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

ISTEP

The first part of the state's standardized tests for 3rd - 5th graders are underway this week. Teacher pay-checks and our school's rating are based on the students' scores. Sharpened number 2 pencils, materials under lock and key, silent classrooms, strict rules, and anxiety will rule the school this week and again in April when round two begins. One of my girls cried today out of frustration over one hard question she couldn't figure out how to solve. I wanted to scoop her up in my arms and tell her that it was ok, that it was just a test, and that we would go on soon. Another showed his work where it might not be seen for credit by the test graders. I wanted to help him too, but I can't! It's frustrating. But, it is not the be all or end all of learning. Even so, I hope that all of my students are ready, have slept well, and have eaten breakfast before we begin!

Herbs A'Blooming

Breakfast, With Love

For Isma's birthday, I decided to try something new. I grabbed Grandma Vance's cookie cutter, a recipe from Johnny Appleseed Festival circa 1960, and made biscuits. I never knew that I could make biscuits so easily and quickly without Biscuick. Milk, margarine (didn't have shortening), flour, salt, and baking powder, and...voila, breakfast! They went well with the Spanish ham and sausage that I mail-ordered for Isma's birthday present. 

Permanent Resident

Isma and I have started to fill out the paperwork for his green card and work permit. Before we began filling it out on our own, he talked to an immigration lawyer about doing the paperwork for us. It would have been a piece of mind knowing that someone experienced would take care of everything. However, the lawyer fees would be around $2500 on top of the cost of filing for residency. On top of that, the lawyer suggested that we wouldn't have trouble doing it on our own. The first round of paperwork is filled out, we're getting the money order today, and it will be in the mail next week. It will be months before we hear back about the paperwork; I don't remember exactly how much time. Isma heard at Catholic Charities, where he went to get some translation done, that due to new immigration laws an inordinate amount of new immigration petitions were being filed, so hopefully we get ours in ahead of the wave and it won't increase the wait time. We'll keep you updated.

Small Sprouts

First Signs of Life. Arugula sprouts poking through the earth paint a smile on my face.

Our Garden

I love gardens. Fresh peas, lettuce, zucchini, green beans, and cherry tomatoes. The smell of moist dirt. I even appreciate the cherry tomatoes, if only for their color. Food just seems to taste better from ones own garden, even if it is only psychological. A couple months ago, Isma and I went out with a friend to start our very own herb garden sans yard. We bought some metal shelves, two aquarium lights with grow bulbs (the light spectrum plants need to grow), and ordered seeds online. A few weeks later, after a quick trip over to Mom and Dad's to borrow a spade and dirt, we brought our babies home. I was so eager to watch them grow!

Click on the picture to see more photos of our indoor garden.