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4.30.2008

What I love about self contained special ed...

The freedom to say to Charles "It's a glorious day with nice breezes. Lets take them out and fly kites for an hour."

In regular ed. there's too much material to cover to have that flexibility. In cross cat special ed you don't have the same students long enough to do it.

I feel like Goldilocks. Regular ed. is too rigid, cross cat is too busy, self contained is just right!

Our kids had a delightful time flying kites. In an hour, only 2 got bored. Everyone else waited for turns, helped right the crashed kites for others and just generally enjoyed the experience.

4.27.2008

more?

We are supposed to get more rain this week.

I'm getting quite tired of rain, mud, worms, floods and indoor recess.

What's wrong with good old sunshine? We need more of that, please!

4.24.2008

exciting opportunity

I'm excited right now! At church on Sunday pastor asked us to circle the letter "D" if we would be interested in doing a 3 day mission trip to Nebraska in June. We would be doing childcare for the Hispanic Leadership Conference.

I circled the letter, and went to the meeting last night. I am definately going to go. We get to stay on a "Tan-Tar-A" type place with cabins and canoes, ziplines, paddleboats, etc. We have to do 5 90-minute childcare sessions over the 3 days, and the rest of the time we can do whatever we want on the property!

I am especially excited that after saying he couldn't go, Donald changed his mind and said he could take Sunday off and go with me! YAY!

Low price ($170 for the two of us), serving by taking care of kids, and a weekend with my husband? Is there anything better?

4.21.2008

$150 dollars of appreciation

Tonight was "Teacher Appreciation Banquet" for SPS. The way this works is different groups "sponsor" a table (read: pay $300 for 10 people to go). Special Education PTA invited me and Deloris to be at their table. We were the only 2 that showed up for our table. I feel very bad for SpEdPTA...as they essentially paid $150 for each of us to eat salad, chicken and cake. I feel VERY appreciated.

4.20.2008

clearly this is all a myth

Okay, I am currently baking "Amish" Friendship Bread.

My observations:

1. I don't think the Amish would have started a recipe that included Instant Pudding and ziplock bags.

2. All the directions say "Only the Amish can create the starter, so if you give it all away you'll have to wait until someone gives you another." LIES!!! Google it. You can make it in 4 seconds, provided that you have all the ingredients.

3. I did not get a chance to bake on day 10, so I baked on day 11. So far as I can tell, there is no real difference (I'll have to see how it tastes, of course.)

4. The directions say you cannot refrigerate, but I've found multiple places that say you can freeze a bag of starter and take it out and resume following the directions just fine and that if you are running a few days behind, pop it in the fridge and it slows the process by 1/2.

5. I followed the admonishments to "never mix in a metal bowl or with metal utensils" however, I am calling BS on this one, since you then bake it in a METAL loaf pan. Hello, inconsistancy!

6. I've had Amish Friendship Bread a few times and not really liked it. I'm told there are countless variations so I am trying it with chocolate pudding and chocolate chips this time. I am keeping a starter to try using lemon pudding and blueberries next time. If neither of those are good, I am done making this bread. (Really, I want something to cover up the "yeasty sourdough" taste. Suggestions?) *Update* I like it with the chocolate.

7. I am not sure how friendly this bread is. Most people do NOT want your starter. (For instance, I twice told the lady giving this to me that I do not like the bread and did not want a starter. Both times she said "Really? Okay." As I was leaving school, my paraprofessional hands me a bag and says "(insert name of coworker here) left this for you earlier." You basically have to force it upon friends who won't stop being your friend for it. (I do however, have one friend who loves the bread and she was easy to give one to.) My husband calls this bread a "virus" that spreads amongst aquaintences.

So, there you have it. From now on, I am calling it "Clearly UnAmish Virus Bread."

4.15.2008

Tax day rocks!

No, I am not thrilled about 1040s and W2s, nor do I get a huge refund.

However, on this day, 29 years ago, my very favorite person was born.

It's Donald's birthday! He's at work, but I am taking him a steak dinner.

So mail those tax returns and smile, because today, God gave us Donald.

4.12.2008

stupid missouri weather

Every danged year.

Get our hopes up with 70 degree days and then give us a day with extreme lows and maybe even snow.

Every year this happens, and every year, it makes my head feel like exploding. I get stuffy sinuses, a headache and earache. This year is no exception.

I need a new climate.

come again?

According to one of my students, today we watched "Calvin and the milkchunks."

I find this to be hilarious.

4.07.2008

it's a small world after all...

This semester, I have a practicum student (my first one ever!) from MSU. She's been with me since January. I knew she had a husband and a 2 year old girl, but other than that, I knew little about her personal life. Today, I mentioned that we were taking a community outing on the 10th to Fuddruckers. She said, "You'll be really close to where I live."

I replied, "We'll be close to where I live, too. Where over there do you live?"

"I live on (insert street name)," she said. "Me too!" I said.

"I live in (insert apartment complex)," she said. "So do I! We've lived there since 2003," I said. "We've lived there since 2004," she said.

Wow. My first practicum student, and we've been neighbors for 4 years. We've never seen each other in the parking lot, at the mailboxes, dumpster or pool. We live on the same side of the complex, share a parking lot and everything! What a small world, and a weird coincidence!

*Update*
I edited to delete the names of where we actually live. You know, internet stalkers and whatnot.

bouncy balls

Are so bouncitive.

According to a 6 year old, anyway.

I like this new word. Bouncitive.

4.04.2008

just some more about stuff you've all already heard me say

Well, its here again. The I-really-want-a-baby-and-life-is-so-not-fair feeling. It comes around every few months and then I get past it and its ok. Then, suddenly, it is absolutely not ok. Even after these years (yes, it has now been almost 4 years, which seems strange to say)...I still mourn. I still grieve. And, more often than not, I still get VERY angry that I can't have a baby.

Today, a mom said to me "I don't even know why I bothered to have children, if this is what life is going to be like."

That hurts me to my bones. It makes me want to punch her in the face (and I am NOT a violent person, normally). It makes me want to take her children away from her and take them where they will never hear words like that spoken about them again.

I understand, completely, that children will do things that parents will complain about. But no child, ever, should feel as if they are a regrettable burden. That is a horrible way to grow up. To my mind, it's abuse. The mental anguish that kids feel when they are unwanted is abusive. It may not wound their body, but it surely wounds their soul. Bodies nearly always heal...souls, not nearly as often or as quickly.

People, please, even if you feel like saying something like this, DON'T. For your child's sake, shut your mouth. Keep it inside. Bottle it up. Some feelings are not meant to be shared.

I've come to accept that I may never have a child. But I'll never like it. I'll never be okay with it, really. I'll always wish it were different. And I'll always want to cry and punch people in the face who do not value, love, adore and WANT the babies God gave them.

So, next time you have to wake up in the middle of the night with a sick baby and I am sleeping peacefully, remember, I'd give just about anything to trade places with you and let you sleep through the night each and every night. You are not cursed. You are blessed.

Next time you have to discipline a naughty child, be thankful that you have this little bundle of energy that, while bringing chaos, also brings great joy to your life.

Next time you wonder what your friends without kids are doing on a Friday night, remember that this one is sitting home and blogging about how very much she wants to be in your shoes. Messy house, dirty diapers, whiny babies, and all.

4.02.2008

gasoline

My husband got some on his clothes. Three washes later (one with detergent, one with detergent and vinegar and one with dish soap), they still smell like gas.

I don't want to blow up my dryer...as that's expensive, dangerous, and involves fire.

Any one have any ideas?

4.01.2008

so, you know what teachers hate?

The words "April Fool's!"