Restraint is an interesting word. Most of us, myself included could learn to use a little more of it! But in this blog I am going to discuss physical restraint. Schools, Detoxes, and the rules in Foster care all frown upon the use of restraint. I can remember a social worker telling me that foster parents did not need to be trained in the proper ways of restraint because it was illegal to restrain a child. That ridiculous remark did not take into account the kinds of kids that were being dropped off in our homes.
No one wants to put their hands on another person, particularly a child, especially a child who has already suffered physical or sexual abuse. However some times for the safety of that child or the people around them hands on is a must. To deny proper training and pretend there is no need does not help anyone.
In another example, we were also always told to never touch a client in the Detox. This certainly makes sense, as far as it goes, since normally on our shift there were only 2 of us, usually overweight out of shape women on duty, for 50 clients. Add to that is the undisputed fact that a person, out of their mind on crack cocaine can display super human feats of strength....far better to run and run fast, or at least run faster than your colleague so you can get help!
Schools too have a near feverish fear of physical contact between adults and students, for obvious litigious reasons. Yet in each of these work places- schools, detoxes, and foster homes- there comes a time when the laying on of hands is more than just a spiritual exercise.
So it was that yesterday I spent nearly nine hours in the indoor -all -day -suspension -room (note no windows or any sign of outside light) of the middle school for a day long training with my fellow kindergarten paraprofessionals to learn the fine art of physical restraint. BTW in one of those politically correct pieces of foolishness it is no longer called 'restraint' although we all know that is what it is. We now call it nonviolent crisis intervention.
I was not sure what I expected but I must start by saying in every way it was worth my time and efforts. Not many meetings pass that simple criteria. How many meetings do you attend that could have been as effective in a simple one paragraph memo?
Although not by nature a cynical person I find myself impatient when any meeting is more than an hour. But this training provided by the Crisis Prevention Institute was really an unexpected pleasure. I worked, and worked hard and learned a lot!!!!
Most of the training as you can imagine is about identifying the triggers that send a person out of control and at risk for harm. These signs, many subtle but some not, if identified and addressed can nearly always deescalate a potentially dangerous situation.
Deescalation is something that I already knew quite a bit about. In the detox if we could not diffuse a situation common sense dictated a call to the police. But this becomes a life and death situation for our clients. Think about it, a drunk guy wants to quit. But he becomes agitated, not an unusual occurrence for an intoxicated person who is fearful. If our response is to become aggravated or judgemental our drunk quickly escalates, the police come and cart him out. Maybe he becomes violent and is banned from the detox for a while, or gets himself arrested instead of a simple protective custody. Perhaps when he wakes in the morning he is too afraid or embarrassed to come back to the detox, or his bed gets filled while he is cooling off at the station. He leaves, goes home, and drinks and drives and winds up dead.
Our refusal or inability to deescalate the situation contributed to the death of someone. Sobering thought. So seven years of late night crisis intervention with intoxicated, high, or very sick teens and adults honed my crisis intervention skills.
By applying those same skills, the empathic non judgemental positive regard for a person's humanness with a touch of the mommy thrown in, can also help a child.
So most of the day long class was spent identifying triggers, offering approaches, and reflecting upon our own responses to crisis. Very very interesting.
When it came time to practise the protective holds (ok ok restraints:) or practice blocking physical attacks on our selves in a way that protects both our little attacker and ourselves, well things got interesting and even a little silly.
The challenge was not when practicing holds on a teen or adult because we simply took turns using our own and each others bodies. But little kid holds need to be done with little kids. In came my Joe as star of the day. I found him in gym and offered him a prize if he would help us out.
He was a little self conscious but open to it. He looked rather awkward and embarrassed at first as he tried to understand what was expected of him. It is a little unnerving I imagine for a 12 year old kid to stand surrounded by 11 women. But the first time the vice principal grabbed him in a hold, his legs became like spaghetti and he did that twisty wriggly little kid thing. Shocked the vp quickly adjusted her grip in a real hold while all the women burst out laughing.
"Thats it, thats it," laughed the ladies, "that is what our kids do!" We all then took turns trying to get Joe restrained in a protective and non violent grip. He did his best to thwart us and it really was an education!
I left that meeting exhausted but full of new knowledge and confidence. How many meetings have you gone to lately that left you with those feelings?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Dress rehearsal
Poor Frederick has more than enough 'maiden breast' to appeal too.
The pirates of course are a serious bunch, not an over actor amoung them.
The lovely virgin daughters of the major general, all but two in real life are middle age, and the major general is played by a 24 year old. Talk about needing a suspension of disbelief!Friday, February 19, 2010
Ice capades
For over 20 years Donnie has spent early weekend mornings refereeing hockey games. He tends to specialize in Might C (youngest most inexperienced players) and spends more than a little time offering instruction. He also tends to go to those games heavily padded as new skaters are crazy wild with their sticks.
When our big kids were little he sometimes took them out on the bog ice to skate. I would stay home with the babies during these adventures because A. someone had to watch the little kids and b. I did not want to have to lace up all those little ice skates in the freezing cold.
The result of all this domesticity is that I have not actually been on skates for close to 25 years. I grew up skating on the bogs across from our house, every Hanson kid did. I also spent most Fridays during middle school at public skating with Debbie Downs at the Pembroke rink.
Ice skating and roller skating were a normal part of childhood and I always had both kinds of skates and enjoyed myself immensely.
But now I am a middle age lady who still has a few pounds left to lose, a new fear of falling (courtesy of my nearly healed broken tailbone) and not enough hours in the day to do all the have tos let alone any want tos.
Nevertheless I mentioned to Donnie one of my hopes to ice skate again this year, as part of my ongoing' healthy me' challenges. This weekend offered the perfect opportunity. For only 5 dollars we got to skate for an hour in Plymouth, skates included, money going to help out the Carver High School hockey team.
Don and I headed to Plymouth, without our own children to try out public skating. Of course I knew just about every blessed kid there, including one of my little kindergardeners who skated like a madman!
It was a blast. I never fell down, my legs were not shaky, and best of all I talked Donnie into tying my skates for me! I was worried that my legs, unused to the skating motion would not hold me up but they didn ot disapoint me. I did get a couple of painful muscle spasms in the bottoms of my feet and the front of my ankle where my shin muscle connects was VERY painful.
But I stayed upright, skated pretty smoothly, and overall had a great time. No one mistook me for an Olympic skater or course, but then again no one seemed surprised or amused that I was on ice skates. I guess the kids expect anything from Mrs. Blauss!
Donnie skated with ease, speed, and grace, and he happily showed off for me. But he did not mind my much slower pace and was perfectly content how many kids yelled hello to me.
I think I need to go a few more times for my whole body to skate with ease. I tended to stand stiffly instead of the slight crouch required. I was never a flashy skater even in my youth but it is fun to know I still got it. Icecapades indeed!
When our big kids were little he sometimes took them out on the bog ice to skate. I would stay home with the babies during these adventures because A. someone had to watch the little kids and b. I did not want to have to lace up all those little ice skates in the freezing cold.
The result of all this domesticity is that I have not actually been on skates for close to 25 years. I grew up skating on the bogs across from our house, every Hanson kid did. I also spent most Fridays during middle school at public skating with Debbie Downs at the Pembroke rink.
Ice skating and roller skating were a normal part of childhood and I always had both kinds of skates and enjoyed myself immensely.
But now I am a middle age lady who still has a few pounds left to lose, a new fear of falling (courtesy of my nearly healed broken tailbone) and not enough hours in the day to do all the have tos let alone any want tos.
Nevertheless I mentioned to Donnie one of my hopes to ice skate again this year, as part of my ongoing' healthy me' challenges. This weekend offered the perfect opportunity. For only 5 dollars we got to skate for an hour in Plymouth, skates included, money going to help out the Carver High School hockey team.
Don and I headed to Plymouth, without our own children to try out public skating. Of course I knew just about every blessed kid there, including one of my little kindergardeners who skated like a madman!
It was a blast. I never fell down, my legs were not shaky, and best of all I talked Donnie into tying my skates for me! I was worried that my legs, unused to the skating motion would not hold me up but they didn ot disapoint me. I did get a couple of painful muscle spasms in the bottoms of my feet and the front of my ankle where my shin muscle connects was VERY painful.
But I stayed upright, skated pretty smoothly, and overall had a great time. No one mistook me for an Olympic skater or course, but then again no one seemed surprised or amused that I was on ice skates. I guess the kids expect anything from Mrs. Blauss!
Donnie skated with ease, speed, and grace, and he happily showed off for me. But he did not mind my much slower pace and was perfectly content how many kids yelled hello to me.
I think I need to go a few more times for my whole body to skate with ease. I tended to stand stiffly instead of the slight crouch required. I was never a flashy skater even in my youth but it is fun to know I still got it. Icecapades indeed!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Cuddle and Bubble
Times are tough and it can be difficult to justify spending either money or time on a relationship when so many others things vie for that money and time. But after the year we have had Don with some guilt and much glee booked us for an after Valentines cheapy stay at the Cuddle and Bubble. The 135 dollars included dinner for 2 at the Brazilian Grille (what an experience, handsome Brazilian men go from table to table carving fresh meat off of long skewers for your dining pleasure, plus an all you can eat buffet, and a dessert cart ) breakfast for 2 was also included. Plus a two room suite, with a circle bed, more mirrors than you could EVER want, a bottle of champagne, and of course a jacuzzi for 2. Heaven on earth.
I had bumped into Deb, one of the ladies who have known since we first moved to Carver, who works at Shaws. She has a soft spot for all the Blauss men and I knew she would enjoy hearing about our getaway. But something about the look on her face made me ask about her life....with tears in her eyes she related how her sister in law just died, a surprising victim of Toxic Shock. The small hospital in Maine near her home had been treating her for Swine flu. But within a week she was dead, her entire body shut down- too late she was transferred to the big city hospital. Her husband, the school janitor and bus driver (she was a speech teacher in their little town) second guesses himself. But the metro hospital assures him that they too would not have caught the Toxic Shock so similar are the symptoms to flu. He is inconsolable as they had been high school sweethearts. Their little town has had counselors in trying to help the school system deal with this terrible tragedy. An entire town is heartbroken.
Deb looked at me, trying to control her emotions as she is at work and of course life has to go on. "It is so good you went away. You just never know. You have to appreciate your life. What will my brother in law do without his sweetheart?"
I am glad we got to get away. To indulge each other. To sit in a hot tub until we were all pruney. To eat until we could barely move. To laugh and be silly and appreciate each other. To honor our love without interference by kids, and animals, and friends, and commitments, and bills. It was a small thing really. It lasted only 19 hours. But Valentines Day is more than just a Hallmark card holiday, and Mardis Gras is more than just boobie beads and New Orleans. They are both chances to indulge and celebrate in a very earthy way the physical parts of who we are.
Tomorrow starts Lent and we all as a family have talked about what sacrifices we will do or what indulgences we will forgo. I am so glad thoough that we entered the season, just the two of us, just Don and I, naked and laughing.
Monday, February 15, 2010
10 days since last indoor garden post
It has been ten days since my last garden post. As you can see nasturtiums are popping up in my Mom's ceramic pot. Little basil plants are now also sprouting in my white pot that I won at a rabbit show.
Here you can see, very close to the grow lights, a rectangle of tiny thyme plants. I am hoping to use the thyme in the garden to soften a garden path. To the right is a planter of dwarf curely parsley. It originally sprouted by in the planter on the living room picture window. But then I discovered how cold it was against the pane. The plants are much happier in the kitchen greenhouse.
Here a rectangle of basil sits beside a small clay pot of radish. Tangling behind the basil is more nasturtium. You may notice the Tupperware behind the radish. I am using the Tupperware to rest plants on, putting them closer to the light source.
Hanging above my planter in the living room sits a Spider plant. My mom had one of these and it is one of my earliest memories watching her care for it and dreaming of the day I would have one of my very own. It has no little spiderettes on it yet but I have high hopes. Joe and I spent an hour on the computer looking up Spider plant care and viewing pictures of baby spider plants. The pink color in the lower right is from a flowering Christmas Cactus.
The lower left is a red vein Fittonia. I still need another plant or two for this plant stand, esp as I am going to have to remove the Paperwhites shortly. They are past bloom. Apparently I have to hide the bulbs in a cool dark place. I think I will put them out in the garden with other daffodil bulbs because if I hide them in a dark place in the house I will totally forget them!Eileen has some baby Ivy plants for me so I am looking forward to those. It is so fun in the dead of winter to be playing with gardeny things :>)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
rough start to a lovely finish
Last night proved to be a very lovey evening but it certainly did not start out that way. In our ongoing saga to secure health insurance we were turned down for Masshealth and told to apply for free care at a clinic. The nearest clinic naturally being in Quincy and of course there is a host of things they do not cover- like routine appointments and prescriptions.
You do not even want to know that number of people I have argued this with and the number of forms we have filled out and sent in, via online, snail mail, and fax.
To cut to the chase, I finally received truly helpful and compassionate information from a woman in Brockton hospital's financial department named Ruby. It was she who caught the error from Unemployments Medical Security division and then gave me great word choices to use with them. She even offered to have me come into her if I needed help with certain forms. BTW I do not even owe Brockton Hospital money, I just wanted to find out how we can be covered just in case. No one wants to worry about these things in a crisis. I am going to send a letter of praise to her supervisor this weekend because has truly made a difference!
Back to the 20 minute on hold wait with unemployment. Oh ya, I was not going to waste your time going on and on about it. Can I just tell you that the red tape is beyond stupid. For the third time now we are sending information to them, this time via fax because as that bureaucrat put it, "We do not get around to our mail very often".
Turns out we were never suppose to apply for Masshealth (even though THEY told us too? ) We are retroavitvely covered since October when we first filed forms. (although this is little comfort. I simply have not gone to the doctors since because the conflicting information made me too leary to dare rack up any bills we would potentially have to pay.)
Ok ok I am going to stop this ranting about all this foolishness. On to the good stuff. Needless to say all this aggravating stress threatened to wreck date night. I recently have been havig trouble letting go of stressful things and let me tell you this has ruined some mighty nice times, or at least put a damper on them. it may be related to hormonal changes as I age becaueI do not think life has been any more stressful than usual.
Anyway, I sat in my room and really really had to put my mind to just letting go. Don had planned a picnic infront of the fireplace and I was not going to let anger and worry threaten one of the very few dates he has EVER planned.
So he shoved all the crap away from the fireplace and dragged the loveseat in from the other room. Then he pulled out a Yogi Bear-like picnic basket. It was filled with red Tupperware plates, cups, and silverware. He put my table clothe over the piano bench and then began pulling out food. Fried chicken from Shaws, potato salad, apples, cookies, and ice cold pink lemonade. We huddles under my Dads quilt for warmth as I was too starving to wait for a fire. After we ate he then built up a fire and played love songs on his guitar.
Towering around us in our crowded bedroom/music room/ place where stuff goes that we use when there is no place else to put it room.... I felt very rich. I suppose some people spent last night relaxing in their spacious rooms that have heat, or ate brilliant prepared gourmet meals. Maybe they relaxed in his and her bathrooms, soaking in hottubs. Maybe they wallowed in the security of knowing that THEIR health insurance was not a tangled mess of paperwork and misplaced files.
But last night while Donnie went upstairs to take a quick shower(in our 350 dollar no longer leaking bathroom!) I hid a bag of green M & Ms for him to find. I could not help but think in spite of the recent reversal of our fortunes that we always manage to come out ahead.
Maybe other people had a better dinner, or sat in a cleaner more organized room last night. But no one laughed harder or had more appreciation then the old married couple at 8 Atwood street.
Later that night as I read by the fire and Don slept on the other side of the room (he had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to ref hockey games) I did discover an important fact about fireplaces. If you put a fan on in the room so that its white noise will drown out any noise you make, it will also suck all the smoke from the fireplace INTO said room, making for a smoky bedroom.
You do not even want to know that number of people I have argued this with and the number of forms we have filled out and sent in, via online, snail mail, and fax.
To cut to the chase, I finally received truly helpful and compassionate information from a woman in Brockton hospital's financial department named Ruby. It was she who caught the error from Unemployments Medical Security division and then gave me great word choices to use with them. She even offered to have me come into her if I needed help with certain forms. BTW I do not even owe Brockton Hospital money, I just wanted to find out how we can be covered just in case. No one wants to worry about these things in a crisis. I am going to send a letter of praise to her supervisor this weekend because has truly made a difference!
Back to the 20 minute on hold wait with unemployment. Oh ya, I was not going to waste your time going on and on about it. Can I just tell you that the red tape is beyond stupid. For the third time now we are sending information to them, this time via fax because as that bureaucrat put it, "We do not get around to our mail very often".
Turns out we were never suppose to apply for Masshealth (even though THEY told us too? ) We are retroavitvely covered since October when we first filed forms. (although this is little comfort. I simply have not gone to the doctors since because the conflicting information made me too leary to dare rack up any bills we would potentially have to pay.)
Ok ok I am going to stop this ranting about all this foolishness. On to the good stuff. Needless to say all this aggravating stress threatened to wreck date night. I recently have been havig trouble letting go of stressful things and let me tell you this has ruined some mighty nice times, or at least put a damper on them. it may be related to hormonal changes as I age becaueI do not think life has been any more stressful than usual.
Anyway, I sat in my room and really really had to put my mind to just letting go. Don had planned a picnic infront of the fireplace and I was not going to let anger and worry threaten one of the very few dates he has EVER planned.
So he shoved all the crap away from the fireplace and dragged the loveseat in from the other room. Then he pulled out a Yogi Bear-like picnic basket. It was filled with red Tupperware plates, cups, and silverware. He put my table clothe over the piano bench and then began pulling out food. Fried chicken from Shaws, potato salad, apples, cookies, and ice cold pink lemonade. We huddles under my Dads quilt for warmth as I was too starving to wait for a fire. After we ate he then built up a fire and played love songs on his guitar.
Towering around us in our crowded bedroom/music room/ place where stuff goes that we use when there is no place else to put it room.... I felt very rich. I suppose some people spent last night relaxing in their spacious rooms that have heat, or ate brilliant prepared gourmet meals. Maybe they relaxed in his and her bathrooms, soaking in hottubs. Maybe they wallowed in the security of knowing that THEIR health insurance was not a tangled mess of paperwork and misplaced files.
But last night while Donnie went upstairs to take a quick shower(in our 350 dollar no longer leaking bathroom!) I hid a bag of green M & Ms for him to find. I could not help but think in spite of the recent reversal of our fortunes that we always manage to come out ahead.
Maybe other people had a better dinner, or sat in a cleaner more organized room last night. But no one laughed harder or had more appreciation then the old married couple at 8 Atwood street.
Later that night as I read by the fire and Don slept on the other side of the room (he had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to ref hockey games) I did discover an important fact about fireplaces. If you put a fan on in the room so that its white noise will drown out any noise you make, it will also suck all the smoke from the fireplace INTO said room, making for a smoky bedroom.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
After the storm that was not
Last night's Northeaster was a bit of a bust as far as the kids were concerned. Half a day (no school for Jamie) on Wed convinced them that they also deserved Thursday off, or at least a delay but it was not to be. Even the power would not cooperate for them. It sure inconvenienced me. Lights went out around ten thirty and came back on in full force at just before 2 in the morning.
I read by candle light for a while which was very nice and then drifted off into uneasy sleep without the benefit of my white noise fan. When every blessed light and tv blasted on with power's return I staggered about shutting things off.
At least I did not have to shovel. Donnie dutifully got up and did that while I got ready for double duty work, and made sure the kids kept moving. So this morning everyone was a bit disappointed in the storm that did not live up to expectations.
Last night at least was pleasant and relaxing. With only Joe, Don and myself home we had a casual dinner, played card games (Donnie cheats when playing War so beware!) watched tv and read.
Joe and I keep poking at my little kitchen greenhouse as the plants, especially the nasturtiums are really taking off. He and I both took turns taking bubble baths by candle light although I was not keen on smelling like bubblegum. Apparently we have no girly bubble bath, only the robust Mr Bubble.
A nice evening even if it did end with lights blazing on at 2 in the morning. Could really use a nap after middle school gym teacher duties followed by kindergarten. But I have got to drag myself to the gym. Boy, no matter the rewards it is plain hard duty trying ot fit that in.
I read by candle light for a while which was very nice and then drifted off into uneasy sleep without the benefit of my white noise fan. When every blessed light and tv blasted on with power's return I staggered about shutting things off.
At least I did not have to shovel. Donnie dutifully got up and did that while I got ready for double duty work, and made sure the kids kept moving. So this morning everyone was a bit disappointed in the storm that did not live up to expectations.
Last night at least was pleasant and relaxing. With only Joe, Don and myself home we had a casual dinner, played card games (Donnie cheats when playing War so beware!) watched tv and read.
Joe and I keep poking at my little kitchen greenhouse as the plants, especially the nasturtiums are really taking off. He and I both took turns taking bubble baths by candle light although I was not keen on smelling like bubblegum. Apparently we have no girly bubble bath, only the robust Mr Bubble.
A nice evening even if it did end with lights blazing on at 2 in the morning. Could really use a nap after middle school gym teacher duties followed by kindergarten. But I have got to drag myself to the gym. Boy, no matter the rewards it is plain hard duty trying ot fit that in.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
kindergarten daze
I just finished writing out Valentine's to give to my new Kindergarten class at the Valentine's party on Friday. I got the kind that you can add a little red heart lollipop too. I loved when my teachers gave me presents! The cards have little geeky facts about the animals on the front.
My new job is going swell. Last week I celebrated Groundhog Day. The only people who do celebrate that momentous event are school children, Bill Murray, and morning TV talk shows.
This week I got to ring the bell at the end of recess and be bad cop. I also got to swing on the swings, sing a song about love, watch Reading Rainbow- where we learned about how mail gets delivered! I also witnessed two young boys unselfconsciously holding hands while they sang a song about a train. My knees have been spontaneously hugged more times than I can count and every day one little boy gives me another tip about how to play the Wii.
Life in kindergarten is not all about recess and rest time however. (Although what job is better than one that has a recess, a snack, and a rest time?) We are reading full sentences phonetically and correcting spelling, grammar, and basic punctuation....at 5 and 6 years of age! We add numbers that equal up to 20! We have very little time for play but lots of papers and important work to do, and testing testing testing!
Those kindergarten teachers put in more than a full days worth of hard work. What will they do when our grant goes unfunded for the aides in the room?
Meanwhile I still have the opportunity to sub at the middle high school and lest you think it is much different than with the precious and precocious 5 years olds... During an assembly one of my students asked to use the rest room,. She was gone for a VERY long time and after touching base with the other teacher I went off in search of her. The day before I had to haul a few stray girls out of the kindergarten bathroom for fooling around, flicking lights on and off, etc. My grouchy voice echoes great in a bathroom let me tell you!
Anyway as I searched each girl's room starting with the closest to the auditorium I was thinking about how it is the same no matter what the age.... I passed the principal who was heading to the stage to present some awards. "Hows it going?" he asked with a grin.
"Oh fine," I replied "just hunting down a missing girl." He looked back to see if I needed help but I waved him on. I was fairly certain I would find her in the bathroom furthest from the auditorium and sure enough there she was in the stall ,cell phone mysteriously on the floor.
I lectured her in my sternest voice marveling at the great acoustics. She quickly tried to squeeze past me, full of perfectly innocent excuses. I made her go back to wash her hands and we walked mack to the assembly.
We thankfully were there in time to watch the power point . Across the screen- to the beat of 'God Bless this Life' and other popular tunes- were smiling middle scholars, holding hands, playing at gym, reading in the library, showing off projects. A terms worth of photos and moments captured. The kids laughed at the silly pictures, they applauded when one of the students who has autism was mentioned, they all leaned eagerly forward waiting to see themselves and their buddies up on the screen.
Big kids, little kids, same same same.
My new job is going swell. Last week I celebrated Groundhog Day. The only people who do celebrate that momentous event are school children, Bill Murray, and morning TV talk shows.
This week I got to ring the bell at the end of recess and be bad cop. I also got to swing on the swings, sing a song about love, watch Reading Rainbow- where we learned about how mail gets delivered! I also witnessed two young boys unselfconsciously holding hands while they sang a song about a train. My knees have been spontaneously hugged more times than I can count and every day one little boy gives me another tip about how to play the Wii.
Life in kindergarten is not all about recess and rest time however. (Although what job is better than one that has a recess, a snack, and a rest time?) We are reading full sentences phonetically and correcting spelling, grammar, and basic punctuation....at 5 and 6 years of age! We add numbers that equal up to 20! We have very little time for play but lots of papers and important work to do, and testing testing testing!
Those kindergarten teachers put in more than a full days worth of hard work. What will they do when our grant goes unfunded for the aides in the room?
Meanwhile I still have the opportunity to sub at the middle high school and lest you think it is much different than with the precious and precocious 5 years olds... During an assembly one of my students asked to use the rest room,. She was gone for a VERY long time and after touching base with the other teacher I went off in search of her. The day before I had to haul a few stray girls out of the kindergarten bathroom for fooling around, flicking lights on and off, etc. My grouchy voice echoes great in a bathroom let me tell you!
Anyway as I searched each girl's room starting with the closest to the auditorium I was thinking about how it is the same no matter what the age.... I passed the principal who was heading to the stage to present some awards. "Hows it going?" he asked with a grin.
"Oh fine," I replied "just hunting down a missing girl." He looked back to see if I needed help but I waved him on. I was fairly certain I would find her in the bathroom furthest from the auditorium and sure enough there she was in the stall ,cell phone mysteriously on the floor.
I lectured her in my sternest voice marveling at the great acoustics. She quickly tried to squeeze past me, full of perfectly innocent excuses. I made her go back to wash her hands and we walked mack to the assembly.
We thankfully were there in time to watch the power point . Across the screen- to the beat of 'God Bless this Life' and other popular tunes- were smiling middle scholars, holding hands, playing at gym, reading in the library, showing off projects. A terms worth of photos and moments captured. The kids laughed at the silly pictures, they applauded when one of the students who has autism was mentioned, they all leaned eagerly forward waiting to see themselves and their buddies up on the screen.
Big kids, little kids, same same same.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Explanation of photos below.
I took some pictures of my little kitchen garden greenhouse. I tried to post a photo of the greenhouse directly from Picassa to Blogger. It showed up successfully on my laptop (Windows 7) but not on Don's PC (Vista.) I then went to Blogger and imported the photos and it appears that that did indeed work, so you should see 4 below this post.
The first is a little biodegradable rectangle with little thyme seeds just peaking out. We already have lemon thyme in the garden but this is a different flavor. I have seen beautiful photos in garden magazines of thyme growing between stepping stones and used in paths and I think I want to try that for the path next to the strawberry patch. We will see how successful I am.
The next photo is of dwarf curly leaf parsley that I started from seed in the living room picture window, not thinking about how cold it would be next to the uninsulated window. Since moving it to my toasty greenhouse with its florescent lighting and warm air the parsley has begun to send up real leaves. The next photo shows the second shelf of the greenhouse with its pots of seeds still resting in their growing medium. The fourth photo shows what the greenhouse itself looks like, clear plastic over 4 green plastic shelves, all on rollers. Dirt and a
large pot in on the bottom shelf, the next one up has my gardening books (so fun to have them handy). The top two shelves have seeds and lighting.
It is fun on a freezing cold morning to putter in my little kitchen greenhouse!)
The first is a little biodegradable rectangle with little thyme seeds just peaking out. We already have lemon thyme in the garden but this is a different flavor. I have seen beautiful photos in garden magazines of thyme growing between stepping stones and used in paths and I think I want to try that for the path next to the strawberry patch. We will see how successful I am.
The next photo is of dwarf curly leaf parsley that I started from seed in the living room picture window, not thinking about how cold it would be next to the uninsulated window. Since moving it to my toasty greenhouse with its florescent lighting and warm air the parsley has begun to send up real leaves. The next photo shows the second shelf of the greenhouse with its pots of seeds still resting in their growing medium. The fourth photo shows what the greenhouse itself looks like, clear plastic over 4 green plastic shelves, all on rollers. Dirt and a
large pot in on the bottom shelf, the next one up has my gardening books (so fun to have them handy). The top two shelves have seeds and lighting.
It is fun on a freezing cold morning to putter in my little kitchen greenhouse!)
Thursday, February 04, 2010
GREAT New job and a few typical aches and pains
First full week as an afternoon kindergarden aide and I am in heaven. Nice teacher- great kids. I already got to do Ground Hog Day and NEXT week is the Valentine's party, so how could it be anything but wonderful? I am officially part of the school system, not some 'casual employee' which is the the title designated for subs.
I even get to parttake of the day long training tomorrow for CPR, I believe this is the first time the school is offering it. I am not sure what I will learn in the 5 hours of training that I do not already know. But I will get paid for part of it and the awesome K teachers are making me lunch . Apparently it is not CPR for medical people, which I have been certified in for the last 8 years. But it is free! To be remed certified I would have to go back down to Falmouth so I guess I will just be regular person certified. No matter, I have been certified since I was a teenager and have used both rescue breathing and the Heimlich on more than one occaision.
I am assuming they still do the whole thing about strokes and a bit on basic first aide but whatever they want to teach or reteach I am just happy to be there. I darn well bettre get a 100 on the test or I will be totally disgusted with myself.
Hope fully we will not have to sit for too long, my stupid broken tailbone is still not up to that and this week my lower back has been acting up. Throw in that time of the month and you have one achy irritable body. Lucky for the world I have a shiny personality and can keep my grumpiness over my aches and pains to myself!
Will let you know how CPR goes tomorrow...
I even get to parttake of the day long training tomorrow for CPR, I believe this is the first time the school is offering it. I am not sure what I will learn in the 5 hours of training that I do not already know. But I will get paid for part of it and the awesome K teachers are making me lunch . Apparently it is not CPR for medical people, which I have been certified in for the last 8 years. But it is free! To be remed certified I would have to go back down to Falmouth so I guess I will just be regular person certified. No matter, I have been certified since I was a teenager and have used both rescue breathing and the Heimlich on more than one occaision.
I am assuming they still do the whole thing about strokes and a bit on basic first aide but whatever they want to teach or reteach I am just happy to be there. I darn well bettre get a 100 on the test or I will be totally disgusted with myself.
Hope fully we will not have to sit for too long, my stupid broken tailbone is still not up to that and this week my lower back has been acting up. Throw in that time of the month and you have one achy irritable body. Lucky for the world I have a shiny personality and can keep my grumpiness over my aches and pains to myself!
Will let you know how CPR goes tomorrow...
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