Zoolights

We live a short drive away from our local zoo. I bring the boys often and we marvel at the marvelous animals that live there. The thing I love about our zoo is that it is spacious with plenty of room for the animals to roam. My heart pours out to the poor animals that live in cramped spaces, but the wondrous creatures that live at the Point Defiance Zoo seem happy to roam their area.

Every December, the zoo opens up at night for their annual Zoolights. The animals are put to bed and the zoo comes to life like a Christmas tree in motion. This was my first year going and it was a sight to behold.

The zoo doesn't seem very special from the outside. There is a lit up sign stating that the Zoolights are in effect. It's not until you walk through the gates and look out over the hill that you realize the enormity of this "attraction".

I wrangled my little guys hand so I wouldn't lose him and then looked up. I felt myself gasp at the sight before my eyes. The normal green hill was covered in a rainbow of lights. All the trees were lit up and displays flecked the grassy plain.

The area where I've taken my students to eat their lunch was now a winter wonderland.

I watched as one color changed to the next. I began to think of The Wizard of Oz and the horse of a different color. The raven night was lit up for all to see. There was a lit pathway that walked you through the light displays. The pathway was easy to follow, with no room to stray.

Some lights were just displays, tucked into corners and out in the open. My boys went on treasure hunts to see what lit up animals they could find. The lights matched the animals habitats which made it easy for me to guess what would be next. Sounds of "Elephant", "Fox", and "Owl" could be heard screaming from small lips around the park.

Other light displays moved. The anteater above moved from one corner of the field to this light stump. The red speckled ants moved up as the anteater approached. There were displays of fish jumping, eagles swooping in to grab their pray, a cat scurrying up a pole to a bird that flew away, and penguins sliding on the ice.

Statues that permanently reside in the park were highlighted as well. This particular statue has always been one of my favorites and the lights brought more of a meaning to it. A family, gathered together, hands grasped in solidarity....this time, surrounding a fire.

And of course, what display would be complete without a touch of it's home town? The zoo put special touches of home in its display....The Tacoma Narrows Bridge and Mt. Rainer. Both were put in plain sight for all to see.

Zoolights was a memorable night and the start of a very busy weekend. I think that this may need to be a new tradition....at least while we live close to an amazing zoo like this.

Licorice

photo   © 2007   Incase , Flickr

It was Wednesday night, and I had just gotten home from printing off the last report card. The boys were at a cookie exchange with their grandma and the house was quiet and calm. I don't get many moments where there aren't boys wrestling, cars driving up my legs, or stuffed animals being shoved in my face. For the next 2 hours, before hockey, I was going to relish in the silence.

I should start this story but making a confession...I have NO willpower when it comes to Red Vine Licorice. Some people have a chocolate weakness but mine comes in red strips...either ribbed or smooth. My TMJ doesn't care for them but it's worth the uncomfort just to down a few as a snack every now and then. Today was no different then any other day. I tiptoed into the kitchen like I normally do, eased open the cabinets, and stealthily took out the bag (no tub this time), I had purchased the multi pack that had the ribbed vines and the smooth ropes. I selfishly grabbed 4 and went to settle in on the couch.

My cat quickly nestled himself into the fold of my lap while my dog salivated for her piece of the red goodness. I had bought the bag a couple of days prior so they were the perfect chewy consistency. I quickly gnawed my way through the first vine and was moving on to my first rope. There are no grips on the ropes so your teeth tend to slide a bit. Getting the right gripe with your canine teeth is the key. The front teeth, like a mouse, don't work half as well as those meat ripping pointers. I carefully placed the rope between my vampire fangs and began to saw back and forth. I could tell that this particular piece was going to be persistent. I put more force into the bite and sawing....only to slip.

CRUNCH!

Oh my goodness, what in world was that? I slid my tongue over my teeth.There was a gritty feeling.  Is that....? As I slowly began to stick out my tongue, my fingers touched a white sliver of something. You have GOT to be kidding me...is that my tooth? Oh yes, in my hand was a layer of my ever precious, licorice gnawing tooth.

I quickly ran to the bathroom to see the damage. The very tip of my ivory tusk was rough and jagged. Thankfully it was just the tip and not a huge chunk. Sitting next to my grade school chipped tooth was now a partner in crime.

Who would have thought that you could chip your own tooth by chewing/gnawing licorice? This was not the way that I planned on celebrating the end of report cards.

Thankfully the dentist was able to polish it down and add a little fluoride....no caps or reconstruction for me. I will have to be a little more careful with my licorice addiction in the future.

Report Cards

I am staring at my report card comments right now....my brain has completely shut down. The ticker that was going across my mind has stopped suddenly. Now what do I do?

"Mama, I love you", whispers a little voice from behind me.

I don't even have to turn around to know who it is. The feet slapping the floor and rustling of pj's gave it away long before his voice made its way to my ear.

"I love you too! What in the world are you doing up?"

"I just wanted to snuggle you and look at our tree."

How do you refuse a request like that? I stopped my comment factory and wrapped my little monkey around my waist. As we traveled down the stairs, I heard all about how excited my little guy is to go to preschool tomorrow. We curled up on the floor together, staring at the lighted tree in our living room. As I looked at my little guy, I couldn't help but smile. I am truly blessed to have such amazing boys. After a few minutes of chats, snuggles, and taking in the tree....we ventured back upstairs. I carefully tucked my baby in, kissed him on the cheek, and promised to say goodbye in the morning before another long day.

"Will you miss me?"

"Always! Good night!"

As my bottom nestled back into the imprint on the chair, my mind did not follow. I could't help but take a moment to treasure that sacred moment. I love my job but I could easily give up this report card thing for more time with my little guys. UGH! Back to the grind stone I go.

Nerves



photo   © 2008   bottled_void , Flickr

 My stomach is in a knot, my legs won't stop bouncing, and my fingers have been gnawed to a stub status. I have graded papers, check assessments to make sure that I'm managing appropriate intervention groups, and I've analyzed data to make sure that my students are making growth. I have given thanks for the amazing blessings in my life, filled my tummy with turkey and dressing, and have surrounded myself with loved ones. The stress and nerves are still there.

Report cards? Yes, those loom in the near future but they are only a loud blip on my radar.

Holiday craziness? Well, that's a given this time of year but my students are fairly focused.

No....I am being observed.

Bum...Bum bum...BUM....by my peers.

Not once, not twice, but three times tomorrow. I know that I should think of it as a compliment but I can't help but worry that I won't live up to expectations. What if my year off left me in the dust on new teaching techniques. Will they find something useful and helpful in what I do? I have analyzed my lesson plans and have given thought to all the possible things that could happen during each lesson.

Then, I took a step and realized that nothing goes according to plan in the classroom. That's how those teachable moments happen right? We are all very supportive in my building and we all learn and grow from each other. Maybe it's the perfectionist and overachiever in me...but I want everything to run smoothly and to feel like I contribute to others learning because I gleam so much from watching all of them.

I have an amazing principal who works a day into each month for teachers within the building to observe their peers. She calls it Collegial Learning and I have grown as a teacher because of it. I enjoy seeing how other teachers approach their craft, how they set up their rooms, and how they interact with their students. I scribble notes on my note pad, eager to pull every ounce of knowledge from the masters that surround me. But, when it's my turn....my nerves act up and I begin to question how and why I approach things the way I do. The people observing me may learn something, but I am definitely doing some reflecting of my own before and after my lessons.

Tomorrow will be a growing experience for me in many ways. When it is done, I will take a breathe....gather feedback from my peers...reflect...and then begin to stress about report cards. It never ends does it? Thankfully, I love what I do and wouldn't change it for the world. Happy Report Card Season and good luck!

Strong Willed and Angry

Night times have been varied in my home lately. They always start the same: snuggle time on the couch, teeth brushed, story read, story turned on, stars on, and kisses follow being tucked in tight. I also say the same words, "I love you! Now don't forget to stay in bed." If only this worked.

While trying to grade papers and catch up on DVRd shows, my ears begins to pick up a different script. Giggles and thumps....is that really what I'm hearing? As I glance up at the clock, my blood pressure begins to rise. I pause the show and quietly tip-toe upstairs. The door is closed but a sliver of light lines the frame of the door. Not only are they up, but they've turned on the light. Brazen? You bet!  I swing open the door and put on my angry mom face. Yes, you know the one, the tear inducing eyes accompanied by the scrunched up nose and turned up lips.

"What are you two doing? Don't you realize that you both have to go to school tomorrow? You're going to be exhausted in the morning. Now GO TO BED!"

Bodies quickly move from one place to the next as they begin to snuggle back in. This is only the beginning of my night.

My body hasn't even made it back into the warm indent of the sofa when the pitter patter of feet begins. That can't be feet, it has to be the rain. I stay perfectly still as I give it another listen. You have GOT to be kidding me. I stomp, yes I am not being quiet any long, stomp my feet up the stairs to find my three-year old standing indignantly in the door way.

"Get your booty in bed!", I demand in the deepest tone I can muster.

"I NOT!", is the reply that is echoed back to me.

Yes, the blood in now boiling as I move my baby from the room he shares with is brother to the playroom (which has a toddler bed in it).

As soon as his body touches the mattress, he springs back up at me. My fair hair, fair skinned child is changing before my eyes. It's as if The Hulk is in my midst. Cheeks begin to turn red and his soft eyes are shooting daggers
.
"You stay here and go to sleep."

As I leave the room, the screaming begins. It varies from night to night. Tonight it's a chorus of "I WILL NOT!" and "MOM MAY!". It's not the mommy that whispers into my ears and makes the corners of my mouth rise. This "mommy" is harsh with an edge that makes your hair stand on end.

After he is worn out, I find my way back up the stairs. As I enter the room, the volume is cranked up but I can see that his swollen eyes are beginning to droop. This is my chance. As I wrap my arms around him, I begin to pull up the covers and explain how much I love him and that sleep is essential right now. The fight is over....sleep has won this time but the battle will be taken up another day.

As I get to the door, I hear a mouse of a squeak. What? "Mommy, I love you!" My icy heart quickly melts away as those 4 words remind me that this is just a blip on the radar of my life. These nights may seem to last forever but they are well worth the love that fills the rest of the day.

Pride

My parents always stressed the importance in pride when I was growing up. It's important to have pride in your work and to give 110% in everything you do. If you do that, you'll be appreciated for your efforts. I try to teach my students the same thing.

We were taking a reading assessment last week when I was reminded how rewarding pride could be. My class has been working on making predictions and supporting their opinions with evidence from the text. It was time for me to check their progress, so we read a story and then they were asked to make a prediction. Groans reverberated around the room....yes, I was asking them to write. How dare I!

I asked my class to remember 3 things.
1. To use their best handwriting
2. To make sure their capital letters were in the correct place (those pesky D, N, and R seem to pop up in the middle of words in my class)
3. To make sure that they support their predictions with evidence from the story.

Heads were nodding in acknowledgement and pencils began to dance along the tops of papers while Matt Nathanson played in the background.

I have one little girl who always seems to be disheveled. She comes into class with papers hanging out of her folder, her hair dances to it's own tune, and breakfast is usually in one hand with her coat dangling from her fingers. Neatness is not her strong suite but she tries.

Today was this young ladies special day. As the children began to finish their assessment and books began to open around the room, this young lady tugged gently on my sleeve. A crooked smile appeared on her face, her cheeks became rosy, and her eyes began to sparkle. Immediately I knew that this was going to be a special moment. As I looked at her paper, I was able to read every word clearly and there were NO capitals in the middle of her words. This is the first time her paper has been capital free and she knows it.

"This is fabulous! I can tell that you worked super hard on this didn't you?"

Her head began to nod like a bobble head doll, and her smile stretched across her face even wider like the Cheshire Cats.

"I am so proud of your hard work. This looks beautiful!"

"I took pride in my work....and you're write Mrs. G, it does make me feel really good."

What more could I say? I reached my arms around her and gave her a quick squeeze. I love days when you can pass along the joy of having pride in your work.

High fevers, broken bones, and ER trips...Oh My!

Hello everyone,

I am so sorry to have not posting for most of October and the beginning of November. It has been an eventful few weeks. Let me give you just a taste.

It was the Sunday before conference week. You know, the frantic time of year when you are stuffing papers into folders to make conferences run smoothly. I had just tucked my boys into bed and had settled down to grade some last minute writing samples.

Brrrring, Brrrrring (Well actually my phone rings differently, but you get the idea)

My eyes went to the caller ID. It was my hubby calling from NH. I very excitedly answered the phone to find a groggy voice on the other end.

"Hey, I want to start by saying that I'm fine."

Never the way to start a conversation. My heart began to pound it's way up my chest. Panic began to shake my hands as I quickly asked, "What in the world happened?"

"I broke my leg playing hockey. I'm in the ER and it looks like I'll have surgery tomorrow to put the bones back together."

Clean brake through the Tibia and Fibula

Worry, panic, sadness, and finally guilt kicked in. I am in WA and am not able to be by my husband's side while he has his first broken bones and surgery. Yes, you read correctly, my husband has never broken a bone and he is now in the hospital by himself. I quickly run through the list of things that need to be done...who to call, how to arrange for him to get home. I apologized multiple time for not being there and promise to find a way to get there as quickly as I can.

I hang up the phone and begin to make phone calls to his parents and mine. What am I going to do?

As I am pacing the floor downstairs, I begin to hear barking noises coming from the room upstairs. My oldest son must have passed his bark to my 3 year old. I calmly walk upstairs, trying to put my broken husband out of my mind for a moment. I cradle my big baby into my arms and helpless watch as his coughs rattle his chest. Not only is my baby sick, but his asthma is in full effect. As I push syringe fulls of medicine into his mouth, I rock him gently in my arms. Eyes begin to close while his hands grip the Gatorade bottle like a lifesaver. As I inch my way upstairs, his chest continues to rattle. I prop him up in my bed and begin the search for his inhaler. I should clarify that his asthma only seems to be bad when he's sick...so we don't use his inhaler often.

Where is that darn inhaler? I search every inch of the house in vain...it is no where to be found. I will go to the doctor tomorrow to get a refill...it will be OK.

Yeah, I don't think so. I climb into bed only to discover that my son is struggling to breathe. I put Vicks on his chest and stand next to the steaming hot shower so the steam will open up his airway. Nothing seems to help much. When the sun begins to rise, I decide that it's time to visit the ER.

After a quick run into work to prepare for the sub...I am on my way to the ER. As my son is being worked on, my husband is in surgery to get plates and screws put into his leg. Both of my boys are hurting and all I can do it wait on the sidelines.

A few pins and plates later

5 nebulizers, an x-ray, and a few medicines later.....we are on our way home. My poor baby has had pretty hefty asthma attack and has croup. He is in good spirits and is breathing fine so I leave him with my mom and get my 4 conferences out of the way. I need to get them out of the way in case I'll be flying back East soon.

That night, my husband calls to give me the update on his surgery and asks if I will be there tomorrow to bring him home. My heart is breaking as I look at my recovering baby and hear my broken husband on the other end. What am I to do? Thankfully my husband's dad is there visiting for a few days so he will have someone to care for him for a few days. I book a plane tickets for a few days later. I am to leave on Thursday.

Wednesday night comes and I am back in the ER with my baby. This time it's a double ear infection. The plane trip will have to be delayed while I take care of my boy.

The new plane tickets are for Tuesday. One week with my husband while my mom takes care of my boys. Thankfully everyone is feeling well so the trip goes smoothly. My husband is recovering well and both boys are back to normal. The quiet house is now loud and rambunctious again.

As Thanksgiving nears, I am thankful for a family on the mend and hope that it continues.