Slogger

I am a slogger - a slacker blogger. My intentions are good. But when I finally get home or have free time I would rather numb my mind by playing Bejeweled or Farmville than put forth the effort to blog. In reality, I am a slogger. But I am working on fixing that and as long as y'all don't mind writing that hasn't been revised (sorry Lucy Caulkins!) then here we go. I will attempt to catch you up on some events that have happened over the last few weeks.

Riptide at School...

My first graders earn I Care Awards for exceptional behavior. When they earn 10 of them they get to vote on a special reward. Some past awards have been a movie party, pajama day, and Reba day. Some of the suggestions were:
crazy hair day
funky sock day
Riptide day
extra recess
show and tell day

As the title might suggest Riptide day won. And as you all might realize, I could have nixed it. I am after all, in charge! However, I really liked the idea of bringing Rip when he is young so he can get used to coming to school and  then maybe, just maybe, he could come more often. Plus, the kids were so excited about it. Reba day had been such a success! Well it didn't work out as planned. First he pooped in the hallway. Then he whined in his crate. Then he ignored the kids. Yes, my friends, ignored the kids. He only had eyes for me. I had to bribe him to sit still long enough to let them pet him. I might try him again. I'm not sure. We'll see.

But I told the kids I would bring one of the others if they could remember my other dogs' names!

Grilled Cheese
I hate to cook. It's not that I don't know how or can't cook, I choose not too. I have no patience for it. And my off task behavior usually causes problems like burning, over boiling, and ugly food. Last night I was making grilled cheese and tomato soup. And I was on the phone. If I am not on the phone, I am on the computer or reading or watching tv. Rarely am I not doing something...unless I am napping! Anyway, I burned a grilled cheese. Just one side, but burned nonetheless. Brenna walked up to the skillet, looked at the sandwich and said "I need to take over." wow. Maybe I should have been hurt, but I was relieved. Now I could talk on the phone unencumbered.

So this morning Brenna wanted pancakes for breakfast. I offered. A couple of times. "No thanks mom, I got it." And she did. There are 3 happy girls eating breakfast (Ash had a friend over) and one happy mom blogging.

Life is good. ;)

Goonies

Brenna and I had our first "official" visit to the orthodontist today. She had x-rays and a mold taken for braces and I had a mold done for a mouth guard so I stop grinding my teeth. (I decided that something must be done or my molars will be gone by the time I am 50!)

There is a big area where there are 7 or 8 chairs in a row. It is like an assembly line.  The orthodontist goes up and down the row working on whoever needs him or the assitants take care of the patients. It was pretty impressive and everyone was so friendly. I figure they must all like their jobs! Anyway, in front each chair there is a flat screen TV hanging on the wall near the ceiling. Not huge TVs, but big enough for the kids to see while they are getting their teeth fixed.

Today they were showing "Goonies". Of all movies, really, Goonies? I watched it reluctantly, as I as a captive audience sitting there with yellow goop in my mouth.

Once in the car, yellow goop all rinsed out of our mouths, Brenna noted that they were showing "Goonies".
"I think it was a weird movie to show at that kind of place," she said.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Well, what are the kids out the waiting room with no TV thinking when they hear the kids in the movie screaming? Will they know it's a movie? Or will they think it is the kids getting their braces on?"

This will be a good thing to remember in college!

Do I like my job? I love it! But I get asked all the time how I can stand being with 24 first graders all day. Maybe it is a gift. Maybe it is a desire to help better our future. But maybe, just maybe, it is because they are so very funny!

Today we were writing a shared story about something that happened at recess. Usually a shared story is something that we all shared together, but today, they really wanted to write about something that happened during indoor recess, when I was at lunch. Fine, I said, I was intrigued by the hook..."Ants in Your Pants started playing all by itself!". Really? A YouTube video came on by itself? I had to hear to the whole story.

I asked, "Well, what did you do when the music started?" B. said, "We started dancing!" with that DUH look on his face. I cannot imagine what the recess supervisor, was thinking she saw them start dancing. But I know what I started to do when they just told me what they did: laugh out loud. And I laughed for quite a while before I could start writing their story on the chart paper. And of course, they laughed with me!

After going through the proper planning of a personal narrative we came up with a story. Here it is! (more or less. I can't remember the exact words and I forgot to take a picture!) :
We cleaned up from recess. We went to line up for lunch. The song Ants in Your Pants started playing. We started dancing. J. did his own silly dance. Miss Jenny handed out the lunch cards and we went on with our regular day.


Yes, one of them came up with 'regular'.

This story will morph into something else as the days go on - we are working on revision.  But the best part of this time with my kids was when I was writing it and laughing; and they were telling me what to write and laughing and G. says. "THIS will be a good thing to remember in college!"

I hope so sweetie, I sure hope so!

And for anyone interested in seeing the video that started it all, here is the link. You really should click this link. It's funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYWycl8vR5c

I had a great first day back at school with my little darlings! I thoroughly enjoy my job as a first grade teacher and I have to say that a lot of the funny stuff in my life happens in that classroom. The children are so uncensored and honest. It just makes me laugh out loud!

Today during our morning meeting I asked the kids how their break was. The responses were instant: "I got a blah, blah." "I went to so and so's house." "Santa brought me fa-la-la..." And in the midst of it all, louder than all the rest, comes a "How was YOUR Christmas, Mrs. Rulis?" Everyone fell silent. Including me. I looked at the little culprit - how dare he think of someone besides himself! - and smiled. "It was wonderful," I said. "Thank you for asking."

It made my day. And made me glad to be back at school.

Always forgetting...

In the middle of the night I thought of a really funny story that I just had to post to this blog today!! It was hysterical! I even started laughing out loud while in bed. I couldn't wait to share it in the morning. Well, morning came and it, the story, was gone. POOF! Just like that gone. I don't know where it went.

So welcome to another huge reality of mine. Always forgetting. Always. Forgetting. 

If it finds its way back to me I will share it. But it probably won't. My apologies...

Brenna was thrilled to be my New Year's Mascot!!

New Year's Resolutions

Rarely do I make a resolution at New Year's. And if I do I never follow through. Honestly, I can't even remember a resolution I have ever made.

So this year I'm doing it. But differently. I am going to make a new mini-resolution each day. I've made a list of possible daily resolutions. I'm going to keep track of them each day. Does that mean I do indeed have a resolution? To maintain the daily resolution resolution? sigh...it is the first day of the year and already my resolution has me confused.

In addition to daily resolutions I came up with "bigger" resolutions for the year that will require regularly daily resolutions dedicated to the bigger one's completion. Like redoing the downstairs bathroom and losing weight. Those will always be around but I don't want them to consume all my resolution energy. So there are some smaller ones that are more fun like writing a book for children or printing pictures for all the empty frames I have.

And there are some serious ones like spending time with the girls and a regular date night with Don and playing with Rosie and Max. Those are things that if I don't do, I will regret it.

But it is the daily resolution that I make that will count the most. Here is a short list:

• Call an old friend.
• Cook a meal.
• Walk one of the dogs.
• Eat 3 pieces of fruit.
• Find everything funny.
• Exercise
• Play Wii with the girls.
• Read a real book for fun.
• Clean out a drawer or closet.

The list is longer, but you get the idea.  And if anyone has any other suggestions for small daily resolutions, please let me know! New ideas are always welcome.

So Happy New Year my friends. May 2011 find you healthy and happy.

Giving this blogging thing a try...

I love to talk. I'm not sure people want to listen. Or care to listen. But I thought this might be the perfect way for me to tell my story and if someone wants to share it with me, they can choose to read it. If a person doesn't care, they don't have to read it. Sounds ideal right?

I find my life to be somewhat hilarious. Downright funny even. But it is real which is where the name "Almost a Sitcom" comes from. It's funny like a sitcom, but real unlike a sitcom. Don didn't get the name. He thought the "almost" meant I hadn't found someone to play me in the sitcom yet. See? Hysterical!

And while Facebook statuses provide a great title to my silly situations, they rarely give the whole picture. I am hoping this will do that.

Plus it will give me something to do in 2011. Even help me with my resolution - which will be a later post.

So if you want to join me on this journey, welcome! I'd love to hear from you. :)