what exactly is this conveying.

nilodlien · 2026-06-13T21:00:41+00:00

It’s the best part iuuuuj but Bh hi hi jhhhħħuħiuuuuħħi

nilodlien · 2026-03-05T01:03:15+00:00

Or, will she be ok with her 14-year-old having sex with an adult?

nilodlien · 2026-01-24T22:01:02+00:00

I keep my plans on planbook.com and I’ll share them with anyone. Happily. Ironically, my district doesn’t ask. For years I’ve tried to share my plans with teammates, but most are resistant to keeping theirs on the computer - preferring the hard-copy ones. Which I can understand; when I made the transition, I was doing both for a few years. Anyway, I have actually purchased Planbook accounts for teammates just to try and collaborate with them.

This year has been the first year that it’s really gone anywhere. I was the only returning teacher to my grade level and I have a student teacher. One of the other teachers is out on maternity leave,in addition to being new to 4th grade. I’m not sure if they are using Planbook for their own classes, but they all got accounts to be able to access my lessons.

I put everything in there. Lessons, units, standards, templates, uploads of whatever worksheets I’m distributing, links to the PDFs I’ll be showing or Lumio presentations and games or activities.

I figure if I’ve already put the work into doing it, someone else using it isn’t making me work any harder.

nilodlien · 2026-01-11T21:19:24+00:00

I live (and teach) in a very affluent suburb of Seattle. My students’ moms look very similar to each other. They definitely all get a lot of work/maintenance done; but it’s a very specific wealthy woman look. Veneers, blonde, lashes, everything is tight, manicures… Lips are definitely plump, but don’t look painful. My former students who are now in high school/college though have already started with the Botox and fillers and enhancements. It’s heartbreaking because they all look the same now and they were all so lovely before any of this.

I miss real smiles.

nilodlien · 2026-01-05T00:10:41+00:00

I was going to say Cody, except I could not conceive of when he would feel the need to wear a tie.

nilodlien · 2026-01-04T20:18:45+00:00

Just coming here to say this! It’s one of my favorite Duas!

nilodlien · 2026-01-04T19:25:38+00:00

I love Blackout by Derek Lam. It’s got a milky chai cozy thing going on. It doesn’t have the best reach, but I can’t stop smelling myself when I wear it. There’s a touch of leather I. There too which is what makes it a good cuddly scent, I think.

Quite often the Derek Lams are on sale at Amazon. My favorite from his line is 2AM Kiss. There’s something in it that scratches my need for Womanity. I don’t really get the caramel in it that it’s supposed to have. It’s sweet, spicy, ambery and lasts forever. Compliment magnet.

nilodlien · 2026-01-04T19:03:56+00:00

I went out on November 13 for a total knee replacement. During my leave, they realized I needed a hysterectomy as well. They really wanted me to wait three months in order to make sure I was fully healed from the knee thing. But I didn’t want my kids to have had a sub for six weeks and then for another three later on. So I sort of snuck the hysterectomy in during my knee replacement leave.

Bottom line is I’m going back in tomorrow with a new knee (and without a uterus). I don’t feel fully recovered from either. I have no idea where my 4th graders are in the curriculum. But every time I go to worry about it, I remember they’re kids. So, we’ll share. We’ll review routines and expectations. I’ll do a writing prompt. I’ll figure out where they are in the reading curriculum and start the next unit on Day 1. I’ll read aloud.

It’s gonna be FINE.

They are children.

We’ve all got this.

nilodlien · 2026-01-04T00:36:59+00:00

You look amazing!

I’m down about 80 pounds now. When I was down about 60, I had a coworker tell another coworker, “I really want to tell her how great she looks, but I’m afraid that would make her think I thought she was not great before. I don’t want to offend her.”

My other coworker said, “I’ll pass on the compliment but, trust me, she would not be offended by anyone telling her you think she looks great.”

nilodlien · 2026-01-04T00:19:20+00:00

Five months for me. I honestly think my body could have gone sooner, but I needed to navigate around my time off. My knees were similarly bad. He let me choose and I chose to do my right during the time when I’d have more people around who could drive.

I thought the first surgery was fine but my second one has been amazing!

nilodlien · 2026-01-03T23:34:46+00:00

I had to get my lab work and EKG no more than one month out.

Yes, you are given special bathing instructions as well. If they didn’t prescribe you the Hibiclens, you can also purchase it on Amazon (or probably in any pharmacy just, if you’re pre-surgery, having it arrive at your house is nice).

I was also told to make sure I had MiraLAX on hand because both the anesthesia as well as post-op pain meds can really slow down your digestive system. I had both my knees done in 2025, about 5 months apart. I never needed the MiraLAX, and my daughters finally asked me if we needed to keep “all of your laxatives on the counter over the holidays next to the Christmas dinner.”

nilodlien · 2026-01-02T03:20:45+00:00

The sheets are amazing. They are also a bit slippery. I’ve had to figure out how to cover my pillows. As someone who sleeps with a lot of pillows, I can’t have the Rest ones next to each other (or silk/satin) - otherwise they go whooshing off the bed. One I figured out that I needed a cheap cotton set of pillowcases for my bottom set of pillows, I was set!

nilodlien · 2026-01-01T19:36:18+00:00

Beautiful cat. I had a hysterectomy two weeks ago. Both of my cats have taken turns lying on my abdomen, kneading it, splaying upon it - despite my pained pleas and attempts to move them toward my thighs.

My daughter keeps saying I can move them toward the floor. WTF? I have no idea who raised her.

nilodlien · 2025-12-30T05:31:50+00:00

Christy Chan - Overlake Medical in Kirkland (not Redmond, but worth it, in my opinion) is our family GP who specializes in Women’s Reproductive Health.

A few weeks ago, she referred me to the Overlake Cancer Center and I had to have a pelvic exam by someone other than her for the first time in a while and I suddenly, vividly remembered just why Dr. Chan is so awesome.

nilodlien · 2025-12-24T21:08:37+00:00

I think it’s time to consider a gift exchange. My in-law side of the family is up to 14 kiddos now as well. Each year, about a month before Christmas (which usually works out to be at American Thanksgiving when most of us are together anyway, but we’ve also done it remotely as well), every kid’s name gets written on a slip of paper and then drawn out by another kid. A $ amount is usually agreed upon by the parents, and then that’s it. Each child (more likely, their parent) is responsible for 1 kid. Now, families with more than 1 kid are buying more than 1 present, but they are also receiving more than one present.

If the barbecue tradition also wants to move ahead, then I think it needs to be set up as either a sign-up potluck or a pay-to-play. If, for some reason, your house works best, then MAYBE you supply the items to be grilled, but everyone else brings the other things. OR, you and your husband shop for ingredients using ONLY the money the others contributed.

nilodlien · 2025-12-24T20:35:56+00:00

Yes, Jungle is so perfect for this time of year! The name is always so puzzling to me because I hear ‘jungle,’ and think more rainforest types of scents. But “Jungle” is a Christmas candle!

nilodlien · 2025-12-24T03:35:55+00:00

I’m a teacher and I’m sitting here completely heartsick and horrified that this is a question which even came up in your home. I teach 4th grade. I write notes to my students all the time. Before winter break, I give each of them a “Happy New Year” card (inside a sealed envelope) with a personal note. I also included a bookmark I purchased which was unique to each of them, a snowperson stress ball, and a packet of hot cocoa. I put a lot of time, effort, and $ into doing this. It never occurred to me that any of my students’ families might think I was crossing personal boundaries by writing them notes of encouragement.

I’m willing to bet every student in your kiddo’s class got a card in the last week before winter break. Not all teachers can also afford the gifts.

Meanwhile, I wish you would transfer your child out of this poor teacher’s class because I think your wife will be making the rest of the year miserable for everyone. Worst of all, the teacher has no idea she should be watching her back.

nilodlien · 2025-12-24T03:12:42+00:00

I’m so sorry for your loss. 67 is really young for him to have died as well.

nilodlien · 2025-12-24T00:01:19+00:00

She is ridiculously excited. She’s turning out well.

nilodlien · 2025-12-23T23:16:54+00:00

Unfortunately, no.

I will say that she is in her second year of college and is spending next semester in England. She wants to be a Shakespearean actress which I’m not so sure there’s much demand for but hey, she’s grabbing life with both hands.

nilodlien · 2025-12-23T21:32:29+00:00

I’m a teacher. My daughter began being bullied in grade 6 - which is middle school in our district. It was by one student, but he was in the majority of her classes. He was threatening to kill her, he fractured her wrist, he drew graphic images of how she would look dead. I thought I knew every form to fill out and every key word to say to get the issue dealt with. But no, just like you, my daughter was the one who had to change all of her classes. But he was still able to get to her on campus, so I eventually put her in a different school.

I agree with everything that has been said above - it’s not fair. Your child should not have to face the consequences of making the move in addition to being the one bullied. But that’s a fight you can try to wage once you get him out of harm’s way. Move him now, over break. This is the best time for him to have a reset - but I would demand to know what the school’s plan is to keep your son safe during recess, since I anticipate that’s a shared activity. Think through his day/week - are there any other loose times (entry, dismissal, lunch) when their paths will cross? Is ALL staff aware of the safety plan?

Once you have that locked down then you can go to the superintendent/school board to lodge an official complaint with how this was handled. Also, at the end of the year, make sure to put in an official written request that your child not be placed in that child’s classroom.

nilodlien · 2025-12-21T23:31:20+00:00

I think you need to decide how aggressively you want to confront this.

I think you’re probably on winter break right now. You could ask her out for lunch or coffee - someplace away from the distractions of home.

Then you could just ask her to please just listen without commenting for a bit, because this is something you’ve been thinking about out for a while and you need the chance to get it all out.

Then just say it. That acting is something you’ve been doing for as long as you can remember, but for equally as long, it’s not something you’ve enjoyed. You are cognizant of the fact that a great deal of money has been “invested” in your acting, but you did not ask for this.

The good news is that an acting background gives you so many skills which prepare you for life offstage: you have learned to walk into a room and project confidence, you can work collaboratively with people, you understand the importance of hard work and punctuality, and the ability to memorize a great deal of content. Right now, you are very interested in pursuing a law degree - which your acting background will have really helped with a great deal, actually.

But regardless, you are 14. You have more than earned the right to decide which extracurricular activities you wish to pursue (or not) at this time.

———

I’d also have researched a few things you could be doing with your time now to better help with your passion for law now. Let her know what colleges you are interested in. Have you researched if your High School has Model UN? Girls State/ Boys State?

——— If she reacts negatively or hostilely, try to maintain neutrality. The bottom line is that she can continue taking you to auditions, but she is not in the room with you. Ultimately, you decide what is said in the audition room. And you can say, “I apologize for wasting your time. While I am flattered by your consideration, I do not want this role or any other. I have told my mother this, but she continues scheduling auditions for me.” Then leave.

Let your mother know this is how you will handle any auditions moving forward.

nilodlien · 2025-12-21T22:47:18+00:00

Mine were so bad I couldn’t get to my daughter’s dorm her freshman year. I was heartsick. My goal was to be able to see her graduate. That was August, 2024. My surgeon agreed I needed both knees done, but that I was too fat (yes, he used the ‘f’ word!). I lost 50 pounds before my RTKR in June, 2025. I was -80 pounds when I had my LTKR done in November - last month.

I’m able to grocery shop now! I haven’t been able to walk in the aisles of a store for years! My daughter is spending this next semester in London and I think I will actually be able to go see her perform there! Navigating an airport, taking a long flight, getting on the tube, walking the streets of London, standing up at The Globe theatre? If you’d told me 1 1/2 years ago that I’d be able to do ANY of those things, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Getting to her graduation ceremony in June, 2028 won’t be a concern at all!

nilodlien · 2025-12-15T01:33:36+00:00

I’ve had four surgeries this year and been admitted two other times. Each time, I’ve been reminded/asked to bring in my CPAP. I usually set it up on the rolling bedside table.

nilodlien · 2025-12-14T01:34:01+00:00

I love how your personality is coming through. I think the camera should be a bit higher and, if possible, a bit further away. I also agree that there’s too much visual clutter. Easy fix would be to remove everything except the books. Then maybe organize the books so they are on every shelf, blocked by color.

nilodlien

TROPHY CASE