it's the most busiest time...

of the year.

no kidding!

school has been crazy busy.  my kids are wonderful and i love them so much.  even at 1:37 when i feel like the day will never, EVER end and i don't think i can take anymore.  they bring so much joy to my heart.  they have such a good reputation in the school. not only are they freaking BRILLIANT, they are also respectful, obedient, and well-mannered.  they almost make me want to move up to 6th grade next year.  almost.

did i  mention how freaking brilliant they are?  they did an amazing job on our first benchmark testing and rocked the science test today.

i'm so proud of them!

on the knitting front:

• i finished the present that i was making for my niece.  can't post pictures right now because it is a christmas present.
• i am currently working on a scarf.  i totally love the pattern and am proud of myself because i am (successfully) following a chart.
• NEWS ALERT!!!  i am taking a SOCK knitting class in february!!!   so. freaking. excited.!!!!

that is all for now.  i still need to work on the scarf and survivor is on.

have a great night!

:)

Tidbits...

Here I am again...

It seems like the last couple of weeks have flown by.  It's amazing how fast time moves when you get older.  I can't believe that the school year is almost half over!

Thanksgiving didn't end up being as lonely as I was anticipating.  A friend of mine from work invited me to spend the afternoon with her family and I was so thankful.  It was nice to not be alone.  I'm really not a people person and I have a hard time making small talk with people I don't know.  They made it really easy, though, and I did have a very nice time.  And the food was wonderful.  :)

The tree is up and, as usual, I love it.  I got a couple of new ornaments this year and they have found their place quite nicely.  If I could change one thing I would add more lights, though.  Can never have too many lights on the tree.  :)

I had to put FOUR new tires on my truck.  I was only going to get two new ones and then I got to BJ's tonight to have the two new ones put on only to discover that the ones they ordered were narrower than the ones that were on the truck.  Of course they put the fault on me and because they tires they ordered are a viable option for the truck they won't do anything about it.  AND...since you can't safely drive the truck with mis-matched tires, I had to get two more to match the two I just bought.  UGH.  On the bright side...I did need two tires and was going to have to get the other two after the new year.  So....better safe than I sorry, I suppose.

The Cowboys beat the eagles last night.  SWEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't even tell you how much joy it brings to my heart that the eagles SUCK OUT LOUD ALL DAY LONG THIS YEAR.  I love it with a love so deep and meaningful that I can't put it into words.  Because I'm passive-aggressive like that. ;)

Coffee's done, puppy needs attention (I waited at BJ's for TWO hours to get the tires put on tonight.  miss raven is feeling rather neglected.), and I am tired!

Goodnight!!!

:)

today is...

• wednesday (but you knew that, right?)
• the day before thanksgiving (again, stating the obvious)
• yarn along at ginny's blog (and....once again i'm not participating)
• my first day of freedom  (school's out for the holiday!!!)

on another happy note...four of my students have now joined ravelry!  i am so happy that they have taken to crafting.  it makes my heart happy that they are expanding their crocheting abilities.  :)

and yet another happy note...yesterday after school i received disappointing news.  wait--i promise, this is a happy story.  i left the meeting kind of sad and a little confused as to why i got the answer i did but i had determined that, no matter what, i would be respectful and accept whatever decision i was given.  it was hard, but i think i did a pretty good job.  anyway (and here comes the good part), as i was headed back to my classroom to get my things to leave for three days of FREEDOM, the vice-president of the PTA stopped me to tell me about a conversation that had taken place earlier in the day.  i have known him for a long time and had worked with his kids when i was the principal.  i like him a lot and have a great amount of respect for him.  anyway...he was acting pretty serious and i was kind of freaking out a little because i thought it was something bad.  he proceeded to tell me that the people that were having the conversation (including my principal) were talking about my class.  they were talking about how well-behaved my class is and how we have the best attendance record in the whole school.  apparently my principal went on to say that, at any given time of the day, you can walk past my classroom and see my kids in little groups, on the floor, at their desks, wherever, doing all different kinds of things.  crocheting, reading, working a puzzle, but most importantly, LEARNING.  he basically told everyone in the conversation that i was an awesome teacher.  i would be totally lying if i said that didn't make me feel good.  :)

now i am going to take all my happiness and drink some more coffee and snuggle my dog.

have a wonderful wednesday!

:)

no capitals for you...

calm down, bff.  yes, i am posting again.

less than a week since my last one.

it's the least i can do for you.

since you put up with me and all.

:)

i am having quite the paradoxical moment.

i am yearning desperately for thanksgiving break, which now starts in less than 24 sweet, blessed hours.

i am, on the other had, decidedly NOT looking forward to thanksgiving break as miss raven and i will be alone.

i am pitiful, i know.

here are our plans for the *big* day:

• watch the parade
• drink coffee
• knit
• eat the traditional meal of scrapple, rye bread, and french fries.

wait, what?  you don't eat the traditional meal?  pfft.  you're totally losing out.

i do plan on doing a wee bit of black friday shopping.  my LYS is having a wonderful sale and i have no intention of missing it.  i have gifts to make for christmas, people.

after  the holiday it is just four (hopefully) short weeks until christmas break.  i NEED a break.  i love my kiddos dearly, but i NEED a break.  they are so amped up for this break that it is almost torture to do any school work.  alas, they have a math test tomorrow.  i am not completely heartless, though.  no homework for the babies over the break.  i figure they NEED a break, too.  :)

now i must go.  i must knit.  and knit.  and knit.  christmas is coming and i must be ready!

night!

:)

So, wow...

Um.  Huh.

Today is November 16.  How'd *that* happen??

Thanksgiving is less than a WEEK away.

And I am (once again) a blogger slacker.

Let's get caught up....

1. School:
• Is going well, thank you for asking.
• We had Grandparent's Day today.  As much as it stresses me out, I have to be honest and say that it is one of my FAVORITE days of the year.  This year I had the grandparents share what school was like when they were in 5th grade and also any advice they wanted to give to the students.  It was so precious and I am so glad I thought to do it.  I loved hearing what they had to say.
• I did the coolest project this week...and it wasn't messy.  SCORE!  I had each group (right now they are in 5 groups of 3) plan a Thanksgiving meal for 8 people.  I gave them each a different grocery store ad and told them their budget was $60.00.  They did so well working together.  I was super proud of them.  They all managed to stay within the budget AND plan a pretty decent meal.  Although one group's guests will have yogurt for dessert....
2. Life:
• personally.....hmmmmm....things are changing.  I've had to make some tough decisions about some relationships lately.  It hasn't been easy but I am at peace about it.  I've also been able to renew an old friendship.  That was rather unexpected but has been....nice.  :)
• miss raven is still giving me cause to worry.  Tuesday-Thursday I came home to find that she had been sick.  When I got home she wasn't acting sick but she had been sick sometime that day.  Today when I got home, all was well.  No sickness, thankfully, and a very frisky puppy.  she keeps me guessing, to be sure.

I think that's it for now.  I'm looking forward to this weekend as I am going to my knitting group again tomorrow.  I had a nice time the last time I went and am hoping to step out of my shell and talk a little more tomorrow.

Now, though, the best movie EVER is on and I am going to watch it.

"You've Got Mail"

:)

no tricks....

just treats.

yes.  i give out candy for halloween.  i just don't see anything wrong with it.

so far it's been a pretty decent evening.  i've had iron man, robin, 2 dorothys, several princesses, a skeleton, a couple of vampires, 2 football players, a cheerleader, a horse, a zombie, a monster, scooby doo, captain america, a bunny, the most adorable butterfly ever, a doctor, a bumblebee, a ladybug, a teenage mutant ninja  turtle, a cute purple monster, and some other unidentifiable "guests" at my door.  i've also had some older kids who didn't even bother to dress up.  in my world, if you make an effort, you get two pieces of candy.  if you don't even try, you only get one.  i'm stingy like that.

i carved pumpkins again this year and they turned out really well.  i took pictures but am too lazy to get the camera and upload them.  you'll have to wait.

miss raven does NOT like halloween.  it is just too stressful for the girl.  every time someone knocks at the door she freaks out.  i thought about putting her in the bedroom but i didn't want her to think she was in trouble.  she is trying to relax on MY heated blanket right now.  spoiled little diva.

it was good to get back to school today.  i missed my babies and we had fun today.  they are getting excited because they know the holidays are coming up.  they get next friday off for parent-teacher conferences, the following monday off for Veteran's Day, and then it is only 6 school days until thanksgiving.  after that, christmas is only a hop, skip, and a jump away.  vacation is so close they can almost taste it.  truth be told....i feel the same way!  ;)

at the beginning of the year i put a name tag on each desk.  my theme was monsters this year and the desk tags were no exception.  i never told them this but i had decided that whoever kept their name tag on their desk for the whole first quarter would get a special prize.  as of last thursday i had two girls and one boy still in the running.  then i looked up.  the boy was taking his name tag over to the trash.  i almost said something to him but then decided that wouldn't be fair to the other 12 who had throw theirs away before him.  since friday was the end of the quarter and we didn't have school on monday or tuesday, they two girls got their prize today.  they got to spend ALL day long in the comfy chairs.  OMG.  you should have see the looks on the faces of the other kids!  twelve of them were SUPREMELY jealous and the one that threw the tag away last thursday was so, so disappointed!  let me tell you what.  i found the GOLD MINE of rewards right there.  every kid asked me if i was use that reward again this year.  of course i didn't commit to anything.  have to keep the little boogers guessing.  ;)

have a wonderful thursday.  oh, and....only 54 shopping days left until christmas.

:)

Thankful...

it isn't even november yet, but i have much to be thankful for...

• safety during one of the worst storms this area has ever seen...a "FRANKENstorm", if you will
• power.  i can't even put into words how much that one little word means to me.  i was prepared to be without it for days and days and days.  imagine my surprise and my happy heart upon waking this morning to find that, for once, my power company deserves praise and not wrath.
• family and friends who called/texted to check on me.  it is always good to feel loved and cared for.
• no storm damage.  the wind howled last night and, i'll be honest, i was SCARED.  as far as i can tell from my "inspection" this morning, the house is safe and sound.  no windows broken, no leaks, no cracks.

i spent some time this morning carving pumpkins.  i haven't taken pictures yet, but i will.  i am hoping that the trick-or-treaters are still able to come around tomorrow night.  i have the cute pumpkins and i have a TON of candy.  we never did lose power here and the streets are clear, so i am keeping my fingers crossed.

my thoughts and prayers go out to those who suffered the brunt of this storm.  so many people lost so, so much.  the pictures on the news this morning show devastation like i have never seen in this country.  i am truly hoping that these people find the relief that they need and that it happens soon, before the really cold weather sets in.