- My little guy is moving around like crazy today! (I always love that. It reassures me.)
- Even if the kids do really bad in their performance, it will be ok because it's SUPPOSED to be funny and maybe the audience will think they goofed up on purpose....
- Plus if I do really really bad I don't have to worry about getting fired cause I'm not coming back anyway. :)
- It's almost lunch time!
- It's Friday!
- Matt and I are going to be parents in less than 9 weeks.
- Heavenly Father is blessing us with this little miracle baby boy (who is still nameless). :)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Something Positive!
I realized that my post yesterday was kind of negative so I thought I would quickly post something positive.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Day in the Life of a Music Teacher
I wake up a little after 6:00 and leave my apt. by 6:40 in order to catch the 6:50 bus. I get to school at 7:30 and then teach until 3:00. The bus leaves at 3:30 and I'm home at about 4:15 (on a good-road day).
During the day I deal with obnoxious kids as well as a few nice ones. Lately they are ALL getting on my nerves. I blame this on pregnancy, stress, the changing weather, and the end of the school year being less than 2 months away.
Our final performance of the year is in two weeks from today and it is going to be a serious disaster. I'm not kidding. I realize I'm critical sometimes, but practices this week have been nightmarish and I can only pray it will "come together" like everyone tells me it will (those people are kinda annoying because none of them have ever prepared for something like this before). I am stressed and SO tired! I have felt lots of energy through most of this pregnancy but now.....there.....is.....none.....left.
WARNING: This next part is long and somewhat boring but there are funny parts and for some reason it helps me to be less stressed to tell other people all this stuff. :)
The Elementary part of the program is called "Lighten Up" and it's all supposed to be really funny and takes place in three different locations. I bought this script but then decided lots of it was dumb so I modified it quite a bit... the audience doesn't have to know (that way they won't know the stupid jokes came from my own brain).
K-1 sings three songs that all take place in an Australian swampland and they are CUTE (of course). First they introduce the "crocodile guys" (think crocodile hunter) by singing a song about them. Then they sing about a lean, mean, whacky ogre while playing boomwhackers (plastic tubes cut to different lengths to make different pitches). Then they sing a song about making funny faces to scare the ogre and they, of course, make funny faces during the song with the help of the pre-schoolers.
But today we started practicing on stage.... those kids go NUTS when they get on stage. It's all I can do to keep them in their spot let alone keep them singing and pray that none of them fall off the stage while they're running around like crazy. Yikes!
2-3 sings two songs that take place in the Austrian Alps. One is the classic "Oh an Austrian Went Yodeling" and they each dress up as and act like different characters that interrupt the yodeler. They each have instruments to play as well (for example, cows play cowbells and woodpeckers play woodblocks. We also have rattlesnakes..... don't ask me how they ended up in the Alps). The second song is a mixture of yodeling and rap.... imagine: "Yo, yo da lady. Yo da lady, Who?" for the rap part. That song is actually quite funny. :)
But every time we practice, there are fights between the "yodelers" and the "rappers" with the rappers screaming their rap parts in the faces of the yodelers while the yodelers yell at them to stop yelling and..... *SIGH* And then the 4 boys who are the rattlesnakes tend to actually fall off the stage (half the time on purpose) and one boy even slithered underneath a little girl's skirt..... aaaah!
4-5-6 sings three songs that take place "back home" in the "old west." First, they sing about being cowboys who are saddle sore and there's a lot of acting that is SUPPOSED to take place. Then they sing Home on the Range while playing chords on guitar. They close this part of the program with 2 girls singing "Cowboy Joe" while the rest of the class accompanies on recorder... this is also quite funny when they actually do it correctly.
Unfortunately there are 11 boys and only 4 girls in this class... the boys will NOT sing because they are "too cool." There is also one boy who insists upon mooing loudly during the saddle sore song. When we practice with recorders it's all I can do to keep them from squealing on them or throwing them at each other and if I take one away then another kid will do something bad on purpose because he doesn't want to play and wants me to take it away. Plus on Monday I somehow lost two kids and found them hiding behind the curtains... a boy and a girl... I didn't catch them in the act but they certainly broke apart pretty quickly when I found them.
Now do you believe me that it is going to be a disaster?
During the day I deal with obnoxious kids as well as a few nice ones. Lately they are ALL getting on my nerves. I blame this on pregnancy, stress, the changing weather, and the end of the school year being less than 2 months away.
Our final performance of the year is in two weeks from today and it is going to be a serious disaster. I'm not kidding. I realize I'm critical sometimes, but practices this week have been nightmarish and I can only pray it will "come together" like everyone tells me it will (those people are kinda annoying because none of them have ever prepared for something like this before). I am stressed and SO tired! I have felt lots of energy through most of this pregnancy but now.....there.....is.....none.....left.
WARNING: This next part is long and somewhat boring but there are funny parts and for some reason it helps me to be less stressed to tell other people all this stuff. :)
The Elementary part of the program is called "Lighten Up" and it's all supposed to be really funny and takes place in three different locations. I bought this script but then decided lots of it was dumb so I modified it quite a bit... the audience doesn't have to know (that way they won't know the stupid jokes came from my own brain).
K-1 sings three songs that all take place in an Australian swampland and they are CUTE (of course). First they introduce the "crocodile guys" (think crocodile hunter) by singing a song about them. Then they sing about a lean, mean, whacky ogre while playing boomwhackers (plastic tubes cut to different lengths to make different pitches). Then they sing a song about making funny faces to scare the ogre and they, of course, make funny faces during the song with the help of the pre-schoolers.
But today we started practicing on stage.... those kids go NUTS when they get on stage. It's all I can do to keep them in their spot let alone keep them singing and pray that none of them fall off the stage while they're running around like crazy. Yikes!
2-3 sings two songs that take place in the Austrian Alps. One is the classic "Oh an Austrian Went Yodeling" and they each dress up as and act like different characters that interrupt the yodeler. They each have instruments to play as well (for example, cows play cowbells and woodpeckers play woodblocks. We also have rattlesnakes..... don't ask me how they ended up in the Alps). The second song is a mixture of yodeling and rap.... imagine: "Yo, yo da lady. Yo da lady, Who?" for the rap part. That song is actually quite funny. :)
But every time we practice, there are fights between the "yodelers" and the "rappers" with the rappers screaming their rap parts in the faces of the yodelers while the yodelers yell at them to stop yelling and..... *SIGH* And then the 4 boys who are the rattlesnakes tend to actually fall off the stage (half the time on purpose) and one boy even slithered underneath a little girl's skirt..... aaaah!
4-5-6 sings three songs that take place "back home" in the "old west." First, they sing about being cowboys who are saddle sore and there's a lot of acting that is SUPPOSED to take place. Then they sing Home on the Range while playing chords on guitar. They close this part of the program with 2 girls singing "Cowboy Joe" while the rest of the class accompanies on recorder... this is also quite funny when they actually do it correctly.
Unfortunately there are 11 boys and only 4 girls in this class... the boys will NOT sing because they are "too cool." There is also one boy who insists upon mooing loudly during the saddle sore song. When we practice with recorders it's all I can do to keep them from squealing on them or throwing them at each other and if I take one away then another kid will do something bad on purpose because he doesn't want to play and wants me to take it away. Plus on Monday I somehow lost two kids and found them hiding behind the curtains... a boy and a girl... I didn't catch them in the act but they certainly broke apart pretty quickly when I found them.
Now do you believe me that it is going to be a disaster?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Latest Events
- I lost my camera. I wanted to post some pictures of us at the sand dunes and my growing mid-section (and the rest of me for that matter) but the camera is gone! :(
- I entered the 3rd trimester (hurray!!! 77 days to go!) and took my glucose test. Funny thing about that.... it has been over a week and I haven't heard whether I passed or not... no news is good news?
- Matt and I bought a new washer! The old one was, well, OLD. It was starting to not wash things very well. We thought it would be good to get a new one before we start washing baby clothes. It was the most basic, cheapest model but it is still new and will work great!
- Matt has given me some ideas for baby names! We now have a list!....... with two and a half names on it. We just hope inspiration hits us when he's born.
- I still have my classroom pet (he has not been found in a trap so I know he's around here somewhere...)
- And I officially resigned from my job. I won't be coming back next year.
My boss seemed really supportive and told me that he wanted me to do what was best for my family but I was disappointed in the lack of support from my coworkers and other "well meaning" people in my life. Like my friend Sarah said, the family is just not supported anymore.
Matt and I really thought long and hard about this decision and while it's scary to be giving up the income I've gotten this year we feel like we'll be blessed. I'm going to take the summer off for sure and then once September hits I will probably find a part time job so I can still spend most of the time at home with the little sprite once he's born.
This job has been fun, relatively easy, and pretty low stress. But even before I was pregnant the 40 mile commute every day was tough and now it's getting even worse every day! Plus I work at least 10 hours a day no matter what and if I find a job in town even if it's full time it will only be 8 and those two extra hours will be great. We just felt like I needed to be home with the baby or at least in town. He's not even born yet and I can't bear the thought of leaving my little guy for 10 hours every day when he's so young.
Monday, March 22, 2010
New Resident
So I get back to school after spring break to find that there is a large MOUSE living in my classroom. Sure the things are cute and all when they're in the pet store in a CAGE but NOT when I'm sitting in my office and I see one run across my classroom floor and disappear! It went pretty quickly but it looked pretty big and I'm praying it's not a rat. I teach elementary. These kids sit ON THE FLOOR. AAAAHH!!!!! And as we speak I can hear him squealing. Needless to say, my feet are up on my chair.
I'm glad I'm not crazy cause when I first saw it I was sure I was seeing things but then an 8th grade girl had been standing right outside the door and as soon as I opened it for her she exclaimed "you have a rat in your room!!!!" Great.
I walked down to the office to tell my principal and he says "Well they have to live somewhere! This one must like music." hardy har ha ha ha. (actually it was sorta funny). But he's having the custodians come in to set a trap. fun.....
I'm glad I'm not crazy cause when I first saw it I was sure I was seeing things but then an 8th grade girl had been standing right outside the door and as soon as I opened it for her she exclaimed "you have a rat in your room!!!!" Great.
I walked down to the office to tell my principal and he says "Well they have to live somewhere! This one must like music." hardy har ha ha ha. (actually it was sorta funny). But he's having the custodians come in to set a trap. fun.....
Thursday, March 11, 2010
And then I was fat...
Those of you who know me well know that for my entire life I've had an "I'm fat" complex, especially during high school and a little beyond. I know now that I was never truly fat (although there were times of extra chubbiness) but I really believed I was no matter how much I worked out or how little I ate. It was not something I complained about to get attention and I have often become furious with a well meaning family member or friend who says "you're not fat" because I just KNEW they were lying to me because I honestly felt that I really was fat and so I would get mad that no one understood how I felt.
So then I marry Matt who is a pretty understanding guy who makes me feel SO loved no matter what I look like or how I may act and my fat complex kinda goes away (well, it's not nearly as bad anyway). So lately I haven't stressed about it as much. Until now.
I KNOW you're supposed to gain weight when you're pregnant. I KNOW that the baby is growing and all that stuff. BUT I also know that you don't need to gain about 10 pounds in a month, which is what I have done. I actually lost weight in the first trimester but all of a sudden I am 17 pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight (which doesn't count the weight I lost at the beginning) and it only took TWO MONTHS to get there. What the heck?!?! I still have 3 months to go and this is the time the baby is growing the fastest. I am getting "fat" too quickly.
I guess I don't need to eat cereal after I get home from work and then eat dinner two hours later. And I guess I can eat oatmeal for breakfast instead of pop tarts (it makes me sick to eat too early in the morning so I wait until I get to work to eat breakfast so I need something convenient). And I guess I can eat carrots or an apple for a snack instead of gummy worms. But it's hard when I want cereal all the time and when I don't want oatmeal or carrots.
This post was kind of a vent but also kinda making fun of myself because I know I don't eat healthy enough. I feel that I get all the vitamins I need from my food and my vitamin but I don't need all the extra stuff (even though I WANT it sometimes)!
All of that being said, I am SO HAPPY and feel so blessed with this little one on the way. He's kicking more vigorously now and sometimes wakes me up but I honestly don't mind. Sometimes I get bummed because this baby means the WORLD to me and it seems like there are so many people at church or in our families who are also expecting so it seems like our baby isn't as special. But I also know that he is already VERY special to Matthew and I and that's all that really matters.
Here's an undated picture of me at 26 weeks which is only about 5 weeks after the last pic I took. You will all be able to see how I have, um, blossomed?
So then I marry Matt who is a pretty understanding guy who makes me feel SO loved no matter what I look like or how I may act and my fat complex kinda goes away (well, it's not nearly as bad anyway). So lately I haven't stressed about it as much. Until now.
I KNOW you're supposed to gain weight when you're pregnant. I KNOW that the baby is growing and all that stuff. BUT I also know that you don't need to gain about 10 pounds in a month, which is what I have done. I actually lost weight in the first trimester but all of a sudden I am 17 pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight (which doesn't count the weight I lost at the beginning) and it only took TWO MONTHS to get there. What the heck?!?! I still have 3 months to go and this is the time the baby is growing the fastest. I am getting "fat" too quickly.
I guess I don't need to eat cereal after I get home from work and then eat dinner two hours later. And I guess I can eat oatmeal for breakfast instead of pop tarts (it makes me sick to eat too early in the morning so I wait until I get to work to eat breakfast so I need something convenient). And I guess I can eat carrots or an apple for a snack instead of gummy worms. But it's hard when I want cereal all the time and when I don't want oatmeal or carrots.
This post was kind of a vent but also kinda making fun of myself because I know I don't eat healthy enough. I feel that I get all the vitamins I need from my food and my vitamin but I don't need all the extra stuff (even though I WANT it sometimes)!
All of that being said, I am SO HAPPY and feel so blessed with this little one on the way. He's kicking more vigorously now and sometimes wakes me up but I honestly don't mind. Sometimes I get bummed because this baby means the WORLD to me and it seems like there are so many people at church or in our families who are also expecting so it seems like our baby isn't as special. But I also know that he is already VERY special to Matthew and I and that's all that really matters.
Here's an undated picture of me at 26 weeks which is only about 5 weeks after the last pic I took. You will all be able to see how I have, um, blossomed?
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