Attitude Adjustment

Join the Two Writing Teachers ladies for more slice of life stories today!

 

This morning, as I was lucky enough to be still snuggled in my warm bed, my husband sent me a text.  He had just arrived at work and told me that we had been vandalized by the snow plow yet again this morning!

Last Thursday, our mailbox post was completely snapped in half by the snow plow.  We were irritated, of course.  I called the city and they assured me they would send someone out to look at it and get back to me.  As of this morning, I still hadn't heard from them.  In the mean time, my husband had managed to prop what was left of our post and mailbox in the snow bank so that at least we could still receive our mail.

This morning, it was knocked down again!  This time, the box was completely ripped off what was left of the post!  So, again, he propped the box in the snow bank with the hopes that we will still receive our mail.  (In our town, the post office closes at 5...we are rarely home from work before they close and neither of us work in our town to be able to pick up the mail before they close.  See the issue here?)

So, I called the city AGAIN!  The woman I talked to this morning informed me that if the snow plow had actually hit our box, they would help us.  If the snow (from the plow, mind you) had pushed it down, we were responsible.  She also let me know that my homeowners insurance should cover it.  Does she understand we have a deductible?  Hmmm...

I asked her if she had any suggestions for fixing my mailbox.  It's fairly obvious that with the 15" of snow we just got and the -30 degree temps we are having that I will not be able to dig a hole for a new post until...oh, maybe July?  She suggested I let the post office know.  (Sure, but since their phone number only rings busy all day long every single day, that's a little difficult.)  Her best thought was to get a 5 gallon pail, fill it with sand, and stand the mailbox up (which I'll remind you is not in three pieces) up in it...after we clear the ridiculous amount of snow around the mailbox enough to do that, of course.  "Just be sure to let the post office know that it's the best solution you have until the spring thaw," she said.

She said she would have someone come out and check it soon to be sure it was the force of the snow and not the plow. 

My response?

"Be sure to save yourself a little time and have them check the other 6 mailboxes that were also knocked down on my street at the same time."

I'm not usually one to rant publicly.  I understand that the people plowing my city streets have been working very hard and I really appreciate all that they have done and how quickly they have done it.  However, I have lived in my house for over ten years and this has never happened, much less to this magnitude.  Six at the same time in a one-mile stretch?  I find it a little hard to believe.  I guess that's why I'm a little bitter.

And then came the attitude adjustment that I needed.

Not even a half hour after all this drama...I received word that a friend and co-worker's (whose young daughter is currently battling cancer) home had a fire.  They have extensive damage to their home, maybe a total loss, but they are all safe and unhurt.  I can't even begin to comprehend what they are going through right now on top of everything else they are already struggling with in their lives. 

I'm pretty happy to have issues with my mailbox today.  If I could trade my mailbox getting hit every day for the rest of the year in exchange for fixing their home or their daughter, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I'll happily stand my mailbox in a 5 gallon pail until spring and be very thankful I have the home that goes with the mailbox.  I'll happily stand my mailbox in a pail and be very thankful that my four children are healthy, happy and warm in our home.

So...if you've read along this far, please say a prayer for my friend and her family.  They need all the prayers and support that they can get.  Thanks :)

My Thankful Five

1.  I’m thankful for my family.  I am rich in this department!  I have four beautiful, healthy, happy, smart children and an amazing husband who I cherish every day!

2.    I’m thankful for my parents who raised me to believe in myself, to work hard and to enjoy life.  They set a good example for my siblings and me.  I know how lucky I am to be able to say that!

3.    I’m thankful to have a job in this crazy, difficult world we live in, but I am blessed to have a job that I love.  I look into little faces every day and hear things such as “I like your shoes” or “You are my friend” and I know that what they mean is that they feel safe here at school, in our classroom, with me.  I take this profession seriously because I know that I impact their young lives and I want that impact to be positive every day!

4.    I’m thankful for a caregiver for my children that I trust 100%.  I know that my children get the best care possible every day when I can’t be with them. She’s amazing and I can’t imagine, nor would I want, anyone else caring for my children.  We are blessed to have her in our lives.

5.    I’m thankful for this slicing community.  If it weren’t for you all, I wouldn’t share my writing.  I may not even write!  The feedback and connections that I have made here sustain my writing passion and encourage me on the days that the screen/paper is blank for just a little too long for comfort.  Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We Are Blooming!

I absolutely love to watch my students learn and grow!  I know, there probably aren't any teachers out there that wouldn't say the same thing, but this year it just keeps smacking me in the face!

I have a student teacher that does a wonderful job.  She knows what she's doing and what to expect from students, where to support them and enjoys what she is doing.  It's been fun to watch her grow and learn as well this year!

Because she is so capable, I have been able to really sit back and watch my students.  Yes, I see behaviors in some of them that are less that desirable and its often hard to sit back and let her handle it without jumping in to help, but I see her growth when I do so I know how worth while it is.  The best part thought is watching the students really begin to shine.  Last week they were engaged and in love with literacy and math tubs...and I was able to watch it all unfold in front of me.  The flowers in my kinder garden are really beginning to bloom!  Take a look!

You will notice two levels of letter work below - first identifying a letter in an apple card game and then writing letters in sequence.

 Next up, more letter work.  First, students place the magnetic letter over the picture of the matching letter.  The next level is matching the letter to the beginning sound of the word/picture.  Finally, some students are beginning to spell color words.

 

During math tubs we have been playing a roll a number and write it game, counting by tens and writing the numbers in order, playing a roll and color activity to practice dot patterns and

 And more literacy tubs...we are working on identifying and writing letters.
 

We also practiced identifying beginning sounds of words/pictures and a roll a sight word game where we identified the word and practiced writing it.

The difference in what my students are capable of doing now versus the beginning of the school year when many didn't know any letters or sounds or numbers is just amazing!  I'm awfully lucky to be able to do this job I love!

Giving credit - I used activities from the following:

The Common Core Diner by Greg Smedley-Warren at Kindergarten Smorgasboard
Apple Letter/Sounds Game, Making Words and More, & All About Bats by Caitlin Clabby at Kindergarten Smiles
Lunchbox Letters by Alessia Albanese at www.mrsalbanesesclass.blogspot.com

Celebrate Good Times, Come on!

Ruth Ayres is starting a new adventure on her blog Discover. Play. Build.  Each Saturday, link up and share your celebrations, big or small.  Be sure to leave comments for others as well!  I've been thinking about and mentally writing my post all day! 

Today I am sharing a list of celebrations because I just couldn't narrow it down.  That's a pretty good problem to have I think!  Here they are...in no particular order.  My top 6 celebrations from the week:

1. Today is my sister's birthday!  It's a beautiful fall day here in Michigan and a lovely day to celebrate!  And because it's her birthday...I won't even tell you how old she is.  Happy birthday to a wonderful lady!

2.  My daughter is in my kindergarten class this year.  I had my reservations about it but it has been a great experience so far.  It's a blessing to be able to watch her learn and grow in the classroom setting and also to know that I had a hand in that growth!

3.  I have a great student teacher this year!  She's beginning to take over much of the teaching (which is a celebration itself!) and is doing well.  We also were fortunate to take our first field trip to the local cider mill this week.  The weather was beautiful and the trip was great!

4.  My principal and student support coordinator made a deal with the school to wear Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes if the school reached a reading goal.  Each month the school sends home a reading calendar and asks students to read throughout the month and record it on the calendar.  The deal was if 75% of students completed and returned their reading calendars in September, they would dress up for a whole day.  This was a first time challenge and the students came very close!  There was a 73% turnout and because they were so close, Thing 1 and Thing 2 made their appearance during the lunch and recess periods on Friday.  It was truly a sight to behold, many pictures were taken and many smiles were shared.

5.  I have been reading such wonderful writing lately!  I've been lucky to watch my friend's writing journey soar to a new level and lucky to read both her drafts and her finished pieces.  It's been a lot of fun for me to watch each piece develop and to see her writing process in action!  I'm so proud of her and the success she has found as a writer.

6.  It seems a little odd to celebrate a conversation, but I had a good conversation with a friend this week.  It was nice to share a moment with someone who has been in similar shoes as my own.  I had been feeling a little lonely in one aspect of my life until this conversation when I learned that she too had experience in this area.  I didn't think I had any friends who could relate to my situation but she could.  It felt really good to know I was not alone in my feelings.  Her positive perspective and understanding was just what I needed and I left the conversation feeling a little lighter.  I'm thankful to count her as a friend.

Words Matter

For more Slice of Life stories head on over to the Two Writing Teachers blog hosted by Ruth & Stacey.

Yesterday I heard it.  That dreaded sound that all parents hate.  The sound that changes your life for a day, maybe more.  You know the one.  The sound of your child throwing up.  Yes, that's what I heard yesterday from my seven-year-old.  To make matters worse, I heard that sound in the van on the way to school in the morning.  Is there any worse time to hear it?  And, since my 9-7-4-1-year-olds (ok fine, I will excuse the one-year-old) don't seem to know when it is coming...well, I'll spare you the details.  Although, if anyone knows how to teach that skill to children, to know when they are going to get sick, PLEASE SHARE YOUR SECRET WITH ME!!!

Anyway, I'm getting off topic here.  "The incident," as I'm calling it, happened just around the corner from the babysitter's house.  Luckily, I was able to pull into her driveway.

Because my babysitter, B, is awesome, and by awesome I mean phenomenal, she rescued me.  She came out to the van carrying paper towels and wet wipes to clean up.  As we were cleaning, she asked me, "What does a teacher do in this situation?  I've always wondered."  

"I have no idea!" is how I actually replied.  "I guess I will be taking her home because I have no other option today."

At this point, B tells me that my daughter can stay at her house.  She can stay in her bedroom, sleep, watch a movie, color, etc. until I can take her home.  She can stay all day or part of the day or whatever I need.  (See, I told you she is awesome!)  And, here is where the real story begins.

 

B's mother-in-law just passed away last week.  She had been sick and B's family had been preparing for her move into their home so they could take care of her.  B and her husband had transformed their bedroom into a comfortable room for his mother.  They moved furniture and created a space that would work for her.  As part of the preparations, B urged her children to decorate the bedroom for their Grandma.  She bought special markers so they could write messages on the windows and mirrors for their Grandma.  She bought poster board and markers so they could write messages to hang on the walls and decorate the room.  Unfortunately, their Grandma passed away before she was able to see the bedroom and all the girl's hard work.  

 

When I walked into the bedroom to pick up my daughter yesterday, I stopped and stared.  I couldn't do anything else.  All I could see were the bible verses, prayers, uplifting messages, comforting words and pictures that were surrounding me in this room.  It is an ordinary bedroom that had been transformed with words.  Important words.  Words that uplifted my spirit.  Words that felt magical in this ordinary space.

 

I had a hard time carrying on my half of the conversation as I looked around the room. I couldn't speak around the lump that formed in my throat.  I could not tear my eyes away from the writing that was all around me.  It may have been someone else's words that the girls had written down but they had sought out and written down such perfect messages for their Grandmother that it touched my heart in a way that I can't shake.  Oh, the power of words!

 

I have found myself thinking about this hundreds of times ever since.  I can't shake the feeling I had in that room.  I can't shake the magic of their words.  The story they created for their Grandma.  B told me that the girls felt really bad that their Grandma didn't get the chance to see what they had done.  B's response?  "Maybe this was God's way of preparing you, not really for Grandma at all."  That is the response of a special lady. This is the woman who is caring for my children every day.

The world is lucky to have people like this; people who can see an opportunity for words/writing/stories and know that stories matter.  My family is lucky to have B in our lives; a person who shares her love through words and actions both.

 

And, I can't help but think of Ruth Ayres' wise words. She says, "Words matter. Story matters."  Yes, it certainly does.

How About a Little Thankfulness

Slice of Life Challenge - Day 8 - hosted by Two Writing Teachers

On a dreary Thursday, at the end of a long week, sometimes it's hard to find things to be thankful for off the top of your head.  But today, thankfulness just seemed to keep slapping me in the face!  So, when I sat down to write my slice today, I couldn't NOT write about it.  Here is my list for today:

I am thankful...

for the little one who is snuggled in her pink fleece footy pajamas in the crib across the hall.

for the three year old who has to be pried out of bed in the morning...a night owl like her Mama.

for the six year old who loves to crawl into bed and cuddle with her Mama in the early morning hours.

for the nine year old who still wants to be tucked into bed at night with a hug and a kiss.

for knowing I should be thankful for that because it won't last much longer.

for the husband who got up first when the alarm clock buzzed and let me have a few more minutes under the covers.

for the Mama who lives down the street.

for the good friend to share a chat with in the morning.

for a challenging group of students that I get to spend every day with.

for the hugs I get every day from those challenging kids...especially from little E, who needs more hugs that I can give her in a day.

for the babysitter who took a vacation and "allowed" me to take the afternoon off to spend with my two littlest sweeties.

for the homework that my children bring home because it means I get to sit down and devote some time just to my two oldest sweeties.

for the teachers who give that homework because they love my sweeties each day at school.

for dirty dishes in the sink and laundry on the floor because I didn't take the time to clean them up but instead spent some time with my family - they are my everything.

I am thankful.