Improvised Pantry

Well, I got tired of trying to find all of my supplies in my tiny kitchen. So I improvised a pantry out of milk crates. It screams  "single guy" to me. If I start creating bookshelves out of planks of wood and cement blocks send in some help! :) I really miss having a complete kitchen. All of my favorite kitchen things are in storage. At least I can find some of my supplies now when I am doing some cooking.  Because I'd been sick and busy for so long my house completely got away from me. I've been working on cleaning, organizing, and tossing stuff out.  It feels good to do this. Maybe I have a touch of spring fever.  Whatever is to blame it needed to happen.

My new favorite soup item is fire-roasted tomatoes. They add such a wonderful flavor to soup. Whenever the recipe calls for diced tomatoes, consider using fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Yummy stuff.  My voice is back today which is nice. We'll see if I can make it through the week with it intact.  It should be an interesting week.

Stoolie Season

It's that time of year again. Yep the bar "stoolies" are out on the street again. Remind me not to complain about cold weather it keeps the "stoolies" indoors and off the street. I must exude strong independent woman, because four guy "stoolies" watched me unload my groceries tonight. I went to town today and did most of my errands. I picked up a few groceries for a colleague as well. 

I felt like I got a lot done on my " To do" list. That is always a good thing. I have a lot to do at home starting with dishes and laundry. I got some cheap browning bananas. After I get my dishes done I will make some banana bread to freeze. I love Banana Bread. Good stuff!

Since I've had whatever virus, lung condition,  throat issue that I have; I've been drinking a lot of tea. It  has been getting me through the days lately. A couple of years ago my friend introduced me to  Teavana tea. This company sells the most amazing loose leaf tea combinations. It ruins you for all other teas. I've been drinking a lot of Apple, Lemon, Pomegranate and Blackberry Mojito. If you want dessert in a teacup Cacao Mint Black is just amazingly yummy.  My friend got me a electric tea kettle when the heat was out at school to make hot cocoa for the students. I've been using it at work to make tea when I start coughing and can't get stopped. I am sooooo over eating cough drops.

Yesterday, we finished our last chapter of Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski.  I remember when I was little she had a whole series of these kinds of stories you can't find in print anymore. It would be fun to go back and read them again I really remember liking them.  The kids really responded to this book. It was a story of neighbors not getting along well and it made for some enriching conversations. The next book we are reading is called Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore. I am excited to start this one.

We began our next PBL  on solids, liquids, and gases. The kids really started making connections what these states of matter are, but we have a ways to go. They are excited about it which excites me. Well, I'm going to rest my head. G'nite

Short Week

Well this week was round two of "Spirit Week". I guess the older kids decided to re-do spirit week since they didn't plan so well last time. I didn't do as much as requested for the week because well it was round two and we have things to accomplish. The High School students did do a great job organizing it this time and executed it very well.  It was really fun for the elementary kids so that is good. 

I am still going through a lot of mixed emotions right now. One day I totally want to move and the next not so much. The kids make my days wonderful. All the other stuff not so much.  It sounds like we are going to lose a family of five kids when they leave. I see the pressure being put on me to move in the future.  I am updating my resume and thinking things through.

Feedback

I am back online after leaving my hot spot at my out-of-town friends' house. It is good to be "connected" again. Although it was good to be a little disconnected as well. I have had a lot to think about. I've been gnawing over the pros and cons till I'm driving myself crazy. It was maybe not the best time to have a job offer because I have been ill and tired. I feel more like myself all the time so hopefully that will make it easier to make a decision.

I had some encouragement today. I was observed by a person at the state level today. I got such encouraging positive feedback. I was told that I am a "natural teacher" awww! I also got a lot of other positive feedback. It was sooo nice to get that because it validates you that you're on the right track and doing what you should be doing. I was also told it is a pleasure to work with me because I am willing to learn. WOW!  Here is the difference between what I was told today and what I usually get.  She gave me some criticism but, she also said try this strategy or teaching tool. It was very specific.  This is because she has the experience and knowledge to share. This is a huge difference from what I get from my own boss. I usually leave confused, frustrated, and irritated. I also know she doesn't know what she is talking about and she can't back up her criticism with information to help create change. That is where my bosses lack of experience really shows. So there ya go.

Today was the first really great day of work I'd had in awhile. When I got up this morning I wasn't feeling that positive. The kids were ready to work and in great moods so that started my day off well. It was good to come back. I am very grateful I could get away for the weekend I think this helped me to bounce back from my discouragement. Then the rest of the day went well.

When I went out of town and spent time with my friend who is an RTI teacher she shared a cool site called Classdojo it is a behavior management software that is free. I messed around with it and decided to use it in my classroom. Parents can log in to it at any time and see how their child is behaving in class. It compiles all the scores separately so students can't calculate how their peers are doing. Anytime you finish a class you can hit save it and start anew. Then it compiles all the behavior data and gives a percentage. It can be up and viewable by the students or off screen as well. It is done through points and gives a happy little ding when they are awarded for positive behavior. The students really bought into it as well so hopefully it will help eliminate some of those behaviors that make me a little nutty.

The snowstorm came in this afternoon and we are having a blizzard. We are supposed to have wind gusts up to 35 mph. It is definitely blowing I don't know how hard. I am glad I don't have to drive over any mountain passes tonight.  I told the kids if they rode the bus tomorrow to tell the driver to take his time. I said tell him Ms. C said it was okay to be late as long as they got there safely.  I know these kids and I know they will tell him to take it slow. They don't hold back on stuff like that. Our old bus driver makes me very nervous. I've had parents tell me they don't want to put their kids on the bus when he is running late because they feel he rushes after that.  Scary stuff.  Hey Dad want to move to Nevada and get your CDL???  I've tried to get sooo many people to get their CDL the problem is people who have it will go to make more money at one of the mines, or work for the county road department.  Well, I'd better sign off and go to bed. G'nite

Rule!

I broke my own rule on the weekend. Don’t check your work e-mail. UGGH Not sure what I was thinking. It usually adds unnecessary stress when I need to be relaxing or focusing on my life outside of work. That wasn’t a good plan. I headed east this Friday on a day when we were getting significant snow. We had close to one foot of snow when I left.  The roads were quite entertaining the whole drive. On one mountain pass I was grateful to be behind a semi-truck. It was literally plowing snow off the road with its cab.  I drove in the tracks left behind. It was slow going but it was worth it.  I got there and had dinner with the family I was visiting.  We hung out, visited, caught up on everything and I babysat one night so the parents could go to dinner.  It was soooo good to get out of town and away from the insanity.

My first day there I was offered a job opportunity. I felt like I really had to carefully consider it. I had so many mixed emotions about it. I have such a love/hate relationship with my job here. My students and their families are amazing. My boss and most of my co-workers are amazing in the opposite way. While there I spoke with the superintendent and a principal. It felt really good to be wanted. I think in part why this opportunity was so tempting is I am coming off of a month and a half of stress, illness, and just plain old tiredness.  What was a huge factor is that this job would need to start soon. I don’t think I would feel good about not fulfilling my commitment here and completing the year. I will keep you posted on my decision on this. The pros and cons are being weighed.

On the way over there I listened to the next several chapters in “The Complete Tales of Sherlock Holmes”. It was a very exciting chapter at the height of the action when “you have completed this section” blah blah blah. I kept looking thinking I had the next part, but NOOOOO I didn’t upload it to my I-pod.  So when I got there that was something I worked on. I uploaded the next couple sections. So my drive home was good and entertaining. There was a lot of snow coming down when I left but the further east I got the less snow there was on the roads and the sky. I made it home to see we got two feet of snow.  I was excited for the kids because I knew it would be a sledding day at school.  It was great because just walking through the snow to the hill was quite a workout for them.

Rest

Rest makes allll of the difference. I really needed some quiet time, some sleep time, and just time away from work. I finally got a bit of it this weekend. I went to work ready to face Monday. I think I would've gotten sick again without that. I had hit my wall. On Wednesday I head up north for another training. It will give me a chance to stock up on a few groceries and hopefully learn some good things.

This weekend we were supposed to have three basketball games. Two junior high games and one high school game. We were playing a small school similar to ours with co-ed teams. One of the parents of their students passed away so they cancelled all the games. I am sure their community is really feeling it because it is such a small town.

I plan to head east for the weekend and hang out with some friends. I talked to them over the weekend and they told me they weren't making any plans. I said "PERFECT"! A no-plan, plan sounds like a great plan!  I need to get out of town. The lunch lady calls winter the "mean time of year". I can kind of see it. The locals apparently aren't getting enough vitamin d. They don't get out enough and really start getting in everyone's business. The negativity is wearing. It may snow on Saturday but I am still heading out.

Today was school-wide pajama day. Tomorrow is "Flashback Day". I suggested flashing back to Pajama Day. A couple of people thought that was a good idea. Speaking of "Flashback Day"   I need to figure out what I am going to wear!

Teams

Well, our little co-ed team had a game last night they played against a JV boys team and won by 19 points. Today they played a JV boys team and lost by two, then played the JV girls and won by 4. They are fighters. Today I went up north to a training that was actually worthwhile. It was kind of shocking. I really hope that the method we were taught I can put into place. If it works like it was described to work, I can make a HUGE difference in students reading. I am very excited. I also got the contact info of the people who did the training. I am very hopeful about this process.

We didn't get to finish the training because I had to go purchase items for concessions and then head back for the game. We ran to the store and filled a cart and drove back. The first game was exciting because it was so close the entire game. One of the fathers of our players was getting quite loud. After the first game and before the second the ref told me if he didn't tone it down I would have to escort him out. ME, MYSELF, and I would have to escort a grown man much older than I from a game. Oh my. That idea didn't excite me so I went to the Dad and told him what the ref said (he was sitting with his wife). I turned it into a laugh but he knew I was also serious, and the ref was serious. He toned it down thank goodness. I couldn't imagine having to do that.

After the second game we cleaned up. We were supposed to have a town team tournament tomorrow but one too many teams cancelled. I am soooooo relieved. What this means for me is that I can sleep in tomorrow. Then I can head to school and finish cleaning the kitchen. YAY!  It was just what I needed because my whole self is yelling at me to TAKE A BREAK! I can tackle some of those things I need to get done before another busy week. I head north on Wednesday for my STEM class. There is a lot going on next weekend but I decided I am taking a weekend for me. With everything that has gone on this last crazy month I know I need to get out of town. So I'm heading east for the weekend. There is also a coyote derby that weekend so I will need to escape the smoke and bar sounds. My friends were quite gracious in their welcoming me. It will be fun to hang out relax and chat with fun, positive, people. I need to be refreshed like that!

Boo

Conversation with first grader:

"how do you spell book?" me
She writes boos
"That spells boos what letter did you forget?" me
"My Dad drinks booze" her
"Oh, well that spells boos like many ghosts saying boo" me
"Well, My Dad does drink booze." her
"and so does my papa,"
and on the list went... Eventually we got back to spelling book! 

Fumes

I feel like I've been running on fumes for too long. I didn't have help today until this afternoon a mom came in to help. The complete ridiculousness is burning me out.  The parents of my student have been so supportive. The complete embracing of incompetence is tiring me out. When I reflect over everything that has happened in the last month it is no wonder I am tired.  I decided to leave town in a couple of weeks. There games going on at school, but for my own sanity I need to get out of here. If someone finds fault with that they can! If I don't get a break I'm going to break! I have to go to a training tomorrow up north then come back for a game. I really hope the training is worthwhile.

My house looks like a hurricane zone again my laundry mountain is back and did I mention I am tuckered out?  I also have to do some homework for the class I am taking.  So, I am going to work on the rest part before another busy day. Hopefully, I will get my sanity back this weekend.

Blizzards, Heat, Phone!

Woke up this morning to a Blizzard. It was blowing snow. I'd say we probably got about 6 more inches. I woke up at 3 a.m. and it wasn't snowing yet. I could hear the wind starting to blow around 5 a.m. I was pretty sure we'd have some snow. One of the mom's came in and said "It is Antarctica here"!. Just 45 minutes south they didn't have anything going on. It is weird hot the storms blow through around here. 

The classroom wasn't holding much heat today. I found a couple of places where they had cut out sheet rock and you could see daylight. I went and talked to the secretary and we found a blanket to cut up and stuff in the holes. It won't keep critters out but it will keep out cold air.  I have enough heaters in my classroom now that we can stay nice and warm. It is just when you go outside of there to any room that troubles come. It is working slightly better. I don't see my breath when I'm walking down the hallway. I did find out today that they will probably start doing some renovations way sooner than we expected. Like replacing the drywall, painting, etc. The big jobs like carpet replacement will still wait till summer.  I have a feeling my classroom will be torn apart again. Uggh.

I did get my wish today. The principal stayed up north. That was a blessing. I am supposed to go to a training on Friday but then I remembered we have a basketball game Friday at 1 p.m. So I am hoping that maybe I can not go to the training. We'll see!

The co-ed team won their game tonight. I am trying to remember the final score but it escapes me. It was maybe won by 4 or 5 points. So they were pretty excited. Our gym floor is doing amazingly well. Every day is a noticeable improvement. They will still have to come in and sand it but it isn't buckling like we thought it would.

ANNNDDDD MY CELL PHONE CAME TODAY! I was VERY nervous because the contact number they put on the shipping was my cell phone number. Brilliant eh?  Luckily I was at school late because of the game and the Fed Ex guy drove up. I told him " I AM SOOOO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!" I don't think he gets greeted with such joy very often. I feel like I am connected to the world again! Hurrah!  I am sooooo happy to have a new phone.

I feel like step by step, little by little,  a bit of order is being restored in a very chaotic 2013!  

Snow and Heat

Is it awful that I really want it to snow tonight so maybe my boss won't come to school tomorrow?? I am so frustrated. I sent an e-mail to let the boss know the heat in my classroom is NOT working. Her response was to move to the tiny classroom where we had been last week. The problem in that classroom is it is next to the laundry and the grey water is backing up the smell is awful and we are sooo crowded in there! Just please, please, please get things fixed properly.  Is that really too much to ask? I borrowed three heaters along with the heaters I already had. It was nice and warm in there after that.

The kiddo's were excited by our fresh snow. One recess we did go sledding. Then we went on the playground and they were digging snow tunnels in the big piles made by the plow. They had a wonderful time re-arranging the snow. Sometimes a teacher has to get her "goofy" on and so I planted myself in the snow and made a snow angel with the kiddos. They thought that was pretty funny.

The lunch lady and my high school aides helped me get the classroom mostly back into order today.  It feels good to be back in there and the kids appreciated the breathing space. We also had access to things like computers and resources.  Weird that I would think that is important  right?? 

This has been quite the year so far. I hope I am learning a valuable lesson from all of this stress. I do feel physically better today than I have in quite awhile. I still have a cough that is keeping me up at night. It is improving though. My classroom might be the only room in the building that smells fresh and clean. I am so glad I had help washing it down. It made a huge difference. My air purifier arrived today as well so that will be great  My cell phone has not arrived yet so I am anxiously awaiting that delivery. 

P.S. I'm quite proud of myself  I "fixed" a filing cabinet drawer with a pencil and duct tape! YEP! 

Sunday

I haven't been sleeping well, in part because not feeling like I can breathe. When it wakes me up then I start thinking of everything I need to get done and then have trouble going back to sleep. It is not a good cycle. I woke up to snow today. When I went down to the school there was almost a foot of snow there and probably 8 or 9 inches at my house. Usually we have more uphill so that was kind of odd. It started snowing again this evening so we will have a snowy day tomorrow. Oh and no rugs in front of the doorways because they were all ruined in the flood. This could get interesting.

I wasn't at school for fifteen minutes and I had lost my voice. I don't know what they are doing where the mold was but the smell... well it smells like cat urine.  I didn't notice as much on Saturday because it was warm enough I opened the door and windows. I can't wait until some of these issues are resolved. I lasted about 1 1/2 hours at school before calling it quits and heading home. I had a wonderful Sunday afternoon nap. I needed it.

I caught up on dishes and a couple of other things around the house. I promised the basketball team Special K bars for helping me move all the heavy things back into place in my classroom. So I made those tonight. It is snowing pretty hard outside. The kids know if they want to play in snow they need to come in snow pants and snow boots. It might be a sledding day at school tomorrow. Which wears the kids out, which is wonderful.

There is a lot to do tomorrow to get the rest back into place. I am going to have the kids help. When I went into school the small room we were working in I went back to, to get the rest of our stuff out. It smelled terrible. There is a laundry area in that room. The grey water is backing up and oooh boy. Not good! We got out of there just in time.

Clean up!

Well, where to start. I made it through the school week. I was supposed to go to a training yesterday up north. A colleague called me the night before and said "you need to rethink this, the roads are bad, with freezing rain and freezing fog, you don't feel well, you need to rest". It was so nice to have someone from work worry about me enough to say that. I was done in. I went to work when I should've stayed home because they weren't calling a substitute for me. I needed to stay home and rest. I felt so relieved that I could say "I can't do this"!  I emailed my boss and she suggested I go to a different training next week. It isn't for my grade levels but hopefully  I will get something out of it.

Then yesterday my cell phone finally said "ENOUGH" and quit working. It hung up on a couple of people then just went completely off and even with recharging it refused to turn on again. Luckily I was due for an upgrade. My mom went in and picked it up for me and my brother told her which phone to get. So it will all be a surprise to me. I will just be glad to have phone service again.

I needed to put my classroom back together today but I wanted to be sure it was as clean as I could possibly get it. I recruited some mom's to come help me. One ended up in the hospital before coming, one bought some goats the day before that did a disappearing act when they got them home, one had a basketball game, so one ended up showing up to help me. I can't believe how much we got done in one day. I am completely pooped. I got in their early and took everything off the walls and started making a list of what needed replacing. Then the mom came and we washed all the walls, vacuumed everything, and got most things put back into place. It was such a relief you can't even imagine. One of my bookshelves took a dive and broke. I think it was pretty brittle and of poor quality so I wasn't surprised. I will still need to go in to school tomorrow to get stuff back up on the walls and put the desks into place. I know my students will be sooooooo excited to have room to breath and move. I can't wait to be back in my classroom instead of the postage stamp room we were in before.

I had a longer list than I thought I would of what needed to be replaced. Water gets into places you just never think about. It is impressive what a dehumidifier can do though because a lot more would've gotten ruined. I threw out a carpet that was in my room and the janitor was insisting I keep it. It had been there a long time and was completely immersed in water. I said something to someone else and turned my back for awhile. The carpet is gone, it's a mystery where it will end up :)! 

I was playing some music in our classroom last week of math concepts. It was so fun to sit and the back of the room and watch the heads moving and the hips wiggling to the music. I put the c.d. player on repeat and they heard them over and over again. The songs start to run through your head in your sleep. It is good though because hopefully they will remember all of these math concepts through the songs.

I am so worn out tonight. The high school basketball team wanted me to come out to one of the ranches for a little party they're having for the team. I had to decline. I need to rest another busy week is on its way.

Small Spaces

I probably shouldn't have but I went in to work today. Since they have trouble calling in a substitute I feel like I have to go in sick or not. The area where the mold was was cut out and covered with plastic. The rest of the school hadn't changed much just a few less fans and dehumidifiers. There is a smell in the air and your throat gets choked up after you are there awhile.  I did recess outside and I went every time. I needed the fresh air myself.  We can't put our rooms back in order until the insurance agent comes through and re-assesses the damage. This is so frustrating because we are cramped in a tiny space. The kids are having trouble concentrating as well. It is just crowded.

One of my kiddos I was really afraid the parents were going to take the kiddo and head south for winter. The mom came in and talked to me today and they decided they couldn't do that to me or the student. WHEW!  This is a student that just shines in so many ways. It would've been hard on me to have the student go.

I am thinking I am going to have to invest in some bleach and take everything outside to air it out. I wish I could explain what a mess this is but I don't know how to do it justice. I  have so much more empathy for people who've been through flooding now. Just when you think the clean up is done you find something else. The basketball coach is really frustrated with everything.  They actually told us if we bounced on the gym floor too much it could cause the nails to pop up. That doesn't seem to bother anyone except the h.s. coach. I think they should stay off the floor even for p.e. until we are in a safer zone. That wouldn't be a popular decision.

One of my students had a couple of melt downs today. This one had been sick as well and this was the first day back to school. I held the student and said " pajamas, pillows, and blankets and a lonnnnnnng nap sound good right now don't they?"  We both agreed that if we could, we would definitely be home in pj's. We all survived another day amidst the chaos. I  am ready to have my cold over and some kind of return to normal. The room  we are in right now is next to the gym. This isn't fun when the older kids play at lunch and during p.e. It sounds like they are  bouncing the ball in our classroom.

As I type this I had to shake my head. There is one truck that drives through town with its dog in the back head hanging out the window. I know when they've gone down the hill, and back up the hill, and home! The dog barks the whole way. I hope for the sake of their neighbors the dog doesn't do this at home.  I know this is a recurring theme but guess what? I misplaced my keys... AGAIN! I couldn't have gotten home without them so I know they are round about here somewhere. I think my keys are a perfect example of how well my brain is working this week. 

Denim, Nyquil, and Maintenance

I'm trying to remember everything that has happened and luckily I think I have some cold medicine induced amnesia. They said the mold was no longer a problem. I am not sure how they took care of the mold (after putting a blower on it and spreading spores around the school), but it was enough to convince most parents to bring their kids back.  Some kids were sick and stayed home.  My classroom is still torn up and we are still operating in a tiny room across the hall. I was sick today and since my colleague only had two students today they made her teach my class. Sounds like she resented it a little bit, but what are you going to do. I am going back to school tomorrow. I don't think I should but I think I'd better. Not sure if that makes sense. Some kids do not deal well with a change of routine and usually they are the ones who need structure in their life the most. So for them I need to go back so they feel a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos.

I slept most of the night and most of the day because of a Nyquil Coma.  I rarely use it because it does knock me out so completely. When you can't rest because of your coughing it helps. Like I said before I rarely use it. I usually don't take cold medicine at all. I just up my vitamins and wait to get better. Sometimes the way cold medicine makes me feel is worse than the cold itself. 

In the midst of all my cold crankiness  I did get some laundry done. I even dyed my blue jeans blue. Ha! I've been wanting to do that because I don't like it when BLUE blue jeans are faded. I've been wanting to dye them for awhile but was afraid of the whole process. I just did it in the washing machine which makes it a lot less work. Dyeing in the washing machine makes the washer a mess. Most of them came out really well. So that was a new experiment for me.  My laundry pile was quite the mountain.

I don't know when I will be allowed back into my classroom. My aide/lunch lady told me to delegate and take it a day at a time. I have a plan just not the energy to execute the plan right now. I can use the high school boys to put the heavy things in their place. Right now they are turning the fans off during school hours... which I am sure means we are turning the fans off during school hours.  From what I learned today the heating system is still not working. The principal told parents to call the school board or the superintendent. I am trying to figure out why the maintenance requests are ignored. I hate to blame maintenance because they have to have their spending approved. If they aren't given the dollars to fix something their hands are tied. It looks like there is a  lot of finger pointing going on. I don't care who is to blame I just want them to fix it!

I surrender!

I finally had to give it up and acknowledge that my allergies went into a cold and hopefully not more than that. Breathing all the nastiness I think weakened my immune system. I realized today that I am running a
small fever and had the chills off and on. Thank goodness for all that soup I made and froze. My favorite soup with this cold has been Taco Soup. Maybe it is the spices that make my nose run that make it so wonderful. Maybe it is that when you have a cold your taste buds are on the "fritz" and it has flavor. Maybe it is just eating something hot that makes it tasty. Whatever it is I am glad I made it because I haven't felt like doing much but whinging. 

I read a fascinating fact that if you lose something say it's name over and over again and that will help you find it. Luckily no one was around to hear me saying "laundry room key" again and again. I am very good about hanging it in the same place and it has a neon pink lanyard. I couldn't figure out what I did with it. My laundry pile was getting scary. I thought about trying the "credit card" trick to open the door. I practiced it on the bathroom door and managed to get it to work. The Laundry room door is a lot sturdier than that. I kept looking and looking. Of course it ended up in the most obvious place. Hanging from my vacuum cleaner it blended in with the bright orange cord on the vacuum. Sigh.. it's been one of those weeks or something. 

So now that I have the key I have to do some laundry. Yippee Skippee. I probably need to make another pot of soup because I am not sure what nuttiness this week will bring.

Good Attitude..

I've been failing lately at maintaining a positive attitude. I wasn't going to go down to the school today but the secretary asked me to. I went down and was completely overwhelmed. I just looked around and my shoulders sagged. I am not sure what is my responsibility, what isn't, what shouldn't be but is. It is  a mess. It really defies logic the process they have decided to go through to take care of the problem. I know very little about construction... but I know enough to know there is a lot being done backwards in this process.  It is wearing me out.

I think why it bothers me so much is that they expect small children to go back into this environment and learn. We'd be better off in a tent  out in the parking lot with a wood stove.  At least there would be some fresh air available.

Today I missed my good friends baby shower up north. I missed her face!  I am not a baby shower/wedding shower type of person. So if I give one I try to up the fun stakes. If their is chocolate cake it makes it all  "more better"  smile!  I will go to them for good friends.... otherwise I'm quite busy that day!  I can't for my friend to get her special delivery.

So  I am working on having a better attitude. I think when I am feeling better it will help. Homemade soup from the freezer helps too! Thank goodness  for homemade soup! 

Silver Linings via the Lunch Lady

Well, let's see the Dr. said I have allergy induced asthma (duh). So I got and inhaler and some antihistamines. The principal called me in the morning and only five students came to school so she decided to cancel school until Tuesday. The principal was NOT happy withe the students and parents for keeping their kids home. It sounded like the air quality was worse today than yesterday. I think we all needed to get out of that environment. Everyone I talked to that was there today sounds like they are getting a cold so it wasn't doing much for their health. The principal said if the students can't come to school they can't play their games on the weekend. Oh brother, If they were just ditching school I could understand.  Anyhow, so the principal is punishing them for not coming. So I had to cancel the games. I felt really bad but what else could I do.

I didn't get a lot done for my class but I did get a good starting point. Now I have a five day weekend to work on it so I can send it in to them to take a look at it and get some feedback. I was able to do a little shopping up north and got some new boots that aren't water logged and restocked on my groceries. There are always a few things they end up not having. So hopefully my next shopping trip will have those items.

The lunch lady called me and she gave me a list of silver linings about all of this drama. She talked the senior center who makes our lunches into getting rid of this thick hard multi-grained bread off the menu.She also talked them out of the nasty fake cheese sauce they put on the macaroni and cheese. You know when kids refuse to eat macaroni and cheese something is wrong. They are making mac-and-cheese from scratch now and are letting the kids vote on a couple new options. Most of the lunches are amazingly good so the couple of things that weren't good really stood out. 

The other silver lining was she is going to help me re-arrange my room and help me get more organized. Since everything had to be moved it is a great opportunity to try something different. She also told me she was hiring an interior decorator  to redo my room. So basically the lunch lady gave me a few laughs to help me move past the nonsense. It was appreciated. 

The last silver lining was they discovered black mold from a leak we had last year. Since all this testing was done it was found and is going to be taken care of. 

Given a little more time I will come up with some of my own. Today though I really appreciated the lunch lady for the laughs.  So this weekend will be some school work, some house cleaning, some laundry, and some rest. All of those are needed. 

Appendix

Well, the good news... it looks like we cleaned the gym floor soon enough to save it. I was down at the school all day yesterday cleaning up and getting ready for the cleaners to come in and work on phase two of the flood cleanup. The fans were blowing all day and the humidifiers running. They maintenance crew came and worked on the heating system and "jerry-rigged" it so that it is kind of working. Sort of. Anyhow, the principal and the super pushed very hard to have the school back open today. Even though when they left yesterday the hygienic report had not been done. That is the report that checks for mold, mildew, asbestos and other pleasantries. They also schedule the drillers to come in to check the walls for moisture etc, the fire marshal, the cleaners, phone company and more. I am not sure why they thought it would be good to have learning going on during all of that. I can only think that it comes down to money. It is not a healthy environment to work, breath, or learn in.

I went home last night exhausted, not feeling well, and frustrated. I realized today that whatever the fans are blowing around triggered my allergies and my lungs feel tight. I am going in to a Dr. tomorrow so hopefully I will be breathing a little easier. My poor sub said the room was cold and she had brought in her own heater. She said the humidity was high and it really smelled. All of the students were complaining of sore throats by the end of the day. She also said the copier wasn't working along with the phone systems. Another teacher also called me and said the dust from the drilling, the lack of heat, the moisture, the who knows what blowing through the fans made an unpleasant day. 

So I made it to a northerly town for my training today. I had numerous phone calls about many things school related. The principal told me to contact the secretary and I kept trying without an answer. I finally got through and she was in the hospital having an emergency appendectomy. So there ya go. She will be out for awhile. I can only hope her sub is efficient and on top of things. It was good to come up north for my class but I am totally pooped.  I went out to dinner with some colleagues and did a quick grocery store stop and came back to go to bed.  Tomorrow I am going to the Dr. before class to hopefully get some help. 

It has been an eventful couple of weeks, I  am ready for some rest.

Floods and Freezing

Well.... you know what happens when you don't fix the fans that move heat through the school? Yep you guessed it pipes freeze!  GO figure. I kept saying we're so lucky a pipe hasn't frozen. Well one of the pipes in the ceilings froze. It flooded virtually every room in the school.  Luckily it froze near the entrance of the school and it didn't come from above in every room. I am really disgusted because this could have been prevented. I know we will have to get all new flooring throughout the school. The gym floor has started buckling so that will have to be replaced as well. If you've ever had flood damage you know how it can seep up  through things so I think we only have a glimpse of the damage done.  I am not sure how cold it is here tonight but it is well below zero.

I called all of the parents and we canceled school for sure tomorrow but I am not sure about the following day yet. We had to turn off our server and the back up battery. The back up battery was sitting in water. I am not sure when we will have computer access again. My boots were soaked through and my pant legs were soaked up to my knees. I had to go home and change after we had the worst taken care of.

I was defrosting hamburger to make soup tonight so I made a pot and took it down to the school along with some Hot Chocolate. We made coffee and Hot Chocolate so hopefully the workers sent in to do clean up will stay awake until it is done!  I know Hot Chocolate doesn't need to be capitalized. If you are me and it is your go to hot drink, you would capitalize it as well! :) 

What a long weekend. We are meeting for breakfast in the morning. I can't even imagine what a long process this is going to be. Getting anything replaced will take a long, long, time!  The people who came to do clean up have been very busy in our state this year. They actually had to go purchase more equipment to bring to our school. The pipe was near the entrance, the heat wasn't working, and there was no insulation around the pipe. UGGH.....


Tomorrow morning we are meeting at a local cafe for breakfast and then going to work. I am so glad to come home to an electric mattress pad and a warm bed. G'nite

5 Feels Like -5

Not sure how cold it will get tonight but it is already way up on the "BRRRRRRR" Scale!  I don't know if you measure coldness by that where you live I think it is fairly accurate!  We had a Jr. High ball game this afternoon. I got to school to make sure as much as possible was ready and guess what?????? NO HEAT!!!!! The fans were pushing cold air! I am so irritated by this. The silver lining is that people spent a lot on concessions. They'd spend a lot to stay warm.

There was a funeral today for a former town resident that grew up here. I didn't attend the funeral just talked with some of the family. It was extraordinarily sad on so many levels. It sounded like this guy wasted his life. He ended up dying of an overdose. Do you know how they are celebrating this sad life after the funeral?   By going out and getting as wasted as possible. It does not make sense to me. Very sad. 

They are opening the bar below my apartment tonight to continuing "honoring?" the deceased.  Luckily I ran into a nice person at the gas station  who invited me to stay at their house. They are a colleague and understand! When I went to the gas station many of the funeral attendee's were there buying more beer. They seemed like a rough and rowdy bunch and I want do not want to be home. I have a feeling things won't go down well on the bar scene this evening.

My parents went over a hill to a different sort of funeral today for my Great Aunt. It sounds like they honored her life in many special ways. I'm glad my Granny will have her brother for comfort.

I am quite jealous because after the funeral my parents got to hang out for a little bit with my adorable little cousins. I will get over it but expect pouting!   Stay warm where ever you may be.

Blizzards and Brains

One of my students seemed to have left the brain at home. After awhile I teased and said
 " When you woke up this morning did you take your brain out and leave it on your bed?"  
With disgust student  replied  "Noooo, Miss C. I don't have a zipper on my head! Hello!"  Eventually this student managed to reboot the system and get to work.  

One half of my class was gone today either due to sickness or the blizzard. So we kind of had an easy day where we caught up on things and did some online work. I probably don't let them online as much as I should in this digital age. However, using it as a reward works well!  It was snowing hard this morning but then stopped for most of the day until the kids were leaving school for the day. It started up again fast and furious. Basketball practice was cancelled to give everyone time to get home. I ended up leaving school late and it was dark. I could barely see the snow was coming down and it was blowing. The median bumps helped me to stay out of the middle of the highway.  On the way to school I managed to follow the snowplow on the main highway and on the way home as well. So that helped. I parked off the street so hopefully they will plow in front of my house. 

It isn't that we have gotten a lot of snow so far. It is just that the wind blows it and it drifts quite quickly. It doesn't take a significant snowfall to make some serious drifts.  Monday we will have a lot of spelling tests to make up. I have a class on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully, the storm will have moved on quite a bit by then so that I can get there safely.

We continue our reading of "Strawberry Girl" by Lois Lenski. A staple food in the story is Hominy Grits. The kids really have no experience with grits. I decided next trip to town I need to get some and cook them up. I have no experience with cooking grits but I'll just make it "Dad" style and add extra butter.  I am thankful it is the end of the week. I am hoping all of the sick kiddo's or just getting sick kiddos get healthy over the weekend. Then maybe they won't bring it back to school. We've been lucky so far not to have any illnesses pass through school. I think most of the germs were shared and brought back from Christmas Vacation.  It has been so cold and my gloves as thick as they are don't really stand up to the cold. Which makes my hands hurt. I also have a huge pair of Artic Mittens. Once I've put them on the last thing I want to do is remove them. They completely do the job though. My hands stay toasty. I need to get a thicker pair of regular gloves because it is difficult to do much in mittens.  Well, stay warm...
G'nite

Their, There, They're...

I am constantly re-teaching my students the difference between the three "There" words. However, I keep catching myself making the same mistake. I am saying "their" in my head and typing "there"! Uggh!! This is why we need someone to read our writing once in awhile. Grammatical errors are quite easy! I apologize in advance for the errors that will no doubt occur... right now...and in the future.

The grammar program we are currently using is really great. I am learning so much from it. It is systematic and reviews the same concepts so many times it really helps it sink in. I only wish they had a program for first grade. I guess just getting first graders writing at all is the challenge. I really noticed last year and this year I really had to push them to write at all. Right now I feel like I've accomplished something major when I get them to write two complete sentences. I am going to keep pushing hard because they need to be doing better than this!

I have started my kindergarten student on spelling tests. Kinder really feels grown up when Kinder does the spelling test. Kinder is VERY ready for it though. Kinder is a capable reader for beginning phonics books but a little resistant. Why should Kinder read when others can read much more interesting books to Kinder?

We are supposed to get more snow tonight and I am looking forward to it. I love how it brightens everything up! I moved my car off the street. That way if the plow comes through or the sander in front of the saloon will get done. It has been kind of a nutty week. I had a couple students out running fevers. Hopefully, they don't share it. I am taking Airborne and hoping for the best.

Melodious

I am reading "Strawberry Girl" by Lois Lenski to my class. It is a great story lots of  lessons and laughs. Today in our chapter the family went to a "sing" at church. The organ music was described as "melodious". A bouncy enthusiastic kindergarten boy's hand shot in the air.

"What does melodious mean?"  Kinder
"It means it sounds beautiful." Me
"Oh! How Romantic!" Kinder

The giggles started there! It was a difficult chapter to get through today because of many interruptions. The students didn't want to just listen to the story but share their own. I wasn't sure we'd ever finish the chapter. One of my third graders got frustrated and hollered out "NO MORE INTERRUPTIONS!" We made it through the chapter.


Sad news: I found out my great aunt passed away today. She was very special to my granny. She brought her many meals, drove her to town for shopping and doctor appointments. She always took a lot of time for my Granny. So my thoughts are with my Great Uncle and his family.

heat, soup, hash...

Well.... yep NO HEAT! I am resigned to the situation at this point. The janitor came in and started the heaters at 5 a.m. I am uncertain of consistency with this  helpfulness, but I did appreciate it today. I heard rumors it was working on Friday but it doesn't last long. The kids come in from outside at recess and take off their coats. It doesn't take long before they ask to go get their coat on again. So there it is the cold continues. Our menopausal secretary sits at the desk in her scarf, hat, and triple layers and dreams of having a hot flash.

I defrosted some taco soup I'd made quite awhile back for dinner tonight. It really hit the spot. I forgot to label the container and as it was defrosting I remembered... yummy Taco Soup. I didn't have tortilla chips or tortillas to go with it but it was hot and good!

Tonight I am making  some corned beef hash to eat on! I remembered the pepper dad!  It is a great wintertime dish. Hot filling and easy to make. I will freeze some of it as well. There are too many late evenings at school. Then I come home and think "Cook? Yeah Right!"  So I love my previously made frozen dinners. The ones made by me that is. Once in awhile when I hit the store I grab a frozen dinner from the frozen section....then later say to myself "WHY DID I BUY THIS?".  So, I am getting better all the time at figuring out what dinners I can make ahead and freeze. Some freeze better than others so this is a continuous experiment  .

This is the time of year to buy ice cream, frozen juice, and Popsicles. I haven't figured out how to get them home in the summer unless I purchase it from the Schwan's truck. I don't often crave ice cream and luckily one of the restaurants has an ice cream machine. However, if one wants to prevent scurvy and the like, you must purchase your frozen juice in the winter. So it is on my list.

I need to go turn the potatoes... G'nite

Death of a Kindle

My poor Kindle finally gave up and died. I doubt many people used their Kindle as much as I did. It has went with me everywhere. It has delivered books with barely any service in the boonies. It fell in the bathtub once but with a couple of days to dry it started up again. This device has alleviated boredom in the boonies time and time again. Sigh. I had a back up Kindle that I would use once in awhile but it wasn't connected to the 3G network which made it impractical where I am at. Anyhow it will do until I decide which device I want to get next time.  I may stick with the old boring standby. I am tempted by the  Paperwhite which lights up according to where you are at. I just see that wearing out sooner along with the touch screen. I looked at the Kindle Fire which have all kinds of  apps and fun things. As tempting as that is I just want to read books on it not play " Clouds and Sheep" before going to bed. I want it to remain an object of relaxation, not an object of  so much entertainment I stay connected in my sleep.  So I think I've pretty much made my mind up to go with the "old school" Kindle.  It is just a bummer. I read every single day at some point.  So goodbye old Kindle you served me well.

Let there be HEAT!

Brrr, second day in a row without heat. I ran the space heaters in my classroom all day. We partook of Hot Cocoa and tried to get some work done. Sitting in the classroom in hats and coats seems a little nuts but it is true. Getting kids working isn't very easy when they are cold. Luckily most of them brought snowsuits so that they could play in the snow. So they could put on another layer if needed.  Our low last night was 10 below. When the kids arrived at 7:45 it was 3 below. Takes a building a long time to heat up under those conditions. Apparently our boiler is heating it just isn't pushing air. I guess we should've had class in the boiler room.  I finally decided I'd had enough this afternoon and contacted a school board member. Hopefully, someone will be down over the weekend. My old aid stopped by after school yesterday and brought an electric teakettle, hot cocoa, and cups. I really appreciated that. I needed to cook something hot for dinner, haven't decided what that will be yet. I might just heat up some soup.  One of my high school aids said she went home and her parents were asking her why she was so cranky. She finally said  "cause I was cold all day long". It does make you feel kind of cranky when you can never get warm. I am looking forward to my electric mattress pad and a good nights sleep!

Optimal Learning Temperature

So last night our low was -12. Got to school this morning and the heat is not working. It works in one room in the whole building.  My classroom was a balmy 42 degrees when I came in. I don't recall what the optimal learning temperature is but there have been studies done on it. I am sure that 50 degrees isn't it. I told the kids it is hard to think and learn when all you can think is "I'm COLD!". It is also hard to teach when all you can think is "I'm COLD!".  Our high today was 29 degrees. It isn't worth it! Seriously! Freezing. I could hardly wait to come home for a big cup of HOT COCOA! When you are wearing your coat, hat, and gloves.. in the classroom... That is a problem.

Ready or not..

Ready or not here we go again. Back to work tomorrow. Am I ready? uhhh pretty much NOPE I sure am not. Sigh...! It is a short week so hopefully I can be a little more ready over the weekend. A cold snap has hit here, and there, and all across the nation apparently. This doesn't make one want to get up and go in the dark of the morning.

This break there wasn't a plan that went according to plan. Snow, snow, snow, more snow car break downs, more snow and did I mention snow?  I discovered that car dealerships will lie to you over and over again. They will manipulate circumstances so that they don't have to help you. I learned from this experience. I couldn't believe the difference when I called the dealership down here. They ordered the part, worked me into their schedule, and got the job done. It was such a relief.  Hopefully, I won't have any car issues for awhile. It has been a very entertaining fall with car problems.

Also over break a parent called and said they thought their child had head lice. So then you start scratching whether you need to or not. I think I drove my parents crazy having them check and recheck.  I always said if I ever got them again I was shaving my head. No shaved head yet. I did buy the shampoo just in case. I really can't stand the idea of having head lice. Head lice plus long curly hair... bad news! Hence the promise to shave my head of I should ever get it. Sounds like a reasonable solution to me.

I got back to an ice-skating rink on my porch steps. The roof-line is in the perfect spot for icicle creation and dripping onto my railing and steps. When I'm home I knock the icicles down with enough frequency that it keeps most of it off my steps. I got out the ice melt, a broom, and a hammer. I've managed to eliminate the worst of it for now. It hasn't warmed up enough to melt the ice and snow in a large enough amount to slide off the roof. That is what I am hoping for. The sun has been shining just enough to heat it up to melt and immediately freeze. Optimal icicle weather. 

I caught up on laundry, paperwork (at home), and a little home cleaning. It is much better than before the break. I did get to hang out with some good friends over the break which is always a good thing. It helps to get away.  My next concern is how we are planning as a school to deal with emergencies. What we discussed doing as a practice round will seriously frighten my students. I have to come up with a plan. I am meeting with another teacher who noticed the problems with the plan as well. Hopefully, we can find a way to deal with this that won't have the students scared. You can make different plans with older students, they understand the risk and danger. The little guys ...like I said I'm not sure what to do. I have to come up with something because the plan mentioned at our meeting will seriously frighten the kiddos. 

I ordered a Christmas present for myself. I purchased some dehydrated vegetables. I am tired of stuff going bad before I have a chance to use it. It will be interesting to see how it goes. I haven't used any yet but when I do I will let you know. When I was at home mom and I made a lot of soup for her freezer. She is in the soup now. It will give her a lot of winter lunches. I love how well most soups freeze and defrost. It is my favorite winter meal. When you come home on a cold, cold, night knowing you can have a hot meal in short time is wonderful.

There has been some things on my mind as of late. One of the most important things you can do in your life is keep good people around you. This helps to keep you on a good track, and eliminates a lot of drama from your life. You have to be extremely careful who these people are. Sometimes when you are with someone you have fun for a short while but you feel yourself dragged into something unhealthy for you after a bit. It is a dangerous line to walk. You can tip over that edge in the blink of an eye. What are the people you are hanging with feeding on. When you take a step back and look at that it can be quite frightening. Keep good people around you it is extremely important.

Dealerships and beef!

I was told not to do any heavy lifting after donating 2 pints of blood. As I was packing up to drive north I thought ummmm  "this is what they were talking about". I always manage to forget something and this time I forgot my camera, a Christmas tree, and a couple other small items.  My arm is finally starting to feel a little "normal" today which I am relieved about because it was like limp spaghetti. Anyhow, I made it north ahead of a storm that blew  all through the night. I was hoping to see more snow today but there wasn't enough to impress me much.

On the way up my check engine light came on so I got it into a mechanic today. The problem is covered under warranty by federal law. The mechanic called the local Toyota dealership and the guy lied to him. So he called another dealership in a bigger town where it was confirmed it was covered. So he told me not to take any flak when I went into the dealership.  So I had Dad follow me in. I asked the guy his name it was the name my mechanic had talked to. I said " I will talk to anyone but you, bring in someone else".  "Okay but what did I do?"  " I said I will talk to anyone but you". Then I waited patiently as he called the other guy a couple of times.  I said "I need a new part on my car which is covered under warranty. When my mechanic called here that guy ( I said pointing toward him) said it was not. Which is wrong it is covered!" He could tell I was wearing my cranky pants. He signed me up to come in tomorrow first thing and have it replaced. As I walked out I suggested "He make sure his people know what they are talking about".    Dad found this whole thing highly amusing. I will be interested to hear his version of the tale as my "intimidator"

I have been craving beef like crazy so I know I need to get my iron back up. I got some orange juice because Aunt S. I remember you telling me it helped the body absorb iron!  I was given a really yummy soup recipe by one of  my parents so I am off to make that.  Avoid dealerships they and lawyers go hand in hand. UGGH!

Chilly

Well the last day of school before break. Pretty much is controlled chaos. I pushed hard to get some work done this morning. This afternoon was a losing battle.  Luckily the weather co-operated and we had fresh snow. So I pulled out the sleds and wore them out quite successfully. It was necessary after the candy canes!  These kids and sugar are not friends whoo... it is a virtually instantaneous combustion.  Then they need to have some free range time.  One of the parents video-taped the Christmas play so we watched that this afternoon. It was funny watching them watch themselves. They thought they were pretty funny.

After school I was helping get the national anthem together for the ball game and a multitude of  other tasks when I remembered I'd signed up to donate blood. ON GAME NIGHT?? What was I thinking. Yea I wasn't. Then I said I would donate doubles. WHAT WAS I THINKING? I hadn't done that before. A new and chilling experience. Literally chilling they brought be a blanket and a couple of heat packs. It was pretty much how I felt after afternoon recess  standing in the blowing snow throwing saucer sleds up the hill to speed up the sledding process. I have a good arm. Anyhow back to the blood thing. I had to go eat my cookie afterwards, put on a pair of gloves and some slippers. BRRR. Then I made some hot cocoa and started to feel warm again.  All of the warming up though happened after....

I was asked to introduce the national anthem, the opposing team, and our team tonight. I don't have an announcer voice.  I don't think I messed it up too badly though. I did it in the right order .... so what more can you ask for? Well other than asking someone else to do it. Our refs had to drive through some weather to get here but they made it fine. It is getting pretty cold tonight so the roads were slick. Tonight I wasn't alone leaving the building four of us left together which I appreciated.

I received a few Christmas Gifts from my students. Homemade bread, fudge, jam, (shhh don't tell Dad), a neck warmer, and other fun things!  I also received some personalized stickers. That made my day they were pretty fun. I was excited to stick them on some spelling tests today :)! The kids are all about the stickers.
A little house cleaning tonight and some packing, cleaning, laundry tomorrow. I am heading north tomorrow. Taking the slightly longer route to have some better roads.  I have my I-pod charging to listen to some more Sherlock Holmes on my drive. If you like British television you must watch their modern version of Sherlock Holmes called "Sherlock". It is awesome.  I have one more episode to watch on Netflix.

Goodnight

Unexpected....

Okay clean house... You never know who will come knocking! OH my! My house is a disaster...and then a knock comes at me door. I was a little irritated thinking " who would be knocking at this hour?" Hasn't everyone gone home? What do they want? Well it could just be someone you know and want to see :)! A pleasant surprise driving through! I had cleaned one half of my house this weekend. Unfortunately it was the back half that no one sees.... Other than the bathroom. Oh boy!   Anyhow they took me to dinner at a local eatery. It tasted pretty good. I haven't eaten there before. It is a place that the kids who work there don't usually eat there. But I saw who was working tonight and I know they wash their hands...so we should be good!

Oh man it was such a shock to see familiar faces from home on my porch. Next time they come  I will clean house and they will have to stay awhile!

Cross Country

I pulled out my cross country  ski's I got for last years Christmas and finally had an opportunity to test them out. They worked great.. their operator experienced a few errors. I'd forgotten a few things. For  instance how to turn corners. The importance of tying your boots really tight. How the snow blows in this state leaving snow deceptively shallow or deep. There is a kind of rhythm to it that I had lost. Hopefully, with a few more practice rounds I will get a little smoother. It was fun and felt great. I always feel better when it snows. I think I breathe easier. That may or may not make sense but I've always felt that way. Perhaps it is the fresh air, the cold air, or the combination of both. I LIKE SNOW! Some people find this ridiculous and annoying.  Let it snow and let it stick!  After the eight inches we got last week it has been spitting snow since then. Not enough to stick really well and build up. This is disappointing. Hopefully, we will get more. I'm ready!

I was going to make soup on Friday and I was missing two key ingredients. It was such a bummer. I am still thinking about that soup. I really thought I had my spices lined up and all of them. I was wrong. Sigh. I am going to get some freeze dried veggies and check my spice list twice. It is frustrating buying veggies because sometimes once I get them optimistically I don't have time to turn them into soup etc. This is why I have a cooking day or two before school starts!  I think freeze dried veggies would be a good alternative. At least for what I can't get frozen. Some veggies freeze well. Some don't.  Also some dehydrate very well. I was thinking it would be fun to get a food dehydrator and learn to do it. Then I remembered I am one person and that would be over kill to do for one person. I also thought briefly it would be fun to learn how to freeze dry food. Then I read up on it and decided I didn't inherit enough engineering abilities  to execute that properly. Well, maybe I did but once again it seemed like a lot to do for one person.  A few of the mom's here dehydrate food. One make some amazing fruit leather out of pears. It almost tastes like candy without any sugar added.

I went over the mountain to hang out with a friend yesterday. We made a gazillion sugar cookies. It was fun to hang out with her. I've never understood the significance of sugar cookies. There is no chocolate involved. Their taste is only well... sugary. I can understand a little kid thinking they were the best thing every. Like I mentioned before... NO CHOCOLATE! I am not saying all desserts must have chocolate I'm just saying all the best ones do.  The second best desserts involve fruit. Other than the one HUGE Exception and that is FRUIT CAKE! Everyone always says you don't like it because you haven't had "MY" fruitcake. The only "fruitcake" which isn't cake that I like is banana bread. That would be way way better as a gift than fruitcake. Hey I'd even take a loaf of zucchini bread.  Fruitcake uggh.

I had e-mailed my principal this weekend because I had concerned parents contacting me. Sounds like there will be some plan implemented. I am thinking it might be an already existing plan. It isn't enough but I am trying to be glad the principal is addressing it in some way.  Well I have homemade chicken noodle soup heating up and I need to check on it. Not the soup I wanted to make but I live in the boonies. So adaptation is necessary.

Dump run

My toilet overflowed tonight which led to cleanup, which led to laundry, which led to more cleaning, which led to trash, which led to taking out the trash. I couldn't stand leaving the trash outside for the night so I decided to make an 8p.m. dump run. I found out that they plow the road to the dump. Which the jack-rabbits hop on and then are too scared to jump over the snow piles to safety so they run in front of your car for a long ways before tiring out and jumping next to the snow pile and playing invisible.   Dad said this series of decisions must've seemed logical to me.  Apparently, not to him.  Once you start cleaning you hate to lose momentum.

This week kind of felt like  two weeks in one. Not because it was a bad week, just a busy week. We had the town live nativity. It was as entertaining as last year. No one seems to know Christmas Carol's well enough to sing them with confidence. One of my students came and sat next to me. She was brought to the nativity but couldn't really figure out what it was all about. She attends or participates every year but hasn't been told the significance of the story.

We were also prepping for the Christmas play. One of the mom's took the ball and ran with it. Which was awesome because I simply didn't have time. She recruited a couple other mom's to help and they got the backdrop and stage done up in style. It came out really cute. The kids did a great job. One student that I called my "wild card" said the lines loudly and with confidence. Every practice this student acted like it was torture, embarrassing, boring, or plain annoying. Then suddenly was ready to go and proud of it.  Somehow they decide to come through. 

We also got about eight inches of snow on the day of the play. I brought out the sleds and we went sledding during recess. The kids had a blast. I didn't let anyone else take them to recess because I lacked the confidence  that they would supervise carefully.  I had four saucer sleds and they were perfect for the little hill at the school.  I took  a lot of pictures of their sledding fun.  How many kids do you know that get to sled at school?


Talking about school tonight makes me reflect on a recent school shooting. To be honest if I were a parent. I am not sure I would send my student to public school. It only takes one  crazy person, or sociopath to turn school into a  nightmare. There are so many laws about keeping weapons out of school that it leaves the staff and students vulnerable. What will be done to protect us? It seems that in this day and age we protect the criminals more than the victims or potential victims.

Next week we only have two days of school before our break starts. I am so ready. I've been pushing hard for long enough that I am feeling tired. We all need a break.

Christmas List

Last week one of my students was waiting to get some help from me. While waiting I hear her (ever so quietly...ahem) Whisper to the girl in front of her " I may seem like a normal student on the outside, but on the INSIDE I'm a WARRIOR". I got the giggles and  the rest of the kids followed. So watch out for those normal looking students.. they may have some Ninja powers you are unaware of.

This weekend we went to ride the Polar Express. It was so much fun and so well done. Every person who rode the train came home with a silver bell with the Polar Express stamped on it. They served hot chocolate and cookies. We sang Christmas Carols and they invited all the kids to the front car to sing on the mike. We heard Jingle Bells many times.  They all know Jingle Bells. Almost my whole class had the opportunity to sing a song. Pretty fun stuff.  They also wore their pajamas on the ride. It was really fun and great to see that light in the kids eyes.

When a couple of my students arrived with one set of parents. The mom pulled me over and said her daughter was teaching her friend how to "preg check" a  mare on her unicorn pillow pet. I laughed so hard. You can take the girl off the ranch....but.... you can't take the ranch out of the girl.

Today I asked my students what I should get my brother for Christmas. Here was their list.

Baseball Bat
A Tux
A basketball
A Ferrari
Baseball cards
A "Scream" Mask
A Tiara
A golfball
A Dog
A Gun
A princess dress
A Monster Truck
A wig
A Tutu
A Guitar
A Viking
A Bull
A LapTop
Saran Wrap over his door
A Sword
A Real Dragon

I thought it was a very comprehensive list.  :)

Update: Forgot to share that we didn't have heat at school today... all day. When I arrived my classroom was a little over 40degrees. We submitted a ticket to get the maintenance people here. Then the secretary called at 9 a.m. They tried to reset the computer remotely and that didn't work. They said they would come down and we never saw them. I am hoping we have heat tomorrow.

Also, the janitor came back from a week off. bummer. She complained about the lack of flushing of toilets. This didn't seem to happen with our substitute janitor. I think the kids are doing it on purpose to her because of her crankiness. I wasn't very receptive to this complaint. She threatened the kids with locking up the bathrooms. Oh yea that will solve the problem. Then they will go somewhere really awful that will be miserable to clean up. While she was gone the substitute janitor had a whole bunch of kids helping her clean. They were thrilled to have clean bathrooms. Maybe that is part of why my empathy was gone.

Band-aid

Once in awhile the health department comes to give vaccinations at the school. The first time they came I got my flu shot. At that time I asked them to bring a Tdap vaccination. I asked for a couple of reasons. I live in the boonies chances of injuring myself and needing a tetanus shot is likely. Also, whooping cough has been going around  the state and that's all I need. So they forgot it the next time they came. Then they said they'd bring it by on the way to another community, meet me and give it to me in the parking lot. They brought it but forgot to meet me. This time they came down they brought it.  I was pulled out of my class to go and get the shot. When I came back the kids asked where I went. I said "To get a shot".  "DO WE HAVE TO GET ONE?" they asked. "Nope you are all up to date on your shots". Of course they were thrilled about that. Then they asked "Did it hurt?" "Nope just a little pinch" I said. Then they asked if they could see my band-aid. That was very important to see the band-aid. They didn't ask if I got a lollipop so maybe that part isn't so important. :)

I got a ride to town to pick up my car today. I really would've enjoyed a longer sleep. I did get home early enough that I think I will have a nice nap. I still feel like I am fighting getting a cold but so far  my body is fighting it off.  Rest is important though. Tomorrow we go ride the "Polar Express" for a class field trip. I had anxiety about putting everyone on the bus with our elderly bus driver. So we are car-pooling. If we only had a couple of suburbans we could do it without the bus. I read the kids the book yesterday and so it will be fun to see what they think of it. I have never watched the movie but I have heard it is a good one. Hopefully, the ride holds up to their imaginations.  It gets very cold on the train so I have to remember to dress and bring a blanket or two.

When we got to town this morning we decided to stop for breakfast at a local cafe. Every baked good is made right there fresh and mouth-watering. I had a homemade biscuit with my breakfast that was amazing. I decided to try eating eggs again because I had avoided them for so long I thought maybe I could get away with it. I was wrong. My egg allergy seems to get worse as my age increases. It is a bummer because I love the taste and they are good for you. I just seem to reject them in a big way. I could eat organic for awhile but now not even those.  Oh well, back to no eggs.


My boss came down yesterday for a check in. She said she was bringing me a book next week called "The 5 Levels of Leadership". I knew very well what she was getting at. She said that I am a natural leader I just need to reign it in a bit.  I told my former aide about this and she suggested I purchase her "Administrating for Dummies" I looked it up on Amazon and it hasn't been published yet :).  I am very direct. I am also tired of our leadership making it okay for people not to do their jobs. I don't want to be the leader of anything but my classroom. I want my leader to LEAD effectively. If this happened all of us would enjoy our jobs soooooo much more. I have to tell myself throughout the day to  focus on the students. They're whats important. I feel like most of the time I am successful at this.

 I've been reading a book to the students about a man who started an orphanage. Every step of the way in all of his decisions. He prayed. I think as a country we'd better get back to that. I feel trouble ahead.

Home Game

Our first home game was quite exciting. I could barely take the anxiety. One of our girls is a fighter. The boys on the other team were intimidated by her and she made them mad. She would growl at them and get in their face. It was so fun to watch. They started tripping her and elbowing her and she didn't let it get to her she got more aggressive.  We did lose by eight points but considering we only had three on the bench and they had 10 I think that is pretty cool. 

I felt like I was getting sick all day so I took some Airborne and Zicam cold remedy. Hopefully, I can fight it off because I simply don't have time to be sick. I was watching my students eat junk food at the game tonight and thought to myself ummm great their brains will work well tomorrow.  It is amazing the effect bad food has on the kids. Send your kids with a healthy breakfast and don't overdo the sugar. I can tell within the first hour usually who ate a good breakfast and who did not.

I came home and kind of collapsed on the couch. It was a long, busy, day. I have some parents coming in to help next week which will be wonderful. The kiddos have been feeling neglected during reading time because the older ones haven't had a chance to read to a grown-up. It is really important to them. I think of how needy some of my students are. They get tons of attention in comparison to a bigger school. However, it still isn't enough.

Christmas play practice continues. Today they were really dragging. I really hope they can work up a little enthusiasm at our next practice.  It got to be kind of funny. 

Positive!

I had a wonderful weekend. I got to escape the "SMOKE FILLED" apartment and coyote round up and go to a students ranch. We made the stuffing for tamales. I about cutting up dried chilies and that even after you wash your hands twice you still need to keep your hands away from your face!! We did some other cooking while chatting and hanging out. It was so nice. Then I got to stay the night in their guest cabin. It had a gas fireplace. It was absolutely the quintessential ranch cabin. I loved it. The wind blew soooo hard that night. It didn't blow in gusts it was a perpetual wind. It was very loud. It woke me up a few times but I'd remember it's the wind and would fall back to sleep. Then on Sunday I joined this family to find Christmas Trees. It is a pretty cute tradition. They send someone ahead "Santa" to hang candy canes. Then when you drive up you stop where you see candy canes because Santa hangs them where the best trees are. Pretty cute. It poured down rain that day in true Western Oregon or Washington style. We aren't used to that down here. Everyone went home soaked, muddy, and happy. It was  a good day.

I came back and had to air out the house, do laundry, and change the air filter. I didn't get a lot done for school over the weekend but it was a good break for my spirit. I had a very nasty e-mail sent to me today I started to read it and realized if I continue to read this I will get a bad spirit, the students will feel it, and it will ruin my day. I closed it and will not read it. It was a great decision because I got back to the kiddos laughed smiled and enjoyed the rest of the day. I realize more and more that holding people accountable rarely exists in today's society. They resist it to an extreme level and other people enable them to not do what is right.

I was very happy to hear compliments about the sportsmanship and professionalism of our co-ed basketball team. They were complimented by other teams, their coaches, and people from the stands.  Tomorrow we have our first home game so I will have to be at school pretty late.  My car was fixed this week so this Friday I have to get a ride to town to get it and we have a Field Trip on Saturday. Next week is our Christmas play.