Up Early

This morning Andrew got up early.  Although I'm a big fan of sleep, I decided to put my extra time to good use. Happily I can report that I finally looked up how to fix the toilet and it no longer, "runs", constantly.  I also finished making the cookies that I started yesterday.  (I swear these two activities were separated by a very soapy hand washing.)  Finally I logged back in to Blogger and unlocked my blog.  I haven't written in a long time and I was a bit worried that I had forgotten how to, "get in".  :)  Happily I figured it out and my blog wasn't lost.  Now I must make some coffee and get with the morning's agenda.

Tour of Italy...

Last night I had CPR class. I headed home after work considering what I could make for dinner before my husband came home and I had to head back out. I must admit I hadn't made up my mind when I opened my front door and smelled the tantalizing aroma of Italian food. I grinned. My husband had made it home before me and had created a "Tour of Italy" in our kitchen. I sighed, helped him dish out food and we sat down together. As I looked around our table at each face, I couldn't help but smile. Love... Life... Italian food.... a perfect moment

Harvest...

Wearing gloves, my little students removed seeds from the sunflower heads grown by last years Kindergarten children. Tomorrow we are using the seeds to fill our new classroom birdfeeder. My students are very excited.

As I watched my little charges work together this afternoon, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of statisfaction. My students were doing something useful and it made them happy. I did not need to "invent" something exciting to do. A necessary job brought them genuine pleasure.

How wonderful to delight in small tasks well done. What a blessing it is to think about what we could all learn from the small ones in our lives.

Tonight and always I wish you all the kind of joy I saw today. May you be blessed.

Seasons...

This week my students will be learning about seasons and weather. Tonight as I dug out my snowman earrings, I smiled as I imagined my Kindergartner's reactions. As I snapped this picture and headed over to my computer I mused about the "seasons" in our lives.

There are times when it seems cold and dark and I feel as if whatever unpleasantness I am facing will never end. Other times remind me of the awaking of my garden in the spring. Nurturing and care is needed to make sure what I am hoping for comes to fruition. There are happy, "sunny" times and then there are times that remind me of fall.

Fall is a time of preparation. A time to get ready for winter. To tidy gardens. To begin thinking of traditions and tucking treats away for our loved ones. It is also a time when teachers work very hard at school, setting the tone for the rest of the year.

I love the falling leaves. I make wistful trips to Lowe's every couple weeks and I bring home a discounted perennial or perhaps a bag of spring bulbs. I know it won't be long until the garden center will be barren.

I am not a fan of winter. I do not like to wait for spring. I do not like icy roads. I do not like to acknowledge that I can not do as I wish. The truth is that each season brings its own blessings. Each time of our lives, lessons for us to learn. I have learned in the sunny times and in the dark ones as well.

I hope that as the seasons change, you are blessed with peace and joy in your heart. May your adventure each day be one that leaves you better in the end.

Today, as my husband and I sat talking about the coming holidays together, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the man I sat musing with... for the way we were brought back together... for the happiness our family now shares.

There are sunny times... there are cold times... there are times of nurturing and hope... Life is an adventure that brings us all some of each. May your heart and mine be open to the blessings this season brings.

A day in Kindergarten

Our day began in the usual way, with Circle and Centers. Later we had relay races in gym and played a game with the days of the week. Right before our Lunch, my students donned their handmade squirrel ears and picked up their stuffed acorns and water colored leaves. My favorite Kindergarten kids headed for our stage where they spread out and performed their first action poem of the year. The video was a hoot and the children were very pleased with their endeavor. Back at home, my husband suggested that I set up an unlisted YouTube account so I could upload the excitement to our classroom blog.

I am happy to say the project was a success! I wish very much I could share the video with everyone. But, sadly you'll just have to imagine the silliness. I am hoping we may even be able to perform for the PreK kids tomorrow! Have a wonderful evening! God Bless.

Step by Step...

This evening I spent some time looking over this week's lesson plans and making a few small adjustments. I also began fleshing out my plans for next week. I checked my course of study to see what I needed to cover and looked over some of my supplemental materials. I also spent some time typing up my mid quarter assessments to share with my parents.

It is amazing how much progress my students have made in just about five weeks time. With each game, each journal entry... each flashcard contest, my students are making significant gains. I hope that by Halloween my students will all be able to identify all their upper and lower case letters and that by Christmas we'll have a good handle on our letters sounds. While we are still a ways off from these goals, I know that my students and I are on a journey. One day at a time we will work together, we will stay the course... we will accomplish what we need to do!

leaves...

We dropped leaves to see how they fell compared to other objects. We used water color paints to create our own colorful leaves. We tasted edible leaves (salad) and then used some "real" ones to make leaf rubbings. We even learned a new song called "Autumn Leaves are Falling Down!" complete with hand motions!

Of course we did phonics worksheets, practiced making numbers and read books together too. Kindergarten is a good place to be.