Daily Affirmations

I saw this You Tube video for the first time today and realized that I totally need to do this!


Jessica's Daily Affirmation

Family Update

I haven't blogged forever, so I'll do a quick family update.

Curt: Started a new job at PE Systems. He loves it, and it doesn't hurt that they share a building with his favorite restaurant, Luigi's. The company helps businesses save money on their credit card processing fees. I am proud of him for branching out and using public transportation a few days a week. He drives to Liberty Lake and takes the express bus right to the main terminal which is only a few blocks from his office. Being downtown, he can walk to the bank, etc. on his lunch break. He is a good example to me, and I need to be better about walking to work!

Debi: Busy with Family, PTA Treasurer duties, and school. I have enjoyed substitute teaching in the afternoons when I'm needed. I've been in Caden's class a couple of times, and several times in PM Kindergarten. It is so fun to have my students from last year and see how much they have grown!

Curtis IV: Hurt his neck playing football this year, and had to be out for the last two games. Thankfully, the CAT scan came back normal, and he is fine. He did miss out on the wrestling season though. His school tied the world record for the most consecutive matches won. He is pretty disappointed that he wasn't able to be on that team. He is officially taller than me, and can wear his dad's shoes. We had fun Black Friday shopping, starting at midnight in the pouring rain.

Casey: Ran for Vice President this year, conquered his fear, and gave an excellent speech in front of the whole school. His friend Bryce won the election, and Casey got to keep his spot as a student council representative for his classroom. He is also a "Care Kid." He volunteers his time during recess to help younger students either on the playground or in the classroom. He also spends time before school helping out in the preschool classroom. All of the kids love Casey, and he is a very good teacher and helper. He ran his first 5k last weekend and really enjoyed it.

Caden: Reading like a maniac! He is so excited about school this year and the fact that he can read books. His teacher is WONDERFUL! She uses so many great techniques for reading and he has just soared. Caden loves to cook, swim, play video games, and play with friends. He joined cub scouts this year, and enjoys being a Tiger Cub. It was his turn last week to wear his uniform to school in the mornings and raise the flag (with an older scout). He has been asking to be a scout ever since he could talk. I guess that's what happens when you have 2 older brothers!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Upping the Joke Status

About a week ago, Casey informed me that he was "upping (his) joke status." He warned me that the pranks were being escalated. It still made my heart stop when I saw this coon skin cap in the dog food bag!


Today, the first day of school for my preschool class, felt sort of like the world had upped it's joke status too.
It wasn't just the routine things like the dad who handed me a digital camera and said "Can you make this work?" Or the kid who looked right at his dad and said, "Teacher, I really don't like my dad!"
Things were going quite excellently for a first day. Everyone was there, and not crying. They were minding nicely and following the schedule...until recess.
One little boy (who had required a lot of attention during class) threw a handful of rocks in another boy's face. Of course he started bawling, so the thrower ran and got a very large rock and was about to throw it into the 1st grade window. I managed to get him to drop the small boulder and he proceeded to run. Not just to the wall, or swing set, but across the field. He was headed for the opening in the gate that leads into the neighborhood. Luckily he was distracted by the large slide on the big kids' side of the playground and decided he had time to slide down before I could get there. He didn't! He wouldn't come down. Another boy (who will probably be the subject of later posts) had followed me. He climbed up and literally bulldozed the first kid down the slide. I caught him and had to carry him back to class. His dad happened to be there early! HOORAY!! It saved me a phone call. I handed the kid off and explained the situation. I had to wonder if the dad had upped his joke status when his only response was, "Hey, you want some juice and snacks before we head home?"
As my partner teacher (and awesome friend) took different kids their buses, I was helping the pick up kids get to their moms. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two kids run around the corner of the building on the outside of the fence. I went around the corner and they were running down the street toward the middle school. I didn't recognize them, but called to them to stop. Only one did! One of the Kindergarten moms walked him back to the Kindergarten teacher and I went after the other one. I watched in horror as he ran into the street several times, and made a beeline for the heavy equipment that was repairing the street at the end of the block. One of my preschool parents let me jump in her car and we drove down to head him off. As I jumped out and scooped him up, another car pulled up from the opposite direction. The kid starts yelling that he wants his mom, and the two women in the car said "What are you doing? You are supposed to be at daycare." I explained that he had run away and I was taking him to the bus. They said ok and drove off. We had a long walk back to the school, and we had a good talk about safety, being a big kid in Kindergarten, not scaring teachers and bus drivers, making good choices, etc. Of course all the buses were gone by this time, so I took him in to the Kindergarten teacher and explained what happened. I thought she was upping her joke status when she said he wasn't in her class. Surely she just didn't recognize him! He had a bus tag on!
It turns out he is a 3 year old preschool kid from another elementary school who was expected to make a bus transfer at our school. Surely transportation was upping their joke status when they didn't tell us to watch for him.
I took him to the office to call transportation and thought our sweet secretary was upping her joke status when she told me that the lady in the car (the one that drove away) was his mom, and she was super mad that we lost her kid!
When I called the mom, I though she was upping her joke status when she was freaking out about her kid not being on the bus (not the running away part) and I asked if she would like to come and get him and take him to day care, and the response was "Well, I have something I need to do right now so I can't."
I am really thankful that the gas station lady didn't up her joke status and tell me they were sold out of Coke Zero!

Words of Wisdom

Tonight the family went to the middle school to play football. On the way home, we stopped at the gas station to get drinks. Caden was debating between Orange Crush and Hawaiian Punch. I assured him that both were good, but maybe he should try something new. He decided on the Hawaiian Punch. He drank a few sips and said, "Hey. This isn't perfect, but its really good!"

Why is it so hard for us grown-ups (by us grown-ups I mean me) to let go of the idea of perfection? We constantly strive for it, stressing ourselves out in the process. Thank you Caden for putting it so plainly. It doesn't have to be perfect to be really good!!

Billy Bob

Caden likes to look at the animals at Cabela's and name them. Today the polar bear was "White Biter" and the brown bear was "Brown Bear." We went to look at the fish with Grandma Clark, and met Billy Bob. The video says it all...