slice of my life

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Smart vs. Smart Mouth

Here's a video of J's outdoor, end-of-year band concert. this was their final song all grades played together.

I missed Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt again!!

I was busy most of my day with a training for Girl Scout Day Camp, starting at 8:30am. When I got home about 3:30, I was so wiped out, I laid down on the couch and napped for a while. The heat gets to me after a while. I try not to be wimpy about it, but I'm drained by it.

And then I got all showered and took J to his call time for his show last night and scrapbooked with a friend a gift for a family that's leaving our area and our Girl Scout troop. It was actually a lot more talking than working! ;-) But I got almost done with it all.

This week has been a really exciting one. The kids got word about their latest TAKS scores. J took two in April, Math and Reading and just knows he got a "commended performance" on both. I think this might be the first time he got commended on both since he did in 3rd grade. B got word back that on her Math test she took in April, she got a perfect score---which means she got a commended score on both her tests this year, her first year for standardized testing. In third grade you have to pass the reading to go on to 4th grade.

Also we got back the evaluations for B's reading level. I love to see al that data right here at the beginning of summer. They take this test at school on the computer, and as they do better and better, they get harder and harder questions.

B did fantastic.

Grade level should be 3.9, I guess. Her "grade equivalent" is 10.7. So her zone she should be aiming at for reading this summer is 4.8 to 10.7. It said if she re-took the test, we would expect her to make a score between 99% and 99% every time. (aww, no 100%?)

It was almost funny the goals for her to continue growing in reading:
continue reading for recreational purposes (not a problem---she has the reading bug)
use self-correction strategies to maintain flexibility in reading for different purposes (what?)
identify bias, persuasion, and propaganda within a text (I just can't imagine her coming in contact with propaganda in the things she likes to read? bias and persuasion---I get that)
learn strategies for acquiring specialized or technical vocabulary (what's she specializing in for 4th grade? the field of medicine?)

It just seems so beyond her real life. But I'm really proud of her! :-)

My kids are smart, no denying that. I have had a part in this, but it's good genes and smarts that God gave them to begin with. But now, how do I tame those tongues?

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Friday, May 23, 2008

Friday's Feast, May 23rd

Appetizer: Wii, Playstation or XBox?
none of the above! If I had to pick, I think I'd go with Wii because it's the latest. I think?

Soup: Would you ever go skydiving?
Uh . . . not something I'd prefer to spend money on, but if I had to do it to get through The Amazing Race, I'd do it. But someone would have to push me out of the plane. Not something I think my body would willingly do!

Salad: Name a sequel that you think is better than the original movie.
I like all the StarWars movies and the Harry Potter films. I still like StarWars episode 6---Return of the Jedi, I guess it's my favorite. (Although I love all of them for different reasons--ahhh, the angst in this decision!) Harry Potter gets better and better because it's so much more complicated and the characters are older and it's so dark. And the blossoming romance. love that, too. To pick just one----Order of the Phoenix.
I can't just answer a question simply with one answer, can I?
A common thread betwixt the two? John Williams music---I LOVE IT.

Main Course: Share your most wonderful birthday celebration.
I right away think to my birthday last year when my class surprised me with a party and gave me so many presents, not the least of which was a pair of roller skates. Very cool!

Dessert: If you dare, post a picture of yourself making a silly face.
I don't have time to scan in or take a new picture, but I had this one in the "archives":
I'm the one on the left, the 15 year old. And my little sis on the right. It's really not that silly, but ya know!! Time is limited.
As you can see, I didn't post all week. I have lead a group of 16 people to our Girl Scout trip 180 miles away, gone on a TX Safari, slept with the rats, ate breakfast along a river, seen my parents and sister's family, went to a softball game, done some work at school closing out my school year, finished the first course in my alternative certification schooling, printed out about 100 pages of stuff I need to read, went to a band concert (but forgot about the awards assembly!!), registered myself in all these places I have to so I can keep moving forward toward certification, filled out some registration forms concerning summer activities, signed up for a test I have to take in June, and done cooking and cleaning necessary to our survival in this home. Busy.

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Friday's Feast, May 16th


Good morning, breakfast served!

Appetizer
What is the nearest big city to your home?

Houston

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

I'm a 9. Can't claim perfection!

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

My hair is totally straight, absolutely no wave to it at all. Ever since I was pregnant with B, my hair has been getting thinner and thinner, though. I also went into my thirties at that time, which may have something to do with it. My hair is brown---not too dark, not too light. Boring! I do have some stray gray hairs---and they are a different texture than the rest of my hair.

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

I'm not too aggressive, but I can be when I go into a big city (Houston! or Fort Worth or Dallas). But I'd rather not drive in a big city if I don't have to. I think I'm courteous, but probably everyone *thinks* they are, even if they're not. I am impatient behind the wheel with people who are not following the laws or who try to jump into the traffic dangerously or tailgating. Of course, I got a ticket last May for not doing this very thing, but I try to drive the speed limit. Deep inside me I feel like it's a sin to speed---can' t I just abide by the laws of the land? Isn't that my obligation to Christ to be as law-abiding as I can, as long as it wouldn't conflict with my faith?

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week?

I feel like I am coming out of a very bad year. But it started with a bad week last year. I got strep throat, the house flooded ( no flood insurance!), house turned upside down getting all the carpet out, and a part of a tooth just fell out of my head. Ug. It's depressing thinking about it.


Still Hungry? Check out more Feasts at Friday's Feast!

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Saturday, May 10, 2008

Prizes!!!!!

J won a prize Package for me for Mother's Day. I just blogged all the details on the other blog, and here's the link for that post in particular. Here's a different photo of the bear---it is so soft. All in all, the prizes were worth $275.00! Wow J! He may never top this Mother's Day! ;-)

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Talent Show featured Act

This is the video of B's talent show. Her good friends are doing this with her, and they planned everything out themselves---the order in which they performed, the moves, the outfits, the music. I liked it!




B's talent

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Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, May 10th

I had a hard time working with no theme this week---it was too wide open for me! ;-) Should I go with my best picture of all time? A photo that captures the essence of one of my children?

I decided to go with a picture that captures an important part of this week.My job is to teach these little ones, and here at the end of the year, they are graduating and moving onto Kindergarten. Here we are practicing for the program, the first time with putting on the gowns. Part of our program next week is to let them know how special we think they are and to let them know they're moving into a new phase of their lives.

Do they understand all that? No. But they are all excited to go on to Kindergarten! Should kids expect to graduate every time they move to a new school? Hmmm . . . that's debatable. But do the parents love it? I think so! ;-)

If you're interested in the Photo Hunt, check out TNChick. This week's theme was "blogger's choice" and next week it's candy----one of my favorite things. :-)

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Friday, May 09, 2008

Things That Make Me Happy Today

  • I forgot I had bought some swiss cheese and I just found it! Yum!
  • Also in the kitchen, I am trying out a recipe in the crock pot, and it smells delicious today. I'll post the reciepe if it tastes good, too. It's called Slow Cooker Lime Garlic Chicken with Rice.
  • Last night I had to look away as my son came in the door---with a Mother's Day present! I can't wait to see this "thing" he picked out.
  • More exciting is that I have a son who is SO differnt from me. I mean, where I am introverted, he's extro-. Where I am short, he's tall. Where I am afraid to rock a boat, he's standing up in the boat and shaking it like crazy. He called in to the local radio station Tuesday morning. He won a pizza for himself, and got in a drawing for a Mother's Day package---a spa trip and a teddy bear. Okay you see where this is going? He won the drawing this morning! Ha! Can you believe that? I told him we'd go pick it up after school today.
  • I paid my money to iteachtexas and I will now begin my 6 months to get done with the coursework. Well, I guess I have to wait for them to open up the program for me, get me on the right track. But it's all in motion now. I even sent a couple of e-mails to ask for some interviews. We'll see . . .:-)
  • Last night J was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. Hooray for him! I "forced" him to write the good things about himself and turn in the application. It can't hurt him! It'll look good on a resume and he'll maybe get some good priveledges around school, too.
  • B had her talent show yesterday, and she and the girls were very cute. They were the last act in the show. I was able to go to the 2nd of her perfoormances, and it was a treat. I will post the little video soon! I know you want to see it. :-)

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Friday's Feast, May 9th


We had a fish fry after church services last Sunday night. Here is the feast being cooked!

Happy Birthday to my Cousin Beth!!
Appetizer
When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?
who doesn't?

Soup
Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?
Ha---you don't want to know.
I am on CONCRETE in most of my house. My bathrooms have linoleum, the kitchen, wood. The kids bedrooms, carpet. Rest of the house, CONCRETE! Go back and see what happened. to us last May. Still not fixed, but I have hope for the future.

Salad
Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.
Jolly jellyfish jiggle just jauntily.

Main Course
Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?
Two of the kids I teach this year are adopted, and I know others.

Dessert
Name 2 blue things.
The sky (the biggest thing in the world, right!?!)
My eyes (the things with which I can see all blue in the world)

Go check out Friday's Feast!

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Sunday, May 04, 2008

Sesame Street's influence

One blog leads to another . . . and once I am YouTube, I just can't help searching for similar things!

I saw this first video on another blog this afternoon, and I love it.

Stevie Wonder


Culture is out there if you know where to look!

I am teaching kids who are that target audience for shows such as this, and although they may not see the significance of the highly successful artists that sometimes go on S.S., the quality music is still seeping into their little minds. That was a video from my childhood, but the next one is from my son's childhood.

R.E.M.


Some may think I'm bad for this, but I just never got much into "children's music." I can't really stand too much of it! I let my kids listen to my music form the start. J was choosing Tom Petty form our stack of CDs instead of a bunch of kiddie music.

Now this is not to say that none of it's good. I love witty music, like Joe McDermott
but my kids are too old for all this now.

Here's a cool video form the 80s. "New" technology at that time. Probably quite a few kids have little electronic pianos that will do similar things to change voices nowadays!
Herbie Hancock


And all that lead me to this video of one of our favorite Star Trek stars . . .

Patrick Stewart


And this one . . .


But here is my most memorable S.S. segment . I still sing this in my head sometimeswhen I'm counting!

I am a member of the TV generation.

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Saturday, May 03, 2008

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, May 3rd

This week's theme is Time. I think the most significant keeping of time happened last July in Waco. B ran the mile, and her time was better than any other time she ran before.

And it was hard. Look at this girl! She was 8 when she ran it.
She said then, and even this spring, that she would never run the mile again. But she is one of about 10 who ran without stopping for 9 minutes in P.E. at school. Her P.E. coach is one of the coaches for summer track, too. I think I'm going to shoot him an e-mail about encouraging her to run the mile again this summer---or at least do the 800! Speed is not her thing, but she has great endurance! ;-)

She doesn't take after me in this respect---but her Aunt R. has run a marathon.
If you want to see others' interpretation of the theme, click here for TNChick's website. Next week's theme is blogger's choice!

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Friday, May 02, 2008

Friday's Feast, May 2nd


Appetizer
What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?

What I remember watching is Scooby Doo and the Super Friends. I especially liked the Wonder Twins.


Soup
Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?

I'd get a border collie, and name her Brownie II. No! I'd name it something that seemed to fit that dog's personaility. So who knows.


Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?

I guess an 7. If it involves shopping for something new, I'd say a 10. I rarely do dress up, though!


Main Course
What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?

I listen to the radio (still no CD player in either of our cars!), and that's usually the pop stations---not teen pop, but adult stuff mixed in. Old stuff. But I really love to hear the 80s music the most! ;-) I can get a station from Houston in most parts of my town.


Dessert
When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?

I need a new alarm clock for my bedroom---but it's not bought yet! I think I bought a wall clock for my bathroom (more than a year ago).

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