March 26, 2008

verge of exhaustion?

I have been quite giddy this evening, out shopping with Bryce. Almost delirious, certainly ditzy, occasionally scatter-brained... Perhaps this week's endless flow of activities has sent my mind into a frantic frenzy-- not quite ready to shut down, but certainly on the verge.

Week at a glance: 3 chapters of my master's project + bibliography completed, attending to neighbor's sick dog (helping neighbor hold dog down to pour peroxide in, b/c she got into pills), report cards, early conference, PartyLite party at my house, sub plans, conference in Cadillac, trip to PetSmart to exchange rat cage, laundry, conferences all afternoon/evening tomorrow, packing for weekend at parents' house, late conference on Friday... then a CALM RELAXING weekend in Kalamazoo. Woo-hoo!

March 22, 2008

childhood collector's item?


When I was a little girl, my mom always displayed a sugar easter egg on the table as one of our staple Easter decorations. In my teenage years, we got out the decorations and were horrified to discover that the sugar easter egg had become damp and gross in the basement box.

So, much later, probably in my 23rd year, my mom sent me a sugar easter egg in the annual easter package, and I have kept it safely secured in its plastic packaging ever since... like a collector's item.

Well, much to my surprise, a new sugar easter egg arrived in this year's package today-- complete with price tag proclaiming, "$1.99". So much for the valuable collector's item!

And so, once more, I realize that I truly do like the semi-realities of my childlike mind, more than the realities of international commerce. Yes, my new sugar egg was made in China.

March 17, 2008

game groups



I *love* this language arts unit... I put my students in "game groups", and they invent their own board games. And, I let them just take off with it, which sets panic in the hearts of some other teachers, but for me, it's the BEST part of first grade. Here are a couple of examples of my groups hard at work!

March 16, 2008

Song of the Week


Last week I started "Song of the Week" with my 1st graders. We practice one song all week long, and I even send home the lyrics/music to it. Our first song was 59th Street Bridge Song (aka "feelin' groovy"), and it was a success. I was beaming as my fabulous student "choir" belted out the words on Friday before heading home. Many of them really did have it memorized! This week we are doing Lean on Me. I've also been searching through my "Rise Up Singing" book, which is a thorough source of folk songs.

March 15, 2008

addicted... to movies?













S
tate Theatre by the week:
2 weeks ago, Ali and I endured the bloody suspense of "No Country for Old Men". This week, we took in the fantasy/reality musical "Across the Universe" (middle: my favorite rendition of "Let It Be", a young boy during the Detroit riots). Next week, it's "Once", and surely we will *once* again hit the Theatre in what is quickly becoming a weekly tradition... or addiction?

March 14, 2008

rat glamor





This will be me in a couple of months... only imagine one on each shoulder! :)

March 11, 2008

oh rats-


literally.

I am having such fun with the two classroom pets I brought home today... I will take them in to school tomorrow, and I plan to pick up a wire cage this weekend, which they are sure to like better.

Zoey has been absolutely adorable!

I just love her "surprise attack" manuevers. And that isn't the rat's tail where it looks like it is-- It's a strip of newspaper sticking up!

BUT, the girls' tails will get quite hideous looking when they are older.

March 10, 2008

Mary Mary quite contrary...


...how does your garden grow?




I have been intensely reading the Jung Quality Seeds catalog, and during my second read I am plotting out the various flower and vegetable (fruit?) gardens (and bushes!) for our yard this spring.

Here's what has made the veggie/fruit list *so far*: mini-eggplants, summer squash, zucchini, grapes... and I am only on page 29 of 99!

Did you know you can buy three pussy willows for $9.00?!!

March 7, 2008

wouldn't it be nice...


if it were warm out
then we wouldn't have to wait so long...


This kitchen photo from last summer captured the freshness of open-window days.

March 6, 2008

kindergarten presidential checklist


My friend Andrea teaches kindergarten, and during the week of Presidents' Day, they made this list of things a president *should* do... She said it was a lucky thing she thought about adding the word "should"!

March 3, 2008

yes we can! :)


My carpool partner and new friend, Gloria, and I spent an intense 2 days in Cleveland canvassing for Senator Obama's campaign. We knocked on 200+ doors, talking with many enthusiastic voters and leaving an informative Obama door-hanger with details about voting and specific polling place locations. I even spent 20 minutes chatting with an old retired professor in his historic home, discussing our country's issues and learning some of Cleveland's history.
I have many funny stories to share, but not enough time at the moment...


So, here are a couple of blurry photos from a MOST exciting event-- Lucky us, it just so happened that Barack was holding a town hall meeting in Parma Saturday night, only 20 minutes from our location... and even without tickets, we got in! He spoke for about an hour and 15 minutes, and I was so impressed. The first half was his usual stump speech, but for the last half he answered questions from the crowd, and Senator Obama answered each question thoroughly. His responses were so intelligent, from such an amazingly rational perspective with real problem-solving steps. Everyone left there with a feeling of real possibility, like maybe there truly is a chance for the United States to become united again.