Soccer Coaches Dinner Party

Back in December, we were invited to a dinner party with all of the coaches and wives for Ed's team. The four couples got along really well, and it is now a monthly affair. We are hosting the travelling party in just over two weeks, and I have no idea what to cook. I do know that I want to use the wonderful altered casserole dishes that my friend Paula made. In fact, I need to see if I can buy a couple more. So I am trying to plan a meal around beautiful handmade casserole dishes. I'll post a picture soon.

Our New Soccer Game

Amy, Sam and I spend a lot of time watching soccer. We do this activity in beautiful weather, cold weather, rainy weather, you name it. (Although we do not play when it is lightning.) Today, Amy and I played a new game at Ed's game. I said, "What number is Ed?" Amy replied,"Seven." Then I said, "Spence is Ed plus two. What number is he?" "Spence is nine." "Chris is between Ed and Spence." "He's eight." "Jack is Chis times two." "He's sixteen." Amy and I went through all nine players like that. The only operation she doesn't do us division.

This Weekend

Plans for this weekend:
Soccer
Alex attend birthday party
A little shopping for something new to wear to the next two items
Dinner out with Dave and another couple
Fiddler on the Roof
More soccer

I hope to fit in some pillowcase-making and some Round Robing messing around.

I need to write lesson plans for the next three chapters of Outliers. I need to design graphic organizers for the rest of the AP Calculus review.

Oh, and I need to grocery shop.

Bike Riding

Every year, the my little people's school has a Tryke a Thon to raise money for Children's Healthcare of Altanta. This year, both kids have new bikes to ride. Sam took to riding a bike instantly. Amy was a little slower to get it. After dinner tonight, I took Amy out to ride her bike. Sam was riding circles around her, but she finally got it. I think they will both have a great time riding around the gym.

I took pictures, but I need Dave to get them out of the camera for me.

Teaching English/Language Arts

The Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) had four parts-- English/Language Arts (ELA,) Math, Social Studies, and Science. I am teaching the ELA and math reviews this week. We are teaching the kids to take notes and highlight while reading. I am addicted to annotating now. I can't read without a highlighter in hand. It is crazy.

Since I am going to see Fiddler on the Roof this weekend, I wanted to read some Russian history. So I borrowed a book from the AP World History teacher. I went to read it last night, but realized I couldn't highlight it. Today I copied the pages so I could annotate.

Our school's literacy coach thought that was pretty funny. However, she got very excited when I explained my multivariable calculus students were reading and annotating and generally working with Outliers this week.

So I have learned a lot from teaching English this week.

Number 77

This week, school is consumed by graduation test review. We call it The Blitz, and all juniors participate. Since blitz is a football play, (which play I could not say,) we had a football theme the first day. I got to wear a football jersey. I wanted to be 77, which is the number of one of my students. However, it was the largest jersey, and I am not the largest faculty member, by far. So I got to be 58, which is the number of a kid I had last year. However, we wear jerseys again on Friday, and the coach is conspiring to get me 77 on Friday. Keep your fingers crossed.

Some days I write an email

The President of the Smithsonian, Dr. G Wayne Clough was the Dean of Engineering at Virginia Tech when I got my BS degree. He was the President of Georgia Tech when I got my MS and PhD. I was the first person he ever handed three diplomas to, and he hugged me when I walked across the stage when I received my PhD. My parents and I had lunch with him the day before graduation.

Whenever I have a rough day at work, I fantasize about working somewhere else. Some days, it is just at a different school. Some days it is at a college. But many days it is at The Smithsonian. And on a couple of particularly stressful days, I have even composed an email to Dr. Clough asking for a job.

What would I do at the Smithsonian? I could curate science exhibits. I could do research. I could meet First Lady Michelle Obama. (I really like her!) I am sure Dr. Clough could find something for me to do.

But for now, I will keep on at my school.

And fantasize about opening a bookstore cafe on North Hutchinson Island in Florida.

Outliers

I am reading the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. I know, I am late to the party. Actually, I am reading it because I needed something independent for my multivariable calculus students to do this week while I am teaching graduation test review. It is a very interesting book, and I have had no problems coming up with activities for my class to do based on the boom.

However, I think what I am really learning from the book is that I need to work hard to give my kids every opportunity that I can. My kids are pretty smart, which helps, but will only take them so far. The opportunities we give them are also extremely important.

Another interesting idea I have gleaned from the book is how important little teaching moments are. These little teaching moments help kids learn to navigate in life, how to deal with people. Little things like how to talk to doctors and authority figures, how to "customize" your environment, all of these things need to be learned.

Anyway, I am not quite halfway through the book. I don't agree with everything he says. However, it has given me a lot of food for thought.

From my phone

I thought I would try something new. I am posting from my phone. I cannot do anything fancy, yet, but if I download the non-lite writer, perhaps I could do more.

In case anyone is interested, here us what is going on in my life:

Three of the four kids are playing soccer. When we do not get rainouts, we can have 7 games in a weekend. This weekend was completely rained out.

I am still teaching high school math. I am also working with a local university on a grant to change their teacher prep program.

We have started a "dinner club" (for lack of a better phrase) with three other couples. Once a month we have dinner together, and we rotate houses each month. It is a lot of fun. April is our turn to host. I have to figure out what to serve. The host makes the main dish, and the other couples bring salad, appetizers, and desserts. We may grill steaks and/or shrimp.

Next weekend we are going to Fiddler on the Roof with one of the couples from above.

For my birthday, my older sister flew in from Chicago. We went shopping and to a comedy club. Then Amy and I went to see the ballet Cinderella by the Atlanta Ballet. It was a great weekend, even if there was a snowstorm.

Amy is reading. A lot. It is fun.

Sam is growing. He carries around a pillowcase the way other kids carry blankets. The pillowcase is named little sheet.

Ed is having a good year at school and at soccer. He just downloaded Treasure Island onto his Kindle app on his iPod.

Alex is a high school freshman. He us doing well in school. Soon he can get his learner's permit. I am not sure how I feel about that. Certainly he can't be that old?

Well, that is all for now.

This week, and last

Last week, I spent Monday and Wednesday at a Learning Focused Schools conference. WOW! I learned a lot. I got to hear both an AP teacher and math teachers. Usually at these conferences, I get to hear neither.

This week--Tuesday I get to hear Molly Elkind at Fiber Art Fusion. Friday I turn 40.

Knitting

So yesterday morning, a friend facebook-ed me (is that a verb?) and said to meet her and her knitting group at Panera. So I grabbed the only pair of knitting needles I have and a ball of yarn and went. My friend Kristin from Fiber on a Whim was there and she showed me how to cast-on and knit. It is fun and relaxing and portable. I have been knitting a few minutes here and there ever since yesterday. I know I said I was going to do this a couple of years ago, but this time, I really think I mean it. Maybe next week I can learn to purl. My biggest issue right now is that the part I already knit keeps getting in my way. I need to figure out how to hold it better.

More fiber news--I get to go to Fiber Art Fusion this month. Yea!! Molly Elkind is going to be the speaker. I am excited.

Left-handed

My youngest is left-handed. At first, I just figured he was ambidextrous, but, no, he is left handed. He does everything with his left hand. He is unique in our family. And I don't know how to teach him how to hold a pencil. Now, anyone who has seen me write in real life knows that I do not hold my pencil correctly. As much as my parents and teachers tried to get me to hold a pencil correctly, I just reverted back to my way of holding a pencil. I can write very neatly. I can write pretty quickly. But I don't hold my pencil in the normal fashion. And neither does my oldest child, who is right-handed. Sam, the youngest, still holds his crayons in his fist. I was just trying to convince him to try to hold it right, but he is just not interested. I don't remember ever teaching the other kids. Does anyone know anything about teaching kids to hold pencils correctly? Or even at what age they are supposed to do this task?

Operation Pillowcase

Debra is hosting Operation Pillowcase. Today I made four pillowcases to send to the troops through her efforts. It was easy and fun and used up some fabric that I already had.

A Different Kind of Goodie Bag

One complaint I hear from many moms these days is about birthday party goody bags. Now, I don't care what you put in your kid's birthday party goody bag. Really, I don't. But I hear a lot of complaints about candy and stuff to throw away. So here is what Ed's friends took home with them yesterday:
A pillowcase (it was a sleepover)

and a book and a journal.

I made the pillowcases and covered the journals. It didn't take very long at all. Of course, the journals are not as fancy as the ones my friend Rebbecca makes. (Her's are gorgeous!) But the kids loved them. And yes, it did cost more than the candy would have. I will admit that. However, the items will last longer, too.

A New T-Shirt Quilt

I finished this quilt before Christmas for a friend's son. I really like how it turned out.

Summertime and the livin' is easy

Here are the kids on the playground. I cannot believe they are all growing up so fast. When we moved into this house three years ago, Alex was starting middle school, Ed was starting elementary school, Amy was not even two, and I was pregnant with Sam. Now Alex is starting high school, Amy is going into kindergarten, and Sam is two and into everything.

We are having some beautiful weather. Hopefully we can play outside today.

Second Swim Meet Tonight

Our second meet is tonight. So far I just know that Ed is swimming the individual medley. He is at the upper end of the age group this year, so he is one of the stronger swimmers. (Although his freestyle looks a little off for some reason. He looks like a caveman swimming. No offense to cavemen.)

I am scoring the meet. When I score a meet, I think of my friend Linda who died the day Amy was born. (And then Amy almost died on her birthday 16 months later.) Linda used to do the ribbons for the meets. The scorer sits next to the ribbons person as we share data. Linda died of ovarian cancer. She fought it for a long time. The last summer she was alive, I was pregnant with Amy. She and I were not allowed to work swim meets that summer because she was not healthy, and I was not having a healthy pregnancy. So she and I were both dropped off at the pool gate and we sat in the shade. People brought us water and food. And we sat and talked. And talked. Her son was our coach, and he was 18 when she died. I got a lot of great mom advice from her that last summer. She knew Alex well because she was the aid in his kindergarten class.

So tonight I will be missing Linda.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

That is all.

Update

We made it through the first meet. Our team won. Alex had three first place finishes and two third place finishes. The meet started with some excitement, but not in a good way. First, there was a huge thunderstorm right when warm-ups were supposed to start. Thunderstorms and swim meets do not mix. Then, a swim team mom fell and broke her ankle coming down the stairs to the pool. It was a compound fracture. We called 911, and they sent the fire truck. The fire truck sent for the rescue truck because they needed paramedics. They then called for an ambulance because Cobb County Fire Department does not do patient transport right now. (They are working on changing that, though.) Meanwhile, an older gentleman in his great big caddie sideswiped the fire truck. So, two police cruisers came to take care of the accident. Now, at this point, no one is in the water because it has thundered in the past 20 minutes. We finally started the meet about 30 minutes late. We didn't get home until almost 11. I was exhausted. My plan to run this morning didn't happen. However, I will go tomorrow.

Ed made the academy soccer squad. Yea!! (I think I am happy about it. It is a big commitment.)

Tomorrow is my last day of work until August. That I KNOW I am happy about. Friday I need to shop for a dress to wear to the wedding on Sunday. I also need to shop for a new "Mom Bag." I looked today at the Flashy Frog, but nothing was quite what I wanted. So off to Casabella Friday. Or tomorrow. But probably Friday. I like shopping in local shops. (So please don't tell me Casabella is a chain...)

On tap for this week

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday--Work. Ugh. Although these are days we can go out to lunch, which is rare for teachers. And we can never come up with anywhere good to go!

Tuesday evening--swim meet Alex and Jules, soccer try-outs Ed and Dave, little kids home with Unkie

Wednesday evening--Jules dinner with Sheree (She was the person who guided me through the certification process the last two years.), soccer try-outs--Dave and Ed, little kids home with Alex (I will owe him big.)

Thursday evening--tennis practice--Dave

Friday afternoon--lunch with Patricia

Saturday morning--Dave tennis

Sunday--Dave and Jules attend wedding

Studio work--Owen's quilt, sew strips together for AIDS project

Keep walking every day. Keep doing yoga every day. No eating fast food all week.