Sharing

At playtime in my Young 5's classroom, "Teacher, he won't share the Bud Light"
After a quick scan of the classroom, "Boys could you work together doing the Buzz Lightyear Puzzle?

Plans

Plans

I’ve learned that planning and forethought make for a successful week in the classroom. (usually) I’ve never really applied this to home.  I tend to plan dinner as I pull into the garage.  Today as I make our lunch I’m making a pot of soup to provide me with several lunches and a dinner.  My husband will be out of town for 3 days and I tend to make poor choices when it’s just me.

That was my plan.  Efficiency.  Planning ahead.

Today as I made lunch I was using all 5 burners on our stove.  Lunch was cooking away, and I was also making soup.  As I put the finishing touches on our meal I started to combine the ingredients for the soup.  The barley was cooked, and ready to drain.  Once it was in the soup pot it could simmer for a few hours.  I plan to have an easy week!

Today as I made lunch I severely burned my hand.   I was using all the burners on my stove and the handle of small pan I was using was too close to another burner.  I’m wearing a large bandage and also have a singed ring finger.  As I spend the week alone there will be many tasks I will need to delay.  One handed isn’t efficient.  I plan to order pizza and feel sorry for myself.

Not Quite My Plan

I smiled this morning when I saw the contest asking for comments.  That was my plan for the weekend, except for where the comments were going to be made.  We are at the end of our second trimester.  My report cards are done, except for comments.  I’d  already finished specific subject comments now I needed to do the general comments.  I have access to our school on the weekend, but in the winter, and we’re still in winter here in Michigan, it’s much more comfortable to work at home.  The low weekend energy saving temperature, while ok when I’m doing reorganizing and bulletin boards, is too chilly for sitting in front of the keyboard in the classroom

I had prepared well, I had all the data and growth records at home so I could make insightful comments to the parents.  Unfortunately the grade-book's  remote login didn’t work.  I tried one combination, then another.  I confess it probably isn't a problem with the login, it's probably my inability to remember yet another too similar password.  With my time slipping away I gathered my piles of data and added a thicker sweatshirt and a vest. 

On my way to school I drove to the coffee shop to buy a large tea.  Not as cozy as my kitchen table but I’d be ok.  I wasn’t the only staff member there this morning, but I didn’t stop to say “hi” as I headed to my room.  I had one purpose only report card comments!  I worked quickly and ignored all those tasks I could see beyond the monitor. 

After a couple of hours I was finished. Proof reading done, I celebrated by with a purchase from Teachers Pay Teachers.  I printed it to the color printer I’d loaded with my card stock.  I used the laminator and headed home to cut and trim my newest project while I wait for my feet to thaw out.

My commenting spree will have to wait until after dinner.

Joys Abound

Green Eggs and Ham, read by a recently retired teacher and friend.

Green eggs and ham, and I didn’t have to cook, serve or clean up!

My student is back.  She’s been gone since November 3, surgery, intensive care and a month in a rehab facility and she’s back.

A supportive note from my principal in my mailbox

An extra pair of snow-pants and boots put to good use.

A counselor who can convince a boy to wear “girl” boots by pulling snow-pants down over the trim.

A math lesson the kids thought was really fun!

A cute song rewrite for March is Reading Month Assembly.

Many staff showing up for an early morning practice.

After school song practice, followed by conversation, and pizza.  

Laughter!  

Family reading night with not enough chairs.  What a problem to have!

A long conversation with old friends                                                       

“Welcome Back” from our superintendent, how nice she noticed.

Shopping for New Books

     Impulse control should be firmly in place before signing up for Amazon Prime.  I live over a half hour from a book store, so I don’t feel as if I’m ignoring my local retailer.  For a short time our little town had a locally owned store, but the retired teacher wasn’t able to make it to the five year anniversary.  Many of the books I buy are professional books that wouldn’t be available even if I made the trip to Grand Rapids. 

      Last week The Big Book of Details by Rozlyn Linder was spotlighted by Two Writing Teachers, wait a minute, that was only on Sunday.  Of course I commented, but then I decided getting this gem shouldn’t be left to chance and a poor memory, I needed to order that book now!

     Look! Those multi pack of colorful Sharpie flip chart markers are on sale.  They are perfect for Morning Message and making charts!   I should get one…no, it’s a great sale, I’ll get two!

Reading night is Thursday, my friend is reading and I promised her I’d loan her some fun new picture books. But if my students are there, they’ll have heard the ones I love most.   

I’ll just take a look. 

     Oh, the grand-kids love this one, Stuck, by Jeffers I could share it with my students if Betsy doesn’t want that one. 

      Lenny & Lucy by Stead, what grandmother can resist a book with her granddaughter’s name in the title?  And it’s about moving, all the better.  So many of my students face changes so often, I’ve got to have that! 

     And this title is perfect for primary, The Almost Terrible Playdate by Torrey.  Learning to compromise and still have fun is so hard for my littles.  A familiar topic, I bet Betsy would have fun doing the two arguing voices! And then I’ll have it to use in future years.  In the cart!

Oh!  This is about dreaming up a story!  The Whisperer, with a Caldecott Honor illustrator as the author?  Got to have that one!  Any book about books is a former librarian’s joy.

     OK, seven items in the cart, plus the one that’s going to be back ordered.  Over $100.00, I’d better stop!  Good thing I have that $5.00 gift card!

     We had a big snow storm yesterday, with nearly every school in the region closed.  I left the garage door open so the delivery person could easily get to the back door. Both Fed Ex and UPS deliver a little after noon so I’d have a good afternoon of reading.   Belle, my timid dog is quick to jump up if she hears a sound in the garage, she’s better than a door bell.   Must be the snow was making deliverys later.   I worked on report cards and graded assessments so I could have time to delve into the Big Book of Details.  Finally at 5:00 pm I checked Amazon for delivery status.  What do you mean delivery attempted??  There was NO attempt!  And why did Amazon ship with the U.S. Postal Service?

     Today,at 8:05 am I called the post office.  The things you can do with a second snow day.  The worker who answered the phone found my package and agreed to hold it for pickup.  My mail usually doesn’t get delivered until 3:00 pm, that’s WAY too long to wait for new books!  I hung up saying, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”  With so much snow I was happy to find a spot right by the door.  The parking lot was practically empty. 

     Of course it was empty. The post office doesn’t open until 8:30!   The things you don’t know when you arrive at work at 6:30 every day. It was too cold to wait in the car so back home I went.  At 8:33 I arrived and as soon as I was back in the car I opened the box.  I love that quiet groan a new book makes when you first open the cover.  Oh no!  I think I’m going to have to buy at least two of these again.  My grand-kids need them in their library!

Squirrels Bring Birds-- Who Knew?

On a beautiful winter day the birds at the feeder are complements of a squirrel.

  Wayne’s mom is nearly ninety two.  While she is frail, she’s still very alert.  When she said she saw a squirrel in her house I wondered if she was losing it. First it was in the evenings, then during the day.  Julie, her house-cleaner had seen it too.  OK, she’s still alert, I confess I had my doubts for a moment. 

  We set traps.  First a small live trap, then big rat traps.  While the squirrel seems grateful for the addition of peanut butter to its diet, we were unable to catch it.  Except for the clean traps there really isn’t any sign of the varmint. But Julie had confirmed the sighting. 

Need a solution to a strange situation?  Google the problem!  One suggestion, confirmed effective by friends who’ve been overrun by squirrels seemed less nasty than most ideas.  We placed bird seed in a five gallon pail.  The seed floated on the top of water.  Then a ramp was place up pail.   Rocky was intended to  tumble into the pail and the adventure would be brought to a close. 

The bucket didn’t work,  The wet seed was discarded.

The squirrel hasn’t been sighted in several weeks.  We’ve returned the borrowed live trap, retired the rat traps and started to feed the birds with the remainder of the seed.  

We’re not sure how the squirrel got in, or out for that matter.  We’re just glad he’s gone, and that it was confirmed by someone outside the family.  

The birds feeding outside my window in a late winter snow storm are an added bonus.

no, that's not my feeder, THANKS Google images.

Time To DO This

I’m not sure I can do this.  Not this year.  I feel overwhelmed.  I’m getting reacquainted with my students after being off work for two months, and I still tire quickly.  Report cards are due soon, and I’m still getting reacquainted with my students.  Last night when I went to bed it looked like spring.  Today at 5:05 am, school was cancelled, winter is back.  Time to get reaquainted with Slicers!