Always Thinking

I believe nearly everyone who reads this blog is aware of my other blog.  The airplane blog (I just refer to it as that to keep the confusion down)  is ostensibly to promote interest in local history.  I write mainly on things that happened in or are in some way related to Washington State.  Sometimes I write on other military subjects, for instance the grounding of a Cruiser near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii a year or so ago.  Still, I try to return to Washington State and the Cold War.

I honestly did not think anyone would look at it without me inviting them.  Imagine my surprise when I finally began tracking it with Google Analytics and discovered just how many people go to my sight.  It isn't exactly a high end site, I'll admit that.  It does cater to a very small percentage of the population.  Still, the numbers indicate that several people visit each day.  Many because Blogger sends them there.  A few, more than I expect, come directly to my blog!  They have it bookmarked or they follow it.  often, though, they search for something and Google brings them to me.

It is the Google searches that bring the best, though.  I have corresponded with more interesting people thanks to that.  For instance there was the gentleman that wrote about his experience as a boy when he accompanied his family to recover an abandoned Army Helicopter.  There have been others, though, that really make me happy.  The ones who are searching for loved ones or friends.  They want to know about what their dads and brothers and uncles did.  I do my best to send them to the right place and give them as much information as I can.  THAT is the unforeseen result of my blog that makes me happy.  Helping others, while doing something I enjoy.

The thing is I was making fun of a teacher for thinking about buying teacher materials while she was on her vacation...then it dawned on me.  Uhh, yeah, I am always thinking about history.  Oops.

Beautiful Darned Day

I had the pleasure of teaching first graders today. I enjoyed it. I usually do. I went through the usual complaints about So-and-So doing this or saying that. "So-and-So said a bad word." "So-and-So has a toy in his backpack!" My usual response, as I have mentioned, is usually half-hearted and semi-commatose. Today at lunch, though, I heard a unique complaint. "Mr. H, Kevin is making fun of himself, and its bothering me." Huh? What the? Ahh, they are so sweet, except for the taddle tales, who are frickin' comedians.

It has been a gorgeous day! Summer-like! It is, as I write this, 73.4 degrees out there! I am wearing shorts! I was going to take a picture of our backyard to show you, but it looks like a dung heap. I will, instead, show you picures I took of something growing out of the dung heap I call a backyard.

Cora liked these so much she suggested printing them out...what do you think?

Principles and Principals

My first day back substituting actually ended with a child in the office talking to the principal. I am an overwhelmingly good natured teacher...at least I think I am...and it takes LOT to make me send a child to see the principal. I mean, yeah, if you were hitting someone else, or were doing something else equally heinous, you are going to go see a higher authority.

This kid just would not do what I asked(be quiet while I am giving directions, sit still). Then when I asked him to go to time out, he begged me not to make him. That annoyed me. Still he would not go(Weird, since kids at this school almost always obey immediately). I then offered another choice: Principal or corner? He chose the corner/timeout, but took his time. I caught him watching class activities over and over again...finally, I grew tired of telling him to turn around. I told him if he did not stop it, I would send him to the principal. He seemed to understand, and turned back to the corner. Seconds later he was facing the room again. It is against my principles to let that go. "GO!" And he complained and pouted and whined and begged. He said he'd already been once today. There was another teacher in the room. I asked her to escort my boy to the office. I did not want to start the year like that.

On the other hand, at least I was not outside with the maintenance boys. They were picking up the dirt we had shovelled the day previous. Yesterday I helped them dig holes. each of us had to dig a four feet deep hole and then help on the final one. These are for some basketball hoops. I hve never really enjoyed basketball, but having to dig a four feet deep hole has definitely lowered my appreciation for the game.

I have three more days of subbing for music. Tomorrow should be better.

As for today, kids continue to tell me I am dancing. I have been telling them I don't dance...they laugh and say I do. Well, whatever makes them happy.

Teaching the Wii Ones!

So, given yesterday’s weed whacking and its potential for more, I was happy when, at about midnight, I saw a sub job up. It was for Kindergarten. So, to day I subbed for kinders and enjoyed it. I have subbed in this class before and they know me, so it is pretty comfortable. I had fun. We walked down to the post office to mail some thank you notes. That was interesting…20 kids and two adults.

I probably annoyed my boss in Maintenance, I was supposed to weed whack at another school today, but it looks as though the person who usually takes care of those schools may have to do it. Or it will have to wait until I am done subbing…pity, too, I was so looking forward to it.

Tonight has been spent playing Wii. Boom Blox is strangely adicting. Soon, off to bed, but Dr. Who first.

Adequate Goofball Exposure

So, apparently, kids are not exposed to dorky men. As a statement, I suppose I would support that and agree that they should not be. On the other hand, there are some who think exposing kids to a goofball is a good thing. I suppose it depends on the goof ball. One of the teachers I worked with today threatened me with bodily harm if I don’t pursue an elementary certification. She said it is good for them to be exposed to men who can be a little silly (I am saying a little silly because that is what SHE said, I know many of you are probably rolling your eyes…I know I am very silly, so don’t over exert your poor eyeballs). Something about the right kind of male influence, I know, she might be a little off the mark. I do enjoy teaching at the elementary, though.

We were doing a “Hand Jive” in music today. I was dancing along, innocently, to the music, and the kids kept erupting in giggles. I had my erstwhile cohort there, too. She does a half-day of music in the afternoon. The past few times we have had our classes together. She was dancing along with the song just a silly as I was, but the kids were paying more attention to me…somewhat to my displeasure, since I was not aware of all the right hand movements and had trouble hearing the claps on the CD to clap along. Of course, I did “bobble” my head from side to side in the “Oh, NO YOU DIDN’T” fashion that is sometimes seen in inner city women on TV. I did this in time to the music. I have done this in the past and apparently it is quite the hit among elementary kids. A few girls have called me “Mr. Bobble Head” in the hallways. I take that as a price of fame.

So, Cora is fishing on her Wii. She keeps pulling up two dimensional fish. It’s one of the games on that $10 game…which was well worth the $10 for the enjoyment we have gotten from it. I want to buy Far Cry…a shoot’em up. Cora prefers Legos…yes, legos. She sometimes plays a Legos Star Wars game that she likes. We will have to buy it, I suppose.