This past Saturday was the Santa Claus parade in town. The Sprouts were thrumming with anticipation of the parade and a dinner out to celebrate. We all enjoyed the parade a lot. The weather was unusually warm, so nobody was in danger of frostbite (unlike our first year here). There was a fresh few inches of snow just in time to make the world look ready for the season. There were far more floats and creatively decorated vehicles than in previous years. And the people standing around us were friendly. All in all it was a very fine town parade.
So, the season has officially begun.
Nana has her decorations all up. We have been admiring them every night. Next weekend is the decorating weekend in our household; tree, lights, etc. I am trying to think of creative ways to decorate the outside of the house without lights. Hmmm...
And before we know it the holiday will be here! Two weeks of soaking in family time and breathing deeply. My heart longs for it with deep anticipation.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
JUMPing
We have embarked on a journey into JUMP math in my classroom. A few weeks ago, staff were asked if there were any volunteers to pilot a new math program. And I got to participate.
There are two of us doing the pilot on our staff, so I have a partner to wrestle over challenges with (very helpful when trying something new). I also had a buddy with me for training on the weekend.
Four of us (the math coordinator, the math coach, and two teachers) went to the big city for two days learning about JUMP Math. For information about the program you can hop over here. I will leave you to that yourself if you are interested (just so you know, I think it is fabulous so far).
On Monday we both dove in with two feet.
The first day was crazy and noisy. BUT I had a student who tests out at an early first grade level for math multiplying independently!
The second day was also noisy. We had the math coach and the math coordinator in and out of the room during the lesson offering support for students. It was helpful, but the bodies moving in and out was also distracting. Overall, day two was better than day one. AND I saw another student who really struggles (and has been withdrawn for Resource full-time from math) multiplying accurately independently!
Today we waded into reading and drawing fractions. AND they all did it beautifully. They even drew thirds in a circle accurately (better then mine usually are) on the first try.
If this is any indication of how well laid out the instruction is going to be, I see all of my students succeeding in math this year. What an awesome thing that will be.
There are two of us doing the pilot on our staff, so I have a partner to wrestle over challenges with (very helpful when trying something new). I also had a buddy with me for training on the weekend.
Four of us (the math coordinator, the math coach, and two teachers) went to the big city for two days learning about JUMP Math. For information about the program you can hop over here. I will leave you to that yourself if you are interested (just so you know, I think it is fabulous so far).
On Monday we both dove in with two feet.
The first day was crazy and noisy. BUT I had a student who tests out at an early first grade level for math multiplying independently!
The second day was also noisy. We had the math coach and the math coordinator in and out of the room during the lesson offering support for students. It was helpful, but the bodies moving in and out was also distracting. Overall, day two was better than day one. AND I saw another student who really struggles (and has been withdrawn for Resource full-time from math) multiplying accurately independently!
Today we waded into reading and drawing fractions. AND they all did it beautifully. They even drew thirds in a circle accurately (better then mine usually are) on the first try.
If this is any indication of how well laid out the instruction is going to be, I see all of my students succeeding in math this year. What an awesome thing that will be.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Broken
FYI, Kindles don't like to be dropped.
I tried to carry a basket of laundry, a pile of books that were going away, my Kindle, and hold my son's hand (because he was feeling needy). The Kindle slipped out of my hands and to the floor.
Not thinking much of it, I kept walking to finish the rest of the tasks in hand.
When I made it back to pick up my Kindle it looked like this....
I cried. It is unreadable; I tried to half an hour and then gave up forlornly. I had nothing to read. It felt, for a brief moment, like life was over (I know, such a drama queen).
Then Monday I came home from my PD in town. LK, the ultimate husband in the universe, greeted my with, "Your new Kindle is on its way."
Really, what more could a woman ask for?
I tried to carry a basket of laundry, a pile of books that were going away, my Kindle, and hold my son's hand (because he was feeling needy). The Kindle slipped out of my hands and to the floor.
Not thinking much of it, I kept walking to finish the rest of the tasks in hand.
When I made it back to pick up my Kindle it looked like this....
I cried. It is unreadable; I tried to half an hour and then gave up forlornly. I had nothing to read. It felt, for a brief moment, like life was over (I know, such a drama queen).
Then Monday I came home from my PD in town. LK, the ultimate husband in the universe, greeted my with, "Your new Kindle is on its way."
Really, what more could a woman ask for?
Birthday Blues
My dearest Sproutlette turned eight last week. She was excited to have a celebration with friends - no little brothers to bother them, and to stay up late for that celebration. The time with friends was great. JK was distracted by Nana for a bit after school, then his Papa kept him busy and out of the girls' hair with a new Lego to build together (major bonding time for them).
Fi had four hours of time where she was pampered with two friends. She was very happy.
So, where do the blues come in?
At bedtime I was combing out her hair to tie up for bed. Guess who was back?
Grrrrr!
Half an hour of painstaking combing and squishing later she was sent to bed. And she got to dream about the fun of having her head treated again the next day instead of focusing on getting her ears pierced (which she had requested for her birthday).
Saturday morning she and I fluffed and puffed and got ready for a mother-daughter day in town (with a visit to the drug store added to the list). We arrived at the aesthetician first thing, planning to make a piercing appointment and then do the other errands. There was a slot so we went right in.
Forty-five minutes later we left. No earrings. Fi was in tears. I was trying not to cry as well. Both of us were frustrated. Fi had second thoughts, then third... then tenth thoughts in the salon and we never got far enough to get beyond black marker dots on her ear lobes. Not a great start to the day.
It felt like her birthday was a bust. There went her present and our bonding time together. Because, face it, groceries is really not a bonding activity. We did have a nice lunch out, though, so all was not lost.
The week has perked up since then. And we have decided that we will wait another year (or three) for earrings. Now to find a great late present...
Fi had four hours of time where she was pampered with two friends. She was very happy.
So, where do the blues come in?
At bedtime I was combing out her hair to tie up for bed. Guess who was back?
Grrrrr!
Half an hour of painstaking combing and squishing later she was sent to bed. And she got to dream about the fun of having her head treated again the next day instead of focusing on getting her ears pierced (which she had requested for her birthday).
Saturday morning she and I fluffed and puffed and got ready for a mother-daughter day in town (with a visit to the drug store added to the list). We arrived at the aesthetician first thing, planning to make a piercing appointment and then do the other errands. There was a slot so we went right in.
Forty-five minutes later we left. No earrings. Fi was in tears. I was trying not to cry as well. Both of us were frustrated. Fi had second thoughts, then third... then tenth thoughts in the salon and we never got far enough to get beyond black marker dots on her ear lobes. Not a great start to the day.
It felt like her birthday was a bust. There went her present and our bonding time together. Because, face it, groceries is really not a bonding activity. We did have a nice lunch out, though, so all was not lost.
The week has perked up since then. And we have decided that we will wait another year (or three) for earrings. Now to find a great late present...
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Starving
After a week of adjusting to the time change - I have no idea why it takes them so long - the kids finally slept to a decent hour on Friday morning. Earlier this week Fi was up at 3:15! Crazy!!
Friday morning Jo announced to the world that he was awake with, "I need breakfast. I am STARVING!"
Friday morning Jo announced to the world that he was awake with, "I need breakfast. I am STARVING!"
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Running Club
Last week on my Tuesday afternoon run home from work I picked up three buddies halfway home. They were four-legged buddies who appeared thrilled to have someone talking to them and stopping to pet them. As a result I had a three-dog escort almost all the way home. They were scared off by the fiercely territorial dogs at a particular house at the Mission (neighbourhood).
Thursday I ran home again (trying to stay fit over the winter this year). Again my same buddies picked me up for an escort home. This time the local nurse drove by. Thinking I was being mobbed, she wanted to help. She dumped a Ziploc bag filled with dog food out the car window as she shouted, |Here, let me help!| She stopped and chatted for a few minutes while the dogs ate. This time they stuck with me through the fierce dogs and came all the way home. We could hear them running around late into the night. I lay there feeling bad that they were outside in the cold instead of home in their own households (although most dogs around here are outside dogs, and they probably didn#t have a warm bed waiting). I still felt bad.
Then, when LK ran home on Friday he was the honoured recipient of the four-legged escort (although I am not sure he quite felt honoured).
This week Tuesday they were waiting. And this time they were determined to stick to me like glue - one literally running at my heels 90% of the way. The escort is starting to feel a bit claustrophobic, with dogs crowding my heels. And I feel bad about bringing them far from home so often. Plus, I am starting to think that either I have a latent dog-piper gene, or that that lovely, kind intention of the nurse to rescue me actually made the dogs think that I was going to be a food source.
But the biggest up-side is that instead of talking to myself all the way home, and looking a wee bit crazy. Now I have someone to talk to, which makes me look a bit more sane (I hope).
Thursday I ran home again (trying to stay fit over the winter this year). Again my same buddies picked me up for an escort home. This time the local nurse drove by. Thinking I was being mobbed, she wanted to help. She dumped a Ziploc bag filled with dog food out the car window as she shouted, |Here, let me help!| She stopped and chatted for a few minutes while the dogs ate. This time they stuck with me through the fierce dogs and came all the way home. We could hear them running around late into the night. I lay there feeling bad that they were outside in the cold instead of home in their own households (although most dogs around here are outside dogs, and they probably didn#t have a warm bed waiting). I still felt bad.
Then, when LK ran home on Friday he was the honoured recipient of the four-legged escort (although I am not sure he quite felt honoured).
This week Tuesday they were waiting. And this time they were determined to stick to me like glue - one literally running at my heels 90% of the way. The escort is starting to feel a bit claustrophobic, with dogs crowding my heels. And I feel bad about bringing them far from home so often. Plus, I am starting to think that either I have a latent dog-piper gene, or that that lovely, kind intention of the nurse to rescue me actually made the dogs think that I was going to be a food source.
But the biggest up-side is that instead of talking to myself all the way home, and looking a wee bit crazy. Now I have someone to talk to, which makes me look a bit more sane (I hope).
More Catching Up
I know it has been forever. I am sorry. The Internet at home is back to SLOWER THAN DIAL-UP, which is an exercise in frustration every single time I go online. As a result, I have done only the bare necessities of online stuff at home for the past week and a half. Blogging just hasn't gotten high enough on the priority list.
So, the next few days are a little less busy (report cards done and handed in) and there will be some time to catch up.
But for the first catch up post...
So, the next few days are a little less busy (report cards done and handed in) and there will be some time to catch up.
But for the first catch up post...
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