Something Out of Nothing

My little girl is so creative.  She loves to pretend and she loves to make things out of household junk.  The other day I bought a cookbook, and inside of it was a folded piece of cardboard to help it keep its shape in the package.  I took it out of the book, and instead of throwing it in the recycling bin, I set it aside because I knew just who would like to make something out of it.  I was right.  She put it in her room for later use.

Last week, Emma made a bow and arrow out of thin tree branches and yarn.  She and her friends had been playing "The Hunger Games" so that made her want her own bow and arrows.  Hopefully, they change up the story a little and not pretend to kill each other.  But anyway, her bow and arrow really works.  She loves to go out in the backyard and practice shooting it into a chair.  It always amazes us how she figures out on her own how to make something out of nothing.

This morning when I came back into the house after running, I found her standing at the counter with the sewing machine all set up.  She was making something out of fabric scraps.  I chuckled to myself finding it kinda funny that my little girl gets out a sewing machine without even asking...as if it's a toy.  But you know what?  I don't really care that she just helps herself to it.  It might as well be hers because we all know that I don't use it.

When she was finished, I realized what it was that she had been making.  A quiver.  Yep.  My girl wanted a quiver to carry her arrows in.  She figured out how to make a strap and a long, skinny bag to form a functional piece.  She cracks us all up.  Then later this afternoon, out came the sewing machine again. She tried three times to make a glove for her hand so she won't get a sore on it.  She was frustrated with it and finally gave up, but she sure tried.

Just after I took that picture of her shooting her bow, it finally broke after a week of good use.  She burst into tears and cried and cried.  She had been working so hard on that thing.  She was so proud of it.  Matt and I had already been talking to each other about buying her a real archery set, so when she broke it, we consoled her by asking her if she'd like one.  She said yes.  So this week, we'll be searching on line for an appropriate set.  Our little girl just might turn into an Olympic archer or maybe a bow hunter.  Who knows where her creativity will take her?

Been There Done That

I can now say I've taught kindergarten.  But I'm not sure I will do it again.  It wasn't horrible.  It was enjoyable at times.  But let me tell ya that the kids did not look like this.....

Within a minute of having the kids in the classroom I knew exactly who my trouble maker was going to be.  And boy, he didn't disappoint.  I was right on the money.  He was a pain the whole day.

My day would have run a lot smoother if the teacher of the computer class hadn't changed times on me.  I was suppose to prepare the rotating centers while the kids were in computers, but the lady told me our time had changed from 1:30 until 2:45!  I had to go back to the classroom with all of the kids and try to rearrange the agenda that was left for me.  I had to figure out the centers while the kids were wiggly and I was trying to keep control.  An impromptu game of Simon Says calmed them down and gave me a few moments to catch my breath.

Teacher, I need to go to the bathroom.  Teacher, he hit me.  Teacher, he's under the table breaking pencils.  Teacher, he is in my spot.  Blah Blah Blah.

That kid who was my trouble maker grabbed my boob to get my attention at the end of the day while we were getting backpacks and lining up at the door.  Yeah, it got my attention and I told him that that wasn't appropriate.  I was more than ready to send him out the door.

I'll probably try this kindergarten gig out again.  If it's offered to me, I'll take it.  I need the money.  But I won't be sad if I don't get that chance.

Butterflies

Yikes!  My stomach is full of butterflies tonight.  Tomorrow is my first time being in charge of a whole class as a substitute teacher.  I've worked four days so far and each job has been at different schools for ERR aide.  It's been a small challenge so far, but I think tomorrow may be a BIG challenge.  I get to be a kindergarten teacher for the afternoon!

I certainly hope that my experience of being a mother and a primary president really pays off.  I hope that my job last week shadowing a special-needs kindergartener helps me out.  I watched that teacher like a hawk and tried to soak in all of her words and techniques because I already had tomorrow's job lined up.

I gotta pretend that I am an expert, a professional.... like I've done this many times before.  If there are parents around, I'm not sure I want them to know that I'm a first-timer.  Fake it 'til you make it, right?

I'll let you all know how it goes.  I'm praying that the butterflies will fly away as soon as I greet those 20+ kids and sit down at the ABC rug.

A New Twist To This Race Of Mine

Guess who's back in the workforce after 18 years?  Yours truly, Me.  I had my first day of being a substitute teacher in the Meridian School District.  This is me this morning as I was leaving my empty house to go be an extended resource room (ERR) aide from 9:00 to 3:30.

I had a cute, red, dry clean only top on (fresh from the cleaners).  MISTAKE.  I had one hour to shower and get myself to the school.  It was the first thing I saw, so I grabbed it.  I wasn't really thinking about what type of environment I was heading into.

I was assigned to work with an adorable boy named Seth.  He is a non-verbal, special needs boy who was feeling a little under the weather today.  He had a cold and was a bit sleepy in the afternoon.  I took him on a walk at recess, watched him enjoy the back and forth movement of the swing in the classroom, helped him with the touch screen computer games, used an iPad with him, fed him snack, read an interactive book with him, tried to get him to sort two colors of blocks, and then had him stack them into a tower.  All of that was in slow motion over a six hour period.

Being an ERR aide wasn't so bad.  The ladies in there were super nice and showed me things to do with Seth.  It's not something I would want to do every day, but it is an important place to help out.  Substituting will be a flexible job for me.  I'm hoping to get a regular classroom job soon.  I'd like to start with middle school.  I think I'd do best there.

Why am I back in the workforce?  This post will tell you why.  Substituting is going to help me get to India on March 25, 2013.  I want to work to pay for our plane tickets.  My service in India will mean that much more to me as I work to get us there.  Our applications were accepted last week.  We've been assigned our session dates, and I'm reading the preparation packet that I was sent.  There are a lot of little details that need to be taken care of in the next few months.  Did you know that I'm SUPER excited to serve the leprosy affected?  I think about it each and every day.

Biking in Boise

After running 5 miles and doing some yard work, we finished off Labor Day with an afternoon of biking in Boise.  We took the same route on the greenbelt that we rode on the Fourth of July.  This time we had Josh with us.  He had never ridden to Powell's Candy Shoppe before, so this route was new to him.    Here's our attempt at a self taken family photo minus Chelsea.

The greenbelt was crowded in parts, but we navigated past the peeps just fine.

We stopped for a quick water break at the Anne Frank Memorial.  I love that place.  We need to pay it a visit again but take our time and re-read the inscribed walls and listen to her story again.  Why do I not think of taking visitors here when they come to town?  It is a lovely memorial.  

We biked to the area where the candy shoppe is located and had pizza at Flatbread Community Oven.  We had never eaten at this one before (this is the 3rd).  I got my usual margherita pizza and chicken apple walnut salad.  Yum.  I forgot to pull out my camera when the beautiful food was on our plates.

Then we headed over to Powell's.  Check out these delicious treats that I found.  Sorry about the blurry pics.  Let's start with some fizzy bacon soda.  Refreshing, I'm sure.

"The magical fruit" that I bet produces the same results, if you know what I mean.

Scrub yourself daily with one of these babies.  And pick your teeth clean with a ranch flavored toothpick while you're at it.

Who wouldn't want to have pickle breath?  Grab a pickle mint and you'll be set!

This is one of my favorite spots along the river.  It's by Veteran's Park. It's quiet and shady.  I love the dark colors in there.

Here's me... the happy mom.  Another fun biking day with the fam.