Saturday, the eye doctor called just before we were leaving for soccer to tell us that Sarah's glasses were in. She was dragging a bit so this news got her completely motivated. She's been waiting for them. They look really pretty, but I've not had time to take a picture yet.
Saturday night, we went to see the Music Man at our local theatre. The community group did a pretty good job. The girls really enjoyed it, although Sydney got a bit tired at the end.
Yesterday morning was church. Sarah was tired from the late night, so she stayed home with her dad. As Sydney and I were leaving, someone stopped me to ask about a grant DH was awarded that she had read about in the local paper. As we were discussing the irony of his getting this grant as it was also the lack of said grant that caused the university to deny him tenure. As I was about to tell Sydney it was time to go, I heard several adults gasp as Sydney had fallen over after spinning in circles with her bunny and she hit her head on either the pew or the chair next to her. Our friend Chris had gotten there first, so I let her comfort Sydney until I realized that there was blood on her stuffed bunny. Yep, she nicely cut her head open. Everyone mobilized to help me get things for Syd, clean her bunny, offer to drive so I didn't have to. It was very nice and comforting. Ultimately, Syd and I went to the ER by ourselves, Syd holding a washcloth to her head. She ended up getting two staples.
She's doing much better now, but I've told her that if she's feeling badly at school today, she can stay home from school.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Waves Hello
It has been quite the busy couple of weeks.
I started back to school two weeks ago. This year, I am teaching two sections of my class. And I've been lucky to get two good sections. I'm really enjoying this.
When I was teaching my first semester, I was looking for an activity that would engage the students and would teach them about the theme of my course. I came up with a great idea of having the students build a structure made from marshmallows and spaghetti or toothpicks. The trick is that they are assigned personalities that will make success difficult. This does a great job of teaching them working together. If we were to change the personalities to say contractor, subcontractor, government agency, and construction inspector - you have the dynamics of a building site.
All freshman engineering students take some core courses together. The department that teaches these learned about this activity because one of their instructors asked me to do it with their summer youth (middle school/high school age kids). They decided that these concepts and method of teaching them were wonderful for all the freshman engineering classes. I've giving the activity to this group. If we are still here and I teach next year, I'll find another activity. I think that this will be a great way to teach so many students the importance of knowing how their approach can help and hinder a project they are working on both in school and after.
The girls are enjoying school. They each got their first choice teachers. Sarah had a conversation with the boy who bullied her last year. He started teasing her a bit and another boy told him to back off. Then the group of them started talking about other things and she seemed to really enjoy the conversation. Sydney, she's just smiling and spinning her way through life.
I have more to say, but I have 40 papers to grade, a house to clean, and things to do.
I started back to school two weeks ago. This year, I am teaching two sections of my class. And I've been lucky to get two good sections. I'm really enjoying this.
When I was teaching my first semester, I was looking for an activity that would engage the students and would teach them about the theme of my course. I came up with a great idea of having the students build a structure made from marshmallows and spaghetti or toothpicks. The trick is that they are assigned personalities that will make success difficult. This does a great job of teaching them working together. If we were to change the personalities to say contractor, subcontractor, government agency, and construction inspector - you have the dynamics of a building site.
All freshman engineering students take some core courses together. The department that teaches these learned about this activity because one of their instructors asked me to do it with their summer youth (middle school/high school age kids). They decided that these concepts and method of teaching them were wonderful for all the freshman engineering classes. I've giving the activity to this group. If we are still here and I teach next year, I'll find another activity. I think that this will be a great way to teach so many students the importance of knowing how their approach can help and hinder a project they are working on both in school and after.
The girls are enjoying school. They each got their first choice teachers. Sarah had a conversation with the boy who bullied her last year. He started teasing her a bit and another boy told him to back off. Then the group of them started talking about other things and she seemed to really enjoy the conversation. Sydney, she's just smiling and spinning her way through life.
I have more to say, but I have 40 papers to grade, a house to clean, and things to do.
Monday, September 07, 2009
The Big Lake
Today, we are going to the Big Lake (Lake Superior) with some friends. They have a lake house and we are heading out their with them and their minister's family for a day of playing and picnicking.
Back in June, one of my friends (and the dad of one of Sarah's really good friends) mentioned that they wanted to have us out to their lake house sometime this summer.
As usually happens, we finally managed this week.
I'm looking forward to something fun. This is a really nice family. She's a ER doc, he's a sometimes SAHD, they have three girls - the middle one is in Sarah's grade but at a different school. She is really sweet. In fact, when she came over for a playdate earlier this week, the two of them ended up sitting in Sarah's room reading. I almost told them to stop reading and go play, but it dawned on me that any friend you are comfortable enough to just sit in a room and read with was actually a great thing and left them alone for a while.
I wouldn't mind if we started doing more things with this family (although just when we lived in CA we could end up finding a nice couple the hang with just before we move).
[And their daughter gave Sarah a great gift the other day. I guess that Sarah was telling her about being teased at school this past year. The school has moved the biggest offenders so they are in a different class than Sarah and this years Teacher's in-service theme is bullying, so we are hopeful that things will be better. But, we told Sarah that if it gets bad again, she doesn't have to put up with it and we can move Sarah to the another school. The school we'd plan on moving her to is the one this girl attends as well as another good friend of Sarah's. Sarah's friend told her that she didn't want Sarah to be teased, but she really hoped Sarah moved to her school. She also talked with Sarah about some of the other teasing incidents that she knew about both at her school and Sarah's. Knowing that these two girls will be there to welcome Sarah if she needs to change schools makes both Sarah and I feel better!
Back in June, one of my friends (and the dad of one of Sarah's really good friends) mentioned that they wanted to have us out to their lake house sometime this summer.
As usually happens, we finally managed this week.
I'm looking forward to something fun. This is a really nice family. She's a ER doc, he's a sometimes SAHD, they have three girls - the middle one is in Sarah's grade but at a different school. She is really sweet. In fact, when she came over for a playdate earlier this week, the two of them ended up sitting in Sarah's room reading. I almost told them to stop reading and go play, but it dawned on me that any friend you are comfortable enough to just sit in a room and read with was actually a great thing and left them alone for a while.
I wouldn't mind if we started doing more things with this family (although just when we lived in CA we could end up finding a nice couple the hang with just before we move).
[And their daughter gave Sarah a great gift the other day. I guess that Sarah was telling her about being teased at school this past year. The school has moved the biggest offenders so they are in a different class than Sarah and this years Teacher's in-service theme is bullying, so we are hopeful that things will be better. But, we told Sarah that if it gets bad again, she doesn't have to put up with it and we can move Sarah to the another school. The school we'd plan on moving her to is the one this girl attends as well as another good friend of Sarah's. Sarah's friend told her that she didn't want Sarah to be teased, but she really hoped Sarah moved to her school. She also talked with Sarah about some of the other teasing incidents that she knew about both at her school and Sarah's. Knowing that these two girls will be there to welcome Sarah if she needs to change schools makes both Sarah and I feel better!
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