Giving Gifts

I wish I had more money so I could buy more gifts for other people. I don't know why, but I get REALLY excited as Christmas time approaches because I get to buy/make special gifts for people I love. This year I have a really good feeling for some reason. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head (that I'm not going to post because I don't know who reads this :~)) and I feel a lot of them will be big hits! That time of year is right around the corner. I can't belive it is almost November! This weekend I hope to get some Christmas shopping done so I can start working on putting everything together so I don't have much to do while I am home for Thanksgiving and for Christmas break.

I can't wait to wrap presents too!!! That has to be one of my favoirite holiday things to do!!! All the fun paper and cute name tags! Each year I seem to learn a new technique to wrap something odd-shaped or to spice it up. Oh Christmas...I see you way down the street. I'll be watching for you until you arrive!

Middle Schoolers

Don't get my wrong, I absolutely LOVE my middle school kids, but boy howdy lets put forth some effort. I am writing a couple of case studies this semester on two of my kids. I am writing the first one now and I seem to have picked the, oh how do I say this, most complex student, NOT in a good way. This kid is one big ball of trouble. He is in OSS right now because he made a root beer bottle into a "regular" beer bottle and was playing with it at school. He does no work, I think my host teacher said he has a 35% in her class. 35%!!!!!!!! To have a grade that low, you are trying to fail. This isn't a hard class. I'm not saying it's easy-schmeasy but it isn't rocket science, it's not even regular science. He is what I call a frequent flyer...he visits the office often. I think there have been two times out of the 7 I have been that he has not been in the office. This kid just breaks my heart. I try to keep an eye on him, but I was informed he really has free reign at home. He doesn't have rules or much guidance. It is so sad to see that. This kid is a leader and has so much potential. But no one really likes him. I mean sure, he is good for a laugh with an inappropriate joke in class but that is about it. He may have another troublemaker who follows him, but he is that kid that no one really wants to hang around because it is only a matter of time before he is in trouble for something else, again. So this is my ode to teachers who deal with this day after day and year after year, Don't give up on them! I know one day I will need to come back and read this to remind myself. These are the kids that really need you and they are the ones that you are not going to want to deal with after the first week of school because you are already sick of their antics. Just keep trying and don't give up. That is what he is expceting. To be given up on just like everyone else has...prove him wrong. Show him that you are NOT like everyone else. You are there for him and you will NOT give up!!!!

Okay... no more motivational speeches tonight!

Ya know what I miss?

I miss getting up with grandma at 5am, pickin up Aunt Marylin, stopping at Casey's General Store for a doughnut and hot chocolate on our way to a morning full of garage sales! I LOVE garage sale-ing. I used to look for ALL things Barbie. And boy, did Grandma and I find some GOOD stuff. Name brand clothes with tags still one them, a Barbie RV van, and movies/books galore!I also was quite fond of garage sale clothes. The night before Grandpa would give me a 5 dollar bill and say "Don't spend it all at one place." I would hug him and say thank you and as I walked away Grandma would always say, "What is she supposed to get with 5 dollars?!" *Grins* Though 5 dollars goes pretty far for a garage sale-ing kid, I usually had it spend within the first 3 stops. Boy, did we have some fun! I remember getting board games and puzzles and wanting to play as soon as we got back. But Grandma knew that would never happen. Come about 10:30 am I was ready to go back home for a nap :~). Though I haven't been in awhile, I still do greatly enjoy garage sales. I imagine here in the next few years as I am starting to decorate and furnish my own place, I'll start going some more. Though, every time I drive past one I slow down and see if there is "anything I just have to have" (as Grandma would ask before I bought anything). Normally nothing does, but I'm sure one of these days something will catch my fancy and I'll get the bug again.

FALL

What is not to be loved about fall? The crisp, cool, brisk air rustling leaves and whistling through the trees. The BOLD beautiful colors of Red, Yellow, Orange, Gold, and Brown! Smells of Pumpkins and spice and fire places..mmmmm. I love walking outside during fall and smelling the smell of fire places and burning leaves. It is the trigger to my brain that, Yes I was right to hold on to the desire of fall and that summer wasn't going to last forever.

This fall I really want to attempt to bake/cook something with REAL fresh Pumpkin! I am not sure what to make yet, but I WILL make something. I came about this idea one day in between classes while watching the Today Show. I believe Martha Stewart was on there and was talking about pumpkin. After I got back to my room, I started researching it and found a site that was everything I was looking for. http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Cook-Fresh-Pumpkin I found out that when cooking, one should use Sugar Pumpkins, which are usually different than regular ole' Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins. But having a Frosted Pumpkin Yankee Candle Tart melting on my window sill--Oh the sweet smell that is! Also my Practicum Middle School classroom has Spiced Cider "Wall Flowers" in the room too. Though I do not like cider, the smell just warms my body as it enters my nostrils. Oh fall how I've missed you and I'm so happy you've returned with promises of Thanksgiving, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and a few WELL needed breaks. How I will miss you when you leave. Thank you for gracing us with your presence. And God, thank you for this AWESOME season which I love so much!