How’s Your Day?

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms out there.  How has your day been so far?  Mine started out in a wonderful way—I got to sleep late!  I even managed to get my teen motivated to help me relocate some clutter from the dining room down to the basement.  That felt even better than sleeping late!  🙂

Poppy cat is so smart—she saw me opening and closing the door to the basement, so she had to try it for herself.  She was stretching up to grab the door knob.  I’m glad she doesn’t have a thumb, or I would be in trouble!  Of course, every time I tried to catch her in the act, she would look innocent and pretend not to care.

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

Summer is Coming!

by in Teaching and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The end of school

Is drawing near

Teachers and students

All want to cheer!

But at the end

Of this school year,

You notice your grade

And begin to fear.

I have a few things to say

That you need to hear.

Work not turned in

Can never be graded.

Pardon me, please,

If I sound a bit jaded.

The numbers aren’t crunched

By a magical elf,

If you want to succeed,

Take your book off the shelf!

Even though your grade

Is looking quite grim,

Don’t blame the teacher;

It’s not her or him!

I’ve asked for assignments

Almost every day,

You didn’t hand them in,

So the price you must pay!

You whine and cry

And even pout.

As smart as you are,

Just figure it out!

Mind your manners,

And do your work.

When I speak to you,

Don’t sass like a jerk!

Don’t threaten me with a call

From mommy or dad.

All that will do

Is make me mad!

It’s not our fault

That your work is not done.

It’s not my fault

That it’s not always fun.

Summer is coming,

But not soon enough.

Just turn in your work.

Don’t get in a huff!

Adult Students

by in Teaching and tagged , , , | 2 Comments

My high school students do not understand why I drive 75 miles to another town on Monday nights for six weeks to teach a Spanish class for adults.  Until they are adults, they may not get it.

I usually teach high school kids who are in the class because they need it to graduate.  Learning is not their main purpose for being there.  Some students really want to learn, but they are few and far between.  Most want to do the minimum work and receive a maximum number grade.

The adults who sign up for class want to be there.  They are intrinsically motivated, so they will pay for the class and show up for it.  These adults come ready to learn.  Some are a bit intimidated by the material, but they are willing to try.  That’s what matters.  We manage to have a lot of fun in class, believe it or not.  I usually bring some candy—Smarties or Hershey’s kisses—and we play games to help learn vocabulary.

Last night, one lady had some sugared fruit for a snack, and our gentleman brought some doughnuts for us.  There’s always coffee and the company is great.  I will be so sad to teach next Monday because it is our last night for the semester.

What a Haul! (Kids are Expensive)

by in Teaching and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If Bela hadn’t been sick this week, it would have been awesome.  As it is, she has plenty of new (and new-to-her) things to keep her amused.  I found some cool learning tools at the pharmacy in Broken Bow after Bela’s doctor appointment.  Poor kid ended up in the office twice in one day!  Four prescriptions later, and we were on our way home again.

I got this round chair (with case) for $5. Bela LOVES it!

I got this round chair (with case) for $5. Bela LOVES it!

She's into Hello Kitty and Batman at the moment.

She’s into Hello Kitty and Batman at the moment.

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

She put a few of these together in Mexico.

She put a few of these together in Mexico.

Bela latched onto this music book at the pharmacy.

Bela latched onto this music book at the pharmacy.

I wanted to buy this last time, but I was a tightwad.

I wanted to buy this last time, but I was a tightwad.

Since this was marked down to $20, I grabbed it as well. At least it counts as a homeschool expense.

Since this was marked down to $20, I grabbed it as well. At least it counts as a homeschool expense.

I hated to spend so much at the pharmacy, but it was all justified—-except for the Jelly Belly jelly beans.  The medicines were the smallest part of the bill!  Bela also got a new (to her) netbook.  A friend had it for sale, we went to see it, Bela liked it, and that was it.  🙂  Oh, yes…kids are expensive.

Bela is so happy with her new technology. I'm jealous.

Bela is so happy with her new technology. I’m jealous.

 

More Clouds!

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , | Leave a comment

I love to hear that a storm is moving into my area.  I enjoy cloud watching more than the average person, as I am sure you have noticed if you frequent my blog.  When I listened to the weather yesterday, I couldn’t resist heading out to look at the sky.

This was what the sky looked like at my house.

This was what the sky looked like at my house.

I took this shot to the east of Mullen.

I took this shot to the east of Mullen.

Loving those clouds....

Loving those clouds….

 

 

 

Warped Wednesday

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Since my teen daughter and I are heading to Warped Tour in August, we faithfully check the website every Wednesday to see what new bands have been added to the line up.  A few of Ysabela’s favorites are signed up: Black Veil Brides, Bebe Rexha, New Year’s Day, Pierce the Veil, The Relapse Symphony, Asking Alexandria and more!  She is definitely psyched up.

She has been hoping that Adam Lambert will miraculously be added, but I don’t expect it to happen.  She will have a blast at Warped Tour anyway…….I will be hiding out chilling in the “reverse day care” tent for parents who need a break.

Rockin’ It

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Bela has been losing weight for a while now since her meds are on target.  I thought she was down more lately, and when she put on these jeans, we both knew.  In the picture, she is rocking a new shirt as well.  We love Day of the Dead themed clothing, so when I saw this shirt, I bought one for me as well!

She loved her new shirt, and the jeans were ones she couldn't wear before!

She loved her new shirt, and the jeans were ones she couldn’t wear before!

 

I’M WRITING!!!

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

I got an email near the beginning of April to inform me of a writing camp coming up in April and July.  Yes, you guessed it—I signed up!  It’s called Camp Nanowrimo in case you’re interested and need motivation and encouragement to write a few lines!

Those who know me will remember that I have been writing a book for quite a while now.  This writing camp put me in touch with other aspiring authors.  My “cabin mates” have been great, but I was so busy that I didn’t even start writing again until about a week ago.  My current word count is up to 9,632 words!  I’m almost halfway to my personal goal!  Every word I write is a victory for me.  My book, White Skin, Mexican Heart, details my family’s experiences in Mexico.  If you’re really interested in getting a sneak peek at it, you can find it here:

White Skin, Mexican Heart (Preview)

The best part about writing is that I can do it after work, and I can wear my jammies while I do it.  🙂

Ysabela got me head phones for my birthday! I was thinking I needed a pair, but I hadn't mentioned it out loud!

Ysabela got me head phones for my birthday! I was thinking I needed a pair, but I hadn’t mentioned it out loud!