Lafayette School Corporation - Canceled Friday

Lafayette Schools are closed tomorrow! Check out WLFI!

For snow strom updates check Mike Prangley's blog...

Thanks to Jen and Marshall :)

I've been meaning to put blog about the bulletin board that Jen and Marshall helped with. Thanks to them I had a wonderful canvas on which to hang the wonderful things my students said about one another.

Picture of Connor getting ready to go into my classroom on a Saturday afternoon. Notice the old bulletin board to the right. It was titled "We are all Wonderfully Unique!" The students each made a snowflake and then wrote about what made them different from everyone else.



Marshall and Jen came in on a Sunday after church to help me out. Jenn offered to put up pink paper for a new bulletin board. After she surveyed the selection of border I had she decided that she didn't like my choices and suggested that we cut out hearts. I told her she was free to use the die-cut machine, but there was no way I was cutting out that many hearts (I'm becoming a tad jaded).

Check out the finished product. Thanks to Jenn (and Marshall; she put up the hearts and he stapled them) there is no way a visitor in the hallway would be confused as to what holiday (if you want to call it that) is coming up next!

Flowers and Chopsticks!

Today has been such a blessing! On my lunch break I went to lunch at Panera with my friend, and fellow teacher, Emily. I was literally throwing my trash away when in walked Jeannie and Jen. It took me a minute to realize that it wasn't just a coincidence they were there, with flowers in hand. They had indeed tracked me down. Jeannie thrust a card at me and told me to open the card and it would all make sense. There was a b-day card inside with the names of fellow birthday wishers (THANK YOU!) and a Panera gift card (MUCHAS GRACIAS!). I still didn't understand how they knew where to find me. I hadn't told our school secretary where we were going... Jeannie went on to explain that there had intended to surprise me at school and had stopped on the way to get the gift card at Panera. Jeannie must have have been thrilled when she saw that I was eating lunch there at the same time!

There were hugs and thank you's! Emily and I were running late (we only get 40 minutes for lunch)so we booked it to my car. As we were driving out of the parking lot someone actually backed into my car. I was in such a good mood that the little scratch didn't bother me (now if I had a brand new car I just might have cared)and we continued on our way.


My students were hilarious and wanted to know who the flowers were from. Throughout the morning they'd had fun guessing my age. The guesses ranged from 21 to 32. No one actually guessed 25 so I wasn't lying when I told them they were all wrong. In the afternoon they decided that the flowers were from my secret admirer and tried to guess who that was too. Once again, extremely hilarious.

My friend Belinda took Connor out for dinner to one of my favorite places, Mt Fuji Japanese Steak House! Connor enjoyed the the Hibachi grill and attempting to use chopsticks. He actually seemed to have a knack for it!



Now we are home safe and ready to watch American Idol, a good day indeed!


**Just got a wonderful voicemail from the gals at Bible study singing Happy Birthday to me! Thanks guys!**

Bubble Head!

Connor is clearly no longer afraid of getting his head wet. He discovered that it was actually not scary to tilt his head all the way back. This was HUGE for a child that I usually have to hold down in order to rinse the shampoo out of his hair (while he is kicking and splashing his legs and feet, and generally in the process leaving not a single thing in the bathroom dry).

Quote of the WEEKEND

I feel like I just found out my favorite love song was written about a sandwhich!

(27 Dresses)

Elephants are pretty cool....

Connor's favorite animal is the elephant. Ever since our recent trip the Brookfield Zoo, where he was able to see a real elephant up close, he has been fascinated with looking at pictures and making elephant sounds. I never appreciated how truly awesome this animal is until I started researching (google) and found cool photography to show Connor. He loves to sit on my lap and look at pictures. Mommy recently got him his own "Horton" the elephant go to with one of his favorite books. Here are some of our favorite elepehant pictures!




Elephant Mother with Baby (Nick Brandt)

Elephant Exodus (Nick Brandt)

Pile of Babies (Martyn Colbeck)

(Martyn Colbeck)

Echo of The Elephants (Martyn Colbeck)

Connor update...

It's only 2 days into my 4 day school week and I am EXHAUSTED. Connor made it through daycare all day despite having a fever of 101 last night. Tylenol and Motrin taken at intervals with a double dose this morning (Nurse Amee advised) seemed to keep the fever at bay all day. Thank God. I think I've almost used all my sick days and family sick days. If we can make it through the week this weekend will be spent resting, for Connor (and me). Please be prayin' for Connor's health! :)

Once again if it wasn't for the compliments of 8 year old children I don't know what I would do (insert sarcasm). A student in a different 2nd grade class told me how "Lovely" I looked today. I was feeling pretty "crappy" at the time and really there's nothing like a compliment from an 8 year old to make you feel like a million bucks. Really 2nd graders are pretty great.

God in Room 106

During Writer's Workshop today one of my students wrote the following:

God

God is gret a lot. I love God so, so, much. He is always nies. He givs me what I alwaz wanted, freands. That is the best thing that hapened! I love God a lot he is nies a lot and osum (awesome) a lot. He is grat so, so, much. I love God. The End!!

Cleary there are some technical problems and she isn't exactly writing at grade leve, but HOW AWESOME THAT WITHOUT BEING PROMPTED SHE DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT GOD! I was so excited and wished I could of done more to show that, but working in a public school doesn't allow that. We did talk about adding some more details about why He is so great and I let her share it with the class.

Just thought I'd share this little nugget of encouragement that happened today in room 106.

Feeling pretty special!

I wish I had a tape of Connor's reaction to seeing me after he has been away from me. You would think I was famous by his EXCITEMENT and pure JOY! It always makes me feel so special because I'm his world and thats about the best feeling in the world. Really, no else has ever gotten that excited to see me before. Connor's pretty cool, ya know! And I'm pretty darn lucky:)

Secure in His Grasp

This morning's devotional, Grace For the Moment, by Max Lucado

"You and I are on a great climb. The wall is high, and the stakes are higher. You took your first step the day you confessed Christ as the Son of God. He gave you his harness- the Holy Spirit. In your hands he placed a rope- His Word.

Your first steps were confident and strong, but with the journey came weariness, and with the height came fear. You lost your footing. You lost your focus. You lost your grip, and you fell. For a moment, which seemed like forever, you tumbled out of wildly. Out of control. Out of self-control. Disoriented. Dislodged. Falling.

But then the rope tightened, and the tumble ceased. You hung in the harness and fount it to be strong. You grasped the rope and found it to be true. And though you can't see your guide, you know Him. You know He is strong. You know He is able to keep you from falling."

God is strong and can help you not to fall.
Jude 24

Flamin' Hot Cheetos

My son just ate a Flamin' Hot Cheeto and didn't flinch. Now he's going at the bag like a mad man.

Apparently I'm an Artist....

Today was exhausting....I was dragging all day after getting home last night at almost 9:00 P.M. After 2 days of peace in the classroom 2 students decided to test the water. I was up for the battle, but by lunch I already felt it should be Friday (tomorrow SHOULD be Friday!). Anyway, I had my own fan club this afternoon during Math and that helped propel me through the rest of the day....

1:15 P.M. Math (Reviewing for a test tomorrow)

I was drawing a turtle on the board in order to illustrate a math problem.

New Student: "Wow, she's good."

Katelin: "Yeah, she's like an artist." (actually said with an emphasis on the word artist)


HILARIOUS! Nothing like having an 8 year old think your fabulous. :)

For the record...

As nice as the break was, it was nice to be back today. Back to the busy, hectic, never ending list of things to do that somehow has re-energized me. I missed my kiddos and apparently they felt the same way. The quietness of the first half of today, the way everyone appeared attentive and positive, was quite the opposite of the class I left a little over 2 weeks ago. So just for the record, it was a good day. Actually it was a GREAT day.

Thank you Lord.

Thank you Jason and Steven (especially) for pointing out how unlike Christ I was being in my last post (now deleted). Your right Steven, its the times that I've been shown mercy that have mattered most. I have no right to act in anyway other than a way that displays the same grace and mercy towards others that has been shown to me through Christ.

I know feel like complete hypocrite, especially in reference to my post about Nichloe Nordeman's song. Thankfully I friends who care enough to even point out the hard stuff (the stuff that makes you say "ouch"), that I was in fact sinning in my words and thoughts. I'm sincerely sorry and apologize.