A Barn Too Far

 I went for a short drive the other day and these are what I found.  It's been awhile since I got out for photos and I was happy for the chance, even though, mostly it was driving.  I like a good drive anyway.  Things are well here.  I have no complaints.  I hope you have the same!  As usual, drop on by Barn Charm and have a look at the other barns!

Sweet Girl!

 Chloe is 100% in your face.  She is something else.  I love this little girl who can offer a sweet side and then two minutes later a side that exhibits her sense of humor.  She is awesome.  I love my daughter.

Work in Progress

 Most people who see Chloe see what you see above.  I have been trying to describe what WE see.  It's difficult without you actually being her and watching her.  Well, I took some pictures of her the other night and then I did a little photo magic.  I am not done yet, and I'm not even sure if this is what I want, but it DOES illustrate how she feels to us.  Especially if she has had sugar or...a nap...or, well, this is descriptive of her anytime, really.

like I said, I want to try this again, but this was my first attempt.  Whatdya think?

This Barn Charmed Me!

Good evening!!  Here is one I worked on for quite a while the other day.  I was adding layers and filters and shading and tweaking...It has about six different filters on different parts!  I really enjoyed adding color to an otherwise blah winter photo.  

Barn Charm is in its 75 week!  Hop on over and have a look around at the awesome posters there!  I'm afraid I don't have much time to go poking around the huge number of posters there, but I try to visit a few each week, even if it's only a click and look around!  I really do look at your pictures!

This last week was busy.  Today for instance, I worked on a study guide for an upcoming chapter for my class.  I took it to the printer and then looked back at the book and realized I'd done next week's chapter...figures.  So, I stayed a little late and finished this week's chapter, too.  At least I am a little ahead of myself.  I gave a quiz today.  One of my paras was fed up with the kids she was with.  She told them they could use their notes, but not hers.  (They rarely take their own, even though several adults instruct them on WHAT to write down)  So, if they took the notes they were okay, but if they didn't they would have to rely on their memories...and most of the quizzes I corrected showed that they either don't listen or I speak a different language than they do.  Seriously!  

One of my questions was:  

8. What was NOT a way to die on the Oregon Trail?

     a. Freezing

     b. Drowning

     c. Snake bite

     d. Car accident

I ACTUALLY got several students who chose freezing or drowning or snake bite!

Another was:

4. Use "FAMINE" in a sentence.

One smartass answered:

"I have a lot of people who ask me the definition of famine, so I tell them.

Crap.  I gave him credit, but I didn't have to like it.

My favorite was number ten, which was an open ended essay question asking them to describe a journey on the Oregon Trail, using complete sentences, specific places, and details from their readings.  I had gotten a really good, long and detailed response from one student, so I decided to try to elicit more of those.  I said, if you write A Lot on number ten, I might give you extra credit, you just need to give me all the details you can remember.  

A period later I was correcting papers and found the word, "A LOT" in bold lettering...smartasses.  I told them "Nice try."

This weekend we went to the zoo.  It was awesome!  Chloe is doing SOOO much better in the car on long trips.  Nothing like she was a few months ago when there was so much screaming and crying.  it was great!!  Chloe especially seemed to like the elephants, giraffes, and gorillas.  It was fun!  Have a look back to see a few of our zoo pics from Saturday!  Better pictures than these!

Then make sure you click on over to Barn Charm and visit those fabulous barn photographers!

Trip to the Zoo!!

 We just had to get out of the house!  I have been campaigning to go to an Air Museum for weeks, but had to give in when Cora pointed out that Chloe might not enjoy that as much as the Zoo.  So, the zoo it was!

She especially liked the elephants, but she enjoyed the Giraffes and Gorillas, too!

 All-in-all, it was a successful and enjoyable day!

Presidential Campaign

I am already tired of it.  You would think that a history teacher would love politics.  I suppose most of them do.  Not me.  I never touch the stuff.  I am particularly miffed at the Republican Party tonight.  One of their computers called me.  It called two hours ago during dinner and I hung up on it.  Then it called just after we got Chloe to bed.

I have no wish to go through that complicated bedtime routine again.  If you are interested in our routine, I shall enlighten you.

1.  Sometime about fifteen minutes before dinner, one of us announces we wish it were bedtime.
2.  During dinner, one of us suggests bedtime should come early, usually after food leaves the plate without the benefit of a proper destination.
3.  After dinner we wind down and Chloe plays.  Often she asks for assistance with Legos or some other toy.
4.  She requests "Videos" at least 500 times during the night.
5.  She requests "Hot Milk" at least 300 times.
6. She requests a bath and
     A) gets it.
              1) Spends five to ten minutes removing her clothes.
              2) Stands at the bathroom door asking for bath until someone breaks
              3) Spends 20 to 30 minutes splashing and drowning toys.
              4) Waits until the water is somewhere below freezing before she willingly departs the tub.
     B) doesn't get it. and whines about it.
7. We call for bed time.
8. One of us heads toward her bedroom while the other makes her "Hot Milk."
9. She heads down the hall.
10. She heads back up the hall to find her Lovie.
11. She heads down the hall.
12. She heads up the hall for some stuffed animal.
13. She heads down the hall for a story before bed.
14. Change her into a Night Time diaper.
15. She picks out a book, or spends so much time deciding that one of us decides for her.
16. "Hot Milk" arrives and is slung in a fashion that looks lazy and unmanageable, but she handles it well.
17. She reads a different book than the one she hands you.
18. She tries to turn the pages before you have read the text.
19. Forgets milk and rearranges herself in your lap 5,000 times while you read to her.
20. Books over, and milk finished, she makes a ploy to have her teeth brushed.
21. We fight over who does it.
22. Loser helps her brush teeth.
23. Back in room she turns out big lights and turns on night lights.
24. she turns on light she just turns off.
25. parent threatens her to make her turn off light again, and then whisks her away before she can turn it on again.
26. She turns on music CD.
27. We ask what song she wants to hear us sing.
28. She requests something we don't know.  (Ah po po, Ah no no, or Bump-bump-bump)
29. We sing her the song we want to sing.
30. she cries "No Daddy!" or "No Mommy" appropriately until we stop singing for her to re-request her secret song.
31. We get her to change her request to something we understand.
32. We sing that to her.
33. Continue songs with similar success until one parent tires.
34. Put her into crib.
35. She fusses and cries, but we reassure her.
36. She finally lays down.
37. We offer to cover her, she declines.
38. We kiss her through the bars.
39. We hug her through the bars.
40. We kiss her through the bars again and repeat the hug kiss process until one parent goes insane.
41. We leave.
42. We come back to cover a stuffed animal. (usually just one parent)
43. Parent leaves.
44. Parent returns to kiss animal and then reapply good night kisses to Chloe, too, since first ones have by now worn off.
45. Say good night and sneak out.
46. Await further flare ups.
47. Repeat 38-41 as necessary.
48. Fall into bed exhausted.
49. Arise at any time during the night to the words "AAAGH-ARRRRR-Wahhhh!!!"
50. Repeat.

So, the Republican party called and promised me it would be a short call.  They asked if I would be attending their caucus on Saturday.  I pushed the appropriate number for HELL NO!  Then they asked which republican candidate I would vote for.  They gave four numbers and four candidates.  They did not give a fifth option of "Shove this stinking survey up your..." nor did they give me an option of telling them where exactly they could stuff their caucus.  I hung up, irritated, and disliking politicians more than ever.

NEVER WAKE UP A PERSON'S KID!  That is the best way to make a person hate you forever.

First of March!

 So this is what I saw on my drive to work yesterday.  The roads were good, until you mixed in the idiots driving on them.  I stopped, actually stopped, my truck just after the crest of the hill to take the HDR shot above and then drove off, catching up with the other idiots without really applying throttle...just coasted down to catch up with them.  It was so cold that traction was NOT a problem.  Idiots going too slow around corners, on the other hand, was.  They were as close to stopped as you could get and still be moving.  It is so frustrating being the best driver in the world and having to share the roads with nincompoops!

OK, done ranting.

It was a full day.  I was plagued by grade-book issues, my stupid program was not updating the grades with the scores I was entering.  This caused students to go either apoplectic or catatonic.  It finally figured itself out, but not before another teacher screwed with it to help, now I have to figure out how to unfix it...love this.

The majority of my students presented their games.  Some were really very creative, as I expected, others were a pathetic attempt at copying what I had put on the board as an example, also as I expected.  Still, not quite as many went the "easy" route as I thought would.  All-in-all, it was pretty good.  One class, the one I thought would be the most skittish, actually took to the playing of history games quite well.  Go figure.

The snow melted by day's end and we are back on track toward Spring...I think. The Northwest has a habit of throwing snow at us well into May some years.

Today my kids have to take a survey in another room.  Tomorrow, we return to presenting the games that weren't and then play them.  Except for my sixth period class, they have been the most squirrely of all and I expect them to be reading out of the book.  Maybe I can impress upon them the importance of toeing the line when it comes to noise in the classroom.  Also, I think a nice new seating chart will help.  I wonder what other tortures I can come up with...

The weekend is only a day away!  What shall we do?  I'd like to skip town and see a zoo or a museum, but I am certain the pains of being a homeowner and a parent will rise up and snatch me in their gaping maws!