"We don't do it now we'll never make it/ ... Break me out"

Miss me? Sorry, I know I'm awful at updating this here blog. But I'm going to try to get better! Really!

A few weeks ago I made a trip to Borders to get some books that I have given up hope finding at McKay's simply because they are too recent (Hunger Games series) or too obscure (Sisters Red). The cashier asked if I wanted to open a Borders Rewards card. Since I was plunking down quite a bit of money on my purchases, I figured why not? What harm could be done?

Turns out a lot. To my bank account. Did you know they e-mail you a coupon every week? Cause THEY DO! It's usually 33% off any one item which I don't know why they didn't choose 30 or 35 but I'll take it! And you can get special deals (like 50% off Mockingjay the week it was released)! I regret not opening one sooner. At the rate I'm going, I may single handedly save Borders from filing for bankruptcy. I'm really doing a service for the country. You're welcome.

The other day I was standing in line waiting to buy three new books and the cashier asked the lady he was checking out in front of me if she wanted to open a rewards card. She said no and I actually sing-songed (sing-sang?) under my breath, "Big mistake".

And I know.... why buy books? Why not check one out from the library? Or a garage sale or a used bookstore? The way I look at it is if MY book is every published, I want people to be excited and buy it from an actual store. Heck, I would be depressed if I saw it in the bargain bin but at least it would be in a store which is a huge leap beyond my laptop. Plus I wouldn't see a dime of profit from used bookstores or garage sales. Its an industry I want to be a part of some day (hopefully sooner rather than later) so I need to literally pay my dues.

Plus I chalk up the stack of books in my room to research. Maybe I can write it off as a tax deduction....

"Turn a new page, tear the old one out/ And I'll try to see things your way"

Hey, I clocked in just under the "I-Haven't-Written-in-a-Month" deadline. Go me! If I was a student in my class, I'd get a sticker for doing the right thing.

There hasn't been a book update in a while... so shall I? I shall. I'm in the process of editing (again) right now. While my mom read it, she was lovely and highlighted some errors (some on my part, some on Microsoft Words. Especially when it comes to autocorrecting a comma into a period in a quote). I've been reading backwards to catch mistakes as well as polish it. Remember how I was having serious issues coming up with simple words while writing SO? Like that one time I couldn't remember the word monologue and it took me five minutes and I almost had to ask a Starbucks worker? Yeah, since my brain took a nice long book break, I am coming up with better synonyms this time around. And I didn't even have to right click. :)

And to validate the past year of my life, I've been telling pretty much any and everyone about the book. People at work, Starbucks employees who assume I am still in school, friends of friends. People's reactions are always funny to me. Like when I finished writing the rough draft of SO, I got lots of congratulations from my friends and family. And not to sound ungrateful but I didn't think I deserved them. I think it's because I always knew deep down (even during moments of doubt i.e. chapters nine and fourteen) that I could write a book. And I did, plain and simple. It's the getting published that is going to be a major feat for me. Or just getting an agent and the possibility of getting published becoming more realistic.

But it's not impressive to me because that's the way my brain works. I write. I read. I can do those things. That's how I'm wired. That's normal to me so shouldn't everyone be able to do it?

But the more and more I tell people, the more I realize it is sort of uncommon. Only one woman said she had an idea for book so she wasn't as impressed (but she's asked me about the progress every now and then since). But everyone else who is impressed immediately follows it with, "I could never do that. My brain doesn't work that way". And maybe these are people who can solve any math problem, know all the elements on the Periodic Table, can get 102 points on a word in Words with Friends (Darn you AE!), or know all the team names in the NFL. My brain doesn't work that way (especially math and science) so I'm seriously impressed when your brain does. We're all different. And unique. And special. Oh geez, I'm seriously turning in a Preschool Teacher.

It also might be my age that throws people. But really, there is no "You must be THIS tall to write a book" sign posted outside of publishing houses. Why wait?

"Hate is a strong word/ But I really, really, really don't like you"

Four "celebrities" I wish I could lock up in a box and never hear/read anything about them ever again.

4. Speidi. Totally not buying this "divorce" business. Lame attempt at publicity I say. Who walks out of a courtroom with legal documents in plain sight? Fame whores, that's who.

3. Lindsay Lohan. She's in rehab, she's out, she's in rehab, she's dating a girl, they broke up, she has a SCRAM bracelet, it went off, no it didn't, I DON'T CARE. She had what, like, one good movie? And that can mostly be accredited to Tina Fey's script or Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried's acting. Let's see who has the better resume at this point? Hint: Not Lindsay.

2. Miley Cyrus. Seriously. You've 17. Stop acting like a complete skank. Is she even "acting" anymore or is it just for real? I'm think it's the latter. And her parents should be ashamed instead of checking their bank account.

1. Kate Gosselin. Hope all the millions she is making now will go towards her kids' therapy bills later on in life. You know, provided she doesn't blow it all on boob jobs, fake tans, hair extensions, and mani/pedis.

Feel free to create your own list in the comments section!

"I get knocked down but I get up again/ You never gonna keep me down"

Work is going really well! My class is getting heaps of praise from my boss and their parents (like a parent took a picture of the note I wrote to one of my kids and put it on Twitter. Twice. No big deal)! Except yesterday morning when I told them this and gave them all a sticker, they apparently thought that meant they didn't have to behave anymore. Don't worry I got them back on track.

I had a hilarious thing happen yesterday. Honestly it's not even that funny when I tell it verbally so I'm sure all hilarity will be lost in writing. But since I don't record anything in journal-form anymore and I want to remember this it will just have to do:

We were on the playground and apparently a spider's babies hatched everywhere over the weekend because the kids have been finding them nonstop. And they feel the need to tell me and the other teacher every single time by pointing, staring, and yelling. So there was a web on the fence and after the thirtieth time a child told me about it, I tried to distract J and T by asking them to run over and show me how they can climb the little rock wall and wave to me from the top. The two boys took off in a dead sprint and of course they collided at the bottom of the wall in attempts to be the first one there. Little J was face down on the ground not moving (but he has a tendency to do this especially when he is upset and doesn't want the other kids to notice) so I called to him and asked if he was okay. I got no response and little C sitting next me said in a completely flat and serious tone, "He's dead." I know it doesn't sound that funny but I couldn't even move I was trying so hard not to burst into laughter. I could totally see the tone she used being said in a Pixar movie (kind of like this). And yes I did eventually compose myself, get up and check on J and he was completely fine and at the top of the wall in no time.

But I even watched a movie last night where a male character died in a pretty dramatic way and I just thought "He's dead" in C's little voice and I started cracking up. Oh kids, they're so funny and cute.

"Can we pretend that airplanes in night sky are like shooting stars/ I could really use a wish right now"

So I sort of abandoned this blog for a while there. Whoops. But I have a good excuse I swear! I got a job! As of right now it's just for the summer but hey, it's something! About a month ago, I pretty much got to the point where I had NO idea what I was going to try for next due to a lot of rejection and doors shutting. And then my boss from the summer job I had during college friend-ed me on Facebook. I thought Hmmmm... maybe I could ask her if they have any openings left for this summer so I took a chance and asked and she did! Hooray! So I am now the lead teacher of the three year olds class in a Weekday child care program (I essentially got promoted after not working there for three years. Boom). I'll include a few stories about work here and there but the employer and kids' names are staying anonymous. I'm not getting fired!

Today was a good day at work. I thought it was going to start off rough since several of the kids were extra clingy to their parents when being dropped off this morning (must of had a case of the Mondays). Little J especially had a hard time. So about an hour later during circle time, I had two books resting beside me. J excitedly said "I've never read those books before!" Then I said "Great, so they will be brand new and you won't know what's going to happen!" And J exclaimed "I'm so happy". Given his mood earlier in the day I asked him why and he said "Well I've never see these books before" and then he pointed at our Referee's Rules chart (Keep your hands to yourself, obey the first time, and so forth) and our sticker chart where once the kids get eight stickers for sharing, cleaning up, obeying, etc. they get to go to the dun dun dun daaaaa Totally Terrific Treasure Chest and said "And I've never seen these signs before". I don't know why he was so excited about the charts but I'll take it cause they are super cute (thanks mom for decorating them!). And the cherry on top, he said "And I love you" to me. Completely unprompted! Awwww. I wanted to give him twenty stickers but I fought the urge. I don't want to buy the kids' love (even though I clearly don't have to. Zing!).

Towards the end of the day I was reading a book about tadpoles and frogs to two of the kids. The little girl was saying how she had something at her house (maybe a pond or a lake, not sure) and she asked if I wanted to come over and see it. Now, maybe you don't know three year olds but this is one of the highest compliments you can be paid. If they ask you to come over to see them, babysit, or for dinner, you've hit the jackpot. Winner!

I've also gotten a drawing from one of the girls. Her mom also told me when little H was absent two weeks ago (stomach bug. super!) she said she knew that "Miss Annie was going to miss me so much today". And I did, I really did. Plus it worked out that all the girls were out that day so I was left with five boys. That was an interesting dynamic (read: Please God, don't ever let me be the mother of boy quintuplets).

Sometimes you have to come up with little games while you are waiting in line to go somewhere. My class is a big fan of "Simon Says Sitting Down" and "Raise Your Hand If...". I asked them to raise their hand if they were wearing sneakers. All of them were but all save one raised their hand. I asked little T why he didn't raise his hand since he was wearing in fact wearing sneakers. Little T replied, "These aren't sneakers. They're Pumas." Granted he was right but man it starts young doesn't it?

Oh and if you ever want to be entertained, ask a group of three year olds what they did this past weekend. Answers will vary from "I went to the zoo where there were 10 dinosaurs as big as houses!" to "I crashed my mom and dad's cars" (pretty sure both of these were dreams, but I'm not 100% sure).