Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Winding down...

Well, the maternity leave I am covering is winding down. I won't lie, I am excited for some time off. Hopefully not too much time though. I hope to get many calls and stay busy, but I also hope to be home with Kaden some. I want to be able to help out in Karson's preschool class too.

I am truly going to miss most of my students. I am sure I will be called back to sub for the MS teachers. Being here this long makes the student seem like they are mine! I don't want to give them back. Well, I might give a couple back.

Also, we bought a fish tank last night! Why you might ask? I don't know! It was Justin's idea. Ofcourse, it sounds like a good idea to him because he won't be the one caring for it, just like the hamster.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Long time no blog...

Yeah, I guess I will admit that I am not a great blogger. WHOOPS!

Kaleb didn't get to go to school here. He wanted to. Stayed committed to it all summer. His mom said he had to go there to discuss it and then could come back the next Sunday. The poor kid got there and she told him she wasn't discussing it and he wasn't going to school here. :( She is so selfish.

Karson has started preschool! OH MY! Can't believe that! He loves it! This is his 4th week. He is learning to play with others and lots of other things. He sings the "counting rock" song as he calls it. Knows left from right. He went to his first school buddy party the other day. It was at a bowling alley and he LOVED it! I just can't believe how big he is getting and how much he learns and wants to learn! He hasn't gotten in trouble at school at all yet. Very surprised there because Kaleb was in trouble most days! He missed 10 min of recess quite frequently.

Kaden, oh my, he is such a joy! So much fun! This age is incredibly fun and rewarding. He talks so much more. Sometimes he is hard to understand like Karson was, but I get it! I love when he hugs me, kisses me, and says "I yove you!" without being asked! He loves Bass Pro toys now too. Oh boy! We are buying duplicates because he thinks he needs his own. Yeah...too many bass pro toys. Why do we keep any of their other toys?

I have my BSED! I am doing a long term sub position until Oct 1. It has been a learning experience. I am in Com Arts in middle school. It is a 6 week maternity leave. I wish I had my own permanent classroom, but let's face it! Education is not the job market to enter right now!!! It is bad!!! So very bad. Education needs more funding! I know many areas need more funding, but education is like the basis of everything, from and educator's view point of course. But I stand by that statement. :)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Thankful Thursday!

As always, I am thankful for the health of my family. I am especially thankful after an update message that I received from www.skylersanders.com Go. Read. It will break your heart! I cry with almost every update. Hug your kids. Their health is not a guarantee.

I am thankful that Karson did well at preschool screening today. He got right up and went with them. I could tell he was a bit nervous to leave me, but he did it without complaint. They said he did fine! :) He told them a lot of stories about hunting and fishing! I can only imagine! :)

I am thankful that today is my last day of student teaching. I will miss the students, but I am ready to have my degree!!

I am thankful that Justin has a good paying job. I am a bit shaken by the fact that they are going off to work for a week next week. They have never done this and I must say I am sure it will be a stressful week for myself. It is my first week being a SAHM again. It is my first time to be away from my husband and my children to be, except for when I was in the hospital. But, I am THANKFUL he has that job!

I am thankful that the school year is winding down and Kaleb will be back home with us soon. We are going to have a terrific summer. I am going to keep praying that he stands by his decision to move here for the school year next year. I would appreciate it if you would do so also.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Weekend happenings....

What happened in our house this weekend you ask?  Well, let me tell you!

Friday:  9:15 a.m. I get a call at school.  Karson is complaining he is sick.  Tummy and ear hurting.  Since that usually is the sign that he is getting an ear infection I leave and take him to Urgent Care.  Fortunately, no infection, but he did have fluid in his ear so he is on zyrtec.  I hope that clears it up!  After our UCC visit we went and ate at Sonic and then went to Wal-Mart.  After that we came home and Kaden napped while I cleaned up the kitchen a bit.  When Justin got home we all went to Mountain Home for chinese food.

As we were eating dinner I got a phone call from my mom.  She asked where we were and told us to stay there.  There was a tornado coming through where we live!!  SO SCARY, the unknown...  Karson was worried about the Easter Bunny and trampoline!  So there was some humor when he asked if the Easter Bunny was ok!  The drive down our road was eery.  Our neighbors yard was demolished!  Our other neighbor's barn was destroyed.  When we topped the hill we saw our trampoline in the field.  We still couldn't see our house and that was a sickening moment!  We rounded our corner and all was well.  There was a ton of limbs in our yard, and if my van would have been there it would be totaled.  

Saturday Justin had to work.  I decided to tackle laundry and housework.  Around 2 p.m. my grandparents showed up to check on us (thank God my house was clean!).

Saturday night I went to mom's night in at my friend Jen's house.  That was fun!  There were about 10 of us.  We laughed A LOT!

Sunday Justin had to go repair a guy's roof that was damaged by the tornado.  If his house was built 50-100 yards over it would have been gone.  The man did not have insurance...so scary!
I took the boys to Wal-Mart and did some shopping.  We got my nephews each a baseball glove and I got Karson and my other nephew a mickey shirt and toy story shirt for $3!!  I also got Karson an awesome book that is a dry erase board book that has capital and lowercase letters, shapes, numbers, etc and he LOVES it!

Justin got home around noon and we cleaned up the yard and spent time as a family.  We finally went over to mom's yesterday evening and got the boys' swingset.  They are IN LOVE!!!!!  It was a great weekend! :)

I especially loved when Karson told me yesterday that, "I love when you are home taking care of me mommy!"   Melts my heart! :)

Not me Monday!

Here we are again!  My last Monday as a student!!

I most certainly did not have several things happen this week and say to myself, "I need to write that down for my blog.  Nah, no way I would forget that!"  And I DID NOT forget them all!  Not ME!

I did not look in my mirror as I was driving down the road and see Karson licking the front of his sunglasses then wiping them clean on his shirt and just chuckle.  NOT ME!

I did not breathe a sigh of relief that Saturday was cleaning day when my grandparents came to check on us after the tornado came through.  I did not have a flashback to two hours prior when my house looked like the tornado had came through it.  NOT ME!

When my grandparents came to visit at 2 p.m. I was not embarrassed because Karson was still in just his underwear running around and playing.  NOT ME, no way am I that mom!

Friday, April 30, 2010

Questions asked by a student

One of my students asked me these questions yesterday because he wanted me to post them on my blog. So...
who is your favorite blogger friend:
Kat

what do you like about blogging
way to keep track of things that I don’t write down

what is your favorite food
Mexican


How old ARE U
29

how long have u been married
9 years

what is ur favorite color
yellow

who is ur favorite husband
Justin

Questions asked by: tHe_hAydEnaTOr

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

ABCya! Patterns | Pattern Game for Children

ABCya! Patterns | Pattern Game for Children

Thankful Thursday

As usual, I am thankful for my family, our good health, and the love we share.  We have been very fortunate to have no major illnesses.  I know that could easily change, I hope it doesn't.

I am thankful that I have 6 days of school left!

I am thankful for the students that make me laugh each day!  I am also thankful I have students that compliment me and mean it! ;)  I did my hair a new way yesterday and wasn't sure about it.  The kids gave me so many compliments, remember they are middle schoolers they don't lie.  Love these kids.

I am thankful that I have a husband that works so hard and doesn't care if  get a job in August or not.  Yes, we both want me to work, but he will continue to work hard and we will be fine if I don't. 

I am thankful that Justin's motor did not blow up in his truck last week.  I am thankful that is was only a $250 fix.  I am thankful that we had the money to pay to get it fixed.  There were times early in our marriage when we wouldn't have had that money.  I am thankful that we have some awesome friends that loaned us one of their trucks for Justin to drive for the week his was out of commission.  I honestly believe this friend would give Justin or me for that matter the shirt off his back if we needed it.  We truly are thankful for that and hope some day to be able to repay the favor to them.


K2isms--Karsonisms

Karson: Knock, knock
Me: Who's there?
Karson: pop can
Me: pop can who?
Karson: you have a tree on top of your head

Disney...

I feel Disney is consuming my life! HAHA, but that is a good thing! I have ordered to scrapbook kits to start making the boys' autograph books. I talked to Kaleb last night and the two things I "thought" he would want were not what he wanted! lol Kids.... I thought he would not want an autograph book made and would think it was for babies, umm WRONG! He wants one, which is fine. So, I have 3 to make. The second thing is I thought he would want a Pirates of the Carribean lanyard for his pins. NOPE, he wants a Mickey one. Even after I told him his younger cousin has a Pirates one. So, three Mickey lanyards it is.

Lanyards/pins are something we didn't do when I went to Disney as a kid. I must admit that I had no idea what my mom was talking about when she said something about them. So, after some research, I decided it was something my kiddos would enjoy. (No clue what I am talking about? Go here:http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney/shopping/disneys-pin-traders/ )

I ordered 20 authentic trading pins off of ebay to get the kids started. I figure I will spread them out and make them pick one at a time until they are gone. I didn't get to pick the pins which is fine, it is 20 random pins. This is fine by me since the fun of it will be looking for ones they want to trade for throughout Disney. I think they will love it. The only one that will not be "into" it will be Kaden, but he might surprise us too! HAHA! I look for him to want Mickey ones.

My dad is even more psyched about and wrapped up in all things Disney than I am. He has wrote down all the hotels in Ocala and somewhere else for the night before Disney. He has also wrote down all the extended hours for while we are there. He has mapped out like 3 different routes. It is good for him, keeps him busy. We will be a caravan of 3 vehicles, should be fun. (Hope you get the sarcasm ;) ) Anyway, we are leaving at 3am and want to get to Ocala. That is about 40 min from Disney. My mom thinks we are crazy. She hasn't traveled with us! Justin drives...and we drive hard. We make minimal stops. We drove to California in 2 days when Karson was like 18 mos old. Kaden will be a few weeks shy of 2, so I am not concerned. On the way home that year we drove from California (left at 2:30a.m.) to Lyman, CO in one day. WE TRAVEL! I have no doubts we will make it to Ocala!

Anyway, I think you are going to be sick of Disney talk, but OH WELL! :)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Names

I am sure you have noticed I started using names.

Kaleb is 10--K1
Karson is 4--K2
Kaden is 1--K3

J=Justin

Tuesday!

Tuesday is my least favorite day of the week! I have no idea why really. Maybe because my week creeps along until Wednesday, I guess that is why it is called hump day. Monday isn't my favorite day of the week, but Tuesday I detest! Every Tuesday when I wake up I think it is Wednesday and when I realize it is really Tuesday I say, "I HATE Tuesdays!" I know I am wishing my life away, but I just really could skip Tuesday altogether!

Tuesday will not be the enemy after next Tuesday though. Then it will be summer break and EVERY day will be a glorious one! :) Don't get me wrong, I LOVE teaching, but I LOVE being home with my kids more!

I am so ready to be home with my boys. I am ready for Kaleb to be home with us. I am ready to head to the public pool a couple times a week and to my mom's pool the other days. I am ready to not have an alarm clock, except for Kaden. I am ready to stay in my pjs until 9am, or 10, or 11, or all day! I am ready to have my boys back on their schedules. I am ready to know exactly what is going on each day. I am ready for baseball and tee-ball games. I am ready for Disney World. I am READY for summer. I wish summer never ended! (I am also ready to see if Kaleb does come here for school next year. I am not sure I can handle him talking it up and changing his mind again this year. I know he will be happier here. I know he will have a much better life here. I HOPE he makes the best decision.)

Monday, April 26, 2010

NOT ME Monday!

Time for another NOT ME Monday!  

Let's see, this weekend I most certainly did not once again get sucked into Lifetime Movie Network on Saturday again, NOT ME!  I did not waste four hours of time on Saturday watching LMN, NOT ME!  

Sunday I most certainly did not waste the whole day "playing", NOT ME!  I most certainly cleaned my house and did all my laundry.  I did not once again just do 3 loads of laundry to get us through the next day or two, NOT ME!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Thankful Thursday...on Friday

Yeah, so I was out and about yesterday and couldn't post a thankful Thursday so you are getting it today:

What am I thankful for?  Well of course there is the obvious, my children and husband.  I am thankful that we are all currently in good health.  I am thankful that I have a terrific husband that works so hard to provide for us.

I am also thankful for good friends.  Going to college not only provided me with an education, but also with good friends.  I am thankful that yesterday our meeting lasted 10 minutes and we were able to shop the entire day.  I had strict orders from my husband to shop for me!  I am thankful he is sweet like that, sometimes I don't listen so well.  It is hard for me to shop for myself.  I did come home with a new shirt, flip-flops and a pair of capris.  I also came home with oodles of clothes for my boys.  Yep, spent most of the money on them :).

I am thankful that my semester of student teaching is almost over.  While I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience I am ready to be done.  Even though 3% of graduates in Missouri with an education degree this year will get a job I am still thankful.  I am happy to have my degree and I will get a job, somewhere, I have too.  I am also thankful that if I don't get a job I have been asked to cover my current cooperating teacher's maternity leave the first 6-12 weeks of next school year.


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

All about K2

K2. What to say about K2? I found out I was pregnant with K2 on mother's day 2005. Wow! What a present that was! We had tried for quite some time to get pregnant and I had pretty much given up all hope. Surprise! :)

K2 was born on December 1, 2005. He was due on November 24 but wanted to wait until December. I went in for an induction on November 30 at 8:00 a.m. Finally at 11 that night my water broke. Karson was born at 9:04 a.m. He was 6 lbs 11.5 oz and 21 inches long.

He was an awesome baby and started sleeping through the night at five weeks old. What a gift that was for mommy. I stayed home with him until he was almost 2 years old. Then I resumed going to classes again, but only two days a week. It was hard leaving him that much.

K1 lived with us at that time and was and still is an awesome big brother. K2 absolutely adored K1 and still does.

K2 is 4 now, yes 4! I am not quite sure where the time has went. It seems like he should still be K3's size.

K2 loves to play with Bass Pro toys. He has pretty much all of them. If he doesn't have one that is because they don't sell it anywhere. I am not sure why he has all the other 500 million other toys in his room. He really enjoys watching Phineas Ferb with K1.

K2 is quite an eater. He like broccoli, yes broccoli, but there are a lot of other foods that he should like that he doesn't.

K2 is one of the most loving children you will ever meet. He is constantly giving hugs and telling me how much he loves me. His newest thing is "I love you all the way to the rainbow and back mommy." Melts my heart. He is going to be quite the charmer when he gets older.

K2 is so smart! With all the problems that K1 has I worry all the time about my other two. I hope school is not a struggle for them like it is for K1. I want them to love school and love learning. I want it to be easy for them like it was for me and my brothers.

K2 does have some fear of going to school. He doesn't know anything besides staying home. Even their babysitter now comes to our house. I hope he does well, adjusts well.

K2 likes to use big words. He loves the word ferocious. He also says many more that for some reason I cannot think of right now, but I am sure I will share them some day soon.

All about K1...well almost

K1, what to say about this awesome child. I was so lucky that when I married J that I also got a terrific son! I will not go into detail aobut K1's other life (with his mom), but it has been a rocky road and a very unfair road. At one point in time K1 was left with us for almost 2 years but when his mom wanted him back the judge said yes. Terrible time. Heartbreaking time. Worst time of my life. J cried, he sobbed to be exact. It was unfair and it really made me question the integrity of our court system.



Anyway, K1, he is a fun loving kid. Always wants to be on the go doing something. He loves his 4 wheeler and wants to go a lot faster than I let him. He plays baseball in the summer and loves that. He deer and turkey hunts with J and always has a great time. He actually killed his first turkey this month. He also likes to go fishing, swimming, camping, really anything outside. He has loved to be outside since he was a smallfry.



K1's favorite food is tacos. He requests them everytime he is here. He also loves pizza and spaghetti. For breakfast he loves scrambled eggs (with ketchup) and toast. When he is with us he always wants "homemade food". That is his request. He doesn't get a lot of homemade food at his other house so that is what he wants here. When eating out he likes the chicken wraps (ranch and bbq) at McDonalds and he likes quesidillas at Taco Bell. He would rather eat chips and dip than eat sweets (gets that from his dad).



K1 has a lot of obstacles in his life. He of course has the obstacle of coming from a divorced home. But he also has ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) and ODD (oppositional defiance disorder). He is on a very high dose of medicine for ADHD. His mom doesn't make sure he gets it every day. She sends him here without it a lot! It is difficult but we keep him busy and life goes on. He is very behind in reading. He has no structure at his other home.



We want K1 to come live here and try our school for a year. We think things would get MUCH better! He is seriously considering it and I hope he chooses to do so. I don't want him to become another statistic. He is smart, he can overcome his setbacks.



K1 is one of my biggest blessings! Wouldn't know what to do without him.

Two years old?

How can it be that in a little more than two months my sweet K3 is going to be turning 2? July 1st is his birthday. We have the party theme already decided, Mickey Mouse. If the theme were anything else it wouldn't be about K3. He is obsessed with all things mickey, or as he says "mii moooouse". He sleeps with a stuff mickey that my mom got him at Disney World last year. He also has two other stuffed mickeys in his bed. He loves mickey!

Anway, I cannot believe that my sweet little baby is not going to be a baby anymore. In the past few months he has changed so much.

1. He moved into K2's room. Mommy moved the crib all by herself. Yes, it sucked, I had to take it entirely apart. Yes, I did break a piece, luckily it was only a cosmetic piece.
2. Bye-bye binky! One day I was just going to see how long he could go without it. A few hours turned into a day and a day into dayS and days into weeks. We have been binky free for quite some time and I must say it is NICE! Which leads to number 3...
3. Talking! K3 has said words right on track for his age. However, since ditching the binky his vocabulary is exploding! I love it! Sometimes his words still aren't the clearest but that is from him adapting to not talking around a binky anymore. Some words include: mommy, daddy, bubba, Kaleb, dolly girl, moll (molly), scrappy, mac, ball, mouse, truck, 4wheeler, bike, mine, yeah, uh-uh, book, boat, horse, dog, cow, cookie, juice, cracker, milk, mouth, nose, eye, ear, head, hair, leg, arm, toe, outside, memaw, papa, papaw, nanaw, fish, deer, turkey, gun, and many many more that I cannot even think of now!
4. A major haircut! Or maybe I could call it a semi-scalping. When mommy was at school and the boys were with the babysitter, K2 cut K3's precious baby hair! I was so sad. The areas that K2 cut were pretty much to the scalp, a little more and it would have cut K3's skin. :( But, K3's hair is growing back and it is growing thicker so...life goes on.
5. HE RUNS! Oh my does he run! I don't remember K2 running this much and this well at this age. K3 thinks he can keep up with the big kids and does a pretty convincing job proving it.
K3 is a sweet, rowdy, fun loving kiddo! He is an early riser. He wakes around 6:30 a.m. everyday. Sometimes he will sleep until 7:30, sometimes. He was going to bed at 7:00 until the dang time change! While I do love a longer day, I also loved 7:00 bedtime! We still try to do bathtime at 6:30 and all the other bedtime stuff that goes with it. We get in our jammies, read a book and snuggle a bit. I put them to bed around 7:30 now, sometimes they get into bed at 7:00 and I will let them watch a movie until 7:30ish then it is lights out. They are generally both asleep by 8:00, which is ok but 7:00 was better.
K3 still naps, he naps at 12:00 everyday and will usually sleep 2 hours, sometimes 3.
He eats basically everything that the rest of us eat. He loves fruit! He also loves avocados. He doesn't drink water as much as K2 does/did but we are getting there.
He is not scared of anything! K2 is aprehensive about a lot of things. He is also very cautious. Not K3. He is a dare-devil. Sometimes this is scary, I think he would jump off the couch if I let him. I am sure that we made K2 the way he is since he was our first baby together that we had fulltime. With K3 more things go that I would NEVER have let K2 do!
I do hate that I leave my sweet children with a babysitter everyday. It breaks my heart actually. I miss them. I am loving that my summer break is quickly approaching. I don't know what K3 will do next year when K2 goes to preschool. It will be sad I am sure because they are best friends. If I don't have a job he will at least have mommy, but still he will miss bubba.
Next post...will have to be about K1 and I guess K2 needs more than a K2isms post.

K2isms

K2 is quite the comedian and I plan to start getting his "sayings" down to remember:

This past weekend after asking J a million questions, really basically the same two or three questions over and over in different ways, J started "tuning" K2 out. Finally, K2 says, "dad, do you hear me?" To which J replied, "nope." So, K2, being the comedian he is, says, "well dad, you better go see a doctor about why your ears aren't working." OMG! I about rolled in the floor laughing. Of course, he doesn't know why he is so funny because he is not trying to be funny. He is a just a brutally honest child that is only speak the truth as he knows it.

Well fast forward a couple of days and I got my turn. The boys were being especially "trying" Monday evening. After a day full of dealing with middle school students I am ready to relax and enjoy my children. Well, Monday evening their idea of enjoyment was running around, screaming, fighting and making a huge mess! Finally, after getting on to the boys what felt like 100 times I said, "I am sick of this!" What was K2's reply you might ask? Well it was simply, "you better go to the doctor if you are getting sick mommy. You don't want a fever and an ear infection." Got me! Oh boy did he get me!

Children are sweet. K2 was sincerely worried that I was getting sick and wanted me to avoid it. The sweet innocence of childhood, where does it go?

K2's says many funny things, so look forward to many more K2isms. My brother says K2 should write a book. Since I don't think a 4 year old is capable of writing a book, I will record his sayings for him. Who knows, maybe one day he will use the information to write a book!

Playing around

I am playing around with backgrounds.  I think I like this frog one since I have all boys! :)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Online Friends...

If you would have told me 4 years ago that some of my best friends would be people I have never met I would have called you crazy! Surprisingly that is just the case! I signed up on a message board when K2 was six months old. I was a member of December 2005 babies. Wow! Awesome ladies! The board shut down and moved to a new place. Our Dec 05 mommies made the move and then I got involved outside of the my little niche. Oh wow! Awesome ladies again!

Some people look at me funny when I say, "my friend in MI" or "my friend in FL..." or "my friend in ME" etc etc. Well, the funny look doesn't come until they ask how I know this person and I reply "from the internet". Yes, it sounds funny, but I have received so much advice and support over these years. I have talked to many of the ladies on the phone and spent several hours on FB chat with them. I actually met one who lives in Springfield, MO! I love her! She is awesome and so are her kids.

I am very excited to meet a few more when we go to Disney this summer! I feel like I know them and their children. I feel like they are a part of my family because we have shared so much with each other.

When we are having problems with K1's mom I can spill it all get support. I don't get ordered what to do. JUST SUPPORT! No one constantly harasses me about it afterward either. When K3 fell off my bed at 6 months old I didn't get judged. You know what I got? A wealth of other stories saying what had happened to their babies before. Yeah, support!

I have laughed with these women. I have prayed with and for these women. I have been prayed for by these women. I have cried with these women and cried for, happy and sad tears. When I was in the hospital and scared to death with pancreatitis who do you think called/texted me the most? Not my real life friend, my internet friends, which I consider real life friends.

They don't think I am crazy for delaying K3's vaccines (something I would have NEVER done before I "met" them). They don't go around our small down and tell everyone my business, they are supportive, and they are AWESOME!

So yes I admit it, I have friends that I have never met! I consider them some of my best friends...get over it! Quit acting like I am a weirdo! Quit looking at me like I have a third eye. :P

*I used the word awesome a lot! lol You can tell I am a teacher and really there is no other word to describe them!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Not ME Monday

Thought I would try this out!

I most certainly did not spend K3's entire 3 hour nap on the couch watching Lifetime movies Saturday.  My house was most certainly not dirty and K2 was not at memaw's house at that time either.  I would never waste 3 hours of alone time by not cleaning said house.  Not me!

I also did not ignore said house again all day on Sunday to spend the day outside.  I did not sit outside on Sunday and watch my dear hubby mow the yard, pick up stick and plant our garden.  Not me!

And finally, I did not wash just 2 loads of laundry this weekend so that my kids and husband could make it through today.  Not me!

Post your own not me post! :)

MAP testing...

MAP testing, what is MAP testing you might ask?  Well, it stands for Missouri Assessment Program.  It is Missouri's lovely standardized test.  See, fun stuff, knew I would have you hooked.  During my education all I have heard about is MAP testing and No Chid Left Behind.  I will save my thoughts on NCLB for another day and just stick to MAP today.

While student teaching and during other practicum hours I have seen how "important" MAP is.  I heard the words "on the MAP..." daily even during fall observation hours.  Really, should the education of our children revolve only around a test?  The only time I did not have to hear the horrid phrase was when I was student teaching in the second grade.  MAP testing does not begin until 3rd grade.  Heavenly.  While in second grade I was able to go beyond the GLEs (grade-level expectations that the MAP revolves around) and actually dig into different subjects.  Guess what the students had FUN and LEARNED at the same time.  

When my 8 weeks in 2nd grade were over I moved on up to middle school.  BOY OH BOY, totally different world.  Things are different, especially since MAP was fast approaching.  Did we get to make any FUN lessons?  NOPE, we are forced to drill information for MAP testing into the student's heads.  FUN FUN, Buckle Down books and Study Island.  While I think these two resources are AWESOME for preparing for MAP testing, I must say I can think of other projects that would be more fun and challenging for the students.  

Please don't think I am bashing the teachers...this is NOT their faults!  Actually, after MAP testing the teacher's in the middle school I am in have projects that the students get to do.  These projects actually remind me of my days in middle school when we were having fun but learning at the same time.  They have to save these projects until after MAP because, well, we have to pound MAP into the kid's heads.  I look forward to the fun projects.  The students will be learning life skills.  How to research, cite sources, public speaking, use creativity, etc etc!  You know, things they will actually need when they go to college and in the real world.

Now back to MAP.  Did you know that MAP ranks in the top 3 of the nation as the hardest state standardized testing?  Yep, we do have high expectations for our students, which is awesome! However, do I think it is fair that we are expecting so much of our students while other states are not? NOPE!  If the federal government is going to dictate that each state has a test then it should be the same test for each state.  Just my opinion of course, but how can the states be compared fairly if one state sets the bar so high while another has their bar way lower?

Also, IEPs (Individual Education Plans).  We give these students extra help/modifications throughout the year.  MAP testing comes along and BOOM, new ballgame.  They get pulled out of the classroom, and get extra time, but we can't help them read.  They have been read to all year long.  We can pronounce one word per sentence.  Ummm, well we can do that for the other students taking the MAP.  These students are not on grade-level with reading.  Do we give them another grade-level for the reading portion?  NOPE!  They have to read their grade-level alone.  Where is that fairness?  Sorry, but I don't think that is fair. 

Do I think standardized testing will ever leave?  Nope!  It has been around for hundreds of years.  Do I think there needs to be a major overhaul?  HECK YA!  

I could go on and on, but I will spare you.  What do you think?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Disney Autograph Book

I think we are going to make our own autograph books for Disney World!  I think that K2 and K3 will love it!  K1 can make one too, but I don't see him wanting to.  He might like to make a pirate themed one though and just have pages for a few he thinks are cool.

So if anyone has any ideas for making cool books....share!

Disney, here we come!!

On June 11 at 4:00 a.m. we will be part of a caravan to Disney World!  We are going with my mom, dad, 2 brothers, their girlfriends and my nephew.  Should make for an interesting trip.  We are all staying at different Disney resorts, but we plan to spend a lot of time together.

We are staying in the All Star Movies Resort.  The boys have looked at the pictures online and are very excited!  K2 actually picked the resort.  I cannot wait to see K3's face when he sees the "real" Mickey Mouse!

I am also going to get to meet some awesome friends that I have made online in the last 4 years.  I am very excited to meet them and hope they are as excited as I am.

We have less than 2 months until our trip and we are very excited.  We have started planning what to pack and things to get to keep the kids entertained.  I think it will be great, but I am sure there will be some meltdowns along the way!

The Beginning

This is just my introduction blog.  I have decided to start a blog because an awesome friend has inspired me to.  She has such an awesome story from the beginning to now on her blog.  Check it out www.katbass.blogspot.com

Me~I am Randi.  I have been married to my husband, J for 9 years.  I have a terrific step-son K1.  Then we have 2 awesome boys K2 and K3!  I will finally receive my BSED in May.  I am very excited for that.  It has taken awhile but I am finally there.  I am completing my last leg of student teaching right now in middle school.  This semester has been hard on me because I have been used to being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom).  It hasn't been easy being away from my kiddos.

J~J works hard for our family, he works construction.  He makes sure that I do not have to work and we live comfortably enough.  We take nice vacations and pay for everything in cash.  We live within our means, if we can't pay cash for it then we don't need it.

K1~is 10.  He is so full of energy.  He is truly a blessing that came with J.  K1 has ADHD so sometimes things can get a bit trying, but we work through it and move on.  His mother isn't the greatest about sending his meds but we cope and have a great time regardless.  We just stay busy and things seem to go fine.  K1 loves playing baseball in the summer with his friends and we enjoy taking him and watching.  He also loves riding his four wheeler.

K2~is 4.  He is the sweetest and most loving child in the world.  He always wants hugs and still loves to cuddle.  He really loves Bass Pro toys, in fact there are no more that we can buy because he has them all.  K2 will be playing T-ball this summer and I am really excited for him.  He has pre-school screening in the beginning of May and I really hope he gets in.

K3~is 1 he will be 2 in July.  He has grown crazy fast and is the dare devil.  He would dive head first off the couch if we let him!  He is full of energy and a lot of fun.  He also likes to cuddle but probably not as much as K3.  He wants to do everything that K2 does and follows him everywhere.  He likes to crawl in be with K2 every morning and snuggle with him.  I hope they are the best of friends for life, I think they will be.  K3 loves MICKEY MOUSE!  He has several and loves to watch the show.

That is our little family in a nutshell.  I hope I keep up on this blog! :)