Pebble Up the Nose

Oh my, it's been a long time since I posted anything here. I had received a little pressure from my friend J.C. a couple months ago about this, but I blew it off. I'm hoping now that my family is settling into a routine with me working and the kids are back in school, my blogging will pick up : )

There's an excellent story to be told...a Maddy story, which seem to occur more often than not!

I first must give you a little background information, which Mike and I believe is NOT related to what Maddy did yesterday. Over the course of the past few years, basically since Micah was in 5K in Sauk Prairie, where he was in a team-taught classroom (2 teachers and 30 kids in one large classroom), Mike and I have been huge fans of the whole team-teaching concept (when done the right way). So, as the needs arose, Mike began talking with the elementary staff here in Johnson Creek about team-teaching, the benefits of it etc. In '08-'09 two teachers approached Mike indicating they would like to learn more out about teaming. Mike and the teachers set up a day to go to Sauk Pr. to see first hand what it was all about. The teachers came back very excited and implemented all kinds of strategies and techniques into their team-taught 5K classroom last year, which Maddy was in. As staff members began to hear more about how these teachers were really liking the experience and the students were benefiting in so many ways, Mike began to talk more and more with people. One of the examples he would give as to why teaming is good is that with two teachers actively engaged in teaching the lessons, if there is some sort of "crisis", Johnny has a break down, Suzy has a skinned knee, or someone gets a pebble stuck up their nose, the whole class does not need to come to a halt, rather, one teacher takes over the lesson while the other one deals with the "issue". It all makes perfect sense! Mike said these things to staff members, not to students or his own daughter : )

Anyway, I was at work yesterday, and remarkably, did not hear any word of Maddy's day until after school, which is weird in itself.

Long story short, Maddy is in a newly formed team-taught classroom this year in 1st grade (taught by two of my dear friends). Maddy came in from recess yesterday and went up to one of her teachers and said she had a pebble up her nose. I haven't talked to either of her teachers yet, but I'm sure they were like, "Oh great, the superintendent's kid has a pebble up her nose." I'm imaging that they check my schedule first, saw that I was at work, then called up to Mike's office. He said he'd be down, but that he was in the middle of something so it would be a bit, and that they had definitely not called the sympathetic parent. Maddy's teacher (which ever one was dealing with this "issue") told her that her dad would be down in a little bit to take a look. Upon hearing that Mike was going to have to come down from his office, Maddy covered up the nostril that was pebble free and began blowing out the blocked one really hard. Eventually, she blew that pebble right out!!!! Mike was called off and everyone's school day continued.

When I asked Maddy about this she told me that someone had KICKED the pebble into her nose!!!!!!! I later found out that that's also what she told her teachers. Whatever!!!!!!!!!!!!

Team teaching is a great thing - especially if you have kids sticking pebbles up their noses!!!!!!

June

The month of June is a very busy one around our house! It's par for the course that we jam 150 things into a small amount of time, but that's what we're use to and that's that! There's nothing we would change, even if we could.

Maddy had her skating party a couple weekends ago and Micah's party is tomorrow. I need to come up with a good idea for something people can do instead of gifts. Maybe a donation to the local humane society. The kids sure don't need more "stuff"!

Micah is enjoying baseball this summer. He's got a great arm and his batting is coming along.

Summer school starts on Monday. My classes are full. I have rethought the way that I'm doing the scrapbooking classes. I'll be curious to see how it works.

Two weeks from tomorrow we leave for Rhinelander. We are all very excited about getting away for a week! I'll think about packing another time :)

The end of the school year...

I've been subbing in 2nd grade for the past few weeks. It's been a real adjustment for our family. Around the house laundry piles up and so does the clutter. By the time I get home each day, I'm tired and don't feel like doing much of anything. Mike has been as helpful as he can, but his schedule has been super hectic, too.

2nd graders are A LOT different than middle schoolers. The #1 difference is THE TATTLING...
Envision a whining voice when reading from the list below (all names are fictitious, except mine and one other)...

Mrs. Garvey, Joey pushed me out of the line.
Mrs. Garvey, Micah keeps humming.
Mrs. Garvey, someone wrote on the bathroom door.
Mrs. Garvey, Suzy has stinky feet.
Mrs. Garvey, Micah is distracting me.
Mrs. Garvey, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...........

I've been barked at, sneezed on, and I've taken care of stinky feet.

And believe it or not, it's all been good. We've accomplished a whole bunch in a short period of time...

We've learned to add and subtract three digit numbers when regrouping is needed. We've read a variety of short stories, fables, and folktales.
We've completed end of the year assessments.
We've made fossils and learned about paleontologists and dinosaurs.
We've written letters to Mr. and Mrs. DiPietro and baby Samuel.
We've finished reading Charlotte's Web and will watch the movie.

Ramblings...

Life has been crazy. Between my two classes, running the kids, coaching soccer, volunteering, Friends of Our School, Newcomers and Neighbors, and the "stuff" that needs to get done around the house once in awhile...Calgon take me away!

The classes will be done in three weeks! Yeah!! I am ready for that. I taught my "big" lesson last night. I think it went pretty well. I need to watch myself on the dvd and do a critique - that won't be much fun. It's always so hard to be video taped and to then have to watch yourself! I know I will be my toughest critic.

I resigned from my board position with JCNNC. It was a tough decision; I'm glad that someone jumped right in and offered to take over. Not being able to go to many of the monthly meetings made it tough for me.

The kid's new play set gets delivered and installed today. They don't know about it and are going to flip out when they get home from school. I've been letting them walk home from school for the past couple of weeks. This is a big deal for all. I meet them at the railroad bridge so they don't have the long haul on Cty. B by themselves. It's been working out well. Tanner usually walk with us, too.

My May scrapbooking weekend is just around the corner. There have been a few cancellations, which is unusual. Guess it's a busy time of the year for everyone. I'm sure it will fill up and if not, no biggy.

I've applied for several jobs. I at least hope to get an interview or two. There's lots of competition.

Later...

In the Blink of an Eye

Spring break has come and gone....

The kids have had lots of fun with friends and family.

• Elizabeth here for the week
• Open gym at Gymtastics
• Milwaukee Zoo
• Candy shop
  
• Mike's b-day
• K and G Art Show
• Hide and seek w/ the neighbors
• Bonfire and smores
  
• Brewer game
• Wii
• Playing at park
  
• American Idol
• Playdates w/ friends
  

I need a long massage and then a nap!!

Maddy and the Gold Fish

I finally had a chance to talk with Maddy's teachers about the April Fool's trick I did with the kid's snacks. Both of her teachers were in stitches retelling the story to me.

I guess Maddy opened up her little carton of gold fish, dumped a few out, realized that they were noodles, and then made eye contact with one of her teachers with a confused look on her face. Her teacher played right along and asked what she had for snack. In the mean time, the teacher turned her back for a split second and before she had a chance to say anything, Maddy was crunching away on the noodles. At this point her teacher gave her the gold fish we had secretly taken to school. Maddy then munched on both the crackers and the noodles.

Life as a 5 year old couldn't get much better!

Gold Fish Crackers

We decided to send the small gold fish cracker boxes filled with macaroni noodles to school with both kids. We were a bit hesitant with Micah, but they had so much fun with their dad and his shoes, we figured it would be ok.

Here is the email Micah's teacher sent after snack time...

Micah just realized he had noodles instead of goldfish. The look on his face was hilarious (completely puzzled, then he read the carton again to make sure it was really supposed to be goldfish) and he started to laugh. He told the whole class what was in there and that it must be an April Fools joke. He wasn't upset at all! I think he's happy to have the real goldfish though!

Annie