Home.

I have professional development this week with my new school. It is going fabulously. I am so happy I made the move. I knew I would be, but this week has truly affirmed that I made the right decision. I am back home one might say.

I am on the ground level of some great things. Things that, we are hopeful, will change the face of urban education. I really feel like urban education is my niche...where I belong. Don't get me wrong, I love, and already miss, my old kids. One time, when I was melting down at work because of work adult drama, a colleague of mine said something that I truly believe now. She said, "Teachers touch lives and maybe you have done all of the work you were supposed to do here and you need to go touch other lives some place else." Not only was it fitting because I left with the kids I started with, but it is fitting because it means that I have a great purpose.

So here (lifts proverbial wine glass) is to touching the lives of new kids while maintaining a positive influence on those that I have already.

Why do we celebrate mediocrity?

In the movie The Incredibles, they talk a lot about celebrating mediocrity and the frivolous celebration of nothing. Why do we do that? Celebrate nothing and make being average (synonym of mediocre) a great thing? What does that make less than average? If a C- is good, then a D- is fine and an F is what?

This is all coming in to my mind because I am starting my new job (kind-of; I have PD this week) tomorrow and I am excited. I know the people I am going to be under and they are the counter opposite of those that I used to work for. I can't wait to be appreciated for the hard work that I do and to be valued for my 110%.

And, I look at my daughter and I think about how she'll be perceived by others if this is the way that we, as society, judge things. I think she is above average on most things. But, does her birth defect make others view her as more or less of a person, as having more or less capabilities/possibility?

Who knows the answer to that, but I do know this. at the end of the day C's are not okay if you could've gotten a B and using this rationale and, applying it to the two life circumstances above, doing less of a job because no one cares is wrong and having one hand isn't an excuse to not try an cure cancer. So, in conclusion, I vow to be the teacher I was born to be and to hell with those that celebrate the mediocrity and I vow that Gracyn will not allow her disability to hinder her from doing something that she sets her heart out to do.

Gracie pics from my week off

I have been off for two days with my beautiful baby girl. We have slept in, had lunch with daddy, eaten pizza, watched movies, had McDonald's happy meals, wrestled, danced, and jumped on the bed (I hold her and bounce her up and down; she effin' loves it!) and, of course, shopped!

Below are some pics from the last two days. In the top two, she is rockin' her first night gown (god love Walmart!). The bottom two were taken while we were watching Tinkerbell. She was snacking on Fruity Cheerios.

I love my baby.

Sexy Momma

My sexy little momma. Check out her sparkly, silver gladiator flip-flops. Look out little fellas!

I hate stupid people

Craigslist....ug. Those people really piss me off.

Yea.

I think the shirt says it all, "My Mom's tattoo is way cooler than your mom's tattoo"

Happy Daddy's Day!

The reason why you should never trust your friends

http://textsfromlastnight.com/

This is a website in which your friends send in your incriminating text messages. You can search by area code or read the dailies.

I must say, it takes a lot to make me laugh out loud, but that is some funny stuff.

That makes me happy :)

Five frivolous things that make me happy:

1. BBW foam Antibacterial soap
2. No Bake Cookies
3. Jodi Picoult books
4. Breast petals
5. Freshly painted toe nails

11 Things From an 11 Month Old

1. I love my sippy and I love milk.
2. Notice above that I have all my fav's together: baby, Polly, Lamby, Blankers, and Glo Horse
3. I am down to one bottle a day, if that!
4. I am a mean crawler.
5. I am very verbal. I say, consistently: Hi, Mom, Dad, Bubba, What, This, and Bite. I have said: Crap, Bath, Crazy, Alright, Bottle, Kitty, and Book.
6. Funny story: the other day I was playing at the front door and my bink fell out. I looked at Mommy and said, "Crap!"
7. I love me some Wiggles!
8. I am going to be a Hula girl at my birthday party.
9. I stole a piece of chicken finger from Molly the other day at lunch
10. My favorite foods are: organic chicken nuggets, tofu, cheese, Pita, O'Charley's Cheese & Potato soup, Panera Bread Broccoli and Cheese soup, spaghetti O's, and cheese puffs
11. I hate toys that are loud and make a lot of noise. I am more in to contemplative things like: blocks, abacuses (sp?), and balls.

P.S. I don't follow rules, so here is #12: My favorite princess is Cinderella.