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You Might Be a Loser If...

With the husband gone for the weekend, it seemed to be a great time to spend a few extra hours at school playing catch up- or CLEAN UP more like it. So I did. After getting our THIRD changed schedule for the school year, my student teacher and I mapped out what next week would look like, completely rearranged the students' desks, and then she took off for a packed weekend with her boyfriend's Nebraska fan family coming over to their place for the big game this weekend. I looked around the room and wondered where on earth I should start. Books. A child's education begins with the power of words, so to my classroom library I went. I sorted, reorganized, and separated at least 300 books. So there I knelt, on the carpet with my shoes off... avoiding what I call the "poop stain" which is actually the mark on my carpet left from a spilled root beer float that a parent brought in for her daughter's birthday. It took 8 years before I got a noticeable stain on my carpet, and for that, I am quite proud. However, I'm a bit disappointed in myself for forgetting on a daily basis to bring my carpet cleaner to school to take care of it... I HAVE to do it before Open House, or my parents might change their opinion of me.

Needing a break from "book" work, I went to my desk which was piled high with papers and things that needed to be sorted. Once I could see the top of my desk, I moved to the kidney table which was also piled with more paperwork. When the kidney table was done, I crossed the room to my rectangular table - you guessed it - that was also piled with paperwork and clutter that needed to be organized. When that was done, I looked at my three broken electronic pencil sharpeners that have no "home" and thought, UGH. These need to go. But I can't throw them away. Maybe they'll still work. Even though they didn't work last year, perhaps they've miraculously revived themselves and are ready to sharpen pencils once again. I put them in my take-home bag. Seeing them in my bag encouraged me to bring some unsharpened pencils home with me. I've got to make sure these sharpeners don't work somehow- I might as well take 100 pencils home to try- right? (Are you starting to understand what kind of person I am?)

As 9:40 PM rolled around, I realized, I needed to go. Not that I was done with my work, but truly, our custodian was probably ready to stop worrying about a teacher wandering around the building, and honestly maybe even hoping I'd just leave so she could be done for the night- who knows. I grabbed my backpack (Jansport that has lasted me since High School), my take-home bag, and a bag of library books that needed to be returned; said good night to Turtle and my fish, making sure their weekend feeders were ready to go; and locked up my room thinking, "I'm glad the building will be open on Sunday so I can finish getting ready for next week."

OMW- What is my problem? AND Thanks to my 14+ hour day, I've delayed my "return to eating healthy" diet and instead enjoyed a multi-cheese, grilled cheese sandwich for the first time in years. I guess I'll start fresh tomorrow. Now for this week's episode of Project Runway...

Happy Friday Night!

Secret Bursting

I have always given Dusty a hard time about not being able to keep a secret when it comes to gifts he has gotten for me, his family, or his friends. He finds something great, orders it, and as soon as it arrives he will deliver it- often unwrapped. I, on the other hand, LOVE having secret gifts and waiting to deliver them at just the right moment, all beautifully wrapped. But today, I'm pretty sure I am experiencing the kind of excitement that goes along with planning something wonderful for an unsuspecting person, that you JUST CAN'T WAIT to share with them. Today, this excitement is for a student.

This year, I'm making it a priority to read my students' writing on a daily basis (except for this past week since we have been editing and revising pieces that students want to publish as a final copy). In reading their writing each day (versus weekly) I can quickly see who is and isn't writing, who struggles or excels in getting their thoughts down on paper, and who could use a little extra motivation. The best part, however, is when you read something a student writes that lets you into their personal world that helps you understand them a little better. Two weeks ago, a student wrote about a life long dream... A dream, that upon reading, I realized I could help make come true. Thinking about it for the past two weeks didn't excite me as much as today when I started to put my plan into action. ALL I WANT TO DO IS TO TELL THIS PERSON WHAT I'M PLANNING! I'm trying not to, but I want to call his/her household TONIGHT and let the parents know of my planning. I want to spill everything. Now. But I won't. Not yet. Until, maybe tomorrow? Even though this "gift" won't truly be delivered for several more weeks.

I wonder how long I'll last...

Children are Watching

Kids imitate what they see and experience. If cussing is common at home, they tend to be caught cussing at school. If they play violent games or watch violent movies at home, they turn their lunch bananas into machine guns and pretend to shoot other children. If parents don't care about school work, more often than not, they don't give two hoots about their homework. If their actions are not monitored, they WILL find access to inappropriate things and talk about it with their peers. HOWEVER, if children see their parents taking the time to read, they will probably follow suit. If they see their parents go out of their way to help others, they will understand the power of kindness. If they are taken on a variety of excursions to learn more about the world around them, they will experience the joy of education. If they see their parents making decisions to avoid "adult content" while they're around, they won't know stuff they shouldn't know in 4th grade. Children are watching and imitating- be sure you're CONSISTENTLY modeling what you want them to become.

Watercolor Painting for Friends

Realizing I wanted some friends in the area, and knowing that I always enjoy learning new things whether it be Sign Language or miscellaneous art classes, I decided to sign up for a Watercolor Painting class that was about 5 miles from home. I tried to get a few neighbors to sign up with me, but was turned down with the excuse that "their side of the street" wasn't artistic. Boo. So I went alone. Tonight was my first class. I am pleased with the kindness and acceptance I was greeted with, however was disappointed that everyone was in their 60's (except a son of one of the women who I think was in his upper 30's, early 40's).

Everyone scattered to different areas of the home and I found myself alone in a basement room, painting in silence. The directions were to paint a positive painting using wet-in-wet and dry brush, but I had never painted with real watercolors before, so I wanted to play around. Then I was too stingy to open up a second color, so I painted completely in shades of blue. Before too long, I found out we were to share our paintings with our classmates, and I was the only one who didn't complete the assignment of a sunset with tree silhouette positive painting. Grade for following directions: FAIL. But I got a feel for how watercolor works and have given myself homework to complete the class assignment this week. Perhaps I'll even post it when I'm done. My goal is to paint a sunflower that I'm proud of by the end of the class. I've got 5 weeks...

Anyway, it was a LONG day. I got to school around 6:30am, hit the grocery store after school, then came home and went right to class until 9:30pm. I'm tired. I'm also very thankful for my student teacher who is the main teacher for the morning's lessons- I just get to pop in and add comments and directions as needed. Sweeeeet! Now it's off to bed for another early morning at school. Good Night!

Mille Bornes, Anyone?

Have YOU played the French "driving" card game called Mille Bornes? If not, find it and play it because it is truly a good time. I grew up playing this game and other "classics" as I call them. Recently, my parents came over for a grill out and Mille Bornes was recommended for the game to play by the fireplace. I remember thinking of introducing this game to Dusty earlier in our relationship, but I never did, thinking he would find it "lame." However, I should've realized that it would be a good game for him since it deals with road hazards and driving issues during your pursuit to be the first to travel 1000 miles. Dusty and I played this game tonight- he won.

So, now I'll admit another one of my problems: I collect old card games. I'm not a crazy collector or one that hunts these games out, but instead I'm the "Come Across Them" collector. Every time I find one at a garage sale, Good Will, St. Vinnies, or other thrift store, I HAVE to buy it. Seriously, who can pass up a classic game for typically under $1.00? NOT ME! Just a couple months ago I added my third Mille Bornes card game to my game closet, after just adding my third original UNO game as well. Who can see an original UNO game with all cards accounted for, for only 90 cents and say, "No?"

Unfortunately I collect more games than I play, and who really needs more than one copy anyway? If you happened to walk into my classroom, you might notice 8 sets of RACK-O on my shelves... yes, another "collectible" for me. This way, I can teach all my students at once and then they can all play at the same time! If you looked in my desk drawer, you'd find several versions of Old Maid hiding out. This game is great for pairing up students in your classroom- instead of pulling sticks or pre-arranging partnerships, why not leave it up to the characters in Old Maid? But in my world, if you get the Old Maid, you get to choose the group you work with. Then everyone wants to be the Old Maid. Nice, eh?

But from UNO to Boggle and everything in between, if it is a game I played growing up, chances are that I have not one copy, but two or three. Ever play Aggravation? A couple copies of that are on my shelves as well...

The Image in my Head

I stayed at school late tonight working on my classroom library. I want all my books to be properly shelved according to the labels my students came up with: Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy, Sports, Animals, Historical Fiction, etc. This was supposed to be an easy task. At the beginning of the year my students go through all the books in small groups and determine what category they fall under. After looking at the results of this year's attempts, I was quite disappointed. There were biographies with the adventure, historical fiction with the funny fiction, and award winning books (with the award symbol right on it) mixed in with other categories. This had to be fixed. So I sorted and sorted and sorted, finally leaving school around 7:45pm. There is something incredibly peaceful about a nearly empty school building, though, and I would rather do a project like this when it's quiet than when the building is buzzing with people I'd like to talk to.

But on the way home, while listening to my inspirational 102.5 FM, I had an image flash in my head that didn't seem all that crazy. It was an image of my students all singing, dancing, and signing the words to an upbeat song using a synchronized choreography. In my vision I saw all my students smiling, loving school, happy to be alive. I saw us performing unexpectedly like the flash mob during open house or some other school gathering. And then I thought, "I need to find a great song, now, so I can get working on this!"

Did I work too late at school? Am I that blinded to think I have the best class this year? Am I truly lacking that much sleep? Even if all those things are true, I don't care. I'll fall asleep tonight with images in my mind of my students beating all odds and coexisting in a classroom filled with complete Joy.

I Miss Jillian

Tonight is the season premiere of The Biggest Loser which is probably my favorite television show. If any of you who read this knew me in Middle School, I was extremely overweight. I got to be about 175 pounds during eighth grade, but didn't really realize how big I was. My middle school years were awful for me. I felt excluded. Lonely. One day I heard a classmate say, "Stephanie's actually being nice today." Then she turned and saw that I heard her and she looked away. I never knew of a time that I wasn't nice. I was better friends with the boys in my class because they weren't mean and judgemental- at least not that I knew of. Deciding to start High School fresh and as a new person was motivation for my weight loss. I started running twice a day around our neighborhood and cut the amount of food I was eating. In one summer I lost 35+ pounds. I understand and love seeing others go through the journey of weight loss because I know what it feels like to be uncomfortable in your own skin. I also know what it feels like to realize how far you've come. To any of you that spent time with me singing and dancing our Thursday nights away at the Dry Bean, there was one night an ex-classmate of mine saw me there and said, "Dang, you're hot." That is a memory I will never forget. =)

I must admit, however, that I'm finding it hard to watch The Biggest Loser without Jillian. Yes, she would yell and curse, and was hard to miss, but she also experienced the pain of being uncomfortable in her own skin which gave her the right to be "hard core" with the contestants over the years. I currently own a 5 DVD workout series by her that truly does give me a good workout (when I use it). When I go running in the neighborhood I actually converse with her and God. I ask God to give me the strength to keep going, because I hear Jillian screaming at me, "Is this the best you can do?!"

Thank you, Jillian, for inspiring so many people to push themselves- And thank you, Bob, for reaching just as many with your compassion and tender heart.

Help, I don't know how to enjoy myself!

I've come to the conclusion, with help of my sister, that I don't know how to enjoy myself anymore. A while back when I was complaining about needing some friends in the area, she asked me what I like to do for fun that was by myself. "What do you mean?" I asked her. She kind of laughed and asked me again what I like to do by myself when I have some extra time. She explained how she loves going to a nearby lake and swimming for pure relaxation and enjoyment. I responded with "Well, when I have extra time I clean. Find things to organize. Exercise. Work on school work. I don't really enjoy those things, but they all need to get done." She again asked what I enjoy doing. I was kind of at a loss. I like to be creative, but tend to need larger chunks of time donated to crafting. I like taking enrichment classes through MATC, but there aren't really any nearby and you have to sign up in advance. I like spending time with friends, but rarely drive the distance to see them- and that isn't a solo thing anyway. I love hiking, exploring new places, and trying new things, but I don't like to do those things alone. So what do I do with time to myself? Clean, organize, exercise, and plan lessons for school. Am I that much of a loser? Tonight, finding myself with a little extra time since Dusty was gone, I came up with a great solution to help me use my time: I read and responded to my students' journal entries WHILE working out on the elliptical. So, to my students, if you can't read my comments from your most recent writing, just ask me, and honestly, it might happen again.

But this weekend I'm planning on going to Ski-Hi for some cinnamon apple donuts- that's something I enjoy doing alone- or with someone if they're up for it. Unfortunately the season for that is short and it's also hard to justify driving that far just to get one donut and then turn around and drive back. Oh well, at least it's something!

Selfishness

Well, this blog was going to be shared with my students, but I realized that I wanted my own blog and my students can have their own. To see a new small moment daily from the eyes of a fourth grader, please go to: www.simplyasmallmomentstudents.blogspot.com. Enjoy the writings of fourth graders who are on a journey to discover what kind of writer they are.

Coffee, Cookies, and the Purrfect Socks!

I find it funny that I have a battle with myself on a daily basis- always about food. I debate with myself on whether I should buy my favorite ice cream while grocery shopping, make cookies since it has been awhile, cook brownies and add those chocolate chunks which makes them delicious, have a Hershey Kiss or two, buy some peanut butter M&Ms at the gas station, and so on. Well, yesterday I decided was going to be a cookie night. I have a routine going with Nestle Toll House's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: I split the cookie dough before adding the chips, and then put chocolate chips in half and Reeses Peanut Butter Chips in the other half. YUMMY! I prefer the peanut butter chip cookies over chocolate chip any day. So, I made them and they turned out, well, flat. Really flat. With very noticeable chip bumps. Typically my cookies turn out great, so I'm curious what happened to them. Nonetheless, they tasted just the same and I devoured several- still having the continuing debate with myself about whether I should eat "just one more" or not. Let's just say that by the end of the night, my stomach could have felt better.

So I woke up today thinking "I love my socks! Coffee and cookies sound great!" Had I said that aloud, Dusty would have said, "And I can fit a tennis ball into my mouth." A joke he consistently makes when I am completely random- which is often. I quietly went downstairs looking at my cute ankle socks that say "meow" on them in all different sizes and colors, and realize that they are the PERFECT socks for fall weather when the floor tiles have begun to get cold. I have a set of 6 of these cute cat ankle socks with different pictures on them that were gifted to me from my Aunt Faith. I always wondered when I'd really wear them, but now, as I'm on my 4th day of wearing a pair, and loving them, I've discovered that this is the time, and they are great! Now I hear the coffee has finished brewing, so I am off to fill a cup, grab a cookie (no debating on this one), and curl up on the sofa with happy, warm feet.

Happy Sunday!

A Pain in the Rear...

I got rear-ended yesterday morning on my way to work by a man who was riding my bumper as soon as I started my commute from Mazomanie to Madison. He chose to distract himself with other things instead of driving, and neglected to notice 20+ cars patiently waiting in front of him for a bus to load up children. Impacting my car was the result of his tailgating. I saw it coming, but tried to hope for the best. My coffee exploded in my car and covered pretty much everything- it went in my vents, on my ceiling, on the passenger seat, in the back seat, all over my windshield, and on me. It felt worse than it was and thankfully Dusty relieved my frustration and concern by popping my bumper back into place and wiping off the license plate numbers that had found a way to imprint themselves on my bumper. This is, the third time I've tried writing about yesterday morning, but nothing seemed to look right. I tried to add "awesome adjectives" and insert "imaginable images," but came to the conclusion that I just didn't want to devote so much time to a small moment that I'd rather not have had. So, this seed of a story will only develop into a violet, and I'll move on to write something more desirable.

Ants in My Pants!

Today was the first day I can recall where I truly had "ants in my pants." Deciding to take advantage of the beautiful weather, and knowing that it was time to get science started for the school year, I took my 4th graders outside to the school garden to observe and sketch. There were no requirements except to stay in a particular area and choose something to draw that caught their eye- after all, all scientists OBSERVE! I will thank Katy for guessing the correct ending to that statement even though she was the first person I called on. (Yes, I have a very bright group of children this year!) Once we were outside and I finished re-giving the directions to my students who didn't listen the first time (you know who you are), I sat down on the cool grass among them to create a sketch of my own.

Typically I focus on happy things, but oddly, my attention was drawn to the droopy sunflowers today. So, I began drawing a sad looking sunflower. As I worked, I felt a bug land on my lower back. Yes, I was drawing on my knees, exposing my lower back just a tad. I rushed my hand to the spot where I had noticed the "tickle," felt a bit of a squish, and continued with my drawing, ignoring my instinct of "there might be ants around." I felt a second and third something in that same area and decided it was time to take action and find out what was creeping down my pants.

I set down my clipboard with my partially drawn sad sunflower, and reached back to immediately feel something worth grabbing- AN ANT! It had, indeed, been smashed, but I knew it wasn't the only one. I preceded to QUICKLY go back to the same spot on my lower back- yes, down my pants, and pulled out another squished ant! It was TIME TO MOVE! As I stood up and looked down at where I had been kneeling, I saw that I had settled myself down on an ant hill. Lovely, just lovely. My apologies to Charlie who was behind me as I was digging to get out those little, black, ants in my pants!

Happy Tuesday!