De Ann's Clan

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Just between Us

I probably shouldn't have written the post yesterday. My oldest son was upset when he found out that someone knew. I really need to be better at keeping those kind of things to myself.

Don called me today as I was picking up Dresden and Zander to tell me that Zander had to get stitches today. I really thought he was kidding. I mean, didn't he just get stitches a couple of months ago? Didn't he just get his cast off from his broken arm. Then I stopped myself and thought, didn't he just get stitches a couple of months ago? Didn't he just get his cast off from his broken arm? Do I need any more sign that Zander is accident prone? One of my neighbors jokes that there is an emergency room with her daughter's name on it. I think I am getting to that point.

Anyways, Don was playing with Zander. He was running around the house with him on his back. Don put him down on a piece of furniture and stepped away before Zander was standing firmly. He slipped off and hit his head on the edge of the cabinet. He now has five staples in his head. Don feels terrible.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Visit to the Doctor

I know everyone has hard kids. Well except for Melanie, Katrina, Debbie and Tawnie. Okay, just kidding. But I think my kids are harder than most kids. My trip to our pediatrician confirmed my belief. I am trying to be careful what I say because I know this is on the net and could come back and haunt me some day, so bear with me.

My pediatrician began asking me questions like, "What time does your child go to bed. Where does he sleep. When does he wake up. What kind of behavior has he been displaying. How long has he been acting this way." They were all questions that I was expecting. What I wasn't expecting was his response. He said, "I had no idea that it had gotten this bad." Boy, one liners can really get ya.

My favorite part was when he asked me if we wanted to get the chickenpox vaccine and the flu shot. I would have loved to. But I also knew I was going to pay a big enough price just for making him see the doctor. It was hard enough just getting him to the appointment. He kept trying to leave before we saw the doctor. Afterwards he was angry with my for talking about him. He has made sure that the rest of my day has been really hard.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Life with a little tint of green

Something or someone happened to my monitor and now everything has a green tint. Don't get me wrong or anything, I like green. In fact, the green tint makes my desktop picture and everything else with green look even greener and beautiful. The problem is the rest of the time. Right now I am typing on a grey screen. Weird.

I love coming home to my kids and spending time with them. Dresden just spent ten minutes kissing me. Those are the moments I will always look back on with joy. I try to spend one on one time with all the kids. I am really working on making every moment count when I am with them.

Friday, January 23, 2009

TGIF

It has been a long week, which is funny considering we only had school Wed-Fri. I had an in-service meeting on Tuesday and then taught Wednesday-Friday. It is mostly because the teacher I am replacing turned over full control to me this week. She told me that she would help in the background, but I am now the main teacher. Up until now we have been team teaching. We split up the subjects and took turns teaching. So teaching all the subjects has been a new development.

It has been fun being able to prepare and teach all day. I am always thinking of new ways to reach the students and teach them new subject matter. It is nice finally feeling like it is my classroom.

To every positive there is a negative. With having full-control, I am dealing with 1st year teaching issues. I can get the children to be quiet. But sometimes it is hard. I have different students for reading, math and my second science hour. So I have to start all over again getting control with each class.

Today there was something in the air. Some of the children had behavior issues. I say something is in the air because I wasn't the only teacher struggling to get the students attention. The principal actually had to go into a third grade classroom today to remind them of the school rules and that teacher is one of the best in the school.

I only had one student giving me a hard time. He has always been a little hard. But yesterday his dad won full custody of him. We have always had a hard time getting a hold of his dad. So all of our communication has been with his mom. His attitude today was that he could do whatever he wanted because there was no way we would be able to reach his dad. It was frustrating.

The week is over and I am grateful. I am grateful to spend time with my kids and straighten up my house.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

What do I know about hard?

I keep thinking about what I wrote and how pitiful I sound. I have it so easy compared to so many people. I am grateful that I don't have more difficult challenges. Sometimes it just makes me feel better to complain.

Switching Schools

I am really struggling with switching Kyath over to my school. He was throwing a tantrum two weeks ago. He refused to go to school and Don didn't know how to make him go. He missed two days of school that week. Ky told us that he wanted to go to my school and he would not go to school till they let him in my school.

My school did not have any openings. Kyath really should not have been let in till the start of next school year. I had a conversation with the administration and pleaded my case. I told them that my son was not going to school and my husband was not able to get him to obey. They told me they would see what they could do.

Then last week we had the flu. Kyath missed two more days of school. I missed two day as well because I was sick.

The administration went out of their way to make room for Kyath to come to my school. They had me bring him in to be tested to see what classes to place him in. They talked to the Utah Department of Education to meet all the requirements to allow Kyath in the school. They arranged everything for him to transfer over.

Today was his first day of school. I was excited to have him there. It was fun being able to check on him and see how he was doing. It was fun driving there together. Kyath was excited to go.

As the day went on, Ky decided that he was "going to go back to his old school." I explained that he had to stay at my school till the end of the year. One day was not going to be enough for him to get used to a new school. He told me he was going to be bad at my school so that he will be expelled and have to go to his old school. Needless to say, he misses his friends and his previous teacher.

So I get to fight with Ky till the end of the year to get him to school everyday. I am still just trying to adjust to teaching, working full-time, and still try to be a good mom when I am home. Sometimes I wonder why life is so hard.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Couplets

okay, so couplets are supposed to have the same syllables in each line. But it's my blog and I can write a poem however I want.

I just had to clarify that I really do know what couplets are.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Back to Reality

Christmas break is a wonderful time,
When all in life seems so sublime.

The future seems so easy and nice,
with food in the cupboard and Spanish rice.

The house and the laundry are finally in order,
the boys are all happy Ky, Zander and Porter.

My thoughts are filled with happily ever afters,
My memories have faded of children in the rafters.

I'm ready to send the kids back to school,
and teaching second grade is just so cool.

But then the children really go back,
I return to teaching and making Gak.

My pre-planning is put to the test,
the house, the children and the rest.

It is harder than thought even with good intentions,
I'm being spread so thin in all directions.

I will have to become Super Mom,
and keep it together so all is calm.

So I have just one thing to say,
PASS THE CHOCOLATE!


Side note- We are studying poetry right now. This is a couplet with an AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, GG, HH, II, J, K pattern.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Just checking in...

I don't really have an update or a funny story. It has just been a while since I blogged. So I thought I would just post a short one.

Tomorrow the children and I go back to school. I can't wait. I can't wait to get the kids busy again. I can't wait to get the kids back to a sleeping schedule (Don't laugh Debbie or Mom). I can't wait to have something for me to do again. I love teaching.