Snoozing should be illegal

All in all it was a great first week of school. My personal goal for next week is to get more disciplined with actually waking up with my alarm clock. That has to be one of the top worst thing about going back to school - suddenly being obligated to wake up to an alarm clock five days of the week. I was really running to get to school on time Thursday and Friday, but fortunately was organized enough to get myself totally prepared for the morning the night before. That also meant that I was at school until 6pm every night last week. I am really trying to cut out earlier, but somehow it just doesn't happen.

I am really enjoying grade two so far. I got to do cool things like give a spelling test and was quite impressed how I was able to lay down the law so that no one dared to make a peep during the test. Friday was the first day that my students did not beg me to stay overnight at the school for a sleepover. I think I finally tired them out by the end of the week.

The best thing all week was to really observe what a great group they are in working together and supporting each other. Honestly, I was nearly in tears at random moments throughout the week, because of how absolutely wonderful this group is. It's not just me, on Friday after school I talked to their kindergarten teacher from two years ago about them and she said she spent nearly the whole year in tears for the same reason. She still has their pictures up on a wall at home.

For example, we talked a lot this week about how we all learn differently, at different rates and in different ways. Partly this is because I have two students in the class with significant enough special needs that they have personal assistants. But also, in general, I've got a class of extremely talented learners and learners who are really stuggling - I got the extremes. So we read several books and had many discussions about this. Near the end of the week, I told them the story of Helen Keller from an old book which I had read in the third grade. They were mesmerized and asked so many questions about her and talked about it all day. We also talked about how learning is like going up a hill, we are all learning more each day, but each of our hills look different. Right away, someone commented, "Yes, and some of the hills are hard and some are easy!" Then we drew what different hills might look like - some more steady, others with flat parts (when you might not be learning so fast) and then parts that go straight up when you are really learning a lot. They got it! Someone else was totally relating by saying, "Yeah, Mrs. Diana, I know, I was in one of those flat parts one time." So we talked about not worrying if you are in a flat part, that your day will come when you will get it too. And also, that we can all help each other out when we see them at a hard part in their hill. And then, they asked if they could draw their own hills. THAT is exactly how it's supposed to work in our school, where the students suggest their own ideas for inquiry and activities. So we did draw our own hills. It was way cool to see what everyone came up with because they were really all very different and I would say from what I know about them already a very accurate reflection of each individual.

And it helps when on a weekly reflection, you read that someone's answer to the question, "What is something new you learned this week?" was "That there could be so nice a teacher as you, because you are so calm."

I like grade two. :)

Tired but happy....

After day three I'm feeling quite good about grade two. Mostly I have to say that the group of kids I have this year are a truly amazing collection of people. Angels in disguise I might say, because I really can't think of another place I've ever been with twelve such genuinley kind and caring people at once. No exceptions.

Not that it's all been a walk in the park. We have one little boy in our class with significant disabilities - both physical and academic (which we were prepared for) but also emotional/behavioral as we are coming to find out. Our school has never had a case like this before and is really not equipped for it. We knew it would be a learning curve going in, but it's proved quite exhausting already. However, I will not dwell on this at the moment, in part because I've talked about it nearly day and night for three days already, but also because the group of kids together is truly amazing in helping this all to happen. We have also seen huge progress in the adjustment process in the first three days alone, which is extremely encouraging.

That being said, I am hugely thankful that this will be my first grade two class. They are even patient with me as I'm learning the ropes of grade two and remembering/rediscovering what it's like to work with this age group.

Along with the traditional lapful of flowers which I received on the first day of school, I have also already received two pieces of handmade jewelry as well as a thank you letter from my students. From the first day already they did not want to go home, but have begged every night to have a sleepover at the school with me. I'm glad I dreamed all my anxieties before school, because as the character Bob says in the great movie What About Bob?, "If you pretend it, then it's not really happening." So far so good.... :)

The end is near.....

We are losing four and a half minutes of sunlight a day (roughly half an hour a week). Three years ago, I never thought I'd be sad about the sun setting at nine pm and rising at six am. Seems normal, but now it feels like everything is dying. Only because I know what is coming. I've discovered that for me November 18 (ironically, Latvia's independence day) is the moment when it all really shuts down for me, until about mid-February. So from now until November, I'm hanging on to every moment of precious sunlight I can. Come spring, I'll be celebrating sunlight from six till nine, but for now, it's the beginning of the end...... :(

Ready for Monday

Kids start school on Monday! Today was the last day of nervous and excited preparation, you could really feel the energy building in the school. The day ended with an open house for students to visit their new classes and a barbeque (which sadly got rained out rather quickly, but that is LV). About half of my new second graders have now visited the class and I'm feeling quite good. They were also for the most part extremely smiley and excited. Several parents metioned that their children have said in the last week that they are really ready for vacation to end and school to begin. We are all pretty excited for a new beginning.

(Note: one of my favorite events each year in my childhood was shopping for new school supplies and getting the backpack ready for the first day. Seriously, right up there with Christmas. Maybe that's why I became a teacher, because I get that feeling times thirteen as I'm getting ready for thirteen kids!)

But hands down the best part of today was seeing a few of my kids from last year. The way they ran to me when they saw me and threw themselves on me and hugged so tight and just smiled and smiled while we talked.....it's still hard to let go of the last class. Every year. A few weeks will pass and I'll be in it deep with the new guys already, but these guys were my life last year and it was great to see them again. I'm already planning a visit to my old class as soon as my new class goes to specials on Monday. At least it's nice to finally be working in the same school instead of moving around each year as I have been, so I can still check in with them and follow up on them, even after they're not "mine" anymore. I still have moments when I sit back and think about all the kids I've taught, way back to the very first Head Start kids (who are now fifth graders!), and wonder how they are doing now.

So here's to starting a whole new year and getting to love a whole new group of kids...I think it's gonna be a good one!

Side story: The second graders LOVE Bubbles. I thought they might not care so much but they are really excited about him, and dragging parents and friends over to show him off. I did the sneak attack of bringing Bubbles in, just packaged him up and took him with. He was totally fine when I settled him in and while I was paying attention to him. But when I got with work he started belly-uping. A few colleages came in and said, "oh, he doesn't look so good" and I said no, he faking and you have to talk to him nice and he'll be fine. So everyone told him how beautiful he is and how great he'll be in grade two, etc. Then when Bubbles and I were alone, I went to the tank, he belly-up swam over to my finger and I gently tapped and told him to turn over, which he did. I told him that's enough faking, he'll be fine in grade two and he'll love it and the kids will love him just like they did in preschool. Then he we down to the bottom and slept for a while (not belly up, just normal as he does) and before I left the classroom that day, he woke up and screamed at me to feed him again. Today he was already screaming at me as I walked in the door of the classroom and he was totally fine all day long, loving the attention from the kids. You may think I'm full of it, but I tell you, he's a fish with personality.

Please knock

It is getting more ridiculous by the moment. Mims was (of course) in her home under the coffee table tonight and KB was talking to her (telling her how he's not too thrilled that she has "moved in" down there) and she was totally ignoring him, as cats do - eyes open just a slit and head stubbornly facing the other way. He called her name which she really always responds to, but this time nothing. Jokingly, I said that he has to knock to be able to talk to her in her new home. He knocked, and she turned her head with a look "yes, can I help you?" Too funny - I needed a good laugh today.

Did you know?

In Latvia it is against the law for a woman to lift more than 10 kg at work, but men can lift 50 kg. I learned that at my work safety training today. I think I may need to take this up with my boss at Jaunvitagas.... :) I could be demoted from branch duty to stick duty!

A tribute to my pets

They are weird and wacky. Some days I really do fear for my future children, because I have never owned a "normal" pet....

I was preparing myself for the fact that this post was going to be something like R.I.P. Bubbles, so in a panic I took several pictures of my faithful fish below. (Bubbles is the white and speckled guy.)He is my school fish. I got him last year at the beginning of the year with preschoolers, because classroom pets can be a great transition for those tearful mornings when saying goodbye is tough. Feeding the fish his breakfast is a tremendous responsibility and a very cool thing to do. He was great with the little guys - extremely patient with the curious tap-taps (though they were pretty good about it pretty quickly) and even patient as they learned to fish him out using the net on the days they helped me change his water. He is also a bossy little guy. Just this morning to KB I said I should've named him Bubba instead of Bubbles, because he can truly create a lot of noise when he wants to eat (which is ALL the time). Anytime someone walks past he screams (if that's possible for a fish) loud fishy noises and flips his tail all about until he gets fed. Ok, he got used to many breakfasts a day with the preschoolers.....

I almost lost him once already. During school breaks, Bubbles came to live with me at home. The day I was transporting him back to school after winter break, it was so cold and his water got so cold that when I was filling his tank again at school I couldn't even get the water out of the tap to be cold enough to match that which he was swimming in. For about a week, Bubbles just laid at the bottom of the tank. Of course the kids were all very worried and asked what was wrong with him, and we had some great conversations about how he was sick and how when they are sick they just want to sleep all the time too. They asked about taking him to the doctor of course, and B even said, "When I am sick my mommy takes care of me until I feel better, so now I want to take care of Bubbles until he feels better." We were all rooting for Bubbles - me most of all, because I was really preparing the death talk for three year olds. I avidly googled how to nurse sick fish back to health, and it really worked. For as much as it's possible to love a fish, I love this fish - he's a great classroom fish. I was getting ready to take him back for the second graders this year.

Last week on the morning I was talking about taking him back to school, Bubbles started floating belly-up every time I walked by. So I panicked, took a bunch of pictures because I wanted to remember how great he was, and didn't end up taking him to school that day. When I got home at night he was fine. I kid you not, two days later, when I was getting ready to take him in again, belly-up. Didn't take him, then he was fine. The weekend passed and he has been fine. I haven't talked about taking him in again, and he has been fine. Coincidence or not, I think it will have to be a sneak attack to bring him in - no talk of a plan. The little stinker is clearly not ready for summer vacation to be over yet!

And then there is Mims the Wondercat. We recently got a new small area rug to put under our coffee table. Mims has now decided that this will be her new home. She lives under the coffee table now. She only comes out to eat and use her box. She doesn't even come out for pilates anymore. Mims in her new home.... :)

Test run...

This weekend godson A spent the whole weekend with us. Usually we hang out for a few hours - play cars, play every musical instrument in the house, terrorize Mims the Wondercat and have him wash our dishes (I swear, he loves to do this!) - and then we send him home. However, we did the whole nine yards with three meals a day times two days, bathtime and bedtime at night, all from our very own treehouse. It was a test run for having a little person around, and I say we did quite well. They were two very relaxed and fun days for all three of us (only Mims does not make it four....).

Saturday we had big plans to spend the day outside to tucker the little guy out, but mother nature had different plans. Though rain was in the forecast, the sky was blue when we woke up, so I set about packing up our picnic lunch while KB made sure A felt happy and welcome during the drop off. By the time we got all three of us in the car, the sky turned gray. By the time we braved Jugla traffic (meaning random lane closures each day for neverending construction and work on water pipes) and made it to the outdoor museum, it was pouring on us. So we turned around and headed right back into town to the mall with a fast food place that has a playland. We figured while we were out we might as well give little A a run for his money. Not so much though. The only part of playland that really drew his attention was the big spiral tube slide, and he was fascinated as the big kids went down. He stood at the top babbling to us in A-talk (really, it is a language of its own) and finally decided to go for it. However, he hadn't caught on to the sitting down thing, so he was trying to walk down. Got scared about five steps in - wouldn't come forward or backward but just started screaming. So KB is at the bottom trying to coax him out, I am standing on the side near the top (it was built so adults can't fit in there) encouraging him, but neither of us could see him. Finally, finally, he walked down and fell into KB's arms screaming at the top of his lungs. Calmed him down with a strawberry milkshake and a song. He went right back up again. We thought he was being so brave to try again, but apparently he had just forgotten and the whole story repeated. After the third time, we didn't feel up to anymore evil looks from the staff and patrons, so we packed up the bags and left. This was one more screaming fit as we left, but we calmed that one down just as quickly as the rest.

We did some shopping, as we were at the mall. KB bought five new shirts for work for the price of one and we bought a hammock! Meanwhile, A had fallen asleep in KB's arms and my allergy eyes were acting up bigtime, so we headed home. The rest of the day passed fairly uneventfully at home, which was nice. We played with cars and expanded A's interests to insects and frogs. Below is photo evidence of how we passed the afternoon. Apparently, my legs serve as a great road (my head is not in the photo because I didn't want documentation of my eyes). At one point I had a mini-nap while I was holding the ice pack over my eyes and woke up to plastic flies, grasshoppers and worms strategically placed on my neck and shoulders. :)Then KB went out for pizza and we all ate our fill. At this point we decided to brave bathtime. To avoid tears, it ended up with me rolling up my pajama pants and getting into the tub with A while KB washed him up, but by the time we were ready to get out he was just getting started. There was a lot of saving the frogs in the boat and then sinking them again. Meanwhile, KB slowly removed the rest of the toys one by one, while I pulled the plug and the water gradually disappeared. Then we transitioned into bedtime nicely by making the couch into a big bed which he happily jumped up on and put on a bit of Baby Einstein (seriously good stuff for the little guys) and we all fell asleep on the couch. I put myself to bed but left the guys on the couch for a campout.

The next morning the sun came out and we did a beach day!! Repacked the picnic lunch and off we went. By the time we got to the beach, it was raining again (hello, Latvia!), but it was only a drizzle so we went for it anyway. A few minutes later the sun was out again and we had a great time, filling and emptying buckets and kicking around a ball. And here is the king of cute....

The boys did go in for a bit of a swim as well. :)
As we were packing up to leave in order to get A home, a yellow jacket got tangled in my hair and stung me on the neck. Not knowing if this is the beesting I'm allergic to, we got a bit scared and really had to hurry. I took my pills, got some ice on it and realized that when a little one is relying just on you to keep him safe, you can't even let something possibly life-threatening like that stop you from caring for him even for a moment. We acted fast, stayed calm, and were on our way back to Riga, with KB driving just this side of safe to get us back quickly, but talking to A the whole way, and me icing my neck and feeding him the picnic lunch he refused to eat on the beach because it was way too much fun. Dropped him off at home and I proceeded to pass out on our couch all drugged up and KB passed out not too far after, exhausted but happy from the weekend.

Dreaming it....

Vacation? What vacation? I've said it before and I'll say it again, teachers (for the most part - the really good (aka: nutty) ones, anyway) do not take summer vacation. Whether you are taking summer course work, teaching summer school or constantly improving your old curriculum in your mind, if not on paper (even when you really don't want to, you just can't turn your brain off.....) like my colleagues have been doing this summer, or like me, you are dreaming it at night because working on it during the day isn't enough, summer vacation for teachers just really isn't summer vacation like everyone seems to think it is. I'm not complaining in any sense of the word - it sure has been nice to be able to do some of this thinking, pondering, reading and preparing on the beach when the sunshine just demands that of you - but once a teacher always a teacher....there's just a certain place that resides in your mind and heart that you can never fully shutdown.

That being said, the anxiety dreams about teaching grade two are in full swing. Like every night... I think they fairly well reflect what the reality will be (besides a few weird twists that can only take place in the dream world) - sometimes I'm dreaming myself if complete control of the situation and other times I'm in a panic of mad chaos. The bulk of the dreams represent me as both a student and a teacher (like I'm taking a university course about teaching and suddenly I realize that I am actaully supposed to be teaching it and find myself totally unprepared) or me teaching the little kids again who wander off and get lost among the big kids and I'm searching for my little guys. It's going to be a tough year full of new challenges, but as always I'm preparing in advance as much as possible, and I'm sure we'll all survive (hopefully even with a smile!) in the end.

However, the dreaded August allergy eyes are back in full force this year, which is slowing down a bit of my work. As I'm not yet required to be at school, my eye are truly horrid enough that I would rather hide out in the safe haven of the treehouse apartment rather than be stared down on the streets of Riga for looking anything less than perfect, so I'm doing as much as I can from home. This leads to more time-wasting than I'm sure I might be doing at school (ie: suddenly that extra nap seems incredibly necessary or I must play just one more game of pathwords on the computer, or I blog....), but I am doing my best. Come next week, I may not have a choice anymore.... And I really hope that by some miracle, the allergy eyes will pass early this year. I always feel bad for the kids on the first day of school who have to meet Miss Diana, with the crazy red eyes.....

The rest of the evening...

Here we are on the way to the reception. Unofficially sponsored by Cesu alus..... "Blue cans by day, red cans by night...."
And what do you know? After all the worry and heartache about the reception, they had everything ready for us and it was all great! The food was great and we took a lot home with us, and they even had the ice that we had specially requested!

More "dancing", actually rotalas (games) led by the musicians. Better not to ask...... Just have a good laugh... ;)

I, as the bride, was very briefly kidnapped as tends to occur at any good Latvian wedding. ES and GO snatched me up and KB had to sing me a song to get me back.

Lots and lots of singing continued with the wonderful musicians.


The night ended back at Jaunvitagas with more singing around the bonfire. That is where we finally danced our first dance as husband and wife - very fittingly, a song called Varaviksne (rainbow) - and ate our "wedding cake" - s'mores! - real ones with all the right ingredients imported by my mom and Krix! Untraditional, and we totally loved every minute of it, because it was just us. :)
And if all goes well, this will be the view from our kitchen window each morning some years from now.... Total and absolute beauty and peace....
(For the record, this photo was taken around 3am.) :)

And then....

We danced! The musicians led us in some fun traditional Latvian dances, also with a couple of silly new twists (like "plaukstinu polka" also with shoulders, elbows, hips, ankles, cheeks....)

A few cute pictures...



Those are the infamous rubber boots from the invitation - that really is what we wear as saimnieks and saimniece!

Then we handed out thank-yous to everyone for being there. Krix painted these great little boxes (unfortunately, no pictures of just the boxes) to look like birch trees and with a Latvian saulite (sun) design on the top. Inside we wrote our names, the date and a small poem. "Muzam sauli sirdi nest, vinas starus tumsa mest..." The boxes were filled with wildflower seeds. Some guests decided to take them home and plant them in their own gardens as a reminder of the day, others planted theirs by us.
Guests (shortest to tallest) planting their seeds in the field...


And as my dad had emptied his box, he filled it with something else that he found!