-Sore throat Sunday night.
-Really sore throat Monday.
-No voice upon waking Tuesday morning. Body mic on sound system in classroom has been out of commission for months. I walk around with the hand mic, two chicks have been adopted from other classes because though in four classrooms we have 64 eggs incubating due to hatch on Monday. There are 10 chicks in the other three classes and none in ours. We are thankful that we are all friends and the other classes shared. We are loud and excited.
-Very little voice Wednesday morning. Connor hands me the hand mic at 8:15am (they enter at 8:13... don't ask about the time!) "Here Mrs. O sounds like you're gonna need this again." We have one egg with an air hole "pipped through".
-Today, better voice, lot of coughing. Two chicks of our own in our incubator when we come in. Three kids (of 20) out sick. Loren says, "Mrs. O isn't it time for you to go to the doctor and get some cough medicine.
Great Idea. So I did. Got some antibiotics, too. See, I can learn from anybody.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Mowing for Dollars
We offered the girls (Abby 12 and Claire 10) the chance to mow the lawn for us (for $) since it is a job we've hired out for several years. We haven't been "an allowance" family but this is a big job and requires consistancy and committment.
We worked together as a family on the first week, cleaned up the winter mess and taught them how to use the lawn mower and weed whip. Last Satuday as they were getting ready to get out there, it started to rain. We put the lawn out of our minds and off our schedule but at 7:30 Abby asked if I thought the lawn was dry enough for them to get their job done then. We checked and out they went.
They worked together so well. (Not typical) Helped and encouraged each other (not typical), asked for advice and tips ( really not typical) and got the job done, dividing the labor fairly and according to skills, strength and preferences. They did a great job.
I had a real moment of "mama pride" as I watched them finish up with seconds to spare before it was too dark to see. Sometimes I think I'm spinning my wheels so fast I don't do anything as well as I could. But Saturday night I felt like they were at least taking in some of the things I try to get across.
Now we need to work on their little brother.
We worked together as a family on the first week, cleaned up the winter mess and taught them how to use the lawn mower and weed whip. Last Satuday as they were getting ready to get out there, it started to rain. We put the lawn out of our minds and off our schedule but at 7:30 Abby asked if I thought the lawn was dry enough for them to get their job done then. We checked and out they went.
They worked together so well. (Not typical) Helped and encouraged each other (not typical), asked for advice and tips ( really not typical) and got the job done, dividing the labor fairly and according to skills, strength and preferences. They did a great job.
I had a real moment of "mama pride" as I watched them finish up with seconds to spare before it was too dark to see. Sometimes I think I'm spinning my wheels so fast I don't do anything as well as I could. But Saturday night I felt like they were at least taking in some of the things I try to get across.
Now we need to work on their little brother.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
My "baby" in a "Lock "Down"
As my "bio" states, I have been a public school teacher for 24 years. Things come up, and people get mad. We've had lock downs before... not fun but it happens. My first born's middle school was locked down today. Appearantly some "angry parent" had threatened someone, seriously enough that the school was totally locked down for an hour and half, and then closed to outsiders almost all day.
I got the email notification, and updates, but had Tim, who was home today, drive by the school and "see what was up" . There wasn't much to see.
Abby called me at 3:08, the minute she was outside school, to let me know she was out of school, and it was OK. She said it was "freakey" and that she was "worried about Claire and Tom" who were at their elementary a couple of blocks away. I was so touched that she was concerned for them, she has seemed to self involved lately (though that is often the forte of 12 year olds I understand) I guess she is growing up.
We have terrible news from Myanmar, China, and Louisana again.... and now down the street. I just don't want to listen to the news any more.
But, everything was okay, and I learned some good things about my girl, so the cup is half full.
I got the email notification, and updates, but had Tim, who was home today, drive by the school and "see what was up" . There wasn't much to see.
Abby called me at 3:08, the minute she was outside school, to let me know she was out of school, and it was OK. She said it was "freakey" and that she was "worried about Claire and Tom" who were at their elementary a couple of blocks away. I was so touched that she was concerned for them, she has seemed to self involved lately (though that is often the forte of 12 year olds I understand) I guess she is growing up.
We have terrible news from Myanmar, China, and Louisana again.... and now down the street. I just don't want to listen to the news any more.
But, everything was okay, and I learned some good things about my girl, so the cup is half full.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
Well, it's been over for 15 minutes, and I can still say that Mother's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I've been an honored mom for 13 years now but I think it's been my favorite for longer than that!
My day started when Claire (10 on Wednesday) and Tommy (7) woke up Abby (12), to help them make me breakfast in bed. There was no complaining that it was too early, or that somebody was doing too much, or not enough work. They brought me my breakfast, my favorite raisin toast with butter and a Diet Coke... and my gifts.
A poem and patterned key chain from Tommy, to go with my tear jerker poem received from Claire at Muffins for Mom on Thursday afternoon (a half day from Kindergarten well spent!) and a lovely,funny as she is , card from Abby who is in Middle School and does not have teachers who orchestrate gifts any more. A sweet card from Tim (who likes to celebrate Mother's day much more than my B-Day) and then I was sent out to the front porch to get the paper (my job on Mother's Day???) because the show stopper was a table and chairs for the porch. This made me so happy because they were listening to me! The little porch table I had did not fare the winter well, and the chair was MIA.
Then off to church together and then a lazy afternoon recovering from all the lawn work (7 hours time the 5 of us) that we did yesterday before the rain.
At 4pm we headed to my sister's house for the "family gathering" My cousin Matt who is newly married goes by the nickname GMG (Grill Master General) ,he coordinated a fajita feast for about 40. My sisters and their husbands and kids, my parents, three aunts and four uncles and 6 cousins. Moms did no work, but we did laugh at the emails and add occasionally as the cousins, uncles and brother in laws signed up for menu items and quipped as they did so.
Grandma D. our matriarch, was missed, our second year/third Mother's Day with out her but her spirit lived on today. She did good work with this family who remain so close when so many families are not. The Traditional Mother's Golf portion of the day's activites was rained out, but my mom and her sisters went to a movie instead and the beat goes on!
My day started when Claire (10 on Wednesday) and Tommy (7) woke up Abby (12), to help them make me breakfast in bed. There was no complaining that it was too early, or that somebody was doing too much, or not enough work. They brought me my breakfast, my favorite raisin toast with butter and a Diet Coke... and my gifts.
A poem and patterned key chain from Tommy, to go with my tear jerker poem received from Claire at Muffins for Mom on Thursday afternoon (a half day from Kindergarten well spent!) and a lovely,funny as she is , card from Abby who is in Middle School and does not have teachers who orchestrate gifts any more. A sweet card from Tim (who likes to celebrate Mother's day much more than my B-Day) and then I was sent out to the front porch to get the paper (my job on Mother's Day???) because the show stopper was a table and chairs for the porch. This made me so happy because they were listening to me! The little porch table I had did not fare the winter well, and the chair was MIA.
Then off to church together and then a lazy afternoon recovering from all the lawn work (7 hours time the 5 of us) that we did yesterday before the rain.
At 4pm we headed to my sister's house for the "family gathering" My cousin Matt who is newly married goes by the nickname GMG (Grill Master General) ,he coordinated a fajita feast for about 40. My sisters and their husbands and kids, my parents, three aunts and four uncles and 6 cousins. Moms did no work, but we did laugh at the emails and add occasionally as the cousins, uncles and brother in laws signed up for menu items and quipped as they did so.
Grandma D. our matriarch, was missed, our second year/third Mother's Day with out her but her spirit lived on today. She did good work with this family who remain so close when so many families are not. The Traditional Mother's Golf portion of the day's activites was rained out, but my mom and her sisters went to a movie instead and the beat goes on!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me
Two observations on my birthday, which was April 23rd.
First was at 6:30 am. I was getting ready for work, and found a pimple on my chin. As I was squeezing it, it dawned on me that I had been doing this for about 35 years. Wow!
Then I got to school... a couple of the kids remembered my birthday even as I was opening the door to let them in. (It was added to the birthday chart back in January on their insistance.) They were gathered on the rug waiting to get their "jobs" for the morning and "Lorenzo" asked, "How old are you anyway?" My first answer was well Buddy, a lot older than you." But he was not to be detered..."No, really, how old are you?" So, I think for a second (That's all the time they give you :) in a K classroom.) and decide I'm going to "own" this so I answered.
"Well, "Lorenzo" today I turned 46." He looked at me and said, "Jesus, you're older than my Granny!" Oh happy thought, I've seen his granny and I look younger than that I can tell you.
I said, "Well Buddy, I'm suprised, too, but we don't say "Jesus" like that at school no matter how surprised we are."
First was at 6:30 am. I was getting ready for work, and found a pimple on my chin. As I was squeezing it, it dawned on me that I had been doing this for about 35 years. Wow!
Then I got to school... a couple of the kids remembered my birthday even as I was opening the door to let them in. (It was added to the birthday chart back in January on their insistance.) They were gathered on the rug waiting to get their "jobs" for the morning and "Lorenzo" asked, "How old are you anyway?" My first answer was well Buddy, a lot older than you." But he was not to be detered..."No, really, how old are you?" So, I think for a second (That's all the time they give you :) in a K classroom.) and decide I'm going to "own" this so I answered.
"Well, "Lorenzo" today I turned 46." He looked at me and said, "Jesus, you're older than my Granny!" Oh happy thought, I've seen his granny and I look younger than that I can tell you.
I said, "Well Buddy, I'm suprised, too, but we don't say "Jesus" like that at school no matter how surprised we are."
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