omfg.

First of all, I'm speechless. Seondly, uncontrollable laughter doesn't work so great when you have a bad cough. Third, I'm videotaping one (or all) of my kids dancing to Apple Bottom Jeans and posting the results on YobTob as a reply to Red Head BIG Booty Slap. It's a mother fucking dance-off.

more about "Dancing red shirt boy", posted with vodpod

Called in a sub. Taking tomorrow off. Feeling lousy. Homeboy's keeping me in good spirit's though. Good God.

wasting time.

Super excited about today's Border's find:

It was a little more than I wanted to pay. But it's perfect for me. I always try to introduce lessons using a book or a PowerPoint or a movie clip. Something to get the kids psyched. Looking forward to using it in the near future.

Not at all excited about being sick three weeks into the school year. Doctor's appointment soon. Gotta make sure it's not that Swine Flu, ya know?

Back to lesson planning. Then bedtime.

two hits.

This has been a good weekend so far.

Stayed in Friday night.

Paid bills and rent Saturday morning. Then Harmony and movie-hopping with Aaron. Inglourious Basterds was amazing. Halloween II . . . not so much. I love horror flicks. But I just can't get into Rob Zombie's stuff. Sarreehh. Really good night, though.

Today, woke up before noon. Walked to Candler Park market for groceries and stopped by Flying Biscuit Bakery for a soysage biscuit, muffin, and juice. Walked back home to the sound of church bells--one on my most favorite sounds, ironically enough. I swear I smelled gardenia by the park, too. But I didn't see any.

Schoolwork now. Seating charts, gradebooks, and a couple of lesson plan revisions.

Maybe dinner with the family tonight? I hope so.

i'm a vampire!

My week:

• Discovered that I have students named EnvyMe--apologies for the earlier mispelling--and Arotica.
  
  
• Was given an impromptu kindergarten-sized back-rub today; could not stop giggling.
  
  
• Scared shitless in the hallway by three second grade girls waiting for me to come around the corner. All laughed hysterically immediately afterward.
  
  
• Forced to cover my mouth to keep from laughing at Quantavious telling a classmate to mind his business and subsequently calling him, "Shorty McShort Short."
  
  
• Learned how to spell one of my favorites' names: Adetekumbo Magbagbeoba (Ah-deh-tay-koom-boh Mag-bag-bay-oh-buh). Kumbo for short. He announced to the whole class today that they should be quiet because, "Ms. Traynor is tryin' to get her day started!"
  
  
• Given a Hello Kitty coloring page, just 'cause. It was already colored.
  

These are the things that keep me going. And make me forget--even just briefly--about all the other bs I'm dealin' with.

attempting to make myself feel better.

not applicable.

I hate money.


Truly.


Can I move to the middle of nowhere? Please.

I'm so sure this outs me as a huge dork.

But I don't care.

I just discovered Denis Brown and his artwork google-image-searching for calligraphy/calligraphic lines.

And those two pieces in detail almost--almost--made me cry.

I guess as a result, I have an admission to make: despite the fact that I experience, teach, make art in my daily life, I rarely get emotional about it. There have been a handful of times that I've actually come to tears or been stopped in my tracks looking at someone's work. I can name them all right now, actually:

1. Visiting the Guggenheim in Venice, Italy and finding a Joseph Cornell box perched on top of one of the fireplace mantles. I had no idea they had a piece of his there and never expected to see his artwork in person in my lifetime. I couldn't blink.
   
   
2. Figuring out that the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna was holding a temporary Giuseppe Arcimboldo exhibit while I was there.
   
3. And seeing the Venus of Willendorf (or Woman of Willendorf as it's referred to now) in a tiny, black room with one spotlight on it. I don't think I said a word for the next hour.

Anyway. I'm writing lesson plans and making PowerPoints. Procrastinating at the moment. Haha.

i have a bone to pick with you.

So.

Took out a loan through my credit union--using car title as collateral--to pay for repairs. Car should be running again by Tuesday. I'll take care of some cosmetic stuff and put it up for sale immediately afterward. Then use the profit to pay back loan and put a down payment on a new car.

I build credit in the process--of which I have none because I refuse to get a credit card--and end up with new wheels. I'll have to make car payments, but I can handle it. And that builds positive credit, too.

Anyway. Makin' lemonade or whatever.

In bed by 9:30 last night; I couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to watch the Project Runway season premiere I recorded. Slept till 11:00 and woke up with a headache. Ugh.

Spent the day with Mom. Finally finished unpacking everything. Cleaned house a little. Went grocery shopping.

I've been watching Fantasy Factory for the last three or four hours. Rob Dyrdek. My goodness.

Lesson planning all day tomorrow. I think I might make a blog documenting all the ridiculous shit that happens at school/in my classroom.

monkey??

The last 24 hours have been ridiculous. An emotional rollercoaster, to say the least.

• Awesome feedback from both my CSTs yesterday. They were both impressed with my behavior management. Loved the lessons I'm doing. Wanted to borrow some of my books. Blah blah. Super reassuring.
  

• Checked bank account; $50 till next week.
  

• Got home and saw that my car was steaming. Stayed in for the night.
  

• Got outta the house early and left for work with plenty of time to spare.
  

• Car broke the fuck down on 85 S. Was late to work as a result.
  

• One of my most favorite, way quirky 1st graders Kamal told me I look beautiful today and 5th grade cracked me up.
  

• Found out I had a slow coolant leak. Overheating blew a head gasket. May have to replace engine entirely. $1000+ worth of repairs. That's almost half what my car's worth. Luckily, I didn't crack the block.

Dunno what to do yet. Sell the p.o.s. for parts? Replace gasket and sell for what it's worth? Replace the engine and keep drivin' it? Skfbsdfigbsdiubg.

Sure I'll post more later.

case in point.

That is all.

push it.

The weather's been perfect today. It's cool out. A storm is about to blow through.

More lesson planning today. Slept till 10:00. Had breakfast and went back to bed until 3:00. Haha. Ran to Borders for a copy of Stone Soup and then to Whole Foods for some odds and ends.

On my way home from the store, I saw a sign in a neighbor's front yard that said, Furlough Perdue. Right on. What a badass. I almost stopped the car and knocked on the door like, "Can I shake your hand? You're a genius/my hero."

Anyway. Back to my lesson.

mind your own fuckhole!

Lesson planning all weekend. I'm dividing the year into vertical units focused on each of the elements of art: line, shape, color, value, texture, space, form. Just decided on the first bank of lessons, the first over-arching theme being line:

• K: Line Quilts
• 1: Drawing/Painting to Music (à la Wassily Kandinsky)
• 2: Straw Paintings
• 3: String Paintings (à la Mark Tobey and Naum Gabo's sculptural work)
• 4: Sumi-e Painting/Painted Scrolls
• 5: Contour Line Still Lifes (à la Juane Quick-To-See Smith and Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso's line drawings)
  

Have come to the conclusion in the process that I need a bigger and/or second desk. Haha. Maybe I'll get one today.

McDonough last night till like, 1:00 in the morning. Chili's and I Love You, Man. Barely made it home, I was so tired. Ughh.

Suppose I'll take a break and run some errands.

it's YOU!

Today started off disastrously. Davey pissed in the floor before I had a chance to take him out. Mopping it up made me late to work. And on my way, I got chocolate from the granola I was eating on my shirt. Cooooool.

The rest of the day was fine, though. I was dragging, for sure. But my kids are ridiculous. I can never stay mad. Case in point, a picture of me drawn by a kindergartner named Justin:

I mean, really. Crazy hair. Giant shovel leg. No body. And nine toes total. It's so me. Who could possibly have a bad day when it starts like that?

Nonetheless, I am thoroughly relieved that tomorrow is Friday/jeans day/the last day of the week. Exhausted is an understatement. I took a nap today from 3:30 to 6:30. And I would've slept longer if my menagerie hadn't woken me up.

Anyway. Bed tiiiime!

P.S. 17 Again is hilarious and I have a crush on Zac Efron now.

nothing gold can stay.

Sometimes, I'm so contented it breaks my heart. Because I can't freeze time. And I can't ever actually think about how much I love my family and my friends because it physically hurts.

I'm sure that doesn't make sense to anyone but me.

Today was good.

perseids.

Firstly, pictures of my classroom for those of you who haven't seen it/may be skeptical that I am actually a certified teacher:

Proof! Still not quite done. But it's getting there.

Today was good. I'm worn out and sore. But it went well.

Everyone's out of town for a few days. Slightly bummed, but it's for the best; I have a lot of lesson planning to do this weekend.

Leaving shortly for my parents'. There's a meteor shower tonight and I'm watchin' it with mah dad. Because we're, "gay," as Ryan put it. Hahaha.

P.S. I got a text just before I left work today that simply read: Peanut Butter Kelly Time. WHAT?!?!?! Are you serious?? Could not stop laughing. Jill may very well be the funniest person alive.

jerk.

Haven't posted in so long. I've been swamped and internet-less for a few weeks now.

I am officially two days into the 2009-2010 school year--otherwise known as my second year of teaching elementary Art--and things are going swimmingly. I've been putting my room together for a couple of weeks now and I like the way it looks; much improved over last year. Lots brighter. More colorful. Better organized. (I didn't realize) I missed my students so much. They are indescribably bright and funny and cute and loving. Excited.

The boys were in town over the weekend for their record release. It went so well. Everyone lost it for Foundation. Always the proudest. Got this text at 1:04 that morning:

"Thanks for all your help it really took a lot of stress off my back."

Gone again, but back soon for a week.

Not sure if I'll go to Naysayer tonight or not. I imagine I'll stop by to see everyone off before they leave for This Is Hardcore.

Almost forgot! I attended Danielle Distefano's art opening last Sunday. It was incredible. I was super impressed and am now the proud owner of this beautiful painting:

I pick it up at the end of the month.

I feel like there's a lot more I ought to write that's slipped my mind at the moment. Oh well. I can't function after 4:00 when school's back in session. Ha.