My Day

I had a student withdrawal yesterday to move to another district. He is actually moving.
I had a sub this afternoon, for training on a certain program we got through a grant. My kids will start using it tomorrow. I have noticed that some kids will rush and not do their best so they can get on the computer. I had a break around the time my kids were at the RR after lunch/recess. I go use the RR myself, come out and two girls start hanging off of me begging me to come back to class. I was laughing it was funny. None of our subs had an easy time teaching Distributive property to the kids. So their test will now be on Monday, so we can teach it tomorrow. I made up a new worksheet this afternoon for them to do tomorrow. You know, they will treat me the same way tomorrow, not very nicely.
After school, meet my sis and mom to check out the decorated trees at John S. Knight Center. Get to class, to see a list of chapters to read for the final that is in two weeks and two papers that are due in two weeks. I also have an article critique due on the 2nd. You should guess what I will be doing this weekend. Writing 3 papers. Not fun at all!

4 month Onc checkup

I saw my onc this afternoon. Guess what? I don't have to see him again for another 6 months! Yeah! I was weighed and I only gained 5 pounds in the past 4 months. That is pretty good. I will try to loose weight again. My blood pressure was good, but I think the top number was slightly high. Blood work will be done at the end of December. Getting a CT scan on January 15.
I forgot to say something and my onc forgot about having to get my port flushed. I went next door to get my port flushing scheduled through April. Then I went to the back to see which of my nurses were working. My favorite was there. She went ahead and flushed my port this afternoon, instead of me having to show up on Wednesday for it to be flushed. I so had missed seeing my favorite nurse.

Today, was our Halloween costume parade around the playground and party in the classroom. I wore this headband all afternoon. Mom and Gma came to watch the parade and I introduced my kids to them.

Problems with my Port

This past Tuesday, was my monthly port flushing. The nurse was able to stick the needle into the port, but the port would not send back any blood. Another nurse, kinda took the needle out, and put it back in, moved it around, but no blood would do anything. One of the nurses put in a dose of a clot buster. Had to sit and wait about 20-30 minutes for it take affect. After than, they were able to get blood, then were able to flush it. Whenever my port is flushed, I am given a dose of heperin. This was the first time, this has happened with my port.

Changes

We are making some changes in my grade at school, starting tomorrow. We will be changing for 3 subjects, writing, science and social studies. Each one of those will be taught for 30 minutes just about every day. We are doing this so we can do flexible grouping in reading and math. By doing flexible grouping, we are hoping the students will learn the concepts and will help in the test scores come spring.

We will now, also all be using the same reward system, tickets. The students will be able to earn and loose tickets.

Happy Anniversary

Today is my Second Nedaversary! I am two years NED today! Two years cancer free!

Respect, Why so Hard to Get?

The phrase I say the most is "You are being disrespectful", goes in ear and out the other. It literally doesn't phase them that they are being disrespectful. I sure can use some prayer in this issue. I am trying to think what can I do to help them to choose to be respectful. They think it is my fault that they are disrespectful, and I say it is not, that they choose to be disrespectful. Between that an missing work are my two main problem. Other than, I am enjoying being back to my favorite grade.

My Room

8 days into the school year. I was suppose to have 17 kiddos on the first day of school. 14 showed up. The next day, one moved down to 4th grade, another one withdrew. That left me with 12. This week, I received a new student, moved me up to 13 students. The next day, one student switched to a different classroom (trying to nip bad behavior choices in the bud, and separating a couple of students.) If you are following along with the math, that puts me back down to 12 students. I have 5 girls and 7 boys. The school has more boys than girls.

I am doing pretty good in teaching all the subjects during the day. Following along the benchmarks/standards are so confusing, TX was way better to understand and follow along. My 3 biggest complaints are as follows: Disrespect towards me, NO name papers, and Missing work. I am working on it. Starting next week, I am taking points off for being late and for turning in a NO Name paper.

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for the job. I am in the grade I love. The challenge is good for me. Still doing grad school this semester. I am thinking of taking Spring off for grad school, because of preparing my kiddos for 3 state tests.

First Day

This pic was taken on the first day of school.

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see from the title of my post, my awesome news. I got a job. The phone rang this afternoon not too much past 3:15 pm, with a call from HR from one of the districts I have subbed in. I was offered a job teaching fifth grade. I accepted the job. I was told to report tomorrow. Students start on Wednesday. I will find out tomorrow if I will be self-contained or departmentalized.

Besides working full-time, I will be taking two grad school classes this fall, and finishing up the one I started earlier this month. I will be one very busy bee.

God...It's Hard

God...It's Hard
by, Judy Farrar (goes to my parent's church)

God, it's hard to hear You
Because i feel so bad
My circumstances make me
Feel lonely, lost and sad

Is my situation hopeless?
Can I find the way to go?
I'm tired and so discouraged
As You seem to move so slow

I feel as though I'm groping
In a dark and barren land
I'm reaching out for answers
I need comfort from Your hand.

Help me Lord to focus
On the God who loves me so
To trust You for deliverance
Lead me Lord where I should go.

It was then I herd the Saviour
Speaking to my wounded soul
When You give me broken pieces
I can work to make you whole.

Literacy Intervention Interview

Last week, I got a letter in the mail from one of the districts I sub in, explaining they still had openings for Literacy Intervention teachers in grades K-2. This is a two year position (from the stimulus $). I typed up my letter of interest that evening, and had my mom drop it off the next day. I received a phone call this past Tuesday, saying they wanted to schedule an interview.

I had the interview yesterday morning. The interviews were only 15 minutes long, due to all they had scheduled. I also had to answer a writing prompt before my interview. I was not expecting that. Just about what I said in my essay I said in my interview. School starts next week, so will see if I get the job or not. I haven't heard anything today about it.

Monday, of this week, I added 3 school districts to where I work as a sub. That puts me up to 7 school districts, and they are in two different counties. Between subbing and grad school I will be busy.

Trap Time

A little over a week ago, I was in my room and all of a sudden smelled a skunk. (The skunk was outside my bedroom window, and my windows were opened.) I knew the skunk had to have sprayed, and I thought maybe the skunk was in the trap. The next morning, it didn't look like anything was in the trap. (I can see the trap from my bedroom window.) This past Saturday night, I heard a sound, that sounded like the trap door closed. This morning, I looked out the window, and behold, what did I see in the trap?


That makes two skunks this year that we have caught, and it ties last year's number of skunks. Two skunks in both 2008 and 2009. There was no food in the trap either. I wonder how long it will stay in the trap until it goes bye-bye.

Hot Dog Solar Cooker

Yesterday, I started my new class for grad school, Operation Physics. It is all day, M-TH of this week and M-F all of next week and three Saturdays this fall. We do a different unit everyday. Today's topic was heat and temperature. I had to take in a pringles can. The Pringles can was turned into a solar cooker, and we cooked hotdogs for lunch. The temp outside wasn't very hot, so the hotdogs didn't get very hot. We called the shrubs covered with our hotdog cookers, hotdog trees.

The Indians Have Made Me So Mad!!!!!!

I could just scream, I am disgusted with the GM and Manager of the Indians. They so trying to destroy the team!!! I wish they would be traded or let go. At one time, the Indians actually did trade their manger. They need to do it again.

They have let go or traded too many guys this year. One of the guys they signed in the off season has been traded. He was traded a month ago. Last week, Bentacourt was traded to the Rockies. The other day, Garko was traded to the Giants. This afternoon both Lee and Fransico were traded to the Phillies. The worse part is, we just get prospects, that's it. One guy we got for DeRosa did join our bullpen, but wasn't very good at first, not sure how he is now.

Two years in a row, we have traded our Ace, the current Cy Young winner. Yes, part of the problems this year, have been the players, but the blame needs to rest on the GM and the Manager. They are destroying the team. They do not care if we try to win or not. Don't get me wrong, there are problems in their playing, but they have been able to pull it together and win. They actually won 5 in a row this past weekend, and two series in a row. Cliff threw two complete games back to back this month.

We have so many prospects, but they are not all ready to play in big leagues, but when they do, sometimes can't even play or adjust. Marte was brought back up last night. He hasn't been able to play. Supposedly, he had made some adjustments and improved this year in Columbus. We'll see if he really has.

3 Month Onc Visit

I saw my Onc today. Since April, I had gained 9 pounds and was a bit upset about that because I was actually trying to loose the weight by going to the Rec over at Akron U the past 5 weeks. Both, the nursing student and my onc said it is probably muscle, since muscle weighs more than fat does. So, the weight gain is okay. I am taking a few weeks off from using the rec, and will get back to it when the fall semester starts the week of August 24 at Akron U. Since I will have a class that meets twice a week in the evening, I will be able to work out after school and before my class.

Blood was drawn before my port was flushed this morning. My white blood count is finally in the normal range!!!!!! I am thankful for that. It has been at 3700 for a few months, and is now at 4100, which is just normal. It is still slightly low, but finally working its way back up.

I now have to start getting mammograms yearly,so I am scheduled for one in September. I do not have to go back to see my onc until November. That is four months between visits. Next visit, will schedule my next CT scan, only have it get that once a year, since mine have been good. Come next summer, I will be graduating to 6 months between visits. Nothing was mentioned today about removing my port. I didn't say anything. My onc will probably say something after my next CT scan. Until then, will get it flushed every 4-6 weeks.

In summary, all good news.

Your Heavenly Father Knows You

"Therefor do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." Matthew 6:8

Even before we call on Him, the Father has already begun to provide all that we need (Isaiah 65:24). Jesus wanted His disciples to learn how intimately God knew and loved each of them. That is why He told them to pray. He assured them that even before they prayed, God knew all about their situation.

Prayer is not designed for us to inform God of our needs for He already knows them. Why, then, should we pray? Prayer enables us to experience God more intimately. The more a child experiences the loving provision of a parent, the more convinced he becomes of his parent's unrelenting love. Often a parent will anticipate a child's need before the child recognizes it and be prepared in advance to provide for that need. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what we will face today and next week. He is eager for us to experience Him as He provides for us.

To our surprise, we often discover that God knows far better than we do what is best fro us. At times we assume that we know what would benefit us. We can even be foolish enough to assume that we don't required anything of God. Yet God wants us to go to Him in our need (Matthew 7:7). He is ready to show His strength through our weakness. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what is best for us, and He is prepared to provide for every need, if we will but ask (Philippians 4:13).

The above is today's devotion from Experiencing God Day-By-Day. It is written by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby. It is both a devotional and journal. I have been using this book since October 2000.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday! I am having a cookout later this afternoon to celebrate my birthday. I am not calling it a birthday party, but that is what it actually is. I ordered an ice cream cake from DQ, which I will got in a couple of hours to pick up. I invited family, Real Life, people from my parent's church and my nurses. Not sure how many people will be here. On the dining room table are three wrapped presents, and one is wrapped in paper with my name on it. The bow also has my name on it. Here is a pic of it.



I had never seen wrapping paper with my name on it. I do not think my mom knew I took a pic of my wrapped presents. A lot of things that sell names on them, don't always do Christina. Instead they will do Christine, or Chrissy, or Christy, but sometimes will do Christina.

Went and saw my brother this morning. I read to him, like I always do.

I Passed!!!!!!!!!!!

On Saturday, June 13, I took the Praxis II Middle Grades Science Test. It was so hard!!!!!! I went to their website this morning, I logged in to check my score. I passed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I needed a 144 to pass the test and my score was 157. That endorsement is now on my OH Teaching certificate.

Daily Walk

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise." Ephesians 5:15

As you walk with the Lord each day, you will face many crossroads. God will open the way before you, but He will not mandate your steps. He's given you a free will with which to choose the steps you take. He does admonish you to choose wisely, tough. The safest way to do that is to keep your hand in God's hand at all times. He will never let you wander off path. Reach out to Him and He'll be there.

This devotional comes from the book titled Everyday Blessings Spiritual Refreshment for Women.