That wasn't a catchy title, I know.  This has not evolved into a cooking blog but I wanted to share my hard work with you so you could say, "Good job Katie.  You really worked hard today,"  in case you were interested.

Maybe it's that dip down to the low 100s or perhaps the fact that my seatbelt didn't scald my skin once last week but lately I can't get my mind off of Fall.

"What's Fall?" asks Arizona puzzledly.  <--- Puzzledly is a word I just made up.  Feel free to use it.
"Fall, you know, that season that feels almost exactly as Summer?  For most of the country it means this... In Arizona we pretend it's this too but if you look at our lower backs, there's a good chance you can see a sexy ring of sweat."

I don't care, I'm ready for Fall.

Fall Decorations 
In Arizona we have to create Fall and I can't wait to add to my decorations this year!  Here's the decor I'm planning on adding this year.  I say "planning" because, chances are, if they're not in the dollar section of Target, I won't be adding s!@#.



Fall Fashion
This is Fall uniform that you'll see me in a variation of every single day.

I have all the pieces to make this outfit.  Score

 

All I need to make this is the dress and belt and sweater and scarf and purse and boots and tights

 

Adorbs

These pictures make me want to shop right this second.

Crock Pot Chili Look at where this is from. Hilar.  I kinda wanna check out the website

Crockpot Sausage and Cheese Tortelini. Obviously super healthy-cream cheese, pasta and sausage.

Fall Drinks

I cleaned out my ENTIRE closet this weekend.  I was brutal with myself.  If it doesn't fit, it went in the give-away bag.  Sadly, TWO FULL BAGS of clothes found a new home.  The entire time I was having flashbacks to, years ago, when I had to give away all my Size 5s to Danielle.  I guess it was just time to purge my size 5.  I mean 7.  I mean 9.  I mean...a few clothes.  Let's just leave it at that.

I even cleaned out the whole top of my closet, all my memories.  I "put them in my heart."


Although I did save a few notes from The Mac Daddy 7.  <--- Bah ha ha ha!  DYTYF?!  <--- If you did not get that reference I'll tell you a blog for another day but once upon a time I formed a little gang, if you will, a gang with the rest of my girlfriends who grew up in Orange County.

Moving on, I cleaned out my closet.



I cleaned out all my nightstand drawers.  Look at how neatly organized my potential burglar area is-knives, police issued mace, a flashlight and 2 rosaries.  Stab and pray or is it pray and stab? S!@#, we all know me.  It will be, Katie sprayed herself in the eye with mace while people robbed her house.

(Sorry I'm so off task today)

I even cleaned out my drawers.

Please excuse my dresser and it's ok if you think it looks like Beauty and the Beast because every time my friends see it, they sing the song because I need new friends it does. Here's a closer look so you can see.  It doesn't come to life at night, if you were wondering.



Anyway, we were Facetiming and she told me she had to get off the phone.  "Nooooo, I have to finished cleaning my room and I''ll be bored."

Turn the camera around to show her what I had to clean and she says, "What the !@#$ Katie!  Are you twelve?"


Apparently grown adults don't have messes like that in their bedrooms?

I didn't show her that the bottom of my closet still needs a tiny bit of work too.

It's been awhile since I've had a good 'ol "Permission to..."

Love Lesson Planning for ASU
It's work and I know it's lame to love it but I super love putting together my agenda, objectives and then planning highly engaging aligned activities to meet our objectives.  I feel like it's a game between me and myself <---- If you're my BFFs, you say that with a lisp.    How engaging and mentally stimulating can you make this class?  My goal is always 100% engagement 100% of the time.


Permission to Totally Copy My Colleague's Office
Hers was so much cuter than mine so I spent all day copying it.  She even helped!

Permission to Get My Mail Once Every Three Weeks
Do you get your mail every day?  There's never anything good in there anyway, just bills and the Red Plum Ad.


Permission to Watch Dawson's Creek 
Ummm, I did that.  Somethin' about Pacey and Joey.  Gets me everytime.  PS.  I still wanna punch Dawson in the face.  Also, he's wearing some super scrunchy white socks in a few episodes.  Awesome.  Awesome Dawson?  How bout Awesome Katie for watching Dawson's Creek?  Yeah, you right.  


Permission to Save Memories in my Heart
My said today, as we cleaned my office, "Katie, see this binder and these memories?  Put them in your heart.  Put the rest here."  So, we did that...a lot.  I put a LOT of memories in my heart today.  Sorry if it was a memory of you ;)


Permission to Have Set Cut Peppers on the Counter for...3 Days
I'm disgusting.  I know.  They were going bad and there wasn't room in the garbage so rather than take out the trash I put the box on the counter...and left it there...for 3 days.  Exhale, folks, it's all at the dumpster now.


Permission to LOVE Math
I do.  I was at a Singapore Math Training and was so excited to learn and discuss Math!  My friend drew this for me.


Permission to Want This So Bad
Mine is so old and this one is so new.  And it's teal.  My heart melts.


Permission to Think I Look So Smart in Glasses
Don't I?!  Also, I know I have a selfie problem.  I'm sure it means I'm insecure or narcissistic or have no friends.  We can talk about that later.

Hello and thank you for tuning in to this edition of "What the !@#$ Katie?!"

It's morning.  9:30 am to be exact.  I made these delicious popsicles the day before.  I know.  They look amazing and they tasted even better and they were super natural.  You can get the recipe here.   So, naturally, I decided to have one at 9:30 am because...because why not?


Scout needs to go out.  So, I grab the following items:
- My popsicle
- I'm talking on my phone
- Scout and her leash

Notice I didn't say that I grabbed a bra.  I was sans bra.  In a tight, you can get away with no bra for a quick dog walk, camisole, you ask?  No, in a big, baggy, I have no business being outside without a bra, but I'm just going for a quick walk tee.

I walk about 50 feet outside of my door to the little grass area and I'm chattin up a storm to my friend on the phone.  I'm not exactly sure what happened but the next thing I knew I was on the ground, rolled my ankle, bleeding from the other knee, Scout had run away, and a very ugly sound came out of my mouth.  Oh, and also, there was a really good looking guy who saw the whole thing.  Oh course there was Katie.  Only you.  Only me.

Notice the popsicle on my foot

He was so sweet.  He yells, from across the way, "Are you ok?"  Me, trying to play it off like I wasn't sprawled out on the ground, yelling in agony, with my baggy shirt open for all of the complex to see says, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine.  Thanks."

He looks as me sideways as if to say, "Um, you're not fine but if you don't want my help, ok."

I try to get up quickly and I physically couldn't move because my ankle hurt so bad.  He keeps looking at me.  LMIMH:  Look away, Hot Man.  Look away!  Nobody should have to witness this chaos.

I finally get up.  Scout is still running around.  Hot Man tries to help me get her but my damn dog is a b!@#$ (literally) and is just barking at Hot Man.  I'm yelling for her, "Scout!  Scout, come here."  She's barking at Hot Man.  "Scout, come here."  Finally I just give up.  I'm full of grass.  I have a sprained ankle.  I still am not wearing the appropriate undergarments for being in public.  I have been defeated.  I hobble home.  Scout follows.


Hot Man is still telling the story of the Obscene Woman who fell flat on her face.

Yep, that was Monday.

Tune in again, probably in a few days, for the next episode of "What the !@#$ Katie."

Summer popsicle obsession is in FULL SWING!

I made these the other day because when I cleaned out my refrigerator I realized my Greek Yogurt could go bad soon.  You mean it was already bad because you don't pay attention to expiration dates?  It was near the expiration date.

So, ingredients...
- Finely chopped Fresh Blackberries and strawberries (when I say fresh, I mean about to go bad as well)
- Greek yogurt with Honey...whatever type is your poison.  I try and get the kind with the least amount of ingredients.
- 2 packets of Truvia...my new FAVORITE sweetener.  I love this stuff!

Yesterday I started 14 Things I learned as an Instructional Coach.

Here's the rest...
6.  There's a Time to Push and a Time to Pull
Depending on what I said to them last time we talked, what's happening in their personal lives, how well the last lesson they taught went, what happened with their co-workers that day will all depend on the next conversation I have with them.

Are they in a great place, ready to be pushed to the next level?  Do I just need to leave a nice note and get the hell out of that room?  Can I stand up and model something real quick?  I am learning to quickly assess the teacher in the room and what they need to hear at that moment.


5.  Different Teachers, Different Needs
We have some teachers who MUST receive feedback before I exit their room or they can't continue teach effectively.  We have others who would really rather not be pulled out of their classroom.  We have others who will find me if I don't find them first to hear feedback on what I saw.

Every teachers is different and there's no one-size-fits all method to coaching them.



4.  Put the Pen Down
As a teacher, should you take the pencil out of the kid's hand and write things for them?  No! Obviously!  However, I found myself holding the marker during Planning Meetings all the time.  Why? These are not MY lessons I'm about to teach so who needs to know them best?  The teachers!  I'm still working on this.  I have some real control issues.



3.  Real Relationships Take Time
I'd say one of my greatest strengths, in life, is developing real relationships with people (hmmm the irony that is my dating life is not lost on me here).  Anyway, I wanted to have those relationships be instant.  I needed to get to know a lot of teachers very quickly but, as with anything real, it takes time.

When I first started at Loma, nobody came into my office unless they needed something, ever.  Now, teachers come in just to vent or visit.  YES!

I know that putting chocolate out may attract them faster but I would eat it all and I can't have that.



2.  Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance
Someone in my Masters program told me this after my iMovie that I was using for a presentation, had a glitch.  I almost choked on my tears hearing this the first time.  However, I later took it and realized he was exactly right.

When i was fully prepared and planned, my Planning Meeting went so well.  When I had only slightly looked at their upcoming units, I wasn't ready with the questions I should have been.



1. I Didn't Know Anything 
I feel like Coaching for the first year was so similar to being a first year teacher.

I came is, so cocky.  I've been teaching for years, I thought, and I did it pretty well.  I can task analyze anything in record time and have a fairly strong foundation in curriculum and instruction and classroom management.

Guess what?

NOBODY CARES.

In fact, they think you sound like a real arrogant b!@#$ when you exude that persona.

It turns out, I had NO background in what I was about to do which was deal with every type of personality that changed from day to day and have to figure out how to talk to them without having them hate me in the process.

Every single day I keep learning.  Our teachers are learning and teaching themselves new things each day.  They do such great things in their classrooms.  I love that I work with a group of teachers who are so willing to learn and share and grow.


Thank you for teaching me so much this year Loma Linda!  Off we go, into Year 2!