Education

 In the classroom, we tend to lose sight of what is happening in the world. Our hearing becomes selective. Are you saying the sounds of the letters the right way becomes the question. We touch the papers, open our scented markers and smell. The grape one is my favorite. I can smell just thinking about it. We taste the drink of water we have when we’re focused on our work. We know when we are thirsty because we have time to pay attention. The lessons are hopefully more enlightening than overwhelming. The work load is bearable or it should be modified so that it is. We know how to make it through the day. Learning is fun because it is safe to learn. How do we continue to create that type of environment for our students and each other? 

The Little White House

 In our search for the right home for our family, we found one that I, of course, fell in love with. It’s an old house and a small one. Our search has been fruitless and we’re getting tired of believing we can get the right one for us. This one fell into that category because the price was out of our reach (according to the typical factors of real estate). My son’s baseball game ended early because of the rain and hail so I actually drove through the driveway during the last minutes of the open house. 

I imagined us living there and designing our life accordingly. On our way out of the driveway I had to swerve around the rose bushes in order for them not to scrape the side of my car. So I stared at them, accidentally. Wow, those are gorgeous, I thought. They were bright in the rain like a light in the dark. I couldn’t stop staring at them. The woman who lived there passed away inside of the house. She was in her mid 90’s and was walking the property days before she passed. A good omen, I said. 

Later that evening I laid in my bed visualizing the garden and our small family loving the house and every part of the property. What upgrades would be necessary? How would we enjoy the space? What would our life look like? How can I make this happen? I went over it all in my mind and was completely and hopelessly in love. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice… one that I know and love dearly. “We love you too.”, she said. And she was speaking for the roses. 

The Script

 I wrote part of a script. It’s one of those things where I can sort of visualize pieces of the movie, but it’s still in pieces. I thought I could write the entire script in one to two months. Half a year later, I’m starting to implement some dialogue after four main narratives. I love it. It includes my favorite teaching material which is all about the United States and the foundation of, centered around the game of baseball. It’s complex and multifaceted, just like the melting pot of the United States. I suppose it’s a goal worth finishing. I pretend I know how to write a script even though in reality I have not ever tried nor studied the craft. I’m telling multiple stories, creating, teaching and putting it into one piece of work. We’re going to need a team to accomplish this goal. 

That’s the Truth

 The best kind of performances are the ones that evoke emotion. A performance is usually telling a story that is beautiful and complex, put together into a perspective that can be somehow understood. I love the ice skating performances I posted. They both brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. Ice skating is somewhat relatable to me because I was once an ice skater. I understand how extremely difficult the jumps are and how bruised your hips get during practices. How nerve racking it is to get out onto the ice and try to land every jump with ease, but somehow the nerves disappear in the performance whether one has a perfect skate or not. When it’s time to perform, it’s time to perform and all you have left is to give it your very best. 

It reminds me of when my Dad coached me in soccer. He pulled me to the sideline when I was having a hard game and he said, “Suzie, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. What matters is that when you step out onto that field, you don’t give 100% effort, you give 110% effort. Every tackle, every head ball, every shot, every pass. If you leave everything you have inside of you on that field, by the end of the game, it won’t matter if you win or lose. You’ll be happy either way.” And that’s the truth. 

Gold for Nathan Chen

 

Mariah Bell Wins Gold

Dreaming

 Disneyland has a new annual pass program, except the passes are called, “keys”. There are apparently 4 keys. I learned about the “Imagine Key” pass, which is for Southern California residents only. It’s $399/yr which can be spread out into monthly payments after a down payment of $179, so that’d be $18.34/mo. This key comes with several perks such as being able to make 2 reservations at a time. There are select days that we can’t use this pass, of course Christmas and such, but I appreciate the affordability of this pass. The parking is not included and sometimes you can get lucky with parking and other times it can cost up to $20+/visit. 

For parking reasons, I opt to get parking that is included with my pass. With the new “keys”, this would be the “Dream Key” pass. This is the one I’d like to get. I like to park in the structure where I can catch the tram into the park, etc. The “Dream Key” pass is the one for me. It’s $1399/year, with a 15% discount off of food and beverages and a 20% discount off of merchandise. And, of course, free parking in the structure with this “Dream Key”. With the “Dream Key”, we can make up to 6 reservations at a time. 

These two are the passes I found most useful knowing about on my quest to find out more information about the new annual passes.