Birthdays, Ms. TOODLES, Graduation, Pedicures, Quilting and JAMES PATTERSON – TOO MUCH FUN
Posted By drsao on May 20, 2008
Monday, May 19, my grandangel in California, CHASE, turned 17 and he did a great job on his S.A.T.s He is still a bit young to vote, but he has made his political choice with gusto.
Monday was a big day of celebration!
Also on Monday, I was the substitute teacher for grandangel, Sarah’s second grade class. Does Sarah look happy with her little Webkinz mouse on her head?
Usually, at the end of the year the children are EXTREMELY excited and not prone to listening – so grandangel, Leanna, made me a puppet and we named her MS. TOODLES.
I went to school armed with two bags of candy (rewards for only the very best behavior) and I placed Ms. Toodles on the blackboard with a magnetic clamp. She watched the children so that she could decide who would get candy at the end of the day. I then taught the children how to be LOUD in SIGN LANGUAGE and how to say WOW, WAY TO GO, and I taught them how to say “close your mouth, please” in French. They loved it! I also taught them the BRAIN DANCE – to get the wiggles out and to relax them at various points during the day.
You may not have heard of it (since I made it up!) So if you are a teacher or a sub (or a regular “normal” person LOL) – you may want to try this little brain break
(exercise and relaxation – and laughter – deliver oxygen to the brain!)
B breathe in to the count of four and then out to the count of four
R raise up on your toes to the count of four twice
A raise your arms up to the count of four and then down to the count of four
I imitate a smile (facial smile excercises) to the count of four – twice
N nod the head IN SLOW MO….very gently – front – left – back – right – repeat
We had an absolutely WONDERFUL AND UNUSUALLY PEACEFUL DAY! Ms. Toodles was proud to present candy to every single child in the class. Who would have thought that such model behavior could result from a bag lady with candy!
I had such a GOOD DAY with those second graders (although I must say that it was a humbling experience when we talked about PAST vs PRESENT times and the kids didn’t know what a record player or a typewriter was! When I asked them how they thought a person could correct a mistake on a typewriter – one child said, ‘It must have a DELETE button!” These are children of the computer age for sure!)
And Tuesday, May 20, my grandangel Cooper graduated from preschool…..and Grandma Shirley cried because all of the little children were so cute! They walked in, sang several songs and then were presented with their graduation certificates while the teacher announced what they wanted to be when they grew up. Cooper’s aspiration is to be a STAR WARS JEDI!
Quilting…..a day without quilting is like a day without chocolate!
I am so excited about my progress with my Grandmother’s Flower Garden….I am LOVING it and find it very relaxing to do the handwork. My friend, Sheddy, taught me a new and improved way to paper piece (not sewing through the paper but making a little stitch at each line intersection through the fabric only – but still folded around the paper template.) I love learning new things and I am getting faster and faster….
Here is a close up of a completed flower….I love these 30’s fabrics!
And this is what I have sewn together! (This is addictive!!!)
You are probably supposed to sew these together in a more systematic way
– but for now, it works!
AND….I just finished the Quilter’s Corner Block of the Month blocks from civil war reproduction fabrics…I was SO PLEASED (and amazed) that my points came out relatively well!
I love these blocks so much – I have made two for April and two for May!
I also sewed the binding on two quilts and pieced a quilt back today….WHOO HOO!
And that is NOT ALL! Today my daughter and I got pedicures compliments of my husband for Mother’s Day. Christi may just FAINT when she sees her feet published in a mother-daughter pose! But, oh well, silliness is good for the soul!
On the way to get our pedicures we HAD to stop for Starbucks and at Barnes and Noble I got another James Patterson book. HONEYMOON.
I have only read the first 71 pages – it is wonderful so far – and guess who is NOT going to sleep tonight! There are not enough locks on the doors for me to sleep tonight!
I can tell that this is going to be a good week –
look what fun I’ve had in only the first two days!
You did have fun teaching for the day! I used to do Brain Gym with my Year 4 children (aged 8 and 9) and they loved it – I’m convinced it helped, they certainly settled well afterwards and concentrated, and if they got restive, we just did it again. I love your grandmother’s garden – I’m in the throes of making blocks too, though I haven’t a clue what I’m going to do with them, they’re just lovely to hand piece when we go out anywhere. If I just keep going I’ll end up with loads of flowers and then I’ll decide what to do.