My favorite thing about teaching is the variety of conversations that happen. There is never a dull moment, especially with hormone-ridden pre-teens. The other day my class and I were talking about the first years of the English colony called Jamestown. The whole discussion was fun: comparing Disney movies to reality, discussing the cultural differences of the colonists and the Powhatan tribe, explaining how challenging life was at that time. The most interesting part, by far, was trying to make a bunch of well-fed, comfortable 5th graders understand why the starving, freezing colonists were willing to eat dogs, cats, shoes, and even those who had already died during that horrible winter and how it didn't make them bad people, just desperate ones.
I'm worried that some of them were too convinced and are know envisioning their tablemates as giant roasted turkeys like in the cartoons! :)
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Monday, February 20, 2006
My Kind of Shopping
We ventured into Temecula today. We could do that because I, like much of the country, am enjoying a three day weekend. In my humble opinion, all weekends should consist of three days: one for cleaning house, one for catching up on grading, and one for being lazy. Two days just doesn't cut it. Something always gets left out and unfortunately, it's usually the lazy day.
Anyway. The trip to Temecula. We had some shopping to do.
First, we stopped at Kohl's. They were having a President's Day sale and I was hoping to find something to spice up my wardrobe. I'm not much for clothes shopping, but every once in a while I get tired of wearing the same old leftovers day after day. It's time to add a little somethin'-somethin' to the closet. No luck. Everything was overpriced even AFTER the 30-50% discounts. Or too ugly. Sheesh. I did manage to find a nice serving bowl the matches my dishes and a fun t-shirt. The best part? I had a gift certificate left over from Christmas so I didn't spend a penny. I even have a balance left over for the next time I go. Whoot.
Next, we went to CostCo. We piled thing willy-nilly into our cart: video games, vegetables in bulk, yummy breads, treats. It was quite busy there and I think the thrill of our free Kohl's shopping had really gotten us in the mood for buying. Lucky for us, we also had a gift certificate for CostCo. We walked out, cart nicely loaded (if poorly aligned), without paying a dime.
For lunch, we got a table at Macaroni Grill where we built our own pasta dishes. Be warned that the M.G. idea of "pesto" is nothing like real pesto, although it is tasty. Two loaves of bread and much whispered giggling later, we paid the bill with...can you guess? Yep. A gift certificate. The tip was cash, but that was it. And they say there's no such thing as a free lunch!
Our final stop was Albertson's for groceries. I wish I could say that was prepaid as well, but it wasn't. Any gift certificate we got for Albertson's would be gone immediately. It was hard to mind paying for food, though, when the day had gone so well.
Anyway. The trip to Temecula. We had some shopping to do.
First, we stopped at Kohl's. They were having a President's Day sale and I was hoping to find something to spice up my wardrobe. I'm not much for clothes shopping, but every once in a while I get tired of wearing the same old leftovers day after day. It's time to add a little somethin'-somethin' to the closet. No luck. Everything was overpriced even AFTER the 30-50% discounts. Or too ugly. Sheesh. I did manage to find a nice serving bowl the matches my dishes and a fun t-shirt. The best part? I had a gift certificate left over from Christmas so I didn't spend a penny. I even have a balance left over for the next time I go. Whoot.
Next, we went to CostCo. We piled thing willy-nilly into our cart: video games, vegetables in bulk, yummy breads, treats. It was quite busy there and I think the thrill of our free Kohl's shopping had really gotten us in the mood for buying. Lucky for us, we also had a gift certificate for CostCo. We walked out, cart nicely loaded (if poorly aligned), without paying a dime.
For lunch, we got a table at Macaroni Grill where we built our own pasta dishes. Be warned that the M.G. idea of "pesto" is nothing like real pesto, although it is tasty. Two loaves of bread and much whispered giggling later, we paid the bill with...can you guess? Yep. A gift certificate. The tip was cash, but that was it. And they say there's no such thing as a free lunch!
Our final stop was Albertson's for groceries. I wish I could say that was prepaid as well, but it wasn't. Any gift certificate we got for Albertson's would be gone immediately. It was hard to mind paying for food, though, when the day had gone so well.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Bit o' Rambling
~ The garden is nearly turned over. The seeds will be planted this afternoon, and hopefully they will be ready for planting in March when the weather starts to cooperate again. (Kathy, did you notice how I was punished for my bragging?)
~ Mia caught a mouse today. She found the hole and either made a lucky guess or heard it moving around underground. She dug into the hole until she found the poor little thing and then carried it around the yard proudly. Yikes. At least, not being a cat, she didn't feel the need to give it to me as a present. She kept it all for herself.
~ My knees are killing me. This isn't really anything new, but this time I can't say it is because I have been lazy. I've been on my feet constantly at school, and the dogs have had me out walking twice a day on off days. This concerns me some as I feel I am a bit young to have arthritic type symptoms showing up every time the weather changes.
~ Last week my class took a states and capitals test. With the exception of about 6 of them, they all failed it. I lectured profusely on the need to actually STUDY since this was one of those things you just have to memorize. I told them on no uncertain terms that they WOULD BE PASSING the retake or THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES. I graded the retakes today. With the exception of about 6, they all passed with flying colors. Much better.
~ Just finished reading Stephen King's IT for the 284th time. It remains one of my favorite stories. I get so enthralled in the character development. Each time I read it I make some new connection or notice another well crafted passage. Of course, each time I read it my disliking of the ending is renewed as well. What is it with King and spider creatures from outer space?
~ Ollie is adorable. See?
~ Mia caught a mouse today. She found the hole and either made a lucky guess or heard it moving around underground. She dug into the hole until she found the poor little thing and then carried it around the yard proudly. Yikes. At least, not being a cat, she didn't feel the need to give it to me as a present. She kept it all for herself.
~ My knees are killing me. This isn't really anything new, but this time I can't say it is because I have been lazy. I've been on my feet constantly at school, and the dogs have had me out walking twice a day on off days. This concerns me some as I feel I am a bit young to have arthritic type symptoms showing up every time the weather changes.
~ Last week my class took a states and capitals test. With the exception of about 6 of them, they all failed it. I lectured profusely on the need to actually STUDY since this was one of those things you just have to memorize. I told them on no uncertain terms that they WOULD BE PASSING the retake or THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES. I graded the retakes today. With the exception of about 6, they all passed with flying colors. Much better.
~ Just finished reading Stephen King's IT for the 284th time. It remains one of my favorite stories. I get so enthralled in the character development. Each time I read it I make some new connection or notice another well crafted passage. Of course, each time I read it my disliking of the ending is renewed as well. What is it with King and spider creatures from outer space?
~ Ollie is adorable. See?
SNOW!!!
Woke up this morning to a wintery wonderland outside the front door. Had to get out and take some pictures quickly before it all melted away...
The dogs enjoyed it, too...
The dogs enjoyed it, too...
Saturday, February 18, 2006
White President's Day?
It snowed! Not much, really. Just a light dusting last night that melted away shortly after sunrise and a flurry today at noon that didn't even reach the ground, but enough that I can say it really snowed. The dogs got a little damp (it also sleeted and rained - not nearly as blogworthy), but they didn't seem to mind too much. We are letting them go in the garage to get out of the weather. Not sure whether that is a good idea.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
WHAT did you just say?
My class and I often joke about my "Laser Eyes", the ones that I inherited from my great-grandmother and only come out when I am upset at someone. They never really knew what they were until today. Today, right in the middle of class, one of my students decided to have a Battle of Wills with me. I asked him to do something and he first gave excuses and then flat out refused to do what I had asked. I could actually feel a click as I transitioned from my "I'm irritated that we are taking class time to deal with this" face to my "Think hard before you say another word" face. Everyone else in the room froze - not a twitch out of them - while they waited to see how I would react. My whole body went cold with fury. I gave him alternative directions, ones that required him to complete the task I was asking of him, but in a way that avoided the aspect that was causing him to balk. I warned the rest of the class that I was in a dangerous mood and it would be risky to push my buttons and then we moved on. I then avoided interacting with him for the rest of the lesson so that I woundn't say or do something I would later regret.
At recess we had a talk. Since I was over my anger at his utter disrespect for me and my expectations, I was able to approach the matter in a way that focused on the important issues. I didn't want him to think that it was me versus him. That kind of battle of wills never solves anything, usually just increasing the animosity and frustration on both ends. Instead, I explained to him the importance of my authority in the classroom - that I needed to be someone the students could trust and follow because of my responsibilities as a teacher. I commended him for not just following rules because they are rules and for wanting to change a rule that didn't work correctly, but I explained that there are ways of doing that that won't undermine the authority of the classroom. I asked him to come up with a solution that would cover both of our needs, which he did quite quickly. We came to a comfortable agreement, I thanked him, and he headed out for recess.
I am glad that I managed to defuse the situation without sacrificing my classroom expectations. I am glad that I had the chance to model self-control to my students. I am glad that I was able to encourage this student to question authority in a productive way, while discouraging the kind of disrespectful, impulsive behavior that would get him in so much trouble in middle school next year. Mostly, I am glad that I didn't say a naughty word in front of my class. :)
At recess we had a talk. Since I was over my anger at his utter disrespect for me and my expectations, I was able to approach the matter in a way that focused on the important issues. I didn't want him to think that it was me versus him. That kind of battle of wills never solves anything, usually just increasing the animosity and frustration on both ends. Instead, I explained to him the importance of my authority in the classroom - that I needed to be someone the students could trust and follow because of my responsibilities as a teacher. I commended him for not just following rules because they are rules and for wanting to change a rule that didn't work correctly, but I explained that there are ways of doing that that won't undermine the authority of the classroom. I asked him to come up with a solution that would cover both of our needs, which he did quite quickly. We came to a comfortable agreement, I thanked him, and he headed out for recess.
I am glad that I managed to defuse the situation without sacrificing my classroom expectations. I am glad that I had the chance to model self-control to my students. I am glad that I was able to encourage this student to question authority in a productive way, while discouraging the kind of disrespectful, impulsive behavior that would get him in so much trouble in middle school next year. Mostly, I am glad that I didn't say a naughty word in front of my class. :)
Monday, February 13, 2006
Random Ramblings
~ Ollie freaked out while sitting on my lap (again) and scratched the crap out of my arm. I am getting a little tired of all the bleeding I have done lately. Gotta get some Neosporin on these slash marks soon...they are burnin'.
~ We made stops at all kinds of plant related places today. The Pipe and Supply place provided, well, pipe. And supplies. We actually got everything we need to set our little orchard up with a drip system for the summer. At the nursery we bought tons of seeds - onions, scallions, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes (red, yellow, and roma), bell peppers, two types of corn, a variety bean pack, eggplant, cucumbers, acorn squash (one of the few squashes that I like), spinach, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme*, oregano, many types of lettuce, and probably some stuff that I am not remembering. We also got some bigger pots for the long-suffering houseplants. Our final stop at Home Depot landed us enough chicken wire to fence the perimeter of the garden, poles to hold up the chicken wire, two new hoses, and some of those little biodegradable pots that you start seeds in. So, now our trees will be happy, our garden will be happy, and our bellies will be happy (in a few months).
~ We made the mistake of leaving the drip line supplies outside after we went in. The dogs thought they made great toys. I spent several minutes as the sun was going down searching the yard for miniscule connector pieces. Poor Mia was so upset by my grumbling that she was afraid to come near me. That girl is SO sensitive. Had to go out later to play with her so she would know that I wasn't mad.
* Come on, admit it. You sang along. You know you did.
~ We made stops at all kinds of plant related places today. The Pipe and Supply place provided, well, pipe. And supplies. We actually got everything we need to set our little orchard up with a drip system for the summer. At the nursery we bought tons of seeds - onions, scallions, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes (red, yellow, and roma), bell peppers, two types of corn, a variety bean pack, eggplant, cucumbers, acorn squash (one of the few squashes that I like), spinach, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme*, oregano, many types of lettuce, and probably some stuff that I am not remembering. We also got some bigger pots for the long-suffering houseplants. Our final stop at Home Depot landed us enough chicken wire to fence the perimeter of the garden, poles to hold up the chicken wire, two new hoses, and some of those little biodegradable pots that you start seeds in. So, now our trees will be happy, our garden will be happy, and our bellies will be happy (in a few months).
~ We made the mistake of leaving the drip line supplies outside after we went in. The dogs thought they made great toys. I spent several minutes as the sun was going down searching the yard for miniscule connector pieces. Poor Mia was so upset by my grumbling that she was afraid to come near me. That girl is SO sensitive. Had to go out later to play with her so she would know that I wasn't mad.
* Come on, admit it. You sang along. You know you did.
Thought you might want to see some pictures of our four legged guests:
As you can see, they look mostly black lab. Which is interesting because their mother was a yellow lab that looked almost white. All the puppies came out black, though. Not sure who the daddy is, but we're guessing that he was some kind of pitbull or bulldog type dog because of the broad face and stocky shoulders they have.
This is Mia. She is such a love. Wants to make you happy and is very sensitive to critisism. She is the leader of the pair. Here she is showing us how sad it made her to be kenneled all day. Now that she is able to run the 2 acres all day (kenneled only at night) she is much smilier.
And here is Trooper. He's quite a bit taller and heavier than Mia, with more of the stockiness to him. Looks like he was built to play football! He would follow Mia to the ends of the earth, but isn't much of an idea man himself. He wishes he could be a lap dog, which has caused some training problems for me. I cannot get him to stay on the ground! But look at that face...so hard to be tough with him.
This is Mia again. Isn't she a pretty doggie?
And here's Trooper being naughty. They aren't allowed on the front steps because if they see a cat through the window they lunge, scaring the cat and scratching the window frames. Trooper is a slow learner.
The End. :) ha!
As you can see, they look mostly black lab. Which is interesting because their mother was a yellow lab that looked almost white. All the puppies came out black, though. Not sure who the daddy is, but we're guessing that he was some kind of pitbull or bulldog type dog because of the broad face and stocky shoulders they have.
This is Mia. She is such a love. Wants to make you happy and is very sensitive to critisism. She is the leader of the pair. Here she is showing us how sad it made her to be kenneled all day. Now that she is able to run the 2 acres all day (kenneled only at night) she is much smilier.
And here is Trooper. He's quite a bit taller and heavier than Mia, with more of the stockiness to him. Looks like he was built to play football! He would follow Mia to the ends of the earth, but isn't much of an idea man himself. He wishes he could be a lap dog, which has caused some training problems for me. I cannot get him to stay on the ground! But look at that face...so hard to be tough with him.
This is Mia again. Isn't she a pretty doggie?
And here's Trooper being naughty. They aren't allowed on the front steps because if they see a cat through the window they lunge, scaring the cat and scratching the window frames. Trooper is a slow learner.
The End. :) ha!
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Spring has Sprung
It has been warm, high 40's at night and breaking into the 70's during the day. Thanks to the dogs, I have been spending much more time outside enjoying this springtime weather. Neither of the dogs understands the concept of "fetch" so most of our time together involves walking the perimeter of the fence (have to keep all the holes filled or Mia the Brainiac figures out how to escape) and checking on my orchard.
There's good news and bad news in that area. The bad news: something bit or broke off all the branches of the pomegranite. It was by far the shrimpiest of our trees, but I am still disappointed. I'm still watching it with the hopes that it will manage to come back from it, but I am not going to bet the house on it. The good news is that we have seen evidence of growth from some of the other trees. The cherry has the slightest stripe of green on one bud, as does the mulberry (that one might be my overactive imagination). All four of the lilacs are definitely budding and one was showing signs of leafing this morning. Very exciting!
I have been somewhat inspired by the warm weather and the newly extended outside time. Yesterday I hand turned the beginnings of my garden. I only got about three rows done before my back was aching and my blisters raising, but it is a start. I plan to do a row or two each day. When it is done (maybe next weekend?) I will stop by Home Depot and stock up on seeds and starter plants. I know, Home Depot is an evil corporation and all that, but the local nursery doesn't do seedlings, only trees and shrubs. Sorry.
There's good news and bad news in that area. The bad news: something bit or broke off all the branches of the pomegranite. It was by far the shrimpiest of our trees, but I am still disappointed. I'm still watching it with the hopes that it will manage to come back from it, but I am not going to bet the house on it. The good news is that we have seen evidence of growth from some of the other trees. The cherry has the slightest stripe of green on one bud, as does the mulberry (that one might be my overactive imagination). All four of the lilacs are definitely budding and one was showing signs of leafing this morning. Very exciting!
I have been somewhat inspired by the warm weather and the newly extended outside time. Yesterday I hand turned the beginnings of my garden. I only got about three rows done before my back was aching and my blisters raising, but it is a start. I plan to do a row or two each day. When it is done (maybe next weekend?) I will stop by Home Depot and stock up on seeds and starter plants. I know, Home Depot is an evil corporation and all that, but the local nursery doesn't do seedlings, only trees and shrubs. Sorry.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Doggy Update #2
The dogs are doing well. So far there has been no digging or chewing or unmanagable behavior. They get SUPER excited at the thought of being with us, and then they start jumping and climbing on us. Not sure how to cure them of that, but we're working on it. They don't like being locked in the cat/dog run at night so they have started barking some in the early morning. It doesn't really bother me, but Mikey notices it more. I'm sure the neighbors aren't crazy about it either, but since they have barking dogs as well, I don't worry too much. They continue to be very sweet and lovable. When it is time to get locked in for the night, they don't balk or make me chase them. They come when they are called no matter where they are on the property and they spend most of their time looking for pets and praise. The female reacts to scolding in a way that suggests she may have been smacked in the past, cowering and the like. She is a very good listener about most things - only had to tell her once to stay off the front steps - and very eager to please. The male is a muscle head. He just wants everyone to love him and play with him. He is not a quick learner, but not out of bad intentions. He's just not that bright. He would love to be a lap dog, a bit of a challenge since he's 60-some pounds! I am going to miss them when they go. Speaking of which, they will probably be interviewing new owners next weekend at the Animal Rescue place nearby. I sincerely hope we find someone who deserves them and who will give them the life they deserve.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Adios Mi Amigo
My little red car, the car that brought me home from college so faithfully, the car that moved my belongings safely to California, the car that worked without a single complaint for over 5 years, is now part of a new family. She is now the errand car for a family of 10. They travel in a large van when they go together, but now Mom can drive a more efficient car when she runs to the grocery store. They were so excited about the spacious trunk (esp. with the back seats folded down) and the 35 miles to the gallon. I'm sad to see that little car go - you never want to give up a well-behaved car* - but I am glad that she's going to a good home where she will get to feel like the "sporty" vehicle. :) Go in Peace, little red car. Drive safely.
*It's especially hard to give up a well behaved car when you don't know what kind of manners your new car has. The Jetta and I are still getting aquainted. BTW - the notorized lein release arrived in the mail today. Tomorrow the Jetta and I are taking a second trip to the DMV. Wish us all kinds of registration luck!
*It's especially hard to give up a well behaved car when you don't know what kind of manners your new car has. The Jetta and I are still getting aquainted. BTW - the notorized lein release arrived in the mail today. Tomorrow the Jetta and I are taking a second trip to the DMV. Wish us all kinds of registration luck!
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Groundhog's Day
I know, it was a few days ago. Today we had our First Annual Groundhog's Day Party. We invited over our wonderful friends, whipped up some delicious lasagna, and searched high and low for groundhog shadows (construction paper groundhogs hidden about the house and property). A splendid time was had by all and I am already looking forward to next year.
Doggy Update
Mia (Mee-ah) and Trooper are settled into the "dog" run and they are doing just fine, although they are not at all what I was expecting. I thought I would be dealing with jumping and pawing and digging and chewing and actively trying to escape the fencing. Nope. They are quite mild, eager to give puppy kisses, but not jumping up to do it. Their leash manners are not great, but some time with the choker collar should fix that. They are very sweet, leaning up against up as if to say "Thank you for giving us a chance." My friend "A" is quite relieved to see them safe and sound.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Pet News
Item the First:
Sunset (or Harvey, depending on who you ask) the Fish is not doing well. There were "fish lice" in his tank recently and although we seem to have gotten rid of them, he hasn't been able to bounce back. The sites Mikey has read say that once a fish has a problem with their swim bladder they aren't likely to recover. So he has been miserably flopping around the tank - more recently, around the bottom of the tank - and although I know the humane thing would be to put him out of his misery, I just can't bring myself to do it. I know that he is dying, but somehow the idea of taking him out of water and making him die is just too awful. It isn't my job to decide when things die. On the other hand, I can't help but think that it is just plain selfish of me to refuse to stop his pain. Aaaugh. This is why there will be no more fish in our house. EVER.
Item the Second:
Yesterday, I was picking Ollie up off of my lap when he lost his freakin' mind and turned into a whirling ball of teeth and claws. I suspect that he was less than confident in my ability to keep him from falling and was only trying to protect himself. However, the end result was not pretty. I have two slash marks on my arm, a gash across the top of my right thumb and a puncture wound on the fleshy part of my thumb (just under the knuckle on the palm side) that is looking a little too red for my liking. The whole thumb is slightly swollen and more than slightly bruised, making it difficult to do, well, just about anything involving my right hand. Hopefully, it will heal up quickly. Good news - Ollie and I have already made up. Neither of us is holding a grudge, but I don't think I will be trying to pick him up any time soon.
Item the Final:
My good friend "A" was giving away a batch of puppies a couple of years ago and two of them were adopted by another friend and her family. This week, that family decided that they couldn't handle the dogs (both lab mixes, good sized, poorly trained and socialized), who were getting out of their fence, knocking people over, and generally acting like untrained dogs. They decided to take them to the pound where it was decided that they would have to be put down. As "A" was telling me about this, all I could think about was our large, completely fenced, 2 acre lot. I called my loving and lovable husband who agreed that it would be rediculous for us to let these dogs die when they could be fostered at our place until a suitable home was found for them. So, tomorrow afternoon, we are going to have our cat-run* reinforced so that it can contain 2 largish, very active dogs. "A" is going to continue to look for a home for them (I promised Mikey that the only way we would keep them would be if HE couldn't bear to let them go and that isn't likely to happen.), and in the meantime, we are going to try to give them some love and some training. We'll be doggy foster parents. Wish us luck!
*Please note that the kitties are not being kicked out of the cat-run, nor are they being asked to share it. They have been banned from it since Bonsai figured out how to climb onto the garage roof. Once the dogs have moved on, we will kitty proof it again and they can reclaim their territory.
Sunset (or Harvey, depending on who you ask) the Fish is not doing well. There were "fish lice" in his tank recently and although we seem to have gotten rid of them, he hasn't been able to bounce back. The sites Mikey has read say that once a fish has a problem with their swim bladder they aren't likely to recover. So he has been miserably flopping around the tank - more recently, around the bottom of the tank - and although I know the humane thing would be to put him out of his misery, I just can't bring myself to do it. I know that he is dying, but somehow the idea of taking him out of water and making him die is just too awful. It isn't my job to decide when things die. On the other hand, I can't help but think that it is just plain selfish of me to refuse to stop his pain. Aaaugh. This is why there will be no more fish in our house. EVER.
Item the Second:
Yesterday, I was picking Ollie up off of my lap when he lost his freakin' mind and turned into a whirling ball of teeth and claws. I suspect that he was less than confident in my ability to keep him from falling and was only trying to protect himself. However, the end result was not pretty. I have two slash marks on my arm, a gash across the top of my right thumb and a puncture wound on the fleshy part of my thumb (just under the knuckle on the palm side) that is looking a little too red for my liking. The whole thumb is slightly swollen and more than slightly bruised, making it difficult to do, well, just about anything involving my right hand. Hopefully, it will heal up quickly. Good news - Ollie and I have already made up. Neither of us is holding a grudge, but I don't think I will be trying to pick him up any time soon.
Item the Final:
My good friend "A" was giving away a batch of puppies a couple of years ago and two of them were adopted by another friend and her family. This week, that family decided that they couldn't handle the dogs (both lab mixes, good sized, poorly trained and socialized), who were getting out of their fence, knocking people over, and generally acting like untrained dogs. They decided to take them to the pound where it was decided that they would have to be put down. As "A" was telling me about this, all I could think about was our large, completely fenced, 2 acre lot. I called my loving and lovable husband who agreed that it would be rediculous for us to let these dogs die when they could be fostered at our place until a suitable home was found for them. So, tomorrow afternoon, we are going to have our cat-run* reinforced so that it can contain 2 largish, very active dogs. "A" is going to continue to look for a home for them (I promised Mikey that the only way we would keep them would be if HE couldn't bear to let them go and that isn't likely to happen.), and in the meantime, we are going to try to give them some love and some training. We'll be doggy foster parents. Wish us luck!
*Please note that the kitties are not being kicked out of the cat-run, nor are they being asked to share it. They have been banned from it since Bonsai figured out how to climb onto the garage roof. Once the dogs have moved on, we will kitty proof it again and they can reclaim their territory.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Colonial Daze
We are going to be studying the colonial period of American history for the next couple of months. My kids will be researching and becoming important people (complete with costumes). They will be learning about Jamestown, colonial/native american relationships, Ben Franklin and his pals, the Revolutionary War, and so much more. The best part, though, is that I get to teach them about colonial manners. They have to stand when adults come into the room, call me Tutor Hommel, and rise from their seats with hands clasped in front of them to answer a question. Ha! That is fun. The principal has already said she will pop in from time to time to see them stand for her. The hard part is that I have to be ready to answer all kinds of questions about a period in time that I pretty much ignored while I was in school. I'm doing all kinds of reading and scrambling to keep ahead of them.
We're In Trouble Now
Our Bonsai has this facination with drinking water from the sink. Any sink. He has learned over time that the water comes out when we turn that round thing nearby. Lacking opposable thumbs, he is forced to proclaim his need for running water loudly and with much repetition, especially during the middle of the night. Until last night. Last night, he accidentally (I hope) managed to turn on the fan in the bathroom. I am terrified that he will make the connection between the running fan (or...gasp...lights!) and the rising of human bodies from the bed. This could be bad.
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