Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Gramma and Grampa J! Thanks for being great role models!

Seasons Of Life

I lead our girl's Bible Study this week. I talked about seasons of life and tried to challenge them to think about what season of life they are in, and what God is teaching them within that season. I used season of singleness as an example, and had hoped that it would in turn encourage them to share their particular season and it's lessons or struggles.

It turned into a marriage advice seminar, not exactly what I was going for.

Do married people feel bad for us singletons? I don't feel bad for myself, I really love my life and where I am. I can spend my money how I choose, do what I want, stay up late, sleep in, leave my kitchen a mess if I feel like it; it's really great. I am learning so much about myself as well, I wouldn't trade this season of life for the married season or really any other season at all.

Maybe I make other people feel uncomfortable because I am so comfortable with myself and my life.

Hmm...

In school news, we are enjoying another snow day (and this time it really snowed) and I am staying in. We have conferences next week, that should be hectically busy. I also was the lucky recipient of strep throat this past weekend, which allowed me to spend my weekend a combination of places, urgent care, the pharmacy, my bed and the couch. Thanks to amoxicillin I am feeling much better.

Books You Should Read

I've been making a mental blog for the past few days. I do that a lot, I come up with a blog in my mind, and usually forget to put it out there, so it's amazing I remembered this one. It's not much, but just a short list of books I think you should read, for various reasons.

• Harry Potter - whether or not you agree/disagree with the content, you should read this/these book(s). They are well written, and my opinion is that if you are going to strongly disagree with something, you should at least know what you are disagreeing with and why.
• I'm A Stranger Here Myself - For anyone who has ever been overseas...Bill Bryson's thoughts on returning to America.
• Twenty Someone - Transition...especially in your 20's. Great perspective and thoughts.
  
• Early Bird - Honestly, it's just a funny book.
• Other People's Love Letters - Reminds you of a time when someone saw the real you and loved you for it.
  
• I Sold My Soul on eBay - Really interesting...ask my parents. I read it while they were here visiting, and couldn't put it down. It is written by an atheist, and is a lot of his perspectives about what is right and wrong about Christianity/organized religion in general.
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Yes, another kid's book. BUT...I have to say, this book gives me goose bumps every time I read it, and is just a wonderful story about a rabbit who learns to love. Similar in some ways to the Velveteen Rabbit, but better I think. Children's books are much better written now than when I was a kid.
• Marley and Me - If you only get one of these books to read from my list, this would be the one I recommend. Read it with a box of Kleenex.

Read more, pretty much everything on TV (but the food network) is junk anyway.

Here's To Blindness

I had a nice long weekend. I used it to do laundry, attend a friend's wedding, go to a movie and get an eye check up. All in all it was fantastic.

I was told at my eye check up that I shouldn't be driving with my contacts, and was kindly given a new pair in my new (nearly blind) prescription. I also decided to head on over to Target afterwards and get some new glasses, it had been about 4 years since my last pair, and I knew they were having a sale. I've returned to my roots, buying a turquoise greenish pair, the same color as my first pair (that I picked out, thank you very much) that I got when I was 8. Aren't they nice?

Sorry to the angry masses that I have been delinquent in my blogginating. I feel like I've hit a dry spell...any blogging ideas? I am open for suggestions.

Bilingualisms

The first person to correctly translate these "bilingualisms" that my students like to say, wins! At least my admiration...sorry I don't have any real prizes.

"My tooth fell."

"She was yarning."

"Ms. J, I won him!"

Part of my job is trying to decipher what my kids really mean, and it's amazing I don't just start talking like them!

Back To Work

I went back to work today, the kids come back tomorrow. Oh, what joys I will have...I can already smell the weekend.


The picture is from my break at home.

Goals for '08

I don't make resolutions, I make goals.

2008 Goals

• Journal daily - I know this is ambitious, but I have it figured out. Even if I only journal three sentences, I want to journal at least 1 thing I learned, 1 thing I am happy for and 1 question I have everyday. I think it will be an interesting summary of 2008, and a good way to chronicle my life.
  
• Roadtrip with the bro - Grand Canyon and beyond.
  
• Go on an overseas trip, maybe a coffee trip.

happy new year world

The Most Wonderful Day of the Year

Today is the day when all the children went home to spend 2 quality weeks with their parents. While we teachers roamed the hall with smiles from ear to ear, we passed panic stricken parents, who now get the joy of their children 24/7 for two weeks.

A Wonderful Christmastime

You might not know this, all you out there in blogger-land, but for many people Christmas is not at all enjoyable. I think I always had this in the back of my mind, but I never really got it. I would see the toy drives, and hear the people ringing bells for the Salvation Army, but those gifts and money would go to the invisible needy people somewhere.

I got an email today from one of the social workers from our school saying she'd received a call from a parent who can't afford to buy her children Christmas gifts. I can't imagine that feeling, and my heart breaks thinking about the parents who think about this same thing, not being able to supply a joyful Christmas for their families.

Christmas is a wonderful holiday, I have been blessed to grow up with a family who always was able to give one another gifts, and who always made Christmas a very joyful time, but now that I have faces to put on the people who aren't as blessed, my heart breaks. Many of the students at our school don't look forward to Christmas break, and are excited to come back because school is the one thing that is consistent.

So, do I have $10 to spare to give to this family so they can have Christmas...sure. It's one dinner I don't get to eat out with a friend, or one less little luxury this month. So what? My Christmas will be spent surrounded by family, with tables laden with goodies and a tree that has gifts that overflow; I can afford to give.

On another note, pray for my Gramma J. tomorrow. She's having a procedure done on her heart, and I know the Great Physician will be guiding the doctors as they work. We love you Gramma!!

Glass Plates

I have glass plates, they are blue. I like them, I don't love them...they do the job. I will probably get some nicer dishes down the road, I used these ones in college, but for now they are fine. I had a full set, 8 of everything...that is, until today.

On Sundays I have time to cook, so I enjoy making a full meal so that I can take the leftovers for lunch during the week, or freeze them for later. I feel so crazy during the week, so my dinners are usually not thought out like they are on Sundays. Today I was going to have beef that I marinated overnight. The recipe said to simmer it for over an hour the marinade and water. When I got home from church I put the ingredients into a pot, put the pot on the stove, turned on the burner and walked into the other room. I had turned the burner on high to bring it to a boil, then I was going to turn it down to a low simmer.

I was in the other room when I heard glass shattering. I went back into the kitchen, only to discover that I had accidentally turned on the wrong burner...I had turned on the burner that had a plate sitting on it. There was blue glass all over my kitchen, seriously ALL OVER the kitchen. It was in the cornbread that I had made this morning, it was in coffee mugs, it was in the clean dishes in the sink. I even found some in the stove...how it got there I have no clue. I didn't even know where to start cleaning up. So, I gathered myself after panicking for a second (and being very thankful that I wasn't in the kitchen when the plate exploded...I value my eyesight), I began picking up big pieces, then smaller ones, then I vacuumed, then I swept, and finally I mopped. What a mess.

I think the moral of the story is that people with glass plates shouldn't put them on the stove, even if the burners are all off.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Just a subtle hint in case you were wondering what to get me for Christmas.

SNOW DAY!!!

An inch of ice is expected overnight. I just saw the news every teacher dreams about...a snow day in mid-December! The unexpected day off will be filled with coffee, the Today show, phone calls I've been meaning to make, comfy pants, running if it's not too yucky, and catching up on that long list of work things to do; maybe even a fire in the fireplace.

Yippee!!!

Best Quote Ever

Student (talking to me): "What smells so good? Oh, it's just your breath."

I am so glad he didn't say it smells bad.

Mental Lists

A teacher's work is never ending. As my sister said to me today "don't you have grading or something to do?" Of course...I just have so much to do I am putting it all off (and Christmas shopping online), I am not a list maker, that is my mom through and through, I have a mental list of all the stuff I have to get done for work, so here is a day in my life as a teacher.

• Finish giving the DIBELS test
• Finish giving the DCA's to the students who missed last week
• Grade the DCA's
• Fill in the bubble sheets for the DCA's
• Hand in the bubble sheets for the DCA's
• Grade the writing assessment I gave like a month ago
• Get caught up in Math
• Have the students make their Christmas gifts for their parents
• Figure out what to make for the staff party on Friday
• Finish figuring out what we are going to do for our skit at the staff party on Friday
• Plan for, write out the plans and make all the copies for my sub on Thursday morning and Monday
• Plan for after-school tutoring next week
• Touch base with parents about several student concerns
• Make powerpoints for our reading vocabulary for next week
• Clean off my desk
• Find a place to put my new file folder games I made
• Have parent volunteers laminate and cut out materials for folder games
• Make folder games for math centers
• Make new centers for up until Christmas Break
• Copy and assemble take home books for this week's reading series
• Get caught up on my grading for math and reading assessments
  
• Copy and assemble homework packets for over Christmas break
• and the list goes on...

I need my hours to be lengthened, a little more light in my day.

Psalm 62

My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

They fully intend to topple him
from his lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.
Selah

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Selah

Lowborn men are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie;
if weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.

Do not trust in extortion
or take pride in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.

One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,

and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

So, Is This Genuine Muppet Fur?

It's been cold in Kansas, so the kids are proudly breaking out their jackets. A lot of the girls have fur on the collars or lined in the hoods of their jackets. One day this week we were standing in the hall and I asked on of my students if her jacket had genuine muppet fur. She replied "I think so." I then explained what muppets were, and she thought my joke was kind of funny. I like it when people get my jokes.

Thanksgiving Festivus

I had a great Thanksgiving. It was nice to be home, and to have an excuse to wear as much orange as possible. I just had to indulge.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Home.

How Do I Deal With This?

I had a death threat this week, it kind of threw me off. It was on a post it note that was put in my box, and it took me about a day to figure out who wrote it. My principal dealt with the situation, and I was very thankful that she had experience and the knowledge needed to deal with it appropriately.

I was talking to my mom this week and trying to figure out how I deal with this student being back in my class on Monday. I am angry. No one should have the right to say those kind of things, especially to their teacher. The reality is I am angry with a 7 year old, and I don't trust this particular student. I don't want to make a greater rift in our teacher/student relationship, but how can I not treat them differently...knowing they want me dead.

I truly hope that they don't understand what it means, and I hope that it was something written in anger and frustration, not as a genuine threat. But the words "Ms. J, I will kill you." are now burned in my mind. And I don't know what these students have access to at home...so the reality is that some of them could potentially carry out a threat like this. I don't want my mind to go there though, I can't live in fear. I guess all I really can do is what I have been doing all along, which is tough love towards all my students, and hope that they see how much I genuinely care about them. And pray that God gives me guidance on how to treat this particular situation.

I am glad I get to go home in 3 days.

Happy Birthday Dad!

My dad turned (6 x 9 = ?) yesterday.

So, happy belated birthday to the man who taught me how to be "flyin' Abs."

Love you.