Man I love this teacher. She is so very kind to kids and Caitlyn just adores her. So much better than last year.
So we met this morning with Caitlyn and talked a bit about how she was feeling and what we were going to do to make sure that she was happy in school. We are keeping a picture of her and I in her folder so that when she gets sad or misses me she can look at the picture. Caitlyn said that she is worried this will make her miss me more, so I suggested also putting in a picture of the boys (Marten and Roger). She suggested putting in a picture of bunny. I told her that we would print up some pictures and she could actually choose which ones she wanted in there for the week. Hopefully this will nip the issue right in the bud. Because mornings can be rough when your child is complaining at 6:30am that they don't want to go to school.
Now a little bragging on myself. Since I was able to accomplish so much over Christmas break, I have felt like I want to keep that going. And I have been pretty successful with it. Here are 2 things that I have made a significant change with in my household in the last month:
1. I am trying to keep up with laundry. Caitlyn and I have enough clothes in order to be able to go without having to do laundry for 2 weeks. (We are clothes whores fo sure, I will nto deny it!) Despite having all of those clothes, it seems like all I do is a load here and there to make sure that we have what we need. Today, I managed to do all of her laundry in one day. Last load is drying as I type. At some point this week, my goal is to do all of my laundry. Then I am laundry free for 2 more weeks. Seems like a good plan.
2. I hate cooking. Loathe it. Cooking in this house has always posed a problem for several reasons. First off, Matt only eats certain things. He is a meat and potato guy. He is just not adventurous when it comes to eating new things. So in the almost 9 years we have been married, I have been burnt out on cooking the things that he likes. The second hurdle is Caitlyn's eating. She is just as damn picky as her father. So it felt like I have always had to make 3 different meals. For someone who hates to cook, do you have any idea how much of a pain in the ass that is?? Well for the last few weeks, I have hunkered down, made shopping lists of exactly what I need for meals, and have pulled out everything that needs to be thawed for the week on Monday morning. Having everything thawed, and everything that I need for the dishes I am making has made dinner soooo much easier when I get home from work. And while these seem like common sense concepts, they have been lost on me for the last 8 years I guess. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't made the issue of Caitlyn's pickiness any easier, but knowing what I am making for Matt and I eliminates that guessing game and I can focus on what to make for her then. And we are saving money in the process which is always a positive ;) The majority of meals that I am cooking are one or two pot meals too. I just don't have the time when I get home to make fabulous gourmet dinners. While I wish I did, it just isn't going to happen. So we are saving our meals out for the weekends....and now I reeeeeeeally look forward to those.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Berenstain Bears and the Bully
Everyday Caitlyn is allowed to bring home a book from her classroom library. Some days she brings one home, other days we just read one of her books. Today she brought home a Berenstain Bears book. Typically, I like these Bears. The books deal with issues that most 6 year olds face; teeth falling out, chores, fear of the dark, etc. This book about a bully was a bit more than I had anticipated when I started reading it to her.
Here are some exceprts from the book. Those with quotation marks are direct comments from the book. Those without are me filling in some parts.
Sister Bear comes home from school crying and looks a mess. She has scratches on her face and her clothes are all dirty and she is sobbing terribly. Once her family calms her down, she is able to tell them what happened.
Spoken by Sister Bear
"Lizzie, Queenie, and I were playing tag at the playground when this new cub-a no-good bully named Tuffy- stuck out a foot and tripped me. So I got up and said, 'Why don't you watch where you put your feet?' Before I knew what was happening, it was POW, BAM, WHAMMO, and I was flat on my back with this Tuffy character sitting on my chest rubbing dirt in my face."
Brother Bear was determined to rush to his sister's defense, as any big brother would be. He heads straight for the playground to find this bully so that he can handle the situation himself. Until he discovers that the bully is in fact a little girl.
Spoken by Tuffy the bully
"Hey!" she said. "You must be the big brother of Little Miss Pink Hairbow! She got fresh, so I cleaned her clock. Wanna make somthin' out of it?"
Sister Bear is at home with ehr parents trying to figure out a way to resolve the situation.
Spoken by Sister Bear
"But what I'd really like to do is punch that Tuffy's nose right through her face, then kick her in the shin, then knock her down and -"
Brother Bear being the fabulous big brother that he is, went to the school gym and borrowed some boxing gloves. He also got a book for Sister Bear to study, The Art of Self Defense. He then gave her a bag of Mama's beans to use as a punching bag.
Spoken by Sister Bear
"A punching bag named Tuffy."
Narrative
"With Brother's help, she learned the left jab, the right cross, the left hook, and the uppercut. She also learned to duck. And she punched Mama's dried beans silly."
Sister Bear did all she could to avoid Tuffy that week, but by Wednesday, it had proven to be too difficult. She happened upon Tuffy throwing stones at a baby bird and hollered for Tuffy to stop. Of course, Tuffy being the bully that she is, said she would stopm but only because she would prefer to hurt Sister Bear instead.
Narrative
"She rushed at Sister with her hard little fists ready. But Sister was ready too. She had her left out and her right up, protecting her jaw. When Tuffy threw a hard right, Sister ducked, then hit her square on the nose with a right cross. That quickly, Tuffy found herself sitting on the ground with a bloody nose.
Both bears are promptly taken to the principles's discipline bench to wait for their punishments. It then that Sister notices the bully crying. She is puzzled as to why someone as tough as Tuffy would be crying.
Spoken by Tuffy:
"If the principal tells my mom and dad about this, I won't be able to sir down for a - well, a long time."
Narrative:
"Hmmm, thought Sister. Here's a cub who maybe gets hit a lot at home. Maybe that's why she like to hit other cubs at school."
Narrative: (and final paragraph of the book)
"As for Tuffy, the principal didn't call in her parents. But she did lose a week of recess, and she had to visit the school psychologist twice a week for quite a while."
I was reading this to Caitlyn while we were sitting on the couch in the living room. Matt was in the recliner listening. He actually thought that I was making parts of this up.
Caitlyn giggled through some of the parts I have quoted above. I didn't giggle, I am stunned at the way it was written. Do I think bullying is a very real thing that kids need to be aware of, absolutely. But good Lord, to be so graphic about it?? Caitlyn had to ask me what a psychologist is and she asked me if kids become bullies because their parents spank them. Which is basically what she took away from this story. I wonder if that was what the author had intended when he wrote this?
Here are some exceprts from the book. Those with quotation marks are direct comments from the book. Those without are me filling in some parts.
Sister Bear comes home from school crying and looks a mess. She has scratches on her face and her clothes are all dirty and she is sobbing terribly. Once her family calms her down, she is able to tell them what happened.
Spoken by Sister Bear
"Lizzie, Queenie, and I were playing tag at the playground when this new cub-a no-good bully named Tuffy- stuck out a foot and tripped me. So I got up and said, 'Why don't you watch where you put your feet?' Before I knew what was happening, it was POW, BAM, WHAMMO, and I was flat on my back with this Tuffy character sitting on my chest rubbing dirt in my face."
Brother Bear was determined to rush to his sister's defense, as any big brother would be. He heads straight for the playground to find this bully so that he can handle the situation himself. Until he discovers that the bully is in fact a little girl.
Spoken by Tuffy the bully
"Hey!" she said. "You must be the big brother of Little Miss Pink Hairbow! She got fresh, so I cleaned her clock. Wanna make somthin' out of it?"
Sister Bear is at home with ehr parents trying to figure out a way to resolve the situation.
Spoken by Sister Bear
"But what I'd really like to do is punch that Tuffy's nose right through her face, then kick her in the shin, then knock her down and -"
Brother Bear being the fabulous big brother that he is, went to the school gym and borrowed some boxing gloves. He also got a book for Sister Bear to study, The Art of Self Defense. He then gave her a bag of Mama's beans to use as a punching bag.
Spoken by Sister Bear
"A punching bag named Tuffy."
Narrative
"With Brother's help, she learned the left jab, the right cross, the left hook, and the uppercut. She also learned to duck. And she punched Mama's dried beans silly."
Sister Bear did all she could to avoid Tuffy that week, but by Wednesday, it had proven to be too difficult. She happened upon Tuffy throwing stones at a baby bird and hollered for Tuffy to stop. Of course, Tuffy being the bully that she is, said she would stopm but only because she would prefer to hurt Sister Bear instead.
Narrative
"She rushed at Sister with her hard little fists ready. But Sister was ready too. She had her left out and her right up, protecting her jaw. When Tuffy threw a hard right, Sister ducked, then hit her square on the nose with a right cross. That quickly, Tuffy found herself sitting on the ground with a bloody nose.
Both bears are promptly taken to the principles's discipline bench to wait for their punishments. It then that Sister notices the bully crying. She is puzzled as to why someone as tough as Tuffy would be crying.
Spoken by Tuffy:
"If the principal tells my mom and dad about this, I won't be able to sir down for a - well, a long time."
Narrative:
"Hmmm, thought Sister. Here's a cub who maybe gets hit a lot at home. Maybe that's why she like to hit other cubs at school."
Narrative: (and final paragraph of the book)
"As for Tuffy, the principal didn't call in her parents. But she did lose a week of recess, and she had to visit the school psychologist twice a week for quite a while."
I was reading this to Caitlyn while we were sitting on the couch in the living room. Matt was in the recliner listening. He actually thought that I was making parts of this up.
Caitlyn giggled through some of the parts I have quoted above. I didn't giggle, I am stunned at the way it was written. Do I think bullying is a very real thing that kids need to be aware of, absolutely. But good Lord, to be so graphic about it?? Caitlyn had to ask me what a psychologist is and she asked me if kids become bullies because their parents spank them. Which is basically what she took away from this story. I wonder if that was what the author had intended when he wrote this?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Nothing wrong with the belly
So the night before I took Cate to the doctor, I had a long talk with her about this whole stomach thing. She finally confessed, through some serious tears, that she was making up some of the stories about the stomach aches. My heart broke to see how upset she was over doing this. After some discussion, she said that she was saying it because she misses me when she is at school. However, she said that there are times that her tummy hurts that she wasn't making up. So I told her we would still go to the doctor just to make sure that she was in fact ok. But I was fairly certain that they could be attributed to her being upset from missing me and from not eating her lunch.
The doctor did a lot of poking and pushing on her belly and finally settled on having a urine test done. At the doctor's mention of her having to pee in a cup, I thought she was going to vomit. She couldn't even fathom doing it. But I got her in the bathroom stall and it worked out fine. The results were all normal. We got her sucker and left for home.
An interesting thing happened while we were in the office though. I was chatting with the doctor about how her health has been (this is a doctor that is relatively new to the practice and he is always completely amazed by her, so much so that I think at times he is using her as some kind of study). While he and I were chatting, Caitlyn was facing me and had her back to the doc and she whispered, "Please don't tell him about my lie Mommy." She had the most unbelievable look of desperation on her face. It was as though she was so mortified that this little lie of hers had gotten to this point. I assured her that I wouldn't and the doc and I continued to talk for a few more minutes before departing. When we left the exam room, I asked Cate to wait in the waiting room while I spoke to the doctor. I told him that the reason I brought her here today was to make sure all was well, but that the complaints she was making were for attention. He made sure to tell me that if I needed more help with the situation that I could call the office and they would help me. Man I love my pediatrician's office!!
Needless to say, there was a lot of talking going on about how missing me is no reason to say she is sick. Nor is wanting to leave school a valid reason. And the strangest thing about it all is that she isn't away from me for that long during the day. I drop her at my mom's about an hour before I have to be at work and she is picked up within 2 hours of her getting out of school. But either way, she needs more mom time that she is currently getting.
Here's what we did to fix the situation:
1. We pulled out the calendar and set up days in February that will be Mommy Daughter days only. She suggested going to the mall for ice cream and chat. I can certainly agree to that.
2. We picked one day that I get out of work early that she doesn't get out of school early, for me to pick her up at school. We are going to make a craft together that day.
3. We are meeting with her teacher on Tuesday afternoon so that we can talk to her teacher about some things she can do when she feels as though she is missing me.
Hopefully this will get nipped in the bud quickly. I am starting to think that it may be a developmental thing. I remember when I was about 5 years old, my mom always seemed to be working. I can remember walking to my aunt's house one day, she was babysitting us, and I cried the whole way there with my brother because I just wanted to be home with my mom. So maybe it is just a phase that she is going through. But whatever it is, I know that I can't dismiss it. Nor can I allow it to consume the both of us either. I'm not saying that she is being manipulative, but she certainly hs the ability to be, and I have to make sure that she isn't just playing me too much.
Hopefully the discussion with her teacher will be really good and we can get through this as painlessly as possible.
The doctor did a lot of poking and pushing on her belly and finally settled on having a urine test done. At the doctor's mention of her having to pee in a cup, I thought she was going to vomit. She couldn't even fathom doing it. But I got her in the bathroom stall and it worked out fine. The results were all normal. We got her sucker and left for home.
An interesting thing happened while we were in the office though. I was chatting with the doctor about how her health has been (this is a doctor that is relatively new to the practice and he is always completely amazed by her, so much so that I think at times he is using her as some kind of study). While he and I were chatting, Caitlyn was facing me and had her back to the doc and she whispered, "Please don't tell him about my lie Mommy." She had the most unbelievable look of desperation on her face. It was as though she was so mortified that this little lie of hers had gotten to this point. I assured her that I wouldn't and the doc and I continued to talk for a few more minutes before departing. When we left the exam room, I asked Cate to wait in the waiting room while I spoke to the doctor. I told him that the reason I brought her here today was to make sure all was well, but that the complaints she was making were for attention. He made sure to tell me that if I needed more help with the situation that I could call the office and they would help me. Man I love my pediatrician's office!!
Needless to say, there was a lot of talking going on about how missing me is no reason to say she is sick. Nor is wanting to leave school a valid reason. And the strangest thing about it all is that she isn't away from me for that long during the day. I drop her at my mom's about an hour before I have to be at work and she is picked up within 2 hours of her getting out of school. But either way, she needs more mom time that she is currently getting.
Here's what we did to fix the situation:
1. We pulled out the calendar and set up days in February that will be Mommy Daughter days only. She suggested going to the mall for ice cream and chat. I can certainly agree to that.
2. We picked one day that I get out of work early that she doesn't get out of school early, for me to pick her up at school. We are going to make a craft together that day.
3. We are meeting with her teacher on Tuesday afternoon so that we can talk to her teacher about some things she can do when she feels as though she is missing me.
Hopefully this will get nipped in the bud quickly. I am starting to think that it may be a developmental thing. I remember when I was about 5 years old, my mom always seemed to be working. I can remember walking to my aunt's house one day, she was babysitting us, and I cried the whole way there with my brother because I just wanted to be home with my mom. So maybe it is just a phase that she is going through. But whatever it is, I know that I can't dismiss it. Nor can I allow it to consume the both of us either. I'm not saying that she is being manipulative, but she certainly hs the ability to be, and I have to make sure that she isn't just playing me too much.
Hopefully the discussion with her teacher will be really good and we can get through this as painlessly as possible.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Off to the doctor tomorrow!
At about 12:30 today, I got a voice mail from Caitlyn's school. They said that she was complaining about her stomach hurting her. When I called back 15 minutes later (after coming out of a school and getting the message)they had already sent her back to her class. I asked if she had a fever or if she looked sick. The lady I was talking to wasn't sure because she wasn't in there when Cate came in. But she assured me that if she did have a fever, they wouldn't have sent her back to class. So I told them that she could probably stick it out the rest of the day. But if she came in again complaininng, to call me and I would come and pick her up.
I didn't get another call, but decided to pick her up from school so that I could have a quick chat with her teacher. She told me that once Cate came back from the office, she was fine for the rest of the afternoon. She also reassured me that there is nothing different going on in the classroom and that Caitlyn hasn't been acting any different since I mentioned this little problem to her. But I asked her to still keep an eye out for any weird behavior. She also wanted to know if Caitlyn was complaining about this at home as well. Which she is. When we got home, I discovered that she again had left everything in her lunch box because she said her stomach was hurting too much to eat. But then she was famished and couldn't stop eating.
So the more I think about it, the more I am thinking that there may actually be something going on medically. Before I picked her up from school, I called the ped's office and got her an appointment for 11 tomorrow morning. And now I am totally freaked out that it could be something more than her just trying to get attention :(
I didn't get another call, but decided to pick her up from school so that I could have a quick chat with her teacher. She told me that once Cate came back from the office, she was fine for the rest of the afternoon. She also reassured me that there is nothing different going on in the classroom and that Caitlyn hasn't been acting any different since I mentioned this little problem to her. But I asked her to still keep an eye out for any weird behavior. She also wanted to know if Caitlyn was complaining about this at home as well. Which she is. When we got home, I discovered that she again had left everything in her lunch box because she said her stomach was hurting too much to eat. But then she was famished and couldn't stop eating.
So the more I think about it, the more I am thinking that there may actually be something going on medically. Before I picked her up from school, I called the ped's office and got her an appointment for 11 tomorrow morning. And now I am totally freaked out that it could be something more than her just trying to get attention :(
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Sick Girl
Caitlyn has a cold again :( I hate when she's sick. She is just not her fun chipper self. She started with a running nose last week. And by Wednesday night, she was coughing. But it wasn't too bad. I gave her some "sleepy time" medicine. It was my hope that a good night's sleep on Wednesday would have her ready to go on Thursday. When I woke her up Thursday morning, she looked like she had been in a fight all night! She had the sleepiest looking eyes and she just didn't want to get out of bed. So I kept her home from school. Thinking that a full day off of just lounging around the house would really help her.
And it seemed to do the trick. She was feeling great on Friday. To be safe, I kept her home from CCD on Saturday, which of course she never minds missing. By the end of the weekend, she seemed like she was going to avoid the whole thing. At least I was hopeful.
Today, she woke up feeling less than stellar. But I figured maybe she was just tired having had a 3 day weekend. She made it through the school day fine and we wen to dance class as scheduled. The game plan was to come home, do homework, take a bath, then go to bed.
As we were doing homework I looked at her face and she had the darkest circles under her eyes. I told her we were going to skip the bath, finish the homework, and have something light for dinner.
Before she ate, I had her take some medicine and use her inhaler. Lo and behold, the coughing stopped and she is now sleeping soundly on the couch. I have to get her up to her bed though. Should she wake up in the middle of the night, she will freak the hell out if she is in the living room all by herself.
I would keep her home the next couple of days, but I absolutely can't miss the next 2 days of work. I could take half days, which I might do if I decide that she needs to stay at home at my mom's. Which is wonderful that I have that option. She just hates missing school so much.
She has also been complaining about her stomach hurting her lately. Which is weird for her. In the past if she has complained about this, it's usually because she needs to have a good bowel movement. But we have moved beyond the days of with holding the poop...thank God...so that really isn't a reason. I'm not sure what could be causing that to happen. But it's definitely something that I am going to be keeping an eye on.
Hopefully she will be up and back to normal in the next few days.
And it seemed to do the trick. She was feeling great on Friday. To be safe, I kept her home from CCD on Saturday, which of course she never minds missing. By the end of the weekend, she seemed like she was going to avoid the whole thing. At least I was hopeful.
Today, she woke up feeling less than stellar. But I figured maybe she was just tired having had a 3 day weekend. She made it through the school day fine and we wen to dance class as scheduled. The game plan was to come home, do homework, take a bath, then go to bed.
As we were doing homework I looked at her face and she had the darkest circles under her eyes. I told her we were going to skip the bath, finish the homework, and have something light for dinner.
Before she ate, I had her take some medicine and use her inhaler. Lo and behold, the coughing stopped and she is now sleeping soundly on the couch. I have to get her up to her bed though. Should she wake up in the middle of the night, she will freak the hell out if she is in the living room all by herself.
I would keep her home the next couple of days, but I absolutely can't miss the next 2 days of work. I could take half days, which I might do if I decide that she needs to stay at home at my mom's. Which is wonderful that I have that option. She just hates missing school so much.
She has also been complaining about her stomach hurting her lately. Which is weird for her. In the past if she has complained about this, it's usually because she needs to have a good bowel movement. But we have moved beyond the days of with holding the poop...thank God...so that really isn't a reason. I'm not sure what could be causing that to happen. But it's definitely something that I am going to be keeping an eye on.
Hopefully she will be up and back to normal in the next few days.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
She is getting so big
Obviously I mean Caitlyn. And I am not talking about big in the sense of size. I am talking about how much she can now do on her own.
The other night, we had breakfast for dinner. Something we do often because Caitlyn has always loved breakfast foods. And when she was a new eater, and a poor eater, we would feed her loads of breakfast foods knowing that she would at least be eating. Anyway, a couple of days after we had bacon and eggs for dinner, she asked if she could have some waffles for dinner. I told her that was fine, and that I would make them in a few minutes.
That wasn't good enough for Caitlyn.
She told me not to worry about it, that she would do it. I figured what the hell. Let's see how far she gets. She proceeded to get her chair and pull it up to the freezer. Take out the box of waffles and put them on the counter. She pulled out 2 and put them in the toaster. Once she got the toaster started, she asked me if she needed to do anything else with it.
While the waffles were toasting, she went to the refridgerator and took out the juice. Pulled her chair up to another cabinet and took out one of her cups. Pouring the juice was a challenge. And it was even more of a challenge for me not to jump up and interfere, but I was able to restrain myself.
The waffles popped up. She proceeded to take a butter knife out of the drawer. I began to get a bit nervous. But my nervousness turned out to be unfounded. She managed to cut those waffles into strips.
She put everything away (which this is probably what I should be most proud of considering the kid never puts her damn toys away) and brought her plate of waffles, sliced, and cup of juice to the table to eat.
With the BIGGEST smile on her face. I have never seen her more proud.
The only thing that she needed help from me with was the syrup. And I think that was only because she forgot about it. I put some into a dish for her and gave it to her.
I don't think she has ever eaten a meal quicker.....or happier :)
The other night, we had breakfast for dinner. Something we do often because Caitlyn has always loved breakfast foods. And when she was a new eater, and a poor eater, we would feed her loads of breakfast foods knowing that she would at least be eating. Anyway, a couple of days after we had bacon and eggs for dinner, she asked if she could have some waffles for dinner. I told her that was fine, and that I would make them in a few minutes.
That wasn't good enough for Caitlyn.
She told me not to worry about it, that she would do it. I figured what the hell. Let's see how far she gets. She proceeded to get her chair and pull it up to the freezer. Take out the box of waffles and put them on the counter. She pulled out 2 and put them in the toaster. Once she got the toaster started, she asked me if she needed to do anything else with it.
While the waffles were toasting, she went to the refridgerator and took out the juice. Pulled her chair up to another cabinet and took out one of her cups. Pouring the juice was a challenge. And it was even more of a challenge for me not to jump up and interfere, but I was able to restrain myself.
The waffles popped up. She proceeded to take a butter knife out of the drawer. I began to get a bit nervous. But my nervousness turned out to be unfounded. She managed to cut those waffles into strips.
She put everything away (which this is probably what I should be most proud of considering the kid never puts her damn toys away) and brought her plate of waffles, sliced, and cup of juice to the table to eat.
With the BIGGEST smile on her face. I have never seen her more proud.
The only thing that she needed help from me with was the syrup. And I think that was only because she forgot about it. I put some into a dish for her and gave it to her.
I don't think she has ever eaten a meal quicker.....or happier :)
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
I could be out of a job next year
Turns out, when this district hired me, they didn't do their homework. Illinois has some wacky laws in regards to teaching certificates and what a person has to have in order to be able to teach. I find a lot of it ass backwards. For example, a person can be a substitute teacher for an extended period of time with a bachelor's degre.....in anything. On the other hand, someone who has been working in special ed for almost 11 years (like me) can't do so without three little letters attached to my certificate. Those letters are LBS.
It stands for Learning Behavior Specialist. For those of us who graduated prior to these letters, that means Resource Teacher, or pull out teacher.
Because I don't have these nice little letters, the district is not getting funding for me through the state. It turns out that they are losing about $8000. Which I guess is a pretty hefty sum.
I am now in a mad dash to acquire those little letters. And getting them doesn't bother me. If anything, it allows me more flexibility with my job positions and should I choose to change districts I have more options. However, one thing the district didn't consider, was the cost of my taking these classes.
I made sure that it was brought to their attention that if I go after this certificate, the classes that I need to take will be put towards my Master's degree. So in the long run, they will end up paying 80% of my tuition. The completion of the certificate entitles me to more hours of Continuing Education, thus bumping up my pay. Once the master's is acquired, I move to a different pay lane completely.
In the long run, they will certainly lose more than $8000 in this deal. And I will only benefit from it. But in the mean time, I am so irritated with the whole situation.
It stands for Learning Behavior Specialist. For those of us who graduated prior to these letters, that means Resource Teacher, or pull out teacher.
Because I don't have these nice little letters, the district is not getting funding for me through the state. It turns out that they are losing about $8000. Which I guess is a pretty hefty sum.
I am now in a mad dash to acquire those little letters. And getting them doesn't bother me. If anything, it allows me more flexibility with my job positions and should I choose to change districts I have more options. However, one thing the district didn't consider, was the cost of my taking these classes.
I made sure that it was brought to their attention that if I go after this certificate, the classes that I need to take will be put towards my Master's degree. So in the long run, they will end up paying 80% of my tuition. The completion of the certificate entitles me to more hours of Continuing Education, thus bumping up my pay. Once the master's is acquired, I move to a different pay lane completely.
In the long run, they will certainly lose more than $8000 in this deal. And I will only benefit from it. But in the mean time, I am so irritated with the whole situation.
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Winter Break is Over
And we are all back at school and work this morning. It was hell getting up at 6:00am considering that we have all been sleeping until about 10ish everyday. It was also hell trying to fall asleep before midnight last night. Not only for Matt and I, but for the girl as well. But we all managed to make it to our destinations on time this morning.
Over the break, here is what was accomplished:
1. Bssement furniture moved to make space more functional.
Despite this being Matt's "domain" I had decided that the space was just not being used very effectively. With Matt grumbling the entire time, the furniture was moved and the space is now much more effective for everyone to use. (With Matt's permission of course.)
2. Closets in basement cleaned out as well as some of the utility space in the basement.
It would appear that this time spent cleaning was all about the basement! But that's because it needed it. We have a huge storage bin that is built into the basement that spans the width of the house. Perfect for storing things like Christmas decorations and Halloween decor. Which also makes it perfect for storing nothing but crap. Which is what has happened in the last 4 years. So that storage bin was cleaned out.
We also have a row of closets down there that is perfect for hanging extra coats and storing things like wrapping paper and such. While we had those things in there, we also had a load of other crap that needed to be purged.
3. I managed to read 3 novels (they were all parts of a trilogy).
I forget how much I love reading until I am able to just sit down and completely devour a book. Which is precisely what I did after New Year's. The books I read were Uglies, Pretties, and Specials. They were written by Scott Westerfeld. The genre is sooo not what I normally read. But I was intrigued by the first one and found myself back at the bookstore to buy the second and third in the series. There is a fourth, and I read the blurb for it, but I am not so sure that I woudl enjoy it as much as I did the first 3. So I haven't decided if I am going to purchase it or not.
4. Portion of the garage cleaned out.
Our garage is a dumping ground. Literally. We put anything and everything in that stupid garage. And the garage itself is a piece of shit. We had a really bad wind storm over break and the shingles were actually flying off of the roof into our yard and into the alley. So Matt was up on the roof on Christmas Eve replacing the stupid thing.
Because the garage is such a piece of shit, we have to try and salvage what we can of it, even if that means patch up after patch up. We just don't have the money right now to replace an entire garage.
So as we were putting away the Christmas decor, some of which is stored in the rafters of the garage, I got the bug to start throwing a bunch of things away in there. I tossed the baby swing, a few bags of clothes, and some random stuff that I found in corners coverd with things I can not identify, nor do I want to.
5. Purchased and set up wireless internet and set up Caitlyn to have access to the internet.
Matt and I often want to be online at the same time when we are home. When you have to have the computer plugged in, it can't work. So we bought ourselves wireless for Christmas and set it up. Which was surprisingly easy. So now, Matt can sit in the basement and do his homework and such and I can sit upstairs and play backgammon.
Caitlyn is also wanting to be on the internet quite a lot lately. She has her Webkinz World subscription and she loves going to her school's website as they have links to other websites that she can go to. I have been letting her use my log in, but I wanted to be able to restrict certain things for her so I had to set up her own email account. Which she is head over heels thrilled about. She is terribly excited that she may actually get email from someone! So I have to send her an email this afternoon so that she will feel all special when she gets home from school. If anyone else (that I know of course) would like to send her an email let me know and I will pass along her email address to you.
6. Purchased the new car that we have been waiting for!
The van was paid in full last month, so we went out and bought the Dodge Charger that we have been wanting for over a year now. Matt is way too excited about this car. I have the feeling that he may be recieving a few speeding tickets this summer ;)
And now we are all back to our normal routines. Which I am kind of glad for.
Over the break, here is what was accomplished:
1. Bssement furniture moved to make space more functional.
Despite this being Matt's "domain" I had decided that the space was just not being used very effectively. With Matt grumbling the entire time, the furniture was moved and the space is now much more effective for everyone to use. (With Matt's permission of course.)
2. Closets in basement cleaned out as well as some of the utility space in the basement.
It would appear that this time spent cleaning was all about the basement! But that's because it needed it. We have a huge storage bin that is built into the basement that spans the width of the house. Perfect for storing things like Christmas decorations and Halloween decor. Which also makes it perfect for storing nothing but crap. Which is what has happened in the last 4 years. So that storage bin was cleaned out.
We also have a row of closets down there that is perfect for hanging extra coats and storing things like wrapping paper and such. While we had those things in there, we also had a load of other crap that needed to be purged.
3. I managed to read 3 novels (they were all parts of a trilogy).
I forget how much I love reading until I am able to just sit down and completely devour a book. Which is precisely what I did after New Year's. The books I read were Uglies, Pretties, and Specials. They were written by Scott Westerfeld. The genre is sooo not what I normally read. But I was intrigued by the first one and found myself back at the bookstore to buy the second and third in the series. There is a fourth, and I read the blurb for it, but I am not so sure that I woudl enjoy it as much as I did the first 3. So I haven't decided if I am going to purchase it or not.
4. Portion of the garage cleaned out.
Our garage is a dumping ground. Literally. We put anything and everything in that stupid garage. And the garage itself is a piece of shit. We had a really bad wind storm over break and the shingles were actually flying off of the roof into our yard and into the alley. So Matt was up on the roof on Christmas Eve replacing the stupid thing.
Because the garage is such a piece of shit, we have to try and salvage what we can of it, even if that means patch up after patch up. We just don't have the money right now to replace an entire garage.
So as we were putting away the Christmas decor, some of which is stored in the rafters of the garage, I got the bug to start throwing a bunch of things away in there. I tossed the baby swing, a few bags of clothes, and some random stuff that I found in corners coverd with things I can not identify, nor do I want to.
5. Purchased and set up wireless internet and set up Caitlyn to have access to the internet.
Matt and I often want to be online at the same time when we are home. When you have to have the computer plugged in, it can't work. So we bought ourselves wireless for Christmas and set it up. Which was surprisingly easy. So now, Matt can sit in the basement and do his homework and such and I can sit upstairs and play backgammon.
Caitlyn is also wanting to be on the internet quite a lot lately. She has her Webkinz World subscription and she loves going to her school's website as they have links to other websites that she can go to. I have been letting her use my log in, but I wanted to be able to restrict certain things for her so I had to set up her own email account. Which she is head over heels thrilled about. She is terribly excited that she may actually get email from someone! So I have to send her an email this afternoon so that she will feel all special when she gets home from school. If anyone else (that I know of course) would like to send her an email let me know and I will pass along her email address to you.
6. Purchased the new car that we have been waiting for!
The van was paid in full last month, so we went out and bought the Dodge Charger that we have been wanting for over a year now. Matt is way too excited about this car. I have the feeling that he may be recieving a few speeding tickets this summer ;)
And now we are all back to our normal routines. Which I am kind of glad for.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wrapping Up Christmas
Much easier to put all of the pictures from the holidays into one montage rather than post them individually.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Fun in the Snow
Yeah, I know. I'm a big giant huge slacker. My bad. But I am trying to finish up everything that must be done before Christmas...which is a hell of a lot.
Here are some pictures of the girlie loving the first big snowfall of the year.
She also had her winter assembly the other day, which was very cute. But I haven't managed to get those off the camera as of yet. I also took a video. So as soon as that manages to get done, I will go ahead and put those up there.
Here are some pictures of the girlie loving the first big snowfall of the year.
She also had her winter assembly the other day, which was very cute. But I haven't managed to get those off the camera as of yet. I also took a video. So as soon as that manages to get done, I will go ahead and put those up there.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Rotten Egg Blue??
We all know Caitlyn is learning to read. And I have seen her really attempt to implement several strategies in order to decipher a word. Typically, "sounding out" really works for her. The other day she tried the strategy of looking at the first and last letter and guessing what the word is. (not really a strategy, but I think that is exactly what did)
Scene: Caitlyn on the living room floor coloring a picture for Mrs. Carson.
Caitlyn: I'm going to color this blue Mom.
Mom: I think that will look very pretty. What blue are you going to use?
Caitlyn: (with crayon in her hand, looking at the paper wrap on the crayon) "Rotten egg blue."
Mom: I think it says "Robin Egg Blue."
Caitlyn: Yeah, I guess a color with rotten in it wouldn't be too pretty.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Her first wake
Caitlyn has had her first experience with death this past weekend. I guess I can't really say it was her first as she was so close to death on a couple occasions when in the NICU. But this is the first one that she will remember.
We got a call early Wednesday morning to tell us that Matt's aunt Mary Pat had died. This was very sudden and the wake would be held on Sunday and the funeral on Monday.
I thought long and hard all day Wednesday about how to break this to Cate. While this is not the aunt that she is closest to, she does enjoy spending time with Mary Pat when we see her at family functions. For example, Mary Pat is the aunt that always plays Yhatzee with Caitlyn. When I go to Country Thunder in the summer, Matt takes Caitlyn to Wisconsin for Daddy/Daughter weekend. On this weekend, Grandma Rita and Mary Pat join them. Caitlyn loves hanging out at the beach with Mary Pat.
For a long time, Caitlyn would not go up and hug or kiss Mary Pat when we would see her. In the last year or so, Caitlyn actually looks forward to seeing her now. And when we do see her, she would give Mary Pat all the hugs and kisses that Mary Pat requested. It's sad to me to think that Caitlyn missed out on those first few years of hugs and kisses, but I think she certainly made up for it in the last year.
On Thursday, I told Matt that we needed to tell Cate about what happened. I knew that Caitlyn would certainly miss her presence at functions and would begin to ask where she was. Matt sat her down and told her that Mary Pat got very sick Wednesday morning and that she went to heaven to be with Matt's Daddy. What happened next, I was completely stunned by. Caitlyn reacted in a way that I didn't expect in the least.
I saw the corner of her mouth turn down and she let out a sob. She cried and cried and cried. It was at that very moment that I wanted to hurl myself under a rock and not come out. All I could think was that I caused this child this much pain! That if I hadn't told her, she wouldn't know what it feels like to have that complete sense of loss and uncontrolability. I couldn't stand myself for breaking her heart.
Later that night when I put her in bed, she got a litle weepy again. Though it wasn't near the emotion that it was earlier. But she said to me,
"I just wish Mary Pat could go to the cottage with us one more time."
And when she said that, it hit me. Caitlyn has a pretty good understanding of death and the finality of it. She understands that she won't be seeing Mary Pat at family parties anymore. She understands that they won't play Yhatzee at the lake anymore. And it breaks my heart that she had to learn that at only 6 years old.
I talked to her all weekend about whether or not she wanted to attend the wake and the funeral. And she was set on going. I spent hours talking to her about what she was going to see and what would be happening while we were there. When I had her explain it back to me, she had most of the details correct. With the exception of thinking that she would be seeing a skeleton in the casket! Once we got that all cleared up, she was comfortable with what was going to happen over the next couple of days.
Upon our arrival at the funeral home, she began to have second thoughts. We took one step into the viewing area, and she began to shake her head back and forth and walk backwards. She couldn't get out of there fast enough. We sat in the lobby for quite a while and she eventually made her way in to pay her last respects and say her good byes to Mary Pat.
She ended up not wanting to go to the funeral. Which is probably better anyway as there always seems to be so much sadness at that part since it really is the finale.
Last night she got a little weepy again, telling me that she wishes Mary Pat didn't die. But I have assured her that Mary Pat and her Grandfather are up there in heaven having a drag out game of Yhatzee and enjoying it to the fullest.
We got a call early Wednesday morning to tell us that Matt's aunt Mary Pat had died. This was very sudden and the wake would be held on Sunday and the funeral on Monday.
I thought long and hard all day Wednesday about how to break this to Cate. While this is not the aunt that she is closest to, she does enjoy spending time with Mary Pat when we see her at family functions. For example, Mary Pat is the aunt that always plays Yhatzee with Caitlyn. When I go to Country Thunder in the summer, Matt takes Caitlyn to Wisconsin for Daddy/Daughter weekend. On this weekend, Grandma Rita and Mary Pat join them. Caitlyn loves hanging out at the beach with Mary Pat.
For a long time, Caitlyn would not go up and hug or kiss Mary Pat when we would see her. In the last year or so, Caitlyn actually looks forward to seeing her now. And when we do see her, she would give Mary Pat all the hugs and kisses that Mary Pat requested. It's sad to me to think that Caitlyn missed out on those first few years of hugs and kisses, but I think she certainly made up for it in the last year.
On Thursday, I told Matt that we needed to tell Cate about what happened. I knew that Caitlyn would certainly miss her presence at functions and would begin to ask where she was. Matt sat her down and told her that Mary Pat got very sick Wednesday morning and that she went to heaven to be with Matt's Daddy. What happened next, I was completely stunned by. Caitlyn reacted in a way that I didn't expect in the least.
I saw the corner of her mouth turn down and she let out a sob. She cried and cried and cried. It was at that very moment that I wanted to hurl myself under a rock and not come out. All I could think was that I caused this child this much pain! That if I hadn't told her, she wouldn't know what it feels like to have that complete sense of loss and uncontrolability. I couldn't stand myself for breaking her heart.
Later that night when I put her in bed, she got a litle weepy again. Though it wasn't near the emotion that it was earlier. But she said to me,
"I just wish Mary Pat could go to the cottage with us one more time."
And when she said that, it hit me. Caitlyn has a pretty good understanding of death and the finality of it. She understands that she won't be seeing Mary Pat at family parties anymore. She understands that they won't play Yhatzee at the lake anymore. And it breaks my heart that she had to learn that at only 6 years old.
I talked to her all weekend about whether or not she wanted to attend the wake and the funeral. And she was set on going. I spent hours talking to her about what she was going to see and what would be happening while we were there. When I had her explain it back to me, she had most of the details correct. With the exception of thinking that she would be seeing a skeleton in the casket! Once we got that all cleared up, she was comfortable with what was going to happen over the next couple of days.
Upon our arrival at the funeral home, she began to have second thoughts. We took one step into the viewing area, and she began to shake her head back and forth and walk backwards. She couldn't get out of there fast enough. We sat in the lobby for quite a while and she eventually made her way in to pay her last respects and say her good byes to Mary Pat.
She ended up not wanting to go to the funeral. Which is probably better anyway as there always seems to be so much sadness at that part since it really is the finale.
Last night she got a little weepy again, telling me that she wishes Mary Pat didn't die. But I have assured her that Mary Pat and her Grandfather are up there in heaven having a drag out game of Yhatzee and enjoying it to the fullest.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
The Report Card
This school year has started out so much better than last year. Last year we (read I) had so many issues with the teacher, that I think it effected Caitlyn's performance. That aside, the teacher was a complete imbecile when it came to consistency with behavior plans and completely sucked at communication. Her skills in that arena were awful!! That aside, she was a phenommenal reading teacher. That was her only saving grace in my eyes. Caitlyn has developed a foundation that I know will make her an excellent reader because of the skills that she was taught by that teacher.
You may remember that last year I posted about Caitlyn's report cards and how the teacher gave her checks for talking and paying attention. Every quarter. In kindergarten. To say I was pissed off was an understatement. Especially when I had a conference with the teacher and her only explanation for the difference in what the report card stated versus what the behavior charts sent home daily stated was "They are two separate things." Um. No. They really aren't.
However, this year is so much different. Caitlyn received no checks at all. As a matter of fact, she received a ribbon for receiving excellent marks in conduct. Now, I know kids mature in this arena and they develop an understanding of what is expected of them as far as behavior is concerned. But how is it possible that she went from getting no less than 2 checks per reporting period to zero? Forgive me, but I doubt that she matured that much over one summer. It only confirms the idea that the teacher last year was a complete and utter moron.
On to the grades.....
Reading: B
Listening Standards: A
Speaking Standards: A
Mathematics Standards: B
Science Standards: A
Social Science Standards: A
Art Standards: A
Music Standards: A
PE: A
Learning Technology (computer): A
Handwriting: B
The teacher had nothing negative to say about Caitlyn.
I couldn't be more proud of my little lady. And she is so very proud of herself.
You may remember that last year I posted about Caitlyn's report cards and how the teacher gave her checks for talking and paying attention. Every quarter. In kindergarten. To say I was pissed off was an understatement. Especially when I had a conference with the teacher and her only explanation for the difference in what the report card stated versus what the behavior charts sent home daily stated was "They are two separate things." Um. No. They really aren't.
However, this year is so much different. Caitlyn received no checks at all. As a matter of fact, she received a ribbon for receiving excellent marks in conduct. Now, I know kids mature in this arena and they develop an understanding of what is expected of them as far as behavior is concerned. But how is it possible that she went from getting no less than 2 checks per reporting period to zero? Forgive me, but I doubt that she matured that much over one summer. It only confirms the idea that the teacher last year was a complete and utter moron.
On to the grades.....
Reading: B
Listening Standards: A
Speaking Standards: A
Mathematics Standards: B
Science Standards: A
Social Science Standards: A
Art Standards: A
Music Standards: A
PE: A
Learning Technology (computer): A
Handwriting: B
The teacher had nothing negative to say about Caitlyn.
I couldn't be more proud of my little lady. And she is so very proud of herself.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
This is Hysterical!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
Caitlyn is so excited about today. This kid really loves Halloween. This year she is dressing up as a cheerleader from High School Musical and is way excited about the pom poms.
Every year a bunch of my friends meet up at my house and we Trick or Treat together for about 3 hours. That's a lot of candy!! What I usually do is stop back at home every so often and dump the candy that she has gotten into the bowl of candy that we are giving out. The candy is then recycled to the other kids who come to our door. Is that wrong?? I just think that the amount of candy that kids recieve on Halloween is obscene. So any measures I can take to allow less candy consumed, thereby lessening the number of cavities, is a good thing in my eyes. Hopefully none of my neighbors read this, otherwise my poor kid will get royally screwed this year :P
I will post pictures before the weekend of the girl in her get up....which if I must say, looks absolutely adorable on her.
Caitlyn is sick for the first time this year. It seems that she is always sick on Halloween. Last year, she ended up puking on someone's lawn and having at least 2 messy accidents in her pants. I remember as a kid I was always sick on Thanksgiving. And it seems that Caitlyn is following suit by being sick from Halloween up through Thanksgiving. I loaded her up on meds last night so that she would get a really good rest and plan on doing the same tonight. She is also complaining that her throat hurts her, which she has never really complained about. Hopefully it's just a run of the mill average cold that won't lead into anything more. We don't want any repeats of being in the ER like we were last year for a cough so bad that the poor kid couldn't catch her breath. Keep your fingers crossed!
Every year a bunch of my friends meet up at my house and we Trick or Treat together for about 3 hours. That's a lot of candy!! What I usually do is stop back at home every so often and dump the candy that she has gotten into the bowl of candy that we are giving out. The candy is then recycled to the other kids who come to our door. Is that wrong?? I just think that the amount of candy that kids recieve on Halloween is obscene. So any measures I can take to allow less candy consumed, thereby lessening the number of cavities, is a good thing in my eyes. Hopefully none of my neighbors read this, otherwise my poor kid will get royally screwed this year :P
I will post pictures before the weekend of the girl in her get up....which if I must say, looks absolutely adorable on her.
Caitlyn is sick for the first time this year. It seems that she is always sick on Halloween. Last year, she ended up puking on someone's lawn and having at least 2 messy accidents in her pants. I remember as a kid I was always sick on Thanksgiving. And it seems that Caitlyn is following suit by being sick from Halloween up through Thanksgiving. I loaded her up on meds last night so that she would get a really good rest and plan on doing the same tonight. She is also complaining that her throat hurts her, which she has never really complained about. Hopefully it's just a run of the mill average cold that won't lead into anything more. We don't want any repeats of being in the ER like we were last year for a cough so bad that the poor kid couldn't catch her breath. Keep your fingers crossed!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
I have my husband back
And Caitlyn has her father back. Football season here in our house has come to an end. Unfortunately, Matt's team lost in the second game of the playoffs.
Caitlyn couldn't be happier that he is coming home right after work these days. The two of them spent the day together on Saturday. They cleaned his car and took it to the car wash. Then they went to the mall and had Sbarro, which is Caitlyn's favorite pizza and did some shopping. She managed to score a Webkinz for herself while there too ;) She promptly convinced me to get her going on the computer and set up this little gadget. Which I have to say really is very neat for her.
We are gearing up for Halloween here. Caitlyn is going to be a cheerleader from High School Musical. It's nice that she picked something so simple this year. Mainly because the kids aren't allowed to wear their costumes to school in the morning now. They can bring them in a bag and put them on in the afternoon for the parites and parade. If she had decided to go with one of the elaborate princess get ups that she usually picks, I'm certain she would not have been able to get all of it on by herself. This costume is simply a dress that goes right over her head. Nice and simple.
Work is busy for me these days. It seems that it's all I think about most nights when I lay down to go to sleep. So I really need to stop doing that. I am even having dreams about it. There have been a couple of issues with parents and the girl that I replaced. Which have lead to some pretty interesting discusssions with my coordinators and other teachers.
That's about all that's gone on here in the last few weeks. Seems I don't have much to blog about these days.
Caitlyn couldn't be happier that he is coming home right after work these days. The two of them spent the day together on Saturday. They cleaned his car and took it to the car wash. Then they went to the mall and had Sbarro, which is Caitlyn's favorite pizza and did some shopping. She managed to score a Webkinz for herself while there too ;) She promptly convinced me to get her going on the computer and set up this little gadget. Which I have to say really is very neat for her.
We are gearing up for Halloween here. Caitlyn is going to be a cheerleader from High School Musical. It's nice that she picked something so simple this year. Mainly because the kids aren't allowed to wear their costumes to school in the morning now. They can bring them in a bag and put them on in the afternoon for the parites and parade. If she had decided to go with one of the elaborate princess get ups that she usually picks, I'm certain she would not have been able to get all of it on by herself. This costume is simply a dress that goes right over her head. Nice and simple.
Work is busy for me these days. It seems that it's all I think about most nights when I lay down to go to sleep. So I really need to stop doing that. I am even having dreams about it. There have been a couple of issues with parents and the girl that I replaced. Which have lead to some pretty interesting discusssions with my coordinators and other teachers.
That's about all that's gone on here in the last few weeks. Seems I don't have much to blog about these days.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
October Fun
Caitlyn says that she doesn't enjoy fall or winter and that summer is her favorite season. However, everytime fall rolls around, I find her having so much fun with all of the things that we do.
Every year, my best friend and her children, and some of her extended family, and Caitlyn and I head to the Morton Arboretum. It is so pretty there in the fall. And they have so many things for kids to do there. It's a fantastic place. After that, we all trek over to Sonny Acres Farm so that we can enjoy some carnival rides and really greasy food. Sometimes we will also get our pumpkins there, but not usually as they are so much more expensive there than they are at, say, Dominick's.
This year we went earlier in the year than we normally do. We did this mainly because when we go later in the year, when we can really enjoy the Arboretum and the colors of all of the leaves changing, it is much (much) colder outside. This year, it was a beautiful day. Which meant the kids could really run around and enjoy themselves. Rather than trekking though the rain and the wind and the freezing cold.
Here are some fabulous pics of the day:
The maze
All the kids navigating the maze
Some of the "gyms" they have in the Children's Garden (which is a fantastic place!)
Climbing the rocks
This little activity of jumping on the rocks in the pond didn't last too long as I knew if any kid was going to fall in, it would be mine.
In front of the 1000 pound pumpkin
Cate and Kely being silly
The swings
Pony Rides
And finally, Auntie Gina acting like a complete ass to get the kids to laugh.
Every year, my best friend and her children, and some of her extended family, and Caitlyn and I head to the Morton Arboretum. It is so pretty there in the fall. And they have so many things for kids to do there. It's a fantastic place. After that, we all trek over to Sonny Acres Farm so that we can enjoy some carnival rides and really greasy food. Sometimes we will also get our pumpkins there, but not usually as they are so much more expensive there than they are at, say, Dominick's.
This year we went earlier in the year than we normally do. We did this mainly because when we go later in the year, when we can really enjoy the Arboretum and the colors of all of the leaves changing, it is much (much) colder outside. This year, it was a beautiful day. Which meant the kids could really run around and enjoy themselves. Rather than trekking though the rain and the wind and the freezing cold.
Here are some fabulous pics of the day:
The maze
All the kids navigating the maze
Some of the "gyms" they have in the Children's Garden (which is a fantastic place!)
Climbing the rocks
This little activity of jumping on the rocks in the pond didn't last too long as I knew if any kid was going to fall in, it would be mine.
In front of the 1000 pound pumpkin
Cate and Kely being silly
The swings
Pony Rides
And finally, Auntie Gina acting like a complete ass to get the kids to laugh.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Bad Blogger Alert
Yes, that would be me. It would appear that nothing interesting has happened in our lives since I haven't posted anything in 3 weeks. But quite the opposite is true actually.
Football season here is in full swing. Which means late dinners, late bed times, lots of football practices and games, and a missing husband. Which makes me a single mom for a few months. I must say, that I can't even begin to imagine being a single mom. I only have to deal with it for a few months a year and in that time, I about lose my mind....and grow somewhere in the area of 86 new grey hairs. Multiply that by the number of years and Matt has been a coach and we have had Caitlyn and I am looking at a rapidly developing white head. But none the less, Matt is doing well in his conference and if he manages to win this game on Friday, then he is looking at taking second place in his conference. Which is fabulous for him as he has had 2 really rough seasons.
My new job is wonderful. And completely time consuming. I have worked harder at this job in the 2 months I have been there than I have ever worked at any other job I've had. Which I guess means that I care about it and really want to put the time in. But it is exhausting as well. And the parents...well let's just say that they may be the reason that I become an alcoholic. They are quite needy, and demanding. They love their children, but at times I feel as though they feel they are "owed" something. Or I am just being rotten and crabby. Either way, the job was becoming consuming enough that it has prompted Matt and I to hire a cleaning lady. Which has put me in a better mood most days. There really is nothing better than coming home and your house is spotless. NOTHING. AT. ALL.
Caitlyn is doing amazing in first grade. I absolutely love her teacher. We had back to school night last week. The teacher is quite demanding, as is the first grade curriculum. That in an of itself seems so weird to me. But first grade is certainly not what it was when I was there. Granted that was many moons ago, but still, they are requiring so much more of kids these days that I am amazed that any of them fall within the bulk of the bell curve anymore.
A few weeks ago, Caitlyn had to stay after school to complete Dibels testing. Basically a reading test to see where they are and how they are progressing throughout the year. I was a little pissed that it was going to be after school, for a couple of reasons. First, how is it possible that this isn't something that can be done during school hours. Second, you expect these kids to perform well on a test after a full day of school. Last, it was over 80 degrees out the day they were doing it; how many kids want to hang out at school on a day like that when they could be out playing?? But I kept my mouth shut since none of the other parents seemed bothered by it. And again, I know to pick and choose my battles when it comes to school.
I received Caitlyn's scores today in her progress report (yes they send out mid term reports in first grade). I have to say, I couldn't have been more proud of my little lady. Here are her scores:
Letter Naming Fluency
Goal: 37 letters/minute
Score: 55 letters/minute
Benchmark: Established
Phonemic Segmentation Fluency
Goal: 35 phonemes/minute
Score: 38 phonemes/minute
Benchmark: Low Risk
Nonsense Word Fluency
Goal: 24 sounds/minute
Score: 37 sounds/minute
Benchmark: Low Risk
So overall, she has exceeded the standard benchmark. In the area of phonemic segmentation, she has already established the benchmark for January. I couldn't believe it when I was reading this. I mean, I know the kid can read, and I know that she is making incredible progress with reading ever single day. It is obvious as we are out in the community and she is reading words that are not sight words. But I never expected her to have already exceeded the benchmarks. And exceed them in 2 areas by so much.
It really makes me wonder at times how she has managed to escape the typical outcome of a 25 weeker. And as I have said before, the doctors have always questioned that gestation and put her about a week earlier. If that is in fact the case, it is even more wondrous to me that she is doing as well as she is. I have no explanation for it whatsoever. She is the kid that completely skews the research in the area of developmental outcomes of preemies. She is the reason that putting gestational limits on resuscitation seem so wrong to me. And again, it makes me think of the things those doctors told me in those very grim and dark first few weeks. And months for that matter.
Off my soapbox now.....off to look into gifted programs for my genius :P (yeah right!)
Football season here is in full swing. Which means late dinners, late bed times, lots of football practices and games, and a missing husband. Which makes me a single mom for a few months. I must say, that I can't even begin to imagine being a single mom. I only have to deal with it for a few months a year and in that time, I about lose my mind....and grow somewhere in the area of 86 new grey hairs. Multiply that by the number of years and Matt has been a coach and we have had Caitlyn and I am looking at a rapidly developing white head. But none the less, Matt is doing well in his conference and if he manages to win this game on Friday, then he is looking at taking second place in his conference. Which is fabulous for him as he has had 2 really rough seasons.
My new job is wonderful. And completely time consuming. I have worked harder at this job in the 2 months I have been there than I have ever worked at any other job I've had. Which I guess means that I care about it and really want to put the time in. But it is exhausting as well. And the parents...well let's just say that they may be the reason that I become an alcoholic. They are quite needy, and demanding. They love their children, but at times I feel as though they feel they are "owed" something. Or I am just being rotten and crabby. Either way, the job was becoming consuming enough that it has prompted Matt and I to hire a cleaning lady. Which has put me in a better mood most days. There really is nothing better than coming home and your house is spotless. NOTHING. AT. ALL.
Caitlyn is doing amazing in first grade. I absolutely love her teacher. We had back to school night last week. The teacher is quite demanding, as is the first grade curriculum. That in an of itself seems so weird to me. But first grade is certainly not what it was when I was there. Granted that was many moons ago, but still, they are requiring so much more of kids these days that I am amazed that any of them fall within the bulk of the bell curve anymore.
A few weeks ago, Caitlyn had to stay after school to complete Dibels testing. Basically a reading test to see where they are and how they are progressing throughout the year. I was a little pissed that it was going to be after school, for a couple of reasons. First, how is it possible that this isn't something that can be done during school hours. Second, you expect these kids to perform well on a test after a full day of school. Last, it was over 80 degrees out the day they were doing it; how many kids want to hang out at school on a day like that when they could be out playing?? But I kept my mouth shut since none of the other parents seemed bothered by it. And again, I know to pick and choose my battles when it comes to school.
I received Caitlyn's scores today in her progress report (yes they send out mid term reports in first grade). I have to say, I couldn't have been more proud of my little lady. Here are her scores:
Letter Naming Fluency
Goal: 37 letters/minute
Score: 55 letters/minute
Benchmark: Established
Phonemic Segmentation Fluency
Goal: 35 phonemes/minute
Score: 38 phonemes/minute
Benchmark: Low Risk
Nonsense Word Fluency
Goal: 24 sounds/minute
Score: 37 sounds/minute
Benchmark: Low Risk
So overall, she has exceeded the standard benchmark. In the area of phonemic segmentation, she has already established the benchmark for January. I couldn't believe it when I was reading this. I mean, I know the kid can read, and I know that she is making incredible progress with reading ever single day. It is obvious as we are out in the community and she is reading words that are not sight words. But I never expected her to have already exceeded the benchmarks. And exceed them in 2 areas by so much.
It really makes me wonder at times how she has managed to escape the typical outcome of a 25 weeker. And as I have said before, the doctors have always questioned that gestation and put her about a week earlier. If that is in fact the case, it is even more wondrous to me that she is doing as well as she is. I have no explanation for it whatsoever. She is the kid that completely skews the research in the area of developmental outcomes of preemies. She is the reason that putting gestational limits on resuscitation seem so wrong to me. And again, it makes me think of the things those doctors told me in those very grim and dark first few weeks. And months for that matter.
Off my soapbox now.....off to look into gifted programs for my genius :P (yeah right!)
Sunday, September 23, 2007
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