Ops!

After guilting someone else into updating her blog, I guess I should update mine? LOL

Happy Easter!

Things are going well. The big thing lately with me has been what the hubby delicately calls "the bump" and the things that its doing to me! Mainly I get tired faster, so that makes marking take longer (if I do any at all, bad bad teacher) and made report cards quite the chore.

All in all, "the bump" is doing well. Next week we get to find out if there is a hoohoo or a dingle. That is, if it is a boy or a girl. There are so many different aspects to consider when expecting a son or a daughter. Of course, the main thing is that our child is born healthy and happy and with all fingers and toes attached! Knowing the gender is just icing on the cake, and I intend to enjoy that icing by buying many cute girl or boy specific clothes. Theres just something wonderful about a girl in a pretty dress or with a cute outfit on, and something charming about a baby boy with a bowtie!

And there's always the hilarious things you can buy that show just a bit of attitude.



So for Easter, we are relaxing and enjoying yet another last long weekend/holiday without kids! We are running out of these, as there are only 3 long weekend/holidays before the end of August, when we welcome "the bump" into the world.

Because I can...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No, my mom just always liked my name as a child and wanted to name her daughter the name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Um... Don't ask that of a pregnant woman. LOL

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Sometimes. Normally no, but once in a while it seems pretty to me.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
EW

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Wait till the end of August...

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I'd be curious in getting to know me. lol

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
"Who me? Never. " Ditto.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Nope.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Heck No. I'll do that right after I go Skydiving! HA

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cheerios right now. Fruit Loops ranks right up there too.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
"Not unless I have to. " Ditto again

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate anything

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Smile, eyes (do they make eye contact, etc)

15. RED OR Pink?
RED!!!!

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
There are many things...

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my friend in Winnipeg

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Meh

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Jeans and no shoes (I'm inside, geez who needs shoes)

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Classicial Trancelations - Communication by Armin Van Buuren (so pretty, I love it)

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
red

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Fresh Bread, Hubbys aftershave, hubby in general, turkey or roast beef in the oven

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My father in law

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes! shes a wonderful person and friend.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Hockey

27. HAIR COLOR?
Really dark brown

28. EYE COLOR?
See above.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Pasta of any kind.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy please!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Casablanca on the weekend

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Red. (Notice a colour theme here?)

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Depends. This year, definitely summer, for obvious reasons (see question #2 & 5)

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs!

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Meh

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
See above.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Technically To Kill a Mockingbird for school... and Curious Incident of the Dog at Night -time, and reading a friends unpublished novel, betwixt and between.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I dont have one. YAY optical mighty mouse.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
TV? Whats that?

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
The ocean, hubbys voice and laugh

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
The Beatles.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Spain I guess.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can flare my nostrils!!!

46 WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
In a Hospital...

47. WHO’S ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK
I'm surprised if anyone reads this. HAHA

Monday begins a new semester. New classes and new students. This term should be interesting as I will have students in grade 9, 10, 11, and 12. All these in 3 periods. I am teaching 2 Business courses and an Engligh class. I am looking forward to teaching my favorite play, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. There is so much fun in that play - cross dressing, mistaken identities, a love story, drunken revelry, mischief and mockery.

The last semester is marked and put away and done. Time to turn a new page and begin anew. The next 5 months bring lots of excitement, and I know they will be very busy. And then, summer! (Hey, teachers are allowed to count down too!) Between here and summer is family day holiday, my birthday, march break, easter long weekend, may long weekend, and then the craziness of prom and the last days of school, spent in a school with a bad ventilation system and air conditioning that barely works and hot computer labs sweltering at 30+ degrees Celsius.
But then summer awaits!

Cheers to the new semester!

Another semester down...

Another semester is ending... and not a moment too soon. Now exams ensue, along with some crazed teachers trying to mark and meet obscene deadlines.

I enjoyed my classes overall this term, and with a few bumps and hiccups we survived and are into 2nd semester. This one went so much faster than 1st semester last year. I'm glad its gone fast, and I know the 2nd term always goes much faster as spring and summer approach.
My courses for next term are still up in limbo... some applications are out and now I play the waiting game.

On Tuesday, Barack Obama was Inaugurated as the 44th President. And the school had a great impromptu assembly for it. The library/head technology guy set up a laptop and projector with the Inauguration on it, and since I was teaching my civics class at noon, we went down to watch it in the auditorium. By the time it got past the intros and into his oath, the place was packed. Standing room only. I was impressed with the number of classes down there. I like to think that those teachers understand and discussed the importance of the historical moment the students experienced. However, I'm pretty sure that it had more to do with the fact that it was the 2nd last day of the semester and it was a handy time filler.
Ah well, to each their own.

The New Year

Another year is here and its time to start again.
After having a couple of rough years, I am hoping for a great 2009. I am looking forward to new experiences and trying new things and spending it with those that I love.

Christmas Holidays

It's the night before Christmas Eve Day and the Christmas rush is upon me. My presents are bought, wrapped and under the tree, with a couple exceptions. The laundry is on (yes, at 1:00 am) as I am preparing for my voyage south. The next 2 days are packed with family activities and Christmas Turkey will be bountiful.

There are a couple family traditions that we have in our family - one is that we spend every Christmas Eve with my husbands family. They always made Christmas Eve the big night and had a big turkey dinner and opened presents late and played and slept in late on Christmas day - and we still do that! And Christmas morning (well, usually late in the morning) hubby and I do our gifts and stockings at home. Christmas Day is always with my parents and my moms side of the family. Again, there is more turkey, more presents, and more fun. By the end of Christmas day, I'm normally turkey-ed out and tired, but its well worth it. All in all, Christmas is all about being with family and friends, giving and receiving, being with those we love, and yes, we celebrate Christ's birth.

Past Boxing Days have brought various things - sleeping in, more Turkey, sometimes running out to stores early in the morning for the sales and spending all that precious Christmas money or gift cards.

This year Boxing Day brings a road trip!


We will pack our bags and leave sometime Friday afternoon, headed for the sunny south. Temperatures in Florida this week have been around 25 degrees Celsius (Don't even ask me what that is in Fahrenheit...) and that's a lot warmer than -10 degrees and snow. So I'm looking forward to a road trip with hubby. We have audio books, iPods, portable DVD player & DVDs, the radio, and each other to keep us awake and alert for 24 hours until we hit Tampa Airport and pick up our Florida Buddies Saturday night (who fly in instead of driving, lucky ducks). Then, they get to keep us somewhat sane for the last hour to the condo, where we will likely both collapse and sleep until Sunday morning, when the fun begins!

ideas...

Today was a refreshing day. I attending a conference on eLearning, and it challenged some of my ideas on how to use technology in all classes, both in an eLearning environment and in a traditional classroom.

The neatest thing... Cell Phone Film Fest ... yup, all those teenagers with cell phone video cameras have to create a video that is filmed entirely on their cell phone (editing allowed after the fact) and then submit for a film fest and judging. Never would have thought of it, and kids would eat it up. Something to consider if I can find a way to work it in. (Dont think I'm quite up to it yet though)

We talked about podcasting for presentations instead of getting in front of the class. Letting kids test, edit, and finalize what they say... rather than the pressure of getting in front of the class. And yes, I know the argument against that is that it isn't like the real world,... but on the other hand, I wouldnt want every presentation to be "virtual" just one or 2 to give them the experience of recording, revising, critiquing and analyzing their own work, which is a higher order thinking process in itself.

Also, taking pictures of completed assignments or notes on a board with a cell phone, submitting it to qipit.com and getting a PDF sent back to you to post on your website, email to absentee students, display and save exemplars, etc.

There were some really interesting things discussed. And I was also introduced to Twitter, and that looks like a lot of fun. More things to play with!