And by the way, my next book is going to be a collaborative effort with the students at Atala--Jokes for Kids (need a better name, but I bet Sonya can help with that...). That will be an awesome Summer project!
Spread your wings!
09 November 2010
A New Era
I have finally moved on...FIU cut off my email account. Ah well, I'll survive on Gmail (personal contact) and Squirrelmail (Atala contact).
06 November 2010
My Crazy Awesome Life
My posts are getting further and further apart. It's been up and down the last three weeks. We're on a roll now. So much has happened with Atala. Kids are loving it, parents are loving it, staff is loving it. We had our first big fundraiser on October 29. In 2.5 hours we made over $1600! All of this money will go to scholarships and playground equipment. Couldn't have done it without help from everyone at Atala. I think that's why we're all having so much fun and are seeing such quick success. There's no one person "in charge." We all work together, listen to one another, and pull for a common goal--the children.
So much is so very, very positive. We had a rainy, but fun picture day this past week. Colby says the is good luck--we had rain at our Grand Opening, rain at the Chili Cook-Off, and now rain on Picture Day. Oh well...at least the grass will stay greener a bit longer. This month we'll have Thanksgiving celebrations and then we're practically at the end of the year!
On a strange and weird note, we have had a number of "visitors" to come see us. Apparently there are people out there who are questioning our existence and calling everyone and anyone in authority who might listen. It's turning out to be the Boy (or Girl) Who Cried Wolf as everyone of these "visitors" leaves our campus with great praise and a handshake. There may always be someone/something trying to keep you down. But if you're doing what's right, you'll eventually win. Keep moving forward with conviction and ignore the negative energy. It's not worth a second thought.
Going on six months away from FIU. At this point I rarely think about academic life until one of my friends sends me something so outrageous I can't resist actually reading the story or looking at the picture and laughing. It's amazing to me how silly academics can be. Do you realize in the past weeks I read a story in the Chronicle of Higher Education (the journal that all serious academic administrators read religiously every week) on how 2 Ivy League Colleges "outed" undergraduate seniors who refused to donate money to their senior fund? The colleges (supposedly the cream of the crop) actually tried to shame these students into giving money to the college by publishing their name and stating that they wouldn't give!
Looking forward to a great trip to Texas for Thanksgiving! We'll drive right after school is out and hit Texas the day before turkey day. Then we'll drive home on Saturday straight through as far as we can go. Whirlwind at best, but it will be nice to spend more time with Colby's family. Hope you all are planning an awesome Thanksgiving, too!
Spread your wings!
So much is so very, very positive. We had a rainy, but fun picture day this past week. Colby says the is good luck--we had rain at our Grand Opening, rain at the Chili Cook-Off, and now rain on Picture Day. Oh well...at least the grass will stay greener a bit longer. This month we'll have Thanksgiving celebrations and then we're practically at the end of the year!
On a strange and weird note, we have had a number of "visitors" to come see us. Apparently there are people out there who are questioning our existence and calling everyone and anyone in authority who might listen. It's turning out to be the Boy (or Girl) Who Cried Wolf as everyone of these "visitors" leaves our campus with great praise and a handshake. There may always be someone/something trying to keep you down. But if you're doing what's right, you'll eventually win. Keep moving forward with conviction and ignore the negative energy. It's not worth a second thought.
Going on six months away from FIU. At this point I rarely think about academic life until one of my friends sends me something so outrageous I can't resist actually reading the story or looking at the picture and laughing. It's amazing to me how silly academics can be. Do you realize in the past weeks I read a story in the Chronicle of Higher Education (the journal that all serious academic administrators read religiously every week) on how 2 Ivy League Colleges "outed" undergraduate seniors who refused to donate money to their senior fund? The colleges (supposedly the cream of the crop) actually tried to shame these students into giving money to the college by publishing their name and stating that they wouldn't give!
Looking forward to a great trip to Texas for Thanksgiving! We'll drive right after school is out and hit Texas the day before turkey day. Then we'll drive home on Saturday straight through as far as we can go. Whirlwind at best, but it will be nice to spend more time with Colby's family. Hope you all are planning an awesome Thanksgiving, too!
Spread your wings!
14 October 2010
Worth repeating
So it's kind of a cop-out to repost something I wrote on Facebook on my blog, but this one is really funny and points out how awesome it is that I can around to laugh and joke with my kids a lot more this year than I have the last four years:
Livya: We should get a little pig.
Me: With all the animals we have, why do we need a pig?
Livya: Because pigs make bacon!
Liam and me: (total silence followed by hysterical laughter)
Me: Livya, pigs don't *make* bacon, they *are* bacon!
Livya: (realizing what I just said) No! That's so sad and gross!
Spread your wings!
Livya: We should get a little pig.
Me: With all the animals we have, why do we need a pig?
Livya: Because pigs make bacon!
Liam and me: (total silence followed by hysterical laughter)
Me: Livya, pigs don't *make* bacon, they *are* bacon!
Livya: (realizing what I just said) No! That's so sad and gross!
Spread your wings!
09 October 2010
Been so long
It's been almost three weeks since I have written. I can't believe how fast times flies when you're having fun and working hard. The kids are all loving school and their teachers, and everyone seems to be very happy.
Nearly all of the teachers, administrators, and assistants attended a Montessori workshop at Alexander Montessori last weekend. It was a lot of fun for me both as a parent and now a new administrator at Atala. The owners attended a meeting of all the owners of Montessori Schools in South Florida (east and west coasts). This group will now start to hold quarterly meetings so we can all get together and talk about various issues. As a parent I got a better picture of some of the things involved at the upper elementary and middle school levels. Since I've had two go through preschool I feel like I at least have a overview of what goes on in those rooms, but I was pretty clueless about the older kids. If you think it's awesome when your preschooler comes home and talk about Christopher Columbus, just wait and see what they say about science later on! Very cool!
New things on the horizon--PE will now include martial arts and we're starting a martial arts afterschool program, too. We are also starting to think about our Winter Production which will take place in December. We have launched a lot of fundraising projects in the last month--Box Tops (thank you Jannah), Capri Sun pouches collection (thank you Mrs. Foster and the parents for saving all of these), and we are preparing for the First Annual Atala Chili Cook-Off! So far we have 8 entries, but I have about a dozen more people who are up for the challenge. I have scored some very cool prizes for the winners, so I hope everyone comes out to eat some good food and hang out with friends! I'm really trying to include not only out current parents and friends, but also families, friends, and neighbors who may not be as familiar with Atala. We hope to have a great party and earn some money to support our scholarship resources and playground fund.
Not much else new. Life is good. There are a lot of long hours this first year, and I think we're all exhausted, but I know that as we continue to grow and mature as an organization, we will be able to relax a bit...and then there's always Thanksgiving break!
Spread your wings!
Nearly all of the teachers, administrators, and assistants attended a Montessori workshop at Alexander Montessori last weekend. It was a lot of fun for me both as a parent and now a new administrator at Atala. The owners attended a meeting of all the owners of Montessori Schools in South Florida (east and west coasts). This group will now start to hold quarterly meetings so we can all get together and talk about various issues. As a parent I got a better picture of some of the things involved at the upper elementary and middle school levels. Since I've had two go through preschool I feel like I at least have a overview of what goes on in those rooms, but I was pretty clueless about the older kids. If you think it's awesome when your preschooler comes home and talk about Christopher Columbus, just wait and see what they say about science later on! Very cool!
New things on the horizon--PE will now include martial arts and we're starting a martial arts afterschool program, too. We are also starting to think about our Winter Production which will take place in December. We have launched a lot of fundraising projects in the last month--Box Tops (thank you Jannah), Capri Sun pouches collection (thank you Mrs. Foster and the parents for saving all of these), and we are preparing for the First Annual Atala Chili Cook-Off! So far we have 8 entries, but I have about a dozen more people who are up for the challenge. I have scored some very cool prizes for the winners, so I hope everyone comes out to eat some good food and hang out with friends! I'm really trying to include not only out current parents and friends, but also families, friends, and neighbors who may not be as familiar with Atala. We hope to have a great party and earn some money to support our scholarship resources and playground fund.
Not much else new. Life is good. There are a lot of long hours this first year, and I think we're all exhausted, but I know that as we continue to grow and mature as an organization, we will be able to relax a bit...and then there's always Thanksgiving break!
Spread your wings!
26 September 2010
To everything there is a season
This was a topsy-turvey day. Started out with church, which was fabulous. The quickly moved on to the Soroptimist Club Fashion Show (thank you, Adrienne!). What a great event--women from all over getting together to raise scholarship money. The event was huge--at least 20 tables of 10 people filled the Signature Gardens. Good food and a silent auction. Saw tons of friends, made a lot of new acquaintances, and received at least 1-2 invitations to speak to various groups about Atala. Went with Erin and Yvonne, who are the two biggest social butterflies I know. Between the two of them, I think they knew everyone in the room!
Unfortunately that part of the afternoon had to be cut short so we could attend the funeral services of I. Stanley Levine. For those of you who don't know who this is, Stanley is the man behind many, many art projects in Miami (http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/23/1837863/man-of-the-arts-changed-south.html), including ArtSouth, where Atala is located. You might think a funeral would be sad time for everyone, the ceremony was uplifting, filled with humorous anecdotes, and really inspired everyone who attended. Beatriz joined us for the service, so it was very nice to have the group of us representing Atala. We saw many of our ArtSouth friends, as well as a number of people from the community. We are planning something very special to honor Stanley's memory with our children at Atala. Stay tuned for updates very soon.
Now I'm home and watching "Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief" for the second time in as many days. Then it's off to bed for the season premiere of "The Simpsons." :)
Spread your wings!
Unfortunately that part of the afternoon had to be cut short so we could attend the funeral services of I. Stanley Levine. For those of you who don't know who this is, Stanley is the man behind many, many art projects in Miami (http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/23/1837863/man-of-the-arts-changed-south.html), including ArtSouth, where Atala is located. You might think a funeral would be sad time for everyone, the ceremony was uplifting, filled with humorous anecdotes, and really inspired everyone who attended. Beatriz joined us for the service, so it was very nice to have the group of us representing Atala. We saw many of our ArtSouth friends, as well as a number of people from the community. We are planning something very special to honor Stanley's memory with our children at Atala. Stay tuned for updates very soon.
Now I'm home and watching "Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief" for the second time in as many days. Then it's off to bed for the season premiere of "The Simpsons." :)
Spread your wings!
24 September 2010
So long...
It's been 10 days since I last posted. I can't believe it. It's been a whirlwind, and everything is awesome. The kids are loving school. The parents are fabulous. And the people with whom I work are amazing. Let's see where to begin...
Let's start at the end of my 10-day hiatus. Today was the first day of the first bake sale for the Upper Elementary kids (grades 3 and 4). Moms and dads from all over the school baked things to be sold in order for the students to earn money to take a big field trip to SeaCamp http://www.seacamp.org/. That in and of itself was super cool. The kids and Mrs. Morgan stood out by the playground for about 45 minutes selling the goods. In the end the kids raised $52.75! The cost per child is around $400, so this is a nice start to helping defray the costs of the trip. To top it off one of the parents who shall remain nameless but who happens to be Gio's dad bought a whole tray of brownies and then proceeded to have Gio pass them out to all the kids on the playground! How awesome is that?! That's the kind of Jimmy Stewart, small town, big family moment that just sticks with you forever.
On a personal note, Liam is having an awesome time playing his new electric guitar he got last weekend for his 9th birthday, and Livya is heaven over her new violin from the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. My kids are happy, I'm happy, and now I just need to get Colby and Livya finally over these nasty colds. We'll have a peaceful Saturday, decorate for Halloween, hit the P.A.T.C.H.E.S. Spaghetti Dinner (http://www.patchesppec.org/) and the relax and watch a movie. Sunday will be a bit hectic for me, but hopefully Colby and the kids can rest and hang out. I'll post more on Sunday after the fact.
Have a beautiful weekend and...
Spread your wings!
Let's start at the end of my 10-day hiatus. Today was the first day of the first bake sale for the Upper Elementary kids (grades 3 and 4). Moms and dads from all over the school baked things to be sold in order for the students to earn money to take a big field trip to SeaCamp http://www.seacamp.org/. That in and of itself was super cool. The kids and Mrs. Morgan stood out by the playground for about 45 minutes selling the goods. In the end the kids raised $52.75! The cost per child is around $400, so this is a nice start to helping defray the costs of the trip. To top it off one of the parents who shall remain nameless but who happens to be Gio's dad bought a whole tray of brownies and then proceeded to have Gio pass them out to all the kids on the playground! How awesome is that?! That's the kind of Jimmy Stewart, small town, big family moment that just sticks with you forever.
On a personal note, Liam is having an awesome time playing his new electric guitar he got last weekend for his 9th birthday, and Livya is heaven over her new violin from the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. My kids are happy, I'm happy, and now I just need to get Colby and Livya finally over these nasty colds. We'll have a peaceful Saturday, decorate for Halloween, hit the P.A.T.C.H.E.S. Spaghetti Dinner (http://www.patchesppec.org/) and the relax and watch a movie. Sunday will be a bit hectic for me, but hopefully Colby and the kids can rest and hang out. I'll post more on Sunday after the fact.
Have a beautiful weekend and...
Spread your wings!
14 September 2010
So Happy
I'm so very, very happy that I am no longer bothered with all the red tape, egos, and insecurity that somehow shrouds so many people in academia. For some reason, some of my former colleagues feel the need to show everyone how important they are, how much they know, and how much power the wield. The things I've heard this week would make anyone simply laugh at how insignificant FIU, administration, and academic life can be. Keep it in perspective, folks.
Those who are at the heart of that academic insecurity don't realize how insignificant life is without a purpose. Money is not a purpose. Power and fame are not purposes. My family, my kids, and my chosen family at Atala are my purpose. I know now that many of my former colleagues really didn't believe me when I said money doesn't mean anything to me. Sure, it's nice to have money, but unfortunately everyone I know who has a lot of money is a complete mess or completely self centered.
Atala has come so far in such a short time. All of that success stems from how strong we are as a group. One person can't do it alone. I know it sounds super cheezy (and Colby will cringe when he reads this), but it does take a village. Atala is strong because of the five women who have broken ground and moved it forward. It's even stronger because of the numerous parents, grandparents, partners, spouses, and children who believed in us enough to take that leap, too. We will be forever intwined, and that's an awesome thing to know. Tomorrow we will all receive our very first paychecks! They may not be a lot, but we made it. And we will continue to flourish. Let's celebrate our many collective achievements and offer a toast to everyone who made Atala a reality.
Spread your wings!
Those who are at the heart of that academic insecurity don't realize how insignificant life is without a purpose. Money is not a purpose. Power and fame are not purposes. My family, my kids, and my chosen family at Atala are my purpose. I know now that many of my former colleagues really didn't believe me when I said money doesn't mean anything to me. Sure, it's nice to have money, but unfortunately everyone I know who has a lot of money is a complete mess or completely self centered.
Atala has come so far in such a short time. All of that success stems from how strong we are as a group. One person can't do it alone. I know it sounds super cheezy (and Colby will cringe when he reads this), but it does take a village. Atala is strong because of the five women who have broken ground and moved it forward. It's even stronger because of the numerous parents, grandparents, partners, spouses, and children who believed in us enough to take that leap, too. We will be forever intwined, and that's an awesome thing to know. Tomorrow we will all receive our very first paychecks! They may not be a lot, but we made it. And we will continue to flourish. Let's celebrate our many collective achievements and offer a toast to everyone who made Atala a reality.
Spread your wings!
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