This is a corner of my world where the hokey pokey really is what it's all about! So when life hits you all at once ~ just sit back and enjoy the ride!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I am in a Funk!

Will I am in a funk~I am frustrated as a teacher! I teach for many reasons. I love children, I love that smile and sparkle they get when they understand something for the very first time, and I love to teach! BUT......I am so frustrated angry with all the new paper work my state/system is adding and I am being taken away from the teaching part of my job. I loved teaching Special education~challenging but Oh so worth it. I left Sp.Ed. because the paper work began to become the larger portion of the job and teaching was not as important to the powers that be. Please don't get me wrong I know for purposes of CYA~covering your assets, paperwork is necessary. But with new standards and requirements our regular ed classrooms have individual education expectations for each of the 19 children in all subjects that I have on roll. Now I have written IEP's (Individual Education Plans) for my SpEd students and the difference between the two~In SpEd my numbers were much lower. I believe in making teachers accountable and make them take classes to keep them up to date in new things that are effective~but just because there are some poor teachers out there~don't punish us all! I believe in documentation and accountability and being able to show evidence of a student's level of abiity. But I also believe parents need to be accountable for showing that their child is important by taking an ACTIVE role in their school work. I believe in assessment~not so much for grading but to see what a child can and cannot do~but it should be there to help in my planning on the next move. No two children learn the same, start at the same starting point or progress at the same rate. Good teachers are always monitoring to see where children are and if there is progress or problems. As a teacher I want to go in my room and teach, explore, inspire, excite, intrique and encourage but I don't think that those things are as easy to do as they once were~I miss those days! I don't like to sit down and write plan after plan after plan of things that might help this child or could work with that child. I want to go into my room and reach each child where they are right this moment and take them as far as we can possibly go. Instead of making things look good on paper I want to work the magic. I know I have prbably contradicted myself in this entry~I am frustrated so forgive! Bottom Line instead of talking a good talk I like to walk the walk~the walk is where you are getting the job done instead of just making it sound good! Oh well~thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I hope that everyone has had a Great Wednesday and an even better Thursday!!

Monday, January 28, 2008

What else can happen Wow what a day!

Well I stayed home today! My sweet daughter was running fever agin. Not to complain I am frustrated since this is the 5th time since September that she has been on medicine. We have had allergies, ears, throat, upper respirtory~over and over and over. I hate it for her because I am out of magic tricks and answers as to why she is still not well! Anyway~I just needed to vent~We will be home again tomorrow~as she was running fever again tonight! So if you don't mind~please send some prayers for her healing. Thanks because I know tomorrow is going to be a much better day!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Cards











Dot asked me if I had any of the cards I have made and she made me so excited! My dearest friend Nadine is a Stampin Up Demonstrator and we have classes once a month to make cards/projects. Whatever we create I try to always keep~so that I can have something to look at when I try to make cards when I am home alone! So all of the pictures that you see today are cards I made while at a Stampers 10 meeting. Or I made them after I went for a day of stamping at her house~Talk about therapy! It gets no better than 2-3 friends getting together to create projects for the Holidays or just make cards to have on hand. I always say a day filled with stamping is a very good day. I can not take credit for any of the ideas~they belong to many other people. Hope you like!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Project complete



This was not my best work but I wanted to complete one so that I can have a guide to go by and work out all the kinks. Here's the rough first cut ~ I will be making a couple of changes and will try to take a better picture of the final one before I give them away on Valentine's Day! Sorry the pictures aren't better! Have a good night!

Time for some Stampin'

Well~I haven't stamped anything in weeks!!!! AWwwwwww...I need some saw dust therapy. I so love to stamp! It is through rubber stamping that I met my dearest friend~for which I am sooooo Thankful! I have not stamped anything since I made my husbands business christmas cards and the family christmas cards. So tonight I found a project I am going to try for Valentine's Day! I will post a picture as soon as I finish. Hopefully~it will turn out as cute as the picture! Hope it is not too cold where you are and if it is....I hope your fire is as warm and toasty as mine!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

My Daughter

I have a beautiful 6 year old daughter. I am a very proud mom of two children and I am proud of both but my daughter....She is a go getter! She loves her dad and will go and do anything he wants to do. In fact, he hung the moon..up until recently. She is becoming quite girlie in her ways. I blame my dearest friend's daughter~Bailey. Since she has come into my Sara's life she has taught her to care about what she wears, how she looks, not to leave without lip gloss, etc. It really tickles me. When I was her age I was very foofoo frillie but as I aged like when I turned 22~ I became me~no frills just me. When I put my make up on in the am~I don't check it until the next morning when I put it on again! I am hair challenged~thankfully my hair curls but now Sara cares and I am not much help. Well whoever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks~I am now learning! Now when the boys go off camping for Scouts we have girl weekends and we do nails and hair. I love it! No, not the foo foo stuff Just spending fun time with my child and making good and happy memories~or at least I hope. I know being a parent fails to come with an instruction guide and I know I will fail both of my children many times over in their life. But,I know there are some things that I do that are right and I have to say thanks to the people that taught me~my parents! Challenge for today or tomorrow: Do something special with your kids or grand kids~Go make memories and have fun!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Looks Like We Made It...

Wow! We made it to the 100th day of Kindergarten!! I really had a great time to day! We counted fingers by 5's to 100, jumped 100 times, drew pictures of 100 things we could eat, made a special snack with 100 items, and shared our 100 collections we brought from home. My favorite part~when the one child who truly gets on my nerves asked me this innocent question, "So today is the last day?" I am sorry but I so wanted to say~Yes! I have always said that God gives me the students that I am suppose to have~but as I have come to know these are the kids that have something to teach me! I truly have learned a lot this year from my kindergarteners! For instance when your noise sounds funny~you should go home because you are sick. If a child asks you whether you and your husband hibernate~before answering ask him what exactly do you mean. When a child asks you can you have your baby at school so they can watch~the answer is always no! If a child asks you to rub cream under his poopec (sp?) The answer is still ~no! I hope I can always find humor in my classroom because when the humor is gone~~~it just want be a fun place to teach or learn and I will have to pack up my toys and retire! I hope you have a Smurfy Night!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

A Sad Note

If asked~I would call myself a optimistic individual! But...I would also say that I see myself as a realistic person,too. I got a call tonight about a teacher that I worked with 5-6 years ago had passed away. I taught with her for only a few years before she moved away but her death caught me off guard. I am not saying that we were the closest of friends and were in the same circles. What I am saying is this mother of 2 under 45 years old died. I am not going to get into the whats or whys or hows. What this entry is about is making the most of today. We have to always live for today and make the most of every minute of this day. Who is going to care when I am dead and gone if my house needed to be dusted(Which it does~and at this moment I don't care). What does matter? My husband and my children, who do not come first often enough. My house, yard, clothes, car are not things that are going to matter. I want to take the here and now and build traditions, values, and most of all memories to pass on to my love ones. I know that when it is my time to go I want to be ready and I don't want people to sit around and cry. I want people to sit back, laugh telling stories of stupid /crazy things I have done or said, and know that I have enjoyed living my life! I hope that I don't waste a minute of today worrying about what color my new lipstick needs to be. I do want to lose some weight and become healthier but it is not so that string thong bikini will look good this summer. For those of you who know me and know that I am no where near a size 12 much less a size 2~I am sure that visual image has made you laugh! So for my thought for today~who cares if your bra and underwear match or if your house is cleaned~think about what you want your family and friends to remember or think about when they think about you after you have moved on from this world! No one knows how much time we have~so live in the now and live for yourself today! Make today all you can be!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Vacation?

I wouldn't call it a vacation at all. I would call it just having a nasty cold! Today is the first day I have been up in 3 days! I don't recommend it to any one wanting to take a few days off. I did visit a few sites and saw some beautiful snow pictures! We didn't have any snow but it has been cold for the past few days! I still will say that this cold weather is my favorite time of year! Afterall, cold weather doesn't make you sick~Germs do!! Have a great start to a wonderful week!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Thanks Sharon!

I want to say a Great Big Thank you to Sharon! She tagged me with my first award for making her day! I have tried to figure our how to attach people's site to their name and I need the bloggers for dummies! I can't figure it out but I do want Sharon to know how much I enjoy her site! Her award made my day! I also want to say thanks to Dot and Paulie who have also made my day! You ladies have visited my site and I appreciate it! Thanks~I have started this to give me an outlet and some sawdust therapy as my hubby calls it. I have enjoyed it and you guys have helped! Thanks Sharon!! You have really made my day!

Students from the past

I am so excited! I just watched a news piece about the special needs class at the High School. this particular class ran a coffee shop and sold to the students and teachers. It was teaching life skills and money management. Plus so much more!! The reason it excited me is because at least 5 or 6 of those kids had been in my preschool sp. ed. class and that is so much what I stressed to those parents. Let them be as independent as possible don't do for them what they can do for themselves. To me that is one of the most important thing for them to learn. Don't set limits and have high expectations. I loved watching those kids do things they could and interact with others and how others accepted them for who they are and not look at them as if they are limited. I am not trying to say that it is me that put them where they are~I was just a small input many years ago(13 years or more). What I am excited about is the fact I was right in what I was trying to teach the parents and the students. Just because there is a label doesn't mean you have to be limited. A label is a word. These children that have been touched in a very unique way by God have hidden gifts and talents that we (the normal people) won't always fully understand. We just have to accept them for where they are and take them as far as they can go!
For those of you that have set the goal to try to lose weight and get healthy!!! I just want to toot my own horn~ Since January 1st I have walked 3 miles everyday but 2 days!! I don't think that I have lost more than 2-3 pounds but I am sticking with it!! I am trying to stay positive!! Have a Great Week!!!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Winter



In this part of South Ga we experience warm winter weather and chilly winter weather. I LOVE cold weather! I would love to live in an area where it stayed cold for 3/4 of the year. If my husband and family would move further North~I would love it! But since we are located in a region that doesn't see snow and rarely experiences extreme cold weather we have to learn to enjoy what we get. On January 4th the temp dropped into the 20s and gave Jay and I the excellent chance to freeze the tree. Most folks have no idea what I mean by that~but once you see it the idea makes a grown child smile! We take a sprinkler and we place it on a tall ladder and let it spray the tree during thr freezing hours of the night! In the mornign when you wake up you have a beautifully iced tree! The kids love it! Well my hubby was concerned about wasting all of the water since we are in a drought~so we only left the water on for a couple of hours. I hope you like the pictures of my kids enjoying it as it melted! I hope eveyone has had a fun and restful weekend and a wonderul adventurous week!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Christmas is Finally Here!



Well~Christmas is finally here! My Husband wanted a canoe for Christmas. He doesn't ever have any suggestions when it comes down to Christmas or Birthday. this year hands down this is what he wanted~well I thought it was a good idea and something that I could do. BUT... it was not going to be here by Christmas! He is a big boy and was ok with that. Well it arrived and today he and the kids put it in water to try it out!! They did have a great time it was worth it just to see their smiles! Hope you have a Great Day!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Kids!

I love kids! It is amazing that after 18 years of teaching just when you think you have seen or heard it all a new child enters your life! I was eager to come back after the holidays! But all of my kids were excited about being in school and excited about seeing me and their friends. OK ! So they were probably more excited about seeing their friends than me! Since not all families are created equal~I do not come back from the holidays asking for what that were given for Christmas. Instead I ask each Kindergartener to name one thing they did or someone they saw or something special that happened. I love 5 year olds! Unlike a lot of adults that I know and work with, these students value time with family and friends more than stuff! Most of my children shared about someone they played with or something they did or how much they missed their friends. I wish that all of us could learn something from these thoughts. We get so caught up in stuff and things and we forget the value of time and friends. I know that at the beginning of each year that God puts the children in my class that I am suppose to teach. But in reality it is me that needs those kids. Every year I learn new things about myself an about life! So I guess this is true~Everything I needed to know about life I learned from a Kindergartener!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Losing Weight


What is it about January that we all decide that now is the time to be healthy? I am trying AGAIN to get on the healthy bandwagon. I get soooooo frustrated with that whole thing. I think it is because I give up too quickly and get tired of looking of those size 3 barbies I teach with talk about their size 3 jeans are snug. Since I teach during the day it isn't an issue but at night with 2 kids, 3 cats, fish, 1 husband, and 1 hermit crab (that is still living~I think) it isn't as easy. My husband(whom I really with our my heart love) kills my diet with eating those wrong things and wanting junk food in the late evening! So this time I decided that WE are ALL going to work on this problem. Jay and I both weigh more now than ever(Even when I was 9 months pregnant) and my kids eat more than they exercise and it will catch up~sooner or later. I have learned that I can not do this alone~friends help! My friends are support to me and I have them to push me on when I can't do it. By myself it would be easy to splurge and quit walking. My goal is to walk 4-5 days a week and watch what and how we eat. I am pushing the water and I am going to start writing down all that I eat throughout the day so that I will count everything! I am going to lean on my family and friends when I get frustrated and hope that this time I will be successful and so will my family. If you are reading this and you are trying to lose weight or get healthy~my prayers and good wishes go to you! Be strong in your fight but most of all keep a sense of humor! have a great night!

Monday, January 7, 2008

Friends

What makes a friend a friend? What determines a friend over an acquaintance over just someone you know. If I were to count the number of friends that I have it would take one hand and a couple of fingers. I know many people and I have a lot of acquaintances, but my friends are rare, few, and very special. I got the joy of sitting in a long workshop today filled with everyone in my school system. I have taught for 18 years in both regular and special education so I knew many people that attended this meeting. But when it came to wanting to visit and enjoy the company of those around me~there was only 1 that I considered a friend. It is amazing how superficial people are and where there priorities are in life. Maybe it is because I turned 40 this year or the fact that friendship is more than superficial show and tell. I love to people watch and I love to sit in a crowded area and look and listen to those around me. It is amazing to the things you hear and see. You realize it is not the number of friends you have ~ It is the value of the friends you have. I know that at any moment at anytime of day or night that I can call those 6-7 friends and they would not hesitate to do anything for me or my family. I am so wealthy and it is not with money it is with the friends that I am so fortunate to have. They are there when I call and listen when I talk. They do not pretend to be my friend for the moment or while certain people are around. They are truly friends. Don't get me wrong it is nice to know a bunch of people from church, school, work, etc. but always know who are the ones that are genuine and be grateful for them. I am lucky and blessed! One true friend is more valuable the a vault full of money. Always remember to let your friends know that you appreciate them and that you, too will be there for them. Challenge to whoever is out there reading~Do something special for your friend just to let them know you love them and are grateful for them. Have a great day! And if you want to have some fun~people watch!

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Electricity



Where would we be without electricity? Cold, dark, hungry are things that come to my mind! Well today our power went off~yep~I should have gone to Church as it happened around 12:15pm. You would think since it wasn't freezing and the weather wasn't bad that the power would be on in an hour or two~ya think? No! We just got it back on about 22 minutes ago. Now the big question how many people does it take to get the electricity back on.......drum roll please..... It takes 4 Huge truck, 3 regular trucks, a piece of equipment and 8 or more working people not to mention after several hours without power at least 15 neighbors to supervise their work. And if not to make the matters worse do you really want to know why the power went off~ANTS! No not the woman that is your mother's sister the small red kind that make large hills. Well since this was my last day before going back to work~I sure had a great afternoon! I did go walking 3 miles again today so at least I am trying to stay on track! But.....if it weren't for my dearest friend I probably wouldn't have gone today! So I am lucky to have a wonderful and caring friend like Nadine who knows just how to encourage without making you want to hurt her! Have a smurfy day!

Saturday, January 5, 2008

New Beginnings

Well call me a follower or just jealous! Several folks I know have Blogs and seem to enjoy having an outlet so...... I decided to give it a shot! We will see how it goes. This is a new year and full of new beginnings and fresh starts. I am married and have two wonderful kids. We have decided as a family to start becoming healthy this year. This will be a challenge and I am going to need this space to provide me an outlet for the good~the bad~ and the ugly! We have walked 3 times this week and I hope that we will continue. But this is the first week so we will see how the year goes! I am a teacher and school starts back soon. Believe it or not but this will be a good thing because I think we will do better when we go back to a routine! This year will be a year of new beginnings for me. I do not really make resolutions but I do have a few wishes~positive attitude toward my job, patience with my family and a promise to try to become healthier for myself and my family! If you know me I love the expression~Enjoy the ride! That is what like is a ride and along the way there are dips, curves, holes and crashes! so we have to sit back and enjoy the ride and learn from those things and people that we meet along the way! Have a Great Day! Hope you come back as this is still under construction!