Life and my 1st Graders

Life is too short for drama and petty things,

So, laugh often, love truly and forgive quickly.

Life isn't about how to survive the storm,

But how to dance in the rain!

I am going to forget the stress at work today, and think about all the wonderful children I was able to see, talk to and give a little of myself to. Who knows they may have a difficult home life to deal with and I need to give them something happy.

Guess I will concentrate on that and pray for a good day tomorrow!

Interesting Quote

I still find each day too short

for all the thoughts I want to think,

all the walks I want to take,

all the books I want to read,

and all the friends I want to see!

by ~ John Burroughs

Reading this quote makes me realize that I can never do all the things I have on my list of things I want to do before my life is over. Therefore to leave as much as I can for my family that I will leave behind someday -

I'm going to spend the day scrapbooking!

Doesn't that sound like a good reason to ignore my daily housekeeping list. If you want me I will be in my craft room today. Talk to you later!!

Sunday!

It is Sunday and I am missing something that is very important to me. Sunday Church!

Friday while walking down one of the halls of Harris Elementary all of a sudden a major, strong pain struck my right hip. Knowing that this is a Fibro pressure point - I thought 'no problem, it will be different tomorrow'. That is what always happens. I guess maybe it isn't Fibro, if not what is it, because it is still here.

Tomorrow arrived and I had multiple jobs on my Saturday list. Did the pain leave? NO! So then I had to think why. Of course, the point could be made "what in the world does Bette know". Most likely nothing, but I continued to try and figure out this problem. Haven't got there yet. Friday I was at the 1st step of the pain ladder, Saturday I was at the 2nd and fast approaching the 3rd step.

Pain meds during the night kept my pain sort of under control. This morning, I am hurting, so I am sitting, hoping for a better afternoon. Glad I have an extra day this weekend to get back to normal.

Therefore I am missing church this morning.

New Blog Background!!

Well, I wonder - did it work? The background changes is what I am wondering if it has worked. For weeks now since I have had background problems, when I look at my computer, everything looks wonderful. When I look at any other computer - it is an absolute UGLY MESS in capital letters. So......we will see when I go to school on Tuesday and check on another computer!!

Hopefully it won't look like this picture above - messy. I am trusting that my blog will be somewhat organized. Looking forward!!!!

13 down - 167 days left!

I can't believe we have been in school for over 2 weeks. But the record shows that we have been there 13 days.

Since I am in 1st grade this year, I am having it easy, I think. I don't have to know as much math as I did last year, I don't have to remember stuff like ordinal & cardinal numbers, line segments, those terms like vertex, obtuse, trapezoid, isosceles, the difference between points, lines and rays and all that kind of stuff. I just have to be able to remember that when the 1 comes before the 3 or the 9 it is a teen number. I think I can handle this.

I was going out the back door to monitor one of the streets as a crossing guard on Friday and Mrs. Cooney, the math coach caught me and informed me we would be having a meeting on Monday to discuss the changes in the "new math" for this year. Oh dear, I may be in trouble. I'm thinking it is a good thing the principal put me in 1st grade. After all, how hard can it be. I recognize all those symbols in the picture. And...how much more can they expect of 1st graders. But, you just never know!!!


They definitely read more than "Dick and Jane" that I was familiar with in my days. Okay I know my days don't really count, but even when my children were in 1st grade. What these kids are reading now makes my kids first books look rather juvenile. Therefore this makes me somewhat frightened about my ability to keep up with 1st grade when it comes to meeting with Mrs. Cooney and her "new math". Yikes!

Mrs. Cooney is scary enough just listening to her talk at lunch about all the "facts" in her brain. That's right. If you are as old as me you didn't call them facts, but that is what it is now. It is a new world out there. And this old lady, Mrs. Towle as the kids keep calling me, is trying to keep up. Who am I kidding, I am trying to catch up - not keep up. I'll keep up when I finally catch up. Reading this to Lee just now. he commented, "What in the world are you talking about?" I know, it is confusing to us Grams and Grandpas.

I'll do my best, even though I am just a tad bit worried about this week and Mrs. Cooney's "New Math" facts. Is my best going to be good enough????

Soccer with Paige!

Friday night was my first time to watch Paige play soccer this year. According to her grandmother, she is wonderful and very athletic. Oh yeah - that is me, but I thoroughly enjoyed my 1st soccer game in several years. It surely didn't have anything to do with the fact that I am absolutely in love with this little girl. Don't tell her, but she has to share that absolute love with several other little ones, also known as "Towle Grands"

Good news - Bad news, I guess

Went to see Dr. O'Connor on Monday and he went to look at my x-rays from Saturday and the results of the Radiologist reading. He came in to see me.

Dr. O'Connor: "When did you break this foot"

Me: "Friday night I guess"

Dr. O'Connor: "Well the Radiologist reads it as a two to three month old fracture"

Key word there "old". Hmmmm...maybe that is why my foot has hurt so bad for so long to take even one step without shoes on.

So I guess I have been walking around on a fractured foot for 2 - 3 months. And of course, it is partially healed. Anyway - long story, short I was sent to see Dr. Elliott that afternoon. He is the foot specialist. He decided that the amount of healing that has already taken place shows that I will not have to wear the cast boot. YEA in capital letters. I really hate that cast boot. That is the good news!


The bad news is that I have to wear an ugly black ankle, foot brace. Well it isn't quite as ugly as the foot brace - so that is good news, but it is ugly. The bad news I guess is that I have a fractured foot.

It is hard to say which is uglier~both are horrible, wouldn't you agree???!!!!

One other thing, the boot is the old one I had to wear 2 years ago on my right foot when it was broken, at least the brace is new!

Well, I am mixed up as to what the good news is, and what the bad news is. But I do know I am now in this brace for the next month until I go see Dr. Elliott for a repeat x-ray.

Maybe that is a good side effect of fibromyalgia - I hurt, and I can't tell what the hurt is from, so I just keep going on and eventually it all works out. Sounds reasonable to me!!! Have a good week - I am NOT in the cast boot. Yea!!

When it Rains, It Pours !!!

Recently I went to my family doctor regarding the constant cramping I have in my left leg. He says he thinks it is muscle spasms. Well that is good! What is the cure - or is there one. He decided to send me to physical therapy for some exercises that should help. Key word there is "should". No guarantee! But I'm open to trying!

So I went for my first visit and evaluation this past Thursday. She ran me through all the exercises she decided should help me and sent me home at 5PM. Since my car was in the shop getting new brakes, Derek had taken me to work. I walked to the hospital after school for my appointment and Derek then picked me up at the hospital to take me to the car repair shop to pay for and get my car.

When I arrived home, Lee decided we should go out for supper since it was already almost 6PM. That was good - since he knows I HATE to cook. Therefore it was too late to start the exercises that night.

Friday I did half the exercises in the morning and that evening I got all the necessary and needed items to complete the exercise routine and sat down to do them. I can only assume I was tooooooo vigorous in my execution of the exercise.

Saturday morning I woke up with my left foot swollen, and EXTREMELY painful to walk on. I put on hard sole tennis shoes to go do my weekly shopping, but had constant pain with every step. When 9AM came, I decided I better go get it x-rayed. Sure enough - it is fractured. Yuck!!

I will be seeing the doctor again tomorrow morning - am wearing a cast boot at this time. This is not a fun thing - I am no longer laughing. Well sort of not. It is too funny not to laugh. Oh my goodness, when it rains, it pours...I guess that is all I can say.

One sweet adorable little girl

As you know I am working with 1st grade this year. GCSC transferred the hearing impaired program to Harris this year. We have 3 of the children in 1st grade. 2 boys and 1 girl.

I worked in the little girls class one day checking the children with their new words for the week. Had to wear the microphone and the interpreter stood by telling "Kari" what I was saying to her. She hears some tones, and can read lips a little, but relies on her interpreter for most everything.

When we talked that first time, all went well. She is extremely bright and knew her words as soon as they were presented. I told her "thank you, you did very well. She informed me "you are welcome Mrs. "T" - with a question in her eyes to her interpreter as to whether she was saying my name right.

Friday I took two classes to lunch at the same time 46 - 7 yr olds. They are put in alphabetic order and told to walk in one straight line - well two lines behind Mrs. Towle - one line for each class.

When we arrived at the cafeteria - Kari came up to me and pulled on my arm and started telling me something - rapidly in sign language. Of course I had no idea what she was telling me, and I frantically looked around for her interpreter - she was not anywhere near me, nor could I see her. So I got down in front of Kari and tried to carefully say - tell me slowly what is wrong. She took my hand and pulled me to one of the little boys, "Will" and pointed at him and then pointed to where she had been standing, then pointed at several other boys - threw her arms out wide and said "No". I asked if they weren't in line where they were suppose to be? She smiled a wide smile and said "Yes, yes". I told the boys to get back in line where they are suppose to be. Turns out there were 5 boys out of line.

Her interpreter showed up about then asking if there was a problem. I told her what had happened and that Kari had alerted me to the problem and I was very proud of her. Mrs. Krantz was signing to Kari, and she again smiled that beautiful smile of hers and said, "I know". She is one sweet little girl and a joy to work with. Makes me feel so blessed that my own children and grands do not have a physical disability. Kari makes a person realize though that it really doesn't matter if you have a disability or not. I think she is one very special little girl and I am so happy to be working with her.

What else can Happen???

School has started - here we are already at the end of day #4. My teachers give me the impression that they are satisfied with my performance so far. I haven't heard from my Principal that I need to improve in any area, so that is a source of contentment for me. This is a blessing during these days of "Things are falling apart at the Towle House"

And the rest of the story is....

Three weeks ago, the air-conditioner on our car went out. We took it to Lee's favorite car repair shop and the answer was $875. to fix. Okay, we can probably live without air-conditioning in the car. We just don't drive any time it isn't absolutely necessary.

Two weeks ago my washer gave up half a ghost. It will wash, spin, rinse, spin and allow me to put clothes in and remove them when it stops. That is all good, but .... It won't fill with water. So Bette being the resourceful senior that she is, carries buckets of water from the extra sink to the washer, 3 buckets to wash, 3 buckets to rinse, each and every load. You know that really isn't so bad. When I had four little children, ages 4, 3, 15 mo. and a newborn, I took all our laundry in the car with the 4 kids to the local laundromat, so carrying buckets of water didn't seem too much of an inconvenience.

Doing my laundry this past Saturday, I was filling one of those many buckets of water when the phone rang. I answered the phone and since it was a family member I hadn't talked to in a long time, I enjoyed our conversation. Yeah, you guessed it - I forgot the bucket was filling and when it filled the sink then filled and when I didn't return, the water ran out and out for a realllllly looooonnnng time soaking the carpet in that room, and part of two surrounding rooms before I hung up and returned to a BIG MESS. After turning off the water, bursting into tears and feeling sorry for myself, I began to clean up the MESS I had created.

So I started this week of going to school thinking - what else can happen? Well, on my way to school this morning it happened! The brakes on the van went out. They can't start working on it until Thursday morning. Oh well, Shelley, our speech teacher at Harris, consoled me by telling me "Well, things happen in three. Your three are the air-conditioner, the washer, and now the brakes. Nothing else can happen". Thank you Shelley.

I am posting this on black background - seems somewhat appropriate! The rest of my week is going to be sooooo good!

I am going to leave you with a quote I read recently......"Aren't 'the good things that come to those who wait' just the leftovers from the people that got there first?"

Well I am waiting and I will be happy with whatever comes, even the leftovers.

Oh my goodness ... !!!

Don't know if this is better, but at least the colors match. Why in the world did they change layout? When I go to the help it gives information as if the "old" layout tabs were still there. At least that is what I am finding.

Guess I will have to make an appointment with 'Blogging by Martha' and see if she can help. Until then, this is it.

Double Hummmm...

Well, this still isn't what I want, but at least it isn't flashing any more. Guess I will have to mess with it more later. Wish I remembered what I once knew.

Hey maybe I didn't really know it - I only thought I knew it. Oh well, gives me something else to think about besides the usual - you know, pain here and there, lack of finances, no air-conditioning in my car, shelving for the cabinets at school and various other "stuff" trying to take attention in my head.

Catch you on the flip side.

Hummmm.....

Well, I tried to change my background. For me it seems to be flashing from "those pesky ladybugs" to the new one I have chosen for now.

But it is time to go pick-up Lee, so trying to figure it all out will have to wait for another day. I was excited that I haven't lost ALL my blogger friends - Martha is still around - so for you I will be back this weekend to figure this thing out.

Have a nice Friday - it is not as humid and hot as the past two days. I will be mowing this afternoon, so I am thankful for a less HOT day!! \

Talk to you later ~ ~ ~ ~

Getting Ready for School - 2010

It is almost time for school again. Where does the time go. Anyway God has blessed us with me having a job for another year. That means I am finishing up my summer projects this week getting ready for school which will start on the 11th of this month.


This past Thursday the 5 other Instructional Assistants and myself met our principal at Montana Mikes for lunch and an update on what we will be doing this fall. The past two years I have worked with 3rd grade. I know those teachers rather well and was hoping to be placed there again, but nooooo ---- I will be working with 1st graders. Oh boy, that is going to be a challange. There are 4 teachers, only two of which I am semi-close to and probably 80-90 boys and girls. The only consolation I can think of is last year I did RTI with kindergarden and I will be seeing a lot of those kids in my new classes this fall. So that is a good thing.


I am thinking it has been waaaay toooo long since I blogged. I was going to change my page and surprise - this old lady has forgotton how to do that. Guess that will be on my list of things to do before I return to school. I am so tired of lady bugs.


The summer has been full. We have kept busy with Lee's garden, mowing our 2 1/4 acres, getting caught up on household duties left undone during the school year, organizing my thousands of digital pictures, studying medical transcription (God is giving me another year to get that completed), so I am working hard to accomplish it and just trying to enjoy a few weeks of beautiful summer weather.


Derek is running for County Commissioner again and campaign meetings have started every two weeks. He says I have to take the necessary pictures to document everything, so more pictures to keep track of. I could have had a harder job, so I am content with what he has told me he needs me to do. I will start touching up the paint on some of his 5x8 campaign signs after I go back to school. All 10 will need to be ready by October 1st. It is fun and I am happy I am healthy enough to be able to contribute. This is a picture of Derek, John (his new campaign manager) and KC ( the young man from IU/Bloomington ) who is setting up his new campaign website.


My 2010 goal is to be more active with my blogging. I really do like the blog more than Facebook, although I will probably do that as well. But....we'll see how good I am at achieving my goals this year.