So you get to color all day?

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending my friend Suzie Q's soccer game.  It was a great game and I really enjoyed watching (notice I have said nothing about wanting to play - I probably would've collapsed in the first 5 minutes).  While I was watching, the woman next to me started chatting with me.  As we were chatting I said that Suzie Q and I taught together.  The woman asked what grades.  When I told her that I taught first she quickly exclaimed "That must be so fun!  You get to color and play all day!"  Ummmmmm riiiiiiiight...... It blows my mind to know that people still view teaching in this way.  I am ashamed to say that I cannot even recall the last time my kiddos picked up a crayon unless they were in art class with the art teacher.  There are so many intellectual demands on the littles now that sometimes I have to purposely plan for the fun.  So do I get to color all day? No. Do I wish that I could? Sometimes (see my mom's post about crayon therapy http://itstheprincipalofit.blogspot.com/2013/08/crayon-therapy-speaking-of-crayons-i.html).  Maybe someday people will realize just what exactly teachers do everyday. I leave you with this awesome video that always makes me smile:  

My $5.51 First World Problem

So anyone who knows me knows that this girl LOVES her coffee!!!  Even my kiddos know that my coffee is with me until lunch.  Most days I make coffee at home and bring it in my huge travel mug (it holds 3 cups), sometimes if I am running a bit late I will grab coffee at the gas station in town (which probably isn't that great but hey caffeine is caffeine) and once in a while I treat myself to Starbucks.  Now when I decide to give myself this treat, my choice is a venti caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso (a triple venti caramel macchiato for those schooled in Starbucks talk).  Earlier this week I decided that I needed to treat myself (again this is not a daily occurrence, there is no way I could afford this $5.51 cup of heaven every day).  So anywho, my day is going pretty much normally.  As I am sitting with my small group at the table, one of kiddos picked up my coffee (remember the $5.51 coffee) and dumped it all over the other kiddos' papers!  OMG!!!!!!!!!!  I just looked at him like really?  I didn't even know what to say!  The whole room that was just buzzing with activity was absolutely silent.  I know this falls into the category of "first world problems", but really?  He couldn't do it the day previous when I had cheap gas station coffee?  REALLY?!?!?!?  Maybe it has just been too long of a winter here and we are all suffering from a severe case of cabin fever.  Whatever it was, it was not my day to enjoy my heaven in a cup. 

Fail?

So I find myself frequently questioning my ability to be a parent. I encourage Peanut to try new things and always do her best. We have recently embarked on the gymnastics journey. The place we go is awesome! The coaches are super great and the other kiddos are pretty ok (there is always one tattletale or temper tantrum - never peanut!) and well to be honest I could take or leave the parents. Here's the thing, first of all Peanut is TALL for her age. We know that we are not raising the next gold medalist and that is ok! This is just for fun! It has really helped Peanut with her coordination which if you know us you know that we are NOT graceful people.  But I digress. You are probably wondering why I question my abilities. Two words - other parents. A class of 4 1/2 - 6 year olds was just called to the floor and I heard a mom say "if you have any negative energy, any at all, you need to take that and you need to use it to kill it in class!" WHAT? Seriously? I mean really? Your child is at the oldest in 1st grade! Do you think you have the next Team USA member? So my conclusion to this is, I am an awesome parent. I actually smile a little when Peanut struggles with something. Now before you go all judgmental  on me let me explain. Every milestone and activity Peanut has done she has met early and excelled with. This is good. But there is nothing wrong with learning that things do not always come easy and you have to work for things. So was this a fail for me or the nutty negative energy bar sitting behind me?

Did you ever have that day/week/month/year?

Well it has been quite a while since I have last posted on here (I'm sure you can give me an exact count dad!), but things have been CRAZY!!!  I feel like I have so much to say but I am not sure people want to read on for hours about it.  So what I thought was I would give a quick list of major highlighted events that have prevented me from posting and then some funny stories to share.  Here goes.  Since my last posting:
- I finished my writing class and am now taking an assessment class.  This class is an elective for me and is kicking my tail!
- Right before Christmas our boiler gave up on us - awesome.  Good news that was before we had Polar Vortex 1, 2, 3 and 4!
- When we were to return from winter break we ended up with an extra week off because of the snow and cold.  In fact in January I only taught 9 days! - Seriously 9 days!!!
- Ugh! Assessment class
- After all of this time off my firsties had to take their midyear assessment to which I am proud to say we made an average gain of 128 points in math and 201 points in reading - even with all the breaks!!!!!
- We had a full week in February off!!  Wahoo!!!!!  Peanut and I visited Great Wolf Lodge with both grandmas!  Peanut loved her girl's weekend!!!
- My washing machine bit the dust.  I know right?!?!?!? We can't catch a break with this house lately.  But I guess it was time, the washed came with the house and I believe it was actually older than me!!!
- Still plugging through the assessment class - 4 more weeks!
- Suzie Q and I have planned and are currently implementing one of the BEST reading months our school has seen in a long time!  Once it is over I will share pictures and ideas!
- I went on a scrapbooking trip with the girls and worked on my OWN stuff!  I NEVER get to do that!!!!
-Oh and if I forgot to mention it, my class is almost over and I am literally counting down the days!!!!

I will leave you now with the following conversation between me and Peanut:
Setting - the car on the way home from school
Peanut: Mom, you still haven't put a note in my lunchbox.
Me: What do you mean a note?
Peanut: I told you, I wanted a note from you in my lunchbox.
Me: Why?
Peanut: Everyone else gets a note in their lunchbox from their mommy.
Me: Really?  Everyone?
Peanut: Well not S____ she gets hot lunch.
Me: Oh so she gets a free pass.  I will try to remember. (In my head I am thinking, you can't read yet so your teacher probably loves me because you are the one student that she doesn't have to read a note to. )
Peanut: I am going to warn you tomorrow.
Me: Warn or remind?
Peanut: Remind.
Apparently this has become a trend to send notes in the lunch.  I missed the memo on this. I have explored the option of printable ones I have found on Pinterest as well as premade sets that can be bought.  Don't laugh, I looked into it.  DH told me that is all fine and dandy until 3 of the kiddos show up with the same note on the same day!  LOL!!!  Ok.  Enough of my adventures.  I will try my best not to let too much time go by before writing again!!!!

My Inner Extrovert

So Tuesday marked the beginning of my 6th graduate class!!!  I am officially halfway through my Master's Degree!  Go me!  When all is said and done, I will have a Master's in Reading and Language Arts and an endorsement for my teaching certificate as a Reading Specialist!!  This particular class is an elective and the topic is Teaching Reading and Language Arts with an emphasis on writing.  UGH!!!  I already took a writing class and it almost killed me!  One of our requirements is to write a collection of poems.  We were given a model that the professor wanted us to use as a guide to free write a poem in class, this is what I came up with (modeled after Everyone Needs A Father by Stephanie Miller):

Everybody Needs A Maid

Everybody needs a maid.

When your home is in chaos,

your life is in chaos.

It is not okay for the Laundry Fairy

to make her bi-weekly appearance.

One's hamper should not be overflowing.

The Broom Fairy cannot possible tackle 

the dust bunnies under the bed alone.

When shoes are being pushed out from under the bed,

it's too late.

Justification to hubby for a maid:

#1 Your socks, undies, pants and shirts 

do not walk themselves to the washer and dryer,

then neatly put themselves away

(contrary to what you may believe).

If you want dinner ready when you walk in the door,

laundry needs to be taken care of.

#2 Dust bunnies should not be permitted to grow teeth.

Running the vacuum, pushing a mop or swishing a broom

fall low on the daily need list

(somewhere after sleep).

A good maid would prevent teeth baring dust bunnies.

#3 A maid needs to clean

like we wish we could clean,

if we had time and energy.

When it came time to share our ideas, my classmates wrote wonderful ideas such as Everybody Needs A Hug, Everybody Needs A Friend, and Everybody Needs Love.  Yep I was that student...the class clown!!!  Who knew that the girl who used to hide behind her mother's leg and break down in tears when she went somewhere new would find her inner extrovert at age 32 in a graduate class!!

Who Says That?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Today was the first official day back to school for kiddos around the state.  As I was greeting my new class, DH took the peanut to her first day of preschool.  While unpacking Peanut's belongings in her cubby, DH heard a mother knocking on the door.  After unpacking her let the mama in the building. *Side note: I would have ignored the mother and if she questioned me later told her that for the safety of our children we just can't open the doors whenever we see fit but that is me.  Anywho, when DH let her in the building she asked "What took you so long?" to which he replied absolutely nothing and ignored her.  When they reached the classroom, Peanut's teacher exclaimed as she walked in the door "Hi beautiful (Peanut) we missed you!!!  You are so beautiful!!!"  Of course my kid totally eats this up!  The other mother stated matter of factly "She's not that beautiful." WHO SAYS THAT?!?!?!? Apparently that mom does.  What a terrible lesson for both children!!  Her child learns at a young age that you can say whatever you feel even if it hurts someone and Peanut learns at a young age that some people do not filter their thoughts before they hit their mouths.  Fortunately, Peanut did not hear this as it was the first day of school and she was "so excited" that she barely stood still for a picture!!!!

Oh The Places I Could Go...

This summer was one that was unique.  Normally Peanut and I enjoy the sunshine and spend time just hanging out around the house.  This summer not only flew by but as I really started to reflect, I realized I spent most of the summer in the car!  If I really wanted to be exact I traveled 3,134.64 miles for a total time of 54 hours and 44 minutes. 

All of this driving got me thinking, where else could I have gone?  This is what I have come up with:

Houston, Texas - My brother has just moved there and I could have driven there and back in 2,697.08 miles leaving me an extra 437.56 miles.

Denver, CO - Just a random place that I would like to see.  I could have driven there and back in 2,624.06 miles leaving me an extra 510.58 miles.

I wonder where else I could go???