A Lifetime of Love

Week 3 has been better in many ways. School was easier to complete, I was able to "talk" to friends while maintaining social distancing rules, and I got myself on a more "normal" schedule for our morning routine. Schooling with Ruthie, my 1st grader, went a lot better since I assigned my older 4 girls specific times to play with/entertain my little boys.  We tended to finish her school work by noon each day. Ruthie was also able to Zoom with her Spanish/math teacher one-on-one a couple of times throughout the week. Seeing her teacher and receiving individualized instruction was so good for her emotionally and academically. Ruthie was also able to Zoom with her class and both teachers for a little bit one morning. This is really the first time she has seen her friends and had an opportunity to talk to them. I think it was the highlight of the week for both of us! Ruthie talking with her class A couple of mornings this week I met a friend in a parki...

So I shared in my last post that I went back to paid teaching 2 years ago. I am teaching 4K at a local preschool and LOVE it! I wasn't sure what to expect with that age group, but I teach academics along with social and behavioral skills and it is a perfect match for me. I applied for a grant last November to fund a project I wanted to implement in my classroom. I want an indoor tower garden that grows plants hydroponically so we, as a class, can grow our own fruits and veggies. There are so many learning opportunities in this project including nutrition, biology, literacy, and communication skills, among others. Each of these learning opportunities imbed academic, social, and behavioral skills and definitely fits into the overall goal of my classroom environment. I am thrilled to say my project was fully funded, and hopefully by the end of March we will have everything in place and can at least explore the science behind the way it works. We will not be planting anything this ...

I had a plan that, during the summer while on break from homeschooling and taxiing my kids around from place to place, I would: organize and file all of Th's schoolwork from last year sort through toys and prepare them for consignment/donation strip and refinish Th's school desk strip and refinish T.G.'s bedroom furniture (which includes a double headboard/footboard, dresser, night table, desk, and chair) sand and refinish Teagan's bed swap out & pack away the kids' clothes for the next size up unpack and sort through the pile of boxes in my dining room and bedroom that are leftover from our move (you know, over a year ago!) Items on my list that actually were completed: none Items on my list that are partially completed: Th's schoolwork from last year is organized but not yet filed Th's school desk is stripped and I'm in the process of painting it I had high expectations and am a little disappointed that I didn't completely f...