How was your field trip?

Elizabeth went on her first field trip to the apple orchard this morning with her grandma. Although it was cold, the sun was shining and the apples were reported to be tasty. Elizabeth liked being with her classmates and thought it was neat to bring home an apple shaped container with cider inside. What great fall fun!

Would you like to win something?

When it comes to contests I consider myself a pretty lucky person. Even as a child I remember winning a coloring contest at the local McDonald's. My name was also drawn at our dentist's office for a stuffed camel, the animal of the month. Just recently I won a coupon book for the Grand Rapids area at a staff meeting and since starting my blog I've won 3 giveaways. Right now I'm hoping to win another one. A List Maker's Life is hosting a get organized giveaway! Check out All Children's Furniture for your favorite brands like Step2, KidKraft, Little Tikes and more! Giveaway ends 10/2!"

What do you do well or are good at doing?

Three times a year the students in our district are asked to respond in writing to a prompt, or given topic. This fall the students were asked to write about something they do well or are good at doing. I love the piece below. It has a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence. I'm a bit biased though because Leah wrote it!

Gunastiks

I am good at gunastiks. I am good at the balnstebem and the buar. My sisttr gos up stars and I go donstas in the big gym. I am riley swetey wen I am done. I go on Mondays onley. It is hard wrck dut it is fun. My techrs name is Mrs. Keley She is nise. I like gunastiks.

How do you cope with change?

Throughout this past month our family has gone through many changes. Elizabeth started school for the very first time which was a huge change. Instead of driving with me every day, Tim now drives Elizabeth to his mom's house and then she brings her to school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Leah has switched from half days of school to full days. I am adjusting to a new group of students and at the same time changing how I teach to a more transdiciplinary approach. Tim's responsibilities at work have changed and our family is considering a change in where we worship each Sunday morning as well. Change can be a hard process, but so far we are handling all of these changes well.

Are we going to meet our cousin today?

This afternoon we made the trip northeast to meet the newest addition to our family. Logan Donald was born Monday morning at 8:08 to my sister Julie and her husband. Leah and Elizabeth were really excited to hold their baby cousin and it was great for Tim and I to hold another nephew. Logan is a great baby and completely healthy!

Do you like to design jewelry?

Last month Elizabeth received some beads for her birthday and both girls love to play with them. Elizabeth enjoys creating rings (the beads are a bit tricky to stick together) and Leah has been busy designing bracelets and necklaces. When the whole design process was complete they set up a store and took turns purchasing the jewelry pieces for themselves and their dolls. I love their imaginations and I think Leah has a good sense of design!

Shall we meet in the office?

Leah and Elizabeth love playing house and school, but their latest fad is to play office. They moved all of their supplies (kid keyboard, table, crayons, paper, etc.) near our front door and set up their desks. Just call if you have any work for them to do because their office is usually open!

Have you ever read Frog and Toad Together?

Leah came home from school with a "chapter book" and was beyond excited. She has probably read Frog and Toad Together three times through. Her enthusiasm and love for reading is evident and I couldn't be more proud!

What is fall?

The first few years that I taught 2nd grade I would have my students write a fall paper. It followed a simple pattern where every line started with "Fall is". I no longer have my students do that assignment so I decided to have my family write one together in honor of the first offical day of fall. Maybe you can tell who wrote which lines?

Fall is orange, red, and brown.
Fall is hunting.
Fall is playing outside.
Fall is sweatshirt time.
Fall is winter coming.
Fall is raking leaves.
Fall is jumping in the leaves.
Fall is football season.
Fall is Halloween.
Fall is wearing costumes.
Fall is apple picking.
Fall is picking pumpkins.
Fall is shorter days.
Fall is windy and rainy.
Fall is school pictures.
Fall is winterizing boats.
Fall is getting milk from a cow.
Fall is fun!

Will you help me feed my goldfish?

As of Saturday our house has welcomed some new animals. Leah and Elizabeth won these precious pets at the pool party. They came complete with plastic cup homes and a container of fish food. Since then the girls have been asking Tim to help feed Goldie, Golden, and Goldy Black Fin. With all of the excitement and possibly too much food, Elizabeth's fish was found belly up this morning. Before leaving for work Tim flushed him away to fish heaven. Elizabeth was a bit distracted while getting ready for school and we didn't want to ruin her day so we opted not to tell her. Even tonight she does not realize that Goldy Black Fin is no longer alive. Hopefully she isn't too sad when she finds out what happened. Unfortunately the life expectancy of a goldfish is quite limited.

Is summer almost over?

Although this summer was not as hot as normal and had more than the average amount of rain, we still managed to get out and enjoy the warm sunny days. The past few weeks, however have been fabulous and today was no exception. Taking advantage of the gorgeous sunshine and comfortable temperatures our family took one last trip to the beach. It was the perfect way to end the summer season.

How was your day?

Today was a very busy day for our family. While I spent the majority of my time sitting in grad class, Tim brought Leah and Elizabeth around from one fun activity to the next. Before heading to a neighborhood birthday pool party, they attended the community event at school put on by the Kids Hope program. In addition to eating lunch there the girls played games for large boxes of candy, jumped in gigantic inflatables, got their faces painted, and pet animals from the critter barn. It sounds like I missed out on all the fun.

What kind of apple do you like the best?

Our family spent this afternoon picking apples at Crane Orchards. It was one of the first days to pick Honey Crisp, my favorite. We ended up with close to a bushel total including some Golden Supreme and Gala. After picking the apples we ate at the old barn restaurant next to the orchard. It was a super delicious adventure!

Who vacuumed our carpet?

I love coming home from work every other Thursday afternoon to a cleaned house. Although it smells and looks really good, I appreciate that everything is picked up and clean. We've had our current cleaning lady for over a year. The first lady we hired did an okay job, however when I took the year off of teaching the expense didn't fit into our budget. Since I was around more I was able to do the bathrooms, kitchen, floors, mirrors and dusting while Tim did the vacumming. When I went back to work last year Tim and I tried to tag team the house on Saturdays, but it ended up taking too much time away from our daughters. Thankfully we found someone else to take on that burden instead. She does a great job and even Elizabeth notices that the carpet is puffier and the toilet water is blue!

Should we take the bumpy road home today?

On our way home from school Leah and Elizabeth will occasionally ask me to take a different route to our house. One of the choices is to go the "short cut" which actually takes longer, but their favorite route is a gravel road with a little hill. They like to put their hands up on the way down and laugh as the tires go over the loose stones. Today Leah and I went down that bumpy hill in the car and then again on foot. Near the end of the walk we made our way to the wooded path and approached the hill. I proceeded up holding onto Jazmin's leash while Leah rode her bike to the top. She paused briefly before heading down, breaking to slow her momentum ever so slightly. Toward the bottom of the hill I could hear her voice imitating the sound of the tires going over the little bumps. As she neared the bottom I heard her laughingly shout, "That was awesome!" A few moments later we both watched as a doe and her two fawns crossed the path ahead of us. That bumpy road is definitely worth traveling!

Can I climb this tree?

Tim and I both remember climbing trees when we were younger. It is a rush of freedom that all children should experience. In fact earlier this summer Leah and Elizabeth were playing with a bunch of neighborhood kids when very casually Tim was called to an area of the woods by Elizabeth. There he found Leah about 20 feet off the ground in a tree. To his shock and with a bit of fear he was able to coach her down. Without much thought Leah had climbed a tall skinny pine tree. The small limbs were about to break off on their own let alone with a 6 year old standing on them. So, torn between allowing his children to climb trees and wanting to protect them, Tim decided the girls could climb the witch hazel tree in our front yard. It's the perfect climbing tree with many branches and decent height. The poor thing has taken a beating since that decision was reached, but the whole neighborhood is enjoying its branches. Here's to happy times of climbing safety!

When are we going to learn?

It was Elizabeth's first day of preschool today. Tim and his mom took her for the one hour orientation. During that time she was able to meet some of the other students that will be in her M/W/F morning class. She also found out about all the classroom procedures, listened to a story, read some books, and played with the toys among other things. Her favorite part of the day was when she got to paint. As it was time to leave the teacher asked the children if they had any questions. Elizabeth quietly raised her hand and asked, "When are we going to learn?" I guess the real learning will take place on Wednesday when she is all by herself for the entire morning!

Why does God allow bad things to happen?

Lately I've felt compelled to pray earnestly for our country and just recently members of my local community. As the wars continue in the Middle East and the debate about health care reform continues, I find myself mourning with some of my friends. A teacher in my building is dealing with the tragic death of her son's longtime buddy, a friend of mine is awaiting the test results for her mother who has cancer, and my neighbor is dealing with a fire that consumed her work place. It is times of sadness like this that I'm reminded God is ultimately in control. My human brain can't comprehend His master plan and so when tragedy occurs my faith is tested. Years ago my mom helped with the publishing of a book entitled Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I've found it to be a source of answers for questions that are often asked but often go unanswered. I plan to pass it on to the teacher in my building who is questioning God's power. My prayer is that she will find comfort in this trying time.

How do you like my playhouse?

Like clockwork Leah and Elizabeth were both up around 6:30 this morning. They spent the majority of their time decorating large boxes to turn into playhouses. When they were finished with their designs they watched a movie in their new homes.

How tired are you?

My feet are barking and I'm dog tired, but I don't mind because I LOVE my job!

Is it Friday yet?

The first week of school is usually packed full of ups and downs. The excitement of the new year is still fresh, but the energy level runs low. Our family has adjusted fairly well to the routine of getting up and out of the house by 7:15 am. When we finally make it home at the end of the day we are all hungry and tired. Thankfully Leah has been able to make it through each school day without a nap. She loves her teacher and has already made new friends. I am enjoying getting to know the students in my class and am anxious to start a "normal" schedule next week. Even though the first week is short in days it always seems to last longer. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

Will you help me pick out my outfit?

For some reason Leah has forgotten how to pick out her school outfits. I'm not quite sure why that is because it hasn't been a problem in the past. I'm tempted to purchase a closet organizer like the one listed above. Getting her clothes ready the night before has been helpful in the morning. However, I'm thinking that having an organizer would allow her to choose all of her clothes at the beginning of the week and not have to deal with it every night. I just wonder if it would be worth the extra cost?

What are your dreams?

I started a tradition last year before Leah entered kindergarten that I plan to maintain all the way through high school with both girls. This morning on her first day of 1st grade I took Leah's picture and then interviewed her about her dreams for the future. It was fun to look back at her answers from just a year ago. I can only imagine what she will say 11 years from now when she starts her senior year.

Do you smell something?

During the summer we love to grill. So this Labor Day it was the perfect way to "end" the season with dinner on the grill. Tim does a great job getting the meat just right and Jazmin is always there waiting to lick the grease pan when he's done.

How's your shot?

This afternoon Tim spent some time in our backyard preparing for the upcoming hunting season which starts October 1. Between now and then I'm sure that we will see him practicing quite a bit. Each fall I say many silent prayers for all of the deer in the wild. Animals beware...my husband will be approaching!

Is that Tim over there?

We spent the day at Tim's old skiing hole known as his grandpa's cottage. It has been such a long time since he's been there to just hang out and ski that other family members and neighbors wondered if they were actually seeing him correctly. The weather was absolutely goregous and the day turned out to be a success when both girls attempted to ski for the first time. To start, one of Tim's cousins grabbed a rope attached to skis that were tied together and ran through the water pulling the rope behind him. That was as far as Elizabeth got, but Leah was bold enough to try it behind an aluminum fishing boat. Tim stood behind her to steady the skis while his cousin drove the boat and held on to the ski rope. Leah stood up immediately and soon after let go of one hand to wave to the crowd onshore. Of course one time around the small loop wasn't enough so she went for another. Way to go girls!

Did you find a match?

Taking advantage of the nice weather, Leah and her 1st grade neighborhood friend played a modern version of Go Fish on our driveway. Instead of asking for matches the two decided to play it like a memory game. It was a relaxing activity to end a very busy week of daycare for the girls and professional development for me!

Who is your first grade teacher?

It was Leah's turn tonight to meet her teacher during the annual "Meet the Teacher" night at Great Lakes. This open house style event allows the students to go into their classrooms and see their teacher prior to the start of school. The past few years the evening has included a barbeque (hot dogs...yuck) behind the school along with live entertainment (provided by 3 teachers). Leah enjoyed seeing her classroom and officially meeting her teacher. I also had fun meeting my students and their families. It was a well attended event and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

Are you ready for preschool?

Elizabeth had a chance to meet her preschool teacher tonight at Jenison Christian School. She was excited about going and had a fun time looking around the classroom, going down the slide, and playing with the sand. When it was her turn to meet the teacher she was a bit shy and tried to hide behind my back. Hopefully she'll be braver when school starts!

What is left on your "To Do" list?

My type A personality drives me to create "To Do" lists. I used to make them everyday so that I could map out my daily activities. There were times that I would even add something to my list that wasn't originally on it and then cross it off to make me feel like I accomplished more that I had planned. After having children I don't make the time to create lists like I used to. However, for school I find it a necessity to make and maintain several lists. Tonight after dinner the whole family went to my classroom to finish some of my tasks. Tim fixed the back of my mailboxes and bookshelves and then hung some posters. Leah sharpened lots of pencils while Elizabeth helped me punch out die cuts and label some tubs. I still have quite a few things left on my list, but I appreciate their help tremendously!