Kindergarten Speak: Defined

Unraser: known to the greater public as an eraser, this object is found at the end of a pencil and is used to 'undo' mistakes

Hanitizer: Due to the busy day and *all the talking they have to do* (insert sarcasm), the words hand sanitizer have been combined to just hanitizer.

Hook 'em Horns: This phrase is used anytime the University of Texas is being talked about.
Ex: Did you see the hook 'em horns won last night?

Miss Library: I heard this one before Christmas break when a student was talking about the volunteer who takes them to the library and brings them back to class. After enjoying a good laugh (out of sight, of course) I informed the student that the volunteer's name was Miss Hillary.

I know there are many more that I'm forgetting and we still have 6 months to go. I smell a sequel...


Thanks Lissie for inspiring me to do this with your computer post. :)

Good-bye 2008!

I am usually pretty indifferent about welcoming in a new year- basically because I've never had enough to complain about that would warrant being super-excited about the new year. Until 2008. While I have plenty to be thankful for in 2008 (like purchasing our home, loving my job, making awesome friends (and keeping the already awesome ones in my life), the year also handed us the death of D's grandpa and the death of my only surviving grandparent- Nanny. It was hard to see these lives come to an end. Looking back...

2008: Year in Review
January: Make first offer on house (lost out to last-minute bidder)
February: Loss of D's grandpa
Offer accepted on house
March: Loss of Nanny
Close on house
April: Close friend's father finds out he has cancer
Move into house
May: Friends are moving back to Philly
Other friends are moving to San Diego
End of first year teaching
June: Two amazing couples move away
Rocket goes back to Rescue organization
July: July 4th fireworks (lame, I know)
Nephew A was born
August: Girls Weekend
Friend's parents are divorcing
Start school
September: Philly friends come for visit
Football!
October: First Trick-or-Treating in our new home
November: Birthday weekend
December: First Christmas in our new home
Philly friends and San Diego friends come to visit

Now that I've written all that has happened in 2008, I'm reminded of how God took care of us in all of this. I remember how our house was an answer to prayer. I remember the sadness I experienced last Spring and the comforting I felt that can only come from His peace. I'm reminded of the peace I felt when we had to give Rocket up. I remember the days our friends moved away, as well as the comforting He gave me as the tears poured... those text messages back and forth definitely helped too! God has taken care of us- He has been my Comforter. He has given me peace. He has blessed us in so many ways.
Thank you Lord for helping me see that through this posting.

Christmas Picture Fun

One of the things that I wanted to do while my younger sister was in town was take our Christmas picture. We haven't mailed out Christmas cards in a couple of years, so now was a good time to reverse that trend. So one evening with A armed with our camera and D and I trying to look our best, she snapped some pictures. Here are some that came from that evening...

Our first Christmas...

... in our new home! I have been so excited about doing our house up for Christmas. Choosing a fresh tree, putting lights up outside, hanging stockings over a fireplace, and garland. How can one forget the plastic greenery that gives a home the Christmas feel?

We bought our tree from a farm down the road- you might know it as Lowe's- and loaded it into D's truck to bring home. It was quite a sight to see us lugging this 8' tree into our home, spreading needles everywhere. After cutting the netting, placing the tree stand in just the right spot, and heaving the tree into place, we were ready to start decorating. The picture above is of me doing the dirty work while D snaps pictures.


And this is the finished product. Merry Christmas!

Accident Prone

So apparently my kindergarten class is prone to accidents- in the first 3 weeks of school, we have had a nose bleed, a broken arm, sprained ankle, and today two boys ran into each other and my student went home with a goose egg above his eye! It was not a pretty sight to look at... actually, none of them have been particularly appealing. On the bright side, my kids are so sweet and have such great hearts. I am so excited to be working with them this year.

I am also glad that I still get to see my old class on a regular basis. I've always heard that a teacher's first class will always have a special place in their heart, but now I know it to be true. My first class was a challenging class, but they will always be special to me and loved by me. I can't wait to see how much they grow and change over this next year in 1st grade.

Today was Elegant Day where we celebrate learning the short 'e' sound, learning rules of etiquette, and trying (most for the first time) green eggs and ham. Teachers and students alike dress in their most elegant attire for the occasion. We eat on tables decorated with table cloths, fresh flowers, and candles. The boys pull the chairs out for the girls, the students sit with napkins in their laps, and fun is had by all. And as soon as it's all over, the fancy clothes come off and kindergarten-friendly dress come on... teachers, too!

Kids say the darnedest...

Today in one of the kindergarten classes, the teacher was talking about the seasons of the year. After one student named the four seasons, one of the other students raised their hand and said, "No, you forgot one. There are five seasons." The teacher was really curious and asked the student to name the other season. The student answered, "Dove season. My dad and I went dove hunting last weekend." Reason #113 to teach kindergarten: You never know what they're going to tell you.

Third Day on Jay Leno

So as some of you know, Third Day is my all-time favorite band. I love their music, their lyrics, and the fact that Mac Powell's voice is so unique. When I heard this weekend that they would be performing on Jay Leno, I was pretty excited- not just about hearing my favorite band, but that a Christian band was playing to a pretty secular crowd.
Since I usually don't watch Leno (I'm more of a Letterman girl) I had to remind myself to change the channel after the 10 o'clock news (I'm more of a CBS girl than NBC). Jay Leno is just starting, so I grab a blanket and settle in to watch his show. Wow. Was I in for a shock! Leno's opening jokes were actually ok, and he did a Jay Walking segment where he knocked on people's doors and threw a stay-cation for them. That was pretty funny. Then came the guests.
First of all, I didn't know either of the guests (but I usually don't stay caught up in knowing the latest Hollywood stars). The first guest had just played a part in a movie about weed. Yes, that's right. Before talking about this, he talked about a one hour comic routine he had written about doing something I will not even write on here. And his parents were in the audience. Great. I can only imagine what the band is thinking backstage.
Then comes this girl who plays a role in a movie called "Death Race" (I think). They're talking about how this role is not a normal role for her (blah, blah, blah) and then Leno asks what the hardest part was about playing that role. She tell him that there were several lines that she was supposed to say that were filled with cursing and vulgar language and that it was really hard to get through those. I'm thinking, wow, that's kind of cool that she had a problem with that. What would have been cooler is if she had taken a stand about it. What does Leno do? He wants her to say one of the lines on air. The entire line was bleeped- that's how many curse words there were. However, it of course was not bleeped for the live audience where I have to believe there were some Third Day fans who had come just to listen to the band.
By this time, there's only about 5 minutes left so Third Day just performs and they don't talk to the band or anything. That's pretty common, but after all the trash in the show, I really wanted Mac Powell to stand up and say something.
Point of this post: Way cool to see Third Day perform. Totally disappointed by the filth that is the Jay Leno show.