A (Sick) Day Off

 Yesterday's consumption of Vitamin C failed to get rid of my cold.

I was still awake at 12:34 am and decided that I needed a mostly horizontal day. So I took a sick day.

After sleeping in, the rain cleared and I headed to Target to pick up some cold medicine. The sky was all cloudy with fluffy clouds.

I tried on a possible Valentine's Day t-shirt.

But then...the power went out (due to wind). It was pitch black and I was standing in the middle of a giant store. After a few seconds, the back up lights came on and we were told we had to leave the building.

I popped in to another store to pick up a shirt that I passed on last time I went shopping because I needed a little pick me up after spending the entire week sick.

My last stop was to pick up some comfort food to bring home and eat on the couch in my sweats.

I'm still stuffy and feeling sub-par but my pounding head certainly appreciated watching New Girl in my pjs instead of evading power struggles with 9 year olds.

Thing #6

Support a cause I believe in.

What is Stink Week?

Stink Week is a fundraiser started by a student at my school. His sister is deaf and his family works with the Decibels Foundation to promote awareness and raise money for hearing loss. For one week, participants wear the SAME shirt to create a stink while raising money. My class and I are raising money for Team Gavin!

When is Stink Week?

This is the second annual Stink Week. It takes place from February 1st - 8th.

Why did I choose Stink Week as my cause to support?

When I first started working at my current school, I worked with a student with degenerative hearing loss. Riding on airplanes, hitting her head the wrong way, or merely waking up could leave her deaf. In doing some research I was stunned to find out that many insurance companies consider hearing aids for children "elective" and therefore won't cover the costs. It seemed crazy to me that the only thing keeping some students from performing their best in school was the fact that their parents may not be able to afford hearing aids.

Hearing loss stinks...so why can't I? I'll be wearing the following shirt for an entire week (I haven't decided if I'll wash it yet).

What can YOU do to help support me and the Stink Week cause?

• You can make a donation on my fundraising page. You can donate $5.00 or $50.00. Any little bit will help support Team Gavin.
• If you are unable to donate at this time, you can help in my fundraising efforts by sharing Stink Week on Facebook or by email.
• Tell people about Stink Week.
• Educate yourself about hearing loss. You might be surprised by what you learn!

In 1 week I will be 29+2.

That is all.

   

Where Do Snowmen Come From?

Dear Local Church,

Although I am not a religious person, I look forward to reading your inspiring and uplifting messages each week. But I have to admit, this week you have me stumped.

I get the unassembled part...snowmen fall as snow. Everyone knows that snowmen are unassembled cloud babies. The whole heaven part has me confused. 

Now, my knowledge of churchy things is limited to an undergrad "Intro to World Religions" course and the movie Dogma, so correct me if I'm wrong. But isn't Lucifer/Satan the angel that fell from heaven? Does this mean that snowmen are actually unassembled devils? Snowdemons if you will? This has me concerned as my third graders are currently trying to build the largest possible snowman out of the pittance of snow that is still on the ground.

So will someone please explain this to me before I spend the next week dreaming about being attacked by an army of snowdemons!

A Day in the Life of Amy..

According to inanimate objects.

My body circa 12 am: "Yay we're still awake! There are soooo many things to do!"

My body circa 4, 5, 6 am: "Is it time to get up yet???"

My body circa 7 am: "NOOOOO. I'm never getting out of bed...like ever."

Hot cocoa: "I am so hot and delicious but I will splash on your shirt while you stir me."

My car: "It's so cold....brr. You want me to start? LOL....okay I guess so."

My hair: "I'M STICKING STRAIGHT UP! I'VE NEVER BEEN SO STATIC-Y IN MY WHOLE LIFE!"

My tooth: "I'm gonna hurt you so bad today you'll develop a migraine!"

Warm water: "I feel sooo good on your cold hands...until they dry like sandpaper."

My coat: "Swish, swish. I'm so loud!"

My car: No really...it's frickin freezing! I'm gonna freeze your windshield wiper fluid to show you how cold it is."

The bank: "Your savings account has been declared DORMANT. Mwhahaha!"

Ravioli: "I can't wait to split open while boiling and empty my cheesy insides into your pot of water."

 

Conversations with Children

Scene: Reading group on the rug.

Me: Who is the trickster in our story?
Student J: The spider.
Student A: Miss C...can I touch your hair?
Me: Um, no.

This is What Happens...

When you go to school while basically EVERYONE else has a snow day.

• You check the news to make sure that school really isn't cancelled.
• You shuffle down the stairs through 5ish inches of snow.
• You thank Mother Nature for snowing light, fluffy snow while you brush off your car.

• You slip and slide and have trouble driving to school.

• You laugh when another teacher told you she took a sleeping pill at 1 am because she assumed it would be a snow day.
• You cringe when a different teacher tells you she spun her car into a stone wall on the way to work.
• You wonder why you didn't at least have a delay as a third grader tells you that her bus went over a curb today.
• You shake your head when your class is crazysauce because it's snowing.
• You take pictures of third graders making snow angels.

• You laugh when they tell you their butts are wet after making snow angels.
• You are glad that you FINALLY bought a real, grown up winter coat.
• You have sopping wet feet after recess in the slush.
• You ask the nurse if she has any dry socks.
• You wear little boys socks for the rest of the day. 
• You play geography games while running homework room at extended day.
• You get home and just want to snuggle forever and ever.

Live Action Blogging: Golden Globes Edition

7:50 - Jennifer Lawrence's dress is pretty...wait WTF is with the Madonna boob thing?

8:01 - Tina Fey and Amy Poler...I LOVE YOU!

8:02 - NO REALLY! Tina and Amy...let's all be best friends!

8:45 - Wait...Adele won? Is this the Grammy's?

8:55 - Wait...Bill Clinton is presenting? Is this the DNC?

9:04 - I want to hang out with Kristen Wig and Will Farrell.

9:08 - I'd like to be friends with Jennifer Lawrence too.

9:25 - I haven't seen ANY of these movies. As a general rule I am anti period piece but I might want to see Lincoln...but I think only because Bill Clinton endorsed it.

10:08 - Jodie Foster is pretty chill.

10:09 - Aren't the Golden Globes awards for movies AND tv? 

When you teach 3rd Grade...

• You wear reindeer pajamas to school for pajama spirit day.
• Your kids tell you that it isn't Christmas anymore so you should have worn non-reindeer pajamas.
• You wear reindeer pajamas to the grocery store because you need cupcake liners.
• You feel self conscious about wearing reindeer pajamas to the grocery store.
• You zip up an orange coat while Student K is crying so hard she starts to hyperventilate.
• You back away as Student A comes running up to you saying, "Miss C! I threw up this morning!"
• You smile inside as you notice that the entire class is entranced by the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
• You think that is it Friday when it is only Thursday because Thursday was a half day and there is no school (for kids) on Friday.
• You have to sit through a 6 hour grad class on Friday.