I read several teaching and education-related blogs and Twitter feeds. One of my new favorites is Mind/Shift. The blog curates a lot of interesting ed-tech news.

One thing I'm especially interested in is figuring out ways to harness mobile devices. Mind/Shift had an article on this recently. A highlight of the article is the little blurb on "Snack Learning." If you think about it, a 50-minute class period is rather snack-like.

Today on my mobile device (in this case, my laptop, which isn't quite as mobile as my phone or my iPad), I solved a work problem. My new boss (she seems so fabulous, fyi) asked for a head shot-type photo of me. I took one quick with my webcam and emailed it to her. "This is as good as it gets," I told her.



Never mind the zit on my chin. You can't hardly notice it, right?!

Way back when I first purchased a family membership at the zoo, my mom gave me a piece of advice. At the zoo, you write down how many dependent children you have living with you at your address. She told me to just round up. That way, when one of your kids brings a friend, that extra kid is free. She said she always did that kind of thing when my brother and I were young.

I didn't think much about the LIE, and just signed up for three kids like my mom told me to. Never mind that we have never actually brought a friend for either of our boys. But, whatever, I COULD HAVE.

Well, on this past weekend's visit, we didn't bring friends, but we had to renew our membership. I was, of course, reminded of my enduring LIE. Then, I was forced to ramp it up. On the new membership application, you have to list the names and birth dates of your children. My first inclination was just to let it drop. Like, just say, "Oh you know what? We just have two kids now." But then what if I had to do more explaining and it only compounded the LIES?

So, I just decided that the easiest thing would be to invent a middle child. Plenty of people with 7 year-olds and 3 year-olds also have 5 year-olds, and now, ladies and gentlemen, we do too! As far as the zoo is concerned Shef exists, Mac exists, and so does Thomas, our middle child born on May 15th, 2006.



Welcome, Thomas! I think I do love you so much.

We went to to zoo today and had a great time. My idea for the blog was to take lots of photos of animals that start with K and then put them here on the blog.

It turns out the zoo only has two animals that start with K: the Komodo Dragon and Matchie's Tree Kangaroo. So here they are. You can't see them very well because I didn't do a very good job of taking the pictures. Also, I didn't realize ShapeCollage would make them so small. Oh well. Live and learn.



Shef also wanted to pose for a pic next to the buffalo statue, so I added that one, too.

A really funny movie that Dan and I like is I Love You, Man. In it, this nice-but-blundering guy Peter tries to make a best friend in time for his wedding.

Basically, he tries way too hard and says all kinds of painfully awkward things while trying to seem cool. It goes without saying that I have behaved like Peter many times because of my previously mentioned INCLUSION NEEDS. So, naturally I find him endearing and totally relate to his plight.

Anyway, our whole family has gotten into the habit of calling each other "Jobin," which is the inexplicable nickname Peter gives to his new pal, Sydney, in the movie.

We also say all kinds of other things from this film. For instance, when I'm making plans with Dan on the phone, I'll end by telling him, "I'll see you then, or I'll see you at another time." And then he'll answer, "Laters on the men-jay."

Even Dan's parents have gotten into the trend. Their favorite is "When you get a mo." As in, when you get a mo-MENT.

Basically, if you haven't seen this movie and you like raunchy stupid comedies featuring cute little awkward guys, you should probably see it.

This is a phrase my mother in-law taught me. She's always remarking on her own "high inclusion needs." It turns out that I also have extremely high inclusion needs. We do share a birthday, my mother in-law and I, so maybe it's to be expected that we share certain traits.

What it means to have high inclusion needs is that you always need a buddy.

Going out to lunch? I want to come. Walking to the office? Hey! Me too! Have to pee? Well, I'm totally up for that.

So yesterday when I had a fun chat about teaching ideas and other stuff with one of my new colleagues, I was super excited. I called Dan right afterward. "I made a friend!!" I squealed. He tried to sound excited for me, but he doesn't really understand. He's like totally fine to walk to the bathroom by himself.

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I've been so busy being excited about my new job that I almost forgot to be overwhelmed. But, don't even worry because I just got three back-to-school mailings and now I'm well on my way to feeling suitably HARRIED.

There are a lot of new handbook items to learn: log ins, passwords, acronyms, policies, schedule...

I've posted the (ingenious, I think) schedule above. Here are some things I love about it: 1) the kids get to take seven classes, but never have more than six per day; 2) they have some breaks in the day, like BREAK, RECESS, and TUTORIAL; and 3) We have ADVISORY.

Also, and this is a revelation, teachers have TWO prep periods. Mine are A and C! I was so confused about the two-prep concept that I babbled to my new boss incomprehensibly about my HAPPINESS. Oh well.

When I left Camp Foley tonight, the campers and staff were busy with their Harry Potter Banquet Day. Starting this morning, they all did this big House Cup Competition and then they ran around in house colors finding horcruxes and battling Bellatrix LeStrange.

Dumbledore and McGonagall wandered around making sure everything was going okay and counting out HP silly bandz for souvenirs.

At dinner, everyone wore dress robes and costumes and listened to the HP theme song. Tonight, they were going to campfire where perhaps the horcruxes would be destroyed and Voldemort vanquished.

During the day, I helped a little bit with the Harry Potter festivities. Gotta love a workplace where people come to you for answers to questions like, "Have you seen my four ring pops?" and "Will you sprinkle these jelly beans on all these tables?"

Also, "Is the face paint in here?" and "Have you checked the batteries in all of these dinosaurs?"

Thanks, Camp Foley. It was a blast, as usual. That's my staff photo up there from 1998, btw. I found the yearbook in my basement.