Going to be a Good day…

I knew it was going to be a good day when I drove into school today and saw a beautiful “hoar frost”.  I learned this lovely new term from Diane.  I just knew it as a frost on the trees that was beautiful, but found out that it has an actual name. ;)  It was dark when I got to school this morning, but the trees were beautiful. 

 

To continue the good day, my school was fortunate to have the Minnesota Twins winter caravan make a stop at it.  Current players Ben Revere, Glen Perkins, Trevor Plouffe, announcer John Gordon,  and MN legend Tony Oliva came to visit.  The students got to ask them questions, they made banners to hang up, and we got some pictures taken. 

Here is our principal and two secretaries with the crew.

 

TC and I

 

Ben Revere and I

 

Tony Oliva and I

 

Trevor Plouffe signed a card for the boys….. (they were so excited when I brought it home)

 

Here they are answering some of the students’ questions…..

          

It was exciting and even though they weren’t some of the “big” and well - known players it was neat, fun to be a part of, and great for the kids. 

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Here are some more pictures of the “hoar frost” as the day went on and got brighter.  This is what I get to look at out of my classroom window.  I’m obviously a little bias, but think that I have the best view.  Earlier this fall one of my students saw a buck, it was huge, and I yelled at her to stay focused and pay attention…..she points outside and there it was on the outskirts of the trees.  The whole class went crazy and ran to the window.

Go Vikings, Progress on Connor's room, and random

My school had some exciting visitors today. Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie from the Minnesota Vikings came to visit our school for the American Heart Association, Play 60 Challenge. Our P.E. teacher has been in contact with the head of the American Heart Association and tried to get them to come last year, but it didn't work out. We are the only school that they are coming to visit during the season. That's pretty cool. The kids were so excited, and I think many of us adults were as well! I know I was. They are two HUGE guys. Two cheerleaders, Mark Wilf (the president), and Viktor the Viking also came. Our P.E. teacher had some activities set up for students to do in teams and our visitors got to partake in it also. They were such great sports about it all. What a fun time!

(I love how McKinnie's hand is as big as my face!)

We are finally making progress on Connor's room again. We have a guy mudding and taping this week, so we can hopefully get painting soon. I'm anxious to get everything put together.

We were watching Polar Express last night (can you tell we're excited for Christmas) and towards the end of the movie, Connor says, "Man, I wish I could ride on the Polar Express! It would have to be on a weekend though because I would be up really late!". Matt and I had to smile.

Matt gives the boys horsey rides sometimes to bed or to the bathroom to brush their teeth. Tonight Jacob asked him for a Piggy Back Horsey. Not sure which one he wanted! ;)

Here are our two little munchkins playing one of their favorite games right now with their shades on. You know how bright that sun is at 6:00 pm in the fall. ;)

Bittersweet

It is bittersweet. Yesterday Justin from my team at school got his letter of transfer that he has been anxiously waiting for. He tried for a transfer last year and did not get it. I have asked many times why he wants to leave us and if it was something we did or didn't do! ;) He guarantees that it's not us, but I'm not sure how much I believe him! ;) He got transfered to a lower grade and will be self-contained. He has wanted this for awhile now. He will be greatly missed as a wonderful teacher and energetic and creative colleague, EXTREMELY helpful teammate, and great friend. Though the friend part will hopefully stay the same, unless he'll be too good for us once he gets to his new school. I am very sad for us, but extremely happy for him.
Change is good right?! Good things are to come for everyone, Justin on his new adventure at Wilson school and our new team here at Willow ( I have to keep trying to convince myself).

Swimming lessons update....Strike Two

So Jacob had swimming lessons again tonight. We tried a few "interventions" if you may, to improve on things from last time. He came to Connor's swimming lessons with me last Saturday to watch the "big boys and girls", we've been talking about swimming and baths and oh boy how fun it is, and we tried eating something before his lessons tonight (they're at 5:30 and thought that maybe last time he just needed some fuel in him). I was worried that he wouldn't even want to put on his swimming trunks at Mary's, but he was fine with that. We get to the pool and he's in a great mood, saying hi to everyone and watching the group before him. Connor, Nolan, and I go around the corner to watch through the window and I hear "Nooooo", "Noooo", and more "Noooo" coming from the hallway. I walk back around the corner and the other parents and kids are smiling and laughing because here's Jacob walking up the stairs in his swimming trunks in the opposite direction of the pool telling Matt "Noooooooo...". When it was time to go in Matt scooped him up and walked into the pool area. He started crying right away and Matt didn't even try to go in the pool. They came out of the pool area and Jacob comes running up to me to give me a big hug. We start talking to him trying to get him to go back in and he starts with his Noooo again. I wish I had a video tape of him saying no, because it's hilarious how he's saying it. He says it like a parent would say it to a child when asked to do or get something more than once. He cuts us off during our sentence and the No drags on. We would hardly get our sentence out - "Jakey, should we go ......Noooooo.....swimming in the pool?". "Jakey, watch them, they're getting their....Nooooooooooo...hair wet, and their belly's.......Noooooo......wet". He's not throwing a fit really, he's stubbornly as calm as can be if that makes any sense. That's kind of what makes it so funny. That and the fact that this is the Jacob that has no fear or inhibitions, and loves to push the limits. We decided to just leave. We have now struck out two times. Not sure if there will be a third, again, I will keep you posted.

We are taking the MCA's next week in school and we're trying to do whatever we can to get the students motivated and pumped up for them. We're trying to let them know that we're all about their success and cheering for them to do well. We decided on the theme "Rockin' with the MCA's" for the week and have had some activities going on - we've played 50's music at the end of every day this week, we're having a Sock Hop tomorrow, and on Monday we're getting up in front of them and singing the song "Don't Worry, Test Happy" to the the tune of "Don't Worry, Be Happy". We all have shirts that say that with a big yellow smiley face on them. Hey, whatever works! Anyways, I was trying to get an outfit ready for tomorrow to wear for the 50's theme and get some music for the Sock Hop. As Nate was helping me make a CD I was just thinking about how many of the kids don't even know what the music or what that time period was like? We had to talk about it in my class as to what they could wear for dress up day. It'll be interesting to see what the music will be like when Connor, Jacob, and Nolan (and all of your kids) get to be that age....they'll really have no clue about any of the great music from the 50's - 70's (not that I have any actual experience with it either and I know I'm not that old, but my brothers and I grew up with it with mom and dad).