A-choo!

So I have a cold. I got it from Scott, who probably got it from one of my students' germs that I carry home with me daily. So although I did not get it then, I have it now, and it stinks.

Teaching is not the kind of job to have when you have a cold. You're not sick enough to call in (that requires plague like symptoms due to the amount of work involved with sub plans) so you go, suck it up, breath through your mouth, blow your nose, and try to behave like everything is fine.

To top matters off I have a student, who every time I sneeze (which is over and over and over again) repeats "God bless you...KAZUNTIGHT!" Which was cute the first time, but the 100 millionth time just makes it that much harder to pretend like everything is fine. Because what kind of teacher says "okay...that's ENOUGH manners. Next person that says "bless you" misses recess!"

So today, day two of my cold, was also day one for our program practice (the big show is tomorrow night) and, since it was the first practice, everything was chaotic. So now, I'm sneezing, blowing, breathing through my mouth and trying to keep my kids entertained while we go over confusing things. It was probably NOT my favorite day of the year. At one point, I had 45 students to myself, spread across a gym with no music, no help, and one of my darlings decided that was a good time to boss me around and distract his row by making silly faces. I pulled him aside and said "each time you mess around a little more of my patience is used up, and now I have none left. You need to be absolutely perfect for me to get back to normal" and the poor guy listened, calmed down, acted fine, and at the end of the day said "Mrs. Ward, is your patience refilled yet?" :)

Also, at recess, three of my little girls were playing under a tree, and got pooped on by a bird. We have not laughed that hard all year. It's something I can honestly say has NEVER happened in my teaching career before :)

Sigh, you're such a challenge

There are these new toys that are the bane of my existence. They are called Bakugans and they are little balls that pop open when placed next to something metal due to their magnetic innards. They are about the size of a quarter, and easily hidden amongst second grade pockets. It is routine in room B10 that when the teacher finds said toy, it is no longer a child's property, but the property of the pink box on my desk that holds many treasures, at least until the end of the day.

A few days ago, one of my students received the mother load, and had probably 10 of these Bakugan toys. I confiscated 5 before he realized he needed to do a better job keeping them encogneto. So this same student goes out to recess and takes the rest of his toys, and is caught by yet another teacher. She tells him she is going to bring the toys to me and he responds "That's alright, I'll get them at the end of the day."

This teacher comes up to me and relays the information, and I decide that my student is a little too confident that he will have his toys back, and I can imagine my future, day...after day...after day having to take these toys away. So I decide to keep them for another day, just to make sure he remembers to leave his toys at home.

At the end of the day, the student santers up to my desk and casually says "Mrs. Ward, I'm going to get my toys now."

I reponded, "No, I think I will keep them one more day, just to be sure you remember the rules about toys"

He looks at me, drops his hands, sighs and says:

"Mrs. Ward, You're such a challenge"

I had to laugh. I think Scott would agree whole heartedly :)

Them's fightin' words

We had a really nice week of weather last week. It was in the 60's and 70's and the kids needed no jackets/hats/gloves/boots etc. Then, we get hit with the arctic blast. And as we're all bundled up and headed out to the playground, one of my quietest girls sticks behind and walks with me. Here's our conversation:

B: "It's cold today"
Me: "It sure is"
B: "I have to wear my coat and hat"
Me: "Yeah, me too."
B: "Last week, it was really nice outside."
Me: "Yeah, it sure was"

Quiet for 10 seconds (10 steps or so)

B: "Winter Sucks"

I had to laugh :) I have to pry any sort of communication from this child in the classroom, and in an endearing moment she opened up her little soul to me :)

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I'm very angry with grocery stores at the moment, for apparently grocery stores feel they can charge an inordinate amount of money for food, put an enormous price sticker on a sign that says "sale" with the "reduced" price (which is still outrageous) beside the product and you think you are getting a bargain, and you have to carry around a plastic credit card that has no monetary value so that you don't pay $ 6.75 for a box of cereal.

With gas prices being so low, Scott and I have driven the extra distance to visit SuperTarget in Ft. Collins once a week to get our groceries/home supplies. We love SuperTarget on many different levels, but one of the things we love is how their groceries and living supplies are very affordable. We went last week and bought enough food to last us more than a week, so this week we thought we would just suck it up and swing by the grocery store and pick up the few things we needed for the rest of the week.

So we get the items on our list, enough for a cake, a casserole, spaghetti, bread and milk, and when we cash out using our "supersaver" card, our bill is 68 dollars. When I compared our recipts, we payed DOUBLE for cheese, cake mix, eggs, and butter. DOUBLE. What would have probably cost us 40 dollars, MAX at Target was almost twice that, and that makes me grumpy.

What I love the most, is some poor shmuck is going to walk into Safeway, without the savers card on hand, and actually have to pay $ 6. 75 for a box of Lucky Charms.

Hope you still feel they're "Magically Delicious"

Nutrition

I got a "nutrition monthy" magazine in the mail today (Scott's mom prescribes for us...) and on the back, they always have one healthy food, and a food that they call "food porn" and usually, the two foods are related so for instance:

GOOD: Eddy's slow churned ice cream FOOD PORN: Cold Stone Creamery (their public enemy number one...)

But this month:

FOOD PORN: Ice cream delight from Chilis. The healthier choice? A can of black beans...

YUMMMMMMM!!!

Update...

PHEW! Time flies when you're on vacation, then you have to go back to work. Last week I couldn't believe it was already time to go back, now I can't believe it's almost been two weeks! We had a pretty relaxing weekend, and I like to GO GO GO so I was happy to be busy again.

And speaking of busy! College basketball season is in full swing, and runs my life! I like to go and help Scott, so I can see him in the evenings, so I went last night, will celebrate my birthday tonight, go again tomorrow night, have some fun with friends Friday night, see my family Saturday/Sat. night, then basketball again on Sunday...but that is how I like it. It's good to be busy. It keeps my mind off the face that I can't find a WII anywhere. Doesn't Nintendo know it's my BIRTHDAY for heaven sakes?

We have a lot of quick and exciting things to look forward to coming up!

First off, I've decided to go back to school to get my masters. I've put it off for almost 5 years now, and literally decided overnight, with the encouragement of a friend, to bite the bullet and dive right in (that is if they accept me) During the day I'm excited, but my college nightmares keep resurfacing in my dreams. So perhaps I'm more anxious that I think. It will be nice to go back with friends, and to go virtually for free (thanks Scott's job!)

We also decided to pool all our vacation savings (minus 2 plane tickets to Kansas City) and go to Hawaii! We are going with mom, Bob and Luke, for a week in June. I'm SO excited. Scott has never been, and we are jumping at the bit to go on a nice vacation! We are SO lucky to have families that take nice vacations, and want us along. We have gotten to go to some awesome places, and have lots of great pictures and memories from each one.

Today, as you all know by now, is my birthday :) I have a reputation for making my birthday known, and have not let Tozer Primary staff escape this enjoyment :) I think everyone is relieved by the time my birthday passes, they no longer have to hear the countdown. I told my students that today was my birthday a couple days ago, and opened my door this morning to 21 2nd graders scream-singing happy birthday. They never really quited down after that. The first thing they asked was "when do we eat your treats?"

CRAP! I didn't bring treats. Shouldn't they bring ME treats? I emailed Scott in a tizzy to see if he could bring some in, but alas, he has a job too darnit, and can't drop his responsabilities for cupcakes, so I was up a creek without a paddle. But THEN...it was one of my students half-birthdays today, and his mom emailed at 10 oclock, and wanted to bring in treats for HIM, so I was SAVED!

Did I also mention that the PTA brought chili in for the staff for lunch, and the Windsor marching band held a parade? ( I'm sure in my honor...see what happens when you let the entire world know your birthday is coming up???)

We are studying birds in 2nd grade right now, a topic I was almost dreading, because come on...BIRDS? But the first activity we did, was set up 4 egs, and stack dictionaries on top of them until they shattered, and you would have thought I handed each kid 100 bucks. The left that day SO excited we had cracked eggs, and I let them feel the yolk (in a very sanitary, wash-your-hands-with-warm-water-and-soap-or-forfeit-your-recess-for-life kind of way). I even learned a little about the inside of eggs, something I avoid like the plague, since I do not like to vomit if I can help it. And today, we used clay to mold different birds feet. Because I am JUST that cool :)

I love my new job. I get to do SO many hands on activities, and do things I learned in college, and the activities are enjoyable, and the kids learn and everything is organized at the end of the day...it's fantastic. With the economy the way it is, I'm very worried about teacher cutbacks, so cross your fingers it's not my one year of glory.

Also, COME AND VISIT US! We have clean sheets, and friendly dog to greet you upon arrival :)

Loves :)

Instead of packing, a little funny story :)

Mrs. Ward: Why W! This is such a neat gift bag! Did you draw on it yourself?

W: Yeah, My mom made me.

W's mom: "W! That does not make the bag so special. I asked if you would decorate it and you said you would."

W: Yeah, so I could have desert.

:) It was a cute bag with a snowman sitting next to Tober :) The important things in a 2nd graders life.

Adult Supervision

I got sick this week on Tuesday, after I had already gone to school. I wasn't able to get a substitute until 9:00, so I had to teach for 45 min. While I was teaching I was getting plans ready for the rest of the day. Before the substitute got there, I was walking my kids through the rest of their day.

Me: Okay, so for reading you're going to be working on a word sort. The glue is in the cupboard, the papers are on the stool. For writing I would like you to work on your "how to" illustrations. Your papers are in this divider right here. After writing you will go to Art, then lunch, then you'll play a math game with dice. The dice are on the back table and the papers are beside the dice. And to finish the day you are going to work on your Windsor time lines.

At this point, a timid hand is raised by one of my little children and he asks...

"Mrs. Ward, will there be an adult here to supervise us?"

:) In his mind the kids were on their own :)

"That's right kids, I'm out. See you tomorrow. PEACE!"

:) Silly kids.

Also, never trust men to do the packing. I left Scott in charge of packing while my mom and I went on a run over Thanksgiving. On the way home, Scott stopped suddenly and said "shoot (but in a naughtier way)" and I thought we were being pulled over (he has a tendency to speed) but no, he had just forgotten his overnight bag with our toothpaste etc. That's nothing, I said, trying to be kind, we have others at home. A few miles later, another "shoot. I forgot my glasses." This pattern continues all the way back to Greeley where we realized *we (Scott) forgot the following:

His glasses
His extra contacts
His contact solution
Our toothbrushes/toothpaste
Face wash
Shampoo etc.
The dog's bowls (food and water)
The dog's collar
The dog's leash

And his response: "I packed all the clothes."

Yes. He managed to pack the clothes that were already either in or right beside the suitcase :) Nice work dear :)