Weekend

I was talking to Adam about a school thing and he said, "What do you mean when you say fluency?"

When you get all entrenched in a thing, you use words that everyone who is also entrenched with you knows and understands.  So you start thinking everyone just knows what you're talking about.

(By the way, when I talk about literacy fluency, I am talking about the accuracy, speed, expression and smoothness all coming together to help with comprehension.)

Teachers may say rate for speed and prosody for expression, but that is what we're talking about.

My dad used to send me to Big A Auto Parts when I was in high school sometimes (which was my nightmare) and tell me to get something and if they didn't have it exactly how I was expecting, I was completely lost at sea.  I was not even a little bit entrenched in that world.

My dad started to just call them and tell them exactly what he needed.  So when my sisters or I went, we just had to track down who our dad had talked to.  It was still kind of horrible, but better.

Anyway.

Olivia asked what an underground dress up day was and I think that falls in this category--things you forget everyone doesn't know.  So let me explain.

An underground dress up day is when the teachers dress up in some way that we don't announce or explain to the students in any way.  We do it purely for our own enjoyment.  This year, different teams came up with different ideas and we will do one a month.  Are we full grown adults with actual lives and responsibilities?  Yes.  This is a little bright spot though, because teaching can be hard.  

Friday was a hard day at school.  There was a thunderstorm in the morning that lasted about an hour, which is unusual.  I don't think I've ever been in a thunderstorm that long.  There was lightning and thunder and hail and rain.  And it was hot and muggy in my classroom so I propped open the door.  Hail got on the floor inside and the kids were completely buzzed up by everything so I had to close the door.  Then I had to close the blinds, because, "Yes, I know.  Weather.  But let's do math."

We are learning about weather in science right now, so we did talk about the weather.  We discussed the clouds, the storm, which way it was moving, etc.

But then, math.  Math.  Please.

It was a lot.

During library, they announced that they were testing the fire alarms, so don't evacuate, but they would be going off.

That freaks them all the way out, but why not add to the crazy?!?

In the afternoon we celebrated a student's birthday.  Their parent had sent goodie bags: candy and pop its and those sticky hands that stick to the wall when you fling them.  So they were all flinging the hands at each other and it was complete chaos.  I declared everything had to go into backpacks and we tried to salvage the day in the 80 degree room with my depleted patience.

I had recess duty.  It started raining lightly and I popped open my umbrella and determined that I didn't want to go back inside with sweaty children for indoor recess. Also, I love my team enough that I wanted them to have 15 minutes of a break.  I decided that until a student came and complained to me about the rain, we would keep having recess.  A girl came up finally and said, "I'm getting wet."  We had two more minutes of recess so I invited her to stand under my umbrella.  She did for a few seconds and then ran off to play.

We made it to the end of the day and my team went to work in the office again because we were miserable.

In other news, we had a good weekend.  I was happy Adam came home on Friday.  He flew into Provo and stopped off at my school on his way home from the airport.  (It was my lunch break.) He had brought me a piece of chocolate cake from Portillo's.  

Believe me when I tell you it was the singular upside in my school day.

The rest of the weekend was good.  I was glad to be with Adam.  Along with Mark, we did some yard clean up in the morning on Saturday.  We needed to cut out some dead branches and errant plants.  I really wanted to prune something with our electric hedge trimmer because using that thing is my love language.  Everything mostly needs to be pruned in the late winter/early spring.  Rats.  We have a dwarf dogwood bush in the front that was growing over the sidewalk.  I trimmed it and it looks pretty bad because now there is this bald spot on no leaves where I trimmed.  I said, "Oh no."

Mark asked me what was wrong.  Adam said, "Your mom just really wanted to trim something."

My dad called, so I stopped to talk to him, which also saved the rest of our bushes from my enthusiasm.

We went to a convert baptism in our ward and it was so happy.  I loved being there.

The rest of the day was just typical Saturday stuff, but I was glad Adam was there all day long.

I am embracing autumn.  I bought pumpkin body butter and hand cream, an apple candle, pumpkin spice almonds and pretzels and GF pumpkin pancake mix at Trader Joe's.  I'm here for all of it.

On Sunday, we practiced for the primary program.  Our small little primary has about 12 children there every week, but it is most often not all the same 12.  It makes it really hard to teach them the songs.  Yesterday, I brought the posters I had made when I realized they don't know the songs.  Sam, who is my partner led the singing and I held up the posters.  I had bought flip charts from Etsy for each of the songs and glued them to the posters.  I did two out of order, because of course I did.  I held up one poster quickly because it was the next verse, and it was upside down.  At least it lightens the mood?

As soon as Adam got home from church, we packed up a picnic and headed to Salt Lake City.  We met Emma at Liberty Park and ate.  We brought sandwiches and salads and grapes and chips and Emma brought some GF cookies she had baked and it was a feast.  The weather was sublime in the mid 70s and it was a beautiful day.  I took Adam to the airport and Emma and Mark went back to her apartment.  The plan was for me to join them, with a potentially harrowing parallel parking situation.  I have successfully avoided parallel parking for most of my life.  Emma had said she would come outside and park for me if I needed her to, but I ended up being able to just pull in which was a relief.  

I enjoyed being in Emma's lovely little apartment.  I love the many ways she has made it her own.  We played a cut throat game of Phase 10. After I threatened Christmas presents, Mark started cheating for me.  I still didn't win.

I am ready for another week of school in the muggy swamp.   I only have three days this week because I have my immunotherapy on Thursday and I am staying home Friday as well.  I hope it will give them time to figure it out at the school, but I am not holding my breath.

Grateful Friday

I love how much my students love good books I read them and also good stories we read together.  Yesterday we read "Yoon and the Jade Bracelet."  It is about a girl who is tricked out of her new jade bracelet by an older girl at school.  My students were shocked and horrified and indignant.  Yoon was able to act wisely and get the bracelet back.  I thought it was a good moment for a life lesson, so I said, "If you were Yoon, what would you do the next day?"

All the hands shot up and I listened to everyone.  Some of them were vindictive and told me the revenge they would exact.  Some of them said they would leave the bracelet home.  One boy said, "I would be friends with the kids who stood up for me if I were Yoon."

Bingo.  I told him I agreed.

I loved seeing all their wheels turning as they were processing the story.  It feels electric when everyone is engaged like that.

Also, at school I think I have enough "what a day" experiences that it is just what a life.  It isn't a phase.

The school went from being extra cold, to extra hot.  And it has been humid (for here) the past few days.  At least before (like before the HVAC was replaced) when it was hot, at least air was moving.

Now it is just stagnant, hot, muggy air.

I don't know where they found the clowns that are working on our school, but I wonder if anyone kept the receipt so we can return them to their circus?

It is hard for all of us to maintain our equanimity.  My team and I collaborated in Matt's office after school, because the office is always a perfect temperature, which isn't great for morale....

Matt was at a meeting, but it was fun to be in his office because lots of people stopped by to ask him a question and stayed to chat.  Nicole (the assistant principal) came in and said, "This is fun," and sat down to visit.  A secretary came in to tell us a wacky tale.  

I told Miriam that she needed to be ready during parent teacher conferences because the parent of this particular student is a little creepy.  Alissa said the code word could be "papaya" and if I yelled, "papaya!" Miriam had to come running.  Nicole said to send her an invite to the conference and she would stay the whole time. (Strength in numbers!) Then she sent us all home about 15 minutes early, because it is hard to be happy in 80 degree stuffy rooms all day.

That place tries my patience regularly, but I am also ever grateful to work there.  I like those guys.

We had underground dress up day yesterday and we all wore crowns for no good reason.

Our students ask us questions all day anyway, so why not have one of the questions be, "But why are you wearing a crown?!?"

Yesterday, Braeden called.  He said that QE wondered, "What Nana was up to."  We chatted awhile and I talked to QE.  She excitedly told me about the night before when Papa FaceTimed her from Disneyland.  (He has been in Anaheim this week.) I asked her a little about her life and when they had to go, I heard her little voice say, "I love you Nana!"

How can I love one little person that much and her little brother that much too?  It staggers the mind.  But when she says, "I love you?"  It kills me.  More love than I can hold.

Besides that, I'm grateful Adam is home today and we have a weekend at home!

Baby steps

 There's a lot to manage in any one life.  I wouldn't say I have things managed, or even all that close to it.

I am trying to take my photographs in hand.  Iron out the nonsense.

I got a bunch of pictures from my mom and I have sorted them by date.  Then I needed to decide how to organize them.  I initially thought that I would digitize everything, including all my other pictures, and make Snapfish books because they don't take up as much space.  

Emma was aghast.  She said, "Are you out of space?" Well, no.  But I just want it all uniform and to make sense.

Emma said she wanted photos.

So I did the big photo sort.  I called her and said, "OK, you're going to be the one to deal with all of this someday...."  I have six photo albums that are more or less in good chronological order.  I don't want to disrupt that.  But I have these two photo albums.  Here is one:

Basically, it is pictures I found after I had completed the other albums and I didn't want to rearrange everything.

Then there's this gem:

The title of the photo album is trying to manage expectations, because it is a hot mess.  There is zero order to the photos.

Emma and I came up with the plan to have two chronologies going because I don't want to mess with the original six.  It's like the large plates and the small plates.

I am taking everything out of the chaotic albums.

I am going to write the date (approximately) and label who is in the pictures and put them in some semblance of order.  Happily the project has no due date.

Also, happily I get to look at all the pictures.

This picture of Adam (from when we lived in Connecticut) stopped me in my tracks because there is the World Trade Center.

This picture reminded me of that time I cut bones out of contact paper and stuck them to a black sweatsuit for Braeden for Halloween.  I remember it was such a pain!  (But look how cute those tiny, slightly blurry, kids are!)

So if you need me, I'll be staring at pictures, trying to discern when and who.... (I'm going to get Emma to help me on Sundays when she is over.)

Mothering

It isn't for the faint of heart.  I've known that since 1997.

As a teacher I interact with a lot of mothers.  Or try to.  I have a student whose mother is proving impossible for me to communicate with.  I've tried everything I can think of.  She doesn't speak English and I'm not sure her literacy level, so you can see the trouble.  Also, this same student's dad was deported recently so I really don't know their day to day.

I can only assume she is doing her best.  

I had a mother message me last week about the mistreatment of her student.  I could feel the frustration and sadness and anger in her message.  I felt a little trepidation about reaching out to the mother of the other student, because "your child has been mean" is not always well received.

The other mother rose to the occasion with flying colors.  She told me that she was sorry and her student would apologize and they would definitely follow up.

When parents choose to partner with teachers, it is a good thing and makes all the difference.

In some ways I think it is easier to mother adult children, while in other ways it is also way (way) harder.  You can't step in and take over.

Well, sometimes you can.

Mark has had a lot of trouble getting one of his several prescriptions filled.  It was out of stock, then they lost his prescription, then he had his doctor resubmit the prescription, then they said they were out of stock again.

I called the pharmacy during my lunchtime.

I brought all the mama bear energy I have honed over the last 29 years.  I was polite, but also not going to give up and I think we all realized that.

They told me they could get the prescription.  I said, "He's coming right now."  I called Mark and he soon texted me this.

 

I learned it from my own mom.  There comes a point when you just have to.

There are fewer and fewer times that I can/need to insert myself.

For those times, I'll stay ready.

Migraine, party of one

 Yesterday was day two of a headache that felt worse as time passed.  It was one of those days when I count the hours until I can lie down.  (In 12 hours I can lie down.  Now, in 11 1/2 hours I can lie down.)

Not great.  I mustered all my "It's this day, not me, that's bound to go away" energy.  I was going to make it.

Then, in the morning, one of the office ladies brought me a new student.  Zero warning.  A new student takes a lot of cheerfulness and pep.  I had neither, but I had a brand new student who looked terrified and it was up to me to make her feel welcome.  Happily, after my initial, "I'm Mrs. Davis and I am so glad you're here.  Here's a desk and hang your backpack there," one of my girls stepped in and gave her a friendship bracelet and said, "I can tell we're going to be friends!"

I love kids so much.

We got through the day with students helping to explain all the things to the new student and me white knuckling through it all.  Right before lunch, my headache was really awful.  I felt nauseous.  After taking my class to the lunchroom, I went in my classroom and turned off the lights and then the power went off.  I thought if we couldn't have school, it would be about the best thing to happen to me.

The power came back on before my students were back from lunch.  (There is still a lot of construction going on and I think that is why we lost power. ) 

The power went off later in the afternoon, but only for a few minutes.  

It really was that sort of a day.  

Kim and I walked after a long hiatus and I think that was helpful.  My headache felt more manageable as the evening continued.  I slept a lot last night and that was what I needed most.

So far no headache has killed me.

I like my odds.

Weekend

 I hustled home from school on Friday--leaving things undone--so we could head to Starr Valley.  We loaded the car and hit the road.

After the requisite Maverik stop, we listened to Sold a Story, which is a podcast about teaching reading and how educators got it so wrong for so long.

It is fascinating and I kept pausing it to pontificate.  I have feelings about teaching reading.

We had four little kittens bounding out to greet us when we got there.  Olivia has been feeding them there  and trying to get them acclimated to a new home.  We are thrilled to have them.  Adam is super allergic to cats and has never liked them.  He feels differently about those kittens.  (I think their potential as mousers has a lot to do with it, plus they are really cute.)

Adam talked very sweetly to them and I named them: Mattie, Ross, Little Blackie and Rooster.  I hope they live forever and have lots of babies and catch lots of mice.  Adam even took a picture of them (except illusive Little Blackie).  Who is this man?!?

from top: Rooster, Mattie and Ross

We made beds and wiped counters and waited and waited.  Our group was slow and had stopped at the Salt Flats for the experience.  I forget sometimes how wild the Salt Flats are if you haven't experienced them.  I am glad they got to enjoy.

I felt sorry that we were so late for dinner at Marianne and Robert's, but they were ever gracious. 

Marianne had made salads and Olivia had sliced up watermelon and Robert had built a fire.  We roasted hot dogs and s'mores and visited.  Our YW president, Molly, had connections to Orderville so she and Robert knew a lot of the same people.  The boys stayed with Marianne and Robert and the rest of us went back to our house.  All the girls spread out in the living room.  They had face masks (and put one on Adam, which delighted them) and were playing music and having a great time.  The adults all went to bed, which is my idea of a good time on a Friday night.

Saturday morning, Adam and I sneaked outside, trying not to wake anyone and took a little walkabout.  The kittens scampered after us.  We went to visit the horses and had to disabuse them of the idea that we had grain.  

Back at the house, people were starting to wake up.  We pulled out breakfast stuff and Robert brought the boys over.  My dad came over with his wagon and team of horses.  The kids were thrilled.  I climbed up on the seat next to my dad and a bunch of people piled in the back.  We went around the circle and it was a  good time.  We returned and traded the passengers.  My dad said, "We'll go the opposite way so the horses don't get dizzy."

One of the boys in the back said, "Wait, really?"

I said, "No.  He's joking."

After the wagon rides, Adam let anyone who wanted to have a turn driving his lawnmower.  It seemed a little like Tom Sawyer "letting" people help him paint the fence, but they didn't actually mow except one girl.

One of the leaders said to me, "Yesterday I felt like this was a long drive, but this has been so great!"

I was glad.  It is sort of a long drive, so I'm glad it felt worth it.

We got changed and before we loaded up and drove to Elko, Adam had asked me to share a little about my grandparents' house and them.

I told them the story about growing up around there and loving that spot.  I told them about the fire and my grandparents' reaction.  I said that I am sure they were sad, but to me, it just seemed like they got on with things.  I told them I was grateful for the opportunity to buy their house because I love that place so much.  I want to continue the legacy and create a place for my grandchildren to love.

More than that, I want to follow their legacy of faith.  Because of their focus on serving and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they knew that a house was just a house.  They taught me to rebuild rather than wallow.  They taught me that focusing on things that matter most helps you survive a world of ups and downs with equanimity.  With that, we drove to Elko.

Olivia had arranged everything and they were ready for us.  Everyone was very kind, just like you expect.  When I was growing up, if I was trying to establish who I was around there, I would start with, "My grandpa is Harvey Dahl," and people would say, "Ohhhh," and immediately know who I was.

Now I tell them that I am Marianne and Olivia's sister.  When I told the ladies handing out clothes that, they nodded knowingly and told me they loved my sisters.

A member of the temple presidency came up to me and shook my hand and said, "You look familiar, you must be Marianne's and Olivia's sister."

Happily, yes.

The youth performed their baptisms and it was a good experience for everyone.  I love being in the temple and I love those good kids who love being in the temple.

Adam and I went to Little Caesar's and got the pizza Olivia had ordered (it's not what you know, it's who you know).  We met everyone at a park.  The young women lovingly mothered and/or hounded one of the younger boys.  Molly's daughter said, "My mom will give you ten dollars if you can hit the crow in that tree with a piece of pizza crust."

Molly said, "Hey, I didn't say that, and he plays baseball.  Don't make deals like that."

The boy squarely hit the bird in the tree.  The crow barely registered the indignity, ruffling its feathers a little and stayed on its branch.

Then they encouraged the same boy to lie on the grass with a piece of pizza on his chest to see if the birds would come and eat it.

They were funny kids and I enjoyed being around them.

They headed back to Utah and Adam and I went back to Starr Valley.  Even though we hated to, because it feels early, we winterized.  Adam will be traveling a lot (big surprise) and we wanted to get it done while we could.

We drove home, finished our podcast and I was happy to see my bed.

Marianne had the idea to meet as siblings with my dad every month, so Ammon set up a google meet and I was happy to meet with them on Sunday afternoon.  Adam had an ALL DAY Sunday.  He left early and got home around 6:30 pm.  He happily walked in right when I was FaceTiming our grandchildren so he got to see their cute faces.  Always a lift for the spirits.

We took a walk and the sunset was beautiful.

Mark took Adam to the airport in the predawn and I'm about ready to head to school.

The beat goes on.

Grateful Friday

 In college, no one told me that a big chunk of being a teacher would be meetings.  So many meetings.  Also, taping books.  At least 2-3 books make their way to my desk every day.  They get ripped and they need me to repair them. 

They also didn't cover some of the most delightful things either.

Like the children.

They are cute and tiny and come to school with enormous backpacks (that some of them call pack packs).  They give me a big smile in the morning and randomly hug me throughout the day.  Fourth graders sneak in my room at the end of our lunch recess.  They think they are hilarious and Big Kids since last year's fourth graders tried to do the same thing.

I love when they earnestly put their heads together to try to solve a math problem.

I love when they give me a look and say, "I don't get it."

I like that so much more than just quietly hoping I won't notice they don't get it.

In phonics we were learning about short vowel multisyllabic words.  They don't know the definition of some of the words so we discuss.  One word was shamrock.  I asked if they knew what a shamrock was.

One boy raised his hand and said, "It's the milkshakes you get at McDonald's to celebrate Pioneer Day."

Almost.

Another word was tropics.  That was a real puzzler.  No one had an idea.  Finally a girl ventured a guess that it was fruit, like watermelon.

Someone said, "Maybe it's like the Troppo Tourists in Nim's Island."  (I am reading Nim's Island to them, and yes, probably Troppo is a riff on tropical.)

I pulled out the globe and we had a whole demonstration of the equator and I showed them the tropics and I had a boy stand in the middle of the room and said he was the sun and I revolved the globe around him so they could see that the equator is always closest.  We made guesses about where Nim's island was located.

In the afternoon we read a story about Jacob Davis (no, he isn't related to me although my students were 100% convinced he was) creating the first blue jeans.  He invented rivets on pants.  In the story he bought fabric for the pants from Levi Strauss in San Francisco.  When he couldn't afford a patent, he teamed up with Levi Strauss to help pay for the patent and they worked together.

We investigated two boys' jeans who had rivets.  One boy's were Levis.  You can imagine the thrill.  I was wearing a Levi denim jacket and they studied me for rivets.  

Then an entire discussion involving patent law ensued.  They were fascinated and had so many questions! 

Turns out I don't know a lot about patent law, so I googled it.  I learned patents only last 20 years. I had no idea. 

I probably write this every Friday, but I'm grateful to be a teacher.  I love being there and learning along with them.

After school today we are going back to Starr Valley.  Some young men and young women from our ward are making the trip and we are going to go to the Elko temple tomorrow.  Because there aren't many temples around here....

I am grateful for my family enhancing the experience and making it work.

Marianne and Robert are hosting dinner for us tonight and the boys are staying at their house.  My dad is going to come over tomorrow morning before we go to Elko and give buggy rides.  Olivia got the temple appointments all arranged.

I am grateful for my village.  They are a good little village.