Friday, December 14, 2018

Random Tid Bits

  1. Work has been slamming me hard!

    We're wrapping up the fall semester, which is enough really with tests, grading, photographing artwork and so on.

    They decided they need me to teach different days next semester. A schedule that will be harder on me. Since all the days changed, so did my classes...deadlines, dates, breaks and so on. Something did go my way. I get an assistant to help out in one of my classes because they stuck me in a crazy schedule. The Education Director needs the syllabi soon to proof. That's a lot of work!

    They also want me to have a professional development something-er-rather. Back in May I did a facebook blueprint class to get facebook blueprint certified. It was a lot of work. Get this...it won't count because they consider that to be for 2017-2018 school year, instead of 2018-2019 school year. I did it all at the end of May, after spring classes were over. I opened up all the certifications I got, Photoshopped July dates on them, and hope they'll take them. They'll never know the difference. But they may not take them because it was shady I sent them the first time with May dates. I'm not usually shady, but damn it it's one month off. I did a ton of work for those things!

    Then I got an email that they want me to talk about Squarespace and Wordpress for our Inservice, while the students are on break. I want to yell loudly.

  2.  This is Thursday morning that I'm writing this. Last night Travis decided to email the Principal at the elementary school to have a sit down meeting with Isaak's teacher. We've both just had it! It went from Isaak being one of the only boys she could trust to Isaak being one of the problem children. Is it because he's a talker, or is it because we've gotten involved over her head? He's never been seen as a problem child ever! I've never had so many issues with a teacher before. We have a meeting Friday late in the day.

    Isaak cries because he doesn't understand his homework content wise. When he tells her he doesn't understand she explains it exactly how she explained it before. She talks down to him. He didn't get it the first time, so he needs it explained in a different way. Then she tells the class to have one group read a chapter, another group read a different chapter to help with the chapter questions. Well they ran out of time to answer the questions. Then Isaak didn't know which chapter questions he had to answer. I helped him do both, and taught him how to scan or skim read. Then it was less daunting to him.

    She gives a lot of busy work. Example: They got a packet of crossword puzzles, word puzzles, math puzzles and so on. Before next week he has to get 14 pages done all the way. If they don't they have to sit to do homework instead of watch movies with their peers during the holiday performance. One word puzzle I couldn't figure out: hijklmno, I looked it up to find the answer was H2O. There was another odd one on that page. Then on the crossword puzzle there was, Another name for winter, after trying many things that wouldn't fit I looked it up and found it was Solstice. A 5th grader wouldn't know that! Those are just 2 examples. There were more! Isaak sees it as I have 14 pages of homework! It's not due until next week. When we broke it down it was 2 pages a day. That's not that bad, but that's also not how he absorbs the assignment.

    If you are familiar with Jane Elliot's Blue Eye and Brown Eye Experiment that's what this teacher does. Only Jane Elliot put one group of kids against another to show how unfair it is. This teacher does it because she has favorites. Isaak now labels himself as not one of the good kids when he's never been labeled this way. He's a boy full of empathy, and she's crushing him. I was holding it together, but finally broke down crying.


    My concerns about the lack of recess they are having is still there, but now it's bigger than that. Our whole family is feeling it. We all pitch in to help Isaak with his homework. Yes Mica and I helped assist him with some of that busy work like word finds, while he cried over math homework he had.

    One of Isaak's good friend had a birthday party last week. Get this Isaak wasn't invited. Hummm I wonder why? We've had their whole family over different times. They have a son in Mica's grade. Her Dad said, "So you coming to the party this weekend Isaak?" Isaak said, "I wasn't invited." It was like putting salt in the wound. I can't help, but to think, is it this teacher that put her against him? At first I thought it was just that she only invited girls, but that's not the case. I told Travis to feed them with kindness, and invite them to our Dance Party for New Years Eve. So...he did.
     
  3. Isaak's basketball team was going to break up. They stuck with it. I do wish the coach would put more emphasis on layups, and making simple shots. Instead he's all about scrimmage. The boys are just all over the place.

  4. I saw this meme about adding random strangers to your holiday card to get relatives talking. I really want to do this! I especially want to add an Asian kid, a Mexican kid, and an African American kid. Diversity in my card. It sure would get people talking!

    What's a crazy idea that you've had lately?
     
  5. Mica was top notch last year for his Science Fair Project. I think he thinks he is again. Travis started looking at all he's done, and was annoyed big time. All week along with Isaak's homework we've been working with Mica on his Science Fair Project that's due next week.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

WW: Holiday Card #homealone {Linky}

This year I sat on doing our holiday postcard a little too long. So much of me wanted to say bah humbug to the card. It could be that the boys are growing up, and are harder to make cute, maybe it's the fact that I just feel overwhelmed with things, or possibly it's that Isaak's having a crappy school year. He does so good in school, but has a difficult teacher, his basketball team fell apart, and one of his best friends didn't invite him to her birthday party. I just want something to go in his favor! I just wasn't feeling it this year.

Instead of a postcard (due to time) we did a holiday doctored photo. Our theme was Home Alone. Once I started working on it, I got into it. Isaak was so excited that he was the star of the card! Isaak played Macaulay Culkin. He loved being the star of the photo. That made me smile. He didn't get left at home, while we were on vacation. He did however get left at school when Mica was supposed to pick him up. Thankfully they do have a place called Kids Club he could go. He does cook us breakfast by himself on some Saturdays, and in my mind he kicks some butt!

The rest of us were robbers. While I realize there are only two robbers in the real movie, our photo has three. It was so easy to have Mica make that face. He does it in many photos when I ask him to smile. This time I wanted the crazy face. Travis was happy to wear his stocking cap that he has on most of the time. I did get the, "Mom why are you wearing jewelry? A robber wouldn't look nice!" Maybe I stole the jewelry.

I tweaked the Home Alone Logo, so the photo place wouldn't give me grief about printing it. The original has a line under it, a line breaking up the roof on the house, is never a cream color, and has a different font.


I added a infogrphic style letter. Basically it includes things we've done, or like. It was nice to not be confined to a tiny postcard space. While it doesn't go to a song, or rhyme it's still fun.

Do you make a holiday card? Are there times where you just don't feel like doing everything you usually do?

Sunday, December 9, 2018

#Hapree 48 Mechanical Pencil Set Review

This time of year I'm always on the look out for little gifts.

Mica came up to me today to say, "Mom I need to go shopping today to get a gift for a classmate. We're doing Secret Santa gifts."

Then there's the gifts for teachers, stocking stuffers, Elf of the Shelf brings little things, and gifts for coworkers.

Mica's secret friend had on her list of wants: School Supplies.

We're getting Isaak's teacher school supplies as well.

It's great that #Hapree has a 48 Mechanical Pencil Set. I can give one set to Mica's secret friend, and the other set to Isaak's teacher. Both gifts will be paired up with other things.

We got Mica's secret friend some chapstick, hand sanitizer, gum, a box of little colored pencils, pens, and a bag that had a {K} on it - for her name to put it all in. Everything was fairly inexpensive. It will be great to add some pencils in there as well.


About Hapree Mechanical Pencils:

The pencils have a fun ruler down the side. Each pencil lead is 0.7 mm medium point, has an eraser with a clip if you are a person that clips them to a font pocket. I'm more of a stick the pencil in my ear, and forget about it kind of person.


The colors:

  • Blue
  • Pink
  • Yellow 
  • Teal 


Extra:

Both sets came with extra leads.


Where to Get Hapree Pencils:

You can get them on Amazon for $14.99. Pick them up here: https://www.amazon.com/Hapree-Pieces-Mechanical-Pencils-Refills/dp/B07CQ1QWBW.


Save 10%:

Get 10% off by going to https://dwz.cn/UmqC4oON

Use the Code: 8WT35J34

What's a little gift have you gotten this year?

Disclaimer: I got this product for free, or a discounted price in order to help with this review. I'm  only review things I think my friends, family or readers will find helpful. All opinions are my own.

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

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