another apology

I know that I previously promised better posting habits but it isn't totally my fault. My computer crashed. It has been a sad affair that I am still dealing with. It has finally been decided that I need a new mother board.

So for those of you who read my blog for your fill of cute children stories we recently had our costume party. My little guys dressed up as a ninja, the ninja is a particularly cute and stocky little man and was just a ridiculous amount of cute. Then there was an astronaut, a panda bear and a duck. All of which were very adorable. And for those of you who want to know, I was a purple and white fairy. I did get to spend a portion of the day with my old preschoolers. Only 2 or 3 members of class were actually there when I was the teacher. One of them has surprisingly not been blogged about. I just double checked. He used to be referred to as The Perfectly Proportioned Toddler or the PPT. He is the reason I came home and told Boyfriend that if we decide to have kids that I want a Japanese boy. Boyfriend is unsure that he will be able to accomplish this task. But promised to try, if we ever decide to have kids. So the PPT was Spider Man for Halloween. I asked Spider Man where I could find the PPT and he lifted his plastic mask and told me in his extremly cute japanses accent that "I am the PPT, Miss Casey. I was just botending." He then rolled his eyes and told me that "It is just the clothes!" He was unsure how I could be so fooled. There were a few other super heros and one girl who as a Spider Pirate Witch.

An update on the card

So after 2 weeks of not having access to my money I called back. They informed me that the person who took my call was an idiot.  He simply deactivated my account and never made the step to send me a new card. People are starting to get very upset at their lack of money. It isn't that I don't want to give them all my money (which I don't) but I simply can't access it. Oh well. It has 3 of the 5-7 business days since I spoke with a new woman who I pray is not also an idiot.

 

My students don't have as many "they said the cutest thing" moments since they don't talk yet. I have been teaching them to sign and now have had growing manners since I require a "please"  and a "more" instead of of "uh uh uh".  They are really cute kids but it is a little bit more a visual.  Sorry everyone.

To Satiate Tyler's Curiosity

So 2 Thursdays ago I made BBQ beef tip and pita sandwiches for dinner. I went to the corner store (Chansky's) to buy BBQ sauce.  They know me there and often strike up conversation about what I am cooking.  On this particular day they also offered me free pita bread (hence the meal decision).  We started talking about why the pita bread was free, whether or not they were trying to poison me.  I signed for my purchase grabbed my free pita bread and went home to feed a very hungry Boyfriend.  The next day I was on my way to South Station to catch a train to RI when I realized I did not have my ATM card. It would have added about an hour to my trip to go home and grab my ATM card and I would have then missed my train.  Sunday night I got home very late and checked my pants pocket, no ATM card.  Monday morning I left for work at 6:45 am and Chansky's was not open.  I stopped by on my way back from where and was greeted by a "You didn't cancel you card yet did you!?" I responded with a smile and a "No".  I was then greeted with a profanity followed by an explanation that he did not where I lived and he called my bank and they suggested that he cut it.  So since he hadn't seen me in 3 days he cut it up that morning. It has been 2 weeks and and I am still without any ATM card and since I don't have a branch out here I since I canceled my card they froze my account until I have activated my new card.  This means that I am irritated and have a lot of people who normally just take money from my account thinking that I am screwing them.  That should satisfy Ty's query.

Waddlers

So paired with my new job title is a new classroom. I am now "teaching" a classroom of 12-18 month old. I use the word teach loosely.  They are beyond cute.  I adore each and every one of them. However, I do have to change diapers now. At first it wasn't a big deal, but it really starts to wear on you. The other issues I am facing is how to discipline someone so young. I can't count the number of times a day I say "Ouch! That hurts my friends. Show me gentle" or "Biting hurts!!"  I am really unsure of what else to do. So please pray for me as I enter these uncharted waters of babysitting both children and adults.

Bullet Point 2 (The Promotion)

So as some of you know I have been recently promoted to Program Coordinator.  This unfortunately means that I have switched rooms. I am no longer teaching Preschool/Pre-K and I am now in Waddlers, which is 12-18 month olds. It is a big difference and not one that I am sure that I love, but one that is good for my resume none the less. I like the Program Coordinator part, it is the babysitting instead of teaching part that I don't love. But I am adjusting. 

Bullet Point 1

I have applied for and been accepted to Western Governors University (henceforth known as WGU). I will be majoring in Interdisciplinary K-8. I have decided that being a Kindergarten teacher wouldn't be such a bad gig, especially if I teach an inclusive classroom, meaning a special needs classroom. The program at this school is online. It is a competency based education. This means that I don't have a set number of assignments or hours to pass a course. I do the coursework only so much as it helps me pass the assessment, which will range from a research paper (most common), to an online exam or a proctored exam.  This eliminates a lot of the busy work and I think is more conducive to my learning style. Instead of paying per unit, I will pay per 6 months and complete as many assessments as possible in that period. I have about 2 yrs left to finish my degree unless I really kick ass :).  My continued plan is to do their masters program in Special Education PK-12 which is designed to be completed in 2 yrs. With the reasonably priced tuition and financial aid, my part of the tuition is only like $900 a year!!  They also set up my student teaching wherever I happen to be living when that time comes. I am very excited and motivated!

So Sorry

I know that my blogging has left a lot to be desired, but I promise to do better. Today I had a wonderful morning. I sat in my kitchen, drank a latte and read everyone else's blogs. I left comments where I deemed necessary and enjoyed the whole experience while The Boyfriend slept. I can't really blame him. I woke up at 7am, it is only 9:30 now and usually I would also still be enjoying dreamland on a Saturday morning. So some points about my life I think are in order. I will do a quick synopsis now and then compose more detailed blog this week.

• I finally decided on a major and will actually finish my degree starting November 1st
• I got a promotion at work and am now a Program Coordinator
• I teach a new classroom
• I got my atm card cut up and have been without money for 5-7 business days
• It is finally fall (which equals good hair, which equals good mood)see mood meter post for more details
• The majority of my students left for kindergarten
• I went to San Antonio, Texas

I hereby solemnly swear to be a better blogger. 

Knock Knock

Walking back from the park I heard some great knock knock jokes.

"Knock Knock"
"Who's there?"
"Hello"
"Hello who?"
"Put cake on your face!!!"

Banana Head thought that was the best joke ever, i might have to agree. "Put cake on your face" is his go to punch line, gets 'em every time.

Purgatory Chasm

I finally went out and had a weekend adventure. Danny’s best friend Patrick was in town and we took a nice day trip to Purgatory Chasm. It is a chasm filled with rocks from a glacier. It is located in southern Massachusetts, in a town called Sutton. Every part of it has a different name, like “Fat Man’s Misery”, which is a particularly narrow pass. We hiked all around. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful place. I only wish we could have brought Chance, but he is a bit of a scaredy cat and would have to have been lifted down some of the steeper rocks.

They Hail from Ireland

Danny’s family reunion was last weekend. It was the Deasy Family Reunion. There were a lot of really interesting people and a lot of fun stories. I went to my first catholic mass that was held by Danny’s uncle Brian who was recently ordained as a deacon. It also turns out that one of his ancestors was part of a plot to take over Canada and sell it to England in exchange for Ireland. The U.S. sent over Ulysses S. Grant to put a stop to it. There were also great stories about Danny’s dad’s childhood in Ireland with his brothers. Overall it was a nice weekend and we even got to go swimming in the pool at the Marriot which might have been one of my highlights.

Spinning

I joined a gym and in turn joined a spinning class. These classes are kicking my ass! That's all

The 4th

For the fourth Danny came up and brought our dog Chance. It was so great!! We went to Amanda's apartment in Beacon Hill that had an amazing view from the roof. Unfortunately there was no wind and after about 15 minutes there was only a giant cloud of smoke. You couldn't see a single firework. We stayed until the end anyway and got stuck in the mob that was taking advantage of the free subway offer that night. We ended up walking across the commons to another T stop.  Despite the disappointing fireworks the weekend was a success and it was so great to have Chance to play with.

...

Since moving to Boston I have learned that one should not wear silk in humidity and that doing one's hair is futile. I have given up! While living here my hair will only be pretty in the fall. The summer is too humid and the winter too wet. We skipped over spring all together. I joined the gym today and I am going to go do a spinning class in about an hour. I am excited!

Humidity

You guys may have a heat wave but at least it is a dry heat wave. I woke up early this morning and decided to do my hair. For those of you who know me, you know that it is quite an ordeal. It involves, blow drying, straightening and curling. It can take anywhere from 30minutes to an hour. I was very satisfied with the end result. I dressed accordingly. I am the kind the person who's mood is directly related to the way I look. If I feel pretty, I will be in a good mood. If I look like a hobo, I will be in a bad mood. So I started my day in a good mood, I got hit on for the first time since moving here. A pipe burst on our sidewalk and I got a succession of "Good Morning gorgeous!" from the workers. Boosted my mood a little. Then as I get off the T, I realized that even though it is only 65degrees outside, the humidity has ravaged my hair which now looks like a giant frizz ball. I had to braid it from be damaged anymore. So much for good moods and pretty hair. You will have to send me positive thoughts as I go through the day trying to fight the melancholy brought on by bad hair.

I thought you people were going to send me patience because mine is dwindling quickly. Yesterday I had such resolve and at the end of the day was happier for it. Today I feel like throttling someone.

Help

As many of you know I have a difficult co-worker. Now that our 3rd teacher has left I have no buffer. It is now only this other teacher and myself. I have been constantly frustrated and irritated. So this morning on the train I decided to pray. I prayed that God would give me the patience and empathy that I readily give others, especially my children, when it comes to my interactions with her. I prayed that instead of trying to show her her faults I would find it in me to willingly pick up the slack, with nothing in return, to just lead by example. I prayed that God would help through out the day, to remind me that my help may be what she needs to get through the day, just as I need his. So if you could please also pray for me, send me your good and patient thoughts I would really appreciate it.

Otter Pops

Danny and I both are sick with Strep. I also had the joy of double ear infections and possible scarlet fever. So you can say we are quite healthy. After a switch of anitibiotics I feel TONS better. To help us on our road to recovery we bought a box of 100 otter pops. As any Harris child knows, just the mention of them brings you back to Grandma Jo's. That mention is nothing compared to all of the memories the taste takes you to. So today I just want to tell you guys that I love and miss you. I am feeling nostalgic and not only missing my Grandma very much but missing my brothers, sister and cousins and the comfort and fun of Grandma's house. I love you all!!

Hate the Sticky

As some of you know it has gotten nasty humid here. I love the sunshine and hate the sticky. I got a bad cold last week and was laid out for a few days but am up and running and feeling rejuvenated after yesterday's shopping spree and a few days of being well taken care of by Boyfriend. I take over the Pre-K classroom after this week. It is bittersweet. I am beyond excited to have my own classroom but sad that my first friend since moving here (the current teacher) is leaving. I might go a little crazy this summer without her but a new girl (from San Mateo) is starting in August. On a much cuter note, I was excusing the children from circle by eye color the other day and one little girl said that she had blueberry eyes and lemon hair and her mom had avocado eyes and lemon hair. Upon hearing this a little boy who has the cute misfortune of not being able to say his R's said that he too had "bluebewy eyes" but decided that his hair was not lemon but rather banana.

How much do I love you?

I asked my little Russian boy "Do you know how much I love you?" He replied by raising 3 fingers, I told him even more than 3 and he said " 20,2,2,2,2,9,9,9,9,9,9,2,2,2,2,9,9,2", to which I responded, "Yes, I love you 2's and 9's. He corrected me by saying "and one 20". I asked another little girl the same question and she also started with "3". I said even more. "5?", even more, "10?" I told here even more than that and she exclaimed "You love me 20 Dollars!!!!" Yes I love her $20!

Hot Spider

Happy 3 day weekend to all! The weather here is perfect this weekend and I can't wait to go exploring! I went to a comedy show with The Grillos this week which was a lot of fun. My little Russian boy was out on Monday and upon his return I was told the following story:

"I was sick and I went to work with my dad and they have a robot with a head but no legs and it looks like a people and it said 'Hi my name is Mac' and they had food and when I was hungry I could eat it and they had hot juice they called spider."

And yes it was all one sentence and it kind of made me want some hot apple spider.

Hello Sunshine

You will all be happy to know that I have landed safely in Cali and after a good nights rest in my bed that I miss SO much, I am so happy to be here. I am off to see the chiropractor and then I will be perfectly relaxed. Hooray for California! For all of you who are coming to my Mikuni dinner tomorrow night, don't forget to be there at 5:30 and presents are required before seating. Ok, I am half joking. Can't wait to see everyone tomorrow!! Oh and also please wish Danny a happy birthday too (his is today).

New Kids On The Block

Oh yes, that's right they are back together and going on tour. I heard on the radio today that the boy band of my youth and only poster I have ever owned is back and have recorded a new album. Presale tickets start this week and a little part of me wants to get as many girls as possible together to attend such a wonderous event. Hooray for Jonathan, Joey, Jordan, Donnie and Danny. Don't act like this isn't exciting, you all know that it is.

Happy Birthday to ME

I got several cards from my kids today, a balloon crown, a homemade laptop with a video game, a card with used glitter glue taped inside of it, cupcakes and a pineapple filled with fruit that a 2 year old took a big bite out of. It was wonderful and I am now off to have a grown-up birthday celebration with my cousin Amanda. Tomorrow I will continue the festivities with Danny, my 2 friends that I have made since moving here and their husbands at a restaurant called The Barking Crab. I love days that are all about me!

On a separate note after beign afraid that my roommates were going to be upset with me about how things went with Gus I was afraid to go home, but instead of judgement or guilt I received a hug and a plant. It was so kind and I cried. So thank you to them.

Goodbye Gus

Gus became much worse this morning and was taken to the vet again by my landlord. I got a call at work today that he was significantly worse off than 3 days ago and that even with surgery he had less than a 50% chance of survival. So he was euthanized this morning. I am very sad and am sure we will all miss him.

Fatty

As some of you may know Gus is very sick. He swallowed the foam off of a set of headphones and it has obstructed his bowels. The surgery for it is more than I can afford (over $2,000). He is in a lot of pain right now and I have made the decision to put him down this weekend. Please send me all of your prayers and good thoughts. I have had my fatty since I was a little girl and already feel lonely at the thought of not having him with me. Thank you for all of your love and support.

Happy Earth Day

I told a little girl who brings her own milk that she doesn't need to pour her milk out a plastic cup and into a paper cup. I asked her what paper was made out of and she correctly answered "trees." Then we started to talk about not wanting to be wasteful and conserving trees. Another child said "We don't want to waste trees because then our eyes will be bright. We need the trees to make shade." So today as you are using paper please conserve, we don't want our eyes too bright. Happy Earth Day!

I found Mayberry

Yesterday turned out to be the opposite of a bust. Danny and I drove to Natick to pick up my dress. It is about an hour drive each way on RTE 126, of the most beautiful scenery. Southern Massachusetts is one small town after the next. There was one town in particular that if I ever decide to have kids I want to live there. It was so cute and so little. Then we came home and cooked dinner and Tom, Danny's best friend since he was 4 yrs old, made his first appearance. It really was a wonderful day. However, I have decided that maybe I shouldn't make chicken wings anymore. Superbowl Sunday I made a feast, which included wings, and now have a burn scar on my wrist to show for it. Last night while trying to get the very last chicken wing out I splattered my arm with hot oil and have about a dozen burns on my forearm. Today I have to take the train back to my apartment that I still don't really feel at home at and where I have to cook dinners for myself and no one else. I am not used to being alone so much. I am not sure that I like it. My roommates, while nice are not a family. At least here I get welcomed with open arms and I have people to cook for. I now know why Grandma Nancy feels the need to feed everyone, it really brings me happiness. Now if only I could find a place in Boston where I didn't feel so much like a visitor. I miss my family and when I am away from here I miss Danny's family too. I guess it is one of those things that I am going to have to get used to. I removed myself from from a family that is so large and interconnected and now am feeling the reprecussions of trying for independence. Sorry that this post turned a little south. I miss you all and will be seeing you soon.

Perfection

Yesterday was a PERFECT day. The weather was beautiful!! Danny got home from work and we played in the yard with Chance for a little while and then took him for a walk. After we got back we walked to Downtown Woonsocket and had dinner at a nice restaurant, outside on an upstairs patio. Then we had a nice walk back and rented a movie. It really was a perfect day. Now instead of enjoying this perfect weather we are going to drive to Natick, Ma and pick my bridesmaids dress. Danny told me this morning that he feels "Kooky like a Banana." So apple's feel silly and banana's feel kooky. It was a nice way to start the morning, maybe today won't be a total bust.

Piratey Things

My little Russian boy asked me at circle if we could sing "The Pirate Song". He explained to me that he wanted to sing pirate songs because he is a REAL pirate, he makes piratey things and eats Pirate Booty. Well that explains it, he is a REAL pirate. I was still a little skeptical.  The next day at the playground my little Russian boy showed up wearing a pirate bandana on his head. The preschool rumor mill went into effect.  Sitting at the lunch table I heard two girls talking. One said, "He is a REAL pirate."   The other responded with, "I didn't believe him before, but he really is a pirate." I was not the only one that was skeptical, but now all of our doubts were gone, my little Russian boy is an actual pirate. He informed me at nap time that his name is Captain Bombly Bom. I thought that he was just making it up on the spot but when his mom picked him up she said "Let's get going Captain Bombly Bom." He is definitely a real pirate. 

and I have a cowboy hat

I went back to work today at the preschool. My comrade Mateffany (the other teacher and my first friend since moving here) had a wonderful story for me. She asked my little Russian boy if he celebrated Easter and he told her "No, I only celebrate Happy Birthdays." Then at lunch today out of the blue, he turns and looks at me and says "Lady" (he always calls me lady, which I LOVE!!" So he said "Lady I love M&M cookies, they are so delicious. M&M cookies. And I have a cowboy hat."

I feel....

Every morning at circle we asks the kids how they are doing. Most of the time they say "I feel happy" or something similar.  However, there are a few kids that have much better responses. One of my Italian children said he feels "happy like a clock." One little girls tells me every morning that she feels "happy like a princess." And my favorite is same child who brought us "Funkadelic with a Triple Spin", who says "I feel silly like an apple." He says this in the same matter of fact response as he states his dance moves. "I feel silly like an apple. There it is, do with it what you will." So now if you ever find yourself wondering how an apple feels, you know. They feel silly. Or if you ever feel silly, know that you are not alone. Apples feel silly too.

What does that contribute to the world?

After speaking repeatedly with my students about not using weapons and playing violent games at school one child decided instead of being a bad dragon he would be a good dragon. This is the same child that plays that he is Word Girl on a daily basis. He comes up to me and says that he is a red dragon that breaths rainbow fire with sprinkles and sparkles and hearts to say "I love you".  It made me so happy. He told me "Look at that tree" (we were inside and there are no trees) "I blew rainbow fire on it and now it is beautiful." I found his rainbow fire to be wonderful and told him so. With his confidence reinforced he went to tell another teacher of his rainbow fire breathing abilities, but sadly she tried to dampen his spirits by asking "Well what does that contribute to the world?" Undaunted he replied "It makes things beautiful" and walked away to play with this rainbow fire. I was so proud of him.  Bringing beauty to the world is a valid and worthwhile contribution.

I should learn Italian

One of my students just moved here from Italy and does not speak a word of English. She is a ridiculous amount of cute and speaks in Italian all day without any regard to the fact that no one understands a word of what she is telling them. After the girl has a conversation with her mother the mother turns to me and tells me that her daughter just told her that I need to learn Italian because I don't understand anything she tells me.

That's a good umbrella

Upon moving to Boston I was bed-less. My kind roommate lent me the mattress from her futon but after a while wanted it back since it was an integral part of her couch.  I also was lacking pillows. The Boyfriend and I decided to go to T.J. Maxx and pick up some pillows and see if we couldn't score an air mattress while we were down there. Once outside we decided that the snow was kind of nice and we should walk. It was a nice little walk (about 2 miles).  We each picked out a pillow, his Calvin Klein and mine Serta.  There were no air mattresses to be had so we walked down the road a ways and found a cool thrift store. They did not have air mattresses but they did have regular mattress in good shape and for a reasonable price. We bought one The Boyfriend proceeded to carry it on his head for that same two miles back to the house.  We passed a few dozen people and about 1 in every 8 of them made a comment on what a nice "umbrella" The Boyfriend was carrying, thinking that they were clever and original. Who would think that he had been carrying this mattress for such a distance as to have encountered the same comment (or some close variation of it) several time?  We got the mattress home, dried it off with a blow drier and then I broke it in by testing it's jump-worthiness. If you were wondering, it has great bounce and one can achieve optimal distance when jumping off of it. 

All I Want

While sitting at the lunch table I was informed by a 5 yr old girl what she wants out of life. One might be surprised at what she said, "All I want is to be a good monkey."

Soft New Pants

A very cute little girl in my class came in the other morning doing a can can walk, kicking her legs up as much as possible while walking. Her dad was laughing and when asked what she was doing she replied with each kick "Soft...New...Pants!" They were pink and soft and I would have loved them just as much.

Funkadelic

At circle we sing the bingo dancing song. Obviously to the tune of bingo, we sing "There is a boy/girl in our classroom and _________ is his/her nameo, dance ______ dance, dance ______ dance, dance _______ dance and ________ is his/her nameo" Well one of my students stood up today and did his thing and sits down. He turns to me and says "That was a funkadelic with a triple spin".

Juice Beauty

I got a job today as a marketing representative for Juice Beauty. I will have about 8 Nordstrom and Sephora stores that I work with doing sales support, training and events. I am not sure how this is all going to play out, where it can lead and what it will mean for my life but the pay is significantly better and I make my own schedule which will be great for school. It could possibly be a great career opportunity since they are an expanding company. Well hopefully it is a positive step in my life and I am at the moment hopeful.

Word Up

A kid in my class constantly talks about Word Girl and her sidekick Captain Huggyface. She is the most spectacular superhero ever, she faces off against villains who abuse the English language!! Could anything be more perfect for me?

Snow Day!

Massachusetts declared a state emergency today and I got to come home 3 hours early! We are supposed to get 10 inches of snow by tonight. Walking home I looked like a snowball. I have never had a snow day before!

Snow

This is a picture of my first snow. I woke up and Boyfriend opened the blinds for me to see. I was so excited! It was so beautiful. I have still haven't gotten used to the snow, in fact it is snowing right now. I actually prefer the snow to the rain, or days like yesterday where I thought I was going to cry it was so cold and yet the sun shone brightly. This little California girl still finds the snow exciting and gets gitty when she looks out her window and sees the white ground. Boyfriend and I took a nice walk in the snow this last weekend, it turned into an adventure that will appear in another post.

I'm Tom Brady

I met a student today who is 2 yrs old and wears a New England Patriots jersey. He asked me "Who are you?" I responded with Miss Casey and he in turn told me "I'm Tom Brady. I'm the quarterback" and kicked his miniature football across the gym.

My reason for being...

I am a preschool teacher who is in love with her children, so for the most part this blog will be stories that I take home with me each night. I also just moved 3,000 miles from everyone and everything that I know, with the exception of my wonderful boyfriend and adorable cousin who live near enough that I get to see them on a regular basis. I now live with 2 strangers who are at least 30 years my senior and and whom I have little or nothing in common with, except my a kitchen and a bathroom. So now I have this blog. Please enjoy!

I Went to the Ball in a Parachute, Riding a Red Duck

While playing with my children I had an adorable boy who has an Italian accent put a parachute on my lap, multicolored and neon, to create a ball gown for me. He told me that I was a princess. Unfortunately on occasion after a theatrical "bum bum bum" the dress would "become broken" and need to be momentarily repaired by my little Italian tailor. Once repaired he would drape it over me again. After he was finally satisfied with his creation he announced to me that I would be attending a ball. Off he went to find me transportation, in the form of a vinyl covered, foam red duck. I felt like I was in a fairytale.