Yay for December!

There are several things that are good about December. First and foremost, we are going to Israel for Christmas and will finally get to hold our newest grandson!

We'll get to play with Gracie and her cousins and just enjoy these little ones. It makes me smile just to think about it! I also have 13 more school days... yes, I am counting - thank you very much! I have to say, today was much better than yesterday! That first day back was brutal! Also NaBloPoMo ends today; now I don't have to think about posting every day. I only kind of missed one day - I was six minutes late! To me, that still counts; I hadn't slept yet! I must shop and mail two packages asap! So much to do, so little time! Plus... it's time to sleep!

Not On My List!

One of my favorite students of all time is moving to Pennsylvania. I told her that this did not make me happy for she is not on my list! Yes, I know, how unprofessional of me. I don't really have a list of students that I want to get rid of but I do wish that this one wasn't leaving. She came to our school toward the end of sixth grade and within a couple weeks, participated in the all-school Spelling Bee. After winning the sixth grade division, she won the seventh grade division. She placed second overall, losing to an incredible reader. Being a military kid, she's used to moving around but this time is special because she's going to the area where her grandma lives! That actually makes me very happy for her for I think she needs the special attention that her grandma will give her since her mother gave birth to twins on the first day of school this year! She adores her baby sisters but I know that going from thirteen years as an only child to having twins in the family is not easy for her. I am praying that grandma will be someone who gives her undivided love and attention. Regardless of where she goes, this girl will succeed. She is just this side of brilliant. But oh, I will really miss her!

Monday

The only thing worse than Monday in junior high is Monday after two days off for snow and two days off for a holiday plus two days off for the weekend. Then add massive computer issues and you have one frustrating Monday! Nearly a fourth of my classes had no work and no supplies, ie books, binder, Monday folder. I'm so glad Monday is over!

New ideas for essays

I'm in the middle of literature circles with 8th graders. They are reading White Fang, The Giver, The King's Fifth, Roll of Thunder- Hear My Cry, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, or The Eagle of the Ninth. I have come up with a new idea for an essay topic. Actually, I've developed a list of 30 essay topics based on ideas I've gleaned from websites, and I'm going to give each group a choice of several different topics. They can choose, but they must all write on the same one. I think this will enrich their discussion during their groups. I'm planning on making the due date several days after the completion of the literature study because I want them to completely finish the book, to have the whole picture as they write their essay. We'll see how this works, if it works.

Six Point Snowflakes

Technically it's Sunday but in my brain, since it's just after midnight, it's still Saturday night. I've been cleaning most of the day because I have company coming over for Sunday dinner after church. But this afternoon, I took three hours off to babysit my grandchildren... and the granddog! Kayla was trying to make snowflakes but she wasn't happy with the results so I taught her something new, something I learned to do in 1981.

We were in Albertville, France to learn the language. Honestly we were doing quite well, enjoying the mountain village life, frequent trips to Geneva Switzerland, establishing new friendships. One of the things that the French ladies at the language center did every Christmas was to decorate with six-point snowflakes. They were very particular about making these just right. It involves starting with the square the folding the paper in half, corner to corner into a triangle. Next fold the triangle into thirds and again in half so that there is one straight edge across the top of the folds on one side of the folded paper. Cut along that line and then just start cutting. The more paper that is removed, the prettier the snowflake. It's important to cut shapes into all three sides, without, of course, cutting through the whole thing. Unfold and flatten the snowflake and you will see the prettiest, most delicate snowflake ever! Kayla was absolutely enchanted with these. She made eight of them and Colton made two! Not bad for a six-year-old. It is not an easy process so I was very proud of my little ones.

Poetry Friday: True Beauty

I have been searching for a poem that might express my sense of appreciation for my mother. She is, in many ways, my hero. Raised in a quiet, modest family, she married into one that was loud and demanding and not always very kind. She was betrayed yet through all of it, managed to remain a friend to my father. I couldn't find a poem that expressed my gratitude so in a very inept way, I jotted down these thoughts:

Beauty is my mother.

Every line can tell the tale

Of days and nights, of toil and care,

Of giving life, more pain to bear,

Of peace, yea love that will not fail,

Beauty is my mother.

Beauty is my mother.

Who danced until the break of dawn,

Who smiled and laughed so quietly,

Who loved with whole heart joyously,

Who found betrayal, that mourning song,

Beauty is my mother.

Beauty is my mother.

So valiant, brave, steadfast is she-

My friend and confidante, true and deep,

Ready to go, to stay, to keep

Her word and promise, for them, for me

Thankful is her daughter.

kak

Progressive Thanksgiving

What a day! If Thanksgiving is all about family and food and fun, we certainly met our quota and then some!

We started our morning at the annual Turkey Bowl. Three years ago our son decided to have a morning football game with his then three-year-old son and friends plus their dads. This evolved into a kids' football game with the dads while moms pulled together a huge brunch. It is a blast! As much fun as we had three years ago watching the little toddlers play football, it was even more fun to watch school-age children, committed to the game, tearing up the field that our son had cut out of the snow. They played for a full hour from 9 til 10 o'clock and then went sledding down the back hill for thirty minutes. A full breakfast followed with biscuits and sausage gravy, french toast casserole, cheddar cheese eggs, bacon, sausage, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, fruit salad, and spiced cider. Then the kids were ready for more sledding outside. We stayed until everyone had gone and helped clean up, leaving about 1:30.

Round two was at my brother's house. Turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, white beans, carrots, green salad, fruit salad, cranberry/raspberry relish, garlic bread, and pies! Oh my word! It was decadent!

To end the evening we went to my husband's brother's for dessert. Pies, cookies, cakes, by the time we left we felt like we needed to be rolled out the door!

But the point of it all was family and friends. The food was wonderful but not the focus of our day. We are blessed because we are loved and we have others to love. That is thanksgiving.

Thankfulness #5

Today I am thankful for spontaneity. This is such a fun time of year. Baking is not my strong suit. I tend to cook rather than bake. But 'tis the season so I baked pumpkin brownies with cream cheese frosting a couple days ago. This morning I made up the dough for molasses crinkles, quite like ginger snaps only chewy, and I prepared a batch of my dad's clam dip, a family tradition. As I was working away, the phone rang. Scott and the family were on their way to the store and wanted to stop by to pick up something to do with tomorrow's Turkey Bowl. So I invited them to lunch, DiGiorno's pizza, and they happily accepted. I was glad I had a carton of peppermint ice cream too. It was such fun, only a couple hours but I love that I am a part of their lives.

Tomorrow is the big day. We are doing a "Progressive Thanksgiving" celebration. We'll begin at 9 in the morning at Scott's for the Turkey Bowl. This is the BIGGEST FOOTBALL GAME EVER, played by some of the cutest kids you've ever seen. Scott started this tradition three years ago when Colton was just three years old. That first year the game lasted about 10 minutes. It gets longer and more elaborate each year. Afterwards, Scott creates a DVD of the game with highlights and background music and player interviews. It is absolutely hilarious! The DVD is played over and over by these kids, which totally builds the excitement for the next year to come around so they can do it again! We'll have brunch with them: biscuits and sausage gravy, bacon, eggs, all kinds of special breads and coffee cakes. I'm bringing Trader Joe's Spiced Apple Cider and a big fruit salad. We'll leave there around 1 o'clock then head to my brother, Jeff's, for the next round, the meal: Turkey and stuffing, ham, new potatoes, fresh vegetables, more of my fruit salad. They'll have pies but we're skipping dessert... with them. We'll leave and head to Terry's brother, Verle's, for dessert. We are going to be the ones who are stuffed! Of course a lot of the fun is the anticipation. And I do anticipate good fun, loving family, wonderful memories.

Thankfulness #4

I intended to go a different direction today but something was posted on Facebook that has given me such encouragement that I have to say, I am so thankful for my students! One of my former students, now a sophomore in my husband's high school, posted that she had truly enjoyed the literature circles that I developed for her 8th grade class, and that she had learned so much through the process. I was so blessed by that comment.

I saw that learning taking place in my classroom but I was never certain that the students actually realized how much they were learning. I have taught many novels over the years but this book club atmosphere just seemed so relevant to me. There are several things that I think are important about it. First is choice. I lay out ten to twelve different novels and let students choose what they want to read. Sometimes the novels have a unifying theme, for example my American Revolution, Civil War, and Holocaust novels. Other times it's about the length of the books because I do want the students to begin and end at about the same time. Other times it's just random books that appeal to me at the time. But choice is very significant. I have found that students are willing to try harder to do well if they have the responsibility of choosing what they read. Next is the atmosphere of collaboration. No one person is responsible for creating the lesson; each student contributes to the day's work. The discussion that ensues is amazing. When I hear my 8th graders talking about dynamic or static characters, the repetition of theme, the importance of the setting to the development of a novel, I get a bit light-headed. It is proof that they are really learning, becoming critical thinkers/readers. Plus, let's face it, junior high students are social beings who need to talk. Directing their discussion into literature doesn't seem to matter to them as long as they are allowed to talk! Also I find the organization of the system really helps students to become more organized themselves. I prepare individual task calendars for each student. That is the most difficult job of this entire experience. Once it is done, it's smooth sailing for me as a teacher. Students love ticking off their jobs on the calendar and tend to pay more attention to their own planners once we start this.

Another little trick I have is quantity of reading. The first novels studied are the shortest and are over the longest time period. Each novel study is a day or two shorter than the prior one. I begin to push students to read more, faster, and thus become habitual readers. They create their own tests through their word choice for the smithing process and the thinking questions that lead to my own essay questions later. And it is never difficult to find an essay proposal when it involves literature. Apart from the obvious character analysis, there is the element of theme or mood or conflict that is easily explored in a 250-450 word essay. And yes, they often write longer essays but are learning to become more concise in their writing, to choose interesting words that reflect big ideas rather than ten words to say the same thing.

So today I am thankful for my students. It probably helps that today is a snow day and that I'm home, still in my bathrobe, drinking coffee in front of the fire. Right. I am quite sure this helps!

Thankfulness #3

I'm glad I'm focusing on thankfulness this week otherwise this ridiculous day would get far more attention than it deserved. As it was, this was the least productive day I've had at school in years! And it's all because of S-N-O-W! Nearly all night long, students emailed and FB questions about school. I told them we were having school but they didn't want to have school, so today they acted like crazy people instead. Actually my husband's stories of this day are far worse than mine so I will refrain from any more discussion of my day. At least I'm alive!

I never totally understood the concept of Christian Family until my first grandchild was born. This idea of the cycle of life became so clear to me at that moment. Kayla, my beautiful granddaughter, came into this world over ten years ago and has been a delight from the moment she was born. But more than that, she gave me the sense of generational faith that I had not understood before her birth. It was reinforced last month when my fifth grandchild, Eliott, was born. Another boy! We now have three granddaughters and two grandsons... plus a male grandpuppy. Don't think for a moment he doesn't count. Colton needs him to level the playing field at his house.

My father-in-law once told me that he was praying through my grandchildren and it would be my duty to pray through my grandchildren's children. I know it's not that easy. I know that the element of personal choice is huge in this relationship but his words have often caused me to think and yes, to pray, that my grandchildren's children might early know and love God.

I am so thankful for these five children (and any more that my second son and his wife would like to bestow upon me). Whenever I am able to see them, to be with them, I have such an overwhelming sense of joy and delight. Talking to other grandmothers, I realize that I am truly blessed because not all grandmas feel as I do. Their situations are completely different. Too many of them are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren. Parents have abdicated their responsibilities through substance abuse or incarceration. It's a sad thing to have to raise grandchildren because of parental irresponsibility. If anything ever happened to my children, I would gladly step up to the plate and do everything in my power to help my grandchildren feel loved and supported but I am glad to say that this level of responsibility has not been necessary. My sons and daughters are wonderful parents and I rest in this sentiment of deep personal satisfaction for all I have received... from them and from the Lord.

It's true; God Himself considers grandchildren to be a blessing (read Proverbs) and I heartily concur!

Thankfulness #2

It is snowing outside, which is not what I'm thankful for but wow, it is so beautiful! There's nothing quite as pretty as the first snowfall of the season. As long as it's done before December 21st so my plane can fly, I'm just dandy about snow!

I am so thankful for my sons and daughters. I have four children - with two of them I endured nine months of being really large and awkward. Both of them arrived via c-section, with the second birth being significantly easier than the first. My two red-headed boys are such a joy. They love us dearly and they are the best of friends. It's more than we could have hoped for, given all the sibling rivalry that occurred when they were quite young. Thankfully they got over that a long time ago. Both of our sons have grown into wonderful men. They both are committed to loving God and serving their community of believers and unbelievers. I really like that. Both are strong men, leaders, yet amazingly gentle with their little ones. Both did something really, really intelligent. They married extremely well. Scott married Kassie over 14 years ago. Amazing! That's so much longer than it feels like to me. I love my Kassie, a first born girl with great strength and a loving heart. She continues to impress me with her innate ability to handle three children and that big fourth one - my son. She is an organizer of the first order, great at graphic design, and the perfect mother for my three oldest grandchildren. What a blessing she is - daily in our lives! Then over eight years ago, Brian demonstrated his good taste by marrying our Erin. Dear, gentle, quietly resilient Erin. Oh how I love her. Her talent as an artist is demonstrated by her work displayed throughout our house. Her love for international life makes her the perfect match for our son. Her incredibly gentle and astute abilities as a loving mother to our two youngest grandchildren bless me beyond measure. I am so grateful for her. She rescued us all many years ago, took us on to love and cherish (well, that was actually for our son) and has changed our lives forever. Both of my girls love the Lord with their whole beings and are committed to serving Him. They astound me with their depth of faith and character.

I have done nothing to merit such blessing. People I know who were, without doubt, better mothers than I, deal with broken family relationships today. These children are simply a gift. They are perfectly wonderful and wonderfully imperfect. I would not enjoy having perfect children. How boring! All of my children have enriched my life by simply being. Oh God, I am so very thankful!

Thankfulness #1

I have decided I need a week of thankfulness. I've been overwhelmed by some of the things I read on the web, from the amazing generosity of people to the idiocy of some classroom situations. I realize that I lead a very blessed life and want to reflect on that this week. Beginning with the man on the roof of my house.

I met my husband when we were in high school. We have defied the statistics; not only did we get married but we've stayed married - for 37+ years so far. T's greatest love (besides the Lord and me) was playing his trumpet. He was so good, so very good; it was an amazing gift. But years of living overseas away from all his musical opportunities took its toll on his lip - an important commodity for a trumpet player - and his trumpet began to gather dust. Then cancer visited, thankfully just as a visitor not a resident. Whatever hope he had of getting his lip back seemed to be out the door. Then at some point in time this year, I began to hear the muted sounds of that horn again. This morning, the mute was removed and the trumpet was blown full blast. And it sounds wonderful. I am so happy to hear him playing again for he loves it so!

Oh yes, about the roof... my one-eyed man is up there spraying a bleach/water combination trying to kill the moss. I have given up asking him to be careful. He's living his life, doing what he would have done with or without cancer. I love this man. He is one of God's greatest gifts to me. Yes, I have good reason to be thankful today.

Motivation

I am trying to convince myself to clean my house. I seem to need more motivation to do this than I presently possess. I love Saturdays more than any day of the week and to spend the day cleaning feels wrong somehow. Maybe I'll give it an hour and then forget it. Laundry doesn't count. I'm talking the vacuuming and scrubbing stuff. Yep, I'll give it an hour and a half. At lunch time I will quit and live with the rest of the dirt! Such powerful reasoning I have to arrive so quickly at such an acceptable compromise.

Poem 4 Friday

I have no idea who wrote this but it is Friday and I am SO glad!

Friday

Friday is most certainly the greatest of days.
The reasons it’s great are too many to say.
But with that said, I’ll try to explain
Why Friday is better than a day without rain.

You see on Friday, you can work with a smile.
You need only work, for a little while.
For the weekend is near and then you can play.
Much fun to be brought by the most generous of days.

And generous it is, as morning treats can attest.
The cream filled donuts are definitely the best.
But don’t dare forget, the bagels are good too.
If there’s none in your office, that’s too bad for you.

Friday isn’t all treats and happy things.
There is but one obstacle the day does bring.
And that, my friend, is the slowing of time.
But if you can bear it, you’ll do just fine.

So join with me and laugh and cheer.
The work week’s end is drawing near.
Join with me and praise this day.
I’ve said what I’ve said, and I’ve nothing more to say.

Half days and plays

We are in half-day week because of conferences. As fatiguing as that is, the conferences I mean, there's something great about finding out a ton of info about my students that helps me understand how they tick. Even better, today our students were the audience for the high school fall play, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" which was simply fabulous. Even better, the director is one of the seniors! The drama coach stepped "off the stage" last year to have a beautiful baby girl. And they were present today for this dress rehearsal. I know it meant so much to her former students. It was a good day!

Conferences and rain

Rainy, gloomy weather makes for somewhat disgruntled adults. At least when they come into my room for a conference, that's what I'm seeing! Usually I am able to help them leave hopeful and smiling but not always. Many of my students are suffering, and I didn't even know it. The things we do to our kids. God help us! And He is helping us, to challenge, to instruct, to correct, to encourage our students. Ah, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my God and my Redeemer.

The Unexpected

We have a day off school today. Last night a big wind storm blew through Western Washington and many lost power. Ours flickered on and off a few times but kept chugging. The area around our school, however, is totally out. One of our colleagues went in early this morning and said it was dark and cold!

I remember living days, weeks without power in Haiti. At one point in time, we went 120 days with less than 100 hours of electricity. That was a strain but we were fine. The difference? Weather. It's one thing to lose power when your average temperature is 82* and quite another when it is 8 o'clock in the morning and hasn't hit 50* yet! Think I'll just enjoy the day!

Mondays!

AUGH! I could probably just post that word and it would be sufficient. Mondays in junior high are terrible, for the most part. Every now and then, we are surprised by a Monday with students who remember their homework, manage their books and supplies, get to the right classes without bumrushing someone in the hallway, and speak respectfully to their teachers. But that happens about as often as that blue moon thing.

This is conference week; we'll start on Wednesday. Suddenly the grades on-line are important. Suddenly we are wondering what can be done to raise this and that. I'm at a loss. There is no easy answer to this situation. If I post grades every night (which I do) and post homework on Edmodo every day (which I almost always do) then I should be able to expect that others will look at what I have done and that consequences will follow. But... I... guess... not! So I'm going home.

Sunday - long day!

Part of the reason today seemed so long is that I went to bed so late last night. A month or so ago, I was asked to speak at a dinner. Since that day I've been gathering my thoughts. Almost right away I started a document on my computer. From time to time, I just jotted down my thoughts - a paragraph here and there, whenever something came to me. Last night I read through my notes (it was already after 10, silly me!) and started putting things together. When I finished around 1 o'clock this morning, I had about 1600 words. Obviously I'm not done with this. (e.d.i.t.)

I was up before 7, got ready for church, sang in the choir for first service then picked up two of my grandkids from their classes. They had muffins and juice and told me all about their morning. Then it was time for 2nd service and choir again. Once the choir was done, T and I took grandchild #3 and headed out to I-Hop for brunch. This time we actually made it to I-Hop! The entire time we had little miss Sierra, she never quit talking. I think I heard more out of her today than I have heard in the three years she's been alive! And I learned so much about her. She is very compassionate and generous. When we first talked about going to brunch this morning, she was all excited about it. But she was also concerned for her brother and sister and wanted us to know that it was okay if they came too. We told her that they'd already had a turn and it was her turn to go with us, by herself. She just wiggled with excitement. When asked what she would like to receive for Christmas, she said a doll so she could give it to her friend Hailey because she really loves dollies. Somehow I never expected these types of reactions from Sierra. What a sweetheart!

After brunch I took Sierra home while T got ready for the National Honor Society induction of new members. He worked for quite a while yesterday on a lovely program for the ceremony and the parents and sponsors were so appreciative. Of the fourteen new members, eleven have been in my classes either in junior high or last year's World History class at NCHS. I really was just delighted to be a part of this moment, honoring these great students.

Got the doors locked and went out to the parking lot where we decided to divide and conquer. T went to visit his mom and I went to visit mine. We spent about an hour and a half with them then headed home. I'm tired and still need to plan a devotional for tomorrow morning. Not to worry, I have a file at school with several options. I think I'll just sit here by the fire and sip my spiced cider. It's time to relax!

Grand-Puppy

We had a fun evening at our son's last night. He called about 4 o'clock, inviting us over so we could meet Scout their new dog. He's a boy-dog because Colton needed another boy in the house. He feels quite outnumbered with two sisters. Here's Scout:

Poetry Friday: In Flanders Fields by Dr. John McCrae

Today I talked with my students about Armistice Day - Veteran's Day. We had the day off yesterday and although we had the informative assembly on Wednesday afternoon, it's always better to have the discussion in a smaller setting. For Poetry Friday, I shared this one:

In Flanders Fields - a poem by Dr. John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

As painful as it is to remember (and we have many military families in our school) we need to think of those who have made that ultimate sacrifice and be grateful.

Fall Clean-up

My husband and I spent about three hours in the yard today. Actually, that's not quite right; he was on the roof removing moss and I was in the yard. Nevertheless, we were both outdoors. It was nice this morning, cool but sunny. I weeded a couple beds, cut back calla lilies, the huge stargazer lily, the rest of the iris, and some day lilies. I also planted 75 daffodil bulbs. Cleaning out my raised bed garden turned into a treasure hunt. The tomatoes were long gone so I pulled out the plants. The lemon cucumbers were finished but there were still six cucumbers on the vines so I picked those, and I found two more zucchini before I pulled that plant out. Note to self, one zucchini plant is plenty! Thankfully it started misting about noon and raining about 30 minutes later. As it is, I am so sore! I haven't done any yard work for months and wasn't truly prepared for what I did today. But it was nice to clean things up a bit. Winter is just around the corner!

Thanks to the Vets

There is a mandate in American education that school children will be instructed once a year in the cost of our freedom through an assembly honoring veterans. It happens the day before Veteran's Day each year at our school. I always get a lump in my throat as I think of the many students who have parents serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other places. I do want to honor the veterans but I also want to be kind and considerate of those children who are trying to figure out how to get through the day without mom or dad or both, as is the case with one elementary student here. I am always moved by the children's sacrifice and I pray that a happy reunion will come soon. Freedom truly is not free; it costs lives and relationships. God bless those who serve and those who wait at home.

Field Trip Schedule

Yesterday the 8th graders went on a field trip. I was here at school with the 7th graders, which was lovely. Two additional planning periods became a part of my morning. Oh how I love having a planning period in the morning! The chance to stop, think, breathe in the morning was just glorious! My colleague was not so fortunate and had the normal five solids in his morning schedule but because I was so relaxed, I took one of his afternoon classes so he could have some extra time to make up for his harder morning. Unfortunately the 8th graders only take this one field trip as an individual class. All their other field trips are in conjunction with the 7th graders. But I am still thankful for the breath of fresh air granted to me on this one day in November.

The Negotiator

We have started something fun. Each Sunday after church we go to breakfast with one of our three in-town grandchildren. Last week, first-born granddaughter Kayla went happily to I-Hop with us and then spent the afternoon at our house. Yesterday was Colton's turn. He does like to eat at I-Hop so that was our plan, with his approval of course. As we were leaving the church I looked back at this thoughtful little boy. I could see that the wheels were turning in his mind. We made eye contact and then he began:

"You know a really good place to eat, Grandma?"

"No, Colton, where's a really good place to eat?"

"Wendy's, it's really good!"

"Really! I didn't know that. Why is it so good?"

"Well, they have this thing called a Frosty. Have you ever had a Frosty, Grandma?"

"Yes, I have Colton. You're right; they are very good! What if we go to I-Hop for breakfast and then swing by Wendy's for a Frosty?"

"Well, we could do that... or... we could just go to Wendy's then we wouldn't have to go to two places!"

"What a good idea Colton. Let's go to Wendy's."

And that, my friends, is how a six-year-old negotiator works his grandparents with complete courtesy and respect. Kudos to my children who have raised him to express his needs and desires without being abrasive!

Rainbows

While driving both to and from church today, we saw the most amazing rainbows! Doubles, even a triple - incredible. I have never seen such bright purple in a rainbow as I saw today. Really beautiful. Of course, in order to have this beauty there must be rain.

What to do?

As I was leaving school Friday night, I heard a student tell his mother that he had a "C" in every class. I didn't say anything, just kept walking. I had just told him that morning that he had a "D-" in one of my classes and an "F" in another. But I still didn't say anything because I was at the far end of the hallway and would have had to sprint down there, admit I was listening to their personal conversation, and it was Friday - 6 PM - I had just finished my grades and I wanted to go home. Besides, his mom is something else to deal with and it was Friday, I had nothing left that could possibly give me enough strength to do that. Conferences should be interesting.

Kind Kids

I love it when my students do good things. Yesterday one of the 8th grade girls had a birthday. She's been in this school since she was three! The balloons and treats and posters and screaming and singing---pandemonium!

In the middle of a party, one of my 7th grade students, who happens to need an extra level of compassionate attention, got all teary. He is a new student this year and his birthday was the second week of school. No one knew him well enough to say Happy Birthday let alone go crazy over his special day. He simply could not let go of the idea that all this jubilation was going on and no one even thought to say anything nice to him six weeks ago. He was pretty miserable all day yesterday.

When G and J realized what was happening with this special guy, they got their heads together, designed a big birthday card, decorated his locker with balloons and posters, greeted him at the door this morning with all their classmates, had candies, popcorn and cookies hidden in his locker, and then sang to him at lunch. He was so happy. It is very difficult for him to truly know how to respond to people but he was happy all day long.

Teaching students like G and J make it all worthwhile. Good work ladies!

Long day

Wednesday, what a long day! I’m finishing the Bronze Bow unit with my 7^th graders this week and we have so many things to deal with that even I get confused! Wednesday was fun though. Students have been choosing vocabulary words since day one of this study and creating a word search puzzle. I checked their work and then had them exchange and work each other’s masterpiece. They loved it, especially the boys. They were laughing so hard that the girls started complaining about the noise. Today is project day. I’m expecting a lot of scrolls (the easiest project) and several replicas of synagogues and outlaw camps. Those seemed to be the favorite suggested ideas. Testing happens Friday and then – the weekend. Oh weekend, how I love thee…

Politically speaking...

What an interesting night, politically speaking. Does the Party of No now find a way to do something over the next two years or do we continue to blame the White House? Honestly, I’ve been pretty disgusted with the last four years. Who was in charge when this mess was created and what have we done to try to fix it? I hate it when people refuse to take responsibility for their actions. All that deregulation of banks and Wall Street. Made the really fat cats uber rich and shoved everyone else underwater with their mortgages! I hope this election means some work will be done in the DC area but it’s pretty scary to think that 40% of those now serving in congress will be in their first term. Some of the truly dumb challengers didn’t make it, thank heavens. Some changes were good ones but in the process big promises have been made. I can’t wait to see Mr. Boehner actually start to work; what a refreshing change for him. The other election news that actually shocked me was to learn that Meg Whitman spent between $150-$168 million on her campaign! And lost! And that $120 million of that money was from her personal bank account! Oh - my - word! As for me, I’m certainly not a political expert. The Republicans I voted for lost and all but one of the Democrats I voted for won. Rather weird. Guess we’ll see if we change it all up again in two years. Our country appears to be quite ADD when it comes to elections. But it sure beats what I have seen in other places. People who lose here actually admit it and people who win usually have something nice to say about the guy they were calling a slimeball just hours before. Now to watch everything get fixed. And I will be watching, won’t you? How long shall we give them to do it? Six months? That’s the time we used to give Haitian government officials to fix Haiti’s problems before the impeachment graffiti started appearing. But we’re Americans, and so generous as well – I say we give them nine months. That should do it.

Forever and Forever

My grandchildren mean the world to me. Love, yes the kind of love that truly would lay down my life for them, that’s it! That’s what I feel for them. Babysitting is a riot, including trips to Chuck E. Cheese from time to time, which makes for great childcare plus rates pretty high on the cool grandparent scale.

On Halloween night, three little costumed cuties showed up at my door, ready for treats. And treats were what they got – a quart sized zip-lock bag of small toys, candy, and fruit roll-ups for each Jedi, Asian Princess, and Super-Girl. The three left for a few moments to hit the neighborhood, accompanied by Grandpa (the Pirate Captain) and their dad. When they got back, I was helping my three-year-old Super-girl adjust her outfit and the conversation went like this:

“I love you Sierra; you are such a big girl!”

“I love you too Grandma and I’m Super-girl and I’m going to take care of you forever and forever… cuz I’m Super-girl and I just love you.”

I was stunned. Overcome with joy. Ready to sob big tears, but I didn’t. Had I begun, I never would have stopped. How? What? Why… am I so blessed. I can barely contain my love, my delight, the sense that any moment I will awaken to find that the best dream a woman could imagine just passed through my mind and heart. Don’t you dare pinch me!

Welcoming November: Anyone find an ark nearby?

It is one of those days, raining non-stop. Washington is quite famous for this type of weather but somehow, I am always ready to sing the Monday/rainy days song whenever the two coincide. Dripping rain would be one thing but this torrential downpour is starting to freak me out. And I was born here! But if I am feeling threatened, imagine the troubled minds of those who live in Haiti, who are anticipating Hurricane Tomas. As my older son said, "Because a massive earthquake, pandemic poverty, and a cholera outbreak aren't enough... What do you say to those living there that seek a merciful God? Crazy!" I don't know what to say to them but I do know that lately, I have been asking God a few questions about justice.

On a lighter side, this is National Blog Posting Month. NaBloPoMo I have friends who are using this month to focus on writing the book that is hiding in their heads and hearts. No way on earth will I begin to attempt such an operation in November. The grading period ends Wednesday, conferences are in a week and a half, essays, packets, grammar review tests... need I elaborate? But I will try, with all my might, to blog daily during November. Even Thanksgiving Day! That is if I can tread water long enough and eventually swim through this storm.