El pass that over here

It finally happened, the week ended! Magic Jacket returned and played a prank on the kids, hanging all of there id tags from the light. The kids got a kick out of it.
Speaking of kicks, we did kid tabeo today. Hilarious! Watching and doing it with the kids was so much fun! I can't wait to make a slideshow at the end of the year and put the video on there! The best part is when my nugget said "hip and dip, hip and dip".
The day actually went well, we didn't have a green day but it also didn't snow, so I won't complain!
It's the weekend of the Lockport Christmas parade, which is basically just a preview of the Lockport Mardi Gras parade. And it's a well known fact that the Lockport Mardi Gras parade is the greatest day of the year. Without a doubt, my favorite time of the year! A day to forget!
I'm thankful that its the weekend, and sad at the same time. Tomorrow is my first family Christmas party as an adult. No presents for me. Oh my childhood has been torn from my grasp! How my soul weeps!

Today's pockets: pretty boring today
Markers
Stickers

I'm not even gonna comment on those two items. It's redundant!

Almost Famous

Man, I wrote a whole blog earlier but then met James Franco and forgot all about it! Lockport is so fun! I love this town! I spent the night sitting on the bayou side watching a movie being filmed. I seriously almost lost my mind when James was arms length away from me! So delicious!
Well my children were absolutely devastated that Magic Jacket wasn't here today, just kidding they didn't really care. I seem to write the word failure a lot!
Things do seem to be getting better management wise, or I'm caring less. One of those! The week passed fairly quickly so I can't really complain!
I do have some sad news. Due to my obsessive picking, the coast of Louisiana is eroding! It was my own doing, I'm destructive! But maybe it's just a foreshadowing of what's to come!! I'm referring to my tattoo, just incase you were confused!!
All the excitement from today has worm me out! One more day!!

Today's pockets:
Markers: for the obvious
Pizza Stickers: tonight was our school fundraiser
Stickers: bribery
Pens: for the referral I had to sign today :(

Post Script

And we've come to the half way mark of the week, praise Him! My students were well behaved for half of the day, which is more than it use to be.
I have a hunch that lunch is packed with protein or some energy booster. Up until we break bread they are behaved and controllable, afterwards its like BOOM!! They forget how to walk in a line, how to sit and how to use the bathroom.
It doesn't make sense to me, after I eat I feel like laying down! They eat and they want to clim the walls! I guess that's why I'm 23 and they are 5.
Once the bell rang, the bus riders are on the bus, the car riders were in the hall and all the I love yous were said I was back in my room working.
I noticed something awful, Magic Jacket, our class elf left! He was too sad from having to tell Santa so much bad news each day! I sure hopes he finds his way back.

Today's Pockets:
Maker: obviously
Highlighter: becoming common
Jingle Bell: confiscated from nap time
Post it: Doodles
The Letter L: also confiscated!

Pants in a Tuesday

Today was a day that shouldn't have required pants. It was dark, cold, and rainy all day! It should have been spent under a tin roof with a collection of DVDs or a good book!
Instead it was spent in my overpopulated classroom. Remember how I said most of my students were still sleepy yesterday? Well they woke up! I'm assuming that the next four weeks will pass slowly. But, I've been wrong before.
I had one of my moments where I knew I was in the right profession. When one if my little nuggets correctly identified 62 letter in a minuet I wanted to throw him up in the air! Previously he only identified around 10! It was an amazing feeling which was soon replaced with annoyance.
I have a tattling issue in my class. I have kids telling on students for doing something to SOMEONE ELSE! So I did some research and I found this one lady who uses the three b's; barfing, burning and bleeding. I needed to make it four and throw in "about to use the bathroom" because my students apparently don't have bladders. Hopefully this tames my tattle tails!

Today's pockets:
Marker: it's absence yesterday was odd
Highlighter: to highlight things off my to do list...love that
Quarter: for your thoughts
Paper clip: forever in my pockets
Gummy snack bag: my end of the day hunger won
Counter chip: too lazy to pick it up with the rest
Rubber band: confiscated!

Not so manic Monday

It happened. Reality actually showed up, and before my alarm went off! I feel like there are fewer things in life more annoying than waking up before your alarm. Why would your own body betray you like that! By 5:50 I could no longer contain the contents of my bladder, so I gave into Mother Nature and rose from my sleeping chambers.
My first day back was almost pleasant. This may be due to the fact that half of my class was still asleep upon their arrival into my classroom. I did change a few routines around that seemed to cut down a lot of the hectic actions of my beloved bunch of nuggets.
A special guest made an appearance in my classroom, elf on the shelf! By popular vote he was named Magic Jacket. I couldn't even make this up, Magic Jacket. The kids seem to be semi-phased by him.
I also got new glasses today, which were much needed. My other ones were so scratched, you would have assumed that I owned a feline of some sort. Maybe now I'll see everything in a whole new way!
Here's to hoping that the rest of the week goes as smoothly today!! Cheers friends!

Today's Pockets:
Three counter chips: from building numbers to 20
Two paper clips
Water bottle label: because the children in my class have started a fad of bringing water to lunch instead of drinking milk.

Gone but never forgotten...thanksgiving holidays

What a sad day. The last day of the Thanksgiving holidays, how tragic. Where has the week gone?!
To think I didn't eat sushi once, what a wasted week. I guess there's still time. I spent yesterday doing school work so I could be completely lazy today. I'm successful so far!
Unfortunately I have to face post Black Friday Walmart today. I can't possibly go another day without conditioner, my hair is like Devil's Snare, tangling around my head. If you are unfamiliar with Devil's Snare I suggest you get back to 1997 and pick up a book!
I really need a new ugly Christmas sweater! Last year, I made my own. Now that I'm rolling in the dough, I can afford to buy one!
Back to reality, oh there goes gravity....wait, that's a song. Weird

Put a ring on it!

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride....and thank The Lord for that! I couldn't be more excited to be bridesmaid to my college best friend Brandi!
Brandi and I have the kind of relationship that make absolutely no sense what so ever. I guess it's the theory that opposites attract at work. Seriously, take everything you know about me, besides my humor, and change it...that's Brandi!
They say you become most like the 5 people you spend the most time with. I'd probably be more like her if she would ever really want to hangout with me!
My break is going well so far. I can't sleep late to save my life though! Yesterday I was awake at 6, today I made it all the way to 7:15. I spent yesterday at school, cleaning my danger zone of a desk! Then rewarding myself with El Paso with my teacher soulmate and another coworker.
Today is a bug day. The girls are coming over for lunch and then a sleepover tonight! Can't wait to watch Tangled 400 times. Those girls are my life though! Can't say what I'd do without them!

Fancy

So Friday was the longest day of my life! I kept waiting for someone to knock me out to ease the pain!
But alas, it did end. I ran out the building like the cast of Grease on the last day! I felt like Martin Luther King Jr. shouting "free at last, free at last, good God almighty we are free at last".
I spent my first night of freedom with my other half, Milton. But before hand I had a nice little pedicure with my Nanny. It felt good to give myself a treat. Off to Nola to see the perks of being a wallflower. The movie was perfection! It's the kind of film that changes you. I make really weird and obsessive connections to certain films and songs.
After seeing the epic-ness we went to Legends. Getting spotted as Rhonda Faye in a bar in the city was pretty amazing! I wish I would just be famous already!
Today was also eventful. Besides getting a new tattoo, which I will come back to in a bit, I took two naps. I actually hate that I wasted so much of my day, but also love the fact that I hibernated!
I love my new tattoo, but man it hurt. I felt like parts of my soul were dying! Sweet baby Jesus! I am surely never getting another tattoo near my foot again! It was like being stabbed by a million tiny bits of glass, and then rubbing it around!
Even with the memory of my soul's death so fresh in my mind I'm ready for another! :) I'm not sure if this one hurt more than my apple, or if I had just forgotten how awful it was!
My pockets were empty today, so I leave you with a picture of my tattoo!

JAIL

Really, today was Thursday? Did the Mayans make a mistake? How could today not be Friday?! Today was a day that makes you convinced that the universe is conspiring against you.
I just have to make it through 8 hours tomorrow! May sweet baby Jesus give me some extra umph and a cheery disposition!
Today I did have a hilarious moment though. I said that one of my students was on fire, a praise I use often which is probably lost on the kids. My classroom diva then busted out "this girl is on fireeeeeee" in true Alicia Keys form! Hilarious, I couldn't even fuss her.
I do love my nuggets, they just make me lose my mind a bit! They also make me rethink everything I ever did in school. I want to go on an apology tour. Starting with Mrs. Heidi, my pre-k teacher, and working my way all the way up through high school. I was always appreciated by my college teachers so I don't think a visit to them would be needed.

Today's Pockets:
Two tissue erasers: because I don't have dry erase erasers for all the students
Marker: from a child
Bandaid wrapper: from a bandaid that stayed on for about 3 minuets
Random Screw: once it's nap-time my children turn into janitors

Excuse me?

As the holidays near, I am so thankful for medication. After today I felt like I had a tomahawk sticking in my forehead. A little ironic thinking of how the first Thanksgiving went.
Today was open house, parents came into the classroom and did an activity with their students. Having grown adults sitting in Kindergarten chairs is pretty entertaining.
I would love to be inside the minds of my students for the day, I am curious to know why they make some choices. For example: when having to use the bathroom, at what point does a child decided "permission? I don't need that, let me just get up a go!" I about lost my mind! Or back to the oral fixation: "hmmm, this is covered in dirt and I have no idea what it is, I'll give it a taste". I just want to remember my thought process from when I was a child!
Two days left, 16 hours at school. I've made it this far, I know I can last until Friday at 3:30. Followed by an immediate, much needed, pedicure. I can't have my foot photographed every which way with my dragon scales showing.

Today's pockets:
3 markers: two dry erase, one crayola
Highlighter
Post it: with a free handed version of my tattoo, an ugly lady, my birth name and the name of the tattoo shop I hall be visit Saturday
Magnetic letter: confiscated from a kleptomaniac child
Fortune: from date night with my godchild
Silly band: a child found it to no longer interest her
Quarter: found by a parent on the floor in my room.

Yesterday's was better...

Another day down! It's amazing how fast time is going, yet Friday is so far away! How can it be?!
Today was like microwaved corn dogs. Good but not great! I'll take it! The virus seemed to just pay me a little visit to make sure I didn't miss his presence. I'm glad to be feeling better!
I was a proud mama today when my little nuggets did so well with comparing and contrasting. This whole teaching thing isn't toooooo bad. I need Stella over here, she got her groove back so maybe she could help me find mine. If that reference is lost on you, please do yourself a favor and google!

Today's pockets:
Marker: only one!
Highlighter: from correcting journals.
Koozie: a child handed it to me after returning from the bathroom.
Paper clip: 2, one in shape, the other out of shape
Candy wrapper: ramen noodles didn't really do the trick
Glue stick: found during nap
Box top: also found during nap
Stickers: bribery
Magnetic letter i: ?

Gag me with a spoon

The spoon wasn't really needed, the virus is spreading like melted butter around our school. I thought for sure I would see my s'mores poptart again but I made it through the day.
One day down, four more to go. Hopefully the rest are less eventful. I know Freud has this entire theory about oral fixation in children but what I don't understand is why they choose the things they do! Today I had one kid with the sticker that holds little Kleenex packets together on her tongue, why?!? Shirt collars, jacket sleeves, erasers, pencils, id tags, thumbs. Are they hungry? I give them a snack everyday! I guess that's another question to scribble on my notebook for the lurd, along with are zebras white with black stripes and black with white stripes and why I never met Barbra Streisand.
Today I wore my amazing polkadot pants that are equipped with deep pockets so the amount of objects obtained today is magical.

Today's pockets:
4 markers: because 3 just isn't enough
Post it note: why is that not in the trash
Crumbled hat from the Veterans Day program: because it not fitting correctly wasn't ok with one of my students
An audio jack: from the radio thy doesn't work
Pen: you know, for writing
Bandaid: to cover my offensive apple tattoo
Paper clip: to hold me together
Mysterious brown object: spit from the mouth if a child to my hand because we have trust issues when it comes to throwing things away

A world without Whitney

Well yesterday was a doozie, so I spent my night with the boozie! Ha, that was my corny joke for the day. I don't know if its because its been so long since we had a break from school or if I'm losing my mind, but this teaching thing seems harder and harder. To all of you in college for education, all I can say is "bless your heart".
I did get a thanksgiving present and a nice card from one of my students that made me feel like I was doing something right, but that lasted about an hour.
So after my rough day I used my id and my debit card, which were in my pockets, to buy copious amounts of fermented grapes and The Bodygaurd. It's so sad that Whitney is gone. :(
One week, one week until I get to sit at an over crowded table, yell over other family members' voices and eat myself into a food coma, all whole sporting a new tattoo! I can't wait!
Tonight will be spent with fermented wheat, LSU football, and friends!

Yesterday's pockets:
Id and debit card: for the fermented grapes
Highlighter: didn't use it once
Marker: obviously
Empty Nerds box: afternoon snack
Receipt: from fermented grapes.

Mama always said

I typed out an entire blog that was just a pity party. So instead of dragging out my day via this virtual diary, I'll just get to the pockets.

Today's Pockets:

$2- not really sure why I have that.
Two markers and one highlighter: for the purposes of writing important things.
Sticker paper: bribery.
Yellow crayon: taken away from a child who was unwilling to pick it up himself.

"Sometimes there aren't enough rocks"- Forrest Gump

Frankly my dear,

Another post Election Day filled with angry facebookers. I wonder, before Facebook, did people openly fight in the streets about their candidate of choice? It really was an interesting addition to my morning ritual: wake up, check messages, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
This isn't about politics though, it's about pockets! I had a jacket and pants on today so you would think I would be overloaded, but I think I did pretty well.
Having yesterday off totally threw me for a loop, today felt like a Monday...thankfully it wasn't! I'm in desperate need of Thanksgiving break! I didn't have a horrible day, just frustrating at times.
I'm thinking of bringing an air bed and just setting up camp in my room. I stayed until 5:30 today,which isn't super late but thanks to Ben Franklin it was extremely dark. Truthfully I would have been there longer if I hadn't been forced to leave by a coworker. Trying to get ahead is exhausting!

Today's pockets:
A dry erase marker- like every other day
Walmart receipt: from snacks for the class
Hershey Kisses: because school is much like a Dementor (google it you non Harry Potter fan freaks)
A note: to remind me of something
A phone message from the office: from the concerned parent of an over active bladder

Quote of the day: (after reading a guided reading book about a family, who just happened to be African American)
Me: Is your family like her's?
Child 1: Yes, except I don't have a cat, I have two dogs!
Child 2: No, these people are all black!

Vote Dino

So, I've talked about this in earlier blogs, I have commitment issues. That's why my longest relationship was with a car. I really wanted to blog everyday, but school got in the way. It seems to do that a lot these days.
A surprising amour of things have happened in the past week since I last shared my thoughts with the web.
Firstly, I attended the greatest concert of my life. Seriously, Jewel is astounding! Glitter is still a part of my everyday ensemble due to my Halloween costume. I also survived my first teacher trip to Grand Isle, I'd share details but there are rules that mustn't be broken when it comes to the Las Vegas of Louisiana.
I didn't take a picture from yesterday, but I do recall having a tiny stuffed dog that I took captive during nap time, a battery from the clock that one of my students decided needed to come come down, and an empty fruit snack wrapper.
It's pretty crazy how much today feels like a Saturday, which will make going back tomorrow even harder. But Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I can already hear all of my family talking at once and the unsnapping of jeans when it's nap time!
According to veteran teachers the second part of the year flies by! Here's to hoping that is true!

I leave you today with a little Kindergarten advice I heard yesterday.
Student 1: Don't vote for Obama, he is mean.
Student 2: I'd vote for Obama.
Student 3: I'd vote for a dinosaur!

I think Mr. 3 is on to something!
Go vote!!!