Sickos!!!!

Yes...we were all sickos this week! It all started last weekend...Saturday night Brock got up with "something" in his eye...Went back to bed and went to sleep...no big deal! But Sunday morning he wakes up and his eye is all matted shut and bright red! So, Phil and the kids stay home from church since I was on worship team. Sunday afternoon and evening, Phil and I start not feeling the greatest...colds setting in we think. Monday Brock goes and gets medicine for his eyes, ready to go back to school Tuesday. Tuesday morning hubby and I feel HORRIBLE and struggle through the day...Phil is waaaayyy stronger than I am and he continues working all week. We get home and Brock is on the couch in his jammies...he came home from school sick. ARGH! We were all in bed by 8:30... Brock and I were both home from school sick on Wednesday...Brock went back on Thursday...I stayed home again...Thank goodness it is Friday and we are all feeling better...not perfect or 100% but much better...just in time for trick-or-treating! We are glad it is weekend and we can hopefully all recover completely and be ready to face November! Grant and Kiara are glad that we are somewhat normal again!

My sweet baby doll...

Don't have much to say on this one...other than, isn't she just the cutest little girl? I could just eat her up and I LOOOOVVVVVE this picture. With the cute little sheep on her dress and white tights on, and look at that smile in the one picture. God has truly blessed me with these three kiddos (and a great hubby). Kiara hasn't been sleeping through the night lately and after a week or so of sleeping through the night...it is hard going back to waking up again. Last night we didn't have to get up with her, but she was fussing in her crib for quite awhile. I try to let her do that and go back to sleep on her own, unless she is screaming...then I get her so she doesn't wake everyone else up...Hopefully she won't catch on to that one any time soon! I can't wait to have tomorrow off so that I can hang out with my kiddos all day!

Every bad name...

Funny story really quick that some of you will really appreciate and others will laugh along with me....Brock and Grant were playing in the backyard a couple of weeks ago (I think Star Wars)...Anyway, I hear yelling at each other so I race out there and Brock is all upset and tattling away. He tells me that Grant called him every bad name. I'm shocked and wonder what exactly he has said. I ask Brock, what did he call you...Brock states again that he called him every bad name. I'm still searching, so I tell him that it is okay to repeat what he said, that he won't get into trouble, but I would like to know exactly what Grant said and what happened. Brock then tells me that he did something to Grant (fairly insignificant) and Grant yells out, "I call you "EVERY BAD NAME"!!!! That's what he called him "EVERY BAD NAME"...no cuss words or naughty words (stupid, dumb, etc...), just "EVERY BAD NAME" I had to bite my tongue not to laugh out loud (at least until I was alone) and proceeded to tell Grant that was not a nice thing to do...So, now I think that when I get upset with someone..."EVERY BAD NAME". How funny! The things kids say! But....5 minutes later, they are back to being best buddies again and playing like it never happened...The joy of brotherhood!

Growing a Tree!

So every year, Brock and Grant take those little helicopters that come off of the trees in the fall (I don't know what kind of tree that is!)and plant them. We had probably 20 trees planted last year. Well a couple of them grew really well...so after several years of this and complaining that our house has NO trees at it, we told the boys if one grew well that we would transplant it into the ground once it got big enough. Well, low and behold, they grew a good little tree and last weekend we finally planted it in the backyard by their sandbox...They want shade to play in their sandbox. Of course, by the time the tree is big enough to give them shade then they'll be outgrowing playing in the sandbox, but oh well! They were sooooo proud of growing, planting and now taking care of their tree. I know that every year as I watch it grow, it will remind me of my adorable boys begging us to plant this tree and will remind me as well how fast they grow too. I'll have to take a picture each year to see how it has grown and changed. Anyway...here are some pics of the tree and the process of planting it....

God is funny!

So, I have to tell you that after an earlier blog this week about being tired of being grumpy with the kids all day long....So, I have this student (I won't mention names or ages) who drives me crazy. Her personality and mine do not coincide AT ALL! I'm always on her case to be respectful and kind to me and to her classmates. We did a journal writing time the other day and they had to write a letter to their favorite musician...So, she writes a letter to ME! Whoa! And to top it off, she writes to me about how much I mean to her and that I always show I care for her and that she loves that I make learning so fun...yadda yadda yadda! It stopped me in my tracks, brought tears to my eyes and reaffirmed what I already know but often forget...I am making a difference as a teacher, but most days us teachers don't see it, or hear about it to affirm ourselves...Why am I here? For students such as these...Thanks God for the not so subtle reminder of that!

Too Cute...ISTEP

Okay, so those of you in Indiana with kids are well aware of the dreaded ISTEP tests (standardaized tests that are a HUGE deal for the students to pass, as well as for the schools to pass. So, they don't take it until 3rd grade...Brock is in 3rd this year and we had been preparing him for the test for a week or so, reminding him to do his best and to take his time, etc...Well, the night before the test, we told Brock we would be praying that he would do his best. Well, we go to pray and Grant, my Kindergartner, prays that he won't need glasses. We were totally confused as to where that came from and so we started talking to him about it and asking why he was worried about it...He said that he was worried about his eye test...he thought ISTEP test was an eye exam for everyone in the school...The poor guy had been all stressed out about getting his eyes tested for no reason! How cute is that?????? This happened quite awhile ago, but I was just thinking about it and thought it was a cute story to share. Gotta love the things kids say and do!

Hide Away

Do you ever feel like you just want to run away???? Is there a way to run away from my job and just take my family and some friends and escape to for awhile? I have always loved teaching music and thought that I had the best job in the world, but you know what? Today at this moment...I'm not even liking it, let alone loving it. The kids today (all year actually) have been disrespectful, rude, don't like anything I have planned and just been out of control. I'm tired of being the angry adult that is trying to make them tow the line...could I get to smile every now and then? From teaching class, to hall duty to lunch duty...all I feel like I do is put my thumb on the kids to make them behave...not to sound like our parents (sorry mom and dad) but what has gotten into kids these days??? I'm trying at school, but if it doesn't come from home how can I expect them to behave while they are here? It's unreal and I'm simply sick of it. I apologize for having a ranting blog here, but I need to just get it out...I CAN'T do my job and teach music when all I'm doing is disciplining students the entire time they are in my class. I've tried rewards, punishments, pep talks...NOTHING is working. It is close to a full moon, but GEEZ!!!!! Anyway...that's where I'm at today...Ready to just hide away from the world for a bit and love on my family and forget all the rest! And yes, I know this is where God has planted me right now and I truly believe He wants me to be here...but some days.....