happy teacher appreciation week!

ahh yes, the time has finally arrived in my life that i am celebrating my very first teacher appreciation week. am i celebrating it as a contracted employee? no. am i celebrating it as a substitute teacher with a bunch of sticky-fingered kindergartners? yes. do i get to indulge in all things teachery and chocolate fountainey since my school is cool enough to have a chocolate extravaganza for us in the educational profession? yes. and boy oh boy do i love it. so here ye, here ye all of you educators out there: you are wonderful and summer is only a few short weeks away!

oh, and here is where you can find it all:

outfit 1:
tee f21

skirt h&m (similar in polka dot)

scarf francesca's (similar)

flats francesca's

outfit2:

top banana republic (old from sister)
skirt target (similar)

belt target (recent!)
flats oldnavy (old) (similar)

outfit3:

blouse banana republic factory store
linen pants banana republic factory store (similar)

wedges ny&co (recent!)

and dino was his name-o!

c/o my iPhone

So lets just get right to it.  I pretty much have the mentality of a 5 and a 1/2 year old when it comes to about 95% of my life.  I love everything creative, crafty, adventurous, miraculous, dreamy, make-believe-ish, heroic, good guy vs. bad guy-esque...and I think you get the picture.  So for my anniversary with boyfriend he took me to the Franklin Institute to see their Dinosaur Exhibit and even though it was disappointingly smaller than what we had hoped for (granted I had in my mind that I would be walking through a museum sized Dinosaur - and this is a traveling exhibit people), it didn't lack in any way and provided us with more information then our pretty eyes could handle!  I pretty much obsessed over each and every one of those giant boney guys from the time I first saw the word "Jurassic" and didn't stop to blink (or take pictures, barely) until I had that nice little Dr.Seuss book in my purse and was on my way out the door.  This really actually frustrates me seeing as I am usually focused more on pictures and capturing moments then I am enjoying the moments as they happen, but I guess (just this once) it is okay.  Needless to say, the idea spurred for my love of those scaley extinct guys and the unit I taught during my time-span of student teaching...fresh ideas and unbelievably hard to pronounce dino names for next time I conquer that unit? Check!

Check out the Franklin Institute or plan a trip before April 15th to see my pals, the Dinos!

Ahhhh, this is the life....

To all of you out there who have chosen to visit my blog (or maybe you just happened to pop on by through various web searching or blog reading), you will soon know that I am currently employed as a substitute teacher.  I finished my degree in a short three and half years, deciding that getting a jump start on the job market (or lack there of) would be the best possible outcome for me.  As we all know, now may not be the particular time to be searching for a job, especially if you are in the education field.  This lands us future educators in to the idolized position of substitute teacher (hold all applause and "ooohs" and "ahhhs" until the end of the rant). 

Being someone who is as type-A as they come and used to a scheduled schedule and lists to complete what is already noted in the schedule, this day to day world of 5:30 a.m. alarms and fingers crossed that by 6:30 I'll be on my way to a some-what scheduled and working day is not what I would call...ideal.  Honestly, it makes me want to scream bloody murder at the top of my lungs.  But, alas...the silver lining...I thrive to teach.  I may be on my fourth cup of coffee and enjoying an episode of Will & Grace where Jack and Karen are off doing some sort of comedic adventure, but yesterday I was knee deep in six year olds and tomorrow I may be running the show in a fourth grade classroom.  Yes, I may not know I will be a teacher that day until 5:45 a.m., but when duty calls...I'm there...I guess I'm sort of like Superman...errrr.....woman (a Superwoman that may have a melt down, a freakout, and not know what to do in this completely unorganized world...that she has to try to organize...)

Moral of the story, or in my case I suppose the moral of the rant, it will be okay!  I'd love to find a support group for substitute teachers because there must be another type-A girl (or boy) out there just like myself who hasn't compeltely embraced the "unknown flying by the seat of your pants" life that substituting has thrust upon me.  Maybe I'd find some words of advice, or share some, or we could just have one big party filled with lists and crafts and a rendition of "Guess Who?" (remember that game?) that has all of our little faces on the cards and we try to guess who will be called.  Ahhh, yes, this is the life.  And if that pretty picture doesn't ease your mind, whoever you are and whatever you may be going through at this time, take a deep breath, focus on today, and keep this little verse in mind:

"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you."  -- Isaiah  41:13