Summer Happenings

Ratings: 1-5 (low to high)

• Germanfest (3.5...only because of friends)
• Strawberry Fest in Coldwater, MI (4.5)
• Riverfest at IPFW in Fort Wayne. Ever seen a cardboard regatta (real people in cardboard boats racing on a river)? Hilarious! (5)
• Doing legal paperwork (1)
• Having all paperwork completed (5)
• Learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Excel at the public library (4...it makes me feel smart!)
• Interviewing and not getting calls back (2)
• Applying to jobs (1.5)
• Finding a job position where I am happy! (5.5...I started July 8th)
• Isma actually liking his math class. (5)
• A coworker who gives me free produce from his garden. (5)
• Going to the lake. (4.5)
• Fourth of July with Collins clan!! (5)
• Going to the pool. (4)
• Finishing some projects. (4)
• Collins Family Treasures "auction" to help my grandparents move. (4)

I'll share some of the projects that I finished recently and pictures from Coldwater coming up! 

Early Summer "Garden"

Dad dug up a volunteer tomato plant from the vegetable garden for Isma and I. So far, it has given us a grand total of 2 ripe red cherry tomatoes. Whoohoo! There are many green ones, though, now.

I received this chair for Christmas one year, but it is now loved but much past repairs. Dad fixed it twice, and now it can rest in peace and help my herbs get much needed sun. Dad and I made a table for the plants in late July to supplement the chair; I'll post pictures later.

Germanfest

Summer is almost over, and I have yet to post about any of it! In the next few posts I hope to get you up to speed on how our summer has been going!

Germanfest, not Oktoberfest, as it is in July. Isma, Jose, Arielle, and I decided to explore half of the contingency's meager German heritage and celebrate with leiderhosen-clad people by eating pretzels and bratwurst while listening to polka. It was overpriced, and I'm sure we won't go again, but it was nice to spend time with friends! Strangely, one of the highlights for me was realizing that there was brick pavement under the dirt where we had parked...I wonder what other treasures were buried there...

Outside Garden

...leads to outside problems.

My green villain.

I don't know where they come from, but they keep eating the arugula. That's for Isma and I to eat. :(

Midwest Safari

As the car slowly rolled down the gravel road, Isma, Mom, Dad, and I kept a watchful gaze for any deer heading out to steal the farmers' crops. The sun and the moon shared their place in the sky as the dust left a trail behind the vehicle. We tried to get close to the deer, but each time they lifted their white tails and bounded away. Mom laughed and told Isma that they really did bounce like kangaroo. Colin was convinced that kangaroo and deer were one in the same when he was younger. 

As our safari continued, we spotted a mother racoon halfway between the trees and road leading her babies through the soybeans. The perfect line of baby racoons and mothers silhouetted against the night sky caused Dad to stop the car as we watched. Of course Isma, with his love irrational of racoons, was entranced.

We passed many Amish homes and fields, full of cows, horses, and goats. One goat was tied up outside the family fence and straining to eat the tasty tops of the grass. I remember Grandpa Vance talking about his goat being used as a lawn mower too.

As we turned the corner to head back to the lake house, Dad stopped the car so we could look at the strangest cow we had ever seen. The bull/cow's horns were about 2 feet long, and the calf's horns weren't much shorter. I have never seen one like it. Isma commented that everything REALLY was bigger in the US.  I wonder what it would be like to bullfight with a bull like that...

News

Last week I left my teaching position. It was a difficult decision. I mean, we had a month left of school, the kids would have to have a substitute, and I might upset people at the school. However, stress and work hours had came to a point that I was feeling sick, having daily headaches and frequent migraines, and finding it difficult to get through the school day. So, I resigned. 

I thank those in my family that were there to support me and even send me a card from Michigan. After grading those last papers and handing them off to the substitute after entering the grades, I've been feeling a lot better. I'm feeling my old self again, something for which I'm grateful (and Isma is too). After working about 80 hours a week, it's been strange to have so much free time. Hopefully I'll find a new, less stressful, position soon.

Ukraine Adoption

Awhile back I wrote a post (see it here) about a friend, Crystal, whose family is trying to adopt a little boy from Ukraine. They plan to travel there the end of May or mid-June. Here is a video about their last fundraising effort to pay for all of the adoption and immigration paperwork.



If that doesn't work, you can try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C38j47huM80#t=0s

Decomposition

As part of our ecosystem unit, I took the class outside to collect leaves in varying states of decomposition. Kids didn't get them very decomposed. I think they didn't want to get messy. After getting back upstairs, they put them in order from least to most decomposed in small groups. It was a fun activity to blow off some steam and complete the energy cycle.

Poster donated by a student.

Some Writing Charts

Sloppy hamburger

hangs on my wall

reminding of paragraphs

and bad school food.

Word Wall

Towards the beginning of the school year, Mom made cute letters for our word wall. We add five words to it each week. I'm happy that I'll be able to reuse it with my next class. I wish that we could add words other than high frequency words, though. High frequency words are words that, by the end of a certain grade level, students should be able to read and spell. Some of the words that my kids struggle with spelling aren't as simple as the high frequency list, which I feel should be learned in the younger grades. As I said, some are helpful for my students who flip letters in words and for my special education students, but the rest need something else for reference! If only there was more room in the classroom.

Organization, Organization, Organization

At the beginning of the school year I was constantly finding graded student work, newsletters I'd slaved over, and other papers meant to be seen by parents, stuffed inside student desks and hidden inside the recycling bins. A colleague suggested I use mailboxes to put all of their papers inside, and give them a moment at the end of the day to pick up their papers and put them in their backpacks. I, however, was not one of the lucky teachers to inherit all sorts of wonderful organizational materials. So, I took the books for guided reading out of their cardboard shelves, found another home for them, and labeled each shelf with a student name. It's been working well, and MOST students are much more organized and good at getting their papers to their parents. Now, what to do with those students who purposely lose their papers.

RAPP

It surprises me how much terminology and other teaching related things have changed in the four years since I graduated from college. One thing that the school does for reading responses is RAPP: repeat the question, answer the question, and prove it with two examples or details from the story. It's a great way to ensure students write in complete sentences and connect their answers back to the text! Below is a chart I made to help the students get started.

Vocabulary Fun with "Holes"

My fifth grade class is about halfway through the novel, "Holes" by Louis Sachar. As one of the daily stations, or independent language arts activities, that my students do while I teach small groups, I have them doing vocabulary cards. They write the word on a sentence strip then write the dictionary definition, a sentence using the word, and an illustration on an index card. I can't wait to see the board fill up!

Snow Day Haiku

We will be doing haiku this week, and as I have the Monday off because of the snow (yet again), I thought I'd practice a bit.

I.

Petals from grey clouds

floating down to grace the earth

blanket all with white

II.

Frigid flakes melt

on my cheek, not to blanket

the cold, barren ground

III. 

Snowflakes like dancers

flit and giggle while children

slip and slide on sleds

IV.

Winter is a long

bedtime in which the world sleeps

to awake in Spring

The hardest part for the kids is going to be coming up with similes and metaphors for their haiku and keeping the 5, 7, 5 syllable count. Hopefully they will be up to the challenge!

Are You Homeless?

The other day I mentioned to my 5th graders that I don't live in my house. It must have had something to do with our lesson, or so I hope. One girl piped up, "Ms. Vance, are you homeless?" I ignored the "Ms." for the millionth time, since some can't remember that I'm married or are used to calling all women "Ms." Instead, I quickly replied, "No, I live in an apartment. Don't worry." Worry I did, though, about her quick assumption. I wonder if she had been homeless, which I suspect, and if so for how long. I know that most of my students don't come from the most advantageous backgrounds. Their parents either work hard, long hours on second or third shift, or they are on welfare. Most live in a single parent household and others have had a parent in jail. It makes me grateful of the life that I had growing up and painfully aware of the limitations I have as their teacher.

Creeping into Summer

Our second school cancellation, if I haven't lost track, was this past Monday. That puts us into June for make-up days. I think that the day off was a gift to me. After getting back from Chicago, Isma asked me to not go into work, and I didn't resist. I was tired from the trip back, and had little desire to be in the car for another hour, round-trip. So, I planned to go in early to finish up lesson plans. However, with that morning off, I cranked out some pretty good plans, if I say so myself, and got small group reading plans on the way for next week too. It was a great morning! I treated myself to vegging out the rest of the day. :)

Camera Fun

This is what Elijah does when you ask him to smile.

Smile with teeth gets better results. :)

Elijah?

Or Colin?

Second Month of Herbs

Each time I walk into the den, the juxtaposition between the snowy and gray outdoors and the green warmth of our small herbs strikes me. After two months of growing, I post these pictures to celebrate successes. To be totally truthful about my plant-growing-skills, I have cropped out the dead plants and empty spaces that are daily reminders of all of the seedlings I have sent to "a better place."

Tangled mess of leggy parsley.

Perhaps the parsley will become a hanging plant.

I hope to use the arugula in salad soon!

My three remaining cilantro seedlings.

Close-up of basil. "Real leaves" are finally unfurling.

Happy Birthday BJ!

Saturdays supper with Linda and Sonny was to celebrate BJ's birthday. Unfortunately, it seems that BJ is the only person I didn't photograph! Linda made meatloaf, tons of green food for Saint Patty's weekend, and one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever tasted. 

Discussing business plans and options.

Playing with whoever would join.

So concentrated.

So cute!

BJ and Kelly were babysitting a neighbor's baby. 

Elijah loves the I-Pad.

And last, but not least, my handsome brother.

People, People Everywhere and Too Many Pints to Drink

This past weekend Isma and I visited Colin in Chicago. Saturday, after enjoying juice, croissants, and coffee, we headed downtown to see the green river and parade.

Singing...either they're Irish, drunk, or both. It's before 10 AM.

People in green streamed in from everywhere. 

Police on horses! 

The river dyed green.

Bagpipers motoring up and down the emerald river.

The fake car body is built around what I believe is a simple fishing boat.

Great day to advertise for the summer!

Even the dogs were festive (and pose).

Masses crossing empty streets to go to the parade.

It was so crowded, we couldn't really see the parade.

No Irish for lunch because of extreme lines.

The waffles were good, though!

Don't know why, but I like the blue tiles before the tracks.

Being weird in public.

(One) of my favorite speech pathologists

I just came across this photo, looking at old photos from this past year, and it reminded me how much I miss hanging out with Beth. She always has cute stories about what her preschool and school-age kids say in their therapy sessions. :)

March is Poetry

March's writing theme is poetry. We started out with "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" by Longfellow, doing mad libs and learning about meter and alliteration. Then, we went into parodies of songs and wrote "I am" poems. I'm kind of losing steam, though. I remember poetry being kind of dull in school, only interesting when I wrote it myself, not from an assignment. If your teachers made poetry interesting, what did they do? What made writing poetry come alive to you?

Spanish Treat

Isma LOVES croquetas. For him, these dough and meat concoctions are only comparable to his mother's paella, callos (another food from Madrid), and stuffed peppers. Around his birthday, Isma decided to try making croquetas. Before we'd only bought them frozen or eaten what his mom made us. Here's the recipe! Isma added some pepper to make them more flavorful.

Croquetas:
2 tablespoons oil                                       Filling: shrimp, shredded fish,
40 grams butter                                                     shredded chicken,
6 tablespoons flour                                               2 hard boiled eggs, or ham
3/4 liters cold milk
2 eggs
1 liter cheap oil
bread crumbs
salt

In a frying pan, let the oil and butter melt. When everything is hot, add the flour and stir it a few times with a wooden spoon. Little by little, pour the milk in, letting the mixture boil until it thickens. At this point, mix in the filling. Let the mixture cool for at least 2 hours.

After it is cool, mold the croquetas to the size and shape you want. Then, in a bowl, beat the two eggs. Dip each croqueta in the eggs, then in the breadcrumbs, again in the egg, and again in the breadcrumbs.

Fill the frying pan with 1 liter of oil, and when it is hot (I wonder what temperature, silly cookbook), put the croquetas in, about 6 at a time. When they are golden, take them out and serve!

Bubbling croquetas (croquettes) in oil.

Ready to eat.

They were delicious!

The Great Adventure

When I was little and my mom was looking to going back to work, our family friends, the McCurdys, chose to take babysit me while she was out. They joke that I am their third child, fitting perfectly in the gap between the two oldest girls and the three youngest. I loved being with them, playing with Arielle and Crystal and hiding from my mom when she came. When we got older we tried to make sure that my brother and their sister who was the same age married so that Arielle and I could be sisters.

Crystal is now married with three beautiful kids. Theirs is a household full of love, just like the home that I was fortunate to visit many times when I was little. Their family is about to grow again, as they are looking to welcome a little boy from Ukraine into their family. They are working on the adoption already, but they still have a long road ahead full of paperwork, excitement and worries, and planning.  If you would like to follow their journey, visit "The Sponseller's Great Adventure." You can support the adoption financially by visiting Crystal's Etsy store, "The Great Adventure". Whether you visit the blog or buy one of Crystal's homemade soaps, please pray for them on this great adventure!

After Much Waiting

After what seemed an infinite span of weeks, all of the pots had sprouts. Much to my chagrin, my novice herb growing skills didn't prevent most of my cilantro and some of parsley seedlings to die from root decay. Being too loving to plants does not pay off.

Rare Snow Day

Monday began with me telling my incredulous students that we weren't starting ISTEP until Tuesday. I say incredulous, because they tend to be pretty incredulous about anything, even about the fact that six minus zero is NOT the same as zero minus six. Seriously, I've had a girl argue vehemently that I was doing it wrong. In fifth grade. Well, this Monday morning they were willing to put aside their doubt for the feeling of relief that there was no testing that day. Only one was still worried, since, as she told me, we weren't going to have school on Tuesday, and we wouldn't be able to take ISTEP. It was going to storm. And she KNEW we wouldn't have school. I guess she should be a fortune teller or weather forecaster when she grows up. I might have believed her if she wasn't the same child that, given evidence of "nothing" or quantity of zero, thought that she could take 6 pencils away from thin air.

Tuesday morning came, and she came to school on time, mentioning nothing about our certain cancellation. Wednesday, however, the storm she had scheduled for earlier rolled into town. I knew that universities had been cancelled in Chicago, that my brother working in Chicago had been sent home from work early, and that we were expecting around 6-9 inches overnight, so I eagerly awaited at least a two-hour delay. Most of Fort Wayne's area schools and schools in the surrounding counties are cancelled today, leaving me with an extra vacation day. It's sad though, after rejoicing that I could sleep in, the next two thoughts that went through my mind were the following, "maybe this means that "Michael" who went home sick Tuesday will be back to take ISTEP Thursday," and, "I'm so glad I brought work home so I can get some grading done." So sad, but true.

6 + inches of snow on our balcony