Weather Wows!

I'm back at work today following a day off for weather. The snow on Sunday was unbelievable. It snowed from noon to five or six and we had 12-15 inches! We were at a Super Bowl gathering, which we probably shouldn't have gone to since at three when we left home the storm was really raging. When we got home, shortly after the game and some driveway clearing at our host's home, one of the neighbors had done our walks. We worked on the driveway to get both vehicles up, then came inside to find a message that school had been called off. Yesterday morning it rained and thundered and lightning(ed). Today things are supposed to start being bad again around lunchtime. There was one bus stuck this morning, but that's not bad considering how many buses we run. Chances are we'll have no school tomorrow, as we could get another 8 inches this afternoon/tonight. I still have a sewing project or two waiting for me to have time. Yesterday I finished a baby blanket, I have a denim/fleece quilt waiting for me - the top is pieced, just need to add the back and tie it. It is for Greg and Chelsey's camper. We did have band practice last night - William Penn University has a very small concert band and they invited city band members to play with them. Last night there were 9 of us, only one of which was a Penn student. I had to have my horn in for service, got it back Friday, it really is in good shape now. If I could only say the same for my lip and air supply!

Odd day

Today has been different. For one thing today was the funeral for a third grader who was killed in a car accident last Thursday. There's just no explaining that to most people, let alone third grade classmates. So sad, but her young life was full of activities and joy. Because of the funeral, classes were missing people, students and teachers alike. I began to work with a new group for reading, allowing my next door teacher a little planning time. She and I will alternate working with this combination of both our students on an eight day cycle. Now, after school I will have only one student in my tutoring group - one has dropped (I can't convince the parent that it might take more than 5 weeks to change his habits!) and one of my students joins the morning group on Tuesdays so he can sing in the elementary choir on Tuesday afternoons. I didn't have a car today because the pickup was getting its new windshield (after deer damage). Hopefully routine will reappear tomorrow!

This 'n That

Isn't this weather glorious? OK, it caused lots of mud, but it sure is nice to see the last of the 3 inch thick ice gone from the driveway. Tomorow they are predicting snow again.
Greg and Chelsey are in the Dominican Republic, I talked with Greg last night and besides being sunburned, they are experiencing new food and drinks, napping a lot so they can stay up late and in general really enjoying themselves. They are taking lots of pictures, which I hope they will share when they get home. Meanwhile, here at home, JoAnn and Randy have the dogs and we visit the cats every other day (Greg's dad had alternate days).
The school year is half gone! Seems like we just started the other day. This is the week for mid-terms so it is half way through the middle trimester. I'd better teach faster!

Back at it

School has started again and I had a pretty good day. Kids in general were subdued, even the after school bus duty crowd was more quiet than usual.
Happy New Year to all of you. I am not a resolution person in general but I am setting some personal goals. One is to keep a record of things I create in sewing or knitting or my other crafts. The purpose is to show me how productive I am and look towards retirement to see if I could make any money and/or keep myself busy enough. Another is one I stole - I am going to throw away or give away 5 things from my basement a week. Could be as simple as something out of the freezer, but this has got to happen. I started by going through a stack of counted cross stitch books/magazines/pamphlets. I have advertised these at school, hopefully they will find new homes. I loved collecting the patterns more than using them, it seems. And, now that Dan has a new figure, I hope to do something about mine.
Tonight is caucus night - I will be glad that it is over, but I am proud of Iowa and the role our state plays in the democratic process.

Vacation!

This is the last day of school before vacation. Even though we only worked three days last week because of ice, this week has made up for it - I swear each day was three days long. I had high hopes this morning because of heavy fog that we could skip this last day - but of course we are here and ready to work! My grade level has a sing a long this morning for 20 minutes, a Christmas tradition we started at Lincoln many years ago. The music teacher plays piano and I get to choose the songs. At Lincoln, the whole school sang, here the whole fourth grade and some of their parents who can get away for a little bit. The principal insisted this year that we not sing any "religious" songs. I will miss the sweetness of hearing 200 rambuncious 10 year old voices singing reverently Silent Night.

Blessed Holidays

As the last days of school before Christmas wind down (and the kids wind up!) I am prompted to let each of you know that I think of you often and hope your holidays will be very special this year. Dan and I got to spend Saturday shopping part of the day, visiting Emily and her parents another part of the day and lastly, watching the musical version of "It's a Wonderful Life" at Ames City Auditorium. Robert was part of the orchestra and their church partnered with several other churches in Ames to put on the production. Although I missed seeing Jimmy Stewart in it, it was a great experience. The music was powerful and the message good as well.
Laura and I baked cookies while Emily napped in the afternoon and Dan and Rob watched a movie. We decided it was a good day's work and although everything might not have looked like the magazine pictures, the cookies tasted pretty good. They will be eaten tomorrow for "Treat" day here at school.

Long time, no write

It's been a while, hasn't it? No excuses - just regular stuff. I have started tutoring three days a week, both before and after school. It's not really tutoring, but instead teaching an intensive phonics based reading program. Our district got a grant to pay for materials and pay for us. The groups are small, three or four at a time, which is what is recommended. Consequently I have been trying to get to work by 6:00 each morning and can't leave in the afternoon much before 5:00.
The weather sounds as if it might be real nasty for tomorrow. Our superintendent is the last one in our whole area to call off school. Friday everyone around us was delayed because of the ice but not us. I wonder if the bus drivers are paid extra for driving on icy roads in the dark? I am sort of counting on tomorrow off, though, as it sounds as if it will take down power lines again. This time we have stockpiled some candles and firewood, so we hopefully we won't repeat last year when we were without furnace for 4 days. If we don't have school maybe I can get all the projects finished for Christmas. Every time I finish one seems like I get three new ideas to work on!