Productive posting my a**

Last week my friend asked me if my blog was password protected because she hadn't seen any updates from me. Ugh, I knew proclaiming I would be a dutiful blogger was a mistake. I am feeling guilty, seeing that it was going to be one of the best ways to chronicle my pregnancy, especially since another friend said it was sometimes the only way she remembered certain details from that time. So I need to get back on task with it and with the belly memory book, for that matter. I realized I've been on two trips, nearly finished two holidays and had some SERIOUS belly development since my last post. Crumb. Well, the chronicle review since October begins this week and will be in some misconstrued, random order. Mostly because it's two days before the Christmas holiday, and despite having ample time to finish serious amounts of work at work, everyone around me seems perfectly content with not being productive. I feel guilty, however, I'm just really productive in other ways, like ordering cards, baby items, making vet/hair/massage appointments, checking on my TIAA-CREF portfolio, etc.

Time to get back on the horse.

Trip to Ireland: week 15-16

Alas, this post is supposed to chronicle an incredibly fast but wonderfully memorable trip to Ireland with my mom--which was an amazing thing to share--and meeting our friends there, Janell and Jeff--and going to our Irish friend's wedding--how wonderful is that!? I hope to go back later and plug in some more details, but for the time being, it's about productivity. I looked back at my 2008 trip to Ireland and I was so good about writing about the things I love--food, sightseeing and the immediacy of the most important details of any memorable experience. But sometimes quantity does superceed quality, esp. when you're months behind chronicling one of the coolest trips in a long while. For now, it's snippets with pictures. It'll do for now!

Annette and me with our baby bellies. Annette's husband Declan was Ken's best man. She was hilarious! We met her that night and it was if we'd known her as long as Jane. She's due in February. Before we went ahead and booked our tickets (before I told everyone I was pregnant), I was kind of freaked out about the horrible things that could go wrong and having the stress of dealing with them while in a foreign country. Thankfully the stars aligned and it was a breeze healthwise!

Our GORGEOUS home--Darley Cottage--in Carrickmacross, Jane's hometown, with mom, Janell and Jeff standing at the front door. I wish we could have stayed here longer! The entire cottage had been gutted and restored, complete with a head-to-toe Ikea makeover. The cows from the farm next door would moo at us in the middle of the night. Dang, I love rural Irish life.

Janell and Jeff with their bevvies at the rehearsal dinner--a beautiful spread at a country pub near the Wards' house. The coziest of places. Reminded me of the place where Graham and Amanda meet in "The Holiday" (really the only movie where I have been able to tolerate Cameron Diaz). We were treated so well as guests at all of the extra wedding events.

Jane's friends and bridesmaids.

Jane's siblings, Romy and Daithi (Irish for David). The wedding party dance they did and included Romy was so touching. It's always seemed that Jane and I--and really, our mothers--had a sort of kinship with our younger sisters. So great to see Romy. She remembered me and wanted to hang out with me quite a bit while we were visiting.

The beautiful bride and the Americans--what a great lady! The pictures do not do her--or her dress--justice. She was stunning.

Ken and Jane Murphy

Their very cool ride, a vintage Rolls Royce

I love this photo of Jane showing her Gran her wedding ring.

Just me and the belly, kicking it by the fireside...Janell and I had a few good laughs running around the house posing for pictures (like her and the washing machine). I was really getting into having my belly by this point.

Janell lounging around in one our very chic IKEA-furnished rooms. She's such a poser (meaning she poses).

Mom and me at the rehearsal dinner. I'm fake drinking her cider but slightly jealous.

Modeling our new hats at Giants Causeway. The wind is no joke!

The incredibly unique hexagon-shaped rock formations, Giants Causeway

Another example of how Darley Cottage = Darling Cottage in the adorable hot water bottle covers. Can someone make me one of these? I'm definitely bringing back the hot water bottle to my bed.

Modeling some fascinators. We totally should have bought these, as people were actually wearing them at the wedding!

Some incredibly old church near Athenrye. Our first day with the Doudricks.

The first of what would be many desserts. Exquisite pavlova with fruit and cream. Hello, sweet fabulousness.

My favorite Irish city, Galway. This was our first full day after arriving in Ireland. The sun was just what we needed!

The frenetic schedule...week 14

This past week was craziness at work. I sort of had to laugh at myself as the first week of school came and went, and at that time, I was feeling at relative ease with my workload and the general pace of work life. Enter this week--yikes. It kicked my ass in a huge way. First off, last weekend, which was filled with many fun, social get togethers, was still exhausing. Friday night Court invited me over for dinner, making some yummy chicken, potatoes and salad (my contribution was a very challenging store-bought French silk pie) and we played outside with Kirsten and Evan. It was really nice to catch up. She had some lovely gifts for the baby-to-be from an adorable store I have yet to visit. It was the perfect Friday evening. Saturday morning, Liz was in town to visit some friends and we chatted over breakfast and bought some lovely baby sweaters at the Chester Bowl Fall Festival--ah, fall! I do love you. That afternoon I went to Wade to watch the Alumni game and later that night, attend the banquet. It's always such an emotional evening, hearing the latest group of graduates talk about their love of this program and how much it means to them. I love to listen to Corey talk up there and it makes me very proud.

This picture of us makes me laugh. Corey can never keep his one eye from squinting in pictures, so it usually requires about three tries. By this time he was fed up and looks like a goofball.

That night my desire to continue to wear my fun shoes was quickly dying out; within a few hours not only were my feet swollen but my entire lower half felt puffy and distended. A preview of swelling to come? Sunday I met my mom, sister, nieces and cousin Mary for a righteous Eggs Benedict breakfast--such fun and mayhem. A three-hour nap followed.

It's never a good sign when you get to work on Monday and you're exhausted...it seemed like two workdays, and Tuesday and Wednesday were about 12-hour days to boot. It was so nice to come home late Wednesday night and my chicken wild rice soup was heated up and waiting for me.


Thursday night was re-energizing--I met the ladies for Mexican and to bottle our wine! (I stole this picture from Kim, because she's the only one who remembers to document said events.) The assembly line process was actually really fun and despite spraying myself with the bottle washer contraption, all in all no one was injured and each of us walked away with bottles to save while they steep for a few months (or in my case, until March).

Travel and choice comments...week 13

This was the first full week of classes and things ARE GETTING CRAZY already. In our office, we have lots of fall events so there will be some long nights. I'm reveling in the weekends already, cleaning closets (sometimes), baking, cooking, and finding crafty home projects--it helps me to balance and center :) On an even more exciting note, we booked our cottage in Ireland and we'll be there in a few short weeks! I can't believe it! It hasn't fully sunk in that we're heading across the Atlantic (avec mama and mes amies) to see Jane, and oh, yeah, she's getting married! It's going to be incredible. Not much more to get except my very sexy compression socks to wear on the plane. Maybe one pair of [expandable] pants, but other than that, I think I'm set.

Not much to report in Baby Land; I'm happy to be getting more energy back since these busy days are demanding more of me. Some friends have lent me some really great books and maternity clothes (thanks, ladies!) so it's good to have a developing collection of items to peruse and organize.

Last, a mental note of items: I know this little gummy bear inside has a long ways to go before s/he is going to visit us on the outside, and although I've only had my reveal public at work for the last two weeks, it's amazing how quickly the unsolicited comments begin to surface. I'm going to keep track for posterity, so here's the beginning, which I'm sure will continue to grow (pun intended):

"Was this a planned pregnancy?" (x2)
"Wow--you're really getting big." (After I returned from having food poisoning, fyi.)
"You're not going to be able to hide this much longer."

(P.S. I had to change so many misspellings and incorrect words in this post before I published it...apparently the work of developing a baby has left my brain unable to process some other tasks.)

There's a fetus in there...week 12

...or so the ultrasound tech says. We've been very slow to tell people but we're havin' a baby! We found out in mid-July and have been navigating through Trimester One with relatively few hiccups.

I've felt a tich guilty at deceiving some and shying away from lots of [cocktail-related] visits with others, but now I'm kind of ready to put it out there. This week I decided to tell my co-workers. Yes, I am extroverted. However, I like to keep some parts of my private life private. Part of it is that my spouse and I work at the same place and since it's rather small, it seems like everyone is on a need-to-know basis about who knows what. Also, I have boundaries, which I know I'm becoming more lax about (i.e. I told new class of freshman to call me by my first name. That was a big step for me.) I clearly realize that very soon I will not be able to hide the fact that I am growing another person inside of me, but I've held out this long.

On the other hand...I am clearly living in I-Feel-As-Though-I'm-the-First-Woman-to-Ever-Have-a-Baby Land, minus the people to whom I've been asking questions, and in that respect, I think the glow factor/public excited-ness is indeed growing. I bought this cute, tongue-in-cheek pregnancy book so I've been journaling in there and just bought a few books for reference. I'm trying to keep the websites to a minimum, but their pictures are amazing.

Some of my favorite moments in the last few weeks about our reveal:

Overhearing Corey tell people about the pregnancy. It's soooo cute. And loving. And makes me want to cry every time. Even if I can't see his face I know he's grinning by the way he talks.

Corey's brother, Brian, and wife, Carlie, who are ALSO having a baby in March. I got the giggles when I heard her jaw drop on the other line. Cousins who will be the same age! It's so fun to think about them growing up together.

My lovelies who claimed they suspected but were kind enough not to ask me every time they saw/talked to me.

The friend who screamed into the phone.

Two friends who are due right around the same time! It's been so amazing to ask questions to those who are experiencing it right now.

Corey telling his team this past weekend--they clapped. I died a little bit when picturing 42 twenty-somethings doing this. I saw one of them in the hallway this morning and he exclaimed "Congratulations!"

Getting our very first baby gift--from our neighbors (a little gender-neutral sailor outfit.) I've never bought a baby outfit for myself, even though I love to shop for virtually anything.

We've actually been to the OB three times now; the second appointment, which we thought was 12 weeks was actually more like 10.5. So we got to go back this past Tuesday and now have three sets of pictures. It's AMAZING how different the fetus looked within eight days! A skull, a nose bone, hands, arms--that was the speechless moment for me so far.

I knew I wanted to start blogging again, and blogging about the pregnancy, so this seemed like a good time/reason to have some consistency of posts. The first six weeks brought with it some serious fatigue (lots of post-work activity of lying on the couch) and nausea, which actually took place mostly in the mornings. Since about week 10, I've been getting more energy back and the nausea is more or less gone, except if I smell cigarette smoke, car exhaust or become incredibly overheated. Then I need to head for the hills.

Things I'm Consuming Regularly:
Chocolate-related items
Potato chips (the full-fat, salty kind)
Salads
Fruit
Baked goods (even though I'm trying to keep it somewhat healthy)

Checklist Items I've Completed:
Taking several bikini-clad photos (unabashedly)
Scary/gross illness while pregnant (see below)

Last Wednesday night I came down with food poisoning, which was scary and I'm assuming potentially more intense due to pregnancy. Not great luck that I missed the second day of class, but it took a good 2.5 days of consuming massive amounts of Gatorade and crackers to feel back to normal. I did, however pass the time by re-watching seasons I and II of "Mad Men" (in preparation for January's new season premiere), checking emails and concocting my harvest decor plans.

Time for bed!

Are goal setting and fun mutually exclusive?

Today was the culmination of Duluth's best-known weekend and I finished the Half Marathon, which was the first I've completed in several years. While I felt more prepared than I ever had for a race before, the last two weeks were stressful--physically and emotionally. I was gone at a work conference and came down with the flu. Then I found out I had strep so the grossness that usually plagues me in the winter was now occurring in June. Special. Although chilly, for the first 4 or 5 miles I was sort of floating around, feeling very zen. I was also caught up in the excitement of it all and was going WAY too fast for my pace. Then I had to go the bathroom...really bad. I should have just gone before the start time but the lines were so long. I thought about just peeing down my leg...but I REALLY like my running shoes and don't think a long-term pee smell was very pleasing. So at mile 9 I had to wait in line for the biffy (there were no bushes/wooded areas around) and that took about 4.5 minutes. Annoying. Thank goodness I came upon some familiar faces that popped up a few times and braved the cold.

What I find most irritating about myself is I was so consumed with not meeting my goal time and having to stop at the bathroom that I was kind of in a bad mood when I finished. I was crabby about my time instead of reveling wholeheartedly about my accomplishment. What a dumb reaction, but when you work hard at something you have expectations that can distract you from all the good stuff. Last night after picking up my race packet, I thought I could put a full marathon on my "Complete before 35 or 40" List. Then about 1 mile from the finish, I decided maybe I didn't need to do that... : ) I was also thinking about some new workout plans that were briefer and potentially more effective.

Am I the only one who sabotages a fun moment? Why do we let our expectations get in the way? I will relax about it tonight as I have a steak or cheeseburger and some wine.

Back from obscurity

I had perused my blog a few times over the last six months or so, and really didn't feel like I had anything particularly monumental to say. I've kind of returned to the belief that it's rather narcissistic of me to think anyone wants to read my thoughts, but I suppose it's more personal than FB, right? I completely forgot to read others' posts, so I'm sorry if there was a major life event that occurred and I didn't ask you about it--again, unawareness of others' lives due to my not posting. But on the flip side, hopefully I've seen you during this interim and the power of our personal conversations have far exceeded technological communication!

A few weeks ago, I was approached to be one of the faculty/staff/students to be profiled in a new ad campaign, which will include a weekly blog post from yours truly. I mentioned to the account manager from the ad company that I blogged personally (which was a quick note to self that I should make this site private) and she wanted to not only know my url but also my blog mantra. I suppose my title should allude something about the "message" I'm trying to portray (whether or not anyone's reading, right?) and honestly, I wasn't sure I'd really live up to that. Okay, enough ranting about quality. Quantity works, too.

Since my last post the greatest shift has been moving to a new job. I am busier than ever and professionally happier than ever. I'm challenged and energized every day by meeting and collaborating with new people outside of my comfort zone, by working in a field that I didn't have a lot of experience in, and by sharing my time and ideas with very supportive colleagues. It's challenging, busy and lots of fun. I'm thankful for all of it. And although this time of year is draining for teachers, I'm glad I'm sticking with it. My students make me laugh and challenge me to keep my lectures minimally boring. It keeps me on my toes.

Highlights: suddenly, my world is a little less boring (and grey hairs are suddenly undetectable). I learned (at 31) how to curl my hair. And it stays. Amazing.


Reveling and embracing the following:

Traveling: Booked two trips with my husband. One large and one small. I'm happy that we're planning ahead this year! Usually most of my travel is away from him, but every year for our anniversary we try to plan time away together. It's gonna be good...I passed on a last-minute trip during this (extended) winter, so I'm really looking forward to this.

Wine: Love it. A lot. Planning a tasting with a friend. Accompanied her to a massive wine sale and all of the staff knew her. The sommelier was giddy to help us find bottles.

Running: Shockingly, yes. I told someone yesterday I didn't like running, but I liked goal setting. I certainly don't live and die by it (I bailed on a 5K today because of the wind and the snow) but it does make me feel good. It's really cheap therapy: it only costs you a pair of shoes! I've never considered myself a competitive person, but I've surprised myself and want to continue to build up some distance before the half. I'm sure my typical habit of inconsistency will allow me to forget about this come June 19. Corey wants to get a road bike (even though he informed me that he'll be going at his own [much faster] pace), so yay for outdoor activities.

Decorating: As I write this, I'm waiting for the spackle to dry so I can paint our bedroom this lovely periwinkle blue. My husband picked it out. I've had my idea for this room in my head for about two years and I'm finally getting it done. I'm sick of walking in there and thinking how sad the lack of decor is. I'm going for a serene, hotel-ish type of space. I found a very cool faux leather headboard

spied this modern duvet cover

and have some wall-mounted lights for reading. We painted our living/dining/entryway this summer and hung some shelves


but I have no idea what color or layout I want for the last room, the office. Any recommendations?

I'm working toward the following:

Remaining grateful: We are lucky. I try to remind myself of that every day.

Consciously picking the positive: Life is short. Surround yourself with supportive individuals. Thank them for their gifts.

Expanding my comfort zone with music: I didn't like Cee-Lo's song until I heard it with explicatives. Liz gently reminded me that my singing tastes matched her parents'.

A good thing for the long haul but I need to broaden my horizons. My current faves are this little ditty (for running) and the more mellow genre (for working).

How's that for long-windedness?

A few good days

I was really excited to try this new restaurant, and strangely enough, since I had been there despite its November opening, I thought my birthday would be a good excuse to make my first visit. I had the spicy roll sampler, which included tuna, salmon and California rolls. The shumai dumplings were yummy, too. It was a really good mix of ladies--which left me thinking there should be more ladies-only events. After dinner we headed here and met up with Corey and some of the other men, and had some very excellent martinis. Saturday night we had dinner and my parents'--steak and twice-baked potatoes--and my mom surprised us by inviting Corey's parents. Sunday I drove to the Metrodome to watch the Saints play St. Thomas. I swear I get so nervous I shouldn't even be allowed to sit in the stands. Monday I spent a few hours shopping, drinking in all of the retail therapy I don't have access to at home. It was an excellent weekend.

The 30 crowd

Within 12 months houses the 30th birthdays of me and a great majority of my friends. Bonne Anniversaire, mes amies! I'm feeling the pressure to adopt a philosophy about this monumental birthday. Humor (and Hallmark) aside, most of the credos of aging are negative. Generally, I think being able to say I'm 30 (most likely because people I meet can barely believe I'm 20) kicks ass. There are so many conventions about what one should be at every landmark age and I don't really buy into that. For a lot of what we do, I think age is just a suggested guideline--consider it but don't let it dictate you. Maybe it's just a gaping dose of self-assessment/ego-centrism, but seeing that we live quite a bit longer than they did during Medieval times, we have to let our self-created mantras be our living guidelines, right?

My 30th year's worth of advice [to myself]:
1. Laugh more. Lots more.
1a. Have a kick ass party in your honor and don't think twice about it.
2. Care less about the tasks that in reality don't matter but consume much of your time. Still do them, but strive to care less.
3. Participate in creative endeavors more frequently (like the pottery class offered this summer).
4. Keep exercising so that you can still do it when you’re 70. (Make vanity only your second priority. Don’t worry that you are incredibly less flexible than even 10 years ago.)
4a. Don't skip dessert because it makes you appear sad.
4b. Don't buy the cheap wine just because it's cheaper; buy what tastes good.
5. Continue to kiss your husband each & every day, even if he doesn't like your gooey lip gloss.
6. Tell those closest to you that you love them, even if they're not people that you say "I love you" to.
7. Practice your spirituality, whatever that means to you.
8. Volunteer more. You do have time.
8a. Join a foundation/non-profit/become a board member of a cause that matters to you (DSAMN, Art Institute).
9. Remember that a dog's POV is a pretty good way to look at the world (i.e. let it go).
10. Let it go. Being right all the time doesn't ensure well, anything, really.
11. Who cares if people are mad at you. You can't be everything to everyone.
12. Be grateful. Every day.
13. Learn to water ski. Forget how much farther you are from the water than when you were 8.

Thankful

It becomes easy to worry, and even to whine about the daily stressors of life. However, I have so much to be thankful for, especially the people--near and far--that surround me, including those we can't see anymore. And as I write this, I am thinking about the better ways for my family and me to spend this holiday season.

Try to: bake cookies; play Christmas music; spend time with friends & family; and make small, personal, homemade little treasures; go ice skating; tour neighborhoods with Christmas lights; donate to a family in need; maybe visit a nursing home; make a photo collage of childhood Christmas pictures; watch all of the cheesy Christmas cartoon movies.

Try not to: Stress about silly things that don't matter, like shopping for lots of gifts; skip holiday gatherings just because it's a busy time of the year; skip on all of the wine; forget the things that really matter.

I hope each of you are with your families today--Happy Thanksgiving!

Some cake & candles

Since my anti-birthday husband wanted to keep the day low-key, I made stew and we had Kim, Tom, Max & Vivi over for dinner and cake (go GF Betty Crocker). Of course I put all 31 candles on the cake, so Max gladly assisted.

Airhead or aneurysm?

Don't laugh at me, but I think I've lost my ability to spell. My distraction with spelling and grammar is somewhat of an occupational hazard, in the sense that I am usually distracted by the sheer amount of packaging/public signs/business ads that haven't met a sound editor. But as of late, this blessing/curse has evaded me. I'll fire away at the keyboard, fumbling through sentences, and can't seem to understand that accommodation will always have 2 c's and 2 m's. Is my allergy medicine wiping out brain cells at an alarming rate? Why do I always confuse brian and brain? I am thinking too fast? (Seriously) do I have adult onset dyslexia?

Lull

Well, the season ended for the team, and it was a long, phenomenal ride. I look back at what the coaches and the team have accomplished this year and it is nothing short of amazing. Just speaking from my perspective, a non-player, non-coach but busy yet involved spouse (BYIS), it's also been a tough, rewarding, emotional ride. The conclusion of the season signaled a date for us out to a movie. We're making plans for next weekend, too, which includes some serious yard projects.

Socially acceptable visual target?

I was at a conference last week when a common situation got me thinking: I have a port wine birthmark (kind of resembles Alaska). I'm probably the only person who's been seeing a derm since the ripe old age of 6 mos. As you might believe, I'm totally used to people asking if I got burned, bruised, etc. However, I couldn't help but notice this woman with whom I was engrossed in a loooong conversation--about important professional topics--kept staring at my chest. Repeatedly. Is there no modesty in public curiousity? Is this any worse/better than if she were staring at me for having a large chest? Should I not care because it was a woman instead of a man?

Reflection

Corey's uncle passed away yesterday. Since Easter Sunday, I've been thinking a lot about what this holiday represents--the idea of a new beginning, growth...I hope that rings true for the gifts of time and healing. This winter brought a lot of darkness, and we're leaning towards the light.

Life's kinda boring

I have had little to contribute to my blog in the last month or so because frankly, not much is really going on. First off, since December, I've been sick. Insert various maladies here. I am sure the stress of family/friend situations has contributed. Next, I've been working. A lot. However, since I stick to generalized information, again, not much to report. Except that, however, when my large task list is diminished I am taking a few mental health days. Some of my activities will hopefully include a massage, an elliptical machine, a movie at the theater, and an overpriced latte. The beacon of light has been CB, who's home visiting. Many of the above activities have been enjoyed in her company, not to mention the most exciting venture of the month, at its new location.

Back to life

It's great to be back in the land of the living. For the last 10 days of working, I have been able to make it in for about 3 days. First I had a cold and then developed laryngitis (this has been happening relatively frequently for the last year when I get sick), then several members of my family (who were all visiting) got the stomach flu. I felt so bad for them, as they were sick and not even in the comfort of their own home. Grandma Taylor came to the rescue, though. I called my friend from work and asked for a popsicle delivery, as that was the only thing that I could eat that didn't continue projectile activity. I was so relieved to see my co-workers again! I hadn't been outside for 4 days. Now I'm finally feeling like celebrating the holidays again--we are going to do some Christmas shopping this weekend, maybe I'll make some cookies...getting back to normal.

Geez.

I guess I wasn't really sure how/if this was reading material for the blog world, but since every time I have gone to post something I really just considered posting about this topic, I figure maybe there is some cartharsis in getting it out, despite leaving out major details out of respect for others. The thing is something in the universe is crazy right now concerning many people in my and Corey's family, and "family" of friends. It just seems like the bad news, which I have come to predict to arrive in threes, just keeps coming! It's gone way beyond three: there are numerous people in our lives that are just going through some really difficult times right now. I've considered needing to get the bad energy out--do I have my house blessed? Do I smudge it? Anything to help with this seemingly bad turn of events in the lives of so many. It's hard to know how to help them, even though most of the time, just thoughts, prayers, calls, and just being there is all that they expect/you know how to provide. My mom was in a car accident on Saturday night, and thankfully is doing just fine. However, the weather wasn't as forgiving for some of the other travelers, so it just becomes a very scary reminder as to how fragile all of our lives are. I know we often forget, but please, just tell those in your lives that you love them, even for the 500th time. I had a really good talk with my parents that night and it was an amazing reminder as to why we are really here, celebrating the holidays. It's about tradition and sharing it with those you love. If we don't have our friends and our family, we have nothing.

Volunteerism

In junior high, CB & I volunteered at one of the local hospitals, where the aprons were in fact candy-striped. Besides the last day of volunteering (which involved a cart, a sheet and CB & I hiding underneath the cart), I liked to think that we were providing some shred of goodness to people. For the last few weeks, I had been thinking a lot about volunteering for the local DFL office. One of their volunteers had called me a few times and it was set up. I went last night, not knowing what to expect. I am sure this office was much like other offices in any state. It contained about 30 volunteers, many who greeted me at the door. My job was important but simple--I called voters to ask about their leanings for the Senate & Presidental race. Only 2 people hung up on me out of about 60--not bad! They offered homemade food to everyone. But more importantly, after talking to a few of the volunteers, I realized that a lot of them have been volunteering every week, every day for a looooong time. I left with my yard sign, a button and a warm, fuzzy feeling. It felt like my time was warranted, and that I was exercising my earnestness toward something productive. I'm not looking for a gold star, but I guess it's nice to be reminded that giving our time can be signifigant.

If school were more like baseball

I was helping Corey in his classroom earlier this week, and he gave me a copy of this poem that he used for National Poem in Your Pocket Day:

If school were more like baseball /
we'd only have to play. /
We'd hang out in the sunshine /
and run around all day. /

We wouldn't have to study. /
We'd practice and we'd train. /
And, best of all, they'd cancel /
Whenever there was rain. - Kenn Nesbitt.

To all of you who are going back to school or have someone in school, good luck this year!