New in 2018 - June (and catch-up)

I usually try to have each New in 2018 post published by around the tenth day of the following month.  But I didn't this time.  Sue me.

Before I launch into the new experiences I had in June, let me first play a little game of catch-up.  I realized that, in the frenzy to get caught up on April and May (especially with our little trip out of town), that I left out a few things.  So, here is what I forgot to add to the previous New in 2018 post...

New in 2018 - May Catch-up

For my birthday (early part of May), I got an essential oil diffuser.  I am relatively new to diffusing, though I frequently use essential oils to clean.  I even use them topically, on occasion.  However, diffusing is an absolute treat!  As you know, we live in a small rental, and that sometimes means that things can smell a little musty and stale.  It's frustrating when maintenance's idea of fixing a leak in the ceiling is to slap another coat of paint on it, creating an impasto effect that would make even Claude Monet cringe.  As you can imagine, layering paint upon paint upon paint doesn't exactly mask smells so much as trap them.  At any rate, the essential oil diffuser has been great to freshen up our space by leaving a natural fragrance that doesn't have all of the synthetic -and possibly carcinogenic- additives that a room spray does.  Plus, the lack of perfume doesn't make the place smell all chemically, and the fact that it is diffused (versus sprayed) makes the fragrance last much longer.

Here is what my diffuser looks like.  (I believe it was purchased at Walmart.)

But let's not forget, May wasn't all about me.  In fact, my daughter even had a number of new experiences.  Consequently, so did I.  For instance, she became obsessed with Angler Fish.  Why?  I don't know.  But I can tell you this:  I know more about these messed up mo fos than I ever did before.  We spent quite a bit of time discussing this strange creature that lurks in the ocean's midnight zone, eating all its friends and practicing polygamy with multiple gentlemen callers, all of whom disintegrate into nothing more than a pair of gonads.  These bio luminescent bitches have got it made in the shade!  Don't believe me?  Check out this video.  It was our favorite lesson in the lives of Angler Fish.

Naturally, this obsession with Angler Fish led my sweet Jammy to her new favorite TV show:  Octonauts.  First airing on Disney Junior (and discovered by us on Netflix), this program is nothing new to most regular children's TV connoisseurs.  However, it did get us out of our PJ Masks phase, and for that I am deeply grateful.  Seriously, Octonauts is the bomb diggity.  As with most children's shows, I first felt like it was a major acid trip, watching any given episode.  However, over time, I found myself singing along to the Creature Reports and, best of all, participating in the DANCE BREAK!!!

Like many contemporary children's TV programs, Octonauts is a 22-minute show, comprised of two shorter 11-minute mini episodes.  Each mini episode features a different sea creature, as it is investigated by the Octonauts themselves.  At the end of each mini episode, the Octonauts (a band of animal sea explorers, led by the illustrious Captain Barnacles, a polar bear) sing a song -the Creature Report- about the newly presented ocean life.  Naturally, each Creature Report includes a dance break, because what is learning without a little whip and nae nae?

And now, for...

New in 2018 - June

With the advent of summer and the disgusting weather it brought to my part of the country this year, my regular frou-frou coffee order has had to change.  Gone are the days of cappuccinos and flat whites.  It's too damn hot!  Enter the Starbucks Cold Foam Cappuccino (with soy, of course) and hello, Happy Mama!  This drink hits the spot when you need a little afternoon caffeine jolt, but also a little sweet treat.  Unfortunately, the texture is quite different when you use soy versus cow's milk (you don't get the nice foam), but it is a small price to pay when your lactose intolerance would lead to a day of misery for consuming the latter.  While I still prefer coffee drinks hot, this is a decent summer alternative when you need something sweet, creamy, and energizing...without heating yourself up on an already scorching day.

Speaking of delicious dairy alternatives, I will never, ever buy Cool Whip -or Reddi Wip, for that matter!- again.  Why?  Because I have discovered CocoWhip, by So Delicious.  OMGoodness, that stuff is to die for.  My kids love it.  Ribbers thinks that it's ice cream.  We have had it for breakfast, snack, and dessert because it is dynamite on berries.  Seriously, it is so decadent without having a single ingredient that I don't recognize.  It never lasts long in our house, mainly because I can't stop snitching it.

Changing gears here, one of the reasons I have been so behind with posting this summer is due to insane amounts of lesson planning, curriculum writing, and class prepping for work.  This summer, I taught two new classes.  The first of these two commandeered most of the month of June, and it was a delightful new experience for me.  For the first time in my life, I got to teach an Art History class!  My focus in college was French, but I did have two minors: English and Art History.  For this particular class, we focused on works that are part of the permanent collection at the Louvre in Paris...since I teach for an Alliance Française and all.  I taught the majority of this particular session in English, so that we could attract more students of all levels of French.  

One night, one of my students brought his high school aged granddaughter to class, since she was preparing to go on a school trip to Italy and France.  This student later told me that his granddaughter was the star of her trip to the Louvre, as she explained to all of her classmates something about a Caravaggio painting that she had learned about in my class.  MY CLASS!  Seriously, you guys.  This is why I teach.  There are a lot of downs in teaching, but moments like this make it all worth it.  This girl was so proud of herself for knowing something that she then got to teach her classmates and friends...maybe even her teachers.  That is an experience that no one will ever be able to take away from her.  Ever.  I am so honored and blessed that I got to be a part of that with her.  (*Heart melting*)

On the subject of history, have you ever watched Ruining History on Amazon Prime?  If not, you must.  Prepare yourself for some crass and crude looks into some of the weirdest characters and moments in civilization.  I laughed out loud at the immature depictions of some of the most famous people in the story of the world.  And if nothing else, you get to hear about the adorable bear, Wojtek, who served up some Nazi ass in the Polish army.

No joke, Private Wojtek (the bear) was later promoted to Corporal.

This wraps up the June and Catch-Up editions of New in 2018.  Stay tuned for July's edition, which will feature Charles Dickens, warrior women, more French classes, and Christmas in July.  Also, as an extra special treat, my sister B's guest post on Disney trip advice will be published in August!