A Rose Between Two Thorns: March 2014

Saturday, March 29, 2014

All days that end in Y are wonderful!

How do you feel about ~~Friday~~ ~~Saturday~~ almost Sunday being here? Usually as things catch my attention or heart I log on, blog them pretty quickly and them BAM! ready to click post on Friday. Not the case this week or last. Life has been b.u.s.y! I had a little reality check last Friday when I was sent home from work with a migraine. It was no bueno for sure. We sometimes need to remember that we are human and must SLOW down. Yeah, I'm not good at that. ANYWAYS...Here are some moments over the past few weeks that made me smile and I hope that you smile too!

1. So while I was on the struggle bus I just tried to take it one day at a time and you guys helped me smile for sure. Here is what was shared on Facebook when I asked what made others smile this week...

*Russ
*This post.
*Standing ovation after story time.
*Winning the midday lottery.
*You!
*A text from my mom.
*A compliment from a parent of a student.
*A student working hard on writing a thank you letter.
*A wedding.
*Multiple adorable baby and little kiddo pics.
*Baby moments.
*Dunkin doughnuts.
*Kiddos sharing at school.
*Hollering bingo 4 times in one night.
*Running in shorts.
*1st baseball practice.
*A new changeable cast.
*Planning a vacation.
*A Cardinal win
*Elementary school team winning.

See how that works....ALL of those little moments helped ME, the one having the "rough" week realize that it's all okay. THANK YOU for making ME SMILE!!

2. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade went to the Planetarium at UofL. It was a pretty nice field trip and overall I think my class enjoyed it. Definitely helped some of them with our weather unit.

3. Oprah once said something along the lines that you have to make the best decision for you at a moment in time that will set you up for what is next. I missed the St. Patrick's Day parade because I had report cards, National Boards work, a pretty big observation to plan for, and a few other school related things. It was hard to stay home when EVERYONE that is close to me was out having fun, but I am okay with my decision. Positives of the day....I was productive for sure and I was able to take my breaks with this beautiful gal...

4. Mayor's Cup was held on the 22nd. I think the Academic Team was a little disappointed with 2nd place, but I think they should all be really proud of themselves!

5. Our National Championship girl fell asleep during the UofL-St. Louis game. How can you not smile at this?

6. Jayne had a girls night last weekend. Pizza and sundaes were yummy, but the company was the best. Her closest gal friends are so sweet and real!

Gilmore Girls!

Pizza Time!

7. I FINALLY finished my video taping for National Boards. NOW, I still have A LOT of typing to do. The thing that is so frustrating is that there is not enough time in a school day. I sometime have to be reminded of this...

I want to instill a love of learning in my students' brains and hearts, not test taking skills or the idea that you have to be proficient to be important.

8. Went to the Football Call-In show with my mom.
Side Note: Many people have asked what I think of having Bobby back. So before you wonder to yourself as to why I would go support him. There is nothing I can do about who Tom Jurich hires. I was skeptical because what normal person would't be. He skipped out on us. He left us scared! At the end of the day he is a coach. At the end of the day he has to answer to himself, his wife, and God. I am no one to judge someone else's wrongs. I trust Tom. Not to mention I was in college when Petrino was here last and those football games were some that I will NEVER forget. I even remember the black-out ones!
Back to the point. I had dinner and a nice evening with my mom while talking about Cardinal Football! Love me some Cardinal Football!!!

9. I LOVE the people I work with! Best staff ever!!!

Family Divided!

10. This cool cat and his wife came into CPK last Sunday at the end of my shift. I didn't wait on them, but I got to eat lunch with them. I think he secretly likes selfies. Actually, I do not think he likes them, he just puts of with how much I like them.

Favorite Little Brother!

11. I did get to wait on someone that is near and dear to my heart that I have not seen in a long time. Leslie and Alex stopped in for a mother and son lunch date. It was so comforting to see her and a great way to start the week!

12. Ms. Rowan and I took some 5th grade gals to the WiSE (Woman in Science and Engineering Expo) this week. It was nice how they were able to interact and be a part of a team with students from other schools. One of their tasks was to build a structure out of marshmallows, pretzels, and gum drops that would hold this book for a minute. It was not as easy for them as it looks.

13. The Academic Team gave me flowers. Precious.

14. Proud to be a Cardinal fan. Always and forever. It may not have ended how we wanted it to, but this team gave us so many great memories. They lost a hard-fought game. Nothing to hang your head about. It's a game. Go Cards!

15. Had one of the most fun compliment celebrations with my class yesterday! Their 5th chain of compliments reached the ground last week. We all agreed that it would be more fun to have our celebration the day before SB 2014. At the beginning of the year for their first celebration they wanted pizza. I told them I would treat them on their 5th one. We completed a days worth of work all before 1:00. We stayed focused! I kept them from special area so we would have more time together. We enjoyed pizza, watched The Little Rascals, danced a little and made some "foam" fingers in spirit of the game.

16. It's Spring Break 2014!!!

How did the last half of March go for you?

xoxo-Kim

Friday, March 14, 2014

I haven't been so excited about Friday since last Friday!

1. Monday I left school and stopped my my parents for some of my mom's yummy veggie soup. I loved seeing my favorite sister Lacie too! Then when I was getting on the Waterson I merged on right behind a little white Volvo that looked very familiar. It was CRAIGER!!! So I dialed him up and we had a nice little phone chat as I followed along on our drive home. Love that my brothers are so wonderful. Great evening chat after a tiring day.

2. Lacie girl turned 8 this week! That is 56 in people years...holy cow where does time go?!?! I will be the first to admit when Craig and Lisa brought over 3 puppies that day and said they were only leaving with two I was firmly against it. Our family had a few dogs when we were younger, but they were outside dogs and I never really had much of an attachment with them. I just knew that dogs needed a lot of love and attention and would we be able to provide that kind of care. My brothers had already moved out of the house, so it was just mom, dad, and I sharing the responsibilities. Welp, this was the best battle I have ever lost!

My mom chose Lacie because she was a small girl. Not sure how long we had her without a name, but somehow Robbie, one of Bub's friends, had the honors of picking the winning one. Then me being difficult wanted to spell Lacie with the IE instead of the more traditional Lacy or Lacey. She was going to be a one-of-a-kind queen from the start. I will never forget that first night in her cage she cried and cried and cried and cried. I was totally shocked at how loud she was and was just shaking my head that we had a dog. I was amazed at how something so tiny could make that awful noise. She was a good dog from the start and definitely gets her demeanor from her mom, Derby. Derby has the most loving heart of any dog I've ever met. I am glad Lacie is like her in that sense. My mom did a great job of making sure she knew what was hers to chew on and she knew where the door was for potty breaks early on. Lacie quickly became a lap dog and has never really gotten the idea of her actual size. She also has some difficulty with personal space, but that's her. She has done a great job with her younger adopted sister, Zoe. They are not super duper close, but Lacie and Zoe get along really well.

I knew we were meant to be besties forever when she had some stomach issues when she was about 2. She was not able to move around a lot for a week. I made me a pallet on the living room floor and slept by her side every night. Me, the person that didn't want her, was now wrapped around her little ~~finger~~ paw. I can honestly say that the one thing I miss about being at home (besides my parents) is her! Over the years we have become the best sissies in the world. She would help me do my homework, she would watch TV with me, we would play in the snow, I taught her kissies, we would chat until all hours of then night ;), and she would literally take up half my bed every night snuggling at my feet. I love her to a far away galaxy and back. SHE is the reason I love dogs so much.

3. We went to the Louisville Orchestra this week with school. I personally like the orchestra. I mean, I know nothing about music. I never really understand what they are explaining about how music has characters, settings, and yadda, yadda, yadda. I just do NOT have an ear for that type of deep listening. I DO however like the sound and think it's pretty darn cool how all of the instruments played together create this feeling of harmony and peace. Oh dear...I'm a nerd! Just wait until we go on our field trip next week. I am stoked about that nerd experience too!

4. Two very important people to me started new jobs this week. I am really excited for each to have be given the opportunities to start a new chapter in their lives. Way to go ya'll!!! You know who you are!

5. I had a moment at school the other day while working with a student. This kiddo in particular is below grade level and can at times get into mischief. He has grown a ton this year, in terms of academics and behavior, but just has that little 5th grade swagger that he is at times too cool for school. Or as my friend Leann was once told....A 5th grader with a 6th grade attitude. I really appreciate how he has opened up and fully accepted my weirdness. Anyways...I was working one-on-one with him on some math and the radio was on in the background. "Free And Easy Down The Road I Go" came on. That's a special song I share with one of my most favorites! I proceed to tell this student about how I love it and yadda, yadda, yadda. His reply, "You know what Ms. Weiter, that's cool and I like this song too because my grandpa likes it." It just really got me thinking about the lyrics and how it fits so well into living a happy care-free life and the relationship my dad and I share. Are there any lines that stick out to you?

Pair of boots and a sack of clothes