First Day of School

Thursday was the first day of School---1st Grade!!! Andrew could hardly wait. He practically pushed me out of the door and so we were there 10 minutes too early. And look at the posses I got. 1st Graders rule!!

These last two pictures are of a cute craft Andrew and I did the other day. They are supposed to be cats made out of felt and thread. They were fun to make. We found the little patterns in a book called "The Cute Book" by Aranzi Aronzo.
Steven's first day of school was pretty good too. He says he already has his trouble makers picked out. There are two of them and they unaccountably have the same first name (his new swear word for the year--reinforced two times over "Blank!! sit down!!!"). Tonight he is already correcting his share of over 63 math tests. The school year has begun.

I am over at Falls Valley Elementary working in a resource room that is trying an inclusion program which means the students stay in their regular classroom with few if any pull-outs. I have spent the day in a sixth grade class and today in a 1st grade class. It has been pretty fun to be in a regular classroom, and there has been a lot of variety.

It is August 14th.

Just a few little news bites. Steven finally got his bandages off his foot. It was really---actually very---gross but still cool in a weird way. We both agree his doctor isn't a plastic surgeon. The stitching was a little sloppy--some places were not matched up as smoothly as they could have been. (Okay--the stripes didn't match either). He sure is bruised up good. He thinks some of the bruises are from his sticking things down in his bandage to scratch with ( you would think a sharp letter opener wouldn't be on your list for scratching items unless you were very seriously going insane)--All I know is that he was driving me insane --He was soooo grumpy from itching, and no showers and having to wait soooo long. All you can do for such a miserable person is try to give them extra space and make sure your child realizes that his welfare is best preserved in another room. But, as I said he is unbandaged, healing, smelling much better and finally at peace with the world. Poor guy--I really hope that this time he has found a cure. Enough is a enough!!

Andrew is registered for 1st grade and we start on the 21st. He is very excited and too too cool for his mother anymore. He has reverted back to his previous forgein tongue. "Hey Dad, we saw this Dude on this girly bike and he was not cool." That is the best way that I can put it. I have concluded the beginning of school lectures about not calling his teacher by her first name even though we know her very well--not kissing your girl friends when you first see them again (on this particular lecture we had to be very clear because kissing and girls are ever on the mind of six year olds going on seven "TEEN.") He is particularly happy to be a drop off kid instead of a mother escorted kid. I will be working at another school, so I don't have to walk into school in the same general direction he has to walk into school. I think it is the next best thing to riding the bus. I had a terrible time convincing him he wouldn't have enough time to ride his bike to school by himself. I shiver at the thought of any child riding along that busy road. Altogether, I think Andrew is ready for college--oops 1st grade. It should be an interesting year.

Steven has already been out and about meeting all his new sixth graders. He and Mrs. Perry, his co-teacher, have been to every house with homework--Yes!! Homework!!. One girl was so excited she couldn't stop dancing he said. It was mostly the boys who were not very touched by their thoughtfulness. They delivered them puzzle pieces one of which they were to write something about themselves on and four smaller pieces which they get to put together with their classmates when they arrive on the first day. What crazy teachers they are!! Most of my elementary teachers spent most of their time trying to forget that school was actually in session.

I had a job interview at Falls Valley Elementary and they hired me --whew--to be a teacher's aid, but this year I may actually be able to be in a regular classroom with my students instead of segregated. I hope so. The kids last year were so cut off from all their other peers that it was a real set back. They didn't have any examples of what were realistic behaviors because they only ever saw bad and extreme behaviors. (I am also hopeful that any head lice problems will be dealt with a little more firmly. Last year, I felt like the lice were part of our teaching assignments. They could have counted them in their books because I really felt many of them had perfect attendance.) I am way too sarcastic--sigh.

Steven's Surgery

This week instead of going to Lake Powell, Steven had surgery on his foot. For years and years he has had foot pain and at times it has been so bad that he could hardly walk. Last year he had surgery to fix the problem in which the doctors cut part way through a ligament--only it grew back together and so "problem not solved."

So, this week they hooked him up to a machine and tested the nerves in his foot and it turned out that his nerves were way beyond abnormal--they were retarded!! He has what is comparable to carpal tunnel of the feet. So Thursday he went in to have another plantar facial surgery done and a type of carpal tunnel surgery performed. It turns out however that the doctor only did the carpal tunnel procedure. He said as soon as he got in there he decided that it had to be the nerve. This nerve was only supposed to be as thick as the wire in a paperclip but it was as big as a straw or a pencil. So, we hope, hope, hope that this will fix the problem and my dear husband will be able to walk like a young man again instead of an old man.

These pictures show his amazing bandage. It is HUGE!! They wrapped a cotton batting around his leg and foot like you would use for quilting. With all that padding you wouldn't think he could feel a thing--but it is still pretty sensitive--especially the big toe..........don't touch it!!! Also, here is a funny picture of Andrew and his new hat. I swear this kid should model. He always is so concerned about the clothes he wears--and told me he had to wear this hat in this specific way. If I take a picture--man--you should see some of the poses I get. What a child!!!

Getting Over It All

Do you ever have that let down feeling after you have been obsessed with something or at least deeply moved by say a book (sigh**yes Twilight) or a movie? Sometimes it just comes to the point where you want to be able to take a cold shower and move on but nothing seems to grab your attention like it use to. No-----mopping the floors and watering the flowers, doing the laundry just doesn't make an impact like it use to (sarcasm of course). I hope there are more of you out there than just me because I feel pathetic. So, anyway the countdown to school has really hit home and I desperately don't want to have school start yet because then I have to go back to work and start thinking holidays and snow and cold weather--Ugh!! (Whoever has there thumb on fast forward, please get it OFF!!!!--summer I swear just started weeks ago!!)

Well, If any of you are looking for a little escapism--which unfortunately translates into--I Want To Be Lazy Please-- here are a few escapes I would like to suggest, and if these are not your sort of escapism--well, my heart goes out to you and, really, you don't have to take a cold shower by any means--there is still always chocolate and shopping for shoes.

Some movies--

"North & South" (BBC drama based on Elizabeth Gaskell book, very similar to Pride and Prejudice, available at your library or netflix)

"Howl's Moving Castle" (anime cartoon--gorgeous illustrations, awesome imaginative story--not a kiddy flick per se--by Hayao Miyazaki--the ultimate master )

"Water" (as previously posted)

"Penelope" (new out--very awesome--funny)

"Children of Heaven" (forgein film takes place in Iran--features a footrace at the end)

As far as books--

I highly recommend the "Uglies" and "Pretties." If you need a little more girl power try "Poison Study" by Maria V. Snyder or any of the Rick Riordan books--Greek mythology come to life.

Anyway, enjoy and discover. Just so it is out there--I am all in for a midnight showing of "Twilight" the movie and would welcome company.

Breaking Dawn--Countdown Complete

I have been counting down to this book for it seems like months and months so I was so excited to go get my book at midnight. I had at first reserved my book at Barnes and Nobles--Oh boy, am I glad I decided to try a more subdued book store. I knew when the sales lady at Barnes told me they had over two thousand reservations that it was going to be a mad house, and driving past that night I was not disappointed. It was CRAZY. There were at least a thousand people (well maybe 900) standing outside the bookstore--some in prom dresses--camped out waiting I am sure for hours to get there book. I never think to bring a camera, but you can just picture the carnage. It was tremendous.

My friend, Andrea, and I decided to make a night of it. She picked me up at eleven and we went to Perkins for fried foods and sugar. (Geez, there is nothing like fried foods and sugars to make you remember how it was before you were 30 & never thought twice about extra baggage.) Then, we headed over to Deseret Books. I was shocked!! There were only maybe six cars in the parking lot. I was nearly convinced the store was closed. As we walked in and started to browse--because we had a whole five minutes to kill--I suddenly get a crazy hug from Janet. I was absolutely delighted. And then there was Michelle and Ciarra. It was so fun to be silly with them.

It was such a relief when the store personnel finally cracked the boxes at 12:01. I was in the depths of denial that I finally had the book. I rushed home and shooed Steven off to bed. He was so great to wait up with me--even though I think he thought I had cracked. Naturally, I stayed up till 3 reading and today I finished--sigh!!! It was incredible. Very surprising in parts. NOT what I was expecting--but better-- and yes it is resolved. Bittersweet--it is over.