the i generation

I am feeling really frustrated by the current i-ness in the world...it's everywhere...itunes...istores...igoogle...not that I am against it either but it's really getting old all this focus on me, myself, and I....really what ever happened to loving others and taking time to help people...

Countdown to Summer

There are only 18 days left to the school year...only eighteen more days to learn, to play and to have fun with my students.

It's been a good year...but a long year...

Target

Why do I do this to myself? I made the mistake of going to a store(Target) with my kiddos....and wouldn't you know it I spent more than I wanted too. I was going to buy things for my class...got a lot of stuff but since I was shopping for kids with kids they felt they deserved something too...Jaron sits and tells me "But I being good Mom" as if this says everything...wouldn't you know I gave in...bought a new fun outside toy...that does it...from now on I am shopping only when the kids are with their dad or sleeping!

First Nite of V-ball

Yeah! I get to go and have fun again! V-ball is starting up! I love it since I get to get some exercise, have fun, spend time outside and literally feel better from hitting something! Tonight the park was cold...it's been in the 50's all day and the kids were playing in the sand and then they got too cold so it was tears all the way to the car, high heater temp on the way home(i left early for my children), and then hot baths when we got home! It was fun tonight but I am soooo rusty! I looked pretty sad playing out there...oh well, it's not like I am trying to impress anyone! My husband loves me and thinks I'm great so what else matters!

Countdown to Summer Vacation

There are 20 days of school left....4 weeks....140 hours....then I am on summer vacation....lots to do!

Saturday at the house...

Today I am trying to finish my spring cleaning....I am so tired of the fact that this house will not stay clean....doesn't help any having 7 people living in it!
I have decided that the other three family member who are not married or been birthed by me are not all slobs...just 2 of them! The 11 year old does keep things relatively clean...I mean she is a typical 11 year old but she does try! My 2 children are on the messy end and we are working on this.!
So today I have cleaned. I am a cleaning machine...not sure what my darling husband has planned for today but I think it may involve yard work(YUCK!) don't get me wrong, I enjoy being outside but I don't enjoy mowing the grass or digging in flower beds! I have a black thumb when it comes to plants...that's Dan's gift! So maybe while he is doing yard work I can work on our bedroom...the bad thing about working opposite shifts is that we aren't both awake at convenient times for cleaning purposes and the room needs some work!

Countdown to Summer Vacation

The school year is quickly coming to an end. I counted it out today and we have 22 days of school left counting today which is now quickly coming to an end...I may not update everyday but the countdown has begun!

Rainy day wonders

It's been raining this evening...a pouring down, pulsing, driving rain! The kids and I were driving home in the rain and it starts lightning! Jaron says "Wow! Look at the stripes God made! There made of light! God made thunder too and it's cool"

I love the simplicity of a child admiring the wonders of God that we see driving through a Thunderstorm! Praise God for all his mighty wonders!

My bRAIN hURTS

I am trying to be a good teacher, I am trying to be a good mom, I am trying...

But my brain hurts today....it's full to bursting and I can't figure out what to do with myself.

I am teaching Homonyms...homophones and homographs. They are a challenge for my students. Its frustrating to me to see them struggle with this concept. Plus, they all forgot how to spell anything today!

Tomorrow should hopefully be a better day!

More Fun at the Park!

Here's some more videos of the kiddos at the park! It really was a fun time!

I am thankful for the time we get to spend together as a family and the fact that our kids really are good friends!

Monday Madness

It's been a good day! I love the weather...it's been gorgeous! I love Spring when it finally warms up! We celebrated Earth Day and focused on Recycling at school today! We spent time creating great chalk art on the tennis courts, raking flower beds and planting flowers! I had bought this Earth Day shirt that says" Save Energy...Don't Talk to ME!" but then I thought since I need to be there for my students it might not be the nicest message so I wore a different spring shirt! I'll wear the Earth Day one at home when I am feeling overwhelmed!

Saturday Family Fun

So Saturday...a busy fun day for the whole family! Janea had BIM JRNE at Calvary. She had a lot of fun and her team took first place. Jaron and I hung out at home and then we all went to pick Janea up.

We went out for a late lunch early dinner and then decided to go and treat the kids to a movie. So we went and saw HORTON HEARS A WHO! it was fun....Jaron really enjoyed the movie and Janea had fun as well.

After going and seeing Horton we went to the Hardware store and then we went to play at the park. The kids had a lot of fun at the park.

This week

It's been a rather long week for me. Not a terrible week but not a good week either but just one of those weeks that is long.

Monday:
I got my car fixed...or told that it doesn't need fixing its just old.
I had a CEC meeting at church
I had a staff meeting at school
A very long day

Tuesday:
A long day at school, plus trying to update my resume and everything as I am now officially job hunting since our March knowing date has long come and gone...oh well!
Long evening at home too, the kids were arguing, the other family was being stressful...just a long day!
Plus added stress of this being Tax Day...so everyone at work was just a little out of sorts!

Wednesday:
Long day at work, on Wednesday I fill in at the front desk and this one was just one where I couldn't figure out a good rhythm..I was away from my desk and my room with the resources I use and I just wasn't productive today.
Wednesday Night was AWANA, and before that I took the kids to McDonalds and so we were just not home.

Today:
Our bearded dragon lizard may be dead, dying or hibernating....we are not sure which. So the kids were stressing over her all day and they feel bad and that makes me feel bad and it's just tiring. The music teacher was sick today too so I had to do music time plus Art and P.E....makes for a very long day
Get home this evening and have to gather all the garbage together since tomorrow is trash day and Dan should take the cans up after work. A bigger job then normal...the can was so full to overflowing that I could fill another whole bag with the stuff balanced on top! I guess I am the only one who takes it outside!
It's also one of those days where the sound of arguing is absolutely making my skin crawl and I think a good nights sleep would make me feel better.

I am going to make dinner, crawl into bed and if I get my wish be asleep by 9:00.

Awana

Tonight for my lesson at AWANA I used the story of God slaying the Assyrians and when they woke up they were all dead....2 Kings 19:35. It's an obscure portion of scripture but I love that God's prophesy through Isaiah is fulfilled...I love the way that God keeps His Promises! It's great!

One a side note....kickball and 6 year olds is a funny combination....they just don't get it....it totally cracks me up when you have 3 runners all on first base!

Shout out to Mr. Dan as he was the only leader brave enough to play....and not wearing flip-flops!

I really like email

It's true...I am a computer junkie...I love it! I love checking peoples blogs, leaving comments and I love email...when it's not spam(I hate SPAM, both electronic and the type that comes in a can). I love the fact that I can communicate with someone, get a response, post a reply and its done so quickly and efficiently!

So maybe I am a geek but I like email!

Praises and Prayers

"Praise God"

"Rejoice in the Lord Always"

"Praise ye the Lord"

I've been reminded in my devos lately that I need to praise God...even when I don't always feel like it....so I am going to that!

#1: My car is fixed! I have driven it today and the belt stayed on!

#2: The weather is gorgeous...windy yet gorgeous and we can play outside!

#3: My God is bigger than any problem facing me!

#4: I have great people in my church and the Lord is doing mighty things!

We also are to pray without ceasing and to make our requests known to God. A few requests:

#1: Wisdom for Dan and I: decisions regarding jobs for both him and I

#2: Finding the right financing

#3: That our children come to know the Lord at a young age and fully rely on HIM!

#4: That my car keeps its belts on for the rest of the school year!

Pictures from Washington D.C.

The Wall of Remembrance at the World War II Memorial
The Capital from the Washington Monument
At the pool at the World War II Memorial looking back towards the Washington Monument
Looking up from the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial
Janea in front of Mr. Lincoln

Janea and Mom in front of the White House
The Washington Monument
Janea near the Washington Monument
From the Washington Monument overlooking the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial

The Atlantic Side of the World War II Memorial

Williamsburg Trip Day Four

So we woke up Saturday morning and boy did I feel better! YEAH I was well! We packed up our rooms, ate breakfast and got ready to go and tour the National Mall. We drove to downtown Washington and discovered that weekend parking is a whole lot cheaper so we pulled into this parking garage, found a parking spot and got ready to leave. We walked over and viewed the Washington Monument....and the kids got to touch and we did all the touristy pictures and just enjoyed the bright spring morning. From the Washington Monument we went across to the World War II Memorial which I found to be very cool since I have done a lot of research on the war and my grandpa Spry fought on the Atlantic side. From there we walked past the reflecting pool up to the Lincoln Memorial. Janea like seeing the memorial and reading the speeches on the walls. We also made sure to take our pictures on the "I have a Dream" spot. We then walked past the Vietnam Memorial. This was very moving and it was amazing how the crowds grow silent as you walk further down the wall and see all the names listed of the missing and those who died.

After this we had to go and get back to our van. We took the scenic route past the White House and then got back to our parking garage. Our van was stuck and it took us 35 minutes to get out of the garage. It then took us almost an hour to get to the airport. Our flight is scheduled to leave at 2:15 pm and we arrive at the airport at 1:30. Talk about rushed, we rushed through security, we rushed through the concourses arriving with about 2 minutes to spare at our gate making our flight home! 1 and1/2 hours later we land in Chicago and then have a 1hour 45 min layover before flying home to KC. It was a good trip but I was very glad to get home!

Life Updates

My car is now fixed (Hopefully). The guy said there is no good reason it should drop it's belts but that when it rains it may happen more.

My family is all relatively healthy! YEAH

School only has 6 weeks left.

I need a new job for next year!

Mortgage....need word still....would like to buy house from Sharon if at all possible.

Williamsburg Trip Day 3

Friday was a hard day for me...I got sick...supersick. I woke up during the night on Thursday night with stomach cramps and the like...all night I was in and out of the bathroom. It was bad. So Friday morning I again take the girls to breakfast and then walked over to a gas station to get some Pepto or Immodium to try and settle my stomach. I was the van driver, and I knew I couldn't drive because of my stomach. Well while I was gone the other parents and teacher had a discussion and it was decided that one of the dad's was going to drive. I am so glad that they made that decision since I really was in no shape to drive. We did have to stop a few times on our way to D.C. Well, after arriving in D.C. I laid down and napped for a little while and everyone else just kinda settled into their rooms before we headed out sightseeing.
I ended up not going with the group on Friday afternoon. I really didn't feel up to going when the group left...we were near public transportation sites and I thought I would rest for a while longer then meet up with everyone else later that afternoon. The other parents assured me they could handle everything and that I should just stay at the hotel. I said ok and off they went. I proceeded to sleep away the afternoon.
From what I was told they went and toured the National Geographic Headquaters building, ate a late lunch at Fuddruckers and then they got to take a tour of ABC studios in Washingtion. It was very cool of the other teacher's friend to arrange a tour for us. The kids got to see how TV is made and then even got to sit in front of a green screen and read from the teleprompter.
Well, by the end of the tour the kids have been together for 3 days straight. They are starting to bug each other just to make people mad and so it was decided that each family would be on their own for dinner since a lot of the kids weren't really hungry and we just needed to seperate for a while. They got back to the hotel, told me all about what they had done and then my coteacher and another parent walked down and found a grocery store and picked up some lunchable, cheese and crackers and some juice for the evening. It was a good night to just relax after our previous two busy days.
I think that I everyone was in bed by 9:00 and we slept to get ready for Saturday...all the while praying for good weather as we got ready to do the National Mall.

Car Fun

My car has decided it doesn't like wearing belts....my belt fell off again today...like several times...I went and had the Valvoline guys put it back on...fell off again in the middle of a hail storm on my way home from school. I stopped by my parents work, then I went to their house for dinner and then they brought me and the kiddos home....I love my folks.! You guys rock.! My mom and I swapped pics tonight of our respective trips...mine to VA and hers to CA for my cousins wedding..!

I LOVE my Dad!

This morning on my way to work my car overheated and dropped a belt. So I called my dad and he came and rescued me and the kiddos and then got my car fixed and now I can get home with my babies! I love my DAD!(I love my mom too but my dad was a hero today!)

Williamsburg Day Two

Day two started bright and early though we did sleep in until 7:00 but with the time change it was really 6:00am! So we get ready and I took Janea and another girl from my class down to breakfast, we eat and prepare to leave at 8:45 for Historic Site! I had gone back to the room and finished getting all my stuff together and thought I had everything and we left the hotel and headed to Colonial Williamsburg.. We are at the Visitor's Center and several parents keep asking me "where's the historic stuff, this looks really modern" and I did start getting nervous when I remembered that the visitors center is a little ways from the historic district and there would be a shuttle.

We had a great tour guide who led us around the park. Bonehead me, I left my camera on the bed when I was getting all the tour stuff together. I had to rely on my parents to take pictures for me. Well, the first thing we got to see was the George Wythe house...he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and taught the law to Thomas Jefferson. We got to touch a door that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson touched! I found that very cool(the history geek that I am) and then we got to go inside and see a gentry level house from the 1700's. In the parlor, there was a interpreter who was playing music. He was very informative and informed us that in the 1700's girls could only play specific instruments, ones that didn't cause the elbow to jut out from the body and distort the face! The boys were kinda bummed when they learned that girls got to play guitar!

After the Wythe house we viewed a weaver, and went to the foundry where we got to see them make metal spoons. It was very cool and the kids had fun pulling on the bellows! After this we went and got to go to the Capital. Here we got to reenact history and play the parts of the men who decided that we should declare our Independence from England. This had more meaning for the kids than me just talking about it! After the capital we went and viewed the jail. Cold and creepy! I would have not wanted to be put in the prisons then! Our guide then told us a spooky ghost story about Blackbeard who was actually captured by men from Williamsburg!

We took a brief break and played with hoops and sticks and I should say I have finally found a sport I am somewhat good at! I can roll a hoop with a stick! Our last stop with our tour guide was the milliner's shop where we learned about dressmaking, tailoring, and all the accessories needed to dress back in the 1700's! I am so glad I do not have to wear the amount of layers the ladies did back them!

After lunch in a local tavern we explored more of the town on our own and then went and took a tour of the Governor's Palace. This was a great tour with a great tour guide who really made us feel like we would have wanted to join in the rebellion against the British! Our friend from the Wythe house came and explained all about the ball and the minuet...I had never realized that up to an hour and a half of a ball would be spent with one couple after another dancing the minuet one after another in order of standing in the community! That seems like a long evening!

We ended our day by warming up with hot chocolate and then going down and viewing the actors reenacting history in Revolutionary City. The kids had been complaining about wanting to leave for about an hour but once we got where there was action and basically real life TV! Then they didn't want to leave! I think they were really starting to grasp the meaning behind the Revolutionary War!

I promised all the kids souvenirs so they got to pick out Williamsburg souvenirs then we headed back to the hotel...we were going to order in pizza, but the thought of 6 kids eating in rooms and being loud we decided to go to the pizza place. The adults had a nice time talking, eating, and drinking while the kids amused themselves and ate too. All in all a full and eventful day! The kids all swam again that night and we all slept really good since we were so tired from our very full day!

Pictures Day One

The square in Williamsburg
Ivy Bushes...we don't have this in Missouri!
Such cool buildings!

Janea meets Mr. Thomas Jefferson!
The first hospital for the insane in America
Janea in Williamsburg
The first cells people were kept in--basically jail
Devices used to help people with mental illness
Treatment became more humane as time went on and knowledge improved.

Williamsburg Day One

Our first day of our trip was long...good but long.
Janea and I got picked up by Dan at 4:50am to make it to the airport on time. I had to be the first person there since I had everyone's boarding passes for the plane ride. We got through security around 6:30 and hung out until our flight departed a half hour later than we were scheduled so our 7:00 flight left at 7:30. We arrived in Chicago and quickly dashed through the terminals at Midway to get to our next departure gate only to find out that this flight was going to be delayed by 30 minutes as well. Two flights under our belt we arrived in Washington D.C and made our way to the Thrifty car rental place where we picked up our 12 passenger van. The kids did really well on the walk and bus ride to the rental place but we were all hungry and tired so we stopped for lunch.
After lunch we left for Williamsburg...it was about a 3 hour car ride and traffic was heavy! I was driving the van and it was very nerve wracking! I am not used to a vehicle that big and in an area of the country that I haven't been to but thankfully we made it to Williamsburg having only one stop at a Welcome Center along the way. We got checked into our hotel and then tried to figure out what we would do for the evening. We decided to visit the downtown area known as Merchants Square. We got to visit the first insane asylum ever built in America. We also visited some local shops and enjoyed being out of a plane and car and seeing the sites in Colonial Williamsburg. We ate dinner at a local coffee shop and enjoyed our time in Virginia. Upon our arrival back at the hotel the kids changed for a chance to swim in the pool and I got about an hour all to myself since I have a Chlorine allergy and was unable to go swimming in the indoor pool.
We all got back to our rooms and got to enjoy a good nights sleep as we prepared for our next day's adventure!

Some Interesting Numbers

Hey I teach math so I did some thinking today....

It's 1136 miles from Kansas City to Williamsburg Virginia!

It's an hour flight to Chicago then a 1-2 hour trip to Washington D.C.

It's a 3 hour drive(give or take) from D.C to Williamsburg

It's 6 students and 6 parents in a 15 passenger van for quite awhile.

It's 2nd-4th graders opportunity to experience history and the cool things about our nation!

It's my 7 year olds first real plane trip...being under 2 doesn't count!

It's my first time seeing sites in D.C. since I was 7 years old myself. I haven't been there for 24 years! Do the math to figure out how old I am!

It's the first time Daddy and Jaron have spent 36 hours straight together without Mommy being there to help!

I will be chaperoning for 47 straight hours! (Except for when I was a camp counselor I think that is the longest time I have ever been a chaperone)!

I have 1 all-powerful God, lots of praying friends and I know that everything will work out!

It's official...I'm going to lose it!

This Williamsburg trip has me totally stressed out right now. I am so afraid that I am going to forget something and that we will not be able to get all of our stuff done and that there will be some disaster between now and 7:00 in the morning! Plus, my class is so excited that they can't sit still or even be nice to one another! It's been a long day....I think I need some sleep!