Its a summy day in the neighborhood!

We are learning regrouping for addition problems. I gave the kids a mid chapter test on Tuesday...yeah, I know, a test the day before Thanksgiving break is NOT a good idea.

Many of the kids forgot how to regroup tens and ones, so they got a redo today.

One of the tests didn't have a name on it so I didn't correct it until today.

One part of the test asked the students to look at an addition problem, tell how tens there are, how many ones, and if they have o regroup. The last box in the table asked for the sum.

There were six problems. In every single box asking for sums, this student had drawn suns.

Maybe it is just funny to me, but I did love it!

New kid on the block

Today I got a new student. I always review the rules of school for the new child, and because it is always good to review.

Rule #5: Follow all school rules.

With a little snow on the ground, I wanted to use the opportunity to remind the students that we don't throw snow or snow balls, or anything made of snow. So I asked the little darlings a VERY leading question: What can't we throw at school. To their credit, one boy replied, "rocks." True, I thought and asked "what else?" Either they didn't know, or they were hoping I meant something else, but they could not get it! Finally the new girl raised her hand. I thought I would give her a shot, so I asked her what she thought we shouldn't throw outside on the playground...in the winter...her reply...

"Temper tantrums." So true, I thought.

We have a new kid in our family. She is a very cute girl who married Jeremy last fall. She is also pretty smart. This could work against us as we try to convince her that getting up at 4:30 A.M. is a fun idea..to go shopping with thousands of other crazy people. We have been working on her for several months, and I think we are getting close to a commitment. Hopefully it will work out, we will see on Friday morning.

Sad news for me. I love all of my students. Some make their way into my heart a little deeper than others. Today one of those kind of students was withdrawn from my class so his family could move to Utah. He cried almost all day. His mom cried. I kind of cried--which to most people is like saying I cried. It breaks my heart what some kids are up against in this world. This kid will climb a mountain all his life.

But at least we all know that we should not under any circumstances throw temper tantrums on the playground!

With all my love and gratitude for each and every one of you who read this--even you Karen--I hope you have a lovely and filling Thanksgiving holiday.

Hello Friends

Please update.

I love you!

Something I have been thinking about

I have become overwhelmed by the amount of suffering I see all around me. Illness, joblessness, hopelessness, lack of time, money, and compassion. Friends who have their marital rugs pulled right out from under them.

A few weeks ago, when one of my friends told me that her husband had come home and announced they were done, I felt the weight of her predicament as I listened to her wonder how this had happened to her.

I know a man who will die because his heart cannot handle the dialysis he has had to have as a result of the heart medicne he has to take to keep from having cardiac arrest. I watch as his wife worries and prays for him and cries for losing her best friend.

I know of a young man who may lose his vision.

I know of many who are jobless because of the economy.

I know of a few who have lost homes.

I know of someone who agonizes over not being married.

I know of many who are perplexed when life does not turn out the way they expect it to. "Even though we do what we are asked, follow the commandments, go to church..."

Last week I was talking to someone about this. I told her that my heart physically hurts for my friends who are having a hard time. She brought up the Atonement.

I cannot even begin to fathom the love our Savior has for us to have already taken these burdens upon himself. That he knows exactly and perfectly the loneliness, the depression, the utter despair, and the feeling of being so bogged down by our adversities. I can't comprehend how he has taken these things upon himself, but I know he has.

I know it isn't even Halloween yet, but I have been feeling so thankful for every blessing I know has come from my loving Father in heaven. I am so grateful to KNOW who I am. That I am not alone. That everything I go through on this earth was part of my own personal plan to show obedience and worthiness to live with Him again. I need to do better. I have to do better. I can't let my Savior suffer for my pains and not do my best.

I am grateful for my family. My husband is my very best friend. My kids and grandkis bring me the greatest joy I have felt in my life. I am grateful for the gospel, and the testimony of it truthfulness. I am grateful for my friends. I have the best friends in the world. I am grateful for my job--thankful I get to do what I love. I am grateful that I can see. That I can hear, and know. I am grateful for good parents who have showed me how to be Christlike and taught me to love my Savior. I am grateful for grandparents. I am grateful for this part of the country I call home. I am grateful for a warm house, good neighbors and security. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost. I love and am thankful for the blessings of the temple. I am thankful for 7 little six year olds in primary. I am grateful for my Savior. I am thankful for His atoning sacrifice. I am grateful I can be forgiven when I am stupid.

I am grateful to be alive in this time, when we are being tried. When we are being asked to prove ourselves in ways no other generation has had to. I am grateful to know I am not alone in this. Not spiritually, socially, or physically.

I AM grateful.

Sex

Don't be alarmed, but this is another post from school.

I like to use puzzlemaker.com to make word searches for spelling practice. They say they try to not put questionable words into the puzzle, but sometimes they inadvertently show up.

Sex, for example, was in today's puzzle.

One of the boys was APPALLED and covered the whole word up with pencil. "Its what grownups do," he says. Its not long and the whole class, except for a few of my more innocent babies, have found it.

I, being the professional, tell them that its "just a word. Every single one of your parents wrote either an "m" or an "f" in the box on their school registration next to the word 'sex.'"

That made them be quiet for a minute.

Would you like a little pepper with that?

I know, I know...two posts in two days. When blog-worthy stories happen, I have to share.

This afternoon I was on the phone with the nice lady from DISH network when two of my grandkids start coughing and choking. I told the lady that I thought it was so ironic that they were fine until I called. She laughed and said that she has had to use her mute key because she has had a bad cough, too. We solved our problem and hung up and suddenly Tristen comes in, bouncing like water on a hot skillet.

"My lips hurt, my lips hurt!!" was all he could say. Of course, I don't think it can be any medical problem so I ask him what has he been in to. He replies, nothing, but I know better, so I persist. He confesses he was playing with something, but he doesn't know what it is. We go into my bedroom, and there on the bed is the very pepper spray Mark bought me two years ago,(then sprayed me with) for my protection. Mark is right behind me, walked over to the spray, picked it up, and sprayed HIMSELF in the face. Not right in the face, but close enough that he started coughing and choking, too.

As I was cleaning up Tristen's face, I told him that he was lucky that he didn't throw up. As it happened, he did. Twice.

Charlie could not smell it, but I think that is because he LOVES Axe, if you know what I mean.

Becky came over to get the kids, and had to leave. She was having coughing spasms.

I am thinking of sleeping in the guest bedroom.

Another funny from school...

Warning--some might find this story offensive. Sorry.

In kindergarten through second grade, children are taught phonemic awareness. Simply said, they are made aware of sounds. They also learn that sounds have graphic representations called letters. All letters make sounds, some go together to make blends, some make unexpected sounds when they are together like 'th,' 'sh.' Other letters are silent in words like the 'k' in knot, the 'w' in wring, or the 'e' in same. We practice this A LOT.

One of the ways we practice is to 'blend' words sound by sound.

Today, someone (not me) in my class was blending blends and came to a cr family of words. The students always know to "blend to the vowel," and by now are very good at it. The person (not me) decided to do a c-r-a group of words. She told the students they could add a /g/, /b/, and a /p/ to make a new word. I sat in the back and thought, "She is NOT going to actually DO it..." Yes, she did.
Crag, crab, and yes--crap.

My two PARENT helpers and I sat in the back of the room and had quite a little chuckle. Well, I knew Becky would laugh, but I saved mine until I knew the other woman thought it was funny, too. Many of the students giggled.

A student in front of us turned around and had the most horrified look on her face.

"I AM NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT WORD! I am a CATH-O-LIC!"

I have always said that if the parents really knew what was going on in my class, they might be less excited to have their students enrolled.

Have a nice week!
PS I just noticed that I have my pants on inside out. Don't worry, I wore a dress to school.