Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Halloween might start with Hall, but it does not end in eluiah!

This morning I garbed myself in my best spy-wear. I had everything right down to the dark trench coat, ear piece, and dark hat. The kids were so pumped about their costumes. They were also pumped that I was a spy. They said, "wow... I knew that you would be a spy." (Because I have told them many times, if I was not a teacher, I would be a spy.)

We had the traditional Halloween Parade. The fifth grade classes led us out around the track, and the rest of the classes followed in line. After that the fifth grades looped around again to see every one's costume and then we all went inside. The entire thing took from 8:40 to 9:15. The pour little children had red cheeks and noses by the time they reached the end of their long parade. But, It was fun.

First grade was fun as well.

Fifth grade, my first class did awesome. Congratulations 5W you are my best fifth grade class as of late! 5V made up for the awesomeness of 5W right down to bodily harm and racial slurs. (sometimes children are truly evil. there is no other word to describe it.)

Third grade had the potential of being fun. They made it half way, and then slid back down the mountain of the anticipation of this evening's festivities.

It is only 12:30. I still have half of the day to go. I have a head ache to beat the band, and I have two 27 member 2nd grade classes coming up.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name...

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Hallowhat?

This is a fitting picture for the festive season by which I am being harassed.





This is an actual conversation held in the office at my school building. The names have been changed to protect the individuals involved.

Secretary - “This is going to drive me crazy.”
Teacher’s aid - “What is going to drive you crazy?”
Secretary - “This E-mail notification.”
Teacher’s Aid - “What E-mail notification?”
Secretary - “Dina’s E-mail notification.”
Teacher’s Aid - “Dina’s E-mail notification?”
Secretary – “Yes Dina has an E-mail notification.”
Teacher’s Aid – “Dina has an E-mail notification?”
Secretary - “O My G#@, I am going to have a seizure just having this conversation with you!”

Yah… That is pretty typical for the office.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Halloween is effecting my life

Just because it is Halloween does not mean that my students have to act like Monsters. I am going to have to bring in the reigns this afternoon, or my Munster-family-like children will send me to an early grave, and I am not talking about the kind of grave that is used for decoration this time of year.

I am not going down to third grade to read with them. Instead I am sitting in the comfort of my classroom which is silent right now, and listening to the hum of the fans that keep my room cool.

Please Lord, let this day go fast!


This weekend in review:
Friday night: Japanese food in W with the ladies
Friday Bunk: My parents guest room
Saturday Morning: Hanging with the fam
Saturday Lunch: With the fam getting ready to look at an apartment for sister and husband
Saturday Afternoon: Renting apartment
Saturday Evening: Hanging with Chris
Sunday morning/afternoon: Church, Chris, Baking pie, Cleaning out my car
Sunday night: Sophomore sit down, and pie with friends.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Homecomming Part 2

Well,
Saturday dawned bright and early. I got up and got ready for the choir concert. Chris called me half an hour early to see if I was ready. The answer was, "Um, no. And don't come over either cause none of us are ready and half of us are still asleep." I got ready in plenty of time and was dazzled by the skills of the choir as well as the hand bell group and the brass ensemble. [ensemble is probably my favorite word because you can say it En-sem-bloo (oo- as in book)]

After choir I went to see the alumni soccer game, and not many people were there... correction, there was almost no one there, but I got to see Kylie and her new baby which made the entire journey well worth it.

We dedicated the Town houses at 11:15, and by this time I was starting to get hungry... grumpy hungry... honk the horn and yell I'm hungry hungry (See Previous Post). We went to the young alumni tale gate party, and we found out that it didn't start for another hour. So we wandered around, and I bought a large cookie from the snack bar, and then we went back to tale gate. Our food blew away in the gusty winds that whipped through the tent. We had chip races down the table. (Much to the dismay of the people sitting down wind from us)

The Ball game was fun. The weather was wonderful even though we lost. It was good to see people and hang out with parents on both sides of the datehood. I got asked/told about Eldon,

Guy - "I didn't know that this is your father in law."
Me - "He's not."
Guy - "He's not yet at least."
Me - "You never know."

My last statement may have concerned my supposed future father-in-law. Besides, people shouldn't assume things. Do you know why? Because it makes an ass out of u and me.

After the game we went to "Old Town" for German food. Man it was good. I maintain that their verenica are the best around.

We went to watch Honk, on very full stomachs. Stomachs that were so full they could have been cut open to end world hunger. (Now isn't that appetizing)

The show was wonderful. Elise and Kelli knocked my socks off. The entire cast was incredibly talented and the voices were wonderful. There were also some pretty funny appearances by some underclassmen men.

After the show we went over to some friends house and watched the beginning of Space Balls. I have never seen the movie, and I enjoyed the beginning more than I thought that i would. I don't know about the end, because I fell asleep, as did everyone else in the house. We woke up at 1:00ish and left to go to bed.

That is the end of Saturday. Sunday is too boring to mention so I will skip it when I write my next entry. If I would mention it it would go....

Chris had a headache... I drove home... He slept all day... I slept all night... The End!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Homecomming Part 1 (mostly for my own memory)

So,

Last weekend was homecoming weekend. I am so exhausted. I went to bed at 9:30 last night and slept hard till 6:00 this morning. The weekend was a wonderful whir of well wishes and Winnebago's. (alliteration is so in vogue)

On Friday, Chris and I wanted to get out of town as fast as we could. As soon as we were done with work, we took off into the wild blue yonder. About 10 minutes from home, I realized that I was famishingly hungry. I began to complain and moan my hunger, which turned into me yelling, "I'm Hungry!" and honking the horn about every five miles.... All the way to Walton.... For an hour.... Poor Chris....

We arrived at Gertie's house and her blessed mother fed me the nourishment that I had been longing for. My mood improved greatly! We hung out with friends and talked and laughed for a long time. It was good to hang out with her and hear all of her life's excitement and woes. She works for United Way, and when I say she works, I mean that the WORKS!

We all started yawning and yawning and falling asleep so we decided to head for the burro. I drove... I almost took three wrong turns between Gertie's house and the burro. (Not an easy thing to do, since there are only three turns on the way).

Once safely in the burro, I went to Myra house and hung out with girlie friends there and went to bed.

Stay tuned for the excitement of Saturday...

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Please Pray

The school that I teach at lost a student last night. She was diagnosed with a brain stem cancer less than a year ago. She passed away yesterday. Pray for her family, a mother and a brother who is in fourth grade. Pray for our school counselor that she can be supportive and strong for those who need her help. Pray for her teacher last year as well as her teacher this year that they will get through this time of sadness and be able to take care of the kids in their classrooms.

A time to weep and a time to mourn.

Friday, October 12, 2007

It's official

Well,
It's official, My parents finally made the trek to Indiana, land of milk and honey, or at least "land of blueberries and sweet corn." Yes, I know, it took many months to get there, but they have finally left their lovely native state to journey far back to their childhood homes.

The only bad part of it is that I wanted to go to. It is a rough thing not being able to go somewhere when you want to. Man... If I made a list of all of the places that I want to go, but can't get to I would be old before the list was done and then I wouldn't have time to visit any of them.

Maybe I will stop wishing and start scraping and saving some money to get to some of those far off lands that are calling my name. It is time... it is definitely time for more stamps in my passport.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Flounder is not just a fish in the ocean

You know the saying, "D Nile is not just a river in Egypt." well, "Flounder is not just a fish in D ocean."

I feel like floundering is a common theme for me this year. At least I learn from my mistakes. For Instance:

My first class today was a mistake, the entire thing, completely.
I fixed the second class.

My third class was fine.
My fourth class was a technical error. The kids couldn't handle technical so they created errors.

My fifth class did an exceptional job. They were GREAT!
My sixth class was an interrupted mess. In the middle of class, we got an all call to go out to the playground and make a giant paw print and then take a picture. My class was one of the last to go, but we had to hear the all call for ALL of the other classes to be dismissed. Every time the voice came over the all call I prayed, "Dear Lord, Please Oh Please deliver me from these third graders and let me take them out to the paw print on the lawn." Now I am just praying, "Lord I will rejoice in suffering, but I rejoice better in ease..."

Not that school is all bad, but seriously, I have a feeling that this afternoon is not going to be the cakiest of walks.

who knows...maybe I will be wrong... but there are five xylophones sitting at the front of my classroom that say I am right.

Friday, October 05, 2007

WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT!!!

Warning, The grammar in this next post is atrocious, and I warn the picky reader not to continue.


I may make the aforementioned song the title for my year.

Man I about murdered some third and fifth graders this morning. Yes, the third and fifth grade classes which I have spoke so well about. Today a seasoned teacher told me that the fifth grade is only going to get worse as the year goes on.

Well I have news for the world, EITHER THEY GO OR I GO!!!

Which basically means, THAT AIN'T GONNA FLY IN MISS MUSIC'S CLASS!!!




In other news. Yesterday Chris and I went on an insanely long bike ride all over town. It would have been more pleasant if the wind hadn't been gusting at 600 miles an hour...(at least that's what it felt like.) I seriously could feel the wind resistance in my spokes. Yes, in my spokes - the thin metal wires that keep my wheels from collapsing. Those spokes. The spokes that are so thin that they have never heard the word resistance before. The spokes that laugh in the face of wind, because they are so thin that they should cut through the wind like a hot knife through soft butter. The spokes, that yesterday, almost sent me side-long into a passing car because the stupid KANSAS WIND WOULDN'T STOP GUSTING ME INTO THE UPCOMING TRAFFIC!!!

The best part of the bike ride was the fact that once we turned so that the wind was not, A. Headlong, or B. Side gusting, but C. at our backs, we coasted for probably a mile. Literally coasted with little to no peddling from Magnolia to Crawford. I have never coasted for that long...in my life...ever... and will not ever again! (because of the fight to the coasting)

I have a class coming, and I should probably get my new BOOM WHACKERS out. Yesssss!!! I got boom whackers. I will probably bemoan my love of boom whackers from now on, because that is why the fifth grade class stunk so much, so I completely scrapped my fourth grade lesson plan and re-wrote it. I hope it works!!! keep your fingers crossed.