Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treating

Nathan and I went on our own. Kenny and his fiends were all a lot faster walkers (I mean runners) than he was. A friend of mine went on ahead with Kenny and her kids. It was a lot of fun to go with Nathan. Everyone oohed and ahhed over him. My friend says Kenny got more candy than any of the other kids. She said he would get to the door and people would gush over him and give him extra candy. Sorry for the brag moment...but my kids are cute!


After gallivanting around the neighborhood, we went back to my friends house and ate appetizers, talked, and swapped candy.

Trunk or Treat

Saturday was our ward Trunk or Treat. It's always a lot of fun. I don't have much to write about because it was pretty much the normal, run of the mill, trunk or treat.

Here is a picture of Mr. Grouchy Pants. He didn't end up going to the activity. He stayed home with Daddy and participated in his favorite pastime as of late (screaming.) He eventually screamed himself to sleep. But he sure looked cute!!



Our resident Master Jedi. He had a blast "light sabering" with all the other little Jedi's and Darth Vadars.
Cake walk goodies.
The scariest costumes at the event (just kidding). This is Eppie and Papa.
Our trunk. Or rather, my parents trunk, but we decorate together.

Staff Development

This is probably incredibly boring to most of you, but this is our family journal and I want to record this.

Today was a district wide staff development day. And I presented a workshop for the first time. I did it with my kindergarten partner teacher. We had about 30 teachers from all over the district, all PreK-2nd grade teachers.

The name of our workshop was Stand Up For Learning. It was a collection of gross motor (moving) activities that we had either self-developed or gotten from books over the years. We had activities for all subjects areas that could easily be changed to fit your particular grade level or subject area.

I was REALLY nervous to get up in front of a group of teachers who ranged from novice to master. But everything went great. We got a lot of compliments and even had someone ask if we would like to present again because she had some co-workers who would really enjoy what we had. It was a good experience and it got me excited about developing more workshops to present in the future. I have also spent the last two years of my time in first grade writing a book of emergent literacy comprehension practices and I was thinking on my drive home about working on getting it published through Teacher Created Materials. We'll see.

Hoy Dogs Roasting On An Open Fire

I know these pictures are of marshmallows, but we did roast hot dogs first.

You see, when the tropical storm blew through here this last summer, a large piece of tree came down in the middle of the backyard. And there it remained-for several months. When all the outdoor summer stuff went on sale, we bought a fire pit. (We called the fire department and made sure we were "legal".) Now we can tell people that we left the tree laying across our backyard on purpose so we would have fire wood and not because we were just plain lazy and didn't want to get out in the heat and cut it up.

It was a lot of fun and we roasted marshmallows everyday this weekend. The best part is that my boys, the worm farm making-paint on themselves-pour dirt on their own heads boys, would not eat a roasted marshmallows. Why? Because it made their hands sticky.

I will never understand the XY species.

What Sweet Music Doth Fill The Air

If I seem a bit loopy or more insane than usual, it would be because I have spent all week listening to the most beautiful music ever to have graced this earth. It has consumed all my waking and sleeping hours. I am mesmerized by its earthly quality and I cannot seem to escape it. Let me give you a glance into our world this last week.

Ah, music to the ears. Especially for literally hours on end, day after day, night after long night.

Alas, where has my sweet baby gone and what demon has replaced him.
I PROMISE I'll be good, just send back my baby! Please! If you have any mercy at all!! I'm begging you! I'll do ANYTHING!

Sorry. See what I mean by a bit insane. I'm better now.

PS- Again, don't judge me (I seem to say that a lot). I'm sure lots of parents taunt their toddlers from behind a video camera. I'm a good mom....really.

Getting the Kids To Do Your Work

Kenny is a really smart guy. That's why he reasons his way out of things. He taught himself the ABCs at two and knew all his letter sounds at two and a half. People are under the impression that it is because I am a teacher that he gained these skills at such an early age. Could not be farther from the truth. I read to him every night, and give him educational toys and videos, but that is the extent of my involvement in his development (no judging- I have other things to do like paint my toenails, wash my hair, and eat bon-bons). Actually, I really don't do those things. I mean, I do wash my hair and I do paint my toenails and I have been known to eat a box of Dove mini-ice cream bars...so...hmmm...maybe I am... Doesn't matter, I'm digressing.

Nathan on the other hand is completely the opposite. He is capable of learning things. He will suddenly pop out with this knowledge we had no idea he had. Like counting to ten. But he is totally uninterested in learning his colors, or shapes, or letters.

Which is why I like this video. I have my teach-himself-so-I-can-eat-Dove-bars kid teach my I-just-don't-see-the-relevance-in-learning-colors-kid the letters.


Life is grand!

Sorry!

I know I haven't posted since Sunday. Nathan is sick and things have been CRAZY busy. I have about 2 posts half written that I promise to finish tomorrow.

Now it is upstairs to fins out why Nathan is wailing and screaming...again.