Meet The Teacher Monday: Have You Ever?

Well, so much for blogging three times a week. Last week I blogged a whopping one time. My blog planner runneth over with blog post ideas, but alas...the time got away from me. Well actually, everyday last week I returned home from work and for the most part , I shut down. A few nights I went to sleep without eating dinner. One night I ate two Oreo cookie dough cookies for dinner. 

The last two weeks of grueling back breaking work, has taken its toll. Several times last week I questioned my vocational choice. For a while now, I have contemplated returning to school, but this time I will choose a major that will give me a return on my investment. 

I know...I know...Do I want some cheese to go with my whine? Enough whining, let's do this!

For those new to Meet the Teacher Monday, take the time to answers this week's questions on your blog, link up here on my blog, and check out the blogs of two or three other participants.

Meet The Teacher Monday: Have You Ever?

1. Have you ever been on TV? 
No, not really. But I will be in the future when my kids audition for So You Think You Can Dance. I will be that obnoxious mom screaming from the nose bleed section of the audition venue with the blinged out shirt with my kid's name on it...eye roll!

2. Have you ever been trapped in an elevator? No. But I can think of a few people who I would like to be trapped with if I ever did get trapped in an elevator.

3. Have you ever made anyone cry? Unfortunately, yes. According to my son I am intimidating. Whatever. I am all of 5'2. How can that be intimidating? Well, sometimes I can be a bit aggressive, and somewhat intimidating. I am at a stage in my life where I have very little patience for shenanigans and foolishness. I cannot deal with folks that continuously play the victim. Be a VICTOR, not a VICTIM!! MAN UP and take care of your business:-)

4.Have you ever walked into a window because it was just that clean? 
Yes. End of story. Haa Haa!

5. Have you ever fainted in public? No. 

6. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ate, only to realize you didn't have any money? 
No. And I think I would be mortified if that happened. 

7. Have you ever gone to greet a family member or friend and then noticed it was someone else?
Yes. I did that this weekend. I silver truck pulled up and I thought it was one of my colleagues following us to the wedding after party. I was just a waving and a waving. The guys gets out of the truck and looked at me like I was insane. LOL!

YOUR TURN!  Remember, you can post any day of the week.

Meet the Teacher Monday: WHAT IF??

I'm getting a leg up on this week's Meet the Teacher Monday. Hopefully posting on Sunday, rather than Monday will give folks an opportunity to participate. Remember, my #1 rule, you can post ANY DAY of the week, not just Monday. I refer to my linky celebration as Meet the Teacher Monday for alliteration purposes. Posting on Monday is not a hard-fast rule; so, post when it's most convenient for you! 

Let's get this show on the road! For those of you who have previously participated, you know what to do. If you're new to the game follow these simple requests:

1. Answer this weeks questions on your blog
2. Return to my blog to link up
3. Check out  two or three of the blogs that have linked up. It may be only two or three blogs that link up...LOL!! :-D

Meet The Teacher Monday: WHAT IF?

1. If you could stop a bad habit that you have, what habit would you stop?

Tardiness. I suffer from Chronic Lateness Syndrome (google it). The struggle is real. 

2. If you woke up suddenly because your house was on fire (God forbid), what three things would you grab?

• My kids
• My purse 
• My iPhone

3. We live is a dystopian society, and the music police is in charge of all things music. If you were forced listen to one song for the rest of your life, what song would it be? You can only pick one. 

UGH...this is a hard questions to answer. I need to think about this one. I guess, it would be something by Explosions in the Sky, probably Remember Me As A Time Of Day.

4. If you saw someone with their dress tucked into their SPANX, would you tell them? 

YES! This actually happened to me. I may have been a little tipsy at a Christmas party. I went to the restroom, and in my haste to get back to the party, somehow my dress got tucked into my SPANX.  So yes...I  was literately assed out. HAA HAA! Thank GAWD someone told me before I walked back into the party.

5. If you were given a time machine and could go back in time to give your younger self a message, what would that message be?

Geesh, where do I start? I would tell my young self the following:

"Life is about choices, both good and bad. Sometimes, things don't work out, but how you respond to struggles and obstacles will determine your destiny.  See struggles as weeds. From time to time you will find weeds among the wheat. The weeds are put there to distract you right before the harvest. You didn't sew the weeds, and you don't have to reap them; so, do not be discouraged. Don't waste your time trying to pull up the weeds, just keep moving forward.  Replace thoughts of worry with thoughts of positivity. Never let anyone steal your joy." 

6. If your were able to have one supernatural power, what power would it be?

I think I would want the ability to stop time, then I would never ever be late again!! HAA HAA!

7. If you could have 25 hours a day (while everyone else still has 24), what would you do with the extra hour?

To be honest, an extra hour would not make a difference. It would be just one more hour for me to complain about not having enough hours in the day. I need less workdays and more weekend.

8. If you could live in one time period, what time period would you choose?

As a woman of color. I choose to live in my current time period. People of color have been persecuted since the dawn of time (i.e. slavery, Rosewood Massacre, Civil Rights Movement...need I go on?). Although racism still exist today, I think I prefer to deal with today's racial climate, rather than the racial strife of the past. IF racism DIDN'T EXIST, I would probably choose to live in the 1960s, simply for the fashion.

9.  If you could live anywhere in the world (cost is not a factor), where would you live? California, yes...Cali! My shallow reason for choosing the west coast revolves around my hair. With no humidity, my hair in Cali is amazing. It's like those runway models who walk down the runway and their hair is flowing in the breeze and there's no fan blowing. 

10. If you could have a grand party, and invite any 3 people in the world (dead or live, real or fictional), who would you invite?

1. Holly Golightly (From Breakfast at Tiffany's)
2. The ladies from Sex and the City (Yes, that's more than one.)
3. Oprah. She's going to bankroll this shindig and all of her contacts will be my guests! BOOYAH!

Your turn!

Meet the Teacher Monday: Love Is In The Air...

Hope you started your week off on the right foot. Before we get started, I wanted to reiterate my #1 rule for MTTM. Even though I call this linky partay MTTM, you can post any day of the week. I know how life gets in the way, so feel free to post anytime. 

So, in honor of Valentine's Day (eye roll), I decided to dedicate this week's MTTM to love and relationships (eye roll). If you've played along before you know the rules. If you're new on the scene here's the rundown: 

• Answer the questions on your blog
• Return to my blog to link up
• Visit and leave a meaningful comment on at least two or three blogs

Meet the Teacher Monday: Love Is In The Air 

1. What is your relationship status? Are you satisfied with your current status?

Single. I went on crash diet at the beginning of the year and lost 175 lbs. in one day. Haa Haa. I call it the "Trina G. Kick 'Em To The Curb Diet." At the beginning of the year, I discarded all things that weren't working. I finally came to the realization that I wasted an insurmountable amount of time in a  monotonous relationship going nowhere. 

Am I satisfied with my current status? Not really. Like they say on Jersey Shore, "What're you gonna do, huh?" I thought online dating was a viable option. But after I received several illiterate, unintelligible messages I thought to myself, "There has got to be a better way." Since online dating failed to yield results, I am now leaning towards joining Lakewood Church's Singles program. The program is geared toward encouraging participants to embrace their "singleness." 

2. Would you date or marry someone with kids? Or, did you marry someone with kids?

No. I would not date someone with YOUNG children (ages 15 and under). You're probably thinking, "How can you say no when you have kids yourself?" I can say no because my boys are 16 and 20. It's a wrap. I'm done. I am not interested in starting over. And to be honest, I no longer have the energy to invest in helping someone raise small children. I like my autonomy; I enjoy being able to come and go as I please without having to procure a sitter. 

3.  Do you prefer older or younger men/women?

You know what, young or old...some, not all men, are full of crap. Age is only a number. 

4. If you could choose to date or marry  one character on film or TV, who would you date?

Haa Haa...JAKE RYAN!! From Sixteen Candles. I want to eat birthday cake on top of my table too!

Seriously, I think I would marry Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights. The level of support he gives his wife is an endearing characteristic I hope my future husband possesses. 

5. How do you feel about PDA (Public Display of Affection)? Ugh...GET A ROOM! 

6. What is a your biggest turn-on?

(Note to self...get your mind out of the gutter before you answer this) Ummm...my biggest turn on is humor. I love to laugh until I can't breathe or until tears run down my leg...LOL. 

7. What is your biggest turn off?

Hairiness of Sasquatch proportions and stinky feet

8. Would you date or marry someone shorter than you?

Since I am vertically challenged, no one is shorter than me. 

9. Have you ever tried online dating? Your thoughts? 
Yes, I have begrudgingly delved into the seedy world of online dating. My thoughts...eye roll. There seems to be a discrepancy in regards to what "just a few pounds" means. I am no Sports Illustrated model, but at least I am honest on my profile. If you have a dunlap stomach, meaning if your stomach dun-lapped over your pants, then that is NOT "just a few pounds." 

10. What is your dream date night?
A car picks me up and drops me off at the airport to fly to an undisclosed destination. Upon arrival, I discover that the undisclosed destination is Milan. My date whisks me away to dinner to one of Milan's hottest spots and then we attend a runway show during fashion week. After the show we partake in a shopping spree, spending his money! What? A girl can dream. In reality, my dream date entails a day in the museum district and maybe a picnic lunch (so cliche). In addition to the museum, I love the drive in. My dream drive in date would include stuffing our faces with junk food and fogging up with windows;-)

Your turn!! Have FUN!

Currently...February

I am linking up with Farley from Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for February's Currently. 

Listening...
I adore NPR News Radio. I downloaded the app to my phone so I can listen to my favorites shows on Saturday: The Moth Radio Hour, Snap Judgment, All Things Considered, This American Life, Radio Lab and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! In honor of Valentine's Day, this week's episode of Sound Opinion focused on Musical Couples: Sonny & Cher, Biggie & Faith Evans, ABBA, and Erykah Badu & Common, just to name a few.  Basically, Sound Opinions serves as a platform for two music aficionados to engage in music criticism & conversation of all genres. It's worth checking out.

Loving...
Well, I finished the Divergent Trilogy. I promise not to spoil it for you, so I will shut my trap. I wanted to read the trilogy before the release of the movies. I have this weird thing about reading the book before I see the movie. I feel if I see the movie first, I ruin the opportunity for reading the book...even though the movie and the book are sometimes different.

Thinking...
Last night, I experienced my first bachelorette party complete with party bus and stripper pole, a dream come true:-)This is the ensemble I rocked. I found both the skirt and sweater at Forever 21, or as I refer to it, Forever Hoochie or Forever Ratchet...LOL.

Wanting...

After last week I need several STRONG cocktails. Let's just say, last week made me question my decision to become a teacher. A few times I felt a tinge of regret about now pursuing a career in Speech Pathology. Sometimes I wish I would have went to school and majored in a career that would have yielded a return on my educational investment. But as we all know, you don't become a teacher to make money...you marry rich. HA!

Needing...

I am needing Spring Break to get here: quick, fast, and in a hurry. Last week I earned it. Speaking of breaks, I just heard that our district plans to make up those two ridiculous ice days on Good Friday and our scheduled Memorial Day holiday. So looking forward to that.<---sarcasm. 

2 Truths and a Fib...

Truth #1: Yes, folks. The first time my kids attended the Monsters of Hip Hop dance convention I entered the parent battle. I heard the winner received a scholarship for their kids to attend another conference. A free $200 scholarship, I'm in. Long story short, I made a complete ass out of myself, but I won that scholarship. I beat out the other moms and dads in the Houston area for the title. I lost the following year to a mom who felt it was appropriate to grind on another dancer's dad. I may have lost my title, but I still had my dignity and self-respect. 

Truth #2: You So You Think You Can Dance fans will appreciate this. My boys participated in a flash mob to promote the movie Step Up 4. On the day of the flash mob, Travis Wall flew in and worked with the dancers. That is an awesome addition to their resumes. My boys as well as the other dancers were even on the local news. How cool is that!?

My boys have also met Napoleon and Tabitha of NAPPYTABS.

Fib #1: I loathe Valentine's Day. This fabricated, over-commercialized "holiday" serves as a platform to make single folks feel like losers, and for business to make more money selling crap like plush stuffed animals encased in balloons. And don't me started on the the cheap, tacky gifts. For a humorous story about one of many useless Valentine's gifts I have received, check out one of my old post titled, Would You Give A Crackhead Crack?

Valentine FREEBIE!

Jesus, Mary and Joseph...creating my Sweet Treats TPT math station proved to be a daunting task. As a newbie TPT product creator, I sit for hours struggling with the simplest tasks. I spend a majority of my time sitting in front of the computer screen with my head in my hand thinking, "There has got to be an easier way." And there usually is. You just have to know the right person to ask for help. There are so many ins and outs to creating TPT merchandise. There is a bright side to my recent harrowing TPT experience, I learned two new techniques...which I plan to share on Techie Tuesday. 

Enough "talking." It's been a rough week. Grab this FREEBIE for a limited time only. This sweet treat contains the following

• 1 I CAN card
• 10 cupcake tops and bottoms
• 1 printable practice sheet

I plan to add 2 more stations to this product. Please leave feedback on TPT.  THANKS! Here's a preview:

Click HERE for FREEBIE!

As always, make the ordinary EXTRAordinary!

Meet The Teacher Monday: FAST FIVE!

Yikes! Monday crept up on me again. I intended to publish my MTTM post last night, but the time just got away from me this weekend. Saturday night I attended a going away party for a colleague. She is moving to China with her husband. What an exciting adventure ahead; I wish them nothing but the best in their new endeavors!!!

So, let's get to it. If you have taken part in MTTM, you know the drill. Newbies: take the time to answer the questions below on your blog, link up, and then visit at least two to three other blogs that have linked up. 

 Meet the Teacher Monday: FAST FIVE!

1. List five things you always keep in your purse

• Blood Pressure Meds
• "Old Lady" Readers-As I turned 40 last year, I came to a startling realization...I need glasses. I refuse to make an appointment at the optometrist because then I would have to actually admit that... I'm old. 
• iPhone Cord
• Feminine Products
• My Employee ID Badge...TEACHER DISCOUNTS!!

2. List five things you love about yourself

• My creativity
• My ability to make people laugh
• My candor 
• My tenacity
• My warlocks (my knockers)

3. List 5 things you do to keep yourself entertained 

• Read
• Procrastinate by wasting time on social media sites 
• Blog
• Write
• Learn new ways to use technology (Stay tuned for details about "Techie Tuesday")

4. List five things that attract you to the opposite sex (or same sex...I don't judge or discriminate.)

• Sense of humor
• Confidence
• Spontaneity
• Ability to converse
• Ability to be silly sometimes and enjoy the moment

5. List five things you want to accomplish in 2014

• Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park
• Take a "parent/beginners" hip hop dance class 
• Take a writing class
• Write my dating advice book. I am basically going to write down everything I did/do and tell people to do the opposite. 
• Lose the 20+ lbs. I gained from the original 57 lbs. I lost

Your turn! Link up below! As always, make the ordinary extraordinary. 

Do you want fries with that?

While posting a photo on Instagtam (IG), a thought occurred to me...and thus began another episode of Internal Dialogue Theater.  So I thought to myself...

Self: "Why am I always posting pictures of MY students engaged in activities created by OTHER TPT sellers?" (Yes, I talk to myself, and I answer back on occasion.)

Response to Self (I promise, I am not crazy): Yeah Trina, why? Your creativity knows no bounds. What about all the goodies you purchased from the Target Dollar Spot last May?

Self: Oooooo...yeah!Where is that crap?   

END SCENE

(And so ends another episode of Internal Dialogue Theater...LOL @ myself) 

So, off to my shelf I went in search of the red bucket where I dump all of my Target Dollar Spot finds. As I rummaged through my Dollar Spot repository, I ran across these french fry containers. 

Last week while attending  the most productive staff development day EVER, I created the french fries you see pictured below. A few days later, the idea for the programmed ketchup bottles popped into my brain.

I found the ketchup bottles on the My Cute Graphic website. My Cute Graphics is a financially challenged teacher's best friend. 

I created this station to assist my students with their math goals and objectives. Some of my lower level students struggle with numeracy concepts such as counting and one-to-one correspondence.  

I wholeheartedly appreciate the ideas and the activities I find on Pinterest and Instagram, but I really need to buckle down and start creating my own products. Honestly, I would prefer to post pics and blog posts of my students engaged in activities, I masterminded. But...like everything else, these things take time.

As I sit here with heap of ideas swimming around in my head, I find it hard to decide on my next project. But...in the meantime, I am in the process of completing my Roll-A-Sandwich Dice Addition math station. Here's a Sneak Peek:

Can you believe those are coasters? Those sandwich fixings look real...lick the screen real...right? Guess where I found them. That's right, the Target Dollar Spot! 

Stay tuned for Meet the Teacher Monday. This time, I promise to post earlier...probably late Sunday night. 

By the way, what are your Super Bowl plans? Me...nada. Until next time, make the ordinary extraordinary.