Christmas and Drew's first Birthday

Alright, I havent blogged in years lol well actually day 1 of 30 day shred...it has been going well besides my few days of being sick...i think i lost some weight...anyways I will write about Christmas and Drew's birthday.

Christmas was so fun! We had the traditional Christmas Eve progressive dinner...my parents get to participate too...we went ot my parents first for appitizers, mine for salad, barney's for main course and nick's aunt and uncle's for dessert and a game! At each place, that person gives presents. SOOO FUN! and this is Drew's first Christmas and FIRST birthday TODAY :)

Christmas Day, we went over to Barney's for breakfast and then Nick's grandma's for Christmas dinner. soooo goood and i ate bad... oh well i am back on track today with eating very healthy and exercising..except I did exercise on Christmas Eve... and today is Drew's birthday and just loungin around...(tomorrow is Drew's birthday party with families) :)

Drew has transitioned to one big nap during the day I think...consistantly he has been doing that for a week or so :) it is nice to get things done for the few hrs...

Last night I actually got a little emotional about Drew lol I dunno why...just thinking about his birth and him and everything... :) We are blessed. I love him so much. I understand now a mother's love for her child.

"A mother's love is instinctual, unconditional, and forever."- unknown

Day 1

Jillian Michaels 30 day shred -Day 1...and no I prolly wont blog everyday, I just havent blogged in a long time.
So it was a good workout. I am very out of shape so I could really feel the burn. The problem is I want instant results. lol Dont we all for anything in life, huh. I guess that is what God means by having patience - fruit of the Spirit! "Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength..." Isaiah 40:31... Man its just so depressing cuz I never have struggled with this before I had Drew. Well, I am on the road to recovery! haha (sigh)
The problem is I didnt do anything right after I had Drew to help. I was having other physical issues but...cant go back in time! It kinda feels weird saying this stuff cuz people say it all the time but now I really an determined to get back in shape especially looking at old pics and the pics we just took.

I just keep saying/thinking "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME"

If anyone has any encouraging words or things you have done to lose weight/get in shape, you are welcome to share with me! :) KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE!! Thanks!

Conferences/Changes

Sooo some updates/changes happening in my classroom. I found out at the last minute that my 3 ISD children are being pulled out of my classroom as of Monday. Therefore, I could not even say goodbye :( I guess they are making cuts cuz of funding so they are moving over to a different school with the aide. However, I will only have 9 children now so that is nice.

We have a short week again this week because of parent teacher conferences! I am a bit nervous about that but it will prolly be good once I get started. I need to just be prepared to lead the convo!

The conference was good...but sometimes I feel like education overload haha but that is my job so... :) I learned about some really great ideas though! Brain Gym, which I have heard of before but it was great to have the ideas reinforced, and then great ideas for Bible stuff/chapels for early education. It was also great to hang out with the other teacher gals and LAUGH :) its hilarious playing games....fun times...I hadnt laughed like that in a while. It was good. :)

Tidbit

Fact about 3 year olds reinforced:

* they are very literal.
Once again, this is obvious but I was reminded of this when I told the kids to line up behind Maria. (she was standing by me) Ok so when I said that, all the other kids ran to stand RIGHT BEHIND Maria. LOL Oh dear, I was like ok I need to back up...I need to teach you how to line up first. ....

I learn something everyday.

Great Day!

So, it isnt like other days arent great, but today at school went soooo smoothly! We had our circle time, song, etc, brief bible story about John the Baptist in the desert and so we talked about deserts...and then did the zoo-phonics -letter "d" etc and we painted cacti (mixed salt with green paint so it will be prickily like a cactus) :) and while I was doing that with each child, I gave them the option to work on puzzles, or other table activities and it worked really well! They were working hard and not crazy all over the room and they love painting! then we had spanish (A spanish teacher comes in) and so on.......

Anyways, I was happy and it makes me thankful. All glory goes to God though, not me!

With 3 year olds, you cant have "dead air" for a second! So I need to make sure I have enough activities in case something doesnt take as long to do, or waiting for something else....That is OBVIOUS but ya know...good to figure out what works.....

I ordered 2 Dr. Jean cds! I am excited to get them and use them! Songs are sooo great!!


Well......til next time.... :)

Discouragement-Encouragement/Today at School

My devotion today.........

Humble yourselves before the Lord, andHe will lift you up. ( James 4:10 *NIV )

Sometimes we all become depressed because of thingsthat happen in our lives. For sometimes we feel; We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, butnot abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ( 2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Now when you feel the pressures of life rememberthe words of king David, for he wrote; Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve mylife; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. ( PSALM 138:7 )
Therefore we do not lose heart. For our lightaffliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weightof glory, while we do not look at the thingswhich are seen, but at the things which are not seen. ( 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 )

Humble yourselves, therefore,under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Amen. ( 1 Peter 5:6-7 )

That is my devotion today. I have been having a hard time with being sick and this asthma crap...God has encouraged me even though I get discouraged. That was totally the opposite but...anyways its amazing the bible verses that come in the devotions...and I love it cuz it personalizes it too and says "Dear Angie.,..etc...but I take it out when I post it so you can read it for you too! Anyways I wanted to share this. Praying everyday...


School today was good except I wasnt totally prepared because I havent really thought about school since I have been sick. Today the bible lesson was about Samuel and Eli and so I quickly made 2 stick puppet things with popsicle sticks to play with the story haha It was a good enough visual ;) I have learned that visuals are A GREAT thing to use for those kiddies...well that is pretty obvious but anything that they can ,look at and participate in too works well and they understand better. Teaching 101 haha

Until later......

Fish Rug

I forgot about something I wanted to post about. THOSE KIDS ARE HILARIOUS...there are some things I definitely did not think about...little things like the new awesome fish rug for circle time....It doesnt seem so fun now when everyday they are FIGHTING OVER a particular fish they want to sit on! - to the point of TEARS....and being mad! So it has gotten to a point where I say so and so can sit on ('Nemo' is what they call it, the orange one)..this day and you can sit on it tomorrow...etc...(sigh) haha It is ridiuclous. lol Or they want to sit on the same fish when I say pick your own...oh those precious three year olds. =)
Well thats my story. The end. :)

End of Third Week

I have been EXHAUSTED...mostly because I havent had a voice. I hate fall actually partly because I have bad allergies then and it is getting cold......OK wow that sounds really negative but that is my thoughts on that haha....anyways I have been having a BLAST with my little kiddies :) They are so cute but can be little stinkers ;) I am learning a lot and seeing what works and what doesnt...but isnt that what happens :) I will be a pro by next year hahah jk but I am having a great expereince especially with the spec education students and sitting in on IEPs...havent done that before...just heard about them in classes... I have so many good resources which is great!
Um not really sure what to write about... I mean I have soooooooo many thoughts but it is hard to categorize them all and write them down...I am learning more about the best ways for classroom management, which I am testing different types. It is awesome when something works!!
Today was picture day. That was interesting because the photographer took like 5 pics of each child so it took forever. I understand that they want to do a good picture, but I mean comon, they are 3 year olds. They arent going to sit there for 5 min and smile on command. ;) They were getting restless out in the hall waiting!
We went onto Bubba Bear today! Letter B! Just FYI ;) The Bible story today was about David and Goliath and I found this cool game with a big marble or stone and 5 smaller ones and you roll the smaller ones and try to hit the bigger one which is like Goliath! We played that today.

PEACE!

God is so awesome. I love how he speaks to me..especially in more than one place and in more than one way. Today in my daily devotional I get in my email and a daily bible verse I get in email, BOTH had the SAME bible verse!!!

"Jesus Christ said;Peace I leave with you; my peaceI give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let yourhearts be troubled and do not be afraid." ( John 14:27 *NIV )

I needed that. I have been stressed out because of all the stuff/errands I have had to deal with...insurance stuff and various things....plus teaching so especially today, I needed that word from God. I thank him for his peace!

The one little devotion said this after the verse:
"My peace. The word My is emphatic. This is no conventional wish; this is Jesus' personal, special grant of peace. The peace that Christ gives banishes fear and dread from the heart, for Jesus is in control of all circumstances."

Yay, God is in control! He will work everything out. I am standing on that promise today!

9/9/09 thoughts...

Today was pretty good. I realize there are a couple things I havent thought about thoroughly like I have been saying "criss cross applesauce, hands in your lap" which is really common. However, one of my aides said to me today, um I dont think they know how to do that right now. Some do but most dont. So I asked the kids if they knew what I meant and they didnt. Therefore, I showed them how to sit like that. Wow. That is when I kind of feel dumb, but that goes back to having to go back down to their level. I am still kind of above that, assuming some things" I should not do that at all. lol
It is interesting the with ISD aide in there with me considering she is the teacher who left last year to do this kind of thing. Its a little intimidiating but she is friendly and encouraging. Today, we just continued the apple theme/creation. Not entirely sure all I am going to do tomorrow yet....
Tomorrow is like "Friday" to me already........it is nice working but only working 3 mornings a week so I can be home with Drew the rest of the time!God is awesome; He worked everything out! :)

Second week of the Beginning

So today was the first day when the whole class was here! It went a lot better than expected..well actually I did not really know what to expect. There were 4 more kids that started today. 3 are from the ISD and Lyle Torrant. Sweet little Samantha who goes by Sammy has Down Syndrome and the other two have developmental delays/speech...I hate putting labels but for sake of describing.... there are only 3 boys in the class and 8 girls! The other two boys can be in their own little world at circle time haha But they are allll adorable! So this is how it works. The 3 from Lyle Torrant have an aide in addition to my aide....and definitely the aide is actually the teacher that taught in that classroom the past 3 years (I think)... so that made me really nervous at first...but it was ok...still gonna have to get used to it. She said a couple things and was like "sorry!' "I wont say anything." I was like its ok... lol but anyways overall it was a good day :) I thought maybe the dynamics of the class would change after the 4 extra came, but it didnt really. They are pretty quiet so didnt really disrupt the mesh. They all played great together and we have been working on sharing. =)
Today I introduced the zoo-phonics animals and we sang the song of course...one of these days I will tape it :) It is fun! We also talked about apples and how God made the earth and food for us to eat that grows from seeds! I cut open an apple and showed them the different parts of the apple and then we ate apples for snack! Too bad it was raining so we couldnt go outside for recess....well...tomorrow is another day :)

Beginning school thoughts.....

So I feel like I am being initiated into teaching. I have to jump over the obstacles of being young and being a first year teacher. It is so hard because you have to start somewhere...anyways I could vent a lot...but long story short I have gotten grilled quite a few times...

I am glad to get my first year over with! and no I dont mean I wanna get thru the year, but I cant wait to be starting my second year cuz that means I will have already taught a year. I hope that makes sense...

anyways I do love and I love the kids...It is funny going from 3rd grade student teaching to back down to 3 year olds because I have to teach them to walk in a line! But they are doing well....and we played the zoo phonics song a few times and they already got most of the motions!

The second and third day went a lot smoother! The three hours go by fast! I have to start planning for the next weeks.....
I will be relaxing this weekend and planning ...

FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL

First Day of School:
I was really nervous at first, didnt really know what to expect and I was thinking that that I had to make sure that everything was perfect and that I knew what I was going to say. Then I remembered what Nick said to me before school. He told me to remember to just have fun interact with the kids" That was a good reminder because that was what I always struggled with - thinking more about my lessons being perfect than connecting with the kids and helping them learn.
I was pretty happy with how the first day went. I really wasnt sure how long things would take or how the kids would act exactly. There were 6 kids that came today. 3 are coming from Lyle Torrent Center which they will come next Tuesday. There is also going to be 1 more next week too, maybe. I am glad we have a small class. There will be 2 aids in my room so that is even nicer!
Ok sorry this is so random but a funny thing today, I was saying something then asked the aide about how they usually do things and she was like "Well you can do whatever you want. You're the teacher!" haha I was like I am not used to that lol It is weird. I mean I always helped other teachers, now I am the teacher! I love it though! But I was tired by the end of the "day" :)
We did a welcome song and told the rules and procedures, walked around the school and they were really quite good at walking in a line! I got rope and tied knots along it and they held onto the knots...It will be good for them to get in that habit of walking in a line down the hall. That is the transition I had to make from 3rd graders to 3 year olds. I mean I know about them but the last thing I taught was third grade and now I have to think like a 3 year old. :) They are sooo cute though and I love to hear their thoughts on things. We went outside and played on their little playground...I feel bad though because they had to have a few things taken out because of licensing....I dunno details but because of different "dangers." We also played in the sand table. THEY LOVED That! Ya, that is one thing I have to work on is...they all wanna play with different toys whenever they want so we will work on that :)
There is so much I can say...so I will just stop now ...gotta figure out what I wanna do tomorrow...I still feel kinda scatterbrained cuz of all the little things I need to think about now...like the newsletters go on renweb now and gotta figure out snacks for the whole week cuz we have to put it in the newsletter. I couldnt get into renweb today so that was frustrating...we do attendance on it toooooooo :/ anyways, and then the auction...and then the open house on thurs nite~ ANYWAYS........day 1 was good...and I wont write everyday but the highlights. I figured I would write about the first day :) also I just wanted to! haha

Encouragement Today

My devotion today:

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth,the sea, and everything in them-the LORD, who remains faithful forever." Psalm 146:5


Anyone who places their trust or hope in people will ultimately be disappointed, since no one has the ability, permanence, integrity, or reliability to perfectly keep their promises or meet others expectations.
In contrast, God existed throughout all eternity and created everything in existence, and He has governed and guided His creation throughout the eons. He is also perfectly good and faithful to keep His promises, and He always acts for His children's benefit. Therefore, those who follow God can trust that He will guide our lives toward beneficial ends, according to His eternal perspective. Moreover, He will never abandon us.

I needed this today and I realize God never ceases to amaze me. When I need something, there is always a scripture about it...I am struggling with physical symptoms that are unexplainable and I get worried and anxious and I had a hard night last nite. This morning I read this... I keep praying ....I am more than a conquerer and God is working in me and making me stronger.

Anyways.....I met 6 of my kiddies today...they are adorable... I am excited to be their teacher and learn mroe about them and have fun!

Just my thoughts...

First meeting day at school:
It was a long day but exciting cuz it is my first official meeting as a real teacher :) It was good but long. Prof Linton from SAU actually came to talk about cultures etc and students that come to our schools from other countries..(JCS has been having more and more Korean students come) :) Then we watched a video about Christian schools and the mission...I truly believe in and am a big advocate of Christian schools! The main point in the video about Christian schools is to disciple. It is all for the Kingdom of God...and I am not saying Public schools are bad and Christians shouldnt be in there so I am not saying that so...... lol

The vision statement of Jackson Christian School is "Jackson Christian School students will possess wisdom, knowledge and a Biblical worldview resulting in a lifestyle of Godly character, leadership, service, stewardship and worship." and the mission statement is: "...Equipping Students to Impact the World for Christ."

I believe in those statements and I want to be a part of letting Jesus shine through me to help guide children in the way they should go according to the Bible. :) It may sound very cliche but to me it is not... and my hope is that when people leave Jackson Christian, they would hold onto their convictions and strive to lead other people to Jesus and show them the way they should act/think/live according to the Bible. It is sooo sad to me when I see people being influenced by the world rather than the other way around. My question is when did they fall off the wagon? What happened? Or they just fell for what the world had to offer....anyways that is just my thoughts today and my rant...I am not perfect AT ALL...I need to give everything to God everyday because I struggle with so much especially with worries etc...but I want to please God...he says in John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey my commands." That is what I strive to do...which I dont and no one can be perfect cuz no one is Jesus but I want to be more like him. :)

Anyways I am done and we have more meetings tomorrow!

Frustrations and Falls

This has been a frustrating blog experience...I have had issues with my other accounts and cant get into them but I think I figured it out now.....so there ya go.....anyways I fell down the stairs today. That doesnt suprise you if you know me well........and usually I would laugh.....but it hurt BAD today....I was carrying the saucer down the stairs and slipped, felt banged my head and neck back and my neck kills SOOOOOOOO bad...like going to lay my head down, all the muscles...and i have 2 bruises on my lower back and etc...(sigh) oh well...gotta go to t he chiropractor!! That is enough for now. I am tired and sore.