Nathan has a new hobby. He has always loved all things words, and now that love is showing in a new way: alphabetizing. He has systematically gone through each child's bookshelf and alphabetized all the books! He takes each book off and makes a long road through the room, placing the books in correct order. Then he goes letter by letter and alphabetizes each letter and places neatly back on the shelf. I am so impressed! Perhaps I could hire him to organize my entire home, not just the bookshelves?!?! He and Seth have collaborated on a system. Mom suggested that Seth may not understand or appreciate Nathan's desire to KEEP the books in alphabetical order on their bookshelf, and he should be aware of that and not get upset about it. So, my innovative son found a shallow cardboard box, wrote "Return Books Here," and placed it next to the bookshelf. He explained to Seth that they had a library box for books once they had been read. Bonus for both: The books stay orderly and alphabetized, pleasing NKV, and Seth doesn't have to put the books back on the shelf - he can simply put them in the return book box! :) How fun! Nathan has a keen mind and it is fun to see him catch on to so much and figure things out. He also particularly enjoys doing math problems in his head and asks us to give him problems. Second grade has really been great for him; Mrs. Rich has helped him thrive. She has told us that he reminds her of her firstborn in many ways. He is now in college, so it brings her back a few years as she watches Nathan. He loves order and she is orderly yet nurturing and has nudged him out of his shell. When I volunteer in the class there's a nice environment of working happily and knowing what's expected of them. She loves teaching; he loves learning - it's a great combination! We are so proud of him and especially enjoy seeing how he helps his siblings with things, but doesn't just give them the answers...perhaps a future teacher?
I don't know where his EARLY morning tendencies come from...certainly not his mother! Definitely more of his father. I've given him the guideline that he can't get up until it's 6:30 or after. Each morning he pads into our bedroom to peer at our digital clock. Often he pads back to bed, since it's prior to 6:30. Well, yesterday I got up at 6:45 and thought, "Boy - It seems like he's been up for quite a while." I asked him what time he got up and he said, "6:44." Uh - I don't think so...Could he, without his glasses, have read the clock wrong? Apparently it was actually 5:44 AM and he thought it said 6:44. Grandma V - could you get Nathan a digital clock for his birthday in March?! :) Let's just say his mother does NOT just get up at 5:44 for the fun of it! He quietly gets up, grabs a blanket and some books, and sits on the heat register reading until the rest of the family stirs. Ken says he relates well to Nathan. Maybe Robyn will throw one of Nathan's books on the roof someday when she wants to play and he wants to read, like Valerie did to Ken? We think our Nate is Great. :)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Our Sweet Vampire!
With grins like these, would you agree with me that I have THE BEST job in the world?! He's such a happy boy! He makes my heart full of joy.
He's Our Boy.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
What a dinner!
I enjoy cooking and over the past few years feel like I've figured out this whole cooking thing...a whole lot better than I used to, anyway! So what happened tonight? Goodness!!
Menu: spaghetti with sauce and meatballs, garlic bread, green beans. Pretty straightforward; made this meal many times.
What happened? Everything went fine with the boiling of the water! :) Put the garlic bread in while spaghetti was cooking, then decided meatballs should go in, too. Set timer for meatballs. Drained spaghetti, set back in pan on turned off burner. Decided we'd have cooked carrots. Turned on stovetop, moved spaghetti pan, burned finger because I'd turned on the wrong burner. Also had some dried spaghetti on bottom of pan from turning on wrong burner. Smelled something funny. Dark brown garlic bread in oven. *Sigh.* Went out to garage freezer and got more garlic bread. Put new garlic bread in oven. Decided it would take too long for carrots...we'll go with microwaved beans instead. Checked on meatballs - juice from them spilled on oven floor because I'd put them on a cookie sheet with no sides. Turned vent blower on high. Finally got to dinner, thanks to Nathan setting the table willingly, and the garlic bread tasted a bit funny due to meatball juice running on top of them.
I did notice when Ken prayed, he said, "And thank you for all of Mommy's efforts in preparing this dinner." What he normally says is, "Thank you for Mommy's good work in preparing this dinner." Ha ha. :) I wasn't offended, though - by that point (6:15) we were all starved and Ken had a meeting at 7! The good news is the dinner tasted good and the meatballs were especially good. Some other Mom friends and I are meeting monthly and making 6 meals to freeze and a few to give away. It has been SUCH a blessing to have good, healthful meals in the freezer on those nights when who knows what the dinner would be otherwise! So, the meatball recipe is a definite keeper.
******************
Exam week at school this week - good but busy. Most of my students stay the same next semester, which I'm glad about - overall I have fine groups of students. Two 10th grade girls - who I've had to remind/give consequences for excessive chattiness in class - gave me a belated Christmas card today. They wrote, "To Mrs. Vanderwest....we think you're the best English teacher ever!" It made me smile and feel good, and I'll assume they were being sincere. :) I think they secretly liked it when I gave them a consequence of writing an essay about why excessive socializing in class was a problem for them, others, and the teacher, what they planned to do differently, and what their consequence should be if they don't follow through. They've paid quite good attention since then! :)
Found out a dual-enrollment English 101 college class (through Muskegon Comm. College) is meeting at KCHS next semester, two days a week in the morning. The principal asked if the professor could use my room "because it is pleasant and close to the library." I told her that would be fine (since I teach in afternoons) - I think that will assist in one of my resolutions - to keep a neat desk with no piles! At least on Mondays and Wednesdays my desk will be neat!
That's all for now. The rumblings upstairs tell me that it is time to read Ramona and her Father (our current read aloud book) and send the rowdy ones to bed. Early to bed on Tuesday nights since Wed nights (AWANA) are not early to bed.
Menu: spaghetti with sauce and meatballs, garlic bread, green beans. Pretty straightforward; made this meal many times.
What happened? Everything went fine with the boiling of the water! :) Put the garlic bread in while spaghetti was cooking, then decided meatballs should go in, too. Set timer for meatballs. Drained spaghetti, set back in pan on turned off burner. Decided we'd have cooked carrots. Turned on stovetop, moved spaghetti pan, burned finger because I'd turned on the wrong burner. Also had some dried spaghetti on bottom of pan from turning on wrong burner. Smelled something funny. Dark brown garlic bread in oven. *Sigh.* Went out to garage freezer and got more garlic bread. Put new garlic bread in oven. Decided it would take too long for carrots...we'll go with microwaved beans instead. Checked on meatballs - juice from them spilled on oven floor because I'd put them on a cookie sheet with no sides. Turned vent blower on high. Finally got to dinner, thanks to Nathan setting the table willingly, and the garlic bread tasted a bit funny due to meatball juice running on top of them.
I did notice when Ken prayed, he said, "And thank you for all of Mommy's efforts in preparing this dinner." What he normally says is, "Thank you for Mommy's good work in preparing this dinner." Ha ha. :) I wasn't offended, though - by that point (6:15) we were all starved and Ken had a meeting at 7! The good news is the dinner tasted good and the meatballs were especially good. Some other Mom friends and I are meeting monthly and making 6 meals to freeze and a few to give away. It has been SUCH a blessing to have good, healthful meals in the freezer on those nights when who knows what the dinner would be otherwise! So, the meatball recipe is a definite keeper.
******************
Exam week at school this week - good but busy. Most of my students stay the same next semester, which I'm glad about - overall I have fine groups of students. Two 10th grade girls - who I've had to remind/give consequences for excessive chattiness in class - gave me a belated Christmas card today. They wrote, "To Mrs. Vanderwest....we think you're the best English teacher ever!" It made me smile and feel good, and I'll assume they were being sincere. :) I think they secretly liked it when I gave them a consequence of writing an essay about why excessive socializing in class was a problem for them, others, and the teacher, what they planned to do differently, and what their consequence should be if they don't follow through. They've paid quite good attention since then! :)
Found out a dual-enrollment English 101 college class (through Muskegon Comm. College) is meeting at KCHS next semester, two days a week in the morning. The principal asked if the professor could use my room "because it is pleasant and close to the library." I told her that would be fine (since I teach in afternoons) - I think that will assist in one of my resolutions - to keep a neat desk with no piles! At least on Mondays and Wednesdays my desk will be neat!
That's all for now. The rumblings upstairs tell me that it is time to read Ramona and her Father (our current read aloud book) and send the rowdy ones to bed. Early to bed on Tuesday nights since Wed nights (AWANA) are not early to bed.
Uninspired
Not much to say (unusual, I know)...but thought I should check in.
Robyn got a ticket this week. I was concerned when I heard this. Come to find out a 'ticket' is a good thing in elementary! When teachers/staff "catch" the students doing good things, being kind, etc., they give 'tickets' out. Robyn's name was called over the loudspeaker out of the basket that had all the kindergartners' tickets as this month's winner!! She got to choose her prize - she chose a soft, brown, medium-sized Curious George monkey. Not too small, not too big...just right for my girl. She was cute when I picked her up after school. She told Ken and Nathan, "Don't tell Mom what's in my backpack!" When we got home, she grinned, slowly opened her backpack, held George out to me and said, "Look!" I asked her why she had received it and she responded because she got tickets. Figuring it was an incentive and a positive thing, I asked how she had received the tickets. Her response? "I don't know, but I like George." Ahhhhh.
Of course her older brother knew how and why people earned tickets. "Like if you straighten the boots without being asked or are kind or helpful to someone, that's how you get tickets." I asked him if he cheered when Robyn's name was called. He said, "Well, not exactly, but I was happy for her!" I love to see my children getting along, watching out and rooting for each other!
We were happy, too, and now George is safely tucked in her arms each night. Tonight she said she wanted to get rid of one of the dolls at the end of her bed "because I have George now and I need a place to put him during the day." The Fisher girls were fresh on our minds, as they had played here this evening, so I asked Robyn if she would like to give her doll to Emma. (I'd noticed that Emma had carried this doll around tonight) Robyn's response? "No, I'd like to sell the doll to her." Hmmmm . . . obviously I've talked about selling things at garage sales with her.....
I hope Emma, age 3, receives an allowance. Maybe I'll slip her some money.
Robyn got a ticket this week. I was concerned when I heard this. Come to find out a 'ticket' is a good thing in elementary! When teachers/staff "catch" the students doing good things, being kind, etc., they give 'tickets' out. Robyn's name was called over the loudspeaker out of the basket that had all the kindergartners' tickets as this month's winner!! She got to choose her prize - she chose a soft, brown, medium-sized Curious George monkey. Not too small, not too big...just right for my girl. She was cute when I picked her up after school. She told Ken and Nathan, "Don't tell Mom what's in my backpack!" When we got home, she grinned, slowly opened her backpack, held George out to me and said, "Look!" I asked her why she had received it and she responded because she got tickets. Figuring it was an incentive and a positive thing, I asked how she had received the tickets. Her response? "I don't know, but I like George." Ahhhhh.
Of course her older brother knew how and why people earned tickets. "Like if you straighten the boots without being asked or are kind or helpful to someone, that's how you get tickets." I asked him if he cheered when Robyn's name was called. He said, "Well, not exactly, but I was happy for her!" I love to see my children getting along, watching out and rooting for each other!
We were happy, too, and now George is safely tucked in her arms each night. Tonight she said she wanted to get rid of one of the dolls at the end of her bed "because I have George now and I need a place to put him during the day." The Fisher girls were fresh on our minds, as they had played here this evening, so I asked Robyn if she would like to give her doll to Emma. (I'd noticed that Emma had carried this doll around tonight) Robyn's response? "No, I'd like to sell the doll to her." Hmmmm . . . obviously I've talked about selling things at garage sales with her.....
I hope Emma, age 3, receives an allowance. Maybe I'll slip her some money.
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