Got a Halloween Memory?

Okay. I'll start. I remember being a middle schooler bold enough to "egg" somebody's house.

(Dang! Apparently, I was meaner than I thought! All that pent up emotion, I guess.)

Anyway, since egging houses was new to me and my friend (this was my first time), we weren't exactly professionals. More than a little paranoid, hearts pounding, we stole a single egg from the fridge, knowing that taking more than one risked certain discovery. (Who knew that bleary-eyed mothers of nine children did not keep tallies of spent eggs folded inside their bathrobe pockets?)

Carefully, we wiped our fingerprints off the egg, in order to protect our identities. Then, having trouble deciding which of two homes to egg, we cracked it in two and threw each half at different, adjoining houses. Feet pounding, lungs afire with adrenalin and crisp, fall air, we tore down the street to make our escape.

We dared to look back after a half block or so, but continuing to walk (just in case!) we braced ourselves for a reaction and found ourselves disappointed. What?! No squealing tires? No flashing lights? No angry voices shouting into the night at children huddled in the bushes for cover? We were met only with anticlimactic calm That, and a feeling that we were not cut out for lives of crime; it was boring (and just plain dumb).

So we went home and made omelets instead. (just kidding)

Note:  I originally posted this question and story three years ago. Lisleman commented, way back then, but I figured many of you haven't read it, so I went with it. (Yes, I got that nap this afternoon, but it wasn't enough.haha)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Sundays in My City: Halloween Party Recap

As I type this, we have ten overnight guests starting the party all over again, outside in the garage. 

I am afraid to open my email for fear of reading an irate message from a neighbor; 

the police were called "by two neighbors" last night, 

but I'm told that your party doesn't really rate until the police are called, so we have that going for us. Seriously, though--10:45pm on a Saturday night and you're calling the police for a party that 

a) happens only once per year 

b) that you were invited to? 

In the neighborhood's defense, though, the band was kind of loud (and outside). I hope they can forgive us.

I am so tired.

Okay, so here are a few shots to give you a feel for how the party went.

First, a little of the food....

Cake pops (carrot, strawberry, and chocolate cakes)...

Fifteen pounds of barbecue. (There was enough left for a little brunch this morning.)

A brain soaked in vodka (much like some of our guests this morning)...

As usual, guests went all out on their costumes. 

I was too busy to take a ton of photos, but I do have a few to share. 

The decades....

Superman rescued Cowgirl Weaselmomma (all the way from Chicago!)

Even the religious in the crowd got rowdy. 

(I had a naughty caption for this one but decided I'll leave that up to you. Yes, that's a little weenie.)

We had no shortage of zombies at the party. Check out the makeup on this crew!  

(It was all done by the girl zombie in the skirt.)

The nails game was as big a hit as ever.

The Lark Brothers Band was awesome,

 and my cousin Jeanie [Carlin] (also a professional musician) joined them for several numbers, 

which was a real treat.

As usual, we had a few pole dancers...

No pole dancing for me (or Mr.4444), but we had a wonderful time. 

I'm sure I'll get a better photo from someone else, but here's one of me and Mr.4444.

Can you guess what he was?

Okay, I guess I should start cleaning up in here.

I'd welcome a distraction, though...

...and a nap.

Visit Unknown Mami for fun/beautiful/interesting photos from around the globe.

Friday Fragments, Episode #169

I'm up to my elbows in barbecue, beans, cakepops, etc. but wouldn't miss a chance to defrag my week, so here goes. Thanks for joining me! :) [for more information on Friday Fragments, click on the tab above]

***In posts past, I have often chose a Favorite Friday Fragmenter, but I don't always remember to do it. Last week, two posts inspired me to bring the feature back.

You know the saying about walking in my shoes? Well, women tend to have many more shoes than men, and maybe that has something to do with understanding them.

Pretty brilliant, huh? Also, Laurie Matherne, of Honduras Gumbo shared a very entertaining video fragment, Night of the Living Bread, which you can find here.

So, I hereby award Lisleman and Laurie this coveted award:

***I only put a dent in last week's fragments (It's impossible to keep up; sorry.) so if you ever stumble upon one that makes you laugh (or cry) out loud, feel free to bring it to my attention.

***If you love whales, you should check out this amazing video, shot by a thrilled kayaker.

***Believe it or not, people are still leaving drive-by links to FF (meaning that they don't read my post and simply link up their own, non-FF post). That's pretty rude, IMO. It's only a couple of different people each week, so it's not to tough to delete them. I would like to visit their blogs and call them out, but it's not a good use of my time, so I won't. I'm certain I could have much worse problems...

***If you love to knit or crochet and don't know about Ravelry, my knitting niece, Rachael highly recommends it. The projects on there are incredible; you're sure to find inspiration there.

***WOOHOO!!! I get to attend the Midwest Google Apps for Education Summit next week Thursday and Friday!!! As you can imagine, this totally geeks me out, since I love all things Google. I'll let you know how it goes.

***If you started to read my Again?! I Just Did It Yesterday post, blushed, and clicked away, I want to assure you that it's an innocent post, entertaining post. Trust me; I have not gone down the path to p0rnographic blogging.

***Finally, our annual Halloween party is Saturday. Stay tuned for pics and follow-up!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit! Enjoy some of the fragmented offerings this week--I'm sure the bloggers who link up here will love your company :)

Fall Fun

There is no school Thursday or Friday this week, but I'm crazy-busy getting ready for our annual Halloween party. To see the super-cute cake pops that I made, click over to Mrs.4444 Cooks. 

And speaking of creativity, I drove past this very creative display in a Tinytown front yard this afternoon. 

(Of course, I had to stop and take a photo.)

Looks like somebody's been watching horror flicks!

Have a great day! :)

Again?! I Just Did It Yesterday!

MamaKat, of Mama's Losin' It, has a weekly writing prompt. When I saw this prompt, I knew I had to jump on the bandwagon this week:

Describe something you did with your spouse when you dated, but that you’re now “over."

When Mr.4444 and I dated, I did something for him every now that all men love; it absolutely thrilled him.  It wasn't my favorite thing to do at all, but I was pretty hot for him and wanted to show him my appreciation, so I did it fairly often.  After a while, though, I came to that "Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free?" realization, and I told Mr.4444 that I would no longer be performing the task. I understood that he had needs, but I found the task so offensive that I figured I should quit doing it. After all, we weren't married.

He begged. He pleaded. He bribed, but it didn't work.  After a while, he got so desperate that he asked his mom to do it, and believe it or not, she did, often.  When his mom wasn't around, Mr.4444 would try to sweet-talk me into doing it for him again, but I told him, "No. Take care of it yourself. I promise that when we get married, I'll be a good wife and start again.

As you can imagine, he couldn't wait for the wedding. By that time, we lived together in Illinois, and since his mom didn't live us, I picked up where I had left off and met my husband's needs.

He especially loved it when I did it for him on Sunday mornings.

We've been married now more than 20 years, and although I love him dearly, I have to admit that I've totally slacked on my end; what used to be a 4-5-times-per-week act of love now only happens once a month (if he's lucky) and even then, he still has to beg. Really, though; the last thing in the world I want to do is wake up early and take care of his needs, when I could be sleeping in.


Poor Mr.4444...


Let me know if you'd be interested in taking care of him....


....There are always plenty of shirts to iron.

Brennan's Back!

Today, I witnessed something I can't explain.

Remember Brennan, my 6th grader from last year who was riding his bike on a country road (helmet-less) when he was struck by an SUV (July 29th)? He spent about a month in a coma, in I.C.U., and many of your prayed for his recovery. Emerging from his coma, Brennan couldn't walk, talk, or even move voluntarily. I visited him a couple of times--It was unsettling, as he was far from the boy I knew at school.

A severe head injury like Brennan's usually leaves little hope.  In fact, his parents toured a hospice facility just a few days before he started coming out of his coma. However, Brennan's destiny was apparently not to pass away at the age of 12.

Today, Brennan returned to school! Yes, he was in a wheelchair, but only part of the time, and he was only there for half of the day. No, he didn't know my name, but he did guess it when I gave him the first part (4444). No, I won't have him in a class, but he stopped by to visit his teachers from last year. I can't get over the fact that that kid went from a cracked skull and ICU for a month to walking and talking within three months.

I wish I could say more, but I can't, due to confidentiality reasons. What I have shared is public knowledge, via Brennan's Caring Bridge site, which was updated when he was recovering in the hospital. I will tell you that Brennan shared that he "died, twice."  There is sooo much more to this whole story, but I wanted to let you know that he is doing well and that his parents very much appreciate the prayers and good thoughts sent his way over the past few months.

So, I can't explain it, but I don't feel a need to; it is what it is, and I look forward to hearing how it goes.

Oh, and p.s. Please make sure your kid wears a bike helmet.

Funny Monday: Pregnant Granny

There's nothing like a smile to start your Monday. This video supplied plenty for me.

Here's hoping your week is pregnant with possibilities! :)

Well, I Never!

Inspired by Nezzy, I've decided to share a list of things I have never done:

*I have never wished I had more than two kids.
*I have never regretted my choice of career.
*I have never eaten more than four cake pops in a single sitting.
*I have never had long fingernails for longer than a couple of months (when I got married).
*I have never wished we had two dogs.
*I have never traveled outside North America, and I've never visited the south (Florida doesn't really count, right?)
*I have never grown tired of the sound of children singing (my own, or anyone else's)
*I have never even thought about divorcing Mr.4444 (well, not for more than a minute, anyway)
*I have never been a fan of bleu cheese (probably due to a childhood "incident")
*I have never believed that long lists are good for blogs--My limit is ten. You're welcome.

What have you never done?

Friday Fragments, Episode #168

Got randomness? Feeling tidbits bumping up against your brain? You've found the perfect place to release them all. Friday Fragments are the bits and pieces of your week that were too small for individual posts but make a nice little collection. Let's frag, shall we?

***Ever wondered how good your eye for color is? Take this interesting test of "Hue Acuity." (For what it's worth, I scored a 58.)

***We had parent-teacher conferences two nights this week, from 3:30pm-7:00 and 7:30pm. I'm pooped.

***A dear friend of Kendall's is a (female) snowboarder, as well as a budding photographer. Her site is here. I know she'd get a kick out of a little traffic--If you have a minute, check out her work. I'm sure you'll be impressed (and yes, that's Kendall in some of the photos).

***Remember that adorable, adorable little newborn (Cypher) that I showed you eight weeks ago? I didn't think it was possible, but he has gotten even cuter. He's lucky he lives thousands of miles from me and that I can't babysit; the poor kid would come away chapped from all the kisses!

It seems like every time I decide not to spell-out the fact that the linky below is for Friday Fragmenters only, I get a drive-by linker, so I guess it's necessary: Do link up your FRIDAY FRAGMENTS link below :)  I look forward to catching up with you :)

Wordless Wednesday

When I first saw this photo in the [1960's-1970's] slides we had turned into digital prints, I thought,

 "What a classic."

Great Grandpa 4444 is the man in the gray jacket. 

Great Uncle George is the guy on the right, in the glasses. 

Perhaps this photo inspired a "Hunters Widow" weekend that landed Aunt Bette here:

Regardless, both photos have been added to the 4444 Family Classics album.

The Newest 4444 Family Member

One day, Mr.4444 stopped at a gas station and was all the way to the door before he realized it had gone out of business. That's when he noticed the "homeless-looking" woman sitting at a table near the door. She was selling baby dolls. As he turned to go back to the car, the woman called out,

"Aren't they lovely?"

He turned and observed the collection of obviously-not-new dolls.

"Aren't they beautiful? I just love them."

Feeling sorry for the woman, Mr.4444 asked how much the dolls cost, and she told him, "One dollar each."

He felt sorry for the sweet lady, so he chose the "nicest" doll and gave the woman a dollar.

That was a great investment; Mr.4444 brought his "new baby" home, and it's been a member of the family ever since. 

The baby has no name, but Mr.4444 (always the entertainer) cuddles it every now and then and calls it his "baby." (He's always wanted to have another one but hasn't gotten any cooperation from his vasectomy.) When we laugh at him, he feigns offense and tells us not to be mean to "the baby." No one validates the status of the new infant in the house (It's kind of creepy.), and we have begun hiding it in various locations in order to disturb the family members who find it.

First, the "baby" was placed in Kyle's bedroom, where he found it and exclaimed, WTH?  He put it in the kitchen cupboard, where it was discovered by me.  I placed it in Mr.4444's drawer in the bathroom. From there, it found it's way into Kyle's duffel bag full of stuff he was taking back to college (He found it before he left.). I frequently hide it in the guest bathroom (to freak out our guests who like to snoop in people's cupboards, of course).

Last night, the baby was discovered in Kendall's bed. She does not appreciate her new sibling (even though she, too, frequently asks me to produce a baby brother or sister for her), and she was not in a good mood at all (boyfriend issues) so she kicked the baby out.

This morning, on the way to school, Kendall received a text message from her dad....

"You're grounded."

Puzzled, she replied, "huh?"

"You left your baby brother on the kitchen floor."  

Kendall replied, "I didn't leave it there; I threw it there. LOL"

"Not funny. Heading to the hospital..."

So, for just one dollar, our family has a lively new source of entertainment. I highly recommend it. (It's much, much cheaper than going to the movies.)

Oh, and P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR.4444!!! (or should I say Daddy?)

DirtBalls

I wrote this post three years ago--before most of you knew me, I'm guessing. I means a lot to me, so I'm giving it a replay today. At the time, I worked in an alternative classroom for students with emotional-behavioral disabilities.

I didn't set out to work with kids with emotional/behavioral disabilities. I wanted to work with orphans at a local social service agency, so I was very excited when I got the call for a job interview. See, at the time, I didn't know I was co-dependent. I only knew that I was drawn to people who were suffering and needed love. I had always been a caretaker. (I had a savior complex, I guess.) So, I was disappointed when the interviewer asked me, instead, if I would consider working with teens in their AODA* group home. Not wanting to seem unappreciative, I agreed to "check it out."

Twenty minutes later, I found myself sitting across from some "dirtball**" kids smoking at the kitchen table of a group home for kids recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. I had walked through the door tentatively; these kids were kind of scary. They were rule breakers; something foreign to me. Taffy (her real name) was the first kid I met. She had heavy eye makeup on, but the thing I noticed most was the large, homemade tattoo of her name, which ran from her shoulder all the way down to mid forearm. Wow. This girl was tough. To say I was a little intimidated is an understatement.

I am reminded of a quote from a movie in which Angelina Jolie (as a very young woman) plays a teenager who wears tons of stark, scary makeup and has wild hair. She admits, "I wear this mask so that people don't know how really scared I am." If you're tough enough to have an enormous tattoo on your arm, people are less likely to mess with you, right?

Surprisingly, my discomfort didn't last long. These kids, with their rough, startling exteriors, were friendly, sweet, funny, and wise. I suddenly realized that they were no different than any other kid I had met; they just looked different on the outside. Same fears, same needs, same insecurities; just better at keeping people at a distance, where they were less likely to hurt them. And here they were, living in a group home, having experienced lives much worse than mine. If eyes are the windows to the soul, I was seeing some pretty dark places; I was 20 years old, but I felt like a child next to these teens, some who seemed at least twice their ages.

How brave these kids must be, I thought. To break the rules, show disrespect towards authority figures, tattoo and pierce their bodies, smoke, and all at such young ages. (Taffy was 15.) To this day, I have never met a kid with an emotional-behavioral disability who doesn’t tell it like it is, and I find that refreshing. Those group home kids were no exception. I was hooked.

Flash forward a couple of months.

Every time we had Group Therapy, I found myself identifying with the kids' emotions. If one of them shared a story that made them cry, I was right there crying with them. I often put an arm around them to comfort them and help them get control of their emotions. They shared their stories, their pain, their fears. There were many nights that I went home and found myself sobbing; I felt so sad for those kids. I grew in respect for them, too. These "dirtball" kids' in so much pain that they had to self-medicate, had enough bravery to act out; to sacrifice their bodies and their security, to draw attention (consciously or not) to their problems . To me, they were heroes. These "sneaky, manipulative, trouble making" kids were more honest, in some ways, than I was.

One day, during a staff meeting, I teared up while talking about one of the kids, and the staff psychologist turned to me and gently asked, "Your dad's an alcoholic, isn't he?"

I was incredulous! How could he tell? Was he some kind of clairvoyant? See, at the time, I didn't know that I wore my co-dependency on my sleeve. My colleague's gentle observation is the reason I attended my first Adult Children of Alcoholics meeting and started down the road of self-discovery and recovery from my own childhood demons. It was a road on which I was ready to embark.

To be continued... Dirtballs, Part II

*AODA-Alcohol and Drug Abuse

*dirtballs (what we called them in my high school...otherwise known as greasers, hoods, druggies, etc.)

Busy Weekend

It's been a very busy weekend, so far! I helped set up an event at the high school after school yesterday, served as "Bingo Goddess" last night, and spent much of today making these for a bake sale tonight:

Hope you're having a sweet weekend! :)

Friday Fragments, Episode #167

I'm so glad it's Friday. Aside from the fact that it's (Hello!) the weekend, it's our chance to purge our minds of randomness. Thanks for stopping by! [click the tab above to learn more about Friday Fragments]

My Difference Makers students and I had a big plan to rake/blow leaves around town after school today. Mother Nature had other plans. Instead, we planned parts of our year, harvested veggies from the school's garden (No, we didn't eat them--Just helped out.), and shredded a LOT of papers for the office secretaries. Their biggest idea for this year--To host a walk/run to get a jump on fundraising for our Relay for Life team this year.

I have a busy weekend planned; I'm working a high school choir event (and making cake pops for the bake sale), as well as chaperoning "Friday Fun Night" tonight. (Picture 400 hormone-induced adolescents running around like crazy. Pray for me.)  I'm really looking forward to both, as it's all good for kids, and they will be appreciative.

I wonder if this really works....

How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.
I'll let you know the next time I need a whole head of garlic.

I love the Disqus commenting system, but I don't love that it doesn't always take me to your blogs when I click on your names (I have to go to my reader for that.). Maybe I'm missing something (besides your blogs)?

I'm so excited about a possible opportunity to become a Google Trainer at my school!  As you know, I love pretty much all things Google--Keeping fingers crossed over here....

Okay, I'm now defragged.  Got fragments? Link up your Friday Fragments post here (Sorry--All others links will be deleted.):

Resisting the Inevitable

You might surprised to know that I do not have a "smart"phone.

Reasons to continue without one:

*Cheaper cell phone bills
*Not being at everyone's beck and call every moment of every day.  I can't read my email on my current phone; it's nice to be unplugged part of the day.
*I don't feel like learning something new. First, there's the choosing of the phone-- I'll be choosing from what seems like a bajillion options for android phones or the iPhone. After that pain-in-the-butt decision, there will be the learning how to set it all up and such--

Things I would rather do than learn how to set up and use a new phone:

*Go on a date with this guy:

[Bachelorette contestant, Bentley. Trust me, he's a slimeball.]

*Spend a month looking for a nickel in poopy diapers (Yes, I've done this, and it's gross, even with the gloves. And no, I didn't find it.)
*Rinse our septic filter. (No, I've never done it.)
*Pay bills, including write the check for our annual taxes.
*Have a colonoscopy
*Pour lemon juice in freshly-chewed fingernails

The appealing aspect of getting a smartphone:
*Being able to keep up with my email on-the-go
*Being able to use the Internet anywhere
*Having better ringtone choices (Seriously--the ones I have are just awful.)

All things considered, I am feeling the call. I know a smartphone is in my future. I know that once I've got it all set up, I'll be like all the other smartphone owners who say, "I don't know how I ever lived without it."

How about you? Do you have a smartphone? If so, could you live without it? :)

Back to the Future, Revisited

We're working on mass, volume, and density in science.  Today, we measured gummy bears that had soaked in water over the weekend and compared them to the measurements students took on Friday.

"My destiny is '8'!" chirped "Susie."

"Your destiny, or your density?" Mrs. K questioned.

"Right. My destiny.  I got '8' for my destiny."


Sometimes, art does imitate life.

Wisconsin Reflections

This weekend, our fall colors are at their peak; Mr.4444 suggested we take a canoe ride 

down the Oconto River to enjoy them. I am so glad we did. 

We took two cars, and as Mr.4444 lead the way, my excitement grew; it was such a beautiful day...

....the perfect day for a dad to take his kid fishing...

...and the perfect day to sit in the front of a canoe and let your husband paddle for two hours.

(Don't worry--We were floating with the current.)

I simply could not pick a favorite for this post.

 

If you're dying to see all of my shots from today (each one is gorgeous), you can find them here.

(I think. Google+ is open to everyone now, and my photos are Public, anyway.)

I have to add that I love my husband soooo much.

He loves me, too, as evidenced by his patience.

Note to Self: The next time you take two cars to a canoe trip,

remember to take both sets of keys with you in the canoe.

What?! Hitchhiking in Wisconsin is perfectly safe.

(Thanks, Honey.)

I'm participating in Sundays in My City, Sunday Summary (need help with the link, please),

  Scenic Sunday, and Weekend Reflections!

Saturday Sampling

That Saturday Sampling thing? After 80 or so times of hosting it, I still love it, but I'm over it; I'm just too busy with school, and I need to relax on the weekends and not feel the obligation of setting up the post and links.  Feel free to grab the button and host at your own place--I won't mind at all and will in fact promote it here at Half-Past Kissin' Time. I will also participate! If you decide to host at your place, send an email to me, and I'll provide a link here.

What's on your docket this weekend?  Mr.4444 and I will be admiring the gorgeous fall foliage (via a canoe) on the Oconto River tomorrow, and I am super-excited about it! Have a great weekend!

Friday Fragments, Episode #166

Welcome! It's time to unload the bits and pieces of your week that have been floating around, needing a soft landing place.  To learn more about Friday Fragments, click on the link above.

***While grocery shopping last week, I stumbled upon Seneca Farms Apples and Cinnamin oatmeal and bought it, thinking it might be good and would be the perfect breakfast for Kendall and me on days we're in a rush. Kendall tried it and exclaimed, "This tastes like a dessert!"  170 calories, Vitamin C, 2 g fiber, protein, 39 carbs. Yum. I like to root for the "little guy," and Seneca Farms has the tiniest space on the oatmeal shelf, so there you go. Go, Seneca Farms! :)

***If you're like most people, you get that the "Occupy Wallstreet" protests are about big business has trodden all over the little guy. Since it doesn't seem to be dying down, I thought I'd look a little deeper and asked on Google+ what the protesters are demanding. Woozle Staddon was kind enough to share a link to the Proposed List of Demands by organizers. Very interesting.

***Speaking of Google+, because of one little mention by a popular Plusser, I now have 400 more people "circling" me, which means they will see my Public posts and I can read whatever they share with me (unless I choose to "Ignore" them). Talk about pressure--I can't help but feel a little self-conscious now; I feel like I have to be all witty and stuff.  Don't worry; I won't let it go to my head. You are all my first loves, anyway. I won't be posting any more than usual over there.

***My Difference Makers student volunteer group started up again today, and they are as enthusiastic as ever about making a difference in the world. I'm really excited. Here's a perfect quote for my Difference Makers:

"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." - Steve Jobs

Enough about me. How about you? Link up your fragments below:

The Sing-Off Fannin Friend Interview

A few weeks ago, I watched my co-worker Rachel perform with seven members of her family for millions of viewers, on The Sing-Off, a singing competition on NBC. I was very curious about the whole thing and thought you might be, too, so I asked Rachel for an interview. She was nice enough to agree, so here’s the scoop. But first, here's The Fannin Family’s performance on the show. [Rachel is the first girl on the right.]

How did you get involved in The Sing-Off? We’ve been singing together for years, just for fun, and had some of our videos on YouTube. One day in April, the producers of The Sing-Off saw one of our videos and invited us to audition for the show. We figured, “Why not?” especially because a few of my siblings are musicians or aspire to be so. For example, my oldest brother Jacob has two CD’s and is always working on new material.

How long did the process take, from the time they contacted you until the show aired?

We submitted our audition tape in early May and were chosen to be in the “Top 16” acts for the show in early June. In June and July, our involvement in the show was still a “secret,” but we communicated with Sing-Off producers often, via Skype and phone calls. They wanted to know that we were learning our material and preparing certain numbers for the first week of the show. In mid-July, three producers arrived in Hortonville and spent a few days filming our introduction and conducting one-on-one interviews. [You might be interested to know that the Fannins do not live on a farm, though their intro kind of implies that.]  In late July, we left for Los Angeles, where we were for about two weeks.

What were your days like in California?         

We pretty much focused on the show the whole time we were in California. We hit the ground running when we arrived, starting with a 3-hour meet-and-greet with the other groups. That night, we started large and small group rehearsals. Each day started around 8am and usually lasted until anywhere from 10pm to midnight. Because my younger sister is only 14 (and there are child labor laws) our group was offered more breaks; we got a few hours off here and there but didn’t really go anywhere to site see or anything like that.

Who did your choreography?

The show’s choreographers collaborated with us, giving us advice. They knew we pros or anything and didn’t try to force us to be something we’re not.

Did you get to keep your wardrobe?           

  Producers wanted a variety of colors in the wardrobes, and they offered us three color choices; in the end, the purple costumes were selected because it worked best with the color schemes of the other groups. No, we weren't invited to keep our outfits at the end.

What about your hair and makeup?

The producers chose our hairstyles; they had an idea of what image they wanted each group to portray, and ours was obviously “wholesome.” It was kind of funny, since most of us are clearly adults, but our hairstyles were very sweet and innocent. 

Was there anything about being on the show that surprised you?

The atmosphere was really relaxed. We got a lot of breaks, because the show isn't live. The taping of the entire show itself started about 6pm and took about five hours.  We didn’t have any expectations, really, because we’d never done anything like that before. It was an exciting experience.

What did you do when your group wasn’t performing?

       When we weren’t taping, we were doing run-throughs, mentally preparing, and having our hair and makeup done.  When we left the studio for any reason, it was always in vans driven by “wranglers” (a nickname for their escorts). Producers knew our whereabouts at all times.

Okay, now the question everyone is curious about: Did you get paid to be on the show?  How did all of that work?

The producers of the show understand that people are often leaving paid jobs to work with them for those two weeks.  They made sure that our time out there was made worthwhile and wouldn’t be too much of a burden on our wallets and bills

Anything else you’d like to add?

Before The Sing-off, I had only been on stage with a microphone once!  It’s a lot harder than it looks, hearing the echo of your voice while you’re singing; it takes some getting used to.  The other groups sang professionally all the time, and it showed. We knew we were out of our league, but we were okay with that. It was a great experience, and I’m glad we did it.


Thanks, Rachel! :)

The Whys of Good-Byes

"I'm going to miss you, Mrs.4444."

"What do you mean?"

"Today is my last day."

"Today? Are you kidding me?!"

"No. We have to move tomorrow."

I've only known "John" two weeks. It's a long story, so you'll have to trust me when I say that he is much better off staying. Here's an example of how I know this:  After just two hours at our school, I heard him half-whisper to me,

"Will you take me home with you?"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." [smiles]

John's repeatedly said, "This school is awesome!" in the short time I've known him.  It breaks my heart to see him go. He reminds me of another boy who came into my teacher-life for a short time (about four years ago) and touched my heart in a similar way. Brian was a little gang-banger (from an urban area in another state) who had a little bit of a rough time adjusting to life at Tinytown Middle School, at first. He told me that he had been "kicked out" of his last two schools and that he hated school. At the time, my classroom was a self-contained, special education class for students with severe behavioral issues. Brian was with me for all but one class each day; he was on a partial-day schedule (Given his history, we were working our way up to a full day.).

One day, Brian got worked up about the fact that he had gone home before lunch and missed a disagreement between two other boys at lunch.

"Oh, Man! I woulda been so up in that!" he asserted, punching one fist into the palm of his other hand.

"You don't understand." I explained. "It wasn't like that--They just had a disagreement, not a fight. You don't need to do that here--Nobody does that here. Tinytown is not that kind of place."

It took Brian a while to notice that he was the only one in the building walking with his pants a mid-thigh (whenever he had the chance), with a swagger that warned, "You better not mess with me--I'm serious."  He was such a little fish out of water, that kid. It was actually kind of comical; his street machismo in our "country" school. He never got in a single fight in the time he was with us, though; no one was interested in him as an adversary; all of that posturing was merely met with curiosity.

As tough as he was, Brian was also weak; skinny, pasty-faced kid who came in starving every morning and was really ugly until we'd feed him. I crossed a professional boundary the Saturday that I stopped by his house with a Super Value Meal and handed it to him in the driveway without even opening my car door--I had come to my senses moments earlier--What was I thinking?! I didn't really know this kid! For all I knew, his stories of being abused at home could have been total bull. His parents had left for the weekend; it would be his word against mine if he decided to accuse me of something inappropriate.

A week or two later, Brian asked if he could move in with me (and my family) for a while. (Yes, seriously.)  He said his parents were going on a vacation to his old stomping grounds (for a couple of weeks) and he said his mom wanted to know if I'd let him stay with me when they were gone; he didn't want to go with them.  Of course, I told him no. He said he understood.

And then, several days later, he came in and told me that his parents had put all of their furniture in the yard and burned it, the night before. What?! Were these people nuts?! That's when it occurred to me...

"You're not going on vacation, are you? You're moving back [to his former city]!"

"I am?! I better not be!"  He was honestly shocked.  Like my recent student, Brian, too, had grown to love Tinytown Middle School.

But he was moving.  He never said good-bye; just didn't come to school the next day.

After Brian left, I kept wondering why our paths had met in the first place, since he hadn't even been at our school half the year; it seemed like such a waste. He was just beginning to relax a little, and he was also becoming a better reader and writer.  It was so discouraging, knowing he was going back to a tough school.

Finally, it occurred to me that, sometimes, a boy on a tough road needs an oasis. Even though he had only been with us a short time, I felt confident that he would look back with positive feeling, remembering a school at which he had success. I know that wherever Brian is today, he has good memories of Tinytown Middle School.

And so will John.

Sundays in My City: Bitter Sweet

This week in my city, I have a cousin who is sick. 

This morning, as I made cake pops (and cake bites) to take to the hospital, 

I did so with a deeper sense purpose than I've ever felt before,

 making food for a family going through a tough time.  

It was definitely a labor of love...

....a messy job (the way I do it, anyway),

and very much worth the effort...

and part of me knows that, on some level, these cake pops will help heal those who enjoyed them.

On another subject (bitter or sweet, depending on how you look at it),

this is what Mr.4444 found this morning when he went out to get the paper...

Yes, it's homecoming at TinyTown High School. 

Kendall and her boyfriend got all gussied up for the dance tonight.  

Here's what happens when you're taking Homecoming pics and your dog decides to relieve himself 

(very loudly) about ten feet away.

Here's another shot (minus pet entertainment).

Kendall wants me to inform you that the lopsided bulge on the left side of her dress
(your left) is a wardrobe malfunction, not a freakish physical defect.

For more scenes from cities all over the globe, visit Unknown Mami's Sundays in My City.