November W.I.S.H. Challenge - Here come the Holidays

[MickeyMom76]

Woohoo Wednesday

Woohoo- First night of conferences are over (so I'm a little extra sleepy this morning). However, I had some really good conversations with parents. Sometimes its difficult to have to share with parents that their child is struggling (academically or behaviorally)...especially when the kids are only 5. But all the conversations went really well. Most parents were not surprised and asked what they can do to help their kids. It might sound silly, but that isn't always the norm. Sometimes parents take it personally...like I'm trying to say that they didn't parent their kids right. But I try to present it in a way that lets them know I understand that all kids develop differently. And just because their child isn't on benchmark, doesn't mean that something is wrong. Just here's what I'm trying to do to help them. Ultimately our goal is to get them best prepared to enter first grade next year. And this years group of parents are very open to helping their kids. It's always best for the kids when school & home work together as a team

Woohoo - next week is Thanksgiving Break! I'm going to need it

 

[piglet1979]

Woohoo- First night of conferences are over (so I'm a little extra sleepy this morning). However, I had some really good conversations with parents. Sometimes its difficult to have to share with parents that their child is struggling (academically or behaviorally)...especially when the kids are only 5. But all the conversations went really well. Most parents were not surprised and asked what they can do to help their kids. It might sound silly, but that isn't always the norm. Sometimes parents take it personally...like I'm trying to say that they didn't parent their kids right. But I try to present it in a way that lets them know I understand that all kids develop differently. And just because their child isn't on benchmark, doesn't mean that something is wrong. Just here's what I'm trying to do to help them. Ultimately our goal is to get them best prepared to enter first grade next year. And this years group of parents are very open to helping their kids. It's always best for the kids when school & home work together as a team

I can only imagine the teacher side of conferences. DD's were always hard on me. I think I cried at the them for the first 3 years. Kindergarten was the worst. I was not expecting it since her preschool teachers kept telling that she was ahead. It was a shock to hear that she was behind socially and academically. It didn't help that she was also very young. She was 4 for about the first 2 weeks of kindergarten. It all worked out though and she is at level now in 7th grade. It just took lots of time and work between her teachers and us.

It sounds like you have a great group of kids and parents. I was just talking to a friend last night about DD's kindergarten class. This is were we met, Her son was in the same class. We were talking about how awesome the kids and parents and the teacher were that year.

 

[piglet1979]

My woohoo is that I am feeling better and working out again. I am still having a lot of headaches but I think it will work itself out over the next month. The antibiotic messed with my birth control pills which I take to help with the hormone migraines I get. I think once the pills are working again I will be fine. The headaches are not stopping me though. I walked on the treadmill for an hour Monday and Tuesday and last night I walked the track at DS's basketball practice. I am already at 30,000 steps for this week. My goal was to still have 50,000 at the end of Friday knowing I was not going to be able to get a workout in on Thursday. I think I am good.

 

[sjrec]

MickeyMom76, I am so glad your parents recognize you as an advocate for their children. Conference week is exhausting-being in the library we didn’t have them, but my classroom teacher friends would be fried by the end of them. Parents of the honors kids were usually the most difficult to deal with!
Looks like a nice day today so will get out for a walk.

Have a good day, everyone!

 

[MickeyMom76]

Thankful Thursday - I'm thankful for my family being so close. Out of college I moved to North Carolina for a teaching job...but missed my family. So I applied to over 50 districts in PA and ended up southeastern PA. But I am originally from central PA. Then my brother graduated college and got a job that took him to California. Then after a year, he got transferred to Texas. My sister went to college in West Virginia. So for many year, we were not so close (in distance). But since then, my brother got transferred to PA and lives in the town just north of us. Then my sister and her husband got jobs in the hospital where my kids were born. And last summer my parents moved here too. They all live within a minute or two of each other in the town just north of us. So only 10-15 minutes from us.

I'm also thankful for my job. And that's mostly where that quote came from today. I feel like most of us in my building have the mindset to make the best of things. But there are still a few who seem to like to complain about EVERYTHING! We had conferences Tuesday night and have them again tonight and then next Monday night. Tuesday morning, we have our monthly faculty meeting. That's tough because we'll be putting in a long day on Monday. So our principal said that he's pushing back the start time to 8:30 instead of 8:00. Most of us are like "oh, that's so nice. Thank you!". But then in the halls or faculty room, there are still a few complaining "why didn't he just cancel it?!" And they are also the people who just seem pretty miserable most of the time. So I find the saying to be true. People who are thankful tend to be happier! So lets keep being thankful! Life isn't always easy, but we have to make the most of it!

 

[piglet1979]

I am thankful to be able to work out again. I feel so much better after I work out. Yesterday I had a headache but I walked on the treadmill anyways. It was slow but I walked for an hour. I can't go today because I need to leave early for conferences and will be there for most of the afternoon.

I am still having issues related to being sick and on the medicine. It is starting to feel like they are never going to end. I am pretty sure that the meds has caused thrush. Atleast this one is not bad. I just need to take more meds to get rid of it. I am hoping that I don't have to go in again to the doctor and they can just call in a prescription. If I do need to go in it will be my 3rd week in a row.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I am thankful that it's sunny today, after a string of rainy days.

And I'm thankful that DS will be home for Thanksgiving break in less than a week!

 

[sjrec]

That quote is so accurate! I had a few of those “glass half empty” types at my school as well!

I am so very grateful my daughter and her family live less than an hour away so we see them often. I am grateful for my wonderful son in law, who is the best husband and father a mother could ask for.
I was running errands today and I am so grateful that I can park in what my husband calls hyperspace because I like to add extra steps to my day. It was a beautiful day to be outside. Grateful for every nice day before the cold winter weather gets here.

 

[MickeyMom76]

It's been a long week! I'm felt like Friday was never going to get here. 2 nights of conferences from 4-8pm in addition to teaching all day. And in between was a day we call Workshop Wednesday where parents come in to eat with their kids and then I run a workshop. So it was a lot of prep to be ready for parents on top of the prep for each day of teaching. But it was worth it. That's why teachers do what we do. We love our jobs and it is very rewarding. The conversations with parents have been wonderful. I fit in some time last night between parents to meet with my support team of intervention teachers (like math and reading specialists) to continue to focus on the specific needs of our kiddos. But it has definitely been an exhausting week and I am SO GLAD it's FRIDAY!!!! (And although we had parents bring in dinner & treats for Tuesday night as well as National Education Support Professionals Day on Wednesday where teachers provided a special breakfast to thank our support staff in addition to my stress eating...I managed to lose 2 more pounds!)

 

[piglet1979]

Yesterday I had conferences for both of my kids. I got there at 3:45 and didn't finish until 7. It was such a long night. They way they do them is you stand in line for each teacher. I got there right when it started and got though most of my son's teachers before I actually had to stand in a line. Lines for the my daughters teachers were long. I did notice that DS's teachers never really got long lines so for the next one I might just start with DD's teachers. Conferences went mostly good. DS just needs to turn in his work but other then that he is doing great. His teachers are working with me to get him organized and to remember to turn in his work. I also talked with his science teacher about 9th grade. it is looking like DS will most likely be taking many more science classes. He wants to take Bio-Med and biology next year. The Bio-med is 4 years and each year if they pass the test at the end of the year they get college credit for it.

DD's conference was a bit different this time. School work she is doing just fine but most of her teachers talked with her about the drama she seems to be inserting herself in. She wants to fix everyone's problems and hasn't figured out that she can't do that. Her teachers all gave her great advise so I am hoping she listens. I had both kids with me so I really couldn't talk much with her last night. I am thinking of finding time this weekend that her and I can do something like lunch out so we can talk. She is very open with me most of the time so I hoping this will help.

 

[sjrec]

Happy Friday!
We’re headed to the beach this weekend to celebrate my sister in law’s birthday-the park in our neighborhood has the Christmas lights up so looking forward to seeing them.

For free for all Friday, here’s a simple Thanksgiving recipe-

Cranberry Brie Bites

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a56610/cranberry-brie-bites-recipe/
Have a great weekend-I will have next week online by Sunday night.

 

[sjrec]

Happy Monday, everyone!

It’s going to be a crazy, busy week for most of us-are you feeling good about where you are this month?

With Thanksgiving this week, are you in a good place eating and activity wise? Are you looking forward to Thursday or are you a little stressed out?

Let’s all take the time this week to get enough rest, eat sensibly and get some sort of exercise-take care of yourself.

 

[PollyannaMom]

It’s going to be a crazy, busy week for most of us-are you feeling good about where you are this month? - Mostly. It's actually been a rough month, but things look like I'm climbing back up the hill at this point, so I'm hopeful.

With Thanksgiving this week, are you in a good place eating and activity wise? - Eating well enough, but a bit behind on my exercise goal due to being sick earlier this month.

Are you looking forward to Thursday or are you a little stressed out? - Definitely looking forward to it! (Wednesday as well - DS will be home. )

 

[MickeyMom76]

@PollyannaMom - I'm just the opposite. I've been exercising well, but not eating right. I've definitely given in to the stress of the busy season with conferences & holidays.

I'm looking forward to Thursday because it is my day of being completely off. My mom likes to provide the whole meal. Now that my parents live close, my daughter and mother have started a new tradition (started just last year and is continuing this year...so I'm considering it tradition already). Since we don't have school Wednesday, my daughter is going to help my mom with the baking & cooking on Wednesday and sleep over Wednesday night. Then continue to help in the morning. It's a nice bonding time for the two of them.

I'm feeling a little less stressed this week, than last week. We just have one last night of conferences tonight. However, we found out the wife of one of our 5th grade teachers passes away yesterday from breast cancer. She was battling it for years, but the last year has been filled with many ups and downs. We are having a brief meeting this morning to get more details. They have 2 boys, one in high school and one in elementary.

 

[PollyannaMom]

@MickeyMom76, The new tradition sounds lovely! (My nieces always make pies with MIL on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as well. They look forward to it every year.

But I'm so sorry to hear about your coworkers wife. What an awful thing for their sons to go through, and at the worst time of year on top of it.

 

[Oneanne]

It’s going to be a crazy, busy week for most of us-are you feeling good about where you are this month?
Last Tuesday one of my Brothers passed away, rather suddenly of a heart attack. I've been flip-flopping between the determination to not let the same happen to me and the need to self-medicate/numb with sugar. My blood sugar and blood pressure numbers were pretty high this morning, so I've got to buckle down and get back on track. I know I'll feel so much better with a couple good food days in me.

With Thanksgiving this week, are you in a good place eating and activity wise? Are you looking forward to Thursday or are you a little stressed out?
For Thanksgiving my Brother and his family were going to go camping and as mentioned I was going to my Sister's at the beach, but now I am hosting and my Sister, SIL and Nephew are coming over. With just the four of us I'm trying to keep it simple, but have already made five trips to three different grocery stores, with one more trip to be made early Wednesday morning to pick up perishables. I spent the weekend deep cleaning the house and getting the Christmas light situation resolved. This evening I'll finish scrubbing the bathroom, tomorrow evening I'll finish the kitchen. I'm taking Wednesday off, but the only have-to-dos will be the early trip to the grocery store, to bake the pie and maybe pre-bake the sweet potatoes, other than that I'm planning to go to a local park for a good long walk. So all in all, I feel on-track with getting ready. The holiday itself will be a bit of a challenge, but we'll work thru it.

 

[piglet1979]

@Oneanne I am so sorry for your loss


It is not much of a busy week for me. I am off all week and the kids and DH have work/school Monday and Tuesday. Today I got a massage and picked up some stuff for baking. Tomorrow I am meeting a friend that I have not see in awhile for lunch and then will start baking. Wednesday DD has her doctor appointment for the scoliosis and then we are heading to my moms for the kids to help her clean. She pays them so they will actually clean unlike at home.

I am looking forward to Thursday. I love Thanksgiving. We will be heading to my in-laws early since they live about an hour away and then will head to my moms for desserts. My dad's family is not getting together this year. My grandma who is in her 80's just can't do it anymore and no one will pick up doing it. My dad and Aunt live out of state and my Uncle who is here doesn't seem like they want to take it over. I would live to do it but my house is not big enough for all of us. I will talk to my grandma and figure something out for Christmas. Maybe I can just head to her house early and do the cooking and everything. Ok back on track. My brother and I are taking my grandparents to dinner on Saturday so we get to spend some time with them.

I had mentioned to my husband that I wanted to see Frozen 2 knowing that I would have to wait until it came out in DVD since we decided not to go the movies except for Star Wars since we have gone to a lot of movies this year. He found cheap tickets at one of our movie theaters. $21.00 for the 4 of us. It is at 10:15 in the morning on a Saturday but I will take it. I can't wait to see it.

This month I have been doing pretty good with working out despite being sick but eating has been bad.

 

[sjrec]

Oneanne, my sincere sympathy on your loss. I hope your time with family will be a comfort to you.

 

[sjrec]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/how-to-talk-about-food-at-thanksgiving
This article really spoke to me-I have been guilty of several of the examples and been made uncomfortable by someone else’s remarks.

Let’s try to follow the last bit of advice-to eat and enjoy our holiday dinner without the guilt!

 

[MickeyMom76]

@Oneanne I'm so sorry for your loss. It's wonderful that you are hosting your family. May the time together bring you peace and comfort.