Saturday, January 30, 2010

Aspiring to Mediocrity.

Our district Admin is going crazy again. Musical chairs with campus Administrators. Moving two out, offering them classroom teaching positions if they so desire, a Principal from one school moved to another. An interim AD moved from one to another,an assistant from one school moved to another. One assistant moved to a school that already has a full complement of administrators, even though my campus is minus one administrator. Why?

One of the reasons listed by dao is that morale at this particular campus was down. Is this a result of the recent survey asking about job satisfaction? Is it possible that these cuts/changes were partially driven by this questionnaire? That was one of the reasons given by district admin (notice no caps) for these changes. What will these actions do to morale now? If it was low before, how low will it go now? They don't exactly instill confidence and trust. We need leaders on each campus and at the district level that we have confidence and trusting relationships with. This is crazy.

Why is it better to do it now, halfway through the first grading period of this semester rather than spring break or during the summer? Could they possibly have chosen a more disruptive time and method to implement these changes? This will cause problems on all levels of campus life, down to each student in each classroom. Some of these positions that have been vacated will be filled by others with Admin Certification who were now teaching up until this time, which will mean that other teachers will be moved around in order to have coverage in each classroom. Out of the 6 schools in our district, 3 were left unscathed, and I am happy for them. The other 3 are going to have big changes on Monday.

And is there any truth to the rumor that there will be a nation-wide search to find a new principal for this school next year? Is our district sound enough financially to undertake a search like this? We have to scrape and beg to get copy paper or printer cartridges, and they are considering a nation=wide search for a principal? Look at our past nationwide searches, they didn't turn out to be all that great.

Seems to me that in our district, if you are perceived as being competent and good at what you do, you get jerked out of your position and moved to a different campus. It has happened before, now it has happened again

Likewise, if you are bad at what you do, you don't get invited back the next year. If you are really bad you are fired midyear.

However if you are somewhere in the middle, merely mediocre, might just be the best place to be. Hence my new goal---I am now Aspiring To Be Mediocre.




Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises.
-Elizabeth Zimmerman

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Addison's first 24



Both mom and baby are really tired. Being born is a hard job for all involved, especially when you have to be in the hospital for 10 days prior to the actual birth. They are both exhausted. Addison is in the NICU, Aimee still is in the hospital. In some respects it makes it easier for her to be that close for feeding purposes, but it is so hard to rest there. She just gets to sleep and the janitor comes in or time for vitals , or friends calling in, excited about the baby, wanting to know when they can come see her. Having a complicated birth is just that, complicated. You can't visit in the NICU unless one of the parents take you in there. So that eliminates most everyone except for grandparents and immediate family. Hopefully tomorrow's feedings will be better and bring them closer to going home. There is no place like home.



Addison has lots of toppers to keep her head warm once she gets out of the NICU's warming lamps. There are acutally two more that didn't get photographed and I have two more on the needles and bunches more in my head. They are fast, fun, and a bit more addictive than socks. Those of you with the sock bug know what I mean. These go way faster. And I now have two hats on the needles, one lace, one a knit-in-the-dark hat. Two hats for two different knitting environment/mind spaces.


How about knitting on Sunday, Anyone up for it? At the usual place, usual time!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Introducing Addison!



Addison Dynes Dunn, born tonight, 6lbs 1 oz. She is supposed to be 35 weeks, I can't imagine how much bigger she would have been at 40 weeks, she looks pretty perfect here! She is doing really well, and Aimee is doing well. Addison was born on their 11th day in the hospital. She was ready, it was time. Welcome Addison!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

I have been making a lot of these.


I think that these baby hats are more addictive than socks. They go super duper fast and you don't get bored. I may need a Baby Hat Intervention. There are more hats struggling to get out of my brain. I see ideas everywhere. I am dangerous at Joann's once I read that you shouldn't use anything with wool because in the NICU any wool+oxygen=potential for static electricity. Which isn't good with oxygen of course. Stayed tuned for more hats.......

PLUS, as an extra added bonus there may be a baby soon to model them. This is day #8 in the hospital for Aimee. She changed doctors today-long story--but it is definitelve stopped the contractions. And steroid shots. And on and on. So, as of now, the amnio is not going to happen, she comes off of the mag tomorrow, the catheter is out, the baby girl is 35 weeks, game on! Stay tuned for new developments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Some Jewelry recovered!


inally home! I brought these home from the Police Dept. Evidence Room last week. I can't tell you how nice it is to get it back. I hope some more will surface over time, you just never know. The lady who owns the pawn shop where I found these pieces said that when she was robbed, the burglars buried some of her stuff. When they got out of jail they dug it up and pawned it, she got it back even though a lot of time had lapsed. I will diligently check this pawn shop every week. I forgot how pretty these things were.

Happy knitting!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The First Pair of Socks I Ever Made.


This is a true confession. These socks took me 3 years to knit. When you look at them, remember that there have been some things that I have knitted that I threw away. These socks weren't in that category. So remembering this contex, here they are...........

The one on the left was the first one, I believe. It took the longest, maybe 2 years. I got tired of looking at it and decided, "What the Hell? Just do the second one". So I did. Looking at these, just think to yourself how hideous the things I threw away must have been.

Curt spent the first 10 years of our marriage looking for their mates when they showed up in the dryer. He didn't know that they were fraternal twins born a year and a half apart.


So, it is amazing that I ever, ever decided to try a another pair of socks. Ones that would actually stay on my feet without turning upside down or falling off.

This photo shows Andrea's Rare Gems (my daughter in knitting) that I am knitting along with some very brave knitters who are being introduced to sock knitting.. I am bowing to their peer pressure, all of whom have BOTH socks on Magic Loop already! I can't be outdone by my students!

So to those new Sock Knitters that are crossing over into the Dark Zone of Sockiness, remember my first pair. I will bring them to our next knitting session so you can see them in person. They are to socks as the Cow-Tongue purse is to felting.


Knit on!

PS--the photo makes my first pair of socks look much better than they are in real life.







Saturday, January 16, 2010

Wow! Two Posts in One day!

This is Louisa's finished Big Sea scarf in a wave pattern with drop stitches. It is really pretty--the photo is a little dark but you can still see the waves. Very nice Louisa!
















Do you know about the craziness of socks? It is an extremely addictive type of knitting. Fits into your purse. Done on crazy little needles, 0, 1, or 2. Anywhere from 14,000 to 18,000 stitches per pair. Sure, you may say we are crazy now, but watch out for the suction of the sock. You may just want to cross over to the dark side with the rest of us. Here is Helen, who swore she would never knit socks. Hey, what is that thing stuck on your toes???





Watch this space for sock updates!

Gifts from Christmas past

Finally! Computer is working with iPhoto, new
camera is charged and ready to go! This hat
was super cute, Linda knitted it and the mouse slipper here. The hat has an asymmetrical brim--where did you get the pattern Linda? I think you said it was a Lion Brand free pattern? The brim is the part on the lower left where the yarn striped, but it doesn't stick out, it is like a band and can be rotated to any position, very cute!
And the mouse slippers--way cute. Even really big kids like these!





These hats are knitted to fit over helmets---ski helmets, motorcycles, quads, you name it. Gifted by Linda.














These are mother- daughter hats knitted and gifted by Helen. Cute and quick!












Shirley knitted this cute hat---check out the ruffled edging-it really makes it different---Shirley, can you post the website in the comments?














And finally, the "Goin' to the Gyno" scarf. Model is anonymous. Remember this when you are tempted to add fun fur to the ends of your scarf. As they say in the world of real estate, "location, location, location".














Happy knitting! The New Year promises to have lots of sock news---stay tuned!