Michelle tagged me last week for a meme. I’ve been so busy that I almost forgot about it, but here are the rules:

• Link the person who tagged you
• Mention the rules on your blog
• Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
• Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
• Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged

Since I’ve done a similar meme in the past, I decided to change things up a little bit. I’m going to talk about six things that I don’t like, but that you probably do!

1. Seinfeld — I hate this show. I hated it when it was on and I hate the reruns now. If it comes on, I quickly turn the channel. In my opinion, this is the dumbest show on the planet (well, if you don’t count Reno 911). I never understood why people liked this show.
2. Mushrooms — Just don’t like ‘em.
3. Crocs — Crocs are ugly. I realize that there are new styles out there, and I’ll even admit to some of them being cute. However, in general, I think Crocs are ugly. I especially hate them on children. I know, I know. Everyone thinks kids in Crocs are cute. Here’s my beef: Crocs are horribly unsupportive and terrible for playground play! Also, I have had multiple parents request a physical therapy evaluation because their children were “walking funny.” Guess what? All of those kids wore Crocs, and the problem went away when they got supportive shoes.
4. John Mayer — First of all, he’s a tool. Second, he’s a womanizer. Third, he’s ugly. Fourth, his music sucks. C’mon John, try and write a song that doesn’t repeat “say what you need to say” 40 times.
5. Rachel Ray — What is with the tucked in t-shirts? It’s a terrible look. Her personality drives me up the wall too. I just can’t stand to listen to her talk. While her recipes have improved, does anyone else remember the days where every episode was, “How to Cook a Giant Hunk of Meat”?
6. Starbucks — It’s true. I don’t like Starbucks. Their coffee is bitter. Their espresso is even worse. I admit that I do drink Starbucks, but if I want to go in on a coffee run at work it’s either Starbucks or go without. If I had my druthers, there would be a Seattle’s Best on every corner. Sadly, I can only get Seattle’s Best at Borders…but at least I get it at a discount!

I’m not really into tagging people, so if you want to play along consider yourself tagged! I highly recommend you name six things you don’t like. This was fun!

A couple of days ago, Jess tagged me for this meme. I love a meme. It’s the perfect way to waste time AND get in a blog post! So, here ya go:

MEME Rules:

1. Put your iTunes/ music player on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT

After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know they’ve been tagged to do the meme themselves!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?

“Rock Me” by Liz Phair

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

“Chapter 10G Halloween” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

“I Know There’s A Word” by Aimee Man

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

“Faster Faster” by Bree Sharp

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?

“Frong on My Toe” by Tori Amos

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

“Zak and Sara” by Ben Folds

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

“As Is” by Ani Difranco

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

“One Day I’ll Fly Away” from Moulin Rouge

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

“84,000 Different Delusions” by Shawn Colvin

WHAT IS 2+2?

“When I Was a Boy” by Dar Williams

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

“The World’s Not Falling Apart” by Dar Williams

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

“Judy and the Dream of Horses” by Belle & Sebastian

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

“The State I Am In” by Bell & Sebastian (Yes!  This really is what came up!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

“Momentum” by Aimee Mann

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

“Across the Universe” by The Beatles

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

“Way Back When” by Aimee Mann

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

“Hands Are for Clapping” by Jim Gill (Yes, I have kids music on my iPod.  I take it with me when I work with kids.  No, this isn’t what we danced to, either.)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

“Sparklegirl” by Letters to Cleo

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

“Baby Britain” by Elliot Smith

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

“Les Ciels De Traine” by Autour De Lucie

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

“California” by Rufus Wainwright

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?

“Slide” by Dido

So, there you have it.  My rather odd taste in music.  I wish I’d actually listened to this shuffle instead of just skipping ahead so I could answer the questions!  I never get such a good mix!

Please feel free to play along if you are so inclined!

Britt tagged me for this meme, and I think it’s pretty darn adorable. So, here you go!

THE ABCs OF ERIN

A - ADVOCATE FOR: Kids with special needs and their families.

B - BEST FEATURE:  Ummm, I think my legs are my best physical feature.  I think my passion for what I do is my best overall feature.  Oh.  And I love my brain too!

C - COULD DO WITHOUT:  Allergies and my sinuses.  Seriously.  Take them.  Take them away now!

D - DREAMS & DESIRES:  To open my own program for kids with special needs and offer quality programming and therapy for ALL families, not just those who can afford it.  Also to have kids.  And to have lots of blog readers!

E - ESSENTIAL ITEMS:  My MacBook.  Wireless internet.  All my books.  Pajamas.

F - FAVORITE PAST TIME:  Obviously, blogging.  Also, reading everything I can get my hands on, watching movies, and shopping.

G - GOOD AT:  My job.  Sleeping.  Laughing.

H - HAVE NEVER TRIED:  A potato I didn’t love.

I - IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS:  Pay the mortgage off.  Start my own program for kids with special needs.  Build my husband a bookstore.  Travel the world.  And finally fill my closet with clothes I actually like!

J - JUNKIE FOR:  The internet.  Buying books.  Chocolate.  And buying shoes…a recent addiction.

K - KINDRED SPIRIT:  My dear friend Meghan who I never see, but whenever we talk it’s like no time has passed.  And my friend Amanda who I talk to constantly and who always knows just what I’m thinking.

L - LITTLE KNOWN FACT:  I find bathroom humor absolutely hilarious.

M - MEMORABLE MOMENT:  During my second year of teaching, I heard a voice say “Come play with me.”  I turned around to see it was a student who had previously never said a word.  Awesome.  Seriously.

N - NEVER AGAIN WILL I:  Look for reason where there is none.  Ok, I’m sure I will…but I can hope!

O - OCCASIONAL INDULGENCE:  InStyle Magazine

P - PROFESSION:  Early Childhood Special Education Teacher.

Q - QUOTE:  “There is a part of a child’s soul that has always been unknown but which must be known.  With a spirit of sacrifice and enthusiasm we must go in search, like those who travel to foreign lands and tear up mountains in their search for hidden gold.” — Maria Montessori

R - REASON TO SMILE:  It was warm and sunny today.

S - SORRY ABOUT:  Everything mean I’ve ever done.  Well, almost everything…

T - TAG SOME FRIENDS: I hate tagging people! If you want to play, consider yourself tagged!

U - UNINTERESTED IN:  Sports.

V - VERY SCARED OF: Spiders, bridges, and anything happening to my Ted.

W - WORST HABIT:  Taking things too personally.

X - X MARKS MY IDEAL VACATION SPOT:  Back to London would be nice.  Also, pretty much everywhere else in the world.

Y - YUMMIEST DESSERT:  Banoffee Pie

Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio

WHAT ARE THE ABC’S OF YOU?

Michelle tagged me for this meme. I probably should wish for something better than a clean house, but I’m really aggravated by the mess around here today!

Anyhow, you should play too!

1. Think about what it is that you want more than anything, what your heart’s desire and fondest wish is, and what it is that you would wish for if you were to see the above wishing star flame across the night sky.
2. Right click and SAVE the blank graphic below.
3. Use a graphics program of your choice and place your wish on this picture:

4. Post the Make A Wish Meme and your wishing star on your blog along with these rules.
5. Tag as many people as you like so that there can be wishing stars all across the Blogosphere and ask them to please link back to Linda at Are We There Yet? so that she can see what wishes others have made and share those wishes with others.

If you don’t currently have a graphics program and aren’t sure how to put your message on the picture you can either download one for free (Linda used IrfanView which is an image viewer but also allows you to customize and optimize your pictures) or email Linda at mouseski58@yahoo.com, tell her what you’re wishing for, and she’ll customize the picture for you and email it back to you so that you can then post it.

I don’t usually tag people, but what the heck! Today, I’m tagging Laurel, Audrey, Heather, and Jamie. Have fun!

That’s right, no dogs! If you read this blog and Audrey’s, you are probably all dogged out. I don’t blame you. I’ve been itching to write about something new for days…hence the two posts in one day!

Lindsey…another teacher who wears stylish shoes (we might be kindred spirits that way)…tagged me for a meme. Plus I liked another meme of her blog…so here they both are for your reading pleasure.

Meme the First:

Here are the Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people & post a comment here once you post it to your blog, so I can come see.

“Clare turned to see the fast, little bustling form of Cornelia slip back behind the counter. ‘She’s a feeder,’ said Linny. ‘Gets it from her mother.’” — From this awful book which I originally started for SDBBE, but then changed to a different one because this one made me want to bang my head again the wall repeatedly.

I tag anyone who is participating in the SDBBE!

Meme the Second:

Ten Years Ago –

• I was a junior in high school.
• I drove a 1988 Ford Temp LX, white.
• My best friend was Meghan, and I recently found out that my dad thought we were lesbians.
• I worked in a Chinese food restaurant and ate nothing but Chinese food for an entire year.

Five Things That Were on My To-Do List for Today –

• E-mail my team the weekly team update.
• Complete the stupid time study I was supposed to do last week.
• Practice my conference presentation and time my powerpoint slides.
• Have lunch with the nervous mother of a new student.
• Unload the dishwasher.

I Enjoy –

• Cheese
• Chocolate
• Shoes
• Online Shopping
• Reading
• Blogging
• Cuddling with my Ted
• Cuddling with my dogs
• Did I mention cheese yet?

What would I do if I suddenly became a millionaire?

• Pay off the mortgages.
• Pay off the student loans.
• Pay off the cars and then buy new cars.
• Take a year off to travel the world.
• Build my own school and start my own program.
• Give money to my family and friends.
• Donate to autism research.

Five Jobs I’ve Had –

• Chinese food restaurant phone answerer.
• Tax preparer
• Nanny
• Bookseller
• Most Awesome Teacher on the Planet

Five Things People Don’t Know About Me –

• I wiggle my toes to fall asleep.
• I love to eat pickles.
• I loved reading morbid books about people who were sick/dying when I was a teen. I still kind of enjoy them!
• I love cheesy dance movies like Center Stage.
• I can touch my nose with my tongue.

I’ll tag anyone who wants to play along….or who needs help to stop blogging about dogs!

It’s Saturday night. That means Ted is working and I am home alone. So, here’s a meme I’ve been saving for just such a lame occasion.

Three names you go by?

1. Erin
2. Miss Erin
3. Noodle

Three physical things you like about yourself?

1. my legs
2. my eyes
3. my nose

Three physical things you don’t like about yourself?

1. my skin (i used to love it but then i developed horrible eczema)
2. my back (it always hurts)
3. my hair

Three parts of your heritage?

1. Irish
2. Italian
3. Luxembourgian

Three things you can’t stand?

1. Bad drivers
2. People who think they are better than everyone else.
3. Ignorance

Three things that scare you?

1. Spiders
2. Bridges
3. Losing someone I love

Three of your favorite shows? (I don’t know how to pick three!!! So here’s three that are currently on and three that are my DVD favorites!)

1. Lost
2. Grey’s Anatomy
3. House
4. Gilmore Girls
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
6. Sex and the City

Three of your favorite Japanese Anime?

1. I refuse to answer this.
2.
3.

Three movies you watch over and over again?

1. Love, Actually
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Any Harry Potter movie

Three movies you would like to see? (As per my Netflix Queue)

1. Notes on a Scandal
2. Premonition
3. Borat

Three of your everyday essentials?

1. Internet
2. Chocolate
3. Hugs from Ted

Three things you are wearing now?

1. Pajama pants
2. Camisole
3. Yeah, that’s it folks. Sexy.

Three things you want in a relationship?

1. Honesty
2. Respect
3. Laughter every single day.

Three things about the opposite gender that appeals to you?

1. Smile
2. Good sense of humor
3. A nice butt doesn’t hurt either.

Three bad habits?

1. Swearing
2. Eating fast food
3. Caffeine

Three careers you’re currently considering pursuing?

1. I currently love my job, but someday I’d like to go into business for myself.
2.
3.

Three of your favorite hobbies?

1. Blogging
2. Reading
3. Knitting

Three places you want to go on vacation? (you mean, besides everywhere???)

1. London, again
2. African Safari
3. Italy

Three kids name you like?

1. Isobel
2. Niamh (but no one can pronounce it and my dad would never let me live it down)
3. Olivia

Three things you want to do before you die?

1. Be a mom
2. Travel, travel, travel
3. Publish a book

Three things that stereotypically prove you’re a girl?

1. I never have anything to wear
2. I have a cabinet full of beauty products that I never use.
3. I have developed an unnatural need for lots and lots of shoes.

I am too tired to think of a post, so I borrowed this from Alynda. Memes are way easier than coming up with actual blog content.

1. You wake up in the morning. What time is it probably?
My alarm goes off at 5 a.m. I usually get out of bed between 5:15 and 5:30. If I’m really tired I’ll stay in bed until 5:45.

2. You get yourself some breakfast. What do you make?
I go in phases….Eggo waffles, apples and cinnamon oatmeal, or a bad of dry cereal in the car.

3. Someone calls you on the phone. Who do you want it to be?
My principal announcing a snow day!

4. You turn on the TV for a bit. What channel do you put it on?
I don’t have time to watch TV in the morning. Sometimes Ted turns it on and we watch Saved By the Bell.

5. You have some time to kill before you leave. What do you do?
Catch up on blogs and e-mail.

6. You go and have a shower. How long does it take you?
I like a long shower, but during the week I limit myself to 10-15 minutes.

7. You decide to get yourself ready for your day. How long does it take?
5 minutes to dry off and brush my teeth. 5 minutes for eczema treatment and lotion. 30+ minutes to dry my hair (YUCK!)

8. You put on some makeup. What do you put on?
I’m not a big makeup person, especially not for school (c’mon, preschoolers with special needs drool on me all day, they don’t care about makeup). I have been making an effort lately though to take a couple minutes to use my Bare Minerals and a little mascara.

9. You’re ready to leave. What do you take out with you?
Lunch, giant water bottle, mug of hot tea, purse, and small teacher bag everyday. Other days there is more….newly purchased classroom stuff, giant teacher bag, etc.

10. How long does it take you to get to work?
About 20 – 25 minutes. If I get caught by a train…a LOT longer.

11. What is the first thing you do when you get to work?

Successfully navigate all of my stuff down to my room, turn on computer, put lunch in fridge, check in-box and e-mail.

12. Do you take part in office gossip/water cooler talk?
I try not to. Having been a victim of some very untrue and hurtful gossip, I am not a fan.

13. Anything particularly annoying about each work day?
People who walk into my room and say “It smells like poo in here!” No kidding. I have 7 kids in diapers, they poop and it smells.

14. What’s the best part of the day?
Seeing my kids learn to communicate. It is a very powerful moment when a child realizes what language can do for him and successfully gets his needs met.

15. Do you usually leave on time or stay late? Take any work home with you?
I leave immediately after school. I am usually exhausted from the kids. However, I do get to work 2.5 hours before my contract says I have to.

16. The boss calls to tell you that don’t have to work, and you’re free for a whole day. What do you do?
Hahahaha! Good one. But if this ever happened, I would lump around all day….or feel guilty and catch up on work stuff.

17. With whom would you want to spend the day?
Ted.

18. You go to the store to get some snackage, but it turns out you can only buy one thing there. What do you buy?
Does cheese and crackers count as one thing?

19. You’re walking down the street and you find a magic lamp that grants you 3 wishes. What do you wish for?
Ummm, enough money to pay off my debts and the debts of my family with a little left over for some fun stuff. More respect for teachers in this country. And a new Mac every time they updated for life.

20. You meet a man who says he will give you your dream job, what is it?
Opening my own business to serve young children with special needs and their families.

21. You can choose any concert of any singer/band in the world; whose do you go to?
This is hard and I’m too tired to choose.

22. You get home & there’s a check for $50,000 in the mail for you. On what would you spend it?
Pay for Ted’s graduate school and chuck the rest in savings.

23. You get to bring back anyone from the dead, famous or not. Who would it be?
Why do I want to bring someone back from the dead? Creepy!

24. You get to interview your favorite celebrity. Who is it, and what would you ask him/her?
Alan Rickman, Will you run away with me?

25. You get to see into the future but you can only find out one thing about your future life. What would you want to find out?
I’m going to second Alynda on this one….that I’ll be happy.

26. At the end of your perfect day, you go on a perfect date; describe it.
Dinner at that restaurant that plays creepy music and has light bulb sculptures hanging from the ceiling but really awesome sushi. Then a long walk with the dogs followed by snuggling on the couch with a movie.

Heather was kind enough to tag me, so here are seven random things about me (in no particular order, of course)…

1. Last summer I discovered the joys of watching the Gilmore Girls. I have all six seasons that are out on DVD. I have watched all six seasons an embarrassing number of times.

2. I absolutely love the way new books smell.

3. My favorite foods are chocolate and cheese.

4. My favorite part of the day is when I first get to school in the morning. It’s usually just me and the custodian because I’m a freak who gets to school super early. It’s so quiet, the copy machine is free, and the whole day is still filled with the hope that something magical will happen.

5. I can tell you who is poopy in my classroom without checking pants…I recognize the smells. Sick, I know.

6. I’m actually not a patient person in real life….only in teacher life.

7. I’m in love with my job, even when it sucks (which was a LOT this year).

Well, I know I’m supposed to tag seven people, but I’m not sure that I know seven people to tag. Heather already tagged me, so I can’t tag her back. So, I’ll officially tag Michelle, and if there are other people out there who read my blog, I hereby tag you too!