Sunday, July 31, 2011

Things I wish I could say

-Yes, you are controlling.
-You post too much on facebook.
-I don't care.
-You are a good mom
-You are going to regret that someday.
- You don't intimidate me
- I think you are fake


all while I was home this weekend. I found myself wishing that it was okay to say things that are not nice. Now, I wouldn't direct these phrases at one person, they are for a variety, and not even who people would probably think. I wonder what people wish they could say to me.. :) But then again, I'd probably rather not know.

On the other hand, I got to see David, my sweet funny nephew. I got to hug on Hope, Hannah, and Jacob, my favorite near 13 year olds. I got to see my parents, my in laws, great friends, some whom I haven't seen in a while.

I report back to school on Thursday, so if you read this blog for the teacher stories....get ready!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

3 years, forever

Three years ago I married a man
Who was my favorite, very best friend
He makes me smile and laugh
He holds my hair when I'm sick
He teases me when I'm wrong
He cheers for me when I'm successful
He dreams big enough for the both of us
He follows his heart always
He's very smart and humble
He loves my crazy family, and his
He's going to be a great dad someday (far away)
He completes me and makes life so much better

Three years down, forever to go
Mrs. Howard

Monday, July 25, 2011

Sad Day...

today.....sigh.... I went the the dentist. Now, I went the dentist as a kid, but I'd sort of gave up the habit through college. (holla to all the out of state college people) It's HARD to redo your life in another state.. but that's a post for a different time.

SO..the dentist, who's very nice and very precise, is named Jamie. I chose a dentist close to our favorite vet. Does that seem backwards? Well, now we can have our teeth cleaned while our dogs' teeth are being cleaned..take that plaque!

After two hours, x-rays, and a micro fast tartar fight, I have a cavity. It's my first one. :( My score of perfect teeth comes to an end. I have another appointment in a week to get my first filling. sniiiiiiiiiifffffffffffff. Now I can't hold that over my husband's head anymore.

The pouting (who smells like floride),
Mrs. H

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Hot.

Dear Oklahoma, Al Gore, and the Ozone:

I'm not quite sure which of you to blame for the intense heat. All I can say is right now I hate all of you. It's July. We've had 32 days over 100 degrees so far. Have you ever heard of August? August is supposed to be over 100 degress..not April or May or June. You are the reason that kids don't play outside. I would choose video games too! You even closed SAMS and Wal-mart down today. (Power outage due to over AC) I didn't step foot out of my house until after 7 pm and the temperature still says 112!

Very sweatily yours,
Beth

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Universal Truths about Men

.... or at least the one I live with.



  1. Men are not able to trim their toe-nails to be smooth. They are always cut to a point, to stab their bed-sharer.

  2. Men do not handle illness well. Even if the female has the same symptoms, the male feels worse, and therefore can not get his own drink. It's impossible for him to lift a finger while he is still feeling so under the weather. He can however, get enough strength up to serve himself ice cream, and change the channel.

  3. When a man says "What are we having for dinner tonight?" He means- What are you going to fix me for dinner"

  4. Even though the trash comes on the same day every week, a man might forget to put the trash can out, if not reminded. When reminded he will say, "I know". However, the one week that he is not reminded, he will blame his forgetfulness on the fact that you didn't remind him.

  5. When the dog pees in the floor, he's the wife's dog. When the dog barks early in the morning, he's the wife's dog. When the dog is sleeping in his lap, it's his dog.

  6. When Men work all day, they expect to get to lay around all evening. When a woman works all day, they are expected to make dinner, do the dishes, and pick up after the 'hard working male' in the evening.

  7. 2 back to back episodes on TLC is clearly unacceptable, 2 days of straight Stargate DVDs = fun!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

excitement

Great things about today:

Jumbo blue calculator
Jumbo dice (one blue one orange)
my last Vistaprint order arrived


let school begin!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

5th grade so far

My experience in 5th grade so far..

Team meeting yesterday.
I know school doesn't start for 3 weeks. We're over achievers.
There is no air conditioning on at school. And one team mate is prego.. (not me)
We all are of a different ethnicity. I'm not sure why I noticed.

Different hall.
More strong personalities, more men.
Smaller classrooms, and student numbers
Separate subjects make decorating a room easier

I'm excited.
And hesitant. Ready to join a strong team
and missing the teams I've been comfortable with before
I have also realized. I've never been in the same room
two years in a row... curse?

Monday, July 11, 2011

The truth is...

The truth is my dishes are piled up in my sink
The truth is I spent the day working on lesson plans
The truth is I'm very excited about moving to fifth grade
The truth is my dogs shredded tissue all over the floor, and I haven't picked it up yet
The truth is school starts a month from today 8/11
The truth is I haven't made a Vistaprint order today...first day in a week
The truth is I have no idea what I'm going to fix for dinner
The truth is I haven't gone outside today

Sunday, July 10, 2011

12 step program

Back to school shopping is my drug. I admit it. I think it's because I know I'll end up buying the supplies anyway, so if I can get it cheap --or free-- it makes me excited.

Vista Print: 12 orders and $16.00 later, I have 95 items coming my way. Now, in reality it will be more than 95 items (post cards for example come in packs of 100). So if I did my math correctly, I spent around $.17 for each thing I ordered. --Pictures to come--
sorry UPS guy....

Staples: Penny sales. Need I say more? This week it's bottled glue, packs of pens, and packs of pencil top erasers. Now, I don't expect to go crazy this year, I am after all, only teaching math. So I see the need for erasers. But to get the penny deal-- you have to spend five dollars. So I'll be 'forced' to throw in some other things to boost the price.

Someone admit me...I need a program

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Power Teaching?

I was looking through classroom management strategies and this one caught my eye. What do you think?

Power Teaching

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Productive: Day 2

Today I got a little done on my class website. I signed up for a free website through Weebly. I was on my new favorite site, Proteacher, and I found this innocent little group called 'Addicted to VistaPrint.' I've heard a lot of teacher that have used VistaPrint, but my interested was struck by the word FREE. Free products, Free Shipping over $1.

Today alone, I put in 5 orders. I payed $1.49 for each order. Most of the retailed out at between 50-60 dollars each. So yah, saved some big bucks.

It's the little things I tell ya.

**I'll post an update when I get my order on July 12**

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

30 days, 30 tasks?

First day to report back to school: Aug 6th
First day with students: Aug 11

So, this is going to come as a shock to those of you who know me, (grin) I'm not that organized. My mother would put it more extreme than that. My co-workers would probably agree. My friends love me anyway.

So, as much as a I love being a teacher, I feel like my best teaching moments happen on the fly. I'm good at thinking up an engaging activity moments before, or during a lesson. I choose to think that it keeps me, and the students on their toes.

But that being said, oh lesson plans, oh file system, oh classroom managment records. oh baby oh

So, in order to become a more organized, and I dare say a more efficient teacher I'm going to try to do something small each day for the next 30 days, to save myself time later.

enter today. I recently found out that a grade/subject switch might be in the works for me!!! So today I worked on Math Vocabulary Cards. I found a link on www.proteacher.net for a website for pre-made cards! They are organized in alphebetical order, so it makes it easy to grab the ones you need! I went through our district calendar and found all the vocab for the year and organized them on my computer (and back up thumb drive). So each 9 weeks, I'll just need to print them off and put them up. What I love about them is that they were made by an ELL teacher (4-6grade) so they are very visual. Words+Pictures= comprehension in my book.

**Let me know if you are interested in the direct link to the vocabulary cards**

One small step today,
Mrs. H

Sunday, July 3, 2011

pictures that make me smile- family edition

So. technically, this girl isn't family, but I'd claim her in a heartbeat. This is Hope, my mini-me of sorts. I've watched her and her brother and sister since they were 5Now they are nearly 13. (sniff) This picture was an attempt to change our facial expression in each picture. I love it because she is clearly behind (see bottom pictures). Taken in 2010




What's not to love about family matching picture? This one was taken this past Christmas. I love the way everyone in this picture looks but me, go figure. David's smile hidden behind his passifier, my mom's open mouth smile: giving instructions, my brother trying not to smile too big. My dad looksso happy. Ah, I love the Rumkers.


More Rumkers! This is my Meme and Poppy. They have five children, my dad is the middle child. This is the attempt to get a 'good family picture'. Notice the red under my grandma's black shirt. She wanted to wear her Chiefs' shirt. She was persuaded to put on my Uncle Greg's (not pictured) sweater. This is the face she makes when things aren't going her way.




And. My favorite! This is Mr. H with our nephew, Connor. I don't feel like it takes much explanation. It's THAT good. It makes me want to have babies, just so he can hold them and grin. Maybe in a few years....








Saturday, July 2, 2011

Just Realized

I just realized I start school back in roughly...one month! Meet the teacher is Aug. 8th! Where the world did June go? Oh yeah, June with to: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Not to mention Shawnee, Altus, Olustee, Edmond, Midwest City, and OKC, Oklahoma. I guess it was a busy month. :)

Here's what's left on my to-do list before school starts
- Dentist
- Eye Dr.
- and as I like to call it, the 'duck beak doctor**'

**and yes I do realize it's been 3 years since I saw her, and yes, I know that's bad. and yes I still get my birth control refilled, and no I'm not sure how that's legal.

notice a pattern? I HATE maintenance doctor visits. The cheapy in me despises paying and paying for people to tell me, my eyes still need contacts, and my teeth are fine, please floss. I won't even get started on the other one because I've only had one experience there, and it was bad. like BAD.

oh July, you're not going to be my favorite month.