Friday, May 30, 2008

figaro

this is figaro dicamillo. he sits like a person. he does not actually drink beer. he catches and tortures small rodents, then leaves them as gifts for his family - who are delighted, as i'm sure you can imagine. he used to be fat. now he's just manly and "big boned."










































one year down

things i’ve learning this year:

repeating yourself is less obnoxious when the people not listening are kids.

talking to children like they’re actual people yields a far better response than talking to them the way you talk to your puppy.

diaper/potty duty is a lot less scary than I originally imagined.

preschool performances are way more impressive than community theater performances. and about a million times more satisfying.

i am awesome with kids.

a well-timed “time out” produces a short bout of tears, a genuine apology, and an end to the foul behavior.

some kids like “time out.” some kids are sneaky jerks.

kids think coffee smells disgusting. they’re also quick to tell you if you have coffee breath.

i’m good at photographing children. i adore photographing children.
















i can’t wait to have my own children.

generally sucky parents beget generally sucky kids.

churches resent outsiders - even education-based, child-centered, rent-paying ones.

a good sense of humor goes a long way (though i guess i already knew that).

five year olds are some of the most creative, articulate people i’ve ever met.

never underestimate the power of your response - or lack thereof.

you can’t and shouldn’t be everyone’s friend.

don’t let anyone tell you your music class is unstructured. because it’s not.

not every child wants to sing and dance. and that’s okay. there is a reason, and it’s probably not me.

don’t wear nice clothes to school. any number of things can (and will) happen.

teaching preschool makes me very, very happy.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Monday, May 12, 2008

Global Warming

The recent disasters in China and Myanmar, combined with my personal feelings/opinions about global warming have made me want to share my thoughts with you!

I happen to believe that humans, especially ones in developed, industrialized nations, are the cause of global warming.

The following video presents what I believe to be a really sound way to think about global warming:



You can also visit this link: http://wonderingmind42.com/
Once there, you'll find the video's home, which contains links to tons of other videos that deal with questions that may arise after viewing the above video.

Also, Hannah and I cannot be the only ones who are concerned with the rising fuel prices. We both really think that everyone needs to start thinking about what is going to happen when gas prices make their way to $7.00/gallon. So, maybe we can all think more carefully about what our impact is on the environment, and how we can make changes to our habits to counteract the damaging effect that we are having on the planet...

Thursday, May 1, 2008

oh, indy

i don't know about you, but i'm pretty excited.