yesterday...

at 2pm i became offically divorced...it doesn't feel very good, not very different either. it feels like the sound when you drop a coin into a big empty barrell...hallow. perhaps i will try and fill the void with christmas lights, candy canes and "do you hear what i hear" which has been resounding in my head for a week straight....

so, that's my update! now that i'm single i'll have to go back to beating the boys off with a stick...damn.

I am thankful...

that Chris doesn't really have a mullet.

A Get-Together???

Hi again,
I have been checking daily to see what everyone is thankful for, but it only looks like we have 3 thankful individuals who belong to this blog.
Anywho-I am available over the break on Dec. 28th during the day (Thursday), or anytime on Friday, Dec. 29th, but I have to go home that night or early the next morning for Christmas with the Bectholds. So, Saturday, Dec. 30th is out for me.
I will give all of you ungrateful people one last chance to say your thanks.
Happy Holidays!
Breanna

Post-thanksgiving gratitude!

'ello ladies,

I would like to include my list of blessings...do they still count after thanksgiving?

Micaela~happy, healthy and a handful!
Mi familia
employment
spring in 4 months
God's faithfulness
a nice place to live
Mt. Rainier
all you ladies

Its been awhile since I've written so here's an update! Micaela and I have returned from our trip out to Washington, we saw lots of people. Its hard being on a baby schedule when no one else is or at least some of the folks we saw didn't really care about the baby schedule, so that was eye-opening and I underestimated how exhausting it can be travelling with baby, I was really sick when we came back. Micaela has had the flu twice. Thanksgiving was awesome, no travelling involved...just lots of relaxing with wonderful people.

So Christmas time is approaching, we will be in the Twin Cities area Dec. 28-30, and maybe longer but I have to check on work. Is there any chance of all of us getting together?

So Happy Post-thanksgiving Monday...can we get some updates from those other ladies?

Peace my sisters!
Elizabeth

More thanks

Breanna, I thought your favorite holiday was Fourth of July? Hmmm...fishy. Nonetheless, I too have lots to be thankful for:

Healthcare
A support network of family, friends, coworkers, and others
Family traditions
Music
Knitting
Meteor showers- last weekend was great by the way, even if I frostbit my 10 toes :(
Hostas and lilies
Walden Pond
LVC
the Resurrection
and of course a lot more!

Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving!
Sarah A

Thanksgiving

Hi friends...
I just wanted to take a moment to say what I am thankful for as my favorite holiday approaches. I think I like it because we can tell people we are thankful for them without getting them presents to prove it.

I am thankful for:
Chris
My family
My students (even when they are shitheads)
All of you lovely ladies and what you have shared with me throughout the years. I will always cherish our times together.
My health
Books
Music
Relaxation
Warmish fall days
My bed
Love


I could keep going forever...I just wanted to share and hope that you will all do the same.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Breanna

here I am!

Hi everyone!
Its been awhile since I've written and I'm sorry. I, like Breanna, am tired teacher. :) It sure has been fun to read some of your entries, though. Sarah, sometimes when you write I think you should get a job at a newspaper--you have great persuasive, informative entries!
Things here have been fine. It gets a little monotonous to go to school, come home, cook, clean, and put Julia to bed. I love playing with her, but the rest of the stuff get old FAST. I am not a person with a cheery attitude about housework. I think if I didn't have to work on top of it, I'd be okay. Anyway, that's life, so I'll deal.
I have a couple of concerts coming up in December, so I am busy getting ready for those. One is on Friday, December 8th at 1:30 in the afternoon if anyone wants to come! :) Anyway, I spend too much time thinking about the concert and it makes me feel stressed out. I also have been fighting a womanly infection (TMI I know...) which means I've been on pretty strong antibiotics for week, and they make be feel disgusting. Nauseous, tired, just gross. So, when I add stressed out to that, it kind of sucks. On the up-side, David has been a little extra helpful this week, so that has been nice.
Julia continues to grow and make us smile. She is really starting to talk a lot. We hear words like thank you, more, please, uh-oh, oooohh, and tree a lot. :) They don't always sound perfect, but once you hear them enough you realize that's what she's saying. Its so amazing to watch her learn and figure things out. She is really getting tall, too--31 inches long! Wow. When she stretches out in the tub I always think, "Oh my gosh!! How did she get so big!" :)
My parents had a very interested couple look at their house this week...they may get an offer and have to move out by January. Now that its more real, it kind of makes me sad, but that's life. I need to realize that our house is just a thing and its the people that i care about. It will be hard to leave behind all of our memories there though.
My brother got a new job in Bloomington. He is still working for US Bank, but in a different department. He has worked there for MAYBE three weeks. His department met their quota or something like that this week, so they all get to go to Cancun. He gets to go too! Sounds nice. I think they should send teachers to Cancun after the school year. Or maybe in the middle. But wouldn't that be nice to go there after only working for three weeks?! Sounds like a nice job.
Elizabeth- how was the trip out West? I hope that you had a nice time visiting and have a feeilng of closure getting all of the loose ends tied up!
Sarah- How is your mom? Thanks for the info on the meteor shower. Cool! And I agree with you about the whole parent thing. For some they just don't care, others they are working so hard they don't have time to care. It is sad, and a cycle that I think is hard to break. But hey, lets go for that performance-based pay anyway, right Mr. Pawlenty? parents have nothing to do wtih it!
Breanna- I'm sorry you're sounding so burned out! I hope that once in awhile your kids show you why it was you went into teaching. You are a super teacher!!!! They'll be so much better off because of you, even though you might not see it now.
Everyone else--WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!!
Well, Have a very Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I love you all, and love that we can catch up on this blog. What a genius idea, Sarah. :) Have a fun weekend, and hopefully we can all see one another soon.

Love ya,
Mandy

Meteor shower

Friends I have been alerted to the fact that tomorrow night is the perfect time to see a stellar meteor shower. The best time to see it will be between 9:30 pm - 2 am. I am hoping for a clear night because a friend and I intend to drive out of the city and find a cornfield to watch the stars. Of course I also plan to wear my long underwear and bring a sleeping bag as the temperatures continue to drop these days.

Who else is looking forward to Thanksgiving? I will enjoy a couple days off, that is for sure. I plan on going to St. Cloud on Thursday to celebrate with my dad's side and then a dinner on Saturday night with my mom's side. It should all be nice. I'm going to make homemade pumpkin pie from the pumpkins that have been sitting on my front step this fall. As I am making them from scratch I will think of years long ago when people did not have the convenience of Libby's pumpkin pie mix to dump into their pie shell and bake. I suppose if I were really trying to act like a pioneer I would also make my own crust, but I think I will settle for convenience on that one.

Breanna, I feel I can relate to not being satisfied with the educational system and the students being pushed through grades that do not have basic skills. While it is frustrating, I can't help but be somewhat optimistic that teachers do not intentionally pass students along. I think there are exceptions, such as the student with the extreme behavior issues and a teacher looks forward to having them gone even if they're not ready. I believe a large portion of the problems in education falls on the parents. And ladies with children, correct me if I'm wrong, but what I see is a lack in parenting. Not in all cases, but some. Does society invest in its parents and teach them skills needed for positive parenting? Just the other night I was at the grocery store and there was a small child (around 3) balling uncontrollably. She kept saying, "I want my mom. I want my mom. I don't want to go outside." The man who was with her (presumably her dad) said, "Am I hurting you? You're crying for no reason. Stop it right now!" etc. The tone in which he spoke to his small child in a crowded place was concerning. While I was not fearful for the child's physical safety, I wondered if she experiences the harsh tone of voice regularly and what affect that has on her emotional status. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if children continually experience confrontation and an 'in your face' approach, that's what they come to school with. The skills needed for positive social interaction and problem solving seem to be lacking. Just the other day I had the classroom I was in turn into a boxing arena because some boy said something about the other boy's momma. Instead of ignoring it, or responding differently the boy shoots back some equally condoning words and the boys are then acting like silver back gorillas huffing and puffing and trying to prove that they are mightier than the other. This of course happens when I am trying to give instructions and teach. So after I get them out of the classroom and everyone else is excited because of the 'fight' I am supposed to continue teaching like nothing has happened. So if teachers in the upper elementary and middle school grades must spend time teaching proper social interactions and problem solving skills then there is time being taken away from academic instruction and I believe this undoubtedly contributes to some of the low skills we see.

I do not intend to put all the educational systems problems on parents, but I think it is a big factor. Investment should be made in parents not just in the preschool years but also beyond. And how do we support those parents which are forced to work two and three jobs to make ends meet in order for their families to have basic needs met?

Okay, I will stop for now, but certainly welcome others opionions and thoughts. And don't forget about the meteor shower!
SarahA

A Tired Teacher

Hi all,
Both SarahA and ElizabethR had great titles to their last blog. I don't believe I can out-do them, but I thought I should make some alliterative cutesy title. Also, this is the truth.
First, about the tired teacher. I had a sad conversation with some of my 11th grade students who were my first group of 8th graders. They were asking me how I had changed things since they were in my class and how it was going. I told them the truth as I was gearing up to correct some papers from my 8th graders. I showed them the NUMEROUS papers that lacked ANY punctuation, the ones who NEVER use a capital latter at the beginning of the sentence, the ones that NO ONE (including the kid who wrote it) can read. As I was ranting, the 11th graders were shocked by the completely half-ass work I was trying to correct. But, then they said this..."You were so much more peppy when you first started. You seem kind of crabby this year." OUCH...but true.
I have become so tired of lazy kids who don't listen to what I teach them, not even the simple stuff that they should have learned in first grade. It makes me sad because who has allowed this lack of care and concern for education. Of course there are still the kids who care, but in this particular class of 8th graders, the number is VERY small! Has this half-ass attitude been allowed in other teachers' classrooms? Do this many parents not care how their children do in school?
But, the biggest question that I have been asking myself lately when looking at the attitudes of my students is "Why do I care more than them?" and "Is it worth my time?"
How sad it that?!?!?!?
So, sadly, although there are classes that I love (my 11th graders), I don't know how much longer I can continue to teach. I get stressed out about their work level. People blame English teachers for the results of the BSTs, and MCAs in Reading and Writing...but I don't even have enough time to TEACH because I am constantly critiquing what they should already know. GRRRRRRRR.
Enough about that.

Thanksgiving is coming sooooo soon. Chris and I will be heading up to Walker either Wed. or Thurs. and staying until Friday afternoon. Then, we have family Thanksgiving with his side on Saturday. It is fun to have a lot of things to go to, but a little stressful too. ON a sad note, we are not taking our annual shopping trip, because Grandma Vonnie can't really shop til you drop like the rest of us anymore. :( She is still way cool though.

Ok- Hope all is well with everyone!
Love,
Breanna

The tale of an introvert working in retail

So maybe it's a tale, but as I was driving home at 11:15 tonight I was reflecting on my day. This afternoon as I pulled into the World Market parking lot, it was packed. Right away I was not excited to go through the doors and put on a smile and pretend I was interested in helping customers. I was not in the mood for contact with people. I simply wanted to get my work done and not have anyone interrupt me. Luckily, I was able to slip toward the back of the store and start a mind-numbing task of sorting and organizing Torani syrups. I did this will little interruptions and could simply think. After a few hours I felt as though I had had enough time to myself and wasn't annoyed when customers asked me questions. A definite qualification for my next job is some time to work by myself.

Elizabeth R.- I enjoyed reading about your conversation with the radio although it sounded like a frustrating one. I know the Pacific NW is quite liberal, but so are some place in the Midwest, and you can shake some things up in the Red River Valley.

What are people doing for Thanksgiving? Let's hear from a few of you that have been dormant from posting on the blog lately? Good night!
SarahA

Frickin' winter blahs...

That's how I feel...its windy and cold and I can't remember why I live in a place where my limbs are already so chaped I may start molting at anytime. Yesterday....talk about a policital hangover, thats what it felt like all day yesterday. I was listening to a Christian radio morning show and the overall message was "Why aren't Christians voting?" Asserting that Christians must not be voting because the Democrats are taking majority. I called in...the radio guy would only talk about abortion and gay rights, I guess we have to leave "love thy neighbor" to the pagens. Then, as I sat at home having breakfast with Micaela I listened to two other callers basically say I wasn't putting my "Christianity" to work because "Scripture doesn't allow compromise."

So, I find myself resisting the urge to jump on a plane and go back to the good 'ole progressive Northwest. Also, I get tired to being a house-bound grandma. Micaela goes to bed around 7:30pm, so no matter what I'm doing, it has to be done by 7pm. Or I have to get a babysitter. Neither make for great options.

Wow, sorry I'm so negative! On the upside, we're headed to Washington on Wednesday to visit some people and deal with the last of my stuff that's been sitting out there. Work is great, no major complaints. And the whole family will be together this weekend b/c Matthew is doing a concert at a Coffee house in Grand Forks.

So, I hope we can see each other soon..I miss you all a lot. I just heard from Rapp that she will be around mid-December. Perhaps we'll have to plan something!

Love to you all
e

Their Father's God

I recently finished reading Their Father's God by O.E. Rolvaag. It was alright. Peder Holm, a Norweigan Lutheran, marries Suzie, his Irish Catholic neighbor. You can imagine what problems this causes because it takes place in rural South Dakota in the late 1890s. In the end his unwillingness to be somewhat open-minded was detrimental to their relationship. I have drawn some parallels with this novel to present-day society and the close-mindedness many people have. While I enjoyed reading the book, I honestly wouldn't recommend it. At times the book was frustrating, maddening, and a bit ridiculous in my opinion. I am enjoying my current book much more, Twentysomething.

I had an eventful weekend. Saturday, in celebration of Halloween, I attended an outdoor puppet show. There were larger than life puppets, pyrotechnics, free food, stilters, and a make-shift orchestra. Afterwards there was free and tasty organic food. On Monday I went to a concert at the Xcel Energy Center. It was sponsored by TPT (which tells you what kind of music it is). The featured artist was Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss orchestra which basically meant: Lawrence Welk meets Victor Borge. Even if my hair wasn't the right color (gray), it was still fun and my friend and I even waltzed right up by the stage to one of the songs. Yes, I danced in front of 10,000 people. I made sure we were on the side so only 9,000 could see us. This Friday's concert with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is sure to be a bit different.

Good night friends.