Soulja Boy Teacher Style

You asked for it. The music's a little off, but not by too much.

Motherhood...

What does it mean when someone tells you you'll be a great mother... based on the way I "mother" my dog?

Tomorrow, I dance.

That's right. I will take on Soulja Boy with 15 other East teachers, and we will ROCK THE GYM! In yo face! LOL! Seriously though, the kids are going to die, it's so funny. I'm trying so hard to get it videotaped for you all. Don't worry, there will be evidence of this crazy routine.

The 8's

Katy tagged me. Dagnabit. Now I have to be insightful...

8 Things I’m Passionate About...

1. My Family
2. My Dog
3. Singing
4. My Students
5. Shoes
6. Laughing
7. Pasta
8. Learning New Things

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die...

1. Travel to Spain
2. Marry Someone who... there's a list. How about someone I won't divorce?
3. Become passionately involved with a charity
4. Have a lasting (hopefully positive) impact on my students
5. Own a HOME
6. Be a mom
7. Be a grandmother
8. Be satisfied with me.

8 Things I Say Often...

1. Totally
2. 'Sup
3. Is it naptime?
4. Good question! Why don't you answer that for the class?
5. Don't even...
6. Coda... NO!
7. Coda... OW!
8. Huh?

8 TV Shows I’ve Recently Watched...

1. Mythbusters
2. Dirty Jobs
3. CSI
4. The news
5. House Hunters
6. Designed to Sell
7. ColorSplash
8. Anything educational, really.

8 Songs I Could Listen to and sing (my own insert there) Over and Over...

1. Defy Gravity from Wicked
2. There's a Fine Line from Avenue Q
3. Waitin' for My Dearie from Brigadoon
4. That Sunday, That Summer
5. Online by Brad Paisley
6. Stay by Sugarland
7. A song by Sheryl Crow that I can't remember the title of...
8. You May be Right, I May be Crazy by Billy Joel

8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends...

1. Their humor.
2. Their willingness to laugh at themselves and incite that laughter.
3. Their ability to listen
4. I trust them!
5. They put me in situations and expose me to new things that I may not have tried by myself.
6. They aren't afraid to question me
7. They make me smile!
8. Their love for others.

8 Things I’ve Learned (or been reminded of) This Past Year...

1. It CAN be all about me.
2. I've learned that LIFE can be summed up in 3 words: It Goes On.
3. Music is how I feel most connected to God.
4. "God" is only one title or name
5. I love my family.
6. I love to sing in front of people.
7. I love to laugh - belly laughs
8. I've learned (and been reminded of how) to prioritize.


8 People I Think Should Do “8”...

1. Mom
2. Bob
3. Alyse
4. Stacy
5. Heidi (already did it)
6. Kyle
7. Matt
8. Amanda

Coda + Boxer = 110 Pounds

110 pounds. Think about it. Think about it coming straight at you, below the knee line, and as you try to move out of the way while bending your knees for hope of some stability, they hit. A witness said, "I looked and you were midair". That's right. Upper butt/lower back hit first, then my head. Two days later I have no bruises to sport (grrrr), my neck is killing me, and I can't walk around or sit without wincing. Good news? I met some nice people. And this one guys dog is named (get this) PAVLOV. How cool is THAT?!?!

I love my puppy. And she loves to run into me.

Soulja Boy

O. M. G. At our next pep rally, a group of teachers will be performing the Soulja Boy dance. That's right. Yours truly, the pastiest and dorkiest of them all will dance in front of her students, faculty, and parents in a dance that is sure to haunt her the rest of her life. I am PUMPED UP! And I'll try to get the video on YouTube, so the rest of you can enjoy it as much as my kiddos.

Check it out...

Coda Pics

I found these pics of Coda and they made me laugh. Check out her tongue!

Auditions are Funny

No, I do not know why my Albuquerque pictures suddenly decided to disappear. I tried fixing it once, and will try again, but I don't know what's up.

Otherwise...

School is back and going full-blast. 9 out of 14 of my kiddos that auditioned made the Region and Honor Choirs! I am excited for them - they will sound awesome! Coda gets to try a new dog park today (after it warms up a little bit), and I get to read a lot of a book by Ruby Payne about the socioeconomic influences on the lives of my students and in education. It should prove interesting. Now if I can just find my copy of the book in my apartment... I really hope it's not at school.

Fun side notes? Made some new friends at Region auditions yesterday! Found out I am not the only one who says stupid things to their classes unintentionally (like starting at rehearsal letter F and saying "One, two, F-'n Go!"). At least I didn't call a girl a ho. =) Or make my AP leave the room crying they were laughing so hard during an evaluation because my class said (and they were supposed to) "ti-ti". Most of our auditioners were great yesterday. In fact, they all knew the music (the kids I was judging), they just didn't all sing on the right pitches. One girl made my day when she sang the entire second half of the audition up about a fourth from where she should have been. I know, I know. Poor girl. That's what I said. Then I looked at another judge and they were crying they were laughing so hard. You think we're mean, but you sit on your ass all day and listen to 55 girls sing the same 2 minute cut of 2 pieces ALL DAY and try to rank them accurately.

Alright. I'll keep trying to repost my ABQ pics!

Smash In

I can't call it a break in. To me that implies something broke. And when something breaks, you can either fix it, or it's easily replaced. Nothing about someone smashing my car window and ripping out my stereo (yes Heidi, the one from 4-5 years ago that our parents got us for Xmas for our "new" cars) was easy. That was 2 nights ago and I STILL don't have the glass vacuumed up yet. New window? Great. An auto glass company came out to my school to replace it for me, but we couldn't find an accessible outlet on the outside of the bldg. for him to plug in his portable vacuum to clean my car. And since it was pouring rain yesterday, extension cords were out of the question. That's right. I come out to go to school and think 'What is all over my passenger seat?... SHIT'. That's pretty much the thought process I had Wednesday morning. Then I called the police, the apt. complex, and school to get a sub for the morning while I spent the AM attempting to get someone to replace my window in the rain so I could drive without the hazard lights and go more than 20 MPH trying to hold a tarp in the car while keeping the rain out.

Aside: Anyone notice that I'm pissed? And depressed. Seriously. I do not understand. I don't get it and while I know there are stupid bastards out there that go and do these things (especially at the holidays according to my SRO), I DO NOT GET IT. I don't want to, honestly. What mostly bothers me is why I feel so sad about it. I'm Okay. Coda's Okay. No one is hurt. They didn't steal the valuable items, even though they defaced my car. My apartment in intact and nothing lost there. I do not like this feeling though.

Friends have told me they got upset because of a sense of loss and violation. I don't know if that's it with me. It doesn't help that my students have had performances out their wazoos this week. Field-trip Tuesday with 3 performance stops. Pep Rally performance today (that I ended up in as one of my kiddos is out sick), and 2 more gigs tomorrow, including our Winter Concert. And our fundraiser products showed up yesterday. And I had to find someone for my car. And I can't stop crying about it! Dammit!

I do count the blessings. I do look at the bright things. I do appreciate the things that ARE Okay... and better than Okay.

I do not like idiots who feel the need to gain from causing others loss.

My calendar seems to get more and more filled up as December is continuing. Scary, but true. Holiday season = performances. The more the merrier! Right? Riiiiight. At least I'm enjoying it as are my students.

What am I really looking forward to though? Albuquerque with the family. About a week just hanging out and enjoying the company of my sisters and parents! It feels like it's been forever! The fam is going to be a welcome relief and time of enjoyment!

So what's been going on with me? Kyle's in Colorado now, I'm with Coda (yay for my puppy!), and I'm making friends! Who-hoo! Come by any time. Coda needs help getting a start on a big bone I got her. AWESOME.

This was random, and I hope you enjoyed.

Solo & Ensemble

While teachers have to spend lots of time working for their students outside of the "regular" workday, it does have it's rewards.

23 out of 24 of my students who competed in Solo & Ensemble Saturday received the highest rating of a 1. Aka Superior. Who-hoo!

Celebration aside, how difficult is it to tell the one student who got a 2 that they're the only one??? Not that you say that, but it's rather obvious. Granted, she skipped a line in her song (I was accompanying - freaky on more than one level) and I understand the judges scores. I have no argument, I just feel bad that she's IT.

Otherwise, I'm still thrilled about my other students! They excelled in every way that day, and I'm proud of them! So here's to my Broncos!

Tiger in the Complex

I pet a tiger. A real, live, 6 week old tiger in my apartment complex. This guy's son and daughter-in-law rehabilitate exotic baby animals, and he was watching their 6-week old siberian tiger. I got pictures and will post them as soon as I get them off the camera. She made a chucking noise, which was her "purring", and she was roaring! I can't wait to show you from the pictures!

OK. That's all. =)

Halloween

Encore! Team ladies dressed up as villains from Disney.



The Wicked Queen from Snow White, Cruella DeVil, and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

Scary, aren't we???

The Mary Kay Culture

I learned a lot this weekend. I had the opportunity to fly out to Las Vegas (1st time there!) on Thursday and learn from the best in our area. The Shealy Area Advance was fantastic. I was concerned about an hour before it ended though. Everyone there kept emphasizing the feeling that Mary Kay has to have IN you for you to be in it. That you had to have a purpose for your business. I hadn't caught that bug yet. While our National was speaking to us though I figured it out.

I want to teach.

No, this does not mean that I am leaving Mary Kay or leaving my middle school (yet). I saw the women onstage this weekend and admired their enthusiasm, presence, and FUN attitudes! I felt like I was surrounded by women LIKE ME. Crazy, beautiful women who want to be the best they can be as they are - and they'll make up dances and skits and songs to perform for the rest of us just for entertainment. Do you know how badly I wanted to join in the "Dreamgirls" dance for the MK Husbands last night at the banquet??? It involved boas!!! Here are women who GET ME. Who want to be in the spotlight, but who don't focus on themselves to get there, they focus on OTHERS.

So the teaching thing.

I want to be one of the women who stand up and inspire others. I want to be there helping other women realize their potential. I want women to love themselves and to know that THEY ARE ENOUGH. What better way to do that than through lipsticks? =) I should say what more FUN way to do that than through lipsticks???

Don't freak. I'm not in a cult. I'm now part of a culture. And I'm excited.

It's Official

It's official. I'm divorced. Crazy, isn't it? And although I've been separated for so long, now that everything is signed it's almost more difficult. Maybe it's getting used to not having to struggle. Maybe it's that something that's been a part of my life for so long is gone. It's sad. It's frustrating. It's happy. It's exciting. And all of these emotions wrap themselves around me and leave me gasping at times as I'm not sure what emotion I'm feeling or when. So I keep doing what I've been doing... move forward.

School is going well. I'm really enjoying this year and my students, though frustrating at times, are really great kids. My peers are awesome not only as teachers but also as friends. My administration is a great leadership board who care about the KIDS and their TEACHERS. While that includes test scores, it's not all about test scores.

Mary Kay is going to pick up. I'm going to make it pick up. I'm ready to see some positive things come from this company for me, and I'm going to make that happen. Need a makeover? Facial? New products? I'm your gal.

So here I am. Officially single again and honestly happy about it. It's not easy, but it's getting better all the time. Yay for the Beatles. =)

On a Roll!

So there are 2 major events this week. Number 1, the first official concert of the year is Thursday! Can't wait - the students are going to sound great! Number 2, on Friday I get divorced OFFICIALLY. Hallelujah and Amen to THAT! It's been a long road. Haven't enjoyed it one bit. Now I get to move on. I'm totally going out Friday night. Any takers???

1 Signature Away

All the paperwork has been filled out and signed. I simply have to go get a few things from the house, then go to the Courthouse and have a judge sign off on it all. Planning that for next Friday. It was an EXHAUSTING day yesterday. My soon-to-be-ex was as unreasonable and inconsiderate as he usually is. And I am almost done. The light is blinding. I just need to jump into it. Thank you for the prayers yesterady - I know I was surrounded by good thoughts and prayers all afternoon/evening (7 hours, folks).

So yeah. 1 signature left. Amen to that.

Blabbing/Venting

So I know there are a lot of things happening for me this week. However, I'd really like it if I could take the "handle it as it comes" approach. I can't do anything about my mediation that's scheduled for Tuesday until, duh, Tuesday. I can't figure out a piano accompaniment for a last-minute gig scheduled for Thursday until tomorrow. I can't get the knots out of my shoulders and back until I can actually relax and get someone to help me with that (Saturday or Monday, Lisa will call me back). And I can't get my mind to calm down, relax, enjoy what I can right now, focus on some other things that need done, and calm my stomach until.... ??? It's all over? School doesn't really bother me. I know I'll find a solution for that tomorrow. Not a problem. Tuesday bothers me. That I'm unsure about the outcome. That I don't want to go to trial. That I can't afford shit right now because I have to put pennies away for my lawyer, ESPECIALLY if we're going to trial. And mostly that I'm this upset about something that I don't want to be. I'm trying very hard to distract myself from it, and it keeps gnawing away at me, expressing itself when I think I have some sort of control over it.

I know, Mom. He's controlling me again because I can't get my own emotions under control. I'm still pissed about DAD. How do you stop letting something erode away in you when there seems to be no closure? How do you bring closure to something that will probably never be closed? I don't have the time or the funds to take a year to find happiness for myself, like Elizabeth Gilbert in "Eat, Pray, Love". Great book, by the way. It gives me hope that I will be able to provide myself with some kind calm and, for lack of a better word, closure at some point in my life. I know I can be very patient, but lately that has not been a great talent of mine. I feel like I've been patient long enough.

Well that sounds familiar. I think I heard myself say that several times to myself a couple of years ago. Most memorably around July of 2006.

So that leaves me with what? Plans of action. I know dates, times, and hopefully that means that in less than 20 days I will officially be known by my maiden name again. I'll try to focus on that fact (hopefully fact). So take Coda out. See friends. Enjoy company and try to distract my brain for the next 45 hours.

Someone call me and remind me to cry Monday night. I don't want to burst into tears on Tuesday (which is likely). We all know how much I love conflict.

Lazy Dog

So the Gabriel/Gehrman family has begun a fitness challenge to last up to Christmas. Walk/Jog (or bike or play tennis at the equivalent) 7 miles each week. So long as you complete that weekly, you win! I love it. I get to take Coda out and... well... drag her up the last hill every time we do a certain route because she is apparently not capable of withstanding the Texas heat AND walking 3 miles. I'm going to have to start walking with her every other day and going on my own to get my heartrate up for the required amount of time. I want to lose 10 lbs. by Xmas. How do you get the dog to keep up with you??? She's a young'un! Just over a year with GREYHOUND in her blood! Crazy mutt. Love her though! She keeps me entertained. =)

Mediation

October 2nd at 1:00 PM. If that doesn't end it, the trial date is October 15th. Pray for the former to be successful.