A conversation with a second grader...It went something like this...

Jack: "Misses........."
 
Me : "Did you just call me Mrs.?!"
 
Jared: "You need to get one. Do you have to look around the world or something?"
 
Me: "What? I need to get one what? What are you talking about?"
 
Jared: "A husband, you need to get one. Do you have to go look around the world for one or something?"
 
Me: "I need a husband? What, am I not good enough by myself?"
 
Jared: "There's just a feeling inside me that you need to have a husband."
 
Me: (laughing hysterically) "Well, I am waiting for God to bring me just the right man to marry."
 
Jared: "Oh good, can I come to the wedding? I love the kissing part!"






 

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What did you say?!

Being around kids all day I hear many, and say some, odd things. Most of them are just hilarious. I wish I could remember all the funny things my kids say; especially my five second grade boys! They are probably the silliest. Here are a few things that have been heard or said by me this week. Some are not direct quotes but they should be pretty close.
 
"You can't fire me from princess-ism." (6th grade girl)
 
"We're just all up and about and doing math!" (2nd grade boy)
 
"You all need to sit down and do your work; there is too much up-ness going on in here." (um, yeah, that would be me)
 
"These boys want to play with us, and I'm fine with that, but nobody wants to be the bad guy!" (2nd grade boy)
 


 

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Studentisms

"This is the goodest day of my life!" (a second grade boy noticed the tv/vcr in the classroom)
 
"What is happening?!" (a second grade boy was not paying attention and got a little confused when I called on him to answer a question)
 
"My brain told me to say it!" (a second grade boy got tired of waiting for a classmate to answer the question, the answer just popped out!)
 
"Use it as an air stinkener" (5th grade boy; you know, opposite of air freshener!)
 
"That was the best play ever!" (k5 girl about the high schoolers' skit in chapel)
 
 

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Best Lunch Ever

So trivial, but... today I had the best lunch ever! I had pork barbeque from mom, homemade mashed potatoes that Amanda and I made, and homemade applesauce from Aunt Sue. For dessert I ate some dark chocolate m&m's that my awesome mom brought to me as a special treat! Now that's one amazing, gluten free meal!!

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What I'm All About

Today one of my students made me a colorful paper that said "What You're All About." The list said "games, fun, reading, creative, writing, doing it good, do your best, think." I was so excited! If that is what my students - at least one of them - is getting out of my class then praise the Lord! I know that I am far from being a perfect teacher or the best teacher these students will have, but maybe I am doing some things right after all! I thank the Lord for those few words of encouragement today from that student.

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"Ears like a hawk" and other stories

The kids tried to sneak up on me several times today, but for some reason they never could startle me. Each time I was sitting at my desk working on the computer so my back was to the door. They tried to firgure out how I could "sense" them and not be spooked. Could I see their reflections in the monitor screen?! Abbie told them to just stop trying to scare me because I have "ears like a hawk."


I handed my second grade boys a math page and told them to put their name on the paper. Being in a silly mood I started telling them "You can be Joseph and you can be Thomas, etc." They got all "what, what's going on?! what?!" on me and thought it was the craziest, coolest thing that I was letting them write a different name on their paper. Then they asked if they could write last names, too. Ok, I say. Now instead of Jack, Jared, Wyatt, Joshua, and Ryan I have Edward Restaurant, Jr., Thomas Maid, Franklin Treesap, Gary Maple, and Joseph Humbly. Please note that I didn't pick the last names, they did!

 
We had elementary chapel today. Yay! A group of high school students, along with a couple teachers and Pastor Mark, run the chapel time for us. Today we sang a Noah's Ark song to the tune of The Ants Go Marching. As we sang - it was a long song - the high school students and teachers acted out the story! It was such a cool idea! Some of the teens dressed up in animal costumes, they had spray bottles for rain, and thunder sound affects. Bad guys and Noah were dressed as such, and they had posters of clouds, sun, and rainbow. After the lesson the kids were able to color a Noah's ark picture. So awesome! I love getting some of the high school students involved with teaching the younger ones.

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Writing Bugs

Found a site with some fun writing pages called Writing Bugs. Lots of fun writing ideas, and I love the "Bug in Your Ear" at the bottom of the page. More than just writing prompts, the Writing Bugs also give some good tips for pre-writing and writing.

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By and By

Where does the time go? Is it really October 15 today?! It is difficult to imagine that the first quarter of school is more than half over, that we've already had our annual trip to Klackle Orchard, that the teachers' convention has come and gone. This year has been the best of all so far, though. I have the best students - all of them are great, from my eager 2nd grade boys to my two bright 6th graders. I love them all! Tomorrow we are all having Hawaiian Day. I will try to get some pictures up here. I am in charge of elementary events this year and this is our first big in-school event. Not a major event actually, just dressing up with a craft, book, games, and snack in the afternoon. Fun way to end the week, no? And today I found some great ideas and worksheets for writing scary stories. Week after next we will work on them as we anticipate Halloween. No, we don't celebrate Halloween here and the stories won't have to do with Halloween night necessarily, just something fun to do this time of year. (Write your own scary story with these fun worksheets!) God has shown me much grace this year by giving me many ideas for improving my teaching, classroom management, and more. When I have felt the least like doing the work that needed done, God has given me just enough strength to carry on. More than once I have been able to press on through planning and grading to have a stress-free weekend or evening. What a relief that is! Praise God. I have been physically weary most of this year so far, but by God's power alone I have pulled through and even stayed on top of things. This has been an awesome month and a half. I am honored and blessed to teach at LBA, to teach these eight students, to teach with other amazing teachers, and to teach for God my Savior. Praise Him, and happy fall =)

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It's a Chore

I am in a negative mood...sort of. Choosing to be is more like it. Stinks. So, instead of writing everything negative like I feel like doing I will tell you some good things about my day, and other good things that come to mind.

-Abby fed me dinner tonight, yummy taco soup
-Lisa invited me to come over any time to watch Dancing or just to hang out (she lives about a minute down the road!)
-People are praying for me
-Christian paid better attention in class today
-My students are doing well in their classes
-I got to curl up for a quick nap under my new fuzzy blanket this afternoon
-Dad went to be with mom at the hospital so I can go to bed early
-I got to wear jeans today
-People were talking about me and saying good things - praise God!
-My expensive orthotics will help so I don't have to go to the expensive doctor as much so it's ok that they're a bit pricey
-Alex has been turning in his homework
-The girls had their first volleyball game tonight and lost badly, but it was fun anyway
-My new purple tights fit and are so totally wicked!
-Our high schoolers have awesome attitudes
-Alex brought my bag of cookies today (Aunt Trudy's homemade, and gluten free!)
-I have a great Selah cd to listen to in my car
-God is still here even when I ignore Him and have my little pity parties, yeah, He's still here and He's still great and He's a forgiving God

Two Weeks In

I have been negligent in posting and keeping my faithful readers (all two of you?!) updated. My sincerest apologies! The majority of my readers are or were teachers so you all understand that my schedule has been anything but normal the past few weeks. Meetings, trainings, planning, grading, new students, new schedules have filled my days and weeks. Yikes! To top it off, this week was extra busy and I have not been feeling well. But press on I must. This year I have nine students - my class has trebled! (look it up, it does mean tripled in case you were wondering) Nine seems enormous compared to my three last year, but I am finally getting my brain rearranged and remembering how things work when it's less one-on-one. My students spend each morning in the high school wing taking English, history, and science from the high school teachers of those subjects. During that time I teach second and fourth grade math classes. I love it! I never imagined that I would teach or enjoy teaching that subject or those grades, but I do. There is even a thought about me becoming the elementary math teacher! That would be so fun. Different from my original plan, but definitely a good different. Anyway, things really are going well. I had a birthday in there too...I'm 26 now. Feeling it big time! Does anyone else think that our bodies seem to age faster than the mind? My body feels like it's going to just drop to the floor any minute now and my brain is sharp as a tack. Sheesh, not cool. I hope you readers are doing well at home, in the classroom, wherever you may be. I will try to have some pictures up here by Christmas! Ha, hopefully sooner. =)

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Our Great God

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, 
   "Praise be to you, O LORD, 
   God of our father Israel, 
   from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power 
   and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, 
   for everything in heaven and earth is yours. 
   Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; 
   you are exalted as head over all.

 Wealth and honor come from you; 
   you are the ruler of all things. 
   In your hands are strength and power 
   to exalt and give strength to all.

 Now, our God, we give you thanks, 
   and praise your glorious name."
 
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

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Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Problem: full bladder, lock broken on empty stall's door
Solution 1: wait for occupied stall to be vacated
Solution 2: use trusty ink pen to stick through broken lock in place of missing slidey thingy
 
I chose option 2 and was rather proud of my creative thinking on the spot. Normally I would not have thought of that. I am becoming more creative in my old age. Woohoo!

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The Beach on a Stormy Night

Last night Kenzie Green and I walked on the boardwalk all the way down to the beach. It had been stormy all day, but was nice and refreshing last night. Windy, though. We didn't even get to the pier because waves were crashing onto it, making it treacherous as ever. The lake itself looked rather fierce. Crowds of people were gathered at the beginning of the pier as well as down on the beach, watching people (the dumb ones) surfing, swimming, and getting rescued. Duh. We stayed and watched for a while, almost getting washed away ourselves once or twice. Eventually, four police officers showed up, as well as some park rangers. Oh, and there was a news guy down there, too. We didn't see tons happening actually - no one was running around frantically, talking in hurried anxious tones on walkie-talkies - but it was exciting nevertheless. The sky was also a sight to behold, by the way. Off in the distance we saw sheets of rain that, at first, appeared to be water spouts. On the north side of the pier, the sunset looked as lovely as ever, all pink and orange and glowing. Clouds heading east were heavy and menacing, and we did get a few rain drops on our faces. As we walked back a bit later, I realized that while we were down at the beach I had only been able to hear the wind, the waves, and words spoken directly into my ear. God's creation can be noisy! It would have been a perfect night for a dozen great pictures, but I, of course, did not have my camera. Doh! You will just have to close your eyes now and try to imagine the power of the wind and water, hear the waves crashing and the wind whistling, and feel the cold rain and stinging sand on your face. What an adventure!

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Senior High

At the end of last school year I had the opportunity to speak to the senior high girls at a LACE (Ladies After Christ's Example) meeting. I shared a testimony about what God has been doing in my life the past couple years. The testimony included stuff about dance, depression, and decisions to make things right. I was invited to join the ladies and Kris (youth pastor's wife, in charge of LACE) for their final meeting of the school year. Really, I enjoyed it immensely! Shortly after I spoke at LACE, Pastor Nate (youth pastor) asked me to think about working with the senior high youth group. Wow, what a cool thing. The last few years I had been thinking about working with the youth group but had never said anything to anyone about it. Then it just didn't seem the right time, but now it was perfect time and I could tell it was God giving me a wide open door. I had awesome encouragement and support from Nate and some of the senior high girls I am close to. I also sought opinions from other people I respect and they all told me youth group seemed like a great ministry for me. So, in June I began my one-year commitment to work with the senior high youth group. Nate's requirements for his leaders are more than reasonable: he expects us to attend faithfully Wednesday nights and a handful of activities throughout the year. He is sensitive to leaders with families and busy schedules, but he wants them to get involved with the kids' lives too. As a single person, I am more flexible I think so I decided to jump right in. I've done some activities, hosted a YAC (youth after church) at my house, and helped with the LACE summer activity. This school year I am going to continue working with LACE, and I want to start helping out when they do the retirement home service once a month. All of this, to me, is an enormous blessing and one of the most fun things I have ever done. God has put in my heart a deep, full love for the senior high teens. I am being challenged to live out my faith in a clearer way, to be thoughtful of my decisions, and to reach out to young people in a new way. It's all very exciting and I hope you'll pray for me this year as I get more deeply involved with the teens. Pray that God will grow and teach me so I can make an impact for Him in the lives of these impressionable teens.

TAD & Annie's wedding

Twin-sitting...our summer so far

Cartoons
PBSkids.org
Imagination Station
Library (new!)
Train park
Pool
Walk
Ride Bikes
Dominoes
Read
Hide & Seek
Butch's Beach Burritos
Sleep over
Birthday parties
Dentist
Beach
Play outside
Made cootie catchers
Popsicles
Donuts
 
 
with lots more to come!
 

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Talents (according to the twins)

Lindsey - dancing, teaching, being a cool lady
 
Sydney - singing, coloring, making food
 
Charlie - cooking, spelling, reading, math

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Kate's Wedding

June 20th was Kate Woodby's wedding. It was beautiful! I got to go down to Schaumburg on Thursday night with the Woodby family, since they consider me part of the fam. All day Friday we spent doing wedding stuff, including manicures, pedicures, and lunch with the bridal party. I was honored to be part of the festivities! During the rehearsal, Rachel, Luke, and I played Scrabble Slam. Fun game! The wedding was gorgeous, the challenge to the bride and groom was the best yet - very original, and the reception hall was stunning. Such a fun time. Thomas' girlfriend, Rachel, came down from Wisconsin on Friday so she and I spent alot of time together while everyone else did wedding-y things. Friday night we stayed up talking til 2:15am since we could sleep in the next day. Hehehe! After the wedding on Saturday, the rest of the Woodbys, Rachel, and myself went to a Schaumburg Flyer's baseball game. We had intended to go downtown Chicago, but train times and our schedule didn't really work together. The baseball game was a blast, though. We even saw Batman! Not the real one of course, which was a bummer. =) After the game, we five kids - Thomas, Rachel, Mikey, Kristin, and I - went to eat at Chili's before dropping off Rachel at a friend's house. Sunday we slept in and went to church at eleven. Got to see Dr. J. another time. Olive Garden for lunch, then home again, home again, jiggity jog. The ride home with Kristin, Tomo, and Mikey was a blast of course. It was a splendid weekend!

Do You Know What Jesus Did?

I have been studying John 13 in my new Bible study. Do you know what Jesus did in the first few verses? He made Himself as a lowly servant and washed the feet of the disciples. This task was so menial that the disciples would not have even washed each others' feet, much less have their Master wash their feet! Jesus gladly, purposefully stooped below the status of the disciples to demonstrate true humility and servanthood. But there's more. Jesus washed the feet of His betrayer. Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him, yet He lovingly cleaned the feet of that man.  Would not you and I be more than offended if we served a person who later betrayed us? Yet Jesus already knew it and He served the traitor anyway. What love, what humility, what a lesson. The King of the universe stooping to the feet of proud, ignorant, sinful men and making Himself their servant. No person is too lowly for you and me to serve. If Jesus can do it, so must we.  

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Matthew 19:21 & 29

I am guilty of impulsive, whimsical shopping. If I am stressed I buy earrings, clothes, or chocolate. If I have a few extra dollars I make a point to spend at least some of it on myself. Buying things for myself makes me feel good, makes me feel better. I would much rather have everyone buy me the things that I need for my birthday or Christmas so I can spend my own money on luxury items and activities. I just like stuff. And nice stuff. And expensive stuff. Now that I am on my own and on a budget I have become wiser with my money, but the desire to have is still in me.
Reading in Matthew tonight I was struck by a passage that I have read again and again. Tonight, though, it held a little more meaning for me. Christ told the rich young ruler to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and then come follow Christ. So sad - the rich young ruler had lots of wonderful stuff and he just wasn't ready to let it go. Later, while explaining some things to His disciples, Christ said that those who leave friends, family, and possessions behind to follow Christ will be rewarded in full in eternity. Here I am all worried because I don't have enough money for this, that, and the other thing, when Christ is saying "Leave it! Get rid of it! Forget about it! " Godliness with contentment is great gain. Don't worry about what you're gonna eat or drink or wear - isn't life more than just food and clothing? God knows our needs, and He takes care of the birds of the air so He is certainly going to take care of you and me. And you know just as well as I do that He gives us way more than the bare necessities. We have so much more than we need, some of us more than we even want. I am challenged, convicted, to be a more faithful steward of the resources God has given me, to be content with what He has given me, and to consider what it is that I need to "leave behind" in order to follow Him better. What stuff is keeping me from following Christ as I ought?

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"My Rules" (a poem by Shel Silverstein)

Maybe I'm just too picky...


If you want to marry me, here's what you'll have to do:
You must learn how to make a perfect chicken- dumpling stew.
And you must sew my holey socks,
And soothe my troubled mind,
And develop a knack for scratching my back,
And keep my shoes spotlessly shined.
And while I rest you must rake up the leaves,
And when it is hailing and snowing
You must shovel the walk...and be still when I talk,
And - hey - where are you going?

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Shutting Up

In the computer lab today Abbie was having trouble getting her computer up and running. All of a sudden she hollered, "No, not shutting down, shutting up!"

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Teacherous

The word was supposed to be "treacherous", for the students' spelling list next week. Unfortunately, my typing skills are lacking, hence the word "teacherous." Some days, I am extremely "teacherous", whatever it might mean!

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Literally

Miss D: What is the world's largest producer of wool?

Josh: sheep

Miss D: Well, right, but I meant which country?

Josh: Oh, Australia.

Miss D: Yeah. Guess I shoulda said that, huh?

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Everything is Perfect

This morning on the way to school, everything was perfect. The sun was shining but not in my eyes. There was little traffic on the bridge, which currently has one lane closed. I left early enough to stop at Starbuck's for coffee and still get to school a couple minutes early. This morning everything went perfectly in the short time between getting up and getting to school. Unfortunately, my thoughts didn't go immediately to God for a lovely morning. No, I didn't really even think about it until now. It just felt like this was how everything was supposed to be. As though it's my right to have a perfect morning. No, indeed, it is not my right but a blessing from God. So, "thanks God for a beautiful morning in every way."

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Songs for Saturday

Music is an important part of my life. I listen to music to wake me up and get me to sleep; I sing in the car, the shower, the classroom, church, everywhere; and I dance to music. Over the past several months, as I have been learning and growing through some stressful situations, God has brought to mind the words, phrases, or stanzas of a few songs that really made me think. Here are some of the lines from those songs. Think carefully about each word; let the meaning soak in. I know this is not Scripture, but the lyrics to these songs are biblical and powerful. I hope they can be a blessing to you as they have been to me!


"Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."



"He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood."



"All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him; in His presence daily live. I surrender all..."



"Your name is a strong and mighty tower. Your name is a shelter like no other. Your name, let the nations sing it louder, 'cause nothing has the power to save but Your name!"




Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go


[ Tenth Avenue North Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]

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April Showers, May Flowers

Psalm 147:8 says that God covers the sky with clouds and prepares rain for the earth. Why do people complain about rain? The earth needs it, and God knows it! The last line of that verse says He makes grass grow on the mountains. How? The rain! Without the "April showers" how would we get our "May flowers" that we so enjoy? So quit complaining about the rain, thank God for it, and get on with life!


 

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Tour of the OAC

It's been so long since I've posted that I have a few things I need to say all at once. Tuesday my students and I visited the Ottawa Area Center in Zeeland. My Aunt Sue has worked there as a parapro for several years, and I worked there for one summer a few years ago. The OAC is a phenomenal school for students of a wide range of ages who have mental and physical impairments. Their facility and grounds is absolutely fabulous! With a barn full of animals, a pool, a huge playground, a sensory room, and teachers who love and care about their students, the OAC is a top-notch school for young people with special needs. On our tour, we saw students of all ages and needs. My three students handled themselves better than I imagined. They were nervous, yes, but JoAnne, assistant director and our tour guide, reassured them that it is ok to be nervous and even afraid since the students at the OAC are very different from what we consider "normal." I think that helped my kids relax a little and be able to truly learn and enjoy themselves. They got to see how some students are tube fed, how some communicate through electronic devices, and how just about all the students at the OAC love new friends and attention just like any of us! Their favorite part was getting to play with some four and five year old students in one of the little AI rooms. Working with our k-4 this year has given them some background and appreciation for the little tikes, and they enjoyed getting to spend some time with new kids. My heart rejoiced as we left because all three enjoyed themselves, but also had their eyes opened. They understand very clearly that God is the Creator of all humans, no matter their station in life, and He loves each of us the same. I mean, what is "normal" anyway? If God is the Creator of all life, who are we to determine what is normal and what is not? I would love for one of my students to some day get involved with special education in one way or another.

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Be Random, It's Fun

I tend to be a very random teacher. It keeps me sane. Go figure! My kids love the randomness. Yesterday, about seven minutes before we had to get ready to go home, I had an urge to play a game that Ashley Smutz taught me. The game is called Ship to Shore. It's a silly little game with rather amusing actions. One part of the game invovles students sitting on the floor imitating rowing a boat while singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." After one round the kids were laughing so hard they couldn't breathe! A bit later, as the students were preparing to go home, Abbie burst into a rousing chorus of "Row, Row..." in a hilarious accent. I serisouly laughed out loud. I keep my kids on their toes, they keep me on mine. It's a great relationship, full of fun and randomosity!

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Chicago

Andrea had some city passes so she, Dallis, and I spent the day in Chicago last Saturday. We parked right near the Museum, walked there, spent several hours there. We were also parked basically at the train station we needed, so we took that to eat and such downtown. I got to see "the bean" in Millennium Park for the first time ever. Way cool! It was a great fun day. I love riding the train, visiting the museum, and walking around downtown...and that's what we did so it was a wonderful day.

It Pays to Wait

I have been wanting and needing a new phone, but have not been able to afford one. Yesterday I got a courtesy call from Sprint to see how everything was going with my service and all that. I asked about my eligibility for any discounts on a new phone. I sure was eligible...for a free phone! No way, I said. Way! It should be here by the end of the week. To me it was such a random thing, but I know God's hand was in it. He has shown His care and provision for me numerous times, and I will never cease to be amazed at His timing and grace. Thank You, God!

Monday after Spring Break...Yuck-E!

I stayed up way too late all during spring break, and today I paid the price for it. Oh I went to bed on time last night, for sure. But my late nights over the past week have caught up with me. I groaned as the alarm clock went off, as I turned on the lights, as I got out of my hot shower, as I prepared this morning for class, as I met my students in the gym. Not a happy teacher this morning. But, my students are so sweet and patient. So is my administrator. And God is far more gracious than I ever deserve. And when Josh said to me after social studies, "Thanks for teaching us about Australia," I had to smile. See, it was all worth it. Thank you, God, for this awesome ministry!

Why I Love Spring Break

First of all, students aren't the only ones who love spring break, you know. Teachers probably look forward to it more actually. This year, our 1st & 2nd grade teacher went to Florida with her hubby. Fun! Mostly the other teachers were staying around here, though, I think. I did...I had a "staycation." Monday and Tuesday were pretty much busy all day. Nothing planned Wednesday or Thursday (today). I woke up yesterday morning and nearly panicked. What in the world was I going to do for a whole entire day??!?!? Aaaaahhh! Well, I got busy and stayed busy all the way up til church time when I had infant nursery ministry to attend to. Great day, not having anything planned. Today too. So, here are some reasons why I love love love spring break:

- No such thing as "I'm just stopping by to say hello." I can spend entire days with family and friends, rather than mere minutes or hours.
- Breakfast, 10:30 Lunch 2:30, Supper, 7:30 Snacks, all day
- Alarm clock? Yeah, right.
- Pajamas or jeans all day, no problem.
- I can rearrange the furniture at midnight one night,
- Then I can rearrange it again two days later.
- Nobody cares or is affected if I stay up til 2am watching Stargate
- I can sleep in my room, in the guest room, at mom's house, at Sam's house...anywhere, cause I don't have school "tomorrow".
- My walk doesn't have to be sometime between 4 and 9, I can go out any time of day
- Okay, basically, I can do whatever I want =)

Whatever you need, I am at your disposable.

Silly me!

Caberfae ski trip

Last week we took the 5th through 12th graders skiing at Caberfae. All but the Sides kids skied for the first time ever. I didn't ski. Good thing, though. I would have missed seeing all the kids learning and trying out their new skills. I was so proud of them! Even though it rained and snowed quite a bit, no one complained. Many of the students said they had found their new hobby. It was a long day, but definitely worth every minute just to see the joy on the kids' faces. The only bad part was that my camera batteries died just after taking pictures of the lesson so I didn't get any pictures of actual skiing! =( So sad. The pictures I did get are fun, though and I am glad to at least have them.

Word of Wisdom

If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.
– Anatole France

Big Game

Last night was the final game of the season for our high school basketball teams. My class supported Alex Green all week as our adopted player of the week. We decorated her locker, gave her notes and gifts, put posters up in the hall and the gym, and baked her cookies. We also made t-shirts that spelled her name! It was way fun. As usual, I sat with Abby at the game.

This Thing Called Love

Not only have I been given the gift of God's abundant love, but He has also blessed me with many earthly relationships full of love and joy. He has given me parents who love me always and unconditionally; students who love me even when I am totally wacky; girl friends who show their love by listening to my struggles and sins and by praying for me; cousins who love me more like a sister; older women who love me and pray for me like one of their own daughters; little kids who love to hug and cuddle with me; friends to laugh with, cry with, watch scary movies with, shop with, travel with, and share secrets with; dear friends from college days I still keep in touch with and visit; couples in church who like having me around even though I am single; people who speak the truth to me in love; families who would love for me to live with them should the need arise; parents who love having me be involved in their kids lives; people who love me enough to give of their time, energy, and money to help meet my needs. I could sit here all day listing for you the hundreds of encouraging, uplifting, loving relationships God has given to me. All these people whom I cherish are gifts from God. I don't deserve them! I am so loved! Praise God...

Romans 1:21-25

For although they knew God they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him; their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another; they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen.

My Momentary Lapse of Insanitary

There's a book called The Chaos King written by Laura Ruby. It's prequel is The Wall and the Wing. Two of the weirdest books I have ever read (listened to actually), but I enjoyed them. In Chaos King there is a bird named Pinkwater's Momentary Lapse of Concentration. I believe there is an explanation for the name in the book, but I don't remember it. Anyway, until I looked it up just now, I could not for the life of me remember Pink's full name. I loved to say that phrase (Pinkwater's Momentary Lapse of Concentration) but couldn't remember the last word. For some reason what I always say is "Pinkwater's Momentary Lapse of Insanity", which, of course, makes even less sense than the original phrase. Well, today I was working on something and had an "aha!" moment. My students asked what and I said, "Oh, I just had a momentary lapse of insanitary." Oh my. It gets even goofier, if that's possible. My "super hero name" from a silly little game thing on Facebook is......can you guess?......Pink Water! All of this is total, utter nonsense, yes I know. But it's kinda funny and ironic too. So this Pink Water did, indeed, have a momentary lapse of concentration, insanity, insanitary, or something, today!

Spelling Game

So I totally made up a new game today for spelling review. Yeah, seriously! I did it with my three kids, obviously, but you could do it with any number of kids. You could even split a large class into two or three teams if you want. Ok, so, I had a small, soft & squishy ball (a must for 5th grade!=) that started out in my hands. I said a spelling word then tossed the ball to one of my students. That student said the first letter of the word then tossed the ball to another student who said the second letter of the word, passed the ball on, etc. The person who said the last letter of the word tossed the ball to me. I would say the word again, then start a new round with a new word. The kids loved the game. No kidding! I think it is also a worthwhile game because, rather than one student spelling a word at a time, all the students had to focus on every word. And, throwing the ball randomly back and forth forced students to pay even closer attention. They would try to see how fast they could spell and throw without missing a letter or a catch. What a blast! I felt momentarily brilliant, until I realized that someone, somewhere had to have already thought of this game. Oh well, it was new for me and I thought of it on my own, so there! I hope some who read this blog will be able to use it in their classroom, or even with your kids at home who need help reviewing their spelling words.

Undivided

The past many months God has been moving mightily in my heart to surrender several areas of sin and stress to Him. One by one the deepest issues of my heart have been brought to the surface, and one by one I have gladly, finally!, thrown my burdens at the feet of my loving, forgiving Savior. With some of my heaviest burdens gone, I have been able to focus better on living my life in a way pleasing to God. Last week I came across some verses that really sum up how I now want to live for God. The first was Psalm 86:11 -Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. The second, 1 Corinthians 7:35 -I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. Now that I have given to God those sins that drew my eyes away from Him, I have a great desire to live for Him and Him alone. I know I can't do it alone - in fact, I finally understand that I can only change by letting God have His perfect way in me. So I am praying each day for an undivided heart and undivided devotion to the Lord. You can pray, too, and certainly you are welcome to ask me how it's going. Praise Him!

Romans 1:18-20

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth with their wickedness, since what may be known about God has been made plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

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Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

I have recently added some new features to my word blog, Salmagundi. Check it out and you'll find music that fits the "words" theme, new colors and fonts on the blog's layout, and the best of all, links from each post entry (each word I add) to the dictionary definition!! If you like words or want to expand your vocabulary or just want to kill some time, please take a look at Salmagundi.

Teacher Things

I am not by any means an organized person. When I lived at home I always knew where my keys were, though...on my bedroom floor by my night stand! Organized chaos? Maybe. As God works on my heart to reveal areas in my life that need "organizing", He has helped me to see areas in my classroom and with my students that need some organizing as well. Here are some things I started doing this week in an effort to bring glory to God through my teaching and other classroom areas:

1.Individual filing trays so the person who passes out papers at the end of the day has somewhere to put the papers instead of on the desks or table where the person cleaning those is working!

2."Duties" (pass out papers, erase chalkboards, etc.) for the end of the day are on long craft sticks. When a student picks his or her duty the stick will go in that student's tray. Before the students leave I can check their tray to make sure the duty was accomplished.

3.When some students had a hard time remembering some of our Europe countries and capitals, I let them keep the flashcard to peek at throughout the day. At recess, they had to tell five people "The capital of ___ is____." Just a strategy to get those facts better cemented into their brains!


These things are major breakthroughs for me. I feel as though I have been relieved of a heavy burden. Some of them require more work and conscious effort from me than before, but I need that. I need to be more involved especially with the process of wrapping things up to go home. I tend to get working on a project and kind of just holler at the kids about homework and duties then feel badly so I get up and see them out the door right at 3:10. Bad teacher! God has convicted me to be organized and to help my students learn responsibilty as well. Organization in all areas of ones life really does help keep the mind focused on God, I think. Now for my desk drawers...

Too Fun

Today in science we discussed the water cycle. (see Job 36:27-28!) Two things the book mentioned, among many other things of course, were that the process of evaporation is not something we see happening, and that during a 2 hour visit to somewhere such as the Gulf of Mexico about 10 million gallons of water evaporates. So, I told them about my trip to Florida in May and that my friend and I spent at least four hours at the Gulf...think of all the water that evaporated during that time! But, I told them, of course we didn't see it happening, right? Josh replied, "You were havin' too fun." Oh how we laughed! Such a sweet comment; he was so serious! I love teaching, I love these kids. =)

Funny Quote

"The state of datelessness is not to be lightly discarded." Martin Penderwick, from The Penderwicks of Gardam Street.

Romans 1:13-17

I do not want you to unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you as I have had among the other Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for the salvation to everyone that believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentiles. For in the Gospel a righteousness of God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, "the righteous shall live by faith."

I have been challenged in my thinking and methods for changing my life to be more like Christ. So often I discover a sin or problem in my life then go right to Scripture looking for a "fix-it" verse. Say the problem is lying, I find the verse (can't think of the reference at the moment!) that says to stop lying and start telling the truth. "Ok, got it. In order for me to stop this sin of lying I need to start telling the truth. Great, check that one off my list. What's next? Stealing? That's easy too. The Bible says to work hard so I can have plenty to give to others. So, work hard, give to others, stop stealing. Check. Moving right along..." Get the picture? Woah!!! Stop!!! No!!! That stuff is all good and obviously true and helpful, but what's the point? Do we, do I, ever read the parts of Scripture that talk about the One whom I am trying to imitate?! Duh. Yeah, duh. It is time to get back into Scripture and read every single word. Read the ones about Christ's life and death and resurrection. Read about what He has done, how His grace has set us free, how He is our Great High Priest, how He knows that we are weak beings of dust, how He is our shield, comfort, and refuge. Wow. I heard something like this: It's hard to so "No" to the sin that so easily besets us when we don't realize that there is something far better to say "Yes" to. I must, we must, come to grips with the One Whom we are serving and realize our deepest, fullest satisfaction is from Him and Him alone. God told Saul He prefers obedience over sacrifice. So, yeah, check those sins off your list as you overcome them, but do you, do I, really know what it means to obey God? I think what I am trying to say to you and to myself as I mumble around here is that I must get my mind on God and Jesus Christ if I want true life change. We have to look up at all times. We can't concentrate so fully on our sin that we lose sight of our Savior!

Read in Your Pj's

Today was finally Pajama Day and Reading Day! What a lazy, sleepy day. We had a great time and the time flew. After an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, Gram and Gramps came in to the classroom so Gram could read to us. She raid three stories, including The Pokey Little Puppy and the Patchwork Blanket which was a favorite of mine growing up. Throughout the rest of the day we read and discussed "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, listened to a few chapters of Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, read to the k4 class, read while drinking hot tea and cocoa, and listened to a story read by Pastor Mark. Busy, busy day! What better way to spend a pajama Friday? I can't think of any better way. Reading is a gift from God, and I encouraged my students to use it well. You, too!

Quote of the Day

I can't understand it. I can't even understand the people who can understand it. - Queen Juliana of the Netherlands

The Doll House

I brought my old doll house to school last week...the girls loved it! And I loved that they loved it =)

Romans 1:8-12

First, I thank my God through Christ Jesus for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the Gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times. And I pray that now at last the way may be opened for me to come to you. For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

"How to Avoid Feelings of Apprehension During a Somewhat Scary Movie"

Sit shoulder to shoulder with a best friend, cover yourselves with a warm blanket, put the hoods of your sweatshirts up, and eat brownies and ice cream. Works every time!!!

Preposition Poetry

I updated my class writing blog today, check it out!

Romans 1:5-7

Through Him and for His name's sake we have received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among the ones called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and Peace to you from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

"This Guy Needs Grammar!"

That was Josh's comment after reading a sentence in our language book today. The sentence read, "Haven't we got no more art paper?" The students' task was to correct any mistakes in the sentences, and being bright as stars, they were able to pick out the mistakes with no trouble at all. Josh laughed at the incorrect sentences because they sounded so funny, and finally voiced his thoughts with the comment, "This guy needs grammar!"

Romans 1:1-4

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, set apart for the Gospel of God, the Gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead - Jesus Christ our Lord.

My goal for this year is to memorize Romans 1-8. That will be about twice as much as I did last year, so I will have to work at it. I am praying that God will use those chapters, as well as others that I study throughout the year, to change my life and point others to Himself.

Many Thanks

These people don't read this blog but for those who do read it I wanted you to know how these people were a blessing to me this morning:

Dad, for coming out at 7:30 this morning to dig me out and get me to school.

Pastor Mark & Luke, for their willingness to come dig me out even though they didn't end up having to come, and for Pastor Mark's patience and understanding as my administrator.

Nancy Anderson, for including my students in her spelling game this morning while I got unstuck and made my way to school.

God, of course!, for showing His care for me by bringing these wonderful people into my life to help me out in a really frustrating time.

Good Times

Melissa Franklin came to visit for four days over the New Year holiday. We watched lots of chic flicks, made yummy food, got pedicures, played cards, and just had a good ol' time. New Year's Eve we had about ten people over for food and games. It was a great night. I am blessed with some pretty amazing friends.

2009

Happy New Year!