mischief managed

And Then I Got a New Job…

April 24, 2013 By Erin 16 Comments

If you follow me on twitter, you have probably heard that it’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks that resulted in me getting a new job.

I started teaching 8 years ago, and I am going to be leaving the classroom…sort of. My new job is as a technology coach in my school district. I will be working with 10 elementary schools that are undergoing restructuring. I will work with staff to use and implement technology into their teaching. I am very excited!

I am also terrified.

Taking this job was a very emotional decision for me. I love my current job. I love my kids. I get to go to work every day with my best friend. My teaching assistant and I have been working together for almost my entire career. It was not an easy choice to make, and even though I think it was the right choice, my heart hurts to think about leaving my classroom.

Who knew that getting a new job would be such an emotional roller coaster? I go from being so excited and having all of the ideas to crying and thinking I’m crazy for leaving.

I told my husband earlier this year that if I was going to leave the classroom, I would want to be a technology coach. Then this position just fell into my lap. It felt like a sign. So, I interviewed and got the job. EEK!

I never intended to be a career classroom teacher. I love teaching, but I believe I can also have an impact in the lives of children in other roles in the field. I feel like this is my chance to have a really big impact about something that I am so passionate about.

So, I’m excited. And terrified. And I hope my dad is proud of me.

Filed Under: Trying to Teach

So You Want to Be a Disney Princess…

March 26, 2013 By Erin

Regardless of if you are a mom or not, I’m sure you are no stranger to the Disney Princess debate. Are these princesses such horrifying role models for our daughters? Well, major product overload aside, I’m not so sure.

I grew up with the princesses too. I checked out Sleeping Beauty every time we went to the video store. I wanted my hair to be long because it was princess hair. I believed that I probably was a princess because I lived in Aurora and Princess Aurora was my favorite princess. I sang “Part of Your World” at the top of my lungs over and over while swinging in the backyard. I was some sort of princess, Disney or otherwise, every single year for Halloween.

Somehow, despite my princess love, I grew up to be a smart, confident, hard-working woman. I think that has a lot to do with how my parents raised me, and very little to do with watching princess movies as a child. Now I have daughters of my own to raise, and the princesses have already landed.

The only princess movie the girls have seen so far is Tangled. I believe they are too young to really relate to the storylines of most of the princess movies, so we watch things that I believe are more age-appropriate for two-and-a-half year olds. Still, the girls have a collection of 8 princess dolls that they got from their uncle for Christmas. In our house, Rapunzel is called Punzel or Mother. Snow White is also Mother Jasmine is Mommy. Belle is also Mommy. Ariel and Sleeping Beauty are Titi (my sister), and Cinderella & Tiana are Blue Daddy and Green Daddy respectively. (Cinderella and Tiana have “short hair” like Daddy. Hence, they are daddies.)

While I think the girls are too young for most of these movies right now, I love a lot of the Disney Princess movies and want to share them with my daughters. I believe strongly that there is more to a lot of the princesses than being rescued or wearing pretty dresses. So, Charlotte & Evelyn, if you want to be a Disney Princess…

I hope you will be like Belle and love to read and see the beauty in others.

I hope you will belike Cinderella and be kind even when other are not kind to you.

I hope you will be like Ariel and want to learn about other cultures, dream big, and believe you can go anywhere.

I hope you will be like Jasmine and love who you choose to love, fight for the rights of others, and stand up against laws that deny human rights.

I hope you will be like Rapunzel and follow your dreams, break out and see the world, and take care of yourself while doing it.

I hope you will be like Mulan and be brave enough to be who your truly are, never let being a girl stop you, and maybe even save China.

I also hope that you can have long princess hair, pretty dresses, and a handsome prince if that’s what your heart desires. Just know that those things may be part of who you are, but they will never be all that you are.

Now, I’m not saying that these princesses are perfect role models, but do you know any perfect role models? Honestly, I’m not looking for these characters to be role models for my daughters. I would hope that I could be their role model. Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t love their stories. Just like I love Nancy Drew’s stories. Just like I love Harry Potter. I love a good story. Some stories have deep lessons to teach us, others don’t. I truly believe that what our daughters and sons learn from these stories depends on us.

So, my sweet girls, go ahead and be a Disney Princess if that’s what you want…but maybe be a little bit like your Mama too.

Filed Under: Parenting

Brand New Name, Same Pretty Face

March 25, 2013 By Erin

I know, I know, I know. Yesterday I threw your lives into upheaval when I decided to change my blog name. I promise it’s ok. I’m still me. See:

Still me and my cheese-faced girls!

I’d been thinking about making a change here for a while. My blog just didn’t feel like me anymore, and that made me sad, because this space has been with me for so long. I wasn’t ready to give it up, but I needed a change.

My blog had been “the state that i am in” since it’s inception almost 9 years ago. That title came from a line in this Belle & Sebastian song, “and he wrote a pocket novel called “The State That I Am In.” It was the perfect blog title for so many phases of my life, the end up graduate school, the early years of my marriage, my first teaching job, my struggles with infertility. It just fit so well…until suddenly it didn’t.

I knew I wanted a change, but I also knew I wanted to change to something that would still be an amazing fit. A few months ago, “mischief managed” popped into my head. It definitely felt right, but it took me a while before I got up the courage to make the switch. Maybe it shouldn’t be such a big deal, but I was having a bit of an internet identity crisis. I didn’t want to change just to change, but I also knew that “the state that i am in” had run it’s course for me. Still, changing your name after almost 9 years feels sort of monumental.

Well, yesterday, I decided to do it, and here we are. Lisa helped me move over to my new domain and made that pretty new header you see up there. I am so excited about this new space!

Why “mischief managed’? Well, if you know anything about me, you know I’m a huge Harry Potter fanatic. ”Mischief managed” is the incantation you use to wipe the Marauder’s Map clean. Oh, by the way, I’m @MarauderErin on twitter now. Anyhow, in my book, you can’t go wrong with a Harry Potter reference in your blog title, but it’s not just about the HP connection. I have 2.5 year old twins and I teach preschool special education. Managing mischief is what I do. It’s what I live and breath every single day.

So, here’s my new home on the internet. I’m excited about the change and excited about writing on a more regular basis. I hope you will stick around with me!

Filed Under: Bloggyness

Stuff I Love

March 22, 2013 By Erin

As part of my attempt to blog more regularly, and for CDP purposes, here is a very exciting list of things that I love.

Dark chocolate
Tea (Earl Grey, any sort of ginger/peppermint/herbal concoction)
Owls
HARRY POTTER
Gilmore Girls
Hot chocolate
Nail polish (all the colors, especially sparkly)
Purple
Scarves
Being a twin mom
My iphone/ipad/macbook
Tights
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Tori Amos
Books, books, books, all the books! (YA fiction, juvenile fiction, books set in Africa)
Delicate jewelry
Harry Potter (yes, he deserves mention twice)
Fuzzy socks
London
Pretty Little Liars
Teal
Starbucks
My wireless keyboard
Samosas
Switched at Birth
All things etsy
Stamped jewelry
Sharpie pens
Lush bath bombs
You

Filed Under: Random stuff about me

2013 Reading Goals

March 16, 2013 By Erin

So, I realize that posting about my reading goals for the year halfway through March might be a little silly, but pretend I posted these goals in January and that this is just an update!

Goal the First – Overall, read 45 books in 2013. Last year, I read 38 books, so I decided to try and up my game a little bit. So far I’ve read 12 books this year! Goodreads tells me that I’m 3 books ahead of schedule. Yay me!

Goal the Second – Read at least 5 non-fiction books. I’ve finished one non-fiction book already and I’m on my way to finishing a second. Yay me again!

Goal the Third – Read or re-read at least 5 classics. I haven’t read any classics yet. Anyone have a favorite they’d like to recommend?

While 5/12 books I’ve read were Pretty Little Liars books, I have also read some wonderful books this year that I think you should check out!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone — This YA book was a little more fantasy than my usual taste, but I could not put it down. Fantastic writing, engaging plot. You want to read this book.

The One and Only Ivan — This book is juvenile fiction, so you can read it in an afternoon. I adored this book and cannot wait to share it with my daughters. This is a fictional account of a gorilla who lived in a shopping mall. It’s guaranteed to make your heart all mushy.

The Little Stranger — This is one of those books that I will begin immediately recommending to everyone who asks me for book recs. I loved it! If you enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale, I think you will love this book too!

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Books

Things You Might Not Know About Me

March 2, 2013 By Erin

I love to quote movies and TV shows. I almost always have a quote in my head, but I rarely say them because I figure no one will know what I’m talking about. “If the world ends…beep me.”

My first real boyfriend was a boy I met online. In the Seventeen Magazine chatroom. Back in my AOL days. Seriously. And no, he wasn’t some 40-year-old creeper. I actually met him. He came to visit and stayed at my house. I went to San Francisco to visit him. Alone. I still can’t believe my parents let me do that…

My freshman year of college, I was in a play called “The Love Talker.” I played this earthy, fairy creature type thing. I didn’t have any lines, but I got to creep around the audience with crazy hair and make-up.

When I’m sick, I really love to eat McDonald’s. Greasy, nasty, not even real food McDonald’s. There is nothing I love more when I have a cold.

After college, Ted and I were supposed to join the Peace Corps. Not just thinking about it, we had actually applied, were accepted, and had assignments. It fell through and that remains one of my life’s biggest disappointments. You can read about it here.

I have a serial killer room in my house. It was here when we moved in. I mean, I don’t think anyone was actually killed in there, but it’s super creepy. We have this “room” in our basement with black fabric covering all of the walls. See:

It just feels like the kind of room where a serial killer would keep a victim before he killed her. There are even little, weird touches like flowers on the window. Creeeeeeeepy.

What don’t I know about you?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Lately…

February 17, 2013 By Erin

Ummm, somehow I haven’t posted here since November. Wow. So just what have I been up to since then? Well, lately I’ve been…

…having fun painting my nails.

…drinking a lot of tea.

…dealing with major stress at work, but also bonding with my colleagues because of it.

…battling with two toddlers over naps. Stop jumping and sleep, girls!

…watching and reading Pretty Little Liars, and getting the TV and book storylines all mixed up in my head.

…ignoring potty training because I just can’t handle it.

…feeling really in control of my anxiety now that I’m taking meds for it.

…putting actual thought into what I wear each day.

…trying to exercise more regularly and semi-succeeding.

…participating in district-level committees on technology and social media and loving the conversations.

…thinking about getting my PhD.

…talking about the Wonder Pets with a pair of obsessed toddlers.

…wishing I could talk to my dad about stress at work.

…wearing my “Keep Calm & Carry a Wand” bracelet every day.

…watching Vampire Diaries, Switched at Birth, Smash, Scandal, Downton Abbey, and basically all of the shows.

…wanting to blog more, but always pushing it to the bottom of my list.

I miss you, blog friends! What have you been up to lately?

Filed Under: Regular Everyday Life

More? Maybe? Who Knows…

November 3, 2012 By Erin

There comes a point after the birth of your first child(ren) that people start asking. When are you going to have another one? Do you want more children?

I really should just learn to say, “Maybe, someday…” and leave it at that, but I can’t seem to just give a simple answer to what, for me, is a very complex question. So here’s the complex answer…

Right now, my family feels very complete, though that doesn’t mean I won’t change my mind in the future.

I know that I don’t want to have fertility treatments again, so I’d be willing to try and get pregnant naturally if I knew I could. But since I don’t have a crystal ball, well, that’s setting myself up for a lot of heartache that I’m just not sure I can handle. If we decided to have more kids, I don’t think I could just let it go if it didn’t work…and that would mean more surgeries and treatment. In addition to the emotional aspects of it, I’m just not sure I want to put the time and money towards it.

Adoption is another option, but that process is lengthy, expensive, and emotional as well. Again, we may think about that route in the future, but right now my heart and my wallet can’t handle it.

It’s hard for me to think about growing my family because it would involve so much sacrifice for all four of us. It would be hard to pay for dance lessons and preschool while paying for an IUI or IVF. It would mean vacations get put on the back burner while we wait and hope for another child. Please don’t get me wrong, I think another child would be worth all the sacrifice, but right now I have a hard time thinking about not giving everything I have to the two beautiful daughters I already have.

Part of me thinks that we made these fantastic little humans, and surely we should make some more to populate the earth. Another part of me just feels so blessed to have two when so many are still waiting for one. Asking if we want more just leads to more and more questions in my mind. For right now, though, it’s not a pressing issue for us.

Right now, our family feels complete. I feel whole and content with the two amazing, sweet, funny, goofy, ridiculous, and awesome daughters that I’ve been blessed to have. I’m happy with where we are as a family, and I’m not looking to change that any time soon. Though, I fully reserve the right to change my mind in the future.

Does that answer your question?

Filed Under: Operation: Make-A-Baby, Personal Stuff, Twin Mama

Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2012 By Erin

Happy Halloween from my two little witches!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Monday Musings

October 29, 2012 By Erin

Why don’t more places have double carts? Not those giant, car shaped monstrosities. Just regular double carts. Costco has them. Sam’s has them. One of our local grocery stores has them. Why not Target? They don’t take up that much space, and not nearly as much space as those giant crazy carts. People need double carts! I’m going to start a letter-writing campaign.

When I tell people that my girls are going to be witches for Halloween, I get a lot of blank stares. I get the impression that people wanted me to pick something cuter. A lot of people want the girls to be owls…but they were owls last year. This year, they will be witches. Why? Because I saw some adorable witch costumes on etsy and decided to make my own. Trust me when I say that you will still die from the cute.

In just a couple of weeks, I am going to The Blathering. I’m so excited. I can’t even tell you how excited I am. But…I’m also really anxious about leaving the girls. I’ve never left them overnight before. Ever. And I’m kind of freaking out about it. They will be happy with daddy…but, I’m still anxious.

What’s on your mind today?