Getting to know Me!!

Here is a little bit about me!

1. What is your favorite book for kids… something you would like to use in your future classroom? Why do you like it?

As corny as it sounds, I really love the message of The Little Engine That Could. I have the best memories of reading that as a child, and though I may not have been able to appreciate the message then I certainly do now. There are so, so many incredible children's books out there I honestly don't think I could pick just one! My personal favorite as a child was a book called Earrings, although that would certainly only appeal to girls (the oh-so-typical battle that nearly every girl goes through with her parents at some point)! I remember my dad would read it to me every night before bed and I had an entire ritual as we read through it. I suppose I don't really know which book is my favorite for kids, but it is my hope to give them the experience of truly enjoying a book, even if it is only that one book, creating memories with it, and holding on to that feeling of pure joy that they felt reading it for years to come, as Earrings or The Little Engine That Could did for me.

2. Name your three favorite T.V. shows, even if you don’t have time to watch them! What can you (or what are you willing to) tell me about your T.V. viewing habits? I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours!

Three? Only three? I could never, ever pick only three. My addiction to television is a very sad realization that I have made recently and am quite determined to change. But as of now, these are the shows on my DVR: Oprah, Mad Men, Glee, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Desperate Housewives, Storm Chasers, The Hills, The City, Lost, 90210, Brothers and Sisters, Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, The Good Wife, The Biggest Loser, Friends, Sex and the City, The Vampire Diaries, Modern Family, The Office, 30 Rock, Community, Parks and Recreation. In addition, I will watch anything on the Food Network and enjoy many other TV shows...but as you can see I only have room for so many! I will catch others such as Law and Order: SVU, ER, Mystery Diagnosis, or House when they re-run. Wow...I need to get rid of my TV one of these days but I have yet to gain the courage!

3. Do you collect anything? Tell about your collections:

As a child I collected dolls. This started when my parents brought me back several from various countries in Europe and I began collecting them where ever we went. I now have dolls from all over, anywhere from Africa to Russia to Jamaica. I stopped many years ago, but am planning on starting up again.

I also had a brief stint collecting spoons...yeah.

The collection of which I am most proud though has got to be...my T-Shirts. This, I must say, is probably the one thing about me that my husband would change if he could. I never, ever throw away T-shirts. I still wear my very first soccer jersey from Kindergarten (back then it went below my knees) and whenever my parents or brother tries to get rid of their T-shirts, I rummage through the piles and take them to add to my own collection. I buy T-shirts on every trip. The way I see it, you buy T-shirts because they represent some kind of memory, whether it is a vacation, a high-school event, or some other kind of trip, you wanted to have something to remember that event by. Do you someday stop wanting that memory? I think not! So, my T-shirt collecting will be ever-growing and I will never part with a single one.

4. Do you keep any kind of a journal (or blog?) besides this one? Tell me about it, and what you like to write about:

I don't. I hate to journal, but I wish I loved it. I save my day planners which is so random. I keep anything that I stick in there whether it is a list of books I want to read or my newest plan to start working out. I record in those my to-do lists, trips I go on, movies I see, etc. It is much more factual. I don't know why I keep them. But after doing our Writer's Journals last semester I am now determined to begin keeping a journal of my own! In fact this reminds me...I need to go buy one and get writing!

5. If you had to be the sponsor of an after-school group, select your 1st, 2nd & 3rd choices:
1: Book Club
2: World Peace
3: Writers Group


6. Have you ever taken art lessons or attended art classes outside of school? Tell about your artistic talent and/or interests:

Aside from what I've done in school I have not taken any art classes. I prefer to work on art projects by myself. I don't do well with people watching over my shoulder, even if they aren't, I feel like they are. I can't do anything if I think they are from reading to writing to drawing if I think someone is watching. When I draw, I do many pencil sketches until I get the lines exactly right, and then I go over that in sharpie. This takes an unbelievably long time, so when I take on an art project most of the people around me groan and ask why I bother working so hard on something I will show for only a few moments. I enjoy working hard at something not matter how long I am able to reap the benefits. Art for me does not come naturally, it is something I have to work at very, very hard at for a very long time, but I always enjoy the product!

7. Have you ever taken music lessons or belonged to musical groups outside of school? Tell about your musical talent and/or interests:

I took piano lessons from K-12 grade, but unfortunately do keep up with it. Some day I plan to start taking lessons again. My mom did this, began taking lessons as an adult after years away from it, and is now a phenomenal piano player. I hope to do the same. I also grew up singing in choir at church.

In middle school and high school I was a member of a show choir. In middle school we were the Expectations, and in high school, The Variations. My school was known for its incredible musical talent in show choir and its musicals of Broadway caliber. In high school I performed in Bye, Bye Birdie, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, and Les Miserables. Musicals still hold a very special place in my heart! I love to sing and love to see musicals in person, through soundtrack, or at the movies. My entire family is somewhat musical obsessed, and my brother still performs in many at Yale. In fact, he hopes to become a play-write after he graduates! I wish that I had the talent to continue on with them myself, but I did it as more of a hobby than anything else! Now I am happy to be a part of the audience.

I desperately want to learn to play the guitar!

8. Have you ever taken dance lessons or belonged to dance groups? Tell about your dance talent and/or interests:

I danced (tap, ballet, jazz) for 12 years but was never truly in love with it. The only one that I continued on with was tap, which I did love and like piano hope to pursue again some day! And, as I mentioned above I was in show choir which involved a fair amount of dancing as well! I was captain of the drill team in high school as well.

9. Have you ever taken drama classes or performed in a theater production? Tell about your theater talents and/or interests:

In high school I performed in One Act Plays, plays, and musicals and I really loved it. I did a play called Red Noses in high school which was incredibly fun and I was fortunate enough to have the lead female role. We've also done Into The Woods, Alice in Wonderland, Prelude to a Kiss, and others. As I mentioned above I did several musicals as well. It was a really, really fun time in my life and though I was not star-material by any means, it was really special to be a part of.

10. What have I not asked you, that you would like me to know about you?

Well it seems that most of my artistic accomplishments in song and dance occurred in high school, and that is something I'd really like to see change! I need to re-involve myself in the things that used to be so much a part of who I was. Today though, this is what I am pursuing:

I am determined this semester to learn Spanish. I have taken on an extra class, bringing my total workload to 20 hours this semester in an effort to accomplish this. After Spanish I plan to attack French, then perhaps Italian. A lofty dream I know, but some day I want to speak many languages!

I recently rediscovered the library and have engaged in a reading frenzy. I enjoy to read in themes and my current themes are Food and France. I have put a lot of thought into nutrition lately and the kinds of life-long habits I want to achieve, hence the Food theme, and my parents are moving to France next month which brings it in as a theme as well. So I have been reading everything from Fast Food Nation to The Raw Food Diet to Julia Child's My Life in France to French Women Don't Get Fat. It has brought major changes to my life and way of thinking: I am now a vegetarian and am realizing that being an American is not all its cracked up to be!

This summer I am going on an exploration of Europe! I have a 3 week trip planned with my husband through France, Italy and Spain, and we are hoping to extend it even longer! In fact, Becky, Jessie and I have seriously discussed bringing road bikes over (another fitness activity I would love to get into!) and riding through parts of Europe. We shall see! When I return I would really like to get certified to teach Yoga, which I will dedicate the rest of my summer to and is something else I will be working toward this year.

I tell you all of this because this year I have dedicated myself to achieving goals that I have set aside for so long. I wrote in my Writer's Journal that I am frustrated that quite often people don't take the things I say I would like to do seriously, and I realized a huge part of that is my fault as I tend to put things off, change direction, or simply not follow through. So, I made a list of everything I said that I wanted to do in the past and am working toward checking each one off!

Looking forward to a fabulous 2010 full of much self-discovery!