Earlier this week I wrote a post that was a bit dark and depressing. I didn’t post it, because whenever I write those posts I like to sit on them for a few days before sharing with the internet. The gist of the post was that I was feeling like a failure as an adult. Once again I had been subjected to the opinion of someone who doesn’t understand my job. The idea that because I teach preschool, I don’t really teach, makes me crazy. Part of what I originally wrote was…
“In college, I was idealistic. I was convinced that I was going to become this fantastic teacher and I was going to inspire the next generations to pinnacles of success. I would arouse the interest of future history makers with my stories of the history makers of the past. I would never doubt the mark I was leaving on the future, because I would be able to see it in the eyes of my students.
Instead, I teach skills so basic most people don’t even realize they’re learned behaviors. I teach children to use the toilet. I teach them to wash their hands, a skill most of them won’t even hold onto anyway, if restaurant behavior means anything. I teach them not to pick their noses, to use silverware instead of their hands at the table, when to yell and when to speak gently.”
Then I rambled morosely for several paragraphs before ending with a challenge to myself. “I just wrote an assessment of a three year-old I could have written about myself, ‘She knows her strengths, but avoids activities that challenge or will allow for growth’. I need to find a way to challenge myself.” All I really needed out of that post was the final line. I need to find a way to challenge myself.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Finally- Days 27-30
Well, thirty days of song certainly became more than 30 days! Anyway...
Day 28. A song that makes me feel guilty- Alyssa Lies by Jason Michael Carroll. It's my job to protect little children and it's one aspect of my job that I take extremely seriously. I don't ever want to find out that any child ever under my care, my protection, has been hurt by those who are supposed to love them. I don't know that "guilty" is the exact right word for how this song makes me feel, but it reaffirms my conviction to care for the children in my life.
Day 29. A song from my childhood- "Step By Step" by New Kids on the Block. Seriously, I loved these guys when I was a kid. I had the "action figures" (yeah, they were dolls), they used to date my barbies. My room was decorated in NKotB posters. I loved them. This was my favorite of their top singles. (I should mention that this was 1990, I was eight.)
Day 30. Favorite song at this time last year- You know what's funny? It's actually a song I used above that I used to love but now hate. "15 Minutes of Shame" which I now hate because I listened to it way to much when I loved it. I'm not posting the video again though.
Bet you can't wait to see what's up next!!
Day 28. A song that makes me feel guilty- Alyssa Lies by Jason Michael Carroll. It's my job to protect little children and it's one aspect of my job that I take extremely seriously. I don't ever want to find out that any child ever under my care, my protection, has been hurt by those who are supposed to love them. I don't know that "guilty" is the exact right word for how this song makes me feel, but it reaffirms my conviction to care for the children in my life.
Day 29. A song from my childhood- "Step By Step" by New Kids on the Block. Seriously, I loved these guys when I was a kid. I had the "action figures" (yeah, they were dolls), they used to date my barbies. My room was decorated in NKotB posters. I loved them. This was my favorite of their top singles. (I should mention that this was 1990, I was eight.)
Day 30. Favorite song at this time last year- You know what's funny? It's actually a song I used above that I used to love but now hate. "15 Minutes of Shame" which I now hate because I listened to it way to much when I loved it. I'm not posting the video again though.
Bet you can't wait to see what's up next!!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Um No!
I planned on finishing my 30 Days of Song challenge today. Instead I'm sharing excerpts from a news article I read...
"Kerry, who asked that her family's last name not be used, told "Good Morning America's" Lara Spencer that it was actually her daughter, Britney, who wanted to try Botox, a beauty treatment more normally requested by aging women than growing girls.
"We were getting into the pageants," Kerry recalled. "I knew she was complaining about her face, having wrinkles, and things like that. When I brought it up to Britney she was all for it."
So Kerry, a San Francisco, Calif.-based, part-time aesthetician and no stranger to Botox herself, having done the treatment on her own face, began injecting her daughter with the anti-wrinkle solution.
...
Kerry typically administers the Botox to Britney through a total of five shots, in three different locations on her face.
But can Botox really make a difference on a young girl who has not even had time in her life to develop the "worry" lines or age creases Botox is typically sought out to erase?
"The few times that we did it, it would lessen the lines," said Kerry. "They wouldn't completely disappear, she's a kid. And we don't do so much to where it's going to make a big difference."
But it's enough of a difference for Kerry and Britney to continue on with the treatments, despite the pain.
"It hurts sometimes," said Britney. "It makes me nervous. But I get used to it."
...
Kerry also takes point with critics in that same medical community who say the Botox could cause adverse reactions in her young daughter.
"I don't do enough on her to make a big difference," she said. "Just on the lines."
The potential for both emotional and physical damage makes critics like Dr. Sophy hesitant to prescribe or administer Botox to children, so Kerry must rely on her own methods to gain access to Botox for Britney.
"I do have a trusted source where I get it. He is a behind-the-scene doctor," she said.
...
The tough competition of the pageant world also prompted Kerry to try another type of cosmetic treatment on Britney, one that even middle-aged women find painful: waxing.
"I just don't think it's ladylike to have hair on your legs," explained Britney. "I did that one time. It was super, super hard. It hurts.""
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mom-year-daughter-botox-young-young/story?id=13580804
Okay- first of all- No. Just no.
Second of all- mom don't try to pawn this off as the daughter wanted to try it. She flat out admits to suggesting it. Also- lady, you're the mother. If your kid wants to do something crazy/dangerous/stupid, you get to say no. That's why kids are raised by adults, not by other kids.
Third- seriously lady? The effects aren't that noticable because your eight year old daughter doesn't have wrinkles yet. You are poisoning her for nothing!!
Fourth- please note that REAL doctors won't even give her the botox. She's using a "behind the scenes" doctor. To me, that sounds like some guy who lost his license years ago for doing something incredibly dangerous/illegal, who continues to do dangerous medical stuff. If doctors generally won't do something- it's probably not a good idea!!
Fifth- does this eight year old kid even have hair to wax off? I'm betting not. Also- it hurt so bad the kid refuses to do it again. But she'll get botox. Stop. Just stop.
"Kerry, who asked that her family's last name not be used, told "Good Morning America's" Lara Spencer that it was actually her daughter, Britney, who wanted to try Botox, a beauty treatment more normally requested by aging women than growing girls.
"We were getting into the pageants," Kerry recalled. "I knew she was complaining about her face, having wrinkles, and things like that. When I brought it up to Britney she was all for it."
So Kerry, a San Francisco, Calif.-based, part-time aesthetician and no stranger to Botox herself, having done the treatment on her own face, began injecting her daughter with the anti-wrinkle solution.
...
Kerry typically administers the Botox to Britney through a total of five shots, in three different locations on her face.
But can Botox really make a difference on a young girl who has not even had time in her life to develop the "worry" lines or age creases Botox is typically sought out to erase?
"The few times that we did it, it would lessen the lines," said Kerry. "They wouldn't completely disappear, she's a kid. And we don't do so much to where it's going to make a big difference."
But it's enough of a difference for Kerry and Britney to continue on with the treatments, despite the pain.
"It hurts sometimes," said Britney. "It makes me nervous. But I get used to it."
...
Kerry also takes point with critics in that same medical community who say the Botox could cause adverse reactions in her young daughter.
"I don't do enough on her to make a big difference," she said. "Just on the lines."
The potential for both emotional and physical damage makes critics like Dr. Sophy hesitant to prescribe or administer Botox to children, so Kerry must rely on her own methods to gain access to Botox for Britney.
"I do have a trusted source where I get it. He is a behind-the-scene doctor," she said.
...
The tough competition of the pageant world also prompted Kerry to try another type of cosmetic treatment on Britney, one that even middle-aged women find painful: waxing.
"I just don't think it's ladylike to have hair on your legs," explained Britney. "I did that one time. It was super, super hard. It hurts.""
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mom-year-daughter-botox-young-young/story?id=13580804
Okay- first of all- No. Just no.
Second of all- mom don't try to pawn this off as the daughter wanted to try it. She flat out admits to suggesting it. Also- lady, you're the mother. If your kid wants to do something crazy/dangerous/stupid, you get to say no. That's why kids are raised by adults, not by other kids.
Third- seriously lady? The effects aren't that noticable because your eight year old daughter doesn't have wrinkles yet. You are poisoning her for nothing!!
Fourth- please note that REAL doctors won't even give her the botox. She's using a "behind the scenes" doctor. To me, that sounds like some guy who lost his license years ago for doing something incredibly dangerous/illegal, who continues to do dangerous medical stuff. If doctors generally won't do something- it's probably not a good idea!!
Fifth- does this eight year old kid even have hair to wax off? I'm betting not. Also- it hurt so bad the kid refuses to do it again. But she'll get botox. Stop. Just stop.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
30 Days of Song- Playing Catch-Up
Oh my word, I missed a lot of days lately!!
Day 25. A song that makes me laugh- I wish that there was a youtube video of this song, or that playlist had a version of this song. It’s called “Use Your Words” by Stuart Stotts. Sadly, I can’t find it. Instead, here are the lyrics.
Johnny knocked down Haylee’s blocks
Pachia bit Renee
Carlos took off both his socks
Vang won’t let Sam play
Holly ripped the dress up clothes
That Kayla tried to wear
And Nick scratched Emma on the nose
I think there’s no blood there
I roll up my sleeves and wade back in
Time to say my favorite phrase again.
Use your words I say it every day
Use your words in a thousand different ways
Use your words that’s my constant theme
If I have to say it one more time I’ll scream
Ryan’s lying on the floor Jose starts to spit
Galen’s kicking at the door Tasha tries to hit
Most days it’s not like this but sometimes it’s quite bad
I’d be so happy if they could just say to me “I’m mad.”
I’ll keep trying until it all comes real
And they can say exactly how they feel.
Don’t hit
Be gentle
Stop That
I’m done
I come home from work at night and I read the daily news
Stories of international fights just give me the blues.
If only we teachers were the ones who ran the earth.
We’d all know exactly what world peace is worth.
I’d tell the world leaders one and all
What they should have learned when they were small
Day 26. A song I can play on an instrument- sadly none. I used to play the clarinet in elementary/middle school, but I stopped at the end of seventh grade and haven’t played more than a few notes ever since. Unless you count singing as playing an instrument, then I can sing almost anything I can hear once or twice as long as it’s somewhere between second soprano and second tenor range.
Day 27. A song I wish I could play on an instrument- many things, as I often wish I could play an instrument properly. Forced to pick, I would say…either “The Imperial March” or “The Star Wars Theme”.
Day 25. A song that makes me laugh- I wish that there was a youtube video of this song, or that playlist had a version of this song. It’s called “Use Your Words” by Stuart Stotts. Sadly, I can’t find it. Instead, here are the lyrics.
Johnny knocked down Haylee’s blocks
Pachia bit Renee
Carlos took off both his socks
Vang won’t let Sam play
Holly ripped the dress up clothes
That Kayla tried to wear
And Nick scratched Emma on the nose
I think there’s no blood there
I roll up my sleeves and wade back in
Time to say my favorite phrase again.
Use your words I say it every day
Use your words in a thousand different ways
Use your words that’s my constant theme
If I have to say it one more time I’ll scream
Ryan’s lying on the floor Jose starts to spit
Galen’s kicking at the door Tasha tries to hit
Most days it’s not like this but sometimes it’s quite bad
I’d be so happy if they could just say to me “I’m mad.”
I’ll keep trying until it all comes real
And they can say exactly how they feel.
Don’t hit
Be gentle
Stop That
I’m done
I come home from work at night and I read the daily news
Stories of international fights just give me the blues.
If only we teachers were the ones who ran the earth.
We’d all know exactly what world peace is worth.
I’d tell the world leaders one and all
What they should have learned when they were small
Day 26. A song I can play on an instrument- sadly none. I used to play the clarinet in elementary/middle school, but I stopped at the end of seventh grade and haven’t played more than a few notes ever since. Unless you count singing as playing an instrument, then I can sing almost anything I can hear once or twice as long as it’s somewhere between second soprano and second tenor range.
Day 27. A song I wish I could play on an instrument- many things, as I often wish I could play an instrument properly. Forced to pick, I would say…either “The Imperial March” or “The Star Wars Theme”.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
30 Days of Song- Day...Whatever I'm on now
Cause I'm not going to bother looking it up since I know the question.
Song I want played at my funeral- Kellie Pickler's "Going Out In Style"
So today I went to Jamie's wedding dress fitting. It was super fun, but the plan was to go to the fitting, then do some mother's day shopping (not me, I'm done, but Kristin wasn't), then lunch. After that I suggested going to see Jamie's new house (she's moving as part of getting married, they're renting in Winebago). The next thing any of us new, we were at her old apartment (in which much fun has been had) packing things up because she's moving in a week. After that Kristin and I plopped on her bed and made Jamie try on all her clothes so that we could make her get rid of stuff that didn't look good on her. Which was great because we made score cards (like in ice skating) and rated her clothes' performance!
Song I want played at my funeral- Kellie Pickler's "Going Out In Style"
So today I went to Jamie's wedding dress fitting. It was super fun, but the plan was to go to the fitting, then do some mother's day shopping (not me, I'm done, but Kristin wasn't), then lunch. After that I suggested going to see Jamie's new house (she's moving as part of getting married, they're renting in Winebago). The next thing any of us new, we were at her old apartment (in which much fun has been had) packing things up because she's moving in a week. After that Kristin and I plopped on her bed and made Jamie try on all her clothes so that we could make her get rid of stuff that didn't look good on her. Which was great because we made score cards (like in ice skating) and rated her clothes' performance!
Friday, May 6, 2011
30 Days of Song- Day 23
A song I want played at my wedding- I am a giant dork. My processional music would clearly not be "The Wedding March" (since I don't like it), instead I would probably pick "Theme from The Inner Light". Just after 4 minute mark the music changes, that's when I (the bride) enter).
Also, my first dance would be to the Theme from Enterprise.
Also, my first dance would be to the Theme from Enterprise.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
30 Days of Song Day 22
A song I listen to when I'm feeling sad. Here's the thing, I don't really know what this means. Because does it mean a song I listen to when I'm feeling sad and I want to wallow in that? Or a song I listen to when I'm feeling sad and I want to lift my spirits? Just in case, I'll share both...
If I want to really wallow in "sad" I like "Tonight I Want to Cry" but I LOVE "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul, and Mary. I know that's a weird choice, but it's a song that reminds me of my dad, because he really liked both the group and the song. In fact, a few months after my dad died I was in the baby room, just me and like three babies (all over a year, I think) and this came on the radio and I sat down and cried (right there at work, even Kristin's only seen my cry like twice!) and the babies crawled in my lap and gave me baby hugs. One even patted my back!
(Also, this is the song of my childhood. If you spout nonsense about it being about drugs in my comments, I will stab you with a spork.)
If I want to lift my spirits I listen to Queen. Science proves that you can't listen to Queen and be sad. I like both of their most popular songs- "
We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You"
Also- "Eye of the Tiger"
If I want to really wallow in "sad" I like "Tonight I Want to Cry" but I LOVE "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul, and Mary. I know that's a weird choice, but it's a song that reminds me of my dad, because he really liked both the group and the song. In fact, a few months after my dad died I was in the baby room, just me and like three babies (all over a year, I think) and this came on the radio and I sat down and cried (right there at work, even Kristin's only seen my cry like twice!) and the babies crawled in my lap and gave me baby hugs. One even patted my back!
(Also, this is the song of my childhood. If you spout nonsense about it being about drugs in my comments, I will stab you with a spork.)
If I want to lift my spirits I listen to Queen. Science proves that you can't listen to Queen and be sad. I like both of their most popular songs- "
We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You"
Also- "Eye of the Tiger"
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