Papers

I' ve been finding papers here and there and everywhere. The papers contain words and quotes from my students. I write them, stuff them, and find them later. I'm ready to clean out a few from my purse. Hope you enjoy:

• I'm pretty sure I've written this one before, but after hearing a new word when I read aloud, most of my kids start to use it. The word was dung. The sentence was, "My dog's dung is disgusting." I love the alliteration. I love the sentence used the word correctly. I love my class.
• We read a book with our Twitter buddies in our corporation. Hooway for Wodney Wat. Wodney can't say his r's. I have several students in my class that can't say their r's. I thought it was perfect. When we read another book, one of my boys popped in with, "That's how Rodney feels. I mean, Wodney." I just smiled.
• We are getting ready to write informational books. We are in the midst of researching. Straight from my Star Wars boy, "Did you know that dinosaurs were invented before dinosaurs?" He paused...looked at me, then said, "I mean, did you know that sharks were invented before dinosaurs?" I thanked him and then started writing it down before I forgot.
• A few weeks ago, one of my students came up to me after putting away his items for the day, asked if he could fact drop with me. Absolutely!!! Later on, I noticed he was standing next to the bathroom just waiting there. Wanting to know why he was just standing around, I said, "What are you doing?" He calmly came back with, "I'm just waiting to throw up." I quickly said (okay, maybe screamed), "Get the trash can and go to the nurse." And within one millisecond of grabbing the trash can, he was throwing up into it. Good timing and great aim!
• We were on Brainpop Jr. watching a video about the main idea (which we've been working on for over a week). Afterwards, you can take quizzes. A hard one or an easy one. It says so on the screen. I don't let my class say easy. Simply because it's not for everybody. Two years ago, I had students recreate the word into "e-word". It has stuck. Some of the students started chanting, "E-word quiz. E-word quiz." I just had to smile and write down e-word quiz.

I truly am thankful for the smily moments. They get me through the rough spots!

My 11 for 11

This may change...my original ideas are written somewhere and I can't find them right now.

While attending a retreat this weekend, my OLW, be, is becoming larger in my mind. I am working on another sign which I'll keep at home. (My first sign is at school to help me remember there.)

BE healthy

• get into clothes (and feel good in) that I used to be able to wear and cannot right now - black cords, gray pants, blue trousers, and green pants
• control eating habits and not let the eating habits control me
• be able to run five miles again

BE balanced

• grow professionally by reading three books
• participate in at least three book studies (can be fun, spiritual, or school related)

BE relational

• one dinner party a month with friends
• write my Compassion kids four times this year
• find a small group or accountability partner

BE creative

• create at least 12 recipes from the cooking blogs I read
• knit at least 3 projects this year that are not the simple scarves and hats that I currently do
• create at least 1 hand-made card a month

Yuck!

Apparently, our state thinks that students that have nits and lice in their hair are okay to be in school. We can't send them home if they have it anymore.

And unfortunately, it's been a good year for the louse. He and his family have been visiting several students in my grade level and it's traveled into my classroom. I've taken the pillows home, brought trash bags in, and sent myself to the nurse just to check.

In ten years of teaching, I have NEVER gotten lice. I went to Honduras and didn't get lice. Somehow this year I did.

I felt like a leper. I still feel like one. I don't feel clean. I'm frustrated. I'm tired of cleaning. I'm grateful for a friend who has now cleaned my hair out twice. I'm thankful for parents of students and friends who have volunteered to come and help me clean.

We only found five eggs tonight. Doesn't that just creep you out? You want to scratch your head now, don't you?

I wish they were gone. I miss my down comforter. I miss my fancy pillows. I miss my scarves. I miss my second down comforter. I'm thankful that my house seems pretty clean.

Go away, louse, go away!

If you're reading this, and you can relate, any tips would be greatly appreciated.

One Little Word 2011

More later...

The Final 10 for 10 Update

I'm a procrastinator. I thrive on the final moment. It's bad. However, as 2010 winds down and I'm beginning to look forward, I need to reflect first.

My one little word (OLW) this year was intentional. I feel that I started off the year being very intentional and slacked off after the summer. I let a lot of things slip, including friendships. Not sure why. I do know that it will shape though how I spend my time in 2011.

1. Read three professional books

• Daily Five by The Sisters (as they are known)
• CAFE book (by same authors as above)
• Boy Writers by Ralph Fletcher

2. Run 5 5K's

• Due to tendonitis, I am in a boot and will be walking one this morning (I think it still counts, right?) - Did it in about 45 minutes
• Ran/walked one over Labor Day weekend.
• And while it may not count (since I was thinking races), I did run 3 5K's on the treadmill this month. Decreased my time from 41 to 38:11 to 37:35.

3. Run a sub 30 5K

• Yeah, that didn't happen. There's always next year, right?

4. Pay off debt to dad (and thus, be debt free except my mortgage)

• uh, yeah, I'm debt free!!!!!!!!!!

5. Go to Honduras on a mission trip (scared of flying)

• Have my passport now and will pay my first installment tomorrow
• Have paid half of the trip
• Went on trip...Wow! I am so glad I went...there will be tons of posts about it.

6. Clean off all of the clothes off my floor and have them put away.

• Uh, this is a work in progress...what must I do to get this in order - Any ideas, readers?

7. See a movie by myself

• Saw Date Night...parts were definitely funny, others a little uncomfortable. I do enjoy Steve Carell though.

8. Give blood 4 times (one down and three to go)

• Signed up for my second one - it's sponsored by CW25 for The Vampire Diaries - I'll let you know how that turns out :)
• Have given twice and will only be able to give one more due to traveling to Honduras in July.
• Have A+ blood...maybe that's why I am so smart! :)
• Gave three times and because of traveling to Honduras, cannot give again till next year. However, if I go to Honduras again next summer - which I am planning on doing - I can't give until a year after I get back...it's a vicious cycle!

9. Write my compassion children three times each this year

• wrote each one once so far
• replied to their letters December 29 and sent stickers
• sent 10 photographs with captions to translate for them December 30
• Want to up this for next year!!!

10. Finish reading whole Bible (on track to finish mid-July)

• About two more weeks and then the OT is finished! On to the NT...excited!
• Reading the NT right now - in the gospels
• Finished the first day I was in Honduras - How cool is that?!

Looking back, I am proud of some and want to continue improving on others. Thankful that I focused on several areas of my life and cannot wait to unveil my 2011 OLW as well as my ambitions for next year!

Christmas Vacation

One thing that I love about Christmas is the lights...

Near my friend's house

Across from my friend's house

The Griswold's live next door to my friend. Not really...but wow! I loved it!

Our park in our town

Again at the park. And now that I know where some of my extra features are on my camera, I may head back there to see what I can capture!

NSV

What is an NSV? It's an acronym for Non-Scale Victories and I am planning on sharing many over the next few months.

A few years ago, I made many life changes which resulted in becoming a healthier and fitter me. I am on that path again, but without the scale.

I was asked why by a friend. Because I want to make healthy choices. Because I want to control it rather than it control me (my out of control eating habits). Because I want to wear some clothes that are in my closet that feel too tight to be flattering. Because I want to remain active and be proud of my choices. And for those reasons, I am going to focus on NSV's.

My first NSV was having my third 5K in three weeks be 40 seconds faster! Woo hoo! I ran sprints the other day with a friend and actually smiled during part of the run. I felt like a runner again. I liked the feeling of my legs moving and my arms pumping. It was nice to feel that again.

I know I am not a number and while I will be looking at measurements once a month and how my clothes fit, I am not a number on a scale. The numbers of my clothes and body don't seem to have the power over me that the scale does. I can't bear to know what that number is. I'll either be proud of myself or disappointed and I refuse to do that to me. I've come too far. I just don't want to go back and therefore, need to focus on some NSV's. I hope you can join in sharing my joy as I share them with you.