A Peculiar People

Tales from the 1st Grade: Bathroom Stall

2012-01-17T18:23:00.002-05:00

Everyday after lunch my class stops by the bathroom before returning to our regularly scheduled program. I have about 3 boys that have to sit in a stall everyday at this time. The problem isn't that they need extra time to sit. It's that they ALL want to use the "big" stall. So they stand around waiting. I can see them standing against the back wall waiting. Once I realized that they are all waiting for a particular stall while others are open I've been hurrying them along by telling them to go in an open stall and stop waiting for the big one.

Today one of my regular offenders was standing against the wall waiting. I asked if there was an empty stall he could go in.

He said, "The other stalls are empty but I can't fit in them. I have to wait for the big one."

WHAT?!?

I told him he most certainly could fit in them and he better get in one now! I informed him that I could fit in one of them (not that I've actually gone in one of those particular stalls)and he's certainly smaller than I am!

They never cease to amaze me with their "excuses" (LIES) about why they can/can not do things!

Tales from the 1st Grade: Tiger Claw

2012-01-16T17:12:00.003-05:00

At lunch on Friday my principal came up to me and asked, "What happened to *student's* arm".

I thought a minute and asked, "You mean the scratch on his arm. I don't know."

Principal: "He told me a tiger scratched him."

Me:(laughing) "And you believe him?" (note: it was a small surface scratch. Not deep enough for a tiger scratch)

Principal:(grinning) "He said he was at the zoo and a tiger scratched him."

I decide to ask the student myself.

Me: "How did you get that scratch on your arm, for real?"

Student: "I was at the zoo looking at the frogs when the tiger came behind me and scratched my arm."

Oh, of course. They keep the tigers and the frogs side by side at the zoo so that makes PERFECT sense!?!

After a while I got the real story. He was running through the house with his little sister and scratched it on the sofa. He didn't want us to tell his Grandma that he was running with his little sister on his back!

They never cease to amaze me with the stories they come up with!

Favorite Things Friday: Pinterest

2012-01-13T17:28:00.003-05:00

I didn't understand what the Pinterest craze was all about. Over Christmas break I decided to join. Now I'm addicted! I love getting classroom ideas, recipes, craft ideas, and lots of inspiration!

This cartoon pretty much sums it up!

Tales from the 1st Grade: Distractions

2012-01-12T17:28:00.002-05:00

Earlier today while a taking a math test:

My Parapro is walking around monitoring the students while I read the test questions aloud.

Student: Ms. Kim your pants are really noisy. They are distracting me....Ponders a moment... I think maybe they are to tight. Do they feel too tight? They're really noisy

A few minutes later I notice the same student covering his mouth and laughing.

Me: Are you still laughing about Ms. Kim's noisy pants?
Student: No. My mind is telling me jokes and it's distracting me.
Me: Oh. I hate it when my mind tells me jokes and won't stop.
Student: Yeah. It's really crazy!

Church Signs: Favoritism

2011-11-16T19:31:00.003-05:00

I couldn't title this post "CRUMMY Church Sign" because this one made me laugh!

God does not show favoritism
but the sign guy does
Go Big Blue!

Favorite Things Friday: Manila Extract

2011-11-11T17:11:00.002-05:00

My new purse is handmade by my friend Tanya. Tanya makes these handcrafted coffee sack bags, accessories, and other gifts in her studio in Hawaii. This is a labor of love for her. A portion of the proceeds is donated to charity for orphaned Filipino children. I LOVE coffee and I LOVE my new handbag made from recycled coffee bags!

Check out her website:
www.ManilaExtract.etsy.com

Tales from the 1st Grade: Careers

2011-11-08T17:56:00.002-05:00

I have several students with very interesting career aspirations.

One student wants to be a "storm catcher".
One wants to be an "underwater veterinarian".
One wants to be a "shark dentist".... He and the "underwater veterinarian" are friends and plan on working together.

I can not make this stuff up!

Tales from the 1st Grade: Did I really just say that?!

2011-10-15T08:08:00.002-04:00

I have found myself saying things I never dreamed I'd say while teaching. Now that I have a student teacher she often looks at me and says, "Did you really just say.....". Here are a few recent examples:

"I'm sorry you have rocks growing in your eyes. Would you like to go to the nurse and get some magic eye wash to get rid of them?".

"You're wee wee is sticking?!? Do you want to go to the bathroom to take care of that?"

"Tissues were made for that, NOT fingers! Go get some hand gel!"

"Put your clothes back on...the RIGHT way!"

"You cannot STOMP on your friend's feet to make her shoes light up!"

"Please aim down so you don't splash on your friend's hand! Yuck!"

Beware of the scale!

2011-10-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

It's National Coffee Day! Hooray!

2011-09-29T17:21:00.005-04:00

The US celebrates National Coffee Day every year on Sept. 29! Be sure to enjoy a cup (or 5) to celebrate this fabulous holiday!

Crummy Church Sign- They may need a few more titles

2011-09-18T20:40:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Miki for sending this one...on my birthday! Who doesn't want to get a Crummy Church sign pic for their birthday?!

Favorite Things Friday: Pumpkin Spice Latte

2011-09-16T07:13:00.003-04:00

Fall is in the air which means the Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte is back!!! I always add caramel syrup to mine to make it a Caramel Pumpkin Spice Latte. If you've never had one you MUST try it!

Tales from the 1st Grade: English

2011-09-15T19:49:00.003-04:00

This was the first official week of homework in 1st grade. I was explaining that Thursday's homework is to take a practice spelling test. Knowing that I have several Hispanic students whose parents don't read or speak English I said, "If your parents don't speak English then you can practice writing your words instead." Two of my English speaking students spoke up and told me that their parents don't speak English so they aren't going to do their homework! I asked one of them, "If your mom doesn't speak English what does she speak?!". Her reply, "American"!

Favorite Things Friday

2011-09-09T08:24:00.005-04:00

I'm going to try to make this a regular feature on this blog. Every Friday...or every other Friday...or every once in a while on Friday... I will feature one of my "favorite things". It may be a kitchen gadget, fashion tip, song, etc. So on with this Friday's installment:

REYNOLD'S SLOW COOKER LINERS
Ya'll I LOVE these things! No more scrubbing baked on BBQ sauce off the sides of my crock pot. I just lift the bag out, tie it up, and toss it in the trash! These will make you want to use your slow cooker all winter long!

Crummy Church Sign: Prozac

2011-09-05T08:11:00.000-04:00

Book Review: The Canary List

2011-09-03T07:36:00.004-04:00

A teacher falsely accused, spiritual warfare, conspiracy, and secrets within the Catholic Church. This book has it all.

On the anniversary of his daughter's death, teacher Crockett Grey is home drowning his sorrow in a bottle of liquor when 12-year old Jamie Piper shows up at his house asking to stay the night. Jamie is a troubled foster child who's terrified to return to her foster home and looking for a safe place to go. Grey is reluctant to help at first does offer help. He is careful to protect himself and Jamie by asking his elderly neighbor to allow Jamie to stay with her for the night while they sort things out. By the next morning, Jamie's foster parents' house will be burned down, Grey's friendly neighbor is missing, Jamie is taken and put in the custody of a child psychiatrist, and Grey is put in jail on charges of pedophilia.

The plot has many twists and turns as Grey tries to clear his name, find his missing neighbor, and help Jamie. Grey's character is complex and well developed.However, the plot gets a little bogged down with the intertwining story lines of his daughter's death, his troubled relationship with his wife, his desperate attempts to stay connected to his son, and his journey to save Jamie. Eventually, the story takes you to The Vatican City where there there deception, witchcraft, anda fight for the papacy make Jamie a pawn in a very dark battle of good vs evil.

The book had a good start but I got bogged down in the middle. After pressing through I found myself caught up in the story again. I'd rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Tales from the 1st Grade: Bible 101?

2011-08-10T17:00:00.003-04:00

Random conversation with one of my students:

Student: Do you know what's in the sky?

Me: What?

Student: God. Because he's in heaven. He died in like 1950 or something and now he lives in heaven.Before he died there was a guy who's eyes didn't work and God rubbed his eyes, he was healed, then he picked up his mat and walked away! Then God died. Now he lives in the sky in heaven.

Crummy Church Signs

2011-07-12T10:31:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I posted some crummy church signs so here are a couple for you to ponder:

Book Review: Save the Date

2011-07-11T12:45:00.002-04:00

I must admit that I enjoy a good Lifetime or Hallmark Hall of Fame chick flick. This is equally good Christian chick lit with.

Lucy Wiltshire is the sassy, hard working, and clumsy founder of the non-profit Saving Grace, a foster home for girls ages 18-21. When she learns that her funding from Sinclair Enterprises is being pulled she begins desperately campaigning to the board members to save Saving Grace. While crashing a Sinclair Enterprises event she meets Alex Sinclair. Alex is a former professional football player and heir to Sinclair Enterprises.

Alex is running for Congress ad needs to boost his numbers. Lucy needs a large donation. Despite their mutual dislike for one another Alex makes a proposition. He'll give Lucy the money to keep the home running if she will agree to be his pretend fiancee. Lucy is resistant to the idea but eventually gives in, desperate to save her girls.

As with any good love story there are lots of ups and downs. Lucy and Alex both learn that their first impressions of each other were wrong. As time progresses Lucy heart and future are on the line. She realizes she's really falling for Alex, but the engagement is set to end abruptly after the elections. So what's a girl to do?

This is the first time I've read anything by Jenny B. Jones. I was not disappointed! It was a great poolside read and I look forward to reading more of her novels.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing a complimentary review copy of Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful Things Pottery Video with Joshua Ben King

2011-06-26T16:49:00.001-04:00

This video was made during the Encounter Destiny Conference (aka the event formerly known as camp meeting)! It was really a powerful moment! The song is "Beautiful Things" by Michael Gungor.

Book Review: Radical by Davd Platt

2011-06-02T19:04:00.004-04:00

In this book, David Platt asks the question, "Is He worth it? Do we really believe he is worth abandoning everything for? Do you and I really believe that Jesus is so good, so satisfying, and so rewarding that we will leave all we have and all we own to find our fullness in him?"

The truth is most Christians in America would want to say, "Yes! He's absolutely worth it!". But are we living like he's worth it? We are living the American dream but not walking out our faith like Jesus. We give our tithes (some of us anyway) and put money in the offering to support missions. We do that while sitting in our million dollar churches with all the comforts we've come to expect in America. We have beautiful seating areas and stages. All the while people all over the world are meeting in shacks and hidden basements risking their lives to worship. They don't have nice church clothes, sound systems, media shout and LCD projectors. They have their faith and trust in God.

Even more disturbing is the thought of all the people that have not been reached. They haven't heard the gospel. It's easy to sit in our comfortable churches and say ,"someone should do something".

This book is a call to live differently. It's a call to scale back so we can give more. So we can reach more people. At the end of the book Platt urges the reader to join The Radical Experiment - "a one year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring".

The theme of this book reminds me of "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Both books have challenged me and caused to really examine what I'm doing for the cause of Christ.

Full disclosure: I received my copy to of this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
You can rate my review of this book here.

Divine appointment - Poolside!

2011-05-30T15:52:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited to tell you about my divine appointment at the pool this morning!

I went to the pool this morning thinking I would go early and beat the Memorial Day rush (which I did). Before leaving I was going to take my Kindle to read but felt like I should take the new book I'm reading for the "Blogging for Books" program. It's a book I've started but it's a little deep for poolside reading.

Anyway, I took my book, Radical (review coming soon), and headed to the pool. I was the only one there for about 45 minutes (ah, sweet bliss). Then a girl came up and was having trouble getting into the gate (it's a safety gate and it's tricky if you're not familiar). She called out to me and told me she just moved in and hadn't been to the pool yet. I politely told her how to operate it and went back to reading.

She asked if anyone was sitting in the chairs beside me (it was the best place for sun). I told her no. I really felt like I was supposed to talk to her and even talk about the book I was reading. I wasn't really sure how to go about that (read, I wasn't wanting to interrupt my relaxing pool time to possibly talk about God to some girl that I don't know and probably doesn't want to hear about God anyway!). This doesn't happen to me often but I know when the Holy Spirit is prompting me to do something.

I made some casual small talk with her about being new to the area and such. Then I went back to reading. I was trying to figure out what else to say to her when she saw the cover of my book (which I was purposefully not hiding) and asked, "Are you reading "Radical?!". I was shocked! Divine appointment time! Here goes the conversation I knew I was supposed to have...remember I didn't even want to take this book to the pool!

Turns out a friend of hers gave her that book to read a few weeks ago. She's only read the first 2 chapters and then packed it to move. She told me she cried through the first chapter. We discussed the book which led to conversations of helping the hurting and churches. She shared with me that she is a relatively new believer. She's been saved for about a year and a half. Her mother is a pastor and her father is an atheist! WOW! That makes for an interesting childhood! I asked her if she had found a church in town. She is going to visit one that has connections with the church she attended before she moved first. I told her she's welcome to come to church with me if she'd like to try it.

I'm not sure what come out of this meeting but I have no doubt it was God ordained. She offered to let me borrow the book she was reading at the pool when she finished. All I know is her first name, her apartment number, that she just ran a 5K to support the cause to stop sex trafficking in Atlanta, and she loves God. I hope to meet up with her again soon.

Tales from the 1st Grade: Hooked on Phonics?

2011-04-20T17:58:00.003-04:00

Look Ms. Harrison! I spelled dictionary!

Tales from the 1st Grade: New Menu Item

2011-04-18T18:31:00.003-04:00

We did a persuasive writing piece. The students had to think of something they would like to add to the lunch menu and then persuade the lunchroom staff to add it. Here are some of the things they wanted them to add:

Zebra Cakes - because they taste so good
ice cream - EVERYDAY please
Hamburger Helper - because it's so yummy
Ramen Noodles - because they come with packs of salt
Cheesy Ham Delight - it's really yummy and cheese is good!
Zaxby's, McDonald's, and Burger King also made the list!

Tales from the 1st Grade: Draw Me

2011-04-14T21:22:00.002-04:00

13. I had to laugh out loud while grading this paper. "Draw Me" was referring to the riddle above. He should have drawn a triangle. Unfortunately kids are very literal!

P.S. I didn't count off for the stick person drawing. I explained what he was supposed to do and let him fix it! :)

Tales from the 1st Grade: What language is that?

2011-04-13T17:47:00.002-04:00

Me: Please stop doing that. It's really obnoxious!

Student: Are you speaking Spanish?

Book Review: Life in Spite of Me

2011-04-11T18:57:00.003-04:00

This book is an inspiring true story of how God saved the life of a suicidal teen and brought restoration and purpose to her. At age 17 Kristen Anderson had suffered the loss of her grandmother, the death of several friends, and being raped by another friend. Her world was spiraling out of control and she was sinking into a deep depression. One night she made a decision to lay on the tracks in front of an on-coming train and permanently end her pain. But God had other plans for her.

That was not the end of her story but rather the beginning of her journey toward and with God. She miraculously survived but lost both her legs. This book tells of her long journey of physical and emotional healing.

I'm not one to read a lot of biographies and was unsure of how I'd like this book. I was quickly drawn into the story and couldn't put the book down. I literally sat and read the whole book one Sunday afternoon. It was that good! I'd definitely recommend this book to friends.

Here's a video that I found of Kristen telling her story.
You can purchase your copy of "Life in Spite of Me" here.

Book Review: The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari

2011-03-11T19:47:00.003-05:00

This is a delightful tale of two friends, Padraig the dragon and Roger the Turtle. Padraig and Roger go camping on Mt. Sillymanborrow. The story is one of being courageous. Roger the turtle encourages Padraig not to be afraid as they face the sounds and animals in nature.

I took this book to school and read it to my first graders. Then I asked them to write a review of the book. I figured they were the best critics.

Overall they really liked it. The illustrations are wonderful and really captured their attention. They found it amusing that the dragon was afraid and the turtle was not. They thought the turtle should have been the one that was afraid.

The book sounds like it is written with some British dialect. Phrases like, "my good fellow", "not to worry old chap", and "Cheerio" were foreign to my students but that didn't stop them from liking the book. I really enjoyed reading it to them. Several of them have asked me if they can borrow it silent reading time so they can read it themselves.

*I received my copy of this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in return for my homest review.

Tales from the 1st Grade: Boy trouble

2011-03-01T20:09:00.003-05:00

One of my former students (who is now a 3rd grader) walked by and said, " Ms. Harrison are you married yet?". I replied, "No,". She says, "Girl that' s okay. I've got boy troubles of my own!"

Book Review: Soul Print

2011-02-23T17:18:00.002-05:00

At the end of the day am I living the life I was created to live? Have I developed the person the Creator made me to be? Those are the kinds of questions that this book leaves us with.

“At the end of the day God isn’t going to ask, ‘Why weren’t you more like Billy Graham or Mother Teresa?’ He won’t even ask ‘Why weren’t you more like David?’ God is going to ask, ‘Why weren’t you more like you?"(pg 16)

Mark Batterson uses the life of David to illustrate the importance of being who God created you to be. David was a shepherd. When he went to face Goliath he walked onto the battlefield as such. He wasn't trying to walk, talk and fight like a soldier. He walked, talked, and fought like David, the young shepherd boy. He defeated Goliath by being who God uniquely created him to be. He embraced the place of humble beginnings.

This book will challenge you to embrace your place. Embrace the person God has uniquely created you to be. I was a little skeptical before I read this book. I expected it to be a "self-help" manual of sorts. I thought it was the same message I've read in other books just in a new package. I was pleasantly surprised as I began reading and realized that was not the case at all. It is a well written convicting message that left me reflecting on who I am and what does that mean to the kingdom of God.

(I received a free copy of this book from Multnomah Publishers.)

Tales from the 1st Grade: Quotes of the week

2011-02-21T18:01:00.002-05:00

" Miss Harrison,'J' is using bad manners and is being unacceptable. He needs to go to timeout immediately!"

Me: "Does your new baby brother cry a lot?".
Student: "Sometimes. He likes it when you pat his bottom".
Me: "yeah, babies do like that."
Student: "I kinda like it too!"

Tales from the 1st Grade: Quote of the day

2011-02-01T19:02:00.002-05:00

Student with some behavior issues says to me, "You don't deserve me!!".

Me: "You're right. I don't deserve you."

I'm going to need a lot of extra grace to survive the next few months!

Sun Stand Still: Favorite Quotes

2011-01-11T14:30:00.003-05:00

The snow days afforded me time to finish reading Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick. Here are a few of the things I highlighted as I read the book:

"If you're not daring to believe God for the impossible, you're sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian life. And further still: if the size of your vision for your life isn't intimidating to you, there's a good chance it's insulting to God."

"Seize God's vision. Activate your faith. Make your move"

"When you ask God to do the impossible, he usually instructs you to do something uncomfortable. And inconvenient. Salvation is free. Obedience can be very costly."

"-your vision should never be limited to who you are or what you think you can do.....
Instead, the scope and impact of your vision will be determined by who you believe God is - and whether you have the faith to respond accordingly"

"Authentic faith doesn't end in a positive mental state. It plays out in total obedience based on the sure Word of God."

These are just a few of the things I've highlighted. I may share more later.

I am amazed at how God is speaking to me lately. My Pastor's message on Sunday sounded so much like the things I've been reading in this book (and I know for a fact that my pastor hasn't read the book or even heard of the author until I told him about it later!)

2011 Snow

2011-01-11T13:12:00.002-05:00

I wish you could see the bird sitting on the bird feeder in this pic. Unfortunately my good camera died a few months ago so I could only get pics with my phone which means no zoom.

I'm so glad I invested in these adorable boots earlier this year. They were great for hiking through the snow and ice.

Tales from the 1st Grade: Yes I is!

2011-01-08T08:48:00.003-05:00

After a 2 1/2 weeks off it was back to school this week. It was a 3 day week for the students. I assure you that the short weeks always feel like the longest weeks! Here's my favorite quote of the week:

Student 1: "Ms. Harrison you're the best teacher ever!" ....yea, I bribe them to say that ;)

Me: "Awwwww, thanks"

Student 2: "You sure is! You is the bestest teacher ever!"

Guess what we'll be working on next week...GRAMMAR! LOL!

2011 - I'm ready to pray some Sun Stand Still "audacious faith" prayers

2011-01-04T17:22:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year blog readers! I have great expectations for 2011! Over the past few months I've listened to several podcasts and video sermons from Pastor Steven Furtick. He wrote a book called "Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare To Ask God For the Impossible". The book is based on the scripture Joshua 10:12 when Joshua prayed that the sun would stand still. I haven't read the book yet. I've started started reading it and it's so inspiring!

Why am I telling you sharing this with you? This is not a book review. I've been reflecting on the dreams I have for my life. Some of them I'm sure are God dreams because I wouldn't wish them for myself. Dreams that I've let lay dormant because I didn't see how they were going to happen. They don't make sense for me financially. I've thought "when I meet my future husband we can do this together" or "I'm waiting for that divine appointment". You know the one where some great person in ministry walks up to me and tells me they see this great call on my life and they have an opportunity for me to walk in that call. The point is, I've been waiting and not preparing.

So, I'm focusing on what it is I feel called to do. Teaching, yes. Teaching 1st graders - not so much. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and I love my students. However, the gift of teaching is a deeper calling for me. I love teaching on worship. I love singing, worshiping, and leadership. My dreams are big. But my God is bigger. The bible says to be ready in season and out of season. It doesn't say wait until your divine appointment comes along. So, 2011 is the year that I pray sun stand still prayers. It's the year that I believe God for things that aren't "logical" to my American mind. It's the year that I begin to prepare for the vision God has given me even though I don't see how it's going to happen in the natural. It's time to write teachings that are stirring in my spirit even though I don't have anyone to teach them too right now. To move toward the God sized vision inside me (teaching others about worship is only a very small part of the dream).

I've been wrecked by the thought of all I could be doing for the Kingdom and yet I'm not. I'm convinced that there is so much more than "American Christianity" which is sometimes limited on faith. We want to know how everything is going to work out. Am I going to be able to keep my comfortable lifestyle and 401 K. Am I preparing for retirement. I'm ready to walk out a God vision that is more concerned on setting captives free, providing a home for orphans, and seeing the miracles in the bible become a reality today than making my life comfortable before I start doing the work of the Lord.

Check out the website:
http://www.sunstandstill.org/
I'd offer to loan you my book but I'm still reading it. I expect to have lots of notes and highlights in it by the time I'm done.

Book Review: The Boy Who Changed the World

2010-12-28T17:18:00.004-05:00

This is a delightful children's book that tells the story of how one person can make a difference. The book begins with the story of Norman Borlaug, who lived on a farm in Iowa. Norman loved playing hide-and-seek in the cornfields of his family farm. His father had told him how lucky they were to have so much corn because there are some people who didn't have enough food to eat. Norman wondered, "What would it be like to be hungry all the time?" Right then and there, we're told, "Norman decided to change the world." The book continues to tell the stories of Henry Wallace, George Washington Carver, and Moses Carver and how they were all connected to Norman Borlaug in some way.

The book does an excellent job at explaining how each child can make a difference in this world. It is beautifully illustrated and has a different butterfly on each page symbolizing the "butterfly effect" which shows how one person can have an effect on another.

I read this book to my first grade class and the loved it! I'd recommend this book for children of all ages.

Book Review:Cast of Characters Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God By Max Lucado

2010-12-28T16:54:00.006-05:00

Max Lucado's masterful story telling makes this book interesting and relevant. He takes characters from the bible and portrays their story in a way that draws the reader in and makes you feel like you are a part of the story. I enjoyed the journey into the lives of bible characters such as David, Lazarus, Matthew, Joseph, Esther, and others.

This book certainly lends itself to a small group study. Each chapter ends with thought provoking questions that would be great for discussion.

Tales from the 1st Grade: Twas the Monday before Christmas break...

2010-12-13T16:53:00.003-05:00

Twas the Monday before Christmas, and all through the school
the children were restless and acting the fool
I tried to teach math but the little ones refused
to sit still and focus, they just looked confused

I sent one darling to her seat in despair
She huffed and she puffed, then she had an idea
Her demeanor had gone from mad to fair
I walked to her desk, and on the way there
I realized what she'd been working on then I was in despair

Red marker on both hands, her face and maybe her tongue?
My eyes were wide open, my mouth was too
"Don't worry," she said. "It's not blood"
I'm Santa Claus!"

In the words of Charlie Brown, "Good grief!".

The Most Fattening Time of the Year

2010-12-08T19:19:00.000-05:00

Tales from the First Grade: Wiggles

2010-11-03T18:51:00.003-04:00

Problem: It's a rainy day which means no recess. It's math time and the students are fidgety and not paying attention.

My Solution: Have students stand up and count by 2's to 100....while doing jumping jacks! FUN TIMES!

If I am trapped in the room with 17 wiggly 6 year olds tomorrow I may do a full aerobic exercise routine while teaching math!

Tales from the 1st grade: Moments that make it worth it

2010-10-18T17:33:00.003-04:00

It's been a ROUGH day! However, in the craziness there were a few memorable quotes:

"Your clothes are pretty. Those look like jeans. My mama used to wear jeans when she was skinny like you."

"I'm not able to go to school. I need to wait until I'm older! I want to go home now."

Another teacher came up to me after school and asked, "Did I hear you say, 'You have to keep your clothes on at school! " My reply, "Unfortunately, yes! That's what I said."

Tales from the 1st grade: Alligators

2010-10-05T17:19:00.003-04:00

I often have my students walk like an animal when they are moving back to their seat. It gives them an opportunity for movement which they desperately need. I usually have them walk like a monkey, elephant, kangaroo, etc. Today I asked them to walk like an alligator. 3 of the 17 stretched their arms and walked snapping their arms like an alligator. The REST of them all laid on the floor and crawled to their seats! HA! I should have seen that one coming!

In other news....My best friend had a baby last week so I was out of school for 3 days. While I was out one of my students told my principal I had a baby. Today that student asked me where my baby was!

Tales from the 1st grade: Welcome to my world

2010-09-28T19:55:00.003-04:00

I haven't written much about this school year. I assure you that it's not because I've had a lack of material! This class is the most challenging group I've had. Now that I've had time to adjust to the challenges I've found ways to enjoy the absolute hilarity that ensues in my class on a daily basis. (Trust me, it took a few weeks for me to see and appreciate the humor). Here's a glimpse of my day:

8:00 am - Student goes under desk to get something she dropped.
8:03ish: Student begins wailing because her head is stuck! It was indeed wedged between 2 desks. I'm still not sure how that happened.

8:15 - I remind students to go to the bathroom before they go to specials. One student replies, "I'm going to have to poo when I get to specials". I say, "You need to go now instead of waiting". He replies, "But my poo is not ready yet (as he rubs his belly). It needs to sit a while longer!".

12:00 - Student returns from lunch with a chicken bone (from lunch) in his pocket. He has washed the bone and is very excited to take it home to show his parents. This student is one of the challenges I spoke of at the beginning of the post. So, instead of fighting him over the chicken bone I agree to let him keep it (That's called 'choosing your battles'!). During math he began acting out. After several attempts to redirect him I finally said, "I'm going to take your chicken bone if you don't start making good choices right now!". I was really hoping no one in the hallway heard that statement! I mean REALLY?! My behavior management plan now includes negotiating possession of A CHICKEN BONE?!?

Don't you wish you spend a day in my class? =D

Church Sign: Be careful little tongue...

2010-09-13T18:01:00.003-04:00

Saw this one while visiting my sister this weekend:

"THE TONGUE IS IN A WET PLACE DON'T LET IT SLIP"

Church Sign: Two tablets

2010-09-06T11:13:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the vertical sign. I've tried to rotate it but it returns to this position every time. Maybe it's paying homage to the "tablets". =) I had Miki turn around and go back so I could take this picture. I took it with my phone (read...no zoom) so I had to walk up to it to take the picture. There was obviously some event going on the Saturday we took it because there were tons of cars in the parking lot. I was praying I wouldn't have to explain why I was taking a picture of their sign!

"For fast relief take two tablets-The 10 Commandments"

Tales from the 1st grade : Day 1

2010-08-09T19:29:00.004-04:00

This is seriously the hardest 1st day of school I've had in 13 years of teaching. I have my hands full for sure! Somewhere in the craziness I did get a great quote:

Me: "I need you to think about your choices and make better choices tomorrow."

Student: "I don't think I'm going to be able to make it back tomorrow"

I was thinking: Me neither!

Why I love Publix

2010-07-20T17:14:00.003-04:00

Somewhere along the way I was informed that Publix was the "nice"but "expensive" grocery store. Over the past year I have come to find that I was misinformed! I LOVE shopping at Publix. Here's a few reasons why:

They have great sales. There are BOGO's on products I use every week. You don't have to buy 2 to get the sale. Buy one and pay 1/2 price!

The employees are friendly, happy, and helpful! (This is not so true at other stores).

They carry your groceries out to your car (no tipping expected or allowed). I don't always take them up on the offer to carry my groceries but I do appreciate it when they do. If I have children with me I'm sure I would be ever so grateful for the help.

The Publix brand items are great. I actually prefer the Publix Deli Roast Beef to Boar's Head. It has more flavor.

I'm OBSESSED with the Publix brand Light Coffee Almond Fudge Ice Cream!

They have store coupons in the racks of the front of the store.

They double coupons.

They take competitors coupons! That saves me from driving around to more than 1 store. I saved $18 this week using Kroger coupons! I paid $.50 for a bag of Doritos and Baked Cheetos a few weeks ago. I had a Kroger coupon for free chips and another Kroger coupon for $1.00 off chips. I combined my $1.00 coupon with a BOGO sale.

I love the Apron's meals (especially when I'm stopping in after work and have no idea what I want for dinner. I can sample the meal. Decide if I like it. They have the recipe and ingredients right there so I don't have to go all over the store searching.) You can access the recipes here. One of my favorite meals is Blackberry Pork Chops, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.

Kari Jobe singing "You Are For Me"

2010-06-30T11:41:00.000-04:00

I love cute shoes and a great deal!

2010-06-28T15:10:00.002-04:00

These adorable and comfortable Crocs sell for $49.99. I got them for $29! I bought mine at a Crocs Outlet store AND I had a coupon for 30% one item!

Church Sign: Texting

2010-06-28T12:00:00.003-04:00

I actually like this one! Thanks to Christie E. from Huntsville for sending this one to me!

Church Sign: Shouldn't that be "taughteth"...

2010-06-21T14:48:00.003-04:00

It's been a while but here's another church sign post for you! Sorry, I don't have pictures because a) it was raining when I passed it and b) there was a police car sitting in the parking lot of the church, and I didn't want to explain why I was in the rain taking a picture of the sign (especially if he attended that church!).

"KING JAMES BIBLE TEACHED AND BELIEVED HERE"

on the other side of the sign

"OLD TIME RELIGION PRACTICED HERE"

Francis Chan - Crazy Love Introduction

2010-06-03T17:47:00.002-04:00

I've been reading Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love". It's one of those books that's messing with me. It's great. I have to stop after each chapter or two and process (which is actually recommended several times in the book. Here's a video introduction of the book.

P.S. If you've never heard Francis Chan I would really encourage you to check out some of his sermons and clips on youtube.

Another one bites the dust...

2010-06-01T16:57:00.003-04:00

Why did I go to Target with wet hair today? Well, either they don't make hair dryers like they used to, or I have a special gift for killing them! I've seriously lost count of how many hair dryers I've been through in the past few years. I have decided that it doesn't matter what the price is. It's gonna die on me. So, today I bought a reasonably priced purple (my favorite color) hair dryer with a retractable cord. You may want to say a prayer for this poor dryer. With my history she may not have a long life!

Book Review: Never Let You Go

2010-05-29T20:44:00.004-04:00

If you're looking for some great fiction reading for your summer book list then you should definitely read this book!

Lexi is a single mother, working two jobs, and raising her nine year old daughter Molly. Years after her sister was murdered Lexi is faced with old demons. The man who killed her sister is up for parole and the husband that abandoned her and Molly has returned. Lexi's world is soon crashing in as she is faced with her past. She has to come to terms with knowing that in Christ all things are made new but her very real past sins have come to confront her.

The only other book I've read by this author was co-written by Ted Dekker. I wasn't sure how I would like Erin Healy's writing on it's own. I was pleasantly surprised. I was hooked by chapter 3 and couldn't put the book down. I wanted to keep reading until the end.

You can purchase your copy here.

Full disclosure - this book was provided free of charge by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone needs a friend...

2010-05-28T21:38:00.004-04:00

...that can meet you in your emotional meltdown, over an unexpected decision that rocked you to your core, and say,

"You need to put your big girl panties on, suck it up,get up there and do what you got to do to get through!".

After I stopped laughing (through the tears) I replied, "That's why I love you!". A friend and accountability partner like that is a priceless commodity.

In remembrance of Sweet "Miracle Max"

2010-05-24T12:10:00.003-04:00

Max was born with a congenital heart defect and was not expected to live. He recently celebrated his 4th birthday. He passed away suddenly and peacefully on Saturday night. We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of this sweet boy. Please be in prayer for his family.

Tales from the first grade: OMG

2010-05-13T10:34:00.003-04:00

We were writing stories about what we're going to do on Field Day tomorrow. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw "O M G" written in this 1st graders story!

Tales from the first grade: Capital

2010-05-05T17:16:00.003-04:00

The year is almost over but there is no lack of hilarity in room 23! I'm sure there will be more to come in the next 10 days! Yay...only 10 more days!

- While reading Charlotte's Web to the class I got to the part where Fern is in class daydreaming about what to name her pig. The teacher asks, "what's the capital of Pennsylvania?". Fern replies,"Wilbur". One of my students laughs and says, "That's silly. It's P." I was puzzled by what she was trying to say. Then I got it. The capital in "P"ennsylvania is P!

- While giving a spelling inventory that is testing the students ability to write the phonetic sounds they hear I said "spoil". One student raised his hand and said, "Isn't that a Spanish word?". I have no idea what Spanish word sounds like that!

Tales From the First Grade: Drama

2010-04-28T17:07:00.004-04:00

Well, the school year is coming to a rapid end (although some days it's not rapid enough). We survived CRCT testing. Everyday my students say something that causes me to think, "I need to remember that for the blog". I need to start taking notes so I'll remember them all but here are a few highlights of what I can recall:

CRCT Day 1 - We have to "cover" all the educational materials on the walls so that there is nothing that could possibly give a student an answer to something on the test. This is accomplished by taping large pieces of butcher paper (bulletin board paper) all over the walls. Just as I finished passing out the tests one piece fell. One of my more dramatic students holds her arms out and says, "Nobody panic. We know what to do in this situation." I looked at her with a "what?!?" expression. She says, "Sorry. I watch too many movies!"
The students were playing a math game on the Smartboard. The boys would jump every time they said an answer. One of my girls asked me why they kept jumping. I replied, "Because their boys. That's what they do." She says, "Yeah, I don't really get boys and I really don't get my brother!".
Overheard during ice cream sundae party today: "You got caramel on yours?"...."Yeah. I don't really even know what caramel is but it sure is good!"
"Ms. Harrison I broke my ankle."... Me: "No you didn't. You're walking just fine."....."No. The other ankle. You know the one on my arm (points to ELBOW).

A 1st graders retelling of Charlotte's Web

2010-04-10T16:40:00.002-04:00

Fern had a pig. The mens were trying to kill the pig. The girl save him. The spier save him too. Wilbur win. THE END

They're safe....for now!

2010-04-10T16:02:00.002-04:00

Well, the good news is I'm not writing this post from jail. That means my little darlings behaved better on the field trip than they did the days leading up to it! I would have posted earlier to set your minds at ease but I was incapacitated by a crippling migraine Thursday evening and all day Friday. I haven't had one that bad in a very long time.

I stopped by the school today (yes, it's Saturday..) to survey the damage done while I was out yesterday and to pick up some papers to grade. I had several notes on my desk about students misbehaving. SO, 6 of my little darlings will be having a come to Jesus meeting with me on Monday. Especially the one who was "pretending to use the bathroom in his desk!". I'm thinking the others (who wouldn't be quiet and listen) will be enjoying silent lunch on Monday while the other students get to eat lunch in the classroom with yours truly! It really is more trouble to be absent than to go to work sick most of the time. But since I was unable to leave my bed yesterday (thank goodness I have a roommate right now) I had no choice.

So close yet so far away...

2010-04-07T18:17:00.003-04:00

31....That is the number of school days left in the 2009-2010 school year. Sounds doable right?! Well, if you were in the classroom with the 18 wild and distracted aliens that have taken over the bodies of my usually well behaved students you would feel like 31 days is an eternity! Seriously, I walked a students into another teachers classroom today and said, "can he sit he for a few minutes for his own safety?". Read, "If I don't get him in a new environment and take a break I'm gonna be in the newspaper"!

Tomorrow we go on a field trip to see Charlotte's Web @ the Classic Center. I've been praying the aliens away and the lovely students I know to be mine to return. Hopefully I will be able to blog about our adventures rather than have you read about them in the local newspaper - since they probably won't let me update my blog from prison! :)

Tales from the 1st Grade: Bees

2010-03-31T20:02:00.003-04:00

At recess today my boys (and a few of my girls) decided to try to catch bees! Here's the conversation:

Me: We do NOT CATCH bees! They will sting you!

Them: We're only catching the boy bees. They don't sting! Mrs. _______ (I'll refrain from naming the specials teacher that armed them with this information) told us so.

Me: But how do you know which ones are boys?

Them: They're the ones that don't have stingers.

Me: Okay. How can you tell which ones don't have stingers before you catch them?

Them: *blank stares* The ones without stingers are the boy bees.

Me: I get that. HOWEVER, you won't know if it's a boy or girl until you catch it and get STUNG!

This conversation went in circles for a few minutes. I was becoming quite exasperated....

Me: Here's the new playground rule - You will not catch bees at recess! It is not safe!If you are trying to catch bees you will lose all of your recess! THE END!

Sassy female student: The boy bees are all lazy and just lay around while the girls do all the work just like people!

End of discussion! Uuuggghhh!

We got 3 hours of sleep to pull it off...

2010-03-22T17:47:00.011-04:00

This weekend I helped my sister do the flower arrangements for the annual Gala (banquet) for the private school that she teaches at and her kids attend. It's their big fundraiser. There are many items up for auction that have been donated by local businesses. The speakers this year were former UGA football players David Greene and David Pollack. They were both amazing speakers with really great testimonies! Here are a few pics:

My sis and me - We look pretty good to have had only 3 hours of sleep!

David Greene, David Pollack, my sister with her family (and autographed football)

The flowers for the head table.

All the flower arrangements had tall vases with fish....I didn't know my niece was taking a pic of my fish face!

I thought the sky was the limit but I was mistaken...

2010-03-10T14:37:00.004-05:00

Dear friends,

Most of you know that I am quite skilled making cheesecakes. I accept flavor requests and have even created my own recipes to oblige. I have come across a cheesecake that I will not create for any of you no matter how much I love you. Tofu Cheesecake! Okay, technically it's not even cheesecake because the tofu replaces all cheeses. So please understand that this is one flavor profile I will not oblige (yes, I know that's the second time I've used the word oblige in this post. Impressive huh?).

Rach
AKA Cheesecake Queen

P.S. Yes, I have tried tofu before. It was horrible. Don't let anyone try to convince you it isn't.

Book Review: The Voice of the Psalms

2010-02-24T19:06:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite books of the bible is Psalms. So, I was really excited to receive and read this version of The Psalms from Thomas Nelson Publishers. After reading it I have mixed feelings about this version.

Things I liked:
This is kind of "The Message" meets "The Amplified Bible" (both of which I am a huge fan. The language is more contemporary and lends itself to an easy read. I like that includes several different reading plans. It would make a nice daily devotional.

Things I didn't like:
If you are not using this as a "devotional" book then I feel like it can be a bit difficult to naviagate. While I like the commentary and footnote approach (as used in The Amplified Bible) it kind of got in the way of reading the actual Psalm. Another thing that I didn't love was the some of the language. While it does make for an easier and culturally relvant read it offers too much emotionalism. I also didn't love the fact that they replaced "Lord" with "Eternal One". Albeit HE is the Eternal One but I don't see how changing the wording enahnces it's relevance.

Here's a sample:
Psalm 23:1-3 - The Eternal One is my shepherd. He cares for me always. He provides for me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water. He washes my fears; He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.

Two Thumbs up for use as a resource or devotional.
One thumb up for use as a primary bible translation.

THIS IS NOT MY PORTION

2010-02-18T21:03:00.004-05:00

I've been sick pretty much since August. The main causes are environmental from my classroom. I can't really explain how run down and defeated one feels after being sick for so long. Every time it seems things are getting better they get worse. But fear not dear friends, this post is not meant to be a pity party. It is in fact meant to be a declaration of the goodness of God.

The enemy takes the opportunity to kick you when you're down. To whisper lies that you begin to struggle with as you try not to believe them. But I'm here to declare that the devil is a liar!

Thanks to some God time and a dear friend praying me I know the word of the Lord for me (and you) is THIS IS NOT MY PORTION! SICKNESS IS NOT MY PORTION! This is the circumstance I am in now but what the enemy meant for evil MY GOD will turn into good. Out of this season will flow new songs of healing and hope. I will "Sing to Him a new song...For the word of the LORD is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice" (Psalm 33:3-5). HIS justice will prevail. I don't need to fight in my own strength. I will not bow to the plans of the enemy. THIS IS NOT MY PORTION!

How'd they do it?

2010-02-11T20:45:00.002-05:00

This post is a day late but worthy of posting anyway. Yesterday the power went out at school from 9:40ish to the end of the day. No power meant no computer, no smartboard, and no copier. Technology is a crucial part of my daily routine and instruction, especially for math. So I found myself having to get creative with the materials I had. That meant creating an Addition Bingo game on the fly. It was WAY to windy and cold to take the students outside so inside recess it was. It was really amazing to realize exactly how much I depend on technology to deliver my instruction. How did teachers teach before computers and copy machines? Boring lectures and reading from a textbook?! Blah!

What I learned: Always have an emergency stash of work and games in case of power outage! :)

I forsee a new bumper sticker coming soon....

2010-01-28T20:58:00.000-05:00

Tales from the 1st Grade: Church

2010-01-26T20:48:00.003-05:00

We've been working on "staying on 1 topic" during our writing time. Most of my students are to do this relatively well. Today I worked with one of those students in an effort to guide his writing. Here's our conversation:

Me: Let's think of something you can write about. What did you do this past weekend?

Student: Went to church.

Me: Well, you can write about that. What do you want to say about church?

Student: We stay too long. They sing. It's too loud.

Well, I got him to stay on topic! :)

Book Review: The White Horse King

2010-01-12T16:53:00.003-05:00

This novel, The White Horse King, documents the life of England's first king, Alfred the Great. Admittedly I don't usually lean toward historical biographies but I decided to give this one a read.

The book is filled with facts about the life of Alfred the Great. He is not someone that I knew much about. I did find the stories of what he did for his kingdom (i.e. He changed the roadways and legal codes. He also restarted Christian worship and learning about God.)

The author transitions back and forth between the story and offering historical facts. It was sometimes hard to stay focused because of that. There were also times that while offering interesting facts I found myself becoming bored and wanting to skip ahead.

If you are into history and biographies then I'd recommend this book for you. If that's not really your thing, I don't think this book will cause you to become a lover of historical biographies.

If you'd like to purchase a copy for yourself click here.

Book Review: The Sweet By and By

2010-01-04T19:17:00.003-05:00

Recording artist Sara Evans has added "author" to her repertoire. Her book, "The Sweet By and By", is a lovely story of redemption, grace and reconciliation. The story is about a girl named Jade facing her past and her troubled relationship with her hippie mother. She realizes she must face things that she and her fiance had decided to leave in the past. The characters are well developed and really draw you in to the story.

I didn't expect to enjoy the book as much as I did. I'm not big on romance novels and thought that's what I was getting in to. I was pleasantly surprised and how easily I was drawn into the story. The family dynamics were interesting and realistic.

Having said that, I would still have to categorize it as a chic-flic type book. It would serve as a great summer poolside read!

Making Room

2010-01-03T19:31:00.002-05:00

I'm getting a temporary roommate! A friend of mine was laid off recently and needs a place to stay for a while. After agreeing to have her come stay with me I realized I needed to make room for her. You see, the guest room closet and drawers have served as storage for me. She stayed with me a short time last year. At that point she was only coming to stay a weekend. There was no need to clean out the closet. The room and bed were clean. Now she's coming for an extended period of tine. I want to clean out the unnecessary stuff filling the space so that Ginger (my new roomie) has a space. I want her to feel welcome and to know that I prepared a place for her.

During the process I began thinking about my relationship with God. Am I making room for Him? Have I removed all the unnecessary clutter to create space for Him? I want Him to know that He's welcome. To know that I've prepared a place for Him. I don't want a short visit I want a habitation. So as we begin this new year I challenge you to consider these questions for yourself. Have you made room for Him to inhabit your life? Have you removed all the unnecessary stuff filling space that can be occupied by Him?

Christmas conversation with my sister...

2009-12-26T16:36:00.001-05:00

Kathy - "Do you want me to make some coffee?"

Me - "Uh, have you met me?!" (said sarcastically)

Kathy - "I don't know. Which personality am I talking to?"

Ahhh, the joys of family!

Christmas so far....

2009-12-24T14:22:00.002-05:00

The day before Christmas eve:
Jamison gets a fever of 103.7. Tests negative for strep and flu. The doctor says,"Rub him down with a cool cloth to keep the fever down. Use water not alcohol. Jamison says, "I don't drink alcohol!".
His fever broke shortly after.

Christmas eve -
The dog ran away for 3 hours! We ate lunch an hour late because we were looking for him. He came home on his own.

Christmas day..... Hopefully no drama! Stay tuned!

Holiday Prayer

2009-12-17T12:25:00.002-05:00

I received this in an e-mail today. I know I needed to read it so I've decided to re-post.

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who
cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine
hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the
laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who
can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old
college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams

with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging

for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a
slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares .

Help us to remember that the old couple walking
annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are
savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back
last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together .

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the

gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that
love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are
close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to

forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

Book Review: Primal

2009-12-14T18:04:00.005-05:00

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the Great Commandment. Seems simple enough. So why have we made it so complicated?

In Primal, Mark Batterson takes us on a journey exploring each of these elements. He takes us back to the place where we first met God. The time when the things that break our hearts are the things that break the heart of God. It's time for the church to go back to the place where our faith was simple, and where our love for God and people burned passionately within us.

As with his previous books, I found myself reading a chapter then meditating and processing the truths found within. My heart was stirred. My passion for God and the things that He's passionate about reignited.

Primal means "of first importance." I think the New Year is about getting back to important things.
I want to invite you to be part of the primal movement. Would you consider making Primal the first book you read in 2010? You can get your copy here.

Christmas Card Etiquette 101!

2009-12-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

Every year I send LOTS of Christmas cards. There are a couple of reasons for that:

1) Several years ago I went to church with a family that home schooled their 7 children. They used the Christmas cards people sent them and prayed for the people who sent them. I'm all about getting as much prayer as possible so I started sending them a card every year!

A couple of years later I realized that I was having to delete people off my list because of divorce, suicide, death...It made me sad and I was burdened. So, I started printing an extra copy of my list and praying for everyone who I sent cards to. (P.S. I wrote a blog on my myspace page explaining what I was doing. I told anyone that wanted to added to my list to send me their address. The invitation is now open to you dear readers).

2) I LOVE getting hand written letters in the mail! Letter writing is a lost art in this e-mail/social networking age. Just last month I received a handwritten letter from my pastor. It was really special to me that he took the time. I need to write more often.

3) The more cards I send the more I get. Christmas cards bring me joy...usually.

Today, I received one that did NOT bring joy! Thus, the title and purpose of this little post!

Every year I send a card to the lady that lived next door to me growing up. When I was young I spent a lot of days sitting on her porch, playing with her grandson, and learning (sort of) how to crochet. The older I got the more I really didn't want to go visit. She would always make negative comments about my weight ad generally annoying, nosy comments about my life.
Despite all that I always send her a Christmas card. A few years ago she moved to Florida to live in an assisted living home and be near her son. I got her new address and continue to send her cards. Just so she knows I'm thinking of her (and because I'm really that awesome...LOL). ANYWAY, I mailed her a week ago. I wrote a short paragraph wishing her a Merry Christmas ad letting her know I was thinking of her. I send about 100 cards now so I don't write long narratives. Today, I got a card from her. Inside was a post it note that read..."Why didn't you tell me what's going on in your life. Are there no prospects for you to get married anytime soon".
SERIOUSLY???!!! No Merry Christmas. Thanks for the card. Thinking of you. Still meddling and criticizing my life! GRRRRRRRRR!

I'm thinking she might be off the list next year! I have a year to pray about it (and for her).

I've been approved...again!

2009-11-29T15:34:00.003-05:00

So, if you've been following this little blog here you are aware that I'm a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson Publishers (who just happen to publish one of my favorite authors: Ted Dekker). Well, you also know that I LOVE Mark Batterson's blog and books. I read "Wild Goose Chase" roughly 5 times cover to cover. But I referred to it much more often than that (I actually had to put it away because I was reading it more than my bible!).

Anyway, the point of this post is to let you know that I've been approved by Mark Batterson's publisher to get an advanced copy of his new book "Primal". Ya'll I can't really explain to you how crazy excited I am about this! You see, Dekker is my favorite fiction author but Batterson is probably my favorite non-fiction author.

My review of "Primal" will be coming around December 15! Stay tuned!

Black Friday 101

2009-11-26T21:10:00.009-05:00

Prepare the night before....

Make sure phone's are charged and laid out.

What's in the ziploc bag? - Coupons, list of coupons, list of what items were at what store, list of who to buy for.

Put cash and cards in a ziploc bag OR your handy dandy Vera Bradley card holder.

How to organize the coupon list.

The outfit: This is THE Black Friday vest. It has ZIPPER POCKETS! No purses. Put ziploc bag, phone and Vera card holder in pockets. It's close to you. You don't have to worry about anyone grabbing your purse.
Wearing a fleece vest is smart because the stores are often hot and crowded.
A scarf is good because it can be removed if it gets too hot.

COMFY, SLIP-ON Shoes!

Light weight jacket and scarf. Keeps you warm at 4 AM. Can be left in the car later.

Have coffee maker set.

Set out travel coffee mugs.

An oversized bag to help hold purchases. (Thanks to Miki for my early Christmas gift)

And finally - Having your own shopping cart is PRICELESS (can be purchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond)! We've had to wait and fight for shopping carts to hold our stuff. Not anymore! It holds the items you want to buy as well as carrying bags of purchased items! You WANT to have one of these.

Be sure to take Starbuck's breaks!!!

A post from the trenches with iPhone pictures will hopefully come later this weekend!

The schedule

2009-11-25T21:10:00.003-05:00

Here's the schedule for Thanksgiving Day. We look at the cooking time for each casserole and work backwards from when we are eating lunch. This is how we do it.

7:00 Take casseroles out of the fridge to come to room temperature.
Get the paper and pull the sales papers out in a seperate stack.

9:00 - Bread and Tea

10:00 Corn Casserole and Broccoli Casserole

10:30 Sweet Potato Casserole and 3 cheese potatoes

11:15 Stuffing and Gravy

11:20 Swiss Bacon Dip

11:50 Cranberry Sauce

12:00 LUNCH

It's the day before Thanksgiving....

2009-11-25T08:30:00.003-05:00

So here' s the update on the festivities:

Monday: Arrived at my sister's house. Made the Thanksgiving menu and grocery list. Went to Sam's and bought pizza for dinner. Sis and I bought new amazingly comfortable PJ's which we have been wearing as much as possible!

Tuesday: Grocery shopping. Massages. Lunch at Outback. Dropped my brother in laws Mustang off to get serviced (yep, I got to drive the Mustang!). Nap. Made dinner for the family (oven fried chicken, 4 cheese mac-n-cheese, squash).

Today's plan: Breakfast at Cracker Barrel (it's tradition). Pick up a few last minute grocery items. Mix the casseroles. Make a time line for tomorrow (we always work backward from when we want the food on the table. I'll share the list with you once we get it done.) Make a list of wrapping supplies we need to purchase. Pick up Jon's car and drop off my sister's car for oil change. Do last minute cleaning (because there are 2 kids and a husband who live here with my sister. What was once clean is now not so much!).

Oh yeah. Here's the menu:
Ribs, Nana's roast, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, 3 cheese mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, rolls, swiss bacon dip (for an appetizer), pumpkin toffee cheesecake, chocolate peanut butter ice cream pie...we're debating on dressing and gravy.

It's almost my favorite week of the year!

2009-11-17T18:18:00.002-05:00

THANKSGIVING IS COMING!!! THANKSGIVING IS COMING!!!
Thanksgiving week is by far my favorite week of the year! My sister and I have this Thanksgiving thing down to a science. Check out our schedule here.To view last years pics click here. I'm going to try to enlist my wonderful niece to document the week in pictures for the blog. Stay tuned....

Book Review: Green by Ted Dekker

2009-11-15T17:31:00.005-05:00

Green is Ted Dekker's lastest addition to The Circle Series. It is "Book Zero:The Beginning and The End". We were introduced to Thomas of Hunter, the man who lives between two worlds, in Black, Red, and White. Thomas finds himself fighting evil in his darkest form. His son, Samuel, has turned his back on his father and gathers the dark forces to wage war. Thomas is heartbroken and desperate to find his way back to our reality to save them all.

This is most definitely the darkest of the The Circle novels. Just when you think Dekkers mind couldn't possibly take us in to lower depths of evil he does just that. This book is not for the faint of heart. Evil is ugly, dark, and dirty. Dekker doesn't gloss over that fact. He doesn't soften the edges of the darkness.

Dekker includes characters from the other circle books as well as from The Paradise Novels. But don't worry if you haven't read these other books. The reader is provided with enough of the character's story to understand their place. If you have read the other books then you simply know the characters back story. Think of it as watching the "True Hollywood Story" of a movie star. You can appreciate the star and understand their role without watching their biography.

I have to say that this is not my favorite book from Dekker. I usually read his books in a few days. It took me longer to read this one. There are parts that are riveting and fast paced. Other parts were slow and somewhat boring.However, once I got to the middle of the book I was hooked and enjoyed the story until the end. And the end does not disappoint!

You can order your copy of Green here.

1st grade quote of the day...

2009-11-13T17:08:00.002-05:00

Student: "You have to be a parent to know where Santa lives."

Me: Yes, but teachers get his e-mail address so we don't have to know his home address.

Student: Oooohhhh!

In other news: Book review for "Green" by Ted Dekker coming soon! I'm determined to finish it this weekend!

Tales from 1st grade: Guess that word...continued

2009-11-05T17:55:00.004-05:00

The day after I posted "guess that word" I had my students write a page for a class book. Our character word this week is "Thankfulness" and it's November. So, they were to complete the sentence, "I am thankful for....".

Well, imagine how hard it was for me to hold it together as I read this story over a students shoulder. I've learned not to jump to conclusions and ask the student to read their story to me.

This is the interpretation:
"I am thankful for this Earth and my parents and this school and all of my family."

So I used some "magic tape" (white out tape) to fix this innocent little blunder without the student even noticing. Now the class book is rated G!

Tales from 1st grade: Guess that word

2009-11-02T17:52:00.003-05:00

Spelling word: hen
1st grader definition: it's on the end of your arm (hand)

You might be an elementary school teacher if you have leaned to read the following without student interpretation: (taken from actual student writings)

pardey - party
druthr - brother (reversal of b/d is extremely common)
uthere - other
poot - put
kuzn - cousin
utey - auntie
i lik to pway wit mi fin - I like to play with my friend
the shaplen is wet os I shud weyt - The trampoline is wet so I should wait
awt - out
chakalid - chocolate

It's not that hard people....

2009-10-28T19:11:00.002-04:00

Here are a few (should be) common sense rules for the work/break room...

1. If the copier jams while you are using it, DO NOT JUST WALK AWAY WITHOUT TELLING SOMEONE! If you can't find the paper jam don't leave it for the next person!

2. If you use the microwave, WIPE IT OUT! Also, please hit the "cancel" button if you remove your food before the end of the cook time. No need to leave it for the next person.

3. If you spill something on the table, CLEAN IT UP! This may require more than a quick swipe with a dry napkin.

That's my rant for the day!

Today Show interview about the role of women in the church

2009-10-22T15:46:00.001-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Silence is golden?

2009-10-15T19:36:00.003-04:00

So, I'm quite frustrated right now and really need to vent. BUT if I vent about why I'm frustrated then I fear I will only dig a deeper hole, and then be even more frustrated! Confused yet? Yeah, me too!

All I'll say is usually my NOT keeping my big mouth shut gets me in trouble. So, with my current "modified voice rest" mandate from the doctor I've been much quieter than usual. Ok, maybe not MUCH quieter, but quieter nonetheless. Anywho.....now I'm in a bit of trouble for being too quiet. Seems that gives a "I'm not on board with this" impression! I guess silence in NOT golden!

Is your sweet head spinning trying to make sense of this dear blog readers? Well, mine is too! Sorry to be so vague. Just had to vent without really venting!

Great Quote

2009-10-13T19:29:00.003-04:00

I just heard this quote from Mac Powell (lead singer of Third Day) :

"We've heard artists say, 'we're not here to entertain you we're just here to share Jesus with you'. Well, if we don't want to entertain people then there's no reason for us to play music in the first place. It's not the most important thing, but it is important to write music that's quality music that people want to hear..... That's one of many things. We want to share our faith through this music and share God's love that's been shared with us..."

I love the honesty in this! I assure the heart for God radiated from each band member throughout the interview I saw.

Aren't they adorable?

2009-10-11T17:42:00.002-04:00

My first pair of crocs! I refused to choose comfort over style when crocs came on the scene. But this weekend I found these cute shoes and was pleasantly surprised they are crocs! Finally cute and comfortable!

Change the v to c

2009-10-09T10:31:00.002-04:00

In first grade we do a lot of changing target sound (i.e. change the k in kid to h to make hid).

My very tired and overworked brain apparently has gone on auto pilot. While typing an e-mail I changed previous to precious! This changes the meaning quite significantly. Uuggghhhh!

Please excuse anything ridiculous I do in the next few weeks. I'm drowning in a sea of assessments, data, report cards, and conferences. I'm pretty sure I'm losing IQ points by the second!

You might be watching too much Food Network...

2009-10-06T18:14:00.001-04:00

...when you dream about eating fresh smoked mozzarella! Especially when said dreamer has never actually had smoked mozzarella! However, fresh mozzarella (not smoked) will rock your world if you've never had it. But I digress.

And on second thought, you can never really watch too much Food Network.

Tales from 1st Grade: Someone elses voice

2009-09-29T18:41:00.002-04:00

The back story: I've been sick with a throat infection and upper respiratory problems. This causes my voice to be a little froggy at times.

Helping a student at his desk work on writing a story. While helping him the student beside him says, "What's wrong with your voice?"

Me: I'm sick. It makes my voice sound funny.

Student: You know the Elmo show?

Me: Yes.

Student: You sound like Elmo's friend. You know, the blue one!

Me: Grover?

Student: Yeah. You sound like Grover. One time I was sick and my mom waited a long time to take me to the doctor. When she finally took me I had someone else's voice!

Book Review: Kabul 24

2009-09-23T16:58:00.004-04:00

On August 3, 2001 eight western Christian aid workers captured by the Taliban accused of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity (a crime punishable by death). This book recounts their 105 days of captivity and the sham trials they endured. It's a story of how God is working through us, for us, and around us. When it seemed they had been abandoned by all God showed his power and protection.

The workers: Heather Mercer, Dayna Curry, Peter Bunch, Silke Duerrkopf, Katrin Jelinek, Heather Mercer, Margrit Stebner, George Taubmann and Diana Thomas. Members of Shelter Now International (SNI).

This book is a story of courage, hope and unwavering faith in time of crisis. As I read the stories I found myself wondering if I would have what it takes to survive this kind of ordeal. Is my faith strong enough to cause to me rise up and stand firm in my beliefs? What would I have done?

I found myself wanting to read this book quickly as I clung to every page. What happens next? Yet, I felt like rushing to finish wouldn't do it justice. I needed to take time to empathize with what these workers faced. To find a way to connect with them and their experience. Maybe it's because my cousin knew Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry. She had worked with them as they all trained to be aid workers and spread the message of Jesus Christ. It could have been my cousin Julie that was captured. It could have been my family praying and wondering if we would ever see her again. I'm so glad I read this book and allowed it to put things in perspective. These people faced the possibility of death for sharing their faith. I live in a country where I can share my faith without the possibility of being imprisoned and facing the death penalty.

The Kabul 24 movie is available on DVD now. For more info. on the movie visit Kabul24Movie.com.

You can purchase your copy here.

There Came a Mighty Flood

2009-09-21T17:51:00.004-04:00

This is my sisters front yard! Her creek flooded her yard. The bridge on her driveway is damaged. However, her neighbors bridge is GONE! They had to knock down part of a fence between the yards so her neighbor could drive into their yard. Trees are down but not on the house. They have no water ,but they do have electricity. School is canceled for the next couple of days.

Exercise can be hazardous to your health...

2009-09-16T19:10:00.002-04:00

I watched the annual video on how to administer an epi-pen injection for anaphylactic shock at school today. At the end of the video they list some causes of anaphylaxis. They include:
* Food
* Medications
* Insect venom
* Latex
* Exercise
Did you read the last one? EXERCISE!!!

There you have it. Exercise can be hazardous to your health. Keep that little tidbit of information stored in your memory bank for the next time you just aren't feeling up to the gym! :)

Tales from 1st grade: Coffee

2009-09-15T17:19:00.003-04:00

If you know anything about me you know I am a coffee lover. You probably also know that I'm not functional without it.

I have a coffee pot in my classroom. Inevitably the students will ask me about my coffee addiction and I will tell them, "I'm not nice without coffee".

Today was just "one of those days". It was rainy. I haven't been feeling too great. The students just could not sit still and were excessively talkative. So, I had one of those moments where I just stop teaching and let them know that the rules of the classroom still apply! After my little "get it together or lose some recess" speech one of my students raised her hand and asked, "Did you have your coffee today?"!!!!!!!!!!!!!