Hey! Where'd that come from?

I am referring to the time clock that was apparently mounted on the wall of my classroom.  As soon as we were done with our testing, it was as though my little friends clocked out for the day (like immediately...no standing around chatting about current events before eventually punching out).  And I totally understand.  It was a nice (although rainy) day.  We had worked our little Number 2 wielding fingers for three straight days.  They had done everything I asked them to do.  I was finished saying things like, "Fill in the circle of the answer you choose," and they were done filling in said circles.  I am relieved and exhausted all in one.

Good News

This morning as we were waiting for the bus (yes we were actually waiting and not sprinting down the drive while the bus rolled toward us. We were early...for once), I remembered that I had not checked the mail last night when I got home.  So, I quickly scooted across the road to retrieve the usual stack of bills and credit card offers.  But, today instead of just double miles promises and requests for my hard earned dollars, there was a fat envelope from the Cubscout's school.  Fat envelope?  School lunch bills are skinny (and since the "I think I will eat breakfast at school without telling anyone that I have been charging" debacle, I have religiously checked SIS for balances). 

I ripped open the envelope, read the first line, and immediately started crying.  I know you are all like, "Crying?  She titled her post Good News.  I'm confused."  The letter was from the gifted coordinator, and the Cub has been referred for testing.  I was ecstatic for him.  Because it is one thing to think your child is smart, but an entirely different one for someone else to think so, too. 

There were times

this year when I felt a lot like I was killing math (or it was killing me...whichever).  Every morning we have done a mixed bag of review.  Every afternoon in Math Block I, we've done another mixed bag followed by a minute math drill.  I play "line quiz" (answer right and quickly or go to the end) with my young friends using facts almost every day.  Between that and phonics, there have been a number of dead horses that I continue to beat.  But today, ah today...I finally saw the fruit of our constant rigor.  Because today, as I walked around the room during Day 1 of our standardized testing, I saw mostly right answers.  I can't even begin to tell you how relieved/happy I feel.  Let's just hope this right answer trend continues into Days 2 and 3.

***Disclaimer:  The reference to drilling my students in no way means that's all we do.  We have quite a lot of (gasp!) fun...especially when it comes to writing and good read alouds.

Misconception Monday

was apparently the theme for the day because my young friends sure had a bunch of them, such as:

• There is now a coin that is worth  $.02.
• We have never gotten nuked in the U.S., but Cuba has.
• Earthquakes swallow the Earth (kind of like a black hole?)
• If I look busy, my teacher will not notice that I have chosen not to do my cursive practice.
• Sunshine = No jacket necessary on the playground.
• Directions are for the birds. 

You know you are going to be busy

when you have a sitdown briefing with the DH for the sole purpose of setting up the week's itinerary.  Aside from school stress (we take our standardized assessments this week...I am fairly sure my students will rock it, but I still tend to obsess), Cubscout business, and First Friday Fun at church (I am in charge of it), we both have mothers who would enjoy seeing us on Mother's Day.  The problem comes when you take into account that his lives 3 hours away, and mine (with my dad) is leaving the country to begin a new life as a missionary at the end of the month.  Throw in that my grandma's birthday is also on Mother's Day, and you have quite the conundrum.  After running all the scenarios, we have come up with a crazy schedule that will allow each of our mothers to see us on Mother's Day and for us to give my grandma birthday wishes in person.  Whew!  It may just go down in the record books as the most creative schedule ever (or if you happen to be one of my children, it will go down as the time when Mom and Dad ran the house with military precision and made us be in the car all weekend long).