Another Triple A!!!

Yup, I got 3 more A's in graduate school. My semester finished last week and final grades are out today. I am so happy to be doing so well in my graduate classes. It has been challenging to balance all the things in my life and doing well at school is definitely a nice reward for all the stress and hard work. In other exciting news I will be doing my Practicum or student teaching this Spring. Because I am already a full time teacher I can use that as my Practicum. I will just teach as I already do but now a person from the University will come observe me 3 or 4 times and I will have to prepare an extensive electronic portfolio. Once my Practicum is out of the way I only have 4 classes left til I graduate with my Masters. I plan on taking those 4 classes this summer. So YAYAYAYAY for me I will have my Masters and be done with school this Summer!!!!! HOOORAAAYYYY!!!!!!!!! The idea that I will be done with school before the new school year starts is THRILLING! I can not even tell you how much more I will be able to do at work when I don't have to run to class 3 nights a week! Plus I will have so much more time to relax with Evie which will be a VERY welcome change!

This week is the last week of work for me before we all break for 2 full weeks!! God, I love being a teacher!!!!! I plan to relax and spend time with friends and family and thoroughly take advantage of my break from grad school and work! Whoo HOO!! =)

In other news, I am happy to say that my final divorce hearing is January 8, 2009. If we have no issues between now and then I will be a divorced (free!) woman in January '09! YAY! I am very happy to be closing this chapter of my life and moving forward.

Evie is cute as ever and continues to delight and amaze me at every turn. She is getting very good with using the potty but only when we are not at home. I don't know if that is a normal thing for toddlers. She uses the potty a lot when we are out but then won't even ask or say she wants to go when I ask at home. Strange, but ultimately she will use the potty at home too.

In family news I am EAGERLY awaiting the return of BigBro and DocRom to the States!!! I super duper mega-ly hope they will come back to ATL but if they don't I will just be glad that they are not in a foreign country thousands of miles away!! I miss them SOOOOO much!!!! I can NOT wait to be with them and hug them and talk and laugh and connect!!!

Also, TwinBro is engaged!!! Congrats to him!!! He is with a very cool lady and I wish them the best!! =)

Recent Evie Pics

These are always a hit! Here is Evie being her amazing self. I got her a new winter hat, I think she looks just adorable! =)

Happy Thanksiving All!

Evie spent Thanksgiving with her Dad so I decided to visit my Mom (her Nana)! Here are some pics of my trip and festivities =)





















Here's me doing the ski jump on Wii, big fun!!!

Evie Singing Twinkle Twinkle!

Cutest thing EVA!!!!!!!!

VOTE!!!

I am leaving in the next few minutes to line up at my polling place. I received an email yesterday from my superintendent saying that I can not be late or leave early from my work today to vote. The surrounding counties have the day off today and our students have a half day today. But even with all that info, we the education employees of the county I work in, are not allowed to be late or leave early to vote today. Even though this is a historical election. Even though we should be modeling to our students (the future of this country) good citizenship behaviors, such as voting. Even though the news reports have been pouring in about long lines at voting places.

So I will be at my voting place about 40 minutes before it opens. I hope that is enough time for me to vote and drive 30 minutes to the other country that I work in.

Regardless of all that I am SUPER PUMPED!! about voting today!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE that we can vote freely and with true choice!!! =)

Halloween Costumes

Here is my little Dorothy!!! And I am going to be Wednesday Adams for Halloween. =) Tonight is the "Get Spooky with Math and Science Night" at my school. So Gramper is bringing Evie to trick or treat and play games at my school. I will be MCing the costume contest in the lunchroom. I love being a teacher!! =)

Wow!

It's been a month since I posted, yikes! Thank you to my Mom, Angie, and Cara for your concerned messages =)

Evie and I are doing great, busy, but great. I finished a Grad class with an A, I hope. And this week the first report cards of the year go out for my students. I can not believe I am a teacher, I can not believe that I just entered grades for my kids report cards!

My car got backed into while it was parked and now the back passenger door is dented up. That happened last week. The lady that did it was very nice and she has great insurance so I am not worried about it.

My health insurance and benefits kicked in so I am going for an eye exam tomorrow and I set up my first appointment with my new doctor for Decemeber.

The divorce is no further along than it was a month ago. I wish it were but we are at a stand still right now. And not for any reason except that we are both too busy to deal with it.

Evie was sick last week and I stayed home with her Thursday. It was heavenly! Even though she was sick I thoroughly enjoyed spending an entire day with her! What a luxury! She is all better now btw.

I start two new 8 week classes this week. The first was tonight. It was great to see my old friends that I have been taking classes with since last January. The class seems like it will be relatively easy.

My students are ever impressing me and challenging me. They made me a photo collage of themselves and signed it and framed it for me last week when I was out. The substitute that helped them get it done suprised me with it today! OMG!! I can not even tell you what a wonderful suprise it was for me! I am acutally still in shock. I can't believe my students like me so much. I literally am amazed. I am leading such a busy life these days that I am not taking the time to really soak up the sweetness that I am getting. I have to be better about that.

We took our first field trip today to the County Fair. It was pretty cool. The kids and I got to see tigers and camels and pigs. That was all we got to do though. The rides were off and they didn't have much else for us to do. But any field trip is better than no field trip =)

There is probably tons that I am leaving out but I have homework to do, so that is all for now. I will try to be better about posting, I promise!

Church Outfit

I am teaching Sunday school at my church now. It is really cool. I go to the Unitarian Universalist Church. Last week we taught the difference between facts and judgements. It was neat to be teaching kids about kindness and not judging other people. I'm not sure what I will be teaching today but I am sure it will be cool =)

Evie is too young for actual lessons in her class. They play with toys and do crafts in the 2 year old room. She loves it! =)

All Fall Down and Get Stitches

Evie fell off the couch at the in home daycare we take her to. She busted her chin good on the coffee table and had to get stitches. She handeled the whole thing like a real champ! Here is our tough girl showing off her stitches.






I wouldn't mess with her in a dark alley!

Results

I got custodial parent yesterday. Ben and I went to court yesterday. That is a big relief for me. But it brings many more questions and unresolved issues with it. The hearing yesterday did not resolve anything but who custodial parent is and how much child support I get. So we still have to hammer out many more details before this divorce will be over. I wish I could say I am totally happy but that is not true. In situations like this I suppose being the "winner" really isn't that great. I don't think anyone "wins" in a divorce. The whole thing is just unpleasant. But I am glad that I got custodial, that was the one thing that I was most concerned about.

I survived...so far!

I survived the first week of school and I am almost done with the second week! Whoo hoo! The first week was super super hard. My body was starting to give out on me with the stress and the sleep deprivation and the new germs from my kids. But this week is going WAY better. WAYYYY better! I feel good, I know my kids better everyday and we are all learning our way more and more. I have 27 second graders right now but September 2nd I will give up 5 of my kids to the new teacher. I am sad about losing those 5 kids, I am really getting attached to them and to all my students. It is so funny how quickly we are getting attached to each other. Even my tough kids that give me problems all the time hug me and draw pictures for me. I really can honestly say that this is exactly what I want to be doing. I love it! I love my kids even if they make me crazy with their incessant talking. They are good kids, they have good hearts and I so appreciate being able to share this experience with them.





Evie is doing GREAT! She is saying more words all the time. Some new ones that I hadn't heard include funny and don't. I love it! She is getting prettier every day and I am amazed at how well she is handling me being at work all day. She is doing fantastic with our new schedule! =)

Progress...

Here is my room as of today at 445PM.





I found out today that I will have 25 students. That number will probably go down to 20 or 22 by the end of next week. I got to help register new students today, that was really cool! I will take more pics of my door and room tomorrow. Tomorrow night is Open House for all parents and students. I am working on my packets for my parents. The packet will include a letter of introduction, class schedule, supply list, and student handbook. Wish me luck everybody, tomorrow will be a very busy day =)

Being a Teacher

I have already been put in charge of my school's Art contest and I have been charged with the task of creating an Artist of the Month program. We already have a composer of the month program. I am soo thrilled to be asked to do these things! It makes me very happy to be asked to help with school things. =)

Yesterday I got the greatest compliment. My mentor teacher came into my room and said it looked great. On top of that she said she wanted to steal my morning routine idea! That is about the most flattering thing that could have happened to me on my first day of preplanning. I spent the morning like a deer in headlights so having that happen in the afternoon gave me the burst of confidence I needed.

What is my morning routine you ask? I am going to have the kids come in and file their homework under their name and then place their folders in my inbox. Then I will have them pick up their journals (that I am providing) and sit down. I bought some creative and silly journal starter books, I will put one up every morning and have them write. I will also have a math problem of the day that I will put up everyday for kids that finish the journal work really fast. I am super excited about the journals. I always always loved journal writing as a student, even at the college level I found it to be one of my favorite aspects of my classes. I think that teaching young children to just express themselves through the written word is so empowering. And their journals are for them, I won't grade them on grammar or spelling, or making sense. I just want them to have as many opportunities as possible to write for fun. I have personally kept journals my whole life, and now I keep a blog =)

My Classroom

OMG!! I had no idea, no clue how much work it is to get ready for school as a teacher until today. WOW! I worked my fanny off today and I made progress but my room still has a long way to go. Because you are a loyal reader I will now subject you to before and after photos of my classroom. (BTW, I LOVE having my own classroom!)


Here is my classroom door.


Here is the view from the back wall, this is the before shot.


Here is the after.



Here is my room from the back left corner, this is the before shot.



Here is the after shot.



And here is a shot of my room as I left it today. This is from the front right corner of my room.

Evie Update: 2 Year Check Up, Potty Training, Vaccines

Yesterday was a really big day for Evie. She got her first vaccinations ever at her 2 yr old check up. Ben and I decided to delay vaccinating her until we felt she was old enough and actually needed to be vaccinated. Well she is going to school this year and because she will be exposed to so many new germs and kids we felt it was the right choice to start vaccinating her. She got 6 shots yesterday in her thighs, the total number of vaccines was 9. I was extremely nervous about how her body would handle the shots. She is completely fine so far (knock on wood). She is a little more tired and crabby than normal but otherwise she is doing great! I have been checking her temperature every few hours to make sure she doesn't have a fever.

At our appointment Evie's pediatrician talked to us about potty training. I have had Evie in Pull-Up diapers for months now and she has a potty seat at my house and at Ben's house. We each work with her to sit on the potty and in general to be comfortable with the potty. So today I got her a step stool to get on the potty by herself. I also started working with her to pull her pants and shorts up and down herself. Hopefully soon she will make the choice to pee and poop in the potty instead of her pants. =)



Other than all that she is talking up a storm! Sonya, our daycare lady, says Evie talks all the time and she is very excited. I am so happy at how much she has grown up in the last few months. A friend of mine recently gave me a small table and chairs set, a spinny thing for evie to sit on, 2 huge bags of clothes, and a huge box of books. I am thrilled because Evie loves all the books and the table and chairs and the spinny thing. And she looks ADORABLE in her new clothes! Yay for good friends!! =)





And in me news I start working tomorrow. I go to new teacher orientation tomorrow and Friday and Monday. I am very very excited and a little nervous. I can't believe I will be in charge of thirty 2nd graders in less than 2 weeks!!! Here is what I am gonna wear to my first day of orientation. What do ya think? Sorry the pic is so dark.

All Dressed Up...

OMG, have you ever had a pair of shoes that you were sure were made for your feet? These are they for me. =)

Evie's Bday Present from Nana!

Evie and Emani Hug

Emani and Evie sing Ring Around the Rosy

Emani's Birthday Party

Evie and I went to our friend Emani's 2 year birthday party this past weekend. It was a total BLAST!! Here are some pics for your enjoyment. Videos to follow in separate posts =)