Tending the Eclectic Kinder-Garden

Couldn’t resist.

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2008 has been busy, educational, enlightening, germ-filled, history-making… all around a memorable year.  While IM’ing with Alice yesterday afternoon, I shared that while I’m not an advocate for adding more hours to the day, I am feeling a bit frustrated that I’m missing out on doing all of the things I’d like to be enjoying.  Prioritize, organize, sort, toss, de-clutter, sacrifice…they all work in emergency situations, and I’ve found them helpful during times in my life when I’ve felt overwhelmed, without direction, treading water.  Shake it up, clean it out, start fresh- all those things many people resolve to do at least once a year.  But spending time with my family, teaching kindergartners, crafting, reading, blogging, exploring, keeping up on letter writing/correspondence and enjoying “down time” are all important to me.  While I don’t ever put aside family or my job,  I absolutely feel loss when I push one or more of the other pleasures to the side for a weekend, a month, or a semester.  I’m not falling behind, I’m just not getting to do what I want to do.  It’s my selfishness coming out- or many things simply do matter to me.

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Thoughts floating around in my mind for the next year:

~ Listening to political pundits and spin doctors diagnose, mis-diagnose, blow smoke, and generally keep the American public on some terrifying rollercoaster ride once our new President takes office is not something to which I’m looking forward.  As an individual, he didn’t get us into this mess folks, he’s been hired to help get us out of it.  And it won’t be easy, and it won’t be fun, and it won’t be quick, so:

(find other colors of this poster at sfgirlbybay’s ETSY shop)

~ NCLB continues to have me worried, especially when state/formal assessments for pre-schoolers and beginning kindergartners are being considered, adopted, and inflicted upon young children.  It’s not that we as teachers don’t assess- we do, constantly.  I’ve shared what I’m noticing and what I check for when I meet my students for the first time, and I assess students daily using academic and social/behavioral rubrics throughout the school year.  I assess in order to know what each child’s strengths, needs, and prior schema are in order to adjust my teaching style so that I can provide an effective and enjoyable kindergarten experience for each of my Stars.  I do NOT rate them on a scale from 1-10, with the goal of having each and every student a perfectly matched 10 by the end of the year.  One child’s handwriting may still appear wobbly while another’s is almost freakishly calligraphic.  Several students may be comprehending literacy materials several grades above their level, while many classmates will still be building their sounding out and sight word recognition skills in preparation for their future light bulb moment in the first grade.

NCLB doesn’t help the varied needs of our diverse student populations- it looks to punish diversity itself. We are not clones, biologically, emotionally, physically, socio-economically or mentally, yet we are all capable of accomplishing in our lives.  Forcing students to learn how to pass a single test (because if they do, then gee, that means we’ve solved society’s ills, made everyone equal, and can finally compete in the world market, right?) robs them of the time they need to learn what may be their most important life skill of all: how to find the information they need.  Go ahead and teach the basics.  Add a bunch extra too, and encourage students to ask questions and to go out and experience the world.  Keep them interested- and teach them how to find the answers to what they want and need to know.  Guide them as they continue to think, learn and explore for themselves, no matter how much it frightens marketing gurus, religious zealots, and other predators.*

* (Yes, I group them together.  If it bothers you, never fear:  I’m just a kindergarten teacher.)

~ Dear Husband is likely to deploy for the second time in three years.  We’ve bought December 2009’s Christmas cards, and have already signed them and tucked them away.  Pre-deployment preparations start early…really early.  We’ll begin stockpiling flat rate mailing boxes soon too.  Hooah!

~ Is anyone willing to share not-so-obvious yet completely-necessary tips with this beginning gardener?  Remember, I’m in Oz, have a yard that enjoys a lot of sun during the summer, and like many families enduring our nation’s financial fiasco, want to grow our own veggies to see us through.  We also have roaming deer in these parts- my guess is they too, will try to enjoy our (hopeful) bounty.  Ideas?

~ The movie wasn’t as good as the book, which has me a bit worried that seeing any future film installment made of the Twilight series will also be disappointing (come on make up specialists, the vampires are supposed to look ethereally beautiful, not cakey and plastered), but I read all four this year (Dear Daughter is finishing the third and hopes to finish the fourth before the end of January), and enjoyed them enough to hop on the marketing bandwagon to purchase a Twilight pendant.  No, no, no, not from Hot Topic or some other teeny-bopper mall shop… I found mine on eBay, and followed the seller’s link over to her ETSY shop: OliviaMoon.

The front…

…and back:

Photography, books, jewelry, exploring, typography, crafting, teaching, ranting, family, friends, blogging, kindergarten fun… so many things to carry over into 2009!  Goodbye 2008, hello NEW YEAR!

Tags: January, military life, NCLB, reflection

Apologies for being away Friday and Saturday~

Gown ironing, hair curling, make-up applying, and high-heel teetering was taking place Friday afternoon after school since Dear Husband and I had the MP Ball to attend:

We enjoyed a wonderful meal, sat at a table with funny and friendly soldiers and spouses and even did a little dancing before the clock struck twelve, though we didn’t make it out of the ballroom quickly enough before my aching feet demanded to be freed from shoes that *felt* like glass slippers.  Ouch.

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Though my carriage was a Dodge Ram driven by DH, here are some inspiring pumpkins from BlogLand:

~ Oscar the (Pumpkin) Grouch?  See it at Craft and Clutter!

~ Smitten Kitchen makes Pumpkin Swirl Brownies…

~ CakeSpy posts a letter to the editor from the Mellowcreme Pumpkin (TOO funny!)

~ A Storybook Life shares painted pumpkins…

~ Bella Pink Cafe visited a pumpkin patch…

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Carriage found here…

Tags: family, links, military life

As organized as I try to be at work and at home, once our family has to relocate, the packers, however nice and polite they may be, seem to think it’s GAME ON.

Boys, I made you all lunch, three days in a row.  Granted, the first day was pizza, but hey, day two was homemade sub sandwiches. We certainly kept the fridge stocked with Gatorade, water and soda so you wouldn’t dehydrate or run out of energy.  We even pushed Otter Pops on you when the temp got unbearable!

So would you mind telling me where my dining room chair pillows are?  How about half of my Somerset magazines (that were all in one spot when you started)? The receiver for our cordless phone?  Because the way things are going, I’m thinking I’m not going to find these things until I open my SCHOOL-SUPPLIES-THAT-HAVEN’T-SEEN-THE-LIGHT-OF-DAY-IN-OVER-A-YEAR that *you* opened and “re-boxed” because of some packer/moving company policy.

Soon-to-be-teaching-colleagues, I’ll apologize right now for any outbursts of exasperation you might hear coming from my new classroom two weeks from now.  It’s not you, and no, I’m not some psycho hose beast.  I’ve just finally found my crochet hooks~ in exactly the furthest location from where they originated in our home.

Darn packers.

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My finger and toenails are happy this morning.  After enduring two weeks without a mani-pedi, I gave in, removed what little polish was left on them last night, buffed, filed, and polished with a non-summer color.  MUCH better now.  Yes Bev, you read that right: my nails were in disrepair for two weeks!  Nope, I didn’t go looking for an emergency bottle of polish for the chips and nicks either.  Scary, huh?

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With the repairs and modifications we’re having to do to the rental, we’re stuck, shuffling boxes and piles around and around and around as we get each new area designated, arranged, and decorated.  The upstairs is  nearly done, but the only reason why is because the downstairs still looks like a bomb hit it.  My desk is upstairs, along with most of my crafty stash that was stored beneath it in Texas… but it will be clutter free when what I hope will be my crafting area is set up and ready downstairs.

Now if I could only find my three remaining ribbon boxes.

Maybe I should have made the packers extra cookies.  Lesson learned.

Tags: colleagues, family, military life, organization

Hello House!

Hello beer bottle in the backyard:

Hello, duct taped gutters:

Hello, er…walkway(?):

Hello lawn decor:

Hello wasps!

Hello, “freshly painted walls:” (**cough, hack**)

Hello, garage door opener track that has been jerry-rigged so it’s cutting/gouging into the drywall each time the door is opened or closed:

And hello to you, exposed-fiberglass-insulation-in-the-garage-ceiling-that-covers-the-entire-area:

Hello water heater, propped up and tilted on cinder blocks:

Hello light boxes falling away from the ceiling, hanging on by only a few screws:

… a few things I’ve learned this past week…

*Renting over the internet might not be such a great thing, especially when the property manager posts photos online from THREE TENANTS PAST.  Oh my, those photos were downright flattering.  Flattering enough to make us want to rent.  Surprise, surprise, surprise (go Gomer!) once we arrived.

*While it’s wonderful having household goods delivered the day after arriving at one’s new home, it’s not so great when a painting crew is hired the evening before to peel the paint from the walls (oh yes, they PEELED IT OFF IN SHEETS), patch, mud, sand, and prime, with painting occuring as the moving truck pulls up in the driveway.

*When speaking with the property manager pre-rental, don’t just ask “is the garage finished?”  Ask things like “Is there exposed fiberglass insulation (rotted in places) hanging from the ceiling?” “Is the garage TALLER THAN MY HUSBAND?” or “DEFINE ‘finished.’”

*Make sure to keep receipts (okay, so I already knew this one, but it’s worth bringing up for other renters out there) for any and all improvements you have to do to the property, and by gum, make sure you negotiate an agreement that you can write them off of your rent each month.

*My definition of “house in MOVE-IN condition” is obviously different from other peoples’.  My definition is better.

*And finally, it’s awesome having a great big tattooed Harley Tech/Soldier husband, because when the retired military property manager tells you “Well, you’ve lived in military housing before, this shouldn’t be bad for you at all,” SGM Grumpy can growl and assert his impression of what is and isn’t acceptable for his family…and oh my, what an impressive scene that is!

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Never fear, dear Readers!  While we’ve had to deal with the not-so-fun elements of moving this past week, we’ve also met some pretty terrific people too: the painters on the paint crew, our gutter service guy (more on him tomorrow), the DISH installer (he stayed for dinner), and we’re looking forward to meeting the air conditioner repairperson sometime today.  Oh yes, we’re really looking forward to that visit!

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It’s a few weeks before school starts, so check back in periodically as I’ll be posting some helpful tips and ideas about setting up your classroom, making lunch time easier for kindergartners who bring “home” lunch, and any other news from the world of public education!

Tags: family, military life, photos

… to very acceptable remakes as I drive with the family to Kansas!

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What are some of your favorite “versions?” Dear Daughter is crushed I haven’t included anything by Hilary Duff…*sigh*…I just couldn’t do it. My iPod will be shuffling through music from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s…new John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Goldfrapp, with Journey/Steve Perry as my usual reliable motivator. Of course America will keep me in the driving groove:

We’ll miss the mountains, and some of the foliage:

But we will not miss the wind, the heat, and the dirt:

If all has gone according to plan this week, today is the day we begin our drive OUT of El Paso, Texas, toward our new home in Kansas.

Gracias Marty:

As you’re reading, I’m probably wrangling the toddler out of the movers’ way, or making lunch for the crew, or trying to coax Anni the Cat out of her hidey hole so that the movers can empty the furniture from the next room. Thanks to postdating my blog entries this week, I’ve been able to supervise the wrapping of my dishes, glasses, and other breakables while *you* get to decide whether or not to indulge in some of my awesome music memories from the Bordertown. The memories aren’t from this year, they’re from my childhood, 1970-1980. If the tunes get stuck in your head for the rest of the day, blame my mother… I do!

(Enjoy the fashion!)

Diana Ross and the Supremes, Where Did Our Love Go

Tommy James, Crimson and Clover

ABBA, Dancing Queen

Seals and Crofts, Summer Breeze

Mom let me listen to the good stuff!

Tags: military life, moving, Music

If all is going well this week (I’m writing in advance, attempting to fill the queue with blog posts so you won’t forget me), I’m picking up my hopefully-completely-repaired truck today. Good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts (seems to be my mantra for every move)…

Before leaving the Bordertown, I wanted to finish up one last craft, a wedding gift.  Alex’s family rented rooms to my husband years ago when he was stationed in Germany, and we met up with her (and met Aaron) quite by accident a few months ago here in Texas.  Alex and Aaron are both soldiers, Alex in the German Army, Aaron in the U.S. Army, and both are into Harleys, like my husband.  Yes, it was the motorcycles that brought us full circle, but we have enjoyed the humor, company, friendship, and German COOKING ever since we were reunited.  Perhaps we can convince them to honeymoon in Oz!

Alex’s bike is black, Aaron’s is burgundy/red.  It was fairly simple to figure out a color scheme for their collage:

Figuring out the layers took a little time, trying this configuration, that arrangement, shaking my head, maneuvering each element into the spot that worked:

A pretty bow, a little heart charm:

Arranging the photos (black and white seemed to work best):

Black velvet ribbon for the trim:

Ta da!

Since I caught Alex and Aaron playing up and down the aisles of Hobby Lobby one weekend (seriously!), I’m thinking they just might like the gift.  If not, they’ll certainly enjoy the gift CARD TO HL!

(By the way, I used a 12X12 chipboard square for the base, decorative papers, a chipboard heart, burgundy Scrabble Tiles, ribbon, a small heart charm, brown photo corners, black brads, black velvet, and lots of hot glue for this project.  Not pictured is the metal stand I purchased to prop the collage against so Alex and Aaron can display it wherever they like.)

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~We’re still packing, I’m sure. By now I might be in need of Five Tips for Tranquility (thanks to WishStudio Blogzine)…

~ So it’s not yet Christmas in July, but Mom, if you need ideas for what we’d like for Christmas in DECEMBER, how about some of this guy’s knitted creatures?  Here’s his products page…

~Candice is making me wish my crafting goodies were unpacked by July 4!

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If all is going according to plan, we’ll watch the movers load up the semi tomorrow, and we’ll be relaxing in the hotel, getting a good night’s rest so we can start the drive to Oz on Saturday morning.  Thanks for any good thoughts you mentally send our way!

I’m not a big fan of the word “yeah,” but it seems to fit right about now:

(Tuesday, Day 1 of the packers in our house)

Wowie, BARE walls!

Nearly-bare china hutch….

Hard to believe that the house used to look like THIS at Thanksgiving…

Dear Daughter’s room hasn’t been THIS clean in quite some time (don’t tell her I told you!)…

And finally, our bed (yeah, it’s king sized!), covered with our traveling gear:

Wednesday will see the office, toddler’s room, my classroom gear, and our storage closets all being packed, Thursday MIGHT see the start of the furniture being prepped with the boxes getting loaded onto the semi…and Friday evening, this home will no longer be ours.

By the way, dear tax paying readers, THANK YOU.  It’s your tax dollars that house my husband and my family so he can do his job and we can all be together for the United States Army.  While I take great pride in keeping each house we live in feeling like a home, we all do our best to take good care of each property out of appreciation and respect for you, our friends and family.

Our cat, Anni, *knows* something is up.

Dear Daughter spending a week with grandparents has created the extra clinginess, the extra pacing, and the extra meowiness from Anni that we’ve come to expect. Yesterday’s increase in visitors (friends came over to help my husband get the garage in order and partially packed), the constant running of the washer, dryer, and dishwasher (I like our things to be packed CLEAN so they can quickly find their new locations when we open up the moving boxes on the other end) and my extended stay in Daughter’s room (wow, teens are amazing packrats!) with a garbage bag in hand pushed Anni past some kitty breaking point. Immediately after we got into bed to get some much needed sleep, Anni jumped on the bed and proceeded to do her best to… trample us. One doesn’t usually associate cats with trampling, but I assure you, trampling is exactly what Anni was doing.

No, she didn’t want to be petted.

No, she didn’t want to be brushed.

No, her litter box didn’t need to be changed.

No, she wasn’t hungry, and her food and water bowls were full.

She *knows.*

She hasn’t seen it in almost a year,  but she knows the cat carrier is around here somewhere, lurking, waiting, ready to pounce on her and bind her back into captivity for the two-day (or more) drive back to Kansas.

I caught her yesterday afternoon, preparing for battle, sharpening her no-longer-there claws:

Oh…boy…