(3rd Post of the Day) One Way....

One way to tell that all our kids are home (well, we're still missing Jessica and Cole, but still...)

(2nd Post of Day) More Christmas Fun!

A couple of more photos from the past week:

Making Christmas cookies with Braden.

Braden, Daddy, Zeus, and Boompa in the snow!

Pam Green came to visit my classroom and helped us make hay bags for Santa's reindeer.

Jessica Albrecht, kindergarten teacher of our Reading Buddies, and I display some of the treats for the wildlife Christmas tree our two classes made together. We decorated the trees that have been planted in memory of children who were students at Hershey when they died.

Happy New Year, Mr. Scrooge!

December 18 was the culmination of our reading of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. We held a New Year party for Mr. Scrooge (my son, Curt) to celebrate his new self. My students created characters, either from the book or one they made up, who had encountered Scrooge in his grumpier days and were now ready to welcome Scrooge to a happier life.

Nancy Sattler, a good friend and next-door classroom neighbor, played Mrs. Claus for her classroom. (I made both our outfits.)

Never Say Never!

I thought I had written my last email letter to a missionary son. Turns out I was wrong. Having a flight from Yekaterinberg to Frankfurt cancelled prompts a flurry of emails as new flight arrangements are made.

A bonus is that I have also had two phone calls from Elder Cole! So what if they were at 2 AM? (That's noon for him in Yekaterinberg.) I still got to hear his voice!

Cole is now scheduled to arrive at O'Hare on December 24 at 3:19 PM. He then catches a flight to Indianapolis and lands there at 8:40 PM. With a monster snow and ice storm bearing down on the Midwest, I can only pray that he makes it.

He's been in the Lord's hands the last two years (er, actually, he's always in them!) so I will try to turn off the mama-worry button and just let it happen.

And I hope Jessica, scheduled to land in Indianapolis at 12:35 on Thursday, makes it, too.

Lots o' prayer going on around here!

Cole Comes Tomorrow Night!

Today I got the last letter from my missionary son, or any of my missionary sons for that matter as Cole is the last to go. He wrote Craig and me a lovely letter, part of which is included below. I cannot wait until tomorrow night when he flies into Indianapolis!

---

Dear Mom and Dad,

 

Well, in just a little bit I'll be back to see you guys. What is it, about 48 hours? Probably less from the time you read this. Go figure! I never thought it would come...

 

I already summed up a little bit of the week in the main letter and shared my testimony there, but I just wanted to write you another letter of thanks for all you've done for me. Thank you for encouraging me my entire life to serve. It was never a question I had to face, to go or not to go. I always knew I would, and now I'm positive that it was the absolute correct decision.  I'm excited to get back and get to know you again.

 

Thank you for always sending me packages and emails and anything I needed while I was out here! I've managed to survive quite well out here, the worst thing happening to me has been my frostbitten cheeks. I've made it through! And I lived and ate well too, at that. No worries. I really appreciate all of the sacrifice, be it emotional, temporal, or spiritual that you both made for me to make this experience possible. I'm really glad I came out here and I know it's changed me forever.

 

Well, I can't wait to see you in just a couple days. I hope everything's going well there and that everyone will be traveling safe. Be home soon!

 

I love you!

 

-Cole

Will's Obituary

Will's obituary appeared this morning. Due to Cole's arrival on the same day, I won't be able to attend the celebration of life. I will send a card and maybe even flowers. Rest in peace, Will.

William Cuva

URBANA - William Aplington Cuva, 20, of Urbana, died Thursday, December 17, 2009, in Columbia, Missouri.

Will was born October 1, 1989 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Kathy Aplington and Marty Cuva.

Will was a graduate of Urbana High School, attended Parkland College and was currently a sophomore at the University of Missouri - Columbia and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity.

Will played quarterback throughout high school and was a captain his senior year. He loved traveling, especially in Europe and the Jersey Shore. He also enjoyed Madden NFL, playing pool and shooting hoops in the Wilson's driveway. He followed and debated politics, valuing Libertarian views.

He is survived by his family, including parents, grandmothers, Ina Aplington and Lillian Cuva, aunts and uncles, and dearly loved cousins Nick, Corinne, and Henry Kreutz, and Matt, Kate, and Michael Aplington, and many special friends. He was preceded in death by his

grandfathers Tom Aplington and Joe Cuva.

A gathering in celebration of Will's life will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, December 22, at Wesley United Methodist Church & Foundation, 1203 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sigma Pi fraternity, care of Brandon Walker, 808 S. Providence Rd., Columbia, Mo., 65203.

Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Drive West, Savoy, Illinois 61874 is handling the arrangements.

More about Will

This was published yesterday in the Columbia Tribune. Not really news to me, but still I want to log it into my journal so I can remember Will.

I am also waiting for his obituary to appear in the News Gazette in Champaign. Hopefully I can go over for the visitation and/or the funeral. Breana Lamb, a former student of mine who was in the class with Will, is keeping me updated on that. I also learned of Will's death from her. She and I have been communicating via Facebook, and she is keeping me up to date with details.

--

Man who jumped off garage identified

Friday, December 18, 2009

The University of Missouri student who jumped off the Hitt Street Garage early yesterday morning and later died has been identified as Will Cuva of Illinois.

Cuva, 20, was listed in an online MU directory yesterday as a sophomore; however, that information has since been removed.

Cuva graduated in 2008 from Urbana High School in Illinois, where he played quarterback for the football team.

MU police responded to the garage, at 301 Hitt St., at 3:46 a.m. yesterday for a report of a medical emergency. They took Cuva to University Hospital, where he died.

Lost a Student

I knew the day would come when I lost a student. Will Cuva, whom I had for two years for 4th and 5th grade, commited suicide today. Details are sketchy. Apparently he jumped off the top of a building at the University of Missouri where he was a student. The link and the article are below.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/dec/17/man-dies-after-jump-garage/?news

I feel lousy.

MU student dies after leap from Hitt parking garage

By JANESE HEAVIN

Published December 17, 2009 at 8:06 a.m.
Updated December 17, 2009 at 2:45 p.m.

A 20-year-old University of Missouri student apparently committed suicide this morning by jumping from MU’s Hitt Street Garage at 301 Hitt St.

The student was taken to University Hospital, where he died. MU Police would not identify the man, but the Boone County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed his identity Thursday afternoon as William Cuva.

MU Police responded to the north side of the garage at 3:46 a.m., Capt. Brian Weimer said. After taking Cuva to the hospital, police blocked off access to the multi-story parking garage to prevent people from entering and to question anyone leaving. No foul play is suspected. The garage was reopened just before 6 a.m.

MU counselors this morning were in the process of identifying friends and classmates of the student, spokesman Christian Basi said. “We have already sent counselors to talk with any friends and offer them any support we can provide,” he said.

The university’s fall semester ends tomorrow, and this week has been finals week for most students. Although it’s unknown why Cuva jumped, finals week is typically a stressful time.

Several weeks ago, the MU Wellness Center saw an increase in the number of students visiting the center, Director Kim Dude said. The students typically meet with wellness coaches, who deem whether additional services are needed.

The center also offers an online suicide prevention program for faculty, staff, students and parents. The program allows users to identify those who might be at risk of suicide and help them. Students who need help have access to comprehensive services, Dude said. “That’s assuming somebody gets to that point and seeks help,” she said. “It breaks my heart that this happened.”

Cuva was listed as a sophomore at MU. He had played quarterback for the Urbana, Ill., high school football team.

Nomination Honor

I got the following email today from my principal. I feel very, very honored.

You have been nominated for Teacher of the Year. Below is what one of your colleagues wrote about you. Are you willing to accept your nomination?

Lynn Isenbarger à I would like to nominate Lynn Isenbarger for Teacher of the Year. She always has a positive attitude and high expectations for her students. She is a wonderful colleague to work with. She is also proactive in her educational practices. One example of this is piloting Singapore Math for the TSC. Mrs. Isenbarger is a caring and conscientious professional. She does what it takes to meet the needs of her students.

A Child of Integrity

Why don't things like this make the news? Why do we always hear about the bad things kids are doing, instead of the times they step up and do the right thing?

I got the following email this morning:

Dear Mrs. I, I have been pretty upset all night because on the Geography B I overheard an answer that someone whispered to someone else. I otherwise would only have gotten four of the six answers right disqualifying me from trying to get into the real Geography B. I know you already announced it to the class, but I think you should remove me from the group.

I am so proud of this boy - is it any wonder the faculty at my school thought he was the best candidate in the entire school to serve as our Snow Prince in the Christmas parade downtown? That he had integrity, honesty, and leadership and would represent our school well?

And, it is not his fault he heard the answer. That must've put him in a terrible position, because I suspect he really did know the answer, and when someone whispered it and confirmed it, he had an awkward dilemma.

I emailed him back and told him to relax, that I was very, very proud of him, and that we would come up with a solution later this morning that was fair to the other kids as well as fair to HIM.

He made my day.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!!

Sarah is not here with us this holiday since JC had his tonsils out and Todd is on call at the hospital. Usually we celebrate her birthday Thanksgiving afternoon; this year it is from afar.

Love you and miss you, sweetie! Have a Happy Birthday!! xoxoxox

We Love to Read!

And being comfy while we do is fun!

I could not resist taking this picture - the two girls had been reading like this for about twenty minutes during our daily silent reading time.

Thanksgiving Dinner!

What a day we had! Full of laughter, food, and fun. The noise level raised the roof, even with only HALF of our children home!

We had with us our mothers, Curt, Lisa, and Jessica, Leslie and Rick, Jenny, Emily, her mom, and sister, James (Curt's roommate) Kit (Lisa's former roommate; this was her third Thanksgiving with us), and Vanessa, a girl Curt is dating.

Sarah, Todd, JC and Trinity could not be here - Todd was on call at the hospital and JC just had his tonsils out. Kyle, Ashley, Braden, and Adelaide had Thanksgiving up in the mountains at Ashley's folks' home, but they will all be here for Christmas when COLE gets home.

Let the holidays begin!!

JC Makes My Day

I just spoke to JC on the phone. He sounds good, and he was telling me about the balloon bouquet I'd sent him. Then he quoted what I had written on the card that accompanied it, and what he said next warmed my heart. "I like that [the card] the best."

Made my day!!

Tonsil-less

JC got his tonsils out today. He hopped right up on the chair and did not seem nervous at all. The doctors commented on how mature he was. Todd is often in the operating room in his role as a speech pathologist, so he got to go into the room with JC and observe the procedure. The surgeon was JC's former bishop!

Reports say JC is doing well and gobbling down anything cold! And, that he likes the Star Wars balloon bouquet we sent him.

Happy Birthday, Jessica!!

Happy Birthday, sweetie!!

Strains of the song Sunrise, Sunset fill my mind as I think back to when Jessica was born. We had just moved to Urbana a few weeks prior to her birth, and I hardly knew a soul. One or two new friends had offered to care for Sarah when the time to go to the hospital although they qualified that with, "Anytime except Thanksgiving day."

Well... I woke up that day at 5:30 in labor! Fortunately, the Pulsiphers watched Sarah for us and Jessica was born Thanksgiving morning. She is definitely something to be thankful for!!

Here are the lyrics:

(Tevye)
Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?

(Golde)
I don't remember growing older
When did they?

(Tevye)
When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?

(Golde)
Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?

(Men)
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

(Women)
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

See?? I Knew What I Was Doing!!

Thirty three years ago today, I married the guy dreams are made of.

I met Craig when I was 17, got engaged at 18, and married him at 19. Surely the adults in my life worried about how young I was for such a commitment. But when it's right, it's right, no matter how old you are.

Love you, honey, and have never, every regretted saying "yes" when you asked! Here's to many, many more happy years together.

xoxoxo

"My Favorite Zeus"

I took Zeus in for a check up today, although I had an ulterior motive. I had found a lump in his throat Friday, and he had been wheezing and "kacking" for a while. I'd also noticed that the crest of his chest seemed larger, especially in profile. My suspicions had been raised that he had something serious going on.

I was right. There is a softball sized tumor on his chest which has caused the change in profile. It is a benign lipoma. A second lump on his side behind his right foreleg is also a lipoma. However, the one deep in his throat may be malignant. They aspirated it and I will know more on Monday.

For a variety of reasons, surgery is not an option. He's too old and the tumor is deep. We'd have to take him to Purdue and there are no guarantees he'd survive the anesthesia (he'd be under deeply for an hour and a half) let alone the surgery itself.

Another problem is that he has a narrowed larynx, not uncommon in Labrador Retrievers. As they age, it causes them to pant and wheeze. Having tumors around it can restrict his breathing even more, and these tumors are growing. This would cause more problems for the anesthesia.

Zeus is 11, so this is not unexpected. We know his time with us is growing short regardless. Now we are focusing on making sure he is happy and comfortable. Craig and I both hope he will make it through the holidays so all the kids and grandkids can spend some time with him.

As JC and Trinity said when they were little, Zeus is everyone's "my favorite Zeus."

Remembering

I remember Curt's good buddy, Ian today, two years after he passed away. The two became buddies in kindergarten and remained so until both were grown up.

I sent Jennifer, his mother, a memory I have of her son, and I spoke to Curt to see how he is doing. He'll know what the following means:

Sha-Sha, H-10.

So sad to lose Ian when he was still so young.

The Last Check

I don't believe it. I just now wrote out the last check for Cole's mission. 

It is significant in that it means he is coming home soon. But, it is also the VERY last check I will write out for any of my kids' missions. I wrote them for Kyle, for Curt, for Cole, and now the end is near.

Missions are something you think about as a mother when your children are young.  You know you will miss them yet be so proud of them while they are serving. You wonder how you will react to their absence, and what they will learn. Where will they go? Who they will help, and who they will introduce the gospel to;  whose lives they will change from the sacrifice of their own lives and time?

And now that era for me is coming to a close.

I am so proud of my sons for the time and money they sacrificed on behalf of others, and for how much they love the Lord, enough even to do something of this magnitude. So many years of saving part of their paper route money, of being employed at places like Kmart, Champaign Computer, Clark Lindsey Village, writing music for web sites, etc. all with an eye towards their future service as missionaries for the Lord.

I am a little teary as I write out this check, but as a convert to the Church myself, I KNOW what their service has meant to others, and how great a gift the gospel is.

Kyle, Curt, and Cole, I love you and am blessed to be your mother. Thank you for serving.

xoxox

Sick AGAIN

Or maybe I should say, STILL sick? 

 I have thought that I'd had a sinus infection since a week ago Thursday. Yesterday after school I decided to go to Med Express (the walk-in clinic) and get it checked out since I was getting worse even though it had been 8 days since I first noticed symptoms.

Yup. Sinusitis! And it's aggravating my asthma, so I have two inhalers, one bottle of codeine-laced cough syrup, and (cue the music) an antibiotic the size of a horse pill!!

When I described the flu I had had two weeks ago (that caused me to miss a whole week of work), the doctor said that he was sure I had had H1N1 . Sinusitis or gastric issues are happening about a week later for those who have had H1N1.

That fits with what we have seen  at Hershey - a "second wave" of illness although we are nowhere near the 16% absentee number we had the week I was out.

The doctor also advised me to get the H1N1 shot even though I have already had the flu. He said the virus could mutate, and with my asthma plus working with children all day, I am high risk for exposure.

Now, to find someone who actually HAS a supply!

I-L-L !!

I-N-I!!

These guys know that cheer! And aren't they brave, attending a Purdue/Illinois football game and sitting in the middle of all that gold and black!

Curt and Murph (Michael Murphy, Curt's good friend and ours, too) went to the October 24 game together. Illinois lost, but I am pleased to see that Curt, despite living in Lafayette and being a Purdue student, pulled out the orange and blue for the game!

Go, Illini!!

Surgery for Lisa

Got the text below from Lisa this evening. I replied that I was home if she wanted to call, but she was at work and said she'd try to call later. It's getting late and I think she's probably still at work. Drat.

OK. Surgery scheduled at 8:20 and will be an hour and a half. Ash will be picking me up - she doesn't need to be there the whole time thankfully.

I know Ashley is helping her, and I know Jessica will be there for her, too, but I am missing my Lisa and wishing I was there to help her with this.

(The photo, snatched from Ashley's Facebook page, shows Lisa with "the claw" on her hand, protecting it until tomorrow's surgery.)

Jessica the Pioneer

Is it bragging to say you admire your own daughter? That you are proud of her, and the faith she exhibits on a daily basis? Here's her story:

Jessica has faith in answers to her prayers. She knew through them that the Lord wanted her in Utah. Jessica felt prompted to quit her jobs in Iowa City and move to Utah. She had faith that the Lord would take care of her if she did as He asked. 

So, she resigned from her two jobs, and began making arrangements to move to Provo. Lisa was excited to have her sister moving out, and they made plans to be roommates. In July, Jessica drove her belongings out with Craig along with Sarah and her family as we all went out for Adelaide's baby blessing.

No job. Just a knowledge through faith and prayers that this was right for her.

The job search began well before she moved. She printed over 100 resumes and sent them out. She did some networking through contacts in Iowa City with people in Utah. She prayed. She prayed more. She fasted. We all fasted.

No job. No job. No job. Not even a nibble. A little subbing. A few frustrating possibilities that didn't pan out. Family fasting. Prayers EVERY NIGHT by me (and probably other family members.) Nothing.

Several months passed.

Money dwindled. Still no job outside of a couple of subbing days for other hygenists. A job offer and a lifting of spirits and excitement. Then an, "oops, that was a mistake" withdrawal of the job offer and a plummeting of spirits all around. Phone calls and texts of support were becoming more difficult. After all, it's easy to sit here in my comfortable home as a fully employed person and tell Jess to not worry, that things will work out. I knew they would, but I was getting worried, and my prayers changed to real pleading with the Lord on Jessie's behalf.

But the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, let her have an experience of plumbing the depths of her faith (and her parents' faith, too! )

Finally, in the space of one week, she had THREE job offers. Three!! Good, solid job offers! Suddenly Jessica was employed full time and her trial of faith was over. Needless to say, there was celebrating all around the family! What a relief to have things work out, and to be financially stable again. To have employment, to have her faith in answers to her prayers affirmed. 

Jessica and I both saw a real parallel between her story and that of the Mormon pioneers who left Nauvoo in 1846. Jessica loves Nauvoo and had been attending the Nauvoo temple every other Saturday while living in Iowa. Just as leaving Nauvoo was a huge trial of faith for the early Saints, leaving it was hard for her to do, too.  The pioneers had no homes waiting for them at the end of the trail, very little money, and no idea where they were going. What they did have, as did Jessica, was an abiding faith in God that He would get them to safety from persecution, to a place that was right for them, where they could live our religion without fear. And He did that for them, just as He took care of Jessie.

Thank you, Lord, for loving my daughter and giving her this opportunity to exercise her faith in Thee and to discover, yet again, that she is a Thy beloved daughter.

Poor Lisa!

Lisa has a broken hand. On a reward trip from her employer for having The Branbury at 100% occupancy, she was ATVing in Costa Rica, hit a rut, and rolled her vehicle. She and her passenger are lucky their injuries are not worse: both have cuts and bruises; the other girl has broken ribs, and Lisa has three breaks in her left hand. 

The break in her palm is the worst. It goes diagonally up the bone and is an inch long plus the bone rotated out of place. She'll be having surgery on Wednesday to put in a pin and possibly a plate and some screws. Both knuckles on her middle finger are broken, but the hand surgeon is not sure at this point if they will need surgery to repair them. He'll know more on Wednesday during surgery.

Neither Lisa nor her friend saw a Costa Rican doctor after the accident - they did not trust the doctors down there (can't say I blame them!) So, they had to endure some pain and discomfort until they got home to Utah.

As I said, surgery is Wednesday, then she will be out of work for 3-4 days recuperating. Lisa said she did not need me to come out to help her since she has Jessica, Kyle, and Ashley there to keep an eye on her.

Sending lots of mama-hugs, Lise!!

Twilight Oath

Shamelessly poached from Sarah's blog. 

---

October 28, 2009

23 Days!!!!!!!!!!!

Twilight Oath:
I promise to remember Bella
Each time I carelessly fall down
And I promise to remember Edward
Whenever I’m out of town
I promise to obey traffic laws
For Charlies sake of course
And I promise to remember Jacob
When my heart fills with remorse
I promise to remember Carlisle
When ever I am in the Emergency Room
And I promise to remember Emmett
Every time there’s a huge boom
I promise to to remember Rosalie
Whenever I see something that holds pure beauty
And I promise to remember Alice
When I’m at a mall and a cute outfit spots me
I promise to remember Renesmee
When I see that beautiful bronze hair.
And I promise to remember Esme
When someone tells me they care
I promise to remember Jasper
Whenever my stomach isn’t curled
And I promise to remember the Volturi
When someone speaks of dominating the world
Yes I promise to love Twilight
Wherever I may go
So that all may see my obsession
Because I know what the Twilighters know.

Ella in Germany!

Ella was called up to the US Women's National team and is currently in Germany preparing for a match against the Germans on October 29. Here are some photos I downloaded from the US National team's blog.

The first picture is some of the team at Nymphenburg Castle in Bavaria. Ella is 4th from the left.

The second picture is of the team with people from the US Consulate in Munich who came out to watch the team practice and say hello to some fellow Americans. On the far left is Ella.

ELLA-NOISE!!

Oink, Oink...

Bleah. 

I have the flu. Most likely, H1N1, better known as swine flu. I haven't had the $50 test - the county health department said that, since it isn't flu season, if you have flu, then assume you have the swine flu.

Hershey School is being hit hard. Eleven teachers are out today, and 75 kiddos weren't there as the day began, including 4 of mine. As the day has progressed, many have gone home (two more of mine adding to the stats) and I have been told the school is approaching the magic 20% absentee rate which will cause them to close for a few days.

Hey, maybe I've timed this right, and I will be healthy when the school closes and I'll actually have a few days off to get things done!

Off to write sub plans for tomorrow...

Making Room for Cole

This morning I spent several hours organizing Cole's room. All the toys and accoutrements for children/grandchildren visits were stored in there and that took a while. (Big pile for Goodwill!) It was very satisfying to get it in shape for his return - just to little more than two months away! The toys, pack n' play, and other things are now in one side of the closet in Curt's old bedroom.

Judging by the stacks of worn/washed/returned clothes on Cole's dresser, and the open closet doors, I think Curt is going to need to do a final run-through of his own closet at his apartment to be sure he's returned everything he's borrowed since Cole left.

As a result of all this scurrying around and organizing, I now have the rooms ready for Thanksgiving as well as Cole's return. Double bonus!

Bring on the holidays!!

Todd's Honor

Todd tweeted the following on Twitter today:

Headed back to my alma mater 2 give a lecture on head & neck cancer & swallowing disorders. Should b fun 2 C the campus again.

What he DOESN'T say is that he is Illinois State University's Alumnus of the Year in the Speech Language Pathology department! And, he's to be honored at the football game on Saturday in addition to lecturing on Friday.

Way to go, Todd! I am very, very proud of you!!

Cute Note from Ashley

Got this in my email inbox. I am still smiling!!

I thought you might like to know that Braden is running circles around me and the table where I'm sitting saying Grammy! Grammy! Grammy!!
Don't ask me why!
But it is still cute :)

Cute, indeed!! Note to self: extra Christmas gift for Braden!! :D

Go, Illinois!

Chief Illiniwek Scott Christensen 1983

Source: www.youtube.com

Chief Scott Christensen performs at halftime of the Illinois vs Michigan football game 1983.

What wonderful memories this brings back!! Go, Illini!!

Missing Dad

Some days I really miss my dad. Today was one of them. I came out of Hershey to go to the car and it was a cool but sunny autumn day. Perfect for the drive through the countryside to visit him.

A year ago I would have turned right out of the school drive instead of left, heading out to Mulberry to see him. I did that a lot last fall.

I felt such a tug today to go see him, to just make that right turn and drive out there anyway. But, of course he isn't there any more.

I really just wanted to laugh with him again - something we did almost constantly when we were together during his last year of life. Up until the end, he still could repartee and come up with witty comments. We'd laugh, and he would often hold my hand. Sometimes, he would suddenly, briefly, be himself, and ask me how school was going. I cherish those brief flashes of memory when he truly became my dad again and knew me.

I miss you, Dad.

General Conference!

I love, love, LOVE General Conference. Not just because we get to do "jammie church," but for a variety of reasons:

~ I love listening to the talks and music. They change me and how I live my life.

~ I love knowing my children, grandchildren, and friends are watching, too, and I feel a bond with them.

~ I sleep in until 7:00! (My kids will not believe that, but it's true! I did!)

~ It kicks off the fall season - once General Conference has convened, you know the leaves will be turning and the holidays coming!

~ I sort through my closet and bring the fall/winter clothes forward and put the spring/summer clothes in the back. Then I step back and look at them, and feel a sense of accomplishment. Sort of like nesting. :D

~ This last one is for my daughter, Lisa. I change the CDs in my car and put in a fresh assortment of CHRISTMAS MUSIC (along with the soundtrack from The Nightmare Before Christmas; yep, Curt, that's for you!).

Well!! (Second Post of the Day)

I did a Google search on myself tonight - I wanted to see just how easily my blog came up (I was glad to see it didn't until the 7th page of hits. I'm not quite so worried about privacy now.)

But.... I did find something interesting. I clicked on a few links to papers I have published in research journals. That was fun - seeing where in the world they have gone and who is reading them was a bit of a kick. (Cool!! Chinese! Korean! Spanish!! Dutch!) A few of them have been assigned as coursework reading at Ohio State University and a couple of other universities. Cool again! (Reading college students' papers commenting on my work was interesting!)

But what really intrigued me was that I found an author named John Gilbert had published a gargantuan, 7 pound book called Science Education - Major Themes in Education and included a paper I had written. "Hmmmm... didn't know he had used my work like that, but I guess I am okay with it," I thought. 

So, I thought I might order a copy for myself to have and enjoy - how often are you included in a book by an author of that caliber?  And I clicked on over to Amazon.com, did a search for the book, and discovered.... 

THE BOOK COSTS $1665.00!!

 Yep, folks, you read that right!! And, it's already out of print! (Hey, not to worry! You can get a used copy on the secondary market for the bargain price of $999!!)

Part of me is flattered to be included as Gilbert has drawn from a world-wide list of respected researchers and authors. Pretty neat to be considered for the book, let alone be IN it. And part of me is frustrated because, once you publish in a research journal, you never make a dime, even when a book, which includes YOUR work, goes for such an astronomical sum of money.

Here's the info blurb about Gilbert's book from Amazon.com. Pretty lofty and highbrow, eh?? 

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Education in, about, and through the sciences - physics, chemistry, biology, earth science--has grown rapidly in the last 150 years. Starting from the twin bases of an elective provision for those likely to become scientists and engineers of informal provision for the general populace, it has evolved into a core component of compulsory education across the globe. Above this rises an edifice of provision at university level and beyond, both formal and informal. This expansion has been justified by the number of decisions in democratic societies, and that it increasingly impinges on the personal lives of individuals.

This collection of papers drawn from a world-wide literature and reflecting diverse cultural traditions provides a resource for scholars seeking to unravel the historical trajectories of the complexities of science education. The papers reprinted in this set enable researchers to understand the nature of current provisions in the field, and to identify the likely future directions of development. 

About the Author
John K. Gilbert is Professor of Education at the University of Reading. He recently received the prestigious "Distinguished Contribution to Science Education Through Research Award" from the US based National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), which is the key professional organization for science education research worldwide - he is only the fourth non-US citizen to receive this award.

Isn't She Lovely?

Miss Adelaide in her blessing dress. Makes me think of that Stevie Wonder song that he wrote when he had a daughter (hence the title of this post!)

Love you, missy!!

S'Mores Successful in Solar Ovens!

We did it! My students studied the properties of heat, looked at the three basic designs for solar ovens, then designed and built their own out of materials brought from home. To test them, we tried to roast marshmallows in them.

And the ovens worked! Every single one of them.

It took a long time, and some kids even tried a "sun dance" to see if that didn't speed up the process a bit. But in the end, all five of the ovens they designed made soft, gooey marshmallows which were PERFECT with the graham crackers and Hershey bars I provided.

What a fun way to spend a sunny Friday afternoon and end the school week!

Happy Birthday, Braden!

Happy Birthday, Braden! I can't believe you are two!! Love you!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It's Historian, Dear, NOT Paparazzi!

You gotta love kids who take their responsibilities seriously! And today, one gal in my room took the cake for doing just that - going above and beyond to ensure she did a good job.

She is serving as this week's class historian. That means that, if we have a guest speaker, do something out of the ordinary, or whatever, her job is to get my camera and take photos of the event. Then at the end of our 2-3 years together, I burn the children a CD of photos that chronicle our time together. Unfortunately, my historian turned into the paparazzi this afternoon!

Detective McKee came today in connection with the Chocolate Logic Mystery we have been doing. He spoke to us about fingerprinting (and even brought his tools and powder!), alibis, interviewing witnesses, how a lie detector works... in short, TONS of stuff!

And throughout his presentation, our little historian was hard at work. Now, normally, 4-5 live action photos and one group picture are sufficient. But this gal kept the flash popping - she walked around the room, took shots from a variety of places, did close ups, got pictures of each detective tool.... Finally, I gave her a thumbs up and mouthed, "I think that's enough" to her. She misunderstood, saw the thumbs up, and thought I was encouraging her to do more!! 66 pictures later, I finally got her to stop.

"I do photography in 4H," she proudly told me. "I know you need to take a lot of pictures to get good ones."

And I have to admit, she DID get some great shots!

Birthday Boy/Natural Teacher!

Curt came to my class to speak about Brazil on Friday. He is a natural teacher - yet he tells me he isn't really comfortable teaching little kids. Curt seized so many good teaching moments and built on them during his visit. (I've had many guest speakers, and most miss those opportunities!)

Since his birthday was the following day, I baked him a treat of brownies as a surprise and my class sang to him.

Of course we celebrated at home, too, on Sunday evening with Pooma (who shares his birthday) and Grandma!

Happy Birthday, Curt!!