NEW SITE

Are you a freak?

LaRae and I are starting a business...two sisters boutique bows...making and selling boutique hairbows.  I think I've found a community sale for us to sell at the first try.  Pray it goes well.

Alright, I'm pumped bc I get to see Mambo during Spring Sing weekend!    It's been forever, and I've missed her a ton, and we all know I suck at making phone calls! 

4 more days of classes and I get a new group of kiddos and I'll be skiiing!  Today I planned the next 9 weeks of classes.  I really had to smush stuff down and cut some good activities to fit the material we went over in 9 weeks into 4.5 weeks to be ready for the Math TAKS test.  I think I got it down and still preserved some great materials.  After TAKS we'll do projects and watch NUMB3RS...I love that show!  I CAN'T WAIT!  Seriously, it's time for change and time to get it right...or closer to right.

Gonna run watch The Gauntlet 2. 

PS--Randy's gotten me into Smallville finally.  I'm mid season 3 and am taking season 4 on the ski trip... Tom Welling...YUM! 

Ha!  So it's been a bit over a month since I've updated.  It's been sort of crazy but good.  I'm really feeling quite settled in my job...usually.  I've been given the task of planning Analytical Studies (our Math TAKS class) and teaching two of the sections, and so that keeps my life busy and always interesting (mainly bc of the demographic of kiddos I teach).  Lately Amanda, a friend at work, and I's new mantra has been, "why can't you just be normal!?"  about coworkers and problem students!  I actually asked a kid that yesterday.  Discipline wise last semester was sort of calm.  I had a class that gave me trouble, but no individuals.  This semester is a whole new story with some individuals cropping up to make my life...fun (we'll call it fun for now).    Anyways, it's good to be teaching and figuring out how to get better.  Thankfully there's not a huge learning curve on being a teacher, and I've been able to talk with other teachers to help figure out what to try to correct what I need to work on. 

Wednesday was my 23rd bday.  Wow.  23...I remember freshman year at HU, Steve was one of my best friends, and he was 23, and I thought he was so old!  Puts things in perspective when you get there...of course I wouldn't want to still be in school with as many years left to complete as Steve had when he was 23.  Pretty low key but nice birthday.  Ro had cupcakes and Taco Bueno in the math room for all of the math department at lunch to celebrate.  LaRae, Randy, and Katelyn took me to dinner at On the Border (love their fajitas!), and that was really nice...no singing waiters, thank goodness!  Katelyn gave me a Blue's Clues coloring/sticker book, glitter crayons, and Blue's Clues playing cards for us to play together at my apartment.  I got to sit by her at dinner (she used a big girl booster seat by me in the booth), and she was in a really good mood and so fun to be with.  It really made my night.  LaRae and Randy got me an American Express gift card that I'll take to IKEA for a shoe thingy I want.  I love that store!  Randy says I'm one of the only ones...of course, I think LaRae is more disturbed that I love eating lunch there!  When you think about it, eating meatballs in a furniture store is a bit odd...  who said I wasn't odd though??  Anyways, Mom and Dad sent me a micro plush blanket (I think bc they know I'm too cheap to turn on my heat except like once a month and for guests!) and a starter set of Chicago Cutlery knives.  They're going to try to build me a set, and I couldn't be happier bc I need some good ones.

Well not too much else to tell ya'll.  I'll be at Spring Sing (staying with Angela and Robert), and I'm flying to see Kat and Dave this summer for the 4th and then driving with Kat to GA to see the family.  Can't wait!  That should be fun and make for some interesting stories.

Oh yeah!  In two weeks I'm going skiing with the youth group!  Granted there are like 7 adults and 4 kids going, but it's going to be a blast.  We're going to the Durango Mountain Resort in Colorado to ski at Purgatory.  (I don't know, maybe that means something to someone out there!)  I'm hoping I'll actually be able to ski and have fun.  I've already planned to take an afternoon off for a massage and a facial.    Love and miss you all.

I am dogsitting again.  I love these dogs!  Since I can't afford one, and I don't have enough time right now, I like getting to pretend I have a couple for a weekend.    No seriously, they're really cute, and the one likes to sit on the couch and cuddle...or rather push you off the couch as he makes it his territory...

Tonight I'm babysitting Katelyn.  We'll see how that goes.  LaRae and Randy are off to a hockey game, so I'll be there late, but that's totally fine.  I'll play some bumper and watch some TiVo.  If we didn't have ppl in our building now, and I'd thought ahead, I would have brought some papers to grade.  I'll try to swing by Sunday to pick them up.

Tomorrow I start SIOP training.  We'll see if it's something I have time for or not.  Good news is that they pay you $325 when you complete it.  Bad news is it's apparently a lot of work.  Hm.  I'll check it out tomorrow with an open mind.  It should really help me with my ESL (or ELL as they are now starting to call it) kiddos.  Hopefully it won't be too taxing.

We had a huge math meeting today.  Lots of stuff about Farmer Time for the kids that don't pass the Benchmark and after school tutoring.  A lot more work really.  Sometimes I want to end up teaching somewhere that we don't have to work so hard!  Sometimes though I really think that we are doing what's best for these kids by working so hard for them, and anywhere else I'd be frustrated by the lack of working.  I'll never be content to go back to teaching straight from a book everyday...of everyday being "turn to page...do the even problems."

I kicked a kid out of my class today.  First time ever!  I'd never even sent a kid to the office before him.  He needed to go though.  It's sad bc I could have helped him...

I LOVE my AS classes.  I'm really starting to reach these kids.  "They like me...they really like me!"  No, liking me isn't the point, but liking the class and actually wanting to do the work for me is, and that's what I'm accomplishing.  These kids who won't do math in their regualr classes are doing it for me now.  Bad thing is, they are all comfortable enough with me to ask me my age...constantly!  Was I that concerned with age when I was in HS??  I finally promised if they'd stop asking, I'd tell them when they were done in my class.  It took a while for them to figure out that everytime they asked I would give them a different age...  28, 34, 45, 72....  Some realistic, some not.  Sadder yet, I used to be told I didn't look my age, that I looked younger, and kids would ask if I was a student...not anymore.  Has teaching and stress aged me already?  Sometimes I think I see a gray hair...if that could not happen yet, I'd be super happy.

Alright I'm off to let the dogs in from outside and run on across town.  Have a good weekend ya'll!!!