Sunday, August 28, 2011

school.

* School is going well. I feel really overwhelmed and unorganized right now, but I think I always do at this time of year. Maybe in year 14 that feeling will go away? =) I've got a sweet bunch of kiddos. And some really good artists... 


 * This is the birthday line he was drawing. Pretty good, don't you think?

* My oh-so-organized desk. Somewhere under this mess is a grouchy note from a parent. Only took 8 days. Boo. (I had the nerve to ask for healthier/less sugary birthday snacks since we are going to have to have our parties at 8:40 am. Another mom thought it was a great idea and brought us all fruit cups with watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple. The kids were thrilled!) (Have you ever tried chili powder on fresh fruit?? The mom brought a little bottle to sprinkle on if they wanted. It must be a Hispanic thing. A bunch of us tried it, though. It was surprisingly good!)

* I spent a few hours at school on Saturday, trying to find the top of my desk and get rid of piles like this... Can you tell who was up at school helping me? =)

* I cleaned out one of my assessment notebooks... (Gretchen kept trying to walk across it and was slipping all over the place. Papers everywhere.) 

* I always start the year by doing interviews with all my kids and writing stories about them. Then the other kids practice writing their name and write a sentence or two about them, along with a picture. The kids were confused at first about Leila's favorite food. They thought she was saying chicken and ducklings. =)

* A question the kids have been asking during interviews this year is "Where is your favorite place?" So far we've had: the zoo, school, the skate park, Braums and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart made me smile. =)

* We have a new custodian in our wing this year. I love her. I love the way she cleans and I love the sweet things she says. She tells me what a good mom I must be since I can spend all day surrounded by kids and then go home to kids, too. She sees my wild children after school and says things like, "I don't know how you do it, girl!" (That may have been the day that Sophie and Lawson were running and jumping over her giant trash bag while she cleaned my desks.)

 * How is it that I am able to get more accomplished at school with this child than I am with my other two? They are seriously driving me crazy. In the morning and after school. Just wound up crazy silly. And needy. They're exhausting. Even the custodian thinks so. =)

* Someone drank my Dr. Pepper out of the lounge refrigerator on Friday. That was a bummer. Luckily I had 60 cents for the machine. I was really counting on that caffeine at the end of the day.

* One of my students looked at my id badge the other day and said, "You look way younger in your picture." But then the next day she told me I smelled good... so I forgave her.

* I was able to fit a second recess into our schedule. But 3 days out of the week it's at 8:30 or 8:45. Which isn't really ideal considering school starts at 8:00. But it was really the only time I could fit it in and I knew the kids wouldn't really care when it was, as long as they knew they were getting 2 recesses. The plus side? The temperature at 8:30 in really, really nice! Not the 100*+ that it is later in the afternoon!

* Gretchen comes RUNNING to me everyday when I get to Jessi's yelling "Momma!!" It's my favorite part of my entire day.

11 comments:

Hanni said...

I love your blog. It makes me smile. I am so glad I am not the only one that can't keep a clean desk as hard as I try and feels unorganized this point in the year. I am sorry you got a grouchy note but that made me smile too b/c I have already had a grouchy email. :)

sarajane said...

I will volunteer to come and eat the sugary snacks if you need me too. :) Also kudos on smelling good. (I would have forgiven her too!)

TheUnSoccerMom said...

Just ask the grouchy parent to come help the day she wants to sugar the kids up. Bet that will change her attitude! ;o)

I don't know how you do it either! Even NOT on school days... with only 1 kid, parents who have more than 1 kid really amaze me! :o)

Butterball said...

I had never heard of that chili powder stuff either until a month ago... we found it at Wally World and it's called Tajin. Good stuff!

You've one-upped me on smelling good. Jealous. ;)

Danielle said...

I love the pic of Gretchen on her tippy, tippy toes. You always make me smile :)

The Boccias said...

Glad your year is off to a good start! After seeing your pictures, I want to write on chart paper again!! Like NOW! :)

rentz said...

So glad you are my little man's teacher! He's loving school.

Sandy W said...

My son's school actually has food guidelines for what we are able to bring in for birthdays - only healthy foods allowed.

Diana said...

You have such a cute room! I see so much fun there!

I have to wonder about a parent who isn't into the healthier snacks nowadays. Sugar-ful snacks are restricted at my grandkids' schools. (Parents/families that don't step up to this sure get "the look" from other parents... many times that's enough to change their ways.)

I've tried the chili spice, yum! My grandkids like nutmeg or apple pie spice sprinkled on fresh fruit... just as tasty!

(:-D)

Jenny said...

I love that you interview your kids. What a great way to get to know them!

Unknown said...

The Tajin is definitely a Hispanic thing :) My boyfriend is Mexican and he loves it on oranges! I, on the other hand, have yet to try it. I absolutely love your blog!