Oh, Kaylin.

How I love you...even though you are a serious goofball.

She can make friends with a light post, but it seems as though keeping and connecting with those friends is harder for her. Macy has a close group of friends at her school, and I really want that for Kaylin as well. She got involved in a Daisy group, but none are from her school. And there are only 6 other girls in her kindergarten class--that makes it difficult.

A couple weeks ago one of them attempted to spend the night. Attempted is the key word--she made it until 9:30 before I had to call her mom. Little Kaylin was bossy as all get out, and no amount of redirection would curb it. Little Girl cried and cried, and had no desire to spend the night anymore.

Kaylin cried her little heart out, and we've discussed at length the bossy personality.

Tonight we're trying it with another little girl. Macy is at a friends house around the corner, so it's just the two of them. Kaylin is just as bossy as ever, but this little girl is handling it better. She's dishing it out as much as Kaylin. Right now they are running circles around me playing freeze tag. I think this one might make it all night.

And now for the funny story that inspired me to call KK a goofball: Kaylin had two pieces of pizza left over from last night. One was half-eaten by her last night, the other a full piece. She took both pieces to her friend, and of course offered the half-eaten one to her. Her comment?

"My dogs ate off this, but it's okay. You can have what's left."

Update at 10:53--girls sacked out in the living room.

Brag Time

Paper in Macy's folder today:

**spelling not corrected on here, even though it was hard for me not to!

"I am talented at basketball. I love it because my dad loves it so he tot me how to. I am so glad I play basketball. I am so good at it."

Ahhhh....

Then....

"Yuli's talent is traning anamls. I am sher she loves trining anamls."

And a friend of ours worked in Kaylin's class last week as the WATCHDOG, and he told Bobby and I both later that Kaylin was by far the best reader in her class! She is rocking her list of sight words, and loves to read. De ja vu of another little girl two years ago!

Living on a prayer

I loved Bon Jovi growing up. It was the era of big bands, big hair, big music. I loved all their songs--Wanted Dead or Alive, Living on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name--all my favorites. Never got to see them in concert, as my parents were not concert-goers, and frankly, I probably didn't realize they even came to town.

Fast forward to now. A couple friends and I decided to get tickets when their tour comes to the Sprint Center in March. One friend had nosebleed seats before, so we hatched a plan to get better seats.

Tickets went on sale at 10 am. I had three students in study hall lined up on computers, reading to hit refresh at 10 on the dot. 10 rolls around, they refresh, and we were off. It was a thrilling race to try to get the best tickets. One computer pulled up seats upstairs, so I ignored that computer and focused on the other two. Got three seats 11 rows back, right next to the stage. Sweet!

It was thrilling, but nerve wracking at the same time. I was so afraid I was going to mess something up, or lose the good seats. My students were laughing at me. "Calm down, calm down, you've got it" they kept repeating. And I did.

Now we have to wait until March!

Long day

It's been a long day.

During my planning period, I ran over to the health center to get my "offical" birth certificate. Unfortunately, today was the H1N1 clinic. Madness.

Then during lunch, a student got on my Facebook (because I left it open, my fault) and changed my picture to a big black guy, said I was interested in women, and changed my status to "i get monayyyyy i get papaaaa i get gurlllsss all different flavaaaa." I spent the afternoon fixing her many changes.

Towards the end of the day the fire alarm went off. Something about the pipes breaking in the locker room caused the sprinklers to go off. I have a class of kids with mental disabilties, and getting them outside was difficult, just to turn around and go back in.

After school I had a meeting to discuss ordering furniture for the new high school. I also had been told that we'd know before Christmas if we were going to the new school, and instead I'll know before Thanksgiving. Yikes. That makes me nervous.

Took 4 little girls to the park after school, and they played until it was getting dark. Jesse, I played with them until I got cold and then I sat in the car.

Finally, Macy was extremey snotty to Kaylin all night, and had to eat dinner alone in her room. Then as i was helping her figure out what to wear tomorrow, she said, "Wow, I didn't know Mom's could be so mean." walked out of her room and didn't help her after that.

I'm worn out tonight.

Countdown starts...

The countdown begins...in one week we'll be in DC. The questions are starting, from all our students. How much money to take? Will we have time to go shopping? How many classes do I have to take?

We'll be going to the Holocaust Musuem, and I want Macy to be able to understand a little about what is going on. I checked out a couple kid books about Anne Frank, and we started reading them tonight. After tonight's book, she knows that Anne Frank was Jewish, she hid in an attic, and the Nazi's killed people in concentration camps.

We're all getting excited to go. I looked ahead today to the conventions for the next few years, and there's some good ones: San Antonio, Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Fran again. Of course, good old KC next year.

Socks, birth certificates, and NaBloPoMo

Today was my birthday! Overall it was a great day. I never understand why people call in sick or stay home on their birthday; I love having everyone tell me happy birthday and give me presents!

My newspaper kids held a surprise party for me during lunch, and they actually tricked me this year. To read about last year's party, click here . They also remembered my love for new socks, and hid 28 pairs of new socks around the classroom and our computer lab. Some of the boys obviously had never bought socks for a female, but that's okay. It's the thought that counts.

I remembered yesterday that my driver's license expires today. I'm a little sad about it--the last time I renewed my driver's license, I was pregnant with Kaylin 5 years ago, and I wrote in her pregnancy journal about it. You can click here to read about last year and how not renewing my license was almost a problem.

So I dug around yesterday and found my birth certificate. After school I ventured over to the license bureau. I was happy that there was only one person in front of me, and he was almost done. Yeah! My turn! The dry, humorless woman took one look at my birth certificate, and heaved a huge sigh before handing it back to me. Apparently my offical birth certificate is not offical enough. I have to go to the county health center, pay $15 and get an "offical" birth certificate that says the exact same thing as the one in my hand.

I couldn't help myself and I asked her "Seriously?" She sighed at me again and said, "Yes, seriously." She did grant me a 60-day extension, to "compensate for my trouble." Since I'm flying to DC next week, I will try to take care of before then.

On a final note, November is the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and a few of my students are doing it. I'm going to attempt to write a blog entry every day for the month of November, or NaBloPoMo. So far I'm 2/2. With the DC trip coming up, I'm sure I will not be lacking for material.

November leaves

Saturday was beautiful! I went for a nice run (still every step painful--I need new shoes!) and Bobby and the girls raked the yard. I left the camera with Bobby, and he got some great photos! Maybe he can be the family photographer now? Yeah right...

Macy... oh, dear Macy.

Kaylin...who has gotten in BIG trouble two days in a row for telling her sister "I hate you". Look at that sweet face...

Kaylin in mid-air

Macy flying through the air

I came home to two tired little girls, and one tired daddy. But trick or treating awaited...