wait, what?

Where I work at a children's clothing store, when someone does a return, I am required to ask the reason. Most of the time, the customer answers with one of two things: (1) It didn't fit, or (2) he/she didn't like it.

The past few days, I've been doing a lot of returns, and I've noticed some people get really lengthy about their reason. I have to fit their reason into a category to type into the cash register (for example "poor fit," "size exchange," "customer preference," or "defective.")

Today, I filed two particular returns under "customer preference," and I cannot stop thinking about either.

First, a women came in with various pieces of clothing in toddler sizes. She had a skirt, sweater, sweatshirt and tights. Each piece was pink. When I asked her the mandatory "was there anything wrong with these?" she said "No, I just absolutely do not allow my daughters to wear pink." She then proceeded to spend the next half hour searching our store for non-pink toddler girl clothing (it was not easy). **

The next return I processed was for a boy's size large long sleeved t-shirt featuring The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Captain America and Iron Man. I love this t-shirt, and I have even considered squeezing my not-skinny self into the largest size. Whenever a little boy picks it out, I tell them about how it is my favorite. When I asked the customer the reason for the return, she explained, "Well, all of my kids are really into comic books. My ex bought this shirt for all of my kids. It's alright for the boys, but girls just can't wear shirts like this."

Wait, what?

Maybe it was because pink is my favorite color and I can't imagine telling a child they can't wear color they like. Maybe it was because the other women returned a shirt I had considered buying for myself saying it was something girls shouldn't wear. I keep wondering if the children had any say in if their Christmas presents got returned.

If pink is typically for girls, then why is it bad for a girl to look "typical?" Is there something wrong with looking like a girl? Does prohibiting a color make it more appealing? Shouldn't a child's words, thoughts and actions tell more about them than what color they are wearing? If a child's clothes are comfortable, well fit, and warm does it matter what color they are? Can girls like pink and also be empowered, smart and thoughtful?

If comic books are typically for boys, what happens when girls like them? Will people automatically assume she is a boy for wearing a shirt from the boy's department? Do they only sell Avengers Comics to men and boys? Is there anything wrong with being a boy? How is this girl going to feel when all of her brothers have the same shirt, but hers was returned because she is a girl?

What are the gift-givers going to say when they never see these children wearing these particular items of clothing?

Is anyone else infuriated by this? I grew up wearing clothes from the boys and girls departments, and I didn't grow up to be any less of a girl.

We should spend more time teaching our kids to be grateful for a gift they receive, instead of deciding on their behalf that something needs returned because a well-meaning relative bought it in the wrong color/department.

**I am obviously not sure, but by the tone of her voice, I assumed the "no pink" rule had to do with gender stereotypes, and not wanting her daughters to fit them.

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song

I've decided I'll start writing in this blog again. I want to write in it more often, given that exciting things happen in my life that are worth commenting on. I think I'll try to update it once a week.

It's Sunday and here are my current thoughts/life updates:

• -"The Wonder Years" on Netflix is really stopping me from getting anything productive done. I've watched 20 episodes of it in the past 2 weeks. I was really surprised that one of my co-workers wasn't familiar with this show, because I just assumed it was sort of a staple of everyone's TV watching. I also like Winnie's glasses and all of her tucked in shirts with belts.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl I knew that lived across the street. Brown hair. Brown eyes. When she smiled, I smiled. When she cried, I cried. Every single thing that ever happened to me that mattered, in some way, had to do with her." - Kevin Arnold

• I've been thinking a lot about some of the things I'd like to do this summer. I want to start planning ahead, mostly because I'm excited, but also because this is very likely the last summer I'll in that area. I'm definitely going to Washington DC at the beginning of June, but I'd like to make a lot of smaller trips to places like the Smorgasboard, Chip Factory Tour, and the Diner. Just in case I don't get to go to those places again.
  

• One of my friend's favorite quotes is: "the key is to surround yourself with people who uplift you, who bring out your best." I've been focusing on this lately because it makes a difference to every aspect of my life. I have made a great effort to surround myself only with people who are not judgmental. Knowing I can be open and honest with my friends is making my life more positive. I am a better person because of the choices I've made lately, and one of those choices has to do with who I spend my time with. Thanks for that, friends.
  

• And finally, my dad's cousin just posted on Facebook: "Insanity does not run in my family. It strolls through, takes it's time and gets to know everyone personally." I think this is hilarious.
  

some good news...

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead

No matter how many times I hear that, it still always sticks with me. Today, it proved itself true again. You might not count this as "saving the world," but it really will change the lives of a lot of kids I know. I think the best part is that the kids were so directly involved in all the petitioning/noise-making. I just hope that everyone stays optimistic and this can be a long-term thing, instead of just one summer...

Oxford; or, Life in the Woods

I had a hard time deciding if I wanted to go back to work at camp this summer. I spent a lot of late winter and early spring debating if it made sense financially, logistically, etc. As soon as I arrived in Oxford, I knew I made the right decision.

2011 was the best summer I've ever experienced. It wasn't perfect. It was far from perfect. In this one summer I heard more bad news and had more challenges than I have ever experienced. I have never had so many conflicts with the people I love. I have never been physically ill so many times in such a short period of time. I have never experienced so many days of extreme heat. I have never seen so many children cry every Thursday night, not because they were sad to be there, but sad because they can never come back. I have never felt so much pain over leaving a place. Despite all of these hardships, I awoke every morning thinking about how much I didn't want the summer to end.

Sometimes you end up finding a home somewhere you never expected. There's a part in the movie Garden State where Sam and Andrew are talking about the houses they grew up in. Andrew says at some point he realized that the house he grew up in is just wear he keeps is stuff and the feeling of home is gone. Sam says she still feels at home in her house and Andrew says:

"You'll see one day when you move out it just sort of happens one day and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I don't know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place."

That's sort of how I feel about camp right now. A group of people that all miss the same imaginary place. I love being around Akron and all my family and friends here, but I have felt so disconnected since I've been in Ohio. Over the past four years I've created a second home for myself in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. I always told people that even my hometown was boring; I wanted to move away and go to a city and do really exciting, glamorous things. There's a lot of irony in the idea that the home I've created for myself is in a town no one has heard of, where 40 people share two showers and I can't get enough cell phone service to answer a call.

I don't know if we'll ever get to go back, and if we do, I don't know if it will ever be the same. I like the security of a bug free home with walls, but I'd give that up for the comfort of a friend being in the bed next to me. I like having my own car around, but I miss my best friend's voice during our dramatic car sing-alongs. I surely don't miss saying "CIT's GO TO BED" every night, but I miss those kiddos every day and I worry about how their first weeks of school went. If circumstances were different, maybe I would decide I didn't want to work at camp next year, but given the situation now, all I want is for that magic to continue for these kids. I want those kids to get to experience the stay up to late-"firefly" all night-eat too much-cry too often-hug all the time family that comes with being on staff.

Henry David Thoreau wrote in 1854, " "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

I've read Walden many times, but this piece of it stands out to me more now than it ever has before. I came to camp this summer expecting to teach teenagers how to be good camp counselors. I never imagined what they would have to teach me.

I expected I would make friends this summer, but I had no idea how the backdrop of nature would enhance those friendships. I had no idea that this summer would be the summer where I finally understood where I fit in this world.

Thanks for that.

10 things

10. Subbing isn't so bad. If I have to do it another year, I can handle that.
9. I've discovered a gas station that gives you .04 cents off a gallon if you pay in cash, and it's also the cheapest one in town to begin with.
8. Has anyone ever had hair tinsel done? I want to get it done for the summer, but I want to know if it's worth by $18.
7. Speaking of things I want, all I want for Christmas is a new set of nice Hogwarts robes. Maybe you all can collaborate.
6. Lady Gaga's childhood piano and meat dress are allegedly in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Please contact me if you are up for an adventure.
5. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. Who is going to see it with me?
4. I leave for my $11.50 cent bus trip very soon. I'm seeking people with music they want to put on a cd for me to put in my ipod. I'm seeking Katy Perry, Beyonce, and Glee especially.
3. I've read almost all the books on my Nook. I'm also seeking summer book suggestions.
2. If you want my address for this summer ask me.
1. I'm tired of people being negative. We all have roofs over our heads, shoes on our feet, food to eat, internet and education. Negativity breeds more negativity. You need to spend time with people who bring out your best.

Easter!!

The tomb is empty! He has risen!! Jesus is alive!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Making the World a Better Place?

I am NOT proud to say I'm a Girl Scout today.

Juliette Gordon Low did not create an organization for girls to attend "premier leadership camps."

Read:

http://www.ohio.com/news/119983854.html

Hermione Granger>Pansy Parkinson

In honor of International Women's Day today, here is some reading material:

It's almost better than a Harry Potter book


It's probably my favorite essay ever.

Enjoy!!

"Don't worry Ginny, we'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

I've been working on 3 different blogs concerning 3 separate ideas: religion/atheism, why mall shoppers are annoying, and what teachers should be allowed to say about their students. I don't know in what order they will actually be posted, those are just some things to look forward to :)

The real point of this blog is to share the happy news that I just got a Nook for my birthday. It's sort of amazing. I've heard a lot of people say that they think it's a terrible thing that people don't even read real books anymore, but I'll still be reading real books as well. I just really like the idea that whenever I want a little Hogwarts adventure, I don't have to lug a 600 page book around. This thing can actually store about 1500 books as is, and more with an SD card. Wow! So basically, anything I could ever imagine wanting to read can fit in here!

One of the perks of having a Nook as opposed to a Kindle or other like e-reader is that whenever I am logged into the in-store Barnes and Noble network, I can read whatever I want for free without buying (for up to an hour) and I can download a lot of free articles to read later. There's also the huge perk of using this as an excuse to people watch at Barnes and Noble, which was a fantastic way to spend a Saturday afternoon alone.There will be a lot more of this in my future.








In other news, if you haven't checked out the Being a 90s kid blog yet, read it here.

It's still in progess...

But here it is!

http://growinup90s.weebly.com/index.html

Oh, Happy Day

I'm bad at resolutions.

We you'd like to travel back in blog land, this post states my three resolutions for 2010:
I did not read Sense and Sensibility, and if you saw either my hairbrush or my itunes, you would know I did not accomplish either of these (though the hairbrush thing at least lasted through the summer). Also, unlisted in that post was "get my driver's license" which was accomplished.

I thought I'd make a new list, but that is obviously just setting myself up for disappointment on January 1 2012. My one and only concrete resolution for 2011 is to find a full time job in my field by December 31 2011. I think that's a fair goal.



So, 2010.There were some really rough spots, but I can honestly say I learned who my true friends were this year. There were times when I needed people, and those people were there for me. There were times I called a friend at 3 am, got a response, and together we made it through that hard time. And I did the same for them. Then there were plenty of times when people who I thought were my friends stood me up repeatedly, talked about me behind my back and were all around mean, accusing, and immature. So, here's to sticking with the people who want you in their lives.

On a more lighthearted note, some of the highlights of 2010 include:
-Living in Akron with 3 of the best friends ever where there was nonstop adventure, Lady Gaga, Pokemon, Sabrina, political references I did not understand and witty one liners. I would never ever ever ever ever again live in that neighborhood, and most certainly not that house with awful neighbors, ants, permanently boiling hot water, etc., but I do not regret for a minute my choice of housemates :)
-The end of my Circle K life, which is still a little bittersweet, since I don't want to see anything I worked on in the club fall to pieces. I hope we left it in good hands.
-Camp. It was the toughest summer of my life for a variety of reasons. It was a lot of work, but again, I don't regret it at all. Lessons learned this summer: 1. 110 degree weather is uncomfortable. 100 wet people in hot dining hall is uncomfortable. The chafing that comes with wet clothes is uncomfortable. Having to pee all the time from the amount of water consumption is uncomfortable. 2. Always check your sleeping facilities for a possibility of falling.
-Getting a car! Possibly the biggest challenge in my life previously was not having a reliable form of transportation, which made an impact on school, work, friends, everything. That has changed.
-Student teaching. It was great. I don't know what else to say but I couldn't have asked for better kids.
-Graduation. I graduated with the honors college and with high honors, both of which I wasn't sure i could do 4 years ago. So, hooray me.


I don't know so much how this blog fits into professional teacher life, so 2011 may be the end of it. I've tried googling myself, and I don't post this link many places, but I'm still a little concerned. So we'll see how this all plays out. Also, my friend and I have discussed the possibility of creating some sort of 90's blog (perhaps sort of like Things 90s Kids Realize ). I can see this being a definite possibility :)


So, that's all for now. Please enjoy this video of a cat cuddling a bear:

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone remembers that today is for Jesus and family and friends.

I have plenty of updates from my post-graduation life, and they will be coming later via new labtop* :)



I love you all! Now go listen to some NSync!

Kudos to Barbie

I hate it when I hear that Barbie gives girls poor body image. For a plastic doll, Barbie takes a lot of the blame for these sort of problems, and it has always upset me quite a bit.

I mean, sure, Barbie is pretty skinny, but she is also a doll. There are those studies that show that if Barbie were a real girl, she wouldn't be able to stand because of the too small waist-too large chest scenario. Having a perfect figure is certainly something that is overvalued in our society, but blaming a toy for it seems a bit much. I have quite a few friends who were not allowed to play with Barbies when they were kids for this reason. That's just ridiculous.

My defense for Barbie has always been her slogan that girls can do anything. That's a slogan we want girls to live by, right? And Barbie certainly can do anything. There exists Barbie dolls for just about every profession: nurses, dancers, scientists, teachers, astronauts, etc. There is also a graduate Barbie put out each year. So Barbie sends off more than just the "you have to look good" message. Barbie tells girls that it doesn't matter that you are a girl, you can still be anything you want to be.

So, with all that said, I was THRILLED when I saw this commercial this morning. You go, Barbie! My mom played with Barbies, I played with Barbies, and I will most likely force my future children into playing with them. This is the most fantastic advertisement for a toy I have seen in quite some time:

A Thanksgiving Survey

10 Things I wish I could say to people...

10. Don't be so stupid about what you post on facebook. Even though we are hardly friends, I can still see everything you post, which is about the people I love.

9. I think of you every single day and I no matter what i do, I can't think of a way to make your situation better. It's way over my head and I just want to move across the country to hang out with you everyday until you are healthy again.

8. I have the world's biggest crush on you, and it is killing me that I can't even tell you or give you the slightest hint.

7. You are the best friend I could have ever asked for. You are the little sister I always wanted. You are the biggest thing that I think of when I consider taking jobs out of state. I worry about you, your friends, your school work, everything all the time. I want you to do good things with your life. Don't screw it up, kid.

6. I'm not ignoring you. I just need more alone time lately. Life is stressful, but I love you and I'll come around soon. I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend.

5. You are the best person to ever come into my life. You are my other half and I thank God everyday that I have someone who understands me and is so dependable. I hope I am the same friend to you.

4. Let's eat pizza I don't really like and watch TV shows I hate. Those have been my favorite memories of college.

3. A lot of people don't like you, but you fixed my life in every way possible, and I'm not sure you'll ever really understand how.

2. Honey, things are going to get better. You are strong. Keep staying strong. We're here for you.

1. It didn't work out between you and I, and I was pretty disappointed, but it's better this way for you. I just wish we were actually friends again. I see hilarious things everyday I want to show you, and get sad that I can't really tell you since I'm the ex-girlfriend.

9 Things About Myself

9. Even though I'm more than ready to be paid to teach, I'm going to miss my student teaching kids a whole lot.

8. I'm thinking of moving somewhere crazy in August...though I know money will probably stop me.

7. I used to have a lot of fun making outfits and wearing crazy things. I wish I wasn't too old for that now.

5. I never remember how to do long division, but I do know more camp songs that any person should.

4. I am obsessed with pink, glitter, Barbies, dolls, ballet, and anything else really girly.

3. iCarly is basically my favorite show, and I am not ashamed.

2.I actually know what the following things are: subordinate clause, independent clause, prepositions, comma splices, appositives, etc. I love sentences! :)

1. I have 10 school days left until graduation!

8 Ways to Win My Heart

8. Buy me the blue Wawa pop. If you lived in Ohio, and somehow found the blue Wawa pop, I'd probably marry you.

7. Take me to Build-A-Bear

6. Take me to Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, or another breakfast food establishment, and then don't judge me for how much I eat.

5. watch one of my favorite movies with me (Elf or The Wizard Oz)

4. Like my family

3. Don't judge me for my ice cream choices (cotton candy with gummy bears)

2. Hang out with me and Lizzy.

1. The fastest way to my heart is to not only tolerate my dog, but to actually like him and befriend him, and appreciate all of his fat, lazy, stubborn, and unintelligent qualities.

7 Things That Cross My Mind a Lot.

7. If anything I say ever stays in my students' minds.

6. Getting a job after graduation

5.What my friends are up to and how I can figure out how to spend more time with them

4. How Eagle and I can live closer together.

3. How I will decorate my future home with the maximum amount of pink possible

2. What some of my campers are up to during the school year

1. God

6 Things I Do Before I Go to Bed

6. brush my teeth

5. set alarm clock

4. set out clothes for the next day

3. read the Bible

2. check that I set my alarm clock

1. say goodnight to Charlie

5 People That Mean a Lot to Me [ besides family ]

5. Oh I hate this, I'm not choosing five.

4.

3.

2.

1.

4 Things I'm Wearing Right Now

4. tan pants

3. pink sweatshirt

2. ring

1. socks that say "Potter" on the bottom....

3 Songs I Listen to Often

3. Hal and Oates "Make my Dreams Come True"

2.Owl City "Fireflies"

1. Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA"

2 Things I Want in My Future

2. a job

1. to stay in touch with my friends

1 Confession

1. I have "The Dog Who Saved Christmas" set to record on DVR already...

Henry Builds A Cabin

I haven't been updating much, since I'm trying to keep any student teaching experiences pretty far from the internet. And since I teach every day, and then come home and work on lessons and grading the rest of the time, I don't have a lot of not student teaching related experiences to blog about.

I do have a little bit to share today. My students are just finishing up a book on Henry David Thoreau and Walden, and I was searching the internet to try and find images to show them, when I stumbled upon this piece of greatness:

This is one in a series of picture books intended for 2-3 graders. They are to serve as a basic intro to Transcendentalism. Henry is a bear who wants to build a cabin in the woods, and his friends Emerson and Alcott think he's silly (as in Ralph Waldo and Louisa May). The summary on Amazon shows it hits on 3 of the 4 main points of transcendentalism (simplicity, nature, and self-reliance...it's missing the spirituality bit). Do I want to buy this and read it to all future classrooms as an into the literary movement? YES! Do I want to buy this and read it every single day to myself? YES!

Graduation is in 8 weeks and then who knows what will happen! So far, the plan is to ride a bus to New Jersey to visit Eagle around January 12th-ish, and be there for her birthday, and then visit American Girl Place and then Camp Reunion! It's too early to be counting down the days, but it certainly is something to look forward to!





This is the first post that has been tagged with "bears." How did that happen??

Student Teaching in a nutshell

I haven't posted much about student teaching in case someone tracks me down via my blog, or if my students creep on me. But a lot of people keep contacting me via internet and asking, so I'm posting it here! Mostly, it's fun and the part that sucks is school starting at 7:15. If you want to ask me about it, though, feel free!

Yea, I miss my mattress. And my boxspring.

I've been home from camp for a while now, but I've been super busy getting ready for school and student teaching. School starts tomorrow :)


One of the first things I did when I got home was go on an adventure with Bart, Lizzy, and my mom to the zoo, where there was a Dinosaurs exhibit, and a POOP exhibit.

This was basically the cutest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.


Lizzy was pretty determined to look as though she was having a terrible time in every picture...

...until we decided to look like mean dinosaurs.
And then there was the poop exhibit!

The poop exhibit wasn't nearly as exciting as I wanted it to be, but there were a lot of really funny puns everywhere, my favorite being "No Winnie, just poo."

At the zoo gift shop, I bought a really fantastic card for Eagle made of Poo Poo Paper. It's kind of a really awesome concept, and probably the best thing I've ever sent to anyone. When I mailed it, the lady working at the post office said "oh this is pretty, what is it made of?" and I decided not to tell her it was made of poop.

In the process of writing this blog, Natalie introduced me to a hilarious website called Catalog Living. It is the funniest thing I have read in a really long time. Basically, it shows ridiculous pictures from catalogs and tells the story of the people who live in those houses. Fortunately for Andrew, they spend a lot of time mocking decorative balls. "While Gary and Elaine were in the kitchen getting popcorn, the brave yellow sweater attempted its escape."

Although it seems like we just met, you're the one I won't forget

I could do that thing where I summarize summer week by week, but no one would actually want to read that. I could tell a million stories about funny things the kids said and did, along with funny things the staff said, but that may be a lot of "you had to be there" sort of moments. But since Andrew was so upset that my last post was less than satisfactory and now I feel obligated to post something about the past two months of my life, I'll say this:

It's no secret that I love camp a lot, but it became really obvious this summer just how important camp is to my life. It was by no means a perfect summer. It was stressful as always, plus temperatures in the triple digits, and at one point, for the first time in my entire camp life, I was actually a little homesick. But I got through all of that, and I am now entirely sure that this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. This summer I took a lot of risks, and I really changed for the better. For the first time in my life, I feel ok with myself and with where my life is going. And that's what's really important.



And I've been thinking maybe somewhere down the road
After all our stories have been told
I'll sit and think of you, you
The dear friend I once knew
Shot through my life a shooting star

home home home

Lots to say about camp this summer, but I'll save it till later.


All you need to know now is that I am safely home in CFalls, and wishing I was still in Oxford.