My Kindergarten Classroom
We are half way through the first week of school and my how fun it has been! Teaching Kindergarteners is definately challanging. All I am doing right now is teaching procedures-procedures-procedures. Then re-teaching procedures :) In about three weeks, I will have some school pros on my hands, I feel quite sure! I have an awesome class. The kids all come from really great families. I do have one little boy that can't get anything done from sucking his thumb. So, if anyone knows of legal reasonable ways to break that habit, please share! Turning a cartwheel last year for my Kindergarteners made me famous amoungst the 1st graders. Every time I see one of them in the hall, they say, "Mrs. Mann, when can you do a cartwheel for us?" So now, my class thinks they need to see one.
I have posted some pictures of my classroom. See my new home away from home!
This is my barn door! All of the K teachers decorated

cowgirls with our faces.

The board that says "We Are Family" will have pictures of all of my kids and their famalies for those who choose to bring them. I have about 10 so far I am just waiting to get more before I climb on the counter to hang them. The board with the cowboy and cowgirl is to display their work.

First Corinthians 13 for Mothers

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,but have not love,I am a housekeeper-- not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,but have not love,my children learn cleanliness--not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction,and fault them for every mess they make,but have not love,my children become people- pleasers not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints of a newly cleaned window. Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys. Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy,"the taxi-driver to every childhood event,the counselor when my children fail or are hurt. Love crawls with the baby,walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother, I took glory in my house of perfection.Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.All the projections I had for my house and my children have faded away into insignificance, and what remain are the memories of my kids.
Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture,dishes with missing place settings,and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings, but the greatest of all is the Love that permeates my relationships with my children.

Adapted by Jim Fowler

I've Been Tagged

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here goes with my 8 random facts:
1. I have been with Tadd for 14 years--married 12 of those.
2. I have had the name Tegan Brock picked out for our little boy (that we apparantly are not going to have) since I found out I was pregnant with Kate.
3. On our honeymoon to Cancun, Hurricane Roxanne hit on the second day we were there. Tadd swore he would NEVER leave the US again.
4. Tadd surprised me with a cruise to the Bahamas for our 10 year anniversary-he booked it and planned it all without me knowing. (so much for NEVER leaving the US again, thank goodness)
5. I wanted to be an Orthodontist when I grew up then later a hygenist but realized after a few years in the dental field that teaching suits me better.
6. I love to water ski and am planning a trip to snow ski for the first time this coming January.
7. I also wanted to be a Country Singer when I grew up :) I still love to sing.
8. My first date with Tadd was a blind date with my best friend in high school (Amy Hoppe) and her boyfriend who happened to be Tadd's best friend (Steve Cartner). We still hang out with Steven and his wife and I occassionally talk to Amy on myspace.

I will tag friends on myspace because Stephanie is the only blogger I know and she tagged me! Melanie, Sara, Elizabeth, Jill, Stephen, Aimee, Shelley, and Misti.

Summers End Comes All Too Quickly

We have had an outstanding summer. It has flown by much too quickly. Alyse is now 12 weeks old. Last check a week and a half ago she weighed 8lbs 8ozs! She's a growing girl for sure! She is doing much better now that we have her belly button cleared up. She was on pretty strong medication because of a staph infection. The Dr. seems to think that this could have been caused from the hospital when they cut her umbilical cord. Apparantly, they are seeing a lot of staph from the operating room---which is very scary. She is fine now and we caught it early on. She is cooing and smiling and making it very hard for me to leave her to go back to school. But we are on day #2 away from eachother and doing ok. I only cried for about 2 hours Monday night thats all. I'm not sure that she misses me quite as much as I miss her. She is going to be spoiled I am afraid. She is staying with Tadd's mom at the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. So not only is she getting spoiled by Gran, but Daddy comes in and spoils her throughout the day. On Wednesdays and Thursdays because of the cattle auction, our neighbor down the road will be keeping her. She is a retired pediatric nurse and a grandmother herself. She's exactly what I had in mind! We couldn't have asked for anyone better.

I have spent the last week getting my classroom ready for my sweet little babies coming to me for Kindergarten. I am completely convinced that I will have the best class in all of Westwind Elementary! But, whew! I get tired just thinking about them. I know that I do have the best team in all of Frenship School District. My K team has just out done themselves. They do year after year and I am proud to be a part of the team. It's so nice to be able to finally put my creativity to work and not be graded on it! Once I finish my classroom I will post pictures for all to see. It is going to be sooo cute!

We went on vacation to Dripping Springs and stayed with Tadd's sister and her husband. We had a great time even though half of Schlitterbaun was closed because of the drenching rains. We got all of the kids school clothes in San Marcos, and I had a blast shopping at Pottery Barn and Kirklands!!! I just love those places :)

Kate has had a busy busy summer. On Mondays she has continued her fiddle lessons. She recently tried out at the Cactus Theatre to play on stage with child prodigy fiddle player Amanda Shaw. Amanda plays in the Omni Max movie "Hurricane on the Bayou." The tryouts went really well but Kate was up against some really tough competition. She had a good experience and is ready to go again! On Tuesdays she has her Power Tumbling team. I'll tell ya what---that girl is keeping us moving!

Macy has no desire for tumbling---she thinks she can teach herself. She has enjoyed swimming and bug/reptile/and almost anything furry-- searching. She goes from the pool to the trampoline to the horse pasture and makes her rounds again. She is ready to start guitar lessons, so that is something we are looking forward to in the fall. She is the family clown and keeps us laughing .

School starts August 27th and actually I am ready to get back into our routine. We are extremely routine driven around here and having a new baby has really drowned out routine as we used to know it. But maybe once school gets going we can find it again. I know the school year will fly by just as my summer has. My goal this school year is to be just as good of a working mom as I was a stay-at-home mom. I was able to stay home with Kate and Macy as babies so being away from Alyse is hard :( But, I love teaching so if I must leave her, at least I love what I am doing.