I have pictures!

I have been trying to upload some of my pictures of Noelle, but my computer and I have not been agreeing.  Looks like I finally got it right!  I spent Tuesday through Thursday this week in Ames, and Thursday through Saturday last week there.  School went pretty well, better the second week as I found out what was missing from my generic lessons plans the first week.  The whole having a new grand daughter process is pretty hard to explain to my class!

I tried to be generally helpful while visiting but my main job was playing with Emily while everyone else napped.  She has a set of pop beads that she got for her birthday (she calls them snap beads) and we created jewelry every day.  They are just like the pop beads we used to have only more shapes, sizes, colors and patterns.  They still just "pop" together.  Fun and we did something different with them each day.  They couldn't be used while Dallas was awake.

Noelle is very sweet and had learned new things just from last Saturday when we left to Tuesday when I went back!  She stays awake for a while now, really studies things with her eyes and really, really listens when you talk.  She knew it was not Laura when I was talking to her and she would get very still if you sang to her.

When I got home Thursday I was able to spend an hour with Charley.  He looks big compared to Noelle!  He is talking up a storm and giggles at about everything.  I got to stay with him this morning as well, they were supposed to raise the roof on the garage, but the rain cancelled that.  I stayed with Charley and Greg went back to sleep.  When he got up I went to the shop and got a haircut.  I missed my appointment when Noelle was born.

School year has begun

I'm all settled into my new "new" room and feel pretty important to have a separate office. Of course, it's only because my desk wouldn't fit in my classroom :). We had open house/meet your teacher night last night. I had several of my families stop in. The building was very busy. That is a good omen for the coming year. Today we have professional development and tomorrow the kiddos arrive for the first official day. Part of my day today will be CPR training. I haven't been certified in several years and I have a student with a seizure disorder, so I need to be certified. Hopefully I will never have to put practice into reality.
Also yesterday I got to have coffee with an old teaching buddy who was in town. She lives near Branson now, for 12 years or so. I tried to fit in a visit between meetings and open house and also got to watch Charley while we were having coffee. He was a perfect gentleman, but he put my arm to sleep while he napped. I felt young, all the others at the table were retired.
The rain hasn't affected us personally, but we know plenty of people with serious water in their basements. Highway 92 east of town has been closed for days and the way the pictures look, some serious reconstruction may need to happen on the road. I don't know how this will affect the start of school. There are other routes, but buses will certainly have to backtrack a bunch.

Lynne or Laura

Can you tell me how to move things in my blog so you can see the title? Be detailed, please.

Another opportunity

I got called to the office again today, and again, just as I was walking out the door. It seems since the president signed a bill giving some education money back, our district can hire some teachers. Our fifth grade teachers won't have to have 31 students in their class, but they will get to have my room. I have two days before school starts to move (again, sigh) and this time to a teacher's lounge, not a classroom. I will need to be creative! Plus side is I'll be close to my best school friend again. And, BTW, it is dry at school, although parts of Oskaloosa are pretty soggy. I heard Ames has a boil water order, I bet we will too in a day or two since the water treatment plant is sure to be under if all that water comes downstream. Never a dull moment.

end of summer as I know it

I still have pictures to publish but they are on the MACbook and when they updated, they put blogspot on a list of firewalled items ( no social networks are allowed on school computers during school hours so kids can't be off task) so I will have to figure out how to transfer so I can post them here.

I have spent several hours at school trying to do what I can ahead. Got to babysit with Charley several times as well. He changes every time I see him, has learned many new things. It sure is fun to watch him talk to the toys! Only one more band concert for the season as well, then I can start babysitting Thursday nights.

Sweetcorn Serenade went well. Last year and this we have had the Celebration Iowa Jazz band and Singers perform. We used to know them as the State Fair Jazz band and Singers. It brings a good crowd as does the rest of the celebration (corn, pork burgers, vendors, kids' games, crafts, etc)The night ends with our band concert - our biggest audience of the year but also the noisiest, I'm not really here for the music audience. MUSCO lighting donated new lighting for the park and the bandstand, state of the art LED lights. Now I don't have to have a secret stash of light bulbs for when the teenagers steal the light bulbs just before the concert!

Nothing else happening here.

Staycation

Well, I've been waiting to post until I could include some pictures but my camera and my computer are not on speaking terms right now, I guess! Dan and I celebrated our 15th anniversary by spending a couple of days in Des Moines. On Friday we went to the Hall of Pride. Very interesting but I think high schoolers might enjoy it more, maybe middle schoolers. We went to see "Knight and Day" the movie at Jordan Creek as well as a little shopping and ate dinner at Fazoli's (hadn't been there in a really long time). Saturday we slept in, drove around at Saylorville Lake, went to visit the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge, visited a VW dealer (we need a part for Vera) rested a bit, then went to an Iowa Cubs game. Sunday we shopped a little before coming home. One thing we always do is great breakfasts - did a Village Inn and an IHOP.

Tuesday is my regular afternoon to babysit for Charley for a little bit between when Greg goes to work and Chelsey comes home from work, and he slept pretty much the whole time. Today Dan went along for a while and Charley was awake the whole time. He is starting to coo and is darned adorable!

I have dinner in the oven and waiting for Dan - he is having a needle removed from his foot - it has been embedded for a couple of months. I think it is probably my fault, so I'll try to wait on him a bit tonight!

I will post pictures, especially of the military museum if I can get the camera/computer figured out.

still on vacation

Nothing going on here except occasional rain showers as usual. I took Dan's mom to her Dr.'s appointment today - we were supposed to be there by 11:15 and left there at 1:30, then we went to lunch at Wendy's before I took her home. I finished an entire book while there:) I guess the morning was busy, but there weren't very many people in the waiting room.
Last week one day I spent in Ames so Laura could go to a Dr.'s appointment. Waiting there was more fun :). It is always good to see her and the kids, didn't run into Robert, then went to Des Moines to meet Lynne for supper and a short visit. I like those kinds of days. Yesterday I spent a little bit with Charley between when Greg went to work and Chelsey came home from work. He changes every day.
I had an eye dr appointment last week - for Sherrie - I have posterior vitreous detachment - means the fluid in the eye gets cloudy once in a while and acts like a floater. Nothing they can fix, and your brain covers it up after a while so you don't notice. I'm sorry Sherrie's was more serious, how's it going now? I didn't need lens changes.
I just got my school computer back from updates so now I can't put off doing school work very much longer. Wish I could get a schedule in mind, that's the biggest concern I have right now about the new job.
Other than that, I have been doing city band work, a rehearsal and concert each week. This week we have a substitute director, I hope it doesn't rain so we need to move the concert indoors, the director usually handles those arrangements and he's in DC. I've been reading a lot, so look for updates on my list soon.

vacation

School is out and I haven't had much time at home yet. Thursday and Friday I spent moving things at school. Monday and Tuesday I did committee work for school. We splurged and met at the local coffee shop so good lunches and beverages were available. We got lots done, so it was a good thing. Today I went back to school for a bit to organize shelves but couldn't do much as my laptop (ok, the school's laptop) is in getting updated and I couldn't get any of the room computers to recognize me. Then I worked in the band office. I finally finished creating the spreadsheet of all the pieces of music we have (was supposed to be a winter project) so all that remains is proof reading and editing. I washed the kitchen floor and now I'm doing this.
Sunday I attended a baby shower for Charley and got to hold him for a while. I always look forward to this.
I made two little quilt type wall hangings for Mae's door, but she hasn't seen them yet. I got the air conditioner installed in here, but this room really needs a good cleaning, especially after I dragged out the dust bunnies where the air conditioner was :). Maybe tomorrow?

This n' that

Happy June! It is Greg's birthday and Sharon & Bill's anniversary.
Dan and I did the Memorial Day cemetery concert yesterday. A bit more of a challenge to haul all the needed band equipment there in the car, than in the truck! The weather was beautiful and many people came. The cemetery is always so beautiful, especially with all the American flags flying. Very peaceful, as a place like that should be. The concert went ok, we didn't have enough chairs and the tubas are not used to playing standing up. After the concert we headed to Williamsburg for a little shopping. I got a couple of tops, an outfit for Charley and a birthday present for Greg from Harry and David's.
There are seven days of school left. It is hard to keep going when everyone around us is out. This week we will do final grades and in general finish testing for the year. My teachers have special projects going - in reading class we are acting out reader's theaters - fun to watch who likes to act and who can memorize lines and who thinks they are directing!
A lot of the stuff I don't use every day is packed in boxes awaiting the move to my new room. I "found" some things while cleaning files and cupboards.
I finally got my tomatoes up in the topsy turvy planters. I decided they needed to be higher this year so Dan put some hangers on the window frame of the downstairs bathroom. I got Greg to take out a storm window so I can water them from inside! I couldn't reach them from the ground, so couldn't be sure the water I was trying to give from the hose was going in.
Sunday we went to see the last Shrek movie. As we were waiting, Greg called to see if we wanted to babysit so he could work outside. We rushed right home after the movie and did get to spend about an hour with Charley. He is growing so fast and is pretty amazing. I hope he will be in a good mood when everyone gets to met him on Sunday.

Meet Charles Randel

I had a feeling yesterday was going to be the day. I took my phone to church, even. Got the first call before noon, that Greg and Chelsey were going to the hospital, but didn't know if they would stay. Greg was good about giving updates as Dan and I were at City hall, painting and cleaning in the band room. Finally got the call and got to meet the little guy. He's very special and the second of my two grandsons to be born on a Sunday.

Can you teach an old dog (er, gal) new tricks?

I had a surprise after school yesterday when I was called into the principal's office. She said, come in with an open mind. She preceded to offer me a "new" job. The administrative team wanted me to transfer to teaching a level 2 class for next year. For those of you not real familiar with special ed and levels, I have been teaching level 1, and most of the help has been in the general education classroom with a little bit of pull out. The new position is longer times of pullout and I'll be teaching the student's whole reading curriculum, or math curriculum, perhaps not using what the classroom is using. Groups will be small and the students will still go to a regular class for social studies and science instruction. The students are more handicapped than those I see now. As a matter of fact, I helped move several of these kids from the lesser restrictive environment to the more sheltered one this year, as these kids were just not making progress. The teacher currently leading the level 2 class is retiring and we will split the kids by grade level into 2 classes for next year.
I thought about it, weighed the options and decided to go for it. I will get a regular sized room in the fourth grade hallway with windows!!!!! I will have a program associate and hopefully they will grant my wish for which one. I lose co teaching with my favorite person, but at the same time don't have to co teach anymore with one I don't like as well. They pretty much told me I could keep this position until retirement.
So... I have to think about moving sometime during the summer. Hopefully this is a positive move for everyone involved. I always enjoy a new challenge!

Finally rescued

I think I am above water again, at least for a while. I have only two individual education plans still to write out of 23, and our visit by the state department of education is over. Apparently we passed - no citations at the elementary. We have hired a new superintendent, so that process is over. We still need to hire a principal here at the elementary and I may be involved with that, as my department usually is not good about volunteering.
At home the yard is looking better all the time with Dan spending some of each of his days out there. I wish I could think of something to make with creeping Charlie as we have tons of that. Spring truly has come and the trees look so pretty around town with all the beautiful blooms. Luckily no one at our house is bothered much by tree pollen.
Church activities also are waning. No more Wednesday night choir rehearsals, though we will still sing on Sundays and the last bell choir practice is this week, with a performance on Sunday. Kids Quest is over because of Little League.
We have begun saving money and looking for a second vehicle. Having just one has been inconvenient, but not impossible. It just cuts down on impulsive moves. My biggest problem is needing my jacket, which is in the car, which Dan has!
Counting down to Baby J's arrival!

Help! I'm drowning!

Lots of things I could post, even some pictures but am buried in school paperwork, so just know I'm still alive and I'll get to this soon.

Back at work

Vacation is over :( This is the first time in many years when I haven't been really bored before vacation was over. I guess I am getting more ready to retire. I had just learned to sleep later again, now its back to getting up just after 5:00. It's not that I accomplished too much. But, just enough to keep busy. I spent one whole afternoon uncrocheting a rug. I've been making these for several years out of cotton yarn and when they get a hole, I just undo to the hole and crochet it again. Wouldn't you know, the hole is always close to the beginning , not the end you unravel from. Now in the evenings I am putting it back together.
I have read a few more books, but I forget to log them on my list before I take them back to the library.
Anyone out there remember Mr. Popper's Penguins or Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary? I am teaching both these books in small groups right now. It is fun to have the kids get to read something a little out of their reach to do independently. I took my laptop home yesterday to finish up some planning for these books, and forgot to bring back the power cord. The MacBook Pro is a great machine, but you do have to plug it in sometime! Dan was nice enough to drop it off for me.
Tonight as usual, I have bell choir at 5:00. One of our songs has me playing the REALLY BIG bells. It is like lifting weights - you feel it in your ribcage. Dan meets me at six and we go out to eat before Chancel choir at 7:00. We are down to one car again, so this week he has to come or I have to stay here!
It rained all day today. Lucky us!

Nya nya, I'm on vacation!

Vacation! what a wonderful word. I have already accomplished a few things, because this week is going to be too short! I finished completely the baby quilt for my friend at school. Baby J's baby quilt is pieced and will be finished when I get some more flannel. I went to the library, then to church to give blood. I even let her wiggle the needle a little! I know Chelsey will appreciate that!

Last week I spent some time in the dr's office. My foot was really giving me fits, I thought maybe I had broken it, without an obvious injury. Well, after xrays and tests for gout, I was given a diagnosis of arthritis and a prescription for pain/ anti inflamatory. It may be mental tricks, but boy, it feels better than in a long time.

The back yard is devoid of sticks and limbs, courtesy of an afternoon's work by Dan. Looks much better. I was worried about the limb that fell in the lilac bush as it was stuck upright there and was about 8 inches around. The lilac seems none the worse for wear.

Best part of this week so far? Sunshine!

odds and ends

We are half way through our second week of school with no snow days! This is so great the district rewarded us with a mandatory Saturday work day! Joy, joy! I actually have some things that need doing, so I guess it's ok. My student teacher is done and I'm working the new schedule which includes 10 minutes of playground duty with second graders. Yesterday I noticed a 9 foot long icicle hanging from the north side of the building. Even though no kids should be over there, I thought I'd better tell the principal and he had a great time pulling it down from the drain spout. Unfortunately the ice was blocking water behind it so he got a little shower as well. He even came to my room to thank me!
I've had a cold this week but feeling better each day. I needed to get to the Dr for a physical but they weren't making appointments - the computers were down. For two weeks. Must be hard to get things done in those circumstances. Way harder to do things the old fashioned way!
This week I am helping to interview candidates for the superintendent's job. She is retiring. We are considered to be a rather large district, so want someone with experience. Should be interesting. It extends the day quite a bit so I hope I don't embarrass myself by yawning too much!

Will we or won't we?

Well, it's snowing. We're not getting as much as they first predicted, still, if it does this all night ...

All the travelers are home, safe. I imagine Lynne will share some of her adventures, and Chelsey and Greg also had a great time.

Tomorrow we start a new schedule at school - the associates are gone. I also have a completely new plan as I added a student who needs pullout services. I wasn't doing any of that. I will be on the go all day long, back and forth to classrooms, then my room, back to classrooms. My student teacher has completed her work so I will have to actually work! There is a possibility of three more students being placed this month which gives me as many students as our smallest classrooms. So much for extra help and attention! I told my principal that I am good, but don't know if I am THAT good!

Tuesday at home

Guess what? It snowed again! Still is, but nothing like earlier. I guess the wind is supposed to pick up and we'll have more drifting. Anyway, I'm home again. Today I will mend jeans for Greg and then I have baby quilts to work on. I think I'll put something in the crockpot so I don't have to stop to cook. Yesterday we got out early. Chelsey had invited us for dinner, so we got to see the new furniture and enjoy a very good meal.

Basic skills are over except for four students who missed tests because of absences. I got some caught up yesterday. My student teacher has another week to teach before I take things back from her. The school district still hasn't decided how to make up the 6 remaining days of the 9 snow days we missed. If they have a board meeting tonight, a decision should be made. Next week we try working without most of our support staff. Lots of hard feelings, sadness and low morale.

I hope everyone is inside safe and warm!

Whew!

I am celebrating for a moment. I am on the downhill side of ITBS! Most groups have only four tests to go, then I have some make up tests to do for kids who were absent.

Busy night tonight - after school meeting, have to bake a cake for a funeral tomorrow, have a city band meeting, then back home to frost the cake. Usually I have nothing to do!

Lincoln School Redo

Most of you know I taught at Lincoln School before the move to the new elementary. When we moved, the building was sold to a group who planned to remodel the building into apartments for elderly housing. The old building had numerous problems including rodents and bats, leaky pipes, poor water pressure, antiquated heating system, on and on. Yesterday afternoon was an open house for the remodel and I still can't believe how wonderful it is!
The building now has 15 apartments in it. Each one is one or two bedrooms, full kitchen, lots of closet, wonderful original hardwood floors and a tiny bit of the feel of the old classrooms. The gym is now 4 apartments with the original high ceilings and shorter walls. The custodians room is a workout center with a treadmill, etc. The building is on the register of historic places, so the outside is restored to the original look. I was ready to move in! It is great when someone has vision of what could be and then is able to carry it out.
We gathered as many of the old crew from the building and took a picture - we'll see how they come out.

addendum

We are going home early - one hour. Don't know what good that does but maybe visibility is better at 2:00 than at 3:00?

Favorite time of year

Well, it's my favorite time of year. God won't strike me down for lying, will he? Today I started giving Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. I have twenty kids to read to - spread out across their available day, that means 60 sessions or two complete weeks with testing 6 times a day. Such fun! I have one session completed and will begin another after the classes have music, pe, art, etc.

I guess the weather is pretty nasty if you had a commute of any kind today. The teachers who come in from Pella, Ottumwa, etc, needed more time than they thought so very briefly this morning I was a general education fourth grade teacher. She wasn't very late, but said it was extremely hard to see the road markings. Looks like I will get to work on my birthday this year which has happened only once before in all the years I have taught. Our Sunshine committe has a "birthday mug" that travels from teacher to teacher on their special day. The birthday person then fills it for the next person in line. Those of us with summer birthdays get a bonus birthday assigned to us so we can celebrate, too. Looks like I'll get the mug twice! Just a s long as I don't have to be two years older!

Stay safe

Wow! School at last!

What a strange week. Monday it was work as usual. Tuesday I had an all day meeting with the curriculum director at central office, so not in the classroom at all. Wednesday and Thursday, no school because of ice. Today - late start so nothing is in its regular spot in the schedule!

We did indeed have ice - a half inch or so. We haven't lost power - yet. Since the ice is still on all the trees, it may still bring down power lines. Many buses were stopped today because either a tree blocked the road or downed power lines did. Some teachers didn't have power over night. Dan went to Walmart yesterday - they had lost power and were just reopening - but were in the process of throwing out all the meat and dairy.

I put on my new yaktracks this morning for the school parking lot, but someone did a great job of sanding and I didn't need them.

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe!

Sunday at the house

I'm getting together my guest list for a Lia Sophia jewelry party. Any of you are welcome! I attended Lynne's and "won" my own party. I am looking forward to it, many of the people I work with have never been inside here. Nothing much else going on, and I like it that way!

Happy New Year

Well, back to work tomorrow. I will have a student teacher for the first 6 weeks of 2010. There is so much for her to learn in so little a time!
Notice I have followed my daughter's lead and will endeavor to post what I'm reading this year. Both of the books currently on the list I started before the new year, but I did finish them in 2010!
Chelsey gifted me with a crochet calendar and requested some things for Baby J - I have worked an elephant, still needs eyes and a frog, still needs eyes and a baby bib. The calendar has a wide variety of patterns, some of which are in my capability range. My crochet talents usually lie in flat items, so making 3D objects is a challenge! I made a hat but used really loud colors, so took it apart again.
I was able to make several knitted/loomed hats during my vacation and will donate them to the school nurses' office, hopefully they will find a home. I finally got one the right size/texture for me to wear when we have outside duty - it gets cold out there! Hopefully I will have a bright red set and a mauve set, both of which should go with my black coat.
I hope everyone is staying warm!