Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thanksgiving...

...is one of my least favorite holidays.  Turkey isn't really my thing.  But I do like pies :-)

Last Tuesday I woke up late and super sick.  It was literally the worst sinus infection EVER!  I got to school, walked right to the assistant principal's office and told her I had to go home.  It was that bad.  And people, I have great work ethic.  So that should tell you that I was really sick.  I went home and napped on the couch for hours!

When I got up, I was feeling a little better, so I packed my stuff and straightened the house up.  When Josh got home, we hopped in the car and drove to Cumberland for the holiday.  It only took about 4 1/2 hours, which is a little less than usual.  But it felt like the longest ever because I couldn't breathe!

We spent all of our time (from Tuesday night to Saturday morning) just visiting and spending time with family.  It was really nice. Our dinner was delicious and we had lots of people visiting.  It was also our first holiday without my pap, which I thought would seem really weird.  It was only like that when I was thinking about it.  The rest of the time was just happy and relaxing and fun!

I feel so much better now and so does Josh.  We came back Saturday and ran lots of errands.  We also hit up my favorite restaurant in Salisbury called Fratelli's:


It is the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to.  They make the best crab cakes I have ever had and they make all of their pasta homemade in the store.  They (the owners) are Greek.  I know, weird.

We bought our first Christmas tree and set it up.  We are going to decorate it tonight and I am sooooo excited!  I am seriously in the most Christmasy-wintery spirit this year!  Do you like my snowy blog background?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Shit Happens

My "little" brother has been through thick and thin. I say "little" because he is 3 years younger than me and twice my size. He is an excellent musician and finally got himself on YouTube. I am his advocate :-)

He wrote this song shortly after getting out of jail and finally getting himself out of trouble. Watch out, folks, it's got some curse words so don't watch it around the kids!



                   

For a young kid in his situation, I think it shows a lot of maturity to have that attitude about his life. And the fact that he can finally express himself is great for him and our family.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Stories from American Education Week

I had a plethera of adults in my room this past week.

The mom from my previous posts of child abuse has been in to visit all three of her kids.  Dad isn't allowed on school property.  It is weird having her in my room because she is treating her kids like they are angels.  Makes me wonder why she is married to this dude.  And why she doesn't have any control over their discipline strategies.

I had a dad come in the other day who was dressed in his police uniform.  He walked in while I was teaching a class of first graders.  I assumed they would react to it, of course.  In the brief second that I had to think, I thought they would have said "Wow!"  "Cool!"  "A cop!"  "Neat gun!", etc.  Nope.  My kids are thugs whose parents are constantly running from the cops.   This was their response (in terror) "Mrs. Mengel! There's a cop in our room!"  "AHHHH!" "What's he doing here?"  "Who is he here for?"  "Is someone getting arrested?"  I attempted to explain to the 6 YEAR OLDS that police are good people who are here to protect us.  Didn't work.  They were still scared and most of them wouldn't even look him in the eye.  Kind of felt bad for the guy.

I had a 4th grade class today with 9 parent visitors.  The adults had to sit on the floor with us because we didn't have enough chairs in our room!  Having 10 adults in one room is tough.  Especially when one particular student wanted to show off for his mom.  He was playing his instrument like a rock star while I was talking or while other kids were trying to share.  He got reamed from me AND his mom.  That part was nice :-)

You would think that the kids would be super behaved because their parents are watching but really they are excited to show off!!  I was definitely caught off guard by this phenomenon.

I also gained a lot of respect for some parents and lost a lot of respect for a few.  First of all--I think it is awesome when parents are involved and come to see what their child is learning and how their days are spent at school with friends and teachers.  Every parent who actually showed up got a check mark in my book.  But then we had the parents who would chat to each other while their kids were trying really hard to pay attention and participate.  And I had more than one mom who actually ANSWERED HER CELL PHONE in my room while I was teaching a class of 5 year olds.  HOW RUDE!  I didn't say anything at all but I just kept on teaching loudly so she couldn't hear her phone call.  Respect=Gone.  I wonder what the expectations are for her children when it comes to manners.

A Fun Sunday

Today we finally got to Ocean City.  I am still sick from yesterday with a sinus infection and slight fever.  But since I gave myself a day (yesterday) to relax I figured I had to do something today.

We slept in and watched That 70s Show all morning and Josh make us eggs with salsa.  Around lunch time we headed to Ocean City.  It's pretty awesome that we live exactly thirty miles away from the beach!  We got there and went to my favorite OC restaurant The Shark on the Harbor.



They serve mostly local and organic gourmet food but they have the most amazing lunch specials and local craft beers.  I ordered fried green tomatoes with lump crab meat on top served with this spicy creamy sauce.  I wanted to take a picture of it so bad but I couldn't wait to eat it so this picture is my beautiful lunch with one bite taken out:

Then we walked the board walk a little bit and got some Fisher's caramel popcorn and I had to go to the candy kitchen to get some rock candy (my FAVORITE!)

I tried going to the gym tonight with a fever.  This was a bad idea.  I wasn't there too long.

This week we only work two days and then we are going to Cumberland on Wednesday to be with my family for Thanksgiving.  It's pretty weird being married and having to choose a family to share holidays with.  We want to go to both even though it's not realistic because they are about 2 1/2 hours away.  So this will be interesting in the future on Christmases and such.  I think they should just start visiting us on Christmas (what do you think, families?)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Sick and Tired of It

Yesterday after school the teachers decided to go out for Happy Hour to celebrate the end of American Education Week.  I celebrated with gin & tonics and bar food.  It was awesome.

We came home around 7pm and watched an episode of That 70s Show.  I was super tired and the gin & tonics were wearing off so I literally went to bed at 7:30.  I was asleep by 8.  I assumed it was because I had a long week.  But when I woke up at 6:30am (ten and a half hours later!) I found out why I needed sleep.  I am sick.  Fever and really sore throat and body aches.  Dang.  And we rescheduled our Ocean City trip for today.  Yeah--not gonna happen.

I couldn't go back to sleep so I was up all morning watching Miss Congeniality until Josh got up.  Now I am just hanging out and drinking hot tea.  Jasmine green tea with honey to be exact.  The Mountaineers are playing today so I will be watching TV all day and browsing Weddingbee (best thing to do while you are sick).  Speaking of which--Lizz--are you on Weddingbee?  It's pretty awesome and anyone getting married needs to know about it.

Happy Weekend!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Dear People Who Read My Blog,

Some of my friends and family tell me that they read my blog.  But I don't know that you are out there unless you comment and say hi every once in a while.  Let me know you are here and comment.  Write what you think about my posts, please :-)

I feel like a kid who has to beg for friends.  Bryana? Lizz?  mom?  grandma?  kathi?  kathy?  barb?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hump Day! & A Vent That I Have Been Waiting to Let Out...

Usually I hate hump day.  Today it was my reminder that at exactly 12pm, the week is half way over.  It is amazing how much I need this Thanksgiving break.  I REALLY want to sleep in on a weekday.  Don't ask me why... I just do.  I would also like another fog delay... that would be terrific.

On to bigger things...  I have a vent that I am going to express.  Ready, here I go.  I love the Duggars:



They are the family from the show, 19 Kids & Counting on TLC (in case you didn't already know).  Some little factoids: Yes, they have 19 children.  And one of their kids is married with a kid and a kid on the way.  They do not take birth control for religious reasons.  The girls only wear skirts and dresses.  Their television and internet is very limited and restricted.  They all live in the same house and they all pitch in and keep it running.  They are homeschooled.  They often taken mission trips and volunteer.  They own commercial properties and the dad, Jim Bob, was formerly a state legislator in Arkansas.  The mom, Michelle, delivered every child.  She also contracted eclampsia in her last pregnancy and was forced to deliver very early.  The baby was born very premature and almost didn't make it.  Some people say it is because she is getting too old to have babies (she is now 44), but no one really knows for sure.  They say that they will welcome another child if they get pregnant again.

They get a lot of criticism when it comes to their lifestyle and the way they are raising their kids.  Many people say they are crazy for having so many kids.  Many say they are neglecting their kids because they have so many.  Many people say they shouldn't have more.  Or that they are using our tax dollars to raise so many kids.  Or that they are too conservative.  Or that their kids should be exposed to more socialization. And many, many more things.

Here is my vent: for some odd reason, I feel offended by these statements.  I don't know why, especially because I have no desire to live a lifestyle like theirs.  But here's my point of view:  Who are they hurting?  You? Probably not.  Their kids?  Nope.  Their kids are VERY happy and lead productive lifestyles and are good people.  Themselves?  Nope.  They are happy, too.  So what's the flippin' deal?  Should we go out and criticize every woman who delivers prematurely and say she should never have a baby again?  That's ridiculous.  They are doing well financially because they are responsible and are great money savers!  They are very protective because they see what the world is like!  And I think they are right!  And it just goes to show.  Watch an episode some day.  They are possibly the happiest family in America, and they aren't hurting anyone!  What's wrong with that?

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I'm Not Trying to Depress You, But Please Pray for My Students...

SALISBURY -- A Salisbury man is facing child abuse charges after allegedly beating two children with a rod, according to court documents.
One victim alleged Sun J. Kim beat him with a 2-foot wooden rod after he lied about his grades, according to charging documents. Kim is accused of beating the child before and after school Nov. 4.

A second boy, the victim's brother, also alleged Kim beat him Nov. 2.

In addition to child abuse, Kim has been charged with reckless endangerment and assault.

First-degree child abuse, a felony in Maryland, carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison under state law if convicted.

City police were dispatched to Pemberton Elementary on Tuesday after a school nurse reported the abuse to police.

The child was sent to the nurse after a teacher noticed he was limping. The nurse located a 4-by-4-inch bruise on the child's left thigh and bruises on his back, according to police.

Police transported the victim and his brother, who is also a student at the school, to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for a medical exam. Hospital personnel observed multiple bruises on the victim's thighs, lower back, buttocks and lower abdomen. The victim's brother also had similar bruises to his buttocks, according to police.

"The main bruise (on) top (of) the thigh was described as a deep injury to the muscle which can potentially cause kidney damage and severe health problems or death," wrote Officer M. Merritt in charging documents.

Kim was released from the Wicomico County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond on Wednesday, according to court records.

A District Court hearing has been scheduled for early December.




Everyone at my school is pretty upset that they published the exact person who reported the abuse (the nurse).  Apparently the media is not supposed to get that information,  but somewhere along the line, it got out there.  The dad was released and is back at home with my students.  I know that this is not the only case of child abuse in my school, but when I see these boys in my classroom I just want to bring them home with me because I know where they are really going after school.  And now there is nothing we can do about it... Scary.

Monday, November 15, 2010

What the He!! is a Fog Delay?

I grew up in a town where if there was a quarter inch of snow on the ground... BAM. Two hour delay.  Oh, it's 8 degrees outside? Two-hour delay.  Even where I taught last year in West Virginia... any snow was a two-hour delay or cancelled school.  Okay, it makes sense (a little).

Which is why I was surprised to wake up to a delay this morning.  Hmm... It's 46 degrees outside... probably not snowing.  What could it be?  I look outside to see this:


No, this is not a personal photo... I stole it from the internet, but it definitely captures the effect.  Apparently, in Maryland's eastern shore, fog is a very common thing.  Who knew it would be so dangerous?  They delay school until the fog has lifted.  Even then, I heard about some accidents this morning.  Kind of sucks, but guess what?  I got to sleep in!  Which was great :-)

Friday evening, my school had an auction.  It was crazy.  There were donated items for both a live and silent auction.  Everything from restaurant gift certificates to lunch with the mayor to Disney passes.  The PTA hosted a spaghetti dinner.  I can't even imagine how much money they made.  Tons of people came and they auctioned off hundreds of donated items... that's right: everything was donated!  They had to have made thousands and thousands of dollars.  It was the best PTA fundraiser I have ever seen!  The kids were all piled into classrooms and given potato chips while they watched movies so their parents could attend the auction and spend money without having to watch their kids.  It was genious.  I helped out a bit with the kids auction (mp3 players and wii games!) and with the movie.  It was a good night :-)

Yesterday, it was our intention to go to Ocean City for the day and spend some time together.  This was the plan:  Wake up early.  Make breakfast burritos (which we love!).  Do all the laundry.  Go to Ocean City and have lunch at my favorite OC restaurant, The Shark on the Harbor.  Walk the board walk.  See the ocean while the leaves are turning color and falling... which we have never done.  We promised ourselves that we would not go to the beach until all laundry was washed and folded.  Well, we share a laundry room with the other townhomes in our development.  It has 5 washers and 5 dryers, so it's not a problem if someone else is already doing laundry... we use the other ones.  Well... don't you know that every single washer is full of already washed, wet, stale clothes.  Hmmm... We say, "Well, we will come back in about 15 minutes and hopefully they will be gone."   6 hours later it was gone.  We didn't go to the beach.  Meh.

This week is American Education Week at school.  The parents get to come in during school and observe/participate in classes with their kids.  Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
  • If I was a parent, I would be excited to see what my kids do in school
  • As a teacher, I am excited for parents to see what they are learning
  • It puts kids on good behavior if they know mom or dad is watching.
  • Good way to get parents involved.
Cons:
  • Last year there was an incident with an attempted child abduction so now they are SUPER protective about who comes in the school and when and how they sign in.
  • Sometimes kids show off for their parents
  • I feel like my room needs to be spick and span all week
  • I hate punishing kids in front of their parents, but it sometimes needs to be done.
  • When the parents sit there and talk while their kids are being attentive, I want to punch them in the face.
Long week ahead... How was your weekend?

Sunday, November 7, 2010

We Have Found a New Love...

...err... obsession.

Caramel Apple Pops.

We have always known that we love them.  We found them super cheap after Halloween and bought 8 bags of them.  They now make THREE different kinds... green apple, golden delicious, and macintosh red.  If you come to our house at any given time you will see one or both of us with a lollipop in our mouths!  We are obsessed.

We have NOT been busy the last few days, which is really nice.  We went out to my new favorite restaurant of all time on Friday after school.  On Saturday Josh stayed home with a cold while I spent the day at Salisbury University at an Arts in Motion conference.  It was a lot of fun and I was happy to spend the day with some of the teachers from my school.  It was nice to get to know some of them.  And today I ran at the gym and went to the grocery store (my personal favorite).  

At school I am getting ready for our Winter Program.  The first graders are performing and each class is doing a different 5 minute performance.  The theme is "Winter Stars".  They are doing all songs about stars and the winter night sky. I am not allowed to have any religious connotations in the lyrics which is why I chose this theme.  I guess I have to leave Jesus at home that night...

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Today I Lost $1650

Today my payroll dept. called me to tell me that over the course of time, they had "accidentally" paid me an extra $1300.  They found this through an audit.  I didn't notice because they were my first few paychecks here and I assumed that they were correct.  So now, not only do I owe my board of ed $1300, but my pay checks will now be much smaller, too.  Great.

Also--Josh's car broke and it took $350 to get fixed.

Yesterday, I thought we were very financially stable.

Today, we are poor :-(

Monday, November 1, 2010

November Already!

I officially applied to grad school at the University of Illinois.  I found a great online asters program in Global Education Studies.  Basically I would study education policies and procedures internationally and research why certain policies and curriculums are more successful than others and how to incorporate or supplement my own curriculum with their successes.  My ultimate goal is to serve as a leader in my county or state on evaluation of effective teachers.  

Now for my November goals:
  1. More sweaters!
  2. Bring out the electric blanket.
  3. Bake more pies
  4. Make lots of soups.
  5. Go on walks and take more pictures of leaves.
  6. Get in to grad school!!
  7. Wear fuzzy slippers around the house.
  8. Secretly shop for Christmas stuff... don't worry, I won't decorate until after Thanksgiving.
  9. Take more yoga classes.
  10. Make our first family Christmas cards :-)