No I didn't misspell Elf, but do you know what EFL has to do with my life? If you teach in Arkansas you probably do, but for those of you who don't it stands for Effective Literacy - and I have just completed my first 6 hour day of eleven days within the next two years. It's just amazing what "they" expect teachers to do in the classroom each day. I for one, try extremely hard to accomplish all that is expected - but it's unrealistic and impossible to do each and every day that I am with children. I appreciate so much though the training that is invested in us as professionals and most of the time it's all paid for by our district. I have one more thing to say about this subject and then I'm done. Why can't we as teachers sit down with the "they's" in each state and Washington and talk one on one about NCLB and children who are unable to compete in the global marketplace? I for one, think that the majority of our students need to be able to compete in the local marketplace before we can expect them to even care about the global market! And as Trina would say, "That's my story and I'm sticking to it!"
I'm sitting here patting myself on the back because I've just realized I have Blogging Clout! I have a friend in Washington State, Marlette, who emailed me today with her NEW blog and I have a "lone" teacher friend here, Leanne, who is contemplating her own blog since she has Holden Thomas or Sarah Katherine (let me know if I have the spelling or names incorrect) due in December 2008! If you think Leanne should start a blog to keep the world informed of all the new beginnings then just post a comment and I will pass them on to her. There's nothing like a little healthy "guilt" to make a teacher rise to the next level!!! Come on Leanne join the Blogging lifestyle.
Here's a little tidbit of news for you girlfriends of mine: my lil 14 year old daughter competed in a $1 a hand game of poker with her 18 year old brother and won $14. He had to sell clothes today so he'd have some cash since she beat him out of all his singles!!! I'm so sorry but I think that is AWESOME!!! You would too, if you knew how competitive Kellby is - she said he was so mad!!! I'm sure he tried to use his smooth, legal talk to get his cash back - but there's one thing about Blakeley when she makes up her mind about something - there is NO WAY it's changing - and when it comes to money and beating her brother, well that's a no brainer!
Danny is taking my van, or our van, to have the tires aligned today before we go on our road trip to the gulf. We were thinking we were going to have to invest in new tires after our oil change and "15 point tune-up", but we read the report a little closer and it just said we needed to have the front tires aligned - reading the fine print will ALWAYS save your skin.
Well gang, I have EFL homework to do, so I'd better close this post and get busy. I need to let my children see me "not waiting until the last minute" to do what's due tomorrow! Take care everyone - I let you know what all I learn tomorrow in the next post - like you care! Christye
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
TGIF. . .and almost Saturday
The picture on the left of this post is our little 12 year-old Sheltie, Sunny. She has been such a sweet dog, and today we said good-bye. She struggled to stand, and sometimes labored to walk but she never, ever complained. We're not real sure what her problems were, but we suspect it stems from the trauma of being attacked twice in her life by other dogs. I was shocked at how hard it was for me to take her in this morning - I had done so well making the appointment. But Danny drove us to the clinic and took care of all the paperwork & talking - I was having trouble with my tearducts. Although we will miss that sweet little dispostion, we still have her brother Sam - who acts like a puppy most days - he's also 12; and our Great Pyrenese "lapdog", as she'd like to be known, Arwen. As for me, two dogs is plenty!!! (It's too emotional)
Blakeley comes home from New Life Ranch tomorrow, and there are 3 Hudson's for sure that will be glad when she is home. She's pretty quiet and being 14 she's at the stage of "retreat" to her room for hours, and hours at a time but we have really missed her dry humor and sweet smile that melts away the world!
Today is Kellby's last day of work at Tyson Foods. We aren't real thrilled that the job didn't last through the entire summer, but we are leaving for Gulf Shores a week from today - and I guess they decided it would be easier to hire someone new for the fall, since Kellby's college schedule didn't seem to work out for them either, than to work around his social life. Needless to say, it was GREAT experience - and he knows now - he needs a job where he doesn't sit at a computer all day - "B-O-R-I-N-G" was his exact word for his day at work. Like most "jobs" though he really liked the people he worked with.
I was able to steal a couple of hours and go to Springdale to see my mom today. She works on Saturday's at a local health food store, so on our day off - she's working! But this Sunday she is driving to our house and will spend the night and then she and I and both kids will shop for her some new work shoes on Monday morning - and then our plan is to have lunch at Sho Gun. I promised Blakeley we would have lunch there sometime this summer, so we decided Monday would be a super time to do that.
Danny took a vacation day today - and besides being my taxi driver, we got to have lunch together and get the oil changed in my car. After all that, I did the grocery store thing and he came home to start his "mowing" routine. It's an all day affair!
Enjoy the weekend - they always seem to go by too quickly no matter what the season.
PS - Tonight is homegrown tomato season at our house, I'm creating a new recipe "Stuffed Tomatoes with Feta Cheese, mango, sweet basil & kalamata olives. I'll let you know if anyone else likes it!!
Blakeley comes home from New Life Ranch tomorrow, and there are 3 Hudson's for sure that will be glad when she is home. She's pretty quiet and being 14 she's at the stage of "retreat" to her room for hours, and hours at a time but we have really missed her dry humor and sweet smile that melts away the world!
Today is Kellby's last day of work at Tyson Foods. We aren't real thrilled that the job didn't last through the entire summer, but we are leaving for Gulf Shores a week from today - and I guess they decided it would be easier to hire someone new for the fall, since Kellby's college schedule didn't seem to work out for them either, than to work around his social life. Needless to say, it was GREAT experience - and he knows now - he needs a job where he doesn't sit at a computer all day - "B-O-R-I-N-G" was his exact word for his day at work. Like most "jobs" though he really liked the people he worked with.
I was able to steal a couple of hours and go to Springdale to see my mom today. She works on Saturday's at a local health food store, so on our day off - she's working! But this Sunday she is driving to our house and will spend the night and then she and I and both kids will shop for her some new work shoes on Monday morning - and then our plan is to have lunch at Sho Gun. I promised Blakeley we would have lunch there sometime this summer, so we decided Monday would be a super time to do that.
Danny took a vacation day today - and besides being my taxi driver, we got to have lunch together and get the oil changed in my car. After all that, I did the grocery store thing and he came home to start his "mowing" routine. It's an all day affair!
Enjoy the weekend - they always seem to go by too quickly no matter what the season.
PS - Tonight is homegrown tomato season at our house, I'm creating a new recipe "Stuffed Tomatoes with Feta Cheese, mango, sweet basil & kalamata olives. I'll let you know if anyone else likes it!!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Time flies. . .
Here it is Thursday and I haven't done any of the "girlfriend" stuff I had planned to do while Blakeley was off at camp! I've been doing all the "list" stuff!! Next year I'm putting girlfriends at the top of my summer "list". Speaking of girlfriends, I received a comment from a dear, dear girlfriend, Marlette, about the blogging status I've started - and really you guys it is so-o-o easy. There are templates and you just click and it's done, believe me, IF I CAN DO IT ANYONE CAN!!!
To let you know how fun it is, we are leaving for the beach on the 25th, I'm taking my laptop and digital to stay on top of the happenings. It's really moved me to the point of "writing everyday", which to many of us educators is a "standard" which we expect of students but I for one have not been a good practicer of the preaching until now. Of course, at the moment I have time to get on the computer, play around with pictures - pretty leisurely pace - but in 3 1/2 weeks let's see if the ole gal can keep up the pace!!!
Back to the girlfriend topic, today a couple of girlfriends and their kiddos are coming over to enjoy the pool - and it's pretty hot and humid! Kellby calls these "young" girlfriends my empathy friends, because he says they feel sorry for me because I'm old and don't have any friends - so they have decided to be my friend to make me feel good!! I have NEWS for him, I have some GREAT friends because I'm a pretty good "ole gal". He's about to find out what REAL friends are all about, those COLLEGE DAYS Friends, you just can't beat that time of life! I covet those memories, laughter, tears, and stupid, stupid stuff we did. Oh my gosh, remember the panty thief from the apartment laundromat - first me, then Marlette - then Trina and I confronted him - we were so stupid, "EXCUSE ME, I think you have something of mine"!!
But we survived to tell the tale, and that's all that matters. I sure can't top that one with any "teacher stories". But, give me a few years and maybe I will!!
It's almost time for the little swimmers to arrive, guess I need to go out and catch all the frogs in the baskets - Naw, Weston & Cooper will LOVE to do that, I'll just leave that little chore for them. Great idea, I'll take pictures so that you can see!!!! Later. . .
To let you know how fun it is, we are leaving for the beach on the 25th, I'm taking my laptop and digital to stay on top of the happenings. It's really moved me to the point of "writing everyday", which to many of us educators is a "standard" which we expect of students but I for one have not been a good practicer of the preaching until now. Of course, at the moment I have time to get on the computer, play around with pictures - pretty leisurely pace - but in 3 1/2 weeks let's see if the ole gal can keep up the pace!!!
Back to the girlfriend topic, today a couple of girlfriends and their kiddos are coming over to enjoy the pool - and it's pretty hot and humid! Kellby calls these "young" girlfriends my empathy friends, because he says they feel sorry for me because I'm old and don't have any friends - so they have decided to be my friend to make me feel good!! I have NEWS for him, I have some GREAT friends because I'm a pretty good "ole gal". He's about to find out what REAL friends are all about, those COLLEGE DAYS Friends, you just can't beat that time of life! I covet those memories, laughter, tears, and stupid, stupid stuff we did. Oh my gosh, remember the panty thief from the apartment laundromat - first me, then Marlette - then Trina and I confronted him - we were so stupid, "EXCUSE ME, I think you have something of mine"!!
But we survived to tell the tale, and that's all that matters. I sure can't top that one with any "teacher stories". But, give me a few years and maybe I will!!
It's almost time for the little swimmers to arrive, guess I need to go out and catch all the frogs in the baskets - Naw, Weston & Cooper will LOVE to do that, I'll just leave that little chore for them. Great idea, I'll take pictures so that you can see!!!! Later. . .
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Summer Fun
You know you're a teacher when; your car, your dogs, and your windows don't get washed except in the summer! And what are a teacher's favorite months of the year? That's right - June, July and part of August (not much of it anymore)! That's when we get to do all the things that need to be done about every three months - but trying to juggle that, school, kids, church, and a little entertainment now and then - it just has to wait until my favorite months!
So, my windows are clean now - at least all the downstairs windows - inside and out. The upstairs windows are clean on the inside only - but unless you're that annoying mockingbird that sits on the eave every morning you will never see the outside of my upstairs windows!! And that's fine by me.
You also know you're a teacher when you get excited about the back to school open house at the local teacher supply store! And ours is tomorrow from 9-2. I don't plan on buying anything - you noticed I did say PLAN, because Danny has us on a budget so that we can pay for Kellby to wake up late and hurry to class in the fall, half asleep and probably half dressed! Now, back to the "plan", I'm really not interested in purchasing anything right now, but I've got to get my card punched so that I get in the drawing for the $100 shopping spree! I could definitely use that this year since I'm moving to second grade after 4.5 years in Kindergarten! (That's four and a half not 45).
Well as I said earlier it's the season to wash dogs, and I'm not getting any more energetic - so I'd better get out of this comfy chair and go make two little Shelties extremely frustrated! Have a wonderful rest of your week, probably won't post again this week - got a lot of other "summer fun" to do!
So, my windows are clean now - at least all the downstairs windows - inside and out. The upstairs windows are clean on the inside only - but unless you're that annoying mockingbird that sits on the eave every morning you will never see the outside of my upstairs windows!! And that's fine by me.
You also know you're a teacher when you get excited about the back to school open house at the local teacher supply store! And ours is tomorrow from 9-2. I don't plan on buying anything - you noticed I did say PLAN, because Danny has us on a budget so that we can pay for Kellby to wake up late and hurry to class in the fall, half asleep and probably half dressed! Now, back to the "plan", I'm really not interested in purchasing anything right now, but I've got to get my card punched so that I get in the drawing for the $100 shopping spree! I could definitely use that this year since I'm moving to second grade after 4.5 years in Kindergarten! (That's four and a half not 45).
Well as I said earlier it's the season to wash dogs, and I'm not getting any more energetic - so I'd better get out of this comfy chair and go make two little Shelties extremely frustrated! Have a wonderful rest of your week, probably won't post again this week - got a lot of other "summer fun" to do!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Daily dose of technology
This is so good for me but it's extremely frustrating!!! I've spent 15 minutes just trying to find the button to add a new post!!! And for 3 days now I've been trying to add a cute little bookshelf with all the books I'm reading, want to read, and have read this summer - but I can't get the cute little shelf to show up on my blog!!
I'm going to try to add pictures of my own family and then some of my little "classroom" family at school - since I do spend 6 hours a day with the little dumplings - I have a lot to say about them. They really do become "my own".
Well, my own little first born dumpling just drove up so maybe he can help me with this techno stuff. It's really funny because I have to keep notes up at my computer to show me what buttons to push for what website. I have my classroom sight and now this BLOG - that's a great word for how I feel when I get frustrated from working on it! Well, off to the races. . .
I'm going to try to add pictures of my own family and then some of my little "classroom" family at school - since I do spend 6 hours a day with the little dumplings - I have a lot to say about them. They really do become "my own".
Well, my own little first born dumpling just drove up so maybe he can help me with this techno stuff. It's really funny because I have to keep notes up at my computer to show me what buttons to push for what website. I have my classroom sight and now this BLOG - that's a great word for how I feel when I get frustrated from working on it! Well, off to the races. . .
Friday, July 11, 2008
Well, well, well . .
I've heard about these things but never really knew what all the fuss was about - but since "everyone's doing it" I figured I'd give it a whirl.
Right now, I'm just in the construction stage so give me a few "posts" and let me get things arranged and then we will see what all I can put here for the rest of the world to check out in my world on a daily, well - maybe not daily - basis.
Right now, I'm just in the construction stage so give me a few "posts" and let me get things arranged and then we will see what all I can put here for the rest of the world to check out in my world on a daily, well - maybe not daily - basis.
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