Confessions of a Bad Mother ~ First Edition

We had a crazy evening. While being wrapped up in the crazy evening it became evident to me that I am dancing on the edge of earning the "Bad Mother" badge. While in Wal-Mart doing our grocery shopping (it took about 2 hours.. not fun), our 19 month old's dinner consisted of a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie, a wild berry cereal bar, and Goldfish (dold shish in her terminology) Mini Babies (about 100). Then, once we got home, she had some emmy ems (M & M's), and some strawberry Life. A well balanced meal if you ask me! PFFFFFTTT!!!!!

You Rock!

Dear Steelers,

Thank you for pulling yourselves together after the first half, and deciding not to suck so badly the second half. I was very disappointed at the suck-up job you did in the first half, but was rather pumped about the rest of the game. Some of the plays you made were amazing! I'm still proud to bleed Black and Gold!! That's All!!

Not Me! Monday

I so did not skip church this morning because my wonderful husband knew that I needed to sleep in, and let me sleep until 10:30. All while he took care of our 19 month old all by himself. I go to church every week, honest I do!

I have not skipped out on doing lesson plans, and didn't realize that I haven't done one single lesson plan this whole school year (7 weeks total) because I love my class so much that I am so in to being 110% prepared every day to teach them while they chat (listen) to every thing I have to teach them.

I did not throw all of my daughter's clean laundry in a pile in to her drawer because just 12 1/2 hours after waking up this morning, I am ready to go back to bed. I have to have clean drawers... it's mandatory!

I absolutely do not throw everything in to my computer room so when people come over, I just have one junky room instead of the whole house being a mess. Yeah, it's getting pretty full... kinda need to take care of that. Like. Soon.!

I think that's enough for today. However, very theraputic, I must say! :o)

ReVamp

I'm in desperate need of a life makeover. I have all of these thoughts running through my head.... I need to do this differently, I should have done it this way, I wish I could still do this, I want to be like this again, I want to get out of this financial disaster we have ourselves in, I want to grow closer to God..... and, when I think about it all, I get super excited about the possible way my life could be, but then I go back to the same rut. I will admit, I have been doing a better job at doing daily devotions, and working on having a closer walk with God. It's great. But, other areas need to change. I want to begin this ReVamp tomorrow.... I'll post on here how things are going!

I Believe

It has been rainy and cold here in Virginia, which has so gotten me in to the spirit of the season, and all of the wonderfulness that is right around the corner. I don't know how many times I've said it already, or how many more times I'll say it; but this is my favorite time of year... clear up until December 26!

My class got a new box of Accelerated Reader books, and in the mix was "The Night Before Christmas". The illustrations were just beautiful, and my daughter will be receiving that book this year. Anyway... as I was looking through the book while my small Math class was doing their work, I got to reminiscing and thought of all of my favorite fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas traditions. I also thought of all of the new traditions I can't wait to start (and carry on old ones) with our punkins.

After the kids were finished with their assignment and we had gone over it, I asked them to tell the class (there were only 11 kids in there because half of them leave for advanced Math) what their favorite fall and Christmas tradition was. While hearing some of the cute stuff they were saying, they got on the topic of Santa Claus (the rest of the class had returned by now, and it was snack time so the off-topic conversation was ok). It surprised me when I found out that 95% of my kids still believe in Santa Claus. They are in 4th grade!!! I think it's adorable, and it helps the magical moments of Christmas live on for a little while longer in their life. I know I can't wait for our little one(s) to understand Christmas, Santa Claus, and Jesus' birthday because the magic of the season (Santa Claus) will come back to life for me in a way. The magical time of celebrating Christ's birth will always be alive in me, but I miss the giddiness of waiting for Santa, and baking cookies for him and his reindeer, and the presents. And, next year, we are starting our own fun tradition with miss priss, and we're making reindeer food. On Christmas Eve, we will make and sprinkle the reindeer food on the lawn, and the next morning, she will have a reindeer bell left on the lawn for her. It's going to be fun finding new, unique bells for her to collect over the years!! This is just one of the many, many things I can't wait to do!!

I'm done rambling now!! :)

They're Coming

I can see little hints of reds and yellows peeking through in some trees!! Hopefully in the next few weeks, they'll all be gorgeous and vibrant! Oh how I love this time of the year!

France and Mugs

Every week we start a new Reading story, and the kids have to do a vocabulary sheet to help them grasp the meaning of the new words for that specific story. At the end of the story, we have a vocabulary test. Our last story was about taking a voyage on the Titanic (an actual story about Ruth Becker who was actually aboard the Titanic). On the vocab sheet, one of the questions was ~

If you could take a voyage where would you go? While on your voyage, what would you do?

One of my little boys answers ~

If I could take a voyage, I would like to go to France. While in France, I would see the pretty buildings, and then would buy mugs and T-shirts.


What kind of 4th grader wants to buy mugs????? I thought it was incredibly cute, and mildly grown up sounding!!!





PS ~ I'm fine .... thanks if you prayed!

PSS ~ HAPPY FALL!!

A Little Scared

I found a lump, and I am in some major pain. I'm hopefully going to the doctor this week to figure out what the next step is. I'm trusting in God that whatever it is, He will get me through any obstacle standing in my way. If you think about it, say a prayer ( or light a candle :o) ) for me! I would appreciate it. I'm really hoping that it's nothing, but only time will tell.

Hip Hip......

HOORAY!!!!!!! One of my brats is getting moved to a different class!!! (The kiddo numero uno in one of my previous posts... you know, the one that has the father who thinks it's ok to beat the crap out of someone, yeah, HIM)!! And, my parents are coming tomorrow!!! :o)

Seriously?

So obviously from my last post I am extremely frustrated with my job at this moment in time. I am stressed to the max, and really didn't think things could get much worse the remainder of the week. HA! I was wrong. Another teacher comes up to me this morning and here is our conversation ~ I'll call the little girl involved Sarah

Her ~ Hey, do you have Sarah in your class?
Me ~ Yes, I do, why are you asking?
Her ~ Oh.... well I kinda have some news for you.
Me~ Great....
Her ~ Well, you know how Sarah's mom got up in front of the school board the other day, and complained that her daughter was excluded from the advanced Math class this year for no apparent reason.
Me ~ Yeah, we've had tons of conversations about it, and I know she's really frustrated with the superintendent for excluding certain kids from the program.
Her ~ Ok, well, someone I know was standing behind the superintendent while Sarah's mother was speaking, and the super writes "Sarah not being challenged, find out who teacher is because teacher is not doing job"
Me ~ WHAT? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME
Her ~ Nope, I'm not kidding, so if the super comes in to your room I wanted to make sure that you had all your P's and Q's together so you could show her exactly what you're doing to challenge the kids.


The superintendent hasn't been in my room ONCE this year to see what I am doing. If she had stepped in to my room for a stinking second, she would find out that I AM USING THE EXACT SAME LESSONS AND WORKSHEETS AS THE ADVANCED MATH TEACHER!!!!! But, no, she just wants to point fingers and blame people without having any solid base of information to go on. (By the way, the child's motoher was NOT complaining about me. She got up and made the point that they ruined her daughter's opinion of her education because for the last 3 years she's been good enough to be in the high math class, but this year for some reason, she "didn't cut it" in that class. The mother fully supports me, and knows I am doing everything possible to challenge and enrich her kid.)

Broken

I am broken..... emotionally broken. I get up, and I don't want to go to work. I want to stay home, and never walk in to my classroom again. This year has been the hardest year for me, and it's my fifth year teaching. The kids don't listen. I talk, they talk over me. I wait, they talk louder. I call their parents, they don't care. Recess and silent lunch? Pfffft! Every other year it's been like captial punishment. These kids don't care. Now it has gotten to the point that all they do is argue and whine and fuss at each other. Yesterday made me hit my breaking point. Two boys in my room can't get along. They're mean and nasty to each other, and they've been told to stay away from each other. Do they listen? No. What does it cause? More fights. So, the one has told the other that he is going to kill him. He was sent to the office, and nothing was done. Yesterday, they start fighting again. Kiddo numero uno tells kiddo numero dos that he is not afraid to use his fists to take care of him. So, kiddo numero dos decides to crank it up notch, and tells kiddo numero uno that he's not afraid to bring a gun in to school and shoot him. Kiddo numero dos gets sent to the office. He gets one day, yes ONE DAY of in school for THREATENING TO BRING A GUN TO SCHOOL AND KILL ANOTHER CHILD. Whatever. So I call the father of kiddo numero uno, and he takes his sons side (of course). He doesn't care that his son started the fight yesterday, and told the other kid that he was going to punch him.... after I told him to stay away from him. Dad agrees that the kid should be punched in the face, and is now going to try and have his son removed from my classroom. This kid goes home and lies to his dad, and tells him his side of the story (of course) but forgets to (conventiently) leave out that he's an instigator. I tell dad that he's an instigator, and he doesn't really care. His comment is "Well, you're lucky that you don't have me instead of my son because I would have already beat the crap out of that kid". NICE! I don't know what to do anymore. We haven't even finished our first six weeks yet, and I want the end of the year to be here already. What kind of effective educator am I going to be with that attitude? How am I going to teach these children when they don't listen to a stinkin thing I say? I'm at my wits end. I swear I'm going to have a heart attack, be an alcoholic, need prescription psychotic person meds, or be placed in a padded room by the end of the year. I'm done. Seriously just like done. I pray every single day that God will give me strength and help things to settle down. Please, seriously, take a minute and pray that God will help me, that He will help my attitude, that my passion will come back, that the kids will listen and be respectful, that the parents will get a GRIP. I'm seriously just done.

A New Kinda Math

We are doing a review in Math for the first grading period, and addition and subtraction are part of the review we do every year. As we're doing the review today, a little boy that just transferred from a private school (and he was in the gifted class there) showed me that I have been doing Math all wrong for the past 21 or so years. I gave them a problem where they had to add and subtract to get an answer. Here is the first part of his problem

92
+ 28
______
1310


Isn't that absolutely amazing? I guess I need to go back to college to relearn how to do Math. He was proud as a peacock that he got done first, and he just knew he had the answer right before anyone else. When I told him he better double check his work, he said, "Oh, no, it's right, I'm gifted." The only thing I could think to say to him was, "That you are, honey, that you are." Obviously his gifted area is NOT Math, even though he tends to think otherwise! I thought this was rather hilarious.

Izzy <3

I have a new baby on the way. Her name is Izzy. She was born August 9, and should come home with me in the next month or so. Isn't she adorable??? I had to get rid of my other hedgehog when I had my little one b/c I didn't want the hedgehog to suffer due to my inability to care for it properly. I've wanted another one for a long time, and found a really good breeder (the last one came from a pet shop, and he was malnourished, dehydrated, and knocked around on the ride from the company to the pet shop. He was in horrible condition). So, I got one from a good home. I think she's absolutely precious! I can't wait to bring her home!!

It's the Most WONDERFUL Time of the Year!

September starts the best time of the year for me. I love from the first day of fall, clear up until Christmas time. The colors, smells, special traditions, new traditions..... just everything that encompasses this time of year is what makes it my absolute favorite!


The colors.... so beautiful. Isn't God's work
amazing?











Football season, baby! I bleed
Black and Gold ~ Go Steelers










Time to break out the quilts from the cedar chest.
Boy, do I love the smell the cedar chest gives my
blankets.














Once again, look at those amazing colors!















Choosing pumpkins and gourds to decorate the house
with is so much fun!
























Succulent turkey, mouth watering stuffing, mashed
potatoes, rich gravy, pumpkin pie.... mmmmm my mouth is
watering already!








Then, we head in to winter... I love seeing
snowflakes fall to the ground, or stick to the
windows... always a beautiful sight




















Can't forget the lights that sparkle, and brighten
up the chilliest night!

I love sharing presents with my family. I search
and search to find the present that fits each
individual family memeber. Watching their
faces light up is priceless.
















And, the real, most wonderful reason to culminate
this wonderful time of year. The birth of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. I love going to church, lighting
candles, singing hymns... all to honor Him, and show
Him my love and gratitude for saving my life.

















When is your favorite time of the year, and why??

A Little Insider Tip

To all of you ladies out there that are not as wonderful in the house wife category in life as you'd like to be (I'm numero UNO in line), here is a tip that I found to be imperative today ~

* When you're trying to surprise your husband by ironing his dress shirts (because he does them himself every week, and has done them every week for the 4 years that you've been married), it helps to not only have the iron on, but to also have the iron plugged in! It seems to work a little easier that way.. I came to find, at least!

Just thought you'd like to know!