Coming out of a 3 day weekend, you think I would be more relaxed and ready to take on the world of 3rd graders again. Boy was I wrong!
First thing this morning I had to be in a student support meeting then we finally received our end of grade test scores. For those of you not in the teaching world, these scores are a big deal. They show how much your students have absorbed from you over the year and as a whole, it determines if your school met their No Child Left Behind and annual year progress standards. A lot of sweat, tears, and time go into these tests even if they are a dumb one time measure of a child's ability. Overall my kids did well though I was a bit disappointed because a few of my kids didn't live up to their potential. Some didn't pass and some just squeaked by. On the whole, everyone of my students made growth and our grade level did an awesome job. As a human, I compare myself to others sometimes unjustly. One of my peers had great scores and now I've been bummed about my own because they are not as high as hers. We all want to be successful at what we do, and it's time like these that I don't feel successful. Self-doubt really comes to play and I know its the hand of the devil but still it's hard to fight off.
Well after this huge confidence builder, we had field day. My kids have been together for a little too long and they know how to push each other's buttons, and today was no exception. Instead of helping each other and working cooperatively with one another to complete the tasks, they were at each other's throats. They were all trying to be the chiefs and nobody was listening to anyone. Needless to say, we didn't win the sportsmanship award. Below are some pictures of them at their stations. (ok I tried but blogger won't let me!)
The day was just long...then I had to go tutor. I'm home now and finally had dinner and it's time for more work. June 7th can't come fast enough!
Praise the Lord though for my awesome husband and his amazing homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream. It made my night! He's finally home now after going to prayer meeting. P.S. Our chuch is going through some cool new stages, which you can check out on our pastor's blog. www.jdgreear.com.
Ok off to my school work.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
A little of everything..
I haven't really updated with anything substantial lately so I thought I'd update you on what's going on in our lives...
First, Jeremy has survived his 2nd year of seminary. He finished up last week and is enjoying having some extra time and reading for pleasure. I'm enjoying actually seeing him since he's not locked up upstairs hunched over his books.
I have 8 more days of school! This long weekend has been a tease as the weather has been beautiful and hot. I am digging deep for the motivation to go back tomorrow. Oh and Jerm and I also have chest congestion so we're not our complete normal selves.
I have now secured a summer job as a nanny/chauffeur. For 4 weeks this summer, I will be driving/supervising an 11 and 8 year old as they take swim lessons, tennis lessons, and play this summer. I am excited about the change of pace and what seems to be an easy way to make some extra cash. The idea of hanging out by the pool all summer really excites me!
(I can't remember if I told ya'll this, so bear with me if I have) June 15th I'm having arthroscopic surgery on my knee to see if we can find out the problem. Pray that the surgery will prove fruitful!
My mom, my mom-in-law, and I went to see Beth Moore this weekend in Boone. She was amazing speaker and teacher of the word. She spoke on Deut. 33 and the blessing of Asher. If you want to know more, send me a message and I'll elaborate some more.
On a more personal note, I have baby fever! As much as I love my friends' babies and enjoy hanging out with them, I want my own, one that looks like Jeremy and I. Jeremy continues to tell me to wait and that's it's not the right time but he doesn't help the matter when he looks so stinkin' adorable holding all the babies.
So I think that's it...sorry it's not too exciting. My friend Jaime is a picture taking fool and is documenting her family's life through online scrapbook/blog. She really inspires me to take more pictures, so hopefully more pictures will come soon to my own blog. Have a great week!
First, Jeremy has survived his 2nd year of seminary. He finished up last week and is enjoying having some extra time and reading for pleasure. I'm enjoying actually seeing him since he's not locked up upstairs hunched over his books.
I have 8 more days of school! This long weekend has been a tease as the weather has been beautiful and hot. I am digging deep for the motivation to go back tomorrow. Oh and Jerm and I also have chest congestion so we're not our complete normal selves.
I have now secured a summer job as a nanny/chauffeur. For 4 weeks this summer, I will be driving/supervising an 11 and 8 year old as they take swim lessons, tennis lessons, and play this summer. I am excited about the change of pace and what seems to be an easy way to make some extra cash. The idea of hanging out by the pool all summer really excites me!
(I can't remember if I told ya'll this, so bear with me if I have) June 15th I'm having arthroscopic surgery on my knee to see if we can find out the problem. Pray that the surgery will prove fruitful!
My mom, my mom-in-law, and I went to see Beth Moore this weekend in Boone. She was amazing speaker and teacher of the word. She spoke on Deut. 33 and the blessing of Asher. If you want to know more, send me a message and I'll elaborate some more.
On a more personal note, I have baby fever! As much as I love my friends' babies and enjoy hanging out with them, I want my own, one that looks like Jeremy and I. Jeremy continues to tell me to wait and that's it's not the right time but he doesn't help the matter when he looks so stinkin' adorable holding all the babies.
So I think that's it...sorry it's not too exciting. My friend Jaime is a picture taking fool and is documenting her family's life through online scrapbook/blog. She really inspires me to take more pictures, so hopefully more pictures will come soon to my own blog. Have a great week!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
5 years strong!
Today as my brother went back to work at Camp Willow Run for his 4th summer, I was reminded that 5 years ago I met the love of my life. Funny how time has gone by so fast and how my thoughts on him have changed since that first meeting.
For those of you who don't know, Jeremy and I met at Camp Willow Run where we both were on summer staff. Jeremy says he can remember everything about that May 23, 2002 when he first saw me in the parking lot. He "says" I was wearing a red (it was fushia) shirt and I was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He said he had an immediate attraction but thought there was no way a girl like me would ever go for him. My side of the story, I don't really remember him from that day. With all the new faces to learn and reaquainting myself with the old ones, the whole day was a blur.
The first time I remember him even talking to me was when he began picking on me for carrying my folded bleacher/camping chair with my Bible and training notebook. He said it looked like a teacher bag and I said, "Great, because I'm going to be a teacher." My first memory of him was one of rudeness and annoyance. My next memory then came when we had to sign up for water activities. He "just happen" to sign up on both of my boats at the same time. Annoyed, I asked Colleen to accompany me so that I wouldn't have to be with him by myself. Once we got to the water, he sat in front of me on the banana boat and sat on my handles. For fear of falling off, I had to hold onto something so I grabbed the back of his life jacket, praying the whole time that he wouldn't think anything of me holding onto him. From that point on, I didn't really pay him any mind until it became obvious that he liked me. He complimented me on a dress I was wearing out to dinner the last night of staff training and I could tell he liked me.
Like any girl, I enjoyed the attention and the praise. I began to see him in a different light the more we had to interact with one another. That next week we had the campers from the juvenile detention centers and I found myself wanting to take the snack to his cabin each night. My affection for him was starting to grow and I was interested in getting to know him better.
At the end of that week, the staff all went to Rocky Mount to eat dinner and hang out since we had an extra night. I volunteered to take him to the bank and found a way to be in his group always. Later that night, I felt horrible when he got lost following me through the old part Rocky Mount. We never found him and Jared and I felt so awful that when we finally got back to camp I was determined to apologize him. The lights were off in the MU so I had to wait until morning. The next morning I immediately got up and went to apologize and ended up going to lunch with him and some other guys.
At lunch we decided to go sailing once we got back and we would all meet down at the boats. Little did I know, that no one would show up and it would just be the 2 of us. We went sailing that lovely afternoon and then ended up getting stuck out there when the wind died. 4 hours later, Shannon Innes comes out and pull us in. Our 4 hour excursion really forced us to to get to know one another. After that boat ride, I really liked him but it wasn't until a few weeks later that we finally established what was going on. Thanks to the rumors and gossip of the staff, we were forced to talk about how we felt. Because we were at camp, we couldn't officially date, so we continued to hang out all summer and officially became a couple on August 4th.
A year later, we were engaged, and a year after that we were married. He is the most amazing man and I feel extremely blessed to be his wife. A kind, selfless, servant who has a heart for the Word and teaching it to others. Five years have really changed my thoughts about this man, but I could never imagine my life without him.
(Thanks for reading down this far. I know this has been my longest post yet!)
For those of you who don't know, Jeremy and I met at Camp Willow Run where we both were on summer staff. Jeremy says he can remember everything about that May 23, 2002 when he first saw me in the parking lot. He "says" I was wearing a red (it was fushia) shirt and I was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He said he had an immediate attraction but thought there was no way a girl like me would ever go for him. My side of the story, I don't really remember him from that day. With all the new faces to learn and reaquainting myself with the old ones, the whole day was a blur.
The first time I remember him even talking to me was when he began picking on me for carrying my folded bleacher/camping chair with my Bible and training notebook. He said it looked like a teacher bag and I said, "Great, because I'm going to be a teacher." My first memory of him was one of rudeness and annoyance. My next memory then came when we had to sign up for water activities. He "just happen" to sign up on both of my boats at the same time. Annoyed, I asked Colleen to accompany me so that I wouldn't have to be with him by myself. Once we got to the water, he sat in front of me on the banana boat and sat on my handles. For fear of falling off, I had to hold onto something so I grabbed the back of his life jacket, praying the whole time that he wouldn't think anything of me holding onto him. From that point on, I didn't really pay him any mind until it became obvious that he liked me. He complimented me on a dress I was wearing out to dinner the last night of staff training and I could tell he liked me.
Like any girl, I enjoyed the attention and the praise. I began to see him in a different light the more we had to interact with one another. That next week we had the campers from the juvenile detention centers and I found myself wanting to take the snack to his cabin each night. My affection for him was starting to grow and I was interested in getting to know him better.
At the end of that week, the staff all went to Rocky Mount to eat dinner and hang out since we had an extra night. I volunteered to take him to the bank and found a way to be in his group always. Later that night, I felt horrible when he got lost following me through the old part Rocky Mount. We never found him and Jared and I felt so awful that when we finally got back to camp I was determined to apologize him. The lights were off in the MU so I had to wait until morning. The next morning I immediately got up and went to apologize and ended up going to lunch with him and some other guys.
At lunch we decided to go sailing once we got back and we would all meet down at the boats. Little did I know, that no one would show up and it would just be the 2 of us. We went sailing that lovely afternoon and then ended up getting stuck out there when the wind died. 4 hours later, Shannon Innes comes out and pull us in. Our 4 hour excursion really forced us to to get to know one another. After that boat ride, I really liked him but it wasn't until a few weeks later that we finally established what was going on. Thanks to the rumors and gossip of the staff, we were forced to talk about how we felt. Because we were at camp, we couldn't officially date, so we continued to hang out all summer and officially became a couple on August 4th.
A year later, we were engaged, and a year after that we were married. He is the most amazing man and I feel extremely blessed to be his wife. A kind, selfless, servant who has a heart for the Word and teaching it to others. Five years have really changed my thoughts about this man, but I could never imagine my life without him.
(Thanks for reading down this far. I know this has been my longest post yet!)
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A Professional
I believe I could be classified as a professional baby shower host now. This weekend we celebrated my good friend Stefanie and her soon-to-be born daughter McKenna. Stef was super cute about all of her gifts and was happy to see her so excited. I also wanted to thank Mrs. Kristi Michels for all of her assistance. She really helped ease the load.
Here are some pictures from the day.
Here are some pictures from the day.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Twin Day
Every month our school as a Tacky Tuesday event where the kids and staff get to dress up in some unique way. This Tuesday was twin day; the picture is of my twin and I. As you can tell we look sooo much alike! We were the only staff to really participate but none the less the most unique. Many asked us if we went out and bought the dresses together, which we didn't. Ebony saw that I had this dress when she was looking at my facebook pictures and commented that she had the same dress. This is how our idea for twin day transpired and here are the lovely results! Thanks Ebony for being such a great support about it all!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Best Mom Ever
Mom, you're a wonderful mother,So gentle, yet so strong.
The many ways you show you care
Always make me feel I belong.
You're patient when I'm foolish;
You give guidance when I ask;
It seems you can do most anything;
You're the master of every task.
You're a dependable source of comfort;
You're my cushion when I fall.
You help in times of trouble;
You support me whenever I call.
I love you more than I can express;
You have my total respect.
If I had my choice of mothers,
You'd be the one I'd select!
By Joanna Fuchs
Happy Mother's Day to the best mom ever! I just wanted to take this time to thank you for the never-ending support, love, and encouragement you have given me over the last 25 years. I could never fully express my gratitude and love for you. Thank you for being my friend, confidont, cheerleader, and most of all my mom!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Scoping it out...
So the scoping/surgery is set for June 15th. Hopefully this exploratory surgery will find what is going on with my knee.
In other fun news, I'm going to see Grease on stage Friday night. While it's not the Broadway version, I'm still just excited. Grease is one of my favorite movies and I look forward to seeing it on stage, esp. when I only had to pay $10 for the tixs. Gotta love the educator discount night!
In other fun news, I'm going to see Grease on stage Friday night. While it's not the Broadway version, I'm still just excited. Grease is one of my favorite movies and I look forward to seeing it on stage, esp. when I only had to pay $10 for the tixs. Gotta love the educator discount night!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Wake Cares...
If you have been listening to the news lately you've heard about this group called Wake Cares. This group is made of up Wake County parents who are "dedicated to minimizing inefficient financial management, unnecessary student reassignments, lack of calendar options and any other policies or practices that decrease the quality of the educational experience in our school system, or are not in the best interest of the students and families of Wake County. We are committed to representing the interests of our citizens and ensuring that our local governments and all of our elected officials work together to manage our growth and our school system infrastructure in a way that is fair and healthy for both the private and commercial members of the community."
Today this group has created mayhem in our county by what they considered a victory. Due to overcrowding and the anticipated surge in growth that this county is experiencing, the school board decided to convert 22 traditional calendar schools to a year round schedule. Wake Cares believed that the Board should not have mandated that children be switched to a new calendar. They believe that this change is unfair and will distrupt their family life. They felt so strongly about it that they filed a lawsuit against the county asking for a judge to reverse the order therefore keeping those schools on a traditional calendar. Today they got their wish; to read the article...http://wral.com/news/local/story/1378739/.
I don't think the parents really understand the repercutions to their actions. Now Wake County is going to have to scramble to find a place for these extra 8,000 kids in 3 months. Do the parents realize now we are going to be more overcrowded, maybe having up to 30 kids in a class? Do they realize how their child will now get less attention because the teacher is going to have to try and meet the needs of 30 kids? Do they realize that they are going to have a higher teacher burnout rate therefore causing the schools more money to hire new teachers?
So what is going to happen? Some are suggesting a split schedule where one group of students would come to school from 7 to 1 and another group would come from 1:30-7. I mean really...does this make sense for a kindergartener to go to school till 7 at night? Some say we'll get more trailers.
I think the whole thing is retarded. This group who claims to call themselves WakeCares, doesn't really seem to care about the kids in Wake County at all! They are only concerned about themselves and forgot about the 20,000 families they have just affected! What about all the teachers who have applied for transfers to another school so they could/couldn't teach year round? What about all the money and time the county has already spent in year round conversions...the materials for teachers, man-hours for the forms filled....I just get so ill when I think about this. Wake Cares my foot!
Today this group has created mayhem in our county by what they considered a victory. Due to overcrowding and the anticipated surge in growth that this county is experiencing, the school board decided to convert 22 traditional calendar schools to a year round schedule. Wake Cares believed that the Board should not have mandated that children be switched to a new calendar. They believe that this change is unfair and will distrupt their family life. They felt so strongly about it that they filed a lawsuit against the county asking for a judge to reverse the order therefore keeping those schools on a traditional calendar. Today they got their wish; to read the article...http://wral.com/news/local/story/1378739/.
I don't think the parents really understand the repercutions to their actions. Now Wake County is going to have to scramble to find a place for these extra 8,000 kids in 3 months. Do the parents realize now we are going to be more overcrowded, maybe having up to 30 kids in a class? Do they realize how their child will now get less attention because the teacher is going to have to try and meet the needs of 30 kids? Do they realize that they are going to have a higher teacher burnout rate therefore causing the schools more money to hire new teachers?
So what is going to happen? Some are suggesting a split schedule where one group of students would come to school from 7 to 1 and another group would come from 1:30-7. I mean really...does this make sense for a kindergartener to go to school till 7 at night? Some say we'll get more trailers.
I think the whole thing is retarded. This group who claims to call themselves WakeCares, doesn't really seem to care about the kids in Wake County at all! They are only concerned about themselves and forgot about the 20,000 families they have just affected! What about all the teachers who have applied for transfers to another school so they could/couldn't teach year round? What about all the money and time the county has already spent in year round conversions...the materials for teachers, man-hours for the forms filled....I just get so ill when I think about this. Wake Cares my foot!
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Happy May!
I haven't updated in a few weeks but I really haven't had anything eventful to report.
Yesterday I went back to the orthopedist for the 3rd or maybe 4th time. (I've honestly stopped counting!) Once again, he is baffled as to what is wrong with my knee. He has done 2 MRIs, blood tests, and a steroid shot. None of these have solved the mysterious knee injury nor cured it. He is puzzled b/c everything he thought it could be would have gone away now reducing the swelling. He now wants to put a scope into my knee to do some exploration. Jeremy went with me to the appointment and he now thinks we should get a second opinion before cutting my knee.
I don't know what I think...I just know that I want the mystery solved and my knee to be better so I won't have to wear this hot and ugly knee brace. So if you know an orthopedist out there who could give me a second opinion, please pass the name along. Please pray that the Lord would do miraculous things and heal the knee without any kind of procedures. If healing is not His will for this situation, please pray that He will reveal the problem.
Other than that, nothing new. We're traveling to Boone this weekend to see Adrian (Jeremy's brother) graduate from grad school. Only 25 more days of school!
Yesterday I went back to the orthopedist for the 3rd or maybe 4th time. (I've honestly stopped counting!) Once again, he is baffled as to what is wrong with my knee. He has done 2 MRIs, blood tests, and a steroid shot. None of these have solved the mysterious knee injury nor cured it. He is puzzled b/c everything he thought it could be would have gone away now reducing the swelling. He now wants to put a scope into my knee to do some exploration. Jeremy went with me to the appointment and he now thinks we should get a second opinion before cutting my knee.
I don't know what I think...I just know that I want the mystery solved and my knee to be better so I won't have to wear this hot and ugly knee brace. So if you know an orthopedist out there who could give me a second opinion, please pass the name along. Please pray that the Lord would do miraculous things and heal the knee without any kind of procedures. If healing is not His will for this situation, please pray that He will reveal the problem.
Other than that, nothing new. We're traveling to Boone this weekend to see Adrian (Jeremy's brother) graduate from grad school. Only 25 more days of school!
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