How much do you help?

Abs is busy working on her "The History of Mr. Potato Head" storybook.

It's an adorable idea, and she has worked hard on it, but she also has a problem with fine motor skills and handwriting, so it's hard for her.  She's done an amazing job so far, and while the handwriting might not be the neatest, it's a cute story complete with illustrations.

When I got her after quiet time this afternoon (where I found her in the closet reading, go figure), she asked me if I would complete her project.  Heck no!

Apparently I am the only parent that will not be doing the project for their child.  I find that hard to believe.

As a teacher, I could tell whose parents did all the work, and those that obviously did it themselves, got extra praise and attention.  (Remember I taught second grade)

I help my kids come up with ideas, materials, and motivate them to do the project, but I believe that they should give it their best shot.  Heck, I've read blogs where people were in college and having their parents complete their projects, and goodness knows I finished college, and graduate school (twice), so I really don't need to do it again.  I'm sure the parent that helped their daughter finish their college project, also probably did all their other projects leading up to that point.

So....how much do you help?  Am I ruining her life by not helping?

D-O-N-E!!!!

I *think* I have finished school for the semester.  I finished my gigantic project and submitted it.  Unless I find some glaring errors that I didn't catch the first 500 times I reviewed it, when I review it again tonight, I won't resubmit it.  Hopefully she won't send it back and ask for clarification on anything.  I don't want to see it again.

I did a quick paper for my other class to tie up the loose ends, and submitted that too.

I have such a weight off my shoulders.

Nine days till Christmas, and now I can get busy and get everything done that I need to! 

Is it bad that I want to buy a 3 foot fiber optic tree and call it good?  I was so wrapped up in school, I couldn't even think about the holidays.  Maybe my motivation will come out tomorrow morning when I wake up and don't have this black cloud of school doom hanging over my head. 

I'm too happy to even nap right now.  Wish I had had this energy when I was working on my stuff!

First Days

The girls started school last week, but all seems to be going well. Not really sure what is going on in Ab's classroom of the masses, but I'll stop in this week hopefully to check it out. I have to go to a volunteer class tomorrow anyway, so it might be the perfect time.

Junior started daycare today. The whole center here is wonderful. It's so calm, the front desk people are happy to be there, and the teachers were wonderful. Junior had a great day! They said he peed a lot, ate a lot, and jumped right into the thick of it like he had been there all along. Whew. It's a peanut and egg free zone, so he should be safe, and he has his epi pen there just in case. Let's hope it's not needed. I'd much rather replace it because it is expired.

I hit the fitness center here, and I am dropping my membership to Gold's. It was up on the 31st of this month, but the equipment and everything is pretty much the same. I do need to hunt down the sauna! We used the pool there yesterday, before I took a bike ride. Today it was running and weights. And there won't be any excuses since it is about 2 minutes from my house. I'll have that water bottle in no time!

My classes started to day. To say I am overwhelmed, is an understatement. I didn't have my books, so I have those on order. It will put me a few days behind, but there is plenty to keep me busy. I think that these classes will transfer back to the program I was in, in TX, at least some of them. I need to go pick up an APA manual this week too or get one on order. I should have checked the bookstore while I was there, but I forgot. APA makes me want to scream sometimes!!! My professors are great though, and I know I will learn a lot this semester. I definitely won't have any free time!

I have a ton of stuff to get framed, and I am thinking about taking the framing class here. It has to be cheaper than the coupons at Michael's. Gunner stumbled on a bunch of old WWII prints that he wants to get framed as well while we were at the Arc one day. I think I will institute a new rule that every time I go I need to take in two bags worth of crap. That should be easy once I finally sort through all my clothes that don't fit, and goodness knows I need to purge Gunner's clothes because he will continue wearing every ratty tshirt that he can get his hands on. Sound familiar Tia?

The hungry lions are roaring for dinner...

I did it!

I took advantage of the My Career Advancement Account, and signed up for two classes. They are online and are a specialized teacher certification that I would like to get. I got the classes approved, so I registered, and now wait for them to pay for it. I'm excited, because you know I love to take courses!

My birthday is coming up and Gunner asked me what I wanted to do. Then he looked at my toenails and suggested a pedicure. I know that I need one, but I was thinking more along the lines of a trip to the mountains!

I survived!

I have just completed my first year of teaching 2nd grade.

I can't believe I did it! I still have to go in and work half a day tomorrow, but I am going in early, will say my goodbyes, cry, and then hit the road. Bike drop off is tomorrow for my tri, and then the triathlon is on Sunday.

I've trained. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I can't wait!

But for now, I can sit back and relax and know that I did a lot over the past year and a half to make it to the part of saying I am a teacher. I still have to take my two summer courses in order to get my certification, but I am confident that I will make A's. Instead of Gunner being gone this summer while I am in class, I will have a PCS to keep me occupied, camp for Em, a trip for Abs, and more potty training for Junior.

Never a dull moment! Pictures from the ball to come soon....

I will survive...

I survived Field Day. For 7 hours I led 20 students around and made sure that no one injured themselves, and that everyone had a good time.

I got injured. I broke my wedding ring and it gashed my finger, on the tug-of-war game. Ouch! It already looks like it is getting a little infected, but I am hoping for the best.

After school, I met with my training partner and we hit the pool. Today was sprints day. We were both so exhausted that I don't think we were sprinting as fast as we could have.

We picked up our packets for the 10K tomorrow.

I'm going to put together my running playlist tonight. I've got to get some good music to keep me going as this course is a lot hillier than what i am used to.

A conversation just overheard:

Em: Don't eat the butter.
Junior: But it looks tasty.

We can't keep him out of the butter.

I got a whole collection of Burt's Bees products today from one of my students for Teacher Appreciation week. I absolutely love the products, but they are always something that I will never spend the money on because I keep thinking that I could save the money and use it for the kids. So I was shocked and happy to get something so great! Add to it the cookies, apples, cookie cake, letters, cards, bookmarks, school supplies and the half used apple lip gloss and I was in heaven! I really have the sweetest bunch of kids, and I love my job which is always good.

I thought I would have an early bedtime, but it's almost 10 and I have my running clothes in the washer. Ugh.

P.S. Happy Military Spouse Day!

A good deal

When I decided to become a teacher, I got a lot of encouragement from my friends, my aunt and uncle, my sisters, and my husband and kids. It took a lot of planning because we had to pay for everything out of pocket and it was a huge drain, but one that I was ready to do.

Now you can sign up for the My Career Advancement Account and get up to $6,000 paid for! You can read an article about the program here. Where was this when I was going to school. It will also help with certifications, so I am looking at getting certified for special ed, so maybe I can go this route to keep my costs low? Worth a shot. This wasn't open to spouses in Texas originally, so I am glad to see that they have opened it up to everyone. You need to register by the first week in May, so go for it, what do you have to lose? My dad used to tell me that it was important to him to educate us because it was something that could never be taken away from us. So sign up now, and go after something you have always wanted. If your spouse is deployed, it's even a more ideal time to take advantage of it!

Good luck!

Day off

It was dark this morning, with tons of lightening. Not a drop of rain fell, so I imagine it is waiting until we get to the campsite and then we will have a downpour. We have decided that I will go out tonight, stay all day tomorrow, and then come home after the kids are tucked in so I can grade papers, get everything finished up for school, and work on my big project for my class on the 2nd.

I got an email from Ab's teacher and apparently the sugar cubes were optional and not necessary unless they wanted to bring them. Not the story we received from Abs last night! Oh well, she has them and there are enough there for other children to share so they can each build a giant pyramid. I assume their trip around the world has taken them to Egypt, after just finishing up a trip to Germany. I sure miss Germany!

Chris is headed out to get Em and then drop off the RV at the campsite before returning for the rest of us. He has lunch with Em today since she was citizen of the month. I napped. We road 16 miles this morning and followed it with a 2 mile run--well I did. Gunner can't keep up with me yet, but I am working on him! The run felt good, and I could have gone further if I didn't have to pee so much. Having three kids sure ruined my body in that respect, I have to pee constantly! Good thing they are so cute, and will hopefully take care of me in my old age.

We got clips put on our bike and I found a pair of bike shoes for $30. They are sinfully ugly, and were originally more, but I told him I could pay that much for something so ugly. But, when he offered them for $30, my frugality took over and now I love them. I was so worried that I was going to crash or something while using them, but thankfully it was relatively easy. One less thing to worry about.

I found a disco triathlon, doesn't that sound like fun? In 5th grade I was in love with Andy Gibbs and the Bee Gees. Of course my first tape was the Beatles live in Germany. I can't believe that 40 is just a mere 3 1/2 years away. A few years ago I decided (since Gunner was gone) that we should get to take a trip for our 40th birthdays, somewhere fun and exciting. Gunner's two years older than me, so I guess I better start planning something! Maybe we can time it around jobs, deployments, and my mom's schedule to book her for babysitting and all will be well. Egypt? Thailand? Spain? Somewhere exotic?

I registered for my two classes this summer, and I will be sitting in class during the heat of the day from 11-4, monday-thursday. It could be worse, and the workload can be nothing like it was last summer or this school year, so I am hoping I can drop the kids at daycare in the morning (they have to be there by 8) and then head to the gym for a workout before going to class.

Best laid plans of mice and men....

Overwhelmed

That's how I feel after my first day of classes. I felt better when I looked around the classroom and my fellow classmates had the same glazed look in their eye as they tried to figure out how they were going to pull it all together.

The girls started at the program on post yesterday and loved it. Em's bus was late coming back from their field trip so I was the one standing in the lobby with the screaming two year old who is strong, stubborn and loud (Gunner traits?), while chasing Abs who was hugging all her friends over and over and over.

Thursday will mark 51 trash days left and the three month mark. I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, yet, but I think the tunnel is coming into view...

Day 2--School

Junior and I went to pick up the girls from school this afternoon and we took chocolate covered macadamia nuts for their teachers (well Ab's old teacher). I spoke to Mrs. K and she said that progress reports came out today and that since Abs had not been in Ms. P's class for very long she filled it out. Sounds good.

Then I see my Abs but Mrs. P was dismissing all the other students first. Never a good sign. I walk over and she proceeds to tell me that Abs didn't get written up today but she kicked a student and pushed another. Abs had to apologize, write an apology note, and give each student 5 of her tickets. I listened and then the teacher was gone.

I got home and the phone rang and it was Ab's teacher. She apologized for starting out just saying negative things about my daughter without even introducing herself or telling me how well she was doing in there other than today's incident. Whew. I'm glad she called and I was able to ask about homework (they don't have it), spelling words and all that other good stuff.

Abs is going to give me a run for my money. She spent the afternoon in her room staying out of trouble. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. On the bright side her progress report was outstanding!

I just got home from the gym. It felt good to be back there but I am sure I will be sore tomorrow.

School

After Abs incident with biting at school and getting into the TAG program the same day, I was curious how she would do at school today in her new classroom. I met Abs after school and asked about her day. She told me "it's the same thing we do every day, all we do is arts and crafts all day and I love it!".

Great. Hopefully she is learning something! It reminds me of when I was in high school and in the gifted program there for English. We decided that we wanted to rewrite Julius Cesar to make it more modern during the spring semester. A group of writers spent all semester writing it, while the rest of us planned everything else aka did nothing but socialize. I was cast as one of the attendants in the play and didn't even have a speaking part. The time came for us to present our play to other classes and it was the same day that my sister graduated from college. I went to her graduation and missed the play. I did make A's all semester though.

Let's hope that the quality of the program has improved!

School

The school sent home a flyer last week advertising a free class tonight titled "How to preare our children and stay involved in their education during deployment...". I thought it would be a beneficial class for DH to take and he agreed so I signed him up.

I had a class to go to somewhere else so off he went with all three children in tow. And from our school with over a thousand kids, guess how many parents showed up......TWO (and that was including my husband)! I just don't get it. Maybe everyone thinks that they know everything there is to know about preparing for a deployment and staying involved? Maybe they are too busy? Don't care? Have better things to do? This will be DH's third deployment to Iraq and he did one to Bosnia for a year before kids, but it still doesn't get any easier. Every time our children have been different ages, at different schools and doing different things. I'd go to a dozen classes in the hopes that I could gain one idea from it to make my life or his life easier during this deployment.

School

I finally got Abs enrolled in school next year. It was a pain, but done. Let's hope it all works out for the best. This will be her first year in public school.