New School Year

It's a new school year, and thanks to Pinterest and the teacher share ideas page on Facebook I'm finally getting into my back to school mode.  All of the ideas I have seen are easy to adapt to any theme.  Last year I decided to go with the leopard print theme in my class.  I'm having so much fun adding new ideas to my classroom this year.  Here's a peek into my classroom.


1.   Small group table area.

 2,   Class Rules and Conduct Clip Chart

3.   School PBIS Rules (PRIDE)

4.   Homework BINGO

5.   All About Me board

6.   Teacher small group table.  (Love the touch light idea for a no disturbing signal when working with a group.)

7.   Word Wall and Reading Center

8.   New classroom clock (that somehow keeps disappearing and reappearing in my classroom.)

9.   Birthday corner

10.   Crazy straw birthday treats

Random Act of Kindness

I'm not one to normally pick up strangers on the side of the road, but tonight was an exception.  My husband and I made a quick trip to his office building this evening.  As we were leaving, we caught sight of an old man, cane in his hand, hobbling down the sidewalk of a main street not too far from the downtown area.  At first my husband thought he recognized this man as one he sees quite often, but as we passed him up he realized it was a different man.  We slowed down wondering if the old man might be lost or needed help, and I suggested he turn around and ask him.  Then, we pulled into a parking lot the man was walking by and rolled down the window to ask where he was headed and if he needed a lift.  He graciously thanked us and accepted the ride.

I quickly got out of the passenger side of the truck and offered him my seat.  As I was helping this man in the truck I couldn't help but think, "What if this had been my grandfather?"  I climbed into the backseat next to my son Nicholas, the old man gave us directions to his house, and we drove off.  During the short drive we learned he was coming back from one of the casinos, and the bus had let him off there at the parking lot.  He said. "If you win, you take the taxi.  If you lose, you take the bus."  It was obvious that he had taken the bus and for a moment I was sad.  It was getting dark now, and I hated to think of this old man walking by himself to his home.  I wondered if we hadn't of stopped to help if he would have made it home safely.

We found the old man's street.  It looked like an old alley street, and his house was an old rickety two story house that at one time was probably one of the nicer homes in the old Highland neighborhood.  It appeared he lived alone, and we wondered if he had electricity and food.  I helped him out of the truck, and he politely thanked us again.  We may never see this man again, but I am grateful we were able to help out this kind stranger when he needed someone.

      

Z is for Zippity Do Dah

Zippity do dah, Zippity day. My, oh my, what a wonderful day...

It's Friday, the work week is over, I'm back from the gym, and I'm finishing up my last letter blog.  You would think I'd be tired, but I'm feelin' pretty good.

As I sit here writing and waiting for my husband to get off work, I'm making plans for family night also.   I think I'll suggest crawfish for dinner and maybe that Avengers movie that's playing now.  

It's a wonderful feeling and a wonderful day!

Y is for Ya-Yas

Friends are God's way of taking care of us.  Today, I want to pay a special tribute to my ya-yas.  My ya-yas are my special friendships that have evolved over time.  Friendships take time.  Time to get to know each other, time to build memories, and time to share each other's life.

It got me thinking: no matter how busy we are, we need to make time to spend quality time with our friends. Family is important, but my friends are the people who keep me sane, make me laugh, and allow me to be who I need to be. Friends (real friends, I mean) are those who take your mind off all your problems or who let you unload your problems onto them.  When you have that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, you turn to your friends and they'll crack up a joke that calms your nerves.  Well, at least mine do, and I love them to bits for it.

To all my special ya-yas out there, I just really wanted to express how much I value your friendship.  I'm holding a glass of wine right now.  Here's a toast to our friendship and girlfriend therapy.

X is for X-Anne's Xanadu

The moment X-Anne stepped off the plane she knew she was in paradise.  The palm trees lining the streets, the endless ocean with the sound of waves crashing against the shore, and the unbounded miles of sand gleaming in the sunlight made this unlike any place she had ever seen.

"Ahh, at last." X-Anne said.  "My paradise.  My Xanadu." 

X-Anne had reserved a car for when she arrived and in no time at all was headed to the beachfront bungalow that was waiting for her.  There were no deadlines, no researching, and no interviews to conduct.  Only the feel of the breeze, the smell of the salt water, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore to confirm she was right where she needed to be.

The sun was beginning to set and X-Anne decided to take a stroll along the beach to watch the sunset.  As she reached the sand she slipped off her sandals and padded barefoot feeling the warmth the sun had left behind.  Reaching the water's edge she stopped and stared out into the vast open waters.  Her feet were being teased by the waves as they barely reached her toes and then returned to the ocean.

Just as X-Anne was about to turn back she glanced down and saw something shiny staring back at her.  Curiously, she bent down to examine the object.  Her heart began beating faster as she realized she had found a hidden treasure.  She carefully picked up her treasure and tucked it away safely in her pocket.

Dusk was settling in, and it was time to head back.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.  Smiling to herself, X-Anne knew she had found a little bit of paradise she could take back home.

W is for Windsurfer's Wife

My past vacations got me thinking about what it's like to be married to a windsurfer.  Most of our family vacations are centered around the "windsurfing" vacation as this is my husband's favorite activity.  I can recall many amazing places I have been with my husband.  From Aruba, Mexico, and Hawaii to the shores of Oregon, California, Texas, and Florida, I have traveled along while my husband windsurfed in the places he considered a windsurfer's paradise.

Back when I first met my husband, I did attempt to learn the windsurfing sport.  I soon learned that this was not my thing.  It could possibly have something to do with Chris trying to teach me the sport, but in the middle of our lesson he took off with the wind, and left me stranded in the middle of the lake.  Maybe I just don't get the adrenaline rush he experiences.  Or perhaps it had to do with the fact that I am just not that much of a water sport person.

Whatever the reasons, I have given up on trying to learn this sport and have focused instead on the traveling experiences I have gained by going to places I probably would have never gone to if I hadn't met my husband.

I'm thankful for the amazing experiences I've had and wouldn't trade it for anything.  Being a windsurfer's wife has enhanced my love of traveling, and it's a blessing to be able to share some of these experiences with my children too.

Our adventures are far from over though.  There are still more places to discover and more places to share.

V is for Videos

I'm so glad I made home videos of my children when they were younger.  Not long ago I was cleaning out one of my closets when I came across a bag with some old VHS home videos.  My husband decided to buy a DVD player that was both VHS and DVD compatible, and we decided to convert the VHS videos to DVD.

I'm thankful I took the time to capture the moments when my children were small.  One special video I came across was with my son Nicholas when he was 5 years old.  This was also the time my second child was born.  Nicholas has Down Syndrome and experienced developmental delays typical of what was expected.  He received early intervention services which included physical, speech, and developmental therapies.  Shortly after Nicholas turned 6 he suddenly stopped talking and has not spoken since.  It's been over 10 years now and over time the memory of him talking has become fuzzy.

Thanks to the home videos I made when Nicholas and Caleb were little, I am able to remember these days all over.  Here is a short clip of one that I enjoy watching of Nicholas singing with his dad and his baby brother.