Cure for the Pageant Bug

In September, while talking to a group of first year yearbook girls, one of them asked, "Weren't you the fair queen?" My reaction was immediately negative and I responded how I usually do in class when the topic comes up. "Yes, but I won because I'm smart, not because I have big boobs, cause obviously, I don't." Inevitably it turns into a conversation and I try to explain how being fair queen has no impact on me as a teacher.

This particular conversation took a different turn. "Isn't this something you should be proud of?" Stammering for something to say, I turned to Mandy, who was sitting behind her desk, for guidance. Mandy's response was "Mrs. Weitl is more than a fair queen." I couldn't have explained it better.

You see, in January of 2003, I was crowned Miss Illinois County Fair Queen. That still doesn't seem real. I ran for Miss Richland County three times before I actually won and winning at state never really seemed like a reality. I can't really explain what motivated me. I'm not a girly-girly. I hate high-heels. But for some reason, I was quite driven to become Miss Richland County and eventually, Miss Illinois. I was the underdog. I was the mouse in the bucket of cream who ran and ran until the cream turned to butter and he could climb out.

I think the Daily Eastern News dubbed it well when they said I had a "Pageant Bug". (Please don't laugh too hard at that article -- we won't even go into how many of those statements are not things I actually said). I can remember sitting in my dorm room studying with the main motivating factor being that the GPA would look good on my pageant application. How screwed up is that mentality??

I exercised. I watched what I ate. I worked hard in school. I applied and received scholarships. I joined groups. I worked hard outside of school. I wanted to be queen.

I look back and think that if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have competed, but deep down, I know I would have. For some reason it was meant to be. I like to think it was because I was able to meet such great people on the state crew but I think that there is a larger reason that still hasn't become clear to me.

Somewhere along the way, I became resentful of my title. I think a lot of it stems from all of the things I was unable to do because of the crown I had to wear. I couldn't get married on Halloween. I couldn't live with Mike (oops!). I couldn't leave the house without makeup (oops!). Most of all, I couldn't be me. My friends and Mike still joke that there was a "Queen Jamie" and "Jamie". I grew to hate the "Queen Jamie" and the always smiling, too much makeup, uber friendly persona.

Then, I became a first year teacher, driving a car that had "Miss Illinois" plastered on the side. Let me tell you what that does for your credibility in the classroom. Eventually, I gave up my crown, got married, and usually I was halfway through the semester before the light bulb flickered and students realized that I had been fair queen.

But when Mandy said, "Mrs. Weitl is more than a fair queen," to our yearbook girls that day, that is when it really clicked. My issue with the title is that it wasn't (and isn't) who I am. That is just one small blip on the big radar screen of my life. A title that I've spent the last six years trying to nullify as more important things have happened in my life.

But the fact is, I was crowned queen. And damnit, I'm proud of that. I worked hard for that title and I did my best to represent both Illinois and agriculture to the best of my ability. But one year of my life does not define who I am. I don't look like I did then. I don't act like I did then. I don't think like I did then.

Now, I'm a wife. A mom. A teacher. I'm as far from the stereotypical definition of a "queen" as one can become. I'm lucky if I shower every other day and wear minimal makeup once a week. I never wear heels and I have no desire to. And deep down, I'd rather be known for raising a phenomenal young man than for being queen.

Many of you are probably reading this going "oh, whoa is me you poor has-been queen" but the fact is, being queen forces expectations on your life that wouldn't be there otherwise. There is a pressure that continues long after the crown has been retired. And while I'll always have a soft spot for pageants and the girls who are brave enough to compete, there is no doubt that my "pageant bug" has been cured.

Comment to Win - Winners!

The contest is finally over and we had 80 people comment to try to win the items below! Congratulations to the winners!

1. Maybe Baby - #4 Heather @ Appointed By God
2. New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding - #56 You Da Mom!
3. Best Baby Products - #31 Karissa @ Prissy Green
4. Top 100 Baby Purees - #77 Bridget
5. Superfoods: For Babies and Children - #34 Aldara @ Catholic Mommyhood
6. Yoga 4 Fertility - #17 Rachel @ ...Homemade Happenings
7. Lansinoh Diaper Cream and Wipes - #61 Jen
8. Lansinoh Diaper Cream and Wipes - #25 Andrea @ In White Fields
9. Lansinoh Diaper Cream and Wipes - #63 ShaunJoy @ Tales from O'Toole

Winners need to contact me with their mailing address!

Before you click away, be sure to enter the latest giveaway for a free LaZella Rose Boutique Cart Cover!!! Woohoo!

Be Careful What You Wish For

A little over two years ago, I came home after a frustrating day at school and spouted off about how much better it would be to teach online. And so I began searching for online teaching positions and trekked back to school the next day.

After Bo was born and we knew we were ready to start seriously looking at living in a different area, I started searching for online teaching positions more seriously. On a whim, during one of Bo's afternoon naps, I applied to a school. Several weeks later, I received an email asking me to answer some questions. I did that and advanced to the phone interview. From there I went through training and the mentorship. Suddenly, I found myself teaching college English, and I'm not really sure how it happened.

Then, being the crazy person I am, I wonder if I can turn this into a career. I search Amazon and purchased this book. I joined the author's Yahoo! group. They post a lot of job openings on the site and recently a blog was created to post all of the adjunct teaching positions. Being the crazy person that I am, I thought, well, it can't hurt to apply for a few jobs. So I did.

Now, I am teaching for one school, training for another school, and I have a second interview Wednessday for yet another school that would be a full-time position. Plus, I still want to keep my pinkie finger on the yearbook at the high school. And oh yeah, there is that little thing called being Bo's mom. And Mike's wife. And my mom's daughter. And a homeowner. You get the idea.

How on earth, during a recession, when the economy has absolutely tanked, am I facing the possibility of four paid positions? Apparently there is a high demand for online teachers.

I know, I should be grateful. Most people would kill to be in this position. But I'm not grateful. I'm angry at myself for applying for all of these positions. I am confused because I am not sure which position is the best one for me. I hate having to make so many decisions about my career in such a short amount of time.

Sometimes we all need to be reminded to be careful what we wish for. Even the good things can bite you in the ass.

Giveaway!! LaZella Rose Boutique Cart Cover!!

Bo enjoys tooling around Wal-Mart, safe from germs, with his cart cover. Bo's cover is a Vintage Mickey print with complimenting yellow fabric and red piping. You can see the toys that are attached and the bag that it all folds up into inside the cart.

In May, I went searching for a cart cover for Bo. I knew that I wanted one that would cover the entire cart, would be easy to wash, and highly portable.

Luckily, I found LaZella Rose Boutique. I immediately fell in love with their cart covers and knew it was exactly what I was looking for. The best part? I was able to choose the fabric and the cover was handmade especially for Bo. They aren't the cheapest cart cover out there, but the quality and craftmanship make it worth every penny.

We have used this cover constantly since Bo was able to sit up on his own. We use it when we go to restaurants, when we go to shopping, etc. It came with toys attached, the cutest little pillow, it all folds up to make its own portable bag, and best of all, it holds up to numerous trips through the washer and dryer.

All of the cart covers are custom made by Jana who runs LaZella Rose Boutique as a WAHM. Jana has graciously agreed to sew a custom designed cart cover in a fabric of your choice (over a $50 value!) all you need to do is go visit LaZella Rose Boutique and leave a comment on this post.

For additional entries:
1) Email 5 of your friends and tell them to enter the giveaway. Be sure to send a carbon copy of the email to me at stickyfeet2 at gmail dot com. Then comment stating you did so.
2) Subscribe to Sticky Feet and then leave a comment stating that you are a subscriber. (Yes, if you already subscribe that qualifies you for 2 entries -- simply leave two comments, one of which states that you are a subscriber.)
3) Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment stating you did so along with your twitter name. (Yes, if you already follow me, just leave another comment stating you do so!)

4) Tweet about this giveaway and then leave a comment stating you did so.
5) Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway and comment back with the permalink to this post.

Winner will be selected via Random.org on November 30!

Good Luck!

Bo at 6 months old, using his seat cover for the first time to eat lunch in Vinnecennes.

*Sorry for the not-so-stellar photo quality. These were taken with my point and shoot.*

Top Ten Things I Dislike About Teaching Online

1. Flexible Hours - Just because my hours aren't set in stone doesn't mean that I don't have a mountain of work to accomplish. Some people seem to think that teaching online means that a check magically appears in my mailbox without me having to actually do anything. Ha!

2. No Work Clothes - While it is great that I can teach naked if I want to, there is something nice about getting up every morning, putting nice clothes on, and heading out the door. I miss having an excuse to look decent every now and again.

3. Breaks - Breaks are typically working breaks. They are just a different type of work. Taking a break to fold laundry isn't exactly fun, but at least it gives my eyes a brief reprieve from the computer!

4. No In Person Contact - While yes, I do enjoy being on my own and being alone, sometimes it is nice to have a friend in the room next door that you can eat lunch with and gossip with about the day. Lunch with the lunch crew is definitely the number one aspect of real life teaching that I miss!

5. Money - The money is decent for the flexibility that the job allows. That said, there is no tenure. There is no retirement. There is no health care. Each class is a separate contract so the bottom can fall out at any time. Definitely a good reason to stay diversified and not to count on this income in our monthly budget plan as the amount does fluctuate wildly from month to month.

6. No Weekends - Online classes are seven days a week. I have to check-in every 24 hours to respond to questions, no matter what. And even just waiting 24 hours allows the questions and grading to really pile up, making more work for me in the future. Definitely the type of job where you need a minimum of 3-4 hours every day (including Saturday and Sunday) to devote solely to it. In some ways that is a major bummer.


7. No Respect - I feel this from several different angles. Some people seem to feel that I am no longer a "real" teacher. Others seem to think that I don't really need time to work and I'm just sitting on my couch eating bon-bons. At the same time, I've received a few lovely emails from readers who seem to think that I shouldn't work at all and should devote every waking minute to Bo. Apparently they haven't met me, or read the blog for long...

8. No Office - Another aspect of my brick and mortar teaching job that I really miss is my office. More specifically, my desk. I loved the feeling of getting to work at 6 am and being able to sit at my desk for 2 hours and grade a large batch of papers or crank out a new lesson plan. Now that I'm working at home, I don't have an office. I don't have a desk (I'm using the kitchen counter or my lap). And those are definitely things that I will need if I am going to do this long-term.

9. Adult learners - It is one thing to attempt to teach apathetic teens. It's another to attempt to teach apathetic adults. Enough said.

10. No Substitutes - There is no one else to do the work. No matter if I am sick, going away for the weekend, or hosting a birthday bash, the work is still there. And just like regular teaching, the workload is never ending. There is always more I could do, papers to grade, another post I could write to try to explain the subject matter to the students more. If I don't do it, it doesn't get done.

Click here to read my Top Five Things I Like About Teaching Online.

Wordless Wednesday: Reading Before Breakfast

More Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.

**It is important to note that this is a Saturday morning before breakfast. I still had on my pajamas and hadn't thought about brushing my hair or washing my face. Mike was making breakfast and grabbed the camera while Bo and I read a book. I know, I'm a horrible wife.**

Tuesdays with Dorie: Kugelhopf

Yolanda of The All-purpose Girl selected this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe -- Kugelhopf. You can find the full recipe on Yolanda's site or on pg. 61 of Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

I'll be honest, from the name and the picture this was immediately not a recipe I had a lot of interest in. But then I opened the cookbook to read more about it and found that it is from Alsace (now France, use to be Germany) and this is the area where my ancestors originated. The recipe looked fairly simple, so I decided to give it a whirl.

The first step was to mix the yeast with milk and then add the dry ingredients, eggs, and butter. It has to beat for quite awhile to form a dough. Definitely one of those recipes you really want your KitchenAid for!

I used golden raisins in mine. I had some left from a previous Dorie experiment.
I let the dough do its unique rise and fall for an entire evening and then left the dough to rest in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I buttered a bundt pan and allowed the dough to rise again.

This is what it looked like 3 hours later, right before I put it in the oven.
I baked it and it came out with a nice crisp crust.

I soaked it with butter and sprinkled with sugar.

And then I cut the bread to serve.

Maybe my expectations were too high, but after starting this bread 18 hours earlier, I guess I just expected more. It was fine. But definitely not wow worthy. Even, dare I say, bland?? Mom and Mike both tasted it and they both said this wasn't a keeper. Sorry Dorie!

However, I am really excited about next week's recipe - Arborio Rice Pudding! However, I can't seem to find any of the star ingredient, Arborio rice!! The only place I have found it is Amazon and it is $10 for a box and then $15 shipping. If anyone has found some and is willing to mail me the 1/4 cup needed for this recipe there will be a reward involved!!