Sunday Ruminations

Halloween: Em decided a few weeks ago she was going to trick-or-treat in the Supergirl costume my Mom sent for her birthday. She had a blast....and WOW what a TON of candy! I think we only went to 15 or so houses, but the amount she collected was enough to fill a large mixing bowl. Wowsers.

We went to DH's parents' house last night. We hadn't seen them since August! Due to us being out of town for Emma's birthday, DH's Mom working most weekends, and them being out of state for 2 weeks on vacation last month, we just hadn't been able to connect with them in person.

Em was thrilled with the B.arbie items and H.ighSchoolMus.ical dolls Nana and Papa gave her as a belated birthday present.

Paycheck Vacuum: Sighs. My car started making a loud noise on Thursday afternoon. We were able to get it into the repair shop...$957 for a broken air conditioning compressor. Yikes! Sucked my paycheck right out from under us. And while part of me was willing to go without A.C. for a bit, the mechanic advised against it, as it could lead to further belt and/or engine damage. Argh!

Emma "The Bad": I spoke with her teacher in person. Ms. T admitted that she DID show students "some" of the news on TV. She claims to have only shown a news clip from when Summer was still missing and her mother was crying and distraught saying that she missed her. The teacher said she wanted to reiterate to the students how sad their parents would be if they were ever lost or ran away. And to help remind students not to ever go somewhere with a stranger. I was extremely fired up by this...especially since the school director told me she had asked the teacher NOT to turn the news into a stranger-danger lesson... However, as time has gone on, I'm mostly over it now. I don't like the way things were handled, but I believe Ms. T really had the students' best interest at heart. Ms. T mentioned multiple times that like me, she was disappointed that students parents had allowed their 4/5 year olds to view the entire newscast. She said that students discussing the news had been going on the entire week---from when Summer was only missing, to when Summer was found dead, to news footage of her funeral. And while the way she "taught" students the importance of staying with their parents is NOT what I would have wanted for Em...the reality is that I cannot control what happens when Em is at school. Gulp!

Emma "The Good/Funny": DH was at work on Saturday while I was home with Em. I was in the shower and DH called. DH and I have specific ring tones attached to our cells, so when we are the ones making incoming "home" calls, we're able to identify the call by sound. Em can't reach our home phone when it is hanging in the receiver. So she got my cell phone off the table in our foyer and CALLED DH's CELL and left him a voicemail: "Hi Daddy. This is your little girl, Emma. Mommy is in the shower. You can call us back after lunch time, okay?" I didn't know she even knew HOW to dial my cell, let alone how to locate DH's number on it. Too, too funny!

Books: I've been updating my Books Read list on the left sidebar of my blog. However, it's been awhile since I posted about anything that I've read. Recently I read the first 4 books in L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries series. I found the books to be enjoyable, fast reads. However, I was stunned by how similar some of the vampire characteristics are to the vampires in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga. I was further surprised in researching the Internet and publishing dates to learn that the Vampire Diaries novels were released a decade before Meyer's books. And though I LOVE the Twilight books and think Edward and the Cullen family could kick the Salvatore family's vampire butts any day...it was a bit of an eye opener for me to see that some of Meyer's ideas weren't 100% original. What a bummer!

This weekend I've started a new young adult series: The Shadow Children by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I read the first two books (Among the Hidden and Among the Impostors) yesterday, and started on Among the Betrayed today. The books are about a society that only permits families to have 2 children or less. There is a "Population Police" that captures (and sometimes kills) any 3rd (or higher) children. The main character of the first 2 books is a 12-year-old boy named Luke, who is an illegal 3rd child. I don't want to give away plot details....but the books have been entertaining and suspenseful. I will definitely be recommending them to my 8th graders.

DH's Novel: He has promised to let me read the ENTIRE first draft over Thanksgiving weekend. Yay! Meanwhile, he toggles between editing his first book and working on writing his second. Super cool!

Emmaisms: Let's close with some Emmaisms. First, a conversation I jotted down from July 4th, regarding excellent teachers and bendable straws:

Em: These are called antignal straws.

Me: They are? Who taught you that?

Em: Let's just say that I have a really good teacher.

Me: Oh. Did Miss Stephanie teach you that?

Em: No.

Me: Then where did you learn it?

Em: I just taught myself.

(She may be a "really good teacher," but how about some modesty?)

10/13/09 On learning more about the world:

Daddy, did you know there's a place in this world called Duval County?

(Yup...and you've lived in it your whole life, Kid.)

10/17/09 On transportation:

"A long, long time ago people didn't have any cars....they only had taxis."

(Forget the camel, donkey, horse, or elephant...taxis have apparently been around for years.)

11/1/09 On elderly parents:

"I get to have 5 scoops of Mac&Cheese, since I'm 5. Sorry, Mommy. I know you're 101. But we don't have 101 scoops, so you'll have to just have 5 too."

(I'm aging quite nicely, if I do say so myself...)

Pumpkin Patch

--Em School Update: I tried to meet with her teacher after school yesterday, but she had already left for the day. I ended up speaking with the director. (I agree with other commenters-as a teacher, I would prefer a parent come to me directly BEFORE going to my principal. However, the director, Ms. K was near the front desk when I asked if Em's teacher had already left for the day or not. So when I walked by, she called me into her office and asked what I needed.) I still plan to speak with her teacher, Ms. T. next week to discuss things. The director informed me that Ms. T and another teacher had both called her that morning because several students in their classrooms had seen or heard the news and were telling other students about it. Ms. K said she directed the teachers to:
--Verify that a little girl named Summer was killed by a stranger on her way home from school
--Explain that Summer is in Heaven now
--Say a prayer for Summer
--NOT focus on "stranger-danger" type lessons, so as not to scare the children
--Say, "Yes, it's very sad" (or something similar) and steer the conversation elsewhere if kiddos continued to bring it up during the day

I am saddened that multiple parents allowed their 4 and 5 year olds to view the news this week. However, I am comfortable with how Ms. K handled the situation. And being a teacher, I know we often have "teachable moments" that are not necessarily related to our standards or curriculum.

My only remaining concern is whether or not the news was viewed in the classroom. However, I will speak with Ms. T about this directly...

--Pumpkin Patch: Today we had a wonderful 80 degree sunny day. DH, Em and I travelled to C.onnor's A.cres farm to experience the hayride, pumpkin patch, corn maze and fun. We had a great time! I was thrilled with our fun fall photos. (And just as an FYI, Em dressed herself in her orange and pink outfit today.)

Em on the PVC Pipe Slide


Queen of the Haystack


Bonding with Daddy


Family on the hayride cart (which DH says should have been advertised as a "tractor ride," rather than a "hayride," as there was hay on the floor of the cart, but not on the benches where people sat to ride. Valid point!)




Haystack Sliding (Em wore herself out---she must have climbed up and slid down this haystack 40 times. She LOVED it!)

Em enjoyed a "Cow Tractor Ride"

Daddy and Em walking in the Corn Maze

Em loved making "angels" in the corn box

Pumpkin Patch Girl

I love this time of year! We had a wonderful time!

End of Quarter 1

School:

To the tune of REM's "It's the end of the world..."

It's the end of the quarter as I know it.
It's the end of the quarter as I know it.
It's the end of the quarter as I know it, and I feel fine.

Well, mostly fine. Tired. Overworked. Behind on blogging due to catching up with grading. But fine overall. :)

Today is the last day of 1st quarter. Monday is "planning day" (no school for students) when my grades are due, and I'll work on next quarter's ideas/thoughts/planning schemes.

Sad: A 7 year old in a neighboring county was killed this week. After 2 days of an Amber Alert for missing children, they found her body in a trash landfill. So very, very tragic. I was saddened by the news. And then...

After school yesterday, Emma told me she had heard a "very sad story" at school. She proceeded to tell me about a little girl named Summer who got into a fight with her brother when they were walking home from school, so Summer ran away from her brother. "And do you know what happened, Mommy? A stranger got her and killed her. And they found her in a dumpster."

WHAT?????????? How does my 5 year old know about this? When I asked her where she heard the sad story, she said they talked about it in school today with their teacher. She said her teacher told students the story and then told them strangers might "look pretty" or "seem nice" or "say they want to give us candy" "but we should NEVER go with them!"

While I appreciate the stranger-danger lesson, I am appalled that my child was told about a girl being killed and left in the trash. Am I being too over protective? I think my 5 year old is still too young for such specific details.

What pushed me over the edge was when we were getting ready for bed last night. Em came into our room and said, "I'm sad about Summer." She then shared the story with DH. And told him they had WATCHED THE NEWS ON HER TEACHER'S COMPUTER at school today. WHAT??? We are very upset. DH tried to meet with the director of Em's school today when he dropped her off, but the director wasn't in yet.

Obviously Em is dwelling on this. I think it is a lot for a little girl to take in. Hell, I'm 34 and I can barely absorb it. Maybe I'm being too motherly, but I am angered that my child was exposed to harsh news without us being asked or informed. Do you think I'm overreacting?

Disgruntled

ARRRRGH! That is how I'm feeling today....

--School: I don't get alone time in my classroom. During my planning period one of the teachers who has too many students in her Read180 class, sends students to my room to use the computers. It's only 1 or 2 students, but still frustrating to not have time to decompress, turn up my music, etc. like I would if I were alone in the room.

--After school there is a teacher and group of students in my room for the after school tutoring program. They are nice kids, respectful towards me and the room. I know it could be much worse...it's just that I don't have MY OWN SPACE anymore. (This should be resolved in a few weeks once the A.C. in the other teacher's room is fixed.)

--Weather: 93 Degrees. Record setting temperatures this week. What the heck??? It is autumn now, NOT summer. Mother nature, if you could please cooperate and cool down a bit, I'd really appreciate it.

--Exercise: I am feeling blecky and I know part of that is due to my complete and total lack of exercise since the school year started kicking my butt. Sighs....gotta force myself to fit some kind of work out back into my life. (Pathetic moment of the week: I ate a D.airy Queen D.illybar IN BED while watching "The Biggest Loser" last night. Good grief!)

--Family Dynamics: I don't know if DH is overwhelmed with his novel, or what. His Dad called a few times last week to check on Em. DH didn't bother to call back. This drives me nutty... I think it is disrespectful.

--Babies: I'm tired of wanting another child and not getting PG. I'm tired of friends hurting from longing for a child. I'm tired of second guessing myself and wondering if I'm not PG because God or Fate or Karma or Whatever think I would suck at having 2 kids. I'm tired of thinking, "I wish she had a sibling" during times when Emma is whiny and/or struggling when she doesn't get things her way. Why can't I just be content with what I have?

--Oh the irony...as I read the disgruntled tone of this message, I think much of it is due to P.M.S. Drat!

(Thanks, Dear Readers....a more cheerful tone next time, I promise.)

Over the Top

The past week has flown by...

--Em was diagnosed with a virile infection. However, the doctor didn't prescribe antibiotics, she just recommended keeping Em out of school for an extra day. Thus Em and I stayed home both last Monday and last Tuesday. She was feeling better by mid-morning on Tuesday and was running around, jumping off the furniture....totally could've gone to school as she didn't have a fever anymore. Oh well. I was able to get some house cleaning done in between games of Old Maid and Candyland.

--My class sizes are finally leveled! In fact, my huge class of 29, is now my smallest at only 15! (The other half were given to our new Read180 teacher. Yay!) Now I'm working on reeling in the behavior and changing the habits my students developed by having too large a group. YES, I expect you to use the computer software EVERYday now that we have a reasonable student to computer ratio. Sheesh.

--Nothing else new at work or home...

--The sweet and wonderful Mrs. Gamgee over at Hobbit-ish Thoughts and Ramblings honored me with the "Over the Top" award this week. This fun meme helped put my brain in focus mode, as it was difficult to provide only one-word responses.

Here are the rules for the Over The Top Award:

USE ONLY ONE WORD! It’s not as easy as you might think. Copy and change the answers to suit yourself and pass it on. It’s really hard to use only one-word answers so try your best!

(And I agree with Mrs. Gamgee---parenthetical input does NOT count towards the word count! Smiles.)

Tag 6 other bloggers and let them know that you think they are 'Over the Top'!

1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2.Your hair? blonde
3. Your mother? comforting
4. Your father? protective
5. Your favorite food? Mexican
6. Your dream last night? None

7. Your favorite drink? P.epsi
8. Your dream/goal? Ireland (I've always wanted to visit)
9. What room are you in? Classroom (it's my planning period)
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? heights
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Content (at least more so than I am now)
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren’t? Male
15. Muffins? Blueberry
16. Wish list item? House (I'd like a larger one)
17. Where did you grow up? Ohio
18. Last thing you did? Taught
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your pets? two
22. Friends? some
23. Your life? decent
24. Your mood? decent
25. Missing someone? family
26. Vehicle? H.onda
27. Something you’re not wearing? pants (ROFL. But I AM wearing a skirt!)
28. Your favorite store? K.ohl's
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When was the last time you laughed? 27 (Aren't you following along?) ;p
31. Last time you cried? Grey's (When I watched Grey's Anatomy last week, I was choked up by Izzy trying to save a cancer patient.)
32. Your best friend? Aaron (also known as DH, but that would be 2 words)
33. One place that I go to over and over? School (Also known as "work")
34. One person who emails me regularly? Dad
35. Favorite place to eat? Mexican (Remember #5??)

And now my tag-ees!
1. My Expected End

2. Double the Blessings

3. Overeducated Mommy

4. Sunny in Seattle

5. LaLaLand

6. Geek By Marriage