(For those of you who are my random followers and don't know what TAP is, quick explanation time: TAP stands for Teacher Apprenticeship Program and it's offered at my school for students who are committed to a teaching career in the future. I'm in it, it's awesome, I've learned a lot, and best part is...from 1:00 to 2:30 I leave the high school to be at the middle school, working as a type of student teacher with a 6th grade English class.)
Today with my 6th graders, I taught a lesson about poetry. It was their first day of the poetry unit and so we were going over some basic terms and I asked them what it was called when a bunch of lines were grouped together. Someone gave the correct answer that it's called a "stanza" and I was about to move on when one little boy looked up at me in amazement and said, "A stanza...stanza...I NEVER knew that!"
Surprising them all, I threw my hands up in the air, dropped down to my knees, and exclaimed, "YES! I taught a student something! I AM NOW A SUCCESSFUL TEACHER!"
I received a hearty round of applause.
I love my kids. :)
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
"I'm a big kid now!"
Yesterday, David and I ventured into Philadelphia to see a PYO (Philadelphia Youth Orchestra) concert...ALONE. WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION. It was fantastic!
Earlier Sunday afternoon, we made reservations at the Bella Cena (an Italian restaurant near the Kimmel Center) for 6:00. We left his house around 5:00 and the GPS told us our estimated time of arrival would be like 5:57...but we did that whole "not going 55 mph on 422 thing" and got to the city at 5:37. Woot! But then...we had to find parking...not the most fun thing but we eventually found a place and were strutting the streets of Philly. :)
We parked on Locust Street and our dinner was on Spruce Street...we kinda intuitively wandered (David doing the intuitive part and me the wandering) and found it at 6:02.
I LOVE THAT RESTAURANT. It was pretty small and there was only two people on the waiting staff (the owner and one helper) but it was awesome. David ordered bruschetta as our apetizer...best idea ever. It was DELICIOUS. If you've ever seen "What About Bob?" we were definitely re-enacting the scene where Bob has dinner with the family for the first time. Then the pasta...I got gnocchi with a four cheese sauce and David got this pasta stuffed with meat with a tomato/cheese sauce...I love Italian food so much, haha. I came home last night and was describing the food to my mom and she laughed and said I should be a food critic the way I was raving about it. Oh! And then for dessert we had this scoop of chocolate ice cream that had a vanilla center with hazelnuts all throughout and it was rolled in cocoa powder...perfect way to end the meal. David picked that one too...I told him afterwards that having a good taste in food is definitely up on the list for traits girls should look for in guys. ;D
We left and walked about two minutes to the Kimmel Center, where we got our tickets for second floor seating and then went and waited for the concert to start.
The PYO (made up of "gifted, young, classical musicians" ages 6 to 21 from the Tri-State region) played two full symphonies: Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich and Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 -- Pathetique by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
They were SO good...really impressive. Great ensemble sound and a wonderful balance between the strings, the woodwinds, brass, and percussion. At one point I heard a clarinet solo and I was looking around the group for the clarinet player and then realized...that's not a clarinet playing, IT'S A TRUMPET.
Such a fun night...and it may sound silly, but I felt totally awesome being in the city with David and figuring out parking, directions, and all that without any parental help.
Earlier Sunday afternoon, we made reservations at the Bella Cena (an Italian restaurant near the Kimmel Center) for 6:00. We left his house around 5:00 and the GPS told us our estimated time of arrival would be like 5:57...but we did that whole "not going 55 mph on 422 thing" and got to the city at 5:37. Woot! But then...we had to find parking...not the most fun thing but we eventually found a place and were strutting the streets of Philly. :)
We parked on Locust Street and our dinner was on Spruce Street...we kinda intuitively wandered (David doing the intuitive part and me the wandering) and found it at 6:02.
I LOVE THAT RESTAURANT. It was pretty small and there was only two people on the waiting staff (the owner and one helper) but it was awesome. David ordered bruschetta as our apetizer...best idea ever. It was DELICIOUS. If you've ever seen "What About Bob?" we were definitely re-enacting the scene where Bob has dinner with the family for the first time. Then the pasta...I got gnocchi with a four cheese sauce and David got this pasta stuffed with meat with a tomato/cheese sauce...I love Italian food so much, haha. I came home last night and was describing the food to my mom and she laughed and said I should be a food critic the way I was raving about it. Oh! And then for dessert we had this scoop of chocolate ice cream that had a vanilla center with hazelnuts all throughout and it was rolled in cocoa powder...perfect way to end the meal. David picked that one too...I told him afterwards that having a good taste in food is definitely up on the list for traits girls should look for in guys. ;D
We left and walked about two minutes to the Kimmel Center, where we got our tickets for second floor seating and then went and waited for the concert to start.
The PYO (made up of "gifted, young, classical musicians" ages 6 to 21 from the Tri-State region) played two full symphonies: Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich and Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 -- Pathetique by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
They were SO good...really impressive. Great ensemble sound and a wonderful balance between the strings, the woodwinds, brass, and percussion. At one point I heard a clarinet solo and I was looking around the group for the clarinet player and then realized...that's not a clarinet playing, IT'S A TRUMPET.
Such a fun night...and it may sound silly, but I felt totally awesome being in the city with David and figuring out parking, directions, and all that without any parental help.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
"Beauty"
Finally I have some free time! I've been meaning to write this post for a couple weeks now, just haven't had the time for it...but now I do. :)
SO. About two weeks ago, I was in the band backroom hanging out with a bunch of Indoor Percussion kids just chilling before practice started. A lot of us had just been at a swim meet, and both guys and girls were talking about who they thought looked the best. One of the guys mentioned one specific girl and all the guys were like "OH MY WORD SHE IS SO HOT!" The weird part was that I knew the girl they were talking about and, in my mind, I didn't see her as being that attractive. I mentioned it outloud and the girls agreed with me, while all the guys were still drooling. Erego...we started naming girls in the school to hear what the guys thought.
Right away I listed off about four girls that I've always been insanely jealous of---I want their clothes, I want their hair, I want their legs, I want their petiteness...all of the above. And as I listed their names, the guys would shrug and make comments like, "Yeah she's alright" or "Meh...". Surprised by their reactions, I mentioned one last name...an itsy girl, skinny but toned, awesome legs, gorgeous face...AND ONE OF THEM GRIMACED AND THEN SAID, "No...she's skinny".
Now, I have seen girls who are TOO skinny...the yuck, not attractive skinny. But I thought this girl was small but in the uber-attractive way. Apparently not to those guys.
Stumped, I asked them to name the girls they saw as being really attractive. And names started coming up that I would never have thought of...girls who weren't 'skinny', had more curve and 'umph' than me, with legs that I would never be jealous of.
It was a REALLY perplexing situation.
So then of course my mind starts racing...what do they think of ME? Am I too skinny? Ewww that's such a weird thought...I'm not that skinny...I wish I were more like (insert name here)...but they just said they don't like that, so should I NOT want to be like that?
And then I realized...wait a minute, I LIKE my body. When I'm not around those certain girls, I am so proud of the way I am. I like how I'm curvy...how I have boobs but they're proportionate...how I do have hips but they even out my hour glass figure and so they look good. I love finding clothes I look fantastic in and dressing nice. I love my legs after a tough Indoor Percussion practice when I can feel and see my muscles from my hard work.
...so then why am I trying to figure out how to please those guys? Or why am I trying to please my mindset that tells me I need to be skinnier like those girls? I LIKE myself. I know I do. It's just in those certain situations that I convince myself I need to change.
Instead of trying to have the body that the guys want, or the body that certain girls have, why don't I try to keep the body that I like? What's MY preference? Should I let their opinions decide what I look like? And obviously from the conversation, people have insanely opposite opinions on beauty. I can't possibly please all of the varying opinions.
I'll just please me then...
...which is a fantastic epiphany. Problem is living it out. Two weeks have gone by since that realization and I still envy other girls. It's only natural...thanks to me being conditioned by this society. But I don't feel quite the same urge to change myself as I did before...I remind myself that I like the way I am, and that's what really matters. :)
SO. About two weeks ago, I was in the band backroom hanging out with a bunch of Indoor Percussion kids just chilling before practice started. A lot of us had just been at a swim meet, and both guys and girls were talking about who they thought looked the best. One of the guys mentioned one specific girl and all the guys were like "OH MY WORD SHE IS SO HOT!" The weird part was that I knew the girl they were talking about and, in my mind, I didn't see her as being that attractive. I mentioned it outloud and the girls agreed with me, while all the guys were still drooling. Erego...we started naming girls in the school to hear what the guys thought.
Right away I listed off about four girls that I've always been insanely jealous of---I want their clothes, I want their hair, I want their legs, I want their petiteness...all of the above. And as I listed their names, the guys would shrug and make comments like, "Yeah she's alright" or "Meh...". Surprised by their reactions, I mentioned one last name...an itsy girl, skinny but toned, awesome legs, gorgeous face...AND ONE OF THEM GRIMACED AND THEN SAID, "No...she's skinny".
Now, I have seen girls who are TOO skinny...the yuck, not attractive skinny. But I thought this girl was small but in the uber-attractive way. Apparently not to those guys.
Stumped, I asked them to name the girls they saw as being really attractive. And names started coming up that I would never have thought of...girls who weren't 'skinny', had more curve and 'umph' than me, with legs that I would never be jealous of.
It was a REALLY perplexing situation.
So then of course my mind starts racing...what do they think of ME? Am I too skinny? Ewww that's such a weird thought...I'm not that skinny...I wish I were more like (insert name here)...but they just said they don't like that, so should I NOT want to be like that?
And then I realized...wait a minute, I LIKE my body. When I'm not around those certain girls, I am so proud of the way I am. I like how I'm curvy...how I have boobs but they're proportionate...how I do have hips but they even out my hour glass figure and so they look good. I love finding clothes I look fantastic in and dressing nice. I love my legs after a tough Indoor Percussion practice when I can feel and see my muscles from my hard work.
...so then why am I trying to figure out how to please those guys? Or why am I trying to please my mindset that tells me I need to be skinnier like those girls? I LIKE myself. I know I do. It's just in those certain situations that I convince myself I need to change.
Instead of trying to have the body that the guys want, or the body that certain girls have, why don't I try to keep the body that I like? What's MY preference? Should I let their opinions decide what I look like? And obviously from the conversation, people have insanely opposite opinions on beauty. I can't possibly please all of the varying opinions.
I'll just please me then...
...which is a fantastic epiphany. Problem is living it out. Two weeks have gone by since that realization and I still envy other girls. It's only natural...thanks to me being conditioned by this society. But I don't feel quite the same urge to change myself as I did before...I remind myself that I like the way I am, and that's what really matters. :)
Monday, February 13, 2012
Snuggling Sutra
My man candy found this page...SO HYSTERICAL. I think the title had me laughing for at least three minutes straight, and that was before I had even seen the pictures!!!
http://www.usdish.com/snuggle-sutra
I'm pretty sure we've done at least eight of these... ;D
http://www.usdish.com/snuggle-sutra
I'm pretty sure we've done at least eight of these... ;D
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Awesome Things on Facebook Tonight
For some reason, Facebook seems more awesome than usual tonight...thought I'd share some of my favorite updates/statuses.
"As the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are HIS WAYS higher than MY WAYS and HIS THOUGHTS higher than MY THOUGHTS.
~Isaiah 55:9 :)
my God rules. can i get an amen?!"
"progress made on lit essay:
i've opened microsoft word"
"A person's a person, no matter how small." - Dr. Seuss"
"Boys, if you don't look like Calvin Klein models, don't expect us to look like Victoria's Secret angels."
Tower of cymbals!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEq-0inAWzk (this was my post to David's wall! ;D)
"As the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are HIS WAYS higher than MY WAYS and HIS THOUGHTS higher than MY THOUGHTS.
~Isaiah 55:9 :)
my God rules. can i get an amen?!"
"progress made on lit essay:
i've opened microsoft word"
"A person's a person, no matter how small." - Dr. Seuss"
"Boys, if you don't look like Calvin Klein models, don't expect us to look like Victoria's Secret angels."
Tower of cymbals!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEq-0inAWzk (this was my post to David's wall! ;D)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Friday the 13th
Sorry for the lack of posting lately...between homework, jazz band, wind ensemble, symphony, indoor percussion, and my man being home, I haven't had much time to post. But life's been good. :)
Yesterday, on spooky Friday the 13th, I had a CRAZY day...in an awesome way. Right after school ended, David picked me up and we went to Trolley's house for a jazz band practice. FIRST TIME THE JAZZ BAND HAS EVER GOTTEN TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. It was SO good! David was there too, playing the lead trumpet part to help the other trumpets and be awesome. That went until 5...and then David and I ran to McDonald's, drove over to the school, ate our deliciously greasy meal in the parking lot, and then I hurried inside for my indoor percussion practice that was supposed to be from 6-9.
WELL. When David and I had first pulled into the school parking lot, we noticed that there was a firetruck around the back of the school with its lights going off. We thought there was like a car fire or something, but everything seemed fine near the band room so I didn't think much of it.
I went inside and IMMEDIATELY one of the kids from indoor asked, "Did you hear what happened???" And I was like no....and they said that seven kids were stuck in the old elevator in our school. AND THEN I found out that those seven kids...were OUR KIDS. Like, four of them were members of percussion and the other three were in indoor cologuard. They had stayed after school and for some reason needed to use the elevator so they all got in it like an hour before practice started and got stuck...and then called 911.
So 6 o'clock rolls around...about the time my percussion practice is supposed to start, and they're STILL not out. And we couldn't start without them cause we were supposed to be learning drill and you can't learn with four of your battery kids missing. So we all just sat around for awhile. Bass drums decided we wanted to have a mini sectional while we waited, so we went into the chorus room and jammed out for awhile. It got to be like 6:43 (haha, Cara ;D) and we still hadn't heard anything from anyone. So I went into the band room and turns out...PRACTICE WAS CANCELLED. Our local firefighters didn't know how to get them out of the elevator (at this point they had been in there for an hour and a half) and so they had to call in people from New Jersey with special equipment to get them out. So we had no practice...bass drums stayed until 7:30 cause we wanted to rep some parts of our music, but then we got to go home! Which meant David time for me. :)
So that was my crazy Friday the 13th...and today's gonna be crazy too. Going over to David's in like an hour, Amy's picking me up from his house at 1:30...then me, her, Steph, and Leslie are all going out to lunch, then I'm going back to David's at four, and then David and I are going out to the Movie Tavern tonight (SO EXCITED! NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE!) to see Mission Impossible and eat yummy food.
Wooo! Busy life...but I like it that way. :)
Yesterday, on spooky Friday the 13th, I had a CRAZY day...in an awesome way. Right after school ended, David picked me up and we went to Trolley's house for a jazz band practice. FIRST TIME THE JAZZ BAND HAS EVER GOTTEN TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. It was SO good! David was there too, playing the lead trumpet part to help the other trumpets and be awesome. That went until 5...and then David and I ran to McDonald's, drove over to the school, ate our deliciously greasy meal in the parking lot, and then I hurried inside for my indoor percussion practice that was supposed to be from 6-9.
WELL. When David and I had first pulled into the school parking lot, we noticed that there was a firetruck around the back of the school with its lights going off. We thought there was like a car fire or something, but everything seemed fine near the band room so I didn't think much of it.
I went inside and IMMEDIATELY one of the kids from indoor asked, "Did you hear what happened???" And I was like no....and they said that seven kids were stuck in the old elevator in our school. AND THEN I found out that those seven kids...were OUR KIDS. Like, four of them were members of percussion and the other three were in indoor cologuard. They had stayed after school and for some reason needed to use the elevator so they all got in it like an hour before practice started and got stuck...and then called 911.
So 6 o'clock rolls around...about the time my percussion practice is supposed to start, and they're STILL not out. And we couldn't start without them cause we were supposed to be learning drill and you can't learn with four of your battery kids missing. So we all just sat around for awhile. Bass drums decided we wanted to have a mini sectional while we waited, so we went into the chorus room and jammed out for awhile. It got to be like 6:43 (haha, Cara ;D) and we still hadn't heard anything from anyone. So I went into the band room and turns out...PRACTICE WAS CANCELLED. Our local firefighters didn't know how to get them out of the elevator (at this point they had been in there for an hour and a half) and so they had to call in people from New Jersey with special equipment to get them out. So we had no practice...bass drums stayed until 7:30 cause we wanted to rep some parts of our music, but then we got to go home! Which meant David time for me. :)
So that was my crazy Friday the 13th...and today's gonna be crazy too. Going over to David's in like an hour, Amy's picking me up from his house at 1:30...then me, her, Steph, and Leslie are all going out to lunch, then I'm going back to David's at four, and then David and I are going out to the Movie Tavern tonight (SO EXCITED! NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE!) to see Mission Impossible and eat yummy food.
Wooo! Busy life...but I like it that way. :)
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