A comment on society today...

My friend Jesse commented on Saturday how he likes hearing stories about my high school kids, and I had two lovely ones today.

Conversation I overheard during passing period:

Girl: We both decided we just don't feel a love connection.
Boy: Really?
Girl: Yes, we talked about it last night and that love connection is just not there for us. But now he's not here today.."
Boy: Where is he?
Girl: He's sick today. He texted me this morning though and said I can't leave. And I totally didn't understand what he meant, and then he texted me back and said I can't leave you.
Boy: He said that?
Girl: Yes. But now I have to drop my best friend if I'm going to stay with him. I haven't talked to her all day.

Seriously? These 15-year-old kids don't feel a love connection ? And what 15-year-old boy is going to say "I can't leave you" in a text? This is from the girl who twice now has told me she is going to move tomorrow, only to be there the next day. This is also from the girl who told me she was flying to the Bahamas for a funeral, for only one night. The boy (who was at home sick) I actually liked, until I found out he was dating her.

Then a few minutes later, we were beginning a story on the Vietnam War. I asked (using my proper anticipatory set teaching techniques) what anyone knew about the Vietnam War. One student raised his hand and said,

"Well, the Vietnam War started because North Korea--wait, no, South Korea, wanted independence. It was a stupid war that we basically lost, but should have won, because North Korea ended up still being communist."

Yep. The Vietnam War was between the United States and South Korea, we lost, and North Korea is still communist. History classes are going very well.

The next class comes in, and I ask the same question. One kid just blurts out,

"That one guy was captured and was a POW for years. There were traps to get people, and lots and lots and lots of people died."

I asked him who "that one guy" was, and he said,

"You know, that guy John McCain. He was a POW for years and we lost the Vietnam war because so many people died."

Okay, my knowledge on the subject of the Vietnam War is not the clearest. But seriously, I think I could answer the question better than those two responses.

Hopefully these four students are not a comment on society today...

Thin Mints win hands down!

I know you are all dying to know how Macy did on selling Girl Scout cookies. You haven't been able to sleep at night, have you? She sold 146 boxes! Not too shabby. 100 was her goal, so we definately made that. Here's the breakdown:

Carmel Delites--17
Peanut Butter Patties--19
Shortbread--16
Thin Mints--70
Peanut Butter Sandwich---6
Thanks-a-lot--1
Lemonades--14
Daisy Go Rounds--3

Interesting statstics--It's obvious Thin Mints are the most popular!

Sounds like the others in her group sold over 100 boxes too, so she'll be making a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge soon.

Okay, sleep easy knowing the breakdown on her cookies. Thanks to all who purchased!!

Flashback Friday

We made our annual trip to get our Christmas tree today. We've been going to this place for at least three years. Tonight I looked through my pictures for a little trip down memory lane.

The pictures from '05 are not digital, so they haven't been scanned in.

But here's Thanksgiving '06--Macy is 4, almost 5 and Kaylin is 2, almost 3.



Here's Thanksgiving '07--Deja vu Santa! Macy is 5, almost 6 and Kaylin is 3, almost 4. Santa told me this year that he'd purchased a new suit from eBay.




Thanksgiving '08--Macy is 6, almost 7 and Kaylin is 4, almost 5. No idea how old Santa is by now, but he doesn't appear to have aged much!



And for another Friday Flashback for you... Bobby dressed Kaylin today, and as we were getting ready to leave, it dawned on me that she was wearing the same sweatshirt Macy was in '06. No idea how I remember things like this, but I was right. I quickly changed her shoes to the same ones Macy was wearing back then, and we were set for a de ja vu again.

'08--


and the original in '06--


Bobby pointed out to me that they are staying proportion in height--Kaylin reaches Macy's shoulder in both pictures.

Time to go to bed...I went shopping from 11 pm-3:30 am with some friends this morning, and my lack of sleep is catching up with me. First time I've ever done something like that, and it was veeeerrrry fun. Great deals, too. Tomorrow is the big MU/KU game, and I need to get my rest for the frigid temperatures.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Words paint such a more vivid picture

Twilight came out at the movie theater on Friday night, and I couldn't wait to go. But due to complicated schedules and plans, my friends and I couldn't go until last night. I blogged here about the books back in Macy--they are fantastic.

I must say that the book is much better than the movie. You know how when you read a book, you create mental pictures as to what the characters sound like, look like, what certain houses look like, certain streets are curvy, not straight? Nothing matched from my head to the big screen, and that was problematic for me. A big part of the book is how smooth and Mr. GQ Cool Edward is, and that just doesn't come across in the movie. He is almost creepy. And Bella. Oh, strong and confident Book Bella comes across as snobby and almost mean.

And I know I should have clued in on the fact that Jacob was Native American--I mean, it's totally obvious in the book. But in my mind, he wasn't for some reason. And when he came on the screen, it was like, "Duh. Of course he is Native American!"

There were, of course, a few scenes in the movie that weren't in the book at all, and that is fine. I'm okay with minor changes for the sake of Hollywood. It's hard to condense a 500 page book down to two hours, so some sacrifices have to be made.

But the main problem is you can't replace words. Stephenie Meyer writes with such beautiful prose, such beautiful language, and that is lost in translation. Words can convey so much more than a picture ever can. You fall in love with Edward and Bella, Alice and Jasper, Carlisle and Esme, and Charlie because of what is revealed in their words and watching their characters develop. That is lost when the words are taken away. Words allow you to make your own pictures, to create meaning based on what they say, to allow yourself to get lost in their world. Books allow you to say, what a minute, what just happened? and allow you to re-read a section to understand it better, and to understand the characters better.

With all that said, would I go see the movie again? In a heartbeat. Did I laugh a ton? Oh, yeah. Did I cry? Um, do you know me at all? Of course I did. Will I go see the second one, which is obviously coming, judging by the amount of foreshadowing? Can't wait.

And I absolutely in awe of how this series has inspired so many reluntant readers to pick up the book and read it. You wouldn't believe how many copies I see carried around, or how long the waiting list is at the library. One of my girls who hasn't read hardly anything all year flew through it and is now 1/2 way through the second one. Maybe this will spark their interest in reading and that fire will continue to grow.

I guess there is a reason I teach writing and try to inspire a love of reading for a living.

Not Me Monday!

During a fire drill last week on my plan hour, I did not go into our journalism office, turn off the lights, and lay down, using a student coat as a pillow. I did not briefly nap for the ten minutes or so it takes to herd 2200 students outside and back in again. And I did not wake up freaked out I was going to get in trouble...

We did not invite 27 kids to Macy's birthday pool party. Nope, we like smaller, low-key events.

I did not lie to my youngest on two occasions this week because reasoning with her is impossible--once to tell her the night light's "job" was to keep the monsters away, and once to tell her she couldn't get in the hot tub at her cousin's birthday party because Aunt Natalie would have to pay extra if she did. Nope, I am completely honest with my girls.

I did not tape record an absolutely wonderful, perfect conversation with my 7th hour for a project I'm doing for my master's class,only to realize it didn't tape. Rather than re-tape, I did not sit with my 7th hour and have them verbally re-create the conversation.

I did not say every night last week that I was going to bed early, and I did not fail every night.

Head over to MckMama's blogfor more fun...

And a Monday morning treat for you;
Macy and Kaylin made up a song last night, and created a dance to go with it. Here it is, exactly like it was spelled on the piece of paper they carried around all night:

I see a spurkl in your eis evere day
And you are my boy
You love the wruld
Now you know wot to do evere day
I see a sparkl in your eis.

Bring on the Pepto...

My kids are doing stories this month on students who cut themselves (self-mutilation), what gay students think of California repealing the gay marriage ban, and drug use at the high school. Lots of legal mine fields, lots of meetings with students, and possibility of complaints from parents.

But the students want to cover these topics, and are honestly working hard on finding sources and are passionate. I can't ask for more than that. Maybe a bottle of Pepto...

Photo Booth fun--again!

The girls had to hang out with me at deadline night for a while, so we took photo booth pictures again. Thought these might make you smile today...





Have a great day!