a larger moment of panic.

So I had this great idea for a project during the last few days before TAKS.
A "8 things I know that will help me on the TAKS test" poster.
Each kid got a strip of paper about 8 inches wide, and 5 feet long, divided it into 8 boxes. Then in each box they would write AND illustrate 8 things they've learned this year.

yeah.

Being the smart teacher that I am, I had them write out their "I know" sentences on notebook paper first. These were some of their I know sentences.

I know not to write run-ons they are bad.
Uh, yeah, that's a run on people.

I know to spel my words the write way.
shoot me now.

I know how to use apostrophe's.
Oh lordy.

So, I'm just wondering. Do you think I'd look better in a Starbucks uniform or a Target one?

Snow Day: Build

And by build, I obviously meant a snowman. My first and the boys' first. :)

I loved my snow day...

(and I'm gonna re-read these posts again and again the day we have to make this snow day up...)

Snow Day: Boys

For the purpose of possible snow days, next winter I will invest in cool winter garb.
We're lacking in that department for sure. Grant wouldn't wear his mittens for anything. I tried. I really did. But, see that tiny little blue thing in his right hand? That's his "bean bean."

this was the best I could get of the kid. he's definitely in the I-hate-cameras stage of life. At least when there is fun to be had...

it took grant, oh, about 3 minutes, to reach into the snow, grab a fistful and chunk it at me.
No snowball lessons needed here.

my favorite. This was his grin right after hitting me
with his first snowball ever... cute little stinker.

Mason and C.H. (they're gonna be some serious heartbreakers...)

I left every, and I do mean, EVERY scarf, hat, and pair of gloves I own at school. I wear them there cause it's cold. I forgetfully leave them there because it's warm when I leave. Yesterday, I actually thought, "I should take some stuff home...just in case." But then I thought, "No, don't curse it." So that's why I'm wearing the super cool puffy ear muff/headband. Try not to be jealous of my coolness.

Snow Day: Beauty

See? It snowed!


This is the view from our back alley overlooking the Red Arroyo(right?). It was really coming down at this point.



I love the way you can see the snow flakes falling in this picture. And the red berries and the green leaves... sigh. Makes me miss Christmas...

Snow makes an ordinary fence look like art...

There are no words. Spring's flowers mixed with winter's snow... If for no other reason than the photography, I'm so glad school was canceled.

snow day!

It was predicted, forecasted, hoped for, but i certainly didn't expect it - a real snow day!

I woke up at 6:30, peered out the window to see the wonderful whiteness and burst out of bed, ran down the hall, logged onto saisd...wait...wait...page is taking forever to load.....finally!
..huh? No announcement? Nothing.
Darn.
So I did my normal morning routine of checking gmail, then seph's blog(she has a blogroll of all the blogs I follow) and there on her little twitter sidebar it said, "SAISD is cancelled. Just waiting on a call from tlca."
WHAT?!!!!
I then ran to the TV and there it was - SAISD cancelled school for today!
Ecstatic, overjoyed, thrilled, exuberant...those words can't come close.

I tried to crawl back into bed, but it somehow reminded me of the way it felt when you're trying to sleep on Christmas morning.

But the best part about this snow day - it was a snow day. I mean it snowed! Big puffy white flakes swirling and swaying to the ground for hours. My front yard had 4 inches of fluffy heavenly white snow by 10am.

And I photographed it like crazy. So this is the first post of 4.
Look forward to:
Snow Day: Beauty
Snow Day: Boys
Snow Day: Building

a small moment of panic.

So we're in the teacher lounge.
We're talking about a thing we're doing tomorrow.
I say, "But for real TAKS, next week, obviously we won't do...I just said next week! Holy Cow! I just said next week!!!"
I then proceeded to cry, hyperventilate, let out a terrified scream mixed with a nervous giggle and generally freaked out.

It's officially "next week."

Terrified. Panicked. And so sooo ready for it to just be over with.

Have I mentioned?

that I love my new lens?
(and senior girls with gorgeous eyes and perfect skin?)

snapshot.

Here's a snapshot of life in the Wilde household:

I am nine school days shy of the 4th grade writing TAKS test. Stress is at an all time high. I'm considering just putting a bed in the back of my classroom so I can eliminate the tedious act of coming home to sleep for 6 hours...

Grant has his first cold of the year. His little stuffy-nosed voice is, you guessed it, cute. For a writing teacher, I am severely lacking in the adjective department.

Mason is about to turn SEVEN. Which makes me want to sob. Until I realize how fun it is to take him to movies we both really like, and how fun it is to read with him, and how unimaginably adorable he is gonna be in his Pee Wee Baseball Uniform. He's a dodger. : )

Sprinkle of Grace has been suffocated by winter. What few shoots I have had, have been rescheduled...and rescheduled...and then again. I am soooo over winter. The spring calendar is starting to fill up, though. And what I love most about that is it's filling up with previous customers. I love when they come back...it's very comforting.

I am completely addicted to American Idol this year.

And Project Runway.

And The Office.

And Community.

But, lest you think I'm just living it up over here, I am most often grading a stack of 52 4th grade compositions during my dvr-ed night of television.

I am smitten by my new lens. It's perfect. I would tell you why, but that would bore you.

I am also smitten by the growing collection I have of vintagey cameras, like the one above.

Did I mention the TAKS test in nine school days. As in one more full week. Here's a few adjectives for you - freaked, terrified, overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, worried... you get it.

Ever heard of the new toy mighty beans? They're these tiny little bean things..that kinda roll funny...and have little characters painted on them...anyway, Grant is in LUV with them. We have to put them in a tupperware container at night so he can sleep with them. He talks about his "bean beans" all the time. Guess what it is? Cute.

a typewriter, a new lens and photoshop...

Over Christmas Break I broke my second 50 mm lens in less than five months.
The first time was about an hour before a wedding. Not good.
The second was during a Christmas baking spree of which I wanted to post pictures.
I am terribly clumsy. Terribly. And I hate that about me. Especially when my clumsiness causes me to break my favorite lens. twice.
Anyway, I bought a completely different type of lens to replace my other one. I'll spare you all the boring technical detail about why I chose the one I did, but I will tell you I love it and I did buy the protection plan.

About a month ago while browsing Christians in Action, i found a typewriter. For $7.50!!! I bought it and love it. I'm still working on the best way to display it, but I adore it.


I photographed the typewriter using my new lens and then had photoshop help me make neat images cooler. I love this top one.


I'm thinking of printing and framing like a group of four or something... i dont know. It's just fun taking pictures of things. especially cool old things like typewriters. : )

To the boy who stole my heart last weekend.

Michael David Kotze, Cutest, smilingest, sweetest, blue eyedest little boy in the world, I miss you terribly. And your mom.
Love, Aunt Jenny