Day 28-9 so tried to do something nice for Chase's upcoming bday today, but the Bayou was closed, so ended up at Olive street grill and it was good and so was the service, though I have heard differently. Last night was a wonderful time with my sweet sweet chosen girls. Tabby made a great dinner and the Help was just as good as the last time I watched it. Some one needs to answer me this why do brothers try to annoy each other and then annoy decided to annoy someone else? I love my boys and they are great boys, but I worry about the men that they will become right now with their not knowing when to stop. Maybe one day I will see it change. I do love them.

Days 26-27 life is so fragile that the important events have to be noticed and accepted. Thursday was spent working concession stand for band and having great conversation while working. Spent a wonderful evening Friday night with my children and Grays girlfriend Kayla. We played games, Chase won, and giggled. These little routine events are still so important to my kids lives, my life, and those I encounter through working at a school.

Days 23-5. So I have gotten 2 new students this week and got one of my old students from the beginning of the year back again today. We have gotten 9 new 5 th graders in the last 2 weeks. "Act with understanding and knowledge". I don't why all these students and their families picked Marionville, but I know to be understanding about their situations and knowledgable about how to teach them. The other item this week is "Love without consequences". Ben left Monday for Cali , and that is always hard for me to not give unintended consequences because I am missing him toward him or the boys. I am usually stressed, but right now feeling pretty good. Not too much on my plate with the boys or school. Approaching life with determination

Day 22 just a day of relax. My boys really took of me today by fixing my budd car and the Volvo. Ben grilled some good carne Asada we picked up at trader joes. Am really starting to love Sundays with my family.

Day21-What a GREAT. day. Went with Ben to KC to pick up a car. We ironed out a ton of details about our many upcoming trips on the ride up. We then ate BBQ at BBs BBQ. Really good sauce and meat, glad we decided to try somewhere new. We then went to Trader Joes just as gool as I had hoped and picked up some great stuff at great prices. We then headed to Best Buy to recycle a TV, talk about easy peasy, then went to flea market we had been to and didn't buy anything, but it was really cool. Found a killer clock we both fell in love with but $150 out of our budget. We then headed toward home, but had to stop at Undercliff for a burger. It was really such a great day to spend together with no real agenda. Thanks hubby for the great day and money spent at traders. Almost forgot UT almost beat KU, and was able to see our dear friend Chris, even if he is a Jayhawk. Seriously happiness is just living for an ordinary day doing things

Day 20 Payday yeah!! Had a very relaxing day today,and was able to do every goal today. Ready to keep it going over the weekend. Will let you know how I do.

Day 19- busy day and really didn't do well at any of my goals today. But tomorrow will be better I just know it.

Day 18- my studrule truly keep me grounded. They sometimes ask misunderstood questions, but in the end if u really listen and give the answer to their question then they can usually turn ur answer into a new question that truly creates understanding, but u really have to be listening really carefully think of a great answer then learning has truly occurred. Yep took me 21 years of teaching to refine that strategy, but usually works.

Day 17 spoke to my students today about MLK and they really knew a lot about him already. I really like it when I don't have to give all the background info, and can dive right into expanding their minds on subject. I believe they will really enjoy the pictures from the civil rights grant last summer. Really great kids.

Day 16- Think then speak I tried this one all day today while home with my husbands he worked with our friend Dewayne the contracted on our back room. Not because I would say something wrong, but because I needed to work on thinking then talking, which required listening. I also found if I put myself into a book then it was easy to stop and listen.

Day 15 ‎"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy"~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963) Enough said, all my 12 goals wrapped up.

Day 14- I was able to spend some quality time with my 2 boys today, we did some shopping and important errands. I took the day in,because I won't have many more days like this. We had some great life conversations.

Trying to put a picture of the fish my students did, but instead lost day 5. So if anyone can help me to do this, please comment. The pic is on Facebook mobile down loads if u would like to see them.

Day 13- Live without regrets. That is what the whole Extreme Makeover:Home Edition was all about for me tonight. What dedication and determination all 7 of the families have. Each family had their own problems to overcome and were/are still dealing with daily though they all had the tornado in common. I cried and cried listening to these people's stories and what a great thing to have a neighborhood again among all that devastation. Really unbelievable, WOW, AWESOME. Bigger, better, stronger is life without regrets in Joplin lingo. Now, followers go tell someone u love them, so u don't regret the slippage of time without loving and living.

Day 12 Number 9, Please help me today to pinpoint the things that are important. I have been on the lookout for this one, and am learning that when u enlist the help of others and listen to people when they talk it makes you happier. WOW How did I make it 41 almost 42 years without realizing how happy those 2 things have made me. However I also learned today that I am still a whimp when it comes to snow or ice and how unhappy those 2 things make me. Decided the happiness is more important so pinpointing that.

Day11- today was a half day at school. We had a good day, watched Lion King for our 100% party and had an inservice on essential learning. As teachers we r being encouraged to develop a list of 6-8 essential things in each Math and Reading that we feel our students need to learn by the end of the year without looking at state test guidelines. This may seem easy, but I have taught students so long that I see this as a very delicate thing to do. My reasoning is that 5th graders development hasn't changed too much but society, policy, technology, and economies have greatly. This is more than readin, writin, and rithmatic to say the least. I have brainstormed some good idea, but wonder what today's society would want a 10 year old to be able to do.

Day 12 Number 9, Please help me today to pinpoint the things that are important. I have been on the lookout for this one, and am learning that when u enlist the help of others and listen to people when they talk it makes you happier. WOW How did I make it 41 almost 42 years without realizing how happy those 2 things have made me. However I also learned today that I am still a whimp when it comes to snow or ice and how unhappy those 2 things make me. Decided the happiness is more important so pinpointing that.

Day 9- I'm a little behind, but I have an excuse BCS WOW!!!!! Who knew that staying number 1 and defeating every opponent during the season could be broken in one game against a team u have also already beaten. True test of loving without consequences for my Chase.

Day 8 - another wonderful relaxing day to strengthen relationships. Spent most of the day playing games, watching football, and eating with family (good to see u mom and dad). Mom gave me another fragile thing to take care of her, the African violet, so hope it looks as good when she gets back as it does today. Tomorrow is LSU championship, so hopefully more quality time again. I thank God I am so blessed to have such great friends and family.

Day 7- Woke up with the strangest dream from work,but with people I normally don't do things with, and really took some things and people on. Woke up glad it was only a dream. Had a great day with my family, all of us doing thinks somewhat independent of each other, but still came together several times. I enjoyed just hanging out with them and with friends later in the evening. It is so great to have friends that can cook and know exactly what makes my day (bacon wrapped corn is fabulous). Glad I was able to take part any many wonderful relationships this day.

Day 6-  Love without Consequence.  Seems like everyone is sick or hurt at our house.  Gray came home without going to work, because he had a bad headache and sore throat, since he was running a 97.5 temperature, I decided he needed to go the Dr.  And the Doctor said "No more kissing on a girl with strep." No really he said, you have strep, but no surprise so does Kayla.  Ben ended up smashing his finger to the point it looks horrible, and is causing him lots and lots of pain.  I've had something since Christmas and before, and Chase hacks and coughs all the time and has a swollen wrist since New Years.  So we are all just loving each other.  I made Gray grill cheese and tomato soup, the one thing that he wanted,  tried to take Ben's mind off the finger with a girls basketball game, and Chase is wearing a brace for his wrist. 

Day 4- the ripple effect. Just like in "It's a Wonderful Life.". "Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful big hole.". That is the ripple effect- what one does in their life ripple into another like throwing a rock into a pond or a fish rising to the surface. The idea of a fish coming to the surface ie one doing something, sending ripples in a pond of other fish is what I started working on my classroom yesterday. Students were asked to find their strengths and weaknesses academically, and we listed them on the smart board. Today, we are going to brainstorm goals to make the weaknesses go away or strengths and place those ideas onto fish to put into the pond. I'll blog tonight as that works out. Who knew that looking at ones relationships makes one seem so fragile within the community.

Day 3- I was definitely dreading this day back to work, just because I had to go back, not for any other reason. I knew that I had some organizing to do in my classroom, and decided to look upon the day to get ready for kiddos that will come tomorrow that won't want to come back anymore than I did today. I was able to organize the room, plan for the upcoming weeks, and decided to come back for a nice relaxing day. I did just that, so tomorrow will be a nice relaxing day for my students to get back in the groove easier and quicker. For those that know me as a teacher i am always prepared, but have a weakness in knowing when to be more laid back and tend to fill up a students every possible minute to its fullest, so Thought for today- Be prepared, so u can truly relax and begin.

Joy: that is exactly what I felt on Christmas day when I realized everyone would be here for dinner. I missed that Christmas Joy when my sister left on Wed. However, when I realized that loving without consequences created that JOY again,I realized that everyday can be joyous if u just approach the day that way. So love without consequence and u will be filled with Joy!!

Day 1 thoughts

So made it through the first day primarily by myself: Chase was home late and then slept all day, Gray worked early and Ben worked as well. My house was very quiet, so much so my friend Tabby came by and first thing she said was "Wow, your house is quiet." Gave me plenty of time to think and read. I am reading "Tried by War" for my Gettysburg grant trip, a biography about Lincoln as a strategist politically, militarily, and nationally. As I read I Realized that Lincoln lived his life as commander and chief during the Civil War by my 2-12 2012 goals. He made sure he understood things before he acted instead of just reacting. Thank you Tah grants for giving me the opportunity to read this book and for the AIHE training about the Civil War and Lincoln's Constitutional thinking about the South from our founders point of view. My head was swimming with battle information and strategy during that "fragile" time, but once I put it into today's thinking, I was able to correlate to "fragile" events in everyday life.

2012 word and 12 goals

FRAGILE: Vulnerably delicate
I have picked this word or this word picked me, to live this year by. I see this word as a a warning word to temper negative interactions with others, so that damages are not incurred in my relationships. Here are my 12 goals:
1. Love without consequence.
2. Approach life with determination .
3. Think then speak.
4. Act with understanding and knowledge.
5. Live without regrets.
6. Stand behind what I believe and know to be "right"
7. Remember each important moment.
8. Be able to let go of those things that need to be free.
9. To pinpoint the things that are being shown to me as important.
10. To let go of things that don't need to be understood or important.
11. Be a memorable positive force.
12. Find the memorable moments daily that affect my life.

My plan is to use this blog to make a daily record that will measure how I am doing with these goals and my "fragile" word. May I and everyone I come in contact with be blessed.