Hell Week

It's been quite a week.  I had my first set of conferences at my new school.  The conferences went well and I felt pretty good about them overall.  They just go so late into the evenings and I really don't like working 13 hour days.  I have tomorrow off to make up for it, and so does Mark.. so I'm looking forward to spending uninterrupted time with him.  I'm thinking a motorcycle ride would be awesome!  It's been perfect weather to get out on the bike.

What's been rough to deal with this past 2 weeks is my broken toe.  It's not getting any better and seems to be getting worse.  I think I may need to call the doctor and get a boot or a shoe of some sort to help it heal.

Not being able to run and/or work out has been tough.  It's what helps me relieve stress and get out of my head.  Now, I'm sitting at home each evening with ice on my elevated foot and being a reluctant couch potato.  I need this to heal so I can get moving again.  Patience.. Patience... Patience..  **sigh**

Flooding and Evacuations

Well...  I never thought that I would be in a possible flood evacuation, but here I am. I'm surrounded by areas of evacuation.  I'm literally in a pocket.  I think I'm starting to understand how truly thankful I am that my home was built on an elevated plot.  My yard slopes down to keep the rain from getting into my basement.  I'm hoping that with the predicted additional rainfall that I'll remain safe from flooding and evacuation.

Just in case, Savannah, Mark and I have our bags packed, our animals ready to be crated and out the door we'll be able to go.  I really hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does I'll deal with it.  Mark, Savannah and I will be together and that's what counts.  I just really don't want to lose my home, or have it damaged.

Braces Gone!

She no longer has the metal and rubber bands in her mouth.  She has a retainer.  She's happy about that.

I wish I could say that I was not worried about her.  But I can't do that. I am worried.  She's not happy at school.  She doesn't follow the mainstream.  I know that in itself is not a reason to worry, but when it comes to school and graduating and making a life for herself, I worry.  It would just be so much easier on her and me if she did follow that mainstream.  So.. now she's saying she wants to transfer to an on-line school.  She wants to move out of the normal classroom and do all her learning from the computer. She wants to isolate herself and I'm not happy about that.  I'm worried about that.

I keep thinking that what is the big deal?  If she gets a degree and can move on to college, what's the big deal?  I don't know what the big deal is, but my gut tells me that it is a big deal.  There is something that isn't sitting right with me on this.  But then again.. it's Savannah and since she was 10 years old, she's been doing things that don't sit right with me

 I also ask myself if I'd have had the opportunity to learn on my own and quit going to a normal school, would I have done it.... and I think the answer would have been yes.  I hated school.  I was not a mainstream kid.. but I wasn't a trouble maker either.  I just didn't fit into the High School Rah Rah mentality.  I didn't like anything about it.  I moved on after school and made a life for myself.. and so will she..right?

So...  here we go again.  Savannah pushing my ideals and what I thought was ok.  Pushing me to think outside the box.  Finding myself thinking, "What will other people think?" Mad at myself for thinking that.  It's a different world.  I work in a school district that understands this. It's a new world.

Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This parenting thing is rough sometimes.

Little Nadira

Tonight I'm a happy grandma.  I got to spend the day with my little granddaughter and it was a delightful day.  She's just so sweet and funny!  Yes.. there was a lot of laughter in my house today.  A lot of joy as well.  That little girl brings out the best in everyone.  I love her so much!

I'm going to go to bed now and wait for Mark to get home from his gig.  Tomorrow is another fun filled day with my baby girl.  I'm thinking the park and some shopping. Whatever we do, it's going to be fun and I'm looking forward to watching her learn and grow.  She's so smart!  Love...  so much love. <3 p="">

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah....

What a fun and energetic night it was at Red Rocks Amphitheater!  Mark and I were dancing and singing and having a grand ole time.  The Beatles Tribute Band, 1964 was so amazing.  They really captured the music, the look, and the excitement.  Now.. to be honest, there wasn't the ridiculous screaming that went on in the 60's, but there was a lot of happy people re-living their earlier lives when the Beatles made their mark in history.

And we're off.....

Two days into this new school year and I'm feeling hopeful, excited, and energized.  This school is proving to be exactly what I thought it would be.  I'm happy to say that I feel very much a part of this school already.  The staff has gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and that I'm a vital part of them.

Tomorrow is our Open House.  I'll be meeting my families and my students.  I'm so looking forward to this because after all...  there wouldn't be school if it weren't for them

My wish for everyone is that they are able to spend their days feeling useful and valued.  There is nothing that feels better.  It doesn't matter what you do as long as you feel valued for it and appreciated.

This is a good lesson for marriage as well.  I make a point to tell my husband every day that I appreciate the way he loves me and supports everything I do.  He really is an amazing person.  He's great about letting me know too that he loves and supports me.

So.. off to bed..  with hopes for a wonderful tomorrow.

New School, New Room, New Beginning

This year marks my 15th year of teaching.  Seems strange that 14 years have passed.  I've loved almost ever minute of my time as a teacher.  I've laughed, cried, yelled, and almost had a nervous breakdown.  But what I have experienced the most is joy.  Children are amazing people to spend your days with.  They tell it like it is.  They make my laugh.  They make me crazy.  They make me feel great about myself and then a second later as bad as I've ever felt.

A teacher has a lot of power.  Power to lift up and power to stomp down. I wish I could say that I've always chosen my words wisely and have never hurt a child with my words.  The truth is that I've hurt numerous children with angry words that I spewed in moments of frustration.  Those words were always immediately followed by an apology, but they were out there and they had hit their target.  Damage had been done.  My goal every year is to NOT let that happen.  But fatigue, stress, and frustration have their way of creeping in and before I know it, I'm in a precarious position where hurtful words are positioning themselves to spring from my mouth.  Keeping them in and taking a breath and counting to ten is essential.  Once in a while I'm successful and I keep them at bay.  Once in a while... not so much.

So now, I'm beginning a new chapter in my teaching career.  A new school and a new beginning.  I'm excited about this coming school year.  Something that had been lacking last year.  I realized that as my 14th year of teaching progressed, I wasn't experiencing as much joy and satisfaction.  I was dreading going to school.  I realized I was not feeling like a very good teacher.  My principal was someone who was always looking forward and asking that question.. "How could you make things better?"  Of course this is a good question, because things could always be better, but before that question, maybe there should be some praise for what's going well.  There were many things going well in my classroom.  My student's performed remarkably well on their state test, 93% proficient or advanced.  I also had a lot of love and joy in my classroom which is the most important thing as far as I'm concerned.

I decided in the middle of last school year to apply for a new position if the right one came to me.  And, low and behold, this third grade teaching position opened up and Longmont Estates Elementary.  This school has students that fall into the full range of the socio-economic scale.  I spent the first 12 years of my career working with kids of poverty and the last 2 working with kids from very affluent homes.  Now, I'm ready to work with that elusive group of kids from the middle class.  I was surprised at how many teachers applied for this position.  I had a LOT of amazing competition.  When she called and offered me the position, I felt very honored.  I know the pool of candidates she had to choose from and the fact that she chose me, really made me feel that I still have what it takes to be an effective, loving, and fun teacher.

So.. here we go.  Another new school.  Another new class.  Another new staff.  I'm ready and excited to get this year off the ground....  and hope for a "safe landing" at the end of the ride.  A landing that will make me want to spend as many years taking off and landing at this school.  I'm ready to stay there until I retire if that is what's in the cards for me.