5 days down...

And only 175 more to go! But who's counting? ;)

The first week of school has been good. Much better than I had anticipated anyway! I have a fairly good group of kids. I am excited to work with them this year. I think they will be awesome. I did get a fabulous bombshell dropped on me a day this week though....our ESL teacher is only part time. Yea...you know where this one is going, don't you! Well, apparently since she's only part time, she can't possibly get to the 6th grade ESl kids that are legally required to receive services. Convinently (is that how you spell that?) enough it just so happens that if you are in the PROCESS of getting your ESL endorsement you are ELIGIBLE to TEACH ESL. Yea...so, now in addition to teaching my regular group of 28 kids (yes, I said 28) I also get to teach ESL to all the 6th graders who are eligible to receive servies during the day! Yay!! How, might you ask, am I going to do this? Well, it only required that we completely rearrange the schedule we spent an entire day building so that when we rotate for core subjects (writing/language arts, history & science) I teach Language Arts instead of History AND we don't just rotate according to homeroom - no that would be MUCH too simple - instead, we ability group the kids & place all the ESL an special education kids in one group! Ta Da! Problem solved! The answer to your question is, YES, I AM INSANE. I have absolutely NO idea how this is going to turn out, but we're going to take it and run....starting Monday :) Like I told Travis, "It's a good resume builder, right?"

Samantha has been enjoying school. I'm not too impressed with what has been sent home by her teacher yet - her only homework has been 1 side of a phonics sheet 2 times this week. Now I know that as a teacher myself I shouldn't be so critical, right? Well, I can't help myself! I think Sam's teacher is a first year teacher & despite my knowing (and telling myself I know) better, I don't like it! I have to keep reminding myself that the letters this girl is sending home for parents were written for people who ARE NOT teachers. I also have to remember that this girl teaches FIRST GRADE and not 6th. Some of the letters she's sent home though just flat out make me crazy! I think it's the way she words them and not so much what it is that she's saying. I don't know for sure but I guess we'll tough it out this year & I'll learn a valuable lesson in patience (I really wish God woud quit sending me those lessons!). Samantha also started dance lessons back up this week. We had to buy new tap & ballet shoes, pay a costume deposit & pay for her first month's lesson all in one swoop...that was depressing! I seriously wish that girl's feet would QUIT growing! I have to buy new tap shoes 2 times a year!

Nash had his meet & greet with his preschool teacher, Teacher Barbara and absolutely CAN NOT wait for school to start. In fact, he's been itchin' all summer to go back! He just loves Teacher Barbara & can't hardly contain himself when he talks about school. It's so cute to watch him, I really need to get it on video. He's turning into quite the big boy & I can't believe that this time next year he'll be going to Kindergarten. I hope some of the schools get full day Kindergarten back by then! Not because I think he NEEDS it, but because I think he's going to WANT it!

Caleb is walking/running around here like a wild man! He was only taking about 5-8 steps right before Trav came home. As soon as Trav came home last week he was off & running! He loves to have Nash or Sam chase him. His squeal can be heard throughout the house as he takes off running from his big scary sibblings & tries to hide! He LOVES to play the "I don't want this so I'm going to throw it on the floor & feed it to the dog" game these days. He also really thinks it's funny to hit ME in the face. Great fun, let me tell ya! He loves it when his brother and sister pretend to get hurt or fall down. He thinks it's quite hilarious and I have to admit that watching from afar, it IS!

Trav went back to WY on Tue. this week. He's had to be at the shop at 2:30 AM every day this week and has been working about 18 hr days. That's good right, more money...uh sort of...he got a bunch of hours on his last pay check & we about died when we saw how much they held out & couldn't figure out why. Come to find out, his taxes almost DOUBLED! Yikes! Being the positive person that he is though, he says, "Well, if you're payin' taxes that means you're makin' money." So, I guess I will adopt that mindset & keep telling myself that it's true!

The Friday before school started (the 21st) Trav brought Caleb down to help load up what I didn't need & get it out of my classroom. His parents had offered to keep the other 2 kids so after we loaded up we went down to the New Gate mall to use a gift certificate one of my former students had given me at Christmas. We bought tickets to go see The Proposal (HILARIOUS) and then ventured over to the food court because we had an hour before the movie started. Much to our surprise, we watched a kid STAB a lady right there in the food court! I started to wish I had carried my gun with me that day! Ironically, Travis & I had a conversation on our way into the mall about how much Trav was wishing he had MY gun with him because it was going to be dark when we came out. I told him he was being ridiculous & we'd be fine so to quit whining about it. I hate it when he's RIGHT!

As you can see, we've had an eventful week or so. To top it off, my aunt & uncle are in CHINA right now, picking up their newly adopted daughter. FuJiao is the same age as Samantha (about a week older) & we have been following along on their adoption blog daily. Samantha is as excited as though FuJiao was her sister that was coming home & absolutely cannot wait to meet her new cousin!

I hope your week has been an eventful one & that unlike me, you LEARN TO SAY NO when someone asks you to do more than you bargained for! :)

Exciting Times...

I can't believe that summer is gone! It went much too fast for me!

Tomorrow is my first day of school (again!). I am anxious about working with big 6th graders! I think I'll manage fine, it's just new so it's out of my comfort zone!! I could still use at least another week getting ready for things, but I guess I'll have to make due! Luckily for me, the things I still want to prepare I don't need for a little while!

Samantha had her first day on Thursday. My mom got her ready that morning & took her picture so as soon as I have a picture of that, I will get it posted. She is going to Canyon Elementary this year instead of Lincoln. She really loved Lincoln last year but since my mom couldn't keep her before school this year, we had to figure out something different. At least this year she won't have to be at the school building until 5 every day! She'll get to go to daycare with the boys after school gets out, so that will be a nice change for her this year. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Kowalis and I think she's a first year teacher. Despite being a teacher myself, it really bugs me to think that my kid is in a first year teacher's class. Terrible, I know! I'm going to have to remind myself that I was a first year teacher once too & just be patient!! Patience is a virtue I'm still perfecting!

Nash has his preschool meet & greet tomorrow afternoon. He is so excited to be going back to Teacher Barbara. I think next year when he goes to Kindergarten & has a different teacher he's going to be completely bummed out! He calls preschool Kindergarten & when I try to tell him it isn't Kindergarten, it' preschool - well, you should just see/hear his reaction!

Caleb is quite the big boy these days. He was only taking about 8 steps (at most) a day or two before Trav came home last Tue. Now he's cruising all over the place like a maniac! He thinks he knows how to do stairs too so I have to be really careful to watch that the other 2 don't leave the doors open b/c I just know he'll goes nose first down the cement stairs & land on his head! Yes, he does in fact take after his big brother! Lucky me!!!

On Friday my aunt & uncle left for China. They went to pick up their new adopted daughter, FuJiao. They will be getting her at about 1:30 am Monday our time. We are SO excited to have a new member of our extended family, especially Samantha who can't wait for another girl! FuJiao is only about a week or so older than Samantha but will be a grade behind her in school. All I know is that Samantha is as excited as if it was HER sister that will be arriving soon!!

That's about all that's going on for now. I will have to get some pix of my classroom up soon. Oh, & Samantha starts dance class again on Wed. so I'm sure we'll have a new first day of dance picture up soon as well!

Have a great week!

Help them out!

I learned not too long ago that one of my cousins & his wife are trying to adopt a child. I'm putting their adoption blog website here so you can help me spread the word for their search! Thank you!!
http://jandjadoption.blogspot.com/

Quotable Quotes...

Sometimes my kids say the most random things!

I took the kids out to see Trav's parents tonight b/c we haven't been out there in almost 2 weeks & I'm not sure when we'll make it back out there again. Anyway, we were on our way home tonight & Caleb was being fussy. Mind you when we're in the Saturn & all 3 kids are in the back seat, we get kinda cozy & personal. Well, being the fabulous big sister that she is, Samantha started singing to Caleb to get him to calm down & go to sleep. This girl makes up some good songs if you take the time to just sit & listen. Tonight I just happened to be listening & I'm glad I was b/c it was a great laugh!.....

Samantha: "Little Miss Muffett sat on her tuffet, eating her turds away..."

Yep...I laughed so hard I nearly had to pull over! I finally got control of myself & asked Samantha what it was she had said (thinking maybe I heard her wrong). She repeated the above & I again broke out into the giggles. I finally stopped giggling & was able to correct her. Try as she might though, it kept coming out "eating her turds away..." Even after I explained what "Curds & whey" are!! She' not usually the type to keep saying something incorrect once she's been told what it should be. Guess we'll keep working on it!!

Good Bye Baby Mullett

Well, my mom cut Caleb's hair tonight. I wore the cape and Caleb fed me the hair pick - yes, I said he fed it to me. He definitely did not want to hold still (be glad you missed this one Nat!). There are still a few straggler hairs but they will have to wait for another day! The pix aren't fabulous, but they will have to do. You might notice in one that his eyes are kind of red - he took 1 (ONE) 30 minute nap today & was up from 8 am until 9:30 pm. GRRRRR......

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE - I had Caleb in the ENT's office today (don't say a WORD) & he said that Caleb's ear looks fantastic! Holy cow! It only took 1 year, a zillion trips to InstaCare & CV ENT, 2 sets of tubes & 3 visits to the chiropractor (with about 6 more to come in the next 2 weeks)! Pray that it lasts!!!!!

Check out the cute little curls going every which direction - makes for some killer bed head! Not to mention it is sticking straight out on its own because he rubs his food in his hair when he gets bored!

This is the one that you can tell he's super tired.

Like how boofy it is on top? It was too long to mohawk again but not sticking straight in the air like his brother's hair does.

Well, he had to taste it too you know! My handsome little man...no more boofy mop top.

Not the best tasting object in the world! Notice the cute curls are all gone... :( I hope they grow back but I don't think they will.

Not quite so much boofiness on top now! The back is still kinda long, but we couldn't get him to look at his toes!