A Guessing Game

Me: I am thinking of something that you can eat.
Child: Chicken! A Fish! Squid!

He was close; I was thinking of a pizza.

Klamath 2004

I just returned from, as Grant called it, a "special" trip down the Klamath River. The trip really had it all...laughter, tears, no privacy when using the bathroom...here is my story.

I would have to say that the drive there, the first night of camping and really the first morning before put-in was quite possibly the worst 24 hours of my life. We did not arrive at put-in in Happy Camp, CA until 2:45 a.m. on Friday night. Since it was so late (or early, depending on how you want to look at it) we did not set up tents. Instead we slept on the ground. I for one was really excited about this part of the trip seeing as it was freaking freezing outside and the rocky ground was my mattress. Brittaney and Ryan however, slept inside the warmth and protection of their Xterra. No bitterness here. Luckily, I was so tired that falling asleep was not a problem. I just had several layers of clothes on, a beanie pulled down over my face and a mummy bag wrapped 17 times around my body...but really, it was great. And just when you thought it could not get any worse...it does (yay!) I think it was 14 degrees when we woke up on Saturday morning. Yeah that sounds about right, give or take. (This is the point of the story where the tears that I mentioned earlier work their way in.)

Although this was a very low point in the trip for me, it proved to be the only one. Even thought I did freeze my ass off for several hours that morning, the fog burnt off, the sky turned blue and the trip was awesome from then until take-out. The Klamath is one of the most beautiful places I have traveled. I saw a deer, several frogs and even two bald eagles (a very cool experience).

I learned so much on this trip as well...like how to squat and pee without taking my pants completely off...or that I actully like to sleep in a mummy bag...that "back paddle" is my favorite of all the paddles...always beware of dogs jumping out of the boat...and my favorite lesson is, of course, to always breathe in the trough! (Erica!)

So many memories were made that I will never forget and I am so lucky to have friends like Brittaney and Ryan to take Grant and I on adventures like this one.

Thank you Brittaney for your wonderful organization skills and for being sensitive to Grant's fiber needs.
Thank you Ryan for changing the "left turn, left side back" command to "left turn, Heather back!"
Thank you Julie for the PBR.
Thank you Kyla for driving us and more importantly, staying awake!
Thank you Erica for being the only one who fell in the river.
Thank you Werner and Ayla for not barking at night.
And finally thank you groover...for taking away all the feelings of privacy I once held about all my bathroom habits and for sharing the bathroom habits of others with me as well.

Goodbye Klamath...see you next year!

What can I say...they crack me up!

(It is Wednesday during small group activity time. Three children are playing office.They are having a phone conversation. The mood is "urgent")

Child 1: Can I speak to Alexa please?
Child 2: She is not here.
Child 1: Where is she?
Child 2: Well...um...she lost her company. She doesn't know where she put it.
(Alexa whispers to Child 2) Tell her I'm having a date.
Child 2: She is having a date.
Child 1: Fine. Tell her that I will see her at the prom!

Little business men and women in the making!

Kids are random

Child: Are you a mom?
Me: No.
Child: Do you have a mom?
Me: Yes.
Child: Where?
Me: She is at my house.
Child: Oh...do you like hot Cheetos?
Me: What?
Child: What?

Oooo that feels good!

My attitude going into this "Professional Development" class that I am taking was very different from the attitudes I have had about school in the past. I went into it thinking, "I don't care about this class; as long as I pass I will be happy." But, I guess for those of you who know me, this of course was not the case. On the very first day I caught it...the school bug. It is a sickness that makes me act like the best is never good enough. I would not call it contagious...repulsive is probably a better word. What can I say, I LOVE to get A's. So this class that I was "not going to give a crap about" turned into almost every other class I have had all my life. But luckily, it was a fairly easy class and I thank God for the BA in child development that I have already earned. I finished my final tonight and it was very fulfilling. I felt like I really accomplished something and it felt really good.

Then I thought, how sad. I should, at least I think I should, be accomplishing something every day. I am teaching the young children of America, low income children no less. I am hopefully increasing the likelihood that they will do better in kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and beyond. But because somebody doesn't give me an "A" at the end of each day I don't feel a sense of accomplishment?

I know it doesn't make sense. But even though I am fully aware, I am still praying that I receive no less than an A- on the final I just finished and will be handing in tomorrow. I want to know so badly that I am providing my professor with a self-addressed stamped envelope to get it back as soon as it is graded. And for my sake, and for the sake of my loved ones, it better be an "A"

I know, there is something seriously wrong with me.

The water was turned off at my school so I have been subbing at other sites that need help. In my experience, a new face in the classroom becomes the "instant favorite" of all the students in the class. Several of the kids immediately took a liking to me. One little boy, who happens to be an exact clone of my cousin Cameron, told me I was pretty at least three times today. Everyone wants me to sit with them, everyone wants to sit on my lap and it is all very cute.

Here is a very funny conversation I had with a little girl who had three flowers in her hands.

Child: Which flower do you want teacher?
Me: I get to pick one?
Child: Uh-huh.
Me: Ok, this one.
Child: Ok, but first you have to spend the night at my house.
Me: I can't have a flower unless I spend the night at your house?
Child: Uh-huh.
(Child pauses and stares at me)
Child: So when can you come?

The happiest I have ever been about a failing grade

I only scored a 4.7% on this test making me a geek "poser." Whatever, at least I am less geeky than Grant.

And now I'd like some answers, thanks

I seem to be questioning everything these days. Well, mainly my career choice. It is not that I don't like my job; I like many things about my job. I guess I have just come to realize that it is not what I want to do for the rest of my life. And I know that this isn't a bad thing because I know that no one is forcing me to be a preschool teacher forever. But what is frustrating me is that I don't know what else I want to do. Because the thing is I like to have everything all nice and planned for me. (Just ask Grant, he loves it, especially when it involves planning things like our future.) So basically what I am asking for is for someone to hand me a nice clean worksheet that indicates what job will make me the most happy. So if someone could just get on that, it would be great.

In other news...I got business cards (yeah!). But, my name was spelled wrong (damn). They actually asked if I would use them anyway. Ummm, no. Why you ask? Because I don't think that "Heather Anderson" really wants me to hand out invalid business cards.

Jack's post

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Heather: What does it say, Jack?
Jack: Um, it says "Jack."

Teacher Heather's to do list for March 11, 2004

1. Bang my knee on the puppet show theater.
2. Curse at the puppet show theater.
3. Drop the water table lid and hit my shin with it.
4. Curse at the water table lid.
5. Get flipped off by a child.
6. Realize, (with great relief) that the child is not actually flipping me off but showing me his new ring.
7. Have to choke down a tuna sandwich containing way too much mayo and eat anything but "vegetable soup" to set a good example for my students. Yum!
8. Go home.
9. Thank God that tomorrow is Friday.

Oh damn.

Valeria: Teacher, you have boobies?
Heather: I'm sorry, what? (stay calm)
Valeria: (pointing up at me) You have boobies, there?
Heather: (What do I do? What do I do?) Um, honey, I don't understand what you are asking me.
Valeria: Boobies, there, on your hand? (pointing to the Band-Aid on my finger)
Heather: A boo-boo! Yes! I have a BOO-BOO! You're right. (Thank God!)

How could I not love this song?

...it’s like flowers or ladybugs
pretty weeds or red beetles with dots

Currently it is my favorite song by Nada Surf and my favorite song overall right now. All in all I enjoyed both The Long Winters and Nada Surf last night at a great venue with even better company.

Funny stuff

I didn't hear what the child said that sparked the comment by my center director, but this was her response to whatever he said:

"No! You do not have any girlfriends! You cannot have a girlfriend until you get a job!"

Yeah...because that is something a four-year-old can relate to.

Where's my prize?

So, I went to the dentist the other day. And it was not until several days later, while I was brushing my teeth with my same old toothbrush, that I realized I didn't get a free one at the end of my visit. How annoying.

It's called "community college" these days

Actually, I think that is BS. I have always called it Junior College. It is the junior high of college really. After two years, you finally get settled and then you move on to bigger and better things. But as my good friend Allie pointed out, don't buy a car while you are attending your local JC! It is a trap, I tell you! You will never leave. And NEVER see a counselor before you have done your own research and figured out the only schedule that will get you out of that hell hole in two years. Otherwise you will be sitting in the counselor's office and he/she will say, "You know, you should not feel pressured to finish community college in just two years. Take your time. Take 11 units, hell take 8 units a semester. Get a full time job! Stick around for three, four years. Have you seen all the great deals on new and used cars?" If you find yourself in that situation, run.

Well, both Grant and I managed to avoid the Junior College trap and were out and on to CSUs in just two years. But, lucky me, I am back at Junior College in all its glory, taking three units of "Professional Development ." It's fine and I know I can handle it. I just don't want to. Furthermore, I think I had every student's "first day at the JC" nightmare of an experience, something I thought I would NEVER have to deal with again.

I went to pay for my parking permit. I took myself and my two dollars to the machine. I inserted both dollars after which the machine told me "Accepted-$1.00. Parking Permits $2.00" So I proceeded to run to my car to get my only other dollar. I retrieved it, and ran back. I quickly inserted the next dollar and the same message read on the machine's screen. So I saw the button that says cancel. Well actually it said "Cancel. No change given" Then what is the point of a cancel button! Why the hell else would you cancel your transaction!?!? Because you felt like donating two dollars to the machine and wanted nothing in return?

But at least I got there early, and it was the first day of school so I figured they wouldn't be ticketing. Luckily I was right. I decide to go to the bookstore. I found my $75.00 book, no used copies, a book that cost more than the class, and stood in line for 30 minutes to buy it.

But I got through it. Now I just have to "get through it" every day for the next 15 weeks. Fantastic.

Hey, thanks

Yesterday I get to work and say "Hi" to the morning custodian. He politely says "Hello" back to me and then tells me to wait. He goes into the supply closet and brings out a can of air freshener/deodorizer and hands it to me and says, "Here, I thought you could use this."

Yeah, I am going to go ahead and take this as a "I-was-cleaning-your-class-and-noticed-you-didn't-have-any" kind of message as opposed to a "Heather smells" or "Your-classroom-stinks-to-holy-heaven" kind of message.

On Thursday I was losing my patience. One of my kids would not stay in his seat during breakfast time. He kept finding every excuse to get out to not be in his chair. After about the 27th time of telling him to sit down on his bottom he said (as his raised his back side from his seat) "But teacher, I just want to tell you something." And I actually said to the child. "Well you know what? You can talk to me from your bottom!"

Huh? Wait, I mean, sit on your bottom, then talk from it. No! Sit down before your bottom talks! What?

I was a little confused. But then, later in the day I played with a little girl and she laughed. It was the first time I had heard her laugh in 6 months.

It was a good day.

To all my friends and family...

Merry Christmas and I love you!!

Ahhh...young minds.

I was sitting in the house area today with some kids. One little boy (Prince) was playing "the Dad." This is what he told me:

Prince(with a very frustrated tone):I have to go back to work.
Me: Why?
Prince: Because some guy at my work is going to get fired on him so I have to get the fire department and I have to go use the computer and send him the internet!
Me: Sounds like fun Dad, have a good day.
Prince:Goodbye daughter...don't worry.

Oh my god!

This test is really doing wonders for my self estem.


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