After a very short, but extremely needed and fun visit with my bestest bud, Tamara, which included Cirque du Soleil's Cortoe, a night out at the Hard Rock, a day of shopping and one episode of Gray's, I came down with the sickness that left me in the bed for the better part of 4 days. Lucky me had a mixture of the stomach bug that is going around, as well as a sinus cold that is still lingering.
Mom and Dad will be here Wednesday afternoon for Thanksgiving, so I have two and a half days to get back on top of work. And that means that I will have to buckle down and not read any blogs for those two and a half days. Oh, my heart, it is hurting. I miss you guys. I will try to sneak a few minutes at night if I can wrestle the computer from Larry and the boys. Right now though, I have a date on the couch with the third book of the Twilight series while the boys watch Shark Boy and Lava Girl for the upteenth time.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Veteran's Day
The older I become, the sappier I am when it comes to honoring the military. Even seeing a man in uniform pass me in the grocery store brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat.
Sunday, we took the boys to the Dolphins' game and before kick-off, they brought out brave men and women from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard to honor their dedication to this country. 60 other men and women also came out onto the field to be inducted. I think I cried through the whole thing.
I'm not sure if it is the knowledge of what these soldiers must endure to protect our freedom, or that one day my boys may make the same decision, but the emotion just bubbles up and I was thankful for the loud applause and sunglasses hiding my red rimmed eyes.
I think it may be mostly Pride. So proud of this country and the dedication of these often too young people who represent us.
On Veteran's Day, be sure to offer a prayer for those who are away from their families, as well as for the families who worry over them.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Pimping Carrie
Carrie hasn't been around much the past month or so, but for good reason . . . they have a new precious baby boy, Jackson, in the house. It's amazing how a little one that can't do much of anything yet can keep you so incredible busy. :)
Add Carrie to the list of friends that I've reconnected with from high school. Carrie has such a sweet and gentle spirit with a great sense of humor. Her whole family, mom, dad and brother, are all genuine people and my mom and her mom have remained friends through e-mail even after they moved away from Montgomery. How my mom wished that I would date her older brother! It's funny to think about now and how different my life would be had she gotten her wish.
Unfortunately since we live so far apart, I've not had the chance to meet Carrie's husband and two boys, but I can only imagine that they are as sweet and giving as Carrie. Carrie is one of those people that if you ever needed anything, she would jump to help.
Go say hello to Carrie and oohh and ahhh over that cute little boy!
Add Carrie to the list of friends that I've reconnected with from high school. Carrie has such a sweet and gentle spirit with a great sense of humor. Her whole family, mom, dad and brother, are all genuine people and my mom and her mom have remained friends through e-mail even after they moved away from Montgomery. How my mom wished that I would date her older brother! It's funny to think about now and how different my life would be had she gotten her wish.
Unfortunately since we live so far apart, I've not had the chance to meet Carrie's husband and two boys, but I can only imagine that they are as sweet and giving as Carrie. Carrie is one of those people that if you ever needed anything, she would jump to help.
Go say hello to Carrie and oohh and ahhh over that cute little boy!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Walking the Line
I go in to Peyton's classroom on Thursday mornings to help the kids take their Accelerated Reading (AR) tests. There's one little boy that is so far beyond the other kids it's just amazing. Most of the kids read on a 1.0-1.7 reading level and their tests are 5 questions long, multiple choice and count .5 points. The group of students I generally help on Thursdays normally score between a 3-5 out of 5, but this little boy ALWAYS scores a 5 and he flies through his tests.
Over the last couple of weeks, his reading level has just gone up and up. The book he read today was a 2.7 and he actually had 10 questions for his test. When he finished, he had scored an 8 out of 10 and he was absolutely devastated. So much, that he started to cry a little. His poor little face was red, and his nose was runny. I squatted down beside him and asked what was wrong and he said, "I told my mom it was going to be a bad day." My heart broke for him. While most of the kids have accumulated 5 points total, he has at least 20.
I tried to comfort him as best I could, but he just didn't want to hear it. I told him how hard the test was he took and how many questions he had to answer. Then I pointed to the points board and said, "Look how many points you have!" He walked back to his desk and I gave him a tissue. I could just tell that he would start to be ok and then think about it again and start to cry again.
When I took Peyton's teacher the tests, I told her how upset he was, so when she got to his, she made a big deal about how well he had done, telling him that she didn't think she could even do that good. When I left, he looked like he felt a little better, but I just wanted to cry along with him.
Poor little guy. He's only in first grade and already upset about missing two questions on a test that is almost 2 grades above his level. I'm going to send his mom an e-mail to let her know and hopefully, she will do a little something special with him tonight.
I have to brag on Peyton too. Even though he's still stumbling over some words and he gets frustrated when he doesn't know a word, he used some great deductive reasoning today while taking his test. It would figure that the word he couldn't read was the right answer, but he was able to read all the wrong answers. In doing so, he told me, "I know these three aren't right, so it has to be this one." and it was. I think that skill is just as important as always knowing the right answers.
Over the last couple of weeks, his reading level has just gone up and up. The book he read today was a 2.7 and he actually had 10 questions for his test. When he finished, he had scored an 8 out of 10 and he was absolutely devastated. So much, that he started to cry a little. His poor little face was red, and his nose was runny. I squatted down beside him and asked what was wrong and he said, "I told my mom it was going to be a bad day." My heart broke for him. While most of the kids have accumulated 5 points total, he has at least 20.
I tried to comfort him as best I could, but he just didn't want to hear it. I told him how hard the test was he took and how many questions he had to answer. Then I pointed to the points board and said, "Look how many points you have!" He walked back to his desk and I gave him a tissue. I could just tell that he would start to be ok and then think about it again and start to cry again.
When I took Peyton's teacher the tests, I told her how upset he was, so when she got to his, she made a big deal about how well he had done, telling him that she didn't think she could even do that good. When I left, he looked like he felt a little better, but I just wanted to cry along with him.
Poor little guy. He's only in first grade and already upset about missing two questions on a test that is almost 2 grades above his level. I'm going to send his mom an e-mail to let her know and hopefully, she will do a little something special with him tonight.
I have to brag on Peyton too. Even though he's still stumbling over some words and he gets frustrated when he doesn't know a word, he used some great deductive reasoning today while taking his test. It would figure that the word he couldn't read was the right answer, but he was able to read all the wrong answers. In doing so, he told me, "I know these three aren't right, so it has to be this one." and it was. I think that skill is just as important as always knowing the right answers.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Some Halloween Pics
I voted! I voted! I waited almost 3 hours in the chilliness, but I still did it. And now, can the commercials please END! Anyhoo, on to Halloween pics.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Pimping Kristin
On this day after her 32nd Birthday, let's pimp Kristin, shall we?
Kristin and I have known each other since way back in 7th grade. Can I just interject again that I am so thankful to have reconnected with my high school and before friends. While I have made some great friends in Florida, there's just something about the relationships you have with people who have known you for years and years that does a heart and soul good.
When I was searching through old photos for our reunion, I found a story that Kristin and I written together about Pea Pod the Pocket Squirrel. That still makes me laugh. Remember Bob Ross, the painter on, I think, PBS? He was a great personality and always talked in such a calming, funny way and Pea Pod was his creation. I would write a section and pass it to Kristin and a few days later she would produce a chapter. This went on for a while and we partially filled a 3-ring binder.
Although it might not have been as obvious with that short story, Kristin has an amazing talent for capturing her emotion in the written word. Her entries often make me want to cry, especially the heart felt ones she writes about her father, who passed away a couple of years ago. Their love for each other shines through every word and the knowledge that she will be with him again in Heaven gives me hope and the determination to keep persevering in this often difficult life.
I'm so thankful that Kristin overcame her fear that I was a bully way back during cheerleading tryouts our 7th grade year and took a chance on our friendship. :)
Kristin and I have known each other since way back in 7th grade. Can I just interject again that I am so thankful to have reconnected with my high school and before friends. While I have made some great friends in Florida, there's just something about the relationships you have with people who have known you for years and years that does a heart and soul good.
When I was searching through old photos for our reunion, I found a story that Kristin and I written together about Pea Pod the Pocket Squirrel. That still makes me laugh. Remember Bob Ross, the painter on, I think, PBS? He was a great personality and always talked in such a calming, funny way and Pea Pod was his creation. I would write a section and pass it to Kristin and a few days later she would produce a chapter. This went on for a while and we partially filled a 3-ring binder.
Although it might not have been as obvious with that short story, Kristin has an amazing talent for capturing her emotion in the written word. Her entries often make me want to cry, especially the heart felt ones she writes about her father, who passed away a couple of years ago. Their love for each other shines through every word and the knowledge that she will be with him again in Heaven gives me hope and the determination to keep persevering in this often difficult life.
I'm so thankful that Kristin overcame her fear that I was a bully way back during cheerleading tryouts our 7th grade year and took a chance on our friendship. :)
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