Like the Dickens

DC highlights

2012-01-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

Our trip was months ago, but here are a few highlights:

Yes, that student is impersonating my pregnant self.

Bad Attitudes R' Us--Now open at Monticello

Future UVA Students

Where is Napoleon?

Lincoln Memorial all to ourselves

Korean War Memorial

DC Cupcakes anyone?

Apparently, this young man did not have enough spending money so he resorted to playing his harmonica and begging. No big deal.

National Archives

New MLK Memorial

back!

2012-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

Obviously, I have not been posting with the same regularity or frequency intended; however, life is going on in the classroom and there are some stories to tell.

For example, this was the answer to a test questions that was recently turned in:
Q: What advice did Cosimo de Medici's father give him on his death bed?
A: "the advice given to Cosimo by his father was to stay away from paparazzi and reporters."

Really!? Because I thought we were studying the Renaissance!

I shared my distress with a colleague and she wisely replied: "Cosimo's father was probably appalled at seeing a previous incident on TMZ and didn't want that happening to Cosimo again, thus inspiring the profound bit of insight on staying away form paparazzi and reporters."

True.

A few days ago a seventh grade student "called" a certain red pencil as they were being passed around for grading. I quickly jumped on that: "Excuse me. You will not be calling anything."
The student's witty response was: "What if I have to call my mom?"

We recently started our poetry unit. As much as I enjoy teaching poetry, with 7th and 8th graders it can often be similar to pulling teeth. In an attempt to teach the students how to break the poem down and analyze it, we read the poem several times looking for different things. After the first reading, I always ask for the basic/literal/surface meaning of the poem

Me: Ok, what is happening in this poem? What is this poem about?
Students respond like clockwork with a barrage of answers: "Death!" "God!" "Jesus!" "Life!"--none of these answers have anything to do with the poem.
This is where I stop and remind the students that we are not in Sunday School, and trite, one-words responses will not work.

Yikes!

focusing on the funny

2011-11-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have a boatload of very un-fun work to tackle before the end of the week and out departure for Washington DC! Feeling very not motivated and filled with fatigue, I have decided to focus my attentions on the funny.

First, mispronunciations have been rampant in my classroom this year. I often repeat new words or foreign names multiple times and have the kids repeat after me to ensure they to don;t sound ignorant later, but there always a few that slip through.

1. Clergy is sometimes pronounced cler-GIE as in rhymes with Fergie.

2. Magellan is pronounced MAG-a-lin almost like Mary Magdalene. That is rough for the first person to circumnavigate the globe.

2. Today, Richelieu, Louis XIII's infamous, Machiavellian Cardinal, was pronounced rick-a-loo as in rhymes with "get a clue". Ouch!

When talking about the students packing list and dress code for the DC trip today, I had a male student ask if he could "bedazzle" his uniform. I told him that he was allowed to but that no one else in the class was. It was a wonderfully hilarious moment.

I think that is all the funny that I can come up with for the moment. Alas, I guess I will have to get to work.

fall

2011-10-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

In Texas, the temperature is mostly in the 70's and 80's which means that it is fall, finally! The other night I decided to make a favorite fall-ish meal: tomato soup and grilled cheese.

For the grilled cheese I took the traditional approach of using whatever kind of cheese I had in the refrigerator, but this time I added arugula because a life without arugula is a life half lived (lesson leaned in Italy). This is my favorite tomato soup recipe. It is simple to make and the flavor is perfect.

Grandma Belle's Tomato Soup
2 cups tomato juice
2 cups milk
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/4 t. soda
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Melt butter, add flour and stir. Add tomato juice, soda, and onions. Cook for 5 minutes. Add milk. WHen thoroughly heated, season and serve.

classroom for 1 just begun

2011-10-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting thoughts about having a baby is that it is like I am starting my own classroom complete with curriculum, books, and field trips. Our pal. Charlotte Mason, talks at length about the importance of a child's atmosphere or environment for growth so as a teacher, I have had a lot of fun planning this new space.
The room has a long way to go, but here is a start. I purchased the bedding a few years ago on super sale at Pottery Barn Kids with my mom. Now it is just a matter of filling in the blanks i.e. paint color, reupholstering the glider and ottoman (purchased on Craig's List for a steal of a deal), curtains, and piecing together the rest of the decor and artwork.

bedding fabric

things that ought not be said so many times

2011-10-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Below is a list of things that I find being said by me or a student way too many times. It should not be legal.

1. Me: "Stop grunting!"
I do not know what the deal is with middle schools boys and grunting/animal noises, but it is out of control. I do not like it. It is very unnerving.

2. Student: "I would _________ if Baby Freeman weren't here right now."
Usually the blank is filled with an action verb like "hit you" or "throw this." My response is usually something along the lines of "Baby Freeman thanks you, but let's just not do that in general."

3. Me: "I am sick of your pencil games!"
For some reason this year has brought with it much drama with writing utensils of all kinds--pens, pencils, mechanical pencil parts, lead, etc. There is swapping pencils, stealing pencils, more than I can keep up with honestly.

4. Student: "Mrs. Freeman, your stomach is so big. I think it just grew."
I don't quite know how to respond to these comments yet. For so long, comments about having a large stomach were strictly forbidden and offensive to the extreme, but now they are a fact of life. My, how one's perspective can change!

5. Me: "Start channeling the 9th grade, please!"
This is my response to any childish or foolish action that belongs in first or second grade yet has snuck into an eighth grader's repertoire. I have told my students that I am genuinely concerned for their well-being in high school if they cannot step up their game a little.

6. Me: "Sticking out your tongue? Are you serious right now?"
Ok, so I have only said this once, and it was today. But the fact that I had to say it even once to an eighth grader is too much, and therefore, makes the cut.

While funny from a distance, I would challenge anyone to find the humor in the moment.

win win

2011-09-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

Desperately searching through our redbox choices for entertainment, Barrett and I happened upon the movie Win Win with Paul Giamati. It is kind of about wrestling, kind of about family, and kind of about moral dilemmas. Win Win tells the story of a lawyer in New Jersey who doesn't quite have enough business to keep his practice open and support his family. He decides to become the guardian of an elderly client to earn some extra cash when the client's wayward grandson shows up and needs a place to stay.

The story is very interesting, and the characters are well acted. Paul Giamati is the quintessential normal guy, and in this movie he is not grumpy or cynical which is a lovely change of pace for him. His wife is played by Amy Ryan, who does a wonderful job.

The movie is funny and the characters interesting and lovable. It has a great sports side plot as the grandson turns out to be a star wrestler and Giamati coaches the loosing high school wrestling team. But the moral dilemma in the movie is interesting. I laughed out loud and loved the ending.

the news

2011-09-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

For a long time I considered how I was going to deliver some big news to my students. This is what I came up with. The response was surprised even me.

I started by telling the class that we desperately needed to review subjects and predicates because they did not do so hot hot on a quiz (which was true). So I told them I would write a few sentences on the board for us to practice. Then I wrote on the board:

"Today Mrs. Freeman told us that she was pregnant."

I moved to the side, waited a moment or two, then I saw their minds start to turn.

"Mrs. Freeman, are you trying to tell us something?!"

"Yes" was my reply.

At this point I expected about 3-5 minutes worth of excitement (mostly from the female side) and a few questions about how this would effect their lives.

Instead, I was bombarded 45 minutes worth of excitement from every angle of the classroom and one million questions. When is the baby due? How many months are you? Can we visit you in the hospital? Can we come to your house? Can you feel it moving? It is a boy or a girl? What are you going to name it? Are you excited? Is Mr. Freeman excited? How long have you known? Who else knows? Why aren't you going to find out if it is a boy or girl? Are we going to have a sub? Who will be our sub? Can it be someone nice? Does that mean we won't have any homework? Can we come to your baby shower? This is only a sample of the barrage I received.

But the prize comment of the whole day was: "I thought your stomach was getting round, but I just thought you weren't working out. Seriously, I saw you in the skirt yesterday, and it did not used to fit like that."

"Thanks!"

Seriously though, the excitement of my students over my expected little one rivaled that of our mothers, and that is saying something. I was so blessed by all of their comments and concerns and quandaries, and it helps to know that I have a group of kids that is so excited for their teacher. They even came up with some plans for me to bring in a play pen, strap the baby on, and keep teaching.

Since then, they love to comment on my growing stomach and give me name suggestions. Today's suggestion was Ro'Neesha. They have nicknamed the baby "Baby Freeman" (some even call it Morgan Freeman). Who knew a bunch of adolescents could be so sweet?

exporting raymond

2011-09-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

The other weekend, my husband and I rented Exporting Raymond and enjoyed every minute. It was light, smart, and fun, and those three things rarely meet in a single film.

The movie is a documentary about Philip Ronsenthal, the creator of the show Everybody Loves Raymond, and his struggles and success in trying to adapt and sell the American sitcom in Russia. Rosenthal, like Raymond, is rather dry but very likeable, relate-able, and funny. And his Russian colleagues are equally intriguing.

The most compelling parts of the film are watching Rosenthal try to explain humor that is at once uniquely American and universal to the Russians. Watching them try to cast the Russian version of these beloved American stereotypes was hilarious. And even if you don't like Everybody Loves Raymond, like my husband, I think this movie may surprise you.

funny quotes so far

2011-09-11T18:35:00.001-07:00

We have only been back in class fro a few weeks so I only have a couple of share worthy quotes so far. But based on my limited experience with my current classes, I have a feeling that there will be many more to come.

Male Student A (using both hands to wipe down the lunch table after his friends): "I feel like a single mom."

Female student B to Female Student C after lunch in a state of panic-stricken alarm: "We forgot to brush our teeth!"
Female Student C feigning distress: "Oh man."
(I think I found this one humorous because it is so congruous with the vanity of middle schoolers. And you have to laugh at that sort of thing or else they will grow up believing that type of vanity is normal or even acceptable, and we simply cannot have that.)

winter in wartime

2011-08-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have talked about a movie in a long time, and that is not because we haven't been watching movies, we have just had a long string of either bad or so-so ones. But last weekend, the streak was broken with Winter in Wartime.

Winter in Wartime is a Dutch movie about the young son of a small, Nazi-occupied town's mayor. He happens upon a wounded British soldier whose plane has crashed in the woods and decides to help this soldier escape no matter what the cost.

The movie is beautifully filmed in greys and blues. The characters are interesting and dynamic, and the movie is full of nuance and subtlety. This is a great coming of age story with a dramatic twist at the end. I highly recommend this movie!

happy first day of school!

2011-08-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it is that time of year again. I am convinced that summer 2011 was sucked away in some kind of time warp. But alas, the first day of school has arrived and with it the school supplies, hand sanitizer, boxes of kleenex, fresh binders, and dividers. Even with all of the rules, expectations, and me doing all the talking, the kids still said the day went by quickly so I am counting the day as a success.

Italia!

2011-06-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

Last night, Barrett and I returned from a beautiful two weeks in Italy. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I am so grateful we were able to do this. There will be many more posts about the trip, but here are a few snapshots.Lake Como: our first stop

Agriturismo outside of Venice: some of the best food and wine I have ever had!
Venice: so enchanting at night
Florence: definitely our favorite city. How could you not like the birthplace of the Renaissance or hanging out with friends in our favorite square eating pizza and drinking prosecco?
Siena/Tuscany: such a respite
Rome: the Sistine chapel, beautiful nightlife, fountains, and so much more

the countdown is over!

2011-05-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, and summer is here! This year, my colleagues found some really creative and fun ways to countdown to the end of school. One fellow teacher gave me post-it notes numbered from 50 all the way down to 1 to countdown the last days of school. Today's post-it read, "WooHoo!"
Another fellow teacher helped me count down the last days of school with a line from one of our favorite shows each day--Sister Wives! Today's line was absolutely classic: Kody (the husband of 4 wives, for those of you who do not watch the show) on his daughters playing with Barbies, "The girls fight over the mommy dolls because they have four moms. [To Girls] Now girls, take turns playing with the daddy doll."

These creative countdowns made the end of the year come much more swiftly. And now, we can rejoice that summer is here!!!

the park revisited

2011-05-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Rumors of a time when the art teacher told the eighth graders she was taking them to the park to pick up trash then took them out to lunch at Dickie's BBQ Pit instead spread down from last year's eighth grade to the current eighth grade class. In the spirit of equity and justice, 8th grade students pleaded all year for a time when they too could go to "the park." But it couldn't be that easy. There needed to be a little bit of trickery involved.

This year, the art teacher and I coordinated. I came in with my mean face and insinuated that I needed to talk with the 8th graders. Then the art teacher stormed into the classroom on a rampage about how every year it was the same problems with eighth grade students thinking they were above the rules because they were the oldest. She even broke out the faltering voice/fake cry. Then we marched the whole class down to the principal's office. After a telling them that we were sick of their shenanigans and the fact that they probably couldn't even spell shenanigans, we told them we were taking them to the famed "Park." It was truly a remarkable ruse. All the performances were Oscar-worthy, except my own--I almost started laughing much to my chagrin because the kids were totally buying it.

It was a wonderfully carnivorous afternoon at "The Park."

bosom friends

2011-05-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

"For in companions

That do converse and waste the time together,
Whose souls do bear an equal yoke Of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners and of spirit;
Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord."

- Portia of Antonio and Bassanio in Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 4

As usual, reading Shakespeare with 7th and 8th graders has provided some beautiful classroom moments. As we read this text yesterday in class, I thought of Anne of Green Gables. Bringing this to the girls' attention, I said, "Look girls, Antonio and Bassanio are bosom friends!" The girls immediately started cooing and though immediately of Anne and Diana. The one boy asked, "They are chest friends?" The guys were totally left out of this comparison having not read Anne of Green Gables so I asked one of the girls to explain it in the most masculine way possible. One young man with two younger brothers got it right away: "It's like when you best friend is like your brother but you hate your real brothers." Exactly.

Who says only girls can have bosom friends? Or should I say chest friends?

culinary art

2011-05-17T19:16:00.001-07:00

While I never condone children playing with their food, I must admit that I was impressed to find these two unique and creative pieces of edible art in our dining hall.

I call this one Two Paths Diverging in a Yellow Wood.
Media: mashed potatoes, broccoli, breading

I call this one The Man with the Chocolate Earring. I think the hi-lights in his hair really set this piece apart.
Media: Chicken patty, spinach, gravy, potatoes, maraschino cherry, and chocolate pudding accents

Texas history = mirth

2011-05-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

"On the Texas History trip, there was a lot of mirth."
- Seventh grader's vocabulary sentence after Texas History Trip

The sentences my students write for their vocabulary homework never lie. (Seriously, they are surprisingly candid in those assignments.) Our annual Texas History Trip was 2 weeks ago and was full of mirth and merriment, as usual. Here are a few of funny pics I am submitting as evidence of mirth and the good times had by all.

iPhone on the Battleship Texas--just like in World War I

State Congressman's office
Like my hair?

malcolm is in the building

2011-05-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

After studying the Civil Rights movement this year (always a hi-lite), I was reminded of one of my most hilarious classroom moments:

Last year when we got to this lesson in our history text, we were talking about Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and their differing ideas on integration and how racial equality should be achieved. Our book featured this very well-known picture of the leader of the Black Panthers:
Sure enough, I look up from the text and this is what mine eyes see:
Borrowing one of his female classmates' glasses, this student was able to recreate Malcolm X's look very convincingly. I laughed out loud. Who says middle schoolers are too old for costumes in history class? And to my great surprise and merriment, Malcolm even came back to visit at a later date.

swinging

2011-05-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Of all the playground equipment available, swings are clearly superior. I love to join my kids on the swings when my shoes permit. Here are some recent swinging shenanigans:

"Who is going higher?"

"Take a picture of us, Mrs. Freeman!"

"Wha' happen'd?"

teacher accessories

2011-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Above are some of the tools of a teacher's trade which I do not think are employed in any other professions.

1. A Whistle: This is used mostly in the physical education department. I resisted acquiring one of these for many years under the misconception that whistles were for lower school teachers, coaches, and animals. Boy was I wrong! The whistle is an essential part of getting the attention of many students especially out of doors. I I only use mine when we go outside after lunch but have frequently been caught wearing it around long after it is needed. I have even made it all the way to Target with it on after work. Not a good look outside of the classroom.

2. Red Pencils/Pens: I have these on me at all times when an editing hand is needed or in case some papers in need of grading come to the surface. I rely on them daily and love it.

3. An Attendance book: We are still old school and fill out and turn in these little green books everyday. I secretly love this no-nonsense activity. I wish that other professional could share this small joy.

homework. . . . i just can't help myself

2011-05-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the long awaited seventh grade Texas History Trip. This year I have been surprised to find that my students have been surprised when I have assigned work at times they do not want/expect (i.e. Spring Break, etc.). In spite of the fact that my favorite hobby is to make my students' lives miserable by assigning as much homework as humanly possible and though I promised them that the only time they would not not have homework in my class was before a trip, I decided to assign this very special seventh grade class some homework anyway.

Here were their assignments for over the weekend:
- Have fun and learn something on the Texas History Field Trip
- Meditate on and pray for self-government

I actually made them copy these down in their assignments book before leaving.

With the exception of a few weak moments, I would say that they fulfilled their assignments pretty well.

tonight we're going to party like it is July 4, 1776!

2011-04-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we put together a little shindig for the graduating eighth graders at the home of their beloved art teacher. As we started to get overwhelmed with some of the preparations and planning for this middle school soiree, trepidation began to grow in the form of questions like "will they think this is fun?"

Well one of the many blessings of teaching these students is that they are so grateful for any outside time and opportunities for socialization that they are given. Just the fact that they were getting to go to their teacher's house on a Friday night was cool enough, believe it or not. You should have heard them when they were given the news that they could stay after school, change out of their uniforms, do their homework, and help clean the building until it was time for the party. You would have thought someone had given them tickets to Six Flags, they were so excited.

As the day approached, anticipation grew. Students began to ask me what I was wearing to the party which made me chuckle inwardly. Sure enough, on Friday after lunch one of the students announced that they only had a few more hours left until the party, and another responded, "Yeah, just a few more hours and we are going to party like it is July 4, 1776!" I love being an eighth grade history teacher.

Here are a few pics from the party. The kids were right: a great time was had by all.

what's in a name?

2011-04-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Recently I got to talking with my students about names--their nicknames, middle names, how they got their names. etc. And I shared with them the following little story: my parents planned on naming me Morgan, and in her excitement my mom announced this to everyone she knew. A few weeks before I was due, a couple in their Sunday school class also had a baby girl. When my mom asked what they had named their little bundle of joy, she was horrified to learn they had stolen her name--Morgan. So they changed my name to Emily Grace which I like much better, for the record. After a few minutes of conversation, one of my students said, "Wait a minute, Mrs. Freeman. Your parents were going to name you Morgan? Then, your name would have been Morgan Freeman!" We burst out laughing.

I think I have a lot in common with this very sophisticated African American man. Can't you see the resemblance?

etiquette 101

2011-04-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

"I believe that my race will succeed in proportion as it learns to do a common thing in an uncommon manner; learns to do a thing so thoroughly that no one can improve upon what it has done; learns to make its services of indispensable value."
- Booker T. Washington

Last week our middle school students got the opportunity to brush up of their etiquette. Each year the kids get a refresher course on the finer points of etiquette (especially dining manners) which is actually much more like etiquette 410 (not the introductory level course) because it is very advanced. Everything from which fork to use for what course to how to get rid of an olive pit (in with a fork, out with a fork) is taught from top to bottom. The next day, the students got the opportunity to practice these rules as they divided into groups and had a beautiful, multi-course lunch in some of the most beautiful homes in Dallas served by very loving hostesses.

This is always a really fun activity, and the kids did really well. The only snafus we had were a lot of low talking and one putting a few too many scoops of sugar in his iced tea. Throughout the whole experience, I could not help thinking of this quote from Booker T. Washington which I shared with the kids afterward. Washington is really talking about excellence for all people in any arena as opening doors of opportunity and as a recipe for success. It was so encouraging for me as a teacher to see my students practice the art of conversation and fine dining when these are skills that are largely lost on society as a whole, especially in their age bracket. These are little skills which my kids are now equipped to perform with excellence which will make them stand out in a crowd of their peers and will hopefully open many doors for them in the future. And even if they forget to cut up their meat only a few pieces at a time and tear their dinner roll and eat one bite at a time at least they will always be courteous and mindful of others.

seating the ladies
beautiful place settings

crying or laughing

2011-04-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

This time of the school year always feels like the last big drop on a roller coaster. Spring Break is the little pause at the top before the final free fall. In the midst of this chaos, things come unhinged: students and teachers included. Here are a few such moments.

Here is an excerpt from a disciplinary conversation from Friday:
Me: Earlier in the week, I expressly warned the entire class that gum was forbidden at school. You were chewing gum, so you will reap the consequences.

Student: I wasn't chewing gum.

Me, in honest astonishment: Really? I caught you with gum in your mouth and you went to spit it out.

Student, completely serious: I wasn't chewing gum. I just had it in my mouth.

Me: Seriously?! You are in seventh grade and that is your excuse?
I was pretty upset after this little exchange. Then I shared it with a colleague, and she burst out laughing.

My eighth grade students are getting ready for a little party at one of their teacher's homes this weekend. They are so excited to hang out with one another outside of school and especially to have an opportunity to not be seen in their uniforms. As they were planning how all of the necessary preparations were to be made before the party, one boy chimed in: "I'm going to bathe like the Romans" (awkward pause) "And only shower once a year."
Oh, please no.

The construction/layout of the seventh grade lockers begs for trouble to be had. There is an alcove of cubbies hidden from much needed adult supervision. We have nicknamed this alcove the abyss in hopes of instill fear of that secret space. Unfortunately despite repeated warnings, there are children venturing into the abyss and, thus, into mischief. But today was the last straw.

I could not decide whether to cry or laugh every time I walked down this hallway this afternoon. I think the kids felt the same way. Pretty clever though. (Notice the abandoned binder which is probably full of time sensitive material to be turned in tomorrow. Oops.)

2011 books . . . so far

2011-03-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief synopsis of the books I have checked off my list so far in 2011. Here's to sticking to my New Years' resolution. Hopefully you are in need of something to read. . .

1. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson: In my first January book, a father and pastor, knowing he is nearing the end of his life, writes a diary/series of letters to his son who is still a child at the time. This book was slow and very introspective. It takes place in the rural Midwest (always a winner), and John Ames, the main character, shares his candid thoughts and memories both ordinary and divine.

2. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry: This second January book is similar to Gilead in that it takes place in a small town and has the same slow, introspective pace that the society of the small town has. Jayber Crow is the town barber in a small Kentucky town. This is a beautifully written book. I hadn't read Wendell Berry in a long time and had never read his fiction, but I loved this book. His view of nature and people is fascinating and lovely. This book was my companion over several days of being snowed in this winter, and it was perfect. I highly recommend it.

3. Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War by Charles Bracelen Flood: I read this because it was a recommendation from my dad from a couple years ago that had been sitting on my shelf. Also we were studying the Civil War, and I thought it would be fun to read this in conjunction with class discussions. This is an interesting book about many of the interesting characters involved in this conflict and the sometimes unlikely leaders at the helm. There were several accounts of interactions with Robert E. Lee and otehr generals as well that made this story fascinating. I read several episodes from the book to my class, and they really liked it--so you know it was good.

4. The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois: This book is a series of essays in which Du Bois explains what life is like "behind the Veil" of race in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His essays on education were fascinating and inspiring. I was enlightened by his explanations of why he disagreed so strongly with Booker T. Washington. This book is really good especially in conjunction with Up from Slavery (see below).

5. True Grit by Charles Portis: This was another recommendation from dear old dad--who never steers me wrong in the literature category. I loved the Coen Brothers adaptation of this book, and after hearing it was very faithful to the novel, I was intrigued. The novel had much of the same tone of the movie. An old western tale of vengeance told by a young girl with a lot of grit. Mattie Ross is a 14 year old girl who enlists the help of the bravest U.S. Marshal she can find and a Texas Ranger to track down and kill Tom Chaney, a horse thief who murdered Mattie's father in Fort Smith Arkansas. This is a quick read and the characters are enchanting.

6. Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington: After reading Du Bois and Frederick Douglass, I figured I would go ahead and round out the round out the late 19th century African American leaders. Born into slavery, Washington describes his rise from the poverty of working in the coal mines and sleeping under the sidewalk to gain an education and eventually become the founder of the Tuskegee Institute and an outspoken proponent for the African American cause. His views on work and education were inspiring, and I was humbled by the meekness that Washington showed even to those who tried to oppress him. He talks at length about the education offered to students at Tuskegee, and one of the things mentioned is that in order for students to learn carpentry and construction, he had all of the buildings on campus and all the furniture made by the students. They even made their own mattress and bricks! The value that he placed on labor is pretty stirring. I highly recommend this book.

Over the course of the next few days, maybe I will get around to supplying you with a few inspiring quotes from a few of these texts.

twaddle II

2011-03-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

I was at Barnes and Noble the other evening as was horrified/appalled to find this new section/genre of books. Yes, due north of "New Teen Fantasy and Adventure" is "New Teen Paranormal Romance." Seriously? This is a genre. The fact that there are enough books out there to fill a shelf entitled "Paranormal Romance" is one thing, but the fact that these are marketed for teens in a whole other issue--and a ghastly one at that. I don't even want to think about what Charlotte Mason would have to say about these twaddly texts. The teacher in me wanted to destroy those book and fill the empty shelves with Barnes and Noble Classics, but I remained composed enough to leave without making a scene. But seriously? New Teen Paranormal Romance? Seriously?

kindred spirits

2011-03-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." --Anne of Green Gables

The seventh grade girls are reading Anne of Green Gables in their Friday afternoon tea and have graciously invited me to join them over the past few weeks. I feel like I have been re-introduced to an old friend from my childhood. I read many of L. M. Montgomery's books and watched the TV miniseries, Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, more times than was probably healthy. When Anne of Green Gables aired on PBS a few weeks ago, I made it my grading movie for the weekend and cherished every minute.

Over the course of being reacquainted with this wonderful literary character, I was reminded of many childhood memories. Anne is a very romantic and imaginative young woman. Her passion allows her to feel deeply and form intimate, lifelong friendships with "kindred spirits." It was so fun to talk about these passages/ideas with the seventh grade girls as they are just beginning to build those friendships. As a kid, I remember having a deep sense for what a "kindred spirit" was, and that is a person with whom you share a deep connection so much so that there are times when you do not see to say or explain anything at all. I am so thankful that God has provided me with several kindred spirits throughout my life, and I am even more thankful that I can still call them my kindred spirits today.
If you have not read or watched these precious books/movies in the recent past and want to remember the innocent angst of adolescence, then I highly recommend an afternoon with a kindred spirit and Anne Shirley.

a few funny ones

2011-03-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

One male student when learning about the expansion of voting rights in the late 1800s: "Could women dress up as men to vote? I would have done that if I was a lady."
- I don't know why that was so hilarious to me, but it was. And I appreciate his shout out to the ladies.

When asked why she did not complete her homework for my class, one student replied, "I did everyone else's; I just didn't do yours."
- As if that was supposed to make me feel better. That one is really more sad than funny, but oh well.

I was preparing the seventh graders for their upcoming Texas history trip when one student exclaimed in horror, "Wait! We have to learn?!"
- As if that was the most painful thing in the world. I could not contain my laughter on that one.

Me, stopping an altercation on the rise: "What is going on?"
Student A replies, "I just told him I loved him like a brother in Christ."
Student B in the most sincerest manner an middle school boy can muster, "Can I please move seats?"

Bonus on Civil War history test: What was the name of Robert E. Lee's horse?
One choice answer I got: Seabiscuit
Correct answer: Traveler
- I console myself by being reminded that this was only a bonus ans at least it was the name of a real horse.

(My apologies for the long absence from the cyber world. I shall try in the future to make my posts more regular. ;)

inception

2011-02-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

Last night Barrett and I watched Inception and I liked it way more than I expected. Barrett's description, which I though was very apt, was "It's is an action movie but smart."

The movie is about a group of what are basically dream hackers. Using a method called collective dreaming, they can go into your subconscious and extract hidden information. While I know this sounds cheesy: (a) it is a movie so you automatically have suspended reality and (b) they way they explain it is the movie is pretty clever and not fantasy-sounding at all. Leonardo diCaprio's character has some very dark secrets surrounding the death of his wife; in a last attempt to be reunited with his family, he takes one last very difficult job: to plant an idea in someone's head--inception.

The movie is well acted and well written. I was impressed by the characters that assemble the heist's "dream team" (sorry, I couldn't resist). The entire world of the movie is very interesting and intriguing. All of the strategy that goes into building dream then inserting yourself into someone else's dream was fascinating. The whole idea that the subconscious know when you are an intruder and will become suspicious then attack like white blood cells I thought was really clever.

Christopher Nolan's direction of this movie made it really special. Inception was not overly reliant on computer generated images, and the cgi it used was very tasteful. Most of the action sequences were just good, old-fashioned awesome. In one scene, which you probably saw on previews, there is a fight in a hotel hallway in which the hall is rotating so that the brawl takes them from floor to ceiling to wall, etc. Other scenes anti-gravity coolness. To make this scene, they actually built a rotating set and anti-gravity chambers. This gave the movie a "hands-on" creativity, ingenuity, and experimentation that so many modern movies lack and coincidentally is what I love so much about silent films. Over reliance on computer generated images I think puts distance between the director and the medium which causes you to loose something of the artistic nature of film.

The other thing I loved about the movie is that one of the central themes was the power of ideas. As a teacher of history and literature, this is something that I feel often but have difficulty communicating to my students. It was very cool to watch a very modern and exciting movie that believes in the power of ideas to "define or destroy us" as DiCaprio says in the movie.

never-ending tasks

2011-02-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

scary

I guess there is some comfort in always having something to do, but there are a few tasks that are exhausting in their never-ending nature: namely cleaning and grading.

These tasks are unique in that as soon as they are completed, they need to be done again. As soon as I finish grading and record all the grades, the kids turn in more work and my stack of grading grows to its previously sad/scary height. It is the same with cleaning: as soon as I finish, I can enjoy the fresh scent of ammonia and the tidiness for what feels like a matter of minutes before things are disheveled again and dust bunnies begin to form. The fact that these tasks feel like they can never be completed and enjoyed for a meaningful length of time that make me drag my feet to even attempt them. Although I have found that both cleaning and grading are most efficient when you have a large block of time to devote to doing them. Get a window of several hours and knock it out. Usually music or a good movie in the background help ease the blow too.

Fortunately for me, it feels like time as stood still this week because I have had THREE snow days in a row. With all of this time, I have finally gotten to trhe bottom of my grading pile and have caught up on just enough cleaning to still enjoy the days off.

my personal inferno

2011-01-31T19:35:00.001-08:00

I am sure that if an Dante had been an English teacher he would have made the final circle of hell a place where you had to teach middle schoolers how to research in the library. I am using hyperbole, of course, but am partially serious. Trying to teach seventh graders how to look something up in the encyclopedia, find a book on a given topic, and write an MLA citation/works cited page never fails at being the most trying day of the year. I remember being astonished my first year of teaching when a student came to me and told me that Emily Dickinson was not in the encyclopedia. At first, I had a moment of panic until I realized that he had the E encyclopedia. Never in a million years would I have thought to explain that when looking up a person in the encyclopedia, one always looks him/her up by his/her last name. Now of course, I explain that to students before entering the library, but it never fails that I get at least three questions about why Abraham Lincoln (under A), Stonewall Jackson (under S), and Winfield Scott (under W) are not in the encyclopedia. Attempting a works cited page comes with a whole other host of issues and obvious questions.

There are simply some things that cannot be explained. I can say it, I can model it, but I cannot explain it. It is simply common sense and following instructions. In an era where every form of communication and searching is lightning fast and totally passive, research in a library becomes a foreign concept. (And I did feel like I was speaking a different language today.) Add hormones to the mix and it is just too much. I am sure Dante would agree.

nothing is inappropiate with God

2011-01-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

"How handsome you are, my lover? Oh how charming! And our bed is verdant."
Song of Solomon 1:16

One of the things I love about our school is that we read the Bible every day. In fact, the whole school reads systematically through the whole Bible one or two chapters at a time. Having been there for a while now, I can truly attest to what an amazing treasure our Bible time is each morning.

Today I got into an interesting discussion with my eighth graders in Bible about some of the passages that are left off of our Bible reading schedule. (We strategically skip Song of Solomon, long and detailed passages on circumcision, and a few other like passages.) Today they brought up why we don't read certain passages, and I got the question, "Is the passage inappropriate?" A good and very thoughtful question leading to a great discussion. "No, it is God's word so it cannot be inappropriate." I explained that no passage of Scripture is or should be off limits to you as a child of the Heavenly Father, but there are some passages that are more delicate than others: passages that should be dealt with by your parents and passages that might be awkward for mixed company. But no part of God's word is inappropriate or off limits. I always encourage my kids to read the skipped passages at home and talk to their parents about what they mean. I personally find it very comforting that God deals with uncomfortable issues. The graphic passages, especially in the Old Testament, remind me that God is capable of dealing with a whole lot of mess, and all of sudden, my mess doesn't look quite as bad. And as the transcendent and eminent Creator of the universe, I love the reminder that nothing is off limits, out of bounds, or inappropriate for God.

Later today I gave the seventh graders an assignment to include an encouraging Scripture verse on a get well card for our custodian, Mr. Jackson. Then came the inevitable question: "Can we pick from anywhere in the Bible?" Hearkening back to my conversation this morning, I responded with a hearty "Of course." Sure enough, one naive student began exploring Song of Solomon.

"Mrs. Freeman, what does verdant mean?"
"Verdant means green or fertile. Why?"
"Because this Bible verse says, 'Our bed is verdant.' What does that mean?"
After my long pause and hesitation to answer, the student asked, "Oh, is it inappropriate?"
"No, it is God's Word so it is not inappropriate, but it is delicate and awkward in mixed company."
"Oh," was her quick reply. "I will just look it up in the dictionary."

At that point, what could I do but laugh?

the S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G bee

2011-01-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

the proud participants

Today was our annual school spelling bee. This is always a rather exciting day for me, and the more years we have participated, the cooler it gets.

This year, my class spelling bees were quite entertaining. In seventh grade, we have one clear winner but kept going back and forth for the runner-up position. It came down to two girls: one you would expect and another you totally would not because she acts as though she is too cool for things like spelling bees (but I know better. . . no one is too cool for spelling bees). The girl you would expect to win kept getting her word correct then missing the championship word or spelling without thinking and getting easy words wrong. As a result, the girl you would not expect spelled her words incorrectly THREE times so that the expected one could win. She had to think harder about misspelling "slaughter" and others than spelling them correctly. What a shame.

In eighth grade, four out of six students desperately wanted to win the title of Class 8's best speller and compete for the school title. The competition was fierce. One student among the four was first to get out on "prattle." At first she hoped that everyone else in the round would get out so that she would have another chance, but when her hopes were thwarted and her classmates spelled their words correctly, she rejoiced with those who rejoiced and mourned with those who misspelled. It was really sweet to see this biblical truth so clearly in action in our class spelling bee. It finally got down to two spellers, and things got really intense. One would get it, the other would miss, then the one would miss their championship word and vis-versa. We get going and going until one student remarked, "Man, this is better than a Cowboys game!" As a teacher, when your students compare professional sporting events to any activity in a classroom, it is a major victory. Anyway, we went through 19 rounds and I called--no true winner; we needed 2 representatives anyway.

This morning was the fateful morning of the spelling bee. It was really great to see 10 bright eyed students with an allegiance to language that clearly glorifies the Creator of the written word. This week I felt a special burden for my kids to understand the importance of language and feel a loyalty to it. First, we talked in class about last week's story on 60 Minutes about Jared Loughner, the shooter in the recent Tucson tragedy. While certainly insane, his friends explained that Loughner was a Nihilist and did not believe that language had no meaning. I was reminded that those ideas that life and language are meaningless have very real consequences. Then in preparation for the bee, I thought about how Christians should have a special affinity (a word one student lost on today) for language because of the nature of Heavenly Father. First, God created the world with words: "Let there be light." His power is showcased and channeled through his language. Also, Jesus Christ is called the "Word": "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." Jesus Christ is God's power in action at Creation and is called God's Word. Then, God communicates to us through written language in the Scripture (which is powerful and sharper that a two-edged sword). Of all of the ways he could communicate, he chose the written word. We have a special obligation to know and understand language just so that we can know and understand our God. Lastly, God cares about our language. Ephesians 4 says, "Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth" but instead to build one another up with encouraging and truthful words.

the winner (right) and alternate (left)

The bee went really well this morning. It went for quite a while; the winning word was "boutique." There was one student who I know wanted to win so badly; he was so careful and thoughtful with every letter he said. Unfortunately, he got out on protagonist; he spelled it "protaganist." But I know he will never forget how to spell it; he was writing it in big letter across his papers today. Believe it or not, the spelling bee has inspired many more thoughts, but for now, I am simply overwhelmed with the power of language in our daily lives and am glad to have the privilege of being an English teacher because I have the pleasure of exploring that linguistic power and nuance with pre-adolescents every day.

self-government

2011-01-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

"The government which governs best governs least" -- Thomas Paine

Self-government is a theme in my classroom every year. It recurs throughout American history in the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the debate over states' rights and the Civil War, and even in the Texas War for Independence. Self government is the classic debate between Jefferson and Hamilton: can the people be trusted to run their own lives or does the government need to step in? But self-government is also the resounding theme of classroom management: can you control yourselves or do I need to step in with rules and control your behavior for you? In other words, self-government is my mantra and my soapbox.

On the first day of school when I am going over the rules, I talk to my class about why little children have to raise their hands in class--because they do not have the self control to refrain from interrupting the speaker and one another. Hopefully in seventh and eighth grade, we can have a discussion without interrupting or rude behavior, and in that case, hand raising is not necessary. However, if the students cannot govern themselves and chatting, interruptions, and immaturity abound, I will be forced to govern them and only call on students with raised hands. Same goes for behavior outside the classroom: the little ones have to walk in a line because they lack the self control necessary to walk in an orderly fashion. Seventh and eighth graders, on the other hand, have hopefully reached the level of maturity where they can walk from class to class like adults without supervision because they can be counted on to supervise themselves. If I am ever called out of the room for a minute, I will simply tell my class to continue what they are doing and "Self-govern." Sometimes this works out better than others.

The other day, I stepped out to speak with another class about a discipline issue and was gone longer than expected. As a result, I was a full 7 or 8 minutes late to class. When I finally got to class, my heart leaped for joy at the sight of eighth graders governing themselves. Sure enough, they were sitting in a circle in the center of the room (as we often do for literature), and they were taking turns reading aloud from The Count of Monte Cristo and telling back what they read. One student had even taken his place on my teacher's stool (while that seat is normally off limits, under the circumstances I allowed it).

My goal is to train my students well enough that I can sit back in what Charlotte Mason calls "masterly inactivity": allowing the children to get their hands dirty in the text placed before them, walking alongside and guiding them. Outside of the classroom, they should understand what is expected of them and do what is right no matter who is or is not watching. Because that is self-government and it is the right thing to do.

I think TJ would have be proud of those young minds self-governing.

charlotte mason on new years' resolutions

2011-01-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

"Habit is ten natures."--Charlotte Mason in Home Education

In this season of resolutions and new starts, I have a tendency to get frustrated with the assumption that a New Years' resolution will only last for a few short months. It is as if they are promises meant to only be kept temporarily. Just today I was at the gym and overheard a woman who worked there commenting on the crowds in January that will inevitably die down by March. Charlotte Mason would not approve of this transitory approach to self improvement, because Charlotte Mason of all people understood the power of a habit; thus, she says, "A habit is ten natures," meaning that a habit has ten times the strength of your natural personality or tendency.

In one of her volumes, she talks about the frustration of being a teacher and trying truly help her students improve: "But it was plain that they behaved very much as 'twas their nature to. The faults they had, they kept; and the virtues they had were exercised just as fitfully as before. The good, meek girl still told fibs. The bright, generous child was still incurably idle. In lessons it was the same; the dawdling child went on dawdling, the dull child became no brighter. It was very disappointing" (Home Education pg. 98). She acknowledges the strength and self discipline it takes to make oneself do what one ought to do. And the "lever" or tool to lift oneself out of one's nature is the formation of good habits. Habit, then, is essentially reforming your nature making it one of the primary tools of education and the primary tool of self betterment.

Charlotte Mason recognizes that forming a habit takes a lot of hard work and constant watchfulness and attention. You can think of it as removing the effort of decision from the equation. For example, a few years ago I made a conscious decision to get into the habit of working out. Rather than driving home every evening, going back and forth over whether or not to work out, what work out I should do, and what should I wear to work out, I removed all the effort of those decisions. I packed a bag with my gym clothes in the morning and did not give myself the option of going home and went straight to the gym after work. By not allowing myself to waver as easily and changing my schedule so that I was not deciding what to do after work, forming a new habit became much easier.

I talk a lot about good habits and bad habits in the classroom every day. When I started teaching, I remember feeling very convicted that I was requiring my children to do things, like be on time and stay organized, that I was not doing myself. But over the years, I have made the decision to form some new habits, and it has been one of the most empowering experiences of my life. The knowledge that you can change something about yourself with discipline, watchfulness, and some help from the Holy Spirit is invaluable. I hope that by the time they leave my classroom, my students can understand the "ten nature" strength of habits.

A suggestion: Along with working out, I also made the decision a few years ago to get in the habit of reading so I decided to read one book a month. I cannot tell you how wonderful this has been. I highly recommend reading for pleasure as a habit to add to your arsenal this year. (You could start with some Barnes and Noble Classics because that is a very good place to start.)

paper shrapnal. . . seriously?

2010-12-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

I honestly don't have the foggiest idea how this happens. One day I vacuum, and the floor is pristine. Within a matter of hours, sometimes minutes, there has been a paper shrapnel explosion and the floor is covered. One of the unsolved mysteries of the classroom, I guess.
None of this was there one hour prior to when this photo was taken. Seriously.

a middle schooler's favorite book

2010-12-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

Every year if you were to ask one of my students what their favorite book was, it would be a toss up between The Count of Monte Cristo and The Narrative of Frederick Douglass. And may I just say, that they have excellent taste, because these happen to be two of may favorite books too. But right now, we are entrenched in The Count of Monte Cristo and loving it. In fact, if all we did all day was read CMC (our affectionate nickname for the book) my kids would be totally content. For a group of kids who generally do not espouse a love of classic literature, this says a lot. I will never forget one student I had a few years ago who struggled with language arts getting so into the book that he came in one Monday morning and said, "Mrs. Freeman, I accidentally read ahead in The Count of Monte Cristo" (this being expressly forbidden since it becomes too hard for them not to give away the plot twists for their classmates).

"Oh really. How far ahead did you get?"

"A Hundred pages."

Accidentally reading ahead a hundred pages from a kid that does not normally enjoy reading is a pretty ringing endorsement if you ask me.

The book is about Edmond Dantés who is wrongfully accused of being a Bonapartist and is thrown in prison for 14 years. After his escape, Dantés takes on the role of Providence to punish those who took away his happiness and rewarding those who were good to him. It is a classic suspense and revenge story with tons of great twists and turns. In our reading just this week, the plot started to get really think so I made a character web to hopefully help everyone keep all the characters and their relationships straight.

It looks like a twisted mess and I love it! I can't wait to add more to it as we read. The blue ribbons represent the main characters' connections with Edmond Dantés and his aliases, and the white ribbons represent romantic attachments.

One of the best things about reading this book is showing them the movie afterward because they feel so jipped. Until I read the book, I like the movie, but so much is left out it is not even funny. The movie covers about 125 pages of the abridged version (535 pages) of the story that we read. Entire plot lines and characters are left out including my favorite: Monsieur Noirtier, the former Bonapartist who is paralyzed and can only communicate through blinking his eyes and yet his cunning and passion make him one of the most vivid, dynamic, and active characters in the book.

This year, one of my students came up with one of the most thoughtful insights about this book which has totally enhanced my reading of the text. In Bible a few weeks ago, we studied the story of Joseph, a man who seemed to have everything going for until a few people plotted his demise. From then on, Joseph is thrust into some extremely difficult circumstances over a period of many many years. One very astute kid observed that this was much like Dantés whose life was ruined thanks to a few scheming friends. Both face devastating circumstances and eventually become one of the most powerful men in the land. Like Dantés, Joseph is reunited with his brothers and even tricks them to get his younger brother and father to come to Egypt. But unlike Dantés, Joseph trusts God's sovereign hand over each situation and had an eternal vision for his life: "But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them" (Genesis 50:19-21). Dantés on the other hand, takes matters into his own hands enacting magnanimous generosity or cruel vengeance individually concocted for each of his friends. Slowly, we watch Dantés turn into a monster until he is introduced to forgiveness, mercy, and love. This striking contrast between these two Biblical and literary characters is so inspiring--and the fact that it came from a middle school kid makes it that much better!

Take a seventh or eighth grader's advice and read CMC; you won't regret it.

it's beginning to look a lot like. . .

2010-12-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas! This year, as every year, I am honing in on some meaningful traditions while scrapping the stressful, futile ones. Every December, I enjoy being intentional about the ways we celebrate and prepare for Christ's birth.

This year, I rang in the season with Michael W. Smith. The school was generously given several tickets to his Christmas concert at teh Dallas Symphony so I got to take 2 seventh grade young ladies. It was an absolutely lovely evening of beautiful music (some of which really brought me back to the the glory days--'90's anyone?) all of which was so God-honoring. Michael W. Smith is a great performer and his humility is refreshing and a great testament.

With the Christmas music came the desire to decorate. Unfortunately this year, I was not able to have White Christmas or Meet Me in St. Louis in the background during the decoration ceremony because my husband was studying for finals. . . alas. But I did put up a little tree in my classroom.

Also, this year was the first time that we read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol aloud in class. We haven't finished yet, but we are all enjoying it immensely. As one might suspect, the story is much darker than any of the movies, but the characters are much richer. The descriptions of Scrooge nephew and his contagious laugh are priceless. Here is one of my favorite passages so far in which Scrooge's nephew gives a retort to Scrooge's argument that Christmas should not be celebrated because it does not profit anyone:

"There are many things from which I might have derived good by, which I have not profited, I dare say," returned teh nephew. "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it come round--apart from the veneration due its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that--as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creature bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done my good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

What a beautiful sentiment about a wonderful time of year. God bless us, every one!

somerset maugham

2010-12-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

I was recently introduced to the novels of Somerset Maugham and have really enjoyed it. First, I read The Razor's Edge. The Razor's Edge is about rich Americans living in Europe prior to and during the Great Depression. It is an interesting look at the society of that time and people's search for meaning and happiness in all kinds of different, and mostly wrong, places. The characters in this book are rich, dynamic, and very compelling, but I found the plot a little slow even for my taste. Then I read The Painted Veil. Having loved the movie, I looked forward to reading the book and was not disappointed.

The movie came out in 2006 and stars Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. It is definitely the best love story I have seen in a while and is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend it.

The book follows the movie almost exactly until the end. And even though it is certainly not as happy, I must say that I loved the book as much as I loved the movie but for different reasons. The movie is compelling because it tells a beautiful love story between Kitty and Walter. An ill-matched couple from the start, Kitty, the socialite, and Walter, the bacteriologist, hit rock bottom when Walter finds out that Kitty has been having an affair with am English diplomat in Hong Kong. Walter refuses to allow Kitty a divorce and requires that she follow him into a cholera epidemic in rural China. In the movie, Walter and Kitty begin working alongside one another in a convent and slowly grow in respect, friendship, and then love for one another. But the book is quite different.

The book examines Walter and Kitty's relationship much more realistically and is more about the effects of sin and heartache and the weight of forgiveness than it is about love. Even though it was not romantic at all, I found the story in the book very compelling as Kitty begins to search for meaning in a world where she is surrounded by death and is eventually forced to start over all alone in the world.

You absolutely must see and read The Painted Veil. I got through it in about a week and was sad when I finished--always the sign of a good book--but both books are worth reading.

recently funny quotes

2010-12-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

From one of the nightly pillow fights in DC:
Student: "You hit me in the Gettysburg!"
I don't know where your Gettysburg is but apparently it hurts.

We were talking about Thomas Jefferson's quote: "That government which governs best, governs least," and I was explaining that Ralph Waldo Emerson tweaks that quote in Civil Disobedience when he says, "That government which governs best governs not at all."
And one of my students asked: "Wait, he tweeted it."
The thought of Emerson on twitter cracked me up.

One of the vocabulary sentences that was recently turned in to me for the word instill:
"How can I instill in my little sister the beauty of math?"
Now that is a devoted student.

Locker Art

A sculpture of twisty-ties recently found decorating an eighth grader's locker.

On the bus last week, one explorer told me, "My teacher has a Beyoncé."
"Really?" I replied. Trying to figure out what she meant, I asked, "Do you mean she as earrings like Beyoncé or a picture of Beyoncé."
"No," she retorted exasperated with my ignorance.
"What do you mean your teacher has a Beyoncé?"
"You know. . . someone who is going to be her husband!"
"Oh!" I said, quite relieved. "You mean she has a fiancée!"
Great rhyme. I never would have thought of that one.

moments with TJ

2010-11-18T19:54:00.001-08:00

Since our return from DC (which was wonderful and I will write more about later), I have instituted a new routine in the classroom: Thomas Jefferson moments. I call them Moments with TJ, but that is only because Thomas Jefferson and I go way back. The kids understand that they must call him Mr. Jefferson because they do not know him as well. This new routine was inspired by "Polite Moments" when we would start each morning of the trip with one of George Washington's Rules of Civility--amazing! Moments with TJ simply consists of the reading of and reflection upon an inspirational quotation from our third President. The quote from yesterday is a new lifetime favorite:

"In matters of style, swim with the current; on matters of principle, stand like a rock."

Amen! Well-said, Mr. Jefferson. More inspirational and hilarious moments from DC to come. . .

substitute

2010-11-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

As I have been preparing for the Washington DC trip and the substitute that will take my other classes all this week, one of my seventh grade students who is probably most looking forward to my absence next week reminded me of this children's book that I used to love when I was little.
Miss Nelson is a sweet and kind teacher with a horrible class. But one day when they arrive to school, the class is surprised to find an evil substitute in her place. The substitute looks and acts like a witch--wart and all. And she whips those kids in shape. The class is so relieved and thankful to have the kind Miss Nelson back in the end that they would never dream of misbehaving again. But on the last page in the illustration, you see in the corner of Miss Nelson's room an ugly black wig just like teh evil sub's. Ahhh, the great plot twist , of course, is that Miss Nelson was the evil sub whipping her class into shape.

I tried to find a copy of the book this week to read to the seventh grade just for fun, but alas, I was too busy preparing for my real sub. I wish that I could dress up and be my own substitute next week--it would be a lot easier and a lot of fun ;).

looking forward

2010-11-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

keeping it cool with Cornyn

This week has been a whirlwind of preparation for the much anticipated Eighth Grade Washington DC Trip! I am really looking forward to some teaching outside of the classroom and some quality time in my favorite city. But I will be more excited on Saturday morning after we have gotten on the eighth graders through security and all of my preparations will be done (because by Saturday morning it will have to be done, and whatever is not done, I will just have to do without). There is nothing like a deadline to inspire you to get your act together.

getting colonial in Williamsburg

The kids are so excited about the trip. We started a countdown on the board weeks ago. But it always cracks me up the things they look forward to. From the way they talk, you would think that they were way more excited about riding on a plane (many of them for the first time), staying in a hotel, and getting to wear something other than their uniforms in the evening than anything else. As much as I can hype the Capital, the Lincoln Memorial, the Portrait Gallery (which is my favorite place), Mount Vernon (and getting to see the key to the Bastille), colonial Williamsburg, the battlefields of Gettysburg, Arlington Cemetery, the White House, and countless other amazing things we will see and do, they will have no concept of the coolness until they get there and see it for themselves. Traveling with these students is such an amazing opportunity to open up an entirely new world to them--a world where leaves change colors in the fall, where government is a real job that people do, where patriotism and sacrifice are honored and sacred, and where history is actually real.

Even though just thinking about it stresses me out tonight, I cannot wait to introduce a whole other crop of kids to the beauty of Virginia, the coolness of our nation's capital, and the reality of the history that until now has only existed in books.

exploring Mt. Vernon

teacher = "flogger of urchins"

2010-10-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

As I was reading "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" aloud to seventh grade, I laughed when I came across this term that Irving uses to describe the teacher, Ichabod Crane. I thought it quite fitting for some of the activities and conversations that have taken place in my classroom of late.

Quotes from the classroom in recent days:

Me scolding Student A: "Please stop that. That is obnoxious behavior." (I say these words more times than I can count.)
Student B (frequently scolded for her obnoxious behavior): "At least I am not the only one who acts obnoxious in class."
Student A gives Student B the death glare.

Me: "What is the name of the current Vice President? I'll give you a hint: his initials are J B."
Student A: "Justin Bieber!"

Student C practicing her new vocabulary word before a quiz: "Mrs. Freeman, you look very ornate today."

Student B upon finishing Johnny Tremain: "Mrs. Freeman, I can't believe we finished the book. I am going to miss Rab."

Me: "Who were Oliver Cromwell's followers in the English Civil War? Remember? The Cavaliers and the . . . . ?"
Student D: "The Whiteheads!"
The correct answer was Roundheads. She was kind of close. . . I guess.

Me telling a group of girls that they cannot all get a drink at the same time: "Use your common sense."
Student E: "Yeah, use your Thomas Paine!"
(We were about to take a history test over the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War in which they needed to know about Thomas Paine's Common Sense.)

After having a photographer in the room, Student B: "Mrs. Freeman, what are they going to do with those pictures because my hair is a hot mess?"
Me: "Well, they are going to put your picture on a billboard."
Student B in alarm: "Really?!"

Upon hearing muffled chatting in study hall, Me: "Ladies, what is going on?"
The Ladies: "She got her pencil stuck in her hair."

After assigning the homework for the evening and beginning a new lesson, Student F holding up a piece of paper: "Mrs. Freeman, this is a how much homework I have and how long I think each assignment will take me. And here are all the things I have to do tonight."
Me: "Are you serious right now?"
Student F lowers his hand and his paper sheepishly.

Answers from the recent history test: (These make me want to cry, but hopefully you will find them funny.)
Q: Who was John Locke?
A: A discoveralist who found Virginia

Q: What was the last state to ratify the Constitution?
A: America

Q: What are the five rights guaranteed in first amendment?
Compilation of different students' answers
A: language, liberty, pursuit of happiness, land

stones into schools

2010-10-19T19:26:00.001-07:00

I just finished my book o' the month for October: Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson. The book was a Christmas gift from my precious aunt that I just got around to reading and really enjoying.

Stones Into Schools is a sort of sequel to his previously popular, Three Cups of Tea, and chronicles his experiences and obstacles building schools particularly for girls in the most rural parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The parts of the book that I found most fascinating were the brief summaries of the history of the area. While I knew a lot of what Mortenson wrote about from documentaries and the news, it seemed like the horrors and complexities of the Middle East became real for the first time. On top of that, the destruction of thirty years of war and some of the most rugged terrain in the world has made the country a very isolated and difficult place.

Mortenson and his crew work extremely hard in an effort to rebuild Afghanistan and Pakistan through offering education to the people, especially the women who were prohibited from schools under Taliban rule. Mortenson's philosophy for focusing on female education is simple: "If you educate a boy, you educate an individual, but if you educate a girl, you educate a community." The sheer logistical gymnastics that Mortenson and his team have to face building schools in the most remote areas of the world surrounded by the most treacherous political and geographical landscapes is staggering--from transporting construction supplies on yaks to building relationships with communities that have not welcomes foreigners in generations. I found the practical aspects of these stories fascinating. In one instance, Mortenson and team were struggling with building the trust of a community whose school had just been demolished in the earthquake in 2005. Children were anxious to attend the temporary tent school, but when teh permanent structure was finished, they had trouble with attendance. After speaking with a girl in the community, they discovered that students were wary to attend because the building did not have desks. Desks would not only provide a sense of seriousness and structure to the academics, but also offered structural safety in case of another earthquake. Also, the personal struggles of the Afghan people were inspiring. The obstacles that these students face are harrowing. In what particularly stomach turning episode, Mortenson writes about extremists would harass female students by squirting battery acid from water guns into girls' faces. The only complaint I have is that Mortenson goes on at times about the popularity of his first book, Three Cups of Tea, talking about all of his speaking engagements, etc. leaving me with a little of an "Alright already" feeling.

Overall, I am left with a few thoughts. First, I am very thankful for my beautiful beautiful classroom and my teaching job which now seems quite cushy. Also, I am very thankful that America was willing to step into such an impossible situation and at least attempt to make things better for a people that have suffered tremendously. Certainly things were not handled perfectly, but at least they made an effort.

If you are at all interested in these civilian efforts to rebuild Afghanistan from the inside out, I would recommend this book.

All of this begs the questions: What will I read for the rest of October? That, my friends, is an easy one--Jane Austen's Persuasion. Starting it tonight and really looking forward to it.

snacks as gold

2010-10-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth. He had beside the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn't unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange peel, and a dilapidated old window-sash.

~Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Children's currency always cracks me up. While the things that they value often seem humorous and nonsensical to adults, I am sure that they think the same way about the things adults value. I saw this truth in action on Friday afternoon at a fund-raising event for our school.

The 7th and 8th graders were asked to come out and help with the event--registering guests, working the raffle, handing out gifts, and pulling clays for the event. After much coaching on my part as to how to interact with adults--the importance of eye contact and speaking loudly and clearly--as well as how to initiate conversation with interesting questions, the students did a really good job. With a little prodding and supervision, they introduced themselves and got the opportunity to interact with some very interesting people. But as we were getting ready to leave, another volunteer offered the kids some snacks. Mayhem ensued. The sight of such a myriad of goodies and Gatorade was simply too much for these formerly self-controlled young men and women. There was a mad dash to the tables, stuffing shirts, socks, and, yes, pants with every goody they could get their hands on. By the time I got there, it was too late. I had them empty their shirts, socks and pants into the trashcan and proceeded to ream them out for not practicing the good manners they have learned over the years of etiquette classes at the school. While the kids and I were both embarrassed y their behavior, I was reminded of a few things: (1) that children are capable of so much as long as you are willing to give them clear instructions and walk them through the task (like they had done earlier in the day), (2) that greed and selfishness can make us all look very silly, and (3) the importance of laughter even where important lessons can be learned.

Temptation

Caught red-handed. Foiled again.

"I just tried to sneak candy in my shorts, but my teacher caught me and made me throw in away"
(I was really hoping to get through me entire teaching career without ever writing a picture caption like this)

As much as they know better and I am sure they will not do the same again, I don't know that you could expect any 7th or 8th grader to act differently when faced with the temptation of mounds of worldly wealth in the form of snacks. It is our human nature.

a lesson in good sportsmanship

2010-10-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

It is volleyball season in West Dallas, and I have loved going to the middle school girls' volleyball games. We win some and we loose some, but it is so fun getting to see and interact with the girls outside of a classroom. One of the things I like most of all is getting to see all of the learning experiences the girls get on the court whether it be how to play as a team, how to set/serve, or how to win/loose graciously.

Recently Barrett and I were at another sporting event where the importance of good sportsmanship became very clear. We traveled down to College Station with several college friends to see out Fightin' Texas Aggies take on Florida International. "Why Florida International?" you ask. The reasons are simple: (1) the tickets were cheap and (2) we thought it would be an easy win. We were right on only one of those counts. We had fabulous seats--front row on the 35-40 yard line right behind the opposing team's bench so we got the inside scoop for the entirety of the game. But it was not an easy win. There had been a lot of mistakes by the Aggies, and the Fightin' Texas Aggie 12th Man (aka the stands) were getting a little discouraged. In the 3rd quarter, we were down 20 to 6, and I gave us a 10% chance of pulling out a W--and that was generous. At that point, the players from the opposing team began to taunt the crowd saying "Get Louder! We can't hear you!" Aggies do not take well to being insulted especially for our cheering so things began to heat up. At one point, their defense made a pretty decisive stop, and when the players returned to the sideline, their coach began to congratulate them in very colorful language (which he had been using throughout the game). There being kids around, many parents sitting around us were visibly upset, but one father more than any other. This dad, sitting directly behind my husband, proceeds to yell at the coach to clean up his language. Stunned, the coach and his large, menacing defensive players turn around and stare directly at the stands (read: directly at Barrett because he is in front of the angry dad). Well, as soo as he sees that he has gotten a reaction, this father decided it would be a good idea to communicate the severity of the situation by throwing a water bottle at the coach and the large, menacing players. At this point I am sure that my husband will be the first casualty in a brawl of epic proportions. Thankfully, security was right there to simmer the situation down and we all left without a scratch.

proximity to the players

the 12th man and the band

All that to say, I love being an Aggie because in my experience, we are fans who cheer faithfully, win/loose graciously, and always keep it classy. This sets us apart and makes playing at Kyle Field a big deal. As much as I appreciate someone who is willing to stand up for what is right especially when children are involved, I was appalled when this father was willing to sacrifice setting a good example of being a classy fan and having good sportsmanship in front of his son. After this incident, the 12th Man rallied and cheered louder than I have heard them in a long time, and the Aggies did pull out a W. Needless to say, it all made for a very adventurous evening.

me and Barrett

I am so thankful to work at a school where teaching teamwork and good sportsmanship are some of the primary goals in athletics, and where the team's character matters more than their record at the end of the season.

alone in my principles

2010-10-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

In my experience, there are a few movies that are actually better when enjoyed alone, and these I go to when I am by myself and loving it but wanting another character to empathize with as we are both "alone in our principles" (line from That Thing You Do--love it!).

1. Mansfield Park

In this Jane Austen adaptation, the film's main character, Fanny Price, and intelligent and creative young woman, has been raised in the home of her wealthy aunt, uncle, and cousins because her family could not afford one more mouth to feed. Fanny is quiet but very intelligent and playful. She has strong opinions and will stand up for them when necessary, but she is always treated as an outsider. When she is finally invited into the social circle through the attentions of gentlemen, she is not sure she wants to be a part of this rather sordid society. This is probably the darkest of the Jane Austen movies becoming almost an Austen-Bronte hybrid. The cinematography is very artistic, and the love story between Fanny and Edmond is fabulous.

2. Jane Eyre

This is my favorite books of all time because the character of Jane demonstrates such moral fortitude and strength of character throughout the book. Jane encounters hardships after hardship from the abuse of her aunt to the death of her friend Helen in school to the life of a governess in a home full of secrets. In spite of her circumstances, Jane holds fast in her humility and faith. As for movies, there are two good adaptations: the 1996 version with Charlotte Gainsborough and William Hurt and the 2006 Masterpiece Theater version starring Ruth Wilson as the title character. Both are good, but I think the Masterpiece Theater version is better. This character is so close to my heart, I feel like we are kindred spirits. (I know that is incredibly cheesy, but I was an English major so what do you expect?)

3. Persuasion

This movie is new to the "alone in my principles" repertoire. I watched it Thursday night while Barrett was at class, remembered how much I loved it, and had to add it to the list. Also a Jane Austen adaptation, Persuasion tells the story of Anne Elliot who does not quite fit is with her class-obsessed family. Anne is tenderhearted and treats everyone with kindness. Pretty soon we find out that Anne was once in love with the charming Captain Frederick Wentworth but was persuaded against the match by a family friend who thought she had Anne's best interest in mind. Many years later, Anne meets Captain Wentworth again. This movie is very slow and very subtle, but the love story is beautiful as Anne learns to stand up for herself for the first time. Ciaran Hines is the quintessential Captain Wentworth just like Colin Firth is the quintessential Mr. Darcy. He is perfectly cast and absolutely amazing. I remember seeing this movie for the first time when I was about in the 5th grade, and I hated it. I could not get passed all of the unspoken dialog in just the looks that Anne and Capt. Wentworth exchange from across the room not to mention the old school BBC stylings--not quite as polished as we expect in a typicla feature film. But going back, I simply love it. (BBC recently did a new version of Persuasion that is also pretty good, but it ends with the most awkward on-screen kiss I have ever seen which kind of undercuts the rest of the movie.)

book club

2010-09-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I made a resolution to read a book a month in order to keep my mind fresh and to develop the habit of reading. I so enjoyed this new hobby that I decided to offer the same challenge to my students. And thus started Mrs. Freeman's 8th Grade Book Club. At the end of each month, those students that completed a book during that month get together during study hall, talk books, and partake of a little snack.

This month I made gingersnaps (yum) and read David McCullough's John Adams.

I loved the book and was somewhat said to finish it and say good bye to Adams. McCullough is an amazing story-teller and an awesome writer. He blends Adams correspondence into the story beautifully making vivid and dynamic portraits of real people in history. There were a few parts where I felt the book dragged a little. By far, the most compelling parts were about John and Abigail's marriage (a remarkably faithful and loving relationship) and Adams' relationship with Jefferson (very on-again-off-again). Adams was truly a remarkable man with an amazing amount of integrity. At the end of the book, McCullough cites the inscription that Adams had engraved on his family's sarcophagus: "This stone and several others have been placed in this yard by a great, great, grandson from a veneration of the piety, humility, simplicity, prudence, frugality, industry and perseverance of his ancestors in the hopes of recommending an affirmation of their virtues to their posterity." Adams' humility and willingness to sacrifice everything for virtue and patriotism is truly admirable.

(I heartily recommend the companion book to John Adams also by David McCullough, 1776. It is one of my favorite books and an easier/shorter read than John Adams.)

historical fiction

2010-09-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

studious

not so studious

I love some good historical fiction in my life. My seventh and eighth graders are currently reading Johnny Tremain and it is nothing less than fabulous. My mom read us this classic when we were kids before taking a vacation to Boston/New England. While I think I liked it then, as an adult and teacher I LOVE it! This being my fifth year in the classroom, I am estimating to have read Johnny Tremain's story about 7 times, and each time it gets better and better.

For those of you that are not familiar with the childhood classic, Johnny Tremain tells the story of a young, cocky Boston silversmith who suffers a terrible accident and as a result gets swept up in the activity of the Revolutionary War from the Boston Tea Party to the Sons of Liberty to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The book does an excellent job of drawing readers into the colonial era and introducing them to the real players of the Revolution like Paul Revere, John Hancock, Sam Adams, James Otis, and Dr. Warren, but it also tells a very compelling story about a boy that learns to think outside of himself and grow up. And if that is not a ringing-enough endorsement, my kids all love it.

Several months ago, I read another historical fiction book that I really liked called The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. Kent tells the story of Sarah Carrier Chapman whose mother was accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692. I really enjoyed this book as it brought the hardships of colonial life to light and drew you in to the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. I read the court scene to my seventh and eighth graders to give them a sense of what it was really like; they were entranced. It is a great story and a well-written book.

So there you go. If you start feeling a little colonial--which I always do this time of year--pick up one of these great historical fictions and be transported.

marriage as evangelism

2010-09-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Recently my students, especially the girls, have had weddings on the brain. One of my former colleagues got hitched just a couple of weeks ago and many of the middle schoolers got to attend their teacher's nuptials. So with all of the anticipation prior to the event and reminiscing afterward, we have had lots of fun converstaions about weddings and marriage. (One of my seventh grade girls announced at the lunch table that she wanted a 20 foot train on her wedding dress! To which I wanted to respond, "Dang girl!" but held my cool.)

In the course of these conversations, the girls began to ask about my wedding. When I told them that I wore my grandmother's wedding dress, they were fascinated and asked to see pictures. So a few days later, I brought in the wedding album that my mom made for me this Christmas, and all of the girls poured over it during study hall. It was so sweet to get to share those memories with them. They loved everything from the church to the flowers to seeing how much my sisters and I look alike--it was quite precious. They even said that Barrett looked like Robert Pattinson--which for them is a very high compliment. One of the sweetest parts was when one girl found one of their vocabulary words in the little letter my mom wrote to me at the end of the book: poise.

I am so thankful to teach in a school where I have so many opportunities to teach my students about everything and to share Jesus with them at every turn. It is moments like this one that I am so humbled to have the chance to show these young ladies what it looks like to have "poise" and even what a Christian wedding and marriage look like. Whether it be reading through passage where Jesus talks about marriage and divorce or the kids asking about my husband, we have had some very cool conversations. What I think this reveals more than anything else is that a Christian marriage the way God intended is totally counter to just about everything that the culture tells us marriage is. When I know all my students see in the world is Bridezilla and shows that portray marriage as boring, stupid, and temporary, I am so thankful that they at least got one small glimpse of something else even if it was just in their teacher's scrapbook.

shakespearean transition

2010-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Lately, there have not been a lot of inspirational moments in my classroom as I feel like we are still working on getting the basic procedures and good habits down, but today there was a little light bulb so I thought I would celebrate it.

As we went over the basic format for a three paragraph essay today, the subject of transition words came up. I explained that transitions are words that signal to the reader that you are moving from one point to the next and they are important because they lend clarity to your writing. The class was giving examples of different transitions words they could use like first, then, next, also, in conclusion, in addition, furthermore, secondly, and lastly. Then I remembered one of my favorite lines from Much Ado About Nothing. The crazy fool of a constable and the comic relief, Dogberry, brings some criminals before the Duke. His explanation of their crime and his use of transitions is absolutely hilarious:

Dogberry: Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.

After we established the fact that the transitions were all jumbled up, we had a good laugh over the fact that he found six ways to say, "He lied." I love it when we can use humor and Shakespeare in a lesson. (By the way, if you haven't seen Much Ado About Nothing, you need to asap. With Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh you cannot go wrong. Michael Keaton plays Dogberry and is hilarious.)

two thumbs up

2010-09-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

I realized recently that I have done a surprisingly small number of movie posts of late in spite of all the good movies I watched in the recent past. I intend to remedy this tonight!

Recommendation numero uno: Me and Orson Welles
Barrett and I heard about this movie back in December but missed it in the theater and have been waiting for it to come out on video. When that day finally came, we were not disappointed. We both agreed that this is one of the best movies we have seen in a long time.

The movie is about Orson Welles' early career in theater (post-radio and pre-film) directing Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in the early 1930s in New York. The acting in this movie will knock your socks off. Orson Welles is played by Christian McKay who we recognized in a Masterpiece Theater later (which proves he is actually, really good). More than once throughout the movie we had to stop and remind ourselves that we were not actually watching Orson Welles. The movie also stars Zac Efron who does an impressive job as a young high schooler who dreams of being an actor/singer/writer/artist, and his role in Wells' play is supposed to be his big break. Efron is both likeable and very believable in this role. I loved him! The plot of the movie centers around Welles' eccentricities professionally and personally as you watch the director of theater develop into the man that will direct the greatest movie of all time. There are some wonderfully smart references throughout the film to Orson Welles' work in Citizen Kane and The Third Man. The only complaint that I had with the film is that I think Richard Linklater (the director of the film and one of my favorite directors) could have done more artistic choices with the cinematography, but Barrett disagreed with me on that point. The movie is well-written, interesting, and engaging. I highly recommend this movie especially if you are a film history buff or a Citizen Kane fan.

Recommendation numero dos: The Messenger
We heard about this movie watching the Oscars and loved it.

The Messenger stars Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson and is about the soldiers in charge of informing families when they have lost loved ones. As the subject matter suggests, the movie is very intense and very personal. The camera work, while hand-held, is effective at creating an up-close and personal tone at very intimate, intense moments. The chracters in teh movie are complex and dynamic, and the acting is stellar.

Recommendation numero tres: An Education
This was another one we saw on the Oscars and had to see.

An Education takes place in England in the 1960s and tells the story of a young, naive girl who befriends a cultured, worldly man, falls in love with him, and gets a jarring lesson in life. The plot of the movie is very intriguing and takes a few small but unexpected turns. One of the best parts of this movie is definitely the sets and costumes; the clothes are to-die-for. The cinematography is also beautiful. Carrie Mulligan and Alfred Molina are awesome in this movie, but the real star of the show is Peter Sarsgaard as the playboy. His charisma wraps everyone in the movie including the audience around his little finger. Plot-wise, I think there were a few things that would have made th movie stronger: namely spending more time developing Jenny's (Carrie Mulligan's) relationship with her teacher and her relationship with her friends. But some of the deleted scenes help solve this. This movie is very enjoyable and engaging--a must see.

paper airplane arsenal

2010-09-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember my eraser bullet arsenal post from yesteryear. Well, on Friday while I was doing the inevitable new seating arrangement after the second week of school (when kids have gotten a little too comfortable with their neighbors and, thus, have gotten chatty), I found this in one of the desks. . .

a veritable paper airplane arsenal, all meticulously lined up and ready for action.

Notice that there hasn't been enough time to fill the desks with trash or clutter, but there has been enough time (apparently) to make 13 paper airplanes. Seriously? I never cease to be amazed by children's ingenuity and craftiness especially with school supplies.

one job, three persons

2010-09-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

I have a strong recollection of thinking my first year of teaching that I needed two other people in my classroom full time in order to do my job properly and to its fullest extent. First, I needed a bouncer to manage the discipline and stand next to troublesome children with muscles bulging and face glaring to keep them in line. Second, I needed a secretary to make sure all the papers got passed out, taken up, forms filled out, filed, and turned in properly (and maybe to help out with a little grading). With the help of these two capable yet imaginary individuals, I could do the fun part: teaching! Oh to focus all of my attention on academics. . . (sigh). . .

But I can honestly say after completing four years in the classroom, that I enjoy the "training" aspect of my job because it implies that education is more than books and writing; "education is a life" (one of Charlotte Mason's four pillars of education). By spending the time to teach and train children in every aspect of their lives and behavior, I get to take part in a much more complex and developed picture--the picture of a person growing not just a brain. So yes, I am my own bouncer and I kind of like it. But I could still use a secretary.

reflections on a school bus

2010-08-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

One morning during in-service, our headmaster reminded us of God's work in West Dallas by giving us an update on the school bus situation since our bus was on its last legs and were were in desperate need of a new one. "God is doing mighty work on the school bus front," he began as he told us the story of how God led a family to donate the money for a second, much needed bus. This news gave me a renewed sense of wonder at God's divine and mighty work in the smallest details of our lives. Why would the Creator of the universe, the King and Priest of mankind, care about the West Dallas Community School bus? But he does. He is concerned about every detail of our lives and provides for us in big and small ways--each is equally miraculous.

As I reflected on the significance of the school bus to the everyday life of our school and on God's mighty provision in big and small ways, i was filled with a sense of God's purpose and design for us at West Dallas Community School. The mission of the school is "to provide students with a challenging educational experience designed to help them know, love, and practice that which is true, good and excellent and to prepare them to live purposefully and intelligently in the service of God and man." The mission of the school bus to provide transportation for children to go into the outside world to learn about and see God's Creation and return safely to their homes in West Dallas. In short, the bus is our means by which students go out and experience God's world and the means by which God's blessings go out from our school into the neighborhood and the entire city.

I will never forget the clear vision God gave me of our school while riding the bus (the old, un-airconditioned one) one afternoon in May 2009. As we traversed through the neighborhoods and housing projects bouncing over speed bumps, it was clear that this area was full of darkness and despair. In order to keep this bus-full of hot children occupied and orderly, Mark Rusk, the bus driver called on one class at a time to lead the entire group in a song or recitation. And there were were, traveling through the projects reciting poetry and singing songs in turn. We sang everything from Lift High the Cross to So Long, Farewell from The Sound of Music with some Robert Louis Stevenson poetry and nursery rhymes thrown in as well. The children's voices filled teh bus and carried our the windows and into the neighborhoods. I watched the faces as we passed. In some cases I saw utter bewilderment at this busload of sweetly singing children and in others I saw a ray of hope.

God cares about our school bus because that is one of the literal means by which he is delivering hope to a dark and desperate place and it will allow us to do his work more effectively. I was reminded this morning by one of my fellow teachers of the passage in Ephesians 6 about putting on the full armor of God. I had never really noticed or thought about the fact that the gospel of peace is actually worn on our feet ("having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace"). All of a sudden, I thought about the school bus as our shoes allowing us to walk out and bring the gospel of peace into the housing projects of West Dallas and the city as a whole. I am so humbled by God’s provision and the reminder of his unbelievable generosity to his servants.

I had the pleasure of riding the new school bus today. We listened to The Velveteen Rabbit read by Meryl Streep and a whole assortment of hymns. Here are a few pictures from this afternoon.

peek-a-boo

Kayla
little eyes
long day

grading movies

2010-08-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was rudely awakened to the worst part of going back to school for teachers: grading! I loved evenings at home during the summer with no grading hanging over my head. Alas, (sigh) those carefree days are no more. But in order to lighten the burden of the red pen, I turned to some of my staple grading movies. A few months ago my mom posted about her "down comforter" movies (i.e. those movies that you know you can curl up with on a rainy day). Well the educators need a list of movies that they can turn on when the grading gets laborious.

My criteria for grading movies is simple.

1. The movie must be of the highest quality, especially the music and the script. A truly excellent film can inspire the most uninspiring tasks. The music and script are of particular importance because your eyes will not be on the screen but on paper so the sounds must be captivating.

2. It must be a movie that I know so well that I am not even tempted to lift my eyes to the screen because I have seen it so many times that I know it by heart. When you know a movie this well, you are not distracted by what will happen next or by the images on film. It is like sitting in silence in the car with an old friend, just perfectly content being together.

Without further ado, my grading movies are. . .

1. Sense and Sensibility: This is my number one go-to grading flick. The movie is perfect and so comforting and inspiring.

2. Little Women (with Winoma Ryder): This movie is great in the winter since it open at Christmas and always reminds me of hanging out with my sisters. (These two movies make up a sub-genre of films that I am a sucker for. Barrett lovingly named the genre "Women Writers Overcoming All Odds." I always like those flicks.)

3. Meet Me in St. Louis: This movie is a favorite from my childhood and always makes me happy (except the Halloween sequence which still scares me). The colors, costumes, and music are classically awesome. I love popping this movie in around any holiday since it goes through all four seasons.

The longer list. . .
If I had to add a few more to the list, they would be Oklahoma, Princess Bride (can't go wrong with a 90's classic), Much Ado About Nothing, Singing in the Rain, Master and Commander, and Say Anything.

happy first day of school!

2010-08-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "first day of school" like a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils.
(Hopefully, all of you got the You've Got Mail reference.)

funny quotes from years gone by (part 2)

2010-08-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of a new school year, a fresh start, and a whole host of even more hilariously funny comments and/or questions, I would love to share a few more laughs from the past.

After passing a rather elaborate fountain in Highland Park, one student exclaimed, "The only time I see this much water in my neighborhood is when a pipe busts."

Upset about having to play another basketball game, student: "I'm bringing my Z game" (as opposed to his A game for those who are not up with the lingo).

Advice from an recent graduate about high school: "Depending on how old your teacher is, if they give you homework, you might want to do it. Because if she is old, she might give you a detention."

Impersonating Martin Luther King Jr.

After studying the ratification of the constitution and how Rhode Island was the last to sign on even after the Constitution was ratified, one student proclaimed his innocence in a notorious water fountain debacle like this: "I'm Rhode Island! I didn't do anything."

A seventh grader asking to go on the eighth grade DC trip: "Can I go? I can be a pet. I won't have to take a shower!"

Me on the Texas History Trip: "Come on guys. Walk faster!"
Student: "With or without swag?"

After asking a student why she decided that eating a leaf at the Alamo was a good idea, Student: "Well, I have eaten a leaf before at school."

Study Hall shenanigans (which were not endorsed by me, for the record)

secret garden

2010-08-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

This summer I went on a little British literature kick with Dickens, or course, and The Secret Garden. Perusing through the library, I found this children's classic and don't remember reading it (although my mom claims she read it to us and I am sure she is right. . . sorry, mom). I was totally transported by this beautiful story of an ugly, ill-tempered girl growing up and learning to care for people and creation and losing her ugliness and ill temper in the process.

Reading this lovely story made visiting my mom's precious garden in Nebraska even sweeter. Every evening we went to her garden or Neighbor Bill's garden and picked our veggies for dinner: asparagus, eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and my favorite--Swiss Chard!

This is my favorite salad in the whole world. The sad this is that I can't replicate it--mom specialty.

surviving mrs. freeman

2010-08-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

In order to cut through the frequent melodramatic complaining, I often tell my students that my favorite hobby is to make their lives miserable and that it has taken me many years to perfect my craft. Seventh graders believe me at first, but the eighth graders think it is funny.

I have worked long and hard to develop a reputation as a tough teacher. Some may think I am heartless, but I would submit that those are the ones that have spent little to no time in a classroom setting. I learned very quickly that in order to maintain order there must be a real authority structure and high expectations. Authority is from God and under a Biblical worldview, submission is a good and even chivalrous virtue. As believers we submit to God's law so we must learn to do the same in the classroom. And high expectations call the children up; I ask them to be their best because I respect them and believe that they have enormous potential. All of this can be achieved with many hours of homework, several just and creative punishments, lots of mean teacher looks, and countless hours of talking and listening.

Recently, I received what some would consider an insult, but I consider a great professional accomplishment. One of my former students said of me to another student about his fast approaching high school career: "I mean I survived Mrs. Freeman so I should be okay (barely survived :P)"

With that said, I am kind of looking forward to getting my mean pants on again, brushing up on my mean teacher look, and assigning lots of homework.

baby gifts

2010-08-16T19:36:00.001-07:00

I have entered the stage in my life where I am buying quite a few baby gifts for friends. For these types of occasions, I like to have a few creative/cute gift ideas that I can come back to over and over again so that I can pick up the present without having to expend to much creative energy or thought. Here are my go to baby gifts. I simply love these darling little books by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. They stories are precious and the illustrations could not be cuter.

1. Little Pea and a food mill

In Little Pea, Pea is forced to eat his candy for dinner before he gets to eat his vegetables for dessert. My mom used these inexpensive food mills when we were little so that we could get our veggies.

2. Little Hoot and a sweet baby blanket

Little Hoot is an owl who has to stay up late to play even though he is so tired and wants to go to bed. It is perfect paired with a cuddly blanket.

3. Little Oink and a hooded towel

Little Oink is about a little pig who has to mess up his room so that he can be a good pig even though he wants to pick it up. This little hooded towel (designed by my sister for Target) is perfect for a clean, sweet smelling babe. Or as my great-grandmother would say, "All clean, and no bugs either."

for the love of all that is awkward

2010-08-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Barrett and I had a garage sale so we did a lot of clearing out and throwing away. In our pairing down, we found tons of old pictures. Among them was my absolute favorite picture of me and my youngest sister Hannah. Hannah is 7 years younger than me, and this lapse in time made our childhood experiences dramatically different. But one of my greatest joys over the past few years has been watching Hannah grow up and getting to know her as an adult. She is the most fun and adventurous person I know, and where there is Hannah, there is a party!

Hannah and I Summer 2003

This is my favorite picture because it captures her in her most awkward years--middle school. She was going through a hilariously awkward phase that I can laugh at only because mine was worse. But after teaching middle school for a few years, I have formed a deep attachment to children in that difficult and painfully awkward phase. Growing up, I never understood why my mom wanted to have portraits made of us when we were 13 because we were clearly so awkward. But it was because she wanted to capture the simultaneous beauty and awkwardness that only comes in middle school when a child becomes an adult. Looking at this picture and thinking about how beautiful and fun Hannah is now makes me love this picture of her even more.

It also makes me really excited about a whole new batch of awkward kids who I will get to watch God grow in to amazing men and women. Whenever I tell people I teach middle school, I usually get a deer-in-the-headlights look like I might be crazy or like pain. But there is such fun and beauty in the awkwardness of that stage of life because it is a time when so much change and progress are happening; these children are officially becoming adults--reasoning for the first time and developing a sense of humor. I will need to keep this picture in front of me this year as a reminder of how lovable awkwardness can be and how awesome it can become later.

Hannah and I Summer 2010

happy aniversary, baby! got you on my mi-ind!

2010-08-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today Barrett and I celebrated out 5th anniversary. While most of the day was very normal (except that I had the song Anniversary by Little River Band stuck in my head all day), there was a definite sense that we reached a milestone, however small. I cannot believe that we have been married for five years already. I have loved all the little phases and stages we have gone through so far, and I cannot wait for all of the many and different phases and stages that we have yet to venture into together. Cheers to many more years to come!

Found this card at Paper Source, and it was so perfect for our little occasion.

August 13, 2005

Five years later and still counting!

craftiness

2010-08-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been trying to take advantage of every last minute of my summer (thus, the lack of recent blog posts). Tonight, I am trying not to mourn too loudly that I have to get up early and go to work tomorrow. To boost my spirits, I have enjoyed thinking about all that I have done this summer. It is amazing what one can accomplish with lots of sleep and creative energy. This summer, my creative energy manifested itself in a new hobby. . . sewing! My good friend Winsor got me hooked when she got a sewing machine and let me use it. I put a bug in my husband's ear that I really wanted a sewing machine for my birthday, and guess what he surprised me with when I got home from vacation? Yep! He got a fabulous deal on an old Viking. After having it serviced, I was so excited to got my hands on it and knock out some projects. My mom, quite the seamstress herself, loved that I was taking on this new hobby and sent me a package of all the sewing essentials (i.e. Ginger scissors, measuring tape, pins, some really cute vintage fabric, and Martha's Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts). I have been pouring over Martha's wisdom and still have quite a few projects/techniques from the book that I want to try my hand at. Here are some pictures of what I've done.
I made these pillows for our living room. The inspiration was the crewel embroidery I found at an antique mall.

I painted this bench to match our shutters and made these little outdoor pillows for it.

I made this little receiving blanket for sweet Winsor's new baby, Reed. I cross-stitched his birthday on the flannel side. It is not perfect, but still cute.

This little tab curtain in our bathroom is way better than the blinds that were there previously, believe me.

I am so excited to tackle more sewing projects in the near future. But first, I desperately need to make my office/craft space more efficient and inspiring. Check out sweet Katie's ideas here. Maybe that will help me going back to work and being more productive in my time off. . . Here's hoping.

jackpot

2010-07-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

I love a good sale. For me the story of the find and the bargain is all the fun of shopping. This is a great season for sales as stores are clearing out summer merchandise but it is still blooming hot outside. Here are some of my recent finds.

From Ann Taylor Loft: Maxi Dress was originally $128 and I got it for $29.99 (the steal of the century), metallic brocade skirt was $9.88 on final sale, coral top (perfect for school) was $14.99, and purple dress was $59.99 (not quite a steal but super cute)

I also got this darling top at Ann Taylor Loft for $24. Did I mention how much I love Ann Taylor Loft? It's an addiction.

From J. Crew: These darling ballet flats were originally $128 marked down to $49.99 with at additional 30% off. So I paid $35--another steal and perfect for school. The rest I found at the J. Crew in Omaha, NE, which is the best kept secret in the Midwest. Since most residents of Nebraska are generally not the most fashion-forward (my mom and sisters excluded, of course), the J. Crew in Omaha is a veritable treasure trove of great deals. All the good stuff actually gets marked down and in normal sizes--it's amazing. I got the grey top for for $20, the pink and purple top for $8, and the coral linen skirt (which is my new summer staple) for $16.

The next bargain I want to snatch up is this darling upholstered headboard from Sears, of all places. I love the tufted back and the wing-back style. At $500, this is a great deal but over my normal $25 budget for great deals. . . sigh. I will have to see what I can do.

black turtles

2010-07-27T19:01:00.001-07:00

I once had a student that would randomly put his head inside his shirt. I have no idea why he would do this or what triggered this strange behavior but it was oddly hilarious that is for sure. (I guess it is not too dissimilar from students hiding in their desks which is much more common, but this was definitely more eccentric behavior.) Eventually I started telling him to stop acting like a turtle. After telling this student to take his head out of his shirt and "Stop acting like a turtle and join us, please!" One of his classmates responded, "Mrs. Freeman, haven't you ever heard of the Black Turtles? They are much more peaceful than the Black Panthers." I had no idea that he was making a civil rights statement. You can't make this stuff up.

The Black Turtle did not like being photographed in his natural habitat.

"a lot" is a lot of words

2010-07-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

As I am beginning to wrap my mind around going back to school and all that getting back in the classroom entails, I have to admit that I am not jumping for joy. I am working really hard on focusing on what I am looking forward to: seeing my precious students, all the funny interactions that I know are coming, and throwing myself back into American history and literature. I am trying not to think about the getting up early, the grading, and the perpetual correction I know I will have to do. Today as I thought about the coming year, I smiled as I remembered some of simple errors that I have corrected thousands of times on kids' papers especially misspelling "a lot" as "alot". For example, I ate alot of ice cream. This is a very common error and one that drives me CRAZY. I hate when "a lot" is misspelled A LOT. Anyway, when I was a kid someone gave me a little saying to remember the spelling: a lot is a lot of words. So I have this little ditty written on the board at the front of my classroom. While the kids still misspell it, this year I actually had a parent tell me that she saw it on my board and now remembered it whenever she spelled a lot. Maybe her kids will pick it up from her, because they were still misspelling it when they left my class. Oh well. I guess I am looking forward to reentering the educational environment and especially all the relationships with kids and parents that I know will develop over the course of the year.

sweet land

2010-07-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, this summer Barrett and I have watched A LOT of movies, and I have not done a very good job of keeping up with my recommendations. But here is an attempt to get back on track. Last night we rented the movie Sweet Land, and as the title implies, it was very sweet.

The movie is about a Norwegian farmer in Minnesota and his German mail-order bride. Inge, the bride, does not have the right paperwork so the couple cannot be married right away. Olaf, the would-be-husband, is a very quiet man, but he tries to help Inge integrate into this small Lutheran community as best as he can. While Olaf is very upright, the couple faces persecution for cohabiting even though Olaf sleeps in the barn and for Inge's German heritage. After dealing with a difficult harvest and the town's scrutiny, Olaf and Inge grow an intense bond, and eventually the town comes around them, gets Inge the paperwork, and they are married.

What I loved about the movie: First, the actors playing Olaf and Inge are tremendous. They truly carried the film, and they had fabulous chemistry. I also loved that the movie was very clean (rated PG for goodness sake). Even though Olaf and Inge develop some serious sexual tension, the most we ever see on screen is holding hands. I love when movie makers can deliver all the intensity without the skin. And, of course, I loved the setting. The Midwest is a wonderful place.

What didn't work for me: The movie opens with some scenes from the present and more recent past that include Olaf and Inge's grandchildren. While this is a good idea in theory, it was very confusing, disjointed, and felt forced. I was also not a big fan of the casting choice of Alan Cumming as Olaf's friend. I do not believe him as a Minnesotan farmer for one second. Lastly, I really did not like the portrayal of the Lutheran minister. While he had some good lines, he was the most closed-minded and least loving person in the film. I am so sick of movies portraying Christians as the bad guys and the church as the problem with society. I would love to introduce the writer/director to the Lutheran minister at my mom's church in Oakland, Pastor Mark, because then they could have seen how wonderful and kindhearted real Lutheran ministers are.

Overall, Sweet Land is a sweet romance with a few problems. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

a room with a view

2010-07-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading A Room with a View. While most of the book was just alright, the ending (last 50-75 pages) was fabulous! Lucy Honeychurch, the main character who officially has the sweetest name in all of English literature, struggles with growing up and deciding where she should follow convention and where she should take a few risks. Without giving too much away, I loved seeing Lucy finally live a little at the end, defy convention, and take a risk or two.

Like Lucy, I recently returned from a wonderful trip where I also had a room with a view, but mine was in Wisconsin and not Florence, Italy. But for those of you who were wondering, Lake Geneva is absolutely breathtaking, that is for sure. I just love the Midwest in the summer.

Our view of the Lake and the amazing home we stayed in

And like Lucy, on my trip I was reminded of the fun it can be to reawaken one's sense of adventure. On her trip, Lucy had trouble getting her head out of her guidebook and actually exploring the real Italy. Thanks to my really fun family, I was not allowed to make Lucy's mistake. I had the pleasure of being with all of my sisters and step-sisters and my sweet little niece Bella along with my mom, step-dad, and our wonderful host, Tia Nancy. (It was a house-ful.) We spent our days in Lake Geneva enjoying all kinds of fun on the water. And whenever I started to slip into cautious teacher mode, my sisters were quick to shake me out of it. They would start calling me Ann Taylor (which I refuse to see as an insult) and take me on a crazy jet ski ride or try to throw me off tubing. But I also realized that it is most fun to let loose around people that you love and are totally comfortable with. Because what else are you going to do when you pants fall off when you are thrown off the tube? It is truly rejuvenating to be with family when you can let go of all inhibitions. I am so thankful for such fun sisters who are willing to do anything and take me along for the ride. Thanks for the reminder that a life lived in fear is a life half lived!

Me, Hannah, and Kiley--love you, ladies!

Tubing with Abby

Hannah getting ready to scare the pants off of me on the jet ski

angry eyes

2010-07-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

I had a really funny exchange with my precious former students on facebook today in which they were all commenting on/mocking a rather funny group picture in which everyone is either looking angry, blinking, or not looking at all. Here is the irony: When we took the picture at Mount Vernon, they all complained about it, and many of them refused to cooperate and decided to take the picture wearing their angry eyes. (Excuse the Mr. Potato Head reference; I just saw Toy Story 3--loved it!) Just a few short months after the trip, they mock their stupid faces, and many wonder why all the pictures of them are bad. The answer: because of a bad attitude and unwillingness to comply. Every year I make a little photobook for the kids, and it is hilarious that the ones that made the biggest stink about pictures are the ones that regret their angry eyes the most. But, I warn them every year. "You will not look cute in this picture, and it won't be my fault." Or "One day you will wish you actually looked normal when you look back at these pictures."

Here are some classic angry eye pics (you may need to enlarge these to get the full force of the facial expressions because they are priceless):

But look at how cute they can look! This is one of my favorite pictures of all time.
The trick is to not let them bring their angry eyes because they really are precious.

cookies

2010-07-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

No matter how unproductive and blob-like I have been throughout the day, I always feel productive when I cook. In fact, cooking and baking are some of the things that never make me feel guilty or like I have wasted time. As far as I am concerned, time in the kitchen is almost always time well spent.

The other day I had the pleasure of making chocolate chip cookies. It is unusual for me to go more than a week or two without baking cooking because Barrett loves them. My recipe for chocolate chip cookies is a very special one because it comes from my mom. She would whip these cookies up on command whenever we had friends over as kids. She can mix the dough in 6 minutes flat--pretty impressive. When I made these cookies in college, my roommates would mock their gooey-ness for being undercooked, but years later, they all want to come over for warm cookies and ice cream. I also have made these cookies for my kids for our monthly book club treats, and they quickly became BIG fans (as pictured above). On several occasions, they even offered me money and/or other bribes for some cookies. And now I will share the recipe with all of you:

2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cup flour
about 1 cup chocolate chips.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Now here is the secret: Bake at 385 for exactly 6 minutes and no longer. They will not look done and you will want to give them another minute, but do not succumb to this temptation. Take the cookies out, and let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. Then take them off, and I always like to set them on brown paper bags to cool a little more.

A note about chocolate chips: There is a long standing debate in my family between whether to use semi-sweet or milk chocolate in our cookies. My mom and sisters will fight to the death for milk chocolate, but my husband will stand by semi-sweet til the end. So frankly, I am very divided on the subject and would tell you to go with you gut on that point.

For Serving: These cookies are to-die-for served right out of the oven over vanilla ice cream. It is classic and the best! This is Barrett's favorite desert. I always freeze the cookies we don't eat right away. They are excellent frozen--a wonder chewy, little, sweet snack. I know it sounds strange, but trust me and try it. (I used to eat frozen cookies after waking up from a nap on Sunday afternoons when I was little.) But we also like to reheat the cookies for a few minutes in the oven for that gooey ice cream concoction we love so much.

Enjoy some well-spent time in the kitchen and the very productive feeling afterward!

grampa

2010-07-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

One week ago tomorrow, my dear grandpa Jerry passed away. His health had been on the decline for the past three years so we are so thankful for the time we had with him. Barrett and I traveled to Nebraska last Wednesday and were able to see Grampy and say good-bye while he was still very alert and conscious. The family spent two more grueling days with him in the hospital before ushering him into his eternal home.

The weekend of his death offered a very unique opportunity to remember what a wonderfully funny man my grandpa was and to share with family and close friends in the real stuff of life. Overall, it was a beautiful time.

Needless to say, I have been thinking a lot about Grampy Jerry and all the wonderful memories I have of him. Here are just a few that have been ruminating in my brain that I will continue to cherish.

- His sense of humor: I was often surprised by the hilarious things that would come out of my grandpa's mouth--most of which were very inappropriate. He was infamous for answering the phone "Jack's Mule Barn, this is Kelly. Jack ain't here." When I was little, I remember being very puzzled by this greeting as we were not at a mule barn and his name was not Kelly, but as I got older, this cracked me up.

- Jerryisms: Grampy had more funny sayings for stuff than anyone I have ever met. As a father of all girls, his word for sanitary protection was "man-hole-covers." He also had countless euphemisms for farting. One time after a particularly noisy one he said, "Well, at least we know that still works." Priceless.

- Grampy's favorite places: No matter what time I saw Grampa Jerry, there was a 99% chance that he was in one of two places: (1) hunched over the kitchen counter watching tv with a cigarette and cup of coffee or (2) sitting in his lazy-boy (with Lady or Scamper, the dogs) in his lap either reading or watching tv with a cigarette. In both cases, he would also be wearing a snore strip. I will never look at that lazy-boy, kitchen counter, or breath-rite strips without seeing him.

- Not knowing a stranger: People have said this about my grandpa for years. When I was little, this translated into him starting conversations with anyone and everyone we encountered (I particularly remember this with waitresses). He spent hours a day driving around town in his blue pickup truck and talking with absolutely everyone he came in contact with. As I grew older, I realized that no matter where Grampy went he made a friend; he was never haughty or intimidated. I so admire his humility and friendliness and hope that I can be more like that one day. I don't think I truly appreciated this trait until it was insulted. The wedding party and family were getting lined up in the church the day I got married, and of course, my Grampa Jerry was chatting (and probably flirting with bridesmaids) when the wedding nazi (the lady from the church with a horrible temper) told him to "Shut up!" I have never been more insulted in all my life. No one tells Grampy to shut up.

- Big guns: When I was little, Grampy Jerry was the strongest man I knew. His arm muscles fascinated me as he had some serious guns. I still don't know how he was so ripped into his sixties.

- Generosity/Stewardship: no matter what I ever needed, Grampa Jerry had something that would do the trick and he was always so excited to give it away. He did this for everyone in town. But the really impressive thing was that in spite of the piles and piles of what looked like junk in the infamous basement, he could locate the item in question without any struggle or rummaging. He and my granny also re-use absolutely everything from margarine containers to pill bottles.

- Booker: In preparation for Barrett's first trip to Nebraska when we were dating, Grampa told everyone in town that my boyfriend Booker was coming. The entire weekend, people were coming up to him saying, "Oh, you must be Booker!" We called him Booker all last week just for old times' sake.

- The Turn Around: Whenever we said good-bye, Grampa would say, "God Bless, good luck, see you on the turn around!" To this day, I don't know what the "turn around" is, but it is comforting to know that we will see him again on the eternal "turn around."

- Luke 2: Every Christmas, Grampa Jerry would recite the Christmas story from Luke 2 at the table. His cadence was so unique. It will be impossible to replicate.

- Salt and Pepper: We shared many meals together as a family, and Grampy was always the last to finish. The family joke was that by the time Grampa was finished putting salt and pepper on his food, most of us were finished eating.

- Open arms: I cannot say that I appreciated or even knew how welcoming and compassionate my Grampy was until I was older. I knew that my grandparents were awesome, but I didn't realize how awesome until I was an adult. When my mom remarried, my grandparents welcomed all seven (yes, 7!) of my step siblings into their family, no questions asked. They were just as much their grandparents as they were mine. I will never forget how wonderful it was to see them welcome so many people into their family.

My Grampa Jerry was truly a unique man. He was friendly, loving, hilarious, and sometimes a little rough around the edges. If you want to get a little taste of what he was like, watch the this video. He will be dearly missed.

happy real independence day!

2010-07-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm a little late, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a happy real Independence Day! July 2, 1776, was actually the day that the Declaration of Independence was voted on and ratified. John Adams wrote in his diary that July 2nd would be celebrated by Americans for decades to come, but he was two days off because it took a couple of days for Thomas Jefferson to make the necessary changes to the official document. Everyone actually signed the Declaration on the 4th, and if you ever get a chance to see the actual document at the National Archives in DC, you will see the real copy has the traditional July 4th date. But in the spirit of fun facts and in the spirit of good old fashioned rebellion, I want to wish everyone a Happy July 2nd!

If I may make a suggestion for patriotic reading and movie watching for this wonderful holiday weekend, here they are.

Read 1776 by David McCullough. Even if you are not a history buff, you will probably become one after you read this book. McCullough is an amazing writer, and the story of the American Revolution is absolutely spellbinding. I could not put this book down last summer. As a history teacher, I knew how this story was going to end (happily), but there were times when I was sure that the Americans were not going to be able to pull themselves out of some very sticky situations. This is a great, fun read. In fact, even some of my students read it and liked it, and they are very tough book critics.

Watch the John Adams series done by HBO. This series was released on DVD a couple of years ago and tells the story of John Adams' role in the birth and formation of our country. The acting is impeccable, the writing is excellent, and the production quality is top-notch. A lot of the filming is done on-site in Williamsburg, Boston, and Philadelphia. The scenes about the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence are some of my favorite in the whole series as they beautifully depict the weight of the words of that magnificent document and gravity of those moments in the history of America and the world.

Enjoy and Happy Independence Day!

a successful experiment in mexican cuisine

2010-06-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight, since my husband was gone, I decided to start my journey to learn the art of Mexican cuisine with my wonderful guide, Rick Bayless. This was one of the things I decided to do over the summer while I have more time and energy to experiment in the kitchen. And since they say you love cook what you love to eat, I figured I had better start cooking what I like to eat, which is Mexican of course, in the hopes that maybe this would help me like cooking more. Last night I chose the cookbook, Mexican Everyday, and today I began the journey. The inaugural voyage was fresh tomatillo salsa with spinach and goat cheese soft tacos (double wrapped, of course, in corn tortillas purchased hot and fresh from my Mexican market). I have to say, it was truly amazing. I was disappointed that Barrett couldn't be there to eat it with me, but this way I could cook it just the way I like it without worrying about screwing it up. The recipes were super simple and easy to follow. Good, clear writing is so necessary in a cookbook so I really appreciate it when recipes are well written and easy to follow with just enough information and in the perfect order. In fact, I have gotten a little snobby about the quality of writing in my cookbooks, but as an English teacher, I think I am entitled to that. (Jamie Oliver also writes excellent recipes. His Food Revolution cookbook is amazingly well put together. It rocked my world.)

For the salsa, all you have to do is throw some tomatillos (quartered) in a blender with a jalapeno, lots of cilantro (because it makes the world a better place), some garlic, salt, and a little water. The result is citrus-y and summery and wonderful. (And yes, the spoon is there in the photo because I was eating it by the spoonful. oops. )

The tacos were really simple too. Cook some sliced onion is a little olive oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Then cook the spinach (or swiss chard) in the same pan with some chicken broth. Serve in tortillas with goat cheese sprinkled on top.

I am so glad to know that I do not have to go out and pay someone else to have a really amazing Mexican meal. Thank you, Rick!

suitability of mind and purpose

2010-06-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

So here it comes. . . more thoughts on David Copperfield. I said I didn't want to leave it behind yet so consider yourself warned.

One of the things that surprised me about this book is that David originally marries the wrong girl. He did not make this mistake in the movie. As a young lad, David falls desperately in love with Dora, the daughter of Mr. Spenlow, David's boss. Dora is beautiful and empty-headed complete with a yippy little lap dog. She is sweet but spoiled, stupid, and naive, and totally ignorant of all things practical. In short, any reader could see from a mile away that this was simply a junior-high crush and that she was not David's equal. But following his "undisciplined heart," he marries Dora. But upon entering marital bliss, he quickly realizes that Dora is but a child and does not have the strength of character to face adult life. In spite of these feelings, David remains devoted to Dora. It is not until he witnesses the make-up of Dr. and Mrs. Strong, David's former teacher and his wife who have been married for many years, after a horrible misunderstanding that his feelings are put to words. Mrs. Strong in speaking about a past love and her gratitude for marrying Mr. Strong instead says, "There can be no disparity in marriage like the unsuitability of mind and purpose."

This beautiful statement struck me in a few ways. First, that David was able to stay loyal to and even love Dora in spite of the great disparity in their minds and purpose. That kind of sacrifice and integrity is something we just don't see often in modern times and it is beautiful. (Spoiler Alert: Dora's weakness is also physical; she dies, and David is able to marry his one, true love and equal in mind, heart, and purpose: Agnes--which any reader could have seen from a mile away, but that's what makes it good.) Secondly, this picture of marriage is a very biblical one. It reflects the command to be equally yoked and also that husband and wife are partners in the gospel--suitable in mind and purpose. Also, for all the single ladies, do not fall prey to "the mistaken impulse of [your] undisciplined heart" as Mrs. Strong would say. Choose a husband who is suitable in mind and purpose rather than being carried away with youthful emotions. Lastly, I am very thankful to have found the one that for me is suitable in mind and purpose.

bootleg

2010-06-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Noun- alcohol that is illegally sold, manufactured, or transported.

Verb- to illegally sell, manufacture, or transport alcohol.

The history: When the 19th Amendment was passed, it became illegal to purchase, manufacture, or transport alcoholic beverages in the United States, but that did not stop people. Bootleggers became famous for their illegal dealings with alcohol on the black market. They got their name from concealing the contraband beverage in their boots either in a flask or poured right in.

(A bootleg photo of the culprits who loved to say bootleg)

My first year of teaching at West Dallas, I was in over my head in more ways than I could count. (But I think that is how most teachers feel about their first year.) One of the issues that I had to deal with that I never expected was the flagrant use of slang in my classroom. While the slang was varied, diverse, and often very creative, the most popular word with my first class of kids was bootleg. Now, it started with using bootleg as an adjective describing anything that was copied or made illegally like dvd's or songs: i.e. "I got a bootleg copy of Saw IV." Then bootleg became an adjective describing anything cheap or uncool: i.e. "These shoes are bootleg. I want me some Jordans." Then the meaning of the word morphed into a general exclamation of disgust: i.e. in response to being corrected or getting a bad grade, "Man, that's bootleg!" All of my conversations with students about how there is a time and place for everything and that in the classroom we need to practice more formalized language were to no avail. The slang still abounded so I had to get a little more creative. Students would have to copy large portions out of a grammar text for illegal use of slang, and flagarant uses of bootleg earned copying the real definition of bootleg out of the dictionary 30+ times. Needless to say, when we got to the 1920's and studied Prohibition, speakeasies, and real bootleggers, the kids loved it.

Since then, my students have learned quicker the consequences of using slang and they are practicing more formalized language in the classroom. Although, every year I see a new form of slang emerge from the kids' daily register of words. But no other class has used bootleg with as much panache. And I must say, I kind of miss it.

a parisian change of pace

2010-06-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about summer is getting to watch lots and lots of movies, especially on week nights. Last night, Barrett and I watched a really interesting movie called Paris, Je Te'Aime. This is actually not a movie in the traditional sense but a series of short films. Each mini-movie is directed by a different famous director, and they all have very distinct styles. This movie is also full of amazing actors from Juliette Binoche and Willem Dafoe to Nick Nolte and Natalie Portman; we were surprised to see so many different famous faces in each film.

The common thread linking all of these shorts is love and Paris. Each short is named after and showcases a different neighborhood in Paris and is about love is some form or fashion. While there were a few shorts that I didn't get and a few others I didn't like, the nice thing was that they were over in about 3 minutes and you were on to something totally different making this movie a really fun change of pace from the typical narrative or even artsy film. A few of the shorts were absolutely fabulous. The one by the Coen brothers starring Steve Buscemi was typical of their style and great--awkward, brusque, but funny at the same time. There was also a really sweet short about a hispanic nanny who leaves her baby each day to care for a wealthy woman's baby--much sweeter than I can give justice to. But I think my favorite was the short directed by Alexander Payne, Nebraskan director famous for Sideways and About Schmidt. He is excellent at depicting middle America with a loving but tongue-in-cheek way. His short is narrated by a postal worker from Denver. She has worked for years to learn French so that she could visit Paris and falls in love with the city. The combination of her very American accent and her fannypack are nothing short of lovably hilarious.

The other thing that was great about this movie is all the different sides of Paris it shows. It beautifully captures the vivacity, character, and charm of the City of Lights.

This movie was a really enjoyable. I would recommend it if you love, have travelled to, or want to travel to Paris or if you just want a little change of pace.

advice from aunt betsey

2010-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading David Copperfield, and I must say, I am a little disappointed to be leaving it behind. So, I'm not going to leave it behind. I am going to linger with the characters I have grown to love over the past month. Here is a little piece of advice for life from Betsey Trotwood that I think applies to all. She delivers this little nugget of wisdom before dropping David, whom she has renamed Trotwood after herself, off at school.

"Never," said my aunt, "be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices, Trot, and I can always be hopeful of you."

Well said, Miss Trotwood.

funny quotes from years gone by (part 1)

2010-06-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

While I am enjoying this summer more than I ever have (if that is possible), I am beginning to miss my precious kids. This group, in particular, was very engaging and hilarious. As I was up at school today, I began looking through my infamous funny quote file. (A couple of years ago I began writing down all of the pricelessly funny things my students say usually just on a scrap of paper or post-it. Well, mounds of paper scraps of hilarity soon began to form so I started a file. The kids love it when they make it to the file and sometimes ask me to go through it with them for a good laugh--but I rarely indulge them in order to keep my mean facade.)

Here are just a few selections from last year.

Brian about a history quiz: "It's about black people so I'll do fine."

Kid A: "How did you know that?"
Me, teeming with sarcasm: "I know all things."
Daniel, in all sincerity: " Me too!"

Fifth grader about Washington DC: "I've been though DC! We saw that big stick."
Me: "That big stick is called the Washington Monument."

Daniel complaining about algebra in study hall: "I'm stuck; what should I do?"
Cesar, always with a clever remark: "Put it in 4-wheel drive!"

About a much anticipated new seating arrangement, Daniel: "After you do that new seating arrangement, can I proof it?"
Me: (laughter)

Shenanigans with tape before.

Shenanigans with tape after--realizing that these shenanigans can cause pain and the loss of eyebrows.

my happy place

2010-06-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, I went to my happy place--the Mecca of Tex-Mex--Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth. Like many others in the Lone Star state, Mexican food holds a very special place in my heart, but without being facetious, chips and salsa really do speak to my soul. As for Joe T.'s, it not only has an amazing atmosphere, outstanding food, but I also associate with very happy memories.

In high school, my best friend and I took special trips to Fort Worth for this special treat, and in college, we always made a special trip to Fort Worth on the way home from the airport whenever she came home from school. Now when I am least expecting it, Barrett will say, "You know what sounds good for dinner? Joe T's." And we will make a date night out of our trek to Fort Worth. So Fun.

The best time of year to enjoy Joe T.'s is in the early summer. Their extensive and beautiful grounds complete with pools, fountains, and all things magical make the atmosphere one of a kind. With a margarita and a fan, even the 100 degree temperature feels good.

The magic of Joe T's even extends to waiting in line. There is almost always a line, and it is usually really long--I am talking Space Mountain in the summer long. But I don't think I have ever waited more than 20 or 30 minutes. In fact. most of the time, we are seated in 10-15 minutes. The past 2 times we have gone, we have arrived and joined the back of a really long line. When that is the case, Barrett drops me off to get a place and he parks the car. But on these occasions before Barrett has joined me in line, one of the hostesses will come up to me, ask how many are in my party, and seat me within 5 minutes. It feels a little wrong to pass all of those people still waiting when I just arrived at the back of the line, but I never ask questions.

But the real reason we go to Joe T. Garcia's is the food. There is no dinner menu because they only offer 2 items: fajitas and enchiladas. (And if you have been to Joe T.'s and had the fajitas, you have never really been to Joe T.'s.) The enchiladas are where it is at! The enchilada dinner is served in courses: nachos first (simple cheese and jalapeno), then beef tacos (fried to a greasy perfection), and last but not least, enchiladas, rice, beans, and guacamole. I always tell people that the sauce at Joe T.'s is magical, but this time we found out that this is kind of true. Our waiter told us that every night, Joe T himself goes into that back and mixes up the batch of sauce for the next night. The recipe for this amazing sauce is so secret that no one is allowed in or out while he is making it. And did I mention the margaritas? They are the best in the metroplex, for sure.

It is just nice to have a place that retains some of the magic of childhood and where everything seems good and right with the world--and where the enchiladas are a spiritual experience.

hair

2010-06-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today I got a much needed haircut and feel totally refreshed. This reminded me of a hysterical scene in David Copperfield that I would love to share. Background: David and his friend Traddles are going to see his beloved Dora in an effort to convince Dora's aunts, her guardians, that David should be able to court her.

"Excellent fellow as I knew Traddles to be, and warmly attached to him as I was, I could not help wishing, on that delicate occasion, that he had never contracted the habit of brushing his hair so very upright. It gave him a surprised look--not to say a hearth-broomy kind of expression--which, my apprehensions whispered, might be fatal to us.

"I took the liberty of mentioning it to Traddles, as we were walking to Putney; and saying that if he would smooth it down a little--

"'My dear Copperfield,' said Traddles, lifting off his hat, and rubbing his hair in all kinds of ways, 'nothing would give me greater pleasure. But it won't.'

"'Won't be smoothed down?' said I.

"'No,' said Traddles. 'Nothing will induce it. If I was to carry a half-hundred-weight upon it, all the way to Putney, it would be up again the moment the weight the moment the weight was taken off. You have no idea what obstinate hair mine is, Copperfield. I am a fretful porcupine.'

"I was a little disappointed, I must confess, but thoroughly charmed by his good-nature too. I told him how I esteemed his good-nature; and said that his hair must have taken all the obstinacy out of his character, for he had none."

summertime

2010-06-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

Many people expectantly ask me, "So what are you doing on your summer off?" And I reply honestly, "Not a lot." The real answer is recuperating from the school year and getting caught up on many neglected tasks around the house--and a neglected reading list.

But my favorite summer time activity by far is paying homage to the sun god and taking in some vitamin D (aka laying out) and spending time with my new found literary best friends while reading David Copperfield--yes, a Dickens! I love the penetrating/scorching heat of the Texas sun, and it has been so fun to get sucked into the world of London in the 19th century with Davy and all of his friends. Dickens is truly transporting. In the original preface to the book, Dickens talks about his mixed feeling upon finishing the book: "the pleasure in the achievement of a long design [and] regret in the separation from many companions." He actually says that he lays his pen down sorrowfully, but looks forward to sharing these characters with the world. Anyway, I quickly fell in love with David, his loyal servant Pegotty, his Aunt Betsey Trotwood, his crazy friend Mr. Dick, and his loving friend Agnes. (I also easily grew to hate the manipulative and creepy Uriah Heep, the sour Mr. Murdstone, and the slick Steerforth.)

Me, enjoying summer as only a teacher can.

twaddle

2010-06-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

One of my tasks over the summer has been to brush up on my Charlotte Mason. For those of you that are not acquainted with Miss Mason, she was an educational philosopher in England in the early 20th century. Her philosophy embraces the amazing potential of children as persons made in the image of God, and she proposes a steady diet of living ideas through rich books as well as training in habits in order to educate and raise children into godly and effectual adults.

For Charlotte Mason, a good book is one that is beautifully written and full of rich, living ideas upon which our minds can feed. (Have you ever read a really good book and had one little scene or phrase resonate in your head over the course of the next few days--that is a living idea and exactly what Charlotte Mason was talking about.) The opposite of a good book is what Charlotte Mason calls twaddle. Twaddle is empty and foolish. Miss Mason would say it is like feeding your mind sawdust--tasteless and totally lacking in nutrition, impossible to live on. Recently I was at the public library looking for some research material for my students. As I perused the teen non-fiction section, my twaddle meter almost exploded. The shelves were full of biographies of teen stars, rappers, and other celebrities that will be forgotten in a matter of months. While I am sure there is a place in the world for biographies of the stars of the Twilight films and the Olsen twins, does this type of literary trash really need to occupy the entire section of non-fiction for young people? Then I thought of all my students who say they don't like to read. No wonder, I thought, if this is what you have to read, I wouldn't like it either. Twaddle. Pure twaddle. (To be fair, there were 3-5 books about World War II and the Holocaust. Those were not twaddle.)
Above is a snapshot of the bookshelves in the teen non-fiction section of the public library. Seriously?

(P.S. I must admit that I just finished filling my head with televised twaddle in the form of the Bachelorette. Ironic, I know; I willingly to admit it. But I think Charlotte Mason would be ok with a little twaddle, right?)

Vintage finds

2010-06-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Having decided that vacation is a state of mind more than it is a destination, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I decided to make a little vacation out of our trip to Paris, Texas, for the wedding. We stayed an extra day, laid out, ate Mexican food, slept, did a little shopping, and generally did whatever we felt like--all of the essential elements of a vacation. Here are the finds I picked up at a little antique store in Paris' downtown square.
These darling mixing bowls with geese--I love how the goose is in a different pose on each one. And these great vintage pennants will find their new home in my classroom since Sam Houston's home and the Battleship Texas are both stops on our Texas History trip.

It's all in the details. . .

2010-06-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

I am not a detail person, but the older that I get, the more I realize that life is all about the details--well, not all of life but at least a chunk of it. This weekend Barrett and I had the pleasure of attending a beautiful wedding of a dear family friend of the Freemans. Knowing this family and especially the sweet bride, I knew this wedding was going to be one for the history books, and needless to say, I had been looking forward to it for quite some time. And, yes, it lived up to and surpassed all my wildest expectations. Everything that made this wedding so spectacular was in the subtlety and detail. While the beauty of this event in many ways defies the powers of language, I will highlight a few of my favorite details.

First, everyone in the wedding party wore white including white dinner jackets for the guys--so classy. Even the bride's incredibly cute nieces and nephews ran down the aisle in all white.
The getaway car was a vintage white convertible, and all of the cans (tied with white satin ribbon) were monogrammed the couple's initials. As a big fan of monograms, I have to say I was delighted with this little touch.

The reception was in this beautiful, old, historic hotel in downtown Paris, Texas. The family has been working on the renovations, and the space is simply amazing. There was marble, mosaic tiles, old plaster, antique silver, and a crystal chandelier. It was Ralph Lauren meets the Great Gatsby.

There were tons of beautiful white flowers, and all of them were different and unique containers adding so much charm to the evening. Many of them were old pieces of silver belonging to the family.

For most people, being relegated to the kids' table is a bad thing, but here, the bride set apart a miniature table with mix-matched chairs for all of her little nieces and nephews. Can you say darling?

Another really fun part of this wedding for me was that I got to break out my own wedding dress. Since I wore my grandmother's wedding dress for the ceremony, I got a little party dress for my reception. With a little change of jewelry and a wrap, it was perfect for the event too. Who says you only wear your wedding dress once?

My favorite detail of the night was the keys. . . Each guest was given his table number on card tied with a satin ribbon on an old key. The keys were kept in the old hotel cupboard for room keys.

There were so many other precious details like the white umbrellas passed to the ladies as a sun shade as they walked from the church to the reception and the photo-booth in the old hotel elevator. But what really made this wedding (and any wedding) special is celebrating the marriage of a couple that loves one another and the obvious joy that their families share with them.

Congratulations Alix and Walker! Beautiful wedding! I hope your marriage continues to be filled with beautiful, little details.

How many days of school do we have left?

2010-05-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of my students (taken today). Yes, he has two little jingle bells taped to his eyebrows. And no, I have no idea why.