Tube Tuesday: Pink Hawaiian Vowel Boot Camp

When I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter...I decided to do six semester hours in a week's time as a part of a special program called ECSTI. Why you may ask? Well, cuz I'm crazy...and had no idea how my ankles would swell but also because I needed to renew my license. Of course, if I'd known I was going to let it lapse after the birth of my second child, I might not have gone to the trouble. My Mom and girlfriend Emily were also taking the same class...and we had a fun week. It was ALOT of work...all day, every day...and all evenings doing homework and projects.

It was a literacy course...and for my final project where we taught to a large class of our peers...I chose an idea from Between the Lions...called vowel boot camp. It was one of my favorite educational shows, notice even before kids! As you can see they have all sorts of neat marches to remember vowel rules. You can also tell what sort of zany teacher I am in the classroom too!

Anyhew, the big day came and I wore one of my most comfortable maternity shirts (cuz I was great with child)...a bright pink Hawaiian print. I borrowed on of my Dad's hunting jackets and a camo cap...and had made finger puppets and poster board to teach the rule to the class. I'm usually hyper prepared...but I failed to try the jacket on before hand...and it wouldn't close over my big belly. Oh, what a sight I must have been...all pregnant, portly five feet of me... all camo and Hawaiian print. The prof was surprised at the whole approach...and as I got the class to participate in the march there was also a mix of snickers and giggles too.

The head of the entire program happened to be walking by our basement classroom...and being an old Army man couldn't resist popping in to see what the marching hubbub was about. He lowered himself into our open classroom window...and the prof (in surprise) then erupted into hilarious laughter. It was a fun day...one of my last professional days. Every time I hear vowel boot camp I smile ...and think of crazy pink Hawaiian camo!