Cry-y-y-y-ing, Over You...

Rebecca from Notes from the School Psychologist asked for some tips for handling beginning-of-the-school-year criers, both parents and students.

(graphic courtesy of Phillip Martin)

Kindergarten is not only a place for potty words, it can occasionally be a place for tears. Students cry when they get hurt. Teachers cry with joy when a difficult skill is mastered. Parents occasionally cry during parent teacher conferences (a teacher's revelations about a child can be heartwarming, or heart wrenching...)

And of course, parents AND students might cry during the first day or week of school.

Parents, though ready to "let go," still have cutting-the-apron-strings-anxiety. Students have separation anxiety filled with excitement and possible fear over starting school. Parents in turn experience stress over their child's worries...

And who gets to coax parents and their children through this process? You, the kindergarten teacher, and be warned, not all parents are going to make it easy for you. For whatever reasons, some parents are going to bring their too-young-for-school children to kindergarten, despite the fact that younger students tend to have more difficulty coping with their fears and social needs than their older peers.

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Step one: Breathe.

Step two: Decide to put some extra effort into acknowledging the anxiety that some of your students and their families might experience.

Step three: Try some of the following:

* Make "First-Day-Kindergarten-Kits" for PARENTS. Each bag contains a cotton ball, Kleenex, a packet of herbal tea, and a note from me:

Dear Super Star Parents,

Here's a little gift for you as you leave your precious one with me on the first day of school.

As you hold this cotton ball in your hand, the softness will help you to remember the gentle spirit of your child.

After you've gone home and dried your tears, make yourself a hot cup of tea.

Put up your feet and relax.

Remember that together you and I will work for your child to be the best s/he can be.

Thank you for entrusting your child to me for this special year. I will do my very best every day to be a nurturing guide for learning about and exploring this bright new world called "school."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sommerville

* Some schools have a "meet your teacher" night event prior to the first day of school, which is the perfect time to collect school supplies. Make sure your classroom is warm and inviting, and that you don't invade your students' space as they explore the room with their parents. Allowing children to gain some footing before making more social demands upon them is truly a gift. Simply put, stay out of their faces. DO make a point of saying goodbye to your students, reassuring them that you're glad you'll be seeing them again on the first day of school.

* Before the first day of school, make a special snack. I make kissing hands (see explanation and details here), enough for students and extras for them to take home at the end of the day to share with parents.

* Our students line up outside of our school building each morning. Though supervised by aides over the year, on the first day of school I make it a point to go out and greet my students and their families in person, ten minutes before the bell rings. TEN. It's during this time that I can smile, pass out/affix nametag stickers, praise the wonderfully straight line, admire the new school clothes, and even sing a familiar song (the ABC Song or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). While not able to soothe all kindergarten students, being outside early makes it possible for me to redirect MY CLASS' attention away from other criers if necessary. Some students will eagerly vie for your attention, others will be more shy. Quiet smiles and nods, and kneeling down to a student's level all provide positive reassurance that I am a safe person, even though I'm still a stranger. If you stay calm and upbeat, your students and families will follow your lead.

* If your school's policy is to allow parents to escort their kindergartners inside on the first day, make sure to have an easy coloring page ready for your students at their desks. Parents can help their children find their cubbies, put away their backpacks, and find their seats. Have a timer handy, and tell your students that they can smile for pictures for a few minutes (no more than five) and that parents will have to go to work when the timer "dings." This is more of a hint for the parents of course- so set that timer! As parents leave, give them their Kindergarten Kit, a smile, and steer them out the door.

* Once parents have left, bring your students over to your storytime area, and read a favorite and familiar story. This year I read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, though I also read The Kissing Hand later in the day. Coaxing and calm, write down a schedule of what will happen for the remainder of the day (use pictures if necessary- creating a visual schedule using Boardmaker or take digital pictures prior to Day 1) and check off each event as you finish so that students know that "home time" will really happen!

* If you're allowed to photograph your students, make sure to take candid photos of students actively engaged at centers, or coloring, or smiling during lunch. Be sure you're allowed to SHARE THESE photos via email or on your class web page before sending or publishing them. After I've made my Super Star Family distribution list, I email several photos along with written details of what we did on the first day of school. Here's an example (minus the photos):

Good afternoon Super Star Parents!

Though our day had its fair share of confusion (there are so many rules and routines to listen to, try to remember, and then apply; many new friends and faces with whom we want to socialize, even when it’s the teacher’s turn to talk) the Super Stars had a wonderful first day of school!

We read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and The Kissing Hand (check your child’s backpack for a special “kissing hand” treat), attended Art Class with Mrs. H., worked with math manipulatives (snap cubes, dino counters, and pattern blocks), enjoyed snack, played on the kindergarten playground for recess, ate lunch in the cafeteria, decorated the covers of our daily journals, watched a video of a back-to-school story (Crysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes) on the SMART Board, had an introduction to the names and sounds of the letters A-G, and rested during “Brain Break.”

We learned our classroom rules:

Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself (even when you think the teacher isn’t looking).

Use your indoor voice.

Always follow the teacher’s directions (even when you don’t want to, and always the first time she asks). ☺


*****

“Brain Break” is a quiet rest time that takes place each afternoon from 1:35-2:05. Several students fell asleep today, while many others stayed still and relaxed. A handful might need an extra reminder that Brain Break is a time when their voices and bodies need to be still and quiet. Singing, humming, whispering to other friends across the room, kicking furniture, or shouting out loud (because silence can be awfully tempting to disturb) makes it difficult for our friends who need a bit of rest to adequately recharge their batteries.


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Thank you for reminding your child each morning whether he or she will be having “school lunch” or “home lunch. Students are to come in each morning, hang up their backpacks and coats, give me any necessary notes or messages (lunch money, permission slips, etc.) and then check the lunch chart. If your child has brought lunch from home, s/he will keep his/her wooden clip under the “home lunch” card. If your Star is purchasing a school lunch, s/he will need to MOVE HIS/HER WOODEN CLIP NEXT TO THE PICTURE OF THE FOOD THAT IS DESIRED. THIS LUNCH CHART ACTIVITY MUST BE DONE BEFORE YOUR CHILD SITS DOWN AT HIS/HER DESK.

Several students who brought lunch from home were unsure whether or not they needed to purchase milk. If your child is to purchase milk to drink with his/her HOME LUNCH, please remind your child to pay Mrs. H., our “lunch lady.” If your child is NOT supposed to purchase milk, also make it very clear to your child that s/he already has a drink and can therefore go straight in to the cafeteria and begin eating.

Tomorrow, August 12, is “Red Day.” Your child may wear or bring a toy (safe, no weapons) that is red. Additional color days and activities can be found on our calendar.

*****

Our Super Stars were complimented by our principal and several teachers today about their straight, quiet, and friendly lines in the hallway! Our Stars didn’t touch other classes’ artwork, they didn’t pull down other grades’ posters, and they didn’t bother the first or second grade classes with noise as we walked by them several times today. Good job Super Stars!

* I schedule a week or two's worth of "color day" activities at the beginning of each school year. Students may wear or bring an item that matches the color of the day. Most students enjoy this kind of shared experience, and it's enough to encourage them to WANT to come back to school day after day. Give your students (and their families) something to look forward to as they work through learning the rules and getting used to their schedules and new routines. A quick email each day with a photo HELPS IMMENSELY. Students love to see their photos and share information about their day at home, and parents feel included, making them less likely to invade YOUR space as you develop your teacher/student relationship with their children.

* Be ready to affirm your students' feelings if they do cry. We're allowed to feel sad when we miss our family, but we're also allowed to feel excited, happy, confused, sleepy, and curious while we're at kindergarten. Putting on some happy yet-not-too-loud music to dance to can help raise spirits!

* Invite teddy bears or a favorite stuffed animal to school! Kindergarten students love to give their special friends a tour of "their" school. Being able to sneak an extra cuddle when necessary works wonders to soothe anxious five year olds (of course I bring MY favorite bear to school on Teddy Bear Day as well!).

* Keep Kleenex handy!

* Know that there's a chance that you'll have a student who, despite your support and encouragement, is just not ready for kindergarten. In addition to separation anxiety, tears, hiding, excessive toileting accidents, or napping problems can tip you off that a child, no matter his/her chronological age, might not be ready for a full day program. You'll have to meet with parents to discuss the possibility of transferring the student to a more age-appropriate pre-school program, or half-day kindergarten classroom.

Peeve #74: Drivers Who Inflict Their Horrible Music Upon Moi and the Rest of Society

When it sounds like a more rhythmic yet *blasting* version of this (me in my Jeep, windows rolled up, air conditioner on high and my own c.d. playing):





...for oh, let's say, eight slooooooooow blocks with three red lights...

I start feeling a little:



Thanks to my iPod, it's not like I force everyone in Oz to listen to



or to



...but I *swear*, whenever other drivers decide they have the right to add their own soundtrack to MY day, and more often than not their "music" is merely a demonstration of their poor taste in excessive bass and monotony, I become ever-so tempted to follow the auditorially-offensive jerk home, make a mental note of where he lives, and then return late at night, blasting something like this:



or this:



at his windows until they shatter.

If no one else feels obligated to show a bit of respect by NOT drowning out the music on my own c.d., the voice of my child seated behind me, or heck, even my own thoughts as I drive home each day, I may just be tempted to bring out the really big guns:




Don't **push** me.

Potty Words!

Are you new to teaching kindergarten? If so, I'm going to let you in on a little secret:

Along with words like "developmentally appropriate practice," "curriculum," "intrinsic motivation," "snack time" and "recess," you will more than likely be using the words pee and poop.



Sure, you'll reference "number one" and "number two," and you might even try the fancier sounding "urinate" or "b.m." You might ask your students to indicate their need to go to the bathroom by raising fingers, or just try to teach them to say "May I use the bathroom/restroom please?"

But one day, mark my words, you will end up having to use the simplest and most highly descriptive of words to communicate with one, several, or all of your students, because not all of them will understand the more polite references.

Without further ado, repeat after me:

"Why did you decide to pee all over the floor?"

"When you leave poop on the seat, no one else can use the toilet."

"No sweetheart, poop is not paint."

Consider yourself warned.

*****


Do you have a student who is scared of self-flushing toilets? Have him/her use a post-it-note to cover the sensor! S/he can use the commode, wipe, get up, pull up underwear and pants, step away and THEN remove the post-it-note so the toilet will flush. No more worrying about the potty sucking you down the drain!

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Make sure families know they can keep a spare set of clean underwear, pants and socks at school for their child. I ask families to put the clothes in a gallon-sized Ziploc baggie with the child's name written on it. If an accident occurs, my student can quickly change into the dry outfit, and the wet clothes can be zipped closed and sent home in the baggie.

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Hello, I'm Mrs. Sugar-Bin and I Love Eating Hot-a-Molies

Kindergarten quotes are the greatest!

"Teacher, is your name Mrs. Sommerville or Mrs. Sugar-Bin?"

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"When I don't remember your name, I just tell the person I'm talking to that you're the teacher who wears the dresses."

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Student: Teacher, I think Indiana Jones is *cool*!

Me: Oh yes, he is cool. I've always liked Han Solo myself though.

Student: Uh, teacher? Using a whisper voice: You know it's the same guy, right?



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Me: (as I give each child one cinnamon chewy candy) Okay Super Stars, you've colored your picture red, you've counted red unifix cubes and we've gone on a red hunt. Now you're going to *taste* "red."

Student: (after chewing on candy for a few seconds) Ewwww! Mrs. Sommerville! I don't like this candy! It's burning my tongue 'cause it's got hot-a-molies in it!



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Student: Teacher, how come you know when we *might* be doing something wrong?

Me: Well, I'm not just a teacher, but I'm a mommy too, so I know a lot of things.

Student: That's not fair!

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"Teacher! My mom likes pink and you like pink! My mom likes jewelry and YOU like jewelry! My mom likes candy and *YOU* like candy! That's why she likes you!"

My Teaching Environment...

...has been inhabited by sixteen to thirty-four of these little characters annually. Mamacita reminded me of Edith Ann in her Quotation Saturday: Back to School post over at Scheiss Weekly. Quote number seven:

I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. –Lily Tomlin as “Edith Ann”

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Wanting something a bit more palatable to eat?

Bakerella appeals to the teacher in me with her Candy Apple (cake) pops... who am I kidding? She appeals to the teacher/cake lover/cute-sweet-treat fan in me!

Make and Takes shares links to recipes for zucchini...

...and The Pioneer Woman Cooks (bakes) simple yet yummy banana bread!

Back-to-School Teaching Reflection

It's taken a week longer than I anticipated to get back into the blogging groove~ Dear Husband left for a year (he's a soldier with the United States Army), I've met my newest class of Super Stars and their families (several of whom are also experiencing their spouse's lengthy absence from home), and Dear Daughter and the Pre-Schooler have settled into their highly-anticipated and very busy school and activity schedules. I now have a "power hitter" in my house (DD's preferred volleyball position) and a young boy who has begun to eat me out of house and home: growth spurt time! Mother Nature decided less than a week after my husband left to send torrential rains our way, flooding a culvert behind our home which may eventually force flood waters up and into our garage. Not fun, but perfectly aligned with Murphy's Law, my buddy and pal each time Dear Husband is away.

Excessive sarcasm: one sign it's time for a run and/or a bag of peanut m-n-m's.

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Professionally speaking, as I reflect upon the first two weeks of school, I've noticed:

* Since leaving Alaska, each school at which I've been employed seems to *~stress~* during the first few days back with students. I'm lucky to be at the same beautiful school as last year with almost all of the same colleagues and routines in place. But we have such a high turnover of students- many only attend our school for a year and then relocate completely- that the first day of school is filled with many, many, MANY wide eyes, lost and confused kiddos, and parents who are strangers to the school and anxious about their child's first day. As a result, teachers almost lose their voices as they constantly verbally redirect, steer, guide, and try to get their students into orderly and quiet lines, explain classroom routines, reiterate school rules, and answer questions.

Older students almost certainly have prior experience in schools, and will hopefully adopt the new rules and routines sooner rather than later. Those who don't might be considered defiant, though that shouldn't be the only assumption one hundred percent of the time. As for my just turned five-year-olds, let me gently remind the populace that perfection is an unreasonable expectation for children with limited or no school experience. My students are the ones that for the past three or four years have been running, climbing, jumping, rolling, galloping, and falling asleep in the middle of the floor in their own homes and daycares. Walking over the threshold of our kindergarten wing doesn't magically transform them into straight-line-walking no-talking-hands-to-themselves students. Those are behaviors that must be learned over time with lots of practice and kind and consistent reminders.

If the nature of kindergartners gets on your nerves (and yes, some people just aren't comfortable with young children-that's why *I'm* here, remember?) just solve the problem: turn around and walk the other way. Look away. Take a deep breath. Repeat in your head "It will all work out, they'll learn. It will all work out, they'll learn." Your expectations of secondary students should be VERY different from your expectations of five year olds. Don't worry: you're not letting my students "slide." You're not teaching older students that they should comply while younger kids don't have to, and you shouldn't feel obligated to burden yourself with interfering with how I do my job as their teacher- you're certainly busy enough as is. Bless you for teaching the grades *I* wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole- you amaze me!

Over at Inside Pre-K, J.M. Holland interviewed Peter Walsh, organizational guru-extraordinaire (who also holds a master's degree with a focus on educational psychology) who explains that organization for children:

...is a learned skill like good manners or long division. From the earliest age, we need to demonstrate to our kids that we value organization. We need to show them it’s an important and integral part of the way we live our lives, and without organization, chaos develops. The words ‘organization’ and ‘organic’ come from the same root. Organic – whole, human, complete, one. This is the reason why we should commit time to organization and show our children that we value it – it’s the way to become the best we can be. By modeling the behavior we want, helping children take responsibility for their own time and spaces and by committing time to organization, we can show that we value organization and teach kids the skills they need.

Behavioral, social, and educational organization are learned skills and require time to develop, big bold emphasis MINE.

* Being the newest or newer teacher in a school has its advantages as colleagues tend to be helpful, teaching you how things run. Being a semi-newbie also has its disadvantages however, especially when it comes to colleagues trusting you to do your job, understanding and truly acknowledging you as a professional, and trusting your judgement, your expertise, and your loyalty to your school's common goals and standards: curricular standards, behavioral standards, and moral standards. This is my second year at this fine school, but it is my fourteenth teaching kindergarten. It is the fourth school district I've been hired to teach at, and I have stellar letters of recommendation, numerous collegial friendships and ties that have crossed state and international lines, and hey, to top it all off, I LIKE young children.

Trust me to do my job. Take a chance. And if you can't, at least follow the Golden Rule. We might not have five years together to grow our relationship- it's likely that we won't have ten years over which to get to know and professionally evaluate one another. I might never be considered "family." And that's okay. I don't have to know everything about your teaching career or your private lives in order to work with you, to support you, or to advocate for you. If the only professional or personal help I can provide is fresh-baked cookies each quarter/semester while staying out of your way, then I'm happy to bake and oblige. We'll disagree, and we'll agree. We'll be in the mood to share, and we'll be in the mood to hunker down on our own. I will respect and support the goals and expectations you have set for yourself and your students, even though I may not know what all of them might be.

Reciprocity is the key, I've found.
*****

Interested in some thoughts on RTI (Response to Intervention)? Doug Noon always has some great teacher-speak blogging going on over at Borderland.

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Paraphrasing: "Even though it sounds cornball, if you say (sing) it like you mean it, it works" (and oh yes, I *know* I'm dating myself here):

I Gotta Be...

It's a busy first week back to teaching (photos this weekend), transitioning to our family's new routine for the next year, and dealing with the stresses that arise from Life's daily situations, dramas, and unexpected surprises, fun and not-so.

Here's what I've got on heavy rotation on my iPod:



After jamming, I can *calmly* remind those in-the-know, and reassure those inexperienced with early childhood/kindergarten aged students:

Perfection doesn't happen the first week of school.

Perfection certainly doesn't happen the second day of school.

Accidents, unexpected noises, apprehension, and joyful exuberance are NORMAL, though their timing might not always be convenient.

Accept it. Breathe.

You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

You're 100% ALL TEACHER...

It could be beginning-of-the-school-year-hysteria setting in, or it might be the fact that I'm actually **ready** to meet my students on Monday...

Whatever the reason, I have some teacher sassiness starting to bubble over and with the help of BlogLand, I'm happy to share!

Never fear, I won't try stand-up comedy anytime soon.

Yes, I'm aware the following list pretty much reflects only moi!

Enjoy.

*****

You know you're 100% ALL TEACHER when:

* Your eyes glaze over, your heartbeat slows, and you exhale a contented sigh when faced with a stack of p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y laminated desk top name tags and posters.

* Your clothes are sorted by curriculum units and themes (Dr. Seuss shirt= March; heart socks=February, etc.)

* You wake up, mid-nightmare, to jot down the names of two students who should NOT be seated next to one another. Yes, yes, yes, even though it was *just* a nightmare, your teacher-sense is never wrong about those kinds of things.

* You save grocery and shopping receipts for items like "Ziploc bags," "wooden clothespins," and "cotton balls" along with the teacher store receipts with those more telltale items "sentence strips," " bulletin board trimmers," or "incentive chart stickers" for your taxes.

* In August, you take bets with other colleagues on what the newest catch phrase will be that you'll hear and read ad nauseum during each and every professional development training meeting that you'll have to attend throughout the year.

* You've ever been tempted (or encouraged another colleague) to create an annual tally sheet or bingo cards with those catch phrases on them so that staff meetings stay discreetly entertaining.

* You become confused when more school terminology is unnecessarily changed to reflect a more politically correct, respectful or clarified tone.

Example: this year our classroom aides are to be called "assistants."

Definition: aide- Someone who acts as an assistant.

Definition: assistant - A person who is subordinate to another; someone who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose.

Sooooo- if I continue to call my classroom aide my AIDE, it's implied that she is, in fact, my ASSISTANT, right?

* You're easily distracted by semantic-play, misspellings, typos, and grammatical errors.

It's Almooooooosssssstttttttt...

It's almost here, it's almost here, it's almost here!


The first day of school is right around the corner, and I've got that excited-to-the-point-I'm-giddy feeling... of course I'm experiencing it at five a.m. on the last weekend before my teaching schedule picks back up in full swing, which means I'll have to wait a few more hours before I can get dressed and head back into school to work in my classroom, fine tuning and tweaking all those last-minute details that just can't be done in advance:

~ nametags (cubbies, desks, and a week's worth of stickers for students to wear as we meet specialists in school)
~ my lesson plan format (thankfully only two or three times need to be changed, an easy fix using last year's template)
~ my tabletop laminator and film need to be tucked somewhere accessible so I can photograph my students and make their center tags easily on the first day
~ making my first Star Helper of the Day calendar (each day one student is responsible for helping me with whatever errands or jobs might pop up: passing out papers, helping friends clean centers, picking up my mail from the office, accompanying a friend to the nurse or some other school location, etc.)
~ creating a sign up sheet for our first round of parent teacher conferences, so families can select a preferred time during their first visit on Monday
~ setting tubs out to sort the influx of school supplies (materials such as pencils, crayons and glue are shared between students in my room)
~ generating a class emergency roster for my lesson plan book, my sub plan binder, and our classroom's "emergency backpack" that can be grabbed as we head out the door for a fire drill or other emergency
~ making extra "First-Day-Kindergarten-Kits" for PARENTS. Each bag contains a cotton ball, Kleenex, a packet of herbal tea, and a note from me:

Dear Super Star Parents,

Here's a little gift for you as you leave your precious one with me on the first day of school.

As you hold this cotton ball in your hand, the softness will help you to remember the gentle spirit of your child.

After you've gone home and dried your tears, make yourself a hot cup of tea.

Put up your feet and relax.

Remember that together you and I will work for your child to be the best s/he can be.

Thank you for entrusting your child to me for this special year. I will do my very best every day to be a nurturing guide for learning about and exploring this bright new world called "school."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sommerville



What special "warm fuzzies" do you share with your students' families during the first week of school?

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Do you remember my classroom prep from last year? Go take a look (you can see the parent-kindergarten-kits there too)!

Here is my post from the first day of school last year (I'll be reading The Kissing Hand again this year, and making special cookies too!)...

Head over to Classroom Displays to read about differing philosophies about beginning-of-the-year bulletin board decor...

*****

...and to parents braving the back-to-school aisles and sales (and many of you are grumbling and groaning- and admit it, some of you are wishing school was back in session THIS week)

THANK YOU

**and**

YOU'RE WELCOME!

Our Anniversary Dinner

...was spent at Lidia's in Kansas City- I LOVE the blown glass chandeliers, high ceilings, and exposed beams:







...not to mention the chocolate anniversary treat (and my, oh my, this nummy treat certainly gives Death-by-Chocolate a run for its money!):



Same time, same place next year?

Double Summer

For this teacher, the word "summer" is not only a name that refers to the sunniest and hottest season of the year, it's also the label I use to mark the break between school years, June-ish to the beginning of August. When chatting with other teachers about summer plans, they seem to instinctively use that double-entendre as well. There are summer plans that you have with friends and family (travel, cookouts, reunions) and summer plans that have to do with teaching (classes to take, trainings to attend, seminars promoted by your district).

This summer and summer have flown by for me. Good because I've obviously been busy, not-so-good because NOW I'm ready to start sleeping in. It takes me almost two full months to "come down" after the end of a school year, and by the time I'm really ready to recharge my batteries, it's time to go back. I enjoyed a SMARTBoard class and continued to share with and learn from my global professional learning community via blogging, Facebook and email. I've had fun with Dear Husband, Dear Daughter and the pre-schooler as we've spent extra family time together in preparation for DH's next deployment (Murphy's Law Zinger: he deploys the first day I have students). I've been crafty, had a semi-yard sale, cleaned house, done the Domestic Goddess routine, and have splurged occasionally on foo-foo coffee. I've snuck back into my classroom to get the big stuff arranged and ready for my newest group of Super Stars and Super Star Families, and I've enjoyed my new Jeep and MacBook Pro.

This past week-and-a-half, I've read through all nine Sookie Stackhouse novels (vampire/supernatural genre), a guilty pleasure to say the least. Another guilty pleasure will take hold today and tomorrow as I do my back-to-school baking, cookies for colleagues, my own version of staff support. Not sure the home baked treats will rate high on our district's Physical Health and Wellness Goals for this year, but hey, mental health and preservative-free endorphin-enhancers will certainly get us through our final room and grade level preparations, right? I know, I know, so will exercise. *Sigh* Just roll with me on this one, literally and figuratively. My kindergarten colleague J. requested these cookies at the end of LAST YEAR for this year's first batch, demonstrating superior calling dibs skills, though I'll also make oatmeal raisin spice cookies too.
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Celebrating our anniversary this weekend, my husband and I have opted to let others prepare our celebratory meals. We love PF Changs, especially their lettuce wrap appetizers, but were treated to exceptionally personable and wonderful service by Tony (manager) and Jamie (server) yesterday for lunch:



Honey Shrimp, Mongolian Beef, iced tea and champagne (a sneaky treat from Tony and Jamie) fueled us up so we could roam Barnes and Noble, sans children, to our hearts' content. Tonight we're off to Lidia's for dinner- looks like I'll need tomorrow's district Wellness Kick-Off Event after all!

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Click Here to take survey

Thank you for taking my Survey for Kindergarten's 3 R's! So far I have forty responses, but have 60 entries left from which to analyze data and feedback for what you'd like to see more of in the future- if you haven't taken the survey, it's quick and easy, just click on the survey link highlighted above!
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*~Seriously~*

...it's tough being such a *dull* couple!



Happy Anniversary Babe- thank you for marrying me (and many thanks to my friends who barricaded the doors so he couldn't escape)!