What the Furman Five have been up to

Here's a quick synopsis of what everyone has been doing, and some things I really don't want to forget about the kids. They aren't really anything too interesting but things I think I will enjoy reading and remembering in a few years. First for the boring people:

Me- Pretty much I am working working working. I think non-teachers and even teachers like me who have been out of it for four and a half years forget how much time you really put into the job if you want to do it right. And I am not saying I am a top notch teacher. I want to be one some day so that is what I am striving for, but I also don't know any other way to do it. I get to work a half hour early each day but I leave when we can leave. I work ALL day when I am there, no down time at all and then I come home and after the kids are in bed I continue to do school work. I need to figure out how to work smarter, not harder. But for me it's sort of like starting from scratch again. I am figuring out things as I go. I think in a few years I can lay a little lower. But who knows. Teaching is hard. I had to hunt someone down just so I could change a tampon. You are trapped in your room pretty much all day until lunch and prep and mine is back to back. So by 2:00, I NEED to run to the bathroom.

Chip- He is cutting wood, cutting wood and cutting more wood since we are heating three houses. Also as I am typing this he is enclosing our back little porch thing so all the barn clothes can go out there in a month or so when the cows go in the barn. This is going to be SO great because now my house won't smell like manure all winter.

Adam- Adam's new thing is hide and go seek. He wants to play every day and tries to make Van play. Chip usually plays with him every night. It's cute. He also gets little notes from a girl in his class whom the aide told me seems to be quite smitten with Adam. It's funny. Adam said one day she was mad because he was playing with the boys or something. I guess he is planning on marrying her in the stone building. I saved the note.

Van- He is potty trained but every time (we think) he farts he thinks he has to poop so he runs to the bathroom a lot. My favorite thing he does is says 'Tum here Mommy' and puts out his little hand to show you 'come here'. He's cute. I put the picture at the top of how he does his hand and he always sticks the arm straight out. I can't move the picture down here where I wanted it.

Anna- She likes to eat. We go on Wednesday for her six month well check (sniff sniff) and I am anxious to see what she weighs. It took Van a long time to like food but not her. She is eating Stage 2 foods already, which I know is just more basically, the consistency doesn't change. But she enjoys her food and is VERY chatty during eating time. Something that she does that is funny is that she likes to watch Chip dance. (I mean who wouldn't.) But we have her in her bouncy chair and she will get fussy. So Chip turns on the Lady GaGa CD. (He wanted it.) And when he does, she stops crying, sticks out her legs straight and her eyes get all jumpy because she is excited. And then he (and the boys usually) start dancing and she calms right down. I really want to put it into America's funniest videos, it's that funny.

Pumpkin Party 2009

This year's float I think was the best one yet. The theme was 'Be creative at your library.' Can you be any more general than that? So we thought and thought about it and we thought of the the story, The Little Engine That Could. On the front of the box I painted, I think I can, I think I can be creative at my library. I posted the first picture because it is a really good shot of the train head.

I can take no credit for the train or giraffes what-so-ever and almost feel bad when we have our name entered in the float and we didn't do the majority of the work. My friend Stacy is oh so creative and her husband made the train. They are keeping it at their house for a play set for their kids which I think they will love. I made the box out of plywood that we used for other floats so really it cost us overall very little. I think the bell on the train was the best part. I was supposed to be a jack in the box and throw out the candy to the kids on the street. The told us this year as we set up ready to go, no one is allowed to throw candy this year. We were bummed and the kids were REALLY bummed because they enjoy throwing it.

We had a great time as always. We got first place by the way. We said we weren't going to do it next year, with me working and three kids, even the box was a lot for me. But now we are on a float high since it was so much fun and we won. We'll see.

Something that makes me smile

It's done

A few people have come up and taken pictures of it. Chip is very proud. I think that it will look great in the spring when we have some flowers planted around it.

Adam's first day of school

These pictures are put on backwards, and one is put on twice! Lovely. The first is Adam getting OFF the bus at home all dishevelled. The second you can see him really tiny in the khaki pants, being walked into school by the aide. And these last here he is all ready to go. We (as in Chip if he is off or my mother in law if he isn't) bring him to school every day because we live 7 minutes away and if he took the bus to school, he would be on the bus for 40 minutes. When he comes home, he is the first off so he rides the bus home.

When he came home the first day and I asked him what he did, he said 'Well, I didn't learn how to be an astronaut, drive a tractor or tie my shoes.' He had big expectations I guess. And of course he went in to school, never blinked an eye and loved it. According to people at school who saw my mom, a child was crying and Adam asked him why he was crying and he said he missed his mom. Adam told him that he would see her later and tried to show him his shoes. I don't think Adam has ever missed me! Which is a good thing I guess. But our little school boy is loving it, I am loving my job, so life is good on the Furman Farm. :)

My delicate little flower

Here are some pictures of our little darling. She is a piece of work. When I was pregnant, my friend told me, 'Oh you are going to LOVE a girl. I had a girl first and then a boy and I love how my girl makes soft little girl noises and plays with toys so delicately. My son grunts and screeches and bats at his things like a mad man.' Well, since I have only boys, I have never really noticed because that is what I am used to. My mother in law said to me the other day, 'What happened to this little delicate girl we were supposed to have, she sounds like a crow!' Ha! She is so loud and sort of growls and when she has her toys on this thing that hangs downs, she yanks them off and goes crazy. This is not some little delicate flower that's for sure.

Also, last night my mom and I decided to give her a little rice cereal. I wanted to wait until I got the 'official OK' from the Dr. which is next week but she is over four months, we decided to give it a go. With the boys, it took like a whole month until they got what they were supposed to do. Well she ate it like she has been eating her entire life and wanted more. She is something else. I love her to death though, my sweet baby girl.

Back to Work

So, I'm back to work. I am sure you will notice the lack in blogging. I have to admit that I have been dreading to go back to work the last few weeks. I remember all the work I put in, how it often would stress me out, and how tired I was. I have gotten used to staying home, waking up when I want (sort of) maintaining my home and doing the mommy and wife thing. I felt I was FINALLY in my groove of staying home, and now I am being thrown back into the work world. Not too exciting.

So with that being said, and I sort of feel guilty about saying this but... I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to work!!!! OK, granted it has been like four days, and only two of them I have had students, but I really do enjoy it. I don't mind getting up in the morning, I haven't been exhausted yet (and I have a sick baby waking up too). I like taking a shower every morning, putting on nice clothes and make up. It's GREAT! I get to eat in the lunch room with other adults, I don't have a kid on my lap while one is dumping spaghetti on the floor and the other demanding more milk. I am ready to deal with my kids when I come home. I only have to deal with them for like 3 hours so it's not too hard. I notice my house is cleaner. I was telling Chip today, I wouldn't say it is spotless but before I would pick up, pick up, pick up ALL day, and you would never know. Now? I only have to do it once or so, and the house isn't dirty like it was. I get to think about things like memoir units and social studies projects and benchmarking. I LOVE that stuff! Honestly, I am excited to teach it.

This is also what I have discovered in the last two days. I am a REALLY good parent. Sort of something you forget when you are holed up on the hill. And if you are reading this, YOU are a really good parent as well. Honestly. You are reading it, more than likely I know you, and believe me, you are a good parent. Holy Moley what I have forgotten. Let me give you just a little snapshot of my class which is probably better than a lot of other classes. I have three kids on a VERY high reading level, so much so that I need to go and read books to develop plans because I never have had kids that high. That's three out of the 20 which is unheard of. And then there are the rest: my worst behavior problem left and the stories they were telling me I am not going to get into. But home life was BAD and more than likely, someone found out so they ran. I have one kid that was born as a crack baby, taken away from his mom at birth, raised by aunts and uncles or something. My AIS teacher came in and was like, what is the deal with him? I explained and of course, and we just go with it. I said to my mom, remember when I was worried about drinking iced tea when I was pregnant? I bought decaf iced tea so not to harm the baby. This woman did crack. I have one kid that runs away. Last year she ran out of the building, down the road and the cops were called. Another came into my classroom with nothing on the first day of school. Not a thing, not a back pack, pencil or piece of paper. Nothing. Can you imagine putting your kid on the bus with nothing? And another has severe hygiene issues. He has to be sent to the nurse often for cleaning and clothes. And you go into the office and I hear the secretary on the phone, 'Yes well, we haven't seen this student yet and last we knew the parent was in jail and they got out and are supposed to be on probation or something but supposedly the family has that person in hiding so we may want to look into it.' GLORY!!!

I have decided that you really have to make a conscious effort not to do ANYTHING with your kid. I often think I don't do enough with mine. I think, man I should be working on letters with Van more, or reading with Adam. The kids that are in school that are like OUR kids (anyone reading) are few and far between. It's not just the district in which I work (even though I know my district is pretty bad compared to most) it's everywhere. So when you are beating yourself up that your kid didn't eat his peas, let me tell you, you are feeding him, he's clean, you talked to him today, he's going to be fine.

This is something I like about kids- they are very forgiving. I pretty much could not have a clue what is going on in my classroom, and they don't really care. I like that. I made many mistakes my first few days. For example, I wanted them to get out a composition notebook, then realized, I didn't, I wanted the spiral. So they all put it back and got out the other, no big deal. I don't know what made me notice it but I thought it was really cute. No stress, no biggie, roll with the punches. They are funny too. I have this whole prize box thing going. I am not going to explain it. But one kid picks a prize a week, it's a lotto. And you know what she picked? Lunch with a teacher and friend. Cute. But what's the big deal honestly? I don't know what it is but they all LOVE it. I find it cute.

And the kids? My kids? You would never know I'm gone. Which sort of makes me a little sad. I guess it shouldn't. None of my kids have EVER been the type to grab my leg screaming as I try to squeeze out the door. Like I said, I guess that is a good thing, but I wonder if they notice or care that I'm gone. They are too busy playing outside. And maybe it has to do with the fact that they are still here on the farm? I'm not sure. But so far, so good. I'll keep you posted.