Death By Chocolate

Okay, i got this wonderful recipe from a good friend of mine. It is a layered dessert. So, you need a good size bowl to see the layers. It is best served when it has been prepared and chilled in refrigerator. It is called Brenda's Death by Chocolate recipe. If you read this Brenda thank you soooooo much. :)


Ingredients:
2 packs of homemade brownies (any brand)
2 boxes of vanilla pudding
2 boxes of chocolate pudding
1 bucket of cool whip (large or medium size)
2 bars of any kind of chocolate (symphony, heath bar, hershey, snickers, or baby ruth)

Death By Chocolate

1st Layer: Make a brownie bottom crust in bowl

Spread vanilla pudding over brownies

Spread broken pieces of chocolate bar on pudding

Next...

2nd Layer: Cover with a layer of broken brownie pieces

Spread chocolate pudding over brownies

Spread broken pieces of chocolate bar on pudding

Next...

3rd Layer: Create a white fluff layer of Cool Whip

Sprinkle remaining broken pieces of chocolate bar

Next...

ENJOY!

Hello People :)

Well, my summer has finally begun as of July 4th, 2009. I had to go to a teachers writing workshop called WIN these past three weeks. As a teacher, we need so many hours accumulated to suffice our requirements for recertification. Well, I earned a total of 132 for this year with just that one writing workshop. I need a total of 400 hours every 5 years. So, I have to attend summer workshops or staff development days during the school year to gain more hours.

We just got our updated schedules and i will be teaching 4 ENGLISH IV and 2 ENGLISH II classes this coming school year...and....I get my own room. I am sooooooo excited. I was a floater this past year and it was hell! I did not have anytime or room for anything last school year, but the students were great. I feel like school is just around the corner...and i still need to refresh on my reading of Brave New World by Huxley. What do you remember reading from your Senior year in High School? Oedipus by Sophocles, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, Sir Gaiwan and the Green Knight, and/or Hamlet?

I am excited and a little nervous to have seniors because i am a little strict in the classroom. Well, you kind of have to be with freshmen and sophmores. I think with Seniors i will need to have a different mindset---i mean some of this students will be 18 or 19 years old. WOW! I want to approach this more like a college classroom (everybody is responsible for their own work, self, and grade). I want to give them that open discussion and collaborative environment i enjoyed in college. I hope to get to the place where my Seniors will be more self directive and i will be the observer. My freshmen and sophmores yearn for that kind of independence, but can get silly and lost. So, this will be a great change and experience for my teaching career.

Usually, teachers will keep their same schedule with minor class changes (grade levels; AP or dual credit). I will have to step up my game this year and volunteer to be a class, yearbook, or a club sponsor. This can get tricky though because sometimes the teacher needs to front their own personal funds before the requested funds from administration is available or a fund raiser is organized just to make a deadline. I am only a teacher and i have BILLS....I shouldn't worry these things always find a way of working themselves out. Right?

My family is so great. My kids are enjoying there summer so far. Enzo has been in gymnastics camp and swimming lessons. Ales did robotic camp at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. This program is only available for students in a GT program at their schools. So, it was kind of a big deal for him and us. He is a Math/Science genius!
Enzo has a favorite book: The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR by Don and Audrey Wood. It is a great children's book that stirs the imagination. He can read the whole thing by himself. Ales is reading and doing a project with Charlotte's Web for the summer as well. I know it seems a bit much, but they enjoy it. Ales will also begin the reading of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo for GT this coming school year. It's about a rabbit from China who learns about himself through his encounters with other characters. Most of Dicamillo's books offer realistic situations through very creative characters.

Other favorite kid books:
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton and Satoshi Kitamura


What is your little one's favorite book?


Well, i hope all is well. Take care and thanks for visiting.

-The Gomez Family 2009

I Dream :)

I dream....

-about traveling with my family to Italy, Greece, France, Japan, Germany, etc.
-going to culinary arts academy in France.
-becoming a pastry chef and opening up my own pastry/coffee shop < My idea of a retirement plan
-to become more actively involved in Politics< I would love to be on the Politics scene in Washington, DC or Austin, TX
-volunteering my time in a 3rd world country to help out orphans and/or famined people build homes or schools. < I wanted to be in the Peace Corps.
-teaching a summer or year in Mexico con mi amiga Alejandra < Guadalajara, Monterrey, Mexico City, or Cuernavaca
-speak the Spanish and French language fluently < I am going to try Rosetta Stone ;)
-Achieve my graduate degree and become a college professor in English or Education<Hopefully by 2012

I am a sophomore English teacher in San Antonio, TX. I sometimes feel as if there is more that i would like to do in my professional life. I sometimes feel like i am crazy for wanting to be so many things. I admire the people who have always wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, or teacher and are just content with doing that for the rest of their lives.

Am i crazy for wanting to be a stay at home mom/pastry chef/college professor/ Peace Corps. volunteer/documentary traveler? I hope that when my boys grow up they have as many aspirations as i do because that makes a person want to learn and become a life long learner. I would love to be a student and get paid. That is the ideal job, but as i reflect on my life as a sophomore English teacher i realize i am still a student learning about different learning styles and about how my students cope with their lives outside and inside school.

Sometimes it can get very heavy and deep and i understand why some teachers quit, but that is failing not only myself but my students. I have students who have a very hard family life and they bring the brunt of their problems to school. It can almost feelf hopeless for them because the parents do not even care how their kids are coping with their home life and school. I have parents who tell me, "I am sorry but there is nothing that i can do....he/she gives me hell at home---so you will have to deal with them!" It is a sad, fun, angry, frustrating, happy, and calm job. It takes a trooper to deal with teenagers with raging hormones. I have at least 7 students (ages 15 and 16) who have kids of their own. It can get crazy sometimes. Well, thanks for listening. :)

The Gomez Family 2009

My top 10 music list

Hey ya'll, i have enjoyed seeing everyone's blog listing their top 10 music list. I also wanted to share, but i will give you the abbreviated version of what i have on my ipod list:


1. 'Midnight Train' by Journey< This song gets me into the mood to work.

2. 'Suddenly I See' by KT Tunstall< Ok, this may seem to have a lesbian "upbeat" vibe to it, but it gets me moving in the morning drive to work.

3. 'Take Your Mama Out' by Scissor Sisters < Ok, another "upbeat" song. I am a former fag hag people, and just love some of the beats to the songs. I have a best friend who is very "upbeat" and every time we hang out in Austin, Tx he has these wonderful songs to share.

4. 'Try a Little Tenderness' by Otis Redding< Totally reminds me of my favorite movie Pretty in Pink

5. 'So Much to Say' by Dave Matthews< Austin, Tx vibe music

6. 'No Such Thing' by John Mayer< Again...Austin,Tx vibe music

7.'Michelle My Belle' by Paul McCartney< Ales loves this song and i enjoy hearing him sing it full blast in the car. :)

8. 'Where have All the Cowboys Gone' by Paula Cole< I sound just like her when i sing to this song ;)

9. 'In Your Eyes' by Peter Gabriel< Feel good song and it reminds me of that 80's movie with John Cusack. I forgot the name. Please feel free to drop the name in the comments section.

10.'Everlong' by Foo Fighters< Total blast from the past 1995 year :# I could be a little off.

Pilobolus

This is cool! ENJOY :)

Okay....

How do ya'll do it? I think i need to shorten my things to do list during the week. We decided not to continue the soccer team for Enzo :(. The team parents were very aggressive and not very positive. I just did not feel it was right for Enzo to be around people like that. I kept feeling anxious everytime it was time to go to practice or games. So, we decided to call it quits. It is crazy how some people can act. There was one parent who yelled at the VOLUNTEER coach about how he coaches and that she felt he was leaving her little boy out of the practices and games. Well, first of all he is a VOLUNTEER coach and does not need to do this and if she thinks that her son is such a superstar---she needs to have him in a professional league. I have never had this experience with Ales' soccer teams. I guess we have always lucked out. :)
Moving on...
School has been great. Ales made an A+ on his first spelling test . He had practiced hard all week and is very proud of himself. We have been so happy with the school since moving from St. Mary's Hall. His teacher is great and the campus is beautiful.
Can anyone give me some pointers on how to handle two kids doing sports or other activities at the same time? Do both of ya'll(parents) attend each event together or does one parent go to one thing and the other parent does the other? I hope that makes sense. I have not found a good rhythm to do this.
Well, i have enjoyed reading ya'lls blogs and suggestions for books. Currently i am reading a autobiography, Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton. It is a good book. I have not gotten to the Monica Lewinsky issue, but i do not think she gives as much detail as the public wants. I think she talks more about how she dealt with it and moved on. Well, i guess i will see. It was nice to talk to ya'll. We have to do this more often.

Take care,
The Gomez Family 2008

Hello :)

Hey ya'll! :) Long time no speak. Well, i have been just super busy, busy, busy. I bet most of ya'll have been the same way. I have more school shopping, haircuts, dry cleaning, house cleaning, and sports registration to do. Ales and Enzo will both be playing soccer. AAAHHH!! My little baby is going to be on a soccer team for the first time. It's a special moment. Ales has been playing for at least four years now. He will also be swimming on Sundays and Tuesdays. It's a nice balance. He loves, loves the water. He has accomplished a level 5 swim rank. That means he can tread water and do freestyle swim for 25 meters.

Okay...enough gloating over my boys. They are great though. :)

So, i see alot of ya'll are reading like crazy. Well, let me give you a recommendation or two---if ya'll have time.

By Lee Gutkind

This book is a creative nonfiction book. Very easy read and smart. WARNING: this book can be a tear jerker to some.

More info: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/gutkind/foreverfat.html

By Gregory Maguire

This book is one of the best reads i have had. It is a retold version of the 'Wizard of Oz' by L. Frank Baum. It tells of the birth, teenage years, and adult life of the wicked witch of the west. It is so great. I am such a fan of Elphaba (a.k.a. Wicked Witch of the West).

More info: http://www.gregorymaguire.com/books/wicked_buy.html