I'm alive

So I am alive, but barely these days. I can't believe its been over two weeks since I have blogged. You could tell when summer ended and school started, or just when school actually got serious. I feel like I am just on the go, and when I get home the last thing I want to do is log onto the internet and talk about my day. I'd rather ask the Lord to bless my dreams and think about other things until 5:27 when my alarm goes off to do the same thing again! This week I've had parent/teacher conferences. It sucks to have to tell parents that their kids might repeat first grade if they don't learn their letter sounds by October.

My schedule is this:
Mondays-Childcare for Most Excellent Way from 6:45-9:00.
Tuesdays-Leadership meeting after school from 3:15-4:30--then free nights to get together with people or just rest.
Wednesdays-Spanish Class from 4-6:30 and then Bible Study from 6:30-8:30ish.
Thursdays: Staff Meeting from 3:15-4:00 then Free Nights
Fridays: I stay at school until late to get ready for the next week, then come home and crash!

Last week I had Open House where I had to meet with parents and then on Saturday I had training for school all day (8:00-3:30) and then when training ended I drove immediately up to St. Helena to visit my grandma before her surgery yesterday. I stayed until Sunday Night and drove home, did laundry and went to bed!

My students sure keep me entertained. I always tell myself that I will blog what the students say because they just crack me up. This week I had a student who asked me if he could go to the bathroom. I said Yes, go. He came back 2 minutes later and whispered again, Can I go to the bathroom? I said Yes, Go! He then put his hand over one side of his mouth and half whispered-But I have to go poop. I then said--GO!! You don't have to tell me you have to poop.

I had my Mary-Kate come back from a vocabulary lesson from another teacher. She walked up to me-batted her eye lashes and said, "Miss Dobie-You're gorgeous. (long pause) Do I have to do my homework tonight?" Then yesterday Mary-Kate wrote a little note on her reading log that said, "Ms. Dobe-I love you like a friend." Today when we were packing up for school to end, she whipped out this little mini sandwich and said, "here miss dobie--its a little something so you won't get hungry during your meetings. Its delicious." She drives me CRAZY because shes a kid who will get "talks to much in class" and "needs to focus on doing her work before she helps others" but is a true kick, who keeps me going. I do have a feeling she may make a few hairs turn gray in the process.

Last week we were having lunch together because she was the only one to do her reading every night during the week. She said, "My mom bought this for me at Costco. Its not a fork, but not a spoon. They call it a Pork." I wish I could share a picture, but I don't want to cross that line...but if you need any type of entertainment or cheering up---please volunteer an hour a week--by the end of your time you'll be able to write a book of Mary-Kate isms.

OK So I'm going to try and post some pictures. Two weekends ago my other grandma was in town....she went shopping and let me put it all on my credit card and I sure racked up those air miles!

Espanol

I started my first MPC class today. Its a conversational spanish class. I learned today its only Credit/No Credit with no language lab. Everyone in the class is not just a regular student but also has some type of job or profession and really wants to learn it....so hopefully I'll learn something? Then I'll be able to communicate with the families of my students better.

Adios

television tunes

go to televisiontunes.com and you can download a trillion different theme songs to movies and tv shows.

As a teacher I use it for transition from the desks to the carpet, putting papers away, cleaning your desk, talking to your neighbor.

Some of the songs bring back memories!

The Kottmans

This is Josiah, one of the Kottman kids. I wanted to highlight The Kottmans Blog link to the right-they are missionaries to the UK and an amazing family! They are originally from Orange County and I met them when I was living over there four years ago. The were sent from CC Twickenham and began a new church plant: CC Leatherhead last year and have had some great opportunities to reach their community including an interview with the BBC! Go Kottmans!

Hole in the Wall

Literally. Great Job Sara! =)

7th Birthday

Today I spent the day celebrating Vanessa's 7th birthday. She came to church with me, then we went Mini-Golfing at the Tin Cannery, had lunch and then the aquarium! She really is the most polite little girl you could ever imagine and was so excited about the entire day! She decided she wanted to pose as much as possible at the Mini Golf place! Happy Birthday Vanessa!

Hide and Seek

A student was driving me nuts today so I asked him to step outside my classroom because of his behavior and I would be out in two minutes to talk to him. I went out two minutes later and he was no where to be found. I got worried, obviously, because a 5 year old had disappeared from my supervision. I sent a trusted boy to run to the bathrooms to help me search for him and after about 2 minutes, the escapee crawled out of the locker-giggling. Any normal teacher would be fuming, and to an extent I was, but I was more amazed that this little brat could climb inside and close the door. The lockers (pictured above) are a good two/three feet from the ground and he managed to get inside, close the door and stay quiet. I told his mom, and she laughed instead of disciplining! Ah!

Ultimate Wedgie

I don't know what it was about today, but I had a great day! I stayed at work until 6:45 and then got to church late but still was blessed by what I heard. We had an ELD meeting today and I found out that the 1st/2nd grade classes are being jumbled up so we can have 6 classes instead of just 3 classes to re-arrange. ELD is English Language Development and there are 6 different levels a student can be at. 1,2,3,4, 5 and EO (english only). All the first graders this year are either EO kids or levels 1 and 2. I got the levels 3,4,5. That doesn't make much sense to anyone else but me, but there's good news in it! My class is crazy this year, and I get to change my students and get all my cute babies from last year for 45 minutes every day! I can't wait! I get a break from my whiner!! Woohoo! And I'll only have 13 kids instead of 19! It's only 6 kids difference...but the noise level of a 6 year old usually equals at least 2 kids.

I also got a chance to get to know some more families at the ice-cream social tonight from 6-7pm. My crazy Mary-Kate's mom is taking classes at CSUMB and has to do service learning so she's going to do it in my classroom! Woohoo! Such a blessing!

I also have updated stories from school. Yesterday my Cyle puked all over his desk and then looked up and said "Uh Miss Dobie I threw up." Thankfully he didn't get the carpet. The whole class stopped and watched as he threw up the rest in the garbage can.

Cyle also has a habit of passing gas on the carpet. This kid rips them loud! He then covers his nose and say EWW someone farted...stinky.

I had to let him know that when Cyle does that and gets the giggles, Miss Dobie gets the giggles so if he needs to pass gas he needs to go outside.

An hour later I caught Cyle walking into the classroom from outside. I firmly told Cyle that he needed to ask me if he could leave the classroom. He proudly put his hands on his hips (superhero style) and firmly told me that he was letting his gas pass outside like I told him he needed to. He has such a strong cute filapino accent which makes him cute.

I went to go pick up my kids from lunch today and overhead the ending of an explanation Mary Kate was giving to another little girl. The only thing I heard was "....And that's what an ultimate wedgie is...." I would have loved to hear the beginning of that conversation.

Now its bedtime. Pictures to come later. =)

Save Money

Interesting FWD:

How To Save the Government $5 Million

A president's pension currently is $191,300 per year and ends when they turn age 80.

Assuming the next president lives to age 80. Sen. McCain would receive ZERO pension as he would reach 80 at the end of two terms as president.

Sen. Obama would be retired for 26 years after two terms and would receive $4,973,800 in pension.

Therefore it would certainly make economic sense to elect McCain in November.

How's that for non-partisan thinking?

My Saviour

He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save.