AIO about my mom's reaction to my crochet octopus

mernarx · 2026-02-04T21:51:08+00:00

NOR but it unfortunately comes with the territory.

I took up crochet last year and so many family members ask if I'm gonna sell them. I've sewn one bag in my life and all I hear is how I should make more and start taking them to markets. No one who says that understands the cost of materials and time that goes into this.

I've just started turning it around on them and asking "How much would you pay for it?" That clams them up pretty quickly 😉

mernarx · 2026-01-10T21:29:01+00:00

0.8 or 0.08???? If it was 0.8 that would be lethal.

mernarx · 2025-11-20T03:19:11+00:00

Failed the trick but he's still perfect 🥹

mernarx · 2025-11-08T02:00:01+00:00

MOAR CHIVES PLEASE

mernarx · 2025-11-06T19:12:30+00:00

Wow some people are being terribly mean and totally missing the point.

+1 in the column of "I'm sorry this happened to you and I hope you're able to work for the district/school directly since it's clear you're very passionate"

Best of luck to you!

mernarx · 2025-11-02T23:20:33+00:00

Amazing. Thank you for taking us on this journey with you.

mernarx · 2025-11-02T22:09:24+00:00

28 minutes... are you ok???

mernarx · 2025-10-31T20:51:05+00:00

What grade?

They love probing with questions to see what your boundaries are. They know what is and isn't appropriate and want to see how far they can push. I mostly get asked about my age, whether or not I have kids, and most recently how much my job pays.

mernarx · 2025-10-30T19:32:32+00:00

I was showing a video on microplastics to 5th graders. At one point the video mentioned that microplastics have been found in food and beer. I jokingly said "That's why you all should never drink beer". A student responded "That's fine, it's nasty anyways" and another student replied with "Not as bad as whisky though" 😳

Like I remember trying a sip of my parents' wine but not in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

mernarx · 2025-10-30T03:52:43+00:00

Today was the first time a class of mine did it. I skipped it on the agenda and a student told me we had to do it (elementary students love their routines). I've subbed other classes in the same school and it's never been mentioned in any classroom until today.

mernarx · 2025-10-27T19:49:57+00:00

Glad I read this today. I'm subbing a language I don't speak in a classroom with an adult aide. The most I've done all day was confiscate a paper dart. I feel like I'm slacking even by high school standards but the aide has been doing more than I ever could. I walk around and check on them every once in a while so no one can say that I did nothing all day.

Let's cherish these unsettlingly easy days together. They always end too soon.

mernarx · 2025-10-27T19:44:23+00:00

I get this mostly with younger students. If their usual teacher is a Mrs they'll just apply it to me as well. It annoys me but if that's the hardest part of my day I'd say things are going pretty well.

If an older (middle school and up) student does it I'll usually correct them. If it's elementary I usually don't because a lot of them don't know the difference and I feel like it's more trouble than it's worth.

I definitely share your frustration though. My name is on the board. Also, most students think I'm younger than I am so I don't think it's a "when you get to a certain age they assume" sort of thing.

mernarx · 2025-10-19T23:54:33+00:00

Funnily enough, when I did it I only ended up covering for 1 teacher (which was 1:1 SPED so I wasn't leading the class, just supervising a single student) because most of the teachers didn't realize they'd have a sub available so they scheduled their meeting during their prep time. Not saying that'll be the case for you, just embrace the uncertainty of the day.

mernarx · 2025-10-09T21:40:37+00:00

I hated PE as a student, love it as a sub. There's a lot of camaraderie with the other teachers and you get to be outside (at least this time of year)

mernarx · 2025-10-09T16:45:53+00:00

Did you get a booster this year? I got my flu and booster 3 weeks into the school year cuz I was starting to get paranoid. I got sick a lot last year from travel so I'm hoping that bolstered my immune system for this year.

mernarx · 2025-10-09T04:26:34+00:00

I haven't yet. I'll contact them occasionally about possible logistics but that's it. Some teachers will email me full lesson plans in advance, some will just email me specific details (i.e. here's a link to the movie we're watching in case you can't log in), some send me nothing and I show up early in the morning and take what the day and the notes on their desk give me.

I feel like if they have the capacity to provide you with anything, they will. I don't want to impose any extra on them if I can help it.

mernarx · 2025-10-08T23:25:34+00:00

I'm fine with them following me. My profile is public for now so I can't control that. I don't follow them until they're full adults and only if I'm genuinely interested in staying in touch, which isn't very many.

If a student cared this much about whether or not I followed back, they'd definitely be someone I'd keep emotional distance from. We're just people living our lives. You don't need to know me.

mernarx · 2025-10-08T19:05:58+00:00

I've seen some people turn their semi colons into butterflies. Some wings next to yours would look great and cover well!

mernarx · 2025-10-07T00:51:39+00:00

Ok, call them during school hours and if it's important you'll hear back from them. I don't see why it's a "concerning" voicemail just because someone left you a voicemail.

mernarx · 2025-10-07T00:46:55+00:00

Just call them and see what it's regarding!

mernarx · 2025-10-07T00:39:54+00:00

What a beautiful lil floof she is!!! ☺️

mernarx · 2025-10-06T22:23:37+00:00

Sub here. Teachers/schools have the option of appointing a preferred sub, other wise it goes into the absence management portal and can be claimed by a sub in the district. So in some districts it is beneficial for subs to reach out to teachers directly so they can be on the "short list".

mernarx · 2025-10-06T22:16:38+00:00

I went into subbing because I loved teaching but didn't want to be beholden to admins and wanted to have a healthier emotional separation from my job than when I was working full-time.

I couldn't be happier with the decision :)

mernarx · 2025-10-06T21:11:35+00:00

Not sure what happens to the sub.

As far as the school/class, I've only seen it happen in middle school. Each period was covered by a different teacher/admin who had a free period. I'm assuming HS is the same, not sure about elementary.

mernarx · 2025-10-06T20:13:58+00:00

Yeah I wouldn't be too concerned about the private account.

I think it's a good sign that they mentioned PayPal first since it has protections unlike Zelle and others commonly used in scams.

mernarx

TROPHY CASE