How did this happen. I thought we had the Real ThingTM or as good as it gets with aspartame. For sixteen years, we were perfectly content to be together. We didn't need anyone or anything else. She wanted me at breakfast. She wanted me at lunch. She wanted me at supper. She was unquenchable. And then BOOM! Gone. No. No. Don't touch my cap. I'm still all shook up. I might explode.

Poor Diet Coke.

I've got a 12 pack of Diet Coke with Splenda and some Caffeine Free DC. Between the two of them, I'll wean myself off. I need to pick up some of my favorite British tea in decaf, though. Then I'll be set.

We're in the midst of bottle weaning. Owen no like. He took a kitchen spatula and banged it on the coffee table this morning very angrily when I wouldn't give him one. The look on his face was priceless. I gave him a sippy cup instead.

Is there caffeine in Coke Zero?

Diet Coke with Splenda tastes too much like regular Coke, I agree.

I like Diet Coke with Lime. Other than that, I'm a Pepsi girl.

Plei, Cashmere, these days are they saying you can't have any caffeine, or that you have to limit it?

It gave me incredibly painful stomach cramps. So it went away.

Hey, all.

Back from camping weekend; so tired and groggy. Didn't get home till about 8 last night, and fell into bed at 10. I am at work right now, and am frantically trying to update/prepare my teaching portfolio for my first teacher interview.

Also, I have to teach a 20 minute lesson plan in front of hiring committee and to a few students.

Suggestions on portfolio and/or lesson plan from teachers? I have computer access till 5 pm.

Erin, what grade and class?

Coke Zero does have caffiene in it. So it's not zero zero, just zero calories.

Also, I have to teach a 20 minute lesson plan in front of hiring committee and to a few students.

Suggestions on portfolio and/or lesson plan from teachers? I have computer access till 5 pm.

Erin--

I really suggest doing a short poem or a short vingette so the students have time to read and then be actively engaged in the lesson.

Some things to remember (speaking from serving on more hiring committees than I can count, and please don't be offended if your response is "well DUH!" to these; I'm just trying to cover some of the mistakes I've seen new teachers make):

• make sure you pick something age/level appropriate--not too challenging (20 minutes is super short) but also not too easy (boredom/no room for analysis or interpretation or thinking)
• don't do anything controversial--but also don't do something that's been done a billion times, like the two roads in the woods Frost poem
• make sure that your lesson is structured so that the students speak more than you do. You can accomplish this through Socratic discussion, small group work, or student-led Q&A, but make sure you don't lecture the whole time
• be friendly and learn names--I suck at this, so I have them put their names on a sticker or in front of them on the table so I can call them by name when we're talking
• make sure you're in charge without being overbearing
• ENJOY YOURSELF! They will sense it, and it makes all the difference in the world.

Good luck!

Has anyone had word of our darling Fay?

Back from camping weekend;

Did you have fun?

Has anyone had word of our darling Fay?

Just via meara's LJ posts. She's in Cairo right now.

I feel icky today, but I finally got some sleep.

Lily is getting so big and even more beautiful. She doesn't look like a newborn anymore.

I think I'll call today a success if I can make it through without smacking any customers up the side of the head.

Any day in retail is a success if you don't maim the customers.

I love those page up things, vw. I give one to anyone going away to college.

{{{vw}}} Feel better.

I need to pick up some of my favorite British tea in decaf, though. Then I'll be set.

Which tea is this, Cashmere?

We're in the midst of bottle weaning. Owen no like. He took a kitchen spatula and banged it on the coffee table this morning very angrily when I wouldn't give him one. The look on his face was priceless. I gave him a sippy cup instead.

Awww. Owen makes the cutest faces.

I severely hate today. Doctor Wordy is back. Gaze upon her works, ye mighty, and despair. Behold a single sentence, transcribed verbatim, which she intended to convey necessary information about a patient's vital signs (all identifiers removed, so I'm assuming this is HIPAA-compliant, and God, I need to vent because I have almost two hours more of this shit to do, which will take me about another five hours):

He remains afebrile with heart rates 68-107 bpm, respiratory rates 14-20 bpm, and mean arterial blood pressures earlier in the day with a range of 126 to 158 over 83-94, but this came down through the night and his systolics through the night have been 115-140 over diastolics of 68-95, but most of the time less than 80.

The fuck? Believe it or not, English is DW's first language.