Buckets Full

This school year hasn't exactly been the easiest, in fact it is one of my most challenging ever, for many reasons. In my classroom today, the morning wasn't going well, so...during lunch I thought and hoped and prayed that I could somehow turn this day around. Out of the blue, I found a book that I'd purchased a couple of months ago, but had misplaced.

Have you heard of it? Have You Filled a Bucket Today?  It makes kindness more concrete for children: when you do something nice for someone, you fill up their bucket...and your own. Doing something nice for someone makes you feel good!

Moments after reading it aloud to my 24 second grade students, we were discussing simple acts of kindness, when the boys made a circle on the rug and hugged one another. Next, the girls decided to do this group hug as a chain. Then one little girl had big crocodile tears running down her cheeks. I asked her about her tears and she said that her little brother was in the hospital and she missed him. He was very sick. She had, "by accident, given him her sickness". She felt sad.

We all decided to Fill Her Bucket...and her brother's.

The day miraculously turned around. I know my bucket is overflowing now.

Miracles are everywhere.

And, we were able to do our math and science lessons with smiles all around. ♥

~K

Wedding Thoughts...

♥It seems Blogspot is having trouble posting photos today. Are any of you having this trouble? Sorry, but I tried to get my journaling photo to show up, three times, and no go.

Many of you might remember/know that my daughter, Michelle, is getting married. She got engaged to Kevin about 18 months ago and we've slowly been doing the preparations and planning, spreading it out because we had 2 years.  Well, all of a sudden it seems CLOSE!

Their wedding is this summer and the plans are taking on a whole new feel. There's more of a sense of urgency to them. The Save-the-Dates are being finalized, homemade goodness and creativity done by my daughter herself. The Bridal Shower is scheduled, the bridesmaids' dresses are all chosen, and the guys' suits are ordered. The colors switched to browns, champagne-beiges, and grays. Fresh floral thoughts are dancing in our heads...

I will keep you posted!  ~Ah, all these memories in the making!

Oh Friday!

First I just need to say thank you. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for thinking of me during my week and a half of stress. My observation went well, I think, and all of my report cards and comments are written up and handed in. Aaah.  It feels good to be over this migraine-making hurtle! I don't even mind that it looks like January outside, with the snow blowing and piling up again. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

 Here is some preliminary second grade rough draft writing.  Students had to write about the color white (after I modeled writing about brown), adding detail by using all of their senses. Each small group of 4 to 5 children got together to write on two sentence strips using one sense, and then we began to put them all together . The next step will be for each student to write one all on their own, using their own favorite color, but my small groups did well to start, didn't they? White isn't so boring afterall...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

With bunnies and daffodils on my desk, you can't hurt me, Old Man Winter!

Hope Springs Eternal

I know the weathermen are saying that it'll snow this week,

but look at these and tell me Spring isn't going to win out!

I almost jumped up and down and squealed when I found these!!

Let's celebrate!

Suppose It's Not Luck

A wee bit of journaling this evening...

Have you ever seen a real 4-leaf clover growing outside in the grass? I guess they are quite rare, but I have actually found a lot in my lifetime. A lot. Hmmmmm. They do make me smile. Lovin' the green...
~K

Look! It's the Leprechaun!

♣ It showed up in my classroom today!♣

Happy St. Patrick's Day! May the wind be at your back!

~K  ♣

Like a butterfly...

I had to acclimate
reenter the earth's atmosphere today
gently

slowly.

Monday after

the epidemic

that hit the district

me out

two and a half days

them out

eight on Thursday

six on Friday

six again today.

Assess
scrap most of the plans
cope
catch up
smile
blink
wade in

slowly.

Tenacity, Yesterday's Walk, and Journaling

The smaller page on the right began as just a watercolor wash. Then I felt like bubbles were in order (!) and then the organized-wanna-be side of me needed lines.

I couldn't get that tenacious frozen hydrangea out of my mind, so I decided to write about it. I have always considered perseverance to be one of the greatest qualities to have, and so...I need to be as perseverant and strong as this gentle looking, but tenacious, flower.

Have faith.
Move forward.
Carry on.
Build a bridge and get over it.
All those things I say to myself.
"It's not what it could be; it's not what it should be; but it is what it is."

~K

Ode to the Hydrangea

I took a short walk down my road this morning because the sun peeked out for a few minutes, for the first time in a week. Snow is melting a bit and I looked for signs of spring...not really any yet, and I know it will still continue to snow, but it never hurts to hope. And I have nothing to complain about.

But then, I saw my wonderful hydrangeas! I enjoy them so much in the warm months, and they don't even deny beauty in the ice cold of winter. Aren't they amazing?

I just love hydrangeas. This summer I hope to have many more, especially blue ones!

~K

So...I guess I Was Just Coming Down...

...with another flu. At least that explains it! Yeah, I had one in January for my birthday, then in February after President's Day Break, then all this week. But it's an epidemic in the district where I teach. Today I am drinking Gatorade and am at least up. This ought to help my diet!

Anyway, thank you for visiting and for waiting for me! It is PURE BLISS to be up out of bed right now!
Hope you all are feeling well and that you have fun plans for this weekend. Take care!
~K

Just a Day in March

...and some journaling, but not much. I finally wrote on this left side page that you glimpsed a ways back, unfinished.

I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. Sometimes things get too busy, too hectic, too heavy.

This too shall pass.

♥

Calendar Challenge: March

After much frustration with my computer and my camera card, here is March 2011!

I think I was in a woodsy, green, earthy, nature mood. I am hungry for Spring!

Sorry that the colors and lighting are wonky.

It's really just a miracle that I didn't throw my computer right out the window today. Really.

And here is February, written in daily!

I enjoy this challenge so much. Check out more at TheKathrynWheel.