A Regular Family

Frustration thy name is standardized testing...

2012-01-11T07:15:00.001-06:00

I have decided that the bane of my existence is standardized testing in schools. It boggles my mind when I think about how little authentic teaching and learning occurs because of this scourge. I am not arguing accountability. I think all teachers should be held accountable for doing their jobs. I just think that this ridiculous system of testing creates teaching to the test that is rampant and infectious. As a teacher, this makes me cringe and want to abandon the field all together. As a parent, it enrages me to the point of putting my children in private schools. You see, I actually want my children to learn. I don't want them to know who Susan B. Anthony was to answer a question on a test about suffrage. I want them to know Susan B. Anthony because she had courage to pave the way for changes in our government that needed to occur due to societal changes and the courage to speak out for those who were hungry for a voice. I don't want them to think Rosa Parks was some helpless old woman on a bus. I want them to know that she was a part of a movement to stand up for what she believed in and that she was not a pawn. She was a willing, risk-taking individual. I want them to read authentic literature that moves them and that instills a love of reading and writing. I want them to read with passion and not with strategies. I want them to work on math that they will use is the real world, not calculations in isolation that do not allow them to think critically and problem-solve. You see my friends, we are giving rise to generations of folks who can ace a test but live in ignorance. That's the truth and it is a shame.

New Year's Resolutions for 2012

2011-12-31T10:22:00.002-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!
HERE ARE MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:

Get more organized! I tend to procrastinate. Okay, I have made an art out of procrastination!!! This year, I vow to be at least 1/2 a step ahead of the game. That means planning things the night before or even the week before. I have already calendared up for this year and have all the important dates jotted down.
I will try to improve at least 3 things about myself this year. This could mean exercising more, eating better, going to church more, using an exfoliation mask once a week...basically anything that I can do to improve myself. I could make a bunch of really demanding goals on myself, but I figure anyone can do 3 little things. So, I will start with that.
I will take special care of my grown up relationships. This means with my significant other or my friends. My grown up relationships are so important to me. I finally have a significant other who is so darn easy to be around and who is fun to boot! I want to keep our fun times alive. Yes, that means date night and special "us" time set aside. I will also make time for my friends who I constantly lean on for support and help and love. They rock!
I will make special time once a week for Son #3 and once a month for Son #2. Now, this might seem a little unfair, but Son #3 is 7 and simply needs me more. Son #2 is 15. He is a good sport, but he'd rather be with his friends or doing his own thing.
I am going to break out of my comfort zone in at least 2 areas of my life. Again, not too specific. This probably means singing karaoke a little more, changing jobs, maybe taking a class in something I am not too good at, etc. I need to push my boundaries to be a happy girl!

So, I know these resolutions aren't very specific or very high demanding, but I would rather make these small changes to improve my quality of life and the quality of life of my family than to make long, drawn out demands upon myself that I will never keep!

Cheers to you and yours! Here's hoping that 2012 is the best year yet!

All Aboard!

2011-12-22T17:14:00.001-06:00

Today we decided to have a local adventure so Son 2 and Son 3 and I decided to ride the Capital Metro train downtown. The train was wonderful, but a bit on the pricey side. Although, I would have spent just as much if I had to pay to park downtown along with gas used. We also had to walk over 10 blocks to get to the Capitol to hear the Tuba Christmas concert at noon. Great exercise and an opportunity to take the kids around downtown Austin. We also took the opportunity to visit Mexi-Arte and buy a Christmas gift. We grabbed lunch at Cozzolis pizza and we flabbergasted by the ENORMOUS slices of pizza! Then we grabbed smoothies at The Hideout Coffee House. Overall a fun trip and I didn't have to deal with traffic or parking. :)

Home Sweet Home

2011-12-19T21:39:00.001-06:00

We made it back from our wonderful vacation all safe and sound.

The Kid and The Bear and Leaving in a Hurry

2011-12-19T09:05:00.001-06:00

So yesterday we added a new adventure to our travels. We drove to Old Lincoln, NM and saw where Billy the Kid made his way. It was very cool to step back in time in this tiny town and to walk in the footsteps of so many famous people in history. We were both in awe, but M was like a kid in a candy store. It made me happy to see him so happy! We also bought Son 3 a rubber band gun and we may regret that later! :)
The we went to the Smokey the Bear museum. It was so cool to see all of the Smokey memorabilia that was so popular when we were kids. It made me sad that our kids don't know who he is! We got to see those old photos of Smokey when he was an adorable cub. We also got to see Smokey's grave.
We had a fabulous lunch and then went to have a rest. The weather report got bad, so we decided to head back to Texas in lieu of seeing Glen Campbell. Glad we had a safe trip and had a cozy room in Brownfield, TX! Today we are headed back home! We had an awesome trip and made many memories.

Buddy Holley, Aliens, Pie and Slots...oh my!

2011-12-18T08:59:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a busy day on the road!!! We started our morning in Lubbock at Buddy Holley's grave. Then we headed out to the Buddy Holley Center which is one of the best small scale museums that I have ever been to. It was very interesting and we were blown away to see Buddy's glasses that had been recovered from the crash site.
We hit the very desolate road for New Mexico and were so amazed to see acres and acres of just land. No buildings, trees or folks. We got to Roswell, NM and at lunch at a little diner whose bathroom had the best cowboy mural. We went to the UFO museum and had a blast! They take their little green men seriously in Roswell!!
We continued our journey and arrived in Ruidoso, NM and immediately fell in love with our little motel. They have keys! Like real keys...not credit cardy things. They also have colored towels...not industrial towels. There is some snow still on the ground and the air smells like Christmas trees. We headed out to the casino and had the traditional buffet dinner followed by trying our hand at being high rollers on the penny slots.
We are having a great time. It is so awesome to realize that this person that you love is the person that you want to share adventures like this with. It is also cool that we both miss the kiddos and are already looking forward to bringing them out to this part of the country on a crazy family road trip!

Buddy Holley's grave

2011-12-17T11:50:00.001-06:00

Very neat piece of history

Road Trip

2011-12-17T07:51:00.001-06:00

On the road for a much anticipated road trip! Today we are in Lubbock visiting Buddy Holly. Then we are headed to Ruidoso, Nm for a Glen Campbell concert and, hopefully, some snow.
This is our first road trip together and I was a bit nervous. How would we fare trapped in a small car together for long stretches on the road? I discovered there was no reason to be nervous. We work well as a team and we have so much fun stopping at historical markers and random places. Best part of the day:
Me: look, honey, a Santa Fe caboose and three zebra in that backyard!!!
M: I would do that.
Me: I know and that's why I love you!

Feeling crafty

2011-11-27T09:55:00.001-06:00

Okay, I must confess that my new fave tech obsession is
www.pinterest.com. I absolutely adore it! I saw these coasters on a board and I had a bag of cork and a hot glue gun. I went to Hobby Lobby and got some ribbon for 99 cents. Voila! 6 super cute coasters! A crafting success! Yay!

Chipmunk Movie

2011-11-25T15:04:00.001-06:00

Seriously? I have to sit through another one of these!

Black Friday?

2011-11-25T09:20:00.001-06:00

I was scrolling through Facebook this morning and noticed how many of my friends are out shopping. I am so glad I skipped that this year. It felt great to sleep in and I am looking forward to taking Son 3 to see The Muppets today. We haven't had a momma/son date in a little while. Then I will come home and finish making room for our newest family members to move in. Today the princess kitty comes over. We are all looking forward to that. The princess doggie will remain in the dark as long as possible!