MOM! I stuck something in my nose and I can't get it out! WWWWWAAAAAA!!!!!

OMG! The first thing I thought was she'd stuck a bead up her nose and we'd be making a trip to the Emergency Department. Carli was hysterical and screaming at the top of her lungs, blowing snot out of her nose like there was no tomorrow - trying desperately to get whatever this 'thing' was out of her right nostril.

Needless to say all three of us were in a state of panic, mainly wondering what the hell she'd stuck up her nose, why she'd done it, and if we were ever going to get it out at home or if we'd have to go to the ED. We told Carli to keep blowing her nose and whatever she did not to inhale through her nose (we had no idea exactly what it was just yet) and I didn't want her risking putting whatever it was further up into her sinus cavity or choking on it should it pass through.

Well, after about what seemed like an eternity, I found the tweezers, tilted her little chin up in the bathroom so I could see it well enough to grab it and pulled out this foamy little disc (that she'd folded in half) of her right nostril.

So, only a few minutes (maybe two or three) passed before it was all over and done with, Carli only ending up with slight bloody discharge out of her nose as she blew it one last time and I asked her if she was going to stick things in her nose again and she emphatically said "NO! Mom, never again!" I suggested she go to her room to watch television (not as punishment because that would be just dumb) and rest for awhile.

It was quite a harrowing experience, for her, me and her dad - one I'm most certainly we are not destined to repeat. I took a picture of the offending object as posterity and future bribing, in hopes that by posting this note another mother will read this and completely understand the horrors we just went through.

Please feel free to share with other family members and close friends. For my sanity, please share!

Thanks for reading,
Donna

Fall Break

So, it's Fall Break. A friend of mine from work posed an interesting question. Why is it that Arizona has Fall Break but very few other states do? Good question, Alice. I wondered why too. A friend of hers answered: So the schools can close down and do A/C maintenance. Alright, I'll go along with that.

Ok, enough about what we're missing while we're not at work this week and onto how Fall Break is going and what's been happening the past few days in this Brown household. James took a break from work for a little while this morning and mixed up his famous Banana Bread recipe. I put it in the oven to bake for just over an hour. When I thought it was finished, I pulled it out to check for doneness and the toothpick came out with goo on it, so I knew it wasn't quite ready. I went back about 10 minutes later to check it again, less goo, but still not ready. I went back a final time (about 5 minutes ago) to check and the toothpick came out clean, so it is now sitting on the kitchen counter to cool. I took a couple of pictures and I will post them on here.

Also today, Carli and I planted some herbs that Dad bought yesterday. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme and Basil. Today, dad bought pots and Miracle Gro soil. Each pot has a skewer in it that tells what herb is growing. I have pictures of these to share as well.

Enjoy Fall while it lasts!

Another lonely post

Ok, so I'm not sure why I continue to blog. Nobody seems to read what I write and I mostly feel like I'm writing just to write and remember. Here I sit, at the laundromat, once again, doing laundry and generally being bored. However, this time it is different in that I brought Carli along this time and I'm sorta, kinda glad I did. She has made friends with three little girls whom I assume are sisters since they're all together at the table watching "SpongeBob SquarePants" on television.

While I'm glad my little girl wants to share her Oreo cookies, I have expressly told her she is not allowed to. Not because I want to be mean and teach my child bad habits, but because there are quite a few little children in here and she doesn't have enough to share with all of them. So, my final answer is "No, you may not share with the little girl Carli, because you don't have enough cookies to share with everyone of them". Besides, I bought them for her, not for the other kids in here who have already filled their tummies with Kid's Meals from McDonalds. And I don't want her eating their leftovers either, ew....gross.

Well, I guess my blog is done for now. I hope somebody finally reads this and either comments or adds to it.

Thanks,
Donna

Wow, it's been awhile...

Work has been going along swimmingly for a few weeks now. I started doing reading intervention groups on Monday after a brief training session on Friday. Our lesson plans were done for us by Caryn and stories typed up and copied in multiples and lines of practice cut up and templates made. I did the templates with different colors to coordinate with the grade levels. We now have a "Learning Lab" upstairs where grades two through five come to learn how to read. Some of our students are second language learners and those who are not need some extra help to get over the hump of not knowing what long vowel, silent - e words are and things like that. I also push into a Kindergarten (from here on out called Kinder) classroom after working with my groups. My day is filled with making sure children get out to the playground after breakfast safely (no running, please) helping children learn to read, 2nd grade recess duty, lunch and then more reading groups. This all ends at 1:45 p.m. and I can either work on re-doing my templates with new vocab. words and practice words, or I can push into an ELD class. I haven't had much opportunity to do that as I am pretty busy doing my templates and preparing for the next day. Anyway, I love my job, I feel appreciated and my groups are learning and doing well.

So, some more changes are going on

Well, last week at work was interesting, to say the least. Monday through Wednesday was very normal, nothing too exciting or new. Thursday morning I walked into the office and was told I would be helping out in one of the First Grade classrooms with one of my managers - who would be the substitute for the day. My job was to model positive behavior and reward students for good behavior with stickers. Those that continued doing well throughout the day were rewarded with what the children call 'smelly' stickers. My manager also brought in colorful plastic coins to reward exceptionally good behaved children. Wow, you should have seen their little faces light up! On Friday, the regular teacher returned to teach the class and I was in there all day doing what I had done on Thursday. My manager, however, would only pop in and out and was observing the classroom only on occasion. I was there to help any students with questions and to again, hand out stickers for good behavior. Friday went somewhat smoother than Thursday, but it was still chaotic and out of control, albeit not as much as the day before. Tomorrow (Monday) I will be in the classroom with the teacher and my manager will be absent as she will be at a meeting at the district office all day, so I am on my own. Am I worried, absolutely not. My manager and the principal have every faith in me that I will do my job and do it well.

Now, here's the real kicker of this whole thing. There are 3 other ELL-IAs who have been working at the school way longer than I have and another one used to be a school teacher for 10+ years. So, why, of all the ELL-IAs was I chosen over the others? For one, I am following in her footsteps - working toward the same end goals, I'm the only IA going back to school to get my teaching degree and we work well together. I ask questions if I don't understand something, I don't argue with her and I don't get angry with the kids. I get down on their level and talk to them quietly without getting mean. I'm positive and outgoing and learn quickly.

So...I was nervous at first, but now after doing it for a couple of days, I know I will be able to do it again tomorrow. I'm not quite sure how long this will last and tomorrow might possibly be the end of it, we shall see. We won't start our reading intervention until after Labor Day, so I may continue this path and learn all I can for when I become a teacher myself.

School is in Session

School is finally back in session. Week one was only 4 days long and two of those were filled with DIBELS testing the students. This year I have been tasked with helping one of my most wonderful managers Caryn testing the Fourth and Fifth graders. Since I didn't get to DIBELS test all last year (thanks to Carli spinning a fictious yarn about having seen DIBELS books in the house) and because the lower grades are more complicated, testing the two upper grades will go faster and better because they read and retell three stories only. So...we have finished two fifth grade classes so far and tomorrow (the 17th) begins the final fifth grade class and then we move onto the fourth grade classes. I'm guessing we'll be all finished with them by the end of next week (around the 28th). It may not take that long, but there are only two of us testing so it will take awhile. As for Kinder through Third grade, there are five of them testing, and they have way more kiddos to test than Caryn and I do. So, I'm betting that when we are finished we will end up helping them out provided they aren't finished yet. On the 24th NWEA testing starts and Carli's class is the first to be tested in Math. It's a good thing my daughter loves math!

Almost time to return to work/school

So, there are 11 days until school starts (not counting today, obviously) and I return to work. While I'm ready to go back, I'm not ready as in laundry needs to be done, I need to figure out what I can and can't wear anymore and I need to figure out outfits (making several outfits out of several different pieces of clothing) and maybe, hopefully being able to finally buy some more clothes to add to my wardrobe. My nails need to be filled and repolished and there's so much stuff that needs to be done, and there doesn't seem to be enough time to get it all done. Now, I'm not complaining by any means, but it has been a wonderful two months off and watching Carli growing and changing has been something that I have loved doing. One of the main reasons I want to be a teacher. Now, I know that being a teacher won't afford me much time off during the summer because I'll be busy doing curriculum planning and trying to get enough supplies for my classroom and finding out what students I'll get, etc. Granted, that's not going to happen for a few more years, but I am ahead of the game and getting it all figured out. Making friends with my fellow teachers (even though right now I'm an Instructional Assistant) is a good idea because I will be able to have them as professional references one day. I can also talk to them, learn from their mistakes and not being afraid to ask for guidance and direction when I'm not sure what do to or how to do it.