunt for the thimble one by one. Once each child has found it, he/she leaves it and sits down in the middle of the room. After all the children have found it, the first one to find it gets to hide it the next round. Of course the giggles, twitters, inhales of breath, etc., make it easier for younger children to play as they take their cues from the other players who are trying their hardest to not give the location away!
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~Inspired Ideas, volume1, number 3 has arrived!
~Ez at Creature Comforts offers a “D.I.Y. Paper Wrapped Soaps” tutorial in time for Mother’s Day and Teacher Appreciation Week…
~Skip to My Lou offers some of the cutest Teacher Appreciation gift/craft ideas I’ve seen in a looooooonnnnnnnnggggggggg time!
~Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen is baking again, this time it’s Peanut Butter Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Cookies…num!
~Kelly at PhotoJojo has found a web site that will “oldify” photos you choose to upload…
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And my newest blog discovery?
(go, go, go, you know you want to!)
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Don’t forget to leave a comment here for my blue wreath giveaway!
Wednesday’s Wreath…a GIVEAWAY!
Funny, the inspiration you can find in the clearance sale bins at Michael’s! Tulle on sale, in a color I haven’t used before…some pretty pink buttons, a piece of pink felt, left over blue fabric, and some wavy blue sparkle yarn (also on clearance). Put it all together around a wreath form and voila:
With a few sheer pink ribbons throughout:
Blue felt too:
And no, it goes with NONE of our home decor. It’s too foo-foo for Dear Daughter, and I’ll be lucky to get the buttons I’ve chosen as “filler” back from the toddler in order to finish this pretty take on a blue mood.
Eureka!
A giveaway! Yeppers, I want to guarantee that this blue/pink/tulle combo goes to a blue/pink/tulle loving home! Leave a comment on this blog post (or at Kindergarten’s 3 R’s, same post) by next Wednesday, May 5, and I’ll draw the winning name to be posted on Saturday!
I’ll post another photo once the wreath is completed- you know, after I sneak the buttons away from the toddler during his nap!~
Childish Clothing/Hostess With the Mostess
Remember when I told you that I had won a 500$ giveaway from Childish Clothing via Hostess With the Mostess?
Guess what arrived today:
I’ll post a slideshow at the end of this blog so you can see my toddler sorting through all of his cool, new, funky fashions, but here are some close-ups for you:
It was like Christmas (or a fashion-filled birthday!) in April when we unwrapped all of the goodies, and the timing couldn’t have been better, considering the toddler just went through a huge growth spurt:
“Big boy” underwear…
Some of the coolest tee’s out there (they say “My Dad is My Hero” and “My Dad is Cooler than Your Dad”…
The softest shorts and pants (t-shirt soft!), swim trunks too:
And big boy flip flops (we’re still working on keeping these on our feet):
Go, go, go check out Childish Clothing (we ordered for our son, but yes, they have girl and mommy-to-be items…great gift items too!)-
…and see if you can tell which shirt ended up being our toddler’s favorite:
THANK YOU Childish Clothing and Hostess With the Mostess!
Giveaway Winner!
Dear Daughter drew a winner:
Congratulations Shauna!
Thank you to all who entered by commenting or emailing me last week- the excitement of today’s drawing is what got us through the misery of our colds!
Many thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts and encouragement- I’m so looking forward to reaching the next blog milestone (when/what is that, exactly?) and of course, thinking up something new for my next giveaway!
Making Progess/Giveaway Reminder
I’m making progress on assembling the hearts for what will hopefully become a Valentine wreath- this is taking much more time than it usually does when it comes to wreath making, but that’s to be expected when I’m *not* just wrapping garlands, bows, and clusters of flowers to a grapevine form!
Don’t forget, I’ll be drawing the winning name for the Book Giveaway tomorrow (Sunday) evening- go here to enter by leaving a comment, or email me directly at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com a.s.a.p. .Good luck!
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