Picture Day

When you're a teacher, there are bound to be a few things that get the grown-up you just as excited/nervous as you did when you were a kid. One of those things for me is Scholastic Book Orders. When I was in school and my teacher would pass them out, I'd already have half of the catalog circled by the time I got home, and then I would wait anxiously for my teacher to finally pass out the books once they arrived. I still do that, only this time I don't have to wait for the flyers to get passed out, AND I get to be the first to get my new books!

Another thing that makes me feel like I'm in elementary school again is school picture day. Choosing my outfit, practicing my smile, getting into position- toes on the line, turn your shoulders, lift your chin, tilt your head, and waiting for the pictures to arrive (meanwhile planning who "gets" one...only now it's more like trying to figure out who would possible want one!)
Wednesday was school picture day. I don't know if it's just "here" or if this is going on everywhere, but there's something different about picture day.
Here I am on picture day:

That wasn't this year's picture day...that was when I was in 3rd grade! Personally, I think I look pretty adorable, in my pretty dress and my fancy hairbows and smiling my big front toothless smile.
And even when my mom stopped dressing me and putting bows in my hair for picture day, I put a lot of thought into what I would wear for picture day.
So imagine my surprise when quite a few of my 2nd graders came to school on picture day in t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. Not one of my little boy students wore a tie or a button down shirt. Only 2 or 3 of my girls wore dresses. And not even half of my kids turned in the picture order forms!
I asked them if they had practiced their smiles, and most of the kids who have missing teeth showed me closed-mouth smiles. I said, "You're not going to show your teeth?" and one girl actually said her mom told her not to show her teeth because she lost a tooth last week and her picture would look ugly! What!? Now, I'm not sure I believe that...but I'm also not quite sure I don't.
Anyway, I wore one of my favorite sweaters, smiled with my teeth showing, and I'm getting pictures (all teachers get a free pack of pictures!)... I wonder how they'll turn out!

What's in a name?

I saw this on another blog and thought for fun I'd check out my name. If you know me, do you agree with what it says about me? Or, if you look up your name, do you agree with what it says about you? I put my comments in bold.

What Rebecca Means

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. Me? Maybe crazy, but I don't really think rebellious. You're always up to something. I wouldn't say always. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. I don't disagree. You're very intense. I don't necessarily think this I'm very intense, but I could see how other people might. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. I don't actually get into much trouble. You are friendly, charming, and warm. Of course, this is 100% true. :) You get along with almost everyone. Er...almost. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. I usually only rock the boat in my mind. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. Yes, very true. I'm bad at being early for deadlines, but I normally do make the deadline. You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous. I would say that's typically fairly accurate. You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things. Completely false. I am the opposite of bold and daring. I do not like risky behavior. I scream when I watch roller coaster shows on the Travel Channel. Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. I can have a moderately bad temper at times. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. I am very open when I want to tell people things, but if they ask me about it, then I am not so open. Hey...that must be the rebellious part they were talking about in the first paragraph! I think that people generally feel I connect with them easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. Yes. Yes. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. I should say so. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. Maybe not the best at everything, but one of the best at most things. ;) You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. Sometimes. That didn't sound very authoritative, did it? You have the classic "Type A" personality. Maybe more like Type A Minus. But sure, I could see how someone might think I'm a little Type A at times.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Where is their red, white and blue??

So, I think I've mentioned before that being on base here in Okinawa is basically just like being in the states. You've got your BK & your gas by the gallon instead of the liter (litre?) and other comforts of home. The only real "you're not in Kansas (or other state) anymore" instances are:
1. driving on the "wrong" side of the road
2. being carded on the way into the commissary
3. calling the grocery store the commissary
4. standing for the National Anthem before the previews come on at the movie theater
and 5. stopping the car or standing still at 1700 while the Star Spangled Banner plays over the loud speaker.

Today I need to gripe about #5. Not the fact that the custom exists, but that so many people choose to ignore it. I will admit that I have done some extra shopping in the BX if it's nearing 5 to avoid standing outside with my bags. I will also admit that it's quite common for me to find something to busy myself with in my classroom until 5:05 rather than walking out at 4:59. I can even count on one hand the number of times that I've literally run into the house so I can be in before the anthems (Japanese and USA) begin to play. But that's usually only if I really have to go to the bathroom. So I'm not saying I'm perfectly patriotic. BUT I do think I'm patriotic enough to complain about some people who blatantly ignore the SSB at 5:00.
If it's close to 5:00 and you're in your car, windows up and radio on, you don't really hear the anthem come on. But, if it's close to 5:00, you're in your car, windows up, radio on, and you see two people standing "at attention", that's a pretty good clue that it's time for retreat. So, I pull to the side and put my blinkers on. Okay...now, if it's close to 5:00, you're in your car, windows up, radio on, you see two people standing at attention and the car in front of you has pulled to the side and put the blinkers on...do you see where this is going? How was it not clear to the THREE cars that went around me that it was, in fact, time to pause for the playing of the national anthem??
A few months ago, David had a 6:00 softball game, and because David is David, we arrived an hour early. We were walking toward the field, and standing outside at the softball field, it is very easy to hear the speakers. So we stopped and stood for the 2 minutes it takes to get through both anthems. Then David went and spoke to the "coach" that had been leading a group of about 15 kids in stretches...during the national anthem.
I don't know what's with some people around here. I would've expected this particular demographic to be more respectful of military custom and America in general. I always tell my students that saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning is our way of saying "thank you" to the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, etc. that are missing their families and maybe in danger right now. The boy who raises his hand and says, "They are fighting for us so we can believe in the things we want to believe in. Some of them might get hurt or die, so we should stand still and think of them every morning," I bet his parents stand still for 2 minutes at 5:00.

Love to be Lazy

This has been a great weekend! I've been in my pajamas for most of it! The only thing I went out to do was a 5k fun run on Saturday morning. Otherwise, I've just been at home, knitting, surfing the net, watching movies, and talking on the phone. I love lazy weekends. Not doing any running around makes the weekend seem longer. Oh, since my weekend seemed longer, I actually cleaned the big mess off of my scrap table. Maybe now I'll do some paper scrapping instead of digital. My relatively new interest in digital scrapbooking makes cleaning off my scrap table much less urgent. I really wanted to post a LO for ScrapVillage's monthly "blueprint" challenge, but dreaded cleaning off the table. Even with less than 2 inches of free space on the table, adhesive hidden under looming, leaning piles of paper, and a laundry-basket full of school files blocking my path to my bins of chipboard, brads and Prima flowers, I was able to make this:

And, an added bonus to digi-scrapping, I've been able to scrap this Australia pages even though I haven't gotten all of the pictures uploaded and ordered yet! Most importantly, no mess to clean up after! Now that my table is clean, though, I do hope to "wind-down" after school at least once this week with some actual paper-and-adhesive scrapbooking.