Testing was interesting today. I was in charge of the youngest ones. They are all boys except Lilly. She was so funny trying to boss them all around and organize their playtime. They were so funny listening to her and then...doing what they were already doing. Yep, it is genetic. Boys don't wish to be bossed, who knew? I just brought them to my backyard so they could run around and burn off energy. They did.
Oh my word, my site meter is over 1000!!! Who knew I was so popular. Probably 500 of those are me. I should have filtered myself out of there, but I don't know how to do it now.
Peace out, dudarinos. Get lots of rest and eat healthy meals and snacks.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Testing...shhh!
I felt I needed to post that somewhere since the schools always do. It makes no sense to me. I don't think I can drive by any quieter. The rebel in me does want to honk all the way by, but I am trying to be a good example to my children so I just do a quick honk...Heehee.
My kids are so excited. They have been up since 6:45 and asking, "When do we leave? What time? What is it going to be like?" Except Kayla, wo is saying things like, "Are we really doing CATS testing? Just like school? Will you and Dad really give us $50 if we get them all right?"
I am nervous. I know exactly how it must feel to have your job hanging on the performance of a kid's test. Totally unfair. My benefits package is at risk here. I may lose my tenure and be on academic probation. They may bump me down to teaching kindergarten.
Actually, I AM at risk for a good stern lecture which could prove to be very uncomfortable. It will be good to know our strengths and weaknesses, which is , after all, the reason for testing in the first place.
Answers to questions? We begin testing at 9:30. Each grade tests separately. It is the Stanford Aptitude test and the OLSAT. Yes, we will pay $50 for a test with all answers correct. And no, these test scores won't determine whether or not we homeschool next year, but they could influence some curriculum purchases! ( :
I felt I needed to post that somewhere since the schools always do. It makes no sense to me. I don't think I can drive by any quieter. The rebel in me does want to honk all the way by, but I am trying to be a good example to my children so I just do a quick honk...Heehee.
My kids are so excited. They have been up since 6:45 and asking, "When do we leave? What time? What is it going to be like?" Except Kayla, wo is saying things like, "Are we really doing CATS testing? Just like school? Will you and Dad really give us $50 if we get them all right?"
I am nervous. I know exactly how it must feel to have your job hanging on the performance of a kid's test. Totally unfair. My benefits package is at risk here. I may lose my tenure and be on academic probation. They may bump me down to teaching kindergarten.
Actually, I AM at risk for a good stern lecture which could prove to be very uncomfortable. It will be good to know our strengths and weaknesses, which is , after all, the reason for testing in the first place.
Answers to questions? We begin testing at 9:30. Each grade tests separately. It is the Stanford Aptitude test and the OLSAT. Yes, we will pay $50 for a test with all answers correct. And no, these test scores won't determine whether or not we homeschool next year, but they could influence some curriculum purchases! ( :
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Ode to Mowing
I love to mow. I love the beautiful freshly mown(mowed?) grass. I love the way I am surrounded by brave robins and mockingbirds looking for bugs right where I have just been. I love the gorgeous straight rows of a fresh cut. I love smiling as I drive over a hole Tobilicious Toby or another before him dug. (Except that one hole that is big enough to lose a wheel in which I avoid.) I love singing "Another One Bites The Dust" in my head as I run over another toy. "Hey, I'm gonna get you too, heyaaaaaahheeyahheeeyahhey......" It is a good feeling. It will stay done much longer than the living room I slaved over all day yesterday which is already undone.
I love the roar of the mower which drowns out all else. I love the talks I have with God. I even love that I will come in to a fresh freckle or two on my face. I love that hubby mows the big hill that feels all wrong as you mow it. I also love that it is 3:18 and we are all done.
Now, to work on the garden. I love to till. I love to plant seeds into the soft soil and watch them sprout and grow.
God is good. Thank God I'm a country girl. Where's my Fiddle?
I love to mow. I love the beautiful freshly mown(mowed?) grass. I love the way I am surrounded by brave robins and mockingbirds looking for bugs right where I have just been. I love the gorgeous straight rows of a fresh cut. I love smiling as I drive over a hole Tobilicious Toby or another before him dug. (Except that one hole that is big enough to lose a wheel in which I avoid.) I love singing "Another One Bites The Dust" in my head as I run over another toy. "Hey, I'm gonna get you too, heyaaaaaahheeyahheeeyahhey......" It is a good feeling. It will stay done much longer than the living room I slaved over all day yesterday which is already undone.
I love the roar of the mower which drowns out all else. I love the talks I have with God. I even love that I will come in to a fresh freckle or two on my face. I love that hubby mows the big hill that feels all wrong as you mow it. I also love that it is 3:18 and we are all done.
Now, to work on the garden. I love to till. I love to plant seeds into the soft soil and watch them sprout and grow.
God is good. Thank God I'm a country girl. Where's my Fiddle?
Friday, May 04, 2007
Fun names...
Because I am organizing a whole bunch of people into a group activity, I thought it might be fun to share some of the Miss names I have been bantering about in my overloaded and under-rested brain. Please think of some more and leave them in the comments!
Miss Informed: Despite the lengths you went to including every single morsel of information, Miss Informed will immediately ask a question you answered in the first sentence of the email. (Heather, if the shoe fits wear it!! JK-you answered you own question and then blamed the fog on your kids-totally the right plan!)
Miss Correction: Immediately points out the seventeen misspellings and errors in your email. (However annoying this is-it is completely essential to get this feedback)
Miss Spoke: She will sign up with glee and then back out curtly and without explanation at some mysterious "wrong" done to her that had nothing to do with you, per se, just something she had to do-as a statement. (Seriously, delete and move on. Ask no questions or you WILL be sorry.)
Miss Butterfly: She is happy and jolly that you have organized and is an organizer in training. She will watch and study and work toward planning the next activity. (Praise the Lord for butterflies!)
Miss Moth: She used to be a butterfly until a group of people sucked all her pretty colors off. Now she suffers from a special sort of burn-out that won't allow her to even socialize with a group of people that might ask her to do something. (Sure, you just want me to sweep-that's how all of this got started...next thing you know I am baking 12 dozen cookies and out $50.)
Miss Spider: She is camped out in her web...waiting. Stalking. She will spin her web of discontent and try to make everyone hate you, what you organized, and love her best. Miss Spider really wants to be a butterfly but hasn't learned how to play nice.
Miss Congeniality: If you are lucky, there will be 52 of these on your sign-up list. They don't want to organize and they never will, but they are willing to jump through hoops of fire to help you pull it off. Thankfully, most of the world falls into this category.
Miss Spaz: She will sign up for the most important item or job and then forget to come.(Or just not "feel" like it or it isn't sunny-seasonal disorder, you know!) Tis best to know who these people are and have a back-up plan. She may turn over a new leaf though-at any moment so give her room!
I have been all of these at one time in my life or another, except the moth. It is on my list of things to do. HEE HEE.
I love organizing. Stop sucking off my pretty colors you crazy people!!! ( :
Because I am organizing a whole bunch of people into a group activity, I thought it might be fun to share some of the Miss names I have been bantering about in my overloaded and under-rested brain. Please think of some more and leave them in the comments!
Miss Informed: Despite the lengths you went to including every single morsel of information, Miss Informed will immediately ask a question you answered in the first sentence of the email. (Heather, if the shoe fits wear it!! JK-you answered you own question and then blamed the fog on your kids-totally the right plan!)
Miss Correction: Immediately points out the seventeen misspellings and errors in your email. (However annoying this is-it is completely essential to get this feedback)
Miss Spoke: She will sign up with glee and then back out curtly and without explanation at some mysterious "wrong" done to her that had nothing to do with you, per se, just something she had to do-as a statement. (Seriously, delete and move on. Ask no questions or you WILL be sorry.)
Miss Butterfly: She is happy and jolly that you have organized and is an organizer in training. She will watch and study and work toward planning the next activity. (Praise the Lord for butterflies!)
Miss Moth: She used to be a butterfly until a group of people sucked all her pretty colors off. Now she suffers from a special sort of burn-out that won't allow her to even socialize with a group of people that might ask her to do something. (Sure, you just want me to sweep-that's how all of this got started...next thing you know I am baking 12 dozen cookies and out $50.)
Miss Spider: She is camped out in her web...waiting. Stalking. She will spin her web of discontent and try to make everyone hate you, what you organized, and love her best. Miss Spider really wants to be a butterfly but hasn't learned how to play nice.
Miss Congeniality: If you are lucky, there will be 52 of these on your sign-up list. They don't want to organize and they never will, but they are willing to jump through hoops of fire to help you pull it off. Thankfully, most of the world falls into this category.
Miss Spaz: She will sign up for the most important item or job and then forget to come.(Or just not "feel" like it or it isn't sunny-seasonal disorder, you know!) Tis best to know who these people are and have a back-up plan. She may turn over a new leaf though-at any moment so give her room!
I have been all of these at one time in my life or another, except the moth. It is on my list of things to do. HEE HEE.
I love organizing. Stop sucking off my pretty colors you crazy people!!! ( :
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Why is marriage so stinkin' hard? Life flows along wonderfully until there is some conflict or other, then it is soooooo hard. I have been spending some time at the Marriage Builders website which is run by Dr. William Harley. He is great. Even he admits marriage counseling is the hardest counseling. It is because we are both right. We each believe our opinion is the right one. If he could only accept the rules.
1. I am always right.
2. If I am ever wrong, refer to rule number one.
I guess it is probably because he has the same rules.
Don't get me wrong here, hubby and I have a good marriage. We are very much in love and care a great deal about each other. We are committed to this roller coaster ride that is marriage. I just really prefer the peaks to the valleys. Don't you?
1. I am always right.
2. If I am ever wrong, refer to rule number one.
I guess it is probably because he has the same rules.
Don't get me wrong here, hubby and I have a good marriage. We are very much in love and care a great deal about each other. We are committed to this roller coaster ride that is marriage. I just really prefer the peaks to the valleys. Don't you?
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Teachers
Someone posting a question about teachers on the church discussion board got me really thinking about some of my old teachers. I posted that my most influential teacher was Mr. Baker who was such a die-hard conservative republican that it made me angry. I was a liberal democrat and could not wait to be old enough to vote that way. I thought Kennedy was the best president ever, Lincoln was my next pick-but I overlooked his party. I can remember being so angry after Mr. Baker expressed with conviction that the only thing Kennedy ever did right was get assassinated at the right time. I was angry about that for a long time. Now, as I look at the messes he kept himself and this country in, there is some truth to that statement. Mr. Baker was a tough teacher. I never achieved an A in his class, mostly because I did not like History or World Civ. He did give me the correct interpretation that famous people are just that, people. Their lives were rocked with scandals and relationship problems, they just had to do it in the limelight.
So this of course, leads me to thinking of other teachers in my life that made a big impact on my life. Mr. Woods is the next most influential teacher I had, not because he was the smartest, best teacher-but he taught me that I was worthy of respect. All of his students were called Miss or Mr. whatever just like he was. He said he would treat us with the same respect we gave him. That was huge for a seventh grader. It was also ok for him to call me what he called my sister-brilliant strategy for as many siblings as he saw come through! He was such a nice man and he taught us Health and Science enduring many middle school giggles. We could tell that he was thoroughly embarrassed but he never lost his composure or dignity. I had him as an adviser for Industrial Arts club in high school (He gave me permission to be in the club despite not having a class-too funny-I was even an officer) and he was still the same way. He liked kids, cared about them. He listened. He was honest and quick to offer good sound advice.
Mrs. Watkins was another wonderful teacher. She gave me special permission to take Biology as a freshman (I was supposed to be in ICP-intro to Chemistry and Physics). She fostered a love of Biology in me. She was rather close to retirement and had been teaching the same things for many years. However, she was not stale at all. You could tell she loved it and it was infectious. She also challenged us as a class and planned many fun outings. One of those was going to St. Louis to a Chiropractor school to see a real-life cadaver. Fascinating. We were allowed to cut on it and it was dreadful to see a human in such a state. Harder still to know that this was a "street person" who had no relatives. This allowed him to be donated to science. When I think of the doctors he equipped for service though, I guess it makes for a useful life.
I had some really bad teachers as well. I won't mention their names. Many of my teachers never really cared alot on an individual basis. They sort of had a job to do and they did it. The ones that really were most impactful are the ones who took the time to care. To use teachable moments to develop character. There were a few of those. I was a certifiable teacher's pet so I can't recall ever having a teacher that did not love me. I guess I probably at least liked all of them as well. I am thankful for all of my teachers, good or bad, they taught me alot. One in particular taught me how important self-restraint is as she "lost" herself almost daily in class. One of my good friends told her off for being too emotional. He stared her down and told her he was done with her yelling and crying every day. Miraculously, she never took him to the principal and showed more composure from that day forward. (She was a drama teacher for goodness sake!)
I hope I am a good teacher to my kids. I hope I am a good teacher to the kids I come in contact with. I hope I care just enough and plant seeds that encourage learning. I hope I am an educational "flamethrower" fuleing a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. I plan to be tough and soft all at the same time.
Someone posting a question about teachers on the church discussion board got me really thinking about some of my old teachers. I posted that my most influential teacher was Mr. Baker who was such a die-hard conservative republican that it made me angry. I was a liberal democrat and could not wait to be old enough to vote that way. I thought Kennedy was the best president ever, Lincoln was my next pick-but I overlooked his party. I can remember being so angry after Mr. Baker expressed with conviction that the only thing Kennedy ever did right was get assassinated at the right time. I was angry about that for a long time. Now, as I look at the messes he kept himself and this country in, there is some truth to that statement. Mr. Baker was a tough teacher. I never achieved an A in his class, mostly because I did not like History or World Civ. He did give me the correct interpretation that famous people are just that, people. Their lives were rocked with scandals and relationship problems, they just had to do it in the limelight.
So this of course, leads me to thinking of other teachers in my life that made a big impact on my life. Mr. Woods is the next most influential teacher I had, not because he was the smartest, best teacher-but he taught me that I was worthy of respect. All of his students were called Miss or Mr. whatever just like he was. He said he would treat us with the same respect we gave him. That was huge for a seventh grader. It was also ok for him to call me what he called my sister-brilliant strategy for as many siblings as he saw come through! He was such a nice man and he taught us Health and Science enduring many middle school giggles. We could tell that he was thoroughly embarrassed but he never lost his composure or dignity. I had him as an adviser for Industrial Arts club in high school (He gave me permission to be in the club despite not having a class-too funny-I was even an officer) and he was still the same way. He liked kids, cared about them. He listened. He was honest and quick to offer good sound advice.
Mrs. Watkins was another wonderful teacher. She gave me special permission to take Biology as a freshman (I was supposed to be in ICP-intro to Chemistry and Physics). She fostered a love of Biology in me. She was rather close to retirement and had been teaching the same things for many years. However, she was not stale at all. You could tell she loved it and it was infectious. She also challenged us as a class and planned many fun outings. One of those was going to St. Louis to a Chiropractor school to see a real-life cadaver. Fascinating. We were allowed to cut on it and it was dreadful to see a human in such a state. Harder still to know that this was a "street person" who had no relatives. This allowed him to be donated to science. When I think of the doctors he equipped for service though, I guess it makes for a useful life.
I had some really bad teachers as well. I won't mention their names. Many of my teachers never really cared alot on an individual basis. They sort of had a job to do and they did it. The ones that really were most impactful are the ones who took the time to care. To use teachable moments to develop character. There were a few of those. I was a certifiable teacher's pet so I can't recall ever having a teacher that did not love me. I guess I probably at least liked all of them as well. I am thankful for all of my teachers, good or bad, they taught me alot. One in particular taught me how important self-restraint is as she "lost" herself almost daily in class. One of my good friends told her off for being too emotional. He stared her down and told her he was done with her yelling and crying every day. Miraculously, she never took him to the principal and showed more composure from that day forward. (She was a drama teacher for goodness sake!)
I hope I am a good teacher to my kids. I hope I am a good teacher to the kids I come in contact with. I hope I care just enough and plant seeds that encourage learning. I hope I am an educational "flamethrower" fuleing a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. I plan to be tough and soft all at the same time.
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