Just recently my 6th graders finished their PowerPoint presentations on WWII.
The assignment asked for them to research the following countries and give the ruler's name, the type of government, and 3 facts about the country or the leader
- United States
- Russia
- Italy
- Japan
- Germany
- Great Britain
It gave me a little chuckle to see one boy list the leader of Russia as
JOSEPH STALLION
-----not quite-----
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
His World
Because sometimes I am mean and like to torture my dog, I recorded a show that had a squirrel on it and will sometimes just replay it over and over to see his reaction.
It's pretty much one of the most confusing things that could happen in his world.
It's pretty much one of the most confusing things that could happen in his world.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
A "Chance" Meeting
Of course there was nothing that was "chance" about this meeting because God had this planned all along, but I just love how encounters with strangers can sometimes be so perfect! And that is what happened to me today.
I dropped Zack off at school at 3:30 for tutoring and then, at the last minute, decided to make a trip to St. Vincent DePaul to look for some sleeveless shirts. I really hardly ever buy new but have adopted the Duggers saying, "buy used and save the difference." You can get some really great stuff at those discount stores.
So anyway, there I am in the checkout line with about 30 other people because the store was closing and the lady behind me asked me if we had any good grocery stores in town. So I told her about a couple places and then she said she was from Louisville, Kentucky here for some kind of home school meeting. She was holding a pair of boys boots and mentioned that her family had moved from Alabama to Kentucky in September and were not at all prepared for snow. She said, "well I have 7 kids and now I have 1 pair of boots."
I know it sounds weird but I said, " I have two pair of perfectly good boots at my apartment that I want to give away. I am moving to Orlando next month and have no need for them anymore." Then I thought more and said, "in fact I also have two pair of snow pants and a heavy winter jacket."
So a little more talking and she followed me back to my apartment and I was able to bless her family with three pairs of boots (b/c I found another pair my mom had given me), two pair of nearly brand new snow pants, and a winter jacket.
So happy they will get good use and a few less things I need to get rid of.
I dropped Zack off at school at 3:30 for tutoring and then, at the last minute, decided to make a trip to St. Vincent DePaul to look for some sleeveless shirts. I really hardly ever buy new but have adopted the Duggers saying, "buy used and save the difference." You can get some really great stuff at those discount stores.
So anyway, there I am in the checkout line with about 30 other people because the store was closing and the lady behind me asked me if we had any good grocery stores in town. So I told her about a couple places and then she said she was from Louisville, Kentucky here for some kind of home school meeting. She was holding a pair of boys boots and mentioned that her family had moved from Alabama to Kentucky in September and were not at all prepared for snow. She said, "well I have 7 kids and now I have 1 pair of boots."
I know it sounds weird but I said, " I have two pair of perfectly good boots at my apartment that I want to give away. I am moving to Orlando next month and have no need for them anymore." Then I thought more and said, "in fact I also have two pair of snow pants and a heavy winter jacket."
So a little more talking and she followed me back to my apartment and I was able to bless her family with three pairs of boots (b/c I found another pair my mom had given me), two pair of nearly brand new snow pants, and a winter jacket.
So happy they will get good use and a few less things I need to get rid of.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Enjoying Time with Friends
Time with my BFF is dwindling away. I cannot believe that in less than 5 weeks we will be moving. Talk about running the gambit of emotions - I am so excited about being near my family again,(especially my sons) but at the same time, I am very sad about being so far away from the best friend I will ever have.
So, when she invited Zack and me to join them on a trip to Madison today, I jumped at the chance. She and her husband have a son at the University there and we went to visit with him and take him to dinner.
It wasn't the greatest day weather wise - cloudy and maybe 50* - so we decided to just tour the Capital building and have dinner at a nearby pub.
Great day
So, when she invited Zack and me to join them on a trip to Madison today, I jumped at the chance. She and her husband have a son at the University there and we went to visit with him and take him to dinner.
It wasn't the greatest day weather wise - cloudy and maybe 50* - so we decided to just tour the Capital building and have dinner at a nearby pub.
 |
| Rotunda |
 |
| Replica of the Liberty Bell (minus the crack) |
 |
| Veterans memorial |
 |
| State Supreme Court |
 |
Sweatshirt+jacket=COLD! |
 |
| Wedding |
Great day
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Today...
As soon as I woke up this morning I got a call from the doctor's office cancelling Zack's appointment because they no longer accept our insurance. UGH! So now I get to decide if I want to go through the hassle of finding another doctor to get him on some medication ASAP or wait for 6 weeks until we are in Florida and get him established with a doctor there.
Also...this happened today:
Double UGH!!!!
I almost fooled myself into believing this was a thing of the past.
And just because:
Also...this happened today:
Double UGH!!!!
I almost fooled myself into believing this was a thing of the past.
And just because:
 |
| The moment he sees a dog on TV |
Monday, April 20, 2015
The Return of the Medication
Zack has been off his ADHD medication for almost a year now and I'm not gonna lie...it's been rough.
First, a little back story: Zack had been on medication constantly since he was diagnosed with ADHD at just 8 years old. About the time he turned 12.5 years he started complaining about having to take his pills every day but it was easy to talk him through these occasional issues and, most days, he'd happily take his medication. Last year, however, was a mess! He hated taking his pills with a passion and for the first time ever, he began hiding pills instead of taking them. I found rogue pills in the back seat of the car, his backpack, his jeans pockets, and his sports bag during basketball season.
So, after school ended last year, I didn't make an announcement or anything, but I stopped forcing him to take the pills. I waited to see if he would take them on his own...but I already knew the answer...of course not!
With all that was going on in his little life lately, I decided to give him the control in this area of his life. As I said, it's been rough. School has been a mess...my boy who earned all A's and B's in an academically challenging school is barely squeaking by with C's and D's. He is difficult to reason with and very unorganized and unfocused.
So, we have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow with the intent of re-starting medication.
It's time!
First, a little back story: Zack had been on medication constantly since he was diagnosed with ADHD at just 8 years old. About the time he turned 12.5 years he started complaining about having to take his pills every day but it was easy to talk him through these occasional issues and, most days, he'd happily take his medication. Last year, however, was a mess! He hated taking his pills with a passion and for the first time ever, he began hiding pills instead of taking them. I found rogue pills in the back seat of the car, his backpack, his jeans pockets, and his sports bag during basketball season.
So, after school ended last year, I didn't make an announcement or anything, but I stopped forcing him to take the pills. I waited to see if he would take them on his own...but I already knew the answer...of course not!
With all that was going on in his little life lately, I decided to give him the control in this area of his life. As I said, it's been rough. School has been a mess...my boy who earned all A's and B's in an academically challenging school is barely squeaking by with C's and D's. He is difficult to reason with and very unorganized and unfocused.
So, we have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow with the intent of re-starting medication.
It's time!
Thursday, April 16, 2015
In Addition...
One thing I left out of the previous post is that by using this protocol, the amount of actual "tattling" decreases by leaps and bounds.
First off, I define "tattling" as reporting an incident for the sole purpose of getting another student in trouble. The "tattler" reports an incident with a whiny voice and then delights in standing back and watching their "victim" get in trouble.
With this method of conflict resolution, the student realizes soon enough, that they are not "getting their victim in trouble" but rather have created a situation where they will be asked to sit with their intended "victim" to work out a solution.
After awhile, the students will also really try to resolve conflicts on their own before coming to you because they realize that having you as a mediator, requires them to forfeit a recess or some other fun activity.
It is rewarding watching them get better and quicker at working out conflicts on their own.
Trust me...this works!!!
First off, I define "tattling" as reporting an incident for the sole purpose of getting another student in trouble. The "tattler" reports an incident with a whiny voice and then delights in standing back and watching their "victim" get in trouble.
With this method of conflict resolution, the student realizes soon enough, that they are not "getting their victim in trouble" but rather have created a situation where they will be asked to sit with their intended "victim" to work out a solution.
After awhile, the students will also really try to resolve conflicts on their own before coming to you because they realize that having you as a mediator, requires them to forfeit a recess or some other fun activity.
It is rewarding watching them get better and quicker at working out conflicts on their own.
Trust me...this works!!!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Just Getting This Off My Chest (AKA Conflict Resolution)
"He cut in front of me in line."
"She won't share the ball with me."
"They won't let me play."
We, as teachers hear these things every day all...the...time!
And I just cringe whenever I hear a teacher respond by saying, "stop tattling" or "don't tattle".
Kids have very little ability to resolve conflicts on their own and I believe part of a teacher's job is to coach students in handling everyday conflicts.
So when a child says to me, "she won't share with me." What I hear is, "teacher, this really bothers me and is making me sad and I'm not sure what to do."
This is actually the perfect teachable moment.
The following is the protocol I use
- cool off (if needed) Sometimes, a cooling off period is necessary before any communication can take place. I have found this happens very infrequently, but it is still a vital part of the protocol.
- The upset child states the issue.
- The other child listens and paraphrases what the first child thought the issue was
- Then the second child states their point of view
- The upset child listens and paraphrases what the second child said
- This continues until both children think they have been heard
- Brainstorm ideas
- Reach a solution
It is important that the children speak to each other and make eye contact with each other. I am only there to teach them conflict resolution skills and communication skills I am not the one who will solve the issue...I am only there to help them solve the issue.
This works well with students of all ages...and, in my opinion, this or something similar should be used by all teachers to help students resolve conflicts. No class time needs to be used for this but the teacher may have to sacrifice a lunch or recess period to mediate these conflicts and the time it takes can range anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 or more minutes - but usually somewhere in between.
Maybe, just maybe, if more teachers would take the time to mentor the students in conflict resolution skills, bullying and physical altercations in school would be much less. It will never be completely eradicated, but I believe it would make a huge difference.
There was a situation at a local high school last month that has just recently "gone viral"in our area. It involves a cell phone video that captures a boy repeatedly punching another boy in the back of the head in the school cafeteria.
This beating went on for over a minute and was only ended when another student intervened which begs the question; where was the teacher supervision?
Well, apparently, there was a teacher present...and the student did approach the teacher for help...the teacher's response is a shock! Apparently, the teacher's exact words were,"I'd like to hit that kid over the back of the head, but I can't. If you hit him, I'd make my way over there slowly to break it up."
If this is true, this person has no business being a teacher. He/she just missed a very teachable moment.
C.J. - practice this and you will be a successful teacher
***All images from google***
"She won't share the ball with me."
"They won't let me play."
We, as teachers hear these things every day all...the...time!
And I just cringe whenever I hear a teacher respond by saying, "stop tattling" or "don't tattle".
Kids have very little ability to resolve conflicts on their own and I believe part of a teacher's job is to coach students in handling everyday conflicts.
So when a child says to me, "she won't share with me." What I hear is, "teacher, this really bothers me and is making me sad and I'm not sure what to do."
This is actually the perfect teachable moment.
The following is the protocol I use
- cool off (if needed) Sometimes, a cooling off period is necessary before any communication can take place. I have found this happens very infrequently, but it is still a vital part of the protocol.
- The upset child states the issue.
- The other child listens and paraphrases what the first child thought the issue was
- Then the second child states their point of view
- The upset child listens and paraphrases what the second child said
- This continues until both children think they have been heard
- Brainstorm ideas
- Reach a solution
It is important that the children speak to each other and make eye contact with each other. I am only there to teach them conflict resolution skills and communication skills I am not the one who will solve the issue...I am only there to help them solve the issue.
This works well with students of all ages...and, in my opinion, this or something similar should be used by all teachers to help students resolve conflicts. No class time needs to be used for this but the teacher may have to sacrifice a lunch or recess period to mediate these conflicts and the time it takes can range anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 or more minutes - but usually somewhere in between.
Maybe, just maybe, if more teachers would take the time to mentor the students in conflict resolution skills, bullying and physical altercations in school would be much less. It will never be completely eradicated, but I believe it would make a huge difference.
There was a situation at a local high school last month that has just recently "gone viral"in our area. It involves a cell phone video that captures a boy repeatedly punching another boy in the back of the head in the school cafeteria.
This beating went on for over a minute and was only ended when another student intervened which begs the question; where was the teacher supervision?
Well, apparently, there was a teacher present...and the student did approach the teacher for help...the teacher's response is a shock! Apparently, the teacher's exact words were,"I'd like to hit that kid over the back of the head, but I can't. If you hit him, I'd make my way over there slowly to break it up."
If this is true, this person has no business being a teacher. He/she just missed a very teachable moment.
C.J. - practice this and you will be a successful teacher
***All images from google***
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Our Florida Apartment (Most Likely)
It is not official yet but I am 99% sure that I have found our apartment in Orlando.
I am so grateful for Chris who was willing to do all the apartment hunting for me.
There were several possibilities but in the end, this one made the most sense.
This is the floor plan
Pretty basic. The biggest plus for me is that this apartment includes all utilities - as in air conditioning included! How nice it will be to have that air on in the summer and not have to worry about the electric bill.
The only thing that would stand in the way of us moving here is if there is not an available apartment when we need it. Bit the property itself is pretty big and apartments are opening up continuously so I can't foresee that happening. I am prepared to start a lease early if necessary.
This apartment is within walking distance of Sea World just off the Central Florida Parkway and International Drive.
I am so grateful for Chris who was willing to do all the apartment hunting for me.
There were several possibilities but in the end, this one made the most sense.
This is the floor plan
Pretty basic. The biggest plus for me is that this apartment includes all utilities - as in air conditioning included! How nice it will be to have that air on in the summer and not have to worry about the electric bill.
The only thing that would stand in the way of us moving here is if there is not an available apartment when we need it. Bit the property itself is pretty big and apartments are opening up continuously so I can't foresee that happening. I am prepared to start a lease early if necessary.
This apartment is within walking distance of Sea World just off the Central Florida Parkway and International Drive.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
West Trip Final Day
Once we were up and ready this morning we decided to skip the arch tour in favor of getting home earlier.
The drive was pretty uneventful and pretty boring but not nearly as ridiculous as the wide open boringness of the plains states.
Once we reached northern Illinois we saw a lot of debris on the side of the road from the tornado the other day.
I will never understand why we need to pay tolls in Illinois
At least it was only one toll this way as opposed to the 5 or 6 you have to pay when driving 294.
Once we were on our street, Ollie knew exactly where we were and he was beside himself with excitement.
We arrived home about 6:30 to 63*...much better weather than returning from our Christmas trips
The drive was pretty uneventful and pretty boring but not nearly as ridiculous as the wide open boringness of the plains states.
Once we reached northern Illinois we saw a lot of debris on the side of the road from the tornado the other day.
I will never understand why we need to pay tolls in Illinois
At least it was only one toll this way as opposed to the 5 or 6 you have to pay when driving 294.
Once we were on our street, Ollie knew exactly where we were and he was beside himself with excitement.
We arrived home about 6:30 to 63*...much better weather than returning from our Christmas trips
 |
| 1842 miles trip total |
Friday, April 10, 2015
West Trip Day Nine
**At the end of this post I will talk finances***
Today we drove from the middle of nowhere Kansas to St. Louis Missouri. Unfortunately, it took longer than google said it would take, and we were led on an adventure through residential Kansas City to get our lunch, and we got slightly detoured in St. Louis, so by the time we arrived we were too late to use our pre-ordered tickets for the arch. We'll try again tomorrow morning before we leave.
It turns out that eastern Kansas is much more interesting than western Kansas. It was also a beautiful day (70*) with no wind so that helped too.
Once we hit Kansas City we found a place to get lunch. I hate it when a restaurant is advertised on a highway exit but then you find out it is 1 mile or more away from the exit! That happened and we found ourselves taking a nice tour of residential Kansas City.
I am so envious that the grass is already green here and the trees are budding.
Overall, Ollie traveled pretty well. The front seat is wide open for him but he prefers to be near people, which aggravated Zack occasionally, but the majority of the time everyone was happy.
This night was a complete splurge...we stayed at the Hilton downtown a block from the arch. I had to park in a parking garage across the street and can only imagine how feral we looked in sweat pants (comfortable driving clothes), dragging our old suitcases, carrying the fan, and trying to wrangle the dog, walking through this upscale lobby.
To add to the humiliation, we could not get the elevator to work. Very entertaining we were! First we got on one of the elevators, the doors closed but the elevator would not move. So we dragged ourselves, all our stuff, and the dog off the elevator and tried the other one...same thing. Repeat dragging everything off the elevator. This time we ran into someone who was getting ready to get on the elevator and explained that they were not working. He then says, "oh...you have to put your room key in the slot first." It turns out there was a slot on the elevator and once you put your room key in the slot, the elevator worked fine!
The room is nice but nothing I couldn't live without
We had to order room service because we can't leave the dog alone
I took Ollie for a walk to the arch while he peed on buildings (no grass) and pooped in the middle of the sidewalk (no grass)...so embarrassing...I can't take him anywhere.
Of course, there is construction going on around the arch....there seems to be a theme here.
***TRIP FINANCES***
Through the whole trip I only put $30.00 on my credit card (for a pet fee and only because the motel machine rejected my debit card for some reason).
Before we left I withdrew $1000.00 from my checking account and separated it into 10 envelopes - $100.00 in each envelope. Each day I took a new envelope and used the $100.00 for food, souvenirs, or other miscellaneous things. Any money left at the end of the day was put in another envelope and I would take a new $100.00 for the next day. This worked out so well and I have nearly $300.00 left over.
All the motels (with exception of the first night and last night in Kansas) were booked online and paid for with my debit card before we left. The only other thing my debit card was used for was for gas and pet fees at the various motels.
I am so glad I could do this for Zack and he was able to add the following states to his list
-Minnesota
-South Dakota
-Nebraska
-Wyoming
-Colorado
-Kansas
Today we drove from the middle of nowhere Kansas to St. Louis Missouri. Unfortunately, it took longer than google said it would take, and we were led on an adventure through residential Kansas City to get our lunch, and we got slightly detoured in St. Louis, so by the time we arrived we were too late to use our pre-ordered tickets for the arch. We'll try again tomorrow morning before we leave.
It turns out that eastern Kansas is much more interesting than western Kansas. It was also a beautiful day (70*) with no wind so that helped too.
Once we hit Kansas City we found a place to get lunch. I hate it when a restaurant is advertised on a highway exit but then you find out it is 1 mile or more away from the exit! That happened and we found ourselves taking a nice tour of residential Kansas City.
I am so envious that the grass is already green here and the trees are budding.
Overall, Ollie traveled pretty well. The front seat is wide open for him but he prefers to be near people, which aggravated Zack occasionally, but the majority of the time everyone was happy.
 |
| Waiting for someone to take him to pee |
This night was a complete splurge...we stayed at the Hilton downtown a block from the arch. I had to park in a parking garage across the street and can only imagine how feral we looked in sweat pants (comfortable driving clothes), dragging our old suitcases, carrying the fan, and trying to wrangle the dog, walking through this upscale lobby.
To add to the humiliation, we could not get the elevator to work. Very entertaining we were! First we got on one of the elevators, the doors closed but the elevator would not move. So we dragged ourselves, all our stuff, and the dog off the elevator and tried the other one...same thing. Repeat dragging everything off the elevator. This time we ran into someone who was getting ready to get on the elevator and explained that they were not working. He then says, "oh...you have to put your room key in the slot first." It turns out there was a slot on the elevator and once you put your room key in the slot, the elevator worked fine!
The room is nice but nothing I couldn't live without
 |
| Not the greatest view - 5th floor |
We had to order room service because we can't leave the dog alone
 |
| A big beggar |
Of course, there is construction going on around the arch....there seems to be a theme here.
 |
| Construction on the bottom right |
***TRIP FINANCES***
Through the whole trip I only put $30.00 on my credit card (for a pet fee and only because the motel machine rejected my debit card for some reason).
Before we left I withdrew $1000.00 from my checking account and separated it into 10 envelopes - $100.00 in each envelope. Each day I took a new envelope and used the $100.00 for food, souvenirs, or other miscellaneous things. Any money left at the end of the day was put in another envelope and I would take a new $100.00 for the next day. This worked out so well and I have nearly $300.00 left over.
All the motels (with exception of the first night and last night in Kansas) were booked online and paid for with my debit card before we left. The only other thing my debit card was used for was for gas and pet fees at the various motels.
I am so glad I could do this for Zack and he was able to add the following states to his list
-Minnesota
-South Dakota
-Nebraska
-Wyoming
-Colorado
-Kansas
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