Monday Memories

Well, today was I got to work way early...2 copiers down, one special education folder for my student missing, and lessons and thoughts to get straightened out. I think that is the hard thing about being a teacher in a new charter school is that everything is still being worked out and that you really have to use what you have.

I have a presentation to give on our staff day so I thought what sort of strategies could I give that might be useful to everyday teaching. I decided to go to an education website, I believe it is www.eduplace.com and down load most of their graphic organizers. We are blessed to have smartboards so I scanned in the graphic organizers and put them on a shared drive so that they could use them in their teaching. I also saved them as a pdf version so that they could print them off to use for their students. I think that this will be beneficial for them if they want to use them.

I took dinner over to a friends work for the family that had their little girl life flighted, tonight. If felt good to do something nice for someone. Than me and my friend went for a run/walk for about 3 miles. It was really cold out and I felt like I had some ashma as I was running. I think I might be fighting off a cold; my friend would probably agree because I was being very unlady like as I was trying to get rid of all the flem build up.

Anyways, my husband just got home from a grouling day, I'm going to bed
Ang

A catch up day at last!!!

Today has been nice and uncomplicated. I have enjoyed a nap with my three year old. I have arranged diner to be taken to the Green's for the next couple of days so that the mom can focus her attention on her little one. C.J. has been outside playing with the neighbors boy and my husband is catching up on lost sleep. Uneventful and relaxing....nice! I even have started my homework that is due on Thursday! I am hoping that if I can get caught up with homework I can focus on my Kindergarten class and taking the dinner that is prepared by the church and heading out to the Green's this week. My exercising program will have to be delayed but, it will be worth up. I went outside today decked out in my running gear and said..."I don't think so". It was cold and muddy and so I said I am going back inside and taking a nap. I suppose that is why I have a exercise partner...

Back from the SLC hospital

Well, my husband arrived tonight from bringing our friends home from the hospital. It was hard to see the two year old in a cast clear up to her chest. But, the good news is that it was only a fracture and not completely broken. The little girls mom and dad have been up for two days, we brought dinner over and than said our good byes and will see you tomorrows. Charlie stepped in the door said good night to the kids and fell on the bed from exhaustion.

So, here I am writing my blog as I listen to my little ones sleeping and thankful for their health and strength. I have thought a lot about Holly's comment on my writing and how each blog was  filled with different emotions. I thought about how I am in writing vs. how I am in person. Here is an example, at school where I work I am kind of known as the "positive" person, don't like the gossip going around, try to stay away from drama and think of any ways to contribute to the community. But, in my writing I put down how and what I am feeling with little reserve. I don't really worry about stigma or prejudices on my writing. I let it out and if I am a storm inside that is what goes on paper or if I am calm and collective inside than that is how I am on paper.

I never knew myself as such or never realized it before. I used to write poetry to show how I was felling. Some of it I posted over a picture that was important to me and framed it, but that was years ago.

"Things are always fluctuating like the space around time and time around space...
I wonder how it manifests itself only to realize that I missed an important opportunity that has unfolded.
Now I take the space and enjoy that time I have with it, filling it up with memories and capturing them to me in a bubble that I can keep..... forever."

I've learned to live life in the present because if you live in the past or the future you will miss the now....
I have also realized how much I missed writing as an expression for myself, I am grateful that this class has given me that back.
 Ang

Emergency Call

I just got a call from a real close friend that their little girl broke her leg and is being life flighted to the hospital. The little girl is only 2 years old. My husband is going with her husband and driving to Salt Lake City, were expecting him at any moment. I have so much anxiety for her and the mother. I remember when I was in Moscow, Id and my son fell off the bed and broke his arm. I remember going into the room to see what the crying was about and him telling me that something was wrong with his arm. I feel like I am reliving the whole experience even though it isn't happening right now. That was probably one of the hardest things that I had to go through. I am a huge believer in god and miracles. If you look around you can see miracles everyday, from a flower blooming to a child being cared for and surviving remarkable recoveries. I am grateful that I have my faith and my prayers are going out to my friend and her family. God bless and goodnight! Ang

Tired.....

Well, making this short....I am planning on taking most of the night and finishing up my assignment. I'm dragging tonight. I feel like I'm pushing against the tide only to be pushed back 10 fold. I'm starting to feel a little like an absentee parent it is hard to only see the kids when I am tired at night. I guess that is the life of a working parent. I am hoping to make up for some of that this summer. Anyways, off to finish up my assignment.....Goodnight.

Rock, Fish, Shark

Well, I titled my blog rock, fish shark because I went swimming today and felt like a rock compared to my shark friend who was blowing me by in the water. I think I am getting better on my form but run out of energy quicker, inhale half the pool, and feel like I give swimming a bad name. However, I did do 3 more laps in the hour than before.

We went to the convention center today and had a great time. Anthony was so into the band that he was dancing in his seat. He was very close to finding a horse and riding into the sunset....I invited my friend and her 3 kids that are home schooled. It was very neat to see them.

Well, my little boy is coughing up a storm so I am going to get him some oregeno, RC and other great essential oils to help his cough.

Goodnight,
Ang

Kettle Bells are kicking my butt...

I started doing Kettle Bells in October....it is a work out. You have weights combined with cardio for an amazing calorie burning work out. I just started Weight Watchers with a few friends at work and realized why I wasn't loosing any weight. I was eating 50 plus points everyday..go figure. I do really great all day and than I just go wild at dinner. I probably resemble the the red drummer puppet from the "Muppets take Manhatan" (one of my kids movies) as I let my hunger feed my bad habits.

Oh no, my husband just brought pizza home and I have 0 points left. Got to love it...yeah for me!

My Kindergartners are excited about tomorrows  field trip, we are going to see a zydeco band from Louisiana. We will be partnering up with the 5th graders and walking to the Convention Center. I don't know if I am more excited about getting the fresh air or hearing the music. Cowboy Poetry is huge in Elko.

I am trying to find ways to get some extra materials from class. I have thought about having a fund raiser and having the kindergartners put on a play for donations. The school is relatively new and so we are limited on classroom materials. I have my eye on a puppet center that can  double as a store front for my classroom. I am hoping that I can get some funds for this center.

Well, I am headed to the shower, as I walk past the pizza and the candy my husband brought home I will not succumb to temptation. Isn't a husband suppose to help out to keep their wife from packing on the pounds???

Disapointment

Well I had a huge appointment today, my mom decided against coming out to Elburz with us. It was a little hard to digest. I was really looking forward to having grandma nearby. So, were still excited but things will be put on a hold somewhat for finances and such. My mom and I were going to split many of the costs of the initial cost of developing the bare land. It's late so I am headed to the shower and the comforts of bed...

Elburz

Today was exciting, my husband and I have been researching alternative ways to live and build. We have purchased property out in Elburz which is 15 minutes east of Elko, NV. It over looks the Rubies and the Humbolt river (the only river in Nevada).

My mother and her husband along with my husbands father are moving out to Elburz. We will be surrounded by family, secluded and off the grid.  We are getting ready to start building a home with shipping containers. My husband is a welder by trait and is excited about this process.

Today we walked out 2.5 acres and planned where we were going to put everything. We were also out there with my mother who has an adjoin lot and will be developing their space as well. We were fortunate that we have family that want to be secluded also. I didn't really want to be out there with my family on our own.

I am also thinking about the mounds of work I have to do tomorrow. I have tried not to go into the school on weekends. So I drag my feet in the weee morning hours to finish lesson plans and such.

I also started weight watchers and am dying. I can't wait till my stomach shrinks so that I won't want to be filling it with everything in sight. I have been really good though, we have a bet going on at work and I am determined not to lose.

I am off to bed....for presious sleep. Ang

Finding Balance

I think of balance as a scale where you try to match equal weights to each side, but what if you have multiple obligations of equal importance, how do you balance each and everyone so that you feel you are on top of everything.

I suppose that is my delema for this week. The week has been eventful. I took my husband in last Sunday to the emergency room for kidney stones which took several days to pass, that Wednesday was his birthday which we celebrated in Wendover, NV (he was drugged up and feeling good enough to make two passes on the dance floor). Friday I got back to the sub (took Thursday off for husbands birthday) note stating that the Kindergartners were very impolite to the sub (one case of breakdown, one case of a boy using his pencil and imitating peeing on everything and one case of a punching match with two boys). To say the least we were on strict probation on Friday.

I have also tried to balance family and my goal to get physically fit enough to run a sprint triathlon which is a 3 mile run, 600 yard swim, and 7 mile mountain bike race. I have a girl friend that began training with me. We took off this morning to swim, she did 50 laps to my 26 (ouch!) swimming is not my strong suit. She was even passing me by when she was on the kick board and I was free style. Hmmmm....I' definatley have some work ahead of me....

I also headed into work today (a teachers work is never done). My kids love it because they are 3years and 6years and the Kindergarten classroom is a world of exploration. I tried to get everything done before my husband got home from work (he had to work Saturday because he had to give birth to Rock, the name we gave the Kidney stone) but, it looks like Monday morning at 5:00 will be last few hours I will need to finish lesson plans, money center, pattern center and laminating name tag for new student.

These posts will become more routine....

Angela

Getting started: Old cliche-First time for everything

Getting started: Old cliche-First time for everything: "Well, there is a first time for everything. I have started my first blog. I guess I will write a little about myself and my day. I am 32 y..."

Old cliche-First time for everything

Well, there is a first time for everything. I have started my first blog. I guess I will write a little about myself and my day.

I am 32 years old married to a fabulous man and have two boys ages 6 and 3years. I started working at the Charter School in Elko Nevada. I teach Kindergarten and can say that I live my passion everyday. This is my first year teaching; I have 17 students with an additional 3 that come for reading. I have a morning class and than I am a liaison for the other teachers in the afternoon. This year I set up a candle making science project with the additional proceeds going to charity. It was a great ending to a great year.


Some of my other passions are finding time to work out and stepping into the great outdoors. I have started training for a sprint triathlon with a coworker. I love to snowshoe hike which I did the weekend before last and it might be my only trip this year since the snow has melted off.

This week has been particularly stressful. My husband has been trying to pass kidney stones since last Sunday. I feel like a helpless by standard...hoping that his last bought of pain will have finally pushed the stone through.

Today I had 7 students out, we have had a major bad bug going through the school. We had a zydaco instruction come and teach us about the origins of the zydeco and french bands today. We are gearing up for Cowboy poetry week that is huge in Elko next week. We will by seeing a zydeco band at the Convention center on the 26th.

Enough for now....until later, Ang