Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A Varied Diet

Would a nutritionist consider this a varied diet? (And no, this was not all eaten in one day!)

Quesadillas

Stirfry

Bagels

Egg Drop Soup

Chili

Split Pea Soup

Tofu Sandwiches (Fried tofu, with soy sauce, italian seasonings, and ketchup)

Bean and Rice Burritos

Spanish Rice

Hummus and tortillas

Nachos

Pizza

Grilled Cheese

Pupusas (Tortillas stuffed with queso fresco)

Spaghetti

Scrambled Eggs

Chex Mix

Muffins

Hotdish

Mix in a healthy dose of fresh fruits and vegetables, an occasional smoothie, and life is good!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

On the Front Lines

I'm on the front lines. I've caught a two year old half a second before he would have been hit by a car, after an overburdened mother of four accidently left the daycare center's gate open. I've been the target of hits, kicks, bites, and screams, without the option to fight back. I've been witness to a three year old's sudden violence after too much stimulation, and caught children literally flying through the air. I've worked with children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, autism, Down's Syndrome, bipolar disorder, and Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I've been bled on, and wondered how much I should worry---the child's mother did do drugs.


Name any bodily fluid, and I've encountered it. Projectile vomit? Check. One day in the one year olds' classroom crossed that one off my list. Poop? The infant room did that one in, when a child with a stomach bug had a leaky diaper. Blood? I've had a bloody hand unceremoniously dumped in mine after a rough fall.


I've translated for a frantic grandmother whose granddaughter was locked in a car, a mother who just got divorced, and a teacher when a sweet, peaceful child got badly bitten.

I am the subject of violence on a daily basis, without the option of fighting back. An angry child in the midst of a manic episode can have superhuman strength!

And people still think teachers aren't underpaid?

Saturday, May 7, 2011

"Dinner Isn't Late...It's Suspenseful."

I absolutely love this new blog. Matthewsers is funny, smart, and slightly irreverent. What's not to love? Here are a few choice quotes:

"Dinner isn't burnt/completely carcinogenic/could be used as charcoal sticks for caveman drawings...it's smokey. Or Cajun?"
"And the biohazards in the fridge? Just think of them as biodiversity. Flourishing biodiversity. Perhaps you'd prefer to think of them as wildlife?"

So go check it out, and get a few laughs!