Someone You Should Know


from left: Ali, Jill, Jayne

It was fate that brought Ali and me together. We'd both attended UVSC taking early childhood ed. classes and never found each other until our first day of our cohort experience in the elementary ed program. I immediately picked Ali out as a new friend, I just had to convince her of it. At first I was frightened when I showed up to class the next day and she had taken notes from her chapter reading--yikes!-- and had them all organized. But that was just the first day--after that she was just as much of a slacker as I was.

It didn't take long and Ali and I had the same life, only she wasn't married to Jed. We worked at Sunset View Elementary in the morning, attended class in the afternoon and went back to SSV to work at the after school academy. We did our projects there together and ultimately student taught across the hall from each other.

Al is the most fun, thoughtful, funny, kind person you'll meet. If she's around, you want to be by her. And you'll see as you read her blog she's as real as they come--a relief in the blogging world, for sure! So, I think you should know Ali. Your life would be more fun if you did. Mine sure has been.

No, Parley!

I've never liked the book No, David. I know it's a Caldecott honor book, but I have always felt sad for poor David, who only hears No! or Don't! on every page of the book (and forgive me, but David Shannon's illustrations don't do it for me either).

Sadly, I feel like I am David's mother now, only David is named Parley. I am the mean mom who only says Don't! or No! all day long! Today Parley confirmed my fear when he stood in the living room saying:

Don't uh couch
Don't uh chair
Don't uh draw uh walls
Don't uh Julian
Don't uh Hazey
Don't uh piano
Don't uh ground

My only consolation is that David's mean, awful mother calls David to her at the end of the day gives David a hug and says, "Yes, David!" (and she also has walls with permanent marker on them). See, even us nasty mothers hug our children at the end of the day.