I have just successfully dropped the 2 amazingly wonderful children with Grandma and Grandpa for the night. Adam is at his fantasy football draft. We have wonderful dinner plans later but for now the house is silent and I have a massage scheduled in 45 minutes.
Honestly it's a little too quiet. I love it but... I had to turn the radio up REALLY loud on the way home to fill the silence.
A couple day's from now I won't believe I even just said that!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
This touched me today
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
'Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'
'No', she said
'Maybe it's our behavior.'
She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget that.'
By the way, this is a true story.
Please consider passing this along so others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U S. Veterans.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
'Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'
'No', she said
'Maybe it's our behavior.'
She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget that.'
By the way, this is a true story.
Please consider passing this along so others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U S. Veterans.
I doth overreact a little...
Yesterday I received a phone call from the daycare center that another student had scratched Grant's neck during circle time. They applied ice and gave hugs and it was all good.
When I went to pick him up, I had to sign a copy of the "incident report".
I read it... the written version sounds like Grant was the one scratching others, not the victim.
Except...
I CAN SEE THE SCRATCH MARKS ON HIS NECK!
SO- I don't sign it. I ask that the teacher who witnessed the event rewrite it properly. She looks at me funny and agrees. WE SHALL SEE LATER TODAY....
They probably throw out the little form later but DUDE- Grant is the victim here... VICTIM!
When I went to pick him up, I had to sign a copy of the "incident report".
I read it... the written version sounds like Grant was the one scratching others, not the victim.
Except...
I CAN SEE THE SCRATCH MARKS ON HIS NECK!
SO- I don't sign it. I ask that the teacher who witnessed the event rewrite it properly. She looks at me funny and agrees. WE SHALL SEE LATER TODAY....
They probably throw out the little form later but DUDE- Grant is the victim here... VICTIM!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
So Cute!
This morning, rather than let the kids come in our room to watch cartoons, Brianna went in Grant's room to play. I wandered that way a little later to see what was up.
Brianna was sitting on the ottoman of the chair, Grant was in the chair, and she was telling him a story. He looked mesmerized so I hid around the corner to listen.
She was telling him a story about her dream from the night. She described a pink castle floating a blue sky riding on a cloud that was shaped like a fluffy white bunny. She said that her cousin Hannah lived there and she was just visiting for a party. She described her dress, Hannah's dress, the party food, and all the games.
Either she has a GREAT imagination or GREAT dreams!
WOW!
Brianna was sitting on the ottoman of the chair, Grant was in the chair, and she was telling him a story. He looked mesmerized so I hid around the corner to listen.
She was telling him a story about her dream from the night. She described a pink castle floating a blue sky riding on a cloud that was shaped like a fluffy white bunny. She said that her cousin Hannah lived there and she was just visiting for a party. She described her dress, Hannah's dress, the party food, and all the games.
Either she has a GREAT imagination or GREAT dreams!
WOW!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thanks Brianna!
So, for Christmas last year, Brianna got a digital camera designed for kids. Today, I got around to downloading the pictures....
Here's a blurry one of Aunt Jamie showing off something....
Here's a blurry one of Aunt Jamie showing off something....
Here's a decent one of Grant, just a LITTLE off center....
There were a LOT that looked like this....
"Baby Carole" showed up quite a few times....
As did lots of AWFUL pictures of mommy...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Just because...
It's been awhile.
I have been working 2 days a week on a new program for our school... Educators out there... PBIS? I'm a little stressed about work, but not really because of the new school year. I am NOT excited to start again, and that stresses me out. I know that boredom is a common problem in teaching... this is my 8th year doing EXACTLY the same thing. I am going to have to spice this up somehow!
Grant is doing pretty good in his new bed. We do have to check on him more because he has a tendancy to get out to play... then fall asleep somewhere else. Once we found him basically standing, but leaning on an ottoman for his rocker! If we don't catch his strange places, we get VERY short naps!
Brianna is getting excited about Kindergarten but is still cautious. We found out her teacher's name and next weekend we will get to go see the classroom. We meet the teacher for an "interview" on the 28th and she starts class on Sept. 3. I just know the time will FLY!
Adam ran his second triathalon this morning and everything went very well. We will have to wait to see if he beat his brother again but I'm just glad that he's happy with his performance. He's decided to keep training through the off season and try and do a longer triathalon next year. I am so proud of him! From couch potato to triathalete in 8 months!
I'm sure it will be a while again now... school next week.
And lets face it... I'm not good about updating anyway!
:-D
I have been working 2 days a week on a new program for our school... Educators out there... PBIS? I'm a little stressed about work, but not really because of the new school year. I am NOT excited to start again, and that stresses me out. I know that boredom is a common problem in teaching... this is my 8th year doing EXACTLY the same thing. I am going to have to spice this up somehow!
Grant is doing pretty good in his new bed. We do have to check on him more because he has a tendancy to get out to play... then fall asleep somewhere else. Once we found him basically standing, but leaning on an ottoman for his rocker! If we don't catch his strange places, we get VERY short naps!
Brianna is getting excited about Kindergarten but is still cautious. We found out her teacher's name and next weekend we will get to go see the classroom. We meet the teacher for an "interview" on the 28th and she starts class on Sept. 3. I just know the time will FLY!
Adam ran his second triathalon this morning and everything went very well. We will have to wait to see if he beat his brother again but I'm just glad that he's happy with his performance. He's decided to keep training through the off season and try and do a longer triathalon next year. I am so proud of him! From couch potato to triathalete in 8 months!
I'm sure it will be a while again now... school next week.
And lets face it... I'm not good about updating anyway!
:-D
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