Updates.

Quiet. It is nice and quiet. All the kids were asleep by 7:45 tonight. I guess that means we ran them hard this weekend - Football, School, Pumpkin Patch, working at the store. Cleaning.

We did not have a good football game Friday night. In fact, it sucked. It was one of those games where nobody threw the ball, they handed it off and tried to run right through the middle of the players. I threatened to text the coaches and tell them to change the plays up, and that they might score. When something doesn't work, why keep doing the same thing over and over?

I guess I am getting confident after reading Football for Dummies. Nope. I am not even kidding.

Other than that, I am just counting down till snow days. I think that this year, my first year of teaching, has been harder than I thought. I feel so, so sorry for my mentor teacher. I text her and call her. I know she is sick of me. I am trying to take the problems of all of my students. I think about them. I know that I need to set emotional limits. But it is difficult - especially when you are a "fixer".

So, I love teaching. I love my students. I love my co-workers. My house is a disaster, I can't get ahead. But I am so happy with my job. I just need to get a grip and know when I leave the school (at 4, 5, 6 or 8 p.m.) that I should leave the kids and their issues there too. I will get it. I will.

Report cards come out this week. I have New Evaluation #3. Gymnastics. Referral for SPED. That is a whole book itself. Off to work I go. :)

Here I Am.

Wow. What about a blogging break? I knew that I needed some down time, blogging became a chore to me, but I am thinking that I should have written something. I don't have a whole lot to show for 2011.


Speaking of 2011 - Time has flown! We are already in the middle of October. Lots of things have happened... Emma and Eli and Tripp are in school. I am chugging along, teaching 3rd grade. We have completed Dave's football season with a Championship Trophy (!) for the second season in a row. Eli has three games left in his season. I think, at this point, he has scored close to 40 points this season. I love, love, love to watch him kick.

Picture out of the local paper - Eli #85 kicking.

So, we are busy with school, and football and the store. Tripp started gymnastics last month after spending the last six months standing on his head. Emma went to watch one night, and she loved it too, so now she is tumbling around. She also takes piano, but I can only handle one activity, so one must go.

My new neice is coming next month. My sister in law, Terri, is scheduled to have Adaline Fowler in November. Boy, isn't Mallie going to be in culture shock. I can't wait to hold her and change those itty bitty diapers again. I surely thought I would never say that. I also want to do a little baby sniffing. I love baby lotion!

Here is a quick video of Eli. :) I am a proud momma. For those of you who understand football, Eli tackles the guy at the end, too. I just about died.

School Updates.

So, today was the first day of my student teaching experience.

I loved it!

I loved 2nd graders! My host teacher was kind- she threw me right out to the wolves - and even though it scared me, I was OK. After I did a Read Aloud, I looked up, and they were all staring at me. A little boy in the front row asked, "Will you read us another book?"

I had been worried about what I would remember about the last several months of class. When I was in my 2nd grade room, I kept having flashbacks... for example, when I was listening to the host teacher teach, I had flashbacks of text-to-world. And when I was working with the kids on a spelling lesson, I got an extra book out - because I would not ask them to do something I would not do myself.

Aah!

So, anyways, this afternoon I had to meet with my new advisor at Tech. This man is a professor who teaches my next block set of education classes. Guess what he said! Guess WHAT HE SAID!

Did you guess????

First thing, He said," You need to go ahead and fill out your application for graduation."

Aah!

I almost cried!

Back in the saddle again ...

Nothing new to report here -

• Still van shopping...
• Still going to school...
• Still doing laundry...

School has hit me full force. There was no honeymoon period this semester - you know, where you kinda break into a routine a couple of weeks after school starts.

I will report back tomorrow when my last school project is complete.

The Kissing Hand.

The Kissing Hand is a wonderful book... I bought this book, as well as the follow-up, a few years ago when I put my little kids in a Mother's Day Out program. The story is about a baby racoon that is afraid to go to school, so the momma racoon kisses the baby's palm. Thru the day, when the baby is scared, the mother's love is felt thru the kiss on the palm.
Emma's new K teacher has made this story the theme of the beginning of the school year. On the first day, Emma brought home a paper with a hand and a heart in the middle. She was so excited that she knew the story, so she went and dug out The Kissing Hand to take it to school and show her copy to her teacher.

This morning, she went and found the second book, called "A Pocket Full of Kisses," on the bookshelf. (This book touches on sibling rivalry and how mommies have enough love for all the babies in the family - Great Book!)

This morning, I walked Emma into class. She took out her books and stood over in the corner, putting her backpack away. There were lots of kids already in the class.

I leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled away from me, so I just gave her a hug. Then, she looked up at me and stuck her palm up. So, I leaned down and gave her a kissing hand, told her I loved her, and to have a great day.

As I went to the door to leave, I turned back to look at her. She was looking around the room - not at me- checking to see if anyone was looking. She took her hand and rubbed her kissing hand to her face.

Sad, sappy stories.

After re-reading what I have written this week, you would think I was depressed or something.

(This is my last school post - I promise) :)

On my favorite internet site - FACEBOOK - I have been reading similar sad stories from all the mom's that I know.
While walking Emma into school this morning, the look of longing was on mother's faces all thru the hallways.

Some looked sad that summer was over.

In the kindergarten hallway, most mothers had a look of disbelief that their babies were actually five. And in school.

I guess I don't feel so bad, since it seems to be the cool thing to do, being sad that babies actually grow up.

Talk to me next year when I have one starting his Freshman year of high school, one in first grade, and the last one in kindergarten.

See how pathetic I am then.