Friday, May 13, 2011

Summer math online and other fun summer learning things.

I found this yesterday and am so excited that K- can do this over the summer.  K- does math worksheets each night, but was so happy to do her work online.  She even asked me at 6:45 AM this morning if she could do math. 

Really?  Um, you have to get ready for school."  She was disappointed at missing out on it. 

It's a definite in our house! 

For summer online reading encouragement, we are taking part in Scholastic's Read for the World Record Summer Challenge.  Also, we are planning on going to our local library to take part in their summer reading program.  I know that Barnes and Noble has a program with a free book offered, but be cautioned that the list of prize book offerings is very short.  Please understand that I'm not one of those "complain about free things" people, but I just wanted to let you know that a small handful of titles per age is available.  You can go here to find their online journal. 

We parted out 480 plants for the Garden Fair today and had a soup buffet for the teachers.  It's 80 F with massively high humidity.  That's Ohio for you-- from one extreme to the other.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Speech! Speech!

"Mom, - -  asked me WHY I go to speech." 

"What did you say?"

"I told her because that they help me.  Frankly, Mom, I think that - -  could benefit from going to speech.  So could - - ."  (Yes, she did say that in just that way.) 

"K-, speech is by invitation only and not just any kid can go, though there are kids who have problems pronouncing things.  What do you think about speech?  How do you think it's helped you?"

She started telling me that she could say things like "shirt and shimmy" and that she says "Heather and weather."  I told her that I like that she found her F, V and M along the way. 

She sees the benefits that she has reaped from going to speech.  She sees it as such a positive thing in her life that she thinks that everyone should go. 

I'm glad that she spoke up and told her friend how speech helped her.  So often when kids need to take part in special services to help them with a difficulty, they are embarrassed.  I'm glad that K- is confident enough to speak about it and to share the "it works for me" attitude. 

It made my heart smile. 

Smiles in my day:
-  Above.

Have a great day!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Falling asleep while sitting up.

It's a talent I possess.  Also, I fall asleep with my eyes open.  Hubs reports that as looking freaky.  Anyhow, no post last night because I actually fell asleep before the child. 

The tree pollen has been dreadfully high around here, we'd been out bird watching and at soccer and all of that pollen exposure left K- coughing up a 7 year old lung all. night. long.  Every time I fell asleep, she coughed again.  You'd be glad to know that other than a pollen cough, she's fine. 

I was not.  I was a wet rag.  I'm usually okay with the no sleep thing, but just could not pull myself around to save my life.  K- did spelling, reading and we did a few rounds of Uno, then I started falling asleep while sitting on the bed and watching Antiques Roadshow.

Y'all, I slept all night long and didn't even wake up once.  Now that is tired.

I'll be in and out until school is out.  So much school stuff to attend to.  Was just installed as the 3rd Vice President of K-'s elementary.  "It's only one fundraiser in the fall and you are done."  The president has added a spring fundraiser of baked goods and 5 months of roller skating.  (1 per month.)  Uh, no.  Once again, after I say yes, the job gets HUGE!  That's okay.  I'm thankful that I'm able to work 3 days a week at a job and have 2 other days that I can help at school.  I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.  Not even sleep.

Smiles in my day:
-  Having breakfast with K- this morning at the PTA Officer Installation Ceremony.  The teachers make us breakfast (soooo delicious) and our children come to present candles to us.  The kids love to be involved.  The especially loved that their names were a part of the morning announcements for them to be excused from class to come be with us.  Let's guess who was the first child to arrive? Hmmmm.
-  So many PTA peeps coming to help me pass out 480 plants on Friday.  HOORAY!

Have a great day!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Flaming styrofoam and other weekend tales.

On Saturday, the alarm went off at 6:45 AM.   Hubs thought I was crazy, but I was a woman with a plan.  We were going to Amish Country for the day and I knew that we needed to get there before the buses.  We got out the door at 8:10 AM, arrived at the first destination at 9:10 AM (I have a heavy foot) and were pleased that we were shopping amongst the locals and Amish only.  Tourists hadn't arrived! 

After stocking up on a variety of bulk items, we went down the street to the chocolate factory.  K- wanted to get chocolates for both her teacher and her Kindergarten teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week.  (Yes, I realize now it was last week, but there was nothing sent home about it and I thought it was this week.  Mrs. S- will get her daily surprises this week.  Better than nothing, right?!)  Both ladies will be getting a small box of hand picked and handmade chocolates. 

We had just a little bit of time to kill while waiting for the restaurant (it's a delicate time balance), so we ran into the little shop across the street.  We scored two more Japanese erasers for K-, then it was time for lunch.  (Brunch sounds different than what we had.)  We were able to take advantage of their breakfast buffet and the salad bar.  Believe me, the Amish restaurant we go to is wonderful and two full bars of Amish goodness is like angels singing to you when you come into the door.  Hubs decided to break away from his usual boring diet and he ate.  And ate.  And ate.  His digestive wellness is begging to differ today.  The later mentioned flaming styrofoam and 4 steam burns speaks of how Hubs falls to pieces when he isn't feeling well.

We stopped a few other places, then went on to the Wilderness Center for some warbling.  (What I call it.  The Warblers are migrating and you can get some good birding in.)  When we arrived, we discovered that they were having a native plant sale, so I had to support them.  :insert twisting arm:  I purchased Blazing Star, Cup Plant and Aster.  We did some lovely birding right from their viewing area.  Hubs was impressed that I saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, which is not commonly seen in our area. 

Hubs and K- were kind enough, on a second night, to come to church to help me bang out the VBS road sign.  The logo was easier than in previous years, and I admit that I skipped the additional wording included.  We were able to get it done in two nights, which is amazingly fast.  What a wonderful thing to have that done!  All the other years took a lot longer.  Like this one.  Yes, I'll take a photo once it hits the lawn. 

Mother's Day started leisurely.  Hubs and K- brought me gifts and breakfast in bed.  We went birding instead of going to church.  (We were in a quiet place that God made.)  I had a thrift store coupon, so we cruised by there.  (I got some lovely shirts.)  We made it home in enough time for everyone to have lunch, I made taco meat and plunked that in the crock-pot, then we shuttled off to the soccer field!  It was while I was making lunch that Hubs yells, "Amy!" in a way that says I did something wrong.  I looked over and saw flames in the microwave.  He was cooking Boca burgers, got one package of Amish cookies out of the microwave, but not the other and the styrofoam actually caught on fire.  Flames.  He took the flaming cookies out and pitched them into the drive.  I walked out with the flaming glass portion of the lazy susan and got it out outside.  I should add that I store cookies in the microwave sometimes to keep them out of sight of K- because she would beg for them all the time. 

Hubs was so upset that they didn't cancel soccer on Mother's Day and he couldn't believe that they scheduled pictures to boot!  Because the ball bounced off of her and into the goal, K- accidentally scored a point for the other team.  Oops! 

We ran home to have dinner, ran to the store to get a few things and stopped by my mom's house.  (MIL was out of town.  We'll be Mother's Daying on Tuesday.) 

That brings me to now.  I have a pile of laundry on the bed to fold as I watch Celebrity Apprentice.  Excuse me, as we all know that though Mother's Day is a celebration of mothers, it certainly doesn't mean that the laundry is going to do itself. 

Have a great day!