Sunday, August 29, 2010

What I love about Austin ::: {Nelo}


The girls and I spent another fun evening in Austin Friday night. This time we hit up the Nelo concert. I was introduced to this Austin based band by my roommate, Abra and instantly fell in love. 


This band has a keyboardist/saxophonist so you know Im all over it.
The only thing missing...a harmonica



Saturday, August 28, 2010

And then my heart smiled


The first week of school went by rather quickly and very smoothly. I wouldn't say better than last year because I already had a kid sign the discipline book but I have him under control. Its just... last years kids were AMAZING! Zero discipline problems really. We had so much fun with labs and activities. We could rap about landforms and not get out of control. Last year was beautiful. Granted, its only been a week, my new ones will grow on me, but I really miss my kiddos. 

On the first day of school I got a visit from pretty much every one of my 120 lovelies from last year which made my heart smile a little LOT. But there was one kid that I was looking forward to seeing the most.  I couldn't stop thinking about him all summer. Would that mentor relationship still be in place over the summer. We came so far last year. Will he continue to grow in his success?  All day I waited and waited to see his precious little face in my doorway. I would stand out in the hallways in between classes scouring the crowd of preteens for my precious little boy. I waited and waited...and didn't see him at all.

I couldn't help but hang my head as I left work that day. Of all the excitement of the first day I was looking forward to seeing him the most! I return home and explain to my roommate my loss. Abra, teaches 7th grade at my school and just so happens to be "Timothy's" teacher this year. She explains his demeanor in class that day and reassures me that the work I had done with him last year is still in place. It lifted me up.

The second day of school was a circus. I was still getting visitors from last year as well as my students from 2 years ago (now 8th graders). I even had students popping in to say hi that I never taught. They were happening so frequently that I would just be at the other end of the room and respond "Hi, Sweetie!" and continue about my task. In between 5th and 6th period is when it happened. Little "Timothy" was standing in my doorway. I almost didn't recognize him without his glasses. He had grown a couple inches. Then an overwhelming feeling came over me. I cant really explain it other than when I saw him standing there...I wanted to cry. I was filled with such overwhelming joy, excitement and love for this kid that my eyes began to well up with tears. I'm assuming this comes pretty close to the feeling I would have for my own child but since I don't have a child this is the first time I have ever felt this.

"'TIMOTHY!' get over here!" I open up my arms. He lights up. He white teeth couldn't have shined brighter against his dark skin. I missed him so much.

"How are you doing?!? You look good!" 
He lowers his head as if something at his feet caught his attention. 
"Fine" I could see he was still smiling.

"Im so happy you stopped by! I missed you kid. Come back and visit anytime. I want to hear about your summer"
"Can I come for lunch tomorrow?"
This was music to my ears. I was trying to hide my excitement the best I could. All I wanted to do was jump up and down.
"Yes! I'll meet you at the front of the cafeteria" 
"Ok"
"See ya tomorrow bub!"

The next day I went to the cafeteria and he is waiting for me. He tells me about his summer, his goals and fears for this year and I sat like a proud mother. His growth from this time last year is astounding, astonishing, incredible...all of the above. I can't wait to see how he grows even more this year as a 7th grader. 

I guess this was a really really long descriptive post about a student who changed me as much as I changed him. No real point to it except to express the love I have for my kids and especially "Timothy"
This love is a mentor, mother kind of love and no other. With all the inappropriate teacher-student relationships that are going around these days I felt I needed to include that disclaimer. 

All in all, first week = success. Ill keep you updated on Timothy. If you want to read his story click here.

A toast to the weekend. Have a good one.
-x- 
la beast




Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Krick's Bachelorette

Krick's getting married and this weekend we made sure she partied in style. It was a beautiful reunion weekend with 20 of Krick's fellow admirers traveling the distance to celebrate with her. Among those were past roomies who have detailed the weekend on their blogs here and here.



But I'll end with this.
I love my life.
I love my friends.
and I fell off my step during a step workout class today.
(Im talking-hit the ground)

Monday, August 23, 2010

Third First Day

(Photo:weheartit)


First day of school in the morning!

Pray for my kiddos and that I am able to reach them this year.
(If you're into that kinda thing)


Happy Monday!

-x-
labeast

Late Night Liger Trick

Once upon a time I was being attacked by ligers at the bar. So naturally, I pulled a late night liger trick in hopes of ridding them from my presence. 



A trick called TI- 83 Plus was brought into action, quickly making its way from my vintage clutch. 
Its a long story about how my personal number cruncher made its way out on the town that night but it did.

Orange Liger (pictured above) was on the prowl, moving in closer to his prey (me)
I had to act quick.
I pull out my pal, TI, and begin punching keys intensely. I was hoping it would catch him off guard, question his intentions and leave without speaking to me. 


Wrong.
TI-83 Pluses excite the Ligers and make them pounce toward their prey. It happens so suddenly not even la beast saw this one coming. 

"Is that a TI-83 Plus?!?!" The enthusiastic predator questions his victim. 

How do I dodge this one? This kid is acting like I bought him not just candy...but an entire candy store.

Thankfully friends came to the rescue.

moral of the story
 NEVER SHOW LIGERS A CALCULATOR








Thursday, August 19, 2010

titleless post

I am just sitting here on my couch thinking about things and I've come to the conclusion that I just freaking adore my friends. Every single one of them shapes and molds me into a better person and I am so thankful to have such loving wonderful people in my life. 

I am ridiculously excited about this weekend. I get to see two different sets of friends IN ONE WEEKEND. Lucky Lucky Me.

Tomorrow night the Tiny Dancers and I will be out celebrating one special girls b-day.
Ster-fry, my partner in crime since middle school and travel buddy to my most recent trip to England

And Saturday I will reunite with my college loves to celebrate this sexy kid

for Krick's BACHELORETTE PARTY!!

I cant wait. 
I cant wait.
I cant wait.
I cant wait.

And it wont be a visit back to Dallas without seeing my very best friend, bestie
 All of this in 48 hours. Dallas, Texas....watch out. 

ahhh
bed.
now.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Its that time of year

Its that time. The time of year when everyone starts freaking out. Stressing. out. Creating unnecessary  discomfort. Ligering around aimlessly. Conversations cant be had. Smiles cant be made. Everyone is too focused.  For all you fellow teacher friends, you know what I'm talking about.
 
Its called...
The week before the first day of school. 

I have a few things I'd like to say....

Quit stressing out. 
Because you are making things complicated and Im bothered (how British of me to say bothered)

Breathe. Relax. Chill.

Everything is going to be okay.

Lets just lay on some grass and pretend like there isn't a care in the world.



Or eat some tortilla chips shaped like Texas

thats sure to make anyone's day a 10.

Monday, August 16, 2010

NewWorldSon

Why wasn't I blessed with musical talent? 

Today I was rockin' to this song during my quiet time.

I bet you can guess why I am obsessed with it


If you guessed the piano. You win.
Lovin NewWorldSon right now.

La beast goes to a BALL

I'll admit that I had an internal debate on posting about this date. Considering Ball boy just found me on twitter and will find my blog and this post soon if he hasn't found it already. I'll leave all the exciting details of the night for your imagination but I felt it my duty to let you in on a little bit of the evening.

This post really isn't about the Ball or even Ball Boy for that matter it is purely a congratulatory post to myself. A toast to me. For not royally making a fool out of myself. If you know me or have been following for a while now you will know that my middle name is Awkward with a capital A  EVERY letter capitalized. I cant help it.  Sometimes I can be the confident, beastly character that can dominate situations but then there are the times when English becomes my second language and I don't make complete sentences. I don't even have complete thoughts. Throw in an attractive male, cocktails, dancing and live auctions and you've got yourself LA AWKWARD for the night.

To expect a flawless, la beast night would be like saying a strainer can hold water. But I'm proud to inform you that I wasn't as bad as I had imagined I would be. So go me! I must give some of that to Ball Boy and his attentiveness and witty character. I didn't have to talk as much because he had me laughing the entire night. So thanks, Ball Boy. I owe you one.




If you are having a hard time visualizing my awkwardness watch this video of Kristen Stewart. It pretty much sums me up


-x-
labeast/laawkward

Friday, August 13, 2010

Who rides the train from Dallas to Austin?

This kid I know named Billy





Whooooo does that anymore?
Europe- I get it
Big city transportation system- I get it

But who rides the train, old school style, from North Texas to Central Texas?
A drive that normally takes 3 hours is do-able with good music (paper planes) and a good companion (pearl girl)
But this train ride takes EIGHT HOURS!


I guess I shouldn't complain since I get to see my boy-bff (as opposed to, bestie, my girl-bff) for the 4th time this summer. He is usually in an important grad school being an important grad student in Denver, Colorado the rest of the time.


What he doesn't know yet is that he will be put to work tomorrow in my classroom. Thats what happens when you come to visit during teacher work week. 


Happy Weekend!

-x-
labeast

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Aggie Night at Dell Diamond

Last Friday the girls and I went to the Dell Diamond to watch baseball. I cant tell you how badly I want to be a baseball fan.
I try.
Really hard
But baseball is so long and drawn out and not AS exciting as the others. Nonetheless, I will continue to try to love it. Until then Ill pose as one. 


I have a secret. 
I may or may not have eaten a hot dog AND a cheeseburger in the same sitting.
Don't tell. ok?


-x-
la beast


PS- Roach Update: 
I have two videos documenting the dilemma but my computer and I have been fighting lately. It doesn't want to do what I say. Therefore videos will have to wait until Im more patient or the computer apologizes. 
Whichever comes first

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Roach Update

We have found the roach!

Yes....I lost him. He was too quick and got away. But last night we found him and trapped him.

Video of this coming soon.

Monday, August 9, 2010

ABRA COMES HOME

My roommate has been gone ALL SUMMER. Im not kidding. 
She left the same week we finished work at the end of May and is finally back!

TODAY TODAY TODAY TODAY TODAY TODAY TODAY TODAY
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
watch out Austin

(she gave me permission)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Big Girl Bed

My house is getting closer and closer to looking like anthropologie. Every room is painted, curtains are finally making their way up and cabinet knobs have been exchanged for new decorative ones. Every room looks put together. Even the hallway....all rooms except for my bedroom.

Things have just been thrown in there that don't match the rest of the house, I still have the same bedding since my college days and all the pictures are from 2006, the last time I printed any pictures. I'm bothered by my bedroom. So bothered that I have secretly been sleeping in my roommates bed this summer while shes been gone. Dont worry, she's cool with it. 

I just don't look forward to going into my messy, thrown together bedroom. Therefore...its time for a big girl bed.


Its going to look a little something like this


with a little bit of this


Im going to get my hands dirty and throw some paint on the wall also.

I'll let you know how that works out.
Except right now I'm terrified to leave my bed because I just saw this crawl across my floor
UGH!!!!! I hate not living with la roommate. She was the killer of roaches. I just cant do them.
I'll probably end up putting a cup on it, leave it for a good week to make sure its really dead and then make some one else pick it up and throw it away.

But I have to capture it tonight otherwise I wont sleep. 

Wish me luck.
Screaming will be involved


Friday, August 6, 2010

Mission to Egypt

In the morning my dear friend CJ will head to Egypt for two weeks on a mission trip. Im so stinkin' excited for her! I cant wait to hear about!
(daily cards with encouraging verses we made for her)


Im asking you for your prayers. 
Pray mainly for her safety. Having been to Egypt myself it can be a pretty scary place seeing as how it is so different from what we are used to. Then add in sharing Christ with Muslims through an underground church..things start getting a little bit more terrifying. 


But before she heads out we are all going to the Round Rock Express baseball game to soak in a classic summer night spent with good friends, baseball and cheeseburgers! Holla! expect a twit pic on that one.

Happy Friday, 
enjoy your summer night
-x-
labeast

Dear Walt Disney,

Dear Walt Disney,
   You're a pretty genius kid. Your business maneuvers are unstoppable and your kingdom is pretty darn magical. The "Sunshine State" radiates only from the beaming children who visit your castle daily. I don't have a childhood memory without you in it.  Like the time I was Cinderella, Jasmine, Jessie and Poke-a-hot-ass (clearly that one was a little more recent) for Halloween. Like the time you taught me to wish upon a star (or was that just an airplane in the night sky?) or the time I believed Centaurs were real until high school (thanks Fantasia for the embarrassment). I would watch Cinderella, the prettiest princess of them all, for every sleepover in a fort we made with the couch.
In middle school I would write "Belle" on my hand as a reminder to say "Bonjour" to everyone at school that day. (Actually I just said "hello") I remember falling in love with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, plastering his pictures on my wall and running to see Lion King the day it came out. I remember that time I woke up Christmas morning to "Patch" waiting for me under the tree. Brother got Rolly. ha. sucks. Patch was much better. 
I feared Captain Hook, Ursula, Jafar and the seven dwarfs. I dreamt of Prince Eric, Prince Charming and Aladdin. 

I've said this before on my blog but if I had to choose my favorite character of yours, Walt, it would have to be Aladdin.  I wanted to be his lover Jasmine, and ride tigers called Raja whenever I fancied. Her off the shoulder aqua bedlah suggest classy and sassy all in one. What male doesn't appreciate a bare shoulder? I would make brother ride my magic carpet casted by none other than Woobie, the baby blanket (which I still have). I got really good at the Genie impressions.

Your only problem dear Walt, is the creation of your characters. They are too damn perfect. Symmetrically flawless. People don't exist like that in real life!



Until...... I met Robert. When I first saw him on So You Think You Can Dance I was mesmerized by his dancing but more importantly I was all consumed by his ability to look freakishly similar to a Ken doll, and then he happened to play one. weird. 


but I knew I loved him for other reasons. He IS ALADDIN IN HUMAN FORM. That wish upon a star really did come true. HOLLA!

MMMMMM. MMM!! look at that hunk of a man with one giant tooth! sexy. 

and incase you need more proof


I mean come on...he even wears the same outfits as Aladdin. You've GOT to be kidding me!
askdjflskj. This just blows me away.



In all seriousness Robert is a pretty stellar dancer. Here is one of his best pieces


Until next time kids....
-x-
la beast

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Queen of Babble

One of the biggest flaws I find in myself is that Im not a big reader. I am a writer, a painter, a teacher, a runner, a traveler, a t.v. watcher and a procrastinator, but I regretfully can not claim myself as a reader.

Knowing my flaw, hating it and trying to change it I set myself up for failure by turning my desire to read more into a New Years resolution. Those fail 110% of the time.

My New Years Resolution was to read one book a month. Shamefully I admit, I just finished the book I started in January. It was forced on me by a fellow co worker. Begrudgingly, I decided to try it out.

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot.


It doesn't really sound like my kind of book. I mean it has pink on the cover. I don't do pink and girly. A short time in to the book I could tell why my co-worker was so adamant on me reading this book.

The main character IS ME! Totally awkward, talks too much (out of nervousness), obsessed with England and goes to visit her la rockstar...british boyfriend for the summer.

After reading that one, I picked up the uber interesting Girl with a One Track Mind by Abby Lee while in London.
Warning: Its graphic. BUT about an anonymous blogger who got a book deal in response to her thousands of followers.  I couldn't put it down. So yes, I read 2 books in one month. I feel slightly accomplished even though I should have read 7 by now.


P.S. my neck/back is KILLING me from my T-rex attack yesterday morning. Where is my significant other when I need him? oh wait...I haven't met him yet. Hurry up kid!

Monday, August 2, 2010

La Beast goes to Boot Camp


Back to work. Is it that time already? I know I shouldn't complain. I do realize that I am one of very few professions that get a consecutive two month holiday. However, the alarm this morning couldn't have sounded more like death calling. It could have been the 4:45 am wake up call for boot camp but I think it was the reality of going back to work after boot camp that left me cursing my alarm. Not even Michael Buble blaring from the stereo could pump this girl up.

Boot camp was a laugh. It was my first time at this specific bootcamp and boy did we have fun. Usually "fun" and "bootcamp" don't belong in the same sentence but Camp Gladiator can make it happen. Instead of running hills we run around and play games. Attractive trainer tells the group the game rules. We would split into two teams, the "even" numbers would run aimlessly around the parking lot knocking down any orange cone. "Odd" numbers would also run aimlessly around the parking lot trying to set the knocked over cones back upright. The team with the most amount of cones in their favor wins.
I look around to see if anyone else got the joke. No one seemed to notice and I think to myself, "This is a mistake". I might have even said it out loud...yeah im pretty sure I also said it out loud.

Can someone please tell me what outside looks like at 5:30 am? If your response is "very dark" you earn a gold star. Yes, 45-50 adults are sprinting any which way they want... in the dark.

So here I am darting and dodging, knocking over every cone I come into contact with like a beast when along comes another beast like character. This beast like character was headed straight for me. It was one of those things where you KNOW whats about to happen but there is not a single thing you can do about it but pray the outcome isn't as bad as it is in your head.
This character could equivalent the size of a T-rex when in comparison to my mouse-like figure. I must give T-Rex some credit. There is no way one huge dinosaur like himself could see a tiny little mouse like me especially in the darkness of 5:30 am. So T-rex and my mouse-sized self sprint into each other chest to chest. Those of you with previous knowledge on force and motion can understand the next series of events.

Whats that Newtons Law again? "A mouse in motion likes to stay in motion UNTIL PLOWED OVER BY A T-REX" yeah..something like that.

Before I know it my chest aches like a piano landed on it from a 20 story building and im sprung backward like I bounced off a trampoline. My natural reaction is to spread all limbs as wide as possible in order to form a perfect X with my body. Apparently, I like to cover the most surface area as I can when falling to my death by a T-rex. Its funny how mice react in time of danger.
However, this would come in handy when ravenous T-rex turned hero and was able to grab hold of my tiny arms as he mowed over me, thus preventing a traumatic head injury.

I finish my wingless flight south with an abrupt hit to the asphalt, a girly mouse-like shriek and my eyes squeezed air tight. Having landed on my back I finally open my eyes to T-rex's crotch. Are you kidding me? This is worse than I had imagined! I did not expect this outcome. His T-rex killer sneakers were on either side of my head, his left arm propping up his body above my head and his right arm entangled in mine.
I shake my head side to side and spit "rocks and dirt" out of my mouth. At least thats what I pretended I was doing but really it was a spit of disgust.

"Are you ok?" T-Rex suddenly tries to become angelic. Its not working
"Uhm"
He pulls me to my feet. I grab my neck.
"Hows your neck?"
"It's ok." I smile politely. "I'm fine. Dont worry about it. See ya!" and I bolt off into the wind.
The thing is my neck really did hurt....and still does.
If this messes me up for life I blame T-Rex, or that attractive trainer of mine who thought this game was a good idea.
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