Tonight (it's Tuesday evening) I'm in Emporia, after spending the past three days in Topeka, doing KTOY activities. I've been in Topeka since Sunday morning, training with the rest of the KTOY team, getting ready for today. We all got to stay in ghte Capitol Plaza Hotel, which was swanky and beautiful.
Sunday we met with 3 principals from around the state and then with Commissioner Dale Dennis to talk about current issues in education. Then our team, along with Sherry and Kathy, went out for dinner at Paisano's Ristorante - and I had the most amazing salmon with cheese tortellini in a cream sauce - wow!
Monday we started bright & early, meeting with Dr. DeBacker and Deputy Neuenswander, and then with 2 superintendents. We got some more input about the current issues in education, as well as some prep for what types of questions the legislators might have for us. We spent the afternoons on both days practicing our speeches for the legislators, with feedback from the group on making our speeches as compelling and fluid as possible, while staying within our 2-minute limit! Monday night our group chose to go to The Blind Tiger for dinner, which was a really fun atmosphere. It's a microbrewery & restaurant in an interesting old building. The inside has 3 levels of seating areas, as well as big metal tanks for brewing. They also brew their own root beer. I almost bought Lauren a big jug of root beer as a souvenir! I had chicken & noodles over mashed potatoes for dinner; my friends said that the chicken and BBQ and homemade potato chips were delicious!
Today we headed for the Docking Building, across from the Capitol. The Capitol Building is undergoing renovations, and so the House of Representatives is meeting in the Docking Building for now. We met with the House of Representatives Education Committee in a meeting room. There were about 15 representatives present, and they were polite and attentive. After we each gave our speeches, they spent about an hour or so asking us questions about education, the budget, assessments, passing/failing students, raising scores, the time and money that teacher spend in the classrooms, and what advice we have for legislators.
It was interesting to spend some time visiting with the representatives after the session was over. I'll definitely be more compelled to write/email my representatives - these people were truly interested in hearing what we have to say and in making responsible choices. The head of the committee was taken with the fact that I call my class "kiddos". :) I enjoyed speaking with Representative Loganbill, who is also a Bethel grad, and another representative who is also a Vera Bradley fan (we compared purses!).
After meeting with the House Representatives, Sherry and Kathy took us for lunch at the Celtic Fox, near the Capitol Building. It is a pub with AMAZING food! I had an Irish chicken stew and a roast beef & cheddar sandwich. Much of the food and all of the decor had an Irish theme - bagpipes on the wall, enormous "pints" hanging from the ceiling, etc.
After lunch, we headed to the Capitol Building. We had some time before our first appointment, so we did some walking around, taking photos, buying souvenirs, etc. We all got postcards for our classes. Then we took turns sitting in Governor Brownback's chair behind his desk and taking our photos (he wasn't in his office today!) :)
We met with the Senate Education Committee next, in a meeting room. This was a smaller committee than in the morning. They were very positive and involved. Senator Shodorf was our sponsor for the day, and she was very encouraging and supportive. They asked great questions for us, mostly regarding the same topics as in the House.
Then they walked us to the Senate chamber for the 2:30 - 3:30 session. It was the most beautiful room! I've never seen a Senate meeting before and the process was very interesting to me - the wooden gavel that is banged after every decision, the repetitive calling of roll for voting, the pages, the Senators' freedom of movement/talking during the session - very interesting. They passed a resolution honoring our team and each of us by name.
After that, we stayed until the end of their session and then visited with the few senators that hung around. Some of our team's senators came over to congratulate them and/or take photos together, etc.
Then we piled back into the van and headed for the hotel. Most people headed home, and a couple stayed at the Plaza. I headed for Emporia. I'm thinking now that perhaps I should have stayed at the Plaza - my room there was pretty luxurious, and this one seems shabby by contrast. However, this way I don't have far to drive in the morning, which is a blessing for me!
Carla
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Breaking Paths
So Lauren had an amazing first day of 5th grade. She really likes her teacher, thinks that her class will be okay, and is excited about the things that they will be learning. It's such a weight off of my shoulders to get her past the hurdle of apprehension that she's been struggling with. It's one thing to intellectually know that she'll bounce right back and lose the apprehension once she's experienced it a bit. But in the midst of her worrying, it has a tendency to make me worry as well. Today was very reassuring. :)
Ruminations
Okay, if I do say so myself, I have been a running rock star lately, getting in around 3 miles most days. I set a new personal record for myself tonight, running a mile in 11:18. Which I know is not earth-shattering, but feels like a big deal to me. And I ran the whole darn thing, which is also a big deal to me, since I'm working hard to move from interval running to include some longer distance running.
Tomorrow is the first day of school. Even though the kids will be walking through the doors in 7 1/2 hours, it still doesn't quite feel real to me.
Lauren is having a really hard time with it this year - lots of tears and mulling it over. She's struggling with the concept of being older than my students for the first time. For some reason, being a 5th grader seems very significant to her, and makes her think about moving on to middle school, which makes her think about high school, which makes her think about college and moving away and turning into a grown-up. Which makes her cry. At bedtime. And sometimes other times as well. My poor cognizant, internalizing analyzer.
Tomorrow is the first day of school. Even though the kids will be walking through the doors in 7 1/2 hours, it still doesn't quite feel real to me.
Lauren is having a really hard time with it this year - lots of tears and mulling it over. She's struggling with the concept of being older than my students for the first time. For some reason, being a 5th grader seems very significant to her, and makes her think about moving on to middle school, which makes her think about high school, which makes her think about college and moving away and turning into a grown-up. Which makes her cry. At bedtime. And sometimes other times as well. My poor cognizant, internalizing analyzer.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Running, part 2
Okay, so I sucked it up and ran last night - got my 3.4 miles in! On Mom's treadmill, since it was 98 degrees when we walked home from her house at 10:30 last night. I guess late-night indoor running might be the plan for a while...
Monday, August 1, 2011
Running
Saturday night, I ran 3.5 miles on Mom's treadmill, testing out my new running shoes inside, so that I didn't mark up the soles in case I wanted to return them.
On Sunday (yesterday) morning, I got up and ran 3 miles at the track, as well as doing 2 sets of the bleacher steps.
This morning, I got up and it was already 85 degrees. It is just too darn hot to go outside and run right now. The forecast is for 109 today and 111 tomorrow.
Not doing much for my "I'm going to run 3 miles every day this week" plan.
This summer's temperatures are rapidly diminishing any affection I hold for Kansas.
On Sunday (yesterday) morning, I got up and ran 3 miles at the track, as well as doing 2 sets of the bleacher steps.
This morning, I got up and it was already 85 degrees. It is just too darn hot to go outside and run right now. The forecast is for 109 today and 111 tomorrow.
Not doing much for my "I'm going to run 3 miles every day this week" plan.
This summer's temperatures are rapidly diminishing any affection I hold for Kansas.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Books
Reading is the delight of my summer. If I was utilizing more common sense, I would devise and gain a job where I got paid to read books of my choosing - don't they always say you should find a job you truly love, and then you'll always be happy to go to work? So my most peaceful moments of the summer are spent on my front porch, sprawled in a porch chair, reading. Or at the pool, taking occasional dips in the water to cool off and keeping on eye on where exactly Lauren is in the pool. I subscribe to the "I feel no pressure to read quality literature in the summer" theory. I've read Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovitch, and the latest book in the Charlaine Harris series (the one the True Blood show is based on). I've reread some of the Harry Potter books, and the latest James Pattersons. I've read a bunch of light reading "girly" books that honestly all kind of blur together - Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Crusie, etc. But I've read 3 that stick out for me: Moon Over Manifest, Handle With Care, and A Reliable Wife.
Moon Over Manifest is by Clare Vanderpool. She is a Wichita, KS author, and she just won the Newberry award for this book. It is actually a YA book, set in KS, with details that appealed to me because they were so authentic. I was hoping to be able to read this book aloud to my class, but I think it will be over their heads. However, for Kansans in particular, this was a worthwhile read. Set during the Depression, the main character, a young girl, is shipped by her drifter father to his hometown, to be taken care of by an old friend, while her father travels and looks for work. The story tells about her searching into the past of the town, looking for clues about her father.
Handle With Care is about a young girl born with brittle bone disease. It's told from her mother, father, and older sister's points of view, all directed to her. Her mom ends up suing her obstetrician, on the grounds that she would have aborted her daughter had the disease been diagnosed earlier. The mom is doing this expressly for the purpose of gaining money to be able to care for her daughter. The father fights on the other side of the lawsuit. It was kind of heart-wrenching for me to read as a mom - how far you'd go to provide for your children, and how your choices ripple out to affect others.
A Reliable Wife is the best-written book I've read in ages. It is set in the early 1800s in rural Wisconsin. A man who basically owns a town - his company employs 95% of the population there - puts an ad in an East-coast newspaper advertising for a wife. A woman answers his ad, they get to know each other through letters, she comes to visit to see if they are compatible. However, this book slowly unfolds and becomes a rich and detailed and unforgettable story. It is fairly risque, but has incredible writing - I had to stop reading it at the pool, because I would forget to check to see if Lauren was all right.
Moon Over Manifest is by Clare Vanderpool. She is a Wichita, KS author, and she just won the Newberry award for this book. It is actually a YA book, set in KS, with details that appealed to me because they were so authentic. I was hoping to be able to read this book aloud to my class, but I think it will be over their heads. However, for Kansans in particular, this was a worthwhile read. Set during the Depression, the main character, a young girl, is shipped by her drifter father to his hometown, to be taken care of by an old friend, while her father travels and looks for work. The story tells about her searching into the past of the town, looking for clues about her father.
Handle With Care is about a young girl born with brittle bone disease. It's told from her mother, father, and older sister's points of view, all directed to her. Her mom ends up suing her obstetrician, on the grounds that she would have aborted her daughter had the disease been diagnosed earlier. The mom is doing this expressly for the purpose of gaining money to be able to care for her daughter. The father fights on the other side of the lawsuit. It was kind of heart-wrenching for me to read as a mom - how far you'd go to provide for your children, and how your choices ripple out to affect others.
A Reliable Wife is the best-written book I've read in ages. It is set in the early 1800s in rural Wisconsin. A man who basically owns a town - his company employs 95% of the population there - puts an ad in an East-coast newspaper advertising for a wife. A woman answers his ad, they get to know each other through letters, she comes to visit to see if they are compatible. However, this book slowly unfolds and becomes a rich and detailed and unforgettable story. It is fairly risque, but has incredible writing - I had to stop reading it at the pool, because I would forget to check to see if Lauren was all right.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Kansas City, Day 2
We are back at home-sweet-home...by 10:00 p.m. This morning we slept late, then headed out for Fritz's for breakfast (the restaurant with the train that runs along the ceiling and delivers your food). But then we realized that they didn't open until 10:30, and that they were in an area where we'd have to pay to park, etc. - so we headed for McDonald's instead. :) Then we went to the WWI Museum - Liberty Memorial Museum, which was amazing. It was really informative, but the best part for me was the small personal belongings of soldiers that made me feel like I kind of knew some of them - it was very emotional in some parts. I think that every high school student should go through that museum. I'm sure that I learned some of that information before...
We went to the top of Liberty Tower, which is an elevator ride up 214 feet, and then a climb of 45 steps. The viewing tower had a tall wall, about as tall as Lauren. Lauren was really nervous about going up, but was okay once we were up there. The view was AMAZING - we could see way beyond the city limits, and I got some amazing pictures. The downtown skyline was beautiful.
After the museum, we went to an Italian diner called Bella Napoli's for lunch. I'd read online that it was a great authentic neighborhood deli. What I didn't realize was that everything was going to be in Italian. So it was kind of an experience... They have three doors, but you can only walk in the middle one, which opens into a deli/meat & cheese counter, with a big board behind it with Italian writing. It opened into one side that had booths and another side that was a coffee bar. We had wonderful, wonderful food - Lauren had an Americano sandwich (fresh deli meat and homemade rolls), and Stuart and I had pasta. I had a meatball panini and it was YUM! However, I couldn't even finish half of it, and Stuart and I both had rigatoni, too. We'll be going back the next time we're in KC - there were about 15 more things that I want to try.
After we ate, we went to the Miniatures Museum, but the docent told us that they closed in 30 minutes. So we drove by the Nelson Adkins Museum, and then headed out to Cabella's. We could spend an unreasonable amount of time browsing around in Cabella's. The best part, for me, was watching Lauren play a target shooting game upstairs and SHE ROCKED! I had no idea she was so good at that - it was amazing to watch her really excel at something unexpected!
Stuart just turned the television on, and the show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" is on. I'd forgotten how much I love this show! It used to be my favorite television show!
We went to the top of Liberty Tower, which is an elevator ride up 214 feet, and then a climb of 45 steps. The viewing tower had a tall wall, about as tall as Lauren. Lauren was really nervous about going up, but was okay once we were up there. The view was AMAZING - we could see way beyond the city limits, and I got some amazing pictures. The downtown skyline was beautiful.
After the museum, we went to an Italian diner called Bella Napoli's for lunch. I'd read online that it was a great authentic neighborhood deli. What I didn't realize was that everything was going to be in Italian. So it was kind of an experience... They have three doors, but you can only walk in the middle one, which opens into a deli/meat & cheese counter, with a big board behind it with Italian writing. It opened into one side that had booths and another side that was a coffee bar. We had wonderful, wonderful food - Lauren had an Americano sandwich (fresh deli meat and homemade rolls), and Stuart and I had pasta. I had a meatball panini and it was YUM! However, I couldn't even finish half of it, and Stuart and I both had rigatoni, too. We'll be going back the next time we're in KC - there were about 15 more things that I want to try.
After we ate, we went to the Miniatures Museum, but the docent told us that they closed in 30 minutes. So we drove by the Nelson Adkins Museum, and then headed out to Cabella's. We could spend an unreasonable amount of time browsing around in Cabella's. The best part, for me, was watching Lauren play a target shooting game upstairs and SHE ROCKED! I had no idea she was so good at that - it was amazing to watch her really excel at something unexpected!
Stuart just turned the television on, and the show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" is on. I'd forgotten how much I love this show! It used to be my favorite television show!
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