Happy Halloween!

Well, my husband pointed out this weekend that what used to be one of my favorite holidays is now a dreaded event to be ignored.  Teaching will do that to a person, I think.  I REALLY, REALLY don't like Halloween anymore.  I loved it when the kids were little and we could spend the whole day letting them run around in their costumes.  I especially love my memories of when Alex lived with us and Daniel and I took him to the pumpkin festival and Schneff Farms.  Oh, and the day we went to the parade at the library.  Now, however, Halloween has lost its magic.

This year my brother is in town visiting.  We had planned to go trick-or-treating with him, and on Saturday we went in search of costumes because our original home-made plans weren't working out so well.  We went to Goodwill because the price of costumes in the stores is enough to turn me as white as a Halloween ghost.  We spent close to an hour in Goodwill, looking through the costumes and talking about what we wanted to do.  Before long we had $30 worth of costume in the cart.  What?!  Why in the world does it have to cost so much for two kids to run around collecting candy that they really don't need?

After walking around the store for a few more minutes I finally looked at the girls and asked if they were really excited about trick-or-treating this year.  Andrea flat out said no.  She wasn't interested.  Amber, always holding out for what might be better, wondered what the catch was.  I pitched my idea of baking cookies with Uncle Fred instead of walking around the neighborhood.  I even threw in a bag of candy of the girls' choosing so they wouldn't miss out.  Andrea jumped on the idea.  Amber countered with the provision that she gets to pass out the candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to the door.  Deal!

So, we are starting a different tradition of staying home and hanging around with family.  We are not spending money on costumes that will be worn for a night and forgotten.  Somehow we keep finding more and more ways to do family activities rather than follow the traditions of the season.  I wonder if this is because the girls are growing up or if it has more to do with Daniel and I not being thrilled about holidays.  Either way, we are making the days ours, doing what works for us, and that feels much better than doing what is expected just to fit in.

Oh, and from a teacher's perspective.... the day AFTER Halloween is the WORST!  The kids have been up late, they have eaten way too much candy, and they want to sneakily eat more during class.  This year I took  today and tomorrow off to visit with my brother.  I think this may have to be a yearly tradition!  There's always SOMEONE I can visit with on those days.  *Grin*  Enjoy your Halloween, no matter how you choose to celebrate!

Who Are You?

Sunday Stealing: The Who Are You Meme
  
1. What is your biggest pet peeve?
My biggest pet peeve is when stores advertise something for .99 cents.  Mathematically this is 99/100 of a penny, or not quite one cent.  What they really mean is $.99, which is 99/100 of a dollar or 99 cents.  I have actually called a few stores on it and asked for my not-quite a penny item.  Some stores have been frustrated and given me the items for free, some just didn't understand what I was trying to say.  One manager actually told me "everyone is advertising this way now" because this is what the general public understands.  And we wonder why our country just keeps getting stupider and stupider.  Instead of explaining to people how the math works, we just change the math for the people.  

2. Where and when were you born?
I just celebrated my 38th birthday.  I was born in a small town in Northern Illinois.

3. Where did your parents meet?
My parents met when my dad came to do some work on my step-grandfather's motorcycle, I think.

4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like in four words?
I have one brother.  He is smart, loving, and good looking.

5. Where do you live now, and with whom?
I live in Central Arizona with my husband and two daughters.

6. What is your occupation? 
I am a 6th grade elementary school teacher.

7. Write a full description of yourself. 
Wow, for someone who blogs, you would think this question would be easy.  That's all I do is talk about myself on here.  But, with the "spotlight" on, it's pretty tough.  Okay, I am short and fat, and my hair is starting to get gray.  I like to wear my hair in a ponytail, so it is on the longer side, though I found that when it gets too long it becomes too heavy.  I love to talk to people one-on-one, but I don't like large crowds.  I am fairly blunt in the fact that I tell things the way I see them, especially if asked.  

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know a little more about me.  Watch for Part 2 coming soon!

Prompt: What Could Society Do Without?

In my opinion, the biggest thing society could do without is the judgement and hatred we spread.  It is so frustrating to me to see how many people are hurt by ideas that are set in stone.  "X" is a bad action, so "Y" must be a bad person.  Why?  What happened to (borrowing from a religious view) "Hate the sin, love the sinner?"

The biggest example I have of this is the gay marriage debate.  I don't talk about it often, but I support gay marriage.  I don't for one fraction of one second believe that someone else being married makes any difference to my marriage.  It does not make my marriage any less important.  What DOES make me sick about marriage is the celebrities who get married, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, then get divorced weeks or months later.   Marriage is not a game!  

This is only one example of many in which we can't seem to stop hating each other in this society.  We are allowed to disagree.  That is for sure.  But spitting on people, telling them they are going to go to hell if they disagree with you, and shoving our own views down the throats of others isn't going to help.  We really do need to work together for this world to work.  Why not accept each other's differences and move on?  

I think a quote I saw recently sums it up best:  "Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate."  Unfortunately I have no idea who to credit for that quote.  By promoting what we love we are putting our thoughts and ideas out there for others to learn from.  I'll admit that I've changed my mind a few times based on a really well developed support.  Bashing, on the other hand, turns people away and makes them immediately defensive.  That is no way to have a conversation or to try to change the world.  Let's think about how we can spread encouragement and hope rather than negativity and disgust.

Broken Arm

In an earlier post I promised to tell you about my broken arm.  Ug, what an experience!  Compared to breaking my arm, my tailbone was nothing.  The arm hurts much worse and is taking so much longer to heal.

I was at work (who would have thought teaching is a dangerous job, right?) when I went to step between the grass and the basketball court.  My foot caught the edge of the cement, and I went down hard and fast.  I caught myself with my left arm, bounced a bit, then caught myself again.  A couple teachers came rushing over right away to make sure I was okay and to help me up, but I asked them to let me sit for just a moment.

My ankle hurt immediately, so I honestly thought I had done damage to my ankle.  However, the pain there quickly went away.  My arm was bothering me, though, so rather than allowing any of the teachers to assist me I got up from the ground on my own so no one would touch me.  That should have been my first indication that something was really wrong.

By the time I had walked to my classroom, I knew I needed to see a doctor.  I was holding my arm as close to my body as I could, and every movement was painful.  I went to the office to notify my supervisor, and she told me we actually have an EMT that works as an instructional aide at our school so she would send him over to take a look at me.  I think he was actually sent to distract me while they decided where I was going to go (hospital or urgent care) as it was already decided that I needed medical attention.  The aide said I needed to see the doctor right away, and it was decided the principal of the school was going to drive me to urgent care rather than waiting for my husband who was an hour or more away.  That was a fun ride!

I actually enjoyed my time with the principal, truth be told.  We got to chat on an entirely different level, both on the ride to the urgent care and in the waiting room.  When Daniel showed up, though, I was definitely ready to lean on my husband who has always taken care of me, though, and the principal went back to school.

It turned out I have a radial head fracture.  One of the bones that leads into your elbow has a ball at the end of it.  At the top of that ball I have a break, and I have actual compressed the bone by a couple of millimeters.  I was sent to see an arm specialist to make sure I didn't need surgery.  Fortunately he said I do not.  I AM, however, subjected to torture sessions (physical therapy) twice each week.  I have to admit, I went from not using my arm at all three weeks ago when I started torture to using it at about 75% normally, so I can't complain.  I can't wait until I can start lifting weights at the gym!

Prompt: What Do You Want to Remember Forever?

I, of course, want to remember the same things every mother wants to remember:  the days my children were born, their first days of Kindergarten, and special moments in their lives.  As they get older I hope to remember their first dates, their high school graduations, and their weddings.

As a wife, I want to remember the first months of my relationship with Daniel.  They were definitely unique compared to the dating experiences of most people.  I hope to remember the joy we shared when we decided to get married, our wedding and wedding receptions, and all the moments that are special as we grow old together.

Monday Quiz- October 22

I've missed the link-up, and it is WAY past Monday, but I wanted to share this with you anyway.  I love these for getting to know each other.  Here are some things you may not have known about me.

1. How often do you shop for groceries? Do you shop in one place or many?
Daniel and I are definitely creatures of habit and like to get right to the point.  Therefore, we shop at the same grocery store every week, with an occasional week off to go to Super Target if we don't need meat.  We shop once every weekend, shooting for Saturday. 

2. How old were you when you had your first taste of alcohol?
I was 18 when I had my first taste of alcohol.  I had a couple of beers before the legal drinking age, but for the most part I didn't care for drinking.  If my mom asks, though..... I was 21.  I'm kidding.  We all did stupid stuff when we were younger.

3. How much TV do you watch? 
I don't watch a whole lot of TV.  There are about five shows I like to follow, and we usually watch them on Hulu either after work or during the weekends.  I almost never watch live TV unless it is the news.

4. How do you relieve stress?
I enjoy playing on my computer.  In the morning before work it allows me to give myself the gift of "me time." In the evenings it allows me to turn off teacher mode and again offers some time to relax.  I think my computer has been my stress reliever since I was sick with shingles and couldn't do much more.  I am, however, starting to get to the gym to work out occasionally.

Catching Up

So, what's been happening since I've been gone?  Well, the short version is that there have not been any huge events.  That, in many ways is good.

I have finished my first quarter of school, and the girls have just finished their Fall Break which marks the end of the first quarter for them as well.  There were a few large ups and downs with my school, mostly due to me learning what the school stands for and them learning who I am as a person and a teacher.  I think everything will be okay.  I still have a positive outlook on the school, and I do believe they stand for all they said they do.  That was a huge fear of mine when I first got hired.  I do think, though, that my idea of high expectations is a little different than just about anyone else's in the known universe.  I still can't figure that part out and will have to do some soul searching.

Daniel is doing well with his treatment.  We discovered he had a very large issue with anxiety, and the doctor got him started on some medication for that.  What an amazing change there!  We did have an argument a little more than a week ago because I was starting to see some old patterns and symptoms.  I finally told Daniel that he needed to call the doctor; it wasn't a suggestion anymore.  The doctor zeroed in on the fact that Daniel wasn't getting eight hours of sleep each night and said those symptoms were probably due to that.    He increased one of Daniel's medications that help him sleep.  Sure enough, the symptoms are fading as Daniel starts to get a solid night of sleep.  It is incredible what a difference sleep can make.  The BIG problem now is Daniel's snoring.  I'll write about that soon.  Let's just say that after three nights on the couch I'm ready to invest in some ear plugs.  Any suggestions?

Amber just got her purple belt in karate.  I can't believe she has been practicing for a year and a half now.  That really is a long time to stick with something for a girl her age.

Andrea is loving drama club and has asked to attend a performing arts charter school near us.  We are actually considering it since a friend of ours has enrolled her daughter.  I was worried the performing arts part would overshadow academics, but in the school "regular" subjects come first.  Our friend's daughter has had an amazing boost in self esteem and attitude toward school.  It might just be the thing for Andrea.

I'll write more about each of these subjects soon.  I'm so glad to be back to blogging.  I can't wait to catch up with all of you!

Prompt: What I've Learned About Me

I recently learned that I am much stronger than I would have given myself credit for.  In the past year I have had a few blows- both physical and emotional.  Each of these instances showed me that I can get through just about anything with hard work, determination, and most importantly, taking things days by day.

First I had shingles that were the worst case any of my doctors had seen.  I spent four days in the hospital, had a terrible fight with the medication I was put on, and recovered with just enough time to get a job before the school year started.  It took four months to recover to the point I was ready to work, and I am still struggling with some aspects of the recovery more than a year and a half later.

In March we found out Daniel has bipolar disorder.  Once I finally said something about wanting him to seek treatment because I suspected this to be an issue in our marriage, life became a whirlwind.  Every moment I wasn't working seemed to be focused on getting Daniel stable and learning to live life differently.  I am so glad Daniel got diagnosed and has started treatment.  I wouldn't say we had a terrible life or marriage before this, but being able to see how much better it can be (and is becoming) is really eye-opening.

In July I slipped on a rug and dislocated my tailbone.  That was even more painful than the shingles.  The pain is intense, and with the shingles I was able to stay fairly still and allow the pain to subside.  You would not believe how much you use your tailbone area!  Even lifting my laptop could bring a shock of pain.  

Finally, in August I broke my arm (oh, yeah... I'll tell you about that soon).  Holy cow has that been an experience!  I have three physical therapy sessions left, but I'm still not rotating my arm properly, and I'm not using it naturally.  More than likely I'll be sent to a few more torture sessions before being released from the doctor's care.  

All of these challenges have proven to me that I am no wimp!  I used to get frustrated when people would tell me how strong I am.  I'm starting to understand, though.  These ARE tough issues I've faced, and I do handle them much better than I could.  I may break down from time to time, but I still get up and face the next day.

It's Been a Very Long Time

It has been so long since I've posted, and I really don't know what to write about.  I think I've gotten back into that thought process that nobody really cares about my everyday life.  That's terrible thinking, though.  I know people do want to hear about it.  I think part of my fear is that I feel I need to censor myself in case the parents of my students read this blog.  I'm kind of tired of hiding, though.  I had this blog before I became a teacher, and honestly this is who I am.  I wonder if sometimes we don't try to keep our professional and personal lives TOO separated.

Speaking of separating professional and personal lives, this week I did decide to blend the two.  My Fall Break was the first two weeks of October.  My daughters have their Fall Break this week.  Each of the girls wanted to spend a day with me to see what my school is like and what I am like as a teacher.

Andrea came with me on Tuesday, and she had a blast!  She couldn't stop talking about the students in my class, and she had some great things to say about the culture of our school.  One thing I hadn't noticed before she mentioned it is that there really doesn't seem to be that "popular crowd" you find in other schools. Our campus is certainly big enough to have the divisions.  We have three sixth grade classes, so there are plenty of students to form groups.  We have small groups of friends, but the are all welcoming to new faces.  I think that is really impressive!

My daughter pointed out that I was strict in the morning, but as the day went on she called me "laid back."  I really thought about that, and I think it's true.  We have almost all of our direct instruction in the morning blocks.  In the afternoon my students work more independently and generally self-paced.  During instruction I do expect for there to be no interruptions or problems.  During independent work, though, the atmosphere is a little lighter and I can tolerate a little less structure.  The students know that there is a line that cannot be crossed, though, or I will ask them for silence during this block.  It also helps that during this time students have been given a packet to work on that is due Friday.  If they don't get it done, they don't participate in the learning games.  They have these build in incentives, and I am very much the type to allow them to learn about self control by failing in this area.  If a student chooses to talk rather than work, he or she will not be allowed to participate in the fun on Friday.  I'm trying to remember to step out of the way and allow natural consequences to do their jobs.

Today is Amber's day to join me.  I'm a little nervous since she is only in 4th grade, but she will be spending the day with me in my 6th grade classroom.  She is not quite as outgoing as Andrea, so I worry she will be nervous and uncomfortable.  I assigned her a really great companion from my class, though, so I think she will be okay.  I'll let you know how it goes!

I Just Couldn't Do It

As the deadline to make my decision drew near, I just couldn't do it.  I couldn't allow my blog to die.  There was too much here that was precious to me.  Too many stories, too many comments, too many times where people had wrapped their arms around me and supported me in my journey.  I've traveled a rough road since starting this blog, and I just couldn't say goodbye permanently.  I hope at least some of my previous readers will be back to continue sharing my adventures, and I am looking forward to making new friends along the way!