Firefly Run

Last night Daughter #1 and ran in a Firefly Night Run in San Jose. It is hard to tell from the photo, but we had glow bracelets and LED flashing anklets....

 we ran the 3.1 miles and headed home....but not before stopping at In and Out for a chocolate milk shake....can't let those burned calories go to waste!

 

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RUN IN THE DARK*

And the Playground Went Wild!

The sky over San Fran was hazy...we knew it would be about 15 -20 minutes for the shuttle to make it from Sacramento to the Golden Gate....and from there it was just a short distance until we would see it. The question was, which direction it would fly south to Moffett Field. Then, the giant plane and shuttle emerged from the haze...and headed right towards us....my school is on a hill with an amazing view of the bay....AND THE SHUTTLE WAS HEADING RIGHT TO US...AND LOW! It came right to the hill and then banked over the playground and headed south west.....and this what we saw :

The kids ran below it screaming and waving their arms...I am sure the crew was just as amazed as we were. I am sure my kids (will remember this day in first grade for a very long time....and hopefully they will get to see it in the museum in Los Angeles some day.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH

HARDER*VIEW THE SHUTTLE CLOSE UP*

And the verdict is...

most likely TOTALLED.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ANYONE HAVE A USED CAR FOR SALE?*

How's Your Rear End?

Remember when BIG Foot made a legal U-turn on a green arrow and an old woman making a right turn ran the red light and crashed into him? And she claimed it was his fault...and her insurance denied the claim as 50/50 fault....so it went all the way to litigation 11 months later and it was determined BIG Foot was not at fault....took 12 months to get my $500 deductible back...well today.....at 11:45 my cell phone rang in class...my family knows not to call during working hours unless it is an emergency....and as you see below, it was....

He is fine. He was stopped at a red light minding his own business, when an old woman "didn't see him until the last second," braked hard and tried to swerve into the bike lane...instead she clipped his truck and careened into the guard rail causing her airbag to deploy, smacking her in the face and possibly breaking her nose. She was bloody and scared, so he made sure she was okay and called 911.

By old I mean past 85. He truck is a magnet for older women...the last one was 88.

....So my cell rang and BIG Foot needed his insurance info....because why listen to your mother and keep it in the sunglasses holder with your registration? I don't carry my card in my wallet I keep it in the sunglasses holder of the car- which I didn't drive to work- and, why not call your father who is not at work?

Boys!

So now he cannot drive because he has no tail or brake lights...he won't be able to get a rental car because he is only 20....BUT he is okay...and the woman should be okay too....and trucks can be replaced/fixed....so all (rear) ends well.

First grade? It still rocks...but I cannot just open my September file and teach from it. I am inventing all of my materials and enjoying every minute...but it is long hours and sucks the blog time. Perhaps at Xmas I will post New Zealand.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*LOOK OUT FOR LITTLE OLD

 LADIES FROM PASADENA*FIRST GRADE ROCKS*

First Day of First Grade

I have never taught first grade- and no one ever told me what I was missing...First Grade Rocks! Well, at least the first day does...we'll see what I say in a month.

But anyways, there were no crying kids- I didn't have to peel one student out of their parents arms- I didn't have to reassure parents that their child would not cry all day...(if they do I will call you if they are still crying in an hour,) and I didn't have any parents hanging out peeking in the window. The kids came in and got to work...and were as cute as could be. Most of the students I had last year so they were all hugs and smiles. And at the end of the day I swam 3/4ths a mile and ran a mile...instead of taking a post Kindergarten nap!

New Zealand? Well I will get to the photos someday...and I have run out of photo space again...so it's new blog time. But I did bring kiwis to eat for snack today.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*EAT SOME KIWI*ENJOY A

 GRADE LEVEL SWITCH*

Back on the "Right" Side of the Road....

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

Auckland- Day 1

New Zealand is awesome!

Driving on the wrong side of the road was pretty cool too...except round-abouts are a little scary....there are very few intersections as we know them. And bridges...most are one lane- not one lane each way- one stinking way. There is a sing posted telling you whether to "Give Way" or not....which is Kiwi for "Yield."

"Piss" is beer, a bakery is where you get lunch- the most delicious meat pies or quiche ever...a dairy is a convenience store and chips are French Fries...unless of course you buy them in a bag....then they are chips...(potato chips.)

And seeven is 7 and teen is 10...and the people are friendly and there are no snakes or squirrels!

There are the most magnificent rainbows and the Olympic coverage rocks! There are no pennies or nickels...they just round up or down to the nearest 10 cent.....and there is no sales tax.

Alcohol costs A LOT. Almost everything costs a lot....except for a kiwi fruit I got for 14 cents...that was the bargain of the trip.

New Zealand Air is by far the best airline ever. Included in your ticket price you get one carry on and one stowed bag up to 50 pounds...(22 kilos) and all your meals and drinks- even spirits, beer and wine- are free! The flight attendants are all in cute uniforms and are very, very kind. I wish N.Z. Air flew in the states!

I will blog all 20 days as soon as I get it together...after all I had 2 Wednesdays this week due to crossing the International Date Line.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*NEW ZEALAND ROCKS*SUMMER ENDING SUCKS*

Happy Monday here. Watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. If you really want to watch the Olympics and not commercials or "meet the athlete" infomercials then head out of the U.S. for some real TV coverage. I would suggest Canada, New Zealand, Australia or England...either the government channels show the Olympics with no commercials- like the BBC, or here, five prime channels show live, yesterday and last night's coverage. I have watched events I never knew were in the olympics...and I watched every athlete from every country who sent one to participate in the men's decathlon! Being a track athlete from way back, this was a treat....to see each participant no matter how well their performance. And the best part is, that other countries actually celebrate 19th place. We were in Invercargill when New Zealand's rowers won the gold...the town was crazy- a nation with as many people as the city of Los Angeles won 13 medals....and their 100th medal in the modern Olympics. Now to chose which country to visit in 4 years :) *LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER**LAUGH HARDER*CHEERS TO ALL THE ATHLETES FROM EVERY COUNTRY*HERE'S TO REAL OLYMPIC COVERAGE*

volcanoes, Internet and the likes in kiwi land

I was thinking that if the volcano continues to blow, my flight may be cancelled and I would be stuck here....with Internet service by the mg...I open my email and a photo of a friend's newborn comes up and my free mg's are all gone....just like that! For winter, the weather has been amazing...I could wear shorts today! I can't wait to see the photos we have taken and to get to my email. Until then, cheers my friends! *live strong*LOVESTRONGER*laugh harder*I don't know where i'ma gonna go if the volcano blows*

A-maaaaaazing! LIVESTRONG LOVESTRONGER LAUGH HARDER IPADS SUCK DOUBTFUL SOUND TOUR WAS GREAT

Free Internet is Good!

$10 nz dollars for 10 minutes of Internet is not.

Using a ipad while traveling here is stupid...I can't even view the photos we took because the adapter won't work. It won't take "sticks" to use Internet at small motels or hostels and is pretty much useless...should have brought my laptop even though it is a little larger it would have been much more useful...but I stupidly borrowed this from work...thinking it would work!

We are at the airport heading to the south island. We made it to the most northern part of the north island and now will go to the most southern tip. It is wonderful here!! It is winter and has rained some but we have seen magnificent rainbows and slid down some awfully muddy slopes while tramping.

More to come mates,

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*TAKE

 A LIE DOWN*

Greetings from Down Under...

we left at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday and landed right into 5:20 a.m. on Saturday. To my friends in the states...tomorrow is looking really good! But I am sure it is warmer than here! No photos as I only have an iPad I borrowed from work. *LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*VISIT WINTER*FINALLY SEEING DAUGHTER #2*

Winter Downunder

Counting down til winter begins for me!

30 Years Ago

Thirty years ago in August we attended our friend's wedding. The Captain was a groomsman. It was dreadfully hot in the church and at the reception in the cul-de-sac afterwards. So hot that I took off my nylons and threw them in the trash.

Yesterday, their son (who happens to be 6'9",) got married in an outdoor wedding. It was lovely, they were beautiful- and it was dreadfully hot. See a pattern building? Their yard was decorated beautifully...our friend missed her calling as a party planner because it couldn't have been more lovely. Good food, laughter, friends from college...but the heat! Thankfully we were staying in a guest house of other friends from college who live nearby so we did not have to make the 2 1/2 hour drive home. We were able to go back to a swimming pool and chill.

The bride- she was lovely- all 5'2" of her.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HERE'S TO A LONG

AND HAPPY MARRIAGE*

I always listen to the radio in the morning. I hear the results of baseball games, Tour de France, the weather, and traffic so I can give those reports to Daughter #1 before she takes off for work. Imagine my horror to hear about the shootings in Colorado last night.

My son loves to go to midnight viewings. Was he there? He wouldn't go to Denver to see it would he? It would be playing in the Springs if he went...right? There's always that fear as a parent. And my heart aches for all those parents, family and friends who had to go through something so tragic.

BIG Foot is fine. He had school yesterday and then hiked with friends. He didn't know Batman was opening at midnight...and was safe in bed miles away from Aurora.

It is just so hard to fathom why someone would do this.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*PRAYERS TO COLORADO*

It was funny then...

and still is now. At our 2:30 a.m. rest, we sat gazing at the stars with our headlamps off. 11 of us were sprinkled around a few logs and rocks as we rested, or attempted to get a few minutes of sleep. Suddenly, one young guy who had been lying behind a big downed tree, jumped up and yelled, "JESUS CHRIST!!!!" I thought he might have been bitten by something, or scared by a bear...or zombies or... or other assorted things that ran through my mind in the brief second between the shout and when he turned on his headlamp. He saw us all illuminated, he said, "Oh. You're still here. I can go back to sleep."

He thought we all hit the trail and left him asleep behind the log...and he had no idea where we were. I am sure I would have panicked in the same way had I thought I was left on an unknown trail in the dark.

Another comment, mainly due to fatigue, was our decent down the cables. I mentioned the woman pictured in my last post had a difficult time on the cables. It seriously took her 45 minutes or more to climb. We all took photos at the top and she and her husband decided to make the descent a good hour before us. We walked to the other side of the dome, took silly photos doing handstands and holding banners and relishing our triumph. Out of our small group I decided to go first and made my way past the first two boards when Daughter #1 and her friend began. We had the dome to ourselves since we hiked all night and now others were beginning their ascent so we had to carefully pass those coming up. When our friend looked down, he saw the woman and her husband maybe 1/2 way down and he said, "Joe! You're coming back up??"  He had expected them to be at the bottom waiting for us, but they were still only part way down, and the only logical explaination was that they were coming back up. 

...okay, I know, you had to be there. But if I don't blog it here I will forget.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LAUGH AT YOURSELF*AND OTHERS*

Not the nap I was expecting...

Yesterday, just as I finished my post after my bike ride, and Daughter #1 was leaving to climb Half Dome in Yosemite, I learned that they had an extra pass!! This was at 3:30 and they were leaving at 4! I had just ridden 62 miles...but I felt good and it is SO hard to get a pass to climb I just couldn't pass it up!

So I jumped out of my bike clothes, threw together what I thought I might need and we drove 4 hours to Yosemite....but first we stopped for pizza. There were 11 of us altogether. At 10:30 p.m. we left the parking lot and began our ascent. It was about 80 degrees out and not what I had expected. It was 8.3 miles to the dome. If you haven't seen Half Dome in person you may have seen it in Ansel Adams photographs....it is SPECTACULAR!

Minus the snow of course today of course!

We hiked using our headlamps. Around 2:30 a.m.we stopped for a 30 minutes for a mini catnap/rest. Then we ate and drank and made it to Half Dome as the sun was about to rise.

Before arriving at the dome there are 800 "stairs" that go straight up. THEN the cables. I had no idea they were so.....straight up! The photo does not do this justice....it is a 50% grade! 2/10's of a  mile of cables.

Upon seeing the cables I thought I was not going to be able to do them. If you slip, you die! There is nothing to catch you, you just slide down the slick granite face to the bottom....some 2000 feet. The woman in the photo was part of our group...she took a very long time to get up the cables but she did it!

 I gave it a try and actually with the rubber gardening gloves I was able to keep hold. My fear was going down....but that would have to wait until after sunrise and photos...

Coming down the cables was easier than I thought....once I got over the fear of plummeting to my death! I seriously can't believe the National Park system allows this climb. Last year several people died falling from Half Dome, but all because they tried to climb in wet or snowy weather when the rock was slick and they didn't have special climbing shoes. There were also a few suicides in the past few years.

We took a different trail on the way out...it was longer and I was fading. I was now 32 hours without sleep....aside from the ten or so minutes after 2:30 a.m. stop. The final miles were hard...it was crowded and hot...and I was fuzzy headed and had to stop and eat some Shot Blocks and drink water.

Total in 24 hours...biked 100K and hiked with elevation climb 26 K.

Now I will go to sleep for the night.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*CLIMB HALF DOME*

100 Kilometers...

The Captain and I just rode that in Bike for Breath that benefits the Lung Association...it always sounds much more impressive than saying 62 miles.

The weather was perfect...foggy where the big hills were and sunny on the flats...and after fighting a bit of a headwind, the last mile or so had a tailwind. And this event always has the best lunches afterwards.

Now I may take a nap.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*I DIDN'T TAKE A CELL

 PHONE PHOTO BUT I WILL HAVE AN EVENT

 PHOTO NEXT WEEK*

What I do with composition books...

Home/School Journals!

Each Friday I prepare a form that looks like this:

_________________________


__________________________________,

"This week in kindergarten I ......."
(a paragraph about the week...assemblies, special projects, count down to the 100th day, etc.) And it always ends with a question like...did you celebrate the 100th day of school when you were in kindergarten?

___________________________________

The kids write the date on the first line, "Dear" Mom, Dad or someone else who lives in their house that is old enough to read and write on the second line. The final line is for, "Love, ______" They glue the form onto the left page of the journal and take it home.

The parent's job is to write a letter on the opposite page- and read it back to their child. About 50% of the parents take it serious. Those who do end up with a wonderful keepsake at the end of the year. Those who are fluent in another language besides English respond in their first language. After all, the journal is not for me, but a keepsake.

Several years back, I had a student whose parent was elderly. The parent wrote wonderful responses and told of days in school when there was one elementary school in our town. The summer following, the parent passed away. Those stories in the journal, even if they had been told to the student would most likely not be remembered by that five year old. The other parent expressed how happy they were to have those stories for their kid.

Since I have not done this with first graders, I am thinking that after winter break the students will be able to write the journal letter on their own. The first part of kindergarten is Hell trying to get the journal entries completed. There's a lot of explaining and re-explaining and erasing and and it takes A LOT of patience. After a month or two what once took 20+ minutes to complete then takes about 5 minutes or less for those who get right to work.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WRITE AN OLD FASHIONED LETTER*

Teachers!!

Teachers supplies have taken over my living room!
What the stores don't do anymore...put the Back-to-School stuff in their fliers....so...you have to keep going to the store until you find what you want on sale...so if you are a teacher and need this stuff:

Michael's- 15% off to teachers now
Target- Crayola Markers 99 cents, Fiskar scissors 2 for $3, Crayola colored pencils 99 cents, folders 15 cents
Toys R US- Buy one Crayola crayon or marker and get 2 free.

Yesterday I stocked up on all of that stuff. Now to get to Walmart for glue sticks and composition books. I have 25 kids now, up from 20 so that 10-25 cents per item adds up.

This was the scene from last year...


This year I will move it to my classroom before I go down under.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*SHOP THE SALES*

Remember those black buttons?

Well they bloomed while we were gone...but Daughter #1 sent me pictures...and there they are. I came home to find wilty, shriveled up flowers...but they were awesome!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WATCH THE ALL STAR GAME TONIGHT*GO NATIONAL LEAGUE*