Tracy Reese, One Day You Will Be My Norm

I never realized how much I loved Tracy Reese until recently.  The dresses I've been pining over for (literally) years during the Fall/Winter seasons have always been hers--and they've always been out of my price range.

Snow Queen 2009

$288

Spinning Lace 2010

$288

Tangerine Flicker 2011

$358 (YIKES!)

Love Love LOVE!

So THAT'S what a book is for...

Today is a MOY (middle of the year) testing day aka Benchmark testing.  It's so the school knows how the kids are doing and whether or not they need to place the students in a remedial class--that kind of thing.

It follows pretty strict guidelines similar to TAKS.  It's taken pretty seriously.  After they are done testing, they're allowed to do 1 of 2 things:

1.  Read a book OR
2.  Put your head on your desk.

NOTHING ELSE.

No homework, no studying.  Even if it seems like it would be productive, they are not allowed to do anything else at all.  A lot of them were unprepared for this.  Thankfully the classroom I was in had a full class set of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and I was able to give it to many of the kids who were sitting staring off into space.  There were some other kids (a set of twins I like to call the Weasleys despite their lack of red hair) who just flat out refused and instead enjoyed staring at their classmates.  There was another set of books... something about The 7 Healthy Habits of Successful Teenagers... or something like that.  I handed them that book :)

30 minutes later (and I really can't blame them, it is 30 minutes later)... I saw how they were putting the Lewis Carroll books to use...

they were trying to balance it on the back of the head of one of the kids who were sleeping.

Oh 8th graders...

Thank you Google Translator

Today and yesterday I've been subbing for one of the Special Ed TAs.  This usually puts me in a regular classroom setting as support to the teacher... mostly helping with the sped kids that are in the class, like an inclusion specialist.

I don't only offer my services to the sped kids though, I'm often helping the other kids as well... pretty much whoever seems to be struggling and needs help.

Yesterday I met an adorable little girl named Thao (yes, she's made even more adorable for having my name).  Another Vietnamese student (who adorably calls me "Co Nguyen"--accent and all--everytime she sees me) was letting Thao know that I was Vietnamese and she should ask me if she had any questions.

It was obvious Thao had no intention of asking me any questions, despite the fact that she speaks little to no English.  She'd rather copy down the notes in gibberish (with letters that look like her alphabet, minus different vowels and their accents and a d with a funny line through it) and figure it out later.

So I tried my best.  They were going over a warm up on density.  She had the D=M/V formula down, and she even did the problem, because she recognized what she should do... she just didn't know why she should do it.

Imagine explaining density to a kid... and then imagine trying to dig down really deep to explain it to them in a language you can barely speak because you have the vocabulary of a 3rd grader (if even that...)

Taking Off to San Diego!

10/29 - Lisa, Mike, Luke, Thomas & I went to San Diego thanks to Southwest Airline's BEGGING us to take a trip (i.e., giving tons of flight deals).  Lisa and Chi Tram both wrote/posted some good posts/photos of our trip, so check out their blogs... here's a couple!

Luke and his parents right before his first airplane take off!

Violet & Veruca getting in a little tiff during our sister's Halloween Block Party

The gang taking a hike!

The gang at Bates Nut Farm

The Sisters!

Luke LOVED the water!

Spooktacular Spooktacular III

10/28 - For the third year in a row, our dear friends Blake, Adam, Josh, Buddy et al hosted Spooktacular Spooktacular.  As far as I know, unlike the last two years (and any other party we've ever had at the Sparks') we did not get a fun little visit from the cops--thanks to our new locale at Josh and Jess's.  Awesome.

My other dear friend Steven Mullins came and visited (FINALLY) with his friend Josh.  Ended the night with Taco Bell so... REALLY... what could go wrong?  (Oh... the Rangers lost that night... Mr. Matt was NOT happy.)

Steven, as Jesus, found the Devil and Josh, as God

Thomas, the Oompa Loompa is rolling me, Violet, to go get juiced before I explode!

Trevin as an ADORABLE Forrest Gump, Abby as the DISGUSTING Kristin Wiig Baby Hands character

The roomies!

Out One Day... Walking One Day...

10/22 - Thomas and I went for a long walk in our neighborhood.  We walked down Balcones and up towards Mt. Bonnell... this was our final view:

Oh Austin...

This was our route!

We'll probably start "running" this route at some point... maybe... or never.

Dinner #2 - Bridesmaids

Dinner --Beef and broccoli with rice, prob salad.

Movie - Bridesmaids

Attendees:

- Johnny
- Me
- Thomas
- Maggie
- Buddy
- LC
- Dawson
- Danielle?

Dinner #1 - Paranormal Activity 2

10/17 - Not long after the gang and I graduated, we started Monday Night Dinners (it was something like "People Who Like To Eat Dinner Together On Monday Nights").  It ended after life got serious again.  But Johnny, after having the horrible mizlife that these past couple months have been decided to start it again.

Johnny cooked us some... linguine in mushroom sauce, salad, bread, with a little birthday cake.

Then we watched some Paranormal Activity 2, but not before I spilled wine and broke a glass... yay!

Attendees?  Let's see if I can remember...

- Johnny
- Me
- Thomas
- Danielle
- LC
- Buddy
- Hannah
- Luis
- JJ?

The weeks are blurring together, I can't remember who came which night, haha

P.S. A bunch of us went later on that week to go see Paranormal Activity 3.  3 in a row with LC.  It was awesome.  Lots of hand holding and lots of scream/giggles.  Loved it.

Alabama Arkansas I Do Love My Ma & Pa Derek!

10/13 - Thomas, Brian, Amy, and I drove to Alabama late Thursday night.  We left around 10 pm... and got there around 11 am the next day.  The boys and I split the driving three ways.  It wasn't too bad, and... I did a lot of singing.  A LOT OF SINGING.

Marion, AL doesn't have a whole lot going on.  It... has nothing going on.  EXCEPT for the ONE weekend that the Marion Military Institute has their parent's weekend.  The entire Wilder clan was there... we had a really good time :)

The first night before dinner

Hot Uniform

GUNS!

All us kiddos on the porch of our "haunted house" in Marion

Pinterest

I haven't started my own pinterest (I just kind of... stuff everything in a folder on my desktop), but my blog told me I got a link to pinterest... and it looks like my dear love Kristi had pinned some things of mine!  It made me feel special!  :)

Here's my chest of drawers that Lisa & Venus decorated years and years ago!

My wall of hooks & jewelry!

Anderson HS Follies

10/13 - Anderson High School choir show!  I got to see my old 8th graders perform!  It was so great!  A lot of them had solos, it was so awesome to see them!

Florencia, Rosemary, Maggie, Mariana, Elise & Brandon

Ysabel & Me!  One of the sweetest girls in the world!

I love my choir kids!