Star Wars-itis, and tales of Going Home

Ok, so I went with my mom and grandmother today to get some Strawberry Tallcake from Ruby Tuesday's to celebrate the completion of my first semester of graduate school, when I realized that "Hey, we're in the shopping center with a Booksmillion. Now, everyone who knows me knows also that I'm a Star Wars fanatic, and that I'm very excited about the upcoming movie. I'd already seen the book was available to buy for the movie once, but I avoided it, figuring I would see the movie first. But then I got to thinking...

...the book is always better than the movie, I need to read it before I see the movie then! So guess what I came home with? You got it, a copy of the novel version of Revenge of the Sith.

So, first of all, you may not be seeing me online alot for the next few days. I'll either have my nose stuck in the book...or I just might be in Tennessee having a lil R and R time before my NEXT semester of grad school.

See what happens to me when I'm NOT in school? I buy Star Wars books and go home. I should take a break more often, actually...

(and by the way, I will NOT be reading the book when I'm in Tennessee!)

R.I.P.

So I spent about ten minutes wondering about what interesting thing I could post about my day. For a few minutes then, I started getting depressed that there really WASN'T anything interesting to post...

...until it just occurred to me that the LAST time I had anything interesting to post, not all that long ago, I was dealing with a wacked out and fired co-worker. So nevermind trying to be profound. The major thing that happened today, until I got home and read the things that had happened in Tennessee was that, when arriving in my classroom this morning, I had a note telling me one of our fish had "gone to heaven" and that we "might want to remove it!" (punctuation left on purpose. So I looked and looked for the departed fish...

...and couldn't find one anywhere. I entertained the notions that A. The filter had gotten him, or B. The other fish had eaten him (gross...). So I figured...the fish is gone. But I was wrong.

When we were lining up for playground time, one of the kids, who is standing near the tank, says "Ms. Carrie, another fish died!!!" I look in, and lo and behold, there's our departed fish getting bashed back and forth in the current of our filter, looking REALLY PALE AND GROSS. So kids went out without much discussion of this, and Ms. Carrie retrieved the fish...which I found much more difficult than I thought it would have been. I mean SHEESH, IT'S A FISH. But I went to the store and bought the stupid fish...

...and now I'm worried about going in tomorrow to find more dead. Is this totally insane? IT'S A FISH.

And on another highly unrelated note, I felt it very important to add here that my mundane fish matters paled when I finally did get to read your blog, Kate (since you are probably the only one reading this...other than maybe Matt.) I want you to know I pray and think about you guys every day, and that, I'm here. Wish I could be closer a lot of the time...

...but you are in my heart 100 percent of the time. Anyway, peace out.

And to my dearly departed fish tank pet...R.I.P.

Spawn from Hell (Kids will be what you let them be)

I just had to share this bit of insight with everyone out there. Now, working with kids, I know very well that kids will do and say and be exactly what you let them be. And you would think parents would have enough sense to realize this...

...but not all of them do. I saw a prime example of this today. I went with Dad to go grocery shopping (since Mom's foot is still healing from her surgery) and I was in the refrigerated foods isle picking up stuff, when a Mom rolls by me with two kids in her "car basket" (you see, when you go to Publix, you can get fancy fun baskets for your kids to ride in while you shop). Anyway, the little girl in the basket says to her Mom, "Get us a cookie mom!" *insert whiney voice and demanding tone* Mom ignores her, so she repeats this louder, at least twice...probably more than that. So what does Mom do? SHE GIVES IN. "Oh sure," she says, "I'll get you one." I'm already thinking, "Are you kidding me? Your kid says "get it" and you do? No please, no thank you, nada!?!" But it gets better. Mom had to get a few things off that aisle before she could get her demanding brat a cookie...

...so the kid starts up again in about 3 more minutes. Mom reassures the kid she'll get she and her brother a cookie, and rolls the cart off to the next aisle...

...probably to get the stupid cookie.

Now come on. People wonder why kids have no manners, no patience, and think the world revolves around them. Some of this IS human nature...but it's something you teach kids NOT to do by reinforcing more acceptable behavior. And no, I don't have kids, but I teach them every day. And they sure know that what I expect out of them as far as manners is totally different than what is expected at home; this is evidenced in how their whole personality changes when Mom or Dad picks them up.

So please, if you have or are going to have kids, teach them manners, and don't let them behave like little brats! And that goes for me too...

"If..."

From Kate's Ink:

"I wanted to illustrate my last post AND jump-start the discussion amongst my friends, so I'm going to post a question from If...1,2,3 (which is apparently no longer in print in that form).

If you blog, post the answers there along with your own question. And if you don't, stick 'em in my comments. ^_^

If you were to have bells ring out loud automatically (for all to hear) every time you did a certain thing, what would it be?"

Oh heck, I don't know. I guess, since I'm in preschool teaching, I should have bells and whistles every time I say "Go sit in time out." Bells and whistles would be ringing a whooooooole lot, I'm telling you...

And my question is: If you could choose one song for your life's theme, what would it be? (not that anyone is going to actually answer this...)

Tuesday is Chooseday

Here's my answers to the "Tuesday is Chooseday." You all have Kate to thank for this. :)

Would you rather:

your ears be bleeding OR your eyes? Ears.

smell like vanilla cake frosting OR fresh-cut lime wedges? Vanilla cake frosting. I think...

get comments on your hair OR your smile? My smile.

have an addiction to coffee OR an addiction to bubble gum? coffee

Do You Ever Wonder...?

Not much has happened this weekend other than my brief trip to Tallhassee to see the "Noles play the Noles, and my usual trip to church and Sunday School, where I heard a very good sermon on being a "Contagious Christian." And no, this does not mean I'm going to go all Bible-beating on you all. The whole gist of the thing was to share Christ with others via the way you live your life and treat them. Not a profound concept, necessarily...except no one seems to do it very well, myself included.

Ok, now that I just went on that tangent, where was I? Ahhh, yes, not a very interesting weekend. I ended it with some Smallville episodes, and before that a trip to UNF to complete part of my final assignment in the computer lab. I don't have the program I needed at home to finish, so I also had to print the thing there.

So THIS is what I really wonder. When I went to print a ONE PAGE PAPER, I discovered I had to pay 10 cents a sheet TO PRINT. HELLO, THIS SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE STATE SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA!!!!!!!!! What can they possible need with my pathetic 10 cents? Can they not afford paper? I THINK NOT!!! So anyway, I ended up walking BACK to my car to get, YES, 10 cents, so I could print a stupid paper. I should file a complaint, and ask where it is my 10 cents a page goes. To pay the guys that sit in the lab and monitor it while they talk on AIM? To pay the guys who fix pizza downstairs in the cafeteria, and badly? To pay my professors? To buy the paper? Sheesh.

The world may never know.

YES, I am still alive (aka three-year-olds, fish tanks, and finals)

Ok, I am back by popular demand of the masses (like, of Kate, who is probably the only person who consistently reads this thing!). This has been a crazy week, being my first full week of lead teaching at the school. And, between all of that, I'm finishing up finals for this semester of grad school and all the papers related to that. Bad news is, come May 12 that all starts over again. Good news is that May 5-10 I get to go back home and see Kate and I also got some grant money for the summer term.

And on a related note, I'm looking really forward to going home. I haven't been in...oh, three years? Something like that. And I'm not crazy; I know that some things will have changed and that the visit is a short one...

...but heck, Memphis is still home and it's where the one person I consider as a true friend is. I seem to have alot of acquaintances here in Jax, but nobody I can just sit and talk with or sing "We are the Champions" in the car at church with everyone wondering just what the hey is going on. No coffee shop sessions with Zero Ohms playing "Yesterday" in the background...over, and over, and over again. No re-writing of perfectly good songs (Ok, maybe "I, I, I, want you to know..." was never a good song anyway!)

Things just aren't the same here in Jax. And even the (extended) family I moved here to be with aren't as close as I would have thought. But the saying goes that "a friend sticketh closer than a brother." And that's the honest truth.

I will try to post again at least once this weekend, and hopefully next week's posting will be more regular. Tomorrow I'm headed for Tallahassee (Tally!) to see the Seminoles play there team scrimage...GO NOLES! I'll check in with you all after I get back...

...have a nice weekend peeps, and for those of you who are there, enjoy Memphis, and I'll see ya soon.

A Stress Reliever for Feeling Blue

Well, I today was an ok day, I suppose. I got my final paper for my online course pretty much finished and I completed an assignment for my Wednesday night class. Other than that, however, I've had little to no contact with the outside world other than my brief trip to Office Depot to by supplies for my class. And I can't even get anyone online to talk! Maybe you all have something I really don't...

...A LIFE! Then again, maybe you just don't want to talk to me. Either way, I'm feeling a little in the dumps. So, I think I'm gonna visit my little friend the Stress Reliever. If you've never seen this before and want a little humor in your life, just click and find out what I'm talking about.

Don't we all wish we could just sit back every once and a while and laugh, just cuz??? Maybe I appreciate this thing because I work with kids, who can truly laugh at ANYTHING. But at the very least, give it a whirl and find out what I'm rambling about...

Fish Tank Facts and Figures

First off, today at school/work was absolutely wonderful. No DCF, no classroom drama...just a few minor behaviors to deal with. Considering my class is made of 10 boys and only 3 girls, I'm adapting as much as they are...I'm used to more of a balance!!!

But, on a related note, I've started looking in to what it would cost to get a filter for the tank we have. The fish won't cost all that much, I think. Problem is, this is a rather large tank (I'm guessing probably 20 gallons, but maybe only 10). I can't get a filter until I know the size of the tank...

...and I'm totally stressed about the care that is going to be involved in maintaining the tank. I mean, sheesh, fish are supposed to be easy to take care of right? Noooo...you have to clean the water weekly (which I knew) make sure pH levels are appropriate for the fish in the tank, make sure the fish you have in the tank are compatible, make sure you prepare the tank for fish to begin with, make sure amonia levels are low to nil, make sure there's a bateria/filter system that is appropriate, etc., etc., etc.

ALL I WANT IS A STUPID FILTER FOR MY FISH TANK AND A FEW FISH SO MY STUDENTS WON'T BE SO UPSET THAT WE HAVE A TANK OF ROCKS IN THE CLASSROOM!!!!!!

Ok, now I feel better having vented that. And on another related note, I feel even better because, when I opened my check today, I discovered I have recieved a raise. A small raise, but any raise is still a raise...

If Your Momma Ever Told You

Most of us know how important it is to tell the truth, and most of us at some point in our lives will get into a situation where we must or it could mean the loss of a job, a relationship loss, or something to that effect. Well, I had my time today. I've already related the tale of how an employee was fired and I obtained (not assumed!) her position. Well, said employee, whose granddaughter was at the root of all this, decided to call up the Department of Children and Family Services at report that there was serious mental and physical abuse in the classroom. And lucky me, that is the classroom I was assisting in until I was "promoted" on Tuesday.

Now I'll admit. I've griped alot to some of you about some of the things I've seen in the classroom, and I haven't liked the tones and words used with the kids at times. But do I think it was ABUSE? No, that is pushing things a bit far. I would also argue that, had my concerns mentioned to the director been noted more seriously, that this would not have happened. But then, considering this grandmother, perhaps it would have.

To make a long story much shorter, DCF came to the center today and stayed there all morning and into the early afternoon. My former lead teacher was questioned, the other prekindergarten teacher was questioned, the Director was questioned, and I was questioned. I had to be honest that I had seen the lead teacher be too verbally rough with the children. I was also totally honest in that I had NEVER seen any marks from any physical contact the lead teacher had with the kids. I also had NEVER seen her take a child by anything other than the arm or the hand (the arm is a risky choice for grabbing purposes, but I had to be honest.)

Well, the honesty paid off, I think. I hope. Sounds like the lead teacher was very honest in that she does at times raise her voice. She was also in that there are times her 'buttons' can be pushed. So I think things are going to be ok, for now. And hopefully, the lead teacher I was with will now know how VERY important it is to consider your tone when working with children. At least, I hope that for my kids that I had worked with for nearly two years up until Tuesday afternoon.

But the moral of the story? Be honest. And by the way, pray that DCF does not come back and that this whole mess will be over and done with.

P.S. Incidentally,the psycho teacher I'm replacing took our fish tank filter (and left the fish and tank!!!). Anyone know a good place to by a cheap, efficent filter? I need to find out where to get one...the kids are very upset the tank is gone. Too bad not one of them has asked me what happened to their other teacher...

When They say...

When you hear someone say the phrase "All hell has broken lose," you might wonder what exactly that means. Then again, you might be very familiar with that phrase. Today, here in happy Isle of Faith Child Development Center land, it happened. We've been having problems with a particular student in my Prekindergarten class...

...and more importantly, have been having problems with her grandmother who works down the hallway and thinks it is OK to come butt in when her granddaughter (who is, incidentally and to my great mistake, a perfect angel) in trouble. Of course, said granddaughter NEVER does anything wrong. Really. All sarcasm intended. So anyway, said grandmother has been butting in alot, and the Director has been made aware. Now, I'll give you that our PreK class is not the perfect one, and that our teachers aren't perfect either. But neither is this kid. One thing lead to another and to another, and the grandmother was fired this afternoon.

Now, this of course, is now all my fault since, according to her, I haven't "been honest" about things that go on in the classroom. First off, I've talked to the director about my concerns. Secondly, THIS KID IS NO ANGEL, AND HAS HER WRAPPED AROUND HER LITTLE FINGER. So no, it's not my fault. It's her fault for coming into the room one too many times instead of going through the right channels about her concerns.

But this little drama gets EVEN BETTER. The grandmother was a lead teacher, which left a gaping whole in IOF's program. I will be taking her place, effective tomorrow. Hope she doesn't hear about that one, or it will become something majorly skewed like I was trying to take her position somehow.

So this is how my day was. I sure hope everything goes allright when I go in tomorrow morning to assume my new position, yikes. I will keep all you cyberspace peeps posted.

My Top Ten Songs that Mean the Most to Me

Ok, this took no longer than I expected, but here's my list as I promised Kate. I know it's pretty skewed and random, and the song choices are broad in style and scope and everything else. I was planning to post more in regards to this broadness, but I'll let you all take a look for yourselves and see what you think first.

1. Everybody Hurts by REM
2. Foolish Games by Jewel
3. Give It Away by Michael W. Smith
4. I Will Carry You by Clay Aiken
5. I’m Just a Girl by No Doubt
6. Jesus Lover of My Soul by Passion (probably written by someone else, by I don’t know who)
7. Only Time by Enya
8. Somewhere in the World by Wayne Watson
9. Torn by Natile Imbruglia
10. You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban

So Here Goes

Well, this is my first shot at blogging, thanks to Kate's Ink Yep, I'm the notorious Music Therapy buddy Carrie. Besides that, I'm an ametuer writer/song writer, and a Special education graduate student. I will post my own top ten list of important songs, when I get to it, but for the moment I thought I'd at least start this thing out and give it a test run. Just so whoever is out there reading can know something about me (if you don't already, here's ten things you might like to know (or not) about me:

1. I have played flute for around 13 years.
2. I am an aspiring author; I have several books on the back burner that I have been writing since the 11th grade.
3. I role play frequently at The Escape Pod
4. I lived 17 years of my life in Bartlett, TN (a suburb of Memphis) til I was transplanted to Jacksonville, FL
5. I have my bachelor's degree in Music Therapy from the Florida State University.
6. I have a passion to work with children with special needs, particularly those who have physical handicaps.
7. I was born with a cleft palate.
8. I have a mild neuromuscular disorder which causes weakness in my arms and legs. There is no specific diagnosis to this day, even almost 20 years after the original diagnosis. I have no known genetics to this problem.
9. I am an avid Star Wars fan (like most of you don't already know this!). I also like X-men, Spiderman, and Smallville (if I could ever watch the new episodes on Wednesday nights, that WOULD be nice).
10. I also love coffee and hot tea...and, of course, Hershey's chocalate and almond bars.