Halloween 2011

The kids opted for a Halloween part of their own this year.  They each made their list and sent out the invitations, created a menu, requested songs and movies.  And it was a success!
While I can't post everyone's picture because I don't have permission from their parents, I can post some of the more disguised kids:

Hazel dressed as a dead vampire.

Trey, a turkey

Hazel's friend was a zombie

August's friend won the best costume contest as an accountant who sold his soul to the devil

A room full of pre-teen gals...super fun! 

This was before the dance party...

August invited several friends from elementary school as well as some newer friends

August's friend as radio head (I think)

Another friend, not sure what his costume was...not sure he knew either

Francis as Hanna?

The beginning of the dance party

There was lots of noise and bouncing around.  Trey made a pretty fun dance mix that the kids loved yelling to.

After the costume competition we started Monster Squad.  Trey and I were upstairs for most of the party but loved hearing the squeals of fright at all the right parts.

All in all, it was a success.

How's it Going

Hi Folks!  It's been a wild ride so far! I'm just popping in to let you know that I have a project up on Donorschoose.  It's a great way for teachers to get things for their classroom.  My class really needs early reader books.  I've taken all the books from my house and brought them to the class but I just can't keep up.
I've also put a project up to see if I can get an easel for the room.  This would be used near the carpet corner which would make direct instruction much easier for the students to see what I'm trying to teach them.  The easel would be used for all direct instruction really and has this great organizational element under it...which I love!
So, please consider giving a few bucks towards these critical needs:
Easel
Books

Something's Happening Here

I'm sitting here trying to come up with a post.  Hazel is watching Toy Story on abc family, Trey is out picking August up from his summer trip.  Have I told you about his trip yet?  Okay, so August wasn't doing his best in school last year.  We tried everything before we dangled the carrot- if he finished the year with no C's he could fly out to Cali to visit the Reynolds and the Mitchell girls.  We thought it was a long shot...but we should've known better.  He pulled some amazing grades and we bought the ticket.  The first part of the trip was spent with Aunt Anna where he skate boarded, swam, revved up a ferrari and visited some crazy big houses and much, much more.  And...they hunted down a real Banksy.  So cool.
The last part of the trip was spent with Uncle Scott and Aunt Amy where he took an animation class with his cousin Zane, went to the Tim Burton museum and much, much more.  I couldn't even keep up with all the cool things my boy got to do.  I'm so happy for him and so thankful to my California family for taking care of him.  He is home safe and in high spirits and is ready to go back.  While sitting at the kitchen table a few minutes ago he actually started making plans for next summer...if his grades are good.

Hazel, Trey and I spent part of the day purchasing supplies for my new classroom.  Yup.  You read that right.  After subbing for 7 years I finally have a classroom.  I'll be working with a great gal at Hazel's school teaching reading and writing to 1st graders.  It's a jobshare so I'll be working in the afternoon.  Hazel and I spent most of last week setting up the classroom and leveling books.  My extended family has been amazing and has sent boxes of books to fill the shelves that my neighbor built.  Uh, huh, our wonderful chicken neighbor came to the school and built shelves for the class.  The village has built this classroom, that's for sure.

In other news, Kat and her husband Justin and dog Royal are getting ready to move to Austin, TX.  We're going to have our last dinner with them on Monday.  It's a bummer because all of the events that I mentioned above have kept us very busy.  All the while, Kat and Justin have been packing up their belongings and the move date looms ever closer.  Soon they'll be on the road for an excellent adventure.  Austin is the right place.  Have you ever been there?  It's so cool.  They're going to have a great time out there...but the Many's will surely miss them.

So.  I know it's been a long time since the last post and I know I should put some pictures up, but my computer is so slow and it'd take me a half hour to open iphoto, so it's just not gonna happen this time.  But soon. 

What We Saw

They were sitting at a picnic bench.  I watched as the mom left the area to place their order for dinner.  The man and his two daughters were eating chips and salsa, all three in a row, smallest to biggest.  The smallest one fell off the bench which was connected to the table.  The man tried to act quickly to get to the smallest one but in his haste, he too fell from the bench knocking down the middle girl.  Once the man freed himself from the bench he quickly picked up the small one and bent over towards the middle one who was laying on the bench. 
His fist closed. 
His arm raised. 
His fist pounded the middle one on the back of her hip. 
The middle one scurried to the ground.  She yelled and cried and moved to the next table huddled around the base yelling things at the man.

My husband spoke to the man.  My husband called the police. 
I spoke to the middle one, trying to get her to come to me so we could find her mother. 
The man said to stay out of it. To leave the girls alone.

The mother came back to two screaming girls and an angry man.  She came back to another man talking to the police on the phone.  She came back to a woman cleaning up her children.  She told her man to take five.  She huddled with her girls.  She listened as several people told her that the man punched the middle one.
I told her we would not leave her until the police came.  She asked me what to do.  I asked if this had ever happened before.  She cried and said yes.

The police came. 
They found the man. 
They spoke to the woman. 
They spoke to the girls.
They spoke to us.

And then we left.

My children are shaken.  They stuck close by my side.  They couldn't process what they saw.  My boy said he can't get the image out of his head.  My girl said over and over what the man did. 
My husband...is a good man with a soft heart.  My husband acted quickly.  My husband stood his ground.

Jonah's Pool Party

Hanging before they jumped in the pool. Crazy kids.

Jonah's Swim Party

Last year he had a kangaroo party...this year an outdoor heater to go with Molly Moon ice cream.

Cousins

Ballard Sea Food Fest with the Reynolds and the Boden families.