We want some mo, we want some mo, we want some mo!

This is one of my favorite movies.  I grew up watching it, quoting it, its soundtrack was the first CD I  ever bought myself...  I love it.  It's one of the only movies I could finish and then immediately start over.  One of my siblings' favorite stories, especially when teasing our parents, is about this movie.  Once, when we were younger, all the kids were home and my parents were at the grocery store or someplace.  When we finished our homework / chores for the evening, we wanted to watch a movie.  It was 9:00, though, and we knew that, 1) Mom and Dad would be home soon, and 2) when they got home, we'd have to turn off the TV and go to bed.  But one of us was smart and remembered this movie, which is also one of my mom's favorites.  So we made a non-monetized bet - if we started this movie, even at 9:00, Mom and Dad would let us stay up to finish it.  

They got home at 9:15.

Worked like a charm.

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"In fanciful stories people can talk to the birds freely, and I wish for the moment I could pretend that this was such a story, and say that Peter replied intelligently to the Never bird; but truth is best, and I want to tell only what really happened."  - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

respeto

This is exactly why I allow nothing less than respect in my class.  One of the first words my students learned from me (and probably the one they know best even now) was respeto, and they know it's not just for me.  I require them to listen to each other speak, to not laugh if someone answers incorrectly, and to respect each others' - and their own - artwork even if it's silly. One of the first lessons a second grade class learned from me is that words are important.  A boy teased another boy, who started crying, and the first boy said, "They're just words.  Words don't matter."  We stopped the entire lesson until everyone in that class knew that words do matter, and when you say something that can hurt someone's feelings, you make it better.  Because no one deserves to grow up feeling like they're not safe at school.  Everyone deserves to grow up knowing they have friends in their classroom.  Thankfully, I teach at a school where people are pretty nice.  I've been really impressed with my students.  Almost every classroom feels like a tight group of friends, as well it should.  I don't see them on the playground, so things could be different than they seem, but I'm thankful that they have learned to support each other, at least in the classroom.  Mistakes are made there all the time - it's a good place to learn respect.

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"He was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him.  It was saying, 'To die will be an awfully big adventure.'"  - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

jobs (other than my own) that I would love: part 3

You don't have to watch all of that, but you'll be in for some great entertainment (and a couple of fun surprises) if you do.  I, for one, am highly impressed with her ability to pull out so many different dance moves in just five minutes, even if she does make extensive use of the model walk.  

Oh, and I sang that song in my fifth grade musical.

But back to the point - I would be such a good store mascot.  I've always thought it would be soooo fun (except in the boiling heat) - AS LONG AS I had a head.  If there were no head to go with the costume, I would probably be just like most store mascots, but if there were a head and I was allowed to listen to music (whether on a loudspeaker or an iPod), I would be great and it would be super fun.  Everyone driving / walking by would totally come into my store / buy a mattress / pizza / insurance / fried chicken from me.  Whaaaaat!

(I was going to insert a video from "The Middle" where you find out that, when Sue is the mascot, everyone loves her, but I couldn't find it.  You'll just have to imagine. :)

So, that's pretty much it.  I would enjoy being a grocery buggy collecter, a tutor, and a store mascot.  As for jobs that I don't have enough to say about for them to get their own post, there's just one.  It's "teach you how to go grocery shopping"er.  I'm good at going shopping and living on a low grocery budget, I think.  I wouldn't teach a class, necessarily, but I think I could do a pretty good job going into someone's home, looking at what they like to eat, helping them learn to look through an ad, and then going shopping.  That kind of thing.

Oh, and high school choir accompanist.

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"Which of these adventures shall we choose [to describe]?  The best way will be to toss for it.

I have tossed, and the lagoon has won.  This almost makes one wish that the gulch or the cake or Tink's leaf had won.  Of course I could do it again, and make it best out of three; however, perhaps fairest to stick to the lagoon."  - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

jobs (other than my own) that I would love: part 2

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A tutor, particularly in Spanish or Math (or Self-Esteem - that would be fun:).  These are my two favorite subjects (as far as tutoring goes), and although I love teaching, there's something about giving one-on-one help that's different and special.  Also, the grammar-based style of teaching Spanish is getting older and being phased out a little, but I really enjoy tutoring students who have learned by that style because I love grammar (and teaching it).  I am fascinated with the nuances of speech, grammar, accents, and pronunciation.  Anyway - I could go on but I won't.  Job #2 = tutor (but hopefully we both would look happier and the kid would have a better haircut).

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"The difference between [Peter] and the other boys at such a time was that they knew it was make-believe, while to him make-believe and true were exactly the same thing."  - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

jobs (other than my own) that I would love: part 1

There are a few jobs in this world that I would love to have.  Not only would be they provide a great amount of joy to me, but I also just think I would rock at them.  I considered posting all of them right now, but then I realized I have a lot to say about some of these, so, without further ado, here is "Jobs (other than my own) that I would love: Part 1." 

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Let's be honest, I already love this job.  Every time I go grocery shopping by myself, I'm excited to return the buggy, and every time I go with Joel, I volunteer to return the buggy to the cart corral.  I would LOVE to be the buggy gatherer at a grocery store.  Love.  Why?  First of all, scenes like this...

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...make the OCD "I enjoy organizing" part of my brain start filling up with endorphins.  Seriously.  I get excited just looking at this picture.  I want to clean it!!  Secondly...

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...look how happy they look!  I'm kind of kidding - most shopping cart picker uppers do not look that happy, and every time I've talked to someone about this dream job, they tell me I would hate it soon after starting.  I have to say, though, I'm really good at doing repetitive organization tasks and still liking them at the end.  I feel like I would look like those people if I were doing that job, especially if I were allowed to, 1) talk to people and/or, 2) listen to music.  Also, I could go around taking people's buggies for them when they finished unloading!  Fun.  And thirdly...

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...there would probably be an unlimited amount of opportunities to do that.  So there you have it!  One job I would love to have (and be great at) is that of Grocery Bugger Gatherer.

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"'I have often,' said Smee, 'noticed your strange dread of crocodiles.'

'Not of crocodiles,' Hook corrected him, 'but of that one crocodile.'  He lowered his voice.  'It liked my arm so much, Smee, that it has followed me ever since, from sea to sea and from land to land, licking its lips for the rest of me.'

'In a way,' said Smee, 'it's a sort of compliment.'" 

- J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

anonymous

Dear bloggers I don't know whose blogs I read,

I know it's fun to get comments from people you don't know, but where's the line between exciting and weird?  Is there one?

Or, how many times can I comment on your blog before you think I'm a crazy person? 

Sincerely,

She

thought questions

I found a website today called ThoughtQuestions: Asking the right questions is the answer.  The questions tend to be pretty simple and interesting to think about, so I thought, maybe when I feel like writing on my blog but don't know what to write about, I'll look something up on there. :)  This one is just for fun, not because I have nothing to say.

Hey! Snow day!

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"But undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw."  - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan