The Lost or Forgotten Child?

I have always believed and will always believe that teaching is one of the greatest callings in life.  I feel blessed to have been called into this service.  

If I had to list one goal I have as a teacher it would have nothing at all to do with producing academically challenged super minds.   It would be that every single one of my students would recognize that they are valued and worthy and that they recognize they each have a significant purpose in life.  

I think most teachers like having students that "fit into the box."  Honestly, they require a lot less time and attention, which is nice, but for me, there is very little feeling of accomplishment where those students are concerned.  I prefer the challenging student, whether those challenges are behaviorally or academically, witnessing the growth and success of those students are what give me the feeling that I am making a difference.  

The key to succeed in this goal is to recognize each child as a unique person.  No two situations are the same and it will require a period of trial and error before you find what works.  But the vital word here is "trial". You have to be willing to forge ahead, with love and patience abound, and probably without a lot of progress or cooperation for a while.  

Being the kind of person that wants to help everyone begs the question can everyone be helped?   YES, I firmly believe that children as young as the ones I deal with can be helped and put on the right path with the right intervention.   That being said though, I sometimes have to swallow my pride and recognize that I may not always be the source of that intervention.  

I find myself in this situation right now with my new student.  I will not give up on him as long as God continues to put him in his desk in front of me.  However, I realize that the part I play in changing his path may be getting him help from someone who is specially trained to handle his behaviors.  

But, as long as I am involved, there will never be a lost or forgotten child!  

Our (Very Quiet) Thanksgiving

After talking with all parties involved, we decided to spend Thanksgiving at our own houses celebrating in our own ways. My mom and dad live in a retirement community and there are always people without families who are looking for others to spend Thanksgiving with.  My parents were invited to go out to dinner with some friends and, of course, we understood how much easier it was for my mom not having to cook a big meal (although she said she missed everyone and next year we would get together).

I basically spent the 80* day watching Christmas movies and putting out the Christmas decorations and putting up the tree.    The tree is as gorgeous as ever.  I thought about getting rid of it about a dozen times this year as the big, bulky box takes up space in my bedroom but I didn't - yet.  No promises that I will keep it another year.  It is a difficult decision because it is really one of the prettiest artificial trees I have seen. 

I also made a small turkey for Zack and me (is there any better smell than a roasting turkey?) and am waiting for C.J. and Jon to come over.  We are going to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Impractical Jokers.  

Pictures from the day:

Scrooge

Followed by It's a Wonderful Life

Yummy..this roaster was the best birthday present ever!  

Mashed Potatoes for Zack...Cranberries for me

Life Lately

It's been over a week since I have been on here...that is how you can tell my life is truly boring!  

I've been in a rut of work...home...work...home...rinse...repeat.  There is very little money or time for much else.  At least now, though, there is no money because I am catching up on bills...not falling farther behind.  *big breath*   

We spent the weekend at my parent's.  I have some pictures but I am too lazy to upload and edit them right now.  We had a lot of fun though.  I went with my mom up to the clubhouse and helped the ladies set up for the community Thanksgiving Feast they had today (and then was jealous that I could not attend).  We also went for pizza at our usual place and who could NOT enjoy the end of the Gators/LSU game?   I am such a negative person when it comes to things like that so when it was 3rd and goal on the 1 yard line I was yelling, "just let them score so you have at least 20 seconds to do something on offense."  Needless to say, that is not what happened.  Not sure the Gators did themselves any favors winning the SEC East because now they meet Alabama and we all know how that is going to turn out.  It was worth it though to see the reaction of the Tennessee fans when it was announced (during the Tennessee/Missouri game) that Florida had won.  

Two day work week coming up with a faculty/student kickball game, a turkey trot, and a classroom Thanksgiving Feast to fit in.  

HHN House Review Cont.

American Horror Story

This was a house that I only went through once this year.  The lines were always so long for this house and seeing as I had not yet watched Freak Show or Hotel...the house really didn't make much sense to me.  (I have since watched and enjoyed Freak Show but could not get into Hotel).  

The consensus among Horror Story fanatics, though, is that this house was spot on with both scene depiction and character casting.  

The Walking Dead

This walk through is from Universal Hollywood


Another house I only went through once.  I thought the house was better than last year but not good enough to warrant waiting in line to see it again.  The consensus for this house is same old same old.  It has made an appearance too many years now.  


Halloween 2: Hell Comes to Haddonfield

Michael Myers returns.  This is a house I went through a lot.  Mostly because it was in the back of the park and the lines were usually very short.  Overall I enjoyed this house, but then I was not a HHN attendee a couple years ago when the original Halloween was a featured house.  The consensus among HHN die hards is that this house felt a bit too familiar.  But familiarity aside, this was still a good house.  

Texas Chain Saw Massacre

This was another house, located near Halloween, that I went through many times and although I had not yet seen the movie, I still liked the house.   Walking through the house, you actually felt like you were smack dab in the middle of a horror film trying to find your way out of a twisted maze while being stalked by Leatherface.  

Chance's House: Lunatics Playground

 Another 1 walk through house for me.  I wasn't impressed.  Her laugh kind of gets on my nerves.  

Tomb of the Ancients

Located in the back of the park like Halloween and Texas Chainsaw, this house was a frequent walk through for me.  It had everything necessary for a good scare.  Dark environment, tombs and corpses,  winding paths, and unpredictable scares.  The only thing I am not a fan of is walking through stuff that is dangling from the ceiling - and this house had a lot of that.  

And there you have it....my limited review of the HHN 2016 houses.

Next: The shows

House Review HHN

Well...another Halloween Horror Nights is over (***insert tears here***) and, even though I do not feel like I went through the houses enough to rank them this year, I still wanted to be able to find the house walk throughs in one easy-to-find blog post so here goes...

KRAMPUS

This house was based on the horror film of the same name. It was also the first house I went through this year.  There is not much to write about with this house.  The "scares" consisted of little elf-like creatures who were scattered throughout the rooms.    They appear in the movie but not nearly as much as they do in the house.   Overall, this was a middle of the road house.  The only thing keeping it from being in the bottom is the clever use of holiday sounds and smells.

In the final scene, you end up in Krampus's lair where snowglobes are all over the walls.  Apparently, inside some of the snowglobes were pictures of buildings of past HHN (Insidious, Shadybrook Assylum, etc).  










The Exorcist 

This house provided the highest creep factor for me - because that whole movie gives me the creeps.  I've never, to this day, been able to watch the whole thing.  Enough said.

Ghost Town:  The Curse of Lightning Gultch

This house had a creative concept...the whole idea is that you see the ghost of someone who's died and then in the next room you walk into the moment they are killed.  I can't find a walk through video so this preview will have to do.  

More reviews coming.....

Tuesday Thoughts

So another Halloween Horror Nights is in the books...and I miss it already.  The overall experience was so much different from last year. Mostly because I did not purchase a frequent fear pass this year and because I am working a full time job.  But just having the opportunity to go there and experience the atmosphere, the shows, and as many houses as the crowds would allow was enough for me.  If I was to rate the houses based purely on my experience only, it would be 1) Halloween 2). Tomb of the Ancients 3). Ghost Town 4). Texas Chainsaw Massacre 5). Krampus 6). Exorcist 7). Walking Dead 8). American Horror Story 9). Chance's House.  

The Exorcist was my favorite facade (very similar to this google image)

In other news, I got another student yesterday - *cough cough*.  Just when I had gotten my class to the point where my days were pretty easy and I had to do very little discipline, along comes a boy who had to be pulled out of the other 2nd grade because of his behavior and ---oh boy---he will keep me on my toes for a while that is for sure!    To say my students are not fond of him is an understatement so I definitely have some work to do.  

I am looking forward to my first "regular" paycheck next week.  It will be nice to finally catch up on some bills and have a little extra for food without having to go begging for help from my parents.  However, I can't breathe yet because it is still uncertain whether I will get paid for Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation and if not, it could literally break me.  I guess their rule is that you have to be a contract employee for two months before you get any vacation/sick time (which is sooooooooooo ridiculous) which I, of course, will not be.  But I am hoping they will take into account the fact that I have been working full time there for almost three months!!!! I would like to believe they will see it makes sense but, then again, the breaks haven't exactly been going my way lately.   

Middle son had a birthday the other day (the 6th) and, as cliche as it sounds, I cannot believe time has gone by so fast!  He keeps himself busy going to college (majoring in education) and working at Universal Studios.  Looking at him today you would never think he made my hair gray and my blood pressure skyrocket when he was younger!   

And that's all I have...

Matthew Clean-Up

Pictures of my sister's street in Daytona Beach...