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	<title>WIRL Project &#187; School</title>
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	<link>http://www.wirlproject.com</link>
	<description>What It&#039;s Really Like.</description>
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		<title>The Kindergarten Milestone &#8211; The First of Many Lasts</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/the-kindergarten-milestone-the-first-of-many-lasts/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/the-kindergarten-milestone-the-first-of-many-lasts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2015 07:30:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tara Lynn Foster]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kindergarten]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Letter to my Kindergartner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=8732</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To my third child on her entry to kindergarten: I’m not sure why kindergarten is the milestone that it is. After all, you are a baby used to being in childcare. I am accustomed to dropping you off, handing you into someone else’s loving and capable hands for the hours I have spent working. After five years of childcare and two children before you, I should be used to this by now. But this is kindergarten – THIS is different! I wanted you to be hesitant and clingy, but you weren’t. With all the excitement and exuberance of someone going to her own party, you hugged me and turned to run for the steps of that bus. You were so eager to leave. You stepped on that bus, by yourself, and started down a road that only leads forward. Perhaps it’s not the handing off of you to someone else, but how confidently you left me. You are my last to send off and I expected that it would be the same kind of experience I had your brother and sister. I thought it would be a celebratory milestone – and it was – but I hadn’t realized the finality of it: there are no more of this milestone for me after you. You are my last to go. Maybe that’s why it’s such a big deal to send you off to elementary school. You will have the blessing and curse of having the last of many milestones, marking my time as the mother of three school-age children, turning adult. What’s become real is that one day, youngest, you will leave our home and either live a grand life on your own or find someone to share it with. That person, I hope, will be your best friend. That person will get all the goody at the end of your day like I get when you step off the bus. That person will hear your joy, your hope, your fears and disappointments, regularly. That person will be the first to comfort you and the first to celebrate with you. Right now, that’s me. In the future, it most likely will be someone else and, while I know you’ll give me some of that precious opportunity, losing my position holds little to no pleasure for me. When life hands you something really great or really hard, you (like me) will call your mom to celebrate or to make it all better. I hope you do. I want you to. But today, watching you walk toward the bus stop with a backpack almost as big as you are, I take a mental picture and put it in my precious scrapbook of memories. One day the barbies will not be strewn across the floor. I will not have to pick up endless remnant ponytail holders from all over the house. You will not ask me to quickly do your hair while you eat a bowl of cereal at our breakfast table. There will be other frustrations and moments of inspiration that come along after you are truly on your own, but nothing as sweet as those that come with you and your brother and sister. The moments that seem mundane today will live in my memory as jewels and will make watching you grow one of the best and most bittersweet things I will ever do. Welcome to kindergarten, sweet girl, and the first of many last milestones we will experience together.]]></description>
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		<title>Why Millennials Have a Bad Reputation</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/why-millennials-have-a-bad-reputation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/why-millennials-have-a-bad-reputation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2015 08:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sara Brennan]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dream job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entitled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entitlement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Millennials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Need]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Dialogue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parenting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Study]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Want]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=7186</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Millennials seem to have a bad rap. Many, especially baby boomers, tend to say they walk this planet with a sense of gotta-have-it-now entitlement and a lack of work ethic. They&#8217;ve also been referred to as lazy, addicted to social media, and carefree. But is this really the case, and if so, is it their fault? In my opinion, millennials didn&#8217;t really have a choice. They were born into a &#8220;everyone gets a ribbon&#8221; world and they&#8217;ve always been taught that it&#8217;s okay to lose, as long as you tried your best. While trying your best is a childhood lesson that should be instilled on all the youth of America, I believe that taking away that burn from losing, or not coming first, did a disservice to these children (now young adults). Millennials were also brought up to believe they should &#8220;follow their passion&#8221; and that they could &#8220;be anything they wanted to be&#8221;, which again, is a great lesson to be taught under the right circumstances. But, telling children they can accomplish &#8220;whatever they put their mind to&#8221; isn&#8217;t great advice unless you&#8217;re willing to back that up by coaching them to see the value in hard work, putting them through the school of hard knocks, forcing them to earn what they want, and teaching them that sometimes you do fail. Are the parents of these millennials to blame? I don&#8217;t think so. It seemed to be a &#8220;thing&#8221; or a &#8220;trend&#8221; that parents were following lead by child psychologists, daytime TV, magazines, and talkshows such as &#8220;Oprah&#8221; and parents were just doing what they thought was best for their kids. Parents of millennials wanted to put their children in a protective &#8220;bubble&#8221;, never allowing anyone to hurt their feelings or make them feel &#8220;bad&#8221;. Of course we don&#8217;t ever want our kids to feel sad or bad, but sometimes there are life lessons that come from skinning your knee or being pushed down by a mean kid at school. With all that being said, I don&#8217;t think anyone &#8220;messed up&#8221;, however I think it put these young adults in a situation where they have a lot of catching up to do. It&#8217;s funny, because I&#8217;m sitting here writing this thinking, &#8220;&#8230;By definition, I AM a millennial&#8221;, but when I compare myself to other millennials, especially those much younger than me, I see many trends and personality traits that I somehow don&#8217;t have. I don&#8217;t think I personally am the &#8220;typical&#8221; millennial kid, but don&#8217;t take that as an arrogant thing to say. I have my own faults and things I wish I did differently growing up, but I just don&#8217;t see myself sharing many of the traits I&#8217;ll mention in this article. So do you want to know what I REALLY think of millennials, the traits they possess, and what I think they need to do to get &#8220;caught up&#8221;? Read on. Millennial Traits Explained:  1. Millennials Want Everything RIGHT NOW! Yes, they do, but they&#8217;ve grown up that way. This generation grew up with personal computers, Google, internet, and mobile phones. My goodness, they CAN get everything right now! This is great because they&#8217;ll never have to visit a library ever again, but it also means they have no idea how to use a glossary or table of contents of a book, the Dewey Decimal System at libraries, or how to appropriately craft a &#8220;works cited&#8221; page for their research papers. How do you explain to a millennial that Wikipedia is not legit? They don&#8217;t get it! Believe me, I saw this first hand as a middle school teacher. 2. Millennials Want a the Dream Job STRAIGHT Out of College. Their parents told them, if you go to college you can do anything you want. Yes, this is pretty true, but something crazy happened between the years that their parents went to college and these millennials did &#8230; everyone started going to college! Now a college degree is the norm and you need to have A LOT of extra stuff outside of just having that degree to look appealing to companies who are hiring. Gone are the days of breezing into your favorite school or job because you have a 4.0 GPA. Aside from excellent grades, extracurricular activities, volunteer hours, sports, band, musicals, languages spoken, and academic teams are becoming requirements to get into colleges and universities and more importantly, to get that &#8220;dream&#8221; job. While in college you must study hard, get good grades, continue with the liberal-arts lifestyle, and oh yeah, you need to find a way to get (say it with me) &#8220;work experience&#8221;! Yes, you must actually prove that you can get, hold, and keep a job before companies are willing to offer you one. How do you go about doing this? You work! You take time away from hanging out with your friends and you replace it with a crappy, pay-your-dues kind of job. It&#8217;s not always fun, but it gives you experience OUTSIDE of the classroom, which is invaluable in this day and age. The real world is REAL and it will come knocking, so as millennials (and parents of millennials), it is in our best interest to get our ass into a part-time job and get some experience! 3. Millennials Are After the &#8220;Experience&#8221; (and I don&#8217;t mean work experience). As I mentioned before, this generation was brought up where the losing team still gets a trophy and that it&#8217;s the &#8220;experience&#8221; that mattered most. This is not always the best approach. Kids need to learn that failure is a part of life and I believe the earlier we squash this, the better. When I look back at my own life, I think I&#8217;ve learned the most from the times I&#8217;ve failed and felt really terrible about it. I recently read a book written by an author whose father asked her on a regular basis, &#8220;What did you fail at today?&#8221;. It seems odd because we so often want to ask our kids, &#8220;What was fabulous, fluffy, and beautiful about your day?&#8221;, but when we challenge them to tell us about what they struggled with or failed at, it makes the conversations a little more meaningful and allows for more teachable moments. The real challenge here is not for the child, in my humble opinion, but it&#8217;s for the parent who needs to be ready to handle whatever the child is willing to throw at them and use it to demonstrate how the child can use this experience to handle other adversities in their future &#8211; a real parent is courageous and willing to do this, a scared, lazy, absent parent would shudder at the thought of this conversation. 4. Millennials Communicate With Their Elders in An &#8220;Open&#8221; Dialogue. I&#8217;m not really sure when this happened, but &#8220;respecting your elders&#8221; somehow became uncool during this millennial time. In fact, the &#8220;elders&#8221; (or parents) seem to want to be seen as &#8220;cool&#8221; and therefore started becoming more open to discuss all areas of life with their children, even areas that used to seem taboo. Our kids now know when we need a cup of coffee, are on our periods, had a bad day at work, or even want or NEED a glass of wine. Kids are drawing pictures of mommy holding a martini glass or drinking her &#8220;mommy juice&#8221; because they see it and talk about it first hand. Since when was it acceptable for our kids to know EVERYTHING about our lives? It&#8217;s not. I believe that this open dialogue is what is hard for the baby boomer generation wrap their head around. Gone are the days where we don&#8217;t sass back to our parents or curse at them, if you&#8217;ve ever seen any of the troubled kids on Dr. Phil, you know what I&#8217;m talking about. Blame it on social media, blame it on our children having access to our lives like never before, but do keep in mind, as you&#8217;re sharing something intimate or personal with your child, that it could be influencing their decision making and life choices as well. And finding humor in our bad parenting choices, is not always funny. 5. Millennials Feel Entitled. Reality shows like &#8220;My Super Sweet 16&#8243; or &#8220;Keeping Up with the Kardashians&#8221; may have helped millennials believe that they too deserve the trendiest clothes, the best makeup, the sexiest cars, and the wildest parties without ever &#8220;earning&#8221; them. I mean they deserve it right? Their parents work hard so they can have this nice stuff &#8230; yeah. Many millennials travel the world and &#8220;experience&#8221; life before they&#8217;ve even gone to college &#8211; how do they pay for it? Their parents! I get it, many parents of millennials grew up during tough times and they want to provide a better life for their own children; as a parent, I really do understand this. However, millennials these days tend to live rich lives on a very broke budget &#8211; they have the newest iPhones, clothes, gadgets, fake boobs, computers, Playstations, etc. but have never had a job! Ask them about their resume and they have NOTHING to show. Ask them about work ethic? They don&#8217;t get it! They know their parents work hard, but that&#8217;s about it, they haven&#8217;t experienced it for themselves. While parents are busting their ass to provide for their kids and trying to do the &#8220;right&#8221; thing, it&#8217;s actually backfiring them and teaching them the complete opposite lesson! And we sometimes wonder why our kids don&#8217;t &#8220;take care of their stuff&#8221;, well, if you aren&#8217;t personally invested in something, it doesn&#8217;t have as much meaning. Make THEM work for it and they&#8217;ll be singing a different tune. &#160; The points I make here are not to degrade millennials or parents of millennials, as I said before, I, myself, am one (by definition). After years of experience as a middle school teacher, personally knowing a lot of millennials, and becoming a parent myself, I&#8217;ve experienced many of these traits first hand. I can honestly say that millennials are really an awesome generation of people. They can grasp new ideas and concepts faster than any other age group (my toddler son can attest to this) and they can build and create new, great things more efficiently than any other demographic. They definitely have the world in their hands, but they also have a bad rap &#8211; but that doesn&#8217;t mean we can&#8217;t easily take some steps to rectify our reputation. I believe we, as millennials and parents of millennials, can readjust and quickly see some drastic improvements if we are willing to step up our game, take life into our own hands, and get a little fire under our ass to prove all the nay-sayers wrong. &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My First Blog University Experience</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/my-first-blog-university-experience/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/my-first-blog-university-experience/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2015 14:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest WIRL]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BlogU]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Idol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Play Up]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge BlogU]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=7018</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had no idea what to expect and tried to hold no expectations lest they be the wrong sort. I wanted a pure, completely real experience. And there I was. BLOG U 2015 Land of the bloggers. The bigs, the littles, and all the in betweens. Honest to God I had no idea of what to expect. I just know I needed – no – WANTED to learn more. And how much there is to learn. “Oh. My. God. I’m so out of my league. What the hell am I doing here with all these real writers? I feel like a fraud. I just have this little blog – poorly put together little blog – and I’m going to class with these people who make real money and have thousands of followers.” My thoughts raced through my head and my face turned red with stress. I registered. And got the best, most welcomed hug ever from a woman I adore and whose blog I stalk – Jennifer from Real Life Parenting. She may not know it, but she started the conference out right for me. Right then and there I decided to be me…the real me. The talkative, loud, obnoxious introvert I am. (Yes, you read that right. Introvert.) I walked into class late. One that Nicole Leigh Shaw and Robyn Welling were teaching. I walked in late in front of these greats and started furiously scribbling notes. And in my frantic note taking I flicked my pen across the room. I got out another pen. And proceeded to drop that pen. I moved onto my pencil. The guy behind me was waiting – I know it – for me to fling it towards the front of room. Sadly for him, I managed to keep hold of that writing implement. After class I stood up and this funny thing happened. Someone said, “Hi! Oh you’re Evil Joy! I know you!” You could have pushed me over with a feather. I fumbled for my snazzy new business cards and thrust one out at her. I asked for her card and we started chatting. I realized who I was talking to and about fell over again….Kerry of HouseTalkN. And then the education continued. For the first time in my adult life, I was and am ready to learn. School was always a means to an end. I went to high school to get to college. College served as a pathway forward to a job in the real world. Classes at work, whether I was the student or instructor, were simply a vehicle to move my career forward. For the first time in years, if not ever, I was taking a class because I WANTED to learn. I craved the information presented. I couldn’t take notes fast enough. I had so many questions (and I kept throwing my pens at people). I didn’t ask many because in all honestly I was overwhelmed. I was unprepared for just how much I have to learn. So much. SOOOOO much. Blog U 2015 provided the educational experiences I craved. From Writing and Editing to Branding. Metrics and SEO. Instagram and Pinterest. There were classes offered I couldn’t attend because I was in another class. I have never wished for a clone so much. And then…the events at night. From hearing four of the most moving essays I’ve ever experienced to dancing with my dear friends I finally got to hug in real life – Alyson – I’m talking about you – Blog U 2015 was an incredible experience. And the cherry on top?!?! I had to explain it to my girls like this, “You love Demi Lovato. Imagine meeting her, having her know who you are, hugging you and then when you’re stuck at the airport offering to have you sleep over. How excited would you be?!” My Demi is Susan McLean of The Divine Secrets of the Domestic Diva. I’ve written before how she was my life line to sanity when Dr. Evil was sick. I stalked her site. I emailed her asking for prayers. SHE EMAILED ME BACK. And when we met last week….she told me she was as excited to meet me as I was to meet her. It is a rare thing for someone you’ve idolized to be as awesome as you dreamed they would be. She was more. And my sprinkles on top of that cherry? Spending time with my dear friend Teri of Snarkfest. Once again she opened her home and welcomed me into her family. I’ll always be grateful to be able to call her my friend. &#160; It took me a week to get this out of my head. I played ball with the good kids while being a mediocre player. I’m good with that. Because to get better you have to play up. And every single person I met welcomed me with open arms, a hug, and smiles. I’m thankful I got to attend and hope to make it back next year. I’m going to be implementing many changes in the up coming months so stay tuned. I am striving to become the more I know I can be. &#160; *This piece was originally published on Evil Joy Speaks. Join The Conversation! Easily contribute your story here. &#160; About the Author… Joy aka Evil Joy is wife to one Dr. Evil and mom to four children she lovingly refers to as spawn. Often funny, always honest, and occasionally serious, Joy writes about life as she sees it. She&#8217;s passionate about her family, snowboarding, running, blogging, and reading. Come take a look at life from the Evil Joy side of the road! It&#8217;s a great place to be! You can find Evil Joy at her blog and all over the interwebs. &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>I Couldn&#8217;t Do That to My Kids</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/i-couldnt-do-that-to-my-kids/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/i-couldnt-do-that-to-my-kids/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2015 09:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kassidy Everard]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Classes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hold Back]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Math]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[passion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pressure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sophomore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6482</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Lately I have been extremely stressed out with school. Believe it or not, being a Sophomore is the hardest year in High-school. There are huge obstacles to overcome, an abundant amount of new material to learn and there is a whole new perspective on school. I have never been an A+ student. School has always come very hard for me. Not school all around, but specifically math and science related courses. I have had more tears than moments of happiness this school year. Math, no matter how hard, has the power to make every bone in my body tremble. The blood in my body boils when I realize I have to do math. I have had more tears than moments of happiness this school year. As finals quickly approach, I started to think about what it is that I have learned that I will genuinely need in life. I am not one of those students that considers everything busy-work or that considers everything insignificant. BUT when there are equations I will actually never need in life, other than to become a math teacher, I start to question why we even learn it to begin with. I look back on my year and see nothing but trial and error. None of my efforts in math have paid off. Then again, what did I expect? They never have. I am constantly faced with the decision of either trying my absolute hardest just to pass one class and walk away with absolutely nothing learned, or giving it a fair amount of effort and expecting amazing results. I am continually stressed out over my head with math. I am easily angered when I cannot figure a math problem out. All in all, math is what is holding me back in life. I considered being a Child Psychologist, but math made me hate school. So, seven years doesn&#8217;t appeal to me. I considered being a Teacher, but math made me hate learning. So, four years didn&#8217;t appeal to me. When did I consider just being human? Have any of us ever considered just being human? I have my strong points in school. Writing being one of them. I would love to be a writer. But what I will accomplish or will not accomplish shouldn&#8217;t have any effect on how I decide to live my life. Is math really the only thing holding me back? Sadly, it is. As I think about everything I just typed, I think about my future. I think about my children. I would never want my child to tell me that they couldn&#8217;t be anything that they wanted to be in life because of one class. I would never want my child to tell me that what he/she is learning in school is &#8220;too hard,&#8221; or &#8220;cannot be understood&#8221;. I wouldn&#8217;t want my child to cry over a simple math problem because deep down it isn&#8217;t the math making him upset. Deep down it&#8217;s the thought of not accomplishing extraordinary things that destroys his/her mind. I wouldn&#8217;t want my child to cry over a simple math problem because deep down it isn&#8217;t the math making him upset. Deep down it&#8217;s the thought of not accomplishing extraordinary things that destroys his/her mind. I see how corrupt our schools are. How much empty knowledge children are forced to learn. How many things that are taught, but never really used. Are we filling gaps? Or is it that we just don&#8217;t know what else to teach? I have yet to see math needed beyond what a calculator can do.  And it will only get harder. My parents stopped helping me with homework in the fifth grade. By the sixth, they were both able to tell me that the math I was learning was taught to them as sophomores or juniors in High school. Isn&#8217;t it funny how my parents don&#8217;t know the math I was taught in sixth grade? They&#8217;ve never used it. When will I? When I have kids, I think I will have to home-school them. Or maybe move to a commune. How could I put that much stress on my child? How could I tell my child that I cannot help them because I have never learned what they are learning? How would I be able to watch my child cry over a simple math problem? When will society realize that dreams are killed through putting pressure on a child to be something more than they possibly can be? I wouldn&#8217;t be able to hear my child tell me that they aren&#8217;t capable enough. I wouldn&#8217;t be able to expose my child to a corrupt educating system. I wouldn&#8217;t be able to tell my child that they needed to try a little harder than their best because their best just wasn&#8217;t enough. I wouldn&#8217;t want to be that parent that was responsible for telling my child that they needed to dream a new dream. No matter what job, passion is what makes success. An unsuccessful education is no education at all. If you are passionate enough about what you do, then you will succeed in your career. One does not need knowledge to know what brings happiness to life. One does not need a math problem to tell them that they cannot accomplish anything. I won&#8217;t be a teacher. Teachers aren&#8217;t even teachers anymore. They hate what they are forced to teach just as much as children hate learning it. And they have the pain of knowing that there are some kids that they just can&#8217;t help. But they must move on. Because just like one child cannot hold the entire class back from learning, one math problem should not hold one child back from succeeding. I couldn&#8217;t let that happen. I couldn&#8217;t do that to my kids.]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What It&#8217;s Really Like to be a Beachbody Coach</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-be-a-beachbody-coach/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-be-a-beachbody-coach/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2015 16:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jill Fralick]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beachbody]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beachboy Coach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Engineering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Major]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL workout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workout]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6124</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[2014 was ending and I was 7 months deep into post college graduation blues. Since turning the tassel, I was traveling on the weekends, working full-time as an Industrial Engineer during the week, and embracing the real world with a rather heavy heart. I did it “right” …I played by the rules. You know, the rules that state if you study, get good grades in high school, and join every extracurricular activity so your college application looks fancy then you’ll get into the right school? And as long as you pick a real major then you’re guaranteed to be making good money right after college. Ha, what a nice set of rules.  What does a real major even mean? But as a senior in high school, I saw a paycheck and the rules looked enticing. So despite the fact that I was 18 years old and couldn&#8217;t stay the night anywhere other than my parents (yep, senior in high school and still got homesick 2 miles down the road), I flew across the country to go to Arizona State University. Fast forward 4 years and I was graduating with my degree in engineering and starting full-time as an Industrial Engineer. Fast forward another 7 months and I was feeling defeated. I did it “right” …I played by the rules. You know, the rules that state if you study, get good grades in high school, and join every extracurricular activity so your college application looks fancy then you’ll get into the right school? And as long as you pick a real major then you’re guaranteed to be making good money right after college. Ha, what a nice set of rules. A new friend of mine had just added me on Facebook and I was captured by her posts highlighting her lifestyle full of working out, clean eating recipes, and inspirational quotes/pictures. I let it go for only a week and then after realizing I was paying for a gym membership that I hadn&#8217;t gone to since the previous summer ended, I reached out to her, determined to end 2014 on a good note. I bought the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack on the last day of 2014 from the same friend when I found out she was a Beachbody Coach. I had never heard of Beachbody, only a few of their programs like Insanity and P90X but I was excited about this new program. With that purchase, I vowed I would make “getting back in shape” one of my top New Year’s resolutions…. For the 4th year in a row. Fast forward 21 days of clean eating and working out with Autumn Calabrese (21 Day Fix trainer) each morning, I was in the best shape I had ever been in. Thanks to my coach inviting me to her online accountability group, I completed the challenge and I stuck to the meal plan and workouts 100%. It was the first time I had actually completed a fitness program (thank goodness, I think my boyfriend was fed up with me buying programs and letting them sit in a cabinet). I had my before/after photos and I loved my results, but my physical appearance was not my greatest transformation. The outlook I had on life and my new mindset was my greatest victory. I thought to myself, “Why doesn’t EVERYONE try this program?” It was so simple to follow, with enough guidance to help you get results, but enough flexibility to allow you to have a life. All it took was one person to make that BIG of a difference in my life so I KNEW I had to pay it forward. I had my before/after photos and I loved my results, but my physical appearance was not my greatest transformation. The outlook I had on life and my new mindset was my greatest victory. The rest is history, right? ..Not quite, but I&#8217;m just getting started! I’m still working on my own progress, but now I am encouraging others to join me and helping them find success on their fitness journey! No, I don’t have a background in Health or Fitness. No, I don’t have a background in Sales. Yep, I went to school for engineering and am now paying back four years of out-of-state tuition (ouch). But I knew that if I could make ONE person feel the way I did, I could make a really big change and that made me feel like I had a purpose. So what is it really like being a Beachbody Coach? I’ll start by saying it is the coolest “job” ever. I get to help people each and every day while holding myself accountable AND I get paid for it? Yep. I show up every day for work (at my kitchen table post workout in my sweaty workout clothes) and I have one mission: helping others. Beachbody’s corporate mission is “to help people achieve their goals and enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives” and I get to be part of that for myself and others every day. Don’t get me wrong, I was hesitant at first. “Am I getting myself into a Pyramid Scheme?!” “Am I going to have to buy a bunch of products in the beginning?” “I am not a sales person.” But after I did my research all my worries were put to rest. No, I don’t have to invest in a bunch of product up front in hopes of getting rid of it and sell, sell, sell. In fact, I don’t have to invest ANYTHING up front other than investing in PEOPLE! I have no inventory. My mission is NOT to sell. I have no monthly quota that I have to meet &#38; there is no fine print. You can sign up as a coach today and never sell a single thing and THAT IS OK! You will just reap the benefits of the coach discount, which a lot of people do! So you mean it’s not about the money? Nope. I hold FREE monthly accountability groups for people who have purchased a Beachbody home workout program, but I also hold challenge groups (also free) for people who aren’t interested in buying a workout program so we do other workouts or an ab challenge, or a plank challenge, etc! I also run FREE clean eating groups where I provide challengers with meal plans. I share all of my tips on clean eating and work 1:1 with all of my challengers. I share my knowledge and love for Shakeology, a nutrient dense meal replacement shake that I drink daily and wonder how I ever lived without and I shed as much light as I can on the people I am fully invested in. Pretty neat, isn&#8217;t it? The mission of Beachbody aligns with my personal mission. So why do I believe in this company so much? The mission of Beachbody aligns with my personal mission. The obesity rate is soaring in America and there are SO many programs, diets, ‘magical pills’ out there that guarantee QUICK results. It is hard to lose weight and live a healthy life in this country, I will be the first to admit it, but as long as we allow that to be our excuse, we won’t fix this problem. Losing weight and eating clean is possible if you are given the right resources which is why (in my opinion) diet pills and other ‘quick fixes’ don’t have the longevity that Beachbody programs have.  As a coach, I don’t sell you a fitness program and wish you the best of luck and throw you out into the fitness world. I help you find a program that works for YOU, not for me, not for a previous challenger, but for YOU. Once we have found the perfect program, I invite you to my monthly challenge group. I help you identify your WHY so that you can create realistic goals and be mentally and physically ready to conquer your fitness program and then I am there for you every step of the way. Not just while you’re in my group, but long after. I think the best part is that I have challengers reach out to me thanking me for helping them, or for inviting them to one of my monthly groups, or simply being an inspiration and what these people don’t understand is that they’re MY inspiration. I am continuously in awe over the transformation of my challengers and the new lives they lead after joining my team. While they think I’m holding them accountable, they are really holding me accountable as well. I’m not going to motivate someone to go do their work out or skip the fast food drive through and then turn around skip my workout and enjoy a McDouble. I am just absolutely in love with this “job.” Being a Beachbody coach is not a ‘Get Rich Quick,’ multi-level marketing scheme . It takes time, dedication, hard work, passion and consistency. However you can, over time and persistent work and constant focus, make a really great income as a coach. Like up to 7 figures! Whaaaaaat? You always get out of this job what you put in, which is just another reason why I love it. I work daily on MY story and I share that story (mainly through conversation and social media) and encourage others to join me. Every day I personally invite people to join my accountability groups and I am building a team full of powerful women and men who want to make a difference. I am making a difference. I no longer feel defeated, I finally feel in control of MY life. So here we are, exactly one year after that college graduation and I am no longer working as an Industrial Engineer. I am a full-time Beachbody Health and Fitness Coach. And although I  have not entirely given up on engineering career quite yet (in the process of moving from AZ to NC), I know Beachbody will always be part of my life and I know I will continue to help others and use this business as a basis for doing so and continue building off of that. I no longer feel defeated, I finally feel in control of MY life. So if you are feeling like you haven’t quite found your purpose or you are interested in helping others, creating a life by YOUR OWN design, or you want to make some extra income while working with an incredibly rewarding company, PLEASE reach out to me! You don’t have to be in your best shape and you don’t have to have any knowledge on health and fitness, you can create your story while working as a coach and going through your own journey. If you have a passion for helping people, you can and will succeed in this buisness with the right resources. I am putting together a “Sneak Peak: What is Beachbody coaching?” group on facebook starting June 1st and it will run 5 days and I give you all the juicy details of coaching. I’d love to have you join! *There are no obligations to sign up once the group is over! If you&#8217;ve been looking for a sign that NOW is the time to change your life, let this be it! If you interested in joining my next health and fitness accountability group, it will also start June 1st and I encourage you to take some time on YOU before summer gets any closer! My e-mail is fralickjill@gmail.com and you can find me on facebook at www.facebook.com/jilllrenae or follow me on Instagram @jrenae09 Thanks for sticking through my long post on What It&#8217;s Really like FOR ME as a Beachbody Coach!]]></description>
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		<title>Fergie &amp; the Fire (2014)</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/fergie-the-fire-2014/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/fergie-the-fire-2014/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2015 09:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate Robinson]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fergie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Help]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high as a kate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[highasakate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kater79]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shoulder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stranger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6154</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today started like any other day. I took the kids to school, came home, and had my first workout in almost 3 months. After my trainer left, I sat down and 90 seconds later, my phone rang. “Hi, Kate – this is Kellan’s teacher.” “Uh-oh…. what did he do THIS time…?” “The school has been evacuated, and all the children are being held at (blank). Please come get him as soon as you can.” “What about my daughter?” “I don’t know.” That was my first and last communication with the school for hours. I immediately hopped into my car, and started the 15 minute drive to get BOTH of my younger children. My oldest goes to a difference school, one which was not evacuated, so that gave me a little bit of comfort as I drove down the main road. I tried listening to music, but all I could think about was seeing the kids. I was so focused on the road ahead, that when I finally reached a stoplight and had a minute to look around me, I realized that everyone inside their cars and out had their smart phones pointed at the hills in the distance. I looked in the same direction, and that’s when I saw the enormous plume of smoke rapidly filling the skies. It moved fast and with purpose, and I feared what lay ahead. As my car traveled farther north, I started to notice all the surrounding cars being re-routed, and when I looked at the intersection 3 stoplights from the kids’ school, it was completely blocked off by police cars and fire trucks. Being horrible at navigating pretty much anything, I turned with all the other cars, and then turned on my GPS to find another route. But it made no difference; regardless of where I turned, I ended up being turned around by police cars &#38; sirens. Alas, I ended up back on the main road, upon which I had just attempted to circumvent, and decided just to pull over and gather my thoughts. As soon as I did, 5 men rushed to my car shouting, “Lady! Watch out! Embers are hitting the power lines directly above your car!” Could this day get any better? I moved my car forward, out of danger from the lines, and then started madly texting all the moms and teachers from school whom I could think of. The first part of the text was to tell them to get their children, and the second part asked if anyone could take mine, as well. Then, I waited. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, but turned out to be the longest hour of my life. Not to mention, I suffer from anxiety, so how I was able to stay calm through this is beyond me. And then, as I sat there, constantly reassuring myself that the kids were fine, I looked out my window and saw a woman standing alone, sobbing. There were several people out of their cars, but she was alone. I got out of my car and walked right up to her, and without saying a word, I wrapped my arm around her and let her cry on my shoulder. When she finally stopped, she explained that she was watching the fires surrounding the apartment complex where she lived, and she was devastated because she&#8217;d been evacuated so quickly, she had no family around and she had not had time to grab one single item. Absolutely nothing. She felt helpless and alone, and I wished I knew how to help her. As we stood there, both waiting for very different things, it occurred to me that this perfect stranger – a woman I had never met, and would probably never see again, was helping me in ways that she probably never expected. And I would like to think that I did the same for her. And then, after several minutes, I received a text from a friend of mine that another mom had grabbed the kids and they were safe at the mom’s house and eating turkey melts. I couldn’t have been happier or more relieved. But as I got back into my car, I stopped, rolled down the window and asked the woman if she would like my number, in case she needed somewhere to go. I explained to her that, even though we were strangers, that didn’t change the fact that we are both people, and it’s important to help each other. She gladly took my number, and I hoped I would hear from her again. &#8230;in times of need, we can and should do what we can to help each other. I drove to the nearest gas station, and as I waited for the parents, also known as my heroes, to bring the kids to me, it occurred to me that in times of need, we can and should do what we can to help each other. Even a small gesture can go a long way when someone feels helpless and alone. When my kids finally came, I hugged them long and hard, and then went straight home. And an hour later, my phone beeped. It was Fergie – the lady by the side of the road. She had been able to go back to her apartment long enough to grab a few things, and her children were safely on their way to a friend’s house. She ended the text with a smiley face, and for a moment, it made all the chaos and sadness of the previous few hours seem like a distant memory.]]></description>
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		<title>An Open Letter From A Homeschooling Mother</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/an-open-letter-from-a-homeschooling-mother/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/an-open-letter-from-a-homeschooling-mother/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2015 09:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Misty Hovis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homeschooling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=5994</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don’t have a degree in teaching, but I’m a teacher. If you would have asked me back in high school what I would be doing in 10 years I would have said being the CEO of my own business and enjoying my life to the fullest. I NEVER would have said homeschooling my 5 children, let alone saying I would have 5 children in the first place. Honestly the thought of homeschooling seemed weird and just silly back then. My whole misconception of homeschooling was children that are unsocial, uneducated, mistreated, and sheltered from the world around them… to name a few. I believe a lot of people who are against homeschooling have these SAME misconceptions. It wasn’t until our first child was about 2 years old that the thought of homeschooling came up. I didn’t want to do it, and was completely looking forward to “my free time” when he and any other children we had would be sent off to public school. Little did I know that homeschooling was the plan that God had in mind for us. Everywhere we turned homeschooling was brought up, I couldn’t get away from the idea and for some reason it seemed so interesting to me. My husband and I decided to pray about it and we did for 2 whole years! I did a ton of research and even went over the pros and cons many times. Finally the decision had been made, we were going to homeschool. Telling our family and friends wasn’t as easy as you would think, some were very supportive and others thought we were NUTS! One of my favorite comments from a family member who we were showing our classroom to was, “Oh, this will make a nice playroom at least.” At first I took that very personal and was pretty upset about it. Then I thought about it for awhile and realized… YES, it will make a nice playroom. Learning will be fun, enjoyable, and creative! A lot of people don’t realize that a child at a young age learns the MOST through play. Here are some interesting facts to keep in mind as well: When a child reads information they will only retain about 10% of it, 90% of it is lost. If they are presented the information orally they will retain 20% of it, 80% of it is lost. If a child sees what they are learning about they will retain 30% of it, 70% of it is lost. When a child sees and hears he/she will remember 50% of the material. When a child is asked to talk about a subject or read out loud they will retain 70% of the lesson. If a child is on the other hand actively involved in a project and doing hands on activities, they will retain 90% of it. Just my personal opinion, but it seems to me that it is much easier for a mother of 5 children to do more hands on activities and educate her children in a more effective way than a teacher in a classroom of 20-30+ children. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate public school teachers very much and think they have a super hard and important job. However, the way the system is set up does not allow a teacher to educate public schooled children very effectively. The system is more worried about crossing their T&#8217;s and dotting their I&#8217;s than allowing a teacher to use her God given talents to teach the children in her class. Test scores have proven this time and time again. Once we had made our decision, we had to deal with many questions including those worried about our children’s social skills and sheltering them from the outside world. We in no way intended to shelter our children and anyone that has ever spoken to one of our children can attest to the fact that they are far from being unsocial! (LOL) We are involved in many activities outside the home, take part in different groups, have participated in Co-Ops and sporting teams. Another question that has been brought up is “Why not leave it up to the professionals, you don’t even have a teaching degree?” Who is to say I’m NOT a professional… just because I didn’t spend thousands of dollars in college fees, years of my life in a classroom to get a piece of paper that says I have a certain degree shouldn’t deem me unworthy of teaching my children. I am a strong believer that actions speak louder than words. My children and their academic scores have proven that I must be doing something right. For example, when I first thought of homeschooling, I was beyond worried about teaching my children to read. It has never been a strong area for me. However, I learned right alongside my oldest, poured knowledge into him and I was so excited last year when he got his standardized test scores back for 2nd grade. He tested higher in reading than 98% of his peers and was reading at an 8th grade reading level! There are so many benefits to homeschooling. I get the chance to see my children learning new things first hand, I don’t have to just hear about it. We can learn together… take field trips and do hands on activities that are fun and exciting. I have the opportunity to see what areas my children are struggling in and what areas they are excelling in as well. This gives us a chance to help them one-on-one to improve on certain skills and give them room to grow and advance in areas of interest. For example, my oldest son, Logan, LOVES birds! He honestly could tell you the name and important facts about pretty much any bird you show him. He amazes me with the knowledge and interest he has in this area. I am able to provide resources and encourage his love for birds and this gets him excited about reading and learning even more. There also are so many wonderful materials, curriculums and resources offered to homeschooling families. Trust me I have done plenty of research to find what works well for us. I remember our first year homeschooling, I had someone ask me “Did you ever take calculus in school, if you didn’t how are you going to teach your child something you never learned?” My response was this… First off my son is in Pre-K and just learning his numbers, I think we will be ok. When he is older and will be taking more advanced classes, if I can’t help him we have some amazing friends that would be willing to help in this journey with us. Plus there are so many programs out there that we would be able to learn together. As far as teaching different grades at the same time, there is this awesome thing called unit studies! A great example I always like to share is this: let’s say we are learning about the eye. We would learn together all of the material about the eye up to a 3rd grade level (my oldest), maybe even higher if he is interested in knowing more now. Then our work would be as followed, 3rd grader might write a report about the eye, 1st grader might write a paragraph about the eye, Kindergartener might label the parts of an eye with a word bank and a Pre-K might color a picture of an eye. There also are many curriculums that allow for some independent learning for older grades which allows more time to focus on the basic skills needed in the younger grades, such as Phonics. I will be the first to say homeschooling is NOT for everyone though. There is a lot of work, planning, time, and energy involved in it. As well as, a true commitment you have to make to be a homeschooling family. It’s not always easy, but for us, it is worth it. There is no right or wrong… each person / family is entitled to their own thoughts, feelings, and opinions about public school vs. homeschooling. However these feelings should never judge the choice of another family if they feel called to do something different than yours. Again, 10 years ago I would have said I would be a CEO of my own business and living my life to the fullest. I am thankful to say, I am a CEO of my own business, by being an Independent Director with Thirty-One Gifts, and completely love every aspect of my life… funny enough, I even love being a homeschooling mother of 5! Sincerely, Proud Homeschooling Mother, Misty Hovis &#160; &#160;]]></description>
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		<title>Pick Up: Elementary School Edition</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/pick-up-elementary-school-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/pick-up-elementary-school-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2015 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate Robinson]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carpool]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[highasakate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kater79]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=5788</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, hidy-ho!!! Fuck – I cannot get that Mr. Hanky song out of my head….. “It’s Mr. Hanky, the Christmas Poo – small and brown, he comes from you…..” Yep – I’m that mom. I’m the mom who, every morning at the breakfast table, says or does something so ridiculously inappropriate, and then giggles uncontrollably with our two boys as my hubby looks on, head hung low, defeated. They have three minutes to leave the house for school, but we’re too busy making faces at each other and saying potty words….. But alas, they do leave the house, mostly just in the nick of time, and then I go about my day until it’s time for me to pick them up….. which brings me to today’s topic: Pick Up. Oh… pick up. What a “fun” experience THAT is. There are just so many aspects of pick up that confound my mind, that I feel now is the time to call some of these bitch-ass parents out. And I shall do this in my favorite way…. CATEGORIZATION. Oh yes…. Shall we begin? Okay, for the purposes of today’s post, I will be using random descriptive words as the headings, and then, if you managed to graduate 3rd grade, you’ll hopefully pick up what I’m putting down. Now, without further ado, allow me to present to you….. The CaraVAN I happen to own a van, which comes in handy when you have three kids or are just too fucking lazy of a parent to bother helping your kids into their seats. I happen to fit into both categories. Jealous, anyone? Anyhoo, every day when I drive up to the school, I swear there’s an assembly line of auto parts being physically put together as I wait. EVERY FUCKING VAN IS A MOTHERFUCKING HONDA. Including mine…. But I pimped mine out – Black rims and blacked out windows. And I blast hip-hop and house all day long, so even through the sea of HONDRONES waiting to get their kids, you can’t miss me if you try. And if you do happen to overlook my car, you’re a fucking liar. I saw you look at me. It’s cool. We don’t need to be friends, but apparently only ONE of us is a human being, because apparently only ONE of us knows how to be polite…. which brings me to the….. Cardiophobics Medically speaking, this is a fear of the heart or heart disease(s). Metaphorically speaking, however, this is apparently the fear of being polite and WAVING. Who knew!?!?!?! Who could have known, in their wildest dreams, that there are people out there physically incapable of raising their hands or arms an entire 9 inches to wave hello. It makes no sense! I don’t see you struggling as you remove the lint from your friend’s shirt, or to flirt with the dad next to you. You smack your hand against his chest like he just told the best joke EVER. If you make eye contact with someone you know, and you wave – and I don’t mean the crazy waves you see at the airport when sorority sisters are reunited after a loooooooooong weekend apart. No, I’m referring to the universal term for, “I see you, I acknowledge your existence and I hope you have a nice day.” Well guess what? You obviously DON’T want me to have a nice day, so to you cardiophobics I say, “Go fuck yourselves.” Waving is not that hard. Just pretend you’re about to praise Hitler. You probably already do praise him, so then just act like I’m him and say hi. Would you NOT say hello to your fuhrer, even if said mentor was Hitler? I think not. Fucking bigots. At the very least, you could manage a smile. Hell, maybe you are smiling, and the Botox and fillers are physically preventing you from curving the corners of your mouth. If that’s the case, call my doctor – he’s awesome. But you wanna know which non-wavers REALLY piss me off? The rearview mirror non-wavers. Allow me to jump forward for a brief second. At our children’s school, there are two lanes that cars use to enter and exit. This method seems to work fairly well, until you actually have your children in your possession and attempt to exit the cluster-fuck of vans and sports cars. Oh, did I forget to mention that? You have two choices when it comes to the type of car you drive…. a van, or a sports car. If you see a sedan, take a photo. They are an endangered species at our school. Anyway, back to the main point. Once you have your kids, you have two choices – go left or right. You are not allowed to just go straight. The vast majority of families live to the left, so naturally, you’d prefer to be in that lane…. but truth be told – THEY BOTH SUCK. If you’re in the left lane, you have to deal with the onslaught of other vehicles attempting to invade your lane, while you’re stuck behind 4 cars at the stop sign, just trying to get the fuck out of school but are prevented from doing so by the crossing guard, who, if I didn’t know any better, has a personal vendetta against me. I swear – they’re fucking psychic. “Oh look, it’s Mrs. Robinson…. hmmmm I don’t see any kids who need to cross the street. Oh! I know! I’LL cross the street by myself!” But that’s not even the part that truly pisses me off. It’s when the car in the right lane puts on their blinker, I let them in, and then I wait…. I wait and I wait and it never comes. The universal sign for “thank you”. RAISE YOUR HAND AND WAVE INTO THE REARVIEW MIRROR, ASSHOLE! I DIDN’T HAVE TO LET YOU IN.” In fact, now that I see the car, I make a mental note NOT to let them in the next time… But I’m a sucker. I always let them in. But not the asshole behind them who tries to sneak in, too. Motherfucker I see you!What? You think you’re just going to ‘pretend’ you’re HITCHED to the back of the car I just let in? Jigga, pleez. Nice try. Looks like someone needs a reminder rhyme…. “No cuts, no butts, no alligator guts.” Repeat. “No cuts, no butts, no alligator guts.” Are You Trying To Get Run Over? Make up your minds!!!! Are you crossing the street or parking lot or two-lane carpool or what?!?! You literally look like a deer in headlights. I’m not referring to the kids… well, that’s bullshit. I’m totally also referring to the kids – but only the older ones. Not only are you NOT looking both ways before you cross the street, but you’re not even fucking CROSSING!!!!!!! You’re stopping in the middle of the cross walk and staring at all the cars or even worse – you’re tying your shoes. It didn’t occur to you to tie your shoes before you, oh…. I dunno… RAN DOWN THE STAIRS to the sidewalk?!?Maybe you’re looking for your mommy. Maybe you’re looking for your friends – in either case, move the fuck out of the way! My kids are waiting for me, and I don’t have time to sit while you decide whether or not the guy asking you to help him find his dog is legit. Just be a good citizen and help the guy out. He’s obviously a nice guy. His van even says “Free Candy” on the side. Duh – totally trustworthy. Just please keep going. This bitch has places to be – namely, home so I can hide in my room. Invisible Drivers I remember the first time I saw what I thought was an invisible driver. I was so freaked out and awestruck that I took out my phone and started to take pictures. But then something rather strange happened. Out of NOWHERE, this mom climbs IN TO the driver’s seat, obviously unaware that she was physically crushing the invisible driver, and then get this? The bitch straight DROVE off with a kid in the back. Can you believe that shit? Seriously though, don’t be “that asshole“. Don’t get in one of the drive-thru lanes and then park and exit your vehicle in order to get your child. Don’t you think that’s what we’d ALL like to do? Now that you’ve abandoned your vehicle, the 30 cars in line behind you are now stuck, waiting for your entitled ass to get back into your car and MOVE. If you want to walk up to the school to physically get your child, arrive to school earlier and PARK. You should definitely know how to park. You do it in the carpool lanes all the fucking time. C’mon. You’re being a douche. How can you not know this? Well I’ve got news for you – we all know it, and if you think we’re not all mad-doggin’ you and mumbling insults under our breath, then you’re as dumb as you look. That’s about all I have to say about the subject at this point; perhaps I’ll add a few more as they pop into my head. Oh, and if you’re interested in reading about the different types of parents I’ve encountered in the past, check out these two posts I wrote last year. http://highasakate.com/2014/04/25/are-you-going-to-work-or-are-you-going-to-twerk/ http://highasakate.com/2014/02/03/greener-grass/ *I considered adding different types of elementary school moms I’ve encountered, but seeing as how I can’t even distinguish them apart from each other (these women need numbered jerseys, I swear) I’ll refrain…. for now.* &#160; Disclaimer: I come with one.]]></description>
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		<title>If You Could Redo College, How Would You Do It?</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/if-you-could-redo-college-how-would-you-do-it/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/if-you-could-redo-college-how-would-you-do-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2015 19:16:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Question]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Redo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regrets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Study]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[If you could redo your college experience, how would you do it? What would you change? Would you go to the same school? Would you select the same major? Hang with the same crowd? Play a sport? Study Harder? Join the same sorority or fraternity? Do you have regrets about college? Or would you do it all exactly the same?  &#160; Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Or, better yet, join WIRL Project and share your story! &#160; &#160;]]></description>
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