Thursday, November 28, 2013

Love this article!


Don't Date a Girl Who Teaches

I stumbled across this sweet, darling blog post by another blogger entitled "Date a Girl Who Teaches".  It lists examples of traits common to teachers and explains why they would be desirable to men. Here's one:
It is easy enough to date a girl who teaches. She won’t want expensive gifts; you can buy storybook for her birthday, flowers for Teacher’s day, craft punchers for Christmas. You can buy her anything but please spare her with coffee mugs; she has lots from her students.
Positively saccharine.

I read the post, then immediately began writing my own version. Friends, I give you:


Don't Date a Girl Who Teaches



Let's say you meet a girl.  She's cute, fun, and when you ask her what she does for a living, she replies, smiling, "I'm a teacher." You probably jump to some positive conclusions about this girl.  She must be extremely patient and have the kindness of a Mother Theresa/lamb hybrid. You might even picture stock images of teachers, laughing as they point to vowels in a workbook, or smiling triumphantly as little Johnny correctly identifies Macedonia on a map of the world. You think about movies and TV shows you've seen where teachers like Hilary Swank, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Zooey Deschanel charm the socks off their students, overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, and manage to do it all while looking awesome. 

Well, I'm here to tell you to snap out of it. Here's what you're really in for.

She will speak to you as if you're a student when you're wrong in an argument (and probably if you're right, too).
She's highly trained in the art of keeping her cool in an argument, and one of those ways of keeping cool is delivering some of the most mind-blowingly annoying one-liners on the planet.  For example:
"Let me know when you're ready to take responsibility for your actions."
"Use your words."
"Was that a good choice?"
These statements and questions, disguised as innocuous, even gentle hints, are designed specifically to make you want to set yourself on fire.

She will go hours without responding to your telecommunication attempts, often without explanation.
If you're one of those people who expects to hear back when you text or call someone, you should probably steer clear of teachers. I know that personally, from about 10:30 PM to 5:30 PM the next day, it's a complete crapshoot whether I will reply at all, let alone promptly.  

She has a near-perfect BS detector.
You will get away with nothing. 

You thought PMS was bad? Try PEGPS.
PEGPS stands for Pre End-of-Grading-Period Syndrome, the period of time before grades are due for report cards. Like PMS, PEGPS is characterized by extreme irritability, poor nutritional choices, and zombie-like fatigue. However, unlike PMS, PEGPS lasts for 2-3 WEEKS and happens four to six times per YEAR. 

And when PEGPS overlaps with PMS, you'd better get the hell out of Dodge, my friend.

She will bring home every strain of every airborne disease within a 25-mile radius.
Hope your immune system's perfect.

She will compare all your problems/accomplishments to the papers she has to grade.
"Honey, I just qualified for the Boston Marathon!"
"Oh, please. I just graded 180 persuasive essays in one weekend."

"That was my mom on the phone. They just put my childhood dog down."
"You think that's depressing? Look at these literary analyses they turned in. Five weeks on this unit and they still can't come up with a decent thesis!"

She won't be able to see you ever, especially during DEVOLSON.
And if she is available, she will only want to watch a mindless movie at home in perfect silence.

If you decide to take her anywhere directly after work, just know that it will seem to others as if you are escorting around a cardigan-wearing, homeless witch with unexplainable stray marker/pen marks from wrist to elbow.

Fellas, let me save you some trouble. If you're in a bar and you see a woman in flats and a cardigan with an oversized shoulder tote asking about discounts, stay away.

Stay very far away.

Love,

Teach


P.S. I was kidding about everything.  You should totally date a teacher.  They're pretty kickass.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

My Hockey Guys!

 Love this picture!  The love of hockey captured!

Thanks to Jenna for more great photos!
Be sure to check her out at: www.jennafayephotography.com






My Beautiful Boys!

 Griffin
6
silly
loving
caring
active
smart
my baby boy
 
 Owen
8
leader
competitive
smart
compassionate
sensitive
funny
my first
 
My Beautiful Boys!

Elliott is Back!!

 Elliott is back and the boys are thrilled!  Each night, Owen has been wishing for Elliott to return early, because he just can't wait to see him!  Elliott is Owen's favourite part of Christmas traditions at our place!

This year, I thought we needed to dress him up a little bit!  A Bulls jersey was perfect!  I sewed his shirt and Tony made his hockey stick and the look on the boys face when they saw him dressed in the jersey was worth the effort!




Elliott returned on Monday morning, and boy did it take a long time for them to find the note and start to look for their elf! They were thrilled  to see him return!

That night on the way home from school, Owen and Griffin were arguing, and I overheard Owen say to Griffin, "Please Griffin, we need to get along, we only have a month to get on the good list, and Elliott is watching!"
Thank you Elf on the Shelf!
 
 Christmas has arrived!  We are all set up and decorated!

29 days and counting!!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Hockey Mom!!


Hard to believe it isn't it?  Me, a hockey mom!
It's true!  and I love it!

Dear Santa... here is a great gift for a hockey mom!

LOVE OF HOCKEY - Sterling Silver Hand Stamped Necklace

Monday, November 18, 2013

Dear Santa



 This year, both the boys were able to write their own letters.  Boy, there was no stopping them once they started.  They were on a mission to write letters to Santa, to be sure Santa wouldn't forget anything on their list!  They even knew enough to add some questions for Santa and to draw a picture.  

Griffin is totally into hockey right now, and more than anything he wants a 
"hockey bedroom".  He has it all planned out.  Painting on this wall, pictures on this wall, I want this wall to look like a rink, with magnets that I can move around.  Very cute!  I have to admit, this is a present right up my alley.  

Take a peek at the bedding I just ordered...love it!!

and this light

 As for Owen.... it's Skylanders, Skylanders and more Skylanders!



Wednesday, November 13, 2013

How do you top this?

Favourite picture ever!
This sums up the boys perfectly!

41 days until Christmas!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Don't you just love kid's Writing!!

I found this in Griffin's backpack.  A message from a little girl in his class!

Remembrance Day


Remembrance day, such an important day, and yet such a hard day for little ones to understand.  I certainly took advantage of every chance I had to explain and help my boys and my students to appreciate, if just a little bit, the importance of Remembrance day.

Griffin gets it!  He is full of questions, he is inquisitive and wants explanations as to why there needs to be war, and offers solutions to end war.  He appreciated our assembly today at school, and was disturbed that the boy beside him didn't know enough to be quiet.  This is a boy with heart.

 This is a picture that Griffin drew after hearing "In Flander's Field"
I love the details... just months ago, he was drawing stick figures.
 
I found this idea on Pinterest, and our school jumped all over it.
What a great way for a school to capture student's thinking and making it visible. 


This is Griffin's Remembrance Day art from school.  I just love that Mrs. M, incorporates art in many of her lessons.  Griffin is just thriving because of it!


This is the art that my class did.  Poppies in Flanders Field
 

Thursday, November 7, 2013

What Should Mrs. Bird be for Halloween?


I did this cute activity with my students on Halloween.  The boys and girls had to decide what I should be for Halloween and draw me wearing that costume!
I picked three of my favourites.  Make sure you scroll to the bottom to see my favourite!







Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Unbelievable!





Halloween didn't start out so well....
Just as we were leaving to take the kids trick-or-treating, the first family of kids came knocking on our door.  We had left a bucket of candy sitting on our step with a sign that said "Happy Halloween, Please take 2 pieces of candy".
Tony met the kids as he walked out of our garage and the looked at him like deer in headlights.  He check on the candy bucket and literally 80% of it was gone!  He called me over to take a look, and I confirmed most of it had been taken.  The parents were still at the end of our driveway and I made them aware that their children had taken more than their share.  They responded by asking their children if they had, and the kids said they had taken 2 each.  I assured them that this was not the case.  The father, replied by asking if I wanted to search their candy bags.

At this point, I knew it was a lost cause.  These parents had let a valuable teaching moment slip by, and more importantly taught their children that they should not be held accountable for their actions.  
Although that is the real loss, many of our own neighbourhood kids  did not get candy from us this Halloween.
This family did not live in our neighbourhood, their four children had on masks and carried garbage bags. It's a shame that their children are missing out on the real spirit of Halloween!
 

Halloween!


My boys love Halloween! and so do I!  I have ever told the story of how I went trick-or-treating my first year of University in Ottawa?  We went to the Prime Ministers house and Brian Mulroney himself handed me my candy bag and tooth brush!
The Embassies also handed out good loot including drinks for the parents!

This year was no different, I looked forward to the day just as much as the boys!


Griffin changed his mind a few days before, and of course too late to order the costume he wanted.  All along he had wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.  This would be his third year in a row!   For some reason, he decided he wanted to be a spy.  I couldn't order the costume or find a trench coat in time, so he settled for a different kind of spy.

Owen wore his second Skylanders costume this year- Crusher!  


The boys went with our neighbours door to door!

 


Witches of Deerfield!




Happy Halloween!