Happy 200! (plus 69 plus ?)

This is my 200th Contemplation! Cheers to me! But, I've blogged more than that (a lot more). My first blog was over at MSN Spaces called Kristen's Place. I started back in Sept. 2005. We were still living in the apartment on Charlotte Street. I had one child and I had just started back at work after my maternity leave. Here's what my first entry sounded like:

September 09
Dimes
Have you ever noticed something so much that you know it isn't a coincidence? Lately I have been finding nothing but dimes. Everytime I find money, it is dimes, outside, in the car, in the couch, in the laundry, on the stairs of my apartment building...dimes and dimes and dimes! Jonathan told me he remembers hearing of a fellow who always found dimes and that God was trying to say something to him through it. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember what it was. Any ideas?

I took a little bit of time tonight to peek back (really I should put all of this on a disk to save it). Angela was my inspiration to start a blog in the first place (her link is over on my side bar). She was one of my college roommates and good friends and she blogged first.

I also found my first remembrances of teaching middle school (which I fought every step of the way but now love)

September 28
Life as a Middle School Teacher
Today I:
-rearranged the seating plan, again
-reinserted a nose ring to a panicked girl
-reminded students that yes, you lose marks when you hand in an assignment late (over and over again)
-answered questions about how old Janis Joplin was when she died (27) 10 minutes after our discussion of Janis Joplin's music was over
-answered questions about the pictures on my desk, "yes, that's my baby, yes, he's cute, yes, that's my husband, now Sit Down!"
-patrolled the bathroom log
-told several boys to take their hat off in the building
-allowed one student to call his grandmother to ask for pants as he ripped his
-kept 3 students for detention
-lectured one student for not showing up for detention
-added 1 pencil and 3 pens to my collection (parents, do you ever wonder why you spend so much money on school supplies?)
-tried to locate the owners of 25 papers with no names
-wondered at the fact that there was one with a perfect score that was never claimed
-was given the dirty look after informing a student that yes, their paper was due today and no it doesn't count if it was done but you left it at home
-wrested with the photocopier
-wondered at how my three grade 6 classes could be in such completely different spots of the same lesson with my most boisterous class about a day ahead of the rest
-found counselling information for a student
-and I think I taught a lesson on note length and rhythm at some point...

I kept this blog until July 2006. Elijah had just turned 2. So why the change? Well, I think spaces was being reformatted and I was getting quite frustrated with not being able to do what I wanted with it. My friend Jill (who also is linked on my sidebar) had been blogging with blogspot, so I thought I would too. I called it Kristen's Rants and Raves I kept this one until Jan. 2007. So why change to here? Well, I think this was the time that I had to start logging in with a Google Account and somewhere in the process I was unable to log in at all, so I made something new. Eventually, the ability to access it on my dashboard was granted back to me, but by that time I'd switched everything over to here.

I like here. I think I've gotten better at blogging. I have used blogging in a lot of ways these past (almost) 4 years. I use it in teaching (it's a great way to make a playlist). Here's a game called name the country that I made on my Music form Around the World site. Currently some of my middle school classes are using it as a format to present their term projects on. I've used it for my oldest son's favorite videos as well. I now use my youtube account to make a playlist, but it did work in the past.

I've also added 2 of my hobbies into blogging. Reading at Bookworm Kristen and cooking at Whatcha Eatin'?. I'm particularily enjoying joining the communities that exist around these topics. I had no idea! If you ever get a chance, there's some great stuff being written. Excellent book review and giveaways and fabulous recipes and food tips!

My 4th current blog is with my friend Jill at Clever Mamas, which has been born out of many conversations on parenting. It's newer and I think we're still finding our place in blog land, but I'm enjoying it all the same. It so wonderful to be able to share our experiences as Mamas.

So here's to 200 ++++? however many posts I've written. Thanks for reading what's on my mind at any given moment!