Sunflowers

I planted a package of sunflower seeds out near the road at my house. I anxiously awaited any sign of growth, besides weeds. I was disappointed that only two of the seeds germinated. We have signs of moles working in the yard so maybe they helped themselves to a meal. Anyway, we watched the two plants grown and mature to the point of blooming. I was under the impression that I would only get one sunflower per plant, but was pleasantly surprised that each has multiple blooms. The one to bloom first has over 17 sunflowers on it. Can't imagine how beautiful the garden spot would have been had the whole package made it.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

We were eating dinner with family at our house last night, enjoying the food and the conversation. I was relaying a story when all of sudden my granddaughter, Toots, loudly piped up and said, "Yea, yea, yea. We've already heard that story. Move on." Well, we all burst into laughter (I know, we should not have done that, but...) while she kept on eating her dinner. I'm not even sure she knew we were laughing at what she said or what I WAS saying. Let's just say Toots is too smart for her own good for which she will reap rewards in many ways such as Time Out at school.

Prayer Journal

I keep a prayer journal and have for years. I write down on each line who or what I am praying for. Then I jot down the abbreviated thoughts of the prayer on the line. I have been using only one side of the sheet of a composition book. Seems these days I need to expand the list. So many people are in need of prayer and have asked for prayer. Those needs include health, catastrophic disease, death of a loved one, job change, life decisions, food, direction for career, a mate, marriage, the church, and more. Sometimes I become overwhelmed at all the problems/needs. But I need not be overwhelmed but turn all of those concerns over to God.

And Yet Another Reading Program

I wasn't in school today. I wasn't sick. I wasn't playing hooky. I was stressed again at a workshop to learn (yet) another reading program. I'm sure it is all well and good. I'm sure it will make a difference for some of the students. I'm sure I do not know how to administer it fully. I'm sure I will have lots of practice. I'm sure it will change again next year.

Pull the Alarm!

At her day care this week, my granddaughter was all excited to tell us that someone in her group pulled the "farmer larm" and they all had to go outside. She didn't do it. It was Hayden. And he had to sit in time-out because he was in trouble. She wasn't in trouble that day. Hummm, maybe she didn't pull it this week, but it sounds like a very fun thing to do.

And So It Continues

School has been in session 8 days already. The students have shown me just how smart they are, how good they are, and what stickers they can become. Let's see, I have 2 1/2 years until I can retire. That's 442 actual teaching days. Will I make it? From what I have seen here at the beginning, I know I will be able to make it through this year. Then we will see about making the count down.

First Day of Preschool

Toots started at preschool today. (Toots calls it spreeschool.) It is held at a church near my school. At lunch time checked to see if the building was still standing and it was. So I guess she didn't do anything too bad. I talked with her this evening and asked how it went. She was excited to say that she colored a bear and so did all the other kids. We will see what Thursday brings for both she and her teachers.

Argue Not With Your Teacher

Well, I have had 4 days with my lovely fourth graders. Only one of those days was bad. Over the weekend I thought many times how I can diffuse those few students who are argumentative and talk back to me. (You see, I don't handle those kind very well. And they get me all fired up with anger.) The answer came. Just politely say, "Okay, thank you." Then go on as if the child didn't respond at all. I tried it today, several times, on several different students. And it worked. The child didn't know what to say or do at the point. Maybe it won't work tomorrow, but I received one good day from it.

An Evening with Toots

Hubby and I had our granddaughter for a couple of hours last evening. I picked her up after I got off of school. She was excited to see me, but questioned why I had come. I told her that I had missed her and asked her if it was okay to pick her up. She answered, "It sure is. I have missed you, too. And I want to see my Papa, too, cause I have missed him." (Heart just melts!) We played outside for about an hour. First, we added water to the pond and then watered the plants around it. She squeezed too hard on the nozzle and shot some of the black bark into the pond. Quickly she blurted, "I'm so very sorry. That was really an accident." Do you suppose she has had practice with those statements? Next, I pushed her in the swing. She dearly loves swinging, much more than I like pushing, but we endured. Finally,!!, she decided she would slide down her tunnel slide. Only she wanted me to "catch" her. Actually, she wanted me to drop a leaf on her and say something nonsensical each time. In time, we found the shell of a locust. She was fascinated with it and tore it apart to check it out. We looked around and were able to find 4 altogether. She wanted to know if we could find the locust that crawled on her shirt last week. We checked the place we left it and found it's shell. Of course she had to show her Papa. Before we went to supper at her favorite restaurant, she dressed up in her princess clothes, complete with crown. She decided that she wanted to wear them to the restaurant so they would think she looked pretty. And since I am grandma, I let her. As we walked down the street to the Mexican restaurant, people looked and commented about the princess within their sight. She just beamed. The lady who seated us beamed just as much. And when Toots's favorite waiter took our order, he called her my princess. Before we finished, she was playing "peek and hide" with a boy across the room. She informed me that he was "pinking" at her meaning peeking. (It doesn't do any good to correct her, because she is so sure she is right.) And furthermore, I so enjoy being with her that it is okay to call it pinking!

Last Day of Freedom

Here I sit at the computer, thinking, stressing. I've been up since 5:00 am. Didn't have to get up that early, but I couldn't sleep. I would like to say that I am eagerly anticipating the start of school. NOT! I'm stressing over all the things I should have completed this summer and didn't get to them. Okay, I didn't try that hard, but then I'm on vacation. I need to stop the stressing, because those chores do not have to been done right now, today. I can do them when I get around to it. I should call and offer to keep Toots for the day. She and I could have one last day of summer fling. But will wait on that decision for at least a half hour or so. Come on, now, get motivated. Get up and do something. What, you talking to me?

State Fair

We went to the State Fair today, a tradition in our family. I have been attending since I was a kid, which equates to many, many years ago. We continued the tradition by taking our children to the fair every year. I was so intent on introducing my 3 children to all the sights and sounds of the farm scene and offering them unique situations that few kids had. Well, today, my daughters were with me at the fair. Many times they each remarked that they didn't remember this or that or even some of the huge highlights and landmarks. I was shocked! How could they not remember the fiddling contest that we attended yearly? How could they not remember the Dairy Barn where we got the best ice cream? How could they not remember the cockroach races in the Purdue building? And how could they forget meeting Buckeye and Molly from the Popeye and Janie show? Hopefully, our granddaughter will remember.

Dueling Doctors

I went to my asthma doctor for my 4 month check up today. He knew that I was referred to an ENT (ears, nose, throat) specialist in July. I gave him the results of my 4 visits to the ENT. The ENT wants me to start allergy shots because I am allergic to many things. Well, my asthma doc said it would not be advisable since I was unable to complete the shots a number of years back. So what do you do when your doctors don't agree? Yep, I'm going with the advice of the one who causes me less hassle in life--the asthma doc.

Let's Make Cookies, Mimi

My granddaughter and I made oatmeal cookies today. She loves to cook, but takes a great deal more time when I let her be as big a part of the cooking as she wants. Well, today was one of those days. I let her do everything except the eggs. (I didn't feel like cleaning up the runny egg as it slid down the front of the cabinets.) You wouldn't believe how long it took for her to spoon the dough on to the cookie sheets. She did get better at it, but almost dumped the bowl on the floor. As the first sheet was baking, she pulled her step stool closer to the oven door, flipped on the light and watched the cookies bake for the entire 8 minutes. Of course we had to sample them immediately to see if they were any good. By the time we had finished baking the 4 doz., Toots had eaten 5 cookies. She would have eaten more if Mimi (me) would have let her. With each cookie she pronounced that we were the best cookie makers ever. At one point she motioned for me to come near her. When I did, she gave me a big smooch and said, "I love you, Mimi." That's why I let her help;)

Time Is Almost Up

As I sit here preparing for my day's activities, it hit me that I have less than a week of vacation left. The part that bothers me about that is I have all the cleaning, sorting, purging, etc. to do in my house, and I don't have enough time to get it all done. Guess I can just mark it off my list like I do every year!

On Pond

Our pond is nearly done. Wish I knew how to download the pictures from our camera. Maybe I can get hubby to do it soon. He has worked so hard on the pond while I have been the "go for" person and rock washer. I even used my colander to wash the smallest of rocks to prevent more mud in the now clean pond. We have the ten plants planted in and around the pond to make it look so real. I even added some of my abundant hen and chicks to the rocks of the waterfall. If they survive, I have many more to add. And we have two kinds of sedum that we can use as ground cover. Guess this project can be one where we are never done, just a work in progress.

Sew, Sew, Sew

Would you believe that two ladies and I were able to sew 89 pairs of curtains in just 4 days?! Yeah, we used our talents to figure materials needed, purchase the sheets on sale at Wal-Mart, press, cut, sew, and transform them into custom-fit curtains. The curtains will be used for the 11 houses that are still in some stage of construction. You see, when the hurricane victims move out of their 300 sq ft FEMA trailer or 720 sq ft FEMA cottage into the 1100+ sq ft house built by IDES volunteers, the victims cannot remove any furniture or even the microwave from the trailer or cottage. So besides building the houses, the houses also require curtains, furniture, etc. Living in our own sheltered world, we have no comprehension of the magnitude that the hurricane still holds over its victims. I am now back to my home, enjoying the many comforts I have always had. I hope I will continue to be involved in helping them in some way.