I zig, you zag.

I zig

  You zag

                    And no one else

                          knows our pattern

                                    We figure it out

                               Moment by moment 

               Remembering

        How

and

        Why

               We fell in love

                          Working hard

                                    to keep it alive

                          Uphill, downhill

               no other

       can replace

If you ever

       were to go

               My heart

                          an empty space.

                                                You zig

                          I zag

                Like a puzzle

         piece

not all will

         fit

                each day

                          discovering

                                                two halves

                          a whole!

                We zig,

          We zag,

but still intwined

           by fingers

                 heart,

                          and mind.

                                                The End.

                          

                           

We Are Young

Every school year, my middle school students seem to gravitate to one particular song that they feel defines their generation. Most times, I am somewhat confused as to why they consider certain songs "defining" of their generation, but regardless of their reasoning, I am always pleased to see their enthusiasm boil over when "their song" is played. Yes, most of the time, my students miss the underlying meanings of some of the song's lyrics, but I appreciate that they can create their own understanding from what they hear and know. Currently, the song that gets the most hits on my students' ipods is We Are Young (band: Fun featuring Janelle Monae). Below is the video for the song.

                                                                 

We Are Young

                                                

Tonight

We are young

We can set this world on fire

We can burn brighter

Than the sun

I was reminiscing and thinking back to my good ol' days and trying to remember what songs defined my generation. Since the list was long, I thought of a song that had that "damn the man!" attitude, so I settled on the New Radicals' You Get What You Give. They were probably a one-hit wonder because I can't think of anything else they sang. Oh well.

You Get What You Give

If you feel your dream is dying
Hold tight
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget you only get what you give

I like to think back to my days in middle school (Junior High) and high school and compare my experiences to those that my students go through each day. There are both similarities and differences, but the one thing that definitely surpasses generation gaps, is the connection young people can make with music. 

eXpanding the ideas

Good thing I have a list of places! Now I can expand on one, two, or three of them. A place that has really been on my mind lately is Vernazza, along the Mediterranean coast of Italy. Maybe it will be a future setting for something I write or a good way to "encourage" my husband to take an international family vacation.

Vernazza, Italy -- where art thou?

Writer's Notebook

A peek into my Writer's Notebook... not exactly a treasure trove of writing ideas, but I'm working on it. I am trying to be more consistent with putting the ideas in my head onto a piece of paper, preferably paper in my writer's notebook.
A kick in the arse Some motivation from other talented writers/teachers is always appreciated! (Thank you, Ruth Ayers!)

Place. Setting. Location. Surroundings. Destination. 

Where are you? 

VlogBrothers

I'm not a big YouTube user; I mainly use it to stay abreast with the latest talk circulating my seventh grade classroom. But, I am a big John Green* fan! (not to mention, I also have a secret crush) So, besides using YouTube to keep me "in the know" with my students, I also use it to view John and Hank Green's (they're brothers) VlogBrothers channel. 

If I had to describe this vlog in three words, it would be: 

Genius + Hilarious + Awesome. 

According to the Green Brothers, the mission of their vlog is raising nerdy to the power of awesome. There are so many topics covered; from current events, YA lit, "How To," debunking misconceptions, the list goes on. Basically, they are here to teach us the stuff we don't know. And boy, it is quite an engaging learning experience!  If you still aren't convinced to click on this link and visit VlogBrothers, then maybe some of their vlog titles will convince you.

"A Surreal Descent into Madness: Reviewing Children's TV"

"Disgusting Cookies: The 2012 Hunger Games"

"5 Worst Typos of History"

"Can I Be Space President"

"Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy"

"Springtime Hunger Games Zit Bully Walk"

"On Cuties and Cooties"

"2011 Presidential Anagrams!"

*John Green is a New York Times Bestselling Author of Looking For Alaska, Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, Will Grayson Will Grayson, and most recently, The Fault in Our Stars. 

Up, Up, and Away!

I am a firm believer that if opportunity knocks on your door, you should perform a background check and if all clears, let opportunity in. A recent opportunity did not exactly come knocking on my door, but instead, I sought it out and after doing its own background check on me, opportunity decide to let me in.


The opportunity that I have been granted with is to teach at another school. It will be bittersweet to leave the school that I am currently at since I have taught there for six years, and I adore the students and my colleagues; however, the school is on a path that I do not necessarily want to be on. Therefore, I decided to do something about it. Fortunately -- and I feel amazingly blessed -- I was hired at an independent school with a strong reputation. Without a doubt, every school has its own challenges, but I am ecstatic to be able to embrace change with my arms wide-open.


June 6, the final day of the school year will be sad; I've already shed a few tears when I watch my seventh graders shine and demonstrate how much they have matured throughout the school year. Not seeing them as eighth graders will definitely feel like I've misplaced something. Yet at the same time, I am looking forward to the completion of the current school year. I am ready for a new adventure; a new journey that will challenge me to be a stronger middle level educator. Becoming the veteran teacher who never made an attempt at something new or who was always resistant to change is someone that I refuse to become. The students deserve teachers who want to be there, excited to try new strategies, provide innovative and engaging lessons while creating a nurturing environment where adolescents want to work hard in order to exceed expectations. I want to strive to be that teacher and by embracing this opportunity, I believe that making this transition now is the right thing for me my family.

Inspired by

Two Writing Teachers inspires the writer within me.


Two Writing Teachers saved my life.
Yes, I realized that is a very heavy statement, but they did.
I was lost in motherhood with nothing to call my own.
And then destiny called logged on,
and I discovered the Slice of Life.
A little bit about your day,
a chunk, a piece, a slice.
A story.
Once-a-week.
Tuesdays to be exact.
Behold, a challenge!
I love like a challenge.
SOLSC = Slice of Life Story Challenge
Hence, The Chockboard.
Every single day in March, I wrote.
and wrote.
and wrote.
31 days straight.
It was exhilarating!
Writer's block is not exhilarating, but sharing your writing
with other writers IS.
Who cares if your grammar isn't up to par
or if your spelling is somewhat spontaneous?

Teachers, beware!
Two Writing Teachers
will refuel you
and your writing teacher habits.
Refreshing ideas, encouragement, and shared experiences
is what Two Writing Teachers is all about.
Teachers building capacity within one another makes
every single classroom flourish
and TWT is where it's at.

Thank you, Ruth & Stacey!

Stressed

{be. designs}

I was perusing some design/diy blogs (I love reading d.i.y. blogs, but rarely never actually d.i.m), and I came upon Amy's be.designs blog where I found the above graphic with the most marvelous anagram. 

It was the perfect reminder for me to work on letting go of things that I either cannot control or have to do anyway, so why be stressed about it? Like a dessert, just eat it and enjoy it!

Remember when...

the TELEPHONE edition






The first cell phones were gray bricks... and you certainly did not own one?


Pay phones were easy to locate and making a phone call cost 25 cents?


Everyone's household had a landline telephone?


Memorizing phone numbers was customary and was done easily?


The word "phone" was not synonymous with "iPhone"?


You didn't have to be paranoid when someone took out their phone, in fear of being recorded and then posted publicly for all the world to see your bizarre behaviors?


Kids couldn't text message during class?


There were no telephone rules at school because... well, you didn't need them!


People did not bump into you as you walked on the sidewalk because their eyes were glued to their smartphones?


You actually called someone and heard their voice rather than "communication via text message"?

Quotes: My Top Ten

10. "Respect my Authori-tah!" 

-Cartman from South Park

9. Pull your weeds and plant good seeds.

8. "For you, a thousand times over!"

-Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner

7. "In the end, everything's gonna be alright and if it's not alright, then it's not the end."

 -Bill Rancic

6. The more open to possibility, the more possibilities open.

5. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in Ourselves."

-Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

4. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

3. "Love is keeping the promise anyway."

-John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

2. "The time is always right, to do what is right."

-MLK, Jr.

1. "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

-Albert Camus

Paradise

Pristine coastlines
White sand
Warm, translucent waters
Unaffordable real estate
Local access to beaches denied

Graceful hula dancers
Handsome brown-skinned surfers
Carefree barefoot children
Domestic violence
Low math and science scores

Untouched beauty
Aloha spirit
Unique island lifestyle
Homeless tent cities
Development over agricultural lands

Paradise.

Opportunity

(knock, knock)

Who’s there?       

                                  

                                                                        Opportunity.

                                                                        And I’m only    

                                                                        knocking
                                                                        once.

Why should I let you

in?

I’ll have to start from

scratch.

New friends.

New ideas.

New challenges.

                                                                        New friends.

                                                                        New ideas.

                                                                        New challenges.

                                                                        New YOU.

Constant change.

                           

                                                                        Change is constant.

If it ain’t broke,

why fix it?

                                                                        Trepidation and time
                                                                        will break you.

                                                             
                                                                        Fear dismantles
                                                                        d  r  e  a  m  s  .

And life’s regrets,

permanent.

                                                                        Be Brave.

                                                                        Be Bold.

                                                                        Be Buoyant.

Welcome.

Please come in.

New books!

So, instead of a new pair of shoes or a new purse, I often prefer to buy books that I am interested in reading. Of course, I would love a pair (or two) of new shoes and a new purse (like a need a hole in my head!), but the thrill I get from picking up a new read lasts longer than the blisters from a new pair of shoes. 

I am a middle school teacher, so it is very important that I read what my students read. Lucky for me, YA Fiction is my favorite genre! Currently, time is something I am always searching for, so my book stack continues to grow taller, but as I strive to conquer that stack, I remember something that a very intelligent woman once said about reading, "Find the time, Make the time, Take the time." 

And that's just what I am going to do with these new titles. Oh, the thrill!

 

Moments like this one

I came into the living room as soon as I was done washing the dinner dishes and saw my husband asleep (snoring, actually) and our daughter snoozing on her father's chest. I literally took a deep breath and sat beside the couch they were on. I stared intently as so many thoughts traveled through my mind. I felt selfish for grumbling to myself just a little while ago as I washed the dishes. Reminding myself of the amazing life I am blessed with happens frequently because lately I've been allowing the "downer" days at work affect me. 

A tender snore from my husband and an angelic little girl fast asleep gave me a feeling which immediately rushed over me. I live for these two people and although some days are more challenging than others, this type of moment solidifies in me, the feeling of content, satisfaction, and unwavering happiness. Trudging through the daily mud of life can sometimes get the best of you, but as I reflect, the worst of times will only be the worst if you allow them to be. 

How lucky am I to have these two special people in my life; two people who will love me unconditionally, offer support, and make me laugh. I made sure that I captured this special moment because I want to be able to look at this photograph again and understand that my ability to inhale and exhale comes from moments like this one. 

Inspired by

Inspired by: LIVING.
Christy Rush-Levine, blog author. 

I discovered this blog in March when I participated in my first-ever Slice of Life Story Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers. The first post I read was titled, My Books Are Calling to Me. Christy's TBR shelf begins to compete for her attention. Which should be read first? Why is one book better than another? A quirky and engaging post, I was interested in more. As I began to read more, I really began to enjoy Christy's blog not only for the subject matter, but for the quality of writing. Reading this blog makes me say to myself, "Why can't I write like that?!"

This blog is inspiring because it highlights the author's passion for reading, writing, and learning. She has another wonderful blog titled, Reading Beyond the Middle, in which she reviews and recommends books for her former students. That dedication to helping her students continue to be readers is an inspiring trait, don't you think?

Two inspirational blogs by one great writer.

Kamehameha the Great

A little, but very important Hawaiian history for you:

Kamehameha (also referred to as Kamehameha the Great) founded the first ruling dynasty of Hawai`i by uniting the eight major islands of the Hawaiian archipelago. He was born on Hawai`i Island (Big Island), circa 1758. Kamehameha was favored by the people, and at a young age in 1782, Kamehameha began the campaign to unite the islands under one rule. Over the next thirteen years, Kamehameha and his warriors courageously battled with neighboring chiefs and by 1795, he ruled Hawai`i Island and five others. As a result of rough seas and diseases, it wasn't until 1810, when Kamehameha gained control of the final two islands. 

Throughout Kamehameha's rule, he was presented with many foreign cultural influences. He was able to cultivate alliances with Westerners while upholding traditional Hawaiian beliefs. A keen battle strategist, Kamehameha utilized Western weaponry, such as the cannon, to consolidate his power within the Islands. He tactfully controlled Western business and political contacts with Hawaiians, but encouraged trade and the sharing of ideas.

Kamehameha focused on effectively governing his kingdom until his death in 1819. His remains were hidden with such secrecy, according to ancient custom, "only the stars know his final resting place."

Four other monarchs ruled the Hawaiian kingdom under the Kamehameha name. For Hawaiians, this name is associated with ability, courage, generosity, and patriotism.

King Kamehameha I statue draped in lei in Honolulu, HI

For many decades, June 11 has been a celebrated state holiday, Kamehameha Day, in the State of Hawai`i.

Just Joking!

What do you call a computer that sings?

 

Adele.

:)


I love jokes. Along with jokes usually comes laughing, smiling, happiness, and a well-deserved escape for thirty seconds (hopefully) of laughter that makes your cheeks ache. Encouraging my students to bring or create (clean) jokes to share with the class is something we enjoy doing. One of my seventh grade students told me the above joke the other day, and I thought it was a great one! Normally, I hear the same jokes and riddles from my students each year, but this one was a new one and I love Adele.

Inspired by

There are a billion blogs out there in the blog-o-sphere, and I enjoy reading and learning from many of them. I appreciate people's openness, humor, intelligence, and random musings. There are a few that inspire me though, and I want to share one with you.

I am Inspired by the blog, Spill Beans.  

And I think you will be, too. Spill Beans has so much to share; amazing beliefs, points-of-view, humor, knowledge, creativity... the list goes on. I am on a mission to read the archived posts of this blog because every time I visit, I am usually intrigued and the wheels in my brain really start turning. I either learn something new, have some of my ideas validated, forced to questions things, think critically, gather something to share with my middle school students, laugh, cry, or logoff in frustration. Spill Beans is always written in an invitingly manner, never condescending, and always with purpose. There are many inspiring blogs out there, but I think you should go check this one out first and read what I am talking about. Thank you for inspiring me on a daily basis, Spill Beans!!!

I am eager to share the next blog that inspires me... until then.

Happiness...

My new mantra.

{via}

It's easy to think that life is too hard on me sometimes, but when I actually stop and think about how pathetic I may be sounding, I remember that someone else, somewhere in the world (maybe even my next door neighbor), is having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year. There are hundreds of things that I need to keep close to my heart and remember that I. Am. Blessed. Make the best of today.

Growing pains

An exhausting Easter Sunday prompts me to write this post.

    My daughter, who is one-year old, has always preferred her mother over many others for obvious reasons, of course. However, yesterday, actually the entire last week was the most intense my husband and I experienced with her. Incessant crying, even hating her dad, made for an angst-ridden, stressed out afternoon and evening for us (and probably for our family members, too). Feelings of frustration, embarrassment, then indifference, then back to frustration, embarrassment, and repeat... 

    Besides a nap and mommy carrying, what will remedy this situation from continuing to occur? Not necessarily remedy it, but at least lessen its intensity and frequency. She just will not go to any other person besides mom, dad, grandpa and granny! My husband and I are always brainstorming, thinking of strategies or things we should or shouldn't be doing to make her more comfortable around people. She has a bright personality and is a very mellow child... except for those times where we are with others who want to also enjoy her, but she just won't give them a chance. 

    An evening filled with conversation, questions, confusion, lack of answers, but she did sleep through the night -- probably so exhausted from the day's crying. 

Growing pains are pains for all; deep breaths even as I type. 

(Suggestions welcomed)

Flashback!

Easter weekend has definitely been hectic, so I am running a bit tardy on the "F" post for the A-Z challenge...but that is o-kay! Hope all of you had a spectacular weekend, even if you weren't celebrating Easter :)

Luckily, my late post is for the letter F is about events that took place on Friday... perfect for a Flashback!

Here is how Friday night went.

1. We prepared for an eggcellent Easter. Everyone's busy schedules were put aside for family time.

2. Coloring eggs is an annual tradition for us, but I learned that my sister-in-law never dyed eggs. 

She asked, "Can these still be eaten afterwards?"

Artists at work!

3. I had to "let go" and not be concerned about the mess factor. Messiness = Creativity?

4. Watching my nieces and nephew color eggs reminded me of when my sisters and I would do it religiously every single Easter. My sister always made an annual Humpty Dumpty egg. I always strived for the boldest colored egg by leaving it in the dye for most of the day. 

My daughter and my husband. (She was the cutest easter egg there!)

5. The adults sit around and share our gift of gab with one another. And we drink some festive libations.

6. Coloring eggs usually means work for the adults, but lasting memories for the kids, which makes it priceless.

The finished products.

E is for Eggcellent!

I am going to have to break the rules! I'll be "officially" posting my letter "E" this Friday because that's when all the little kiddies will be dyeing eggs at their Tutu's (grandma) house... 
Stay tuned...

Dad.

a man of few words
stoic yet gentle
clever, witty, humorous
never first, but always
last
always walking a step
behind
chivalrous, supportive
strength never to be surpassed

I always wonder how you do it, Dad.
Raising three girls to be strong, independent, respectful women.
Loving mom unconditionally, being patient with all of us as much as you can.
Mom says you never needed a son. I believe it wholeheartedly.
Every single day, including today, you live for us.
Forgiving, understanding, compassionate.
How can any other man in our lives emulate the man you are?

a man of few words
stoic yet gentle
clever, witty, humorous
never first, but always
last
always walking a step
behind
chivalrous, supportive
strength never to be surpassed

Dad.

Chaos resumes!

     The excitement in the air was contagious today! The only way I can properly describe it is with the word CHAOTIC. A good chaos, though. So many stories to be told and listened to as my seventh graders returned to school from their week-long spring break. My students even wanted to hear about my break! Normally, I would have them settle down and use homeroom time to get focused for their day, but they were so enthused to see one another that I knew that would be too much to ask. Ultimately causing me to be the only one frustrated. So we talked, all at one time, but of course that's how seventh graders communicate, so they didn't mind. I could barely keep my head on straight attempting to attentively listen to everyone's adventures or lack thereof, so I smiled, nodded, and replied, "That's awesome!" I knew I would have the opportunity to enjoy each student's stories throughout the week. We decided to share our spring break adventures through writing; a poem, a story, a skit, one student wanted to create a powerpoint presentation because he had all of his pictures from his spring break with him.
     Last night, I was dreading the high-pitched alarm clock waking me to face the dark morning light and having to drag myself to work while keeping my cool through traffic. Little did I know that as soon as I arrived on campus and saw a few of my students, my attitude went from pessimistic to optimistic! I was ecstatic to be back. A week without my students can be lonely. I miss their smiles, their struggles, and the amazingly silly things they say. It's good to be back. I'm a sucker for chaos.

B.F.F. = Binky Friends Forever

My one-year old daughter loves her pacifier, a.k.a. "Binky," so I thought I'd write a song on her behalf to this plastic miracle maker, in the style of "On Top of Spaghetti." Please sing along!

I love you, dear Binky,

All covered in spit,

You pacify crying,

I won't throw a fit. 

I try to hold onto

you as tight as I can, 

but my dear little Binky

has a different plan.

It falls on the floor

and into the dust,

Then my frantic mama

says washing's a must.

If she hadn't seen it,

It could have been mine,

My dear little Binky

with dust tastes just fine.

My mom doesn't know it,

But there's so much more,

my Binky has rolled in

besides dusty floors.

I love you, dear Binky,

my best friend indeed,

when my diaper needs changing,

you're all that I need.

About me