Junk Drawer

How can it be?! I cleaned out the kitchen junk drawer today and now I can't get it closed! I got rid of an entire bag of junk from it! The rest is valuable stuff I just can't part with (including the wisdom teeth).

Iowa, Stuff, and Foto Skool

I got a really neat Mother's Day present. A day at photo school in July. Let's hope I don't totally suck that day. Anyhow, here are a couple of snapshots on the way back from Iowa.



And here's Barbie in the Birthday Mush cake. Hah! Take THAT Barbie!

And the front tree. Some neighbors like it, some don't.

And a nice floral still for my other neighbor!

Whoa

There's lots going on in this photo, even for b&w. Stripes, leaves, chalk, horizontal lines. Yikes. Maybe this is one I can practice cropping on?

From pig to ham

Here's a conversation...
Her: How do farmers sort out which eggs have baby chicks in them from the ones that we can eat.
Me: I have no idea.
Her: What does "Farmers raise pigs for their meat mean?"
Me: It means they take good care of the piggies while they're growing up and then they eat them.
Her: Gross!
Me: So what do you want for lunch tomorrow?
Her: Ham sandwich.

Pinhole Day

Hmm... Here are the results for Worldwide Pinhole Photo Day. I'm not sure which one I'll submit.

Tulips, outside, exposure: 2.5 secs


Clock base, inside, exp.: 15 secs


Clock face, inside, 16 secs.


Laundromat building, outside, 4-5 secs.


A million years ago I used to do this with a little paper camera I built. I'd load paper inside, instead of film, and concentrate on capturing motion. So now here I am with a dirty sensor.

Old baby picture

A few months into life, she became a goofball and decided to stick with it...

San Diego Spring Break

Yay! We went away for Spring break! We went ALL over the place! Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, and Disneyland. Also to La Jolla Cove, Coronado, Mission Beach, and another beach. I only brought his little point and shoot so these are pretty blown out, but you know how I love contrasty images. Wahoo! The beaches were lovely.

Disneyland was better that I thought it'd be. It was great to see a place totally set up for kids. And the ride lines weren't bad at all. There was so much to do we spent 8 hours there!

Eyelashes

Someone I once worked with told me city kids had thicker lashes than kids in less polluted environments.

The leprechaun around the corner...

What's up? I got hired on for real. Had a real interview at a different school for a real job. We went to the opera - Puccini. Lost my voice today - sick day tomorrow - too bad. ;)

St. Paddy's Day is tomorrow! She wants to make a leprechaun trap. I told her she was part Leprechaun and she's not sure she believes me. Smart kid.

We had a nice day and she got the idea from Emily B. about making "monster brew" with chalk in the driveway puddles... and that was that!

Mud

Do we remember the smell of mud? The squishy sound of it between the treads of our boots on the kitchen floor? Is it so unpleasant? I moved some snow away from the hibernating plants and gave them a sniff. Nothing. Another snowstorm looms. As much as I love snow, I've had my fill this season.

Life with tripod...

is way better than without.

These were taken with the new tripod on a grey day under the bushes and under a pile of snow. These are the lo-res versions for quicker upload. I finally have low-light control back! Wahoo!

It was a dark and snowy day... at the Bristols

THAT was a lotta snow we got. We still have a few glaciers at the bottom of the driveway.

Fun for kids


Not so bad on the bird feeder


Branches were pretty heavy


Our guy Hogeye was looking good


The Bristol 'bors got it, too


And it's always exciting when the snow plow finally gets to your street (and plows you in)

We were watching old people at the grocery store and she says... "Mommy, please, please don't get to be an old lady." I will try, dear.

The job is a lot better and I hear they are trying to create a full time position for me. I'll believe it when I see it, but for now I've adjusted to the rotten kids in my class. I even laughed all last week at the ridiculous things they do. They can't help it, but they're so bad I can't help it either!

We finally booked a little vacation for spring break. It's refreshing to keep it in the back of my mind while I get through these grey days. California here we come!

Uh Oh

Her: Mom? You like bands?
Me: Yes.
Her: I like bands. You like rock n' roll bands?
Me: Yes, A LOT, why? What kinds of bands? Kid rock n' roll bands?
Her: No! Grown up rock n' roll bands with guitars!
Me: Do you talk about music with your friends at school? Or in Mr. B's class?
Her: No. I just love rock n' roll bands. Not like the stuff from the library in my kids section... like, REAL bands.
Me: OK, well the library cds we get are real bands.
Her: They are?
Me: Kind of - they're real bands who make kid versions of their songs. Would you like me to pick out some rock n' roll cds of mine that are appropriate for you?
Her: YES!!! (Wide eyed.)

There must be something going on in that little brain. Last week she was obsessed with my Bob Marley cds. Good grief. Isn't she a little young for this? I guess I started with some glam rock Bowie when I was 6ish (I also loved Muskrat Love!). She's not even interested in ear-bleeding Disney soundtracks, thank goodness. I guess she really is part me. Look out, Daddy!

Rainy day in the past

I should be doing homework now. Do people in Alaska catch colds as often as people in the midwest do? How about in Hawaii?

Can't remember which camera I used for these. Maybe the old Olympus, which is a totally underrated camera. Has a live LCD that rocks. A rainy day. A funny kid. She makes life good.

7 weeks left

Some days are better than others. It's taken nearly 3 weeks but, today, I'm not so shocked by what happens in my classroom. Most interesting potential discussion bombs of the day...

Kid 1: Why do you have more than 2 earrings?
Me: Ummm. Same reason why you only have 2?

Kid 2: Are you Christian? Are you Christian? HUh? Are YOU??? Are you Christian?
Me: Ummm. Not exactly.
Kid 2: Oh so you're Jewish??
Me: Nope.
Kid 2: So you're NOTHING? Wow. Why don't you get yourself a pair of Uggs like us?

Kid 3: What are you ordering for yourself at the McDonald's party tomorrow?
Me: Coffee.
Kid 3: Coffee??? Son of a bitch!
Me: Hahahahaha (oops). That was inappropriate. You're losing a point.

Late summer in Chicago...

All Around Fripple Town

That's the name of my kiddo's favorite video game. Here are some photos from around my Fripple Town. I like the Jesus sticker machine in the Mexican laundromat.

Yikes, Part II

Today I got the full story of two of the 6th graders I've been teaching and got to see their disaster-on-legs parents. As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

And now here's a nice little marbleized and sparkly geode.

Day 11

It's day 11 of working. Three of us teachers for just six kids. Working with these kids is a lot like working in day care, which is something I never ever ever aspired to do. Eight weeks left and counting.


Like puppets (not the political kind) as much as I do? http://www.puppetbike.com

So long ice, uh, blobs

It was nice while it lasted.