Camping Fun

I started this blog to share, and after leaving my other blog, I knew that this one would be about our family as a whole, and not just adoptive stuff. We don't have many adoption related issues in our family, so this blog serves as my scrapbook if you will. So going private on my blog made me realize that who ever is stalking me is sort of winning. Although I am not competitive, I am determined. And by that I mean, I will fight through what feels like a personal attack and not actually a professional one. I have contacted and have the support of the professionals established to help teachers when things like this happen, so I kind of feel like  I will not let fear take away my 1st Amendment right to express myself, whether I am a teacher or not. It's sort of ridiculous anyway. The person who complained about the blog was never really a friend, as much as they pretended to be, so in the grand scheme of things, I have to ask, "Who cares?"

So onto the good stuff...
I did the thing that I swore I would never do..


I   WENT    CAMPING  !!!

Actually, I didn't fully commit to it. We went day camping.
I had no idea how fun it would be, as I really don't think I am outdoorsy, but this was truly awesome.
The beauty in this area are the national parks. Growing up, we really didn't have many large parks like we have here. Well, there are the beaches but you get where I am going..
We got up and packed smore stuff, and drinks and snacks. It's very cool here so we got blankets and chairs. I went to the Dollar Store and got all sorts of nets and insect containers and we headed to Burke Lake. It was such a beautiful day. Cool enough for a light jacket, and the sun warmed the air just enough. The cicadas are here, but they stay near the ground, so no worries there..
Burke Lake has a train and carousel and tons of playgrounds dotted here and there. After we had ice cream and took a ride on the train with our group, we headed to our campsite.

 There were 3 families and we had packed our cars as if we were moving in forever. Our campsite was in a wooded area with a playground just a quick walk away.

Hippy Teacher brought her tent and the kids loved pretending to be a thousand miles from civilization. All the kids were loving it. We hung out and made hot dogs and grilled cheeses on the fire, and then had a Disco Party in the tent. Lilz was a riot. (another teacher's baby girl) She is growing up so much. Another family came by with their daughter, so our campsite was chock full of little ones. Rolling Thunder is in town, and I think we scared THEM with our glow stix and silly songs and games.

The dads took the kids to the playground, and that gave the moms a chance to catch up and chat..I miss our time of 3..Our conversations are so easy. Mainly because each of us know that our hearts are with our children. All of us can always find fun ways to share ideas from Pinterest and the web, and each of knows that we are doing our best to bring our "Happy Momma Love" into our class rooms..
The kids came back and we made Smores, and kicked up the Glow Stick action. It was awesome.
We hung out in the darkness, and enjoyed the beauty of the fire..Winding down around 10, we packed up and said Goodnight to our little family of friends. Of course Anna said, "this is the perfect day" at least 3 times. She is such a gr8ful child. And while she was taking care of the little ones, Auggie and I got in some quality hula-hoop time. AR showed no fears while we were camping. I though she might over worry about snakes or bug bites, but no..That tells me that she was feeling good...

















It was a most needed, perfect day!

Down Low

After last week's cosmic collision between my personal life and my professional life, I have decided very sadly, that for a while, I will be taking this blog private. I don't want to, and yet until I feel completely protected, I won't open it up.. If I end up leaving this blog, I may go back to my old one.. Who knows, I just know that if I have to end up "splainin' myself" again, like Lucy constantly did to Ricky, I will go

I am still in "talks" and dealing with this very blog at my job, and only put this here, So that my adoptive friends, friends from high school and on, and lovers of Russia will come on the down low with me.. It breaks my heart, but I am taking care of it on my end. As I said, I am not protected.

If you would like and invitation to my blog, I beg you to email me. I promise to invite you. (With the exception of my work stalker...)

BTW, My back is still raging. I go to the doctor on Wednesday. Pray for bucket loads of spinal blocks, and MRI results that mean something..I gotta say, this week, It ain't looking good..

AugustRose celebrated her 7th birthday this week. Gosh she is growing up so much. It seems like yesterday we were in Novosibirsk in the midst of a blizzard trying desperately to pack on short notice.
We were only in the region for a couple of days after court and headed to Moscow in a flash. August was stick thin, but tall as a beanpole. She was walking, but because none of her shoes fit, I carried her for most of the trip.
My mom, my sister, Anni, and myself stayed in an apartment in Moscow, and although there were several meltdowns by all of us on various days, we enjoyed pretending to live in the big city..

Our airport experience is always horrible in Moscow.
One piece of luggage was 3 or 4 pounds over, and the other piece was 10 or so pounds under. Yet they made me switch out items so that both items were weighted evenly.We hit the jackpot upon getting to our seats on the plane. The "stu" told my mom and sister to take the seats in front of our own. So we had our four seats in the middle and four more seats in front of that.
We were all suffering from a bit of jetlag so an hour or so after take-off, Mom and my sister spread out and went to sleep. I remember it being too warm on the plane, and both girlz were sweaty in their snow clothes. I got them stripped down and spread them out on our seats and we had the most glorious naps. It was the best flight. We got stuck in the airport in NYC. We ended up waiting there for almost 10 hours beyond what we were scheduled to wait. When we finally got on the plane it was one of those puddle jumpers. I had what I think was my first real panic attack. Leave it to my sister to have valium or xanex..I spent that whole flight with my head between my legs. There was just so little room, and we were the last onto the plane so we had to hold everything. Including August. (At that point she was young enough to fly in my lap)

Regardless of the details, my memories of Russia are blissful. I enjoyed life with my "Adoption-Colored" glasses on. My time in Russia was the highlight of my life.

And this week, my little one, my spunky child turned 7. She is just a silly willy mess and I love her more than my luggage.

 Poppy giving Auggie her birthday shirt! Very soon, we won't be going to get the yearly Gymboree shirt. My little one is growing so much!

Pre Birthday balloon and cake time. For the record, the balloon went outside and lasted all of 4 minutes. Glad I have this picture!

 

 

 

 

So the week ended with love in my heart for the gal I found in central Siberia. My soviet princess, my darling, my love, my angel, you have forever changed me. You have given this momma's heart a reason to beat a lil' bit harder. Happy Birthay Auggie Lee! Momma loves and adores you.

Remember When I Said,

"I want to close out this entry today, and never think about it again. My hope is that if you have a problem with what I write, you will understand it is about how I FEEL. You will see that this is not an advertised blog with specifics. "

Not gonna happen.
Now, there's a snowball and it's rolling down a hill.

Oh Lordie, June can't get here fast enough. Cause it's a MICKEY MOUSE SUMMER!!!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day...

 

My sweet dad always makes sure flowers arrive on special occasions..Of course he gets the girlz in on it to make sure they feel a part of it...Auggie got to pick out the type of flowers..She chooses Roses after her own name of course! And Anni picks out the colors.They are much prettier in person..

Today we aren't doing much as my back is still wayyy out of wack and I can't sit up and it makes me miserable. So it's low key today. Mom will come over later just for a little fun.

 

Here is to all the Mom's out there. I know how you all feel today. It's a blessing and a joy to be a mom. I hope you are with your little ones.

 

Thank You Mystery Reader, Thank You!

Friday was an odd day. And if I had a better word for it, I would use it. But for now, I am sticking with Odd..

For a variety of reasons, I found the need to go back and read all of my entry's on this blog. All of them. Additionally, I was presented with the thought that maybe, just maybe, there may be information on my personal blog that could be inflammatory, or offensive to others. Namely, my coworkers. Huh? You ask. Yeah, I asked that too..

So in light of that information, I decided to re-read EVERY single entry on my Facebook page as well. YES, every single entry where I posted a link to this blog. And I gotta tell you, I disagree with whoever wrote that I have a consistent pattern of posting "Unprofessional" entries on this blog.. I also think that person might be a wee bit self centered to assume that anything written here is about anyone in particular. When I have written about my job, it is in the most general sense. It is mostly about the shifts in focus that ALL schools in general have  ascribed to.. And the most important point, the key to this is, this is not about MY JOB, this blog is about me. Teaching is my job, it is not the whole of who I am. I am a mother through adoption. I am a daughter, a sister, and a cousin. I am friend, a Church goer. I am a home owner and a pet owner. I am lots of things. This blog is mine, and mine alone. I don't post to get responses, I pots to clear my head. To remember. To smile, and to cry.]B  U  T  :
If you have any confusion about it,
Let me be clear:

DON"T READ MY BLOG IF YOU FIND IT OFFENSIVE. DON"T COMPLAIN ABOUT MY BLOG IF YOU DON"T LIKE WHAT IT SAYS. HERE IS A THOUGHT, WRITE YOUR OWN BLOG TO COUNTER ANY POSITIONS I MAY REFERENCE THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH..

I don't mention my school. It doesn't appear anywhere. I only mention specific situations that deal with ME. Uhmm, Hello? This is my blog. And the only way to find it, is if you know I have it. Parents won't see it. Believe me, I spent last night Googlin' myself to see if anyone out there could happen upon it..So clearly, the person who is so concerned with the content of my personal blog is someone that I have shared the address with. And although I am 80% confident that I know who is was, I being very careful about this. 

Now, about being professional. By definition:

Definition
The main criteria for professionals include the following:

1. Expert and specialized knowledge in field which one is practising professionally.^[7]
2. Excellent manual/practical and literary skills in relation to profession.^[8]
3. High quality work in (examples): creations, products, services, presentations, consultancy, primary/other research, administrative, marketing, photography or other work endeavours.
4. A high standard of professional ethics, behaviour and work activities while carrying out one's profession (as an employee, self-employed person, career, enterprise, business, company, or partnership/associate/colleague, etc.). The professional owes a higher duty to a client, often a privilege of confidentiality, as well as a duty not to abandon the client just because he or she may not be able to pay or remunerate the professional. Often the professional is required to put the interest of the client ahead of his own interests.
5. Reasonable work morale and motivation. Having interest and desire to do a job well as holding positive attitude towards the profession are important elements in attaining a high level of professionalism.
6. Appropriate treatment of relationships with colleagues. Consideration should be shown to elderly, junior or inexperienced colleagues, as well as those with special needs. An example must be set to perpetuate the attitude of one's business without doing it harm.
7. A professional is an expert who is a master in a specific field.

__________________________________________________________________________________
Wiki Resourced

To be clear, I would remove all definitions from this situations with the exception of
Number 4
Number 5
Number 6

I will start with Number 6. I question the motives of the "higher ups" as I am on the front lines and if not those who are being asked to implement policies and procedures, who will ask these questions. If best practices are sought, then rigorous questioning should be reflected against the overall effectiveness of a program/idea/methodology. I am upfront at meetings. I am honest with my colleagues, and above all I go to the source when needed. You won't see me sending in queries about another colleagues motivations WITHOUT SIGNING MY NAME TO IT..

Number 5 is by far the most difficult to measure. We each define our level of positivity differently. Our morale can only me judged against our past experiences and with me, I question the level of morale across the county, heck even across the country. I attended the "Town Hall Meeting" with the school board, so I can personally attest to the low level of morale. And when I question it, I don't do it to complain. I do it to try and wrap my thoughts into a method to MAKE IT BETTER.

And Now Number 4. After reading this several times, my focus has come to rest on the section that deals with confidentiality. (Which is why I re-read my own blog)
I have to think that the person who is overly concerned with my blog is the type who assumes they are at the center of my opinions. They seem to feel attached to the idea that my blog is about what THEY do. Let me make it clear right now, any reference to my job is a reflection to MY feelings about the changes in educational policy as well as the shift in the overall devaluing of student-teacher relationships with a more primary focus on testing data. I am not breaking confidentiality when I say that. You may be perfectly comfortable with what you are doing. I am not.

Should I give too much concern for Wiki's ideology of professionalism? No. My own district measures our professionalism.
Due to Obvious Reasons, I don't want to reference my county, let's just assume I copied this directly for the web page that discusses our evaluation process.


Performance Standard 6:  Professionalism

Performance Standard 6:  Professionalism The teacher maintains a commitment to professional ethics, communicates effectively, and takes responsibility for and participates in professional growth that results in enhanced student learning. Key Elements Examples may include, but are not limited to:

The teacher: 
 6.1 Complies with federal and state laws and school and division policies; models professional and ethical standards.
6.2 Ensures the confidentiality of information and privacy of students, families, colleagues, and administrators.
6.3 Establishes goals for improving one’s own/personal knowledge and skills and participates in professional growth opportunities to meet those goals.
6.4 Collaborates with colleagues within and across content areas and grade levels.
6.5 Collaborates with colleagues to develop consistent policies and procedures that create a school culture conducive to learning.
 6.6 Collaborates, communicates, and works in partnership with students, families, administrators, and colleagues within the school community to promote student learning at school and support student learning at home.
6.7 Effectively uses standard oral and written English in all communications


As I reviewed the areas, sure there a places where I am still "developing" as a teacher. I won't point out those areas, as they are not relevant to THIS blog post. But please know, that I am in a constant state of "wait, when is that due??" But I am working on it. There are many other areas that my county measures, and this is only one. When I comes to Instructional Delivery or  Learning Environment, I will no doubt rate myself in the top. I love teaching little nuggets, and making their school world a fun, loving, and engaging place to be.
As I earlier stated, someone feels very connected to my blog, and has taken it to the top shall we say. For me, that is in direct opposition to Collaborating with Colleagues.
It's reactionary. And it's probably one of the underlying reasons why teacher's morale is sliding. It's that life approach where someone has too much time to worry about what someone else is doing. How about you do your job, and get off my back. How about you come To Me.
I am pretty clear about what is important at my job. I need to laugh, I need to teach lessons, I need to give kindness to little ones, I need to impart manners and thoughtfulness, I need to have a routine. And I don't need this for me, I need this because that is what works in the classroom where I TEACH...You know that saying, "If Momma is not happy, No One is Happy?"  It kind of applies to teachers too.

I want to close out this entry today, and never think about it again. My hope is that if you have a problem with what I write, you will understand it is about how I FEEL. You will see that this is not an advertised blog with specifics.


My opinions are shared here as a tool for me to work through my thoughts, anxieties, pressures, and worries. I am pretty sure we encourage our students to WRITE WRITE WRITE and as a model, I do it too. It's  not a place for you to gather dirt on me. This is the 2nd time I have had to explain what I have put out on social media,  on my personal time. And if there is a 3rd, I will know that harassment is involved, and I will protect myself. I have rights.  I will not be intimidated by anyone. So please leave me alone. Don't read my blog.. 


But I want to thank you more than anything.

I want to thank you for giving me a reason to back through my blog. I have forgotten so many amazing things that have happened in my life. I have forgotten so many magical moments that the GreenGirlz have shared. And so as not to BORE my friends who have adopted,

IMMA SHARE SOME CUTENESS!!!!

We Have Kitchen Progress!

Cabinets are purchased..
And I paid cash for them. I don't spend that kind of money very often, so I was oddly proud of myself. Didn't have to borrow any of it.
Everything is being delivered on Wednesday and I am hoping to set up an install day sometime this month.
A friend is came over today to help me take down some of my old cabinets. It will surely help with the prices of the general contracting work..

I am going for a pretty plain look. Nothing too fancy, but I want each of my items to be of the best quality!

So here is where the kitchen was this morning,

They look just ok here, but they are horrific. Truly..

Then lots of banging and tugging, and there is progress..

This is what is called having a "sandwich break"..Two pillows to each side of Auggie's head..And  LUNCH is served

The cabinets are down, now I have to work on getting rid of the tiles my mom painted green..Not the back-splash I am going for!! And for the Love of Pete, what am I going to choose for lighting?? I am pretty used to the BRIGHT HOSPITAL lights that are here now..So that is another decision I will have to make..

A happy little surprise here, wiring is already done for my under mounted cabinet lighting..

I so wish I didn't get stainless steel appliances. I would have spent the extra money getting them all covered in the cabinet "fronts" had I just bought inexpensive white or black ones..BUT, I found a way to add some fun to them..!

You can pretty much design whatever you'd like for your dishwasher. I may try to match whatever  back-splash I go with..

And Look At these two..I kind of love them...

Thank You Again Mr. Shane for coming over to help me! Hard work can be therapeutic I am certain..Sadly I ended up not being much help. It looks like the zoo trip with my students really over worked my poor self. And now, I am on my bed waiting to hear from my doctor..ER? maybe..Percocet? absolutely.