Well, we had our first playground accident today. It was bound to happen sooner or later I suppose. It just happen to get three of them today, which is over half the class. Ugh. One fell and scraped his face, one bumped her knee, and another scraped her arm. Nothing to serious in teacher land, but very serious in Kindergarten world.
Learning that Mom and Dad can't pick you up right away when you get a scrape is a huge lesson. Something I never thought about before. It's a big step for these little ones, and probably for Mom and Dad too. I have a feeling when they pick-up their babies they will cry more than the kiddos did.
The little one who scraped his chin said he "just wanted someone big to hold him." What a sweet and innocent desire. I feel blessed to be in a school where no one thinks twice if I do pick up and/or hug my kiddos. He also said he didn't want to rest, and wanted to change rest time to snack time for today. But, as I type, he is out like a light :)
Big steps toward independence today I think.
On the castle side, Jordan and I will be heading to the Rhine River this weekend. We will be staying in a castle right on the river. How cool is that?! I am sure we will have some great pictures to share on Tuesday.
Enjoy your weekend!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
School is Cool
This year is going great so far. I am pleasantly surprised.
Truthfully, I only have 5 kids, so how bad could it go, right?
Here is the issue with that- I have never had a bad class. My first class were 20 perfect genius children. I cried when I had to give them up. This class is 5 great kids, and did I mention 4 are girls? Seriously. What in the world am I going to do when I end up with some crazy ghetto bad class?
I won't know what to do with myself.
Moving on.
The first two days have already provided a good number of funny stories.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
1. The principal's daughter is in my class. After we went over the rules she raised her hand and looked at me with a very serious expression and said, "I thought when my Mom picked you, she said you were nice." Ha!
2. Overheard on the playground, one kid to another- "You know L, we are so lucky. Not only is Mrs. Clark nice, she is also very talented."
3. The scene- Nap time, Day 1. Girl who speaks limited English lays down on her nap mat and proceeds to take all her clothes off. My German is not quite good enough to explain to a child who keeps saying, "But I have warm" that she must keep her clothes on.
4. My little boy looks around during reading time today and says, "Mrs. Clark where are you?" I tell him I am right behind him and he says, "Oh, I thought you went out for a smoke." ha ha! What do I say to that? So I said, "No, smoking is bad for you. Mrs. Clark doesn't smoke." A little girl says, "smoking isn't bad for my babysitter, she likes it." Another adds, "smoking isn't bad for my Papa." And still another, "My Mom used to smoke until she found a patch at the store. She had to put it on every day. Then she finally learned not to smoke."
I bet you've never had a conversation about smoking with Kindergartners now have you?
Okay, time to wake up the kiddos....
More to come :)
Truthfully, I only have 5 kids, so how bad could it go, right?
Here is the issue with that- I have never had a bad class. My first class were 20 perfect genius children. I cried when I had to give them up. This class is 5 great kids, and did I mention 4 are girls? Seriously. What in the world am I going to do when I end up with some crazy ghetto bad class?
I won't know what to do with myself.
Moving on.
The first two days have already provided a good number of funny stories.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
1. The principal's daughter is in my class. After we went over the rules she raised her hand and looked at me with a very serious expression and said, "I thought when my Mom picked you, she said you were nice." Ha!
2. Overheard on the playground, one kid to another- "You know L, we are so lucky. Not only is Mrs. Clark nice, she is also very talented."
3. The scene- Nap time, Day 1. Girl who speaks limited English lays down on her nap mat and proceeds to take all her clothes off. My German is not quite good enough to explain to a child who keeps saying, "But I have warm" that she must keep her clothes on.
4. My little boy looks around during reading time today and says, "Mrs. Clark where are you?" I tell him I am right behind him and he says, "Oh, I thought you went out for a smoke." ha ha! What do I say to that? So I said, "No, smoking is bad for you. Mrs. Clark doesn't smoke." A little girl says, "smoking isn't bad for my babysitter, she likes it." Another adds, "smoking isn't bad for my Papa." And still another, "My Mom used to smoke until she found a patch at the store. She had to put it on every day. Then she finally learned not to smoke."
I bet you've never had a conversation about smoking with Kindergartners now have you?
Okay, time to wake up the kiddos....
More to come :)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Crappy Update
Well, I dropped the C bomb today at school. I didn't even realize it until it was out of my mouth. I was vowing not to wear "crappy tennis shoes" to work.
It didn't go so well. I think a few of them may have peed their pants. Almost like I did when there was discussion over the evils of The Wizard of Oz. And pumpkins. And Santa Claus.
Uh oh.
One non-crappy thing? Today is Reagan's birthday! Happy 2nd/12th birthday little guy!
It didn't go so well. I think a few of them may have peed their pants. Almost like I did when there was discussion over the evils of The Wizard of Oz. And pumpkins. And Santa Claus.
Uh oh.
One non-crappy thing? Today is Reagan's birthday! Happy 2nd/12th birthday little guy!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Poland
Well, I made it back from Poland yesterday afternoon.
I had a good time with my friends, but I missed my boys!
W drove to Poland Thursday afternoon (an hour later than expected, thanks Krad), and it took us about 6 1/2 hours to get there. We went straight to the hotel. Everyone else had already arrived. We settled in and ordered dinner (and wine of course). I was the trip planner, even though this was my first time to Poland! The Blue Beet Root (our hotel) was awesome! We had almost the whole place to ourselves which is good because we are a rowdy group! Poland itself was little crazy. Very Eastern European. In some places it looked like the Soviets left yesterday!
The Hotel
My Room
After dinner on the first night we taught everyone how to play flippy cup. They all enjoyed telling their children (close to my age) about the game they learned. Crazy ladies :)
The next day was our shopping day! Hooray! We went into the first store, and I really didn't know what to expect. I sort of had an idea of what I wanted, but was open since I didn't have much to begin with. Once I started looking around the store I got very overwhelmed. The prices seemed really high. There were so many patterns and sizes! Ahhhh!
A little info about the pottery...
Polish Pottery is made in the town we went to, Boleslaweic. There are several manufacturers in the town. Each of which makes their own pieces as well as the popular patterns. The Unikat patterns are unique, and are the most expensive. The pottery is given a category (Gat) once it is made. Gat 1 is the highest quality. Gat 2 means there is some imperfection maybe in the shape or in the painting/stamping of the design. Gat 3 and below are pieces with significant flaws, which must be hand washed and should be used mostly for display. The current Dollar to Zloty rate is 1:2. Just a few years ago it was 1:4. While it is better than the Euro, it is on a decline. Each trip to Poland, the pottery will become more expensive. However, it is not as expensive as in the states. For instance, JCPenny carries one pattern and sells appetizer plates for 17 dollars each. I purchased mine for 7 each. QVC sells mugs for 25 each, I purchased mine for 6.
The ladies were very helpful though with tips and ideas. Once we got to the third store I had an idea of what good prices were and what I wanted. I broke the seal and bought my first piece. From then on, I was on a roll!
One of the Stores
We kept going to store after store looking for the right pieces at good prices. Most of the ladies were professionals and knew exactly what they needed. They even brought photos and lists of what they already had.
The very last store we went to was one of the best! It was a factory store and had tons of stuff! It is called Ceramika Artystyczna. Next time I go, I will go to this store first!
Krystal loved this store. :)
After that store my shopping was done! We headed to lunch where I had the traditional Polish food, pierogi. They are lovely little dumplings. I had mine stuffed with spinach and cheese. Mmmm!
Pierogi. I promise they taste better than they look.
Some of our group at lunch.
After lunch it was back to the hotel for a massage (manicure and pedicure were the day before.) Then we had another lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. Guess how much my 2 nights of dinner were? 9 euro! For both nights food! Amazing!
Overall it was a really great trip! I bet you want to see what I bought don't you?
My Polish Pottery collection! (Plus the basket I bought for 10 bucks!) The ugly Americana candy dish was a gift from a vendor at last year's bazaar, and should not be counted as part of my exquisite taste. :)
A close up view.
I can't wait to go back! Anyone want to come????
I had a good time with my friends, but I missed my boys!
W drove to Poland Thursday afternoon (an hour later than expected, thanks Krad), and it took us about 6 1/2 hours to get there. We went straight to the hotel. Everyone else had already arrived. We settled in and ordered dinner (and wine of course). I was the trip planner, even though this was my first time to Poland! The Blue Beet Root (our hotel) was awesome! We had almost the whole place to ourselves which is good because we are a rowdy group! Poland itself was little crazy. Very Eastern European. In some places it looked like the Soviets left yesterday!
The Hotel
My Room
After dinner on the first night we taught everyone how to play flippy cup. They all enjoyed telling their children (close to my age) about the game they learned. Crazy ladies :)
The next day was our shopping day! Hooray! We went into the first store, and I really didn't know what to expect. I sort of had an idea of what I wanted, but was open since I didn't have much to begin with. Once I started looking around the store I got very overwhelmed. The prices seemed really high. There were so many patterns and sizes! Ahhhh!
A little info about the pottery...
Polish Pottery is made in the town we went to, Boleslaweic. There are several manufacturers in the town. Each of which makes their own pieces as well as the popular patterns. The Unikat patterns are unique, and are the most expensive. The pottery is given a category (Gat) once it is made. Gat 1 is the highest quality. Gat 2 means there is some imperfection maybe in the shape or in the painting/stamping of the design. Gat 3 and below are pieces with significant flaws, which must be hand washed and should be used mostly for display. The current Dollar to Zloty rate is 1:2. Just a few years ago it was 1:4. While it is better than the Euro, it is on a decline. Each trip to Poland, the pottery will become more expensive. However, it is not as expensive as in the states. For instance, JCPenny carries one pattern and sells appetizer plates for 17 dollars each. I purchased mine for 7 each. QVC sells mugs for 25 each, I purchased mine for 6.
The ladies were very helpful though with tips and ideas. Once we got to the third store I had an idea of what good prices were and what I wanted. I broke the seal and bought my first piece. From then on, I was on a roll!
One of the Stores
We kept going to store after store looking for the right pieces at good prices. Most of the ladies were professionals and knew exactly what they needed. They even brought photos and lists of what they already had.
The very last store we went to was one of the best! It was a factory store and had tons of stuff! It is called Ceramika Artystyczna. Next time I go, I will go to this store first!
Krystal loved this store. :)
After that store my shopping was done! We headed to lunch where I had the traditional Polish food, pierogi. They are lovely little dumplings. I had mine stuffed with spinach and cheese. Mmmm!
Pierogi. I promise they taste better than they look.
Some of our group at lunch.
After lunch it was back to the hotel for a massage (manicure and pedicure were the day before.) Then we had another lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. Guess how much my 2 nights of dinner were? 9 euro! For both nights food! Amazing!
Overall it was a really great trip! I bet you want to see what I bought don't you?
My Polish Pottery collection! (Plus the basket I bought for 10 bucks!) The ugly Americana candy dish was a gift from a vendor at last year's bazaar, and should not be counted as part of my exquisite taste. :)
A close up view.
I can't wait to go back! Anyone want to come????
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Crayons and Crap
My classroom seems to be progressing well. I spend a lot of evenings just trying to put it together since I am still working at the USO as well. Changing to Kindergarten is huge! I always told my first graders that Kindergardeners ate paper, boogers, and anything else they could find. I am beginning to think it's true! I should know more after evaluations next week. If only I can get them to not eat the test....
A view of my classroom from the door.
From the computer center.
From my desk.
Current Issues/Worries/Atrocities:
- There will be Sunday School in my room. They will touch my stuff. They may not put things back in alphabetical order centered within the shelf. This is a problem. Already on Monday I found crap (see below) taken out of my color coded containers with photos and labels and not put away.
-Crap. I like this word, I say this word. Now, of course, I understand I will not be able to say this in front of the children. However, do private school teachers even say "crap" around each other? Will they shun me? Crap, crap, crap. Maybe if I buy a denim jumper they will like me more.
Speaking of crap. I will now jump on the milspouse blog bandwagon and share the crap I like. (Mom, please don't have a heart attack because I have said crap so much. It will be okay.) Now you will know all my indulgences.
1. US Weekly. Like all of other girls, I love reading crap magazines. It's mindless entertainment. I however, take it one giant step further, I have a subscription. That's right, every week that literary jewel comes to my mailbox. I also frequent tmz.com and perezhilton.com.
2. Wine and champagne. I enjoy life in Germany. :) Good friends and good wine!
3. Burger King. I eat it almost everyday. Seriously.
4. Mexican food. I seriously LOVE it. When I went home, I went to my favorite restaurant. I ate so much I puked. Seriously.
5. The internet. If I am late to something, it's usually because I was on the internet too long and started getting ready late. Sometimes I look at so much I feel as if I have reached the end of the internet. I like facebook, blogs, gossip sites, etsy, cinchouse, atoz teacher, everything. When I wake up in the morning I check my email before i get out of bed. That's right, I said it.
6. Traveling. I love to go anywhere! Even the smallest of towns over here have things to see. We go somewhere at least every month, if not more. We even had a destination wedding!
7. Photo editing with the Mac. I have been airbrushing every single photo on my computer. You may be disappointed if you meet me in real life.
8. Cherry Coke Zero. I miss it! Send some ASAP!
9. Organization. This includes containers, labeling, color coding, alphabetizing, and SPREADSHEETS! All when I am not feeling lazy of course.
10. Tacky TV. Oprah, Dr. Phil, Gossip Girl, The Hills, Army Wives, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, COPS, Project Runway, etc.
I think thats all. I don't really like sweets or chocolate, so that is not an issue with me. I would have a Target addiction, but well, we don't have one. I certainly don't have a BX addiction.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this blog. If you've been lurking, delurk and profess your love for the word crap too by commenting! :)
I'm off to Poland. More when I get home :)
A view of my classroom from the door.
From the computer center.
From my desk.
Current Issues/Worries/Atrocities:
- There will be Sunday School in my room. They will touch my stuff. They may not put things back in alphabetical order centered within the shelf. This is a problem. Already on Monday I found crap (see below) taken out of my color coded containers with photos and labels and not put away.
-Crap. I like this word, I say this word. Now, of course, I understand I will not be able to say this in front of the children. However, do private school teachers even say "crap" around each other? Will they shun me? Crap, crap, crap. Maybe if I buy a denim jumper they will like me more.
Speaking of crap. I will now jump on the milspouse blog bandwagon and share the crap I like. (Mom, please don't have a heart attack because I have said crap so much. It will be okay.) Now you will know all my indulgences.
1. US Weekly. Like all of other girls, I love reading crap magazines. It's mindless entertainment. I however, take it one giant step further, I have a subscription. That's right, every week that literary jewel comes to my mailbox. I also frequent tmz.com and perezhilton.com.
2. Wine and champagne. I enjoy life in Germany. :) Good friends and good wine!
3. Burger King. I eat it almost everyday. Seriously.
4. Mexican food. I seriously LOVE it. When I went home, I went to my favorite restaurant. I ate so much I puked. Seriously.
5. The internet. If I am late to something, it's usually because I was on the internet too long and started getting ready late. Sometimes I look at so much I feel as if I have reached the end of the internet. I like facebook, blogs, gossip sites, etsy, cinchouse, atoz teacher, everything. When I wake up in the morning I check my email before i get out of bed. That's right, I said it.
6. Traveling. I love to go anywhere! Even the smallest of towns over here have things to see. We go somewhere at least every month, if not more. We even had a destination wedding!
7. Photo editing with the Mac. I have been airbrushing every single photo on my computer. You may be disappointed if you meet me in real life.
8. Cherry Coke Zero. I miss it! Send some ASAP!
9. Organization. This includes containers, labeling, color coding, alphabetizing, and SPREADSHEETS! All when I am not feeling lazy of course.
10. Tacky TV. Oprah, Dr. Phil, Gossip Girl, The Hills, Army Wives, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, COPS, Project Runway, etc.
I think thats all. I don't really like sweets or chocolate, so that is not an issue with me. I would have a Target addiction, but well, we don't have one. I certainly don't have a BX addiction.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this blog. If you've been lurking, delurk and profess your love for the word crap too by commenting! :)
I'm off to Poland. More when I get home :)
Friday, August 1, 2008
New Jobs All Around
Well, today was quite an eventful day for both of us! The old adage of "when it rains it pours" has certainly been true for us today.
I will share Jordan's news first, since I can assure you he is totally thrilled. :)
Today Jordan started his second day at the PAX terminal. He was enjoying his job and having an office for the first time. He attended several meetings today, the last being at the squadron. During this meeting his boss, and our friend, Jen, called him out to the hallway. She told him to head to the commander's office right away. At this point, he knew about the joy awaiting him. LtCol. told him that he has been selected as the group executive officer.
Now, for those of you non-military this means...
1. A big honor, 2nd Lts are NOT selected as XOs, much less selected for Group XOs
2. He will be the XO for around 10,000 people (the structure goes: flight-squadron-group-wing)
3. He will be a glorified secretary answering emails, planning visits, managing calendars, etc.
4. He will get to meet a good amount of big wigs during his time
5. This job will be good for his career
He is nervous but excited. I told him I would be happy to make spreadsheets. I'm not sure why he doesn't look forward to organization and being all in someone's business. This seems like the perfect job to me!
In my news...
This was my old class (-1, one is absent). They were absolutely AMAZING 1st graders!
This will be the size of my new class of Kindergartners!
That's right, my NEW class. It will be hard to give up my job at the USO but I am excited about teaching again. Plus, I will only have 8 kids in my class! That's amazing!
I haven't taught Kinder before, so I am nervous (did I mention I have the principal's kid??), but I am excited to get back in the classroom. This weekend I will be dragging out all my stuff again. Time to get reorganized! If you happen to talk to my old boss though (like you would right?!), let's not mention the new job until after Monday, deal? I can't bring my self to officially let it go yet.
Make me feel better k? I made the right decision right?
Here's to another adventure!
I will share Jordan's news first, since I can assure you he is totally thrilled. :)
Today Jordan started his second day at the PAX terminal. He was enjoying his job and having an office for the first time. He attended several meetings today, the last being at the squadron. During this meeting his boss, and our friend, Jen, called him out to the hallway. She told him to head to the commander's office right away. At this point, he knew about the joy awaiting him. LtCol. told him that he has been selected as the group executive officer.
Now, for those of you non-military this means...
1. A big honor, 2nd Lts are NOT selected as XOs, much less selected for Group XOs
2. He will be the XO for around 10,000 people (the structure goes: flight-squadron-group-wing)
3. He will be a glorified secretary answering emails, planning visits, managing calendars, etc.
4. He will get to meet a good amount of big wigs during his time
5. This job will be good for his career
He is nervous but excited. I told him I would be happy to make spreadsheets. I'm not sure why he doesn't look forward to organization and being all in someone's business. This seems like the perfect job to me!
In my news...
This was my old class (-1, one is absent). They were absolutely AMAZING 1st graders!
This will be the size of my new class of Kindergartners!
That's right, my NEW class. It will be hard to give up my job at the USO but I am excited about teaching again. Plus, I will only have 8 kids in my class! That's amazing!
I haven't taught Kinder before, so I am nervous (did I mention I have the principal's kid??), but I am excited to get back in the classroom. This weekend I will be dragging out all my stuff again. Time to get reorganized! If you happen to talk to my old boss though (like you would right?!), let's not mention the new job until after Monday, deal? I can't bring my self to officially let it go yet.
Make me feel better k? I made the right decision right?
Here's to another adventure!
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