It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is on right now, so the holidays must be around the corner!  This movie has a special place in my heart and I've been waiting to see it pop up on one of our three channels.  I saw it for the first time as a freshman in college with my buddy and dorm next-door neighbor, Monica.  It was the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, and we had a heart-to-heart after watching the movie about our futures and how we both wanted to make a difference in the world.  (You know, idealistic young folks' talk.)  Monica was feeling conflicted about her choice of college major and wondering if she should change to something more altrustic and socially-oriented.  She wanted to change the world, simply put. 

I drove home for Thanksgiving the next day and received a phone call that night that Monica had died instantly in a bad car crash on her way home for the holiday.  Unfortunately her family did not not get to see her before the accident happened.  :( 

Every time I see It's a Wonderful Life, I think of Monica and the happiness she brought me for the short time I knew her.  I think of the timeliness of our viewing of the film the night before she died, and even more so, the conversation that followed about the little things we can do in our lives to improve the world around us.  Even though her time here was short, she was a great person who touched everyone she knew.

He was shortish. And oldish. And brownish. And mossy. And he spoke with a voice that was sharpish and bossy.

My absolute favorite children's book of all time is being made into a full-length animated film.  Its plot and message were almost singlehandedly the basis for my curriculum as a science teacher.  It contains powerful and insightful lessons for not only children, but all of us.

The Lorax will be out sometime in 2012 and will feature the voice of none other than Danny Devito.  I couldn't have dreamed up a better fit myself.

Counting the days until I can introduce MY LITTLE BOY to this gift from Dr. Seuss.

I Was Born in a Crossfire Hurricane...

Well, not really.  I wasn't born in a car (or a hurricane), but I was born early, on vacation, out of state, and during a tropical storm.  About six weeks before my due date my dad needed to go to Houston for work, so my mom went along (they lived outside of New Orleans at the time).  I decided to make my entrance into the world there (couldn't wait to be a Texan?) and my parents did their best on the six-hour ride home with no car seat and  no baby clothes.   I think I spent the first few days of my life wrapped in an adult-sized robe.

My brother came a year later, and he made his entrance three months early.  It was an extremely stressful experience for my parents as my mom's original doctor told them there was nothing to be done to save the baby.  My parents made one of the best decisions of their lives to ignore the doctor and hightail it to the biggest hospital in New Orleans (nearly 2 hours away).  Ondre had a rough first few months but was 110% a-okay after that!  Can you imagine if they would have listened to the crappy doctor in their town??

Now that I've reached that point of time when baby could be ready any day, Chris and I have been busy making preparations so that we are ready to welcome him into this world whenever he decides he is ready.  Until I became pregnant, I really didn't understand how many decisions need to be make surrounding our child.  Over the past few months, Chris and I have made a bazillion decisions regarding the birth of our baby and his first few years of life. 

I do know that I have been dying to nest for the good part of this year, and we have been working hard to find a nest so that will be possible.  The good news is that we should soon be able to enjoy the fruit our hard work in our first home!  I still don't want to curse it, but it looks like we will be able to close on our house in less than three weeks.  Yipee!  This means that I am currently de-nesting and enjoying every minute of it.  And in a few weeks, we should be able to purchase a crib and other baby things and get them put together in baby's own room!

Being pregnant has been for the most part an amazing, incredible experience.  And I can't even imagine the act of giving birth.  I can tell you already, it will be the best day of our lives.  I am so ready and excited to meet the little guy and we want everything to be perfect.  For me, that means I want to be completely in the moment - alert, relaxed, and involved.

I've know for a very long time that means my ultimate goal is a healthy birth - drug-free and without surgery.  I do not want my baby to be "delivered"; I want him to be born.  I don't want it to be a medical procedure, but rather a natural one.  In my head, I imagine the kind of birth my great-great grandmother probably experienced, and her grandmother before her.

At the same time, I am very aware that complications can happen and the unexpected may pop in.  My mother, with all three of her births (the third unsuccessful), is the perfect example.  Each one of her babies came at an unexpected time and two in an unexpected place.  Not everything can be controlled.

So Chris and I have our Plan A, which involves an active birth in a local hospital.  We want to stay home as long as possible and head to the hospital for the birth.  Of course our Plan B involves being prepared for those unexpected things that may come up.  For example, if our baby does come the week he is due, my doctor will be out of town for Christmas.  So we've done what we can to learn about the doctors who will be on call that week.  But other things could come up too, so to be ready for those, we have done a huge amount of learning to be prepared. 

I'm so proud of my husband.  At the beginning of my pregnancy, he supported my decision to aim for a natural birth simply because he knew it was what I wanted.  But now his desire for a natural birth comes out of his own process of learning.  We've been preparing for the day that he will be my coach, and I'm certain that he's up for the job.  Through months of birthing classes and reading on our own, we've both become empowered and ready for this event.  In a way, our preparations have reminded me of training I did before I completed a triathlon.  We're working on preparing my body and mind.  It feels like a team effort, and I couldn't be more thankful.   

I am considered full term in less than six weeks!  Counting down the days to meet that beautiful little being who is currently playing soccer on my ribs. :) 

One Day I Will Be Able to Dance Like Dr. Ken Jeong

Oh Brother

1)  I am so thankful I am not a high school student.
2) I feel sorry for those unlucky souls who are.
3) This is ridiculous.  I would characterize this under one of our incredibly stupid (and unbelievably expensive) American traditions. Barf.

They Will Shine Out of Your Face Like Sunbeams

I adored all of Roald Dahl's books as a child, but I really loved The Twits.  Gotta love the take home message of the book.

What Kids Remember

A former student of mine found me on Facebook recently, and I am still beaming thinking about the wonderful young woman she has become.  Over the past few years, I've gotten the sad news that two of my former elementary students became pregnant in middle school (and I was their sex ed teacher), one student became a homeless/runaway drug addict at age 12, and two of my students essentially became orphans after their dad murdered their mom.  These updates deeply saddened me because they reminded me that it takes more than a village to raise a child, and some of these kids unfortunately have an unreasonable amount of challenges bombarding them in their early lives.  So when I heard from E that she is a junior in high school and concurrently enrolled in college classes at UT Pan American, I exploded with happiness.  Given she was great student back then and seemed to have a solid family life, this news just makes me so happy.

E also shared with me some memories of  her time as my student.  She didn't mention any specific skills or knowledge that she learned in fifth grade.  Instead, she talked about something I did that was not academic, and could have been considered to me a waste of valuable class time by some teachers.  I took portraits of all of the kids on the first day of school and used them throughout the year as I selected one each week as the Star.  They thought they were picked for being a good student/doing their homework/helping out, but in reality, I picked kids who I knew were going through tough times/had been recently picked on/failed to master a concept.  That Star had his or her portrait front and center all week, along with artwork and writing they did about his or her self the first week.  They got to help me with anything and everything, and they got to eat lunch with me on Friday.  And most importantly, all of the other students wrote something nice about the Star, and at the end of the week I gave them a compilation of things the other students had written about them.  In the world of fifth grade, it meant instant popularity...or at least respect.  Other kids wanted to emulate the Star so maybe they would be picked the following week.

E reminded me that teaching self-confidence and boosting others' self-esteem is not something only teachers should aim for with their students.  It's something we can all do as human beings.  It's something I can be doing at my job every day, at home with my husband and other family members, and with friends and people I meet during chance encounters.

I've been reflecting a lot this year about how my husband and I will be parents and teachers to our son, and reconnecting with E reminded me that confidence-building goes a long way with children.  I came across this blog entry that is common sense, but a good reminder.  I think it really applies to all loved ones, not just children.  :)

What Parents Need to Know (source)

That our children need more of us.  Our children don’t need Nintendos, computers, after school activities, ballet lessons, play groups and soccer practice nearly as much as they need US. They need fathers who sit and listen to their days, mothers who join in and make crafts with them, parents who take the time to read them stories and act like idiots with them. They need us to take walks with them and not mind the .1 mph pace of a toddler on a spring night. They deserve to help us make supper even though it takes twice as long and makes it twice as much work. They deserve to know that they’re a priority for us and that we truly love to be with them. 

Deep Blue

Diving is one of those things I am really missing right now.  It's so calming and peaceful.  I took this photo at the Great Barrier Reef several years ago.  I was leading a group of high schoolers throughout Australia for the summer.  We helped the students become certified divers, but these four couldn't pass the dive test because they had asthma.  So they snorkeled instead (and obviously had some fun doing so).  I took this photo from about 15 meters below as I was photographing the dive students. 

I've always loved the ocean and felt connected to it, but diving definitely has deepened the bond.  It's an expensive and exclusive hobby, but one that has taught me an immense amount.  There's nothing like quietly observing a reef up close to help one understand the intricacies of aquatic ecosystems.

Deep breathing (or as some yoga instructors appropriately call it, ocean breathing) is the closest replication I have experienced of breathing through a regulator underwater.  There's something exciting about relying on measured air.  Every breath counts, and you want to make it as deep as possible. 

I don't know if it's because of the cozy liquid environment in my belly right now, because I got to swim in the Gulf recently (with dolphins!),  or because I know that I cannot dive at the moment, but I can't shake the need to go for a good dive. 

Cool Down

Day trip to San Antonio!  Loved these girls chatting in the fountain.

One of my Favorite Peeps*

This is Fay Lee, my paternal grandmother.  I was thrilled to unexpectedly be able to spend a week with her in Florida on our recent vacation.  She is such a special lady.  She has Alzheimer's and her children made the difficult decision to help her move into assisted living earlier this year.  But after spending time with her last week, I can assuredly say that she seems to LOVE it and is doing so well!  I'm really proud of her.

Her husband also had Alzheimer's and passed away several years ago.  Not long after, she lost her home, vehicle, and all of her belongings from Hurricane Katrina.  She's had a tough few years, but she has remained happy and positive.  We are so blessed to have her in our lives.

I took this photo at a beach bar where we celebrated my dad's birthday, ate yummy brunch, and listened to live bluegrass.  And Grandma sipped her mimosa.  


*It's a pun!  Her great-grandchildren call her Peep :)

Calculated Consumption

 There's a great little gem in the New York Times this week - But Will it Make You Happy?

Research that the article highlights includes some common sense trends, but ones of which we need reminding.

1.  "...spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff."
2.  "Scholars have found that anticipation increases happiness." (with regard to purchases/experiences)
3.  “The one single trait that’s common among every single person who is happy is strong relationships. Buying luxury goods, conversely, tends to be an endless cycle of one-upmanship."

 The most free that I've ever felt was when I walked for over a month across Spain with only a change of clothes, a map book, a camera, and a journal.  I actually felt claustrophobic when I returned and opened my closet.  I think the challenge is remembering that feeling of freedom and happiness during daily life, and applying those preferences to consumption choices.  I say this at a time in my life when I am rapidly acquiring baby stuff galore, but I'm happy to say that the large majority of it has been given to me by friends or freecycled by local moms. 

Enjoy the article!

Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Before getting pregnant, I always thought I'd want to wait until delivery day to know the gender of my child.  I thought it would make the wait so special and exciting.  Well, pretty much the day I found out I changed my mind as I immediately knew I didn't quite have the patience to wait nine long months.  (Chris was definitely on board with that decision.)  I have soooo much respect for those who do wait, and maybe if we have a second child, Chris and I will try to be patient enough.  But for this time around, IT'S A SWEET LITTLE BOY! 

You Burned My Feelings

From a child who wanted to go to the beach, as her dad watched football.  Haha!!

(from Passive Agressive notes)

He Rolls with the Big Dogs

Adorable x 10

I got to hang out with two of my favorite kiddos last night.

It just might be a long-distance love match. :)

Well Look at What We Have Here!

My mom helped me create succulent centerpieces for our wedding last year, and I'm still enjoying them today.  Got a nice surprise of some psychedelic mushrooms after some crazy rain yesterday.  You can stay little mushies (as long as you don't kill the succulents!)

San Marcos is Going Gray

San Marcos passed a gray water ordinance today, allowing builders to install water reuse systems.  Gray water refers to water from sinks, washing machines, and showers that is safe for reuse in gardening, landscaping, and other outdoor uses (like foundation damage prevention).  Water from these household appliances is rerouted and redistributed in outdoor sprinkler systems rather than treated along with used toilet water.  I'm sure you can imagine the savings in water, energy, money, and infrastructure that result from gray water systems.

Other countries have used gray water systems extensively for years, but such systems have been slow to catch on in the US (probably from a misconception that the water is dirty).  Gray water does not include used toilet water, which is always sent to a treatment plant. 

I hope Austin follows San Marcos' footsteps in encouraging this great way to save aquifer water.  Incentives would be a great way to get developers and homeowners on board. 

Toxics In, Toxics Out

I think I've said enough about my thoughts on toxic chemicals in personal care products, but this cartoon is pretty informative.  Remember to use your dollars to protect your body, your future children, and our environment.





On a positive note, House legislation was introduced yesterday that would require the government to test product safety, rather than the industry self-policing as it currently does. Hopefully the bill also addresses well known loopholes such as the ingredient fragrance, which is protected by trade secrets and can pretty much contain any chemical under the sun.

The Assault on Comic Sans Continues

The world's unified assault on Comic Sans always gives me a good chuckle.  Poor Comic Sans was in the news again recently when the owner of the Cavaliers wrote his rant letter about Lebron leaving using the playful font.  "You see, he wrote in Comic Sans so that you would know he's serious" said a blogger.  

My absolute favorite defense of the font is I'm Comic Sans, Asshole by Mike Lacher.   And I love that neither of my grandmothers would have a clue what any of this is about.  When did we all turn into such geeks?  Geeks with senses of humor, no doubt.

Speaking For the Sallies (and Others With No Voice)

Sometimes in professional life, stars align.  Your job becomes something that you absolutely adore.  Not for an eternity, but for much longer than a moment.  And these periods of time get you through the times when you just feel out of sync. 


9-11 had a specific effect on everyone.  For me, I did some major reevaluation of what I do during the majority of my life: work. 

I studied business at UT and graduated a few months before 9-11.  Many of my classmates were puzzled by my decision to study business because the private sector didn't appeal to me.  I wanted to be an entrepreneur in the nonprofit sector, and I knew that a strong business background would be a prerequisite.

But when I graduated, I found it difficult to find a job that suited me.  The dot com bust had happened, and I wasn't quite sure which direction to go.  I did know that all I wanted to do was to save up as much money as possible and see more of the world.  So I moved home and got a job at the headquarters of a department store and worked in trend development for women's clothes.  I told myself  It's only for a few months.  But I quickly realized that 90% of my coworkers were miserable, and I wasn't happy myself. 

9-11 happened, and I had a flight to Malaysia for two days later.  I was meeting a friend who was in Australia, and we were going to travel around Malaysia and India and then go trekking in Nepal for several months.  Of course, the trip was canceled.  Aside from the cancellations of international flights, there were riots in Kathmandu and typhoons in Malaysia.  So, we changed our plans.  She met me in San Francisco, and we saw as much as the western US as possible.  We visited a dozen national parks and drove through snow and desert heat.  And I had a lot of time to think about which direction I wanted my professional life to go once the trip was over.  I decided that even if I was saving up for something big in the future, it wasn't worth it to me to take a job (even temporarily) that didn't fit my needs.  I came to the conclusion that I really had three requirements for jobs.

1.  I must be constantly learning.  I'm absolutely miserable if I'm bored.
2.  I must be contributing to the greater good of the world.  Bash my bleeding heart, but I know from experience that this is an inescapable requirement for me.
3.  I must be working in the realm of education or environmental work, and my absolute sweet spot combines these two passions.

My dad and I had many heart-to-hearts while I was in college and after, and he brought up his valid  point of view that I don't have to save the world at work.  His thought was that many great people have ordinary jobs and spend their free time volunteering and helping others.  I came to realize that these people are awesome, and I really respect them, but they are different from me.  It comes down to the fact that I want to spend the majority of my waking hours making a difference and leaving the world just an inkling better.  And the reality is, I can still volunteer in my free time.  Nothing keeps me from that. 

So once I realized my personal requirements, my career path took a turn for the better.  I took jobs in Germany and Cape Cod, and then I joined Teach For America and moved to the US-Mexico border.  I got to see the world while I was working.  And while I've had utterly exhausting jobs, I can honestly say that I'm proud of the work I've done at each of them. 

Which brings me to why this topic has been on my mind so much lately.  My working days are numbered.  At least, my working-outside-the-home days are numbered.  While I'm not opposed to doing some contractual work here and there, I will not be working full-time outside the home for at least a few years.  I've dreamed of the day when my job will be to raise an amazing little child full time, and that time is finally here. (YAY!)

But that doesn't mean I won't miss my work.  I've been extremely fortunate at my current job because I have worked on a variety of projects that have kept me humbled by my lack of knowledge and the sheer brilliance around me.  Not only that, but the icing on the cake is that my work family is such a loving group of people that have supported my husband and I when times have been tough.

A few weeks ago, I spent the week downtown at a workshop between my employer and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  I was proud to be part of a team working to write a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for a local threatened species, the Jollyville Plateau salamander.  Here's a photo one of my coworkers took of one of the little sallies.

These salamanders only live in northwest Austin, and while they are not on the endangered species list, they should be.  The reality is that too many species are becoming endangered for the Service to list them all in a timely manner, so my employer, the City, is taking a proactive measure to treat the salamander as an endangered species even though it is not. 

No city in this country has ever created a CCAA.  (They are usually done by environmental nonprofits.)  We will set an example for others to follow not only in our area, but all over the country.  As I sat in the workshop all week, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to be a part of it.  I had a week of professional bliss.  A week when I honestly didn't feel the need to be paid because I was learning so much and was so eager to be a part of the team.  Weeks like that can carry me a long way.  Even though I'm back in the office doing the back end grunt work now, I'm still on Cloud 9.  It's probably a combination of really being professionally fulfilled right now and also knowing that I will miss this next year.  I'll be in a different line of work, but lucky for me, it will still fit my three requirements.