We Need to Talk

Alright, we have an issue. I haven't been writing on here because I really didn't have anything that was worth trying to make entertaining to read... but now I do. The issue that I have had for about the last week, in particular, is catch-phrases. I think that I see a lot of annoying ones at school because teachers have to write so many newsletters and we really don't have time to be creative with every line that we write, but here are some of the big offenders (in no particular order):

1. It's that time of year again. Kathryn (TA to the stars) and I have decided to keep the newsletters that go home from PTA or other sources as well as emails that start out with this one-time meaningful phrase. It used to be that teachers would write that on momentous occasions like the first day of school. Now we see it on everything including a sign-up for a blood-bourne-pathogen training.

2. Going green. I'm all about helping the earth not waste away un-necessarily, but this phrase has come to mean any paper-skimping done because you don't want to use your copies or a trendy guilt-trip method to make sure the lights helper doesn't forget to turn out the energy-wasting lights.

3. Not so much. I will never forget the first time I heard that phrase and thought it sounded quirkily New-York-Jewish-Mom. After hearing a particular mom in last year's class (think bathtub pillows if you're curious who said this and you know my school stories) in reference to her child's lunch choice, I realized that the phrase had already gotten to the trendy-phrase-seeking-wanna-bes-who-drive-Mercedes-SUV's-and-hope-you'll-notice and it was instantly ruined. A favorite friend of mine with a great parking place at work says it, but she also says very funny things about cherry-flavored prophylactics so we can still be friends.

4. ... so they might get bored I love that parents assume that since their kid was a) in a good preschool b) in transitional Kindergarten or c) retained their child will be bored at the beginning of the year. Believe me, there are no kids that are Mensa enough to be bored with the kind of drama that Kathryn and I bring on a daily basis. We've been working on some new lines already (thank Hey-juice for those 3 workdays) so even kids from our own class last year would be stunned into listening.

Okay, there are more. I know that there was one more I was thinking of yesterday that occurred to me in Target, but pregnantly, I can't remember it. Oh and don't even get me started on how teachers love to put cutesy phrases like "goodies" in quotation marks in their thank you notes... Maybe this means we'll have a "We Need to Talk Part Deux"!

Another reason to stay tracked out

Continuing in the ilk of "I don't wanna go back to work" posts, I would also like to post a little something about my husband. For 6 years I have been married to that creature, but this has been the longest time that I have had no where to be and no job that I had to get to (thanks to year-round school paying me for all 12 months -- even when I'm on track out).

One thing that I have been teasing him about that I never had the chance to notice before was how he is absolutely unable to zap something in the microwave and eat in less than 5 minutes (like I always do).

Luis will routinely decide that he's hungry and proceed to defrost a steak, cut potatoes into fries, chop up a fancy salad, add lime to the tea I already made, and warm up some rice (where I would've had some Ramen Noodles 45 minutes into his preparation).

I love that he enjoys food so much that he spends the time and effort to create a meal worth burning calories over -- that is something I learned about my husband this trackout. Oh, track out... you really are to wonderful for any of us to imagine!

At long last

I know that it has taken me too long to post but I'm really in a long-lasting bad mood about actually having to go back to work to earn money. It's not that I don't like my job -- it's really the best job ever. My glorious and wonderful TA and I have the greatest time schmoozing with the kids and teaching them important life lessons along the way, but the problem is that I like being at home and having a clean calm house even more.

Also, I am beginning to look at childcare options for the little Velasquez and I am seriously raging that I can't just strap him into a Baby Bjorn and bring him to Kindergarten. Last year's class could have TOTALLY handled it but there is def a OSHA policy about this.

So since you have other things to do besides reading paragraphs about why I don't wanna go back to work, I will condense them into a list:

1. I like not waking up to an alarm clock.

2. I like reading my email and checking Perez Hilton BEFORE I consider breakfast.

3. I like how my house looks when I am not too tired to pick up clutter.

4. I like having time to bake the dogs bones with healthy ingredients.

5. I like to go by the school to pick up a book or two then leave.

6. I like seeing Jools sacked out in her crate with the door wide open even though there are pillows and chairs she could also choose.

7. I like making a journey walking down the driveway to get the mail instead of driving by on my way in the driveway.

8. I like having the flexibility to drive to Target at 1:25 if I feel like it.

I started to feel like that line in the play Our Town where they start listing the good things about their town that they never paid attention to until it was too late... told you I'm in a rare mood!

So, here's to my last full week off. Next week I have a stinking staff development and 3 teacher workdays... so here's to living it up!