Finished

WOW!!!  It has been so long since I posted anything.  Alot has happened since January and thus I haven't been able to post.

In January I started my student teaching at Corprew Elementary.  I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work under 2 really great teachers.  I learned so much from them and from the other teachers at the school.  I feel in love with the students and had a blast at all the events I attended and helped.  I am really going to miss them.

I took my test for the state teachers certification and received a passing grade.  So, I have passed the 2 test I needed to get certified.  I also just finished yesterday my last 2 classes in my program.  Right now I have a 4.0 GPA.  I am hoping that these last 2 classes will also be A's so that I can maintain that 4.0.

I still have not found a teaching job for next year but I know that God has a plan for me.  I just need to develop a skill called patience.  If I don't get a job for next year teaching I will continue subbing in the MPISD area.  I am sure that the schools will keep me busy.

I started working out in February with my BFF, Heather, and a group personal trainer named Robert.  Heather has challenged me and Robert puts us through a tough workout.  However, the result have been great.  I have lost 30 pounds and gone from a size 16 to a size 10.  I am hoping to be in a bikini by next summer.

Zachary will be going into the 6th grade next year.  He is really excited.  This summer he will be attending a camp in Dallas, TX.  In this camp he will be learning how to design video games like Super Mario Bro's.  While he is at camp Brooke and I will be doing some shopping and having fun.

Brooke will be attending Kinderlight's Kindergarten program in August.  She would be happy to start school now but she has to wait.  She is growing and catching up to her brother everyday.  Just a couple of days ago she wanted to spell the word "Mat".  She sounded out the word, wrote the letters and then drew a picture.  She did everything correctly.  She is on her way to reading.  Good going Brooke!

Mark is very very busy at his mortgage company.

Schoo Year 2010-2011 (4th/5th grade)

Well, we somewhat started school this past Monday. I am not making him do much for school. We are just gradually wadding into school instead of jumping feet first into the deep end. I think this may go well. I am going to try to incorporate more You Tube videos and more fun into this school year.

Zachary will be in 4th grade this year. His Science, Social Studies (Texas History), Health, Art, Latin and PE are all 4th grade. He is 50% finished with Spelling, Literature, and Language Arts (except for Grammar he will finish it in a week). After he finishes up the last half of Spelling, Literature and Language Arts he will begin 5th grade. He will be starting 5th grade math and it will be interesting because it seems most of it is online and I'm not really needed. I am only needed if he needs help.

First Sleep Over

Well, Zachary had his first sleep over. A good friend of his came to our house. They were playing, laughing, making tents, and having a blast. Then around 10:00pm the other boy started crying. He didn't bring something from home and he just wanted to go home. So, we called the boys mother and she came and picked him up. Zachary was so sadden by the boy going home we had both boys crying at one point.

We have told Zachary that we will try later in the future and that for right now we will have playdates during the day at our house. However, Zachary has no problems spending the night at someone else's house so he could go over to his friends house.

Medieval Times

Zachary has finished his 3rd grade Social Studies/History for the year actually back in Jan/Feb. (don't remember). So, I thought I would pick a time in history that we haven't covered and came up with the Medieval Times.

What boy doesn't like Knights in Armor, castles, kings, queens, battles and such. So, yesterday we kicked off our study but in a really neat way. We went to Medieval times in Dallas. For those that have never been it is really cool. The whole place looks like a castle. You then wonder around the great room. Then you are seated and in the middle is the arena. Your meal is served by the serf of the castle. You sit in different colors and you have a knight that has your color. This is the knight you cheer for while he battles. The knights ride real horses, have joust, sword fights all under the eye of the King and princess.

Along with watching the knights you get a meal. Soup, bread, half of a chicken, rib, potato and dessert along with tea. All of this has to be eaten with your hands b/c they didn't have utensils during the Medieval Time period.

So, this was the start of our study. I plan for him to read about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table. Build a castle and learn about all aspects of the castle. Learn about the kings role along with the Knights. What the knights had to do to become Knights and what they had to wear. We may even make a costume. Along with reading books and projects, we will do some internet research. To finish our study we are planning on going to Scarborough Faire in May.

I do have a picture of us at Medieval Times. I hope to upload and post it soon.

Moving on UP

Well, last week Zachary finished 3rd grade Social Studies, however this isn't a subject in which the school will move him up to 4th so he is just finished until next year or unless I want to do something with him. I'm thinking about getting a maps workbook, well see.

The other thing that happened last week is very exciting. Zachary's principal and I have been talking back and forth along with his teacher. His teacher said that he should have been placed into 4th grade this year. The principal said that there was some misscommunications at the beginning of the year about who had the authority to move a child up a grade. So, the principal looked at Zachary's progress and decided that he was far enough along in 3rd grade Literature, Language Arts and Spelling to go ahead and move him up to 4th grade in just these 3 subjects. But, that she couldn't move him up into 4th grade completely. She also said that she would work with me and his teacher about his course placements for next school year. He was also placed into the Advanced Learners Program so that he can receive G/T services.

Zachary is really excited about moving up to 4th grade in Spelling, Literature and Language. He should receive his new books/workbooks Tuesday/tomorrow.

The principal is also talking with the Head of the school and the district about CBE's and previous instructions and weather or not they would accept a 70% on the CBE. She is also talking to them about courses taken at Texas Tech University ISD and if they can accept those courses. So, there is possibly going to be some changes.

Missing Tooth

Well, Zachary has had an eventful week and a half. 1.5 weeks ago he lost one of his top front teeth. Now he has lost the other top front tooth. He is my full fledged snagglepuss.

Birthdays...

Well, both of my children has had their birthdays. My little boy is no longer a little boy. On Nov. 30 he turned 8 years old. He is starting to cook somethings for himself that needs to be microwaved or in the toaster oven. He can even reach the top of the refrig. It seems that just a couple of years ago he was just a little thing. For his birthday he got a microscope that really cool. You connect it to the computer and view the images on the computer. He also got the 3rd book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

My baby girl is growing up also. On Dec. 16 Brooke turned 2 years old. After getting her into her birthday dress and fixing her hair she looked so much older. She got a big girl doll house (it is taller than her), some dolls. She is learning so fast also. She already knows her letters and all their sounds. What a huge accomplished to achieve before turning 2.

After looking at my blog header I am going to have to change the pics. They no longer look like that anymore. Those pic are a year old. WOW! how time flies.