A Fine Frenzy...or just a frenzy!

A Frenzy kind of day!
I wish I could say the day was as angelic as the voice of Alison Sudol, lead singer of the group A Fine Frenzy. Is there Hope for the Hopeless, as their song says?? The day wasn't angelic at all...it was far from it...quite the opposite!

fren·zy

/ˈfrɛnzi/ Show Spelled [fren-zee] Show IPA noun, plural -zies, verb, -zied, -zy·ing.

–noun

1.extreme mental agitation; wild excitement or derangement.

2.a fit or spell of violent mental excitement; a paroxysm characteristic of or resulting from a mania: He is subject to these frenzies several times a year.

–verb (used with object)

3.to drive to frenzy; make frantic: She was frenzied by fear when she smelled the smoke.

If I was to pick...I would have to say today was #3... to drive to frenzy; make frantic! Hmm....what name shall I give this child to protect the innocent...innocent my tooshie! He's a new little munchkin and his name in the blog will be....hmmm...Eyeballs! I allowed this child, I mean...Mr. Eyeballs to drive me to a frenzy! It started off yesterday... received an email from another parent stated Mr. Eyeballs hurt their daughter. Dealt with that, so I thought! Today he started off with some small little things that I put a stop to and on the back burner but what took the cake was the back talk and when I would speak to him he would roll his eyes at me and turn his face. ~I'm not listening to you! lalalala It got worse and worse and the day progressed, then he wouldn't do any work. In trying to redirect him the eye rolling continued and this is when you could see the other kids notice and have looks of shock and they kept looking at me as if they were thinking ~ooooOOO mama mama he's going to get it! Instead, the kids stepped in and in a way tried to regain their classroom from him by telling him ~You better stop that, you're being mean to Ms. Buddé. ~ We don't act like that. ~Ms. Buddé he's making faces and whispering things about you. Something about this child just got under my skin and he always has this smirk on his face when he looks at you as if he's thinking ~What?! What are you going to do?! I remembered my volcanic day last week and did not want to go there. Inside though, I was fuming each time those eyeballs rolled back!! At that moment I had a flashback to when I was little and we would make ugly or silly faces and my mom would tell us to stop or our face would stay that way...hmm...would Mr. Eyeballs eyeballs stay rolled back? Imagine?! I could hear my mom say ~Andale! Translated... basically saying...See! That's what you get! Heehee! ~Nope! Eyeballs didn't stay that way, they continued to roll back even more so! I was about to lose it and one of my babies knew it, well they all could tell, but they were sooooooo sweet and one of them just at the right moment came up and gave me a hug. ~Awww...I needed that! I thought ~why the bejeebers am I putting up with this?! Instead of sending him to the office, which I rarely do because I'd rather deal with my own discipline or usually don't have anything that severe, I sent him to another colleague. We usually do this from time to time and it usually helps. They usually realize they have it much better in their own classroom then where they were sent to. After so much time was taken away from instruction, I was able to get back on track. I lost so much, not so much in the time wasted but the I lost so much of myself. If that makes any sense. After school mom was wanting to take him....~Just a minute...I need to speak to you! As I made sure all my munchkins left with their parent I could see from the corner of my eye she was interrogating him. Mind you, I've had some problems with her too which I stopped immediately but knew this would probably ruffle her feathers. I explained to her all that he had done and the email from the other parent and to my surprise said she would take care of it. ~Hmmm....would she? Or tomorrow will I receive a nasty note...guess we'll have to wait and see!

Last week we had some inservices and all I can say is that sitting in a chair all day is more draining than dealing with a classroom full of munchkins. We spent almost all of Friday with a new Science facilitator that the district sent to our campus. She actually was great and we had a good time with her.

Some better news around the campus....babies!!! There might be something in the water at our school because another teacher is expecting a little blessing! So far that's 5. One had hers last year, one last month, one due on New Year's, and two due in May. Yikes!!

Short post today due to lack of umph...or in adult terms motivation. ~"Trying to be what they need but I’m so very tired."~lyric from Whisper by A Fine Frenzy. I allowed Mr. Eyeballs to get to me and I sit and wonder...~Why do I do this? and in the same breath try to remind myself...why I do, do this. (yes, remove the comma and it says do do...as in poop, crap, caca, etc. Sometimes it feels like it's a bunch of poop, what we have to put up with!) I can't let one sour grape ruin the rest of the bunch. ~Hmmm...grapes=wine...maybe I just need some wine to stop whining and a little bit of A Fine Frenzy to remind myself how angelic most of these munchkins can be and truly are.
Stay tuned to more adventures filled with a bit more motivation and excitement...
XOXO's

Rainbows

The Storm has passed! Rainbows in the sky!

The rain has washed all things clean and defused this volcano. Actually, it's left me speechless...literally folks...I HAVE NO VOICE!! haha I guess this was God's way of saying ~Shut up! It's not that bad! I had a voice most of the day and not once did I feel the horrible rumbling that I felt yesterday. A tickle in my throat is all I felt but it didn't mean much to me and I figured it was just allergies. Once my munchkins left for the day the voice was cracking. Then it changed from sounding like a boy going through puberty, to sounding like a 1-900 operator! haha! to almost nothing now!!

My munchkins are going to get a kick out of this tomorrow! Thank goodness tomorrow is early release which is a half day for them and they're off on Friday too!!! We'll be having inservices and they'll be home frustrating their parents or whomever is caring for them. Heehee! I think we both need a little break from one another to regroup! Sometimes I wish we were like other districts which give them 2 weeks in October as a break! I have Columbus Day off so...woohoo! haha!

I could have finished that wonderful test today but the last munchkin I have left to test has been out for 3 days already. I hope she comes tomorrow, but I have a feeling she may not come just for half a day. Oh well, she'll just have to be tested when she returns and I'm not worrying about it. Next week will be the Math assessment and that won't be too bad...I think?! haha


Before the end of the day, the storm hit hard at work. No, I didn't blow my top again...heehee...it was an actual rain storm and it was beautiful! We almost were going to run out into the downpour of rain but I knew I'd have some parent complain. The kids wanted to go out and run around in it but it was really pouring hard. For a brief moment I thought of making them trash bag raincoats...haha! I've used trash bags for a half marathon and it kept me warm and dry but nah...I knew one of them would probably put his face in the bag and then I'd really be in trouble! haha Instead we went to go watch the rain. Our school has some patio areas that are set up perfectly. Their little faces were pressed up against the glass as they looked out as they ooooo'd and ahhhh'd. ~A river! ~I can smell the rain! ~Can we run out real quick, my mom won't get mad? ~No, no, no, you'll look and smell like wet puppies and mommy's won't like it! ~My mommy likes puppies!...Haha!! After that last comment how could I not take them out! haha I had a munchkin go back to the room to get the umbrella. Yes, I took them out in the rain, but a few at a time under the umbrella! Another coworker had the same idea so she snapped some pictures.

Back in the room a little girl was carrying my umbrella and read a tag which said ~made in China. This lead to ~Is it raining in China too? ~Why would you ask that? ~It says right there made in China. Is it raining in Chinese. I had to giggle. ~No baby it's not Chinese it's China. ~Oh...so is it raining there too? ~Do you know where that is baby?? ~By Horizon, I've seen one! BAHAHAHA!!! I couldn't help but laugh and of course they all laughed too but I don't think they knew why they were laughing. Of course this was a quick teachable moment on geography! haha I got my little inflatable globe and showed them where they lived and where China was and explained how it was already morning the next day in China! Their puzzled faces were sweet. It took me awhile to explain how that worked...a few understood but the others just stared probably thinking about splashing in the puddles! haha Some kept saying ~wow that's far! Again I heard ~so is it raining their too? Thank goodness for technology and the internet!! After finding a site that wasn't blocked we were able to check the weather and at that time it showed it was cloudy. ~We're sending them the rain huh Ms. Buddé? ~Maybe sweetie. I showed them some other pictures and that's when they all started talking about how much they love Chinese food! haha!

After work was the area High School Homecoming parade that I volunteered to dress up and do. With the rain I was praying it would be canceled and now that I had no voice I really didn't feel up to it. ~Nope, not canceled! Somehow we missed the remaining part of the storm as we sat on the trailer and waved. In all honesty I was glad I did it! So many kids and it was actually fun...I got to practice my pageant wave...even though I was never in one! haha I was actually able to see some of my 1st babies that I ever taught! Beautiful munchkins who have grown into beautiful young adults! They are my first class and will be graduating this year! Gosh I feel old! Heehee
Rain makes a bad hair day! heehee

Love the smell of the desert air when it rains and love the smell of my wet little puppies! ;) The storm is over and the munchkins are gone tomorrow and Friday so let's see what type of inservices we'll have. Maybe it's a good thing I don't have a voice! heehee
Stay tuned for more adventures in our world...
XOXO's

Ps...I tried to add pictures to this post but for some strange reason my personal laptop is not picking up my camera or the usb ports aren't working... UH OH!!!! I'm not going to freak out, counting to 1000!!!....Holy Moly Guacamole! I'll add the pictures tomorrow from another computer and pray mine is not sicky poo!!
XOXO's

The Storm is Coming!

Who needs weathermen??!!!

Boy, oh boy... the monsters, I mean munchkins...heehee were wild creatures today!! ~Sheesh!!! The weather is changing right??...~Yup, as I look out...it's raining! When I first started teaching I never believed it but boy were they right when they said these munchkins were like walking barometers!! They either sense it or watch the weather channel and decide to make teachers lives miserable right before a storm or change in weather. Right before the weather changes, for some reason, the munchkins turn into some other type of creatures! When talking to my other coworkers, they too were pulling their hair out today ...munchkins gone wild!!!! Imagine that on DVD! heehee The pressure in the classroom, whether it was atmospheric or not was intense! Not only were the munchkins little monsters, the teacher was about to blow her top!!!! I felt it coming up just like molten lava starts to oooooze up...I tried counting to 1000!!!...I tried to stop it... then... AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! ~Ok...I'm not a fibber, so...YES, I blew my top!! ~Holy Moly Guacamole! Think the earth shook too!! There was absolute silence in the class!!!

The pressure of getting all this testing done is CRAZY!!!! They need to hire someone just to test students! Getting through this 1st Grade test take approx 30-40 minutes each child. This is when I wish I was back in Kinder or 2nd Grade. It didn't take that long to do but for some reason 1st Grade has extra components to this test! Even the Spanish version is shorter!!! ~Can I say BOO!!!!! My munchkins would probably pass the Spanish version! haha! Based on this test, our munchkins are classified as AT RISK if they don't pass all components. ~Ummmm...HELLO...none of them can pass all components!! So yes my entire class will be labeled AT RISK...might as well label the teacher too!! I'm AT RISK of pouting, kicking, punching, and screaming!!! It's the same story every year and it's ok, because if it kills me, which this year might!!...most, if not all my munchkins will be leaving ready for 2nd Grade on the level they need to be or better!!! Or else!... ~Hmmm...or else what smarty pants?? I'll...I'll..I'll kick my own booty! heehee

The less a child knows the worse the test is!!! You would think if a munchkin fails the early components of the test like knowing letters/sounds and reading vocabulary words, blending sounds together to form words, the test would stop there, but NO...why on earth would they think they'd be able to go through a billion other components AND be asked to read 2 reading passages and answer comprehension questions with a passing score??????? ~Oh but we can use this data to know our students...blah, blah, blah!! I just smile and TRIED to let the pressure go. I know my munchkins better than any test, that's for sure! I think the gasket blew, the volcano erupted, the poop hit the fan when I was testing and someone, I'm not going to say who...haha...came into my class, looked at me testing and asked ~Have you given the Math test yet?? ~No, we're still trying to finish this test because they had tons of problems with the website and they're still having problems with it. Instead of this person getting what they needed and leaving, I was then asked ~Didn't the testing window start on Monday for the Math test? ~Umm...probably...this is when I thought I was talking in another language because she looked at me with such bewilderment!! ~Now why would I start one test without finishing another, is what I wanted to answer but didn't. Then it was like a light switch and she said, ~Oh I feel your pain! ~Wow, thanks, but she doesn't have to test a regular class!!! I mentioned we haven't been given the Math test and I wasn't going to go asking for it either. Well....!!!!!...when checking our school email at the end of the day, guess what was there? Yes, she sent a reminder on the Math testing window and that we could make our own copies of the test for our class!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! On top of this, munchkins talking back, not doing their work, etc...well, it all lead to the eruption of the Mt.Buddé Volcano. When the walls shook and the lava started to cool off, is when I realized how silly this was!! I let it beat me!!! Frickity frack! I almost made my eyeballs pop out plus a close call for a heart attack!!! It's SO not worth it!! The munchkins are but not the craziness that comes with testing!!

Who remembers the old show the Electric Company with Morgan Freeman?? Now that was some good TV! heehee Well, one part that they did on that show is a big part of this silly test!!! Parents sit with your child and pretend your Morgan Freeman and break up words and have your child figure out what the word is. Click here to watch what I mean, or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg6zfiydTkc
or hear Morgan sing the /sh/ sound..heehee at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kuKcX8QrOM

Tomorrow will be a crazy long day only because I was asked to dress up for our feeder pattern High School Homecoming parade!! I tried finding every excuse to get out of it but was given the guilt trip and fell for it! haha! The theme is Disney so sure enough they came to me because stupid me dressed up as Belle from Beauty and The Beast a few years ago!! I actually made my own costume and should have lied and said I got rid of it! ~Nope, couldn't lie! So, tomorrow I'll be dressed in gold and doing the parade wave next to Chip the Teapot, Snow White, and Cinderella. I actually wanted to go and take pictures because my first class of Kinder munchkins are seniors this year but instead I'll be riding the back of a trailer! haha The weatherman and my munchkins predicted 50% of rain showers so this Belle will probably end up soaked and looking like the beast when it's all over! haha I can't get over the fact that my first babies ever will be graduating seniors!!! Wow! Many of them still come and see me from time to time and boy do I feel old and SHORT! Two are taller than me, they're all so smart, and turned out to be beautiful munchkins inside and out! So proud of them and I know I'll be bawling when they cross that stage at the end of the year!!

The great thing about all this craziness was, today after work, we had a two hour training for our NEW laptop! No, sorry the two hour training wasn't that exciting, getting the NEW Mac laptop and playing with it was the fun part! I'm a Mac girl...~Once you go Mac, you never go back!! heehee I love saying that! haha My own personal laptop is a Mac too!! Even before my technology master's I loved tinkering with technology and getting anything new is always fun! The not so fun part is transferring info from the old to the new before turning in the old laptop in two weeks. A weekend project ahead of me for sure!


Well, I hope the weather and the little barometers start to predict brighter days so Mt. Buddé Volcano never erupts again! heehee!
Stay tuned for more adventures...
XOXO's

Viva!!

What a day!

What a crazy, bonkers, fun day! I'm not sure if I was on a high on life thingy the last couple of days, but I just hit the wall! ~No not literally. Even though I wouldn't put that past me...running into things from time to time has been known to happen! haha! ~I'M POOPED!

The kids were adorable in their outfits! As much as I make fun of my Rosarita dress, I love wearing it because it's like I'm walking around in a tent! So comfy just like a Hawaiian muumuu dress! I can let the gut and lonjas hang out and no one can tell! haha! Our day was nonstop and I'm exhausted! It didn't help that I couldn't sleep last night...finally fell asleep around 2:45 then up at 5:00. Eeek!


We revisited our discussion from yesterday on 16th of September and they asked if they could record themselves. ~Yikes, I think I created little video and photog monsters...heehee! Love it! Surprisingly they did very well remembering the information we covered and using the camera. ~Even if I was watching them like a hawk as they used my camera. Heehee! I think next time I'll check out one of the school's cameras but it may not have charged batteries or no memory card. So far they've taken care of mine...so I may continue to let them use it. I only took over the camera when they wanted to dance, if not, they really would have been bouncing around and my camera may have been shot across the room! ;)

As the munchkins were lining up for lunch I was doing who knows what and overheard part of a conversation between some munchkins and I had to laugh! ~Well, I had to keep in the laughter because I didn't want to make anyone feel bad. A group of them were talking as they were lining up and I heard a little girl, who was in a beautiful white outfit say ~My sister said I looked like a maid! ~BAHhaha! It was so hard not to laugh but I held it in. I stayed around their area to continue to listen to what their conversation was about. My little Blue Shoe boy from last year was soooo sweet and told her...~You don't look like a maid, you look pretty! All the girls look pretty, no one is a maid in here. Ms. Buddé even says she's not our maid! ~BAHAHAH! He got me on that one!!! I had to laugh at that out loud because I do tell them they have to clean up for themselves and we don't have a maid in the classroom and I'm not their maid either. Haha!! From out of the mouths of babes! Heehee They make me laugh more and more and make this adventure so much more enjoyable!

It was also Grandparents luncheon day today. The cafeteria was full of munchkins and their grandparents enjoying lunch together. The sound of mariachi music, smell of fajitas, and a decorated cafeteria added to the smiles not only on the munchkins but also on their grandparents faces.

I had promised them I would make them quesadillas but after PE and after sitting through a fundraiser kickoff, I was loosing energy fast!!! I had about an hour left in the day and we (the other girls and myself) decided we'd just do it tomorrow....but then I felt bad and put that Rosarita dress to work! A few parents had sent in some pan dulce, Mexican cookies, and Mexican candies, so I HAD to do it. How could I not! As I jumped into my Mexican senorita role I got them busy doing some work and pulled out the portable burner, grabbed the corn tortillas, spatula, and started to cut the cheese. ~No, no, not that cheese! heehee I'm sure many of them were already doing that from the fajitas at lunch! haha Pee eww! I had to remind them...~No one is allowed up here at all while I'm cooking! I wasn't sure if I'd make it on time to finish making them all a quesadilla, pass out the pan dulce, cookies, and candy. I totally channeled my inner Rosarita and totally looked the part too! haha Sitting on my stool, in my Rosarita dress, hair pinned up, and cooking over a hot stove. Well, not a stove but a hot little burner..haha! It reminded me of watching my grandmother cook for us. I also felt like one of the lady's at the bazaar making gorditas except I was throwing out quesadillas like a mad woman! haha!! The natives started to get restless once they finished their work. As it is, when they are out of uniform they go bonkers so this was a double dose of bonkerness (again, I'm making up words! haha) They wanted to dance so I let them dance. Turned up the Mexican music and they had their own little party on the rug! It was cute because my munchkins from last year are comfortable dancing with each other so the boys grabbed their partner and started spinning them away! The new little ones were a bit shy but they got over it pretty fast.

Once I finished and plated everything...ok wait, that sounds like I'm on a Food Network show..."plated"...haha I meant to say once I threw everything onto the plain white paper plates they still we tortured for a few more minutes. My old babies already know...~We don't touch or eat anything until everyone is served! The poor new babies were twitching and salivating as they waited to dig in because my waitress skills were a little rusty and slow.

Finally when they started to dig in I sat down and took a breath! ~Holy Moly Guacamole! I was beat!! ~Mmmmm....this is good!, I like these things! Can you make more? ............insert screeching tire sound....~More?? I'm sorry Rosaritas Restaurant is CLOSED! They laughed and I took another breath! ~Whew!
Stay tuned for more adventures...
XOXO's

New Beginnings...Refeshing!

The week of heartache is over! Two close friends passing within two months of each other is too much! A new beginning lies ahead!

Starting off the week with a new sense of being was and is so refreshing to say the least! My munchkins have been such sweet little boogers this week and I'm not sure why. I've also felt a sense of calmness and an appreciation for the smallest things. Is that what death does to you? Is it the calm before the storm or is it that we're all getting comfy and finding our groove in life and with each other?

The stress will begin to set in within the next few weeks if I allow it. Here we go again with testing our munchkins. One window of testing overlaps with another and another and by the time it's all over with, it'll be mid October. When will we teach??!! Well, we somehow work magic trying to juggle everything. For some strange reason I'm really not worried about the deadlines. It's not that I don't care but why create unnecessary stress. I can't explain why but after the emotional week I had last week, my perspective on things has been retweaked (is that even a word) haha!

Last week I forgot to mention we had parent information night. So sad to see the turnout for Kinder and 1st. The parents that did show up (6 only...boo!) I was glad to see. They were shocked with the information they received in reference to their children receiving actual grades now and how high their child needs to be reading when they leave 1st Grade. I think it was an eye opener for them as to where they child is at to where their child needs to be. One parent asked, almost in a way that came across a bit harsh~How do YOU plan on getting my child to such a high reading level? I have to admit I did giggle a little as I responded...~I plan on pushing your child because every child is capable of achieving that goal and it is possible but I'm also having YOU as the parent work with your own child at home. As parents you are your child's first teacher and this is a team effort between you, your child, and myself. Her ruffled feathers weren't so ruffled anymore. Heehee! Too bad I couldn't say...~So there! Nani nani boo boo! Yes, I'm picking up my munchkins habits or are they learning them from me?! J/K heehee Looping up with my munchkins from Kinder to 1st made some of my old parents think they didn't need to attend but once they receive their first progress report showing their child's grades they'll probably be the first ones to call in a panic. ~Can't wait! ;) I did have a call after the fact from an old parent and also new parent questioning ~Did I miss much? ~ UHHHHHH...yeah! is how I wanted to respond! One said they had football practice, the other cheerleading! ~HELLO!...school is a little more important! Now why can't they do No Pass, No Play for little leagues!! I'm completely for munchkins being in extra curricular activities but parents need to also make school a focus too.

The munchkins had a fun time using my digital camera on Monday. ~Yes, I let them use my own personal little camera! Yikes! The vocabulary word observe was introduced to them last week and I wanted to see (observe..heehee) what these little munchkins saw through a lens. Yes, photography my hidden passion. Whether I'm taking the pictures or viewing, I love to see special moments captured through the heart of a lens. I know... crazy to let 5 and 6 year old's take off with my camera! Their perspective on things and their height level is soooooo different than any adult and knew we'd all have fun with this. It worked out perfect that day because I had a few out so there were 5 groups of 3. I was going to send out one group at a time while the others completed their work. As we reviewed our word one little munchkin asked ~Is observing like our five senses when we use our eyes to see things? ~Kiss your brain! Good job! This got them all talking about their five senses which they covered some time back. ~Yay! They do remember something! haha! They wanted to take their pictures and tie them into their five senses...how could I say no. It actually worked out having 5 groups & 5 senses! I made one person from each group the photographer, one the timer, and one the tally person. I gave the little photographers a quick lesson on my camera and the rules! Main rule...~DON'T DROP MY CAMERA or you're fried chicken!!! haha They were instructed to wear it around their wrist at all times. I also taped it around their wrist so the strap wouldn't slip off! haha! I gave them a timer too because if I didn't...they'd be cruising the halls all day. They had to be back before the numbers hit zero and before it beeped. It was funny to see two groups make it into the class right as it went off! They practically slide into class as if it was home base. haha ~SAFE! One little boy, Mr. Blue Shoes, actually threw his team members under the bus as he slid into the class, alone, holding the timer as it went off. ~Hey where is the rest of your team? ~Ummm...They're somewhere, I wanted to make it in time. ~You can't leave your team out there! Go find them! Haha! The tally person was in charge to keep track of taking 5 pictures and practicing how to do tally marks. They didn't realize it was also a lesson too and not just having fun using my camera! heehee When all the groups were done I looked through the pictures and had to laugh at some. The group who was looking for things that they could hear...well...one of their pictures was taken of a urinal being flushed! Haha! One little one took a great picture of water from the water fountain and told me she ~Observed the water come out like the shape of a rainbow and she could see it, taste it, hear it, and touch it, but it smelled like nothing. ~Yay she used her new word and tied in her 5 senses. One group went to the cafeteria and took pictures of the foods they could taste. I was impressed with where some of them went to take pictures. They were told they could go anywhere in the school that wouldn't get them into trouble and outside in the back play area. They were so cute when they set out on their adventures I wish I had a picture of them but they had my camera! haha...one guarding the camera with their life, one focusing on the timer, and the other looking oh so important with their little clip board. Too cute! They were told that with the pictures I'll be showing them how we're going to add their voices as to what they observed on their adventure and turn it into a movie. They got so excited! I have to admit I was a slacker last year in Kinder and hardly made any movies with them. The years prior we always were making some type of movie.


Tomorrow will be 16th of September and our school always celebrates it and ties it into culture and traditions, which we do have to teach. We're all dressing up in our little senorita and senor outfits. Too bad Pancho's isn't still open, I could pick up an evening shift in my outfit and earn some tips on the Mexican plate or those ugly orange chile rellenos they made. haha! Those who do not wnat to dress up come in their uniform. When they dress up they always look so cute! I wanted to make sure they understood what it was and why we were letting them dress up. I had to explain living on the border, what a border was, where Mexico was, what the "grito" was, who Father Hidalgo was and his role. ~whew!!! These little monolinguals left probably knowing more Mexican history than I ever did at that age! I know it may have been a bit much but they actually understood it and enjoyed talking about it. One child also made the connection to our 4th of July! ~Yay! We made Papel Picado, which is just like making paper snowflakes but using colored tissue paper. As they were listening to me explain to the new munchkins how to fold the paper, one of my munchkins from last year, Mr. Blue Shoes, made me laugh when he said ~I remember that from the old days! If anyone knows my bark (my burst of laughter that comes out randomly)...I barked when I heard him. ~The "old days," how old are you? You're not THAT old silly! haha! I couldn't stop laughing and of course the munchkins started laughing too. Not because they understood why I was laughing but because I barked and laughter can be contagious! Tomorrow we'll be doing some other fun stuff as well. Then Friday is Constitution Day...did you know there was a Constitution Day?! haha! There is!
The week is flying by! ~Yup, Time flies when you're having fun! Next week is early release and professional development...uh oh...heehee Stay tuned for more of our adventures...
XOXO's

Friendships=Love

Week of heartache... a Blu heart!

Last weeks post in Munchkinville was a week of frustration. New munchkins were coming in left and right and I thought I was going to lose it. This past week began with a heartache in my personal life and in the classroom. You try to not to bring your problems into the work place but sometimes it's difficult not to.

A wonderful, dear friend passed 9/5/2010, Sunday morning from cancer. My heart broke when I received the news early that morning but I was also in disbelief. A friendship that went back to my elementary school days had just been ended. It ended only in the physical sense but grew more in my heart and soul.

We had the day off on Monday for Labor Day which made for a short week. Not wanting to accept the death of a friend and not letting myself deal with it or grieve made for a somewhat difficult week. My munchkins actually helped keep my mind off of it until I had to face the memorial at the end of the week.

Heartache in the classroom was due to two different episodes. The first was the outcome of the meetings I had with the moms of my struggling new babies. The outcome was good and the best for each of them. Moms agreed and acknowledged the fact that their babies just weren't ready for 1st Grade and they have seen their child struggle since Kinder or earlier. The support they gave administration and myself was wonderful. Those munchkins were placed back into Kinder but my heart ached when I saw one of them the next day crying. By the end of the week they all fell right into place in their new classroom and are doing great and come by to visit and say hi. They can now become those successful little people that are filled with happiness and come with a love for school.

The second heartache in the classroom was because of what one of munchkins did to another smaller munchkin. One of the Kinder teachers came into my class with two of her munchkins with a look of concern on her face. Right away I knew something was wrong. ~Hmmm....which one of my munchkins did it? Her little one's were the cutest little things and one had been crying. She began to tell me that one of my boys was bullying and making fun of her two little ones. The two little munchkins told her the boy had a mohawk. I knew EXACTLY who that was! My head must have spun so fast the kids probably felt a gush of wind pass them. I felt my eyebrows clench up and my eyeballs almost popped out as I glared at him. He stared back at me with a look of ~What? I asked the little munchkins to go show me who was bothering them and the smallest one went right up to him and pointed him out. When I asked what he did he said he was picking on him and making fun of his hand. At that moment I noticed he had his little left hand in his pocket. I asked him why was he making fun of his hand and that's when his teacher made a sound and said ~no, no. I looked her way and she had a look of fear and she mouthed something I could not understand. The little baby came up to me and slightly hid near me as he gently pulled out his hand from his pocket and said...~He was making fun of my nubby. My heart sank when I saw his hand! He didn't have a hand but a nub at the wrist with what looked like tiny, tiny, little bubbles for fingers. He quickly put his hand back in my pocket. It almost brought me to tears. But instead of tears it turned into anger! One thing is for kids to be curious and I'm sure many are but this little boy that was bothering this special munchkin has bullied other kids before so I was furious! The one thing I DO NOT like are children making fun of ANYONE or bullies!! I had to keep my composure or I was going to lose it! ~I'LL DEAL WITH YOU LATER! My focus went back onto this precious baby who looked so embarrassed and sad. His teacher said she wasn't going to say anything but he was crying and so hurt. I was so moved by this little munchkin that it basically knocked me to the floor and I just hugged him! I sat on the floor infront of him and asked him if I could see his hand again. He placed his little sweet hand in mine and I melted. It was the hardest thing to hold back the tears. I've been holding back tears from my friends death and now this! I found the strength somewhere not to cry. ~It's a different story in writing this as the tears stream down because no one is looking. With his head down he sheepishly looked at me with these beautiful big brown eyes. I apologized to him for such hurtful behavior and told him never to be embarrassed and be proud of his hand. I told him I loved his hand and he smiled and called it his nubby again. I asked him it it was ok that we show the other kids so they can help protect him from other bullies. He held up his hand with a little smile! My other kids reacted in the most beautiful way that kissed my heart. I heard so many sweet things from them ~awww how cute! He's cute! I'll take care of him. I like your hand. This precious little soul lit up with the biggest smile. I looked at my mohawk bully and he looked so mad. Not sure if it was because he knew he was looking at 8 to 10 in solitary confinement...heehee...or because the other kids were giving this precious baby positive love. He had the meanest look on his face that was also sad to see. I told the little precious munchkin that if anyone in this entire school ever bothered or messed with him to come tell me and I would take care of it. He told me ~I can hit hard! heehee ~Really? Show me! I put my hand up and with his other little hand threw a little punch! ~Wow, you're tough! If anyone bothers you don't hit them come tell me and we'll go together and then I might let you hit them. ~Yes, I don't condone violence but.... with this little angel or any other special angel I won't put up with such ugly behavior. I asked him if he felt better now and smiled and nodded yes. ~Can I have a hug and a high five? His little arms made me melt. His high five was with his regular hand. ~Now can I have a nubby five? He smiled and took his hand out of his pocket and gave me a nubby five! <3 Just pulled at my heart strings! The next day, I was passing his class in the hall, not really paying attention to them and I kept hearing ~Hi friend! Hi friend! and it was HIM waving at me!!! Love him...think he's my new favorite but he's not even in my class! haha

You must be wondering what happened to the mohawk bully! Well...he was given LIFE! heehee Just kidding. I actually didn't lose it because I was too furious. Told him how disappointed I was and that he was to show a good example to the little Kinders and instead hurt one with his words. I gave him detention, notified the counselor, admin, and wrote parents a note home. Parents don't answer calls during the day especially if they see school is calling so the note was the next best thing. The following day the counselor stated mom called and wanted her son tested for SPED. ~Come on!!! Being a bully won't be fixed with SPED.

As the week came closer to an end I knew I would have to deal with my friends death and his memorial. I wanted to see friends that I had not seen in over 25 years but not for the reason we were reconnecting. I've always taught my munchkins to be kind to each other and take care of each other. I tell them that many of them will remain friends for life. I had the talk again reminding them of this and mentioning my dear friend who passed. When I told them that I knew my friend and his family for most of my life they didn't quit understand that concept of time and just said WOW! Haha

Well, the memorial came and it was heartbreaking but also rewarding to see friends from elementary school and high school who played an important role in my life and will always remain close to me. I look forward to strengthening those relationships and bonds. We all may not be close in miles by but close in our hearts. Friendships are so dear!

A new week...a new adventure! Stay tuned...
XOXO's

Flip Flappin Frustrating!!

Did I mention it was Flip Flappin Frustrating day!!

Week 2 didn't start off too bad until Wednesday! I waited a day to blog...I needed to breathe and count to 100...not to 10! Otherwise my potty mouth would have added too much color to this page. Every other word would have been bleep, bleep, bleep, bleepity, BLEEP!

It was a flip flappin frustrating day on Wednesday! Yes, those are my "f" bombs! haha! Teaching 13 years and in those 13 years I've learned to love looping when we get the chance to do it. Well this week I've changed my mind! ~I'M NOT LIKING IT!!!!! If you don't loop with your entire class then what's the point in looping?! Why did my munchkins move? ~Whah!!

I was sent ANOTHER new student and I think that's what threw me overboard!! ~Or did I just jump overboard? hmmm... At that moment if someone would have thrown me a life preserver to get back on board I think I would have pretended not to see it and go swim with the dolphins or better yet...eaten by a shark! heehee!

10 new munchkins!!! ~Holy moly ROTTEN guacamole!! Getting the new student wasn't the kicker...assessing her quickly to check what she's coming in with was the push over the railing for me!!! Another munchkin who is SUPER DUPER low! I've had low 1st Graders before and I bust my booty and can get them to 2nd or higher but these particular students are at a beginning Kinder and mid Kinder level!!! ~AHHHHHHHH!!!!! What the, what the!!! As I pound my head on my table!!

If you chose to have baby munchkins...YOU, the PARENT, are their 1st teacher!!!!!!!! Talk to your child, sit and read with your child, DISCIPLINE your child...blah, blah, blah! AHHHHH! Ok, sorry...breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out! heehee
It seems like some babies are coming in lower and lower than in past years and it's frustrating. When we loop, the low ones that come with me always make it because they're not THAT low...probably because I'm on them and on their parents to work with their munchkins. There is always one or two who still don't give a flippity flap! Those are the ones whose grades begin to drop and when they fail that's when parents decide to show an interest in their child. ~Oh NOW you decide to show up to school, as you rant and rave as to why your child failed! The last group of munchkins that we looped with for 3 years, K-2, was an incredible experience. Last year they went to 3rd without me and EVERY child passed the darn TAKS! I'm not one to toot my own horn but TOOT, TOOT! They had a strong foundation and their parents were awesome!

Kindergarten is not mandatory in Texas so we can't automatically retain...I know, I know, some are saying...but they're so little to be retained! Pish Posh! That's exactly the point...it's not retaining because of "failure" as we're so familiar with but being kept another year because they need more time to build on that foundation. A strong foundation is the root to their ENTIRE educational years. Would contractors build on weak or cracked foundations? Many do because they have a deadline or just want to get paid but those are the structures that will have problems for many years to come! I've been lucky to have administration that support repeating Kinder. All the munchkins that I've recommended and those parents who have agreed to it have done great! As Kinder teachers, all we can do is "recommend" to parents that their munchkins be placed back into the oven to cook a little longer because they're still raw! If they chose not to then we strongly advise them that their child may be at risk. It can only be recommended because Kinder isn't mandatory so in reality their child doesn't have to attend Kinder...shhh don't tell new mom's that! All munchkins should be given the opportunity to attend school starting PreK but many don't. Grades are the killer once they hit 1st grade and up!

Personally I think we need an entrance exam into 1st Grade...I know it doesn't sound right but COME ON! They should AT LEAST have mastered in Kinder how to write their full name, know all their letters and sounds out of order, identify their numbers, and read simple words. These are just a few BASIC skills because Kinder teaches SOOOO much more now. If your child isn't ready please don't be in denial or don't blame everyone else! It's OK to say they're just not ready!!!! I've even heard parent's blame the munchkin...ugh! Some munchkins may have other problems such as learning disorders which also need to be dealt with but it's not something to blame the child. So this is where I am...in 1st Grade...with grades and munchkins that are going to struggle and fail automatically if something isn't done. I don't have a crystal ball to predict the future and I'm not being negative but I've had enough years to know the outcome of some of these babies! Catch the problems NOW instead of when they're older and in 5th Grade reading on a 1st Grade level!!!

I spoke to the counselor and principal and presented my results on 4 out of the ten that really, really need help. We agreed to set up meetings with moms and discuss what is best for their child. Luckily, I had already contacted these new parents with my concerns and they were ok with meeting with a larger group of people. We'll see tomorrow what happens with each meeting.

As I was treading in the water yesterday, deciding if I was going to grab onto the life preserver or swim off with the dolphins, I decided to accept the fact... I CAN'T WORK MIRACLES and wasn't going to have a stressful year!! I jumped into the year very excited and I hope that excitement comes back. So why was I jumping ship?!! I guess panic set in because I don't like to see my babies struggle more than they need to whether they've been with me 1 day or 1 year. I decided to put my big girl panties on...which by the way, probably kept me afloat because they just balloon up! heehee...and decided I CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH! I'm not going to kill myself or feed myself to the sharks...just yet! heehee All I can do is pass the life preserver onto my munchkins that need it more than I do! I can tread water and deal with it because remember...I have my big girl panties on! ;)

Stay tuned for more adventures to come...
XOXO's