Mother Goose with Leah and Riley.

Wanna see what I was doing last weekend??

You're welcome.

The Force.

Just had a good giggle at this commercial.  I am continuing my trend of lazy blog-posting because I wanted to share with you what I think is a good bit of kid-acting.  I tend to be pretty critical of kid actors in movies...but this kid can emote through that Darth Vader mask and that's pretty awesome.  (Thanks, Patricia for leading me to this video.  It warms my SW geek heart.)

I wish I could "the force" things.

Hello Ladies.

Old Spice - Scent Vacation - (2011) :60

Real post soon!

Google Takes on Art.

Have you seen this?  It's incredible.

Magic Act.

Couldn't resist.

Snow Day Chores.

So the snow dance had a delayed effect and our snow day was today!  I have an unhealthy obsession with snow, and I had been tracking this particular storm for the past week or so.  At the beginning, there was a pretty small chance that it would actually come together enough to drop snow over DC...something about the two fronts having to "thread a needle" to create a perfect situation.

Then, as time passed, all the various weather models started going crazy and weather people just started throwing up their hands and fluctuating between a bunch of snow, and no snow.

In the end, we had THUNDERSNOW which is something of a "chupacabra" (as in legendary) in the weather world.  I heard a couple rumbles, although I didn't see the lightning.  For a while there, snow was coming down so fast.  Our school let out at regular time since the storm hadn't hit by the time we had to make the call -- my weather nerdiness knew that it was supposed to hit right a dismissal so I was panicked about the thought of driving home in it all day.  As admin, I should have been staying until the last student left, but I had a shining beacon of hope.  Our school consultant was at our school that day, and I usually drive her to the hotel after her visits...fortunately, she needed the ride and my kind, sweet, understanding boss let me take her.

While I felt so guilty leaving with the students when I knew that some staff was going to have to hang tight for 15 more minutes, as soon as I hit the road I was thankful. I was slipping all over the place and the storm had just started.  Half an hour later and the roads looked like this: (sorry for the foul language in the commentary...it was the only video I could find on YouTube that had a street near my home in it.)

It took me over an hour to drive what usually takes about 12 minutes.  I was one of the lucky ones...We had some teachers who left at 4:15pm and didn't get home until past midnight.  DC is just not equipped for snow.

So, in risking life and limb for this Snow Day, I figured I should make the most of it.  Slept in.  Big workout.  Caught up on some work.  Made this long overdue video:

Adventures in Cancun.

It's shameful (again) how lame I've been at updating.  I feel like I should do one of those daily posting things to make up for it, but then I realized that that would be largely boring for anyone who reads it.  My life these days consists of little more than work and sleep.  It sounds worse than it is...since I like work and all.

First things first, I know I promised an update on my winter break -- sorely out-of-date, I know, but since pictures of my nieces are timeless...

Here they are on Christmas Eve after they donned their fancy (and crazy-expensive-for-toddler-clothes) dresses.  The first thing they did when they put them on was twirl.  It totally brought me back to my days as a little girl when I would put on my pink taffeta "twirling dress".  I absolutely loved wearing that thing and kept on wearing it long after it was ratty, too small, etc.  Still, I would wear it and hide it so my mom couldn't throw it away.  Alas, one day I came home from school and found out that my mom was using it to mop the floor.  Tough love.

Jamie and I got in to LA and got spend some time with the Jamie-side of the family.  It was wonderful to spend some time with everyone again -- and to see all of the changes they had been making to the house.  After spending so many days in high school at their house, I have so many great memories there -- it's nice to know that even with all of the changes being made, it still feels like "home".

After a pretty delicious Christmas Eve dinner (thanks, Mom!) we tore open the presents and watched the girls play with their new treasures.  Lots of books and new toys.  In the end, I think they did enjoy the puppet theater that we got them...at least more than the puppets we got them. 

I don't know that they were clear on the concept that the puppets were supposed to go in the puppet tent.

At the crack of dawn we headed to LAX and made the trip to Cancun, Mexico.  I sat next to Leah and was therefore reading a nice little rotation of books for a good portion of the flight. I have since memorized Something from Nothing as I read that particular book several times as Leah gleefully pointed out "Joseph" on every page.

Heaven blue water, swimming, trampolines, beach, and one killer view from our balcony awaited us in Cancun.

So much fun!  Jamie and I did make the trip over to Chichen Itza one day too...

 Those Mayans were short.

 In the end, it was a really restful vacation for Jamie and I (don't know that I can say the same for my brother and sister-in-law).  Did I mention that the rooms had a giant jacuzzi in the middle of the room overlooking the ocean?  It did.  Also, the minibar was free.  Tequila every night!  (Not really.  Jamie and I didn't even break into the free wine in the room until the last night.)  We're totally spoiled by family...

And now...on a completely different note, but because it is necessary when there is a Winter Storm Watch: it's Snow Dance time.

A Taste of What's to Come.

So negligent in my posting duties.  While I am not going to post now, I will post soon.  I offer these pictures as a gesture of friendship and promise to return soon!

A Dozen.

It's my favorite time of the year!  Jamie and I are heading to the West Coast tomorrow to celebrate the holidays with family.  I'm so excited to see my nieces and bask in their adorableness.  I'm hoping that they don't run away screaming from me since it's been so long since I last saw them...ALMOST A YEAR!

After a very brief time in L.A., we are heading off to Mexico for some more rest and relaxation.  Sadly, I will be bringing along plenty of work to do, but it all seems so much better when said work is being done with an ocean view.

Disclaimer: the next section is especially cutesy and self-indulgent.  This is where the "blog" is more for me to record my thoughts and memories for selfish purposes rather than as a place for others to see what I've been up to.  Feel free to skip to the dancing dog!
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Yesterday, Jamie and I had a mini-celebration for our "date-iversary" and dammit, I'm going to celebrate that forever!  We don't do presents or send cutesy little e-cards, we try to do a little dinner or something, but most years we are actually already at home with family for our date-iversary so we can't really celebrate anyway.  This is the first time since getting married when it really was just the two of us...so we went to a nice dinner (paid for, in part, by a belated and generous wedding gift from a friend) and reminisced about the past 12 years and discussed the years ahead.

Despite knowing Jamie for over half my lifetime now...and spending so much of the past dozen years with him at the forefront of my mind (if not physically with me), it's nice to know that there are still so many things I have to learn about him...And that we can still laugh at the things we already do know about each other and have so much fun with one another.
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Why a salsa-ing dog?  Why not?  (I'm on Winter Break!)

The Potonacs.

I still argue with Jamie about whether his singing group's name should be spelled "Potonacs" or "Potonecs".  It's a pun -- would you expect anything else from Jamie -- having to do with the fact that they are based in D.C. which  is nestled alongside the mighty Potomac River.  I still say it should be the latter.

Anyway, here's a recording of the Potonacs/necs singing a song that I think he added to their repertoire for me.  Because, I love James Taylor (my Berkshire buddy) something fierce.  Jamie denies it, but I know better...

(Click on the little play button below...)

Lonesome Road - Po...

Edited to add: In case the little audio player above doesn't work for some reason and you're in desperate need for acapella (?) here's the "acapella" song (that there is some pretty heavy production) from tonight's Glee.  

We Are Marshall (and Lily).

A few years back, my brother and sister-in-law introduced me to the show, How I Met Your Mother by telling me to watch this video (which I have referenced before in this post.)  I am including it again, because I can still watch it and laugh.

Despite it not being as funny as 30 Rock or Community, or as entertaining as Glee, it still holds a slot on our Tivo.  Mostly because Jamie and I are "Marshall" and "Lily" (only awesomer because we never "took a break" in our relationship).

Now, I know that shows purposely create their characters so that people can relate to them, and Marshall and Lily, in particular, are very relatable.  In fact, I have heard more than one couple say that they were Marshall and Lily -- never mind the fact that they are based on the guy who actually created the show and his wife.  In those situations, I smiled politely and secretly thought to myself that Jamie and I were still more aligned.

• Marshall is Jamie's middle name
• Marshall is an environmental lawyer
• Lily is a elementary school teacher
• Both went to a liberal arts college (albeit, a rival liberal arts college)
• Like us, they dated for 9 years before getting married
• Like Jamie, Marshall comes from a family with 3 tall boys
• Marshall is from Minnesota
• They tend to have their big life events at the same time as us (i.e. wedding, moving, new jobs)
• Lily clearly wears the pants in that relationship

And many other reasons.  The final nail in the "we-are-Marshall-and-Lily" coffin came with the episode a couple weeks back (like I said, we Tivo) when they simultaneously came up with the name "Jamie" as an awesome name.  I agree.

And now, for another uncanny resemblance: a friend of ours visited the Norman Rockwell exhibit that is up here in D.C. and found Jamie's doppleganger on canvas.

Look at him flirting shamelessly with that redhead!

Happy Halloween.

For the record, I got the green light from Jamie to post this Halloween picture.  I find it to be adorably hilarious.

I think it may also be the closest I've ever seen Jamie to being unhappy.  He's just a pretty happy guy.  Also, for some Halloween fun, you may wish to check out this site.  I definitely had some costumes that belonged on that site.  Couldn't dig any of those up...but here is me as a bumblebee.

Rally Call.

A pretty great day for a rally.  It was gorgeous outside -- very crisp and fresh -- and the sun was shining.  It wasn't below freezing like the last time we stood outside on The Mall for a long time.  So, we strolled over to the Capitol and tried to find a place to stand and see the nearest Jumbotron.

Note: the sea of people on the other side of the stage.  Yowzers.

Even better, Marty McFly and Doc Brown came down from NYC to attend with me.  

There were lots and lots (and lots) of people there.  And, I found that -- just like at inauguration -- people were in such good spirits.  It was an important message, and in the end, I'm glad that so many people felt the clarion call to attend.

P.S. How awesome are Jess and Chad's costumes???

A Joke.

A three-legged dog walks into a saloon in the Old West.  He slides up to the bar and announces: "I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

I just skimmed through a list of the "Top 50 Funniest Jokes Ever Told" and the one above was the only one that got me to chuckle (and it was #44 so that's not a good sign.)  That being said, here is a great joke (for those of you who are craving a little update on the progress of the CUTEST NIECES IN THE WORLD):

You're welcome (...Abby).

Happy Heart.

One of the main reasons I left Baltimore was because of the heartbreak.  I loved my school, I loved my students,  and I felt successful within my classroom.  The problem that I couldn't get past was the uncertainty that surrounded my students when they left my classroom.  There was the chance they would continue their growth with their next teacher, but there was also a chance that they could be placed on the roster of a "lemon".  Every year, I watched and suffered repeated heartbreak at seeing some of my students slide back into bad habits, lose confidence, or end up suspended more and more often.

So I left.  There were many, many other reasons why I left -- we bought a house, the commute was rough, etc. -- but I may have been able to live with those, had it not been for the lemons.  Unfortunately, I felt powerless to stop it.  It was a city-wide...and even nationwide issue.  So I decided to go with charter schools where the school could hire the most-qualified teachers and fire those that did not pull their weight.

Today, DC Prep was in the news again and it made me cry.

The students in that video are largely made up of my former students -- the last class I ever taught.  After all these years, it is wonderful to know that I have passed them along to excellent teachers in 3rd grade, then 4th grade, and now 5th grade.  What is even better is knowing they will get more of the same at least through 8th grade, and very likely through high school and college.  So proud of DC Prep.

One of my teachers always tells her students that they make her heart smile.  My heart is smiling now.

Musket-free Post.

Hop into my time machine and get magically whisked back to a couple weekends ago when Jamie and I decided to spend Columbus Day (or Indigenous People's Day) in Harper's Ferry.  So we hopped into our car and drove over to West Virginia for a glorious autumn afternoon.

And, of course, it being a holiday weekend, there were all sorts of civil war reenactments going on.  Including this one of Jamie pretending to be President.

All in all, a lovely day with my favorite person.  Thanks, Harper's Ferry!

Heroes.

Look!  Prep is in the news!  Aren't our babies adorable?

If you're in the area and would like to volunteer let me know! 

Be The Hero.

Tonight I spoke on a panel for TFA.  It made me realize how long it has been since I have thought back to when I was nervous about my interview, or when I actually got in, and all of the adventures that followed.  Plus, I never would pass up an opportunity to brag on our students.  They are pretty awesome, though.

I got a little thrill seeing all of the eager, young faces eager to take a part in the movement.

Along the same vein, Jamie and I (and Scott!) went to see Waiting for Superman a couple weeks back.  Our School Board hosted a private screening for staff and friends.  And I know that I have posted the trailer on here before, but I'm doing it again...

Because, seriously, if you haven't seen the movie yet...you should.  As an added bonus, when you buy your ticket online, you actually get a $15 gift certificate to spend at Donorschoose -- which is an awesome organization and is the source for many grants I have received in the past...and actually have many of you to thank for the generous donations!  (Thanks!)  

As a sidenote, Davis Guggenheim allegedly told one of our Board Members that if he had the chance to do the movie all over, he would have included DC Prep in the schools he followed.  I take it with a grain of salt, but still fun to think of...

Speaking of which, if anyone is local to DC, DC Prep will be on the news again next Tuesday...at 6am...got a DVR?

Another Fine Day in Our Nation's Capital.

Oh boy, do I love long weekends!  They are very much worth the pain and sorrow of having to return to work.

I do have plenty to share -- most of it not all that exciting, but I will have to parcel out to several days rather than try to cover it all at once.  Jamie and I are trying to turn over a new leaf and get to bed at a reasonable hour these days.  We gotta be in bed by 10:30!  But, you can stay tuned for: (a la Friends)

• The One Where Jamie is Handy
• The One With the Muskets
• The One with the Panel
• The One with the Rally
• The One with Superman
• The One with the Transformers

I'll actually start with the last one, because it is the mystery that has been bugging me all day.

Jamie and I live on an Emergency Thruway -- meaning we're among the first streets to get plowed, and that we have emergency vehicles going up and down it like nobody's business.  That said, we are pretty used to hearing sirens and firetrucks whizzing past our house.  It doesn't really bug us anymore.  But this morning...

This morning, we had sirens blasting for a solid half hour and I counted more than a dozen emergency vehicles go past our house.  It was enough for me to get out of bed and check the computer for any breaking news regarding an attack on the Capitol and think about whether we should close the windows to combat a biological attack of some kind (as if it would help).  Some story about how Transformers 3 would be filming in the area and shutting down streets around town for the next week or so.  Aside from being bummed that I couldn't be inconvenienced for a better movie, I thought nothing of it.

When my friend, Kayla, (hi Kayla!) mentioned that Bumblebee (a Transformer??) was in an accident with a police car today, I immediately pictured some giant Transformer animatronic something or other crushing a police cruiser...something like this:

It did not occur to me that movies these days actually do most of that stuff with computers.  So, in fact, the accident looked more like this*:

Apparently, the police SUV was responding to a bomb scare somewhere on the Hill (which Jamie insists are a weekly thing) and did not get the memo about the streets being closed for filming.  I wonder if he noticed that something was off when he saw the giant Optimus Prime tractor-trailer passing by.  Fortunately, the police officer was okay -- minor injuries -- and no bomb went off on the Hill, and my mystery from this morning was solved.

*If you watch the full video here, you can see how sad it is when they totally have 7 people attending to the Transformers car while only one guy is checking on the police officer (only after seeing the fancy car first.)  

Another Year, Another Go.

In an effort not to stay up way too late and wake up the next morning in a complete funk, I am posting from work!  No worries, kids have been safely dismissed and I'm just taking a mini-break before my next meeting.

I know it's been less than a year, but the OK Go! guys put out a new video today.  I figured, since I had made a little tradition out of posting them on here, I wouldn't stop now.

What would have been really impressive was if they did this with cats.  Or porcupines.  (No.  I'm still impressed.  Apparently, this was Take 74 or 75...)

Back to work.