Remembering...

It's Memorial Day. My father served in the army, after WWII, in France. Oh how he loved France! And so does our family. We lived in a village in the Alps for a year learning French, and now our younger son and his family live near Versailles. It's all about the memories. We get concerned about making memories for our children and grandchildren but I believe memories become more precious as one ages. Saturday I took my mother to the cemetery and we arranged flowers on my father's, grandparents', great-grandmother's, and uncle's graves. There are a lot more family members we could have remembered but these are the ones who mean the most to my mom. It was a nice day, a bit of sunshine, and only took an hour or so. It's good to remember those we love.

Today the kids and grandkids came over for a BBQ. We had a blast. The little ones are all old enough that we don't have to worry about them falling off the hillside or into the pond. We grilled a ton of food and grazed all afternoon. Then the guys packed up the kids and took them down to our lakeside park. Nice. Kassie and I sat in the living room, looking at magazines, napping, and enjoying the unexpected moment of calm. It's been a good day, with good memories for me, hopefully for the kids too.

Grandpa and Colton

Painted the house

Actually, I should say my brother painted the house! He needed a short project and we needed the house painted. He has since been called up for FEMA and will head to MO to help with that struggle. He's worked for them before and it gets pretty intense.

Anyway, the house went from gray with darker gray trim-


to Svelte Sage (green) with white trim:


It feels fresh and clean!

12 contact days...

I know, how unprofessional of me to count the number of contact days left in the year. The only thing I can say is that I started counting later this year than I did last year. Of course last year I gave up my planning period to teach a World History class for the high school. Oh the things we do for those we love! By not having that class, the 5th-8th grade spelling bee landed on my plate again. We used to do it all on one day K-8. It was unreal! (as in awful) We finally split it a couple years ago and it is so much easier on all of us! So I've been choosing words (350 of them) and defining them so I can be sure to understand them myself. Next step, create a sentence for each word... well, maybe I'll skip the 5-7 words; they aren't beyond my scope. However, some of the 8th grade words are really hard and I need to have a sentence ready to go because I probably wouldn't be able to come up with one on the spot, even with the definition staring me in the face!

Nothing like 'em

I have the leaders in my homeroom. I spend an incredible amount of time trying to harness their energy and need to socialize. They are an amazing group of students who have the possibility to become really great leaders. Here's a good example: the boy who was the primary character in the mime during the Spring Concert is a local preacher's kid. They live in a pretty rough area, full of gangs and other not so fun stuff. Last night they were robbed at church. They lost their musical instruments (thousands of $$ worth), the son-in-law lost the guitar that was a gift from his now-deceased father, mom's keys were also stolen... That was scary! Before bed, mom was reassuring her boys of God's control in their lives, and her son (my student) suggested that they stop and pray. She sat down on the floor by him, and he began, "Dear Lord, thank You so much for the awesome day we've had. Thank you for dad's best sermon, ever, and for letting us worship you with our instruments. And even though we've had this robbery, I pray that you will help my little brothers to feel safe, tonight. And comfort my mom since her piano was stolen. In Jesus name, Amen." His mother was SO blessed by his mature perspective on the day and so am I.

Worrisome

What will all the people do who were counting on being in Heaven tonight rather than getting up in the morning to live another day on Earth? What about the teenagers whose parents believed and pushed and criticized, those students who now live with parents who realize that their kids were right and they were wrong? What about the families who sold their homes, quit their jobs, emptied their 401k's, savings accounts, ate down their provisions? What do they do and how do they begin again? I am quite concerned that these people are ill-prepared for life after planning so thoroughly for death. I know there is life after death, but we don't have a lot of say in the orchestration of that symphony. I certainly hope that these believers are able to find a way to jump-start their lives again. Oh how disappointed they must be! In all of that, there was one who was raptured within the past 24 hours. One of my 7th grade students has missed a lot of school this year. Her father had cancer. I say had because he passed on to heaven yesterday evening and is even now enjoying eternity, whole, without pain. We have the task of helping his 13-year-old figure out how to function now that dad is no longer on this earth. But we are committed to her and know that we will find a way to share our love and concern for her as we guide her toward life and responsibilities that will come her way once again. I just hope someone will guide those who have been so disillusioned by this man who thought he could interpret the mind of God. I hope some how he finds a bit of humility and decides to let God call the shots; essentially he is right, Christ will come, no question. The when? Makes no difference... whenever... get ready.

E-books: nice but fall short

I am a fan of E-books. I love to hold my little iPod and read in bed. It's illuminated so I don't have to turn on the bedside lamp, keeping my husband awake. But there are many reasons that I don't buy highly acclaimed YA novels in this format. First and foremost, I can't put them on the shelf in my classroom to share with my students. Every time I find a great book for teens or tweens, I bring it to class, give a one-minute hip-hooray on it, and put it on the shelf. It's usually there for less that 10 seconds before a student snatches it up. I can't do that with an E-book so I'm not going to buy it electronically in the first place. For example, I received the first three books in The Guardians of Ga'Hoole series from a sweet student and her mother. I skimmed them and brought them out one at a time. Bam! Gone... the kids couldn't wait; they were fighting over that first book which guaranteed that person first dibs on the second and third once I finished them. I hope Jeff Bezos doesn't go all electronic. His company is still a great resource for finding books at a good price. And I must buy The Hunger Games series!

They Rocked the House!

I take back everything I said in my previous post... well, at least the stuff about my students being off the wall. They were, earlier, but tonight -- they absolutely rocked the house at the Spring Concert! I am so proud of them!

Monday AND a Full Moon? Augh!

I truly intended to enjoy my day today. After spending a wonderful three days in the mountains for my husband's birthday, I really felt relaxed.


All my essays and research papers are graded for the moment. I'll get one more set next week and then that will be the end of this year's big grading marathons! Wow! So, my relaxing weekend in my mind, I check weather.com and lo and behold, the sun is supposed to shine! This is getting better each and every moment. I arrive at school in anticipation of a great day and welcome the crazies into my homeroom. I am serious; students were off - the - wall today! I checked and the full moon is tomorrow, which means (since it started like it did today...) this entire week is toast! And we have our Spring Concert tonight. Suddenly, I'm tired.

I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson

Wow! What a book! This is one of my literature circle books and although I had read most of it, I had not finished it. This memoir is a survival story from the Holocaust. The group discussion about this book is animated, deep, and intense. Students frequently ask if this is really a non-fiction book. They are horrified at the suffering this woman endured as a child. The most shocking part was near the end of her story when a German woman, who knew nothing of the camps, made the comment that it must have been difficult for people of Elli's age to do such strenuous work. Elli asks how old the woman thinks she is and the reply is 62-63 years old. Elli firmly announces that she is 14 years old, and the German woman nearly collapses in despair. The truly great part of this book is the fact that this child endured such trauma, such torture, and yet thrived after the fact. She went on to the United States, ultimately earned a PhD from New York University, taught for years at the university level, published many articles and books, and is a sought-after public speaker. My students have to recognize that they can do anything they set their minds to accomplish. If this magnificent child could become such an acclaimed educator after such intense horror, my students can definitely rise over any of their difficulties! They must grasp that message!

Literature Circles Again

My 8th graders have just started another literature circle. The books this time deal with the holocaust. All are stories about kids their age who survived (or didn't) this horrible time in history. I have introduced two new books to my collection this year: Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli and I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson. Other books that the students chose this year include the ever popular I Am David by Anne Holm and Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. I present nearly a dozen different books and I am always interested in the students' choices. I love, love, love to hear my students talk about literature. They know so much more than they think they know.

Mother Pride

These two boys are mine. Oh how I love them! And each of them has blessed me beyond words with my dear daughters and adorable grandbabies!


First my older son with his lovely lady and three adorables:

And then the younger son and his beauty, the ones with the babies... oh so far away and I miss them so much!
But there is no doubt; among all the mothers in the world, I feel so blessed beyond words. How good God has been to me. What riches I have in my dear family. Thank you Lord!

Still Reading - Updated

Here's what's been read in 2011:

1. Essays 1: First Series - Ralph Waldo Emerson (love Emerson!)
2. Stuck in the Middle (Sister to Sister) by Virginia Smith (Christian fiction: so-so)
3. Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow (Christian mystery: okay)
4. Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry (Christian mystery, based in Amish country: I really liked it)
5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (for the 50th time, still love it!)
6. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (brilliant!)
7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson (magic!)
8. Drums of War by Edith Morris Hemingway (great for lit circles)
9. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
10. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (love these stories)
11. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (sweetly old-fashioned)
12. Emma by Jane Austen (what can I say? A-u-s-t-e-n!)
13. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (incredible)
14. Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo (faith-building)
15. Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson (Christian Romance… cheesy!)
16. Invisible by Lorena McCourtney (old lady mystery, like Murder She Wrote)
17. The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen (old England novel, beginning and end were good)
18. Fated to be Free by Jean Ingelow
19. Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli (great book, quite disturbing)
20. Fated to be Free by Jean Ingelow (long… read)
21. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (like Sherlock Holmes, good read)
22. The Heart of Rachael by Kathleen Thompson Norris
23. A City Schoolgirl by May Baldwin
24. Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (love her style!)

Where were you?

On the morning of 9-11, I headed to Miami International Airport with my friend, Jennifer Paultre, who had just spent a couple days with us. I dropped her at the departure area and drove back to SW Miami to the grocery store. I was shopping when the news came over the intercom that the United States was under attack. A few moments later my cell phone rang, and Jennifer asked me to come pick her up. She would not be able to go home to Haiti for a week! Tonight, I had our television on a music station as I read an e-book. After finishing the book, I opened my facebook page to entry after entry: Osama bin Laden was dead. I switched to my MSNBC bookmarked page, "Justice has been done, Obama says" and he was right. Flipping on the TV, I watched our president deliver a carefully crafted speech. He needed to say it right. And he nailed it! He was firm, righteous, and articulate as he used his God-given gift of public speaking to present the details to the country and the world. I was in Miami, FL when the towers collapsed. Ten years later, I am in Olympia, WA, when the perpetrator was brought to justice. Ten years, oh my.

Enough Already!

It's cold outside, 46*, April 28th. This is nuts. Usually at this time of year we get the 60* weather, but not this year. I know I shouldn't complain; I have chosen to live in Western Washington, the Evergreen State - green because of all the rain that keeps things growing. I don't live in Kansas or Alabama or Tennessee or any of the other eastern states that are being destroyed by the twisters. I remember promising God that if He would keep us safe, I would go to Kansas City so my husband could complete his master's degree and then, when he was done, I would leave and NOT return to live there again. The four years we lived in KC, no tornadoes touched down in our county until two days before we moved. I remember looking to the heavens and shouting, "We're not gone yet!" It really doesn't matter where you live, there will be some potential for deadly natural disaster. Hurricane Katrina passed directly over our house when we lived in Miami. The good news for us was she had not yet attained stage 2 status! Now, in Washington, we think about earthquakes. There are a lot of them hitting different parts of the world. We'll have one at some point in time. I just hope it's deep enough that it doesn't destroy our lives and property the way it has in Haiti and Japan. Maybe God is trying to get our attention. Pay attention world! Enough already!

Grading

Due to the creeping crud that both my hubby and I had last week, I didn't get a set of 7th grade autobiographical essays finished until this weekend. I should have had them ready to hand back a week ago but it just didn't happen. I was really feeling awful, and as I told the students, they certainly didn't want me grading their papers while I felt that terrible. Who knows what kind of grade they would have received!

Well, I'm going to be busy this week. Tomorrow I will collect persuasive essays on Positive Thinking (based on Hatchet) and my Writers' Workshop students will turn in their fourth short story. I watched one of these stories come off the printer - 9 pages - oh my! The next day, I have research papers due from my 8th graders who have been reading A Single Shard. These papers all have something to do with Korea, but since I didn't want huge papers to grade (5-7 pages required), I provided the list of possible topics. So I will be occupied with about 90 essays/research papers. I really need to plan this month better!

However, I do know it could be much worse. The junior high teacher at the public school across the street has 30-35 kids in each of her classes. Imagine... That would mean at least 180 essays to grade. Normally, I read each student's paper three times, and depending on the paper, this can take from three to fifteen minutes each. That's 4.5 to 22.5 hours. Just think, it could be 9 to 45 hours! That's a lot of grading!

Round Two

After a week of the crud, it looks like I should prepare for week #2. My hubby is starting week #3! This thing is nuts: congestion, coughing, extreme fatigue! I can't wait to be finished with this. All that said, I haven't quit. I taught school every day, sometimes with very little voice. I worked in my garden for 30 minutes at a time, and we enjoyed the Easter Classic, the new annual wiffle-ball game at our son's house. Great group of people, tons of little kids, fabulous food, and beautiful sunshine. I'm sure our pastor was glad to see the rain come back today since sunny days around here are tough on church attendance!

Sharing

My hubby stayed home from school for three days last week. He has a hyper-vigilant sense of responsibility toward work so everyone knew he was really sick. Plus he went to the doctor - need I say more! We have really tried to keep his cooties confined to him, used Clorox wipes on the phone and TV remote, sprayed with Lysol, cleaned constantly, coughed and sneezed into Kleenex (or his sleeve), and washed our hands until they are peeling... but... Saturday I developed a serious sore throat and started sneezing. Guess who didn't go to church today? Yep... and I love Palm Sunday. We always have the little toddlers come in with their palm branches - it's so sweet - and we missed it. Oh well... at this point, I'm not near as sick as he was so we are hoping that our preventative measures will help me out to some degree. That and all the meds I'm taking to control symptoms, something T doesn't like to do. Anyway, we shared and shouldn't have; hopefully my students won't get it!

Mélange

I have been reading several blogs lately and have noted how some people are so well organized, topically. I mean, if she is a teacher - she follows other teachers. If he is reviewing books - he lists other blogs that do the same. If they live in Haiti - they have other Haiti blogs noted. If it's all about the family - there are other kid-oriented blogs listed.

I am not organized like that. My life is a jumble, having lived in Haiti, teaching junior high English, loving books, and enjoying life with my little adorables. So my blog follows a random group of people, undefined, just like my life. I think I like it that way.

My Commute

A friend of mine just started working from home. It feels a little strange to her because she's always been a part of an office culture but with one little boy who's two and another little person on the way, I think she's going to appreciate the advantages that this change will bring her. I started thinking about my commute. I live 3.5 miles from my school, and in traffic, it takes me seven minutes to get to school. I never get on the freeway and I only have three traffic lights that are of any significance. There are two others but they're always green, very little cross-traffic. As far as commutes go, it is ideal! I always listen to the local radio station both going to school and coming home, and I feel so sorry for those who are stuck on I-5 in the mess that exists between Seattle and Olympia. I am so glad I don't have to do that!

Randomness

I haven't written here for ages; somehow I am just not inspired. I have topics in my head but I need to take pictures in order to do those topics justice. And it is Spring Break. I seriously love Spring Break, always have. It arrives as old man winter is hitting us with fierce rains and we get to sit all cosy and warm inside by the fire. Then the sun peeks out for a moment here and there and I scoot outside to pull weeds, prune overgrown shrubs, and plant pretty flowers. It's also the time I go to the dentist. I know, that's a dumb thing to do, but I really don't like getting a sub for something like that so I always schedule my cleaning at the beginning of break so I will have time for dental work if I need it... which I don't! Yes!

This Spring Break we are going to watch our three local adorables for three days! Their parents are heading to the beach this afternoon for a much needed rest and we get to play with the kids. We'll stay at their house, much easier than staying here. Did I mention they have a German Shorthair? yeah... not my favorite part of hanging with the kiddos but it's okay as long as we are at their place. So, I need to get dressed and get going. Time is moving on and I'd much rather be doing than writing.