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I am The Shit

  • Jun. 28th, 2009 at 6:03 PM
KYM at home
Yeah, and apparently that's a good thing! :)

I spent a week with four teen girls and have heard every nasty, perverted  lyric possible. Think of the crudest thing you've ever heard, and there's a song about it. Hmmm....all that hype about YA novels including unnecessary foul language and gratuitous sex scenes? Hard to believe that anything in a novel can compare to some of these lyrics by famous artists:

Lil Wayne - Time For Us to F***
Lil Wayne - P***y Monster
Lil Wayne - P***y MVP
Too Short - Cocktales
LL Cool J - Doin' It
2 Live Crew - As Nasty As They Wanna Be
Tupac - How Do U Want It
Lil Kim - Hardcore
Gucciman feat. Lil Kim - Freaky Gurl Remix
Ludacris - P***y Poppin
Twista - Get U Wet
Scarface feat. Too Short, and Devin the Dude - F***faces
504 Boyz - I Can Tell You Wanna F***

Yeah, I know! I have to tell my husband not to sweat the few swear words that leak out of my kids' mouths. Compared to what they listen to, my teens are practically role models for the Vienna Boys' Choir. :)

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Summertime Fun

  • Jun. 16th, 2009 at 9:29 AM
KYM at home
What things are you most looking forward to this summer?
I know there's a lot of groaning from all the
stay-at-home moms, but for us teachers,
summer means FREEDOM!
 
I'm hoping to reconnect with my teens
(if I can find them, that is),

 


finish writing my YA novel,

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enjoy the outdoors,
(especially downtown Chicago)




and relax with a ton of books!



 
 
SUMMER IS HERE!
WOO-HOO!

What are you psyched about?
 

Rich or Famous? You choose...

  • May. 28th, 2009 at 10:25 PM
KYM at home
If held by knife point and you had to pick one or the other, but not both - which would you choose?
 
Rich....

 


Or Famous?



I know - it's a tough choice but someone has to do it.

Me? I'd pick rich faster than you can say paparazzi.

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KYM at home
If you like verbal slapstick, you've got to watch this reunion show.
The ladies were in rare form - claws out and ready to rumble.

The countess revealed that her husband has a new Ethiopian squeeze and suggested that Kelly doesn't have any friends. Kelly retorted that she did, but I doubt it. Who'd want to be her friend? She is so full of herself, there's no room for anyone else.

Bethenny proved once again to be the sanest, wittiest chick on the show. I think what you see on TV is the real deal with Bethenny, as shown by her revealing that she's having trouble meeting the right man. She's friendly, sarcastic, likes to drink, and is sensitive. Bethenny rarely whines and tells it like it is, which is why we all love her.

Big mouth, uneducated Ramona is like a fly buzzing around when you're trying to sleep––she bugs the crap out of you, but you're too tired to get up and smack her. When Ramona's feelings get hurt, she attacks  in a vindictive way, instead of saying that the other person hurt her feelings. Grow up,Ramona!

Jill is a bit loud and over the top but will either defend you to the death if you're right, or call you on the carpet if you lie, which she did to Ramona when she tried to make it seem that she'd spent way more time developing her company than she did. Bravo, Jill!

Kelly just takes up space and might have early onset Alzheimer's because she says things and then acts like you made it up when you repeat what she's said. She makes Paula Abdul look like a genius.

And this was only Part One - can't wait 'til next week!

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Long lost twins?

  • May. 6th, 2009 at 9:30 PM
KYM at home
I'm sad Allison went home on American Idol. Wah!

Adam Lambert's talented, but he's getting creepier all the time.
Anyone see the resemblance here?


Tim Curry
Rocky Horror Picture Show
                  
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Adam Lambert
American Idol finalist




May Flowers

  • May. 1st, 2009 at 7:13 AM
KYM at home
So many to pick from! The colors are gorgeous, the smells tantalizing. Spring flowers remind me of my childhood when I'd pick flowers to bring to my teachers or when we'd cut some peonies from the yard and bring a few ants inside with them.


Here are a few of  my all-time favorites:

Hyacinths                           Tulips                        Bleeding Hearts                  Lilacs

How about you? What are your favorite spring flowers?

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Tour De Jour

  • Apr. 28th, 2009 at 4:03 PM
KYM at home
Looking for something different to do with your family or friends this summer? Try a tour!

I went on a food tour in Portland a few months ago and it was a blast! And I just found out they have two different food tours in Chicago too - and many other big towns as well. They're usually 3-hour narrated walking tours, have a limited number of participants, and involve tastings at a myriad of sites. I'm buying tickets for the Chicago tour for this summer. YUM!

Check it out here if you wish www.chicagofoodplanet.com/ but even better, see if there is one in your hometown.

Spices at The Spice House Old Town

I also want to check out the Weird Chicago tours, started by fellow LJer[info]adamselzer!

I guess I'm just a tour type of girl. Got any other ideas for crazy fun this summer?

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Letting Go...

  • Apr. 26th, 2009 at 8:06 AM
KYM at home
I know I have several months yet, but in August, my oldest daughter  Kaitlin will be heading off to college. And as much as the two of us have been arguing about curfews and rules this year, I'm dreading the day I have to let go and send her into the world on her own.

She'll do fine - it's me I'm worried about. :)

Logically I've always known that my kids were mine to raise - not to keep - and that I'd have to let the butterfly out of the cocoon so to speak, but that fact doesn't make it any easier on my psyche.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/470832051_5b710f2cdd.jpg?v=0   

I think the conflict comes with my own worries about my role as a human. I know I'm much more than a "mom," but I guess that role is the one that particularly defines me first and foremost - and the whole readjusting of my persona  leaves me feeling a bit empty inside. My twins still have two years to go until college, but I know that time will pass like a cool breeze.

I suddenly see the need to start reconnecting with all the different sides of me––teacher, friend, wife, and writer––and I'm looking forward to living all of those roles to the fullest as well. Cheers!

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How Many Years? Gulp...

  • Apr. 22nd, 2009 at 3:15 PM
KYM at home
I woke up this morning as a woman who has been married 20 years. To the same man, no less! My wedding day doesn't seem like yesterday, but it doesn't seem like two decades either. Here are the then and now photos. Guess which one is which, lol.

    

Okay, you can stop laughing at my bangs. We did our own hair and makeup back then to save money. Now my teens can't even go to a dance with a guy they barely know without spending more than I spent on my dress,veil, hair, and makeup put together. I look different and have added a few pounds and kids since then, but I don't feel all that different inside. Forever in my 20's, I guess....

I'm So Vain

  • Apr. 21st, 2009 at 5:49 PM
KYM at home
Lookie what I got in the mail today.

My vanity plates!


Okay, so I'd rather be getting an ARC of a book I wrote, but this will have to satisfy until that elusive date. My choice in plates now seem a bit silly, but at least I won't have a hard time remembering what it says anymore.

How about you? What plates do you have or would you get if you could?

Technicolor Tidbit

  • Apr. 20th, 2009 at 7:09 AM
KYM at home
My last post got me thinking about musicals, so I thought I'd share a few more favorite snippets  this week.  Here's one of my favorite scenes from Joseph, but truly, I love nearly every song from this production:

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Musicals Make My Heart Sing!

  • Apr. 19th, 2009 at 9:15 AM
KYM at home
Ah...remember this one from Fiddler on the Roof? Tradition. Just watch a minute or two and you're instantly brought into a singing, toe-tapping mood.


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Do You Doodle?

  • Apr. 16th, 2009 at 6:31 AM
KYM at home
If you're in a meeting and you have a paper and pen in front of you, are you doodling on the side of your paper? I sure am. According to this Seattle Times article, you are what you draw.

Some doodlicious notes:   

- in order to be an official doodle, the mind must be focused on something else. Focused doodling is art. The good news is that if your boss complains that you doodled during his talk, you can make him aware that doodles are mindless. Of course, the "something else" you were focused on might not have been your boss' agenda, but don't mention that.

- there was actually a commissioned study on doodling. And we wonder why our economy is bad?

- people who draw flowers are dreamers http://dianasdesignsonline.com/catalog/images/Flower%20Doodles.jpgwhile boxes signify a feeling of being trapped. The image “http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UEHD6B3grKg/SblvnTX7owI/AAAAAAAAAPU/tIuDe8_wPmw/s320/doodles.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

Since doodles signify what's going on in someone's brain, next time you see someone doodling, go ahead and psychoanalyze them!


And if you need a place to doodle while you're on your laptop, bookmark this site: www.onlinesketchpad.com/

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4-day School Week?

  • Apr. 14th, 2009 at 5:47 PM
KYM at home
Whoa, check it out. 

ABC News Correspondent Charlie Gibson reported today how some school districts will be voting on having a 4-day school week next year to save money.blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/04/question-of-the.htm

17 states have this provision in the books if needed, and over 100 school districts already have 4-day school weeks in place!

Longer school day and Fridays off? What do you think?

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Polish-Catholic Easter

  • Apr. 12th, 2009 at 7:10 AM
KYM at home
Everyone has their favorite holiday meal, but us Poles bring baskets containing traditional Polish foods to an Easter Saturday church service. This tradition is called Swiecone. Each item in the basket is symbolic, representing something specific for the Easter holiday, according to users.rcn.com/salski/No26Folder/Easter_Folder/Polonia_Easter.htm
 

-- The white linen or lace napkin
that lines the wicker basket may be perceived as the shroud the enwrapped the body of Christ;
-- the Easter Lamb, made of butter or sugar (rock candy), but also of dough, wood, plaster, fleece or even plastic, symbolizes the sacrificial Paschal lamb, in other words Jesus himself, whose banner proclaims the victory of life over death.
-- Easter eggs symbolize new life; just as a chick pecks its way out of its shell, so too Christ rose from His tomb to bring us the promise of eternal life.
-- bread, either a slice of ordinary rye bread or a special small round loaf imprinted with a cross, symbolizes ‘the bread of life, a metaphor for the God's grace.
-- meat & sausage are symbolic of the Paschal lamb or Christ resurrected, His victory over death and His promise of eternal life.
-- horseradish is one of the bitter herbs of the Passover which foretold the suffering of Christ on the Cross. It is also symbolic of life in which one must accept the bitter with the sweet.
-- vinegar symbolizes the sour wine (our English word "vinegar" comes from the French vin aigre -- sour wine) which Jesus was given on a sponge to drink while hanging on the cross.
-- salt symbolizes that which preserves us from corruption and adds zest to daily life.
-- cakes and confections symbolizing the sweetness of eternal life can now (follow weeks of Lenten self-denial) be freely enjoyed in celebration Christ's Resurrection.

Happy Easter! Wesołego Alleluja! Do you have any favorite family or religious Easter traditions?
KYM at home
With all the social networking, software, and writing program choices available to the world at large, how much emphasis should be placed upon using and/or teaching these little dillies in schools? As a teacher, I'm excited by using technology to teach, and I have to say, the kids are excited to use computers every chance it's offered.

But many elementary school teachers feel that they just don't have time to head to the lab and work on researching and keyboarding skills. They say they need to teach kids to read, write, and do math proficiently and don' t want to waste precious time on extraneous skills that aren't tested––which is definitely true. Standardized tests don't test computer skills. But does that mean they're not important?

So my question is: Should computer usage be a regular, integral part of the curriculum? If so, at what age and what amount of time?


https://www.glastonburyus.org/staff/RoseM/links/Pages/default.aspx

We live in a world that is driven by technology, and as such, I think it's our job, or the technology teacher's job if we had one, to teach our students how to navigate that world.

When I started the year, my second graders didn't know how to log on, or even what log on meant, much less do research. But I persisted, despite the roadblocks and the millions of questions.  I'm happy to report that, after 8 months of regular, almost weekly usage, my seven and eight year old students have come a long way. They can log on, use some common computer lingo, understand that you can type in a word in the google window and it will find resources for you. They know how to find an image and how to print it out so they can use it in a report. They can read bits of information and hit the back arrow if the website is too hard.

Are those skills akin to climbing Mount Everest? No. But even the Olympiad had to start somewhere. I do feel it is the job of primary teachers to get the kids in the lab for at least 30 minutes per week and teach kids the basics. Otherwise, you're relegating it to the upper grade teachers (which is my usual job) to teach keyboarding when the kids could be learning how to do Power Point presentations and delve into using multiple resources for research. But many teachers, and perhaps parents too, think technology should take a back seat.

What do you think? What age is the right age to teach and use computers in schools? How do you feel as a parent?

Laptop Users with Neck Problems?

  • Apr. 9th, 2009 at 6:20 AM
KYM at home
Let's face it: if you spend a lot of time gazing down lovingly at your laptop, you're bound to have neck troubles (and maybe some psychiatric ones too!)
 

Okay, okay. Besides  attempting to have better laptop posture,
I have five words of advice for you:

Sealy Posturepedic Trueform Contour Pillow
Product image
It doesn't look especially comfy (and it comes with a strange factory foamy smell that lingers for a month), but my neck pain and arms-falling-asleep problems are nearly gone! The side of the pillow she's sleeping on in the picture is for side sleepers (duh!) and the smaller contour side is for back sleepers. They're $80 - a bit costly - but it's 100% relief! 
 
*I can't take the credit for this suggestion - my chiro made me do it!

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Spring it on, Baby!

  • Apr. 7th, 2009 at 4:24 PM
KYM at home
Besides warmer weather,
what springy things are you looking forward to?
Me?

I can't wait to smell lilacs,



coo at the baby goslings


appreciate the beauty of daffodils,


and the start practicing for softball.
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What says spring to you?

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Editor Preferences

  • Apr. 6th, 2009 at 5:38 PM
KYM at home
Perusing the Internet/Verla Kay/SCBWI boards searching for specifics on what editors are looking for is about as easy as trying to find a parking spot at a Starbucks before work.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2304/2272895698_b14846b37d.jpg

Why is this?
(The editor issue, not the parking...)

I know that their tastes might change and it's not easy to pinpoint EXACTLY what they want, but it seems like a few generalities would be helpful. As in HATES POLITICAL BOOKS, LOVES FLYING MONKEYS, etc. I know it's an agent's job to meet with editors and network (or non-agented authors to attend conferences), but it seems that it could save everyone a lot of time and effort by pinpointing the right editor for the right story.


Ever feel this way? Any insight on why editor preferences are so hard to find?

I did find one link that has a lot of editor preferences, but they may or may not be current or accurate. Have at it. :)

querytracker.net/forum/index.php

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Heart Be Still!

  • Apr. 4th, 2009 at 10:26 AM
KYM at home
Hold the phone.
Hold the TV clicker.

Cancel all your plans because look what's coming to Showtime!

http://malocite.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/the_tudors_showtime.jpg

If you want more information, check out their website: www.sho.com/site/tudors/home.do '
Does this not make your historical fiction/romantic heart flutter? **Fans self

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BOOKS I'VE READ IN 2009

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

Book Thief By Markus Zusak

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Sucks to Be Me by Kimberley Pauley

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Boy Meets Boy (on CD in car) by David Levithan

Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire! by Brenda Ferber


CURRENTLY READING:

The Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu


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